Colorz

You were a bit miffed about missing such a big event, but the solo job you had just taken on had all of your personal time completely consumed. You couldn't even spend time with your beloved Cunning Hares, working tirelessly just outside a companion hollow that had popped up for more than a week straight, causing you miss out on that snazzy porcelloy w-engine that was up for grabs in the Hollow Champion Competition. You wanted to participate so bad, but the dennies that were up for grabs from the job you just took simply couldn't be passed up, even if it was too good to be true. There were a lot of zeros in that payout amount, and you were admittedly blinded by them.

Jumping on that opportunity, you warned your comrades that you would be gone for a few days, maybe longer; but you hoped not too long at all. You couldn't give them specifics on the job because you hardly had any information yourself, just that you had a target to eliminate and you were supposed to stakeout and wait as long as necessary. That led to where you were currently, setting up camp in an old warehouse just outside of the companion hollow that had popped up a few months ago. This was a dirtier commission, a bit more like the ones you used to take on before you joined the Cunning Hares. Cramped up in the side wing of the old warehouse, you had no cell reception, and crappy instructions written on a crumpled up piece of paper from a notepad. They gave you nothing to work with except for an update on the target: a human-ethereal hybrid, and not to move until you see it and eliminate it. Horrid instructions, but you wanted to chance that the cash was gonna be real. It would be lifechanging for you, and you knew you could trust yourself to get the job done within minutes of seeing your target.

That was the problem though; your target just didn't wanna show up. It took a little over a week: one painstakingly long week until your target had made itself known to the world. To keep yourself going, you had been taking hour long naps to allow yourself to stay awake for around five hours at a time while you sat in a crusty folding chair, staring out the tinted window of an office at the hollow before you. No matter how sleep deprived you were, you didn't want to miss your chance because you fell asleep. Then, that chance came. The half corrupted individual you had been instructed to take down finally emerged from the hollow in the early evening, your eyes widening in disbelief that the thing had actually made it out. The ether concentration wasn't that high outside the hollow at all, so to see a corrupted one standing outside of the hollow and venturing further really threw you for a loop. It looked directly towards the city— towards New Eridu.

"Finally; it's about time you showed up, you wretch of a thing." You muttered, sitting upright in your chair and anchoring the stock of your sniper rifle against the reinforced steel wall of the office behind you, pointing the barrel out the slightly opened window. "You won't even get to cross the highway with me here."

Staring down the scope of your gun, you followed the path of the stumbling hybrid creature until it stopped just at the edge of the highway, suddenly letting out an earsplitting shriek of pain and agony. It sounded like it was distressed; possibly realizing what it had become with what little sanity remained in the thing. Now you felt bad, deciding it was time to make quick work of this and end your week long streak of poor sleep. You loaded up one of your explosive ether bullets with the signature caution tape shell, bracing yourself between the desk and the wall as you steadied your hand before you let that bugger fly, the wall behind you denting from the force of your shot. That familiar purple ether energy rippled through the air, seemingly cutting through the atmosphere before it ripped through the body of the corrupted hybrid, causing it to explode into bits of ether energy until nothing was left. Target: eliminated.

"Lord. I'm glad that's over. I better get my damn money's worth over how much sleep I lost for that shit." You huffed, starting to pack your things. "Talk about a science experiment gone wild…"

You had truly banked on getting that payout without a catch; there always seemed to be one of those damn things though. Unbeknownst to you, your commissioner had decided to go MIA while you drove yourself home on your shoddy old motorcycle, only realizing this once you had finally returned home and cell reception had returned to your device. Once you hauled yourself up the outer stairs of your complex, you tried contacting the guy on Knock Knock as you pushed open the door to your unit, only to find that you had been blocked. Stopping in your entryway and letting the door swing shut, you tried searching for the secondary number you had been given to contact in case of an emergency and saw that you were blocked there too. Once you realized you had your contact cut completely, you knew this loser had no intent on paying you with the insane reward he had advertised, making a silent fury bubble up inside of you over being fooled and lied to. You pulled your sniper rifle off of your back and halfheartedly tossed it onto your couch before you whipped one of your bullet bags into the floor angrily, pissed that it just clicked that you had been hustled.

"Fuck! That asshole took advantage of my dumb ass and used the shitty service to his advantage." You cussed, making tight fists before you threw your small crossbody bag into the other corner of your couch. "I will not be letting this shit slide. That job was stupidly suspicious anyway."

Angry as ever, you started pacing around your living room as you pulled out your phone and started to make a call— specifically to Rain, the young hacker you knew through your proxy friends. She was quick to answer you as always, knowing you only called like this when you had a really good reason to. She didn't even have to ask you what was up before you started to spill to her the incident that had just occurred, the young hacker getting upset on your behalf now herself.

"So the person who requested you to do such a dangerous job just bailed on you? Scum." Rain mumbled in disappointment. "With that many dennies on the line at such a high risk and requirement, there's definitely something shady going on."

"Tell me about it. That's so many dennies though, so I was wondering if you'd track this jerk down for a cut of my payout. Shady experiment or not, people will pay their damn dues to me." You huffed angrily.

"You've got both his Knock Knock and the burner phone number he used, right?" Rain asked.

"Yep. Still got 'em"

"Okay. Give me until the end of the day. I'll find the guy and get your dennies." She told you confidently.

"Thank you. I believe in you." You nodded, truly so grateful that she was willing to help you with such a ridiculous thing.

"No problem. Now take it easy, hey? I'll make sure you get paid."

After giving her the info she needed, you hung up and let out another deep sigh, truly already fed up with the situation. This was not part of the deal, and you were starting to have deeper suspicions on the guy who commissioned you. It was a simple takedown to protect the highway and the city by extension turned into an extended stakeout mission that went on long enough to allow your client to cover his tracks. Could this person have been the entire reason behind that hybrid ethereal in the first place…

"Maybe this guy… is making the hybrids himself, and I was his damn safety net??" You pondered, letting your mind wander a bit too much. "God I hope not—aAH!"

The sound of your phone ringing snapped you out of your thought spiral and damn near made you jump out of your skin. Nekomata's name took took up your screen, and you were instantly relieved, happy to see a familiar name calling you for once.

"Yo!" You said after answering.

"There you are! Finally! I've been tryna contact you for a week! What sort of insane job did you take on?!" Nekomata yelled, clearly frustrated but more concerned than anything else.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry… It was a takedown job next to a companion hollow that popped up along the highway. Service was nonexistent out there, and I had to camp out in the office of an old warehouse until the target showed itself." You explained. "It was a corrupted hybrid that ventured outside the hollow but the air around the whole situation seemed off. It was insane to see happen, but I'm glad I was there to remove the threat."

"WHAT?! You took that job on alone?!" She screeched.

"Y-yeah… Sorry. It was requested to only send one person, but I really do wish I disobeyed… I should've told Billy to come with me at the very least. He's not too worried, is he?" You asked, already sounding quite apologetic.

"He's about as worried as I am, cuz I've been tryna call you for a few minutes now. Your line was busy, but that's how I knew you were home and to keep trying."

"… Shit." You sighed.

"But… You came home. You back in New Eridu, which means you've come back to us alive." Nekomata eventually said, her tone softening with the relief she now felt. "Don't do that again. Next time, wire us some details through encrypted satellite messaging so we can come help you if we need."

"Yeah. I can ask Rain if she can modify an old cellphone for me to do that with; if she makes it I know it'll be easy to send you guys short messages from far away when I'm in a pinch. Maybe I'll get the managers in on that too. They've grown so strong lately it's kinda scary." You huffed. "No more secrets from me."

"Good." She replied, sounding quite satisfied with your response. "Well, at least you're not the only one keeping a secret right now, so I guess you can call it even. If you weren't gone for so long, you might've gotten to know it a lot sooner though."

"Pardon? Who's keeping a secret now?" You asked.

"Your sweet Silly Billy has recently gotten some upgrades. Big ones that you'll definitely notice when you see him." She informed you, her cheeky little smirk somehow possible to hear in her tone.

"He WHAT?!" You shrieked, nearly dropping your phone from the shock. "When??"

"About halfway into you going missing for your mission." She answered with strained laughter. "I knew you'd sound so surprised~"

"Well duh. What happened while I was gone?"

"Long story short, he had been saving for these upgrades for a while and only recently cracked to get Nicole to help afford the rest. He needed that new firepower to help our Proxy twins out during the Hollow Champion Competition. So much went down at that event, but I'll save that story for another day. It's a long one, and it's already turning to sunset; he did save the day though that much I can say~" She purred.

"Hah, of course he was out being a hero. That's my silly…" You paused. "Hey, is he still… He's still my Billy, right? Did the upgrades change him drastically?"

"Aw, don't worry. I promise he is still very much your Silly Billy. It's honestly like he multiplied his dorky self by ten." She assured you.

You sighed deeply with relief, knowing you could trust her when she said that. "Where are you guys now then? Can I come and see him? I'm finally home so just tell me where to go-"

"Calmmmm. I've got you covered, don't worry!" She interrupted. "We're in Blazewood right now catching up with the others. I was gonna ask a certain someone to come and pick you up since I know you've gotta be tired, but I'm pretty sure I saw them leave before I could even ask them to go get you. Your ride will be there soon I'm sure."

"What? The hell do you mean—" A knock on your door was the next thing to cut you off as you whipped your head around to glare at your front door. "Hello??"

"It sounds like your ride is there now, heheh. See ya soon~!" She sang through your phone before hanging up for you.

Wearing a confused expression, you turned yourself around fully and put your phone back in your pocket, grabbing the handle and opening your door to reveal Burnice standing outside on the open air stairwell of your complex. She held your helmet in her hands, having clearly swiped it from your motorcycle. You had a feeling you forgot to bring something upstairs with you.

"Yo!" She greeted, just as casually as you had answered your phone earlier.

"How in the hell did you get here so fast? Nekomata just hung up on me!" You questioned.

"Heheh, the moment the phone started to actually go through for her, even if you didn't pick up, the line was busy so I knew you were home. I hopped on my bike and started to haul ass to come and get you~! I wanted a head start, so I took my chances." She told you.

"So she was just stalling me then. Wow."

"It worked like a charm I'd say." She laughed. "Now are you gonna come down with me or not? Your Starlight Knight awaits you~"

Burnice finally held up your helmet and pushed it into your hands, to which you grabbed hold of the rather simple looking helmet to don for the ride without hesitation. You turned only to grab your keys from the table you had absently tossed them onto, stuffing them in one of your many cargo pants pockets before you stepped outside and slammed your door shut with a swiftness only seen by you when Billy was involved.

"Let's go. Before the sun is gone— I wanna see him before the day is done." You spoke firmly.

"Aw hell yeah, let's ride~"

You and Burnice ran down the open stairwell, your goofy self damn near falling down the thing as you descended the steps. Once on ground level, you hopped onto the back of her bike that she parked nearby and stuck your helmet on your head , waiting for her to hurry up and get on. She didn't make you wait at all, shoving her helmet on as well before speeding off down the street and out of the city, definitely going the speed limit as she peeled out onto the highway. You did not care. Whatever got you there the quickest was what mattered the most to you, eager to see your construct lover again after taking on such a foolish commission alone.

With how fast Burnice drove, you were back in Blazewood within a few hours. The gorgeous scenic views of the Outer Ring kept you plenty distracted, admiring the blazing orange sunset as you ripped down the highway. You never got tired of the ride out here, that incredible view being the only thing keeping you calm while you tried to figure out how Billy was going to look now. That had your thoughts tied up until Burnice pulled up along the upper highway, skidding to a stop at the higher entrance to Blazewood. You hopped off before she could even turn her bike off, throwing your helmet onto the back end of it before you started backing up into town.

"Thanks!" You made sure to say before you turned around fully, running off into Blazewood towards Cheesetopia.

"Heh, cute~" She hummed, flipping up the visor of her own helmet to watch you run off.

You didn't need to ask anyone if they had seen Billy; even with the changes, he was still so obviously himself. Standing right by the gas pumps chatting with Lighter was your tall construct lover, somehow even more himself that he had ever seemed before. You came to a complete stop about ten feet back from him, gazing in wonder at the sharp horns you could see poking out from the front of his face behind that familiar fluffy white hair. He now wore a jacket-hybrid-vest, the white steel of his left arm showing off a freshly painted mark on his bicep while the right arm remained hidden beneath the jacket side and red wraps as scarlet as the tattered scarf he wore. The fluff of the jacket's collar blended in with his hair so well it looked like he had a mane from where you stood behind him, still frozen in place as you processed all the changes you could currently see.

You stood there staring for so long that Lighter eventually noticed you, cutting himself off and pointing at you to get Billy to turn around. It worked, Billy's chatter fading away as he turned around before brightening instantly at the sight of you being behind him.

"Babe! You're here! Finally, you've been gone so long I… a-are you okay?" He exclaimed, pausing when he noticed you hadn't moved.

Now that you could see the front of him, your jaw hung open, stuck gazing at the newer angular shape of his faceplate that showed off the sleek look of those horns you saw adorning him, that thin visor that used to run over his face now no longer present. Chest still out, all sleek with new shiny metal, stood your boyfriend Billy Kid, just a little bit different, yet entirely the same man you know and love.

"Hun, you're scaring me. You're staring a lot." Billy then commented nervously, a thin blush still projecting across his face despite the lack of visor.

"Oh yeah. You're definitely still my Silly Billy." You huffed, a smile blooming on your face.

"Of course I am!" He exclaimed, stepping closer to you. "Did… did I go too far with the upgrades? Or were you worried you wouldn't recognize me?"

"No! No I was just… scared you might not be the same." You admitted. "The upgrades though. You…" You paused, rubbing your cheeks a bit from how excited you had become. "You look so fuckin' cool!!"

There were practically stars in your eyes as you gazed up at him in wonder, completely starstruck by him. Your reaction filled him with so much joy he swore his logic core was about to overload, laughing as he picked you up and spun you around. Both of you were so relieved that the other was okay, sharing giggles as you clung tightly to his shoulders with your legs wrapped around his waist. The usual yellow colour his eyes were had taken on a pink gradient between the two colours as he looked affectionately at you, leaning against the outer wall of Cheesetopia holding you tightly at your waist.

"Do you really think I look that cool?!" He asked you excitedly, gently pressing the crest of his forehead into yours.

"So cool. You look like the one true Starlight Knight." You nodded, bringing your hands up to his neck, then cheeks, feeling the new sharper structure of his face plate where the pieces met.

"Heheh, that means the world to hear~" He hummed, pulling his head back a bit to let your fingers explore the structure of his jaw.

"Mmm, I'm gonna have to be careful when I kiss you now though. You've got some sharp edges, but I'm happy to get closer to my Silly Billy just to get my kisses~" You said softly, leaning in close and placing a few sweet kisses to his cheeks, then the center where his faceplates met roughly where one's lips would be.

He gave off a bit of static with each kiss you gave him, humming affectionately each time. Lighter had left you alone by now to allow you to two to have your sweet reunion, not wanting to interrupt the sweet moment you had in each other's arms.

"I'm so glad you're still my Silly Starlight Billy." You sighed. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long… I missed your cool transformation."

"That's okay. You're here to witness me now, and now you're wrapped in my arms, finally safe with me~" He said, throwing in a cheesy line to make you smile from how dorky he sounded.

"I told you he hadn't changed a bit!" Nekomata called from up in the dining area of Cheesetopia.

"Oh… shush you crazy cat!" You huffed, looking up to see her smirk at you before she leaned her body back inside the restaurant out of view.

"Heh… Hey, do you wanna go for a ride and get away from here? Somewhere with less prying eyes." Billy then offered. "I can take you home where it's nice and quiet. The sun is almost fully set now."

"A ride? In what?" You asked, suddenly interested.

"it's part of the upgrade technically. Check it out." He chuckled, loosening his grip and letting you down.

Billy then whistled loudly, a sleek black and red motorcycle peeling out from behind some of the buildings before it parked itself right in front of you, purring loudly before it shut off. It had a design much like Billy's upgrades with horns protruding from the front, the whole thing looking like it was alive with the glowing eyes it seemed to have thanks to design choices. It really was designed in his image. You were in complete awe of the beautiful bike, running up to get a closer look at it.

"Oh my god. She's gorgeous." You gasped. "Please take me out on her, please- oh!"

In the middle of your sentence, you turned around to see Billy now had a helmet in his hands, holding it out to you. He obviously didn't need it. This one was much flashier than your standard one, donning a sleek gunmetal colour with red accents showing here and there like his bike, the visor being a yellow to pink chrome gradient. It looked incredibly similar to a Starlight Knight helmet, and you simply adored at as he presented it to you.

"Is this really for me?" You asked, taking it out of his hands to look more closely at it as well.

"Mmhmm, for you to keep and use forever. Then you'll always be stylin' when you ride with me~" He hummed.

"This is incredible." You remarked. "Is that… is that an engraving on the back? It says— oh my starlight it says '#1 Babe'. Billy!'

"Heheh, I figured some personalization would be nice. You found that pretty quickly too… I thought it would take you a little while at least." He chuckled sheepishly, lowering his voice. "Nothing gets past a sniper, hey?"

"Nothing." You laughed, "I love it so much, you have no idea." standing up on your toes to give him a kiss that sent sparks through his logic core.

A bright red blush bloomed across his face while a combo of a hum and a chuckle came from him, loving the way you made his systems spark and flutter. He then slid around you, tugging you along with him as he leaned against his bike, his eyes narrowing a bit to indicate his glee.

"Ready to go then? The open road awaits~" He hummed, swinging a leg over his bike to mount it, tugging you even closer.

"Hell yeah I am." You smiled, using your free hand to don your new helmet before using him to pull yourself up onto his bike, fitting snugly behind him. "Let's ride, babe."

The sound of your shared joy and laughter was soon drowned out by the sound of his gorgeous bike staring up again. You clung to him tightly around his waist as he kicked up the stand and started to speed off right away, leaving Blazewood in the dust and riding off into the twilit horizon.

His bike was fast, topping the speeds Burnice had reached in seconds as you ripped down the highway, not a single car in sight. A true open road greeted you as the sun slipped behind the horizon, violet skies with fuchsia lined clouds giving you a whole new scene of beauty to admire as you left the Outer Ring. You leaned into Billy's back a little more as you let out a long sigh, feeling tender in the moment.

"Isn't the sunset gorgeous from out here? No matter the time of day I swear it's like riding on a dream highway." Billy's voice suddenly remarked, coming through clear on either side of your helmet.

"B-Billy?! Even the helmet connects to you!" You spoke, a little surprised. "Does it have a built in mic too?"

"It sure does~"

"How much did this cost, oh my god?" You questioned.

"Let's just say… I'm deeply indebted to Nicole now." He chuckled sheepishly.

"Yeah I bet. The quality is incredible. No wind noise at all; it sounds like you're inside my head damn near." You told him.

"Mmm, does that mean you like it?" He then asked you a little more directly, his tone a bit lower, almost sultry.

"N-now I know you know what you're doing Billy…" You mumbled, poorly masking the quiver in your voice that the mic picked up all too well.

He started laughing, which flustered the hell out of you; the smack you gave his chest being well deserved in your opinion. He gave the throttle a cheeky thrust to make you grip onto him even tighter, amused by the noise you made at him in protest.

"That's the only yes I need." He said cheekily, speeding into New Eridu towards home.

It wasn't much longer until you were back within the city limits, the night sky now blanketing the world in it's dark blue hues. Billy pulled up to your tucked away apartment complex, parking his bike under the small covered area next to yours in the lot. Once he turned the beauty off again and flipped the kickstand back out, he turned a bit to look at you with a pleased expression.

"We're home~" He hummed. "Did you enjoy the ride?"

Letting go of him, you took off your helmet and gave your head a quick shake for some fresh air before you smiled up at him, almost shyly now. You then nodded, leaning back a bit with the helmet on your lap.

"I did, yeah. This whole upgrade thing is incredible." You told him, suddenly averting your eyes. "You're just… so damn cool I don't know how to act now."

"Ohoho?" He chuckled, turning himself around completely and straddling his bike backwards to face you directly, leaning in a little closer to you to the point you could hear his fans working a little harder despite his boldness. "Do I fluster you a little more now that I'm like this?"

"A-a bit, yeah." You stammered, a silly smile plastered on your face. "Now that we're alone I just… Mmm…"

You tried to put your helmet back on to hide the hot blush that had blossomed on your face, but Billy butted in and took it away from you, placing it out of reach at the front of his bike while playfully chiding you. He then reached around your waist and pulled you as close as he could to him, cupping your hot cheek with his wrapped right hand.

"Your reaction really solidifies that these upgrades were worth every denny in more ways than one. Even if I'm indebted to Nicole until I rust over completely, this right here makes it all worth it." He told you sweetly.

You mumbled something about 'not knowing that being a smooth talker came with the upgrade' before you leaned in and kissed him wherever you deemed necessary, claiming every new piece of metal used in making his new faceplate as yours before lingering where one's lips would usually be once more, a spark tickling your skin in an affectionate response. When you finally hid yourself in the fluff of his collar with a tight hold on his torso, he chuckled, hugging you tightly in return.

"You need to take me upstairs now. Carry me inside, Starlight Billy." You said, pressing into him.

"I need to, hey?"

"Mmhmm. I need to make sure you're still as comfy to cuddle as you were before, so you've gotta carry me upstairs again." You told him once more.

"Is that so~?" He hummed. "If that's your reason, then hell, we'd better get to testing that right away."

He swiftly picked you up and stood from his bike with you in his arms once again, earning a yelp, then a laugh from you as you clung to him tightly. Billy then carried you up the stairs outside your building, waiting for you to unlock the smart lock to let himself inside. Your home was still a bit of a mess from how you left it to get to him as quick as you did, but he didn't mind at all, carrying you straight to your bedroom where he flopped down on your bed with you, earning more giggles to delight his processor.

"Heheh, straight to the point as always." You said, kicking your shoes off. "Pass me that blanket, hey?"

"You're gonna do the folding thing, hey?"

"Yup."

The folding thing; what was simply folding a soft blanket or throw a couple times to cushion his chest for you to lay on without having something too thick getting in the way. You did exactly that, pushing him down into your bed to lay atop him and sigh, instantly feeling the warmth of his body spread across yours. He rested his arms across your back, gently massaging along the spots he knew were always sore on you. He was still an excellent cuddler. When you lifted your head to compliment him on that, you noticed all his yellow lighting had turned a gentle violet colour, reducing your eye strain in your dim room.

"Wow, you thought of everything. I don't know who's more prepared for cuddles now: you or me." You remarked with a smile.

"So I'm still a good cuddler, right?"

"Heh, of course you are, silly." You chuckled, craning your neck around to give him one more sweet, spark filled kiss. "I love you so damn much. I'm so lucky to have you; to get to call you mine…"

Before your tender moment could get any more sweet, the sound of your phone going off with notifications startled the both of you quite a bit. You mumbled under your breath about how it ruined the moment, until you saw who the texts were from, that is. They were from Rain, and the last one read 'i've got your cash' with a sunglasses emoji.

"Got your cash? For the last job you just took, right?" Billy asked, watching curiously.

"Yeah. The guy stopped responding after I finished the job, so I asked Rain to look into it for—oh. Oh my sweet starlight."

Right above Rain's message you got another notification from your bank account, displaying a deposit of a little over a million dennies. Your jaw hung open, and Billy's eyes widened to, both of you completely shocked by the huge amount shown in your account. You were so surprised that you called Rain instantly, still laying atop Billy without moving more than a few inches to put your phone on speaker.

"Rain?? Rain! What the hell is that amount of dennies?!" You panicked once she picked up. "Your overdue payout." She replied calmly. "I've already taken my cut as well, so please keep the rest."

"What?! What even happened?"

"So… There is no delicate way to put this. I hacked into the cameras of the facility that the hollow popped up over to see what was going on inside since the network line connected to the warehouse you hid in. Turns out your client was in fact a mad scientist of sorts, partially corrupted himself and trying to test survivability on other corrupted individuals outside of hollows with his own experiments. He wants to escape his fate. It's… sad, but what he's done is scary, and unacceptable. He was corrupting lost raiders with ether before sending them out to see if they would last. If one did… it had to be eliminated since there's no guarantee it would come back." Rain elaborated. "It's an incredibly deep running operation. You were quite literally the safety plan to stop the experiment from getting too far if it succeeded."

"What… the fuck." You muttered, in disbelief of what you were told. "What… What happened to the guy now?"

"Locked himself back up deep within the hollow. His corruption is getting worse, so his experiments are getting… Let's just say his plans are not humane from what I saw through the cameras." Rain admitted. "I'm putting out a report to the HIA for a proper investigation of the area. I also drained his bank account entirely for us. He deserves it for hiring you under false pretenses and the atrocities he has committed, so the lack of funding should slow him down enough for the investigators to find him and do what needs to be done."

"That's… insane. Wow." You huffed. "Well, thanks for making sure I got paid. Job well done, truly. You really are the best."

"I know~" She hummed. "I'll catch ya later, hey?"

"Yeah, chat later!" You replied before hanging up, tossing your phone down before looking back at Billy again. "Wow. That was a much more dangerous job than I thought it was. Didn't realize all that was going on."

"No kidding. That's… Never take a sketchy solo job like that again. No more solo missions for a bit, actually." Billy then scolded you, squeezing you a bit tighter. "Who's to say the guy isn't out to get you now since his account has been drained."

"Yeah I don't think I will be for a while…" You nodded. "I've gotta say though, that fuckin payout. Lord, what an awesome surprise. This means I can offer to help you pay off those upgrades of yours."

"Hey, woah— what??" Billy stammered so frantically his speech glitched a bit.

"I'd like to help you take some chunks out of that debt, if you'll let me, that is." You said. "This covers bills for quite some time with plenty left to spare for silly things. I don't care how much your upgrades were. Even if I can only make a dent in the cost here and there, I'd like to help."

"I… D-damn. If I could physically cry, I would be." He told you with a wavering voice, his overall lighting scheme shifting to a pink and violet gradient with a little projection of a tear streaking down his features. "Now it's my turn to say how lucky I am to have you; to love you and call you mine."

He squished you gently, a tickly current running though your skin when he nuzzled you, earning more laughter from your sweet lips. He was still so damn adorable, always trying his best to make you laugh.

"Heh, I guess I can take that as a yes then~" You hummed, giving him a few soft little kisses.

"If I can luck out on another million denny commission, I can keep up with those payments easily."

"If you come across another crazy commission with a payout like that, do not take it on alone. All those sketchy, high paying jobs should always be accompanied by a Starlight Knight." He told you firmly, giving you another affectionate squeeze at your waist. "That last one sounded sketchy as hell, and now I'm worried for you. Lay low for a while, hey? That dude sounded deranged."

"I promise." You nodded, resting your head on his chest again. "That was concerningly shady. I should know better. Especially since I have someone strong I can call on these days."

"Good." He said, his eyes shifting to that dim lavender colour once again. "… And thank you. There was a point I thought you might hate the changes made; now you're telling me you're gonna help me pay them off. I really got lucky making you mine."

"I love them. I promise. I still don't know how to act… You just look so damn good. I just might get myself a new sniper rifle to match your new design." You mumbled, sounding so deeply in love as you hid your face in the folds of the blanket. "You look really cool and handsome and I don't think I can get over it…"

"I love that I have this effect on you~" He chuckled, rubbing your back. "You're so cute. Everything was so worth it."

"You— mmm. You really are the same you, through and through, and that just makes me fall so much harder for you. I didn't think it was possible for me to fall even harder for you, but damn, here I am." You sighed with a smile.

"I can tell you mean that by how fast your heartbeat is." He hummed.

"Oh shush you." You laughed, warm up to your cheeks again. "Hey… Will you stay the night with me tonight?"

"I'm so glad you asked." He nodded. "I've got nowhere to be but protecting you, so I'm more than happy to stay~"

"Hell yeah. You're mine once again~" You sang out with a very tired voice. "I missed you so much. I couldn't sleep properly out there with what I had to do."

"Don't worry, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. You can't get rid of me, my love."

With his arms still wrapped around you, he radiated a gentle warmth that lulled you into a deep sleep; one you had been needing for the past week. You could finally let go, knowing you were safe within the walls of your home, protected even further by his hold. No more tense hour long naps where you were constantly checking to see if you were still safe or if your target had emerged, sat uncomfortably upright in a shitty folding chair. You were fast asleep within a few minutes, Billy himself slipping into sleep mode without needing to worry too much about you now that you were back in his arms.

💚 Get to know us 💚

🌱 Who is/are your F/O(s)? How many do you have? If there's more than one, how do your relationships with them intersect, if they do at all?

☘️ Do you selfship with them as your real life self, or do you use an OC or S/I for your selfship? If you have an OC or S/I, is there any lore you want to share about them?

🪴 When and how did you know that you wanted to selfship with your F/O(s)? Was it instant, or did it take a while for your feelings for them to grow? Has your relationship with them changed over time?

🌳 What is your story with your F/O(s)? How, when, and where did you meet? Do you have a future planned with them, or are you just living life with them by your side?

🥀 If you have an ending planned for your selfship, how does it end? Do you live your lives out with each other, or does something happen?

💚 Life together 💚

🏡 What is your day to day together? Do you live together, do you see each other at work/school/planned outings?

🐛 When you spend time together, do you prefer to go out or stay home? A mix of both? If you prefer to go out, where do you like to go? If you stay in, what do you like to do together?

🧩 What are your favorite things to do together? Do your hobbies overlap, or do you find new hobbies that you both enjoy?

🚎 Do you travel together? If you have travelled together before, where have you gone? Where are you planning to go in the future?

💵 If you live together, who supports the household? If you don't, who pays when you go out? Is it an even split, or does one of your pay more often?

💚 Our favorites 💚

🍏 Favorite foods? Your least favorite? Do you have any conflicting tastes in food?

🟢 Favorite colors? Are your favorite colors the same or compatible? Or do they clash? If you live together, does this affect how you decorate?

🐸 Favorite animals? Do you have either of your favorite animals as pets?

🥎 Favorite sports? Do either of you play any sports, and is that your favorite? Or do you prefer to do or watch other things?

🦖 Favorite dinosaurs? Do either of you have particularly strong feelings on any one dinosaur?

💚 Who's more likely? 💚

🦠 Who's more likely to get sick? How do you act when each other is sick?

🔋 Who's more likely to run out of social battery first? What do you do when one of you suddenly needs to leave an event, or just needs to take a break?

🍀 Who's more likely to find a four leaf clover? Is it because either of you is more lucky, or more observant?

💐 Who's more likely to buy flowers for the other? Do either of you have strong feelings about flowers as gifts?

📟 Who's more likely to stay up late? More likely to wake up early?

💚 Source material 💚

📗 What kind of material is your F/O(s)'s source? A book, movie, game? Something else, or something more unconventional?

🏞️ Where is your F/O(s) from? Do they come from a fictionalized country? Another planet or universe?

❇️ What is their role in their source? Main character, side character, protagonist, antagonist?

🌾 How do they feel about their life in their source? Are they happy, or do they struggle in life?

🪲 What's your favorite way to interact with your F/O(s)'s source? Have you completed their source?

💚 Our feelings for each other 💚

🟩 What kind of relationship do you have? Romantic, platonic, familial, something else?

✅ What are your favorite things about each other?

❎ What are your least favorite things about each other? Are they a big deal, or just pet peeves?

🤦‍♂️ How do you get on each other's nerves? Do you ever try to push each other's buttons, or do you try to keep things sailing smoothly?

♻️ Are you good at communicating with each other? Or are you more closed off? Is communication important within your relationship?

You had a terrible shift today. After all that pointless banter yesterday, you could not get sonar out of your head since then— and not in the “I have a crush on him” way. It was more like a… “I want to strangle him with a coat hanger.” kind of way.

And exactly what happened in that terrible first shift? You failed an important mission because you got distracted thinking about him. 

It got to a point where your dispatcher had to forcibly send you away to take a break early. It was humiliating to say the least.

You stride into the break room, your body tense and annoyance showed in your features. You really need a drink. Well, obviously you can’t have alcohol… yet. So, you settle for your usual drink of choice— coffee.

Hey. You haven’t thought of him for 2 whole minutes— Damn it, why do you keep doing this?

You snap out of your thoughts when you hear the door creak open, you turn your head to the direction of the doorway. Speak of the devil.

“I thought ‘bring your child to work day’ was yesterday, But you’re still here.” Even if you didn’t see him, you’d already know that the aggravating voice belongs to Sonar.

“Oh yeah? Well, pets aren’t allowed out of their cages here and yet you’re in-front of me.” You run a hand through your hair. This was your best attempt at acting totally unbothered.

You’d thought he’s gonna clap back. But, to your surprise. He moves past you…without a word. Hold on…something’s missing.

“Oh, how tragic. Your little girlfriend isn’t here to put you on a leash." You look around the room. No signs of portals or Mal in sight.

“What— no. Mal isn’t my ‘girl’. She is my best friend and not even a leash can stop me.”

“Yeah okay, whatever. I’m totally listening.” You sip on your drink as you try to hide the relief you felt from hearing that.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Huh. It’s so peaceful right now. It might be because he’s not running his mouth. 

“What’s the special occasion? You’re not being as annoying as yesterday.” You immediately regret asking but you don’t take your question back. You were a little curious after all.

“After yesterday I’ve figured I’ll be more friendly since we’re close and all—“

“HA! First of all. We are not friends and we never will be.” You quickly correct him but his smirk doesn’t falter. 

“I never said we were friends, because we’re obviously something way more.” You almost choke on your drink from his comment. What is that supposed to mean!?

“Are you high right now? Because, whatever you’re on. I want some after this conversation.” 

“Oh sure, I’m actually…” When you see him digging through his blazer you immediately cut him off.

“I was uh… joking? I didn’t think you were actually high. But I guess you’re just stupid.”

“Me? Stupid? I'm a goddamn Harvard graduate. H.A.V.A.R.D. AND top of my class too.” Did he think you can’t spell that? You totally can. Harvrad!

“Do you have any other reply other than ‘I’m a Harvard student?’” 

“I don’t need to when it’s literally the best comeback.” The confidence in his voice makes you let out an exasperated scoff.

“I hate to break it to you. But, it’s not even a comeback.” 

“Yes, it is.” 

“No it isn’t.”

“Yuh huh. It is.” He’s actually saying ‘yuh huh.’ ?

“Nuh uh!”

“Yuh huh!

“Nuh— No. I’m done talking to you. You’re so goddamn childish.” To be honest, you’re no better per se but you’d like to think you're a little bit better than him.

“Fine, but I know you’re not done thinking about me.” He sings the last part. You immediately felt this uncomfortable feeling forming in your chest. Is the room getting hotter? You also felt heat rising to your face. 

“Thinking about how annoying you are…” You mumble underneath your breath as you break away from his gaze. You thought he wouldn’t be able to hear you… But in the corner of your eye, you see his ears twitch. Curse those big ass ears.

“So what you are saying is… You’re always thinking about me? Just confess already at this point.” Stepping closer to you with that smirk you wanna wipe off so bad.

“Confess!? You’re the one who's obsessed with me and pissing the hell off for just a speck of my attention!” You meet his gaze again to jab a finger into his chest.

“Well, you’re the one who’s always avoiding me. What? Are you nervous around me or something?” He leans in— far too close for comfort.

“That’s it. you, me, after work. We’re gonna take this outside.” You pull away. You wonder if he’ll have a smartass thing to say. But he doesn’t, you feel a little satisfied from seeing him all speechless. 

“Don’t you even dare think about getting away.” Just then you thought that’ll be the end…

“Why would I—“

“Just let me have the last word!” You push him out of your way and head straight for the door. You can’t be around him anymore… for reasons you don’t even wanna find out.

When you finally reach the doorway, you’re halfway slamming the break room door but you remember BB’s warning from a long time ago… so you don’t. But damn, you really wanted to hit something.

⊹₊⟡⋆

He watches you storm off, even if you’re gone he still eyes the door where you just left from. Wow, there was so much romantic tension in that conversation he just had with you. (Wishful thinking.)

“It’s a date!” He quickly calls after you. But you were too far to hear it.

He grins to himself as he fishes his phone out of his pocket, immediately typing out the good news to his bestie.

Mal is gonna be sooo happy to hear this.

After the success of the Z-team, since they defeated Shroud and all. SDN has launched a new project. Well… same project but new people. They were called the Team-alpha (Corny name, from a Corny lady). Basically, it was the same shit, ex-villains that are given a second chance. 

And guess who’s in that corny-named team? You.

You weren’t sure what Blonde Blazer was expecting with this. Sure, more calls were being answered but the chaos that unfolded didn’t overcome the benefits.

To be honest? It was just competition for everyone which created this hostile environment… that Blazer was totally A-okay with— now you think about it, she probably didn’t even know.

You have thought about telling her since you were catching more strays from the Z-Team in the breakroom than villains on missions. But you’re no snitch and your team is no better.

You’d time yourself, making sure you would not collide with any of the Z-team members. After all… Everyone was such assholes— except for Waterboy and Phenomaman. But as someone who just finished a long ass shift of taking half-hour trips to get balloons out of trees… You don’t want to interact with anyone and that includes everyone from your team.

You check your phone. Right on time. You open the door and you already know no one’s gonna be in here so you enter confidently.

You peek through the small window as expected, and no one’s here. So you head inside, making sure to close the door behind you.

You’re humming a song, then you turn around. Just to see not one, but two of the members from the Z-team. It’s Malevola… and fuuucking Sonar.

How did you not hear— oh… that’s right, portal powers. Ugh.

Both of them— but mostly Sonar has been on your ass for days. You’re annoyed as you are impressed that he managed to piss you off without talking to you.

You let out a small sigh, trying to hide your annoyance but it was picked up by sonar, anyway. Those big ass ears.

“What? Got a problem?” He squints his eyes in question but you just shrug in response. You thought if you just ignored him—

“We’re the originals, bitch. You’re in our place.” Oh great, he’s continuing.

“Cool, so you want a gold medal or something?” You say, casually as you pour the ground coffee beans into your cup. All you need now is hot water. You place the back of your hand against the kettle, Goddamn it, it’s cold AND it’s empty. You quickly add new water inside and turn it on.

You would’ve just left long ago, but you really need coffee for the later shift.

“We ran, so you guys can walk. You should be thanking us.” Sonar smirks, folding his arms. Is he still talking?

“The only person I should and will be thanking is Blonde Blazer.” This time you glance at him, frowning slightly. 

“Why are you telling me all this anyway?”

“Uh— duh. Because you assholes are acting like you own the place, even now you’re using my creamer.” He huffs as he crosses his arms.

“What the hell are you talking about? This is mine.” You finally look at him with a raised brow, shaking the small container of dairy in between your fingers.

“Don’t try to lie to a Harvard graduate. I can tell.” He’s not even looking at what's in your hand.

“I dunno about that, but those are definitely dairy creamers, definitely ain't yours mate.” Malevola finally speaks up. Now he’s finally looking at the creamer in your hands.

“Oh— uh. Well! What about that time when you guys stole our missions?” You’re about to go off, but you realised something. 

“Oh is this what it’s about? Trying to rile me up so I can give you my attention?” You coo, flashing a condescending smile at him. The kettle finally finishes boiling, and you pour the water into your cup while you wait for him to respond.

“What? No—“ 

“Try not to get your dick caught on fire from how hard you’re jerking it to me tonight.” You walk out with the cup, flipping him off behind your back. 

“I- you. No— ugh!” You closed the door before you could hear any more.

────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆──

The break room fell into a silence when you left.

“See? I told you they liked me. Ah… they know me so well.” Sonar turns to his best friend, grinning like an idiot.

𖦹 sonar was living the LIFE ever since his child was born, and he also went straight to work on taking care of things for you whether that was the previous shared chores around the apartment you two shared and now helping taking care of the baby bat most of the time until you fully healed.

𖦹 and don’t worry about a thing, sonar is absolutely having a BLAST being a father.

𖦹 he’s taking many pictures and sending them to the rest of the z-team with messages that accompanied them that says stuff like, “be honored by the birth of the next harvard graduate!!”

𖦹 but one thing sonar is more gleeful about is that your guys baby is completely a bat, he won’t tell you this but it helps his ego just a tiny bit since there are times where the baby would cling onto him the most, especially in his beast form while making the most happiest chirps while they do so.

𖦹 it makes you slightly jealous but also happy how much of a connection they both have since they both have an instinct that you couldn’t understand.

𖦹 but don’t worry dear reader, your baby loves you and is as attached to you as equally as their father!!

𖦹 you often or not find your baby and their bat body quickly claw to your at the sound of your voice when you enter the room with a bunch of chirps to cling their little claws onto you as they also nuzzle your warm skin.

𖦹 with that it makes it a bit funny seeing sonar getting all fussy about it, but it goes away once you give him a kiss on his snout.

𖦹 also just a heads up, your little baby bat pup is very much clingy (just like their father) so look forward to having them to your hip almost 24/7, even at night.

𖦹 now it’s been about a month until malevola was able to come around to visit, since in her words, “your body needs to heal while being alone with sonar and the baby until anyone is allowed to come around.”

𖦹 but when she does, she’s excited out of her mind, she was made a godmother after all.

𖦹 she firstly checks on how you and your body is doing (since she absolutely cares for you and your wellbeing as much as she does for sonars) before asking where her godchild is.

𖦹 the second she lays her eyes on the baby, she lets out a massive awe immediately.

𖦹 yet it follows with a laugh when she realizes it’s quite literally a tiny little baby bat, maybe she should’ve believed sonar when he told her about it over text.

When Sonar first starts realizing that he might have romantic feelings for you, he tells himself he's just confusing it with hunger

You look like a moth, so of course you'd remind him of a nice midnight snack!

Things change a bit when you start appearing in his dreams

The first one has him waking up confused, but surely it's just a one time thing..

Spoiler alert: it's not

The second dream leaves him wondering what it would feel like to rest his head on your fluff

By the third, he's watching you pour your coffee during your break from afar

You're not oblivious to it either, his change in behaviour is actually quite hard to miss

He stops bringing in bugs for lunch despite not caring the first fifty times you complained, having suddenly found better alternatives

If you get a new haircut, Sonar is the first to notice, but won't comment on it unless someone else brings it up

"Oh, that's new? I didn't even notice."

He's not exactly a good liar, everyone's already caught him peeking around corners to catch another glimpse of you

Should Sonar and you ever actually get to talking about these feelings, it'll probably take another while for you to actually get together

Not only because he has to accept what he's feeling instead of denying or explaining it away, but also because you have reservations when it comes to Sonar

Your thumb hovers over the screen, trembling. You knew about the fall of Shroud, of course—you kept up with every rumor, every shaky broadcast, every fragment of news, scanning the background of every clip, hoping, wishing he was alive. Hoping he was safe. Even knowing others weren’t, because of him. Because he chose that life. Because he chose this. Over you.

And yet, the second your eyes lock on the headline, the second you realize he’s okay—not locked away, not dead—something inside you splinters and shifts. Relief hits so hard it almost hurts. And immediately behind it comes the anger.

Anger at how fast people forgave him. How easily they said “welcome back” like nothing ever happened. Anger at the ones who spat venom, who treated him like he wasn’t human. Well, half-human. But still.

None of them were there, watching, waiting, worrying every night, replaying footage, trying to make sense of it all.

You’re still angry. Still hurt. Still carrying the version of him who left. But beneath it all, something fragile stirs. Hope. Tiny, stupid hope. The kind that whispers: Maybe this time he means it. Maybe this time he’s staying.

And you hate that you can’t stop listening.

Your phone vibrates. Familiar. Almost stinging. Every time you thought of him before, he’d text. But… you remind yourself that hasn’t been true since he left.

So then, you look. And you stop breathing. Stop thinking.

His name—not the one in the articles—lights up your screen. Victor.

The message is short. Simple. Something that would’ve been meaningless on a normal night.

"Can we talk?"

You just stare, dont even breathe.

At some point, the notification fades. It slides back into the phone, and it hurts more watching it disappear than it did when it arrived.

Your hands shake. You swipe down and tap it, just to be sure it’s real. Above it, your last unanswered, frantic messages stare back at you.

A hot wash of anger hits, then shame, then embarrassment, relief—all at once. You don’t even notice how long you’ve been staring until another bubble appears. Typing. Gone. Typing. Gone. A beat passes.

Finally, a half-buzz.

"Please,"

The comma hangs. It feels like he almost typed your nickname—the one he gave you the night you met, the one no one else ever used. The thought of him calling you that now freezes you in place.

You don’t even realize when you end up in the kitchen. Motion has always felt safer than feeling you guess.

You crack eggs too hard, spill sugar across the counter, forget to set a timer. Stress baking used to calm you down. Tonight, it just keeps your hands busy while your heart aches and your thoughts spiral.

You mutter under your breath as you stir, not talking to anyone really, hardly even yourself.

“He doesn’t get to do this. He doesn’t get to just—just text me and act like—”

You scoff, leaving the sentence unfinished. You don’t need to end it. Every unfinished thought ends the same;

I missed him.

The oven ticks. Cinnamon fills the air. And you’re still angry. You bury your face in your flour-covered hands, trying to breathe.

But you don’t get the chance to calm down before the glass door rattles. Your heart skips because of it's familiarity. Too familiar.

You freeze. No one should be up here, you're on the sixth floor. It's impossible. Not for him.

You already know.

Outside, on the balcony, wings half-extended, claws curling around the railing, is Sonar. In the version he always used to see you faster.

His eyes find yours through the glass, and it feels weird to look in them. They're not glowing with rage, not hungry with power. Not twisted like the Red Ring broadcasts. They're soft...painful. Almost unfamiliar. But only for a moment. Because you’ve never seen this much hurt in his eyes at once, it almost breaks you.

Time stretches. A long, fragile moment—neither of you moving, both breathing like it hurts, and you swear it does.

Until he shifts. His wings shrink, body folds into itself. The dark shape collapses into a familiar silhouette. Half-man again.

Victor again.

He lands on the balcony with a tired kind of grace, straightening slowly, smoothing his shirt, adjusting his tie. His hands tremble slightly, though he tries not to show it. His expression is worn, shadows under his eyes. Sadness you don’t recognize. Vulnerability you didn’t expect. Yet… he also looks like himself.

It hurts.

He swallows once, voice low and muffled through the glass.

“Hi.”

It sounds, feels unnatural and practiced. He knows it.

When you finally exhale, let your eyes blink long and slow, you meet his gaze again with a sharper glare. He nearly flinches—a subtle twitch of his ear. And for a moment, you almost give in.

With a sigh, you move toward the sliding glass door. You stop just short of the coffee table, studying him carefully, scanning for wounds, but more so drinking in the figure you never thought you’d see here again. Your eyes sting at the thought, never seeing him again, imagining him broken beyond repair. Your chest tightens, the ache curling into your throat, and he notices.

He steps forward instinctively, hands twitching because he can’t quite touch you, and not because of the glass between you.

He says your name, low, and even though you’re closer, it’s like the glass thickened between you. You barely hear it, but you watch it form on his mouth.

His fingertips ghost against the glass, hesitant. You can feel the tension coiling in your chest. You can’t just stand here. You know he won’t leave without at least one word. So you move toward the patio, unlock it, and slide the door open.

Up close, the air carries him. Fresh night air tangled with that familiar cologne—your apartment would hold onto it for days after he left. But all you do now is glare, even when he looks at you with those eyes you always folded for. Eyes with a new scar trailing under one.

Because fuck, you’re furious. Distraught.

Because he came back the old way, the familiar way. Like he still had the right to.

Because some stupid, selfish part of you is relieved beyond words that he’s standing here at all. Alive. Breathing. Looking at you like you’re someone he still remembers how to miss.

Your voice is quiet—breaking—but it cuts. “You don’t get to show up here.” You say it like it hurts.

He blinks, a small shake of his head. He knows you’re right. He just doesn’t want it to be.

His mouth tries to find words—opens, shuts, opens again—he hasn’t heard your voice in months. You get there first.

“You joined a group that kills people like me,” you say quietly, hard to keep your voice steady. It comes out slow, because you’re still trying to understand, to make sense of what seems like the impossible.

He reacts fast. “I would never have let that happen.” He steps forward too quickly, eyes wide. You instinctively step back, and he freezes mid step, hand almost reaching for you before retreating. A micro flinch, guilt flickering across his features.

“You couldn’t have stopped it,” you argue, a thin laugh tearing out at the absurdity. “I could’ve crossed the wrong street, gotten in one of their ways, and been dead—just like that.” Your voice rises under the heat that boils in your chest. You feel it pile up your throat and suddenly you’re nauseous.

“That would never—”

“What the fuck makes you think you could’ve prevented that?” you laugh bitterly, disbelief sharp as glass.

“I would’ve figured it out,” he says, and the nickname he gave you slips out like muscle memory. It stings. “I would’ve kept you saf—”

“Your DUMBASS couldn’t have controlled SHIT in the Red Ring—” you snap, scoffing. The sound of your nickname, his nickname, makes something in you crack.

“Fuck—yeah, I got that now,” he mutters, voice cracking slightly.

“Oh, do you?” you shoot back. Sharp. He flinches again, doesn’t even argue, and it hits you harder than the words.

Silence falls. Cold from the open door bites at your skin. You look away, lip quivering before you can stop it.

Hearing his voice again—low, flat, beautiful, that dry monotone only you ever learned to read—hits you in a way you’re not prepared for. Most people could never read him, thought everything he said sounded the same, so they assumed he always felt the same, or nothing at all.

But you always caught the tiny shifts, the barely-there changes no one else noticed. And now you hear them again, slipping out before he can stop them.

It punches right into your chest—warm and awful and confusing all at once.

You force yourself to focus on the anger instead… because if you don’t, you’re going to fall apart right in front of him.

You swing a hand at his shoulder, pushing him lightly. “Fucking prick.”

Jagged words—half anger, half relief, half everything unnamed. You don’t meet his eyes.

Until you do.

And then you see him; brows drawn, eyes soft, guilty, bracing for your collapse. He steps forward—instinct. You step back—reflex.

“You left me,” you murmur, trembling.

He exhales, defeated. “I was being a selfish dick.”

“Pft—yeah—”

He cuts in, desperate. “I wasn’t thinking. I—I wish I had some noble reason, but I don’t. I was angry. Blinded by it.”

He looks away, swallowing shame. Then a beat—one line that sinks everything. “I thought I wasn’t worth being loved by someone like you… so I made sure no one could love me.”

Your chest constricts. The apology finally lands. Nothing else matters in this moment but that one truth.

“I know I fucked up,” he whispers, trembling in a way you’ve never heard. “I went back to what I knew. I told myself it was better than dragging you down with me. But it was just… me being selfish.” “…Scared.”

His eyes lift to yours. Raw. Pleading. You can’t lie now.

“I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

You stare. And then the ache rises—the one you’ve been suffocating since he left. It hurts. But it’s also relief. And grief. And something you can’t name.

You don’t fight it this time.

You step forward. A pause. Your hand hovers, half reaching, half uncertain. His breath catches. A beat passes, and then—into him. Into his arms. This is still where you go.

Your voice is barely there. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

His breath catches once, then he’s holding you like he’s afraid you’ll slip through his fingers if he loosens even slightly.

“Fuck, Y/N,” he whispers into your hair. “Me too.”

One sniffle is enough for him to thread a hand through your hair—gentle, trembling. He holds you like he’s terrified of breaking this moment… or losing you again.

You slide your arms up his back, relearning his weight. Your palms trace upward, memorizing his warmth, his breath. Nights spent staring at ceilings, wishing to see him on the Red Ring News broadcast just to know he was alive—every memory collides with now.

Your chest tightens, a soft sob escaping. He feels it and lowers his chin onto your head, a kiss landing in your hair. His hands rub your back, coaxing calm into your shaking body.

He doesn’t let go. Not now. Not after letting go before, thinking it kept you safe from the Red Ring, from him, from the darkness he thought he had to embrace. Never again.

He swallows hard, grounding himself, hiding the silent tear you don’t see.

You back up slightly, hands sliding down his arms to his elbows. You tilt your head, meeting eyes full of guilt, hope, and softness reserved only for you.

Trust won’t snap back instantly. But relief is fierce. And right now, it’s enough.

“Don’t leave me again,” you whisper, raw. Inch by inch, letting the healing begin.

His lips twitch faintly. “I won’t be selfish ever again,” he says, monotone sincerity in every word.

You let out a shaky laugh. “I didn't ask that much from you.”

He chuckles quietly—half relieved, half giddy. “Thank god.”

You snort. He mumbles, adding on “—cause I dunno if I could’ve done all that—” But your hand finds his, warm and grounding. You squeeze gently, leading him inside.

He shuts the patio door behind him carefully, almost hesitant, like measuring if it’s okay to be here. The apartment smells like cinnamon from your stress baking, and a faint trace of your perfume. He inhales sharply, anchoring himself to you.

You don’t speak. Just watch him. Alive. Scarred. Real.

Then the moment holds. It's warm and quiet, you want to bathe in it.

And then the kitchen chaos hits.

“Oh my god—” you gasp, rushing toward the counter. “I— I didn’t even— this place is a MESS, I’m so sorry—”

Flour everywhere. Cinnamon on the floor. Dishes piled. You panic-clean, rambling, laughing too fast, filling the silence.

He doesn’t hear any of it.

He watches you, memorizing this—the domestic chaos, your hair out of place, the way you move. Like he never thought he’d see this again. Like blinking could erase it.

A hand gently stops your reach for cinnamon. You freeze.

You look up. His eyes are soft, unguarded.

He says your name. The one only he uses. “Thank you.”

The fragility in his monotone, the slight crack in his voice—it chokes you up.

“For being the only person who cared whether I was dead or alive.” His thumb brushes your wrist. Warm and careful.

“-Even when I went completely batshit.” He tries to grin, tries to joke, but you hear the truth beneath it.

Your smile trembles, and you feel your chest ache. “How could I not?”

You lift a hand and stroke the fur along his cheek. Slow and familiar, with him leaning into it briefly like he used to.

“Never thought I’d feel that again,” he murmurs, smiling into your touch.

You snort and flick his face before he gets too comfortable. “Yeah, well—don’t get used to it.”

His face drops. “Wow. Quick turn.”

You cross your arms. “I contain multitudes.”

He shakes his head with a scoff, that same old grin on his face, wandering to the pantry like muscle memory. You realize exactly what he’s about to find.

“Oh, shit!” he blurts triumphantly. “You got twinks!”

You go red, rushing to snatch them. “No! You don’t get to have these, mister!”

He stares, slow, knowing. He doesn't even try to snatch them back, his eyes are intently on yours. “…Why do you have twinks?”

You freeze. His eyes narrow. Smug, almost predatory. “Wait.”

A smile spreads. “You—”

“I eat them,” you blurt, too fast. “Since you left—”

Silence.

His grin spreads, wide, unstoppable. “Oh-hoo— that is fucking adorable—”

He scoops you up, spins you. Flour is everywhere. You just squeal. “PUT ME—DOWN—!”

He laughs, tightening his hold. His face buries in your neck, his breath warm and teasing. “Secretly hoped I’d break in at night and raid your pantry like the villain I was?”

“No!” you giggle, squirming. “Shut up—!”

His nose brushes yours. “So you missed me, huh?”

You hit his shoulders weakly, laughing too hard.

“Are you in love with me?” he asks, voice teasing. His arms tighten, accidentally tickling you.

You try to hold composure. “No—!” You protest, a little too quickly.

But your body betrays you. Legs kick. Hands clutch his suit. You’re holding on for dear life.

Because even if you say you want him to let go, you’re not sure you could stand it