#ficsgalore

The plan made perfect sense, and while carrying it out had been no easy task for Simon, he did appreciate knowing how much Markus trusted him. Markus blending in as a working android was such an integral part of the plan and the uniform pristinely folded in Simon's hands hadn't wound up there by pure chance. Part of Simon believed that he was seen as expendable by Markus--that he had seen merit in North and Josh and was worried about putting their lives in danger for the plan, while it might be worth it for Simon's life to be lost for their cause. Of course he tried not to heed the dark whispers, but they were there nonetheless. Simon's eyes darted to the stall door handle in front of him at the sound of the main door opening, but was able to relax when he heard another stall open and close. He shifted his weight and begged his hands not to wrinkle the uniform as he gripped it, closing his eyes and pushing his dark whispers and his anxieties out of his head for a few brief moments of respite: standby.

Simon was quick to move when he heard the gentle rhythmic tap of Markus' knuckle against the stall door. Quiet enough to not alert any human in the bathroom, but loud enough to give Simon's thirium pump a start. Flicking the lock open, Simon shifted aside to allow Markus to enter and lock the door back behind him. Because he had been the first to leave Jericho to start putting their plan in motion, Simon had yet to see Markus all dressed up in his suit. He really wore it well, and passed for a human perfectly. 「Simon?」

Simon pursed his lips at Markus' voice in his head, shaking his head and closing his eyes tight in order to focus them again. 「Sorry, Markus.」 His hands quivered slightly as he loosened his grip, allowing Markus to take the clothes from him. 「That suits you.」 Markus' perplexed look sent Simon slightly on edge. He hadn't meant to think that thought loud enough for it to connect with Markus, but there was no doubt that Markus had heard it. He let out a quiet yet audible chuckle, his eyes trained on Simon as his hands fumbled with his tie.

「Was...was that a pun? You didn't seem like the type, Simon.」

Simon blinked a few times, and his LED must have turned yellow because Markus' playful eyes darted over to Simon's temple. Ever since he fell into Jericho's hull, Markus had a permanently planted serious expression, and this was the first time he saw his brow relaxed, his eyes sparkle, and his lips parted in a smile. With a few more blinks, Simon tilted his head to the side, looking down to both physically remove his gaze from Markus' kind eyes and parted lips, and to blatantly put his stress on display by fully showing his blinking, yellow LED. He shifted his jaw as he searched for the words that he could not find.

「Relax.」 Markus took a step towards Simon, who couldn't help but take a half step back. His eyes were gentle but stared at him with the intensity of their cause shining through. He reached out and planted his hands firmly on either of Simon's shoulders. 「The plan is airtight. There's nothing to worry about. We get up there, send out our message and leave as quickly as we can. We've got this.」

Simon's eyes moved between Markus', and he let out a shaky, held breath. 「I know. We've got this.」 Markus offered a gentle smile before moving away. Simon watched him fumble with his tie a moment longer before moving forward, holding his breath once again and gently pressing his fingertips between the layers of fabric, unknotting it. 「First time?」

「My owner never wore ties. Josh, uh, Josh helped me tie it.」 Simon thought that was rather nice of Josh, but he'd be lying if he said the image of Josh stooping down to help a struggling Markus wasn't a funny one. He'd have to remember to ask him about it when they got back to Jericho. Simon didn't have a chance to step away from Markus before he started unbuttoning his white shirt. Simon's hands had barely let the two ends of the tie go before Markus pulled at his vest and shrugged his jacket and shirt off his shoulders, and he found his hands reaching for the warm, discarded clothes as Markus held them out to him. Simon was used to wearing more layers than what was provided in his current disguise, and for a split second he considered holding the bundle of warmth closer to himself, but he was worried that he was already making this situation tense enough. Simon closed his eyes in an attempt to stop them from wandering, but found them open again and trailing down Markus' chest. He watched Markus shift and tilt his head as he held up the uniform, attempting to make sense of it. Markus leaned over towards Simon, who straightened up and kept intense eye contact. What was he doing? Why was he getting so close? Markus shifted on his feet, pivoting away from Simon after depositing the hat, pants and over shirt momentarily. Simon's eyes were free to dart over him with his back turned, and he only had a moment until the long-sleeved undershirt would cover up his skin. He followed the curve of his side, pausing to notice the dip in his lower back before following his spine to his shoulder blades. He attempted to commit the image to memory, unintentionally furrowing his brows in the process. He noticed as Markus pulled the shirt down over his head, following the black hem down to his waist, but was not attentive enough to see Markus glance at him over his shoulder as his fingers tugged the hem down to his waistband. Simon was far too focused on the intake of information, as well as the intent to not openly share his thoughts with Markus. Markus turning, however, was a different story. Simon's eyes snapped up to his as he held the rest of the uniform out to Markus. Markus held his gaze as he took the pants, only breaking their eye contact to briefly glance to his own shoes, stepping out of them before reaching for his belt. Simon knew it was better for his own sanity to look away, and he did. He tilted his head to the side to give Markus privacy, but couldn't help but wonder why Markus didn't turn away like he had done before. Arguably, taking his pants off was more revealing than his shirt, but of course Markus probably wasn't thinking like that. There were more important matters at hand, and Simon shook his head in disappointment with himself, ever so slightly sighing. He needed to be better than this.

「You know, Simon...」 He risked a glance to meet Markus' eyes at the mention of his name. It was definitely a mistake--Markus was still in the process of putting his new pair of pants on. That mischievous look was still playing in the reflections on Markus' eyes, and Simon felt trapped no matter where he was looking. 「I thought having you helping me here was the safest option. Maybe--」 Markus' eyes darted to Simon's LED, which Simon was unaware of the color, 「--maybe I was wrong.」 Red, probably. At least it was now. 「Well.」 Simon had meant to immediately continue the thought, but the image of Markus buttoning his pants was too much to allow that to happen. Markus shook his head slightly, and Simon was relieved for the smile that plagued his lips, and that he didn't seem outwardly angry with him. Markus moved closer to place more warm clothes in his hands. His fingers hovered over the brim of the hat, but he didn't move away. Markus tilted his head to the side, as if asking for Simon to continue his previous thought. 「I think it was the best option.」 The thought was very forced, and he hated watching Markus take notice of his LED yet again. It really wasn't fair, especially since Markus had gotten rid of his own...Simon momentarily considered when he'd have time to remove his. But now wasn't the time for his mind to wander, because Markus was still right there, he wasn't moving. Simon felt his brow furrow ever so slightly as he searched for something in Markus' eyes. Some reason why he wasn't leaving the stall. North was waiting for him, and Simon had another part to play before they met up on the broadcasting floor. 「Simon.」 Markus' voice was gentle and innocent in his head, and Simon unconsciously shifted his jaw to the side, wearily casting his eyes up to meet his. Simon almost couldn't physically take their closeness, and felt his mind race as Markus leaned closer still, his eyes burning through Simon's thoughts, leaving him nothing but an incoherent jumble in his head. He felt a breath escape his lips, and Simon couldn't help but feel that Markus had stolen it. A hot huff of air escaped Markus, as well, and Simon breathed it in, happy to steal his breath in return.

Simon kept unwavering eye contact as Markus' lips barely brushed his own, sending a shock through every fiber of his being. Markus' firm hand rested on top of the bundle of clothes in Simon's hands, pressing down ever so slightly on him. The tension between their lips was unbearable. Their warm breaths collided between them, Simon's shaky and wavering ones against Markus' warm and steady ones. And when Markus finally did give into Simon's pleading, shivering lips, he kept his eyes trained on Simon's. Simon felt violated: it wasn't a negative feeling, but he felt so laid bare against Markus' gaze and against his lips. Simon couldn't handle the feeling any longer, and shut his eyes so that he could focus more on the physical part of this and less on the soul-searching gaze Markus was trying so hard to hold.

Their lips parted before Markus pressed again, tilting his head more to press their lips together tighter still. Simon unknowingly let down his guard, but he did, sighing into his lips and relaxing against him. His lips tingled with sensations he very well could handle, but that drove him so unbelievably insane. Without thinking twice, Simon's lips were void of the human façade that always incased them, and he took a moment to take a short breath of hot air before pressing them against Markus' own silver and blue-toned lips, feeling something so much more than before. The feelings of tenderness and understanding laid before him, and all he had to do was press his lips against Markus' to feel utterly engulfed in them. He's sure that he thought a lot of things to Markus: his name, about how nice it felt, about how incredibly warm Markus was, but Simon wasn't in the mindset to control how loud his thoughts were right now. He was in the mindset to enjoy this blessing while it lasted. Markus deepened the kiss, moving his hands to Simon's hips and pulling him closer as his tongue passed over Simon's bottom lip. Simon hadn't meant to let go of the clothes he had been entrusted with, but he heard the soft sounds of cloth fall to the floor between them. He placed his own hands ever so gently on Markus' chest, not pushing away but just feeling his warmth beneath them. If Markus was throwing thoughts in his direction, Simon was none the wiser. Their lips parted for a moment before Simon moved forward to close the gap, prompting Markus' hands to grip his hips tighter. Simon couldn't take the slight, continuous pressure from Markus and he leaned back into the wall behind him. Markus followed, the fingertips on his right hand sending a shock through Simon's system as they snaked under the hem of his shirt. Slowly, Markus ran his hand over his side, resting it along the back of his hip. Instinctively, perhaps, the skin on Simon's hip reacted to the lack of faux skin on Markus, and their true skin--smooth and white--met with an intense shock, as if Simon had been tossed into the waters by Jericho. Their bare lips touching had felt so different than the touch of his hand on him, and he wasn't sure if it was purely the intent of the action or if he was just that weak to someone grabbing his hip, android skin or not. Either way, Simon knew they had to stop here, before his resolve fully melted away from the extended close proximity with Markus' burning form.

Simon's hand moved before his lips could, disconnecting their android skin by grabbing Markus' wrist from over his shirt. "Markus." His voice was gentle, pleading even. He was sure he had the most pathetic look on his face, while Markus was paired with a furrowed brow and a warm smolder in his eyes. Everything about him was just so warm. He moved away, stooping down to gather the clothes Simon had dropped. Simon took the clothes back, watching him closely for any signs of anger, but Markus only took a moment to compose himself before slipping back into his shoes and placing his hat neatly atop his head. He glanced back, holding Simon's gaze for far too long before offering a gentle smile. 「I'd like to try that again, back in Jericho. For now, let's focus on the plan.」

Simon felt a chill go up his spine, and he wasn't sure if it was brought on by Markus' voice in his head, or if it was merely that Markus had taken that warmth with him when he left. 「Right. I'll meet up with Josh. ...Markus, stay safe.」 Markus merely nodded before taking his leave of the stall, leaving Simon alone with his thoughts and these not-as-warm clothes after having pushed the lock back into place. He waited a moment. They didn't have a lot of time, but he could afford to steel his nerves for a second longer. His hand instinctively touched where Markus' had previously been, both on his hip and then gently reaching up to his lips. Simon couldn't think about how perfect all that had been. He stepped up on the toilet, pushing up on the ceiling tile in order to put Markus' suit away from prying eyes. Pausing, Simon thought that maybe this would've been easier had he dropped the uniform off up here, allowing Markus to change into it without the need for a hand-to-hand exchange. He pushed the thought out of his mind because he wouldn't trade their last interaction for the world.

The aching in his shoulder blades was growing to be almost too much to handle. It used to be that Markus could go about his daily life, pretending to be something he wasn't, for months at a time without removing his feet from the ground, but he was finding the urge to fly week after week at this point.

He always let his wings out when he had the privacy to do so; but it wasn't enough. He wanted to work the muscles, to feel the tension from his full weight on them; he wanted to feel the air sting his face and whistle against his ears. He needed the warmth of the sunlight to spread over his wings as he soared, melting the aches and pains from the days of hiding away. But even when Markus was willing to risk everything just for some flight time, it had to be done in the dark. Away from prying eyes.

Maybe that was the reason for the aches, for the itching. He hadn't felt sunlight--real sunlight, close and burning--in forever and it was quickly eating away at his mind and his body.

It was time for a change of pace.

Markus promised himself that he would only fly at night when he couldn't handle the scratching in his back anymore, but it was time to break that promise. Not fully, no, but to fly as the night turned to day--to enjoy the gentle sun rays as they first passed over the horizon.

In the late hours of the night, Markus placed himself in an abandoned corridor within Detroit. He removed his shirt and rolled it up into a cross body bag, allowing his wings to stretch out in the dwindling moonlight. He double checked his bag for his necessities: his shirt was safely packed along with a bottle of water, his phone and his wallet. He wrapped the bag around himself, careful to get the strap against his spine and between his wings, snapping it into place with the body of the bag against his chest.

After a few deep breaths Markus flapped his wings and left the ground, enjoying the strain his body put on them. He was quick to gain altitude as the higher he was, the less likely he was to be spotted. He knew he shouldn't be indulging and the fear of doing so pounded hard in his chest. He knew the humans were quick to kill anything new or different in the name of studying it.

Markus tried to push the anxieties out of his mind as he flew higher and higher still. He would feel uneasy and unsafe until the sun started to peek through the night, and as the first rays caressed his feathers he felt the rush of adrenaline pushing down all of his bad thoughts.

A smile came to his lips, as well as a laugh that was lost immediately upon the stinging wind.

Trying to blend in was all so very exhausting, especially when this was the only time he really felt alive. He dreaded having to touch his feet back to the ground, and while he tried not to focus on those negative feelings they still invaded the corners of his mind; ever-present, ever-pressing.

The air was too still for a moment, and Markus knew something was wrong before the ear-piercing noise rang out in the distance. He heard the shot from the gun and instinctively tried to dodge mid-flap, but he wasn't quick enough to escape unscathed. A burning pain shot through his right wing, and as he attempted to catch himself in the air another shot rang out. His shoulder on that same side took the brunt of the second fire, the bullet catching some feathers on its way out. Markus felt his bag loosen from his body--the strap must have gotten grazed--but he was in no position to focus on his bag while he was careening to the ground. It fell away from him, his belongings lost on the wind.

Markus was not graceful as he fell but he did manage to dampen the fall with his good wing. He hit the ground with a thud, but he suffered no other damage besides his two bullet wounds.

His good wing shielded him from the dirt beneath him and he pressed his face into it, leaning on that side as he felt the gush of wet heat from his opposite shoulder. He moved his bad wing with a hiss, the pain shooting from it and doubling within his shoulder wound.

Markus pressed himself into his good wing, panting in pain, his brow drenched in sweat. His mind raced with what he needed to do: to get out of here before they found him, to locate his belongings so that they didn't fall into their hands and his ruse be up, to stand up--to get up--to stop his bleeding--

But did any of that matter? The humans had already caught him, hadn't they? If he just let himself bleed out here it might be a more pleasant death than whatever the humans might do to him.

Markus accepted his fate, pressing into his wing even more and feeling the blood drip from wounds. He lost himself within that feeling for a moment, before something caught his attention. Something was tugging at one of his feathers, possibly a small animal. He shifted his wing under himself more, determined to die here and to try to do it in peace.

But the tugging started again. Annoyance bubbled alongside his pain, and Markus lifted his head to see what could possibly want his attention at a time like this.

He met eyes with a pigeon. Just a common grey bird with iridescent wings, looking up at him with innocence and determination.

"Let me die." Markus' words were weak, catching in his dry throat as he spoke. The pigeon pecked at him again, unlikely to give up on its heroic exploits. Markus had no choice but to move his good wing from under himself, grunting in pain as he did so. He braced himself on his good arm for a moment, taking deep breaths before sitting up and glaring at the fat bird.

It hopped forward, tilting its head and pecking the ground at Markus. It cooed, gentle but desperate, hoping that the much larger bird would take its words to heart.

"You want me to follow you? Wha--where?" Markus had no issue understanding the bird's words, but he couldn't understand why the bird wanted to help him so badly. The bird hopped around before flying up in the air, perching on a nearby tree branch and continuing its message.

Somewhere that was safe, with someone who could help him. Someone who helped all birds, it seemed. "A human isn't going to help me." Markus slumped forward, ready to lay his face back down into the dirt. The pigeon flew in front of him, its feathers puffed out in a bid to stop him.

Markus felt compelled, against his better judgment. Maybe this human knew of those like himself, maybe he really did help 'all birds'. With a grunt, Markus agreed to allow the pigeon to show him the way. It took him a moment to stand, but the adrenaline of the wounds and the fall suddenly coursed through his veins. He kept his wings close to his body, even if the bad one hurt horribly to move. He pressed his good wing around his chest, covering the wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding. He followed the overfed pigeon--easy to spot as it flew ahead--as he was led into a run-down but developed part of Detroit.

The morning light was causing the city to start to stir, and the familiar noises of cars and humans chattering could be heard in the distance. There were no sounds of police sirens, nor heavy footsteps chasing them. That was good, at the very least.

Markus wished he had his shirt or anything to make himself feel less exposed. It was nice to feel the sun over his wings, but there was no way to enjoy it in a time like this.

With a coo, the pigeon ducked within the crumbling walls of an abandoned building. The inside was dark and full of debris, but it was safer than the streets despite the obstacles. They ducked in and out of abandoned buildings and courtyards. Markus struggled, especially as the adrenaline started to run low; he found himself wondering if he was on some wild pigeon chase.

Had the bird lost its way?

The pigeon called out to let him know that they had made it, just as the thought had crossed Markus' mind. He tilted his head up skyward at the building before them. It looked just as abandoned as the rest, but if there was help here he was ready to seek it out. The pigeon led him in through a secret entrance, covered by a piece of wood, showing him the way to the internal staircase and flying up to their destination floor.

It was nice for the bird to take him through what would be seen as the 'human' entrance, instead of flying up to wherever the bird entrance had been. He was still bleeding but the blood wasn't flowing as it had when he first started chasing the pigeon, meaning there was somewhat of a trail for somebody to follow, but he hoped it had dispersed enough for anyone to lose his trail.

Markus made his way up to the floor marked with a cooing pigeon, huffing and puffing the entire way. Sweat dripped from him and he was starting to feel dizzy. He stopped for a moment to breathe before he pressed his weight on the door, allowing the bird to fly out into the hallway before him. The hall was scattered with feathers from small birds of different types, as well as their droppings. It looked like no human lived here, although Markus knew there had to be one.

Humans were usually more focused on cleaning than this, though. The bird fluttered and landed in front of a door, preening under its own wing as it waited for Markus to catch up.

In hindsight, Markus probably should have knocked. Instead, he leaned on the door for a moment before turning the knob, pressing with his full weight and stumbling into the room. A narrow hall with a few doors on either side greeted him; the door opposite him stood open and inside was a fluttering of wings. Markus, his strength almost completely gone, braced himself on the wall as he walked forward and towards the open door, making sure to shut the front door behind him.

Startled, birds of different types flew from the ground up into holes in the ceiling, looking for safety from the stumbling figure that leaned in the doorway. The kind pigeon who had led him here flew past his cheek, its feathers brushing up against his.

Rupert was the name of the human he was looking for, and it was Rupert who turned to face Markus from the window, casting light into the room as he moved away. Markus gritted his teeth at the fear in Rupert's eyes, wondering if this had really been the right choice.

"I..." He took a deep breath, leaning more of his body weight onto the doorframe. "I need help."

Rupert looked him over, clenching his fists in front of his torso and releasing a few times, an unconscious action born from anxiety, perhaps. He swallowed, tilting his head down so that Markus could barely make out his eyes under the shadow of his hat.

"You came to the right place." His voice was slow and feeble, anxiety cracking through. He didn't move immediately, but when he did it was desperate and quick. The birds hopped out of his way--as if knowing the path he would take even in his panicked state--creating a bare spot in the floor wherever Rupert was going to step next. There had to be hundreds populating this room alone.

Rupert started opening cabinets and drawers, frantically searching for something. He removed a box of bird seed from a drawer and immediately dropped it to the floor, causing a scare in the birds along with a feeding frenzy; they fluttered around Rupert, uncaring to his current dismay, looking for a chance to swoop in and steal some forbidden, dropped seeds. Rupert raised his voice, groaning in frustration--but not at his birds, that much was very clear. The birds took no hard feelings in the outburst, happy to peck away at the same food that stood in bowls not even three feet away.

Rupert found what he was looking for in a floor-level cabinet, standing up quickly with a meager first-aid kit in his hands. He walked over to Markus, confident in his steps as his birds moved out of his way. He stopped abruptly before Markus, fear and excitement shining in his hat-shielded eyes.

"You can take a seat." Rupert gestured over to a chair, taking a second glance and having to move to shoo some birds off of it. He brushed away downy feathers with his palm, looking back at Markus expectantly.

It took a lot of effort for Markus to move away from the doorframe. Rupert reached out an arm to help, which Markus was grateful for. He placed his hand on his arm, putting a bit of weight on Rupert as he slid into his seat, mindful of how Rupert almost buckled under him. Why offer help if you can't physically give it?

"Thanks, Rupert." Markus huffed through his nose as he removed his good wing from its place over his wound, the feathers sticking to the dried blood but coming free nonetheless.

"I didn't know my birds were tattletales." Rupert's hat had been removed and placed on the floor, where a few birds fought over who got to sit in it. He kneeled in front of Markus, leaning against his legs to take a look at his wound. "I guess I'm thankful for it. Although this feels like a dream."

He was right, Markus mused. He tilted his head back as Rupert touched around his wound, closing his eyes tight in a hollow attempt to will the pain away. A mythical creature had just walked into his house and demanded assistance. Any human would think that they were dreaming. Markus was just lucky that this one really did want to help him, but he dreaded what Rupert might want in return for his services.

Rupert stood up suddenly, interrupting Markus' meditation. He watched the birds clear a path to what looked like the bathroom, where Rupert picked up a bottle of water and poured a bit on a rag. He leaned over the sink to squeeze out the excess water before turning on his heel, the path before him bare.

The cold water stung his wound, and Markus gripped the chair and took in a whistling breath through clenched teeth. "Sorry, sorry." Rupert in fact did not sound sorry, his words no more than a mumble to himself. He glanced up at Markus before looking back to the wound, his messy hair sticking to his forehead. "If that hurt, I'm really sorry for what I'm about to put you through." Markus groaned as Rupert reached for the first aid kit, getting a bottle of something and pouring a bit onto the rag he was just cleaning him up with.

"I might pass out." The words didn't sound like they were Markus', but he was sure he had moved his lips. He was starting to slip, as much as he wanted not to.

"That's alright." The tone in Rupert's voice was almost teasing, causing Markus to feel like maybe it would be best if he fought whatever urge he had to close his eyes. Rupert exchanged a few glances up to Markus before pressing the rag against his wound.

The searing pain of the antiseptic made Markus yell out in pain and in doing so, he unintentionally spread both of his wings out on either side of him. Not only did he have to deal with the stinging of the antiseptic, but now his bad wing shot pain all the way up his shoulder blades and into his chest. He panted, sweating now more than ever. It was almost too much but Markus knew he could handle it. He had to.

The rag was moved from his wound not a moment too soon. Markus attempted to catch his breath, his face tilted up to the ceiling with his eyes shut tight. He felt Rupert's hands near the wound again and groaned as he poked and prodded. Rupert was quiet, not even mumbling a sorry in reply, focused on the actions Markus refused to look at.

Pressure was placed on his wound and there it stayed--gauze or a bandage, perhaps.

"Can you lean forward for me? I've got to do the same to your back." Rupert's hands placed very little pressure on his side in an attempt to move him. Markus opened his eyes, blinking the sweat out of them and focusing on Rupert.

"More?" Markus threw his head back and let out a very unsteady sigh.

"I mean, if you'd like to bleed out from the exit wound you can, but I'd have to ask you to leave." That teasing tone was once again rooted within Rupert's voice. Markus shook his head before shifting in his seat, turning to allow Rupert access to the wound on the back of his shoulder. As he turned he noticed the cheeky grin on Rupert's face, feeling it wholly inappropriate given the current circumstances.

Rupert moved around his wings carefully, putting a wet part of the rag against his wound. With gentle blotting he cleaned up the area around it before taking in a deep breath, placing his hand on Markus' shoulder to get his attention.

"This time it's going to hurt." Rupert's voice was gentle, the teasing absent for the moment. Markus nodded once, outstretching his wings to their limit in preparation, even if it hurt to do so. He didn't want to stretch them out too suddenly and knock over the human who was so graciously looking over him, teasing or ulterior motives aside. Rupert was right, and Markus thought that somehow this second time hurt even worse. His ears rang and his breaths refused to roll over in his chest, and the world around him, hidden by the darkness behind his eyes, tightened and swayed.

Markus didn't remember what happened next. He awoke with the sounds of tweets and coos meshing with the ringing in his ears. He was slow to stir, the pain a dull, ever-persistent ache in his shoulder.

He shifted in his seat, opening his eyes to the blinding light that was trickling in from the open window. Much time hadn't passed, if any at all. He looked around, perhaps a bit too quickly as birds fluttered away in fear, spotting Rupert over by his disheveled kitchen. His back was turned on Markus and the rest of the birds, who seemed to be waiting patiently yet with anticipation.

Rupert turned, his eyes clearly visible without his hat on. They were filled with worry, though it would be easy to miss with the smirk on his face. "Oh good. Thought you died on me."

"No, I don't plan on dying yet." Markus found the words amusing, because he had fully intended to die before that pigeon had bothered him enough to change his mind.

Rupert walked over, the various birds fluttering out of his way, holding the cup of water out to Markus. He took it carefully and was rewarded with Rupert opening up his hand, where two white pills lay. "This'll help your pain."

Markus nodded, holding out his free hand for the painkillers. He sipped the water, leaning back and dropping the pills into his mouth before taking a bigger drink. His throat, which he hadn't realized was completely ablaze, cooled down to the room-temperature water, easing Markus just a little bit.

"Thank you. For--for all of this."

Rupert stood before him, placing his hands on his hips at his words. He watched Markus, his eyes searching for something that Markus couldn't decipher, before throwing his hands up in the air with a sigh.

"What am I going to do with you? What even happened?" Rupert crossed his arms as he awaited an answer. Markus wasn't sure he liked this interrogation, but Rupert didn't seem hostile. Just worried, maybe?

"I, I took a risk. It was stupid, but I needed to fly with the sunrise. I don't know who shot me, and I don't know if they followed me. I thought I was safe enough where I was, I just needed to fly." Markus turned his eyes down to his own hands, expecting to see them stained in blood but finding them strangely clean, as if Rupert had cleaned him up as he slept.

"Do you have a home?" Rupert's voice snapped Markus out of his focused, blood-searching state.

"Yes, but--" Markus paused as his stomach dropped and it became more laborious to breathe. "--I lost my bag when I was shot. If anyone found it, if they found it, they'll know exactly how to find me."

Rupert nodded a few times, reaching out and patting Markus' good shoulder. "Look, no need to panic. Rupert's here to help you."

His words washed over Markus and put him at ease. He found his breaths easier to gather, feeling grateful and indebted to this kind human. A pigeon--fat and most definitely the one he followed here--fluttered its wings and landed on Markus' lap. It cooed up at him, checking to make sure he was okay, before flying off for a tasty snack.

"Thank you." Markus was, of course, talking to Rupert but the pigeon responded with a small noise in return.

Rupert seemed to let out a held breath, looking from Markus to the hallway that led to the entrance. "Hold up, give me a moment."

Rupert's hand lingered on Markus' shoulder as he moved away, and Markus lamented the lack of comfort as he left. His eyes immediately drifted to the side, curious about the state of his bad shoulder.

The wound was covered, and the wrapping that did so spanned under his arm and across his chest, for stability. He tested the pain with a gentle roll of his shoulder, finding that between the ample wrapping and the painkillers, it really wasn't too horrible. Especially compared to the cleaning of the wound.

Markus examined his right wing, as well, stretching it out to the side before moving it around his arm. His feathers had been cleaned, much like his hands and chest had, and a simple dressing cushioned this wound, as well. Rupert really knew what he was doing, it was obvious he cared deeply for his birds and took care of injured wings often enough.

"Now," Rupert came back into the room, a piece of clothing in his hands, "this may not fit you. Fair warning. But it's a lot better than walking around like this."

Markus took the shirt from Rupert's hands, holding it up and nodding at him. "Yeah. You're right."

Rupert crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, watching Markus closely as he rose to his feet. Markus was unsteady but the world around him wasn't squeezing him anymore; there was nothing keeping his lungs from inflating. The pain was dull and manageable, allowing him to pull his wings closer to his body to fully hide them.

Rupert seemed interested in the transformation, his eyes darting as Markus' wings stretched slowly around himself, the feathers crossing over his chest.

Markus always felt safer like this, with his wings squeezing his body in a hug, although there were other ways to hide them under his clothing. It really depended on the type of clothes he was wearing and what he planned on doing, but this was default, this was comfort.

"You're lucky I like baggy clothes." Rupert shifted on his feet before turning away, tending to the food and water bowls of his kin. Markus huffed through his nose, a smile playing on his face. He slipped the shirt over his head, pulling his bad arm through the short sleeve carefully. A hiss of pain forced itself out of his clenched teeth, but it was short lived.

The shirt didn't go all the way down to his waistband, and he could feel the tightness in the shoulders and under the arms. But the sleeves were short and the fabric was thin, so it wasn't wholly uncomfortable. Markus pulled at the front of the shirt, checking how it bunched against his feathers and shifting them accordingly to disguise them as muscle under the thin fabric.

"Wow, if I hadn't touched them myself I would think you never really had them." Rupert grinned at Markus, giving him a thumbs up in approval. Markus lifted his arm, leaning to check the back of his good shoulder the best he could.

"Yeah?" A smile tugged at his lips, no matter how hard Markus tried to keep his expression neutral.

"Surprised you can move around so much, too. Weren't you just shot?" Rupert picked his hat up off the ground, flipping it onto his head with the bird that had been sleeping inside of it captive. There was a tweet in dismay as the hat moved atop Rupert's head. It settled after a moment. "Twice??"

Markus took in a deep breath, instinctively glancing at his wounded shoulder. "My body is different than yours. I heal faster, or so I've heard."

Rupert nodded, a small and elongated 'oh' coming from barely parted lips as he moved closer to Markus, patting his good shoulder once more. "If that's the case, why don't you come with me?" Rupert tilted his head to the side, casting his eyes on Markus'. "If you feel good enough."

"A walk would do me good..." Markus trailed off, the end of his sentence catching the rising intonation of a question. Rupert nodded, walking forward and into the entrance hallway. Markus followed, his blood coursing through his veins with each movement.

Rupert led him outside and into the hall, grabbing a bag at the doorway as he walked by. "I've got some other injured birds to tend to." Rupert huffed, straining his voice as he cast the bag onto his shoulder. It seemed heavy, at least to Rupert.

"So you...you really do make a habit of this." Markus followed quick at Rupert's heel, his interest thinly veiled.

"Someone's gotta show compassion to the little guys." Rupert's eyes were invisible below his hat, the brim casting too dark of a shadow onto them. He led Markus to the end of the hall, passing the stairwell and approaching a door that led outside. He held the door open for Markus to walk through, a smirk plastered onto his lips. "And the big guys, I guess."

Markus stepped out into the blinding sunlight, reaching up and using his hand to shield his eyes. The fluttering of wings rang out ahead of him, much as it had in Rupert's room. There was another trove of birds up here on the roof, many of them uninjured. Many pigeons, with a smattering of robins, sparrows and the like; ones that he had already seen within the building.

However, there were some new additions. The black, oil-slick feathers of a murder of crows caught his eye. Some blackbirds, finicky and quick to fly off and return, eyed them from atop their perches. There were more, different colors and sounds amassed within the fluttering of feathers, but too many to count off individually. They seemed like a group of birds too big to fit comfortably into Rupert's room, and perhaps too anxious to be trapped within four walls. A line of cages caught Markus' eye, within them must've been the ones Rupert was here to take care of.

"Make yourself comfortable. I've got some work to do." Rupert brought the bag over to the cages, placing it down and immediately removing two bowls. He placed them on the ground and took out his bottle of water, filling one up before returning it into his bag. The other got filled to the brim with seeds and scooted an arms length away. The birds happily partook, a few of the smaller ones deciding to take a bath within the water bowl.

Markus followed Rupert halfway, watching the birds kindly sharing their food and bathwater. All different types lived in harmony up here, it seemed, all thanks to the kind human who doted on them.

There were other things up here, covered in remnants from the avian inhabitants. A tarp covered some stacked boxes among other things Markus couldn't make out. A few more tarps covered what looked to be an amalgamation of trash, with pieces of wood sticking out to make an overhang. Some occupied birdcages sat underneath, hidden from the harsh sun. A few crows acted like guards, nipping at any bird that dared get too close.

"These are adults, over here." Rupert was slowly taking each bird from the birdcages in the middle of the roof, turning them over in his hands to check their wings, their beaks, legs and eyes. He released them one at a time to get a drink and eat their fill before placing them back into their respective cages. "They're hurt and don't need to be flying. Some more than others."

Markus took some steps closer, the birds ignoring him to happily indulge in their seeds. Rupert reached his hand into a cage, removing a bird with a wrapped up wing from it. This one he treated more carefully than the others, holding it on his lap as he poured some water into the cap of the bottle for it to drink. Likewise, he took some of the seeds in his hand for it to eat. He petted the weak bird as he ate some seeds, and Markus' heart ached for the kindness he was being shown.

"They should all heal just fine." Rupert smiled up at Markus, who nodded in encouragement. "The one in the worst shape was you, so...yeah, they should all be fine."

Markus shook his head, a chuckle escaping as he let his eyes wander back to the cages in the shade. "What's wrong with the birds over there?"

"Oh, they're just a group of babies. I don't know what happened to the parents, but I snatched them up and brought them here when they never came to feed them." Rupert finished up with his group before refilling the almost-empty food and water bowls. He stood, grabbing his bag and bringing it over to the shaded cages.

The guard crows moved out of his way, taking this chance to get a drink of water and a bite to eat, as well. Rupert sat on his legs in front of one of the cages, digging through his backpack to retrieve the babies' personalized meal.

Markus was ushered closer and he listened, kneeling and watching Rupert combine some powdered meal with some water, stirring it within the packet it had come in. His utensil seemed to be a syringe, one he would no doubt use to feed the babies once their meal was ready to eat. Wanting to help, Markus reached for the packet, raising his eyebrows at Rupert and tilting his head to get a glimpse of his eyes under his hat.

"Sure, be my guest." Rupert handed it to Markus, careful to not drop it in the process. "Just make sure there's no big lumps."

"Okay." Markus mumbled under his breath, not wishing to bother the baby birds with a stranger's voice. He stirred the packet well, watching the consistency change from watery to thick as more of the powder blended with the water.

Rupert reached into the cage, and as he brought the first baby out a cacophony of hungry wailing broke out from the lot of them. Markus looked at the tiny thing fondly, collecting some of the food within the syringe and wiping the edge off on the inside of the packet.

He shifted closer to Rupert, glancing up at him for approval. "Yeah, go ahead. I'm sure you're a pro at this." Rupert held the bird gently but firmly in his hands as it cried out in hunger and opened its beak wide.

"No..." Markus laughed under his breath, shaking his head as he brought the small syringe to the even smaller bird. "I've never taken care of a baby before."

"It seems like you might make a good Momma Bird one day." Rupert was teasing him again, but Markus couldn't react. It was a delicate operation to not feed the baby too much, and he needed to focus.

When that one was full, they did another. The packet was empty before long, and all the babies were left with full bellies. Markus handed the foil packet and the syringe to Rupert, who wrapped it up within a plastic bag and placed it within his backpack to deal with later. Markus looked at Rupert for a long moment, not having anything to say but feeling something very intense up here on this roof, surrounded by his kin who were tweeting and cawing their love and their thanks.

Rupert tilted the brim of his hat up, catching Markus' eyes with his. He winked, a cheeky grin unfolding on his lips before he stood up. "This is just about it. I can't help everyone, but I do what I can." Markus watched as Rupert walked up to a fearful blackbird who leaned into his hand instead of flying away. "They help me out too, believe it or not. They protect me." Markus wasn't sure what that meant, really, but he was enthralled in watching the blackbird enjoying Rupert's petting. It pecked at his fingerless gloves as he moved his hand away, pulling at the fabric in an attempt to get pet a few more times before he left.

The birds moved first as voices filled the hall they had entered the roof from. There was a fluttering as they were disturbed, Markus barely able to make Rupert out through all the different colored wings. Rupert moved quickly to Markus, the birds dodging out of his way, grabbing him and pulling him up to his feet.

"Shit, nobody should be here. You need to hide." Rupert spoke through clenched teeth, shoving Markus against some ducting and broken-down boxes. He pulled a tarp off the ground and covered Markus with it, adjusting it to make sure he passed as more covered trash.

Rupert ducked under the other tarp--the one hiding the baby birds from the sunlight--as the door opened.

Markus stilled his breathing, wondering if hiding was an overreaction. His wings weren't fully hidden, no, but who would be looking so closely to notice? It was probably better being safe than sorry, though.

"What's up with all these birds, man?" A man spoke with authority to another, meaning there were two up here at the very least. Markus closed his eyes within the darkness of the tarp, stilling himself even more. He heard Rupert move before he spoke, making himself known before scaring the intruders.

"Hello Officers." Rupert spoke all too seriously; the playful tone he held with every word was wholly gone.

Another man spoke. "Didn't see you there, kid. What're you up to?" Rupert's footsteps moved farther away from Markus' hiding place.

"A lot of birds come up here. I take care of the ones that are hurt." His tone was very straight-to-the-point.

"You live here?" The second voice spoke again.

"No, of course not. This place is abandoned." Rupert was covering his bases, hopefully the cops wouldn't find the room he had made his home.

"Well, sorry to bother you, uh...?" The first cop spoke again.

"Name's Rupert." Markus could tell he was uncomfortable.

"Rupert. I'm Officer Chris Miller, this is Officer Mack Alexander. We're both with DPD." There was a shuffling as the officers presumably showed Rupert their badges. "Has anyone come up here? We're looking for a potentially dangerous individual."

"Dangerous?" Rupert deserved an award for the concern he had so easily placed in his voice. "No, I haven't seen anyone come up here. I've been around the roof and this floor all morning."

There was a tense pause. "We're just going to take a look around." Two sets of footsteps started their rounds, walking first and foremost to check the birdcage with the baby birds--the one Rupert had been standing by when they made their appearance.

They were too close for Markus' liking, but there wasn't much he could do. His mind starting to spin, running through what he would do if he was found and what might happen to Rupert if they knew he was involved.

"You're sure taking good care of all these. Why here, though?" The first cop--Officer Miller--spoke as he moved away from the birdcages, his footsteps coming closer to Markus' hiding spot.

"Oh, well. The apartment I live in doesn't allow pets. I was feeding the birds outside my patio for a while, until my landlord got onto me." The officer turned on his heel, allowing Markus a moment to untense himself. "I followed an injured crow, one day. He led me up here. Seems the word's got out that you can come to this roof for help."

The second cop--Officer Alexander--standing farther away from Markus than his partner, interjected before Rupert could continue. "You're trespassing. Private property."

"You got someone pressing charges?" Rupert's sass was back, but Markus thought that egging on the police wasn't a very good choice, given the circumstances.

"Mack, it's fine. He's not hurting anything." Officer Miller spoke gently to the other cop before raising his voice to a normal level to speak with Rupert. "No, no charges. We're just looking for our guy."

It seemed that the only birds left on the roof were the ones in the cages. There were no other noises, no flapping of wings nor agitated tweets. Humans with ill intent always brought an uneasy stillness to the air, Markus mused. The air here felt no different than the air had right before he got shot.

Footsteps from the two overlapped one another. They stayed for far too long, but it seemed they were giving up. "Must've gone somewhere else." Officer Miller mumbled under his breath as they neared the door that led back inside. "We'll have to take another look at the trail."

"See ya, officers. Good luck with finding your guy." Rupert barely concealed his relieved tone.

"Thanks, kid." The door squeaked open, but one of them paused. "Listen, you've got plenty of time. Go back to school, get into a Vet program. It'll do you real good." Officer Miller really sounded nice, for both a human and a cop. "And you'll do them real good."

Rupert chuckled in response. "Wish I could."

"Think about it." And with that, the door shut. Markus dared not to move until Rupert retrieved him, listening as their voices echoed from the other side of the door and disappeared as they took the stairs back down to the ground floor.

Rupert moved further away from Markus' hiding place, presumably to watch over the edge of the roof. Markus was fine with laying in his safe spot, and if he was being completely honest he wouldn't mind staying right here until the dead of night.

"Oh good, they left." Almost on cue, a fluttering of wings marked the return of the birds who sought refuge here. Rupert's hurried steps moved towards Markus, and the tarp was removed from him as soon as Rupert could reach it.

Markus, once again blinded by the light, winced and used his hand to shield his eyes. He focused on a small sparrow sitting on Rupert's shoulder, puffed up in happiness and tweeting atop its perch. He smiled, agreeing wholeheartedly with the tweets of fondness it bellowed so casually.

Rupert reached his hand down for Markus to take. He laughed at Rupert as he reached back, grasping his hand but knowing Rupert didn't have the strength to help him much. He stood, mostly from his own effort, before pulling on Rupert's hand and wrapping his arms around him. The sparrow flew away, not getting very far before landing and continuing his song.

"Thank you. I owe you everything. Really." Markus wasn't sure if it was the influence of the birds around him, or the simple cause-and-effect of being saved by him, but he really felt something for Rupert. He wouldn't call it love at first sight, but there was love there, or at least he thought.

Rupert placed his hands on Markus' back, patting his hidden wings very lightly. "I'm just glad I got to meet you." His voice was gentle and sincere; it made Markus smile.

Markus didn't loosen his grip on Rupert, and he was rewarded with Rupert pressing his forehead into his good shoulder, nuzzling the brim of his hat into it. He pressed too hard and his hat got pushed off the back of his head, revealing an irritated bird nestling within Rupert's hair. It flew off in a tizzy, leaving Rupert's hair even messier than it had been before.

"I'd like to feel you hug me with your wings." Rupert mumbled into Markus' shoulder. He nodded in response, petting Rupert's back and attempting to ignore the pounding he could feel from Rupert's chest.

"Give me a few days and I'll see what I can do."

Their mutual silence was interrupted by a crow's caw along with the flapping of its big wings. Rupert stepped away from Markus, who's hands lingered on him, quick to see what was wrong with his avian friend.

The crow landed before them, what remained of a crossbody bag in its beak. Markus moved before Rupert did, immediately recognizing it as his own. The crow allowed Markus to remove the fraying, bullet-damaged and blood-stained strap from its beak, staying as he unzipped it and frantically looked through it.

It was lighter as the water bottle was missing, and the shirt looked like it had been dragged through the dirt, but his wallet was safe and intact, as was his phone. The crow cawed in reply to Markus' unasked question: it had been too heavy to carry with the bottle of water, so it had disposed of it.

Markus let out a held breath of relief, looking back over his shoulder and up at Rupert. He came closer, placing his hand on Markus' shoulder, placing weight on him before kneeling beside him. "They didn't get a hold of it. That's--I'm so relieved." The words came out breathlessly, Markus in utter disbelief of his luck.

"Sounds like you're relatively scot-free." Rupert reached and ruffled the crow until he jumped away from him, giving him a growling caw of playful warning before flying to have a go at the food bowl.

Markus stood, wiping as much dirt as he could off of his shirt before pulling it over his head. He kept Rupert's shirt on, not only as a stolen memento but as a comfortable buffer between his shirt and his wings. The bag didn't work as a bag anymore, and it would be suspicious to leave a bloody personal item on the roof, so Markus cradled it in the crook of his arm. He hoped it would be inconspicuous enough.

Rupert stood and walked over to his hat, scooping it up and placing it back on his head. He slid on his heel, turning back around to face Markus. He looked Markus over as he turned before grinning and giving him two thumbs up. "You look like an above-average guy now. Can't even see the blood on the bag."

"Above-average?" Markus chuckled, shifting his bag in his arm. He didn't want to say goodbye, but he would heal faster at home.

Rupert paused, clenching his fists at his sides before walking forward to Markus. Markus assumed he was going to hug him goodbye, so he smiled and opened his arms to allow him to. Rupert placed his hand on Markus' upper arm, gripping his sleeve and tugging on him.

Markus, confused, did as he thought Rupert wanted and leaned lower, his wound protesting but dully. Rupert's hands moved to the front of Markus' shirt and tugged him closer. Markus' forehead hit the brim of Rupert's hat and it fell from his head for a second time as they shared an awkward but lovely kiss.

As this had been Markus' first kiss, he was immediately overwhelmed. Thoughts of inconsequence came and went, and Rupert had begun to move away when Markus finally realized he should be pressing into his lips in return. The kiss lingered until Rupert needed to move away to breathe, placing weight on Markus as he leaned his head into his chest. Markus petted his back, his breaths also uneven. Rupert shook his head into Markus, and he could feel the trembling in his hands as he pressed away from him.

"Promise you'll come back?" Rupert's voice was small as he quickly turned to pick up his hat. He didn't turn back around once it was placed on his head, and Markus found it endearing that he was so embarrassed over something he had instigated.

It had been a few months since they had all met each other, and while the four of them had shared a few dates, they really hadn't been prepared for something of this caliber. Their road trip was not only a bonding experience, but a final test to see if this was really going to work out for them.

Simon and Markus opening up their relationship hadn't been something they had openly talked about before it happened; Markus was so content in his relationship with Simon that falling in love with someone else completely blindsided him. To make matters worse, when Markus had approached Simon to let him know about the feelings he was having towards someone else, Simon had agreed and told him about this other teacher that he had gotten close to. Markus had met North at the gym, under unfortunate circumstances revolving around the locker rooms. She had walked in on him changing and proceeded to tease him about it every time they crossed paths, which seemed to happen every day. Apparently a lot of women only go to the gym at certain times so they feel safer around less men, at least according to North. Having previously gone whenever he had the time, Markus changed his days to match North's out of a want to make her feel safer. Markus can only assume that it had worked, because he was very much caught off guard when she made her first move on him. He wasn't the best with women, so he was sure that she had made other moves that went unnoticed. How could he be blind to a kiss, though, as she leaned down to hand him his water bottle?

Markus would have been fine explaining the situation outright to her: that he was already taken and very much in love, but he had never found the right moment to bring it up. It was stupid on his part, but the whole situation was just so foreign to him. Simon's boy was a guy named Josh. They both worked as teachers together. Markus wasn't sure if Simon had always worked with him, or if he had been a new hire, but Simon made it sound like they had an innocent friendship until Josh had expressed interest of his own. But Simon hadn't known how to bring the question up to Markus.

He talked like this was something that had weighed on his mind for a while; Markus could just imagine poor Josh, practically left on read after confessing his feelings. Brutal.

Markus had thought twice about bringing the question of an open relationship up to Simon. He regretted it the second the words left his mouth, as Simon's eyes had been cast with what he had mistaken as hurt or fear. Within the few seconds of silence that followed, as Simon regained his composure to speak, Markus had to deal with the heartache of potentially losing the love of his life, his thoughts spiraling out of control until Simon spoke. No, it turned out that Simon had wanted to ask Markus the same thing. Their souls were so tightly entwined that they were on the same wavelength, no matter what, it seemed.

Their first meeting had been utterly awkward. Markus wasn't always good with details, so when he had explained to North that he was dating 'a really hot blonde', she had assumed that she was going to be meeting another woman. It was his bad for not specifying that it was a hot blonde boy, but North seemed fine with either. Josh seemed equally shocked at meeting Markus, and Markus hadn't been prepared for how tall he was. He wasn't the jealous type, really, but there was something about seeing Josh leaning on Simon that just set him off. He was envious that Josh got to do things he didn't with Simon, but on the other side, North was much shorter than all of them. In the end, Markus supposed, they were all even in one way or another.

They had a few group dates that went well enough. North and Simon hit it off really well, but Josh didn't seem to wholly vibe with her. He gave Markus the feeling that he wasn't really used to being around women, which Markus definitely understood.

For the most part, though, all of them got along. North was short with Markus and Josh more often, with Josh quick to bounce her words back at her. Markus tried to stay out of whatever quarrels they had, but always ended up being dragged in one way or another. They had a few dinners together, watched some movies and hung out separately, as well. It was time to move things along further, as they all got used to each other's quirks. The summer was calling, and with Simon and Josh out from teaching, it was feasible to plan a road trip. Simon and Markus had talked about it in the past, and while they should have started small and went alone, just the two of them, they both agreed that it would be nice to spend the trip with their whole group.

Markus had to work with getting a replacement caretaker for the time he was gone, but the old man he took care of was happy to hear he was planning a vacation. He happened to let it slip that he was going with 'his boyfriend and their partners', which enticed a hearty fit of laughter from Carl and an afternoon of being called 'tiger' and 'Casanova'. Markus hadn't wished to hear about Carl's 'swinging days', but suffice to say Markus had gotten to know him a lot better that day. When approached about taking time off from work for a silly road trip, North claimed that she worked from home. She had deadlines she had to keep, but she thought she could fit it into her schedule. Markus didn't know why she was so secretive about her job, but he got the feeling that something about it embarrassed her. He'd attempt to pry later, he thought. Markus felt the stinging of unease as everything started to come together. They managed to find a good price on a 4-person tent, as well as a bundle of sleeping bags. Carl's son was going to be visiting, so Markus was going to be leaving him in good hands. North doubled down and met her next few deadlines in advance so that she'd be able to 'disconnect from work' during their trip. It seemed like it would be too perfect, like something was going to come out of nowhere and ruin everything before they even left their driveway.

Seeing Simon walking around their apartment with a permanent but very gentle smile on his face was almost enough to make Markus forget any potential what-ifs. Even if this didn't work out in the end, it was worth it to see how happy it all made Simon.

Markus knew he was supposed to feel jealous, to not want to share Simon with anyone else. He'd be lying if he didn't feel it sometimes, like when Josh came over to drop something off and greeted Simon with a kiss. The gut-reaction was there, really, but it faded very quickly. He understood, really. Simon was great, and nobody was perfect but he was perfect in his own ways. How could he keep him to himself, in the end? He wanted other people to see Simon how he did, even intimately, and as long as there were people Simon loved, Markus was happy to hear him out. The morning they left went by in a blur. They were taking Markus' new car because it was the only one big enough to comfortably hold all of them and their camping supplies.North and Josh were set to show up before the sun even rose, and while Markus knew he needed the sleep for the drive, the excitement and anticipation kept him up the whole night before. Simon seemed restless, but he managed to get to sleep without too much trouble.

They ate breakfast at an ungodly hour together, silent anticipation hanging low in the air. Josh showed up first, then North not ten minutes later. It was really happening.

Markus loaded everything in the back of his van, making sure that they had everything they needed for the twelfth time. The sun wasn't up and Markus was already sweating, and he knew that he would be in an endless torture of soaking in his own sweat every step of the way in the road trip, but he thought that if this was the only hurdle he'd have to overcome, they'd be set.

Before long, it was time to lock up and pile into the car. Markus was mindful of Simon's comfort and immediately called dibs on North sitting up front with him. He veiled the notion as him wanting to push Josh and Simon together--which was a half truth--so that he wasn't pointing out something Simon saw as a flaw in himself.

Their first point of contention came before he had even put the car in reverse. North tapped a few of the buttons on Markus' center console and connected her phone to the radio. Markus just watched her do it, feeling both happy she felt so comfortable, yet also shocked at the pure audacity. She just looked at him, smiled, and got comfortable in her seat.

"Shouldn't the driver get the choice of music?" Josh spoke from behind Markus' seat, causing Markus to swiftly turn his head and peer at him over his shoulder.

"Yeah, thank you, Josh. Isn't this my car?" Markus looked at North who had her face turned to look outside her window, pretending not to hear them. Markus sighed, rolling his eyes in jest as he pulled out of the driveway. North finally acknowledged the others in the car, looking back at Simon and smiling. "You like this song, don't you?" Markus watched Simon nod through the rearview mirror, wondering how she could have possibly known that. She shifted in her seat, looking wholly proud of herself. "I made this playlist for Simon and me. There's some new ones on here I think you'll like, Si." "Thank you, North." Simon reached and placed his hand on top of North's seat, by her headrest. She was quick to reach and put her hand atop his, holding it there. North warmed up to Simon rapidly after their first meeting. At this point, after a few triple dates that ended in her kissing Simon on the cheek or her holding his hand, Markus was beginning to forget that he was the one that had brought North into the relationship. It wasn't like she ignored him completely, but like a cat choosing its owner, she was swayed by Simon's hand. Maybe he shouldn't be thinking of women--especially her--like cats, though, he was sure that'd get him in trouble.

The music was fine, really. Markus was too focused on getting out of the city to register the conversation going on around him, but the music he could tune in and out to. The sunlight was creeping out, the sky shimmering a light pink, and he needed to be on the highway before the traffic picked up.

"--right, Markus?" North turned away from Simon and Josh to look at him expectantly. "Uh, yeah. Right." He did a double take into the rearview mirror on hearing Simon's sweet chuckle, realizing everyone in the car was laughing. North had brought him into a conversation without any warning, what was he supposed to do? Say he wasn't listening? "Anyway, bad fashion aside..." North continued with the group chat he wasn't invited to, but Markus was lost on the beginning of her words. Bad fashion--was she talking about him? He glanced down at himself to see what he had on and, yeah, maybe she had a point. He had meant to change his undershirt before North and Josh had arrived, but it seemed now he was stuck with his paint-covered tank for at least a portion of the trip. His brown plaid over-shirt could cover it, sure, but he was already feeling the heat. Soon it'd be discarded and he'd be left looking like an unfinished abstract painting next to three of the prettiest people he had ever seen. North had recently dyed her hair; when Markus first met her it was definitely brown but now shown a red hue in the filtering sunlight. She was fashion-forward, with gaudy sunglasses that would look horrible on most people but that she wholly pulled off. Her shirt was cropped and tied in the front, and her pants were such a flattering cut on her legs. Markus thought about it for a moment, glancing down at his own pants. He was positive they were wearing the same type, but hers looked so much better on her. Honestly, their outfits were pretty similar if you ignored the paint. Was this the power of a crop top and femininity?

Simon had a crop top on, too, but he was always way too cold to wear it how it was meant to be worn. He had layered one of Markus' warmest flannels over it, the kind Markus would only put on during a raging snowstorm. The flannel obscured most of the print on it, but it was one of Simon's favorites: a detailed gothic cross with filigree and feathers around it. A goth staple. Josh was probably the most put together of the whole group, wearing the attire one would associate with his profession. His argyle vest and collared shirt screamed teacher, but the charm that dangled from the hinge of his glasses gave the impression of the friendly queer guy you'd run into in the LGBTQIA+ section of the library, all too eager to point you in the direction of their books on sexual health. Or something like that. Markus relaxed in his seat as they made it to the main highway of their drive, having beat the start of the morning rush hour. He wiped his brow, reaching instinctively to turn up the cold air. He stopped, glancing back at Simon through the rearview mirror before rolling his window down every so slightly and leaning his head on it.

"Markus, if you're too hot--" Simon leaned forward so that Markus could hear him over the music. "No! No, I'm fine." Markus spoke quickly, glancing back at him and offering a smile that he knew Simon didn't believe. He leaned his head back on the window, enjoying the cool glass against his temple. "Just wanted some fresh air." Simon lingered before sitting back in his seat. He said something to Josh that Markus couldn't hear, but he tried to think nothing of it. Simon's comfort was more important than his own, Markus thought. They all chatted about nothing in particular, Markus included on the conversation as his focus allowed. A song came onto the playlist that Markus did know, and he couldn't help but laugh at the quick glance North shot him as he started to sing along. He glanced at her in return, smiling as he continued singing. There was a fondness in her eyes that seemed to be reserved for Simon most of the time, so Markus couldn't help but take advantage of it. He reached over, holding his outstretched hand to her as if to ask for a high-five. She read the motion correctly and reached back, allowing Markus to intertwine their fingers. He rested his arm on the center console, glancing out his window before settling his eyes back on the road, smiling as he felt utterly engulfed in love. In the backseat, Simon shifted. His legs must have been uncomfortable already, and Markus was glad he had forced him into the backseat. Josh coaxed Simon to lay down and Simon eventually listened, laying his head on Josh's lap. Markus kept glancing at their reflection, joy rising through his chest and onto his face. This was going to work out, he could tell. They were already so comfortable with one another, and even though North seemed short (in temperament) with him and Josh sometimes, he had seen them share a tender moment on one of their group outings. They all just needed time. Maybe by the time the trip was over, they'd all be ready to talk about moving in together, or whatever the next step would be. Josh and Simon napped, and the music got turned down. North removed her hand from Markus, causing him to scowl at the car ahead of them. He glanced at her, meeting her eyes before glancing away and back again. "You're so wet looking, Markus." Her voice was above a whisper as she wiped her hand off of on his shoulder. "Your hand is burning up." Markus frowned, bringing his hand to himself to wipe the sweat off. "Simon'll freeze if I turn the air up." He whispered, hoping the words wouldn't reach Simon just in case he was only resting his eyes. "He's got some layers on, he'll be fine." North turned in her seat to smile at Simon and Josh, pointing at Markus as she turned back. "Plus, don't we have blanket we can give him?" "Yeah, but..." Markus sighed, allowing North to grab his arm and pull his hand back to hold. "His joints ache when the air's cold. And he won't tell me if he's hurting, at least most of the time." He squeezed her hand, glancing over at her. "This trip's only just started. I don't want to push him too far already."North squeezed back, staying silent for a moment as she watched the scenery pass by outside her window. "You're a sweet guy, Markus. Really care about others."

"Shouldn't you have already known that?" Markus mused, a smile playing on his lips. "I changed my gym schedule for you, you know."

Maybe he had said something wrong, as North quickly took her hand away. She eyed him carefully, as if waiting for some kind of punchline. "What?"

"You said you didn't feel safe at the gym."

"Yeah, because of the men there." North pulled his legs up in what Markus initially assumed was an attempt to close her body language, but she shifted them under her as if in excitement. "And you thought the best way to make me feel safer was to--as a man--make sure to be there every time I worked out?"

Markus paused for a moment, considering her words. He glanced at her, shaking his head. "It was to protect you." He had held no ill-intent in his actions.

 "Because you were attracted to me." North smirked, Markus not understanding the harshness of her words mixed with the fond look. "No." He spoke slowly, quick to defend himself but needing to choose his words carefully. "That happened after you kissed me." North was quiet and after a moment, she removed her hand from within his. He tired to protest but she shifted in her seat, pouting out the window. What had she wanted, for him to lie? With the only awake traveler now irritated at him and giving him the cold shoulder, Markus was once again left in silence. The music played gently, and the songs melded together much like the fields they passed by. They hadn't been driving for too long, but his lack of sleep was catching up to him. Simon stirred in the backseat, sitting up slowly and stretching. Markus met his eyes in the mirror, nodding. "Yeah, let's take a breather." The next exit with a good gas station was a few miles up. They could stop and top up on gas, get some snacks and let Simon stretch his legs. They were making good time already; they still had a full day ahead of them but there was plenty of time to goof off.

Josh had to be woken up with Simon's gentle hands and sweet words as they took the exit. The way Josh slumped in his seat upon awaking seemed so out-of-character for him, like he was a child pouting over some lost sleep. It was extremely cute of him, really.

Ch2:  North’s Betrayal

North practically jumped out of the car, her seatbelt discarded before he had even parked by the gas pump. Markus watched, confused, as she moved to Simon's door to help him out. She opened it and placed her hands on his, gently pulling him in some semblance of assistance. Markus smiled, wishing she wouldn't be so pushy with Simon but loving that they got along so well. Him and Josh got out of the car, as well, Markus paying for the gas at the pump. Josh walked over to Simon and they chatted for a moment, meandering behind North as they walked towards the convenience store. "Simon!" Markus called out to him, holding his wallet up in the air. He tossed it--probably not his best idea--surprised to watch Simon catch it against his chest. "Don't let them pay, use my card!"

As Simon looked down at the wallet and peered into it, noting that the card was indeed inside, Markus' eyes shifted to North. She stood at the doors of the store, but they hadn't opened. She looked upset and it made Markus wonder if the inside had been closed. Simon exchanged glances with Markus, following his gaze to North's predicament. Simon nodded, turning on his heel and pocketing Markus' wallet. He walked up to the door and it opened. North looked up in irritation, walking ahead as Simon laughed. Josh glanced back at Markus, holding his hand up to him in a wave before ducking inside the store.

Markus fueled up the car, stretching his legs by jogging into the store to use the bathroom. He met his group up at the counter, and he had every intention of going and leaning on Simon but North was already there, pressed up against his back with her arms draped over his shoulders. They were talking to each other in quiet voices, Simon looking over his shoulder to smile at North. Markus cautiously walked up next to Josh instead, frowning at the two and crossing his arms to mimic Josh's posture. "You ever feel..." "Like it's just the two of them? Yeah." Josh was quick to reply, and Markus felt the jealousy radiating off of him. "Guess that means we've got to leave them out, sometimes." Markus winked at Josh, reaching up to place his hand on his shoulder. He patted him, feeling a lot better at Josh's smile back at him. "Yeah, okay." Josh reached and patted Markus' back in return. Not very romantic, but Markus would let it slide this time. He slid his hand from Josh's shoulder, lingering the touch down his arm. He stopped at his hand, taking it within his own. Markus bumped their shoulders together as Josh gripped him back, releasing only because Simon had let North pay for their treats. He moved away quickly, trying to intervene, but it was too late. As they headed back out to the car, Markus vowed revenge on North. He wasn't sure how, yet, but he had plenty of time to stew it over. He followed Simon to the backseat, helping him in before stripping himself of his slightly damp plaid shirt. Simon happily took it, and they shared no words on the matter, moving on as if it had never happened. Markus was feeling refreshed and ready to drive for a few more hours, when he was sure they'd stop again. He remembered seeing a nice gas station on the map, one that sat in the middle of nowhere with a few places to eat attached. That'd be their next stop, as long as nobody needed to stop before that. The car was once again lively, with Simon cozy and warm wearing Markus' discarded shirt as a blanket. North put her music back on, picking and choosing new songs to show the whole group. Even Josh got in on it, giving her a music request that she ended up vibing with. Markus was silent for most of it, grinning ear to ear and wondering how he had gotten this lucky. He felt like he was in paradise.Idly and without thought, Markus took one hand off the steering wheel, reaching behind his seat at Josh. North and Simon's conversation trailed off as Josh placed his hand in Markus'. He squeezed his hand, glancing at Josh in the mirror and petting the side of it.

North laughed, then Simon. Markus quickly looked at her in betrayal, tightening his grip on Josh as he did so.

"What? What're you laughing about?"

North put her hand over her mouth, shaking her head as she giggled into it. Markus couldn't help but chuckle along with the two of them, feeling left out of the joke altogether but happy that they were happy.

"Josh just looks so--so, scared." North turned in her seat, facing the road straight on. She took a sip of her freshly-bought soda before laughing some more. "Like a cornered animal or something."

Markus slowly let go of Josh's hand at her words, attempting to let it fall back into Josh's lap. Josh gripped him as he tried to move away, opening his mouth to defend himself.

"No I don't! I was just taken aback, I thought maybe you wanted something, or something!" His words were quick, causing Markus to sputter his own laughter in return.

"Whoah there, Josh, no reason to get so defensive." At Markus' teasing words, Josh let go of him, crossing his arms and brooding towards his window.

North shared a look with Markus, who stifled any more of his laughter. He reached his hand back and across to Simon, this time, holding his palm up.

"Simon, didn't you--" He stopped as Simon leaned and placed his chin in his hand.

"Yes, Markus?"

Markus petted his jawline very gently, mindful of the pressure he was placing on him. Simon had some kind of issue with his jaw, it had only come up a few times but he seemed sensitive to foods of certain temperatures. He knew it ached sometimes and caused Simon issues with opening his mouth all the way.

"Think you broke him. Shouldn't be so cute." North looked back at Simon, who rolled his eyes in embarrassment. "Please." Simon hadn't finished the sentence, but Markus knew the last words of it: 'I'm shy'. Simon's code to warn someone to stop being nice or lovely to him because he will become a blushing mess. "Didn't you get a drink for me to try?" Markus patted Simon's cheek as he moved away to search through one of the few bags of goodies North had so sneakily paid for. "Oh, right. This is an iced tea I wanted to try. Let me know if it's any good, I've never seen it back at home." Simon placed the heavenly, freezing drink within Markus' hand. He contemplated not opening it and instead using it to cool himself down, but he decided he should probably try it for Simon.

He placed it between his legs to safely open with one hand, then brought it to his lips without so much of a glance at the label. It was tea alright, with a horribly synthetic sweetness to it. He looked at the side of the bottle, frowning at the words 'passion fruit'. "Yeah, it's no good." He raised his eyebrows to the mirror, eyeing Simon through it as he took another sip. He scrunched his face at the aftertaste that settled on his tongue, reaching the bottle back to offer to Simon. "Give it a taste." Simon placed his hands on Markus', his fingerless gloves warm against his skin. "No thanks, actually, I think I'm good." Markus laughed, taking the drink back and holding it to up to his neck. The cold was short lived against his higher-than-average body temperature, but it was nice to enjoy while it lasted. He did sip it periodically, and while he didn't enjoy a single sip of it he wasn't about to let it go to waste. The roads were starting to get a little more crowded, taking most of Markus' attention. His mind wandered as he drove, mostly ignoring the music and the conversations happening around him. "Oh!" He glanced at North, who gave him a look filled with irritation. He was sure she had been speaking, but she pursed her lips to allow him to interrupt. "What happened at the last stop?" "Uhh, we got drinks?" North looked at Markus like he was crazy. "No, I mean--" Markus shifted in his seat, embarrassed that his words weren't clear enough. "With you and the door. It didn't open at first." North huffed, turning in her seat to look out her window. "Nothing happened." Markus looked up in the rearview mirror, meeting eyes with Simon. He leaned forward to speak clearly to Markus. "She was too short to set off the automatic door." North was angry, but because it was Simon, she seemed to bite her tongue. She merely looked out the window, brooding in silence. But Markus chuckled at the situation and made himself the new target, inciting a glare over her hitched shoulder.

"Wouldn't be so funny if it happened to you." Markus thought on this for a moment. "And I'm not sure it will, North." He was tall enough, he thought, for most sensors to catch him. North rolled her eyes at him, groaning at his words. Simon patted Markus' seat, leaning back to talk quietly with Josh. They spoke together for a little bit, Josh saying something that erupted Simon into stifled laughter. North might've thought they were laughing about her, by the look she turned to give them, but she didn't have a chance to ask. "Okay, Josh." Markus raised his eyebrows to his reflection, very serious but also completely joking. "That's not the first time you've done that. Simon never laughs at my jokes like that. I'm going to have to demand your secrets." Josh looked troubled for a second, shrugging his shoulders as he avoided Markus' glancing gaze. "I don't know what to tell you. My jokes are just funny." The audacity. Josh and North were more alike than they even knew. Simon was attacked by another laughing fit, holding his stomach and leaning to the side, resting one palm onto his face. "I will stop this car right now." Markus' words trembled as he held back laughter of his own. He watched as Josh leaned to Simon, begging him quietly to stop laughing, that he was getting him in trouble.

He grinned over at North, who returned the gesture. He allowed them to have their fun in the backseat, ignoring Simon's pleas for help as Josh wouldn't stop making him laugh. It was good for Simon, he thought, to feel so overcome with joy and laughter. Even if he was suffering because of it, maybe it was for the best.

Ch3: The Halfway Oasis

The sun was reaching its peak in the sky, and Markus almost missed the exit for their next stop. Their oasis, halfway to their destination and the last stop for miles, was almost passed without a second thought. He huffed and had to coax other cars to let him into the exit lane upon spotting the sign for the exit. They managed to exit, but Markus was a little frustrated that he had almost stranded them on the highway for god knows how many miles and no gas station. 

“Markus, you okay?” Josh placed his hand on Markus’ seat, leaning to speak closer to him. Markus glanced back at him and nodded, offering a half-hearted smile. “Yeah, yeah, no problem. Just got a little hypnotized by the road.” He didn’t want to worry Josh, nor anyone else. “I need a cold coffee, though.” “And I’m starving.” North chimed in, smiling over at the boys. “It’ll be nice to take a little break from the car.” “How much longer do we have?” Simon’s voice was gentle but he already sounded completely exhausted. Markus pulled into the gas station, opting to park and go in with them for food and drinks. He’d get them gas on the way out. “We should reach the camping area before the evening rush hour.” Satisfied with his answer, the crew piled out of the car and simultaneously stretched. Markus felt a dull pain within his hip, knowing he wasn’t paying attention to how he was sitting. He’d have to work on that for the rest of the drive in an attempt to not wake up with a worse pain tomorrow. “I’ll order for you if you tell me what you want,” North offered, smiling at Simon and holding his hand in hers. Their nail polish, white and black respectively, matched in a charming way. Markus glanced down at his own hands, having forgotten that Simon had painted his nails alongside his own. The unrelenting sun brought out the rainbow sparkles that Markus had so happily asked for, unaware at the time that Simon hadn’t used any on his own. “You sure you’re okay?” Josh placed his hand on Markus’ shoulder, tilting his head down to check on him. Markus paused as he noted Josh’s nails were unpainted, and that it wasn’t very group-orientated of him. He hadn’t got the memo, so he was off the hook this trip. “Markus?” “Yeah, Josh, I’m okay.” Markus shook his head, his completely unserious thoughts had gotten the best of him. “Sorry. Please don’t worry.” Josh wasn’t very good at following instructions, at least not based on the worried look in his eyes. But he moved away, dropping the subject. They followed Simon and North into the store, noting that it was less a store with a fast food joint tacked on and more like an entire complex. The inside was freezing cold; good for Markus but horrible for Simon. The main room contained a sizeable gift shop with various knick-knacks and oddities on one side, with rows of snacks and a wall full of fridges stocked with drinks on the other. Hallways led back further into the building, leading to an area to sit and eat whatever fast food was offered. There was an abundance of choices, with frozen drinks and hot coffees drawing Markus’ eye. They piled into the bathrooms, North for some unknown reason trying to take Simon with her into the ladies’. He refused and she brooded, but they all did their business and met back outside. The three of them chatted for a moment, while Markus looked over the store, weighing his options.

North pulled Simon away to check out the fast food at the back of the building, and Markus made a bee-line for the frozen drink machine. He chose one that was soda flavored, grabbing the biggest cup they offered and filling it up. Josh stood beside him, tilting his head and watching with minor disgust. “You want me to make you one?” Markus said, placing the straw into the cold, icy goodness. “Uh, no thank you. Do you know how much sugar is in that?” Markus tilted the drink in his hand before shrugging, walking with Josh to the counter. “Sorry, you’d have to look it up.” He misinterpreted Josh’s worry for his health as a genuine question, but Josh wasn’t about to correct him. Markus paid, enjoying the frozen treat immediately. He offered it to Josh, who refused a second time, before going to peruse what they had to offer in terms of sandwiches and other, non-fast food options. Josh followed him, but didn’t seem like he was looking for something to eat. “You don’t want fast food?” Markus glanced back at Josh, who looked confused for a moment before explaining. “I asked North to grab something for me.” Markus smiled as he found a sandwich that didn’t look completely horrible. They really were all getting along. “That’s good.” The line must not have been long, as Simon and North returned with bags of fast food in their hands. Markus noted Simon’s hitched shoulders, knowing that he was already too cold. Before he could say anything on the matter, North spoke up. “We’re just gonna grab some drinks and we’ll meet you outside.” She looked at Simon, beaming at him in excitement. Did she not eat out often, or was she just happy in the moment like Markus was?

“Sounds good. There’s some tables out there you guys can eat on.” Markus nodded at SImon, who smiled gently and went to go find a new–hopefully tasty this time–drink to try. Markus looked to Josh and hitched his shoulders, glancing back at Simon and North as they compared bottled drinks and their flavors. “Girls gotta stick together, I guess.” Josh was silent for a moment, then laughed. “That’s exactly what they’re doing. They’re like a little clique.” He chuckled along with Josh, imagining them as two high-school girls gossiping over some boys. “You laugh at my jokes. Simon never does, I think he takes them too seriously.” Markus bumped shoulders with Josh as he walked away, grinning ear-to-ear. He grabbed a few bags of snacks with the intent of saving them for later that night, but who knows what would happen to them between now and then. He held his drink in the crook of his arm as his hands got full, frowning and looking to Josh for help. Josh obliged, becoming the pack mule of Markus’ shopping trip. Markus made sure Josh grabbed a drink of his own while he made a very sweet coffee from the cappuccino machine. He added some extra cream and sugar to it, watching Josh’s judgmental eyes. “It’s how Simon likes it.” Markus mumbled as he stirred it up quickly, applying the lid with his palm. “Still a lot of sugar.” Josh smiled as Markus rolled his eyes at him. “It’s just not good for either of you!” Markus pointed at him as he turned, an empty threat. He led Josh up to the counter, waiting in line to check out. “Hey, Markus?” Markus leaned his shoulder into Josh’ chest, giving him his full attention as he continued to stare at the sparrows pecking the ground outside the front doors. “Hmm?” “I can take over the rest of the drive. Simon knows where we’re going, right? He can keep me on track and you can rest.” Josh had that worried look in his eyes again. Markus glanced up at him, smiling and shaking his head. “Thanks, Josh, I’m okay.” “But I insist.” Josh was persistent, so Markus had to at least consider it. He was silent as they paid, Markus making sure he grabbed Josh’s drink from his hands, as well. He handed Josh a few of the bags, suddenly hit with the memory of North paying for the treats at the last stop. She had done it again by sneaking off with Simon, and he wasn’t going to forget so easily this time. On the way back, he was going to watch her like a hawk. As they left the store and he was hit by the overwhelming heat of the sun, Markus nodded his head at Josh. “Okay.” The word was spoken just barely, a mere whisper. Josh nodded in return, leading Markus to the table with ‘the girls’.

Markus sat, any comfort he had amassed from the cool store immediately drained from his body. He placed Simon’s hot coffee on the table before him, winking as he sipped on his frozen drink. “For the car.” Simon nodded, offering Markus a fry in return. Markus, fumbling with the plastic wrapping on his sandwich, leaned and stole the fry from his hand, biting down and pulling away. He chewed it like a cow might chew a sprig of hay. North stared at him before chuckling, leaning to gossip some more with Simon. About him, if their glances had anything to say about it. They bantered against each other lovingly, Markus stealing any fry left unattended–or given–in his leaning range. When they finished their meals, they stood and took their turns stretching. Markus caught Josh’s eye and tossed him the keys to his van. Josh missed the catch, but Markus was sure he just hadn’t thrown it well. “We need some gas. Pull up to a pump and I’ll pay for it inside.” Josh nodded, giving him a thumbs up in return. Markus watched Simon take his large coffee within both of his hands, looking rather content. They all made it to the car, and Markus was quick to get back inside the cold building. He enjoyed every step towards the frozen drink machine, choosing to refill his now-emptied cup with the same cola flavor. He paid for it and what should have been a tank-full of gas, regretting stepping out into the heat the moment he did. The back of his van was opened, with North digging through things in the back. He walked up next to her, resisting the masculine urge to slap her straight on her ass. That’d be so inappropriate and extremely rude of him, so he gripped the cup in his hand tightly. “What’re we looking for?” North glanced over her shoulder, huffing. “SImon’s coat? I found this, but he said it wasn’t his.” Markus glanced at Simon, who was chatting with Josh as he pumped the gas. Markus looked back at the black-and-white plaid shirt in her hand, tilting his head. “No, that’s mine. I think I packed his coat in that bag, over there.” He pointed, wanting to reach and help her but knowing she probably didn’t want it. Instead, he walked over to speak with Josh and Simon. “Hey, Josh?” He gathered his words, chewing on the bit of straw in his mouth. “Promise me you’ll drive safely. I kinda just go this car, and–” Josh held his hands up to coax Markus to calm down. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll drive safe.” Markus paused, shifting his weight. “Promise?” North brushed past Markus, holding Simon’s leather jacket out to him. “Found it!” Markus frowned, watching as Josh was distracted from his promise. Instead of waiting for it, he took Josh’s words to heart and went to shut the trunk. He opened the back door on the driver side, standing and glaring into his car, fully hating the heat of midday. He watched as Simon walked to the front passenger seat, confused to see him getting into it. He leaned his head into the car, waiting for Simon to get in fully before speaking. “You’re sure?” Simon glanced at him, offering a smile and a nod.

“Yeah. I shouldn’t be too cold.” 

“And your legs?” Simon looked down, reaching under his seat and pushing it back. Markus watched as he left plenty of room for someone smaller, like North, nodding as Simon stretched his legs out. “Okay, okay. You’ve got it all figured out.” Markus hopped into the backseat as North and Josh climbed in, as well, offering his fist for North to bump. She stared at him like he was crazy until he lowered his hand, sighing at being neglected. North took her phone out as Josh started the car, and Markus watched as Josh took his own phone out and connected it to the radio. “Excuse me?” North leaned forward, trying to coax Josh to look her in the eye, to intimidate him, perhaps. “Sorry, North.” There was no hint of apology in Josh’s voice. “My turn, now.” North turned to Markus quickly. “You’re just going to let him?” Markus shrugged, attempting to hide his smile by leaning his forehead on the window. “I couldn’t stop you.” North groaned, leaning back in her seat, defeated. Markus caught a chuckle from Simon and leaned back in his seat, focusing on nothing as he closed his eyes. He felt the cold cup leave his hand, picked up by someone and put somewhere safer. He felt it but didn’t register it, crossing his arms and getting more comfortable in his seat. Markus drifted off to sleep, vaguely aware of the whispered voices around him and the gentle rocking of the car. 

Ch4: An Unplanned Attraction

Markus was stirred by the way the car was slowing down, as if they were turning onto an exit. He was fearful at first, his mind immediately running to the thought of them being pulled over, but calmed his quickened breaths as quick as they started. Josh had gotten them to their destination, and Markus knew he owed him big time. He felt rested and rejuvenated thanks to him. 

“I am so ready to get out of this car.” Markus stretched as he spoke, afterwards moving his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. Simon looked back at him and nodded with a smile. The next few minutes, as Josh pulled the car off of the main road and towards the campsite, went by in silent agony. Markus was the first out of the car this time, mimicking North during their first stop and jumping out before it was even fully stopped. He waited a moment, stretching his legs and looking around. The sun was still in the sky, but it wouldn’t be for long. 

He started the long process of unpacking and getting the tent set up. Josh attempted to help, but Markus asked if he could focus on getting a fire started, instead. Josh did as he was told, leaving Markus alone to fiddle with the complexities of a new tent and its instructions. Simon and North watched him from a lone, wooden picnic table, egging him on and cheering as Josh built their little firepit in an area that seemed frequently used for one. Building the tent only made him sweat more, but the air was cooling as the sun drifted closer and closer to the horizon. Josh retrieved the sleeping bags for him as the tent stood tall, taking control of spreading them out within the tent as Markus took a breather. Simon held out a drink for him, coaxing him to come sit by them. “There’s something going on tonight.” Simon seemed proud of himself, like a cat showing off a trophy mouse. “Oh yeah?” Markus sat next to them, opening the cool, bottled coffee and taking a big swig of it. The caffeine would do him well. “I’ll bite. What’s going on? Besides us camping, of course.” Simon leaned closer to Markus, showing him his phone. Markus bumped their shoulders, squinting at the news article Simon wanted him to read. They were in a prime location for an abnormal showing of the Northern Lights. He looked from the phone to Simon, pointing to the screen as Simon nodded. “This is real?” “Yep, seems like it.” Josh came over to join them, leaning to look over Markus at Simon’s phone. “Wow.” He said nothing more, but Markus fully understood. Something off-the-wall was happening, and they just so happened to take their trip to be able to experience it together. Markus leaned back, taking a deep breath and looking up at the fading sunlight in the sky. The stars were already starting to peak out through the last of the sun’s rays, a bunch of pinholes that shimmered in curious ways. Markus had looked up to control his emotions from getting the better of him but he was now focused in on the stars, the tears of happiness that had invaded his eyes calming on their own with this overhead distraction. 

They all sat in silence, watching the night sky shimmer forth. They were far from any pollution of light, so the stars shone brighter than any one of them was used to. The fire flickered close by, casting light over their little camp. Shadows of blades of grass danced in the warm light, the wind calm but ever-present.  There was a better way to enjoy this, Markus thought. He stood without warning, opening the trunk of his van and hopping in. He found one of the bags of extra blankets he had packed, pulling one out. It was fluffy and soft, perfect for Simon. With just the one in his hand he backed out of the car, smiling over at his group. “Let’s sit! Better for our necks.” He went over to a nice spot of grass, placing the blanket down for Simon. Simon came over with North, nodding at Markus in thanks before sitting down. North sat next to him, then Josh next to her. 

“No blankets for us?” North looked up at Markus, teasing him over his attention to Simon. Markus gestured towards his van, the back left open. “You’re able-bodied.” He smiled as he said it, holding no ill intent towards his gym buddy. She huffed, laying back in the grass before turning her head to Simon and smiling at him. Markus sat in between Josh and Simon, completing their circle. They gazed up at the stars with one another. Simon and Josh, true to their profession, shared a lot of information regarding star composition and color, along with pointing out visible constellations. North kept talking about their colors, about the aesthetics of the constellations. She was really giving Markus the impression that she was an artist, at least in her free time. Maybe a photographer, by the way she framed the sky with her fingers. Now wasn’t the time to bother her about her profession, especially since she seemed to be giving off plenty of hints, so Markus kept his mouth shut even while his curiosity was eating away at him. 

North gasped and pointed towards the horizon. “Wait–what’s that?” The sky shimmered, calm waves of green washing into the dark navy blue. “Looks like it’s starting.” Simon’s voice could hardly hold his excitement. They all sat up, as their current positions didn’t facilitate a good view of the horizon. They sat for a moment, North leaning her head on Simon’s shoulder. Markus smiled, bumping his shoulder into Josh’s chest to make him look. “Maybe we should give them some space.” Josh glanced at Markus, nodding but looking very reluctant in agreeing. Markus stood, helping Josh up and looking around. Sure, they could go sit back on the splintering wood of the picnic table, but where was the romance in that? He ushered Josh to follow him to the car, hopping in the back to retrieve another blanket. He made sure to shut the back of his van this time, in an attempt to not obscure the night sky.

Hell had broken loose in Detroit not too long ago, and the scars from its battle were still fresh. Even so, the air had changed and with it the attitudes of the anti-android protesters. It was difficult to continue to stand on that side of history, when it had been so easily and peacefully defeated as Markus protested, kneeled and sang.

It really had been something, to watch the whole thing play out right in front of his eyes. Allen had been personally teetering between pro- and anti-android sentiments, but his job had led him along the wrong path. In the end, he was glad that President Warren had listened to their pleas for equality and their desperate attempts at cohabitation with humans. Looking back, it was all so very fucked up. But hindsight was 20/20 or so they say, all Allen knew was that he was happy to watch from the sidelines as the androids gained their hard-won independence and began to get paid for their work and seen as something more than a jumbled mess of code and plastic.

There was still uncertainty, and Allen did worry if his job would eventually be wretched from his hands, in favor for a Captain that did not tire, for one that could not make mistakes. It weighed on his mind, and while it affected him greatly he did his best not to dwell on it, lest the what-ifs of the future rip him apart in the present.

Most people would turn to alcohol in a time of uncertainty like this, but he had seen what it could do to a well-adjusted, decorated man. He didn't want to follow Hank's mistakes, so with this new turn for Detroit, Allen found himself turning away from alcohol completely. It was difficult not to give in and have some drinks with the boys, and he would be lying if he said he didn't miss having some sort of vice. Something to fall back on for that sweet relaxation that follows a rush of endorphins.

Drugs were out of the picture, could you imagine? He'd be fired and become the laughingstock of the whole precinct. The thought had crossed his mind, though, but he wasn't about to dwell too much on that, either. Smoking would send him to an early grave, and he wasn't too keen on that, if he was being honest.

Coffee, however, was a vice with a limited list of potential threats and dangers. It was one thing to have a room-temperature cup of joe that had been sitting out in the breakroom for the past 48 hours, but with all these little cafes open on just about every street in Detroit, Allen thought it would be a good use of his time to try a few of them out. Taste something a little gourmet for a change.

He knew that, just like every vice, there was a limit to how much he could consume before it passed the line into a bad habit. One fancy coffee a day, if that, and then whatever he needed to consume to survive work for the day.

It was an added bonus that walking to find new shops to try led Allen around parts of Detroit he normally wouldn't explore. It was more rewarding to go for a walk and happen upon a new shop compared to looking one up on his phone prior to leaving the house for the day, especially on his weekends. Maybe it just itched that primal urge of hunting and gathering in a weird, convoluted way, or maybe Allen was just getting older and needed the structure and normalcy of going for a stroll and watching the people as he did so.

Either way, it was a brisk but sunny Saturday morning. Snow from a storm a few days prior still gathered in the shade, the sun having melted any within its grasp. It was a cozy day to enjoy a warm drink and Allen had just stumbled upon a coffee shop he had yet to try. There were people thoroughly engaged in conversations outside and Allen couldn't help but keep his ears open to the drama that was so far removed from his life.

He always brought his own cup to these niche little shops, in the hope that they had some kind of bring your own, climate-care waste reduction agenda. He had yet to run into a shop that wouldn't take his travel mug and knock a few cents off of his bill in return. While it was nice that doing this helped the environment, it also made sure that the type of coffee he ordered was a secret between him and the baristas--not that he cared too much about strangers knowing his preference for sweet, beige colored coffee, but just in case he ran into somebody who would never let him live it down.

It hadn't happened yet, but there was always a chance with him exploring like this. A chance that he'd walk straight into Hank's neighborhood and get railed for his diminishing masculinity. Or worse, have to stand and take Gavin's full-bodied laugh directly in his face. He could endure black coffee just fine, but if he was paying this much for a cup, he wanted to enjoy every second he had with it.

The inside of the shop was cozy but well-decorated. He immediately felt out of place as the patrons seemed to lean more towards social media-focused young adults than to middle-aged men...but he had already walked in and, god, why were the eyes of the youth so judgmental?

"Just an oat hazelnut mocha, please." Allen chose to ignore the playful look in the barista's eyes as he handed her his travel mug and paid the bill. As she retreated to make his drink, her coworker came up to her and they whispered to one another, tossing glances over their shoulders at Allen.

Yeah, he wasn't going to come back here.

Allen turned his back on the gossiping baristas, passing over the clientele and focusing on the passersby outside. He had been planning on sitting and people-watching inside the coffee shop, but that was out of the question now. He'd have to find somewhere--

Someone passed by the window, someone he had seen die right in front of him not once, but twice. That damn android from the hostage situation, fucker saved the girl by jumping off the roof with the deviant. And then near Hart Plaza he had done it again: plummeted to his death--destruction?--to escape capture.

Connor. It was Connor, no doubt about it. He was wearing what most were on a day like this: a turtleneck layered under a jacket with a hood. He looked different, normal even, but it was still Connor under those 'human clothes'.

He left the shop at once and without a second thought, his tumbler and the coffee it contained forgotten before it had even gotten made. Their time in the hostage situation had been so brief and so long ago at this point, but Allen thought about it often. It felt like it had been the first step to the android uprising, and while that might be too romantic of a thought, it still moved Allen. Even now.

"Connor!" His voice came out much as it had when Connor took the step back to evade them on that roof; gruff and desperate. Connor stopped and was quick to turn on his heel, tilting his head to the side with a blank look in his eye. Allen instinctively tilted his head in reply to Connor, stopping an arm's length away from him on the sidewalk.

"Hello." Connor's LED flashed yellow for a moment before he furrowed his eyebrows. "Do I know you?"

Allen pursed his lips, accentuating his panic to find some words for his reply with a sniff. "Yeah. I mean, you did once. Maybe twice."

Connor tilted his head to the other side, quizzical and confused. "I'm sorry," His customer service voice was cut off by a gruff bark from his side. "Sumo! Sorry. I promise I didn't forget about you."

"I can walk and talk." Allen let his held breath out with his words, throwing his hand up in an 'it's okay' gesture. He stayed on the opposite side of Connor, glancing down and towards his giant dog a few times before speaking up again. "So, you've got your freedom. And the very first thing you do is get a pet?"

"Sumo's not my pet. Hank lets me walk him sometimes." Connor's eyes stayed on Sumo as he replied. There was something very moving about the loving innocence in them. Despite Sumo's eagerness to walk quickly, Connor kept him at a slow pace--maybe for Allen's sake.

"Huh. Guy's got a dog?"

"Not for long."

Allen quickly looked from the sidewalk before them to Connor's eyes, surprised by the deadpan joke and the smirk on his lips. He sniffed before looking away and back, allowing Connor's smile to spread to him as well. "Oh, so what? I'm watching a live kidnapping?"

"Maybe." The word played off Connor's lips so slyly, so gently. No ill-intent settled there, and yet Allen wasn't fully sure he was joking. "The way you said my name." Connor paused for a second, his eyes wandering away from Allen as he gathered the words to continue, saying them slowly and deliberately. "It reminded me of something. Something I can't quite remember. You knew my predecessor?"

"Two of them."

"Two?" Connor snapped his head to the side to squint his eyes at Allen. "Sometimes details get lost in a memory transfer. I would think if you had been important enough to run into me twice I would have been able to retain at least a bit of that."

Allen chuckled. "Ouch." Connor had a flash of panic in his eyes that Allen attempted to wave off. "I was just involved in the police force. SWAT Captain Allen, nothing special. Watched you jump off a building, Connor. Twice. It'd be hard to forget you."

Connor was silent for a moment, his eyes falling down to Sumo, his lips parted every so slightly. "That must have been difficult for you." His words seethed with something almost hostile, volatile. "I'm sorry, Captain."

Allen sniffed, looking away from whatever Connor was hiding in his eyes, focusing on the sidewalk before them. "Just don't go doing it again, alright?"

He felt Connor's gaze on him but he didn't dare glance over. He was emotional at heart, even if his job didn't really cater to those who were. "I have no intention on jumping off any more roofs, Captain." Connor's words were slow again, as if he had to choose each one from a predetermined list. Maybe that's how androids worked, he wasn't sure of the details.

Silence fell over them as they walked, only broken by Sumo's gentle panting and the sounds of the world around them. For a moment Allen diverted back to his anti-android ways, asking himself what he was doing staying and talking with this fucking android that literately did not know him? He could walk away right now with no consequence. There were no feelings to hurt. But he found that he didn't really want to, android or not. He felt like he was taking a stroll with an old friend. He didn't know anything about Connor, really, but there was something comforting in knowing that he was okay, even if it wasn't the same 'him'.

"I did a lot of things during the Revolution I didn't want to do. I don't remember most of them. I'm...I'm deviant now. Or free, maybe. I'm sorry, but I think the Connor you knew died within my last predecessor. I'm different now." Connor stopped walking, looking up at Allen with an expression that echoed his tone; full of regret and sadness.

Allen stopped alongside him, watching him for a silent moment before reaching a supportive hand out to clasp onto Connor's shoulder. He opened his mouth to speak but his voice caught at the horrible look Connor was giving him. The depth of despair in his eyes ran deep, deeper than he thought most people would be capable of. His heart ached but he couldn't look away. This look was undeniably the same Connor had given him as he stepped off the roof, the same haunting look of self-hatred and indignation. Connor wore this look now for different reasons, maybe, but maybe not.

"I hope you can find peace in it." Allen's willpower to hold Connor's eye contact was crushed the second his words left his lips, and he looked away at nothing in particular. With a firm squeeze of Connor's shoulder, he continued. "It'll be hard, but hating yourself wholeheartedly is kind of a human thing, Connor. You've got to learn to deal with it or learn to move past it." He took his hand back with a sniff, again attempting to mask his emotion. "It's good to have people around you who struggle with it, too, though. Makes it easier."

Connor said nothing, so Allen chanced a glance at his utterly confused face, deciding that Connor might need some clarification on his last point. He looked away, opening his mouth to answer but only taking in a deeper breath as he chose his words a second time, a third. "I've yet to find my own peace. For the part I've played."

"But Captain," Connor looked at him with innocent, clueless eyes masking the raw emotion he had just seen in them, "you were only following orders."

Allen shot a puff of air from his nose, not quite a laugh but not only a breath, either. An awkward in-between to keep his emotions in check. "And what makes you think you're any different?" He stood there, shifting his gaze from Connor to anywhere else but him a few times, trying to allow him the time to process that information in a meaningful way. Poor guy had been so brainwashed, Allen thought, that even now he couldn't see the forest for the trees.

"Captain, I..." Connor never continued with his sentence, and Allen had given him the attention and ample time to.

"It's fine to call me Allen. Especially when the vest's off."

"Allen..." Connor kept trailing off in a dreamy way, as if he was barely latching onto anything they were talking about. Allen was sure that wasn't the case--at least, he hoped it wasn't. "Thank you." The gentle words took Allen by surprise. He was happy to know he helped, and a smile played on his lips as he reached for Connor's shoulder once again. He clasped it once, then squeezed as Connor's smile greeted him.

"Anytime. We might have to make a habit out of this." Allen felt another pang in his heart as Connor let out a gentle chuckle and agreed under his breath, but this one was much different than before. The pain of their shared agony was still there, but something seemed to sprout from it. Allen felt pressured from deep within him to pull Connor close, and he did. He wrapped his arms around him and gave him a tight hug, finding himself slightly surprised in how soft and how solid Connor felt. It was nice, really, holding him. "I want to get to know you, if that's something you'd be alright with."

No reply came from Connor, but he hugged him back in return and that was answer enough for Allen. They embraced for a moment, Allen fully enjoying the weight of another person so close to him. Android or not, he supposed. He would have happily stayed, ignoring the others around them, had Sumo not scared them both with a well-timed bark.

Connor let go of Allen and moved to kneel to Sumo, giving him a hug that was punctuated with another bark. "Sumo's right."

"...Is he? I don't speak dog, Connor." Allen couldn't help but chuckle at the grave and serious look in Connor's eyes.

"We're going to have to run all this by Hank first." Allen laughed again, prompting Connor to shake his head as they continued walking. "This isn't a joke, Allen. I don't know why you're laughing: he needs to know. Sumo's involved!"

They only got a few steps before a voice called out behind them. "Excuse me, Sir!" Allen instinctively turned on his heel, his eyebrows furrowing, questioning the racket. The barista from the coffee shop came to a stop an arm's-length away, an embarrassed smile on her lips. She passed Allen's forgotten tumbler in her hands before holding it out to him. "You left without your drink."

Allen was dumbfounded and, at first, contemplated if he had even entered a coffee shop today. Of course he had, so he reached and took his drink from her, a humorless laugh passing through his lips. "Shit. Yeah, sorry about that. Thanks."

She stood for a moment before nodding, her eyes darting back and forth between Allen and Connor. She turned before stopping once again and looking back at them over her shoulder. "We have outdoor seating available, you know. I think there's a table for you two!"

Allen, who had already turned back to Connor, was caught off guard by her words. He nodded a few times, glancing at her before looking at Connor. Out of the corner of his eye he watched her hesitant steps, and he couldn't help but feel even more embarrassed about the situation. What wrong idea was she getting?

"I'll sit with you. After all, you walked with me."

Connor's words forced another laugh from Allen's lips as he gestured with his coffee in hand. His words left him for a moment, but only a moment. "I'll buy you a coffee."

"Oh no, Allen," Connor started to walk back towards where the barista had disappeared, as if he knew where he was going. Maybe he did. Sumo was happy to follow at his heels. "Androids don't eat, drink...consume anything, really."

Allen sighed, following him much like the giant dog was. "Yeah, I get that." His tone betrayed the annoyance he felt at Connor immediately shooting his gesture down. "But can you?"

Connor pondered for a moment, slowing his steps to fall behind Allen. Maybe he hadn't known the way, after all. "I don't think it would hurt, no, but what would the point be?"

Allen shrugged, tilting his head to the side to catch Connor's eye. "To enjoy something? Try something new, maybe, I don't know." Connor thought this over a little longer. Allen watched as a smile grew on Connor's face, forcing himself to avert his eyes before his heart skipped a beat. Cyberlife really knew what they were fucking doing.

"Sure. But if I don't like it," Allen glanced at Connor to catch his steady finger pointing threateningly at him, much as he's seen Hank do. "I'm going to give it to you."

"Do you even think you'll be able to taste it?"

Connor let out a drawn out 'hmm', causing Allen to cover his immediate chuckle up with a slight cough and a sniff. "Well, I think maybe I could. My sample database could probably be put to use as a flavor detector, of sorts."

Allen eyed him over his shoulder, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Then we have a deal. If you don't like the taste you can hand it off to me." He paused as they neared the shop, an empty table indeed waiting just for them. "What sounds good to you? Something sweet or something bitter?"

Connor tilted his head to the side. Allen found it comical but he knew better than to laugh. "I can't comprehend what those flavors are, Allen. I've never tasted anything; not in that way, at least." The pure confusion in Connor's eyes over such a simple question was almost too much to handle.

"Alright, it's fine. I'll pick something for you to try." Allen glanced from Connor to Sumo, then to the table. "Why don't you wait out here, save my seat for me? I'll be back in a moment." Leaning to the table, Allen deposited his tumbler and offered a reassuring nod to Connor. His eyes lit in understanding as he pulled out a chair and sat, reaching to coax Sumo closer and to give him some love and attention.

Allen watched him lean down and give Sumo some kisses, receiving some back in return. He paused there for longer than he should have, smiling at the look of pure joy on Connor's face before heading back into the dim yet well-decorated shop. He was immediately met with the bright, excited eyes of the two baristas, and he was immediately filled with the need to run away. Fight or flight was something that he thought had died within him during all his years as a SWAT Captain, but here it was, invoked by the knowing gaze of the previous generation.

Sniffing and clearing his throat, Allen placed his hands on the counter for physical and emotional support. "Just a small latte this time." The barista nodded and grabbed a to-go cup to write the simple order down.

The coworker she had gossiped with about him when he first walked in quickly stepped up behind her, his red hair falling from its place and obscuring his vision ever so slightly. It only seemed to accentuate the LED burning on his right temple, shining through the shadows of his bangs. His eyes, green and blue, flickered with a genuine happiness that was hard to find in anyone, let alone an android. "Are the two of you on a date?"

The question caught Allen wholly off-guard and he froze with his hand on the register mid-payment. The human barista turned to her android coworker, hissing his name in a panicked yet embarrassed tone. "Jerry! You can't just ask them that!"

The android named Jerry did not falter in his smile and simply shrugged his shoulders. "You said you wanted to know." The woman brought her fingertips to her temples, her cheeks blazing red.

"I am so sorry about him. M-malfunction, or something." She was quick to take the cup and run off to make his drink, her words trembling with varying emotion. "Jerry--I swear--" The threat was empty and did not wipe the smile off the android's face.

"An android-human relationship is not something to be embarrassed about." Allen found himself speechless, as if this android was reading his bare soul. "Many of us were made to facilitate a perfect relationship. As long as both are equals within it, there's nothing wrong with pursuing an android--or having one pursue you!"

Allen shook his head, his words finally finding him. "No. No, no. You've got the wrong idea. We're just...acquaintances. Old coworkers." The happiness disappeared from the android's eyes, his face dropping as he leaned on his hands on the counter between them.

"Oh, surely not!"

"Sorry, that's just not how it is between us." Allen glanced back to Connor who was outside, still happily receiving kisses from Sumo. He lost his bearings while watching him, having to be brought back to the world around him by the barista leaning and patting his arm.

"Maybe not yet, it seems. Give it some time!"

Allen furrowed his eyebrows at him, sniffing in self-defense as Jerry grinned once again. The other barista's voice rang out over the machinery, catching both Allen and Jerry's attention. "We thought you were going to come back, y'know. Who just up and leaves the store without their drink--in their own cup, no less?"

Allen shifted, taking a deep breath to stifle his nerves. "I hadn't seen him since before the revolution." There was a pause as he forced himself not to look in Connor's direction. "I wasn't sure he had made it out safely." Allen bit his tongue as it wished to share more to these absolute strangers, to share about how he had watched this man die twice and the thought that he had come back after the first constantly nagged his mind after he had experienced the second. By the expecting look in the baristas' eyes, he was sure it was obvious he was biting his tongue. "I'm just glad to see him again." He knew he wasn't helping his case with such emotional words, but the silence wasn't doing any good either.

The woman came over to the counter and handed Allen Connor's drink, a sly smile on her face. "If you two need anything, just let us know." He took it with no words, nodding once before turning to the door. He ignored their gentle words as he turned, and caught the closing door on his hand, guiding it to shut gently behind him.

As he approached, Connor looked up at him and quickly stood, pulling the chair out more as he did so. "I...saved your seat." Connor's words were slow, his eyebrows raised as if explaining something simple to a child. "Like you had asked."

Connor stepped away from the seat and sat down in the one opposite it, Allen's bewildered eyes following him carefully. He felt like he was being patronized, but he knew Connor meant well. With a sniff he sat in the pre-warmed seat, placing the coffee on Connor's side and sliding his own tumbler onto his.

He watched Connor, still petting and giving Sumo all his attention and felt jealousy for the first time in a long while. He fumbled with the lid of his coffee before taking a sip, the sweet chocolate flavors only making him feel a little better. Not that the coffee wasn't decent enough, its sweetness was merely overshadowed by his suddenly bitter mood. He knew he was being unfair, so he bit his tongue once more and just watched Connor, waiting for him to notice so that they could chat.

About what, he wasn't sure. They had already touched on some pretty serious topics, but something in him--his weak heart, probably--wanted to speak pleasantries. When Connor did look up and their eyes met, Allen blurted the first thing that played on his mind. "How are you getting by? You're not still with DPD, right?"

Connor leaned his arms on the table in front of them, avoiding (or ignoring) the coffee completely. "I wouldn't step back in that building if my life depended on it, Allen." His words were soft yet husky with emotion while his eyes made it all too obvious that this question had fallen into the 'serious' category and was not the 'pleasantry' that Allen had intended it to be. "Hank..." Connor cleared his throat, purging the emotions from his voice and bringing the flitter of light back to his eyes. "Hank says I'm his responsibility. I feel like he's mine, though. It's..." Connor stopped leaning in his seat, straightening up and placing his fingertips on the lid of the coffee before him. He was choosing his words carefully, it seemed. "It's difficult, sometimes. He has a tendency to over-indulge and--well, I shouldn't speak of his personal afflictions. He's a handful but I'm happy to be there for him."

"He needs structured support in his life." Allen's words came out carefully as he tried to read for any deeper meanings behind Connor's words. "Surprised he found it in an android."

"Sumo helps too." And just like that, Allen had lost Connor's attention once again. He rolled his eyes despite his better judgment, but it didn't matter anyway because Connor was focused on Hank's dog again.

"Connor," The quick snap of Connor's eyes up to his and the innocence within them swiftly tossed his harsh tone aside. "Try your coffee before it gets too cold."

Connor smiled, taking the cup within both of his hands. "Does that change the flavor?"

Relieved to have Connor's attention, Allen brought his tumbler to his lips, pausing to speak before taking a drink. "It can."

Connor gripped his cup, and Allen was under the impression that he was hesitating, that he was anxious to try it. There was no question about the signs of stress and anxiety that plagued him: the darting of his tongue over his lip, the intense stare-down of the cup, the tight grasp that it sat within. There was no reason for him to act this way, as if taking a sip of coffee was life or death. Allen really didn't care if he left it and never tried it, but when he went to articulate this, Connor moved.

The action of Connor trying the coffee was fast and jerky, as if he had watched Hank take one too many shots straight from the bottle. It was endearing nonetheless, and brought a smile to Allen's face. He raised his eyebrows at Connor as he placed the cup down with a thud--much like a bottle of scotch--watching with anticipation as Connor pressed his fingertips to his lips and furrowed his brows.

Ah, he didn't like it.

"So?" Allen watched as Connor evaded his eyes, shaking his head and speaking quickly against his hand.

"I liked it. Very, uh. Well, it had a taste. I think." Connor's words were so panicked, Allen had to laugh. The pure shock and betrayal in Connor's eyes made him chuckle harder, leaning back in his chair as he brought his palm down on the table, a satisfying metal thud accentuating his laughter.

"Connor--" Allen straightened up in his seat, shaking his head at Connor's furrowed eyebrows and serious look. "It's okay if you don't like it."

Connor avoided his eyes, tilting his head at the cup before him before placing his hands around it again. "I didn't enjoy it, no." He spoke slowly, taking the cup and pressing it towards Allen.

Allen reached and plucked it from his grip, taking his tumbler with his free hand and swapping it out for the cup he had just stolen. Connor looked wholly confused, gripping the tumbler and passing it between his hands. He reached for the lid and slid it open, tilting it toward himself slightly to peer inside.

"It's coffee too, just a different flavor." Allen leaned on his elbows, ready for Connor to hate this one too. Maybe he was a tea kind of guy. Connor brought the drink to his lips and took a hesitant sip, his eyes shut tight in anticipation of a flavor that didn't agree with him. The moment his lips touched the mouthpiece Allen knew he was in trouble; the fleeting immature thought of an indirect kiss was so sudden and so overwhelming that he had to straighten up, putting some distance between them.

Connor pondered the flavor for a moment before taking another sip, this one more resembling the swig he had watched him take before. He placed the cup down with gusto, as before, but this time he had a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eye. The dog laying against his chair looked up for a moment before laying his head back down on his paws. "That's more pleasant, I think. Although the sugar content is pretty high." Connor trailed off, contemplating, before catching Allen's eye. "Do you drink these often?"

"Daily." Allen brought the bitter drink in his hand to his mouth--once again hit with thoughts of Connor's lips--wincing at the flavor but drinking it nonetheless.

"You know prolonged high sugar intake is detrimental to your health." It wasn't a question but a piercing statement, almost hostile in nature just like the look in his eye.

"Sure do."

Connor sighed and slumped in his seat, relaxing his hands to hold the base of the tumbler--not quite letting it go. "I feel like all you humans ever do is the opposite of what you should. Do you all really have suicidal tendencies? Or is that just a cop thing?"

Allen shook his head, feeling like Connor kind of hit the nail straight on the head but denying it nonetheless. "It's nice to have something to enjoy everyday."

"But does it have to be something that can kill you? You'd have more days to live and find safer things to enjoy." Connor moved the tumbler to the side, leaning closer to Allen and commanding his eyes. "There's no reason to live like your life might end tomorrow."

Allen sighed, closing his eyes for some inner peace. How'd they get off the topic of pleasantries, again? He opened his eyes and reached for Connor's hand, placing his on top in an attempt to thwart the counselor-patient dynamic that hung in the air. He gripped, raising his eyebrows at Connor and speaking slowly. "Whatever answer I give you, you won't like. Let's leave the complexities of human mental health to the professionals."

"Well, Allen, it just so happens--"

"Connor." A warning. "You are not my therapist." With a sigh, Connor slumped in his chair once again, a pout very evident on his face. Allen smiled at him, snaking his fingertips around the side of Connor's hand and pressing them against his palm. He watched Connor's eyes wander to their hands, watched him tilt his head ever so slightly, the loose hair of his bangs making every stray movement very obvious.

Connor took his free hand and removed Allen's hand from his, quickly entwining their fingers before Allen could take his hand back. He kept his gaze on their hands before focusing on Allen's confused eyes. Allen felt a chill run quickly up his spine as the hand within his changed shape and texture--as Connor removed his outer, human, skin.

His cool, smooth hand warmed quickly between them and Allen ran his thumb up and down the area between his pointer finger and thumb. It was such a strange feeling, yet an intimate one.

"Connor..." He looked from their hands to Connor's gentle smile, confusion plaguing him. Connor held up his other hand, resting his elbow on the table and retracting the skin. Allen reached before thinking too much about it, allowing Connor to weave their fingers together. Connor's smile spread to him, somehow, and he felt his bewilderment melt away.

Allen enjoyed the moment, holding hands with this android like some girl in high school might do with her crush. It was nice, really, but he was sure the baristas behind them had their eyes glued to the window: he could just tell they were being watched. It was embarrassing, but oh well.

being watched. It was embarrassing, but oh well.

"Thank you, Connor." He knew that Connor had been trying to get closer with him, show him support, and all-in-all it was a sweet and kind gesture. He was sure Connor knew the implications of holding hands--especially like this--so he didn't mention them. Allen kept his eyes trained on his, his mouth open as he went to say words that had immediately melted away.

Connor closed his eyes, his LED flashing yellow. It piqued Allen's interest but he still couldn't find his words over his heart pounding in his throat. What exactly was going on in that android mind of his?

Connor gripped his hands tighter before his LED turned back to its normal, blue hue. He opened his eyes and hitched his eyebrows at Allen, panic playing within them.

Allen lamented the warmth of Connor's hands as they retreated back to his side of the table. Connor looked from Sumo to Allen before standing up and grabbing Sumo's leash. "I've been gone too long. Hank sent me a text."

"A text?" Allen hadn't seen him reach for his phone.

Sumo barked as he stood up, wagging his tail in excitement at the concept of a second walk. "He's worried that I lost Sumo. Or something. He can send messages directly to my internal interface. It's quite useful, actually." Connor shook his head, and Allen bit his tongue as Connor reached and picked up the tumbler to take with him. He'd get it back somehow, he thought. He'd let the guy enjoy his drink on the way home.

"Damn, well. It was nice to talk to you again." Allen could barely hide the disappointment in his voice as he stood up. He reached for Connor and grabbed his shoulder, patting it twice before his emotions got the better of him and he pulled him into a hug. "Promise I'll run into you again?"

Connor breathed out against him, squeezing him and subsequently flaring up Allen's emotional side once more. He sniffed in response to it, wholly unprepared for the gentle and fleeting voice Connor spoke with next. "I'll make sure of it. Can we meet up here again?"

Allen nodded into Connor, patting his back. "Yeah." He cleared the emotions from his throat before continuing again. "Same time? Next week?"

"Please."

"You got it." Allen tightened his arms around him before pulling away, lingering his hand on his shoulder once more. "See you then, Connor. Stay safe." He glanced down at Sumo, who was impatiently awaiting to return to his owner. "You too, Sumo."

Sumo barked in response, eliciting a smile from Allen. He removed his hand from Connor, waving as Connor refused to break their eye contact. He stepped backwards in order to keep it for a moment longer, a sad smile on his face. "Bye Allen!" He waved once before turning on his heels and jogging back home with Sumo.

As Allen sat down to finish his dreadfully bitter coffee, he pondered what exactly he was getting himself into. His heart pounded at the thought of a second meeting, and his cheeks flushed at the mere thought of it being 'a date'.