Rogue: The Uprising

[KatSea]

Collab: Emo Vampires, Drew @Elle Joyner

It took a lot of strength for little Gaia to guide Shiloh down the hallway, her lumbering and heavy footsteps sending waves of aches through her bare feet. She wanted to get out of the building, if only for a little while. The walls felt as if they were growing closer and closer, squeezing her in a box with no escape. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tightened her grip upon the golems hand. The thought of one of Orlando's members killing Rebecca broke her heart. Knowing the man Finn had been wrongly accused broke her heart. The terrible plague that affected one of her own friends and was causing Yul major stress...that seemed too surreal for it to be true. Shiloh didn't want it to be so. She didn't.

The mission revolving the rescue and capture of two seperate agents brought further stress into the young woman's mind. It had been completed safely, but she felt drained. Her knuckles were swollen from the hits, mind somewhat foggy from shifting her golems' form. She had let Demeter and Terra run off, Gaia only greeting her once it knew that its creator needed it. Shiloh was grateful, for she missed Drew more than she could bare to admit.

Her door came into view. Gaia let go of her hand and looked up to its creator, offering its arms. Hug. Shiloh sighed and kneeled before it, embracing the small creature. "Thanks Gaia. I needed that." Brushing her fingers gently along its crown, Shiloh left a small kiss upon its demeanor. She slowly made her way to her feet, tapping her knuckles against her door.

"Drew, sweetheart?"

"Enter…" Came a grim reply. Today, Drew was, of course, a vampire. And as Shiloh undoubtedly knew, all vampires were moody and dark… Lying on the cot, arms crossed over his chest, he stared up at the ceiling, "But bringest thou not garlic!"

"Oh thank God." Shiloh muttered, recognizing the possible blooming teenager that resided within his pretend. He had stayed inside. Thank God. "I bring no garlic, fair sir." Slowly she turned the knob and sneaked inside, making sure to close the door behind her. "How's it hanging Count Dracula?" Shiloh brought herself to sit beside the cot, resting her chin upon it as she inspected him. Gaia plopped miserably into her lap, snoozing immediately. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long, moody vamp."

"When one is undead, my dear Shi shi… time has no meaning." Peering at her with a sidelong glance, he grinned a little awkwardly, "But you were gone a real long time. Were you on a mission???"

"Drew honey don't go so emo on me at this age. Goodness, I'm not gonna be able to handle you when you are older if you are already on the verge of having a phase." She teased him, reaching up to affectionately ruffle his hair. Her breath caught in her throat. "Um...listen sweetheart. We had some scary things happen in the last few hours. It's nothing to be concerned, there are no bad guys around. It's just safer that we remain in here, okay? I promise everything is okay. I was just out, getting the information. Everything is okay."

Blinking, he swung his legs around and sat up, his expression both curious and concerned, "Wh...what sort of scary, Shi?"

"Um...sweetheart…" Shiloh attempted to chose her words very carefully, not wanting to scare the poor boy. She didn't want to bring up Rebecca as of right now, and instead worked as formulating as best as she could. "Some people have the flu. They are sick right now and it's best to keep inside. It's nothing they can't get over, but…" she wasn't sure if this was true. She didn't want to lie to her little brother, but at the same time, she needed to be somewhat honest to fully explain the situation. "It's icky."

"Gross. Are they throwin' up? Or is it just like… boogers are stuff?? I'm not leavin' our room till it's gone. Naaasty! Wait. You're not sick, right???"

"I don't know the symptoms. I assume they are mostly sleeping right now." She shook her head reassuringly, beyond relieved that he was going to stay put. "No Drew I'm not sick. I'm feeling just fine. Promise."

"Okay…" He said, a little apprehensively, "D...don't get sick, alright? Scares me, when you're not around a real long time."

"I'm not going to get sick, I promise. The flu isn't really going around, it's just people trying to get over it right now. I just need you to know there is still a possibility, so please be careful. I'm not going to leave you, okay? I'm going to stay right here, I promise I won't leave you for a really long time. I'm sorry enough as it is for leaving you as long as I have been."

"It… it's okay. I know it's not your fault, Shi. I know we don't… we don't really talk about it, but… you didn't exactly… you know… ask to get stuck with me. Kinda hard on you sometimes." Smiling dryly, he shrugged, "Sorry your friends are sick…"

"N-no sweetie that's not it. That's not it." Slowly pulling herself upon onto the cot, she inspected him up and down with a frown. "I'm not stuck with you, buddy. I choose to be by your side, and you are my main priority above all else. You are. Im just expected to do other things and...well, this scary event is just another one of those things that I'm expected to be informed about. I'm not stuck with you. Booger you are stuck with me." She stuck her tongue out at him, her shoulders deflating. "They will get better. I know they will."

"Pssh. I know that, nerd. I just wanted to hear you say it." He gave her a nudge, grinning slyly.

"You son of a biscuit!" She exclaimed with a pout, crossing her arms. She dramatically flopped onto her back. "You are a fiend, you know that Count Moody?"

Flopping onto Shiloh, Drew grinned, "Mwah ha ha! I am!"

"Hey! You big lug!" She exclaimed, giggling as she wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly. She began to mess with his hair furiously, keeping the disappointed pout. "Crushing me you are."

Poking her in the rib, Drew shrugged, "Cause I'm the Hulk. Sorry. It's just how it goes…"

"Oh, so you are the Hulk, Dracula and Batman? Man of many hats." She let him loose, keeping her arms behind her head. "Just be careful of your strength short stuff. Only got one strong body to last me a lifetime." She patted her stomach.

"I'm a flexible dude, Shi. Gotta be pretty quick to keep up. Cept right now, cause I'm kinda tired…" With a punctuated yawn, he shrugged, "If I promise not to crush you can I stay here a while?"

"I'm not gonna push you off, you angry immortal bat lug." She muttered, chuckling softly. "Although you are kind of heavy...eh, I'm not gonna chuck you off. Have you been resting properly?" She questioned, hoping he'd say the correct answer.

"Erhm. I sleep… sometimes. You know how it is when you're the king of all vampires. You toss and turn a little. Responsibilities and all."

"Mmm. You need to catch up on sleep young man. And if there's a reason why you are not, let me know." She clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Do you need me to get a blanket for you?"

"Nah… I'm cool, Shi. Just…" Frowning a little, he shrugged, "Just dream, sometimes. Stuff I don't like."

Shilohs eyes screwed shut at this. She was expecting this, and the moment he said it she felt bitterness crawl up her throat. "Drew...honey, do I need to get you someone to talk to about the dreams? I'm here and so are the medical folks."

"N...no." He said, shifting a little, "Don't want to talk about it."

"Honey…" A frown grew at her lips. "I know...I know we had it rough. And I know it's hard. It's normal to dream bad things but...if you ever change your mind I'm here. You know that, right?" Her heart felt like it was breaking in her chest. She didn't know how to help him if he wasn't willing to speak, and in all honesty she didn't know what she could do if he was willing.

"Just…" with a shrug, he pushed himself upright, "Not ready, Shi…"

"I know sweetheart. And its okay not to be ready. I just want you to know you aren't alone. I dream bad things too sometimes, and it's good for, when you are ready, to vent."

Blinking, Drew looked her over, and his expression softened, "Y...you dream about it, too?"

"Yes. I do." Shiloh admitted softly, her golem climbing up beside them to place a hand upon each of them. Shiloh gratefully ran her thumb along Gaia's crown. "I dream about him sometimes. The home. Sometimes I dream about being separa-" She clamped her mouth shut, not wanting to upset him. Tickling Gaia's toes absently, Drew gave a small nod, "Me, too. I… I'm afraid sometimes… That he'll come back. That I… I won't be able to keep you safe."

"I feel the same way, buddy. I'm afraid of that sometimes; but I can assure you, we are so safe here. And I won't let him come near us ever again. He won't. We are safe, Drew. There is no reason to fear him ever again."

"You… you know I'd never let him hurt you, Shiloh. I won't. Not ever again." Looking at her, Drew frowned, "No matter what."

"I know sweetheart. I know." Her hand came to rest upon his head. "You are my little superhero after all. But I do want you to know that I'm not going to let anyone hurt you ever again, either. I promise I'll look after you."

"That's the deal, right?" He asked, and the light, easy smile returned to his face, "We take care of each other…" Flopping onto the pillow, he yawned again, "Love you bunches, Shi…"

"A deal that is eternal." Shiloh vowed, relieved to see that smile return to his face. She pulled some the blanket from the cot and made sure Drew was neatly tucked in. "I love you bunches too, Drew."

 

[DarinValore]

RIEF Lab: Undisclosed Location
Doc and Ket​

The steady beeping of the monitors filled the air; none of them ever beeping in unison. Each woman, sedated just enough to keep them compliant but never enough to harm the baby inside them, lay virtually motionless in their hospital beds bound by wrists and ankles with leather straps lined with enough cotton cushion to bruise but not cut the wrists on those who found the strength to try to resist for even a moment. IV bags hung from racks that fed fluids and nutrients so that the mothers were never malnourished.

There were three nurses in the room making their way around the fourteen beds when Phillipa slid her cardkey in the reader and was beeped through the door. She had her hair pulled back in a scrunchy to keep it out of her face, and a tablet in hand that only gave her access to the medical records for her patients. Fourteen women with eighteen unborn children...that was thirty-two patients all assigned to her safe-keeping, and for once, she cursed her ability knowing full-well why they kept her around. When one baby was born, she'd be forced to 'stitch' up mom so that she could recover as quickly as possible in order to be impregnated all over again. It sickened her, but she was in no position to make any changes. The best she could do was ensure these women survived so that Rogue might save them from such a terrible fate.

Making her rounds, he checked the fluids and vitals of her patients until she came to one particular bed, reaching down, she placed her fingers against the woman's wrists and glanced at her watch on the other hand, "How are we today, Ms. Simonov?"

In the first few days that Ket Simonov had arrived in the Nursery, she had said very little. The knowledge that Leon was gone had been difficult enough for her mind to wrap around, but that she was pregnant was a factor she had never imagined having to face, let alone on her own… Somehow, the crippling fear that had owned her for so long was gone, but in its stead was something so much worse. The sorrow crushed down on her, pressing into her like too much weight…

Doc was a comfort, but only a small one. The woman was kind, and cared for them… for her and her baby… Leon's baby… and that, no doubt, was the only thing that held her together. That was the only thing that kept her from giving up entirely.

"...I dreamed about him… Leon." She murmured, ignoring Doc's question, "...He was alive, and he came to find me. You know he promised he would never leave me? ...What are promises worth, if no one lets you keep them?"

Doc offered a sympathetic look before she released Ket's wrist and tapped the numbers into her tablet, "Promises keep us going, Ket. They are hope, expressed in words, of a future far better than any of us are experiencing right now," Doc looked up at the nurses who were paying her no mind before she looked back down at Ket, "You hold on to those dreams, Ket. Hold onto them like the lifelines they are. Don't forget them because you'll have a child that will need you to tell it about who its father was."

"...They won't let me keep it." She said softly, and her eyes burned with tears she forced back with a shake of her head, "You know they won't. I will lose this baby… like I have lost Leon."

Hanging her head, Doc nodded, "I know, Ket," she offered a sad smile, "but maybe we'll all be out of here before then. Maybe Rogue will hear about this place and we'll be safe. You've got to find hope somewhere for the baby's sake."

Breathing out, Ket shook her head, "What will they do with them, Doc?" She looked up at the woman, a tear streaming from the corner of her eye, "...The babies? What will they make them do?"

Shaking her head, Doc replied, "I-I don't know for sure. I'm not privy to that information. I'm told only to ensure that all of you are healthy and that your babies survive. I'm sorry," she gently squeezed Ket's forearm, "I only know the little bits that I hear."

"...They will…" Swallowing, Ket's eyes moved to the ceiling, and she breathed in again, "They will do to them what they have done… to us. To Leon and me and the others. It would be better… to let us die."

"None of that," Phillipa told her, "Your baby deserves as much a chance at living as did its mom and dad. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, there will be dangers. But none of those things give us the right to determine who lives and who doesn't."

Shaking her head, Ket turned her eyes back to Doc, "...I just… want Leon. I want him back. How… how do I keep going, when it just hurts?"

"One day at a time," Doc answered, "remembering that you've got someone else who is depending on you to be the best version of yourself you can be...the one that Leon saw in you."

"...Do… do you really think it's possible that… that Rogue may find us?" Her gaze shifted around the room. It was difficult to see the other women, but she knew they were there… How many and what conditions they were in was a mystery, but she knew she was not alone.

"Yes," Doc replied, "I do believe it's possible, and when they do, you bet they'll rain hell down on this place and everyone inside. You'll get your chance to raise that baby of yours, Ket."

Her fingers wiggled, her hand shifting under the binds, before falling still again, "...Thank you. For… for the hope. However small… Thank you."

Phillipa smiled warmly down at Ket and gently patted her arm once again, "You're welcome. Now rest, Ket. I'll be back around in a bit to check on you again."

 

[Elle Joyner]

---

LOGAN​

Making it out of Orlando HQ had been the most difficult part of his journey. It was a little sad, really, how easy the part that followed had been. All Logan needed to do was find a censor, and stand beneath it. Within four minutes, he was surrounded, and hands raised high, he met the RIEF agents in turn.

"My name is Sage Belkin, and I am a member of the Rogue Organization here in Orlando. I need to speak to Kaiden Hul, as soon as possible."

A few hours later, Sage found himself in an office, sitting in a chair beneath the weight of anxiety, praying silently what he was about to do would not be something he lived to regret and drawing to mind the face of the girl in her hospital bed for whom he would have moved the world…

The door swung open and Kaiden stepped through it. Straightway, he moved to the seat across from Sage and dropped a folder on the desk and interlaced his fingers together on top of it.. Instead of speaking, Kaiden simply watched Sage, studying him.

It was hard to meet the man's eyes. But Sage forced himself to meet Kaiden's gaze anyway, and clearing his throat, he straightened, "Damn. Really is like lookin' at Keegan, isn't it?"

The comparison washed off of Kaiden, though annoyedly so, "What do you want Mr. Belkin?"

"I want you… to fix what you did to the people in my HQ." He started, uneasily, "Specifically one person. I want a cure."

Kaiden laughed, and when he calmed down, he washed a hand over his face, "Why would I do that?"

"Because as far as I'm aware…" Still meeting the man's eyes, Logan's hardened, his knuckles folding into fists, "You just lost your only in at Orlando… and I don't imagine you put Alys there for no good reason."

Shifting in his chair, Kaiden nodded, "Well, Alys was expendable. As soon as she called me about her ex-husband, I knew she'd be burned. Still, you are correct. I do need eyes and ears in Orlando HQ."

"Give me what I need… help me save Francis, and you'll have them." Jaw tightening, he shook his head, "Yul won't do it, and as far as I'm concerned, I don't owe him any allegiance. I just wanna save her."

Kaiden watched him a moment before he pinched his lips together and shook his head, "I don't know you, Mr. Belkin. How do I know you'll do what I ask of you?"

"I have known that girl my entire life. And I have l... loved her just as long." Swallowing, he lowered his gaze a moment, catching his breath, "She doesn't see me. It's okay, I never blamed her, but hell if a feeling like that doesn't just go away. I would do anything for her. Anything."

"Anything?" Kaiden shifted and folded his hands once again over the file on the table, "Well, you were foolish enough to show up her under the assumption that I would meet with you," he drummed his fingers against the folder, "What's your gift?" he asked.

"I can sense danger. Really sense it… Not intuition." He answered honestly, "And yes, sir. Anything."

Pressing his hand flat against the folder, Kaiden nodded slowly, "The woman you're trying to save, what's her name?"

Hesitating a moment, Logan studied the man. Since walking into the building, uneasiness had crept over him. It was impossible to sense anything when he was pretty sure his life had been under threat the minute he'd made the decision to leave HQ. There was no way to know… no possible way to know, "...Francis. Francis Blanchard. I…" Swallowing, he rubbed the back of his neck, "I believe you know her brother, Neil."

"Well, I'll be damned," Kaiden nodded, "Small world. Here's the deal, Mr. Belkin. I'm prepared to make you an offer. Should you accept this offer and then back out later, I will make you watch me while I kill Ms. Blanchard. You will not be able to hide because I have people who can find anyone. If you take the job and fail, I will kill her. You better be damn sure you're willing to do anything because once I show you the contents of this folder," he patted, "You cannot refuse me and walk out of here alive."

Looking at the folder, Logan shifted in his seat, unfurling his fists and smoothing his hands along his pants, "And if I take the job… You will give me the cure?"

Kaiden pulled out his phone and his thumbs danced across the screen. Moments later, the door opened and a man walked in with a small container and handed it to Kaiden. Popping it open, he set it down on the table. Inside was a syringed and a vial, "A deal's a deal, Mr. Belkin. You can have that cure right now if you take this folder."

"I do this… and you leave Francis alone? You touch a hair on her head and the deal's off." He was all too aware the level of negotiating he had was slim, but he was still alive… And whatever that meant for the future, it suggested Kaiden wasn't interested in killing him just yet. Whatever the folder contained, it was important enough to curry Logan that much favor.

Holding out a hand, he nodded, "Gimme the folder."

"You do this," he told Logan as he slid the folder and the container across the table, "and you and Ms. Blanchard can retire somewhere and never see RIEF again," he paused, "You don't…."

"And you'll kill us horribly. Yeah. I get it." Lifting the folder, he swallowed and with a breath, opened it, swearing softly, "...You son of a bitch…"

Closing it again, his eyes narrowed to Kaiden, "You'll never walk away from this alive, you know. They'll hunt you into the ground."

"You see," he shifted, "I'm used to them hunting me," he shrugged, "it's why I'm always one step ahead. But you, Mr. Belkin, are you prepared for the hunt?"

"I know what I'm doing." He answered, eyes shifting back to the folder, "And you'll know when it's done."

"Perfect!" Kaiden smiled as he stood from the chair and circled around the table before extending his hand to Logan, "Then we have an agreement. I look forward to you completing your task."

Rising, Logan looked at the man's hand, shaking his head, "I'm sure you do, sir." Throwing the folder on the desk, he turned, taking the container and heading for the door. In the hallway, a breath escaped and blinking hard again the stinging in his eyes, he looked to the metal case he held…

He couldn't lose her again. He wouldn't. No matter what it cost.

---

TAGS | collab w/ @DarinValore

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[KatSea]

Collab: Build Me Up, Buttercup, Daisy @Elle Joyner

Levi's first thought as they made their way home, subtracting the familial ties that he tried his best to block out(which was easier considering he was distracted by Demeter stealing his shoe), was simply this. I broke my freaking promise. He plucked the little golem from his leg, hugging it to him and pinning its arms to its side for the rest of the trip. Shiloh seemed to be lost in thought, carving random shapes into Terra's crown. Levi didn't speak up once, even as Demeter was very close to decimating Levi's sensitivity with her muddy foot.

"I'll give you an old sneaker later." He promised in a growl, relieved as the SUV stopped and the rest of the team huddled out. He plopped the golem next to its owner, who nodded her thanks and walked them back down the hallway. Demeter looked back, making a motion with its stubby palm.

Got my eye on you

Levi shuddered. Okay, he reminded himself not to manage that little golem. "Now...okay. Gotta hope Daisy hasn't seen that I've left." He swallowed. He promised he wasn't going to leave, and about half an hour into his nap he was called for a mission. He didn't want to go, but he knew that Penny needed help. He may have not known Penny all that well, but he knew that she was his partner in a mission at one point, and she was officially brought into a very important ideology. You don't leave a fellow brother(or in this case sister) behind.

Now quietly, Levi snapped his fingers and allowed himself to shimmer briefly out of existence. He pried open Daisy's door silently, beginning to sneak inside. The illusion shimmered away once he was certain she was still asleep, the young man beginning to creep silently to the side of the bed.

"...Did you just… illusion back in here?" The voice was soft, affectionate, but not without an edge of slyness, as Daisy rolled over to face Levi, with a small, clever smile. She had slept for a good, long while, pure exhaustion taking its toll, but eventually, the chill had woken her and she'd noticed Levi had disappeared on her. At first, panic had risen, but in time she calmed herself down enough to fall back to sleep… until the door opened. She'd remained still, breathing soft, until he was near enough, and she couldn't fight her amusement any longer.

Levi let out an embarrassed gasp(loud enough to be classified as a shriek) as Daisy called him out. Eyes widened and hand pressed over his dangerously beating heart, he cradled his stomach against the mattress and let out an sheepish chuckle. "O-oh h-hey buttercup" he stammered, wiping the back of his hand over his brow to handle the sweat threatening to form. "D-didn't mean to startle you. I uh...I'm sorry I Uh...left. After I said I wouldn't." His cheeks ignited "C-can I come back to b-bed or am I in the dog house?"

Laughing softly, Daisy pushed herself upwards, running her fingers through her hair, "Jukebox… I'm not mad. You okay?" Patting the space beside her, she smiled, "...No dog house, yet. Just tell me what happened?"

"Oh." Levi swallowed, realizing it was somewhat difficult to hear her now as the pounding returned. Tell her what happened. He could do that. Slowly he crawled onto the bed, making sure she had plenty of room as he pulled his knees to his chest. "Penny got into trouble. I needed to go with Deck, Finn and Shiloh to go grab her. Everything's fine now that I'm aware. I'm really sorry I left you like that." He frowned, genuine and honest. "I didn't want to go, honestly I didn't. But everything is alright now."

"So… you left to go be a big old hero, huh?" Smiling delicately, she reached up to brush a thumb along his jaw, "And you thought I'd be mad at you?"

Levi wasn't sure how or why, but in that moment a bright blush over took his features. He cleared his throat and patted his chest in false pride. "Er, well, I wouldn't say I was a hero or anything…" He grinned cheekily, although it was very evident he was still sheepish about the predicament. "Um...Well I...I made a promise not to do exactly what I did and all that."

"Sometimes, you gotta let a promise go, if something that's truly more important comes along. I get that." Shifting, she curled closer to him, but pausing, she reached up, touching the side of his neck, by his left ear, "Blow 'em out again?"

Her body having snuggled into his, Levi was about to place an arm around her waist and childishly trap her in cuddles. Her fingers against his neck, however, stopped him in his tracks. He had bled. He figured that was an illusion of his own device and simply ignored it, but realizing now that his hurt had been a reality, he reached up himself to skim his fingers along his skin. He grimaced. "Yes. It's pounding but not as bad as before. I was hoping you wouldn't notice." He chuckled nervously, wondering if his voice had been increasing since he entered.

Chuckling, Daisy shifted to her knees, to take a closer look. Even in the dark, it was pretty clearly visible, "...It's my job to notice, you big goober." She teased, before resting her palms on either side of his head. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, focusing her mind on the cells, speaking into them the way she had when they'd first met. When she was finished, her hands dropped to his, "...Better?"

"Goober hmm? Attractive." He whispered with a small grin, eyes fluttering closed as he could feel the dull pain filter away from his ears. Nodding his thanks, Levi leaned forward to press a kiss to her head, long and hesitant to leave. "Thank you, buttercup." He mumbled gently, smiling as he grasped her hands in his. "Honestly, at this point, I don't know what I'd do without you and your healing touch. I'd probably need hearing aids. And been one armed Levee." He cooed teasingly, raising a brow.

"Hm…" With a small, quiet laugh, she nodded, "And I wouldn't have the best thing that ever happened to me…" Her fingers wound through his, and she pulled them up to her lips, brushing a kiss to his knuckles, "I'm glad you're back."

"I'm...I'm the best thing that's…" Words eluded him, blinking once, then again, then finding himself lost in a haze of things he could say. Glancing down to their intertwined hands, Levi gave hers a gentle squeeze and leaned to rest his forehead against hers. "You...You have no idea how badly I wanted you back in my arms. As cheesy as it sounds."

"I like cheesy. You didn't figure that out by now? And I like you, Levi. More than I got any right to…" Her eyes fell closed and she leaned up to press a kiss to his lips, soft and delicate, "I have a bad habit of… of pushing things away that are good for me. I always have. When I was little, I was so afraid of wanting anything too bad, cause I'd almost never get it, and then as I got older, well… I just lost so much. You're the first thing in a long time, I just… I wanna hold onto."

"Good, because if you didn't like cheesy, I don't know how long you would have beared to stand me." Her lips to his brought him to a state of peace, his hand traveling to cup her cheek and give her a quick peck in return. He savored the chaste, quick action before moving to give her space once again. His thumb stroked her cheek gently as he listened, intent upon what she was saying. He could understand, he had never been where she had been before and couldn't possibly absorb what she had experienced in her life time. But he did know what it was like to lose something you thought you were going to be able to keep. Relationships, bonds between brothers and friends. His lips creased into a small frown. "Hey, you don't have to worry about losing me, alright? Because I am going to hold on to you, too." He pressed another kiss to her forehead. "I don't think I am ever going to want to let you go."

"Hmm…" Breathing in, she smiled warmly, "...Okay. I lied. I am mad you left… Cause if you didn't come back, Levi. I dunno what I'd have done…" Opening her eyes, she met his gaze, "I'm not sure I meant to get so attached to you, so quick. I'm definitely not used to feeling this way. I used to be a workaholic, before you came along, Mister."

"I would have come back, no matter what. Trust me, I am not that easy to get rid of. It's been tried, I can assure you." His arm looped lazily around her waist, tracing his fingers gently up and down her back. "I'm very good at making others procrastinate, trust me. But it's good for you to take a break once in a while. I can't have you hurting yourself, because again, I don't know what I would do if you did." He found himself lost in the color of her eyes, red gleaming effortlessly off his cheeks without his knowledge(or consent of his body). He found himself anxious, although the feeling wasn't unpleasant.

"I think I can handle that…" She murmured, and for a moment, she seemed to war with herself, with that still small voice in her head that was still afraid, still uncertain, before she leaned in again, lips finding him.

Her kiss caught Levi off guard, but he soon fell asunder to it, eyes fluttering close as he pressed his lips to her in return. After a moment desire and temptation almost overthrew him, the emotion coursing through him and drowning his senses. He fought it off, pulling away only slightly to give her a chance to change her mind. He knew that she wanted to go slow, and he was afraid he would take it a step too far.

He pulled away, and something shifting in Daisy, her heart giving a throb as her desire to be close to him overruled that voice in her head. Her fingers curled behind his neck, and she pulled closer.

Being brought closer confirmed consent to continue, his lips returning to hers happily. His fingers laced through her hair as he cupped the back of her head. "You, you are okay with this?" He asked of her gently, heart thudding against his chest rapidly.

Breathing in sharply, Daisy's eyes snapped open and sitting back a little, she stared up at him, before blinking, laughing shakily, "...Woah. Okay… Yeah." Breathing out, she raked her hands through her hair, "...I wasn't… That was… Didn't expect that."

"I-I wasn't sure if you wanted me to continue." Levi admitted, noticing that she seemed to snapped out of her trance. "Are you okay?" He questioned, swallowing. He wasn't sure if he was doing any of this right, and he couldn't dare say how scared he was. Most relationships he had participated in meant that he was to perform mostly physical acts, not emotional connections. This new found connection down right horrified him, and he didn't wish to unnerve her. He hadn't ever felt so nervous about this sort of thing before.

"Oh, oh, God. Yeah. Levi, no… I…" Laughing softly, Daisy shook her head, "No. Lev… I'm okay. Honestly. It's just… normally, I don't need to work so hard to stop myself." Biting the edge of her lip, she pulled her legs up to rest her chin on her knees, "...It's been a long time since I was with someone who… who was even willing to wait. And it didn't last. I never had to pull the plug on myself, you know?"

"I suppose I just have that affect." He joked with a roll of his eyes, hesitantly scooting next to her and giving her shoulder a reassuring nudge. "I don't want you to ever feel like you need to do something you aren't ready for. That's not what I intend, and pressuring someone I care about is not my intention for what we have, you know?" He paused as he mimicked her actions, pulling his knees into his chest and resting his head. "I understand, I do. If you ever need me to pull the plug, let me know. And if you are ever scared you want to go further than what you are cozy with, please let me know." He tried a smile. "And if I ever meet the person who wasn't willing to wait, well, he lost out on something really good."

A soft chuckle escaped, and Daisy shook her head again, "...You misunderstand, Levi. I'm not feelin' pressured. I'm… I want to. I … I want you. I just… I'm not quite there yet, in my head. You know? It's hard for me to explain, but… it's just something that's always scared me a little. It always will. I guess I just need to be… completely sure." He continued, however, and she felt her cheeks warm as she smiled coyly, glancing sidelong at him, "You uh… you met him, Lev."

"You want me?" Levi had never heard those words spoken with such softness, the color rising upon his features trickling to the back of his neck. "I would be lying if I said I didn't share the sentiment, Dais. And I understand, Daisy. I do. I understand not being ready. I understand being scared. So, when you are ready you are ready. And I am okay with that." He offered a reassuring smile, his head tilting in concern. "I have?"

"Thank you…" She returned, dropping to the side to rest her head on his shoulder, "Have I told you lately how wonderful you are? Cause… you… are pretty wonderful." Humming, she laced her fingers through his, before clearing her throat softly, "...Yeah. It uh… hm… It was Thaddeus."

"You are flattering me, buttercup." He mumbled as he rested his head upon hers. "I'm nothing special, trust me. You are the one who works wonders, you know." Levi didn't want to say that she deserved better than him, although he felt it. But he knew the best way to get over the sentiment was to start acting like the person he thought she… "You and Thad, huh?" Levi's brow furrowed. He didn't interact with Thaddeus all that much, but he almost didn't seem to be a very...well, physical sort of man. "He wasn't bad to you or anything, was he?" He asked before his brain had time to fliter out how this question couldn't possibly go wrong.

With a small laugh, she shook her head, "No… no, he was just… He had needs, and I couldn't commit fast enough, so we decided it was better to just end it. Honestly, it was a little easier for me, cause I kind of saw him as a brother." Looking back at Levi, she grinned, "Do not tell him I said that, though. He'd be mortified."

"Ah, I see." He bobbed his head in understanding, although it took a lot for him to fight off swirling emotion in his chest. Levi could fully understand breaking things off because of the lack of agreement, but if one was to agree to a relationship, wouldn't it just be better to compromise? His eyes widened slightly in horror. He really was becoming his father.

Shaking that thought out of his head, he chuckled. "Oh, good. I am glad that relationship has passed, then. I've never known what that feels like, but I know having a brotherly bond is something that involves a lot more arguements. And pranking. And humilation." He paused. "Er, you get my drift." He chuckled.

"You got nothing to worry about, Jukebox…" She mused, tipping her chin back, "...You didn't before, but you definitely don't, now. I'm in too deep, you know?"

"Too late to plot an escape I see." He mumbled teasingly, snapping his fingers across his chest in failure. "Shoot. Not that I wanna get out of this, though." He pressed a light kiss to her nose, fighting the urge to smirk. "Remember, I am holding on to you. You are one of the best things that has happened to me in recent years and I...er, well, don't wanna screw up. So, do I have any objections?"

"Hm… Nope. I can't think of a single objection." Running a finger along his jaw, she smiled, "Except that maybe I'm having a really hard time being this close to you and keeping myself under control."

"You wanna know something?" He peeked from side to side, as if attempting to spy any possible intruder who could hear his confession. "I have a hard time controlling myself sometimes, too. I get really scared that I am going to overstep my boundaries and that's why I pull away a little too quickly." He realized his voice was turning into a ramble, a blush present along his demeanor.

"I mean… I'm not mad atcha…" She teased, with a flip of her hair, "I'm pretty irresistible." Tipping onto her side, she looked up into his eyes, brushing the hair from his forehead, "...I don't think you have anything to be scared of, Lev. I trust you. And I know you'd never do anything to hurt me… to push me. My hang ups have nothing to do with you. It's just hard to let go of the feeling, sometimes, that… that I have to protect it, you know?"

"That you are." He confirmed, slowly following her movements and laying on his side. He placed a gentle hand upon her arm, his thumb tracing patterns. He hummed in thought. "No, I completely understand. You have every right to be nervous. It's okay to be. I'll be honest, I was very scared when I first...You know. It's about what makes you feel safe"

"Hmm…" Her eyes shifted, as she let his words sink in, nodding slowly, "...Thing is… you make me feel safe, Lev. I dunno if it's just cause you… you know… you don't push. Or if it's cause I…" Biting her lip, she smiled, "Or if it's cause I could see myself falling for you, pretty easy…"

"Can I be honest with you, buttercup?" He inquired, feeling his heart thud loudly in his chest. He knew he could easily silence what he was about to say next for fear of humilation, but he attempted to keep a composed demeanor.

A brow lifted, and Daisy gave a small nod, "Of course, Lev. Always."

"I think I might have fallen." Levi swallowed hard, glancing up at her with fearful eyes. "I think I fell a bit hard. And that...sort of scares me."

Her smile softened, and she leaned in, a hand to his cheek, lips brushing his, "That's the one thing never have to be scared of, Levi. Just… just word of warning, when I love someone, I love hard, and I don't let go. So… be ready, okay?"

"You…" Levi's eyes threatened to burn as he instinctively pulled her closer to him, gaze locking with hers. He wouldn't imagine that someone could feel the same way he did. It filled him with relief and joy, although he found it to be somewhat overwhelming. "Please don't let go, Dais. I'm more than excited to…" He found words were difficult to form, his breath catch in his throat.

"More than excited to…?" She asked, with a small note of teasing. She could read between the lines, but that didn't mean she had to.

"I'm more than excited to let myself fall for you." He finally managed, unsure of how strong his voice was in this moment. He could feel it wavering against his tongue, nerves threatening to consume him.

"Hm…" Shifting, Daisy eased up onto her elbow, and looked him over, her eyes studying his with scrutiny, before a warm smile spread to her lips, "...Yeah.... I think it could be pretty easy, Jukebox."

"Just don't land too hard, Dais." He grinned sheepishly burying his head slightly into the sheet to hide the color in his cheeks. If he was grateful for one thing, it was that she didn't laugh at him for his confession.

"Hey… I am delicate and soft, thank you. Like a friggin' feather." Prodding him in the rib, she pulled away the sheet, "Come outta there, so I can kiss you."

"Mm, I'm cozy here." He teased, voice muffled in the sheet. He rolled over onto his stomach, splaying out his arms. "Try and coax me out, I am sure you can do it." He challenged, happily curling into the mattress.

"Oh ho… Don't think I won't." She quipped, her fingers poking into his sides again, little nudges along the ridge of his torso, "Everyone has a ticklish spot, Mister…"

"H-hey!" He exclaimed, body arching as her fingers traced along his torso, a laugh emerging. "I-I am not ticklish!" He protested, trying to squirm away from where she had managed to get him. "Curse you, lovable woman." Swiftly, Levi rolled onto his back and pulled her into an embrace, pinning her arms lightly as he began to tickle her sides. He kissed at her cheek. "Revenge is nice, isn't it?"

"Bah! Trouble is…" She protested, fighting a laugh, "I can trick my cells into resisting!" Tipping her chin up, she grinned, "Can you do that? I don't think so…"

"I can make myself feel nothing, you know? Meanwhile…" He released her, making her imagine as if she was being tickled all along her torso. The only problem was, Levi felt it too, bursting out into loud, unfiltered laughter. "S-shoot!"

With a squeak, muffled by Daisy's hands, she hid a burst of her own laughter, before giving him a swat in the arm, "That's cheating, Juke! No fair using powers, unless you're me, because I obviously need the advantage!

"Blasphemy!" He claimed, covering his mouth with his hands as his laughter threatened to devolve into giggles. He allowed the illusion to die down, his lungs short of breath. He waved air to his face in a theatric action, panting teasingly. "Oof. That's how I used to win tickle fights all the time as a kid. Couldn't really let myself laugh though, give myself away." He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. "Do I win?"

"Hm…" Looking at him, she shook her head, "No, Lev. I think I win… Or, I dunno… maybe we'll call it a tie." Tipping back, she pressed a kiss to his lips, before tapping him gently on the nose, "Except you're a big cheater."

"I am not a cheater." He claimed with a pout, leaning in to kiss her back without hesitation. "I won fair and square and you know it. Besides, you got your kiss, so we should both me happy." He winked at her, plopping his head onto her torso.

Running her fingers through his hair, she sighed softly, contently, "...You know something, Levi? I am happy. Really… really happy."

"I am too." He confessed without hesitation, nuzzling his head jovially into her shirt. He exhaled slowly. "I know today has been really rough. So...thank you. For this"

"I should be thanking you…" she murmured, "I was so afraid, Lev… to rest. To breathe. But this… this has helped. Not that I'm in a rush to return to the infirmary. But I should, soon…"

"I know. I almost don't want to let you go but…" He sighed, mind flickering back to Lucas. To Fran. To Nick. All three of his friends in the infirmary, their bodies at odd with themselves. Levi bit his lip. "This isn't going to end, easily. I have faith in you, Daisy. The problem is, I am very cozy right now. And I am afraid you could overwork again. But...if you desire to head out. I know it needs to happen." He slowly peeked up from his resting place, offering a gentle smile. "Besides. I will be here next to you later, if that is what you need of me."

"Hmm…" It was a dangerous line, letting herself get too comfortable. For more reasons than one, and yet… "Later sounds… really nice, Lev. I… I would like that."

"Good." He claimed slowly, forcing himself to sit up after a minute. "And just remember, if you feel exhausted or overworked, you can always step out. It isn't going to help anyone if you feel like crud." His head tilted. "Tell Thaddeus I said hello, as well."

"Ha!" She laughed, and gave him a small nip of a kiss, shaking her head, "I'm not telling Thaddeus you said hello! He's gonna know I told you about him, and probably faint or something… and then I'm gonna have to take care of all those poor people on my own."

"Ha! That would be a sight." He grinned. "Any other day him fainting would be a sight to behold. But you can hold out for now. Can...can I at least give you a hug goodbye? I may not let go but um...I'd still like to put in a request."

"Hm…" Leaning her elbows on his chest, Daisy nodded, "I'm perfectly alright with being detained for another few minutes. Technically, I'm supposed to be getting good night's rest, and well… it's still night for another few minutes, at least. So…"

Taking this as a confirmation, Levi firmly embraced her and nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck. "I don't think I'm gonna let you go for a little bit, buttercup. A few minutes might turn into a few hours...but then again I'm very easy to fend off." He chuckled against her shoulder.

"I will do my best… to fend you off." She murmured softly, "Except… that I have no real desire to try right now." Curling close, she looped a leg over his, head on his shoulder, "...You promise you'll be here, when I get back?"

"Unless I have another brace rescue mission, I'm not going anywhere. I might be carving in here like a madman, so don't be startled." He joked with a smirk, leaning his head against hers. "Please be careful when you are in the infirmary. Please."

"It's sexy when you worry about me, you know…" She responded, with a small peck to his lips, "Miss me while I'm gone?"

"Wow, I just be blinding when I'm down right panicky." Chuckling, he pressed a kiss to her in return. "Of course I will. Trust me, Im going to very much. You are very cozy in my arms."

A sigh escaped, and reluctantly, she gave his hands a pat, so she could sit up, "...Then keep them warm for me, Jukebox. Cause I'm gonna need you, later." Brushing her thumb over his cheekbone, her smile softened, "...See ya."

"I'll see you, buttercup." He pressed his palm over her hand, bringing up to give it a final kiss upon her knuckles. "Be safe. Watch over them for me, please." He grew somber and let her go. "I'll be right here when you get back."

 

[Elle Joyner]

---

DEVON​

A cure.

When things had seemed more dire than they ever had, when morale had fallen so deep into the depths it seemed impossible to recover… Orlando HQ experienced a small miracle. And that was enough. That was more than enough. The vaccine rolled throughout the facility, the cure into each of those poor souls in the infirmary, and after that, it was just a waiting game…

Minute by minute, hour by hour, time ticked on…

Devon had not moved from his chair in over twenty hours. He had not slept, ate, breathed more than was humanly necessary. Thaddeus had promised that the cure had worked… that all traces of the virus had faded from her blood, yet Danica had not woken, and the pressure continued to build, like fire, inching towards TNT.

As the twenty-first hour inched closer, he could feel it reaching the point of no return…

And then her fingers curled… curved… around his hand, and Devon's heart nearly stopped in his chest. Straightening up, his eyes moved to the head of the bed and he saw her eyes flutter… flutter, then open.

"Oh my God…" Shoving back the chair, Devon folded forward, a sob choked from his throat as he collapsed against her. "Oh my God, Dan…"

Her fingers curled, hand shaky, but raising, it brushed against the back of his head, "...Dev… Oh, Dev, honey."

On his knees, he leaned back, and breathing out, shook his head, "...Dan… I thought…"

"I know… I'm so sorry, Devon. I… Baby, it's okay. I'm here…"

Scooping up her hands, he brought them to his lips, "I swear to God, Danica. You ever scare me like that again… I can't lose you. I can't."

"You kiddin', Mountain Man? I got you to admit you missed me. I'm not goin' anywhere."

"Neither am I, Danny. Not again… I promise." His fingers curled around hers, and laying his forehead to her knuckles, he breathed out, "...Not ever again."

 

[Mobley Eats]

Heart to Heart | Interactions: Luna and Vance @Elle Joyner | Location: Orlando HQ


Freedom.

It was within his grasp. Nearly a week after his imprisonment in quarantine, Vance had been given the go-ahead by the folks in the infirmary, clearing him of his Patient Zero status… and all thanks to Luna and Leon… The idea had come to Leon in a sleep deprived moment of near insanity, but Vance would be forever grateful to him. He was all too aware that Leon had done a lot to Rogue… and some of that was going to be difficult to forgive. He was also aware that he was going to not exactly be at the top of everyone's invite list, but where they had come from and where they were now was a testament to the goodness of the people they had fallen in with.

Kaiden's virus had been beaten… and Vance was free. Three and a half days in quarantine. Seven hours of question marks and possible failures.. The threat of basically destroying ever synapse in his head… Another two hours of watching. Waiting.

And two more hours of 'We'll see'.

Standing at the door, he fidgeted, anxiety rippling along his shoulders. Too long, he'd waited for this moment. Too long he'd dreamed of it, feared he'd never see it…

"Just open the damn door already!" He barked, probably more loudly than he meant to, and turning, he looked to the guard with an apologetic expression, "Sorry…"

Shaking his head, the guard, fighting a smirk, pressed a button and the door slid open.

This was it. The day. The moment that Luna had been dreaming and tormenting herself over. After all of the brain-frying hard work she and Leon put into devising a cure for the virus, success had finally came their way. The victims were going to make it. They were going to be okay. And…

Vance. Her Vance. Luna tried to lie to herself and believe that she didn't hold seeing him above everything else, but...she couldn't help it. It was a jumble of emotions impossible to ignore and now that the reunion was within grasp, the sentiments were borderline overwhelming. Quivers wracked her body from top to bottom and sweat coated her palms as her fingers fidgeted amongst one another. She couldn't keep still, opting for pacing back and forth just a few feet away from the door.

"B-breathe, Luna. Just...j-just breathe," she whispered to herself. She barely hear anything above the pounding in her ears, not a single thing, but as soon as that door slid open, it suddenly became the loudest noise in existence.

She turned, sharply, so quickly that her head almost spun… She forgot how to breathe. The hacker could've sworn he carried actual rays of sunlight with him everywhere he went, her surroundings literally lighting up with...so many things. So many emotions. All far too much for her mind to handle. In that moment, as she was remained frozen in place, a single choked sob tumbled from her lips. "...V...Va…" Speaking didn't come easy.

He didn't hesitate. His feet moved before his brain could full even come to the realization that he had shifted in place, and squeezing through the door before it was all the way opened, he made for Luna. When he reached her, his arms came around her, cupping her waist and lifting her, he folded into her, as a kiss, unhesitant, unrelenting, found her lips.

In any other situation, Luna would've squeaked, suddenly drowning in anxiety as her feet left the floor. However, neither of those reactions came to mind; she met his kiss without pause and melted into him, both arms wrapping around his neck.

"I-I missed you," she sobbed, the shivers having escalated so much that she shuddered within his grasp, against his lips. Both hands untangled to cup his face and her forehead met his, just taking him in. Taking him all in. He was okay. She could finally hold her other half again. "G-god, I mi...m-missed you so b-bad," she whimpered, eyes fluttering closed as more tears fell.

Pulling back, just far enough to reach up, his hand rose to brush the tears from her skin, cradling her cheeks in his hands. It was like being locked away in a cave for years… and seeing the sky again, and he wanted nothing… nothing more in the universe than to count every damn freckle… to study those heavenly constellations for hours, without end, and to hell if the sun never rose.

Words failed for a moment, as his jaw tightened, his throat raw, and shaking his head, he pulled her to him again, and for a long while, he didn't let go, until he could speak between breaths, "...I'm never leavin' you again, Love. Not… not for anything. Bein' away from you, all this time, hell, Luna. I couldn't breath. I couldn't think. I don't ever… ever wanna go through that again. And I promise, I will never put you through that again. Not ever…"

"N-never gain," Luna echoed, leaning into the crook of his neck. She never wanted to leave his embrace, not for a long time because if she did, Luna almost feared that she'd lose him again. She'd rather toss herself into the belly of RIEF base than to let that happen again. "I-it was so hard...I-I couldn't sleep, I could th-think without m-missing your arms around me and I…" Another sob nearly escaped, but she held fast and merely held Vance closer. "I-I love you, Vance. I love you...I love you…" She couldn't repeat it enough, no matter how much time the world gave her to do so.

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he leaned her chin against her crown, fingers dancing, tripping through her hair, spinning spirals around the digits, breathing her in, savoring the momentary peace, "...I love you, too, Luna. And… and I had some time… hell… I had a lot of time to think, and I… I want… I just want…" Looking back, his eyes fell to the room he'd vacated, and he laughed, dryly, "...Could… could we go somewhere else? Just… don't really want an audience, right now?"

Every single muscle in Luna's body uncoiled and relaxed as she felt Vance play with her hair. She...never had anyone do that for her and now she couldn't imagine a reality where he never did. However, she heard his question and instantly, she remembered where they were. Heat rushed to her face as she slowly, and ever so reluctantly, pulled away. Of course, her hand immediately shot to his and she nodded. "Y-yeah, I have a r-room. This way."

It didn't take long to reach it. It was a matter of three turns in the span of a minute and she was already punching in the access code. She was still shaking--God, she doubt she would stop anytime soon. They were inside before her mind could recall the time she had pounded her fist into that dial pad...the heartache and guilt and Mac...No, not right now. She wanted Vance. Needed him.

Eyes watering once more, she stood in the middle of the room, fingers curling into her jeans as she looked at him. "Th-this is...th-this is...it," she muttered feebly.

Inside the room, the anxiety hit like a mountain of bricks, and rubbing his hands over his face a moment, Vance breathed out, shakily. In quarantine, he'd been so isolated - those few visits from Luna and Ade were all that kept him sane… but the quiet moments, the moments when they couldn't be there, he'd been nearly shaken apart by how painful the silence was. Now words seemed so hard, so damn hard.

"...Hell…" Breathing in again, then out, he stepped to Luna and reaching, took her hands, bringing her knuckles up to his lips. "...W...what… what I'm gonna say to you, Luna. It's gonna seem a little crazy, but… but I need you to bear with me a sec, okay? Thing is… I had a lot of time in that cell, to myself. A lot of time to think. And I… I kept goin' back over everything that happened. Everything I did. Everything that… that went wrong and I just… in my mind I couldn't shake the… the idea that I almost lost you. That I came so close… to losing everything. And it would keep me awake at night, just… lyin' there, realizing that life is so God damn short, and I…" Hands shaking, he pushed them through his hair again, a knot in his throat swallowing the words, "I don't wanna spend one second of however long I have on this planet without you by my side. Luna, I love you. More than a man has any right to love another person… and if… if…" Clearing his throat, he cupped her hands, tighter this time, "...If you'll have me, I wanna spend the rest of my life with you."

Luna listened with rapt attention, noticing the way nerves suddenly seized Vance. Concern stirred in her gut, worried by the sudden shift in mood radiating from him. Regardless, she squeezed his hands in silent support and hung onto his every word. And yet...the more he spoke, the more she feared her own heart come galloping out of her own chest. He wasn't...He wasn't implying what she thought he was…

Was he?

"V...Vance," she whispered, voice trembling. She squeezed his hands tighter, taking a small step forward and diving into the comforting pools that were his eyes. "Are you...w-what...what're you...s-saying?"

"...God, I hope so. I… I don't even know what the hell I just said… but you've always been the smart one, Love." Reaching up, hands still shaking, he curled his palm around her jaw, "...I don't need an answer, right now. I know it's… it's nuts. I just…"

All she could feel was Vance's touch; the hand resting gently on face, the warmth seeping from his body, the grasp held around her other hand, the steadily increasing pounding in her chest, the lights overhead bathing him like a halo and--

Suddenly, it hit.

It all clicked. What he was trying to say. What everything leading up to this moment meant. Luna wheezed, his eyes widening. Vance wanted to, he was asking her, the both of them, for the rest of their lives...He just propos--

She fainted, her body falling backwards.

Vance reached out swiftly, and snaked his arms around her, and despite the nerves that had rattled him to his core, he managed to move, shifting her to the cot, settling down beside her, "...Luna?" Gently, he gently patted her cheeks, panic driving through him, which he forced down, as far as he could, "Hey… c'mon, Love. Wake up?"

It took a few moments of cheek pats before Luna's eyes fluttered, a disorientated groan escaping her lips. She blinked a few times, vision adjusting to the sight of Vance hovering over her. "Vance…? Wh…" At first, she couldn't remember what happened. They reunited, the kiss, the hug, then going back to her room. And then there was talking and…

Oh… Oh!

Luna immediately tried to sit up. "O-oh my god, oh my god! Th-that's right! You...y-you asked me to...to…" Her tongue nearly tied itself into a knot.

"...And you passed out…" Rubbing the back of his neck, he tried to laugh, but it came out more of a weak groan, "I know… I'm sorry. It… God, I just… I thought too much about it and it's crazy, and I'm sorry, Love. I know it was… that was too soon--"

Whatever else he had to say was interrupted by Luna's lips meeting his, a hand coming to rest on the back of his neck. The kiss was long, long enough to express her answer but she brought herself to separate, just the slightest bit, to murmur gently, "Yes...Y-yes, Vance. I…" Another shudder traveled through her body, the weight of everything finally processing in her mind. "I w-want to spend the rest of...o-of my life with you t-too."

It threw him, the kiss, and for a moment, it was as if his mind forgot all function… But the moment those words breathed from her lips, Vance could feel his heart slam against his ribs and everything inside of him exploded with rapture. Hands catching, curving the back of her neck, through the curls, he pulled her in and rejoined his lips to hers, tears burning in his eyes.

Luna's hands curled into the back of his shirt, holding on for dear life as she kissed him. Over and over again. She didn't want this moment to end, to never end. The hacker had never known a level of elation this amazing, this all encompassing and surreal.

Vance pulled away, after some time… and his fingers grazed her cheeks as he shook his head, eyes flooded with emotion, "...I… I need to see Ade, and Keegan… but I… I don't wanna leave this room, Luna. Not for one second. Could we just… you think anyone'll notice if we just… forget the world for a little while?"

"They won't," she insisted in a hushed whisper, fingers dancing up and down his jaw soothingly. "Th-they won't...We can. I just...V-Vance, please…" A whimper fluttered up the back of her throat. "J-just hold me."

Heat curled along the back of his neck, and pulled her in, he pressed a kiss first to her forehead, then her mouth, and silence carried him away, she carried him away, his hands folding to her waist as he tugged her flush to him.

Luna adjusted to the hold, rolling over to lay on top of him and tuck her head under his chin. A content sigh escaped her as fingertips gently danced up and down his arm; she just wanted to feel him, to confirm over and over again that this was real. If reality even dared to take this away from her in the form of a cruel dream...she didn't know what she would do. Break. Cry...She couldn't handle that. Refused to face it.

For a while, as long as time would allow her to, she just wanted to spend time with her Vance. Her fiance.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Sleepyhead
Collab with @Elle Joyner

After the cure had been administered, Finn resolved to stay awake until Rose woke up. He wanted to be there when her eyes fluttered open, when the tightness in her face left and the light fully returned to her pretty eyes. But he'd been awake for so long, busy gettin' tortured, gettin' his name cleared, rescuin' friends, watching friends go down… His legs were so asleep he couldn't even feel them anymore. He couldn't even hold his eyes open anymore, and the blanket Penny left was… really cozy.

With his head tipped back over the edge of the chair, Finn snored loudly, while his arms were splayed impossibly and the blanket tangled in his limbs.

Rose woke up to the sound of a snore, and her eyes fluttering open, she watched Finn with a pleasant, warm smile.

She let him sleep. She knew he'd want her to wake him. But she let him sleep... And only when an hour or so had passed did she reach out, gingerly tapping his knee.

"Huhwhazzit - Rose - hi! - OH ROSE -" He'd jolted unceremoniously awake, and the way he'd been collapsed in the chair didn't make it sturdy enough to hold Finn as he lost his balance and tumbled back. Almost as soon as he'd woken up, Finn found himself on the floor, legs up in the air.

"Oooow…" He whined.

"Oh!" With a gasp, Rose pushed herself upright, grimacing ever so slightly, "Oh… are you… are you alright?"

Finn groaned, pulling himself up off the floor with a hand in the air. "I'm okay, I'm okay, d-don't move don't worry about it," He insisted, stumbling upright and rubbing his bruised back. "Hey.. hey, you're awake! Rose! I'm gonna kiss you now and you can't even stop mee-" He eagerly brought his hands to her cheeks and pressed a kiss against her lips. "I missed you, so frickin much."

Blushing, laughing softly, Rose shook her head, "I missed you, too, Finn." Curling her arms around him, she sighed, "How… how long have I been… How long was it?"

It was so good to have her in her arms. To feel her curl around him. A shaky sigh of relief left Finn, and he closed his eyes a moment, just enveloping her warmth. "Three…. Three days, Rose." Finn whispered, swallowing the lump in his throat. "You had me so scared."

"...Wow." She breathed, hardly able to wrap her brain around the idea that she'd been out nearly three days, "Hang on… The uh.. There was a moment there… did… was I awake? I remember some things, but I… I can't figure out if they were dreams, or…"

"No, no, you were," Finn said with a light smile. "I think you woke up just to reassure me you were gonna be alright, Rose. Thank god for that." Finn said, pulling her hand up to his lips to kiss it and then pressing it against his forehead. "I gotta be up front with you, Rose… I promised not to leave, but I did have to go on a mini rescue mission for Penny… but I swear, I was here the whole rest of the time. Didn't move a muscle."

"P...Penny? Is she okay? You… you don't have to feel bad. It's not like I would've known, and anyway… it's your job, right?" Giving his hand a squeeze, she bit her lip, "When I woke up… we talked… you… did you… I remember the words, but… it's hard to focus on what's real and what wasn't…"

Finn dipped his head, a small, airy laugh escaping him. Oh.. oh. She meant… those words. The three famous words. He looked away, blushing. "You… you're just tryin' to get me to say it, huh?" Finn said. "O-or like.. D-do you want me to take it back, c-cuz I get it if it was like, too soon, maybe…"

Laughing softly, she shook her head, "N..nno. Neither. Oh, Finn. No. I just… I wasn't sure. I thought it was a dream and I was afraid… because it… it was so nice. It… it seemed to good, you know? To be real."

Finn looked up, eyes glimmering. "Y-yeah? Too good to be true?" He mumbled, the smile growing on his cheeks. "What if I said it again? Would that make it a little less… not real?"

"I mean… o...only if you wanted to." She said softly, "I don't think there's anything wrong with.. With confirmation, right?"

"Right." Finn echoed as he leaned forward, gaze pouring into her eyes, hovering away from her lips. "Nothing wrong with confirmation." He was wrapped up. Maybe he was in a little too deep. Hoping for things that wouldn't last, clinging on to feelings that could only be lost again. But he couldn't help the way his heart beat out of his chest when he looked at her, the way it beat for her, and how when she laid still, motionless, it felt like his heart had all together stopped.

"I love you." He murmured. And it was terrifying, how much he meant it, but he meant it more than anything in his whole life.

Her eyes burned with tears as she smiled up at him, emotions overflowing, even before the words had been spoken, "I love you, too, Finn. I do. So...so much."

A grin formed on Finn's face as he pressed their lips together again, one hand finding its way behind her ear and entangled in her hair. It was overwhelming, to care for someone this much, to sit and fret over them as they lay in limbo… but she was here, in his arms, and he could feel some of the worry melting away. "Don't scare me like that again." He said, voice quivering.

"I didn't mean to…" She murmured softly, "I'm so sorry, Finn. I know… I know I scared you. I scared me…" curling her fingers through his, she breathed out, "I promise… I won't."

Nodding, Finn squeezed her hand, pressing their foreheads together. "I promise too." He answered honestly. "I'm gonna try n-not to do stupid stuff anymore. Because I don't… I don't ever want you to feel like this made me feel."

Laughing, she shook her head, "I know it… it's not gonna be easy, Finn. This job. This world… it's gonna be dangerous. But as long as I have you and we stick together, I think we'll be okay."

He wanted to believe her, desperately. But in the span of three days, he'd seen people die. People fight over his innocence. People be hurt, tortured, his own friends go down in more ways than one. Rogue was his family. He would fight for them to the ground. But suddenly the ground seemed so much closer than he'd ever imagined it would.

"I hope so, Rose." Finn whispered. "I really hope so." He pulled away, running a hand through his hair. "D-do you need me to get you anything?"

"Just… just hold me for a little while?" She breathed, realizing how long it had been since they had just… rested. Been together. Breathed… "I just want to stay right here, in this moment… for a little longer."

Finn smiled again, nodding eagerly. "Y-yeah, of course. I thought you'd never ask." He said happily, propping himself up onto the bed with her and folding his arms around her, settling his chin in the nook of her shoulder and exhaling. "I missed this." He mumbled. "I wish time would just… stop, sometimes. I really do."

"Me, too." She nodded, laying her head on his chest, "But it's not gonna, is it? Whoever did this, they're not gonna stop trying, are they? It's not over…"

His heart fluttered at her head upon his chest. Finn raised his hand and draped it over her. "I don't think it's ever over." Finn admitted. "Things like this don't end. We're… hunted." He murmured, burying his cheek in her locks of hair. "I won't ever understand why… but we are. It doesn't ever stop."

"And we have to keep fighting." She continued softly, winding her finger through his, "We have to keep fighting, or this'll just keep happening. You...have to keep fighting?"

"I can't give up." Finn whispered. "I can't give up when my friends are on the line. My family. I won't. We might be hunted… but we have the power to do something about it. I have it. Hell if I asked for it… but I do. So I've gotta. Because I'll never stand on the side and watch as my family gets hurt. As you get hurt." His posture tightened against her.

"Okay." She murmured into his chest, "Good. Because I'm not ready to give up, either. I don't want to be that person… like… like Harper. Who let's the bad win, cause I'm scared. I don't ever wanna be that person, Finn." Shifting, she looked at him with a small smile, "Even if it's probably the scariest thing I've ever done."

Finn sucked in a breath of air, trying to lose himself in the hopefulness of her smile. "We… are never going to become Harper." It was one of his biggest fears… his most passionate hates. The fuel for so many of his nightmares. "Not giving up… is terrifying. But that's why we have too. It's why we never can. It's why I never will, and neither will you."

"Did I mention I love you, Finn Westfall? I mean… recently?" She asked with a teasing smirk.

There it was. Those three words again. How did three simple words make his heart beat out of his chest? Make his palms go all sweaty? "U-uh… you.. You might have, but I think I forgot." He said innocently, looking off to the side. "Mind repeating that?"

"I… Rose Olsen… love you, Finn. And I plan to, so long as you let me." Looking at him, her smile softened, "You got me through this, you know… Not the cure. You."

He blushed profusely, trying to hide his boyish giddiness. "I-I-I don't know about that. I wasn't in the lab o-or anything, mixin' chemicals."

"Gave me something to wake up for…" She answered, with a small shrug, "Something to fight for, right?"

His breath caught in his throat. "I.. I didn't know I could do that for someone." He admitted.

"Silly…" She mused, and shifting, she leaned for forehead to his, "Told you there was so much more to you than you realized…"

"Everybody keeps saying that to me." Finn whispered. "What if I let them down?"

"Only way you'd let me down is if you did give up, Finn. If you forgot the person you are and never came back from it. If you lost what you believed in." Smiling, her shoulders rose and fell again, but even then… I'm not sure you'd ever lose me. Stuck with me, Finn. Just… Stuck."

He laughed lightly, closing his eyes. "I'm not complaining." He murmured, brushing his nose against her cheek lovingly. "I don't have any plans, Rose.. to lose myself. Because I don't ever want to let you down."

"Then you've got nothing to worry about, do you?" She asked, eyes falling closed, pleasantly.

"No…" Finn whispered, nuzzling against her. "No, I guess not." He yawned, smiling lightly. "You, uh… you mind if I'm about to fall asleep again? I won't fall out of any chairs this time.."

Shaking her head, Rose lay down on his chest again, "...So long as you stay right here…"

Finn nodded, adjusting to fully envelop her, curling happily around her. "Promise."

 

[junebug]

A Greater Meaning
collab w/ @Elle Joyner & @Kat

Josie was relieved to see that people were starting to wake up. It'd been an arduous process to see that it'd taken three days and now, at the beginning of the third day, people were opening their eyes and getting familiar with each other and themselves. Josie didn't do or say anything further, now that her job was done. She didn't want to disrupt the reunions and opted to leave the infirmary instead and make her way to Leon. She hadn't talked to him since the explosion, she wasn't even aware of what'd been going on with him since they brought him inside Orlando base. She wasn't sure what her goal was for seeing him again, nor was she certain it'd all go well.

"Stand your guard and go in at your own risk. He can manipulate pheromones, though he hasn't tried anything fishy yet," the guard explained. Josie acknowledged the guard's warning and opened the door to find the man that shot her and almost killed her. A part of her wanted to strangle him right then and there, but most of her rage from the day he'd tricked her had passed, and now, that anger was located inside a tiny bubble.

"Leon."

Her voice was calm as she tried to sound civil, however, there was a hint of contempt for the man in her tone that she didn't hide.

Leon sat on the edge of the mattress, head in his hands. He and Luna had exhausted themselves on the formula for Vance's chip and finally, with nearly thirty-six hours of sleeplessness behind him, he was spent. Ket was out there, or so he prayed, and he finally had a way in... A way to shatter the debilitating hold RIEF had on her, and he could do nothing about it.

He was happy for Luna, glad that she and Vance would get their reunion... But his heart ached knowing he might never have that with Ket. Knowing she was alone and scared, the sleepless nights and crippling fear... And that was if Kaiden had let her live, at all.

Tears burned behind his eyes and pressing his palms to his lids, he tried to hold them back, but they persisted...

The door opened, and with blurry vision, he took in the sight of the young woman stepping over the threshold, lump in his throat.

"J...josie." Swearing, he straightened, rubbing streak across his cheeks as quickly as he could, "Can I help you?"

"Can't say I took you as the crying kind after you let your friends in with no regard for the consequences," Josie mused and scratched her chin. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall as the door shut behind her. "Must've been real tough being in this cell for the last few weeks."

Frowning, Leon shook his head, "Ain't a picnic, no. You need something? I ain't slept in three days, and I can't say I'm in the mood for a verbal lashing, right about now…"

"I can't say I was in the mood for this either, yet here we are, both sleep deprived and having a conversation. I figured since it'd been a couple weeks, I should come in and talk to you before you found another way to escape and I forgot. I don't know what you've heard, but news seems to fly pretty fast around here. Your friends from RIEF almost killed some of our Rogue members fairly recently, which I get it. After two weeks of peace, you're happy, you wanted them to die, you couldn't care less, whatever thoughts go through your head," Josie stated and stood up. She paced back and forth for a few before she glanced over at Leon.

"I can't expect you to understand how I feel nor can I change what little remorse you have for the hundreds of people you and your friends killed. I'll be honest, I'm surprised Yul and Keegan have been holding you here for as long as they have. I don't know what they plan to do with you, if anything, but I can only hope that somewhere down the line, you eventually understand the ramifications of what you've done and how that has affected the team as a whole."

"Wow…" With a dry chuckle, Leon shook his head, "You out of the loop that bad? I knew they picked you cause you were such a loner, but I figured here at least, you'd find a way to mesh in there with the survivors…"

Rubbing his hands over his face, he sank back on the cot, "I've spend the last three days working with Luna on a way to get the damn virus out of Vance, so he doesn't infect anyone else. You stop to think that maybe not everything is as black and white as you think, Josie? You even try to understand that sometimes people do bad things because they don't have a choice… or cause they've got something else they gotta worry over? You stop to think maybe things went down the way they did because I had orders? Just like you with Rogue? That I didn't exactly wanna do it? And hell… You consider, while you were drumming up the balls to come and guilt trip me two weeks later that I could've done a whole hell of a lot worse, if I was really the black hearted scumbag you think I am? If that were true, you'd be dead. One shot, Josie. That's all I needed. One shot and you wouldn't be standing here, period."

"Yeah, that one shot to my knee would've killed me if it wasn't for Hex, so be glad you're still breathing and that I was down because your life could've ended that moment I saw you in the tunnel. I know you had orders yeah, that doesn't make them right though, and for what it's worth, you could've helped save your RIEF friend from infecting others, but that doesn't mean I trust you or forgive you for what you've done," Josie fired back. "You can pretend to be the good guy all you want Leon, pretend that you're doing this all for some wholesome reason, but it doesn't change the fact that you are being kept here for a reason. You are a criminal. We are trying to change the world here, we are trying to make it a better place, and all you can think is to let your friends in to kill young children and older folks, people who can't always take care of themselves. You always have a choice, I don't care what you've learned from those bastards. You always have a choice and working for RIEF is not one of them."

"Pretend to be the good guy? Don't recall saying as much. I know what I've done and I don't need the reminder. But maybe you do. Because I never would've had the chance if you had actually done your job. You walked me in the front door. That's on you, and what went down after is as much your responsibility as it is mine. So if you wanna bitch at the person who killed all those people, get a mirror, sister. I don't need your forgiveness, and I didn't ask for it. I'll sit in this cell till the sun falls out of the sky if that's my fate. But when do you answer for your actions, hm?"

"I've already answered for what I've done and I've accepted the consequences of my actions. I've blamed myself countless times, yet I'm told it's not my fault, so where does that leave us? I've accepted that Luna is no longer my friend because I went out of my way to try and save three others, only to put her in harm's way. I've accepted that I've done wrong by her and that she will not forgive me. You tricked me and you are the one in the middle of the ball court now. I would be lying if I said I didn't care about what happens to you because I do. Rogue has been fighting to stay afloat in this war and you will only get in the way, so count your days until your last, and pray, that someway, somehow, things will get better for you because I don't know how much it's going to change with me around."

"How the hell did I trick you? By rescuing your ass from that death trap in the warehouse? Every opportunity I might've taken to infiltrate was completely unnecessary. You fed me the information and brought me in! You! No one else. That's on you. As for Luna, you stop to think Freckles was a little distracted by the fact that her boyfriend was basically being tortured by RIEF and she didn't even know if she was gonna see him alive again? You ever love someone Josie? It sucks, alright? Not knowing if you're ever gonna see someone you care that much about. It sucks. So please… I get it… You hate me. You wanna see me dead. If that's all, just piss off and leave me alone."

"I'd hoped for more from you. So much more than that. RIEF doesn't change though, none of you do," Josie muttered and left Leon to his peace. She had a strong urge to find out who this "boyfriend" of Luna's was, but made it no concern of hers with how their close relationship had ended with their last talk. Luna was no longer her priority. Leon, she would keep an eye on from a distance though. He didn't want her forgiveness, that was fine, however, she would hope for him. She would hope that a day would come when he wouldn't feel so powerless, she would hope for a day to come when he knew he could make the choice to stand up against RIEF and fight for the truth– mutants deserved a better life, they deserved to be viewed the same as everyone else. Josie ran her hand over her face, his words echoing in her mind.

No, she'd never loved, and no one had ever loved her. She didn't know how to and she'd always been the loner, like he'd said, and sometimes, she didn't know how much more loneliness she could truly take. It was dark inside her mind, dark at night, dark during her studies, but she kept pushing forward regardless. She found that cure, she found something to hope for and believe. She was certain she'd found a purpose, even if that purpose was not with a significant other as many people in Rogue had found. Her meaning in life was elsewhere, not in the awkward, complex notion of romantic love.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Engagement Party
Collab with @Mobley Eats and @Elle Joyner

He'd slept with Rose a little while longer, but the next time Finn woke up, he knew they couldn't stay like that forever. Pressing one last kiss to her forehead, telling her he planned to go find Luna, Finn insisted she keep on resting before setting off.

Finn had heard enough to know the barebones of the situation… someone they'd rescued, Vance, was a carrier. Ade's sister… Luna's rescuer, from her time stuck with RIEF. The one… who hurt Rose. Who threatened her life. But Luna had to have been worried about him… and about everyone. Finn realized he probably still had to tell her about all the… er… murder allegation stuff. But as for the whole virus thing... He wanted to hear it from her, because above all else… he missed his best friend.

Walking up to her room, Finn took a breath and knocked on the door. "Hey, Lu? It's Finn. You okay in there?"

Luna had been teetering back and forth on the edge of fuzzy consciousness as she snuggled into Vance's form, sighing contently. This was perfection, in every variation of the word. If she could help it, she'd stay like this forever. Just her and Vance. Nothing else…

And then there a voice at the door.

Finn…

Crap. Sitting up, he looked at the door, then back at Vance, words wanting to form on her tongue, but the bubbling anxiety blocking them from escaping. "Uh...uhhhhh," she drawled out intelligently. "O-one moment, p-please! It's F-Finn!" she hissed, voice lowering as she addressed Vance in a panicked whisper. Hopping up, she started frantically tugging the blankets free from under Vance and pulling it over him. "I-if he sees you, h-he'll freak!"

As the blanket flew over him, Vance blinked, and for a moment - one brief, solitary moment, he had to wonder if the voice at the door didn't mean something more to Luna than he expected. He'd never asked Luna if she was involved with anyone before him…

But it was Luna, and he had a pretty intense trust that the woman wouldn't forget something that important…

"...I'm thinkin he's gonna notice the man shaped lump in your bed, Love." Vance said with a smirk, tugging the blanket off again, "...Maybe best to bite the bullet?"

"Um? Vance? L-listen, okay--not the best h-hiding place but maybe w-we can work with the closet o-or…" However, Luna quickly realized that Vance wasn't entertaining the idea and her head hung with a sigh. Slapping both hands over her face, she flopped back into the bed and she answered Finn with a miserable groan, "C-come in, Finn…"

As Finn waited, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he heard murmurings from inside the room. Uh, okay. Weird. Maybe it was Ade, or something. W-whatever. He'd just ask Ade to leave, so he could tell Luna all the crap that happened. At the sound of her voice calling out to him, he swallowed, preparing to spill the first few sentences he'd rehearsed in his head as he turned the door knob.

"Um, so, hey, I know it's like been a while since we talked but like - who the… WHO THE HECK IS THAT?" Finn yelped, blinking in shock at the rather large and barely fazed man who lay in her bed. Then he turned his gaze to Luna, eyes wide. "W-what t-t-the heck, L-Luna?!"

Rolling his neck, which had gotten a little stiff, Vance's gaze shifted from Luna to the man at the door, and back to Luna again. This was who she was afraid was going to freak out? Momentarily glad he hadn't considered the closet, he shifted and leaning forward, held out a hand, "Vance Usher…"

Watching Vance casually introduce himself to a currently-suffering-a-meltdown Finn shot Luna's anxiety through the roof. She refused to even watch this unfold, opting instead to carefully sit up in bed and keep her eyes covered, face absolutely on fire.

She groaned again.

Gaping at Vance's outstretched hand, Finn furiously shook his head. "V...Vance? The guy who literally just… s-sent half our team into c-comas?" Finn sputtered, the redness in his cheeks growing. "L-Luna! A-are you gonna explain, or a-are you gonna keep on groaning?! Y-you're in bed with the guy who p-put Rose in a c-coma!"

A brow rose, and Vance lowered his hand, watching Finn with a curious expression, "...I'm the guy RIEF tortured for two weeks, before they turned me into some second rate science fair project and sent me on my way. And you're gonna wanna watch the way you talk to her… yeah?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Luna whined, finally facing up to reality and freeing her eyes of its blinded prison. Hesitantly, she got up and stood next to Vance, weaving her fingers through his. "F-Finn? I...I know I've g-got some explaining to do, j-just give us a ch-chance, please?"

...And then Vance spoke and Luna couldn't help but wonder if it was healthy to have so much color drain from her face. Christ. Heck. Frick. Quickly, she stood in between the two and placed a gentle hand on Vance's chest. "N-now now, we'll just k-keep things civil and c-calm, okay? Right? S-sounds appealing?" Her voice hitched a little with desperation towards the end.

Watching Luna slip her hand into Vance's hit him like a truck. He tried to push some more words out, but couldn't find what he even wanted to say. Luna was like a sister to him, and he couldn't ever imagine with some… some total RIEF stranger.

But Vance's next statement had Finn taking one step back. He could barely process this. Tortured? Science project? Finn awkwardly straightened up at his comment about how he spoke to Luna. "W-W-Who d-do you th-think you…" Finn babbled, suddenly desperately intimidated. He didn't understand. What was going on? When did this happen? Why didn't Luna tell him before? Why was this guy such a royal jerk?

He tried desperately hard to quell the panic that bubbled up in his chest. And it took everything not to pounce on the guy, or duck out of the room. But it was Luna… and he trusted her.. And she had her fingers tightly wrapped in his…

"H-he's not.. H-hypnotizing you, right, Lu?" Finn muttered lowly, avoiding both their gazes. He wanted desperately to look tough in front of this guy, but he couldn't find the courage.

Jaw tense, Vance stared down Finn with an expression incredulity. It was Luna's hand on his chest that kept him in place, and that alone, because the accusation in the kid's tone was enough to get the blood pumping, heat rising up the back of his neck, "Il pour de vrai, l'amour?"

"N-no, Finn, he's not," Luna sighed. Christ--this conversation was rolling downhill so quickly. She almost feared it'd be impossible to get these two to calm down and speak rationally. This was just...yeesh. "And Vance," She whipped around to face him, just the tiniest hint of firmness in her tone; the pout sort of clashed poorly with it though. "Finn is my b-best friend, okay? He...H-he only has good intentions and c-cares me just as much as I-I care for him. So...please you t-two, let's keep the p-peace?"

The corner of his lip upturning in a snarl, Finn balled his fists. "Je suis pour de vrai, branleur!" Finn spat back, desperately glad his French tutor had given in and taught him those swears. The hotness in his cheeks was obvious, though he glared at Luna. "..Fine." He muttered, glaring at the floor. "Whatever. Enjoy his company." Finn muttered, heading for the door.

Rolling his eyes, Vance shook his head and stalking past Luna, he flung the door shut before Finn had reached it, gesturing to the chair by the desk with an expression that suggested his patience was thinning, "...She asked for peace. Sit down."

Standing in front of the door, he crossed his arms, eyes shifting briefly to Luna, "...Please."

Luna...really wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole right about now. Every time she thought this conversation couldn't get any worse, fate proceeded to laugh in her face and prove it otherwise. Breathing. She needed to focus on her breathing. Inhaling slowly, she shot Vance a semi-proud, semi- "we'll take later" expression before sitting down across from the chair.

"F-Finn, please. Don't...D-don't walk out on this. I refuse to l-leave everything as a misunderstanding, n-not with you two, th-the most important men in m-my life. You hear me? I r-refuse. So…" She gestured nervously to the chair. "S-sit."

As the door slammed shut, Finn let out a small yelp, jumping backwards and away from Vance's death glare. For the first time in his life, Finn felt… confronted by Luna. Something he'd never expected to feel, and sitting down in the chair felt like sitting down for another interrogation. Which he had found, recently, they didn't always seem to go well for him.

Finn continued to glare at the floor like a dejected child, jaw tight. "So?" He muttered. "Your amor is a big jerk. Seems pretty clear to me."

Rolling his eyes again, Vance leaned his back against the door, "...This big jerk is the reason your best friend isn't a brainless RIEF agent with a bomb wired to her nervous system, kid. So maybe you wanna shut up for two seconds and actually hear Luna out, before you jump to stupid conclusions, yeah?"

Pushing off the door with his foot, he crossed back to Luna's side and brushed the back of his knuckles over her forearm, he nodded, "...Floor's yours, Love."

If Luna had been talking with anyone else, she would've felt irritation build within her at the big jerk comment, but this was Finn and if anyone knew how he worked in situations such as these, it was her. She loved Finn to the moon and back, she really did, and that would never change, but she could detect his Toddler Mode when she saw it. Her usual approach to this was distraction via video games and comics or waiting for the mood to pass, but she couldn't afford to do either at the moment.

When Vance brushed her arm, a weird mix of adoration and lingering disappointment fluttered in her stomach. She...would really need to have a talk with her fiance after this; specifically of how to...filter out certain words and tones during sensitive moments of social interaction. Regardless, she needed to speak now and hiding behind bumbling anxiety wouldn't help anyone. "Finn…" she started slowly, "R-remember how...I said how t-terrifying it was? Working u-undercover with RIEF? F-fearing for my life? I...W-without Vance, I would've had to f-face that alone and...God Finn, I…" She shrugged, gnawing on her bottom lip. "I-I suck at surviving o-on my own. I know I do. B-but Vance was there f-for me. Every step of the w-way. Without his help, I...I-I wouldn't be h-here talking to you." Her eyes burned; just recalling the immense fear she had endured lodged a ball of emotions into her throat. The single room. The bindings. The lonely chair. The camera...She shook off the images, focusing on Finn. She needed to focus.

She vaguely detected the sensation of Vance's hand curling around hers and she held on for dear life, just tight enough to ward off the quivers.

Shrinking in his seat at Vance's retort, Finn tried to digest his words. He barely knew enough about what had happened to Luna.. but what he did know what that she hadn't said anything about.. him. But as Luna started to speak, Finn slowly started to unfurl, his brows unfurling as he watched his best friend struggle. Struggle to talk about what had gone down. And this time, watching her hand slip into Vance's didn't set off a sense of anger… only guilt.

How dare he make her relive that? Finn almost kicked himself. Hadn't he come in here with a plan to hear her side? He dragged his hands over his face, taking a deep breath. He knew Luna. Knew when she was upset, trembling, and knew when she was calming down. And the big jerk was calming her down.

"I'm sorry." Finn mumbled. "Why… w-why didn't you tell me about him, Lu?" He tried to ignore the lingering sense of betrayal. This wasn't about him.. But what if she didn't trust him anymore? Didn't even want him to know? He shook the nagging feelings away.

Shifting, Vance stepped back to the edge of the cot and sank onto it, giving Luna a delicate tug to encourage her to sit, as well, "My best guess is, she didn't say anything because up until your lot came to rescue me, she probably thought I was dead. When we went into free my sister, we hit a snag… guards showed up, and I knew the only way to get Luna, Ade and my uncle out was to… to slow them down. So that's what I did. For a while there, I thought I was dead, too. Might've been, if they didn't have other plans."

Luna plopped down next to Vance without hesitation, curling into his side a bit as she listened to them speak. It hurt recollecting that moment...She was so sure, so certain that freedom was within reach. For all of them. And yet, the one person she entered the rescue mission with, was the one she had to leave behind. She squeezed Vance's hand even tighter. "I-I'm sorry, Finn. I...I w-wasn't in a good place. The r-right place to talk about...a-all of that, but I swear I was g-going to tell you, but then V-Vance came back to m-me and I...Now this huge m-mess."

She sat forward, locking wet eyes with Finn. "RIEF, they...th-they injected that virus i-into Vance, Finn and they...they predicted our next move. They p-played us. Knew that we would r-rescue Vance, so...p-please don't blame him. Please." Her lips nearly trembled; she hated talking about all of this. It hurt too damn much--she just wanted to hug her boys and for everyone to get along. She knew that was stupid. A foolish dream. But she couldn't help but wish for that desperately.

Feeling his stomach tighten as Vance spoke, Finn hung his head in shame. They'd… both been through so much. And here he was, spitting on it. His best friend had suffered horribly, and he was throwing a tantrum like it hadn't meant anything. Knuckles white, Finn forced himself to look into Vance's eyes. He tried his hardest, to push something out, muster another apology, but found himself pulled away from the man's steely gaze as Luna started to talk.

Her eyes were wet, and Finn's heart shattered into a million pieces. "D-don't s-say anymore," Finn whispered. He was making her relive it. The both of them. "I'm.. I'm s-so s-sorry," Finn whispered. "My.. my.. G-girlfriend…" Oh god! He'd said the word! The actual G word! "She.. she was s-so sick. I… I was so scared. And f-for you too, Lu, hell, I…" Finn let out a shaky breath, running his hand through his hair. For the longest time, he'd been that person for Luna… and he still wanted to be that person. But.. he… he guessed that she didn't really need him anymore.

"I'm sorry. Both of you. I-I'm really sorry."

Shifting, Vance relinquished his grasp on Luna and rose, stepping nearer to the chair Finn occupied, "You don't owe me an apology, Finn. That woman there?" He pointed back to Luna, without shifting his gaze from the emotional figure before him, "She talks like I saved her, but she's crazy if it's anything but the other way 'round. I'd've burned this world to ash to find my way back to her and my sister. I get it." Extending a hand again, he shrugged, "We're cool…"

Luna wiped her at eyes, almost annoyed with herself for breaking so easily; she needed to be stronger and that started with steeling her emotional constitution. Inhaling slowly, she flashed Finn a feeble smile and nodded, gratitude filling her to the brim. "Th-thank you, Finn. You...Y-you don't have to apologize, I-I understand how you f-feel. If...If I was in your position, I...w-wouldn't know how to act." Pride managed to widen her smile even more as Vance offered a handshake to her best friend. Thank God. She knew that the tension between them would take time to completely vanish, but at least they were finally on the right path.

"Y-you did save me," she insisted, a hint of heat flooding her cheeks, eyes straying to the floor as her fingers fiddled with one another. She knew he would continue denying that, but nothing would ever change her mind.

Finn swallowed, taking Vance's hand with a nod. "Uhm, I.. do owe you an apology. F-for calling you a branleur." He said weakly, scratching the back of his head. It was still… really weird seeing Luna tangled so tightly in someone else. But he had to be happy.. Because she was happy. And anyone who made Luna happy… Finn had to trust. At least, he'd try too.

"I.. I should go now." Finn said with a small nod, standing up. "U-um, w-we're on.. I'm not stompin' out of here. Promise. Sorry for interrupting."

"Her brother was on my team, Finn. Trust me… not the worst thing I been called." Moving back to sit beside Luna, he reached to snake his fingers through hers, "And you don't have to go. I may have been raised by my Uncle Kaiden, but I got enough humanity in me to understand how important a friendship like yours is. And if I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with this woman, figure I better get used to it…"

Releasing a breath through her nose, Luna's eyes screwed shut with a wince. Ah...there it was.

Finn gulped. Tortured, kidnapped… Emmanuel. Luna hadn't said much, but it… it made sense. He knew enough about her brother to know he wasn't good enough to end up anywhere else but RIEF. Trying to ignore the comment about 'getting used' to his and Luna's friendship, Finn looked back up, between Vance and Luna nervously.

"Uh… r-rest of your l-life?" He mumbled. "Th-that's a little… f...fast… isn't it?"

"You ever walk through hell, Finn… see the world fall apart at your feet, and the only light you ever had shine on you get ripped away, so all that's left is dark? You ever close your eyes and try to imagine the world lookin' the same without that light? I have… and there ain't such a thing as 'too fast' in my eyes anymore. I don't know how to breathe without her… and don't need time to tell me that's the way love oughta be."

"Vance…" If adoration could be physically manifested and live within one's eyes, Luna would be absolutely dousing the man beside her with such a look. His words flattered her, filled her heart to the seams, and everything else words couldn't fathom to describe. It was ironic, in a way; she almost found herself wanting to marry him then and there, but reeled in as much of the emotions as she could. It was hands down the most difficult act of self-control she had to perform to date. She raised their interlocked hands to press a brief kiss to his hand before looking at Finn. His uncomfortable demeanor was...understandable, Luna couldn't deny that. She didn't her best friend one bit for the doubt and question he posed, but no matter how timid of a human being she was, this was something that she could affirm with unmovable certainty.

"I-I know it seems f-fast from the outside l-looking in, Finn, but...I want this. N-need this. So much. It's impossible f-for me to love another man th-the way I do Vance and I…" She shrugged, biting her bottom lip nervously. "I h-have no regrets about this. I never will. This is my fiance."

Vance's descriptions of walking through hell fire had Finn sweating buckets in panic. He was, without a doubt, one hundred percent intimidated by the passionate fire behind the man's eyes, and all the talk about loss, about ache, without one single inch of holding back had Finn damn near terrified.

What he expected the least was to watch Luna return that fire. To stand tall, taller than he had ever seen her, chin held high. Luna was confident. And hell if he hadn't always wanted to see her that way. But his heart couldn't take it all so quick, and her last four words made his legs go all wobbly.

"I'm sitting down again." Finn whispered, plopping into the chair with a shocked expression on his face, totally frozen with wide dinner plate eyes.

At Luna's words, Vance's expression softened… At Finn's response, it shifted to one of amusement, as he shook his head, "It's a lot to take in. I know. Just… just trust me when I say, Finn… I'm gonna take care of her. You've got my word."

Luna slumped somewhat at Finn's reaction, a hint of sympathy piercing the already fleeting confidence. She truly felt guilty for dumping all of this onto his shoulders, but she'd never lie nor hide how she felt about Vance. "I-it'll take time to get u-used to, I know that, Finn. Just...t-take all the time you need; I s-swear I understand how...intense this m-must be for you." At Vance's words, her head fell to his shoulder and a teasing firmness entered her tone. "W-we'll protect each other."

Luna. Getting. Married. On one hand, he was through the roof, looking at Luna so confident. That was his best friend, right in front of him, all grown up. It was a little shocking... no. A lot shocking. There was, on the other hand, the dilemma of him not knowing this man at all - the fact that he was literally from the enemy that had just sent Rose into a coma Finn wasn't even sure she was gonna wake up from. But he looked at the pair as they held hands tightly, radiating strength. So even though his head told him to keep being cautious, keep looking out for Luna, his heart swelled with pride.

Finn stood, abruptly, and taking long strides to reach Luna in the shortest amount of time possible, threw his arms around her in an overwhelming hug. "H..hah! Y-you're getting married!" He said, brimming with excitement, and only after he felt he'd sufficiently hugged Luna enough, Finn broke away, grabbing Vance, and hugged them both.

When he was enveloped into the hug, Vance's eyes widened and for a moment he looked in shock to Luna, not entirely sure if he was being embraced or attacked. But after a moment, he chuckled and his arm came around Finn with a pat.

Luna was just as shocked by the hug, but the sentiment originated from a growing pool of gratitude and overflowing affection. She giggled at Vance's confused reaction, the glimmer in her eyes more than enough answer for him. This was fine. This was a step in the right direction. Breathing shaky, she looped an arm around both of them and hugged tightly, her eyes on the brink of burning once more. "Y-yeah," she laughed softly, "We're getting m-married. Finn, I...I-I know I sound like a b-broken record player, but seriously...th-thank you for understanding. A-and being my best friend."

Finn finally stepped away, brushing the back of his palm against his eyes. "I-it's… okay. I'll get used to the idea of it e-eventually… and I'll always be your best friend." Finn said firmly. He took a deep breath, looking at Vance. "M-make sure you take c-care of her… okay?" Finn murmured. "And.. don't, uh.. Lu, don't forget about me." Finn said with a gentle smile, teasing. Mostly.

"Don't need to ask twice, Finn." Vance answered with a firm nod, his arm looped around Luna's shoulder, tugging her to him, "Gotta keep my light shinin' bright, you know?"

Luna snuggled into Vance without blinking, as if the motion was adhered to her senses already, and giggled lightly, "Of c-course not, Finn. Th-the only way that'd happen is if I u-used my own ability against me…" She winced a little. "That's...actually k-kind of a dark joke. Gosh. I-I have regrets. Pretend I never s-said that, guys." Some heat rushed to her cheeks and she curled even further into her fiance, attempting to fend off the embarrassment, but ultimately failing.

Laughing weakly, Finn nodded. "U-um.. s-so… i-is it actually okay if I go now?" Finn said lightly, rubbing the back of his head. "L-Luna and I… we can talk later. I didn't really mean to interrupt. There's some other people I should check on anyway." Finn mumbled. Yeah, he'd… find someone to check on. "Sh..shoot me the wedding invitation, I guess?"

"I mean… Ain't gonna be anything special, considering we can't exactly advertise, you know? But hell, Finn… You got a place right there by us, you know? Just so long as you don't call me anything uncool in French, you know?"

Finn blinked at Vance, taking a second to process his words. "R-right there by you?" Finn mumbled, looking up at him with glistening eyes. "U-um… y-you don't mean…"

With a shrug, Vance glanced briefly to Luna, "Don't think she'd mind… and I sure don't. You've been there for Luna, long as she's been at Rogue, Finn… and that means something to me. Took care of her, and that makes you pretty damn important."

Luna was already beaming two seconds into Vance's confirmation. She nodded eagerly, shooting a soft smile Finn's way as her fingers fiddled with one another. It wasn't quite a motion of anxiety, not the negative kind, but something more akin to excitement. "Finn, w-will you be the...th-the best man?" she asked.

"T-the…. T-the…" Finn blubbered, looking between the two with increasingly wet eyes. "Y-yeah… of course, of course I will." He said, wiping his eyes. "Is it … um.. Okay that I don't have a suit? Y-yet? I.. I don't have a suit."

Laughing faintly, Vance shook his head, "...Ironically, neither do I…"

"O-oh. Okay. M-makes me feel better." Finn said, grinning. "I.. I can't wait."

Luna shrugged, a hint of embarrassment warming her cheeks. "H-honestly? I'm lacking in the d-dress department too, so...we've all got th-that to look forward to." The hacker gave pause, something seeming to click in her mind, albeit slowly. Brow furrowing, she continued, "Hey, Finn? You...D-didn't you come here f-for something? You know, before a-all of…" She waved to herself and Vance, "This k-kinda slapped you in the face?"

Smile fading, Finn shoved his hands in his pockets. "U-um… k-kinda. It's.. it's not urgent though. Just.. er.. Catching you up, I guess? It's not a big deal. Don't worry about it." Finn murmured.

"You know what? You two catch up…" Rising again, Vance smiled down at Luna, "I've gotta find Ade. Promised I'd meet her in the Atrium."

"O-of course," Luna said, almost hopping up. She stood on her tip-toes to give Vance a peck on the cheek...then paused to shoot him a warning pout, clearly remembering his ruse the last time she was in this position. However, she did go through with the kiss to his cheek and lowered once more. "I-I'm sure Ade is d-dying to see you. Give her p-plenty of hugs for me, okay?"

She approached Finn, steps somewhat hesitant and careful. "N-nonsense. Whatever my b-best friend wants to talk about, i-it'll always matter. I'm here to l-listen."

(Translations:
Is he for real?
I'm for real, wanker.)

 

[Mobley Eats]

Collab Post: Brotherly Love | Interactions: Ozno, Ade and Vance @Elle Joyner | Location: Orlando HQ


Vance was out. He was out and he was better, and everything with the world seemed good and right again. Since the awful encounter with the angry guard, Ade hadn't had any further incidents, and Ozno had convinced her that the outside world wasn't half as terrifying as it seemed. She was ready… needed to see her brother, but going alone was not something she was prepared for, emotionally.

She'd spent a good chunk of her time with Oz… and most nights (or days, more often than not) she found herself in the comfort of his arms, trading the tender grace of a lullaby for his strength and safety. The day he was released, she found herself pacing Oz's floor, back and forth like a small, anxious kitten.

"M...maybe I should wait. Maybe it's better I don't go today. What if he is tired or busy or…"

Ozno sat on the cot, watching Ade go back and forth. His head followed the motion move for move, like an animal latched onto something shiny, eyes as tired as always. Still watching, he muttered, "Naw, go see 'em. It's your bro."

"It… I saw him for so little, Oz. In his… cage. And before then, so very few times… What if… what if I am not what he expects me to be? What if I am to be disappointing to him?" Looking to him, she frowned gently, "What if he does not like me?"

He didn't respond immediately. Just, like, sat there. And listened. He always listened to Ade and right now, she sounded super stressed. He didn't like to see her stressed or worried. And if he remembered right, it was impossible for her to be dis...disappoi...a bummer. In the middle of her rambling, he stood up and pulled her into a warm hug, patting a short tune onto her back. "It'll be okay, Poodle. Remember," he pulled away and hoisted her hand up to tap it three times. "Too amazing to be a bummer, kay?"

Her expression softened almost as soon as his arms came around and the frown gave way as he tapped into her palm, a small smile warming her features.

"You are the greatest, Ozzy. Thank you. W…" Swallowing, she seemed to consider her next question carefully, "Would you please come with me?"

His answer was obvious and came quickly. Nodding with a lazy smile, he slipped his hand into hers and gestured to the door. "Yis. I'll come," he said. He gave a brief squeeze of comfort. "It'll be cool, Ade."

"O...oh. R...right now?" She asked, but of course she already knew the answer. Why would they wait. Not when she was sure she could do it. With Oz, she could do anything. "Yes, yes. Right now. Come along…" and squeezing his hand back, she smiled, heading for the door.

She'd arranged to meet Vance in the atrium - the only place apart from Oz's room and the roof where she felt safe. Hurrying, now that she'd managed to find a sense of strength in her best friend, she entered to find him waiting.

"Adelaide…" He murmured, before his eyes shifted to Ozno, to their intertwined hands, brow raised, "Who's this?"

When Ade's brother came into view, the first thing Ozno noticed was the tattoos...Noice. Very noice. He would ask him about those soons. Those designs, from what he could see, were gnarly. However, hearing his question, he merely smiled at Vance and raised a hand. Waved two fingers. "...Hi."

"Oh!" With a beaming smile, Adelaide looked to Oz, "This is my very best friend in the whole entire world, Ozno!" She said, with no lack of fanfare, "And this is Vance, Ozzy. My… Well, you know that part."

Ozno felt all giddy and warm from Ade's awesome introduction of him. Best friend in the whole entire world...Man, he loved that. Made him feel all...special. Three taps special. Almost like a shy child, he took a small step forward and, regrettably letting go of Ade's hand, opened his arms out to Vance for a bro hug. "New buddy?" Then a pause, before he added, "Your tats? Very dope."

Blinking, Vance stared for a moment, unsure of what to do with the introduction, with the greeting. He had never known Ade to be terribly social, but the fact that she'd made a friend so fast… and one so…

Whatever he was…

"My… oh." Looking at his arms, Vance smirked faintly. With perhaps a touch of awkwardness, he gave what was easily the briefest half-pat, half-bro hug he could manage. In the end, he'd never be able to tell his sister what to do… Not when she'd spent so many years trapped. She seemed… liberated. Free.

"Thanks. You got ink?"

Beaming, Ade looked between the two.

It shouldn't have been possible for his sloth nature, but Ozno's smile managed to widen as Vance returned the hug. Cool. The bro contract was signed. He liked Ade's brother a lot so far. He was like...a big dude with tats. Just like him!

At Vance's question, Ozno nodded rapidly like an over-energetic puppy. He hadn't participated in tattoo show and tell since Megan's last visit. He rolled up his sleeve, exposing ink all the way from his forearm to his shoulder, a graceful conglomerate of cartoonish and nature-themed illustrations. He pointed at the massive chocolate butterfly. "Did them myself," he said before nodding in Ade's direction. "Ade makes me a chocolate butterfly."

...Vance spoke perfect English, but in that moment, he was pretty sure he was the one who was only just learning it, because whatever Ozno said, he just didn't grasp it. He was sure there was a deeper meaning, and a small part of him worried, genuinely, that that deeper meaning was something that was going to make him wanna punch someone. But fact was, between the guy's gentle tone and the way Adelaide was looking at him like he was something under the tree on Christmas morning, he couldn't bring himself to slip into angsty-brother territory. Not quite yet, anyway.

That, and the guy was pretty damned good at his art…

"Hell… Not bad at all. I got one I'm lookin' to get, soon. Maybe I'll hit you up." His eyes strayed to Adelaide and with a glimmer of a smile, he held out his arms, "...Gonna give me a proper greeting, Kiddo?"

"Oh, Van…" Adelaide breathed and bolting from Oz's side, she threw herself at him, "I missed you so so much. I did! I was so scared when… when you didn't get out… and I thought… and then I was here and it was all so new and I couldn't understand anyone, and I didn't know where to go or who to talk to. L...Luna was so sad, Ozzy, and it just made me sad. And then… then I found Oz, and…" Looking to him, she smiled, "...He made it all make sense again. Better than… than before. But I still missed you, and then they brought you back and they would not let me see you and they took you away, and…" Her eyes flooded suddenly, and she buried her face in his shirt, "Please do not ever leave me like that again, Van."

"...No, Canard drôle... No. I won't leave you, again." His eyes shifted to Oz, and he nodded, "Thank you… for taking care of my sister. Means a lot to me…"

Ozno beamed at the praise, but his attention instantly snapped to the reunion with building interest. Slowly, without his gaze leaving the touching interaction, sat down on the floor, criss-crossed applesauce with his hands folded in his lap. Man, this was nice. Like, awesome-touched-in-the-feels nice. Drumming against his calves, he grinned at Vance while muttering, "No prob. Poodle's my everything so, yeah. Gotta keep her happy."

"P….Poodle?" Vance's brow rose, and he looked to Ade again, who was only smiling pleasantly. He'd always had his nicknames for Ade, but this one threw him, for sure. The rest of the sentiment didn't lose him, either. My everything. The only person he'd ever so much as thought those words about was Luna…

A twinge hit him again, in that brotherly fashion, and he swallowed it back, "...So… you two spend a lot of time together?"

"Mmmmyis," Ozno hummed, face twisting a bit in thought while scratching the back of his head. Yeah. He'd say he spent a lot of time with Ade; like...all the time. Except for like, going to see Yul and taking his medicine for a few minutes, but that was about it. Other than that--it was chilling with Ade. The best. He raised a hand and started ticking off all the cool stuff they'd done together. "Getting food...splatter paint...dope rain bath...moon and star watching...napping...getting more food…"

He just kept going.

And there it was again - like another language. The only reason he was sure the man was speaking anything human was because Ade seemed to hang on every word, her smile growing brighter with each thing the odd red-head said.

"...I been out of commission for a while, man…" He started cautiously, not wanting to diminish Ade's joy, "Not sure I know what half of that mean." More than half, but still, "...But it sounds like you been takin' good care of her, and I gotta be grateful for that. Hey, Ad?"

Straightening, Adelaide nodded to her brother.

"Give us a minute, yeah? I just… you know how it is. Brother stuff."

A brow rose, but Ade's head bobbed again, and reaching out, she touched Oz's arm, "...I'm gonna go up." She pointed, with a grin, "Meet me when you're done?" With a small wave, she started off across the atrium, towards a door on the other side.

Ozno giggled eagerly at the notion of going up. That sounded like the dopest time; the weather looked every perfect from what he had seen through the skylights earlier. Basking in that piece of tranquility with his Poodle would be phenomenal. Nodding, he shot her a thumbs up while muttering, "Cool. Up." As she left, he finally stood up, staring at Vance innocently.

...And just continued standing there. Maybe staring at his tattoos some more, but always coming back to lock eyes with the man. "So…" He drummed his thighs. "Sup?"

When Ade was clear from his vision, Vance turned back to the man with a nod, hands slipping into his pockets, "I'm gonna spare you the scary big brother talk. Cause I got this thing about… about tryin' to hard to keep Ade in a cage, when I know what she's been through. But I gotta ask, cause it's just… if you got any kinda sister or anything, you know how it is, I gotta know… You for real with her? This ain't a game? Some kinda way to… to you know… take advantage?"

Ozno was a dang good listener. He liked listening, hearing how other peeps felt and understand why they thought the way they did. The human mind was so dang...twisty and complex and beautiful and dope, like a puzzle that could never be solved, but rather than facing constant questioning, you were always learning something new. Something fascinating. And thus, Ozno squinted at Vance and tilted his head...not really understanding the man. Slowly, his gaze fell to the floor, the gears in his brain turning insistently. "Uh…" He scratched his chin. "Without Poodle, I'm...not...triple taps." He shrugged. "I just wanna shine bright next to her in the darkness, so…"

Frowning softly, Vance scratched the back of his neck. He should've expected it, really… The kid was more cryptic than a sphynx, and Vance was pretty positive it wasn't even on purpose. He didn't wanna hurt Ade… didn't wanna push. But there was a difference between letting her loose and letting her lose. He needed to protect her, maybe out in the world more than ever before.

"...You seem legit, and I can tell from the way she looks, you ain't half bad for her. So I gotta hope I'm not misreading this, cause hell if I know what any of what you just said even means. Fact is, you seem like the kinda guy who… if I gotta hurt you, I'm gonna feel kinda bad about it. But if you hurt her, it's gonna come around. So just uh…" Rubbing a hand over his face, he grimaced as he tried to think how exactly to say what needed to be said, "...Do right by her, yeah?"

Ozno visibly flinched at the mention of getting hurt. Wait, what did he do? Was he in trouble? Did he say something wrong again? Dang. He hoped not. Because then Yul would get double mad, throw him in the brig, and take away his mouse buddies, which wasn't cool. At all. Folding both hands behind him and nibbling his bottom lip, he nodded. "Kinda don't like hurting…" he muttered. However, the tail end of his spiel clicked somewhat in the ginger's mind and he straightened up instantly, an earnest shine in his suddenly alert eyes. "Always. Always the best for my everything."

As it seemed to click with Oz, Vance took note and was satisfied, at least as much as he could be. He'd ask around… find out more about the guy, but he wasn't gonna push, wasn't gonna butt in. He and Luna had something special, but hell if it made sense - and definitely not to anyone on the outside of it… but he'd never belittle what it was. He was gonna marry her, and in his eyes if he could have that, well… why couldn't someone else. That didn't mean, however, he would turn a blind eye to his sister's well being. Not ever.

Nodding, he extended a hand, "Sounds good enough for me, Oz. And hey… I meant what I said. May hit you up about gettin' some ink, one of these days."

Ozno stared at Vance's hand. Then back up at him. At the hand again. He accepted the gesture, giving it a firm shake, then pulled the man into another hug, patting his back gently. "Buddies hug." Then, he pulled back, scrutinizing Vance with the eye of an artist. "...Eclipsed sun. I'll sketch stuff for ya."

After the hug, Vance rubbed the back of his neck again, shaking his head. Whatever Ade saw, the guy was definitely the strangest Vance had ever met… but hell if he didn't seem the sort who grew on ya, "Great. I need a moth. A Luna moth. With freckles." He added, with a small, sly smile, "You better get up there. Ade's waitin'..."

"Luna moth...Dope," Ozno said, his eyes shining at the multitudes of images flashing through his head at lightning speed. So much inspiration! He would have a field day with this client. And freckles too! A fellow creative kin--he guess it made sense, as he was his Poodle's brother. However, he then perked at the reminded that Ade was waiting for him and he nodded eagerly.

That was right! Ade! Roof watching! Yis!

"Kay!" he exclaimed giddily before spinning on his heel and taking off for the--

Smack!

He momentarily forgot that he couldn't phase through a door. Rubbing his abused face, he fumbled with the handle and scaled upstairs. His voice travelled back to Vance. "Bye buddyyyyy!"

...As Oz ran smack into the door, Vance flinched, before rubbing a hand over his face. Decidedly, he didn't need to worry about the guy. If he was shady, he was the smarted SoB known to man, cause no one… absolutely no one… could fake that level of out there, unless they were pure evil genius. And somehow, he had his doubts…

"See ya around, Oz." He said, with a wave, before he headed for the exit.

 

[Mobley Eats]

Collab Post: Catching Up | Interactions: Luna and Finn @CloudyBlueDay | Location: Orlando HQ


Once Vance had left, Finn felt the crushing weight of all he knew he was about to tell Luna settle in on his shoulders. He desperately didn't want to rehash it, but Finn owed Luna the explanation. He didn't want to keep her in the dark… especially when he knew that she had to have heard something about it.

"U-um." Finn began, and taking a deep breath, leaned against the bed, wringing his hands nervously. "S-sorry I'm about to.. Rain on the whole… getting married parade." He mumbled awkwardly, looking at her. "I just.. I want you to know what happened. From me. I-if I'm gonna be your.. Best man and all. You know."

Luna mirrored Finn's position, hands clasped before her patiently as she listened. However, the more he spoke, the more her features pinched with confusion. She rubbed her arm. "W-whoa, you make it sound s-so dire...Finn, what're you t-talking about? Something happened?"

Finn frowned, trying to summon the courage to tell her everything. "You.. you had to have heard. About the whole… m-murder investigation." He said quietly. "Someone… died. And they thought I did it."

"Wait...y-you? That's…" Luna straightened up a bit, shock coursing through her system. Of course, she had heard about the murder, but she was so wrapped up in the rescue mission and cracking the chip that she failed to pick up further details. And yet, while she was swamped with her own issues, Finn had been accused of something...heinous. The hacker shook her head. "Th-that's insane, Finn. I mean...you're o-okay now, right?" Luna knew her limits, knew of her weaknesses and small stature, of her intimidation skills being equivalent to a soaked kitten, and yet, even then, just the tiniest hint of protectiveness flared up her gut.

She tried to squash the feeling, focusing on Finn.

"S..sure." Finn murmured. "Uhm, Yul sent in this woman to.. uh.. t-torture a confession out of me. Turns out, sh-she ended up being the person who k-killed the girl. F...funny story, right?" Finn said weakly, paling at the thought. It was desperately hard to look at Luna, but he tried his best too. He knew Luna wouldn't be happy to hear what had been done to him, but if he beated around the bush now, she'd only find out later. It couldn't be helped, and it was already in the past. Hopefully she'd see that.

"D-don't freak out." Finn begged.

Finn was her best friend. Luna knew that she said that a lot, but it was an unending fact and thus, accompanying that honor was the knowledge of how he worked. She caught whiff of the anxiety in his tone spiking and as soon as he explained the extent of Yul's treatment of him, the sentiment that seized her was so sudden and overwhelming that her jaw clenched. It started off as a handful of sparks in her belly, before expanding into a wave of heat running up the back of her neck. Against her accord, her arms crossed and she replied in a volume just one step above a whisper, "S-so you're telling me...that Yul sent in th-the actual murderer in to t-torture you…for s-something you didn't d-do."

She raked a hand through her curls, taking a long, shaky inhale in an attempt to cool herself down. "I'm...I-I'm not freaking out," she insisted, a hint more steel seeping into her voice, "I'm just...going to go find Yul's office. That's all. Where is it again?"

"N-no you're not," Finn said quickly, hand shooting out to grab her wrist. "I knew you were gonna do that. Luna, it's done. He didn't mean it. And he didn't ever even mean for her to actually t-touch me. Don't go make any more trouble for me, okay? The people at this base are already wary of me. Please, Lu, I'm asking you not too." Finn said firmly, not letting go of her wrist until he knew she wasn't going to rush off. It always warmed his heart to know that Luna would jump up to defend him, but it wouldn't help him now.

The hand Finn had snagged curled into a tight fist. Luna could still recall the sensation of her knuckles meeting the faces of guards as they dragged her away from Vance, screaming and thrashing. It had hurt, but in that moment, she had anticipated it. Thus, she kept swinging and swinging, letting her anger override all senses...She felt even worse afterwards. The drained fury left nothing but shame in its wake.

Her posture relaxed, if only a fraction. "O...o-okay," she muttered, "I'm sorry, F-Finn. Really. I just…" She heaved another sigh. "The thought of s-someone hurting you just...b-blinds me a little. They really had the a-audacity to do that and I...w-wasn't there for you." Her words dwindled into a pained whisper, guilt joining the pool of emotions swirling in her gut.

Sighing deeply, Finn laid a hand on Luna's back, letting go of her hand. "It's okay." He assured her. "Luna, I was beating myself up because I couldn't come save you from RIEF. I.. I guess you know how I feel now. I was losing my mind thinking about you being hurt. These… these things happen. And sometimes, you can't save the people you wanna."

He looked at her firmly. "We got out if it. That's what matters."

"Ch-christ, if that's how you felt...th-then you've got a will of steel," Luna said, a faint smile pulling at her lips. One hand flew up to rub her arm. "Th-that is what matters, it really is but...W-what if you hadn't? Finn, we j-just made a promise to one a-another. To get stronger and...a-and protect one another, but…" She ran both hands down her face, as if attempting to wipe the frustration away from her being. It didn't help in the slightest.

"I… really don't. I was terrified." Finn mumbled. "Luna.. I.." He sighed and looked away. "Promises.. Only make someone feel better. They don't do anything else. So many people have promised me so many things. And it didn't even matter if they wanted to keep the promise. They never could." His eyes were angled down, fingers clenched at his sides. "I made that promise to you, Luna, c-cause… it's what I want more than anything. And I make promises to Rose, because I want to keep them. But it doesn't mean shit. Promises don't mean shit." Finn said bitterly. His cheeks were hot with anger, eyes glassy.

The way Finn was speaking in that very moment...unsettled Luna. Greatly. She understood the scarring one acquired while working and living the Rogue life, but this was Finn. The goofy, loving, comic book and video game loving nerd of a best friend and he rarely spoke this way. There were moments in which they shared...more serious conversations, of course there were, but she couldn't say that she saw these sentiments coming. Carefully, she reached out to touch his arm, just a feather touch, prepared to pull away if need be.

"Finn...I...I know that things...e-everything has been terrible. S-so damn terrible, but letting a bitter feeling like th-that influence…" She trailed off, struggling to find the right words. No, that wasn't exactly what she wanted to convey, but the thought was jumbling her thoughts. "Promises, they...th-they can mean something. They can."

"They can't." Finn insisted, fists balling as he shied away from her touch. "I promised Rose I wouldn't leave her side. And then I got arrested. And Yul promised he wouldn't hurt me. But then he did. Locked me up in a cell and let me be tortured by the person who actually killed someone! Then I promised Rose I wouldn't leave her side again and I had to go rescue Penny, who promised me she wouldn't ever do something reckless like that and I…" Tears stung his eyes. "And a long time ago, someone promised me they'd take care of me, and they died. So promises don't mean anything to me. I'll keep saying what everyone wants to hear. I will. I try to keep my promises if I have to make them. But it doesn't even matter what I want, or what I say. The world doesn't care. Nobody cares."

His mouth suddenly clamped shut, like he'd said too much. Like it'd fallen out of him all in one swoop and he hadn't even been able to stop himself from spilling his guts out. Finn was aching, inside and out, and it showed in the tremble of his clenched fists and his broken words. His curls fell around his face, hiding the tears that slid down his cheeks as he bowed his head. "Everything's slipping out of my hands." He whispered. "Promises don't keep the people I care about safe."

Luna thought she understood true heartbreak when she was forced to leave Vance behind, only for reality to shove into her face that this brand of agony came in a spectrum of variations. Mac's death. The horrific virus. But now, she had to struggled with yet another version of it; standing there, watching Finn's composure fall apart and listening to the pained admissions lit her afire with a helpless guilt. She wanted to comfort him, to have the perfect words for remedying his woes, but she didn't. Her brain shut off, her tongue dried up like cotton, and all of the moisture traveled to her eyes.

Despite his last reaction, Luna extended a hand out once more, her voice a hoarse whisper, "Finn...I...I-I'm sorry, I never knew. I never…" Wordlessly, she embraced him tightly, not giving him a chance to let go. There was no way in hell she was letting him go. "I-I care," she whimpered, hold tightening, "I care, Finn. I-I swear. And so...so many people do. W-we care so much and I...Dammit." She balled fistfuls of his shirt. "God, I-I wish I had the right words f-for you, Finn. Had the answers, the right r-response to help heal you or...or something."

Finn sunk helplessly into her embrace. He tried to cling onto the anger, but in Luna's arms, he couldn't help but sob. His fingers dug into her arm, desperate to hang on. All he wanted to do was hang on. To her love, to everyone's love, to the light at the end of the tunnel. But every time he grabbed for it, the tunnel only seemed to lengthen, plunging him into darkness.

"I care too, Lu. And that's the problem." He whispered. "I care too much. And it doesn't do a damn thing. Just makes watching you.. Everyone get hurt.. worse. So much worse." Finn sucked in a breath and lifted his head, his face a mess of tears. "I.. c-can't even think about Miami base. About all the people we lost. I can't.. I can't even begin to explain to Rose how much all of this hurts, because she just woke up from a three day coma. I just want to be there f-for everyone. But I don't… I don't even believe in what I'm saying anymore. I just want to stop feeling. I want it all to go away."

As soon as Finn revealed his face, instincts within Luna were already guiding her hands up to wipe away as much of the mess as she could. She hated seeing him upset, let alone crying, and the sight did nothing less than drive a human-sized dagger through her chest. A few lonely tears stung at the corner of her own eyes, but she managed to keep them at bay--barely. Just barely. "Finn, y-you have the biggest heart a-around, no exaggeration. A-absolutely none. You have s-so much love and care to g-give, that....sometimes I, all of us, a-are stupid and forget that y-you're human too. That you h-hurt and have doubts just l-like the rest of us. And for that Finn...I am so, s-so sorry. So sorry that you think you h-have to bottle all this in."

Luna took a step back, both hands falling to Finn's shoulders. "Never…Never stop feeling, Finn. Do you hear me?" She gave a reassuring squeeze. Despite the firmness in her tone, there was no denying the quivers wracking her arms and legs. "You stop feeling and the next thing you know...you'll wonder who in the heck you are. That's what makes you Finn. That's what makes you my bestest friend in the whole world. I...I don't know how to cope with all this, I really don't. Christ, I wish I did, but never feeling is not the answer. I-I really don't think it is, Finn."

Biting his lip harshly to try and stop himself from crying any further, Finn nodded weakly. He wanted to believe her. And a part of him did. A part of him knew that it was foolish to want to stop feeling… that it wouldn't solve anything. But he was hurting so much, for so many, pulled in so many different directions trying to be anything but broken. Her words were kind. They always were, even when she thought they weren't right. Finn knew it wasn't Luna's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. But it didn't stop the hurt, the dull ache that had turned into a sharp sting. Nothing stopped it.

With a shuddering hiccup, Finn took her hands, squeezed them tightly, before pulling them off his shoulders. He placed his cheek on her own shoulder, and closed his eyes. Tried to swallow her words, to make them reach his heart.. "You're shaking." He whispered. "I'm sorry, Lu. I'm sorry I put this on you. I h-hate.. I hate seeing you like this. I made you like this now." It was perhaps a guilty statement, but there was nothing behind his words except sorrow. He wanted to say something else. Something trademark Finn reassuring. You're strong. You'll be okay. You'll be safe. He didn't have it in him. He only leaned against her, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I-I'm always shaking," she whispered back, a weak attempt to lighten the mood. Almost a reaction of denial. She patted the back of his head briefly, remaining right where she was until he was good and ready. Until he was...at least back to semi-normalcy. She could tell by his voice that recovering from this talk, from the emotions that had burst forth, that it'd be quite some time before he found true peace with himself. And Luna wallowed in that same hurt, silently.

She used her free hand to wipe at her eyes, inhaling deeply, slowly. "D-don't ever apologize for sh-sharing your feelings with me, Finn. I'm...I-I'm honestly grateful that you told me a-all of this. I...I feel s-so sick thinking of you h-holding this all in," she said.

"Y-yeah but you're… shaking more than usual." Finn mumbled awkwardly, finally pulling away from her shoulder. Rubbing his eyes one last time, Finn heaved a sigh, exhausted and out of emotion to spill. He didn't know how to tell Luna that he hadn't meant to say anything about all this. That it had spilled out of him, that his own mouth had betrayed him. Instead, he shrugged helplessly, looking away.

"Uh…sure. A..Always." Was all Finn murmured. "You… you probably want to go find Vance or something, yeah?"

"That was...a-a terrible attempting at bs-ing, h-huh?" Luna teased lightly. Figures--she'd never be able to pull one past Finn, no matter how out of it he seemed. She gave him one last pat as he retreated, that same hand migrating to its traditional spot on her arm. "Finn," she sighed, eyes softening, "W-what about you? I don't...really…" Her gaze strayed down. "I-I don't want it to sound l-like I'm smothering or anything but...a-after everything that was just said, I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone like that."

"I'll be fine." Finn said, as smoothly as possible. He tried to nod in confirmation, hiding his fists in his lap to make sure they didn't shake. He didn't want to talk anymore. "I'll probably just go rest in my room. I kinda.. Was awake the whole time, waiting for Rose. Should try and go sleep." He said quietly.

Luna didn't like this, not in the slightest, but she wasn't one for forcing others against their will. There was a cruel irony behind that sentiment, considering the repercussions of her ability...She shook the thought away. Now wasn't the time let her guilt resurface. Instead, she settled for nodded, shooting Finn one last supportive smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes. "O...okay, Finn. I-I don't want you slipping into s-sleep deprivation on me. Please sleep m-more than enough for both of us." Awkwardly, she delivered a gentle jab to his arm...Yeah no, that felt incredibly weird. "A-and don't forget to come t-talk to me whenever you want."

Finn smiled lightly, laughing at her jab. He tried to feel better, to look better for Luna, 'cause he knew she'd just worry herself sick over him. He didn't want that. "I know. I will. Not slipping into sleep deprivation anytime, okay?" He patted her shoulder encouragingly, before standing up. "I'll see you later?"

Luna giggled, tugging on a curl out of nervous habit. Normal habit, since she was always nervous. She nodded before muttering, "Y-yeah, I'll see you later, F-Finn. Err...soon, hopefully. B-but later. Um...Great, I'm confusing m-myself with a simple g-goodbye." The hacker shook her head, hand dropping from her hair. "Y-you get what I'm saying."

He looked at her reassuringly, giving a gentle nod. "I always get what you're saying." Finn said, like it was plain as day. It didn't matter how many times Luna tripped over her words, he always knew what she meant.

Finn twisted the door knob and slipped outside. "Bye, Lu."

"You really do," Luna said, watching Finn leave. As soon as he was gone, she heaved a sigh, raking fingers through her hair.

Today had been...exhausting.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Siren
Collab with @WingWong @Mobley Eats and @KatSea

The next time that Francis awoke, the splintering pain had diminished. Her head was clearer, her eyes unblurred. Still, waking up stung in a way it normally wouldn't have, and as the pieces slowly fell together for Fran, the panic she'd forgotten quickly forced its way back into her heart.

She remembered now. The mission. The sudden headache, dizziness, and… collapsing onto Lucas.

Lucas.

Francis jolted out of the bed, and winced at the pain that danced up her spine. Okay. Cured, but not a hundred percent. Easy, Fran, easy. Taking a moment to quell the nausea that invaded her, Francis set her bare feet on the cold tile and shivered. They all must have been worried sick. Where was her team? Nick, Danica? How long had she been out? What the hell had even happened?

It was strangely hard to stand. It felt like her legs were weak, wobbly, not enough to support her. Standing up out of the bed was a horrendous chore, discomfort lacing every step. She was determined. Determined to find her team, find answers. But what she had not expected was to find Lucas' unmoving body in the partitioned section right beside her own.

Pulling back the curtain, Francis froze. There lay Lucas tightly tucked between white sheets, the monitors beside him beeping in unceremonious harmony. Her breath was caught in her throat. Stumbling, Francis collapsed into the chair beside him. "Lucas….." She whispered. "What happened to us?"

The last thing she'd said…. Was let's talk later. The last real thing she'd ever done… was just about chuck him across a hallway and slam a door in his face. The thought of Lucas… never waking up… and that was the last thing she'd said…

She tried to hold back the tears that blossomed in her eyes. There were so many things she wanted to say, but what if she never got too? Where would she even begin? The emotions that bubbled in her throat had nowhere to go. She knew no way to voice them.

No way except one.

"Oh you," Her voice cracked at the first note. She hadn't sang in so long, but music always fell out of her in the most emotional moments. "You weasled your way in. Oh you, you found the cracks I couldn't fix." Francis dragged her hands across her face, taking a deep breath before trying to summon the courage to keep on going. "All my life… I been searchin' for a cure that doesn't exist. I never thought… it'd be you who would lead me to the places I missed."

"Why'd you have to cry
I wasn't ready to say goodbye

'Cause all my life
I been swimming in regret
Of the things i shoulda said
No one told me we were gonna fall this hard
What I wouldn't give to take it back from the start."

Sleep didn't come easy. Lucas never wanted it to. The last he remembered was the panic overwhelming his system, the concern twisting his world around until he could no longer tell which way was up. And yet...hands had forced him back down and he refused to give a speck of cooperation until the thrashing exhausted him and his friends, unsafe, ill, without him by their side, was the last thing on his mind.

He never expected to hear anything before his eyes opened. It was soft, lilting, soothing, and so achingly familiar yet estranged all at once. Whatever it was, whoever it was, it was impossible to resist and Lucas found himself lulled back to the surface of consciousness. He blinked awake, the brightness nearly blinding him. He groaned softly, blinked a few more times to adjust, before reality finally sharpened with decent clarity. He could've felt sore. He could've felt miserable. But absolutely nothing about himself mattered when he spotted Fran at his bedside. She was okay. She was awake. Right there. No more blood and...fuck, she was okay.

"F...Fran…" His voice was weak, barely there.

At the sound of his voice Francis' abruptly stopped, a sharp gasp replacing any lyric she had planned to sing next. "Lucas," She whispered, and a smile fluttered onto her lips. Standing from the chair without hesitation, she pressed a frantic kiss to his forehead before enveloping him in a hug, as always, a little too tightly. "Oh my god. You're okay, thank fuck," She rambled.

Lucas barely had a chance to register the kiss upon his forehead before her hug surrounded him; he wheezed a bit, the oxygen evacuating his lungs in one surprised breath. Frantically, he started patting her back, gently, but still urgent enough to let her know that...he couldn't breathe very well. "F...Fran? Fran? F-Fran? Can't...c-can't uh…" he wheezed.

With a small yelp, Francis let go, immediately backing away from his bed with her hands up. "S-sorry - shit - sorry, Lucas, oh my god," She'd almost squeezed the life out of him, and he'd just barely woken up. "A-are y-you okay?"

Lucas slapped a hand to his chest, breathing in and out steadily as he recuperated. Damn...Christ. Oh yeah, his Fran was definitely okay; that monstrous grip was a true testament to that. "N-no worries, sweetness," he said, a chuckle infecting his voice. Lowering his hand and sitting up fully, he just took a moment to look at her. Just...purely look at her. To make sure this was reality, not another one of the several fever dreams that had struck him while he was unconscious. He fell silent, completely wrapped up in confirming her safety.

Francis took a slow breath to calm her nerves, nodding along to his words. "Um, okay, yeah, good. Good. Shit. Lucas, thank god you're okay, thank god.." Francis trailed off, slightly unnerved by his silence. She brought her arms up around herself, worry and confusion seeping into her voice. "Uhm… Lucas? Y-you're staring."

Lucas blinked. Staring? "Uh...what? I…" But then it clicked when he noticed the motion her arms took and instantly, heat rushed to his face. He shook his head rapidly. "Ahhhh fuck, fuck, fuck--Fran, no. Th-that's not--like, for once it's not, I swear...fuck." He heaved a sigh of defeat, covering his face with both hands as he tried to cool down. Well...He was waking up to a fun time, wasn't he?

He allowed himself another moment to collect himself before muttering, "I'm just...really glad to see you're okay, sweetness. That's all, just...not that."

Francis' lip curled upward, and she nodded. "Ah, yeah. S-sure. Sorry. I get it." She whispered, moving back to the chair because it was still a little awkward to stand. Uh, one foot at a time, y-yeah, no big deal, except the tile was really friggin' cold against her feet and sending shivers up along her sore spine, so when her legs wobbled and gave as she made her way back to the chair and towards his bed, she shouldn't really have even been surprised.

Lucas noticed the wobbling before she even started to fall. Whatever energy he had been steadily saving up since awakening, he expended all of it to stand up and catch her. He nearly fell over himself, though he was lucky enough to simply fall back onto the bed with her. "Ch-Christ, sweetness, you alright?" he asked, heart racing a tad. He couldn't help it. Watching her fall reminded him of when she...He shook off the thought, biting the inside of his cheek.

Slowly, Nick cracked open his eyes, squinting into the light as they refocused. His head didn't feel like it was being crushed anymore, though there was that ache present all throughout his body still. It took a few moments, for him to remember how being a person worked. In that time, however, he laid still and took in his surroundings.

His surroundings happened to include Francis and Lucas.

He listened in silence as Francis sang and Lucas woke as well. He said nothing as the two of them hugged, trying to remember how legs worked again. Then, of course, the two of them collapsed into a bed together, and Nick couldn't fight staying silent any longer. Not like they needed to know how much he'd seen or heard, right?

"Guys?" he said, voice weak and raspy.

Francis blinked wearily as Lucas tugged her into the safety of the bed rather than the harsh embrace of the floor. "....I'm fine." She muttered, shaking her head, trying to pull herself out of the fog that she had suddenly fallen into. "How…. long have we even been…"

At Nick's voice, Francis jolted, suddenly pulling away from Lucas as she forced herself up and onto her feet again, stumbling over to tug Nick into a hug, even though she barely reached past his torso. "You're okay…" She echoed. The weakness of his voice unnerved her, and even though she hadn't been conscious to see Lucas or Nick collapse, she had a sinking feeling something similar had happened. "Did… did we get s-sick, or something?" Francis croaked.

Lucas was hot on Fran's heel to also pull Nick into an embrace, effectively trapping them into a group hug. He didn't even care if it would get him hit or thrown, he needed this. He was certain they all did. "I think so," he whispered, squeezing Nick a tad tighter, "Some nutjob virus but...looks like we're gonna make it; that's all that matters to me."

Nick hadn't even fully sat up before he'd been tugged into a hug, first by Francis and then by Lucas. His surprise would've shown on his face, but if this was a group hug, then he wasn't going to fight it in any way. He wrapped his arms around the pair of them, pulling them closer as he tried to get out of his half-on, half-off the bed position to actually stand.

"Something like that, yeah," he replied. Sick, in a way. They were all awake now though. No fever dreams of falling, or gunshots, or too much blood. Just his friends. His friends. Now, that they were all safe, he had little intention of letting go.

Francis melted into the embrace, closing her eyes thankfully. She vaguely remembered now, getting rushed to the infirmary, ice packs being pushed beneath her and gentle voices urging her to continue to rest. They'd been infected, somehow, on the mission. Francis tried to pull away, to dust off her hands and get back to business, but she found it strangely hard to plant her feet firmly on the ground. Instead, she opted to continue clinging to Nick, eyes half closed as she gripped onto his shirt. "We… musta been out… a while. 'Cuz I… am….tired." Francis muttered.

Lucas was just about to pull Francis back into the group hug, definitely not done with their session of spiritual healing, only to see her fall back into the embrace tiredly. He turned to face her more, cheek pressed to Nick's torso as he squinted at her. "Yeah...Yeah, I'm kinda feeling it too, sweetness." His gaze then traveled up to Nick, brain struggling to recall details of the mission. "We...Me and Nick, we got sick a little slower than you, Fran Wham Bam. Trying to remember what we did different…"

If Nick's sense of time hadn't been messed up before, it definitely was now. He had no idea how long what day it was, or how long they had been out since they had come back from the mission. As Francis fell back into the hug, he wrapped his arms a little tighter around her and Lucas both. Nope, can't escape the hug fest now. That aside, he was definitely feeling the exhaustion that came from sleeping while sick. "Daisy and Thad said something about proximity, and Vance being a carrier, I think." His memories of that day were a tad fuzzy at the moment.

Letting out a grunt as Nick tightened the hug, Francis finally began to snap out of her weariness, at least, long enough to start attempting to pull herself away from their embrace. "Vance… being a carrier? The guy we rescued…" Francis blinked. "Danica, where's Danica? We carried him… that's why we fell first." Francis whipped around, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Devon sitting beside a bed, a weary but happy expression on his face as he spoke to Danica. She breathed a small sigh of relief, shaking her head. "We're… we're okay." Francis muttered, and she almost thought it was too good to be true. "Will one of you let go now?"

Heaving a soft, long sigh, Lucas merely let his eyes flutter closed with a smile. Upon hearing Fran's question, he just hummed and kept an arm wrapped around her. "Nope," he muttered, "Last time I let go of you, sweetness? I thought I'd never get to hold you again, so deal with it."

Francis blinked at Lucas' response. "...Oh." Was all she whispered, and made no further attempts to tug away from the hug, instead allowing herself to be squished under their embrace. "...Fine." She mumbled.

Levi had heard the news about the cure, but there was a hidden dread sinking within his chest. He wasn't certain if this cure was going to revive his friends, nor was he certain that they were going to be in good shape. He feared seeing them, pale and unconscious, eyes fluttering into the back of their heads as their bodies continued to cling on for survival. Nevertheless, he knew he had been avoiding the infirmary for far too long. He needed to see them. He wanted to hear their voices again. He wasn't sure if they would be content seeing him, but at that point it didn't matter.

He longed to see them again.

Placing his crafted creations safely into his jacket pocket, Levi emerged from his room and hesitantly started toward the infirmary. He knew Daisy could pull this off, he was damn sure that she would keep to her promise. Still, this didn't stop his heart from beating wildly against his ribcage. Fear travelled up his throat as he pushed open the door and peeked inside. He could see a huddle of people, embracing for dear life. He blinked, recognizing at least the tallest from the huddle. "N-nick?" He stammered, fully entering the room. "F-f-fran? L-Lucas?" He could feel his eyes begin to burn, his fists clenching at his sides. "Y-y-..." Any words that could have formed became lost in his throat, relief coursing through his veins. "O-oh...Oh t-t-thank G-God…."

"Yeah, not happening, Fran," Nick said, in agreement with Lucas. He stood there a bit, clutching the both of them, before hearing the door open. There stood Levi. He could only imagine how the three of them looked. Still a little sickly from having just woken up from their illness, huddled together in a group hug in the middle of the infirmary. Ultimately, Nick figured there were far worse things. They were alive, and things could improve. He gave Levi a warm smile before extending one arm, an invitation into the hug. "Hey."

At the new voice, Francis stiffened under the confines of the hug. "Levi," She murmured, an exhausted smile creeping onto her lips, forcing herself away just to look up and be sure it was him. There he was, in flustered glory, and from the way his eyes were stinging she knew they had been down for the count for longer than she hoped. Wrenching one arm free, Francis grabbed his shirt and yanked him into the hug, eyes burning with tears herself.

Levi stared at the huddle, forgetting how to move. A wave of uncertainty crashed over him, wondering if he had intruded, wondering if...Before he realized it, his hand had grasped gently around Nicks, preparing to pull himself in. His body shook. A quick pull of his shirt by Francis, however, tore down his barrier of nerves. Swiftly he found his arms wrapped tightly around the three, his hold tight but careful. "O-oh God. O-oh God. You are okay...you're okay…"

Lucas knew that the final piece of their little ragtag family was finally found as Fran pulled Levi into the group hug, and his face ached from how hard he was smiling. Damn. This was it. They really made it out of this alive and holding each other. His family. His family… "Gl-glad to be back, big bro," Lucas chuckled, absolutely letting himself drown in the embrace. He'd never forget this experience, so help him God.

As soon as Francis pulled Levi in, Nick hooked an arm around him, pulling him a little further into the hug. All things considered there were worse things to wake up to after being a sick. Being the bread of a tiny person sandwich was pretty high on the list of things he'd like to wake up to now. "Never better," he told Levi, still smiling.

Francis could feel her eyes burning as the hug claimed its fourth member, and burying herself in their warm embrace, she exhaled in relief. She felt whole again, holding them all tightly, being at the center of an enveloping snuggle of the people she realized she cared about way too much to let go of any time soon. And so she stayed like that for a while, just breathing in their warmth, reminding herself this was how it felt to be safe. A feeling she refused to forget. A feeling she had damn near forgotten.

Finally, Francis came up for air. Looking up at Levi with watery eyes, she brushed the tears away with the back of her hand before anything fell. "I'm so sorry, Levi," She whispered. "T-to have made you… worry like that, all of you." Francis swallowed. If any of them had collapsed in her arms like she had done to Lucas… she couldn't imagine the pain. It would have made her gone ballistic. "How… how long were we out?"

Hearing Lucas call him a brother sent warm throughout his entire body, his legs threatening to give out from under him as he gave the group a gentle squeeze. "I'm glad to see you all so...so bright and cheery. And now I know it takes a hell of a lot more to knock down you goobers. For that, I am proud. And it requires changes of plans." The last piece was a tease, although it barely escaped his lips. Slowly he nuzzled his face into Lucas's hair, then turned to Francis and did the same, before gently raising his hand and lowering Nick's head. "Stop being so tall, damn you." he muttered teasingly, repeating the action. Lowering his own head back into the cuddle pile, he adjusted his grasp. "H-hey. It's not your fault, Frankie. I'm just so proud of you for being so strong. But I wouldn't expect anything less of you. You...you've been out for at least three days. You know how much stress carving a man can do in three days?"

Something residing in Lucas' chest thumped in pure surprise as Levi nuzzled into his hair. There was...so much affection behind that motion. The most he had ever received in a small gesture; he almost didn't know how to react or what to do with himself. Slightly flushed, he settled for smiling softly and hiding his face in Nick's torso once more. "You cuties are gonna make me cry, man. Jesus," he chuckled weakly. However, he was thrown off upon hearing that they were all unconscious for three days...All he could think in that moment, all he could mutter in light shock was, "That's...honestly the longest I've went without smoking. Blessing in disguise?" A sheepish grin pulled at his lips, just the tiniest hint of guilt behind it. He knew what a bad habit was and had no qualms about admitting that he'd need to kick it. At some point. Hopefully.

A small squeak of protest escaped Francis at the hair ruffling, but her cheeks reddened and she made no effort to stop it once it had begun. The touch was loving, and Francis felt overwhelmed by the amount of emotion in the room. "Three… days?" She said weakly, head spinning. Three days… that was a horribly long time. A long time not to get up and to train, to miss important events, missions. What if Rogue had gone and collapsed in those days? So long.. So long to not be alert and on edge and watching. Francis tensed again, only to turn to Lucas and release a punch into his shoulder. "If I see you smoking another cigarette I'll put you back into a coma." She muttered, only half joking. "Three whole fucking days…" She echoed in disbelief, shaking her head. "Hope you didn't hurt your hands too bad with all that stress carving, Lev."

Nick laughed as Levi gently pushed his head down, making him bend his legs so that the other could bury his face in his hair. There was a happy, warm feeling in his chest, even as Levi pulled away. "Sounds like it's time to hide those cigs, then," he chuckled. He sobered a bit as the reality hit him. Three days. Three days he and the others had been lying in beds. Three days he'd been falling and screaming in his dreams. Three days since the world went to hell. Right now, all he could focus on was the people in his arms. He'd have to focus on the people in his arms, savor this before everything from three days ago came rushing back with no distractions to save him. "You can't say that and not show us the tower of carvings, Levi," he commented with a grin, glad he at least had these three with him right now.

Levi couldn't help the grin growing on his face, although his demeanor sombered ever so slightly at Lucas' comment. "You really don't need to smoke, bud. You are gonna hack up a lung before you are thirty." Granting a hearty pat on Lucas's back, Levi tapped his foot and bit down on his lip. He could imagine how hard the news would hit. He could never imagine being out cold for three days straight(he could imagine a two day bender but that was besides the point). But they were okay now, which hopefully proved to be enough to get them through it. It was a miracle that the cure worked. And he knew he would owe Daisy later for her promise.

"Oh." Levi's cheek became ignited as they reminded him of his carvings. He grinned sheepishly at all three of his Rogue family, slowly wriggling from the pile but happily allowing for their arms to remain around him. "I lost so many table legs and a drawer for you three goobers." He teased, pulling out the first carving that came to his hand. "Ah, I think this squiggly creature is called a G clef." He hummed, praying that the red in his cheeks died down. He handed the carved note to Nick. Next in his pocket came the lioness, having been completed within the nick of time. He handed it slowly to Francis. "I was honestly working on this as an apology, beforehand." Levi swallowed, then pulling out the last little lion for Lucas. "There. Hope they aren't too crummy."

For a second time in a row, Lucas was left shocked by everyone's reactions to his smoking comment. He had said it in a playful manner, but even then, the amount of concern and care that suddenly crashed over him was hard to ignore. He didn't know whether to feel flattered, smothered, or both. Probably both, in the best way possible.

He took the punch with a wince and a smile, rubbing the spot with a giggle. "Yes ma'am and sirrrr..." he drawled sarcastically, adding an eye roll for emphasis. At the very least, Nick wasn't harping him about his habits and he smiled in gratitude up at the man. "If you got any good hiding spots, lemme know later," he whispered.

And then, Levi just had to go and turn the poor organ in Lucas' chest into a pile of warm goo. Damn that man. Damn his carving skills and this amazing lion. Damn him. If Lucas wasn't drowning in guilt before from lashing out at Levi, then he sure was now. He cradled the little lion to his chest, biting the corner of his lip to hold back a smile, lest it would split his cheeks in two. "Dude...this...It's awesome," he breathed, for once in his life completely speechless. He couldn't remember the last time someone went out of their way to make a gift for him. Perhaps, maybe, that was because this was indeed the first time in his life.

Eyes widening at the small lioness placed in her palm, Francis stared. "As.. as an apology?" She echoed, and tears welled in her eyes all over again. It was so perfect and little and thoughtful. She'd never let go of it. Biting her lip, Francis crashed against Levi for one more hug, apologizing into his chest. "I'm sorry for a-all the shit I said, and I swear I didn't.. I… Levi, you didn't need to apologize, you only tried to help.. And… I… love my little lioness. Thank you." She mumbled, pulling away and brushing her hand against her eyes.

"Those table legs and drawers will be remembered fondly for their sacrifice," Nick grinned before his face sombered at being handed the treble clef carving. He ran the tips of her fingers over the edges, taking in the details. "Thank you," he said, voice soft with something that could very well be awe. He looked back up at Levi, giving the other man a warm smile, and if his eyes were a little watery, he had no intention of acknowledging it.

"You wouldn't be able to reach them. They're on top shelves," Nick whispered back teasingly, unable to stop himself poking a little fun at Lucas. Of course, little did Lucas know Nick was sorely tempted to hide the cigarettes from him. Lungs were important, damnit.

Snickering lightly at Nick's joke, she glanced at Lucas. They'd hugged, she'd apologized, hell, she might have even teared up a little, but she hadn't said what she really needed to say to him yet. Giving a knowing look to Levi before stepping towards Lucas, she gently touched his wrist. "Hey.. can we talk?" She murmured. "I'm… stealin' Lucas away, guys. My lioness is coming too." Francis said with a nod.

Lucas didn't know if he was annoyed or touched by the height jab, shooting a playful pout Nick's way, but he didn't have much of a chance to mull over it when Fran suddenly touched his wrist. His heart might've dropped in that moment or, hell, jumped right up into his throat. Either way, the thought of facing up to their mess was...daunting. But still, if Lucas had learned anything from this virus ordeal, it was to never take the present and your relationships for granted.

Fuck—time to fix shit. Nodding, Lucas slapped on a grin and rolled his eyes. "Welp guys, I'm being kidnapped," he chuckled before looking at Fran, "After you, sweetness."

 

[junebug]

There was not much left to do after her... talk with Leon, if that was even the right word. She'd decided to check the infirmary again to see if anything had come of the cure and vaccination. Sure enough, there were her team members walking out the door. Josie laughed a little, shocked and a bit overwhelmed by the reality. Francis and Lucas were alive and walking— that must've meant Nick was too. She blinked back a few oncoming tears and strolled down the hall, a tired smile on her face.

"You guys made it," she addressed Francis and Lucas, offering a hug for them. "Nick and Rose must be up and running too."

For every action, there was an equal and opposite reaction. The words said by Newton couldn't have been more true. She and Michael had done everything in their power to find the cure and vaccine and good had come out of it. Hope had come out of it. Josie may have been a bit of a hard ass to her friends, but in a time of need, when their lives were on the line, she would always put them first before herself.

"I hope that it wasn't complete hell down here, though I'm certain I cannot attest to what it really felt like. I was dreading what would happen when I came in yesterday and you were all unresponsive. I'm glad that times have changed and the decisions we've made has led us to where we are now. I'm glad that you're all okay. Don't go out on me again. I was worried. You too Nick."

---

@CloudyBlueDay @Mobley Eats @WingWong

 

[Mobley Eats]

Collab Post: Rekindling | Interactions: Lucas and Francis @CloudyBlueDay , Josie @Kat | Location: Orlando HQ


Even though she had woken up to the loving embrace of her worried family, calmed their fears and told them she was alright, there was still a twisting in her gut. She knew what she was missing, what she was trying to avoid, and even though the thought made her heart ache, she couldn't avoid it forever. Hugging Lucas wasn't good enough. She had to fix it.

Francis paused at the entrance of Josie, hugging the woman awkwardly as she spoke, posture tense. "...Thanks, Josie." Her gaze lowered. "Glad your knee's alright." She nodded towards the exit of the infirmary, tugging Lucas along lightly.

It had caught Lucas off guard, the sudden hug from Josie and her words registering slowly. Regardless, he gave the woman a pat on the back and when he was dragged away from Josie, he tossed out a quick, "We're like, death-proof, Jo Jo. Don't worry about it."

With that done, Fran's request snapped him back to reality. The true reality of their situation. Despite the hugs and relief, he still had made a mistake. Well, he figured he deserved a good verbal lashing anyhow; it was high time to face the consequences for his stupidity.

Francis took a deep breath, and at his confirmation cautiously pulled him along, outside of the infirmary. "Okay. S-so." She whispered, letting go of his wrist to nervously tuck her hair behind her ear. She probably looked a mess. She felt like a mess. But seeing Lucas, pale and unmoving in a hospital bed, had thrown her abruptly back to reality. The reality that if he had died, if she had lost him, the last thing she would have said was that she hated him. And it was so untrue.

"I'm sorry," She blurted. Best to just get it out and start rambling. "I'm sorry for yelling at you like that. A-and trying to throw you across the room. I lost my head. W-whatever you wanted to say.. About what we talked about at the pool.. I-if you wanted to forget it, I shouldn't.. Try to punish you for it." She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "Don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a little hot headed." Her cheeks were flushed, and she grinned weakly at him in light of her lame joke.

When Fran had started talking, Lucas was already on the verge of hardening his body into diamond and take whatever hit was coming...Only to blink owlishly as her words registered. Of all the things he expected to hear, an apology was heinously low on the list of possibilities and yet, there it was. A fraction of the tenseness eased from his shoulders, a shaky breath escaping him. "I...Oh," he breathed. He almost shoved his hands into his pockets, a nervous tick of his, only to remember he didn't have any and settled for fiddling with his fingers restlessly.

"Come on, Fran," he chuckled lightly, a hint of a strain coiling around his tone, "You don't have to apologize. Seriously. Sure, you got a little mad, but, like...I deserved it. I was an ass. Um…" His jaw clenched. Unclenched. Taking a moment to gather himself and remember Devon's words, he muttered cautiously, "A lying ass, a-anyway. I don't want to forget that talk...like, ever. It'd be impossible for me, you know? And uh...I...I guess…" His fingers worked faster. "I guess that's why I...kinda...freaked out a little."

Shifting her gaze to him instead of roaming the corners, Francis looked up, a little surprised. She thought that maybe he didn't want to bear her load, deal with getting too close. Lucas wasn't one to open up.. Francis figured that she'd scared him off. "Y-you…" She murmured, biting her lip. "You don't want to forget it.. S-so… that's why you freaked out?" Francis said quietly. "S-sorry, I just, uhm… not sure I'm following you."

Lucas heaved a long sigh, dragging both hands down his face. He...honestly should've seen the perplexity coming. Both outside and inside of context, his response didn't make much sense. He couldn't blame Fran for her confusion but still, the thought, the prospect of explaining this twisted his lungs into knots. Steadying himself, his hands roamed around to clutch the back of his neck as he formed his reply carefully. "Uh, well...yeah. Fran, I'm," a pause, the briefest flicker of annoyance at himself flaring to the surface, "I'm not the best at, like, taking good things at face value, okay? That talk was...awesome. Great. And that freaking scared me--like, shitless." He shook his head, a bitter chuckle nearly breaking through. "I know that doesn't make much sense but...fucked up people usually don't, so…"

"H-hey," Francis said, reaching forward again for his wrist but stopping herself halfway. He.. probably didn't want to be touched. "S-slow your roll. You're not fucked up. I.. I was scared shitless too, okay?" She admitted, bringing her arms up around herself to worriedly rub her arms. "I-It's hard… for me to… open up like that. And it was… awesome, talking to you, Lucas. It actually was. T-that's why I got so pissed when you just… just pretended it didn't happen. But hell if it didn't terrify me too, alright?" Francis sighed shakily. "I… care a lot about you, Lucas. And if I… lost you to this virus, and the last thing we did was fight… I'd never forgive myself. I don't care… how scary it was for me to open up to you. I can't let you.. C-can't let you walk off like that again, when we both… h-had fun. Because I had fun talking to you. I really did."

Lucas' breath nearly stuttered in surprise when her hand neared his wrist, but an odd combination of relief and something hollow followed when she pulled away at last second. One step at a time. He hated himself somewhat for the immediate reaction, the instinctual panic, but he could only face one broken piece at a time. Hands lowering to his sides, he absorbed Fran's admission slowly, appreciating the reassurance. He could admit that some doubt lingered, but he wanted to desperately believe it, that he wasn't fucked up. He would try, for them.

"Hey, that's...That's a relief in itself," he chuckled, rubbing his arm. "Glad to know we're in the same boat, with the, uh...the c-caring for each other and everything." His gaze softened, shaking his head before she even had a chance to finish. "You weren't going to lose me, Fran. That virus...man, it'd take more than Hell itself to keep me down, right? And that argument...goddamn. It got messy. We said shit we didn't mean. I know that." In that moment, a horrific image of Fran, pale and scared, blood rolling past her lips as she collapsed into him, jumped to the front of his mind and he squeezed his hands together so tight that the skin pulsed red. "I can't lie, Fran. I l-lost my shit a little, seeing you sick and falling into my arms like that…Sounds dramatic, but I thought the world stopped for a second there," he admitted in a hushed whisper.

Francis' posture tightened, watching Lucas' demeanor change, his hands squeezing tightly together. To hear how worried he had been... he.. He sounded terrified for her. Finally, Francis couldn't hold herself back from reaching out, a hand resting on his shoulder. "World's still turning," She assured him quietly. "I'm right here. I'm okay. I'm sorry I scared you like that, Lucas. When.. when I woke up, and I saw you in the hospital bed.." Francis shook her head, remembering the flood of emotions, the fear she had felt. "I just.. I know what you mean, okay? T-That's why we… we can't ever leave it on a bad note like that again. We b-both acted stupid.. And if either of us.. N-never woke up…" Her throat tightened at the thought, stopping abruptly as her grip on his shoulder tightened unintentionally.

The hand on his shoulder startled him, but he managed to maintain face, allowing the touch while simultaneously banishing the aches fluttering through his body. This was the touch of an ally, of what he secretly prayed to be a friend now. It seemed that way. It had to be. Nothing about this interaction steered him down a desperately estranged path, so he grasped onto that speck of hope without hesitation. This was okay. "I promise," he said, "I'll never leave anything like that. Not again. Not with you or...Levi or Nick or...whoever. Fran." Noticing the way her voice trailed off, his raised his hand. Then froze a moment, an ugly anxiety curling up his spine. Taunting. Suffocating… He swallowed it back and placed his hand over hers, giving it a brief squeeze. "We did wake up. We're here."

He fell silent again, a slew of thoughts racing through his head. The exhaustion was there, ever prevalent and weighing him down by the shoulders. Finally, he gave in with a sigh. "Fran...does it ever, like, stop being scary? Opening up, I mean. I just...I don't know if that's even possible."

Francis paused, focusing on the light touch of Lucas' hand upon hers. Her eyes glistened with emotion as she locked her gaze with Lucas'. His promises were only somewhat reassuring. She knew that even if Lucas promised it to her, they couldn't control the world. Logan had promised to never leave her. Her parents had promised to always be by her side. Things had changed. But it still… it still reassured her, even though she shouldn't have let it.

"I don't know if I'm the best person to answer that question." Francis murmured. "I… literally haven't opened up to a single person in like, the entire time I've been at Rogue. At least, until… um.. Our talk." Frankly, she hadn't even realized that up until now. Oh. Fun. "B-but I like to think… it gets better. When there aren't viruses trying to stop you, and… er… crazy hot headed ladies chucking you down hallways for opening up."

Lucas nodded. He committed that answer to memory, within the deepest rooted chasms of his mind because as far as he was concerned, not a single clue resided there until Fran spoke. It had always been an aimless excursion, trying to put that mystery to rest and just...find peace, but perhaps, now, he had finally taken a step forward.

However, he grinned at the last bit and seized momentarily as a flirty comment nearly escaped. Something along the lines of "crazy hot heads are my exact type" but a newfound will had tossed it into oblivion. Instead, he gave her hand one last squeeze before letting go and straightening somewhat. "Eh, I personally think the chucking helps; it's sort of like a roller coaster ride, anyways. I mean," he wiggled his eyebrows, "That's like our signature friendship thing, sweetness."

She laughed lightly, her posture relaxing lightly. It wasn't lost on her, the absence of his bittersweet nickname, and Francis found herself a little bummed to hear it return. "Yeah, well… we need to find a new signature thing. I-I got no plans to keep it. Lucas.." Francis swallowed, and looking up at him, she pulled him in for one last tight hug, reaching up on her toes to bury her face in his shoulder. "Don't scare me like that again." She mumbled into the fabric, clutching tightly.

Air escaped Lucas' lungs at the surprise hug, but his body seemed to have interpreted the motion far faster than his mind and he found himself embracing her tightly as well, almost as if he was trying to surround her like a protective cocoon. "Same for you, Fran," he whispered. "Never again."

She shouldn't have let it get to her like that. To really let go, exhale, and let her guard down. But falling into Lucas' embrace, she found a comfort that filled a long gaping hole, and it was almost hard not to let go. Finally, she forced herself too, and Francis stepped away, smiling up at Lucas warmly. "Cool. Looks like we finally found something we can agree on."

It was a tad embarrassing to realize, but Lucas caught the way his hold lingered a fraction of a second longer as she pulled away. She was a surprisingly great hugger and combining that with his love for that specific form of physical contact made it a difficult task to let go. Regardless, he had managed to do so and chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "It's a Christmas miracle," he laughed. However, the amusement dimmed a bit, a sentiment he thought he had buried with the hug resurfacing.

He bit his bottom lip. "So like...just checking here, and I'm probably super late and dumb for asking this but…" He shifted from one foot to the other. "We're friends now, right? Officially? Or, maybe that's kinda weird to ask or whatever. I don't know."

A small laugh bubbled up inside her, and she gently punched Lucas on the arm. Gently. She didn't have much strength now anyway. "Y-yeah, Lucas. We're definitely friends now. I think we always were, we just.. Were both very bad at showing it."

"Amen to that," Lucas chuckled, rolling his shoulder somewhat. It didn't hurt or anything, but it still felt...different receiving so much casual touch from Fran. He tried to hide the pure relief and glee threatening to bubble over the edges, but he knew he was doing a poor job. Not that it had to be a bad thing. "At least we're getting better at it. Err, slowly, but still," he said, smile widening.

"Better than no progress at all, Lucas. It'll get easier from here." Francis said, a happy hum in her voice. Lucas was radiating happiness too; she could feel it. And it made her damn near giddy. She had no doubt whatever came next would be hard… the battle had only just begun. The virus was just the start of it.. A warning shot.

"I think.. Together, Lucas. We'll figure it out." She hummed, nudging him gently. "Ready to get to our worried friends back there?"

"Together," Lucas hummed, an undeniable warmth seeping past his skin. Past the armor. He nudged her back. "I like the sound of that, sweetness. And yeah, probably should before they have a heart attack on us." He followed her back to the infirmary, a certain pep in his step.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Dude, Sparring Cool?
Collab with @Mobley Eats (Flashback during two week break)

Dude...Yul was like, super red just now. A while ago, in his office...with Ozno. The ginger didn't really like spicy stuff (he'd eat it, no matter what), but he thought the color of Yul's face was like a chili pepper. Jalapeno hot and everything. Ozno tried to remember why he was all steaming like that...Something to do with him not "fulfilling hours" or something. Eh--he was forgetting.

Dang.

But still, point was, glorious face rug told him to go to the gym. It sucked and he really didn't want to put in, like, effort, but he always tried to listen to boss. So, Ozno made his way slowly to the gym, a partially eaten apple shoved into his mouth. He hummed a random tune around the fruit as he walked in, heading straight for punching bags.

...Oh snap. Somebody else was here. Err...he didn't recognize her though, which was cool. New peeps to meet. Slowly, Ozno raised two fingers and waved at the woman, voice muffled by the apple. "...Hi."

The gym had always been her escape. She'd made it a home. It was simple. Couldn't sleep? Gym. Not hungry? Gym. Over emotional? Gym. Punching and kicking and lifting took her mind off whatever she didn't want to think about.

And there was a lot she didn't want to think about. Pressed up on her back beneath a four hundred and fifty pound weight, Francis found this almost more comfortable than being in bed. Being in bed meant you had to deal with your brain. Lifting weights was lifting weights. Made her feel tougher.

The redhead in the corner of her eye did not seem to understand the idea of a workout, uninterrupted. She had planned to ignore him first, but his fingers lifted in a gentle wave. Huh. Okay. She'd avoided the Orlando rogues for the most part, but this guy seemed different. Logan had said Yul was a collector. Building a team like a puzzle. Where'd this guy fit in?

"Hey." She said plainly, dropping the weights with a heaving breath. "Wanna spot me?"

...Ozno blinked. Once. Twice. Spot? Spot what? Dude...Was this like, a hide and seek version of exercising? Holy dank--this chick was a workout genius. Smiling wide and eyes lighting up a little, he pointed at himself. "Cool...I'm counting?" Then pointed at her. "Or you?"

Francis blinked too. But it was a little different. Pushing the weight to the side to allow her to sit up, Francis let out a snort. "Don't.. Know why you'd count. If we talkin' numbers, then I'm aiming for the five fifty." She gestured to the weights behind him. "Didja mean like, counting hold time?"

"...Wha?" Ozno muttered, his thoughts scrambling a bit to try and remember how the game worked. He thought one person counted and then the other went into hiding, waiting for their play partner to find them. Was...Did he forget how to play? Dude...That was so freaking tragic. He'd have to ask Megan to jog his memory about that the next time she visited, for sure. Grinning unsurely at the woman, he then glanced at the giant weights. "...Whoa."

It just clicked in his head that she was lifting that shiz. Dang. Hulk Smash. "Um...holding time?" He could do that? The frick? That was...amazing. What would time feel like, anyhow? Did this woman know? She was awesome, man. "How ya do that?" he asked, pure awe shimmering in his gentle, tired eyes.

Something about this guy was… well, it was weird, but it wasn't totally bad. He was different. Thinking outside the box different. The look in his eyes was dewy. Almost childlike. And normally she would've snapped at him, told him to buzz off if he wasn't gonna help.

Maybe a different perspective was what she needed.

"My… powers?" She said gently. "Make me, um. Stronger. Strong enough."

As soon as the hint behind her words clicked, Ozno's smile widened like a child on Christmas morning. "Duuude," he whispered, "Like...dank strong? Strong strong? Whoa…" He pushed his bangs back, taking in the weights again. She was hella strong, that much he understood now. So like--...

He just got the spotting bit. "Ohhhhh," he drawled slowly, the delayed realization slapping him across the cheeks. Well, either way, he didn't wanna lift weights or anything. Kinda bored him. And it was hard. And it was a lot of counting, that made him nervous. He opted for glancing at the woman again, studying her almost lazily. Huh...something about her seemed...bummed. Double bummed, just chilling underneath the Hulk layer. "...You cool? You bummed?"

Another pause.

"I"m Ozno." Cool. He almost forgot about that part.

Francis raised an eyebrow. How did someone look as if their mind was running both a million miles a minute, and barely turning at all? Something seemed to click for him, and Francis realized he probably hadn't understood a damn word she'd said.

"Huh?" She said, a little shocked at his sudden analysis. Bummed? Bummed? How'd.. I mean, yeah, fuck yeah she was bummed, but.. Francis shook her head. Probably his powers. Mind reading. Soul seeing. Whatever. "Uh, Francis." She said, sticking out her hand for him to shake. "I'm.. cool."

Yeah, most bummed peeps didn't want to say they were bummed. That was usually how it worked; like...that would just make them even more bummed. Duh. He felt kinda bad for asking like that. Either way, the guilt took a backseat to glee when Francis shot her hand out. He shook it while muttering, "Francis. Cool. Like...France and sturf. Bag its, heh." Yeah. Those super long breadsticks French people ate were always cool.

However, if this was a possible new buddy, then he had to give the new buddy welcome. Like a giant cuddly koala-sloth hybrid, he draped Francis in a brief hug and when he released her, he said happily, "New buddy."

Okay. She'd decided. Either it was his powers, or he was high off his ass. How he'd gotten it in past Yul was beyond her, but she wasn't about to question it. Bag its. Baguettes. Dude meant baguettes. Wow, yeah, he was tripping.

A startled squeak escaped Francis as he draped her in a hug, having half a mind to shove him off, but the action of doing so felt strangely close to kicking a puppy. Or mildly shoving one. "H-hey --" She protested weakly, scooting away once she'd been released from his grasp, standing up abruptly, a little bit thrown off by the sudden contact. "Y-you.. You are touchy."

"Hm?" Ozno hummed, not really catching much of Fran's reaction. Eh...She did say something about touching and he briefly wondered what she was talking about. Well, it probably had to be hug or the handshake...Oh dang, was his hand sweaty? No, wait. He didn't exercise yet. So she was sweaty. Oh, okay, cool. That was fine. He didn't mind that.

Anyway, there was a problem afoot. His new buddy was bummed and he couldn't stand to see a buddy bummed. That was like...breaking the rules of life or something. One couldn't bloom into a chocolate butterfly without the right help, and he would have to be the one to assist her.

"...Hey," Without a thought, he tossed the apple behind him (he was mostly done anyways) and held up a hand, all five fingers splayed and palm facing Francis. "Wanna spar?" he asked.

Francis brightened at the idea of sparring. Perfect. That was exactly what she needed, to release steam, to kick some ass! She vaguely considered the idea that fighting a guy who was very high was a little unfair, but hey, he'd suggested it. Watching the apple fall behind him, then gaze falling to his awkwardly outstretched hand, Francis meekly high fived it. "Yeah! Sparring. Sounds great." She nodded him over to the training mats eagerly.

Ozno nearly jolted in surprise when she slapped hands with him, staring at his own a moment. Huh...Cool. She had a strong high five, gentle but strong. Kinda hard to explain, but he didn't expect any less of new buddy She Hulk. He trailed slowly after her and stood on the opposite side of the mat.

Then raised that same hand. "...Kay."

Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, Francis stepped onto the mat, raising her hands defensively. "You, uh." Francis said cautiously, taking in his stance. "You can go first."

Ozno tilted his head. Oh dang—she was so nice. Most peeps that he sparred in the past usually pounced without a word. She was one of the cool ones. Noice.

"Kay," he repeated. Casually, he started walking forward, not a single drop of urgency in his movements. He stopped mere inches before her, staring down innocently; his hand was still up.

She watched him slink forward like a sloth, brows furrowed in confusion. Maybe she really shouldn't be sparring with a guy this out of it. But she was desperate for some sorta outlet to let off steam, and she'd try not to go so hard on him, so.. it'd be okay.

Francis threw an uppercut aimed at his jaw, trying to put as little strength behind it as possible. This… was not the type of sparring she had planned for.

Oh snap, the jaw. That was always a cool place to hit, Francis obviously knew what she was doing...Cool. That same hand lashed out like a whip, misdirecting her strike to the side with the heel of his palm while locking her wrist into a loose grab. With a sliding step, he rounded around her, letting her go past him.

He stood with a raised hand.

His reaction time surprised her. Brows raising, she gracefully took the misdirection and spun around as quickly as he had moved her past him, attempting to deliver a harsh kick to his calves while catching him from behind. He was an interesting partner, that was for sure, and being kept on her toes was a good exercise. At least he was actually fighting back now. Or.. properly dodging.

The kick came faster than Ozno expected and he winced as the string traveled up his leg. It wasn't even full contact, only a fraction of her foot landing, but it was more than enough to make a statement. Dang. Okay. Fast and strong. Fast and strong. He had to remember that.

He righted himself, facing Francis once more with both hands raised this time, curled into fists. He ignored the throbbing in his leg...for about a two seconds before taking a moment to shake it, a pout on his lips. "Ouch…" he muttered. "You kick good. Dank good."

"Er.. thank you." Francis said, straightening. She looked him over, fists raised as well, but unsure about making another move. "You, uh.. You gonna throw a punch, or?"

"Huh? Oh..." Ozno muttered; most of the throbbing had faded, but there was still a hint of it nagging at his muscles. Regardless, he took up the stance once more and shrugged lightly. "I guess."

Remaining cautious, he slid into a pattern of throwing jabs at her head and quickly backing out, circling around, then jabbing again, testing her guard. It would probably be sturdier than steel, but it never hurt to check and keep a distance from her. She was fast, but short, so maybe he had a reach advantage? Or maybe he didn't? Who knew what her bomb powers could do.

Francis easily dodged each jab, eyes narrowed. Why wasn't he hitting back? Really hitting back? "You got somethin' up your sleeve, Oz? If you're gonna super sonic punch me, a heads up would be nice." She hummed playfully, and aimed to jab him in the gut. Harsh, but maybe if it landed it'd be enough to piss him off and fire him up.

Dude...he wished he could super sonic punch or some shiz. That would be beyond epic, but sadly, he couldn't. Kind of a bummer, but he didn't let himself get too down about it. When Fran was suddenly in his space and throwing a jab, he redirected again, yanking her forward by the wrist and letting himself roll past her arm, bringing himself close enough to—

"Boop." He gave her forehead a quick but decisive smack. Boom, a hit, just like she wanted, right? He hoped so.

Fuck. He redirected her again. First time, okay. Second time… maybe she was letting him slide. Or maybe he wasn't trying to fight at all? Hell. Francis wasn't even sure at this point. This time, his misdirection was a little bit more forceful, and it made her stumble. When she'd righted herself, she was met with the palm of his hand smacking against her forehead, and Francis skidded backwards.

"What the…" Francis said, her own hand coming to her forehead. "Did you… did you just smack me?" She said incredulously. "A-are you afraid to hit me or something?"

Ozno blinked, beyond confused now. He thought that was a hit… "But...I just...did?" He tilted his head like a puppy.

"But… you.." Francis said, and groaned. "Fine. Okay. You know what?" With an aggressive kick to his shin, Francis grabbed onto his shoulders harshly. He was fucking with her. Probably. Maybe. Too late. She was already yanking him down in an attempt to flip him to the ground.

Welp, the world just got trippy. One moment, Ozno was standing and the next, he was being pulled forward and his vision turned upside down...Awesome. Cool. He knew what to do in this pinch, just like Megan taught him. And, well, Yul yelled into him. Ozno let himself spin around, using the momentum to plant his feet on the mat, grip fistfuls of Francis' top, and pull her around for a counter flip. Her back slammed to the floor…


And Ozno couldn't help but wince a little, feeling bad at the sound of impact. "...My bad."

Sure that this guy was asleep on his feet enough for the flip to be a sure thing, she barely expected the skillful recon move, and ended up slammed down on her back. Letting out a strangled cry of shock, Francis quickly shoved him off, scrambling away. Francis panted, staring up at Ozno in shock.

"Holy… shit! That was amazing!" Francis said, letting out a breathy laugh. "You.. damn! Did you just wake up or somethin'? That was.. Holy cow!"

Ozno almost jumped back when Francis scrambled to her feet, expecting an immediate assault in reaction. However, contrary to what he thought, she was all like...not bummed. Happy. Oh...Cool! He was doing it! He was cheering her up! Beaming, he jittered a bit in place before muttering, "Already had third nap." Then his lips pursed. "Cow religion...That real?"

...Meh, it was whatever. Ozno could deal with feeling confused, since that was his default state of existence. All that mattered was making his new buddy happy. More happy. And that meant...His fists tightened, pulling the guard in even tighter to his body.

And launched right into close range with her, letting loose a series of punches aiming for the chin, then running down to her solar plexus in succession. He'd make her smile, dangit. No matter what.

An excited fire danced in Francis' eyes as Ozno stood again, his words eliciting a cheerful laugh from her lips as she positioned herself. "Game on," She hummed. "Get ready for your fourth."

The loose series of punches was almost reminiscent of the start, but Francis could feel something a little different behind them. She ducked and dodged, and deciding to give his style a try, Francis let out a series of her own rapid punches, aiming mainly for his gut. These wouldn't be so easy to push away, and maybe now that Francis was a little more invigorated the punches were a little harsher than necessary.

Ozno weaved outside the first few punches, dancing away with light footwork. However, as his guard lowered to take the brunt of her punches, rounds of stinging rippled through his forearms, making him visibly wince. Dang--she was hitting even harder. However, the one thing Megan preached over and over was that mindplay possessed just as much power as physical attacks. Gritting his teeth, he pushed forward, and taking advantage of her occupied fists, clenched the back of her head with both hands and feinted a knee strike to the face.

A grunt escaped Francis as Ozno pushed forward, the hits not enough to throw him off. Good. She was only just getting into it, and a grin stayed present on her face even as she realized Ozno was lifting his knee towards her. Twisting her body, Francis grabbed the arm that had gripped her head and forced it behind Ozno uncomfortably. "Uncle?" She pressed viciously.

Ozno didn't have an uncle, so he couldn't understand the random question while Fran was twisting his arm. Dang. This was a traditional arm lock and usually, he knew how to wiggle his way free of that, but Fran was too freaking Hulky to fight her with brute force...But she was still tiny. A scary kind of tiny, but still tiny. And he already knew that he could toss her weight around…

Mmkay. Cool. He'd do that.

"Naw. No uncle."

Planting his feet, he grit his teeth and snapped forward into a front flip, attempting to take Fran with him and crush her against the mat under his weight.

There wasn't a lot someone could do in an arm lock dealt by a tiny Hulk. Fran knew that. And that was why, as she felt Ozno plant his feet beneath him, Francis simply let go. The force Ozno had put into flipping her was lost, and lightly pushing his cheek into the mat, Francis let out a satisfied hmph.

"That was a fucking blast, champ." Francis beamed, and let go, dusting her hands off. She hadn't really found a sparring partner in Orlando quite yet, but hell, he'd given her a run for her money. "You almost had me! And damn, with that flip. Killer!" Francis beamed, now offering her hand out to him to help him up.

Ozno was…reeeeeal slow reacting to Francis' words, let alone comprehending much of reality beyond the air that had evacuated his lungs and the throbs pounding through his back. That hurt. It was rad, but painful. Heaving a silent wheeze, he rolled onto his side and muttered a low, "...Ow."

However, after a few moments, her cheery tone pierced the fog and he accepted the hand gratefully, hauling himself up. He instantly cradled his spine, bending backwards somewhat as a series of soft pops sounded. He groaned in semi-relief, semi-holy crap. "I...want food now," he said, a hint of laughter in his voice. The man would pay for that later in the form of a sore night, but judging by that dope lilt in his new buddy's voice and the glimmer in her eyes, it was well worth it.

He shot her a thumbs up, smile somewhat strained. "That was dang cool."

"That was dang cool." Francis echoed gleefully. "And, yeah. I could go for some grub too." She rolled her eyes playfully at the thumbs up, a little guilty about the obvious pain he seemed to be in, but hey. That was only a sign of a good spar. "Take my hand, loser and we'll go raid the kitchen." It hit her now that she'd near entirely forgotten the whole purpose of coming to the gym; to beat out her anger and try to forget it. Ozno… had helped a surprising amount.

"I like your tats, by the way." Francis said, lightly (not so lightly) patting him on the back once he'd stood.

Like a switch, all traces of misery and pain drained from Ozno's visage like a faucet, his eyes lighting up at the thought of stuffing face with She Hulk. "Yis!" he cheered, doing a mini fist pump to himself in triumph. He hoped the cafeteria restocked their mashed potatoes. Or lasagna. Or...Honestly, anything. He'd eat anything right now, especially after that spar. A tiny hint of lightheadedness was nipping at his noggin, so he knew it was time to refill the tank.

Then he blinked. Loser? Was that codeword for something? Regardless, he grinned at her question about his tattoos (and yes, he did die a little inside from the back pat). "Yank chew," he said playfully, a goofy giggle tumbling from his lips. "Did 'em myself."

Blatantly ignoring the yank chew comment because she had no fucking idea what it meant, Francis blinked, another grin forming on her face. "No way. You did?" Francis said, now taking in the ink fully. It was common for people around Rogue to be tatted. She had seen plenty, and even as a child had seemed fascinated by the spare few who had tattoos done.

"When I was thirteen I tried to give myself a stick and poke," Francis said with a smirk. "It got infected and I still have the scar. Maybe you should give me one sometime, so I don't die."

Francis' excitement was infectious, Ozno's cheeks warming with pride and bashfulness. He scratched the back of his head, smiling warmly, though a hint of sympathy showed; dang, doing tats on your own and without proper guidance was...not a fun time. Like, at all. Shoot--if Megan ever caught him trying to do that back in the day, she would've, as she always said, "flipped in this bitch".

"No more pokes," Ozno ordered in the firmest tone he could muster...which was like, a negative amount. He sounded kinda whiny, like a puppy denied of a treat or kicked off the couch. It was difficult to pinpoint the exact animal analogy. He shoved his hands into his sweatpant pockets. "And no dying. I gotchu, She Hulk," he said lowly.

She laughed at his command, nodding along with him. Ozno was strangely easy to be around. There was nothing about him that threatened her, even if he had thrown her ass around in the match. And every word he spoke left something a little more to think about. Well, that was probably what being high meant, but.. No. She liked him anyway. He was pleasant. And the nickname She Hulk was quite favorable. "Cool. Sounds like a plan."

 

[DarinValore]

Keegan's Office
Keegan and Vance
Collab: @Elle Joyner
​

His uncle was alive. The reminder had come from Adelaide, who Vance had finally worked his way to seeing. So many years, trying to free his sister and he finally had… it felt strange, surreal, in her presence, but eventually he'd forced himself to separate from Luna long enough to seek her out and he had found her wandering the halls with an odd, red-headed young man. He might've been inclined to interrogate, demanding an audience with the stranger, but Ade had just about tackled him off his feet and removed any urges to drive her from her deliriously happy state. For the time being, anyway.

They had talked for hours, free from the confines of quarantine glass and tears, and he'd been so impressed with how she'd grown, how she'd grown, even in a few short weeks. It was only when she'd remembered the bit about Uncle Keegan that he had separated from her, to seek the man out.

Upon rescuing him, Vance had recognized the face… so similar to their other uncle. But there was no time for confirmation, no time for clarification. Till now, he had only been able to assume. To guess. Till now, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted more than that.

But outside the man's office, breathing in, he raised a hand and knocked anyway, waiting for the answer from within.

So many things had unfolded recently that Keegan found the silence of his office more troublesome than the busyness of the day. Sitting behind his desk, he rested his head in his hands and tried to wrap his mind around the loss, gains, and news that kept flooding in.

The knock at his door drug a sigh from his lips as he leaned back, "Come in," he called as he folded his hands together and placed them on his desk.

Pushing the door open, Vance stepped inside, clearly his throat, "H...hey. Sorry it took me so long to come by. Been uh… been a lot of reunions. Ade filled me in on… you know. Kinda figured it out myself, though… when I saw you in the cell. It was that or Uncle Kaiden's been messing around clones… which, hell… I wouldn't put past him."

Recognizing Vance, Keegan stood to his feet a faint smile on his features, "Not a problem. Glad to see Josie cure worked. I was worried I had to visit you through glass," rounding the desk, he continued, "Sorry I didn't...sorry I didn't come for you and Adelaide sooner. Thought you two were…"

"Same." Vance answered plainly, "Kaiden told us… he told us we were all that was left." Frowning, he shrugged, "Not surprised he wanted us to think you were gone, considering what you do… Got scooped up by the wrong uncle, I guess."

"Ya," he rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry about that, too," he sighed, "Shoulda looked harder, but everything had gone to hell and the last time I saw the two of you, you were with your mother."

"Don't think he meant for us to be found, anyway." He answered, "But hey… we're together now, right? Counts for something. And hell… I can't really say I'm sorry for how things rolled out. It sucks, the stuff he made me do, the things he put Ade through… but if I'd ended up with you, who knows what would've happened… what woulda changed. I may never have… might not've found Luna…"

"Pretty sure that would have happened anyway," Keegan offered a tight-lipped smile, "Luna's been with me for the longest time," he let out a contemplative sigh and continued, "I'd keep the fact that you worked for RIEF close to your chest, Sebastian, even if it was against your will. Many people around here lost people they loved to RIEF. I'm certain Adelaide could not stomach losing you again...nor could I."

"Thing is, sir… I…" Rubbing the back of his neck, he moved closer to the desk, "I was actually kind of hopin'... I dunno… if maybe… if I'd be able to work with… Do you think there'd be a place for me? With Rogue? I never much got the chance to choose, and I'd like to. If… if that's something you'd..."

"Yes," he said more quickly than he'd thought. Clearing his throat and crossing his arms over his chest, he spoke again, "Yes. We could always use more help. Besides, I wouldn't turn away a chance to get to know my nephew."

Breathing out, Vance raked his finger through his hair with an appreciative smile, "Thank you… I… God, I was hopin' you'd say that. And I won't let you down. I won't." Laughing dryly, he shrugged, "There's um… there's one other thing I gotta ask, though…"

"What's that?" Keegan asked as he unfolded his arms and placed his hands on the desk behind him.

"It uh…" Rubbing his neck again, he straightened and cleared his throat, "It's pretty clear to me that Luna regards you pretty highly. If I had to guess, you're probably more of a father to her than… Well… You know. I know it seems like… like it's crazy, but the thing is, sir… I fell for her pretty damn hard, and she… Well, she loves me, hell if I know why. And we.. Well, I… I know she doesn't need it, but I respect you enough sir, just knowing how Luna feels about you, to know it's best I ask… Sir, I'd like your blessing to marry that girl."

Keegan blinked a moment, simply staring at Sebastian while the man's words washed over him, "You want to marry Luna?" He asked making sure he heard his nephew correctly.

"With everything that I am, sir." Vance noted, without a moment's hesitation, "Just kinda figure… The world's hell, and it ain't gonna get better anytime soon. I know how I feel about her, and that's lasting, sir… And I just… I figure we could wait, but what for, when we might not have a tomorrow ahead of us, you know? I wanna spend the rest of my life learnin' how to be the man she deserves… no matter how long that is."

With a sigh Keegan studied his nephew. Sebastian was right about how much Luna meant to Keegan. She was his Moonlight...a daughter he never had, "You'll treat her right? Provide for her needs above your own?"

"Sir…" Meeting his gaze, Vance did not flinch… did not waver, "I would die for that girl. Nothing… absolutely nothing less than the best."

"Then you have my blessing, Sebastian. If Luna loves you...trusts you, then I do not see a reason that I cannot do the same in regards to her."

His smile broadened, and stepped up to the desk, he held out a hand, "Thank you, Uncle Keegan. I uh… I should get back to her. If that's all?"

"It is for now," Keegan straightened, "We'll need to debrief concerning your time with RIEF at some point."

"Yes, sir! Absolutely." Grinning, he backed towards the door, "Thank you, again…" And with a nod, he slipped out the way he'd come.

 

[Mobley Eats]

Artdenzo, Part I | Interactions: Ozno, Adelaide @Elle Joyner & Surprise Visitor


She'd finished.

The canvas in hand, Adelaide nearly raced down the hallway to Oz's room, paint still drying in freckles on the backs of her hands, the tip of her nose and behind her ear. It wasn't splatting, not quite, anyway, but the inspiration from that brilliant event shown on the surface. Blacks, purples and deep blues, cyan green and fuchsia, with splashes of white and pink and bright bright yellow…

Two stars stood out above the rest… Their stars…

Standing with the canvas balanced on her hip, she knocked three times.

Ozno was a slowpoke. He knew that and embraced it happily. It was cool to take your time and enjoy life at the speed it was created. Tranquil, observant, curious; that was the ultimate state of being, in his personal opinion.

However, when he heard those three taps, the big oaf couldn't stumble over to the door fast enough. Ozno answered the door immediately, arms already raising in preparation to hug his Poodle.

"Ade! …?" Oh. Snap. Was that a painting? And paint? Dude, did she…? "You split splatted?" he asked, excitement making his dull voice shake.

"I did!" Ade exclaimed right back, with a bright smile. She turned the painting towards him, so he could take it in, in full, "Tada! It… it's… well…" Blinking, she brought her mind back to their conversation on the roof the other night, and her expression softened, "It's us."

"Duuuude," he whispered in awe, eyes widening as he took in the majestic painting. A hand raised, hovering inches over the canvas as he seemed to map out the image with senses extending beyond his fingers. This...was so...freaking pretty. Amazing. Amazesauce. Carefully, he pointed at the two stars. "It's...Dang, it's us," he whispered, before pointing at Ade and himself. "Us, us."

Quickly, he invited her inside and immediately studied the art some more, wide eyes glimmering as bright as their counterparts in the night sky. "...Dope, Poodle. Super dope," he muttered, eyes snapping up to hers.

Beaming, more proud of herself now than she had ever thought possible, she followed him inside, rubbing the end of her nose where the paint splashed there had begun to dry, "You really like it? I … I have never tried to paint this way, other then when you… and we didn't exactly finish." She laughed faintly, "I thought it would maybe be a nice way to say… thank you?"

"Yis." Ozno nodded rapidly. Like, the frick? Of course he liked it! He downright loved it. There was something about the painting that truly...resonated with him on a spiritual level. Whenever he gazed upon on it, air seemed to evacuate his lungs and yet he existed in comfort, bliss, an enjoyable medium between reality and surrealism.

Noticing the way she wiped at the dry paint, Ozno's brow pinched. Oh yeah, she needed to get cleaned up. Gently, he grabbed hold of the painting, locking eyes with as a silent way to ask if this was okay, before propping it up against the wall. "Here," he murmured, snagging a bottle of water and walking up to her. Unfortunately, he didn't have any towels nearby, but he did have cloth.

Carelessly, he dumped water onto his shirt and pulled up the hem of it to wipe at her nose. His eyes squinted into thin slits as his tongue poked out the side, deeply concentrating.

Blinking, Adelaide's cheeks flushed and she turned her eyes up, all the while trying not to move too much, to disturb his work, "...Y...your shirt…" She murmured, smiling a slightly crooked smile as her nose wrinkled, "Oh, Ozzy…"

"Whazzit," he mumbled, still focusing intensely on his work. He managed to clean off her nose fairly well and now migrated to the spot behind her ear, cupping her cheek with his free hand and tilting it gently at the angle needed. However, when his Poodle mentioned his shirt, he blinked down at it, paused...then went back to cleaning. "It's cool. Just a shirt."

Tipping her head a little, she looked to him and nodded, "Yes… yes, just… just a shirt." Her eyes flickered down again and a finger hovered, reaching out just over one of the visible ink lines, "...You have so many. Like Vance. What is this one?"

As soon as her question clicked in his head, he brightened happily. He peeked down at the tattoo she was gesturing to--it was a depiction of Nemo riding on currents across his abdomen, waving that dope little finn of his. He always loved Finding Nemo, though Dory never failed to make Megan cry. Of course, the entire thing was represented in his darker and grim style, but it captured that childhood essence all the same. Well, at least he hoped it did. That would suck if it didn't.

He pointed at the little clownfish. "It's Nemo," he said, "My favorite movie. Little finn's cool."

For the first time since meeting Oz in the atrium, Adelaide wasn't entirely sure she fully understood the words that came out of his mouth, and head tipping back, straighter, she frowned softly, "N….nemo? This… I have never heard of this."

Ozno gasped, pure horror and sympathy flooding him like a tsunami. Oh no...no, no, no--this was not cool, not cool at all. How could someone properly understand the full spectrum of happiness without experience the magic dopeness that was Finding Nemo? "Whaaaat," he said, jaw hanging. However, in the next moment, he snapped his mouth shut as a renewed determination sprung to the surface. He smoothed his shirt back down before resting both hands on Ade's shoulders, staring deeply into her eyes. "Nemo. Is. Awesomesauce. I'll show," he said.

Smiling, though not without an edge of the familiar sadness of someone who had missed so… so much in her life, Adelaide reached up to cup her hands over his, meeting that gaze with full awareness, "...I would like that. Very much.I would like to see the… awe...some...sauce?"

He gave a single nod. "Cool. Sit, sit!" He eagerly guided Ade to sit down on the bed, before scrambling to stand on the opposite end of the room. As an afterthought, he backtracked to turn on the lamp, angle it correctly, and turned off the harsh lights overhead. A cinematic feel blanketed the room, the single spotlight illuminating Ozno.

The large men held up both hands, setting the mood."Okay, so, um…" He paused, letting the cogs in his head turn for a minute. Then, though it shouldn't have been possible, he deepened his voice even further in an attempt to mimic a trailer. "One day in the ocean...Two fish bros, uh, but not bros, lived. Big fish and little fish named…" He hiked up his shirt again, exposing the tattoo. "Nemo!"

She sat, curling her legs up beneath her, and for a moment, pure confusion washed over her, but as he set the stage, that confusion melted quickly into adoration, and when the show began, she sank back comfortable, to watch, eyes wide and focused, and exhilarated.

She was getting into it--freaking awesomesauce. Invigorated by her attention, Ozno proceeded to launch into a convoluted and animated reenactment of the entire movie, using random objects around the room as props representing characters and settings. He even went as far as to mutter "Dun, dun, duuuun" after every line for Darla, the evil little girl that killed fishes from shaking the bag too much.

Once he was done, the large man was sweating and breathing heavily, but overcome with pride in himself. He bowed for Ade, just like the classy dudes he always saw on the cover of that crazy big book Megan bought him for his fourteenth birthday. Yeah--he felt fancy. Like his Poodle's English. "Done."

Adelaide had never actually seen a movie, before… but she was pretty sure if she ever got the chance, it would never measure up to what she had witnessed. Applauding, she rose from her seat, and crossing the room, threw her arms around him, completely oblivious to the sweatiness, "Bravo, my Alien! Parfait!"

Ozno clung to her like it was instinct, giggling at the praise and excitement. Yis, he managed to do it! To be perfectly honest, there was a point towards the end of his presentation that the fatigue was growing hard to ignore. He hadn't had a fourth nap yet and only ate twice today, his metabolism was on the verge of gnawing at his conscience. "Thank you," he muttered, holding her tightly, nuzzling into Ade's hair peacefully, "Now you know Nemo awesomeness." Man, this was another bomb day.

Until an aggressive knock banged against his door. "Oi! What did I tell Sargent Pogostick about this coding bullshit?!" a voice yelled angrily from the other side...Oh…Oh! Ozno knew that voice! Oh snap! Dude! Bruh!

Heaving a loud gasp, Ozno raced over to the door, Ade in two within his arms, and immediately opened the door. Standing on the other side was a woman, a very small woman. She was incredibly short, possessing no more than a few inches over five feet, tattoos lined her entire left arm, most of her right forearm, and wrapped an inky band around her neck. A small loop piercing dangled from her nose, along with several more lining the shell of her ears. As that dangerous, perpetually angry expression took in Ozno and the woman in his arms…

Her eyes narrowed.

And Ozno didn't catch the look. "Meeeeeeg!" he cheered happily. Shifting his hold on Ade, he pulled both women into a group hug, jumping up and down. "You're here! You're here! You're--"

"Fudge Bug," Megan muttered darkly, "Hug later. Explain now. Who in the fuck is this."

At the knock, Adelaide felt her heart rate quick, but only for a moment, as the excitement overcame Ozno. She allowed herself to be led (half-dragged) along, and managed a small, sheepish and slightly uneasy smile at the sight of the woman on the other side. But when the words escaped Oz's friend, Adelaide's smile faltered, and blinking, she looked from the red head to the woman, "...A...adelaide."

"Didn't ask you, twinkie," Megan immediately snapped.

...Uh oh. Oh dang. Ozno...was starting to remember Megan--how she was around new people. Quickly, he set both women down and, lowering his head, his fingers fiddled with one another almost nervously. "My...My Poodle, Ade."

When her feet met the floor, Megan was already adopting her "I smell headache-inducing bullshit" stance. Hands on her hips, weight on one foot, one eye squinting, no…borderline twitching with barely restrained annoyance. She loved Ozno. Fuck, she loved that boy so much that it made her question her own toughness some nights. Many nights. But Hell if she ever doubted that love. Alongside that, she...tried not to doubt her Fudge Bug. She really did. But this was...She never heard anything about this awkward little reject Disney fairy. "Poodle? Really? You fucking serious?" She looked Ade up and down…

A beat.

"I don't like this bitch. Her eyes scream glitter piss while her face gives me the purity heeby jeebies. Fuck that."

"...O...oz?" Turning her eyes to Ozno, Adelaide frowned, half-terrified, half-pure confusion, "...I don't understand these… these words?" She understood some, however… and the ones she caught, were definitely not encouraging.

Megan rolled her eyes. Oh, boo hoo, the reject fairy was scared. As if she'd never seen that reaction before; what bothered her was how quickly this chick flipped into fearful mode. All it took was thirty seconds and she was already melting like an ice cube under Megan's glare. Pathetic. When the heavy accent in Ade's voice clicked, Megan cursed under her breath, throwing up both arms in exasperation. "Dude! Fucking--Do you or do you not know the wooooords coming out of my mou--??"

And then Ozno was picking her up into a constrictive hug, sweat rolling down his forehead, and it wasn't a result of the show he had just put on for his Poodle. Megan was slipping into Rage and when she was in Rage, nobody was safe. Like, no one. And he'd rather chuck a month's worth of snacks down the well than to let his Poodle take the brunt of that mess. "It's cool," he said, smiling sheepishly at Ade, "She's cool. Uh, we're all cool. Meg!" he whined towards the end. "Don't Raaaage."

An entirely new shade of red started filtering into Megan's visage, dangling off the ground. "I'M NOT RAGING!"


"Yes you are…"

"No. I'm fucking. Not."

"...Yis. A lot."

"You--fuck off! I'm serene as a fucking river!" Despite her comebacks, Megan had stopped thrashing at this point, falling limp in her Fudge Bug's arms with an emotion akin to begrudging defeat.

Paling, Adelaide watched the exchange with her eyes widening further and further, shock rippling through her. This wasn't at all how she'd imagined someone Oz cared about behaving at all… not at all…

"S...should I…" But she didn't want to go. She was almost as afraid to leave as she was to stay…

"No," Megan growled, wiggling once again in Ozno's arms. She managed to free one hand and pointed at Ade. "You. Don't fucking move, you read me? As for you, you've got plenty of bullshit to explain. Right. Now."

Ozno paled, which shouldn't have been possible because of his already ghostly complexion, but if anyone could induce such a change within him, it was Megan's temper. Man, this sucked so freaking much. He had been missing so badly and now that she was here, everything was rolling downhill. Fast. "I...Ade's my everything, so…" he muttered, nearly wincing from how quickly her head snapped back around to face him.

That was...a clear signal that her patience was running on empty. Slowly, he put her back down, before clasping both hands behind him. He was suddenly fascinated by the floor tiles. "Uh...explain which part?"

Stepping back, Adelaide's knees collided with the cot and she sank down onto it, wrapping her arms around her, as much protection as she could afford herself from the fiery woman's gaze. She remembered Maxine… The awful harpy had visited her cell only a few times - threats and gloating and all manner of terrible, horrible things… and Adelaide had never been more frightened of another person in her life. But this was someone Ozno cared about. Someone he loved and respected…

And somehow, Ade had messed up…

Nothing could be scarier. Not anything. Not even garbage disposals…

Megan nodded, satisfied by Ade's compliance, before glaring up at Ozno once more, arms crossed. She tapped her right foot impatiently. "The Poodle part," she started in a low voice, a warning lurking, swimming between each syllable. "Oh. And every fucking thing else, yeah?"

 

[Elle Joyner]

---

Adelaide (Glitter Fairy)​

Although Ozno was listening to Megan, he couldn't help but watch Ade with growing guilt, pure apology glimmering in his eyes. They were already burning, stingning, welling up with oncoming tears. His Poodle was scared, intimidated, he could feel it in his gut. In their soul connection. And it freaking sucked because his stupid body wouldn't listen to him; standing up to Megan was just...His brain couldn't even fathom the picture. Megan loved him like crazy, he knew that, but man...He hated how cruel she could be to others.

"Wh...why you so mad?" Ozno asked softly, pure hurt in his visage.

At first, Megan didn't see it, the sentiment radiating from her Fudge Bug meekly. However, when she did, her jaw clenched, nostrils flaring with a sharp inhale. Fuck. She knew that tone of voice, that brittle and sensitive demeanor; it was the once he took up right before exploding into tears. And that hadn't happened in over two years. Gnashing her teeth, she closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing, two fingers flying up to massage her temple. "Fudge Bug...I come to surprise your ass with a visit and see you getting all touchy huggy nasty feely with some random bitch I've never even heard about." She suddenly addressed Ade in a slightly harsher tone, "What even are you to him, huh?"

"I-I said my everything--"

"Shaddup," Megan grumbled, eyes still on Ade. "I was asking your canine pal."

"...I…" Ade stammered for a moment… warring with herself whether or not an answer was even worth it. It hurt, to hear someone speak to Oz that way. It hurt, and it fueled her in a way she wasn't entirely sure she understood… but she didn't know what to do with that fire, didn't know what to make of it, "...I don't…" Lowering her gaze, she stared at her hands, tears stinging her eyes as she shook her head, "I don't know…"

Pure annoyance scrunched up Megan's visage. Without ripping her gaze from Ade, she held up a hand, stopping Ozno in his tracks with his lips parted. She raised that man, she knew when he was about to intervene, but she wasn't having it. Not today. Not right now. She marched closer to Ade, standing over her and glaring harder than the grimace welded into her brow. "Not good enough," she said, "What--ya scared of me now, Disney fairy? You got a problem with me, huh?"

"Meg!" Ozno protested weakly.

He went ignored.

"Ya think you're worthy to chill with my Fudge Bug and you can't even fucking talk to me? Huh? You know what they say about fear, glitter piss? Do ya?" With every word escaping her, she leaned more and more into Ade's space, a grating harshness climbing by the second.

"...Fear… fear is a game for fools…" The words were a whisper, barely that, her voice shaking as she continued to stare at her hands. She wanted to run to Oz, to hold on to him, fade into him and make the whole world fade away again. She wanted to go back to Nemo… to stars… to split splats… to their three tap paradise in his quiet, safe room… to anything but this. But she couldn't will herself to move from under the glare she could feel down to her very core. She could barely breathe beneath it.

Megan...wasn't exactly ready to hear that. Didn't expect it, not in the slightest, and the surprise was clear as day in her straightening posture, leaning away from Ade slowly. For the briefest moment, the clench of her jaw tightened...then finally relaxed. A majority of the fire fled from her demeanor, though a more clinical and strict version of it remained. "Huh…" She glanced back at Ozno, taking note of the pride exuding from him like waves of a tsunami, a wide smile stretching his cheeks. "You, uh...Ya speaking some wise ass words there, reject fairy…" She looked at Ozno again. "Familiar ones."

Rather than responding, Ozno simply shrugged, a playful, "Who me?" hanging wordlessly in the air between them. It was quick, but Megan had to the bite the inside of her cheek and hold back a smirk. That damn Fudge Bug.

Heaving a sigh, Megan swept her hair back, fastening it into a high bun. "I'm over this shit," she mumbled, "Fudge Bug, I gotta light up before I lose my shit, fam. Ya stocked up? Cuz uh," her eyes flickered in Ade's direction, "Can't chat with glitter piss if I'm sober."

The mood shifted, and for a second, Adelaide dared to raise her eyes, bypassing the terrifying tiny woman and shifting them instead to Oz. She could read him… knew she'd done something right, but she was still frightened, uneasy… and all she wanted was the comfort of his arms, "...O...oz?"

"Yis, I do," Ozno replied simply, though the relief riddling his features spoke volumes. When Ade's voice reached his ears, he was already making his way over to her, wrapping his arms around the woman tightly and giving her back three taps. "You did awesome," he whispered into her ear.

"Oi!" Megan piped up, annoyed, "Weed, ya sonuvabitch! Weed!"

Ozno giggled but all he did was tighten his hold on Ade. "One sec," he said, holding back another laugh when Megan heaved a long groan.

As his arms closed around her, Ade folded into him, fighting back tears that came from the confusion and fear at the shifting tornado of a woman. She was used to hateful people… but they were never so mercurial… and Oz would never allow someone in who was really so awful and mean… he couldn't…

"...Don't… please… please don't let go, yet." She whispered, burrowing into his shoulder, "N...not yet." The tears had come, and the last thing she wanted was for Megan to start fuming again.

"I'm not," Ozno insisted gently. Carefully, he shifted their positions around until he was sitting on the bed next to Ade, now able to embrace her even closer. One hand running through her hair soothingly, he shot a heavy pout in Megan's direction, who glared back defiantly. "Meg...She's sad. Not cool."

"She'll be fine," Megan scoffed, believing her own words one hundred and twenty percent. Compared to her default, what Ade experienced was a walk through the park. Child's play. However, she could tell that Ozno's pout wasn't letting up anytime soon, and those infuriatingly gentle eyes dove into her soul and nitpicked every little chamber until she swore she was going to rip her hair out and-- "Fuck! Fine! Gah!"

Grumbling, Megan plopped into the nearest chair and growled, "Sorry...reject...fairy--"

"Meeeeg."

"What?!"

Ozno shot her a look, and by look, it simply meant an even more intense pout. Megan groaned again, dragging a hand down her face. "I'm. Sorry. Adelaide."

Sorry. It wasn't at all what Ade expected to hear. Whatever the woman was, however scary, she obviously cared a great deal for Oz… And that was good enough. Peering out from behind Oz's arm, she nodded, "I… I am sorry, too…" Even if she still had no idea what she'd done wrong…

"Awesome," Oz said, satisfied with Megan and Ade's words...though he was kinda confused about why his Poodle was apologizing. It was all Megan and her Rage stuff. Regardless, he decided to point Megan in the direction of his stash, never once releasing Ade, and watched as the woman literally scrambled to get everything set up.

"Fucking finally," she mumbled while rolling a joint. However, she paused during the process, taking in the pair's snug embrace. Once again, something glimmered in her eyes, unexpectedly fragile and pained, but it disappeared quicker than it came. "So, Ade," she grunted, "Start from the top. Tell me how the hell Fudge Bug got infatuated with your ass."

Hearing Megan speak felt a little like learning English all over again. Only where English was mostly beautiful and made her warm inside, the things Megan said were… not. But she wasn't yelling anymore, and that was something. Breathing in, she concentrated hard. Fudge Bug was, for some reason, Oz. Infatuated… That was slightly more difficult, but she had to assume that Megan was either asking how she and Oz met… or insulting Ade's rear end… She chose, against better judgment, to go with the former. Sitting up, though not enough to untangle herself from Oz, she looked to small woman.

"A few weeks ago, my brother rescued me from RIEF, where I have been a prisoner for… for a very long time. The guards… they came after us and my brother, he stayed behind to… to give us time. His friend Luna… she brought me here, to keep me safe. Here is where I found Oz. I was very sad and Oz was in the outside-inside place.... It was raining and he… he wanted to feel it. I thought he was an alien. He is not, but that I found out later. He showed me the roof… and we stood in the rain, but it was cold, so he brought me inside to make me warm… and poofy." Her hands mimicked the fluffiness of her curls, and a warm smile stole away the sadness in her eyes, "This… this is why he calls me Poodle. We had hot… hot chocolate, and we spent many times on the roof… and he made me miss my brother just a little less. But… but then Vance (that is my brother)… he came back, only they would not let me see him. Oz… he brought paint, to cheer me up and we… we had a paint fight, and…"

Breathing in, she savored the memory for a moment, "Then Yul… he is Ozzy's boss, he would not give Oz his medicine. He was… busy with all of the sick people. And Oz, he could not sleep. So… I sang to him, La Mer… It is what my mother sang to me, before she went away. And he fell asleep. He made my legs pins and pokes, but I did not mind, because I got to make him better, for once. After, when…" Pausing, the smile faded slightly, and she curved into Oz a little more, rubbing her wrist, "Oz, he… he saved me from… from a very angry man, and then he showed me our stars. It… it is long-telling of a story, but also not all of it, only there is so much. Too much to fit. I am not Oz, and I cannot say how he… he feels. But I know how he makes me to feel. He makes me smile, when I think there is nothing to smile for. He makes me feel safe, like there is no one who can do bad things to me, again. He makes my heart hurt, in a way I do not mind… like… like I have pins and pokes inside, too. He is… he is my Dory. He makes it so I am not lost and scared and alone… even when no one else understands him, I do. He helps me to find my way. He knows me." Her eyes shifted then, to Oz, and her smile widened exponentially, eyes, indeed, glittering, shining, blazed, "His soul… it fits in mine, and mine, it belongs to him. And that is just the way it is."

Around the beginning of Ade's spiel, Megan wasn't paying it much mind. Well, not completely; she had found enough patience to listen with a minor fraction of her ears, but the rest of her focus was dedicated to rolling a second joint for Ozno too. However, some more of her interest filtered into Ade as the woman went on, until she was listening completely, brow furrowing at the part about an "angry man". The fuck? She would definitely weed out more details about that later. And then the soul bit...Fuck. Hot damn. Seriously? Megan's eyes narrowed, originating more from confusion than distaste, her vision switching back and forth between Ade and Ozno.

"You...you two are really...fucking...serious? This thing?" she asked, voice cracking midway, the emotion behind it unreadable.

At the question, Ozno leaned down, resting his forehead against Ade's, staring deeply into her eyes. Everything she had said, everything she remembered in her own, perfect, fancy English way, touched his soul like the most familiar caress known in existence. Not a single syllable failed to send shivers up and down his spine. Man...His Poodle. That was his beautiful Poodle. "Super serious," he whispered, eyes misting over with emotion. Gently, he scooped up her hand into his, the same one that was previously injured, and swiped his thumb soothingly along her knuckles. "She...She understands me, Meg."

A long silence.

The joints rested on Megan's lap, long forgotten. Her head lowered, scrutinizing her own hands as if they held the answers to the universe, her own universe, or even, hopefully, to the changes unfolding right before her. Her Fudge Bug...She wasn't blind. Hell--she desperately she wished she was in that moment, but there was no deny the perceptions of reality. Ozno...was feeling something deep for this reject fairy and facing up to that realization almost made vomit burn up her throat... "Fuck," she whispered, hands curling into fists. And yet, despite the tension in her voice and shoulders, not a single ounce reached her visage and she looked at the with an expression somewhat similar to indifference. "Well, uh...Aren't you two mushy as hell," she muttered jokingly. Well, an attempt to sound like a joke.

"M...mushy?" Adelaide asked, and brow quirked as she continued to keep her eyes fixed on Oz, "This is… this is a good thing? Or no?" She wanted, after all, to find some acceptance from the angry woman. She was, after all, friends with Oz…

Ozno shrugged, mirth exuding from him. "I think so," he giggled.

"Har har, my sides are fuckin' splitting," Megan grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Take it however you want, glitter piss--"

"Meg!"

"Adelaide. I said Adelaide. Christ, don't start twisting your panties into a pretzel."

Ozno's lips pursed...A pretzel sounded really good right about now. Man, he wished Yul allowed more, like, cooler snacks...Wait, he was getting off topic. Blinking back to the present, he smiled reassuringly for Ade, giving her hand a brief squeeze. Something playful swam in his voice as he whispered, "She likes you."

"Oi! What the fuck have you told you about putting shit in my mouth huh?!" Megan spat, blood rushing to her face as she scowled. Regardless, the man didn't seemed perturbed by her outburst and giggled once again, head falling to Ade's shoulder. Man, he loved Meg so much. He loved her and Ade. They were awesome.

Despite herself (and the still present fear that Megan might suddenly lunge at her and try to shove her down a garbage disposal), Adelaide laughed softly, when Ozno did, leaning her cheek against the poof of red on her shoulder.

"She reminds me a little bit of Vance…" She noted, gingerly.

Most of the blush had evaporate from Megan's head, though she still seemed disgruntled. At the mention of Vance, she quirked an eyebrow. "Who? What, we got a Shih Tzu trottin' around here too?"

Remaining where he was (cuz, like...Ade was super comfy, always was), Ozno piped up simply, "Poodle's bro."

Megan almost let another insult slip between her teeth, but had enough self-control in that moment to settle for humming in acknowledgment, rummaging through her pocket for a lighter. If she didn't get high soon...Well, the base would have Hell to pay.

"...Why would you remind me of a Shih Tzu?" Adelaide asked, a brow raised, before she shifted, pulling away from Oz just the smallest distance, "What time is it? Do you need to sleep? Oh, Oz! The movie… You spent so much time… and then… You must be so tired." Patting her lap, she smiled.

"Hm?" Ozno hummed, lifting his head and blinking slowly at Ade. Oh, dang. Was it late? Man...He did need his naps. Plus, his Poodle was like...the perfect pillow and nap partner, no contest. He nodded, grinning almost goofily before turning around to look at Megan. "Meeeeg, I'mma nap, kay?"

At first, Megan didn't respond to Ozno's question, as her eye was too busy twitching at Ade's...lap suggestion. The actual fuck? Did...She swore to God, if this involved any sort of tainting her Fudge Bug's innocence, she would personally hand Adelaide's ass to her on her silver platter. Regardless, she needed to remind herself that homicide was illegal and that Ozno apparently...cared for this woman, so she reeled in as much of her emotions as she could and exhaled slowly. "Whatever. Fine. Take a nap, Fudge Bug. I've...gotta go blow off some steam, literally." She gestured to the joints in her hand, before jabbing a thumb towards the door, "Atrium's open like always, ain't it?"

"Yep," Ozno said happily, flopping backwards into Ade's lap with a soft thump.

"It was…" Pausing, Adelaide laughed as Ozno flopped back, and brushing the hair from his forehead, she looked back up at Megan, "...It was nice to meet you." She said, without a trace of irony in her voice, "Watch out for the guards. They are sometimes not so nice…"

Resuming her attention on Oz, she smiled again, "...Song?"

Megan gave pause, skimming Ade up and down like she had before. She bit the inside of her cheek. "I know." Hey--she knew how pleasant and likeable she was, all Ade did was tell her the obvious. As for the warning about the guards, she scoffed. "Guards here are punkasses trying to compensate with big ass egos, I know how they roll. I can cover my own ass just fine, glitter p...Glitter. Yep. Not too painful."

Nodding to herself, she stepped out, but not without stopping as Ozno called out to her with a lazy wave, "Bye Meeeg. Smoke fast, kay?"

Megan flashed a grin. "For you, Fudge Bug? Hell, I'll try." The door shut behind her and a few seconds after the privacy settled in, Ozno grinned up at Ade, fingers drumming excitedly against his stomach.

"Yis, please," he said. "Lamer, err...no…" His eyes squinted. "L...La Mer."

"Parfait…" She praised, and as her fingers continued to wind through his hair, she started off the song, soft and sweet, as before.

Ozno immediately relaxed into her, basking in the feel of her gentle touch and the pure awesomeness that was her singing voice. Everything was good. Cool. Parfait. At first, he feared that Megan wouldn't accept Ade but...something in his gut told him, reassured him, that things would turn out just fine between them. His Aunt Meg was prickle, loud, angry a lot...but had a lot of love to give, she was just stingy with it. Either way, the realization assisted in drifting him further and further into bliss, and with nothing but his Poodle's lyrics filling his being, he fell asunder.

---

TAGS || Collab with @Mobley Eats

 

[WingWong]

Collab: Finding Shower Ghosts and Consciences
Interactions: Finn @CloudyBlueDay
Location: Orlando, a few days after Miami team's arrival

---

In the few days after escaping what remained of the Miami branch, Nick was attempting to settle in. He wasn't sure, after all, how long they would end up staying or how things would play out in the future. He had plans to lay low and do as the Romans do when in Rome. Still, he was seeking out others from the Miami branch, just to figure out who was left. He'd made the mistake of not getting to know them before, and he didn't want to do that again.


So, that was how he found himself idle in the hallway, trying to figure out who was where. He probably could have planned this out better, but it was fine. It would be fine. He'd figure this out.


Orlando hadn't been terrible for Finn. With the company of his friends, the strictness of it all wasn't too terrible. There was still a lot to explore, though, and without the looming threat of abusive caretakers or RIEF agents, Finn had a hankering for exploring places he shouldn't be.


He was trying incessantly to get his keycard to work for a door it was clearly not gonna work for when he heard footsteps. Oops. Putting his keycard away, Finn whistled innocently as the person came into view. Someone he didn't know - looked a little too lost to be from Orlando.


"Dang thing won't open." Finn murmured.


Nick blinked. The voice was familiar, but he couldn't quite place where or when he'd heard it. He'd have to worry about it in a minute. He looked over at the door, lips pursed. Keycards were supposed to work for the places they were allowed to be, so either the door or the key was the problem for the other guy in hallway. If there were doors that a keycard wouldn't work on here, though, he might be in the wrong place.


"Is it a door your key gives you clearance for?" he asked.


"Uhh," Finn muttered sheepishly. "I thought this was where I was supposed to be. Guess not." Finn stepped away from the door, glancing at the stranger and looking him over. "You sound kinda familiar," Finn said. "Are you from Miami?"


"Sounds like we're both lost then," Nick sighed. He remembered thinking, earlier in the week, that he probably didn't need a map or anything. He could remember his away around, surely. That had been the thought process then, but now he wanted to go find his past-self and shake him for being dumb.


"Yeah, I'm from Miami," he said with a nod. "I take it you are too?" He agreed that the other sounded familiar. Had he overhead some conversation or something?


"Mhmn," Finn said, squinting. He didn't recognize the man's face, but his voice sounded oddly familiar. In what instance would you know someone's voice and not their face? Finn blinked, and then suddenly, it hit him.


"Oh my god!" He yelped. "It's you! Evil shower ghost!"

---

His entrance to the shower marked by the humming of a familiar tune, Finn hung his towel on the shower curtain rod and lined up his shampoo and soap. He couldn't exactly name the song stuck in his head, but he definitely knew the chorus, and as the water started flowing Finn was already shouting his heart out.


"I'm only a maaaaan, with a caaaandle to guide me, I'm takin' a stand, to escape what's inside me, a monster, a monster! I've turned into a monster! A mooonstah a monstah, and it keeps getting stronger!"


Nick had a book out, enjoying some of the rare downtime he'd allowed himself since being recruited to Rogues a week ago. Or had it been longer? He couldn't tell. The days had started blurring together at some point, and it was why he wanted to just sit in his room and read for a little while.


The phrase "his room" still felt very new and very strange to him, though. He hadn't really had a room that had the potential to stay his since he'd left home during the raid. It was going to take some getting used to.


And so there he was, sitting with a book in his lap, when he heard it. He stilled completely, listening. Did he hear what he thought he did? He held a palm out, crooking his fingers to pull the sound toward him. He did hear what he thought he did. Someone was singing a song he recognized, possibly in the shower based on the background noise that sounded like running water. He smiled to himself, writing it off simply as a fellow Rogue enjoying a little shower karaoke. It probably wouldn't even distract him. So he turned back to his book.


"If I told you who I waaas, would you run awaaay from meeee," Finn held the bar of soap up to his face like a microphone, probably wasting an absurd amount of water as he fell deeper into his song. "And if I seemed traitorous, would you be scaaared,"


The singing proved to be hard to ignore. It wasn't that it was bad; the opposite, really. Whoever it was had a nice voice. Nick was just having trouble tuning it out. Which ended with him humming under his breath alongside Finn's singing.


Lost in the bravado of his shower, Finn's voice escalated. "I get the feelin' just because, everything I touch isn't harsh enough!" He was pretty sure those weren't the right lyrics, but he was too much into the groove . "If this problem lies in meeeeeeee~"



Nick had been murmuring the words along with Finn, right up until the words stopped matching. He paused completely, throwing a bewildered look in the general direction of the showers. Wait, what now? Had he heard that right?


"I'm only a maan, with a… uh, candle to guide me! Escaping the damned, from what resides inside me!" Oops. He'd totally lost his groove. Too late to stop! Finn couldn't remember anymore lyrics, so he just started humming out of range. His soap-bar-microphone was wearing down to a disappointing amount of suds.


Nick blinked. Was this the same song? This didn't feel like the same song. He continued listening; it was still to the same tune. Yet, he still felt so very, very confused. The power to clearly hear songs sung in the shower was too great, because now he had to deal with the fact that he wanted to butt in. The problem with that, despite not being face to face, is that he'd still be butting in. Hello awkwardness, his old friend. So, in his state of indecision, he just sat there. If he heard the chorus and only the chorus or the butchered verse leading up to it again….


"If I told you what I was, would ya get away from me, if I seemed mysterious, would you be terrified?" Okay. This shower needed to end. The song was definitely escaping him. Finn trailed off pathetically, looking down at his wrinkled fingertips. He'd definitely been in the shower too long.


"It's "if I seemed dangerous, would you be scared," Nick said before thinking better of it. He'd forgotten, that in pulling the sound toward him earlier, that Finn would be probably be able to hear him now too. That clicked about two seconds too late and he then cringed. Hopefully, the guy in the shower didn't hear. It was fine.Everything was fine.


"GYAH!" Finn yelped, slipping on the wet tile beneath him and only just in time grabbing the bar that held his towel. Finn frantically turned the water off and pulled his towel on. "Shower ghost?" He mumbled. "Please have mercy on my bad song singing skills."


It was not fine. Everything was not fine. Mission abort, mission abort. Nick nearly cursed, but figured Finn would be able to hear that too. "Uh," he started eloquently, "I'm not a shower ghost?" He wasn't a ghost at all, but especially not a shower ghost. There were worse things, but he didn't want to be the poor sap haunting a shower if he could help it. There weren't a lot of good, un-embarrassing explanations for haunting one.


"That's exactly what a shower ghost would say!" Finn yelped, voice trembling. He was shivering now. Oh god, it was probably because of the ghosts, and the ghosts and their whole 'it gets colder when there's a ghost!' thing. Definitely not because he was still soaking wet. "Oh god… I'm not ready to haunt Rogue…"


"How would you know? Have you met a shower ghost before?" Nick asked, half joking. Yeah, maybe he shouldn't mess with someone who quite literally had his pants down. Bad choice there. "Not a ghost, I swear. And if I were one, I hope I wouldn't be haunting a bathroom." There was a point to this. What was the point to this again? Right! The song and the singing. That was what started this.


Pausing, Finn blinked. "You would be a really sucky ghost if you haunted the Rogue bathroom.." Finn considered. "So… you're just a creepy dude in the showers, then. That might be worse."


"I'd be a terrible ghost in general," Nick replied. He paused. "Yeah, that's definitely worse. Let's go back to me being a ghost." He rubbed his eyes. This had all gone terribly wrong. "Or just make me a disembodied voice. Or your conscience. I think I could be a really good conscience. I'm also not in the showers, so 'creepy guy in the showers' doesn't quite fit."


"Okay, sure. Whatever you say, creepy guy in the showers." Finn retaliated. He was definitely not about to step out of the showers now. "One voice in my head is enough. I do not need a whole 'nother conscience. Especially one who judges my shower singing!"


"That's no way to speak to your conscience. Also I, as your conscience, am begging you to please learn something other than the chorus to 'Monster'," Nick replied. God this was so weird. How do you casually explain why it sounds like you're somewhere that you aren't? "Your shower singing is fine, I'm just...helping?"


"So… you're just a mean voice in my head, then. Criticizing my private shower concert time. Showers are supposed to be the safe space!" Finn argued. Then he realized he was arguing with an ominous shower voice. "Oh crap. Then I must be… hallucinating?? Did I slip and hit my head and die?"

"I mean," Nick's voice cracked a little, "I hope I'm not mean?" He was about to comment when Finn had a small crisis. Crappity crap, this was bad. "No, no, you're not hallucinating. You're fine." He cursed under his breath. "Alright, look. My powers are sound manipulation. I heard something, used my powers to figure out it was you, and then said something, because I forgot you'd be able to hear me."


"O-oh." Finn mumbled, clutching his towel tightly. "So… you're just a creepo who's been listening to me in the shower." His teeth chattered. Now this was just unnerving. So super uncomfortably unnerving. "N-n-not c-cool, man."


"Oh my God," Nick breathed before sighing. "There's no way to explain this without me coming off like a weirdo, is there?" There was no winning today. He now had a new reason to not be around base very often; if he ever ran into this guy in person, he'd want to die where he stood and then melt into the floor so no one could ever see his shame again. "I just...I heard something familiar and tried to figure out what it was. I've been listening maybe a few minutes. Sorry for intruding, and I'm just gonna...go away now."


"U-Uh… Oh.." Finn mumbled, scratching his head. "B-bye, then, eerie shower man." He mumbled, glancing around to make sure the voice was gone, even if he had never actually seen the guy. "Wait… I never even got your name…" Finn murmured, but by then, it was much too late. Eh.. He'd figure it out eventually.

---

Recognition filled Nick's face immediately after he heard 'ghost', and vague horror quickly replaced it. "Oh God," he said. With each passing moment, he looked like he wanted to die where he stood more and more. "Ohhhhhh my God." He pressed the heels of his palms to his forehead. Where was Francis? He needed her to fling him into the sun, right now. He couldn't dig a hole fast enough to escape this situation, so now he was just going to have to figure out how hot the surface of the sun was. It was a perfectly reasonably plan. He could probably handle a little heat, considering how warm his face felt now. "Ohh my God. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."


Finn didn't seem phased by Nick's embarrassment at all. Instead, he blinked for one moment, processing the fact that this was, indeed, the man who had harassed him over his shower singing voice, and then, when it had finally settled in on him, Finn burst out laughing. It was the hardest he had laughed since, well, since everything. "I'm… so… pffhahahahahha! Haha, oh my god!" He even tried to start talking again but couldn't. Only when he'd finally run out of air did Finn stop, take a few deep breaths, and wipe the tears from his eyes. "Dude, I'm glad you're alive. A-and it's o-okay." Finn grinned. "It was…. Pretty memorable."


Nick was trying to figure out how quickly he could recede into his own existence and just implode where he stood when Finn started laughing. What the hell? What the hell was going on? Nick watched with wide eyes as he tried to figure out how in the world he was going to handle this. "Right, because on the list of things I want to be remembered for, 'harassed a guy for not knowing the lyrics to a song while he's in the shower'' is definitely on that," he said sarcastically, though his embarrassment was still written all over his face. "I'm glad you're alive too, though."


"Eh, it's uh… better than…" Not making it out of a fiery explosion on HQ. Nevermind. "I-I'm Finn," Finn said with a grin, sticking out his hand for Nick to shake. "And you, critical shower ghost, are…?"


Nick caught the train of thought well enough. Yeah, better than that. Though it still wasn't how he wanted to go down.


"I'm Nick," he answered, taking Finn's hand. "Though I also respond to 'conscience'." He couldn't resist the small crack of a joke.


"Nick," Finn echoed, grinning at his joke. "Or conscience. Or creepy shower ghost. Man, you scared the crap out of me!" Finn laughed again. "Your powers are awesome, by the way. Just… use em a little less for spying on your teammates, is my advice."


"We can leave the 'creepy shower ghost' part out," Nick said with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, didn't mean to." He flung out his hands to either side in protest. "I wasn't trying to spy! I was being curious. You know, kind of like using that keycard on a door it doesn't match to," he added, pointing a finger at said card. "Because you look a lot less lost than me right now."


At the mention of the keycard, Finn blushed scarlet. "Okay, fine, creepy shower ghost Nick. You got me." He shoved the keycard in his pocket. "I was exploring, alright? But the jig is up, so. I'll take my keycard to the room it actually opens."


"I'm never going to be able to live down being the shower ghost, am I?" Nick sighed, shaking his head. "Fair enough. Maybe try it when your conscience isn't here to stop you."


"Ha ha," Finn snorted, saluting Nick. "See ya around, shower ghost!" He grinned brightly at Nick before heading down the hall.

 

[KatSea]

Collab: Snugglus Operandus, Daisy @Elle Joyner

Levi had to recompose himself after greeting his friends, presenting them with a promise of affection. He prayed that he never had to lose one so young, knowing fully well that none of them deserved such an early fate. He found himself asking a similar favor to one who could hear. Watch over them. They need it.

Reclining against the hallway wall, he brushed his fingers through his hair and caught his breath. Lucas and Francis had left for a conversation. Levi had granted a hearty goodbye to Nick, knowing that as much as he wished to stay, all three needed the rest. He wasn't sure what came next. Penny had returned home safe. People were recovering. However the virus came...Levi knew the retaliation was sure to come. Or worse. A secondary wave of attack.

Worrying about it now would do no good. Levi wasn't even certain he could do anything to assist in such a retaliation. All he could do now was count his blessings. He took a sharp inhale as he considered his actions now. Something churned within his stomach as he knew exactly where to go, and despite himself, a chuckle rippled through him.

"She's gonna get sick of me at this point." He drawled, knowing now that she herself was getting some downtime. Perfcct. Just what she needed after all this. "I owe her, anyhow." Raking the back of his hands over his eyes, he made his way down the hall until he located the familiar door. He knocked, humming anxiously as he did.

It didn't take long before Daisy answered. She'd gotten rest, as promised, but there was too much going on, too much excitement and fear and uncertainty, and despite how purely exhausted she was, it had been nearly impossible to stay asleep for very long. Instead, she had read, and dosed and daydreamed…

There would be a lot coming for Rogue in the next few weeks - and she wanted to be fully prepared for what lay ahead of them, but the fact of the matter was, she had allowed herself, pleasantly enough, to become distracted… Yul wouldn't like it, but she couldn't exactly find it in herself to care.

Pulling the door open, she met Levi with a small, easy smile, "...You're back. I figured you'd camp out down there, after all that. How's everyone?"

Levi blinked at how swiftly Daisy was there to answer the door. It was a relief to see that she was taking it easy and allowing herself to relax. Levi made a mental note to ask her to consider transfer, later. If Miami did get back to good. "Hey there buttercup." Levi cleared his throat. "I stayed down there for a while. Lucas and Francis were going to have a talk, Nick looked like he needed rest. I didn't want to drain them too much, that's all." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "They all look so much better. Back on their feet. They hugged me tighter than a bear. Chipper than an easy morning and all." Realizing he was rambling, he swallowed hard. "I have so much to thank you, for that."

"Hell, Lev… I didn't do hardly anything." Daisy said, her cheeks lightly flushed as she smiled faintly, "You don't owe me any thanks. Just glad to hear they're all doing alright."

"You worked until you over did it. Trust me, Im more than grateful. Although I will have to send my respects to those dweebs who made the cure. I mean that lovingly of course, I am very grateful for what they did...that and Thaddeus." He chuckled softly. "Still. I can't help but feel gracious for what you did."

"You're sweet…" She murmured, and she reached to take hold of his hand, giving it a squeeze, "I was worried, for a little while there… Been pretty quiet here at Orlando, till you folks came along." With a teasing smile, she shrugged, "Not sure any of us were quite ready for all this excitement."

Squeezing her hand in return, Levi began to muse under his breath. "Sorry for bringing too much excitement along, buttercup. It wasn't our intention. But, I have to admit, it does seem a tad dull up here. I don't know how you handle it. But then again, I guess you don't get your base blown up." He muttered, bitterness entering his tone. He shook it away, not wanting to somber to a point of misery. "Sorry about the chaos, Dais."

"I'm not." She answered, with an honest smile, "It was boring… and it was lonely. And I'm not sorry either of those things have changed so much. Granted, the way it all came about wasn't maybe the best, but it brought me you, and I could never be sorry for that." Stepping back, she held the door open, "You… you wanna come in?"

"You know, you should consider Miami sometime." The words came without thought and he bit his lip. "It's really lively down there. And we could use someone like you down there to keep us somewhat orderly." He brought her knuckles up to his lips to kiss them, lingering there longer than he had intended. "Only if you wish me to come inside." He offered, a playful smile lurking at the corners of his mouth.

Laughing faintly, she shook her head, "Something tells me you got an ulterior motive for asking me that, Jukebox. You want orderly, you'd just stay here. It's okay to say you'd miss me..." Her fingers tightened around his and breathing in, she nodded, "Course I do…" More than she was really willing to admit at the moment.

"Of course I'd miss you, buttercup. That's a no brainer, even for my thick skull." He gently tapped his fist against his forehead, making the sound of a dull bounce echo through the hallway. "And it's empty, too." Biting the inside of his cheek, Levi nodded and stepped cautiously into her room. "And, just to double triple check, you cozy with me just lounging in your room? Just the two of us...in cranky Yul's sanctuary…"

"You can't fool me, Juke." Daisy remarked, with a grin, "Takes a smart man to figure out how to get pie into this place… and that's just the start of it." As he stepped in, she closed the door behind him, and nodded without hesitation, "Totally cozy. I… I kinda missed you, to be honest, when you weren't here."

"I had a dealer if you needed to know." He winked at her teasingly stepping inside and rolling his shoulders back as he immediately felt comfort seep into his shoulders. "Oh, you did hmm?" He teased, turning on his heel and facing her with a light smirk. "I missed you too, believe it or not. That might be a tad of a problem."

"Hm…" Smiling gently, she shrugged and stepping forward, she looped her arms around his middle, looking up at him, "A problem, you say?What shall we do about this dilemma of ours, do you think?"

"Hmm." He pretended to muse, his arms instinctually wrapping around her form. His hand came to rest at the back of her head as he pulled her close to him. "That's an excellent question, milady. How do you propose we solve this?" He leaned down to rest his chin upon her head, smiling absentmindedly.

"I could suggest… you never leave." She mused, with a soft murmur, "But I'm not so sure, logistically, that's realistic for either one of us. Then again…"

"Never, hmm?" Levi questioned, pressing his lips to her cheek. He nestled into the crook of her neck, whispering "That's a long time, isn't it? I mean, I wouldn't complain…"

"Neither would I." She breathed, and tipped her neck to the side, fingers finding their way through his, "...Maybe just… just tonight, we could pretend that we can just… not go anywhere?"

"I don't think anyone would mind if we disappeared for the night." Levi smirked, temptation bubbling within his chest. He tensed briefly, reminding himself that he would be better than that, and simply left a chaste kiss at her shoulder before lifting his head back up. "Besides, if that means making sure you relax from your responsibilities for a little bit...count me in."

As he straightened, Daisy felt an odd mixture of disappointment and gratitude, and her fingers wound through his to give his hand a squeeze, "Speaking of responsibilities, I wanted to show you something I was reading. Here… come sit." She gestured to the bed, as she moved to her desk to grab a handful of books and papers.

"Oh God, if this turns out to be an elaborate plan to get me to read a book I'm gonna be livid." He muttered with a teasing grin, easily strolling over to the bed and plopping down without a second thought. "What is it?"

Laughing softly, Daisy shook her head and sat down beside him, laying out the books, "No, no. I already did all the heavy lifting, Juke." Flipping one open, she turned it around so he could see, "I've been researching the best way to find a missing kid who went into the system, and I think I may have found a few methods that'll give us a jumping off point…"

Levi's color drained from his face. For one of the only rare times, in his entire life, did he find himself speechless. He pressed his hands over his mouth in disbelief, eyes locked intensely to the book she had before him. Levi hadn't forgotten about his child over the course of these crazy weeks, but he found himself constantly distracted. Knowing that Daisy did this...he couldn't remember his own mother tongue. "Daisy...you...you worked on this? Oh...oh my God. I…" His mouth ran dry. "T-t-thank you."

Smiling faintly, she shrugged, "I promised I would, didn't I? It means a lot to you, Levi… and that means it means a lot to me, too. Besides… It… it's kind of personal, too." She gave a small, innocent shrug, "Kinda every orphan's dream, that their parents want them, you know?"

Levi kissed her before he had even realized he had leaned in. Pulling away, color returned to his cheeks and he grinned. "This is so wonderful...and to think I might be able to actually find my child...thank you. I owe you so much, my little flower. So so much." At her last words, his hand encased hers comfortingly. "I can never understand what it is like. And I am sorry that you had to go through it. Truly I am. There is so much love in my heart for you...you making sure my little girl doesn't have to be alone."

The kiss was warm and welcomed, and humming softly, Daisy sank back onto her heels with a small, sheepish shrug, though his words did not escape her ears, brightening her cheeks to a healthy shade

of pink, "...Nothing to be sorry for, Lev. It brought me to where I am, and I'm glad for that. But if I can do anything to make sure your little girl doesn't have to go through what I did, well… I'm gonna do my best. It'd help, though, if you have a name or birthday… something?"

"I...I don't even think her mother gave her a name." Levi frowned, his hope beginning to dim. "B-but...birthdate. Her mother told me she gave birth to her around...let's see." He did some calculations in his head, scowling slightly in thought. "She'd be around what, over a year now...I think spring. I can't say the date though."

"She didn't…" Blinking, Daisy's cheeks flushed brighter, and she shook her head. What sort of mother… didn't even name her own child. Didn't even try… It was despicable. Absolutely despicable.

"...That poor thing." She breathed, shaking her head, "...I'm so sorry, Levi. She deserves better than that."

"If she did name that baby I don't know." Levi's head hung, brushing back his hair. His chest clenched tightly, making it difficult to speak clearly. "I don't know if we can find her without much else to go on. I can give you the mother's name." His shoulders slumped, illness coating his stomach. "I know. She deserves more than this. I wish I could just hold her and give her it all."

Reaching out, Daisy curled her fingers around his arm, shaking her head, "We are gonna find her, Levi. I'm not about to give up. She'll have a birth certificate. We can petition the hospitals in the area… to see it… and start from there. We will find her… And she is gonna have more love than she can stand."

His gaze remained down, uncertainty building in his chest. "I'm going to keep looking until I find her Dais. I can't thank you enough for this help. I can't. I was foolish enough to not question her mother further about this. I was just in so much shock and anger…" His eyes flickered back up to meet hers, sheepish. "I can try and get in contact with her."

"You… you think that's a good idea? She doesn't exactly win mother of the year. You think she'd be any help?" That, and Levi and his friends were, by all natural accounts, fugitives of the law… A woman that self serving couldn't really be trusted.

"If you know her number or address, I could always reach out. Say I was a caseworker and I had some questions?"

"I have her name and number." Levi bobbed his head, recalling he had left his phone in his room. He hadn't fully memorized her contact information, considering the time between them. "I don't know if she has the same address."

"Can't hurt to try. At any rate, I'm a lot less infamous out there. No sense you putting yourself in harms way. That won't help your girl… or anyone else for that matter. I can ask Yul for some personal time… see what I can dig up."

"I don't want you to get into too much trouble, either, buttercup." He rebutted with a murmur, eyes fluttering in thought. "It's not as if she is dangerous or anything, Sarah can be somewhat...erratic at times. But I suppose you would have a much better time than I. Just, be cautious okay?"

"Of course…" Daisy agreed, with a small smile, "Got no intentions of getting myself killed or anything. I got too much worth my time, here." Biting her lip, she pushed the books aside, reaching for his hands, "Even if this doesn't work, I'm gonna keep lookin'... We'll find a way."

"I'm just scared that my little girl has already been found out and it's too late, you know?" Levi mumbled, squeezing her hands the moment she latched on. "This is such a mess. I'm sorry you had to walk in on all of this."

"I'd have run into it, Lev… cause you're worth it. And I'm sure she is, too." Bringing his hands up, she rested her forehead to the knuckles, "But you gotta think positive. You gotta hope… It's all we got left RIEF can't take…"

"I'm just so scared for my child. I haven't even laid my eyes on her and I already know she is going to mean the world to me. I'm just really scared." The confession tasted bitter along his tongue. He didn't want to admit his fear. He hadn't even confessed to Lucas, Francis or Nick. It made him feel weak. More unsure than he already was. "But I know we are going to find her. I know." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I'd think you were a little crazy if you weren't scared, Levi. This whole mess… it's pretty terrifying. And she's probably scared, too. But if she's anything like you, then she's probably really brave." Looking up at him, she smiled, "Just gotta have faith it'll work out."

"I pity that child for having her father's genes." He shook his head absentmindedly, wondering how he would even care for her when he found her. He wasn't prepared. The only child he had experience with was his own brother, and that was years ago. "You haven't let me down yet, Dais. I have faith."