In hindsight, Hyunjin should have probably realized that offering to share a bed with Seungmin would have been a pretty bad idea regardless of how much clothing he was wearing because Hyunjin is a clingy sleeper, and needed to hug something, whether it be a pillow or a Felix, or a Jeongin if their youngest was feeling particularly generous.

The youngest was not feeling particularly generous, as Hyunjin was soon to find out, when the screech of

“Felix hyung, they did the frickle frackle!”

resounds through the bungalow, waking Hyunjin up better than his own alarm ever would.

He blinks until his vision focusses and he tenses when he sees Seungmin glancing down at him curiously from where he had his arms wrapped around the brunette’s waist, his head presumably pressed against the boy’s cool chest. His face immediately stains scarlet and he jerks away, only for a hand to hold him in place.

“No...stay there, it’s warm,” Seungmin insists, as though he didn’t understand how this could be misinterpreted by anyone who saw them; presumably, it had already been misinterpreted by Jeongin.

Hyunjin’s face remains pitifully crimson as Felix’s head pops in through the doorway (he would think it counterintuitive to even

want

to do that after Jeongin’s ear-splitting proclamation, but he had the worst friends, so really, he shouldn’t be surprised), and he hides his face in Seungmin’s chest as Felix grins from ear to ear and shuts the door on them without a word. Somehow Hyunjin finds that more terrifying than if the blonde was to mimic Jeongin’s (false) broadcasting.

“What did he say? Frickle frackle?” Seungmin asks curiously, and his voice doesn’t sound sleep-ridden at all, leading Hyunjin to believe that he had been awake for a while, which makes his face even redder if at all possible because

how long

had Seungmin been aware that he had been clinging to him and not done anything about it?

“Just...just ignore them,” Hyunjin mumbles, figuring that if he didn't see Seungmin's face then maybe the embarrassment would dwindle. Unfortunately, considering how his method of not looking at Seungmin's face was to hide his own face in Seungmin's chest against his cool, sun-kissed skin, his embarrassment didn't lessen as he had hoped.

Seungmin nods and chuckles as he eyes Hyunjin, and somewhere in the corner of his mind that was currently blaring sirens (the eoeoeo ones, not the Seungmin ones) telling him that he should really get his face off of Seungmin's toned chest, he wonders just how the boy can be remotely cheerful in the morning. How the

hell

can someone be so perfect that they have a

smile

on their face so early in the morning?

(In reality, it wasn't that early at all, but Hyunjin never was and never will be a morning person).

“If you don't want to get up right now, you don't need to,” Seungmin points out, his voice slightly nasally in that way that Hyunjin found unforgivably adorable. “You were up late last night and you're on vacation right? So you should be able to get more rest.”

“Marry me,” Hyunjin groans then and there because he swears that Seungmin's words are those of angels singing. He realizes what he's said only a good few seconds after he's spoken and flushes down to his neck again. “Actually, forget I even exist, I want to crawl in a hole and die a quick and painless death,” he decides. He hears that infuriatingly cute chuckle again and feels something cold rest on the back of his head. Belatedly he realizes that it's Seungmin's hand. But his mind was on overload at the moment, and really, where Seungmin's hand was on his being was the least of Hyunjin's worries.

“We barely know each other, Hyunjin, I'm not going to marry you. I don't even like humans.”

Hyunjin just about wilts in Seungmin's grip at the words and pouts, finally shifting to look up at him, his chin resting on Seungmin's sternum. “Not even me?” He tries, giving him his best puppy dog eyes.

Seungmin rolls his eyes, his hand shifting to flick Hyunjin gently between the eyes. “I don't like humans,” he repeats, firmly and without hesitation.

Hyunjin's pout deepens and he returns his face back to Seungmin's chest, honestly too embarrassed to even care about being embarrassed anymore. He falls silent and stays silent for a bit, understanding that this was probably a touchy subject for Seungmin, although why was beyond him. Although humans could be pretty terrible, so he supposes that Seungmin's behaviour wasn't completely unreasonable. That didn't mean it didn't hurt to be so blatantly rejected. Hwang Hyunjin was used to rejecting, not being rejected. He wasn't the kind of jerk that would lead people on if he felt nothing for them.

For how much longer he remains cuddled up against Seungmin (the discomfort of it had eventually faded when Hyunjin's natural tendency to be touchy-feely kicked in, but that didn't mean the rollercoaster ride his stomach decided to embark on had stopped) he isn't sure, but he's snapped out of the comfortable reverie when the brunette speaks. “I'm thirsty.”

Hyunjin immediately hops out of bed. “I’ll get you some water.”

Seungmin slips out as well, and Hyunjin tells himself to focus, to keep his eyes on Seungmin’s face. “You have to show me how to get water so that I can do it myself,” he states frankly.

Hyunjin stares blankly at him for a few moments before pursing his lips. “You have to put on clothes first,” he tells him. “Lucky for you, I bought you a bunch!” he grins and moves over to the bags of clothes that he hadn’t removed since he had purchased them. Now Seungmin was here to wear them at least, so he hefts the bags over to the bed and grins at Seungmin. “Choose whatever you like. They’re all yours!”

“Mine?” Seungmin hums, surprise glinting in his eyes. It makes Hyunjin feel oddly self-satisfied. He nods, and Seungmin looks through the clothes quietly. “You shouldn’t have. Money is hard to earn for you humans, isn’t it?”

Hyunjin shrugs slightly. “I...just wanted to get you something to wear,” he responds lamely, looking down at the floor.

That chuckle again. Hyunjin wonders if Seungmin will start vomiting rainbows with how perfect he is. “You know I don’t like or need to wear clothes, Hyunjin.”

“I know, but I don’t want everyone to see you walking around everywhere naked, excuse me for wanting to protect your privacy.”

And maybe keep that sight to myself.

Hyunjin feels blood rush to his cheeks at his own thoughts.

“You aren’t the only one that’s seen me naked.”

Hyunjin’s eyes widen. “D-did I—”

“Say that out loud? Yes, you did.”

Hyunjin groans and faceplants onto the bed. “Just kill me now and save me from embarrassing myself even more than I already have…” he whines, his voice muffled by the mattress. He felt so utterly mortified that goosebumps lined his skin down the entirety of his frame.

“I’ll wear these.” Hyunjin turns his head so that his cheek is pressed against the mattress and glances over Seungmin’s choices. They were loose clothes, of course, an oversized hoodie, t-shirt and a pair of joggers.

Hyunjin nods and turns to head out the door. “I'll go wash up, you can get dressed.”

“All right.”

Hyunjin flashes Seungmin a quick smile before hurrying out to the bathroom and promptly shutting the door before leaning his back against it and just slowly and far too dramatically sliding down until he's sitting on the cold, tiled floor. He buries his face in his hands and tries to decide whether he wants to wither from mortification or squeal in sheer happiness. He ends up letting out a sound that vaguely sounds like a crying moose.

After a few minutes of just groaning out his

feelings

(he still wasn't quite sure what exactly those feelings were), Hyunjin stands and jumps into the shower, dousing himself in cold water and promptly shrieking, his breath trapping itself in his lungs as he gasps. He twists the temperature to something warmer and finishes his shower as soon as possible, quickly brushing his teeth and changing into a fresh set of clothes.

He opens the door, nearly braining Seungmin with it, the brunette was standing so close. He blinks, staring at Seungmin, dressed in the oversized clothes and looking very

very

huggable, and Hyunjin doesn’t think he’s wanted to hug someone so badly his entire life.

“Water..?” Seungmin just asks simply, and Hyunjin bolts to the kitchen to grab a glass and fill it with water.

“He’s not limping...you think he topped?” Changbin stage whispers to Jeongin from the table where they’re very obviously sitting and judging Hyunjin’s every move.

Hyunjin whirls around and glares at them. “We didn’t do anything! I just...ended up cuddling him..while sleeping..”

“Suuure you did,” Jeongin chirps, evil glinting in his eyes.

Hyunjin huffs and sticks his nose up in the air and parades out of the kitchen. “I did,” he declares, making his way down the hall where he can already see the amused glint in Seungmin’s almond eyes. He blushes, realizing the ridiculousness of the entire situation.

“H-here’s your water,” he stammers, offering the boy the glass.

Seungmin accepts it with a nod. “Thank you, Hyunjin.” He downs in in seconds and a droplet slips down the furrow created by the corner of his mouth, dripping down his chin. His lips glisten, and Hyunjin can’t help but stare. He wants to kiss him. Really badly. “My eyes are up here,” Seungmin calls and Hyunjin’s gaze snaps up. He blushes when he sees the knowing glint in the brunettes gaze.

He pouts, and reaches out to wipe the droplet of water from the corner of Seungmin’s lips. He feels the boy tense under his touch, and catches sight of his eyes widening ever so slightly in well-concealed surprise, which Hyunjin takes as a victory on his part, although he wasn’t exactly sure what kind of game this was to begin with. Seungmin didn’t even like him, or humans in general. He knows he’s playing a losing match, but he can’t seem to stop. “Drink slower or you’ll choke,” he hums.

“Can you not flirt in the hall?” Felix suddenly yells, running through the door and pointing an accusing finger at them.

Hyunjin sputters. “We’re not flirting! I just got him a glass of water!”

Jeongin pops out of the kitchen, screen of his phone brandished, and Hyunjin’s eyes widen as he sees the image snapped of him staring

pointedly

 at Seungmin’s lips while wiping off the water droplet with his thumb, his ears somewhat red, while Seungmin’s eyes are wide and staring at him. “Not flirting,” the maknae crows. “Suuuure.”

“Hey, where’s Chan hyung?” Hyunjin loudly interjects in blatant attempt to divert the conversation. Fortunately, it seems to do the trick.

“Sleeping,” Felix responds without missing a beat, and Hyunjin relaxes, a relieved smile curling onto his lips. It’s mirrored on Felix’s face, and suddenly all is well with the world.

“Finally,” he sighs, stepping past to collapse onto the couch. “He’s sleeping.”

“Well, he nearly drowned last night, I’d be surprised if it didn’t take a lot out of him,” Changbin calls from the table, his eyes darting to Chan’s room. “So if you kids are gonna make noise, then at least go out and do it so you don’t wake him up.”

“Since when did you become responsible, hyung?” Jeongin asks curiously, pocketing his phone.

Changbin just glares at the younger and turns away, lips pursed. Felix chuckles at that. “He was joking, hyung, no need to be mopey over it.” He drapes himself over Changbin from behind and pokes his cheek. “Something the matter?” he asks, his voice quieter. “You usually have a lot of patience with Innie.”

Hyunjin watches them, and debates on teasing Felix after all that Felix had teased him for, but he decides to be the better person in their friendship and leave them be. Besides, it seemed that Jeongin was already doing all the work with his brandished phone and foxy grin.

With a sigh, Hyunjin lets his head fall against the back cushion of the couch. His eyes close and he sits there, as still as a statue, until he feels the cushion sink somewhat. He opens his eyes and glances over to find Seungmin sitting beside him, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Hyunjin owes it to the clothes. He sits upright and faces Seungmin properly. “Everything is all right right now,” he tells him. “Do you want to go for a swim?” He’s sure that Seungmin would feel much more comfortable in the sea. At the moment he looked very much like a fish out of water, but much stiller.

The brunette shakes his head, but Hyunjin doesn’t miss the brief hesitation, and he stands up. “Let’s go swimming,” he declares. “And then we can order takeout for breakfast so that Chan hyung doesn’t need to wake up and cook for us.”

“Swimming?” Felix suddenly perks up and turns to look at them. “Count me in!”

“No, you should let them go on their date, Lix hyung,” Jeongin calls out cheekily and Hyunjin puffs out his cheeks childishly.

“Lix can come if he wants! It’s not a date!”

“Sweet! Hyung, order us some breakfast,” Felix orders, turning to look at Changbin who rolls his eyes at the bossy attitude. Hyunjin smirks slightly when he catches the fondness in Changbin’s gaze that Felix seems to miss entirely.

“Sure. But I’m not swimming,” he decides.

Felix pokes his tongue out at the shorter man. “Fine, be that way.”

“Real mature, Lix,” Changbin retorts.

“

Anyway,

if you’re done flirting—”

“We’re not flirting!” Felix yelps and Jeongin just looks as though he’s having a field day, the widest grin on his face.

“Suuuure,” Hyunjin teases. “Anyway. I’m heading out for a swim.” He bolts off the couch and darts into the bedroom, swapping his pants for his swim trunks before darting out of the door and towards the beach, leaving the rest of them staring at his back.

“...is his inner swim-otaku coming out again?” Felix wonders aloud.

“Swim-otaku?” Seungmin repeats, turning to eye the blonde curiously.

Felix grins. “You know, when he goes gay for water.”

“No, I don't know,” Seungmin deadpans, but when he watches Hyunjin throw off his shirt and dart into the water like an excited child, he can't help but chuckle. “He's very bizarre.”

“Bizarre as in plain weird or kind of cute?” Jeongin breaks in, looking far more interested than he normally would have.

“Neither. Just...bizarre. You're all very bizarre.”

“We could say the same for you,” Changbin points out as he pockets his phone. “I ordered chicken. If you're all going to be out swimming, then you'll probably be starving after.”

“Great! Now that that's over with, let's go.” Felix runs to the bedroom to change into his swimming clothes.

When he's gone, Seungmin turns to face Changbin. “You're tense.”

“Yeah, I know. Maybe it's because of you,” Changbin admits honestly. “I don't know you, and suddenly you're integrated here. It feels off. Not to mention this whole siren thing. And we don't even know your intentions.”

Seungmin shrugs. “I'm not too happy about being here myself, but…” his eyes darken slightly. “I think I need to.” He stands up as Felix emerges from the bedroom wearing a wetsuit and a bright grin.

“Sea, here I come!” He cheers, running out of the building. Seungmin watches him go before following in his wake, Jeongin close behind, and finally, Changbin after a few moments of watching them.

Felix exhibits no hesitation as he runs into the water, splashing Hyunjin and perpetrating the resulting waterfight that Jeongin easily joins just so he could saturate the two with his ever-present grin on his face. Truth be told, it was slightly intimidating, how his smile was plastered on so perpetually. Seungmin just watches in fascination for a few minutes before tugging off his hoodie, and then his shirt, and finally, his sweats so that he's nearly stark naked, save for his chains and jewels that he never seemed to go anywhere without.

“Damn, Hyunjin was right, you do have a good physique,” Changbin remarks, sparing him a brief glance before looking away again, seemingly unfazed.

“I'd say I'm fairly average,” Seungmin disagrees as he lifts himself onto his feet and steps over to the shoreline, his frame glittering in the sunlight. He gravitates naturally to the turquoise waves, easily slipping from the shallows into deeper water and watching the sun dance through the surface to shine beneath in dim rays. He felt far more at home under the water than he did on land.

Seungmin just stays beneath the surface for a long while, letting the water flow through his gills and relaxing in the familiar environment when he's suddenly met with a familiar face. His eyes widen. “Hyunjin?” He exclaims, surprised, before immediately moving to clamp his hand over the other man's mouth before Hyunjin can make the stupid mistake of opening it. (Hyunjin would've argued that he wouldn't have, but Seungmin wouldn't believe him).

Hyunjin pulls away from his grip and breaks the surface, presumably to breathe, before ducking under again and looking at him. Seungmin meets his gaze incredulously because he's fairly certain that Hyunjin's eyes must have burned, but the man seemed all too eager to revisit the sensation for whatever reason. He purses his lips. “You're ridiculous,” he sighs, shaking his head and swimming beneath Hyunjin before sidling closer to him.

Under the water, it took him less effort to move. He could manoeuvre with grace and ease, and he was one with the currents. His chains float about him and as sunrays reflects off the adornments, it bathes him in fractals of dancing light. To say the least, Hyunjin looked enraptured, and although it was easy for Seungmin to see, he did his best to ignore it.

Hyunjin reaches out slowly, as though to touch him, but pulls back at the last moment and just smiles a little, averting his eyes. His frame glowed in the muted, refracting sunlight and his hair swayed with the movements of the water, forming a halo about his head. Hyunjin glances up at him again before swimming back to the surface, leaving Seungmin watching his trail. He closes his eyes momentarily and wonders to himself since when had humans been so beautiful. The thought clouds his mind and his eyes snap open, his brow furrowing. He scowls and breaks the surface, slicking his drenched hair back with a hand.

“I keep forgetting that you live underwater and I don't,” Hyunjin huffs, paddling around absently.

“How do you forget that you don’t live underwater?” Seungmin drawls, cocking an eyebrow at him. Hyunjin shrugs.

Hyunjin stares at him for a few moments, looking for all the world like he wanted to say something, but this time he had unfortunately developed something similar to a brain-to-mouth filter that functioned well enough for him to not spill exactly what was on his mind.

What had been going through Hyunjin’s mind was, in fact, the thought that Seungmin made him forget a lot of things, no matter how obvious they were. The boy had made him forget how to breathe multiple times, and even now, he had looked so completely and utterly

ethereal

in his element under the water that Hyunjin had temporarily forgotten that they even were underwater. Of course he had to be reminded painfully when his lungs screamed for air and he needed to swim back to the surface.

He debates on what he should say to Seungmin, finally able to think with enough sense to tell him that he shouldn’t just blurt out the first thing that came to mind like he had numerous times before, but before he has the chance to finally speak, he hears a loud yell somewhere in the distance.

His head whips around to see Felix flailing about a little further away from shore than they were and quite a distance away. The blonde was very obviously struggling, which made little sense to Hyunjin, as Felix was an excellent swimmer, albeit not as good as he himself was. He’s about to call out to see if Felix was all right before Seungmin tenses. “He needs help,” the brunette immediately gasps as Felix goes under.

Hyunjin’s body tenses as he finds himself rooted to the spot, watching as Felix breaks the surface, arms flailing, only to fall under the waves again. He finally manages to snap out of it a moment after Seungmin darts under the water again and he himself swims towards Felix. However, both of them aren’t as fast as Changbin despite the shorter man being seated by the shore watching them.

He had been the first to move, immediately sensing something was wrong the moment Felix had ceased to move, considering the boy never did that, especially not when he was in a hyperactive mood. And so Hyunjin watches as Changbin ducks underwater where Felix had disappeared.

Seungmin is under the water as well, but Hyunjin can only watch, stupefied, as the distorted form of Seungmin’s body darts out towards the mouth of the cove while Changbin drags Felix up to the surface. Only then does he finally move and help the man pull the blonde to the shore. His brow creases and his breaths catch. First Seungmin, then Chan, and now Felix. Something was very wrong.

Before he has the chance to move to check on Felix, who currently looked quite limp and awfully pale, Changbin takes the initiative, checking on him, taking his pulse and checking his breathing; he clearly was in a bad state. Hyunjin’s attention is immediately stolen to the sea again when he recalls that Jeongin had also been in the water, concerned that something may have happened to him as well.

To his relief, he sees both Seungmin and Jeongin making their way back to the shore.

“Shit, he’s not breathing,” Changbin hisses under his breath and Hyunjin tenses, turning back to where the man was bent over Felix, his clothes that weren’t fit for swimming plastered to his frame and a wild look in his eyes, almost like some kind of animal that had been cornered.

Hyunjin is about to push in and take over, but before he can, Changbin tilts Felix’s head back and pinches his nose before sealing his mouth over the blonde’s and blowing air into his lungs. Release, rinse, repeat. Hyunjin can only stare, his breaths taut in his chest as he waits for Felix to do something, anything. Hell, the young man could even come to and promptly tease him about Seungmin and he would be happy. Seeing Felix so small and unconscious felt wrong.

When Felix’s chest finally begins to rise and fall, Changbin moves back and stares at him, and Hyunjin stares at Changbin. There were few times that Hyunjin ever saw genuine fear in the man’s eyes, his fearful expressions often brief and overdramatized, but this time he knew that Changbin was afraid. He glances back at Felix when the blonde coughs harshly and spits water out onto the sand, tears welling up in his eyes and spilling down his cheeks. Again, Hyunjin is too slow to react, as Changbin is the first to dart forward, helping the blonde to sit himself upright and leaning Felix’s head against his chest.

“Hyung— hyung..!” Felix bursts into raspy tears, hiding his face in Changbins chest and reaching up to cling to his soaking wet shirt. Despite his deep voice, he still sounded incredibly small, and Hyunjin feels his heart sink with dread at the sight of the blonde clinging to Changbin as though he were some kind of lifeline.

“Shhh...it’s okay, Lixie, you’re safe now,” Changbin murmurs, his grip around the blonde’s back tightening protectively while his other hand rests in Felix’s saturated, stringy, blonde hair. Felix sniffles and keeps his face hidden for a while, pressing as close to the older male as he could. For a few minutes, Felix remains relatively still against the man while Jeongin ran off to fetch a towel for him.

Hyunjin’s eyes widen when Felix finally lifts his head, his eyes reddened and looking absolutely terrified in a way that Hyunjin had never before seen from him. The blonde’s gaze meets Changbin’s and his hand balls into a tight fist, taking with it Changbin’s saturated t-shirt.

“They— they were pulling me down, hyung,” Felix rasps fresh tears blooming in his eyes as his voice cracks. “They w-were...they were trying to drown m-me..”


Minho tries his hardest to take a nap, to just finally let his mind rest for a bit, but it’s impossible. He didn’t expect his life to get so messy after just one, one very confusing kiss with Jisung, but it did. Even if he hadn’t seen the said boy for hours, having been lying on his bed ever since they came back from the graveyard. Jisung had left without saying a word.

Minho wasn’t worried.

It’s quiet downstairs too, only the faint sound of Mrs. Han typing away something on her laptop. Minho feels guilty as he listens to her work on a Sunday evening, having done nothing himself for the whole day. Unless you count moping around as an activity.

It’s been a few hours since he and Jisung came back home, hand in hand. Jisung had been the one who grabbed his hand first, so of course Minho had accepted the gesture. Jisung’s fingers laced with his had been very comforting and warm and probably what got him through today’s panic attack. He swears his palms still tingle from the touch.

But now Jisung is gone, and even if they hadn’t talked much on their way home, Minho feels like it got so much more quiet when he left. He let his fingers touch his lips again, let them ghost over so subtly, remembering how it felt to have the younger’s sweet lips against his.

He misses the feeling already.

Minho’s thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a incoming call and he startles a little, his hand flying from his lips to his stomach with a loud smack. He feels like he just got caught, even though there’s no one here. He reaches for his phone that’s resting on the window sill and takes a double take when he realises it’s an unknown number calling him.

Minho never gets calls from unknown numbers.

He half expects it to be Changbin hyung, calling from the phone at his workplace.

“Yeah?” Minho asks, his voice barely audible. His throat feels dry from the lack of talking.

“Minho hyung? It’s Seungmin. I’m Jisung’s classmate.”

A familiar voice says, and Minho sits up with surprise. He hadn’t heard from the younger ever since that

one

 party.

“I know who you are.” Minho replies, a hint of worry in his voice. “Why are you calling me? Did something happen to Jisung?”

“Oh no, everything’s fine. Um-”

Seungmin sounds a little anxious as he stops in the middle of the sentence and Minho wonders why. It’s not like Minho’s scary, right?

“Woojin hyung gave me your number. We’re together right now.”

Minho smiles when the warm image of Woojin pops up in his head. “Oh, tell him I said hi. What are you two up to?”

“It’s hyung’s last day here before he has to leave for college again and so we thought why not go and just drive around for a bit, maybe find an old diner and eat something good. I know today’s a hard day for you, but we think you should come with us.”

Seungmin rambles, and Minho realises he’s smiling already at the thought of hanging out with the two cousins.

“We’re actually outside your house.”

“Wait, what?” Minho rushes up and looks out of the window, noticing the familiar car in his drive-through. Seungmin giggles into the phone and Minho sees the two boys wave at him from the car.

“You in?”

Minho’s quite content as he sits in the back of Woojin’s van, listening to the two cousins argue in the front seat about some movie. He’s not really paying them that much attention, his eyes focused on the road. Driving through a forest always calms him down.

“I’m just saying! Captain America turning into that old man in the end of the movie really ruined it for me.” Seungmin says, crossing his arms on his chest as he pouts at the older in the driver’s seat.

“Why don’t you want him to be happy? He finally got to be with the girl of his dreams. That’s better than being a superhero, if you ask me.” Woojin says, his hands steadily holding onto the wheel.

“Ha!” Seungmin lets out a snort. “Well, no one asked you.”

“Seungminnie.” Woojin says, giving the younger a quick glance.

“Okay, I’m sorry.” Seungmin apologizes, heat rising to his cheeks. He must be really into the movie to get so heated over this. Seungmin turns around in his seat, giving Minho a hopeful look. “What do you think, Minho? Would you rather be a superhero or find true love?”

“Oh,” Minho breathes out loudly, turning away from Seungmin’s piercing gaze. It’s like the younger wants to steal his soul. “I-I’m not sure I can say much about this. I haven’t seen any of the Marvel movies.”

“You’re kidding?” Both of the boys ask at the same time, making them all laugh.

“I’m more into horror movies. And romance.” Minho says, shrugging. At the back of his mind, he remembers the time he watched a horror movie with Jisung. And how the younger had been almost stuck to his side because he was so scared. Minho feels like it’s been years since that night.

“That’s literally what Marvel movies are about.” Seungmin says, turning away from Minho again. “Right, hyung?”

“No, not really.” Woojin smiles and looks at Minho from the rear-view mirror. His brown eyes are as welcoming as ever. “Seungmin, you need to stop guilt tripping people into watching Avengers. It’s not cool.”

“Stop scolding me, I’m not your little brother.” Seungmin sticks his tongue out at the older and looks away from him, instead focusing on the scenery on the right side of the road. “It worked on you, though.” Seungmin says, his tone more quiet this time.

Minho smiles as he listens to his friends argue, for once feeling like he is with people who actually want him there, in their company.

They drive for approximately 30 more minutes before Woojin pulls up at a diner that’s supposedly open 24 hours a day. It doesn’t look like an expensive place, but it’s cosy and inviting and seeing all the different people coming from different places to just grab a snack here makes Minho feel like he’s in some movie, on some mission to find himself.

They sit in the booth way back and order a weird combo of fries and milkshakes, because supposedly they taste amazing together and no, it’s not just Seungmin who has a weird taste in food.

“I’m surprised that this actually isn’t bad?” Minho says in disbelief, shaking his head a little. Who would’ve thought?

“Thank you! Finally someone who agrees with me.” Seungmin bows his head a little, before digging into the fries again.

“What do you mean? I’ve always liked dipping my fries into a milkshake.” Woojin says, pouting. Minho’s glad the other boys take up like 80% of the conversation, letting him just sit and enjoy the company. They don’t force him to talk and he appreciates that, Minho really likes being quiet most of the time.

“Well, obviously you don’t count, hyung. We’re like the same person anyway.” Seungmin says and that takes away the pout from the older’s face, making him smile in an approving way instead.

“Thank you.” Woojin nods. Minho thinks this is the time when they finally all stop talking and just enjoy the atmosphere, but of course it’s different with the Kim cousins.

“So, since we’re already talking about relationships and stuff-”

“Not smooth, Seungmin.” Woojin whispers, interrupting the younger.

“-I’ve never understood yours and Jisung’s.” Seungmin says, leaning his head on his elbow as he fully faces Minho. He bats his eyelashes, waiting.

“You’re annoying, you know that?” Minho says, but there’s no harshness in his words. “What do you wanna know?” He says, much to his own surprise. He doesn’t know why, but he trusts these people already.

“Well, I’ve been around Jisung for a long time. And I’m good at observing people, if I do say so myself. But, I swear I just don’t understand him? Is he happy?” Seungmin asks, and Minho feels himself being swallowed by the ground because he has no answers to give. He doesn’t know Jisung at all. “Does he like hanging out with all my stupid classmates? Miyeon?”

“Min, don’t call others stupid.” Woojin says, but the youngers don’t pay him any attention.

“I-I don’t know, Seungmin.” Minho bites his lip, making direct eye contact with the younger sitting across him. “I don’t think he’s happy with them. But I don’t know why he forces himself to be around those people either. Why he acts so fake. I remember when he wasn’t like that, you know.”

“Hyung, I really think, no, I believe Jisung is only happy with you.” Seungmin whispers, like it’s the biggest secret of the century and no one’s supposed to know. Woojin nods, but Minho’s not so sure. No one knows what Jisung’s feeling.

“Can you show me that Miyeon girl? I swear I only graduated a year ago but I already can’t remember any of the other kids.” Woojin asks Seungmin after a while, realising Minho has nothing else to add on the topic of Jisung.

He doesn’t know why he’s hiding the fact that they kissed today.

It’s not like Seungmin and Woojin hyung don’t know about his crush on Jisung. Or maybe it’s not even a crush, but it’s definitely

something

and Minho’s sure it’s very obvious to them.

Seungmin whips out his phone from his back pocket and scrolls through Instagram until he finds Miyeon’s account.

“Oh, see, this is a recent post. She posted this just a couple of minutes ago.” Seungmin says, handing the phone to Woojin without looking at it himself.

Woojin stares at the picture for a while and Minho just guesses he’s trying to remember the girl. But Woojin’s eyes have always been so readable to him and Minho knows it’s full sadness he sees in them as the older gives him the phone.

“You should see this.”

It doesn’t come as a full surprise. Minho had seen it coming, it had always made perfect sense.

It’s like when you look at the sky and you see the lighting strike and you know for sure that it’s gonna thunder any moment now-

But you still startle when you hear the loud noise.

Or when you’re standing by the toaster, waiting for the bread to pop out of it, and you know it will fly out any second. You just know.

But you’re heart still skips a beat when the toast finally pops out.

Minho just stares at the picture without feeling anything. He doesn’t feel how the time passes by or how life goes on around him or how his cheeks heat up or how the Kim cousins are staring at him with, waiting.

“What’s going on?” Seungmin finally whispers to Woojin.

“Jisung asked Miyeon out. They’re official.”

Maybe Minho should’ve been worried when Jisung left.


“I’m staying with you tonight, I’ll get freaking nightmares if I can’t check on him.” Nobara insisted when they had been released from the medbay.

Yuuji was ordered to go straight to bed by Shoko after enduring a last check of his pups, both of them curled up strong despite what they’d gone through that night. Nanami all but hovering over the process to make sure they really were okay, shaken to the core by Maki’s report of the situation. Biting his tongue to hold back the lecture he wanted to give until Yuuji was in a better state to hear it and Sukuna wasn’t leaving him to deal with the fallout on his own.

Megumi nodded along with Nobara’s statement, the trio heading back to the packroom together. “That’s fine, we won’t be doing anything but sleeping. Don’t know what you saw, but with how everyone is reacting it couldn’t have been pleasant. I want to know what happened, but I can tell by how you two look I should wait until tomorrow to ask.”

“Thanks, both of you.” Yuuji responded gratefully, leaning against his mate while they walked. Nuzzling and scenting him, letting the alpha take on some of his weight. “I promise I’ll tell you Megumi, but I’m just so tired. I’m glad it worked, but it took a lot out of me. Sukuna too, but he’s being stubborn about admitting it.”

“I know,” Megumi assured, tucking Yuuji against his side, stroking his back. “You’ve earned the rest. Let me take care of you and the pups for now. We’ll worry about everything else once you’ve recovered.”

Yuuji slept like the dead for over twelve hours once he finally made it back to his nest. Glad they had put the cursed doll in the locked box before meeting with Yaga when all this started. They could stay just the way they were, he wanted his mate. Curling around Megumi and clinging tightly in a move that was somewhat unusual for him. He loved contact, but didn’t usually trap anyone in place, even when he was asleep.

He moved for trips to the bathroom and nothing else. Megumi was getting concerned for his safety, and he wasn’t the only one, because Sukuna intervened. Prodding his host awake so they could feed themselves and the pups or he would have carried on like that even longer.

Stumbling into the common area, they found it empty. Everyone off to classes or missions. But Megumi was able to put a bowl of noodles in front of him without too much waiting. After taking care of their by that point ravenous hunger the world started to make a bit more sense again. He was at least able to taste the second bowl, the first, not so much.

“I’m surprised you aren’t with your sister. Diva and I can take care of this much, go to her queen. I know you want to.” Once again having two mouths was useful, not choking was a wonderful perk.

It also made it so Megumi had half a chance of understanding him when he was practically inhaling his food. “I’m taking care of my mate first, she’ll understand. Probably be mad at me if I didn’t.” He disagreed, nuzzling into him gently. Valiantly resisting the urge to wrap his whole body around him and smother him with affection.

They might like it, but the babies needed food more than he needed to satisfy his cuddle addiction after a full night of snuggling. “You both put yourself through a lot yesterday, most of it for my sake. Let me do this for you. I want to spoil you. It wasn’t a hardship to lay with you, not for a moment. You and the pups need to eat, then we can all go see Tsumiki when you’re feeling up to it. I’m sure she needs to rest too, it’ll take awhile to recover her strength, but she’s back. My sister’s really back. You did that for us.”

Nobara had followed them, and took the opportunity to comment “I’m so glad it worked. I was a little worried when her system rejected Sukuna, but his backup plan was enough. Fucking crazy, but it worked.”

“I know what I’m doing diva.” Sukuna chided, grateful when another bowl of noodles and a large glass of water was given to them without needing to ask. He had protected the pups and healed the damage to Yuuji’s body, but the overall strain would take a bit to recover from. “I might have had to switch things quickly, but it was to get that asshole away from our pack and the pups. It had to happen the way it did. If I had known he had a direct link to this place I would have done the exact same thing the day I got here using whichever curse I could find that worked for that purpose. Hell, one of Yaga’s stronger cursed dolls may have worked, but this was worth it. As much as we don’t know about this stranger currently in her head, she’s already better off without that monster sinking his claws into her brain. Trust me.”

“I do.” Megumi insisted. “She told us that much. Yuuji tried apologizing and she wouldn’t let him. Granted Tsumiki might have been in shock, we all were, but she sounded sure of herself. I’d like to talk to the hybrid in her, but if she’s okay with the situation I’ll wait to panic until I know there’s something to worry about. Can’t keep getting worked up over nothing, I’ll exhaust myself before the real fight even starts.”

“Agreed.” Yuuji added, at last not so hungry that he couldn’t join in the conversation. “Sukuna and I didn’t have much choice either, and we’ve been making it work. Hopefully they will too. He could be good to have around, maybe he could protect her while she’s recovering?”

“Not so fast brat,” Sukuna warned. “He’s a pretty tough one, I have to give him that because not doing so will end badly for all of us, but he’ll be like a glass canon in that body. Until she can recover some muscle mass he’ll break her if he tries to fight. Using my own attempts to take over a host to guess what he might be capable of, there’s a good chance he could sustain a battle. One. But he’ll be in awful shape afterwards. Think about how badly you hurt after we arrived here and put ourselves through a full heat and reckless fighting. This body was relatively well conditioned, and we still strained our muscles. He’d tear theirs apart. Which doesn’t matter if you have no interest in your host; either because you can just heal yourself or you can survive their death. I’ve been on both sides of that issue, but I don’t know where he will fall on it and that bothers me. We want him to maintain her and while he’s already proven to have survived without a host, I do not know that he can heal. Hybrid powers are unpredictable at best, his kind even more so.”

“So him fighting is a suicide mission?” Nobara realized, vocalizing for the group what Megumi couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge just yet.

Sukuna had no such hesitations. “Potentially, yes. At least for Tsumiki. This depends on his powers and her strength of course, but as things stand there’s about a fifty-fifty chance it’s true. I felt that hybrid personally for a reason, I got a measure of his strength. I know he has the raw power for healing, what I don’t know is if he can actually do it. There wasn’t enough time to confirm that along with everything else that needed to happen.”

“Couldn’t you tell by the state of her body after he took over?” Yuuji asked. “I mean you healed absolutely everything wrong with me, even went a little too far with the whole cleansing my blood thing. Our pups are proof of that. He did something similar. You started healing her, sure, but didn’t he finish?”

“Yes, but that could just be part of the host process. Like I said hybrid powers are unpredictable.” Sukuna clarified. “There is no way of knowing if it was an instinctual thing he did to acquire a suitable vessel, or if he can do it consciously. There’s a pretty big difference. It is equally possible that it only happens when he takes over a new host or that he has control over it to whatever degree he has learned or been taught how to manipulate it. Yet another possibility comes to mind that it might be a mix of both where his ability is also triggered whenever her life is in mortal danger, but no other times and he can’t heal anyone else.”

“I feel like we are starting to get into the territory that if you don’t tell me what happened yesterday I’m going to get very lost, very fast.” Megumi stopped the musing before it could go down an even deeper rabbit hole.

“Before we do, I’ve got to ask one more time, are you absolutely sure you want to know?” Yuuji spoke seriously, taking Megumi’s hand and squeezing it. “I’m not trying to avoid you or break my promise, but it’s a lot and you shouldn’t need to deal with that when we’re okay and Tsumiki is awake. Do you need to know how that happened?”

“Yes, he does.” Nobara insisted. “Yuuji. Do not try to dodge this one. Megumi didn’t see anything, but he should know about it, because that kind of shit doesn’t just go away. You broke down sobbing last night.”

“He what?!” Megumi exclaimed, worried. “When did that happen?”

Yuuji stared down at the table in defeat, not looking at his mate. “When I left to take a shower. She came with me, and I just got overwhelmed. I think it was the pups and everything all at once, plus I was really tired. I feel better today. Really.”

“He lasted longer than I thought he would.” Sukuna surfaced again. “He knew what was coming, and I’m kind of surprised you didn’t seem to realize that diva. How else would he know to warn all of you away? Still, I had no choice but to bring him along with me while I did it. And I’d do it again. He knows it too.”

“Yes, I do.” Yuuji agreed, quietly. “Guys, I could see his plans. Both of them. I don’t think I could have finished if it was up to me, but it wasn’t. That doesn’t mean I didn’t agree though. You didn’t see into Sukuna’s memories, I did. We got complacent again, treating Sukuna like he’s human when he’s not. He saw a problem and fixed it his way, and I don’t think he was wrong to do it. Not after what I saw.”

“The both of you should really start telling me what’s going on, please? I don’t like feeling left out of things this important to you.” Megumi pleaded.

So they did. Sukuna doing the majority of it, explaining the process as clinically as he could before finishing off with, “The best way to make sure I wasn’t going to unleash further hell into the situation was to test out the hybrid on myself. I knew it would be okay, I built up our strength first. Fucking punk was strong, but brat and I know ourselves better than he does. Takes more than power to beat us. Besides, pretty sure I know the little punk. Or at least of him.” Sukuna confessed.

“How in the world do you know him? Why didn’t you say anything?” Yuuji demanded before the others could.

“I doubt we ever met personally, I know him by reputation mostly, and the feeling I get from his power.” Sukuna answered. “I learned about him from the scattered vessels I’ve had over the centuries since being sealed. My usual priority is checking to make sure the bastard is still fucking dormant, that’s what caught me so off guard to find him back when he shouldn't be. This hybrid is connected to him personally.”

“I know he’s one of the experimental subjects that the bastard was creating, Yaga said that much when he told us about them in the first place, is there anything else?” Yuuji was serious, brow furrowed thinking about it. Flashing back to the memories that gave Sukuna a panic attack.

“I’ll leave it for him to say just in case I’m wrong in my guess, but I don’t think I am.” Sukuna decided. “And don’t go snooping around brat, you really won’t like what you find. I tried to warn you last time. Just don’t.”

“I won’t dig around until you’re ready to show me things because that’s your business, but don’t think I’m weak. I won’t back down from what I saw, Sukuna. I’m your brat. Let me at least try to understand so that when you do something like yesterday, I can have your back. I didn’t stop you, all I did was try to keep the others away so they wouldn’t have to see it.” Yuuji pointed out. “The more I learn about you the more I trust your reasoning even if your methods aren’t how I would handle things. And that’s okay. We shouldn’t have to think the same way. I’d prefer we didn’t have to hurt anyone, but yesterday wasn’t about the pain we were causing, it was about the pain we were preventing. It required us to inflict pain in order to avoid more later, and I can understand that even if I don’t like it. I’ve learned that much from you.”

“Great, glad you two are all cozy with it, but when I see my friend and pack leader with their hand through their own goddamned chest, I reserve the right to fucking slap you. I knew it wouldn’t do much to actually harm you, but it made me feel better.” Nobara immediately countered. “You succeeded and I’m glad, but you also would have committed suicide right in front of me if you weren’t able to stitch yourself back together. I thought you might lose the babies over all this. Blood loss is no joke, and then there’s shock to worry about. Do you understand Sukuna? We didn’t panic because of the blood or brutality, we see that all the time, but because of someone we love treating themselves like they’re expendable.”

“I didn’t though. Not me, or brat, and the pups were never in any danger at all. They slept through the whole thing.” Sukuna assured. “It was a risk, I acknowledged that from the beginning, but a very calculated one. I did things in a precise order, controlling everything I could to make sure I got the outcome we did. The only thing I couldn’t entirely control was the actions of that hybrid, and even then I picked the one least likely to cause me issues, because again, pretty sure I know him. None of you are expendable and I sure as hell wouldn’t think that about my pups. What makes my pack and pups important is the fact they are mine. Hit me all you want diva, I chose you because of your willingness to fight for your beliefs, but it won’t change me. I am the King, I will do what needs to be done. Always.”

“Sukuna, we should probably tell them about what happened with that bastard. It would help them understand you better, and I think it would be good for you.” Yuuji coaxed.

“I don’t like that I have to explain myself for people to get that he’s fucking evil and shouldn’t be allowed to exist. Why should I debase myself to prove it, seems rumor is enough. Look at how I’m remembered, when I doubt there is a single book that mentions him. His hosts, yes, but not the fact they all have a common link.” Sukuna protested.

“Don’t do that. You are trying to distract, -again- from the fact you had a very painful thing happen that you haven’t dealt with, pretty much at all, in several hundred years. Not counting when you were sealed.” Yuuji wouldn’t let him get away with the misdirect yet again.

“If I’m going to do this, it will be once and only once. We should go see devil, and perhaps rouse that little punk. Because I am not repeating myself no matter how irritating he gets if he finds out and wants to know things about the asshole he doesn’t already.” Sukuna bargained.

“I honestly can’t tell if you’re treating him like a pup or a brother.” Megumi noticed, bemused with a soft expression on his face.

“Both.” Yuuji didn’t hide his smile. “He’s treating him like a little brother. An annoying little brother.”

“...Is that normal, or because you’re stuffed with pups?” Nobara asked curiously.

Yuuji shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine this time. No idea. Might have something to do with being pregnant, but we also had him as part of us for a short period of time. Could be feeling protective of him from that. Or, wait, maybe he likes him because of where he knows him from?”

“You will never know.” Sukuna insisted. “Except that I do not like that punk, he’s fucking frustrating and I only talked to him for a few moments.”

“All of the above is the correct answer.” Nobara realized. “He’s getting defensive.”

“How about we go see how Tsumiki is doing today and find out?” Megumi decided to get them back on track. Not wanting them to lose sight of Sukuna finally agreeing to tell his story.

“Let’s go.” Yuuji allowed. “I want to make sure she’s okay, and I’d like to meet him if he’s willing to talk to us.”

“He might if there aren't so many people around. Let’s keep it relatively small with just us, and maybe devil.” Sukuna advised. “She’ll want to be there to monitor us I’m sure. Stopping her just isn’t worth it.”

With the plan in mind, they headed back to their rooms to change, agreeing to meet back up to head over to the medbay together.


******************

Late August 2022

Precinct - Monday Afternoon 12p

******************

It had been a busy morning for the Captain and her squad. As soon as Fin, Amanda, and Velasco walked into the precinct the sergeant was hit with an office groping case. Soon after Fin headed out, Amanda and Velasco were sent to Hudson University, where videos secretly recorded by a peeping Tom of students getting undressed had surfaced on the school’s intranet. Meanwhile Liv’s day started with an impromptu meeting with McGrath, followed by a scheduled one with Lorraine Maxwell at the DA’s Office.

Nothing came of the groping incident, which Fin eventually figured out was fabricated. However, Amanda and Velasco’s case would be something the two of them would need to spend more time looking into after conducting an initial investigation at the campus.

Amanda, who had been on the go with Velasco all morning, was looking forward to continuing their work back at the precinct. Mainly because she was feeling physically exhausted; for a reason only she was privy to. However not long after her and Velasco returned to the squad room, followed soon after by the Captain, another call came in.

Liv, who took the call, quickly gathered her detectives together by Amanda’s desk and handed the case off. “Fin, I need you and Rollins to head out to Dalton Academy on the Upper West Side. School nurse just reported a possible case of child abuse.”

She turned to Velasco. “I want you to stay here and keep combing through the videos to see if any clues pop up as to who the voyeur may be.”

Both Fin and Velasco nodded and made their way back to their desks while Amanda got up from her chair and stopped Liv, who had started walking back to her office, and pulled her off to the side.

“Could Velasco go with Fin and I keep looking through the videos?” Amanda asked quietly. “I know I have a good rapport with kids but so does he and I’m feeling a little rundown today. I could use an hour or two off my feet.”

Liv stared at her a bit curiously for a moment, but simply nodded. “OK.”

Amanda headed back to her desk while Liv made her way over to Fin and Velasco. “Change of plans. Velasco I want you to go with Fin while Rollins will hang here and continue looking through the videos.”

He nodded. The two then quickly collected their things and made their way out.

Liv headed back to her office and started working through some paperwork. As she did she noticed Amanda get up and go to the bathroom not once but twice within a 30 minute period and for what seemed like uncharacteristically long stretches.

When she emerged from the restroom after her second trip, Liv got the blonde’s attention and motioned for Amanda to come into her office.

Once Amanda closed the door and took a seat across from Liv, the Captain wasted no time getting to the topic at hand.

“What’s going on Rollins?” She asked as she removed her glasses and placed them down on her desk. “Is this post vacation fatigue or something else?”

Amanda ran a hand through her hair. “It’s…exactly what you think it is.”

She took a quick breath, exhaled, and told her, “I’m pregnant.”

Though Liv assumed that she was, hearing Amanda so willingly admit it without much prodding surprised her, but in a good way. It also had her wondering if maybe her and Sonny had been trying for a baby. But before she could get her question out Amanda continued speaking.

“While we were vacationing in Cape May last week, I felt a little under the weather, but kind of sporadically. It’s when I realized I might be pregnant. So when we got back on Saturday I went out, picked up a couple of tests and discreetly took them while Sonny and the girls were occupied. They all came back positive.”

“Did you tell him yet?”

Amanda shook her head. “No, not yet. There was a lot going on. We spent most of the weekend unpacking, catching up on laundry, and getting the girls ready for their final week of day camp. It just didn’t feel like the right time. But I was gonna tell him tonight.”

Liv nodded slowly and though she was thrilled to hear the news, she wasn’t quite sure how Amanda was feeling about it.

“So is this a good thing?” She finally asked her. “Did you want a third baby?”

Amanda smiled softly. “It is a good thing. While I didn’t see myself having another one after Billie, now that I know I will be I’m excited about it. Because I know Carisi’s going to be an amazing dad to this baby.”

Liv smiled back at her.

“I still can’t believe I’m gonna be starting over and having a baby at 41.” Amanda said. “Does it seem crazy to you?” She asked a little worriedly, biting her lip.

Liv shook her head. “No. If I had found a loving and supportive partner like Carisi at your age I probably would’ve tried for one.”

“Yeah?”

The Captain nodded. “But my life went a little differently. The jury’s still out on how things will go in the romantic department but as for the rest of my life, I couldn’t be happier with how it’s all turned out. Noah entering my life when he did was such a blessing. I’m very fortunate.”

Amanda smiled. “He’s a keeper.”

“He sure is.” Liv said agreeing.

“You know, it’s interesting to hear you say you would’ve considered having a baby at my age.” Amanda admitted. “Because even though Carisi and I probably should’ve had the baby discussion, considering how old I am and the fact that I already have two kids, we hadn’t.”

The Captain seemed a little surprised. “Really?”

She nodded. “There was just so many other things to think about. We’ve been together for a year and a half now, but those first nine months were spent keeping our relationship hush hush. Even from the girls. So we could take some time to navigate the dynamics and, at least in my case, to build up the guts to share it with the world. Because I was so afraid that defining what we were might some how ruin it.”

“But it didn’t.” Liv pointed out.

“It didn’t.” Amanda concurred. “It just made him and I stronger. And then once we finally disclosed we spent the next few months making sure the girls were comfortable with everything and for them and I to get to know his family better.”

She looked down at her left hand, which now sported a subtly beautiful diamond on her ring finger. “Then we got engaged and a lot of our focus has been on planning a wedding of some kind in the near future.”

Liv nodded slowly. “I can see why it wasn’t on your radar. At least initially. But do you think you chose to not bring it up to him because deep down you worried you might not be on the same page about it?”

Amanda sighed. “A little. I mean, I am genuinely happy about the baby but it’s like I said earlier. I was pretty sure I was done after two and I probably wouldn’t have actively  sought this path. Even though Carisi didn’t have kids and, knowing the kind of guy he is, would likely want at least one.”

She paused for a moment and then continued. “Because when him and I were talking about disclosing, he brought up how he didn’t want to be ‘Uncle Sonny’ forever. And at the time I figured he was referring to Jesse and Billie; that he wanted the girls to know who I really was to him and be seen by them as more of a pseudo, and eventually official, stepdad instead of a family friend and godfather. But later on I started wondering if he also meant he wanted to be a dad in his own right someday.”

Liv nodded and sat quietly as she carefully strung together her thoughts and then responded.

“Last year Carisi said something that really struck a chord and made me feel for him.” She sat up straighter in her chair. “He said at his age he always thought he’d be married and that he’d have kids. And it was clear to me it saddened him he wasn’t and that he didn’t. Because those were things he really longed for.”

Amanda frowned a bit, but stayed quiet and let Liv continue.

“Then a short time later you and the girls came into his life in the way he’s always wanted you all to be in it.” She said to her. “And it’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him. Even during a tough, stressful day in court. Because he knows at the end of it he gets to go home to his family. And you three…”

Liv cleared her throat and in her best iteration of a Staten Island accent said, “Are the only ones that can make those bad days good again.”

A grin spread across Amanda’s face.

“Carisi’s going to be over the moon when he finds out the two of you will be having a baby, but he’s also over the moon about the life he currently shares with you and the girls. I don’t think he was ever oblivious to the fact that a biological child might not be in the cards for him. I think the reason he never brought up the baby topic to you was because it wasn’t something he needed to be happy. It didn’t matter that Jesse and Billie don’t come from him. They’re the kids he’s always wanted and you’re the only woman he’s ever wanted it. It’s why he gave you that ring.”

Amanda found herself growing emotional. “We’re lucky to have him.” She said as she wiped away happy tears from her eyes.

Liv nodded but then followed up by saying, “And he’s lucky to have you.”

Just then a patrol officer knocked on the door and slowly opened it after getting the OK from Liv.

“Chief McGrath had this file sent over for you Captain.” He said as he walked over to her and handed Liv the folder.

She thanked the officer, who then quickly exited and closed the door behind him.

Amanda stood up. “I better get back to those peeping Tom videos.”

Liv nodded, got up from her desk and walked her to the door.

She gave Amanda a hug. “I’m happy for you Rollins. I can’t wait to see what a mini you and Carisi will be like.”

“I can’t either.” Amanda said when they pulled apart. “But if I had to guess I’d say trouble.” She laughed.

Liv playfully rolled her eyes and chuckled.

The blonde’s cheerful demeanor then slowly became a bit more serious. “I know I gave you a lot of that over the years.” She told her. “Thank you for not giving up on me when most would’ve. For being a good Captain but an even better friend. I’m lucky to have you in my life.”

Liv gave her a small smile. “Ditto.”

Amanda grinned and then as she opened the door to head out, Liv said to her, “Let me know how it goes with Carisi tonight.”

“Full report comin’ your way tomorrow, boss.” She said.

Amanda then made her way out of the office while Liv headed back to her chair and returned her attention to the files on her desk.

******************

Sonny and Amanda’s Apartment - Monday Night 10p

******************

Despite having a hectic morning, things thankfully slowed down for Amanda later in the afternoon and she got home to the girls at a decent time. However Sonny, who was roped into assisting with an Organized Crime Control Bureau case as soon as he got into work, had to stay late.

Since she had the time Amanda tried to come up with a fun, cutesy way to tell Sonny about the baby. But pregnancy brain got the best of her. Still, she didn’t wanna wait any longer to tell him so Amanda decided that when he got home she wouldn’t try to do come up with anything witty. Instead she’d just be straightforward and come right out with it.

An exhausted looking Sonny eventually made it home around 10p.

“Hey,” He said to his fiancé, who was sitting in the living room watching TV.

Amanda lowered the television with the clicker, got up from the sofa and greeted him by the entryway with a kiss. “You look so tired.” She said to him sympathetically.

“I am.” He said as he set his briefcase down and hung up his keys. The two then made their way into the kitchen together.

“I’m guessing you already ate but I ordered a pizza for me and the girls and there’s a lot left. Do you want me to reheat a couple of slices for you in the oven?”

“No I’m good.” He told her. “Just goin’ to make a cup of coffee. Do you want one?”

Amanda shook her head no and sat down at the table.

“How was your day?” Sonny asked as he stood by the Keurig preparing his coffee.

She ran a hand through her hair. “My morning was pretty hectic, but things eventually started to slow down. I still can’t believe I didn’t see you even once today. That rarely happens, unless you’re in the middle of a trial. Velasco had to go to Nolan Price to get a search warrant. You were actually busier than him.”

He chuckled. “I’m always busier than him Rollins. Because as executive ADA he hands off a majority of his minor requests to peasant ADA’s like myself.”

Amanda playfully rolled her eyes at him.

“Did you make any headway with that peeping Tom case you were texting me about?” He asked as he poured some creamer into his coffee.

“A little.” She said as she absentmindedly played with her necklace. “Getting there.”

Sonny poured some sugar into his mug and stirred it into his coffee with a spoon. “How were things here tonight? Anything exciting happen?”

“Not really.” She told him. “But I do have something exciting to tell you.”

He took a sip of his coffee. “What is it?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Sonny instantly dropped his mug and, though he didn’t spill any coffee on himself, the hot liquid scattered all over the floor and the mug broke into a bunch of small pieces.

Before commenting Sonny, as well as Amanda’s, eyes briefly shifted from each other to the door of the girls’ room, which remained closed.

Once confident he hadn’t woken Jesse and Billie, Sonny redirected his attention back to his fiancé, who had gotten up from her seat at the table.

“You’re really pregnant?” He asked, knowing he hadn’t misheard her, but still wanting her to repeat herself for reassurance.

Amanda gave him a small smile and nodded.

Tears started to well up in his eyes. He then carefully dodged the remnants of his coffee on the floor and made his way over to her. Sonny kissed Amanda passionately and then gently pulled her into his arms. “I can’t believe we’re goin’ to have a baby.” He said quietly into her ear. “I’m so happy.”

“Me too.” She whispered back.

When they finally pulled apart his gaze immediately drifted down to her stomach and he stared at it in awe. “How did this even happen?”

Amanda jokingly began explaining. “Well, when two people love each other, they often like to express that love by—“

“Alright, alright.” He said laughing.

“I’m surprised about it too.” She told him. “But I took four tests and they all came back VERY positive.”

He smiled and gently stroked her hair. “So you’re really OK with this? Because I always figured a third baby was probably something you weren’t interested in intentionally pursuing.”

“Probably not.” She admitted aloud to him for the first time. “But things happen for a reason and I’m glad that I get to have a baby with you. Because you’re already the best dad there is to the girls and I know you’ll be just as amazing to this little one of ours on the way.“

“I’m glad I get to have a baby with you too.” He told her sincerely. “But I want you to know I didn’t need one. Being able to share and build a life with you and the girls is all I’ve ever wanted.”

Sonny placed his hand on her stomach. “The baby is the icing on top of the already sweet and wonderful cake I call my life. One I’m so thankful I’ve been blessed with.”

He knelt down, lifted her shirt up a bit and kissed her stomach. “I love you…”

Sonny stood up and kissed Amanda. “And I love you and the girls so very much.”

“We love you too.” She said smiling at him.

The two continued to gaze deeply into each other’s eyes when both Amanda and Sonny caught glimpse of Frannie licking up the coffee on the kitchen floor.

“Frannie, no.” She said to the dog, who ignored the command and continued to lick up the coffee.

“I hope you’re ready for when the baby tries to do stuff like this.” Amanda chuckled as she gently led Frannie out of the kitchen and then began picking up the broken mug pieces.

Sonny jokingly cringed, but then laughed. He then soaked up the coffee with paper towels while Amanda grabbed the Swiffer from the bathroom closet.


Aizawa hadn’t realized how much weight he was unintentionally carrying until some of it left his shoulders at the sight before him. Not all of it left, he still had a lot of things that were weighing on his mind. He still had to figure out what Shinsou knew, figure out what the Miasma was, how it worked, how to dismantle it, and that doesn’t include his other cases or his duties that come with being a teacher.

It had taken him hours to talk with Naomasa about what he thought was happening at the station. He ended up explaining a couple of concepts and theories a multitude of times. Sansa looked beyond unconvinced as he talked but Naomasa hummed along encouragingly. He ended up showing some of his supporting evidence that he luckily kept on his phone, that was finally able convince Sansa that at least one of his fellow officers were in the Miasma.

By the time he got home it was seven at night, which officially means that he spent 8 hours at Sansa’s house discussing the case.The apartment seemed almost eerily empty to him when he first came in. The kitchen and the living room void of anyone and had a strange stillness in the air. The only thing that put him to ease as he settled in was the soft music he could hear coming from his bedroom.

It was when he heard a loud thunk followed by a shout from Shinsou’s room did he become more alert. With his heart pounding as thoughts rushed to his head that the Miasma found out about their conversation, he went to the room. He didn’t waste time in knocking on the door but threw the door open with the handle firmly grasped in his hand.  Five startled sets of wide eyes and cards fluttering to the ground is the sight that had greeted him.

Shinsou was laying propped up in his bed with a set of cards in his hands.His face was still flushed with his lingering fever and he had a deer in headlights look as he stared at him. Uraraka was sitting crossed legged at the end of the bed with her jaw dropped as she stared at him with cards slowly falling out of her hands.

 Midoriya was sitting on the small ledge at the window as he fumbled with picking up the cards he tossed in the air when the door had opened.  Iida was now standing at his spot in front of the desk chair that flew back when he got up abruptly at the sound. He was standing rim rod straight with his mouth opening and closing as he tried to figure out what to say. The last person in the room was Asui, who was sitting on top of the desk with her legs swinging out in front of her. She put down a single card in the stack in the middle of the bed and claimed Uno, completely ignoring the atmosphere.

“Hello Sensei,” Asui croaked after she decided to declare herself as the winner when no one continued the card game.

“Hello.” He replied slightly startled.

Having five kids in the room is not what he had expected when he came home today. It wasn’t anything he anticipated from Shinsou either. He didn’t think Shinsou was friendly with anyone, let alone be close enough for people to come visit him outside of school.

“We can leave if you want!” Uraraka blurted out as she tried to break the now awkward air. “We didn’t mean to intrude!”

“I apologize Sensei! I didn’t mean to betray any trust by bringing them here.” Iida said matter of factly as he adjusted his skewed glasses on his face.

“It’s fine Iida!” Aizawa jumped at the sound of his husbands voice so close to his ear as he interrupted the long speal that was sure to come from Iida. He gave the man a sharp glare when he started to tug him away from the door. “Just continue you what you were doing!”

He begrudgingly let Hizashi pull him into the living room and deposited him on the couch. Hizashi quickly joined him with his legs crossed underneath him as he sat sideways on the cushion to face him.  A large smile was on his face as he slowly leaned in closer to his until he huffed in fake irritation and pushed him away gently.  Hizashi let out a small laugh at the display but fixed his position so their sides were pressed up against each other.

“So, this is progress.” Hizashi mumbled as his eyes darted to the hall and back to him. “Should have known, Izuku ‘Knows No Boundaries’ Midoriya would have became friends with Shinsou.”

It was good progress. It was slightly jarring to see that many of his student’s in his house at one time, but it wasn’t unwanted. He was glad that Shinsou was finally talking and hanging out with kids his own age and that it was outside of training.

Having Shinsou socializing was one less thing he could be concerned about. It had weighed on his mind heavily about how to try and integrate Shinsou into a normal life. Well, as normal as they could get it to be with his background and their lives.  Having him train with Iida was a nice way to break the ice and get him used to talking with other students, but he had to admit that he didn’t think it would lead anywhere. Shinsou was always closed off and if he did talk, it was to snark at them. However, seeing him play a normal card game with his peers, proved that wrong.

“Well,sooner or later one of the students in that class would have forced their way in.” Aizawa sighed as he thought over his class. “It was bound to happen when you put him with that group of kids.”

“Speaking of your class, have you decided who I’ll be fighting against for the finals?”

“I was thinking Jirou and Koda.”

“Sound vs sound, sounds rad!” Hizashi exclaimed excitedly before settling down quickly against his shoulder, like that outburst sapped the rest of his energy. It was a long day for the both of them. He knows that Hizashi got out of school and headed straight to the station to do his show and plan more ahead. He also knows that he’s running on little less than four hours of sleep with him patrolling the other day. They both really just needed a break for a while.

 It was silent for a bit, just enjoying each other’s company while they listened to the excited shouts and sounds of complaints that came from Shinsou’s room as their game progressed. Minutes ticked by until Hizashi turned his head to look at him, his chin pressing against the top of his shoulder. “What are we going to do about the camp?”

“The training camp?”

“Yeah, I have to go to that convention in Hotsu and you’re going up in the mountains. What are we going to do with Shinsou?”

“I could take him with me.”

“Is that really the smartest idea?” Hizashi said leaning back slightly to take in his whole face. “You’d be too busy with your students and helping with Kan’s to be able to focused on him.”

“It’ll be fine, he’s not a little kid.”

“You want him to be surrounded by that amount of training? I don’t think that’s a good idea, you saw what had happened with All Might.”

Hizashi is probably right. No, he was right.

Shinsou has always been weird with training instances.  It was fine when it was with Iida because there were no quirks used and it was one on one. Shinsou also had complete control over their training, there was no surprises or any expectations from him during their training.

It was vastly different when there was a bunch of people using their quirks in a room. Shinsou was always tense and on high alert, even when he was on the sidelines. Being at the camp with not only his students but with Kan’s,  and with them focusing on increasing their quirks, was not the best idea.

“What do you have in mind then?”Aizawa asked.

“What if we get someone to watch him?”

“That’s a good idea, but who? Everyone we know is busy that weekend.”

“Well,” Hizashi’s voice singsonged. “We do know one person that’s free that weekend.”

“No.” He deadpanned quickly. No, not her. She’s beyond qualified but he doesn’t know how Shinsou would react with a personality like theirs and to be frank, he doesn’t want to know.

“Come on! She’s perfect! She’s free, has the place to herself, doesn’t even have patrol! It’ll be perfect!” Hizashi reasoned. “Besides! It’ll only be for a couple of days until my thing is done and I can come pick him up.”

“Fine, but you’re dealing with any consequences with them meeting. I do not want to know how many things he could learn from her. Even in that short amount of time.”

--------------------------------------------------------------

27 sat with a pencil clenched hard enough in his fist that his hand ached. He stared down at the blank paper in his lap as if it was mocking him.

The cards that they were playing with earlier was safely tucked away under his mattress along with the other things he has collected since his arrival.  At first he didn’t want the cards and he had tried to give it back to Uraraka. However, she kept insisting that he keep them. At first he thought that she must have seen him sneak away one of the reverse Uno cards earlier and she felt bad for him or he ruined the deck, but she said it was so when they come visit next time, they’d have something to play.

The group quickly took their leave after Iida pointed out  how late it was getting and it was a school night. He could hear them from his room refusing Mic’s invite to stay for dinner and exit the apartment. As soon as that front door closed, the levity of the atmosphere went way and the reality of everything came crashing down around him.

Eraser was onto him and he was too close for comfort. He was like a dog with a bone and he knew won’t let it go anytime soon. The suspicion was easily read on Eraser’s face any time he sees him and it only mounts as time passes. It was only a matter of time before he corners him and questions him. Even with his tactics, he could only avoid him for so long.

He has no idea what he would say to Eraser when it comes to that. If he tells him too much, the Miasma is will find out  and there will be consequences. He cant risk having the Miasma find out he spilled anything, he still hasn’t figured out how he’s going to get out of it.  If he tells too little, Eraser is too suspicious not to know he’s still hiding things, and would push for everything. He just needs to find a nice balance.

With that somewhat figured out, it only remains one other major pressing issue that he needed to do. His report to the Miasma was due tonight and it had to be good.

It needed something. Last weeks report was lackluster and he’s sure it was disappointing. He needed to make up for that and the only thing that comes to his mind was the big revelation of the week, perhaps the century. That Toshinori Yagi was All Might.

He had told Midoriya that he wouldn't tell anyone but he could always go back on his word. Even if Midoriya  somehow found out that he had told the Miasma, it would be too late too late to change anything. It had little risk for him if he told the Miasma. It wasn’t like he had too much to risk if Midoriya did tell Eraser everything. If Eraser hasn’t figured out that he was involved with the incident by now, he was at least close in putting it together. Which leaves Midoriya’s threat null.

Miasma’s unspoken threat had a stronger pull than Midoriya’s. If he doesn’t tell them, and they find out, it’ll be so much worse for him than anything Midoriya could do or say.

27’s stomach turned and his lungs clenched tightly in his chest as he thought over his options.  If he tells, Toshinori would be in a world of hurt. It might take awhile for someone willing to fork over the amount of cash that they want in exchange, but it will  happen. If he doesn't tell, he’d run the risk and be the one on the chopping block.

He breathed heavily through his nose in attempt to calm his staggered breathing. He pressed the pen against the paper and started his report, simply starting with his basic observations.

Telling the Miasma about All Might can wait. It’s not like there was a time limit on it and he could always say he found out later than he actually did. What he needs to write is something that would be important enough to report but nothing that can directly harm anyone. If he couldn’t figure out something, he’d have no choice but to write about All Might.

He gnawed at the bottom of his lip as he tried to wrack his sluggish brain about anything that he could report. There was the instance of Mic going to leave town in a week but that didn’t seem like anything that the Miasma would find useful. He could write about how Aizawa was closing in on them, and how his cover is about to get blown. That was his  main purpose of coming here anyways.

The pen glided jaggedly across the page as he wrote. His hand was too tense for any fluid movement and the sudden cough would jerk the pen across the page. It was messy but it was legible. Memory should be able to make out what he wrote.

What worried him was that the page wasn’t even a quarter way full. It looked so blank and empty compared to his previous reports. It needed something else to help fill the page, something to make it thicker.

27 pursed his lips before he was struck with the realization of what he should write. Finals for the students were this week right before summer break. He had heard Eraser discuss with not only Mic but also Vlad King about a training camp. The details were slim, but  he did get that they were going to be training with the Wild Wild Pussy Cats in the mountains somewhere. It wasn’t a lot, but the Miasma could probably piece together enough information to figure out exactly where it’s going to be located.

It was the perfect information to write about. It wasn’t important  enough for the Miasma to know or sell for large amount, but it was big enough that it looked like he was giving away everything he had learned this week and that he was getting semi-useful information.  It was a harmless side note to everything that had actually learned. No one truly cares about where some UA class was going to be for a week, so he doubts anyone would buy that information.

The training camp was irrelevant and it was harmless information to give away.


Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the plot. Thanks and enjoy.

Valentine's Day

It was ten minutes until the end of Detective John Blake's shift. Just ten more minutes and then he could get the hell out of the squad room and head home. He'd gotten used to days like this, he reminded himself, days when the cops around him gave him suspicious looks or made snide little comments to make it clear what they thought of the fact that he was sleeping with one of the most dangerous suspected criminals in Gotham. He didn't expect them to understand his relationship with Bane, hell, half the time he didn't get it either. But at the end of the day he and his lover didn't mix business with pleasure and that was that. His division didn't operate in Bane's territory and neither of them talked about their work in order to avoid the other learning something they shouldn't know.

And technically Bane didn't have a criminal record, the man was just a living legend in the criminal underworld and was feared by pretty much everyone who encountered him. So while his fellow cops had heard plenty about him they didn't have any actual evidence since that tended to disappear as quickly as the man's enemies.

So yeah, hooking up with the guy hadn't been one of his smartest decisions, but he'd made worse. Probably. And it wasn't like he saw them as having a future, for Christ's sake. It would never work. That they'd lasted three months was a minor miracle.

The fact that he'd never had a relationship last this long was just the icing on the cake, Blake thought with a small sigh, his eyes once again being drawn over to the desk nearest his. Deena's husband had had the roses delivered that morning and the smell was almost driving him as crazy as why the man had sent them in the first place.

It was Valentine's Day.

When you grew up the way he had you learned not to give a shit about holidays, and part of the reason his track record dating wise was crap was because he was married to his job and didn't have a romantic bone in his body. And Bane had to be the same way, so there was no reason to think that the fact that they were getting together later required him to, in any way, shape or form, acknowledge the commercial holiday currently going on.

But what if the man was expecting something?

They'd only been having sex during Christmas so that hadn't been an issue. It was only in the last month that they'd actually started to spend the night together and keep each other company with clothes still on. They weren't really dating…but they sorta were too.

Dammit.

"So, Blake, got big plans tonight with your Quasimodo on steroids?"

Eyes narrowing ever so slightly Blake kept his cool and refused to rise to the bait. Sort of. "As a matter of fact BANE is coming to my place tonight. But no need to be jealous, McGreedy.  I'm sure eventually you'll manage to save up enough to pay a human being to sleep with you. It should only take you a few more decades, and hey, in the spirit of the holiday I'll chip in ten."

Blake wasn't even really surprised when the now red faced man threw the punch.  Maybe he'd been hoping for the chance to alleviate his tension so that Bane wouldn't notice it later. Either way he simply moved his head out of the way and didn't attack, knowing the man would look more foolish for it.

Drawing back his fist again McGreedy didn't get a chance to throw it, the cold voice of their commissioner slashing across the room like a nine-tailed whip.

Everyone straightening and coming to attention both men assured Gordon that nothing was the matter when he demanded to know what the hell was going on. Nothing, they assured him, nothing at all.

"Then I think your shift is over now, Blake. Why don't you head on out."

"Yes, Sir."

)

Stepping out of the elevator Bane loosened the bright red scarf Talia had wrapped around him earlier, insisting that it was just the thing since it would not only cover up his mask but get him into the holiday spirit. She'd had a gleam in her eyes that he hadn't liked, especially when she'd told him to have a nice time with his detective. The two had never met of course, his connection to her couldn't be known to anyone outside the League, but he was beginning to think that Talia didn't like that he was involved with someone.

Which was foolish, as his loyalty was absolute. There was no one more devoted to her than him. The relationship he had with Detective Blake was merely a sexual one that would no doubt end before the snow left Gotham City for the year. If not sooner.

Yes there was something about the man that…drew him, but that was because Detective Robin John Blake was a puzzle and one he had yet to solve to his satisfaction. The man kept pieces of himself hidden and guarded, refusing to show them to him. But he had most of them now, and Bane was confident that it was only a matter of time before he could anticipate the man's every move instead of constantly being caught off guard by how different the man was in comparison to anyone he'd ever known.

As it was he was still trying to figure out why the dedicated and un-corruptible cop had propositioned him in the first place.

It had started at Inception, a bar his Talia owned and one that he enjoyed visiting on occasion. His little bird wasn't much for such places but had started coming somewhat regularly in October to walk one of the bar's waitresses, who was his neighbor, home at night due to a small gang that had been making trouble in their area.

The chemistry between them had been immediate that first night, when they'd both been scanning the room for trouble and had locked eyes instead. He would never forget that moment as long as he lived. And it had kept happening every time they saw each other, both intimately aware of the other and left shaken when one forced his gaze to drop away.

Naturally Bane had known everything there was to know data wise on the man when Blake approached him. So he'd thought he knew who and what he was dealing with. Yet he'd never expected the man to ask him to bed, nor for the cop to go to his superiors once it became clear that one night would not be enough for either of them. Blake had made no effort to hide their relationship, taking the investigation by his internal police in stride and refusing to act as an informant when approached again and again to do so.

Bane had cops in his pocket of course, so he knew how his little bird was treated because of him.

Yet his detective never complained…and continued to see him.

He spent far too much time thinking about the man, Bane told himself, and not for the first time. But it seemed pointless to try and stop when he was about to see Blake again. When he was with his little bird the detective was all he could think about. Analyzing every move he made, ever word that left those soft looking lips that tempted him with their every quiver.

Shaking his head over those trivial thoughts Bane concentrated solely on studying the hallway he was walking down until he came to the correct door, knocking carefully since the wood was thin and would break easily enough under a normal man's strength.

)

Having been waiting for the knock Blake wasn't long in coming to the door, the delay coming from the necessary check through the Judas hole and then the undoing of the locks that he'd installed to at least give him some warning if someone came hunting for a cop. Though any criminal with brains would probably avoid him like the plague for fear of what Bane would do to him or her if they did harm a hair on his head. He knew word had gotten out about their relationship and that he was considered the property of the man who pretty much blocked the entire doorway once he'd opened the door.

A single blink was the only reaction Bane gave to the look on his man's face, knowing it well and not at all pleased not to be the cause. Or perhaps he had been, but had not been given the opportunity to be the direct cause. "You look well satisfied."

Making a confused sound Blake moved out of the way to let the much bigger man in, pondering the question. "Oh. Yeah. I have strawberry shortcake. I'm good." Not even the thought that he was considered Bane's bitch in the criminal world could dim that sugar high.

"Cake?"

"Strawberry shortcake." Blake corrected with a smile that brought his dimples out and made his eyes crinkle. "It's a major weakness of mine. I was just getting into my third piece when you knocked. It's from the bakery three blocks from here, and better than regular sex."

"Better than sex." Bane repeated, just the faintest hint of insult in his voice.

Blake grinned. "The heat we generate is anything but regular." Moving in the detective placed his lips against the man's neck over the pulse point, sucking on the skin there in long, slow pulls. It wouldn't even bruise noticeable, the man's flesh was that tough, but it was the closest thing he'd been able to come up with to replace actual kissing.

He'd never realized just how much foreplay and easing into a sexual relationship started with the meeting of lips until he'd started to sleep with a man whose lips he'd never even seen.

And understanding the gesture for what it was Bane lifted a hand to stroke his large fingers through the man's hair before cupping the back of Blake's head to keep him where he was. His way of returning the gesture.

When he pulled away Blake stroked Bane's cheek briefly before he turned to lock the door behind them, putting the multiple chains in place even though it really wasn't necessary given the other man's presence. He'd like to see some would be thief or murderer try to get past Bane to him. Well no, he wouldn't, but that was mostly because he didn't like the idea of his lover in danger. Or the idea of Bane killing the bad guy in front of him.

The two of them heading for the small apartment's even smaller living room Blake moved over to the table where he'd left his latest slice of cake. "I'll just put this in the fridge and be right back." He never ate in front of Bane, it just seemed wrong and impolite to do so.

"Finish it. I don't mind."

Good manners warred with greed, and Bane had given him the okay so…greed won.

Figuring that he could eat while Bane talked Blake asked the man about whatever book he was reading at the moment and then turned his attention back to finishing off his dessert, doing his best to listen and enjoy at the same time.

He had to be doing it on purpose, Bane thought as he kept his body under tight control.  There was no way that dessert could be that good. The carnal pleasure the man was projecting, it was meant to seduce him. To entice him. Blake always seemed to enjoy their sexual encounters more when he felt that he had made Bane lose control as well. Naturally he'd pointed out how dangerous that was, though the bruises on the man's flesh should have been warning enough. Thus far neither warning had sunk in.

It was the spoon licking that had the large man grumbling through his mask that there was no need to put on such a show.

Following the man's pointed gaze Blake didn't have to wonder what Bane was talking about for long. Laughing he shook his head, dimples flashing again as he reminded the man that he'd said it was just that good. And seeing that he wasn't being believed Blake stuck the spoon in what was left of his treat and held out the plate. "Here. I'll go somewhere else and you can try it. Just call me when I can come back in."

"I have no need to pollute my body with some sugary concoction that does not benefit the body in any way."

"But it does have benefits." Blake argued. And since the man thought he was doing this just to seduce anyway…why not? Shifting over Blake carefully straddled one of Bane's legs, sitting on it comfortably while facing the man as he scooped up a little on his spoon and waved it teasingly in front of his lover's masked face. "It makes you feel good, just like sex." Pretend pause. "But if you don't want it...maybe you'd feed it to me instead?"

Being a master strategist Bane knew this was a trap. An idiot could see that. But his bird was watching him with such a playful, happy gleam in his eyes that Bane found himself taking the spoon from the detective, wanting to please him.

And annoyed by that urge Bane decided to annoy the man in turn by deliberately moving the spoon away from Blake when the man leaned in to take it into his mouth.

Unfortunately it didn't work that way, the younger man laughing instead as he braced his free hand on Bane's shoulder for balance as he tried to move fast enough to get his treat. Bane was faster though, his reflexes far superior and his timing impeccable. But Blake kept trying, both because he refused to admit defeat-and because the leg he straddled felt so good as he rubbed against it with every movement of his body as he lunged towards the bait again and again.

Wanting both his hands free to touch Bane decided to let Blake get his treat, regretting the decision quickly as the detective punished him for making it easy by giving the spoon a blow job, sucking and licking at it in a way that had a great deal of blood leaving Bane's head and heading south to an area of his anatomy that would very much have liked to change places with that piece of silverware.

Pulling back when he was sure his point had been made Blake studied the man's eyes with pleasure, seeing just enough in them to know he had definitely hit more than a few of the man's hot spots. If he hadn't there would have been nothing to see in the man's eyes but steel walls.

Thinking that he'd give the other man another 'kiss' on the neck to soothe him a little Blake's eyes caught on something that had transferred to his lover's skin during their little game without either of them noticing. Hmmm, how convenient.

Bane tensed up at the shift in Blake's attention, wanting to know what had caught his interest.

"You got some of the cream on you." Leaning in Blake slid his tongue across the man's neck, very deliberately only lapping up a minute trace of the cream. Again and again he did that, drawing it out as long as possible as he tasted Bane's skin with just the faintest trace of the dessert he'd been snacking on. Then he nuzzled his face against his lover's neck, his nose picking up the faint smell of the medicinal gas coming from the mask. But that was just one more aspect that made up his lover's unique scent and he wanted Bane more than any sweet smelling treat.

Taking the basically empty plate from his bird with one hand Bane wrapped the other around Blake's waist as he leaned over to lightly toss the dish onto the nearby coffee table with the spoon before standing up, effortlessly supporting the smaller man's weight in his hands.

Even with his long legs Blake couldn't properly wrap them around Bane's waist as they headed for the bedroom, but he knew that Bane had him and so he turned his attention to the man's throat again, determined to try and leave a mark that would still be there come morning. It was a little annoying after all, that every morning he bore the marks of Bane's claiming while no one would know, to look at his lover, that he belonged to someone.

And okay, he knew Bane had someone special in his life who he basically worshipped and he wanted that person to know that the man was his too.

That the man belonged to him in a way Bane would never belong to her.

"You will be getting very little sleep tonight."

Shuddering deliciously at the threat Blake lifted his head just long enough to point out that that was sort of the point of Valentine's Day.

Bane almost stumbled, the hitch in his stride barely noticeable as years of training kept him on his feet as his mind tried to wrap itself around what Blake had just stated. Not being completely oblivious to the commercial holidays practiced by the materialistic masses he'd known the significance of the day, Talia had made sure of it, but it hadn't occurred to him that their scheduled rendezvous had been meant to mark the day that honored, in theory, lovers.

Naturally he'd never celebrated it. If someone gave you a heart in The Pit it had recently come out of someone's chest cavity.

"Parjarito…"

Lifting his head to meet Bane's gaze Blake let the whole calling him 'little bird' in Spanish go for the moment and answered the question he could read in the man's eyes. "You're taking me to the bed you bought me and intend to fuck my brains out till morning, right?" The bed was the only thing he'd allowed the man to buy him, and that was only because the man was directly responsible for the destruction of his last one.

"That was my plan, yes."

"Stick with the plan."