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“The ******** do I even call him by? D’you think he’s a nicknames kinda guy, Cerbs? ********, you wanna hear something really stupid—“ his voice wandered off with his mind as he pulled on something casual; aiming for ‘human guy’ who’s friend had made him pick out something without holes, obnoxious colors, or bold patterns online. Supposedly there was nothing wrong with light colored cotton button downs and dark pants with enough cargo pockets to hide a small army in.

Waru disagreed wantonly! But? He valued the opinions of those with better taste than himself. Continuing to ramble at his very bonded eternal nuisance of a tri-headed, befeathered companion all the while. Like it even mattered whether or not he had an audience. He would’ve talked to himself out loud regardless of that fact, but having Cerbs around? A soundboard to bounce his brain off of, the kind that didn’t echo his own thoughts back at him, which meant they got to roam free! Judgment free. In spite of the fact that the creature gave him three different sets of looks that ranged from withering to hungry at any given time—

If he noticed the birds lingering side-eye and chirruped signs? He seemed unphased. Focused instead on making sure he, at the very least, wouldn’t only show up at Luvly’s side screaming ‘I was too lazy to power down so now I’m here pretending to be like people!’ That hadn’t gone so well before, and everything else had been office visits he found deeply amusing. That he’d enjoyed, yeah, always! But this – this was supposed to be different! Even if he had business on his mind? Somewhere on his mind. In the way-way-waaay back of it! He wanted to do something normal for once, one whole evening of it! Normal was such relative s**t though, wasn't it? So maybe what he was really aiming for was normal-esq, just south of it, just the next door over, or some road parallel to a street named ‘normal’! The kinda street that had a normal name but weird stuff always happened on with such frequency that people knew it as ‘normal’.

Whatever— it didn’t matter what he did so much as it mattered what he was trying for, right? Right! And Eion had always said he liked his hair when it was shorter like this, and his girl, Aramis (bless her Swarovski crystal studded soul!) was a wizard with a straight razor and grease. Could always do for him in the summer what he trusted few others to do year round. He found that he liked the coolness of a tapered fade, having the old locs undercut, while still keeping enough mixed length that he drag it all up into a much neater bun than he usually bothered with.

It wasn’t as if he couldn’t change it up if he wanted to, in all his refusal to be pinned down into place or poured out into a singular mold. To have that element of surprise ever at his fingertips, brandishing randomness like a weapon and confusion like a shield. He would change it up if he wanted to, but for tonight? For tonight this would be fine. He felt put together *enough*, finally! After what felt like months of being pulled apart and scattered in all directions —

This, here, now—

It felt like as good a time as any to push send on a text he felt like he’d re-written at least ten-hundred times for no discernable reason. That he'd maybe been re-writing since freaking, what? February? With the word 'valenpals' all but branded into his brain. Yet he hadn't, and now?! It felt weird like this, almost, to bug Aqua from the business end of a tablet like some shy-a** school girl leaving locker letters for her crush. It was just going to be dinner!! Nothing big, no massive inconvenience. Super not weird at all!

"It really isn't fair that Aquas so cool, Cerbs. <********>" and he groaned to himself as he hit send on the simplest, sanest text he could manage -- 'hey y'wanna meet here for food? k' thx, see u there, bye!' He pretended Cerbs wasn't snapping it's beaks teasingly, flipped his bird the bird, and left.

Damned if he wasn't at least going to be on time for once in his life!

That moment when you almost rock up on every blond in a square block radius. That was Waru’s life for a second. It wasn’t intentional, at first, the way he stared at people as much as through them. It was just him standing about and perusing the crowd with waning interest; half lost in his own thoughts while he clocked every bleach bottle, platinum, albino-adjacent blond that strolled street-side in front of the venue. Looking for sapphire blues while deciding that Aqua was probably a natural blond and not the fresh from the salon sort.

“Mmmmmh—m’betting that the hair color is legit?” talking to himself aloud, because there were ten-thousand ******** he didn’t give about who heard, or looked up, or moved around him like streams of people parting around an obnoxiously sharp rock. Like he’d carve them up if they bumped into him accidentally. And maybe he’d gotten a little more lost in thought than he’d intended to?

And maybe he had a look on his face…..

Like he was missing someone, and missing that someone badly enough that he wanted a world to kill and was lacking only for a way to do it. Because he missed his husband, and of course he missed him! Because he wasn’t with him, couldn’t have gone, had to stay, all the etceteras. So this here!? This was the best he could do while trying not to fly off the rails in the face of that gaping, sucking, hole of an absence. This. Right here; projects, people, plans, outings. This was how he was going to handle his s**t. By doing the whole ‘coping’ thing.

Oh, so, so, sooo much coping.

Cooppinggg– and ********, but Aqua had said he’d know him when he saw him? And now Waru was beginning to wonder just ******** how—

Moving further along the front-facing, black basalt, imported walls of Sotocastello di Piazzo; the place boasted Barolo vintages, live music, string lights, over a hundred years of existence (even if it’d only been around for less n five) and most curiously? The owners swore that the entirety of its components were made up of pieces from a legit castle destroyed in some ancient time. The place was maybe haunted, but only in a romantic ‘lets drink to the heritage of this vaunted monument’ kinda way.

Scanning for – and eventually spotting – blue eyes, blond hair slung up into a messy style, the look of a man who just didn't care, and that shirt—

‘You’ve got to be kidding me—‘ the dawning horror that morphed into a broad grin, happiness that consumed the whole of his form, and filled his gaze to overflowing. Because that 'pizza slut' was definitely Aqua!

“Yanno, I see why your man was worried now, Lovely” Waru couldn't keep the laugh out of his voice or the smile out of his eyes as he approached Lovely, “here I spent all that time reassuring him that I wasn’t trying to game his ******** system….” Because he remembered, clear as amber gold liquor, the exact way Aqua had told him in no small amount of words— That the end of the world would come for him first, long before he ever had a shot at Aqua. He’d called the man a ******** tease, liked him all the more for drawing his lines so clearly; liked him with an intensity, with an immediacy! Filing ‘Jets Hisband Only’ firmly away into the; ‘people I ******** with, but do not ********>’, portion of his cavernous skull.

“And here you are, showing up in your wedding dress?” the words tsk'd, all false admonishment and blatant as balls on a bull types of tease.

‘Jet’s gonna ******** kill me–’ the tiny, brisk thought that was there and gone lightning fast, because he supposed he’d just die happily then. With a smile on his face, and warmth in his heart for his dearest loves, and a menagerie of friends to mourn him! It was ******** worth it, to see this, to bear witness to an Aqua outta work and existing in the open like some wild sighting of an extinct species!

“S’ahell of a statement piece. That? Or a power move. Almost makes me wish I had a ring to give you,” the words playful as the proposal that they go inside, because Lovely looked like he was three seconds away from melting into poisonous vapor in the summer heat. “<********' maybe we'll find one inside?" letting his tone be baited ploy and joking lines, all the words that spilled forth jovially a massive deviation from what he really wanted to ask. Like how Lovely was doing, and what, if anything, the man wanted to drink? He just couldn't help himself sometimes, couldn't not wonder if next time he dragged Lovely out would be the time he sought that promised 'drunk enough' moment; some further step off from a place Waru considered 'nice enough' and straight into the pits of '<******** time, next time, next time!*

A promise he was making to himself as he practically vibrated in place under Lovely's gaze.

“Which means you’re comfortable in it, which means you’re comfortable with meee— Which means the world t’me! Seriously, Lovely? I think it’s cute is all,“ ticking off points over fingers that contained considerably less rings, save the two most important ones that warred atop the one finger in galling contrast to each other. It was utterly unlikely that anyone thought the scrimshawed, stained bone and fire-licked meteorite were from the same person. Let alone wedding rings, even if they held that space on his finger, even if one looked expensive all on its own and the other ancient and fearsome.

“And Mr. Rules-n-Regs was warning me off harem-ifying you…” There was no need to lie about anything, not when he found the truth far more entertaining in that moment. Looking at Lovely’s face, watching those fine features shift. He hadn’t realized how expressive lovely was before. Got what Jet — ******** — Illian, apparently? Was trying to protect, even if he was the wrong person to bother protecting it from.

“It was a joke, I think? S’hard to tell with him, but you should’ve seen my face when he said it! Like, it’s the last thing I’d try—“ a half shrug to go with his full cocked attitude and half-cocked grin. He almost seemed contemplative in that moment, even if the moment passed like a breeze between his ears. There and gone so fast.

“Moreso cause we’re friends n I legit respect you, than the fact that I think I’d wake up in an alley kidneyless if I did?” And now he was wondering which kidney Lovely would’ve taken first? If he would’ve donated them to, like, the poor n needy? Sold em black market style? Eh— whichever—- cause he took it all like a compliment, with a wide grin and shining eyes. Wore ‘obnoxious’ like a crown stuffed with golden thorns. The honor of bleeding obnoxious out of every pore, bestowed only unto him.

“And I do have a reason — two even — maybe three?”

If he paused long enough to motion at the person eager to seat them, something for two, a booth or table away from all the main crowds. He wanted to talk the way he wanted, and cuss the way he cussed, and drag more of those ‘what the actual ******** is this creature’ looks outa Lovely before the night was won. Easier to do that in some arched alcove that screamed castle-vineyard, and had the fake vines along the walls to prove it.

“I’ve got work ideas t’runn by you if you want ‘em run by you? M’not gonna demand your opinion—even if that’s what I crave the most—” he happily slid across from Lovely, settled like an overeager kid with elbows ready on tbr tabletop. Leaning in —“And also? I wanted to take you out just ********, right? C’mon!! Free eats, good company, m’never not obnoxious, but m’ahellofalot easier t’suffer through over whiskey n wine aren't I?”

He only tried to beg a little bit. Only with his eyes, really. A whole bunch of ‘Pretty please with maraschino cherries on top’ bared for all the sappy world to see in his face alone.

If this wasn't exactly what he liked about Aqua -- about Lovely! A vicious undercurrent, blessedly sharp wit. The look of near insult on the blonds face, as though Waru had offended him by suggesting the man would be anything other than opinionated and fucing loud about it? It almost made him laugh, a chuff of wry bemusement as he upped the ante and said ******** the glass. He wanted a bottle, thought maybe between him n Lovely he'd need it. Had a mind for something rich as his mood, red as the drapery, and Italian as the name of the place suggested it'd be.

Barolo seemed the house specialty, not only of the mythical vineyard the supposedly ancient castle walls had come from, but of the house. He ran with it. Only half-watching the waitress in the cute skirt saunter off, waiting mostly for her to disappear before he talked on. Waru almost felt bad about running the man in a spiral with his endless yammering. Almost.

"Which's exactly what I want from you, Lovely. Always has been, always will be -- that? And t'always come otta every room with you as alive as I went into it!" Grinning like he enjoyed the possibility of *not* almost as much as he enjoyed breathing air, or soaking in the sun, or any number of unnameable things which he found worthwhile in life. Like there was a zero sum chance in which he played his own hand so poorly that Aqua would need to off him for it.

"Which---s'probably not too hard to accomplish? You've always been a good friend, and I mean that." Purred as he pulled up his phone, only long enough to glance briefly at -- honestly -- what could've been anything, pointers, a text, a picture of a pigeon. Whatever it was it seemed to steel his resolve to get the next part out of the way so they could actually enjoy the night and set all work aside. "I've got, and it's gonna sound crazyish, but? What if I tried to sell you on a really fancy crystal, and? Ahnnnddd--- a piece of jewelry with some impact behind it."

He didn't seem to mind sliding his phone across at Lovely, open to a file that contained two more files within it that -- truly, all told? Seemed to have been organized by someone waaay more organized than Waru ever could've managed to be. His secretary, a member of his team. The excerpts of a conversation n mau-made-mockups within, the occasional edit. Since, no, Waru didn't want anyone he was dubbing his 'informant' to actually end up killed over his own egotistical need to ******** around and find out at every conceivable avenue.

"It's easier to read than, like? Listen to me go on about. Poor J--Iliad? Ilian! s**t--whatever, he already had to listen t'me enough for the three of us I think."

Waru looked flattered by Lovelys skepticism, and for the way the other man's frown twitched. Waru beamed like he'd laid ten golden geese n s**t at a Lamborghini all in one go. That Lovely was willing to waste his time on it at all!? That he had things to actually say about it that --- that were nice? Waru wondered if maybe he'd died, or if the air was poisoned, or.... <******** if it mattered, actually.

"No, see-- people keep saying that like they're surprised, right? And they ******** should be, Lovely. Because even I was surprised by myself! If you can believe such a things possible! It is, I was there, n'I just...." he blew out a breath, talking as though it wasn't the first time someone had said as much. N'when he'd been dealing with Trey handing out a compliment? All stunned n intrigued. Waru had taken it kindly, he knew Trey didn't hand out compliments to no-body, but? He was also in the mans bed at the time -- so he maybe took that honest compliment along with ten additional gallons of salt. He figured post-coital showers n aftercare could make anyone say nice things about a person who'd broken into their car n gone rummaging for gods knew why.

Especially when that person was -- ah -- himself? So Waru had gone on and kept finding people to ask, like he'd expected the answer to change! Insofar -- it hadn't -- and ******** if he wasn't giddily surprised!

"Y'go through enough trial n error in life n'you maybe get skittish when it comes to....yanno...to stuff like this? Y'really think I'mma hit a big red button on something doomed t'fail project without....like...asking around first? Asking people I trust..." because Lovely was one of those, wasn't he? Waru thought so, would shout it from a podium, a rooftop. Would draw it on the castle walls in chaotic, illegible scrawl. All the ways he, undoubtedly, trusted Lovely to always be a man of his own nature.

"Asking people who *aren't* just gonna be nice t'me. N'ive been blessed t'not accumulate friends like that. I am -- ******** -- drowning in honesty on a good day. Surrounded by it on all ********' sides. But, helps t'be safe, yeah?" Waru thought it did, had tripped over his own low hanging d**k more than enough times to know better by now. To reach out and get some of his wild ducks in a row before letting his mind run off with every fancy, flighty thought.

"And I am getting help! I've got two of my furbabies on the job for materials, and tech. I pestered your man over gems. I ran the schematics by my secretary to make sure the picture in my mind matched the one I put into crayon --- n then had him put into a digital mockups -- n I went to Emmy to fix any, uh, clerical errors? She said I should make it all look professional, with like -- bullet points n stuff -- so -- did that..." he huffed softly, gave a small shrug and small grin.

Watched the waitress come back through long enough to at least leave them with their drinks, ice, a bottle tucked within the bucket of it. He made the woman top his own gold rimmed glass full.

"This is the final piece of it all. Everything put together---" Waru said hopefully, never happier than in that moment to have the chance at drinking. To almost choke on it for Lovelys comment. "N'the people I plan t'give my friendship bracelets out to, won't, uh -- wont be the types that'd get in your way. I don't think -- I could give you a list ahead of time even? S'pretty small t'start."

He’d never met anyone who frowned so expressively before, whose face spoke in sourness like it was a second language. Waru wondered, truly, if he’d ever seen Lovely actually relaxed before? If the closest the man got while dodging knives and running sword and shield for their King — that King — was just an inch shy of discomforting constipation. He knew he’d seen him tired, injured, bereft and some level of companionable almost drunk?

His favorite parts of Lovely, of dealing with him in any measure, was the pure, unfiltered, skin flaying honesty—

The parts he trusted most as he sat there and watched the sun rise from across his seat; in Lovely’s every squint of features and twist of brow. Savoring it. All that meteorite narrowly missing the earth levels of praise aimed at him, it might as well have come with a crown and scepter, with a whole new promotion! The way he soaked it up. It went down easy as his next swallow of what was a decent enough red— perfect for how he hadn’t wanted anything too dry or too sweet before they’d even got their meals.

“Then you’ll have it, yeah? N’one of the crystals too—” A brief snort of a laugh and flare of excitement, to await Lovely’s judgment, whatever it’d end up being? He thought he’d enjoy the other man’s looks of — scandal — deeper confusion? Couldn’t wait to hear, sung to the rafters, a chorus of ‘the ******** is wrong with yous!’ He wondered of Lovely would be amused by the end of it, if maybe he could eek a smile outta the blond. A challenge in the highest regard!

“It’s simple for now. It’s got some average-joes in it, people who have more potential un-swiss-cheesed than not? But they won’t know what this means the way our own will..” watching Lovely scoot the glass away, but not unstiffen from where he sat. His own mind churning with a thousand how’s of ways to

“Another’s was left sidelined n forgotten, and if we don’t pick up on past deals n keep them nice n shiny, then who will? Like— we have to remind ‘em we’re still here, don’t we? That we haven’t forgotten. Like turning over the title on a car — to the kinda people who’ll make sure it gets paid up regularly before it gets repo’d.” A slender smile settling on his face as he played with the edge of the glasses base, dragging blunt nails over condensation as he considered the rest of Lovely’s words with a humm.

“See—this is why I like you. Because of questions like that!” Chin on hand and his smile only grew.“The way you ask ‘em cause you care—obviously. But I’m a better Gardner than you’d think, got the greenest thumb. Plus? I’m already pruned, plucked, cultivated thoroughly into *this* here—“ motioning between the two of them, solid and sincere. Sure of his own words as anything. “I’d sooner — and it’s as likely that I will — die than…heh..whatever the alternative is?” A gentle shrug as he rolled through one thing into the next, looking at Lovely like the other man was the most friend shaped person he’d ever encountered.

Like he was appreciative, endlessly.

“M’too loyal to do anything else, yanno? So—don’t worry too much—“ so easily satisfied, and self assured. He made a mental note to get the list down in actual writing with real names instead of s**t like crayon and terrible nicknames; rainbow supreme and corner man, and monster fish girl did not a good list make! “—n’tell me how things are going on your end? I feel like I never get to hear about how you’re doing! I wanna know everything — n there’s nothing you can’t ask back, kay.”

He might as well have forgotten about his phone, for how his eyes and attention were glued on the Lovely instead. He couldn’t help but feel so much better now about all of this, his concepts, the fact that he needed to get Lovely a car crysral the second he had them in hand and functional!

"Which's riskier, I wonder? Assuming things about you, or pretending those things couldn't possibly exist..." Gentle humm of mirth as he heeded the parts of the warning he liked and discounted all the rest. Lovely didn't sound angry, at least, and so it was all green fields and verdant flags insofar as he was concerned. Treading an always thin line, red as the wine, middle of the road as was his want.

He was was content to sit beneath those azure hues and let himself be paired down to what felt like a molecular level enjoying the attention to detail if nothing else, having that attention on himself, even if he couldn't quite read what was running through Lovely's mind beneath it. The other man's brief confusion over his question serving as a momentary speed-bump, the way his face mirrored the blonds own before he pulled his features into something warmer. He assumed it must be a joke that Lovely didn't get why he was asking, right? That the blond was being playful with how far up he arched his hackles---

Probably doesn't want me being overly nosy is all!

He'd never taken Lovely as the type to gossip, assumed the blond wanted that assured both ways. Waru nodded to himself, thinking he could manage for Lovelys sake. Either to keep everything business casual or -- what? Friends with fluff? Or maybe the man just didn't want him asking after his 'hubby'; the troubles of being married into power he supposed.

"Yes, 'How're you doing!' Like -- okay -- okay -- something not private then? Cause I'm not tryna pry, but -- I mean -- what isn't there to know! Everythings ********' groundhogs day except for when it isn't, right?" A rough chuckle as his mouth ran on, his relaxed pose one of surrender, ready to step back verbally from the possible mine-hole he'd shoved his foot so eagerly into. "S'ah normal friend-s**t only kinda ask Luv, I swear it. Cross my heart n'all that -- I just wanna know if you're doin' good feelings-wise? Or if -- things're goin okay with the hus-bestie? Iffff--- problems in the office'r gettin you down, or..."

A eureka moment, as he swerved off topic and ran the newest idea in his brain straight across six more lanes. The brilliance he thought it, to ask about something less 'Aqua' focused if answering was too much for the other! Cause he could see that too! Some people just didn't wanna talk about their feelings -- not even with friends. There was always the weather, he supposed, or stuff about houses, or -- what did other married types talk about with each other usually? Oh, kids!!

"And have you n your man ever considered kids?"

"With my people there's no subject too taboo, no topic too wild. Especially since it's all just, like -- hypotheticals -- right, Lovely? S'for fun more'n anything--" Grinning cheshire pleased, his shrug one of indifference, the glacial slide of boulders and musings of someone in their early twenty's who damn well *knew* all the other early twenties were getting on with making families of all different kinds; accidentally or otherwise. He figured the only reason he hadn't yet was 90% luck and 10% caution on his part, and that everything else was just a mysterious blessing of the cosmos!

He didn't put it past the world to slip him a kid though -- or past someone who wanted him to broach the subject -- made sense then to beat them all to the punch and get that particular talk had and well out of the way before hand between his lovers and his husbands. The irony that the reactions had been similar and different at once, how no one wanted children per say but ******** if they cared if he somehow tripped over his own d**k and had them with someone else; like he was the mascot for 'family man' and 'nine to five' even if he didn't see it in himself, raising an entire posse of tykes. Until he did, and then the consideration lingered, became fleeting, dissipated entirely until someone he liked an awful damn lot batted their lashes just right and the 'okay, but what ifs?' hit him square in the chest again.

"N'lissn -- you're a nice committed guy," The wine wasn't nearly so entertaining a shade as the one that he watched grace Lovely's cheeks, its taste not as sweet as the palpable horror and utter disgust on the blonds face. He wondered how anyone ever took the blond for being purely a 'b***h', not as expressive as he'd found him to be, as blunt n ******** knife between the ribs *honest* as Lovely always was with him!! "If only to the one thing, clearly, yeah? But I'd be lying if I said I couldn't see it with you two. His dedication to the work, yours to him'n all that jazz." It was easy to tuck his smile into the meaty part of his palm, to diffuse the mirth on his face even if he couldn't quite keep it out of his eyes. He imagined, in his own way, that Lovely looked happy beneath the screaming mask of ******** plastered over the blonds face. That the disgust heightened the nature of the other mans blush.

"It's ******** insane, for sure! But is it the *most* insane s**t you've ever thought about -- like -- in all your years? Is 'Raising kids' the height of cray-cray that tops the mountain of unimaginable happenings you probably climbed to get to where you are now..." An incredules type of tease, he waved Lovelys growing concern off gently, tried to reassure him that it was more than enough for him to simply know the pair were happy, even if 'children' was a bridge too far crossed a raging red tidal line.

"Not that'chu need 'em -- or need t'want 'em. I'm personally happy enough knowing that you're happy and -- ah -- getting good sex?" He wasn't immune to blushing himself, sobering rather quickly on the idea that there was absolutely s**t he didn't need to know! He'd take it if Lovely offered it, like a gift that needed to be kept away in a very dark and expensive safe under the floorboards and then forgotten about over time. "It's just an important part of being friends with someone, Luv. Like -- sharing cake on your birthday kinda thing?" And Waru did wonder if sometimes he lost his own plot, if the tangents trailed too far of even un-beaten paths, the work it took for him to reign it all back in and find some center around a mostly wine-fed beginning and a slowly prepped meal.

He wondered if maybe the encroaching food would silence him enough to let poor Lovely find some even ground to stand on again without looking freshly horror-stricken--

"All I mean t'say! Is--heh--that m'glad you n'your man are -- still -- even after the promotion n'everything else? Happy together. With each other. You two've more n'earned it, if anyone ********' has. We could toast to that----" Like a segway off a cliff but at least the end would be abruptly sweet and let the two of them drink enough to maybe forget what he'd asked and that the answer had been 'we ******** class="quote">