Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's quiet in this part of town at this time of night. The lights that are twinkling above him mimic stars and for one brief moment, he can believe the postcards he sees that say his home is beautiful. But then he steps directly into a puddle of.. something and, well, the facade is unceremoniously broken. Juno makes a mental note to apologize to Mick when he gets back and maybe find him another pair of shoes later. His face scrunches up as he shakes his foot free of a few droplets of liquid before he continues his trek down the back allies of Hyperion.

Juno's once again glad that he and Mick wore the same size clothes, nobody would notice a kid walking around in servant's clothes. They would notice, however, if he wore his usual garb. Flowing dresses and makeup done to the nines, jewels littering every inch of exposed skin and making him up to be more of a doll than a human. He can picture his mother's face now, seeing him dressed in rags compared to his normal clothing. He could practically see the scowl and feel the anger radiating off of her. Same fury that had been directed at him earlier that day, probably. Well, good thing she'll never have to know about this. He'd be back before morning and Ben would cover for him if anyone asked where he was. Home in time for breakfast, Ben would say. For now though? For now, he just needed space.

So, he walked, keeping to the shadows and thanking his lucky stars that no one was out doing unseemly things right now. He's glad that the allies are empty for once, maybe there's a festival happening towards the center of town that everyone's at. Juno doesn't exactly listen to the announcement of such things; it's not like he can attend them anyway. Like a bird in a birdcage, beating its wings helplessly against the bars. Put in another room for being too loud, too nosy, too disruptive. Juno thinks it's ironic that he and Ben look so much alike (they are twins after all), yet live such different lives. Mother doesn't look at him with disdain every chance she gets. Juno would be jealous if he cared enough to feel bad about how his mother sees him. As long as Ben is the golden child and never has to face the big mean world as he does, Juno is grateful to be the problem child.

Juno's mind wanders as he walks, thinking about everything and nothing all at once. He thinks about the awful meal he had for dinner that night, thinks about what he's going to tell Ben when he gets back, thinks about his studies for tomorrow (what language is he supposed to be learning? Brahman, right? He can't remember, he doesn't really care if he's honest. When's he ever going to Brahma?), thinks about- There are noises up ahead. He can't see what's making the noise, they're coming from another alley that he has yet to turn down, but if he had to guess it was about.. 3? No, 4 voices. One of them sounded winded, begging for mercy only to be met with the sound of skin on skin. A fight? Juno has seen his fair share of fights, even at the ripe old age of 10, but this one sounds... Well, if his deductions are correct, it's 3 against 1. Not very fair odds, honestly.

He could ignore it, he knows he probably should. He's walked by enough adult brawls to learn that getting involved is probably the worst idea. Even just getting too close can be disastrous, if the scar over his nose is any indication. Mother was furious when she found out about that particular outing. But, Juno's always been too curious for his own good. Ben called it his "detective's intuition". Mother called it being too damn nosy, keep your hands to yourself Juno this is very serious why don't you ever- He pushes that train of thought aside and makes his way to the mouth of the alley, taking a moment to peak his head over to see what the commotion was.

As suspected, he could see four figures, three considerably bigger than the one currently huddled on the ground. The thing that was both the most and least surprising aspect was the fact that these brutes were not too much older than him, maybe 13 at the oldest. It made his heart leap into his chest, why were these teens beating up some random kid who looked like he'd snap in half if you so much as looked at him wrong. There was a pair of cracked glasses near the entrance of the alley, and by the small bit of blood on it, he assumed it was the poor kid's. Juno forced away the grimace on his face at the thought of seeing more blood. He knows he shouldn't do what he's about to do, really how's he going to explain this to anyone? But his jaw sets hard and his eyes flash with righteous anger and he steps out of the shadows and lets himself be fully known, making sure his footsteps are heavy with the slightly too big shoes.

"Hey! Assholes! Pick on someone your own size, will ya?" Juno yells, picking up the glasses and setting them on a crate, out of the path of any feet or blows that were most likely going to be coming his way soon. All movement was stopped at the sudden voice, the thugs pausing their assault, one of them with their arm drawn back like he was ready to punch the kid again, and their eyes landed on Juno. They were taller than him, but he had the advantage of being well-fed, so he squared his shoulders and frowned as tough as he could and stared right back. The one who was least involved with the assault, who Juno assumed was the little leader of this trio, sneered at him before turning and spitting on the kid, who flinched and curled in tighter to himself, before turning back towards Juno. "You offering a trade then, lady?" He grumbled, his lips pulling back in a sneer to expose a chipped tooth.

Juno doesn't say anything to the other, simply taking a further step into the alleyway and away from the light. Whatever lamps were here previously have long since broken and Juno sees shards of broken glass left very conveniently underneath the inoperable structure. Even if he doesn't want to resort to that, at the very least he has backup. And, they can't exactly see his face with his back towards the light, so it's another plus. Anonymity. The one thing he gets in the shadows, no one knows who he is and he can just be free and himself and fight some god damn thugs beating up some random kid. He's been itching with repressed adrenal for a while now, it'll be good to get it outta his system. When he's satisfied with his once-over of the trio, he shifts his stance and raises his hand, gesturing for the group to come closer.

"And what if I am, hm?" He taunts, flashing a smile that's nothing but teeth. The leader fumes, furrowing his eyebrows before making a break for him. He's a lot faster than Juno is but he throws his arm up to defend and the blow is thrown off balance and the impact is minimal. With the fight begun, the other two began to close in on Juno as well and he sees the other kid scramble to his feet, shaking like a leaf and fumbling blindly. God, Juno thinks briefly, he's not even wearing shoes. His mind is occupied once again though when another thug throws a punch to his back and Juno dodges in time to get one in his side, causing him to curse and spin, throwing his arms left and right. Juno can fight, he's had enough rows with his brother and Mick and stupid asshole kids from his other trips out to put up a good fight. But, as Juno said earlier, 3 against 1 isn't all that fair. Especially when Juno sees a flash of silver and barely dodges a knife that was aimed right for his chest. Dear God, what has he gotten himself into?

Juno stays his course, doing his best to dance around the three as he can (thank god for those lessons, even if Ben picked it up much faster than he did), but he knew he'd be overpowered soon. It seemed fitting if he was to die in this run-down, hollowed-out back alley of his home planet, with no one knowing where he was. He wondered, briefly, if anyone would care that he was gone. Ben would, surely, and Mick too. But, would his mom? The thought made his footing falter and he tripped over his shoes and landed hard on his back. He looked up in time to see the thugs smirking above him, silver shining dimly out of the corner of his eye. This was it, he decided, he's about to be killed. At least the kid got away.

Or, so he thinks because the next moment there's a loud yelp and the thug to his right (the one holding the knife) is stumbling back and flailing wildly. It takes a minute for Juno to really pick up what he's seeing and when he does, he laughs in surprise. The kid, scrawny and barely standing on his own two feet moments ago, is clinging to the thug's back like a monkey with his arm wrapped tightly around his neck. The other, Juno notices, is hanging limply at his side. He's wearing his glasses now and he looks much more aware now that he's not getting brutalized. The thug is choking and gasping, clawing at the kid's arm and trying to get it off, tossing his weight around to off-balance them both.

It's enough of a distraction for Juno to clamber to his feet, rearing back and slamming his fist hard into the leader's nose. It snaps with a satisfying crunch and he goes down like a bag of bricks, wailing and holding his face. Juno feels bad that he feels a little bad, but he doesn't have time for that because the last one standing is now honing in on him with fury set in their face. Juno prepares himself for another round, throwing up his hands so he can block his face when there's a flash and the thug goes flying. Juno blinks in surprise, stumbling back a little at the motion before he realizes that the kid has rammed himself into the other's side and thrown him to the ground with the momentum. Juno spares a glance at where the knife-wielding thug once was and sees him passed out on the floor with the knife missing from his hands.

With the trio now in various states of awareness, Juno breaths a sigh of relief and instantly winces as his ribcage expands. Yeah, yep, okay he's gonna be bruised tomorrow. Shit, at least it's not on his face. He hears the kid let out a sigh, followed by a groan and Juno turns to see him holding his arm, the one that hadn't been around the thug's throat. Juno knows he should move on, really, but the kid looks so helpless and in pain and Juno can't help the way his heart beats in sympathy. So, he trudges over, stumbling a bit before he steps up beside him and holds out his hands. "Your arm. It's outta the socket. Let me set it for you, I've had it happen enough times that I know how to do it." He muses, voice rough with adrenaline and pain.

The kid looks up at him, holding the knife that is thankfully still clean, and pockets it. He stares for another moment, as if debating on really trusting him before he lets out a heavy sigh. He doesn't speak, squinting a little behind his broken glasses off to some area behind Juno before he tilts his head and motions for the other to follow. Juno hesitates, watching the kid walk off before he follows after him, surprised by his own feet moving without his command. They walk for a while in that silence, the kid never saying a word and his face shifting minutely with grimaces and Juno can't think of what to say either. When they finally arrive at wherever they're going, Juno realizes it's an old factory that looks like it's been out of use for years. The kid looks over at him one last time before he slips inside the slightly open door.

It's mostly empty when Juno enters, save for the large out-of-work vehicles and machinery that he couldn't even begin to name. The pair make it to what looks like a break room of sorts, where it looks like the kid is holed up. An old couch that's broken on one side with a pile of blankets and clothes that Juno doesn't want to ask how he acquired. There are no shoes, Juno notes, and there's only trash that once had food in it. The kid hauls a medical kit onto a nearby desk, opening it up to reveal all kinds of supplies, including bandages to make a sling. Good, Juno thinks, it's a lot safer this way. Well, not a lot but there's not much else either of them can do.

When the kid deems himself ready, he shifts his body towards Juno, presenting his useless arm where it dangles. Juno smiles a little with relief before fumbling in his pocket for something. When he retrieves what he is looking for, a handkerchief that he always carries with him, he holds it up towards the kid's mouth. "Here, you'll wanna bite on something," Juno explains at the confused look he's given. The kid blinks before parting his lips and taking the cloth into his mouth- Juno making note of the incredibly sharp canines- before he adjusts again and nods. With the go-ahead, Juno takes a breath, moving his hands up and placing them gently on the kid's arm. On the count of three, the kid squeezes his eyes shut and Juno pops his arm back into place, wincing to himself at the noise it makes. The kid is surprisingly silent, despite a quiet whimper he lets out from behind the cloth, the only thing that shows he's in pain is his good hand tensing and his nails digging dangerously into his palm. Juno commends the bravery, honestly.

Juno lets go when he's done, moving his hand up to touch the other's shoulder, apologizing when he whimpers again at the pain. When he's ultimately satisfied, he nods to himself before turning to the medical kit and fishing out the bandages, beginning to wrap it around the kid's arm and shoulder to make it secure. He helps him adjust it, making sure it's comfortable in place before finally, he backs off. The pair is silent for a long moment, shifting awkwardly and stealing glances towards one another. Juno feels like he should probably leave by that point, but he's waiting for... something, he honestly doesn't know what, when the kid breaks the silence, "Um... Thank you. I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't shown up, so I'm very grateful that you did. Are.. you okay?" He's holding the handkerchief out to Juno, hand slightly shaky (Juno isn't sure if he's nervous or just still dealing with pain).

Juno blinks at him, as if seeing him for the first time, and smiles, taking the cloth and shrugging his shoulder, trying not to wince when he moves his side (he fails). "Yeah, I'm good. Compared to you, I don't think I have a right to complain. I'm sorry those dicks hurt you, do you have any idea why?" He questions, shifting on his feet before leaning back against the wall, letting his body sag slightly. The kid glances around the room for a moment, thinking, before he finally shakes his head. "No idea, they just cornered me and started beating me. Usually, I can handle my own-- perks of living on the street for so long-- but there were too many for me to dance around and, well, you saw how I ended up."

Juno hums in consideration, holding his side and keeping his breathing shallow, though his scratchy throat made it terribly loud in the otherwise silent alley. The duo takes a second to just collect themselves, both shaking with the effort to stay standing as the adrenaline finally leaves them. Juno can tell the kid is exhausted, he's got bags under his eyes and his cheeks look hollow. Juno suddenly feels really guilty about not bringing any food with him. He did, however, remember to wear a pair of earrings out tonight. With sudden urgency that he should probably be embarrassed about, Juno moves his hands up and fumbles with his earrings, shiny and heavy and expensive, before clutching them tightly into his fist. The kid is watching him, confusion on his face, but his eyes are sharp and aware even from behind his cracked glasses. He's pretty, Juno thinks and immediately blushes down to his chest.

He coughs roughly and turns his head, collecting himself before turning back and holding his hand out with the earrings resting on his hand. "Here, take these. It's not a lot, but you could sell them and get a decent meal somewhere. Maybe even some shoes," Juno's voice is small and his eyes are looking anywhere but the kid and for a moment he feels rather silly. But then the kid's hand is on his and the earrings are gone, but he's still moving closer. He's in Juno's space and for a moment Juno thinks he's going to be devoured by this fox of a child, but there's only a brief kiss against his cheek and a soft 'thank you' mumbled against his skin. Juno feels warmth spread all through his body and he stutters out a "you're welcome." When the kid pulls away, he's smiling, one of his canines poking out from his lip, and Juno's heart flutters.

"I-I'm Juno, by the way," Juno mumbles before he can stop himself. Everyone in Hyperion knows the name Juno Steel, he's the heir to the throne after all. Juno expects surprise and jealousy and maybe even anger, maybe the kid will still rob him yet. Instead, the kid's smile simply widens and he says, "Juno, hm? My name is Peter. Peter Nureyev. Thank you again for rescuing me, I owe you." Juno's knees grow a little weak as the kid, now dubbed at Peter, says his name and he feels butterflies growing in his stomach. The lights above are twinkling and casting shadows on Peter's hair, making it look almost blue in the light. It's pretty and Juno thinks with alarm that he really wants to touch it. But he doesn't, instead, he takes in a breath and says, "I-I should get home, I need to be awake early tomorrow."

Peter looks a little disappointed by this development, but the expression changes quickly to comforting and he nods, pocketing the earrings into the same pocket he put the knife in. Juno gives him a little wave before he begins to leave, stepping past the tall boy and making his way back the way he came before Peter's voice stops him, "Will I see you again, Juno?" Juno freezes and the butterflies in his stomach rise again, fluttering restlessly against his stomach and ribs. Juno knows what he should say, this whole thing was a mistake to begin with, who knows what his mom's going to say now that his earrings are gone? He really shouldn't let his hopes get up for a boy he barely knows, but who makes him feel things he's never felt before. But Juno is nothing if not self-destructive. So, he looks back over his shoulder with a smile wide enough to blind Peter and says, "You will. How about we meet here in two days? I should be free again. Same time?"

Peter's returning smile is enough to almost make Juno run back and hug him tightly, but they simply nod at each other and Juno watches him slip into the shadows and disappear without another trace. Juno stays where he is, frozen and warm all at once. He brings his hand up to touch his cheek, the one Peter had kissed, and he closes his eyes against the wave of emotions he feels. He knows then, without a shadow of a doubt, that he'd do anything to keep that smile on Peter's face.

For now, though, he begins to walk, returning to his own world. Where the woman wearing his mother's face rules the land. Back to the birdcage. But, at the very least, Juno gets to keep this all to himself.

Chapter Text

Ben knows Juno.

Ben knows Juno doesn't like staying at the castle, knows he doesn't enjoy being the center of attention or be given more responsibility than he can handle. He sees it in the way he hunches over on himself to make his stature as small as he can whenever he's in the presents of the adults. He's a little more comfortable around Jack, their mom's adviser, and their self-appointed "uncle", but Ben knows better than to leave Juno by himself for too long with anyone. So, that's why it's strange to the younger twin when Juno sneaks away once a week to go meet with some mysterious person.

Almost three months have passed since that fateful night, where Juno came home too early and was covered in bruises and wheezing like he'd gotten hit by a car, and yet the smile on his face shown brighter than any Ben had seen before. Ben has seen a lot of different expressions on Juno's face (mostly scowls, but Ben digresses) but he'd never seen a smile so blinding. Juno was bruised and limping and his earrings were missing and yet he looked so.. content? Happy? It made Ben want to weep with relief, especially remembering how sad he had looked earlier that day.

Now, here they were: Juno getting ready to leave for the evening and Ben sitting on his bed with a book in hand. He didn't mind staying up to wait for Juno, sometimes Mick would come to visit him and they would talk for hours, sometimes he'd read a book to completion, or sometimes he'd just pass out and get a decent night's sleep without Juno snoring away beside him. Other times, though, he'd be lonely, waiting up to see if Juno would come home early. Their mother never came to visit them in their room anymore, but it was still dangerous with both the twins gone, so Ben always stayed behind. He never thought about leaving anyway, things were okay for him. Mick and Juno were by his side and his mother was only sometimes mean to him, but it was nothing compared to what Juno got. If anything, Ben was grateful. But he was just as curious as his older twin, so maybe that's why when Juno was about to leave, he spoke up, "Can I come with you?"

Juno hesitates by the door of their room, hand resting on the knob without turning it, as if waiting for a guard to pass by that they both knew would never come up to this floor. Juno turns his head to look over his shoulder at his other half, less scarred and standing with his back straight, hands twisting nervously in front of him. Juno chewed on his lip, stilling healing from being split by their mother's ring a week ago, and tilted his head a little in consideration. Could he? Peter never said he couldn't bring guests, but Juno knew Peter didn't like being out in prying eyes for too long. But, Ben was important to Juno and Peter was also important to him. Juno's wanted them to meet for some time now, even thinks they would get along, in all honesty. So, with a quiet sigh of relenting, Juno nodded and turned back fully towards the other, seeing the way his eyes lit up in glee.

"Okay, gimme a few minutes to change!" Ben whispered-yelled to his twin, smiling that wide, giddy thing that always made Juno feel better on his worst days, and scurried off to their shared closet. Ben was taller than Juno if only by a few inches, but he filled out Mick's spare clothes better than the shorter twin did. Juno had to roll up the pant legs to avoid tripping over the ends, but Ben just had to shove the little bit of extra fabric in his boots. Lucky, Juno thinks with only a little bit of bitterness. It doesn't take Ben much longer to change from there, only throwing on a different shirt from his pajamas before he smiles with triumph. Juno takes a second to look him over, making sure the other would be unrecognizable before he nods.

"We're gonna make a stop by the kitchen first," Juno says as he opens the door, leaving Ben no room to ask questions as they slip out into the hallway. The floors don't creak as they walk, but they're both careful, keeping their ears peeled for any stray voices or sounds coming around the corner. When there's nothing, they make their way carefully down the three flights of stairs, silent by each other's side, holding hands in a death grip. Juno is shaking, Ben notices, and he's not sure if it's with fear of getting caught or if he's just excited. Juno is leading, only slightly, tugging him along carefully by the hand as they wind up in the kitchen.

Only then does Juno break apart, signing for Ben to wait by the door while Juno begins to pad around cautiously. Ben does as he's asked, watching Juno walk around with ease. He digs around in a floor cabinet before pulling out a picnic basket and heading to the fridge to begin raiding it. Bottles of water, a few juices, some premade sandwiches that Ben assumes he snuck down here and made earlier. Once he's gotten everything from there, he snags a few other things (a bundle of grapes, a few bananas, apples, and oranges, and finally a loaf of bread) before he turns to Ben with a nod. Ben opens the door for the other and they sneak away, carefully along the fence line until they're out the back gate.

Only then, once they're far enough away to avoid getting caught, does Ben ask, "So... what's all this for?" Juno doesn't answer for a few seconds, simply walking and adjusting the basket in his arms. He looks almost uncomfortable with the question, scrunching his face up in thought before he lets out a little sigh and whispers, "It's... complicated. Look, Ben, when we arrive, you can't say anything, okay? He's... important to me." Ben's footsteps falter and he pauses, looking at Juno with suspicion. Juno notices his brother has stopped walking and pausing, glancing back at him, and Ben is surprised by the vulnerability on his face. He blinks as if he's seeing things before he nods carefully and walks up beside his brother.

"I'll be nice, for you. But if he does anything, then I'm hitting him," Ben concedes, the smile returning to his face as his arm wraps around Juno's shoulder, slightly off-balancing them but they continue moving nonetheless. Juno snorts and adjusts his arms again, mumbling under his breath, "Doubt you'd get a hit on him, Ben, he's got a real knack for avoiding 'em." Ben makes a noise of consideration but drops the subject for now and follows the other as he leads them to wherever they're going.

Ben isn't sure how long they walk for, but his feet ache by the time they make it to the imposing structure of the rundown factory. Ben can see a light on in one of the upper rooms, but everything else is quiet. Juno breaks away eventually and gestures for the other to follow, through the slightly open door and into the terrifyingly huge room. There are monstrous vehicles covered in rust, chipped paint, and dirt. It's too dark to make out anything other than vague structures, but Juno moves around easily like he's memorized the layout of the location. Ben follows at his heels, careful not to trip over anything, holding the back of Juno's too big shirt like a lifeline.

They head up a flight of stairs, metal creaking under their combined weight, before approaching the room with light, if the little sliver of it under the door is any indication. Before they enter, though, Juno knocks on the door thrice in rapid succession and waits for a response. They get it in the sound of something slightly heavy hitting something soft (Ben recognizes it as the sound of pen hitting paper) and the squeal of a chair being pushed back. There are barely any footsteps as the person approaches and the door opens, revealing a tall, skinny boy with a smile of a fox. His eyes look over Juno's face, more importantly, pausing on his lips, and the expression shifts minutely. Ben swears he sees anger just under the surface and the kid opens his mouth to speak before he notices the other figure lurking and slams his mouth shut. He scrutinizes Ben, eyes looking over him like he's looking through him before the smile returns, sharp and deadly.

Then the kid steps out of the doorway and gestures for the pair to enter, his voice sing-songy as he says, "Pardon the mess, didn't think I'd be meeting new people." Juno enters easily, carrying the basket with practiced motions, and sets it down on the floor by the couch covered in blankets. Ben takes another moment to enter, looking around before he steps inside and tries not to visibly flinch as the door closes behind him. Ben gets what Juno meant earlier by don't say anything, this kid obviously lives out here and barely has anything to his name. Whatever that name is, anyway, Ben still doesn't know it. But, his gaze lands on Juno and he watches the way his sibling's eyes light up at the sight of this boy, who returns to gaze easily. Ben decides he already likes him.

"Peter, this is my brother, Benzaiten. I mean, I guess you already knew that, considering we- Nevermind. Anyway, Ben, this is the mysterious stranger I've been telling you about," Juno muses, gesturing between the two now that his hands are free. Ben smiles warmly at the kid, holding out his arms in the universal sign of a hug. Looking towards Juno for approval, Peter hesitates, though he moves forward and returns the gesture, if a bit awkwardly when Juno nods. Ben can feel Peter's spine and ribcage, but he doesn't comment on it, instead hugs him tight before slowly letting him go. Peter looks a little winded, his glasses a little askew by the force, but he's smiling nonetheless.

"Pleasure to meet you, Peter. Juno doesn't tell me much about you, but now I can tell you every embarrassing detail about Juno," Ben says with a laugh, only laughing harder at the indignant squeak he gets in return from said sibling. Peter smiles fondly, glancing over at the other twin before returning his gaze to Ben. Ben notes the teasing glint in his eye as he says, "Please do! I'd love to learn some blackmail on this sweet lady. He can't possibly be perfectly cute all the time." Ben fakes a gag at that and Juno makes another noise, hiding his face behind his hands and mumbling something about "great, there's two of them" but Peter only smiles innocently, as if he didn't know what he was doing.

When Juno regains his composure, he fumbles around in the basket for a moment before pulling out one of the apples and tossing it over his shoulder in the direction Peter was. Ben watches in awe as Peter doesn't even glance over, hand shooting up and catching it easily. "Thank you, Juno," Peter hums before taking a bite, satisfied for the moment as he makes his way over to the couch and sits down with his knees in front of his chest, like a high-strung spring ready to jump at the slightest motion. Juno returns with a grunt standing up with one of the oranges. He digs his thumb in and begins peeling it as he walks over and sits down in front of the couch, by Peter's legs. Ben takes that as his cue to join them, sitting across from the pair and holding out his hand for half of the orange. Juno shoots him a half-hearted glare, but hands over the fruit without snark.

For a while, the trio munches down and talks about nothing in particular. Ben asks Peter questions about how he found the factory, pointedly staying away from where the boy's family was. Ben might be nosy, but even he could see that there was hidden despair in his eyes whenever the topic would steer towards his life. He's gathered enough to know that Peter's been on his own for a good long while, at the very least. He wonders how he's survived this long, but then he remembers Juno's earlier statement and tries for that route instead. "Juno tells me you're good at avoiding punches? Can I see?" Ben asks, trying to keep the excitement from his voice, but failing miserably. Juno makes a noise high in his throat, his face flushing as he turns away. Peter simply smirks.

"He's been talking about me? How wonderful, I'm honored, princess," Peter hums, shifting in his spot before extending himself and standing, finishing off his apple before tossing the core towards the trash can. It rattles heavily against the side before disappearing inside. Juno groans at the nickname, sticking out his tongue at the taller boy and gaining a snort in return. Ben watches him stretch-- rolling his shoulder, cracking his knuckles, shaking out his legs and arms-- before he stands up straight and fixes the younger Steel twin with a stare. Ben would be dead on the spot if looks could kill, but he only smiles at the challenge and stands himself up, stretching as he goes. Juno sits on the couch and watches, letting his legs extend out on the couch (slightly bent on one side) where Peter had once been setting.

Peter and Ben circle one another, light on their feet and barely making a sound as they move. Neither of them moves closer, content to just stay at arm's length like this. It doesn't take long after that, though, for Juno to grow bored and shout, "Get a move on you two, we haven't got all night!" The voice is enough distraction for Ben to glance over if only to fix him with a fake-annoyed look, but in the time frame his eyes leave Peter, there's a flash and the younger Steel is grabbed. Ben makes a yelp and ducks out of the way, shouldering his way out of the other's grip and they go back to square one. It continues like that, one moving to grab the other and the other dodging or brute-forcing their way out, a dance that has no rhyme or reason and yet the two of them speak it perfectly.

Juno has gone quiet now that the action has started, mostly out of genuine awe and maybe slight fear. Juno knows Ben can hold his own, but Juno also knows what Peter is capable of. Peter could knock a grown man to his knees, given enough cover. It's a scary thought, to be at the mercy of what by all accounts would be a feral animal. But, Juno also trusts Peter wholly and completely. So he lets his shoulder sag and watches the two move with one another. Juno is once again a little jealous at how easily Ben took up dancing. He's good at it, he wonders if Peter would be too. So, with his filter broken by his awe, he muses, "Peter, you ever danced before? I'm sure Ben could teach you."

Peter pauses his movement at the question, blinking behind his glasses and earning a punch in the gut for his trouble. He coughs, overdramatic, before shaking his head once he regained his composure. "No, I've never... well, I guess never is an overstatement, but I've never danced with or in front of anyone before," Peter mumbles thoughtfully, more to himself, while Ben moves to the basket to grab one of the water bottles. Juno tilts his head to one side, fiddling with the holes his earrings would usually sit, almost like a nervous habit before he forced himself up off the couch with a grunt that was suited for someone much older than 10.

"Why don't you show us whatcha got, Petey? Then we'll go from there," Ben suggests after taking a few big gulps of his water. Juno nods in approval and motions for the other to go whenever he's ready. Peter shuffles his feet a little, picking lightly at his dirty nails before musing, "Are you sure?" He seems a little nervous, which Juno can't help but find incredibly cute. Despite how Peter presents himself, poised and articulate, he's still a child. Juno smiles at him encouragingly, deciding to offer up his own words of comfort, "It's okay if you're bad. Hell, I'm bad and I take lessons. You've got this." Peter takes a breath and nods.

With a flourish, he begins. And,well. It's something alright.

Juno and Ben watch with barely restrained laughter as Peter flails around in what is maybe supposed to be a rhythm, stumbling over his own feet and throwing his arms around like he's trapped in a blanket and is doing his best to tear his way out. He's all limbs and motion and none of it is good. Even still, Juno smiles as he watches the other, wide and uninhibited. He doesn't even notice that Ben has stopped watching Peter and is now looking at Juno, the expression on his face, the way his eyes are crinkling. Ben's breath catches in his throat at the realization of just how special Peter is to Juno. He's almost a little jealous, if he's honest, seeing that smile.

However, he turns back in time to see Peter finishing his "routine", throwing his arms out and panting hard, smiling enough to expose the entirety of his teeth. He doesn't speak, instead raising his eyebrows enough to be seen over his glasses, slightly askew from his movements. That's when Ben finally breaks, doubling over and holding his stomach as he laughs. Juno isn't much better, sucking his lips into his mouth and holding his breath, tears in his eyes, though doing his best to keep his face straight. It doesn't work as well as he hopes. Peter looks humiliated, the blush on his face doing from his hairline down to beneath his shirt and he begins stuttering out in outrage. Ben interrupts him though, catching them both off guard as he hollers, "Wow Juno, your boyfriend cannot dance. That's hilarious! Perfect match!"

Now it's Juno's turn to blush and stutter, pushing out a "He's not my boyfriend-" at the same time Peter finally says, "Hey, it's not that bad-". Ben doesn't know which one to focus on first and instead crumbles to the ground in his hysterics, holding his stomach and curling up into a ball as he bellows. He's too busy rolling around on the ground to notice the pair glance at one another before quickly looking away, fingers twitching with embarrassment. It's Juno who interrupts the laughing first, stomping over and tackling the giggling boy, deciding that an impromptu tussle was easier than dealing with the butterflies lingering in his stomach. Peter watches the two wrestle, grappling at one another and giggling as a more ticklish spot was grabbed before eventually, Juno ends up on top, pining the smaller Steel to the ground.

"Forfeit! I win, Benten," Juno calls with delight, smirking down at his brother and pining his wrist up above his head. Ben squirms for a moment, trying his best to toss the other off before huffing and pouting, flexing his fingers, "No fair, Super Steel! Peter, grab him!" Peter watches for a moment, eyes dancing between the twins before he smirks, fixing his glasses and saying, "I distinctly remember you saying something about how awful my dancing was? Am I right, Benzaiten? No no, I think I'll let you stay like that for a little bit." His grin is vicious but his tone is teasing, only a little offended at the insult. Ben groans and squirms some more, trying desperately to throw his twin off before sighing loudly and slumping back in defeat. A moment of silence passes before he says with a whine, "Fine! Forfeit. Let me up."

Juno rolls away in Peter's direction, stopping heavily as he hits Peter's chest and slender arms wrap around his shoulder to steady him. Juno blinks and freezes in the hold, swearing that he can feel the blush that bubbles up all the way in his toes. The butterflies are back and when he feels Peter rests his chin on his head, they only get more fluttery. Ben is smirking at him and the 'boyfriend' comment plays out in his head again and Juno swears he's going to melt right then and there. But, the moment passes and Peter retracts his arms, standing up and stretching, yawning as he does. A chain reaction follows and the twins copy the gesture, Ben turning his head into his shoulder and Juno covering his mouth with the back of his hand. It's getting late, for everyone it seems.

"Do you want me to walk you two home?" Peter asks as the twins gather themselves to leave, dusting themselves off the best they can. Ben doesn't say anything, but he honestly hopes Juno will say yes. If not just for Ben's sake (he honestly really likes Peter, even if he is a shitty dancer) but also because it'd be funny to tease Juno on the way home about it. Juno shakes his head though and smiles a little stiffly, doing his best to hide his nerves. Ben can see it in the way his hands tug on the sleeves of his shirt, so he doesn't say anything. There's maybe a hint of disappointment in Peter's face before he returns with that charming smile. "Alright then, please be careful on your way out," He replies, picking once more at his nails.

They're both hesitating, Ben can tell, so he makes the first move by stepping forward and pulling Peter into a hug, which he startles with a yelp. He relaxes easily though, hugging the other back loosely as Ben rumbles over his shoulder, "It was nice to meet you Peter, thank you for taking care of my twin." Ben can feel Peter blush, but he keeps it to himself as he pulls away. Peter tries to stammer a response, but Ben turns away before he can and motions for Juno to do the same. Juno blinks once, twice and Ben almost thinks he won't do it. But he does, moving forward a little too quickly and slamming himself into Peter's chest, getting a punched-out wheeze in response. Peter's arms wrap around Juno possessively, though, protective from whatever makes the anger from earlier return into the fox boy's eyes.

When the pair stay like that for longer than necessary, Ben steps outside, standing right by the open door to give them some privacy. It's still too terribly dark for him to really make anything else out, but with the time it takes his eyes to adjust, he can see the vague shapes of the machines below. The entrance of the factory, as well as a few large holes in the side, make up enough light that Ben can see the expanse of this run-down place. It's huge, not as big as the castle by any means, but bigger than anything Ben can comprehend. It's warm out here too, a little stuffy, and probably has way too much dust and sand, but it's... nice. They're still inside the dome so there's no worry about radiation (not that Ben has ever really had to worry about that), but he thinks for a brief moment about how glad he is that that's one less thing Peter has to worry about. Ben's mind is continuing to wander, thinking about nothing in particular when he tunes back in, in enough time to hear the following exchange:

"How long ago?" Peter's voice is trembling, just a little when he speaks and Ben can hear the barely contained anger. Juno doesn't reply, not for a full thirty seconds before he replies, "The day after I came last time. I smarted off and got a backhand for my troubles. B-But really Peter, I'm f-" "What a vile woman. How dare she raise a hand to her own child?" Peter's voice is shaking even more now and his tone rises a little before it falls and he sighs. It doesn't take a scientist to know that Peter is talking about Juno's lip and the scar that will surely form from the split. There's another shuffling sound as Peter and Juno hug once more before he barely hears Peter whisper, "You don't have to go, Juno... You could stay."

Ben's breath hitches as he listens, squeezing his eyes shut as he does. Maybe they forgot he was listening or maybe they didn't care. But all the same, Ben wasn't ready to give up his twin. He knew, deep down that Juno was miserable. He saw it all over his face most days, even with him and Mick (and even Sasha if they were lucky) doing their best to make things easier. Juno wasn't happy at home, but Ben... didn't want him to leave. Even if it was incredibly selfish. Juno's thoughts mirrored his own as he says in a voice just as quiet, "I can't... I have to take care of Ben. You know that..." Peter hums in quiet consideration before there's another noise that Ben can't quite make out, but he definitively hears Juno's broken sob right afterward. The room is quiet once more before Peter finally says, his voice returning to a normal volume, "Be safe, Juno. You too, Benzaiten."

It takes another moment for Juno to emerge and Ben's suspicions are confirmed when he sees the older twin wipe hastily at his eyes to hide the tears that had begun to fall. Ben doesn't call him out on it, instead falling behind and holding on to Juno's shirt as he leads them downstairs and out of the factory in silence.

They get halfway back home before Ben is finally tired of the glum silence and tries for a joke. "So, I like your boyfriend," He says with a smile, doing his best to be teasing but the words were softer than he intended them to be. Either way, it made Juno perk up a little, scrunching his face and pointedly turning away from his twin. "He's not my boyf- You're so annoying," Juno whines petulantly, but Ben can see the way his cheeks redden, just a little. He knows his twin, knows him like the back of his hand, and he knows when Juno has a crush. "Juno, you're blushing. You definitely like him. I get it! He's funny! Even if he's a terrible dancer. Now Mick on the other hand-"

Juno fakes a gag and shoves his twin, earning him a laugh of surprise for his efforts. "Gross! You're gross, I should leave you here," Juno's words are teasing and hold no real bite, but Ben can tell there's still a touch of sadness behind his eyes. A want for something he can't have, Ben is all too familiar with the feeling. So, he hooks his arm around his sibling's shoulder and pulls him close into a side hug, proclaiming into the open air, "I meant it, by the way. I like him, I think he's cool. And, for whatever reason, he likes you too. But if he hurts you I might have to kill him."

Juno snorts and leans into his twin, his body sagging just the littlest bit. He's tired and Ben isn't sure if it's from the night they've had or if everything is taking a toll. He doesn't ask, instead, he just holds his sibling up as they walk back in silence. Ben is grateful that Juno can rely on him, even if it's just for this. If this is all Ben can give, then he'll gratefully hold it. Ben's good at secret-keeping, anyway.

Chapter Text

When Juno suggested going to the castle the next time they met up, Peter was... well, to say he was nervous was an understatement. It wasn't even himself he was worried about, disappearing in the worst situations was his most prized skill. No, his worry was placed on his darling friend. Peter had seen the effects of Sarah Steel's wrath in plain sight: bruises on his arms where she grabbed just a bit too tightly, scratches where her nails dug in, the way Juno's voice would tremble at the mere mention of facing her down. Peter still remembered his split lip from so many years ago now, one of the worst ones he had seen so openly. Peter's fingers itched to tear that... beast apart and never let her lay her hands on him ever again.

So, yes, he wasn't exactly happy about waiting in the alleyway they had met so long ago. How long? Peter thinks it's been about 4 years now, but he hasn't exactly been keeping count. Whatever, not important, Peter's waiting for Juno. He's more in the open like this, hiding behind a crate someone recently threw out and keeping out of the light (at the very least, that damn lamp hasn't been fixed yet, but the moons above are still too terribly bright for his liking). He's playing idly with a toy he had gotten a while ago, something to keep his mind busy and his fingers busier, listening to the mouth of the alley for any sides of his friend.

While he waits, Peter thinks about the different things Juno has done for him. Such a wonderful person and an even better friend. Peter knows he's self-sacrificial, he's seen it in the way Juno's thrown himself in the line of a police officer so Peter could get away. Juno gets taken back to the castle and Peter is saved from another day of being thrown into an orphanage or jail. Peter is thankful, really, and he feels that much worse whenever Juno comes back with a fresh new mark on him courtesy of the woman who has no right to call herself his mother. Really, Peter thinks to himself idly as he tugs at the toy interlaced in his fingers, the orphanage probably wouldn't be so bad. If it meant Juno would stop getting hurt on his account, then it should be worth it, right? He knows better than to be that optimistic though, kids at the orphanage go missing all the time. It's dangerous to get caught, he's safer on the streets.

Peter huffs a disgusted breath in the air, thumping his head back weakly against the bricks behind him. He's used to hiding, he doesn't mind it. It's not the worst thing he's ever done, not by a long shot... But he's lonely and scared. In that big factory all by himself, the creaks and moans of the building keep him on high alert for someone, anyone. Even Juno's been on the wrong end of his blade after a particularly terrible nightmare made him volatile. He's never struck him-- thank god-- but he's come close. Peter stopped sleeping with his knife after that, but it's still close enough for him to reach if he needs it. It's tiring, being on constant watch for anyone and everything. He wants... well, really, all he wants is a good night's sleep for once.

Peter's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of heavy boots drawing closer and closer. He shoves the toy back in his pocket and tucks himself down into his hiding corner, squinting his eyes to try and make out the figure in the dark. They're broad-shouldered and not very tall (which isn't saying much considering how tall Peter is for his age), but they look to be a child or teen. Peter's fingers itch with the need to defend himself, get the drop on the figure, and peel out before he gets hurt. His hand begins to move towards his pocket, where he keeps the switchblade he had pocketed after the fight that dislocated his shoulder, before he's interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Peter? You there? Sorry, I'm late, Sasha was giving me a hard time at the back entrance," Juno talks to the open air, far louder than he probably should be considering where they are, but gentle enough to make Peter feel instant relief. Juno always did that, made Peter lower his guard in ways that he never thought possible. Juno was... Juno felt like home to Peter, far more than a rusty old factory ever would. Peter unfolds himself from his hiding place and stands up, startling Juno from where he had been getting closer before a brilliant smile brightens up his face. Peter forgets, momentarily, that the lamp is broken, because Juno's face is lit up like Hyperion in the middle of a festival. It's beautiful, far better than any jewels Peter could swipe off some poor rich local.

"Juno! I was worried you had forgotten about me!" Peter beams, his voice a little teasing as he comes closer, pulling the other into a hug that would probably knock the wind out of him if he hadn't been ready for it. Instead, Juno just returns the hug, only stumbling twice from the force, burying his head into Peter's shoulder. He's gotten a lot softer over the years, with Juno's weekly food drops, so his bones are only slightly pointy. "I'd never forget about you..." Juno mumbles into his shoulder, voice a little shaky with emotion that Peter knows all too well. He doesn't call him out on it, not yet, and just lets Juno hug him until he's ready.

When Juno finally does break away, Peter's eyes run over any part of the skin that's peaking out under Juno's clothes. He thinks maybe he's mistaken before he sees it on Juno's wrist, a bruise from a too-tight grip, still purpling. Peter grinds his teeth as he glares daggers at the invisible hand, though Juno catches his attention with a gentle touch on his shoulder. "I still want you to come back with me... But I don't want to go inside, is that okay? There's a garden in the back, it's really big and can hide us from any eyes," Juno's whispering now, quiet and desperate. He wants this, wants to show Peter the world he lives in. Despite his stomach tying up in knots, he smiles-- only slightly shaky-- and nods.

Juno sees right through him, as always, "Peter, we don't have to go. We can go back to the factory and do something else, I promise it's alright-" Peter shakes his head and cuts him off, bringing his hands up slowly and cupping Juno's cheeks. Juno flinches slightly, making Peter's heart thump loudly in his ears and he goes to tear his hands away, but Juno stops him. He leans into Peter's hands, warm and slightly calloused and familiar. Peter relaxes a little at the sight, the tension fading from Juno's face as he holds him. Safe, they're safe at this moment. Peter doesn't want to break the silence, but Juno needs an answer. So, he says, "I want to. I want to see your garden, please show me? I won't lie, I'm still scared. But you'll be with me, so it's... okay."

Juno blinks up at him from where his eyes had closed, slow and sleepy like a cat before he smiles the same way, nodding, "Yeah, alright. Follow me?" It takes another few seconds for the pair to break away from one another, but eventually, they do. Only for Juno to grab Peter's hand and begin tugging him along, out into the light of the streets and the moons. Peter wants to curl in on himself, get away from the prying eyes that he's so sure are watching him. But he looks at Juno, he sees the figure in front of him, strong and confident and happy. Peter thinks nothing could be better than this. So, he squares his shoulders and walks a little faster, their paces even now. Side by side, hand in hand.

The walk to the castle is uneventful for the most part, a comfortable silence between the two. Peter's never been this close, so he can't help his excitement as he looks around the shops and booths that are set up. Most of the storefronts are empty with nightfall, but it's still incredible. Being in the open like this, even with the emptiness, is nerve-wracking. But Peter sees Juno watching him, sees the smile on his lips at the way Peter is lighting up. He may be playing it up, a little, but he really does like seeing the square in the open like this. It helps that there's no one outside, at least. "Juno... This is beautiful..." He whispers to no one in particular, under his breath and full of awe. Juno squeezes his hand and when Peter looks at him, his heart thrums in his chest.

Juno's hair catches the fairy lights, soft and gentle and casting beautiful shadows over his face. He looks... "Wow," Peter whispers despite himself, a dopey smile playing on his lips as he looks down at Juno. Juno blushes at the attention and turns away, tugging his hand in the direction of the back of the castle. Peter laughs softly, his own face heating up, though he follows without complaint. They walk along the outer wall of the castle, the lights beginning to fade as they get farther away and Peter feels himself disappearing into the shadows of the wall. Dark and imposing, if it wasn't for Juno's hand in his, he'd vanish completely.

It takes them a little bit of walking to reach the back entrance and when they do Peter's heart seizes, just a little. "J-Juno, there's-" Peter starts, leaning down to whisper into his friend's ear. He's cut off, though, when a cold voice calls out to them, more annoyed sounding than actively dangerous, "Juno, you're late." Everything in Peter's mind is telling him to run, to grab Juno and take off into the distance and just get away, but Juno slows down and lets out a laugh that has no humor before calling back, "Sorry to keep you waiting Sasha, I know you have important knight work to do."

As they approach, Peter sees the person better, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. A girl, probably around the same age as Juno, hair a blue-ish black and blunt cut in a bob around her chin. She's dressed sharper than Juno is, wearing a sleek black uniform that Peter had once seen on a tv. The knights? She must be in training, then. Once Peter's finished giving her the once over, his eyes flick back up, and sees her head turned towards him. Peter can feel the daggers she's glaring into him. "This him?" She asks pointedly, tilting down her dark glasses so Peter can see her icy blue eyes and, yeah yep she's definitely glaring at him. He doesn't shrink back, instead squaring his shoulders again and staring right back. He's thankful once again that he's tall for his age, having a few inches on her.

"Yeah, this is him. Now, can we pass, gatekeeper? We've got places to be. Or do you need me to answer your riddles?" Juno counters, getting her attention and stepping in front of Peter to keep her gaze off him. Sasha stares-- unimpressed-- before she lets out a sigh and turns. She pulls out a key from somewhere in her uniform and opens the gate, watching it slowly fall open. Peter expected it to creak, gearing himself up to jump and run, but no noise comes. His tense shoulders give him away because Juno squeezes his hand again and whispers, "You sure about this?" Peter turns to blink at him, his glasses smudged just a little. Juno's still offering him a way out, even as close as they are. He feels... good, he likes being given options. He doesn't get that many if he's being honest.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm ready whenever you are, Juno," He replies after a moment, his breath coming out in a whoosh. Juno nods and turns back to Sasha, who's picking her nails in a very exaggerated show of impatience. Juno smiles at her, simple and easy, and says, "Thanks Sash, I owe you one. Tell Annie I said hi, will ya?" Sasha looks up at him over her glasses and Peter can see for the first time the fondness in her eyes, companionship that goes beyond the snark. Peter feels a little jealous, Juno has so many friends and... Well, it's best not to dwell on that, isn't it? Sasha nods at the two of them and slips in after the pair makes their way inside. Sasha drops the key into Juno's free hand before she heads towards the castle's servant entrance. Peter watches her until she disappears inside and the pair are left alone once more.

Peter takes a moment to just bask in the shadow of the castle, large and pointed and eerie. It reminds him of a dragon from one of the few books he had managed to get his hands on, but he doesn't get too long to think before Juno is pulling him along. "We'll have to be quiet, guards are patrolling around the grounds. Once we get in the garden, we should be in the clear," Juno says this as their walking, soft as anything and Peter has to lean down a little to hear him. But oh, the idea of sneaking around like this.. how thrilling! It's been a bit since Peter has had really any chance to sneak around in such a big place! The factory makes good practice, but this... this is the real deal. Peter can't stop the smirk that plays on his lips, excitement and nerves all bundled into one in his stomach.

"A sneaking mission, then! How exciting, princess!" Peter coos back, following Juno's careful steps. The sand that barely coats the pavement makes a soft crunching noise under their shoes. Juno scoffs quietly at the nickname, rolling his eyes before putting his hand up to stop their movements. Peter goes still instantly and, at Juno's motion, the two press their backs against the wall and hide in the shadows. On queue, a pair of guards walk by, talking amongst themselves about something or another, Peter can't be bothered to listen. Juno's hand is tight in his, so Peter rubs his thumb over the knuckles to hopefully soothed him. It works, just a little, and the grip is loosened. They wait until the duo walks past, disappearing around a corner and then some before they dispense themselves and hurry off.

That happens one other time before the pair finally make it to the garden. Peter isn't looking when they first enter, keeping his eyes peeled for any stray guards or servants that might be outside, though he turns his head when Juno whispers, "We're here." When he looks, he's floored by the sheer amount of greenery suddenly in his face. Mars has never been good at producing its own organic plant life, so this... "Exported?" Peter breathes as they find their way inside. The greenery under his feet is soft and Peter feels like he's walking on a sponge, his shoes sinking down slightly before the ground bounces back into shape. He wonders what it'd look like if he jumped, but he holds that thought off for now. Juno smiles at his expression before nodding, tugging him along after a moment.

"Yeah, Ma didn't like looking at nothing but red outside. So she had a bunch of different plants and flora imported from earth a few years ago. It's really overgrown, no one's been around for years to really take care of it, but Ben and I do what we can. It's uhh- Here we are, duck down," Juno was talking while they walked, using his free hand to feel along one of the bushes, pressing around slightly before his hand slipped in between. Juno finally lets go of Peter's hand to pull apart the bush and reveal a small grove inside. Peter blinked, once, before getting down on his knees and crawling through. He's standing by the time Juno follows, awestruck by the surrounding plants. The hedge hides the grove well enough and the different blooms of flowers and the large tree behind them shields them from everything else. In this space, surrounded by soft greenery and Juno Steel, Peter feels safe. Peter feels... comfortable. It's a strange feeling, but not entirely unpleasant.

"Juno..." Peter breathes through his open mouth, moving around the area slowly. Blues and Reds, Purples and Pinks, many shades of flowers are beckoning him closer. They're gorgeous, Peter's never seen anything so pretty. Gems are shiny and expensive, sure, but this is... life, living things that shift and grow and feel the warm sun above. Juno, for whatever reason, decided he was worthy enough to bore witness to this little safe haven. Peter might weep he's so emotional. "You okay, 'reyev? You look a little faint," Juno teases, stepping up beside him where he stopped at a particular flower. A mix of pinks and oranges, close to the color of Mars' sand but so much more vibrant. Peter looks over at Juno, hand slightly outstretched, and Juno nods. Peter moves his hand forward and slightly lets just his fingers brush against the flower and laughs in delight at the softness of it. "Dahlias," Juno explains while Peter continues to enjoy the pretty colors and textures. Juno could watch Peter explore for hours-- days even.

"Juno this is... incredible, I've never--" Peter cuts himself off as he steps back before turning and bringing Juno into a bone-crushing hug. Peter isn't very strong in any sense, but the way he's grasping onto Juno like he'd die if he let go, Juno's lungs are robbed of their air. His arms lock easily around the other and pull him close, the weight of the boy against his body is nothing short of comforting. Juno can't feel his ribs or spine unless he pushes down and he can't help but pride himself on that. He doesn't realize Peter is crying until he feels the other shudder and Juno's instantly alarmed. "Pe--" "Thank you... Thank you for this, for everything. Juno you don't know how much this-- how much you mean to me. Thank you," He whispers into the princess's hair, robbing him of his breath once more. Now it's Juno's term to shudder, biting his lip hard and worrying the scar to keep himself from crying.

Peter stays like that, hiding his face in Juno's hair, shivering with emotion until a full body yawn takes over him, loud and unhidden. Juno freezes before he snorts softly, pulling back just enough to look at Peter. His face is red and shiny with tears, his glasses foggy and skewed and he looks... tired. He looks really tired. "When was the last time you slept, 'reyev?" Juno asks quietly, holding his shoulders and moving his thumbs slowly in circles. Peter sways a little, another yawn overtaking him and he hiccups a sob afterward. He sniffles, bringing his hands up to rub his eyes before mumbling into his sleeves, "Last night... Properly though? Not sure..." Juno looks bereft, like Peter's horrible sleep schedule was a crime personally done against him. It makes Peter feel fond deep in his stomach and he's too exhausted really to keep the feelings from swarming, just a little. If his eyes linger on Juno's a little longer than necessary, then he can chalk it up later to being dazed outta his mind.

"You need... Come on, this way," Juno huffs finally, shifting and pulling Peter along to a tree that's stationed in the middle of the grove. It's nothing big, but the leaves are long and spindly and Juno pushes them aside to reveal a small crate. "Get comfy, okay? Gimme a second," Juno muses, waving at the other behind his back as he opens the crate and begins shuffling through it. Peter can hear him mumbling something about "Ben better have returned the blanket or so help me-" but Peter yawns too loud for him to hear the rest. With no other argument, he lazily kicks off his shoes and feels the spongey material below him properly for the first time. He gasps and looks down, shifting his position to watch the soft material bounce back under his weight. He's a little giddy, honestly, but he doesn't mind Juno seeing. He can vaguely hear himself giggling, but he doesn't stop until he hears the crate close behind him. He looks over to see Juno holding a book in one hand and a large blanket in the other.

Peter blinks at him, slowly, registering the notion before he blushes at the realization. "O-Oh," He whispers quietly, more of a breath than anything, but he says nothing else as Juno flops back against the tree and slides down, kicking his own shoes off once he's settled and tossing them somewhere farther away. Once he settles, Juno pats the area beside him. "Lay down, I'll read you a bedtime story," He says, his words a little teasing but his tone serious, and the blush only gets worse. Peter hesitates only briefly as he moves closer, stepping up beside Juno before sitting down, back to the tree and shoulder to shoulder with his friend. Juno huffs and shifts, grabbing Peter by the shoulder and forcing him down until Peter's head is resting on Juno's thighs. Peter gawks at the knew position before he rolls over onto his back and looks up at the other. Juno looks down at him and smiles before dropping the blanket on his face.

Peter sputters and pulls it away in time to see Juno laughing at him, soft and sweet, and makes Peter's stomach twist. Peter smiles a little before he throws the blanket over his form, curling his long legs up until he's comfortable. Juno waits patiently, flipping the book pages between his fingers, the puffs of air moving his curls slightly. Once Peter's ready, he fumbles in his pocket for his toy and pulls it out, playing with it while Juno opens to the start of the book. The two of them sit in companionable silence, Peter stimming and twisting his fingers around and Juno's soft voice filling Peter's head and ears with words. Peter isn't really listening to the story, not really, something about a chain-mail warrior and a curse-- it's not important. What is important is the joy on Juno's face as he reads, waving his free hand around in a show that only Peter is privy to. It's wonderful, being able to see this, bore witness to it. Peter can't help but feel incredibly lucky at this development.

Soon enough, Peter's fingers begin to grow slower around the toy, his exhaustion slowly taking over. He vaguely registers the feeling of something in his hair by then, soft and caressing, and if Peter could purr he definitely would be. The fingers are soothing, gentle motions against his scalp and slowly detangling the knots in Peter's hair and Peter's eyes close of their own volition. He feels the toy being taken from his hand and only makes a small noise of complaint, latching on to the warmth that had stolen his fidget toy, only to feel fingers interlacing with his. He's sated, for the time being, letting his thumb rub idly against the knuckle his hand is holding and the soft feeling of fingers against his scalp, Juno's words still filling his senses. He shouldn't even be holding the book by then, his hands were occupied, but Peter suspects that Juno has read these books multiple times and memorized them. He wouldn't be surprised and the idea brings a smile to his face. The last thought on his mind before he drifts into slumber is 'I wouldn't mind doing this every day'.

The next thing Peter knows is two voices shouting for Juno. One that he recognizes and one that he doesn't. Peter's still half asleep when the voices get closer and fear seizes in his heart when he hears a grumbling sound from up above. Peter's eyes shoot over to the sound and he's instantly flooded with relief at Juno's sleepy expression, rubbing his eyes and blinking himself awake. Peter has to squint, everything is fuzzy-- when had he taken his glasses off?-- but he can vaguely make out a line of drool from the other's chin. Peter then feels wet in his hair and he snorts with laughter. Juno looks down and sees him, for a moment surprised before he blushes and smiles. "Oh, I thought you would have gone home by now," He says softly, one hand coming down to touch Peter's hair and instantly pulls it away when he feels the wetness. "O-Oh shit, I'm sorry-" Peter shakes his head as he forces himself to sit up, yawning and stretching theatrically. "It's quite alright Juno, I'm surprised I stayed asleep too. It was... nice, thank you," His words are soft as he shifts positions to look at his friend, watching him wipe his chin as best as he can with his sleeve. Peter also makes out the shape of his glasses and fidget toy resting on the book that's now sitting on the crate. Ah, that's where they went.

Neither of them gets any more chances to talk before the bush is disturbed and two people push themselves inside. One Peter instantly recognizes as Ben, still in his sleep clothes but alert. The other figure is taller, towering over Ben as he stands up straight and makes Peter feel... well, really small if he's being honest. "There you are, Juno," Ben muses with a laugh before freezing in place as he registers the boy beside him. "Oh. Hey, Peter!" He says once he's recovered and smiles, though it's tense from the looks of it. Peter blinks, still unable to see that well, though he does wave back slightly. The figure behind Ben moves towards Juno before dropping down and hugging him tightly, startling a gasp from the still sleepy princess. "Oh Jayjay, I was so worried about you! We checked the room and you weren't there and we had no idea where you'd gone! You can't keep scaring me like that, ya know? Benten can only take so much crying," The figure pulls back to look at Juno and Peter can vaguely register that he's puffing out his lip like he's about to start crying. Peter can't tell if he's faking it or not, but Juno only scoffs good-naturedly and shoves him briefly.

"I'm fine Mick, I just fell asleep. You've done it too, stupid. What time is it anyway? Seems way too early for either of you to be up, let alone me," Juno muses, his hand moving over to grab the glasses before handing it off to Peter, seeing as he was still squinting blindly. Peter accepts it easily and is very thankful with everything back into focus. The boy that's on his knees in front of Juno is decidedly the biggest one here, bulky in a way that shows he does a lot of manual labor but his features are soft and inviting. Peter takes a moment to register the name-- Mick-- before he smiles a little. Of course, this is the famous Mick he's heard so much about. Peter's eyes move from Mick to Juno, who's still grumbling about being woken up so abruptly before finally they look over to Benten. He's looking at Peter, eyes narrowed in not exactly suspicion but he doesn't exactly look happy to see him either. "Juno are you sure it's safe for him to be here? What would Mom think?" He muses easily, voice lowered enough for only the four of them to hear, even if the question is directed at Juno.

Juno stiffens instantly at the mention of his mother and Peter sees his eyes go down to his bruised wrist before he shoots his eyes back up and levels them at Benten, musing in a huff, "If Ma has a problem, she can bring it up to me later, alright? Besides, we didn't get caught. We were careful." Ben lets out a breath, closing his eyes in what was probably annoyance and Peter gets the sense that they've had this argument before. Juno continues to stare, challenging him before Ben waves at him, dismissing it for now. "Fine, whatever. Just-- She's getting an early start today, we better hurry, alright?" He says finally, looking over from Juno to Mick, patting him on the shoulder where he had been quietly watching before continuing, "Mick and I can only hold the guards off for so long. If you don't go now, someone's gonna see. You know what happened last time you got caught sneaking around." Peter doesn't have to think hard about what happened last time, if there's any indication about the way Juno's face screws up tightly before he lowers his head, all the fight draining from him.

"Yeah, fine. He'll leave soon, just... give us a minute, alright? Didn't exactly get the warmest awakening," Juno mumbles, not lifting his head. Peter watches Juno for a moment before he hears another sigh and a quiet, 'come on Mick' from Ben. Mick takes another moment to look between the two, looking rightfully confused and maybe a little awkward before he looks at Peter with a smile. "Peter, right? Nice to meet you finally. Heard a lot about ya, I hope we'll get to talk more later!" Mick shifts and pulls Peter into a hug then, forcing the air from his lungs and a shaky laugh at the affection. It's nice, even if Peter can't exactly breathe correctly. His hugs are nice, Peter would definitely be getting more later. When the two depart, Peter coughs softly and allows himself to smile before he watches the two head for the entrance. Peter hears Mick mumble, "C'mon Ben, give him some slack, he's just tryna be a kid," though they get out of range before he can hear Ben's reply. Juno continues to slouch against the tree, trying very desperately to make himself look as small as possible.

"I'm sorry," He finally says, tense and pained and Peter wants desperately to go back to five minutes before when everything was perfect. Maybe if he closed his eyes hard enough, he could wake up again and see Juno drooling on him in peace. Peter knows that won't happen, but at least he can make the best of things. "Hey, it's okay! I had fun, I don't think I've ever slept that long and undisturbed before!" Peter hums happily, folding his thoughts up and putting them away for later. Juno looks up at him, a frown on his features, though he looks marginally less miserable than a few seconds ago. So, Peter continues, shifting until he was sitting beside Juno and lacing their hands together, "It was good, I had fun. Thank you for showing me this place. I might have to go now, but we can always come back, right? I'll always come back, Juno." Juno stares at him as he talks, gaping a little before he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, leaning his head on Peter's shoulder. Finally, he whispers, "Yeah... I know."

They don't have long, they can hear Ben and Mick talking to a pair of guards a bit away, telling them about a hole they saw in the wall on the opposite side of the castle. But for the moment, they'll sit and bask in the early morning sun, the lights that are cast on the flowers and greenery. Peter closes his eyes and threatens to fall back asleep before he feels Juno squeeze his hand gently and shift. "Come on, I'll walk you to the gate," He mumbles, a soft longing creeping into his words. Peter feels the same, but he nods regardless, forcing himself to his feet and stretching idly, looking around blindly for his shoes. While he puts them on, Juno returns everything to the case, save for the fidget toy that Peter had brought with him. He hands it back when Peter's ready before he pulls his own shoes on. Then, they depart, linking their hands back together once they're both free from the grove.

It's easier getting to the gate this time around, the sun is peaking over distant mountains and bathing the castle grounds in light, the pair booking it to the gate that's been left unoccupied with Ben and Mick's diversion. Once they're there, Juno unlocks the gate quickly and steps out, enough to hide behind the outer wall. Then, he pulls Peter into a hug. "I'll see you next week, 'reyev. Don't get in any trouble while I'm away, okay?" He asks against the other's shoulder, taking in the last of his warmth while he can. Peter laughs a little, returning the hug with ease and musing, "I'll be good if you do, princess." Juno scoffs and shoves him playfully, though the smile on his face shows that he's not exactly offended. Juno hesitates finally, looking towards the gate before he gives the key to Peter.

"This is only for emergencies, okay? I don't think anything will happen but... Just in case, I want you to have this," Juno says, his hand trembling where Peter gently takes it. He glances from the key to Juno and back before slowly closing it in his fist and nodding. "I'll keep it safe. Now go, you need to get ready. You look like you've slept in the garden all night," Peter teases with a smile, earning another shove from his friend. Peter stays long enough to watch Juno disappear back inside and he locks the gate behind him. Then, he turns and begins heading back to the rusty factory that he calls... well, home isn't the right word for it anymore. He's found a home, but it's not a place he lives.

The key is heavy in his hands, a symbol of trust and friendship and love all rolled into one. Peter thinks about that beautiful bird in its cage and plans for the day he'll set him free.

Chapter Text

Juno's eyes hurt from squinting, it's too damn bright in this ballroom, and don't even get him started on the noise. The constant chatter and murmur from fellow socialites that's turned mind-numbing after nearly two hours of just being in the crowd. It's hot, way too hot and his dress is way too bulky. His feet hurt, he's probably going to have so many blisters tomorrow and he can't even find a quiet moment to rest. He's danced at least once with everyone in the room he's pretty sure, but at this point, all of the faces are blurring together. Either way, he's ready for this to be over.

He's been separated from Ben most of the night, both of them talking and mingling like they're supposed to, under the watchful gaze of the queen, Sarah Steel. She's currently on the balcony overhead, looking over the mingling crowd and Juno can feel her steely gaze on his back as he stops by the buffet table. He remembers the comment she made about his dress -- be careful what you eat Juno, that dress is already looking a little tight on your form, if you eat anything else it might pop the seams -- and forces down the wave of mortification that threatens to pass through him. He's not exactly hungry anyway-- too hot, he can eat when he cools down -- so he grabs a drink that he hopes is water and downs it in one gulp.

It makes his tongue tingle but he does the job at least a little, so he turns back to the crowd and looks over everyone. Faces of people he's met only briefly before and some he's only met tonight, all of them feel like they're staring holes directly through him. He can't see Ben or even Mick and it makes his stomach do flips. He really wishes there was a way out, just for a moment of peace. His head hurts and he just wants to sleep. He takes a few deep breaths, keeping the tears in his eyes back before he pushes into the crowd once more, doing his best to appear bright and smiley.

People part around him like water, bidding him words that he can't hear properly, but he smiles and bows slightly all the same. Eventually, he makes it to the other side of the room and finds a place to sit, using the guise of fixing one of his heels to keep the eyes off him. He rubs slightly on his ankles, hissing to himself at the pain and wanting so desperately to toss these heels out the window and be done with them. He dares a glance up towards the balcony, where he's sure the queen is still staring at him, only to find her turned away and speaking briskly with her adviser, Jack. She seems a little irritated - if her posture and the gesture of her hands are any indications - but Jack only looks back at her with fraught sympathy.

With her attention elsewhere, Juno glances towards the open back entrance. The curtains are billowing around it like arms waving him closer-- enticing him. It's a wonderful idea, to slip out and just let himself be, let himself breath air that isn't anyone else's, and just be alone for five fucking minutes. He doesn't move, not yet, and turns his gaze back up to the pair on the balcony. Whatever argument they're having looks to have gotten a little more heated, Jack's face is pinched and Sarah looks like she's ready to throw him from the balcony herself, but then she moves away out of view and Juno is suddenly alone with no eyes on him. He hesitates only briefly before he hoists himself up from the bench and, when he's sure no one is watching, hastily makes his way to the doors.

His heels clicked loudly on the marble flooring and the stairs make his footsteps echo even louder but eventually, he's free and the murmur of people is only background noises. He takes in a deep breath of air, the first clean one he's had nearly all day and lets himself sag. Keeping his back straight like that for hours on end hurts more than it should, but he feels so much better slouching like this. Makes himself smaller and easier to miss and god, that's all he wants right now. His dress is long with a train that's even longer and he probably should care about the sand getting on it but honestly, he couldn't give two shits. It's bright gold with too many accessories and his body would probably be ten pounds lighter if he wasn't wearing so much jewelry.

He knows what it means, getting decorated like this. They're showing him off, the future queen. Juno shivers at the idea. He doesn't even want to be royalty, let alone a queen. He's tired and everything aches and he can't count how many nights this past month he's stayed up late memorizing the rousing speech he had to give at the beginning of the ball and he still messed it up. He could feel his mother's disappointed gaze on the back of his neck and he was already sweating by the time he had finished and then he began dancing and- it was too much all at once.

He's thankful for the fake breeze that's now brushing against his exposed skin and he begins tugging the rings that decorate his fingers off and shoving them into the shorts he's wearing under his dress. It takes some doing, but eventually, his hands are free and he finally yanks off the gloves and lets his palms breathe with a heavy sigh. He'd gladly take off everything else if he could, but he knows he'll have to go back before long, so he keeps himself as calm as he can and lets himself wander around the grounds. The sand crunches under his heels, but the walkway keeps him from twisting his already throbbing ankles, so his walk is pleasant enough.

It doesn't take long to veer off his little path to find where he really wants to be: the garden. Even in the dim twilight, the inside party lights it up in a way that's inviting and gorgeous. Juno lets a smile drift onto his painted face for the first time that evening, looking at his hideaway in a new light. Then he sees a shadow moving in the distance and it instantly drops down with fear. Juno could scream, he's good at that, but if whoever is out there is going to stay in the garden then the only person who knows their way around enough to catch them would be Juno.

And, well, Juno's been itching for a fight recently.

He hikes up his dress as best as he can and makes his way inside, feeling his heels sink down into the spongy material of the garden ground. He wobbles a little before gaining his balance back, trying to make himself look menacing -- or well, as menacing as you can in a sparkly gown and made up to look like a doll. Juno wishes desperately that he could change once more before pushing that thought aside as the shadow moves again, out of the corner of his eye. Juno pivots that way and marches closer, stomping a little as he calls, "Hey, you! What are you doing back here!"

The shadow stops in place, shielded by a rather large bush before slowly the figure comes closer. It takes a moment for the person to enter the light from the ballroom, but as soon as he does Juno's whole body sags with relief. "Peter..." He whispers into the air, the smile from before returning as the boy presents himself into the light properly. He looks nervous, his hands behind his back and shuffling his feet, his eyes cast downward and anywhere but Juno. Not only that, he's blushing like mad, to the point that it's gone down his shirt and then some.

He's wearing his nicest outfit, one he had conned a few years ago that still fits him fairly well (though it's a bit short on his legs and exposes his ankles), and his glasses looked nice too. Juno feels his heart flutter at Peter's appearance and his own blush only grows when Peter looks at him officially and smiles sheepishly. Juno's seen Peter in a lot of moods: angry, sad, embarrassed, hungry, but he's never seen him look... bashful. It's cute, Juno thinks he looks good like this. It takes another minute for the boy to speak, working his jaw and glancing around, before finally, with a deep breath, he looks at Juno properly.

He's got a determined look on his face and his eyes are set hard, but there's nothing but happiness in them as he steps up to Juno, only about a foot away now before revealing what's behind his back. His nails are still painted from the last time he and Juno got to hang out, though they're chipped all to hell (Juno promises himself that he'll redo them the second he gets to), and he's got two bandages on two different fingers. Finally, when Peter opens his hand, there's a folded handkerchief inside. Juno blinks at him and takes it slowly, unfolding it to reveal a normal-looking purple hankie. Except for two key details:

There's a Dahlia and a Rose embroidered in one corner.

"Happy birthday, Juno," Peter finally whispers, his words catching on his tongue and his face bursting with another shade of red as Juno stares intently at the lovely design. It's not perfect by any means and Peter had a hard time with it, indicated by the two bandages that were wrapped around his finger. But that didn't matter because Peter had... Peter had made him something, something for his birthday, something for both of them. Juno couldn't speak and his silence made Peter anxious because he was beginning to fidget again, picking at his nails as he stuttered out apologies, "I-If you don't like it, Juno, I can take it back and redo it. I know it's not perfect but I really tried, I've been practicing for weeks- Oof!"

Peter gets the wind knocked out of him as Juno rams into him full force, hugging him so tight that Peter fears his ribs will break. It's worth it though, to feel Juno's shuddering sob and the quiet repeating "thank you thank you thank you" coming from his chest. Peter recovers in enough time to pull the princess closer to his form, doing everything in his power to meld the two of them together. Juno can still feel his hands trembling where they grasp helplessly at the back of his dress, but he knows it's in a good way. This makes up for the horrible day he's had so far he thinks.

When the two finally part, Peter looks down at Juno and lets out a sigh, his smile turning dreamy as he says, "Juno you look beautiful. I'm sorry I couldn't be in there with you, believe me, I really wanted to be." Juno huffs a soft laugh, moving forward to push his forehead against Peter's shoulder, hoping to hide whatever blush wasn't already hidden by his makeup. "Trust me, you wouldn't have had much fun. It's too loud, too hot, and Ma's eyes are like ice. I should probably be heading back..." His sentence trails off them and he chews on his lip, thoroughly messing up the lipstick that Ben had so delicately done earlier that evening.

Peter stiffens, just a little, but his hold on the other loosens just a bit, letting him pull away if he wanted to. "I.. wouldn't want you to get in trouble, Juno..." He says quietly, burrowing his own face into Juno's hair, done up and bobby-pinned in place to sculpt his face. Neither of them part though, staying in the other's presence like the world would end if they had to go. Juno takes another moment to answer, but when he does there's a smile in his words, "I won't, she won't miss me for a few minutes. Dance with me, ‘reyev." Peter pulls back enough to look at him, blinking in surprise before he smiles as well, exposing his canines, and nods.

They rearrange themselves as best they can, Peter's trembling hand on Juno's hip as the other holds his hand like a lifeline, and Juno's rests easily on Peter's shoulder. It's awkward at first, the music is only barely eligible from their location and the dress is too long to really move easily on the ground, but they get the hang of it soon enough and sway with one another. It's less dancing and more shuffling, but neither of them can stop smiling as they move. At one point, Peter even attempts to spin Juno. It goes about as well as expected, getting tripped up over the train of his dress and nearly falling on his back. Their laughter fills the air, drowned out by the ball going on above them.

Eventually, they grow silent as they move, Peter's arms wrapped securely around Juno's waist by this point. Juno's fingers thread easily through the hair at Peter's neck and his eyes are closed, head lowered and a pleasant calmness settles on his features. Juno watches him like this, content and happy and safe. He's never relaxed, Juno sees the constant flight or fight that settles behind his eyes whenever they're out in the open. Like this though, just the two of them in their own company in their own little world, Peter looks happy. Juno can't help but feel his chest fill with pride at the sight and he doesn't know how to handle it anymore, so he does something he's wanted to do for a while.

He pulls Peter down and kisses him.

The motion startles a noise out of the contented boy and he freezes as their lips touch, but that doesn't last long as he adjusts himself to kiss back properly. It's clumsy and inexperienced, clearly this is something neither of them has done before, but the emotion that both of them have built through the years congregates into this simple act. By the time they both pull away, Peter's eyes have gone glassy with tears and Juno knows he's probably about the same.

"Juno I-" Peter starts, his voice cracking as his face splits into two and emotions overwhelm him and he stops himself from speaking by pulling Juno back in, pursing their lips together in delicate declarations. Juno holds onto Peter's shirt, crumbling the fabric even more under him but neither of them minds as they smile into the motions, leaning against one another for support. It takes them a little bit longer to pull away and by then Juno's makeup is ruined and Peter is laughing as he apologizes, wiping his eyes before attempting to clean Juno up. They're giddy with excitement, their hands trembling as they touch each other's faces, and their eyes are wide with delight.

Juno shuffles into his dress and pulls out one of his gloves, quickly wiping away his ruined makeup in an attempt to make himself look more presentable. Peter helps whenever he's able, but his own face is just as messy with tears and Juno's lipstick. Once he's done, he tosses the ruined glove into a bush for later, then turns back to the other. Peter is looking at him with reverence, his face red and messy and tears still streaming down his face. His glasses are foggy and he's never looked better. "You're a terrible kisser," Juno teases, trying his best to lighten the mood, but his voice cracks with his own unfettered emotion. Peter laughs, excitedly and nervous as he says, "Well, I'll have to practice more then, right?"

There's a promise in his words -- a promise for more, a promise to stay together, a promise to live the life they want. It's something Juno can get behind, it's something he wants. Those words hold the ones left unspoken between them, the giddy bubbly feelings that have been building for years now. "Yeah... Yeah, I'd like that," Juno breathes into the air, looking up at Peter and letting himself hold on to that promise for the future that's just on the horizon. Above them, the music begins to fade and he can faintly hear his mother's voice filtering out through the back doors. The moment is over and he has to go, but their hands lace together and they linger a little longer.

There's a question on Peter's tongue, his face is twisted and Juno knows what it is without him having to say anything. So, he doesn't let him ask it, instead answering, "I'll be back. Later, after everyone's gone to bed, I'll come back. Can you wait for me?" Peter blinks at him, startled from his thoughts before he smiles and nods, squeezing his hand softly and whispering back, "Forever, Juno." They share another moment, a gentle kiss and a promise to return and Juno slips away back towards the ball, doing his best to hide the red that's visible in the bright lights.

Inside, the crowd has stopped dancing and their attention is turned up to the balcony. Sarah Steel is addressing the court, her false smile plastered on her face and with the way the lights fall, she almost looks plastic. It's a harsh look, one that makes Juno feel cold all the way down to his feet. He sees Ben standing by her side, looking slightly nervous and their eyes catch for the first time that night. His eyes dart frantically to their mother and Juno can tell in an instant that something is wrong. He stays on the outskirts of the crowd, doing his best to be quiet as he hurries his way to the balcony where his family awaits him.

When he's out of sight of the others, he bolts, his heels thudding loudly against the floor as he rams his way through doors until he can throw himself up the stairs to the balcony. Before he gets there, he slows and takes as many deep breaths as he can before opening the heavy door. Neither Ben nor his mother moves at the sound of the door open, though Ben's hands tense where they're clasped behind him. Juno doesn't move, not with Ben now holding his hand up for him to wait and the pounding in his ears from his sprint finally slows enough for Juno to take in his other surroundings.

On the opposite side of the room, there's a girl about his age at the other door. She's dressed up in complementary colors to his own and he suddenly remembers how underdressed he is. She's pretty, Juno thinks, looking over the silver dress and the way her hair is pulled back to reveal her face. His ears also pick up his mother's words finally and the distress on Ben's face suddenly makes a lot more sense.

"-As you all know, I care very greatly for Mars and its people and it's my duty to do what's best for my country. So, in light of recent news and the threat of war heavy over all of our heads, our neighbors from Helios and I have decided to unite our kingdoms into something bigger and stronger than ourselves. To do that, my son Juno and Diamond, daughter of Demetrios, are to be married on their 21st birthdays-" Sarah's words are loud and booming to address her subjects, the painted smile on her face tight with annoyance that Juno knows is directed to him. But Juno zones out, he's too busy focusing on what she said to listen to anymore.

Married? To who? Who's this Diamond person? The girl across from him looks equally as awkward, but at least her expression is schooled and hidden behind makeup, Juno remembers suddenly how naked he feels and suddenly wants to throw himself down the stairs. Juno's chest is growing tight and he feels his breaths coming out quick in panic, he doesn't know what to do, oh god he's going to faint- His vision is swimming but he vaguely makes out the figure of the girl - Diamond he assumes - beginning to move across the ground and come into the balcony's view. She's looking at Juno with pointed eyes, unclasping her hands to motion Juno closer. Juno gets his legs to move with no other options, wishing he still had his gloves to hide how sweaty his palms were.

The two meet in the middle and Juno sees from the corner of his eye that Ben and Sarah have moved out of the way to show off the two teens. Diamond smiles at him sympathetically, mouthing to him to 'follow her lead' and he does, letting her pull him to the balcony as his head swims and his stomach turns. Juno lingers behind Diamond just a little, hoping that no one will see his bare face and see how flushed he is (Sarah notices, Juno can feel her eyes on his shoulder and he worries she might actually be burning holes into him this one time). Juno thinks he hears her addressing the crowd, her voice high and airy as she praises Sarah and her kingdom and promises to be good to Juno, for their future. Juno thinks he hears himself say something along those lines as well, but honestly, he can't be too sure he doesn't choke. Whatever it is is good enough to please the crowd, because their congratulations and applause filter up from below.

Juno sways on his feet and he grasps desperately at the hand holding his, his eyes unfocusing. Diamond squeezes his hand back, gentle and reassuring and Juno feels a little more at ease. Maybe she's just as confused as he is, but at least she isn't letting it show. Maybe she's scared too. Juno knows he's scared. God, he hopes Peter can't see him like this, panicked and red and sweating like crazy. He hopes he didn't hear Sarah's words, he doesn't think his heart could take it if Peter heard her say something about marriage-

"As much as it pains me to see my darling boy off, he and Diamond will be departing tomorrow morning to return to Helios," Sarah says from behind him once the applause dies down, addressing the crowd once more and Juno is once again winded at her words. What? No one said anything about departing? He wasn't listening to most of the meetings they had, sure, but there was nothing- She never said- His head hurts and he thinks he might be crying. Oh god, what is he going to tell Peter? How is he going to tell him where he's going? Is Ben coming? What about Mick and Sasha? Juno's world is being turned around on its axis and Juno just has to hang on for the ride and smile as his life is torn apart in front of him. Juno can feel his chest tightening again and he isn't really sure when he started being pulled away but suddenly the bright lights are gone and he's being led somewhere by kind hands. He vaguely hears someone talking to him but the words don't register and his eyes won't focus and he's shaking, his legs hurt he needs-

"Juno, hey, breathe," Ben's voice comes from behind him as the door to their room is unceremoniously closed and Juno feels hands on him once more - he can finally make out his twin's form. Ben is looking at him with so much concern, it makes his stomach twist nastily as he sucks in breaths of air that aren't filling his lungs properly. The room is dark and he can't make out anything else but he knows they're alone and he finally lets himself drop to his knees, his heels digging into his legs from where he folded. Ben makes a noise and drops to catch him, slowing his descent and getting him to shift into he's sitting properly on the floor. Juno grabs at the dress, it's too tight and it's squeezing him he can't breathe-

"Juno, Juno look at me," Ben says again, his own tone full of worry. Juno can vaguely register the ball still going on downstairs but it's quickly filtered out with his ears ringing. He looks up at Ben and he notices his vision is swimming with unshed tears. He wants to speak, to say something, anything, but he can't. Ben shushes him anyway and pulls him in, holding him close and pressing their warmth together. Ben holds him together as Juno shakes apart, finally letting his sobs break free and filling the air with a heart-wrenching noise that makes the younger brother want to cry as well. God, what are they going to do?

Juno isn't sure how long he stays there, sobbing into his sibling's neck and soaking his suit with tears, but it's long enough for Ben's legs to grow numb where he's crouched and he shifts, pulling Juno into his side. Juno rests his head on the other's shoulder and breathes in deep, counting rabbits in his head and doing everything to get his senses back. Ben doesn't speak for a long time, cooing at Juno and trying to get him to relax. Juno feels bad, thinking about how he left Diamond like that, but he doesn't voice that concern. Juno has so many questions in his head and all of them threaten to burst forth and make him sob again, but he swallows them until he's able to breathe properly. He thinks about the handkerchief in his pocket and pulls it out, dotting his eyes with it in his trembling hands.

Finally, Ben speaks. "Where'd you get that?" Juno doesn't look at him, instead, he buries his face in the cloth and takes in the scent of the boy who has his heart. It doesn't take much more than that for Ben to figure it out, letting out a soft 'oh Juno' before he pulls him into a hug that makes Juno shake again. They stay like that until Juno's breathing settles again and he pulls the hankie away enough to look at it, rubbing his thumb over the flowers in the corner. He stares at it a little longer before he crumbles it up and shoves it into his pocket, too emotional to think about folding it right now. He's got his bearings back and now he needs- Well, he needs to figure out how he's going to tell Peter. And, also, how he's going to pack up his entire life into a few pieces of luggage.

He forces himself off the ground and begins tearing himself out of his dress. Ben sits on the ground and watches for a moment, confused as to the sudden shift in his energy, though he does eventually stand and help Juno untangle himself. With the dress tossed to the floor, Juno pulls on the first shirt he can grab- an old worn-out one he stole from Mick a few years ago- and bolts to the door, kicking his heels off in the process. Ben stumbles after him, calling for him to wait, but the bedroom door shuts as quickly as it was thrown open. Juno doesn't care about how he looks right now, he's a mess and he knows that, but he has to- He has to tell Peter, needs him to know that he'll figure a way out of this.

He runs down the halls, listening as the crowd of people begins to depart from the ballroom below. He can take a secret tunnel down to the back door, then he can slip out and into the garden, and then he can explain everything and it'll be fine. His feet are screaming at him to stop or to slow down, but he doesn't, his footsteps loud against the wooden floor as he practically throws himself down the service stairs. He's almost there, the kitchen is only a few feet away if he can just-

"Your highness? We found this in the garden, any idea what it might be?" A guard's voice cuts through his thoughts and Juno nearly trips over himself trying to stop so abruptly. He stops in enough time to keep himself from entering the room and he peeks his head over to see what's going on. There's a guard whose name he can't recall reporting something to the queen, who looks to have been on her way back to her own room after dismissing the ball. Her cheeks are flushed red and her lips are pressed into a tight line and he knows that she's practically fuming with anger. Juno's eyes flick from her to the guard, where he can finally see the thing he's holding:

Peter's fidget toy.

Juno doesn't know how he manages to keep from screaming, but he does and straightens his back up. Before Sarah can look at it too closely, he walks into the room as casually as he can and desperately tries to keep the tremor from his voice, "That's mine!" It works about as well as he can manage and both sets of eyes are on him in an instant. He keeps walking, tightening one of his hands into fists behind his back as he reaches up and grabs it from the guard's hand, smiling as widely as he can manage as he shoves it into his pocket alongside the hankie. "I've been looking for it for over a week, I was just about to go looking for it actually. So, how coincidental, huh? Well, anyway, thanks for finding it for me, I'll get back to packing now-" He says this as he turns to leave, waving at the guard and going to make his escape before Sarah's arm catches him and he freezes in place.

"Thank you, you're dismissed," She says to the guard, who looks a little perturbed but bows anyway and exits the room without another word. The room is deathly silent until they're the only two in the room-- hell they might be the only two in the castle with how the air around them is suddenly pressing in on Juno. Sarah's grip is light but Juno knows it could get tighter in a matter of seconds, so he stays as still as an ice sculpture and hopes his breathing doesn't jostle him around too much. She doesn't look at him for a moment and Juno can see her jaw working before she finally turns her gaze to him and says, pleasant and deadly mixed into one, "You are very lucky you did not embarrass me tonight Juno. This deal is important and you disappearing for half the night nearly made the whole thing bust. I know that is not your plaything and I should send out a patrol to hunt down whoever you met out there in the garden."

Juno is trembling in her grip, just a little, but he nods carefully and takes in a breath, not daring to break eye contact with her. She's still holding him and her grip has tightened just a little bit, enough that he can feel her carefully manicured nails dig into his arm. Not enough to pierce or bruise, but enough to know how serious she is. There's another moment of tense silence before she relents and releases his arm, continuing on with her words, "I've done everything I can to make your future bright, my little monster, and yet you insist on trying to throw yourself into the garbage at every possible turn. That's why you're being sent away, lingering here will only make you worse. At least over there, you won't be able to sneak out or cause disturbances. Do not ruin this for yourself, Juno. Do not ruin this for me, for your kingdom. Now, get some rest, the staff will finish preparing your luggage. The ship leaves in 8 hours."

Juno lingers a moment longer, to make sure she's done before he nods and hurriedly makes his escape from the woman. His arm aches despite the relatively gentle grasp, but it's nothing compared to the pain in his chest as he staggers his way back to his room. Ben is sitting on his own bed and Mick has joined him, both of them whispering to one another before they grow quiet at the sight of Juno. He's pulled the toy out of his pocket and is holding it like a lifeline. He can't cry, can't make the noise form in his chest or the tears come to his eyes. He's tired, he's so tired and he's got no time to try and find Peter, if he's even escaped.

He says nothing to the others but he feels their eyes on him as he crosses the room and lays down on the bed, pulling the covers over his head and just hiding from the outside world. Juno doesn't sleep, he doesn't listen to Ben and Mick whispering (well, whispering is a strong word, Mick isn't very good at being quiet, but the effort is there), doesn't listen to the outside noises. It's all muted anyway, the sound of his heart breaking and beating in his ears is loud enough. He lays there perfectly still, the toy in his hands and the hankie wadded up in his pocket, and silently apologizes for breaking his promise to the boy he loves.

Chapter Text

The ship ride is awkward. Diamond sits beside him looking down at her hands and her father is sitting across from them, talking jovially about his new life in Helios. It's beautiful, apparently, with lush gardens and rivers surrounding them on all sides, bright and beautiful and warm. It's strange to think of this kingdom as being on the same planet as Hyperion, considering just how different the two are, but well Helios is better off than Hyperion has ever been. That said, Juno isn't listening. He's looking out the window, watching the sand dunes get smaller in the distance, and willing himself not to cry.

He hasn't spoken since last night, much to the annoyance of his mother, but it's not like he has a choice in that. Or, in being sent away either. So, she can deal with it. Juno made sure to get as much time with Ben as he could, never leaving his side until he absolutely had to, even crawling into his bed when Mick finally left that evening. It'd been a while since Juno had slept in Ben's bed, but neither of them complained. If they had cried in the silence of their room, under the covers, then that was nobody's business but their own. Before he left, he gave Ben a note: tell Him what happened. Juno wasn't sure how, but he just- If he's was still okay, he needed him to know where he was and what was happening. He needed him to know that he hadn't abandoned him. The stitching is rough under his finger as he thumbs at the material idly in his pocket.

Juno thinks he dozes off at one point, cause the next thing he knows, there's a gentle push on his shoulder from Diamond and she's smiling at him. "Come on, we're here. Let's get you settled then we can go sleep for a bit, I'm tired too," She says, shifting his legs and stretching them as the castle comes into view. Juno does the same, stretching out his own legs, stiff and sore from his adventures last night. It's a beautiful palace: big gardens and trees taller than Juno has ever seen, all blanketing and covering the surrounding area from the heat. They aren't all green, some purple and pink and blue, Juno assumes they're imports from other planets. If he's being relocated, at least his new place is pleasant to look at.

When the car rolls to a stop, paparazzi are already swarming the front gate, doing their best to get just a glimpse of their princess and her betrothed. Juno would rather die than be seen right now, but Diamond squeezes his arm reassuringly and whispers, "Sorry, they're absolute vultures." Juno nods a little in agreement, remembering one time that he read about the so-called 'birds of prey'. The term fit -- vultures. Desperate for scraps of attention, Juno was just another one of their meals. He felt himself shiver despite it, following Diamond as she climbed out after her father.

Juno keeps his head down as best as he can, though they're surrounded in an instant -- the only things keeping the press at bay being the guards who are yelling at the crowd to get back. Diamond leads him up the steps, hand on his upper arm in a gentle gesture, and they all pause to turn and face the crowd once at the top. The king addresses his people, introducing Juno Steel as their guest and future resident and the crowd goes silent as Juno meekly addresses the crowd with a bow. He was probably supposed to prepare a speech, but his mind wasn't right and he couldn't get any sentences to form on his tongue. He's thankful when Diamond steps in, welcoming Juno and once more promising to be good to him. Juno watches -- he's impressed. She's much more capable at this royalty business than he ever could be, he thinks.

It takes a few more minutes for the paparazzi to get the crowd to calm down enough for the royals to slip inside. With the heavy doors shut behind them, Juno feels himself let out a breath of relief. Soon, soon he'll be able to lay his head down and try to sleep. That's all he wants now, a proper rest. But, he still has to get used to everything, and it doesn't help when his eyes wander around the interior and suddenly he realizes how small he is. He's overwhelmed, new smells and sounds and appearances. It's so different and he feels his hands shaking.

Juno follows Diamond as she leads him to his room, separate from her own but close enough to not be too strange. It gives Juno a chance to get his bearings with his new location. It's a nice gesture and he wonders who thought of it. He continues to look around, almost bumping into a few staff members when he zones out -- though he quickly and profusely apologizes -- before they finally reach his room. Diamond opens the door and gestures for him to enter, so he does. It's nice inside, bigger than his original one but with more empty space. There's a large king-size bed, draped over with a canopy, a table with two chairs, a desk for working on whatever, a closet and dresser, and a vanity as well. There's a balcony door on the opposite side and a closed-door that Diamond explains leads to his own private bathroom. It's massive and Juno once again feels smaller than he probably should.

"Oh! And one more thing before I leave you to get settled," Diamond says, pausing her tour to go back to the door they entered in. There's a button on the side of the door and, when Diamond presses it, there's a crackle of sound before she speaks into it. "Rita? Can you come up here?" She speaks into the little speaker above the button. There's a slight static sound before a voice comes out in return, chipper and pleasant, "Of course, Miss Diamond! I'll be there in a jiffy!" The speaker goes silent and Diamond lets go of the button.

"Rita?" Juno asks from where he is, having previously been looking through the closet. All of his belongings are already there, having been transported earlier and put away by the staff before they even arrived. There are some other clothes in here that he knew didn't belong to him, but they were nice enough. Not his usual style, but he appreciated the sentiment. Diamond doesn't answer his question, waiting patiently by the door while Juno goes back to exploring for the moment. It takes no time at all for the bedroom door to be reopened, rather abruptly and startling the still skittish princess.

Juno emerges from the closet again and has to take a beat to just process the woman who's just entered. She's short, barely coming up to Juno's chest. She has pretty brown eyes made bigger by bright pink cat eyeglasses. Her hair is styled in a beehive updo and only a few shades lighter than her glasses. Juno doesn't think he's ever seen anyone smile that brightly before, it's almost blinding. Her presence is nice though, Juno feels himself relaxing despite himself. "Rita, this is Juno Steel. Juno, this is Rita, she'll be your handmaiden while you live here. If you need anything at all, you ask her," Diamond explains, gesturing between them. Juno feels.. skeptical. If he's being honest with himself, she doesn't look that imposing.

Well, whatever Juno thinks isn't going to help him right now, so he goes his best to seem pleasant and muse, "Rita, hm? Nice to meet you, I guess." He knows he's being kind of an ass, but he's still overwhelmed and it's easy to be snippy -- even if he doesn't mean to be. Rita takes no offense, it seems, because she places her hands on her hips and, somehow, smiles even wider. "Pleasure to meet you too, Mistah Steel! I look forward to working with you! Hey, anyone ever tell ya you're really pretty? Oh, oh! Can I paint your nails? Oh, I've always wanted to have a ladies' night with someone, we could watch somethin' on your tv and help you get acquainted! Gosh, this is gonna be so much fun!"

She's rambling, but Juno can't help but feel much more welcome with her words. He would, actually, really like to have a ladies night. Not right now, he's wobbling on his feet and feels like he'll collapse if he stands here any longer, but later, once he's rested. Diamond rolls her eyes in what Juno assumes is fond exasperation, before turning back to Juno. "Tomorrow, after you're rested, you can meet the rest of the staff. Then I'll show you around the grounds, sound good?" Juno nods, stifling a yawn into his hand as he does. Juno gets the feeling that he wouldn't have gotten much of a choice anyway, but her asking it is still a nice gesture. Get him comfortable.

"Good! Well then, I'll leave you alone and let you sleep. Good night Juno, let's make the most of this arrangement," Diamond flashes him another smile -- one that almost reminds him of some else. His heart aches. -- and leaves with a bow. Rita steps out of the way for her to leave and, with the door closing, it leaves just the two of them. There's only a moment of silence before Rita starts talking again, but it's a good distraction. Rita's voice is nice and soothing and makes him feel safe. "So, Mistah Steel, how was your ride over? I've only heard a few things about you, but I hope we can learn more about each other soon! You seem really nice, I think you'd be good for Diamond. Do you need help with anything while I'm here?"

Juno shakes his head as he turns to the bed, beginning to unbutton the shirt he'd thrown on before leaving. Rita is standing by the doorway, shuffling her feet, and when she sees that Juno's begun to undress, she blushes all the way down to her shoulders. "M-Mistah Steel!" She gasped and slaps her hands over her face, her glasses making a clicking noise where they're jostled. Juno stops his motions, his shirt halfway off and exposing his shoulders, but the absurdity makes him laugh a little. "Rita, it's just my shoulders. It's not like I'm goin' full commando over here. Well, not yet anyway, I bet those sheets would feel really nice on bare skin-" "Mistah Steel I know we just met but I'm gonna need you to never talk ever again because if you do I think I might fall out and die of embarrassment, thank you!"

Juno can't help it -- he laughs. Open and loud and something he hasn't done in a while. He hasn't been able to joke like this with anyone but his brother and... It's nice. Juno likes Rita, she's a good person and already a good friend. He hopes she thinks of him that way too.

Maybe it won't be so bad after all.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Juno's been here for nearly five months and he's barely even left the castle. It's a big castle with lots of rooms to explore, don't get him wrong, but it's so... empty. There's not much he can do -- he may be the betrothed of the princess but in the end, he's still a guest and the affairs of the castle are kept from him at the present time. So, most days, Juno wanders around, mingling with the staff and hanging out with Rita. He met the head of security a little while ago, a person named Puck Falco that was rather friendly and offered to teach Juno how to use a blaster. That was fun too -- if he wasn't mingling or exploring, he was down at the indoor shooting range getting tips from Puck. Though, according to them, Juno was a natural. Pretty soon he'd be hitting shots with his eyes closed.

It's after one of these weekly trips when he sees Diamond alone again. She looks like she's just gotten out of a meeting, her face is pinched in irritation and her back looks a little too tense with the way she's standing. Juno wants to say something, maybe offer to spend the night with her, bring Rita up so they can have a ladies’ night? Rita's better at painting nails anyway, she rarely gets any on his cuticles. Plus, watching streams with her has been a whole lot better than moping around by himself. So, with his best smile, he walks over to his betrothed and starts up a conversation.

"Hey Diamond, you-?" He doesn't get much more than that before she whirls on him, turning on her heel and opening her mouth to bark something at him. She even gets off a "can't you learn to leave me-" before she realizes who it is. She gawks for a moment, opening and closing her mouth before she lets out a heavy breath and slumps down against her door. "Gosh, Juno, I'm sorry. I thought you were one of the servants. Can I help you?" Her face looks much more relaxed than a moment before, but her tone is still tight and impatient. Juno's gotten that a lot from his mom but he shakes his head at the comparison. Diamond's been kind to him, he shouldn't be comparing her to the woman who's tormented him the majority of his life. Even if he did flinch at first, but that's beside the point.

"No, it's fine. I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out with Rita and me tonight? You look like you could use a break, is all," His words pitter off towards the end, but he isn't exactly sure why. It's not like he's doing anything wrong but asking to hang out, this is what they should be doing after all. Getting to know each other, right? Still, why does it feel like an inconvenience? Diamond purses her lips for a moment, thinking over his offer before she shakes her head, though there's a smile playing on her lips that feels devilish. "As much fun as that sounds, I did have other plans. In fact, why don't you come out with me tonight? A couple of friends are throwing a party towards the outskirts of town. It'll be fun, promise!"

Juno pauses at the offer, bunching some of his shirt in his hand. A party? Like a ball? Juno doesn't think he feels like getting dressed up like that, especially if he has to wear heels. Really, all he wants to do is have fun with Rita and maybe crash early. But, Diamond is looking at him with expectation and, well, they haven't gotten time to be only since that first night really. So, after a beat, he nods and forces a smile, twist the fabric in his hands. Diamond lights up brightly, pushing her hair over her shoulder out of the way before continuing, "Alright, cool! Then, go do whatever you need and I'll come to get you in like an hour. Wear somethin' nice!" With that, she pulls open her bedroom door and has disappeared inside. Well, alright then.

Juno takes the queue to head to his own room and get ready. He takes a quick shower, scrubbing off the sweat from his earlier training and keeping his hair dry by way of a shower cap. Once he's out he wraps up in a robe and heads to his closet, rummaging around. Diamond didn't say exactly what kind of party it was, but it doesn't sound like it'd be a ball-type deal. Maybe he could still get away with just wearing a skirt and some comfortable shoes. He doesn't have to be entirely fancy, at least, so that's good. He's much more comfortable in his own clothes.

So, with his outfit acquired -- a simple navy blue sweater and a knee-length skirt with some slip-on sandals -- he moves on to his makeup and hair. He doesn't do much, deciding to just pull his curls back into a bun and put on some lip gloss, he looks over himself in the mirror and smiles. He feels pretty if he does say so himself. It's not the most extravagant outfit he's ever worn, but it's nice enough and the skirt sways as he moves, and goddammit he wants to feel good about himself for once in his miserable life. He takes another moment to look at himself, making sure his earrings are securely in place before he leaves the bathroom and grabs the handkerchief. He doesn't leave without it, it's the one thing that keeps him calm wherever he is. Rita liked it when she first saw it. Maybe one day he'll tell her about the boy who gave it to him.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Juno left his room and made his way to Diamond's. He hesitates at it, plucking at the sleeves of his sweater before he knocks on the door. There's some shuffling inside before it opens and Diamond's head pokes out. From her face alone, she looks way more dressed up than Juno, face done up in silver and gold. Juno suddenly feels underdressed, but there's no time for him to go change because Diamond's opening the door and smiling at him. "A little overdressed, Juno, but still cute. Ready?"

With the door open, it's revealed she's wearing a skirt much like his own -- only much shorter, to the middle of her thigh, with fishnets underneath. They're nice, Juno admits, but he's never had a pair of his own. Maybe he'll borrow some from Diamond afterward. If things go well, he'd like to hang out with her friends often. Diamond's also wearing a crop-top that comes up just above her belly button, which is pierced. Cool! Maybe Juno will get one, it's a nice look on her. He takes a moment just to look at her, before he looks up and smiles slightly, nodding. She returns the smile, looking much more relaxed than earlier, and closes the door behind her. With that, they depart.

The walk to the car is quiet, Juno fidgeting in his pocket with the cloth and Diamond looking in a portable mirror to touch up her lipstick as they walk. Juno is impressed with her ability to maneuver around the halls with her eyes trained elsewhere, where as he almost runs into two staff members on their journey. He apologizes, of course, and they simply smile and bow back at him. He can feel Diamond glare at them from over his shoulder and he wants to tell her that it's his fault, but the words don't come. The moment passes and they continue on their way.

The front entrance is bigger than his own home, but his eyes are drawn to the car parked out front waiting for them. There's a person standing by the passenger side, holding a set of keys, and Diamond perks up when she sees them. "Oh good! I didn't feel like waiting, perfect! Alright Juno, hop in!" She hums, taking the keys and waving the bouncer off as she makes her way to the driver's side. Juno looks at her for a moment before looking at the car and finally opening the door to crawl in.

The car ride is quiet. It's a little awkward, the radio isn't even on, but Diamond's hand is resting on Juno's knee, and rubbing the inside of it with her thumb is what is probably meant to be a calming gesture but it feels... eh, Juno doesn't care for it. With his hands shoved in his pocket, he rubs the embroidery on the hankie and closes his eyes. If he thinks hard enough, he can feel slender fingers with blunt nails instead of manicured points. He can almost hear the words, "Juno" from a younger boy's tongue- only to realize that he is in fact being called.

"Wake up, Juno, we're here," Diamond says, patting his leg and getting him to open his eyes. He hadn't even realized he dozed off, but when he looks out the window there's a big imposing warehouse. Reminds him of- He shakes his head and follows Diamond out of the car, closing the door with a slam. The warehouse is large and shaking, Juno can hear the music from out here and the lights that flash through the window look like they're coming from a club more than anything. Juno shivers a little, tugging his sweater down lower on his body as he trails after Diamond.

"So uh... Who's throwing the party?" Juno tries, keeping his eyes forward as the doors come closer. Diamond pauses her steps and turns back to the younger princess, tapping her nails on her comms. "The Kanagawas. Cecil and Cassandra, they're my best friends and also children of the crime boss here in Helios. Don't embarrass me in front of them, got it, Juno? I offered to take you out so you can make friends, don't make me regret this." Her words are harsh, which surprises him, but Juno nods without hesitancy and it makes her smile. "Good boy. Now, let's go!"

With that, she turns back and opens the door, revealing the rager going on inside. It's packed full with people around his age, maybe a few years older, but close enough in age that Juno doesn't feel too out of place. At least in that department, he feels way too overdressed now that he thinks about it. He follows Diamond inside, keeping his head down and hoping he doesn't draw too much attention to himself. With the way things are going, though, everyone's already too drunk to care.

Diamond makes her way immediately to the back, where a group of kids have gathered around a couch and are talking idly among themselves. In the middle sits a very flamboyant-looking boy, who's done to the nines and looks like he could be the star of a trashy reality tv show. Beside him is a girl who has the same face, but whose hair is shaved and she looks more like she'd rather be smashing cars than sitting in this crowd. They both look up as the pair arrives and the boy is first to react.

"Oh, Dia dear! You made it! Don't you look stunning! Oh, and who's this charming little thing beside you!" He's stood up to his full height, towering over Juno with his platform boots and Juno wants to shrink down even more. Diamond smiles and places her arm around his waist, pulling him into her side as she purrs, "This is my fiance, Juno. Remember the princess that got brought here a while ago?" Juno flinches slightly at the motion and digs his nails into his palm, blinking back the dizziness that threatens to invade his senses. The boy preens over him, grabbing his face and pinching his cheeks, making him feel more like a doll than a person. "Oh, he's adorable! You've gotta let me dress him up one of these days! You wouldn't mind, would you Junebug? Oh, I'd make you into a star, baby!"

"Junebug...?" Is the one thing Juno could pick out from that, and the boy just laughs loudly at his sincerity. "Oh, you really are adorable! Pleasure to meet you, dear, my name is Cecil! And that sour puss over there is Cassandra-!" "Cass. Call me Cass," She barks from behind Cecil, where she had stood to greet Juno as well. She looks a little sympathetic to the assault, smiling at him with tight lips before waving Cecil off. He pouts but relents and moves on to Diamond, complimenting her outfit. Juno doesn't listen, because Cass has her arm around his shoulder now and is leading him somewhere else. "Sorry about them, I'm sure they can be... a lot. How are you liking Helios, Juno?"

Juno looks around, noting the string lights hung up, the table full of snacks and drinks, and the coolers full of alcohol underneath said tables. Juno knows that nobody here is of drinking age, but well, he supposes that this is the norm at parties like this. He takes another moment to answer, trying to get himself to relax before he finally whispers, "Well- This is my first time out, really. I've been stuck in the castle most of the time I've been here, besides the few outings where I'm required." Cass hums in acknowledgment, stopping by the table and ducking down, pulling back two bottles with the labels removed. She holds it out to him and gives him an encouraging smile, "Then you might need one of these. It'll make things easier, trust me." She says this as she opens her own bottle and downing half the contents in seconds. Juno balks at her, blinking in surprise before looking back down at his own bottle.

He's no stranger to alcohol, he and Ben have snuck sips of the wine that's been put out for the balls before -- even if it usually ended in them whining about the taste and going to bed with stomach aches. This is different though, this is- Well he's not entirely sure what it is but it's cold and it smells bad. Juno curls his nose a little, but he does take a moment to think. He's been... lonely. At the castle, by himself. Sure, he has Rita and Rita is great to hang out with, but... He misses Ben. He misses Mick and Sasha and his home. He doesn't know anything or anyone here and it's so, so much different. It hurts. He misses-

He takes a swig and it burns his throat, but he swallows and lets his tongue hang out in disgust. Cass laughs a little and it only feels like he's partially being mocked. "It'll get easier. Come on, ready to party?"

Juno isn't, but he goes anyway. And he drinks.

And drinks.

And drinks.

He drinks until he forgets the name of the boy he misses so much.

It does get easier.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Juno is spiraling, he knows he is. He's sitting on his bed in his pajamas with all the lights off and he hankie in his hand. He knows there's a bottle of liquor somewhere under his bed, courtesy of Cass the last time he saw her, but he can't make himself get up to get it. When was the last time he got out of bed, anyway? He can't remember, the days blend together at this point. He rubs his thumb over the embroidery and sobs softly into the empty air, pressing it to his face. It's lost his smell by then, but Juno tries anyway to get it back. He's so lonely, god his heart aches for... something, anything.

He doesn't hear his door open until the lights flick on and Rita's voice interrupts his thoughts, "Happy Birthday, Mistah Steel, I hope-! Boss? You okay?" Juno scrambles to hide the evidence of his crying, scrubbing his eyes and wiping his nose, even though he knows he's already been caught. Rita is looking at him like he's fragile and he's not sure if it makes him feel better or worse. He feels fragile, in a way that he probably should be used to by now. The door clicks closed behind her and she moves over, sitting down on his bed in front of him and taking his hands from his face. Juno shivers, wanting to hide but letting Rita do as she pleases.

"Mistah Steel, how about we spend today in your room? We can paint each other's nails and watch something? You look like you could use some company," She says, her voice soft and Juno feels another shiver run through him. The thought is nice, spending some time alone with Rita. They haven't done that in a while, maybe that's another reason Juno is feeling so worked up. He doesn't trust himself to speak, so he nods, sniffling as he does. Rita smiles at him and nods, standing up. "Okay, then I'll be right back with my streams and some snacks. You okay on your own for a minute?" Juno nods again and Rita leaves with urgency, hoping to return as quickly as possible.

Juno watches her leave and waits another few minutes before he climbs out of bed and heads over to his makeup kit. It's full of products that he wouldn't have used a year ago, but now he uses more days than not. He remembers going shopping with Diamond not too long after his first party, something about how he needed to cover up those marks of his, Juno couldn't remember exactly. Juno... doesn't like to spend much time with Diamond nowadays, if he can help it. She's gotten... crueler, making comments about his body more often than not. They're... "nice" comments, stuff about how he's losing weight, but it's just because he hasn't had much of an appetite lately. It's hard, when your stomach is too twisted with anxiety to do anything else.

Juno shakes his head and does his best to rid himself of those thoughts for the time being. They're still there, creeping on the edges of his mind, but dammit he's gonna have a good lady's night with Rita if it kills him. He pulls out their usual colors, bright pink and baby blue for Rita and dark purple with golden flecks for Juno. He looks at the bottles, watching the glitter move around as he turns the bottle this way and that before he turns back at the sound of the door opening again. Rita's arms are full of snack packs and bottles of water, as well as the streams flash drive sticking out between her fingers. She's breathing heavily like she ran up here, and her face is red. Juno feels a little happy that she's that worried about him to hurry back like this.

"I didn't know what you'd want so I just grabbed one of everything!" She says as she moves over to the bed and drops them in a pile, dusting her hands on her nightgown. When had she gotten changed? Juno blinks at her, realizing that she really had thought of everything and it makes another wave of tears brim in his eyes. He tries to blink them away, but of course, she notices because she looks over and goes still before running up and grabbing his hands. "Mistah Steel, hey, it's okay! We don't gotta do anything if you don't want to, I can let you go to bed or somethin' if that'd make you feel better-" "N-No..." He chokes out, shaking his head before he leans down to hug her tight, hiding his face into her hair as he whispers, "I just... I love you Rita, thank you, for this. For everything you do. I don't know what I'd do without you here."

Rita stays still as Juno speaks to her before her arms come up and wrap around him just as tight, rubbing his back as she says, "Aw Mistah Steel.. you don't gotta thank me, you're my best friend, I'd do anything for you. And that includes painting your nails. Come on, get situated and I'll put on your favorite, Wives Of Agony: Now It's Personal! Sound good?" Juno nods after a moment, taking in the smell of Rita's hair product and the underlying smell of her favorite Salmon snacks that never seems to go away before he breaks away, the smallest smile on his lips. Rita returns it with a bright smile of her own and she takes the polish from Juno's hands and ushers him to the bed.

He goes without complaint, climbing onto it and pushing the snacks out of the way, leaving enough room for the two of them to get settled once she was done. While Rita was setting up the stream, Juno looks down on the handkerchief from where it had fallen on the bed, the rose and dahlia facing up and staring at him. The thread is a little discolored now, with how much Juno rubs on it, but the stitching is still strong and that thought gives him a little peace of mind. Now that he thinks about it, Rita did say it was his birthday, right? That means... It's been one year since that night, since... Peter.

"...Hey, Rita? Have I ever told you about who gave me this handkerchief?" He asks suddenly, taking the cloth and rubbing it between his fingers again, looking at it with fondness and longing. Rita looks up from where she's working and shakes her head, pressing a few buttons on the remote before tossing it on the bed as she comes over. "No Boss, you ain't told me nothin'. But it's special, isn't it? It means a lot to you," She says as she crawls on the bed, her back to the stream as it begins playing, but neither of them is looking. Juno nods at her words and sets it down, holding out his hand for her to take.

"It does, it means so much to me... Rita, do you wanna hear the story about the boy who saved my heart?" He asks quietly, slightly embarrassed by his phrasing. That embarrassment only grows when Rita pauses in opening the cap and squeals loudly, waving her hands around in excitement. "Oh, Mistah Steel, I'd love to!! You didn't tell me you had a crush, oh gosh tell me everything!" Juno lets out a quiet laugh at her energy, despite the fresh wave of tears that flows down his cheek. He sniffs, his hand shaking a little as Rita calms down enough to begin painting his nails.

After a moment of gathering his nerve, he tells the story of the little commoner boy who made him feel alive.

By the end of it, Rita has finished Juno's nails and she's sniffling into a pillow, hugging it to her body. "O-Oh Mistah Steel, that's so tragically beautiful! I-It's like this one stream I watched, I can't remember the name but the princess is sent away to go marry someone else and they do everything in their power to get back together and in the end, they do and it's magical and-" She cuts herself off by sobbing into the pillow, burying her face and smearing her tears and drool into it, but Juno can't find it in himself to be annoyed. He's crying too, he knows, but it feels good to be able to talk about this. It feels... it almost feels like he's here, like this.

"You would have loved him, Rita..." Juno mumbles softly, looking down at his nails for the hundredth time, doing his best not to bite at them with worry. He hears Rita stop sniffling as she moves closer and grabs his hands, the pillow falling into the pile of snack wrappers between them. "I will love him, Mistah Steel. I think- No! I know you'll see him again. You'll get the reunion you want, you gotta believe that Boss!"

Juno doesn't, but he doesn't say that. He lets himself smile at the thought, it would be wonderful to see him again. If... Juno doesn't even know if he's alive, but he can dream, can't he?

"I really hope so, Rita..." He says instead, letting his eyes close as he remembers the last words he and Peter spoke to one another.

"Can you wait for me?" "Forever, Juno."

Juno hopes that's true.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"Again."

Puck's voice is harsh in Juno's ear, but he does as he's told and fires another round from his blaster into the target that's been set up. He's been here for twenty minutes now, repeating the same cycle over and over and he knows he's messing up but his head is pounding and his vision keeps blurring with the effort to stay focused. He needs to take a break, but he can't make himself stop, not until every shot is hit in the center of the target. That's the goal he set for himself and Puck has promised to enforce it but god, oh god is it getting more and more difficult each time.

With the rounds emptied once more, Juno lowers it to see the burning holes in the target. Most hit their mark, dead center, but two are just barely out. Juno grits his teeth and goes to throw the blaster in his frustration when Puck comes up behind him and catches his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Juno tears his arm away and Puck relents, but Juno does calm down for a moment when he sees the look of concern crossing his friend's face. "Juno, it's alright. Take a break, you're running yourself ragged. What's gotten into you-" "No, I need- Let me-" He starts but he can hear how emotional his voice is, how thick with unshed tears and how his throat is closing. He can feel himself starting to panic, gasping for air.

Puck doesn't touch him anymore, but they do bring their hands up to Juno's chest and usher him backward, slowly until Juno's legs move. Eventually, Juno's legs hit the bench and he sits down, taking in a shaky breath to steady himself. Puck stands in front of him, hands on their hips and frowning at him like a disappointed dad. Juno would laugh if he could see it correctly, but the god damn tears in his eyes are back and making his vision swim.

"Juno, kid, take a breath. It's alright, take a moment, we've got time," Puck says, slightly stiff and a little awkwardly, but it's nice to know they're trying. Juno hasn't had a breakdown like this in a while, but Diamond's been on a particularly mean streak recently and one of her comments just dug a little too deep and- He forces his eyes closed and makes himself breathe, he can't let himself have a full-on breakdown, not in front of Puck. He's already lost so much respect from everyone here, he knows they think he's just an unruly child. Really, he is, but he's trying so fucking hard to be good. To be respectful. It's not his fault he's volatile, he doesn't mean to snap and snark at everyone.

Puck kneels down until they're looking up at Juno, keeping their hands to themself as they get his attention once more. "Hey, Juno, look at me," They've lowered their tone to something soft, slightly gruff but still gentle, and Juno's eyes open after a moment of fighting with himself. Puck looks concerned, Juno feels a little patronized, but their expression shifts to something much more hard and determined. "This is about Diamond, isn't it? That's why you came here so wired up. I know they're not the easiest to be around, I've been here for years and can hardly stand bein' in the same room for more than a few minutes at a time." Juno nods after a moment, scrubbing his eyes and nose to hopefully look a little more presentable.

Puck clicks their tongue at the confirmation and stands back up, rubbing their palms against their pants before stepping over to the blaster that Juno had dropped at some point, inspecting it to make sure there are no scuff marks. Once they're done, they come back to stand in front of him, holding it out and whispering, "You know what I like to do when she gets particularly bratty like that?" Juno looks up at them, taking the blaster and fidgeting with it before letting out a sound that's close enough to a 'hm?' for Puck to continue. There's a dangerous smile on their face and Juno can't help but feel a little cornered by it, "I like to come down here and imagine I'm breakin' all those pretty gems on her favorite necklace with my blaster. One by one until they're all cracked. Makes me feel better anyway, and the aim's gotta be perfect since I can't hurt the princess."

Juno finds himself feeling much better suddenly, because one minute he's sniffling with a runny nose, and the next he's laughing long and loud, doubling over and holding his stomach with the sudden surprise. It's not even that funny, but Juno can imagine her face, how red she'd get with anger, and it makes him laugh even harder. He can hear Puck chuckling too, walking away to set up another round of targets. When Juno relaxes, he stands and wipes his eyes, taking in a deep breath to steady himself.

"Ready for the next round, Juno?" Puck asks once they've returned, their arms crossed over their chest and waiting for Juno to settle to start commanding again. Juno looks at the targets, smaller than the ones previously, and imagines Diamond's necklace. He nods, raising his blaster, and begins firing.

He hits every single one dead center.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Juno looks at himself in the mirror, frowning at himself. He's dressed up for another one of the Kanagawa's parties, he goes to them about every week now, but he never seems to know really just what to wear. Over the nearly three years he's been here, Juno's entire closet has been replaced by stuff that he thought he'd never wear. Then again, he didn't think he'd be the type to get plastered every weekend to the point of blacking out, but ya know, people change and grow. Juno takes another breath and rips off the dress he had put on, tossing it aside with the rest of the discarded clothes.

He's been trying to get ready for nearly two hours and he knows Diamond has probably already left without him. That's fine, he can drive there himself now, he knows the route by heart. He lets out a frustrated huff before rummaging around the pile again, pulling out a pair of shorts to go over his fishnets and a crop top with the words "baby doll" on the front in big, obnoxious silver lettering. Cecil would probably find it trashy, but hell it's not like he's gonna be going out of his way to meet new people. He never does, it's always the same: Meet up with Cass, drink til he can't function, crash there or somehow wind up in his bed the next morning with no memory of the night prior. It's a good plan, especially when he's feeling extra vulnerable.

He pulls on his outfit, followed by a pair of boots that he got for his eighteenth birthday, and looked in the mirror again. He still didn't like what he saw, he never does anymore, but it's good enough for the time being. So, he shoves the rest of his clothes into the bottom of the closet to deal with later and leaves, grabbing his comms on the way out. He sees Rita on the way and smiles at her, she returns it and wishes him a good time. They both know he won't have one, but the sentiment is nice and it does make him feel a little better.

The walk there is uneventful, he's got a sneer that can scare anyone off and he wears it well, even if he can taste the lipstick on his teeth. At least it's flavored, blue raspberry he remembers, one that Ben bought him the last time he got to visit. He misses his brother, it's been almost a year since they've seen each other last and he knows it's cause they're both busy, but shit it doesn't make him feel any better. Nothing does nowadays, he feels like he's just gotten... worse. It sucks, really, he doesn't like where he's headed but he can't exactly stop.

The party is loud and bumping by the time he arrives and he's greeted at the door by a pair of bodyguards that he learned were Cass and Cecil's cousins a while back. He only tilts his head in response, nodding curtly as he pushes his way inside. He goes around the outskirts of the dance floor, swiping one of the bottles from under the table and heading towards the couches where the siblings sat. When he arrives, he's surprised to find only Cecil sitting there, giggling up at a taller boy in his arms. Cecil pauses his efforts to turn and greet Juno, his eyes already swimming with intoxication. "Junebug, there you are! Diamond and Cass went to the back to get more beer a while ago, could you go check on them? I'd do it myself but-" He's cut off by his own giggling, tipping his head back as the guy begins kissing Cecil's neck.

Juno doesn't need to be asked twice, turning away from the scene and rolling his eyes. "Gross," He mumbles under his breath, heading towards the back of the warehouse, where it's sectioned off by heavy curtains. Juno pushes the curtains aside, swinging the bottle in his free hand as he begins calling out their names, "Cass? Diamond? You back here? God, you two better not be fuckin' pranking me, you know I don't like-" There's a quiet sound that Juno doesn't recognize at first, but it makes him stop in his tracks. It's still too dark to really see anything back here, the curtains block out most of the party lights behind him, but he fumbles with his comms until he turns on the flashlight.

The noise is further back, where many of the teens sneak off to fool around and Juno hopes that he's not about to walk in on anyone as he comes closer. "Hello? Anyone back-" Juno swipes the flashlight this way and that until he lands on a pair of legs. As he brings the flashlight up, he notices the skirt that Diamond had worn earlier that day, now pushed up around her hips and- Cass, pressing her against the wall and kissing her.

Juno freezes and the light lingers long enough for Diamond to open her eyes and see him. She pushes Cass away enough to say, "Ju-" But Juno's already turning around and heading back out, heading out of the warehouse, despite Cecil's protestation when he sees him go. Juno keeps walking and walking and walking until he's in a park, colorful and fake -- slowly changing colors with the changing of the seasons and Juno drops to his ass heavily by a broken fountain. He's not even sad, not really, he knew Diamond and Cass had a thing from a while ago, but- Juno was trying to forget the boy he loved, trying to make this work, so why wouldn't she? Why wasn't Juno enough?

Juno bites back a scream and chews on his nails, needing something to do with his hands or else he might tear his hair out with nerves. His stomach hurt, it twisted and twisted and twisted with his pain but he couldn't bring himself to cry. The bottle he had inadvertently kept was his only friend at the present. He pops the top and chugs it all in one sitting, ignoring the burn on his tongue and the sting in his nose. When he's done, he places it down hard beside him and sulks against the structure.

What a shitty situation to end up in, Juno thinks bitterly to himself. He fidgets into his pocket while he waits for the alcohol to kick in and feels the hankie sitting crumbled up innocently at the bottom. He hadn't even realized he grabbed it, but he supposes it's a force of habit at this point. He rubs his thumb along the stitching as his vision blurs slightly and he dreams about what could have been if things were different.

What would Peter look like now? Would he still be eating okay? He hoped so, Juno hopes he's eating well and doing okay. Juno hopes Peter's alive at all. Juno hopes he's happy.

"I miss you," He says to the hankie like it'd talk back to him if he waited long enough. It doesn't, of course, but he still brings it to his face and covers himself, hiding from the outside world for just a little bit longer.

His comms beeps a moment later, spamming message after message from what he assumes is Diamond. He doesn't answer, he doesn't even look at it as he closes his eyes and imagines his head resting in Peter's lap, with Peter's fingers in his hair and that wonderful smile on his face. It's been years, but Juno can picture it perfectly. Juno smiles despite himself and lets his mind wander.

For just a few minutes, he's safe, in the other's arms. For just a few minutes, he's home.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"Are you drinking again?" Diamond's voice cuts through the haze of Juno's clouded thoughts and he pulls himself together enough to look at his fiance, who's sneering at him. She's holding an empty bottle of whiskey and Juno wonders when he finished off the last glass. He'd have to get another bottle before long, he doesn't want his buzz to wear off too soon.

Juno doesn't answer her, instead waving her off with a huff as he tries (and fails) to stand up from his seat. Diamond lets out a disgusted noise as she moves closer, standing in front of him now. Juno can see her, kinda, but her edges are blurred and he can't focus long enough to make out any details. She looks angry, though, from what he can see. Why? She gets everything she wants and Juno is stuck here in this stupid fucking castle being miserable. He's even gotten snarky with Rita recently and he hates himself all the more for it.

"You're pathetic, you know that, Juno Steel?" She growls at him, moving her hand forward to tip his chin up so he's looking at her in the eye and all he does is move his hand up to swipe her arm away. She doesn't move, so it slaps lazily against the side of her forearm, but she does curl her lip at the touch. "Pathetic and drunk. I have no idea why my father chose you of all people. Look at you, can't even keep your eyes open long enough to look at me properly. Disgusting."

She spits those words at him, but Juno can't exactly hear them. He knows they're cruel and he knows he should feel bad but the alcohol is doing its job and he can't feel anything at this second. It feels good, it feels nice to be numb again. His heart was feeling too painful recently, he just needed... to quiet down, for a little bit.

His hand unconsciously goes to his pocket, where the hankie is sitting and he pulls it out without much flare. Diamond's still holding his chin, but he sees her eyes flick down at the motion and her gaze turns from disgusted to angry in a matter of seconds. She lets go of Juno's chin and instead moves to take the fabric from his hand, but Juno has enough wits about him to pull back and slam it to his chest, covering it with both hands. She glares at him and Juno glares back, though the effect is somewhat dulled due to his glassy eyes.

"What's so special about that stupid fucking thing anyway? What, your boyfriend give that to you, huh, Juno?" She snaps, reaching for it again and Juno turns his body to avoid her grasp and ends up with nails in his shoulder. He hisses through his teeth, jerking his body until her grasp relents and he finally gets his footing to stand. She's slightly taller than him, but he stills bows his back and puffs out his chest, trying to make himself as threatening as possible. It's not working, but he would rather die than give up the only thing that Juno has left of him.

Juno's not sure really why he opened his mouth, it wasn't like he could really form any coherent thought. He does anyway, and he hears himself say, "At least he treats me with respect." His voice is slurred, but the effect still stands, because Diamond goes still in front of him.

There's a moment of silence, where Juno is wobbling on his feet and staring at Diamond as he watches her face getting redder and redder.

The next thing he knows, there's pain erupting on the side of his face and he goes down hard like a sack of bricks. He vaguely registers hearing Diamond scream, whether in rage or surprise he's not sure. But his face burns and his vision has shifted and there's something warm and sticky and wet beginning to spill underneath him. He sees shattered glass on the ground in front of him, something red beginning to cover the ground and Juno has enough coherency left to think, "Oh.. that's mine."

And then everything goes black.

Chapter Text

The sounds coming from the ball are both loud and quiet all at once. It's distracting and makes Peter's senses go numb but he can't for the life of him make out what any of the words are. Too much background noise, too much stimulation. The blood is rushing to his head and he's so giddy with excitement that he's having a hard time paying attention to anything else. His lips are still tingling. Juno had kissed him! Him! Right on the mouth! Peter couldn't help the giggle that left his mouth, flapping his hands as he hunkered down into himself to hide the red of his face from no one in particular.

Juno said he'd be back, so he waits. He shuffles himself tighter into the little alcove and watches the lights of the ballroom, dancing and flickering gold above him. He's entranced, he's always wanted to be a part of something like that: Nice outfits, fancy food, bright lights, and nameless faces among the crowd. It was beautiful. He could imagine if things were different -- if he were in there with Juno. Dancing amongst the crowds, hand in hand and chest to chest, eyes seeing nothing but one another and the smile that Juno would have. He looked incredible in his dress, Peter hopes that's not the last time he'll see him dressed up like that.

Peter shakes his head of his daydreaming and looks up again, noting the change in lighting. It looks harsher somehow -- brighter and not in a fun way. Peter hears murmuring again and -- oh. The ball is over? That was quick, Juno should be here soon then. So he smiles and waits, twisting the toy in his hand as he thinks about the night they'll have. Would Juno be wearing his pajamas or would he not have time? He wouldn't mind sitting out in the mud with Juno in his outfit, but Juno's gown is precious and he'd feel awful if it was ruined. Well, he supposes it already kind of is. Still, his point stands.

Peter focuses his senses back in time to hear the chatter of people, too close for comfort. None of those voices are Juno's. "Check the perimeter and make sure there are no stragglers. Her Highness has been on high alert recently. Heard Mag's been makin' some really bold moves recently." A guard, then. Peter's heart clenches as he glances out and sees a patrol of around five people gathering near the back entrance. They split up once everyone was debriefed. Peter was going to be discovered at this rate. He glanced at the ballroom above, the lights lower now and bathing the garden in relative darkness and he cursed quietly to himself. He'd have to leave if he didn't want to risk getting caught.

He grips the fidget toy in his hand, turning it around his fingers before he lets it fall to the ground with a quiet thud, leaving a sign to Juno in case he made it outside after everyone was gone. He promised himself he'd make it up to Juno for leaving so suddenly, but this is something that they'd both done before. Peter would just have to wait back at the factory, so it was fine. He waits until the one closest to him moves away and then he makes a break for it, the sand dulling his running footsteps as he makes it to the back gate and unlocks it with shaky fingers. He doesn't stop running until he's halfway back and even then he's jogging the rest of the way.

He makes it back without incident, weaving through the large vehicles and making it back to his room. He's sweaty and gross as he tears off his clothes, thoroughly soiled from his sweat and the sand. He'll have to find a way to clean them eventually, but for now, he pulls on a t-shirt Juno had given him and a pair of pajama pants he found a while ago and falls onto his couch, exhausted. He lays there for a while, staring up at the ceiling and listening to the creaks and moans of the metal around him and he apologizes to nothing about leaving Juno so suddenly.

That's fine, they'd see each other again.

So he waits.

And waits.

And waits.

A month has passed with no sign of Juno. Which, to be fair, there have been times when Juno and Peter can't see each other. In times like that, Peter goes to the castle to get the basket from Juno. Peter tried, two weeks ago, to go back and see if Juno was there and was met with a face full of guards. He was lucky to have not been caught and he's been too anxious to try again. So he's pacing at the factory now, this way and that, hoping to distract from his worry.

His form of distraction is met with the ungodly sound of his stomach growling and he doubles over in pain as he holds it. He hasn't eaten in nearly a month, his food reserves have run out and he's running on fumes by this point. It's not like he hasn't been hungry before, hell most of his life has been eating week to week. But with the constant food source that was Juno, he hadn't needed to worry about that. Here he is now, though, stomach twisted in agony and his vision blurring. He's weak, he can feel his hands trembling and he's just... He's hungry.

He leaves the factory with no plan in mind, just hoping to maybe find... something to eat. Thrown out food at restaurants -- maybe someone would be willing to give him something if he begged. It had only worked a few times, but it did warm his heart when it did.

There was another option, one that had worked plenty of times before. His fingers itched to get into someone's pocket and he reprimanded himself for thinking like that. Juno had made him promise not to steal from anyone else, not while he was being fed properly. But, this would be considered an emergency, right? If he didn't eat he might... He shakes his head and presses his heels to his eyes, ignoring the way his vision erupts with color spots as he presses harder and harder.

He doesn't know where he's walking, not really, but the key is warm on his chest from the beating sun and he feels it pressing hotly against his skin like a brand. It's strange, his shirt should be covering it, so why is it so hot? Maybe he's just finally losing it.

He moves his hands away from his eyes in time to narrowly avoid running into a woman walking her dog and he dives out of the way before she can spot him. The dog sees him, sniffing at the location he disappeared before the woman clicks her tongue and the dog loses interest. Peter sighs with relief, blinking back a wave of tears that had threatened to fall down his cheeks as he looks up around him.

He sees the castle not too far away and the clothing choices here look more... fancy. Peter thinks, if he's going to steal from someone, might as well make it the rich, right? They turn their nose up at him whenever he's unlucky enough to see them, so it's only fair he gets reparations. Plus, one big score like this could feed him for god knows how long. Just... Just until he sees Juno again. Peter takes a deep breath and steadies himself, wiggling his fingers as he gets ready to hone his craft.

He makes his way out in the crowd, mingling with strangers and keeping his head down, hoping nobody will spot him amongst the crowd. They don't, thankfully, and he moves with grace as he looks for his target. He sees one, in the form of two grown men on the older side of things, talking with one another over what looks like brunch. Peter could very well snag the sandwich sitting on the table and run off, but that would only keep him fed for a little bit. No, he needed the big score.

Peter walks, shuffling his feet and keeping his head bowed, the sun bright and hot on his black hair, his glasses shiny with sweat and he mumbles incoherently to himself. Nobody wants to touch the orphan boy -- it makes things easier when he's being avoided by others. His hand twists by his side as he gets closer and closer, thankful that neither of them has looked his way as he jerks his hand and grabs the wallet that's sticking out of the older man's blazer, almost perfectly enticing. He gets so far as shuffling it under his shift before there's a hand around his wrist and he's pulled to a hard stop.

Peter blanches. If there was anything on Peter's stomach, he might actually throw up.

The grip on his wrist is gentle like he could pull away if he really wanted to, but he can't bring himself to move or even speak, his body frozen like he's been put on pause by the world.

Then there's a friendly voice behind him, "I'd like my wallet back please, boy." It's full of laughter like Peter had told a funny joke or something. Peter finally gets enough courage to turn around and he sees two owl eyes staring back at him, round and yellow and he feels like he's being picked cleaned under a predator's gaze. The man's eyes linger on his shirt, just for a moment, before a warm smile spreads on his face and he says, "When's the last time you ate? Are you hungry? Here, sit down. I'll order you something."

The other man, who hadn't said a word through this entire exchange, looks at Peter before turning his gaze back to the man with owl eyes. Peter recognizes him, vaguely, but the image is too fuzzy in his mind to really know who it is. Maybe someone he's passed before? He's not sure. It doesn't matter anyway, because Peter's stomach growls again and he's got no choice but to shuffle his way into a seat between the two men.

He's not sure what's placed down in front of him as the waiter comes by but it smells delicious and Peter hesitates only briefly before he digs in, unable to resist the urge of warm food in his belly any longer. It is really good, it makes the trembling in his hands lessen and he feels like he can hold a coherent thought for the first time in ages. He paces himself as best he can but it doesn't take very long before he's eaten the entire thing.

The adults between him have been talking, quiet words exchanged that Peter is too much in his head to listen to, but he hears briefly "is this a good idea" "we don't have any other choice" "he's got the key, Ramses". It's a hushed argument that Peter doesn't really understand but then the eyes are turned back to him and he's the center of attention once more. He shrinks into himself, hand instinctively going under his shirt and grasping the key like a lifeline, the bite of it digging into his palm.

The man with owl eyes smiles at him again and reaches forward, patting his head in a way that Peter assumed was comforting. It was, in a way, it did make his hand loosen just a bit -- but only a bit. "Kid, do you have a home? Do you need help finding your way back?"

Peter blinks at the other before shaking his head, unable to find his voice. Even if he did have a home, he didn't trust these two as far as he could throw them and he wouldn't be telling them about the factory. It still had something of value left in it and Peter was determined not to lose that.

The man frowned and turned back to his associate, voicing his concern, "There should be a spot back at the motel he could use, his own room. Break the ice a little until he's able to socialize. I think he'd be a good asset to our plan." The other one, a man with a salt and pepper beard that regarded Peter with a familiarity that he didn't like, spoke then, "Mag, this is dangerous. I don't think he'd turn on-- ...Those kids are tight-knit. He'd need a lot of work to break that." Mag hums in consideration before looking back at Peter, smiling that same smile that makes Peter feel both guarded and caged all at once, "What do you say, boy? Would you like somewhere to sleep? It's warm and there's plenty of food, plus you'll meet some kids your age."

Peter... well, he was tired. Tired of wondering where his next meal would come from, wondering if someone would find him in that factory. Waiting. He was tired and he wanted rest.

"What... What's the catch," He starts, voice guarded and his shoulders up, a hardened look on his face and doing his best to appear threatening. It only made the owl man laugh, his head thrown back and his shoulders shaking in surprise. He placed his hand on Peter's shoulder and squeezed gently.

"Smart kid, you are. You're gonna do just fine."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"Hey, Ransom."

The voice behind him is one of the few people he's remembered by name. It's not a good reason to remember it -- Peter's had a few too many bruises to forget about the kid. He turns around now on his heels and looks up at the person behind the voice: Larzan Marks. He's a few years older than Peter, 17 he thinks, but he acts much more immaturely. Larzan was previously known as Mag's right-hand, the one who went everywhere with him. But now, he's been usurped by Peter through no fault of his own. See, Peter's got the key.

Peter sighs, long and deep suffering as he squares his shoulders and looks up at the kid, only a few inches taller. "Can I help you, Larz? I've got somewhere to be so if you'd please-" "Your attitude is going to get you in trouble, kid." Larzan growls, his position immediately going defensive. Peter is charming, he knows as much. He's managed to charm Mag into letting him be of help to their cause, a bigger portion than anyone had originally thought. His charm can only do so much when he's met at the wrong end of a fist, though.

Peter is tired. He's been eating better, sure, but his late-night missions with Mag have left his sleep schedule to be desired. It's worth it, though, for the gentle smile that graces Mag's face whenever Peter does a good job on the mission. "I'm so proud of you boy, you're learning well. Can you believe it's only been 6 months-"

Peter's thoughts are interrupted by a sharp push to his shoulder and his hand instinctively goes to the knife buried in his pocket. He doesn't pull it out, not yet, but he does take a step backward from the looming being, who's sneering at him. "First, you take up all of Mag's attention. Then, you're not even going to listen to me when I'm talking to you? Hasn't anyone ever told you to respect your elders, brat?" The kid spits, -- actually spits, right onto Peter's shoe. -- taking a step closer that Peter immediately does the opposite of. Peter curls his lips, exposing his canines, and hopes the flush of anger doesn't redden his cheeks too much. He's always been so emotional and his blush is one of his biggest give-aways.

The kid laughs and turns more towards him, leaving himself open and vulnerable in places that Peter could name like the back of his hand -- Median nerve, Radial nerve, Suprascapular nerves, Peter could hit all of these and Larz would be down in an instant -- before he continues speaking, "You're not even that good, you know. You might be faster than us, but we can do everything you can and better. The only reason you're so buddy-buddy with him is ‘cause of that stupid key. You know what? I want it. Give it here."

The words hit Peter right as Larz moves, but Peter has always been quicker on his feet. He careens to the side, his hand out of his pocket before he notices what he's doing and he slams his shoulder into Larz’s ribs, knocking him off balance until he's sprawled out on the ground and groaning in pain. The crowd around them -- fellow revolutionaries under Mag's rule -- stopped at the disturbance and once again all eyes were on him. The key burns under his shirt and he instinctively wraps his hand around it. He sees a few other kids come towards him, a few of Larz’s friends, he believes. So, he does what he does best in these situations. He runs.

He runs until he makes it to the doctor's office -- a dingy little room that was once the main office of this rundown motel. It's the biggest place here and it's known as neutral ground for the other orphans that inhabit it. Peter slows his speed as he enters and he feels the throb in his shoulder -- residual effects of the dislocation that never really healed properly back then. Back when... He'd have to go back to the factory soon, see if there are any signs of him. He misses Juno and the throb in his shoulder only makes the ache worse.

There's another reason he comes here and the woman he trusts more than anyone looks up from her comms at the sound of the door being disturbed. She lowers the device and takes her feet off the desk, looking at the disheveled child before fussing with her green mullet. "Damn kid, you look like shit. Get on the table, lemme look at you."

Vespa Ilkay, one of Mag's oldest companions and also one of the oldest people here. She's quick-witted and smart, Peter sees a lot of himself in her -- or, the man he hopes he becomes. She's been... not really kind, he doesn't think Vespa's kind to anyone in general, but her general disposition is a little more relaxed at the sight of this scrawny orphan kid with too much time on his hands.

Peter does as he's told and hops up on the makeshift doctor's bench, wincing as he strains his arm and he catches Vespa's eye where she's pulling on her gloves. Peter thinks she's so nice to him because he's one of the youngest one's here. He remembers his first time on this bench, Vespa checking his vitals while Mag looms over her and her mumbling phrases of "God, he's so young. Mag, what the fuck are you thinking?" Peter hadn't really been coherent at that point, but he could feel Vespa's distrust of the man from here.

"Shoulder, again?" She asks as she comes close, shaking him from his thoughts, her professionalism taking over as she looks over his shoulder, apologizing under her breath whenever Peter hisses under his breath. She's quiet for the most part, moving his arm this way and that as she works out if it's been dislocated once more and when she's satisfied, she lets it drop delicately back by Peter's side. "Alright kid, you're fine. It's not dislocated, you just pinched the nerve. I'll give you some pain pills and I recommend you not use it too much in the next couple of days."

Peter nods, rubbing his arm while Vespa turns and rummages through her supplies, leaving Peter with his thoughts. Not use his arm... He can do that, he's done- "Shit." Peter mumbles to himself, earning a snort from Vespa where she's bent, but he continues on like she hadn't made the noise, "I can't do that, Vespa, I have-- I'm going on a mission with Mag tomorrow, I'm gonna need--" He vaguely registers himself beginning to breathe heavy, his vision warping until it blurs with tears. He can't disappoint Mag, not when he's got a place to live now. He's finally not worried about the roof caving in on him in his sleep, he can't lose this. He can't disappoint him, he just can't--

"Shit, hey. Peter," He vaguely hears Vespa speaking, and Peter's vision shifts enough for him to see her standing in front of him. She looks a little pained like she's not used to doing this, but she places her hands on his arms anyway, taking in deep breaths. It takes longer than normal for Peter to register that he's supposed to be copying her breaths, but he tries and feels the tightness in his chest begin to abide slowly.

"You're okay, Peter. Just breathe, I've got you, Nureyev," Vespa's voice is gruff and she's nervous, afraid of messing this up -- but the sound of his true name on friendly lips makes his shoulders drop instantly. On one of the many nights he had hidden in this office under duress and cried himself catatonic, he had confessed to Vespa that the name he told Mag was a lie. A simple one, he didn't trust anyone in here enough to know his actual name. But the no-nonsense doctor had comforted him when no one else would, sitting with him until he relaxed and then offering something sweet that she didn't share with anyone else. At that moment, he wanted her to know. And she kept that secret like a vice.

"T-Thank you, Vespa..." He said softly, slumping back against the bench until he was nearly falling off, so Vespa shifted him until he was laying on his back. More often than not, he ended up sleeping here in the doctor's office instead of in his own room. He didn't like the quiet, as much as he liked to be alone. "Get some rest, kid, you look like you need it. I'll talk to Mag for you, if he's got a problem with it I'll make good use of my knife, yeah?" That gets a laugh out of Peter. Of all the things he and Vespa had bonded about, it had strangely enough been her stash of knives. Peter's own wasn't anything to write home about, but Vespa had treated him like he was actually worth something, unlike the patronizing barely-considered-affection Mag would give him. It was nice.

"Yeah... Yeah, okay," Peter says, yawning despite himself. He pulls the ratty blanket that had been laid aside from last time and he covers himself with it. He watches Vespa sit back down at the desk and pull out her comms, but her eyes flick up every now and then to the door before turning back to Peter and then to her comms. She's keeping watch for him, to make sure he sleeps soundly.

And he does, dozing off not too much later, comforted by the fact that he's protected.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Peter can taste blood in his mouth where he stands, fists up in defense. He turns his head and spits the blood out, wincing as his teeth scrape against the cut on his lip. He tightens his fist and bounces on the balls of his feet. He can't exactly see that well, he placed his glasses aside when training started to keep from breaking them -- again, he'd been foolish enough to wear them and ended up being blind for nearly a month before Vespa could get him a new pair made. Speaking of Vespa, he glances over to her on the other side of the room, her head tilted where she's watching him. Standing beside her is Mag, hands folded in his lap in quiet patience.

How long has he been here? His feet are sore from his movement and he can feel his sides screaming at him to stop taking so many hits. He's trying, really, but the longer this goes on the slower he gets. Vespa looks like she's ready to call it, she's always so cautious of Peter's limits, but Peter shakes his head, then his fists -- which are beginning to bruise around the knuckles -- before he nods towards Larz, his opponent for the time being.

Larz looks about the same as him, one of his eyes is swollen shut from a particularly wayward punch from Peter (that he can be quietly proud of later) and he's got scratches running up his arms and one on his neck where Peter's nails had dug in. Peter's once long hair is no longer a problem either, since he'd gotten it cut close last time he'd gotten it matted with blood. It's a little longer now, enough that Peter has to pause and push it back against his head, but it's shorter than before. Less of a threat. It's nice -- keeps Larz's wayward hands from jerking his head aside, at least.

"One more round," He says with an exhale, rolling his shoulders before beginning to pace around Larz. Larz smirks, showing off his teeth to intimidate as much as he can, though Peter just bares his own in reflection. They circle one another for a few moments and Peter has the brief thought of a simpler time, circling and pacing and pouncing in a cold factory once called his home. He doesn't let his head get too far away from him, not this time, as he sees Larz charge out of the corner of his eye and swing his fist, narrowly dodging the punch that was coming towards his face.

Peter's always been scrawny, he knows this, so his hits don't do much in the way of causing damage. However, as Larz is turning around, Peter takes hold of the wayward arm that had been outstretched and he hefts it, twisting until it gives and Larz is thrown unceremoniously onto his back with a grunt of pain. Peter doesn't stop there, holding on and pulling him until he's on his front and Peter drops heavily on his back, pinning his arm between his shoulder blades and keeping him trapped by his own weight.

Larz squirms for a few moments, hissing whenever Peter would press just a little harder until his free hand finally hits the ground twice and the round is over. Peter released him immediately and climbed off, letting out a shuddery exhale once more as his limbs screamed for relief. When he looked at Vespa and Mag, their faces were mirrored with the same impressed awe. Peter felt like he was glowing.

That is, until his ankle was grabbed and he was yanked down, his head hitting the ground hard as Larz clambered on top of him. Peter blinked back the black spots that threatened to overwhelm him and then hands were around his throat. Larz wasn't going for the key, no not this time. This time, he was going for blood and Peter could feel his hands tightening slowly as Larz stared down at him with gleeful anger. "Teach you a thing or two about respect, bastard. Think you can come in here and just take whatever you want, huh? You know nothing. You are nothing. I should kill you and rid the world of Peter Ransom once and for all."

The words are venomous and they seem so much more imposing with his oxygen being depleted. He pats desperately on the ground, squirming under the other's weight. He can feel his brain pressing against his skull and his eyes bulge and it hurts, god it hurts. He's scared, he doesn't want to die. He might die, and no one's going to miss him or even know where he-

The weight is thrown off as fast as it came on and suddenly he's gasping in air, coughing and sputtering as his vision comes back to him. Above him is Vespa, and she's speaking but the blood is too noisy in his ears and he can't really read her lips cause he's crying. Her hands are on his shoulders, rubbing soothing circles into his skin, and slowly the noise begins to come back to him. He hears Vespa telling him to breathe, slow deep breaths, “Relax, you're safe now.” He hears Larz screaming in frustration -- or is it pain? He's not sure but he blinks a few more times until he can see better and that's when he registers Mag's words.

"You're nothing but an urchin, you know that Larz? I fed you, clothed you, raised you. And this is how you repay me? Repay my generosity? By brutalizing your own family? My family? I'm ashamed of you. You are no longer welcome here. If I ever see you around here again, I will have you taken to the castle, do you understand me? Get out and don't come back."

Peter's been here long enough to know going to the castle is basically a death sentence. Larzan used to be Mag's right hand and now.. he's willing to throw him out and away just like that? Over... him? Peter can't help but feel a rush of warmth pool in his belly and he closes his eyes at the fresh wave of tears that threatens to wash over him. Vespa pulls on his shoulders until he’s sitting up and then he feels warmth on his back as she sits down behind him, hugging him close. Her arms are loose, but Peter knows how tense they can be in only a matter of seconds. Protecting him. Family, huh? Peter's never had a family before, maybe this could be his. He'd like that, anyway.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The cool metal in his hand brings him peace. His palms are slightly sweaty with his exertion but he holds on nonetheless, letting the handle dig into his palm as he watches Vespa move again. They’ve been at this for an hour now, taking turns throwing Vespa’s knives into an old mattress out behind the motel. There are four sticking out of it right now and Vespa shifts her arm back before throwing her last one and landing it in the target spray-painted in the middle. She smirks and turns back to Peter, waving her hand in triumph. “Ha! Take that, kid. I’m 13 points ahead now.”

Peter rolls his eyes in feigned annoyance as he climbs off the tire swing they had set up. His legs wobble a little, but he straightens up easily enough as he walks over and puts his own set on the table in front, keeping the one in his hand locked tight. It’s warming up, the coolness of it leeching out between Peter’s fingers, but it’s still a nice feeling. Peter likes to have his hands busy and without his fidget toy, well he’s got nothing else to use. Vespa moves away from the area and takes Peter’s place at the tire, pushing herself back and forth without ever really taking flight.

“Actually, Vespa, you’re only 11 points ahead,” He says, trying and failing to keep the shit-eating grin from his face, turning to look over his shoulder at her, “You only got four of your knives in the center last time.” She scoffs, clicking her tongue at him as she shows him her pinkie and ring finger, a Rangian sign of “fuck you” that she had taught him. He does it back and she snorts before she muses, “Careful, Petey, might have to make you the target next time.” It’s an empty threat, they both know this, but Peter laughs it off.

“Only if you can catch me, my dear Vespa. I’ve been told I’m quite slippery when I’m being chased.” She scoffs again, though there’s a hint of a smile playing at her lips. Peter enjoys these moments, where Vespa’s guard is down enough that Peter can see the little smiles that only he’s permitted. If you had asked Peter what he thought of Vespa when he first arrived, nearly two years ago now, he’d have told you that Vespa was terrifying. Now? Well, she’s still terrifying in her own right, but Peter’s always looked danger in the face. Vespa was no exception and now he’s permitted to see the softer side of her.

“Yeah yeah, whatever kid just get on with-” She starts before cutting herself off. Her smile slips away to reveal a frown, her brows furrowed as she looks behind Peter towards where the front would be. Peter looks at her before turning around, and upon seeing nothing of interest, turns back to her with confusion on his face. “Vespa?” He asks, only to be quieted down by her standing and getting closer, putting a finger to her lips to be quiet. He does in an instant, back ridged and the knife in his hand heating up once more.

It takes Peter another minute to hear what’s going on, but when he does he wasn’t sure why he didn’t hear it in the first place. There are voices, multiple that he recognizes and some that he doesn’t, but they all sound angry and frustrated. Peter watches Vespa move past him and quietly follows behind her until they reach the edge of the motel. She peeks her head over and Peter follows suit once more, hand on her shoulder to steady himself.

There’s a commotion going on, many members of their group are crowded around about five other members. They’re all kneeling with their heads covered in a burlap sack and their hands tied behind their wrist. Peter can’t exactly see who it is, but Vespa curses to herself and pulls away, slamming her back against the motel side. Peter watches for a second longer, seeing Mag off to the side with a frown on his face. He hears him begin to say, “Go find Vespa-” Before he too is pulled away by Vespa’s hands.

She’s holding his shoulders tight and she looks frantic now. “Nureyev,” She says, so soft he could almost mistake it for a whisper, but he knows better. She only ever says his name like that when it’s urgent. He knows to listen. “I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?” He nods and she smiles a little, though it’s very tense. “Mag is a very, very dangerous man, Peter. He does things that are terrible and for a long time, I’ve been trying to find a way to get rid of him without upsetting things. It’s too late now to stop his campaign, so I’ve been sabotaging it with a few other members. Nod if you understand.”

Peter nods again, the questions beginning to build in the back of his throat. Sabotage? Why? Peter knows Mag is dangerous but he’s done so much for him: fed him, clothed him, bathed him. He’s kept him alive so why now? Why is Vespa telling him this now? He doesn’t voice those concerns, instead waits for Vespa to continue. She throws a look over her shoulder and when she’s sure no one’s close enough to hear her, she continues, “In a few moments, they are going to find me. They are going to take me and everyone else tied up and they are going to kill us. I can not, under any circumstance, let them find you too. Peter, please, when I let go, you need to run. I don’t care where you go but it is not safe for you here.”

Her words are tense and frantic and Peter can see the way her eyes dilate in fear and… she’s in tears. Vespa Ilkay, the strongest person he knows, is in tears right in front of him, begging him to run. Peter’s stomach twists and it’s not from hunger pains. Vespa closes her eyes for a moment, holding his shoulders like a lifeline before she brings him forward, and for the first time in their friendship, she hugs him. She hugs him tight, until he can feel their ribs rubbing together, and he buries his face into her neck. “Don’t cry, Nureyev. I won’t let them hurt you. We’re family, right? I’ll keep you safe, but you need to promise me that you won’t look back.” He hadn’t even realized that he was crying too.

“I- I-” He starts, but it doesn’t go anywhere because voices are closing in on them. “There she is!” Someone shouts and Vespa pushes him away. “Go, now,” She hisses and Peter doesn’t have much more time than that as he turns and takes off. He runs towards town, which is miles away from this point, but it’s the safest place he knows where to go. He hears a fight behind him and he squeezes his eyes shut and keeps running. Before he gets too far, though, he turns his head to look over his shoulder and sees Vespa on the ground with two other members on top of her, knees in her back and her head getting sacked. Then the view is too far away and Peter has no choice but to turn his head back and keep running.

He runs and runs, taking back roads and side streets to make sure he isn’t pursued. He runs until he ends up on the doorstep of the old factory. It’s been a while since he’s been back and it looks a little more run-down than it did last time, but he slides inside nonetheless and heads to his old room. The stairs groan dangerously under his weight and one of the steps nearly gives out, but he makes it. He makes it inside and collapses on the ground in a heap of limbs and pain. He squeezes his hand tightly and only then does he realize the knife he had held is no longer there. Had he dropped it? He can’t remember, everything’s blurring together.

He lays on the floor of the dusty room, his nose tickling as sand seeps in through the cracks in the wall and he squeezes his eyes shut against the sounds. He waits there, listening and breathing and doing his best not to cough. When he hears no sound of anyone pursuing him, he stands up and walks to the couch, taking a moment to get his strength back before he pushes it aside and opens the little cubby hole he used to store more important things. He’s got notebooks tucked away from when he was first learning to read and write (they’re illegible but Peter’s always been too sentimental for his own good), drawings of doodles that he liked (many of them of Juno), and sitting on top, glistening slightly in the shitty lighting, are the earrings that Juno had given him on their first meeting.

They need a good polishing, but they’re still there and Peter lets out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. He picks them up and rubs his thumb over them, feeling the hairline crack in one that had been there since the beginning. He closes his hand and places it against his heart, inhaling deeply. Juno’s scent doesn’t linger, he hasn’t been here for ages and Peter fears he may have been abandoned. The thought is shoved back as quickly as it came on, because Peter knows Juno. He wouldn’t do that. Peter opens his eyes, using his free hand to scrub his face of tears, before he places the earrings back and covers the hole once more.

Then, with whatever strength is left in him, he crawls on the couch, his body aching, and falls into a fitful sleep.

He’s not sure why he came back, in all honesty. Vespa had told him to run away, but the thought of leaving her behind was terrifying. It helped that his stomach was rumbling, having not been able to enjoy lunch before everything went down. In the end, Peter was most afraid of being alone again. So with that in mind, he made his way back to the motel, no worse for wear besides being a lot dirtier than he was yesterday.

That’s not to say that Peter had the worst of it. When he finally reaches the hotel, he recoils in horror at the site. There’s dried blood staining the ground that’s currently being scrubbed away by a few unfortunate members. Peter isn’t an expert by any means, but they looked relatively close together… like they were side by side. Peter feels like he could throw up or faint or maybe both. There’s a noise from in front of him and he almost gets the urge to run again before strong arms are wrapped around his center and he’s pulled into a hug.

“Pete, my boy, you’re okay…” Mag’s voice sounds far away and strained. Peter can’t see where his face is squished into the old man’s chest but he can feel the way he’s shaking a little. Peter closes his eyes and whimpers despite himself. “I thought- God, I thought Vespa hurt you when we couldn’t find you and-” Mag pulls away to look down at Peter, moving him this way and that to check for any wounds. “You’re okay…” He says again and squeezes his shoulders.

Peter looks up at Mag and, realistically he knows it’s only been a day (maybe even only a few hours, he’s not sure) but Mag looks like he’s aged at least ten years. His usually combed hair and beard are frizzled and sticking out, like he’s been tugging at it with anxiety. There are bags under his eyes that look far too purple and Peter wonders if he got any sleep at all last night. For the first time since Peter’s known him, he finally looks his age. An old man, frail and worried. For Peter.

“What happened Peter? Where did you go?” Mag’s voice is worried and maybe growing a little impatient and Peter knows he really should answer. He should quell Mag’s worries, because Peter knows how much it hurts when someone disappears without a trace. Instead, he counters, “Where’s Vespa?”

Mag tenses a little, the hand holding Peter’s shoulder squeezing a little tighter before he lets go and sighs, his body sagging slightly. “Peter, my boy… Vespa is a traitor. She was going to hurt us, hurt you. She and her people have caused great harm to our cause and I couldn’t let that continue. She isn’t a problem anymore.”

Peter’s head swims despite himself and he staggers at the idea. Vespa? A traitor? No that didn’t sound right, Vespa was the most loyal person he knew. But.. She had confessed to just that earlier, didn’t she? She had been sabotaging Mag’s campaign from the inside. Vespa, smart and strong and brave… No, Peter couldn’t believe it. But the bloodstains on the ground and Mag’s worried face twisted his insides even further. Mag wouldn’t lie to him, right?

He didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t speak, instead his stomach spoke for him as it growled in hunger. Mag’s demeanor shifted instantly, laughing in surprise before he placed her arm around Peter’s form and led him back towards the cafeteria, past the bloodstains. Peter didn’t look, the smell was overwhelming even from here. “Come on, Pete, I’m sure you’re starved from your adventure. Things will get better from here, I promise.”

He didn’t end up eating, too sick in the worry that something was very very wrong.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

It’s lights out at the motel, the only noise being the howling wind from a sandstorm outside and the creaks and chatter of whatever critter made its way inside. Peter’s room is on the other side of the motel, but he sits still on the doctor’s bench, knees curled up to his chest as they have been for some time now.

There’s a radio on the desk that’s old and broken, though Peter knows how to get it working. A series of button pushes that Vespa had shown him. They’d been the only ones who knew how to turn it on. Peter squeezes his eyes tight against the rush of emotions that brings in him, pulling his knees closer to his chest. He tries desperately to disappear into himself. It doesn’t work, so he reluctantly uncurls himself and winces as his joints pop.

He walks over to the little radio and picks it up before bringing it over to the chair she would sit in more often than not. It’s been nearly 3 months since Vespa was… Peter doesn’t like to think about what happened to Vespa. He daydreams about her somehow getting away, but he’s not optimistic. The blood that still stains Peter’s memories made sure of that.

He beats those thoughts back into the filing cabinet of his mind, blinking once, twice, before the tears give up and his eyes stop watering. He’s gotten good at that, being able to keep his emotions inside of him. He can’t remember, genuinely, the last time he cried. He fiddles with the radio as he thinks about this, pushing button after button until it sputters to life with a small screech and settles into the nearest radio wave.

Peter turns the dials until he finds the station that he liked most -- nothing but classical music on repeat, some old nearly forgotten Earth pieces -- and sinks into the chair. He lets his head tip back against it as he thinks once more about their last conversation.

“We’re family, right?”

Peter wishes he could answer her. Wishes he had enough time to ask more questions. What was Mag hiding from him? What was Mag lying to him about? He knows there’s something wrong, he’s not a fool -- as much as Mag treats him as such. He’s gotten good at eavesdropping, especially when he hears Ramses come around. The door is always closed when they’re talking in his office, but he can always hear whispers of conversations thanks to the bug he planted there a while ago.

“He’s good, Ramses. His training is going well and he’s getting even better than we had hoped. Ever dreamed, even. It’ll be easy to sneak him in once he’s ready, which shouldn’t be too much longer now.”

Peter doesn’t know what he’s being prepared for. He doesn’t know what he’s supposed to be doing once he’s in there. He’s got a general idea, even if there’s information he’s still missing. Like a puzzle without all the pieces, chunks are missing and the picture is unclear. Mag and Ramses want the crown, though for very different reasons. Mag wants to stop the tyrant known as Sarah Steel and take the crown for himself. Ramses wants to make Hyperion a better place and doesn’t think Sarah is fit to rule. Peter can’t say he disagrees, really.

Peter thinks of another reason he doesn’t want Sarah Steel around anymore. Juno has been gone for two years, three months, and 5 days. Peter’s been keeping count, now that he’s able to keep track of dates and everything. Peter fiddles with the volume of the radio as he thinks about this, letting his foot dangle so he can spin left and right in the chair. He misses Juno dearly, he can’t imagine what’s been keeping him away for so long. It’s not like he’s had any time to go check, either. Not with Mag and his missions and training and family bonding.

That gets a laugh out of Peter. Family bonding? This isn’t a family. Everyone here looks at Peter Ransom with such scorn and distrust, like they’d stab him in the back given the chance. He doesn’t like being around them anymore. Even being alone with Mag has grown to become a challenge. Peter doesn’t trust Mag, not in the way he trusted Vespa. And that trust has only been threatened even more after that incident.

Peter sets the radio down and stands up from the chair, heading back to the bench with quiet footsteps that don’t make any sound. As he lays down, he pushes his hand under his shirt and grabs at the key, thumbing it gently. Its color has faded with time and his hands, but it’s still the same one that Juno had given him. The one that Juno had trusted him with.

Peter lays down, pulling a blanket over his head and shoulders until he’s little more than a lump on the bench in the quiet room. The music plays softly -- not loud enough to get him in trouble, but enough that he can hear it. The sound is melodic and soothing but it does nothing to quell Peter’s nerves. He closes his eyes, remembering the lips of a wonderful lady who had stolen his heart, the eyes of a nervous doctor who gave her life to protect him, and the hands of a prideful man who’d throw him away if he so much as breathed wrong.

He falls into fitful slumber and hopes once more to wake up to calloused hands running through his hair and the story of the chainmail warrior in his ears.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Peter’s been planning for this for weeks. He’d stay up late in Mag’s office, memorizing the floor plans until his eyes hurt and even more after that. He’s lost sleep -- that’s not unusual -- and even forgot to eat most days. Not like there was anyone around to remind him anymore, but he still felt the pangs whenever Mag would force him out of the room the next morning. That routine kept up for nearly three weeks and now, here he was, masquerading as a servant for Sarah Steel.

The uniform was a little too big one him, but it made him look less imposing, more child-like. Gave him an innocent face and the glasses he had picked -- circular and large -- only made it that much more doll-like. He was harmless as this unnamed servant boy. The smile he forced, carefully hiding his canines, was nervous and charming and the few people he had managed to see only gave him a quick once over before going about their day.

Mag talked into his ear, voice low despite the minimal risk of anyone actually hearing him. “The meeting room is up on floor three. Ramses won’t be attending but he will meet once you’re done to bring you back home. Stick to the plan, Pete, and all will go well. Remember, first rule of thieving: Always play your role.” Peter mumbled the phrase to himself, closing his eyes and letting his body sink deeper into this role. Charming and friendly, first-day jitters. He had this.

When his eyes opened, he picked up the tray of sandwiches the queen had requested be brought up to her guests -- fellow diplomats who helped make the country as wonderfully corrupt as she did -- and made his way out of the kitchen. Peter counted the steps as he went -- 51 down the hallway to the staircase, 20 steps up the stairs for each floor, and 36 steps to the left to the meeting room. He waits for a moment, listening to the quiet chit-chat before he knocks twice and enters as quietly as possible.

Sarah lifts her head from her chair and narrows her eyes at him, studying his face. Of course, this wasn’t a servant she had ever seen before, but Peter banks on her being less involved than Ramses is with the staff hiring. Sure enough, she turns her gaze away and moves back to her audience, smiling at the group that Peter knows fully well is forced -- she hates these bastards about as much as Peter does. “Well everyone, I do hope you’re hungry. I know it’s been a long discussion but I assure you, we will be done with it soon enough.”

Her eyes flick back up to Peter and he nods, stepping forward with a slight wobble, keeping his nervous look as well as he can as he sets down the tray and begins passing out each sandwich to each guest. Peter keeps his head low as their chatter continues, but with two quick blinks the camera in his glasses turns on and Mag gets a live feed of his location. Peter stands back straight and stands by the door, tray folded over his form as he waits for the guest to finish so he can collect their plates.

Whatever discussion Peter had interrupted continues, but Peter’s mind wanders as he stands there waiting. He’s never been inside the castle before, but he knows exactly where every room is. He could name every room off the top of his head with no prompting. That means he knows exactly where Juno and Ben’s room is. Would Juno be there? Peter wonders what he looks like now. Peter hopes Juno is doing well, even if… he doesn’t want to see him. Peter does his best not to bite his lip, his bare face doing nothing to hide the flush that goes to his cheeks. Peter hopes nobody notices in the yellow lighting.

He can hear Mag speaking to him softly into his ear -- something about how good a job he’s doing -- and he does his best not to fidget with something, keeping himself from tapping on the tray as he stands perfectly still. If he’s careful, he can almost pretend they’ve forgotten he’s there. Almost. Peter tunes back into the conversation before him as the one closest to Sarah suddenly pauses in the eating and looks up at her with bright, curious eyes.

“Oh, Your Highness, are there any updates on Princess Juno and Princess Diamond? Forgive me if it’s out of place for asking but I do love young love. I’m very excited about their wedding-”

The woman is cut off by the tray clattering out of Peter’s hands in surprise. All eyes turn to him and he flushes, bowing his head immediately and apologizing profusely. He can hear someone stand, most likely Sarah herself, but Peter gathers up the tray and excuses himself, doing his best to regain his composure as he exits the room. He waits by the door for a moment and when no one follows him, he lets out a heavy sigh. Then he thinks back on what was said:

Juno? Marriage? Who’s Diamond? Peter blinks twice and the camera turns off and he can hear Mag talking to him again. “Peter, my boy, what happened? Why did you leave? Are you in danger?” He sounds worried, but Peter’s head is swimming. He can’t make out what he’s doing but he knows he’s walking somewhere. He’s babbling all the while.

“Juno he’s… Engaged? No, no that can’t- He’s…” Peter hears himself say to the open hallway and Mag grows quiet. When he comes back into focus, he sounds much more annoyed than before. “Are you still hung up on that boy, Peter? I’ve told you not to get distracted by a pretty face, all they do is deceive you. Peter, get back into the meeting room this instant.”

“No... No, I have… I…” Peter says again, voice soft and floaty and he feels like he’s three feet behind his body. He can see himself walking closer and closer to a room at the end of the hall and he knows somewhere in the back of his mind where he’s going. Mag is quiet again before he very gently, voice tense with barely contained frustration, mumbles, “He’s not even there, Peter. He’s been gone for two and a half years, do you understand? He was using you. He knew about this, about Diamond. He knew he was going to be wed to someone else and he strung you along like a rag doll. You need to let him go, he’s not worth it. He’s a royal, Peter. Royals don’t care about commoners like us. Like you.”

Peter pauses by the door, hands shaking with anger and sadness, and fear. He can’t listen to this anymore, he lifts his hand up and grabs the earpiece before dropping it down on the ground and stomping it under his foot. Then, he opens the door to Ben and Juno’s room.

Ben lays stomach down on his bed playing on his comms, some sort of game that lights up his face in the otherwise dark room and he doesn’t even look at Peter as he enters. “Hey Mick, I’m almost done with this level just give me-- Wha…? What the fuck? Peter?” Ben started out, waving his hand in the direction of the door before his eyes flicker over and he drops the comms, sitting up straight in a second.

Ben looks older, of course. The slight freckles on his face have faded because of lack of sun exposure, he’s got bags under his eyes like he’s not sleeping well -- Peter relates -- and he looks much more broad-shouldered than he last saw him. He stands up and he’s still shorter than Peter, but he looks wider and his calves have nearly doubled. Dancing pays off it seems.

Peter opens his mouth to speak, to say something, but all that comes out is a quiet whimper before he slaps his hand over it to hide it. What is he going to say anyway? Ben moves closer and stops a little ways away, flexing his hands like he’s not sure what to do. Peter wonders how long Ben has known. Have they both known? Peter feels hurt and he’s not even sure who he’s angry with.

“Juno… How long?” Peter finally forces out, his throat feeling raw like he’s been screaming the entire time. Ben tenses at the question, raising his shoulders like he’s about to lie big time before they drop down and he sighs heavily. He crosses his arms in front of himself and looks away and Peter can briefly see his eyes beginning to water. Then, he turns back and says, as pleasantly as he can, “Juno isn’t here, Peter. He hasn’t been for a while. He wanted me to tell you that, but… I could never find you, didn’t know how to get to the factory and you never stopped by. I’m sorry Peter, I really am, but he’s at Helios.”

Peter’s world shifts. He feels faint and sick and so many other things are wrong. His body is screaming at him to cry, to run, to do something! Dammit, this is all wrong! They’re lying, why would they lie to him? Juno wouldn’t- He-

Peter’s world feels like it’s crumbling down and Peter looks at Ben and feels nothing but shame swim in his gut. Ben opens his mouth to say something, maybe console Peter, but his expression shifts before he does and he cries, “Sasha don’t-!'

Pain erupts from Peter’s back and he seizes, his whole body shaking and twitching before his legs give out under him and he collapses into a trembling mess. He can’t move but he tries anyway, doing his best to wiggle his body but with no success. His vision is blurring and he can’t see that well, nor can he hear when Ben pleads with someone -- Sasha -- to leave the kid alone he wasn’t doing anything wrong. He can feel his body being rolled over onto his back, followed by his shirt being lifted and the key from around his neck being yanked away. Sasha holds it up to the prince, who pauses his words to look at it before looking down at Peter, who’s still writing on the floor.

Sasha places her foot on Peter’s stomach, just in case he regains enough mobility to try and crawl, and speaks directly to Ben, “He’s part of a coup, Ben. He’s nothing but a traitor to Hyperion and needs to be taken to the dungeon for questioning. I have direct orders from Sarah. Now, I can bring you down there as well, or you can leave me to do my job.”

Ben stiffens and glances between the two, his hands flexing again before he closes his eyes and turns away. Peter hears him apologize softly and the blood is forced into his head once more as Sarah picks him up and puts a burlap sack over his head. He’s unable to move as she leaves the room and her tone is merciless as she says to him, “I never trusted you, you know? When Juno brought you down here, I knew you were only using him. Now, I’ve got my proof. You’re not getting out of here alive, thief. Count your days.”

Peter regains enough ability to close his eyes and begin counting the steps down to the dungeon. 67 steps from Ben’s room, 20 steps down the stairs of each floor, 79 steps down the right hall, 50 steps down a dark, damp area, and finally 23 steps to the cell he’s thrown into.

Peter lies there, cold and motionless and alone, and forces away thoughts of a pretty lady who used his heart.

Chapter Text

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Juno can't exactly recall how long he's heard that annoying sound. A beeping noise that keeps going over and over. He recalls it stopping early on a few times, making an annoying whine before the beeping returned. Now it's just been that constant, repeated and droning. Juno just wants it to stop, for just a few minutes. It makes his head hurt.

No, that's not true. His head is hurting for another reason but he can't quite bring himself to remember why. His eyes flicker back and forth behind his eyelids, looking into the blackness of unconsciousness and seeing nothing. Until he sees the bright lights shining annoyingly persistent above him, bathing him in bright fluorescence that makes him incredibly hot. He groans, somewhere deep in his body, and his fingers twitch to raise above his head and hide his face from the hot lights. He can't lift his arm though, not yet, but his eyelids do begin to flutter, and eventually, he opens them.

Something is off about his vision though, that much is easy to detect when he first opens his eyes. Maybe it's just his groggy mind, but everything feels shifted slightly to one side. Like his eye is closed, or something. He groans again, more in his throat this time, and goes to lift his arm again, only to feel something stopping him with a slide against his skin. He freezes instantly and goes to look over. There are needles in his arm and wires running out of him. Now that he thinks about it, there's something in his nose and throat too. Gross.

His hearing comes back in waves -- like his mind was clinging to the soothing blackness for as long as it could. The beeping is back, but it sounds closer and slightly to the side. If he looks, he'd probably see the machine making it. He hears some sniffling too, on the opposite side of the beeping. He knows those sniffles, he's heard them plenty from the years he's spent with her. Rita. Rita's here in this... He looks around again, his head rolling to one side as he takes in his new location.

Hospital. He's in a hospital.

His memories come back to him all at once and the noise he lets out this time is more of a startled shout, though it's muffled by the tube in his throat. The sniffling stops instantly and he hears a shuffling noise. Then there's a sob and the most pained, pathetic voice he's ever heard. "Mistah Steel? A-Are you awake?" Rita asks, like she can't believe Juno's here and... alive. Juno rolls his head to face her and he takes in her form: she looks like she hasn't slept or showered in days and Juno wonders how long she's been sitting in that chair. She's not wearing any makeup and her glasses are folded in her lap. Her eyes look smaller without them, but he can see the red of her waterline and dark circles even from here. She looks miserable -- she also looks like she's trying to decide if this is a dream or not.

She moves to wipe her face before she stands -- her glasses clattering loudly to the floor -- and moves closer, then places her hand on Juno's arm. Juno lifts his arm a little into her hand, which brings another sob to her throat, broken and ecstatic all at once. "Boss, you're okay...! Oh thank god you're okay! I-I should call a nurse! Your mom and brother have been so worried, Mistah Steel, I think they're staying at the castle right now. Her Highness made Benzaiten go there cause he started yellin' at the nurses a little while ago and- and-" She pauses her speech to drop her head down against the guard rail, her whole body racked with shudders.

Juno lifts his hand and places it on her head and she freezes, still probably not used to Juno being awake, though she does lift her head to lean into the touch and sniffle, trying to compose herself as best as she can. She looks at him, scrutinizing whatever she sees before she turns with a start, "Oh! I almost forgot -- I've been so worried aboutcha I nearly forgot I had this!" She's digging through her bag, Juno can see dirty clothes -- she has been staying here -- before she pulls away with something in her hand. She turns just as quickly back to him before she holds out whatever it was.

The handkerchief. It's stained red in places where it had fallen into the blood -- Juno's blood, his blood that came out of his head because Diamond- -- but the Dahlia and Rose were left unscathed, carefully avoiding the spread. Rita does her best not to wrinkle it anymore but she does look embarrassed, or ashamed. "I tried to get all the blood out, Boss, I know you don't like it. I don't think it's comin' out anymore, but I thought, ya know, once you're awake -- I knew you were gonna wake up, Boss, I never gave up hope -- we could decide what you wanted to do with it? I think an eyepatch would be pretty cool, ya know, plus it'd be really pretty and if you ever saw your loverboy again he'd love it too I think--"

Juno stops her with a wave of his hand and she clams up instantly. Juno frowns to himself, remembering that he can't exactly talk at the current junction, but he does get the strength to move his hands up and do the sign for 'eyepatch'. When he does, though, he feels bandages where his left eye should be -- no, that's wrong, his hand hits slightly off-center. His face flushes in horror and he goes to dig his nails in before Rita grabs his hand gently and brings it back down, the ruined cloth set aside for the time being. "Shh, Mistah Steel, don't touch it. You- It-" She tries to start and frown, squeezing his hand in reassurance before she continues, her voice shaking,

"I don't know what happened between you and Diamond, Boss," -- she looks angry, genuinely, and thoroughly angry. He's never seen her look like that before. -- "but it... messed you up pretty bad. They... They couldn't save your eye, Mistah Steel." Her face falls gravely and she looks like she might start crying again. Juno wants to throw up, he wants this stupid tube out of his nose and throat and his arm and wants to go home. He's scared and tired and angry and he just wants to get away from here.

Juno squeezes his eye shut and he focuses on his body until he can feel the throbbing sensation in his head, the pain in his face where he was struck with the bottle. He feels dizzy and he tries to get out of his own head. He was in there a lot longer than he thought because the next thing he knows is the tube is gone from his mouth and he's getting looked over by the doctors. Rita is standing off to the side, clutching the cloth in her hands. Juno closes his eyes again, unable to bear the sight before him.

The next few days are blurry with activity. Juno is given exams to check his vitals, his eyesight, whatever other things they need to check. Juno's barely conscious enough for most of it, but he does his best to follow the doctor's orders. He learns pretty quickly how long he's been out -- two months. He should probably be horrified by that fact, but honestly? He feels relieved having been away from Diamond for so long. His head throbs at the memory and he forces it away for the time being.

Nearly a week goes by before he's allowed to go back to the castle. When he gets there, there's a welcoming party of familiar and unfamiliar faces alike. Those don't mean anything to him. The one that does, though, stands beside their shared mother, her hand on his shoulder like he's going to bolt the second he sees Juno leave the car. Juno sees Ben and all the emotions he'd been repressing for the past -- god knows how long -- erupts and he runs away from Rita, who lets out a startled noise followed by what might be his name. Ben doesn't even hesitate, tearing himself from Sarah's grasp and running towards Juno with the same frantic energy. They collide and nearly collapse on the steps, hugging each other for all they're worth.

"Juno, thank god you're okay. Jesus Christ, I didn't- You- Fuck," Ben says, pressing his face against his twin's, opposite side of the ugly wound that now rests on his face. Juno doesn't say anything, simply clinging to the other like he's going to fade away. Ben's grip is almost bone-crushing and he's the only thing keeping Juno from coming apart right then. Juno wants to apologize for being such a burden, wants to take care of Ben and wipe the tears that are gathering in his eyes but when Juno tries to pull back Ben just hugs him tighter. Juno slouches then and lets himself be held.

They're interrupted by someone clearing their throat and Ben pulls away long enough to return to Juno's side, arm wrapped around his waist to keep him from dropping. It's Sarah, standing with her head held high and her face impassively looking down at the scene. The king of Helios is standing beside her, looking ashamed and awkward all at once and beside him is Diamond. Juno's jaw sets as they stare each other down, but Diamond remains passive, her makeup done less extravagantly than she usually does, but her expression is hard to read nonetheless.

They don't exchange any words as they all head into the castle, Rita carrying what little possessions Juno had been brought to the hospital with, holding his other hand from Juno's blindside. It was nice to be supported on both sides by the people he loved -- the people who cared about him. It would be better if... No, no this is fine. Juno can't wish for anything more than this, it'd be selfish.

The moment the castle doors are closed behind them, Sarah stops on her heels and turns, silencing whatever chatter had started. She stares at Juno and even from here he can see the carefully applied mask slipping just the littlest bit. Her voice shakes as she asks, "Juno... What happened to you?"

Juno's heart hammers and he looks between his mother, his brother, Rita, the king, and then finally her gaze lands on Diamond. She looks tense now, digging her nails into her palms. She looks like she's debating on what to say, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water and Juno wonders briefly what he'd say. Rita grips his hand and Ben's arm tightens just a little bit around his waist. Juno closes his eyes-- eye. His eye.

What would the benefit be of telling them what happened? Helios is a big country, much bigger than Hyperion, and would do many great things for his country-- his people. He can't just throw that all away from a stupid comment he made. Diamond didn't mean it, he had opened his big mouth and spoke out of turn, after all. Juno lets out a shaky breath, counts to ten backward in his head, and lies boldly to his mother.

"I don't remember."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"Who do you work for?"

Sasha is standing off to the side of Peter. He can see her boots where his head is drooped and he could barely make out the dark red spot of blood on it. Did he do that? Was he bleeding somewhere? His limbs were numb, and he couldn't exactly tell. His mouth tasted like copper -- but then again it always did nowadays. He knows he should be speaking, saying something to her. But he's tired and he doesn't want to open his mouth anymore.

Maybe he would have had more fight in him, back when he was first taken down here, but that time is long gone now. After about a month and a half into his stay, he stopped counting, so he has no idea how long he's been here -- forced between rooms. Sometimes dark, sometimes too bright, sometimes he's blindfolded and tortured, sometimes he's forced to lay in the same spot for hours on end while they poke and prod him for... research. He's tired.

He’s taken too long to answer because his body tenses as another round of electrical currents are sent through him. His limbs burn and twist, but the restraints are tight and keep him still as he convulses in place. He finally does open his mouth, only to let out a harsh scream that tears its way through his raw throat and he thrashes his head and thumps it back against the hard metal seat behind him. It goes on like that for what feels like forever before the current stops and Peter's left twitching in place, hands and fingers jerking violently with the aftershocks.

Sasha sighs heavily and moves from her spot, bringing her hand down on top of Peter's head and pulling it up with a grasp in his hair and a jerk. He winces but doesn't fight it as he's forced to face her. Her grip is strong and his newly shortened hair is the perfect handhold for her to toss him around. He could still remember the sticky blood left in it and he once more wishes he could bathe. "You only have yourself to blame for this, you know. If you just told us what we wanted to know, you would be set free. Yet here you are, six months later and we've barely gotten anything out of you other than your blood and screams."

Oh, so it’s been six months then? That feels about right, but Peter's too tired to be horrified by that thought. He tries to remember how hard he fought in the beginning, scratching and clawing and biting at whoever came to get him. He tries to find that fight somewhere inside of him as he spits out at her, blood and spit dribbling down his chin, "Vomit too, can't forget that."

Sasha rolls her eyes -- maybe, it’s hard to tell with her thick black glasses -- and she drops Peter's head again. Her boots look heavy and steal-toed, but without getting closer, Peter couldn't tell. They broke his glasses in the early days and he's been blind and flailing ever since. He was angry, too, in the beginning. With Ben, with Sasha, with Mag, with himself. With Juno. But all the anger has been leeched away bit by bit until he finally... couldn't care less.

He knew he wasn't getting out of here alive, but as long as no one else was hurt because of him then he could feel at least that much better, right?

Sasha moves back to her spot beside Peter and he hears her begin to shuffle through some instruments before there's a crackle on her hip where her communication device sits. It's not a comms, there's no service down here from what Peter can remember, but they needed a way to talk to one another. He doesn't know what it's called, but he doesn't lift his head as she speaks into it.

"This is Agent W. ...What? ... No, that's- Yes, I heard you. Alright, alright I'll- ...No, I'm heading there now. Agent out."

Sasha moves from her location and gets closer to Peter. She unstraps his legs, then his arms, and finally his waist and he nearly slides off the chair before he's lifted up bodily by the back of his neck and he's handcuffed once more. Sasha shoves him forward and in the process, he stumbles into the cart of weapons used to torture him. Sasha groans, annoyed, and leans down to pick him back up. She's so distracted by the conversation from earlier that she misses when he grabs a scalpel and tucks it against his side under his shirt. He hopes it doesn't cut him up anymore in the walk than he already is.

She drags him back to his cell, the sudden shift from too bright to dark making his head spin as he tries desperately to adjust to the change. Once he's locked inside, she doesn't linger anymore after that. He can hear her beginning to speak once more into the communication device, her voice clipped with annoyance.

Peter waits and listens. He hears nothing but the blood rushing to his head for a long moment, but once that settles he waits even longer until he's sure there's no one nearby. Then, he pulls his trembling body off the floor and puts the scalpel on the ledge just above his door. It's not much, but... just in case.

There's no window in his cell, he's not sure what time it is. He's not sure why Sasha was called away so suddenly, either. He hadn't heard what was being said but it sounded urgent either way. He couldn't bring himself to care that much, though. At least his session got cut short. He could rest for the time being, at least.

He crawls over to the poor excuse of a mattress that's been his bed for the past few months and covers himself with the sheet, shivering nonetheless. Despite the lack of shocks, his hands continue to shake and when he clutches at the cloth he can't feel it. He knows what this means, realistically, but he pushes that thought away for the time being. He pushes away the hunger, the pain, the blood, the nausea.

He forces it all back, his eyes squeezing shut. He lies as still as he can under the sheet and hopes for sleep to come.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The bed in his room feels both bigger and colder than the last time he remembered. There's no blood on the floor and the glass has been cleaned up, but he can still see them as clear as day. He imagines what he would have looked like, laying there defenseless while Diamond stood over him. He wonders what they would think of him, seeing him like that.

Sarah was none too pleased with his recounting of events -- "It's all fuzzy, I don't remember what exactly happened. I-I heard a scream and I felt pain in my head and-- I just. I'm sorry, I don't remember." -- but the doctors have explained that amnesia after such a traumatic head injury was possible. Sarah had taken that as truth, a stiff order of, "Alright. Go pack your things, Juno, we're leaving in two hours," and she and the king departed to go have a... what Juno could only consider a "chat". He winced to himself at the idea.

He stares up at the ceiling, looking up at his hand and reaching for it with the other. His depth perception is off and he grabs at air instead and he once again feels his stomach knot up in anger and pain. He's thankful Rita and Ben aren't here to see this, he thinks he'd actually drop dead on the spot if they watched him flounder like this. There is someone here, though. He can feel her standing by the doorway, hesitant and patient. Juno doesn't look up as he addresses her.

"What, Diamond?"

She startles at the sound of her name, though she quickly reels it back as she closes the door behind her. She doesn't move from her spot and Juno finally sighs and sits up, looking at her. She looks... miserable, now that she's close like this. Juno can see the way her eyes are looking everywhere other than his face -- the bandages, she's avoiding the damage she's done. She's twisting her fingers together, her manicured nails cut short with what looks like bite marks -- she's been chewing on them. It takes her a full minute to finally ask her question.

"You remember, don't you? You remember what... what I did," She pauses and takes a breath as if steeling herself for whatever his answer might be. "Why didn't you tell them?"

That's a good question. Why didn't he? Juno doesn't look away from her as he thinks, not trusting her to get any closer than she is now, he's already uncomfortable with the door closed like it is. But he chews his lip, feeling how rough and cracked they are from his coma, and finally settles on something that sounds right.

"This... is bigger than me. Bigger than either of us. You hurt me a lot and you'll have to live with that now. And I'll have to live with what you did to me. But getting you in trouble is only going to make the divide stronger and ruin whatever chances we have to save our homes. The war is close, it's right on our door, and neither of us has enough provisions on our own. We need this. Both of us. So no, I'm not going to tell them. I'm going back to my castle, but when our wedding comes we'll be together and this will be forgotten."

He feels drained like he's talked for hours on end, even if in reality it's been not even two minutes. He wants to rest, but he needs to pack. He doesn't even know what he wants to take -- it's not like he's got much of his own things anyway. There's another moment of tense silence before he says, his teeth grit together, "I'm taking Rita with me, by the way. That's not up for debate. It's the least you can do for me."

Diamond nods, unable to find her words. She lingers a moment longer and Juno continues to look at her before she finally grabs the door and leaves. Juno watches her go, keeping his eye on the open door the entire time until he can’t hear her footsteps anymore. Then, he finally collapses back onto the bed and covers his face with hands, trembling all over. “Dammit..” He mumbles to himself, his breathing shaky as he tries to calm down.

Almost everything after that is a blur. At one point Ben and Rita came in to help him pack, but he couldn’t bring himself to talk to either of them. Rita filled the silence by talking about a stream she had watched a while ago and Ben kept her company, but he could feel the knowing looks he was given by both of them. They knew he was lying too.

There wasn’t much Juno decided to take with him since most of his possessions when coming here either didn’t fit anymore or had gotten tossed away when Diamond had decided to “upgrade” his wardrobe. Everything fit into one suitcase. Juno held on to the handkerchief, rubbing his thumb on the frayed stitching and letting himself drift away as they all boarded the ship back.

Juno sat down on the couch inside and on either side of him sat Rita and Ben. Rita held his hand, squeezing it whenever she felt him start trembling. Juno leaned against Ben, his head resting on the other’s shoulder where he’d gotten just the littlest bit taller. Juno thinks about his eye again -- the scars on his face just distinguish him even more from his twin, the better of the two. Rita and Ben would both probably yell at him for such a depressing thought, but he knows he’s not wrong in that sentiment.

He dozes off at some point, but when his eye opens again, a worker is standing by Sarah saying something. It takes him a moment to register what it is, but he finally hears:

“We’ll be arriving back into Hyperion in thirty minutes. The guards are heading out now and they’ll be at the station when we arrive.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Peter hears Sasha’s footsteps -- and two others, big and heavy -- coming towards his room before he sees her. The scalpel is warm in his hand where he’s tucked it away against his wrist. It digs into his skin, just a little, but he doesn’t feel it. He knows he's probably bleeding and does nothing to fix it. He hears Sasha open the door with the usual heavy click and he stays seated as she steps into the room, followed by two others.

“Good morning,” She says with her fake chipper tone, and the smile on her face is all malice. Peter takes a moment to gather himself, looking at her, then the pair, then back before he returns the smile, albeit less threatening with how frail he looks, “You saw me a few hours ago, Sasha. Unless I’m mistaken, it’s not the next day.” Her smile doesn’t drop, which is strange, but he shows no sign of the anxiety that’s swirling around in his gut.

“No, you’re right. It’s the same day. I do have wonderful news for you though, thief. Your sentence has just been shortened!” Her words are dripping with glee. Peter swallows back the lump that shoots up into his throat, but stays silent as she watches. When she sees he’s not going to talk, she continues, “We’ve decided you’re too much of a time-waster to keep alive. After six months of nothing but your mouth, we’ve decided to end your stay with us. Permanently. These two guards will take you to the lower levels and execute you. On the bright side, your torture is coming to an end! I’m sure you’re excited.”

Peter takes a breath, digs the scalpel a little harder -- he still doesn’t feel it -- and laughs. “Is that supposed to scare me, Sasha? You told me my first day I wouldn’t be getting out of here alive, remember? This is just the natural course of things. The only bright side is you won’t get the satisfaction of doing it yourself, you do loathe me so. Seems unfair, is all.”

It’s her turn to laugh, it’s all bitter, and she waves her hand at him like he’s a gnat. “I would if I could. However, I am needed elsewhere. Now if you’ll--”

“Agent W, the ship is landing in 30 minutes. Princess Juno is with them. We need all available hands on deck. Prepare yourself, he looks… different. We can’t let any of the paparazzi get near him or they’ll have a field day.”

Peter’s throat tightens at the mention of his name. Juno’s name. He’s coming home? The same day Peter’s off to be killed, how ironic. Peter had been so prepared for his death too, he was willing to go without a fight, but now? No. No, he’s not going to die yet, not until he can get to him. That meant taking out these guards and getting away from here.

He’d leave Sasha alone for now, though. As much of a grudge as he holds, he doesn’t think Juno would forgive him for killing his friend. It’s not a battle he wants to fight, either.

Sasha turns the volume down on the device before turning back to Peter, preparing for her leave. “Well, I’d say it’s been a pleasure to have you, but it really hasn’t been. Goodbye, thief. I’ll make sure Juno hears of your passing.” With that, she nods her head towards the guards and she leaves, her heels clicking loudly on the floor.

The guards move towards him instantly, threatening and lumbering. But Peter, even like this, is faster. He doesn’t move until they get closer, then he turns the scalpel into the side of the closest’s one knee and they go down with a scream. He pulls it out and shifts, dodging the other who swipes for him and stands up, slicing the one kneeling on the throat as he goes. He stands by the door, twirling the scalpel in his hand, taunting the other as his friend bleeds out with an awful gurgling noise.

The guard still standing growls and turns, going to pull out the blaster around their hip. Peter takes this opportunity to move in close again, slicing at their fingers, then up their arm, and finally lodging it deep into their eye when they double over in pain. A scream tears itself from their throat and they jerk back, pulling the scalpel from their eye as they fall back onto the floor and thrash, grasping at the bleeding wound.

When all is said and done, Peter takes two steps back and surveys the scene. One dead and lying face down on the mattress he had called his home for the past few months, throat slashed open and staining it a disgusting red. The other on their side and clutching the wound on their head, sobbing and begging for mercy. There’s blood everywhere, on them, on the walls, on the ground, on Peter himself. He takes one more step back then promptly turns and throws up the pitiful excuse of a lunch he’d been provided earlier.

He’s never killed anyone before, not even under Mag’s thumb. He trembles, clutching his stomach and doing his best not to scream. He doesn’t have time for that though, he’s got to get away. He takes one last look at the guards before he turns and makes a break for it through the halls. He’s memorized each route that Sasha has dragged him through. He weaves through the tunnels of the dungeon, peaking down every corner only to be met with empty, silent halls. Guess they weren’t kidding when they said all hands on deck.

Peter makes it to a room that he’s seen previously, a break room of sorts. He presses his ear against it and listens. There’s no sound, but he still hesitates as he opens the door. It’s empty, thankfully, and Peter sighs heavily in relief. There’s a reason he chose this room, after all. The tiny window at the top of the room, just barely reflecting the sand from outside. It’s bolted shut, but the scalpel should work as a makeshift screwdriver.

He stacks the tables and chairs until he’s able to make it to the window. Then he begins the careful motion of unscrewing the screws, pleading to whatever is out there that no one will catch him like this. A few times people pass by and he freezes until they walk by, but by some miracle, he isn’t caught. With one push, the window falls through the other side. He shoves it out of the way before he begins his escape. The window is small, but Peter’s lost a lot of weight, so he’s able to shimmy his way through, slowly and surely. He doesn’t bother replacing the window back once he’s out. Instead, he stands and begins to run. Where, he’s not sure, but he just needs to get away from here.

It takes him longer than necessary to realize that he’s on the outskirts of town, outside of the dome, but he keeps going anyway. He’ll find a way back in even if he has to kill someone else to do it. His limbs ache, his stomach hurts, his eyes burn from sand and tears and he’s scared, he’s so scared. He doesn’t want to die, not here, not on his own.

He runs and runs until he sees a shape in the distance.

What is that?

He hasn’t been out here that long, he doesn’t think, but he’s already seeing things? Maybe the radiation poisoning is worse because of how weak he is. He can feel himself begin to shake and wobble as he runs but he can swear the shape is getting closer. If he could just make it...

His feet slip down on the sand and he fumbles, tripping and landing with a heavy thud. He screams out to no one, both in pain and frustration and as he tries to stand he realizes that his limbs won’t cooperate. He can’t move, he can’t get himself back to his feet and the adrenaline is leaving in waves and he’s… so tired. It wouldn’t hurt to just close his eyes, right?

He does, letting his eyes slide shut as his tears finally fall down his sand-covered cheeks. He really is going to die out here, all on his own. If he had just stayed and let the guards kill him, at least he would have been with someone. However now? Now he’s alone and whatever the shape is -- probably some sort of horribly mutated monster -- is going to find his radiated corpse.

When he does open his eyes, it's because he hears rumbling and the sound of a motorboat screeching to a stop. The sun is bright and his vision is blurry, but he can vaguely make out the shape of a man in a brown jacket before his vision spots and he passes out.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The spaceport is guarded on all sides by guards, faces new and old that Juno has never seen, but one stands near the entrance as solid and as memorable as always. He doesn’t speak as he greets her, but he can feel himself smile a little at her presence. Sasha doesn’t smile back, but he can see the way her posture slacks just the tiniest bit. Acknowledgment. It’s nice to be back.

“Welcome back, Your Highness. Ben. Juno. I hope the trip over wasn’t too rough,” Sasha speaks, addressing the queen directly now that all of the royal family (and Rita, who stands slightly behind Juno with a hand on his shirt, gripping it tightly -- it’s mostly for his comfort) has exited and gathered. Sarah nods, her professionalism hiding the exhaustion that plagues her eyes. She’s just as tired as the rest of them. Juno almost feels bad. Almost. Sasha nods once, sharp and careful, before she motions to the car out front, “The windows are blacked out and the rest are waiting for you at the castle. I expect there will be a press conference soon addressing the elephant in the room?”

Juno wants to grumble, something along the lines of “I’m right here,” but there’s an odd tone to Sasha’s voice that makes his stomach twist. He glances over at Ben, who’s staring into Sasha with a mix of anger and guilt. Juno really, really wants to ask what it’s about, but before he can he’s being shuffled towards the car and pushed into the middle -- farthest away from the windows as can be. Are they ashamed of him? Of his appearance? They wouldn’t be the only ones, his fingers ache once more to dig into the bandage around his lack of eye.

Rita holds his hand, keeping his twitching fingers held tight in her lap. Ben sits beside him and across from Sasha -- they’re staring at one another and trying desperately to communicate whatever feud they’re having between eyes and gestures alone. Sarah sits by herself, staring out the window and idly tapping her fingers against the seat. She looks lost and afraid and Juno can almost see the reflection of the woman who used to be his mother. The one with kind eyes and a gentle smile and loving words. Back when being a monster was a good thing.

Juno is silent for the ride, hand shoved in his pocket and biting his lip to keep from crying. He’s overwhelmed and crowded and he’s got nowhere to go until he can go to his room. He can hide away until everyone leaves him alone and then… He’s home now, right? Juno sits up straighter, crumbling the soiled material in his hand and startling Rita beside him. She shoots him a look, her cat-eye glasses making her eyes look bigger, and he waves her off with a tilt of his head. She stares for a moment longer before settling. It’s strange to see her so quiet, but the tension in the car is tight and Juno doesn’t blame her for not wanting to be the first to break it.

Instead, he makes a plan. He just needs a moment to himself, a moment of quiet reprieve and then he can go find Peter. God, it’s been 3 years now, how different would he look? Has he been eating well? Juno wonders if Peter would be repulsed by him now, with half his face deformed with the mark of another. Juno tightens his grip on the cloth and forces those thoughts away. Peter is better than that, he wouldn’t. He’d hold Juno while he cried and whisper sweet nothings about how they’d run away together. How he’d make everything okay again. Juno needed that, needed someone to hold him while he fell apart. Just a little longer now.

With his plan in mind, the rest of the trip is a blur. He’s in the car, then he’s being ushered out and surrounded on all sides by his family and the guards. He hears cameras flashing in the distance, but he’s too in his head to notice. He’s led through the halls, familiar and unfamiliar all at once until he’s suddenly in the room he’s spent so many years in. It’s different, now with more of Ben’s stuff crowding around in it, but his bed is made neat on the other side, untouched. Morbidly, Juno imagines it’d look the same if he had died.

As quick as he had been returned, he’d been left alone -- to refresh, to change, to rest, he wasn’t sure what for if he’s being honest. Rita was taken away to get acquainted with the staff and castle and now it’s just him. He doesn’t waste any time as he goes towards his closet to check the stash of clothes he’d left behind. They’re still there and Juno practically tears his way out of his clothes to pull the others on. They’re a little short around his ankles and wrist, but they fit well (a byproduct of Juno’s own horrible eating habits, if he can fit into something he wore when he was 15) and it’ll work for their purpose.

Juno is just about to pull on his boots when Ben walks in. He pauses in the doorway, looking Juno up and down before the look of guilt flashed over him once more, this time with nothing hiding it. Juno pauses and looks back, watching as Ben closes the door and comes over, sitting down on the bed beside him. “Juno… You can’t leave. He’s… not there anymore,” Ben says, softly, not meeting Juno’s eye.

Juno stops his efforts then and lets his legs dangle off the bed, staring at Ben with furrowed brows. “What do you mean “not there”? Ben, what happened to Peter?” Juno says, desperately trying to keep his tone level, though it quickly rises in pitch as fear begins to bubble inside of him. Ben flinches at the tone and stands, beginning to pace the floor a little. He doesn’t speak, not for a long moment, gathering what he wants to say. Juno’s stomach drops with every footstep until it’s down on the first floor. Juno opens his mouth to snap at him, demand him to tell him what he knows, what the hell he and Sasha have been so secretive about when Ben finally looks at him.

He’s got tears in his eyes.

“I-I’m sorry, Juno, but six months ago Mom told Sasha to take him down to the dungeon. I don’t know the full details but- Juno he’s been working with Mag. He’s a traitor, he- He had the key to the castle, he could have-”

Juno isn’t listening anymore. He stopped listening after Ben said “dungeon”, but he heard the word “key” and his head swam. Peter was… in the castle. He was in the castle, with the key, and Sasha caught him. He was taken to the dungeon. Outsiders didn’t get out of the dungeon. Juno wants to hurl.

Ben has moved closer to him, hands moving to touch him on the shoulder, to calm him down where he had begun crying, but Juno moves his hands up and slaps the other away. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough for the message to come across. Ben clams up, tightening his hands into fists and he turns. Without another word, leaves Juno on his own, the door clicking shut quietly behind him.

Peter’s dead. The words hit Juno like a sack of bricks and he feels the wail from his chest more than he hears it. He’s sure someone can hear him from here, but he doesn’t care. Why does it matter? Peter’s dead and the only thing he has left of him is the birthday gift that he’s gone and ruined too. Peter’s dead and it’s all his fault. Juno curls in on himself, falling sideways on his bed as he rocks desperately in search of comfort.

But the comfort he wants is gone. The boy he wants, the boy he loves is gone. Juno feels the world cave in around him. The big, cruel world has taken another damn thing from Juno Steel. He lays there, clutching the cloth in trembling hands, and cries until he can’t voice his pain anymore. His breath comes out as wheezes and he feels like he might faint from his hyperventilating. He cries and cries and cries, 3 years of heartache imploding in on him all at once.

When all is said and done, he crawls further onto his bed and collapses without a further sound. He licks his metaphorical wounds clean, presses the cloth to his heart, and closes his eyes. He does not have the strength to dream of warm arms around him and instead falls into a fitful rest. He hopes, weakly, that he won’t wake up.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Peter wakes up to pressure on his ankles and wrist. He stays perfectly still, eyes closed as he listens to the noises around him. He hears a radio station set to another language, the sound of creaking metal all around him, and the beeping medical equipment. The beeps are coming from somewhere on his left and if Peter focuses hard enough he can feel the iv drip in his veins. He shudders despite himself and there’s a quiet gasp from somewhere on the other side.

“Oh Darling, you startled me! Are you awake, dear? You’ve been asleep for nearly three days -- when my darling Jet found you we were so worried you wouldn’t wake up at all. This is a relief then. I’ll go get the doctor, try not to move too much, alright? Those restraints are for your own protection.”

The voice does not seem unkind, but it’s not one he recognizes, so despite his awakeness being discovered, he stays still. He hears the woman get out of the chair she had been sitting in, her heels clicking across the metal floor as she walks farther and farther away from him. Peter only opens his eyes when he hears the door close behind her.

The room looks like a standard medbay, two beds, equipment he can’t name, filing cabinets and shelves on one side, and a crate overflowing with spare blankets and pillows on the other. The radio drones on and there’s a far-off rumbling that Peter had ignored until now, and the windows are drawn closed. It’s fairly dark and Peter wonders what time it is. The last thing he remembered was… the Martian desert, sand, and heat -- a man in a brown jacket…

The door opens once more and Peter is startled, his limbs tensing despite himself. He sees a woman he does not recognize enter -- fiery red hair to rival the sand on Mars itself -- followed closely by a woman he does recognize, green mullet and all. “Vespa..?” He speaks for the first time, voice raw and cracked and he coughs harshly and trembles.

Vespa comes over easily, moving to begin unhooking his restraints. “H-Hey kid- Shit, Nureyev, I’m so glad you’re okay,” She sounds a little choked up and if Peter didn’t know any better, he might think she was on the verge of tears. Maybe he was too. Vespa was here and alive and she looked… surprisingly okay. Good, even. Peter felt happiness swell in his chest and he wanted to reach out and hug her. When he lifted his arms, though, he paused when he looked at his skin. They were covered in bandages, but a few bits of skin poked through and he could see something he -- somehow -- missed before. Burns, red and black and angry. All up his arms and coating his hands. And he was still shaking.

“We… You were rough when we found you, kid. I don’t know how you got out of there on your own, looking like this but. Shit, there’s still a lot we don’t know about this. You’re gonna need a lot of therapy and it’s gonna take a while to heal. But… I’m not leavin’ you anymore, got it? I’m here and you’re safe and you’re sticking with us until you get better. Then you can decide where to go, okay?”

Peter is silent as Vespa talks, walking around his bed and checking his iv fluids and whatever else that she does. Peter lets his head drop back against the pillow, his head swimming with questions. How did you find me? How did you escape? Why were you gone so long? Can we trust them?

Instead, he asks something else: “Who’s that?” He doesn’t point who he’s talking about, but Vespa gets the hint all the same. The woman has sat down beside Peter once more and he can vaguely make out the slight scarring under her hair where it’s positioned to cover the majority of it. Vespa pauses her efforts and looks over at the woman. If Peter squints hard enough he can almost see her blush.

“That.. is my girlfriend, Buddy. I met her after I left Mag, it’s… a long story. I can tell you later once you’re feeling a little better, okay?” Vespa says, leaning over to touch Peter’s hair. He flinches at first, he vaguely remembers the harsh grip Sasha constantly used to throw him around, but the gentle gesture is so full of so much trust and warmth that Peter wants to weep. The woman -- Buddy -- smiles at Vespa before turning her attention back to Peter.

“Vespa’s told me much about you, Darling. I’m very eager to get to know you myself. You’ll enjoy living aboard the Carte Blanche, she’s kept all of us safe for a long time. It’ll take some getting used to, but eventually, I do hope you can grow to call this place your home. You are always welcome here, darling. Any family of my darling Vespa’s is a family of mine,” Buddy says, her voice giving an almost melodic lull that makes something warm pool in Peter’s gut.

He feels… safe. He’s not sure where he is, but he guesses from the creaking and moaning of the ship, they’re somewhere in the air -- in space! Holy shit, he’s in space! -- but he’s surrounded by people who he knows won’t hurt him.

“Th...Thank you, Captain. I’ll do my best to provide support once I’m able. I’m sorry for having to be a burden right now, though,” He responds, voice soft and barely containing the emotion he feels. He won’t cry, dammit, not now. Not in front of these wonderful people, he can’t let them see how weak he really is.

Buddy shushes him with the same gentle touch to his hair -- he doesn't flinch this time, he's expecting it now -- and flashes a smile that’s even more brilliant than her hair. “Nonsense, Pete. We’re all burdens sometimes, but that’s what family is for. We take care of our own. Next time we land, we’ll get you a new pair of glasses, too, alright? Can’t have you squinting the entire time, you’ll start getting wrinkles.” She laughs at her own joke, it’s a fluttery sound, and the warmth spreads all over Peter -- to the top of his head and the tips of his toes.

Safe and warm. He likes the sound of that. “Yeah… Okay, okay… Can… Can I go back to sleep? I’m still tired,” He says softly, hoping the ploy works. It probably doesn’t, if the look that Vespa gives him is any indication, but she spares him, nodding before motioning for Buddy. “Come on, Bud. Let’s let him rest properly. Press this button here if you need me, okay? Get some rest, kid. I’ll come check on you in the morning.”

Peter nods and he waits until the women leave before the sob that had been threatening to burst out of his chest comes out in full force. He turns his head into the pillow in a vain attempt to hide his cries, but at the very least he’s not being disturbed. He cries in pain, in mourning, in relief, in everything he’s felt over the past 3 years. He cries until they’re nothing but hiccups that stutter his chest and irritate the burns there as well.

When he finally grows quiet, he lifts his hand up to see the bandages that cover it and the red bits of skin that poke out through them. He doesn’t try to bend his fingers, but he does twitch them as much as he can. He can’t feel it and he whimpers to himself at the realization. How cruel is fate -- a thief who relies on handiwork has lost the ability to feel his hands. Peter would cry again if he wasn’t so tired now.

As his eyes drift close, his mind wanders to a certain princess who continues to occupy his mind without any coherency on his own part. He tries to remember what it felt like to hold Juno’s hand in his own, the warmth and the callouses. Peter even tries to remember how sweaty they got with their shared nerves and Peter wishes so desperately that he could feel that one last time. One last hand-held, one last shoulder to cry on, one last hug, one last kiss.

Peter closes his eyes and his hand twitches despite himself, curling around the phantom hand of a lonely princess.

Chapter Text

Peter stares at himself for a long moment, gaze unbroken in the slightly cracked mirror on the Carte Blanche. He’s made up for the ball, suit already pressed against his form like it was made for him -- it was, having been fitted for it nearly 3 months ago now -- and the cape clasped to his shoulders pulled the whole thing together. His makeup was done with distraction in mind -- keep eyes up while his hands worked down below. He’d gotten the use of his hands back through the months of extensive training and could even control the shake in them most of the time.

He lets his eyes slide down until he looks at said hands. His nails were painted by Buddy a few nights ago during one of their ‘family bonding sessions’ -- a pretty deep purple color. It was nice, even if no one would see them. The gloves he planned to wear were sitting on the sink counter, waiting patiently to be adorned once Peter finished giving his hands their usual once-over. Eyes running over the scarred skin, mostly healed with a pinkish look and an even stranger texture. Most days he was used to them, but some days…

No, no he didn’t have time to feel self-conscious now. He pulled on the gloves, flexing his fingers carefully to make sure everything was in order before he soothed out his suit one last time. With that, the smile he had practiced for days before -- slightly to one side and too sharp to be comfortable, hiding his teeth behind his lips -- slid onto his face and he felt ready to face the world. Peter opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out, listening to the click of his boots on the metal floor.

Buddy was already waiting for him by the garage, keys spinning idly on her finger and her other hand on her hip. He wasn’t late, he knew this, but Buddy was nothing if not extremely punctual. She smiled as she saw him, her anxious key-spinning slowing until she caught the keys in the palm of her hand with a quiet jingle. “There you are, Darling, I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show!” She said in her usual teasing tone, mischief clear in her eyes. Peter rolled his eyes behind his glasses, trying to keep the fond look from his own face.

“There’s not a lot of places I could hide that you, Jet, or Vespa wouldn’t find me, Captain. Believe me, I’ve checked,” He responds, leaning against the door as Buddy approaches. She laughs, loud and echo-y in the large garage and Peter can’t help the way his smile grows. The car beside her chirps idly in response, almost resembling a laugh. “Thank you for the points, Ruby, always love to get your opinion on my jokes,” Peter quips and it only makes the chirps louder.

There’s the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them and they both turn to see Vespa standing in the doorway, one hand on her hip and her other folded around something. She’s looking at Buddy like she hung the stars themselves and Peter can’t help but feel just the smallest bit jealous. It’s fine, though, they deserve the happy ending they’re getting. Buddy beams at the sight of her partner and practically floats across the floor to pull her into a kiss.

“Hey Bud, you weren’t gonna leave without saying goodbye, were ya?” Vespa teases when they depart and Buddy looks offended, placing her hand on her chest and gasping with dramatics, “Vespa, love, I would never!” Peter snorts and Vespa shoots a glare over Buddy’s shoulder, but it’s good-natured all around. Peter takes a moment to just bask in the family he’s made here. It’s good, he’s good. His daydreaming is interrupted by Vespa bumping his shoulder then holding out her hand, where two earpieces are resting in her hand.

“Here, take these. Siquliak and I will be listening in as much as possible. Keep those bigwigs distracted for us -- though I don’t think they’ll have a problem looking away from you Bud,” Vespa says as the pieces are taken from her hand and Buddy blushes underneath her foundation. Peter rolls his eyes and snorts again.

“I doubt they’ll be looking at us anyway, not with the princess and her fiance making their debut once more,” Buddy says with a flourish of her hand, her hair covering her ears easily as it covers her eye. It pays to have so much hair. Peter, however, isn’t listening anymore. He’s known for a while where they were going, but being so close… makes him anxious. His worries must show on his face because suddenly there’s a hand in front of his face and a voice speaking to him.

“Hey, Nureyev, you alright?” Vespa says and jostles him a little, startling him from his thoughts as he blinks back into focus. “Huh? Oh, yes I’m fine Vespa. Just…” He trails off again and Vespa and Buddy exchange looks. Buddy speaks first, “Darling, if you don’t think you’re up for this, we still have time before we have to leave. You and Vespa can swap places and you can go with Jet-” “No Captain, I’m quite alright. This is a job and I know how to be professional, personal misgivings aside. I’ll be fine,” Peter says, putting on one of his many practiced smiles, though it doesn’t fool the two women who have been raising him for the past two years.

“Kid, you don’t gotta lie. What are you gonna do if you see him?” Vespa says, moving closer and placing her hand on his arm. He bristles at the question and starts, “Vespa he’s the guest of honor, of course, I’m going to-” “That’s not what I meant, smart ass. I mean, what are you going to do if you see him. In front of you. What are you going to do when he’s right there?”

It’s a fair question, in all honesty. Peter hasn’t been this close to Juno in a while and now they’re going to be in the same room. But there’s an ocean of people that’ll surround him and Peter and Buddy are just more drops in the water. “I won’t,” He decides to respond, voice slightly clipped in a way to show he’s done with the conversation. Vespa sighs and nods, deciding not to push anymore. Buddy picks up the slack, “Of course not, Darling, we’ll mingle and be out of there before morning. This will be fun! It’s been a while since we’ve had to play heirs. Oh, I do love dancing, a shame my lovely Vespa won’t be there with me.”

Vespa grumbles in annoyance, but Peter can see the way her face heats up and the corner of her mouth lifts. The mood passes and everything relaxes. It’s good, Peter’s good. He hears Ruby chirp softly behind him, sympathetic and encouraging. He lets his shoulders fall from where they had risen in defense.

In and out, easy.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The week leading up to Juno’s 21st birthday was nothing less than exhausting. Then again, Juno was exhausted a lot recently. He’s not proud to admit that he’s been pretty difficult for the past two years, but he’s… grieving. He’s still grieving. The entire world around him looks dull and grey. Even Rita -- usually so bright and full of life -- looks faded to him. He’s just ready for it all to end.

The party planning was the hardest -- who would they invite, who would be allowed to attend, who would be catering -- and it didn’t help that Diamond was breathing down his neck whenever she got the chance. Being back in Helios was not something Juno enjoyed, but he had a duty to fulfill. It was roughly the same as the last time he had seen it, but that left a sour taste in his mouth. Bad memories seeped from every corner of the castle.

The day before the actual event was when the ball was scheduled. One day before his wedding and one day before he’d be locked inside of Helios for the rest of his life. As he was dressed by a few of the maids, he let his mind wander to what could have been, for just the briefest of seconds. When those sharp teeth entered his vision he stamped the thought out -- he couldn’t be ruining his makeup now.

When all was said and done, Juno was let off the pedestal to look at the dress. He knew what color it was supposed to be -- a light purple with gold decorative flowers along his bust and waist. But the shine was dull and the color was a muted grey -- just like everything else. Even the eyepatch he wore -- Rita had eventually helped him turn the handkerchief into an eyepatch -- had lost its once beautiful color. It was his first time wearing it -- was slightly more muddled than usual. The women behind him waited patiently for approval and he forced a smile in the mirror and waved at them.

“Thank you, it’s wonderful. You’re dismissed,” He mused, trying to keep the heaviness from his voice. He’s not sure if it worked, but the ladies nodded and headed towards the door. It closed quietly behind them with a click and then he was alone in his dressing room. He pursed his lips together, tasting the fancy lipstick that was on his lips and teeth, and sighed, long-suffering. Not only did he hate this stupid castle, but he also hated stupid balls and stupid parties. Stupid stupid stupid-

“Mistah Steel? You almost ready? The ball’s gonna start soon and Sarah said you need to be down there before the actual thing begins!” Rita’s voice was muffled by the door, but it still rang out clearly. She sounded worried and Juno’s heart panged at it. She’d been like that a lot this week, worrying about Juno and how he was feeling. Why? What was the point? He didn’t voice those thoughts, instead he turned and made his way to the door, opening it slowly. He made sure the train of his dress was pushed out of the way. Rita looked up at him and gaped, smiling so widely Juno worried her mouth would split.

“Oh my gosh, Boss! You look gorgeous! And the eyepatch! Oh my gosh, that’s it I think I’m gonna cry!” Rita squealed, fanning her face and blinking her eyes rapidly to keep from actually doing just that. Rita was dressed in a worker uniform, but with a lot more decoration -- gold, to match his, he had to guess. She looked pretty, better than Juno. “Rita, you’re gonna make a scene…” He says softly, though there is a gentleness to his voice that only she gets.

Rita nods, breathing heavily as she tries to get herself to calm down. “S-Sorry Boss you just! You’re growin’ up so fast and you’re gettin’ married tomorrow and I just! I know this isn’t what you wanted, but I think tonight’s gonna be good for you! I gotta good feelin’ about this dance!” Juno doesn’t believe that, but he nods along anyway. “Right… Have you seen Ben? I wanna talk to him before we go down.” Rita sniffled one last time, wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve before she turned and pointed to a room a few doors down.

“He was almost done when I went to check on him -- but I’m sure he’ll open the door for you.” Juno nods in thanks and exits the room, Rita stepping out of the way as he did. The heels he wore made her that much shorter, so the quick hug he gave her had her pressed to the middle of his chest rather than his shoulder. “Thanks, Rita… I’ll see you soon, okay?” She hugs him back just as tight, bunching the dress slightly in her hands before letting it go and soothing it out. “You got it, Boss. Don’t be late or I’ll miss you too much!” She says this as she’s heading down the hall towards the ballroom where many of the guests have already gathered.

Juno watches her go, waiting until she’s out of sight before he heads towards Ben’s room. He knocks twice on the door, standing and waiting patiently on the other side. There’s some shuffling and he can hear Ben talking to someone -- “No, I haven’t left the room yet. I miss you too, I promise I’ll be back soon okay? Yes, I’ll bring you something back!” -- Juno knocks again. The talking stops and there’s a quick, “Gotta go, love you Mick-” before the shuffling gets louder and the door opens.

“Oh! Hey, Juno! You look- incredible. You look incredible.” Ben says, blinking back his surprise before a smile grows and he opens the door. He’s got a suit that’s supposed to be matching Juno’s -- light purple with gold decorations -- but to Juno, it’s still grey. Still grey, just like the world around him. Juno thanks him quietly and Ben can see the tension in his face and shoulders. “Hey, Juno, look at me?” Ben says softly, placing his hands on Juno’s shoulders. Juno reluctantly looks at his face and it has a mixture of guilt and encouragement plastered across it.

“It’s gonna be okay, Super Steel. You’ve got this,” Ben says and Juno snorts a little at the nickname. It’s the most he’s laughed in a good long while, but it’s enough to make Ben look relieved. “That’s it, you’ve got this. Things are shit, really shit. But we’re still the Steel twins. And dammit, we’re gonna go have our type of fun, how about it?” Juno would really like that, in all honesty. Just fuck around and do whatever they wanted. It’d be his last night for it, anyway.

“That sounds wonderful, Ben, but I don’t think Diamond’s gonna leave me alone long enough for that,” Juno says, trying his best to sound jovial, but only managing to get apathetic. Ben frowns slightly before smiling once more, this time with mischief, “Don’t worry Juno, I’ll find a way to get her too. You just be your pretty self and let me do all the work, got it?” Juno rolled his eye, but a smile did fall lightly on his face. Not a big one, but it was enough. They hugged, tight and desperate before they broke apart.

“Let’s do this, then,” Ben said and with one final nod from Juno, they make their way to the entrance where Sarah, Diamond, and Demetrios are waiting.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Peter and Buddy stand near the back of the crowd, off to themselves and whispering quietly about everything and nothing. A few people have already caught their gaze, someone carelessly flirting with Buddy “Irene” and getting their watch stolen in the process. Peter “Booker” keeps his eyes forward and the pleasant little smile on his face as he says, “You haven’t lost your touch yet, Mother.” Buddy smacks him on the arm in retaliation and he can’t help the smirk that plays on his face.

The food is nice and the people are easy -- one careful touch up the arm and suddenly Peter’s got two new bracelets to pawn off once they’re off to the next planet. It’s almost too easy, there are no guards in place other than the two by the door and even those look like they’re a thousand miles away from this very room. Peter wonders if royalty has always been this confident -- or stupid. A horrible memory forces through his mind and he blinks away those thoughts. He’s safe and nowhere near Hyperion.

At one point, he and Buddy split off to cover more ground -- seduce secrets from the higher-ups, steal whatever jewelry they can manage, and just overall blend in. Peter’s good at that, being faceless in a crowd. Careful and pleasant and all with a forced smile. If he hears one more stuck-up laugh he thinks he’s going to lose it, even if that laugh is coming from his own throat.

Peter isn’t sure how many times he’s walked the ground, picking out those who seem already too drunk for their own good or someone with their head too far up in the clouds. Easy targets and his pockets are filled before the royals have even been introduced. That said, the low murmur that had been permeating the room is quieted instantly when a low hum is played through the room. All eyes shift upwards towards the large double doors near the entrance of the room.

Demetrios and Diamond enter the room first, poised and proud with their heads held high in the air. Demetrios looks about as polite as his daughter does and the fake smile she wears is easy to see from a mile away. Peter hates her already -- for more reasons than the obvious. They depart on either side of the room and the next family is introduced. Peter knows what’s coming next so he braces himself against the sight.

And then, he’s there and nothing can prepare Peter for it. Standing on the same side that Diamond had moved over to, Juno is clothed in a gorgeous purple gown with gold designs that trails against the floor as he walks. He looks magnificent and radiant -- every bit the goddess his namesake is from -- and Peter can’t help the intake of breath that startles him. Oh god.

“Nureyev? Kid, you copy?” Vespa’s voice breaks his thoughts from the earpiece and he has to tear his eyes away from Juno as he moves over to stand next to Diamond. His voice rings in the back of his head and he has to clear his throat a few times before he can finally answer Vespa, “‘M, yes fine. Just.. distracted.” It’s a flimsy excuse, but it’s the honest truth. He takes a moment longer to tear his eyes away from the lady at the front of the room, tears pricking in his eyes despite himself. He can hear Buddy’s laughter and a soft sigh courtesy of Jet, but it’s Vespa’s returning remark that makes him flush, “You sure you don’t wanna go see him?”

Peter actually wants to run in the opposite direction, but that’s beside the point.

“I’m sure, now excuse me I have... things to do,” He says, his flustered tone unbidden by the microphone of the earpiece. It earns him another teasing laugh and he has to restrain himself from taking out the earpiece and chucking it across the room. It’s fine, he’s fine. He’s a professional.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The Helios royals were introduced first, of course -- the crowd clapped politely, loud and droning in Juno’s ears. Then it was their turn and the lights were too bright for Juno and he tried to keep the displeased look off his face. Everything was too bright, he knew he was gonna get too hot, and when all the introductions were done he was forced beside Diamond. They took each other’s hand and Juno once more tried to keep the displeasure from his face.

They both wave and bow and with one final ‘thank you’ the ball officially began. There is dancing and music -- not Juno’s personal choice, but something nice and floaty all together. The crowd was pleasant as they spoke and mingled and Juno was thankful that he didn’t have to go interact with anyone just yet. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Rita by the serving table, gathering a plate of hors d’oeuvres to pass around (he smirked a little to himself when he saw her sneak one of the snacks for herself).

Ben had already begun mingling with the guests, talking and laughing like he belonged there. He did, Ben was a much better royal than Juno fancied himself. Ben could talk to people, he could smile when he didn’t want to, and could make anyone laugh -- even the most stoic people. It had always been one of the traits Juno envied. The best thing Juno could do was to make light of his trauma. Though most people didn’t find it as funny as him.

At one point he decided he’d had enough standing around and began making his way through the crowd. Not really talking to anyone -- unless they engaged first, but the scowl he wore mostly prevented that. He liked having the ability to disappear from prying eyes, even if everyone knew his face and name. Just being another one of those faces was nice.

He broke off to go stand by the drink bar and grabbed himself a nice glass of wine. He wasn’t going to drink much, not right now anyway, but something to loosen the anxious grip of his stomach would be good. He takes slow sips, careful not to smudge his lipstick, and waits for Rita to return to the table. She does return, after a few minutes longer than Juno originally thought, with a bright smile on her face.

“Oh! Hi Boss! Sorry, I was talkin’ to this really pretty lady! She had the most gorgeous red hair and her son was super nice too! If you get a chance to talk to ‘em, you really should! I think they’re from off-planet, their accents are really nice soundin’!” She said as she began to round up another tray full and Juno made a note to himself to go find the mysterious woman that Rita had spoken of. Juno grabbed his own snack, something he didn’t know the name of but was sweet to the tongue, and let himself fall into the moment.

Rita couldn’t stay still for long, but the little conversation they had while she prepped was nice -- “No no, I remember that stream, it had butterflies in it, remember they went extinct like 300 years ago?” “Nuh-uh boss, you’re thinkin’ of that other one! The one with the biiiiig butterfly monster that ended up bein’ the main character’s cousin’s love interest? C’mon Mistah Steel that one’s a classic!”. When her tray was full, she gave Juno a look that said ‘we are finishing this discussion later’ and she disappeared into the crowd again. Juno missed her already.

It wasn’t long after that that Diamond decided to join Juno’s exploration of the floor. Hand on his lower back, she practically paraded him around, showing him off. Juno stayed quiet and smiled tensely, doing his best to keep his pleasantries. He sipped his wine, he kept his eye down, and he played the part he was assigned.

When Juno finished his wine, they danced. It was perfect and practiced, Juno did everything Ben taught him too and Diamond never stepped on his feet once. But it wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted it to be messy and fun -- full of laughter and apologies and stolen kisses. Juno’s daydreaming a little and he closes his eye to keep the look of pain off his face. He can feel Diamond staring at him as they spin around, careful to avoid any of the other couples. He opens his eye again to meet her gaze and sees her frowning.

“That cloth. You’re wearing it as an eyepatch now?” She says voice low and her disgust is barely concealed. Juno feels the hair on the back of his neck prickling and he does his best to keep himself level. “Yes, Rita helped me make it. Do you have a problem with it, Diamond?” Juno’s lip twitches just a little and he tightens his grip on Diamond’s shoulder. She stares for a moment longer before smiling, all teeth and incredibly fake. “Of course not, darling!” -- Juno shudders at the word and she smiles more -- “You look radiant tonight, by the way. I can’t wait to marry you tomorrow, Juno.”

Juno makes a noise that could vaguely be interpreted as “yeah same” before the dance ended and he broke away. He needed another drink -- maybe a few. His walk back to the table was done on his own, Diamond hanging back to chat with someone else who walked up to her. He thinks he might have been one of the Kanagawas, but he didn’t stick around long enough to check. He glances around and sees Ben chatting with someone, smiling easily and laughing like this was a regular day for him. Juno wishes once more that he could be as good as Ben was with this stuff.

The table is mostly empty, save for one or two people whispering loud enough that he can hear -- “Did you see what she was wearing? How dreadful, can’t believe she wore that to the ball” -- but his focus is more on the drinks. He reaches for one, only to knock hands with someone else. He retreats back and turns to apologize, only to be stopped by a face he’s never seen before. She’s very pretty -- mass of hair pulled up atop her head in a bun (Although carefully styled to cover one of her eyes. Juno relates.), jewels littering her entire person, and her dress makes her look more royal than Juno. He almost feels jealous. Almost.

“Oh excuse me, dear, I didn’t see you there! Though now that I think about it you are very hard to miss, my goodness what a lovely gown you’re wearing,” She says in an accent he can’t place, but she smiles at him. It’s familiar and unfamiliar all at once. There’s a look in her eyes -- almost like she recognizes him. Which isn’t strange, considering his face is one of the most popular ones here tonight, but it feels… off. Too ‘knowing’, in a sense. He pushes it away, though, and smiles politely in response, gesturing for her to go first. “Not a problem, Ma’am. Guests first,” He says and watches as she grabs one of the glasses. She doesn’t leave, as he expected of her -- instead she waits for him to grab his own, then she starts up a conversation.

“A wonderful palace you’ll be inheriting, your highness. Can’t say I’m not at least a little jealous. I’ve always wanted to live in a place like this. High ceilings and spacious rooms. Gold painted everything, oh what a magnificent life it must be,” Her words are careful and practiced, but they’re soothing. Something about her -- her posture, her elegance, her confidence -- makes Juno feel comfortable. So, instead of the usual pleasantness he forces, he snorts into his glass and says, “Yeah? Not all it’s cracked up to be, believe me. All this gold is spray paint.”

It’s not that funny of a joke, but she laughs boldly, placing her hand on her chest as she shudders. “Oh my! I’ve heard many things about you, darling, but I was never informed you were funny! How charming! You’ll make a fine queen,” She says as she relaxes, wiping her eye of an invisible tear. Juno nods and feels his face flush a little. Her compliments are nice, they aren’t all about his dress or his makeup or how pretty he is. He likes to be complimented for something other than his appearance every once in a while.

“Mm, thank you. That makes one of us who thinks that. I’ve never seen you before, are you new? Can’t place your accent,” He says, swirling the glasses in his hand, watching the liquid slosh this way and that but never enough to spill over the side. He glances up in time to see the woman smile and adjust one of her bracelets with her free hand. “My son and I are from off-planet, yes. My name is Irene Lace. We’re cousins of the Kanagawas, third removed is what my mother told me!” She says, full of confidence that Juno can’t help but believe. Almost. He knows, somewhere in his mind that that’s not right, but he’s not about to make a scene in front of the crowd. Not like it’s his problem, anyway.

“Oh really?” He says and glances at her. There’s a mischievous look in her eyes as she says her next words, “Yes dear! Very wonderful family, those Kanagawas, aren’t they? Oh, but where are my manners! You absolutely must meet my son, if I could just- Ah! There you are, Booker! Come here, darling, there’s someone I want you to see!” Juno doesn’t look at the approaching man, instead he takes a long drink from his glass. He’s gonna need it if he has to mingle anymore -- something tells him he’s in for a long chat.

And then he looks.

He brings the glass down fast and spits out the wine in his mouth, all over the man who just approached. There are multiple noises of surprise, but Juno doubles over in a panic to prevent seeing the man anymore.

He can’t bring himself to look up, not where he’s hunched over and covering his mouth, his eye squeezing shut. Is he really having hallucinations? Now? Someone must have drugged the drinks or- or something! Because that can’t be- He’s-

“Ju- Your highness? Are you alright?” The man says, his tone shaky, and Juno wants to scream. Because it’s his voice, it’s him-

“P- Nu- P-” He starts as he forces himself back up to look at the towering man before him -- he’s so close all he has to do is reach out and touch him and he’d be so warm and real -- only to feel a hand on his lower back. Diamond positions herself right at his side, rubbing soothing circles into the dress. It feels more like a brand and he forces himself not to flinch.

“Honey, you okay?” She says, her tone dripping with possession, and Juno wants to shove her away and run. But there are eyes on him -- his eyes, those beautiful brown eyes that shine like smoky quartz -- so he nods and waves the worry away. “F-Fine- just got- c-choked up-” He says through coughs and he can feel tears gathering in his eye. Goddammit, he’s going to ruin his makeup but he doesn’t care. He looks up and faces the pair before him once more.

Booker hasn’t even moved from where he’s been spit on, purple wine dripping down his skin where part of his chest had been exposed and the gold decal on his suit has been tinted slightly and god he’s so beautiful. He’s staring wide-eyed at Juno, probably just as surprised as he is. He feels like he’s going to faint. Irene places her hand on Booker’s arm and he seems to restart, taking in a sharp breath before putting on a dazzling smile and -- those teeth. His teeth.

It really is him. Peter Nureyev, in the fucking flesh. Alive.

“Forgive me, princess, I didn’t mean to startle you,” He says and his voice is deeper than the last time they spoke, but he’s putting on the same accent as Irene is. He’s taller too, much taller. Juno stopped growing and it seems Peter shot up and became a god damn mile long. He’s so… Juno wants to grab him and hug him or punch him or kiss him. He’s not sure, but he can’t get himself to-

“It’s uh… It’s okay, you just- look a lot like someone I used to know…” He says wearily and that wonderful smile grows, delight shining in his eyes as he looks at Juno with reverence. “Ah, I get that a lot. I’m told I have a very memorable face!”

“I’d never forget about you.”

“I’ll always come back, Juno.”

Diamond is looking between the two of them with a suspicious look and she looks like she wants to question them but Irene jumps in first, breaking the tension that has built. “Oh! Your Highness, I do want to ask you, since you know the lay of this land better than anyone, how are the housing prices? My son and I are thinking about moving in around here and we’d love to know the best spots to look-” She’s talking a lot and Diamond looks flustered. The rule of pleasantry has her stuck and Peter glances over once before holding out his hand -- he’s wearing gloves, Juno notices -- and his eyes grow soft. “Care for a dance, princess?”

“I… I’d love one,” Juno responds when he can get his wits together, taking his hand -- the texture under the glove feels wrong, like scars. Juno doesn’t ask, but his hand does tighten just a little bit. -- and lets himself be led to the dance floor. The wine has stained Peter’s skin a sticky purple, but he looks like he could care less as he positions himself accordingly and Juno follows suit. Juno’s hand on Peter’s shoulder, Peter’s hand on Juno’s waist. They’re probably too close for comfort, but he’s not pulling away if he can help it.

The dance begins and Juno gets a whiff of his cologne as he’s moved. It’s different than he remembers -- something more citrus and cool -- but something distinctly Nureyev under it all. Juno’s lip trembles and suddenly the hand on his hip has been moved to his face. Brushing the silk fabric against his lip, smearing his lipstick slightly, before moving up and letting his fingers brush over the eyepatch. Tracing the stitching. Juno watches him and sees his face twist as he too begins to grow teary-eyed. It takes all of Juno’s restraint not to kiss him then. Instead, he stutters out, quiet enough that no one who happens to be listening can hear, “I thought... God P- Booker, I thought you were dead.”

“I thought you left me…” Peter replies absentmindedly like he’s not really paying attention to his words, before his eyes go back into focus and he looks back down, at Juno’s face properly this time. “I was supposed to be, for a long time. I suppose Ben told you about what happened?” Juno flinches slightly at the words -- not from an accusation, but from the mere thought that Juno would even think of abandoning Peter -- before he nods and leans into the touch. Peter’s hand is still warm, still gentle, even under the glove -- even after all this time. Solid and real.

“Ben told me that you got taken away… And Sasha told me you had died down there when I asked her and there’s no way she’d lie to me and- I mourned you for so long… And now you’re here, right here and-” Juno gets choked up and he whimpers, turning to press his face into Peter’s palm. Peter’s hand twitches slightly, most likely involuntarily, and he pulls Juno into his chest. It’s wildly inappropriate for their different statuses, but neither can bring themselves to care. Just another face in the crowd.

“I’m sorry, my love. I’m sorry I left you and you had to think I was gone. I’m here now though and I promise- I won’t leave without you, not again,” Peter’s tone is desperate and determined and he pulls away to cup Juno’s chin carefully. Juno looks up at Peter’s face and he can see the glasses he’s wearing -- rectangular and small that do wonders for his cheekbones -- and the earrings -- Juno knows those earrings.

“A-Are those-?” He asks and Peter smiles a little, taking his hands away for a quick second to unhook the earring from his ear -- the one without the crack in it -- and drops it gently into Juno’s hand. “I couldn’t bring myself to sell them, no matter how much I needed the money. It was a gift from you and you’re more important to me than anything else,” He mumbles quietly as Juno closes his fist around it and places it close to his heart.

He looks over Juno’s shoulder to somewhere across the room -- back at the table, probably. His eyes narrow just the tiniest bit. -- before he leans down just slightly to get close to Juno’s ear. From here, Juno can hear the slight crackling of the earpiece he’s wearing, though not what anyone on the other end is saying. “I’m leaving tomorrow,” Peter starts, startling Juno from his daydreaming, but he continues on, like he has to get the words out before the dance ends,

“After we finish getting what we came for from Demetrios, we’re getting on our ship and leaving Mars. I’m not sure when we’ll be back -- if we ever will be. But Juno- I want you to come with me. I don’t want to leave you here, not when I just got you back.” He pulls away to look at Juno’s face and there is a wild look in his eyes, desperate and yearning. Juno can’t bring himself to speak, so Peter continues. As he does, he crowds Juno a bit and slowly dips him towards the ground, supporting him as he does and letting his head fall back to the floor. Peter’s face hovers above his slightly and it would only take a second to close the gap-

“You don’t have to decide right away. We still have a little bit more to get before we can leave, but at most I can promise 10 am. I can’t leave without my earring, so I will come back to get it before I go. If you are wearing it, then I will assume you want to come with me. And if you’re not…” His face falls at the thought, but he quickly goes back to a slightly nervous-neutral, “Then I will leave you be, take the earring, and you’ll never see me again. I realize this is a lot to ask of you, Juno. You have a lot you’re leaving behind if you come with me. I can’t promise that you’ll be safe or even happy for most of it. But I can promise you my… my love, all of the love I have in my heart -- it’s yours.”

He’s shaking as he brings Juno back up to a straightened stance and Juno wants to kiss the look of fear off his face. But he knows there’s no time -- the song is coming to an end. He takes a breath and nods quickly, gripping the earring tight in his hand as they break away from one another. Peter looks at Juno, keeping his hand on his back and waist for as long as he can, before he finally pulls away. They stand face to face a few feet away, and Peter bows, taking Juno’s hand and pressing a soft kiss to his knuckle before he straightens up once more. Then, as the people around them begin to move and shift to change partners, he disappears inside, another faceless member of the crowd.

Juno stands in the middle, watching the people mingle and move like water around him, his heartbeat loud in his ears. After all these years, Peter is here and alive and he still offers to take Juno away from everything -- to rescue him. That childhood promise that Juno had long since pushed aside is now, quite literally, dropped into his hand. And for one brief, brief moment his head is above water and he can breathe for the first time in years. He sees the lights and the colors and the world looks so very beautiful once again. Then he’s quickly brought back down by a hand on his shoulder.

“Juno?” Diamond says, sounding annoyed and tense. He turns to look at her, keeping the earring closed tight in his fist. “Hm?” He hums, in lieu of a proper answer, and the annoyance deepens before she smiles and says, “Where’s your friend? The really tall one?” Juno turns back, hoping briefly he’d see him again. He doesn’t and Juno’s mind screams at him that it was all a dream, that Peter really is dead -- but the back of the earring pokes at Juno’s skin and he knows. He knows.

“I assume he’s off to go meet other people. It is a party, after all, Diamond,” Juno replies, continuing to look around. He sees Irene talking with Rita once more, a bright smile on her face as she laughs about something. They look like they get along, that’s good. He sees Ben, talking with someone else near the entrance to the hallway and Juno remembers once more that the clock is ticking. He looks back at Diamond finally and smiles. “Excuse me, I need to go, uh, powder my nose. I’ll be back, please go mingle and have fun!” He doesn’t let her answer, instead breaking away and bee-lining for the hall.

He taps Ben twice on the arm as he passes and hears him apologize to the person he’s talking to before excusing himself as well. They walk in silence, Juno slightly ahead and Ben doing his best to catch up before Juno stops and drags Ben into the nearest room -- which just so happens to be one of the downstairs bathrooms.

Juno can’t bring himself to say anything for a long second, instead pacing the floor as the train of his dress is dragged this way and that. The bathroom is large and his footsteps echo, heels clicking loudly as Ben stands by the door with his arms crossed. He doesn’t look annoyed, just confused. Juno needs to get his breathing under control before he can actually say anything but he can’t and oh god he’s going down-

Ben catches him before his knees can hit the ground and they both lower themselves until they’re sitting side by side on the floor, leaning against the farthest wall. With the bathroom door locked, they are left alone in their privacy. Finally, Ben voices his confusion, “Juno, what happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” How can he respond to that? He technically very much has.

He doesn’t answer, not directly. Instead, he motions for Ben to open his hand and drops the earring into it. Ben takes longer to recognize the gem, but when he does his eyes widen and his jaw drops open with a gasp. “H-He’s-”

“Peter’s alive.”

Chapter Text

The words hang in the air like fog. It’s heavy and light all at once and they echo slightly in the linoleum bathroom. They whisper back to him, promises of new beginnings and quiet moments and kisses stolen in dances. Promises beget commitments and the name that he hasn’t spoken aloud in nearly two years hits him hard in his head and heart.

Alive.

Juno can’t help it; He laughs. He throws his head back and lets out an open-throated cry to the unusually high ceiling as the words hit him all over again. His scent, his eyes, his smile, his being. So old yet so new. So small yet so large in the space of Juno’s heart. He laughs and he weeps, loudly echoing in the space of infinity he’s found himself in. In here, with his brother who’s still staring so intently at the gem in his hand, he’s safe and free.

He cries until he cannot anymore, he laughs until his throat is hoarse. If it wasn’t for the party outside, maybe he’d scream. Maybe he does, he’s not sure. It’s so hard to think, so hard to breathe, when the color comes back and he remembers how to feel things. He metaphorically stands on two shaky legs as he runs towards those feelings and leaps into the open air where he knows loving arms will catch him.

What else is there to do?

“Juno… I can’t- but how? Sasha said that he died down there, that he-” Ben starts and stops, unable to wrap his head around the how and the why. But why did it matter? Why did it matter when he was here and he was- He was leaving. Juno’s fantasy screeches to a halt at the remembrance of his words.

I’m leaving, Juno, and I want you to come with me.

Juno’s face falls and he drops his hands down into his lap, staring at the purple dress with the gold decals. He bunches it up and so desperately wants to tear it off. Silk against his face and lips feels like fire now at the realization that Peter will be leaving soon. It burns and it aches and Juno doesn’t know what to do.

“Juno, what does-” “He’s leaving, tomorrow. He’s uh… I’m not sure how much I can tell you, but he’ll be leaving Mars,” Juno says softly, interrupting his brother from where he had begun to ask a question that Juno would probably not know the answer to. He’s got too many questions of his own, anyway. For instance, why him? Why Juno? Why had Peter spent his entire life waiting for him?

Ben interrupts his questions with a soft noise of sympathy and places his hand on Juno’s arm. “Shit, Juno, are you okay? D-Do you wanna go back out there and find him? Maybe you can convince him to stay-” Juno laughs again, bringing his hands up and hiding his face, smearing the makeup that had already run down his cheeks. The eyepatch is soaked on the inside and Juno pushes it up off his face until the scarred tissue is exposed.

“He asked me to go with him,” Juno says to the open air, facing the door on the far side of the wall instead of his brother. Admitting it out loud makes it even more real and Juno sucks in another shaky breath as he pulls the eyepatch down and presses it against his chest. He’ll have to get another one before he can face the crowd again, but for now, he lets his face show -- smeared makeup and scars and all.

Ben falls silent, not looking at Juno either, rolling the earring in his hand for a little bit longer before he closes his fist around it.

“Okay, so when are you leaving?”

Juno turns to him faster than either of them probably thought natural in his bulky dress and balks at him like he just asked him to do a fucking flip in said dress. Juno gapes, mouth opening and closing in false starts before he finally shrieks, “W-What the hell do you mean?”

“I mean,” Ben says, with an exasperated tone, like the question is the most simple thing he could ask, “When are you leaving? You’re going with him, aren’t you?” He asks that like it’s a lunch question -- like he doesn’t know Juno wants the same thing every time he asks. Like this isn’t the biggest decision of his life.

Juno flounders again, gripping the cloth in his hands and bunching it up. It feels cool against his warm palm, sweaty with nerves and he takes in a shuddering breath as he answers, “I-” And then he stops. Because he’s not sure what he wants. He loves Peter, god more than anything does he, but leaving Mars? Leaving his livelihood, his people, his friends, his family? His brother? How can he do that? He couldn’t, it wouldn’t be fair.

“I-I have a responsibility to be here, to take care of Hyperion and Helios-” Juno starts and is quickly shot down by a barking laugh from his brother, standing up with quickness that could only be achieved by one who takes dance class more days than he doesn’t. Ben turns to look down at Juno where he sits on the floor in a crumpled heap of fabric and emotions and Juno suddenly feels so very small comparatively.

“Juno, cut the bullshit. You’re miserable here -- it doesn’t take a fucking expert to see that. You go through the motions day in and day out, but I know you. Your smile is fake and your eyes are dim. The only time I ever saw you truly light up was with him. You can’t keep burning the candle at both ends, you’re going to- Juno you almost died because of Diamond and you want to stay here? With her?”

Ben’s voice started off calm and quickly rose to a fever pitch, shaking with unchecked anger and frustration as he metaphorically shook his older brother around by his shoulders. Juno felt thoroughly shaken up and tossed around in a sandstorm, but the only thing he could make himself dispute was, “I-I never said it was Diamond’s fault-”

“I’m not a fucking idiot, you know? I see how wary you are around her, how tense you get. I know your signs Juno, I know when you don’t want to be touched or talked to and she does them anyway. You don’t even try to fight her on it. I’ve never seen you look so fucking helpless than when you’re next to her. It wasn’t hard to figure it out, you know. Rita knows too, though I feel like she’s had her own first-hand experience. Whatever, doesn’t matter- Juno you should go.”

He’s trembling by the end of his speech once more and Juno knows that he’s angry. Not at Juno, no. At Diamond, at the situation, at… himself, probably. Juno shifts where he is to face his brother more openly and swallows hard. Ben’s never let him get away with any of his shit, but having it thrown back in his face like this is… difficult, to say the least. But he continues to try and push his way through nonetheless.

“What about you?” Juno asks quietly and Ben sighs softly. His shoulders drop and he walks over, dropping in front of Juno and taking his hands. Face to face, eye to eye, Juno feels like the younger twin. “What about me? In case you forgot, Juno, tomorrow’s my birthday too. I’m a royal too. I know you mean the best for me, but I can take care of myself. I can take care of Hyperion and Helios and everything else. And, I actually like being a prince. Unlike you, who would throw the chance away in a heartbeat. So why are you hesitating? Juno, your out is right in front of you.”

“I-I can’t… I can’t leave you… o-or Rita, how could I leave Rita like that?” Juno tries again and his voice sounds weaker like he’s losing whatever battle is going on inside his head. Ben squeezes his hands and smiles, crooked and perfect and the exact opposite of Juno’s -- at least, in his perspective. “So? See if she wants to come with you. I don’t think Rita would miss the chance to get away from Diamond either, especially if it meant going with you. Love her to death, but she’s your friend, I’d feel awful keeping her here. And me? Juno, I wouldn’t go anyway.”

Juno blinks at him, opening his mouth to question before it shuts up tight and he laughs a little, dropping his head to look at his lap, keeping his grip tight on his twin’s hands, “Mick. You wouldn’t leave Mick.” Ben smiles at Juno’s words and nods before he continues, “I doubt you’d wanna take him with you on your grand space journey. I think we’re both suited here. Besides, someone’s gotta take over for mom when she goes. No offense Juno, you’d probably be dead before then if you stayed here.”

Juno doesn’t argue, because how can he? He’s right, he probably would be dead. If alcohol poisoning didn’t kill him, then running his mouth one too many times definitely would. Or assassins, that’s an option too. But the first two feel more fitting. Juno sighs heavily and leans his head back, thumping it softly against the wall behind him. His eye closes and he sighs heavily. Ben stays still, watching him, the earring still kept tight in his hand. Finally, Juno reopens his eye and he frowns softly, “I-I don’t know-”

“There’s still time, right? He’s leaving tomorrow, so you’ve still got tonight. Come on, let’s get back out there before mom and Diamond realize we’ve vanished,” Ben says, tugging on Juno’s hands to help pull him up on his feet. Juno rises easily, eyepatch in one hand. Juno goes to move forward before he catches sight of himself in the mirror and grimaces. “Shit, I can’t go out there looking like this, I look like I just got a bucket of water dumped on me-” Juno hisses, cursing his emotional core before Ben shuts him down with a snort.

“I mean, I guess technically you did? Just in a metaphorical sense instead of a literal one. I’ll go get you a new eyepatch and your makeup, you clean yourself up, and then I’ll help you get fixed back up, deal?” He says, holding out his hand for Juno to take the earring back. He does and holds it close, putting the eyepatch as well as the gem into his bra before nodding at his brother. Ben smiles and finally hurries his way out and towards Juno’s room.

Alone with his thoughts, Juno faces the mirror properly as he begins to clean up the makeup he had ruined with his tears. Mascara streaks down his cheeks, lipstick smeared on the back of his hands (and probably some on Peter’s glove, a thought that makes his heart beat faster for a brief moment), and his foundation a mess. He wets a towel and cleans himself up as best he can, watching his movements in the mirror.

He lets his mind wander as he waits for his brother to return, thinking carefully about his words. ‘You’re miserable here, Juno,’ He had said and Juno curses him softly for being too perceptive for his own good. Wasn’t Juno supposed to be the detective of the family? When had Ben gotten so fucking smart? No, that’s not fair to him. Ben’s always been good at reading people, it’s really not strange for him to be good at reading the very person he’s been stuck with since birth.

Juno sighs heavily and lets his head fall forward, watching the water run out of the sink before he goes to wet the towel again. His makeup is staining the once white cloth, but he really can’t find it in him to give a shit about that right now. He’s got too much on his mind to think about right now. He can’t leave, it wouldn’t be right. Right? Juno scrubs his face raw as he tries to justify why he has to stay. But Ben’s words hit him hard again.

Would it be okay if he left? He trusted Ben with his life and the kingdom by proxy, Ben’s always been the better at speaking to their people. He’s the better prince and that’s… not a bad thing. Just like he’s the better dancer, it’s something Juno is happy to let him lead in. Plus, Ben is happy here. He has Mick, he has his dancing, he can be himself. Juno doesn’t even know who he is. He sighs again and drops the towel with a wet thunk on the countertop.

When Ben gets back, he places the new eye patch down beside the makeup kit (a plain black one that’s Juno’s usual everyday wear). Juno sits up on the counter, out of the way of the wet towel and the kit, and stays silent as Ben begins to reapply his makeup -- not as extravagant as before but Juno doesn’t mind. First, his eye and Juno can’t help but shudder as the brush tickles his skin.

It’s quiet like that for a while -- the sounds of the ball going on around them outside, muffled by the walls being the only noise that stays consistent -- before Ben finally breaks it with a soft noise and a question as he puts on Juno’s lipstick. “Juno, when was the last time you did anything for yourself? Not for me, or Hyperion, or Helios, or what the fuck ever else. Just for you and you alone.” Juno waits until the lipstick is applied before he goes to answer.

And then he promptly shuts his mouth.

Because he can’t answer that question. Everything he’s done in his nearly 21 years of existence, he cannot name a single moment he’s ever been selfish. A lot of people would probably think that’s noble for a royal -- oh he’s so giving and caring, he’d do anything for the people around him -- but it’s so… sad, honestly. Juno’s lip trembles as he tries not to cry again.

Ben doesn’t expect an answer, because he moves past it and ties the patch on Juno for him. Then, he puts his hands on his sibling’s shoulder and gets his attention. “Go find Rita and talk to her. See what she wants and think about what you want too, okay? I’ll be fine, Hyperion will be fine. For once in your life, Juno, listen to your heart.” Juno can only nod and Ben pulls away. “Good. Now, you head back and I’ll take your stuff back to your room. Good luck, Super Steel.”

Juno leaves, mouth twisted up in frustration as he makes his way out to the ballroom again. Sarah’s eyes find his back instantly and he ignores her, heading into the crowd and disappearing amongst the people. He’s not sure how long it takes to lose her gaze, but soon enough the warmth that had left him feeling floaty is back and he’s swept away again. It’s good, letting himself get lost in the pleasantries. He looks for Peter and Irene once more, but when there’s no sign of them, he changes tactics. He goes to find Rita.

She’s not hard to spot out of the crowd, bright pink hair redyed recently gives a good contrast to the otherwise boring outfits that everyone else wears. She’s just about finished with her most recent trip around the floor when Juno spots her. He beelines for her easily, doing everything short of shoving everyone out of the way to get to her.

The last finger food is snatched up the second Juno finally makes it to her and she nearly runs face-first into his chest because of it. “Wa- Mistah Steel! There you are! You were gone for like- ever! Hey did you change your makeup? And where’s your eyepatch? Did you lose it? Oh no, Boss, I’ll help you look where’d you last-” ''I-I’ve got it, Rita,” He interrupts, his words a little choked up despite his best efforts. Rita freezes instantly before she lifts up the tray to block off any prying eyes as she leans up to whisper,

“Mistah Steel, you okay? You look faint, do you wanna go find somewhere to hide?” Juno nods instantly before he stops and swallows hard then continues, “Actually, I need to talk to you. About something… important. It’d be best if we found somewhere to discuss this properly.” Rita has already taken Juno’s hand before he can finish those words and they’re sneaking out back through the service entrance, covered by the crowd from any more eyes.

They walk until they make it to the big room, where a bunch of the other servants have been hidden for most of the night. They watch as Juno and Rita pass, though they turn back to their own hushed conversations easily. They keep walking until Rita sits heavily on a bed near the back and gestured for Juno to do the same. He does it easily and begins bunching his dress up in his hands as he figures out how he’s going to ask this question. Rita watches him, pushing a piece of hair that had fallen out from her bun back behind her ear and cleaning her glasses with her apron as she waits, patient and calm. Juno is once again grateful for her presence.

“S-So… Rita, I don’t know how to put this delicately so I’m just gonna... rip off the bandaid. My uh… M-My, uh, ‘loverboy’, as you said... is alive,” He says in a rush, avoiding saying his name since they were still in public, technically. Rita nearly drops her glasses in her rush to stand and squeals as she grabs Juno’s hands. “He’s WHAT!? Mistah Steel, you mean it? You saw him? Who? Where? That’s amazing!” Of course, she’s excited for him, Rita knows more than anyone -- maybe even more than Ben -- just how much he missed Peter. He laughs a little as she jumps up and down, his arms bouncing with her movement.

“I-It’s uh- Long story and I don’t have time to tell you now. But, Rita listen to me, this is important,” He says and she stops her bouncing. Her expression goes serious and it’s so jarring from the excitement from a second ago that Juno nearly gets whiplash. Serious Rita is always something that makes Juno’s stomach twist -- in a good way. “Okay... Okay, so he asked me to leave with him. I’ve already talked to Ben and he’s.. He’s going to stay no matter what. So... That just leaves you. Rita, I… I want you to come with me. I-If I go, I still haven’t decided if I’m even going but I wouldn’t leave you. So, I need your answer. Would you come with me if I left with him?”

She doesn’t even hesitate, “Mistah Steel what kinda question is that? Of course, I’d come with you! You’re my best friend and I ain’t leavin’ you! A-And the fact that you want me to go, oh, Boss you love me!” She says as she hugs the other, pulling him into her form as she hides her face in his neck and shakes. Juno freezes for only a second before he hugs her back, letting out a shaky sigh. “Yeah, yeah I do Rita… and Ben and god... God, I love him too. I just- I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

Rita pulls back to look at him properly. She holds his shoulders, sniffling a little as tears still stream down her cheeks and her eyes are big behind her glasses, watery too, but she looks so confident it makes Juno feel like he can conquer anything. “Whatever you decide, Boss, I’m gonna be there with you, okay? You and me. You ain’t gettin’ rid of me that easily, you got it?” Juno laughs and drops his head onto her shoulders, where he nods and whispers to the air, “Got it, Rita.” Satisfied, Rita pulls away enough to look at him again.

“How long do we have?” She asks and Juno checks the clock on the wall. It’s nearly 11 pm. “11 hours, give or take,” Juno responds, bunching his dress again. It’s so terribly wrinkled now but that’s the least important thing on his mind. Rita nods a few times like she’s debating something, before she squares her shoulders and says, “Alright, then let’s go out there and finish up this ball with style. If it’s gonna be our last one I want it to be great!”

Juno nods gently as he forces himself to his feet. The heels are digging into the back of his ankles, but he closes his eyes and lets himself relax. He’s got time. Not a lot, but still time to decide. It is a big decision, but it’s ultimately his and his alone. He lets Rita lead him back to the ballroom, careful not to get caught by any curious guests. Rita watches over Juno for a while before she’s called away for another job and Juno floats through the crowd like he’s on air.

He can’t even remember the rest of the ball after that. He dances, he avoids the drinks to keep his mind clear, he talks and laughs with strangers that he’ll never remember the names of. Ben and Rita keep their eyes on him. He even avoids Diamond for the rest of the night. All in all, the rest of the dance was… unremarkable. The earring stabs into his chest a few times if he moves too roughly and it’s another reminder of the inevitable choice he’s making.

When the ball ends, Juno’s swaying on his feet from exhaustion, but as he makes his way back to the room he’d been sleeping in. He undresses and cleans his face and gets ready for bed, but sleep does not find him. So, he stays awake, mind racing with different scenarios. Good and bad and ugly and wonderful, everything passes through his thoughts at least once as he paces the floor on his already blistered feet.

He doesn’t even realize morning has come until Rita opens the door and finds him staring at himself in the mirror. She brings him back down to reality and then he’s off to get dressed for his wedding. The dress is beautiful -- white and lacy that covers his entire body with a veil that will cover his face until he’s up there with Diamond. His makeup is simple in comparison but he doesn’t recognize himself as he stands there with maids on either side doing last-minute checks.

He can hear the hustle and bustle of people running around outside and at one point both Ben and Rita enter the room. The maids finish up their prepping and then they leave. Finally, Juno is alone. It’s quiet for only a second before Rita jumps up from where she had been squirming in her seat, obviously unable to keep quiet any longer. “Mistah Steel, what’s your decision? You don’t have much more time,” She says and Ben places a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. She does and Juno keeps looking at himself in the mirror. The earring is sitting on the table, shiny and beautiful; it shouldn’t look this new, not after all these years, when did Peter get it cleaned up? It almost taunts him with the impossible.

He stares at the lady he is now and sees a future that terrifies him. “What if…” He starts, then stops, his mouth twisting downward in a frown before he continues, his hands trembling a little where they rest on the vanity, “What if he regrets asking me to come with him? I-I mean, what if it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be? What if I’m not?” The questions are asked to no one in particular, just a few of the many ones he’d been thinking about all night. Neither of them has an answer for Juno, but they don’t need to. Because someone else answers instead.

“I doubt that highly, my love,” comes a familiar voice from the entrance of the room. None of them heard him enter, like the ghost he had been only a day prior. Juno turns and standing by the doorway, door closed and back resting against it, is Peter Nureyev. Ben gasps softly, still not having believed he was alive. There’s no use denying it when the man himself is standing right there. Rita drops back into her seat as she looks between the lanky man and her best friend, gripping the sides of her seat in awe. Juno knows she’s having all sorts of memories of stream reunions right about now.

He’s wearing a servant’s uniform and a pair of white cotton gloves and Juno isn’t sure why he still looks so beautiful like this -- frumpy clothes barely fitting him properly, like he’d been in a rush when ransacking the uniforms -- but he looks… incredible. How can he look so good like this, somehow better than he did last night? Ethereal and too good to be true. But real and here all the same.

Juno steps forward, then stops, then decides better, and moves forward once more. It takes him all of two steps to meet Peter halfway and then they’re embracing, clinging to one another like the world would end if they let go. Juno lets out a soft sob into his ear and Peter shudders against his form. “Oh, Juno…” He whispers into the side of his head, breathing pushing his curls slightly, and pulls away just enough to look down at him, gaze full of reverence and worship.

And the answer appears in his mind so easily. Like it was the easiest decision he’s ever had to make like he’d been asked what he wanted for lunch -- which was the same damn thing every time. Years of loneliness and misery and heartache, all of it still so fresh in his mind and the scars still so present on his form. Yet Peter still looks at him like he’s worth something like he’s valuable and beautiful.

And the conclusion he comes to is so simple, how could he have thought of anything else?

“Yes. Yes, Ye- I want to go, Peter please.”

The world falls away as Peter’s eyes light up behind his glasses. He looks beautiful, mouth wide in a wonderful smile that shows off his teeth and looks nearly painful with the way it pulls on his cheeks but god, Juno would rather die than live without that smile again. The emotions they both have, the ones they’ve had for so very long spill over and Peter’s hands find their way to Juno’s face and then he’s being pulled in and they’re kissing and the world expands and contracts and everything is right again.

Because Peter is here and they’re together and everything’s going to be okay. He’s come home.

Chapter Text

Somewhere near the wall, someone clears their throat.

Juno and Peter break apart so fast they nearly trip over themselves, flushing dark red with embarrassment at the reminder that there are, in fact, other people in the room. Juno looks over first and sees Ben smirking at him, as well as Rita about to jump out of her seat.

Oh! Right, Rita.

“Wait- Okay, so I’m going, but I’m taking Rita with me. I’m not- I’m not leaving her behind,” Juno says, turning to face Peter once more, bunching the front of his dress. He’s nervous, if this is a deal-breaker for Peter then he’s prepared to stand his ground and stay on the ground.

But Peter blinks at him for only a moment before he smiles. “Oh? Well, that’s quite alright, the Captain adored her. She’ll be happy to know she’s coming along.” Then he turns to face Ben and his expression changes, just a little, but he’s still smiling, “Ben? Where’s your stance?”

Ben stands, slowly, and approaches Peter cautiously. There’s a story there that neither of them is telling him and Juno wants so badly to ask. But Ben makes it over and just pulls him into a hug, startling a noise out of the lanky man. He hesitates but eventually returns the hug. Juno’s eyes watch his shirt tug around his collar, where more of his neck was exposed due to the wide collars of the uniforms than the suit he wore last night. And Juno’s stomach drops when he sees something.

Burns. They’re old and healed but Juno knows… they weren’t there last time.

When Ben pulls away, he’s smiling a little, but it’s watery with emotion, “Mm, I’m not coming. But god it’s- It’s so good to see you, Peter, I’m- I-I’m so-” “Apology accepted, Benten,” Peter says easily and squeezes his shoulders before stepping back. Ben blinks at him, brow furrowed, and looks like he’s about to open his mouth before Peter continues, “You don’t have to explain. You did what was best for you and I’m not exactly a moral compass when it comes to being selfless. Please, it’s- It’s alright, really. I don’t want any apologies right now.”

Ben gapes, silently before he closes his mouth, breathes in hard, and then nods in understanding. “Okay… Okay yeah, it’s- Alright.”

Juno makes a mental note to ask about that later.

“Boss,” Rita suddenly gasps, forces herself out of her seat, startling all three of them, though she doesn’t give any of them time to process before she continues, “you didn’t tell me your loverboy was Mistah Lace! I knew he looked familiar before I couldn’t place where he was from but then I got to thinkin’ about it and I was like ‘that guy looks a lot like Mistah Lace from last night’- And it is him! If I had known I woulda-! Well, I don’t know what I woulda done but! That’s amazing, I knew I had a good feeling about the dace!” Rita walks over to Peter, who smiles at her easily, exposing his tooth, before she says, “Hi Mistah Lace, it’s good to see you again!”

“Call me Peter, dear. Peter Nureyev. You’re coming to live with us, it’s only fair you know my real name,” He says quietly, holding out his hand for her to shake. She blinks behind her cat eyeglasses before she returns the smile, almost devilishly, and the handshake plan is quickly overrun by a hug of her own, a quiet ‘oof’ coming out of Peter’s mouth as he’s almost knocked over with force. Juno understands the feeling, but he’s glad that they’re getting along already. Even if she called him ‘loverboy’ out in the open like that -- how embarrassing --, Juno is going to fire her later for it.

Peter looks over at Juno and his expression softens easily, smiling at him gently. Juno can’t help but smile back and, god, he knows he’s tearing up but he can’t help it. It’s so hard not to get emotional on your wedding day. “Loverboy?” He finally asks, his smile turning morphing into a smirk, and Juno’s laugh sounds more like a sob when it comes out, but he mumbles quietly in response, “Shuddup, I didn’t tell her your name so that’s what she’s been calling you, don’t make fun of me-” that gets a chuckle in return, and Peter brushes his hand over Juno’s arm with how close they are.

“So,” Ben suddenly says, startling everyone back to reality as Rita finally pulls away from Peter and all eyes turn to him, “What’s the plan?” Peter makes a noise of acknowledgment before he begins fishing around in the pockets of the uniform. He’s mumbling curses to himself as he does, nose scrunching up -- how deep are those pockets? -- before his eyes light up at his discovery. Then, he pulls out two earpieces.

“These,” He says before holding his hand out to both Juno and Rita, “are for you two. They’ll allow you to communicate with the crew and each other.” They both take their respective piece and push it into their ear, though with no call going currently there’s no one on the other end. When he’s done with that, he turns to Ben and pulls out his comms.

“This is for you. This is my own personal comms for contacting the crew and when Juno gets added into the system, you’ll be able to contact him. I can always get another comms, but I’m not going to leave without giving you some way to communicate with him,” Peter says and Ben stares at him like he’s offered him jewels or something equally as valuable. He takes the comms slowly before he once more pulls Peter into a hug. Peter looks prepared for it though, because his expression is softer this time.

“It also has some… information on there that you’ll need for later. It’s about… Takano,” Peter says after a moment before he leans in, close to Ben's ear, and whispers something to him very softly. Juno cannot make out what it is, but Ben’s eyebrows press close together in confusion before realization flashes across his face. He opens his mouth to speak only to be cut off again and he grimaces.

Then he nods and grips the comms a little tighter. Juno makes out Peter saying, “Do with that info what you will,” and then they pull back to look at each other. Ben thanks Peter a few times, stumbling over himself, and Peter chuckles before shushing him. “It’d be unfair of me to split the twins apart any more than they already have been. Though, that said, I believe it is time for us to depart.”

Rita bounces excitedly in place, flapping her hands, her pink hair bobbing with her movement, “Oh this is so exciting! I’ve never been off-planet! Or in a spaceship! I bet it looks beautiful! Oh, do they have snacks? I’ll need to go get lots of salmon-flavored dusty crunchies, I absolutely cannot go anywhere without them! Though I bet there’d be a lot of neat snacks to try on other planets, I can’t wait to try them!” Peter laughs quietly at her enthusiasm, but it’s not condescending. Peter looks like he knows the feeling.

“W-Wait-” Juno says suddenly, surprising himself and everyone looks over. Peter’s expression shifts to one of worry and Juno scrambles to fix it before he can look any sadder, “I’m still going! But I don’t… wanna leave just like that. If this is going to be my last day on Mars, I just really… really wanna fuck with Diamond before I go. I think she deserves to be put in her place a little bit.”

Everyone stares with wide eyes at the admission, before a laugh rings out. Peter’s face lights up so bright, smile wide with mischief, his teeth exposed. “Oh, my love, I never thought you’d ask. I do have one idea that I’d love to pull off -- only if you’re willing, of course.” Juno has never seen Peter look so excited before and it makes him giddy with nerves. “I trust you, Peter,” Juno says and Peter giggles quietly, flexing his trembling hands.

“Yes, yes!” He claps once as he says this before he turns to look at Rita, “Alright, Miss Rita I do need you to come with me. Juno, if you would feel more comfortable calling her to make sure you know where she’s going, then that’s perfectly alright, but she will be much safer on the Carte Blanche for this scenario. Is that satisfactory?” Juno looks down at Rita and Rita looks back at him. She’s swaying on her toes, ready to bounce once more and Juno feels the sentiment of his words all over again. He trusts Peter, Rita will be okay.

“No, I don’t need to call. What about me though, what do I need to do?” Juno asks as Rita makes her way back over to Peter, stopping to stand beside him. The height difference between them is incredibly notable now, which Juno finds even funnier since Rita is the oldest out of all of them. This scene works out great, in the end, because two servants making their way through the halls are very nonsuspicious. It’d be much harder to sneak out Juno in a wedding gown, he thinks. “D-Do I need to change, or-?” Peter shakes his head and holds up his hand, “You’re perfect as is, love. Just go about the day like nothing has happened and I’ll come collect you later.”

Juno nods and lets out a heavy sigh, shaking his nerves out from his shoulders. “Okay. Then I’ll see you soon, Nureyev. Be safe. I l- I’ll miss you,” Juno responds after a moment, going to confess something before shutting his mouth and retreating with something else. Different time, different place. He can tell him when they’re safe. Peter smiles again and makes his way over, pressing a gentle kiss to Juno’s cheek in response -- a promise for reunion. Juno watches the two of them leave then, Rita slightly behind and vibrating out of her skin with giddiness as she excitedly asks him questions about everything all at once.

With the door closed, that leaves Juno and Ben on their own.

“So… This is it, huh?” Ben says, pocketing the comms he had been death gripping moments before, turning to look at Juno. Juno looks over and sees the same expression of awe and bittersweetness on his face that he knows mirrors his own. “I-I guess so…” Juno whispers back. It’s harder to think about, now that it’s in his face, but he knows he’s made the right decision. Ben smiles at him and they embrace, grasping at each other as they try to shove their affections into however long it’ll be before they see each other once more.

“I’m gonna miss you, Ben,” Juno says, voice breaking in a quiet sob as he shoves his face into his sibling’s neck. Ben nods in agreement, gripping him tight and pulling him as close as possible. It’s hard to make Ben drop his cheerful facade, and feeling him tremble against his form now makes Juno want to cry even more. But when Ben pulls away, he’s smiling at him so wide Juno worries he’s going to split his cheek.

“You did it, Juno. You made a choice for yourself. I’m so proud of you,” Ben says this so very softly to the space between them and Juno has to grip onto Ben’s shoulders to keep his knees from going out right there.

Because it’s true, he did do something selfishly for once in his life and now he’s going to be free of the birdcage that he’s been trapped in. It makes him lightheaded with excitement.

“I-I did, didn’t I?” Juno whispers and then laughs, a little hysterically, to himself. It’s good, he feels good. Bittersweet in its entirety but good all the same. “You did. Now, when you get to space, you’ve gotta take so many pictures for me, okay? I wanna know everything, see everything, god I can’t believe my brother’s gonna be a god damn space pirate. Does this count as a fugitive thing? Are you a criminal now?”

Juno laughs louder, sniffling and fanning his face to keep his makeup from running anymore. It’s good to joke like this. He really will miss his brother, his home, and his people. Even his mom to an extent, but this is a chance for a new life that he won’t be avoiding. He’s tired of avoiding the good things.

There’s a knock on the door soon after that and a maid opens the door and greets them easily. “Happy Birthday, your Highnesses. The ceremony is beginning soon, they asked me to come get you both. Congratulations, Princess Juno,” She says when she rights herself, soothing out her uniform and smiling very widely. Juno looks around the room to make sure he didn’t forget anything, pausing long enough to grab the earring from the table, putting it in his ear. The weight is familiar and unfamiliar all at once and it comforts him. Then, he takes a breath and nods, squeezing Ben’s hand once before he moves forward, “Alright, I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

Ben moves past the two of them, waving behind the maid’s back and wishing Juno ‘good luck, I love you’ one last time before he two vanishes from sight, heading to his seat. And then Juno’s veil is placed on his head, face uncovered for the time being, and he’s being led down the hall towards the ceremony.

One of the many problems Juno had with the planning of the wedding, is the fact that the actual wedding is taking place on a large balcony, overlooking the red and barren Martian sand below. Juno is not a very big fan of heights, and now having to stand so close to the edge where one particularly strong sandstorm could, theoretically, knock the flooring out from under him is not how he wanted his wedding to go. He shudders, then collects himself, because he won’t have to deal with it for much longer.

His mother waits for him at the entrance to the balcony, doors closed for the big reveal, and she looks almost… happy. She’s got a smile on her face, something so rare that it almost makes him cower away in fear, but when she looks at him her face is kind. “Oh Juno, my little monster… How you’ve grown up on me. So beautiful, so strong. I’m going to miss you,” She says, taking Juno’s face into her hands and placing a small kiss on his forehead. It’s enough to nearly shatter his whole resolve, but he takes in a shaky breath and closes his eye as she lowers the veil over his face before he whispers back,

“I’ll miss you too, Ma. More than you’ll know. I promise I’ll be happy from now on.”

Through the veil he can see Sarah’s lip tremble before the cool facade of royalty is placed back on her face. She holds out her elbow for Juno to take and then the door is opened and the room goes quiet.

Juno can’t see really anything through the veil, vague shapes and colors from both sides where people have gathered from all over to see the royal wedding of a century. He keeps his body from shaking by focusing on his footsteps, careful and practiced. His feet ache from the heels and the previous night’s dancing, but it’s something to focus on rather than all the eyes being on him. He can hear people sniffling and crying, people whispering ‘congratulations’ as he passes by, and he feels his stomach swirl with emotions and butterflies.

They don’t even know the half of it.

He lifts his head up slightly and he can make out the shape of Diamond at the end, wearing a white suit that compliments Juno’s dress. Juno has to admit that she does look striking like that and wonders what his life would be like had he decided to stay. A scary one, for sure, the eyepatch on his face is testimony to that. But it’s nice to wonder.

Sarah lets his arm go and takes her spot beside Ben, who’s watching the scene unfold with intensity. Juno can vaguely make out the brilliant smile on his face and Juno can’t help but replicate it to anyone but himself.

He steps up beside Diamond and takes the hand she offers, squeezing it a little as she whispers to him, “Your dress is lovely, Juno. Are you nervous?” Juno is nervous, but not for this. So he nods a little and she gives him what he assumes is supposed to be a reassuring smile, but it looks more like a grimace. He almost laughs. Almost.

The officiant clears their throat and everyone who had stood up sits back in their seats and the wedding begins. “Dearly beloved, people of Hyperion and Helios, and any and all who bear witness to the ceremony, we are gathered here today to bring a new alliance to our duel kingdoms. This allegiance is formed and bonded out of love and partnership and we are all so lucky to be able to be in the presence of these two wonderful future rulers.

“Marriage is an act of will. It requires a commitment to care for another person. By caring we show concern for the life and growth of those whom we love. Marriage requires a commitment to take responsibility for another person. By responding we experience the needs of that other person and try to help meet those needs.” The officiant continues on and Juno once more has to stop himself from laughing. While that is true, this is not an act of will or love. But, the tabloids don’t know that, do they?

The speech continues like that for some time, Diamond holding his hands and glancing between him and the officiant many times over while Juno looks around the area. He’s one more thankful for the veil over his face as his eye flicks this way and that in any signs of Peter. He trusts Peter, he does, but the suspense is killing him.

“Now, we will begin with the exchanging of vows. Would either of you like to volunteer to go first?” The officiant asks and Diamond nods quickly. She pulls her hands away from Juno and reaches into her suit to pull out a script -- Juno wonders if she wrote that or if one of her maids did -- and she smiles at the crowd. “I would like to go first,” She says before clearing her throat to begin her speech.

“Juno, from the moment I met you-”

“Alright, I do believe that is enough of that.” A voice comes from the edge of the balcony, one that Juno knows very well. All eyes divert over to the mysterious guest and Juno can vaguely make out Peter’s form, riding in on a beam of goddamn starlight -- now wearing all black and a wood-carved fox mask covering the upper half of his face. When did he have time to change? Another question, where did he get that fox mask? It’s fitting though and he looks incredible, even with the material of the veil blocking his vision from seeing it properly.

Murmurs of confusion and fear erupt from the crowd, though nobody makes a move as the man in black hops off the railing with grace, landing on his feet with barely a noise -- like he floated down -- and he practically glides across the room to where the couple is standing. The officiant backs away easily, fear in their face, and Diamond looks about ready to bolt as well. But Juno simply stares, even as the man stops in front of him.

Peter’s gloved hands move up to the veil and push it back, revealing him to the crowd for the first time and Juno can see his smile, wide and lovely and so beautiful. This close, he can see where Peter’s glasses are hidden underneath the eyeholes of the mask and he wants to laugh. He had time to change but didn’t have time to put in a pair of contacts? It’s cute though -- human and nerdy and entirely Peter. Juno returns that smile despite himself, unable to make himself even look remotely scared.

Then, Peter turns to address the crowd more directly, one of his hands pressing delicately against Juno’s lower back -- grounding and reassuring, “A lovely wedding, I’m sure, but I do believe there’s a rule for when someone wants to object to the union, correct? Well, this is me objecting. A delicate flower such at his highness here belongs out in the galaxy, not stifled and trapped here in the sand.”

Juno feels his face heating up at his pretty words and he desperately wants to hide the red in his cheeks, but then Peter’s eyes land on his and he wants nothing more than to be seen and observed by him. Peter continues, “My princess, fair and beautiful as he, I will take you away on a grand adventure, full of moonlight dances, gems and gold all to your liking, and seeing all with your very own eye. The world in the palm of your hands, the stars at your fingertips. Loved and beloved by the universe herself.”

Juno can’t help it, he giggles, slapping his hand over his mouth at the exaggerated promises dropped into his lap. Peter smiles even wider, the very effect he was going for as he moves closer and takes Juno by the hand. There’s an indignant yell behind them, most likely from Diamond herself, before Juno is promptly dipped and the mask is lifted up just enough to press a sweet, incredible kiss to his lips. There’s an uproar from the crowd behind them, but Juno loses himself for just a moment in the feel of the younger man holding him, protecting him. Rescuing him. Juno, for once, doesn’t mind being a damsel in distress.

When Peter lifts up, he returns the mask to its place before he pulls out a knife from his boot. “Now, my love, do not be afraid. I promise this is mostly for theatrics,” He says to Juno in a whisper and brandishes it to the crowd. Everyone freezes, guards halt from where they had begun rushing the intruder and his smile grows deadly as his voice rings out again. “As lovely as the princess is, nobody is worth losing my head over. Approach me anymore and I will kill him, do you understand?”

Juno feels the knife press to his chest, not nearly enough to hurt him, but he’s never felt safer than in Peter’s arms at this very moment. Diamond flexes her hands at her side before a realization dawns on her. “It’s you, isn’t it? You’re the one Juno’s been so obsessed with… Why, Juno, why would you do this to me- t-to us? After everything I’ve done, you want to just throw this away?” She says this loud enough that the crowd hears and there’s a collective gasp at the implications. Juno’s eyes catch Ben from where he’s been sitting quietly in his chair and he almost looks like he’s laughing. Juno gets it, the tabloids are going to go crazy for this.

Peter moves the knife from Juno’s chest to point it towards Diamond and Juno can hear the anger beginning to rise in his voice when he starts, “To you? What-” but Juno hushes him quietly with a fleeting kiss to the jaw. It’s the first time he’s shown himself to be complacent in this attempted kidnapping and it just riles everyone up even more. Peter does relax though, only slightly, and lowers the knife back down in a more defensive position.

“To us? Diamond, I’m doing what’s best for me. If I stayed here any longer I-” He cuts himself off with a laugh and moves his hand up, taking the veil off and throwing it angrily from his head, listening to it land with a soft ‘tink’ from the hairpiece as it hits the floor before he continues, “I’d lose my other fucking eye. No thanks, I’m good! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be.”

The crowd loses their collective minds, yelling and cheering and booing, and Diamond staggers back in surprise at the secret Juno’s been keeping from everybody, including his mother. The admission feels good and when he looks over at his mother, there’s anger in her eyes like he’s never seen. And it’s all directed at Diamond. She begins to storm the stage then, walking with a purpose, her royalty persona slipping again to reveal the enraged, scorned mother underneath.

That seems like as good of a time as any to make their escape.

Peter spins Juno around and captures his hand once more as they begin to move to the edge of the balcony. Juno can feel his stomach twisting with anxiety -- so close to the edge he can almost see the sand down below and it makes him sick -- and it gets even worse when he hears orders from guards to close in on them, effectively trapping them against the railing or death by jumping down below. But then Peter looks down at him with that same wonderful smile and he knows that he’d follow him anywhere, even over this terribly high-up balcony.

“Close your eye, okay? This is going to be scary, but I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” He says this and climbs up on the balcony ledge, balancing himself carefully. Juno is only given a second, really, to comply before Peter’s hauling him up there too, arms around his waist and keeping him close and safe. Everyone freezes at the sight and someone yells and right before the inevitable happens, Juno holds on tight and closes his eye. Time seems to slow for just a moment and it’s just him, Peter, and the open-world around them.

And then Peter leaps, dropping off the ledge as Juno is pulled into free fall with him.

Juno screams, loud and fearful as the wind whips through his hair noisily and he can hear vaguely people yelling and screaming from up above him, but it doesn’t last very long because suddenly there are… arms? No, not arms, but he’s not sure how else to describe them, but they’re suddenly around both of their forms and then he’s being thrown onto a hard metal surface with a thud and a groan. Juno dares a peek and sees the most obnoxious green color beneath them. Juno’s never been so happy to see so much green.

The things -- strangely organic and the same obnoxious green as the car -- folds back in on itself and then there’s just a regular old car that chirps at them excitedly. “You did it, Ruby! Good girl, I knew you’d make it in time!” Peter yells as he stands up, like he’s not standing on a hovering vehicle that’s barely large enough to hold them, and then motions for Juno to do the same. The car -- Ruby, Juno supposes -- chirps again as Juno shakily stands, grabbing Peter’s arms for support, and he watches as a sunroof opens up between them. When Juno looks inside, he’s very, very surprised to see there’s no driver. “What the fuck,” Juno says in disbelief and wonder -- maybe a little bit of fear too, this is a lot to take in.

“Ladies first, my love,” Peter says with a giddy sort of expression and Juno takes another moment of surprise before he nods, and then pauses. “H-Hang on, this dress isn’t gonna fit, lemme just-” He says this as he begins fumbling with the belt around his waist and then, with one quick motion, the majority of the dress is thrown away towards the sand below, leaving just a knee-length, almost-sun-dress-esque one in its place. “There, alright,” He mumbles, and then before he can get any more nauseous, he slips his way inside the sunroof and moves to the passenger side and Peter follows seconds later into the driver’s side. He quickly discards the mask in the back seat, the sunroof closes with no input from either of them, and then the car is ascending towards the dome.

There’s blaster fire ringing out from down below, though it’s muffled by the car’s interior as it -- she? -- bobs and weaves out of the way. It makes Juno a little nauseous, being rocked like this, and he pointedly avoids looking out the windows for the moment. But then they’re high enough and the outside goes quiet, leaving them suspended in the air with nothing but their breathing and the Ruby’s rumbling to keep them company.

“Holy shit,” Juno says after a moment of silence before he begins giggling, hiding his face in his hands as the weight of what just transpired hits him. He hears Peter begin giggling too and pretty soon they’re both laughing so hard they’re shaking and leaning against one another in their shared joy. Juno feels Peter’s hand touch his and Juno takes it without hesitancy, lacing their fingers together as their laughter dies off and they’re left with the car’s noises once more.

“So… how many people are on the ship?” Juno asks after a moment, not lifting his head from where it’s resting on Peter’s shoulder. Peter hums softly before responding, “Six, love. There’s you, me and Rita. Then there’s Vespa, Buddy, and Jet. They’re all very… very important to me. They helped me a lot over the past few years. I’m very excited for you both to get to know them. They're... my family.” Peter sounds so fond as he speaks and Juno knows the feeling. He hopes he’ll fit in with these new people, but if they’re anything like Peter then they’ll get along fine.

The car ride is quiet as Ruby climbs higher -- up and up and up -- and eventually, the dome opens up wide enough for the car to go through and Juno looks out the window for the first time to see Mars disappearing down below. It’s an awesome, terrifying sight and Juno doesn’t know if he should scream or cry or throw up. Right now, he’s mostly just tired. His lack of sleep from the previous night is catching up with him and when he looks over at Peter, eyes drooping slightly, he looks much the same.

Eventually, Juno spots a spaceship coming into view from the front window, and Peter perks up enough to flourish his arms a little and says with a sleepy smile, “Welcome home, Juno.” Juno lets out a shaky sigh at the terminology. It’s close, but not quite right. This is his new home, sure, but Juno’s home has always been with Peter. Juno squeezes Peter’s hand once more as the cargo bay doors open and Ruby pilots itself inside.

There’s only a one-second delay between the door closing and Rita bursting through the hanger door across the room.

“Mistah Steel! You’re here! I was so worried!” She screeches and she throws herself into Juno’s arms when he steps out of the car, stumbling back into the side with a grunt. Peter follows out of his side a moment later and smiles at the exchange before his eyes turn towards the door again. Juno follows them and sees two women, one with green hair and one with red hair -- the same woman from the night before. The one with green hair moves across the room and towards Peter, punching him in the arm.

“You’re an asshole, Nureyev. You could have at least called, imagine my surprise when Ruby opens up and there’s the personification of a squeak toy! You’re lucky I like you most days or else I’d throw you out those doors for making us worried sick,” The woman says, her voice gruff but her expression relieved. The woman with red hair, whose name is definitely not Irene, smiles at the other with fondness. “Vespa darling, he’s here and safe. Do try not to break him, he is so very fragile.”

Peter scoffs indignantly, crossing his arms across his chest and Juno can barely make out his blush in the low lights. It’s cute, Juno’s so glad he gets to witness it again. “I am not- Captain, please, you’re embarrassing me,” He all but whines, like a child pleading with his mother, and the woman laughs like the same ones from before, fluttery and warm. “That is my job, now isn’t it, dear? Oh, but how inconsiderate of me, pardon my rudeness darlings.”

She turns to Juno then and walks over, holding out her hand in greeting as she reintroduces herself to him, properly this time. “Forgive me for the earlier lies darling, but it’s so good to meet you officially. My name is Buddy Aurinko and that lovely lady over there,” Buddy says with a motion of her free hand towards the woman with green hair, who currently looks about three seconds away from making good on that promise to throw Nureyev out of the airlock, “is my lovely girlfriend, Vespa. Our other passenger, Jet, is currently finishing up renovations in your room, but I do believe proper introductions can wait until later. You two look like you’re ready to drop dead.”

Juno laughs and it’s interrupted by a yawn, which Peter copies a second later. With her question answers, she smiles and gestures towards Vespa with her hands, “Come on, darling, let us give these two lovebirds some time to rest.” Vespa grunts her confirmation before she pulls Peter into a hug, brief and tight and Peter’s posture relaxes in an instant against her shorter frame. Then, she pulls away and the moment passes. Finally, she makes her way back to Buddy’s side. She gives Juno a once over when she’s there before she nods at him and says, “Welcome aboard, Steel.”

Juno nods back and Buddy’s smile grows wide and proud before she turns to Rita, “Rita dear, if you follow me I can show you our computer room?” Rita nods excitedly, though she does give Juno one last hug before she goes, “Night, Mistah Steel. Sleep well, okay?” Juno mumbles quietly, “I’ll try” and he watches the three of them leave, blinking a few times to keep his eye open.

Peter’s hand touches his arm a moment later and when Juno looks up he sees that same sleepy smile from before. “You can stay in my room for the night, if you want, since yours is still being fixed up,” Peter says and Juno’s already leaning against him with no further complaints. “I’ll take that as a yes, then?” Peter chuckles under his breath and leads the two of their shambling forms through the halls of the ship, the cool metal hull making Juno’s overheated skin feel strangely chilly in a pleasant way.

When they get to Peter’s room, Juno’s surprised to find how messy it is. Maybe it’s because of what he remembers of how little Peter had before, but seeing just the absolute clutter of this space makes Juno’s heart so very warm. It feels like home and Juno wants to cry all over again. With the door closed behind them, Peter motions towards the vanity where there are lots of supplies scattered about. “Let me help you take off your makeup,” He says gently and Juno doesn’t argue as he pushes his way through, leaving his shoes near the entrance of the room until he sits down heavily on the chair.

Peter takes his time removing Juno’s makeup, avoiding the eyepatch as much as he can. Juno would wonder if it was because Peter was disgusted by it, but he knows that’s not the case. He’s avoiding it to make Juno comfortable. It’s so nice, he’s so nice, Juno can’t believe how lucky he is. It takes barely any time at all for Peter to finish up with the removal and then he motions for Juno to stand. “Want me to help you undress?” Peter asks quietly, tone slightly embarrassed, and something unmistakably fond blooms in Juno’s chest.

“Yes, yeah, please? I can help you too,” Juno says, holding Peter’s hips to keep himself from falling back down into the seat. Peter nods and turns and Juno begins to slowly unlace the corset from around his form, moving up to leave sleepy, lazy kisses on Peter’s shoulder. When the corset is free and loose, Peter folds it neatly and puts it on the dresser before turning back around to face Juno.

When Juno’s hands move up to Peter’s shirt, that’s when hands grab his wrists to pause his motions. Juno waits patiently, looking up at Peter as his expression twists from panic to fear to a grimace. “I don’t… Juno, I don’t look the same…” He says finally, voice barely above a whisper and it wakes Juno up very quickly. It doesn’t take long for Juno to figure out what he means:

The gloves, the long sleeves, the trembling in his hands, the scars Juno briefly saw on his neck…

Juno swallows hard. Juno knows what it’s like, to be ashamed of your new form, afraid of what people will think of this new addition. But, he’s had support from Ben and Rita and he feels… okay about his scars most days. He wants Peter to feel that way too. So, with one fluid motion, he pulls one of his hands away and pushes the eyepatch up and off his head, and lets it fall to the ground below.

“Hey, look, see, me too. It’s okay, Peter, you don’t have to show me if you don’t want to but… But god, I- I love you, ‘Reyev, I don’t care what you look like. I’m literally on a goddamn spaceship with you because I want to be here -- with you. Nothing you show me will scare me away, baby,” Juno says, taking Peter’s hands in his own and kissing his palms above the gloves, a visual aid for his words. Juno hears Peter whimper above him before his face is being pulled up and he’s being kissed, soft and sweet and reverent.

“Juno Steel,” He whispers against his lips, then kisses him again, before continuing, “You” kiss “are the most” kiss “wonderful human being I’ve ever” kiss kiss kiss “had the pleasure of knowing and I love you, I love you so much” kiss kiss “Thank you.” Juno feels those lips wander from his own, then up to his cheek, and then delicately place fluttering presses of his lips to the scars around his eye. Juno lets his good eye close and allows Peter to do as he pleases.

When Peter finally pulls away, Juno opens his eye again and looks at him and the flustered expression he sees is the most beautiful thing he’s ever had the privilege of seeing. With a shaky nod and a wet smile, Juno begins to undress Peter. First, his gloves come off, slowly and carefully and Juno kisses along the scars there, making sure to cover each and every bit of skin with sweet words of beauty and love.

The shirt comes next and it’s better here, but up Peter’s sides, his neck, and his back are more of the same and Juno lets his hands linger just a little bit longer there. Peter cries softly all the while and Juno speaks continuous words of praise to the lovely boy in front of him. Juno slips off his pants too and decidedly keeps his hands to himself, giving one last sweet reminder to Peter after kissing him on his lips again, “You’re so beautiful, Peter… So beautiful and a-alive…”

“Alive…” Peter repeats softly, more to himself, as he begins undressing Juno as well, unzipping the dress down his back, letting his head rest on Juno’s shoulder as Juno leans against him for support, running his fingers along the worst of the scars on his sides. Stripping away the last reminder of the world they’re leaving behind, the dress falls lifelessly to the floor and then they’re bare to one another, save for their underwear. Two bodies, two hearts, one emotion.

“Oh, Juno…” Peter says quietly, reverence and worship in his tone and Juno knows all over again he’s made the right choice. Juno takes Peter’s glasses from his face and sets them aside, then he leads the taller man to his bed where they both collapse on it in a heap. Together they rearrange themselves until Peter’s head is laying on Juno’s shoulder, pressed as close together as they can. Juno’s hand finds Peter’s once more once they’re settled and their fingers interlace back together, where they belong.

The ship hums as it moves away from Mars, farther and farther away from the only world Juno’s ever known. He can feel it swaying and rocking as it moves and it lulls him into that sleepy state once more. The fingers from his free hand run through Peter’s hair -- shoulder-length, soft, and gorgeous. Peter makes a happy noise in his throat as he moves closer, tangling their legs together and making sure nothing can separate them ever again.

“Thank you for rescuing me from those thugs when we were kids,” Peter says suddenly, voice muffled slightly where his mouth is pressed to Juno’s collar bone, but Juno understands him all the same. He laughs quietly, kissing his lover’s forehead before whispering back, “Thank you for getting your ass kicked by those thugs when we were kids, all so I could rescue you. You planned it, didn’t you?” Peter huffs a sleepy laugh and mumbles out a quiet ‘maybe’ before Juno feels quiet snores vibrating his skin. It tickles, but he’d be damned if he would make Peter move.

Juno stays up a little longer, looking around the room, watching the distant stars pass by from the porthole window, comforted by the safe atmosphere he’s now a part of. Fresh starts, new beginnings, and a world of exploration to see.

When Juno falls asleep, he’s comforted by the fact that he’ll wake up the next morning and be faced with more love than he knows what to do with and a story that’s just waiting to unfold.

And he, for one, can hardly wait for the ending.

Chapter Text

The walk back to the house is going to kill Juno one of these days. His face is sweaty, his glasses are fogged up on the one side that’s not blacked out -- if he’s being honest, the side that is blacked out is probably froggy too, but it’s not like he can see out of it to accurately say so. Their home is nearly a mile out from the nearest town and Juno’s back aches -- did he sleep wrong last night? He’s not sure -- but he carries the bags in his arms with pride.

As much as he complains though, he keeps walking the same path every day, aches in his legs and panting by the time he gets home aside. It’s a pretty path anyway, warm but not oppressive and the simuSun is always hidden behind clouds that threaten rain but never come. There’s more green than Juno’s ever seen and even now, after all these years, he still takes time to just… stop and stare, and metaphorically smell the roses.

It’s a pretty landscape, with rolling fields of green and blue that expand as far as his eye can see. It’s like the sea, rippling with waves and Juno would dive in if it was actually water. But it’s not, so instead he lets his legs brush against the greenery and shivers as it tickles the skin of his ankle.

The cabin that he shares with Peter comes into view soon enough, imposing in the otherwise quiet field. The gravel and dirt crunches under his shoes and he shifts the bags in his hands as he listens to the sound of nature around him. Juno hears chittering off the far side, near a fence, and wonders if another one of those faux-foxes has gotten past the barrier. He’ll make a note to go check the perimeter later, but it’s not like the garden has been producing much recently. Juno doesn’t particularly have a green thumb and he’s definitely not letting Peter near it after he -- somehow, really how did he do this? -- burned their last few gains. Peter had been so remorseful after the catastrophe, but honestly, Juno thought it was hilarious.

Juno laughs again at the memory, picturing Peter’s horrified face in his mind, as he shoulders the door open, careful not to hit his head on the slightly too low frame -- both he and Peter have gotten enough bruises on their foreheads over the years to not be careful of it. The doorway is messy, with shoes in a pile off to the side, scratch marks where Small Fry has gotten way too excited waiting for her dads to get home, and dirt and dust that neither of them have cleaned up. They really should, but it’s such a small thing compared to everything else. He kicks the door closed behind him, careful not to leave any scuff marks -- that’s not something he particularly cares to clean up -- and calls out to the quiet house, “I’m home, babe!”

There’s no responding answer, but he doesn’t mind. Peter could be in the bedroom and not hear him, or just lost in his own head again. He toes off his shoes by the front door, struggling a little to keep himself balanced before they’re both discarded haphazardly in the pile that somehow keeps growing every day. Juno’s footsteps creak the floor boards as he walks through straight to the kitchen, heaving the armloads of groceries onto the kitchen island. He stretches his arms, listening to his joints pop before his back follows and he grunts in relief when his back relaxes from its tense state.

Juno begins putting away groceries then, humming to himself as he does. He pulls out a snack he got specifically for himself and sets it on the counter, munching away at it as the items disappear into their respective places. It’s sweet and tickles his nose with the powdery residue that gets stuck on his lower lip, a specialty on Kepler-22b. Juno goes to snatch another one up when two arms wrap around his midsection and pull him into a hug. Juno turns his head to see Peter, smiling at him, with hair slightly wet from a shower, dripping onto the white t-shirt he wore -- that he definitely stole from Juno.

“Welcome home love, I would have helped if I had known,” He says, leaning down to kiss Juno on the cheek, then his ear, then the top of his head. He stays there, leaning his body weight onto Juno as he hums,nods in acknowledgement, then waves off the offer with his words, “Nah, it’s fine, I got it.” He pauses then and looks down, using his free hand to touch Peter’s wrists, feeling the material of his braces under his thumb. After a moment of cautious silence, he asks, “How are your hands? Havin’ a flare-up?” Peter hums, mulling over the question as he adjusts his position, trying to flex his fingers but to no avail, huffing in frustration and a small wince in pain after a few seconds when they offer no give.

“Nothing short of the usual, my love. Locked up on me after my shower, but at least I could get them on by myself. Whatever tech Vespa has found for me is… incredibly easy to work with. Still, curse these wretched hands for I cannot hold my lady love properly after his harrowing journey to the market,” He sighs dramatically and backs away, waiting long enough for Juno to look at him before placing one of his hands on his forehead as he leans back, knocking his glasses off kilter and making Juno laugh in the process.

Despite his dramatics, Juno’s proud of Peter for taking care of himself instead of trying to muscle through it. It had taken a long time for him to even consider wearing braces on his worst days, but now he’s doing it without having to be asked. It’s beautiful and a testament to how much they’ve grown together. Juno maybe tears up a little and quickly turns his face away to keep Peter from noticing.

Where he does or doesn’t, Juno is unsure, because he makes a noise of memory and if he had the use of his hands, Juno is sure he’d snap at his memory, “Oh, by the way, Buddy called. Wanted me to remind you about your shopping trip next week, she’s looking forward to it very much. I think she talked me in circles for nearly an hour before she actually told me why she called,” Peter says as he leans back against the counter.

He watches Juno finish the bite he had taken, covering his mouth with his one hand as he finally gets out, “Mm, I remember. She sends me a message almost every day about it. God, I love that woman- Oh, and remember you and Vespa have an appointment, too. I don’t think she’d forgive you if you canceled another one of your physicals. I’d like to keep my husband in one piece, thank you.” Peter snorts his agreement, crossing his arms awkwardly over his chest before he complains, “Well, as long as it keeps my blood on the inside, then I will happily go to her appointments.”

Finally, Juno pauses his motions and gestures his head back towards the living room, which is quaint with enough room to house their entire family -- roughly around 10 people, “We should invite everyone over sometime soon for a family game night. Been a while since we’ve had one of those and I really wanna meet Rita’s new partner. Heard they’re really sweet and get along really well with the wife, but I gotta give ‘em the ole’ best friend talk, ya know? My job and all.” Peter smiles brightly at the idea, pushing up on his toes before letting them roll back, repeating the motion.

“Sounds like I plan, though I don’t think my heart can take another loss. Vespa nor Ben would never let me live it down- I think she’s keeping a tally of how many times she scores higher than me. Unforgivable,” Peter whines dramatically, leaning back until his neck is exposed and his hair is splayed over the counter and Juno laughs before leaning over to bite his shoulder in retaliation. “Like you aren’t keeping score of how many times you beat me.”

Peter rolls his head over and grins, showing off his teeth as she says, “Oh, but you’re so cute when you’re frustrated. How can I possibly not tease you with it, my love? My darling, sweetheart, my goddess… Princess-”

“Shut up and go sit down. I'll bring us something to drink then we can get ready to watch the stream. Which one did you want to watch tonight?” Juno snarks this as he puts away the box of treats for later, rolling his eyes at the nickname, closing the fridge with a soft thud. Peter smirks before he leans down to take the last bite of the one still in Juno’s hand, grumbling at the mess it leaves on his shirt and face before musing with his mouth full, “The most recent one is called Fangs for the Memories, I think. Didn't recognize any of the actors, but the description was... incredibly strange. I believe we're in for a treat, my love.”

Juno nods and watches Peter shuffle out of the kitchen. He stares at his back as he goes, admiring the man he loves like this. He’s gotten better about not hiding away so much, legs and arms on display and showing off the scars that have settled into his skin over the years. Some days are better, some are worse, and Juno sits through them all as Peter does for him.

Juno’s eye trails up to the tattoo on his left arm as Peter turns the corner and makes his way deeper into the house -- to their bedroom. It’s a sleeve tattoo of a garden, prominent dahlias and roses intermingling with the scars, enhancing instead of hiding. The colors are a little faded with aging, but they still look as brilliant as they did the day he got them done. He promises himself one of these days he’ll get Jet to do a matching one for himself.

Juno takes another moment just to collect himself, closing his eye and letting himself relax heavily before he bends down, ignoring the way his hips pop in protest, and scoops out some of Small Fry’s food. The rabbit hears him -- no matter what room in the house she is in, she always hears her dinner -- and Juno hears Peter shout “Hey!” from the bedroom as thumps come scuttling into the room. Juno laughs loudly as Small Fry stands in the door, ears perked and waiting for dinner as she bounces on her hind legs.

“Alright, alright, here you go sweetie,” He says as he puts the food down into her bowl and he only gets a second to back away before she’s on it, scarfing it down like she’s starved. “You know, you don’t have to act like we don’t feed you. I promise, you’re getting enough-” Juno says before he’s cut off by a petulant growl that he pretends means ‘and? I want more anyway, asshole’. Juno laughs again as he puts the cup away, pausing to grab two glasses of water, and then heads to the bedroom where Peter is.

He’s gotten himself curled up on the bed, snuggled under the covers and leaning up against the wall to look at the tv. His hands rest on the comforter, fingers curled inward in their current state and Juno notes the indent on his left ring finger. There’s also a small indent in the comforter, where, presumably, Small Fry had been laying, directly in Peter’s lap. “You should warn me if you’re going to feed her when she’s in my lap, I think my rib cage is going to be bruised for months,” Peter whines loudly, clearly putting on a pout for show, but Juno knows that his words are only half-fake. Because Small Fry’s kicks are very strong, despite her pint-sized body.

Juno smiles despite himself, placing the cups of water down before making his way over and stealing a kiss from the man’s lips, their glasses knocking together but neither of them moving to fix them. Peter makes a noise of contentment at the gesture, leaning forward into it as Juno places one hand on the bed and the other on Peter’s chest, right between his collarbones.He doesn’t wander, keeps his hand there, pushing the small circular object into Peter’s chest slightly, feeling it indent the palm of his hand.

If the ring isn’t on his finger, then it’s on the necklace he wears when his flare-ups get bad, but it is always on his person. Juno smiles at the thought one more time. “I love you, you know that?” Juno whispers softly when they finally depart and Peter gives him a shy smile, tooth poking out slightly over his lip as he says, “I do, and I love you too. Hurry up though, please? It’s so cold without you in here. You’re going to freeze me to death, my love.” Juno knows it’s a plow, yet he happily falls into the trap as he kisses Peter on the lips once more before pulling away and grabbing the remote from the table beside the bed.

He crawls in after that, snuggling up under the covers and feels Peter’s hand fall into his lap once he’s settled. He instantly reaches down to grab it, curling his hand around the outside of the fingers, warming up the appendages to hopefully help ease the joints. It works a little, because Peter sighs and he slouches until he’s resting his head on Juno’s shoulder.

They’ve both grown softer over the years -- the term ‘fat and happy’ comes to mind when he thinks about this. Neither of them are starved for food or affection now and Juno admires the way Peter’s thighs jiggle a little as he bounces around the house, how soft his love handles have gotten with Juno pulls him closer in bed, the way he has to push down on his body to feel Peter’s bones instead of being able to see them now. It’s good, Juno’s so proud of him.

Juno also knows that Peter’s proud of him too. He shows it in late nights, Peter spending hours upon hours just kissing Juno’s body, whispering soft praises of beauty and care and perfection. He’s gotten into the habit of calling him ‘goddess’ too. Much like the deity he was named after -- Juno will never admit how much he likes it. They’ve grown up and grown old together and now they’re going to watch a stream of how they got to be this way.

“You know,” Peter says when Juno puts on the movie, the title screen flashing before the theme song plays with actor names that neither of them recognize. “You’d think, with such a high budget and such a widely known story, they’d at least get our looks right. I mean- The acting is… Well, acting I suppose, but none of these individuals even remotely capture your beauty. My goddess, I think we ought to make our own film with the correct version of things. We’ll reenact it all and just have cameras following us.”

This is how most nights end up anyway. They don’t even really watch the movie, they mostly talk over it with complaints or point out the wrongness of it all. Juno likes it more, if he’s being honest, than actually watching the stream. Sure, it’s entertaining as all hell, to see someone playing him and Peter escaping his almost wedding, but it’s not real. What is real is Peter using his free hand to wave it at the screen with a frown, complaining about “That’s not even the correct mask! That’s a bear! How’d they mess that up so badly?”

Juno laughs and turns his head, pushing it into Peter’s neck and feeling the way he shivers a little at the breath. “Only you would complain about the mask. Look at me! Look at the hideous dress they chose for me!” Juno responds, only laughing harder at his own complaint and he gets to watch in real time as Peter tries to be offended, holding back a laugh as his lips quiver before it finally bursts out and he leans over, leaning against Juno for support as they laugh their way through a couple more complaints.

“Who’s that woman? Why is she carrying me? Is that supposed to be my mom? Weird.”

“No, but- Why are there wizards now? Is that- Oh my god that’s a werewolf. Did they make Ben a werewolf? He’s gonna lose his mind, I gotta tell him later.”

“They gave Rita a gun? Oh my god, imagine if Rita did have a gun- I think the wedding would have been a lot shorter.”

“I am not that short! They’ve got it all wrong by at least a foot!” “Well, actually, I think it’s pretty accurate.”

Juno turns to look down at Peter, who’s migrated to lay down with his head in Juno’s lap. Juno’s turned to scowl at him, but the responding smile from the other shows he’s not sorry at all. Juno huffs and leans over before dropping a pillow on his face, causing him to sputter with offense. “Asshole,” Juno says with no bite, trying to keep the smile off his face as his hair moves down to begin running his fingers through Peter’s hair, detangling it slightly from where he’s laying.

Peter pulls the pillow down to his chest and hugs him, humming in content for the moment as Juno continues to rub his scalp with careful fingers. Finally, he says, with the most shit-eating grin he can manage (which is a big one), “And yet, my love, you’ve married me anyway.” Juno’s fingers pause and look back at the screen, where the actors playing them have kissed in the middle of the ceremony. It’s still so vivid in his mind, no matter how many years have passed.

“Yeah, I did,” Juno says, taking a moment to admire his own ring, a simple silver band that’s mixed in with red Martian sand, a piece of home he can take with him everywhere. Peter brings his hand up to brush Juno’s cheek and Juno turns his face to catch those fingers in soft, gentle kisses.

“Happy anniversary, Peter. I love you,” He whispers, holding Peter’s hand to his face, holding him by the wrist to keep tickling the other with his kisses. Peter squirms a little, giggling at the sensation. He finds his voice enough to respond, “Mm, love you too, my goddess. Happy anniversary. This,” He gestures to the stream with his hand, which now has them jumping from an incredibly high building -- which Juno would have literally actually died if that was the case, but you know, stream magic and what not -- before turning to look back at Juno, “feels just like yesterday. And yet, here we are.”

“Here we are,” Juno agrees with a nod before leaning down, kissing his husband softly on the forehead. Peter closes his eyes, glasses slightly foggy with their shared breaths, but when Juno pulls back, he once more believes he’s never seen anything so beautiful. Peter, like this, open and soft and sweet -- letting himself just be in the moment. Juno will forever wonder how he got so lucky.

“My goddess, you’re grinding your teeth again,” Peter says as he opens his eyes, his lips curled up in one corner, “You’re thinking too hard, just enjoy the stream, okay?”

Juno stops his grinding, licking over his teeth in a silent apology before he leans back against the wall. “Yeah, okay,” He hums, running his fingers over the other’s scalp and letting his mind focus back on the present. Where he’s in the middle of nowhere with his husband of 18 years. Where nobody knows their names or faces and they can live their life any way they want.

Free and in love.

Juno watches the stream, feels Peter turn to press his face into his belly, and thanks who -- or what -- ever is listening for this storybook ending.