Chapter Text
Getting to the city.. exhausting. Her bones ached from sitting too long, and her stomach was its own monster from hell that begged to be fed. Meanwhile, he was doing.. okay.. there was regret in terms of not getting snacks before they left, but he knew there was.. somewhere to eat in the city. Nothing super fancy, but even going to Coff Cafe for something, ANYTHING was fine.
"Im gonna die.. if I die because of you I swear to god it's considered murder. I don't even CARE if you don't put a hand on me." She whines and groans, over-dramatic but.. she has an indirect point.
"We're 30 minutes away, you'll be fine. And it's only been an hour?" He asks with such attitude it's almost offensive. "Well! I didn't...." she mumbles the next part, "eat breakfast.." He can't make out what she said, not immediately, but it clicks in his brain as to what shes trying to say.
"Okay.. Fine.. Hold on." She perks up at his words, did he have snacks he had been hiding??
Then he pulls out a bag. Just a regular grocery bag.
"What is that."
"Snacks.. that.. I never finished?.."
"Are you fucking kidding me." She groans, annoyance painting her face. "How do you even know if this food is any good?"
"Just.. smell it.. or use y'er eyes?" A small laugh accompanies him, but she isn't laughing. No this is no joking matter. Shes hungry. And he's telling her to eat half-eaten food?! Is he insane??
"Okay.. This does taste pretty.. fine.." Somehow to her luck, she finds shrimp flavored chips that were not open. And certainly not expired.
"BZZ!" comes from her pocket, no clue who would text her right now.. even more importantly how she had cell service..
Caesar : [ Hey Lace-y! Lighter told me yesterday yer guys were headed out for the city tomorrow, so I wanted to ask if ye could just pik me up some stuff? I'll pay ya back when I can! ^_^ ]
{ Attachment : Note }
Ever since teaching Caesar how to use emoticons shes proudly been using them since.. it's cute!
Lace : [ Of course! I gotchu! Does.. Lucy or Burnice want me to grab em anything? ]
Caesar : [ Lucy said she can send ye wut she wants layter.. and Burnice just wants what she usually buys. ]
Lace : [ Alright! I'll call you when I can, we just parked. ]
And as told, Lighter had just freshly parked. Somehow lucky to get a parking spot right in front of the hotel. It wasn't fancy to anyones standard, but it was enough to get by. Water dripped from a pipe quietly, and the big neon sign with the hotels name was a nuisance.
"Someday we will get a better hotel.." Lighter says. Lace turning her face to look at him for a moment, even though she was grabbing her suitcase.
"Uh-huh.. and you didn't think of making this trip the day you get one? Especially considering you're sharing a bed with a cute girl." First he's confused, then he's terrified.
"Hold.. Hold on I thought ya got a two bedroom?!" He tries not to show panic, and keep his usual kind of confident-in-himself attitude but.. this was new information to him.
"Well... it changed last minute since they ended up saying the website was glitched and saying there was one available, but.. there wasn't so.. they gave us a better room, for the troubles. But that room only has one bed." She sighs, like this inconvenience bothers her.
It sure as hell doesn't.
"I just said it was fine because I like quality over quantity! Don't be mad!" She defends her case through and through. And all he can do is accept his fate.
"Alright, let's just head inside." He sounds fine and dandy to the usual person, but she can hear the effects of this inconvenience lacing his tone.
╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
Moving everything into the room was fairly easy.. especially with someone as meaty as Lighter to carry stuff. He was however, a sweaty mess by the time they brought stuff. He insisted on taking the heavier stuff.. even though she could take it too, with arguably more struggle, yes, but the point is she could carry her stuff too!
"I'm gonna use the shower, hand me that bag." She turns to her left, grabbing the tiny toiletry bag she brought for both, to him.
Seeing him fade behind the closed door of the bathroom, she sits on the plush bed. It really was a nicer bed, and the view of the city in the short distance was really nice. But she was bored.
So she calls Caesar.
"Caesar, hey! We finally got settled.." It's not a video call, but Caesar can hear the smile in her voice.
"Good! He ain't giving you a hard time is he?" Theres an indistinct noise of chatter in her background, something a-keen to a tv, likely shes relaxing at home with Lucy since she knows their schedule is arguably free as of late.
"No no.. not a hard time at all really. I mean, not like he usually does.." She scoffs, rolling over on to her side so she can relax easier.
"Alrighty! Thats good!" She says with cheer in her voice, the usual.
"Also.. why do you need.. uhm.. ahem.. a belt Caesar?" Lace has a twist of pink on her cheeks.
"Oh.. Yeah.. Ahh that.."
╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
Lighter can hear the giggles and conversation from behind the bathroom door, something he would like to block out.
The hot water is.. warmer than it usually is back at home in the outer ring, it's nice. Steam rolls off his body from the spray, and he can finally relax in here. The scars painted across his body have healed, but the newer ones leave him with a hiss due to the slight pain of the warm droplets. No matter how many scars or hits he gets, it still elicits small pain.
He can hear a small "Byyyee!" on the other side of the door as he walks out of the shower, reaching for the towel he ever so carefully put there for when he got out. It covered everything that needed to be covered.... at least for Lace's concern. But he does grab a smaller hand-like towel to rub off the water still sticking to his skin that irritates him, and uses it to carefully dry his hair just a tad so its easier when he puts on clothes.
"Coming out.. look away if you want," Announcing to his audience of one awaiting outside the door. "Or.. enjoy the show." He laughs to himself opening the door, and she lets out a small groan of annoyance, and yet..
She isn't looking away. If anything she stares harder, and suddenly the Champion of the Sons of Calydon is flustered under her gaze. "Ok.. don't.. study me like im some new test subject." Somehow that joke doesn't land right, considering who he's talking to.
Still, she lets out a small chuckle. So minuscule to anyone else, but it means everything to him. He hides that it affects him, but only by looking away.
"Im not staring you down! You said enjoy the show! I am!!" She laughs, like shes bullying him. "Turn around Mister Champion!" Laughing her ass off at something that isn't even that funny. It irritates him only because he wants to laugh with her.
So he does, he allows himself this moment.
"Jeez.. fine." He chuckles lowly, breathless when he does turn around finds her closer then she was before. Too close.
She could smell him, the mix of a woodsy aroma and an exhaust engine deeply rooted in him. Honest? It was driving her just a bit crazy. She didn't realize just how close she was either.
"Sorry.." She steps back, like a punished animal.
He hates this. Hates pretending. But he isn't ready to fuck things up.
"You're fine, d'you mind giving me the room so I can change though?" He says, honest and.. painfully direct.
She steps out quietly, a sadness carried with her.
╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
She leaves, leaves the hotel itself. Like being in there was suffocating her or, hurting her physically. The city in the short distance shined brightly, like the light at the end of a dark, brooding tunnel.
"Fuck".. Is all she can think. He is all she can imagine, He is all she can smell in the air, even this far from her.
He's invading all five senses in more ways than one. It's overwhelming, he's too much and yet she can't imagine it any other way.
The strawberry milk knocks into the small window door, a small audible thud is the only proof that its there. She turns her gaze down, grabbing it. Like she forgot she even came down here to buy one.
Theres a small chill in the air, winter proving itself to the people. A chatter from men down the street talking as they leave a restaurant and still she can't hear anything in her ear but the way Lighter spoke to her, like he was free.
Like he was.. living with her, really, truly, for just a second.
Then a sudden sound of footsteps, approaching her, and she turns too late to open her mouth fast enough.
"Don't freeze just because I needed to shower." Lighter says, the familiar voice comforting her as he wraps the familiar Red Scarf around her neck, it reeks of him. Probably hasn't been washed in a good minute, or maybe its just so deeply rooted in his smell and the environment he's around that theres no point attempting to put in a scented cleaner.
"Im not.. freezing." She answers, voice shaken which only goes against the point shes trying so little to prove.
"Right.. Sure you aren't." He laughs. Considering shes in only jeans and a buttoned shirt she thrifted, she is for sure lying. Yet he isn't offended.
"Are you hungry?"
"Ugh.. kinda.." Admitting the truth for once without a fuss.
He hums, like a man deep in thought.
"Alright.. let's go see a movie then."
"A movie?? Right now?? At.. oh wait it's not that late.." Shes surprised, it's only 8:24 pm. It feels like it's already 10.. or something..
"Okay. Fine we can.. see a movie I guess.. What even is there to watch?" Still wearing his scarf, they walk into the semi-busy streets of the New Eridu city.
╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
"Well that fuckin sucked!" That ending was terrible. In her defense.
"Ok.. Yeah it was.. how come those two have a happy ending but not the LITERAL FATED lovers???" He sounds passionate about a movie he didn't even choose, or want to see.
"RIGHT?? Ive never seen anything more stupid! M-so mahd!" Shoving her face full of popcorn like it could prove she was angry.. somehow it was working.
They both walk to Coff Cafe, which is somehow still conveniently open this late. But it isn't a surprise considering its the weekend. She buys the usual.. mix of sugar-y fruity crap.. and he just gets a simple lemon tea, reminds him of the lemon candies he eats.
They both decide to just sit down near the water, watching as the colors of the sky alter from the clouds and lights. It's beautiful, and yet both are sneaking looks at each other when the other isn't looking. Ridiculous..
"Oh look at that star! It's huge!" She points, and shes right.. it is pretty huge.
"Y'got a point." Now he's closer, close enough to smell, not kiss. She looks at him, and it stays that way for a split moment. The two, sitting in awkward silence as they lock eyes, and theres a seeming invisible gust of wind that feels as though it's pushing them closer.. was tonight-
"Lighter! Lace!!" They hear a familiar woman's voice, it's.. Caesar? And Lucy? And Burnice?!? What the hell was this?!
Caesar pauses before saying anything further, looking at.. the water between Lace and Lighter? No.. That. That seems wrong..
Shes looking at their pinkies touching on the railing. Like she knows something. Both freak out subtly to scoot over, so they don't seem like they were just about to.. kiss? Hug? Do something that didn't seem so hatred filled?
"Wh-" Caesar opens her mouth to speak, a suspicious look on her face.. but Burnice cuts her off.
"LACE!" She shouts, nearly pushing them both over the railing and plummeting straight into ice cold water.
"OW! Ah.. hi burnice.." Lace responds shyly, not sure how else to act with an attractive woman around her. "How have you been!! Oh I missed youuu..." She somehow suffocates Lace further into her collarbone, and if you asked if she minded?.. No. No she did not mind.
"Burnice! Do not kill her!" Lucy shouts, attempting to pull Burnice off of her. "And DO NOT make us have a bad rep just because you wanna shove your tits in every girls face!"
"WHAT! That is not true!" Burnice finally lets up, and now the two argue whilst Caesar attempts to break them up, and both Lace and Lighter can only stare in pity.
Speaking of those two.. They were still awfully close. But, neither could find it in them to care with such a.. spectacle being preformed in front of them?