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Nureyev sits at the table in the spaceship examining the dark circles under his eyes and tapping his foot anxiously. Juno Steel, Juno Steel, he can't stop thinking about Juno Steel. He dabs more concealer under his eyes (in less than an hour Juno will be here) and drops more cologne onto his wrists (will Juno have forgotten what it smells like, better put on some more), and tightens the straps of his heels.
"I have a job for you, Mr. Arrow," said Buddy Aurinko over the coms a week ago. "Something you'll like, if the past is any indicator."
Nureyev had smiled to himself. They'd worked together in the past, yes, but nothing about him was ever an indicator of the future. It was only what he wanted people to see, what he wanted them to think he liked. "Oh?" he asked, already intending to decline. After all, there was that very big job out on Ra that he'd been invited to. "What's that?"
"I want you to join a team," she said. "It will be a long mission I'm afraid, but with great profit. You've heard of the Hyperion mayor."
He had.
"Let's say this is related. I can't tell you exactly how yet, but there will be a large reward and lots of fun along the way."
"Danger?"
"Plenty."
"Who else is on this team?"
"Vespa, of course, and you remember Siquliak. And we have our sights on a great hacker."
Nureyev rolled his eyes delicately and flopped backward onto the hotel bed he had stolen for the night. "Well, my dear, it sounds like you already have brains, brawn, and beauty. I would just be superfluous."
"But you are so beautiful, Fay."
"Don't flirt with me, darling. It doesn't suit either of us."
Buddy snorts. "Come on, Fay. I need a thief and you're the best."
"I'm very sorry, Buddy," Nureyev said airily, "but this really doesn't sound like my type of job."
"What if I said someone you know is on it?"
He stopped then, one thumb still hovering over the end call button. "...Who might that be?"
"Do you remember Detective Juno Steel?"
Which is how he found himself sitting here surrounded by twenty pairs of shoes and fifteen outfit options, repainting his lipstick and rehearsing the same line into the mirror. "Hello, Juno," he says, "it's been a while." (No, that doesn't sound right). He snags that floral shawl and tosses it on. "Hello, Juno, it's been a while!" (No, he sounds too perky and that doesn't suit him, Rex Glass maybe but not Peter Nureyev and if he can't be honest with Juno, well then.) "Hello darling," he murmurs (too familiar) while clipping on small diamond chandeliers to his earlobes (too formal), and wishing he were braver than he is. "Juno, fancy seeing you here." "Why my dear detective, this is a surprise." "You've done something different with your hair, haven't you?" Red lips and black heels (no). Blue tuxedo and purple tie (also no). Sheer lace and high boots (now that's just too obvious). Crisp pants, flowing shirts, slinky jewelry. Garters and corsets, high necklines and silk. Flowers tucked behind his ears or stars hanging from them. "Hello, Juno, it's been a while. Hello Juno! It's been a while! Hello, Juno - (faint laugh in the back of his throat) - It's been a while."
Vespa slides the door open a crack and comes in to find Nureyev lying despairingly on his bed in his underwear, surrounded by all the outfits he isn't wearing. "Knock knock," she says and then slips into the room without actually knocking. "We're landing in an hour."
"Siquliak?"
"Already on Mars getting them." Them? (Of course. The hacker is Juno's secretary, he should have guessed). Vespa waves her hand at all of his clothes. "So which of these is the seduce-Juno-Steel outfit? Or are you already wearing it?"
"Mmm, I can't decide." He picks up a scarf and tosses it into the air, letting it float lazily to the floor. Scarves like that cost hundreds of creds. For him, it was free. "Help me?"
"I don't know, I'd go with what you have on."
Nureyev lifts a filled-in eyebrow. "Like what you see?"
"You wish."
"No, I really don't, actually." He stretches his arms and sits up. "Oh, that reminds me. Vespa darling, treasure of my heart, could you kindly get my car out of the port and drive it to the front landing ramp for me?"
"You mean Jet's car?"
"Mine now."
Vespa huffs. "Fine, what will you pay me?"
"I have a diamond stolen from the queen of Saturn."
"Don't like necklaces."
"Several thousand creds?"
"I have enough creds."
"If you get the car, I won't tell Buddy that you broke her favorite knife in sparring practice yesterday."
"Where are your keys?"
Nureyev chuckles as he fishes the keys out of the pocket of a silver coat. He tosses them across the room, and she catches them. "I knew you'd come around."
Vespa clutches the keys under her chin and gazes thoughtfully at the assortment of clothes strewn across the floor of Nureyev's room. Her fingertips jab in the general direction of two separate outfits. "Have you considered putting that corset with that suit?" (Which is, in fact, a very good suggestion, and he's annoyed that he didn't think of it himself.) He picks up the shirt and starts buttoning it on.
"You are a pearl in the universe's necklace, Vespa."
"Yeah? Well, Steel is brighter than pearls, right?" She cringes at her own joke and turns on her heel. "I'll get your car for you. And I swear to gods if you tell Buddy about sparring practice - that knife may be broken but I can still rip your throat out with it." The door slides shut behind her.
"Duly noted," Nureyev says to a now-empty room.
Buddy finishes setting the landing coordinates on the ship and stands up. It's been a while since she saw Mars. Hyperion City is a whole different kettle of rats from the Cerberus Province, but it's still Mars. Still home - or at least, it was once. "Vespa?" she calls, striding into the hall.
"Right here!" Vespa pops out from a mechanical cabinet. "Everything looks good."
"Excellent." Buddy gives her girlfriend a quick kiss, which turns into a long kiss. They break apart and she looks around.
"Where's Fay?" asks Vespa.
"I thought he was with you."
"He was here a minute ago checking his car. Where did he go?"
Buddy lets go of Vespa and turns to face down the hall. "Arrow?"
Fay Arrow does not respond. The two women exchange confused glances and go down the hall. The thief's room is empty, so is the kitchenette. They're starting to get worried when they hear high heels from a nearby corridor. There on the floor, the thief crouches by one of the escape pods, slender fingers undoing the screenlock. Buddy sighs.
"Fay," she says. "We're landing."
Nureyev hears her but doesn't look up. His sharp teeth work over his lips; a drop of sweat slips down his face. "I can't," he says. "I can't. He won't want to see me. I can't make him."
"What are you talking about?" says Vespa. "I thought you two worked together before."
"Well yes, but there are many definitions of 'work'." He grits his teeth as the screenlock buzzes an error code. "Ours happens to be complicated." He keeps working at the lock until Vespa presses a hand over his.
"Stop," she says. She sits down on the floor of the hallway across from him and crosses her arms. "You don't have to tell us everything, but I would like to know why you're so afraid of this guy. You're scared of him but you put on 4000 cred lipstick for him. That warrants an explanation."
Nureyev sighs and puts away his lockpicks. "We were on a case together," he says, standing up. "Ancient martian things, perhaps you've heard of it? I asked him to run away with me, and he said yes. I was going to give him the world, you know. I would have - have stole the stars and planets and strung them on a necklace for him." He runs a hand through his hair, bites his lip. "I told him I loved him. Then he left while I was asleep."
"Oh, darling," murmurs Buddy. "How awful for you."
"Quite."
There is a moment of silence.
"Do you want to see him again?"
Nureyev thinks about it. "Yes," he says eventually. "More than anything. But I... I'm nervous as well. Apprehensive."
"How about," starts Vespa. "Come up front with us. And if you two can't stand the sight of each other, I'll unlock a pod for you." She reaches over and lays a hand on Nureyev's gently. "But you won't know until you try, huh?"
"Hmm." Nureyev shrugs, sighs. (The thought of Juno Steel, live and in person, makes his heart race). "I suppose."
"Great." Buddy and Vespa start back to the landing ramp. Nureyev follows, heels echoing dully through the halls that will soon be walked by Juno Steel.
He leans on the doorframe where the ramp will lower (no). He drapes himself over the hood of the car (better). One foot on the side mirror. One hand behind his neck. (Too flashy). Sitting prim, ankles crossed, hands spread. (Too prim). He is terrible at sitting normally. This is why chairs are his enemy. They allow one no room to show off. (In a few minutes Juno will be in front of him again).
"Try it from the other angle," suggests Buddy.
"Try putting your knees up," offers Vesta.
"Yes, that's good."
"Great."
The ship shudders as it lands. (He can't breathe).
"Don't be so nervous, darling." Buddy grabs a handhold and braces for impact. "You look terrific."
"Looks aren't everything," Nureyev counters (although he does have them). The ship has stopped moving. His heart has stopped beating. The ramp is coming down. (Hello, Juno. It's been a while. Yes, like that, exactly like that). Is his lipstick smudged? (Too late to check). The ramp settles into the sand; Buddy and Vespa step down and walk about halfway. There are clouds of sand everywhere; Nureyev shields his eyes with one hand. He pushes his glasses up. Angles his leg a different way. The sand is settling. The world is coming into focus again.
There he is.
Bent over, choking on dust. Hair messy, eye missing. The most beautiful lady in the galaxy.
Juno Steel.
"Oh, Juno," Nureyev murmurs, mostly to himself. He is so stunning. He doesn't even see Nureyev yet. They exist in a current moment in which their recognition of each other is not mutual; a split second before, for better of for worse, everything will change. His heart is racing. (Be cool. Be suave. Pose. Smile at him). Siquliak and the secretary are ascending the ramp, and the secretary is looking at Nureyev with a confused familiarity. He ignores her for now. He ignores everything.
Juno finally stops coughing and looks up. His eye roves over Buddy, Vespa, over Rita and Siquliak. His lips form a faint smile. He is so beautiful. Nureyev registers the exact moment where Juno sees the license plate of the car. The lady twitches with a faint surprise and then lifts his eye like he's afraid of what he'll see. Nureyev wants to cry.
Instead, the thief smiles, and the detective smiles too.
"Hello, Juno," says Nureyev. "It's been a while."