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Chapter Text

Side effect of heavy boots and old hotels: they make lots of noise. Creaking floors, the soft shuffle across the floor, the whining of a door opening, and finally the thud of a closing door. Such a symphony of sound to back Peter’s groggy state. Of course he had heard all of it. Juno had been the conductor. And now, he was awake.

And he was alone.

Again.

Peter noticed how the bed had already forgotten Juno’s indent.

He wanted to file whatever he was feeling, what he was thinking under “for future consideration,” but the sheer amount of feelings and thoughts could not be contained.

One would think being forced to relay your tragic backstory, thinking your love had died, and then escaping from a collapsing Martian birthing chamber would bring two people closer together.

But, Peter had thought wrong.

Obviously, he had done something. Was it his past? Had Juno seen a monster that lurked beneath the surface? Granted, a person’s past didn’t necessarily define them, but Peter had barely earned Juno’s trust. He saw him murder people and almost destroy a city. Commiting a form of patricide to really drive home the ‘monster’ bit.

After he escaped the first time from Miasma’s prison, Peter had to trust that Juno would still be there. He was, and they both made it out. Not before blowing the entire thing to pieces and Juno losing his right eye. And killing Miasma. Can’t forget that little detail.

That could not have been the cause. Juno was there. He saw how killing Mimasma was the only way out. Juno had literally locked him out of the room.

Maybe he was moving too fast. Peter had told Juno that he might have fallen in love with him. Did that scare his lady away? What had caused him to run? Was it the uncertainty that the word “might” held? Did Juno not want to waste his time with someone who only “might” be in love with him? Peter knew the detective well, and while he knew this was probably not the cause, he still considered it.

What Peter thought soon after was more likely to be the cause. The fact that he had said “love.” A signifier of an intense emotion. Peter remembers the first time he almost said he loved Juno. It has been while playing Rangalian Street Poker with Engstrom for information about the unstoppable train. Juno had asked him to come into a separate room with him. Talking about how he does not trust Engstrom, and honestly, who would? There was every reason to not trust this man. Besides the point, Peter had talked about how he trusted Juno. Trusted him for various reasons, as supported by his research on the infamous Detetive Steel. He had almost said he loved Juno, but stopped himself to say “tolerate.” That was not the right word to use, but it was called for at the time. Peter wishes he could go back in time and slap himself.

Damn. It’s almost sunrise.

Now might be a good time to do what Peter Nureyev is best at.

The nameless thief slips out the window, onto the Mars pavement.

Chapter Text

Between narrowly escaping the space FBI and having realized several things about his relationship with Nureyev, Juno sat in the Ruby 7 thinking. Processing.

Okay, first things first, he was now considered on the run from Dark Matters. Agent Wire had tried to get him to turn against his family, but he was smarter. He had played Dark Matters like a fiddle, and they were none the wiser until too late.

Apparently, Juno was not quite smart enough. He had gotten out, but the rest of his family was still on the Carte Blanche. As tempting as it was to go back for them, he knew he could not. The best Juno could do is wait until he received a signal or crossed paths with them again.

No more Buddy to give him shooting tips and keep things in ship-shape. No more Vespa to threaten to stab him while also telling him to take care of himself. No more Rita to give him advice or help him with technology. No more Jet to tell him he and Nureyev are inconsiderate neighbors.

No more Nureyev… Another can of worms to process.

Juno loves Peter Nureyev. By extension, he should trust him, right? He once told Juno that he would be back for him. Juno had waited in that birthing chamber for god knows how long. Almost started to give up, but Nureyev had come back. They defeated Miasma together. Juno’s right hand runs over his eye patch. Remembering how he had trusted Nureyev then, and it worked out.

Even before then, Juno has trusted Nureyev on the Utgard Express. He would not have admitted it to himself then, and he can barely admit to it now. He had to had some trust in Nureyev. Some trust to know how to play Reaganian Street Poker, some trust that if his life was truly on the line, Nureyev and him could to find a way out.

Not to mention the trust Nureyev had placed in him. For Juno to keep his name secret, for Juno to find how Engstrom was cheating, for Juno to have knowledge of his past, and for Juno to be there when he returned. What was different know?

For starters, Nureyev had been the one to leave this time. Granted, odds are he is on Dark Matter’s hit list, a “Class X Radical” as Agent Wire put it. Still stung a bit to hear no one could find Nureyev. Juno also aware of the fact that self preservation is better than self sacrifice.

Then there was the fact that the car was still there. Juno was sitting in the Ruby 7. If there was anything that Nureyev had loved since the moment he laid eyes on it, it was the Ruby 7. The fact it was still in the garage had surprised Juno, along with the fact it had shapeshifted into something almost human. One would think that after the incidents with Miasma and the THEA very little things could surprise him. Yet, here he sits.

He needs to focus. The Ruby 7 might be its own entity with a damn good autopilot, but it still needs direction from time to time.

“Still on course?” The green car chirps. “Got an ETA?” Another chirp. “Can’t go any faster, I take it?” An affirmative chirp. “Any in-flight entertainment? I’m tired of sitting with my thoughts.” The Ruby 7 chirps and produces a video screen. One of Rita’s favorite mystery streams starts playing. Juno lets himself get lost in the stream.