Work Text:
Careful fingers fitted the last upgraded part to the pylon. A few steps were taken back to admire the finished piece, scanning for any signs of improvement, before Natalie Paquette happily nodded to herself in her quiet, lonely moment of achievement.
Every other Legend had already left the ship hours ago. Renee Blasey had attempted to bring the young engineer out into the world to celebrate the New Year, but Natalie quietly declined, stating she had to finish what she started, with promises for a rain check. As far as Natalie was concerned, she was alone and free to do as she wished... Which had everything to do with the items she brought with her into the arena.
Next on her list to alter were her fences. If she tweaked the current upgrades a little more, there was a chance she could---
"Natalie."
The electricity manipulator jumped out of her skin. She spun around on her swivel stool, hands balled into gentle fists in front of her chest, blue eyes wide and staring at---
At Crypto.
Suddenly, everything that she had planned on adding to her fences went out the window. "O-Oh, Crypto," she said by way of greeting. When her fingers grazed by her cheek to tuck blonde strands behind her ear, she felt heat emanating from her skin. The shorter ones instantly fell loose immediately. "W-What are you doing? I thought that you went out to celebrate with everyone else."
A gentle, barely visible smile formed on Tae-Joon's face as he leaned his shoulder into the open doorframe. "I didn't want to," he said, his voice as gentle as his smile. He then pushed out of his lean and approached her workbench, eyeing the tools laying scattered atop it. "What are you working on?"
Unbeknownst to her, Natalie's index fingers started touching together as she viewed the mess she'd made in her pursuit of efficiency. "I am going to be honest with you," she started quietly, now looking up at him with puppy dog eyes, "you... Startled me earlier. And now I do not know what I was planning to do."
"What about your pylon?" Tae-Joon asked as he withdrew his right hand from his white coat pocket.
"I... Yes. I finished upgrading the output of electrical currents. It should charge our shields a lot quicker."
"Jalhaesseo," came Tae-Joon's immediate response. Using his newly surfaced right hand, he hovered it near the pylon, palm facing where the large device would spin when activated.
Natalie watched him carefully. Her entire attention fixated on him, bare hands now laying atop her close-together thighs. The heat in her cheeks grew once her brain finally ticked over with the translation of his praise. "Thank you, Tae... It... It is nice hearing that from you."
Tae-Joon lowered his hand slowly and looked over at her. His expression was unreadable, but she knew it wasn't negative.
The intensity of their eye-contact proved to be too much for the little engineer as she swivelled back around and placed both hands on the table. She started tapping her fingers on the wood, blue eyes scanning the prepared components in the hopes of regaining her memory of what she was planning to do before the pleasant interruption.
"Natalie," he said again.
She did not turn around, fearful that the heat of her cheeks would melt the skin from her bones if she caught him looking at her like that again. "Mmhmm?" Her voice was light, unbothered, inquisitive.
A response did not come right away. The only sound that kept the two of them company was the faint humming of electricity. He was quiet for so long that Natalie thought he had walked out, that 'Natalie' was a way of saying 'goodbye', so she pivoted again to peek over her shoulder.
He still stood where she'd visually left him, right beside her pylon. His mysterious dark eyes were focused elsewhere, though.
"Is everything okay?" She asked.
"There's something I want to show you," Tae-Joon finally said, now locking eyes with her, though his side of eye contact was strained. "But you need to follow me out of here to see it. And..."
Curiosity melded with confusion to create an uncertain atmosphere within Natalie's mind. She nursed her chest with a gentle hand as if it would dissipate the negativity building there. "Tae..?"
"And get dressed."
A quick glance down at the clothes she already had on said enough about her opinion of his demand.
Tae-Joon shook his head and took a few steps closer until his height towered over her.
Natalie's heart stopped in her chest.
What was he doing?
Why was he so close?
There had to be a reason he was so close, right?
Was she in the way of something he needed on the table?
He reached over with his right hand, the destination her chest area, and Natalie let out the tiniest squeak---until he plucked up the corner of her puffy jacket.
She found a tear in the orange fabric directly beside the zipper. The clean cut suggested the sharp cutters that she used to trim wires and snip off any excess plating. A small frown decorated her expression. Now, she would either have to buy a new one or try to repair this one...
She sighed lightly and mentally let go of the notion to continue her work. "Okay... Give me a few minutes."
"I will meet you in the lounge, Natalie," was all Tae-Joon said, before he made a hasty exit.
Natalie listened to his receding footsteps until they faded completely. Bare hands nursed the cut in her puffy jacket by gently gripping it on either side. Blue eyes scanned the damage and came to the assumption that, even if she were skilled with threadwork, it would be impossible to return it to its original shape.
She'd have to buy a replacement jacket in the meantime, then.
Natalie emerged from her room in due time, wearing a knee-length baby blue dress. The skirts flowed with ease, as she showcased to her waiting friend in the lounge by spinning gently. Her white shoes held delicate heels and were cuffed at the ankles.
Tae-Joon rose out of his booth seat, his expression unreadable as he stared at her.
"Do you like it?" She asked. Honestly, she felt nervous about wearing something so strikingly different than what she usually did, but she didn't want to wear her arena gear while hanging out with him. It felt far more professional than she wanted it to be, especially since she couldn't exactly communicate the reason behind her pounding heart whenever she heard his voice.
An answer did not come right away. His eyes glanced at the dress, at her shoes, until the dark hues found her face once more. The smallest of smiles shaped his mouth. "You look... Beautiful." His words were slow and fast at the same time. His right hand stuffed itself in his white coat pocket and started fiddling with something, judging by the moving knuckle outdents. He hummed shortly after.
Natalie's cheeks heated as she gripped a small section of her dress length and start at where her toes pointed inward. "T-Thank you." Her voice was a choked whisper.
Things soon grew awkward between the pair. Neither of them seemed to know what to say at that moment, and honestly... Natalie was fine with that. Simply existing in the same space with Tae-Joon was enough for her. They didn't have to engage in conversation or look at one another; she received enough comfort from just knowing he was there.
Tae-Joon broke the silence, however, by a subtle clear of the throat. The sounds of his shoes squeaked as he pivoted to half-face the exit of the ship. "Follow me."
And so she did---only after scooping her prized Nessie toy into her arms and carrying it all the way into the heart of Solace City.
Lights flashed from several high-end nightclubs, the accompanying party music thumping, but thankfully far enough away that it did not hurt her ears. One arm snuggled Nessie close to her chest, while her other arm hung stiffly at her side.
She wanted a place for it to be that wasn't dangling, but she felt the slightest bit off balance by using both arms to hug the stuffie... But there was nothing else for the limb to do.
Electric blue eyes gazed through shop windows, browsing the many wares they held within, skimming over less interesting ones and practically ogling the ones that fit in with her hobbies. Electronic parts that she'd more than likely return later to purchase... If she had the time.
One store, in particular, caught her attention the most, to the point the pace she had to follow after Tae-Joon slowed drastically and abruptly, instead aiming for the glass that separated her from the for-sale items---tools. Tools, tools, and more tools, including the parts in which to upgrade once they started falling apart. Her free hand absentmindedly pressed against the glass, her mouth unknowingly falling open in a soft 'o' shape as she skimmed over---
Oh no... Tae-Joon!
Natalie peeled away from the window in order to try and find where Tae-Joon had gone, panic settling in and taking merciless hold of her throat.
She didn't like going out alone... She didn't like going to town without someone beside her, someone to ground her when the noise became too much, someone to politely decline a chance of conversation when a stranger became too pushy.
She jerked to a halt after barely taking a single step. There, standing only two steps away from her with both hands in his pockets and gaze set upon her, was Tae-Joon. The smile he wore earlier on the ship had widened a small amount, and the outer corners of his eyes crinkled from the genuity behind it. "O-Oh... I... I thought I lost you..."
Tae-Joon merely laughed quietly and extended his elbow, withdrawing his left hand from the safety of his pocket in the process.
Natalie only tilted her head at it, before glancing back up to search his face for answers.
"Take it," he said to her, his voice kind. Inviting.
So, she did. With her cheeks burning, Natalie slipped her right arm through the nook of his elbow and held on with a gentle grasp. Her head lowered automatically as if the flusterdness she felt wouldn't allow anything more. Like she had lost her ability to look where they were going.
Soon, Tae-Joon started leading her again, keeping a strong and consistent pace alongside her as they went. Part of her thought it was to avoid her almost losing herself within the crowd they passed through.
She finally looked up past the sky-risers to spy the dark sky. How long had it been since the Sun set..? What time was it?
A little glance at her phone showed that it was almost midnight.
When did it get so late?
Had she seriously worked on her upgrades for several hours without noticing how much time had passed by? Why hadn't anyone come back to the ship during all of the hours that had whizzed by?
Comically, as if realising how late it was served as the trigger for it, exhaustion slowly weighed on her bones. The adrenaline from the public setting kept her eyelids from drooping, and she focused all that she could on walking alongside Tae-Joon.
"W...Where are we going?" Natalie perked up, glancing past the blonde strands cradling her face to look at him.
"It's a surprise," was Tae-Joons simple answer. When their eyes locked, she felt a spark of electricity shoot through her bloodstream. "We're nearly there."
Bustling late-night shopping slowly turned into a quiet shared space, where they traded busy, noisy party-goers for relaxed civilians that seemed more focused on spending quality time with whoever they were with. They were sitting in restaurants, filling them to the brim, sitting on benches, and sharing smoothies.
Sharp laughter sent pain through Natalie's body, and she almost dropped Nessie to nurse the ear closest to the abrupt ruckus. The stuffie nestled in the crook of her elbow as she formed a dome with her hand over her ear.
This little detail was not lost on Tae-Joon. He quickened their joint pace and took a separate path, leading them away from buildings and city life, and escorting her to a large grassy hill. Once they reached the peak, Natalie's entire body froze.
Where she stood, she could see the entire span of a circular lake with city lights reflecting off the distant shore. Stars glittered on the gentle surface ripples.
It was beautiful and stole the breath from her lungs.
"Tae," she said, voice full of wonder and disbelief that such a beautiful thing could still exist. "This... This is..."
Rustling sounded from a few steps down on the lakeside of the hill. Glancing, Natalie found Tae-Joon sitting down atop a checkered blanket, with two bottles sitting beside him. His hand busied itself by opening the top of what she could only assume was a basket.
"Tae?" She took a step toward him, the absolute silence surrounding them making her footstep in the grass prominent.
"Seodurda," Tae-Joon said, his usual silky-smooth, honey-dipped voice a little more high-pitched and clear. "You're going to miss it."
Curiosity almost made her ask more questions, but she listened to the underlying request and sat beside him on the blanket. After setting Nessie down beside her legs, she accepted one of the bottles Tae-Joon extended to her and sipped on the straw he'd already poked in through the thin lid.
She hummed out her approval at the taste of apple juice and stared up at the stars. "What am I going to miss?"
Movement caught the corner of her eye, and before she knew it, Tae-Joon put earmuffs over her head. It took a lot of effort to not let her head sink into her shoulders.
Then, without Tae-Joon having to say anything, light erupted in the sky above the lake. Bursts of colour and crackling explosions dulled by the protection he'd given her ears.
Natalie's eyes widened as she beheld the fireworks.
And she never once looked away. Not as they changed shapes, went from swirls to quick pops.
She let out a throaty laugh at the whizzing ones that shot into the sky by taking unpredictable turns.
All of this beauty, and yet... Natalie could only wonder if the other Legends were witnessing it elsewhere. If Renee found them as pretty as she did.
She'd love nothing more than to experience this with her best friend by her side.
A few more minutes passed of various fireworks. It ended with a large burst of colour that took up most of the sky and lit up the surrounding land, to the point that she was almost convinced it was daytime.
She lifted a hand to remove the earmuffs, the corners of her mouth practically digging into her cheeks from how hard she was smiling---only to hesitate when she felt Tae-Joon's hand on her elbow, stopping her movements. "Hmm?" She asked, a bit louder than necessary, mainly due to the fact that she couldn't actually hear herself properly from the earmuffs.
Tae-Joon only pointed back toward the water.
Natalie's smile instantly fell.
There, hovering in the air, surrounded by bright blue, pink, and yellow fireworks... Was her name.
It soon faded, with nothing but the smokey outline of the fireworks drifting along with the wind.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
She hadn't realised they had formed...
"Natalie?" Tae-Joon said, his voice muffled.
Natalie slowly removed the earmuffs from her head and carefully placed them in her lap.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded fiercely and laughed as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. She sniffled and looked at him, her smile wobbly. "That was... The most beautiful thing I have ever seen... Thank you..."
Tae-Joon shoulders visibly relaxed. His hand reached over and scooped her hand into his, his thumb running over the backs of her knuckles. "Happy New Year, Natalie." He started leaning over. As much as the image of his approaching upper half sent a bolt of electricity through her gut, Natalie didn't stop it.
Nor did she pull away when his lips met with hers as they kissed under starlight.