Chapter Text
“Come on, Spi, you’re gonna be late!”
That obnoxious voice was the first thing Spireal heard after he woke up, and he rolled over, away from the words and deeper into his pillow. His partner gave an exasperated sigh.
“Spireal! Get up, c’mon! We’re working for a fucking Wing, you gotta make a good first impression!”
He grabbed Spireal’s shoulders, shaking him, and, with a groan, Spireal rolled back over, blinking his eyes open slowly. He was met with a flash of coffee-dark skin and bright pink hair before his vision cleared; he could clearly see Rogun’s expression, which seemed to reflect more concern in comparison to his whiny tone of voice.
“Ro, c’mon.. ‘nother five minutes..” Spireal slurred the words, barely awake. He could still feel the tingly warmth from his dream, one of being held in a familiar woman’s arms..
“That’s what you said five minutes ago, Spi, so c’mon. Up.” Rogun crossed his arms, defiantly glaring at Spireal. After a moment or two, he gave in to Rogun’s stare, sighing and propping himself up on his elbows.
“Alright, ‘lright, ‘m up..” Spireal shook his head a little, his hair a mess. It was already bothering him, but he knew he had to get out of bed before he could even get close to brushing his hair, so.. “I’m awake, Ro, you can stop yellin’.. man, do you ever realize just how loud you are?..”
Rogun let out an indignant scoff, one that Spireal knew was nothing more than him being dramatic. That’s Rogun for you, Spireal thought, pushing himself up on his augmented arm to sit up before stretching. Part of him was honestly surprised he’d slept so damn well, considering he’d been nothing but nervous since he and his friends arrived at the facility. On top of that, he hadn’t received any pings from his dad, something that made him equal parts relieved and uneasy.
“What time is it?” Spireal mumbled, watching Rogun dig around his suitcase on the floor. “And- oh, god, did I remember my uniform?..”
“No,” Rogun said, rolling his eyes, “I did. You didn’t want your dad to see it in your room, remember? I’ve got it.”
Spireal was about to open his mouth and reply with something snarky, but Rogun’s words were quickly followed by a bundle of dark, expensive fabric hitting him in the face. His words came out a muffled yelp, Rogun giggling from the floor.
Motherfucker!..
“My fucking hair,” he whined, tossing the clothing to the side and shoving the blankets to the edge of the bed. When he thought of the words “facility” or “corporation,” he’d been expecting things to be clinical and functional, but the beds were surprisingly comfortable. Spireal pictured himself flopping into this bed beside Rogun after a long day of serving the City, and something about that made him grin a little. I really am a big shot now.
“Your hair’s already a mess, dipshit, I didn’t do anything but flatten out your bangs.” Rogun stood, dusting himself off as if he was wearing anything other than a pair of gray shorts. He hadn’t bothered to get dressed, which was fair -- he didn’t start working for another week.
“Quit grinning at me like that, too,” he added, leaning forward with far too much energy. “You’re so smug! God,” Rogun dramatically rolled his eyes again, turning away from Spireal to throw his hands in the air. “Why in the City’s name do I date you again?” He asked, clearly joking.
Fuckin’ theater kid, Spireal thought, briefly examining his augmented arm. There was a little resistance as he turned his wrist, and he tilted his head slightly.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. D’you remember where I put that WD40 last night? Think these bolts are getting a little stiff.” Spireal flexed his fingers again, wondering if he’d even need it. Maybe it’s just jammed from sittin’ still all night.
“..No clue,” Rogun admitted, his entire tone changing. “Oh, your shift starts at, uh.. 7:00, by the way. It’s 6:15. Just so you know.” He stepped back, giving up his act and plunking down in a chair by the wall. “Me, Siki, ‘n’ Daph are prolly gonna catch a bus back to the City ‘n’ see what the Nest for this place is like. I mean, we’re living here, so it doesn’t matter,” he noted, “but it’s worth checking out!”
Spireal raised an eyebrow, reaching for the clothing Rogun had thrown at him to examine it. “You plan to go out into the City shirtless?”
Rogun made some indignant noise that Spireal didn’t really acknowledge, running his hands over the fabric. The uniform given to him by the facility was a well-made working suit with an armband displaying his team -- red with a white outline and a big white M . The tie for the suit came in blue, the one thing about it that had been customizable. Spireal smiled a little, admiring the quality.
“It’s good stuff, right?” Rogun asked as if reading Spireal’s thoughts. “Makes me jealous, honestly. Never coulda made something like that in the Backstreets. Wouldn’t have been able to afford it, probably.”
“Tch, yeah..” Spireal shook his head. “At least we don’t have to think about that anymore, right?”
“..Right,” Rogun agreed, and a tense silence hung over the two of them for a moment before he sighed, standing up and pulling an orange shirt off the nightstand, tugging it on. Spireal watched him lean back and stretch before he turned to him, smiling again.
“Alright. I think Daph ‘n’ Siki have my clothes, so I’m gonna head over to their room.. you get ready, shower, all that. You’ve got time.” He crossed his arms, that confident grin that Spireal knew so well shining like a candle. It made him smile weakly in response, admiring Rogun for a moment. He always knew how to look good.
“Take care of yourself, yeah? If you need anything, text me, don’t get hurt, yeah-yeah-yeah.. just stay safe.” He waved his hand around a little, then grabbed his box of cigarettes and his lighter, turning to walk away. Spireal watched him go, expecting him to leave without another word-
He stopped and turned around.
“Oh, and, um.. Spi..?” Rogun smiled, but this smile was softer, a little more awkward than the one he’d shown before. “I.. I love you, okay? You’re gonna do great out there. I promise. I really think this was the right decision for all of us.”
Spireal knew Rogun inside and out and knew him as a great actor, but this.. this was genuine. Spireal wasn’t sure how he knew that, either. He just..
..did.
“..Yeah,” he managed, nodding. “Y.. yeah. I love you too. I.. I hope this doesn’t blow up in our faces.”
Rogun shook his head, still smiling. “I doubt it will,” he replied, and with that, he left.
Spireal stared at the closed door a moment before glancing back to the suit in his hands. He ran his thumb over the fabric, looking at it, then glancing at his augmented arm, then his leg. He thought of the scars on his body, things he’d tried to hide. Wounds he’d sustained to get here.
..Okay, he thought. Now or never, I guess..
Spireal took a deep breath, standing and checking the time. 6:33.
..Yeah, definitely now or never. Time to run.