Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The roulette wheel spun around, tossing his bet of something thousand in circles, but Chance could hardly pay any mind to it. He was much too focused on this newcomer. He'd never seen the man before, but there was just something about him that interested Chance. The way he had approached had felt different to the way strangers usually greeted the gambler. This was no weird fawning fan looking for a taste of fame, or uptight magnate making uninterested small talk for the sake of connections, or green-eyed catfish trying to make a break for his pockets.

Instead, iTrapped had come up to them like someone asking for directions, as though he wasn't quite sure this was where he was supposed to be. And when Chance had confirmed their identity to him, he hadn't appeared satisfied. Instead, he only seemed to grow more tense as he supposedly relaxed into a more friendly demeanor.

It was... very intriguing, to say the least.

Chance hardly even noticed the win; the only reason he had registered it at all was thanks to iTrapped's amused surprise.

"Huh. Congrats again." He met Chance's gaze with a smile, one that felt just slightly nervous. Oh admins, they weren't being intimidating, were they? Was the staring too obvious? Were the wins throwing him off? Maybe they should back off the tables...

Of course, no nervousness was visible in Chance's smile as he returned the friendliness. "Told you, straight bets are my specialty!"

iTrapped chuckled at that, gaze falling down to the game again. "Indeed they are."

"Y''know..." Chance leaned back against the edge of the table, tilting his head to get a better look at the man's face, "You never told me why you came looking for me. What's on your mind, stranger?"

That earned them another laugh, this one a little quieter, maybe timid. "To be honest, I wasn't expecting to run into you, of all people..." A lie—it wasn't like it was private knowledge that Chance frequented his own casino—but he said nothing of it. No reason to point out an effort at small talk. "I suppose I was just looking for company, is all. And you've been hospitable enough."

The compliment, as small as it was, made Chance brighten up a little more. "Company, eh? A casino's an odd place to be looking for friends, though, don't you think?"

"Maybe." iTrapped looked back up at them then, something new glinting behind his eye. Humor, maybe? "It was definitely a gamble, but is that not the spirit of this place?"

"Hah!" Chance abruptly pushed themself off of the table as they barked out a laugh. "You're an interesting guy, iTrapped. I think I'm starting to like you!"

They scooped up their winnings and offered their hand out to the other, who looked caught off-guard by the gesture. He hesitantly took the chips, but before he could say anything of it, Chance was already speaking again.

"I think I've had my fill here. You want something to drink?" They nodded their head in the direction of the casino's bar. "On me."

It took iTrapped a second before he closed his hand around the gift and smiled up at the other again, his expression much warmer than what he had first walked in with. As though he had just hit a jackpot of his own.

"I certainly won't pass up the offer."

Chapter Text

He had told them it was going to rain. He had told them that they should leave early, or at least grab a coat or umbrella on the way out, or not go out at all, even. But of course, all of that advice fell on deaf ears. And look where that had got them.

"Ride should be here any minute now."

"Hm..."

They were standing on the sidewalk just outside of some scenic park that iTrapped hadn't bothered to learn the name of, stuck in the downpour, with no cover nearby save for what little shelter the trees provided. The flowerbeds and dirt paths behind them were all but mud now, and large pools of water were already forming on the road and around their feet.

iTrapped had followed his own advice, thankfully, and had brought a coat, which was now being suspended over his head to prevent the rest of his nice clothes from getting quite as drenched.

Chance was not so lucky, for once: the brim of his fedora could only do so much to stop the rain, but his suit and dress shirt were thoroughly soaked through by now. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, his worse time with the rain evident enough in his demeanor as that ever present smile on his face was wavering slightly.

A shiver ran down their back, which they did their best to suppress to no avail. iTrapped bit his tongue as he cast a sideways glance in their direction, the involuntary reaction to the rain only fueling his irritation further. It felt like a taunt, like a deliberate attempt to get under his skin.

"I told you it was going to rain," he hissed, low enough to where Chance could just barely hear him over the cacophony of water crashing against concrete. "You could've brought a coat, an umbrella, something."

Chance let out a nervous chuckle as he dipped his head down, hiding a look of embarrassment. "I know, I know..."

"Then why didn't you?"

They opened their mouth again to crack a smart comment, but as they looked up and caught sight of iTrapped's increasingly tense demeanor, they faltered. iTrapped turned his eyes back out toward the road, but he swore he caught a glimpse of something flicker in the other's gaze, just for a brief moment. He probably would've paid it more mind if he wasn't so used to it by now—sure, he probably shouldn't have let his demeanor slip so easily, but the gambler gave him odd looks all the time, so this wasn't anything new to fret over.

The two fell silent again, unease hanging heavy between them as the rain came down heavier.

Then, Chance suddenly slammed his foot down in the puddle underneath of them, sending droplets flying and managing to direct most of the splash toward iTrapped.

"Chance!" He gasped and startled back, thrown off by the sudden spray of water. He whipped around to glare at the other, daggers in his eyes. Well, there goes the effort to keep his clothes from getting soaked. "Are you serious!?"

The culprit returned his scowl with a proud grin, but behind their shades, their gaze appeared to be scanning over him, searching for something.

"You're tense," they replied so nonchalantly, like that was enough explanation for such a childish act. "Relax a little, 'Trap! It's just a bit of water!"

And as if the first time weren't enough, they had the audacity to splash him again.

iTrapped gritted his teeth as his anger skyrocketed. "Stop that!" He stomped his foot down on impulse, splashing Chance back in return, but that only seemed to fuel the flame.

Chance jumped back, his face lighting up further as his instigating was finally reciprocated. "There we go!" Of course, that only led him to continue whatever game he was trying to incite, kicking water back at the other again.

Admins, it was moments like this where iTrapped wondered if all of this putting up with the other was even worth it...

As his attempts to stay dry turned out to be futile, his coat was no longer proving useful suspended above his head. So instead, he took and flung it at the gambler's face, which definitely managed to take them by surprise. Chance stumbled back with a start and lost their footing on the wet pavement. Their hand shot out for iTrapped's arm on instinct, but this only ended up throwing him off his balance as well as he was suddenly pulled forward.

"Chance, wait-!"

The two collapsed backwards into the mud with a shout and a squelch, both of their outfits instantly soiled on impact. The coat fell from Chance's face, with his fedora following suit, while iTrapped crashlanded against him. 

It took them both a second to regather themselves. iTrapped quickly pushed himself off of the other before they just sort of paused and stared at each other. Neither said a word for the longest moment.

Then, Chance suddenly burst out into laughter, genuine laughter, and iTrapped felt a pang of something sharp in his chest. The childish games, the teasing, the small moments of chaos, the laughter... It was terrifying how much he reminded him of them sometimes...

He couldn't help himself. He really tried to stifle it, but a snicker slipped out of his mouth as well. Then another. Soon enough, they were both laughing, drenched and covered in mud.

And it was moments like this where iTrapped was reminded why exactly he was here, any doubt for his goal completely erased from his mind.

Chapter Text

iTrapped was bent over the sink, hands gripping either side of the counter like it was the only thing left for him to hold onto. His arms were shaking with the force and his knuckles were quickly draining of any color left in them. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't see straight, couldn't hear anything but his own heartbeat pounding relentlessly in his ears. But he could taste the lingering iron in his mouth just fine.

He felt sick. Worse than sick. He felt like his body was trying to rend itself apart from the inside out.

Shit... Shit shit shit shit shit.

Three months. Three fucking months. That's how much time he had wasted. Wasted on a dead end. That's how much time he had been letting them rot behind bars, all while he'd been out having fancy drinks and fraternizing with the elite and living in luxury, chasing after a rumor.

Tears started to well up in his eyes and flood his vision further, no matter how furiously he tried to blink them away. He had been trying so hard not to think about it more than he needed to. If he had dwelled on for it too long, he would've faltered. He would've cracked, would've spilled something horrible, and everything he had worked so tirelessly to set up in his favor would've all come crashing down on him. So he held it together. For three months, he held it together.

But after putting up a front and pushing it to the side for so long, he couldn't hold it back any longer. This night had been it, the end, the final nail in the coffin to finally show him just how pointless the time and effort he poured into this had been. How pointless every smile, every word, every calculated gesture and touch and late night out and heartfelt conversation had been. And Chance-

Chance.

Oh, Chance...

"You said you would give me anything I wanted..." His voice was shallow and shaky as he hissed out the words, as though it burned on his tongue to speak them out loud.

If that had really been the case, iTrapped wouldn't have been standing here now in this suite that didn't belong to him, blood that wasn't his own smeared on his shirt and on his mouth. He wouldn't have been here empty-handed and growing more desperate by the second. He would've been standing with his friends right now. He would've been fine, and it would've been the six of them again, and they would've laughed all of this bullshit off like it never even mattered in the first place.

But he wasn't. He wasn't with them, and he wasn't laughing, and he wasn't fine, because Chance hadn't given him any of that. They never could have.

"Damned liar."

He hated them. Even more so now that they were gone. That the only remnant of them was the crimson staining his shirt. It was so, so frustrating that even now, even with their body rendered motionless and their breath stolen from their lungs, they still refused to let go of him.

iTrapped wiped the blood from his mouth. Even now, they still found a way to cling to him, somehow.

Shit...

He needed to get out of here. Fast. He needed somewhere else. Somewhere not immediately connected to the person he just killed. Somewhere he could disappear to and wait for everything to blow over and no one would have to see his face ever again.

He'd find another lead. A better lead. He'd break into that damned prison if it was the last thing he'd do. He'd brute force his way in himself if he had to. He wasn't going to rest until they were safe again.

And he'd... He'd forget about this messy ordeal. He would forget about Chance, and he would move on. No matter how sick he felt about it now.

What's done is done.

There was no point dwelling on that now.

Chapter Text

Chance could feel the burning in his lungs, the pounding of his heart in his chest beating faster and faster, the blood coursing through his veins. Every footfall made the sensations a little more potent, a little more exhilarating, a little more intoxicating. It captivated his thoughts and filled him with a rush that he never wanted to come off of. But then, something split through that high and shattered it into a thousand pieces.

A gunshot.

Suddenly, they crashed back down to reality, racing through the city streets with iTrapped's hand held firmly in theirs as they dragged him along. They risked a quick glance in the direction of their pursuers, and sure enough, one of the mafia members chasing after them had a pistol in hand, aimed straight in their direction.

Oh, no. Absolutely not. That wasn't happening. Sure, higher stakes definitely added more fun to the chase, but there was only one life he was willing to wager here, and iTrapped was not the one blessed with enough luck to dodge bullets. Chance needed to get him out of here, and fast.

So he decided on the quickest course of action possible.

"Meet me back at the casino!"

"What!? What are y-!?"

Chance didn't give iTrapped much time to finish his words before they suddenly spun around and shoved him into a passing alleyway, just as another shot rang out. It had certainly caught the other off-guard, and he landed a little harder than Chance had meant, but at least he was out of the way of the gunfire now.

iTrapped didn't appear anywhere near thrilled with this development, though, scrambling back up to his feet as quickly as he could to scream after them. "Are you insane!? Chance!!"

But iTrapped's shouting was already fading as he continued to sprint off. The only sound he was focusing on now were the footsteps chasing behind him.

Three pairs. They were still following him. Perfect.

————

Perfect. Oh, this was just perfect. His key to the Banlands was about to be slaughtered in the street because admins forbid Chance didn't go looking for trouble for once in their life. He was honestly shocked that they had managed to stay alive this long.

What was that idiot thinking, messing with the mafia of all things? And why did he have to get dragged into it??

iTrapped was just about to race to catch up with them again when an arm suddenly hooked itself around his own and pulled him backward further into the alley, the blade of a sword now pressed to his throat.

"Name. Now," the mobster hissed in his ear, far too close for comfort. iTrapped could feel the heat of their breath down his neck.

He gritted his teeth. Oh, great... More of them. "Go fuck yourself."

"Oh, looks like we've got a jokester on our hands. Cute." The blade was pressed closer to his throat, wedging itself right underneath his chin as it started to dig into his skin. "I wasn't askin'."

"What do you want with me?" His voice was low, matching the other's volume, as he returned that dangerous sting.

"What are your affiliations with Chance?"

"I don't know who you're talking about."

"A jokester and a liar? Now you're starting to push it." He could feel a thin line of blood start to trickle down his neck. "Start coughin' up answers, or you'll be coughin' up blood here in the next five seconds."

Alright, he was done with this.

The form of a sword took shape in his grasp, pitch black matter knitting itself together in a matter of seconds. It must not have been as subtle as he had hoped, however, as the mobster quickly caught sight of the weapon, eyes growing wide with shock.

"How did y-"

iTrapped didn't waste a second; he swiveled around to take a slash at his attempted captor, but they had already let go of him. iTrapped only managed to nick them in the side before they could get too far, though it seemed to do more than enough damage as they doubled over in pain.

iTrapped didn't wait for them to recover. As soon as he saw the opportunity, he turned on his heel and sprinted back out into the street, bolting in the direction he had seen Chance run off in. He needed to get there before those mobsters did, before something happened that he couldn't take back.

Consigliere didn't have the energy to pursue. It felt like all of his energy had been sapped out of him. He slumped against the wall, clutching his side where a dark stain was already making itself known. He could usually take pain just fine, but this? This was excruciating. Surely, he hadn't been hit that badly?

He lifted his shirt to look over the wound and instantly felt sick to his stomach at the sight; the cut wasn't deep by any means, but the skin around it had turned a sickly, black color, as had the blood spilling from it. And it was still spreading.

Fuck, he knew those swords were dangerous, but he didn't realize just how bad they could sting. If this was what a shallow wound could do, he could hardly imagine what any worse of a blow would be capable of... This could be a problem, especially if this person was batting for Chance.

He had to warn the others. He reached a shaky hand up to the device around his ear and pressed the microphone on.

"Cap, that other guy... He has the Darkheart on him. The real thing," Consigliere coughed into the earpiece, praying his voice was loud enough to be heard through the shaking. "He's headed your way... Be careful."

----

Chance screeched to a halt as they found themself face to face with a dead end. Shoot. Wrong alleyway. Suppose it's a little hard to navigate when you don't know where you're going.

They turned around and quickly found out that they had been followed a lot closer than anticipated; they were suddenly slammed back against the wall, fedora falling to the ground with the impact. As the shock wore off, they found themself staring down the barrel of a gun with both arms pinned and a wooden plank to their throat.

Shit.

"Hey, fellas! Long time, no see!" He flashed a smile that looked far too nonchalant for the position he was in right now. "How's the business been treating ya?"

"Cut the small talk, gambler," Soldier returned Chance's smile with a crooked grin of his own, the scar over his mouth exposing his gums. "You know why we're here."

"You best tell us where you hid it. The boss is getting impatient with you!" Contractee tapped the board against their chest, the sharp nail sticking out of the end of it hovering dangerously close to their chin.

"New guy!" Chance turned his conversation toward the other, hoping that maybe he wouldn't be as quick to shut him down. "How's it been, buddy? You've been getting along with the family well enough?"

Contractee appeared to light up a bit as Chance addressed him, though the hold on their arm never faltered. "Yeah, actually! It's been great. These guys are actually pretty hospitable, you kn-"

"Copy."

Contractee was cut off as Caporegime responded to an unheard conversation. He hadn't moved from his position standing closer to the entrance of the alleyway, only having observed the job thus far. Soldier and Contractee both paused to glance back at their captain, waiting for whatever the message was to be relayed to them. He regarded them both before waving a hand, and it seemed that all three of them knew exactly what that meant: 'Let's wrap this up.'

Chance braced themself prematurely as the end of the pistol was pressed right in between their eyes, pushing up their shades just enough to let light slip in underneath and force them to squint.

"You have five seconds to tell us where it is," Soldier snapped, that mischevious grin gone from his face.

Chance laughed, poker face still near perfectly intact, though the tension in his shoulders was starting to betray him. "Is all this really necessary?"

"Five..."

Oh, shoot, they were being serious. This was it, huh?

"Four..."

Should they really give up the game now? Just like that?

"Three..."

And cut this glorious rush of adrenaline short?

"Two..."

Oh, please. Who was he kidding? His smile grew wider, taunting, practically begging for the trigger to be pulled. This rush, this feeling... This was what he lived for. How could he deny it now?

"One-"

"Let them go." iTrapped's voice. "Now."

Chance immediately brightened up at the sound, and though they couldn't see much past the light obscuring their vision, they could just make out the familiar silhouette at the end of the alleyway.

Was he... holding a sword?

All three mobsters turned their heads to see the origin of the voice as well, but where Soldier and Contractee looked eager for a new challenge, Caporegime's stoic demeanor seemed to grow more weary. Maybe even defeated?

When no one moved, iTrapped took a step forward, weapon held out ready to strike. "I said now."

"Or what?" Contractee piped up. "You gonna freeze us to death with that glare of yours, ice prince?"

Soldier grinned again as he joined in. "What do you want with them, huh? Is someone scared to lose their precious inheritance?"

Caporegime raised a hand in the two's direction, and they instantly fell silent. He met iTrapped's gaze for a long moment, studying the man and the sword that he brandished, before he finally came to a decision.

"Fall back," he said plainly.

The two stared at their captain in disbelief and opened their mouths to complain, but another hand signal quickly shut them down: 'We'll finish this later.'

Reluctantly, Chance was let go of without another word—though, not without being shoved forward in the process. He stumbled and nearly faceplanted on the ground before he caught himself. It took him a second, but once he regained his balance again, he looked up to see the three men gone, only catching a glimpse of the captain before he disappeared around the corner, too. Which meant it was just Chance and iTrapped now.

They straightened their posture and readjusted their shades, blocking out that pesky light and at last allowing them to get a clear view of their friend again.

...Huh. They were sure he had been holding some sort of weapon just a moment ago.

"Thanks, 'Trap. I owe you one for this, big time." Chance gave him a smile, much more sincere than the one he'd given the others. "Sorry for getting you involved in all of that..."

iTrapped freezed in place for a second, as though he'd forgotten how he was supposed to respond. "...Right. Of course." He shook his head a little, averting his gaze back out toward the road. "It's. Fine."

Chance chuckled a little at that response, kicking up his hat with a foot and catching it before it could fall back down again. "I'm being serious, though," he insisted as he brushed off the dirt his fedora had managed to collect. "Let me treat you to something. Anything you want."

iTrapped sighed, but he didn't respond. For a drawn out moment, there was nothing but the background ambience of the city.

"...It's the least I could do."

"Thank you, Chance." He responded a little too quickly as he finally looked back at them, a polite smile on his face pulled just a little too taut. "But I think I'd just like to go home now."

Chance felt their spirits plummet.

"Yeah. 'Course." They did their best to stifle the disappointment in their voice. They did a pretty good job at it, too, if they do say so themself. "Let me grab a ride for you, then. I can have one of the chauffeurs come pick you up."

At least that seemed to get him to relax a little. "Sounds perfect."

Chapter Text

Chance stared out at the lake, with only the reflection of the moon on the water and the soft glow of their cigarette to offer any light. Their gaze wasn't focused on anything in particular as they let their thoughts wander, which wasn't exactly a good idea, but there wasn't much else they could do right now. This place gave them far too much time for their thoughts to dwell. Dwell on too many things. Dwell on their new situation, on the now permanent shake in their hand, on their life before all this... Dwell on people...

"Hey..."

The sound of a voice cut through his thoughts. Chance glanced back to see Noob standing on the dock a couple paces back from him. They looked like they had just woken up.

Chance smiled at Noob—a habitual smile, one that kept them on relatively good terms with the others. Though, there was some genuineness to it this time around as the other's company provided a well-needed distraction. "Hey." They patted the deck beside them in a silent offer, which Noob ended up taking.

As they sat down next to him, Chance pressed the end of his cigarette to the wood of the dock, watching as the ember was smothered and died out. Noob wasn't a smoker, and Chance certainly wasn't aiming to destroy anyone else's lungs tonight. He flicked the dead cigarette butt into the water, discarding it from his hand. Noob grimaced a little at the action, though.

"You probably shouldn't do that..." They waved a hand at the cigarette, the ash from it now spreading out on the surface of the water.

Chance followed their gesture with their gaze before they gave a shrug in response. "Eh... It's not hurting anything. Don't think anything actually lives here." Actually, now that they said it out loud, they really never had seen another living thing here aside from their fellow survivors, had they? Just another thing that made this place unsettling. "Besides, we're already in hell. I don't think pollution's gonna be a major worry of ours."

Noob just offered their own shrug in response, crossing their arms over their chest. "Still... You probably shouldn't get into the habit of it." Their expression twisted up a little as they spoke. "Still feels wrong..."

Chance squinted down at the water. He didn't understand what about it made them uncomfortable, but if it was really that much of an issue, there wasn't any hassle in stopping. "Yeah... Alright."

They both grew quiet after that, sharing the moment of silence between them as it arrived and lingered there. It didn't feel awkward or tense though, not with them. Not to Chance, at least.

Eventually, though, he decided to break the silence again as curiosity got the better of him. Or perhaps he just wanted to talk to the other a little longer. "What's got you out here so late?"

"I don't know... Couldn't sleep." Noob's gaze fell down to the surface of the water, their eyes meeting their reflection's. "And I just saw you sitting out here, so..."

"Aww," Chance nudged them in the side with their elbow, a playful grin spreading across their face. "Couldn't stand seeing me all alone, eh?"

Noob laughed a little. "Something like that..."

"What about you?" They looked back up at Chance, nodding their head in the other's direction. "Why are you out late?"

Chance chuckled some at that; a nervous laugh, one meant to deflect. "Oh, y'know," Their voice naturally started to slip into something a little more charismatic before they caught themself. Noob wasn't someone they needed to put on their poker face for, and they knew that, but the habit was a hard one to shake. "...I've just been thinking."

"Oh..." A knowing look flickered in Noob's eyes. "Are you thinking about, uh..." They trailed off, but their guess was evident enough.

Chance winced. They had guessed right. "Yeah..."

"Ah..." Noob fell silent with that, though their gaze remained on the other, a silent offer for him to talk.

At first, he didn't take it. Instead, Chance averted his gaze back out to the horizon, though he didn't look quite as composed as he had a moment ago. Eventually, though, he let out an abrupt laugh.

Noob startled slightly at the sound, the sudden snap of the silent tension catching them off-guard. "What is it?"

"Y''know, it's the strangest thing..!" Chance chuckled uncomfortably. "For as much as he still haunts me, I can't... seem to remember his face, heh..." They caught themself slouching, shrinking into to themself. They felt the urge to snap back into character, to straighten their posture, fix the smile on their face, and tell the other it was nothing. But they knew they couldn't do that. So they continued, the hesitancy apparent enough in their voice. "It's just... I just see your face instead. Hah... Isn't that weird...?"

Another moment of silence, this time more brief than the last.

Noob shook their head. "No, not weird. I... I think I get it." Their mouth twisted up again. "Though, I guess I do more of the opposite."

This time, it was Chance's turn to tilt their head at the other. "Really?"

"It's kind of like... how I couldn't look at any of my friends without seeing her instead..." Noob met his gaze, looking over their face as though trying to search for something there. They must've given up on the effort though, as they exhaled a defeated sigh. "Especially you... I don't think your glasses help, either, with how much they hide your face."

Chance chuckled a little at that again, a hand instinctively moving to the frame of his shades. "No, guess they wouldn't, huh?"

Noob offered a small laugh back, one born out of courtesy more than shared humor.

"I don't know..." Their gaze returned back down to the water. "It feels like I'm not allowed to forget him... Like trying to see anyone else there would be a betrayal..."

Chance watched them for a moment longer, their hand falling back down to their side. They wanted to say something, but they couldn't bring themself to speak, the words getting caught in their throat. Instead, they just averted their eyes back out to the horizon, their smile having fully faded now.

"Maybe it's the opposite for you," Noob murmured out. "Maybe you... want to forget. To some degree."

Chance winced at that. Did he want to forget? All of those feelings had always been so weird and knotted and conflicting... He wasn't sure how he felt about it anymore. Would it have been better to forget? To let this tangled mess in his chest fade into obscurity... It was an appealing thought, at the very least.

Noob leaned against them, resting their head against the gambler's shoulder—a silent gesture of comfort. Or maybe they were finally starting to succumb to their exhaustion. Chance didn't have the heart to return the gesture, not right now, but the tension in their shoulders did ease up a little.

"Maybe..."

Chapter Text

Chance was drunk. Not out of it drunk, his tolerance was far too high for him to achieve that, but drunk enough to the point where his actions weren't quite as coordinated as they usually were. He stumbled a bit on his feet, and some of his words slurred together on his tongue, and he let a couple things slip out that he usually would've caught beforehand. Nothing too obscene, nothing that would break character, but he was a little too blunt in places and a little too emotional in others. Not quite as put together.

They were painfully aware of it. iTrapped was made painfully aware of it as well.

The two had fled from a small gathering of people neither were truly familiar with after Chance had grown far too bored and iTrapped had far past exhausted his social battery. They decided then that the rest of the evening could be spent with much better company in the quiet of Chance's suite instead.

Their walk had been relatively silent, although the gambler's lacking sobriety was starting to show a little more now that there wasn't an audience. He couldn't walk all that straight, and despite the hand hovering at his side in case he lost balance, he still managed to trip over himself. Instinctively, he leaned into iTrapped, who just barely managed not to fall over himself as Chance collapsed against him. He grabbed ahold of the gambler's shoulders in an effort to steady him.

"Careful," iTrapped muttered in a low voice, a twinge of irritation apparent in his words. "Watch where you're walking."

Chance scoffed out a small laugh at the quiet scolding. "Yeah, yeah, I got it..."

They should've gotten up, should've pushed themself back up onto their feet and straightened their suit out again. But leaned against the other like this... Well, maybe it was just the alcohol talking, but they really didn't want to pull away.

"Chance?" iTrapped started to grow uneasy when the gambler hesitated to right himself. "For Telamon's sake... You didn't pass out on me, did you?"

It wasn't like they got a lot of opportunities for a hug—a real hug. It's not exactly "proper" etiquette at fancy gatherings, and while the casino goers were plenty informal, most weren't really what you'd consider affectionate.

And from iTrapped himself? He hated anything to do with physical touch; Chance was only given the rare exception, and even then, it was never to this degree. They were lucky enough to get a pat on the shoulder, let alone a full embrace.

But right now... he couldn't help himself. Maybe if he was a little more sober, a little more composed, he wouldn't have dared, wouldn't have even considered to test that boundary. But he had a bit too much alcohol in him clouding his judgment right now, and he'd gone a bit too long without some sort of embrace, and iTrapped must've tried out a new cologne tonight because he smelled really nice, and, shit, he'd never felt this comfortable against another person before...

They knew the moment wouldn't last long anyways; iTrapped would get fed up and shove them off soon enough, and they wouldn't put up a fight about it. They could feel the tension in his stance already. But they still risked it, still couldn't resist another small gamble. They wrapped their arms around the other and buried their face in the crook his neck, his naturally cooler temperature feeling like heaven against the drunken flush of their face. Their shades got pushed up at an awkward angle in the process, but they could hardly care less.

It just felt so nice...

And iTrapped didn't know what to do about that.

He hated the contact, hated the feeling of Chance's arms around him, hated the constriction and the lack of space. He wanted to crawl out of his skin. He wanted nothing more than to push them away and tell them off for even trying to cling to him like this.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Certainly not out of pity—he wasn't so desperate for the key to suddenly let Chance start breaking boundaries. But there was this horrible knot forming in his stomach, one that was nearly making him nauseous with just how much of a tangled disaster it was turning into. Despite all the discomfort, the other's touch also felt... kind of comforting at the same time.

iTrapped couldn't remember the last time he had let someone hug him. It must have been long before the arrests, before the fallout, and even back then, he had never been the most touchy-feely person. But now that he was back in someone else's embrace, it must've finally caught up to him with just how long it had been, and just how badly he needed this. Despite how much his instincts tried to fight it, he really needed this...

He could feel Chance's heartbeat and the rise and fall of their chest and the warm of their breath against his neck, and it was all so unnerving. But at the same time, the rhythms were almost soothing. For as much as he wanted to pull away in disgust, he couldn't help but lean further into it. His thoughts were nothing but a paradoxical mess.

But he still wrapped his arms back around the other.

Neither of them fully registered it when they slowly sank to the floor. Neither of them dared to utter another word. They had stumbled upon something so terribly fragile, something already so fractured that one wrong move would shatter it completely. So neither of them moved, not even as the night's exhaustion started to creep up on them. 

They never made it back to the suite.