ᢉ𐭩 — your boyfriend enjin is missing! but when you find him, something’s wrong…
it’s one of your off days at cleaner’s hq, to which you’re content with just lazing around for the entirety of the day. team akuta’s got their day off, too, but something just doesn’t sit right with you.
their leader has been m.i.a. like, all day.
usually by now, enjin would be lazed on top of you, saying anything and everything to get underneath your skin. but his sudden absence and the fact that he’s quiet, no less, is worrying enough on his own.
so, you make the decision to go find your boyfriend. maybe semiu’s seen him.
“semiuuuu.” you call her name.
her gaze darts up to you, back to her adult magazine as she closes it, before back up to you. “what’s up?”
she’s quiet for a moment, contemplating your question before shaking her head. “mm-mm. i haven’t seen him since this morning. but i did see him talking to bro earlier.”
“kay, thanks,” you throw over your shoulder, your feet immediately moving you to wherever bro may be. if you know him, he’s definitely with his team, team child. a team of little powerful monsters.
you wander the halls for a moment before finding him watching over dear and guita in the training room. his eyes find yours when you walk in, offering his gentle smile.
“hey, what brings you here?”
you give him a smile identical to his own. “hey bro, have you seen enjin?” you ask.
“i was just with him, actually.” he replies. “i heard him say that he was going to be in the common room.” typical enjin, wandering wherever his feet take him.
you head towards the common room once you give your gratitude to bro, pushing the doors to the common room open. the sight before you makes your breath hitch.
the team’s there. zanka, riyo, and rudo are all doing their own thing, dwelling in each other’s presences. but there’s someone there who’s completely different.
he’s leaning against the wall, but instead of his golden locks, there’s raven in its place. amber is replaced with ruby red. his earrings are also red, and his tattoos are different— black in red instead of red in black. and the cherry on top?
his choker’s blue. since when are the chokers blue!?
all eyes in the room turn towards you.
riyo’s eyebrows quirk up. “what’s up with you? you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” “i might as well have,” you murmur. “enjin, what…”
his eyes narrow at you. “what? it’s just me.”
huh, his personality’s a little different too. a bit feistier than usual. “no it’s not.” you deny.
“what does that mean?” he barks.
“who are you and what have you done to my enjin??”
everyone’s staring at you like you grew two heads and four ears. zanka’s the next one to speak up. “he’s the same enjin. you sure you okay? didn’t hit your head?”
“how are you going to look at him and tell me he’s the same? he’s completely different!” you exclaim. “his hair’s black, his eyes are red, his tattoos are literally inverted?? look at him!” your hands gesture towards “enjin” frantically, frailing to make your point.
then another voice pitches in— rudo’s. “he’s… not?” your head snaps towards him in betrayal.
enjin finally decides to join the conversation, eyebrows furrowed with confusion. “it’s literally just me, boo.”
you blink once, twice, eyes darting towards everyone before landing on the carbon copy of your boyfriend. chuckling nervously, you take a few steps back and quickly turn out of the room, “enjin’s” eyes following you the entire time.
“what’s up with her?” you can hear their voices trail after you.
“dunno. maybe exhaustion.”
that is not enjin. how can they look at him and say that? he’s literally different.
your feet take you to your room, head spinning. are they all pulling a prank on you? they have to be. or maybe you’re just hallucinating this whole thing. yeah, that’s got to be it.
not that you’re really complaining though, ‘cause he looked good.
a knock pulls you out of your thoughts. “baby?”
fuck, it’s the doppelgänger.
“you don’t get to call me that.” your voice is loud enough to carry across the door.
a sigh. “i don’t know what’s gotten into you, darling, but you better cut it out. lemme in.” his tone is demanding, enticing even.
it has you swinging the door open.
he’s leaning against your doorframe, eyes glaring down at you with an intensity that has you nearly squirming underneath. “y’gonna tell me what’s going on?”
your nose scrunches. “i’m not talking to a copy of my boyfriend.”
he pinches the bridge of his nose. “what the hell are you on about?”
“you tell me,” you bite back, emphasizing your words. “you’ve never had black hair, red eyes, and your tattoos were never black in red, and everyone’s acting like everything’s normal.”
enjin the doppelgänger stares at you, unblinking, before finally speaking up. “yeah, you’re crazy.” he takes two steps to close the distance between you. you attempt to take you steps back, but one of his hands dart out and catches your wrist.
he tugs you towards him gently, but firm enough to put you two chest to chest. his other hand comes to your hip, pressing just enough for you to feel the heat through the fabric. you start to squirm, but his hold locks you into place.
“i know you love playing these stupid stunts of yours,” he begins huskily, eyes locked on to yours. “but i’m not playing your games today, angel.”
“you’re the one playing games.”
your eyes find something else in your room to look at, but the hand that had your wrist trapped comes to your jaw, tilting your head back. “look at me.”
he closes the distance slightly, his breath brushing at the stray strands of hair across your features. “it’s always been me. i’ve never had golden eyes or hair, different tattoos, or whatever the fuck you decide to come up with.”
you’re silent, free hand remains still in the air, unsure of what to do with it. your body itches to touch him, but it doesn’t sit with you touching some alternate version of your man, even if he is yours.
yet, depsite yourself, your hand comes into his raven locks, caressing and playing with the strands. it feels just like his, and his expression softens as soon as you relax enough to let yourself have this. “you…” your voice trails off.
he shuts the door with his foot before returning his attention to you. “there’s my girl. you just love being difficult with me, huh? should’ve known.”
although your bones tell you that is isn’t your enjin, your heart knows it is. even if it’s some kind of prank or alternate universe.
he closes the distance fully, lips pressing against yours with a gentle reverence that has your knees weak. he tastes of cigarettes and something faintly sweet, just like he usually does while your lips move with his in a familiar rhythm.
you sigh into the kiss as it deepens, arms coming around his neck to pull him closer, though there’s practically no space between the two of you. once of his hands come to cup the back of your head and hold you there.
enjin breaks the kiss by barely pulling away from you, a string of saliva left behind as evidence of your little session. “baby, let me just…” his voice is hoarse, one of his hands trailing underneath your shirt. you nod without any words, your own touch moving across the visible tattoos on his chest.
and just as enjin comes close to your chest—
it’s a slow process— you blink blearily, trying to become aware of your surroundings. then you notice someone’s arms around you, red in black tattoos.
you look up, and he’s already looking at you.
golden hair, amber eyes. the corner of his mouth is turned up, one dimple flashing. “morning, gorgeous.”
you stay unmoving for a moment or two, just taking him in before you find your voice. “you should dye your hair black.”
he blinks. “what’s that?”