#lenardo does a write

[noctuascion]

;; Let's gOOOOOOOO

Day Three: Mercy ;;

Pained grunts echoed throughout the room, Elliott's nose colliding with the floor just a little too painfully, his arm shoved against his spine and bending painfully. The weight against his back was pushing his nose further and further into the mat beneath—he groaned out in pain, eyes clenching shut, feeling that weight atop him bend over, lips near his mouth.

"Say it."

"Fuck you."

His arm was further twisted, and he whined, kicking his legs.

"Okay, okay! Mercy! Mercy!"

Renee laughed, letting him go and pushing herself off of the man clad in ugly yellow shorts and a dark grey muscle top.

Elliott rose to his feet, stretching out his arm. Him and Renee had a training regiment that involved both of them sparring until one of them managed to pin the other and make them say "mercy." Renee had just tied them, if the chart Park was drawing on was any indication.

The trickster sighed, walking over to the hacker, and gently kicking the exercise ball he was balancing on.

"You wanna go a round?" he asked, smiling.

Park hummed, looked over at Renee, before looking back at the book he'd been reading. "No thank you. I like my arms."

The taller snorted. "Oh, come on. I bet you'd kick our asses."

Ignoring Renee's scoff, the hacker shook his head, smiling. "I wouldn't want to make you two feel bad for getting their butts kicked."

"Jackass."

"You said it yourself—ugh, you smell."

Elliott crinkled his nose. "Well, yeah, I was just fake fighting a ninja. Of course I'm smelly."

The technician snorted, rising from his exercise ball and making his way to the locker room—and Elliott would be lying if he said he wasn't looking at the way Park's yoga pants hugged him just right. He had yoga sessions with Natalie and Pathfinder (no idea why he's there, but, hey, he's encouraging) in a bit, so he was already prepared. His hair was pinned back as well with Hello Kitty hair clips Renee had gifted him (and, like the asshole he is, he wore them proudly out of spite).

"I hope you're showering before you get into bed."

"And…? If I don't?"

"Then I'm kicking you back out."

Elliott, dramatic as always, placed a hand upon his chest, pouting. "Ouch. You'd kick me out? Your sweet, handsome, daring boyfriend?"

"Gladly."

The trickster frowned, continuing to stare at his boyfriend, before he smiled, and, just before they approached the locker rooms, he wrapped his sweaty arms around Park's neck, and the other reacted immediately with his hands smacking the larger's tanned arm.

"Let go! You smell like sweat."

"Say it."

"Elliott—"

"Say it!"

The engineer presses closer, and Park can feel the sweat against his skin—his boyfriend's a fucking asshole. He was tempted to bite him, but, even if he's an asshole, he didn't want to hurt him like that.

Maybe.

He's thinking about it.

An irritated sigh before the hacker relents. "Mercy. Now let me go."

"Elliott: one. His crazy hot boyfriend who shouldn't wear yoga pants ever: zero."

The technician was released, immediately beginning to wipe the other's sweat off of him. It's not like this is the first time it's ever happened. Elliott messed up a smoothie and ended up covered in blended strawberries and milk. He immediately hugged Park. He fell into a pond whilst hanging out with Octavio and was absolutely drenched in water and algae. Park got another hug that day. He even managed to blow something up in the lab, covered in soot, and guess who still got a hug.

Well, the hugs were still nice. He just hated having to clean up afterwards.

"You're a nuisance."

"And you shouldn't wear yoga pants. Seriously, can't you just wear shorts? You totally distracted me during that sparring session…"

Park rolled his eyes as Elliott continued talking as they entered the locker room.

[noctuascion]

;; I'm trying over here cjsjwdj

Though this is fun. I hope we have another thing similar to this. ^^

Day Two: Blood

TW; Blood ;;

Elliott didn't know how or why it happened, but it happened.

It was just another night of restlessness, unable to sleep or lay down long enough to attempt it. He didn't bother working on his tech—couldn't find the energy to do so. He was tired but restless, and it was… frustrating.

It wasn't until he got a text on his phone did he grow a little less tired.

It was from Park, and, normally, he'd be ecstatic to see the other making attempts to reach out to him, but the message he received was a garbled mess. He barely managed to decipher the simple "please come over" before he was texting back an affirmation and throwing on whatever clothes he had.

When he arrived, gently knocking on Park's door, he didn't receive that usual deep voice telling him to come inside. He did, knowing Park would probably kick his ass for it later, but he made sure it was careful, slow, unsure of the state the hacker was in—didn't know if he was drunk and passed out or freaked out in some capacity.

It appeared to be the latter, and Elliott almost wishes it was the former.

The room was dark, but the engineer quickly turned a light on to assess the damage. Bruises decorated his face—on his cheekbone, his eye developing a rather nasty one, another on the opposing cheek—and there was dried blood splattered across his face. There weren't any open wounds on his face, but he was shaking like a leaf.

His coat was caked in dirt and more dried blood—the white color being ruined like that was almost discomforting in a way. There was more on his shirt, but Elliott didn't see any rips in his clothing indicating inflicted wounds. His hands, shaking the worst out of the rest of him, had the most amount of dried scarlet, real and faux skin covered in it. If he wasn't convinced before, he was now: the blood definitely wasn't Park's.

However, there was a wound on his thigh that was bleeding, and his right knee was outstretched. He kept shifting it, just slightly, an indication of discomfort: wounded.

"Can I touch you?" was softly asked, his tone as quiet as he could make it without becoming inaudible. He didn't want to further upset the hacker.

He received a simple nod.

Elliott moved to begin ridding Park of his ruined clothes. For once, he resented the ridiculously tight pants the hacker wore, as it only exacerbated his injured knee, and Elliott felt guilt tear at his heart when Park released distressed noises, pained groans and whines.

Once his clothes were off, left in just his boxers, Elliott moved to the bathroom to fetch a few rags, wetting them, before returning and beginning to wipe the blood from him. He was especially careful with Park's face—the man bruised like an apple, so he's sure these ones especially hurt.

Once he was cleaned, Elliott tossed the rags aside and gingerly took Park's hands in his own; he felt relief seeing the other meet his gaze without hesitation.

"I'm gonna go grab some meds, okay?" He felt Park tensing in his hands, seeing his head shake, but he was quick to reassure. "I'm not gonna tell Ajay, okay? She's not gonna know I was there. No one will know. You're safe, okay?"

Slowly, the technician nodded. "Safe…" he quietly repeated, and Elliott smiled.

"Safe. I'll be back in a second."

A quick kiss was pressed to his knuckles before hurrying off to fetch everything needed—disinfectant, clean rags, bandages, and an ice pack for that knee. He had examined it, refrained from touching, but it only looked like it was just swollen from something hard making contact with it. Park had just said "metal object," so he'd assume someone hit him—hard, with the intention to hurt.

Secretly, Elliott had just been hoping it was just an accident and that Park accidentally tripped down the stairs or something, but that certainly wasn't the case.

He returned quickly, getting to work on disinfecting the wound on Park's thigh, wrapping it, and proceeded to get him into some clean clothes. Simple black pajamas—and they were the ones that were just a little too big, and Elliott surmised they might help put less pressure on his injuries.

Park was moved to lay on the bed then, Elliott placing the ice pack on his knee and sitting on the bed. It took just a few minutes for Park to fall asleep, out like a light. He had always said Elliott made him feel the safest, that he's the only one he'd ever feel comfortable being vulnerable around—and he had apparently meant that.

He'd keep him safe, watch after him as he slumbered. He didn't ask, didn't need to know what happened, didn't feel it was necessary. If Park wanted to tell him, he would, and he'd do what he'd do best: wouldn't tell another soul of the many, many secrets Park has entrusted to him.

He'd keep hold of the hand that unconsciously slithered into is own, rub the knuckles of the surveillance expert and keep quiet.

Let him sleep. He needed the rest more than Elliott did anyway.

[noctuascion]

;; Some fluff for the soul. ;;

--

Elliott loved the spotlight. He loved all eyes on him. He loved the praise and the adoration. Hell, he was even okay with the occasional creepy love letter from an especially enamored fan (ones he usually tore up and tossed out before his boyfriend ever saw them; he looked cute with a blush, but he probably didn't appreciate those being sent to him constantly. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say).

His boyfriend, however, was not.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Park hated any attention he received from the public. He hated eyes on him. He hated empty compliments from people trying to get into his pants. He especially hated the more obsessed fans that sent him letters, explaining in detail on what they wanted him to do to them.

Again, he looked cute with a blush, but they decided Park wasn't opening any fan mail himself.

However, Park didn't only hate attention—he also just hated being outside in general, in public. Perhaps it had to do with their status, or it was merely introverted tendencies, but getting the hacker to leave his room and go on a date was sometimes a hassle.

"People are going to take pictures of us. You know I hate that."

"You were almost mugged last time. I'd feel safer if that wasn't a factor."

"I hate the sun."

Elliott loved his boyfriend—more than anyone could love anything, if he's being honest—but he just really wanted to hold hands in public. He respected Park's boundaries, though, and made sure he was comfortable with everything he did. He'd rather not have to calm him down after an anxiety attack again.

Today, however, was a rainy day. People were on the streets, either rushing to get home or two work, with cars occasionally driving by, splashing rainwater onto unsuspecting passersby. Elliott happened to be one of those passerby, and the bottoms of his pants were soaked. It got a quiet laugh out of the man beside him, so he decided it was worth it.

The umbrella held up over them shielded the couple from the raindrops, the thrum of small droplets hitting the material a pleasant and soothing sound. Park was always so fond of walking in the rain—said it reminded him of simpler times. He recounted times he ended up sick from it, though, and Elliott took note to make sure he's warm and dry when they get home. He had always spoke so fondly of the memories, though, even the ones that made his voice shaky and quiet.

Elliott adjusted the position of the umbrella he was holding, making sure Park was underneath it. He had a habit of drifting away from the other, and, since he was the taller of the two, he was on mandatory umbrella duty.

The trickster himself was actually quite fond of the rain as well. Not only was it just nice to listen to, it was… pretty, in a way. It was relatively cold whenever it splashed his warm skin, and the strange smell that always lingered around—it was all so strangely comforting. Not to mention it was the only time Park and him went on walks, and the only other time he allowed his hand to be held. Elliott suspected it was because he got cold, but Park insisted otherwise.

His hand felt always felt so delicate in his own, despite the strength behind it. There was something in Park that was always ready to shatter at any given moment, and he always made it so that never happened. He'd wrap tape around every crack, glue every piece back together, and hold it all from falling apart with his will alone. Everyone had their breaking point, and he was no different, but Elliott knew, if he wanted anyone to be there when it happened, he'd want it to be the only man he's ever cared so much for.

"Y'know," Elliott said, having to raise his volume over the rain pouring around them, "they say a well-executed joke can make even the coldest, most joke-repulsed person laugh."

"Really?" the hacker responded, raising a brow. His other half had a habit of getting into strange conversations. He didn't mind, though; he liked the extra noise.

"Oh, totally! They also say it's all in the delivery! If you're telling a joke with just a boring, bland tone, you won't get any laughs."

They were beginning to walk through a park now. It was vacant, no laughing children or adults in sight. It was just them, taking their time and listening to the beat of the universe.

"But what if the joke calls for 'boring and bland'?"

"Oh, babe, that's what we call your type of humor."

There was momentary silence before the hacker'a hand slipped out of Elliott's. The trickster looked over, worried he actually offended the other, before Park yanked the umbrella to the side, still covering him but baring Elliott to the elements. The raindrops were large, heavy, so even a few falling on him was enough to wet his curls and his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Let me back under!"

Easily, he could pull the umbrella upright, but he'll let Park have this little bit of revenge. He's the one that has to deal with getting kissed by the wet trickster anyway.

"Hmm…" the surveillance expert hummed, long and contemplative, before he moved the umbrella to resume covering both he and the other. "Fine. But I expect apology brownies."

"I knew you liked my baking."

"I never said that."

"Liar. Just admit you like my brownies."

"No."

Elliott huffed out a laugh, stopping suddenly, which caused the smaller male to stop as well to avoid stepping into the rain.

"Remember earlier, when I mentioned well-executed jokes being good enough to get some people to smile?"

Park hummed, nodding faintly. "Yes, I remember."

"Well, I got a real knee-slapper for you, sugar cake."

The hacker shrugged. "Lay it on me, then."

"Cool!" Elliott took a deep breath and looked at the other, a strangely wide smile gracing his handsome features. "Knock, knock."

"A knock-knock joke? That's a little… unoriginal."

"Knock, knock."

"Fine. I'll play along. Who's there?"

"Marry."

"Marry who?"

Park didn't have much time to react, Elliott suddenly dropping the umbrella to the side and fallkng to one knee, pulling a small black box from his jacket and presenting a ring to the hacker. Neither seemed to care much that they were getting wet now.

"Marry me?"

For a moment, Park was speechless. Well, how was he supposed to react? Was… Was he supposed to say something? Perhaps the prolonged silence was bad, because Elliott's confidence was appearing to waver now, smile slowly diminishing and brows knitting together. But he still couldn't speak, even when he opened his mouth.

He was lucky it was raining, otherwise Elliott would've seen his tears, the warmth a stark contrast to the cold droplets sliding down his face.

The trickster suddenly rose, closing the box and gathering the other's hands in his own.

"H-Hey, honey cake? You—You with me there? I-I didn't, um—n-no, I did, b-but you don't have to say yes! O-Or you don't have to say anything! At all! Not a w-word! I-I fucked up—I-I'm so sorry! I was planning to be all r-romantic and sweep you off y-your feet in the rain, b-but I just—just messed that up, too. I'm so, so, so—"

Elliott was suddenly cut off by Park's lips making contact with his own, a brief exchange of warmth, before he pulled away, those hazel optics shining with tears, endearment dancing in those warm eyes. Even when he was soaked to the bone, cold and beginning to shiver, he looked breathtaking, such a beautiful smile curling those perfect lips.

He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Elliott had his answer.

—;;

"I wish you hadn't dropped the umbrella like that," Park said, allowing the towel in Elliott's hands to dry his soaked hair, already changed into dry clothes, hopefully enough to avoid any fevers.

"It was supposed to be romantic!" Elliott huffed, throwing a look to the drone watching their little activity. "Ungrateful, am I right?"

The drone merely beeped in reply.

"If I get sick, I expect more than just brownies."

"You'll get a whole damn bakery, sugar lips." The trickster pulled the towel away, pressing a kiss to the other's messy hair. He only got a content hum in reply. "Hey, uh… Hyeon?"

"Hm?"

"Uh… Can… Can I just… N-Never mind—it's dumb."

"Elliott."

"… Yeah?"

"Tell me. I won't think it's dumb."

"Can… I just… wanna hear you say… say your answer."

Park was silent for a moment before an amused huff left him. He reached behind him, gently wrapping his hands around Elliott's neck, and pulled him down to kiss his cheek.

"You already know my answer, Elliott. It'll always be yes."

[noctuascion]

aAH im a bit late with this, but if you’re feeling up to it: prompt 6. “i uh.. i can’t sleep without you.” 🥺💕

;; Aw. This one's so cute. I love it. Thank you for the request, as always. uwu ;;

--

Despite the moon hanging in the air, the stars that dotted the beautiful, endless black sky, Elliott found himself unable to sleep, tossing and turning before ultimately giving up and grumpily staring at the ceiling. He hated not being able to sleep, because it just meant he'd wake up looking awful the next day—he needs his beauty sleep, after all.

But there was a reason he wasn't able to sleep, and he knew it very well. Missing from his side was his boyfriend of two months, gone on some annoying trip the higher-ups made him go on. Park wasn't fond of leaving the complex—something about it made his anxiety flare up, and he doubts the other was getting much sleep without him either.

The trickster hated being alone in bed, that familiar little cold spot on his bed far too present. Normally, there was a slightly warmer thing taking up residence beside him, and he'd be quick to wrap his arms around him, shove his face in his neck, and fall asleep with the other beside him. He had tried grabbing one of the Nessie's from Park's room and cuddling with it instead, but it was awkward and he ultimately gave up.

Elliott sighed, looking over to his clock. It was only eleven, and he knew instantly that, even if Park was able to sleep, he wouldn't be in bed by now. In an act of slight desperation, he reached out for his phone, turned it on, and searched for the other's contact.

Rather than a simple call, he requested a video call, letting it ring with slight apprehension. He was aware of his lover's sleeping habits by now, but he could always be wrong. He might even be in a different time zone entirely—what if he was just bothering him? Now that he thinks about it, he might just be being a nuisance, and Park hated nuisances. He should probably hang up—

But he didn't get time to, because the video call was accepted, and Park was laying in bed, looking tired but happy to see him.

"Elliott," came the man's quiet voice, a small smile on his lips. "Isn't it a little late to be calling me?"

"Er—y-yeah, um, sorry about that. I-I just…"

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah…"

Park nodded his head faintly, adjusting the blankets on top of him so they covered more of his body. They didn't look weighted like he preferred. "That's okay. Neither could I."

"I-I just wanted to call you—maybe ask about your trip, y'know? You didn't seem ecsl—axe—uh—ecstatic to go on it, and I wanted to know if you were, uh… at least having a good time."

He was slowly regretting his decision. Park looked so tired, like he could pass out any minute now. Elliott was usually the first to fall asleep, Park following right behind, but it looked like the tables might have been turned for tonight. He isn't too shocked—they're probably having him do meetings all day, and the other has the social battery equating to a tree.

"I'm not, but that much is usually obvious." Park shrugged, suppressing a yawn that threatened to bubble over. "Elliott, are you okay? You seem upset."

"W-What? Me? No way, love. I'm just a bit tired."

"… Something is definitely wrong. You don't usually call me 'love.' It's always some pet name." Park moved to sit up in bed, the blankets pooling around his waist now, messy bedhead on display for the world. "Elliott, I won't be sleeping for awhile now; you know that better than anyone. If you wanted me to talk with you for awhile, you only need to ask."

"I-I know, but you look so tired, baby. I don't wanna keep you up."

Park chuckled. "If anything, you might help me sleep a bit."

"Well… okay. Wanna talk about your trip so far."

"Honestly, if I have to go through one more meeting having to pretend I like these ass-kissers, I might jump out the nearest window."

And so Elliott listened to his boyfriend talk. It wasn't exactly the same as him being there with him, but it was enough. Park didn't want to talk much about his meetings, more so his ideas for improving on his drone, going on and on about perhaps trying to make it so his EMP charges faster, or even make his drone move quicker. He had explained that it was a bit tricky to get that all to become a reality, but he was still eager to discuss it with Elliott, who was slowly but surely beginning to feel tired, lulled to sleep by Park's voice.

And, eventually, he did fall asleep. The hacker had looked to his phone, silently requesting input, when he saw the trickster asleep, cheek shoved against his pillow and drool threatening to spill onto it. It made him smile, setting his phone down on his nightstand, video still on and propped against his lamp so he could still see the other.

Softly, he whispered, "Goodnight, Elliott." It only took a moment for him to drift off into slumber.

[noctuascion]

;; I keep writing fluff and angst, so I kinda wanna try silly stuff. It's rare for me, but let's try it! ;;

Prompt: Quit touching me, your feet are cold!

--

Matches that dragged on were far from favorable in Elliott's eyes. He hated it especially when Pathfinder and Octavio managed to secure a spot just out of reach by he and his teammates and the ring ended up favoring them instead. He hated it immensely, but there was little he could do, and they just ended up waiting it out until the ring killed them.

There was much to be said, but all Elliott wanted to do was curl up in his bed and go to sleep. Maybe for twelve hours. Maybe for a week. Maybe until the next year. Who knows? All he knows is that he wants to lay down with his beautiful, adorable, and incredibly prickly lover.

Park ended up being taken out about halfway through. Apparently, Natalie and Renee had been too busy doing whatever that they hadn't been watching after Park, a squad showed up, and he was taken out without issue. Renee managed to portal her and Natalie out of harm's way and ended up having to leave his banner.

To say he was absolutely livid was an understatement. Apologies were made, and Park wasn't one for holding grudges, but he was still pretty mad at them.

Upon entering his room, Elliott spotted the hacker taking up residence in his bed, a large, soft yellow blanket covering his shoulders, cocooned by warmth (or what little warmth provided), and watching something on his laptop. Frankly, Elliott couldn't ascertain what he was watching. He watched a lot of documentaries, a lot of cat videos, and soap carving ones. If he was especially bored, he'd sometimes look up tutorials on random things and participate. Elliott came in one day with origami all over the place.

He's just happy he isn't working on whatever it is he's so diligently working on. He deserved a break every now and then, but he tended to forget that a lot.

"Oh, my sweet angel-faced, uh… angel!" Elliott said, announcing his presence to Park, whose eyes rose to meet the trickster's. "So nice to see you all cozy in my favorite blanket."

"And nice to see you're still in a good mood, despite the last match."

Ah. So that's what he was watching. The holographic expert waved his hand about in nonchalance, approaching the bed before sitting down, bouncing a bit and causing the hacker to do the same.

"It sucked, but, hey, what can you do? Besides, I have the world's greatest boyfriend to make me feel all better." Rather than shifting over to where his cocooned lover sat, however, Elliott, instead, laid on his bed, back facing the other and pulling up one of the remaining blankets his boyfriend has yet to steal. "After a quick nap, though."

Park huffed in amusement. "You and I both know 'a quick nap' will be three to four hours."

Yet another hand raised to wave in a useless gesture before promptly falling back to where it was placed prior on the bed. "Details, details." A yawn. "We can talk about it after I wake up in an hour."

"Sure."

With that, the two lapsed into silence, Elliott's eyes falling shut and Park's focus returning to his laptop. The tapping of a keyboard was heard, so the trickster suspected he got bored of watching highlights from their last match and moved on to something else.

And, for awhile, it was nice, quiet. Normally, Elliott's endless talking would fill up the silence, and Park would listen and occasionally provide his own input, but there was none of that. It was just them, together, just enjoying having the other near, undisturbed by the slow spin of the universe.

Elliott had almost fallen asleep when he felt the other begin shifting, something sliding under the blanket and carefully pulling up his shirt.

"Mm… Babe, feelin' frisky…? Didn't know you had it in y—AH!"

It was not a hand, like Elliott had suspected, but, instead, his boyfriend's frigid fucking feet pressing against his warm as hell back. He couldn't exactly escape either, since he was close to the edge of the bed and Park's legs were long. The jerk also started laughing when he heard the startled noise from the other, and Elliott knew he wasn't sleepy anymore. In fact, he was wide awake, and unsure if he was pissed or not.

He immediately sat up, Park's feet retreating back under his own blanket, stifling his quiet giggles with a hand covering his mouth. His little shit of a boyfriend was the absolute worst.

"The worst. You're just the worst boyfriend ever," Elliott said, and Park knew, even if he said it, that it wasn't true. Dramatics were his strong suit, after all. "How can anybody's feet be that cold!?"

"Like this."

"Get your tiny, cold foot off my leg!"

Park's laugh returned, only for him to release a sound of surprise when he was suddenly being pulled by his leg onto his back, Elliott pouncing on him immediately. His laptop ended up being pushed elsewhere during the chaos, but neither seemed to care, too lost in each other's eyes.

"You're a menace. A cold menace!"

"Mmhm."

"But that's fine. All I have to do is cuddle you until you're warm."

"Wait—"

The hacker had very little room to escape now, what with the large mass atop him, encasing him in warmth.

"Ugh. You're heavy."

"It's the muscle, babe. All muscle. And my huge—"

"Don't. Don't say it."

"I was gonna say my huge heart. Gosh, babe, so perverted."

"…"

Elliott wasn't exactly surprised to feel the other's cold foot back on his bare skin, and, sure, he deserved it, but it was still cold and he didn't like it. Jokes on Park, though—he gets to hold his favorite popsicle, even if he's a big jerk that bullies his amazing, warm boyfriend.

Despite the cold foot being pressed against his back, the trickster still pressed his lips against Park's cheek, the hacker letting himself smile faintly at the contact.

"I love you, even if you have cold feet."

"And I've grown to tolerate you."

"You're a walking blizzard, babe. Good things blizzards are cool."

"Ugh."

[noctuascion]

;; Cryptage server bullied me now I rebel ;;

--

There wasn't a cloud in the sky when Elliott arrived to a familiar little home, a half-synthetic hand in his own, squeezing in reassurance and support.

It was Mother's Day. Park had desperately wanted to visit Mystik, but she had insisted it was far too dangerous, especially if he was going to bring Mirage. It was just asking for attention, and any attention on both of them was unwanted.

He had wished her a happy Mother's Day (she teased him, saying he was just some little brat she had raised, but he knew better; it meant a lot), and the two departed to visit Elliott's mother instead.

Park has met Evelyn Witt, famous engineer and mother of Elliott Witt. Park knew the story, the loss of Elliott's bothers and Evelyn's fluctuating memory. Apparently, she'd been good these past few days, but, for some reason, Elliott had convinced himself that she was going to forget, that she'd take one look at him and not recognize him.

It took everything in Park not to fear for the same.

Once they had walked up to the door, the trickster knocked on the door, and the two anxiously waited for her to answer. Elliott had a small bouquet of flowers in hand, trying to force his anxiety down and smile through it. It wasn't working; Park could see how fake it was, that it was edging just on the territory of a "Mirage smile."

Evelyn soon came into view, the door opening to reveal her smiling visage.

"Hey, mom!" Elliott said, grinning just from being able to see his mother. "Happy Mother's Day!"

"Elli, sweetheart, so good to see you," she said, though, when she laid eyes on Park, her expression changed a bit. "Oh? Who's your friend?"

The trickster felt his heart sink, looking over to Tae Joon, who looked a little surprised but ultimately unbothered. Park's own gaze moved to the other's, gently squeezing his hand again when he saw just how upset the other was.

"Um, I'm Hyeon Kim," the hacker said, looking over to Evelyn again and letting a smile of his own curl his lips. "I'm… Elliott's boyfriend."

"A boyfriend?" Evelyn gasped, immediately moving aside and waving for them to come inside. "Get in here! I need to know how someone managed to get my sweet boy to finally settle down."

Funny. She said that last time, Park thought sadly, following after Elliott, who hadn't wiped that dour look off of his face.

The visit had consisted of Elliott retelling the story of how he and Park got together, trying to recount every detail, whilst his mother listened on, enraptured by the tale. Park was rather silent the whole time, merely holding Elliott's hand.

Aside from that one incident, she seemed to be decently coherent. She seemed to only have forgotten Park for a little bit. It had shaken Elliott's confidence in the situation just a bit, but he recovered rather quickly, back to his chipper self and joking around with the woman, only for Evelyn to threaten to show his boyfriend his baby pictures. Elliott was quick to profusely apologize.

Park had actually been enjoying himself as well. Evelyn was respectful and asked him questions about his drone, the little device in a holster on his back. (Elliott had said he didn't need to bring it, but Park was paranoid prepared for any scenario, and his drone never left his side, even for friendly visits.) He had tossed it out for awhile and let Evelyn examine it a bit, the little drone beeping in amusement when she gently poked it. It ended up joining them for a portion of the visit, floating by Park's side and beeping little responses that made the Witts laugh.

They had even gotten through dinner without incident. Evelyn had demanded Park try her famous pork chops, saying that, though Elliott was an amazing cook himself, she had her own special way of making them. Park hadn't bothered to tell her he had already tried them, so he just nodded.

They joked during dinner, Elliott poking fun at Park and Evelyn telling him to respect his boyfriend, and, really, Elliott had believed the visit was going to go perfectly aside from the slight bump in he road.

They were just about to leave, and Elliott had thrown his jacket on, looking to where his mother was standing, and felt a pit form in his stomach when he saw confusion in her features.

"Did I invite you boys over?" she asked, and even Park felt his heart shatter at the question. "Ah. I guess it doesn't matter. I hope you two enjoyed your stay. Have a wonderful day."

Elliott stared at her for a moment, heartbroken, before he nodded numbly, swallowing down the tears threatening to spill over. "Y-Yeah… Yeah. Um… Happy Mother's Day."

She laughed softly. "That's today? Oh, I would love to celebrate, but I never did have any children."

Park watched as Elliott tried so hard not to break, the agony threatening to crumble his very being, before he shot her one of those famous Mirage smiles. It hurt to see, like a knife directly to his heart, a stabbing pain that throbbed and ached.

"Well… we'll see you another time."

With that, Elliott reached out for Park's wrist, and the hacker was pulled out of the house, the door shutting quietly behind them.

The ride back was quiet, somber. Elliott had been fighting back tears the entire time, gripping Park's hand with enough force to shake the trickster's own. He took deep breaths, idly rubbed his other's half hand with his thumb—anything that kept him from thinking about it, about how he was being forgotten by the last bit of family he had left.

When they got back to the complex, Elliott hurried to his room, catching a few glances from the other Legends. None of them knew about Elliott's mother. He didn't have the heart to be able to relay this knowledge to them, didn't trust them enough with it. They were only allowed to see Mirage, just like everyone else—everyone but her and Park.

The hacker had followed him, hot on his heels, and, once the door was shut behind him, he was immediately pulled into a bone-crushing hug, heard the broken sobs, felt the man so well held together finally crumble. He felt the warmth of tears, the shaking of such a strong frame. Park himself wanted to cry with him, because no one like Elliott deserved to ever be in so much pain, but he couldn't let that happen, couldn't let Elliott be weak without someone to be strong for him.

"I don't want to lose her, too…" the trickster managed between the sobs ripped from his throat, letting Park's gentle hands rub up and down his back, trying to relieve the tension there. "I can't—I-I can't lose mom, too… I've lost so many people already—I…"

Park remained silent, knowing there wasn't anything in the world he could say to make it all go away. He couldn't make Elliott smile, couldn't give Evelyn her memories back. He couldn't bring back Elliott's brothers, and he can't bring back the others he's lost. He can't fill the endless void of loneliness, the agony swirling like an endless vortex that's gained hold of his heart. When it all came crashing down, and Mirage wasn't enough to hide it, Park would do what he could for him.

He could only hold him, let him weep, hold him through it all. He wouldn't let him suffer alone anymore.

Even when his legs grew tired, when the other's hold grew too tight, and even when his arms started to hurt from trying to console him, he didn't move nor complain. He stood there and let him continue releasing the sadness he keeps so diligently bottled up.

He was quiet when Elliott was loud, just as it always was.

[noctuascion]

So. Fluffy cryptage. Like when one of them is sick and other is looking after that sick one

;; I've written a version of this with Crypto being sick, so I guess it's Mirage's turn!!! ;;

--

As soon as Park opened his eyes, he noticed an unbearable heat on top of him. Normally, warmth wasn't exactly detested, but this felt overwhelming, and, if his sweat glands worked properly, he was sure he'd be drenched in it. No, the heat on top of him was his overheating moron, Elliott, and, for a moment, he feared the man had managed to catch fire in the middle of the night.

But, no, he was just… warm. Gently, he tried shoving the other off, but the man only whined, moving closer and enveloping Park completely in this unbearable heat. He was technically weaker than Elliott, so he wasn't exactly at any advantage of getting him off.

"Elliott," the hacker said, voice groggy and strained, still trying to wake up a bit, "you're crushing me. And you're too hot. Get off."

"No…"

Ah. So he was awake, the bastard. "I swear to god—"

"Babe, no… I'm dying… Indulg—In… Please let me cuddle…"

"You aren't dying, moron."

Park sighed. High temperature, dramatic declarations of death, the weak, raspy voice—yeah, he was sick. Apparently, Elliott was a damn liar, because he said he could never get sick. He knew that was bullshit, but he pretended to believe him anyway.

Still gonna call him a liar, though.

"Cake, you said you would love me through sickness and death… I'm sick and dying—you're obligated."

"We're not married yet, you man child." Park rolled his eyes, finally shoving Elliott's hot, gross, sweaty body off of him. "Bathroom. Now. You're going to overheat at this rate."

"Carry me…"

"Elliott."

"Dumpling…"

Park glared at the man next to him, sighed, before sliding out of bed. He circumvented the bed, staring at the sick mess of a man on the mattress, who had rolled onto his other side and was now staring up at the hacker with those large, glossy eyes of his. He had this serene smile on his face that Park desperately wanted to wipe off of his face.

He pulled the blankets off, slid his hands underneath the trickster's back and knees, and, with as much strength as he could muster, lifted the other into his arms. He nearly fell over, stabilizing himself with his leg, and, slowly, made his way over to the bathroom.

"Aw, babe, so strong," Elliott said, stifling a chuckle. "Go, pancake, go."

"Elliott, I will drop you."

Eventually, with some struggling on Park's part, they finally did make it to the bathroom, and the hacker set the other against the counter, trying to wave some feeling back into his poor arms. Elliott always seemed so fond of carrying him around—he'll never understand the appeal.

Ignoring that, he moved over to the tub and began preparing a bath—lukewarm to help with the fever—he moved over to Elliott, who had pulled himself up on the counter and was dozing off against the wall. The hacker gently roused him from his slumber with a hand cupping his cheek, gently stroking the heated skin with his thumb. His eyes opened slowly, staring at the hacker, before he slid off of the counter and slowly got undressed.

And then he was sliding into the bathtub, sighing at the cool sensation of water against his heated skin. He released a sigh, relaxing into the sensation.

"Have a nice bath. I'm gonna go fetch some medicine for you," he said, beginning to move, but a hand on his arm stopped him from leaving.

"Wait! Take a bath with me…"

"Elliott—"

"C'mon, sweet cheeks!"

"I don't wa—"

Elliott had accidentally tugged on Park's arm just a tad too hard, and the other ended up slipping, falling into the bathtub. Elliott felt his skull collide with his ankle, and cringed at the sensation. He's sure, for Park, it wasn't any better.

Once the other resurfaced, momentarily gasping for breath, Elliott let out a sheepish chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.

"W-Well… I guess you don't have to bathe now."

Elliott was rewarded with a gentle but firm kick to his head.

—;;

Once the boys were dried off, and Elliott had some medicine, they retreated back to bed, Park laying down with the other atop him, letting the hacker play with his hair and murmur in that soft, deep voice of his.

Park didn't have many complaints about the other's sickness, only when Elliott used his boyfriend's shirt as a tissue, or when he accidentally sneezed against his neck, and the trickster was grateful for that. Park's attention was completely on him, attentive in that usual way he was, and caring in the cold, distant, but loving type.

The hacker didn't seem to mind being in bed for the day either, occasionally peppering Elliott's face with kisses and whispering about whatever he was thinking.

And Elliott ate it all up, nuzzling his head into Park's chest and enjoying the pleasant sensation of the other's eyes all on him.

[noctuascion]

I'm gonna make 2 requests, because I'm greedy and a little Cryptage starved right now. Also, you write so good and you have this way of turning a phrase that makes me super jealous so here goes. 1) FAKE DATING! Just... always with the fake dating. 2) Not sure how the lore works on your au but if it's applicable, either vamp crypto accidentally exposing wolf mirage to silver or wolf mirage exposing vamp crypto to sunlight.

;; Be as greedy as you want, sweetums. I love writing your prompts and also love you so it works out. uwu

Also, anything to keep me from falling asleep lol

I'll write your second request in a different post, but it'll be a bit. I write kinda slowly chjdjw ;;

--

Elliott Witt has had a lot of things happen to him. He's had first loves, first kisses, first everythings. He's done a lot in his life, but, in all his years of living and loving, he didn't think fake dating his rival would ever make the list. It did, though, as much as both of them resented it.

One of the promotional managers had called them in for a quick meeting. Basically, he laid down that they were to start appearing in public more and that they were doing it together. At first, Elliott had been on board. Having more time in the limelight sounded amazing, but then came in Park, who was now going to be his boyfriend.

Now, he's not saying Park's disgusting or revolting or that he isn't comfortable enough with his sexuality to be able to freely hug and tell his buddies he loves them (because, well, his only friends are a lesbian and a drug addict for the most part), but he's straight, a ladies man! Sure, the kid's pretty and everything, but he's not feminine either. He has his own special type of charm that's not entirely easy to put into words. (He has nice legs, though. Elliott will give him that much.)

He's glad, though, that he's not the only one entirely against this. Park managed to miss a lot of meet 'n greets, forgoing seeing his fans and opting out of photo shoots. He's rarely seen in public, and, if he is, he looks about as shady as a drug dealer—hiding his face, oversized clothing, etc. He hates the spotlight, Elliott quickly figured out, and that was his only real issue with this whole ordeal.

And when Elliott pointed out that he seemed to be perfectly fine with dating him, he called him what he assumes are curse words and insults in his native tongue before telling him he'd sooner date Nox.

However, their word was final, and the two were now a "couple" in the eyes of the public. Their fellow competitors were allowed insight on their little "agreement," and they did what any supportive friends would do: they laughed and wished the new couple a happy life.

Today was their first official "date" as a couple, so Elliott intended for it to be at least somewhat decent for them. He was aware Park hated public places, but they wanted them to be seen in public together. He couldn't please both parties, so he decided a small, family restaurant would be their destination. There wasn't a lot of people that normally visited, but Elliott was a personal fan of the food served there. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and he's sure Park would appreciate that much.

Why am I trying so hard again…?

Shrugging, he pulled on his second nicest jacket—a nice yellow shade that went well with his white shirt and blue jeans. His hair was done up in its usual style, though he lacked the goggles he normally wore, so his hair fell in his eyes a bit. He was sure Park wasn't going to try too hard, so he didn't either. It was a casual outing, after all; no need for either to wear anything extravagant.

Well, Elliott was wrong when Park met up with him wearing a white turtleneck, a nice black blazer, and matching slacks. He suspects a turtleneck because he's at least trying to hide his cybernetic implantations without being too obvious and still looking like effort was put in. There was such a stark color difference, though—he felt like the sun next to the moon.

"Oh, h-hey, you look…" Elliott trailed off, unsure if he should give a genuine compliment or play it off like a joke—but he's already stuttered, so he may as well commit, "… good—you dress up nice."

"Paquette and Wraith helped." He huffed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I wouldn't have put in so much effort otherwise."

"Such a heartbreaker, Kim."

Elliott chuckled before reaching out and opening the door, gesturing for him to hop inside his car. The hacker rolled his eyes before slipping inside, the trickster shutting it before hurrying to the other side.

"Where are we going?" Park asked once Elliott was inside, turning the engine on and beginning to leave the complex.

"I know you don't like public places, and a movie is a terrible first date, so I picked out a small family restaurant that has some of the best lemon cakes I've tasted. Not to mention some people will see us, together, so it'll make the higher-ups happy, y'know?"

"Hm. You're smarter than I thought you were."

"I'm full of surprises, sugar."

"Don't push your luck with this 'dating' thing, Witt."

"Oh! That reminds me—we should probably establish some boundaries." Elliott took a right, keeping his eyes on the road but focus elsewhere. "Personally, I don't really care. So long as we don't have sex, I think I'm good otherwise. How about you?"

"No kissing, holding hands, touching in general, stupid pet names, or sex."

"… Well, you've eliminated every possible way of showing we're 'dating.' Anymore you wanna ban there, kid?" Elliott sighed, stopping at a red light and looking over to where Park was seated, glaring out the window. "This is definitely more like a friendly outing, if anything, but no one's gonna talk about us if we just seem like friends. Higher-ups will have our necks."

"I take back what I said earlier. You're an idiot if you think I care about whether or not they're happy with what I do."

"All right, fair point. Can we at least hold hands? That shouldn't be too much to ask."

Park sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and sinking into his seat. "Fine. If it'll get them out of our business, we can do that. But only for a few seconds."

"Gotcha. Man, whoever dated you in the past must've been as touch-adv—avd—ad—ad… adverse as you."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… Holy shit—you've never dated anybody."

"Shut up."

"No, no, that just makes this whole thing worse!" Elliott began driving again once the red light changed to green. His eyes returned to the road as well, though he was no less focused on the topic at hand. "You're experiencing a date for the first time with someone you don't even like, a-and that's not fair!"

"I—"

"No, y'know what? No, you're getting a date. Getting everything! You're getting the ol' Mirage charm, gonna get swept right off your feet."

"Witt—"

"No buts! You're being dragged out of your cave and getting screwed out of a first date with someone you're actually interested in. The least I can do is be as good to you as possible."

Park only stared at him, silent, before an amused breath left him, letting himself smile. "Okay."

—;;

Park wasn't a conversationalist, Elliott quickly found out. He was very quiet and reserved, which didn't help much either. He was, however, a great listener, and Elliott loved to talk, so, in a way, it worked out for the better.

The small restaurant they were seated in was relatively quiet, but they could hear hushed whispers about them being together, seated in a secluded booth that helped alleviate any anxiety Park might have with being seen by a bunch of people.

The holographic expert had ordered himself a steak, medium rare, with a salad on the side. He opted out for any alcohol, since he was the driver and he had no idea if Park was comfortable dealing with someone drunk, so all he ordered was some tea. Park, though, only asked for steak fries and a soda.

"Y'know," Elliott said after taking a sip of his tea, "you should get more meat in your diet. Helps build muscle, gets some meat on your bones."

"Hm…"

"C'mon! You also never join us for dinner. Or lunch—or, actually, I don't… see you eat. You eat, right?"

"Yes."

Elliott hummed in suspicion, a hand smoothing down his beard, though Park's stoic gaze didn't relent any. "All right… What do you normally eat?"

"Usually from whatever takeout menu is closer."

"… How are you even standing right now?" Elliott looked sad for a moment before shaking his head. "Let's make a quick deal here—"

"We've already made a deal."

"Let's make another. If you agree to come out of your cave for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I'll agree to do whatever you want. Anything. Well, except really bad stuff. Like, I won't kill someone. Too far."

It was Park's turn to hum, taking a sip from his straw, before placing the glass on the table. "I benefit from this more than you do."

"I get the benefit of helping my sweet sugar plum get better, even if it's just a little bit."

Park raised a brow. "What did I say about pushing luck?"

"Ya love me. You wouldn't leave me on our date like this… Well, I hope not."

Park wanted to roll his eyes, say "I would and I will," but he didn't. He kept silent, giving Elliott a look, who seemingly took the hint and changed subject.

"So, have you ever been asked out before?"

"Isn't that a bad topic for dates?"

"Just curious. Feel free to not say. Besides, it's not a real date."

"Don't let them hear you say that." Park stirred his drink with his straw absentmindedly, watching it fizz up at his ministrations. "No, no one's ever asked me out."

"Really?"

"You sound surprised."

Elliott laughed in disbelief. "Well, yeah! I mean, you're…"

"What?"

"I dunno—gorgeous, beautiful, cool and mysterious! You'd think girls would be all over you."

"I'm not exactly pleasant to be around, Witt. I'd think you'd have figured that out by now."

The trickster waved a hand, like he was denying Park's claim. "You're rough around the edges, but you're not horrible." He shrugged, taking another sip from his drink. "I'm sure someone out there's just dying to wanna date you! Or maybe you haven't met them yet. Who knows!"

Park let another faint smile curl his lips, looking into his drink. "Who knows, indeed."

—;;

Day two of their time as a couple was during a duos match (of course it was just them), and Elliott had counted this as possibly his most unlucky match.

They had landed at Epicenter and Park landed on top of the tower, alone, and Elliott landed on the ground with two other squads, one consisting of Nox and Octavio and the other being Natalie and Ajay. Nox had trained his sights on him immediately and began chasing him down (the sadistic bastard), and he had to rush to find a gun. All he could find was a P2020, and it wasn't exactly a fair match against the scientist's Spitfire.

Neither of them had any shields, but just a couple of shots from the toxic trapper's gun was enough to down him, slipping on ice and colliding with the hard ground.

"Oh—fuck!" the trickster cursed, trying to crawl away from the man towering over him. "C-C'mon, Caustic, don't you have anyone else to shoot at?"

"No."

"That's a lie and you know it."

However, before Nox could kill him off, the sound of a Sentinel going off, following by Nox quickly being down, sent a wave of relief through his system, looking over onto the cliff to see Park perched atop it, the bolt-action sniper in his hands.

No scope. That's kinda hot.

The hacker had shot off a few more rounds, and Elliott could hear Octavio shout in pain, before he began sliding down the hill, swapping out his sniper for a Wingman. The revolver was shot off twice before Nox's death box suddenly popped up in front of him, signaling the end of that squad.

However, they still had Natalie and Ajay, though they'd been injured by Octavio. They were clinging to D.O.C.'s healing up until Park tosses a grenade where they were healing. Natalie hadn't escaped fast enough, and she ended up downed, whereas Ajay was only injured.

She put up a fight, firing off her Alternator with frightening precision, and, had Park not hit his shots, he would've been killed off.

However, the man calmly approaching his fallen teammate was enough of an indicator that he won that battle, only a few wounds and scratches indicating his prior struggle.

"Kid, if I didn't know better," he said, pausing to let out a grunt at the syringe being plunged into his chest, "I'd think you're trying to show off and steal my heart."

For a moment, Park was silent, helping Elliott back to his feet, before a smirk crossed those dashing fractures, looking up at the other with a faint sense of mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Did it work?"

For once in his life, Elliott was left stunned, mouth open, unable to formulate a response, before the surveillance expert left to loot.

He regained his senses after a moment, blinking himself back into reality, and shutting his mouth.

Kid's full of surprises.

—;;

Their third date wasn't for the public. Their third date wasn't even suggested by Elliott. Park had just grabbed Elliott by the arm, dragged him out to god-knows-where, late at night, and laid down on a small hill. He didn't say anything, didn't give any explanation, and, honestly, Elliott didn't expect anything less. He just laid down beside the other, looked up at the stars, and let out a breath.

However, as Park's own mind was clear, hands resting on his stomach and a leg bent at the knee, Elliott's own was filled with thoughts of confusion, his hands behind his head, acting as a pillow.

Park was such a strange guy. One day, he acts like he's the bane of his existence, and, the next, he's smiling and making quips that make Elliott's heart race. Elliott's been with a lot of people, and he's learned a lot from his time with them, but there's never been a time where they've made him feel like… this.

They never badger him about his gross, smelly hair spray, they never playfully banter with him, they never push him off of exploding trains, and they certainly never made him speechless, never made him feel like he lost the ability to function. They never treated him like a person. They always just treated him like… Mirage.

"Hyeon?"

"Hm?"

"I don't think I'm straight."

"Mm. What makes you say that?"

"Because I think I'm in love with you."

Park smiled, letting out a quiet laugh. "You don't even know how I feel about you."

"I don't. You're weird, and you're never forward w-with how you feel, but… I just… thought you should, y'know, know, since we're doing this whole… thing."

"Mm. The fake dating thing?"

"The fake dating thing, yeah."

"… Do you want it to be fake anymore?"

Elliott turned into his side, Park own head moving to meet his gaze. "No."

"Mm. Good." Park's head turned back to the stars, shutting his eyes. "Neither did I."