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The new place is…small. At least to him it is. Everyone else has sung their thoughts of it being huge, about it being a massive win for them. Especially given it's their first home as an engaged couple. Not that Emperor finds a difference. Pretty much living in each other's team houses felt just as official in his eyes.
Or perhaps it's just the size that gets to him. It's a fraction of the manor. The whole townhouse would probably fit inside the manor frankly. But he can't go back there and Rider is clearly trying so very hard. He fought tooth and nail to get the little yellow thing for them.
It had caught Emperor's eye even though it was small, and as the royal wanders inside he remembers why. It's tight and empty for sure but the wood floors are warm and the counters in the kitchen are cozy. The fireplace is well equipped to handle his newfound love of snow globes and the stairs are clearly old in design. Needlessly carven and spiraled, leading to an even cozier loft above their heads.
Vaguely, he can hear Rider and Skull hefting furniture inside. Takes in the almost ambiance of the rest of the S5 dragging boxes in and asking where to toss them. But they leave him be. Allow him to stand by the bay window and look out to the sea. They're far enough away that they're perfectly safe but close enough to enjoy the view of seafoam and gulls. The sight almost makes the bruise on his face sting less.
Almost.
They couldn't keep the secret forever, he knew that. But internally, he had been holding onto hope that his father would have reacted to the news better. Even if he didn't approve, that he would at least leave it at stern fatherly disappointment. Instead he got to feel the sting of contact and the blooming of a rather nasty bruise across his face. Had to reassure Prince at his kitchen table, had to wipe away his worried tears and talk Rider down long after they had left the manor.
It wasn't the night he wanted before trying to settle into their new home. But he tries to dismiss it. Fiddles with a box left nearby and almost smiles to see the spring themed throw pillows and blanket for the living room. They shield a lot of his more breakable things from various tournaments. Glasses, trinkets and of course his prized snow globes.
"Alright…that's everything. Looks a lot less impressive when it's not shoved in Skull's closet and shit. Ya holdin' up ok?"
Despite the casual delivery there’s a thin layer of concern that clearly laces over each one of those words. Like a gentle blanket that he clearly doesn’t want Emperor to notice. After all this time Rider is still a show off, still tries to look big and bad despite everything they’ve been through together. Between their times as X Rankers and Agents, its a wonder why he keeps trying to hide it.
“I can feel your worry from here, Rider.”
Its tangible as the waves over one's feet. He could cut it with a knife if he felt like it.
“Rest assured, my noble knight, I am fit as a fiddle and unwavering as the mountain. There is minimal to fuss over, now do make yourself helpful with the boxes will you.”
Two can play though. He’s not about to turn this into a big deal, its not like its the first time his father has disapproved of him or what he’s doing. How he feels about any given thing or other cephalopod. But he wishes it could be better. That it wasn’t so hard to nurse the mark across his face as he sets up his home with the man he loves.
Rider though, he never lets things go quietly. A few more boxes are brought to him, more are set in the kitchen and the last few are left at the stairs. But he’s there, pretty much breathing down the monarch’s neck before placing a kiss there instead. Arms coming up to wrap around the golden squid’s slighter frame.
Its almost like he’s trying to tear him down at the seams and Emperor isn’t sure what to do. Can just feel himself go limp in that hold. Craving the contact but struggling with it at the same time. Falling head over heels just like he did back then when the gentle swaying starts up. As if they’re dancing amongst the boxes they have scattered about the sitting area. But its silent.
There’s not a single word spoken for what feels like forever. Even when he wiggles in those overly toned arms to turn around. Just so he can rest his face into the crook of Rider’s neck, just so he can nose at the teal stain that’s been there for so many years. In return, the magenta tattoo that was stamped into his hip just as long ago is stroked over. Sure his clothes are in the way but Emperor knows what he’s going for.
His time as Agent 4 has been great. Even the hypnosis couldn’t kill it. As he nuzzles closer though he knows the other agent feel the same. Their time out there has only brought them ever closer. In a way, it probably started this. Made it happen and brought this to life for them. The whole thought wave makes his hold tighten up. Gets the swaying to become a little more purposeful.
“Wanna go through this stuff, or are you comfy?”
He is comfy, but the boxes being everywhere is gonna bug the hell out of him if he doesn’t get on it. Plus, the wood looks empty. With an overly dramatic sigh he lets himself slip away, but he makes sure to pout nice and hard about it. Showing his conflict bright as day but it only lasts a moment cuz he gets to see those mismatched eyes. Gets to see just how tired but full they are. One barely seeing anymore, hazed over with a permanent gloss of teal, the other vibrant and drilling into him.
They’re overflowing with emotions that are barely held back by the dam that is Rider’s overall personality. It practically stands guard of his love’s intentions. Makes that heart harder to see but Emperor can. Of course he can. So many years of reading him, of going on missions together and turfing against one another, he’s honed his senses to the enigma that is the dynamo main in front of him. It all comes out like a neon sign, clouding yet illuminating those beautiful gems he’s loved for so long.
How long has he reveled in those eyes? In the joy and peace they bring him when both joy and peace seem to have fled his life. Rider has been there to break his fall for longer than he can even wrap his head around. It makes him let out a small sigh but there’s no irritation in it. Just the breeze of so much relief that even after all this mess, he’s still here. Strong arms around his waist, stern but soft eyes on him.
“I will in fact go many shades of insane if they are not seen to. So yes, we ought to get to unpacking them all. Besides, it is rather plain in here. It could stand a decorative hand.”
He’s collected so much over the months. Blankets and pillows for the couch, lots of art and photos for the walls. Trinkets and aesthetically pleasing decor for the kitchen, he’s thought of it all. Has set to collecting as much as possible. All for this day, all for this night. Their friends have long since left and all he can think about is making it suitable for their return.
“Yeah yeah, Mr. Interior Designer who spent eight hours in the paint store only to wind up on this color for the walls.”
The audacity of this man. An overly dramatic gasp of fake offense is thrown the spring colored squid’s way as a light hearted twirl is given. Emperor can’t tell who starts it. Just knows that it takes his feet out from under him for a moment. That for a split second he feels nothing but air under his toes and Rider’s cheeks under his palms. Warmth cradled in his hands as he gives a barely there pat to the other’s face.
“Excuse you, this blue is exquisite and you know it. It accents the gray wood tones on the floor, and the cream in the kitchen! Its a perfect all arounder hue you are merely jealous of my eye for design clearly.”
He’s pretty proud of himself for the comeback if he does say so himself. So much so that he’s got a smug grin on his face. One that reaches his eyes and creases them. Wrinkles his nose in a way he doesn’t even notice catches the larger squid’s eye as the gentle spin comes to a halt.
“Yeah white coulda done that too.”
The snicker just proves that his comments are solely made to rile the royal up. How dare he insinuate though, the nerve.
“White!?”
The word comes out in an almost squawk like fashion. Completed with a look of complete and utter disdain. As if he doesn’t wear white and white exclusively for his job. But that’s different and besides, they’re merely playing. Smiling wide and pressing their foreheads together lovingly while they sling insults at one another. This is their love, and Emperor wouldn’t have it any other way. No, he wants it to always be like this. Even when he’s set back down with a kiss to his temple, when he has to leave that warmth in favor of pulling more from the box he had, he wouldn’t change a thing.
“You know white would be far too boring for our hectic lives. Would ruin the pillows too, they look so much better with color and no the sofa does not count as a color.”
As he watches Rider arrange the decorative yellow pillows he really knows it too. He’d never change a thing. The pastel looks too nice in his hands, too soft against the deep tone of his skin. Offsetting everything in the room and making himself glow. Its just a pillow, just a fluffy blanket getting tossed over the back of the couch. But its not.
No, to Emperor its everything. Its freedom and love and pure ecstasy to be standing here with him. To hand him trinkets so he can put them higher up than the monarch’s height can manage to reach. Hearing him say things about each one but he lingers on certain ones. A bottle of sand from Splatsville, a ceramic kitsune from their first date in the square.
“Its lookin’ a lil worn out.”
The figure definitely has seen better days. But he doesn’t care much. Finds his fingers wrapping around Rider’s where they sit on the porcelain, thumbs dragging across the fading ruby details together. Skating over the worn down paint of a good luck charm cheap enough for a teen squid to afford. It really is old. Has withstood so much, holds so many memories.
“Remember the goofy disguises we had to don in order to obtain the stupid thing, my knight? Glasses look ridiculous upon your nose I have to say, though the button down was rather tempting.”
It pulls an almost gentle scoff from him. One that’s accented by the beginnings of a smirk and the tightening of those calloused hands around his own. Something oddly nostalgic bubbling up with the way they feel under his digits when they’re cooled by the material.
“And you looked every bit a weird ass nerd in that stupid sweater vest and beanie. This tentacle barely peeking out from under the damn thing. But have to admit, you looked cute in all that pink.”
There’s more muttering that he can’t make out as his floppiest tentacle is petted at and gently squeezed. But he doesn’t catch it, can’t catch all of it. A hum escapes him, borderline taunting, as he uses the hold on those hands to tug him ever closer.
“What was that, my knight in shining armor? Hmmm?”
He stumbles and Emperor smirks. Tilting his ear to the other expectantly and humming. Whispering about how he can’t hear the other pretty much directly in the other’s ear til he gets a frustrated huff and the statue is left solely in his hands. Abandoned in favor of holding onto his hips and yanking him impossibly closer. In favor of burrow his face in Emperor’s neck.
“You’ve grown into your beauty, there, happy?”
Yes he is. Its impossible to contain actually. His smile would give him away if his little sounds hadn’t already, if he wasn’t already nodding in confirmation and pressing their noses together. Allowing them to just breathe together, to just be one with each other. Swaying gently even as the figure is put up on the mantel where it has been chosen to belong.
“If I could take you out again for the first time, I would.”
Sometimes, Emperor swears the other is a poet of some kind. That under all that fancy leather armor, Rider is an artistic man longing for a canvas to express his deepest feelings onto. But he shies away. Spring colored flush adorning those dark cheeks as he clears his throat and lets his hands fall away. Going back for the box and arranging snowglobes like nothing was said.
For once, Emperor lets him have his avoidance. They’ve been through enough really. Between announcing their engagement to their teams, successfully, and to the manor, less successfully, they’re beat. Even the royal squid understands there being a time and place for his taunting and teasing. Right now isn’t it. Right now is the time for them to continue whispering stories to each other.
Reliving memories of things long since passed, floating in their own snowglobe together. Nudges are handed out playfully, kisses are stolen here and there. A particular one from Iso Padre gets set up and he’s sighing.
“We will be training new recruits soon. Will hardly be long before we both hang up our headsets and let the next generation take up our numbers, though I suppose, it is likely best. Bodies start to struggle in their thirties. Rider, when did we get so old?”
Hearing the other chuckle at him has a nice ring to it. One he wouldn’t mind hearing from a rocking chair when they are substantially older than they are now. Dry and maybe a little crusty, reliving glory days with new agents from their little porch. It both panics and soothes him to think about it, to hear Rider bark about how he’s not that old and feel his own laughter bubble up. It barely leaves his chest as the little memcake charms flutter around a figure of the metro they’ve come to know well as agents.
Circling lazily enough that they hardly veer off course when they bump each other within their domed prison. Despite the pain the metro has bestowed upon them both, its one of Emperor’s personal favorites. One that greatly stands out amongst the rest of his collection, at least to him anyway.
“Not like we’re gonna take that shit on alone anyway, got Goggles and Hachi despite how stupid they both can be, and Vintage has definitely loosened up a little…so don’t worry, age is barely touchin’ you. New brats aren’t gonna be what makes you go silver.”
Another gasp of fake offense practically melts Rider’s borderline deadpan expression. Replaces it with a snarky grin that only widens when a halfassed punch meets his overly toned bicep. Emperor can’t get a retort out though. Cut off by an abrupt slam and barely muffled cursing from next door the monarch instead jumps out of his skin. Barely catching the expletive Rider gives in response as his mind reacts a little too much to the unwelcomed sound.
They had heard their new neighbors were a little on the grouchy side. But neither of them had really taken it to heart or given it much thought. Some folks are just like that. Emperor loved the house, and Rider wasn’t about to let a couple cranky asses stuck in their ways ruin it for him. Even now, the golden squid can tell, that gumpshun is at the forefront of his mind. Those arms go from barely holding him to wrapping, feather light touch morphing into a protective grip.
“Should I-”
“Rider, one singular outburst is hardly worth the effort of a full scale confrontation. Besides, you have a flat screen to put up. Dancing With Kelpies has a new episode tonight and I shan’t be missing it due to the television’s untimely absence!”
Its a decoy that leads to a lot of grumbling about how he just has to be above using the term ‘TV’ but its all with love. He knows deep down that Rider loves his overly fancy talk. That there’s a smile that comes with that fond little head shake even as he retreats to the kitchen. They end up ordering takeout after Emperor burns their shrimp to an unrecognizable lump of black and drowning out the screaming next door with over the top dancing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But it continues. Emperor fusses over the colors of their new curtains and is clearly more on edge than when they got to the house. All his gentle holds and careful sways aren’t making a dent in the monarch’s anxiety so as they finally settle on an AR preview of some nice cocoa colored curtains he makes a decision.
“Well, let’s go get em then.”
It earns him a squawk that he would honestly murder a man for. Even the weird and dramatic noises his king makes are adorable in their own right. Over the top just like him, scrunching his face in the cutest ways especially when he turns up his nose about Rider’s reactions to them.
“What!? Now!? I am hardly even a fraction of presentable enough to be prancing off to anywhere right now!”
As another slam comes through the wall, his love’s prissiness is what he was banking on. Thankfully, it comes through. Gives him a way in.
“Then get presentable? Not that I see anything wrong with that.”
Vaguely, he gestures to the slighter squid as a whole. Yeah he might be a little biased, after all Emperor is by their bedroom window, bathed in the sun’s last hints of glory as it calls it a day. His own red shirt is a good two sizes too big on the other, drifting down to his mid thighs while said thighs are pretty much painted black with his go to leggings. To Rider, there’s hardly an issue. But he pokes the shark anyway. Needs Emperor to insist on a thirty minute ordeal to get himself ready for the public. It might be the only time he gets to confront these idiots.
“This!? This is hardly presentable for the porch let alone the store! We can go tomorrow.”
No, that won’t do. This is their home damn it, this is their little slice of happiness even if its still being filled out with decor.
“You know as well as I do that the damn sun’s gonna wake us both up at fuck all AM if we don’t go get them. Those eyebags are hardly good for the store either, don’t want them getting worse, right?”
“Bags!!??”
He’s flinging himself into the master bathroom before Rider can so much as mutter ‘that was easy.’ Fussing over his face and how tired he looks, looking more and more irritated with his tentacles and skin. Its the fatigue’s doing. Rider knows that. But he can’t help but feel a little responsible for it. Responsible for the noises coming through the walls, for not doing something to ease his partner’s suffering. Now he’s gonna though. As his arms come up around that slender waist he vows he’ll only be a minute. All he’ll do is tell them to keep their marital problems to themselves.
“Just get yourself put together, not that you don’t already look fine. Can grab some of the wall things you wanted in here while we’re out.”
There’s the slightest bit of grumbling in response. Something about how he looks a mess, how its gonna be a good bit. That’s music to his ears really.
“Take your time. I’ll be right back.”
Thankfully, there’s no prodding. Emperor is straight to work on his everything without so much as missing a beat, waving him off and letting him head down the stairs unbarred. Time to give these jerks a piece of his mind. He’s out the door and knocking on theirs in no time flat, wants it done quickly and civilly. Should be easy enough, so he figures. When a big guy smelling distinctly of alcohol practically rips the door off the hinges though he fears he's in for a bit more than he signed up for.
“The hell do you want?”
There’s barking in the background. His company making a huge fuss about Rider being in the doorway, yelling names that he puts every effort he has into ignoring. Emperor and him have been through enough. He’s hardly bothered anymore. Here peacefully he just kinda tries to look as unthreatening as possible.
“For you guys to pipe down just a lil so we can sleep.”
Doesn’t mean he’s gonna take any shit though. The comment gets him a scoff and the door in his face. A grumbled mutter of ‘good chat’ escapes his chest but he doesn’t press further. He couldn’t even if he felt like it. Cuz when he turns away from the wood, Emperor is there. Breathtaking as alway, helmet in hand. He doesn’t say anything though. Looking almost forlorn as he wiggles the helmet onto his head and allows them to take off.
Even at the store its hard to get him to perk up. Something clearly runs through his head unbarred and unsupervised cuz very little seems to reach the monarch even when the larger squid tries to suggest different isles. The cocoa curtains are beelined for as if he doesn’t care to see anything else but Rider knows he does. Presses on the small of that slim back with a stable hand. As if trying to physically anchor that anxious form.
“Hey.”
He could smack himself for that. But his clearly constipated face and tone must do something cuz he gets a smile. Gets a little laugh. But it also earns him a mountain of concern. Cuz those flecks of gold he’s fallen in love with are rimmed with red, glossy with tears he refuses to let fall and that’s something he hates to see. Always has, always will.
“Hello, Rider, can I as-”
“We could use some stuff for the walls. Dunno that the uhh mantel can support your…everything.”
Please don’t cry, he wants to whisper. But he won’t in public. Instead he lets himself be lead, holds that slender waist in a way that broadcasts he’s there. That he’s strong enough to support the other through anything and everything. Stroking circles into the gentle slope there and encouraging the weight that slowly melds into his side as they pick up more shelves than they probably need, plants, and a fluffy rug his love somehow can’t leave without.
To say its hard to get it all back in the sidecar of his bike is an understatement but they make it work. Manage to haul it all and get it out of said sidecar pretty much just as it starts to rain. Normally, it would make him irritated, rain while he’s trying to get way too many boxes and bags inside is less than ideal. But, Emperor is apparently living. Holding his own black leather coat tight around his shoulders as he dives for the door but not through it. High paced droplets causing an eruption of laughter and a splash to his knees.
“Oi! I’ll get you for that!”
There’s not a soul who would think Emperor turns into a small child when there’s puddles involved. But he absolutely does. There’s splashing and kicking and Rider’s trying his best to hold the rug out of the way so it doesn’t get wet. Charging up to the other and getting a borderline howl of giggles as he gets his own splash in but it doesn’t last much longer. Just a couple more jabs and they’re pushing the door open.
It feels less tense now. Climbing the spiral stairs together and practically dumping things onto the floor of the loft not that the stuff stays there long. Emperor’s swift to yank the new fluffy thing out of its prison to be spread out on the floor in an oddly satisfying fashion. Soft and plush like their own little patch of snow. Despite the shade thrown earlier at the color, his love fawns over it while he himself hangs the curtains.
“Look how artistic we are. Lovely colors simply elevated by the warmth of natural ones all across the space. Brilliant truly isn’t it? Oh a little to the left on that shelf will you?”
It makes Rider sigh fondly. Their house itself is completely done, there’s anchors and turtles in the bathroom, shrimp and butter colors in the kitchen. The living room holds everything they’ve collected over the years of competing and being together. All the ceramics and collectable plates sit on shelves and hang on the walls, Emperor’s precious snow globes dot the rest of the space.
But those expand up and into the loft. Its why they needed the extra shelves up here. Not that Rider minds at all, they’re a prized possession of the other squid. A collection he’s been working on for literal years, traveling everywhere and snagging them from any and every tourist shop they come across.
“The metro ones would look good up here. Cannot put all of them downstairs after all, not all of our company knows what the lines are or where they are…best keep the agency nice and qui-ET!”
A loud thunk once again rings from the wall dividing the houses. It makes the larger of them growl but thankfully its the only one that comes. Less ideally though, the effect it has on his partner is instant. He goes from fussing and talking adamantly about the shades of yellow and blue on their bed to silent. Barely breathing and still, hands only twitching slightly against the pattern stamped into the fabric.
“Emperor-”
“I’m fine.”
He’s far from that but its ok, cuz Rider’s there to pick up the pieces. There to scoop that slighter frame up into his arms and tug him close. Standing there with their metro line of globes in view, every bit as together as they were when they went down. When they took up Hachi and Goggle’s position to work out the kinks in the agency system. Gently, he gives the monarch a squeeze. It’s a silent invite, one he hopes Emperor will just take for once.
“What if we end up like that? W-what if-”
That won’t stand. As fast as the worry starts up he’s got those quivering lips in his own. Chastly, gently, not a whole lot more than a press of mouths but its filled to the brim with promise. Its something he gives freely and without restraint, ‘not gonna happen’ ‘we’re gonna be ok,’ he tries desperately to convey it all in a single press. Of course he can’t though. He has to pull away and rest their foreheads together, drill his gaze into those gold and ruby orbs he’s fallen so deeply for and try to will the knowledge that way.
“Emperor, that’s ridiculous. No. Shhh, please, babe, hear me out.”
Cuz if the waterworks start flowing with those sniffles he’s got starting up, Rider’s gonna do something he’ll definitely regret. Go pound on that door again with even more vigor and tell them off he doesn’t even remotely care how much bigger that guy was than him. He’d give him a piece of his mind and his fury for the love of his life. But it won’t solve the other’s upset. Won’t make it go away. No, the situation needs a more delicate touch.
Yeah that’s something he kinda sucks at.
But for Emperor, he’ll fake it til he makes it. Takes to swaying them gently, spinning slowly til they’ve got their sides to the stairstepping shelves that were originally to the spring colored squid’s back. As softly as he can, he directs the other’s gaze to the stuff there. To the globes and trinkets, framed pictures of them and their teams. Dried plants pressed into frames of their own and Emperor’s first hat from Crusty Sean.
“Just look. Look at what we’ve been through, what we’ve done.”
The gentle fingers he has on one of those soft cheeks slips away in favor of cradling his neck. Of slipping back to the back of that pale column to trace the freckles there only he knows about. As if to symbolize the little things he loves about this squid.
“Think…the sanitized octo samurai simulation was worlds harder than havin’ a townhouse together. Yet we did that shit too.”
The sniffles have finally given way but of course its not messy. Even his breakdowns are done with a sort of grace that Rider’s never seen in another. There isn’t a single squid he’s ever met that could cry with so much elegance and calm. His tears fall silently as he looks to all the frames and knickknacks. As they fall to one that was purposely left empty amongst all their clutter.
Its the one they have on reserve. Simple silver with a less than simple inlay of blue stones and carven swirls that vaguely resemble paint strokes. That one sits on a special shelf, it holds a long since empty velvet box and a fake flower petal at its side.
“Gonna need another special shelf to show off the house, yeah? What with it being a huge achievement and all.”
He’s sure to mock the exact way Specs had said it, fake little nerd like snort and all and it gets him exactly what he wants. Nothing quite like mimicking the nerdiest of Blue team to get the giggles going. And get them going it does. Emperor’s quick to stuff his face into his chest and just laugh.
Laugh and cry, shake and cling, like he’s been holding every ounce of it in for a good while now. Like the dam has finally broken and the river is rushing for the shoreline at last. All he can do is sway them, kiss his head and let it roll, let it bust through for that shore it hasn’t seen in so long.
“F-father is so h-hateful…I can’t…Rider I cannot I mustn’t I-”
“You aren’t and you won’t. Emperor, look at me.”
His words slip into something a little rougher without his consent but he can’t let this happen. Emperor is everything that his father isn’t, everything that man refuses to be even in the face of his sons. Gently, as if to contradict his earlier tone, he sweeps his thumbs under those eyes. Collects the jewels of those tears that his family doesn’t deserve and wipes them away.
“Look at what you’ve made here, Emperor…please, look at it. Yeah its tight in here, yeah its cramped. Sure our little loft doesn’t have a door and sure the kitchen needs some work. But its…cozy in here. You…you did good, All these memories, all this color and love, you did good babe. You’re everything he’s too afraid to be. Warm but still regal.”
The way those eyes widen makes him feel like he surely misstepped somewhere. That he stepped on at least seven different toes with that comment, but it doesn’t get him scoffed at or anything of the sort, instead those misty eyes are grazing the walls again. Taking in every little bit of decor they’ve put up together.
“You went and made this bangged up place into a home.”
He’s never meant something more in his life either. The cool wood has warmed with the golden squid’s presence. With all their memories and love and time spent together.
“No…we made it into a home.”
One single word has only ever been enough to blow Rider over one time, when Emperor said ‘yes.’ But that ‘we’ lights him up in a way he can’t quite describe.
“The memories and love would hardly be here without you, my knight. My most faithful knight, how I adore thee.”
Being called Emperor’s knight always makes him a little bashful but he takes the blush in stride this time. Satisfied with the slowing of the tears he lets the other go but its not far. Its just enough that he goes back to fussing over the accent pillow he wants up here verses what he wants to throw back down the stairs. But really, Rider thinks its enough for one night.
They’ve gotten the walls completely decked out. A pillow, he decides anyway, is fair game to wait until morning or some other time tomorrow. Any other time tomorrow really, just not right now. Not when they’re both bogged down with how tired they are and Emperor’s got eyebags that need to be checked onto the plane of life as oversized. Instead of humoring it any further he pulls out an old scarf from one of their dwindling boxes.
It’s supposed to be draped on a shelf for accent somewhere. One of the first ever Team Monarch merch pieces and he holds it in high regard. But Rider knows its strong enough for this. It can take at least a pinch of action in the name of getting his love to slow it down for the night.
“Aw shit, we missed a spot.”
“A shelf? But they’re all filled ou-t, Rider!”
With a well practiced flick he ropes the red and gold strip across the other’s body and reels him in. Wraps it around that slighter frame like he’s putting his own Squidmas gift in a bow and grins with an absurd amount of pride. How is he supposed to not be proud of his own handiwork when Emperor is flattening him out with the cutest pout of all time.
“Forgot to decorate an art piece is all. C’mon let’s call it. We broke our damn necks today for the rest of the house and I’m beat.”
There’s a dramatic sigh at the words that’s for sure. But when the two accent pillows he can’t seem to pick from are gently set aside there’s also a yawn. One that stretches on for a good amount of time and makes the dynamo main chuckle deep in his chest. That’s sort of what he figured when he suggested it. Everything is neat but he does use the scarf end to gently tug Emperor into bed with him. Sighing contently when the weight meets his chest.
“You forgot the lights you troll.”
Its a sassy jab that comes fully equipped with a huge smile turned smirk when he has to reach for them. But it doesn’t matter cuz the cuddles are good if absolutely nothing else. The way that he’s immediately snuggled into as if there’s no place the monarch would rather be makes it all the better. Gives him clearance to just hold onto him and be comfortable, to listen to the gentle classical he always turns on for bed and sigh wistfully. An ‘I love you’ is muttered but he’s not sure from who, a smile is stamped into his chest and he knows exactly from who. They’re in their own little snow globe of happiness and joy. As he falls asleep with Emperor in his arms, its the only place he wants to remain.