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When Lux wakes up, there's a glass of water and a pair of Advil waiting for them on the nightstand, and the distant scent of bacon and coffee in the kitchen. Maybe other cooking things as well, but those two are the important notes, right? At least for most people.
Lux had slept pretty late into the morning. Granted, they always sleep late but definitely more so today, their body needing the recharge after so much emotions excitement. They groan and hide under the blanket for a bit, but eventually they down the water and Advil and sit up, rubbing at their eyes. "Uuugh."
Mearc's been listening for any signs of life and movement, and the 'Uuugh' is enough to bring him to the doorway of the bedroom. He's already showered and dressed for the day (hours and hours ago, likely), and if last night's events are having any ill effect on him, it barely shows.
"Good morning, hummingbird. Do you want to join me in the kitchen, or shall I bring you breakfast in bed?"
"Do you mind if I eat in bed?" they ask, blinking drowsily at him. At least the color has returned to their lights, glowing faintly neon yellow, their natural default color.
There's a small pause, as if the question surprises him to hear. "I wouldn't have offered if I minded. Wait there."
And a moment later, he returns with a plate of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and a large mug of coffee, already creamed and sugared. "I'm guessing on the coffee, but based on what I've seen already, I figured this was a solid guess." (The pancakes might be a hair burnt, and they're definitely from a mix.)
Lux's lips quirk as they see the sugary breakfast. "Ha. Yeah, good guess." They scoot back to lean against the headboard, accepting the plate with a hungry, eager look. "This looks great. Did you eat already?"
"Yeah, though I might grab myself some more coffee before joining you in bed again." He leans in to kiss the top of their head gently, their reaction to the meal drawing a smug little smile. Nailed it.
"That's fine," they assure, grabbing the fork to start immediately digging into the pancakes.
And so another quick trip to the kitchen, returning with a travel mug with a closed lid before he snuggles back under the blankets (quietly pressing cold toes against Lux's leg just to see what kind of reaction that gets).
"Ack," Lux jumps a bit at first, but then lets out a soft huff and presses their legs alongside his. "Have you been up for a while?" They practically inhale the pancakes, then pick up the coffee to sip from.
"A couple hours, yeah. Don't worry, I don't have anything urgent to do, just...wanted to be up and moving."
"Mm... you don't have to work today, do you?" Lux glances over with a hopeful look.
"Nothing pressing. Some research for an upcoming exercise, but it can wait until later or tomorrow. It ought to be a fun one, actually. But for now, I am all yours." He settles into the bed comfortably.
"Good. Cause I'm kind of... feeling clingy still, so..." They take another sip of coffee, then lean over to kiss him softly on the lips. "What exercise?"
The kiss is returned with interest, a second kiss placed on the tip of Lux's nose.
"It's a penetration test--don't laugh--so, basically my client wants to see how good the physical security of their building is, and my job is to show them it's completely crap by breaking into the building, locating the server where they keep their confidential data, showing what other information I could steal along the way, and then teaching them how to make it harder for actual threats to do the same."
Lux doesn't laugh--when do they ever really laugh--but they do smirk widely and waggle their brows. "You are pretty good at... penetration," they joke, then grab a piece of bacon to start nibbling at. "That sounds fun, though. Ugh. I'm almost jealous. I wish I could break and enter as my job. ...Well, no, not job because jobs suck but..."
Mearc pokes Lux's side, when they can't resist the joke.
"Careful, you'll tempt me to teach you all the tricks of my trade, that way; I already know you've been watching and listening to my videos. Lockpicking, bypassing sensors, getting around security...though I know you'd have a very different use for that skillset than I do."
"I do stalk you online, yeah." They grin. "They're pretty useful. Definitely learned some things. Hrm, I'm not against being taught but--yeah, I mostly just use those skills to sneak around to tag places..."
"I am not the least bit surprised." Mearc chuckles. "About the online stalking or your uses for entry techniques."
Lux shrugs helplessly, finishing off the strip of bacon. "Thanks. For last night. It really helped a lot to get my head straight."
He nods quietly at them. "I'm glad I was able to help. You...seemed like you needed to unload, crash safely and reboot, kinda."
"Yeaaahhh..." Lux puffs out a breath, looking down at their plate. They poke the remaining bacon sheepishly. "Never had someone around while I'm, uh, rebooting before. Didn't think I'd like it, but it was pretty nice."
"I can understand why it would be scary, I think. You probably felt pretty vulnerable?" Mearc yoinks one of the remaining strips of bacon, tearing it in half and sticking one half in his mouth.
"...Yeah," they agree, voice softer.
Mearc nods, waiting a moment to see if there's more to that thought to unfold.
Lux shifts a bit, looking uncomfortable. Nervous. "It was really okay? Last night? I wasn't, uh, boring or whatever?"
"It's fascinating to me that 'boring' is your concern there. No, you weren't boring, but you don't have to...entertain me all the time. That's really not...I mean, not that there is a purpose to this thing, but." He pauses, then decides to start the thought again. "I like you, and like being able to help you, and don't mind doing so. That's part of this relationship, that I am here to support you when you need it."
"Yeah, but--you started liking me by seeing me when I'm--on." They wave a hand, frowning. "But... okay. Yeah. Sorry. Just not used to people seeing this side of me."
Mearcstapa shakes his head, leaning in to rest his head against Lux's side. "Would you like me less if you saw me when I'm 'off'?"
"No," they reply without hesitation. The empty plate is set aside on whatever bedside table there is, Lux's hand moving after to start petting through Mearc's hair. "That feels different though, but maybe that's still just... the self-hate spiral talking."
"Sounds like it to me. I think you're projecting expectations you have for yourself on other people; like something in the back of your head is telling you that everyone else wants or needs you to be 'on'." Mearc closes his eyes as Lux starts petting, letting out a soft murr.
Lux frowns, lips pursing faintly. "...Yeah. I guess that... sounds right."
Their hand keeps moving, slowly caressing fingers through his hair.
"Might be another thing to talk to a Spring about, someday. Those thought patterns are vicious, and can tear you up from the inside." One eye opens, and he seems to glance up at their face. Hard to tell exactly where he's looking, of course.
"What is with you and talking to Springs?" Lux groans, but it's more whiny than actually annoyed. They look back down at him, their expression warming a bit, turning fond.
"Because that's sort of a large piece of the purpose of the Spring Court." He grins. "They're not just supposed to be pretty people doing pretty people things, they're responsible for the morale and welfare of the Freehold, as well as recreation."
"Have you ever... uh... talked to Springs like that?" They run their hand down the back of his neck, then start rubbing and scratching idly along his back.
"Back in Chicago, yeah. My first year out, I was...very much in need of counseling on how to, um. Function as a person instead of just, really, a protocol. I was in a bad place, trying to make myself operational in the new situation I found myself in without really engaging my emotions at all. I lived in a permanent greenshift, until I broke down red hard...then tried to suck it all up, tuck it away, pretend it never happened or was just a temporary malfunction, and then go back to greenshifting. That Did Not Work, long-term, for obvious reasons."
Lux stares down at him for a moment, then glances aside, frowning again. "...I'm glad you had... help. It's not easy to break away from the City's... protocols. But that's... pretty incredible? To hear and--it sounds like you've come a long way."
"It's taken me five years to get to the point I'm at now. And that is with a lot of help and support." He shrugs slightly. "You'll be alright, too, Lux. Try not to be hard on yourself, if you can."
"It's... still weird," Lux murmurs. "That you've been out for so long and it feels like I've... just barely started..." Their hand moves off of Mearc's back, resting in their lap, still looking away.
"Does the difference feel like...does it make things weird, the way a big age gap or other tangible power differential might?" Mearc sits up, grabbing for his coffee again.
Lux's brows crease at the thought. "...Maybe?"
"Ah. Do you want to talk about that?" His freckles flicker red, then tint slowly toward green.
The Bright One looks resistant, but after a few seconds forces themself past it, letting out a sigh. "I think I'm just... jealous. Which isn't fair to you. It's not... your fault, it's not anyone's fault--time is just weird in the Hedge and there and I got separated from the rest of you. But I can't help but be... bitter. I lost... almost five years."
"Ah, well. That's a valid way to feel about it, and the fact that you can recognize it as jealousy shows a good deal of self-awareness." Mearc smiles slightly, then pauses. "The rest of you? Were you...part of the group I left with?"
Lux's mouth opens and closes, frowning deeper. "...Yes... and no? I wasn't... a part of the resistance. I never was. I was just... in the right place, at the right time. It was kind of... spur of the moment decision. I hadn't really planned on running. It just... happened, and then it was too late to go back so... I kept running."
Mearc's expression makes it clear they have a lot more questions, but he seems to deliberately back away from the topic instead of his usual 'hunting'.
"I see. It was similar for me, yes. I hadn't realized it was a real escape attempt instead of a mission to investigate routes, until the point of decision."
"Yeah?" Lux finally looks back at him, brows knit. "...I guess that makes sense, with who you were." A beat pause. "Did the others who escaped stay in Chicago?"
"A few of them, yes. I...don't know if you remember the little Notary, made up of lines of code more than flesh? She's married now, to a Summer Courtier. On the other hand, the Ogre with three eyes went back to his hometown, to try and find his family. I haven't really heard from him."
They squint in thought, thinking hard to try to recall, but ends up shaking their head. "I don't think I'd really remember them unless I saw them? I didn't... really remember you, until I saw you. Then it... came back. A little. I think my memory is mostly, uh, visual anchored?"
"Right, makes sense. I'll try and look them up on facebook for you later, if you want." Mearc finishes his coffee, setting the mug aside.
"That... that'd be nice. Even if I don't remember them, it'd be cool to like... see them? See them having lives and being happy. Hopefully being happy." They run a hand over their head slowly.
"Of course. As happy as any life is, underneath it all." Mearc nods. "But that'd involve getting up and getting my phone, and I don't feel like that right now. So...later?"
"Yeah, no--later." And to assure that point, Lux rolls over and scoots down so they're laying beside Mearc, arms wrapping around him to pull him in closer. "I am glad they got out, that you got out, that you're... all... changed and living. Even if I'm... kind of a bitter bitch about it, inside."
Mearc snuggles into those warm arms, closing his eyes with a definite smile. "You get to live, too, now. Just gotta figure out what that means to you."
"I know. ...I guess I'm still... figuring that out," Lux murmurs, squeezing around him, lips pressing to his temple.
"Mm. Yeah, I definitely can understand that. Also, just so we're on the same page, is this just a cuddle or the prelude to a seduction? I'm fine either way, just don't want my hand wandering if you're not up for that."
Their lips quirk upwards. "I'm definitely up for seduction, if you are. At least some making out. ...Making out sounds really good right now, actually..."
Mearc shifts his position slightly, so that he can do this comfortably without either of their arms falling asleep if they're at this for a while. Which they might be, you know. Though more shifting around may be necessary once it moves into...seduction.
They are definitely going to be at this for a while. Lux makes sure of that.
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