#except you’re both repeatedly doing this and because of social obligations and other outside forces you can’t just ignore each other

[strixhaven]

sometimes you have a conversation with someone and it feels exactly like you’re both accidentally picking the wrong dialogue options in an rpg and can practically see the “person disapproves” popping up in the corner of your vision every time either of you open your mouths to speak

#like you look at the option in your head. read it one way. it comes out just slightly different in a way you didn’t intend #and that way is Clearly not something the other person likes and did not take well #except you’re both repeatedly doing this and because of social obligations and other outside forces you can’t just ignore each other #or openly dislike one another. truly terrible situation to be in #it’s one thing when it’s just a group of people or several in a group that this happens with like at that point you should just Dip #but when everyone else is lovely and you get along great and you’re just sitting at a mutual -45 with Literally Just One Other Person there #misery.

[rk1k-hyperfixated]

OKAY I GOT A PROMPT! Markus notices Connor is unconfortable during a social event so he takes him outside to look at the stars or something. (Probably pre relationship) ♡♡

Bright. Too bright. His eyes were burning.

He resisted the urge to step aside, to call it a night - or a month, while at it. He truly needed a break from the spotlight, and from the suit he was forced to wear. How could one rebel against his program, force it to lead a revolution, but still struggle to tie a tie?

He just gave up and let it dangle around his neck, half-done. It didn’t matter.

But this event did. It had been planned specifically to celebrate New Jericho’s one-year anniversary - Markus’s pride and joy - reason why he couldn’t just up and leave. North would personally drag him back to that junkyard and strip him down to his bare minimum - hint, it did not involve limbs.

He flinched. Not because of the memory but because rA9 help him, the lights were killing his eyes.

He dimmed the brightness level but it was not helping. If anything, it only added a mild headache to his system and now Markus was stuck cursing deviancy for its unpleasant side-effects. 

He shifted his head to the other end of the room, preconstructing an escape route through the exit door, and began considering walking out when it came to his notice that he was not the only one desperate to scamper.

Right next to the door he spotted Connor. Back to the wall, body shifting back and forth, eyes drifting repeatedly towards the exit. An overall posture that screamed please get me out of here.

Markus was happy to oblige.

Wanna step out?

Brown hues snapped at him in a split second. Talk about reflex. 

Sure.

Great to know that wireless communication comes in handy when planning an escape out of your own party. But North’s eyes were on him while she gave her speech and Markus was not sure he felt like being dragged back inside with twice the audience. He nudged Simon to his side.

“I’m catching a breath outside. Tell North I’ll be back.”

“If you promise you will be back.”

"Because there’s a possibility of me eloping with Connor? Come on, we both know I’m not that lucky.”

Simon giggled and North’s glare worsened. They both cleared their throats, and Markus excused himself.

Out on the veranda, the heat of the party failed to follow and so did the light. The brightness of his vision peaked once more and he began wondering if he was maybe suffering a glitch of some sort. It turned out, this time, it was just the effect of Connor.

He was leaning against the railing, a coin flicking from one hand to the other.

“Thanks for giving me a pretext to leave my own party.”

Connor turned to him with a smile.

“Thanks for taking my job outside. I’m terrible with crowds.”

“Job?”

“Right,” he stood straight, cupped the coin in one hand and stretched out the other while mustering his most machine-like voice. “Hello, I’m Connor, the bodyguard sent to you by the DPD.”

Markus laughed at the impression and Connor’s expression softened. 

“Old habits die hard,” he added with a small shrug.

“I see that.”

Markus shook his hand as humans did.

Did humans also think of how soft the texture of the shaken hand was? 

He refused to look it up out of shame.

“So you owe me one,” said Markus, leaning against the railing. “For bringing you outside.”

“So long you stay here with me, in that case, yes.”

“Look, as much as I’d love to, I promised Simon not to elope with you. Don’t go tempting me now.”

Connor laughed softly. Markus’ chest thumped. 

“You break my heart,” said Connor, and then, out of nowhere, flung the coin at him. Markus caught it in his palm, then brought it down to graze his fingertip against the rusty edge.

“Why do you keep it?”

“It helps when I’m nervous.”

“What about now? I don’t make you nervous?”

“Not really.”

Markus scoffed. “Tell that to your spiking stress level.”

He might or might have not just heard Connor gasp.

“I haven’t been around you in a long time,” he said, “It’s my humble excitement for being in the presence of our savior.”

“Please stop talking like a cult leader.”

“Sorry, it’s my go-to programming when I’m nervous and coinless.”

Markus’s lips were permanently stuck on a smile. He lifted up his gaze and tossed the coin back at him. Connor caught it, then turned to press his back against the railing, arms crossing over his chest, soft brown eyes capturing the light of the party they left behind.

Markus thought he looked breathtaking. Then looked away.

“You know,” he started after a short silence, “You should consider closing your wireless connection when in public. You don’t want random creeps talking to you.”

“Are you a creep?”

“Is that what you call your lord and savior?”

Connor laughed. “One, I only said savior. Two, you’re not a creep because I personalized the communication via wireless access and I have you on the list of those who can connect to me without previous request.”

“How many are on the list?”

“So far, just you.”

Markus’s mouth dropped open.

“Is this a confession? I’m not prepared.”

“Too bad it’s already happening.”

His smile was innocent, almost too innocent that Markus began questioning whether there was a hidden meaning behind there somewhere.

“Then I’ll turn you down,” said Markus, leaning on only one arm to face him, “Can’t let this commemorative moment happen when I’m dressed in a secondrate suit.”

Connor’s eyes went up and down his body. Markus’s chest plate thumped louder.

“I think you look great,” he shrugged. “Well, except for the tie.”

“I think you need to upgrade your taste,” he smirked, “In ties.”

Between grinning and chuckling, Markus caught his stare and let it linger. His visionary brightness had adjusted itself by now, but Connor was still so radiantly captivating. He thought he was reading too much into this, whatever this was, when Connor reached out a hesitant hand towards his collar.

“Can I?”

Markus did not know what he was expecting when he nodded. Connor narrowed the distance between them and swift fingers came holding the tie, then began undoing it.

“You know,” Connor spoke softly, and Markus lost himself momentarily in the fluttering of his dark eyelashes. “It’s called a tie and not a knot for a reason.”

“You wound my pride.”

“What pride?”

Innocent eyelash flutter. Brown hues were now on him. And the sly smirk that curved the side of his lips had Markus experience some sort of epiphany.

“Does talking about your pride often result in your stress level skyrocketing?”

“When it’s wounded.”

A grin.

Markus knew he was fucked.

“There you go. All done. Looking sharp, dear leader.”

"Tone down the flirting. There’s only so much a man can take.”

Connor bit his bottom lip.

“And how much can you take?���

Before the door blasted open and North came stomping out, Markus gripped the hand still loose around his tie and pulled Connor to him.

“Still up for eloping?”

Connor beamed. 

“Thought you’d never ask.”

#rk1k #rk1000 #conkus #rk1kprompt