Fic: Goodnight, Sweetheart (Chap 2)

[liebelit]

So.. here's more.
Title: Goodnight Sweetheart
Rating: PG-13
Summary:For this part, what morning brings... (I'm bad at summaries! And sorry for mistakes)

(I'm using a spoiler because the cut didn't work for me for some reason..)
[Spoiler (click to open)]The suns’ rays of light shining into the room through the open curtains woke Cain at some unspeakably late hour.

He always liked to wake up early, before the second sun rose; sometimes even before the first. Waking up early let him take things slow, easy, and without formalities. Knowing there would be less people up and walking about the currently crowded base of operations also helped. Today though, Cain frowned drowsily with his eyes still closed, refusing to wake up just yet, at the thought of all the people who were surely already in the small castle’s common hall. Though he supposed that would be the price to pay for a good night’s rest.

Cain preferred to wake up early, but one of the reasons he rose at the earliest hours of the morning was because he couldn’t sleep, at least not deeply. He thought too much, about his past life fifteen annuals ago, about the last ten he had spent locked away from the world... about the last weeks and how so much had changed during that short time. Annuals ago, there had come a point while he was inside the suit when he simply gave up. He had stopped screaming his lungs out and banging his fists against the cold, unyielding interior of the iron suit, realizing his helplessness, his failure to change anything. Every time the painful looped scene flashed before his eyes, it was a bitter reminder of how impotent he had been at protecting the people he loved. Sometimes, when it was dark and he had only the moons’ light to see anything through the suit’s porthole, the projection still playing on and the tear tracks on his face denying to dry, a soft voice that sounded eerily like Adora tried to tell him it wasn’t his fault. But every time the loop began again, he felt his heart growing colder with every minute that passed watching his family get tortured. At some point, he had slumped back on the unforgiving metal and withdrawn into himself; the thought of vengeance being the only thing that kept him sane.

And then they had found him.

DG and Glitch had unlocked the suit and freed him from his prison. After finding Raw and assembling their ragtag little group Cain had gotten something he hadn’t had in a painfully long time: people. People he came to care about despite his initial antagonism against joining them. After losing his family and being alone for so long, the last thing he had wanted was useless people clinging to him like lost children. But those people he came to think of as friends had proven themselves time and time again from the moment they met to the day of the eclipse; even saved his life in more than one way.

These thoughts kept Cain half-awake most nights, usually turning restlessly with the worst of them fresh in the front of his mind. But last night the best of those thoughts and memories had surfaced far above the others at the incitement of letting Glitch see a glimpse of how he felt.

Last night had been pleasantly different...

Glitch

Mind still foggy with the remnants of sleep, Cain hadn’t noticed that his friend was gone from his arms. He opened his eyes and saw the other side of the bed was empty, the cotton sheets rumpled. He reached out and placed his hand over them... still warm.

“Glitch?” he called out tentatively, lifting the covers and getting out of bed as he looked around the bedroom and out the open entrance into the adjacent room; no sign of Glitch.

At first, Cain worried that Glitch had woken up during the night, that he had forgotten where he was and who he was with, then had left and gotten lost wandering around the castle. He inwardly cursed himself for being so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the empty space beside him. The bed was still warm, though, so he wondered for a moment if the other man had simply gotten up before him and gone back to his own chambers. But walking around the bed to exit the bedroom, he noticed Glitch’s formal clothes still on the floor. In fact, there were even more items of clothing scattered around than he had seen the previous night. He remembered Glitch taking off only his coat and shoes, but now he could also see his socks, tie, waistcoat, and trousers further from the bed.

“Glitch?” he shouted more firmly, “Where are you, zipperhead?”

Cain walked into the other room and looked around. The gradually rising beat of his heart calmed down when he spotted Glitch sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the modest beige couch.

“Hey,” Cain said as he crossed the distance between them and knelt down in front of Glitch,

As the discarded garments on the bedroom floor indicated, Glitch was wearing only his long white dress shirt, the sleeves carelessly pushed up to his elbows, and a pair of tight grey pants. He looked pale, somehow paler than usual if that was possible, and his eyes had that distant quality that marked the ongoing or imminent misfiring of synapses.

“Glitch?” he said as he put a hand on his friend’s pale bare thigh, “you okay? Why didn’t you answer?”

His curly, zippered head snapped up then and the light returned to his eyes, “Oh, hi!” a smile, and then that look of confusion, “Do I know you?”

Having dealt with the question many times by now, Cain simply tapped one bare knee lightly and said, “Good morning, sweetheart.”

“Cain! Oh...” he made a sheepish face, “I glitched again, didn’t I?”

“Don’t worry about it,” for now, that last part was left unsaid as he sat down on the floor next to Glitch. Glitches were inevitable, they would always happen eventually, but Cain found that they came more often when Glitch had been too stressed or tense either mentally or physically. He also remembered his headaches and odd flashes of pain last night, and still fully intended to take him to Raw so the viewer healed him in any way he could. But first they had to wash up and dress, get some breakfast, start the day... right now, though, he just wanted to sit here with Glitch.

“What are you doing out here? For a moment there I was worried you were walking around the building in nothing but your underwear and scaring the maids to death.”

“Well, that would’ve been embarrassing,” he scoffed, “I just woke up a while ago and thought I’d make us some tea. But then I checked and realized you don’t have any tea...”

Cain wondered just how long Glitch had been awake and why he hadn’t returned to bed, when Glitch made to stand and looked down apologetically at him.

“I should probably go now,”

“What?” he frowned, “You don’t have to leave. Stay,” He wanted to reach out to Glitch and stop him, hold his hand again like he had last night, maybe even stay in the room all day, but he was already on his feet.

“I’d love to but it’s almost noon-at least I think it’s almost noon-and we have things to do. We have things to do. We have things-”

A knock on the door stopped Glitch’s incessant glitching before Cain could, and even though right now he resented the fact that they had to get moving, he knew it was true.

“Things to do... Alright,” Cain said as he stood up and put his arms loosely around Glitch, “will you meet me later for dinner, then? I still owe you that date.”

“Sure thing, tin man,” he said playfully, then seemed to contemplate something for a moment, “And then we can go for a walk in the city? It’s been ages since I walked around freely here and was actually able to enjoy it. At least I think so... And it’s not like any of us have gotten much free time and fresh air in the last week. You could probably use the break too,” he smiled sweetly, “We can go to the park! I’ve heard the kitchen staff say they’re showing off the greatest fireworks display the O.Z. has seen in decades there. It’ll be fun.”

“Okay then, dinner and a show it is.” Cain’s mind whirled at how he would use the time this night to express himself to Glitch. There were so many things he wanted to say but didn’t know how, things he hadn’t even allowed himself to think of directly in this moment when the Kingdom had to come first. Tonight though, after he and Glitch had done the duties that usually kept them apart during the day, they would have a chance to work on themselves.
Leaning in closer to Glitch, Cain was about to give him an innocent morning kiss when the sound of sharp knocks broke through the room.

“You should probably get that,” Glitch said as he slid his hands up Cain’s arms,
“I’ll get it in just a moment,” They met halfway, mouths crashing together while the incessant knocking went unanswered as mere background noise. Thin fingers skittered through Cain’s short blond hair and Glitch parted his lips slightly to deepen the kiss. They found themselves in almost exactly the previous night’s position with the exception of privacy and all the time in the world.

Or the illusion of privacy and all the time in the world, as the knocking at the door seemed to want to remind them.

Cain reluctantly broke the kiss and turned toward the door, “I’ll be right there!” he barked, knowing it could be something of importance.

“Boy, they’re about to tear your door down, aren’t they?” Glitch said, though the snarky quality of his remark was somewhat lost with how blushed and breathless he was.

“So,” Cain looked back at him, “dinner and a show?”

“Perfect!” He didn’t look so deathly pale anymore, there was a healthy faint pink hue to his cheeks-though that was more due to kissing a minute ago than anything else-and Cain was also glad to note that the faraway look was gone for now and he seemed more alert and at ease.

“And Cain?”

“Yes?”

“About last night...” Glitch started, biting his bottom lip, “and, well, this,” he said, gesturing with a tilt of his head at their joined stance, “...I just want to know-”

Another bout of knocking interrupted him and Cain looked back and glared cold daggers at the door as if that would scare away whoever was on the other side.

“Mr. Cain?” the knocking continued now, the envoy’s patience having run thin,

“I’ll be right back,” he told Glitch and went to the door; he almost wanted to say “hold that thought” but with friend’s condition that might have been insensitive. Cain still marveled at how much he had been caring about being sensitive lately.

“Mr. Cain-” The man, or more accurately boy, outside the room was young and had a perfect characteristically military posture; Cain remembered seeing him among the members of the resistance.

“What is it, kid?”

“The Queen demands your presence in the throne room...” he opened his mouth and started relaying the message in a confident and practiced toned, but trailed off with a small frown as he caught sight of Cain and the inside of his room. With a silent groan, Cain realized he was still in some of last night’s clothes-they were bedraggled and his shirt was partly undone-and Glitch, less than half dressed and just as disheveled, just happened to be visible from where the kid was standing out in the hallway.

“...as soon as possible.” The young messenger finished. As in now, said the look he gave Cain.

“Got it-thanks,” Cain said bluntly, before letting the door fall shut on the kid’s face. He almost felt bad, after all, it wasn’t the kid’s fault, but he remembered last night’s events and had an idea of why the Queen wanted to see him.

He made his way back to Glitch, who seemed to be buttoning up his own fairly undone shirt.
“Okay, what were you saying?”

“Hmm?” he looked up from his task, “Oh, it doesn’t matter. Well, it does! But nothing we can’t talk about over dinner. Besides, the Queen wants to see you; must be pretty important.” He stood a little away from him, his brown eyes lowering in thought for a moment before settling on Cain’s, “It’s just... what exactly are we doing...? Last night was great but-did you mean it? And if you did, what did you mean? You know what I mean? I just want to know where this is going?” he said uncertainly, “If it’s going anywhere?”

“Do you want it to?”

“Do you?” Glitch asked with an expectant expression,

“I don’t know how to answer that yet, sweetheart,” Cain said honestly. He knew he had feelings for Glitch, he knew that he cared about him in a way that was somehow different from how he cared about his other friends, he knew there was a moment last night that had been amazing and something he had wanted to do for a long time. But he didn’t know if that magical moment had been an impulsive display induced by the music and the bright lights, or if it was what he hoped was something much deeper that they both wanted. However, in Cain’s mind, figuring these things out was what dates were for.

“Whatever the answer to that question is, though,” he continued as he closed the distance between them, “we can have a talk and find out together tonight at dinner. Meet me at seven in the entrance hall?”

Glitch nodded, “It’s a date! ...Is it though?”

“Yes.” Cain said sincerely.

Eventually they had to move from their spot in front of the couch and get going. Glitch walked away barefoot and returned to the bedroom to collect his discarded clothes and shoes, putting on his pinstriped dark trousers and socks, and gathering the rest in his arms, before joining Cain at the doorway.

“Well,” Glitch said perkily, “See you later!” then darted down the corridor toward his own room. Cain fretted briefly over the thought of Glitch making his way back to his room on his own while he seemed more glitch-prone than usual, but at this hour of the day there were so many people walking down the halls from one place to another that he was sure his headcased friend wouldn’t run into trouble. Glitch stopped an instant later though, and swiftly turned back around to give Cain a last goodbye kiss, putting a hand behind his neck as he held his tousled bunch of clothes against his own chest.

“We really do need to have that talk,” Glitch bit his bottom lip ruefully and was scurrying back down the hall in a second as if he hadn’t turned around at all; leaving a flushed and open-mouthed Cain alone in the middle of the hallway.

After going back inside and taking a much needed cold shower, Cain found himself back in that same hallway, heading towards the throne room. Some flights of stairs later on a landing along the way, he bumped into DG, who was wearing her usual casual clothes-tailored after the ones she had brought from the Otherside-instead of the billowing dresses befitting a princess.

“Morning, Cain,” DG said as she stepped down the last stair and met him on the landing,

“DG,” he returned the gesture, tipping his hat-which was gratefully was back where it belonged.

“Didn’t see you at breakfast a few hours ago... or Glitch,” she snickered through that last part with an impish grin.

“Careful, princess,” Cain mock-glared at her, “and wipe that smirk off your face.”

“Nah really,” she rolled her bright blue eyes, “it was very cute. I’m glad for you guys.”

“We actually haven’t quite figured it out ourselves yet.” He failed to mention they were going out tonight, just to avoid the young princess’s offhanded comments about it being “cute”. He could almost hear Glitch in the back of his mind talking about his masculinity issues and saying he needed professional help.

“Hey DG, have you seen Raw around?”

“Raw? Nope, not since last night at the ball... Why do you ask?”

“Last night after Glitch and I left, we were in one of the hallways-get your mind out of the gutter, kid-and he... wasn’t feeling that well. He was having weird flashed of headaches.”

Cain frowned at the memory of his pained face, “I wanted to hear what Raw thought, or felt, about it I guess. And see if there was anything he could do to help.”

“Oh, that sucks.” DG winced at the knowledge, “I did notice he was sort of glitching a little more than usual the last couple of days...”

“I noticed that too.” Cain nodded grimly in agreement, “Just let me know if you see Raw. Right now I have to go meet your mother.”

“Sure, he’s probably just under a food comma in some corner of this place, I’ll look for him.” She strolled past him and resumed her walk down the next flight of stairs as he moved on up the next. “And ha! Good luck with her, Wyatt; you’re probably about to get the “don’t hurt him or I’ll kill you painfully and slowly” talk from the Queen of the O.Z.”

Well that was a comforting thought.

The Queen’s temporary throne room in the borrowed castled was as vast and regal as anything befitting a monarch should be.

Even though a messenger had been sent specifically to tell him he was requested in her Majesty’s presence immediately, Cain found himself waiting with nothing else to do but admire the decor. There was a plain looking chair for him to sit in directly in front of the imposing throne, but it looked so much like where one would sit a defendant in trial that he remained standing. Both he and the chair looked out of place and bare in contrast to the sophisticated details in the rest of the room. There were elaborate carvings on the pillars lined on either side across the entirety of the enormous place, and each one was further adorned with an array of flowers that painted the throne room in all sorts of colors.

On the raised steps beside the throne, was a small table with a tea kettle along with a couple of cups, and an assortment of biscuits, fruits, and things that could be considered something like high society snacks.

Cain was about to start counting how many green tiles were on the marble floor when thankfully the Queen herself entered the grand chamber and sat down in front of him.

“Mr. Cain, how are you this morning?” she asked in her deceptively gentle cordial tone,
“It’s still morning?”

“Indeed it is, though you almost missed it” She took the cup and saucer on the small table beside her and poured herself some tea, “Would you like some? ...Or something to eat? I noticed you and Ambrose were absent at breakfast earlier this morning.”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Cain shifted uncomfortably, “Is there any particular reason you asked to see me, your highness?”

“Of course,” she took a sip of her tea, “Did you enjoy the ball last night, Mr. Cain?”

“I did, your highness,” Cain said warily,

“And I believe I saw you with my dear Ambrose?” she prompted, raising a delicate eyebrow,

“I’m sorry, but if there’s anything you want to tell me, you’ll have to be more direct,” Cain said, looking at Lavender straight in the eyes and dropping the formalities. In another time, he would have probably been thrown in the dungeon for a few days for snapping at the Queen like that. But in the newly restored O.Z., he had worked and lived beside the royal family in the short time since they had taken back their rightful place; and if the Queen insisted on trying to get involved in his personal business he would be nothing but crude with her, and he expected her to understand where he was coming from.

And hopefully not throw him in the dungeon anyway.

“Alright then,” she dropped the docile facade, “I saw the two of you kiss in a rather verging on indecent manner and then leave the ball early.”

“And?” He was really pushing his luck now.

“And,” she said, taking the long knife from the table and slicing a pastry into tiny pieces, “I just wouldn’t want you to... mislead my dear friend.”

“Mislead him?” Cain said crossly, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He’s been through so much...” she said in a sorrowful tone, the look she was giving Cain menacingly fierce, “On his own for so long. I don’t want him to be taken into something he does not want just because he thinks he’ll never get any other chance.”

The Queen drew a sharp breath, “Have you-”

“No.” Cain said quick, hearing her tone and noting that mother and daughter might be more alike than he thought when it came to interpreting information.

“Well, that’s not all, Mr. Cain.” She raised her chin and looked down at him, “I was told you were married once...” she chose her words carefully, “to a woman.”

Cain sighed silently as he thought over what he would say next, “I don’t care what he is... I just care about him-your highness.”

She seemed to mull this over in silence as she drank the rest of her tea, then she put the cup on the saucer with a definitive clink that sounded deafeningly loud in the quiet throne room.

“Alright, Mr. Cain, I will give you a chance... I can trust you will take care of my friend?”

“He’s my friend too,” Cain said with a heartfelt nod and a formal bow,

“Good,” Queen Lavender said, the placid demeanor returning to her features, “I would accept nothing less. Of course, you know what would happen if for some reason you broke this vow, yes?”

And there was the “I will kill you slowly” part.

“Of course,” As scared as someone in his position might-probably should-be, Cain couldn’t help but like the Queen if she was so protective of Glitch.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, your highness, I need to go find Raw.”

“Emissary Raw is on a mission south of the papay fields to gather more viewers from his tribe who are willing to come to the City and help. He left about an hour ago and won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon.”

“Oh.”

“What business did you have with the viewer?”

Cain tried to stall as he thought of something to tell her other than Glitch not being well. But luckily an older resistance member, from the looks of it a former tin man just like himself, barging into the throne room got him out of having to answer for the moment.

However, the news he brought were anything but lucky.

“Your highness,” he said as he bowed before Queen Lavender, “a group of alchemists and longcoats have escaped from the dungeons in the tower.”