Chapter Eleven

Colves. The man that Sy had been talking about for days now.

He was here.

Colves' color was pastel yellow, and he matched it well with black. He wore a soft-looking hoodie of his color, with black jeggings. He had a splatter of mocha freckles along his light-skinned face, with sparkling gray eyes. His light blonde hair was the fluffiest thing I'd ever seen. He reminded me of a tiny duckling, with his hair, hoodie, and black legs.

Not to say that he was short. In fact, he was taller than Sytra.

I could see this obvious fact when he walked over. He looked over at Sytra. "I was hoping we could have a chat."

I clasped my hands together. "Perfect! You two go sort things out while I talk with my boyfriend, okay?" I needed us to split up. Now.

This is about to get really awkward. I had to stop the embarrassing monstrosity before it began.

"O.. Okay." Sytra managed. She let Colves take her hand and lead her out to the hallway. She shot us a worried look, like I swear this is gonna go south. The door clicked shut, and Dix and I were left alone.

Bye, Sy. Good luck with Colves.

I took a deep breath and leaned against the counter. "First things first. Chief, I'm going to ask you to stop listening."

"Agh!" She scoffed from the ceiling. Her tone made me think that she was embarrassed to still be involved in our conversations. Or, at least be caught doing it. "But you two are so cute."

"Please?" I paused and glared at where the voice was coming from. "It's a privacy thing now."

"Okay, fine." She was reluctant. We stayed silent for a few moments to check if she was really gone. We couldn't hear the two-way intercom turn on or off, so it was just trust.

Once we were sure, I released the tension in my shoulders. I put a smile on. "How are you, Braz?"

"Oh, no." He grabbed my shoulders and made me look up at him. "You're first. What happened tonight?"

I tilted my head towards the living room while keeping my eyes on him. "Couch?"

He nodded, and we walked over. I flopped down on my favorite side. Dix picked a spot and sat down.

He smirked. "Spare no details."

I didn't. I knew he would trust me enough to tell the truth. Honestly, I couldn't imagine lying to him.

I described my night, starting with the bar, then my "leap of faith," then everything with Uilter.

When I was finished, he sat back casually. He spread out his hands, all five of his fingertips touching in the shape of a mountain top. He looked like an evil mastermind sitting in his lair. He spoke in a low, menacing tone. It reminded me of earlier, when the two used a voice changer to prank me.

"So you were with," He paused, dramatically counting on his fingers. He used his right hand to tap his left hand's first and second finger. "Two boys?"

I chuckled at his impression. "Yes, I was."

He used his voice again, swinging around low octaves. "And did you flirt with either of them?"

"No." I thought for a moment, my eyes drifting off. Tell him the truth.

"Well, the first one, Silvsley. He flirted with me, and we had this little back-and-forth. It was just to entertain him, I swear. He seemed to have an interest in me."

"Who wouldn't?" Braz switched from Joking Impersonator to Romantic Hottie. I could practically hear the smooth jazz as he said that line.

Switching, really? Again?

I rolled my eyes at the flirtatious compliment. "Thanks."

"I see." In a split second, he flicked back to the mastermind. He folded his hands and set them under his chin. He was staying consistent with his villain impression; his voice was still rumbling. "Well, if there really was nothing happening between you and any boys tonight, then I'll let it go."

"Now. I wanted to apologize." He finally let the act drop, releasing his hands of their pose and looking at me with those sad puppy eyes. "I.. had an outburst earlier. Chief had me really ticked off, and I wanted to say sorry. I already talked with Sy about it, while you were out."

Aw. I gave him a soft smile. Sweet boy. "Well, that confirms it."

He leaned forward, curious. "Confirms what?"

"That I am in love with you."

In mere seconds, Romantic Hottie returned. He quickly rushed over to my couch and offered a hand to me. I accepted it, and he helped me to my feet. We were mere inches apart.

I brought a hand to the side of his face. "You know I said that because I'm proud of you, right? That you could admit that you were a jerk to Chief earlier, and you apologized to Sytra before you even spoke with me."

I stared into his swirling dark eyes. "You're becoming a better person, Dix."

"Only because of you, darling." He replied, his gray-blacks on my face. Up close, I could see a slight tint of red.. Just like my eyes had a fade of blue. Both colors were a dull melancholy, surprisingly lifeless for descendants of the Colored.

By now, we were both blushing. The flirting, the compliments, the proximity, it was all too much.

I wanted to live in this for a little more. Just a little longer. Being B.L.A.D.E.'s best agent makes it hard to find time for love.

But whatever chance I get.. I want to take it.

Chief had said it herself, from what the Colored had experienced in the past: We were soulmates. If I wanted love, it was Dix. No questions asked.

He had my loyalty. And my heart.

I closed the distance between us and kissed him first, for the first time.

A few moments later, we heard a knock on our dorm's front door: Sytra and Colves asking for permission to enter.

"Come in." Dixter said, with a note of sadness. I could see it in his frown, in the way he apologized with his eyes. He didn't want our little moment to end.

I found myself wishing the same. It was peaceful, it was pure. It was two soulmates' love.

And neither of us were eager to let it go.

Sy came in first, Colves right behind her. "Did you have a good chat?"

I was too busy staring at Braz to respond. We broke eye contact, and I realized I should reply. "Yes, yes." We stepped away, and turned towards the two.

Dixter seemed to browse through his different sides before selecting one: Embarrassing Best Friend.

He leaned onto the edge of the couch, with a hand on his chin. "So, are you two dating yet?"

Sytra went a little red. "N-No! We just.. sorted things out from last time. And.. uh.." She couldn't finish.

Colves smirked from behind her. "I asked her out again. And she said yes."

Sy was blushing less and less. It was a good thing, I guess. She spoke with such fire most of the time, it was easy for me to believe that she'd overcome her initial scarlet phases around Colves.

"Yes. And Butter Boy over here thought I'd fall for him after a second date." She jerked her head towards the boy in yellow and shrugged. "And now we're here."

"Excuse me, 'Butter Boy'?" Dix questioned with his head cocked to the side.

"Do you see this man's color?" She grabbed a fistful of his hoodie. "It's butter."

"It's pastel." Colves and I chided her at the same time. We made eye contact and chuckled.

I took a breath. "Well, it must be her obsession with food."

"Must be." Colves snickered as she let go of his top.

My stomach growled, and I laughed a little. "Guess I'm hungry."

Dixter nodded. "Me too."

"I'm always up for food." Sytra shrugged.

"How 'bout I make us all something?" Colves suggested, gesturing towards the kitchen.

I raised an eyebrow. "You cook?"

He nodded. "It's a hobby of mine." He beelined for the glass stovetop.

He glanced between all of us. "How do cinnamon rolls sound?"

"Yes!" Sytra exclaimed, jumping with excitement.

"Sounds good." I agreed. I couldn't help but smile. Dixter sat down at the island, and I took a seat next to him. Sytra sat down at the end to watch her almost-boyfriend cook.

"Do you want help?" I asked, wanting to contribute. I didn't like being served like a king when I had two working hands.

"Nah, I think I got it." He turned to smirk at us. "This is my turf now. Prepare to have your minds blown."

I nodded excitedly. Honestly, I was hoping to be impressed. I wanted to see if he bested the level 3 chefs. They were well-known, as Chief had gone the extra mile to find the best, most passionate cooks she could find.

Sy, Dix, and I were more fine arts. It would be interesting to have someone that was into culinary.

Sytra was more into eating said culinary.

"I have high expectations." I joked. "Don't let me down, Colves."

He grinned as he prepared to start. "Not a chance."

"Oh.. Um." His confidence disappeared. "Where's the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, butter, milk..?"

"I got you." Sytra got up and began helping him, pointing out where things were. "Baking materials are in a cabinet over here.."

The only reason our kitchen was this organized was because I had a say in it. Sytra and I liked to cook and bake on occasion, which is why we'd gotten materials for our dorm. We made pancakes at least once a week. It was a kind of tradition.

Watching Sy show Colves around the kitchen reminded me of the poison incident from earlier. If I told everyone about it now, they might not want to eat here. I also really didn't want to ruin Colves' chance at impressing us with his skills. What to do, what to do.

I couldn't just say Oh yeah, did I not tell you guys? I almost got poisoned the other night. Dixter would cause an uproar. It would backtrack on our progress with keeping his aggressive side under control.

Thankfully, an agent's mind is well tuned to tight situations. All I had to do was stick a poison detector in all the ingredients.

Fortunately, I happened to have one in my jacket. It was in one of its many, many secret pockets. It was lightweight, thin, and steel. It reminded me of my silver drawing pencil, only it was skinnier and made of metal, and had an entirely different purpose.

But how would I do it without them noticing?

"And our stovetop is fingerprint secured, so I can start it if you want?" Sytra asked Colves. He nodded and stood next to her. She gently pressed her thumb to the elegant surface, and the technology recognized it and lit up. Sy lifted her hand above the stovetop and a series of orange rings floated below her palm. They varied in size, from the largest at the bottom, the medium in the middle, and the smallest on top.

What if I pretended to get a spoon or something, and then.. Agh. There was no clear answer.

"Low heat, medium, high?" Sytra questioned, looking over at Colves.

"Low, please." He watched as she lowered her hand to the largest orange ring, which signified low heat. Once it was selected, the glass surface began to glow red with warmth.

What would be a good excuse? I couldn't think of anything.

"I've always loved B.L.A.D.E. technology." Colves commented. "Though I do wonder why kitchen appliances have to have fingerprint recognition."

B.L.A.D.E. technology.. I pondered my options. Oh! Sample mode! If I flicked a switch, the device would collect a series of samples, and then test them all at once. If it found poison, its little bar turned red. If all of the samples were clear, it turned green.

Perfect. I thought, bringing my mind back to their conversation. I'd have to wait for the right opportunity. Just gotta wait it out. Mask the fact that you're analysing their conversation like a researcher.

"I was just wondering that." Sy laughed a little. She backed up and stood by Dix and I. "Aight. Do your thing, Butter Boy."

"Yes, Misses Citrus."

"Um! Nuh-uh. My orange is neon!" Sytra exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. She scoffed. "Come up with something butter."

Colves froze and glanced at her over his shoulder. "DId you just make a pun about my color?"

Sy stifled a laugh. "C'mon, C. Can't I have a little fun?"

He only looked away thoughtfully after getting out a small pot. "Only if I can have fun back, Sy." He grabbed the brown sugar and cinnamon. "I'll think while I work."

Colves combined the two ingredients, along with some others, into the pot and began to stir. After he'd done that for a few minutes, he turned around to make the dough.

He looked over everything. "Oh shoot."

"What?" I asked. Hey, can I poke through your ingredients?

"You guys don't have a bread machine, do you?"

"..No?" Sytra said as a question. "Should I go borrow one from the level 3 kitchen?"

Oh, is Sy leaving? This might be my chance..

Colves kept checking the same three cabinets, as if opening them enough would make it appear. He was just showing us that he was thorough in his search, which was respectful. "Y.. Yeah. Go borrow one, please. I need it."

"Okay." Sy took the long way to the front door, passing by Colves. She ran her first and second fingers down his hoodied back, and enjoyed his reaction. He jerked his elbows up to his armpits and whipped around. His alarmed face was met by Sytra's laugh.

They had a staring contest for a second, their eyes locked. Sytra broke the playfully tense silence. "Oh, this'll be fun."

"What'll be fun?"

"Messing with you."

"Go get the dang bread machine."

"Yessir, commander Butter, sir." She fake saluted, turned on her heel, and walked straight out the door.

Once the door shut, I decided it was time to learn more about Colves. After a few moments, I struck up a conversation. How do I direct this to snooping through your cooking materials? "So. Do you have any other hobbies?"

"I have a garden."

Dix sat up straighter. "Woah, that's really cool. But I thought you needed the sun to grow plants?"

Colves and I rolled our eyes simultaneously. Wow. Such great knowledge.

"Well, normally you would. That's what they taught us when we were young. But I keep an artificially lit garden in my dorm. I bought the lights, built wooden rows, and ordered soil, and I put it all together. I grow fresh ingredients directly from my dorm." He smiled proudly. "I really like it."

I couldn't help but gush. "That's amazing, Colves! It's kinda sad that you can't have it in the sun."

Dix looked down and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "I can plant stuff underground too."

I stifled a laugh. Somebody's jealous.

"Yeah." Colves looked away, sincerely sad. "I wish we lived under the sun."

I sighed. "Same." I recalled every reason why. "Well, isn't it to protect ourselves from the normal citizens? To keep B.L.A.D.E. safe from the public?"

"Well, M.A.S.K. is nocturnal too." Dixter pointed out. "We have to fight them while they're active."

I nodded. "It'd be hard to raid the white agency's missions with pedestrians in the way. Let alone the messy legal stuff with hideouts, locations, and the bar. Little things like that." I knew of the reasons, but I didn't have to like them.

Another question was bothering me. "Colves, how did you know where our dorm was?"

"Oh." He looked down sheepishly. "Chief told me. She said to quote, 'crash the party.'" He made air quotes.

I laughed. "That's Chief for ya."

Dix added to the conversation. "She's been kinda nosy lately."

"Yeah.. It's getting annoying." Her constant surveillance was borderline stalking. It was getting on our nerves.

"I think it's just her wanting to be involved, without being in the room. Or she's just abusing her intercom." I shrugged, not knowing which. It's funny and inconsiderate at the same time.

"Anyways, sorry, Colves." The poison detector temporarily left my mind. I'd figure it out at some point. I looked back towards him, folding my hands in an interested manner. "So you garden, cook..?"

He nodded. "Those are my main two.. I perfect my skills by cooking for my dorm mates."

"Oh yeah?" I asked. "How many do you live with?" When Chief accepts new agents, they get to choose how many people they want to live with, then she assigns them to a dorm. Otherwise, if they were taken in at a young age, she just assigns them randomly. It was custom.

"Two other boys. They love my food, but they'll eat anything."

The corner of my mouth curved up. "Boys will be boys."

He laughed. "Yeah. Krisler's pretty honest though, he'll help me tweak my recipes."

"What are their colors?" I questioned. It was polite and standard to ask what another agent's color was, the same as getting their name or asking about their pastimes.

"He's blue flame, and my other roommates' is clownfish orange."

Braz snickered. "Well. Those are unique."

Colves chuckled back. "Yep. Their colors match them really well."

Before we could further comment, Sytra burst through the front door lugging a heavy steel

contraption. "I.." She breathed heavily. "I got 'yo bread mixer." She spoke with black slang, which always became more prominent when she was under strain.

Dix got up and rushed to her aid. He sprinted to her side and got the complex-looking hunk of metal from her. His arms barely seemed to flex as he held it.

"Such a gentleman." I smiled at my boyfriend. He smiled back before closing the door with his foot. He made being strong look so effortless.

An annoying voice in my head decided to speak up. You know what else needs to be effortless? You test the ingredients for poison before Colves combines them. I mentally rolled my eyes. Or, God forbid, puts them away.

Okay, sure, but how do I convince them I'm not doing anything? Then an idea finally came to me.

"Hey, guys. I heard a rumor that there was a sickness going around. Can I check the ingredients real quick before you mix them all?"

"Sure." Colves crossed his arms and stood to the side. "Have at it."

Yes. I mentally pumped my arm.

I got up and flicked on sample mode, careful to keep the slim metal object out of view. As I quickly grabbed a little bit of everything, Dix and Sy came back over. Sy sat back down while Braz sat the machine down.

Brown sugar, flour, milk, salt, come on, come on.. I urged myself to be quick and not draw attention. Once a bit of the last ingredient was safely stored in my poison detector, I sat back down. I thumbed the end to tell it to run the tests. Now I had to sneak glances to see what it got.

Colves smiled at the bread machine ike it was the last missing piece to a three thousand piece puzzle."Perfect. I'll start the dough.."

I looked down. TELL ME. Before he starts making dough!

Sure enough, the detector had come up with the result:

A perfect green.

I gave a sigh of relief. So everyone's safe. Everything will be alright.

I turned my attention back to Colves, who started moving in the nick of time. He preheated the oven, selecting the right temperature. Then he got to work making the bready part of the rolls. He mixed flour, water, salt, and some other things to make the dough. Then he set it in the machine to knead.

Something occurred to me. But why would they just poison the cereal? It's kind of an odd thing to do it to. I thought through the logic. Unless they knew that it was the most likely to get eaten, because it was such a simply prepared food.

Maybe the poison could only be applied to certain foods? I knew there were specific toxins that

were more deadly. I guess that option would have made sense.

Or they knew that I liked cereal.

While the machine ran, Colves checked his cinnamon mix. He started stirring again, then he spoke. "Sy, did they give you any trouble?"

"No. They were just a little confused as to why a frizzy orange girl needed a bread machine at 10 a.m."

We gave a chorus of laughs. I noticed just how late it was. 10 a.m. is really pushing it. I bet the day-strollers have already had at least three meetings.

"Well." I yawned, suddenly aware of how fatigued I was. I decided I'd go for a cutesy voice, just like Dix had done earlier. "I'm vewy tiwred. Awr deese cinnamon wolls gonna be dwone swoon?"

Sytra clicked her tongue. "Aw, cute Feckter is back." I was known to have several voices and accents; I was good at them because of my finely-tuned singing. I was a master of my voice.

"Nah." Dixter looked at me with adoration, leaning on an elbow. "She's always cute."

Heat choked me, and I scrambled to think of a flirty comeback. "So are you."

LAME. My brain screamed. Sowwy. I told it, still using the voice.

Colves looked up from sprinkling flour on the counter to give us a quizzical look. "Is he always this flirty?"

"Naw, only when he's in Romantic Hottie mode." It was Sytra's immediate response. She looked over at me. "Ain't that right?"

I nodded wholeheartedly. "He picks this side of him and won't stop making moves." I gave him a soft look. "It's adorable."

For the first time while he was in his flirty mode, Dix didn't have anything to say. Other than look a tad red.

Ding! The steel contraption made a chime similar to the elevator's. "Excellent." Colves rubbed his hands together like a mad scientist.

He took out the dough and shut the machine off. "This is what the flour was for. I roll it out." He explained. Colves grabbed the rolling pin he'd set out and began making the dough ball into a sheet. He then collected the brown sugar mixture and spread it over the dough slab.

He rolled up the dough like a tortilla. "Sytra, I might need you to return the machine."

She only smiled with a glint in her eye. "No, they said we could keep it in case we needed it again." B.L.A.D.E.'s kitchen was thoroughly stocked and well financed.

"Ooh!" I exclaimed. "So, theoretically, we could make these more often?"

"Well, you gotta try 'em first." Colves smirked. By now, the slab was more of a swirl tube. "Then, if you like them, definitely."

"I have no doubt I'll like them." I reassured him.

"Me neither!" Sytra added.

"Sure. Same." Dix seemed bored. Or just hungry. His eyes followed Colves' hands as he severed the dough-and-cinnamon tube into their normal shape. Once he was done, he set them swirl side up on a sprayed baking pan. He swung open the preheated oven door and he set the pan in to bake.

He straightened out with a sigh of satisfaction. "Now. The vanilla icing." He gathered ingredients and set them down. Milk, sugar, vanilla extract, baking something.. I lost track.

"So when the cinnamon rolls are done, we can pour the icing over top of it." He smiled like a proud dad.

"Colves, you're killin' me." Sy groaned. "It sounds so good."

"I have a feeling you'll like it." Colves gave her a smile that was unique, one that I'd never seen on anyone else's face. It was soft, and I had a feeling that their friendship would grow to something more.

Especially with Sy's crush on him.

With our dorm's technology, our ovens baked a little differently. The heating surrounded the racks on all sides, excluding the oven door. This meant that cooking took less time and energy.

This fact was a lifesaver, because as soon as the heavenly scent of baking cinnamon rolls wafted through the kitchen, our stomachs practically growled in sync.

When the timer went off, when Colves pulled the pan out of the oven, when he slowly poured the vanilla icing over the warm cinnamon rolls, when he finally gave us our plates of deliciousness, that's when we relaxed.

The taste.. It was like nothing I'd ever had before. Better than our pancakes. Better than level 3.

The bread had a crispy golden brown edge, the frosting melted in drips down the sides. The cinnamon mixture on the inside was spiced to perfection, the gooey center almost made me melt. I found myself scraping for more frosting, cutting another piece of the sugary roll.

"Colves.. This.. This is divine." I managed, taking another bite.

Sytra fake fainted while Dix just sat in shock, eyes unmoving. Very characteristic of the two of them.

"Heaven!" Sy exclaimed as she sat up again. "I'm officially in heaven, Colves, hello, you must be the director of cinnamon blessings?"

He nodded, completely serious. His eyes held an amused glint. "I am."

"Perfect. I need someone in my life that can cook as good as this." She scarfed down another bite.

Colves' expression was alarm, embarrassment, and pride. His smile couldn't pick one.

Dix finally snapped out of it. "These are really good, Colves."

"Amazing." I agreed, nodding at him.

"These are just.." Sy started, then kissed her fingertips and spread out her hand, like a French chef.

"Thank you, thank you." Colves' sparkling gray eyes shone with confidence.

His shining moment was cut short by a massive yawn from Sytra. "Okay, Butter Boy. You've made us your rolls, now it's beddy bye time." She joked.

He gave a small nod. "Yeah, I'm getting tired anyways." He spun around to face the stovetop, then began collecting dishes.

"Oh, no." I said, stopping him. "You cook, we clean. Go get some rest, Colves. We got this."

"But I–"

"No buts!" Sy jumped in.

"Yeah. We'll do it. Thanks, man." Dixter man-patted him on the shoulder as he walked past.

"Okay.. If you all are sure. I'll catch you later, then?"

"Yes." Sy said, her head turned down. She looked uncomfortable, like she was having a debate in her mind.

"Do it." I whispered encouragingly to her. "Whatever it is you're thinking of. Do it before he leaves."

She nodded with new determination, her mouth set in a firm line. She went up to Colves with so much confidence, it was like all she needed was that push.

She looked him square in the eye, then went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"Uh.." He couldn't find words. "They were just cinnamon rolls." He laughed nervously, his cheeks rosening.

"Nah." She smirked. "Thank you for buttering me up enough to do that."

Her confidence. She spoke with him a bit more, probably just specifics about their next date. Where do they sell that? I want some.

She waved Colves goodbye, and shut the door behind him.

"Okay." Sytra sighed. "You two. Either I tell Dix to get lost or I go to bed."

"Well," Dix started. "I don't wanna deal with Morning Sytra tomorrow, and I'm not a huge fan of getting lost."

He eyed me. "Especially not when certain soulmates are around."

"Dix!" I laughed sharply, quickly getting pink. "Night, Sy."

"Later, lovebirds." She went over to her room's door, then paused. "Dix, I'm grounding you from Feckter if you so much as think of stayi–"

"Sy, Sy, relax." He put his hands up. "I wouldn't dream of it."

She nodded, satisfied with his response. She seemed.. proud of him. "Good. Night, you two."

"Night." We said at the same time. The sound of Sy's door closing echoed throughout the space. Her fire left the room again, and it was just the two of us.

"Wanna give me a hand?" I asked Braz, gesturing to the messy kitchen.

He glanced at everything, then nodded with no further hesitation. "Sure."

Together, we got to work. I started by gathering mixing bowls and stirring spoons and handing them to Dix. Then I put ingredients away while he put things in the sink.

"What do you think of Colves?" I questioned, eying the cabinet for an open spot to put the baking soda.

He paused for a moment. "He seems pretty cool. I think him and Sy would go well together. He cooks, she eats." He chuckled.

I snickered as I put the flour away. "Yeah. They're made for each other." Well, that was my hunch. And my gut was scarcely wrong.

"And for the record, I could totally make a garden underground. No sweat." He gave me a goofy grin.

The semi-awkward atmosphere disappeared. "I bet you could." I walked over to him to help with the dishes, now that everything was put away. I opened the stainless steel dishwasher and began loading. "And for the record, you and Colves don't even compare."

He faced me, looking at me intently. "You really think that?"

I smiled sincerely. "Yes."

He gave me a loving smile. "You drop compliments like that no problem. You convert a M.A.S.K. agent to the black side. You save my life multiple times in the span of two days. You jump off of a massive skyscraper. And you manage to come home and hang out with your friends."

Braz shook his head in amazement. "You're an incredible girlfriend, Feckter."

I smiled, blushing harder. But I had a response. "You flirt with me constantly. You break your arm on a mission with me. You meet your soulmate. You heal my leg. You kill a bunch of M.A.S.K. agents in an illegal gun production. You snuck a gun into my jacket pocket, which happens to save the day. And you come home and make time for your friends."

I looked him in the eye. "You're an incredible boyfriend, Dix. I wouldn't want anyone else."

But his face told me he didn't believe it. "I blew up today. I messed up on the shortblade operation. I've killed people."

He looked away like an ashamed puppy. "I.. I don't deserve your love."

I rushed forward and hugged him with as much fierce love as I could. "You deserve more love than I could ever give."

He brought a hand up and rubbed my back. "I don't know about that."

I sighed and leaned back so I could meet his eyes. "What would help me persuade you that you deserve love?"

He turned towards the dishes and began to wash them, thinking as he went. "Well." He moved a dishwashing scrubber across a bowl. "You could always kiss me."

He said it so casually, like it was infinitely normal. Like I could always breathe.

He doesn't need me that much, does he? My eyes followed his hands as he finished washing a bowl and set it out to dry. As badly as oxygen?

Then I thought back. To how his Mr. Explosives side disappeared, how he always wanted my love whenever he saw me, when he apologized to Sy about his outburst earlier.

"You.. need me, don't you?" I asked him tenderly.

He could only nod, dropping the sponge. "I need you so badly." He wiped his hands on his pants to dry them. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

He looked up at me, and I could see that his red-tinted dark eyes were glistening. They held so many colors, so much depth. They were complex, swirling with multiple dark shades, overlaid with a red hue. "I.. I love you."

He wrapped his arms around me and broke down into heaves. In that moment, there were no sides. There were no past mistakes, no earlier outbursts, no secrets. There was no distance, no broken friendships. There was no time when he left the trio.

It was just our loyalty, when we grew strong together. Our missions, when we saved each other's lives. That moment in Color Central, and when we later found out we were soulmates, bound by the Colored customs. When we discovered that our colors could heal each other. When we woke up on level 4 together. When we first kissed.

I whispered into his ear. "I love you too."

After our moment, we finished loading and washing the dishes. I cleaned the countertop, and the kitchen was sparkling once again.

"I'm about to drop." I said, fake stumbling to prove a point.

"Okay. You should rest." He caught up to me and grabbed my shoulder, turning so that I'd face him. "I want you well-rested, Grace. I'll meet up with you for breakfast tomorrow, alright?"

I nodded sleepily. "Dix, wait. Before you go."

I gazed away from him. Away from his face. I didn't want to see his immediate reaction. "Why do you need me so badly?"

He gave me a tender look, which made me flick my eyes back to him. "Having a lover, having a soulmate. It means stability, and I haven't had a ton of that in my life. And.. to be honest, I've had feelings for you for a while, I just didn't want to lose you if you rejected me."

"I felt the same. " I touched the side of his face. "You're so brave."

"Eh." Braz shrugged. "If you say so."

I only smiled. "You can ask for love whenever you need it, just not before missions. I want to stay focused."

He nodded, excited at the thought. A smile crept onto his face, and his Excited Child side came back. I could practically read his mind right now: SHE JUST SAID I CAN ASK WHENEVER OH MY GOD DOES THIS MEAN UNLIMITED KIS–

"I really need to sleep." I fake collapsed, but he caught me.

"Easy there." He brought his face close to mine as he got me back on my feet. "Can I ask for love now?"

"Kisses?" I smirked.

He nodded slightly, and I indulged him. His kiss, it was always so soft, like he wanted to enjoy it. He never wanted to rush our soulmate's love.

"Goodnight, Lover Boy." I grinned, a little red. A thought ran through my mind. "Now I know why you want love, so I can call you that more accurately."

"Shh, sh. So many words. Go to sleep." He waved me off, clearly wanting me to rest.

"Okay, okay. Night, Dix."

"Nice, Grace." I closed the door gently behind him.

In my room, I gathered my clothes and headed to the bathroom. About ten minutes later, I emerged fully ready for bed in comfy clothes. I turned on the fan and got into bed, and I fell asleep thinking about the boy of my dreams.

He wasn't perfect, and he wasn't his best, but he was mine. Braz Dixtet was my soulmate, and I'd do anything to love him the way he deserves.

I'd do anything for him, period.