A Heist In Space With Markiplier ONE SHOTS

3+1 - 1. Let's not repeat the past (Illinois)

(Part 1 of Three almost kisses and one time you actually kissed)

When Illinois proudly announced that the two of you would be attending an auction again, flashbacks from last time hit you like a tsunami.
Luckily for you, you were informed of his plans two weeks in advance and not hours in advance like last time, giving you plenty of time to prepare.

The first thing you did was insist that you wear your outfit from last time and he didn't have to buy you a new one. You accidentally found out how much he paid for it, which nearly gave you a heart attack. The only reason you still had Illinois argued that it was a birthday present and you didn't want to be rude. And yes, you even kept the overpriced ring that could be an ancient relic.
The second was to find out more information about the auction.
This time it was about a deceased collector whose collection is being liquidated so that the family can pay off the mountain of debt that the deceased had left them. It looks like you might even find it this time as the deceased specialized in ancient artifacts and judging by the thumbnails were the kind of artifacts you're after.

The sight of Illinois in a suit was something you could never get used to. It was just wrong. But it allowed you to tie his bow tie, which in turn gave you an excuse to get close to him.
"Let's go over the rules again," you said as you straightened the bow tie. "Why are we going to the auction?"
Illinois sighed. "To find potential pieces for my collection."
"What don't we do?"
"Do not purchase artifacts of unknown and/or questionable origin."
"And?"
"And don't give my partner any gifts that cost me more than fifty dollars."
The fifty dollars was still a compromise. You wanted to go lower than ten bucks, after all, he was still your boss and after all, he was obligated to pay you and he paid you well above average, which is why you didn't see the point of expensive gifts. But he insisted that there should be at least fifty. He referred to this as a bonus for excellent work performance.

A look out of the window told you that the limousine had already arrived and was now waiting for you.
You went to grab your coat, but Illinois grabbed your arm. You looked at him in surprise.
"After the auction...would you like to go out for dinner afterward? It doesn't have to be expensive! We can also just make a detour to McDonald's and get something there."
A gentle smile graced your face. Illinois was always so cute when he was shy. This was a side of him that only you got to see.
"I'd love to have dinner with you."
You stood in absolute silence for a moment, looking at each other before Illinois slowly walked towards you and leaned towards you. You closed your eyes in anticipation but your lips didn't touch. Instead, you were startled by loud impatient horns.
"The limo is waiting," you said, heart racing, and grabbed your coat.
"Yeah, we should go now," he agreed, running his fingers through his hair.

In the end, the auction was canceled because two idiots broke in and took a large part of the collection. Instead, you spent the night in the parking lot behind a McDonald's watching the stars while sharing a helping of chicken nuggets.