(Book One of the ❝Stories and Legends of the Apex Predators❞ Series)
Mirage, the self-proclaimed jokester of the legends, has some serious thinking to do. After a love confession from Wraith ends with heartbreak on her end, Mirage begins to question...
NOW PLAYING... TIME TO SAY GOODBYE by JEFF WILLIAMS, CASEY LEE WILLAMS
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Crypto felt his eyes open and immediately knew that he had lost. The first thing he saw--a surprise at the moment but to be expected--was his boyfriend, Mirage, looming over him with teary eyes.
"God, Elliott, what the hell?" he grumbled, pushing him down and standing up. "You see me die every day! Ibeon-eneun mwoga geuleohge daleuji?"
Mirage sat up. "Well, it's different when it's my boyfriend dying!"
Crypto rolled his eyes. "Always with the dramatics, Witt." He extended his arm out to him. Once Mirage had taken it, he kissed him on the cheek. "You wouldn't be yourself without it." Mirage's face turned red, causing Crypto to chuckle. "C'mon, dork, let's head to your bar."
ψ
Crypto pulled his lips away from Mirage's, his hand delicately placed on his boyfriend's chest. Mirage, his eyes not leaving Crypto, motioned over his decoy to approach the bar, then snapped his fingers wanting refills on their drinks.
The decoy did just that, pouring two shots with a wink afterward. The lovers clinked them together, before downing the alcohol. Once more, they leaned in towards one another, only for the empty bar's doors to swing open. Tipsy, Crypto almost fell off the bar stool he sat upon.
"'Sup?" Rampart greeted, waltzing in. "Ah, you ditched garbage duty to exchange saliva with drone-nerd here?"
"Why are you here, Ramya?" Mirage questioned, removing his hands from Crypto's lap and focusing on his roommate.
"'Cause I wanted to gag at the sight of such a cute couple," she responded sarcastically. "I have a plan to win my next match tomorrow if you're interested, but if you'd rather suck each other's faces off, be my guest."
"What's the catch?"
"The catch is it's ranked. I've been talking with Tressa and her magic poker cards or whateva said something I would achieve a great victory if I push myself a little more. This is how I interpret that."
"Well?" Mirage looked at Crypto.
Crypto's eyes darted to Rampart, then back at Mirage. "I don't mind. I think we can do it."
"Alright, Ramya, we'll join you." Mirage extended his arm towards her, and just as she was about to shake his hand, he pulled it back. "We'll help you with your plan... if you agree to be on garbage duty for four months."
"That's like... 20 days of actually having to do work. Very well, Witt, you got a deal." The friends shook on it. "Well, I best be off to fix Sheila. Remember to wear protection and all that, ya? Alavida." She walked out, followed by her laugh.
"Do you think we're making the right choice? I mean, I-I'm not afraid or anything but what if--"
"If we die, we die. If we win, we win. That's all there is to it."
"Ramya will--"
"--Will be mad, sure, but you live together. She'll get over it eventually. I get the fear of thinking you might lose your best friend, but I can promise you won't."
"Ranked freaks me out... but you're right," Mirage sighed, as Crypto put his hands on his cheek. Mirage out his over Crypto's, leaning into his touch and delicately kissing Crypto's thumb. "Your hands are cold..." Mirage chuckled softly.
Crypto smiled. "It's because you served us beer fresh out of the cooler." They leaned in, foreheads touching and not saying a word. They just enjoyed one another's company, not even noticing the decoy had disappeared.
"I wish we could stay like this forever..."
"Me too, but life has other plans."
Mirage snickered. "I do too. For tonight, at least."
Crypto raised a brow. "Oh? Geuge mwonde?"
ψ
Mirage's room was dark, with only the natural light from the night sky shining in through the window. Crypto and Mirage lay in the bed, Crypto laying against Mirage's face. His eyes were closed, and thus unable to see Mirage's flustered face. His breathing slowed down to not disturb his sleeping boyfriend, Mirage's hand shakily moved to the top of Crypto's head. His fingers smoothly glided through his well-kept hair.
I need to change out of these clothes, there's blood on them, Mirage thought, his digits still intertwined with black hair. Same with Hyeon, but I don't want to wake him up. He's so gorgeous, just laying here.
Mirage yawned. At least he had taken off his tech before laying down. He soon felt his own eyes close and his hand moved to wrap around Crypto's waist. Mirage laid his face against the back of his head, kissing him softly before finally drifting off to sleep.
ψ
It wasn't long before Ramya returned from presumably her shop as the blood stains on her clothes were replaced with oil. "Yo, Witt? You home yet or nah?"
She noticed his decoy tech laying on a table nearby and his bedroom door slightly open. Curiously, she opened the door. "What, you drunk and lazy or somethin'? Get your shit off the ta--"
She stopped when she saw him asleep with Crypto. She snickered before closing the door. "Enjoy this peace now, you're gonna need it before the match."
