The One

NINETEEN

Agnus almost fell out of his bath while Morten stumbled into his room.

"How have you been talking to four!" He barked at an Agnus,
who was fully naked with one leg in and another out of his bathtub.

"Good evening to you too.." sighed Agnus.

Morten got distracted for a moment.
He knew he himself looked like he had gone through a blender.
But Agnus was basically one gigantic bruise.

"Agnus, we've got.. I have to talk to four.
How.."

It was lucky Agnus had just lifted his pants over his wet arse as four and a struggling five appeared behind Morten.

"See! He's not naked!" Four said.

Five lowered her hand which she had been using to cover her eyes.
He was indeed not nude anymore as Agnus pulled the cords of his crotch shut.
But he was a big, wet, bruised and annoyed as fuck looking man.

Five seemed to agree with that notion and squeaked,
being held in place by four who started talking so fast Morten couldn't make out what she was saying.

Agnus shut her up though,
by coming at them in a few strides which actually made her realize the big sopping wet man was really big.

Five had gone rigid, but Agnus kneeled with the sound of soaked pants and spoke to her in a calm voice.
"Aya, are you okay?"

At this four let go of five and turned her way looking insulted,
"he knows your name?!" She barked.

Five looked shocked and frightened.
Agnus grumbled, sounding like a growling bear.

"Why was my bath time disturbed?" He said, in a deep voice slightly angling towards four.
But he wasn't breaking eye contact with five.

Morten blinked at Agnus, was this.. cute?

"You!" Barked four, turning towards Morten.
"You need to learn when to shut up!"

Morten threw his hands up, "Oh yes, of course it's all me now!?"

"Yes it is!" She came at him now.

She poked him in the chest several times,
"The enemy is already within the gates? Like an idiot in a room full of guards?!"

Morten rolled his eyes, "Sorry, I was under the assumption we were safe!"

"You are never safe here! Not until... until... just never!" She snapped,
her cheeks red and her eyebrows going from anger to panic.

Morten had a slight jolt of panic himself over her expression change,
" is it true though?"

She slapped him in the chest,
"of course it is!"

She turned, cupping her face in her hands, did a few circles seemingly screaming into her hands then turned lifting her face.

" The concept of this wasn't to, it was developed by some very enthusiastic peace and love councilors, but everyone in the higher council who didn't view this as a stupid concept basically saw it as an opportunity to get to us. " She said,
snapping the words and gesturing at Five.
" We are sitting ducks how they've done this. "

Yes, yes they were.
He got distracted by Agnus though, who had stood up but was cradling five against him.

"Can we stop this? Can we just get things over with?" Morten started.

Four looked at him for a moment, wanted to speak but Agnus spoke first.
"We can't force the others, besides... the moment shit gets real there's a massive chance they will act." He shook his head,
"If they are pressured into moving quickly? They may actually do stupid things. "

He was right,
Morten was pretty sure they could get Kur on board and the Ashes seem good guys.
They'd be onboard with explanation.
But if they weren't? If someone got wind of this? Chances of that were huge.

"Look" four said, "We act normal, play our parts and you, we, should be fine!"

Morten could see Agnus looking doubtful from the corner of his eye.
He shared the opinion.
Had they really thought 3 years had been enough.

Morten rubbed his face in frustration," Why did you even Agree to this!? "

Four rolled her eyes,
" I wonder that now.
But back when they were discussing this I think we agreed it would be nice.. "

She gestured towards Agnus, holding Five against him.
" This is just our everyday lives. It would be nice to have someone that's not in the politics part of it or on your side. A person you can talk to, that offers safety and a constant in our lives. Someone... for you." She lost power, conviction, halfway and sighed.
Her face looked exhausted.

Morten realized that she was the one that got stuck with him.
Agnus was exactly what she had proposed, probably imagined and more, Kur simply seemed absolutely smitten with the girl that gave him the freedom band, Teddy was a sweet boy and the Ashes were both great choices as far as Morten could see.

But she was stuck with either an arrogant prick, or him.
He cursed to himself, really need to take your head out of your arse.

"I'm sorry. " He said suddenly.
Four raised her eyebrows at him unevenly, pursing her lips sideways.

" I'm sorry, I was stupid. " He went on.

" Thank you. " She said simply.

Then inhaled, " have you seen the pup? " She said.

Morten spluttered, " What? "
Were they changing topics?

"It's the line I will use when things are not okay, okay?"

Morten blinked.
It was smart.
Not only was it immediately a topic to break off conversation, it sounded like a cut off a lady would make if she didn't like the topic being discussed.

" Can I use it too?" He asked.

She put up a thoughtful expression, squinting her eyes and biting her lip.
" Ask about the pup instead?" She offered.

He nodded.

"Well!" She barked in cheery way,
"time to go! Before these actually do get married!" She said gesturing at Agnus and five.

Morten hadn't payed attention to them for a moment, it wasn't like they were kissing but they were having their own whispered conversation.

He didn't know Agnus could look cute, but here they were.

~

" I suspect they climb the balcony somehow. " Said Agnus in a flat voice while Morten tried to see where they went through the door.

" You never watched her leave? " Morten asked, turning around at him.

Agnus shook his head, " she seems to like it this way and I accept that. "

" So she, she was just in your room one day? "

Agnus nodded

" Telling you all the trial secrets?"

Agnus nodded
Then sighed, " not exactly but yes?"

Morten squinted suspiciously at him.
" The day you said you were in?"

Agnus nodded again.
"Yes, we made a deal... "

Morten plopped down on a chair in the bathroom.
" At least she got to choose, Four just got stuck with me, stupidity incarnate! "
He growled.

" Don't beat yourself up over it. " Agnus said in a slightly cheery voice, seemingly amused by Morten's situation.
" What ever is going on, I don't think we have a lot of influence on it until it happens. "

Morten nodded, "That's what's worrying me."

"Yes, let's hope they will hurry up and get this done." said Agnus, actually looking worried.