the rules of academic (dis)honesty - Chapter 4 - lariyats - 崩坏：星穹铁道 (2024)

Chapter Text

On the whole, life was starting to be on the up and up for Aventurine.

After coming back from Penacony with nothing more than a light slap on the wrist (he got a demotion and he’s on a probation to see if he deserves a replacement Cornerstone) for the, frankly, f*cking audacious gamble he made with his life and his Cornerstone (he nearly f*cked off into the void of Nihility and died), he also managed to score some well earned time (he isn’t sure if it counts as suspension or medical leave) off. Time well spent with one Doctor Veritas Ratio, aka his new boyfriend, aka the man who was now lovingly rearranging his guts on a regular basis (not that he wasn’t before, but the lovingly part was definitely new, as was the regular part).

Oh, and he was still alive too, which was probably good.

In all honesty, he really did think that he was going to die when he was sent to Penacony. For what it was worth, he almost did. The life and times of Kakavasha “Aventurine” of the Avgins, all thirty something miserable years of them, didn’t amount to even a blip in the grand, cosmic scheme of things. His sad tale would fade into dust and blow away into the stellar winds, and that was perfectly fine with him.

After talking with the Emanator of Nihility and his child self, he had bid them farewell and walked into the void, following the path of the dark river that flowed on endlessly from some point of the far horizon. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for entirely — it wasn’t as if the Primordial Dreamscape just had a door he could go through. If that was the case, he wouldn’t have had to go through all this mess in the first place. Maybe the last question he should have asked that Emanator before she left was for her to give him a map to this place. Seriously, was there anything here other than darkness?!

He wasn’t sure for how long he had been walking around in the darkness, but eventually, he must have passed out, because when he came to, it was in another man’s bed.

Not entirely unfamiliar, but the fact that he still had all his clothes on and that there was a noted lack of dried bodily fluids on him was a nice surprise. His head still hurt like a bitch though. Wasn’t being in a dream supposed to mean you couldn’t get hangovers, or at the very least, headaches?

He’d had his mind invaded by that feathered Harmony freak, forced to confront some of his worst childhood traumas and insecurities, slashed to oblivion by an Emanator, and now, he had a headache. Just great. He’s definitely leaving a zero star review for Penacony after this. Whoever said it was a premium vacation spot was a big fat liar.

“Ah, my good sir, you have awoken?”

What followed was possibly one of the most confusing sequences of events in his life.

According to that red haired Knight of Beauty who had found him, Aventurine had been face down floating along a river of Nihility water, and being the compassionate and righteous spirit that he was, had very kindly picked him up out of it and taken him back to his ship to recover.

He did not explain how he had ended up in that space that Aventurine had literally died to get to, nor did he explain how he had gotten out. Aventurine did not ask him. Some things in this world were better left unknown.

The Knight of Beauty had dropped him off in some dingy, off brand version of what looked like the Golden Hour before leaving. He had apologised profusely to Aventurine that he could not stay to oversee his recovery, but gave him his number and asked him to send a message when he was back to relative health, or safety. One of the two.

In any case, he had picked himself up, dusted himself off as he always did whenever things went horrifically lucky in his life, and proceeded to deal with the events in the only way he knew how.

He went to the nearest local bar, and got absolutely sh*tfaced.

What had happened after that was much more blurry. The bartender probably cut him off eventually, and by the time he had woken up, dazed and disoriented, but more of the hangover kind, he had found that he had more or less missed all the action, including but not limited to the crew of the Astral Express driving a manifestation of their beloved train right into Sunday-the-Harmony-freak’s face. Apparently the man’s own sister had been there too, just to spit in his SoulGlad a little more. Damn. What he wouldn’t give to have seen that with his own eyes.

Still, as much as he would have liked to stick around longer in that place, which, as he eventually found out, was called Dreamflux Reef, and a part of the Primordial Dreamscape, there were matters that demanded his attention in the real world. Even if he had rather recently acquired a will to live, he was pretty sure dreams only counted as the trial version, and not the real thing.

And so, Aventurine woke up dazed and disoriented once again, half submerged in the glowing water of the Reverie hotel’s Dreampools.

The first thing that he was aware of was that hangovers acquired in the Dreamscape did not carry over to reality, which was probably the only good thing to happen to him in the very sh*t day he was currently having in his very sh*t life.

The second thing that he was aware of was someone holding his hand.

He had cracked his eyes open, and was met with the very shocked face of one Doctor Veritas Ratio, clinging onto his hand for dear life.

“Oh, Ratio, you’re still here? I honestly thought you’d be gone by… now…” He croaked out.

He had expected Ratio to respond in that snappish way of his whenever he found one of Aventurine’s quips a little too annoying, but instead, the man was silent. Actually, he hadn’t expected anyone to be there at all, least of all Ratio. In the expected event that he was to die in the Dreamscape, he had even left a generous tip as an apology-slash-therapy payment for the inevitable Reverie hotel staff member that would find his body and be traumatised from it, because the rest of Strategic Investments sure as hell wouldn’t care.

f*ck. This day could not get any weirder. Why wasn’t Ratio saying anything?

Oh right.

“Hah… I gotta thank you doc. I got your note you know… what was it again? Do stay alive? I wish you the best of luck? Something like that right?” Aventurine lied. Of course he wasn’t going to forget what that note said. It was just a shame that that note was stuck in the Dreamscape with no way of being transferred to the real world.

Ratio was still silent.

“Uh… Doc?”

And then, Ratio kissed him.

When he was young, some other Avgin who had been travelling for days at a time were sometimes unfortunate enough to not encounter any water at all. This had not been an issue for him and his sister, who had always managed to find some when they needed it most. It was part of his blessing, perhaps. But whenever he had seen those other Avgin, or when the two of them had run into them and shared their waterskins with them, they would always drink like their lives depended on it—because they did.

Ratio kissed him like he was dying of thirst, and the only thing that could bring him back to life was Aventurine’s lips.

Aventurine’s mind blanked out completely.

He knew what Ratio’s kisses felt like, and they were not ever like—

This.

Even if it was on instinct, he kissed back. Ratio’s hands slid up his arms to tangle in Aventurine’s hair, pulling him closer, and in the time it took for him to let out an inadvertent moan, Ratio had taken that as an opportunity to deepen the kiss further, slipping his tongue into Aventurine’s mouth.

What happened next was a lot more of a blur, but Aventurine didn’t think he could be blamed for forgetting. For one, he had just died and come back to life, gotten blackout drunk, and then woken up to have the man who he might be coming to realise he loved kiss him back into reality like he was living some kind of fairy tale. A sh*tty one, of course, because things like these just didn’t happen—

At least, that’s what he thought.

At some point, Ratio had lifted him from the Dreampool and carried him to the bed. At some point, their clothes had ended up on the ground. At some point, a bottle of lube was opened, and—yup, that was definitely Ratio’s fingers opening him up while his other hand was fisted around Aventurine’s co*ck. That was a feeling he couldn’t forget no matter how hard he tried.

“Uh, doc, you know… I’m starting to get the feeling—ngh! T-that you don’t actually hate me,” Aventurine had said, like Ratio wasn’t balls deep in him with his co*ck so far up his ass that he almost swore he felt it in the back of his throat.

“Is that so,” Ratio had said, like he hadn’t spent the last twenty minutes kissing Aventurine so hard that he almost died and returned to the void of Nihility again, and then the last ten minutes after that bringing Aventurine to completion on his fingers before replacing them with something much bigger. What the f*ck. Was he sure he still wasn’t dreaming? Since when did the good doctor kiss like that?

Ratio had leaned down, and when his breath had ghosted over the shell of his ear, Aventurine had shivered, even though he felt like he was burning hotter than a sun. “It seems I shall have to try harder.” That had been punctuated by a forceful thrust that had nailed him right on the prostate and had ripped a loud moan from Aventurine’s lips.

“After all, my dear gambler, if you have the time to think still, then I must make myself clearer.”

And with that, Ratio proceeded to make himself very clear. So clear, in fact, that by the end of it all, Aventurine was too f*cked out to even remember where he had been going with his initial statement.

So yeah. The reunion sex was great. Really great. Easily in the top three of all f*cks he’s had, though considering the absolute sh*tfest of all of the ones in the past that didn’t involve Ratio, the bar was pathetically low.

Damn. He really needed to raise his standards, didn’t he?

Dealing with that Galaxy Ranger and the Masked Fool afterwards was… considerably less great, but with it resolving itself fairly neatly and with the knowledge that someone else out there despised Oswaldo Schneider as much as he did, that was enough for him to bid Penacony a (not so) fond farewell and enjoy his well earned vacation time.

His vacation time… and his…. boyfriend?

They had talked about it, more or less, on the ship back to Pier Point. Aventurine wasn’t so sure he could say they literally talked—a lot of crying had been involved, and it wasn’t the sexy kind either. But Ratio had held him through it all, wiped away the tears on his face as tenderly as he did dust on his stone bust, and kissed him gently. Like Aventurine was fragile. Like he could break at the lightest touch.

And Aventurine…let himself break.

Broken bones healed wrong needed to be rebroken for them to heal properly.

Aventurine let himself break apart in Ratio’s arms, and let the man put him back together— surgically, precisely, and with so much care it could overflow.

And somehow, that was that. They were no longer coworkers who tolerated each other at best and betrayed each other at worst, who also f*cked sometimes because they were undeniably attracted to another and needed a physical outlet to vent that, but genuine, bonafide lovers who did all those things couples normally did, like cohabitate, kiss each other goodbye on the way to work, have a single shared account, and took care of children together.

Well. If cats that were also cakes that were also cats counted as children. And they didn’t have a single shared account. In Ratio’s own words, he didn’t trust Aventurine to not gamble away their life’s savings even if he was practically guaranteed to get a huge return on it.

Aventurine felt like that was a bit of a moot point, really. Ratio would trust Aventurine with his life to the point that they managed to flawlessly pull off their plan in Penacony together with minimal communication, but not with his money, apparently. Who out of the two of them was the one who actually worked in the finance and business field?

He had told Ratio that to his face, and was summarily met with a stone bust that despite its blank expression, exuded an air of disgruntlement. In the end, they settled for a compromise, and opened one anyway while keeping their own. If Ratio ever noticed that shared account tripling in holdings overnight, or adding on funds at an exponential rate, then he at least had the common courtesy of pretending like it didn’t happen while he reset it back to a normal level by purchasing some extravagant manner of goods that would turn up in their shared home a few days later.

But they really did do everything else. All the disgusting domesticity, sickening softness, horrific homeliness that came with a committed relationship—it was as close to normal as two high profile individuals who were frequently called to all manners of places across the universe to stick their noses in where it wasn’t wanted could get.

They had matching mugs and sleepwear sets. By great Gaiathra, they had matching mugs and sleepwear sets. If he wasn’t so taken with the man, he might actually have thrown up a little in his mouth because of it.

They had already been seriously dating for several months at that point, and one week before the new term rolled over at the University of Veritas Prime, Aventurine had stood in the middle of their (their!!!) living room with the snacks running over his slippered feet, holding a mug of softly steaming coffee, and come to the abrupt conclusion that he was completely f*cked, in all meanings of the word.

He felt like that guy who had gotten a concussion from an apple dropping on his head and then went on to invent gravity. What was his name again? Ratio must have mentioned it in passing at some point, but Aventurine had already forgotten. Spewton? Newman? Something like that. He certainly felt like a new man after coming to the sudden revelation that he was in this relationship for the long haul.

Ratio was in his study reviewing lesson plans for the upcoming semester when Aventurine threw open the door with a loud bang. To his credit, he didn’t even look annoyed when he looked up, already used to Aventurine’s penchant for theatrics after however many months they spent living together. All he did was set down his pen and look at Aventurine over the top of his glasses. Damn it. Why did he look so good in glasses?

“Yes, darling?” He said, raising a brow. Damn it again. He also didn’t know when that started, but it gave him an unfair advantage against Aventurine. He couldn’t believe his boyfriend was such a sore loser that he had to resort to underhanded tactics like these to get one up over him.

“You’ve been trying to get me to move in with you,” Aventurine accused, striding over to Ratio’s desk to slam his hands down threateningly on it. That was what people generally did, right? Maybe he should have put more force into it. He wasn’t going to mention that at this point, he already had practically moved in. The only thing left in his apartment at Pier Point was the bed and probably some Basic Ingredients getting mouldy in the back of his cupboards. It was the principle of the whole thing though.

“You have been living here ever since we returned from Penacony,” Ratio replied. “I simply assumed that was what you intended from the beginning, given that you made no attempts to indicate otherwise. I have not tried to do anything.”

“That’s not true,” Aventurine said.

It was absolutely true. He just didn’t want to admit it.

On that first night after leaving Penacony, he had been too emotionally drained for Ratio to leave him alone out of the fear that he’d do something reckless again (there was a bar in one of the Pier Point Shopping Street’s back alleys that was calling his name), and had shuffled the both of them back to Aventurine’s Pier Point apartment to try and rest and recover from space-lag.

The key word was try, there, because Aventurine had woken up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and a bitten off scream on his lips, his heart thudding painfully in his chest from a nightmare he was already starting to forget.

There was movement at his side.

It was Ratio, because of course it was. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, if only for the fact that he didn’t have any clean sleepwear, and all of Aventurine’s were too small for him. A hand groped around in the darkness for his, and finding it, linked both their fingers together.

“You had a nightmare?” Roughshod with sleep, Ratio’s voice was even deeper than it normally was.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. Go back to sleep.”

“Hm.”

Ratio pulled him close, and looped his arms around him. He smelled like Aventurine’s soaps and shampoos, and it comforted him more than he cared to admit.

Ratio kissed the top of his head.

“You should also, my dear gambler,” he murmured. “I have you, and you have me. I will still be here when the morning comes.”

Aventurine closed his eyes. When he finally fell asleep to the sound of Ratio’s steady heartbeat, he did not wake until the rays of the morning sun slanted through his blinds and fell across his face.

And just as he had said, Ratio was there at his side, his arm curled loosely around his waist and his dark hair fanned out across the pillows.

That was the first, and only night they had spent at Aventurine’s place at Pier Point since Penacony.

The very next morning, Ratio had bustled around his apartment, shoving things into travel bags, complaining all the while, and dragged Aventurine back to the spaceport to take the next ship out to Veritas Prime.

What he had thought was going to be a fun sleepover (that they probably, hopefully, were going to f*ck during) turned into a week. And then two weeks. And then a month. The nightmares didn’t stop, but having Ratio there helped. When the IPC finally remembered he was technically on their payroll and as such, entitled to certain employee benefits like their subsidised medical care, arranged for a Doctor of Chaos to check up on him after his brush with Nihility, the current address that he gave them was the one of Ratio’s place on Veritas Prime. He didn’t even think too deeply on it at the time, just that he thought it would be easier than having to shuttle back and forth from here to Pier Point.

And then one time, Aventurine had mentioned a little offhandedly that he thought the neighbour’s cat that he often saw sunning itself on the balcony was cute, and then Ratio had disappeared for a few days with only a note left to say that he was going off planet for ‘research’, whatever that meant. When he came back, the first thing he did was shove a tower of cakes…? Cats? Cake cats?? Into Aventurine’s arms and stumbled through some explanation that had too many scientific terms for him to understand properly but basically amounted to ‘they’re ours now, we’re taking care of them.’

Bit by bit, more things started turning up in the house. They bought matching items. They opened an account together. Ratio would f*ck him until his legs felt like jelly and then carry him to the bathroom after to wash him off and wash his hair too. They even went on dates and romantic getaways. Kind of.

One time, the Guild invited Ratio out to some planet or whatever for a conference, and he brought Aventurine with him, if only because the conference was held on some resort planet with nice beaches and fine weather for ninety percent of their entire year. Now that place was good. Every day was a chance for him to run his grubby little paws all over Ratio’s shirtless body — “Oh, hold on babe, I think I missed a spot—“, “You have been ‘missing’ spots for fifteen minutes now. Just put the damned sunblock on, Aventurine.” — and he was still just a man. A very happy man, but still just a man.

In any case, yes. All of that was to say that they were indeed doing ‘the dating thing’, as people put it, and that unlike a great deal of things in Aventurine’s life, this one seemed to be sticking. Quite unfortunately, too.

Ratio got up from behind his desk, and in a few smooth strides, crossed the distance between him and the other side of the desk to pull Aventurine into his arms. He instantly went as limp as a wet noodle. Aeons, he was so pathetic. Ratio sighed, but still dragged the two of them over to the couch that he kept in his study, sitting down and arranging Aventurine in his lap. He nosed at a spot at Aventurine’s neck just under his ear, and Aventurine hooked his arms over his boyfriend’s shoulders.

“This is totally unfair. You’re being totally unfair.” He complained, and Ratio huffed against his ear.

“Mm. That’s where you’re wrong, my darling. All’s fair in love and war.”

“This isn’t war, what are you even talking about?”

Ratio’s arms snuck around his waist, and one of his hands slipped under the oversized shirt he was wearing (Ratio’s, of course, because the same didn’t apply to Aventurine who could, and did, borrow Ratio’s clothes whenever he liked) to splay against his stomach. Just like the rest of him, Ratio’s hands were huge. And they were also warm, and they were a comforting weight against his skin. Aw, f*ck. Of course this wasn’t a war, because even though Aventurine was fighting for his life, he was losing utterly and spectacularly.

“Well then, dear gambler. Try and move back out now, and see if I stop you.”

What did he say? Unfair. Saying that when he knew full well that he was past the point of leaving… there was no way that Aventurine could deny that.

“Ugh. I hate you.”

Aventurine sighed, and let himself droop into his boyfriend’s arms, pulling both of them into leaning back against the couch.

If things could stay like this, then maybe it wasn’t so bad that they were living together after all.

“No, that’s a lie. I… really love you, actually,” he said quietly.

And that was true. All the hardships he had gone through in his life, the pain and the horrors—ever since he was young, he had been told to never resent them, because he was the lucky child, golden child of the clan, that would lead them to happiness. But now the clan was gone, and the only one left was him.

Still, in a way, he had managed to find his own happiness.

Ratio’s arms tightened around him in a comforting hug.

“And I you, my dearest Kakavasha.”

It was while they were in the bath that Ratio brought up the topic. This… was also one of the things that they did together as a couple. Take baths together. Ratio did have a nice bathtub after all, and it was a shame not to use it for its intended, and sometimes, unintended, purpose.

There, pressed chest to back in the warm soapy water, Aventurine let out a soft sigh of bliss as Ratio lathered shampoo into his hair.

“If you are still on leave from work, perhaps you might like to come visit me at my work some time,” Ratio said suddenly. He said it extremely casually, in the same tone that someone might say to their partner that they were out of coffee beans, or that they were going to be late coming home in a few days, or even — “Don’t be ridiculous. If you aren’t capable of staying put of your own volition, then I shall simply f*ck you until you are unable to walk.” In Aventurine’s experience, if any of his boyfriend’s Ratio-isms started off in that tone, then there was a fifty-fifty chance it wasn’t something he actually had to worry about—and in a fifty-fifty scenario, he still ended up winning one hundred percent of the time anyway.

“What, like, at the Guild?” He tried to crane his neck around to look back at Ratio, but the man clicked his tongue and firmly, although gently, set his hands on either side of Aventurine’s head to snap it back to face the front.

“No, darling. At the university.”

Oh, sh*t.

Oh, sh*t.

This was really happening, then. It wasn’t enough that they had to live together and had pets and everything, they had moved into the stage of visiting each other at work. For fun. For each other, and not just because Jade had CC’d him into attending another stuffy meeting in some Pier Point office somewhere and Yabuli or whoever it was who was Ratio’s boss at the Guild had CC’d him into the same. Those meetings always ended up with them excusing themselves to go for a quickie or two though, so at least they weren’t totally boring all the time.

Wait. Didn’t Ratio have an office at the University? Could he and Ratio f*ck at the University? No, never mind that, why was he assuming that he’d even go in the first place? Universities were for smart people, like Ratio and well-adjusted kids from developed planets who actually went to proper schools. He was just some joke of a gambling addict from a backwater planet pretending to be a businessman.

“It’s occurred to me that soon I will be away for hours at a time, and I don’t particularly wish to leave you alone at home the entire time, even if you have the snacks for company. Doctor Erebus also recommended you don’t spend all of your time cooped up inside, if I recall,” Ratio continued. Seemingly unaware of Aventurine’s rapidly downwardly spiraling thought process, he rinsed out the suds from Aventurine’s hair and reached for the conditioner.

Doctor Erebus was the Doctor of Chaos the IPC had assigned to Aventurine, and she was a total bore. You’d think that someone who was always fighting for others to experience the joie de vivre of life, or however the term was used, they would be equally as interesting, but no. She was nice enough, but talking with her always left Aventurine feeling like he needed to go back to sleep—and he already had enough of that in Penacony to last a lifetime.

Ratio liked her plenty though. Enough to latch onto every word she said, and parrot it back to Aventurine whenever he was being difficult like he wasn’t an owl and instead some third rate Lushakan animal mascot knockoff. The worst part is that she easily gave into giving him advice on how to best help Aventurine. Patient-doctor confidentiality had truly died a miserable death.

Ah, whatever. He wasn’t actually mad at Ratio. He was just trying to help, after all.

“Uh, I’ll… think about it…” Aventurine mumbled, poking at a floating rubber duck. It bobbed along the surface of the bathwater, and in that moment, he briefly wished that he was that duck. Nothing in life to worry about, just floating along in the warm water of a very handsome (and naked) man’s bath.

f*ck.

It wasn’t that serious, was it?

Ratio’s apartment was about fifteen minutes away from the campus of Veritas Prime. He walked to and from work, whenever he wasn’t called off planet to do the Intelligentsia Guild’s, or the IPC’s dirty work. Actually, that wasn’t completely true. He was also invited to conferences and other smart people things, but usually during the academic term of Veritas Prime, he tried to stay there as much as he could, to varying degrees of success.

Aventurine had previously entertained the thought of randomly visiting Ratio while he was at the university before, while they were still getting to know each other, but he never had the balls to follow through on it. Despite what many people thought, his humiliation kink was situational, and he didn’t think that standing in an auditorium full of bright eyed young scholars and their genius teacher himself fell into that category.

Things had obviously changed since then, with the most obvious of the lot being that he was now officially dating that genius teacher, and he still had a lot of free time these days. It wasn’t necessarily that he was bored during the day, because Ratio had been there for him to mess around with, and it was always interesting to see what cash grabs daytime television producers would come up with. He was still holding out hope that Biancalatte from I Love You Like The Rhapsody Of The Stars would get out of her situationship with her best friend. He’d find out by the end of the week if she did or not, but personally, he was already expecting the worst. If there was anything those hack producers knew how to do, it was how to drag out a plot line.

“The semester begins in a week. I will be sure to leave you a copy of my timetable if you should like to see it.” Ratio said primly. Was Aventurine just imagining it, but was there something like warmth and pride in his tone as well? f*ck again. Had Ratio somehow taken his answer as a confirmation?

….Who was he kidding. Of course he had. Now Aventurine really had to show up at some point. Sure, he might be a major disappointment in all other areas of his life, but those were standards he held to himself, and didn’t include his boyfriend. If there was one thing that he had learned after coming back from Penacony, it was that he really hated disappointing Ratio.

Things really had changed. The sight of a disappointed Ratio was something like seeing a depressed dog, ears folded down and all droopy. It just wasn’t right. With anyone else, he would have been snippy, but with Aventurine, he was completely different. It had something to do with his standards for Aventurine, and Aventurine hated it.

There was once a time in his life where he didn’t give two sh*ts what Ratio thought (actually, he did, but he did things anyway and just lived with the shame of Ratio’s disappointment hanging over him) and now, he was practically falling over himself to keep his boyfriend happy.

…f*cking hell, he really was pathetic. Living with Ratio really had softened him up. He wasn’t any better than the overthinking ridden female leads in those daytime soaps he’d been watching so much. At least he could say he had gotten out of his own situationship though, so he was doing better than them in that regard.

Warm water coursed down his head as Ratio washed out the conditioner. Aventurine closed his eyes, and soon, Ratio’s skilled hands started finger combing through his hair, gently picking through any knots and tangles. It was getting a little long, he thought absently. Enough that he could probably put it into a small ponytail. Or maybe he could grow it out. He did like having his hair pulled as much as Ratio liked pulling it.

Ugh. Whatever. He had a week to think about it. Or rather, not think about it.

“Thanks…”

“Of course, darling. The university is important to me, as are you. Naturally, I would want you to feel welcome.”

Aventurine sank further into the water as Ratio reached for a book.

Yeah, it was official. He was f*cked. There was no way he was getting out of this one.

Great Gaiathra, what the hell was Aventurine doing here?

Ah, right.

He’d finally summoned up the courage to visit his boyfriend at work.

His boyfriend who worked at a highly prestigious university.

Who had been expecting him to start showing up, if not for his sake, then for Aventurine’s own. Weren’t there usually rules about these sorts of things? About not bringing unsanctioned visitors onto campus grounds? Ugh, never mind. Even if there was, Aventurine didn’t think that there was anyone in the university who’d argue against the holder of their First Class Honours. See, Ratio? He wasn’t totally useless. He could remember things!

In his defence, things had been going well up until that point. He had made the short walk to campus after checking the directions on his phone, and had soon found himself standing under a tree as students bustled to and fro from their classes. The directions had dropped him off in front of a sleek glass building with neat signage in front of it proclaiming it to be the chemistry building. He was sure that it had its uses, but he really wished that there was some kind of flashing arrow pointing in the right direction of Ratio himself instead, or barring that, at least the man’s office.

Aventurine typed out a message, looked at it, erased it, retyped it, and erased that one too.

Was he a little overdressed? He felt a little overdressed.

He’d put on one of his best pairs of pants, if only because his ass looked great in them and he needed the confidence boost to leave the house.

It would have been different if this was a business meeting. At least then, he could put on the mask of Stoneheart Aventurine, the confident and smooth talking businessman. Right now though… he was nothing more than Ratio’s boyfriend.

There wasn’t anyone out here that he needed to charm or sucker into a business deal. There wasn’t anyone out here that wanted to use him for something either. The only person that he could even remotely consider close to doing so he lived with, and was dating.

Ugh, why hadn’t he taken a proper look at Ratio’s schedule before leaving the house? Now he was stuck here, in the middle of a fancy university campus that he had already made the effort to go out to, and if he turned back now, he’d never be able to live with himself. Remembering things was great, unless it came to things like his boyfriend’s schedule.

f*ck this. He wasn’t going to get any more answers out of staring at his phone. Ratio had been clear enough from the beginning that he didn’t check his phone while he was teaching, and Aventurine knew for a fact that he was right now, just… he didn’t know where, or what.

Instead, he lifted his gaze up to meet the wide eyed stare of a mousy looking student (he hoped they were a student. It would be really embarrassing for him if they weren’t.) He fixed them with his trademark winsome smile. If anything, they seemed to freeze in their tracks. Oh well.

“Hey there, kid!” He started off, giving them a friendly wiggle of his fingers. “You’re a student here, right? You wouldn’t happen to know where Doctor Ratio is right now, would you?”

“D-Doctor Ratio?!” If anything, their eyes seemed to grow even wider. Aventurine had been mostly joking about the part where they were like a mouse, but with how high their voice pitched, he was starting to think otherwise.

“Yep, that’s the one! Unless he has a secret brother or something he hasn’t told me about that’s also here. Is there?”

“I—um, w-well! He might be in his— philosophy lecture right now? I think? I’m—I’m not sure.” They stammered out, and Aventurine hummed thoughtfully.

Philosophy, eh? Aventurine knew philosophy. Sort of. He knew of the copy of Ratio’s book that he kept on a shelf in his office about it. People had said it was a big deal and Ratio’s online fan club couldn’t stop pulling quotes from it, but those sorts of things flew over Aventurine’s head. They loved it. But Aventurine loved the man who wrote the damn thing, so it was probably close enough. He’d figure the rest out on the way.

“Let’s bet on it, then!” He said cheerily, going over to the student to pat them on the shoulder. “I think he’ll be there for sure! Mind leading the way?”

f*ck it.

This wouldn’t be the first time that he was nervous, nor would it be the last. He just had to do what he knew how to do best – take a gamble, and hope that Ratio wouldn’t be too mad at Aventurine for crashing his class. He wouldn’t be, right? He’d practically asked for it anyway. It wasn’t like there was that much difference between showing up in the final stretch of his class than there was in showing up afterwards.

Plus, he might even be able to get a bit of a rise out of his boyfriend from it. Embarrassment was cute on him, and Aventurine didn’t nearly get to see it enough.

Okay, yeah. He could work with this.

Taking out his phone, he sent out a short series of texts to his boyfriend. Ratio wouldn’t see them, but that was fine. And if he did… well, it wouldn’t make a difference either way.

It was time to see what this entire university deal was about.

It wasn’t until the last student had hurried out of the lecture hall that Ratio sighed, and the tense line of his shoulders dropped. His hands came up to carefully cradle Aventurine’s face, and Aventurine leaned into the warmth, setting his own hands over Ratio’s own.

“…Are you alright?” Ratio asked quietly, and Aventurine blinked at him.

He’d been more confused than hurt by the entire thing, if he was being honest. Most people who hurled slurs at him weren’t bold enough to do it in front of others unless they were also in on it. The fact that it had happened right in front of Ratio was even more confusing. Maybe Ratio had a point about what he said about idiots.

He wouldn’t say he wasn’t touched at what Ratio had done for him though. People who would go so far for him were few and in between, although that was also to do with him keeping anyone who might be decent enough to do so at an arm’s length. Mentally, he made a note to see about sending the university some funds for the repair bill. If Ratio wasn’t going to be the responsible one in the relationship about it, then someone had to be.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” Aventurine said. “No need to worry about me, doc. If I had a credit for every time someone was a racist asshole to me, I’d be— well… I wouldn’t be richer than I am now, but I’d have the same as a good interest payout, haha. Just as constant as it too!”

Ratio’s face crumpled. sh*t. Maybe he shouldn’t have said that. He thought that was a good one, though.

“You really are so…” Ratio exhaled. “That isn’t the point, darling. It isn’t right for people to treat you that way.”

Right or not, Aventurine had come to accept that it was an inevitable and inescapable part of his life. In the end, the universe was a vast place, and he had long since reasoned that encounters with people that looked down on him just because of his race would be one off instances and that once he was done with them, he’d never have to see them again.

“Ah, well, that’s just how it is sometimes. There’s nothing either of us can do about it. It could have been worse, even. I’m okay, you’re okay, so… I’m pretty happy about that.”

Ratio shook his head, setting his hands onto Aventurine’s shoulders.

“No, I am not okay. Listen to me, Kakavasha—“ Oh, f*ck. Ratio was busting out his real name. Things were more serious for him than Aventurine thought. “—No matter what people may say, I know your love is as genuine as mine, if not more. If you use me at all, then it is because I have allowed you to do so, and not because I am unaware of it. I love you because you are you—smart, kind, strong, and even when you are afraid, you press on regardless. To say to my face that all of that is falsified is an insult beyond comprehension.”

Aventurine opened his mouth to reply, but strangely enough, found that no words would come out. Ratio was gazing down at him, his brows drawn together and the corners of his mouth turned down in dismay. His eyes were just like the dawn, and not for the first time since they had made things official between the two of them, Aventurine came to the startlingly clear realisation that Ratio was deeply, unwisely, in love with him, and that he was truly lucky that he hadn’t supremely f*cked things up between the both of them with what he’d pulled in Penacony.

Eventually though, he unstuck his tongue from his mouth, and forced out an awkward laugh.

“Haha, um, well… Let’s not get carried away here…” He said, and Ratio shook his head again, this time sliding his hands down to tangle his fingers in Aventurine’s own.

“Nonsense. I promise you, for as long as I am an educator, I refuse to let such asinine behaviour promulgate within my classrooms. As long as I continue to work towards curing the universe of idiocy, then I must also endeavour to right these… these… small minded views that continue to persist within the cosmos. Beginning with making it clear that such views are not tolerated anywhere within my vicinity.”

“That’s.. that’s a big ask…” Aventurine stammered.

“Not to me. Not if it’s you.”

Oh, dear Goddess. Aventurine was way in over his head.

“...You really don’t have to do that for me, Veritas,” he said weakly. “I know better than anyone that people like that won’t ever change their minds…”

“I do. Besides, do I not owe it to you to try?”

“I…”

His words failed him again, and this time, Ratio seemed to take it for what it was. He leant down to place a kiss on Aventurine’s forehead before stepping back and attempting a reassuring smile. It looked awkward on him, like he wasn’t used to doing it, but Aventurine couldn’t care less. Besides, it wouldn’t help either of them for him to say it out loud.

“It’s alright. Don’t force yourself,” Ratio said. Then, his smile turned a little sheepish, and a hint of pink rose to his cheeks. “Though, I must say, even though I may not have been clear, I was pleased to see you earlier. I’m not quite sure how, but my students seem to have discovered that we are indeed, ah, romantically involved before your timely appearance.

“I just wish that I could have introduced you to them on… better terms. Rest assured, I will be speaking to the disciplinary committee about that insect’s behaviour.”

Oh, yeah. That was something that existed, usually. Aventurine had long since stopped filing complaints to HIHR at the IPC. Being a Stoneheart did come with its perks, and one of them was that people were suddenly too gutless to say what they really thought of him to his face. But it made his life easier, so he took it for what it was.

“You don’t have to force the issue if it’s too annoying. Besides, the rest of them look like good kids! I love that you’re here doing what you do best - enlightening the masses and sharpening their dull minds… or something. It’s hot.”

“You truly are nonsensical, dear gambler. Still… I’m glad to know you approve of them. I trust your judge of character more than anyone, you know.”

Okay, now it was officially time to change the subject. Ratio had reached his ‘moments of genuine affection’ limit for the day, and any more was going to freak Aventurine out. Ratio leaned in as if he was going for a kiss, and Aventurine hurriedly shoved his face away. Couldn’t he save that sappy sh*t for when they got home?

“Whoah, okay, that’s enough sweetness for today. You’re gonna give me cavities. C’mon, let’s just go home already. I mean… unless you have another class?”

If he did, Aventurine was going to have words for whoever set up this whackjob timetabling.

Ratio unstuck his face from Aventurine’s palm to peer down at him. He looked a little put out, probably from being denied his kiss, but Aventurine hardened his heart. If he kept giving in, then Ratio would never learn his lesson.

“I don’t, but—“

“Great! So it’s time to clock off now, right?” As Aventurine’s eyes slid over to the door, they caught on a glowing red light at the lectern. Huh. Universally, that usually meant that it was recording something… “Oh… hold on a sec. Is this thing still supposed to be on?”

“What thing— Damn it.”

Things went a lot easier after that.

He had to admit it– the gossip mill of Veritas Prime truly rivalled the one that was at the IPC headquarters at Pier Point. The next time that he ended up on the campus of Veritas Prime, not even a week after he pulled his stint with Ratio’s philosophy class, it felt like all of his boyfriend’s students already knew who he was, and some of the ones that weren’t even his students did too.

Oh, well. It was all the same to him, anyway.

Visiting Ratio slowly became a once, then twice, then three to four days out of the week event. Memorising Ratio’s schedule soon became second nature, as well as messing around with the little ducklings that were his students. Word must have gotten out about how ballistic Ratio went over someone being racist to him as well, or either the rest of the students were actually normal, because none of them treated him any differently, which he was thankful for.

Actually, there was that one girl who had taken one look at his eyes and then started asking a great deal of questions about if he was connected to Ena the Order at all, but that was less offensive than it was confusing, and she had been very apologetic about it after, if not very enthusiastic in the moment.

Scholars. Being a little weird just had to be part of the job description.

Finding out about the club that played celestial jade twice a week was also a pleasant surprise. Turns out that university campuses weren’t as boring as he thought they were. Sure, maybe Ratio had gotten a little bit too panicked about him accidentally ignoring his phone, but that was something that the both of them were going to work through later. Presumably. Hopefully.

Mostly, he just had to admit that Doctor Erebus was right about him leaving the house more, especially when the weather was actually nice. That sh*t kind of ruled. Sigonia would always have a special place in his heart, but even he had to admit that it was great to not be sizzling under the sun in the day and freezing his balls off at night every day of his life. She probably also would have something to say about him being overly dependent on Ratio though, but he was working on one thing at a time. He was a grown ass adult. He did not get separation anxiety, thank you very much. Besides, was it really that much of a crime to miss one’s lover? He didn’t think so. Checkmate, Doctor Erebus.

Eventually, he got used to the domesticity of it all. He’d wake up next to Ratio, either from the sun slanting through the blinds, or from almost overheating with the weight of three cat cakes and a muscle koala for a boyfriend clinging onto him. They’d run through their morning routine together, then Ratio would head off to the university, with Aventurine joining him if he was in the mood–which was occasionally the case. Sometimes he’d sit in on Ratio’s classes even though he only understood about five percent of what was actually being said, sometimes he’d take a nap in Ratio’s office, or sometimes he’d wander around and see what trouble (within reason) he could get up to. Then, at the end of the day, they’d head home together and eat dinner. Sometimes, it ended in sex, and sometimes, it didn’t, but either way, Aventurine found himself content with the whole thing.

Keeping up with this arrangement would have suited him just fine, if it weren’t for the call that he got from Topaz one morning.

At a blisteringly early hour of the morning, his phone started ringing from where it was charging on the bedside table. Bleary eyed, he reached for it to squint at the caller ID. Topaz’s name stared back at him, as well as the somewhat unflattering photo he’d candidly taken of her once that was her contact photo in his phone. Ugh. If it was Topaz, then he’d actually have to answer.

Stifling a yawn, he sat up slightly to answer, lifting his phone to his ear.

“Aven—Aventurine here… Whas… what’s the matter?”

“Did you just wake up?” Topaz shot back instantly. She sounded annoyed, and Aventurine couldn’t blame her. It was already early for Veritas Prime, so he couldn’t even imagine what hour it was at Pier Point. Somewhere in the background, there was a muffled squeal that he thought might have come from Numby. “You sound awful. What’s wrong with you? Never mind, I don’t actually wanna know.”

Which was probably for the better. He didn’t think she would appreciate him telling her that he had had his back blown out last night and had ruined his voice in the process. Her thinking that it was because he just woke up was the kinder option. Over the phone, Topaz sighed.

“Yeah, look, I’m just gonna give it to you straight,” she began. “Marketing Development’s getting ready to pull some sh*t again, and Diamond’s called for all hands on deck to run as much damage control as he can. And that includes getting you back into the office, pronto.”

Seriously? As if he didn’t already have enough to hate Marketing Development for.

“Ugh… can’t this wait?”

“No,” she replied bluntly. “You have 48 system hours to get to Pier Point, or next time, it’ll be Jade calling, and she won’t be so nice about it.”

And then Topaz hung up, leaving Aventurine to blink at his phone a few times before he dropped it on top of the covers with a sigh. It bounced off a Ratio shaped lump, which let out a muffled grunt, before it landed face down next to one of the dozing snacks.

Well. Wasn’t that great. Just as he was getting used to his domestic life here, it was back to the corporate wage machine with him. He really questioned his luck sometimes.

With a sigh, he thwapped gently at the Ratio shaped lump with a closed fist. It didn’t grunt again, but it did shift slightly.

“Babe, wake up. Topaz just called. I have to go into the office this week. Guess my leave time is up.”

“No.”

Did he mishear that?

“What do you mean, no? Wh— hey!”

In a flurry of movement, Ratio pulled him back down under the covers, throwing a leg over Aventurine’s hip and hugging him to his chest. He tucked Aventurine’s head under his chin, effectively barring all means of escape.

He was a koala for real. A stupidly buff one too. Worst of all, nobody would believe him if he told them that the prickly, uptight Doctor Ratio turned into a heat seeking cuddle missile in the mornings.

“Call her back,” Ratio grumbled. “Tell her you can’t come in. I’ll write you a note.”

Aventurine sighed. Nobody would also believe him if he said that ever since they had started living together, the good doctor’s morning routine had gone to sh*t. Aventurine could barely drag him out of bed on a good day. It truly was a mystery how he kept up his physique, because Ratio was getting ridiculously spoiled.

He tried wriggling out of Ratio’s hold, but the arms around him simply tightened even more.

“Oh, you big lump…” Aventurine sighed. “You need to get up too. You have class today.”

Granted, it started a little later than some of his other classes in the week, but the longer they spent in bed, the more likely Ratio was going to be late.

Aventurine reached out for his phone as best he could, and his fingers caught the edge of it. He dragged it in, checking the time.

Hm. Well. Maybe Ratio had a point. It was still very early, and they had had a pretty late night yesterday as well. It was probably fine if they… stayed in bed for a while longer.

Travelling to Pier Point from Veritas Prime didn’t take that long, actually, and they did have 48 system hours of time allowance. If he left tomorrow, he could still make it in the time limit he’d been dealt. Yeah, he really should just take the chance now to spend time with his boyfriend before he had to leave.

“Never mind… you win this time. But only for now… we have to get up later.” Aventurine sighed.

With a slight grunt of effort, he twisted in Ratio’s hold so that they were pressed chest to chest, and he tangled their legs together. He tucked his face into the hollow of Ratio’s throat, breathing in deep.

A long time ago, he and his sister had slept like this too, pressed together for warmth in the cold desert night. When he grew older, he had resigned himself to a life of sleeping alone, because the alternative to that was something that he didn’t even want to bear thinking about.

But in the end, he had to accept that he missed it. He missed the weight of someone’s arm over his waist, the sound of someone’s heart under his ear—he didn’t know how much he missed it until he got it back.

Ratio wasn’t his sister, but that wasn’t a bad thing either. In his arms, Aventurine would only ever feel safe and loved—and that was what did not change between the two of them. So… as much as he whined and complained, he would always still find his way back there in the end every time.

Ratio did not smell like Aventurine’s soap anymore, but the smell of him was a familiar scent all the same, and there, in the warmth of his lover’s arms and the light of the almost breaking dawn, Aventurine closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, he’d go back to work, but today… today, for a little longer, he could be Kakavasha again.

In the time between Topaz calling him and his scheduled ship out to Pier Point, Aventurine spent the day hanging around on campus, waiting for Ratio to take breaks in between his classes. He didn’t know when it had happened, but he had become some kind of social butterfly with the students. They loved to tell him all the latest gossip, and being the nosy little bastard he was, he loved hearing about it. In exchange, he fed them little tidbits about Ratio, and laughed to himself as their eyes went rounder than dinner plates with every little outrageous thing he said. Oh man. If his boyfriend knew what he was spilling to these little ducklings, it’d be over for him. Good thing he didn’t have a clue of anything that happened under his nose. Ratio had his own fun on campus, so it was only right Aventurine was allowed to have his too.

After dinner, Ratio helped him pack for his trip, digging out the travel bags they had used for their first move back to Veritas Prime. It was a familiar sight for Aventurine, who sat on the bed petting the snacks as Ratio bustled around the house putting things away in the bags for him. He wasn’t sure that Ratio was even aware he was doing it—but it felt nice to be doted on. The fact that someone was doing this for him because they cared about him, and not because they wanted a favour or anything more sinister was one one that sometimes he still struggled with accepting. It was for Ratio’s sake as much as his own, really. Doing this helped him feel more secure about Aventurine’s safety… or something. It was his best guess, anyway.

It wasn’t until Ratio was standing in front of their wardrobe, holding two identical pairs of pants and glancing between them in thought that Aventurine sat up. Two of the snacks slid from his lap like jelly, and he gave them some apologetic pats before he snuck his way over to Ratio, hugging him from behind. He had to step up on tiptoe to hook his chin over Ratio’s shoulder, but it was worth it for the way Ratio instantly broke away from his pants inspection to press a kiss to Aventurine’s cheek.

“Stop thinking so much. They’re just pants, babe. Pick one and get it over with,” Aventurine said, and Ratio sagged slightly, giving the pair in his left hand one last lingering look before folding it up and placing it back in the drawer. The other he folded as well, but instead of putting it away, he held gingerly, twisting slightly to look at Aventurine.

“Are you sure you’ll have enough to wear, darling?” Ratio asked him, his brows furrowing, and Aventurine rolled his eyes.

“Come on, now you’re just being silly,” he replied. He unstuck himself from Ratio’s back to come up in front of him instead, plucking the folded pair of pants to put aside in the travel bag. His regular coat with the fur trim was already inside, as was an assortment of shirts and other clothes. “It’s not like I’m going away for a long while. I’ll just get it laundered if I need to wear it again. Or, y’know. I’ll buy some new clothes.”

If he was at Pier Point, it might be good to hit up the shopping street again if he had the chance. At least one good thing about having an incredibly high paying job was the way he could buy anything he wanted. And yeah, nice clothes might be some of those things. Could anyone blame him? He felt like he deserved to be a little materialistic after everything he’d been through.

That pair of pants was pretty much the last thing that needed to be packed. At least, it was the last thing to be packed according to Aventurine’s standards. If Ratio had his way, though, he might as well have shipped the whole of his wardrobe back to Pier Point, which kind of defeated the purpose of moving to Veritas Prime anyway.

Aventurine zipped the bag up and dropped it off next to the small suitcase that held the rest of his things. After a moment of thought, he gently ushered out the last of the cat cakes and closed the bedroom door as well. Better safe than sorry.

“But are you sure it’ll be enough?” Ratio asked again, and Aventurine fixed him with a slightly exasperated look. It really was. His past self would probably have already bet his life for the contents of his luggage if he saw how many clothes were packed in there.

“Yes, babe.”

Ugh, f*ck it. Time to switch tactics.

Ratio was standing by the bed when Aventurine stalked over to him. It just made things easier when Aventurine set one hand on his chest, and pushed. Ratio fell back against the bed, and Aventurine didn’t miss the way his eyes darkened when he swung himself up to straddle Ratio’s hips.

“Enough of this, enough of that,” he huffed. “I’m going away on a trip tomorrow, and the only thing you can think about is whether or not I have enough clothes to wear? You need to rethink your priorities.”

It was all the invitation Ratio needed to flip the both of them over in one smooth motion. In an instant, Aventurine found himself flat on his back as Ratio’s arms caged either side of his head. In all the action, his shirt had slipped halfway off his shoulder, baring an expanse of skin that was already littered with bruises and bite marks from the night before.

“And what priorities might that be, my dear gambler?” Ratio rumbled, and Aventurine smirked.

“I don’t have to spell it out for you, right? Surely the good doctor and his genius intellect can figure it out for himself~”

The rest of his laughter was swallowed up by Ratio’s searing kiss.

Aventurine was going to damn sure make the most of the rest of those 48 system hours Topaz gave him. If Ratio wasn’t going to be there with him, then he’d simply have to make sure that he had another way of keeping his presence with him. And if that way was having his boyfriend paint his insides white with his come, and his outsides pink and red with hickeys, then that was just how it had to be. If he was being dragged back to work without being given proper notice, then he was going to make it everyone else’s problem.

In the end, the first part didn’t turn out to be much more than wishful thinking. Ratio did end up coming inside him, but he ended up cleaning it all out in the bath afterwards, which was pretty disappointing. Still, the amount of marks he left all over Aventurine’s body made up for it, and Aventurine wasn’t too sad about that at all. A bit of possessiveness from the man he loved was quite different from marks of possession from someone he didn’t, which was a discovery that he was all too pleased to make.

The day after, Ratio saw him off at the spaceport.

The furthest that Ratio could go without setting out for Pier Point himself was at departures, just before the check in gates. Unlike the day before, they really couldn’t afford to have a lazy morning. Ratio’s classes started in the afternoon that day, but seeing Aventurine off at the spaceport was a whole morning affair.

Even though it was technically a work trip, Aventurine didn’t dress in his usual flashy work clothes. Instead, he had opted for something more comfortable for the trip over. He had stolen one of Ratio’s sweaters for it, and even though it was at least a size or two too big on him, it was soft and warm. Ratio hadn’t said anything about him wearing it either, which just about meant he’d accepted it was Aventurine’s now. He’d live, probably. He had a lot of sweaters for someone who usually walked around with one arm and half his cleavage hanging out for the whole universe to see.

Things were already in full swing by the time they arrived at the spaceport. Veritas Prime wasn’t exactly a major tourist destination, but the same couldn’t be said for Pier Point, and being as close as they were, it was a popular layover stop. Around them, plenty of other travellers made their farewells and final checks, and in the busy stream of people, nobody batted an eye as Ratio reached for Aventurine’s hand to press several kisses to his knuckles.

“Take care of yourself, won’t you? Send me a message when you get off the ship, and send me one when you get to the office. And before you go to bed.” Ratio said, and Aventurine laughed, patting his shoulder with his free hand.

“Fine, fine, I will, okay? Don’t be so worried! It’s just work.”

“I worry about you because I love you,” Ratio replied matter-of-factly, and something about the ease of how he said it had Aventurine’s heart swooping in his chest. “And your work doesn’t value you enough.”

At this, Ratio turned his gaze on Aventurine, frowning slightly. He was doing the thing again–the thing Aventurine hated. The kicked puppy thing, and worst of all, he didn’t think Ratio was even aware he was doing it, or the power it held over Aventurine. He opened his mouth for a moment, but thought better of it, instead leaning up to press a chaste kiss to Ratio’s lips.

“I’ll be fine,” Aventurine said firmly. “It’s just Pier Point. The worst thing I’ll have to face there is probably the coffee machine in the break room. I doubt they’ve fixed it in all the time I’ve been gone.”

At that, Ratio finally cracked a tiny smile, and relief flooded through Aventurine. Whew. Crisis averted. He’d rather let the stars fall out of the sky than to have Veritas Ratio be truly upset.

“Then… perhaps I should go with you?” Ratio started, raising a hand to his chin in thought, and Aventurine blinked. “A broken coffee machine… yes. I do believe that’s well within my ability to repair.”

Okay, now that was getting to be a bit much. And Aventurine thought he was the clingy one. How Ratio ever managed before they officially got together was truly one of the mysteries of the universe.

“You’re just being unreasonable now,” Aventurine said mildly. With slight reluctance, he dropped Ratio’s hand, reaching for the bag that lay on the floor between them, hefting it up. Ooft. What the hell was in there? Why was it so heavy? Did Ratio pack him an entire suit of armour or something?

“I’ll be fine, really,” he said again, and Ratio sighed, lowering his gaze.

“I know. I just worry…”

Goddess, this man.

“Come on, have a little faith in me,” Aventurine said, throwing a touch of assurance into his voice. He normally only busted this out when he needed to secure a business deal or had to convince someone that he had a royal flush when he only had a full house, but it also worked on Ratio, sometimes. He hoped that this was one of those times. “I’ll come back to you, safe and sound so… just trust me, okay?”

After a moment, Ratio sighed.

“Alright. Good luck, darling. I love you.”

Ratio drew Aventurine into a gentle kiss, and smoothed a hand over his hair. When he pulled away, he looked resigned—to a week without his boyfriend, Aventurine supposed. He was getting too sentimental for his own good.

But he couldn’t help himself.

Aventurine dropped his bag and threw himself forward, dragging Ratio into a tight hug. In an instant, Ratio’s arms circled him, returning the embrace. He buried his face into the crook of Ratio’s neck, pressing a smile into the space there.

“I love you too, Veritas.”

Aventurine’s apartment at Pier Point was as empty as he had left it.

He didn’t stay in it much, now that he had moved in with Ratio over at Veritas Prime. That being said, he had hardly stayed in it back when he was living at Pier Point either, seeing as he spent more time travelling to other planets rather than staying at headquarters.

It was generously provided to him by the IPC, who owned the entire housing block. Actually, he could say with confidence that the whole neighbourhood was 90% IPC employees, but only the top brass like himself had swanky places like these, for all the good it did him.

He dropped his luggage off in his room first. The bed was still there, made up but if not a little dusty. Whatever. He could let the whole place air out a little while he went to go see what was happening at head office. Changing the sheets now when he was only going to be staying for a little while, and when he didn’t know if there were any spares in his closets seemed like a waste of time. He could deal with dusty sheets for a few days. It wouldn’t be the worst living conditions he’d been in, after all.

He slid open the door to the balcony and stepped out, letting the midday breeze pass over him. From here, he could see all of Pier Point, even though the IPC’s head office building towered over all the rest. Smiling wryly to himself, he got out his phone and snapped a picture of the view before sending it off to Ratio. They’d only been apart for less than half a day, but he missed that sour berry of his already. Hopefully, this matter wouldn’t take long to resolve, and he could head home the minute it was all finished up.

He went back inside, but left the balcony door open. Ratio would scold him about it if he knew, no doubt, but there wasn’t really anything valuable left in Aventurine’s place anyway, and if he actually did get burgled, he’d be more impressed at the person who managed to climb up more than a hundred floors of glass to get to his place anyway. The place was dusty as hell. At least this way he could start getting some kind of fresh air into it.

Checking the pantry didn’t yield any mouldy Basic Ingredients, but he did turn up a couple packets of rice and freeze-dried seasoning that he could throw into the Synthesiser for Cosmic Fried Rice. That was at least one meal sorted then, and he could go shopping for the week later—if he wasn’t held up at the office that is.

Ugh, the office.

Logically, he knew that he would have had to get back to work at some point, but that didn’t mean he expected it to be so soon. He’d anticipated a few more months of leave before being called back to do some basic desk work before finally being assigned back out to missions in the field—at which point, he’d put in requests for Ratio to join him as a consultant or partner or whatever, and they’d continue as they usually did. Screw whatever HIHR said, they worked better as a team, and everyone knew it.

From what it sounded like, this didn’t even sound like an off planet assignment. Things that needed all Ten Stonehearts were pretty uncommon, though it wasn’t to say that it didn’t happen. Just because all of them were needed didn’t mean they all had to be in the same room at once though. There really wasn’t much reason for him to have been called to Pier Point in person unless there was a notice he missed. And there wasn’t. He’d checked.

But… seeing as he’d much rather live to come back to his boyfriend instead of getting an IPC hit squad sent out to their house, he had shut up and hauled ass back to Pier Point.

Aventurine changed into his work clothes with little fanfare. His normal outfit did a good enough job with covering up his shoulders, but there was no salvaging the situation on his neck. Oh well. His reputation was already in the gutter even before he started dating Ratio, so in theory, it would change absolutely nothing.

The last thing he did before leaving for office was to carefully fold up Ratio’s sweater and leave it on his bed. Maybe what he thought about having nothing valuable in his apartment was a lie. There was something far more precious than any gemstone right there on the bed.

Okay. It was time to find out what he was needed for.

When Aventurine walked into head office, twenty minutes later, people goggled at him as he passed them by. It made sense, maybe. They hadn’t seen him in months, and he still wasn’t entirely sure what statement the company had put out after he died and came back on Penacony. For all he knew, people probably thought he actually died for real, permanently, in a no going back way. Well, too bad for them—he was still here.

Topaz had sent him a brief and perfunctory text earlier telling him to report to Jade’s office for a run down of what this ‘damage control’ was when he got to Pier Point, so that was what he did. The elevator ride up to the floor where her office was was one of the most awkward he’d had in his life, and that was including the time the doors had opened to a group of employees gossiping about him very loudly to each other. And it wasn’t very complimentary gossip either. Actually, it was more like slurs than gossip, but both were pretty much the same thing when it came to him, usually.

Damage control, as it turned out, was apparently having Aventurine show up during the right meetings only so that Strategic Investments could pretend that they had a unified front as Diamond and Oswaldo Schneider “duked it out” in the executive boardrooms. He was pretty sure that was just a code word for the marathon rounds of extremely nasty hate sex they were having in there though. What Diamond got up to in his work hours was his own business, but if it ended up with Oswaldo Schneider on his knees, crying pathetically, then Aventurine really couldn’t care less what Diamond did or didn’t do. He wouldn’t say he was much of a voyeur, but being able to see that with his own eyes (and send a picture or two of it to a certain cowboy) would definitely put a spring in his step.

In the meantime though, Aventurine went to go check in on his office, and having not stepped foot in it for several months, sneezed as a cloud of dust assaulted his nose. Holy hell to high heavens, this place was a mess. It was even worse than his apartment, he thought. It made sense though. He hadn’t been in here since before Penacony, and office cleaning of senior managers were carefully scheduled and supervised in advance so that company secrets wouldn’t get leaked by opportunistic janitors. He really needed to air this place out.

By Gaiathra. He really had been domesticated. All that free time he had spent doing housework back at home had really left its mark on him. First it was his apartment, and now it was his office.

Still, if he was expected to be hanging around without being given any actual assigned work, then he might as well make the most of it.

He cracked open the window first, then turned to his desk. A fine layer of dust coated its surface, and when he swiped a finger through, it came up grey. First things first then.

For the next few hours, Aventurine took the time to clean as much of his office as he could, starting with his desk. From the hall, he dug up a forgotten bucket, mop, and towels from a janky supply closet. He put the mop aside for the moment, but the bucket he filled, adding in some suspicious liquid from the closet that he thought probably was cleaning fluid.

Papers that weren’t relevant any more were dumped into his wastebin, while others that he thought were probably important found themselves put away in a file folder in the filing cabinet he had in the corner. The commemorative shot glass collection that he’d gathered from casinos across the universe and used as paperweights were carefully rinsed, wiped and dried before being replaced on his desk, lined up all in a neat row.

When his desk was cleared of trash and all neatened up, Aventurine dropped down into his chair for a break. Whatever that suspicious liquid was worked wonders. There had been a stubborn ass coffee stain on his desk for ages, but when he’d gone at it with a towel soaked in the cleaning solution, it had wiped off without any resistance at all. It would definitely be useful at home. He really had to find out what it was.

He pulled out his phone, opening it up to his chat with Ratio. The last message he had sent was a short one just to let him know that he’d arrived to the office, just as Ratio had asked. There wasn’t any other reply, but Ratio had sent him a cute thumbs up sticker to let him know he’d seen it. It had been a little while since then, and accounting for the time difference between Pier Point and Veritas Prime… Ratio was probably in a lecture right about now. Still, Aventurine typed out a short series of messages, smiling to himself.

❤ Veritas ❤
"There's no rush".Aventurine
It's sooooooooooooooo boring at workAventurine
They're not even giving me anything to do! It's so lameAventurine
I can't wait to go home honestly.... I miss you already :(Aventurine
Just wait a little longer, okay baby?Aventurine
I'm thinking of youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

He didn’t get any reply then, but sending it was enough for him. Stashing his phone away, he got to his feet.

Almost immediately, a wave of exhaustion crashed into him. Damn. There was no way that cleaning his office took that much out of him, did it?

Still… if he wasn’t needed for anything, then he might as well take some time to slack off and take a real break.

Holding back a yawn, Aventurine shuffled out of his office, locking the door behind him on his way out.

The upper break room on the Strategic Investment floors at IPC headquarters was rarely used. It was almost entirely due to the fact that the upper floors were reserved for higher ranked employees like the Stonehearts and those that directly worked under them, but there was also the fact that the coffee machine there seemed to always be broken. It had been broken when Aventurine first got to his position, and even now, months after he had last been there, it was still broken. Not even his luck had managed to get it to budge.

In any case, he wasn’t there for coffee. He was there for a nap. The space-lag was starting to get to him, even though the time difference between here and Veritas Prime wasn’t even that much. There was just something about interstellar travel that just sucked all the energy out of him.

Aventurine flopped onto the couch with a sigh, tugging some of the cushions closer to use as a pillow. Another benefit of this break room almost never being used was that it always stayed pretty clean, so he felt comfortable enough taking a nap there.

He turned on the television too, and the screen flickered to life with a static hum. There probably wasn’t anything good on at the moment, but all he needed was some white noise on in the background to help him drift off.

Eventually, he did. The last thing he had remembered was watching a rerun episode from an earlier season of I Love You Like The Rhapsody Of The Stars, and he only hazily began to wake up when something butted insistently into his side.

Eyes still blurry with sleep, he nudged it away with the back of his hand.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it…” He grumbled, flipping his hand over give the thing butting into his side a couple of pets. “I’ll feed you, just…

Strange. The cat cakes usually weren’t so smooth, nor did they usually make oinking sounds… Wait.

Aventurine wasn’t at home.

He was at work.

So that wasn’t a cake cat he was petting, and…

His eyes flew open, and he jolted upright.

Under his hand, a very indignant looking Numby batted at his fingers with their forelegs, and he hastily yanked his hand back. If the little Warp Trotter was here, then that could only mean–

“I am so sorry—Oh. It’s you.”

Aventurine swung his gaze over to the door where Topaz stood, staring back at him with an indecipherable expression on her face.

“It’s… me?” He repeated awkwardly, trying to paste some kind of smile onto his face.

An tense silence hung in the air between them.

Aventurine was fully aware of the fact that he wasn’t Topaz’s favourite coworker. Hell, he couldn’t even say if he had one either (except Ratio. Always except Ratio. But it wasn’t exactly the same–), but at least Topaz just disliked him on principle of his methods, and not because he was from Sigonia. She was a bright girl, and far better at her job than Aventurine ever could be, which already meant he respected her in his mind, even if it didn’t go both ways. She had actually sent him a perfectly serviceable, if not somewhat impersonal gift basket and get well soon card after he had been dismissed from the Penacony assignment, but there wasn’t too much more to their working or personal relationship.

Come to think of it, other than the phone call he’d received from her two days ago, this was pretty much their first meeting since… Penacony. And, well, some farewell that had been.

Topaz was the one that broke the silence, and their awkward eye contact first.

“I’ll get going then–Numby, come on.” She dropped her gaze down to the Trotter at Aventurine’s side, who gave one last huffing squeal at Aventurine before hopping off the couch.

“Wait, wait! Where are you going? There’s still plenty of room here–” Aventurine gestured to the otherwise empty break room. “I mean, you came here for a reason right? Unless, uh, you really find me that unpleasant to be around..”

Topaz’s face scrunched up, and she sighed. She looked between the door, Aventurine, and Numby before she finally muttered something under her breath and strode over to the couch, dropping herself onto the end opposite Aventurine. Numby instantly beelined for her, jumping up into her lap.

Okay, well… Aventurine had gotten her to stay, but that was as far as he’d thought out. Why did he get her to stay, again? There was something he wanted to know… kind of.

“So…” He started off, shoving his hands into his pockets. “How’ve you been?”

When he finally looked back at Topaz, she looked like she had bitten into a lemon. Wow. Tough crowd. The least she could do was make it a little less obvious she regretted her choice to stay just now.

“Can we not do this right now,” she said, and Aventurine internally winced. Maybe he was losing his touch. Time was, he could charm anyone with a smile and a couple thousand credits to go with it.

He raised his hands up in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay, no small talk, got it. Then, uh… how about work talk? Do you have anything to do as well, or are they just keeping you around like they are for me?”

Aventurine didn’t know it was possible, but Topaz’s face turned even sourer. Forget the lemon, it looked like she had taken a shot of pure vinegar.

“Alright, let’s scrap that part too, then,” he said hastily. The look on her face was all the answer he needed, really. “Um…”

He searched uselessly in his brain for something to talk about. He had pulled her in here to stay, so the least he could do was make things… less awkward, even if he was kind of failing at that at the moment. Small talk was out, shop talk was out… his gaze drifted down to Numby. Ah… come to think of it, Topaz did like her little critters, didn’t she? And he just so happened to have adopted a bunch of little critters not too long ago.

It was worth a shot.

“Do…” He started off hesitantly. Was this crossing the line into making too much of a personal relationship with a coworker? Then again… one of the last messages he had sent to that grey haired Trailblazer on the Astral Express, they had very bluntly replied— ‘Dude. You need more friends.’ It stung, but it was the truth. And in a normal job, it wasn’t that uncommon for coworkers to become friends after a while. “Do.. you wanna see photos of my pets?”

Topaz’s head swung around so fast that Aventurine swore he almost heard a snapping noise.

“You? You have pets?” She asked, dumbfounded.

“What’s that supposed to mean…”

“I don’t know, I just never pegged you for that kind of guy, especially since—Never mind. Show me.”

“Okay…”

A little demanding, but Aventurine wasn’t going to call her out on that now. Baby steps.

He took out his phone and opened it to his photo gallery, navigating to a folder that he kept all his cat cake photos in. He scrolled for a little bit until he found a good one—the three of them napping in the sun. A little bit of Ratio’s leg could be seen in the background, but it was so plain and blurry that it wasn’t obvious whose it was at all. Then again… it wasn’t exactly like Aventurine was hiding his relationship either. Aw, whatever. He handed the phone to Topaz, who gasped loudly.

“They’re so cute!!” She gushed, zooming in on the photo. “No way! Where did you get them? What are their names? I’ve never seen anything like them before!”

“Heh, they are, aren’t they? They’re from the—“ At this, he blanked for a moment, trying to remember what Ratio had said about where he’d adopted the kids from. “—Herta Space Station. This one here’s Rummy, that one’s Eights and over here—Fish. I don’t really know what they are still, but y’know, it’s fine. I think. There’s more if you just—“

Topaz lifted her eyes to look at him, arching a brow in surprise.

“Madam Herta’s Space Station? I’m surprised she pulled herself away from that big project of hers long enough to have anything to do with… whatever these little guys are.”

“Oh no, I don’t think she had anything to do with it, they were just living there at the time. I think it was actually someone else who made them… Mei? Something Mei? I can’t remember.”

Aventurine shrugged. At the time, Ratio had ranted at length about safety procedures and ill advised experiments, but he’d gone so quick that for once, Aventurine didn’t catch or understand much of it at all. He’d just resolved to let the man tire himself out and drag him into another rant about something he was actually passionate about later, and that was exactly what he did. That Aventurine had jumped his bones no less than ten minutes into that rant was a bit more memorable, but he didn’t think he could be blamed. Ratio was incredibly hot when he was lecturing on something he was invested in, and Aventurine was incredibly hot for Ratio.

“Huh…” Topaz swiped through a few more photos before shooting a quick glance up at him. “Wait, were you at Herta Space Station? How’d you get your hands on them?”

“Me? No. Ratio got them for me…” Aventurine said, just as Topaz swiped through the photos and landed on a picture of Ratio in his pyjamas, asleep on the couch with the cat cakes all napping on him as well. The rest of his explanation died in his throat. Oh, sh*t. Yeah, he couldn’t explain that one away easily. He just so happened to have a candid picture of Ratio in sleepwear, with three critters he’d just so proudly said were his? He was working up to the relationship reveal, damn it, and this threw his entire carefully planned sequence into chaos.

“I see,” she said evenly. She didn’t look at him. Aventurine didn’t know if that would have made the situation better or worse in that moment.

“Ratio is… um, Doctor Ratio, I mean.” He added lamely.

“Your Doctor Ratio? Yeah, I’m familiar.” Topaz said, and Aventurine screamed at himself inside his mind to say something—anything—to salvage the situation.

“Oh. Okay. That’s… that’s great. Wait, wait.” Hold on, what did she say? “What do you mean, my Doctor Ratio?”

At this, Topaz finally looked at him. She locked his phone and handed it back to him, the corner of her mouth twisting in a half-smile, half-grimace before it finally flattened out into something neutral.

“…You said he got them for you?”

Aventurine nodded.

“Right. Yeah. He did.”

Topaz only stared at him. After a while, a small suspicion started creeping up on him until he finally chuckled nervously. His internal screaming began to shift in tone until it sounded suspiciously like a certain doctor telling him he was an idiot. Fondly, albeit, but that did nothing to change the fact that Aventurine felt as though he had somehow lost the plot somewhere.

“…Okay, I see what you mean.” Aventurine said. Topaz just continued to stare at him, and when Numby turned their eyeless stare on him as well, he swore he actually felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck.

“We’re dating now, by the way.” He blurted out. f*ck. f*ck! Why had he said that? What was wrong with him? This was not at all how he wanted this to go, or how he saw it going in the first place. “Me and Ratio, I mean. He’s my boyfriend.”

Oh dear Amber Lord, just strike him down where he stood. If there was ever a time to disprove the notion that all Avgin were notorious silver tongues, it was now. In the case that it was actually true, then Aventurine was certainly bringing shame to his ancestors now–not that he was doing a stellar job of it in the first place, seeing as he was the only one left—all because he couldn’t stop saying sh*t.

Aventurine wished he could say the room went dead silent at that, but unfortunately, it did not. He still hadn’t muted the TV from when he had turned it on earlier, and the female lead had just gotten to a dramatic scene where she had just burst into tears and was sobbing loudly— which he felt like was a pretty accurate description of his life at the moment. Finally, Topaz replied.

“…Congrats?”

“Thanks…?” Okay, back up a moment here. Usually, when something like this happened, people usually got… excited, didn’t they? Or at least, they didn’t sound so confused about it. That had been what he’d seen from all his daytime soaps at least. “I thought you might be more, uh, surprised…”

At that, Topaz winced, which was probably the most emotion Aventurine had seen from her since he’d shown her his pet photos.

“Uh, well, to be honest, we all thought you were already dating but you just didn’t tell us all officially…” She said slowly, hugging Numby closer to her chest.

“And who’s we?”

“Oh, you know.” Topaz said vaguely. Aventurine definitely did not know, but he gave her room to elaborate anyway. She didn’t—at least, not in the way that he thought she might.

“Well, we weren’t actually sure if you guys were doing more than just hooking up and stuff, but it seemed pretty obvious there was something there.”

“Obvious.” Aventurine repeated, feeling a little lightheaded. The Ratio-sounding voice in his head got even louder. He ignored it.

“Every time I’ve seen him around you, it’s like he’s a completely different person,” Topaz continued, and as if to prove her point, Numby let out a quiet squeal, wiggling in her hold. “He gets all… goopy and puppyish for you.”

“Huh.” Aventurine said.

You are aware I have feelings for you, yes? The Ratio-voice in his head was saying now, and not only that, his mind was now filling with images of Ratio doting on him, smiling at him like he was some lovesick fool, gently patching up his wounds after a mission had gone sideways, shaking him awake in the middle of the night when he’d come to have a breakthrough in his current project and simply just had to tell someone about it–

And Aventurine realised, quite suddenly, that he really missed his boyfriend.

“But uh… exactly how long have you guys been together?”

“Since… Penacony.”

Oh, boy. Aventurine was so glad that he was sitting down then. If he’d been standing up, he might have honest to goddess swooned at the thought of Ratio being in love with him. He didn’t know how this kept happening. He would have thought he’d have gotten used to the idea by now, but every time it happened, it still left him feeling like he’d been concussed.

“Penacony, huh… So… I take it that’s what you’ve been doing all this time?”

“That’s right, we…” Aventurine broke off in the middle of his sentence when Topaz pulled out her phone and started texting someone. It was kind of bad form for a conversation, he felt, but he’d been guilty of doing the same plenty of times before, so he didn’t exactly think he had a right to complain about it. “Uh, sorry, do you need to take a call or–?”

“Oh, this?” Topaz blinked at him, and hurriedly shoved her phone back into her pocket. “No, no, sorry. I owe some of the Astral Express crew money now. There was… a betting pool going on.”

“And that bet was…”

At this, she coughed slightly, and looked away, a faint pinkness rising to her cheeks.

“...W-well, we were all interested to know what exactly was going on with the two of you. How was I supposed to know you only got together officially after Penacony?”

“You bet on how long it’d take for me to get together with my–with Ratio?”

She very pointedly did not meet Aventurine’s gaze at that, instead looking at Numby. Some sort of silent conversation seemed to happen between the two of them, and it ended with Topaz shaking her head slightly and scratching the Trotter behind an ear.

“You didn’t have to put it that way… But, uh… yeah…” She trailed off lamely.

Aventurine didn’t know whether to laugh or to actually be kind of impressed. Aha was probably laughing at the sheer irony of it all somewhere out there in the cosmos. The gambler’s love life was being bet on without himself being aware of it. It was the perfect setup. He suddenly was a little glad he’d only been a bit vague about his leave plans when he was texting the Trailblazer–otherwise the results of that bet would have come in a lot sooner.

When he blinked back into awareness, Topaz had drawn herself up onto the couch, resting her feet against the coffee table. She was finally looking at him again, albeit with half her face hidden behind Numby’s round body. Unlike before though, she didn’t look confused or otherwise blank-faced, but she did look thoughtful.

“Honestly?” She began, and Aventurine shot her a quizzical look. “I kind of didn’t recognise you earlier. You look way different.”

“Eh? I’m still wearing the same old same old.”

Same old same old was a little smaller on him than he remembered, but it still fit, so he wasn’t about to complain. It probably had shrunk in the wash or something.

(It didn’t. There was no way something as expensive as his work outfit could be machine washed or hand washed. It had to be dry cleaned at the bare minimum, and subject to a twenty five step specialty spot treatment every time he so much as wore it out to a ‘strategic investment’.)

“Not that,” she huffed. “You look, I dunno, happier? Healthier? Less like a strong wind could blow you over? It’s kinda weird. The whole time I’ve known you, you’ve always been kinda–y’know.”

She made a gesture with her hand, wiggling her fingers in a ‘so-so’ manner.

Oh.

Maybe… she had a point.

Ever since he’d started living with Ratio, he’d had stability. He was getting fed proper square meals three times a day, and only very rarely was that Synthesiser made. He had three cute furry children, and he slept better at night, even if he did sometimes wake up in a cold sweat. But Ratio was there each time too, holding him, brushing his sweaty bangs away from his forehead, and bringing him a cool glass of water.

Mostly, he wasn’t risking his life anymore. He didn’t have to rely on his luck except for if he wanted to do a favour for some of the cute little ducklings in Ratio’s classes with their gacha games. In that house, he wasn’t Aventurine of Stratagems, the IPC executive, or Kakavasha, the last blessed child of the Avgin. He was just someone who led a fairly normal life alongside someone that he loved. They were both his names and he wore them as he needed; sometimes with pride, sometimes with regret, but they were only ever halves of his whole–and Ratio, who knew him by both and knew him by more than either of them, was the only one who he felt like understood that.

“Well, I have been on leave for a while…”

But that was too much to explain to Topaz. Though… maybe he didn’t need to explain it to her.

Even as she lifted her eyes to the ceiling in exasperation, when she looked back at him, there was something warm and soft in it too. Aventurine had only heard about it secondhand, but he was sure of it. That kind of warmth was what earned her her success rate, and had been what caused her to blunder the Jarilo-VI project. She really was too sweet for her own good.

“Ugh–that’s not what I meant– forget it. I guess I’m trying to say… I’m happy for you. I’m glad to know that someone’s looking out for you…”

“...Thanks. I’m… pretty happy too,” Aventurine said, and for once, he felt like he meant it.

But.. yeah. That was definitely as much of a personal relationship with his coworker that he could manage at the moment. He was still on company time, and even if he was being paid to sit around, he wasn’t being paid to spill out his entire spiritual journey via death-by-Emanator and subsequent dick-so-good-he-saw-heaven. It was time to bring things back to work related matters, unfortunately.

“Any idea when you think Diamond’ll be done with Schneider?”

The conversation he’d had with Topaz this entire seemed to soften her up a bit though. This time, she didn’t immediately balk at the idea of talking about work, but she did frown and roll her eyes. Bless her for realising he wanted to move on from the topic though.

“Knowing them? Who knows. Especially since Penacony was pretty much a huge middle finger to Marketing Development. Could be a few days to a few weeks. Negotiations.” Topaz snorted, and Numby squealed in agreement. Negotiations indeed. It seemed like she thought the exact same about Diamond and Oswaldo’s favourite method of ‘negotiating’.

Aventurine dropped his head into his hands with a groan. This…actually had been what he’d been afraid of. A few days, he could handle, even if he wouldn’t be too happy about it. A few weeks, however… he might as well just have listened to Ratio at the beginning of it all and just refused to turn up in the first place.

“I wanna go home to my boyfriend…” he muttered half to himself, and Topaz gave him a deadpan stare out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh yeah? Chin up, loverboy. You better hope that whatever gives you luck rubs off on the rest of us, because I’m not too happy to be stuck waiting around here either.”

She said that, but Aventurine also knew for a fact that Topaz was single at the moment. She didn’t know what it was like to be in love. But if it got Diamond and Oswaldo to wrap up whatever crazy fling they were having, then he’d gladly pray to his goddess, or whatever Aeon that was listening, for a little bit of help.

In the end though, his goddess must have smiled on him once again, because Topaz was right.

A few days later, at an obscenely early hour in the morning, Aventurine received the team-wide email notifying him that negotiations between Oswaldo and Diamond had finally wrapped up, and they had reached a compromise. He took that to mean Diamond had finally bust a nut in Oswaldo and Oswaldo had finally caved, which meant that after the debrief, he could finally f*ck off and go home.

It had been a long few days, and he still wasn’t entirely sure what he had been called back for. He spent most of it cleaning his office, sitting around in stuffy meetings, and watching even more daytime television in the break room. He did spend one day down in the technology department’s research labs looking for something interesting he could swipe and bring back to Ratio, but he had been kicked out after accidentally causing a minor explosion.

It was totally unfair, in his opinion. It wasn’t even as if anyone got hurt, since he’d thrown up shields to protect them all, and he’d promised to cover the costs of the damages himself, but apparently, even Stonehearts needed the proper licences and accreditations to get into the labs. If he didn’t want to be reported, he’d have to leave, which was no fun at all. No wonder Ratio hated dealing with the IPC. Their bureaucracy truly left something to be desired.

He’d give Ratio a call before bed every night as well too. There was something domestic about that too, as he lay in bed with his phone next to his ear. He didn’t have much to contribute about his own days, as uneventful and full of the corporate slave experience that it was, but things seemed relatively entertaining on Ratio’s end at least. A lot of their calls was him listening to Ratio rant about whichever student or coworker that had failed to meet his standards once again, and a report on the cat cakes in his absence. It was nice, but it also made him miss Ratio a lot. To put it in Ratio’s terms, the phone calls were treating the symptoms, and not the cause. The phone calls were simply a stopgap measure for the overall issue of being physically separated.

Aventurine took the debrief call in his newly cleaned office with his microphone muted and camera off. Unsurprisingly, Diamond was also muted for the whole thing while Jade, Pearl and Obsidian delivered the reports with their usual brisk efficiency. Aventurine couldn’t exactly say he was paying attention. He was much too busy scrolling through the photos on his phone, trying to pick out which would be good ones to get printed and put on his desk. That one of Ratio at the resort planet for sure, that one of him and Ratio on a date for their one month anniversary, that one of Ratio imitating one of his sillier statues when he thought nobody was looking…

“—Aventurine? Still with us?”

Jade’s voice rang out over the call, and Aventurine straightened up instantly from his slouch on his office chair. Technically, he didn’t even have to. His camera was off, for Qlipoth’s sake. But Jade knew. Somehow, she always did.

sh*t. What had been the question again?

He fumbled for the call screen and unmuted himself.

“Uh, yeah! Yeah, you have my full support,” he said hastily. “Whatever you need, I’ll do it.”

Maybe he shouldn’t have said that. He knew better than to agree to anything Jade said straight up without checking the terms and agreements, verbally, written, or otherwise.

Thankfully though, she didn’t seem to call him out on it.

“Well, someone sounds like they’re eager to get back in the field,” Jade said with a hint of amusem*nt. There was a slight ruffle of papers from her end of the call, and Aventurine’s stomach dropped. “What assignment should we give to our little peaco*ck next then, hmm?”

Really? They wouldn’t send him out on a mission immediately after dragging him back, would they? There was paperwork for this sort of thing, doctor’s clearance, rules—that applied to him, even if they wouldn’t let him quit peacefully. After a beat of silence, Jade chuckled.

“Haha, that’s only a rhetorical question. This deal with Marketing Development will keep us busy for quite some time. There’s that saying… keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, yes? I don’t expect there to be much off-site work in the coming weeks. Just be ready to be on call. That will be all for today. Good work, everyone.”

Jade ended the call from her side, and the rest of his coworkers left one by one as well, until he was the only one remaining in the meeting room. With a sigh, Aventurine left as well, setting his phone back on his desk.

That was too close for comfort.

He didn’t have an issue with making it known he was taken, nor did he think he could ever really hide it in the first place. Diamond had his sticky fingers in all sorts of cosmic pies, and through him, there was nothing that Jade didn’t know either. Topaz knew already, for obvious reasons, but it was a gamble that his bosses wouldn’t do anything about it, and so far, they didn’t seem interested in calling his bluff. What he did take offence to was the idea of having to go out on another trip and having to stay separated from Ratio for even longer. He didn’t know how some of those kids at the university managed to ever do long distance. Here he was, a few days gone, and he was already wilting like a dying flower. Truly, the next generation were far bolder and stronger than any of their predecessors ever were.

Still, at least there was one bright side to his day.

Finally, his long ass work trip was f*cking over. Now he could go home.

The ship landed back on Veritas Prime in the late afternoon, which was perfect for Aventurine. It was drizzling lightly as he left the spaceport, which wasn’t so perfect, but as long as it stayed like that and didn’t get worse, then Aventurine was content to leave it be.

As much as he would have liked to leg it straight to the university, his actual first order of business was to go home to drop off all his luggage.

He also missed the snacks too.

When he opened the door, they swarmed the entryway, hopping over Aventurine’s feet and mewling for attention.

“Whoah, calm down you three! I wasn’t even gone that long! Papa wasn’t that mean to you all, was he?”

He crouched down, and the three of them wasted no time in flinging themselves closer. One all but forced itself into his arms as the others scrambled up to perch on his shoulders. He hugged the one in his arms close as he wandered further into the house.

So far, so good. Nothing seemed to have changed dramatically in his absence. He could never be sure with the three snacks being as precocious as they were, but things were as neat as ever. Still, he knew that appearances were deceiving. There was a tupperware of sliced apples in the fridge, probably prepared in advance by Ratio for later, but Aventurine helped himself to it as he lapped the house.

One thing he hadn’t told Topaz before was that despite acting like actual cats for the most part, the three snacks were also disarmingly smart. Aventurine didn't know what kind of life they had been through before he’d adopted them, but maybe the fact that they lived on a research focused space station should have given him a clue. Even though he’d named them all, they took after Ratio in their nature.

Every time the both of them had left them alone for too long, some kind of experiment would pop up in the house. He was all for encouraging them to follow their passions, but sometimes, even he had to admit it was too much. Ratio thought it was downright charming though, and he was unfairly soft on them. If it was any of his actual human students making such unsafe experiments, he’d have chewed them out for it, but with the snacks, all he did was give them a gentle lecture on safety procedures—not that it ever seemed to stick.

It wasn’t until he got to the spare room that he found something off. When he opened the door, he wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking at. It seemed like a fully functional lab, if a lab was built out of pots, pans, and some of Ratio’s actual scientific equipment that he kept at home. He glanced down at the cat cake in his arms, who looked back at him innocently, before he quietly shut the door.

Yeah, he was going to leave that to the professionals to disassemble. His recent track record with labs was not great, and he’d rather have an explosion happen in the blast proof IPC labs than in his house. Ratio could deal with it when he got home.

There were more important things at hand anyway.

Aventurine had come up with a plan, and that plan was fairly simple.

There was always a common misconception that just because he left a lot of outcomes in his plan up to luck, he just didn’t have any. That was false information, plain and simple. Gambling was equally about strategy as it was luck, and he knew when to play his cards and when to fold to hit jackpot.

That being said, it didn’t mean all of his plans were overly complicated like the one he had cooked up at Penacony, or barring that, the one that had landed him in front of the IPC on trial all those years ago. If he could go for a simple solution that suited his own terms, then he would.

The steps for this one weren’t complicated at all.

Step one: Go to the University of Veritas Prime, and surprise his boyfriend.

Step two: Seduce him in his office, and get him to f*ck his brains out.

All things considered, it was a pretty solid plan, Aventurine thought.

The seeds of it had been sown quite a long while ago, and the most he had done to help it along at the time was to stash some lube and condoms at the back of the bottom drawer of Ratio’s desk in his office at the university. Somehow, the chance never came, much to Aventurine’s disappointment.

He had missed his boyfriend like a bitch for the entirety of his work trip though, and cleaning his office had given him some fun, if not possibly inadvisable ideas. Probably no reunion sex could measure up to what he went through after returning from the Primordial Dreamscape, but he reckoned that this could be a pretty close contender, if he played his cards right.

His first meeting with Ratio had been in his Pier Point office, and it had been where Aventurine had pressed a gun into his hands and pulled the trigger for him. He’d had several fantasies for days after that of Ratio yanking the gun out his hands, bending him over his desk and f*cking him until he cried, but that was neither here nor there.

Seeing as Ratio was very decidedly not at Pier Point, his mind had wandered to the next best thing.

After he finished his apples and towed all his luggage in the living room to be unpacked later, he went to go pick out a simple, but tasteful outfit for his afternoon trip. One of Ratio’s shirts, too big on him and draping over his hands, the sweater he’d stolen at the start of the trip, and that pair of pants that made his ass look good. It couldn’t be seen very well under the hem of Ratio’s giant clothes, but once they were (hopefully) off, he was sure that he’d made the right call. Aventurine might be the tit* man in the relationship, but Ratio was definitely the ass man, and he was going to cash in on that without a doubt.

Although Ratio preferred baths by far, his place still had a perfectly functional shower, and it was a pretty nice one too. It was pretty good for getting cleaned up when they were in a hurry, or too messy to hop straight in the bath. They’d even f*cked a few times in there, and Aventurine wasn’t ashamed to admit that despite the cold tiles at his back or nearly slipping and braining himself on the door, the shower sex they’d had was not bad at all.

Those were the memories that naturally came to mind as he worked himself open on his own fingers. Under the spray, any whimpers he let out mixed with the water and swirled down the drain. Still, he worked quickly and methodically. He might have been pent up for sure, but he was determined to come on his boyfriend’s co*ck, or not at all.

When he stepped out of the shower, Aventurine felt much more relaxed, which was quite the feat considering he’d ended up edging himself a few times in his attempt to get himself ready. He’d had to switch the temperature to cold at the end so that he could make his boner go down, but he reasoned that it’d perk back up soon anyway—or, in however long it took for him to make his way over to Ratio’s office at the university.

He dressed quickly, throwing on one final spritz of perfume before he left. He’d actually sent a message to Ratio earlier to let him know that he’d finished up work early, but he wasn’t expecting a reply. He was banking on the man being too busy to check his phone, and with his luck, everything would work out the way he wanted it to.

The rain had picked up a little bit when he stepped out on the street, but it was still manageable. Aventurine opened up his umbrella, and started walking out towards the University of Veritas Prime.

By now, he knew by heart the route he had to take to get to Ratio’s office building. It was a little further out from the main campus and it was one of the older buildings, but it just meant they had more room to themselves for when they had lunch together.

Ratio’s actual office was on the top floor of that building, and people needed to climb several sets of stairs to get up to it. He had been given it when he’d been awarded First Class Honours, apparently, and he’d wasted no time in making that space his own. It was perfectly soundproofed, spacious, and private, which was entirely why Aventurine had actually entertained the thought of his fun little idea beyond a fleeting fantasy.

There wasn’t many people around by the time he arrived, possibly owing to the rain, but as he made his way up the familiar stairs that led to his boyfriend’s office, he couldn’t help the warm feeling that began to settle in his chest.

Despite his intentions, he really did miss Ratio.

At the end of the hall was Ratio’s office. His door was made out of a solid dark wood and set with a golden knocker in the shape of an owl. There was a plaque on the wall that bore his name, title, and all his fancy doctorates, as though the person who was seeking him out wasn’t probably already aware of them. It was cute, really. Ratio was only ever humble when it suited him, but every other time, he was a prideful little bastard.

But this was it. All or nothing.

Aventurine lifted the knocker, and let it sound against the door three times. A moment later, Ratio’s voice echoed out from behind it, slightly muffled, but still audible.

“Come in.”

Aventurine’s heart leapt up into his throat, and he couldn’t help the way his hands shook slightly as he twisted the doorknob. Stupid. What was he getting so nervous for? It wasn’t as if he was a schoolgirl meeting her crush after hours or anything.

…Was he?

When he closed the door behind him and looked ahead, Ratio was hunched over his desk, not even looking up from his papers. His glasses were on, and the laurel hairpin he wore was slightly askew, as though he’d been running his hands through his hair in frustration. The lingering warmth in Aventurine’s chest from earlier turned into something more twisted. A regular person probably couldn’t tell, but he could see that Ratio was under some obvious stress right now. How had things gotten this bad in the span of a day?

“Whatever you have to say, make it quick,” Ratio said briskly. He still didn’t look up from his papers. “I have many things to attend to today, and no patience for—“

Okay, f*ck it. Change of plan. His poor doctor needed some serious spoiling, which meant that Aventurine would have to step up his game on this one.

“—Honey, I’m home~” He singsonged, and it was only then that Ratio finally snapped his head up. The pen in his hand actually slipped from his grasp as he gaped at Aventurine. A beat of silence passed as he struggled to form a coherent thought.

“You’re… back early,” he eventually said, and Aventurine rolled his eyes. What a lukewarm response. Eight PhDs, and that was the best his boyfriend could come up with? Whatever. He could make it work, or else he wasn’t Aventurine of Stratagems.

Aventurine dumped his umbrella to the side and shucked off his sweater, hanging it up on the statue that Ratio kept by the door. As much as Ratio protested it, he’d eventually caved too, and that statue had unfortunately become the designated coat rack for the both of them.

“I thought I’d surprise you!” Aventurine continued, dropping himself into one of the chairs across from Ratio. “Man, this weather really sucks though. You’re not even in class right now, what reason do you have not to check your phone?”

At this, Ratio’s eyes darted to his phone, which was laying face down on his desk. It was a rhetorical question, mostly. Aventurine knew that he only picked up calls when he was hyperfocused on work, and not that many people called him at all. It was either him, very occasionally his parents, or even rarer than that, one of his colleagues from the Guild that he actually had some amount of respect for.

“When did you get back? Why didn’t you call me to come pick you up?”

“An hour or two ago.” Aventurine said, waving a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, babe. I didn’t want to bother you when you were busy.”

“You are not a bother to me—“

“—And if you were in the middle of a class?” Aventurine countered, and Ratio cut himself off. He leant back in his chair, but he didn’t look all too happy— mostly because he knew Aventurine was right.

But that was enough screwing around. It was time for him to put his plan into action. The original plan was to make good use of that table, but seeing his poor boyfriend nearly at his wits end had changed some things for Aventurine. The table was still going to have its uses, but it was obvious that Ratio needed a real treat.

In a smooth motion, he stood up and cleared the width of Ratio’s desk in a vault, planting himself firmly on the edge closest to Ratio, which was conveniently right in his personal space as well. Ratio’s protests died in his throat the second Aventurine stretched out his leg and started stroking up his calf with the tip of his shoe.

Bingo.

Taking advantage of Ratio’s stunned silence, Aventurine leaned forward and reached out a hand, tipping his chin up with his index finger.

“I have to say, though, I missed you a lot, Veritas,” he purred. Ratio swallowed, but otherwise didn’t even blink. He kept his eyes on Aventurine, and something heated and dark pooled in Aventurine’s chest, settling possessively against his heart. The world could be burning for all he cared, and he’d let it if it meant he’d get even just one glance from Veritas Ratio. “You don’t know how lonely I was, at my place in Pier Point… Such a big bed, and I had to spend all my nights there in it by myself…”

“I was thinking of you the whole time,” Aventurine continued, dropping his voice to a low whisper. He trailed his hand down from Ratio’s chin to splay against his chest, and used that to brace himself as he leant in further to whisper in Ratio’s ear. “Nobody else knows me like you do… Nobody else fills me up like you do… Nobody else satisfies me like you do…”

Ratio shuddered, and shifted in his seat. Aventurine didn’t even have to look down to know that there would be a tent in the front of Ratio’s pants right now. It was just that easy. It meant that step one was working as planned, and he was making good progress towards step two.

He pulled back enough to slide his lips against Ratio’s own, drawing him into a heated kiss. It only took a second before Ratio’s hands found themselves on Aventurine’s waist, and his kiss eagerly returned. He nipped at Ratio’s bottom lip, and with each little breathy moan, Aventurine greedily swallowed them down whole.

When he finally pulled away, Ratio’s lips were kiss-bitten, red, and slightly swollen from his efforts. Aventurine licked his lips, throwing a smirk down to Ratio.

“Did you miss me too? My poor, sweet, doctor, all alone in his office, working late nights, getting more and more stressed without any way to vent it… Don’t worry. I know what you need.”

Showtime.

Aventurine slid himself off the desk to stand in front of Ratio, but he didn’t keep himself upright for much longer. He dropped to his knees, wriggling himself back slightly into a more comfortable position under Ratio’s desk. The hard wooden flooring wasn’t ideal, but at least it was easier than carpet to clean. He had a feeling that it was going to get messier than he anticipated, sooner than he’d anticipated.

Ratio regained his wits sometime around the time Aventurine popped the last button on his pants. By then though, it was already too late.

Ratio was already half hard when Aventurine pulled him out of his underwear, and the weight of him was hot and heavy in his palm. He’d left his usual gloves off this time around, mostly because he’d had the forethought to realise that he wanted to be able to touch Ratio all over without anything between them. Good on past Aventurine for breaking through his horny haze enough to make that decision. It was certainly paying off now.

Aventurine made to move in, but Ratio got the better of him for once, pushing Aventurine away by the side of his head. The joke was on him though—for all that he had those massive biceps on display, they did nothing when it came to Aventurine and his unabashed desire for Ratio’s co*ck. Instead of actually shoving Aventurine away like he probably wanted to, all it served to do was cause his co*ck to slide up against Aventurine’s cheek instead, smearing precome across half his face.

Aventurine took it in stride, making a second attempt to get at his prize, and this time, Ratio’s hand found its mark at the back of collar, yanking him back. Ratio’s eyes flickered upwards briefly towards the old grandfather clock that Aventurine knew he kept against the far wall of his office. It had been an antique gifted by one of his old professors when he had completed one of his doctorates, and more than once, it had jolted Aventurine awake from a good nap with its chime. He didn’t like it very much, but he kept his mouth shut about it because Ratio very obviously cherished it. Right now, he was very seriously contemplating the idea of going over to it and dropping a stack of his Imaginary chips onto it. Why the hell was Ratio so focused on that, and not the fact that Aventurine was on his knees in front of him, ready to suck him off?!

“I have a student coming any minute now, I cannot do this with you right now. Damn gambler, are you insane?!” Ratio hissed down at him, and Aventurine rolled his eyes. Like he hadn’t heard that one before—both the student excuse and the being called insane part. It was always ‘No, darling, I will not go ‘one more time’ with you, or I’m going to be late for my meeting,’ or ‘No, love, I am not going to spend the time to tie you up when I have to get ready for my practical class’. He always caved in the end, and Aventurine was sure that this would be the case this time too. After all, someone was seriously underestimating how much self control he had when it came down to it.

“Sure you can!” Aventurine chirped, reaching around to unhook Ratio’s hand from the back of his collar. He shuffled forward slightly, bracing himself against Ratio’s thighs. “And I think my friend here agrees.”

“Aventurine—“

Which was as much warning as Ratio got before Aventurine sank his mouth down on his co*ck, and swallowed it down to the root.

The thing about Aventurine was that he had f*ck all for a gag reflex.

It was already on its way out from when he was a child and had to eat questionable things with dubious origins in order to survive. His sister really did try her best to make it palatable, but there was only so much she could do sometimes. Regrettably, the rest of it had been trained out of him by men who liked to stick their dicks into anything that could be called a hole, and by the time he had been made a Stoneheart and shoved into fancy business meetings and galas that were thinly veiled excuses to trade sexual favours for information and contracts, Aventurine had pretty much accepted that it was gone for good.

On the bright side, it made for one hell of a party trick.

Although Ratio would never admit it outright, Aventurine knew that it drove him at least a little bit crazy. On the even brighter side, unlike those men, Ratio would actually check in on him if it ever got to the point where it was actually painful—though it usually didn’t.

Admittedly, Aventurine was a bit too focused on trying to get into a more comfortable position to hear whatever noise Ratio had let out at that, but he considered it a pretty successful move when Ratio’s hand buried itself into his hair and didn’t make a move to pull him off. His other hand was clenched tightly around the end of his armrest in a white knuckled grip. Hah. So much for not being able to do this with him now, eh, Ratio?

Aventurine ignored the pinprick tears that sprung up in the corner of his eyes in favour of swallowing around the co*ck down his throat a few times. In the grand scheme of things, a couple tears were nothing, and the heavy groan that he got out of Ratio for it went straight to his own dick.

He could finish this quickly if he wanted.

Much to Ratio’s despair, Aventurine was indeed a quick study to anything he put his mind to, but what he put his mind to was often… not academically oriented.

In the months that they had been together, Aventurine very quickly learned which spots on Ratio’s body were the most sensitive, and what he had to do to milk his org*sms from him. If there was a degree in Ratio-ology, Aventurine would not only major in finding the best ways to make him come, but have a doctorate in it.

Even if he didn’t have a gag reflex, it still took time for him to work his way up to fitting all of his boyfriend’s dick in his mouth at once. Ratio was packing more than an IPC astral freighter, put simply, and while Aventurine wasn’t complaining, it did mean he had to put in more effort to up his game. Now, he could do it pretty easily, even if it left his throat a wreck afterwards. Ratio had immediately come down his throat the first time he’d managed it successfully, and the dopamine he’d gotten from that made it all worth it to Aventurine. Long term interest paid great dividends.

But he also had to consider his own needs, as Ratio kept lecturing him about, and right now, his needs were to drag this out and see how long it would take for the good doctor to crack.

f*ck. He’d missed this, truly.

As much as he wished he could have kept his boyfriend’s co*ck down his throat for longer, his lung capacity unfortunately did not match up to his lack of a gag reflex, and it was slightly mournfully that Aventurine pulled his head back—just enough that he could take in a couple of breaths through his nose. This close to Ratio, he could smell the deep muskiness that clung to this part of him, as well as the barest hint of the floral scent that Ratio preferred to wear.

“You are so—“ Ratio breathed out hoarsely, and Aventurine pulled off with a quiet pop, flashing a smirk up at him.

“Don’t try and pin this on me, babe,” he cooed. He pressed an open mouthed kiss to a spot just under the head of Ratio’s co*ck, and the whole thing twitched under his lips. “I don’t see this part of you complaining—“

And then, there was a knock at the door.

Ratio’s eyes instantly zeroed in on the door, and had all the blood not already rushed to his dick, then it probably would have drained from his face.

“Professor Ratio? Can I come in?”

Oh hoh ho. So the good doctor really wasn’t lying. He really did have a student scheduled to come see him.

Aventurine caught Ratio’s eye, and waggled his eyebrows at him, earning him a scowl in response.

It was a funny thing. Aventurine had seen Ratio’s brilliant mind in action countless times by now. It only took a second or two for him to solve complex equations in his head, or calculate the trajectory of a perfectly aimed chalk throw into the forehead of whichever brainless fool had ticked him off. Right now, Aventurine could say with almost complete certainty that Ratio was currently calculating his responsibilities to his students against his desire to start f*cking his mouth like his life depended on it.

“If you’re busy, I can come back… tomorrow?”

Oh, now that wouldn’t do.

Without breaking eye contact, Aventurine tipped his head back slightly, and opened his mouth to take a deep breath.

Another thing about Aventurine was that he was loud.

This, also regrettably, was something he picked up in his pre-Ratio days. He had quickly realised that the louder he moaned, whoever was f*cking him at the time would think that they were doing a better job than they actually were, and they wouldn’t actually notice how Aventurine would actually be lying there thinking about how he could literally be doing anything else. It was a performance art, and he was damn good at it. Even a Masked Fool couldn’t have done better.

It wasn’t until he started sleeping around with Ratio that he actually stopped faking it. The first time he had tried one of his certified ‘Avgin whor*’ moans on Ratio, the man had gotten so unbelievably annoyed that he had flipped Aventurine over, and promptly pounded him to the point that he couldn’t form any conscious thought, let alone vocalise them. It was one of the scant handful of times that Aventurine had actually been struck silent by pleasure and his mouth wasn’t otherwise occupied by anything else at the time.

Of course, over time, as he became more familiar with Ratio and the dick that was attached to him, that loudness came back with a vengeance. It wasn’t even that Aventurine had to fake it. No, it was because Ratio was literally just that good at making him come undone. His mind might have clocked out, but his mouth kept running on autopilot, and as it turned out, that was very much him being excessively vocal. He had to show his appreciation somehow, and this was one of the better ways to do it — Even if it did net them a noise complaint once or twice whenever they went on a trip somewhere.

Ratio’s eyes flickered back to the door, and in that instant, Aventurine knew that he had made his final decision. He’d laid out a trap, and even though Ratio knew it was there, he still willingly walked into it, and now, he had fallen for it—

Hook, line and sinker.

When he glanced back down at Aventurine, only a ring of amber was left in Ratio’s eyes, completely swallowed up by the dark of his pupils as they were.

“Be quiet,” he hissed. It was all the warning Aventurine got before Ratio buried a hand in his hair, and yanked him forward, hard, onto his waiting co*ck.

Aventurine didn’t choke, but it was a near thing.

He didn’t gag, because that was something that he simply didn’t do anymore, but he did almost choke, because any person would if they had to suddenly swallow down a huge mouthful of co*ck. As far as he was concerned, they were two completely different things. One of them had him actively running the risk of throwing up while the other was just a mild inconvenience at its worst, and one hell of a kink at best.

Above him, he vaguely registered Ratio ushering his student in, and the rustling of clothes as whoever it was took a seat in the chair he had been occupying only moments before.

Aventurine really couldn’t hold this position for all too much longer though. Granted, Ratio throwing him into the first stage of a facef*ck of his own volition was extremely hot of him, but he was losing points for not following through on it.

At almost the exact moment he thought that though, the grip Ratio had on his head loosened slightly, and a hand carded soothingly through his hair before it lifted away to reach for a drawer. Ugh. Bastard. Even when he was rough, he was sweet. When that hand didn’t instantly return as Aventurine slowly eased Ratio’s co*ck out of his throat, he dropped his head onto Ratio’s thigh for a quick breather.

Ratio was murmuring something to his student and Aventurine only caught a few words out of it all. ‘Philosophy’, ‘workshop’, ‘supplementary’—his voice was remarkably even for someone who was getting his dick sucked (kind of) mere minutes ago. It couldn’t fool Aventurine though. He heard every tiny hitch of breath and stumbled syllable in Ratio’s voice as he tongued lazily at the rest of the length left in his mouth.

Hmm… a good effort on his part, but Aventurine would see how he’d hold up with what he had planned next. It took two to play a game, and he wasn’t about to lose now.

He’d stay quiet for now, but that was mainly for Ratio’s benefit than his. Was Aventurine actually a little freak who was actually getting off on the idea of possibly getting caught giving head under the table like in a sh*tty p*rno?

Well, quite frankly, yes.

Granted, this particular kink he didn’t know he had until literally just then, but as far as he was concerned, it was just another one to add onto the pile. Keeping his noise to a minimum was more so for keeping his options open in the future. It wouldn’t do to actually get caught and banned from the premises or else he’d be locking himself out of more fun later on.

He had to be pretty careful about how he did this, but Aventurine was nothing if not calculated. He drew back slowly until only the head of Ratio’s co*ck was left in his mouth, wrapped his lips right around the tip, and dug his tongue into the slit. Above him, Ratio let out a strangled cry that he quickly turned into a heavy cough. Ooh. That was a good save, but he couldn’t use that one again, and Aventurine was going to make sure of it.

“Um… professor, is everything alright?” The student’s voice floated out timidly from the other side of the desk, and Aventurine almost wanted to laugh. He didn’t, as that would have defeated the purpose of his self imposed vow of silence, but if only they knew what was happening right now. Ratio could try and pretend he was the aloof and respectable professor that he wanted everyone to believe he was, but Aventurine knew who he really was. Ratio could deny it all he wanted, but he was just as perverted and degenerate as Aventurine was. They truly were perfect for each other.

“E-everything is fine. Please, continue.”

Ratio was so close to cracking, Aventurine just knew it. Just a bit more, and he’d either get the show of his life, or go through one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. It was a gamble, and he felt pretty good about his odds.

…But he really had to hurry things up soon. His own dick was starting to ache, and if Ratio didn’t clue in and start wrapping things up, then Aventurine couldn’t be held accountable for what would happen next. He’d had his share of fun from this part of his plan, and he was ready to start moving onto the next.

Maybe he needed more of a reminder.

Aventurine started off with small, kittenish licks around the head of Ratio’s co*ck first before he really went at it, alternating swirling his tongue and suckling lightly. From above, Ratio completely stilled. His answer to his student went unfinished as he trailed off halfway.

Slowly, but surely, Aventurine eased himself back down along the length in his mouth until his nose hit the neat trim of hair at the base of Ratio’s co*ck, held it there for a few seconds, and pulled back again. He repeated this a few times, and with each time, he heard Ratio’s breathing get heavier and heavier as he tried to get himself under control.

“Um… Professor, are you sure you’re alright? You really don’t look well…”

“I…”

That was his cue. As he pulled back this time, he added the gentlest scrape of teeth to the underside of Ratio’s co*ck, and the man honest to goddess groaned. It was quiet, but it was all Aventurine needed to know that he’d won, and the student, bless their heart, seemed to stand up. There was the sound of a chair scraping against the floor and a hurried rustling of paper.

“You know what, it’s fine! This is enough. Thank you for all your help. I’ll get going, and uh… you just rest up, okay professor? Don’t stay out too late! I know how it is. The weather’s just terrible these days. It’s too easy to get sick, haha!”

Ratio couldn’t even manage a response to that.

The moment those footsteps had faded away, Aventurine finally took the chance to look up at Ratio. He’d been so focused on the task at hand that he hadn’t been keeping track of anything other than what he could hear.

The student was gone now though, which meant Aventurine could finally let loose a little bit. Vow of silence time was over—he could be as loud as he wanted.

He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and peered up at Ratio from under his lashes. Ratio’s student really hadn’t been exaggerating. The good doctor looked like a mess. A thin sheen of sweat had broken out over his face, and his eyes were unfocused and distant when he gazed back down at Aventurine. It was easy to assume that he might have been powering through some sort of illness like a champ, but the signs of just being extremely f*cking horny in the man were painfully obvious to Aventurine, who was entirely the reason for it in the first place.

Oh well. Let him be. There was nobody else around now, after all.

Aventurine got back to it like a man possessed. The tiny space under the desk became his own personal echo chamber as he moaned and slurped messily at the co*ck in his mouth. Some of the noises bouncing around underneath the desk were definitely his, but he wouldn’t be surprised if some of Ratio’s own moans were mixed into that too. Somewhere along the line, both of Ratio’s hands found themselves winding into Aventurine’s hair again, not quite tugging at it but not quite running through it either.

“Aventurine, I—“ Ratio choked out, and Aventurine paused for just a moment. He glanced up at Ratio, catching his eye, and in that instant, a wordless silence passed between them that spoke of everything the both of them needed to know. Aventurine closed his eyes and gave a tiny nod of his head.

Go ahead, use me as you wish. If it’s you, then anything….

Ratio’s grip in his hair tightened to hold his head in place, and he began to f*ck earnestly into Aventurine’s mouth. All he could do was sit there and take it as with each thrust, tears gathered in his eyes and spit spilled from around his lips, dripping down his chin. The world narrowed down to just him on his knees and Ratio’s co*ck, slamming mercilessly down his throat. With each stroke, Aventurine swore he went deeper and deeper until in all of his lust-filled haze, he wasn’t sure where he ended and Ratio began.

Maybe years had passed, but some part of Aventurine’s logical brain registered that it had maybe only been a minute or two that had gone by before Ratio was coming into his mouth with a guttural groan, falling back in his seat.

Thick spurts of come hit his tongue, heady and hot, and Aventurine gulped down each one like the greedy bastard he was. Waste not, want not, as they said, and he’d never been one for wasting food. He’d spent half his life hungry and begging for scraps, and if a full course meal like Ratio’s co*ck and come was being delivered, quite literally, into his mouth, then who was Aventurine to argue against that?

After he swallowed down the last mouthful, he wasted no time in getting up to crawl into Ratio’s lap and slot their mouths together in a hungry kiss. His legs prickled with pins and needles, and his own, still clothed erection pressed painfully against the front of his pants, but he could bear it all for a minute longer as he lost himself in the velvet heat of Ratio’s mouth.

When he finally broke off for air, a long string of saliva trailed after him, snapping and falling between them. Ratio was just as breathless as he was, and Aventurine couldn’t help but to pull him in for another kiss, this time quick and chaste at the corner of his mouth.

“Mm… You know, I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for a chance to do that,” he murmured sweetly against Ratio’s lips, and Ratio reared his head back to stare incredulously at Aventurine.

“You— This— In my office— really?” He stammered, and Aventurine leered at him, trailing his hands up Ratio’s torso. He was only wearing a fairly simple button up today alongside a thick cardigan, much to Aventurine’s delight. Very easy to take off. He started picking his way down Ratio’s buttons, popping each one open to reveal his boyfriend’s toned chest. Why a scholar needed such huge f*cking tit* the size of a moon each, he’d never know, but f*ck if Aventurine didn’t love them.

“Well, it was actually my office first, bu-ut—” Aventurine pressed closer. The slightest grind of his dick against Ratio’s stomach had him moaning. f*ck, why had he worn these pants again? Just because they made his ass look good? Past him might have had the right idea with skipping the gloves, but he had really dropped the ball on picking something that didn’t make his dick feel like it was in a pressure cooker. He really needed out of these. “I like yours better. And not exactly like that, but what can I say, I’m— ah! F-flexible.”

“You are utterly incorrigible,” Ratio growled, and Aventurine would be lying if the sound of his voice didn’t send a shiver down his spine.

“And if I am, then what are you–oh!” The rest of Aventurine’s teasing quickly turned into a yelp as Ratio hooked his fingers into the waistband of his pants and yanked them down alongside his underwear in one harsh pull. He hissed as his aching dick met the cool air. f*cking finally.

He shimmied the rest of his pants down to his ankles and kicked them off to the side along with his shoes before readjusting himself in Ratio’s lap.

More importantly, Aventurine could feel Ratio’s co*ck begin to stir up again from where it was pressed against his bare ass. And people thought he was the insatiable one as well. This stuffy doctor had the stamina of a horse and he was hung like one too.

Ratio’s hands settled on Aventurine’s waist as he grinded down onto Ratio’s rapidly fattening co*ck. Step two… step two… what had that been again? Step two… Ah, right.

“Bottom… bottom drawer,” Aventurine whined, reaching back for Ratio’s desk, and Ratio narrowed his eyes, leaning forward to pull it open. His movement had him brushing against Aventurine’s co*ck again and he keened loudly.

Eventually, Ratio’s fingers closed around the bottle of lube that Aventurine had stashed there weeks prior, but he didn’t get any of the condoms. Whatever then. He could work with Ratio coming in his ass.

It took a second for Ratio to register what he was holding, but once he did, his erection throbbed against Aventurine’s ass, and he cackled in response.

“When did you… Were you so certain that this would happen?!”

“It’s happening right now, isn’t it? So I’d—hah—say so, yeah!”

Before Ratio could retort, Aventurine plucked the bottle from his hands and popped it open. He poured out a generous amount onto his fingers before tossing it aside. They could grab that later. Working quickly, he reached back to slick up his boyfriend’s co*ck, and Ratio shuddered beneath him.

“Just sit back and relax, babe,” Aventurine purred. “I’m—mm—not done with you yet.”

Checking that he was still stretched and open was a quick and rushed affair. One finger, two—just to spread around a bit of lube, then out again. Maybe not the most advisable, but Aventurine was so horny he had barely managed to remember to use it anyway, and from the way Ratio’s co*ck was dripping with it, he hoped it would be enough. Probably. Hopefully.

With one hand he reached behind him for Ratio’s co*ck, while with the other he braced himself against Ratio’s thigh. Aventurine lifted his hips up slightly, lined himself up, and let himself drop right onto his boyfriend’s dick.

For a brief, singular moment, his mind whited out with pure, carnal pleasure—the exact moment that a star exploded into supernova. When he snapped back into reality, Ratio’s hands were cupping his face, and his eyes were wild with concern.

“Are you out of your mind, gambler?!” He snapped, frantic. He always did this when he was annoyed over Aventurine, though… he didn’t really know if annoyed was the right word to use here. “You—I don’t even—!“

“I’m.. I’m fine,” Aventurine panted, lifting his own hands to place them over Ratio’s own. “I— got myself ready for you. Earlier. Just… Just one sec…”

Great Gaiathra, a few days away from Ratio, and he’d already lost his touch. Aventurine hadn’t been a virgin for a very long time now, but here he was, acting all overwhelmed from even the slightest of touches.

…Well. Granted, he did have a massive co*ck shoved up his ass, but he at least used to have a better threshold for this kind of thing. Maybe a couple more rounds in the next few days would get it back up to snuff. Yeah. That sounded good.

As Aventurine tried to get his breathing back under control, Ratio’s lips pursed, and his thumbs started stroking over Aventurine’s face.

“…Are you alright?” He asked quietly, all his previous outrage now washed away by gentle concern. Aventurine’s heart seized. f*ck. He really did not deserve this man. Anyone else would have taken his answer at face value, but not Ratio. Never Ratio. “You don’t have to do this.”

He really did. Sometimes, Aventurine thought that Ratio knew him better than he knew himself, but at other times, there were still things that fell through the gaps. Aventurine wanted this, plain and simple. He wanted Ratio, and he wanted this moment to themselves where they could both lose themselves in pleasure.

Aventurine dropped his hands away from his face and wrapped them around Ratio’s neck, drawing him into a gentle hug. His movement shifted the mass inside him, drawing out a whimper from him, and he shivered.

“I’m fine. You… you just worry about yourself. Now…” He drew back, and licked his lips. “Indulge me a little, will you?”

In an instant, exasperation settled back over Ratio, and he slid his hands back down to circle Aventurine’s waist.

“I already do that far too much—“ He began sourly, and Aventurine slapped a hand over his mouth.

“That’s not what I need you to say right now,” he said. This hadn’t been in his original agenda, but being in the right place at the right time had given him even more fun ideas. It was simple, compounding interest. “Hm… Let’s see… How about I start you off with something easy? I’ll throw you a bone.”

Leaning forward slightly, Aventurine plastered himself against Ratio’s chest and looked up at him through his lashes.

“Professor, I’m here. You said to come see you after class, right…? Did I do something… wrong?” He added a touch of artificially sweet uncertainty to his voice. This one was a classic. It was his go to around the start of his career, and it hadn’t failed him yet, even against Ratio. “Have I been a bad student…?”

… Though maybe Aventurine had jumped the gun on that one a little. Saying this when he wasn’t currently sitting on Ratio’s lap with his co*ck up his ass might have been the better play, but this was how the dice had fallen, and Aventurine was going to make it his bitch.

Ratio was silent for a moment too long. When he finally spoke out again, it was with a groan that was very decidedly unsexy. He pinched at the bridge of his nose and shook his head, aiming a glare at Aventurine.

“…You cannot be serious right now. I am not doing that with you,” he said flatly.

Aventurine’s grin dropped. He slid his hand up and tugged at one of Ratio’s nipples in revenge, letting the thrill of delight he got at seeing Ratio jerk under his touch settle in his gut.

“Ugh, killjoy,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You’re so unsexy sometimes, I swear. Can’t you at least just try to play along?”

“We are in a public place where anyone could come along. In fact, someone did, and it was a miracle that they didn’t question it further. I have a reputation to maintain,” Ratio hissed, and Aventurine rolled his eyes again. It was a bit late for that, he thought.

“Not a miracle, just a stroke of luck. Come on, doctor, you’re always telling me that if I’m coming along to your classes, I should be paying more attention, that I’m smart enough that I could understand it all if I just— applied myself…” Aventurine ground his hips down, his breath catching in his throat, and Ratio’s mouth dropped open in a wordless groan of pleasure. “Well? Here I am. Applying myself.”

It took another long moment before Ratio spoke again. Like before, Aventurine could tell he was calculating. Something to do with his dignity and the tight heat of Aventurine’s hole. Just for good measure though, Aventurine grinded his hips down again, adding on a wanton moan as a bonus—

And Ratio folded like a wet paper bag.

“… Perhaps if you paid more attention in class, then this trip wouldn’t be necessary,” Ratio murmured, fixing his gaze onto Aventurine. His entire demeanour had shifted, and now he was looking at Aventurine with something dark and hungry in his eyes.

“That’s more like it. Good boy,” Aventurine replied smugly, and he barked out a tiny laugh when Ratio’s erection pulsed inside of him. Someday, he’d make full use of that little praise kink his boyfriend had. Not today though. Today…

“Ungh… but doctor, it’s just so… hard.” He clenched down on Ratio’s co*ck inside him with a whine, and Ratio let out a small, choked noise in response. “I don’t know what to do… I think I need some private lessons… I do much better in one on one sessions, you see…”

Goddess. He really was spewing some sh*t again.

“Private lessons… very well. Perhaps that is in order,” Ratio said, and Aventurine tilted his head back, summoning a few tears to his eyes and a relieved smile to his face. Learning to cry on command had never been more useful.

“A-ah—Thank you, professor. I’m not— I won’t— let you down—Let me—hah—show you what I know so far…”

Yeah. He really didn’t know what he was saying anymore. But he’d put in all this work, so… it was time to cash out his prize.

Aventurine raised his hips up until only the head of Ratio’s co*ck was left inside him, and then slammed himself back down. No less overwhelming than the first time, the force of it knocked the air from his lungs and sparks of bliss shot up his spine all the way to his head. A moan fell from his lips, high and breathy, and louder than any of the ones he’d let loose so far.

Raise hips, slam down, moan—Aventurine quickly fell into a steady rhythm as he bounced himself on Ratio’s co*ck. He let the last of his remaining conscious thought slip away and left the reins to his filthy mouth. Whatever came out of it was whatever he’d deal with. Right now, he was nothing but his boyfriend’s personal f*ck toy; helping the man let loose after a long and frustrating day.

“I’m—haah—A v-visual learner—oh f*ck—I need—I need hands on experience—!”

His next thrust had Ratio’s co*ck nail him right on the prostate, and the keen that ripped itself from his throat was so high and loud that he was sure that if one of Ratio’s busts were there, he would have cracked it from the force of his voice alone. The fingers at his hips dug in deeply, and Aventurine was sure that there would be bruises there the next day, if not by the end of the night.

Heat climbed in his gut, and Aventurine’s pace became more and more frantic as he chased his oncoming climax. With how it was going, he felt like he could probably come from just this alone— Ratio’s death grip on his hips and the way Ratio’s own hips twitched up weakly to try and meet his.

But halfway through Aventurine’s next thrust, Ratio’s hands shifted and locked him in place, stopping him from reaching that maddeningly intense spot inside him. f*ck. f*ck! What the hell was Ratio doing?! Here Aventurine was, loose and sloppy holed in his lap, just short of begging for it, and he was just—stopping?!

“E-enough. Zero—ugh… zero points,” Ratio panted out, and Aventurine actually did almost sob. With the iron grip that Ratio had on his hips, he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. The most he could do was tighten around the co*ck inside him, whining.

Fine then. If Ratio wanted to be like that, then Aventurine would just have to up the ante.

He threw himself back against Ratio’s chest and forced a couple of big, fat, crocodile tears to his eyes. Not too hard, considering he was so f*cking close and couldn’t do anything about it.

“Nooo—please, professor, I have to— I’m not done— I need to pass—“ Aventurine wailed, and Ratio grimaced slightly.

Was that what he’d gone with before? He’d already forgotten. He was too f*cking desperate to care. It was probably close enough, or something like that.

“Enough. It’s—ugh—obvious where you are lacking. Your technique is careless and imprecise. It is no wonder you are failing your class.”

Careless.

Imprecise.

Was he f*cking serious?!?

Aventurine actually got so offended that it broke him out of character, and his haze of arousal. There was no way he put all of his slu*tty little heart into that just to be given zero points. He knew all of his boyfriend’s tells, and it was obvious that he was extremely f*cking into it, so why was he being such a bitch about it?!

“Veritas…” he growled threateningly, and Ratio looked away guiltily. Good. Let him sweat. See if Aventurine ever did anything nice for him after that. All this effort to treat him to something nice, and this was how he was repaid?

“That is— I mean—“ Ratio coughed lightly. When he looked back up at Aventurine, the slightly apologetic look he had melted away into something more serious. “You have immense potential, and I would hate for you to squander it.”

Something flashed in his eyes, and a split second later, the hands around Aventurine’s hips lifted him up effortlessly, and he slammed him back down onto his co*ck, bucking deep into him.

Aventurine might have damn near screamed.

He definitely blacked out for at least half a second, and he fell forward onto Ratio, gripping onto his arms for dear life as Ratio f*cked into him ruthlessly.

“Consider this a—practical demonstration then,” Ratio began, and Aventurine couldn’t even reply behind the sounds of his own lewd moans and skin slapping against skin.

“Commit this feeling to memory,” Ratio snarled, tearing Aventurine’s hands away from his arms to arrange them onto his own stomach. With each thrust, Aventurine felt the outline of Ratio’s co*ck pressing up against his stomach. Holy sh*t. Holy sh*t. “This is what you should be aiming for. Do you know what that is?”

Aventurine opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn’t manage anything other than a chain of punched out cries. The one time he needed his voice, and he couldn’t summon up any reply at all. Ratio growled irritably, and started ramming himself in even deeper.

“Well? Answer me.”

“It’s—It’s your co*ck, professor!” Aventurine eventually managed to gasp out. He had no idea if that was the answer Ratio was expecting, but it was the only one he could give. “Your huge co*ck, inside me—guh—teaching me—mm—a lesson…”

“Very good. Now, listen closely. Take it well, and take it deep. If you cannot feel my co*ck in your stomach each time I am f*cking you, if you cannot remember even then— “

Ratio’s pace became even more frenzied, and the rhythm that he had set began to blur into irregularity as he approached his tipping point. Aventurine threw his hips down to meet him with each stroke, and real tears actually dripped down his face when Ratio’s hand closed tightly around his neglected and weeping co*ck.

Ratio’s fingers twisted, and Aventurine came into his hand with a shrill scream. The building pressure inside of him erupted into a torrent of molten ecstasy, burning his pleasure into every one of his nerves. Without thinking, he clenched down on Ratio inside him, and it must have been the last straw for the man too, because then, the thick heat of Ratio’s come was flooding his insides as Ratio shuddered beneath him.

Aventurine slumped forward bonelessly, and Ratio dragged him into a deep kiss, running his clean hand through Aventurine’s hair. They didn’t do much else but stay there and kiss lazily for a while, even though Ratio’s softening co*ck was still inside Aventurine.

Eventually, Ratio sat up slightly. Aventurine pulled a face as Ratio wiped off his come on the inside of his thigh, but it quickly turned into a whimper as Ratio hooked his arm around Aventurine and stood up to go for the tissue box on his desk.

It wasn’t until was gently wiping off the both of them that Aventurine risked a peek up at Ratio. He was focused intently on his work, even though his bangs were all mussed and sweaty. His eyes were clear again, glimmering like the sunrise, and all Aventurine could think about was how gorgeous this man was, and how utterly lucky he was to be able to call Veritas Ratio his.

His. Nobody else in the universe had him like he did.

“So… doctor—“ He started, biting back a wince. Damn. His voice was shot to hell. He really let loose, huh? “Am I going to fail? Or am I going to pass?”

“Hmm…”

That being said, if Ratio f*cking lied about his performance one more time, he was going to walk right out and never speak to him again. He needed to stick to his books and let Aventurine handle the performance evaluations.

“Full points, naturally. My most promising student needs no further instruction.” Ratio kissed the top of his head, and Aventurine breathed out a sigh of relief. That was great then. “But never do that again.”

Yeah, no. Aventurine was totally going to get Ratio to f*ck him in this office again.

He lifted up his arms and threw them over Ratio’s shoulders, cuddling close. His boyfriend’s exasperated sigh gusted over his forehead, but all Aventurine did was smile, tucking his face into the crook of Ratio’s neck.

“I hope you realise I will not be carrying you home,” he said dryly, and Aventurine yawned.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever… I’ll get up in a sec, I just wanna… let me take a break…”

Aventurine closed his eyes. That… had been exhausting. It was great, but it was exhausting, and he’d already had a big day. A break definitely was in order.

A gentle touch of lips pressed against his forehead, and Ratio’s throat hummed reassuringly beside Aventurine’s head.

“… Welcome home, love.”

Aventurine was finally home.