Chapter Warnings: Swearing
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"Great, there's no seats," Lotus grumbled as he stepped onto the bus after his partner.
Rurik reached for one of the plastic grab handles and held out his free arm tauntingly, "You know you can just hold onto me."
"I don't need it," the smaller growled, rising onto his tiptoes but still falling a foot or two short of reaching the grab handle; Rurik momentarily thought about lifting Lotus into grabbing range, but he knew the action would only incite their anger given the smaller's pride and the public setting.
Lotus lurched alongside the bus as it began to move. The taller skeleton glanced around at the other passengers before chuckling at his partner's antics and offered the appendage once more, "You're gonna fall on your ass if you keep being stubborn."
"I said I don't need your arm," the hooded monster bit out, glaring at the handle for a moment before hovering off the ground and reaching toward it; as his hands closed around the plastic ring, he threw Rurik the smuggest grin, "Hah, how's that?"
"You looked short before; now you look like a piñata," Rurik countered, ignoring their glare as his eye lights critically traced from their dangling feet up to their hands... while using magic to levitate in a bus wasn't dangerous in and of itself as long as his boyfriend had something to latch onto, the vulnerable position it created by taking concentration away from their surroundings was.
A question pulled him from his thoughts, "So, are you finally going to tell me where we're going? I get your reasoning for not telling me earlier, but we're already on the bus."
"You'll find out when we get there," Rurik hummed with a knowing smirk; he took simple pleasure out of watching his partner stew over the mystery, especially when he knew the reveal would be well worth the secrecy. Lotus huffed at his non-response, but gave up on pursuing the subject in favor of staring out the bus window. Watching the monster readjust their grip on the handle, he quietly asked, "You really gonna be able to keep that up for four stops?"
"Watch me," Lotus declared with an expression set in stony determination as the bus rattled along.
Rurik sighed, mentally debating whether his companion had the magic reserves to maintain the feat for an extended period of time without becoming exhausted; the main reason he had chosen to keep the destination a secret despite the required travel distance. Deciding he could always intervene if Lotus started showing signs of fatigue, he chose to sweep his gaze over the bus's occupants once again to note the ones who were watching them. Given the situation, it was easier and safer to keep watch over their surroundings than to waste energy and attract more attention trying to get his boyfriend down.
Everything went well for the first and second stops; by the third, Lotus looked like he was regretting his decision. Rurik smirked, knowing just how to push his buttons, "You sure you can handle this?"
Lotus's face contorted in an effort not to laugh and grunted, "If you're trying to break my concentration, it's not working." Rurik snickered as his boyfriend continued ranting to cover their amusement; if it weren't for the people crowding the nearby seats, he would have been tempted to rile them up more. He was brought out of his good mood by movement out of the corner of his socket; a horned monster had stood from a few rows away and began to move toward them. Glancing from the monster to his preoccupied boyfriend and back, he reached out to poke Lotus in the ribs under their left arm.
"Hhhh!" Lotus gasped mid-rant, immediately releasing the handle and dropping to the ground with his elbows tucked protectively against his sides. "Wha-!" Taking advantage of the favorable position, Rurik pulled him closer as the approaching monster closed in; a glaring match ensued between the two until the smaller growled, "Do you have a problem with my boyfriend?"
Rurik looked down to find his companion scowling at the newcomer, magic coalescing in their palm in preparation for a fight; pride welled up in him at how quickly Lotus had grasped the situation and reacted with that spark of tenacity he had grown to love. Reaching back for the knife attached to his belt, he grinned at the opposing monster; they were going to make hi-
"Nobody better be startin' shit back there!" a voice from the front of the bus snarled, startling the trio; the bus driver's beady eyes bored into them through the rear-view mirror, almost daring them to fight on his bus. Looking away with a dissatisfied rumble, the aggressor shuffled past the skeletons and headed for the exit.
Rurik released a sigh as Lotus pulled away, staring at the departing passenger's back, "What was that about?"
"Dunno, think he might've been looking for a fight," Rurik shrugged, reaching out once more "Why don't you just hold onto me the rest of the way?"
Lotus backed up, shaking his skull adamantly, "No, I c- ah!"
The bus lurched to life again, sending Lotus toppling backward as Rurik's arm lashed out to keep his partner from tumbling to the ground. Pulling the monster close, he noticed the dour expression on their face, "Hey, you okay?"
"I'm pathetic...," Lotus grumbled, gripping his boyfriend's shirt tighter.
"What're you talking about?" Rurik furrowed his sockets and denied the statement, "You're not pathetic; where's this coming from all of a sudden?"
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Word Count: 925