The medbay lights buzzed faintly, sterile and soft above the bandaged and bruised forms scattered across the room. Despite the steady hiss of medical systems and low murmur of vitals being monitored, the energy inside was anything but tense. Recovery had, somehow, become an impromptu group gathering.
Ren sat propped up against a recliner bed, his hair a mess of damp black strands stuck to his forehead, cheeks flushed, and grin almost too big for his face. A large patch covered one shoulder, and bruises trailed down both arms like ink stains, but he looked delighted.
"Okay," Ren said, waving one hand around like he was still explaining a moment he hadn't yet stopped reliving. "Did you see that pulse when I flared? I think time actually wobbled."
"Your pulse wobbled," Lucian muttered from his reclined position nearby, voice rough with exhaustion. His ribs were tightly wrapped under a loose black shirt that hung slightly open, revealing a series of nasty bruises and dried cuts beneath. "You nearly exploded half the plaza."
"I meant to," Ren shot back with a proud smile.
Rowan, seated beside him, lifted a brow. "You say that like it's a good thing."
"Did anyone not get whiplash when he dropped that time flare?" Dain called from his corner, arm in a sling, blanket haphazardly thrown over his legs.
"I didn't," Alexander rumbled from the far side, sitting stiffly with a cold pack on his shoulder and half his jacket folded neatly on the bedside. "But that's because I was unconscious for ten seconds."
"See?" Ren said brightly. "Tactically useful."
Vespera, perched on a chair near Alexander's side, gave a small smile over the rim of her tea mug. "Or tactically dangerous. Depends who's asking."
"Don't scare the boy," Rowan said gently.
"I'm not scared!" Ren beamed. "This is literally the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Lucian looked at him sideways. "You mean almost dying?"
"I mean waking up to find out I'm not insane, I'm just powerful." He gestured to Rowan. "And I got stabilized by the cool guy with sad eyes and shielding powers. Bonus."
Rowan blinked. "Sad eyes?"
Vespera hummed. "He's not wrong."
Dain pointed dramatically. "Tragic guide energy. It's a vibe."
Ren was still laughing when Evelyn arrived at the doorway.
Her posture was sharp, arms folded behind her dark combat vest, long black hair pulled into a high tail. Her eyes swept the room like a scanner. "Ren Saiki. You'll be assigned temporary quarters for observation. Rowan, you'll escort him."
"Yes, ma'am," Ren chirped.
"And no field deployments until further clearance. Under Ava's supervision."
Lucian raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Rowan stood.
Evelyn's gaze shifted to Alexander. "Status?"
Alexander rose to his feet slowly. "Nothing I can't handle."
"Keep it that way." Evelyn nodded once, her tone curt but not unkind.
As she exited, Dain exhaled loudly. "And just like that, the air drops five degrees."
"She's always like that," Ren whispered. "Do you think she's secretly a cyborg?"
Lucian smirked faintly. "No. That'd make her easier to read."
The evaluation chamber hummed with tempered resonance, its walls lined with suppression plates and sensors tuned to high-tier Esper readings. Rowan and Lucian stood just inside the reinforced viewing alcove, arms crossed, flanked by Evelyn and Ava.
Ren stood alone in the center, flexing his fingers. He wore a lightweight resonance suit issued minutes prior, slightly oversized but cinched at the waist. His face was split between excitement and nervousness.
"Ready whenever you are!" he called out.
Rowan raised a hand. "Initiate with a controlled anchor pulse. Let's test your chrono baseline first."
Ren's eyes glowed gold for a moment.
The hum of the chamber warped.
Air slowed.
Around him, three separate ripples of temporal space blinked into being. One just ahead of him—frozen. Another to his left—looping the subtle tilt of his head like a moment stuck on repeat. The third—barely visible—flickered like a ghostly outline of him walking in reverse.
Lucian blinked. "That's not standard phasing."
Evelyn stepped forward. "He's not just skipping. He's layering."
Ren clapped once and all three anomalies collapsed back into his body, the chamber stabilizing instantly.
"Okay, how about this?" He crouched low, fingers glowing, and disappeared.
One heartbeat later, he reappeared behind the dummy target on the far side of the room—kicking it hard enough to send it flying into the wall.
"Moment Shift," Ava murmured. "Short-distance timeline hopping."
He spun back toward them. "Cool, right? Watch this."
He reached out a hand.
A shimmer spiraled out—an arc of refracted resonance—and three afterimages of himself darted forward, weaving through imagined enemy lines before vanishing again.
"Phantom Trace," Rowan said under his breath.
Then came the flare.
Ren exhaled.
The air around him fractured—time twisted outward in concentric rings, compressing all sound before letting it crash back in with a thunderclap. The entire floor pulsed like a heartbeat, then dropped to silence.
Lucian's jaw tightened. Rowan winced.
Ava placed a hand on Evelyn's shoulder. "He's not stable enough to fully control it yet."
"No," Evelyn replied. "But he will be."
Ren wobbled and grinned at them through the flickering light. "Did I pass?"
Rowan smiled, stepping toward the intercom. "You'll need supervision, but you're definitely staying."
Ren beamed like a child offered a second birthday.
Ren's quarters were modest—a clean cot, a table, a chrono-calibrated console blinking with security locks. The walls were still bare, lit by ambient blue light that pulsed gently in sync with the building's energy core.
Rowan dropped the keycard into Ren's palm.
"You'll be monitored until your drift rate evens out. Don't mess with the temporal fuses."
Ren glanced around the room, eyes wide and mouth already curving into a smile. "I have my own room?"
"For now," Rowan said, crossing his arms, "until Ava clears your baseline scans."
Ren flopped backward onto the cot, limbs sprawled, sighing like it was the most luxurious bed in the world. "This is amazing."
Rowan leaned against the doorframe, watching him. "You've had a few day."
Ren peeked one eye open. "Yeah, but you were there."
Rowan chuckled under his breath. "Don't make me regret it."
"You won't," Ren promised, sitting up again. "Thanks for not giving up on me when everything went sideways."
Rowan nodded slowly. "Just… try to take it easy. No temporal leaps at midnight, no accidental reversals of cafeteria meals, no slipping into pocket timelines without telling someone."
Ren saluted with two fingers. "Scout's honor."
Rowan gave him a look. "You've never been a scout."
"True, but I've watched plenty of sci-fi."
Rowan turned to leave.
"Hey," Ren called after him, voice a little softer. "I really meant it. Thank you, Rowan."
Rowan glanced back, his face gentling. "You're welcome, Ren. And… you're not alone anymore."
Then he stepped out, letting the door close behind him.
Later that evening, Rowan stood alone in the dim hum of the records room. The screens flickered with logs from the last mission. Residual echo drift. Skipped frame anomalies. Temporal layering in Sector V-9.
One log pulsed strangely—Rowan paused, staring.
Baseline resonance*: +0.02%
Again.
He didn't speak. Just ran a hand through his hair and leaned closer.
Elsewhere, Ari sat near the false-windowed lounge, overlooking the silent streets beyond. Her eyes were distant, watching the lights.
Quinn approached quietly and sank beside her, his presence immediately grounding.
"You okay?" he asked softly.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I don't know. It's like... I blink and I see her. The way Juno looked before the last strike. And I just—"
Quinn turned and wrapped both arms around her, holding her tightly. She let herself be pulled into him.
"You don't have to carry it all," he whispered.
She gave a shaky laugh. "You always say the right things."
He brushed her cheek gently with his thumb, kissed her temple. "Because you never ask for anything. And I want to give you everything."
Their lips met slowly—tentatively—then deepened, like drawing breath after being underwater too long. She threaded her fingers into his shirt.
"I'm scared," she admitted.
"I know," he said, forehead pressed to hers.
"But I'm not going anywhere."
And for that moment, she believed him.
In the quiet of their quarters, Rowan and Lucian moved together through the remnants of the day's chaos. Lucian had just stripped off his overshirt, revealing the line of bruises across his ribs.
"Let me," Rowan said, stepping close. His fingers ghosted over Lucian's side, brushing gently against each mark, each ache.
Lucian hissed through his teeth but didn't pull away. "You're too gentle with me."
"You say that like it's a flaw."
Rowan looked up, eyes locking. And something unspoken passed between them.
Lucian leaned in.
The kiss was slow at first—exploratory, like they were testing boundaries that no longer mattered. Then deeper. Hungrier. Rowan's fingers slid into Lucian's hair, tugging him closer. Lucian's hands moved to his waist, then lower, pulling him flush against his chest.
Heat built quickly.
Rowan gasped against his mouth, and Lucian caught the sound with another kiss—open, desperate, full of want. Their clothes came away piece by piece, until all that remained was heat, skin, and the way they clung to one another.
Lucian guided them backward, lips never parting, until Rowan's back hit the bed. The mattress dipped beneath their combined weight, the softness swallowing them whole. Rowan's breath hitched as Lucian's hands moved possessively, anchoring him in place. The kiss deepened, hot and urgent, tongues tangling in a dance that left Rowan dizzy, his head spinning with desire.
Lucian hovered over him, his dark eyes flicking over every inch of exposed skin. The city's faint glow through the window painted their bodies in a mosaic of light and shadow, highlighting the curves and angles of Rowan's chest, the subtle rise and fall of his breath. Lucian's gaze burned—hungry, intent, as if he were memorizing every detail.
Rowan reached up, his fingers trembling slightly as they trailed down the length of Lucian's spine. The touch was featherlight, but it was enough to make Lucian shudder, his breath escaping in a low, guttural growl that sent a shiver through Rowan's body. He arched into the touch, his body craving more, aching for it.
Lucian kissed him again—this time slower, reverent, almost trembling. The shift in pace was electric, a contrast to the earlier urgency that left Rowan's heart pounding. His lips moved with purpose, claiming, worshiping, as if Rowan were something fragile and sacred all at once. Rowan moaned into the kiss, his hands threading into Lucian's hair, pulling him closer, deeper.
Their bodies aligned, Lucian's hips pressing into the cradle of Rowan's thighs. The friction was maddening, the heat between them building with every touch, every breath.
Rowan's fingers dug into Lucian's back, urging him on, silently pleading for more. His cock throbbed, trapped between their bodies, begging for release.
"Lucian," Rowan breathed, his voice a ragged whisper. The name hung in the air, heavy with need, with want.
Lucian's lips left his, trailing down the column of Rowan's neck, nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin. The sharp sting of teeth made Rowan gasp, his hips bucking upward instinctively. Lucian chuckled—a low, dark sound that sent a thrill through Rowan's body.
"You're so responsive," Lucian murmured, his breath hot against Rowan's skin. His hands slid lower, gripping Rowan's hips, holding him in place as he continued his assault on Rowan's neck. "I love the way you react to me."
Rowan's breath came in shallow pants, his body on fire under Lucian's touch. He could feel the hardness of Lucian's cock pressing against him.
Lucian caught his wrist, his grip firm but not harsh. His eyes locked with Rowan's, dark and intense, filled with a promise that made Rowan's stomach clench.
A jolt of electricity coursed through Rowan's body, his cock twitching in response. Rowan whimpered, his hands clutching at Lucian's shoulders as his lips traced a path down his chest. The sensation was almost too much—the way Lucian's mouth moved over his skin, the way his tongue flicked against his nipple, sending sharp bursts of pleasure through his body.
Rowan's back arched off the bed, his breath catching in his throat as Lucian's hands slid down his sides, pushing his hips into the mattress. Lucian's lips continued their descent, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.
Lucian paused, his hands resting on Rowan's hips, his breath hot against the sensitive skin. He looked up, his eyes meeting Rowan's, a question in their depths.
Rowan nodded, his voice caught in his throat. "Yes," he managed to whisper, his body trembling with anticipation.
The cool air of the room hit Rowan's skin, making him shiver, but it was quickly replaced by the heat of Lucian's mouth as he took Rowan into his mouth without hesitation.
The sensation was overwhelming—the wet heat of Lucian's mouth, the firm pressure of his tongue, the way his lips moved over Rowan's cock, driving him to the edge.
Rowan's hands fisted in the sheets, his hips bucking upward as pleasure surged through his body.
"Lucian… Ah…" Rowan gasped, his voice breaking as his body tensed, his orgasm building rapidly.
Lucian pulled back just in time, his lips leaving Rowan's cock with an audible pop. He smirked up at Rowan, his eyes glinting with mischief.
Rowan whimpered, his cock aching with need as Lucian's hands gripped his thighs, spreading them wider. Lucian's eyes were intense, his gaze never leaving Rowan's as he leaned in, his tongue tracing a slow, torturous path up the length of his cock.
Rowan's breath hitched, his body trembling as Lucian's lips wrapped around him again, taking him deep.
The sensation was electric, the heat of Lucian's mouth, the pressure of his tongue, the way his hands gripped Rowan's hips, holding him in place.
Lucian pulled back again, his lips leaving Rowan's cock with a wet, obscene sound. He leaned over him, his hands braced on either side of Rowan's head, his breath hot against his skin.
"Tell me what you want," Lucian growled, his voice low and demanding.
Rowan's heart raced, his body trembling with need. "I want you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I want you to fuck me."
Lucian's eyes darkened, his lips curling into a predatory smile. He leaned in, capturing Rowan's lips in a searing kiss, his hands moving to Rowan's hips, gripping him tightly.
Rowan's mind went blank, his body arching into Lucian's touch as he felt his cock pressing against his entrance. The anticipation was unbearable, his body trembling with need, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
Lucian pulled back slightly, his hand reaching for the drawer, producing a small bottle of lube. He coated his fingers, his eyes never leaving Rowan's, before pressing one finger against his entrance.
"Relax," Lucian murmured, his voice soft but firm.
Rowan nodded, his body instinctively relaxing as Lucian's finger pressed inside him. The sensation was sharp, a mix of pain and pleasure that made Rowan gasp, his hands clutching at the sheets.
Lucian's finger moved slowly, carefully, stretching him, preparing him, each stroke sending sparks of pleasure through his body. By the time Lucian added a second finger, Rowan was already writhing beneath him, his body begging for more.
Lucian smirked, his fingers slipping out of Rowan's body, leaving him feeling empty, aching. He leaned in, pressing a kiss to Rowan's lips, his hands gripping his hips.
He positioned himself at Rowan's entrance, his cock pressing against him, the heat almost unbearable. Rowan's breath hitched, his body trembling as Lucian pushed inside him, slowly, carefully, giving him time to adjust.
The sensation was overwhelming—the stretch, the heat, the way Lucian filled him completely, leaving no room for anything else. Rowan's nails dug into Lucian's back, his body arching into the touch, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
Lucian's lips brushed against Rowan's ear, his voice a low growl. "You feel incredible," he murmured, his hips moving in a slow, deliberate rhythm.
Rowan's mind went blank, his body consumed by the sensation of Lucian inside him, moving with a steady, purposeful rhythm that left him gasping for air. He wrapped his legs around Lucian's waist, pulling him closer, deeper, his body trembling with need.
"More," Rowan begged, his voice a desperate whimper. "Please, Lucian, more."
Lucian's pace quickened, his thrusts becoming harder, deeper, each one hitting that spot inside Rowan that made him see stars. The room was filled with the sound of their bodies moving together, the harsh rasp of their breathing, the slick sound of skin sliding against skin.
Rowan's cock throbbed, trapped between their bodies, aching for release. His hands clutched at Lucian's shoulders, his breath coming in ragged gasps as the pleasure built, tighter, hotter, until he was teetering on the edge.
"Lucian, I'm close," Rowan gasped, his voice breaking. "I'm so close."
Lucian's lips found Rowan's, capturing them in a searing kiss as his thrusts became more erratic, more desperate.
Lucian's lips parted from Rowan's with a wet, breathless sound, his dark eyes glinting with a predatory hunger that sent a shiver down Rowan's spine. Without a word, Lucian gripped Rowan's hips firmly, his hands like iron as he flipped him onto his stomach. The sudden shift left Rowan gasping, his face pressing into the cool sheets as Lucian's weight settled over him, his chest flush against Rowan's back.
Rowan could feel the heat of Lucian's body radiating against him, the way his sculpted abs pressed into the small of his slender hips. Lucian's hands moved to grip Rowan's hips tighter, his fingers digging into the soft flesh as he positioned himself. The head of Lucian's cock brushed against Rowan's entrance, and Rowan's breath hitched, his body trembling with anticipation.
With a sharp, controlled thrust, he buried himself deep inside Rowan, the new angle sending electric shocks of pleasure rippling through Rowan's body.
Rowan's hands clawed at the sheets, a moan tearing from his throat as Lucian began to move. His thrusts were harder, deeper now, each one hitting that spot inside Rowan that made his vision blur. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, mingling with the ragged breaths and low moans that escaped them both.
Lucian leaned down, his lips brushing against the nape of Rowan's neck, his breath hot against his skin. "You feel so good," he murmured, his voice rough with need. "So fucking perfect." His hands tightened on Rowan's hips, guiding him back to meet each thrust, driving himself deeper with every movement.
Rowan's cock throbbed where it was trapped beneath him, the friction against the sheets only adding to the overwhelming pleasure coursing through him. He wanted more, needed more, and he whimpered softly, his voice breaking as he begged. "Lucian…"
Lucian's hand slid around Rowan's hip, his fingers wrapping around the base of Rowan's cock with a firm grip. The touch was electric, sending sparks of pleasure shooting through Rowan's body as Lucian began to stroke him in time with his thrusts. The rhythm was relentless, each stroke and thrust perfectly synchronized, driving Rowan closer and closer to the edge.
His thrusts became more erratic, more desperate, the intensity building between them until it was almost unbearable.
Rowan's moans grew louder, more desperate, his body trembling as pleasure coiled tight in his stomach. He could feel the heat building, the pressure mounting with every stroke, every thrust, until he was teetering on the edge. "Lucian, I'm—I'm going to—"
"Come for me," Lucian commanded, his voice low, sending a shiver through Rowan. The words were all it took. With a cry, Rowan came, his body arching as waves of pleasure crashed over him, his release spilling over Lucian's hand.
Lucian didn't slow his pace, his thrusts growing even more frantic as he chased his own release. His hands tightened on Rowan's hips, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he buried himself deep inside Rowan one last time. With a low, guttural growl, he came, his body shuddering as he spilled himself inside Rowan.
For a moment, they lingered there, their bodies pressed together, their breathing slowly returning to normal.
And when they finally settled, wrapped in silence and warmth, Rowan tucked himself into Lucian's arms and whispered, "I think I'm doomed, I like you more than just liking you."
Lucian laughed, quiet and real. "Good. Because I'm never letting you go."
*Baseline Resonance: The natural, default resonance signature of an Esper or Guide when in a neutral, balanced state—used as a metric to monitor health, emotional regulation, corruption levels, and power stability.