Fic: Severance
Title: Severance
Rating: PG
Pairing: Glitch/Wyatt
Word count: 2,600
Summary: Glitch returns home to find things are not as he left them.
The apartment keys hit the floor with a resounding clang of metal and Glitch sighed tiredly, bending down to pick them up. It had been an exhausting, unending three days of meetings, negotiations and feasts but he had finally managed to extract himself from the Eastern Guild, making his escape look like a reluctant parting with all the zest of an experienced diplomat.
If he had to be away from home, from Wyatt, for one more night, the treaty he had signed may not have ended up as beneficial as it had. Glitch’s patience had been stretched thin and he had been on the edge of handing over any reparations the little buggers had asked for, if only they would let Glitch go home.
Keys finally found their way into the locked handle, though the fine tremors of fatigue running through his hands slowed his progress. The satisfying snap of the lock disengaging made Glitch hum out loud with contentment.
“I’m home,” he called out automatically when he entered the small entrance hall, kicking the door closed behind him. When he went to hang up his jacket, he got the feeling something was missing.
In fact, something was missing, he realized. Cain’s hat and jacket were not where they should have been this late in the evening. They should have been right there on the coat rack where they belonged but now it was empty, waiting in lonely silence for Glitch to hang his coat and give it something to hold onto.
Glitch let his jacket fall to the floor, the solid silver buttons striking the oak boards loudly. “Wyatt? Hello?”
The living room was no help, but it did reveal subtle and disquieting signs. Missing from the mantle were the two simple traces of Wyatt’s habitation: the small wooden frame that held the only picture Wyatt had left of Adora, Jeb and himself together, and the tiny carved horse with a flat silver bullet embedded in its side.
Rushing into the bedroom, Glitch froze as he took in the stark coldness of the room. The bed was neatly made, the books Wyatt kept on one of the side tables were gone and in their place, a folded paper baring his name.
A few steps brought Glitch to the note and he picked it up, hands shaking in earnest now as he unfolded it.
Take care. -Wyatt
Glitch felt cold, reading those three words over and over until they blurred. He raised his head after a long time and he glanced at the clock on the table, seeing that it was past ten in the evening. No doubt the rest of the household had retired for the night but this could not wait. He had to know what had happened in the few days he’d been gone to send Wyatt packing.
With renewed vigor and determination fueled by simmering anger, Glitch left the forlorn apartment and made his way through the halls until he was in front of DG’s door.
A few minutes of pounding his fist against the solid door brought him to the attention of the room’s occupant. DG flung the door open and stepped back hurriedly to avoid getting hit. “Oh! You’re home!”
“Yes, yes, I missed you, too, doll,” Glitch said distractedly, accepting her bone-crushing hug with all the dignity he could muster. “Listen, have you seen Cain? I mean, in the last few days?”
DG pulled away with a crooked frown, biting one corner of her lip thoughtfully. “You know, now that you mention it, I don’t think I have,” she replied, sounding perplexed. “Well, he was at lunch the other day, the day you left for your trip. But I can’t remember seeing him after that...I guess I just assumed he was keeping busy. He does that whenever you’re away.”
“So nothing out of the ordinary happened?”
“Not that I know of,” DG answered with a slow shake of her head. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
Glitch leaned against her doorframe and pulled the paper from his pants pocket. “When I got home, all of Cain’s things were gone,” he told her quietly, offering the note for her to read. “And this was there.”
Glancing at the crumpled note, DG’s frown deepened. “What does this mean? He wouldn’t - Glitch, he wouldn’t just leave like this, without telling anyone and especially not while you were away!”
“I thought so, too,” Glitch swallowed past the lump in his throat. “But he did.”
DG’s face went tight with irritation. “Come on,” she demanded, latching onto Glitch’s arm with one hand. She didn’t bother to close her door. “If anyone knows the comings and goings of the people here, it’s the doorman.”
~*~
Edgar, the night doorman, looked between Glitch and DG with an air of someone hiding something. “Mr. Cain left three days ago,” he said stiffly, shifting from foot to foot. “I’m certain he said he was going home.”
“Home?” Glitch questioned dubiously. “This is his home!”
“Be that as it may, sir,” Edgar straightened and looked away. “I’m quite positive he wasn’t planning on returning.”
Glitch’s jaw twitched and he pushed past Edgar, the late hour be damned. “We’ll just see about that.”
“Glitch! Where are you going? It’s nearly eleven!” DG hurried after him, catching him before he could reach the door.
“There’s only one place I can think of that Wyatt Cain would call home,” Glitch told her, crossing his arms across his chest. “If I’ve done something to drive him away, I deserve to know what it was. I need to hear it from him.”
DG sighed and flung her arms out. “At least take a coat,” she told him. “Go upstairs and get something warm, I’ll find you the keys to one of the cars.”
Shoulders slumping in relief, Glitch nodded and kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”
~*~
The dark, silent drive out into the country gave Glitch a few hours to work up a good head of steam, so by the time he pulled the borrowed car up to the dilapidated cabin he was ready for a fight.
As he walked up toward the cabin’s door, Glitch spotted the tin suit standing in the front yard, still tilted to the side and standing open. He shuddered and turned away, wondering how Wyatt could stand to look at it.
The front window of the structure was too caked in filth to allow much light through, but there was a tiny glimmer of flickering orange making it through the dust. It meant someone was there and still awake, even at this unholy hour.
For the second time that night, Glitch set upon a door with his fist with all the fury he could marshal. “I know you’re in there, Cain,” he shouted, knowing he wouldn’t have to worry about bothering any neighbors. There were none.
The man who opened the door looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Cain pulled the door open with one hand, the other one rubbing at one red-rimmed eye. His hair was a mess of unkempt curls and he obviously hadn’t taken the time to shave in the time he had been here. “What in the name of - “ Then he froze, registering who was standing at his door.
“If you think you can just up and leave - “ Glitch started, poking a sharp finger in the center of Cain’s chest for emphasis.
“Glitch,” Cain breathed, his eyes wide. He looked past Glitch, scanning the area outside the cabin. “What are you doing here? You aren’t supposed to be here! Are you alone?”
Glitch held up his hands, stopping the stream of questions. “Hold it, Mr. Inquest,” he said with a flummoxed look. “I’ve already forgotten the first question. Yes, I’m alone, And stop trying to change the subject!” He reached into his pocket, pulling out the note from earlier and waving it at Cain. “What is the meaning of this? Of you just taking off like - like - “
“You - oh, gods,” Cain’s face crumpled and his hand came up, an aborted attempt to reach for Glitch.
Knowing everything about this was very, very wrong, Glitch stepped inside and drew Cain to him, reaching back to close the door. He wound his arms around Cain and held him, closing his eyes when he felt the scratch of stubble and the hot press of tears against his neck. “Shh,” he soothed, one hand wrapped firmly around the nape of Cain’s neck. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry - I didn’t mean to...”
“I thought I could do this,” Cain rasped against his skin, arms tightening their hold. “I thought...”
Glitch sighed. “What I don’t understand is why you thought you had to.”
Cain lifted his head just enough to rest his chin on Glitch’s shoulder. “On the table,” he mumbled then pulled away reluctantly.
Curious, Glitch looked around and spotted a fat envelope sitting on the otherwise empty kitchen table. Even from here, Glitch recognized the seal on the flap. He marched over and picked it up, running his finger over the familiar wax stamp. “It’s not been opened,” he commented offhandedly, then took it upon himself to open it.
Inside was a substantial stack of money, nothing else. Glitch frowned, looking over at Cain.
“I was going to take it into town and hand it over to the East Side orphanage,” Cain explained with a shrug. “When the Queen gave it to me, after her not-so-subtle speech explaining that my ‘affair’ with her Advisor was officially terminated, I knew what was in it without having to look.”
“She paid you to leave?” Glitch whispered in disbelief.
“More like a severance package,” Cain replied bitterly. “She had me escorted off the property. By armed guards.”
Glitch dropped the envelope back on the table, wiping his hands on his pants as if he felt dirty. “Why?”
Cain threw himself into a decaying chair, the legs creaking under his weight. “She made it clear that I was causing you to ‘exhibit behavior unbecoming of a person of your lineage.’”
“That is - I can’t even - “ Glitch scrubbed his hands over his face, suddenly feeling every bit of his cumulative overtiredness. “Cripes.”
“That’s pretty accurate,” Cain agreed, putting one elbow on the table and resting his head against his fist. “Listen, you should head back - if someone figures out you came here, you’ll have the Queen on your tail.”
Glitch actually growled. “It would serve her right for presuming on my morals,” he snarled, then his expression turned sad and uncertain as he looked at Cain. “I can’t leave you here alone. I won’t.”
“You don’t have much choice in this,” Cain pointed out. “She won’t let us be, especially after she took the chance to run me out.”
“First thing in the morning, we drive back to the palace,” Glitch announced decisively.
“I’m not allowed past the gates.”
Glitch rolled his eyes. “You’re with me, they’ll have to let you in. We’ll have a little chat with her Majesty but what it comes down to is this: she doesn’t respect you, or either of us really, enough to trust our judgment as two consenting adults. There may be more to this than we know and we need to find out what that may be.”
“What if she makes you choose?” Cain posed the question that made his stomach clench and roil.
“There’s no choice in this,” Glitch informed him firmly, pressing one hand to Cain’s cheek gently to soften the words. “We’re a set, you and me.”
Cain closed his eyes and turned his face into the touch longingly, then let Glitch lead him back to the pile of blankets Cain had turned into a makeshift bed. They fell asleep as they always did, entwined in every way possible.
~*~
Glitch stood in front of his matriarch with all the stiff authority of a Royal Advisor. At his side, Cain shifted uncomfortably and glanced at the armed guard that had escorted them into the meeting chamber.
The Queen brushed away the security with a wave of her hand. “No harm will come from these men.” She waited until the three of them were alone before turning to face Glitch, her face a mask of professionalism. “Ambrose, I’m positive by now you have been informed of Mr. Cain’s dismissal from these grounds.”
“Yes, Highness,” Glitch bit out then drew a deep breath in an effort to relax. “What I don’t understand is why. What does it matter who I’ve chosen as my companion?”
Rather than repeating the pretentious, polished explanation Glitch had heard Cain recite the night before, the Queen instead slowly slid into her chair. She abruptly looked all of her faded years, her face sad and tired. “Truthfully, Ambrose, the decision was not mine. It has been brought to my attention that the general public may view a relationship such as yours, between the chief of police and my own advisor as a sign of a corrupt government.”
“What?” Glitch was taken aback at the unexpected accusations, though they were clearly not shared by the Queen herself. “Let me get this straight. Someone - presumably within the administration - thinks I’m sleeping with Cain in order to garner favors from the police? What, they think I’m asking him to turn a blind eye to all the lascivious goings-on here within the palace walls?”
“As I said, the decision to separate you and expel Mr. Cain was not mine,” the Queen held her hands up helplessly. “However, if I am to continue doing all I can to rebuild trust within this community and this kingdom, I must make difficult choices to protect the best interests of my government. I’m sorry.”
Glitch looked at the floor for a moment, then raised his chin defiantly. “Then I must also make a choice, though one far less difficult to come to.” He reached over and linked his hand with Cain’s. “I’m sorry, too, Highness. But I choose him. I love him.”
Everything in Cain’s being was pushing him to not let Glitch do this, to not allow Glitch to throw his career, his life’s work, away for him.
Everything but his heart. It was that part of him that made him maintain his silence, though he knew he was being selfish. But he also knew that this was Glitch’s choice and one that Glitch would not make lightly.
Apparently the Queen saw the same thing in Glitch that Cain did, because she did not attempt to dissuade Glitch from his decision. “I understand,” she said, a fragile smile at odds with the sorrow in her eyes. “Please, keep in touch, Ambrose. You’ll always be my friend first.”
Glitch gave a sharp nod. “In that case, the name’s Glitch.”
~*~
Outside, leaning against the car Glitch had been gifted with for his years of service, Cain watched as Glitch descended the wide staircase with the last of his bags. “You know you’re insane, right?”
Glitch grinned brightly and threw his duffle back at Cain, then circled the car to the passenger side. “For that, I should withdraw my offer and make you ride shotgun,” he said cheerfully, even as he climbed into said seat. “How far away is this place again?”
“It’s in lake country, just southeast of Camber Tarn,” Cain said as he got behind the wheel. Before he started the engine, he turned to Glitch. “You’re sure you want to do this? Last chance to jump ship.”
“Not a chance,” Glitch replied earnestly, with complete confidence. He leaned forward and kissed Cain tenderly. “We’re a set, you and me.”
~*~
End
Rating: PG
Pairing: Glitch/Wyatt
Word count: 2,600
Summary: Glitch returns home to find things are not as he left them.
The apartment keys hit the floor with a resounding clang of metal and Glitch sighed tiredly, bending down to pick them up. It had been an exhausting, unending three days of meetings, negotiations and feasts but he had finally managed to extract himself from the Eastern Guild, making his escape look like a reluctant parting with all the zest of an experienced diplomat.
If he had to be away from home, from Wyatt, for one more night, the treaty he had signed may not have ended up as beneficial as it had. Glitch’s patience had been stretched thin and he had been on the edge of handing over any reparations the little buggers had asked for, if only they would let Glitch go home.
Keys finally found their way into the locked handle, though the fine tremors of fatigue running through his hands slowed his progress. The satisfying snap of the lock disengaging made Glitch hum out loud with contentment.
“I’m home,” he called out automatically when he entered the small entrance hall, kicking the door closed behind him. When he went to hang up his jacket, he got the feeling something was missing.
In fact, something was missing, he realized. Cain’s hat and jacket were not where they should have been this late in the evening. They should have been right there on the coat rack where they belonged but now it was empty, waiting in lonely silence for Glitch to hang his coat and give it something to hold onto.
Glitch let his jacket fall to the floor, the solid silver buttons striking the oak boards loudly. “Wyatt? Hello?”
The living room was no help, but it did reveal subtle and disquieting signs. Missing from the mantle were the two simple traces of Wyatt’s habitation: the small wooden frame that held the only picture Wyatt had left of Adora, Jeb and himself together, and the tiny carved horse with a flat silver bullet embedded in its side.
Rushing into the bedroom, Glitch froze as he took in the stark coldness of the room. The bed was neatly made, the books Wyatt kept on one of the side tables were gone and in their place, a folded paper baring his name.
A few steps brought Glitch to the note and he picked it up, hands shaking in earnest now as he unfolded it.
Take care. -Wyatt
Glitch felt cold, reading those three words over and over until they blurred. He raised his head after a long time and he glanced at the clock on the table, seeing that it was past ten in the evening. No doubt the rest of the household had retired for the night but this could not wait. He had to know what had happened in the few days he’d been gone to send Wyatt packing.
With renewed vigor and determination fueled by simmering anger, Glitch left the forlorn apartment and made his way through the halls until he was in front of DG’s door.
A few minutes of pounding his fist against the solid door brought him to the attention of the room’s occupant. DG flung the door open and stepped back hurriedly to avoid getting hit. “Oh! You’re home!”
“Yes, yes, I missed you, too, doll,” Glitch said distractedly, accepting her bone-crushing hug with all the dignity he could muster. “Listen, have you seen Cain? I mean, in the last few days?”
DG pulled away with a crooked frown, biting one corner of her lip thoughtfully. “You know, now that you mention it, I don’t think I have,” she replied, sounding perplexed. “Well, he was at lunch the other day, the day you left for your trip. But I can’t remember seeing him after that...I guess I just assumed he was keeping busy. He does that whenever you’re away.”
“So nothing out of the ordinary happened?”
“Not that I know of,” DG answered with a slow shake of her head. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
Glitch leaned against her doorframe and pulled the paper from his pants pocket. “When I got home, all of Cain’s things were gone,” he told her quietly, offering the note for her to read. “And this was there.”
Glancing at the crumpled note, DG’s frown deepened. “What does this mean? He wouldn’t - Glitch, he wouldn’t just leave like this, without telling anyone and especially not while you were away!”
“I thought so, too,” Glitch swallowed past the lump in his throat. “But he did.”
DG’s face went tight with irritation. “Come on,” she demanded, latching onto Glitch’s arm with one hand. She didn’t bother to close her door. “If anyone knows the comings and goings of the people here, it’s the doorman.”
~*~
Edgar, the night doorman, looked between Glitch and DG with an air of someone hiding something. “Mr. Cain left three days ago,” he said stiffly, shifting from foot to foot. “I’m certain he said he was going home.”
“Home?” Glitch questioned dubiously. “This is his home!”
“Be that as it may, sir,” Edgar straightened and looked away. “I’m quite positive he wasn’t planning on returning.”
Glitch’s jaw twitched and he pushed past Edgar, the late hour be damned. “We’ll just see about that.”
“Glitch! Where are you going? It’s nearly eleven!” DG hurried after him, catching him before he could reach the door.
“There’s only one place I can think of that Wyatt Cain would call home,” Glitch told her, crossing his arms across his chest. “If I’ve done something to drive him away, I deserve to know what it was. I need to hear it from him.”
DG sighed and flung her arms out. “At least take a coat,” she told him. “Go upstairs and get something warm, I’ll find you the keys to one of the cars.”
Shoulders slumping in relief, Glitch nodded and kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”
~*~
The dark, silent drive out into the country gave Glitch a few hours to work up a good head of steam, so by the time he pulled the borrowed car up to the dilapidated cabin he was ready for a fight.
As he walked up toward the cabin’s door, Glitch spotted the tin suit standing in the front yard, still tilted to the side and standing open. He shuddered and turned away, wondering how Wyatt could stand to look at it.
The front window of the structure was too caked in filth to allow much light through, but there was a tiny glimmer of flickering orange making it through the dust. It meant someone was there and still awake, even at this unholy hour.
For the second time that night, Glitch set upon a door with his fist with all the fury he could marshal. “I know you’re in there, Cain,” he shouted, knowing he wouldn’t have to worry about bothering any neighbors. There were none.
The man who opened the door looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Cain pulled the door open with one hand, the other one rubbing at one red-rimmed eye. His hair was a mess of unkempt curls and he obviously hadn’t taken the time to shave in the time he had been here. “What in the name of - “ Then he froze, registering who was standing at his door.
“If you think you can just up and leave - “ Glitch started, poking a sharp finger in the center of Cain’s chest for emphasis.
“Glitch,” Cain breathed, his eyes wide. He looked past Glitch, scanning the area outside the cabin. “What are you doing here? You aren’t supposed to be here! Are you alone?”
Glitch held up his hands, stopping the stream of questions. “Hold it, Mr. Inquest,” he said with a flummoxed look. “I’ve already forgotten the first question. Yes, I’m alone, And stop trying to change the subject!” He reached into his pocket, pulling out the note from earlier and waving it at Cain. “What is the meaning of this? Of you just taking off like - like - “
“You - oh, gods,” Cain’s face crumpled and his hand came up, an aborted attempt to reach for Glitch.
Knowing everything about this was very, very wrong, Glitch stepped inside and drew Cain to him, reaching back to close the door. He wound his arms around Cain and held him, closing his eyes when he felt the scratch of stubble and the hot press of tears against his neck. “Shh,” he soothed, one hand wrapped firmly around the nape of Cain’s neck. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry - I didn’t mean to...”
“I thought I could do this,” Cain rasped against his skin, arms tightening their hold. “I thought...”
Glitch sighed. “What I don’t understand is why you thought you had to.”
Cain lifted his head just enough to rest his chin on Glitch’s shoulder. “On the table,” he mumbled then pulled away reluctantly.
Curious, Glitch looked around and spotted a fat envelope sitting on the otherwise empty kitchen table. Even from here, Glitch recognized the seal on the flap. He marched over and picked it up, running his finger over the familiar wax stamp. “It’s not been opened,” he commented offhandedly, then took it upon himself to open it.
Inside was a substantial stack of money, nothing else. Glitch frowned, looking over at Cain.
“I was going to take it into town and hand it over to the East Side orphanage,” Cain explained with a shrug. “When the Queen gave it to me, after her not-so-subtle speech explaining that my ‘affair’ with her Advisor was officially terminated, I knew what was in it without having to look.”
“She paid you to leave?” Glitch whispered in disbelief.
“More like a severance package,” Cain replied bitterly. “She had me escorted off the property. By armed guards.”
Glitch dropped the envelope back on the table, wiping his hands on his pants as if he felt dirty. “Why?”
Cain threw himself into a decaying chair, the legs creaking under his weight. “She made it clear that I was causing you to ‘exhibit behavior unbecoming of a person of your lineage.’”
“That is - I can’t even - “ Glitch scrubbed his hands over his face, suddenly feeling every bit of his cumulative overtiredness. “Cripes.”
“That’s pretty accurate,” Cain agreed, putting one elbow on the table and resting his head against his fist. “Listen, you should head back - if someone figures out you came here, you’ll have the Queen on your tail.”
Glitch actually growled. “It would serve her right for presuming on my morals,” he snarled, then his expression turned sad and uncertain as he looked at Cain. “I can’t leave you here alone. I won’t.”
“You don’t have much choice in this,” Cain pointed out. “She won’t let us be, especially after she took the chance to run me out.”
“First thing in the morning, we drive back to the palace,” Glitch announced decisively.
“I’m not allowed past the gates.”
Glitch rolled his eyes. “You’re with me, they’ll have to let you in. We’ll have a little chat with her Majesty but what it comes down to is this: she doesn’t respect you, or either of us really, enough to trust our judgment as two consenting adults. There may be more to this than we know and we need to find out what that may be.”
“What if she makes you choose?” Cain posed the question that made his stomach clench and roil.
“There’s no choice in this,” Glitch informed him firmly, pressing one hand to Cain’s cheek gently to soften the words. “We’re a set, you and me.”
Cain closed his eyes and turned his face into the touch longingly, then let Glitch lead him back to the pile of blankets Cain had turned into a makeshift bed. They fell asleep as they always did, entwined in every way possible.
~*~
Glitch stood in front of his matriarch with all the stiff authority of a Royal Advisor. At his side, Cain shifted uncomfortably and glanced at the armed guard that had escorted them into the meeting chamber.
The Queen brushed away the security with a wave of her hand. “No harm will come from these men.” She waited until the three of them were alone before turning to face Glitch, her face a mask of professionalism. “Ambrose, I’m positive by now you have been informed of Mr. Cain’s dismissal from these grounds.”
“Yes, Highness,” Glitch bit out then drew a deep breath in an effort to relax. “What I don’t understand is why. What does it matter who I’ve chosen as my companion?”
Rather than repeating the pretentious, polished explanation Glitch had heard Cain recite the night before, the Queen instead slowly slid into her chair. She abruptly looked all of her faded years, her face sad and tired. “Truthfully, Ambrose, the decision was not mine. It has been brought to my attention that the general public may view a relationship such as yours, between the chief of police and my own advisor as a sign of a corrupt government.”
“What?” Glitch was taken aback at the unexpected accusations, though they were clearly not shared by the Queen herself. “Let me get this straight. Someone - presumably within the administration - thinks I’m sleeping with Cain in order to garner favors from the police? What, they think I’m asking him to turn a blind eye to all the lascivious goings-on here within the palace walls?”
“As I said, the decision to separate you and expel Mr. Cain was not mine,” the Queen held her hands up helplessly. “However, if I am to continue doing all I can to rebuild trust within this community and this kingdom, I must make difficult choices to protect the best interests of my government. I’m sorry.”
Glitch looked at the floor for a moment, then raised his chin defiantly. “Then I must also make a choice, though one far less difficult to come to.” He reached over and linked his hand with Cain’s. “I’m sorry, too, Highness. But I choose him. I love him.”
Everything in Cain’s being was pushing him to not let Glitch do this, to not allow Glitch to throw his career, his life’s work, away for him.
Everything but his heart. It was that part of him that made him maintain his silence, though he knew he was being selfish. But he also knew that this was Glitch’s choice and one that Glitch would not make lightly.
Apparently the Queen saw the same thing in Glitch that Cain did, because she did not attempt to dissuade Glitch from his decision. “I understand,” she said, a fragile smile at odds with the sorrow in her eyes. “Please, keep in touch, Ambrose. You’ll always be my friend first.”
Glitch gave a sharp nod. “In that case, the name’s Glitch.”
~*~
Outside, leaning against the car Glitch had been gifted with for his years of service, Cain watched as Glitch descended the wide staircase with the last of his bags. “You know you’re insane, right?”
Glitch grinned brightly and threw his duffle back at Cain, then circled the car to the passenger side. “For that, I should withdraw my offer and make you ride shotgun,” he said cheerfully, even as he climbed into said seat. “How far away is this place again?”
“It’s in lake country, just southeast of Camber Tarn,” Cain said as he got behind the wheel. Before he started the engine, he turned to Glitch. “You’re sure you want to do this? Last chance to jump ship.”
“Not a chance,” Glitch replied earnestly, with complete confidence. He leaned forward and kissed Cain tenderly. “We’re a set, you and me.”
~*~
End