No words could make Padlock as conflicted as he was feeling now. No words had ever made him more simultaneously crestfallen, guilty, and exhilarated.
Phantom had never agreed with him. Well, he wouldn´t be surprised if Phantom didn´t even know what he was doing. The whole thing just made him confused. For so long, Padlock had been wonderful at puzzles. Wonderful at thinking not only outside the box, but outside the entire concept. But then it came to Phantom, and he had no clue. If Phantom had felt this way for a year now, then why had he continued doing what he was doing? Wouldn’t he have confronted him earlier on? Or… had he been hired to take him down? Now, that raised even more concerns. That meant Padlock had other enemies that Val had some kind of tie to, whether that be using Phantom to get to Pad, or some kind of blackmail situation.
Sure, some people would classify Padlock as smart. In reality, that wasn’t the case. He was just such a paranoid over-thinker, that someone would suspect he’s actually a genius.
His entire mind screamed for him to disagree— the fight or flight response desperate for flight. But… he just couldn’t bring himself to leave. Couldn’t bring himself to say no. For once in his life he just wanted to be weak— throw his paranoia out the window with the rest of his mission. Still, he knew he couldn’t. He had too much time invested in this, he was in too deep, and he’d finish what he’d started.
Maybe, however, just maybe… he could use this. Act like he let his guard down completely. Then he could get an insight on Phantom. Act like the man had earned his full trust. Then, see his real self. See if he was actually being truthful. Sure, Pad had had doubts of his whole ‘visage’ last night, but he had been tired, and he was back on his guard today. He wouldn’t let that happen again.
“Oh, are you now?” he asked mockingly. “Perhaps— just to spite you— perhaps I make you wait longer. Unless you take matters into your own hands, it seems as though you might just have to hang on a little while more. Because I am just that stubborn, am I not?”
Valentine didn't really know the specifics of Pad's job, but he thought of it as just that. A job. Something you did for a few hours every day and then shucked off like a snake shedding skin, never to be thought of again until the next stakeout or night time escapade or slow stalk through an abandoned office building. For him it was just a part time gig—something he did for the money. He got his calls and his emails and the odd urgent takeover of his electronics, but for the most part it wasn't something that consumed him. It was just a way for him to help out. To be some small fraction of the hero his father was.
So being with Padlock like this didn't really feel like a conflict of interest because he wasn't devoting himself to heroism. He was taking the jobs assigned to him and maintaining relationships outside of them. And if his relationship just so happened to be with someone he usually got called to stop, then what he did outside his job was nobody's problem but his own.
He pouted when Pad mocked him, giving his hair a soft tug in retribution and then pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. It was a soft, barely there press of lips, little more than a tease to get Padlock to give him a kiss too. "Come on, you don't have to be so mean to me." He kissed Pad's other cheek too, a soft pout on his lips.
More genuine than usual. He had to admit, Padlock's teasing had him a little worried that he might not feel the same. That this might just be some kind of joke or ploy or attempt to get on his good side or something. Which was probably just him being stupid. Padlock was probably just nervous or maybe a little hesitant to get going so fast, he didn't need to read into it so much, he wasn't supposed to be the paranoid one here. "I thought you really liked me, Pad." He fiddled with Padlock's hair, running his fingers through it quickly. "Can't you give me one little kiss? Just to show me that you care?"
Even though Padlock desperately wanted to get on his good side— like that was the entire plan— he couldn’t help but be god-awful stubborn. It was just who he was, and plus, it was fun toying with Phantom, just a little.
“I don’t know…,” he mumbled playfully, looking away exaggeratedly, pretending his attention was elsewhere. “Can I? I’m not sure.”
He would have almost been enjoying this if not for the string of profanities running through his head. There was all that stupid work stuff, but then there was the not knowing how this worked. Even down to the kiss, he was dreading it. He didn’t know how they worked. He didn’t know.. what to do. He was relatively scared, and normally, this never happened. The infamous Padlock had never met anything he couldn’t piece together. So why was this so damn difficult?
His cheeks grew noticeably redder as Phantom worked some kind of stupid magic, making his heart and stomach go all butterflies again. It made him all scared and sick and shaky, but god, it was addicting. And, in reality, he didn’t want to be anywhere else.
But of course, this was just for the plan. Pad had to keep repeating that part in his head. The man.. Val didn’t even know his real name.
Oh, but that could change, he thought, the thought more intrusive than he wanted. Just tell him. Just tell him Solomon. He doesn’t need to know the last name.
But who would he relay that information to? If he didn’t know that answer, then Phantom would continue to be ignorant.
"Come on, Pad." Val kissed him on the cheek again, a soft whine in his voice as Padlock looked away. "You're gonna make a guy feel unwanted, is that what you're trying to do? 'cause I'll tell you that you're doing a pretty bang up job so far, what with the not looking at me and the not touching me and the not giving me kisses."
He nuzzled Padlock's cheek for a few seconds, not wanting to pull away even though he probably wasn't going to get the affection he was looking for. "You don't have to be nervous about it, I don't really care if it's any good. I mean… it would be nice, but what really matters is that I know you want to. And right now I kind of do kind of don't and it's making me really antsy so a nice, clear cut answer would be very helpful, even if the answer is no." Honestly, he'd be alright if Padlock said no, it was just that he was a little confused about why he'd said it was alright if they did more earlier in the morning but he wasn't following though on it now
The hand in Pad's hair sped up a bit, nervously twisting the short strands of hair between his fingers, and the one around his neck slid down so he could fiddle with the hem of his shirt. "And… I won't be upset if you don't want to kiss me, I just wanna know if that's the case."
Okay, time to abort the teasing mission. He needed to at least make himself believable.
He looked back over, still smiling. He was actually… having fun with all the mockery, because that was just him, mostly, and it was borderline nice to see Phantom start getting as antsy as Pad was feeling internally. At least he knew he wasn’t the only overthinker.
“You are so funny,” he mumbled with a stiffled laugh, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you can’t take my sarcasm, then I’m not sure how this’ll work out.”
His words were laced with sarcasm, even more so now so he could actually make his teasing somewhat clear.
“Of course. Of course to everything,” he answered, but leaned slightly forward, head at a tilt. “Although, just so we’re entirely clear and honest, I have a confession.
Perhaps your Padlock is not as much of a player as he may seem. Perhaps I haven’t made my rounds around the city with girls and guys falling my way.”
He paused, shaking his head. Why did he need to be telling Val this? It seemed stupid, and moderately embarrassing. He had literally been stuck beneath the city for five years. That didn’t present many love interests.
“I have… never kissed anyone before,” he admitted, laughing. He didn’t seem embarrassed by it outwardly, but inside, a flash of heat tore through his body. He said the words casually enough, though, as if it were a part of his everyday language.
"I can take it! I just…" he sighed quietly and kissed Padlock on the cheek, though he was obviously relieved as he slumped up against his chest. His hands slowed down in Pad's hair, running through it slowly. "… I'm not really good with it when it's about… this stuff. Like… liking me stuff." There were some bad memories there, stuff he did his best not to think about that still left him tying himself in knots inside.
He had to admit, he was a bit surprised by the confession, but it made sense. It certainly explained why Padlock went all pink and red every time he got affectionate. "Oh. Well… first off, you don't really seem like a player. You're… you're sweet. And even if you are basically a bad boy out of some shitty rom-com, you don't really have like… game. But! Um… I'm kind of hyper focusing on something that doesn't matter, aren't I?" He rubbed the back of his neck, a little sheepish.
"What I really mean is… that's… that's fine." He leaned in a little closer, glancing from Padlock's eyes to his lips. "It's kind of cute, honestly, and it doesn't change anything. I still wanna kiss you. If… um…" His cheeks went a little pink but he was smiling, relieved to know why Padlock seemed so skittish. "If you still wanna kiss me, I mean."
“Is it bad that I kind of like that title?” he asked, letting out another laugh. “Moody bad boy stereotype. It’s not the best, but I’ll take it.”
He shifted, adjusting his arms so his shoulders didn’t hurt quite so bad. His palms were burning and the ache was worse than ever, probably due to the medication wearing off and the fact that he wasn’t sleeping right, not being regulated. Still, his mind was elsewhere. No matter how bad the pain, his heart wasn’t paying attention to it.
“And— I don’t know how many times I have to tell you,” he continued, tilting his head to the side. “You want me to make a clearer answer? I figured it already worked, but if you need to hear me say yes, then I’ll do it. Do I want more with you? Yes.”
He raised an eyebrow, still holding that teasing smile on his face. He slowly uncrossed his arms, wrapping them around Phantom’s waist. He figured he’d probably have to put in a little more effort, even if he truly wanted to be as stubborn and sarcastic as he was being.
“How’s that?”
"It's not bad, it's just you accepting who you are. And who you are happens to be a bad boy stereotype with a lot more behind the eyes." Val gave him a sunny little smile, one that only got brighter as he finally got a clear yes. When Padlock wrapped his arms around him too it was pretty much heaven, and he was all too happy to bicker playfully in return.
"Alright, just for the record I may be flirty but this skull is fucking thick, so I'm not really gonna be at ease unless I get a nice yes or no all wrapped up and tied with a bow." He was definitely more chipper now. His hand slid down from Padlock's hair to settle on the back of his neck, tapping idly. Towing him in a little closer. "And now that I've gotten one, I can safely say that it's pretty damn good and I think I'll be collecting on my kiss."
With that, he leaned in, pressing their lips together gently. It was a nice kiss, all things considered. Warm, soft, maybe a little hesitant but that was just how first kisses happened. Chaste, above all else, because this was Padlock's first first kiss and it needed to be good.
Padlock only broke it off to be the stupidly giggly happy self he felt like. It was like he was finally in one place— finally focused on something other than his goal. It all seemed so far off now, because he wasn’t under the city, he wasn’t cold and wrapped up in a leather jacket and he wasn’t alone. He was with Phantom— with Valentine, more the like— and it was refreshing. It was new, it was weird, and it was enjoyable. It made him all giddy and shaky and excited and made him feel like jumping out of another window, but just for the sake of flying.
It seemed his senses were enhanced times a thousand, the fact that he could hear the blood pumping in his ears, and feel every movement through the wraps on his hands, just added to that feeling. He could see the sunlight through his eyelids, and he smiled. The first time in a long time, it was genuine.
He wanted to stop. To go back and introduce himself. To maybe get a real job. To maybe, just maybe, live a real life— here, with Val. And they could be Valentine and Solomon, not just Phantom and Padlock.
Although, just like his goal, it seemed so far off. But… he could just say it, right now. Tell Val his name. Tell Val his story. And, if Val still felt the same, he’d be safe. He’d be okay. He’d realize that his new ‘daydream’ of his wasn’t actually as distant as it may seem.
“This is hard when I can’t stop smiling,” he whispered breathily, cheeks still lightly red as he laughed. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Valentine was grinning as they pulled apart. Padlock talked so big but he got so soft after one little kiss, it was enough to make his heart melt in his chest. He gave him another peck, then another, and then paused to laugh because he was smiling too wide to keep going. Shit, maybe he got soft after one little kiss too.
"It's fine!" He tried to tamp down the grin so he could talk without looking like a lovesick idiot but it didn't really work. Honestly, he was sort of glad it didn't. It meant he could show Padlock that he was just as excited about this as he was. "Way better than my first kiss, and honestly it's… it's kind of cute." He reached up to cup Padlock's cheek, rubbing over the blush a few times. Unfair that Padlock could be so adorable when he was normally all dark and mysterious, but it wasn't like he could complain.
"I don't think I've ever seen you go so red before," he teased, kissing Padlock again. It was a little longer this time, a little less chaste, but he stopped before anything could really happen. "Maybe I should kiss you more often, hm? I didn't realize it was so easy to get you flustered and I really didn't realize that you'd look so cute while I did it. Do you always get this flushed when I'm close to you?"
If it was possible, Solo looked even redder, the bridge of his face a brilliant rosy hue. He had to pull himself back, possibly leaning too far in and lingering there, even when Phantom had pulled away. It took him just a little too long to come too again, his entire sensory system with the exception of touch doing the complete opposite and shutting down instead. Like there was a white canvas, and Val and Solo were the only two people there.
Phantom’s words were what cut him out of his daze. He fluttered his eyes back open, but it felt like everything he did was in slow motion.
“Considering the helmet, I guess you’ll never know…,” he purred, letting his voice drift as melodically as he could make it. “But, in all honesty, no it’s not hard to make me like this apparently. You seem to be doing a pretty bang-up job so far.”
He flicked his eyes down to his arms, then back up to meet Val’s eyes.
“It won’t be like that forever, though,” he said deviously. “If you make it a regular thing. Or maybe it will be. I don’t know how it works yet.
“Seems we’ll have to find out, won’t we?”
Val kept his hands on Padlock even as he pulled away, still running over his cheekbones again and again because it never stopped surprising him how red Pads got when he was kissed. His eyes were half lidded as he glanced over at Padlock and he had to admit, he was kind of impressed when he spoke and there wasn't even a tremor in his voice. Then again, he was kind of the master of playing it cool.
"I'd be delighted to." He leaned in for another kiss, small this time. Short. He kind of wanted to pin Padlock properly instead of just sitting in his lap and it was absolutely freeing to realize that he could. No hesitation. No agonizing over whether he'd like it. A smile split his face and he pushed Pad down gently, pinning his shoulders with a small smirk before he leaned down to capture his lips in a slow, heated kiss.
It wasn't a very good pin, sure, but Padlock had come out of the other kisses looking all punch drunk and dazed so he was pretty sure he wouldn't be facing any resistance. He bit the villain's lip as he pulled away, trailing soft kisses up his jaw. "How was that for a first attempt? Got any critiques for me?"
Solo had to keep his breathing steady, this one leaving him nearly speechless as he held onto it as long as he could. He felt all fuzzy, his entire body abuzz with a certain kind of static wherever Phantom touched him. It was only cut short by the terrible anching in his shoulders where Val had pushed him down. He let him, trying not to protest, and to keep the pain down as best he could.
He let out a shaky breath as his arms fell back to his sides, and whether it was from the pain or the sheer fact that he found moving extremely difficult, he didn’t know.
“You think I have critiques?” he breathed, eyes still closed as he leaned further into Val’s touch. “Now, that’s funny. You know, whatever you do, I probably couldn’t tell great from terrible.”
His eyes flickered up to Val again, nearly letting out a whimper as he cascaded those kisses down his jaw.
Yeah, Padlock could bear the pain, if this is what it was for. So, he didn’t show it at all.
“But… this seems to be pretty… wonderful so far.”
Val seemed to remember his shoulders after a few seconds because his hands shifted down to push on his chest instead and he pressed a soft kiss to Padlock's cheek. Not explicitly apologetic, but as close as he could get without ruining the moment. He didn't want to pull Padlock out of this if he didn't have to, not when he seemed so excited. So at ease, letting Val follow the curve of his jaw to his throat.
The skin was softer here, paler, and he could bite, maybe. Leave marks all over his skin. He refrained, of course. It was all chaste little pecks down to his collarbones, and then Padlock was answering his question and he was leaning up to kiss him on the lips again as he finished up. Soft, that was what this kiss was. The gentlest little brush of lips because as much as he wanted to go hot and heavy, Padlock deserved someone who would take it nice and slow. Someone who would let him take his time exploring this.
"As flattered as I am, I want you to tell me if something does feel bad." He pushed down on Padlock gently, not so subtly enjoying being the one on top for once. Padlock always managed to pin him when they fought. "This is all a sort of slippery slope and I'd really hate to make it upsetting or painful or even uncomfortable for you. You deserve better than that."
Solo managed a laugh, although it was a bit dodgy and hitched from the way he let out another shaky breath. No doubt, Phantom could probably feel his heart beat faster and faster, little skips that he both hated and loved. However much he had desperately wanted to keep his guard up before, that all melted away. Right now, it did seem like it was just Val and Solo. No one trying to stop the other, no one jumping out of buildings, no running from the other.
It had all happened so fast. Even though he had been pining after Phantom— though he hated admitting it— for over a year. Who knew, all he had to do was noticeably get himself hurt. Sure, he had accidentally hurt himself numerous times, but he figured Phantom hadn’t seen any of the other ones, even if he showed up the next ‘encounter’ with many, many new scars. Granted, it wasn’t like he showed them off either, always keeping something over the lengths of his body.
But, right now, everything was different. For once, Phantom was the one in charge. The one who had all the liberty. Padlock had never felt so vulnerable— so blatantly out of control. But at the same time, he didn’t hate it— liked it, in fact— more than he’d probably like to admit.
“Why thank you for your concern, and it’s bold of you to assume I wouldn’t speak my mind,” he replied, his voice still a softer whisper. “You seem to know me better than that.”
Val laughed and ran his hands down Padlock's chest. He really wanted the shirt gone, but he figured he should be at least a little courteous and work up to that. Besides, he'd seen plenty of Pad's chest yesterday. For now he just wanted to kiss him. Especially since he figured he had a couple of days before Pad left the nest again. They had plenty of time to get closer, so why not take it slow?
Why not take all the time they had and spend it on the things that mattered, like actually talking for once and trying to do couple-y things. Who knew, he might even take Padlock out on a date. Or… try to anyways. He didn't think his boyfriend (were they boyfriends?) would be all that receptive.
"I do, but…" he softened a bit, leaning in for a quick kiss. "It's just that this is different, is all. There's a lot of pressure with this stuff that you don't feel everywhere else and I wanna make sure you're not staying quiet 'cause you think I'll stop wanting to be around you." It was really important to him that Padlock felt comfortable enough to talk to him and granted, that had never been a problem before, but they'd also never been together before so he figured some new issues would arise.
"But since you're doing so well, why don't you come up here and kiss me this time?"
“Even with that pressure and all that ‘together’ jazz, I’m still the same old Sol— Padlock that you know and love,” he said, his voice hitching slightly. His face suddenly went blank and his heart sped even faster than it had been, which was probably a dangerous thing considering the speed, but that clearly was not his concern right now.
How could he be so stupid? Most importantly, how could he potentially backtrack? Just pretend like it was a slur? Pretend like the whole situation left him all loopy? Well, he wouldn’t have to pretend that part. That’s how he had almost let his name slip in the first place.
Or, maybe if he played it off, Phantom wouldn’t even know.
In that case…
“Oh, really?” he asked, trying to retreat back to his somewhat sultry tone. Almost as if to keep Phantom from asking any more questions, and the fact that he genuinely wanted to, Padlock leaned up, flicking his gaze up to the man’s eyes for a moment before closing them again and leaning in. Just like Val had previously done, Solo kissed him, hesitantly at first and much softer, but continuing to lean into it as he grew more comfortable. Though, in his mind, he just pleaded that Val wouldn’t ask any questions.
Valentine would have to be blind to not notice the screw up because Padlock's face got all twisty after and as cute as it was to hear his voice hitch, there was a distinct note of distress in there. He wanted to question it so bad it practically made him itch, but there was really only one thing it could be and he wasn't going to push Padlock for his real name. That was something he had to earn and he was sure he would, but that kind of thing took time. Especially when the person you were trying to wheedle it out of was Padlock.
He laughed a little as Padlock kissed him and soon he was responding in kind. He didn't try to control the it this time, just tilted his head to the side a bit and reached up to push Pad into a slightly better angle. There weren't any fireworks the way he'd hoped there might be, but this was just as good because he felt golden all over, like the softness was seeping into his soul a little.
It left him all smiley as he pulled away, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear while his cheeks went pink. "And you said you weren't good at this." He pushed Padlock down again, smirking at him. Brushing right over his little mistake. "You're already a natural, even if you do get a little loopy after you let me have my way with you. Are you sure I'm your first kiss?"
No proper word could explain the relief Padlock felt when Phantom ceased from asking questions. But at the same time, he wasn’t…
He wanted Phantom to know who he really was. That was the first step to normal. But… that would also be the first step to trouble, if that’s where he found himself. No, he’d wait until he fully trusted Phantom. That would be something the man had to ear.
“Mmhm,” he replied, smiling contentedly as he was pushed back down. “Positive. You really think highly of me, I suppose.”
Pad let out another laugh, taking his arms and wrapping them around Phantom once more. He tried his best to lace his fingers around the man’s back, to little avail due to the wraps, but he made his best effort, and it worked decently well. He pursed his lips, keeping his mind off the pain.
“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment, hmm?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. His whole body was still abuzz, eyes shining with that playful twinkle.
Val kissed his cheek with a soft smile and leaned in to steal another short kiss when Pad took a break to laugh. "Of course I think highly of you, I don't get all blushy smiley over any guy who walks down the street." He had to admit, he did have a bit of a type, but that wasn't anyone's problem but his own. And hey, it had netted him Padlock, so honestly he should be congratulating himself for his good taste.
"It's a very high compliment coming from me. Normally kisses don't get me all excited but you seem to be my one exception 'cause I don't think I ever wanna stop kissing you." He kissed Padlock again to prove his point. And then again, humming happily as he was wrapped up in Pad's arms. And then one last time, all long and heated, where he nipped teasingly at Padlock's bottom lipped and only pulled away because he loved seeing the look on Pad's face when he did. Loved how dazed he seemed for the seconds before he readjusted.
"Or… I don't wanna stop for more than a few continuous minutes. I like pausing to talk and you're really cute when you're trying to sound all flirty."
And dazed he certainly was, as he tried to gather himself again, the feeling still lingering there mockingly, teasing him. Sure, Padlock loved sarcastic mockery, but he couldn’t say he was too keen on being on the receiving end of it. Still, it didn’t bother him much, wanting to last like this for as long as he could.
“Oh, really?” he asked. “So I’m special?”
He quieted with Phantom’s next words, shaking his head as he felt his mind go all blurry again. It was almost like being drowsy, like all his words just morphed together and his mind slurred, and he felt all tired and buzzy and like he could fall asleep— like his eyes begged to stay closed. He was warm and he was comfortable and he was happy.
“You don’t have to stop kissing me,” he muttered, voice slightly heavier. “But what do you mean trying to sound flirty? I thought I was doing a pretty good job. Is it not enough for you?”
He wagged his head humorously, hair fluffed slightly by the pillow beneath.
(just fyi, I'm probably not going to be on until the day after tomorrow b/c I'm finally seeing my friends again)
"You're so special." Val meant to sound teasing but his words came out all warm and soft and honestly, he wouldn't change a thing about them. Maybe they could put away the teasing for a little while. Try out some sincerity, the way they'd been doing more and more often this morning. "Sweetest guy I've ever laid eyes on, I swear."
He reached up to smooth Padlock's hair a bit and he was just… so pretty, in the softest, sharpest sort of way. Cute was good for the warm little moments where he tried to put himself back together and hot was good for teasing and wrestling and fighting in the careful way they fought these days, never wanting to hurt the other too badly, but pretty really cut to the heart of it. All sharp lines and sharp sarcasm mixed in with the softest smiles Val had ever been given.
It took him a while to speak and he flushed when he did, realizing it was probably a bit rude to just drift off in the middle of a conversation. "It's not that it's not enough for me, sweetheart." Were pet names okay? "It's just that I think you're a tad too dazed to be doing your best work." He gave Padlock a soft kiss, sweet. "Honestly, that's flattering enough. I never thought I'd be able to get you all fuzzed out with a few kisses."
(Cool, no worries. Have fun!)
“Too dazed to be doing my best work?” he hummed, tilting his head up to lean into Val’s hand. “Well isn’t that something.”
He shifted, adjusting his arms so he didn’t have to keep his shoulders suspended. He let them rest back by his sides as he winced, feeling one of his palms shoot a searing pain through his forearm. God, they were so inconvenient, but Pad really had no one else to blame but himself. Which sucked, because he really hated when his plans didn’t result in something he enjoyed.
Well, in hindsight, that’s actually exactly what it had done. He was here, wasn’t he? That was something. He was here with this odd angelic version of Phantom, the sun hitting both of them perfectly through the window like this was some kind of movie.
Pfft, yeah. It totally resulted in something he enjoyed.
“So, is that saying you think I’ll be better if I’m not dazed?” he asked, smile still present, so prominent that one could hear it in his voice. “Because, based on your initial reaction, it seems like I’d be pretty breathtaking.”
(back a bit early!!)
Val's smile slipped away as Padlock winced and he reached down, fingers ghosting over his shoulders. He did his best to perk up when Pad started talking again, attention back on his face instead of his injuries, but the worry was in his head now and he couldn't quite get rid of it.
"What I'm saying is that you're really cute like this but you're not exactly thinking your fastest." His eyes flicked over to Pad's shoulders in the second before he leaned in and kissed him, all soft. Ridiculous, maybe. Kissing him harder would probably distract him from the pain now that he thought about it, but he was too anxious to try. He'd already messed up once and shoved on Pad's shoulders and he was probably achey enough without Val making things worse. "So yeah, you're fucking… so gorgeous, but you're not in tip top shape for verbal sparring."
He pecked Padlock on the nose with a playful little smile. "Doesn't seem like you mind too much, though. You like kissing me a whole lot, huh?"
(Welcome back, hope you had fun :D Sorry for the late reply)
“What? Nooooo,” he said, the last word all drawled out sarcastically. “You’re insane if you think that.”
Pad let out another smile, tilting his head tauntingly as he listened carefully to Phantom’s words. He had to admit— being complimented like this was such a foreign delicacy that he didn’t really know how to respond to. It wasn’t familiar, whatsoever.
“But… perhaps,” he cooed, adverting his eyes. “Though, don’t get too cocky.”
He paused, thinking for a moment before meeting Val’s eyes again. His smiled seemed lessened, his hands clenching and unclenching subconsciously, triggering that stupid searing pain throughout his hands. It sure helped him out of his daze, like an emergency button, but not that it was pleasant at all. He just… he needed to be on guard a little better. Phantom was right— Solomon was completely off in that damn wonderland, and he had almost let his name slip. That was enough.
He cleared his throat, trying to collect himself. Still, his eyes danced around Val’s face aimlessly, and he really couldn’t help but smile again.
“Are we… are we doing this?” he asked quietly. “Like… the whole ‘us’ thing?”
Carefully, he put a hand up, backtracking quickly.
“N-Not that I don’t want to, I’m just so confused. I have questions..”
