Chapter Text
Crypto gripped his hand tightly, then threaded his fingers through Elliott’s as they entered the hotel lobby. Elliott watched his face chameleon into something warm; somehow making the sharp edges of his cheekbones round out, his eyes to sparkle, his jaw to unclench; he damn near forgot about those facial implants. He smiled a little lopsided… but he… smiled. At Elliott!
He had to regain his own composure, reminding himself of this mission. Masquerading into this gorgeous hotel resort as newlyweds on a honeymoon. It was a seriously treacherous plan, held together with string and gum. But Crypto had asked for his help and… well, he really liked that smile.
*
The mission sounded simple. Pretend to be married to get into the Lovebird Suite. The hopelessly kitschy and gaudy loft shared a wall with the Presidential Suite- the real target. Apparently, People who reserved that room had some pretty serious enemies. Crypto had gotten schematics or something that would let him bug the room, and his drone could relay anything that happened inside within a close enough proximity?? Whatever. Elliott blinked at him, when he asked.
“So, you want… me to pretend… we’re married?”
“That’s not even the… I need to get into that hotel, the only way I can get the information I need is to stay the week there, I need a cover story.” He stared at Elliot’s wide eyes and sighed. “Yes. I want you to pretend we are married.”
“And why not… Wattson… or-or someone?” Elliott chirped.
“Natalie… is not an actor.” He said fondly, rolling his eyes in endearment. “She wouldn’t fare well. You are an excellent performer. Don’t make me regret saying that.”
Elliott watched the hacker shift from asking to asking a little more desperately.
“Help me. I’ll pay.”
*
Elliott turned on his charm, leaning into the part of lovesick husband. He held Crypto’s hand a little tighter, looked up at the incredibly beautiful lobby and did a little half-spin. “Sweetheart… this place is so gorgeous…” he said in awe, making sure the concierge heard him at the front desk. “When you said you were gonna take care of all the honeymoon stuff… I just didn’t expect all this … oh… babe…” he started making himself sound all choked up. Perfect timing, they approached the counter and the clerk stood to greet them.
“Ah, You must be Mr. and Mr. Seong, I presume?” They said with a very customer service smile, “Welcome to The Winteur.”
Elliott chuckled, looking them in the eye, “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing that…”
Crypto spoke up before Elliott could over-schmooze the poor clerk, confirming details, all the while smiling that sweet smile. Elliott watched it happening in front of him, Crypto’s entire performance seemed so vastly different than the weird hacker guy Elliott had come to know. But he reasoned that you don’t stay on the run too long looking suspicious; Crypto must have had to play-act his way through some really tough times.
Hopefully all that overthinking read as “enamored” to anyone paying attention to them. The clerk handed them some keycards in a fancy looking envelope, and gestured for them to place their bags on an automated trolley. They were free to head up to the suite. Elliott took both of Crypto's hands in his to kiss the knuckles and giggle, then turned to bee-line his way to the elevator. Crypto followed him shortly, making sure the little floating self-driving trolley was secure and trailing them. Elliott backed into the elevator, waiting for Crypto, reaching again for his hand to hold for the trip. It had almost started to feel natural… Crypto let him, too. All the way up to the hallway where their room was.
Crypto swung the dark redwood doors open and paused, almost expecting someone already inside. It was empty, and Elliott took the opportunity to bow deeply and sweep his arm in a ‘you first’ type of movement. Crypto smiled at him again, and held out a hand for him to take. Once he touched the palm, Crypto swept him up into a side saddle carry that made Elliott genuinely yelp in surprise.
“B-BABE!” He laughed, clinging to the man below. He literally couldn’t believe tiny Crypto had this kind of strength, for one thing, but also having the nerve? That kinda set Elliott’s brain into overdrive. He clung to the hacker as he was carried across the threshold, bridal style.
“Alright.” Once Crypto was inside, he let his face drop, and nearly let Elliott too. He stepped down out of Crypto’s arms. “No free rides, Witt.” Crypto turned to make sure his bag hadn’t jostled too much in transit.
“What the hell was that, Romeo?” He barked out a laugh.
Crypto looked up at him, crouched over his bag, sneering- good ol’ Crypto. “There was a couple down the hall watching us. Wanted to really sell it.”
Just then, Elliott heard the chatter of some people outside passing their door, oops, he totally didn’t see them.
“I saw them! Just like! Damn! Had no idea you were such a textbook romantic…” he shuffled away to get his own bag hoisted onto his shoulder, until another thought dawned on him, “Wait… why was I the bride???”
“I just saw a cue, Witt. You can be whichever one you want. As long as nobody becomes suspicious of us. Outside of this room, we are happily married, Mr and Mr Seong.”
“I have your last name, too? What’s in this marriage for me? Huh?” He joked but Crypto seemed to be at his limit for jokes. “Hey. Kidding! Let’s check out the room.” He smiled warmly, not keen to push his mood into ‘bad’ territory.
Once he passed the little entryway the full room really hit him. Complete. Stereotype.
The room was lined with silken white wallpaper, the kind with raised heart designs, that was expensive to even look at. Along the longest wall was the single massive… heart shaped bed, draped in shiny red bedding, and about a million pillows. There was a small loveseat and holovision in the far corner, a big dining table, and a kitchenette to finish off the main living area. Elliott ran to the bathroom, looking to be proven right about what he’d assumed was in there. Yup. A MASSIVE jacuzzi tub, a two person rain-style shower with little white heart filigree etched into the glass.
Cheesy. Totally corny. And... honestly exactly what Elliott had pictured for his own idyllic future.
He walked back out of the bathroom, almost giddy, “Wow, this kinda rules!”
“You don’t have to act anymore.” Crypto called over to him, unpacking his things in the dresser.
“I’m not pretending. It’s like… actually cute.” Elliott defended. “I, for one, love this kinda stuff!”
He suspected Crypto just rolled his eyes or something, cause he didn’t get a response. And before he could continue, there was a knock at the door.
Crypto’s eyes went wide and panicked, but Elliott motioned to calm down with a hand. He called out cheerily, “I’ll get it, baby.” And approached the door. He looked through the peephole to see a hotel attendant.
When he opened it, the attendant asked if it were an ‘okay time for the complimentary room service’ and Elliott looked back to Crypto to make sure he wasn’t gonna kill the poor guy with a glare, but Crypto had already put on his lovebird mask, and stood near Elliott, expectantly.
The attendant rolled the trolley in and took the cloche off, revealing a half dozen roses, champagne and- oh.
“Oh, I’m-I’m sorry, my husband is allergic to strawberries. Even if they’re chocolate covered,” Elliott said mournfully. “I’ll keep those bubbles, though!”
The poor attendant nearly lost his breath apologizing, and soon he backed out of the room with the desserts under his arm. And they were alone again.
Elliott pulled the bottle from its little napkin cover to inspect the brand and year, but he noticed Crypto staring at him. “What, Park?”
“How did you know I was allergic…?” He asked slowly and guarded.
Elliott looked at him incredulously, “You told me? Like a hundred years ago but like. You told me to surprise you with a drink at the Lounge, and I asked if you had any preference and you said no strawberries and that your throat would close up?”
Crypto’s eyes narrowed, and his face looked sorta pink. Then he shrugged, “I had forgotten that.”
“Well I kept it squirreled away. Insurance premiums go up cause I killed you with a stupid little berry? No way.” He went back to reading the champagne, “Oh, wow- This is the good stuff!”
—
A few hours of settling down, for Elliott, and a few of checking every inch of the room for security’s sake, for Crypto, passed quickly. Elliott soon realized he was growing hungry, and asked if Crypto wanted room service. He gave a solid ‘I don’t care what you do, Witt’ shrug and he took that as a queue to order for both of them. Guy’s gotta eat! He chose some really tempting unhealthy food himself and saw some Gaean dishes for Crypto.
He wished he could have recorded the face Crypto made when he saw the noodle dish set in front of him. It was sweet and surprised and very grateful… Elliott laughed lightly, “Glad you like my picks, man. Now eat.” He did not resist waiting for his partner in crime before plopping down on the loveseat and digging in for himself. Moments passed before Crypto sat next to him to quietly, but feverishly eat his meal(s). Elliott watched him take bite after bite before cracking up, “Jeez it’s like you’ve never seen food before! Slow down!”
Crypto swallowed the bite in his mouth, and flinched as it fought him, “You have to eat it before the sauce congeals, Witt. Have you never had jaengban-jjajang?”
Man, he wished he could tell his stupid heart not to flutter when Crypto switched to his native tongue but… ugh whatever, “No. Never been to Gaea. ‘Cept for work. But yknow-“
“Have some.” Crypto nearly shoved his bowl into Elliott’s hands.
He took it and his chopsticks, really ready to impress him with his skills. He took a little clump of noodle and going all in with a full bite. He tasted a burst of seafood, salt, and heat, it was delicious. “M’woah?!”
Crypto did a little hint of a smile at that, then pointed to a sliced veggie lining the bowl, “have one of those to wash it down.” Elliott did, apparently it was some kinda palette cleanser, fresh, and tart, and-
“Goddamn that is good.” He handed the bowl back reluctantly. “Okay I’m getting more of that stuff. Apparently the chef is from Suotomo. And it shows!” Elliott went back to his own hearty meat filled meal. Crypto's silence usually wasn’t too strange seeing as he gave him the silent treatment all of the time, but this time felt… different, somehow. “What’s up, Park?”
“Nothing.” He shuffled a little further away, then, only just then Elliott realized their thighs had been touching.
“No. What? Did I make you mad?” Elliott really didn’t wanna spend the next week walking on eggshells- or more likely cracking them under his big dumb footsteps, “Just tell me what it was so I don’t piss you off more! It’s gonna be a looong mission if we don’t forgive and forget, okay?”
Crypto looked him in the eye, thinking it all over, he looked down at his food. “It’s not… No, you didn’t make me angry. I… that’s where I’m from. Suotomo. Just feeling… what’s the word…?”
“Homesick?” Elliott said, softly.
“Yeah. Yeah, I guess.”
_
Elliott let him stay quiet after that. For the rest of the evening they were distant in their room, Elliott lounging on the bed watching stuff on his phone, doing some social media interactions, other little things he never really had time for in real life. Crypto had been plastered to his laptop since dinner, probably making sure everything for this little plan of his goes smoothly. Oh, that reminded him…
“Hey, Park?” He sat up, “What else am I supposed to do? Like am I just here for the cover story?”
Crypto looked at him blankly at first, like he’d just been so absorbed in whatever he was doing that he needed an extra second to process he was being asked a question. “Uh. No, I, uh… I’ll need you to help me to keep watch when I bug the room next to ours. And we should be with each other at all times outside of the room. To avoid suspicion.”
“Awww, lookout duty?” Elliott did a little whoop-di-doo motion with his finger, sounding less than enthusiastic.
Crypto took that the wrong way, scrunching his nose up, “If you don’t want to help further just say so.”
He said, watching Crypto’s defenses spike made him feel bad. “That’s not what I meant! I was just trying to… if you need me for anything bigger. I even brought some gear! Y’ know, for super spy… spying. I’ve got your back. Promise.” He tried to connect with Crypto’s eyes but he was turned just so his hair blocked them. He stayed quiet for a bit.
Very soon after that complete disaster of a conversation, Elliott began to drift off in bed, watching some reality TV trash. The next time he vaguely woke up was Crypto getting into the bed, then he was out, for real.
Dawn came and lit the entire room in bright, happy white. Elliott, not ready to wake up quite yet, ground his cheek a little further into the soft bedding below.
Only to realize it wasn’t bedding. It was Crypto.
He had his head squarely on the man’s chest, an arm tossed across his body, too. He tried to sit up, but then it became apparent that Crypto had his arms around him as well. Elliott froze from the sleepy resistance that Crypto put up, squeezing him tight before stirring as well.
Not only was he held just a little bit closer but the sleepy, pleading “Witt'' that left his pursed lips made Elliott blush. They both tilted their heads to look at each other, comically in tandem. Crypto’s eyes went wide again, not quite like when he was in real danger, but big enough. He lifted his hands in the air, and at the same time Elliott shuffled away, across that slippery bedding. He felt very cold very quickly without Crypto there under him; he tried to banish that thought quickly.
“G-guess I dozed off…” he mumbled, realizing he was still in the clothes he arrived in. Crypto was in pajamas, meaning that he meant to be asleep, probably just without the rival-turned-fellow-criminal crushing him in a sleep hug. “I’m gonna… change.”
Elliott stood, and walked towards the dresser holding all of his clothes, picked something, and made his way to the bathroom to put it on. Elliott tried… so hard… not to focus on the definite tent that damn hacker was sporting under that thin crimson top sheet. But he did see it. Crypto didn’t say anything either, just looked like he’d already gone back to sleep. Elliott closed himself in the bathroom, begging his own body to stop having opinions about seeing Crypto in that … compromised state. Everyone gets morning wood, Elliott. Everyone! He was just sleeping, and it’s fine! It’s fine.
His mind raced, his heart beat, he just kinda wished they both slept a little longer so he didn’t have to make the choice of crawling back into bed with him. Not because he was embarrassed. But because he wanted to *so badly* be back in that bed. Why did every crushing thought rush into his skull, realizing that maybe he had butterflies for the guy? The nerd! Why now…
He wasted enough time in the bathroom after changing into some sleep wear, brushing his teeth, making sure his face wasn’t red. He eventually had to go back out, and when he did, he quickly gathered that Crypto had tried to forget everything, laying far on the other half of the mattress, on his side facing away from the room; As separated as can be. Elliott took that as a sign that, no, they weren’t going to talk it out. He lay back on his side of the bed, silently and tried not to overthink himself to death. Or maybe death would be better than trying to fall asleep next to a brand new, *painfully* apparent crush.