“Come on, Spence,” he thought, “This isn’t too much different from when we fell asleep on the couch… but that was the couch, and this is her bed… and she’s practically naked this time. Has she always been this soft… no! No! Relax. We’re sleeping. All we are doing is sleeping.” Before he knew it, the sun was up. Lisa groaned and stirred. “Spencer?” She managed, “What— happened?” “You had a bad trip,” Chaos explained. “Oh yeah… I remember the rando kissing me on the dance floor and pushing something into my mouth,” Lisa sat up, gripping her head. “Wait— what?” “Yeah, Veronica told us only to take drinks from the bar and not take anything until she saw it first. Then Lector and I got separated. When we found each other, everything was going well until this guy grabbed me and kissed me. I’m— pretty sure Lector was saying something to me after that point, but I don’t know. The lights got really pretty, and everything seemed unrealistic, but it was fun— until Bosco showed up? None of it makes any sense,” Lisa was trying to explain, “you aren’t mad, are you?” “Yes, but I’m not mad at you,” Chaos asserted, “Do you remember what that guy looked like?” “Spencer, even if I did, he’s probably long gone,” Lisa sighed, “Who knows what else happened.” “Um,” Chaos’s face turned red. “Spencer,” Lisa slowly asked, “What happened?” “I think— it would be easier to show you,” Chaos pulled out his phone. Lisa watched the video of her, Lector, and Veronica. Then she watched a video of what happened when he and Victor showed up. “For something so tame that was pretty hot,” Lisa accidentally said out loud. “Y-yes it was,” Chaos agreed, “So— you’re holding back, huh?” “I mean, it’s not like what happened in the video,” Lisa held up her hands, “I was tripping, so don’t feel pressured to do anything you don’t want to.” Chaos sighed, “It’s not that I don’t want to…” “Then— what is it?” Lisa asked, concerned, “it’s not because of my scars or anything?” “No! No,” Chaos said, “I didn’t even notice you had any.” “Well, I keep them hidden. It happened so long ago, but the scars from the accident insist on lingering,” Lisa pulled the covers up. “No!” Chaos put his hand on hers, “Lisa, it’s not you at all. I like you— all of you.” He brushed his fingers over the scars across her abdomen. Lisa grabbed his hand. “Okay, maybe there was some truth to the restraint thing,” Lisa sighed. “Ah! Sorry!” Chaos pulled his hand away. “Be honest, Spencer.” “This— is going too well. Yes, we’ve had our incidents and close calls, but,” Chaos chewed his lip then continued, “Nothing good comes from doing good. Nothing good comes from things— going this well.” “Oh, Spencer,” Lisa brushed her hand against his cheek, “I can sympathize with being afraid. I’ve been scared, too.” “You? Really?” “Yes. I’ve been on edge because, well, your job is dangerous,” Lisa admitted, “Something could happen to you at any moment… I heard about your run-in with Martin.” “You did? How?” “Mr. Wilson and Mateo are good friends,” Lisa explained, “And I know that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Even the Jet isn’t that much of a threat, but it feels like I can’t breathe when you have to go dark, and then I feel relieved when I hear from you again.” “You’ve never mentioned anything. I didn’t know that bothered you,” Chaos looked down. “Don’t go thinking of changing occupations over me, Spencer. Life itself is terrifying and thinking about my parents sometimes it’s terrifyingly short,” Lisa explained. “You know any normal person would want me to change occupations,” Chaos noted. “I’m not dating you because I want to change you,” Lisa squinted her eyes at him, “I mean, yeah, you do pretty despicable things, but there are an equivalent number of people who do despicable things that society calls ‘justice.’ Hurting people is wrong regardless, but people do it every day, and for some, it gets labeled as ‘justice’ or ‘serving the greater good,’ and for others, ‘evil’ is the description of their actions.’” “Okay, so what puts me on the side that would cause you to be even mildly interested in someone so dangerous and be okay with them continuing to be dangerous?” Chaos shook his head. “My grandparents were never truly forthcoming about who they were, but I do know that my grandmother was objectively the symbol of evil, and my grandfather was objectively the symbol of good. Neither tried to change the other. Ultimately, yes, they changed because they decided neither of their life situations was suitable to raise a family, but they made those decisions for themselves.” “Okay, but how do you know they decided that for themselves?” “Because neither grandma nor grandpa was the kind of people to stay in a situation they didn’t want to be in,” Lisa explained, “if they didn’t truly want each other, I assure you, Spencer, that I wouldn’t be having this conversation because neither myself nor my father would have existed. And I may not have that same conviction about ‘good’ or ‘evil.’ I do have the conviction to leave or avoid a situation I don’t want to be in, and I think you are the same way.” “How do you know that?” “As a villain, you could have told me to fuck off a long time ago, and yet here you are, in my bed,” Lisa winked. Chaos groaned, “You’re impossible.” “That may be true,” Lisa nodded, “but my point still stands that despite my fears, I’m still here, and I want to be here with you.” Chaos was silent for a long moment, then said, “Charles told me to try this as myself… not as who I feel I need to be behind the mask of Creator Chaos.” “Charles is a smart guy,” Lisa nodded. “More like a smart ass, but he’s been there with me the whole way,” Chaos smiled. “So— that begs the question that I’m sure Charles already asked. What does Spencer Hendrix want to do?” Lisa asked. Chaos took a deep breath and sighed, “I want to be with you, Lisa.” Lisa held his hand, “Then be with me. We don’t have to take it there now because I’m pretty sure I have glitter and body paint in places that are going to drive me insane, and we already took a pretty big step forward.” Chaos nodded and smiled. “That said, I wouldn’t be opposed to having company in the shower,” Lisa smirked. Chaos laughed, “Nice try, little flower. I’ll join you at some point, though.” “That’s fair,” Lisa kissed him on the cheek before hopping out of bed. Despite being out ridiculously late and Lisa having a splitting headache, the shop opened at its usual time. Chaos helped her open up before heading out to take care of his own business for the day. — Time seemed to fly by, and before anyone knew it, it was Victor and Veronica’s wedding day. Lisa could get the plant well enough to clip one of its flowers as the centerpiece for Veronica’s boquete. It warmed Lisa’s heart to see Veronica’s smile when she opened the box with the bouquet. It was an outdoor wedding on a clear day. Lisa decorated all of the areas they planned with flowers, especially the area framing the alter. Lisa sat towards the back and watched as the ceremony proceeded. Then the introduction for the bride played, and everyone stood. Veronica was breathtaking. Instead of a veil, Veronica opted for her hair to have flowers woven through it, and Lisa was happy to oblige. The braid along the crown of her head flowed to blend in with the hair hanging down her back, much like her dress who’s was form-fitting and then flowed around her calves, blending in with the train. It was apparent that Victor had forgotten to breathe. When she made it to the altar, the imagery looked complete. They exchanged vows, and then the priest continued with: “Do you, Victor Marino take Veronica Ricci to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold in sickness and in health, until death do you part?” “I do,” Victor smiled brightly. “Do you, Veronica Ricci take Victor Marino to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold in sickness as in health until death do you part?” “I do,” Veronica smiled back. “Does anyone oppose this?” Someone sneezed, and everyone who had a gum pointed it in that general direction. The person put their hands up. “I’m not opposed! It’s allergies!” The priest cleared his throat and continued the ceremony feeling anxious. They exchanged rings, and the ceremony concluded with a kiss and the presentation of Mr. and Mrs. Marino. — Chaos approached Lisa, who was fixing some flowers during the reception. “A florist’s work is never done, eh?” Chaos smiled. “I think I can take a break for you since I just finished,” she smiled. “Well, little flower, would you dance with me?” Chaos held out his hand. “Of course!” Lisa took it and followed him to the dance floor. They held hands, Lisa draping one arm over Chaos’s shoulder as Chaos put a hand on Lisa’s hip. “It was a lovely ceremony today,” Lisa commented, “I’m so happy for them.” “Me, too. I’m glad you were able to make the arrangements you wanted,” Chaos nodded. “It was pretty touch and go, but the flowers made it,” Lisa sighed in relief. “Why did you feel you had to use that one?” “If the plant is healthy, when you cut a flower from it, that particular breed of flower will live for years before they wilt,” Lisa explained, “Don’t worry, that’s not the one she is going to toss. The purpose of having the secondary arrangement was for the flower toss.” As if on cue, the Emcee called all of the ladies who weren't married to the dance floor. “And that's my cue to step off,” Lisa pulled Chaos off the dancefloor by the hand, “I’m not trying to get my arrangement back.” Chaos laughed, “Are you sure that's the only reason?” Lisa smirked, “Well, no. I want to see how things play out without flowers influencing what happens next.” “Interesting take on the bouquet toss,” Chaos nodded as Lisa pulled him out onto the balcony, “we could stay in for the garter toss, though, if you wanted. “Victor and Veronica opted out of the garter toss,” Chaos shook his head, “and I feel similarly about that particular ritual.” “Probably for the best,” Lisa smirked, “It’s my understanding that Victor can’t keep himself together from that angle. We’d get a show for sure.” Chaos shook his head, “Those two get pretty wild, but the important thing is that they are wild about each other.” “Yeah,” Lisa smiled up at him as Chaos. When the music began again, they continued dancing together, a little closer now alone in the balcony. Chaos twirled Lisa around before pulling her back in. “Kiss her now!” Chaos urged himself. His smile never faded as they continued to dance. They locked eyes, and though Chaos was flush, he didn’t look away. He began to lean down to Lisa, close enough that she could feel his warmth almost reach her lips. Before they could meet, a man in a black suit rushed outside, looking for Chaos. Lisa was left wanting as Chaos pulled away. “Why the hell did you interrupt?” Chaos reprimanded. “Believe me, boss,” the black-clad man raised his hands, “It’s urgent. Claude has requested your presence.” “In London?” Chaos glanced back at Lisa, who waved, “Can it wait?” “No, boss, it sounded pretty urgent,” the man pulled Chaos’s passport from his breast pocket and told him his luggage was in the car, ready to go. “Hold on,” Chaos turned to meet back with Lisa. “What’s wrong?” “I have to go to London for a few days,” Chaos looked forlornly at Lisa, “Even though it’s a couple of days, I wanted to give you something to remember me by.” Chaos steeled his resolve, tilting Lisa’s head up and kissing her lips softly. Lisa blinked a few times then returned the affection, draping her arms around Chaos’s shoulders. The scenery seemed to melt away, and it felt like they were the only two people in the world. When they broke apart for air, Chaos smiled down at Lisa. “Now that I’ve done it… I feel like a fool for waiting so long,” Chaos thought as he leaned down to kiss her again and again. “Boss!” Chaos groaned, touching his forehead to Lisa’s. “Don’t worry, Spencer,” Lisa breathed, “I’ll be here, so be safe on your trip.” Lisa stood up on her tiptoes, brushing her lips against Chaos once more. He bit his lip, looking down at Lisa. “Boss, we need to go.” “Right,” he stepped back, turning to give Lisa a longing look before exiting the reception. — “I told your ass to stop waiting.” “Shut up, Charles,” Chaos muttered. Charles was pulling into the hangar, “Don’t pout now. Anyway, you owe Slim an apology. I almost smacked him for taking so long to get you out here.” “It’s okay, Charles,” Slim nodded, “I was just happy to see the boss happy. I probably could have given him another minute…” “A minute would turn into hours,” Charles rolled his eyes exiting the car, “The meticulous Creator Chaos, the man with the giant brain is incapable of the ‘quickie.’” “Well, you can’t study a body in less than five minutes, Charles,” Chaos began, then blushed, “plus, with Lisa— I prefer to take my time.” “We know,” Charles flatly retorted as he indicated Slim and Chaos enter the plane before him. Charles shut the door behind them, and they entered radio silence as the aircraft rose and pointed in the direction of the UK. — “I understand, Vic. Do what you have to do,” Veronica kissed Victor on the cheek, “I know you’re in charge when the boss and Charles are gone. We have the rest of our lives. Our honeymoon can wait a week.” “I know,” Victor looked down at the bed between them sadly, “It’s not fair to you, though.” Veronica cupped Victor's cheeks in her hands, kissing him, “Victor, it’s your job. Plus, you can make up for it tonight.” Veronica gave him a smoldering look. Victor kissed the palm of her hand down her wrist. “You drive me crazy sometimes, Mrs. Marino,” he whispered, continuing kisses down her chest, “never thought I could love anyone this much— let alone— erk!“ Veronica ran her fingers through his hair, giving him a gentle tug kissing him roughly, “Don’t get all sentimental on me now, Mr. Marino.” Victor pulled Veronica on top of him, “I was going to say, dear wife, that I never knew I could be so turned on by someone. Ah!” Veronica moved her hips provocatively as she straddled him, her slip at the top of her thighs, “I can tell...” Victor sat up again, holding Veronica steady by the small of her back. “Vero,” he moaned, kissing along her collar bone, “tell me how you want it, baby. I’ll do whatever you ask.” “Whatever I ask, huh?” Veronica shivered as he bit her neck, “make love to me, Vic.” He looked up at her and blinked, “Getting sentimental, are we, Mrs. Marino? You don't choose vanilla often.” “Well, tonight, I—“ Veronica began, “I want it just to be purely and solely us. I could melt as we are now.” Victor pressed her closer to him, “Vero…” Victor loved when Veronica dominated the dynamic, but when she chose to be submissive to him, it drove him just as wild. Neither one of them slept that night, sealing the promise that they would always be Mr. and Mrs. Marino in body and spirit. — The following day, Victor stepped into the board room. It was strange when he and Lector were the only ones there to make the big decisions and plans on delegating. Lector was looking at Victor with the goofiest grin. “What is it, Lector?” Lector nodded expectantly. “Okay, okay. We went vanilla. It’s weird how much of a psychic you can be about this stuff, Lector,” Victor cleared his throat shuffling papers, “Why live vicariously at the sidelines, though, Lector?” Lector shrugged, “It just makes me happy to see you all happy.” “You haven’t really lost her number, have you?” Victor looked at Lector deadpan, talking about the woman Lector met at the sniper convention. Lector shook his head, “I just, I don’t have the courage to reach out, Vic.” “Lector, you’re the walking definition of being a romantic. Who knows, that could be the thing that makes her crazy about you, Lector,” Victor shook himself from a reverie, “Anyway, we have work to do. I’m going to go undercover to catch that guy from Disaster’s crew that keeps passing out ‘candy’ to kids near school zones.” “Vic, are you sure you should be the one to do that? The scar around your left eye would make you stand out like a sore thumb if you place yourself in a school as a staff member,” Lector pointed out. He thought Victor’s scars made him the coolest of all of them, but little kids may not appreciate it as much. “It’ll be fine, Lector. I’ll put on makeup and pose as a substitute until I find that bastard. You make sure our other operations are in order.” “Are you sure we shouldn’t switch? You’re more of a leader than me, Vic,” Lector apprehensively shuffled his feet. “Lector, the last time we had to do this, you ended up becoming an emergency kindergarten teacher,” Victor pat him on the shoulders, “that principal lady isn't stealing you from us with her pipe cleaner fantasies and glittery promises.” “Vic, I told her that I would only help out occasionally as long as they didn't dig deeper into the information we gave her,” Lector held up his hands. “Yeah, that in of itself was odd because schools might as well be the FBI when it comes to employees,” Victor shook his head, then squinted his eyes at Lector. “Okay, okay! I distracted her with foot massages,” Lector admitted, “ladies’ professional shoes can be unforgiving!” “Is that all?” Victor raised his eyebrows. “Other than that, I didn't do anything inappropriate, I swear,” Lector shook his head. “I know. Part of why we stopped sending you to do these is you developed a little fan club along the way,” Victor shook his head, “We got to get you over the shy streak; otherwise, we are going to have to start beating these ladies away with a stick.” “Don't hit ladies, Vic!” “That was a figure of speech, Lector.” “Oh... Well... I don't know, Vic,” Lector smiled, shaking his head. “Our hopeless romantic is a little too hopeless,” Victor rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Anyway, we've got work to do.” “Okay, Vic,” Lector saluted, “I’ll do my best.”