#i'm gonna go crawl back into my hybrid AU hole now

[bookwormscififan]

Science and Strength Have One Weakness: Flirtation

Read on AO3!

The alternate version

A/N: @iamvegorott's prompt today was to take the "Jackie and Mad meeting the chaos twins" idea and invert it. I had some fun writing this.

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“Tell me I’m not the only one who’s getting just the slightest bit tired of Host’s incessantly vague visions,” Mare rolled his eyes as he spoke into his phone, groaning at the answer from the other end of the line. “Like you have any say in anything, Phan. You can barely spend two days away from Night’s house.”

He strolled down the street, pausing when he spotted someone looking exceptionally lost just ahead of him, soft brown hair shining copper in the sunlight. Whatever comeback Phantom was yelling through the phone seemed to fade into the distance as Mare watched the man move, catching sight of freckles dusting across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose.

“I’m… I think I found the guy Host was talking about,” Mare whispered, throat suddenly dry as he hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket. He took a few moments to just observe, noting how the man seemed wary around other people, avoiding collisions as he tried to be as invisible as possible. What did Host say his name was again?

“Mad…” Mare breathed, eyes trained on Mad as he smoothly moved through the crowds, twirling his fingers around a purple wisp he’d summoned as he shaped it into something that Mad might like.

Mad turned a corner, seeming to disappear, and Mare sped up to follow him, moving down an alley and pausing when he couldn’t see Mad. Looking around the alley, Mare froze when something suddenly shot out in front of his face.

“Why are you following me?” Despite the fierce façade, Mare could hear the slight tremble in Mad’s voice, the way the item in his hands shook slightly from his own nerves, and Mare stepped back slightly so he could get Mad back in focus.

And the first thing he noticed was that Mad seemed to be pointing some sort of mallet at his face, glaring at him through fearful eyes. In the dim lighting of the alley, Mare’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the golden amber of Mad’s eyes, flecked with pale brown to look like sunlight through a glass of whiskey.

“I can see why Host wanted me to come and get you,” he breathed, catching the slight widening of Mad’s eyes as he spoke. “It’s too dangerous to leave someone as cute as you out here to fend for yourself.” His lips quirked up into a smirk as he lifted a finger to gently lower the mallet, tilting his head to see Mad properly.

“I—” Mad shook his head with a huff of a laugh, shaking his mallet to retract it and put it into his pocket. “I-I was trying to be intimidating, and you were… flirting with me?” His cheeks flushed red as he blinked several times, stepping back in confusion.

“Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are like twin pools of amber?” Mare asked, stepping forward once Mad had put his mallet away. “Or that your hair shines bronze in the sunlight? I’d love to sit with you and count the constellations in your freckles, find shapes in the way they dust your face like an angel sprinkled them onto your cheeks.” Lifting a hand, he placed it against the wall beside Mad’s head, almost trapping him in the alleyway as he lifted his other to face palm up toward him.

“Wha…?” Mad’s question trailed off as he registered what Mare was showing him: a shimmering music note, hovering above his palm, slowly shifting between the treble clef and a star, slightly tinted purple. “How did you do that?”

“I can make more,” Mare replied, waving his hand to disperse the image before gently reaching up to cup Mad’s jaw. “I’ll make you an entire sky of stars and planets, and I’ll play you any type of music you could ever want. I just need you to say yes and come with me.”

“I-I…” Mad found himself at a loss for words when Mare’s breaths ghosted over his lips, making him aware of how close they were. Shaking hands moved to Mare’s shoulders, not pushing him away, but not pulling him closer either. “Where would we go?”

“I live with some people,” Mare began, shifting his other hand from the wall to Mad’s shoulder. “They’re very good at what they do, and they’ll be able to explain to you how you got here. A new place is frightening, and I needed help, too. I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”

Mad hesitated, considering his options as his heartbeat echoed in his ears. An incredibly handsome man was standing in his personal space, face close enough to kiss, asking him to trust him. Despite his reservations about anyone else, Mad found he could… trust him. “What’s your name?”

“Natemare. Everyone just calls me Mare.”

“Well, Mare, I don’t know why, but I trust you. Take me to your place.” He gasped when Mare pulled him into a kiss, holding him close and humming when Mad relaxed into the contact. As he closed his eyes to embrace the feelings, Mare sent them both out of the alley and to the House.

----

“I am literally trying to eat my sandwich here,” Phantom grumbled, tossing a bottle cap at Mare’s head from his place on the park bench. “I thought you two wanted to come with me for support, not to make out.”

“I never said anything about supporting you,” Mare retorted, crouching down to let Mad check his head for injuries when the scientist quietly tugged on his sleeve. “I said I’d come with you, yes, but never anything about support.”

Phantom groaned as he rolled his eyes, setting his sandwich aside as he leaned back. “It’s like you’re a completely different person since you met Mad. I’ve barely seen you this past month.”

“Is that him?” Mad’s quiet voice stopped the twins’ argument, looking in the direction he was pointing to see a man in a red hoodie struggling to get out of a tree. “Red hoodie, green hair, that’s what Host said, right?”

“Right, dear heart,” Mare answered with a smile, giving Mad a quick peck on the cheek as he entwined their fingers. “Alright, Phan, we’ll leave you to it.” With a wink, he picked up their basket of food and disappeared, leaving Phantom without any lunch.

“Jerk!” He called into the air, dusting the crumbs off his pants before standing and heading over to the man in the tree. “Do you need some help?” He asked, looking up at the man hanging off the branch by his legs.

“Oh! Hello!” Phantom would be lying if he said that cheerful yet boisterous voice made his heart leap. “I actually do need a little help! I was trying to do this sick flip off a roof, but then there was this flash and I ended up in a tree. I think it’s an apple tree, but also I can’t get my legs unstuck!”

“Why were you trying to do a flip off a building?” Phantom asked slowly, trying to hide his confusion. His eyes widened when he noticed that the man’s hoodie had ridden up in his inverted position, showing off well-defined muscle that had Phantom’s mouth going dry.

“I’m a hero! My name’s Jackieboy Man, but most people just call me Jackie! I’d shake your hand, but I’m still… very stuck.” He gave an awkward chuckle, face going redder than before when he realised that Phantom was very close to him.

“I guessed you were a hero,” Phantom smiled, tilting his head so that he was almost at the perfect position to kiss Jackie. “Either that, or some sort of weightlifter. Look at those muscles… I’d love for you to show me how strong you are.”

Before Jackie could reply, Phantom snapped his fingers, and he fell to the ground. He blinked when he noticed he’d somehow managed to land on his ass despite being upside down in the tree. Rubbing his hip slightly, he looked up to see Phantom standing over him with dark eyes.

“I-I’ve had some problems with my strength,” he admitted quietly, pulling his hoodie down over his stomach. “I’ve hurt people I never meant to. I don’t want to accidentally hurt you, sir.”

“I don’t bruise that easily, honey,” Phantom managed to get out despite the sudden rush he’d gotten from Jackie’s attempts to be polite. “I wouldn’t complain if you do bruise me, though. And you can call me Phantom.”

Jackie’s face was as red as his hoodie as he stumbled to stand up, dusting off his clothes before looking into Phantom’s face, and Phantom really wished Mare had left behind at least a bottle of water. Jackie’s eyes were twin pools of crystal blue, full of enthusiasm and awkwardness, shining brighter from beneath the mask he wore to cover his face.

Jackie spluttered as Phantom stepped closer, lifting his hands to trail along Jackie’s arms, squeezing at the muscles there before stepping even closer, almost flush against Jackie as his eyes darted from his eyes to his lips and back again. Jackie’s hands snapped up to hold Phantom’s upper arms, pausing when Phantom hummed in approval.

“If you manage to bruise me,” he whispered against the shell of Jackie’s ear. “I’ll happily show them off. I’m sure you’d love to see me in just some loose sweatpants, showing off the bruises on my hips and waist that you made.”

“W-Why would I be bruising those—” Jackie’s question was cut off by Phantom kissing him deeply, his own hands sliding down to grasp Phantom’s waist as if it were natural for them to be there. “You have really soft lips.”

“You are such a dork,” Phantom laughed, leaning his forehead against Jackie’s shoulder to catch his breath, sighing at the scent in the crook of his neck that was distinctly Jackie. “Host found the perfect match for me.”

“Host? Who’s—” Jackie was cut off again by Phantom’s lips, moulding to his own and clouding his mind of any questions.

“Come with me,” Phantom said against Jackie’s lips, slipping one hand under his hoodie to slide up his back. “Come home with me, show me the hero you are.” When Jackie whimpered in response, Phantom kissed him again, sending them to his bedroom as he deepened the kiss.

----

“Hey, we got the guys Host told us to,” Mare stated, holding Mad closely as he glared at Dark. “Why are you acting like we’ve committed some crime?”

“Between you twins and Marvin,” Dark sighed, moving around his desk to face Mare directly. “I doubt we’ll ever get peace and quiet again. Why is your tactic to just flirt?”

“Like you didn’t flirt with Anti when you went to get him,” Mare scoffed, turning away with Mad and starting to leave the room. “Tell Host he needs to find his own match next time.”

“Contrary to your beliefs,” Dark began quietly, watching Mare pause at the door. “It was Anti who sought me out.” He listened to Mare’s baffled snort, closing his eyes as the door opened and closed, leaving him alone with piles of paperwork.

“I must admit,” he stated to himself, lifting the first sheaf of paper from his pile. “At least they managed to get those two to the house without causing any trouble.”

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