THIRD PERSON POV

Biting down on a sheepish smile, Aria peered down into the depths of his lunch container, immediately spying the vastly oversimplified yet incredibly meaningful contents that it held.

"Ooh, he went all out today! A peanut butter and jelly sandwich and three whole apple slices?! It's official; somebody messed up, he should have been assigned to the Nutritional Work Unit instead." Andrea spewed sarcastically, plopping back down in her chair once she concluded her most recent trend of 'lean-over-the-table-and-stick-nose-into-Aria's-lunchbox'. A giggle slipped past Aria's plush lips and he finally caved to bouts of intoxicating excitement, grinning brightly across the table at his friend.

Andrea was right, the lunch was extraordinarily rudimentary and resembled something closer to what his Instructional Unit students brought to class every day rather than a meal for a full-grown adult. But Aria couldn't help the light and airy feeling that thrummed through his chest at the knowledge of who had made it for him.

The recent, exceedingly sudden shift in his Soul Mate's behavior should have unnerved Aria, and it would have... If Aria wasn't the one who had practically asked for it himself.

"Aria... Can I kiss you?" Thad asked, the question seemingly pulled straight out of the thin air that separated the two males.

Aria sat frozen, bleeding fingernail long forgotten even though his hand still rested in the gentle clutches of a man that clearly had a few screws knocked loose. The smaller man's lips parted, closed, and then opened again as his mind whirred, skipping like a scratched disc through all of the possible ways he could answer that question.

This was the scenario that Aria had always dreamed of when he thought of his future Soul Mate; he would be a loving and doting man who respected and desired him above all else. A man who asked, who didn't push too far and respected Aria's boundaries as they got to know one another and fell in love in some sort of beautifully natural way.

This was what he had always hoped for.

There was only one answer that he could possibly give.

"No."

Thaddeus' face fell in an instant, a sudden, gloomy darkness flooding into his sharp features, and the bridge of Aria's nose scrunched when the unwelcome scent of spoiled meat obscured the natural, earthy scent that the larger man usually emanated from every pore. That disgusting smell shot Aria's nervous system directly into high alert, some autonomous part of his brain telling him that he should retract his statement immediately, apologize, and shove that scent of despair right back where it came from.

But Aria contained himself, squaring his shoulders and stabilizing the soles of his feet, pressing them into the chilly concrete floor below.

"... W- what?" Thad stuttered, voice whisper-thin and incredulous, as if he couldn't possibly believe the word that Aria had just uttered.

"I said no." The smaller man reiterated, confidence building with every additional word, "You may not kiss me."

Thaddeus blinked, a fish stranded miles from water as he tried very his best to figure out: "Why?"

"Thad..." The bubble of laughter that ascended out of Aria's throat held equal parts humor and disbelief. "Do you really think that I'm that easy? That I would just give myself up because you suddenly decided you wanted a touch and feel after bullying and taunting me for the past four months?" He shook his head gently, brown waves shifting atop his shoulders as his jaw hardened with effort. "I appreciate our... moments like this, I really do. But fleeting acts of kindness don't magically make up for everything you've done."

All at once, desperation suffused every previously impenetrable pore in Thaddeus' calcified brain, and everything became crystal clear.

"I'm... so sorry."

Aria's eyes widened, an involuntary squeak of surprise slipping from his throat at the unexpected apology. It was his turn to stutter this time.

"W-what?"

Thad's brow hardened as he stepped closer, filling the space between them with shadow and forcing Aria's neck backward to maintain eye contact.

"Bug... I'm an idiot." His free hand came up to rest against Aria's warm cheek in a barely-there touch. A large part of his brain wholeheartedly protested against the idea of admitting any sort of flaw, but a smaller, slightly less self-absorbed part that seemed to have a built-in trigger for Aria's emotions, fought back. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. You... you don't deserve it, you never did." His voice was but a whisper now, and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut for a long moment as he tried to think through the tingles that burned like lightning where his skin met Aria's. "Tell me how to fix it."

This had to be a dream – there was no other way to rationalize what the heck Aria was witnessing right now. Even though Thaddeus was currently hovering over him like a beacon, the man seemed as if he were only a few heartbeats away from dropping down onto hands and knees and begging for repentance... Not unlike Aria had done in the Elder's Chambers not too long ago.

Aria's voice was small when he finally replied, unsure if the unbounded energy that zapped at the place where Thad's hand met his cheek was real or imagined.

"Only you can figure that out, Thad. I've never asked for much, the only thing that I've ever wanted was for my Soul Mate to at least be nice to me."

Aria's bottom wiggled around in the Nutrition Pod chair a little, unable to keep himself still while his hands began to ease the glass container from the confines of its carrying case.

Thaddus had become alarmingly charming over the past few days, apparently taking in Aria's words like an arrow to the heart. The typically boorish man had suddenly fallen into the habit of waking up early, steaming his own uniform for a change, and making Aria a lunch, all before waking the smaller man with a warm mug of milk – an odd favorite of Bug's that Thad had discovered while escorting him to his work unit one morning.

It was an exceedingly odd experience to be doted on after a long stretch of neglect, but Aria couldn't deny that he was injected with just a tiny blip of hope at Thad's unforeseen shift of behavior.

Once the lunch container was finally freed, Aria's brow furrowed at the sight of a small slip of paper that came along with it, fluttering to the table before him.

"What's that?" Andrea questioned, but Aria made sure to snatch it up before his nosy friend could stick her nose in this one too.

"Hm..." The small man trailed off, in some sort of trance as slender fingers swiftly unfolded the note;

'Bug,

Meet me in the Forest Quadrant of the Arboretum Pod after Instructional gets out. Hope lunch is alright.

- Thad'

The rest of the day dragged by like molasses through a straw, both Thad and Aria distracted by the daunting knowledge of their supposed meeting that afternoon. Luckily, Thaddeus was able to... gently persuade a coworker to cover for him so that he could leave the Construction Unit half an hour early, which is how he now found himself standing by the entrance to the Arboretum Pod, tugging at his annoying, stuffy ass collar and wiping sweaty palms onto the absorbent fabric of his pants.

Stomach churning and intestines twisting, Thaddeus focused almost all awareness on slowing his rapid breaths without shitting himself in the process. All day he had tried to convince himself that this wasn't an attempt at taking Aria on a date, that this would simply be a meeting between two friends. But unfortunately, the single-stemmed rose that he held in the scathing grip of both hands told a completely different story.

The full, uncensored truths behind Thaddeus' feelings for Aria still sequestered themselves behind a silk screen in the rock-like mass that was his brain, but the clues were adding up at a rapid rate that left the man a slave to his own obliviousness.

"... Thad?"

Oh god, he was here.

The tall man's head shot up and arms extended out in less than a millisecond, and Aria nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden intrusion into his personal space. Eyes giant saucers of shock, he stared at the battered rose held by his Soul Mate in a bilateral, straight-armed grip.

"Um... Hi?" Bug squeaked, hand floating up to point an inquisitive finger at the flower. "Is this... for me?"

Thad could do nothing to answer that question but grunt like a caveman and thrust the flower even closer, brain still stuck on reboot.

Aria just released a nervous laugh at the behavior and slowly reached out, plucking the flower from the larger man's grip – broken stem and all. Then, Thaddeus took a big gulp when Bug proceeded to snap off the damaged part of the stem and tuck the brightly-colored flower into the front of his hair, officially turning the small man into a fucking vision of a human being.

How in the ever-loving fuck was Thad ever going to learn how to talk again at this rate?!

"You look really niCe," He finally managed to croak, voice cracking on the last word after several moments of a heavy, awkward silence. Where the hell had all of his confidence gone when he needed it?

Aria managed a full-face blush, pink spreading down to infiltrate even the tops of his slim shoulders. "So you don't mind the grape juice stain, then?" He glanced down at the purple stain that marred the front of his light blue jumper with a quiet giggle, the mark a result of a clash between an overexcited Instructional student and a rogue juice box.

To be completely honest, Thad hadn't even noticed Aria's outfit as of yet, much too fixated on the glowing face in front of him to give a fuck about fabric right now.

"You make it work." He said, a whirring noise starting up in his ears when his brain cells finally decided to start sending signals to one another again. "Thanks for meeting me here."

Aria smiled – pearly white and pretty – and Thad had to anchor his feet into the artificial grass to keep from tipping right over. "You've been walking me to and from my Work Unit for the past week and a half, it's the least that I could do," His eyes finally flickered around, taking in the scenery of the Forest Quadrant of the Arboretum Pod. "Plus, I love this part of the Arboretum."

The Arboretum Pod was one of the largest areas in the entire compound, one of the few luxuries that Society members liked to indulge in from time to time. It was composed of four separate quadrants – forest, desert, ocean, and arctic – mimicking The Surface's environment before the war led to its destruction. It was a lovely, tranquil kind of place, and Aria adored the sense of escape that it provided.

Meanwhile, Thad's chest puffed up with a bit of air at the knowledge that he had chosen such a perfect place for their meet-up. He cleared his throat before he spoke again. "Well... I thought maybe we could walk around a bit? Also... there's kinda somethin' I wanna show you." He rushed out the last part.

Goddammit, at this rate Thaddeus was going to lose his membership to the club of masculinity – as fragile of a club as it may be.

Aria nodded, stepping closer and flashing yet another intoxicating grin up at a significantly taller Thad. This time – unable to regulate himself – the larger man did stumble a step or two at the sight, the simple act of breathing momentarily neglected. "That sounds exciting! Lead the way!"

They started off at a comfortable pace as they walked side-by-side down the stone path that led deep into the Forest Quadrant, Thad abbreviating his long strides just like he had gotten used to doing while escorting Bug to and from his Work Unit over the past week and a half.

The scenery around them was gorgeous, at least by the means of those who had never seen the real thing. Giant sequoias flanked by bright green foliage as far as the eye could see, while the artificial sky far above displayed a bright blue image free of any clouds. Of course, the entire environment was fake, engineered to fool the senses without providing a need for watering or upkeep, but it was an honor that The Elders provided the means for Society members to pretend regardless.

"Ooh, how gorgeous!" Aria suddenly exclaimed, taking a few steps to the side and crouching to admire a small, white flower that Thaddeus personally found pretty insignificant in comparison to the man currently inspecting it. Regardless, the larger man followed his Aria like a moth to a flame, crouching down so close beside him that the pair shared body heat. "Lily of the Valley is my favorite..." Aria trailed off, a dreamy sparkle in his brown eyes as he rested a rosy cheek on top of his folded hands.

Thaddeus frowned, caring fuck all about the flower. Instead, his gaze remained all-encompassed by the man who was currently pumping an ambrosia of candied peaches and happiness from every single gland in his body.

Licking someone is not socially acceptable, he forced his brain to reason.

"Who the fuck is Lily and why is she in a valley?" Thad inquired, discomfort settling in the pit of his stomach at the thought of someone else being Aria's 'favorite'.

Bug's uplifting laughter left Thaddeus floating. "Lily of the Valley is the name of the flower, silly," Aria reached out a slim finger as he explained, poking the synthetic plant and watching as small, white bulbs dance back and forth. Meanwhile, Thad released a breath at the newfound information. Lily better thank her lucky stars; she would be safe tonight. "It's so pretty, but looks can deceive. Just one bite of it and you'd be history."

Thad's nose scrunched. "Well, good thing I don't go around eating flowers like some caveman." He turned his head, following Aria's lead when he stood back up, "Where'd you learn that, anyway? You know, about all the plants and shi–" He caught himself before he could finish the cuss word, rectifying his delivery. "... Stuff."

"Well..." Aria began, fingers twisting nervously in front of him as the pair began traversing down the path once more, "I didn't exactly have... friends before the Soul Mate Ceremony." he admitted, suddenly very interested in inspecting the grout between the cobblestones at his feet. "So because of that, I ended up spending most of my time in the Library Pod during Free Period. Books are just amazing, I've learned so much from them and it's extraordinary to be able to have so many different lives and stories living in my head at once, it's like I made my own friends that only exist in my head!" His eyes widened with the last word, palm slapping over his mouth once he realized the embarrassing confession that his mindless ramble led him to expose. "W–wait, I didn't mean to say that! I promise I'm not weird or anything!"

Thad just peered at Ari with soft eyes hidden beneath curly bangs, lopsided smirk revealing a single canine. "Nah, it's too late now, weirdo. I know your secret, so you can tell yourself and all your imaginary friends that I'll never let you live it down."

Sputters of disbelief stumbled out of Aria, pale skin swiftly saturating with a shade that matched the rose resting just above his ear. "Hey!" He gave a big harumph, gently knocking his shoulder against the middle of Thad's bicep, likely thinking he was doing much more damage than he really was. "What happened to operation be-nice-to-Aria?!"

As if his body acted without permission from his brain, Thad could do nothing but watch as his arm shot out, draping across the reposeful slope of Aria's shoulders in a daring apology. Both parties tensed for a moment in response to the unanticipated contact, each waiting for the other to pull away, denouncing the contact. But after a semi-awkward span of silence lasting a good thirty seconds, Aria took a chance.

The smaller man leaned into Thaddeus' side – the action a silent acceptance – and Thad was sure that his heart was about to cliff jump right out of his chest.

"I accept your apology." Bug murmured, tilting his head down to hide a wobbly smile. Thad smelled ridiculously good from here, his earthy scent almost visible as it swirled into Ari's sensitive nostrils. Being this close to the larger man's pulse points was not helping Aria concentrate on keeping one foot moving in front of the other.

Luckily, he would not have to concentrate much longer, as – once he finally summoned the capacity to quit staring at the top of Bug's wavy head like a bull-headed creep – Thaddeus soon realized that they'd reached the destination of his so-called surprise.

"We made it."

"Huh? Oh..." Aria lifted his head from his self-ascribed time-out, only to find a thick lump of emotion form in his throat at what lay in front of him.

The picnic blanket was obviously one stolen from his bed, and the hors d'oeuvres strewn about the center of it were definitely found items from their fridge, but quite honestly, none of that really mattered. The setup was not the fanciest thing to ever exist, but it was wholly Thaddeus, and it left Aria brimming with equal parts disbelief and excitement.

"Is this... for me?"

"Uhh..." Thad scratched at the back of his neck, hoping that his caramel skin would obscure most of the heat that crashed down into his cheeks like an avalanche. "Yeah... It's not much, but..."

"Oh hush, this is just wonderful, Thad! Thank you!" Aria squashed Thad's negative route of thought before it could even fully form. Then, he peeled himself from Thad's side; running over to the blanket, plopping down, and patting the free spot beside him. "Come join!"

A sharp blade of discomfort cut into the side of his body that Aria had moved away from, but the mental ailment was quickly remedied when he settled down into the spot that Bug had invited him to.

It was a joy to see Bug like this: wide, curious eyes sifting through the spread before him while his cheeks puffed out a little with concentration. Thad couldn't help but glow a little at the knowledge that it was he who had caused it.

"These are just like the ones you packed in my lunch today!" Aria released a giggle as he lifted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich between a thumb and forefinger, the only difference being that these were cut up into little, bite-sized squares. Then, he took a small bite while Thad gingerly settled down onto the blanket beside him, careful not to touch Aria as he did so. "You know, it's so sweet of you to make my lunches the past few days." He spoke past the food.

There he went with that fuckin' phrase again.

Sweet.

Never before had Thaddeus wanted to chop up a word and inject it directly into his veins as much as he did that one. It was a drug... fuck, Aria was a drug, and Thaddeus was definitely gonna need a couple rounds of rehab if he kept going at this rate.

"I'm a shit cook, nothin' compared to you," The larger man cleared his throat."How'd you learn how to make stuff taste so good, anyway?"

Aria blushed, ducking his head at the compliment. "Dad used to make amazing meals every day during Free Period. I started helping him the very moment that I was able to stand – I still remember sitting up on the counter and sifting through the rations that week, or going with him to the Market Pod to learn about different spices and what they can be used for."

Thaddeus was a captive audience, leaning back on his palms as Aria continued telling of his childhood. However, he did have to remind his ears to stay tuned every few seconds when his visual cortex threatened to seize what was left of his brain capacity.

Aria's wavy, brown hair formed a halo as it brushed against his shoulders, providing a shimmering frame around his beaming face.

And by The Elders, Aria's face...

Thad had seen it a hundred times by now, images of the eccentric creature remaining in the forefront of his brain even when he slept. But right here – right in front of him – with bright brown eyes alive with joy, smooth eyebrows rising and falling, and pursed lips glistening as he munched on yet another haphazardly constructed sandwich, Aria was something different entirely.

There was no use denying it anymore – Aria was beautiful. Just looking at him was to gaze into the face of radiance; like floating atop a cloud, losing oneself in a never ending stream of the purest of air. And for a second – just a fleeting, evanescent moment – Thaddeus let his mind wander. He envisioned that this picnic was one between two people who lived free of expectations and rules, one between two people who would have all the time in the world to uncover the connection that was clearly beginning to unfold.

But unfortunately they did not live that life of freedom, and the two, short weeks they had left to fulfill The Elders' demands loomed like a guillotine, pinching at the virgin skin of their necks.

"What about you, did your parents ever teach you how to cook?"

Thad jumped a little, yanked from the depths of his thoughts at the unexpected question.

"I... uhh..." It was his turn to duck his head now, eyes squeezing shut for a brief moment at the mention of his parents. He wasn't used to telling anyone this much about himself outside of Mitty or a drunk stranger at a party who would surely forget it all the next day. "We weren't exactly a lovey-dovey family like yours." He admitted, glancing up at the dew-streaked leaves that hung from the artificial trees surrounding them, "They didn't really teach me anything at all, honestly. It was kind of an 'every man for themselves' type of environment. I don't even... They never even..." It was then that Thad's voice cracked by a fraction so small that it could easily be missed by anyone that didn't know him, and he had to push against the burn that swelled there in order to force the rest of the words out. "... They never even told me that they loved me."

Aria's gentle heart turned ever softer then, spirit bleeding with empathy as he processed the words that Thaddeus had just trusted him with. "Thad, I had no idea. I'm so sorry, that must have been so lonely to grow up–"

"Hey, I got you something." Thad suddenly interrupted Aria's plea of comfort, voice shaking with discomfort despite his attempt to swallow the hurt. He turned, reaching underneath the blanket for the present that he had hidden there, but not before blinking away the salty water that had begun to accumulate on his lower eyelids. "I felt real bad about breaking your last one. I know it's not the exact same, but I tried to find the same merchant and... yeah."

"Oh, Thad," Aria blinked, eyes drifting down to the place where Thad held a beautiful glass bowl between them. The colors were magnificent, a brilliant mixture of deep blues, greens, and golds that reminded the smaller man of his Soul Mate's eyes. For Aria, it was adoration at first sight, and he could barely contain the mountain of emotion that bloomed within the tight confines of his chest at the unspoken apology. It was quickly becoming apparent that Thad spoke much better with his actions than he did with words. "It's perfect. Maybe I can teach you how to make something simple with it... a salad maybe?"

Thad grinned, a canine popping out once more due to its lopsided nature. "Fuck yeah. I bet afterward, I'll be able to make the best salad you've ever tasted in your fuckin' life."

Aria tilted his head, sheets of hair drifting down from his shoulder when he flashed a grin back in Thad's direction "Oh yeah? We'll see about that."

The pair continued their easy conversation, sprawled out on the cramped throw blanket. It was filled with nervous silences, bubbling laughter, and at times hushed whispers, but continued until they lost track of time, the sky shone with stars, and the rectangular panels that made up its artificial surface became more noticeable in the dark. It was only when the PA system chimed overhead, providing a not-so-gentle reminder of the looming end of Free Period that they finally decided that it was time to pack up their little bubble of contentment and head back to their shared Housing Pod.

They folded the blanket together, packing up what was left of the sandwiches as Aria blinked sleepily, a yawn stretching his rosy lips while he held his precious, new bowl tightly against his chest.

"Gonna stop at the restrooms before we head back. Shouldn't be more than a few minutes." Thad interjected once he double-checked the area, ensuring that they weren't missing anything.

Bug just nodded, releasing another yawn before directing a tired smile in Thad's direction. "Okay. Hurry back to me."

Thad paused, catching eyes with the smaller man before he replied, "I promise."

It took only a minute or so to get to the restrooms on the far side of the Forest Quadrant, but the tall man cheesed stupidly the entire way.

Today had been wonderful. Shit, scratch that; today had been glorious, so much so that Thad even hummed a quiet tune to himself as he entered a stall and handled his business.

It was a quick and mindless process, especially when his head was filled to the brim with wavy brown hair and thoughtful smiles. He had just gotten to the apex of his giddy tune when he tapped the control panel to unlock the stall. But somewhere between stepping out of the confined space and making his way to the sink, Thad's heart lurched up into his throat.

"Fancy meeting you here, Thaddeus Axton. Who would have thought that we would cross paths again so soon?" Elder Edergan mused, his curious pose of 'un-casually draped against the wall' revealing the falsity behind his words.

Thad's eyes turned cold, all evidence of the laid-back, unwound man of thirty seconds ago lost to the black hole that was this particularly slimy Elder. "What do you want?"

Elder Edergan smiled, the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes becoming more pronounced as he did so. It left Thad wanting to spit to rid himself of the bile that rose into his esophagus.

"Oh, nothing at all my boy. In fact, The Elders desired to congratulate you. You are doing very well at buttering up our little experiment, and I am sure that if you keep up at this rate, you will have him pregnant in no time. Your sacrifice to the well-being of The Society will certainly not go unnoticed."

Thaddeus's jaw clicked, furiously reminding himself that clocking this dude upside the head would only guarantee him a fast track to the public execution square.

"Alright first of all, I don't know anyone called experiment. So, if you're gonna talk about Aria, address him by his name." His eyelids narrowed, "And secondly, being with Aria is not any kind of sacrifice. I'll have you know that he is an extraordinary man, with more empathy in his pinkie finger than you could ever hope to have in your entire, bum-fuc–"

"Number 6081, I would advise that you watch your mouth." Came a stern retort, Edergan's posture straightening as he pushed off of the wall, only to stand only a hair's breadth away from Thaddeus. His voice lowered to a whisper then, the threat rolling off of his tongue like an iron ball. "Or else... we can see just how much empathy our little experiment will have when he is ordered to scrub your brain matter from underneath his nails."

He stank of pride, and Thad's nose itched with it enough to sneeze. Luckily, The Elder pulled back the moment he concluded his reprimand and headed directly to the door, but not before leaving the young man with one, final warning.

"Two and a half weeks, number 6081. The Elders will not be kept waiting."

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