All Juno wants is to investigate a simple open and shut case, one that would take ten minutes, tops, not requiring Rita or the help of anyone else.
But no. Fate and a certain fake secret agent would never allow him that.
"Fancy meeting you here, Juno."
The voice, soft and quiet words falling from lips of silk, caresses the air lightly.
Juno feels his shoulders tense instantly, his frame hardening as he retreats into the blank shield he wears so often. Turning slowly, one hand on the holster at his hip, he meets the sparkling gaze of Peter Nureyev.
"Rex," Juno says curtly, using one of the other man's many aliases. "Or should I call you Duke Rose? You have so many goddamn names."
The grinning man tsks. "Come now, Juno. Use the name I gave you. After all…" He takes an almost taunting step forward, "I did say I'd only give it to someone really special."
Juno scoffs. "Yeah. I bet you say that to all the poor souls you dupe." He shifts uncomfortably as Nureyev takes another step. He's torn as to whether or not he wants that scent of cologne haunting him for several weeks, like it did the last time.
His instincts take over, and the gun is out of its holster, pointed straight at Nureyev. A small part of him hopes that it's set on the stun setting.
"Juno, Juno, Juno," Nureyev clicks his tongue sadly. Juno knows he'll never admit how wonderful his name sounds tumbling from his nemesis? enemy? ex-friend's? lips.
"I meant what I said that night," Nureyev continues, coming closer. "You are worth so much more than rotting on this godforsaken rock. Think of what you and I could do together, taking the galaxy by storm-"
"Don't come any closer." Juno hates the tremble in his voice. He hasn't had that since his brother died.
Nureyev gazes at him with something unreadable in his eyes. "Do you recall that time at the Kanagawas? You said the easiest way to get Juno Steel to one's residence was a death threat." He glances around at the abandoned office building. "I did have so little time, not enough to put together a death threat, however I could've done a messy job of it…" he trails off, staring into space.
Juno feels the gun shaking in his hand. It bothers him, somehow, that Nureyev is bringing up their time in the Kanagawa house, that he's reminding him of everything they went through before he realized who Nureyev really was.
Nureyev looks back at him, and cracks a smile. "Ah, look at you, with all that fire in your eyes. It really is a flattering look on you."
Juno grits his teeth.
"Are the Kanagawas still giving you trouble?"
"Not as much. Min's lightened up since I saved her ass from some of Cecil's elaborate plot twists on one of his shows. But what's it to you?"
"My offer still stands, Juno. Do you remember? You leave Hyperion City, I leave my powerful friends-"
"Life of thrills and decadence, the two of us against the galaxy. I remember," Juno answers.
Nureyev looks pleased. "So? Have you changed your mind at all?"
Juno would love to leave this place, the responsibility, the demons, the shadows in the alleys, everything...but after dedicating himself to cleaning up Hyperion City(for a price, though), he knows the city would constantly yank at him, like Jupiter's gravitational pull.
Keeping his expression emotionless, Juno shakes his head.
Nureyev gives a long-suffering sigh. "Very well, Juno. If that's what you want."
He's gotten closer, somehow, and it doesn't register in Juno's mind until it's too late. The gun gets knocked out of his hand and before he knows it, he's shoved against the plaster wall.
"You're getting slower," Nureyev teases him. His lips press to Juno's in a quick, chaste kiss, and then he pulls away. "Goodnight, Juno. Sleep well."
Juno starts to ask what he means, but a thick smoke suddenly coats the air in front of his face, the floor sways under his feet, and a slurred curse comes out of his mouth as his knees buckle. He vaguely feels strong hands catching him before he completely blacks out.
Juno wakes in his bed, the familiar scent of a certain cologne permeating the room. A note rests on the pillow next to him. Head throbbing, he picks it up, trying to read it.
Should you ever change your mind, I'm just a text away.Peter
Puzzled, he scrambles for his phone. Sure enough, a text from an unknown, private number lights up his notifications.
Till next time, Juno.