((Homestuck belongs to Andrew Hussie! I planned this during a roleplay with a great Cronus! Don't ask me about the cover or I will cry. This was meant to be much shorter & much shippier…I am still not sure what happened. Criticism is as always appreciated. ))
It was a tradition. At least, that was what Porrim had told him, countless times, on numerous occasions.
"Well, not a tradition I think I will be participating in," Kankri had replied, somewhat belligerently.
"Oh yes you will, Kankri Vantas. This event would've been a huge deal, had our lives progressed; it would've been a rite of passage. There is no way we are going through all the work of preparing this only for someone to be absent." Porrim said, giving him that stern, almost patronizingly authoritative look that makes his blood boil.
"Well regardless of the fact I would most likely not have attended had we been alive, I don't see how my absence should spoil the event for anyone," Kankri said petulantly.
Porrim gave him a pointed look, as if to say, Really? How dense are you?
"Kankri. Need I remind you that this is a celebratory dance for quadrant mates, of which you have a newly acquired matesprit?"
Kankri opened his mouth, but his retort died on his tongue. How selfish of him. He suddenly feels guilty, and not a little foolish. "Well…there is that…I hadn't really thought it was something Cronus would be interested in, especially considering, well, quite a few things, really."
Porrim raises a pierced eyebrow. "You didn't think Ampora would wish to attend an event meant to congratulate and celebrate those with filled quadrants, with his matesprit? That was very illogical thought processing on your part, Kanny."
Kankri sighed. "Yes…that was foolish of me. Alright, if he asks me, then I will go."
Porrim rolled her eyes. "You are ridiculous. Do you think he'll ask someone else? Come on Kankri, get your head screwed on straight."
"My head is just fine, thank you very much, and I do not pretend to know all of the goings on of Cronus' brain, so it would be very presumptuous of me to assume anything."
"Presumptuous to assume that your matesprit would be attending a quadrant-centered event with you? Kankri, either you are considerably less intelligent than I give you credit for, or you have some insecurity issues that need serious straightening out. But that is between you and Cronus, so I won't intrude. Don't get defensive with me; just let him know you will be attending!" Porrim said.
"Fine! Porrim there are several factors you are not taking into consideration about the natire of our relationship and the dance. However, you are right about Cronus, it would be extremely rude and selfish of me to ruin his fun. Very well, since you seem hell-bent on having everyone there, who am I to spoil your fun," he said.
And so that was that. It was too late to back out now.
Which is what left Kankri a nervous wreck the day Cronus visited his hive and started mentioning the dance.
"So Kan, there's this dance coming up, you know?" He says, sprawled across the couch with Kankri resting in his lap, his head tucked against the violet-blood's shoulder.
"Yes, I am aware," Kankri says, fiddling with his sleeves.
"Yeah, so there's this one guy who I really want to take. He's gorgeous, this guy, really cute, and smart too. Trouble is, I'm honestly a little nervous, because ya know, I've never really gone to a dance with someone before, not with someone as cool as this cat I want to take. I'm not so sure, but I'm thinking he might say yes if I were to ask?" Cronus says, running a hand through Kankri's hair.
"Hmm. I imagine this fellow is charmed to death, warning for mentions of the deceased, and if you were to hypothetically ask, well, I'd say there is no doubt he would accept your invitation," Kankri says, his stomach doing little flip flops that made him feel a bit dizzy. He still wasn't used to this, the easy back-and-forth, casual rhythms of talking to Cronus. So very different than his carefully constructed and pre-planned essays, because there was something about the sea dweller that made him forget what he had arranged to say, leaving him stranded in the ocean and forced to learn a new way of talking. Because long lines of text didn't work with Cronus. He'd listen, sure, but after having had real conversations with him, Kankri had realized the lack of input he got from monopolizing the conversation was not satisfactory in the least compared to this familiar banter.
"You think so? I feel a lot better now, thanks doll face," Cronus says, pressing a little kiss against Kankri's forehead.
Kankri tries not to blush, instead saying, "I'm glad I could put your mind at ease."
He was not so glad a week later, with the dance only a few days away.
"Porrim I require your assistance, this is urgent," he said after knocking repeatedly on her door.
She frowned at him. "Oh? Is this a matter of another obtuse injustice, or perhaps- let me guess, you need something to wear?"
He nods. "The latter, actually. And there is nothing obtuse about injustices."
So she leads him inside and begins fitting him for clothes, and he complies with whatever she offers because fashion was, after all, her domain. That was one competition he would let her win without argument.
"Porrim, this is really going to be uncomfortable, do you think he'll be upset?" Kankri frets, checking his reflection in her full-length mirror.
"Kankri, what are you saying? Do you think he's going to leave your or something, over a little thing like this?" Porrim says as she, too, inspects his outfit with a critical eye.
"No! Of course not, that would be ridiculous and very fickle," he says.
She sighs. "Liar. Don't worry about it. You're wearing his sign, isn't that enough? I mean it's not like this dance serves the same purposes it would have, had we still been living, it's just for fun and to honor the tradition."
"But Porrim the tradition is to wear your partner's sign and color, and well, he can't, so by extension that is not honoring the guidelines of the celebration, which could prove problematic if others feel we are somehow invalidating the experience by not complying to the set restrictions," he says.
"Kankri, quit over thinking this. Just because there isn't a sign for him to wear doesn't mean anything. Isn't this the sort of thing you're always trying to change, these ingrained ideas of the normative culture? Come on, don't be hypocritical," she says.
He crosses his arms and glares at her. "I am not being hypocritical; I am simply looking out for other's feelings and pointing out an issue which will probably need to be discussed between Cronus and I, which is not a conversation I am looking forward to, although it does provide a nice opportunity to educate him more on the privileged situation of having a sign most trolls find themselves in."
She rolls her eyes. "Sometimes I think I know him better than you do. Kankri, I am almost certain Cronus has not given this nearly as much thought, if it's even crossed his mind at all. He's probably so caught up in the fact that he actually has a date that he'll forget the guidelines and end up wearing his own color. Which would've been very tacky had this gone how it was supposed to have, but considering out circumstances, no one cares."
That doesn't help to ease his anxiety much, but it does make sense.
So he tried to put his worry away, and expects just as Porrim had said. That Cronus would most likely forget or not even have known about the dress code in the first place, and then they'd both be in violet which would be fine and Cronus wouldn't even have to be embarrassed about messing up the outfit because it's not like anyone would care.
Cronus, however, was perhaps even more worried than Kankri.
"Porrim! Open up this is an emergency, I need your help," Cronus says, pounding on her door. It's only a couple days before the dance and he had tried every other venue he could think of to no avail.
"Maryam come on help a guy out, I looked everywhere before coming to you, this is kind of a big deal," he says, leaning his head against the door in defeat.
He promptly falls after Porrim yanks the door open.
She looks down at him, and he grins up at her from his position in a pile of gangly limbs on the floor.
"Thanks kitten. Thought you'd never open up, sure took your sweet time."
"What do you want Ampora," she says. "Actually, I already know. God, if it weren't for Kankri I would never be doing this- just get inside so I can get this over with."
"Thanks Maryam, I owe ya one," he says, following her inside.
The night of the dance finds Kankri at Porrim's hive, fidgeting and nervously smoothing his clothes.
He wears black slacks and black dress shoes, with a purple vest over a black dress shirt and a tie with the zigzagging lines of Cronus' sign stitched on it.
Porrim winces as she takes in the ensemble. "Oh, while I admire the values of this celebration, sometimes the color and pattern schemes required are simply atrocious. Kankri, I'm sorry to say this but I don't think violet is your color."
"What do you mean? It looks fine, violet is fine, of course it looks ok," he says, trying to keep the tangle of frantic nerves from sneaking into his voice.
She just huffs and averts her gaze. "You would not believe some of the hideous outfits I had to witness…oh lord, Captor's suit, I just…teal, everywhere, and sequins…how could Latula even dare bring that atrocity to my home…he better not rip it again, because the next time it's in my hands for repairs, it's going in the fireplace."
"I'm sure it could not possibly have been that bad, and each to their own for whatever clothing one may feel most comfortable in, it's not very considerate to be so critical of personal-" he cuts off as the doorbell rings.
In a rare moment of abandon, he grabs Porrim's hand and squeezes it.
"I'm going to be sick," he says. "And that is not good, it could really be triggering, especially considering certain individual's dispositions, for instance in the case of emetophobia-"
"Get up and stop behaving like a wriggler!" She interrupts, and pushes him towards the door and pulls it open, quickly stepping away.
"Hey, Kanny babe. Looking good," Cronus says, with that tilted grin.
And Kankri finds he is…unable to reply.
He is momentarily blinded by the glaring shade of candy red of Cronus' dress shirt, which he has rolled up to below his elbows and unbuttoned just enough to show the thin white undershirt, and an equally red bow-tie with a black jacket slung over his arm.
The sight of that color, one he fought so hard to work up the nerve to type in and embrace, worn on his violet-blood matesprit, does funny things to his stomach that have nothing to do with nerves.
"I told you not to roll up the sleeves, oh god, you unbuttoned it, you're not even wearing the jacket. I'm going to throttle you, Ampora," Porrim mutters.
Cronus ignores her and Kankri is much too distracted to take notice. He realizes he's staring and quickly shuts his slack mouth, only opening it again when he regains the capacity to speak.
"C-Cronus. Look, ah, you look very, you look really I mean, um, neat. You actually remembered and wore my color, oh I'm sorry you can only participate halfway…but um, wow." he says, his face heating up. Of all the times to lose his verbosity, now is not the most opportune- neat? That's all you could think of?
"You like? Thought you might. Of course I remembered, I think red is going to have to be my new look. And I gotta say, you should wear my color more often, because damn," Cronus says.
Kankri clears his throat and sifts through his words, looking for something even infinitesimally offensive to capitulate on, just to have something to say, but his mind is full of a warm buzzing.
Porrim just shakes her head and tries not to laugh at them as Cronus leads Kankri out the door. She goes to make her own final preparations. She's got a couple dates to meet, and no time to waste.
If the dance had been on Beforus as it was supposed to be, there would've been a special place for it to be held, with all the fixings, and older trolls present for a ceremony as well. As it was, Aranea had somehow convinced Meenah to allow them to use her moon palace. They had spent weeks preparing, but Kankri had had very little to do with the process, and so when Cronus lead him through the doors it was his first time seeing the product of all their hard work.
His breath is taken away.
The purple and ivory walls are adorned with shimmering gold and silver streamers, and the place is illuminated by a kaleidoscope of shifting neon colors. The air seems full of multicolored glitter, but it must either be very fine or just a trick of the light, because when Kankri reaches out a hand to catch it, there is nothing. There is a bar and a sprawling dance floor, as well as a small, currently empty stage. Music reverberates through the place, a low, baritone beat, but Kankri can't yet identify its origin.
"Oh," he says, trying to keep himself contained from this sensory overload. "I knew Porrim said this was going to be a big deal, but they really did an amazing job, oh my, I will have to let her know the next time I see her that I am very impressed."
"Come on babe, unless you wanna stay in the doorway," Cronus says, smirking a little.
"Cronus don't call me babe, it's very-"
Kankri's words are cut off with an indignant squeak as Cronus takes his hand and pulls him inside.
The room is just the right size to be spacey without seeming empty, with the twelve of them mingling about.
As Kankri looks, he can see there are actually more than twelve present- there are some versions of their descendants as well.
"Sorry Kan, should've tagged that. Here, I'll start now- trigger warning, we're gonna start dancing," Cronus says.
"I don't know how to dance! Cronus wait stop this instant, what do you think you're DOING!" But his protests go unheeded as Cronus takes his hands and starts- well, calling it dancing might be a bit of a stretch.
"Come on Kankri don't tell me you've never done the Jitterbug before," Cronus says, laughing. He's not actually meaning to laugh at Kankri, but the boy's petrified face and clumsy attempts at reflecting Cronus' movements are comical.
"Well I mean, of course I have, I'm a little out of practice admittedly, but that does not mean-"
Again, Cronus cuts him off. While Kankri may be the more eloquent of the two when it comes to the spoken word, Cronus was ready to call the shots when it came to this.
"Kankri, its fine, you've never danced before. Just step- ouch, not on me, like- yeah, like that! Nice job kitten."
The couples around them were all doing their own thing, to absorbed by each other to pay attention to the sloppy dancing going on next to them. Laughter and yelling was thrown up into the air along with the music, which was reaching an almost frantic pace.
Cronus spun them around nearly the entire perimeter of the floor, leading Kankri faster as the steps became more complicated.
"Cronus I don't think you're doing this dance quite according to the book anymore," Kankri says.
"Chief, who is the expert on 50's human dances here? I know what I'm doing, relax! Ok don't worry I'm gonna spin you now."
Which he does. With much vigor.
Once Kankri is facing him again, he looks livid enough to slap Cronus. Only the fact that they were both very much aware of the curious eyes now turning in their direction kept him from it. There was an image to maintain, after all.
"Cronus Ampora!" His voice is dangerous. "I do not want to do this dance any more; it is getting very flashy and a little bit suggESTIVE!" The final word is stretched into a high pitched shriek as Cronus lifts him into the air by his hips, and slides him between his legs, before scooping him back up and twirling around.
Kankri's little scream is muffled by Cronus laughing and pressing the shorter boy's face into his chest.
Kankri's face heats up red as Cronus' shirt as he hears the catcalls and whistles. Everyone saw that? Rufioh's voice is easy to pick out as the loudest, shouting something incomprehensible at them.
"Hey Nitram, shut it!" Cronus shouts, but his voice is light.
Kankri hits his chest feebly. "Cronus I am going to kill you. I didn't even tag that because quite frankly I don't care if you're triggered; it is nothing compared to how mortified you have made me."
"Aw, Kanny, I'm sorry, I was just having some fun. Hey, look at me, will you?" Cronus tentatively lifts Kankri's head up to face his. "I really am sorry. You ok?"
Kankri just hums noncommittally.
Cronus keeps tilting Kankri's head up and leans down, his eyes closing. Just as his lips are about to meet Kankri's, the Cancer twists away and takes a couple steps back, laughing at the dumbstruck expression on Cronus' face.
"Kankri! You little tease," he says, scrambling after Kankri, who laughs and runs out of his reach. Cronus chases him across the dance floor, weaving between people until they get to the bar.
"You two are like a pair of wrigglers! Watch where you're going!" Aranea yells after Cronus nearly knocks her over.
"Sorry cat! Know you'd love to chat but I've gotta run!" He shouts, laughing.
He finds Kankri slumped on a barstool, panting and red-faced. His hair is a mess, his tie loose, and the flush clashes horribly with his shirt. Cronus thinks he is beautiful like this, with the hairline cracks in his composure giving glimpses that are so rare to see.
"You look like an angel," he says, slipping onto the stool next to his boyfriend's and leaning his elbow on the counter, resting his face in his palm.
Kankri is still catching his breath, and so it takes him a moment to respond. "I look like, I need a drink."
Cronus' eyes widen and Kankri thinks they might fall out of his face. "Well don't say another word sweetheart, I got it."
He turns around, raising a finger and whistles.
"Cronus, that is somewhat rude, we can wait a moment," Kankri says, but Terezi has already made her way over to them.
Her grin splits her face in two, and she wears black slacks, a teal button down, and an undone tie slung around her neck.
Cronus tries not to laugh at the sight of her.
"Something funny Ampora? Or are you laughing with glee at the prospect of having your first drink?" She cackles.
"Hey, watch it cat, this is a celebration for us mature adults. You and your crew are here to serve," he says.
"Hey, don't be rude to the hired help! It's not like I was exactly dying to be here, but Latula asked…how could I say no to my dancestor! Anyway, what do you want? I've got everything. Lemonade, sprite, Cranberry juice if you're feeling adventurous! Oh, and Cronus, you smell absolutely delicious," she says.
Both boys blush, but Cronus says, "Wait, are you kidding? You're kidding right, I mean lemonade, come on."
"Hey that's what I told Aranea, but she organized this whole deal, and she said to keep the alcohol out! But…since it's you boys, and you both smell like cherries," she pulls a couple bottles and flasks from below the bar and starts pouring a drink of a bubbly pink color which fizzes and snaps. "Damara snuck this to me; it's actually an Alternian drink. Hope you boys can handle it. I don't know what Aranea was thinking, there's no way someone wouldn't have found a way to get alcohol in here," she says, pushing the drink across the counter.
Kankri takes a tentative sip of the drink, and it pops inside his mouth. It tastes sweet and sharp, almost bitter on his tongue. He chokes, but manages to swallow it down, and then taking a more confident sip.
Cronus watches in surprise. "You drink often?"
"No," Kankri says, grimacing and pushing the beverage away.
Cronus takes a big gulp of the drink. He sputters and almost spits it out, the foreign flavor hitting him hard.
"More than you, evidently," Kankri says, laughing.
"Whatever Kan, you know that's not true, it's just this weird Alternian shit, I'm not used to it. Pyrope probably slipped sopor into this or something, you feeling ok?" Cronus asks.
"Yes, I'm fine! Don't be ridiculous, she did nothing of the sort," Kankri says, a pleasant coolness spreading in his stomach and a warm fuzziness in his head.
"You sure? Let me take you temperature, hold still," Cronus reaches over even as Kankri tries to squirm away and places his hand over the other boy's forehead. "Yow, you're hot! Kanny you're burning up!"
Kankri tries to keep his voice stern even as Cronus pulls him into his lap and cradles him. "Cronus, I am still mad at you, I did not permit you to touch me! Of course I am a bit warmer than what you are accustomed to personally, given certain biological factors which are problematic for you to mention- what are you doing? Cronus Ampora I am talking to you, I said stop!"
Cronus ignores him and continues nuzzling his face against Kankri's neck, taking in the clean smell of his shampoo, and tickling his sides. He feels the tension leave Kankri's body as his sides shake and laughter bubbles out of him like the carbonation in their abandoned drink.
"I'll stop if I get another dance, Kanny doll," he says.
"That is bribery, and I- hic! Won't be swayed by it!" Kankri says, covering his mouth and blushing.
"Hm, who's the lightweight now? You feeling a little tipsy there, sweetheart?" Cronus jokes.
"Well, while I do not condone-hic! Oh, excuse me, I don't condone over-intoxication, I thought just a little would help me relax, and perhaps…well, perhaps give your dancing another chance," Kankri says, and Cronus immediately sweeps him up and carries him onto the dance floor. "If you agree not to perform dance moves that could make someone uncomfortable and if you PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!"
Cronus sets him down and grabs his hand, pulling him along. "Come on Kankri we're just in time!"
Kankri sees the two lines that have formed on the dance floor and blanches. "Oh, I don't know about this, everyone is watching."
"Don't worry about it! Get over there!" Cronus says, and the separate, each of them going to one side.
Cronus finds himself next to Porrim, who wears a short black and green dress. He eyes it incredulously.
"Babe, I have a hard time believing you don't got at least two dates to this thing, where's the color?" He asks.
She looks at him with the hint of a smile. "Not everyone needs that to feel secure- I am perfectly comfortable representing just myself. You are right in that I am most certainly not here alone, but gossip flies around here so much that it's a terrible bother correcting everyone all the time. Besides, all the colors clashed horribly."
He shakes his head and allows a small smile. "If you say so. But I gotta thank you for helping me out, I have ta work to get Kankri to give me smiles like that."
"Hmm. Not a problem fish boy, just- don't let him drink anymore. His complexion already doesn't match his clothes without being flushed further with whatever that Pyrope girl is handing out."
"Aw, come on, he looks adorable. He wanted a drink, not like I could say no," Cronus says.
Their conversation is cut off by the music starting up, and Cronus finds himself taking both Porrim and Rufioh's hands, and starting with the dance. It's a simple one they all know, taught to every child on Beforus. The criss-crossing steps were easy to learn; the fun part was walking through the middle with your partner.
As the music shifts, Cronus takes Kankri's hands along the row, and the first couple runs under their hands. Mituna nearly trips, but the people on either side keep him from falling as Latula keeps a tight grip on his hands.
Cronus links his arm with Kankri's and turns until he is back holding hands with Porrim and Rufioh, to continue until it is their turn to run through the lines.
By the time it's over, everyone is nearly falling to the floor with laughter. Both Porrim and Rufioh make an obvious deal of wiping their hands off after letting go of Cronus'.
"Hey! I see you two doing that, what, you don't feel worthy of having touched me, is that it?" He says.
"More like removing the memory of your clammy palms," Porrim remarks. Rufioh just looks apologetic.
"Oh, don't be rude Porrim," Kankri says. He blushes and gives the back of Cronus' hand a little kiss.
"Well aren't you a charmer," Cronus says, his grin returning. "Come on Kankri, I need to teach you the Handjive."
"Ok, now that that weird alien dance is out of the way, I'm going back to playing my music. You're welcome for that brief paused from the regularly scheduled programming. As your DJ, that was a magnanimous request I granted you, but there's only so much of the alien version of line-dancing a guy can take," a voice says over the sound of the music.
"Dave, are you being culturally insensitive? You're music sucks," Terezi calls.
He just turns it up louder.
Later in the night, Aranea takes the stage. She clears her throat, waiting for the music to stop and for all eyes to be on her. "Thank you for your attention," she begins, speaking into a microphone. "I am so glad that every single one of us could take the time to be here, for a moment of solidarity among our group. I cannot tell you how pleased it makes me to see you all here, enjoying each other's company and showing at least some semblance of civility to one another. Now before we let it get any later, I'd just like to share a few words with all of you. I know we've struggled a great deal, both during and after the game, with our respective differences, but I'd like to think of tonight as the starting point for that to change. This is surely an example of how we are capable of functioning as a team. And well, it's a miracle if that can happen at all, so if it's later rather than sooner, I say so be it! We put a lot of work into making this possible, and I know it is not the same as it would have been on Beforus- there will be no ceremony into adulthood or other such rite of passage, but, well, I think that may be fitting for our situation. We can make this have a meaning unique to us, which I think we have accomplished. Furthermore, I personally am so excited for the futures of all the happy couples, new and old, who are in attendance and I wish you all the best now and-"
"Kanny, she talks nearly as much as you, what do you say we split?" Cronus whispers.
"That would be somewhat rude, surely she would notice if we left," he whispers back.
"Nah, I'll tell her you felt sick and needed some fresh air or something. Hell, tell her I made you leave- blame it on me, I don't care, just please let's not stay stuck here for her entire spiel or I'll have double-died from boredom," Cronus says. As soon as he sees the slightest hint of submission on Kankri's face, he takes his hand and drags him outside. The air is crisp and cold, and Kankri immediately feels more relaxed, away from so many people at once. He also feels guilty.
"Oh, we really shouldn't have left, I cannot believe I allowed you to lead me away, what she was saying was actually interesting and very kind, and regardless of the content of her speech I at least should know and be accustomed to the problems resulting from those you are attempting to impart knowledge on leaving during your-"
"Sweetheart, it's ok, I promise. We'll go back in soon; I just wanted a second with you. Besides, Aranea's tough, we're not gonna hurt her feelings," Cronus says.
Kankri sniffs. "I suppose, though you should not assume things about others, as that may make them feel forced or possibly…" he trails off as he looks down, suddenly very aware of the way both Cronus' hands are laced with his own. His skin is cool and slowly gaining familiarity- what had once been enough to make Kankri flinch away was now comforting. Cronus runs a finger along the knuckles on Kankri's hands.
"Did you know you look very kissable right now, Kankri Vantas?" Cronus says.
Kankri can't help the little smile from spreading on his face. "You always think that."
"Do I? Must be because it's true. What can I say, I have very good taste," Cronus says.
"Hmm. Maybe. That debate aside, I would not find it overly offensive if you were to make good on that statement, considering there is no one around to be triggered by it, and I am feeling very charmed, against my better judgment. Must be the drink."
"Aw, no way. You didn't have that much- you've just got good taste too. Must be why we go so well together," Cronus says. By now there is but a breath between them. Two layers of clothes, two layers of skin, and a strip of air keeping them apart, and it has never felt smaller.
Kankri leans up to cover the distance, pressing his lips to Cronus' in a chaste kiss that quickly goes from sweet to intense as he runs his tongue along Cronus' bottom lip, eliciting a soft noise, a surprised and longing little whimper from the Aquarius' throat. He threads his arms around Cronus as he rests his hands on Kankri's hips, his fingers tightening as the warmth spreads from Kankri's body into his own. A warmth he had always longed, for its security, for the promise. Because that's what kissing Kankri was like- a promise, because it was not something he gave out, it was so much more reserved and precious than the words he tossed around like coins to beggars, because this was a part of himself he was scared to expose, which was what drove Cronus crazy when he finally got Kankri to open up. He was glad that it wasn't easy- it never had been, so it shouldn't be now. He was just glad the boy finally felt safe enough around him to let his guard down.
It was a tradition, that was what they had all said. It started out as more like a grab at a life stolen away. It ended closer to being a creation of something their own.
They did not, as Cronus had said, go back inside any time soon. By that point Kankri wasn't complaining. And if Aranea noticed their absence, she didn't seem to mind too terribly. And if Kankri maybe enjoyed it more than he meant to, and if Cronus let the boy take him apart because he couldn't get enough of the taste of cherries and the sharp lingering flavor of the drink on his lips, no one needed to know. And if the next day they woke up in Cronus' human bed, and if everyone went back to their usual routine albeit feeling a little bit lighter, a little bit more like carbonation, then that was ok too.