A/N: Prompt fic! Sky/Z Detective AU and Accidental Marriage tropes mashup! Originally posted on AO3!
Warning: slightly morally gray. Okay a LOT morally gray... And remember, I DO NOT claim to be FACTUALLY CORRECT XD
"We're in trouble, Tate" Z Delgado urgently whispered to her partner in crime (crime fighting rather) as she gripped his tuxedo tightly.
"Calm down, calm down" he whispered back, just as urgently, she was always hyper. He had to calm her down for everything.
Why had he agreed for this case again?
"I AM CAL—!" She almost shouted, but Sky put his hand over her mouth, "Z!" He shook his head, and pulled her further into the darkness in the corner of the chapel where they were.
They were on a complicated case… or at least had been… Until ten minutes ago.
Sky Tate and Z Delgado were standing in Las Vegas, in a freaking chapel, and Z was freaking out big time.
A couple of guys owning MACHINE-FUCKIN-GUNS were hunting the two detectives, with an order of kill on sight. Getting involved with this case was probably the stupidest thing Sky Tate had ever done.
He owned his own private detective firm back in NewTech City, after leaving his job at S.P.D. the police department, retiring as a commander at twenty-six years of age. Then he met this rookie girl, who, at twenty-three was struggling to get her own detective firm set up. This was one of her first cases, and the ones before this had been petty things like a husband needing info on his cheating wife, or parents trying to spy on their kids. This, she believed was her big break, but was disappointed to find out that she didn't have enough funds, or resources to actually get through with it.
A mysterious stranger with odd blue hair, and rough skin that looked almost scaly, had approached her, looking for someone to get him info on some sort of odd cult personality called Gruumm. Apparently he was a big shot in the power market, and this mystery man needed some intel on it, and had decided to approach this beginning private detective. Z had assured him she'd be able to do it, no problemo, but when he had said he won't offer any advance payments, and the entire payment be made only when the complete and correct information was conveyed to him. And he did offer quite a lot of money.
To say Z was desperate for such a big break, was kinda an understatement. She promised him to get the work done as long as he wouldn't go back on his word, and he also gave her his card to call him on. But to be on a safer side, she had recorded their entire conversation.
But then she ran into the problem of not being a big shot detective and not having the resources necessary for carrying out the operations, she decided she'd have to hire another hand to help. And probably, a more reputed detective, but not some multinational giant like Drew Co. and looking for one, she found a particular guy who suited all the criteria she had checked in her mind, even including the "super hot" tag.
Sky Tate was perfect for it.
She had went and offered him the job, told him the entire conversation, and offered a fifty percent of the earnings, and he had thought about it for a second, and then refused.
Then she told him they were chasing after some guy called Gruumm, and that before making up his mind, he should at least check what this guy is, and maybe if he were convinced he'd help.
Annnnnd that had worked pretty damn well, because a single google search came up with Gruumm's picture, and Sky immediately realised it was someone he had known in his life, and after that, he was pretty much hellbent on helping her.
They had done research, and followed the lackeys, (not to mention probably left one with nearly fatal wounds) interrogated shady underground rats, beaten up some high, white collar officials, and done practically everything in their power to find out as much as they could about this certain mafia boss, and his one daughter, named Morgana, who, their intel suggested, was to be married in Vegas, very soon.
Sky had initially been a stuck up fellow, who would do nothing that wasn't by the rules. Fun and games came last in his list of priorities. He preferred to work efficiently, and without distractions.
"Do you even know anything besides work?" Z had asked one day, as the two went over some hotel footages where Gruumm had been seen.
"I read"
"Okay, what do you read?" She asked, hoping desperately, that he'd give a NORMAL answer.
"I read philosophy books! And they are a hell of a lot fun!" He replied dryly.
"Stop teasing me" she said, punching his arm, and he smiled, for the first time in forever. And Z realised she really REALLY liked his smile. She decided to make it her personal agenda to bring it out more often.
And so began the series of flirtations between the two. Sky also, after a point, realised there was no point in arguing, and started giving into her shenanigans. He even started looking forward to working with her, in the daytime because simply he enjoyed her playful and lighthearted company.
During the entire two-week span of the investigation, all their interactions consisted of flirting, talking freely, smiling, grinning, smirking, throwing about jabs at each other, trying to outwit the other, and basically being playful and well. Flirty.
All of which being essentially NEW THINGS for Sky, a nice break from his monotonous life.
At the end, when the two were satisfied they had collected enough intel on Gruumm, Sky and Z met the shady guy, who had wanted the info, and he had paid them both handsomely. Then, he formally introduced himself, as 'Anubis' the 'Guard Dog of Hell'
"Now that's a bit dramatic" Z had cheekily whispered to Sky, who had broken his high and mighty facade for a second to let out a nice chuckle.
Then Anubis asked Sky and Z, for one last favor, and promised to pay up even better than this time. He asked if the two private detectives could in turn go TO Vegas, to Morgana's wedding, and basically plant a listening bug on Gruumm or his daughter, whoever suits, and in a way where they couldn't be removed. Anubis said he'd pay for the entire operation.
And that was pretty much what got Sky and Z into Vegas. They had to do extensive planning about how to carry out the operation, since neither had any experience in it, in any way, and
But our two EXTREMELY competent detectives couldn't manage anything except two gunmen on their tail.
This is how the Vegas encounter had gone:
Dressed in pretty clothes, all paid for by Mr. Anubis, a dark bluish tux for Sky, and a beautiful Yellow dress with gold linings for Z, which had been picked out by Sky, because Z wanted to crash the wedding in a pair of black shorts with shotguns.
"You look like Belle from Beauty and the Beast" Sky whispered to her, as he took a seat beside her on the pews in the wedding hall.
"You don't look as ghastly as you usually do" she winked at him, and he grinned.
It went just as planned, and the ceremony started, and just as the Bride's father was walking her down the aisle, Z extended a foot in a six-inch heel, and pressed it neatly down on Morgana's wedding gown, causing her, and her father, with whom she had linked hands with, to both tumble down, right in the middle of the aisle, and fall. (YES that was very embarrassing) Sky and Z sprinted to their feet, and quickly hurried over to "help the two out". Z got by Morgana, and gripped her arm, and Morgana winced in pain as Z very quietly inserted a micro-chip in her arm, which would look like nothing but a nail-mark, and be gone within days, with the microchip-transmitter remaining there, to listen to every conversation she would ever have, for the rest of her life. Sky did the same with Gruumm, and the detective couple helped the mafia boss, and his daughter up,
"Are you okay?" Z asked, softly, but instead of a "I'm fine, thank you" Morgana spun angrily towards Z, and shouted, "YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO MADE ME TRIP!" She accused, and the fear on Z's face was enough of a giveaway for Gruumm to give the orders of Kill on sight when they saw the two.
In the two seconds that took the Gunmen to get their guns ready, (it was a wedding come on, they were having fun too!), the two detectives hecking RAN FOR THEIR LIVES, with the two armed gunmen chasing them.
They exited the Cathedral, and out into the bustling Vegas streets, running for their lives.
Yes, Sky Tate and Z Delgado were daring, and yes, they were not cowards, but he was extremely practical, and she was pretty unexperienced too. Sky knew they couldn't face the gunmen without (…well…) guns.
Evading the gunmen, they scurried into yet another Vegas chapel, and took shelter by a corner alcove.
"I think we're safe" he whispered, and she shot back, "I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD'VE COME WITH SHOTGUNS!"
"I hate to admit it, but you're right" he sighed.
"We're in big trouble, Tate" Z urgently whispered to him as she gripped his tuxedo tightly.
"Calm down, calm down" he whispered back, just as urgently, she was always hyper. He had to calm her down for everything.
"I AM CAL—!" She almost shouted, but Sky put his hand over her mouth, "Z!" He shook his head, and pulled her further into the darkness in the corner of the chapel where they were.
"Don't shout, let's try and figure out a way to get out" he told her.
She made a face at him, and stuck her tongue out, "CAN WE BE SERIOUS IN A LIFE-OR-DEATH SITUATION?" He asked, annoyed now.
She chuckled, "I don't have a plan, so I think chuckling is my best option"
"Children?" A voice suddenly jolted Sky and Z back into the present, and they found themselves standing face-to-face with an elderly priest.
"Hello father" Sky said, courteously, Z just smiled. The priest's eyes studied the couple keenly, and seemed to come to a satisfactory conclusion, "Looking for a quick wedding, are we?"
Oh shoot, they had forgotten they were in Vegas.
Z nodded, "Very quick" she said, before Sky could stop her, "some gunmen are after our lives," she explained, not technically lying, but not being entirely truthful in her next statement, "they don't want us married"
The priest thought it was better not to ask who she meant by 'they'. Sky was thankful about it. He led Sky and Z to the Altar, and told them that they would have a small ceremony in front of the lord, and then would have to sign some papers, registering their marriage officially, with a court of law or something, (that's how it worked here apparently) and la dee da, they'd be good to go.
The payments, of course, would most definitely be funded by a certain Mr Anubis, Sky and Z agreed, for staying in the chapel was probably the only way to save their asses from the bastards with the gun. Most surely they wouldn't kill a newly married couple, or at least not inside a church.
"Are you... are you actually considering this?" Sky asked en route, and Z nodded, "it's our best shot, and don't worry Tate, we'll get out alive" she winked, and he looked surprised,
"I have absolutely NO FAITH in any plan made by you," he chuckled, in sarcasm
At the altar, a minister did the formalities, and Sky and Z found each other standing in front of the other, "You may present your vows" he said.
Sky and Z stared at each other, when they had thought of coming to Vegas, neither had imagined that they'd actually end up in one of those 'Vegas marriages'. Neither had prepared any vows.
She wondered, people who got drunk and married here, what were their vows like? Maybe the two of them looked sober enough to be considered eligible for vows, she gave a small chuckle, and realised she wanted to tell the bullshit thoughts in her head, to Sky, and only Sky.
"Sky," she started, "when I had first met you, I hadn't imagined I'd be standing here, with you. I had never thought you would become so important to me, that you, of all people, I would like to spend my time with, and at this point, I have no doubt that I would like to spend my entire life with you..." she said, and Sky blushed. Of the corner of their keen eyes,
If she had promised to be honest, how could he lie?
He blushed, and started speaking, "Z, I— you're so different from every single girl I've ever met, like no girl I've ever been with before. I, you bring out the best in me, Z, you make me feel… Alive. Feel things that I've never felt before, I'm here for you, always and forever"
Neither had technically lied.
The minister said some stuff then, and did some rituals, which Sky and Z didn't focus on, until they were suddenly jerked out of their thoughts with the words, "I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may now kiss the bride"
Sky and Z blushed, HUSBAND AND WIFE? Z had really gotten them legally married? For reals? It was freakishly unbelievable.
"Last chance to back out, Tate" she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around her waist, and before she could say another word, he answered her question, by bending down, and locking his lips against hers, in a soft, but firm kiss. In that kiss was the sweetness of passion, a million loving thoughts condensed into that one moment. Her lips were just as good as her eyes in painting a picture of her emotions. Sky did not regret accidentally marrying her one bit.
They pulled apart reluctantly minutes later, to a minister coughing for their time to be over. They stared at each other for a long time, but suddenly, out of the corner of their keen eyes, both of them noticed a gunman leaving the chapel.
Apparently their play as a couple had worked, the gunman had thought of them to be harmless, and "not the people he was looking for" and interrupting a wedding in Vegas was as bad as a crime.
"Your misguided plan actually worked" Sky chuckled, as they left the chapel together, "now what do you wanna do? Get an annulment?" They were out of earshot of the priests now.
"Annulment what? What are you talking about?" She winked at him, "don't you want to… consummate our marriage?" She whispered, seductively, as they checked into the Hotel Bella Muerte, him smirking knowingly.
A/N: Does this deserve a sequel? ;)