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The first thing he becomes aware of is that he's alone. Not completely, no, there's still a presence close by. A year of V.I.L.E training to sharpen his instincts, even after having been forgotten for nearly a year and painfully remembered, made sure to tell him that just a few yards away, someone was there. The presence, however, was a familiar one, one that was comforting, and trustworthy.

The second thing he becomes aware of, as his eyes struggle to open and he rolled onto his back, was that it was nearly mid-morning, the angle of the light in the room being a dead giveaway to him, and that the spot next to him was still warm. That presence had been next to him and had only moved a few brief moments ago, and a part of him was relieved.

He never liked when that presence had to leave his vicinity. She would always return to him, he knew that now, and he to her, no matter what, it seemed. But that didn't mean he had to like when they parted, even when not for long.

Finally sitting up and rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes with the heels of his palms, he looked around his bedroom. While being an electrician at the Opera House didn't pay a king's sum, it was enough for him to live comfortably. It wasn't much; a small apartment with a decent-sized room with a bathroom and the rest being both the living room and kitchen, but he liked it. It was home, it gave comfort, was worry-free, therefore it was enough.

Besides, his occasional roommate seemed to share the same opinion about it.

Getting out of bed, he grabbed his underwear and sleeping pants from last night, unable to find his shirt, and quickly freshened up in the bathroom. When he was done, he finally noticed the scent of pancakes, bacon, and coffee in the air, and he couldn't help the smile that was no doubt worthy of teasing as he opened the door to the rest of his little abode.

Greeting him, a beautiful sight he always tells himself to treasure whenever it graced his eyes. Long, beautiful scarlet hair flowed freely down in beautiful natural curls and waves, and- ah, there's my shirt, he can't help but note, the grey shirt he had worn the night before adorned on her slim, lean and beautifully tan body, the size of it making it almost appear as a dress on her. When she looked over her shoulder from the stove at him, she smiled with those beautiful lips, naturally a pinkish red without the lipstick, blue-grey eyes having nothing but a fond look in them when on him. He smiled a bit more in return, before she returned her attention to her task.

"'Morning sleepyhead. Sleep well?" she asked, placing another freshly made pancake onto a plate. "Always, when you're laying next to me," he couldn't help but say, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing his chin gently on her head. He could feel her eyeroll and didn't bother pulling away to the elbow to his ribs, taking the pain and laughing lightly, only squeezing her lightly in his hold. "That was the most cheesy thing you've said all month. And you've said a lot of cheesy stuff this month," she noted, waving the spatula around a bit. "Worth it," he said, coughing slightly from the pain.

"Hn... Coffee's fresh and ready. The beans are from Puerto Rico. Organic and amazing, if I do say so myself," she claims, gesturing to the pot of freshly made coffee that smelled heavenly. "No doubt expensive, too," he couldn't help but note, pulling out two mugs and trying to ignore yet another eyeroll. "Well, they would've been, but a friend owed me a favor again and she got them for me," she explained, turning off the stove and working on the plates of food while he poured the coffee. A hum was his only response, moving to grab the milk and cream she had already set out. A few dollops in his so as not to mess too much with the flavor, and a decent amount for her to give balance to the bitter substance, just how she liked it.

When he finished stirring, she had placed the plates on the set table, and he handed her the respectfully prepared mug, taking his seat across from her. She had placed whipped cream and raspberries on the pancakes, a few slices of bacon with a plate filled with more in between them, a small roll of sausage, and a small amount of eggs. He couldn't help but look back up at this blessing of a lady in front of him with a love-struck smile.

"Thank you, Carmen. It looks delicious," he said, not bothering to hide the sheer adoration in his voice because, well, why would he? "It was nothing, Gray," she said, taking a long sip of her cuppa, but the faint blush was impossible to keep hidden from him. He chose not to tease, however, and dug in.

Before they started to share these moments like this, Gray was not one for breakfast. He would have a few slices of toast and jam, a piece of fruit, a biscuit, or sometimes nothing but his usual first morning coffe. Carmen had been the same, but then she got into the habit, and she soon started making breakfast for him, and it became a thing. Whether it was toast and eggs, or something more extravagant as the one today, he appreciated it.

He cherished anything that let them be together.

"Anything planned for today?" she asked, scrolling down something on her phone, taking a small bite of bacon. "Nope. Day off. Co-worker needed extra shifts, I've racked up some overtime recently, so thought I'd be generous and lend him my day today," he said, returning the small grin she gave him before returning her attention to her phone. "You?" "Nothing. Player doesn't have anything new for me, Shadowsan is busy helping his brother with an appraisal for the entire week, and my mom promised me she could handle the kids for just as long all on her lonesome." "Heh. Carlotta boot you out for overworking again?" "Hey, it was only a few extra hours of helping with the orphanage." "And...?" "... And stopping a museum robbery a few hours north from home," she admitted, a bit annoyed at being so predictable.

Well, predictable to him, at least. But still, she didn't think putting in a bit more work warranted a forced vacation.

"So, this all means that we have the week pretty much to ourselves. I don't have much work, you have pretty much been told to take it easy, and I'm pretty sure ACME can handle their own for a week. I say I call work and take the week off instead, and we spend it doing something."

But then again, she wasn't exactly against the idea of spending some quality time with her boyfriend.

Boyfriend. What are the odds?

Slim, considering they had been so sure that the odds were against them and they decided to just submit to them.

And they just so happened to submit to the smaller odds.

"What were you thinking?" she asked, putting her phone down and looking at him, intrigued. He shrugged, finishing up his plate and taking another sip of coffee. "Dunno. We could go camping, to a beach, rent a boat and spend some time at sea... or we could fly out to somewhere else. As long as it's with you," he said, reaching out to her hand and entwining their fingers. A soft smile graced those lips again, and he wanted to keep it there.

"How about... you don't cancel work. Overtime or not, you are not missing more work. I know for a fact you took two days off two weeks ago just because you were an idiot and sprained your ankle when stopping a small-time thief," she said, a knowing glint in her eyes. He couldn't help but blush and scratch the back of his neck with his free hand, careful of the few bruises she left on it. "Caught me again, Red. Fine, no skipping work. What will you do, then?" A shrug was her answer.

"I guess I could just hang around, go shopping a bit, get gifts for the old crew, do some workouts. Maybe clean the place up," she said, gesturing to the apartment. While it wasn't messy, per se, it could use a quick spruce up. "And?" "And, when you're not working," she said, grinning, "we can spend time together. Go to lunch, dinner, visit some places again like the zoo or something, just be... us."

A look of longing was shared with them, a mutual understanding left unsaid hanging between them.

"Perfect."

"You know, we didn't have to go to the zoo today," she said, walking through the entrance with Gray once allowed in. "You didn't say we couldn't, though," he cheekily retorted, smirking at her unimpressed gaze. They were both in casual-wear, her hair held up in a messy bun and choosing to wear the black shirt and shorts, shades balanced perfectly on her nose. He himself chose to forgo his usual attire and was wearing a Metallica shirt with ripped jeans and usual shoes, a dark blue baseball cap that had the words "Sparky-Sparky Boom Man" stitched in grey that she had jokingly given him as a gift for his last birthday.

She couldn't tell if she wanted to laugh, kiss, or smack him for actually liking it and wearing it out in public so confidently.

"As long as I get to see the red pandas," she shrugged, taking his hand and leading him through the zoo. "Ya know, I can perfectly picture you coming back as one in the next life. Cute, cuddly, but will not hesitate to go feral if pissed off," he joked, dodging a weak punch to the shoulder that her laughter didn't help with.

"Oh, yeah? Then what would you come back as?" "Not gonna lie: being able to come back as an Australian Hobby would be nice." "Pfft, yeah right," she said, giggling as they linked arms. He always managed to make her laugh, even at the most stupid things.

And that's how it went. A day spent looking at animals, having concession stand food, taking cheesy couple photos, everything. For the day, they were what many would perceive as normal. No criminals to chase, no historical treasures to find and save, and the weight of the past off their shoulders. They weren't Crackle or Black Sheep, just Carm and Gray.

When they left they decided to walk around a bit, not quite ready to settle down yet. It was an aimless walk, both knowing the streets and buildings very well.

More cheesy photos, more idle chatter, more small, loving gestures. It was so simple, so ordinary, and so familiar.

There was a time where both didn't have even the slightest interest in such a life.

Carmen, growing up fairly sheltered and with vast yet limited knowledge, had always sought adventure. Back when stealing and thievery were nothing more than a game, she hadn't had much interest in romance. Sure, the occasional fantasy of meeting someone that shared a bond more than friends, but her main priority was getting enrolled and finally leaving the island.

Then she discovered the other side to being a thief, a darker side introduced by Gray no less, and everything after came tumbling at her like an avalanche.

Romance, despite the few attractive faces she crossed paths with, was far from her mind.

She felt so guilty and disgusted with herself when she finally succeeded. All she had wanted was to right the wrongs people she once knew and trusted committed. She never thought in a million years she would finally want to learn her lineage. Even more so that she would have to intertwine her quest for her mother with stopping V.I.L.E.. And when they got their disgusting hands on her and twisted her mind, and nearly killed people she loved, her disinterest in romance changed into feeling unworthy of it.

But the dust settled, and she walked away with scars, lessons, and strengths and weaknesses. And, for some damn reason, Gray floated back in.

Gray was on a similar boat. His life had always been ordinary and mundane, not much different from a majority of strangers he passed on a regular basis. As far as villas went, he was plain in the backstory department. He didn't have intense trauma, an abused past, nothing really. He was the everyday, nice electrician working at an iconic location.

And one day, he just got fed up with being average.

Thievery was the first thing to present itself that was different. It gave him a rush nothing else had ever been able to give him. It wasn't easy qt first, but he had always been a fairly quick learner.

Then V.I.L.E. reached out, and he saw an opportunity of a lifetime to go beyond the boring, average life he had been born into.

Oh, the hell that would follow afterwards.

He didn't expect to find Carmen there, someone so bold and bright, so unlike anyone he had ever known. He was drawn to her, someone that was the exact opposite of the life he had left behind. They had bonded like siblings, and he helped him grow into what he thought he wanted to be.

After their first caper, however, that quickly shattered.

He told himself that he didn't care. Black Sheep was an idiot, as far as he should be concerned. He let himself be blinded by the promise V.I.L.E. of being someone incredible. And it wouldn't be until his assignment to face her again in Paris that he would allow himself to wonder about her.

That was definitely the moment shit hit the fan to his plans.

Looking back on it now, he doesn't blame Carmen for his memory wipe. In fact, he thanks her, though there was definitely a time where he wouldn't say that. But that time was definitely an eye opener.

Perhaps it was Bellum's tech that did it, but for the first time in a while... he enjoyed being ordinary. The simplicity of going to his favorite Cafe on a regular basis, the familiarity of running the lighting at the opera house, everything. Especially when Carmen had to waltz in briefly for the greater good.

That especially left his amnesiac self happy for a normal life.

Then ACME, it's beautiful self, had to ruin it. He didn't even think that was possible.

Oh, how foolish he was not to go with Carm. He had fallen back into the same mentality that he started with, forcing himself to want what V.I.L.E. promised they could make him. Letting Carmen be turned into a monster.

He can't help the slight queasy feeling he gets knowing he helped do that.

So he walked away, presumably for good. He knew that if they felt inclined to, ACME would be watching him, that he could never really turn away from the life he forced himself on, but damn did he try. And for a while, it worked. For the greater good in his eyes, he accepted his normal life and cut off all contact with his double life, including Carmen. He was the last person she needed.

So they were completely backhanded when they ended up in each other's lives and somehow together.

And surprisingly, they loved the moments where they weren't on rooftops casing a joint, or in a heated sparring session to keep each other at their best, but when they were...domestic. Yes, those moments had their charms, but their favorites were always the calm, ordinary ones that you read in cheesy novels and saw in movies and TV shows. Slices of life that every couple had a piece of.

Just like-

"Oh, Gray, look! they don't look too busy tonight! Wanna see if we can get a table for dinner tonight?"

Just like moments like these, where Carmen was wrapped around his arm, at his side, looking up at him with those beautiful eyes in an almost begging manner. Gray was putty in her hands, especially with that look, and she knew it.

"Heh, sure, why not? I've been thinking of coming here with you again, anyways."

He treasured her pulling him gently by his arm, rushing over to a restaurant they were both fond of, and a popular one at that. Luckily, though, they were able to get a table for two, and they began talking about anything that came to mind.

Yes, they both loved the thrill of a caper. There was no doubt that they loved their now shared sense of duty to protect history, and appreciated their skills.

But they also knew to love and treasure these moments. Moments where Carmen isn't antsy for a caper and living in the moment. Where Gray isn't wishing for anything other than classic opera. Where both set aside the still lingering feeling of guilt and doubt.

Yeah, they were doing something outside their individual senses of normal, but it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as they assumed.

In fact, they were addicted to it, and looking forward to what the week held for them.