A/N: If you guys haven't seen/heard yet, or been to my deviantART, I have some awesome news...!
A third installment, for this story, is currently in the works! :D I thought maybe I'd be able to conclude everything that is Wrecking Limits, in Defying Code, but... The universe I've created just keeps getting bigger, and more detailed. I will be writing a third story (YES a THIRD one!) titled Rectifying Origin
It will be awhile, obviously, before it is an actual, tangible thing for you guys to read, because I have to finish/upload the rest of Defying Code, first, but I am very excited about it, and there will be a handful of new characters in the third story as well (all while keeping ALL of my old and original characters, as well! So no worries, there!)
I'll reveal more about the third installment at a later date - I have two spoiler pictures, on my deviantART for you guys, to tide you over until then. But for now, enjoyyy ;D
Song Listened To - Rain by Hans Zimmer
*Chapter 70*
Tessa's eyes were met with the warm, bustling energy of Game Central Station. With a clean, mint tank top, racing pants, and Zed's comfortable brown hoodie draped over her, she marched to Game Central Station by herself. She knew, if she were going to get her class changed, she'd have to get to Academy before everyone, to take care of the situation. Lickity kindly followed close next to her, massive, bumbling paws were crowned with threatening claws that clacked and scraped gingerly on the station's golden tiles. They pushed into the busy station, full of user-made gamers that were preparing for yet another game day. Tessa, only briefly, noticed a few students she went to school with. They hung around the large station in groups, early morning chatter filled the air in a harmonic, disorientating sort of way. Tessa inhaled a gentle breath and lightly began to head in the direction of Academy, in which she'd have to pass Dead Zed to get there. She knew she could trust Lickity to find her way to Zed, her daily routine of keeping him company.
Tessa opened her mouth to say a few kind notions to Lickity, though before she could get anything out, Lickity grunted a happy noise and immediately began to bound off, like usual. Tessa flinched, so to avoid being smacked by Lickity's wings or tail, and she nervously peered towards Dead Zed. Through the thin crowd of people, Zed was spot hanging near his outlet. He lightly threw a tennis ball against his outlet's large outer prong, he was comfortably dressed for the day, his blue faux-hawk was flawless. Tessa raised her eyebrows in gentle surprise and gazed at him in mild confusion; she knew Zed was always waiting outside his outlet, to give Penny, Tessa and Oliver his usual, good morning notions and to take Lickity off of Tessa's hands, though Tessa didn't know just how long he was out here waiting, each morning. She let a bashful smile sprawl her face, though her heart dipped at the mere fact that she hadn't seen him since yesterday morning. She immediately felt guilty, though she was positive Zed would understand why she needed some alone time.
Tessa exhaled a knowing giggle as Lickity bound up to Zed and made him jump a little. From far away, he laughed lightly and pet the top of Lickity's head; she easily wagged her tail, lightly, and made it very clear she loved him, she nuzzled her snout into his center and soaked up whatever attention he had to give. Zed finally looked up and noticed Tessa approaching; he beamed a happy smile and held a curious twinkle in his eye. He wobbled as Lickity bound a few feet away and snatched the ball Zed was previously playing with.
"She definitely knows how to make an appearance," Tessa laughed lightly as she strolled up, Zed easily joined her and smiled over his shoulder as she scrambled to try and snatch up the small ball with her large mouth. Her quick, though clumsy paws tried their hardest to grapple for it.
"Too true," Zed said through a gentle sigh as he lazily shifted his stance and put his hands on his hips. He lightly eyed his hoodie, in which Tessa was wearing and tenderly cocked an eyebrow, as if to express gratitude that she enjoyed it, "Hey, babe."
Tessa raised her eyebrows in plucked surprise and felt her face heat up. She just barely furrowed her eyebrows as a kind, curious smile sprawled her face. She heaved a soft giggle and tried her very hardest to keep her shoulders from scrunching, from bashfulness. She kept her gaze gripped to Zed's as he shook his head and exhaled a soft laugh.
"See? I felt the same way when you called me Zed, for the first time," Zed said through a growing laugh, as Tessa's grew as well. She shook her head and looked away, though Zed continued on, "I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," Tessa smiled lovingly towards him as he dared to ease his presence closer to her. She lightly gazed about his eyes as she noticed he glanced down at his hoodie, yet another time. She lightly looked down to the long, thick brown sleeves she was comfortably draped in before giving Zed an apologetic look, "Uh... Anytime you want this back, just say so. It gets cold in Academy and I don't really have any other hoodies."
"N-No, you can keep it," Zed assured through kind, though apologetic eyes, "I-I... You look good, in it... That's all I was thinking."
"Thanks," Tessa wrinkled her nose and giggled, though she side-eyed Zed, "This was your favorite hoodie, wasn't it."
"It was," Zed admitted with a gentle nod, though he kept his blue eyes gripped to hers, "If it keeps you warm at Academy, though, then that's all it takes to make me happy. You keep it. You need it more than I do, anyhow. My game is usually always hot and humid."
"Thank you," Tessa eased kindly, "Not like I'm going anywhere, anyways. You can have it back whenever you need."
"No biggie," Zed said with a small, honest smile and eyes that seemed to be glazed with the sweetest coat of honey, "... Is everything okay, from yesterday? We missed you after Academy."
"Yeah," Tessa heaved a soft sigh and looked away, though Zed jolted once Lickity finally nudged her snout into the middle of his back, to show him that she finally picked up the ball and was ready to play. Zed laughed and lightly rubbed her snout, though gave her a few kind words to prolong her patience more.
"You're out here so early, you decide to leave Penny and Oliver behind this time?" Zed asked softly, so not to suddenly tear at her sore spot.
"Yeah," Tessa repeated and nodded, though her eyes softly gripped his in a fit of bravery, "I'm dropping my Program Ed. class."
"What?" Zed asked in soft surprise as he furrowed his eyebrows, "Why? What happened?"
"The teacher humiliated me in front of the class," Tessa said in deep annoyance, though she was glad she had a good night's sleep, for clarity's sake, "My knowledge on programming is far beyond the class, anyhow. I'm going to Academy early this morning, to see if I can be placed in their advanced placement class."
"Wow," Zed widened his eyes lightly, "Well, I know you'll get put in a higher class. Hell, there's even stuff you know above me. And I'm the actual core of my own game."
"I'm sure there's stuff you know over me," Tessa dared quietly, though she held her serious gaze to Zed, as if to hope he maybe got the hint. Zed lightly eyed her, though he wobbled, yet again, as Lickity lightly nudged him.
Zed laughed and looked back to Tessa's excitable friend, "Girly, we'll play catch all day long, I promise you."
"C'mere, Lickity," Tessa urged softly, though Lickity lightly moseyed over to Tessa and relaxed once and for all. She nuzzled her cheek into Tessa's side and remained still as Tessa ran her hand all over the top of Lickity's head and rested her arm there, as if to give Lickity a hug to her full potential.
"It's no competition... There's a lot of things we could easily teach each other," Zed said with a kind smile and a soft shrug, though he gave Tessa a look of mild protection, "Why was your teacher humiliating you in front of everyone?"
"I was skipping ahead in the book," Tessa muttered as her cheeks turned red, "She made me school the class on just what I was reading about."
"What was that?" Zed kindly wondered, though they held each other's attention with serious tension. Tessa furrowed her eyebrows and, with a quick glance at the ground in contemplation, she slid her eyes back to Zed's with unfolding bravery.
"Opposed-code swapping," Tessa eased tenderly, though Zed lightly raised his eyebrows, as if to understand just what was unfolding, "... My stupid teacher interrupted me before I could get any sort of information out of the stupid book, and now I'm back to square one."
"You think your AP class will delve into that topic?" Zed asked softly, though he gave Tessa a smile as if to hope maybe she'd suck it up and just dump her worries on him already.
"Not sure," Tessa urged in an annoyed tone as she looked down to Lickity, who slid her gaze to meet her owner's as well.
"Y'know..." Zed started with a small shrug and a bashful smile, "I may know a lot about surfing and racing and all, but... You know you can come to me with any questions or concerns you have, about opposed-coding, right?"
"I didn't want to make it weird," Tessa heaved a small, annoyed laugh; Zed kindly joined her and looked down.
"It... Kind of comes with the territory," Zed beamed as his face burned up as well, his brilliant blue eyes lightly scanned the ground in growing shyness, "Surely you'd know we were bound to make it weird, eventually."
"I guess I was just trying to prolong it," Tessa sighed as she looked down, though she immediately began to feel better, "Not like I've ever done this before."
"Well," Zed furrowed his expression and smiled gently towards her, "Neither have I, y'know. We're both flying blind, together."
"I am actually blind, on the subject matter," Tessa gestured towards herself and laughed, "At least... At least you have an answer. So... Spill, before I actually end up hating the idea of all of this."
"Alright, here's the key to it," Zed motioned his hands, though he dared to take a step closer to Tessa. He inhaled a sharp breath and looked her square in the face, his hands were posed out before him, fingers taut and palms lightly opened. He gestured, only lightly, and held his serious expression to Tessa's, "In the heat of everything, in order to properly swap with a user-made gamer... You must light a fire, in the nearest toilet, and sacrifice the right ear of Lickity Split, all while in the midst of two-stepping your way to victory."
"...Zed!" Tessa erupted with laughter and largely shoved on his chest with the tips of the fingers on her left hand; he heaved a hard laugh and wobbled backwards a little, though Lickity grumbled in a confused, though excited, manner.
"I'm sorry," Zed heaved through a hard few laughs as he held his stomach, his whole, happy existence was beyond contagious. Tessa couldn't help but beam the widest, almost annoyed smile. Zed breathed a few reviving chuckles and wiped his eye lightly, "I couldn't help myself."
"You've been waiting for me to ask, haven't you," Tessa giggled softly and shook her head, though she lightly crossed her arms and felt her heart do a dainty flutter of reviving hope.
"I have," Zed nodded, he wiped his eye free of a tear and chuckled, though he put his hands on his hips and eased closer to Tessa as he looked down to their feet, "... Mostly because, I was wondering just when you'd trust me with your worries."
Tessa's smile tenderly sloped to soft knowing, she furrowed her eyebrows only lightly and held her curious eyes to Zed's, as his held to hers in poised commitment. He smiled and looked down, yet again, through gentle, bashful eyes. He finally inhaled a deep, reviving breath and let his strong chest expand, through his comfortable, light grey tank top. As gentlemanly as he could, he slid his eyes back to hers, in a sweep of curious, tender delight at the unfolding topic.
"You... You know exactly how to, well... Avoid deleting me? Or any other terrible theory I've heard?" Tessa tenderly asked, she could practically feel her heart begin to race in light panic.
"Yeah, I do," Zed smiled softly, his eyes held to hers with the utmost honesty, "I know how to avoid grid rash, circuit stretching, code-override and the whole slew of mess opposed-code swapping can bring, if you finish it wrong."
"Finish it wrong?" Tessa inquired, Zed softly nodded.
"Opposed-code couples aren't at any risk, until the act of the swap," Zed gestured his hands lightly, the comfortable air about himself put Tessa at ease. He felt the tension under his skin only lightly subside as he could see Tessa's shoulders gingerly relax; he continued on, "Y-You... You could make love all day long, and it won't bring any harm to either person... The only problem is, well..."
"The climax of the story," Tessa blurted softly with a widening smile, she knew this topic was touchy, for both of them. Zed coughed a small laugh and gestured to her with a small nod.
"Y-yes," Zed beamed.
"So, you can't just swap and go about your business?" Tessa asked softly, Zed shook his head and lightly glanced down to the ground.
"It's extremely delicate," Zed explained softly as his piercing eyes gripped hers once more, "If... Say, I don't know... I-I were to give you my interior coding, without receiving yours at the same time, it would... practically delete you. User-made gamer's coding is a lot stronger, more solid."
"So, if vice-versa?" Tessa wondered bashfully.
"I wouldn't be deleted, but I'd definitely be sat with either one of the problems I listed earlier," Zed gestured his hand back a little and softly glanced at Lickity, who re-situated her positioning next to Tessa.
"So, how does that work, then?" Tessa wondered as she tightened her arms in their criss-cross positioning, "Sounds a bit like a lose-lose situation."
"Here's how I see it," Zed said gently as he barely gestured his masculine hands; to Tessa's surprise, he took a step closer to her, as if their little secrets were to stay just that. He eased into her presence and lightly looked down at her, past the stray hairs of his hot-blue faux-hawk. He gave her an innocent smolder of a smile and held his hands up, in front of them, to begin showing an example, "Think of a zipper, on a jacket... You run the zipper up and down, it opens and closes, right?"
"Yeah," Tessa agreed softly, though she slumped her shoulders a little and relaxed as Zed's voice grew quiet, just for her. His sensitive eyes gripped hers, though they both eagerly glanced at his hands, as he delicately intertwined his fingers, with both of his hands, to prove a point.
"Each cog folds into each other, to close the zipper. They fit perfectly with each other, but that's only because the slider, of the zipper, moves in such a way that makes it possible... The chain of teeth line up with no interruptions," Zed explained tenderly to her, though he opened his hands again, "Ever try to zip up a jacket, and the zipper gets jammed? You can't zip a jacket, starting from the middle. You have to start at the beginning... That's how everything flows and properly melts together."
"So, the swap has to line up perfectly," Tessa explained in gentle knowing, Zed nodded and let his hands fall to his sides.
"Exactly... Right from the beginning, the act of the actual swap has to be perfectly timed," Zed eased as he kept his humble gaze to Tessa's, "The reason it's so tricky, is because... opposed-code couples have to be perfectly in tuned with each other. Total honesty, and trust, is what it takes to make a successful swap."
"One wrong hint... One wrong word, or clue, could land in deletion," Tessa said in a gentle, sorrowful tone as she gave Zed a mildly curious look; he nodded gently.
"You can go hog wild, all cards on the table," Zed gestured his hands out for emphasis, though he lightly brought them to just barely attempt to hold Tessa's hips, "... But, when it comes time to downloading the soul of the other person, if you're not on your A-game, one minor mistake, and you're royally screwed."
"...Nice pun, there, dude," Tessa muttered as she cocked an eyebrow; Zed beamed an annoyed smile and furrowed his eyebrows in delighted surprise.
"No pun intended!" Zed said honestly with a chuckle to match, though he was thrilled to feel Tessa unravel her arms and, ever so lightly, rest her hands on his lower arms.
"Thank you," Tessa sighed as she gazed down at Zed's chest.
"For what?" Zed wondered gently, he dipped his head lightly to peer into her eyes, in which she kindly obliged.
"For taking me seriously," Tessa eased, "This whole topic has been one huge joke to Penny and Oliver... Well, Oliver has lightened up. I'm just thankful you're not totally turned off by my lack of education, on the subject matter."
"That's totally irrelevant," Zed furrowed his eyebrows lightly, "It's not like you knew, growing up, you'd have a user-made boyfriend. This IS stuff they sort of teach in Academy, but apparently not until later in the class. There's no way you could have known, and it's not like you thought you'd need it. I'm just full of random information, anyhow."
"Well, I guess now it's information we can put to good use," Tessa smiled, though she felt her face get hot as she suddenly realized how forward that was.
"M'kay, well... Let's at least wait until we're out of Game Central Station, yeah?" Zed said in a playfully annoyed tone and a furrowed expression, though he quickly beamed an apologetic smile as Tessa swat his arm.
"C'mon, you know I didn't mean it like that," Tessa grumbled with a beyond bashful smile.
"Just playing," Zed chuckled as he tenderly slid his hands into his pockets.
He opened his mouth to continue on, though with one simple nudge, Lickity bumped Tessa forward and into Zed's arms. The two jolted as Zed quickly steadied Tessa to him. Tessa exhaled an apologetic noise and quickly looked over her shoulder to Lickity, who's ears were perked atop her head, and innocent, though scheming, eyes to match. Tessa furrowed her eyebrows and peered to Zed, though she flinched and lightly held her hands to Zed's sides, as he gingerly welcomed her into his warm chest and arms.
"S-sorry," Tessa worried lightly, though Zed furrowed his eyebrows and smiled.
"No reason," Zed eased tenderly down to her.
"I-I... I didn't ask that question to make it seem like I was being pushy or anything, y'know," Tessa worried, she hoped her intentions weren't too forward, "I just thought maybe... y'know..."
"Let me clear the air, once and for all," Zed started softly as he lightly peered across Game Central Station; his brilliant blue eyes scanned the area, far off to his right as he contemplated his next words. Before too much time passed, he lightly gripped his eyes to Tessa's and held her closer, "When I revealed my identity to you and asked you to be my girlfriend, I made a commitment to you. And only you."
Tessa raised her eyebrows lightly and could feel her whole entire existence get lost in Zed's eyes. She held her breath and felt as if the circuits under her skin were easily about to turn to goo. Zed softly pressed on with a bashful curl of a smile, his cheeks and eyes easily expressed the happiness that followed.
"We still have a lot to learn about each other... I-I don't think it really helps that I'm not naturally an open book," Zed chuckled with kind eyes laid into Tessa's. She easily smiled as well, "But... I didn't ask you to be mine, temporarily."
"I figured, trusting me with your secret and asking me to be your girlfriend wasn't just a 'summer love' kind of thing," Tessa's contagious smile grew, as did Zed's.
"You're the first person and only person I trust with my feelings," Zed eased, his voice was deep and sensitive, though it held a gentle bite of delightful darkness, "... You'd be the first and only person I'd trust with my code."
"You're lucky I'm here for the long haul, then," Tessa playfully sneered, though she held true to a bashful, girly smile. Zed beamed a closed-mouth smile and squeezed his arms tighter around her.
"Music to my ears," Zed said through a kind, soft sigh.
As gently as he could, he closed their small gap and pushed a few, warm kisses to the side of Tessa's cheek and face; she beamed ear to ear and leaned into his soft touch through closed, shy eyes. Her powerful, though tender hands slid up his chest just barely.
"I wish you could come to Academy, with me," Tessa said softly to him, he grumbled a noise of agreement and softly pushed the side of his head to hers, as they lulled into their own little world. He held her close as she kindly continued, "I'd be the coolest person there."
"You don't need me for that," Zed mumbled, though he made sure his tone was that of gratitude, "Though, don't be surprised if I just show up, one of these days."
"Lickity and all," Tessa laughed as she finally slid her arms around Zed's neck and properly hugged him tight, "Pretty sure you could get in huge trouble, for that."
"For bringing this lug?" Zed laughed as he lightly reached out and ruffled his hand over the fur atop Lickity's head; Tessa gently pulled away from Zed and peered down to her beloved companion, "She wouldn't hurt a fly."
"This is excluding Selka, I'm assuming," Tessa muttered, Zed shot her a mildly annoyed look.
"User, I forgot you go to school with that asshole," Zed grumbled quickly through a mildly distressed look.
"It's ok, I'm pretty sure he's terrified of Oliver," Tessa laughed gently.
"I don't think it's just Oliver he'd have to worry about, Ms. 'three strikes you're out'," Zed nudged Tessa's arm lightly; she beamed a curious smile and gave him a proud look. Zed heaved a faltered breath and lightly looked back at Academy, "You... You should probably get going, huh? You have to get your schedule switched, right?"
"Yeah," Tessa firmly sighed and held her hand to her forehead as she, too, peered towards Academy. She tenderly began to take a small step around Zed, "I'll see you after Academy."
"You promise?" Zed side-eyed her with a mildly annoyed smile, though she slumped her shoulders and rolled her eyes.
"I ditch my last hour class and the whole Arcade falls apart," Tessa complained, though she smiled through and through.
"Stay out of trouble, love," Zed urged as he gently pointed, though Lickity firmly nuzzled her snout into Zed's side, causing him to wobble.
"When have I ever not?" Tessa teased as she back-stepped, though after a few loving seconds of knowing smiles and gentle waves, she turned heel and began to head towards Academy with a certain pep in her step.