Tracing Ghetsis's IP address and using it to triangulate the position of the psychiatric hospital had been a simple task. The facility was located southeast of Striaton City, in a clearing in the woods. Colress used his invisibility technology to cloak the Frigate as he flew to the shore—as he did, he watched as the site of the P2 Laboratory underneath the hull came into view on his monitors. He remembered how fighting that trainer there had convinced him he knew what path to follow from that point on—how off-the-mark he had been! He took the ship past the island and landed off the shore of the mainland. The Frigate displaced the water underneath and sent waves crashing against the shoreline. After the waves diminished, Colress inputted the commands that laid out the gangway. After he confirmed it had hit the land, he emerged from the ship and and walked into the dark woods.

Eventually, the trees grew more sparse, and he saw a single gloomy building through the gaps between the branches. He reached the cleared and approached. While the location was admittedly placid, the psychiatric hospital itself was somber. What had once been a white facade had been dirtied—the paint was grey and flaking off. Climbing vines snaked around the foundation and clutched it tightly. An equally aged sign out front read, "Severance Psychiatric Hospital." The hospital was small, and Colress guessed the property had once been owned by a single wealthy family before being bought and repurposed. Colress walked across the dry lawn and up the few steps to the entrance. He pulled the door open and went inside. He was struck by the smell of false Gracidea flowers that only became stronger as he went farther into the building! It was unsurprising that Ghetsis's allergies had been triggered in such a place—he had to suppress the urge to begin coughing himself. The interior was as dim as the exterior, with beige paint covering every wall.

A secretary was sitting at the front desk. "Are you here to visit someone?"

Colress nodded and gave her his prize-winning smile. "Indeed! I'm here to visit Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius."

"That's fortunate. It's been a while since Mr. Harmonia had a visitor. I don't think anyone's come to see him since those three strange… people, I think… stopped coming. And who might you be? We'll need your full name for our records..."

"My name is Doctor Colress Achroma."

She wrote it down on a registry. "Colress, you say? That name sounds familiar."

"Excuse me for being boastful, but I suppose I am a rather famous pokemon researcher. Perhaps that's how you've heard of me."

She looked like she was about to ask a question, but she did not. "All right, then. One more thing—please hand your Poké Balls over to me. We only allow specialists to have their pokemon out, as a preventative measure. We don't want any of the patients being disturbed, or for other pokemon to get in the way of the caregivers."

"Ah, I am glad you are all so dedicated." He handed over his pokemon. He was only there to scout out the area, after all—he would avoid all suspicion for now, and could return later after filing away the necessary info.

The secretary called a nurse and explained that Colress needed to be led to Ghetsis's room. Soon, the nurse, with a Mega Audino in tow, approached Colress. He led him down the halls of the wards, and Colress noticed that the majority of the doors that were not patients' rooms—each of which had a window—were left slightly open so that the staff could see inside. One door he passed was larger than the others, and seemed isolated from the other rooms—it was the library Ghetsis had been calling from. He glimpsed short, rounded bookshelves, and desks in the back with PCs upon them. The floor of the library was covered in an unappealing beige carpet, even more dingy than the walls.

The nurse noticed he seemed lost in thought, and broke the silence. "You came to visit Mr. Harmonia at the right time. He's improved quite significantly recently, and has become very calm."

More like despondent! Colress kept looking down the hall and stopped himself from glaring at him.

"Before, there was nothing he wouldn't do… once, he even sharpened the tips of his eyepatch and stabbed my poor Audino with it!" His Mega Audino shuddered at the memory.

Colress giggled.

The nurse and his pokemon stopped dead in their tracks. Their eyes went wide with horror.

"Oh! Forgive me, I can only imagine how that must have come across!" Colress exclaimed. "It was simply so terrible, there was nothing to do but laugh."

The nurse nodded and continued walking, but his pokemon glanced back at Colress with worry. Colress waved to it. It quickly looked away and ran after its trainer. Finally, they reached Ghetsis's room. It was in the very back of the facility, and the door was shut. Colress did not look through the window—he wanted to speak to Ghesis face-to-face, as equals.

"Are you a friend of his? How do you know him?" asked the nurse. "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before—are you a pokemon professor?"

"I'm an old friend of Ghetsis. We met in graduate school," he said. "I'm a scientist who researches bringing out the full potential of pokemon through bonds of trust. I travel throughout various regions in order to discover my ideal truth," he spoke softly. He did not want to make his presence known before he could greet him personally. "Oh, if it's not too much of an inconvenience, may I introduce myself without your telling Ghetsis he has a visitor beforehand? I believe he would feel more at ease that way."

"That's fine with me. I'll just stand at the ready with my pokemon here if you need anything." The nurse unlocked the door and opened it.

Colress closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, not wanting to reveal his frustration at the lack of privacy or his fast-beating heart. He stepped inside Ghetsis's room and opened his eyes. Ghetsis was sitting on his bed, facing the far wall. He did not stir at the sound of someone entering his room—he must have thought it was a staff member performing scheduled observation. Ghetsis's long hair was down, but looked nothing like the cascade of soft waves Colress remembered. Instead, it was matted and tangled, with many split ends. Ghetsis was trying to run a black comb through it, but he had to rip at his hair to get it to move. A hospital band was on Ghetsis's wrist. Colress managed to tear his gaze away from his hair and look around the room. On the edge of Ghetsis's bed was his dark robe, carefully folded, but highly wrinkled. It was likely that the staff rarely allowed him to wear it, considered how much could be concealed underneath. Ghetsis's cane was nowhere to be seen.

Colress was about to speak, when he heard Ghetsis mutter something. He had to strain to make out fragments of his sentences. "You are disgusting, foul, sinful, and above all, imperfect… how foolish… to think that you could be free to… you would only disappoint him, and he'd never… especially if you would wish to remain celibate… why were you so selfish, when you might have finally been content for once? It's your fault… it's all in ruins..."

Although Colress wanted to puzzle out the meaning of such words, what truly mattered was that Ghetsis was upset and shackled by self-hatred, and so Colress had to assist him! He gathered up all the cheer he could muster. "Ah, Ghetsis, can you guess who has returned to Unova from scenic Alola in order to visit you?"

Ghetsis turned to face him slowly. Under both his wide, tense eye and his eyepatch—which appeared to have been sanded down—were dark circles. "Colress? You came all this way to see me?" He sounded like he had lived among shadows all his life, and was finally visiting the illuminated world.

"Y-Yes, I thought—I wanted to…" Colress trailed off. The two of them gazed at each other. They had known each other for years, yet had scarcely made direct eye contact. One of them was usually slightly to one side, or they would stand at an angle to each other. This was a rare occurrence, but it felt… words flew away from his mind like Starly. As Ghetsis's face turned an adorable Corsola pink, Colress realized he wanted to move in closer and brush the matted hair out of his face. He felt his own face rapidly warming at the thought, and Ghetsis must have noticed this key detail, because his dazed expression began to transform. His face relaxed and he smiled softly, his eyes becoming half-lidded. Colress mewled at the sight—he longed to remove his gloves and run his fingers over his smile in order to understand it perfectly! He heard Ghetsis hum in response, and—

"Excuse me, Colress?" asked the nurse. "Come over here for a minute."

Colress started! He spun around and tried to put his calm and collected look back into place. "Oh?"

The nurse beckoned to him. As Colress walked over, he looked back to Ghetsis, who was tense and grim once again—how soul-crushing! "Yes, what is it?" asked Colress, not bothering to hide his frustration.

"Are the two of you in a relationship?" asked the nurse.

"We-We—th-that is, I… ah!" As he stammered, Colress heard Ghetsis sputtering simultaneously.

The nurse adjusted his glasses. There was a disapproving look in his eyes. "Because Mr. Harmonia is not capable of being in one."

"What's this?"

"Mr. Harmonia is in a delicate state, Colress. I'm sorry to say that this is probably too much for him to handle right now…" he spoke gently, as if trying to placate a rampaging pokemon.

"Excuse me, but you don't have the right to decide such a thing!" Colress snapped. He stepped forward, putting his foot down hard. "I'll report you for this infraction—oh, after I run a few tests on you and your pokemon!"

The nurse's Mega Audino stepped between them and squeaked loudly. It held out its arms, as if it was trying to push Colress away from its trainer.

Colress heard Ghetsis stir behind him and push himself off the bed. "What are you doing? You're only going to be locked up along with me if you behave this way!" he said. With difficulty, he walked up to the doorframe and grasped it to keep balanced.

Ghetsis must have faced this much pain simply from traversing the halls—it must have been terrible for him to have had to walk stealthily to the library multiple times a day. Colress could not stand for it! He drew his original Colress Machine. Before he could point it at his target, the nurse called out, "Mega Audino, use Dazzling Gleam!" Mega Audino closed its eyes, and its feelers curled toward its face. Beams of bright light were drawn toward the pokemon's body.

Colress was shoved forward and stumbled past both the pokemon and its trainer. He whirled around just in time to watch Ghetsis be hit with a bright pink burst of energy—Ghetsis had pushed him out of the way of the attack! Ghetsis winced and covered his eye with his hand, then fell to his knees. The Mega Audino caught him before he collapsed. Colress's mouth went dry and he froze. The nurse was about to call for backup, but Ghetsis drowned out his voice by shouting, "Go—Run! Now!"

Colress followed his order and fled.

The next minutes blurred together into a single flash, and it was impossible to parse the memory. Somehow, Colress had bolted down the halls of the ward and past the front desk while various staff members and their pokemon chased after him. His own pokemon had not been returned to him, and were left in possession of the secretary. Colress had escaped through the front door of the hospital, but instead of returning to the Plasma Frigate, he had run around the back of the building, to the east, and then through the woods. He had come to sit on a bench near the heart of Striaton City's Garden. His glasses had been knocked off-kilter and the weighted fabric of his console was creased and bunched up on either side of him. The fountain was directly in front of him, and the sound of its water roared in his ears.

The lush bushes with their quivering pink flowers, the soft grass that smelled like it had been freshly-cut, and the clear streams reflecting the bright sun and cirrus clouds seemed to be mocking him. The landscaping was so serene and beautiful, when only a hurricane could mirror his emotions! He wanted the black and white marble statue in the center of the fountain to crumble, just so something could be slightly off-balance. He had been so foolish and overconfident, reaching for his Colress Machine as opposed to simply waiting patiently and reporting the facility for its abusive practices and negligence. However, his anger had been understandable, for they had oppressed Ghetsis for so long. No, what was inexcusable was that he had hurt the one he had fallen in love with. It was clear as a prism that he was deeply and truly in love with Ghetsis. Not realizing this sooner was another one of his many recent mistakes.

Colress got up and placed his hands on the rim of the fountain. He leaned over and saw his reflection among the ripples, a water sprinkling on the back of his neck. He had never looked so frayed—he looked like a broken automaton. He stood there, hunched over for some time, when he noticed a flicker of color. He slowly raised his head—above him, in the shower of water droplets, was a miniature rainbow. Lillie came to the forefront of his mind, which made him huff in annoyance. Despite her gullible nature, she was so confident in he flaws. She threw herself into every task with confidence. Whenever she was brought low, she soon rose up again. If Moon were in danger, she would rush into action like a shooting star. Well then, it would not be right for someone like Lillie to win against him! He was an immensely powerful trainer who could turn the tide of any situation so that he would benefit! Yes, he would not cower in the face of his many mistakes—his love and bond with Ghetsis would instead motivate him to unleash his full power and potential! He would hatch a new plan. After all, he still had spare pokemon in the PC he could withdraw. He would do so, and then it would begin.

Colress returned to Severance once night fell. He peered through the branches in order to examine the building, whose facade was illuminated by the crescent moon above. He activated his invisibility device and closed in on the facility. He opened the door and entered, then quietly took a few steps away from the front desk, leaving the door open behind him. The secretary looked up from her paperwork, which was his cue to send out a pokemon. He took out a Poke Ball and gently pressed the button—in a flash of light, his Klefki appeared in the doorway.

The secretary noticed the Shiny sparkles and slammed her hands down on the desk, sending documents flying. "A Shiny Klefki came to this awful place, just for me?! Finally, a reward! But wait… how will I weaken it when I don't have any pokemon? Maybe I can just..." She kept her eyes on Klefki and opened a metal cabinet. She took out an Ultra Ball and sent out Colress's Klinklang. She pointed to Klefki, and said, "Use Thunder Wave! Do you know Thunder Wave?"

Klinklang hung in the air and did not listen to her. It turned to Colress, sensing his EM field. "Use Thunderbolt," said Colress. Before the secretary could react to his voice, Klinklang spun its gears faster and shot her with a crackling bolt of electricity! She fell to the floor, unconscious.

Colress took his Ultra Ball from her still-twitching fingers and withdrew both of his pokemon. He recovered his other Poké Balls from the cabinet and replaced them with empty Ultra Balls. He closed the cabinet, organized the paperwork on the desk, and shut the front door, so that everything appeared undisturbed aside from the secretary. Hopefully, anyone who stumbled upon her would assume she had simply fainted due to being overworked! He pressed on, into the maze of halls, which were now lit by rows of fluorescent lights. The hard, cyan cast made everything even more hideous! It looked less like a psychiatric hospital, and more like a holding cell for the spirit world. Several of the lights were malfunctioning, flashing continually. Colress felt his head ache and throb as if it had been hit by Ice Hammer. Even worse, he had to keep his eyes open in order to slip past the caregivers, prolonging the torture!

He sighed quietly once Ghetsis's door came into view, but his heart burned at the sight of the nurse from earlier peering into his room. Fortunately, he soon left to check-in on other patients. Colress waited until he could no longer see him or hear his footsteps, then went up to the door and slipped inside Ghetsis's room, ensuring the door remained still and only partly open. Fluorescent light from the hall fell upon Ghetsis and his bed—Ghetsis was lying on his side, now wearing his robe, which covered him like a thin blanket. He was breathing deeply, his abdomen rising and falling in a steady rhythm. But Colress knew Ghetsis had always slept restlessly, his breaths shallow and shaky.

"I'm here. I know you're only feigning sleep," Colress whispered.

Ghetsis's eye opened immediately. He sat up and stared in the direction of Colress's voice, concern written into his tense face. Colress realized he now felt himself grow cold at the sight of Ghetsis's usual stressed expressions. It was a result of the love he felt for him—he would have to record this finding later on!

"No, no, you're not delusional. I'm simply using my invisibility device—an incredible invention." Colress walked in front of the door, so no one passing by would be able to see him. He quickly turned visible then invisible again, his image flickering in and out of existence like the bioluminescent organ of an lllumise.

Ghetsis smiled. "Well then, you certainly took your time breaking in," he said, even more quietly.

Colress smiled back at him. "How rude. You can't criticize me for making the necessary preparations, especially not when this is a rescue mission."

"Is that what this is?"

"It was my intention, but I wouldn't be opposed to simply having a lovely chat. After all, my company is sanctuary in and of itself."

"Well—" The sound of approaching footsteps made Ghetsis hush himself. He waited for the noise to lessen and disappear completely. "Our talk will have to wait."

"Indeed." Colress moved to stand in front of Ghetsis, and held out his arm so it brushed Ghetsis's shoulder, indicating his presence. "Hold onto my console—as long as we touch, you will also be under the influence of my device. I will also support you as we escape. Why, I still can't believe they took your cane. I'll have to create a new one for you… oh, the Harmonic Mobility Enhancer, perhaps?"

Ghetsis laughed softly. He linked arms with Colress and turned invisible. The two of them left the room, and Colress took a few steps forward, leading Ghetsis to the back door. Ghetsis stopped, causing Colress to pause. "Yes?"

"We must not leave that way, it's too heavily guarded," Ghetsis said, in a hushed tone. "There is a better possibility… do you have a pokemon that can carry us as it's flying, or something like that, if the need arises?"

"Of course. I always prepare for such a thing."

"Then we can make good use of it. There is a small garden in the center of the hospital that patients may visit, and it has no ceiling. The staff rarely monitor it, as only patients whose conditions have significantly improved are allowed inside." He tugged Colress in the direction of the garden, and so Colress changed his path. The two of them strode down the halls, soon reaching a completely unlit area away from the rooms of any patients. A faint blue light from the left side of the hall illuminated the other wall, and Colress recognized the light as the natural illumination of the moon. Indeed, they reached two large glass doors that led to the garden. Colress could see clusters of drooping flowers in the enclosed area. The light from outside also illuminated a bench that sat beside the two doors, where none other than the nurse and his Mega Audino were sitting. Colress felt utterly repulsed.

Ghetsis leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I'll handle this. First, I will…" he explained the plan. He and Colress let go of each other's arm, and Ghetsis turned visible. Losing the subtle weight of Ghetsis made Colress feel so alone!

Ghetsis walked into the moonlight and toward the bench, until the nurse noticed him. "What are you doing awake and out here? You need to go back to your room."

"Ah, but do you have that authority, especially considering your accidentally hitting me with your pokemon today?" asked Ghetsis, using the voice he reserved for his public appearances. The Mega Audino shivered.

"You know that was an accident. Besides, weren't you just asleep? You should be resting."

"I understand that well, which is why I've come here. I was so happy to finally be granted the privilege of visiting the garden—it would be a very restful experience for me after such a painful day. I only ask that you unlock the doors for me, please."

He and especially his pokemon looked wary, but he relented. He took out a keyring and unlocked the doors. "I'll be waiting right here," he said.

Ghetsis forced himself to smile slightly, and Colress beamed—he was imitating his own fake smile! Ghetsis went outside and walked into the heart of the garden, as the nurse leaned against the glass, his eyes trained on him. His pokemon pressed its paws against the door and was also watching Ghetsis carefully. Without turning around, Ghetsis lifted his hand and brought his hair to one side—the signal for Colress to act! Colress took out his original Colress Machine and aimed it at the nurse, then held the button down—his eyes became unfocused and he fell backward, his glasses slipping off and hitting the floor in the process. His Mega Audino squeaked in alarm and tried to hold him up, but he was too heavy for it to lift. As the pokemon struggled Colress targeted it and hit the button again, draining the Mega Audino of energy. It fainted beside its trainer, and its bright frills seemed to evaporate as it lost its Mega Evolution status.

Colress opened the doors and walked over to Ghetsis, enjoying the cool night air. He turned off his invisibility device. The two of turned to smile at each other, engaging in non-verbal communication. It was a very interesting interaction! Before they could be discovered, Colress sent out his Metagross, and for a moment, the burst light from the Poke Ball shone on all the flowers. "Levitate us away from here—I put my trust in you," Colress said. His Metagross tucked in its legs and hovered above the ground. Both Colress and Ghetsis made the most of the opportunity to link their arms once again as they took their seat on top of the pokemon. The two of them sat side-by-side, and before Ghetsis could shy away, Colress made sure to lean against him slightly! Together, they gazed up at the twinkling stars above as they were lifted into the sky.

Metagross landed at the edge of the woods, for it could not fit between the trees. Colress withdrew it, and he and Ghetsis instead traversed the woods arm-in-arm. The leaves of the canopy shivered slightly in the breeze, while the silvery moon shone on their path. Eventually, they reached the shore and gangway of the Plasma Frigate that lay upon it. There was a concave area in the ocean shaped like a Shoal Shell, indicating the location of the docked vessel. Colress led Ghetsis across the invisible gangway. He paused when they reached the deck. He released Ghetsis's arm, causing them both to become visible. He turned to look Ghetsis in the eye. "So-So, tell me, are you feeling more free? Increasingly capable of releasing your true self?"

"I must be, seeing as I'm now walking on air!" Ghetsis gestured to the sparkling sea that was visible beneath them.

Colress's smile quivered, and his fingers fluttered against his console. He surged forward and embraced Ghetsis. "Oh, I'm glad—I like your truest self the best," he said, hiding his face in Ghetsis's chest. Even through his own energy, he could feel Ghetsis freeze up and his heart rate quicken. Had his actions made him uncomfortable? But then, he felt Ghetsis tentatively rest his arm on him, then gently pull him closer. Colress mewled softly, and in response, Ghetsis slowly stroked his back to the sound of the waves. Colress's breathing became steady and deep, and he closed his eyes. However, he could not simply drift off—Ghetsis deserved to see a clear demonstration of his feelings. Colress summoned his courage and turned his head up in order to look at him directly. But when he did so, their noses brushed together. They stilled. Ghetsis's eye widened as he blushed—in the light of the moon, his face was the color of a Shiny Mareep's wool. The two of them inched closer, until they were sharing each other's breath.

Colress popped one foot out as Ghetsis held on to him—he could not contain this flittering energy! "When you blush, it brings out the beautiful red of your eye!" he exclaimed.

Ghetsis blushed even more deeply and looked away, to the moonlit clouds. He put his hand on his cheek. "Well then… from that angle, your irises appear rectangular, causing you to be even more robotic!"

"Oh, thank you for the lovely compliment!" Colress giggled. He longed to peek at his face while adding more stimuli, but Ghetsis seemed so tired. Overwhelming him with physical affection until he melted would have to wait for another day. He motioned for him to follow. He led him inside the ship—the interior was not under the effects of the invisibility device. They walked through the bay until they reached a lower deck accessible by a flight of stairs. Ghetsis looked down into this new area, which consisted of many small cabins.

"I see you've noticed my renovations," Colress said. "As there was no longer any need for the high-tech security system or the Grunts' rooms, I downsized, then replaced this level with cabins akin to the rooms of a manor house. But before I show you each room, I ought to take you on a tour of the control room, and—"

"Wait." Ghetsis turned to face him. "Is there a bath among these cabins? I still smell of fake Gracidea flowers… I sincerely apologize if any of it seeped into your console."

"Oh, yes, I can take you there. But-But I was the one who chose to e-embrace you, knowing full well that might happen. Fortunately, my console is chemical-resistant!" He and Ghetsis descended the stairs and went to the door of the luxurious bathroom, whose giant marble tub would certainly induce an adorable reaction.

Ghetsis smiled sweetly. "I'm very grateful. After this I'll be ready for when we next shower each other with affection." He went inside.

Colress was left standing outside the door, stammering something unintelligible. His face grew hot as the current of a high-voltage capacitor bank. Was Ghetsis going to continue saying such things forever from this point on?! His heart melted at the thought of it all! After calming his pulse, Colress leaned against the wall, beside the bathroom door. He felt a fluffy, bubbly sensation throughout his body, as if he could dance as gracefully among the clouds as a phantasm, like an Oricorio in its Sensu Style. He was brimming with anticipation—but for what, he could not discern! Although Ghetsis and the bond he shared with him demonstrated to Colress that there were an infinite number of things to care for in this world, he felt as if he had traveled to another dimension regardless!

After recording these interesting findings, the door opened, revealing Ghetsis. His hair was as soft and wavy as Colress remembered, flowing over his shoulders like the streams of water from the move Sparkling Aria. Ghetsis had shed his robe and folded it carefully, and was holding it in his hand. His wrist was free of the hospital band. "You may continue the tour. I'm eagerly awaiting—"

"This way!" Colress exclaimed. He ran back up the stairs, hoping the exertion would help him feel less overcome! After reaching the higher level, he paused and waited for Ghetsis.

"Myah-ha-ha, I see you're even more excited!"

Colress blushed. "W-Well, if you're eager to see more of the ship, don't hold up your guide!"

The two of them walked to a teleporter were surrounded by rings of light. They appeared in the wide, pale blue hallway that branched off in two directions, one to the control room. They walked down the hall before Colress stopped where the Kyurem containment cell had once stood. "As you can see, the Kyurem Cannon is no longer functional, though the supplemental weapons system remains online. Perhaps we can brainstorm about what to replace the cannon with later on!" He pointed to the teleporter on the left. "I did leave your office intact and in pristine when I renovated, but sleeping in that uncomfortable chair... I don't understand."

"You kept it intact? My word, I had no idea you cared so much for me, even back then!" Ghetsis said.

"I-I kept it as it was because I wanted to keep the security camera monitors as they were... there-there was no care involved!" Despite his words, Colress took Ghetsis's hand and walked hurriedly to the teleporter on the right. They appeared in the control room, and Colress ran up to the steering wheel. When he glanced over to Ghetsis and saw his blushing face, he held his hand more tightly, but quickly looked away from him and up at the displays before them. "Ah, and as you can see, the controls are the same as always. It's amusing—just when I had grown used to referring this ship as my Frigate, suddenly it's become our Frigate once again."

Even through his thick glove, Colress felt Ghetsis stroking his hand, rubbing it with little circular motions. "So you say…"

"A-Anyway, we can stargaze together from this room!" With his free hand, Colress gestured theatrically to the viewscreen, which displayed the fuzzy crescent moon and tiny twinkling stars.

"How very romantic of you, Colress!" Ghetsis smirked slightly, clearly relaxed and at ease. Colress had never seen him with such a cheeky expression!

Colress huffed. "Well then, it is only appropriate, because you always look like you have just stepped out of the Romantic Era!"

After visiting a few more areas of the ship—while utilizing every possible excuse to continue holding hands, of course—Colress and Ghetsis returned to the lower deck and its many cabins. Colress opened a door and the two of them entered a small room with a plush couch and a coffee table in the center. Several large bookshelves stood against the walls, and a table beside the door was covered in Colress Machines and other small devices in various stages of assembly.

"In this area, I've placed a little study, as you can see. Sleeping while sitting upright in a desk chair as you once did can be highly detrimental to one's health, so you may sleep on the couch here if you'd like!" Colress said.

Ghetsis nodded and stared at a bookshelf in the corner. He released Colress's hand and walked over to it. He took out a dusty hardcover book with yellowed pages. It was a translated and annotated version of Propaedeumata aphoristica. "You have a work by a famous conjurer here?" Ghetsis asked.

"Oh, of course! In my pursuit of truth, it is important to consider the precursors to modern science, and those include the ways of the occult! Oh, I'll adjust the lights so we have a more cozy atmosphere..." He fiddled with the light switch, turning the bluish LEDs that lit the room to a creamy orange, more akin to the light of an incandescent bulb.

Without another word, he and Ghetsis sat down on the soft couch together and opened the book. Time melted away as they commented on its theories, and how it gave equal weight to mathematics and astrology. There were many questions of Colress's mind that had nothing to do with this text—questions such as how and when to fully express his feelings, but as he leaned against Ghetsis, nuzzling his shoulder as Ghetsis hummed, he knew those questions could wait. The two of them became absorbed in the moment and their conversation.

However, even through Ghetsis's shirt, Colress could tell he was cold—Ghetsis was trembling slightly. Colress reluctantly stood up. "Excuse me, wait a moment…" he said. He unbuttoned his Achromatic Wearable Console and set it to a comfortably warm setting, then sat back down. He draped one side of the console over Ghetsis and the other over himself, so they could share the wonder of the temperature-regulating feature he has designed. Ghetsis's eye was sparkling. He set down the book and draped his arm over Colress before burying his head in his shoulder!

Colress mewled. He reached over and wrapped a few strands of Ghetsis's hair around his bare fingers—it was even softer than it looked! Hopefully, the day he could nestle his head in all of it would arrive soon. Ghetsis hummed again and massaged Colress's back, but soon his movements slowed. He removed his eyepatch and set it down on the coffee table, then looked up from Colress's shoulder. Colress nodded in response to the wordless question he had asked and removed his glasses in turn—they mutually agreed to stay entwined until tomorrow, as they held each other close and continued to nuzzle.

THE END