Taking The Plunge

Chapter Nine: The Engagement

The long awaited get together. Wander is excited, Sylvia's suspicious, Peepers is incredulous, and Hater's not even sure what he's feeling. Let's see how it goes.

I decided not to include a disclaimer for every chapter of a story in future. It gets hard to think of different ways to say it, and I think one in the first note of a story is probably fine.

Thank you for reading so far. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!

Here we go!

Wander clasped his hands together under his chin, fighting to hold back a squeal. They were currently trying to stay undetected as they made their way through the skull-ship's back corridors, so the noise could be a problem, but he was just so excited!

For the very first time since he'd met the skeleton, Hater was expecting him, was maybe even looking forward to seeing him a little.

He knew Sylvia wasn't entirely convinced. She had spent the last two days picking apart Wander's explanation of his last meeting with Hater, and had told Wander not to be too disappointed if it turned out to be a trap. Wander didn't mind. He knew she was just looking out for him like she always did, and it wasn't an unreasonable suspicion he supposed. But he knew this time was different.

Everything had been different since that moment at the ceremony, and he'd seen the differences in the days that followed. Hater wasn't putting on an act. He hadn't been exactly comfortable around Wander last time they talked, but he hadn't seemed too upset when they had sat and chatted in the control room, and he had even agreed to getting together again. Sure, the changes were new and probably strange for the overlord. He was taking time to adjust, which was why Wander was trying so hard to give Hater his space when they were together.

Wander knew Hater was still figuring out how he felt, and that was okay. It would even be okay if this did turn out to be a trap and Hater tried to destroy him again. If that was what Hater needed, then Wander could deal with it. He could wait for his friend as long as it took. But he didn't think it was a trap this time.

Sylvia turned back from the corner she had been peering around to motion him forward. Wander really appreciated that she was here with him. He knew she wasn't entirely on board with this whole series of events, and it meant so much to him that she was willing to trust him on this despite her misgivings, and that she was here backing him up when she could be relaxing on a beech with a cool drink. He was so lucky to have a friend like her.

The door to Hater's bedroom was just ahead. Wander had figured it would be best to meet his buddy here, since they hadn't actually arranged a meeting place. Wander wasn't sure how covert Hater wanted him to be, but Sylvia had thought it best that they didn't just show up at the skull-ship's mouth just in case Mr. Peepers was still in the dark about this.

"Well, there it is." Sylvia sounded less than enthusiastic. "You sure you don't want me to go in with you?"

"No, no." Wander waved a hand in dismissal, though he smiled at Sylvia's thoughtfulness. "I'll be fine. Just goin' ta go an' see one of my best pals!"

"Okay, buddy. Have a good time, I guess." Sylvia's tone still indicated she thought that was unlikely. "I'll be waiting for you when you're finished." They had agreed to meet at their usual entrance down by the missile docks. Wander had figured he and Hater would be hanging out for at least a few hours and had been worried that his friend might get bored waiting, but Sylvia had assured him that she had plenty to keep her busy.

"Thanks, Syl!" Wander wrapped both arms around his friend in a quick hug before detaching and approaching Hater's door. He opened the door quietly, gave Sylvia a last thumbs up and a grin, then slipped inside.

Sylvia watched the door close behind Wander. She gave her head a slow shake at the bizarre situation.

Wander would probably be fine. She knew that. For all the worry she had felt over the past few days, she did trust her little buddy. If he was this sure about the situation, then he was most likely correct. She was still glad he'd let her tag along though. Wander could probably handle Hater, as long as he didn't get too carried away. Peepers and the watchdogs, on the other hand, could actually be a problem for him unless somebody was there to dish out a few punches.

She still wasn't sure what Wander thought he and the skeleton lord could do together. She could picture Wander doing plenty of things with Hater, but Hater actually doing things with Wander that didn't involve attempting to destroy him just did not compute.

Looking down the corridor, Sylvia spotted a troop of watchdogs heading her way and slipped back around the corner with one last glance at Hater's door. She didn't want to be spotted so early in the game. Right now, her plan was to find Peepers just to make sure the watchdog didn't have some kind of trap brewing. Then, if things actually were running smoothly, well, maybe she would go and check out the skull-ship's food court. She was happy to back Wander up, but that didn't mean she didn't deserve a treat.

Sylvia headed off down the empty hallway. She'd leave Hater to Wander like her friend wanted. But if there was any kind of inkling that things weren't on the up and up, she'd be back, and old bonehead would be picking up pieces of his jaw off the floor.

Inside Hater's bedroom, Wander paused, looking across the messy floor for signs of the overlord. At first he didn't see him, and he wondered if Hater was elsewhere in the ship after all. Then he heard a noise from behind him. He started to turn, but a yellow gloved hand seized his arm as another one covered his mouth and he was yanked away from the door.

Hater didn't speak. His hold on Wander was tight, but he didn't seem angry, so Wander figured he'd go with it for now. The overlord leaned close to the closed door, listening intently. He opened it just a crack, one eye peering out into the corridor. Then he shut the door again and leaned against it with a sigh, his hand over the nomad's mouth falling to his side. Wander wasn't sure whether his friend still wanted him to be quiet, so instead of speaking, he grinned at Hater, waving enthusiastically with his free hand. It took a moment before Hater noticed it, then the green eyes narrowed as the skeleton lord abruptly straightened. He let go of Wander and crossed his arms, eyes darting away, then back again.

"Um, right, it's you." Hater didn't sound very excited, but that was alright. Wander was pretty sure he had enough for the both of them.

"It's me!" he replied, grin stretching even wider. "Gosh Hatey, I've been lookin' forward to seein' you today. How've ya been?" Hater's face went slightly green.

"Fine," he answered shortly. There was a harshness to his voice, but he still didn't seem angry. It was more like his friend was nervous. Wander noticed that Hater's eyes seemed to be having trouble staying on his face. They kept sliding over to the closed door, around the room, then back to him again. "So…" One of Hater's sneakers scuffed along the carpet. "Anyone see you?"

"Nope!" Wander said happily. It was nice to know they'd read the situation correctly and hadn't been sneaking around for nothing, even though it was a shame Hater hadn't felt comfortable enough to let C. Peeps know what they were doing today. Wander felt a little bad always leaving the watchdog out of their plans, especially since he seemed to love planning so much. "We figured we didn't want ta disturb Mr. Peepers, so we kept it pretty quiet," he finished.

"We?" Hater's face blanched a little, bones somehow paler than usual. "The zbornak's here too?"

"Well sure!" Wander agreed. Noticing Hater's obvious unease, he hastened to reassure him. "But don't worry, Sylvia said she didn't mind hangin' out while we were busy, an' she said she'd talk to Mr. Peepers if he needed it."

"Great, just perfect." Hater stomped away from the door. Wander followed. He could tell his friend was uncomfortable. That was why he hadn't hugged him hello just yet. He understood. This was all pretty new to Hater, and he still seemed to be sorting out some of his feelings. It was hard for Wander to resist though; he hadn't seen Hater in several days and he really wanted to give him a big ol' hug, just to show his buddy how much he'd missed him and how much he appreciated this get together, but he had to control himself. Wander really wanted to respect his friend's boundaries today. He didn't want to push Hater too much or make him feel like he had to fall back on his previous behavior around the nomad. Hopefully Hater would feel better in a little while and not be too uncomfortable to enjoy himself today.

Maybe it was time for a change in subject.

Hater glanced down at Wander who had followed him further into his room. The little alien was practically vibrating beside him from suppressed excitement and Hater kept expecting the pest to explode into confetti or jump on him and try to hug him or something. He was surprised Wander was keeping his hands to himself so far.

"So, what d'ya want to do today, buddy?" Wander asked, leaning just slightly closer to Hater so that he had to tilt his head back to meet the skeleton's eyes. His voice practically oozed joy. "We could play some vidya games, hang out at the food court, jam t'gether on yer soundstage…"

"Yeah, no," Hater interrupted. He needed to redirect quickly. There was too much risk of them being found out if they did anything here. "My ship is like totally cool and everything, but I'm on it all the time and stuff, so we should go somewhere else today." He was so focused on getting out his carefully planned excuse that the fact that Wander had called him 'buddy' again didn't register for a moment. When it did, he glared, but it seemed too late to say anything.

Wander gasped, clutching his furry chest with both hands in rapture.

"That's a great idea!" Wander looked like he was gearing up for a hug and Hater got ready to fend him off, but the nomad suddenly seemed to stop, wrapping his arms around himself instead as though containing his excitement. "There's a neat little fair down on Clorthon VI right now," Wander continued without missing a beat. "There'll be games an' rides, and we can get somethin' to eat somewhere down there too. Whatcha think?"

"…Yeah, okay," Hater agreed. His mind was less on Wander's suggestion and more focused on the nomad himself. Now that he thought about it, Wander had been a lot less clingy the last few times he'd seen him, with the exception of the hug he'd given him in the control room.

That was odd. It was almost like Wander was trying not to make him uncomfortable, but that didn't make sense. It had never stopped the nuisance before. Wander always hugged Hater when he saw him, even when it was clear how much Hater despised the clingy furball. If this was Wander's way of trying to keep things from being awkward it wasn't working. If anything, it was weirder that Wander was restraining himself. Hater had been expecting the hug, all prepared to throw Wander off of him when the nomad tried it. Now he was still expecting it, and it was just strange that it hadn't happened yet.

Pulling his mind back to the conversation with difficulty, Hater realized Wander was still talking, describing all the activities at the fair in excruciating detail.

"…and cotton candy o' course, an' those little magnetic fish that you can…"

"Sounds great, let's go," Hater interrupted, deciding to take charge of the situation. He grabbed Wander's wrist again and pulled him over to the door. "But keep it quiet until we're off the ship, got it?" He punctuated the condition with a glare, poking Wander's forehead with his forefinger for emphasis. Wander's eyes crossed slightly, but his only response was that familiar dazzling smile. Hater felt his stomach do a flip at the sight and wondered again what was wrong with him lately. Wander gave an agreeable thumbs up, nodding with lips locked tightly together. Hater wasn't entirely reassured. He supposed he'd have to trust that Wander could keep the chatterbox closed up until they were out. He must have been pretty quiet arriving, given the distinct lack of alarms.

Trepidation crawling up his spine like a line of marching ants, Hater slipped through his door, still pulling the nomad after him by the arm. He supposed that if any watchdogs saw them, he could at least pretend to have captured Wander, though that would give him something else he had to explain to Peepers later. For now, he just wanted to make it off the ship without any of the usual disasters happening.

Hater was up to something. Commander Peepers just wasn't sure exactly what.

After the overlord's obvious lie this morning, Peepers had gone to make Hater his breakfast, debrief the returning patrols, inspect the training room and any number of other chores that occupied him constantly. The skull-ship didn't run itself after all, and Lord Hater certainly wasn't going to do it, so the many tasks naturally fell to the watchdog commander. It worked out from Peepers' point of view. He liked to be in control and keep abreast of every changing detail as they hurtled through space in their search for galactic conquest.

Overseeing the daily routines abord the ship was as close to his 'happy place' as he got in day-to-day life. It reassured him that everything was running smoothly. Lately these inspections had brought him slightly less comfort, the awareness that Wander and Sylvia could arrive at any moment and cause everything to descend into chaos always in the back of his mind.

This morning, the chores at least provided him an opportunity to muse subconsciously about the conversation he'd had with Lord Hater. By lunchtime, he found that the thoughts had managed to sort themselves into some kind of order in his mind where he could think them through properly. The overlord actually having a date today was unlikely, he decided. Hater's dates were usually arranged by him after all, and usually the result of coercing whichever lady had caught Hater's eye into meeting him for dinner, often by taking over whichever planet she happened to inhabit. On the rare occasions when Hater had managed to arrange a date with someone he met online, the skeleton would immediately seek Peepers out to rub that fact in his face. He was never so tight-jawed and nervous as he'd been this morning.

Of course, whichever way these dates were arranged, they never seemed to end well, if they even happened to begin with. Then Hater would mope and whine and maybe blow up a planet or two to help him feel better, and it would usually take a few days before he was acting like himself again. Peepers shook his eye to dislodge the unpleasant memories.

What else could Lord Hater be doing today? Obviously, something he didn't want his commander to know about. That thought gave Peepers pause. It couldn't be Wander again, could it? Please, Grop, don't let it be him. It was a bit soon for another disaster featuring the chaotic little furball. They'd just cleaned up the mess from the last one, and Hater was still obviously dealing with the fallout.

Maybe that was it. Hater was obviously still stressed from the that ridiculous doomsday celebration, Peepers could admit to still being slightly bothered by the event as well, and his lord had been further strained by whatever had happened with the furry freak on Trasselonia. Maybe Hater just needed a break and this was his way of taking one without admitting how much stress he was feeling. Peepers hoped that was all it was. He wasn't ready for the skull-ship to descend into Wander madness again just yet.

Very well, he'd let Lord Hater have some alone time if that's what he needed. But, like any good second – er – third in command to someone with so many enemies, Commander Peepers couldn't leave his lord without backup available, which meant he'd have to monitor him, from a respectful distance of course.

Mind made up, Peepers headed to the security room and, after telling Andy to go take a (short) break, he pulled up the video feed for Hater's quarters after entering the password. This was not normally something he liked to do. Lord Hater deserved his privacy, and Peepers always tried to respect that, so this area of the ship was only monitored when they were searching for stowaways or occasionally when Peepers needed to clean Hater's bedroom and wanted to make sure Captain Tim was elsewhere before entering.

The monitor flickered to life, showing Hater's room, messy floor and all. Peepers tisked to himself. The room was certainly due for another cleaning. He peered closer, expecting that Hater would be playing video games or working out. Nothing. The room was empty. Even Captain Tim was elsewhere. Well, that was alright. Maybe Hater had gone to the food court or something. He pulled up the food court cams, to similar result, although he did spot some loitering watchdogs he would have to reprimand. He checked the movie theatre, the tailer and even the war room, as unlikely as it was Hater would be there by himself. No luck. Peepers cycled through room after room and corridor after corridor, getting more concerned all the time until he finally had to face the facts.

Wherever Hater was going today, he had already gone.

Wander was quiet.

Hater knew he had told Wander to be quiet, but he hadn't really expected him to listen, not for this long anyway. They were sneaking through the back corridors of the skull-ship and Wander was like a slim, orange shadow at his side. Hater was leading; his pride would accept nothing less, especially on his own ship, but every so often he would find himself hesitating at a junction, and Wander would nod or gesture in a certain direction. Then Hater would pretend that was the way he'd intended to go all along and sweep past him to lead the way once again.

This section of the ship was surprisingly empty. Occasionally they would hear patrols, but none were close enough that they had to change direction or hide. Hater was beginning to get an idea of how Wander and Sylvia managed to sneak onto the ship without being detected every week. When everything was over and he was back on the ship, maybe he should tell Peepers to increase the patrols.

Hater glanced down again at Wander. The nomad seemed to be enjoying this immensely, despite his silence. He kept giving Hater mischievous little grins, waggling his eyebrows at him and making exaggerated gestures with his hands. Hater wasn't exactly sure how to feel about all of that. His default reaction was to be annoyed, and as Wander paused again to motion with his thumb around a corner, eyebrows quirking suggestively, Hater had the urge to snap at him or smack him to the ground for turning this whole thing into a ridiculous game like he always did.

But the impulse was somehow different from how he would have felt a week ago. Wander was being ridiculous, yes, but he was also being quiet. He was listening to what Hater had told him. Besides, there was something about doing this with Wander that felt vaguely exciting, despite the weird feelings Wander's expressions sometimes gave him.

Hater paused again at a fork in the corridor to think. This had been happening more often as they got farther from the parts of the ship he tended to frequent. Wander leaned over, peering up at the overlord from under his eyebrows. His mouth was pursed, almost as though he were trying to keep his face serious, but the corners twitched upwards, smile threatening to break through. He was closer than Hater had realized, and for some reason Hater felt his heart jump when he met that oddly intense gaze. He felt that strange heat in his cheekbones again, and pulled his eyes away, pretending to be deliberating on the correct path, though he suspected he was actually lost this time.

For the first time since they'd set out, Wander broke his promise of silence.

"Almost there, Hater," he whispered. He pointed upward with one finger, adding a breathed "boink boink!" to the direction. Hater followed the pointing finger and saw a loose ceiling panel. That certainly wasn't supposed to be there. As though reading his thoughts, Wander leaned closer, placing one hand next to his mouth as though sharing a secret. "We always put it back on the way out."

Annoyance rose in Hater once again. What made the pest feel like he could treat Hater's ship like it was just another place for him and his zbornak buddy to hang out? He glared at Wander, putting a hand on the nomad's face to push him back and away. By standing on the toes of his sneakers, he could just reach the hole left by the panel's removal. There were a few crates nearby, so Hater stacked them up and climbed through the hole, not bothering to look at Wander to see if he was following.

It was dark in the passage he now found himself in, but surprisingly roomy. Hater held one hand up, letting green lightning build around it to give him some light. He heard an appreciative noise to his right, and turned to see that Wander was scanning the branching pathways surrounding them.

"Thanks Hater," Wander said in a slightly louder voice, apparently no longer worried about anyone hearing them. "That makes it much easier ta…there!" Wander placed one furry finger on the wall next to one of the passages, tracing a small black 'x' that had been drawn there.

"Whatever." Hater didn't bother to hide his annoyance as he pushed past the nomad again to lead the way into the indicated passage. His frustration with Wander was almost a relief. It was much easier to deal with than whatever he'd been feeling around him lately, and Hater tried to hold on it as they walked forward. After a few more twists and turns he became aware of starlight growing up ahead as the passage slowly widened.

Hater glanced down at Wander beside him. The nomad wasn't looking at him, for once. Instead, Wander's face was turned toward the faint light ahead of them, which, combined with the crackling green emanating from Hater's raised hand, gave him a flickering, specter-like glow. His smile was relaxed as though all was right with the world. Well, in Wander's world it probably was. Everything always seemed to work out for the little nuisance, as evidenced by the fact that Hater was currently sneaking out of his own ship to visit a fair with his greatest enemy…

The thought trailed off. Could he even still say that? Was Wander still his greatest enemy? The thought felt wrong in his head now. It didn't seem to line up with his feelings anymore. But at the same time, how could he drop that title from the nomad? There were bounty posters all across the galaxy proclaiming it. Wander had been at the top of his most hated list for almost two years. He'd hated him since their very first encounter. It couldn't be over this fast, not like this.

They had reached the exit now and Wander was fishing around in his hat. He pulled out a bottle of orble juice and swept his arm to create a bubble. He turned to Hater again at last, grin once more wide and inviting. He held out a hand and Hater felt like he was on the edge of a precipice, or had he already stepped out into space and hadn't yet realized he was falling? It was only a semblance of normality when he brushed the orange hand out of the way and glowered as he stepped into the orble, a fragile shell against the endless void surrounding him. Poor comfort, but it felt safer to remain inside it for now.

Wander and Hater made it out of the ship safely. They might still get some company later today though.

I think it's safe to say that Hater hasn't had a lot of dating experience, and none of it was exactly a healthy situation for those involved.

Next chapter, we will get to see the fair, and we'll see if Wander can get Hater to enjoy himself. What do you think?

You got comments, I've got a story! What a coincidence!

See you next chapter!