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A Roomba that Rowan noticed now had googly eyes attached to her that jiggled as she moved. “Milo, when did you give Spot eyes?”

“Before we left this morning!” he announced with a proud smile. “Aren’t they cute?”

Milo was the cute one. And the wonderful one.

And definitely worth a littledifficult.

“They are. And to answer your other question, I’m not worriedaboutyou. You are doing great.You’regreat! Worrying in general is just part of being human.”

Slowly, eyelashes batting again, Milo took Rowan’s hands. “And so is helping someone to worry less, yes?”

“Yeah…”

“Then, after I make you dinner, can we test crust options tonight?”

For a moment, Rowan had assumed Milo would ask for more “relaxing” time between them. He was somehow both relieved and a little disappointed that he hadn’t. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

Notes:

So superheroes. XD Milo thinks he must have heard Rowan wrong. Convince me, he said? Really? Milo had only been joking and figured Rowan would admit defeat, show himself, or at least just run away, but this? How can Milo resist? ^_^

I figure Rowan has been using some sort of voice modulator through his mask, so he doesn't sound the way he normally would, but Milo convinces him to fold the mask up enough for a kiss—very Spider-Man style, just not upside down. Rowan can't speak after that then or risk giving himself away, but it just makes the tension better. Milo knows it's Rowan, but Rowan doesn't know he knows, so Rowan is the one feeling a little guilty as they get frisky.

Things escalate quickly, until they’re basically doing it on the desk, but since they're without needed supplies, it's more of a messy grind to completion. Then, just before they both finish, Milo accidentally moans, "Rowan," using his real name, and both of them freeze.

More soon! XD

Notes:

Superhero completion (LOL!) at the end!

MILO

A few days of their new normal had passed since Milo’s official start of testing with Ray, approved by the director himself—who Milo was glad hadn’t personally checked in since day one, given he didn’t like Andrew very much. Milo had deduced, however, that decorum was important, especially in professional settings and relationships, which seemed to mean, “pretend you like someone even when you don’t, so you and the people you do like don’t get in trouble.”

Difficult, but apparently part of the human condition.

That meant it had also been a full week since Milo’s awakening—his birthday, as he’d decided to consider it—which made him feel like celebrating with Rowan tonight. The burned carpet in the living room should be replaced by the time they arrived home too, which was even more reason to celebrate.

Milo also had a reminder in his internal calendar that it was almost Rowan’s birthday. A week from tomorrow, in fact, which made it only two weeks after Milo’s. Rowan was a Cancer sign, and as impractical as zodiac beliefs were to Milo, the description of a classic Cancer was quite fitting for Rowan: contained, protective, emotionally guarded.

Milo was a Gemini, which fit remarkably well too, especially being the twin sign, since he had been two versions of himself.As this newly awakened version, Milo was curious, fast-talking, and admittedly mentally chaotic, just like a Gemini should be.

Maybe there was something to zodiac beliefs after all.

Assess romantic compatibility between the zodiac signs of Gemini and Cancer.

Processing…

In astrology terms, a Gemini–Cancer pairing is considered a moderate-to-challenging match.

Milo frowned.

Maybe therewasn’tsomething to the zodiac.

Though his relationship with Rowan had required a lot of work so far. They didn’t always communicate in the same ways. While talking out some of Rowan’s hangups had been more than enough for Milo to want to move on from them, Rowan was still feeling those insecurities and needed more reassurance. That didn’t mean incompatibility, only that Milo had more work to do to get Rowan to believe he was everything Milo wanted.