FSE

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The walk to the park eventually required them to let go, but it had still been nice to feel connected to one another like that, as they made their way down the less-used trail through the wilderness outside the city, the small path used only by the person who was walking next to him when he didn't feel like flying. But instead of making the trip more difficult, it provided an atmosphere of privacy and peace, perfectly suited to the date Antauri had planned for them. They walked in silence, enjoying the sounds of nature and the knowledge that they were alone and away from prying or jealous eyes.

On the way to the park, Chiro had been admittedly a bit nervous, mostly because he realized, as they let go as soon as they left the robot, that this was going to be something he'd have to keep relatively secret. Which was… kind of depressing. He didn't care if he couldn't tell anyone, but he also couldn't be affectionate with any of them where other people could see. Then again… they did save the city so many times, that he could probably get away with it. Still, he'd keep it under wraps for now. Just enjoy the scenery, he told himself, as he took in the fresh air.

Antauri had been aware that the citizens of Shuggazoom might be… confused as to why their hero was acting so affectionate towards his team, but it hadn't occurred to him that it would be a serious problem. To his knowledge, the Monkeys kept their visits to the city relatively rare, and Chiro's main social circle was the team itself. So it wouldn't be hard to hide what was going on, right? With that thought in mind, he was able to take in the atmosphere more easily than Chiro, observing the light through the leaves above and the songs of the birds.

“So…" Chiro said, trying to strike up a conversation. “What did you pack for our lunch?" He asked, even though it was still about an hour before they'd be eating he estimated. He wasn't even that hungry yet. “I mean, you're a pretty good cook, so I bet it's not just, like, pb&j."

It was here that Antauri hesitated and looked mildly chagrinned. The night before, he had fought to maintain his calm and not be overwhelmed by the idea of actually going on a date with Chiro the following day. Meditation had helped somewhat, but he was still left with a surplus of nervous energy, which he had then poured into the making of overly elaborate dishes. He feared that Chiro might think he'd gone overboard when he took a deep breath and answered the question. “Tomato tarts with basil and eggplant, roasted mushrooms with red wine reduction, garlic pasta with roasted pickle slices and red peppers, and pumpkin stew with… most of the ingredients left in the vegetable drawer." He paused and placed the basket in front of his face to hide his embarrassed expression. “...And crepes for dessert."

Chiro's mouth was agape at the halfway point, needless to say. Sure Antauri was a good cook, but he wasn't a professional or anything. “How long did it take you to make all of that?" Not to mention the time it would've taken to clean all that up. Did he get any sleep last night? At all? “I-I mean, it sounds really good." He says, embarrassed over how much Antauri had dedicated himself to this simple picnic… for him.

“It didn't take me very long, I was just… eager to use my time productively." Antauri admitted, which was more or less true. It took him less time than it would have taken a human, but he had gotten less sleep as a result. “I must confess, I was slightly apprehensive about our date today."

“I… I understand. I mean, I have been a little bit, and I haven't been the one planning them. That makes it way more stressful." He remembers from back when he was dating Jinmay, how much he had strained over their first few dates. It got easier later on, but a new relationship meant new stress. “But… thanks a lot Antauri. It means a lot that you went through all that trouble."

Antauri glanced away, then ventured a shy smile at Chiro, a blush evident on his usually serene face. “But of course, Chiro."

The two kept walking for a little while afterwards, just enjoying the sights, Antauri occasionally pointing out a flower or the like that wasn't common in the area. He wasn't as knowledgeable about biology as Gibson, but botany was always a slight bit of a hobby of his. After about forty some odd minutes of enjoying the park, Antauri selected a spot and placed the basket down.

“So… does this stuff have to be heated up?" Chiro asked, realizing how silly that sounded now that he said it.

“No no, Otto's insulated basket has kept it optimal temperature." Antauri assured him, handing him his own plate and setting the dishes down on the blanket, deftly adding rocks to the four corners to keep it neatly weighed down. He was hoping Chiro was hungry, because there was no way someone his size could eat this much by himself.

Indeed, it was a lot. Even as a teenager still going through puberty, it looked like too much to eat to Chiro. But it also smelled delicious from the moment the basket was opened, to the point where he swore he could hear his stomach, even though he hadn't been hungry a moment ago. “So… bon appetite?"

“Bon appetite!" Antauri agreed, his tail curling behind him in amusement as they both dug in. Naturally, it was all excellent, and Antauri didn't need to encourage Chiro to try anything. The soup went quickly, as did the tarts, followed by the mushrooms, and pasta was the point where they both admitted defeat and put it back, though Chiro found he still had room for the elaborate crepes.

“Ughhhhhh…" Chiro moaned as he slowly picked up the basket, swearing that his pants felt two sizes too small after that meal. “Too much. Too good." He said, before laughing a bit. “Seriously, scale back next time. It feels like I'm gonna burst. It doesn't help that it was too good to stop."

Antauri chuckled and glanced away, clearly flattered by the compliments. “I'm just happy that I managed to please you, Chiro." He spread his legs and his arms behind him, relaxing and trying enjoying the satisfaction of fullness and the pleasant company. Then he started to wonder what else they could do now. Taking a nap sounded nice, but not exactly date activity. He tried to gauge whether or not Chiro was feeling sleepy himself.

He was indeed, sort of tempted to let the tiredness brought on by eating so much, overwhelm him and drift off for a little while. But he also knew that wasn't exactly A+ date material, and he himself was nervous of spoiling the date. So he picked himself up and stretched his arms, yawning a bit as he did. “So… maybe we should walk for a bit? I figure I should try and burn some of it off, hehe."

“An excellent suggestion, Chiro." Antauri stood up and brushed himself off just to get his fur settled, before he offered Chiro his hand to hold as they walked. The former leader of the Hyper Team felt simultaneously elated and calmed during their jaunt, as he enjoyed the excitement of holding hands with the object of his affections, and he got to enjoy the tranquil park and take the peace he felt around him into himself.

Although there was the occasional stare from other people in the park, no one seemed to have too much of a problem with the two of them, although Chiro figured that was probably because no one thought they were dating. After all, if they did… he imagined that at the very least, people would be taking photos or something. As it was, most people of Shuggazoom thought of him and the monkeys as a somewhat uncommon, but nice sight. It did make him think though, about how people would react if… or when, they found out. He tried to ignore the idea for now, just smiling down at his date. “You know, I figured your hands would be cooler, because of the metal and all. But they're actually kind of warm. It's nice."

Antauri gave him a tender smile at that, and very gently squeezed his hand. “There was a time when I lamented the fact that I possessed arms and hands made of metal, Chiro. I felt that my inorganic parts separated me from the living world around me. Even after I came to terms with my body, I had to accept that I would never feel as a purely organic creature does. But right now…" He looked at their hands and then up at Chiro. “Right now I cannot imagine feeling closer to you, regardless of what I am made of."

The young man shook his head, smiling, “I wouldn't care if you were all metal Antauri, you'd still be the same monkey." He paused, frowning slightly, “Well… I guess you wouldn't… technically be a monkey anymore. But you know what I mean." Chiro laughed a bit, embarrassed at his little flub. “I like you for who you are. Not what. It's the same with the rest of the team."

The look Antauri gave Chiro was beyond fond now. “You are most wise, Chiro. I am glad that you are our leader." He decided that now was not the time to confess that he had had his doubts at first, they didn't quite fit the current mood. And besides, Chiro had quickly proven himself many times over. Antauri felt that the team's current status, with Chiro as leader and both himself and Mandarin in an advisory capacity, suited everyone much better. It was at this point that he noticed their meandering path had taken them to a small meditation garden, which he pointed out. “Would you be open to pausing for a moment? I must confess, I am somewhat flustered, and I would like to collect myself."

Chiro snorted, brushing off the praise as Antauri being too nice to him, “Oh come on, anyone could say something like that. If that was all it took to be leader… well, Otto would probably be the best leader ever." He laughed a little as they walked along, knowing that while the mechanic was skilled in many ways, leading probably wasn't one of them. Still, the other's request made him pause and look at him, then the garden, before nodding, “Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. I didn't notice." He wasn't sure why the black monkey would be flustered, but he wasn't going to argue.

Antauri gracefully leaped up onto one of the central rocks and folded his limbs into a familiar meditation position. Already he began to feel himself growing centered and more relaxed. He'd been overthinking, and Chiro was already making him giddy as they went about their date. Sinking into the state of calm he'd perfected over the years made him sigh in relief, but there had been a secondary motivation to his request. He cracked one eye open to look at the human. “Chiro, would you like to join me? I have something I'd like to show you."

He was accustomed enough to seeing Antauri in that pose, that Chiro had stopped really watching him get into it, after the first few months on the robot. This time though, he watched closely, the ease and fluidity with which Antauri was able to move about was almost hypnotising, when he bothered to actually look. The second in command's voice snapped him out of that, though, “Huh?" He was confused but nodded anyway, “Okay, sure." He said, making his way over, and sitting down next to Antauri, crossing his legs.

Antauri's face when from peaceful to pleased, and he began to lightly glow with the Power Primate. “Alright, now this is an advanced technique, so I would prefer it if you practiced with me before you attempted it on your own. I want you to summon the Power Primate, and allow our auras to connect. You will feel a pulling sensation towards me, and I want you to relax and allow yourself to be drawn in my direction. Think of it as something of spiritual “trust fall" exercise."

“Okay. Sure." The idea sounded strange to Chiro, both because he'd never heard of it before, and because it sounded like something Antauri would've taught him before now. Trust was a huge part of being a team, right? He realized, however, as he followed Antauri's instructions, that not only was it way harder than it sounded, it left him feeling really... vulnerable. He didn't know how else to describe it, but pushing his essence outside of his own body felt similar to as if he had just stepped outside without clothes, into a storm. Antauri wasn't kidding either, about the drawing sensation, but it wasn't something he hesitated at. It had to feel better, right? With that thought, he allowed his aura to surge forward the rest of the way, flowing into Antauri's.

When Chiro next opened his eyes, he would find himself in a dark and empty void, and would have a chance to marvel at its bleakness before a voice alerted him that he was not alone. “Hello, Chiro…" Antauri floated into view, still in his meditation pose. “Welcome to my dreamscape."

Chiro was struck first by how, even though everything was black and dark, it didn't feel empty. It was closer to the feeling of being comfortable in his bed at night, when everything was pitch black. Except for Antauri being there, and that he could see him clearly. “Whoa… weird." He said, as he looked around him, “Uh… is it supposed to be blank?"

Antauri chuckled. “At first, it is always blank. But behold…" He raised one hand, and stones manifested from the nothingness around them, forming smooth surfaces on which to sit, and then more stones appeared beneath them, descending into the void below. “A dreamscape is the place where your conscious and subconscious minds meet in harmony. What your conscious mind can conjure, your subconscious mind can bring into being." He demonstrated by bringing several random objects into being, such as a rubber duck, a carrot, a wooden rocking chair, and finally a black rose that he handed to Chiro. It would feel eerily real to him, but would fade into nothingness when he relaxed his grip on it. “It can be used for private communication, or mulling over difficult problems that trouble you, or even simply as a 'happy place'." He cracked open one eye and winked at Chiro. “Would you like to give it a try? It will be difficult because you are in my dream, but I believe you can conjure anything you wish if you focus hard enough."

It was certainly strange, Chiro would have to say, especially how the rose seemed to vanish the moment he turned his attention elsewhere, but it was also really cool! “Just… whatever then?" He asked, before closing his eyes and trying to concentrate. Suddenly, a four legged reptile of some sort appeared next to Antauri, the second in command realizing quickly that it was a small sauropod. Chiro laughed a bit as he opened his eyes and saw it had indeed, come to be. “Whoa. Didn't think that would actually work." It wasn't moving though, just standing there, like a model. Maybe that was an advanced technique or something.

Antauri unfolded his legs and inspected the sauropod by leaning over it and inspecting it from several angles before he nodded in approval. “Very good, Chiro! You not only manifested something in my own dreamscape, but you got the details down very well." He stepped away from the image of a sauropod and walked off the rock, not altering his path despite being supported by nothing. “Now, there are dangers to this ability as well. Once you perfect your mastery over your dreamscape, it can be tempting to retreat here whenever the world begins to trouble you. This is one of the reasons I waited until now to teach you, lest you succumb. And while time passes at an accelerated rate, our bodies are vulnerable for a few moments in the external world. But should you find yourself battling someone in a similar plane such as this, the techniques you learn here will be invaluable." He paused and then gave Chiro a sly look. “...Not to mention, fun." He snapped his metallic fingers and Chiro found himself being bounced gently on a bubble.

Chiro followed, attention completely Antauri's as he walked along. After all, this wasn't something he got to experience every day after all. He wasn't expecting the bubble, of course, and yelped slightly, stumbling before he found himself bouncing on the bubble, “Wh-hoa! Whoa!" It was disorienting, the bubble adjusting position so that he never fell off, instead always bouncing on it. He started to laugh at the absurd situation, “Antauri! Help!" He exclaimed, his attempt to sound serious failing completely.

Antauri responded by making more bubbles appear around the human, though these proceeded to pop and gently lower him back down to a new rock platform that rose underneath him. “As you can see, the potential is limitless, though one must take care not to let one's thoughts overwhelm them. That is why I was careful to calm myself before we began. But I need not simply alter the environment…" With that, he vanished for a few moments, before the stone beneath Chiro shifted and altered into a metallic surface. Then it began to move, until Chiro realized he was sitting in Antauri's hand as the monkey gazed down at him benevolently.

“Whoa." He whispered as he regained his balance, the movement from being lifted having disoriented him slightly. “So uh… if your thoughts aren't clear, bad stuff happens I guess?" Chiro was tempted to ask more, but he realized that doing that might make Antauri think of that stuff too much… and he didn't want to see first hand what the consequences could be.

“Do not worry, Chiro, I have practiced for many years to keep intrusive thoughts from entering this place where they could potentially harm me. But I'm glad you grasp the full danger of this ability. On the other hand, allowing your negative thoughts to manifest in this way allows you to combat them in ways you cannot in your physical form. I have full confidence that you will decide for yourself what is the best way to use this ability in your own mind." Antauri had folded his legs in a meditation position to mirror his real world self, but he still held Chiro in front of him to regard him fondly. “But remember what I said about sometimes wishing that I could experience life as an organic…?" He began to shrink down, safely depositing Chiro on a floating platform as his form changed and he stepped on to the rock with Chiro, his robotic parts replaced with fully organic limbs and his eyes unobscured by his formerly permanent lenses.

“I have not forgotten to appreciate my cyborg form, but this is a rare opportunity for me to indulge in some of my more abstract desires." He extended his non-metallic hand towards Chiro in an offer to let him hold it.

“Oh, uh… wow." Chiro wasn't used to seeing Antauri… or any of them, without the lenses, having only seen it a handful of times, and always in dire circumstances where one of them had been injured. Even then, this was clearly different. It had creeped him out every time prior to this... but without all of the work that had been done on them, they looked far more healthy, and lively. And even weirder was the hand that was offered to him, which felt very real when Chiro slowly grabbed it. “Whoa… this is weird." He said, inspecting the hand like it was some strange artifact, before looking back at Antauri with a smile. “It feels nice though." He paused, panicking slightly, “Uh, not to say your norma- I mean, your usual hand, doesn't feel nice either!"

Antauri seemed far from offended, and instead idly rubbed his own hand as he inspected it front and back. “I understand what you mean, Chiro. This is an unusual experience for me as well. Truly, I cannot say for certain if this is truly how it would feel if I was entirely organic, or if this is merely how I imagine it would feel." He glanced away, and then down at Chiro's feet, looking almost shy. “...May I hug you, please?"

Without needing another word, Chiro immediately knelt down and hugged him. “This still feels pretty much the same to me… which means really nice." He said, letting himself nuzzle his chin against Antauri's hair, “Although this part is nice. Couldn't do that before." He chuckles, feeling embarrassed but also extremely joyful.

For his part, the monkey seemed to really enjoy nuzzling Chiro's chest now that he did not have goggles or a helmet to get in the way. He relaxed as he had not had the luxury to do in a long, long time, and he let out a deep sigh as he embraced his leader and boyfriend. “This is indeed nice, Chiro. Thank you so much for trusting me, and giving me the opportunity to live out a dream such as this." To be honest, he wanted to cuddle and nuzzle Chiro all over, but he didn't want to overwhelm Chiro, or touch him for longer than the human was comfortable. Unfortunately, that was when Chiro began to feel other hands touching him, as he would look around to see that other organic Antauris had surrounded him and were also embracing and nuzzling him. “...Oh dear…" Antauri looked around, chagrined. “I think I may have overestimated my self-control. As they are not negative thoughts, I did not guard against them. Perhaps it would be best if we returned to the outer world." One of the Antauris made a very simian-like squeak of joy as it nuzzled Chiro's leg.

“Uh… yeah, this is kind of freaking me out." He said, the other Antauri's seeming very childlike in their behavior. Not to mention that they as a team, had already had bad encounters with cloning in the past. Before Chiro could even process it, he was suddenly back in the park, sitting with Antauri again. “Whoa." He said, looking around, half expecting hours to have passed or something. But it still appeared to be roughly the same time.

Antauri took a deep breath and came back to himself, opening his eyes and looking up at Chiro.

“I can teach you how to use that technique when you feel you are ready, Chiro." He gracefully unfolded his legs and hopped down off of his stone and stretched. “Would you like to continue our walk?"

“I think I'll wait a while before I try it. It might be a bit much for me right now." He said, not sure that he could calm himself enough. Especially not with puberty going on alongside everything else. “Yeah, it's weird that I feel stiff, even though my mind is telling me I was just standing up and stuff."

“That's to be expected, it's best to indulge your body's wishes in this manner." He strolled ahead, and looked at Chiro over his shoulder with a coy smile. “We can do some stretching if you wish."

The smile made him pause, Chiro unsure if that meant what the dirty part of his mind said it was. Before… well before he wouldn't have even noticed it, but if he had, he would've immediately dismissed it. Now he was wondering if this had been happening for a while. How long had the team been flirting with him without him noticing? “Y-Yeah, I mean, I'll let you know if I'm still stiff; but I think I should walk a bit first." He was hoping he wasn't blushing.

The black-furred monkey did notice Chiro's blush, but was too wise to call attention to it. He also avoided swaying his hips too much as he walked in front of the human. Such things could wait. For now, he was content to just enjoy the peace with his beloved, and admire the place they both fought to protect.

Chiro was glad for the silence as well, not sure how he would've reacted if Antauri had pushed the idea further. Plus, it was a really nice day out. He could hear the birds and everything, which wasn't something he got to do all that often these days, seeing as the middle of the city was where the robot was usually stationed.

“So…" He said after several minutes of them walking in peace, “I'm uh… I've been enjoying these dates. All of them." The teen laughed to try and sound natural, but only succeeded in sounding nervous. “I think I'm… gonna end up being all of your boyfriends? Or is it boyfriend? Gibson probably knows." He muttered the last part, before sighing, “I'm just not sure I guess. Nervous?"

Antauri was ahead of Chiro, which meant that the young hero could not see his face, and he took advantage of that to compose himself before he turned around, smiling. “I must admit, everything about this is new to me. New to us all, in fact. As our leader we look to you to show us the way down this unknown path. But as our boyfriend, we only wish for your happiness. If for any reason you wish to change your decision or wish for emotional space, we will respect your desires." He paused and fidgeted for a moment, his tail lashing behind his back. “...To answer your question, however, I am nervous. We face great danger on a regular basis, but we rarely face potential emotional danger. I am afraid of doing or saying something that will hurt you, or any of my brothers. I am fearful that I will lose this…" He gestured to the space between himself and Chiro. “The source of the greatest happiness in my life. But though I am nervous, I can assure you I am not afraid of going forward. I wish to walk this path with you, and the others. I love you, Chiro. And I cannot tell you the joy that swells in my heart when you say you enjoy my company as well."

This was both exactly what Chiro wanted to hear, and what he had been dreading. The idea of the entire team depending on him in this manner, in addition to being the leader? It was terrifying. What if he screwed up? He was old enough, and wise enough now, to no longer be the cocky kid he was when he joined; but that also meant he was now far too aware of the many ways he could mess up. But, at the same time, seeing that look on Antauri's face, when he talked about how much he cared about him, made something in his chest warm up that he rarely felt. “I…" He took a deep breath and sighed, “thank you. I'm just, new to this I guess." Fidgeting for something to distract himself with, he pulled out his communicator, to check the time. “Huh, we've already been out for four hours. Didn't realize."

“Would you like to head back to the Super Robot?" Antauri offered, holding up his hand. He had already done what he had hoped to do with Chiro during their date, and everything after that was a bonus. That having been said, he certainly wouldn't mind just walking or sitting with him a while longer, and enjoying the peace together.

Chiro took the offered hand, as he placed his communicator back in his pocked with the other. “Yeah. But… let's take the scenic route back. It's too nice a day to waste." He said, smiling down at his second in command.