Au: None (S9)

WC: ~1.2k

bite-sized oneshot today

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After realizing having all three of them go on a recon mission together was dangerous, the rebellious trio decided to take turns spying on the king.

When Impulse caught Scar mumbling about some meeting with the king as he flew to the crastle, he immediately alerted Pearl and Gem whilst offering to be the first to take on a solo mission.

He found Scar, Ren, and Bdubs in the throne room as he carefully touched down on a windowsill. An uncomfortable shiver ran down his spine to see Ren still holding onto his decapitated head.

Much like every time he saw him, Impulse's chest tightened at the sight of his husband. He still referred to him as such, considering neither talked of breaking off their relationship. Granted, they hadn't talked since the party he held. Yet he still wore his ring, perhaps a bit too proudly.

He wasn't sure if Bdubs was as well.

Maybe he took the head Ren carried as a warning.

Focus, Impulse. You have a job.

King Ren was speaking about 'properly punishing' those who deserved it, and he could only assume it was about him and his friends.

But then, curiously, he instructed Bdubs to get up from his seat and step down. Scar was halfway up the steps, but told not to move.

His jaw dropped as he attempted to clutch the bricks for support.

Impulse watched as Bdubs' face melted into pure horror.

Ren had ordered for his execution, at the hands of Scar above all people.

Maybe Pearl and Gem would be pissed that he compromised the sudden mission. Maybe Ren would send out Scar to collect his head ten times over. Maybe it was a trap. Maybe Bdubs didn't want to be saved.

None of that mattered.

Pushing himself off the windowsill and with a rocket as an extra boost, Impulse dove into the throne room, snatching up Bdubs and flying out the window across. Shouts came from Ren and Scar, but much to his surprise, neither chased after him.

Impulse tightly held onto his lover with one hand under his knees, the other on his side. Bdubs still wore a wide-eyed expression as he gripped his shirt and pressed against his chest.

"Are you okay?" He worried, flying higher into the sky.

With a heavy sigh, Bdubs' expression fell. "Where are you taking me?" He quietly asked.

Admittedly, he hadn't thought of that. "Probably my base? Or would that be too obvious? Anywhere that will keep you safe."

Hearing Bdubs laugh relaxed him while releasing butterflies throughout his stomach at the same time. "Okay, set me down somewhere," he requested.

Impulse landed on a nearby hilltop, letting Bdubs onto his feet. He took his hands, rubbing his thumbs across the back. "You're not wearing your ring." It hurt more than he expected, despite anticipating it to be the truth.

Prying one hand free, Bdubs reached under his mossy cloak and his shirt, pulling out a chain. "When Ren deemed you and your group enemies, I figured this would be the best way to keep it safe," he explained, opening his hand to reveal the ring hanging on the necklace.

Impulse purses his lips, squeezing the one hand he was still holding.

"I'm sorry for not properly wearing it."

"No," he quickly interjected. "It's perfect like this. Above everything else, I want you safe. And if this makes you feel safer, then I am all for it." To drive home his point, he pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Bdubs swallowed and took a few steps away from him. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

His concern quickly rose. "Sorry for what?"

"All of that back there, in the throne room. It was all staged. I'm sorry. Ren knew you'd follow Scar, he knew you'd save me. He also hoped you'd take me to your 'rebel base'," Bdubs explained as he fiddled with his ring.

He opened his mouth to assure that there was no rebel base, at least not yet, but Bdubs held up a hand to stop him.

"Whether you do or don't, say nothing because I don't want to know."

"Why... why'd you tell me?" He took a cautious step forward. As he raised his hands to hold Bdubs' face, he kept waiting for him to push him away, but he never did.

Instead, his husband touched the back of his hands, lightly rubbing down his arms and back up. "Because I love you. I've never stopped loving you. And I don't want you to get hurt anymore. Do you know how much it kills me to see Ren parade around with your head in his palm? It makes me sick to my stomach but I have to pretend that everything is fine. I may be loyal to the crown, and I'll probably be the last one to stay by Ren's side, but above all that, I want to always support you. I want to look out for you. I love you."

As the words poured from his mouth, Impulse's eyes widened. The moment Bdubs finished speaking, he quickly attacked his face with sweet kisses. When his husband began to giggle, he knew he had accomplished his goal. "Thank you. I love you too," he murmured before pressing a kiss to his lips. The other squeezed his arms.

"Why do we always end up on opposing sides?" His husband sighed, dropping his head to his forehead.

Wrapping his arms around him in a protective hug, Impulse had to laugh. "That's because you create the problems and I never agree with them," he teased, recalling the events of the mayoral race. He knew it used to be a touchy subject for Bdubs, but thankfully, no longer did he tense up at the mention. Instead, he laughed with him.

He raised his head, pressing kisses to his cheek before pulling back to meet his gaze. His hands found a home just below his collarbones, idly rubbing against the fabric of his shirt. "Listen, I don't know how much longer this will last. We can't predict the future. However, once the craziness passes, I want to take you on a nice vacation. Just the two of us."

"I like the sound of that," he wistfully murmured. Gently, he lifted the ring dangling from Bdubs' neck and kissed it.

A promise.

With a softened smile, Bdubs reciprocated by taking his hand and kissing the band on his finger. "Try to not lose your head anymore, will you? I don't think I can bear it." Nodding and agreeing to do his best not to, he pulled him into one last tight hug.

Who knew if they would be able to have a moment alone again anytime soon? It could take weeks, or months even before he could peacefully exchange sweet kisses with his husband. Yet the idea of a relaxing vacation, of cozy dates with him, was enough to push Impulse onward.

Eventually, Bdubs had to head back, where he would inform Ren that Impulse didn't trust him enough to take him anywhere. Meanwhile, Impulse would tell his fellow soup group members that Ren was waiting for him and it was a trap.

And although that night the couple would once again find themselves in separate beds, they hadn't felt so close in a while.