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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 2h

"Geez, wow. Sorry. Sudden thought.

You know I was kind of distant as The Beetle today because I didn't want you to know who I was, right?

Because I promise, I'm never going to be that cold to you again."

Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 2h

He holds his hand.

"You're not any type of weird for thinking we have something here. You saved my life. I saved yours. And we know we -"

His expression changes.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 2h

"I know we're at my apartment and all, but I uh..."

He's searching for the right words.

"I want to do things right."

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 2h

"I'll say. In our business, this is as close as it gets."

He clears his throat.

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♡ °.•【 ROSE OSCURO ~ 】 @eyes-for-disguise.bsky.social · 2h

❝ Like we've gotten so... so much closer. ❞

He bats his eyelashes up at Ted, grinning to show off his bunny teeth.

❝ Don't you agree? ❞

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 2h

He kisses his cheek and gestures to Rose's tea.

"Our drinks - - they're gonna get cold."

Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 2h

"Rose, your glasses. I wanted to hold your glasses for you so badly.

I felt so guilty about flirting with you.

You got so mad."

Three different memories.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 2h

"What about you, huh? That was you in the magic dream whatever thing, wasn't it?"

He almost starts cry laughing.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 2h

"He'd do that any time, you just don't know him yet. He's not my better side."

Actually, many parts of The Beetle aren't Ted at all.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 2h

He starts laughing.

It's loud and kind of obnoxious. One of his most distinct qualities.

Bwahahaha.

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♡ °.•【 ROSE OSCURO ~ 】 @eyes-for-disguise.bsky.social · 3h

❝ You had me scared that Hivemind was evolving! ❞

He leans in, placing a few kisses along Ted's cheek.

❝ I was wondering why Blue Beetle would be so angry at my kidnapping. Angry enough to throw a metal pan in rage... ❞

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 3h

"Sorry I freaked you out earlier.

That honeycomb field was mine."

He has rarely been more comfortable.

Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 3h

It's an awkward, tentative process punctuated by these moments where he moves forward too fast and has to catch himself.

When he finally pulls away, he pathetically reaches for one of the hundred conflicting thoughts running through his head.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 3h

And that's completely out of the question now!

Ted hasn't known any physical intimacy for years, his desperation is so thick that it's the only taste lingering in his mouth.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 3h

Ted pulls him into a kiss.

It's not what he wanted it to be, and it's not what he imagined it to be, but he can't think of a more perfect moment.

He /wanted/ to keep things brief so that he wouldn't have the chance to second guess himself or have his intentions misunderstood.

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♡ °.•【 ROSE OSCURO ~ 】 @eyes-for-disguise.bsky.social · 3h

❝ Maybe... Maybe we were made for each other, Ted Kord. ❞

He looks up at Ted, his seafoam hues filled with nothing but pure adoration. Despite his eyes showing, it's Rose speaking.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 3h

He uses his watch to partially materialize his Blue Beetle suit. He leaves his mask off. Regardless, his voice changes in the same way as it would've otherwise.

He extends his hand.

"I'm Blue Beetle #2 of the Justice League.

We've met."

Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 3h

"Oh. Wow. That's."

He's frozen by the situations he needs to reconsider.

He pinches the bridge of his nose.

Better now than never, right?

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 3h

He hates it.

He doesn't hate it because he hates that Rose is Rhodonite.

He hates it because his first thought was: 'Why are you dressing up like that guy right now?'

Rose /was/ that guy, it didn't matter.

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♡ °.•【 ROSE OSCURO ~ 】 @eyes-for-disguise.bsky.social · 3h

Ted would never do that.

Ted... is wonderful.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 4h

It's definitely not the example that Rose is looking for, but Ted doesn't understand what the point of this is yet.

He gives him the newsboy hat he wore at the Fall Festival.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 4h

"Yes?"

The confusion leaks out of his voice. Why did the subject change so fast? Was there something else he needed to know?

"If you're wondering about the stuff I bought you, you can keep it. I'm not going to take that from you even if things go sour..."

Whatever, just go get a hat.

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♡ °.•【 ROSE OSCURO ~ 】 @eyes-for-disguise.bsky.social · 4h

❝ ... Unrelated. But... do you have... perhaps... a hat I could borrow? ❞

He chews on his bottom lip. This could make or break their relationship. But it's the only way to truly prove, once and for all, that he's not cheating on Ted.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 6h

"That's why I gotta know, I gotta really know, and if I'm wrong..."

He exhales.

"Then I need to stop being selfish."

Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 6h

He rushes for a sip of his coffee.

"They decided that I wasn't the one before we had a chance to talk it over. They picked a new partner before they left me."

He forces himself to set the coffee down.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 6h

"Rose...I need to have a conversation with Rhodonite about this. It's not that I don't trust you, but relationships are a very serious thing to me."

He puts his hand on his heart.

"I've been on the other end of it, I was going to propose to someone and..."

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 6h

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have listened. If I didn't do that, this would be a normal date where I cooked for you and brought you tea."

His voice raises in pitch as he finishes the line.

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♡ °.•【 ROSE OSCURO ~ 】 @eyes-for-disguise.bsky.social · 7h

He pulls his hands away, pressing his lips together.

❝ It was... really nice, being with you in the meantime. If that's the way you want this to go. ❞

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 8h

"You had to hide something different than what you said, right? Because it sounded like you had a history with those jerks, and Rho told me that your ex was super evil and..."

Denial.

"If you dating Rho was his mistake, then agreeing with it would hide something from The Beetle!!"

Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 8h

He brings a cup of Darjeeling tea and a cup of sugar to the table. He almost brought honey, but he stopped himself.

The clothing cube is sitting between them.

"Rose...we gotta talk. I know we're really getting along, but my bugs have mics and...I heard something."

Here we go.

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Beetle @usbkord.bsky.social · 8h

"That sounds good."

They go to Ted's apartment. There's an assortment of strange things everywhere, but everything is clean, and everything feels organized.

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