“What happened?” Rafael frowns.
Kane snorts. “Too much variability. Her cover blew in under five minutes.”
With a chuckle, he shifts to climb off the bike, but the moment his boots touch the platform, his breath stutters.
Beneath layers of glass and metal, hundreds of HOVs glide far below.
A hand settles on his back. He looks up to Kane staring at him, almost amused. “It’s reinforced. Nova City and the corpswouldn’t risk lawsuits.”
Rafael exhales. Right. If this weren’t safe, the city would’ve removed them decades ago.
They leave the landing pad and step out of the alley onto the main skyway. Late-night tourists gawk at the Terra’s storefronts while downtown regulars rush past, some on HOV scooters and boards.
Rafael’s gaze sweeps the faces instinctively. But the faces on these streets are strangers.
The knot in his chest eases. Up ahead, food stalls line a narrower walkway between the restaurants, steam rising from grills and fryers.
“There they are!” Rafael jogs forward, weaving them through the crowd toward a stand selling rainbow-bright kebabs. “They even have flavor pops!”
“Flavor pops?” Kane follows at his side. When they reach the end of the stall’s line, he mutters, “These things better not explode in my mouth.”
Laughter bursts out of Rafael. “No, nothing’s going to explode in your mouth.”
His voice carries louder than intended. A few strangers turn to look, and others whisper. He ducks his head into Kane’s chest to hide his face.
Kane’s mouth brushes his ear. “Maybe the flavor pops won’t…but I’m hoping something else will later.”
Rafael’s breath stutters.
Then Kane taps his head, and he straightens, facing forward again. Kane’s arm snakes across his chest, bringing Rafael against him. The contact settles him as the line shuffles forward.
When they finally get their pops—HydroSplash for Kane and Hydroponic Berry for Rafael—they drift down the street away from the vendors and the crowd. Rafael doesn’t hesitate. He takes an eager bite.
Sweetness floods his taste buds, and a grin breaks across his face. At his side, Kane eyes the green and yellow concoction pulsing on the stick, as if it might be radioactive. Rafael swallows and leans. “Aren’t you going to try it?”
“Yes.” Kane’s frown deepens.
“All right, just don’t forget—” The man takes a single, defiant bite before he can finish.
Regret instantly twists Kane’s face, eyes widening and jaw clenching.
Almost immediately, Rafael doubles over. “I’m sorry!” he gasps between chuckles. “I was trying to warn you! When the flavor pop is brightest, it’s the most sour. You should’ve waited for the darker colors.”
Kane struggles to swallow, and he can only laugh harder.
Once Kane finally recovers, his touch settles at the back of Rafael’s neck. “That’s enough out of you.” There’s no anger in his words, only playfulness. “You’re lucky you’re cute, you know that?”
The laughter dies in Rafael’s throat. Heat creeping to his face, he looks up to meet Kane’s gaze, crinkled with his smile.
“Thanks for this, Kane. Really.” His voice is soft, barely audible over the city noise. “This—it means everything to me.”
“I want to make you happy.” Kane twirls the flavor pop. “Even if I end up needing a new tongue after this.”
Rafael chuckles, but his gaze catches on Kane’s wristlink flashing again. Even here, his duties follow him. “Do you…need to go?” he asks.
Auburn brow furrows. “No.” Kane squeezes Rafael’s neck before sliding to cradle his back. “We’ve got time. But I’ve got a meeting with the lieutenants later tonight, and in a few hours the NCPD lackeys will be out here running laps with the rest of the corpo grease.”
As if summoned by his words, a familiar siren wails in the distance. Rafael’s gaze snaps down to the glass floor.