In Cian’s defense, at this point, Mars may or may not be considering possible excuses to give to Team Rocket if they were to ask why they’re missing a Castform, even if it's very likely they may not care at all if judging by the sheer amount of them. Maybe he’ll come back for Cian Junior later, but even leaving it alone on this island for a few days seems unfair to the poor little Weather Pokémon...
[break][break]
Not the rest of the Castform though.
[break][break]
Sadly, Mars doesn’t care about those.
[break][break]
Cian winks, and it draws Mars away from these thoughts.
[break][break]
”Oh, fuck you.”
[break][break]
Of course, he chuckles, smiling too.
[break][break]
”Thank you, Cian.”
[break][break]
For being willing to listen, because when was the last time someone actually listened to him about things like those?
[break][break]
Never, actually.





[BREAK][BREAK]

+ CIAN MAHER

cian doesn't listen particularly well. he just never has because he's never really cared enough. but this is different — mars is different — and it'll take a while but cian will definitely try his best.

hopefully, it'll be enough.

"of course."

tension no longer in the air, cian junior floats back over to rest on his shoulder.

"so, what do you wana do?"

Martín del Mar // [x]

☉

Listen and compromise.
[break][break]
They had promised each other that that’s what they will do, but as it turns out, it’s not easy – which is also something they both already knew. Neither are things either of them are even remotely good at, even if paying attention and picking up details is one of the things Mars does best. It’s different. But, at least they’re willing to try, aren’t they? Isn’t that what matters? That they care enough about each other to actually try to change their ways?
[break][break]
More than anyone, Mars knows how much it actually means when Cian says he’ll try, and he appreciates it.
[break][break]
’So, what do you wanna do?’
[break][break]
He looks at him, and then he looks at the Castform on his shoulder.
[break][break]
”I guess we should probably finish the mission properly, huh?”
[break][break]
It would be annoying to get in trouble with Team Rocket for just leaving the Castform on the island, instead of at the specified coordinates, and yet...
[break][break]
”What about him?”
[break][break]
Subtly, he nods towards Cian Junior, because it's not hard for him to guess what Cian is probably thinking.


[BREAK][BREAK]

+ CIAN MAHER

"we should. it shouldn't take us too long."

considering how they've already made it quite deep into the island. surprisingly, the group of castform still float nearby, waiting to follow. they've been trained really well, apparently.

him?

oh.

"i'm taking him with me. i can't leave him here."

at this, cian junior smiles, giggling a little as he bumps into cian.

Martín del Mar // [x]

☉

”Yeah, it’s supposed to be around the middle of the island… It shouldn’t be too far.”
[break][break]
At least that’s what he had gathered from looking at maps beforehand, because of course Mars had bothered with figuring out as much as he could about even a mission that seemed as simple as this one.
[break][break][break]
Does Team Rocket have a secret base there or do they just want the Castform to spread from the middle of the island? If so, do they have trackers on them? No matter how prepared Mars may want to be, Team Rocket rarely gives more information than what’s absolutely necessary for the mission to succeed, leaving it up to him to consider every other possibility.
[break][break]
So, at Cian’s words, he nods, gently squeezing his hand.
[break][break]
”I figured as much… I’ll come up with some excuse to give them if they ask why one of the Castform is missing.”
[break][break]
He smiles, because honestly, Mars also doesn’t want to leave Cian Junior behind, and telling convincing lies has never been hard.
[break][break]
”...They could be tracking them, though.”
[break][break]
After all, they do want to use these pokémon for weather forecasting, don’t they?



[BREAK][BREAK]

+ CIAN MAHER

if cian were to stopped to think about it, he'd assume the castform would spread out on their own once they reached the middle of the island, that way rocket could get a more accurate and thorough reading rather than it being centered all in one spot.

but of course this thought doesn't occur to him.

"i'm sure we'll figure it out."

honestly, they could probably buy another castform to replace the one they stole. but he shrugs, looking over his shoulder toward the middle of the island.

"ready?"

Martín del Mar // [x]

☉

They could definitely buy another Castform. Mars in particular would have no issue in doing as much, given how many contacts he has in both the legal and illegal pokémon trade alike. But, does he want to do that? For now, there’s no need, so he won’t bother with even considering it.
[break][break]
”We will. We always do.”
[break][break]
He smiles, even if he’s well aware that things may not be nearly as easy as he makes them sound...
[break][break]
Is he ready?
[break][break]
Ready for what, exactly?
[break][break]
Hopefully not to end up running one more time…
[break][break]
He should probably ask, huh?
[break][break]
”Sure, let’s go.”




[BREAK][BREAK]

+ CIAN MAHER

mars doesn't ask, so cian assumes what he wants to.

no running this time.

he turns, walking at a comfortable pace with mars' hand still in his.

"was that our first fight?"

he does air quotes with his one free hand when he says 'fight', because honestly, he's not too sure what that was. a disagreement, but was it anything more than that?

Martín del Mar // [x]

☉

Was it their first fight?
[break][break]
Mars wouldn’t exactly call it that, but maybe he just has a really strange idea of what a “fight” actually is. It wasn’t nearly aggressive or violent enough.
[break][break]
Then again, isn’t that what people usually call situations like these when in relationships?
[break][break]
Maybe every aspect of his life is a battle, after all.
[break][break]
Maybe this name of his is a terrible curse...
[break][break]
Regardless, things are calm for now, and he’s glad that they don’t run this time.
[break][break]
”Mm… If you want to call it that, then yeah. I’m glad it turned out like this, though.”
[break][break]
He smiles, and gently so, he squeezes Cian's hand.
[break][break]
If they’re going to fight again someday, hopefully it will always turn out this well.





[BREAK][BREAK]

+ CIAN MAHER

cian's never been in a relationship as serious as this, so this is all new to him. the argument, if they were to call it that, turned out better than expected. but he knows not every one will end as nicely.

but that's a worry for the future.

"it wasn't too bad. pretty chill, all things considered."

he chuckles, enjoying the sun.

"i've probably argued worse with some of my dates."

Martín del Mar // [x]

☉

It won’t always be like this, but there’s the hope that maybe it could be. That no matter what happens and how angry they get, they will still always put each other first. That their relationship will go above most things. That it will all forever be well…
[break][break]
Maybe it’s wishful thinking.
[break][break][break]
Maybe it’s just that Mars really believes in the two of them.
[break][break]
”You? Argue when on a date? I could see it, though way to ruin your chances of getting laid.”
[break][break]
A smirk, and a chuckle, jokes coming easily between them.
[break][break]
Things really are so much better this way…
[break][break]
”I hope it’s never anything worse than that though, I hate arguing with you.”
[break][break]
As small and meaningless as the argument may have seemed, it still fucking sucked in the moment.





[BREAK][BREAK]

+ CIAN MAHER

"what do you mean? i still took most of them home."

he throws another wink over his shoulder, telling nothing but the truth. they had been fun dates, to say the least.

despite mars' words, cian knows they'll have worse arguments than that. but he nods regardless, smiling.

"even if it is, i'm sure we'll get through it."

he leans into mars' shoulder.

"it's us, after all."

Martín del Mar // [x]

☉

”Of course you did, I’d expect nothing less from you.”
[break][break]
Not like Mars has ever minded talking about things like those. It’s in the past, anyway, and who is he to judge? Their own relationship had begun with them going on dates that were supposed to be meaningless, although they definitely never argued back then…
[break][break]
Passingly and for a single second, he wonders if Cian misses all that, but his words ground him in the present, pushing those intrusive thoughts aside.
[break][break]
’It's us, after all.’
[break][break]
Mars can’t help but smile at that, leaning against him too.
[break][break]
”You’re right, as per usual. We’ll always get through it.”
[break][break]
Mars has never been much of an optimist, but at these moments, despite everything that has complicated things between them, it’s not difficult to believe as much.





[BREAK][BREAK]

+ CIAN MAHER