my beta boy | ✎

R18

Climb at own risk.

R16 looked at the signage she had never seen before, adorning the foot of the tower overlooking the bridge. It was new.

"Planning another midnight romp, are we?" A familiar voice rang out in the darkness.

"No, no... I was just on my way back when I saw... well... Did you do this?" She looked at B73 with a wry smile.

"I didn't make it, but it was my idea, yeah, wouldn't want any of you Rhos falling off now..." He shot back with a gleaming smile of his own.

"Oh, they fall all the time on this bridge," I laughed, "everyone's got eyes for your Captain. B6, was it?"

"And you're going to pretend you don't know his Number?" He looked at R16 with a brow raised quizzically.

She couldn't help but giggle at the ridiculousness of her faked ignorance, "I didn't want to be presumptuous."

"I know you're not," he said almost shyly, "I thought that of you. That you were real. Realer than anyone I've ever encountered."

"Realer than your brothers in Beta House?" It was R16's turn to raise her eyebrow now.

"Well," he said, his grin still wide and bright on his face, "I won't go so far..."

"And how many Rhos have you really spoken to?" R16 was relentless, wanting to see him squirm, but he doesn't. His smile never wavers, not even for one second, and she felt that he, too, was sincere to a fault.

He doesn't reply to her, but she already knew the answer from the pearly whites adorning his face, which had the decency to look a little bit abashed.

"Still being punished for whatever it is you did?" She asked.

"Who said I was being punished?"

"The fact that nobody has relieved your position as watchman," R16 answered enthusiastically, "surely you haven't volunteered?"

"I do like how peaceful it is," he admits finally, "but no, I haven't volunteered. I–" he paused, wondering if he should tell her how he had attempted to visit her during lunch time and got caught for being a disturbance to the 'ladies of Rho' – B6's words exactly. But he decided that it was far too humiliating and presumptuous of him to even attempt something so eager.

"I am being punished, thank you for that observation..." He trailed off before that familiar warm smile graced his features once more, "Would you like to join me before you retire?"

"Someone's been around B6 a little too much," R16 laughed, stepping closer to him. There was something exhilarating about looking up at the chiseled boy, browned by the sun. It made her feel small and safe.

"What's that supposed to mean?" B73 turned towards the bridge and swung up one of the rungs, letting his legs dangle precariously off the edge.

"He has a funny way of speaking, didn't you notice?" She said, approaching the rung he sat atop on and placed her hands on the cool steel, looking up at him, marveling at how someone could be so cheerful all the time.

"Boy, we sure noticed... but it's something you get used to after a while," he turned away from the edge and leaned forward so they weren't so far apart in height.

"I have a friend who would really love to meet you," R16 said suddenly, thinking about Aem.

"You'd love her, she's so candid and refreshing. Unlike most of the Rhos I know." She laughed.

"I would love to meet her, what's her Number?" He enquired, looking genuinely interested, which sparked R16's enthusiasm even more.

"R18, but I call her Aem... and she calls me Sistine." She whispered, her eyes never leaving his face. The words had tumbled out mindlessly. His beauty disarmed her and she chided herself silently, reminding herself that it was exactly that reason why pretty things are untrustworthy... but after having spent a solid few hours speaking with him just last night, he felt familiar, and worthy of her confidence.