The Syndicate - 29. Chapter 29 - Taran

A blaring siren ripped through the silence of the forest, sending birds scattering into the sky. Other animals scrabbled over ground and across treetops to escape the deafening noise, only to be met with a flash of yellow light and the roaring shockwave that closely followed. Trees not immediately obliterated by the wall of heat were uprooted as the ground vibrated so violently it behaved like a liquid, swallowing up boulders and anything unlucky enough to still be alive. Miles away from the epicenter, the sudden change in wind threw him forcefully to the ground. He watched in horror as the white plume of smoke grew from the valley below. It ballooned into the air, quickly looming over the crater that was until moments before a dense forest canopy. As the winds changed direction, they pulled with them terrified shrieks and screams of agony, both animal and human.

It was the screams that usually jolted Taran awake, voices still echoing in his ear as sucked in ragged gasps of air. It had been weeks since the last nightmare, and he mentally cursed himself for daring to believe that things had been getting better. Truthfully, there were doubts he would ever be totally free from the memories, but even this brief respite had been better than waking in a panic nearly every other night.

Shaking away the fog, Taran looked over to find the other side of the bed empty. He placed his hand over the spot where Ronnie had been sleeping and sighed. At least no one had been around to witness the night terrors. A realization crept into Taran's groggy thoughts: the dreams didn't come when Ronnie was around.

Taran sat up, clawing himself away from the lingering echoes of the nightmare. A cold grey light crept in through a crack in the curtains. Between the dreams and years of Syndicate training, any ability to sleep in had been conditioned away. Lately, Taran had been relishing the first few moments of the day. It was a chance to soak in the stillness of the early morning, before the rest of the world stirred, and before responsibility weighed him down once more.

The little apartment had become an escape for Taran over the last few weeks. He and Ronnie spent most of their evenings there, together, away from the world. It was where Taran didn't have to pretend to be someone else, and simple gestures like reaching for Ronnie's hand or leaving a kiss on his cheek came easier with each passing day. There had been growing anxiety in every moment away from this safe haven, and Taran found himself wanting to rush through classes and patrols in order to retreat once more to the quiet abode. A routine formed, and they took turns preparing dinner in the evenings -- Taran's repertoire of tried and true family recipes; Ronnie, with something he saw on social media and wanted to test out with varying levels of success. Maya joined them on occasion, which always promised a few hours of laughs.

The rest of the night was for the two of them alone, more often than not ending in a mad scramble to the bedroom, limbs tangled, and cheeks flushed. Taran found kissing Ronnie to be as thrilling as the first night, a buzz coursing under his fingers with every touch. When they finally collapsed in a sweaty heap, Taran found it ever easier to push the nagging guilt out of his mind before drifting off to sleep.

Things weren't perfect. Despite feeling happier than he had in years, Taran was still terrified of word getting out around the headquarters. No one else could know just yet; what they had was too fragile. Coming forward would change everything. Ronnie had never been thrilled with the idea, but he was willing to keep things under wraps, at least for now. Taran just needed more time to get his parents in the same room together. With a little more time, he'd make everything right.

Until then, discretion was key. Every morning, Ronnie snuck back to his own room before the rest of the facility started to wake up. They each prepared for their days separately from opposite sides of the residence wing and kept their distance during official duties. However, it was a rare Saturday off, and there were no duties to attend to. Finally settled from the nightmare, Taran supposed he might as well get a start to the day. Touching the panel next to the door, he plodded towards the living room and slammed directly into Ronnie.

"Oof!" Ronnie took the blow in the shoulder, which knocked something off the tray he was carrying. A tall coffee mug tumbled towards the ground, contents flying out in a wide arc. Taran reached out, awkwardly trying to catch the cup but was thwarted when his hand bounced off a sparkling force field. The mug hung in the air, resting at the bottom of a construct while coffee sloshed inside the sphere. "Phew!" Ronnie sputtered, brow scrunched in concentration. "That was a close one. Did I catch it all?" He peered over the edge of the tray and smirked, confirming success.

Ronnie turned to set the tray down on the table. The forcefield bobbed behind him as he walked, the coffee tumbling from side to side with each step. "I should have known I wouldn't be able to surprise you. You're always getting up so damn early." He sent the mug and its spilled contents towards the kitchen with a wave of his hand, and it sailed over the island counter and settled into the sink, green light fading away. He spun back to Taran with a sheepish grin. "Let's try this again. Go ahead and start eating, and I'll get some more coffee."

Taran lingered in the doorway, still trying to process everything that had just happened. "Wha- What's all this? I thought you had left for the day?"

"Change of plans!" Ronnie called from across the kitchen counter. He rolled up his sweatshirt sleeves before stirring something on the stovetop. Taran realized it was actually *his* sweatshirt, which left it at least a size too big for the other boy. They were apparently at the "stealing clothes" stage of the relationship. It was kind of cute.

Too cute, actually. Suspicion nagged at the back of Taran's thoughts. He hated surprises, and it was clear he was being buttered up. He narrowed his eyes across the room. "You're up to something," he declared.

"Maybe a little. Eat already! There's enough for seconds if you want it."

Taran finally studied the tray. A trio of pancakes was stacked neatly, still steaming under a thick layer of bananas foster sauce. The warm scent of cinnamon and nutmeg made his stomach rumble. "Ok, now I know you're up to something!"

"Maya told me about your weakness for caramel sauce," Ronnie replied, setting down another coffee mug and sitting across the table with a plate of his own. "I am not above using that for personal gain."

Taran took a bite and tried not to melt. He was sure he'd be willing to agree to anything if it meant more breakfasts like this. Most mornings, he only allowed himself enough time to slam some coffee before rushing off to a training session. Starting the day together felt special. He quickly finished the rest of the plate and then waited expectantly until Ronnie decided to explain himself.

Ronnie looked up from his plate and sighed dramatically. "Ok, fine, you win! We're going on an outing — the full squad. You know, for camaraderie and team building. Maya and I planned it, and you're coming along."

Taran mulled it over. "It's not a bad idea actually, but why spring it on me?"

"Because if you knew about it, you'd try to organize everything. But you're not the boss today!" Ronnie took another bite and flashed a cheeky smile.

"Fair enough. This should be fun!" Taran took a sip of coffee and sat contentedly while Ronnie finished breakfast. It was all so lovely: no sneaking back to the dormitory in secret, no frantic thoughts about being found out (at least for the moment). Could every morning be like this if Taran gave it a chance? How much stress would just fall away if he started letting people in?
He cleared his throat. "So, um, I've been thinking…"

Ronnie looked up from his plate. His bedhead stuck out at funny angles, giving him an adorable sleepy look. But his eyes were awake and as bright as ever.

Taran took another breath and continued. "I think maybe it's time we tell the team. About us."

"Are you serious?!"

"You were right; it's not fair to keep it from them. Things are going well, and they deserve to know." Taran's voice stayed steady, but a rush of emotion filled his gut and made his hands tremor. This is what he wanted, but the idea was still so damn scary! "I'm not ready to tell the adults yet," he said, referring to the Syndicate elders and staff.

"I still think that's something—,"

Taran waved his hand to stop Ronnie. This was a conversation they had had before. While Taran's biggest worry was his family and how they would react to the relationship, Ronnie had been fixated on internal politics. Taran was, after all, one of Ronnie's trainers and team lead.

"That's not going to be a problem for us, right?"

"I told you, all things considered, it's one of the last things I'm worried about. We keep it professional on the clock, and it just can't look like I'm favoring you over any of the others."

"Well, *are* you favoring me?"

"No, of course not!" Taran muttered into his coffee mug. "If anything, I'm harder on you to compensate."

"I thought as much… We're not going to get into trouble, are we?"

Taran shook his head. "No, I swear. This kind of thing happens more often than you'd think: people working together in high-pressure situations, not having to worry about secret identities. It's only natural. Hell, look at my parents!"

"I wouldn't want to do anything that would jeopardize your position, Taran."

"I promise it's not an issue. When it comes time for your evaluations, I'll make sure that another trainer conducts them. That way, your scores will be totally impartial."

After breakfast, Taran took care of dishes while Ronnie got cleaned up in the bathroom. He heard the shower turn on and smiled to himself, once again remarking on how nice it was that they got to spend the morning together. "I could really get used to this little routine," he thought. A short while later, they were both ready to leave.

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" Taran asked, trailing behind Ronnie down the hallway.

"You'll find out soon enough!"

They exited the front door of the headquarters and made their way down the broad granite steps. Large, puffy clouds rolled overhead, and the perfume of flowers drifted in with every breeze. It was indeed a lovely day.

Taran spied Carmen and Ari a ways in front of them, lounging on a park bench near the end of the sidewalk. They chatted casually, and a laugh from Carmen rang out in the morning air. He couldn't remember ever being with the trainees in such an informal setting, and it was strange to see them in something other than standard issue training garb. Carmen wore a flowy sundress and sandals, her chunky bracelets rattling as she sipped her iced coffee. Ari had on a light hoodie and sunglasses, the outfit doing a passable job at disguising his more catlike features. As long as no one looked too closely, strangers would assume he was just a typical moody teen.

"Ohmigosh!" Carmen called at Taran and Ronnie as they made their way down the front steps. "You guys, this is exciting! We never do stuff like this,"

"I still have no idea what we're getting into," Taran laughed. "But I was told it would be a good time." A breeze buffeted them from behind, rustling under Taran'collar. Next to him, Ronnie moved a hand over the top of his head in an effort to push his sandy hair away from his eyes.

Ari started for a moment, tilting his head as if puzzled, his brow furrowed over the top of his sunglasses. He stepped closer to Taran and Ronnie, turning to each in turn and sniffing several times.

"Uh, what's up, bud?" Ronnie asked.

"You guys smell the same!" He exclaimed loudly. "Like bananas and caramel!"

Taran stiffened. Ari had a habit of blurting out the first thing that came to his mind, usually having to do with that he sensed that others couldn't. He never meant to be rude, but he wasn't accustomed to being around people that didn't have the same powers as he did.

Taran fumbled for an answer. "Yeah, Ronnie and I had breakfast together this morning. That must be what you're picking up—"

Ari barreled on, oblivious to Taran's interruption. "And also the same kind of soap. I know because Ronnie usually smells like the soap in the dormitory showers, which isn't very good and leaves my fur patches dry. But today, it's the same one that Taran uses, which is woodsy and reminds me of camping. Do you like camping, Taran? You don't strike me as particularly outdoorsy."

Carmen stood next to Ari, mouth agape at the conversation. It was clear that she was loving the unexpected drama and eagerly awaited whatever would happen next. Taran caught Ronnie's gaze. His cheeks were flushed as he anxiously stammered an explanation.

Taran shook his head, and Ronnie paused. He truly appreciated Ronnie's willingness to stay hidden, but it just wasn't fair to keep doing that to him. It was time to stop with the lies before they became too many in number and buried them both. Ronnie's eyes softened in recognition, and he took a step closer to Taran. Taran took a deep breath and faced Ari and Carmen.

"Ronnie was kind enough to make breakfast this morning while I was still sleeping. We've been seeing each other for a while now, and he spent the night at my place." A rush of nerves coursed through Taran's body, and he seemed to be fighting a shiver despite the warm weather. His fingers trembled, which Taran found to be not from fear but relief. The tightly wound spring in his chest loosened ever so slightly. He reached out from his side and found Ronnie's hand waiting, squeezing tightly as their fingers intertwined.

"Oh my gosh, boooooooys!" Carmen squealed, throwing both of them into a crushing hug. "This is the cutest thing to ever happen! And you," she smacked Ronnie on the shoulder, "This is why you've been making excuses when I try to set you up with guys I know."

Ronnie laughed, "Sorry! We weren't ready to say anything yet."

"You two look good together," Ari added with a pointy smile. "I'm really happy for you, but maybe next time make enough breakfast for everyone, yeah?" His head jerked toward the street with another look of perception. "Oh! Maya's coming,"

Sure enough, a dark blue van rounded the corner, and Maya waved from the driver's seat. Of all the vehicles the Syndicate owned, it was undoubtedly one of the more low-key ones. Perfect for a bunch of young trainees out on the town.

"I call the back!" Ari shouted as the van rolled up to the sidewalk. He threw the sliding door open and bounded over the bucket seat to the bench at the rear of the vehicle. Taran and Ronnie took the middle seats, leaving shotgun for Carmen.

"Well, you are all certainly in excitable moods this morning," Maya remarked as she pulled away from the curb. "What did I miss?"

Carmen turned to Taran, her face a question. He chuckled at her. "Don't worry, she knows,"

"Figured as much," she turned back in her seat with a smug smile. "Ari and I just found out that Ronnie's hot for teacher!" Her voice raised to a gleeful cackle.

"Yeah, they're totally smoochin'!" Ari called from the back.

Taran's cheeks flushed, but he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from turning up. He caught Maya watching him from the rear-view mirror. He shrugged and gave her a smile. They'd talk about it later, of course, but for now, he was sure that Maya could sense how he was feeling: a bubbling, giddy kind of lightness. The same sort of feeling he got flying for the first time.