Dr. Stone Cold's Adventure (18+)(YellowMelon and 3ruri)(Private)

[YellowMelon]

Spoiler

 

Height | 5'9"

Hair | brown

Eyes | green

 

Name: Andrew McCain

Age: 28

Occupation: Unemployed

Personality: Toddler Andrew took a lot of things personally. He was an outgoing individual who really wanted to be friends with everyone, so would cry easily when he was ignored or unwelcomed. Eventually, he overcame the needing to be liked and was known to have an easygoing attitude in school. He disregarded criticism or any ill-will towards him, making it a goal of his to focus more on himself. Some insecurities, however, that he was bullied in school for carried over to adulthood, although he still holds himself with confidence on the outside. His friends joke that he would rather die than accept a compliment because he genuinely never accepts a compliment. He doesn’t mind being the center of attention or being in the background, as some days he can still be incessantly talkative, mostly when stressed, while he can also have quiet days. Due to wanting the best for his coworkers and friends, he always sticks up for them if someone upsets them (which explains his unemployment status), be there at a drop of a hat if needed and gives them space when wanted without taking any personal offence.

Past: As a single child, Andrew was quick to mature due to having so many responsibilities around the house at a young age. His mother and father were both hard working parents who frequently worked late hours well-beyond sunset. When they finally came home, Andrew would have dinner made, the house cleaned, laundry done, and other chores completed as a way to express his love and appreciation for his parents. All of them barely uttered the words “I love you” but their actions said enough for their family dynamic. Throughout his years, he has built quite the resume by working as a cashier, waiter, a delivery driver, a hotel receptionist, and a valet. He has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and obtained a teaching certification but couldn’t find an available job within the area he lived; thus, leading to previously listed non-degree related occupations. He still wishes to become a kindergarten teacher, but he needs to earn enough money to move to a more suitable location with better related job opportunities. His ultimate dream is to open his own daycare, although he seeks to have no children of his own.

_______________________________________________________________

Quote

To: Andrew McCain

From: Samantha Smith

Subject: REMINDER: Winner!

 

Dear Andrew McCain,

 

Congratulations!

You are the winner who will get to meet Doctor Stone on the new reality show Dr. Stone Cold’s Adventure. You will go on many adventures with the superhero Dr. Stone, so we wish you the best of luck when your journey starts.  

An SUV will come to pick you up at 8:00 AM. Please be ready. 

 

Yours truly,

Samantha Smith

The brunette still couldn’t believe he had won the contest, even as he sat in the backseat of the silver SUV. He could barely sleep through the night without constantly checking the reminder email, making sure that he had the right day. He set his alarm for 7:00 AM but woke up at 6:00 AM sharp and was unable to go back to sleep no matter how long he kept his eyes shut. He worried about his appearance. Was he dressed properly? He stared at his faint reflection in the window. A white button up dress shirt with black dress pants was the best outfit he could come up with that wasn’t casual wear. His shoes, on the other hand, were less formal, donning on black boots. Andrew was suddenly taken by surprise as the SUV pulled up the gravel driveway and outside the windows were several cameras directed at him. It seemed as though the show had already started. Was he late? 

Andrew stepped out of the car and the door slammed behind him. Before he could fully register what was going on, he was immediately pulled toward the far end of the white tent. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of the star: Doctor Stone, surrounded by makeup artists, and wearing a tuxedo. Now, he felt completely underdressed; however, that feeling would not be for long. Andrew was pulled to a spot where there were no cameras present. He was presented with a bright red tuxedo jacket and matching dress pants. The next thing he knew he was being stripped of his pants and rushed to put on the new outfit. His boots were discarded for black, leather dress shoes with a slight heel. A makeup artist came pushing strands of hair out of his face and adding a bit of color to his pale skin.

“Wait—” he started, clearly bewildered, as he was dropped off in front of Dr. Stone and back in front of the cameras again. 

“And, finally, Andrew McCain, the soon-to-be-spouse of Dr. Stone is here.” A blonde haired lady spoke into the microphone while standing in front of the two men. “I’m Samantha Smith, host of Dr. Stone Cold’s Adventure, and we welcome all viewers to this new show. Right now we are here with the super hero Dr. Stone as he exchanges vows with  Andrew. I know there a lot of jealous people out there who wish they had won this contest, but please wish the best for these two as they seem to make a very cute couple.” Samantha then stepped out of the camera view and the camera monitor showed a zoomed out view of the two stars. “Now, Andrew, please say your vow first.”

Andrew stared blankly at the camera, then at the taller individual in front of him, and back at the camera. “Was-was I supposed to have something prepared?” He genuinely questioned, only for Samantha to mouth “Just say something.” Was this even part of the contract? Andrew turned to face Dr. Stone and started speaking, “From the depths of my heart, I really love you, and wish for you to take me as your husband. Forever and for always please be with me,” he smiled proudly, “Dr. Rock.” 

Samantha had thought the words were sweet, something that would be well-received by viewers, until Andrew messed up. Perhaps they chose the wrong contestant.

“No,” Andrew suddenly added, his green eyes widened, “Dr. Stone….or was it Boulder?” He mumbled the last part to himself, loud enough only his counterpart to hear but not for the microphones to pick up. Oh well, it was good enough.

“Now onto Dr. Stone,” the host emphasized the superhero’s name, “Please share your vow.” 

[3ruri]

Spoiler

 

Name: Caspian Crowe 

Superhero name: Doctor Stone

Age: 31 years old

Height: 6' 2"

Eye/Hair color: Hazel/Black

Real Occupation: Professor of Mineralogy / Mineralogist

Side Occupation: Reluctant Superhero (semi-retired)

Abilities: Chemical decomposition (This allows him to manipulate things like steel, alloy, etc into simpler composition and break them. Useful in helping trapped people under hostage situation or collapsed building)

Personality: Aloof type of person and a Mr-Know-It-All. Prefers to work alone and not really open for company. Hates attention. 

Past: Caspian didn't use his power much in his younger days. He was scouted by the government to work on special rescues. Due to his success in recovering trapped victims during an earthquake, people had dubbed him as a superhero, but because of his unfriendly attitude, they started to see him in a negative light. In recent days, he was dubbed "Doctor Stone Cold" because of his unapproachable manner.

 

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If Caspian knew that this was what he had to deal with, he would have kicked Samantha Smith and her crews out of his home when they visited. Two months ago, the woman that was standing in front of him and shoving the microphone to his mouth had came by with an offer to restore his somewhat tarnished superhero image. To be honest, he didn't give a damn about the superhero bullshit. The only reason he ever become one was because his mother had always told him he needed to do good things in life in order to balance out the bad ones. Not like he ever done any bad things, but maybe he had been a little cruel to people here and there. It wasn't his fault, really. It was just his personality. You can't just please everyone and if they hated you for it there was nothing much you can do. But Samantha smith had came up with a good proposal. Caspian was to go on an adventure, completing sets of tasks and show the members of public he was a normal human being with a little extra ability. Sounds simple enough and since Caspian was taking a break from teaching, going around the continent sounds like a good idea. He was also looking forward to collect some mineral samples for his journal. It sounded like a good deal at the time and Caspian even gave it a two-weeks thought before accepting. 

It turned out he missed the fine print completely.

As soon as he arrived at the venue, he was dragged to one of the tents - much like what happened to the new guy - and was dressed in a tuxedo. A couple of guys might have suffered from a punch or two at the sudden attack, but Samantha had showed him a copy of the contract he had signed and pointed at the finest print he had ever seen - probably a size 5 font - saying he was obligated to complete the one-year reality program with a spouse chosen by the production crew. Breaking the contract means severe repercussions. In other words, endless lawsuits. Caspian had never wanted to drop a ten tonne brick on someone like he did at that moment. He sucked in his breath, exhaled and told them he would get ready on his own or God help him.

Glaring at the guy dressed in a red tuxedo - really, can anything be more striking than that? - Caspian corrected him. "You could at least get your husband's name right. It's Caspian. You're marrying Caspian Crowe. Doctor Stone is just a stage name." He took the opportunity to glare at Samantha as well, and the perky woman just smiled and brushed off the comment.

"Yes, Doctor Stone - Caspian, your vows please," she urged him.

Caspian gritted his teeth and counted to ten in silence to keep himself calm. "Andrew, although it had been a very short time, I will promise to tolerate you, keep you out of trouble and stay by your side for as long as this show...ehemm... as long as we shall live. I will cherish you for all your flaws and foolishness, because that's what love is. Thank you for wanting to be my husband." 

As soon as he finished his words, Samantha clapped her hands and so did the people milling around for the show . The minister that was officiating their nuptial then called for the rings. He blessed them and after the grooms exchanged the rings, the announcement came. "With the power vested in me, I now pronounced you two, husbands. You may kiss each other."

Caspian wished for a lightning to appear and strike him right then and there.

 

 

 

[YellowMelon]

Whoever the person Andrew was marrying, he didn’t know him personally and he honestly didn’t care much about getting his darn name correct. Honestly, his sole purpose in entering the contest and signing the contract was to get money from appearing on the show. He disregarded whatever was written in the contract and signed his name blindly in hopes of making it big on the television show. He wasn’t extremely familiar with this superhero, or any superhero, as he was busy living a normal life himself.  When Caspian gave him his actual name, the reprimand went in one ear and out the other.  

McCain listened closely to the vow, clinging onto every word, deciding if it was better than his. Exchanging vows was not a competition, but he felt he had definitely been more sincere than Caspian’s, albeit shorter. What did he mean by “tolerate”? They didn’t even know each other and he already deemed him to be troublesome. Well, what more could he expect of someone who didn’t want to be in this position, much like him.  Caspian did not do much to hide a disgruntled expression while Andrew tried hard to force a smile as he placed a gold band around his now husband’s ring finger.

“Kiss?!” Andrew exclaimed, although he really shouldn’t have been shocked. Every wedding sealed the deal with a kiss, and a television wedding was no exception. They had to be believable at least. The brunette looked up at the taller man, waiting for him to initiate a lock on the lips first; however, in the end, Andrew had to take the initiative. A hand reached up and grabbed the collar of Dr. Stone’s tuxedo shirt, roughly pulling the man down to match in height. “Alright, Mr. Crowe, let’s get this over with.” 

Andrew’s lips softly met that of his husband’s for a brief moment, giving a simple and quick peck on the lips, before releasing his grasp on Caspian. He then turned away from the camera and casually wiped the back of his hand on his lips. A childish act, yes, but this was a moment the contestant was set on forgetting.

Samantha watched the unromantic, unsensual kiss, and was not impressed. If looks could kill, hers would have destroyed Caspian when Andrew turned his back. Had he not agreed to this show? Did he not want it to get good ratings? “I’m sure you two will become more comfortable with each other as time passes by,” she spoke cheerily, “Now, let’s have a real kiss.” While the tone of her voice didn’t change, her words were said firmly. Andrew rocked a little uncomfortably as Samantha stared down the both of them. He couldn’t understand why the dynamics of this kiss mattered so much. Did it promote some fanbase? Did Dr. Stone even have a fanbase?

“Caspian, don’t you want to show a different side of you?” She provoked.

[3ruri]

Andrew - his new spouse- certainly had the guts to come up with 'let's get this over with'. That should have been his line. He wanted the show to be done this instance and get rid of the tuxedo, and he didn't mean it in a way that he and Andrew would be getting busy in the sack. He knew close to nothing about this guy and he was saddled with him for the rest of the shooting? He can't even stand his students and they changed every semester, let alone a guy he had to spend time with in close space. Darn it, were they going to live together in his one-bedroom cottage? On his double bed where his feet sometimes hanged out over the mattress because of his height? 

Caspian was so close to stomp off and leave the site, lawsuits be damned. But Andrew - his husband - pulled him into a sloppy kiss that even he had to agree with Samantha how bad it looked. Not that he wanted to kiss like they were starring in adult films. He was a scholar and scholars don't kiss like they were starring with video hoes. Darn it again! He can't believe such low class words even crossed his minds. This was a result from confisticating his student's phone mid-lecture. From the look of the message, it sounded like he already had a budding career as a pimp. Why was he in a Minerology 101 class, Caspian didn't know and didn't care. 

He didn't appreciate Samantha's tone, though. He wasn't going to let her walk over him. Caspian made a quick calculation of his savings over the years. He knew he had enough to fight the law suit. But when he turned to look at the other guy, with his clear green eyes, Caspian wondered what was his story. He didn't care one bit, but for someone to get roped up with something like this, Andrew could be in trouble if Caspian pull away. He recalled what his mother had said about the balance between good and bad, and he sighed. At least they chose a pretty one for him. 

Resolved, Caspian pulled Andrew's waist to bring their bodies flushed together. He bent down, aiming for the lips of the shorter man and like a natural, kissed his softly at first before he deepened it and added a little touch of his tongue. He didn't count, but he reckoned it was about one minute long, give or take. Enough to live some bruises on Andrew's lips and Samantha a reason to jump gleefully. 

"They could at least rub some lip balm on you if they want us to kiss. That some chapped lips you got there," Caspian said, just low enough for Andrew to hear before he released the trim waist and straightened his tuxedo like he was just done with his first task for the show.

[YellowMelon]

Samantha must have really got to Mr. Crowe. That was the only thought that crossed Andrew’s mind when he was suddenly pulled in for another kiss. One that had the camera crew whistling and a few girls clapping. Andrew wasn’t one to go limp from being kissed by a superhero, who was quite the experienced kisser, so he naturally slid his arms around Caspian’s neck, holding him closer. Although his hold may have been a little tight, he hoped he contributed to the show as much as the older man did. The comment Caspian made before he completely pulled away, though, made Andrew remember what kind of person his coworker really was and once again he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. If there was ever a next time, although he strongly hoped there wouldn’t, he would make sure to coat his lips with lipstick so Caspian was covered in it. 

“Let’s congratulate our newlyweds once again,” Samantha continued to narrate the show, “And come with us as we bring them to their home. We’ll also interview them on their way there.” Her voice went a slight octave higher when she mentioned the interview, indicating that it was something to look forward to.

Andrew found himself in the same silver SUV that brought him here except with more people. The vehicle could hold a total of eight passengers and seven were occupied. A chauffeur sat in the driver’s seat while the front passenger’s seat was occupied by a cameraman. There were two additional cameramen taking up space in the back seats  with  the two stars and host of the show sat in the middle row. Samantha was in the center with Andrew on her right and Caspian on her left. She held colored index cards in her hand which supposedly held the questions she was going to ask.

“Alright, it’s time to get to know our stars. Let’s start with a question for Andrew.” Samantha made no attempt to tilt her body to the said person, only staring at the camera in front of her. “How old is Caspian?”

Andrew could not help feeling uncomfortable and cramped with the bulky camera pointed in his face and the cameras behind him. He unconsciously started to shake his leg as he looked out the window. Samantha’s speaking was simply a background noise and when the first question was asked to him he genuinely didn’t hear it. 

“Andrew.” Samantha said sharply, giving him a slight nudge to his side with her elbow.

The younger male turned his head, looking at the host. 

“How old is Caspian?” The question was repeated.

McCain leaned his body slightly forward to look at Dr. Stone. He mentally took note of his facial features, his dark black hair, and his hazel eyes. From a quick glance he would guess mid-thirties but the facial hair was throwing him off. He stared at Caspian longer, imagining his clean shaven, which would give him a younger look. Andrew fell back against his seat, thinking more about the question, as though it was meant to be a trick question when it was a simple answer. A number. There was nothing to lose, right? 

“Forty?” He guessed in a serious manner, looking Samantha straight in the eye, then giving a quick chuckle. “No,” he briefly closed his eyes, once again imagining a clean shaven man, “Twenty-nine. Final answer.” Andrew reopened his eyes, silently hoping that Caspian was at least on the younger side. He didn’t know if he could hide his fear if his husband ended up being a decade older than him. 

“Close, but two years off.” Samantha hinted. Andrew didn’t question whether it was two years younger or older, for he knew that much was obvious.

“Thirty-one, then.” He glanced over at Caspian as if waiting for confirmation while Samantha simply continued with her next card.

“Caspian next. Do you know what Andrew does for a living?” A trick question. 

 

[3ruri]

For some reason, Caspian knew this was coming. Although the SUV was rather spacious, it was rather cramped with all the equipment, crew, Samantha and his husband riding in there. Normally Caspian drove alone and he'd prefer to keep it that way. Alas, this was part of the contract, having his privacy invaded. The room for his legs was also limited. He couldn't cross them over the other or stretched it under the seats. Thankfully the drive home was only twenty minutes long...unless they took the scenic route.

When Samantha directed the question about his age, Caspian almost roll his eyes, but to maintain his image on screen, the refrained himself. When Andrew blurted forty, Caspian's eyes almost bulged out of his eyes. He knew he wasn't supermodel hot, but he's damn good looking and his body was fit, he was a superhero after all, even though he was pretty much on hiatus. He had a full head of luscious black hair - yes, luscious because he only used the best bath products - clear hazel eyes and neatly trimmed beard. These days, beards were men's accessory, and he took care of it meticulously. 

Then Andrew corrected himself and changed his answer to twenty nine. That was a nice safe, but Caspian would remember that for a long time. He was thirty-effing- one year old and he looked his age. With Samantha's help, Andrew managed to guess his age correctly but it was time for something worse - it was his turn to answer next. 

Caspian wondered whether he should get back at Andrew for the age thing, but that would just make him look petty on camera. He studied the figure next to Samantha. He was good looking, like he thought earlier, rather pretty. Maybe the lips could use some attention, and he meant lip balm and not his own lips, because why would he kiss dry lips? He'd rather kiss his stone collection. But the kiss wasn't bad. The guy at least responded and not stand there like an stupefied gazelle. He gasped when Samantha elbowed him sharply on the ribs, making Caspian aware once again that the camera was rolling. Right, he needed to hazard a guess for what the guy did for a living.

"You look like someone who works indoor. You have nice fingers, so, a musician?" Caspian answered. He noticed how slender Andrew's fingers were when he put on the wedding ring. They were slightly calloused, but they're still nice looking. That's why he thought Andrew played music. "Cellist, maybe?"

[YellowMelon]

Andrew didn’t know what the goal was for Samantha to ask a question about his occupation, knowing full-well that he was currently jobless. It was already embarrassing to think about, and she wanted the whole world to know. With Caspian guessing that he worked indoors, Andrew immediately looked at him, surprised that he could tell that his past jobs involved him being indoors. The only exceptions were a delivery driver and a valet but those didn’t require hard labor, so, as far as Andrew was concerned, he was on point. Then his guessing became less impressive and the brunette turned his head away. Caspian was giving him too much credit, and the difficult part was knowing if be was making a genuine guess or if he secretly knew he was unemployed and was teasing him. If that was the case, he was sitting beside two complete asses.

“I had a lot of indoor jobs,” the brunette confirmed without sparing a glance at the superhero, his gaze straight ahead, “But a musician wasn’t one of them.” 

Samantha waited for the contestant to directly answer the question, to say he was unemployed or to list the prior jobs he had, but she only received silence. “Andrew is currently unemployed, but he dreams of becoming a kindergarten teacher and opening a daycare.” 

The younger man couldn’t help but to smile at the last sentiment. He was already a twenty-nine year old man and she mentioned his dreams as if he was an elementary school student wanting to become a teacher, as though he hadn’t had time to become one and it just didn’t happen. As if he hadn’t wasted a majority of his life while still keeping the same dream, and he didn’t even want an extravagant occupation. Truly, he judged himself more than anyone else could in this one moment. 

“What is Caspian a professor of?” 

Without having to say his name, Andrew knew it was his turn because. obviously, the professor very much knew what his occupation was. “Rocks.” He answered half-heartedly. 

“No, mineralogy,” Samantha corrected, “And you’ve been a professor for how many years, Caspian?” She questioned, attempting to get interest back into the interview as their destination was coming near. 

[3ruri]

Great, an unemployed husband. So that's why he joined the show, so he could get the money at the end of the journey? Caspian's mood darkened, but at Samantha's mention of Andrew wanting to open a daycare, Caspian was stunned silence. So Andrew liked kids, which was not strange because a lot of people liked kids. Not many people knew about the reason why he became a superhero, most of them thought it was because of something selfish, but he agreed to join the government-recruit-superhero program because of children. Children being trapped in collapsed building, children being held hostage, child trafficking and slavery...he heard so much of those so when the authorities asked for his help to save some children who were trapped in a school building, Caspian jumped without hesitation. Apparently, he and Andrew had something in common. Slightly, his impression on Andrew McCain changed for the better.

"I've been tenured for six years. I'm on a sabbatical leave right now to work on my next journal." Thus his reason for accepting the contract. "I think people who go into teaching profession is admirable. Knowledge is a vast thing and for you to share with people who are not aware, then to give them the privilege of learning, is something I respect. So I hope my new husband would be able to do that soon." His statement didn't just shock Samantha and the crew, but also himself. But the words came sincerely from his heart and he looked at Andrew hoping it reached him. 

"Awww, that is so sweet. Such a loving husband already!" Samantha cooed in a high-pitched voice. Caspian hoped she would tamp down her excitement a little because it was getting more annoying by the second. "Anyway, Doctor Stone, now that you have a husband, we are looking forward to see how you two get along. And what best to do that by monitoring your married life together!" A soon as she made the announcement, the crew opened the door and revealed that they had arrived at Caspian's cottage. It was a modest size, with picket fence and lush garden. "Welcome to Doctor Stone's love nest! Such a cute little place for the newlyweds to spend time getting to know each other before the start of the adventure!" Samantha said to the camera. "Oh My God! You know what, it's customary for the husband to carry their bride, I mean, spouse over the threshold of their house. So Doctor Stone, show us your super strength and carry Andrew into your cottage!"

Edited January 7, 2021 by 3ruri

[YellowMelon]

If Andrew had been a student in Caspian’s class and it was announced that he had been teaching for six years, he would have immediately thought that this guy was old, no matter their three year age gap. He wondered how well-liked, if at all, Caspian was by his students. Sure, there had to be some brown-nosers who would like Mr. Crowe no matter what, but the majority probably disliked him. He certainly gave a nasty first impression that Andrew wouldn’t ever forget. The same could probably be said about him, but he knew that Samantha and the rest of the production team were holding higher standards for Caspian. That being said, of course he wouldn’t be able to get away with anything, but he wasn’t going to act like he loved the superhero when he didn’t, no matter how many compliments he received from the man. 

“I’ll share something but it won’t be my knowledge.” Andrew remarked under his breath, unaware that one of the cameramen behind him was very close to him while the other was responsible for Caspian. The comment he made was clearly picked up by the microphone attached to the camera, making it audible to everyone. What “knowledge” was Caspian even referring to? Comparing himself to the real star of the show, he thought of his role as synonymous to a costume prop. Although that certainly didn’t bother him, he could make do without the other’s flowery words which he believed were only spoken for show purposes, much like their vows. However, the vow was more honest than what was being said in this SUV ride. 

As soon as the car doors opened, McCain stepped outside and stretched his arms. It was a short ride but it had certainly been cramped. He stared at the designated living space in front of him. It was cute and he already liked the exterior design of it except for the color choice. The house seemed to blend in with the greenery, and the yellow trim around the door and windows was a bit off-putting. The picket fence was a nice touch though. 

“How many people have you had enter your love nest, Doctor Stone, or am I your first?” the younger man teased. He knew he was first for the show, but he was sure Caspian knew exactly what he was implying. 

“Slow down,” Andrew suddenly turned to Samantha and took one large step away from Caspian, “Don’t you think that’s an outdated tradition?” No, it wasn’t. “And I think if I have two legs I should be able to use them.” He inched a bit closer to the picket fence. He wouldn't have minded the tradition if it was his own, authentic wedding, but he wasn’t too keen on having Caspian pick him up, especially if he wasn’t going to be gentle about it. 

“Come on, Andrew, don’t be shy,” the host chimed as she stood next to Caspian, “And once you do this we’ll leave you two alone.” She then winked at the camera. The show was rated TV-14 but would include a warning of possible mature themes at the beginning of the broadcast. This mostly referred to language and possible graphic imagery if an adventure went awry, but editing cuts would make it possible for a TV-14 rating. 

“I’ll only agree to it if you carry me over your shoulder like you’re carrying a sack of potatoes.” He looked at Caspian dead in his hazel eyes. 

“A strange request,” Samantha noted, “But happy husband, happy life.” The blonde pat Caspian on his back. “Remember to do well and your ratings will skyrocket.” She pulled her microphone away as she made the remark. “It’s only a year, then maybe you’ll get a new spouse next year if this show really takes off.” 

[3ruri]

Andrew's reply was rather weird, Caspian thought, but he didn't know much about the guy, so he reserved his comment for now. For all he knew, Andrew might be a different brand of weird, but that was fine. Even though Caspian didn't like dealing with people, he'd met enough to know how to handle them. He never shared a living space with anybody but his family before, but that was only until he was eighteen, and it wasn't a house as modest as his one-bedroom cottage.

"It wasn't a nest, more like bachelor pad," Caspian had no care of what people would think of him with his confession. He had been with other people before, but non too serious. He never liked them enough to show them his house. Andrew should consider himself lucky. Caspian took his privacy very seriously and to have it invaded with cameras for the whole nation to see, and to have a stranger come live with him was a big leap. He realized he was doing a lot of things he wasn't happy about just to build up a reputation he didn't care. He didn't want to be recognize or for people to like him. He wanted to be able to do his job properly. Then why did he agreed to it?

Maybe because I needed this adventure, Caspian thought to himself. He wasn't an adrenaline junkie. To be honest, while rescuing people from their demise, all he felt was fear for not being able to save them. There were limitations to his powers, that was for sure. Every superhero experienced the same too and Caspian rather prefer not be be summoned because being summoned to a rescue meant someone was facing a difficulty. He understood the helplessness of not being able to do anything in dire situation. 

So it explained a lot when Andrew would only allow himself to be carried like a sack of potatoes. The normal way a groom would carry a bride would make him feel too much like a damsel in distress. Caspian drew his own conclusion that Andrew didn't like to be at a disadvantage - who would like to be in such situation? Certainly not Caspian. And Samantha's comment irked him some more. Looking for a husband was never what he intended in the first place. He knew he had difficulties getting along with people, let alone being civil to them, so why make both parties suffer? The only outcome he wanted from the show was the chance to go collect mineral sample, finish writing his journal and let people see that he was just a normal human being with a unique talent so they would just leave him alone in the end. He would have a word with Samantha later about her attitude. He wasn't a pushover and even with the signed contract, Caspian was allowed to do things his way.

"A happy husband means, he didn't have to carry a sack of potato over his shoulder," Caspian said as he turned around and made his way to the front door. It was unlocked, why was he not surprised. These people were invading his life. Caspian pushed the door wide - as wide as the door would allow and turned back to Andrew and the recording cameras. "Welcome to our love nest, Andy. I hope this humble abode will help nurture our love for each other," he said with flourish, adding an exaggerating welcoming gesture with his hands. 

[YellowMelon]

“I hope so too,” Andrew replied cheerfully as he followed behind Caspian and stepped inside of the cottage. He was glad the older man had decided to let him walk into the living space himself and not be carried into it. The only person who seemed to be disappointed was Samantha, but who really cared about her. ”How long have you lived here?” He questioned the homeowner, standing beside him. He was honestly surprised that they decided to use Caspian’s house for the television show. He thought they would have rented out a different place. He wasn’t disappointed, but he was definitely surprised at how Caspian could tolerate this all because he knew he certainly wouldn’t have allowed it if he had to give the key of place house to a group of strangers.

The interior design of the house was rather pleasant. The hardwood flooring looked as though it had been freshly waxed and the furniture appeared to be newly bought. The spotless appearance was either because of the show or Caspian had a great cleaning habit. Andrew didn’t learn toward one suspicion over the other as both were possible. Several cameramen came in and did a quick sweep of the house, checking on the cameras which were set up in each room and showed a thumbs up to Samantha when they left. Andrew, himself, was unaware of the situation, so only assumed it meant they could finally be left alone.

“We thank you for joining us today and look forward to following the adventures of Doctor Stone and his husband next time.” With that closing, recording stopped and Samantha was once again between Caspian and Andrew, a line up which they would have to get used to. “As promised, we will now leave you alone so you two can get to know each other better and perhaps discuss the dynamics of your relationship because today was unsightly. Maybe work on showing more affection.” The host made her way to the still-open entrance when man bypassed her and settled a suitcase on the ground. “In there are your clothes, Andrew, and a few other stuff we decided to provide for you. See you guys later.” 

The sight of the door closing behind Samantha made Andrew relieved. What he wanted to do right now was change into something more comfortable, but a full outfit change could wait. Instead, he slipped off his red tuxedo jacket and gently dropped it on the suitcase, then unbuttoned the cuffs and top button of his dress shirt. He looked at Caspian in silence. He felt more awkward in the sole presence of his husband than when he had been surrounded by others, especially since he felt even more like he was invading his home. 

“Am I allowed to touch things?” He honestly asked, wanting to be respectful. It was unlikely that Caspian would say no, as that would make it quite difficult for them to live together, but Andrew didn’t think it would be well-mannered to go around touching anything that was not his. He never assumed that just because he was invited over to someone’s house he could freely treat it as though it were his own. For him, that was common sense. 
 

[3ruri]

Caspian almost pumped his fist in the air when the crew and the annoying host - Samantha - left his house. But having Andrew there, he kept his little joy to himself. The joy however, was short lived when he saw the big luggage. It wasn't like Caspian was possessive of his space, but the thought of having to make room for Andrew in his closet made it feel too intimate. Not just clothes - underwear, socks, hygiene products, they had to learn to share space. "What the hell did I get myself into," he said to himself while raking his fingers in his thick hair. 

"I would rather you not. But here we are, stuck in a contract with the most ridiculous fine print that should be banned by law. Fell free to touch anything that you feel appropriate to touch. Kitchen, living room, bathroom, they're all accessible. My office though, I would appreciate you not temper anything in there. I have several prized minerals and study materials in there that I would prefer to stay in their current condition." Caspian was not as attached to the other rooms in the house as he was attached to his office. It was cluttered with books, papers and a lot of exhibits that he had uncovered from excavation sites. He had a few collections of rare menerals - bismuthinite, tourmaline and boleite -  nothing that would make him a billionaire, but those were his valuable possessions, the fruit of the knowledge he discovered from earth. 

In the beginning, people dubbed him as "Doctor Stone" because during his first rescue mission, he was able to separate the composition of the rubble the victims were trapped under and made them breakable, allowing their escape. They only found out about his real profession after the incident as someone who studied rocks, like Andrew had thought of him earlier. His parents had wondered why he was fascinated in such things. To Caspian, dealing with rocks - minerals - or any other elements were much simpler than human. It didn't factor into his life until now.

"Why don't I show you to the bedroom," he said, resigned. The faster he got Andrew to settle, the faster they can talk about their arrangement. His bedroom was at the end of the small hallway, passing his office and kitchen. It was neat and organized, just like the rest of his house. His office might be a little cluttered, but not his living space. "You can push some of my clothes to the side to fit your in. I'll clear a drawer or two for you as well. I think the bed would fit us, but if you're not comfortable, there's always the sofa..." he said, wondering if that was the better arrangement. But then again, there were cameras everywhere and he didn't want Samantha to get on their case. He moved to the bed so Andrew could start unpacking. 

"So...how are we doing this, husband of mine?" He let the question lingered in the air between them. How comfortable would Andrew be in playing house together?

[YellowMelon]

Instead of rolling the suitcase, afraid he would damage the hardwood floor, Andrew picked the luggage up by its handle. Although it was a large size, it wasn’t as heavy as he thought it would be. Honestly, he didn’t know what Samantha was referring to when mentioning "other stuff" in the bag. Hopefully it was hygiene products, as he hadn’t been told to pack that for the show, and he wasn’t particularly keen on sharing just yet. It wasn’t that Andrew couldn’t share or wouldn’t be willing to share if Caspian offered to, but he really did want to respect the other as much as possible despite what the aim of the show was. 

Andrew followed Caspian down the hallway and into the bedroom. There wasn’t much to look at in the bedroom, although what he saw was typical furniture for such a space. There was a double bed, a bedside table with a lamp on it, and a dresser. A window and closet were also part of the room but they obviously did not take up much area. The brunette placed his suitcase next to the dresser with his red jacket on top, the same position as they had been before. He then promptly sat himself next to Caspian on the bed with about a foot space between them. 

“My belongings can stay in the suitcase.” He stated, again for the reason of not wanting to overstep any boundaries. So, what if his clothes were wrinkled because of it? The costume designer could keep dressing him if that was really a problem for the show. “And, if you’re certain the bed won’t break, then I wouldn’t mind sleeping together.” Andrew bounced slightly on the mattress, testing the durability of the bed frame. It didn’t snap or creak. It was sturdy enough with the two men sitting on it so he was sure it would be fine when they would lie together. 

“Samantha made a strong point,” Andrew suddenly responded to start answering the question, “We should work on intimacy.” It was painfully clear that they were not intimate individuals but production would likely cut their first kiss out and bypass the sack of potatoes comment he made earlier. “When this airs, they’ll likely make it out as though we fell in love at first sight and we'll be asked what we like about the other person at one time or another because of it. We should think about what we will say when that happens.” While that wasn’t something they would have to agree upon, it was something to consider.

“From now on, we're going to be expected to kiss without being told to do so, hold hands, and stand really close to each other sometimes.” Those were the main points he could think of. “We might also need to come up with nicknames.” Andrew sincerely shuddered at the thought. “What was it that you had in mind, Mr. Crowe?” Ironically, there he went with the formality again. 

Edited January 8, 2021 by YellowMelon

[3ruri]

Even though Caspian was showing nothing but calm when he let Andrew into his space, the other man didn't appear keen to take his offer. Instead of packing his belongings into the closet, he took a seat next to Caspian on bed. So this guy wasn't timid, he was only reserved, Caspian thought. He could do with that. He had harder times dealing with people like Samantha more. But if he was to open his house to someone, he needed the person to reciprocate, meaning he needed Andrew to treat it the way Caspian had been taking care of his space since he first moved in. 

"I don't mind giving you space in the closet and also on the bed. I won't deny you the basic necessities. They might call me Doctor Stone, but I do have a human heart," said Caspian, wanting to be clear with Andrew that he wasn't the Stone Cold Doctor his haters called him. "I would trust you to take care of them the way I do, at the very least." Sharing his space was a good start for the topic they were getting deeper into.

"First of all, we need to get some things straight. One, Mr. Crowe is my father, or grandfather. I am Professor Crowe, or Dr. Crowe," he started, going straight to the most important issue. "I should be Caspian to you. Samantha might suggest darling, or sweetheart, but please, we both know I'm none of those." He knew they were going to have to pretend they're in love with each other, but calling endearments such as that would only induce cringe. "As for intimacy, if we must, we could set how many times we should show them. Three kisses a day, half an hour cuddle on the couch...would that do the trick?" Caspian didn't think he was relationship-stunted, but he had never been in the situation that would describe him as a loving partner. 

Caspian paused and turned to open the drawer of his nightstand. He took out a small grey box and held it out on his palm. He never had the reason to have it in his possession, but during an excavation in Brazil two years ago, he unearthed a perfect tear-shaped green tourmaline. Caspian wasn't one who would wear jewelry, but when he returned from the trip, he had gone to the goldsmith and had the precious gem fitted to a ring. Caspian opened the box and held it out to Andrew. "They already picked our wedding ring for us, but this could be my engagement ring to you." He held out his other hand, silently asking for Andrew to put his on top of it. It was a simple gold ring with the green tourmaline encased on top. When Caspian looked at Andrew, he noticed the gem was the same color of his new husband's eyes. "Looks like this ring had found its owner."

Spoiler

 

[YellowMelon]

All of the points Caspian made were valid points when sharing a space, but Andrew would need to get a bit more comfortable for him to start unpacking his bags into a closet that was not his own. However, now he was considering hanging up the more formal attire he wore now, mostly because the jacket, pants, and shoes he had worn for the wedding ceremony were not his. He didn’t want to be scolded by Samantha if he let those pieces of clothing get wrinkled. 

Before Andrew could comment on the nicknaming and intimacy suggestions, he was being presented with an engagement ring. It was absolutely stunning. This was the first piece of jewelry he had ever received in his twenty-eight years and it didn’t disappoint. For a split second, Andrew showed hesitation in giving his hand to Caspian, as if giving the man a very brief moment to take back his decision, but when the ring finally slipped onto his wedding finger, on top of his gold band, he knew it was his...for the show. He couldn’t imagine that something this precious would be given up by Caspian permanently. Still, he didn’t hold back a smile and immediately wrapped his arms around Caspian's body, hugging him tightly. “I’ll make sure to keep it safe until our contracts are over.”

He pulled away from Caspian to admire the ring on his finger again. At this moment he genuinely felt like he had been proposed to. Soon, though, he went back to business mode. His posture, however, was less stiff, and he scooted closer to the man beside him so their thighs touched each other. “Anyway, Dr. Crowe,” he continued, clearly having ignored the part of being told to use Caspian, for the second time today, “I think three kisses a day should do the trick.” As for cuddling, he wondered if just sitting really close together like they were now would suffice instead. “Let’s start with three kisses a day and we can upgrade to cuddling some other time.” 

Andrew stood from the bed and began to unbutton his dress shirt, not thinking much of it. “I’ll hang up this shirt in your closet.” He mentioned as he now knelt in front of his suitcase, shirtless. He pulled out a navy t-shirt and slipped it over his head before hanging up the dress shirt in the closet. After closing the closet door, he returned to the bed. This time though he sat on the opposite side of Caspian and faced the wall. “You know, you may be an old man, but you have a nice house.” He clearly teased, shifting his body slightly toward the other individual. “When did you buy this place?”
 

Edited January 8, 2021 by YellowMelon
Caspian is old

[3ruri]

Caspian was taken aback by the hug, but he leaned into it and wrapped his arms briefly around Andrew. The guy smelled nice, it wasn't a strong cologne smell, but it appealed to him. Some people overdid it with their fragrances, like a certain host they knew, but Andrew's scent was more natural. That was a plus point. He would hate to empty Andrew's cologne into the toilet if he was wearing something that burned his nostril. 

"It's Caspian," Caspian corrected, wondering if Andrew only did that just to spite him. "Good, we agreed on three kisses a day. Who will be the one to initiate it?" Caspian lifted a brow, a habit of his when he was posing a challenge. He wouldn't mind initiating the kiss, and to be honest, he preferred it that way because judging from their first kiss after exchanging the vows, Andrew could use a little more practice before he could get to Caspian's level. 

Caspian's stare was met with Andrew's bare back, however, and it shut him up for a second. Andrew was leaner compared to him, but he had a very nice back. He was pleased that Andrew wasn't all skin and bones, though he could still make out Andrew's spine and shoulder blade, he was quite toned for his size. 

"I bought this place almost four years ago," Caspian answered in a single breath, pulling his gaze away from Andrew's now covered back. Their wedding was a farce, so it wont do them good if Caspian and Andrew somehow got tangled up in something sexual. It would make things more complicated and messy. He wouldn't mind being celibate; although he could sense a big temptation coming his way in the form of a very good looking man now legally his husband. He needed to clear his thoughts about it fast before his pants grew tight.

"If you insist on calling me an old man or Dr. Crowe, I'd have to call your parents and complain about your grades." Huh, Caspian was making dry jokes. He wondered why. Maybe the little hug and smile from Andrew had thaw the ice. Then, he recalled they never talked about their family. "That's another thing we should talk about, I guess. Family. I have a feeling that Samantha would do something about it, like drag my family into this as well." He made a mental note to call his mother and tell her his current situation. Most likely, she would tell him to he should relax and live a little. Easy for her to day that since his parents were enjoying their retirement in their suburb home. "My family is pretty much normal. Mom and dad retired, I have two younger brothers, well, only one left now...the youngest...he died young." Caspian tried to maintain his nonchalance. It was always hard when he thought about his baby brother. It had been years, but the pain was still there. He quickly turned the table towards Andrew. "What about yours?"

[YellowMelon]

Andrew freely ignored the question of who would initiate the kisses. He couldn’t plan that far ahead. He wasn’t going to make a schedule for the kisses with exact times, locations, and initiators. He imagined that these kisses would occur more naturally, whenever the time felt right or when the other wanted to take their husband by surprise. He didn’t want it to become a chore unless he would definitely have to stop the kisses. 

Four years. That wasn’t a long time. He wondered where Caspian lived prior. Was it also a humble home or was it something bigger? He couldn’t imagine it being extravagant since he was a professor, and he didn’t seem like the type to want to flaunt his wealth even if he had the money to do so. He was a pretty normal man despite the publicity which surrounded him. He could even crack a joke, which Andrew was honestly taken aback by. It made him consider saying his forename right then and there, but he had to remember they were coworkers and dropping the formality of the surname was not going to happen on-screen or off-screen. He would simply have to refer to him less.

The brunette didn’t want to talk about his family, but he listened to the tidbit of information Caspian shared with him. “Sorry for your loss,” Andrew whispered, audibility, and a little awkwardly. He never really knew how to respond to someone who mentioned the death of a loved one, especially when the death happened years ago. Some people could slip it into a casual conversation and continue on talking as if they hadn’t just mentioned their grandmother died and others were like Caspian where the memory was still fresh in their mind. Andrew was the former type of person, but he also never had someone close to him die at an unexpectedly young age. 

“I don’t think anyone would be able to get a hold of my parents.” Both of his parents were fifty-three and still working the same job they always had. He couldn’t even say what his parents’ jobs were because he never really knew himself. He believed both of them to be in marketing from the last memory he had of asking them as a child, but he couldn’t confirm it. As far as he was concerned they were office workers and they both were happy enough in  their positions. “They don’t like wasting time, so Samantha would have to leave a voicemail first to get in contact with them.” A call from her would definitely not be returned and the number would get blocked, whether she mentioned his name or not. Andrew wasn’t concerned about this though. He didn’t do it for his parents’ recognition. 

"Why did you agree to do this, anyway?" McCain questioned, continuing the conversation, "You haven't been all that excited to be here." Same for him, of course, but he thought that Caspian was aware of everything that was going to happen on the show and he sure didn't act like it. 

[3ruri]

Caspian wanted to say it was fine, that he didn't mind talking about his late baby brother. He appreciated Andrew's sentiment and he was more than happy to not talking about it. He never mentioned what happened to any other people. No one was close enough or important enough for him to share the story about what happened twenty-one years ago. Andrew too will leave him after their contract with the show ended a year later, so he didn't need the information about what happened in Caspian's past. 

"Samantha is one determined bi--, witch," Caspian caught himself in time. He wasn't one who cussed often, but he did cuss. He was only human underneath his powers, just like not all heroes wore cape and Doctor Stone certainly won't be caught wearing one. "But I didn't see anything in the contract about including our family without their permission. So if your family wants to remain anonymous, they couldn't do anything," Caspian, for some reason wanted to give Andrew some assurance. "Unless, there was another super-fine print that we missed." Caspian slightly frowned at that. He hated being at a disadvantage, but he had literally sleep on the contract and memorize it from front to back. How he missed the fine print about marriage was beyond believe. But the damage was done and he would hold responsible of his own actions. 

Caspian moved to the window and stared out at the lush garden that came with his house. He didn't have green fingers per se, but he did all he could to keep them neat and alive. He did hire a landscaping company to visit monthly for maintenance. Sometimes when he was deep in thought, he would look out the window and enjoy the scenery. Andrew's question was one that required a deep though. Finally, he said, "Last year, there was a case about a child being kidnapped." He stood closer to the window and put his hand on the sill. "I offered my assistance, but the family had something against us 'heroes'. And since my reputation wasn't the brightest, they turned down my offer." Caspian clenched his hand tightly, it almost hurt. "The kid didn't get back alive." At the confession, Caspian turned to face Andrew, his face was tight and determined. "My reputation as a superhero worth nothing to me. But to the people out there, they need someone who they can believe in. I lost their trust, and they lost their kid. That is one too many kid for me. So if I could get them to buy into this make believe, maybe I'd be able to save another innocent soul."

[YellowMelon]

McCain raised an eyebrow when Caspian cut himself off from swearing. Did the show not allow that? Wouldn’t it have been censored with a beep anyway? Perhaps it was Caspian’s preference to not use vulgar language. If that was the case then he certainly needed to try harder since this had almost been his first slip of the tongue. 

At the mention of the contract, Andrew finally understood why he was saddled being Caspian’s marriage partner. He thought he would only be going on adventures with Doctor Stone as the lucky contestant winner, and never imagined the contract would legally bind them to each other. He could easily blame the “super-fine” print for putting him in this situation, but he had not read that along with the normal-sized text, so who really was at fault? Either way, the contract was signed, and here he was. He didn’t understand why his parents would be involved it if they hadn’t signed the contract. What would they even want their parents for? Caspian seemed to have possible ideas, but Andrew was not sharing the same thoughts. He wouldn’t mind meeting Caspian’s parents though if they ever were to come on the show. Maybe they would be able to share embarrassing stories. 

There was a change in atmosphere around his husband that made Andrew regret he asked the question. He seemed to have triggered something akin to when Caspian mentioned his decreased baby brother. The mood dropped for a second time, making the brunette feel a bit more fidgety, so he stood when the other stood and listened as he told his story. Andrew could feel the strong passion that came from the closing words mixed with sadness due to the fate of the child, and perhaps a little built of guilt. It was something he couldn’t relate to but he felt sympathy. He didn’t know what to say in response to comfort Caspian, which led to a long silence between them, but he still held eye contact. 

“Look,” Andrew spoke in a soft tone, making his way around the bed to stand beside the other, “I know what I say won’t mean much coming from someone who just met you, but I don’t think you need to try as hard on this show as much as you think you do. I’ve never been much of a superhero fan but I believe a true superhero acts because he cares and not because he wants publicity, and, from your story, you fit that description.” Since Andrew never kept up with the news though, he wasn’t exactly sure what had gone wrong in Caspian’s career, but he could only assume it was because he didn’t do it for fame. He wasn’t a people pleaser and that put a bad spotlight on him. “You genuinely care about children and people, so you need to show that in this make-believe show. Maybe we can talk to Samantha about doing an activity that’s more reflective of your human side than the typical superhero persona they want to promote.” Such activities like going to an aquarium or having a picnic together would also be more cost effective.

“I wouldn’t change the Stone side of you either unless you’re likely to become someone you dislike, or you’ll just get exhausted easily from being a phony. We can work on changing how you would respond to people when you want to be left alone.” McCain lightly put his hands on the shoulders of Caspian and gave him a quick peck on the right cheek. “I’ll actually sleep on the sofa tonight so you can have the bed one more day to yourself.” Andrew already felt like he was unwelcomed invading Caspian’s space but now he felt even more-so, not because of anything Caspian said or did but it was due to his own thoughts. Here he was willingly participating in the show for money while his coworker felt like he had no other option. He didn’t come to take advantage of Caspian, but he felt like he was doing so and that was a feeling he did not like.

“Anyway, I’m going to wash my face from the makeup they put on me.” Andrew quickly bounced back from the serious conversation and left the bedroom to the bathroom that was close by. 

 

[3ruri]

Andrew gave sound suggestions but he doubt they could change anything. "It's too late for that. They had already finalized the investors for this show. Most of the adventures we are going to be involved in had something to do with them. Outdoor gears, travel partners, all those sort of things. I've read it all in the contract," Caspian sighed, remembering the endless list of sponsors and investors. For a superhero who was unlikeable as he was, Samantha managed to gather a hell of a list. He was amazed that big name companies were among those who were involved in this show. "But I think the only real salvation to this is the fine-print. The one where you came in." He had been thinking about this and he knew now why they needed him to take a partner for his adventures. "Most people would buy the family-man image. With you in the picture, they were hoping that I would appear to be someone who is capable of being in love, someone who has someone to lose and someone to protect." He knew that some people believed single superheroes couldn't actually feel the pain of the victims when someone important to them was in danger. By having Caspian and Andrew married at the beginning of the show, they wanted the viewers to see him fall in love and it also made good drama for the ratings. "But I don't intend to be a phony. I will be myself, still. The only thing that change here is our relationship. We're practically strangers and they wanted to see us all lovey-dovey. It's a tall order, but we can be reasonable. A few kisses wont hurt, and I think we can be civil enough to each other. I'm up for that, and I hope you are too."

The little peck on his cheek was a surprise, but Caspian found himself liking the gesture. There was hope for them to make it through this show successfully. He wanted to grab Andrew's hand and stop him from moving away, telling him he would rather have Andrew share the bed with him when they sleep, but Andrew was fast and already left for the bathroom. He walked a few steps towards the en suite bathroom and knocked on the door. "I'd like you to sleep with me," he said, not realizing the context of his words. "I mean, share the bed with me when we go to sleep. There's room for the two of us, so let's just leave the sofa for our future cuddle sessions." He corrected himself quickly, blushing slightly at his tongue sleep. "I'm going to make lunch in the kitchen. Then we could talk more about our first task. Samantha told me she had this thing called 'supermail'. We need to check it out together." He said over the door, hoping Andrew would catch his words even over the barrier. He was about to turn and leave, but he stopped and leaned closer to the door once again. "Thank you, Andrew."

Before leaving the room, Caspian opened his closet and decided quickly on what he was going to change into -- A straight cut dark jeans and a simple white shirt. He hung the tuxedo the production crew had him wore next to Andrew's red one and headed to the kitchen. Thankfully he managed to scare anyone from touching his face, so he was sans makeup. Opening the fridge, Caspian took out the ingredients for a hearty sandwich and assembled one for him and another for Andrew. Once done, he took out two bottles of fresh juice and waited for his husband to join him.

[YellowMelon]

Andrew slightly jumped from a knock on the door and was was about invite Caspian in, since it was his bathroom, but then made no such movement when he realized the man only wanted to talk to him. It was difficult to hear what he had to say through the door and because of the running water so he stepped closer to the wooden barrier. At this point, he was truly iffy about sleeping with Caspian, even as the bed owner welcomed him to it. The more he thought about it the more he was concerned for some reason or another. He didn’t want to be offensive and demand that he sleep on the sofa though, as he knew that, as a married couple, sharing the same bed would be inevitable. He wanted to be just as determined as Caspian to make this show work, and now he wanted to help the superhero revive his image. If sharing the bed was what he wanted to do, he would do it, and from now on he would work on being a supportive husband.

With his face pat dry, the brunette took a moment to stare at himself in the mirror above the sink. The makeup hadn’t changed his facial features, only covered the very few freckles he had, but he didn’t think he looked any different. Strands of wet hair stuck to his forehead which he pushed to the side, then he returned to the bedroom. He had yet to change out of the red dress pants he was forced into for the wedding, so decided to do so now and replaced them with a pair of light blue, bootcut jeans. 

Andrew met Caspian in the kitchen and sat across from him at the dining table. The younger man took note of the casual outfit his husband wore, although was slightly disappointed he was out of his tuxedo. He thought the formal outfit suited him well despite covering up the toned arms he now clearly showed off. Honestly, Andrew never really considered how attractive the other man was. He had glanced over his features in the SUV for the purpose of predicting his age, but he hadn’t given him a proper look yet. He never thought to ask himself if his husband was really his type. Currently, with more important things to discuss, he would have to mentally critique appearances later.

“What’s this 'supermail' you’re referring to?” He questioned, not in the loop, “I haven’t heard anything about it.” As he expected, Dr. Stone was more knowledgeable about what was going on with the show than he was, but, then again, he was a guest and hadn’t been involved in any of the meetings leading up to the production of this show. 

[3ruri]

When Andrew came into the dining room, Caspian studied his appearance. The striking red pants were gone, replaced with a loose bottom jeans. He couldn't remember the last person he knew who would wear such cut, but it complemented Andrew's looks. His hair around the face was slightly damped, but he looked fresher now that he got rid of the make up. Caspian actually thought his skin looked more glowing without the layers and the freckles was a good surprise. It actually made Andrew look more adorable, not that Caspian would say that out loud. He immediately averted his gaze when Andrew joined him at the table and pushed the sandwich plate closer to him.

In the middle of the table was a sealed envelope stamped with a superhero logo on it. "According to the contract, we are required to complete certain tasks to collect special items or handicap for future adventures. I don't know what we're gonna get, but they'll let us know at the start of the adventure," Caspian reached for the enveloped and tore the seal. Inside was a black card with a caricature of his alter ego, Doctor Stone on the cover. "They really love fancy design," he muttered under his breath. Then he started reading the content of the card:

Quote

 

Dear Doctor Stone and Andrew,

Congratulations on your wedding! 

The two of you make a lovely couple. And couples that bake together stay together!

For your first task as a newlywed couple you are required to bake fifty cupcakes and share them with your neighbors! But there is a twist. You can only use ingredients available in your kitchen or your garden. You cannot buy anything you don't have. The only way to get other ingredients that are not available to you is by knocking on your neighbor's doors and borrow it from them! We are sure the great Doctor Stone are well loved by his neighbors! 

So get baking and spread some love with lovely cupcakes made by the lovebirds! No cheating!

Good luck at borrowing some sugar!

All the best, 
Doctor Stone's Adventure Team

 

Caspian put the card back down in the middle of the table and looked at Andrew. "How good are you at baking?" He asked, thinking how things could get worse than this. In the four years he had lived there, there was no time to get to know his neighbors. He was busy with classes, writing journals and excavating. When he wasn't elbows deep in those, he went out to save trapped people. Baking was a talent that he definitely did not possess. He could try. How hard could it be with millions of recipes online. All they had to do was follow the instructions, right? The task didn't say that it had to taste good, but he wouldn't want to be the cause for his neighbors falling sick from eating. And that was the least of his problem. He didn't even know what he had in the pantry that could be used to bake cupcakes. Do people still go around the neighborhood asking to borrow sugar. What year was this? 

Caspian waited for Andrew's response. He didn't know how good Andrew was socially, but between the two of them, Andrew might have a better shot at borrowing items from their neighbors. Oh yes, their. the neighbors are now Andrew's neighbors as well. Maybe there was still hope for them.

 

[YellowMelon]

There he went mentioning the contact again. Should he tell him that he didn’t read it? Would Caspian get angry? He could probably tell that he hadn’t read it, right? Andrew looked down at his sandwich while these thoughts ran through his head. He didn’t have much of an appetite, but he did feel thirsty, so took a big gulp of his juice as the contents of the card were read. He then quickly picked it back up after Caspian returned the card to its original spot. He had to read the objective himself to believe it. What did baking have to do with any of this? Did they just want to portray Doctor Stone as a good baker? If that was so, couldn’t the production crew have bought cupcakes and pretend that he baked them? 

The more he reread the card, the more he realized that this was supposed to be a bonding activity for the newlywed couple. Not even that, actually, as they were supposed to have an instant connection already, which means they would have to pretend they enjoyed baking with each other - an activity they had never done before. And, why, specifically, fifty cupcakes? Were they supposed to go door-to-door down the whole street giving out cupcakes to all the neighbors - to the whole neighborhood?!

“I’m decent,” he lied, knowing full-well he was an untalented baker, “What about you?” Baking was not a hobby Andrew ever took up. The first time he tried baking as an early teenager was the last time, and, ironically, he had been baking cupcakes. It was from a box mix, so should have been simple, but he made inaccurate measurements that the cupcakes couldn’t recover from. He had also created such a mess in the kitchen that it he wore to never work with flour again. 

“The more important question is how close are you to your neighbors?” What ingredients even went into cupcakes? From the top of his mind, Andrew could think of the usual flour and eggs with a liquid, such as water or milk. “Are we allowed to look up a recipe?” He questioned, closely inspecting the cover and back of the card as if expecting there to be a secret condition forbidding the use of any online recipes. “I think the easiest cupcakes we can make are vanilla. What do you have in your garden?” He set the card back on the table face-down, not fond of the caricature design. 

 

[3ruri]

Caspian let out a dry laugh at Andrew's question on his ability to bake. "I have never in my entire life put on an apron and hold a whisk," he replied bemusedly. "So that should tell you my abilities to bake, unless it involves a whole potato or a slab of steak." He added. Caspian did well in cooking. He wasn't a gourmet, but he could do the basics and some nice enough dishes. The sandwich he made didn't show any of his cooking skill, but he did made some mean meals and in time he'd show it to Andrew. Or not. He had a feeling that whatever they ended up baking today might traumatize him in some way. 

"I'm taking whatever not written on the card as something that we're allowed to do. So yes, we need to look up for a recipe." he moved to the breakfast counter that separated the dining table and the kitchen and unplugged his laptop that was charging there. He brought the laptop back to the dining table and pulled up the web browser before taking a seat next to Andrew and started searching for the simplest cupcake recipe in the search engine. "You got it right about vanilla cupcake. There're a bunch of recipes here, but which one to choose?" He asked, unknowingly he had leaned closer to Andrew so his husband was able to look at the screen as well. "If we're making a vanilla cupcake, nothing in my garden is of use. It's not like I grow any vanilla orchid out there. I have some herbs and fruit trees, yes, I have a healthy rose bushes...." he continued as he clicked through the recipes to check which one required the least ingredients. "...right about this moment I wish I have cows to get milk from or a flour mill out back. I don't think my neighbors knew about me as I knew almost nothing about them but their names." Caspian didn't feel bad that he didn't know his neighbor. A lot of people didn't, so admitting that he only knew their names to Andrew was nothing big. It wasn't like he was trying to be a recluse. He had no reason to go talk to them and he preferred not to be disturbed, so that must be the case for some of his neighbors as well. 

Caspian finally stopped at a page of an easy vanilla cupcake. He scrolled down to the ingredients and pointed the list to Andrew. "Pretty basic things. Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, oil, vanilla extract, eggs and water. We can skip the frosting altogether if we need to. The card only mentioned cupcakes, not cupcakes with frosting." When he turned to Andrew, he realized how close they were sitting and quickly pulled back. Apology was on the tip of his tongue for invading Andrew's personal space. "Sorry, I got a little carried away. Over achiever...bad habit of mine."

[YellowMelon]

Maybe he shouldn’t have lied. Now he had Caspian thinking they could make decent cupcakes when, in actuality, the best they could pull off would be well below average. Well, the upside was that they were able to work together. If it had been a competition he didn’t know if either of them would have been able to win. 

Andrew didn’t seem to mind, or notice, how close Caspian got to him. He was much more engrossed in looking at the monitor as his companion clicked through different recipes. What they needed was a pen and a piece of paper to write the ingredients down. Ignoring the apology, Andrew immediately left his chair and disappeared briefly to the living room before returning while clicking a black pen in one hand and carrying a notepad in his other. He thought he had spotted the items on the living room coffee table when he first entered, and now what he held confirmed that. McCain sat in his chair again and moved right up beside Caspian so he could get a close look at the laptop monitor.

“Flour, eggs, butter, sugar…” He mumbled the ingredients as he wrote the list down and the measurements. “This is for a batch of 12 cupcakes,” he thought out loud, “But we need to make fifty.” He multiplied each quantity by four and assumed that four cupcakes could be half-sized to get to fifty. He didn’t want to use more ingredients than they needed. The one thing he skipped on the list was vanilla extract. Andrew tilted the notepad to Caspian so he could check what he wrote. The list was perfectly written in cursive, each word on a new line, straight, and a readable size. His penmanship was something he never thought about it, but it was perfect. The only quirky habit was that he didn’t dot his i’s. ‘We can use the fruit from one of your trees to flavor them instead of asking for vanilla extract.” Although he didn’t know what fruits Caspian grew or if he was willingly to spare any, he knew it was highly unlikely for Caspian to have vanilla extract if he was not a baker.  

“We need a lot of sugar, flour, and milk,” he underlined the said words, “You probably have enough oil and salt, but the unsalted butter and eggs are questionable, unless you recently bought them. Also, do you happen to have baking soda?” His green eyes rose from the paper to meet Caspian’s when a sudden realization hit him. “Do you have all the necessary baking equipment?” He assumed Caspian would have measuring cups, but did he have a cupcake tin or even a whisk? He said he had never held a whisk in his entire life, but perhaps that wasn’t meant to be taken literally. All in all, this would likely take quite some time with the amount of bowls they would need if Caspian didn’t have a big enough one. 

“Well, let’s hope your neighbors are generous and at least one of them is a baker unless this could be a problem.” Andrew felt a little sorry that the neighbors were getting wrapped up with the show, but he didn’t think they were asking for anything too outrageous. “This is the perfect opportunity to show off your charisma, don’t you think, Dr. Stone?” Andrew joked, lightly hitting his shoulder against Caspian’s.

 

Here's a general recipe I referenced so we can be on the same page if we mention any measurements: 

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Ingredient List (for 12)

1.25 cups all-purpose flour 

1.25 tsp baking powder 

0.25 tsp salt 

6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature 

0.75 cup sugar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1.50  tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

0.50 cup + 2 tbsp milk