Unlike what they planned out, The group ended up returning at 3 am.
They have completely forgotten that they should go back early, and kept having fun until Garrick checked the time again and they realized they messed up.
The curfew for everyone living in the palace walls, was at 12: PM.
And by that time no one should be hanging outside the royal walls.
And because their duty is to protect his Majesty and the higher ranks authorities like Socorro from the inside, all of Garrick's unit has to live in the palace and can't leave otherwise without a direct permission from the King himself.
The king gave them permission to leave for the party, but never said they can break curfew.
Luckily for them Garrick was prepared.
Already bribed, The night guards he had a deal with, helped his friends to get inside silently, and after Garrick gave the guards what they asked of him, he went back to the group of friends waiting for him.
He then asked them to follow him without making a sound, so everyone were doing their best to be as stealthy as possible, including Matilda and Ned.
"Be quiet and Don't let her catch you! she's still awake, since she's busy today." Garrick whispered instructing everyone.
"She's still awake? is something happening tomorrow? if Miss Belmonte sees us we're toast!" Yuuya replied genuinely terrified, Agu slapped him slightly on the back of his head to make his shut up.
"Owwowie baby!"
"Shuuuuush!"
"Why are we sneaking again?" Ned asked, "Because there's a 12 PM curfew regulation and we went against it, you and Matilda included.
Look at the freaking time, it's like three in morning or something...my poor husband is probably still awake waiting for me." Stella explained while whispering.
"But we're already inside the palace! does curfew mean we can't walk around here too after 12pm?
and about Socorro, I thought she knew about us going outside!" Ned argued, "We promised to be here before the curfew! she's gonna know we just came back if she catches us!
All of us are going to end up being severely punished! and that includes you Doctor." Agu replied frustrated.
"Shit! ok I get it!" Ned said nervously.
Half way through, Matilda grabbed Ned by his arm, "Neds, come with me!
I forgot to tell you earlier that your Apartment is facing mine, so we're actually neighbors." she said.
"Shit! that's cool! okay goodnight everyone! bye Kim! and good luck!" Ned whispered to the knights.
"Goodnight doctor!" Kimberly whispering, replied happily.
The group was about to separate then when, they heard Socorro's voice getting closer to them.
Freaking out, "Quick! go another way, I'll distract her!" Garrick instructed the others.
"How are you going to distract her?! are you planning to lie? your shirt is stained with coffee, she's gonna know!" Agu replied.
"All of you go, I'll distract her! I'm new here I doubt she'll punish me." Ned said, "You stay with me Matilda." he added, "I'm in, what the plan?" Matilda asked.
"Good luck, I'm not sticking around to find out let's go!" Yuuya whispered grabbing Agu's and Kimberly hands, and then he went dashing the other way.
Stella followed them quickly, removing her shoes so she doesn't make any more noise as she ran away.
"Garrick what the hell are you still standing here for? go!" Ned said urging him to follow his friends, but Garrick stood in his place.
"Go you MOTHERFUCKER! hurry!"
"Wanna go to my room Ned?"
"Oh what the hell?"
"What did he just say?" Matilda asked, confused but intrigued.
"Do you remember what you promised me 15 years ago, Lovely?"
"Why the hell are you bringing this up now Garrick?!"
"Ned, do you remember or not?"
"Shit....i know what you want and a promise is a promise, but the timing..."
"Yeah, and I want it now...Ned." Garrick said, his eyes were focused deeply on the doctor's face.
"This gotta be the worst timing ever to do this kinda thing Garrick, why me though?...15 years ago and you still have that effect on me." Ned replied, his cheeks were painted in deep red at this point, plus Garrick gave him the sparkling puppy eyes, he was already weak.
Defeated, "Why you!...Fine Garrick! as long as we go somewhere else, private." Ned said.
"That is the main reason why I suggested my room, though it's fine here anyways, since it's nothing major... but if you want privacy, I'll give it to you." Garrick Replied.
"It may not be something major to you Delun, but my anxiety is killing me just thinking about it...and I have something else in mind to say, something I'd rather say in private... Just between you and me." Ned replied.
Sighing, " Socorro is going to win the bet at this rate...why being friends with Ned suddenly became expensive?!" Matilda whispered to herself as she felt the tension between the doctor and the knight rising.
She also felt Socorro closing in on them, as the sound of the king's assistant steps grew closer and closer.
"You know what?! screw this guys! you two go and get freaky, I'm going to stay here and distract her... I'm gonna die because of this girl anyways, might as well give her a piece of my mind." Matilda spoke pushing the duo away in the other direction of Socorro's.
Grateful, "Matilda, i owe you Big time!" Garrick said picking up Ned, he then started running away.
"Hey wait!? why rushing! put me down I can walk! why are you so excited?!" a terrified Ned asked.
"We gotta hurry to my room? privacy remember? and I'm sorry for being a mess right now, I waited 15 years for something stupid like this, I have the right to be excited!" Garrick replied.
"So childish, I can walk Idiot!"
"I know! don't worry I won't drop you, lovely."
" You're so fucking happy aren't you."
"I'm buzzing."
"You said it's nothing major you liar! put me down I can walk."
"Okay okay!" Garrick complied to the doctor's orders, gently placing his feet on the ground.
"How embarrassing...we need to clean ourselves first, we literally just ate and your shirt is stained."
... Few minutes later....
" You have no idea how bad I want this right now...Ned." Garrick spoke feeling a little heat-wave rush through his body.
The Alpha in him was suddenly and unexplainably raging, begging him to do more, but he had to maintain himself.
in the end... it's just a kiss, one kiss right?
No.
The coffee stained shirt was long gone, in his undershirt, the knight leaned a little, hovering over the Body of the doctor sitting next to him on the couch.
Ned's glasses were resting on the coffee table instead of his face, leaving the pale doctor to feel a little vulnerable with his poor eye-sight, despite that Garrick told him it's fine to leave his glasses on, he'll just avoid them, Ned took them off.
Garrick was still a little taken back by what Ned told him in private, that he wanted a real kiss, not just a peck on the lips like they promised each other.
As kids the promise was just a kiss... nothing specified, it was an innocent request in the mind of a child.
But Now as adults, the game has changed, it's not a little boy's crush anymore, it's a grown man's desire for another man's lips.
" Neddie, when we were kids and I told you I loved you... you made fun of me, you said it's only a crush, but I said I was serious! that I wanted to marry you when I grow up."
"And I said I won't marry you but I'll give you a kiss when we get older...after all, I wouldn't marry you with that ugly mohawk you had back then, even if you paid me millions."
" I was a little naive back there Neddie *chuckling* if I knew you'd keep your promise, I would've actually made you promise to marry me."
"You'd be bored of me now to marry me, I'm not 10 years old me anymore, you're not 8 as well Garrick...as a kid you just wanted to hold my hand and play with me all day in the woods...now we're old and we're only getting older, and our desires are way different than before.
Though I won't stop you from chasing me, and if you're going to take your prize and kiss me, then do it like a man, I want to feel those lips all over me."
" You're driving me crazy with your words, my heart is going to rip Out of my chest Ned."
"Shut up and ki-!" cutting him off, Garrick closed The gap between him and Ned, pushing his lips against the doctor's, in a way that Wasn't too strong but wasn't too shy either.
Closing his eyes, whatever Ned had on his mind to say, was lost against Garrick mouth.
The sudden feeling of that motion, sent shivers down Both of their spines but also warmed their hearts together.
Ned could hear his own heart thumping in his chest, with his arms finding a resting place around Garrick's neck, while the knight's veiny hands slid all the way from Ned's head to his hips, gently squeezing him in the heat of the moment.
Breathless and dazed, Ned kissed the Alpha back, pulling him down with him, further onto the couch.
Allowing himself to sink in deeper with the omega in his arms, Garrick's kisses turned a little aggressive.
Everything else didn't matter at this moment for the both of them, the whole world just simply faded in the background of their minds.
It wasn't just a simple kiss, anymore.
....(meanwhile).....
"Why are you still awake?...coco." Matilda's words startled the woman who was spaced out while walking with her.
"I could ask you the same thing Matilda.
We've been walking for few minutes now, you said you had something important to say but you remained silent all the way.
And why are you dressed like this! you got your beanie on too? did you break curfew? I won't let this pass easily because we're friends." Socorro replied, but her nervous eyes avoided Matilda's strange gaze.
"Where's your mark?" Matilda asked suddenly.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me Coco, where's your mark?"
"Are you crazy?"
"Yes, about you." Matilda replied, she stopped walking and faced the assistant.
Angry at the shift of the conversation, Socorro spoke, " I can assure you, that I'm not grasping what nonsense you're telling me right now Matilda!"
Sighting, Matilda pulled out the Polaroid picture from earlier, showing it to the woman in denial.
Socorro's face lost its colors, " Try lying to me now, I'm not as dumb as you think I am, miss Belmonte."
Embarrassed, "You've noticed it...I guess there's no point in hiding anymore." a little bit of truth finally escaped the assistant's quivering lips.
Matilda found herself wanting to laugh but scream at the same time, this woman was toying with her, " Wanna hear how I got the news? it's a funny story." she said sarcastically.
"No...it doesn't matter."
"Just so you know, I'm okay with you rejecting me." Matilda said.
Eyes wide open, Socorro couldn't believe the words that came out of her Mate's lips.
"You're absolutely insane giving me That choice when you know how I feel! you think I won't do it Matilda?"
"It's because I know you'll do it, that's why I'm giving you the choice, I'm not going to be mates with someone who thinks of me as a prison rather than an outlet."
"Matilda! do you not value your life?!"
"The only thing keeping me alive so far is Ned, what's making You hold on Coco? why is it that everytime I look into your eyes, I feel like I'm looking at an empty space."