"Delivery for @the-man-of-steel.bsky.social!" He's pushing a cart. A heavily-decorated hutch bookshelf is sitting on it. It's covered in fabric patches and charms and trinkets. There's text reading: 'Surprise!' "It's your "welcome back, we missed you" gift!" +

"Wait! I think it worked on me!" He quickly checks himself before... ...lifting the hand with his ring on it. "We're engaged!"

"That's easy, me." He picks up four of the limes and juggles them. "Heard you like puzzle games. How about you solve. Find out. I like you." He puts them back down in the pile. "Your turn!"

"I can't take those now. I'm holding your citrus with my big strong arms." He holds the limes out. "Here - we just need a romance turn order. Put them beside me. I'll put these beside you. This can still work!"

"No, please! Let me pick up your limes!" He starts picking up the limes. "It's the least I could do!"

Trips in front of Esme after he's on the ground. Spills mechanical beetles everywhere. "Ough, my insects!!!"

Never done anything with the combination of a furniture beetle and a carpet beetle - - this is exactly why limiting myself early was a bad idea.

I'm checking down a list of beetles to see what I haven't pulled inspiration from yet.

Today's project: Silver scarab mirrors, three of 'em.

"It's not about knowing what you're doing, it's about learning what you're doing! More details about them will come to you as we go." He uses a bulky remote to cause antennae to grow up from his goggles. Electricity seems to pulse between them. +

"You took the words right out of my mouth! Look at you! This is so creative!" Despite being a beetle, Ted starts hovering around Esme like a bee. He's trying to notice all of the details he can, right down to the stitching. "And in only three hours!" +

Three hours later, Ted is standing near the entrance to The Bug. But not visibly. He's standing with his back to the wall, only close enough so his voice can be heard properly. "Okay, Esme! I don't want to ruin the reveal. I'm gonna count down from three." +

"I have one!" He has five. "While you're doing that, I'll go work on The Bug. She already has a mode for this, but I want to change it a bit." +

"You already know that! You already know several dimensions of that, I think the only dimension you don't know yet is this one." A hologram appears above his watch. It's Ted in armor. He's LARPing at a convention. +

"Because you didn't mention it! Cosplay is something you need to be interested in first. If I come out of nowhere and give you someone to dress like, that's suspicious activity." He looks into the distance. "However." +

He cheers. "Take your time. And give me my first project when you've made your choice. I'm great with props and armor." He cheers again. "This is so cool, nobody ever cosplays with me!"

"Yeah! Obviously! But...I do have a price." He looks at him. "One Star Trek character, your choice."

"That list is way too long, you'll never narrow it down that way. Pick a character you want to talk about." He stretches. "Eventually, if you need a partner...maybe I could join you!"

Ted runs into the room and rolls across the floor. He strikes a pose. "Yes."

My lab looks way too clean right now.

I started connecting my liminal space simulations.

Beetle trackball mouse update: When it's not in use, it hops on the ball and rolls it around.

"Good! I'm happy for you." He gives him a partial hug. When he's done, he opens his book. He's about 75% done with it, but he's not concerned about finishing it today. He just wants to wrap up the last fifteen pages of this chapter. [END]

It's not. It's part of a completely different series of sci-fi books. He still has his other collections around, and he's considering changing the shelves they're sitting on. +

"As I should be." He sits near him with a book. One of his obscure sci-fi novels again. The fourth in the series, reasonably long. He just keeps it near him. Meanwhile, his beetle starts quietly vacuuming the confetti. +

Ted gives him a look. There are three paragraphs communicated in that single expression. All of them are about how easy it would be for him to keep the tea around for him if he genuinely wants to have it again, also, he's getting it for him later. He brings him his tea. +

"Exactly!" He kisses his cheek. "If you need to talk about anything, or if you need some help, I'll be with you. For now, I'm getting you some celebration tea and some confetti."

"It's change." He lets go of him slowly. "And you'll have plenty of time to understand what being Esme means for you now."

"You quit your job!" His expression changes immediately. Joy floods his features, and he immediately hugs him. "You did it!"

Making a beetle mouse.

He skates in the room. He gives him one small cheek kiss. "One..." And then he gives him a much more serious kiss. "...Two!"

Not to brag or anything, but I have so many kisses to share. Like, at least a lifetime of them.

It's Beetle-Man. With a hyphen! I'll give you two.

Obviously! I married both of you, but only one is truly living with me. And that's you, Esme.

They've always been with us. Just disguised.

Now with 20% more beetleing!

I turned everything* into beetles.

"Great point! I really oughta use one of my spider gadgets to discover who gave them to me..." The spider on his back pretends to calculate something. It glows different colors. "Oh, no wonder. You gave them to me!"

"Gee, really?" He kisses him without hesitation. "I'm one lucky guy! I think I'll keep these where they are. They're keeping my hands warm." He rubs his hands together and gently presses them against Esme's cheeks. "See?"

He shakes his head. "It's not about how it looks. It could be any color, and if I knew that you liked that color better, that would be important to me too." He kisses the back of his own hands with a smile. "Sorry, had to collect these."

Ted starts swaying too. "Me too. Researching beetles took forever! It would take so much time to change everything again!" Among other reasons. "I feel the same way about your hair."

He smiles as he's kissed, wrapping his arms around him again. "...And I love you." The spider speaker hops up on Ted's back. "You turned red."

When the song ends, Ted bows. He kisses the back of Esme's hand. "Thank you for dancing with me."

Ted takes it slow. He doesn't rush his movements, and he keeps a soft count as they move around the room. "One two three..." He smiles at him. It's soft and genuine. "You're doing great."

"Sure can." A cute spider speaker walks up. It starts playing a waltz. Ted starts leading Esme into the dance. "Just follow me."

He helps him stand back up. "You're romantic, I deliver." He smiles playfully. "Plus, spiders are good at dancing."

"I would miss you too, but I was with you." He spins and dips him. And then he returns the cheek kiss.

"He was me the whole time! Who knew?"

Ted sits up slowly. "First of all, that was hurtful. Second, I found your fiancé!"

"Guh!" Ted stumbles back and falls on the floor. "I'm dead. When you're ready for me to be alive again, pick the revival option that works for you!"