Prompt from @inkedinserendipity: โthe trope where nureyev tries to sell juno on not caring about him while theyโre rescuing the fam, maybe the heist that makes it very clear heโs been lyingโ
Peter Nureyev spent a year learning what it was to lie to Juno. The shape of it was familiar in his mouth, the feeling of it on his skin as he pulled his face into the expressions he needed was a practiced thing. He was confident that he put on a convincing show; then, the evidence was the way Juno would smile at him, would soften and pull away the armor from another wound to let Nureyev look, would offer up little hopeful pieces of a future they could plan together. Nowโฆ
Now, the evidence was the way Juno staggered closer after pulling himself out of the Ruby only to stop, stepping back before he could really get close and leaving that chilly distance uncontested between them. Puck was there before Nureyev had to wonder what he should do, almost leaping over the hood of the car and grabbing Junoโs weight before he could fall to the ground.
Junoโs collapse proved inevitable seconds later, but it was gentler with Puck falling next to him, both settling heavily in the dirt. The Ruby beeped softly and urgently, punching her side into a shape more concave than a working vehicle should be to hold them. Nureyev stood by, still and redundant.
There was nothing he could do here. All of that practice lying to Juno made him worse at lying to himself.