elliot had a roommate, and bandmates, and friends that they were around often. whenever they got too lost in their own mind, the first thing they would do was go to a bar, surrounding themselves with other people despite not making conversation with them often. their extroverted nature came from their mother, their random dance parties and trips to the mall conditioning them to have a rather friendly demeanor. but deep down, even elliot liked being alone every now and then, the solitude just enough to help them gather themselves a bit before they continued on with their business. but cali was someone they knew they could be around all of the time, if that were even possible, able to sit with them in silence and still feel comfortable and safe. that was a scary thought to have. weren’t crushes meant to be awkward and secretive?
maybe it would always be a mystery as to why caliban let elliot into their life, something that would always make them scratch their head and question every little thing. as was their nature, elliot embarrassed themselves in front of them on a regular basis, the blush that would take over their cheeks usually hidden as they focused their attention on patches or even wandered back to their own trailer. they tried not to come around too often, never wanting to overstay their welcome, but they were grateful for the time they spent in cal’s little shed. this was, by far, one of their favorite places to be.
as cali’s gaze met theirs, elliot felt their features go soft, their lips tugging at the corners to form a sweet smile. it was a smile that was specifically for cali, and one that happened relatively often. watching them work was just routine at this point, and while they sat near each other in that little shed, elliot felt at peace once more. shifting on their stool, they released a soft sigh, their chin resting against their knee as caliban spoke, full attention on their face now. “sounds like a typical artist,” they teased now, cheeks blooming in a soft pink color before they hid their face against their leg. they weren’t very good at this whole ‘unrequited crush’ thing, the temptation to reveal their feelings sometimes overwhelming when they thought about it. elliot knew the only thing stopping them was the fact that they didn’t want to scare cali off; they’d managed to be friends this long, and the last thing elliot needed was to lose them entirely. they were too important to them.
“i gotta go romp with dead people,” they replied, finally recovered from the latest bout of butterflies in the pit of their stomach. they thought that, after years of harboring feelings for the same person, that feeling would have gone away by now. “i get to put my little coveralls on with the flashlight in the pocket and pretend to be a big, tough guy.” their lips were in a full grin now, their eyes focused once more on cali’s features. they were both strong and soft at the same time, showing years of both sadness and survival without becoming too weathered. it was their eyes that really drew elliot in, and they found that they couldn’t help but study the brown hues. caliban was the most beautiful person they’d ever seen, and if they had an excuse to look at them, they would take it. “what about you? are you and patches gonna throw a party without me?”
It would sound strange coming from anybody except for Elliot, that sentence, and the thought makes Cali smile a little bit. Casting them in the role of somebody who would spend their nights wandering about a graveyard, taking care of where the dead rest, was difficult for their mind when they first met, but they have long since gotten used to it. It’s unfortunate that it sometimes puts them both on opposite schedules --- farm work is early work --- but they still manage to find time to spend with each other. More so lately than ever before, it would seem, and even that sometimes doesn’t feel like enough, which begs the question: what would be enough? Caliban isn’t really sure. They aren’t really sure they even want to think about it overly much; thinking too hard about things has always gotten them into trouble, and over the past five years, while they HAVE been careful, they’re still trying to do less of that.
“If it helps at all, I wouldn’t mess with you if I came across you in a graveyard in the middle of the night. Ghouls and ghosts and zombies don’t stand a chance. Or... graverobbers?” The thought of that even being a THING in this town actually makes Caliban laugh, the sort of thoughtless sound that just tumbles out of them of its own accord. There’s a degree of softness to it, a delicacy that only contributes to the over-all fickle way they manage to actually express their feelings. At least Elliot understands more than pretty much anyone else could, the subtleties and nuances and all of the details that shouldn’t have to matter, but somehow do. They feel comfortable right now. They seem to always feel comfortable around them.
Getting to their feet all of the sudden, Cali stretches, back arching and arms lifting above their head. A quiet sound leaves them, and they scrunch up their face towards the sky, then relax again a few moments later. Dark eyes focus in on Elliot’s features once more, the quiet admiration that they’ve always felt, the attraction, almost painfully obvious when it swells inside of them again. Reaching a hand out, they take a hold of their companion’s, and give them a little tug. “In that case, we’re going to go find some food together so that you don’t go in hungry. It’s getting late.” Not really. It’s only the early afternoon, but any excuse to touch them seems to be like enough these days. “Plus, I have something that I really want to show you.” A small, close-lipped smile curves up the corners of their mouth. “If you want.”
