circle of life

through faith and love

[disneytunnels]

the start of something new; aurelio & august

[disneytunnels]

“I believe in you!” Aurelio called after the boy before he closed his eyes, letting himself bask in the cool air that was blowing in through the window. Aurelio hadn’t spent too much time in Florida, but he knew that the weather got really hot really fast, so he was revelling in the cool weather while he still could. He didn’t open his eyes again until he heard the sound of the door to the apartment announcing that August was back. When that occurred, Aurelio sat up on the bed and he moved to stand so he could offer to at least get the suitcases into their room, but apparently he wasn’t quick enough. “Overpacking isn’t a bad thing, considering this is a four month programme, plus we could always extend it and work through the summer if we really wanted to, which is really cool because apparently you get to do jobs with more responsibility and it gives you better chances to work here in the future.” Aurelio stopped himself before he went on a ramble about how much he loved that concept because it meant that he could possibly stay at Disney forever. That was something that August probably didn’t need to hear. “Thanks for the offer, seriously. I don’t know too many people who’d just willingly offer up their clothes to someone who lost theirs. You’re just as nice as you are handsome.” He grinned.

[epcotkingdom]

August tried not tot laugh as Aurelio explained to him that he could extend the program. It wasn’t like August hadn’t read everything there was to know about the Disney College Program already. “That’s what I’m hoping I can do,” August admitted quietly as he starts to unpack his things, shoving some tee-shirts in a drawer. “As long as I graduate, I think my parents will be okay with it. I just want to work here after,” He shrugged. It would be a dream to move here full time and spend most of his days at the park, hopefully as a prince. He was so distracted by the fantasy that he nearly missed the compliment. He blushed wildly and looked up at Aurelio. It perplexed him how someone as gorgeous as Aurelio could consider someone like him “handsome.” August knew he wasn’t ugly, but he always considered himself pretty plain looking. Aurelio had such strong features with gorgeous hazel eyes and full lips. Just looking at him made August’s heart stutter in his chest. Reeling himself in, he gave a nervous laugh. “You don’t have to thank me,” He said softly with a blush. “I’m just doing what anyone else would. It’d be cruel to make you wear the same outfit everyday, especially with the heat.”

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deep in the underground; jaxon & parker

Jaxon knew when he ended up at Disney World in the role that he’d received that it was going to be difficult. Training was something that he’d been expecting since he’d been told that he was going to be a face character, but finding out that he was going to portray Peter Pan of all characters, Jaxon immediately became nervous about the amount of training. For the first week or so, they had him in a fur costume outside of Epcot, solely so he could get used to the concept of what it was like to deal with all the guests in the park, but now they were putting him on a test run for Peter and Jaxon was nervous. He’d spent the past week being taught everything he possibly needed to know about Peter Pan and his world, and even had had the chance to watch one of the other Peters at the park do his showtime and interact with the guests. Now, here he was, waiting to get into makeup and costuming so he could be set up for his first test run as Peter for all of the guests. As he walked through the tunnels, holding onto his duffel and thinking about how strange it would be to actually be one of the characters he’d idolised as a child, he zoned out and managed to bump into someone. “Sorry,” he mumbled before he looked up at the person he’d run into, recognising his outfit instantly. “Oh hey, you work at Peter Pan’s flight! How cool. I’m Jaxon.”

[epcotkingdom]

It wasn’t even fully summer yet and the Florida heat was causing Parker’s itchy uniform to stick to his back. He should be used to the weather, having grown up in Florida, but heat always made children only that much more unbearable. He itched for a smoke and a cold beer. Luckily for him, it was finally his break, which meant only four more hours of hell left. He ran his fingers through his thick brown ringlets of hair, wincing when he felt the sweat there. Frowning at his hand, he didn’t see the person in front of him until he was knocking in to him. He took a moment to steady himself with a curse before actually looking at the intruder. Pursing his lips, he looked him up and down, noticing pretty quickly he was DCP kid. The name rung a bell, causing him to raise an eyebrow in recognition. “Ahhh, the new Peter,” He mused, smirking. “I should’ve guessed. You all look the same. Your eyes are prettier than the others though,” He shrugged and extended a hand for the temporary employee. He wouldn’t bother getting to know him. There was no point with these college brats. He learned that lesson already. “I’m Parker.”

[disneytunnels]

i wanna sleep next to you; simba & remi

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The feeling of Remi wrapped up in his arms was something that made Simba feel comfortable and at ease. He’d spent so much of his time in other people’s beds that the concept of sleeping with people wasn’t something he gave much thought to, but everything was a little bit different with Remi. With Remi, he wanted to spend more time curled up in bed together with him because everything was just so peaceful with the man. “You do, do you?” Simba asked curiously, opening his eyes just enough to look at Remi in his arms. In this moment, he was certain that he could just spend the rest of the day here without having any interest in leaving this bed and letting the man go. Simba let out an amused laugh as he pressed his nose into Remi’s hair, snuffling lightly against the boy’s scalp. “I’ll keep you warm then,” he told the man softly as his fingers lightly ran along Remi’s back. He felt himself starting to drift a little bit as he brushed his hand along Remi’s back, finger feathering their way down Remi’s spine. It was the comforting ease of being curled up with the man that left Simba so happily satisfied, and while he wouldn’t admit this aloud, he’d desperately missed this. In the few weeks since DCP had started, Simba had started feeling distanced from his friends because of the pressures of the programme, but now it was like all that distance went out the window, and whether or not that was due to the closeness of the man pressed against him now or not, Simba didn’t know or care. All that mattered to him was that he was happier now, and that the feeling of Remi in his arms was what he needed.

[epcotkingdom]

Remi shivered lightly as Simba’s fingers trailed down his bony spine, hoping the other thought it was just from being cold. Cuddling Simba did bad things to his hormones and his heart, but he would never stop it. It felt too good being in his arms. Remi was insecure about his general tininess, but he couldn’t help but love feeling so small in Simba’s arms. His breathing began to even out as he relaxed in his arms, his fingers caressing the soft skin of Simba’s bare waist. He wondered what it would be like to lift his face and kiss him, just to see what it was like just once. He knew he would never have the courage to do something so daring though. “Thank you,” He murmured, thanking him for both keeping him warm and just generally being there, “This is nice.” Even if he missed his private space, he would choose this over his own room any day. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep, soothed by the comfort of Simba’s arms. 

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i wanna sleep next to you; simba & remi

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Simba let out a soft chuckle. “Some day I’m going to make you scoop me some ice cream. I’ve heard the stuff you serve is pretty good.” Before getting into DCP, Simba had never been to Disney World before. HIs parents had taken them to Disneyland Paris once when they were tiny kids, but he barely remembered it, and he knew that Icici didn’t, so this was a whole new experience to him. “Liar,” Simba responded in an amused tone as he tucked the blanket around the two of them, making sure that they were both covered and warm in the cool air of the apartment before he rested his arm over Remi, his hand lightly brushing against his clothed back. “Why is it that you’re always asking me about my conquests?” Simba mumbled as he shifted in the bed, easily closing the gap between the two of them as his arm settled behind Remi, scooping the man against his chest so he could hold onto him as they slept. “I mean, I was supposed to see some terrible film with one of the girls down the hall tonight, but I cancelled that. No point in going out when I’ve got prime nap time right here and now.” A smile graced Simba’s lips before he closed his eyes, resting his head into the pillow on the bed. The curls on top of Remi’s head were tickling his cheek, but Simba didn’t mind it. It left a feeling of comfort that he’d been aching for the past few days, and nothing about a stupid date was going to make him want to leave that safety just yet.

[epcotkingdom]

Remi let out a soft chuckle in response, nodding his agreement. They worked in the same park, but at the moment it seemed like they wouldn’t see much of each other. Their shifts were all over the place. He fell silent as Simba pulled him fully in to his arms, letting the warm of his bare skin sooth him. There was so much he wanted to do when they cuddled, like bury his face in his neck and take in his scent or take off his own shirt and feel their bare skin pressed together. He couldn’t do either, because there was a line between best mate and pathetic, pining, unrequited lover that he couldn’t cross. And he couldn’t stand the thought of being shirtless around Simba. Exhaling slowly through his nose, he let himself relax in his friend’s arms, telling himself that he needed to cherish these moments, whether they were platonic or not. He hesitantly wrapped an arm around Simba’s waist and buried his face in his chest, reveling in the warmth. The fact that Simba ditched his date for him made him feel happier than it should, reaffirming that Simba would always care for him more than those meaningless flings. “Because I like to be involved in your life,” Remi managed a breathless laugh. “Well, I guess I should be grateful you changed your plans. You’re always so bloody warm and I’m so bloody cold. Makes sleeping easier,” He confessed as he let himself snuggle in even closer to his mate. He couldn’t help but wonder how it was possible to love someone so fucking much who had no feelings in return. It was torture; a torture he was getting used to but painful all the same.

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i wanna sleep next to you; simba & remi

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Simba couldn’t help but grin a little bit when Remi stated that he’d get to see him at all times. That made Simba feel a little bit more comfortable about the decision, because that had been his goal from the beginning. The fact that he would be able to actually see Remi and spend time with him after his shift was something that lifted a weight in Simba that he didn’t realise he’d been carrying. “Well it’s not the worst thing in the world. Sure, it’s mundane work, but you do it well, darling.” The second that Remi gave Simba the soundless offer of agreement towards a nap, he pushed himself up the length of the bed so he could stretch out along the mattress. The furniture at Disney wasn’t very comfortable, but Simba didn’t really expect much else from a college programme. “Hey,” he said defensively as he rolled onto his back, looking up at the man with a frown on his face. “I’ve done a lot today, and I’ve been up since 6am because this work schedule has ruined my sleep. Be nice to me.” He reached out for Remi, resting his hand on the man’s arm for a moment before he acted, tugging on him to pull him closer. “Nap time, my tiny friend,” he mumbled as he shifted in the bed, reaching to tug his blanket over so he could cover the two of them once Remi obliged and came to cuddle with him.

[epcotkingdom]

“Yes, I’ve mastered the art of scooping ice cream,” Remi rolled his eyes as he watched Simba crawl on to the bed, a little smile hinting on his lips. Their beds were so close together that they were practically sharing one. It wasn’t like they’ve never shared a bed before. With the countless holidays and sleepovers they’ve had, they’ve woken up tangled together before. Each time always made Remi feel like he was going to melt in to the mattress. The difference this time was they would be sleeping like this every night. Remi wasn’t sure if his hormones could survive that. “I’m always nice to you,” He murmured with a playful pout, his eyes fluttering as he grew more tired by the second. As the blanket draped over them, Remi stayed in his place, usually hesitant when it came to being so close to his best mate. He was always worried that he would ruin something by being pressed against him. Sighing shakily, he scooted forward until their bodes were nearly flush together, keeping a few inches between them. Avoiding his gaze, he rested his head on Simba’s pillow, tucking his hand under his cheek. “You don’t have some bird waiting to be swept away by Aladdin on his magic carpet tonight?” He teased, though it was weak sounding, a shaky laugh escaping his lips. 

[disneytunnels]

i wanna sleep next to you; simba & remi

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“Absolutely not,” Simba stated with a grin as he let himself relax against the wall of the room. “What part about this is excessive to you? You’re with us, where you’re supposed to be.” That was probably the closest Simba would ever get to saying that he’d genuinely missed Remi’s presence in his life. The first week of DCP was so hectic in terms of his training schedule that he didn’t mind the thought of not having Remi around him, mostly because every hour not spent at the park was occupied with sleeping or getting ready to go back and do it all over again. Now, however, they were near a slower time and his hours weren’t quite up to where they needed to be just yet for a face character, so the craving for his witty and quiet friend had increased immensely and Simba knew that he had to make this a permanent fit. “Hey,” he said as he lifted his hands up. “I don’t know what you’re doing at all lately. I swear, sometimes it feels like I don’t even know where you work if not for the fact that it’s written on the bulletin board because someone likes having everything neat and organised in this place.” He made a face when he thought about their roommate who’d tried to snap at them at the beginning of the program for being too loud and throwing a party to ring in the internship. Thank goodness Simba never had to see him. “I mean, if you’re sleeping with him, good for you! He’s pretty decent as far as people go.” When Remi spoke to him in French, Simba raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure you said something lovely, but all I heard was weird words and something about how we should definitely take a nap right now. Believe it or not, moving that bed was hard work.”

[epcotkingdom]

Remi could only shake his head at Simba, attempting to appear stern and done, but he was sure it came off more like fond. He could pretend to be annoyed all he wanted, but in reality he was just happy his friends cared so much about him that they physically moved his bed to their room. When they chose their room assignments, Remi never questioned who would be living with who. He knew Jay and Simba would pair up, because that was just how things were. At this point, it didn’t bother him, but he still couldn’t help but feel like the odd one out. “Well now you can see me at all times when I’m here,” Remi snorted with a quirked brow. “It’s not like you’re missing out on my life. I scoop ice cream all day for hyperactive kids and fed up parents.” His position was tedious and his costume was ghastly, but he still would take it over a face character. Though, he was sure Simba would handle it with all the grace and enthusiasm like he handled everything--and he was sure the other looked weirdly gorgeous dressed as Aladdin. A nap sounded wonderful at the moment. He still felt sticky and gross from being outside all day, but he couldn’t be bothered to shower. Giving his mate a soft smile, he patted the bed beside him. It was then that he realized that his and Simba’s beds were flush together, while Jay’s was a few inches away. He tried not to dwell on it, but it did cause his heart to stutter in his chest. “C’mon then you gigantic pup. I’m exhausted. You must be too after all your hard work,” He said sarcastically. 

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i wanna sleep next to you; simba & remi

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An amused chuckle escaped Simba’s throat at that statement. “You say that like Jay and I aren’t,” he commented before he turned to the dresser, digging through it so he could find a clean pair of boxers. Usually, at this point, he’d just climb into bed naked and relax in it, but he had a feeling that he’d crossed enough boundaries today with Remi to risk that one, and if he even approached in the towel, it’d probably end up coming off pretty soon. “We so very politely made the effort so you would feel more at home, with us.” Simba fished a pair of boxers out of the back of the top drawer and he let out a hum of success before tugging them on beneath the towel, letting the fabric around him drop as he successfully adjusted the underwear onto his body. “We never see you anymore, Remi,” Simba tacked on as he kicked the towel aside, turning his attention back to Remi. “You’re always at the park or asleep and it’s boring and we miss you. Besides, this is your home, not sleeping with Christian — unless you’re sleeping with Christian in which case your beds weren’t pushed together and I find that highly suspicious.” He flashed Remi a grin before stepping over to the collection of beds, settling down onto the edge of his. “Why are you home so early anyway? Did they realise your ability to speak French is all a farce and now you’re destined to find somewhere else to wear those horrendous stripes?”

[epcotkingdom]

Simba and Jay were the opposite of quiet and polite. If Remi was honest with himself, he would never change that. Still, he made a show of rolling his eyes good-naturedly. He tried his hardest not to blatantly stare at Simba, but with his back turned, there wasn’t really anything stopping him. He took in the smooth, strong plains of Simba’s back, and the little dimples at his spine. Gods, he would give anything to run his fingers over it. Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus on the conversation. “Jesus, even back at school we had more room in our dorm than this. Isn’t this a little excessive? Even for you?” He pressed as he stretched out his legs, propping himself up against his pillow. At least they actually made an effort to make his bed. He had to give them credit for that. “That’s thing about the Disney College Program, Simba, you actually have to work,” He reminded him curtly, crossing his arms over his chest as he gave him an unimpressed look. “And I think you would know by now if I was sleeping with Christian. That’s not something that would just stay silent, is it?” He chuckled. Years later, Simba was still trying to get him laid. It was beyond him how he hadn’t given up yet. “Ce n'est pas vrai,” Remi responded. “Ils me laissent pars tôt. C'est lent.”

[disneytunnels]

i wanna sleep next to you; simba & remi

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Simba had been in the shower when the door to their apartment had opened and Remi arrived. He hadn’t even had the chance to experience Remi’s reaction, not that he had expected he’d be able to anyway. By the time that Remi was due to come home, Simba would’ve been out at a movie with one of the girls who worked in guest services, and after that he was supposed to meet one of the character attendants at his apartment for a late-night romp. Somewhere in between the two, Simba had made a mental note to call Icici and see how she was possibly surviving in the laced-tight home that she still lived in with her parents, but honestly, he didn’t think it was going to happen. As much as he loved his little sister to death, she didn’t really appreciate his existence and that drove a rift between the two of them long ago. Shaking the thoughts out of his mind with the droplets of water from his hair, Simba turned off the shower, letting himself revel in the steam-filled room for a few moments longer before he wrapped the towel around his waist and pushed the wavy tresses out of his face. He had a few hours left until he had to get ready, and honestly, Simba was considering cancelling on the girl. It was what felt like a rare day off and he knew that the park was going to start picking up again soon, so he really didn’t want to involve himself with wasting his free time out on a date with a girl who seemed interested in him because of his role of Aladdin. He pushed the door open to the bedroom, stifling a chuckle when he saw Remi curled up in his bed. “See you found your way home earlier than expected,” Simba commented as he brushed a stray drip of water off of his chest. “How do you like the new arrangements?”

[epcotkingdom]

Remi started to doze off a bit once he accepted his apparent new living space. He was exhausted from the heat and people, and probably could have slept for twelve hours. The sound of the door creaking open caused him to blink an eye open and look at Simba briefly before doing a double take. Seeing Simba newly showered was nothing new to him, but that didn’t mean it stopped effecting him. His throat went dry as he watched a few droplets of water trail down his toned, tan chest. His hair always looked amazing when it was tousled and wet like it was right after he washed it. Cheeks turning a light shade of red, he tried to remember how to speak. After ten years, he shouldn’t have still frozen up when he saw Simba in any state of undress. Coughing awkwardly, he sat up in bed, crossing his legs as he tried his best to give Simba a look of distaste. “Like isn’t the word I’d use,” He murmured, forcing his gaze away from his wet body and focusing on the sheets. “Is there a reason you two moved my bed to your room? You wanted even less room in here?” Remi snorted as he gestured to the already small living space. “Honestly, Sim, I just lived across the hall, and Christian isn’t bad to live with. He’s quiet. Polite,” He informed him pointedly. 

[disneytunnels]

i wanna sleep next to you; simba & remi

“Come on, Jay. Stop being lazy and help me!” Simba tugged on the frame of the bed, pulling it away from the wall as he waited for Jay to show up in the room. The second that the curly-haired man arrived, he gestured for him to drag the mattress out of the room so they could turn the bed frame on its side and get it into the common area and to their room. Why are we doing this again? Simba knew that it was something they’d just talked about when they were drunk the night before, but when he’d woken up that morning and thought about it, they really hadn’t seen Remi since DCP had started. “We’ve already made our room home, Prongs,” he said as he tugged on the frame. “But you know it’s not home without our little Moony.” Jay couldn’t argue with that, so the two of them pulled the bed into their room, fit it right in between the two of theirs, and threw the mattress down on top. “There,” Simba said as he left Jay to grab the bedding. Neither of them really wanted to actually put the effort into making the bed after they’d spent so much time getting it into the room, but they knew they would, especially since Remi would be back long before either of them would. AM shifts were the worst in Disney, Simba was certain of it, but this was his day off, albeit a very busy day for him, and Jay had some sort of evening thing because of the parade they were having tonight, so neither of them would actually be around to witness Remi’s reaction to the home they’d made for him between the two of them. Simba knew, however, that it was going to be a good one.

[epcotkingdom]

Heat wasn’t Remi’s friend. In fact, he despised everything about it, which made living in Florida great. Smiling all day and pretending like he enjoyed serving ice cream all day was exhausting. Luckily for him, he was sent home a few hours early due to over staffing. He was the only DCP kid at the French station in Epcot, most of the cast were actually from France, which allowed him to be the first sent home. After long shifts at the “happiest place on earth,” all Remi wanted to do was either pass out or curl up in bed with a good book. If he wasn’t doing school work, then he could at least read. When he finally made it home, he made a beeline for his shared room with Christian, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw the empty space where his bed used to be. He didn’t need any sort of explanation from his roommate, already knowing instantly what his best mates were up to. He gave Christian a roll of his eyes before heading to the other’s room, spotting his bed placed flush between the other two. He knew this was a fight he couldn’t win, and honestly he wasn’t even surprised. With a resigned sigh, he dropped his bag and climbed in to the middle bed, slipping under the covers. “Of course,” He mumbled to himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his best mates, he did with everything he had. And it wasn’t like he never shared a room with them before. But he was already overwhelmed with this place and sometimes he just needed a break from the pair. Plus, being around Simba constantly and having his bed so close to his would be torture. 

[disneytunnels]

the start of something new; aurelio & august

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As Aurelio was telling the boy the story that he had launched into, he realised that August really wasn’t that outgoing of a person. Maybe that was just due to first-meeting jitters or something of the like, but Aurelio was always used to big personalities and people who immediately spoke their mind instead of those who seemed to kind of set some time aside for him to talk. It was refreshing, honestly, because Aurelio couldn’t think of the last time that someone just let him launch into story after story without interrupting him to say something about themselves. Maybe the thought sounded conceited, but Aurelio liked talking to make other people interested and amused, not just for his own benefit, and he often found that he became a lot more closed-off once others shut him down, so he was grateful that August wasn’t doing that to him. “Yes you,” he said with a cheerful smile. “You keep complimenting me but I don’t think you’ve taken a look in the mirror much, have you? You’re damn gorgeous, and yeah sure my sister’s pretty and all that, but between the two of us, she’s got the looks and I’ve got the talent. Well, the talent to talk that is.” Aurelio chuckled. “I’m sure I wouldn’t have landed a prince role but that’d be cool to think about. I hope you got one though. You’d definitely fit in as one of the charming princes of Disney.” Aurelio nodded when the August stood up, biting back a hint of laughter when he’d realised how embarrassed the boy had gotten from what he’d said. “Just shout if you need help. I’ll leave the window open!” he called after the blonde before he flopped back onto the mattress, laughing softly to himself.

[epcotkingdom]

August face gradually grew redder and redder as Aurelio threw compliments at him. He knew he wasn’t ugly, but he also didn’t consider himself anything special. A typical Georgia Peach, his mom called him. “I--uhm--thank you,” He stammered with a shy grin. He knew he probably resembled a tomato more than a peach at the moment. “Hopefully if I’m as good looking as you say, I’ll get a prince roll instead of being stuck in one of those heat traps,” He gave a shaky laugh as he headed for the door. He took the brief break from Aurelio to get his head on straight, letting the fresh air bring him back to reality as he joined his parents at the car. They gave their heartfelt goodbyes, full of hugs and kisses that only led to August to cry again. He was a bit of a momma’s boy and got homesick easily. Wiping the tears from his cheeks, he headed for his room again, praying that Aurelio wouldn’t notice and think he’s a child. He lugged his suitcases back in to their shared bedroom. “I probably over packed,” He admitted with a sheepish laugh. “I do this every year. You can borrow whatever you want.” 

[disneytunnels]

the start of something new; aurelio & august

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“Oh definitely!” Aurelio was so excited about the concept of spending the days off at the park. “Before or after shifts is something we can do too. I mean, we can’t stay in the park for the extra magic hours or anything like that if you’re working a morning shift it means you can literally spend the entire rest of the day in the park. How cool is that? I can’t wait to just run around the whole place and learn all the secrets — oh and the tunnels. I’m so excited about those!”  He nodded in agreement to what August said about the position that he’d been hired for. “Exactly. From what I heard, custodial is actually one of the easiest positions in the park, but I can’t imagine actually having to walk around picking up people’s trash or cleaning up puke. That’d be the worst. I’m really hoping that I can end up becoming a pin trader too so that way it’ll be twice as cool to sell things and also just pass along pins. How much fun would that be?” Aurelio took in a short breath before he broke out into a smile. “Oh awesome, my sister is too! She was so excited about doing the auditions. Honestly, I considered it for a minute, but I can’t imagine actually ending up holding a role as a face character or a fur character, so I just said whatever to it and figured I can just take whatever Disney throws at me. That’s so cool though! You’re going to have a ton of fun, and hey if you lose ten pounds, it’ll probably make you look really fit, not that you don’t already of course. You’re really attractive.”

[epcotkingdom]

August silently wondered how Aurelio breathed when he spoke, because he seemed to just go on and on and on. He found himself just watching the other rather than listening whenever he went on those long tangents. He was rather pretty, so it wasn’t hard to get distracted by the smooth plains of his face or his big hazel eyes. He knew he was staring, but he also knew that there was no point in answering Aurelio’s question, because he was already off again to a new story. Biting his lip hard, he tried his hardest not to laugh, but amusement was clear all over his face. He didn’t want to laugh at what Aurelio was saying, he was just endeared by how much energy he had. At the compliment, he turned bright red and that laugh he was holding back turned in to a choking noise. “Who me?” He asked in surprise, blue eyes wide. “No, no,” He shook his head. “I’m not--I mean look at you! You’re like a New York Model, I can’t even imagine what your sister looks like. If you had auditioned for a character role, you would’ve gotten a prince easily. You’re so...chiseled,” He finished awkwardly, feeling completely mortified as he buried his face in his hands. “I mean, well, I should go help my parents get my stuff,” He said quickly as he hopped up from the bed, any excuse to collect himself and not sound so stupid around Aurelio.

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the start of something new; aurelio & august

[disneytunnels]

Aurelio couldn’t help but beam a little bit when August so nicely offered to lend him anything that he needed. He’d picked up some of the essentials at the store across the way, but that really didn’t replace the four months of clothing and whatnot that he’d packed to make sure that he’d be able to feasibly live at Disney World. “You’re awesome, friend. Thank you.” Aurelio was one of those people who always felt like he had to help people out whenever he could, so the fact that August didn’t really need any assistance in terms of getting his stuff up to the apartment was unusual to him. Instead of continuing to press it, like he would in most situations, he made himself drop the conversation, instead nodding in understanding when the boy said that he’d go say goodbye to his family soon. “Me too,” he said with a chuckle. “Mine kept saying that there was no point in an internship at Disney and it was just an excuse to try and spend a semester being lazy. They have no idea how wrong they were. Did you know we’re supposed to be working twelve-to-fourteen hour days when it hits the point of peak times? It’s insane, and I’m so excited for it. Uh… My acceptance letter said merchandising but apparently we don’t get our actual assignments until we go in for Disney Traditions or at least that’s what the facebook groups said. I hope that I’m working in Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios. Those were my favourite parks growing up.” He paused. “What about you?”

[epcotkingdom]

August cringed when Aurelio reminded him of the long hours they would eventually have to work. All he knew was that he was a character performer, whether it was fur or face he wasn’t sure, but he had a feeling it was fur based off his audition. He knew he shouldn’t be disappointed by that, considering it was extremely difficult to become a character performer, but he was really hoping to get Prince Eric. “It’ll be a lot,” August agreed with a shaky laugh, nervous at the idea of wearing a heavy costume for hours. “The days off will be worth it though. Spending all that time at the parks. I’ll probably ride Space Mountain all day,” He admitted with a laugh,“Merchandise sounds nice though. Not too demanding, but you won’t be cleaning puke off the rollercoasters.” He paused when it was his turn to tell Aurelio his position. He didn’t want to make a big deal about his role, which most people seemed to do so far. He didn’t know how to handle that kind of attention. “I’m uhm--a character performer,” He told his roommate with a blush. “I’m not sure for what role yet. I just got the e-mail a month a go. Knowing me, it’s going to be a fur character, which is fine, but it’ll be so hot. I’ll probably lose ten pounds from sweating alone.”

[disneytunnels]

the start of something new; aurelio & august

[disneytunnels]

“Yeah that’d be awesome. Thanks man!” Aurelio responded cheerfully before he paused. “I mean I packed a spare pair of clothes in my backpack — they always tell you to do that — but I wore them when I got here yesterday so this is the spare set. I hand-washed the other stuff at the hotel yesterday but there’s not much you can do and it’s already awkward enough that I had to borrow one of Emilia’s sleep shirts from her for bed because that was a mess and she’s way too tiny for me so… Yeah…” Aurelio didn’t really understand the concept of having family help with moving in or anything like that. When he’d gone off to college, his parents didn’t do too much in terms of helping them, but when they did they tended to focus on Emilia more than him, so he was often left to his own devices in regards to that. By the time they’d both gotten accepted to DCP, their parents had agreed that they’d fly down with whatever they could fit into two suitcases and if they needed anything else, to buy it down there. “I mean honestly if you need help I’m glad to offer a hand. It’s not like I have anything else for me to grab so if you want some help with your stuff I’m here.” His smile softened a little bit as he thought about his sister. She drove him mad sometimes, but he did the exact same to her. “I guess you could say that. I mean, we’re twins so we’ve always been pretty close, but I’d definitely say we’re not attached at the hip or anything like that. I got in last semester but I couldn’t go and now we were just lucky to both get in, so yeah. That’s the more or less of it.”

[epcotkingdom]

It was a lot of information for August to process. With Aurelio, it seemed like he couldn’t stick to one topic, so he had to try to remember the important details of whatever it was he said. “You can borrow whatever,” August offered shyly with a half grin. He was curious as to why Aurelio had to defer a semester before he could actually join the DCP program, but he didn’t want to pry. He knew that his parents had their reservations about the program themselves. They didn’t understand how it added any value towards his future, but August managed to convince them with a PowerPoint full of reasons on why he should go. In the end, he was pretty sure they let him go just so he could learn his lesson by sweating his ass off in a furry costume. “As long as you’re here now,” August piped in and started to unpack his backpack, setting a picture of his family on the bedside table. “And really, don’t worry about helping my parents. I’m going to go down in a second and say bye.” He was worried he might cry like he did his freshmen year, and the last thing he needed was for his new roommate to see that. He decided to distract him by urging him to tell more stories. “I’m really excited to be here. I wasn’t sure my parents would let me. They thought I might end up just cleaning bathrooms all day. Do you know what sort of job you’re getting yet?”

[disneytunnels]

the start of something new; aurelio & august

[disneytunnels]

The way that August reacted to his greeting was something that Aurelio was used to. He often experienced people having a baffled expression or an inability to find the right way to react after he greeted them. It was just something normal to him. Still, he couldn’t help the amused smile that spread across his face as he said, “You alright?” to the boy. This was one of his favourite things to do, but he knew more or less what answer he’d get in response, so he didn’t even give much of a chance for August to respond before he continued on. “Good for you for having your things then, but poor me for being alone in this predicament.” He stepped back, waving his arms around in a flourish as he turned around and grabbed his backpack. “See, we were at the airport, no problems whatsoever, and yet for some reason they overbooked our flight that was supposed to be a straightaway from NYC to Florida so obviously instead of waiting another ten hours or whatever ridiculous amount of time it would take, we got on a plane that had a layover in Chicago. Normally that’d be fine, but this particular airplane seemed to somehow lose my luggage, but not my sister’s, because she’s always been the lucky one in the family, what with her being the principessa with the first-born status. So…long story short, both of her suitcases somehow made it down here no problem, and one of mine somehow ended up on the straight-away flight but they misplaced it in Orlando and the other one is currently somewhere in the dark abyss of flight.” He paused. “Do you need help bringing your things in?”

[epcotkingdom]

August parted his lips to respond to the question, but Aurelio didn’t give him a chance to respond before he was already speaking again. It was probably best that way, because August probably would’ve just said something embarrassing anyway. He could tell Aurelio was a bit colorful from their brief conversation on Facebook, but he had no idea that the other could talk so much. Nodding along to his story, he took a seat on his new bed and watched him in interest. He couldn’t pin point how he felt about his new roommate just yet, but at least he didn’t seem mean. It was difficult to take in the full story, but August tried. He got that Aurelio had a sister and was from New York. When his new roommate finally stopped talking, he just blinked at him, unsure what how he was supposed to respond. “Do you--um--want to borrow a tee shirt?” He offered with a shrug and a half smile. He dismissed Aurelio’s offer with a shake of his head, certain that his conservative southern small town parents wouldn’t find Aurelio nearly as cute or endearing as he did. “They’ve got it. I didn’t bring too much stuff. I’ll probably just go down and say goodbye to them and stuff,” He said nonchalantly, as if he didn’t cry himself to sleep the first few weeks of college because he was so homesick. “Your sister is here with you? That’s cool that you both got in to the program together. Are you close?” He asked in interest. “I have an older sister, but we don’t do anything together or anything like that.”

[disneytunnels]

the start of something new; aurelio & august

[disneytunnels]

The sound of the bedroom door properly opening had Aurelio turning around to look at the person that had entered. He immediately recognised him as the one that he’d agreed to room with, August, he thought. Granted, Aurelio wasn’t really that great with names, but it was hard to forget one that coincided with one of his favourite months. “Yeah right that’s me,” he said cheerfully once he was certain that the bed had been claimed and he didn’t have to worry about trying to fight someone for the view that he wanted, not that it was even a great one in the first place. “How did I scare you? You didn’t expect someone to be here? Me too.” Aurelio stepped over to his roommate and he reached out for what seemed like it would be just a simple handshake, but the second he got close enough to August, Aurelio rested his hands on the boy’s shoulders and leaned in, pressing a kiss to each of the boy’s cheeks before adding a third, brief peck to his lips. It was tradition in his family, something that his grandfather taught him and one that he took very seriously. With that, he pulled back from the boy, eyes drifting to his backpack. “Glad to know I’m not the only one here who ended up with just a backpack. Did the airport lose your luggage too or did you just manage to fit everything in your Mary Poppins bag?”

[epcotkingdom]

Despite the fact that August was a junior in college, he still wasn’t used to people or a big college atmosphere, so he was always awkward in situations that required him to meet new people. He stood by the bed uncomfortably and just took a moment to look at his new roommate, who looked more like a model than a college student. It made him feel a little inferior compared to him. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the conversation, his smile faltering a little. “N-No, I figured people wouldn’t get in for another few hours,” He shrugged and held out a hand for what he thought was going to be handshake, only for it to turn in to something completely different. Eyes going wide, his face flushed bright red as Aurelio kissed both his cheeks and his lips, completely caught off guard by the overly friendly gesture. For a good few moments, he completely forgot how to speak and just stared at his new roommate in shock, his cheeks absolutely flaming. “I-I erm--I--what?” He stammered, completely forgetting the question. He knew he probably looked like an idiot, so he tried his best to pull himself together. “My parents are downstairs,” He answered dumbly. “They told me to find my room while they organized my stuff. You lost your luggage?” He asked suddenly when he realized what Aurelio had actually said. 

[disneytunnels]

the start of something new; aurelio & august

“Vattene sorella,” Aurelio called down the hall as he watched his sister disappear into her apartment. They were one of the first cars to arrive at the complex, and Aurelio thanked the cheap motel they’d stayed at in Kissimmee the night before because it meant that he got to choose the best bedroom to stake his claim in. He slipped his backpack off of his shoulder the second he stepped into the apartment, surveying his new home for the next four months before he pushed at the bedrooms, immediately snooping through them. Sure, they all had assigned bedrooms, but Aurelio really didn’t seem to care too much about that. The group he’d formed online to become his roommates had all agreed that they didn’t mind shuffling around to find the right combination of roommates, so he figured he’d take advantage of that situation to find the best view from the apartment windows. Once he snooped through the first two bedrooms, he pushed the door open to the third room, a smile spreading across his face as he saw that the window didn’t face the rest of the complex but rather the street outside. “Meraviglioso,” he said as he turned back around to grab his backpack and stake his claim on the bed closer to the window before anyone else came in. The second he had his grip around the handle, the sound of a key in the lock caught his attention, causing Aurelio to pause. On the one hand, he wanted to say hi to one of the guys he’d met online, but at the same time, he wanted that bed, so he turned to run and claim the mattress before anyone else could walk in.

[epcotkingdom]

August probably lived closer to Orlando than most of the DCP students, but his family still insisted on splitting up the trip so they could spend the night at his grandparent’s house in Jacksonville. They arose early bright and early so they could get a head start to Orlando, causing him to be one of the first people to arrive. He somewhat knew his future roommate and suite mates, but purely on an acquaintance basis. He was a bit nervous that it wouldn’t go well. If there was anything he learned from college, it was that Facebook didn’t warn you whether you actually meshed well with another person or not. While his parents unpacked to the car, he searched for his apartment with a backpack on his shoulder. When he finally found it, he was impressed with how much space there was compared to his home university. August took his time to search the rooms, not surprised when he found they were all empty, which is why he nearly jumped a foot in the air when he entered the third and a blur of movement zipped past him. With a gasp, he held a hand over his rapid heartbeat and stared at the stranger in shock. “Sorry, you scared me,” He explained with a nervous laugh. “You’re Aurelio, right? I remember from Facebook. I’m August, although you probably already knew that from Facebook too...unless you didn’t,” He trailed off before shaking his head. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you,” He shot him a friendly grin as he claimed the empty bed, setting his backpack on top of it.