eddie watts x volt x reader (date everything) one shots
through the frays of a faulty wire - eddie x volt prequel
rated: m. Pre-game canon. Can be read as prequel to PD, but is also completely stand alone. Through Eddie's pain, something - someone - sparks into existence. Exploring how Volt comes to be, and how they navigate their first year of shared existence, together and apart.
prologue. part one. part two.
power dynamics
open circuit. eddie x volt
rated: m. word court: 2.6k
There's something about you that's catching Eddie and Volt's interest. They... discuss exactly what they want to do about it.
brutalizer(s). eddie/volt/afab, g/n reader
rated: m. word court: 3.3k
You decide to "challengers" your new boyfriends. It, uh, doesn't go as planned.
shared frequency. eddie x volt
rated: m. word court: 2.3k
The morning after "brutalizer(s)," Volt and Eddie have a conversation about your new dynamic.
power play. eddie/volt/afab, g/n reader
rated: m. word court: 3.3k
Eddie only has one rule: no fucking in the bar. And of course, he finds you and Volt breaking it. He can't have that.
electrical storm. eddie/volt/afab, g/n reader
rated: m. word court: 3.5K
Eddie doesn't do well during storms. You and Volt help give him what he needs for some relief.
crossed wires. eddie/volt/afab, g/n reader
rated: m. word count: 5.5k
You were unbelievably careless while the boys weren't around, so Eddie and Volt take new measures to keep you in place.
flip the switch. eddie/volt/afab, g/n reader
rated: m. word count: 4.2k
It's Volt's birthday, and he has a special request for his present.
transformer. part one - volt/afab, g/n reader. part two - eddie/volt/g/n reader
rated: m. word count: 5.5k
Eddie has had enough of Volt's mouth. You decide to try your hand at finally getting him quiet.
the meeting of electrons. volt x eddie
rated: m. word count: 3.7k
A year after Volt sparked into existence, he and Eddie are still trying to name exactly what they are to each other. Takes place pre-game canon.
fire hazard. eddie/volt/afab, g/n reader
rated: m. word count: 4.7k
There was a mishap while you were talking to Dante. But Eddie and Volt do not like the idea of someone else being so close to you.
â multi x gn!reader. drabbles of kissing various objects and getting lipstick all over them.
⎠romantic relationship(s) prestablished, possibly unrealistic &. weirdly characterized, cursing, tooth rotting fluffy-ness me thinks, romantic and possibly suggestive, kissing &. making out, neck marking/kissing, post- or pre- realization idgaf, player is meaning to be gender neutral but wears lipstick for the sake of this writing. do with this what you will, player is hinted to be shorter then hank four, i have no consistent writing style and it lowkey continously changes with each character i write but we ball, seems a little free-use on the hanks part but whatever đ, I HAVEN'T FINISHED PARKERS LOVE ROUTE YET SPARE ME OF HATE. lowercase intended &. not proofread. inspired by date-eveeything!
THE HANKS!
everything was a blur of lips and giggles. endlessly were you pulled left and right, meeting a new mouth or just part of someone's face each time. it was nice nonetheless, the soft feverish drag of lips on one another, lipstick smeared haphazardly among the six. you kinda forgot how this had even begun, but worrying about something like that instead of the, quite literal, push and pull of intimacy would've been idiotic.
broken out of your thoughts, you felt someone pull you up to their firm chest all the same, eyes catching the sight of those familiarly red curls. a low squeal escaped you even after it all, feeling hank three eagerly kiss you and effectively scrubbing off your lipstick further. hank three surely had it the worse, positively covered in lipstick marks that ran from his forehead down to his neck, and it contrasted beautifully with his ginger hair and flushed, freckled covered cheeks.
you pulled away from the kiss, dazed eyes glancing around, really just taking it all in. you were met with grins, and felt yourself back once more, feeling your head get tilted back and lips meeting theirs like a scene in a romance movie. you can't dwell on it long, giggles muffled into your mouth, and it was a safe assumption that it was hank four.
slowly pulling away from hank fours lips, you blinked multiple times, swallowing built up saliva. you let your head tilt back into place, back still pressed up against hank fours chest, and you found your head reeling for thoughts.
"breathless already?" you heard hank three question teasingly, and you could only jump as hank one suddenly slid infront of you. you suddenly became aware of how your breath was shallow, yet quick, and how your heart was beating loudly in your ears. your cheeks felt unbearably warm.
you were about to answer, though felt hank one stopping you with his mouth. you sighed lowly, hank fours hands drifting to your hips and keeping you in place gently, and you couldn't help but lean back into his comfortable embrace, prompting hank one to lean forward as to keep the kiss going.
your hands reached up, bracing themselves against hank ones shirt. they balled up into fists, getting a soft grab at hank ones top. feeling hank one back away, you bit your bottom lip, breathing deeply through your nose.
hank two sheepishly slid over to your side, timid touch reaching your chin and tilting your head over to where he was. your lips connected with his easily, and you let your bruised bottom lip free from your teeth.
you tensed just barely, feeling someone's, surely lipstick-covered, nose prod at your neck. you eased quickly, feeling soft pecks pressed against the skin, and you get just a small glimpse of light brown skin; hank five. it was a little ticklish, but naturally nice feeling. it was abruptly broken, the soft romance of his little kisses paired with sudden bites against somewhere near your jugular, and there was no mistake it was hank three.
the night was sure to end with your lipstick completely transferred onto the other five, lips puffy and used, and neck filled with markings that would've taken days to ridden of, and you wouldn't have it any other way.
MAC!
infront of you was such a gorgeous sight. mac was covered in lipstick marks, looking hazy with eyes filled with love, pupils almost carved into hearts. they smiled sweetly, feeling the comfortable feel of your body ontop of theirs. it was grounding, feeling you cautiously seated upon their lap, kept in their wheelchair that had been locked, assuring it wouldn't move.
"i love you," they murmured quietly, almost mistaken as another sound of wind, but you heard them loud and clear anyways. you return a smile, leaning forward and pressing further kisses upon their burning face, feeling the heat under your lips. sure, they were overheating most definitely, but they would rather die then ruin such an intimate moment with a complaint of how they were burning up. it could wait.
kisses trailed down their face to their soon-to-be-marked neck, letting your lipstick drag against their skin. your actions spoke more than the words you never said, lips brushing against their body being enough said. it was a silent 'i love you', and they basked in the warmth of it, no matter if it wasn't verbal.
they steadily moved their hands to move from your hips to your waist, pulling you closer till it would've been impossible to shift you any more near them no matter how hard they tried. they gave another breathless whisper of confessing their love, surely having been the tenth time they had stated it, and it only made you laugh quietly with adoration. it was admiring how much mac could repeat their words of love over and over, yet could make it feel like it was for the first time again.
moving back up, you let your lips meet theirs, the world outside of the feeling of their lips upon yours forgettable. it was gentle, yet told a million words that could've been spoken poetically, and it was something to relish in. even after it ended, the love it carried felt endless.
"i love you too," you finally respond. it was quick, quiet, but cute. mac sighs dreamily, leaning forward and resting their forehead onto your shoulder, letting the thoughts of them being oh so warm be buried away with how much they loved you.
with a red face and a bright smile, they flutter their eyes closed, wanting to be as close too you as possible, and it worked. curling their arms around your waist completely, your chest pressed against their own, they could've ugly sobbed at how much love you two shared. they were happy to know you were theirs, and they were yours, and maybe that's all that mattered at the end of the day.
PARKER!
parker loved games, and of course it made sense. he loved the games you made up specifically, and especially so when you would play the kissing game with him! he found himself shifting excitedly beneath you, feeling kisses pressed against anywhere you could reach. giddy giggles bubbled in his throat, as if each movement you did was ticklish upon him, and maybe they truly were.
"tickles," he hums, confirming your thoughts and it was as if he could read your head. wouldn't be that crazy for parker to be able to do such a thing, as i mean, cmon. its parker.
you laugh a little, comfortably straddling his hips with your hands shifting up to hold his jaw. you lightly tilt his head up, exposing unmarked skin, and it was quick to be covered in the familiar color of your lipstick. parker helped you a little, lifting his head up further till it was completely lulled back onto the planks. although the floor was unforgiving and rough against his back, your warmth cradled him like a towel would after a cold shower.
he stared up at the roof, feeling your lips make work on his pretty skin. it was nice to kick back every once and a while and let himself go, even if he did occasionally still miss playing a board game despite being literally loved on completely at the moment.
"thanks," he sighs absent-mindedly. he, himself, wasn't sure what he was thankful for, but nonetheless it was said, and he didn't dull on it for to long feeling your lips press right over where his heart would be underneath his clothing. you felt the beats slowly spike under your mouth, insinuating parker was flustered, and it made you just let out another laugh, though this one softer, kinder. it lingered there, if not just for a moment, before you unfortunately pulled away, admiring the work of art below you.
he pouted slightly, your lipstick staining his clothing, but it vanished quickly as you pressed a chaste kiss on his mouth. he couldn't stay mad for to long, and you knew that very well. nevertheless, you gave a little apology, a hefty amount of playfulness in your tone expectantly.
"its fine, lucky charm." he sat up slightly, expecting the game to be over, before he felt himself be gently pressed down by your hand that rested front and center on his chest. he blinked, looking at you before feeling your lips against his own, hearing a small murmur that you weren't done yet, and he couldn't believe how much his face reddened, eagerly reciprocating the kiss afterwards.
all credits to silentaffirmations on tumblr. everything made by me. do not reupload, feed to đ€, take as your own, etc.
So MC thought Red's sudden interest in them (I'm assuming by the quotes, it was actually not as sudden as MC thought) would be something that passed much like his other flings? What was Red's view on the matter during that time?
So Red was always low-key quietly interested in MC, but didnât make it clear to them for a few different reasons:
1) He wasnât sure if MC could ever feel the same way about him (if they were interested in him from an early point, they deliberately didnât act like it as a way of not being like all the other students who flirted with or crushed hard on him)
2) He didnât want to chance anything prematurely by letting MC know he was interested in them, because he didnât want to jeopardize their easy friendship and make things awkward if MC didnât feel the same way
So he sort of contented himself with building their friendship and sort of explored his options here and there with other people, though these relationships lasted like mayflies. In the back of his mind he always knew that his relationship with potential sweethearts couldnât be like his relationship with MC; it was one of those things where heâd drop the person he was dating to go to MC if they needed him every time; MC was more important to him; they were âthatâ sort of friends. And he also knew that that wasnât fair to the person he was seeing, which was partly why he always kept it so casual and noncommittal. He knew that he wouldnât be able to maintain a long-term relationship fairly and whole-heartedly with someone while MC was around: NOT because he knew he liked MC better or secretly harbored feelings for them, but because he was aware at least on some level that he would always prioritize MC first. Like if his current SO had beef with MC or they needed Red but MC also did, heâd feel like MC was more important, and he knew that wasnât fair. So he just sort of messed around and skipped from person to person without making anything serious (unaware of the emotional damage he was already doing by being so noncommittal). Most of this was subconscious, though; he was 16, 17, so itâs not exactly like he was deeply pining for MC the whole time. He wasnât lying in bed every night with a new lover thinking, âI wish I could be with MC :((( I love them so much but I just canât confess!â It was more low-key and subtle than that. Iâm probably not explaining it too well, but it wasnât this intense, angsty thing. It was sort of like heâd hang out with someone who wasnât them, be like âhmm... this doesnât feel quite right...â, break it off, and then hang out with MC (platonically) and be happier and more natural and relaxed, but for a long time he didnât really know how to make that connection and what that meant.
Anyway, once he did make that connection and started tentatively seeing how MC would react if he took things from a strictly-friendly level to a more romantic level, Red was really happy! In his mind this relationship was different from all the others, there was more intimacy and honesty because he and MC were already friends and knew each other--there was no one putting up their best front or trying to impress him or vice-versa. He fell in love, to be honest, and he was really happy. He didnât talk to MC about their long-term future because he sort of just assumed that they would weather anything, unlike his short flings. The feelings here were much deeper, and obviously MC had to feel that way too, because theyâd both been friends with each other for so long, so he just... assumed.
So it was a huge shock and slap in the face when MC just casually ended things? It was sort of like âso what are your plans after graduation?â âI donât know yet, I was thinking about traveling to these ruins...â (heavy implication that MC could come with him) âOh that sounds fun. Iâm going to go do [whatever MC did after graduation.] But weâll keep in touch, right?â
This took Red aback so much and threw him off so much that he really didnât know what to say. He was just confused, like ???? And MC acting so casual about it didnât help at all LOL. So then Red was left to question if heâd completely misinterpreted their relationship--it was clear MC only saw it as a fling--and then out of embarrassment, shock, and confusion, he tried to salvage his pride and dignity and didnât tell them heâd thought otherwise. Lol. Basically they were both huge idiots, which was understandable, because they were essentially in high school.Â
đ Leas: City of the Sun has officially released! đ
All the platforms it can be found on:
Hosted Games: Leas: City of the Sun
Steam: Leas: City of the Sun
Apple App store: Leas: City of the Sun
Google Play store: Leas: City of the Sun
Amazon: Leas: City of the Sun
If you like the game, feel free to leave a review - it helps a lot!
A million, billion, trillion thank-yous to everyone here for supporting me in my writing. It means the world to me and I hope you have lots of fun playing in the world of Leas! đ§Ąđâ€ïž
Genres: Slice-of-life, coming of age, comedy, drama, romance, parody
Status: public demo here, updated as of 11/30/24 and includes episode 1 with 17k words, outline written
Rating: 15+
Content Warnings: Violence, language, bullying, depression + depiction of other mental illnesses, manipulation, tba
Inspired by those Disney Channel movies (you know which ones) and The Parent Trap.
As a 17 (soon to be 18) year old senior, you are anxiously awaiting for the day you graduate, pack your bags, and ditch Sunnyview, the sleepy, incredibly boring, town that you have grown up in all your life. It has been your dream for as long as you can rememberâsometimes you can almost taste freedom on your tongue, so close yet so far away.
But one day, all of that changes when the filming for a movie is announced near your hometown. Not only is it a Stephen Zuckerberg, but it stars the recent award-winning actor Taylor Victory. Their presence stirs great interest and excitement in your small town. You did not care much about the actor beyond your keen interest in Stephen Zuckerberg movies, or at least, you thought you did not.
Until you have a chance encounter with the one and only Taylor Victory, and you notice the eerie facial similarities you share with them. Thus, a deal is struck between you.
You will swap places with each otherâTaylor will experience a normal week of high school as you, and you will live the life of an actor in their place. Plus, their offer of money doesn't quite hurt, and with it you would have enough to leave Sunnyview.
Oh, how little did you realize how much trouble you were about to get yourself into.
⏠customize your name, nickname, gender, looks, personality, etc.! however you will think of yourself as a "regular, ordinary" person living a boring life.
⏠taylor's gender, pronouns, and looks will be identical to yours (with a few modifications)!
⏠take the place of a famous teen actor and perhaps get to film a few scenes. lie, cheat, gaslight, manipulate; whatever it takes to convince others that you are who you say you are. otherwise...
⏠fall in love with your best friend, the popular kid (aka your crush), your "co-star," or no one. break or make your relationships with them.
⏠celebrate your 18th birthday as taylor and all by yourself.
⏠attend prom as yourself. or taylor? you aren't quite sure what it is yet.
Taylor Victory (gender based on MC) â The Identical Twin
The actor who became well-known for their lead role in the romcom movie Swipe Right and won a Cinny award for it. Ever since Victory entered the entertainment industry at the age of 5, they have never been able to live a "normal" life. Until, that is, they meet you. They are charming, suave, and everything that you imagine an actor to be. Especially their cockiness.
Maxie Yang (gender selectable) â The Best Friend
You have known them ever since you were in diapers; your sweet, quirky, and incredibly reliable best friend since forever. They have always cherished you and you to them, acting as your shield when you used to be heavily bullied in middle school. They have a remarkable passion for art and is a total geek for mythology. Years later, Maxie remains the same as ever, though sometimes you catch their adoring gaze at you. Do they...no, probably not.
Tropes: friends to lovers, unrequited pining (on their part)
Kelsey Lovelock (gender selectable) â The Crush
Kelsey Lovelock is one of the popular kid at school...and has also been your longtime crush since 8th grade. You don't remember when it first began, but they have always treated you nice enough even if their friends are assholes and made your life hell the years before and during. Charismatic and currently in the running nominations for Prom King/Queen. They likely do not feel anything for you considering how little you have talked to them in your final year of high schoolâŠand they are dating someone else.
Tropes: acquaintance to friends to lovers, unattainable
Peyton Ryans (gender selectable) â The Co-star
Taylor's co-star in their upcoming movie together. And for whatever reason, they seem to hate Taylor with a passion. Unfortunately, they play as the protagonist (that's Taylor)'s love interest, so you often have to make contact with them. Perhaps you could try to persuade them to see a "different" side of Taylor and change their view. It all depends on how you play the gameâjust hope they donât find you out.
I forgot I changed the movie name that Taylor starred in as well as giving a name to the award they won! It is now Swipe Right and they won a Cinny award for it.
As of today, the demo is finally out! You can click the link below for your convenience <3
You never thought you could meet someone who looks identical to you...
I've been asked many times to gather my short stories/drabbles in one place and I finally did it. There's not many or maybe I missed some but Tumblr search is shite so to help you:
SPICY SNIPPETS (im aware I haven't finished them I will do it one of these days) (please take note these were before f!O was added I did not purposely exclude her)
F!SEVEN | M!SEVEN
ORION |
VICTORIA
DRABBLES (half of these were written in the early days of infamous)
ORION DRABBLE
VALENREIGN POLY PROMPT
ORION PROMPT #1
SEVEN PROMPT
VICTORIA PROMPT
SEBASTIAN PROMPT
SEVEN FIRST KISS DRABBLE
SEVEN POV OF MC'S BOTB AUDITION
ROWAN CRUSH ON MC AU DRABBLE
SEVEN RANDOM PROMPT
SEVEN LETTER TO MC (when they were in their pride and prejudice era)
been doing some beta reading recently and it has been greatly enjoyable so if u know any if looking for beta readers/you're a writer needing a beta reader hmu!!!!!
found a few things while building a pinterest board, and i feel like these are very wyatt route-core but these have in turn ruined my life (affectionate) because of that idea so now i feel like i need to run these by you to see if im delusional or not LMAO i am absolutely loving this IF and it honestly fills up about 80% of my brain on a daily basis <3
Oh, I love what you have collected here! The third one is a personal favorite (theyâd let many things go without question if MC wasnât sure), and the first one reflects their priorities so well. The overall vibe is so wonderfully playful, Iâd love to see the result đ
Case Three: Chapter Two of Citadel is now widely available! Enjoy the longest chapter of Citadel so far - can your intern survive night shift in the surgical ICU?
In celebration of the new chapter release and for hitting 3500+ followers, 3 lucky winners will receive the choice of either a short snippet or the ability to name a side character in Citadel.
If you like this post, youâll be entered into the raffle once.
If you reblog this post, youâll be entered into the raffle twice.
If you like and reblog, that's a total of 3 raffle entries!
Raffle will close Saturday, July 6th at 9:00 pm EST.
Psst...don't want to replay the game from the beginning to explore different character builds and different romance options? Members of Patreon resident tier and up (starting at $5/month) will have access to a Patreon-exclusive demo that will allow you to change your character and romance stats before beginning Case Three: Chapter Two.
If you run into any coding errors during your playthrough, please send me an ask with the line number of the code.
I feel like they're both unapologetically honest but E goes about it in a much nicer, more approachable way than Dakota does.
Now that I think about it, much of the ROs are honest in their own ways. When everything you say is praised to high heavens by fans and ur in a space where people put emphasis on being 'real' and 'authentic,' it's hard to feel like you need to censor what you say in fear of what the other person may think lmfahshsnd like "take it or leave it" kind of deal
or they just dont give a shit about others and their feelings which is equally plausible...
Interactive Fiction Community Raffle for Palestine!
Over 50 authors and artists from the Interactive Fiction community here on tumblr have come together to offer an array of prizes for a focused donation drive! We are aiming to raise as much money as possible for five families who are currently trying to evacuate Gaza. These fundraisers have been vetted by @/el-shab-hussein and @/nabulsi (thank you for your hard work!)
RULES:
You MUST donate a minimum of âŹ5/$5 USD to one of these five fundraisers to qualify for a ticket. These are the currencies the GFMs are in (3 in euro, 2 in USD). We chose this amount because it is the minimum GFM allows and we are hoping to encourage as many donations as possible. Please be mindful that GFM does not show the conversion rate if you're donating outside your currency.
Donating once to all five GFMs will get you five tickets. And for each extra 5 you donate, you will get an extra ticket. (ie donating 10 to one GFM gets you 2 tickets, 15 gets you 3, etc.)
There are two tiers we will be pulling prizes from: one tier for writing, and one tier for art. When you submit your proof of donation, you will be asked to specify which tier you want your ticket to go towards. If you are submitting for more than one ticket, you will specify the tiers for each ticket-- you can spread them out between both tiers or put them all towards one.
You will be required to share a receipt/proof of donation via uploading a picture through google forms. We will not be handling any money. You are donating directly to the GFMs, and then showing us proof that you have done so. Please include the GFM and the amount you've donated in the screenshot you upload. We are only taking donations starting from June 7th onward.
We plan to raffle off all possible prizes using a random generator. Once the drive concludes on the 21st, we'll take a few days to gather up & organize the tickets and draw names, and then we will be in touch with winners both on tumblr and via email.
You can find the full list of contributors and prizes here.
Please understand that these prizes are pulled blind and assigned at random. You cannot pick or choose which writer/IF or artist you get. It is completely randomized. You get what you get-- even if you aren't familiar with the writer or their game. Artists and authors also have the right to refuse your request at their discretion. Please be respectful and remember that our main goal and focus here is fundraising for these families.
Abdullah Mohammed and his family
Mohammed Bardaweel and his family
Bilal Salah's family
Suad and her family
Firas Salem and his family
We encourage you to share these families and their fundraisers here and elsewhere. We're hoping by focusing our efforts we can really make a big impact for all of them.
Ticket submission form:
Access Google Forms with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).
âź tags ; heavy themes, gender neutral reader, mentions of past suicidal ideation, getting together, romantic tension, angst to fluff, extremely lovey-dovey ending, some implicit and suggestive content (lit one paragraph n non descript), themes of touch starvation, small height difference (reader is shorter)
âź wc ; 6.3k (this is so shameful bye forever)
âź a/n ; every time a semester ends i lose my mind and me writing this in several hours straight is evidence. if i had a nickel for every time i wrote a character study with the central theme of loneliness, i'd have two nickels - which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.
i will spare you the insane rambling for the authors note at the bottom of this fic.
âź synopsis ; he wants something. to live maybe. and if he could be a little selfish, to be with you. he wants that, too.
Bright.
Could just be the dark room he keeps himself in talking. His computer system and encrypted Internet browsers are all in dark mode - and his desktop set-up doesnât have any L.E.D. strip lights to keep him company. He prefers it that way, the ambiance a better environment to work in when heâs doing his usual rounds. Down to the programs U.I. - Odxny spends most of his time in perpetual darkness. Cozy and familiar - totally safe and secure. Nothing but the low whirrs of a computers fan and the faint blinking of routers to keep him company.
Youâre the brightest thing heâs had on his screen in a long time. Youâve got white walls and no precaution, really. Youâre sitting at your own desktop - and he can see everything of your life in the background of where you sit. There are photos of you graduating high school, being around unnamed friends, vacations and trips, and head shots like the kind you take for a resume. Itâs all so personal. Bookshelves, trinkets, poorly made clay sculptures. Posters of musicians you like and Studio Ghibli movies. Evidence of life surrounds you like a halo.
Awful. Angel comparisons to someone heâs only known for a day make him wonder if heâs more pathetic than he thought. He probably shouldnât think so hard about a stranger, a real stranger. Thrim generated randomly, though he thinks it sounds like a name. Finds it fun to say, for better or worse.
Natural light pours in from a window nearby, casting shadows in your room. He already knows you, in a way. He did the background search. Where you were born, raised, grew up. The schools you went too, the career you seek. Bits and pieces of you are all scattered in his memory and are not at all thorough. He wasnât really trying for that at the time, just needed to know if you were dangerous. Thereâs a cognitive dissonance. To know a life so thoroughly and to witness it is completely, and utterly different.
Thereâs miles between you. Must be thousands. He canât remember the last time heâs really met someone, though. Itâs hard not to notice that this feels akin to that. Like the embers of a campfire, glowing but not burning. A comfortable warmth.
Bright. His screen is very bright talking to you. Even obscured behind the mask, itâs a little difficult to look at it and leaves him on edge - restless and mildly painful.
When his vision adjusts though, thereâs clarity. A person, a stranger - with an exceptionally nice laugh and who is exceptionally trusting. Odxny tries not to think too hard about the feeling of warmth that flutters at your overflowing sincerity.
The conversation is easy.
âDoes that mean you trust me now?â
Odxny pretends to think on it. âEnough to keep you around.â
âSee you later.â
âSee you.â
You accompany your last words with a wave - short and sweet. Darkness pulls him in, back where he started. He has a mild headache from all the light.
__
You pick up on the language better than he thought you would.
He underestimated you. Can you blame him? Your choice is language is ArnoldC, for fucksake. Sure, he has limited knowledge on esoteric languages but can it really be in-depth enough to show you the basics.
(It can. Or at least, Od presumes this to be the case because youâre rather helpful in Incriâs hacks and Incri is hardly helpful to anyone in the world, no less the server.)
You pick up on things quickly with little guidance - always to the point and not usually making many errors. He has to commend your abilities and give you credit where itâs due. Itâs not a hard language to learn, but for anyone with no familiarity with coding at all heâd expect there to be a learning curve. Even if you had coding language, itâs not like you knew SQL coming in.
You fit strangely well into the server somehow. Youâre happy to learn and nonplussed about helping with small things, though you donât know these people at all and have no reason to participate in their nonsense. You talk to Incri fine, and manage to get Pep to accidentally reveal telling information. Odxny finds all of this rather⊠entertaining maybe. More than impressive, really.
He has a hard time making sense of the feeling. He would hope you donât think youâre under duress - given the fact your relationship in two days has been pleasant. Then again - maybe heâs missed some social cue and you do think that. Itâs possible. After all, he doesnât actually remember the last time heâs spoken verbally to anyone with very, very few exceptions.
He manages to call you again after the fact - opens the call with sincere and heartfelt congrats and feels pleasant seeing you take the compliment in stride.
You land on the subject of programming again, inevitably. He interrogates you a little more over your choice in language - almost like he canât help himself. Itâs basic curiosity. You had said you were the best in ArnoldC. A little research proved that to be true, presence of you in the forums of various esolang pages. He landed on many things. Youâre the best at ArnoldC, but you also know Brainfuck for some ridiculous reason.
He thinks youâre a little ridiculous in general.
âItâs really for the love of the game, huh?â
You nod when he asks this. Smiling, bright and unbothered with a soft edge of smug pride that makes the muscles of his face twitch up. âMhm. I like my little collection.
Odxny doesnât doubt it for even a minute. Heâs seen the proof, but perhaps he doesnât need to mention that. âYour trophy case of ridiculous language?â
Your eyes come to life all of a sudden. âWait. A real trophy case would actually be so cool.â
He pauses, blinking as the words sink before a smile breaks onto his face helplessly. âThat was not to enable you.â
âToo late. Iâm already looking up the ugliest wood trim display cases I can find.â
The laugh comes naturally. âYou really are just like this?â
You look proud again. âWhat? Fun?â
Yes, Odxny thinks but doesnât say. âBaffling.â
You ask Odxny to elaborate and he does. The conversation flows with frustrating ease. So easily that he mouths off about his plans to you without a second thought. He doesnât know why he does it. Not really. Heâs thought it through over and over - so itâs not like he needs to disclose it. He made his choice.
He thinks about moving it along. About ending the call or simply brushing past without going into any detail.
When he glances at the screen, youâve got a pillow in your lap and your eyes completely focused on him. Thereâs that feeling again, alarming clarity in your gaze and brightness that causes him immense unease in the world heâs made of nihilistic, apathetic darkness. Thereâs a plan, always has been. Heâll do this and disappear and the world will soon forget him. If it happens that way, than at least this loneliness is a choice heâs made for himself and not something the world has cruelly decided for him.
His lips move faster than his head, than even his heart. Compelled by a nameless and brilliant force. âI donât have any reason to stay. Iâm just â tired. Of everything.â
âNo reasons? Nothing makes you happy here?â
His response is measured. Quiet. Itâs not secret. He finds his voice crumbles around the words anyway as if theyâre a confession. âNot for a long time. I donât feel much of anything, really. It is what it is.â
You frown. Heâs seen it all before. Heard it all before. âThatâsâŠâ
He cuts you off quickly.
âWe just met. And weâll be strangers again soon enough.â He says with as much conviction and resolve as he can possible manage. Who heâs convincing remains unclear. âSo, not to be cold but..you know.â
The disappointment in your face leaves an impression, but you relent. He tries to make amends for the depressing conversation of talking again and you perk up so genuinely it makes want to cry, in a distant and foreign way.
âCatch you later, then.â He says, and closes at out the call. The room falls dark for the second time. He blinks a few times to get rid of the light clouding his vision.
__
Wnpep is eager to teach you on the third day.
Youâre eager in reply - matching energy with sharp wit and enthusiasm. Wnepep is a better teacher than Incri by several miles. Evident in how much faster everything falls into place for you. Not that you really need too much help in the first place. You break down the crumbling walls of an insurance scam with ease and come out of the other side more accomplished.
Itâs a noble last hack, Odxny thinks. Not unsurprising from Pep - unofficially the most sane and likeable member. He figured itâd be something like this less than a matter of personal vengeance.
You go back and forth for a bit in admin chat. Od types an apology about winding you up and tries not to read too much into the innuendo of it as you reply back with your own faux offended replies. He insists heâs somewhat sorry, and youâre far from believing him.
He finds himself grinning at his screen while he texts you mid conversation. When the realization hits, he almost curls into himself from embarrassment - a hand covering his mouth like itâll do away with the grave sin.
The inneundo happens twice in one conversation, before you get to call under the premise of a victory toast.
A brief conversation about the last hacks barely leaves room for much else except Odxny plans of total isolation.
âMm. I shouldâve known it would come back to this. Why do you care what I choose to do with myself?â
That baffles you in a terribly genuine way. âAm I not allowed to care about another person?â
Odxny speaks honestly. âYou are but I meanâŠâ He trails off. He knows how he feels. âIâm not really a person anymore.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âIâm no one. Iâm going to be no one. You have other things to fill your life with.â
Thereâs a vulnerable edge to his voice that he winces at when he hears it. Itâs true isnât it? All of it is true to Odxny, but especially where he says you have other things to fill your life with. You might share the same hobbies, but heâs seen it. Heâs seen how different you are - your livelihoods, your existence. Youâd be missed if you suddenly disappeared. Odxny knows the same isnât true for himself. Itâs been like that for a long while now.
(Itâs crushing. Thatâs what makes your very ephemeral existence feel like a burden. Why it casts the shadows of doubt on choices he made, about how he would live so long ago. You care, donât you? At least, more than anyone else in his life in the present. You care so undeniably, and so obviously and it is all so simple to you.
He almost envies it. Almost resents it, too. Itâs such a small shred of humanity, the barest forms of sincerity but it is painfully raw. A split nerve. An open wound Itâs not like the server, all of whom have accepted this distant fondness. Itâs a delicate thread - spider silk accuracy and just as much strength. Thereâs conviction in your missing him and it haunts him.)
You think of what to say for a long time before landing on it. âI do. But I can care about multiple things at once,â
It sounds like I care about you too closely. He finds himself shivering. Heâs truthful with you, unsure of how else to be when it comes to these conversations.
âThat sounds burdensome.â He says. âIsnât that exhausting?â
You donât lie to him either. âSometimes. But itâs worth the trouble.â
âWhy?â
âBecause I like your company,â You reply. Soft sincerity in your words. More clarity. More painstaking light.
âIt canât be that simple.â
âWhy not?â
âIf it was that simple then -â Then it makes it seem like things could be different. He doesnât say that. Stops himself before it can happen. âI donât know why Iâm bothering to argue. Why do I feel like I need to prove this to you?â
Heâs almost afraid to look at your face, wincing when he sees how knowing you look. Not in a condescending way - but genuine, full blown understanding. Like you see through him.
He wonders if he knows you as well as he thought he did.
Your face is so sympathetic. âAre you sure itâs me?â
He cuts the conversation short on his own - making an awkward transition from the topic at hand into whatever he can manage. Itâs an awkward fumble - a poor attempt at distracting both of you from this line of thinking. Youâre kind enough to let him have it. He asks about your hobbies. You tell him about how you like to try the weirdest things and combinations you can find in a restaurant.
He finds it suits you.
A lot of things suit you. Even your piss poor attempt at the Terminator that he quickly mimics - possessed by god knows what.
You laugh when he does. Brilliant and bubbly and characteristically warm. You say the words through giggles.
âThat was so bad!â
âIt was a lapse in judgment,â He replies back defensively, smiling against his will. He finds himself laughing too.
âI like your laugh, by the way.â
He pauses caught off-guard. âOh? My laugh. Oh, uhm. Thank you.â
You make a face that he canât read. Knowing. In a different way than the last. He feels nervous.
âI have been laughing quite a bit, havenât I?â
You grin. Smug and deliriously happy. âSure have.â
He looks away from you. âHa...Odd.â
You giggle again. Your eyes crinkle at the corners, nose scrunched in genuine delight. Itâs a pleasant sound but not because itâs particularly wispy or floaty or delicate. But itâs real. Pleasant in the way the white noise of park during summer. Pleasant like the varied playlist overhead in a record shop. Pleasant like a moment of humanity tucked between everyday. He clears his throat.
âI like your laugh, I think.â
You laugh again, gasping with faux offense. âYou think???â
He tries not to feel so grounded by that sound and fails. âYeah. I think. Laugh again.â
He tries not to add please. You shake your head like youâre reprimanding him.
âNo, no, you have to earn that. Make me laugh.â
âNevermind. Shut up.â
You do laugh again that time. He joins you soon after. âAnd now you laugh? At me?â
The conversation moves again, comfortable like a tide. You ask about his favorite language and he tells you as much. Youâre quiet and growing cheeky, listening to him talk.
âSo you do like coding.â
âMaybe a little.â He replies, not giving in. âYou remember far too much of what I say.â
The conversation comes to a close again. He thanks you for how nice its been and you make an off-handed attempt to get him to change his mind. You could always talk more. The implication delicate beneath it.
We donât have to forget each other. Odxny brushes past it - but says heâll see you tomorrow anyway.
__
Extorting Elimfs childhood friend (?) is an easy enough endeavor. Odxny texts you through out - to ask advice on what things to take when he leaves.
He calls you again when its over too. He canât find a reason for it - nothing that makes sense. He just wanted to call you. He hasnât wanted something like that in a while, but he tells himself its fine. This is the last time youâll ever know each other.
So its fine. He wonât waver.
Heâll just.. call you.
He asks you on your weed habits, mildly surprised when you tell him you smoke and take edibles sometimes too. The conversation loops back to the fund at one point. You donât hide your displeasure about the whole thing today.
Youâve talked about it already. No need to keep bringing up. But you seem to feel so strongly and Odxny canât figure out why. Canât shake the feeling of wanting to know why every single time.
âIs it really so hard to believe Iâve come to like you in a few days?â You ask, after probing.
âIn a way that matters, yes.â
You frown at him when he says that. Itâs the most upset heâs seen you look, if he can call it that. Youâve never been upset when heâs been rude or insulting - but this is bothering you. It doesnât help him pull away from you.
He says it again. Reinforces how temporary this all is. Heâs trying to convince one of you. Both of you, maybe, of his unimportance.
âI donât think that little of you.â
He finds it hard to reply to that. Itâs that feeling against. It makes him uncomfortable. Itâs not empty platitudes or some vague sense of responsibility for his life. All of it is real, and all of it is meaningful in how plain it is. You make it seem easy.
âItâs life. Itâs normal. People come, people go.â
You shake your head. âNot for me. I canât forget you that easily.â
He wishes you would. Heâs painfully, painfully relieved that you wouldnât it. He voices neither thought.
âThen- try! Youâre putting so much on yourself, and for what? You donât stand to gain anything.â
You shrug. âPeace of mind. Knowing youâre still out there.â
Itâs heavy. The implication is heavy. Heâs not going to kill himself. He doesnât want that anymore, though he thought about it. At the beginning. Loneliness is more painful when you have memories of what not being that way was like - he thinks. At the start of all that loss, the hollowness bared an almost painful gravity inside of him.
Itâs like being told to breathe or blink - becoming conscious of what was once a natural function, how full life was once when itâs escaped. He doesnât want to kill himself, but living is meaningless.
 These things arenât paradoxical to him. They havenât been for all this time.
(They werenât until he met you at least. A mirror of wanting. Odxny looks at you and sees life reflected back. Despite it not being his, its moving. Itâs beautiful in a human way, reachable. Tangible. Earned.
Wherever you are. Whenever youâre together, the black hole inside of himself seems to fade back into average planetary darkness. He becomes cruelly human again, feeling warmth and laughter.
Heâs tells himself heâs not afraid of dying and thatâs mostly true. Heâs most afraid of living. Afraid he wonât be able to learn it again.)
 He manages to tell you some of what heâs thinking. He has no clue how to start over. He doesnât know if itâs possible. You donât feed him any false hope, but he tells you how he sees it. Youâre feeling pity for him right? And you should figure that out sooner rather than later.
âIs it really that easy for you?â
You shake your head. Youâre smiling but it doesnât quite reach your eyes. âIt isnât. But I have to try.â
âIs that what youâre doing with me?â
âWhat?â
âIs thisâŠ?â
He cuts the call off when he hears himself, unsure of what answer heâs hoping for. The realization dawns on him too much, too quickly. The feeling of hope is loud in his chest but there is another feeling, embarrassing in itâs swiftness that follows shortly after.
Oh.
Oh.
__
The servers shuts down after a mildly sappy adventure to close up shop. The closest Odxny has gotten to flirting with you in his own way. Heâs sad to see everyone go, despite there being no other choice.
Itâs easier than he thought itâd be. To give you his number he means, even after shutting the entire server down. After leaving everything behind. He gives you the choice to make. Call me if you still want it - a silent promise.
 Maybe because deep down - some part of him always wanted to make this choice. Just maybe.
Your voice is different over the phone line. A little clearer, spoken softer. Just as lovely as it was the first time he heard it. Maybe more. Maybe.
The city beneath him is bright. So bright. It doesnât hurt to look at, he thinks.
__
You call him every day.
Youâve been doing it for months.
He thought, at some point, youâd let up or start to forget. Heâs been waiting on it to happen as horrible as it sounds. Like some self-fulfilling prophecy, heâd slip back into the background as is natural. A proof of his nonexistence, if you will.
You donât forget though. He almost wonders if heâs dreaming when it happens. Thereâs a routine between you two, these days. You have your own life that youâve been living the same as normal. When itâs night time for you, though - you hop onto your desktop and call Od like youâre two very average people.
Thereâs nothing solid to define your relationship aside from friendship as is. This is less frustrating than he expected it to be. Getting to know you better has only made him like you more. Your relationship is solid in a strange way. Itâs been about six months total, and as corny as it sounds - Odxny feels like heâs known you for his entire life. You understand him in an intimate way, with vulnerable tenderness and radical acceptance.
He kind of misses the privacy of his old stomping grounds, but he doesnât mind speaking though discord. It feels⊠normal. In a not displeasing way. You mostly talk to talk about whatever comes to mind. Sometimes itâs your job search, other times itâs your part-time or friend drama. Youâre vibrant as always. Without the wall of anonymity, Odxny gets to know of you like heâs just your average person. He finds he really, really likes that.
You play games together frequently. Heâs never been interested in cozy gaming, but you play Minecraft and Stardew Valley together per your request. Odxny streams himself playing Ocarina of Time for you on Discord in the background sometimes too, and you keep it on when youâve got work to do or youâre cooking or something else. Thereâs something very mundane to it.
Youâre not doing anything with him today though. Youâre calling him on facetime, rather than at your desktop. Youâve made the executive decision to laze around and Odxny has no problem joining you though you speak less than usual as a result of being sleepy. You had a long shift yesterday so perhaps Odxny canât blame you.
âNeed to get better shoes. For walking and stuff.â You say thoughtlessly. The corners of his lips twitch up.
âYeah?â
You nod. Your face is smushed against your pillow at an unflattering angle. He smiles a little.
âYeah. Iâm on my feet for like nine hours when I serve and it hurts wearing flats. Need something sturdier even it diminishes my drip.â
He laughs at that. âPlease never say that again.â
You continue onwards. âDecreases my aura, even. But alas, utility comes first.â
He snickers as he glances at you through the phone. Youâre propped against one of his monitors as he does work on his computer. Heâs getting back into programming for the love of the game, just seeing what he can do.
âWant help looking?â
âFeels a little ridiculous asking a super pro-hacker to shop Sketchers with me.â
âYou seriously thinking of buying Sketchers?â
You laugh lightly. âMaybe Iâll get tipped more if I get the light-up ones.â
âPlease donât.â
âHater.â
You break out into genuine laughter as Odxny shakes his head in despair. Itâs something youâd do, no doubt. You sigh.
âI really do want a break from work.â You roll around on your mattress. Odxny can hear your rustling but canât see you much. âThe chains of capitalism shackle me in place. Woe is me.â
Odxny thinks on what youâve said for a long while in silence. The question comes up every now and again though heâs never brave enough to ask it. His ludicrous amount of disposable income however is still sitting in his bank, collecting dust. Itâs been six months and heâs hardly made a dent in it.
âDo you want to come visit?â He asks, cringing at the sound of his own voice. The words are strained and a little too eager. âI can pay the difference for expenses for wages and stuff. And, uh. Uhm,â
He loses his train of thought trying to speak, worsened by the way you pop onto his screen when he says that. Your expression is unreadable to him, comfortable and even. You smile a little as you lift the phone so he can see what you look like laying in your bed. Your face is in full view.
âItâd be a little weird to visit you before we start dating officially, no?â
His eyes go wide at the implication. You grin, mischief and mirth making your eyes practically beam. He can feel a blush crawl up his neck as soon as he registers it.
âExcuse me? Why are you saying that like itâs already been decided?â He bites back, not sure what else he could say.
âSo you donât want to date me?â
âI didnât- you - damn it,â He groans at his own bluster as he giggles on the other side of the line. So cheeky. Damn him for liking it and damn you for being cute. ââŠYou are saying you like me right?â
Your face softens. He can feel his heartbeat quicken. âUh-huh. Just wanted to take it slow. But Iâve liked you for a long time.â
âHow long is that, exactly?â
You shrug playfully and the fact he canât be within reach to kiss you feels especially harrowing. âA secret.â You smile again, all trouble. âSo. Wanna date?â
âTerrible confession. Zero stars,â He says petulantly. He leans back in his chair and finds himself smiling uncontrollably. âFine. I guess.â
Your laugh fills his room. He doesnât get tired of hearing it. His face hurts from smiling.
__
He manages to stave off on the anxiety of you coming to see him for a lot longer than he thought possible.
Making arrangements proves to be a little difficult. You have to tell your roommates that youâll be gone for a while but promise to still pay rent and explain to your boss where youâre going. You have a good enough relationship and have been working long enough for them to agree to keep a spot open so you can start working when you come back.
After that, thereâs the matter of Visas. Odxny goes out of his way to make that process go much faster than normal, though he doesnât actually tell you. Once all of thatâs sorted, thereâs living arrangements. Try as you might to insist to live somewhere else, his place is too spacious for him to let you stay anywhere else. You can take the guest room.
He pretends that all of this is just happening in his imagination. He doesnât even know the last time anyone came over, let alone lived with him. He does his best to make things presentable, and makes a guest room for you to live in should you desire. He even buys more decor (plants and things) to make it look⊠less like a cave and more like a home.
Nothing really feels real until the day arrives though. Itâs a long flight and difficult trip. You refused to let him pay for the tickets so he moved it around to get you into first class both ways through other methods.
You text him the terminal, the arrival time, any and all delays. Still. None of it feels real until heâs already waiting for you near the bags. He can feel his heart race, his lungs short of air. Heâs never experienced something so ridiculously contradictory in his entire life. He wants to run away while feeling stuck in place.
The anticipation nearly kills him.
He would recognize your voice anywhere though. Like he did for so many days alone in the dark. A hand waves high, shouting as loud as it can.
âItâs you!â
The sound of sneakers skidding across tile floors make his breath hitch. His eyes go wide as you stand still in front of him, luggage in hand and a million-watt smile on your face. He feels his heart beat so loud, he wonders if heâs going to throw up.
âHey.â He says, dumbly.
âHi!â
__
The adjustment period to living together isnât what he expects.
Itâs been a long time since heâs been so close to another human being. It becomes clear that youâre really living together though when your things end up in the bathroom completely incidentally. Thereâs something about finding your sleep shirt on a towel rack that makes reality settle in. Youâre living together.
Heâd be stupid not to notice the purposeful distance between you. An attempt to be thoughtful and not overwhelm him. Itâs never awkward when youâre together. You eat together, watch movies and play games while sitting too close on the couch. Youâve been on a date in the two weeks youâve spent, and it barely took any convincing on your end to make him go along with you.
Isolation aside though, Odxny is not clueless to the conventions of modern dating. You avoid touching him too casually. He doesnât blame you, but he canât help but crave your presence with a little more bittersweet longing as the days pass. He has to get past it or bring it up eventually, but it feels like something heâs never going to get over somehow.
The opportunity to do so gets thrown at him all at once. Youâve been living together for sixteen days. A conversation about love languages is what undoes it.
âWhats your love language, Od?â
He gives you a quizzical look. âDunno actually. Never bothered to look.â
âIâd guess⊠hm. Quality time maybe? Or words of affirmation.â
He shrugs as he sits next to you on the couch, glancing at your phone as you read through the different ones. âWhatâs yours?â
âPhysical touch. Iâm super touchy. With anyone who will let me, honestly. Bad habits.â
Odxny gives you a long look as you say it. He debates if he should bring it up.
âYou donât have to be so careful around me, you know?â
You look up at him, startled by the comment. Several things pass over your face before you settle on an apologetic smile. âSorry. Itâs not like I donât want to. I just donât want to be too much for you.â
âThat wouldnât happen.â He says automatically. You laugh good-naturedly.
âYour confidence is assuring, but you underestimate how touchy I am. Iâm afraid of I get my hands on you, Iâll never let go again,â
He thinks he wants that more than is normal. He shakes his head. âI donât mind.â
You give him a long look, seeming struck by an idea, before humming and standing up. You turn around with your hand out towards him. His brows furrow in bewilderment.
âHave some faith.â
He takes your hand and stands up with you. He likes that heâs taller than you. Staring at you, he feels your fingers clasp around his hand and his heart thuds - loud and messy.
âYour room or mine?â
âWhat?â
You laugh. âGet your mind out of the gutter. Or donât actually, but I donât bear lewd intentions.â
He crinkles his nose at the word usage and laughs. âShut up.â
âJust trust me, okay?â
He concedes with embarassing swiftness.
âOkay.â
__
You lead Odxny to the guest room youâve been living in for the last two weeks. The bed is well-made and all the new furniture he bought is occupying so many of your belongings. It makes him dizzy. You shut the door behind him as you lead him in. It just feels especially surreal.
Wordless, you let go of his hand and hop up onto your bed. Once youâre laying down, you prop up on your side with your elbow and pat the empty space next to you, smiling at him as you do. Once it clicks what your asking, he can feel his face grow hot. He canât refuse it though, and he doesnât want too.
The sheets you bought together smell like you. Between thereâs practically no distance between you at this angle. Heâs gotten to look at you plenty through these few days but itâs different. You scoot impossibly close to him until thereâs nothing separating you.
Your breath is warm - a soft exhale leaving your lips as you inch closer.
âWhatâre we doing?â He asks in a murmur, stone stiff. You smile, coyly.
âTouching each other.â
He frowns at the joke. Your expression goes a touch serious right after. The sincerity is debilitating. âCan I touch you?â
He nods. Canât do much more than that.
He stares at you with impending, long-suffering longing as you bring a single hand to his face and cradle his neck. He flinches unintentionally, but pulls your hand back when you try to move it. He wants this. You relax a little when he does that.
Your hands are softer. Softer than a heartbeat. He can feel the various cuts and scars from years of working against his skin but theyâre still so soft. He can feel how warm you in such a brief touch his chest aches. Your hands cradle his face tenderly, thumb brushing across his lip with a smile brighter than thousands of lights. Something in your expression wreaks havoc on his heart. Something so raw and so gentle and so full within it - all directed towards him.
Itâs been so long. So long. Heâs never wanted something so bad he couldnât remember needing. Heâs never wanted to be closer to someone than he does to you in the moment.
âYouâre handsome,â You say, so sweetly. Not a confession, but gentle appraisal. Itâs rare he cries but he wants too. âI like looking at you. Can I kiss you?â
âPlease.â He rasps, gravel in his voice unfamiliar.
You hum a little. Closing the space between you with a press of lips. Itâs not chaste. Odxny is grateful for how long and how deep you linger. He wants it so badly. He wants you in some damning and unforgiving way. How could a human being feel so warm? Feel so pleasant with so little?
You press your foreheads together. His hand trembles when they grip onto your waist but you encourage him just a little. Itâs just a kiss. His heart might beat out of him. Itâs just a kiss. He thinks he loves you.
Your hand moves away from his face. You let it go underneath his loose shirt to touch his shoulder, running your palm down the plane of his chest. You squeeze his waist, and wrap your arms around his back and pull him to you until your bodies touch somewhere in the middle.
You guide his face to your neck and chest as you hold him. He grips onto you tight in response, a gasp in the back of his lungs at the sudden sensation. You coo above him, soft and light - your fingers threading through his hair and nails massaging his scalp.
Your voice sounds above him, despite how deep in a haze he is. He canât do anything but cling to you with impossible longing. You speak softly as you pet him. Your heartbeat soothes his.
âIâm glad youâre here.â You tell him. Thereâs that familiar clarity that makes him want to cry. âIâm glad you let me come with you.â
He canât think of anything to say back. Itâs a soul-shattering emotion. âI love you.â
You laugh wetly above him. âI love you, too. So much.â And then much softer. âLetâs be together for a long time.â
__
You lay in each others arms until sunset. In small talk and silent murmurs. It takes him hours to work up the courage to kiss you again - but only minutes to take it further.
Itâs desperate. Terribly. Inevitable. Youâre beautiful in a way that is undescribable, best expressed through his teeth on your neck and his hands all over where he can reach - each grip and thrust and bite a reminder. Youâre pretty when youâre pleased, warmth reaching up inside of him whenever you make the right face.
He buries himself in you. Youâre soft and warm and beautiful and he wants to stay with you. Time is a thief. He damns the sun when it tears you from him come morning.
__
He decides to make breakfast when you wake up. Nothing complicated. You go to shower after him and he plates up toast and eggs and other various things. Itâs half done when you come downstairs.
Your skin is still damp, and you smell of vanilla and soap. Your coffee sits in a cup on the table as you pad over to him. He turns to look at you as you reach your hand up and cup his face. You pepper a kisses along his cheeks stopping at his lips for the last one before youâre satisfied.
He fails in his attempt not to blush.
âMorning.â You grin. He tries not to be sick at the domesticity of it all and fails.
âYeah. Morning.â
You sit at the counter and drink your coffee, glancing outside the window. âItâs bright outside.â
Odxny canât tear his eyes off of you. âYeah...â He agrees. Heâs not torn his gaze away. âVery bright.â
âź a/n ; i want all real life compsci men to kick rocks but odxny sweeped me off my feet in a way i can only describe as humiliating. he is a bit like astarion for me in that i see a lot of myself in him at least in the past. he is also incredibly babygirl and uhm . other things (fine. he's very gorjus.) but i truthfully was most compelled by his idealized idea of isolation. as the fic will show it resonated with me as a fellow compsci dork who also tends to isolate like crazy LOL
this fic was like a demon that possessed me. literally no meds, no caffiene - just balls to the wall demonic possesion of needing something out of my system LMAOO. and adhd of course. im working on all the other stuff too i promise. consider this a short interlude đđŸ
lmao seeklove ending except mc doesn't find his phone number before everything shuts down
Another afternoon. But this one is a bit exciting.
The countdown ends, and in the middle of the chat feverishly spamming their goodbyes, the server shuts down. Everything wipes from the screen. A familiar, dull hum behind Odxny dwindles into nothing, leaving the room eerily quiet. They can't remember the last time they heard this much silence. It's... a little unsettling.
Od's eyes dart to their cell, perched on the edge of the desk. The screen is dark, as it always is, but they know that'll soon change. The thought almost makes their heart skip -- out of fear or excitement. They aren't sure which.
You can find the number, right?
Od thrums their fingers on the desk as seconds tick by. Was it too hard? Surely you'd not struggle with this. By now, you've dealt with much harder queries than finding some simple contact information. Which you've done a million times.
More seconds tick by. Perhaps you've taken a break.
I shouldn't be impatient.
Od stands, stretches, and glances around the dark room. Time for a distraction.
Might as well start unpacking.
They slide their phone into their pocket and get to work.
----
With each box unpacked, a small lead marble settles into their chest. The phone remains silent in their pocket, a fact only emphasized by the still room.
Where are you?
I should have just given them the number.
Fuck. Why did they decide to make it so fucking complicated at the last moment?
The phone buzzes.
Od drops a box full of wiring and nearly rips the phone from their pocket. And the caller ID...
"...Spam."
Four more marbles added.
----
A day passes. Then another.
Od's nearly unpacked. And the weight in their chest is nauseating. Their appetite is nonexistant.
They lean forward in their chair, staring at their phone's empty screen. They endured two more spam calls after that. It had them considering turning the phone off completely and letting you go to voicemail (whenever you managed to make it there), but so desperately did Od want to talk to you.
It's not that bad. Not that bad.
The phone feels cold in their hands.
----
You aren't calling.
For a moment, they do wonder why. Was it really too hard? Or did you just not...
That thought always trails off, going somewhere Od doesn't have courage to brave. They don't know when they will. Each time they tip toe close to it, something starts to crack in their chest. It's not safe.
The stack of unpacked boxes near the door catches Od's eye. They haven't thrown them out yet.
Tossing the phone to the side, they sink deep into their cheap couch. They fold in around the familiar weight in their chest, now all-consuming. Something useless and mind-numbing is playing on the TV. It's loud enough to keep any terrible thoughts from sneaking in.
The hours pass, the show drags on, the phone stays quiet. Od dully remembers they haven't showered today, but doesn't get up.
odxny and thrim have a movie date/hangout (it is a terminator marathon.)
"Ready?"
Od sighs. "I suppose." They settle into the beanbag behind you, watching as you fiddle with the controller. "Are we really watching them all?"
"As far as we can go, at least."
You start to search for the first film. T....E....R.... god. Searching one letter at a time sure is tedious. You hear Odxny yawn behind you and chuckle.
"Doubt you'll make it past the first two."
"What? Why?" Od scoffs.
"You're, like, old."
"Old??"
"Didn't you go to bed at 8pm yesterday?"
Od kicks your leg. "Shut up. I woke up early."
"And the night before."
"I woke up early that day too!"
"Sure."
You finish keying in the movie title and are met with the glorious poster for the 1984 classic.
Finally, it's time to-
Arms circle your waist and yank you back. With a yelp, you fall back against Odxny into the beanbag.
"Hey!"
"Whose fault is it that I get up early so often, huh?"
"Not mine!"
Od laughs into your neck as they hug you closer to their chest. "It's absolutely your fault."
You crane your head back. "How, exactly?"
"Well. You know. Sleeping next to you and all..."
"Yeah?" You grin. "Get you excited? Make you restless?"
"You-"
"C'mon, just give me the corny line so we can start the movie. Arnold is waiting." You gesture dramatically at the screen.
"...Something about having to sleep next to you just makes me want to get the fuck out of that bed-"
