Ahh one of my favorite ships!!! So glad this blog exists!!! For requests…maybe Seth as a Purple Pikmin and Berdly as a Pikmin Captain? It is Pikmin 4’s bday today! But I understand if that’s too outlandish!
day 4 - I AM LATE FOR PIKMIN 4’S BIRTHDAY BUT THIS IDEA IS SO CUTE i had to at least make a little doodle.., i tried my best making a sethmin but they’re so ugly. also aquamin is there too
idk if you like angst but also consider timeskip sniperscout where they're both still pining after eachother and refuse to confess because "it's been too long, he doesn't feel that way about me, we're not that close anymore" AUUGGHHHH
timeskip sniperscout is good in many flavors
sniperscout is good in many flavors
🫶
and if it all ended tomorrow, would i be the one on your mind?
“Then I had this interaction I've been thinking ‘bout for like five weeks. Wonder if he's thinking 'bout it too and smiling.”
˚˖𓍢ִ໋❀ mutual pining timeskip snsc 𖹭.ᐟ word count: 2164 .ᐟ.ᐟ
[ click here if you'd rather read it on ao3 ] [ song ]
She lowered it, showing a mischievous smile. “Caught you smiling!” She gripped the camera and gave enthusiastic little jumps. “Are you thinking about a lady?”
Jeremy was washing the dishes when he heard a click. When he glanced at the sound's origin, he found Tanya pointing a camera at him.
“What-” Jeremy raised an eyebrow. “Is that Bronislava's camera? Tanya, I told you not to use it.”
Tanya didn't get distracted by his father's reprimand. “You are thinking about a lady!” She held her cheeks, her eyes sparked like stars. “Dad is thinking about a lady!” She pointed at him. “Tell me, who is she?” She dragged a chair near the sink and stood over it.
Jeremy shook his head with an awkward smile. “I was thinkin’ of no one, Tanya.” He kept on scrubbing the dishes. “Also, get down. I don’t want water to splash on Bronislava’s camera.”
Tanya frowned, not fond of her father’s answer. “You’re lying.” She pointed at him. Then, she crossed her arms. “I’m not getting down this chair until you tell me the truth. Nuh-huh.” She denied with her head in two beats.
Jeremy lowered his head in defeat, porcelain dish lightly hit the sink. These kids are so stubborn. “Fine, I’ll tell you the truth. But-” He put his hands under her arms and got her off the chair. “You’ll have to put the camera back in my room before.”
She pouted, wrinkling her nose. “Fine.” She said. Jeremy could tell she was mad.
When Tanya came back, she spotted a hot chocolate mug and a plate with cookies. Her father sat nearby. She began to walk cautiously, a habit she’d picked up on after many movie nights with Spy. She sat and took a careful sip. She nodded with a stern expression. Was this a cooking show? “Very good, but this won’t sugarcoat me.”
“Ah?” Jeremy tilted his head, confusion adorning his face. “I’m beginning to think you shouldn’t hang out that much with Spy.”
“Just tell me, dad! I won’t tell anyone, not even Tara.” Tanya submerged a cookie in the drink and then bit it. “I promise.” She added, mouth full, extending her pinkie to him.
“Fine.” He said, clasping pinkies.
“Ok. Tell me everything!” Tanya’s legs swung in the air. “Do I know her? Is she pretty? What does she do for a living?”
Jeremy chuckled. “Ok, ok. Slow down, princess.” He grabbed one cookie. “One question at a time.”
“Do I know her?” She quickly asked.
“Do you?” Jeremy repeated vaguely, giving the cookie a loud bite. He faked overthinking the answer; it was quite funny to see Tanya stare at him expectantly. He giggled. “Yeah, you do.”
[ “I do?” She gasped. Her legs began to swing faster. “Oh my gosh! Who is she?!”
“Uhm.” Jeremy looked to his left. Zhanna? No, dumbass. That’s Soldier’s wife. Ms. Pauling? Not even a chance, she wasn’t even there. “Do you remember Yana?” He put his hand slightly higher above his head. “She’s like tall and blo-”
“You’re kidding!” Tanya put her hands on her cheeks again. Jeremy laughed tenderly. “The beautiful blonde lady?!”]
Sniper parked his van in a spot where it couldn’t be seen from the windows; he also tried his best to make as little noise as possible. At the bottom of his mind, this secrecy felt nonsensical. However, he gripped the steering wheel and craned his neck forward. He has never been good at breaking distances. It all seemed like a loop: Scout reaching out to him and Sniper gradually agreeing, blinded by the illusion of a possibility. In all these years they’ve known each other, anyone would expect Sniper to learn a thing or two; yet he always seemed to go back to the beginning. He remembers hearing Engie say: “If you walk from A to B and back, the distance equals zero.” And that’s how Sniper has felt ever since their bond faltered, because he’s now as awkward as the day he confessed—but now they’re no longer young and free of prejudice.
“Ok, Mick.” He spoke to himself, eyes fixed on Scout’s home. “If he invited ya, it’s because he doesn’t mind you.” He groaned and rested his head on the steering wheel. “Or he’s just being nice.” He glanced at the tupper of potato salad that sat next to him. “It’d be so cool ya spoke because of some bloody Smissmass miracle and told me to shut up.” He grimaced at himself. “What am I even saying?”
He shook his head and grabbed the tupper, getting out of the van. He closed the door with a kick, as both of his hands held the tupper. If he hadn’t trained the habit out of himself, they would definitely be shaking. The front yard had toys—is that a beach ball?—and snowmen, Sniper bit his upper lip. He didn’t resent the passing time, but how much of it he spent away. Gray hair grew on him, and wrinkles appeared. He doubted Scout had the same luck, as he had always been youthful in and out. However, it would’ve been wonderful to expect the way he changed.
Whether it would’ve been as a lover or as a friend.
Sniper knocked, and he straightened his posture. The door opened. Scout greeted him with a smile. “Oh, hi.” He was probably expecting someone else, hence the way it dropped slightly for a second.
[ Jeremy began to scratch the lower part of his face, quite embarrassed. “Yeah… Her.”
“Wow.” His daughter’s eyes opened wide in excitement. “And what happened? Did you kiss under the mistletoe?”
He chortled. “What? No. No.” He glanced away. “Our situation is… a bit complicated?”
She tilted her head. “How so?” ]
“Hi,” Sniper answered awkwardly. “I hope I’m not that early.”
“Oh, no. Spy is already here.” Scout pointed to his right. “He’s with the kids.”
Sniper nodded, hesitant. “I see.” He breathed in with his mouth; what else could he say? “Great.” He blinked strongly, cringing at himself from inside.
[ “It has been a while since we saw each other.” Jeremy tried to put it as simply as possible.
“Why?” Tanya pouted. “Is it because she lives far?”
“Oh, no. Absolutely not.” Jeremy shook his head softly. “That’d be silly, knowing Zhanna and Soldier managed to be together.”
Tanya hummed in response. “You’re right” ]
“Yeah, great.” Scout looked uncomfortable; was he avoiding eye contact, or was Sniper forcing it? “Do you want me to take this to the kitchen?” Scout pointed at the tupper, and Sniper glanced away.
“Oh, sure.” He handed the tupper over. Their fingers touched, so light, so ephemeral. Scout’s skin had become rougher. Guess that happens when you finally do housework. Sniper couldn’t help but smile at the thought. After the tupper was only in Scout’s hands, he felt like he was brought abruptly back to earth. “Uhm, it’s potato salad,” Sniper said. “Hope none of your kids are allergic to it.” He scoffed briefly.
[ “Then, what happened at Smissmass?”
“Nothing, actually.” Tanya shouted ‘Dad!’ as a complaint. “I was too nervous about seeing her again. I could barely say anything.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“You better do.” Jeremy grabbed another cookie, to which Tanya slightly frowned. “Let’s say we had been… kind of in like a ‘fight’ for a lot of years. It’s hard to pretend that things are cool after that.”“But you invited her to come,” Tanya answered, taking a cookie. She felt like she was racing against her dad. “That has to mean something.” ]
God, he is so bad at this.
“They’re only allergic to cleanin’ their rooms. Don’t worry.” Scout glanced at Sniper and chuckled. “You can leave your coat there if you want, fire’s on.”
Scout turned around, heading to the kitchen. Sniper hung his beige coat. His hands lingered on as he stared at the fabric. Head lowered, he saw from the corner of his eye that Scout hesitated to leave. His hands held the tupper the same way Sniper did. He frowned, getting away from his coat. He must be seeing things, as he had always done.
[ “It does.” Jeremy admitted. “I wanted to see her. Really.” He dropped his shoulders, yet he kept a lazy smile, trying hard not to get sappy. “But y’know, I don’t really know if it meant something for her.”
“Why not?”
“Because… I was the one who fucked up when we were younger.” ]
He still remembers, seven or eight years ago. One night after fighting those blue clankers, they decided to rest away from the team’s somber yet loud tiredness, outside of the improvised base Saxton Hale paid for them. The night wasn’t gentle to them; the breeze’s temperature was mild, and the sand somehow remained warm. Still, Sniper lit up a cigarette. After he exhaled the smoke, Scout complained: “Why don’t you change to a brand that doesn’t stink?”
“Habit.” He inhaled, containing a grin. Then, he exhaled in front of Scout’s face.
Scout fanned the smoke away. “Ugh, dude. That’s not funny.” He complained. However, Sniper still scoffed.
Sniper’s memory could be failing him, but he swore Scout was blushing that night.
Later on, Scout put his head on Sniper’s shoulder. More like: dropped it. Sniper recalls thinking it was a bold move, that his heart beat so fast because of it, pumping so much blood to his brain and extremities. Ba-dump Should I? Ba-dump Shouldn’t I? Ba-dump Should I? He wondered while he peeked at Scout. He breathed in deeply.
“Scout.” Sniper’s voice scraped his throat.
“What’s the deal, Snipes?”
The Australian swallowed loudly. “I…”
“Uh-huh?”
“I love you, Scout.”
[ “She confessed her feelings for me.” Jeremy explained to Tanya. “But… I guess I had my mind in the wrong place. I used to seek love from someone else, and I guess I ‘brainwashed’ myself into believing that I felt nothing for… Yana.” His nose wrinkled. Somehow, his tongue almost twisted. “Which, now I think it was bullshit.”
Tanya nodded. “Maybe.”
“And, I guess I got scared. Or confused. Shut, I don’t even know.” Jeremy sighed. “I just know that I doubted my feelings then. For a second, I thought I had been mistaken about everything I had ever thought or done.” ]
The next thing he remembers is Scout raising his head and staring at him. His irises moved frenetically, in an expression that could’ve been either disgust or confusion. That time he assumed it was the earlier. His heart felt as if it stopped after one last boom, the brutality of their shared silence aggravated—from that moment later on that night, his heart felt corrugated and wet, almost as if it weighted a hundred pounds.
After that, Scout left. With him, whatever they had built all those years in the Badlands.
[ “And then?”
“Guess I chose the safest option. I kind of ran away.” He shuddered. “Not literally. We still saw each other daily, but from afar,”
“That sounds ugly.”
“It was.” ]
Sniper wondered if he should call it pride, but he hadn’t attempted to reach out. It was easier to assume Scout didn’t want him than to chase after him; he had always been faster, literally. He subconsciously tried to find reasons to justify his fears, to justify the distance he chose to amplify. Assuming each peek Scout did was filled with judgement. Ironically, not even to this day, Sniper knew if that was ever the case.
[ “It just seemed like she hated me. Guess finding out if that was true scared me more than anything… So we never really spoke again until Smissmass.”
“And you didn’t try talking to her about that then?”
“What?” Jeremy seemed surprised by the idea. “Tanya, it’s been seven years.” ]
Scout now had a beautiful family. In all these years, Scout had built something amazing for himself. Something that isn’t resentment for the ‘what would’ve been’ or self-protective denial of his feelings.
[ “And?” She asked, genuine curiosity in her tone. ]
Sniper looked around, the yellow and white patterns in the walls, the small boots, and Winter coats. The house was so grand yet so eagerly bright, Sniper couldn’t see himself in it. Not even as a friend, nor as a lover. He had wasted so much time; this must be a punishment for his long-lasting steadfastness.
[ “She already has another job, another life. Y’know? She’s probably a whole different person.” Jeremy bit his tongue. “And among that, my chances with her too.” ]
“Wow, dad.” Tanya said, truly disappointed. “You're really bad with ladies then!” She ate the last cookie. “Thank God it’s not like that with the cookies.”
“Yeah. I've been told that.” Jeremy let out a bittersweet laugh.
“Don't worry.” She grabbed her empty mug and got off the chair. “You'll find an amazing lady someday, maybe a beautiful and rich princess.” She stood on tiptoes near the sink and left it there. “And you’ll be happily ever after.”
With a tight-lipped smile, Jeremy answered: “I hope so, Tanya.”
lowkey idk a thing about yearning lmao.
but this was fun to write either way, i absolutely adore timeskip snsc ajkssl thanks anon for the request. i think it's kind of underwhelming tho, sorry it's not that cool.
also! there's a fanart that kind of applies to this request, if you haven't seen it yet: it's done by homkamiro, here.
obvs snsc is the otp but do you enjoy any other scout ships as well?
oh hell yeah i do.
if there's a man, scout shall be shipped.
i posted a tierlist before but i will give explanations this time but only for the ships i enjoy the most.
MEDISCOUT: blunt trauma is my shitt as an ex eroguro and franken fran enjoyer. i believe many dark themes or, at least, "shocking" ones can be explored through them. like power dynamics, that one "ive done surgeries you don't know about on you" concept, i kinda see medic laser-signing his initials on scout's organs, etc. i posted once about medic harvesting scout's organs [like, using an in-game concept]. i think they make sense, i believe scout would have a crush on him and that medic would find it interesting. i also adore emesis blue mediscout and that mix of lil pootis/emesis blue where fritz sees jeremy on red scout.
SCOUTCEST: hot af. i don't think much of them aside from ego fighting lmaoo. like, they probably compete on who makes the other orgasm the most when topping. or overall target each other a lot during battles, it's all about dominance to them.
DEMOSCOUT: they're the softest ones in my ships, they're either normal or enablers to each other. i feel like they feel judged because of their habits or personality traits which makes them feel like the other is a safe place, demo doesn't feel scout judges him for being drunk and scout does not feel judged by demo when it comes to drinking bonk, or his art, or idk his reading skills. it's like a relationship where they're the other's safe place, but they end up being more harmful sometimes, as they do not try to push the other onto leaving the unhealthy aspects of their lives. does that make sense??? also they probably cuddle a LOT.
ENGIESCOUT: aksdksksk they're so 🤤🤤🤤 i just think engie is one of the most serious ones alongside with spy, but in a slightly more lighthearted way, so scout's daddy issues kick HARD. i do view them slightly toxic tho in the sense that engie does not view their age gap positively so he tries to hide the relationship,
them being stationed on the mountain together in 'end of the line' asgdghdhfh 💖🥰
YESSS 🥲
also these frames:
i like that eotl acknowledges they're buddies and i find interesting that we see sniper being the worried one lmao i'm guessing they got inspired by the "Jarate Master" comic ???
but it's funny, like dude, pls look at the road, if you crash neither of you will be alright.
also i love it because, you would think they're there for a mission, yknow? but seeing they're just there and then seeing the mercs just chilling on other takes, makes you realize they probably chose to spend their time together away from the rest and idk i love that implication.
or maybe they were there for contract/mission since sniper checks on some papers when he goes inside the cabin? idk i prefer thinking that's a map and he's trying to see a reasonable way back home after a short leisure trip since it's snowing.
bad side to eotl when it comes to snsc propaganda is we don't get a chance to see how would their interactions be when the whole group is reunited at the end 😔
edit: also, you're the first ask in this blog so i gotta say that love u sm and thank u 💘💘💘
big fan of speeding bullet just. Cuddling. like idiots. Like they dont even know how to do it so it ends up awkward. but scout is happy in sniper’s arms and they love each other and all is well
𑁍ࠬܓ WikiHow to Love? <𝟑 .ᐟ
thank u sm for this request anon 🥲 i've been having love lab inspired SNSC on my mind for a while, but I couldn't find the motivation for it.
buttt this means it's a high school au. if you wanted og universe SNSC, please tell me!
btw, it was so hard to choose who would be riko and maki in this scenario, because riko is a lot like scout but i also felt maki fitted him since, i don’t know, sniper being a fake role model makes sense.
hope you like this! 𖹭 i had a lot of fun.
also, happy valentine's day everyone.
˚˖𓍢ִ໋❀ high school au snsc 𖹭.ᐟ word count: 2623 .ᐟ.ᐟ
⚠️ cw: vomiting in one scene (nothing too explicit, don't worry) ⚠️
The Fujisaki International Boys School is an institution attended by young men from different backgrounds, known for its strict discipline. The whole system was built to keep mundane distractions—like love or any kind of personal adornment.—from getting in the way of the prodigies of the future. To enter, applicants usually go through a thorough examination: physical, academic, and mental. Exceptions are made, though, for really proficient sportsmen or artists. As a result, a wild variety of personalities and talents roam the institution’s halls.
Just like any high school, the concept of “popularity” exists here. Right now, the most talked-about names are Jeremy Willis and Mick Mundy; 2nd and 3rd year students, respectively.
Jeremy Willis—native of Boston, Massachusetts—didn’t pass the academic exams, but he put up insane numbers in the physical test. Not only did he take first place in the 100m sprint, he beat second place by a full fifteen seconds. The P.E. teachers said he had a bright future in sports, and that’s how he got in. These days he’s the center fielder on the school team. Unfortunately, he’s also famous for his loud boasting and for wearing the team uniform even during regular classes. That earned him the nickname “Cornet,” since he basically only makes noise when it comes to sports.
On the other hand, there’s Mick Mundy. An Australian student whose academic results were average and who barely scraped by on the physical exam, but whose mental evaluation described him as an “older young man”. Already ready for the professional field. He took over as student council president the previous school year. That made him admired by both younger and older students—he’s known for juggling a ton of tasks efficiently without ever complaining. Some kids seriously wonder if he’s secretly a robot. Unlike Jeremy’s nickname, Mick’s (“Mr. Mundy”) is all about the respect people have for him.
Whispers started echoing through the school halls when Jeremy became the president’s aide. Everyone knew the younger boy hated paperwork and reading in general. Some outsiders even accused the council of string-pulling.
Which… was partially true. It was string-pulling, just not to improve Jeremy’s school record for college applications.
One day, Jeremy ignored the big sign that said “Please knock before entering!” and walked right into a horrifying scene: Mick Mundy—Mr. Mundy!—was kissing a pillow doll. On the lips. Mick immediately begged him not to tell anyone. Jeremy swore he wouldn’t… and then, accidentally, let slip that he used to do the same thing. Mick took it as proof that Jeremy had experience with love. Since Jeremy’s too proud to backtrack, he doubled down and claimed he’d had “many girlfriends,” “so many he couldn’t even count them.”
Shocked, Mick begged Jeremy to give him love advice. And again, Jeremy couldn’t say no. That’s how their “Love Research” started—covering things like “sudden encounters” and “hand-holding.”
At first, Jeremy thought Mick was just weird. He’d always assumed guys were like his teammates: completely detached when it came to romance. Romantic stuff seemed like a "girls" thing. Twilight, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days… those were basically his only examples. And the reason the men in those movies are so passionate is because they were written by women! Women love romance!
What was even weirder: how did Mick have zero love experience? Jeremy kind of got it, though. Mick’s gangly, awkward, a little too obsessed with bugs, and he looks borderline creepy when he’s doing paperwork—no one should focus that hard. Still, Mick had good qualities. He was centered, a great listener, a hopeless romantic, and—most importantly—he was 6’3”. Jeremy just couldn’t wrap his head around it.
It took some frantic Googling for him to realize he was feeling the way women were “supposed” to feel about Mick. Did that make him the weirdest one? Maybe.
He couldn’t help it. At first, he tried to convince himself that the romance practice sessions were brainwashing him. But he’d already been to the doctor, and the way his heart fluttered at night when he thought about Mick wasn’t tachycardia. It was… ‘bye-sexuality, huh?’ Whatever. He liked Mick.
And that piled on top of the secret that he wasn’t actually a love expert at all.
He had to do something about it.
“Ok, son! You ready?” Jane, the student council treasurer, gripped Jeremy’s shoulders. “Your life is about to change!”
Jane shot him a tense glance. Tavish pretended to take a long sip from his Coke bottle, avoiding eye contact. “Son, don’t let the waverings of weak-” He looked at Tavish again. “-men stop you.”
Jeremy nodded, gulping loudly. “Can you let go of my shoulders now?”
“Sure, son.” Jane saluted him. “Now, make me proud.”
Jeremy side-eyed Tavish awkwardly. The older student lowered the bottle. “Good luck, lad. Though I don’t think ya need it.”
Jeremy rushed to the school yard. Mick always ate lunch there, sitting in front of the fountain. He spotted him from afar, and his breath caught. “Ok, Jeremy. You got this.” He pressed a hand to his chest, trying to calm his racing heart.
Mick must’ve caught him in the corner of his eye. “Fuck…” Jeremy muttered, cheeks burning as Mick started waving and greeting him from a distance.
When he finally reached him, Jeremy skipped all pleasantries. “There’s something I need to tell you.” His voice came out tense and too loud. He stared at the grass behind the bench. “Actually, two things. But lemme start with the bad one.” His jaw clenched.
Mick raised an eyebrow. “Ya aren’t givin’ me the option between bad and good news?”
“No.” Jeremy planted his hands on his hips, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Look, Mick.” He bit his tongue lightly. “The whole thing about being, uh, an expert at love-yeah, I lied.” He finally looked at Mick, praying the expression wasn’t disappointment. “I’ve never had a girlfriend… or a boyfriend-”
Perplexed, Mick asked, “Are you coming out to me?”
“What? No. Well, yeah. But that’s not the important thing!”
“It isn’t?” Mick glanced down at his lunch, then back up. “Have you told your parents?”
Jeremy pouted, ears burning. “Stop asking questions and listen to me!” He balled both fists. “What I wanted to say is that, uh, I know nothing about love and-”
“I got that part.” Mick grinned.
Jeremy rolled his eyes. “What’s wrong with you today? You’re talking so much.”
Still teasing, Mick said, “Ok, finish.”
Behind a nearby tree, Jane and Tavish poked their heads out, trying to eavesdrop.
“Do ye think he’s told him already?” Tavish whispered, squinting.
“Nah, son. I know the look of a man who’s just had love professed to him! And Mr. Mundy does not look like that!” He pointed.
Nervous, Tavish pushed his arm down. Then he frowned, confused. “Jane, we’re sixteen. What are ye talkin’ about?”
Jeremy scratched the back of his head. “I-” He sighed, dropping his gaze. “-like you.” After the heavy silence, he added in the quietest voice he’d ever used, “As more than friends.”
When no answer came, he slowly lifted his head, terrified. His eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped—Mick’s body was sliding sideways on the bench, head tilted back toward the sky.
“Oh god.” Mick looked pale. “What’s wrong?!”
“You… like… me?” Each word came out in a shaky huff, Mick’s eyes fixed blankly on the sun.
“Yeah?” Jeremy said, suddenly unsure. “What’s wrong with that? You don’t like me?”
“No… no…” Mick shook his head slowly. “Just-” He tried to swallow, but it felt like his throat was blocked. A wave of nausea hit him hard. He lurched toward the bench’s armrest and puked.
Jeremy freaked out. “Is this an allergic reaction?!” He also felt kind of offended. “Do you want me to get the nurse?”
Mick shook his head again, faster. “I like you too, Jeremy.” Another wave of vomit.
“Why are you vomiting then?!” Jeremy yelled, not sure what emotion he was even feeling.
Mick weakly turned toward him, smiling softly. “Must be those butterflies people talk about-”
Jeremy’s lips parted. Now his whole face was flaming red. “God, you’re such a weirdo.”
“What are you doing?” Jeremy asked, closing the council room door behind him. “Trying to go blind?”
Mick was hunched over, staring at the computer screen. “No.”
Jeremy hummed. “What an answer.” He stepped behind Mick. The older boy kept scrolling through Google recommendations. “Sometimes I wonder how you even became president. Did you just wait around until someone asked you to run?”
“Yes!” Mick celebrated, smacking the desk enthusiastically. Then he glanced at Jeremy. “And also, yes. I used to be vice-president. After-”
“I already know, it was a-” Jeremy leaned in and peeked at the screen. A green website stared back at him, wall-to-wall text he had zero interest in decoding. “What the hell is that?”
“Ah.” Mick’s face went pink. “I was thinking… since neither of us knows anything about love, maybe we should use the internet.”
Steam practically hissed out of Jeremy’s ears as a slideshow of obscene images flashed through his brain. “We’re barely half an hour into this relationship!”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Not that I’m attracted to you that way, no-” Jeremy looked away, letting out a strained, awkward laugh. “But I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“Oh. Okay.” Mick nodded seriously. “I thought cuddling would be a good start, but-”
“What?” Jeremy’s shoulders sagged. “You were Googling cuddling?”
“Yeah. What were you thinking about?”
“…Pornography?”
“Oh, no.” Mick scoffed. “I wouldn’t.”
Jeremy rolled his eyes. “How prude.”
“No, I just wouldn’t do it on the school Wi-Fi. Dell told me they can see the history anyway.”
“Oh, okay… Wait, WHAT?”
Mick nodded, a faint, defeated smile on his face. “Yeah. I also thought incognito mode meant you were actually incognito.”
Jeremy slapped both hands over his face and dragged them down. I’m getting expelled. I’m getting expelled.
Mick cleared his throat, trying to get his attention back. “Anyway. Are ya cool with cuddling then?”
Jeremy peeked through his fingers. Mick had a soft blush high on his cheeks. “…Yeah. I am.”
“Great.” Mick’s smile turned blissful. “Listen—these are the best cuddling positions.” He raised a finger like a teacher. “First, spooning. Second, half-spoon.”
“What’s their deal with spoons?”
“We’ll find out.” Mick said it with total determination while he adjusted his glasses.
Jeremy shook his head. “I don’t wanna do anything that involves spoons.”
Mick sighed, a little disappointed. “Then we won’t.”
“Thank God.”
“Then it says… face-to-face, leg hug, and back-to-back.” Mick rested his hand on his chin and scrolled, quickly scanning the little illustrations. He leaned back in the chair, humming loudly in thought.
“What’s wrong?” Jeremy asked. “You’re thinking so loud I can hear it.”
“Most of these are done in bed, but we only have the sofas.” He pointed at the screen, then behind him at the mismatched council furniture. “What a bummer. I really wanted-”
Suddenly, he heard screeching furniture behind him. Mick turned, one hand gripping the top of the chair. “What are you doing?”
Jeremy froze mid-push. “I’m… pushing them together.” He’d already shoved the table near the door out of the way.
“Oh. That’s a good idea.” Mick stood up. “Want help?”
“Yeah, thanks. I usually come up with the genius plans-” Jeremy winked. “Just, uh… do you have a key to lock the door?”
Mick nodded, went to his desk, and pulled out a small keyring. He walked over and locked it.
“Cool.” Jeremy stepped back. The two sofas were now shoved together into a lumpy, improvised bed. “Now let’s do what the blog says.”
“We could try spooning,” Mick said, returning to the computer. “Before you complain- it doesn’t actually need spoons.” He waved Jeremy over. “Look. It’s like this.” He pointed at the screen. The illustration showed a straight couple: the man curled behind the woman, chin tucked over her shoulder. “Cuddle with the smaller person’s back tucked into the larger’s front,” Mick read aloud.
“I’m not being that one.” Jeremy jabbed a finger at the woman in the picture.
“But you’re the shortest.”
“But, uhm, I’m the one with the bigger personality.” Jeremy pointed a thumb at his own chest and puffed it out.
They stared at each other for a few long seconds until Mick finally said, “Whatever. Let’s try.”
They walked over to the sofa-bed and stood there awkwardly. Jeremy kept glancing at Mick and scratching the back of his head.
“What are you waiting for?” Mick asked.
“What?”
Mick pointed at him. “You’re the big spoon. You have to get in bed first.”
“What? Why?”
“That’s how it works.”
“No, you just made that up!”
“No.” Mick shook his head solemnly. “The idea is you’re already in bed, and after a long day, I come to you, and then you hug me.”
“…” Jeremy gave him a flat stare. “Why are you still hung up on these fake scenarios-” Mick pressed both hands together in a pleading gesture. Jeremy cringed hard. “Okay, fine, I’ll do it. But don’t do that face anymore. And work on your pleading eyes. They’re terrifying.”
Jeremy kicked off his shoes and stepped onto the sofa pile, then dramatically flopped down. “Ouch-” He winced. “I thought it’d be softer.” He rubbed his arm, then rolled onto his side, back to one sofa’s armrest to leave space.
Mick stretched, took his own shoes off, and carefully climbed onto the other side. He lay down and locked eyes with Jeremy, who immediately started smiling nervously.
“Okay,” Mick said. “Now I have to do this.” He turned so his back faced Jeremy. “And now you have to hug me. Understood?”
“Why are you explaining it like it’s a yoga class?” Jeremy muttered, sliding his arms around Mick’s waist. “This okay?”
Mick gave a small nod of approval.
“Okay,” Jeremy whispered. He scooted up a little so he could tuck his face against Mick’s shoulder. He closed his eyes and inhaled; Mick’s deodorant smelled clean and kind of nice. For once, he didn’t feel like making a joke about it.
Then he felt Mick shift, arms coming around to hug him back. Jeremy’s eyes snapped open. “Hey! I told you-”
The words died. It actually felt… better than he expected. He slowly pressed his face deeper into Mick’s shoulder and tightened his hold just a fraction.
Then, a sudden, crushing pressure squeezed his ribs. “What- are- you-”
It got stronger. Jeremy felt like his soul was being vacuumed out. He started frantically patting Mick’s side.
Mick instantly let go and pushed back. “Oh- sorry! Am I being too harsh?” His voice was pure worry.
Jeremy sucked in air through his mouth. “I think you broke two of my ribs.”
“I’m sorry.” Mick untangled himself and flopped onto his back. “I got carried away.”
"Yeah." Jeremy shifted so he could rest his head on Mick’s arm, also facing up. “But it was okay before that.” He scooted closer, folding Mick’s arm so it draped across his torso. Jeremy’s hand was over Mick’s, fingers lacing. “If you wanna keep trying-”
Before he could finish, Mick rolled toward him. One hand slid under Jeremy’s nape; the other arm wrapped around as Mick tucked his nose against Jeremy’s neck. Jeremy squeezed his eyes shut, face burning.
“Next time,” Jeremy said, voice a little shaky, “I choose the cuddling position.”
Mick just nodded, his cheek rubbing softly against Jeremy’s skin.
Jeremy laid his own arm over Mick’s back, hand settling on his shoulder blade, pulling him in a little closer.
