Bucket List
This is a drabble I wrote for that Roommate’s AU thing a few days ago. It takes place after that first date that happens between Blue and Edge (some of what I wrote out in that "chapter" that was all nonsensical planning may not all be set in stone exactly)
Most of these will probably be based on writing prompts or requests if anyone wants to give any
AO3 Link
Also, link to the prompt
Red wandered into the living room, relying on muscle memory to maneuver him down the steps while he stared at the small yellow square of paper in his hand. He stopped when he reached the bottom, glancing up at Stretch lazily sprawled out on the couch watching the television. Approaching him deceptively casually, Red dropped down beside him without at word, still gripping the slip of paper in his phalanges. Red could feel Stretch’s gaze shift from the TV down to him, but he ignored it for the time being. He’d sit a minute longer and let Stretch stew in his curiosity.
Finally, after a drawn out silence in which Stretch’s inquisitiveness was just beginning to wane, Red spoke up.
“What the heck is this?” He held out the post-it-note in front of the taller skeleton’s face.
He simply raised a brow bone before answering, “My bucket list.”
“It’s just a fucking post-it-note with my name on it.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Red could feel his cheeks heat up ever so slightly despite the irritated, disbelieving expression that still hung on his face. He didn’t bother to respond to the smirk on Stretch’s face, but the mood, at least from his perspective, didn’t fail to shift to one less whimsical. It wasn’t the terrible flirting that bothered him, at least not exclusively – Stretch had been doing that practically since they’d first moved in together. It wasn’t even the implications behind it that had his proverbial gut twisting into knots. No, it had all to do with the events that had transpired only a couple of days prior. After their brothers had had their night out together, and they’d gotten a bit cozier than usual, Red was finding Stretch’s usually humorous advances less of a joke and more awkward than they were meant to be, because now he knew that they had very real undertones that he wasn’t quite sure how to deal with.
“Stretch ...” he started.
“That’s my name,” Stretch responded, digging into the pocket of his shorts for a cigarette. He took it out along with a lighter and didn’t hesitate to take a drag before putting all of his focus onto the skeleton beside him.
Red had half a mind to tell him to stop before either of their brothers came in and yelled about smoking inside the house, but both Fell and Blue were out grocery shopping and Red knew any attempt to stop his brother’s copy would prove fruitless. If both Papyrus’s had one thing in common it was that majority of the time they did what they wanted regardless of anyone’s instruction, especially each others’.
“I ...” Red couldn’t seem to figure out just what he wanted to say, and his anxiety kicking up at the thought of an actual discussion on the topic of whatever was or wasn’t going on between them wasn’t helping him coerce his thoughts into something coherent.
“I know,” Stretch sighed, surprising Red. “I’m not expecting you to jump my bones or anything, just ... the thing you’ve got goin’ on with your brother? Not –” he cut off the beginnings of a protest from Red, “not the ... the sibling thing, I’m talking about the way he treats you. And I know, we’ve been over this before already I just ... look, I care about you Red, and I hate seeing you hurt. And I’m not asking you to just up and drop your brother – he is your brother after all – just ... consider yourself for once?” he trailed off.
Red sat still, expression blank as he stared down at the floor. There were a million thoughts and none at the same time running through his head. Stretch was right, they had been through it already, and it hadn’t been a delightful discussion by any means. And on some level he did know that his treatment was less than ideal, but like Stretch had said, Fell was his brother, and he meant the world to him. He’d do anything for him. As much as he liked Stretch, and as curious as he was to see where something between them could lead, even the thought of being with anyone else left an unpleasant feeling in his soul.
Sure, Fell may not have operated on the same principle, but ... he was Fell ... he ... Stretch just didn’t understand.
Before he could voice any of his rationalizing, the front door slammed open much more forceful than necessary and Fell came barreling in with Blue on his tail, both dripping wet from the rain that had just started up, Blue yelling about something as they made their way to the kitchen, arms weighed down by grocery bags.
Stretch hoped that Red might ignore their presence and respond to him, but instead he stood, as expected, masking his inner conflict with a lazy grin, and sauntered into the kitchen behind them.