He was genuinely grinning for once, it didn't suit him. He looked unnerving. Threatening? Yeah. Curly never seemed to mind though, he was the only one he could be himself around. At least, mostly.
"Hey, Blondie! Thanks for standing up for me back there, that was badass!"
He didn't take his time when it came to getting close to him. He slung an arm around his shoulder, even if Curly seemed mildly uncomfortable, Jimmy wasn't stupid, he could tell when Curly wanted to get away from him. He could tell when people felt awkward, he used that.
He could've defended himself. But, if someone insisted on being his prince charming, he wouldn't deny them. He'd embrace them. It piqued his interest. He knew Curly was his friend, but... nobody has ever actually went out of their way for him like that before.
He was overly touchy, even if subtly. And yet, it's weird. Curly thought he didn't like being touched. Jimmy switched up on him so often, it was hard to tell what his real personality even was anymore, he couldn't stay consistent.
And yet... half the time he made Curly feel bad for being his friend. As if he didn't do something a certain way Jimmy would be gone the next day. He was so contradicting it hurt.
"...Hey."
Curly stopped his dissociation for long enough to register his friend's singular word, lifting his head enough to look at Jimmy.
"Thanks. I... I appreciate you, man. You've been here with me for longer than any of my fucking cunt ex's have been."
Curly smiled at that, he wasn't too fond of the insult towards other people, but from what his friend told him surely they were bad people anyways. It seems like Jimmy could make him forget his worries with the most simple sentences. The most simple things.
"...You're welcome, Jim."
"Forever, right?"
"Forever."
[⚓ What does 'home' mean to them? Timeline: Present.]
He missed it. He missed earth, he missed ... well. He didn't have much to miss, actually. Certainly not his parents, he had no siblings to look back on, he didn't have any friends besides Curly. Though... he has been rather distant lately.
He misses his sanity, not that he ever had much. He misses being able to get away with small stupid crimes like shoplifting, he misses the sun when it's not a threat. He misses being able to sleep whenever he wanted, he misses being unemployed.
He misses relying on Curly. Curly. Curly! It always circles back to Curly, damn it. Why the hell couldn't he get him off his mind? And yet, it feels as if they've been talking less lately. He... misses Curly. He misses being able to talk to him without worries, now he was always too busy or whatever he was on about.
Most of his life was spent with him. Most of his memories have come from him. Is Jimmy even his own person anymore, or is he just going to adapt Curly's personality? Since he's so great. He even gets praised here, Jimmy should've just stayed back on earth.
He misses his shitty apartment room. He never felt like cleaning it, so Curly got concerned to the point of cleaning it for him, and Jimmy got mad at him because he couldn't find the stuff he needed to. Such small pathetic things. He misses having control.
He misses when it was just the two of them. He misses a lot actually, when he lets himself think about it. But it always seems to come back to one guy, he would never leave him alone. He never wanted to let him go.
He had no choice anymore, he's already in too deep. Anywhere with Curly is his home, his memories. He forgets everything else anyways, it pissed him off, yet in a way he felt content.
Why did his feelings have to be so damn confusing?