Cooper wiggled a little, testing his range of motion.
Limited it would seem, and mostly to his wrists at that.
He could still work with that. Maybe.
“You know I think I’d like this considerably better
if you were the one bolted to the chair.”
[ Text ] Because I like you and stuff. Even when you are gross.
[ Text ] I’m used to you being weird. After all, I was the one
who coined the Elliot Weird and Uniqueness behavioral
scale.
[ Text ]: Like has like seven different meanings Felix,
but thanks for not thinking I'm gross I appreciate it.
Even if I've been wearing the same thing for over
twenty-four hours.
[ Text ]: I still kind of want to see this written down.
With explanations. It's not science if you don't write it down.
[ Text ]: I really did feel a need to stretch out my legs though.
[ Text || After the fourth kiss ] "So, exactly why did you left this morning? I was going to do pancakes."
[ Felix » Text ]: … I guess you could say I have a bad habit of running in the morning?
[ Felix » Text ]: That was a terrible joke (though I do actually run sometimes)
[ Felix » Text ]: No, but like, yeah I took a shower and stuff, but I’m still gross from the other day. Why would you want to be around me while I’m gross?
Do you want a five times kissed? If so, do one for Felix :D
send me five times kissed for adrabble about five times our muses kissed [no link, but you know thememe]
I
It wasn’t much really, Elliot hadmeet Felix before a few times, they both did technical sort of work,and sometimes it was nice to chat to someone in your line of work whoincidentally also, did not directly work with you. It had started outsort of basic and causal and grown into a little tiny plant offriendship that Elliot was happy to water if the opportunityoccurred, but often had not mind to bother if things didn’t come up.But he’d by lying, at least a little, if he said he hadn’t missedthere little conversations while out in France for a little, shortvacation.
Obviously they’d arranged to meetwhen Elliot had come back, and maybe he was just not mindful of wherehis brain was at the time, but he kissed him on the cheek before hehad enough mind to be aware of what he’d done. And then spend a goodfifteen or more minutes afterwords being embarrassed about it, andstaring into his coffee, speaking in flustered sentences.
II
“Hey, Felix can you help mewith something?” Elliot asked, standing on top of a ladder, tryingto get a box of very old paperwork down in order to refile somethings. “I just, well, can I pass you this box?” the ladderwasn’t really the greatest, or maybe Elliot just had a terrible senseof balance with heights and dust, but he wasn’t sure he could carrythe box down.
Though the box it seemed did notwant to cooperate, and came down sort of … skewed, but Felix seemedto get a grasp on it alright. And Elliot didn’t pay much attentionbeyond that before hearing a kind of 'thud' noiseon a table, and something more distressed.
“Wait, are you ok?” Elliotsaid, hand on Felix’s shoulder, standing on his toes as if trying topeer up and over his shoulder, curious and worried about why he wasturning away from him. Well, he knew why, he could smell a trace ofblood, but seeing it was another matter. His knuckles were scrapped alittle, enough to bleed, but not enough to bruise or leave lastdamage other than a few days maybe.
“It’s not so bad, here.”Elliot said, turning somewhat, and pulling on Felix’s hand, bringingit up to his mouth, and kissing his knuckles. Though it seemed hisinstincts took over for him, because he started to lick the wound fora moment, before his senses realized, ah wait, most peopledid not lap at other people’s skin like that.
“I should, um, get you somewater for that.” Elliot said, pulling away sounding far morebreathless than he should have. And he paused, staring at the injury,turning it in his own hand, as if slightly dazed, “And gauze.”And he shut his eyes and scrambled up for something he should havegotten to start with.
III
It was just past the end of thespring term for most of the students, the lab hours had gottenshorter, and Elliot had far more time to himself. Not only during theday, but also at night. He’s not sure how it happens, if Felix askedor if he asked, or if some how perhaps they just meet up on accidentthat day. But Elliot had been bouncy enough and pleaded, utterlypleaded, with Felix togo out with him, “It’ll be fun wont it?” Felix seemed to think itwouldn’t be, at least, not so much as himself, but he came alonganyway, and that’s all Elliot had asked for.
But the thing was, Elliot knew,or should have known, that going out in a city at night, normallyincluded exposure to alcohol. And his tolerance was well, probablybelow that of the average sixteen year old. And while he didn’t mindgoing around and bothering other people, he always managed to wanderhimself back to Felix, because well it’d be rude not to. It maybe ormaybe not have, Elliot couldn’t remember, have gotten to a pointwhere whenever he said “Felix, Felix.” and looked particularlyconfused, some blurry soul managed to drop him back off next to theperson he’d dragged all the way out here in the first place.
Or maybe he was just really goodat drunk walking.
Regardless, there reached apoint, where Elliot was half sitting on a counter – unable to bedisplaced by the only slightly baffled bartender – and half leaningon Felix when he had the thought he ought to go home. Or maybe Felixhad that thought for him. Either way, when he was pulled off thecounter, or rather more awkwardly feel off it in the way cats falland then look like they definitely intended to do so, decided todeposit himself onto Felix’s side. Almost like glue.
“You’re very warm.” Elliotsaid, though he couldn’t deceiver a response. He yawned at some pointwhile being walked, and tugged on Felix to stop. His head was feelinga little bit better and he was very proud of himself for not gettingsick ever so far, but he’d like to nap, and nap now.
“Elliot, you’re in the middleof the sidewalk.”
“I don’t care.”
Felix just looked at him. AndElliot felt a little bit strange then, and tilted his head. It took afew minutes for him to move, feeling very much like he ought tobefore Felix left him sad and cold inthe middle of the night.
“Fine, whatever.” And heresumed his place, nearly clawing himself onto the other’s arm forsupport, but not before nudging the back of his shoulder with hisnose, and placing a ghost of a kiss there.
IV
They said it would be sunnytoday, and it certainly was not.And Elliot was caught out in the middle of the sudden turn of rain,with hardly anything to cover himself with, and in a bit of a panic,found himself at least a little bit of overhand to stand under, anddial every number he could think of.
Who lived closest to here?
And he guessed.
Come on pick up, pick up. Hebegged into the phone trying to shield his arms from what he couldanyway least he show signs of well, the truth.
“Felix!” He chirped far, farto cheerfully into the phone when he’d heard it pick up finally.“Hey, um, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s nearly raining catsouthere, and I was wondering maybe, since I don’t have a car or whateverif I just come up to your place and stay you know because I think I’m– “
Andhe got cut off in the middle of his rambling, and he was certain hecould heard Felix nearly rolling his eyes at him on the other side ofthe phone.
“Uh,uh-hum.” Elliot said, making a mental note of what he was beingtold. “Yeah I wont get water on the carpet, I promise, please.”
Andeventually he got a positive response, and his smile was ever somight brighter than the weather.
“Yes,you’re the best, I owe you like seven pizzas.”
Andhe hung up the phone and nearly sprintedtopromised safety and, more importantly, dryness.
“Thanks for letting me youknow, and um, also borrow your towels and bathroom.” Elliot said,half dressed, and drying his hair with said towel, mostly speakingthrough the half-opened door as Felix was working on something, uh,‘remote and non-disclosable’. He’d already been denied lending hishelp, even though the weather was getting much worse and Elliot wasbasically already going to take up the sofa when night came if it wasstill bad. He thought Felix looked up, he was sure if he was staringor not, and squinted back at him, before making a funny expressionand closing the door behind him.
Elliot however did not get hiswish of taking up the whole sofa,because at some point, Felix had scurried out of his little workcavern, and Elliot had actually gotten properly dressed, and they’dput on some kind of B-grade horror movie, that died part way throughwhen the power went out. That was alright though, Elliot had alreadyfallen asleep by then anyway.
When he woke up the next morninghowever, Felix was the one still asleep, looking far more relaxedthan Elliot had ever seen him, and he was amused by it. Stretching ashe got up, Elliot felt some of his bones crack but that wasn’tunusual. He went to go find a window, seeing the early weather seemedto have broken as well even if it was terribly foggy out. Probablyshould leave before I overstay. Butnot before walking behind the sofa and draping a blanket across andover him, musing up Felix’s hair just because he’d probably hate it,and having a moment enough of insanity to kiss him on top of the headlike a child.
He moved a little bit, and Elliotfroze, waiting.
But nothing happened, even if hethought he could detect a change in breathing. So he left.
V
Elliot was sitting on a train,just on a short visit to another city, to get out for a while,explore. He’d never really lost the wandering sense of himself, hewasn’t sure he ever would. But it felt more lonely than usual, eventhough he was surrounded by other people. He caught himself driftingin and out a few times, and decided it might be best just to makehimself comfortable enough for a proper nap.
And if somewhere in that nap, hedreamed of kisses that had never and would never happen, no oneneeded to know.
