✧ — peach iced tea.

[boba]

this post is so clean

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[oversea]

[ thorns is already pocketing his phone, which is a very clear sign that he is not passing elysium's message along. ]

I wouldn't go that far.

[transmit]

Are you that mad at me?

[ thorns hates him so bad…

well, fine. the moment they get back to the hotel he's blasting AUS for his workflow. as it turns out, he does need to iron. thorns is banned from touching anything until he's done. ]

[oversea]

[ wow. rude.

thorns will annoyingly hover because it's the kind of awkward feeling when someone is doing you a favor and you don't want to be useless but there is nothing for you specific to do. he gets out their shoes... ]

[transmit]

[ an indeterminate amount of time later: ]

Done! Put them on and then I'll style your hair for you.

[ was this a part of the memo? no? now it is ]

[oversea]

[ this was not and thorns is wondering how things keep getting added?? but he'll listen... at least regarding putting on the suit, but that's partly because he has to do it even if elysium hadn't said anything. ]

Shouldn't you get dressed?

[transmit]

[ he reads thorns' mind (or at least thinks he does) and manhandles him a little more roughly than he'd intended to get him to settle on the edge of the bed. ]

You should be glad I'm not fussing over your makeup. I'm just going to cover up some of your sunspots… you haven't been good about wearing sunscreen, have you.

[ do not ask why he has foundation and concealer in thorns' shade ]

I'm only taking so long on you 'cause I'm not used to styling other people. [ like, he pulls up his phone and it's pretty clear he has 2817382 tabs of references of people with thorns' hair length, as well as makeup looks…. he hums. ]

Mine will go by fast.

[ fast being half an hour ]

[oversea]

[ in every world, he will always be horrendous at skincare. he most definitely did not put sunscreen into his bag and elysium had to include it when he repacked it.

sadly, he's not going to ask why elysium knows his shade because thorns would not remotely even think about that sort of thing, so elysium being a weirdo is swept under the rug this time. ]

... I would have thought you did this kind of thing for others a lot.

[ with how into dressing thorns up that elysium has been. ]

[transmit]

[ he scowls. ]

Stay still.

[ the blending takes like five minutes as thorns is probably one of those freaks with nice skin despite doing nothing. elysium also probably falls under this category but is insane about skincare anyway.

onto hair… he's brushing it out… ]

No one else is as bad at taking care of yourself as you are.

[oversea]

Depends on your definition of taking care of yourself.

[ he probably spent the entire makeup session squirming awkwardly. that was only his second time doing that...

the hair is kind of nice. ]

Should I pay you for this?

[transmit]

You practically eat, sleep, and work just to pass the time. I wouldn't exactly call that taking care of yourself…

[ maybe it's the feel of thorns' hair in his hands, maybe it's the extra time they've been spending together. for once, he doesn't reach for the lowest-hanging fruit, swerving the opposite direction entirely. ]

I never really got the sense that you enjoyed much of anything. You'd look satisfied after your accomplishments, sure. Otherwise… you'd carry on with that same blank expression.

[ he pauses to hold a few bobby pins in his mouth for easier access. he's putting an awful lot of them in thorns' hair… but that's because a lot of these strands don't want to stay down? god. ]

I'm not trying to project my idea of fun onto you; I just figured there should be more to your days than work, things for you to look back on other than it. And judging by how you kept joining me, I didn't think I was wrong to keep at it. Are you going to call me out on quoting my philosophy classes again when I say my definition of it is living a little more?

[ he taps thorns' cheek from behind. ]

Done!

[oversea]

[ it's funny how much of a change there is when you just put any real effort into your appearance. it's kind of the same feeling as during the modeling, with not being quite sure of what he's looking at.

thorns turns around in his seat so he can actually look at elysium directly. ]

Are you having fun?

[ there was a point where thorns mostly believed that elysium was just being polite. thorns was always under the impression that he agreed to live together because their moms arranged it and there really was no reason to say no. since thorns does not know the extent of how much money elysium has access to, from his pov it just seems like a good deal.

but he's realizing that elysium is likely not just being polite. ]

[transmit]

[ it didn't take long for him to regret his disappearing act. but then 'i'll reach out next week' became 'i'll reach out the next week after' and as that goes, it gets to a point where it gets a little too awkward to actually do so. he isn't ordinarily the type to shy away from being bold—but seeing as thorns hadn't contacted him, well. that's how it goes.

being able to live together was a convenient way of closing a chapter he never had the chance to. if things stayed awkward, that was that, they could live separate lives until it was time to part again. the other route seems to have lead them to where they are now. he doesn't have any complaints.

he just grins at the question. the energy of wanting to ruffle thorns' hair but he physically cannot or he'll ruin it. ]

Yeah! Plenty. Anything you want me to change?

[oversea]

No, this is fine. It's what you wanted.

[ that's enough for him. but he will stand up so that he can go actually out on the suit and let elysium get himself ready. ]

You never put your suit on for me so I need to see it.

[transmit]

[ it's what he wanted, huh… ]

You'll get to see it all night! If you were that excited to be the first guy to, you could've said something earlier.

It'll be a bit since I'll have to iron it out. Got anything to pass time? Or, you could always take another quick power nap.

[oversea]

[ he just hits him again.

thorns has not forgiven him for the nap incident. ]

[transmit]

[ he's never opening his heart again

under his breath: ]

Coffee's a crutch…

[oversea]

[ he hits him again.

and then goes to sit down. ]

... I'm just glad you're having fun.

[transmit]

[ this is abuse!!!!!

… it begs asking since thorns has: ]

Are you?

[ he made thorns eat so much rotisserie chicken, ]

[oversea]

[ it was so much chicken. imagine every single meal for a week being costco chicken.

he seems to be thinking about that. ]

... yeah. I'm having fun.

[transmit]

[ they both are… well, it's hard not to when thorns has that glazed look on his face.

heheh ]

Excited to get groceries again next week?

[oversea]

Just get one chicken.

[ thorns will eve accept two? but they can't do this again.

there's a pause, and then he adds quietly. ]

But, really. It's been fun.

[transmit]

If you're going to be working out with me, they're good macros…

[ not the gym bro talk.

also. this is starting to get embarrassing. stop that. he starts ironing his shirt more aggressively. ]

Yeah? Wanna keep going? You're not going to find anyone else with as complete a package as I come. How many countries did you save in your last life, huh?

[oversea]

[ elysium...

it's a little funny, since if you put someone in a room with the two of them and they'd be so confused over how different they are from each other. thorns has had a few classmates who were always really surprised if they found out that he and elysium were roommates. ]

Well, you're right that I won't ever find someone else like you.

[transmit]

You can't word that more like praise?

[ he tosses a bobby pin a thorns' head. but once the shirt is done, he comes to a stand, disappearing into the bathroom. he emerges, suit and all. it's probably a lot more than two pieces and i am not about to look up proper terminology for menswear mobile.

he rests a hand on his hip and tilts his head—as if asking, happy? ]

[oversea]

[ hmm. hmmmm.

thorns looks at him, and it is not the first time he has thought that elysium would really look nice in a wedding. ]

Thanks.

[ he is not sure what to say here. thanks. ]