✧ — peach iced tea.

[boba]

this post is so clean

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[transmit]

[ GOTTA GO FAST… neither of them disturb thorns on his way back to his room and it's only after that he finds out they literally have not said a single word to each other. okay. there's some chagrined comment about how he has zero social skills and isn't this kind of nostalgic…?

at some point during the evening there's a knock on thorns' door. it's elysium. ]

[oversea]

[ thorns opens the door and peeks out. ]

Yes?

[ did he forget to do one of his chores... ]

[transmit]

My— [ hmm. pauses. ] Alhaitham's having problems with his roommate. I've known him since our first year. Would you mind if he stayed with us for a bit?

I can cover two-thirds of the rent this month.

[oversea]

[ he notices the pause and wonders if it would be weird to call it out?

well. if they're dating then thorns would probably find out if he stays with them. ]

... Yeah, sure. Where is he going to stay?

[ the couch... elysium's room...? ]

[transmit]

Oh. That I haven't figured out yet.

[ there are only so many places he could sleep, so yes, it seems his room is under consideration… ]

I wanted to get your permission before extending the offer.

[oversea]

Mm. You have it.

[ ... ]

I'm going to be out for most of the day tomorrow. I might get back late.

[ if the two of them would like to be.... alone.....,,,, ]

[transmit]

[ okay. cool. elysium picks up what thorns is putting down and visibly brightens, clapping thorns' shoulder with his hand. he is such a bro? he is such a bro!

with that, he pads back to the couch, a conversation is had, and they both disappear for the next few hours. this is going great… ]

[oversea]

[




thorns goes back to the fridge, grabs like two beers, and returns to his room. he hates it here so bad. ]

[transmit]

[ NOT THORNS FALLING TO ALCOHOLISM

if it makes thorns feel any better, alhaitham ends up sleeping on their sofa bed. not only that? it'll be his first weekend in a long, long time where he isn't rudely awakened earlier than he should be.

but that is also because elysium drags alhaitham to do their monthly costco run instead. they come back with a normal haul and one chicken. wild. ]

[oversea]

[ he's going to kill elysium

at least, thorns won't be there. he ends up going to the modeling place to finalize some things. they don't want to do a shoot, but they do take some headshots and generic poses so that he can add them to a basic portfolio that he doesn't have, and then gives him the info for an actual shoot they want to have at a park at a later date.

he returns to the apartment wondering if he made a mistake but it's fine..... ]

[transmit]

[ he's done nothing except exactly what he said he was going to do.

meanwhile, thorns gets to contemplate the increased expendable income he can now funnel into his alcohol problem… wow.

the catch to all of this, of course, is that actively trying to date other people seriously diminishes the time he can spend with thorns between school, extracurriculars, and whatever else he gets up to but never mentions. it's such a far cry from kitten. a week in, he hasn't actually asked anyone out yet; he's testing the waters and going hmmm still on the high of believing he can get out of his years long rut.

the way they probably haven't acknowledged each other's existence. it's kind of funny witnessing two introverts from the sidelines. still, i guess thorns can have his nightmare scenario. he can eventually come home to them watching a documentary, elysium just

in this guy's lap???? okay. ]

[oversea]

[ okay.

thorns pauses when he sees this, like he is trying very hard to process what he's witnessing, and then he just makes a beeline for his room.

listen at least when elysium was pining he never got to witness thorns sitting on someone's lap. this is hell. he closes his door quietly behind him and decides to crawl into bed at 6pm because it's how he is coping. ]

[transmit]

[ okay if he caught thorns in someone's lap he would at least realise how little of a chance he has and eventually come to terms with it. maybe.

but what happens immediately after is elysium crawling out of his lap like, 'that was weird, let's never do that again,' while alhaitham only grunts in apparent agreement. the realisation hits: dating your friends is kind of hard, isn't it…

guy who has very little practical dating experience because he spent so much of his youth PINING with one or two casual flings just to see if they would fix him. they did not.

hmmmmmmmmmm

ten minutes later: ]

Do you want dinner?

[oversea]

[ he opens an eye when his voice vibrates and waits to see if it does it again. this is literally how he judges if it's someone from the wedding bothering him or not, how often they text in one go.

eventually, he grabs his phone. ]

I'll pass.

[ has he eaten? no. but he is not going back out there!!! ]

[transmit]

[ does thorns think he'll leave him alone that easily… ]

You already ate?

[oversea]

[ he considers lying, but then goes for something a little more true. ]

Not hungry.

[transmit]

Skipping meals isn't good for you. I'll order takeout and leave it in the fridge for you.

[ there's the sound of shuffling and people leaving the apartment… thorns is safe to emerge from his cave…

a few more minutes later: ]

I heard you took up the modeling job?

[oversea]

[ hmmm. well, he can't be surprised elysium found out when he was the one who introduced them.

he will sneak out of his room so he can shower. why is he sneaking in his own place. ]

Yeah.
Needed the money.

[transmit]

[ why is he sneaking around in his own place. everywhere he goes, things have been used in sets of twos… there are two cups on the table, two plates that presumably had snacks on them. even if thorns is avoiding them personally, there's no avoiding the evidence.

this is so sad. ]

How are the hours? It feels like we haven't had the chance to hang out recently.

[oversea]

[ he is being normal about this.

although normal feels like it's kind of going back to how it was when they first started living with each other, when they kept their interactions rather minimal. it's the weird feeling of wanting to give them space and not sure what is considered to much space.

but he's also concerned that being around them too much would give his displeasure away; thorns is not a good liar, after all. ]

They're fine. Not too bad.
I started to go to fencing practice more often too.
I guess it's making our schedules not align.

[transmit]

[ thorns thinking he's been subtle about his displeasure……

well, there's another half hour before he's able to respond again. ]

You didn't actually like having another person at our place, right?

I'm just helping him move his stuff back before I get food. You can stop holing yourself up now, bro.

[oversea]

[ he just stares at the message and



does not respond, tossing his phone elsewhere on his bed. did he make oup with his roommate or is he moving back because they think thorns is being a massive bitch? and does this mean elysium now thinks thorns doesn't want anyone in the apartment? since the problem is very specific and one thorns can never admit to.

...

whatever he's going to sleep ]

[transmit]

[ he doesn't expect thorns to respond to the call-out so that's okay… if anything, it more or less confirms his suspicion for the wrong reason. if he's bothered by anything, it's that he had to figure it out himself?

stupid. but he gets back, cleans up. takeout is in the fridge. he decides not to poke the hornet's nest and minds his own business in his room. so, if thorns wants to scurry like a rat for his food then elysium won't be around to judge him for it.



is thorns going to avoid him the next day or what. ]

[oversea]

[ he won't, but he isn't actively seeking him out.

it's just kind of awkward... he is staring at the fridge and wondering if he should go to the library so it's not like he is holed up in his room again... ]

[transmit]

[ good luck doing that when elysium shows up right behind him like a jumpscare. ]

Hey.