chatime | ✧ — peach iced tea.

I can make my own flan.

[ please do not say yes to this.

but he is offended at the idea that he can't do it on his own? yes he horribly messed up before but that was just one time, he will definitely get it right next time. ]

You can. I ate it, remember…?

[ too late. ]

But the flan I got you—wasn't it something else? People wait in lines for it.

It was good, yeah...

[ he stares at the screen as the show introduces the season's contestants. ]

I can still make one for you.

[ okay. ]

[ is thorns' toxic trait in this watching people cook and bake and convincing himself he can do it

elysium starts to feel maybe a little queasy. ]

If we're only having one or two servings, we can just buy it. Especially with how busy you've been recently—I'd feel bad.

[ prue save him ]

[ he is going to criticize them for mistakes they make even though he can make literally none of it.

he sighs. ]

I wanted to make it for you... but we can buy it.

[ HELP NOT THE BACKSEATING

as much as elysium's heart nearly skips at hearing that thorns wants to make something for him, he very quickly remembers he just cooked them dinner. that's probably what thorns means by it, right? he wants to repay the favour?

his hands subconsciously move to his chest to rub… there is no escaping the unintentional rizz. cursed. ]

You can make it when you have time… rather, would you want to try making something together?

[ inspired by the show. maybe. he is sooooo convinced that thorns can no longer be trusted in the kitchen alone; he should at least be there to supervise. ]

[ wow. he has only stabbed himself and set something on fire, so sue him.

but he considers the proposal before nodding slowly. ]

I have to do most of it though.

[ no regulating thorns to tiny tasks. ]

[ he wanted to k*ll thorns both times if he could sue thorns for harm against himself he would

elysium's face scrunches. ]

We can't split it in half?

[ why is bargaining so hard. this is such a minor thing to bargain over.

eventually, thorns just sighs. ]

Half and half.

Half and half. [ agrees. ] No participation awards!

[ hovering annoyingly does not count for actual work so in the case for things he has no direct involvement in he thinks this might be fine? he'll save both their tastebuds and stomachs?

he's feeling good enough about himself to think he's earned a treat, so he leans over thorns to snag a bag of snacks lying nearby. in the process, his hair brushes lightly against the side of thorns' face. ]

What else would you want to make? Or are you that sold on flan?

[ they are so close... it's funny that at the wedding they were literally all over each other and now here they are trying to give respectable distance. the power of alcohol is so great.

it takes thorns several seconds too long to answer. ]

Is there anything you want to make?

[ they are making tarts on the show. ]

[ the technical rounds are always nerve-wracking… the specifications look complicated, maybe even overblown, but when he pulls up other recipes on his phone, it doesn't seem that bad? in an ideal world thorns would be handling as little as possible which means elysium would want to get a pre-made tart ring, but realistically that'll just leave them with doing the filling and considering how fussy thorns had been earlier, he's not convinced that'll go over well.

how does he instill so much mistrust for what's essentially edible chemistry…

but this is literally the first thing they're making, and giving in to temptation this quickly feels like jumping the gun… even if the sample looks good. he has to be pragmatic and keep expectations low!! ]

Let's see how many episodes we get through and rank our options?

[ says this like they aren't going to get increasingly complex ]

[ he nods his head.

there is a pause, and then he scoots slightly closer to elysium; it really is a difference of an inch or two which can mean nothing? people change their sitting positions all the time and it means nothing. ]

We should have also made popcorn...

[ except then elysium would face the same dilemma he did at the movie theater, the hand touching... the idea of having separate popcorn bowls at home is funny. ]

[ okay well there's pretty good justification for this in that elysium's holding a bag of chips. he assumes thorns wants some too, so he casually scoots the rest of the way over until they're side by side, holding the open bag out toward him. it's no leaning like he had been with alh*itham, but he is a lot closer than he needs to be which

is not something he really thinks about as someone who likes being close to people. ]

I can make it while there's nothing really going on. [ the judging part is where it's at. ] Want me to?

[ he has gotten slightly more normal (read: delusional) since their movie theatre not date so if they touch hands? he will just be like thorns thinks nothing of it so i will!! too!!!!!!!!! ]

[ they are so normal!!

thorns will go and grab some chips, which is definitely a thing that he wanted and the reason he moved over. totally. granted, it's better for him if elysium gets the wrong idea. thorns isn't trying to date him, but the small moments of closeness with him is still very... nice.

but the very last thing he wants to do is ruin it and make things weird, so only this is fine. ]

... Sure. Especially if we'll be here a while.

[ this is such whipped behaviour. thorns wants popcorn, so he goes to make popcorn. while he's away, he does leave his phone behind which conveniently lights up with other message notification. if thorns is looking, he'll notice it's from… a guy named scien?

he's probably just as prolific in the chemistry department for reasons similar as thorns. he's fucking crazy. the message reads something about meeting at the lab at 5am… okay… elysium is not a science major so ?

but he eventually comes back, returning to the same spot on the couch which is directly right next to thorns. hi. ]

Did I miss anything?

[ thorns is now wondering if elysium needs help and if scien has blackmail on him or something. he is not even remotely thinking this is a romance thing. ]

Someone has to start over since they messed up their mixing. And I think you got a text?

[ just said casually like how you'd inform someone they missed a phone call... ]

[ he settles in even more comfortably than before, practically leaning into thorns. setting the bowl on thorns' lap, he keeps his phone in plain view since he has nothing to hide—earlier messages indicate that he's coming in as a lab assistant?? ]

Oh. It's the guy with the— [ uh ] unique dating profile. I'm pretty sure one of his friends wrote it up for him because it sounds completely different from how he texts. I don't think he even knows he's on a dating app? Or maybe he does and doesn't care.

[ DAHUT ]

I heard he's known to be a complete maniac. [ a pause; he taps his chin thoughtfully as he fires back a simple thumbs up. ] Kind of like you.

I don't think we're anything alike.

[ no, they are both crazy in regards to their work and are difficult to get along with, it is simply that the reasons they are difficult diverge... but only if you care enough to see why. on the surface they just both appear to be rude.

he takes some popcorn and chews thoughtfully. ]

He's going to experiment on you.

[ why do they live in a lawless world. he blinks. ]

Wouldn't he have asked for research participants, then…? I mean, sure, I'm peak form, but isn't it pretty inefficient to experiment on just one guy?

[ thorns experimenting on him in high school was different… probably… he sounds like he's trying to rationalise it, but the hesitation in his voice already gives him away. uh. ]

No way funding's the issue. He'd have to want a larger sample size for that…

I think he just considers it his idea of fun.

[ thorns understands...

he eats more popcorn idly, his attention now on elysium instead of the screen. ]

You'd be safer helping me.

[ highly debatable. ]

But I guess you two are dating...?

[ he'd be safer and would have more fun with thorns but the point here is to get over him by dating people similar to him.

…

it's too bad he isn't thinking that far. ]

Who knows. I thought the situation was funny so I agreed to it. [ … ] We'll see how this one time goes, I guess…?

[ but there's a more important takeaway here: ]

You haven't asked me for help since… you know, back then. I didn't even know that was an option.

[ the way that the proper way to get over him would be to both stop living with him and to also date someone nothing like him, but it's fine.

thorns wants to ask about scien again but they have different priorities here. thorns shrugs. ]

You're always so busy.

[ it ends up being elysium's turn to cram his mouth full of popcorn… this is mildly embarrassing. ]

Only because there's nothing better to do. I could say the same about you.

[ not entirely true. some things are unavoidable, but otherwise there's very little he wouldn't drop for thorns. even if he's seemingly slipped back into old habits by dragging thorns out like before, he still exhibits a degree of restraint. he has to keep himself occupied somehow… though, he does keep himself busy, not so much to avoid thinking about thorns as being active is simply who he is. ]

I wasn't that busy before...

[ at least, in comparison to elysium having an active social life.

he reaches for more chips instead and chews on them slowly, trying to give himself more time to reply. ]

But I guess things worked out.

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