chatime | ✧ — peach iced tea.

[ that is so ambitious since it would involve going further than the baseline of saying hi and into actively making plans. elysium doesn't expect thorns to get that far, but maybe he'll be unpleasantly surprised… ]

… Sure.

[ he just gives thorns his phone. besides scien, he is talking to like two other people… there are already several conversations he's already bowed out of… one of them can be the mad scientist horse girl and idk you can curse me with whoever else i'm dying here!!!!!!!!! ]

[ it's diluc, wow

he at least doesn't read the actual contents of the messages, but it is interesting to see. thorns should feel happy that elysium is doing his best to live life and find something nice for himself, but there's a part of him that is only reminded of what he messed up.

he finally moves, but it's not away. he fully rests against elysium. the contact is nice. ]

... mm. [ ... ] You're missing the show.

[ so is he. ]

[ YOU WANT HIM INVOLVED IN EVEN MORE GAY DRAMA? this is how thorns learns the existence of second lead syndrome; he's about to be the one that's terminal in this au…

regardless, he settles back as this is normal between friends. maybe not normal between them, but it's easy enough to convince himself otherwise. they slot together so naturally there's that tinge in his chest, again. ]

I think I missed an entire episode. Who got eliminated…?

[ don't think he doesn't notice what you're doing… thorns… but he just gets the sense that he's shy, so he leaves it at that, letting him breathe instead of pressing it further. why do they actually need alcohol in them to get anything done they are so pathetic. ]

[ the way alcohol is how [redacted] happened too, they are so deeply useless without it to jumpstart anything.

but thorns will helpfully explain who got eliminated, who was close to it, and who got star baker... all you need for a summary. the entire time he is fully aware that he should move but he has no idea if this might ever happen again, with elysium actively trying out dating. he never really saw himself as an opportunist but here we are. ]

Now pay attention.

[ the way thorns had to be strong-armed into being a pirate like they are just deeply useless in general when it comes to rocking the boat. in elysium's case, no problem stirring up others, though… terrible.

but so many of their moments skirt the line between platonic and not, the difference hinging entirely on context. what elysium thinks is that now that everything has been laid bare, there's no real path toward romance left, the door feels firmly shut. he glances as the top of thorns' head, then moves his gaze back to the tv. really, the ache he feels now is nothing compared to their earlier days. ]

You're surprisingly intense about this. [ except everything he sees feels like it's doomed for failure in thorns' hands. hmm. ] … What if we made banana bread? We could even add protein to it.

[ how does one screw up banana bread ]

We don't have to add protein.

[ maybe they can make two... one with and one without.

although if elysium really wants his protein thorns will not stop him in the end, so the argument here is only for show. ]

That can work though...

We don't have to, but we could. We should, actually, since you're nowhere near getting enough protein everyday.

[ he reaches over to pinch thorns' arm. ]

Wanna go for a night ride? We can pick up ingredients and I can show you something nice while we're at it.

[ this is so rude... but it's true. thorns does not have abs in this au.

he still pinches elysium back anyway. ]

Sure, even if I'm not sure of your definition of nice.

It's literally nice. [ ( meme voice ) ] Would it kill you to have less suspicion?

[ yes, apparently.

but they can get dressed and do whatever else it takes for them to get to the grocery store… elysium has the first google result for banana bread open and is kind of just. staring at it and a bunch of other things at the baking section. namely, measuring cups? measuring spoons? baking pans? ]

How much of a phase do you think this is?

[ sometimes you buy whole sets of things on impulse (me) ]

This isn't a phase.

[ this is exactly what anyone who is currently going through a phase would say about it.

choose wisely. ]

I'm going to get the ingredients for flan.

[ he has not forgotten his first love. ]

[ internally tears up. remember when he'd only managed like three bites of flan before caving. he wonders if he can pull that off again or thorns will be sitting across him like they're in an interrogation room. how does one potentially get out of this scenario…?

he'll have to think.

but when has elysium ever been wise about anything? the second thorns isn't at his side, any semblance of impulse control vanishes. suddenly he's stacking an entire matching set of tools into his basket along with a muffin tin, macaron sheets, and anything else that happens to catch his eye just because he can.

it's one of those trips where you expect to grab three or four items so you only take a basket, but by the end, you're balancing such a veritable mountain that makes you wish you'd gone for the cart. things are sticking out at odd angles, he has to hold it out at distance so he doesn't poke himself with the spatula that's jutting towards the side, and he doesn't see a single thing wrong with it.

a not-so-secret part of him is excited by this… are he and thorns stumbling into a new hobby together? could the two of them, perhaps, become star bakers one day?? wowie ]

[ HELLO

thorns wanders back with all of his ingredients and he just fucking blinks at elysium.

there is no room for him to put his stuff so he will just hold it in his arms, like a child trying to convince their parent to buy something they don't need. ]

So you agree that it's not a phase.

[ he is annoying. ]

If we invest this much into it, then we have to commit. I'm helping you.

[ good thing he can be just as annoying in return. thorns literally could've picked up his own basket hello

instead of stabbing himself with the spatula handle he stabs thorns with it. ]

Did you get everything you needed?

[ he did not expect them to get enough things that they'd need more than one basket... they could have cutely shared one like a domestic platonic couple, and yet here they are instead.

he nods his head. ]

Yeah. We can go.

[ before they are further distracted. ]

[ every shopping trip has ended the same with them always walking out with more than they planned. thorns shouldn't even be surprised by it anymore? this haul might be excessive, but if they're going to be baking regularly, they aren't just wants, they're needs… in this essay he will…

…

but the way stores are designed to tempt you at every turn. until they're out the door there is no escaping distractions!! and he caves easily enough, slipping a few snacks under his free arm like they're nothing. this is fine. thorns ate so many chips they simply need to replenish, that's all. don't comment. ]

[ elysium really is a nightmare.

thorns watches this happen but doesn't comment on it because he knows the snacks will be purchased one way or another, if it's not now then it would be the next time elysium goes to the store. ]

Where are we going after this?

[ the place... ]

[ he's still stuck on the thought that he didn't make enough at dinner, so there is the possibility that thorns will get hungry during the ride and need something to snack on. there's that.

and if you thought the nightmare ended there, no… because he's also one of those people who commit the crime of having to buy new reusable bags every single time they shop, so they have a pile stacked up back at their place somewhere. when you leave them in the wrong coat pockets or you forget them in the car. today is no different… life is so tragic sometimes. ]

I already told you. A nice ride. It's what I do when you see me sneaking away at night. [ … ] I need you to give me your honest review. That, and… if we're going to be each other's best men, we should know more about who we are now.

[ this is no less vague but okay ]

[ this is so extremely vague, yeah. also thorns cannot emphasize how much he does not think he is getting married. even the dating app plan he isn't really into; if anything, he'd probably go on a few dates just so he can eventually announce that it's not for him.

but that's a later problem. for now, he gives elysium a questioningly look. ]

... Yeah, sure.

[ just before closing the trunk, he plucks the bags of snacks and deposits them onto thorns' lap. he's very welcome.

and by drive—he'd literally meant drive. instead of putting on music, he rolls down the windows and takes them over a bridge, following quiet roads that run right along the water's edge. ]

When you're out this late at night, there's no traffic. You can go on, and on, and on—and the world's still so quiet.

[ he props an arm on the window frame, letting the wind sweep over him, tugging at his hair. ]

It kind of felt like you needed some slowing down. Don't burn yourself out with how much you've picked up, Thorns.

[ he almost wants to argue that elysium is doing more, but he supposes the difference is that thorns suddenly started a lot all at once versus just picking things up over time. but what else can he do? he never minded staying in their apartment on his own, and he still doesn't, but it's gotten a little harder with the reminders of elysium actively moving on.

he would say it was easier to deal with kitten, but that's not really true. thorns wasn't aware of his feelings when she was an issue, but he was weirdly obsessed with her in hindsight. he is so stupid. ]

... I can handle it.

Uh huh. Let this be an official warning, then, not to leave your bestie behind or else.

[ it's no cliffside, but he eventually stops the car along a rocky shore. moonlight glitters along its surface, and he makes no actual move to get out of the car. instead, he leans further into the door, eyes slipping shut as he lets the sound of the waves lapping against stones wash over him. ]

I've thought about getting a bike just to be able to enjoy this kind of thing more. Only, we don't have the parking space for it…

Well, we can see. Technically we're entitled to two spaces since there's two of us.

[ thorns just does not have a car... so he never looked into another spot...

but thorns does not close his eyes, or look towards the scenery. instead he just turns in his seat so he can watch elysium get comfortable. it's moments like this where he realizes that they really wasted so much time that could have been spent together. ]

How often do you do this?

[ he's so caught up watching the waves roll in and out that he barely spares thorns a glance, nor does he notice the direction he's turned. it's a little ironic how often he finds himself gravitating toward water; when they were kids, the beach was probably where they spent most of their time. ]

What happened to being my voice of reason?

[ he snorts. ]

It's not the most practical thing to get a spot for a bike I'd only use two, maybe three seasons out of the year. That on top of insurance. [ even more ironic, how the moment thorns isn't in the equation he gets a lot more sensible. ] But often enough. I've got a few other places like this—some closer, some further. I'm not nearly as social as you seem to think I am. I need my downtime, too.

[ a pause. his gaze lingers on the horizon, then flicks back toward thorns. ]

… Does this make a lame date? I'm so used to only showing people one side of me.

[ on one hand, it's not too surprising to hear given how elysium was like that when they were younger, but his social circle was also smaller back then just because the natural of high school is smaller than this.

but considering how much he wasn't at the apartment, and how much he's on his phone, of course thorns would assume. it does show that even though they've been spending so much time together recently, there's still such a period of time where that wasn't the case. ]

You shouldn't be showing me only one side.

[ he shouldnt be just people. ]

Right? And I made fun of you for not getting close to other people. I'm the exact same way.

[ it's a weird thing to be admitting this. but, hey. even if their relationship is in limbo, wanting them to improve as people together doesn't have to be romantic.

amazing what can be achieved when you aren't thoroughly ill. ]

… With any luck, that'll be past tense.

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