✧ — peach iced tea.

[boba]

this post is so clean

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[oversea]

[ thorns waves back, not as energetically but that really is to be expected.

the vibe here is so different there are students in poorly fitted suits wandering around...why do they never get something that fits properly... anyway. thorns hold up the laptop bag. ]

Hey.

[transmit]

[ they are broke college students not ready to go into debt further debt for a suit… stop judging them!!!!

but elysium clearly couldn't care less about decorum despite looking the part. thorns mentioned wanting to show off? they're showing off. people to the side are blatantly staring, whispering among themselves.

if anything, it only seems to make him stronger!! the pda buff!!

without actually taking the bag from thorns, he slips his hand over, fingers curling around the same handle. ]

Hi. When's your next class?

[oversea]

In a little over an hour.

[ he is looking at their hands... wow. they're touching. this shyness is such a difference from the other thread where they will bang outside. ]

Want to hang out?

[transmit]

[ they are touching… while in public!! wow!! ]

I have half an hour.

[ gently… lowers their hands… they need both their arm strength for this stupid bag, apparently. ]

What do you usually do with your time in between?

[oversea]

[ only half an hour... granted, normally thorns wouldn't even be on campus yet, he's only here already to give elysium his damn laptop. this is better than nothing. ]

I go to the lab or nap.

[ unsurprising. ]

[transmit]

[ oh…

there is the realisation that thorns is here much earlier than he would be…

he takes a moment to consider their options then tugs thorns along. people are whispering wondering if they're dating…?? elysium does too much on campus. ]

I'll take you to one of my favourite places. C'mon.

[oversea]

[ thorns wonders why does elysium know all of these people. mind your business. ]

Is it the spot you mentioned before?

[ they're already sharing favorite places with each other? they're progressing so fast!! ]

[transmit]

[ how do you mind your own business in business

everyone has to network… ]

No. It'll be somewhere you can rest.

[ away from prying eyes! they end up at a quiet spot behind the business building, where the trees cast long, dappled shadows and the hum of campus fades into a distant murmur.

a bench sits half-hidden beneath an overhang of ivy; it's peaceful, private, and perfect for disappearing from the world awhile. ]

… No one here really wants to get their clothes dirtied by overgrowth. But I don't think it's that bad? Here.

[ he sits first and pats his lap. lap pillow… ]

[oversea]

[ thorns just stares at him, trying to figure out if this is appropriate or not before finally falling on the conclusion that they are dating? this should be normal? they literally snuggled nonstop when they were both sick but that was different...

he finally gets on the bench. it takes another few seconds for him to lower his head onto elysium's lap. this is an interesting view. ]

Is this fine?

[transmit]

[ he places a hand on thorns' eyes… how about no view? the time it takes for thorns to actually accept the arrangement makes him feel maybe a little self-conscious. ]

Are you fine?

[oversea]

I am.

[ he reaches up to grab elysium's wrist to try to move his hand away. hello? he needs to sew elysium to get used to this... ]

What are you doing?

[transmit]

Enjoying the view.

[ by view he means thorns, which is why he is stupidly stubborn about keeping his hand over thorns' eyes. give him this. ]

That's what I come here for, but weren't you just saying you usually nap? Go ahead.

[oversea]

[ this is so silly. thorns is not going to have a 30 minute nap, he'll wake up even more cranky.

but he does at least give up on trying to remove elysium's hand from his face. ]

You wake up earlier. You should be napping.

[transmit]

[ he very slowly removes his hand from thorns' face to peer at it more directly. is it safe? not safe? a mystery. ]

I'm not the one barely functional during mornings. Just being here is enough of a recharge for me.

[oversea]

[ they can look at each other then. this is an important step to try not to get embarrassed so easily. ]

The scenery is that helpful?

[transmit]

[ this is going too fast too soon?

he's back to blocking thorns' gaze. stop that. ]

It's always been…

[ why are they just the two extremes at any given time. ]

[oversea]

[ he is once again blind.

thorns moves his hand back to elysium's to try to get it off, but then he just. pauses. so that his hand is simply resting over elysium's. ]

What do you see?

[transmit]

[ he explodes and goes through a reboot loop.

… ]

Someone who's made life's journey brighter.

[ —and then god hand clamps down on thorns' tight. ]

Don't make fun of me.

[oversea]

I'm not making fun of you...

[ elysium is weirdly cute. not for the first time, he wonders why elysium hasn't dated before. elysium has solved this mystery already by admitting he was hung up over thorns but also

he still could have dated... people had to have asked him out, right? ]

You'd know if I were.

[transmit]

[ looks at fandom. he probably dated once or twice in the time they weren't talking, everyone decided he was a fuckboy after, and he's since concluded casual dating just isn't worth the trouble. he'll simply stonewall everyone who even tries instead.

but the words earn thorns a sliver of trust. he shifts their hands a moment later, cheeks still red if thorns chooses to try and peek again. ]

Yeah? How so?

[ this is a trap. ]

[oversea]

I can't tell you.

[ how will elysium know on his own or not if thorns just spells it out.

still, he doesn't want elysium to swing back to he is getting teased, so thorns adds on, ]

I'm as nervous as you are.

[transmit]

Really?

[ the moment he finally accepts that no real napping will happen, he just sighs and pokes at thorns' cheek. the disbelief is clear in his tone because he truly is, but he accepts it easily without pressing any further.

thorns might have no common sense, but he's no liar. he wonders if he's allowed to probe a little? ]

You said before that you never thought about what you want out of a relationship. Have you thought about it now?

[oversea]

Not really.

[ wait, that sounds bad. he backtracks. ]

I just want to spend time with you.

[ it's difficult imagining doing some stereotypical date things with elysium, but that's because it's hard to picture himself doing it. he needs to get past that... ]

[transmit]

[ there isn't one way to experience a relationship, nor does he want to rush thorns or project his idea of one on him. at the end of the day, what does matter is that they're together and spending time with another…

at this rate, they are never going to get past holding hands, but sometimes it be like that. ]

Right? Good to know you feel the same. We have a lot of time to catch up on.

[ as they both continue to be busy almost all the time ]

[oversea]

[ elysium you are allowed to present your own ideas... it's fine. stop being respectful.

but they really do have a lot to catch up on. even without the romantic relationship aspect of it all, they did miss years of each other's lives. there's a lot they no longer know about the other since they're both private. ]

Are you going to tell me what our date is?