keygupta

[keygupta]

Key felt their heart beginning to race faster, and they wondered if Jaylen was able to hear it from being this close. It was like time slowed down for the two of them, and before Key knew it, they felt lips being pressed against theirs. Oh. Were they dreaming? It certainly seemed like it. Jaylen always felt like he was off-limits for some reason--maybe it was because the age difference seemed significant when they were younger. Now that they were older, that wasn't the case anymore. Still, Key wouldn't have taken advantage, they were still friends. That was probably another reason that they held back.

Kiran had a bit of a dazed look on their face, looking forward for the second kiss when Jaylen was spluttering. "That's what you get, you dummy," Key said, laughing along with him, even though so many thoughts were swirling in his head. Using their free hand, they reached up to gently grab Jaylen's chin with their pointer finger and thumb, making him tilt his head up at them. "Guess we should take that break now and get cleaned up?" they suggested. "You can take the shower first."

The paint on Jaylen's hands was dry enough now that all he was doing was rubbing it around Key's stomach. The words caused his grin to widen, his eyes glancing downwards at him, really taking in the lines of his body. Nope, he told himself, forcing himself to tear his eyes upwards to Key's face. That didn't necessarily help matters either. "Sorry about the hair," he mouthed, the words somehow breathless, pre-empting what he was about to do as he cupped Key's head in his hands, pulling him in for a kiss that seemed so natural and easy. He cupped Key's face, trying his best not to downright panic, but before he could get too far, he stopped, laughing and spluttering. "Nooo, I think I got paint in my mouth."

[keygupta]

Key was howling with laughter, the sounds echoing throughout the living room as he got paint all over Jaylen's chest. "Nooo, not the face, you little shit!" he shouted when Jaylen rubbed paint on his face, but he was still smiling wide. However, the laughter slowly died down as he let Jaylen rub paint over his chest and stomach. Key couldn't stop the shiver that went through his body, but he hoped that his friend would assume it was from the cold paint and not because their shirtless bodies were close, those fingers touching his skin. "And yet, you totally like me," Key managed to say with a small grin, his muscles slightly flexing from the touch. "You, uh, enjoying yourself there?" he asked in a teasing tone of voice, but he definitely didn't want Jaylen to stop. But he should...right?

"Ten out of ten? Now that's generous. I'm a seven at best," Jaylen answered with a low chuckle. He tried to take care of himself, but he wasn't about to make it his whole life. He enjoyed a gym visit, but most of his physical activity came naturally, from doing outdoor stuff.

Hearing reassuring words about Charlie and Corey (even if Key didn't know exactly who they were talking about) was all they needed to hear. They would have been happy to accept it at that, simply continue with the painting he'd promied to help with, give the place a nice, fresh look to liven it up a little, but apparently Key had other plans.

"Kiran!" Jaylen had put tape all over the skirting boards, the foor frames, put sheets over everything. He didn't want to run out of the room and risk getting paint on anything else, so his escape routes were limited, and it wasn't long before Key had caught up to him, paint roller against his chest. "Goddd, you brat!" He laughed, instinctively going to rub the paint off, but only spreading it with his hands. "Oh, my god!" He reached out to put his paint covered fingers all over Key's face. "You're the fucking worst!" His hands worked their way down, wiping over Key's chest and stomach, practically finger painting on it.

[keygupta]

Key didn't even hesitate, taking Elio for all he had in that very bathroom, but of course, that wasn't enough. It was never enough. He had to take him in the back of his van, too. He intended to bring Elio back to his place, knowing that his uncle was out for the night, but he barely drove for a couple minutes before he was parking somewhere that was somewhat deserted.

Finally spent, Key fell back onto the piles of blankets and pillows, breathing hard as he came down from his high. And speaking of high... He got a joint out, lighting it up immediately. After a hit or two, he silently passed it to Elio. "Tell me something you've never told anyone before," he said, staring up at the ceiling of his van. The two usually didn't do pillow talk or anything, but Key wasn't just going to kick the other man out.

Elio would play along with almost anything, for the fun of it. He could play the arrogant brat so well, perhaps because it was barely an act at all. He had no reason to doubt himself, not his looks, not his personality, and not his charm. He was the type of guy who had been told all his life that he was special. Why should Key view him any differently? It thrilled him, the annoyance that turned so quickly into passion.

"I think you like some things about me," he grinned through passionate kisses, hands fumbling for buttons and zippers. In the times they had been together, the hurried and often irritated encounters, the two had done a bit of everything, so Elio was happy to let Key take the reins, to let him see where the situation went. He figured Key liked that. "Go ahead, gorgeous. Show me."

[keygupta]

"Mhm, yeah. You should be, so you better watch out!" Key threatened, but there was no heat behind his voice at all, and he was smiling. He just liked the way Jaylen's eyes seemed to light up whenever they were in a playful mood.

With Jaylen calling him a princess again, Key felt heat traveling down his neck and to his chest. Jesus, he liked that his friend was teasing him like this. And he was playing into it, giving Jaylen a little pout. "Shut uppp, we're not like that all the time. Clearly Corey isn't!" His expression softened. "I think she's in real good hands," he told him.

The question had Key slightly tilting his head. "What? No! God, no. They're not..." He cleared his throat. "You look...fuckin' amazing, alright? 10 out of 10," he said, knowing how silly it sounded, but his words were genuine.

He cackled at Jaylen's reaction, stumbling back from the shove. "I don't care, I wanted payback!" he exclaimed with a laugh. With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, Key dipped his roller back into the paint. "Actually, I think I missed a spot. C'mere!" Then he started chasing the other man.

"Oh, I'm gonna get it?" Jaylen repeated. "Man, I'm so scared." The grin spread across his whole face, lighting up his eyes. Jaylen had made sure Key wasn't going to be upset about getting paint on his clothes before being so reckless (definitely accidentally, mhm) with his paint roller, so he couldn't be too upset about the stains.

"You're such a princess, you're right. Going along for the ride, banging your little drums." He said the words affectionately, with a gentle smile. It was a little weird now, knowing Corey and Key were singing about Jaylen's sister, but the idea of 'serious' made him feel a little better. "Like I don't know how you musicians are," he teased, his sideways grin softening a little as he nodded. "Yeah, you think? I just... don't want her to get hurt, is all."

At the mention of his abs, Jaylen glanced down at his chest. He'd got his shirt off for pure convenience sake, that and the fact it would get warm in here with the two of them moving furniture around and painting. "Something wrong with them?" he teased. Jaylen wasn't the most confident guy, but he did so much outdoor activity, worked out regularly. His body was something he would accept a compliment on, so long as he felt it was genuine. "He, they," Jaylen said, nodding. "And Corey is they/them. Boyfriend, or partner," he said, repeating Charlie's words, then blushing slightly at the thought. "Um, never mind that last part."

Before he could get too nervous about potentially spilling Charlie's secrets, he felt the cold of the paint on his nose. "Key!" He half-laughed, half-screamed, reaching to shove him lightly in his newly bare shoulder. "Keep this up, and there won't be any paint left for your walls!"

[keygupta]

Key was surprised to hear ex-boyfriend. He had no idea that they broke up. Then again, there was a whole lot he didn't know about Inez or her life. It was like they were strangers again. "Right. Ex-boyfriend," Key repeated with an apologetic look on his face. Ugh, how awkward was this going to be? Would Inez realize that it'd be worthless to start up a friendship with him again?

Still, he had to hear her out. He put all of his attention on her, and the air between them felt heavy all of a sudden. The more she spoke, the more Key's heart was breaking, his fists clenching and unclenching. Fuck. He knew her ex was an asshole, but putting his hands on Inez? That was something he was worried about--and now hearing that he had, Key wanted nothing more than to put that asshole six feet under.

Hearing her sniffles made Key release a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Well shit, Inez," he managed to say, reaching out to softly clasp her hands in his, his vision a little blurry as his own eyes were beginning to get teary. "I'm so sorry. But you are not stupid," he said in a firm but gentle tone. "He was the one who put you through hell, and you didn't deserve that. You didn't deserve any of it." He swallowed thickly. "And I'm sorry I wasn't there. I should've tried harder to stay in your life, but I convinced myself that you just...didn't want me in it. I was so far up my own ass to see that there was something more going on, and I-I'm so fucking sorry."

Inez hated the way she couldn't get a read on Key. Once, they'd been so close that she could practically read his thoughts, but now he was practically a stranger. Maggie hadn't really mentioned him too much, and Inez had purposefully avoided asking a lot of questions. Seated across from him, Inez felt like they were miles apart, her trying to distinguish his smile and tone like someone trying to make sense of smoke signals on the horizon. "Ex-boyfriend," she correct instantly, lowering her gaze to the table while she weighed the heaviness of that question. Did Key hate her for dating Max? Hell, some days, Inez hated herself for dating him in the first place.

"I broke up with him like, seven years ago, I think?" She said it like she didn't know exactly how long it'd been, because that was the day her life changed forever. It'd been her coming up from beneath the water's surface, taking a deep breath for the first time in years, and not at all having to worry about going back under. The thing was, Inez hadn't told anyone about her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, not outside of her Nana. That was only because her grandma had seen right through her lies and cover ups, but Key? Key was someone she'd always been honest with, and it killed her to feel like she wasn't doing that right now.

"I should have known, you know? The way he treated you, the way he treated other people in school... It should have been some kind of sign." Inez heard her voice crack as she lifted her hands to the table, fingers moving to pick at the skin around her nails. She didn't like to cry in front of anyone, but she'd cried in front of Key before, and even if it was years ago, she knew she could let it happen again. "He told me he'd stopped picking on people, but I'm sure that was bullshit. Just like the bullshit he fed me about how he'd never hit me again. Turns out he was really good at saying things like that but kind of bad at sticking to them." She sniffled slightly, trying not to let the tears fall, even if her eyes were filled with them. "I feel really stupid for believing him, Key."

[keygupta]

Key was lounging on the couch, finishing up half of a joint, wanting to get at least a pleasant buzz going before they got on the drums for some jamming. They liked to fuck around before some actual practice just to warm up their fingers. Putting away the rest of the joint, they slightly raised a brow at Corey's question. "How dare you, I've never done anything wrong ever in my life," they said, taking on a dramatic tone, but they saw how serious Corey seemed. They sat up a little straighter, pushing hair out of their face. "Okay, okay. I promise. Let's hear it."

Starter For: @keygupta Location: Corey's Garage/Studio

Wasn't like they ever parked the car anywhere but the driveway anyway, so Corey's mom had been happy to let Corey use their garage as a makeshift studio and practice space. Corey had soundproofed it as much as possible, covering the walls with sound panels. The place wasn't entirely clean, just like Corey's mind, but it wasn't overly messy, either. Corey liked their studio space to feel lived in, not sterile, a place befitting the creative process. The garage had been finished with sound panelling and climate control to stop the elements creeping in, the sound leaking out, or the instruments getting fucked up.

"If I play this song for you, d'you promise not to be a dick about it?" Corey asked, brow furrowed as they sat on the makeshift couch (really, more like a futon), crading their guitar. "I've been working on something. S'personal." It'd been on their mind ever since their conversation with Henry. Shit, before then, really. Henry had just helped confirm the suspicions they already had.

[keygupta]

Swallowing finally, Key shot her another one of his dazed smiles. "¿Por qué no los dos?" he said in Spanish, shrugging his shoulders. That meme was probably the extent of his Spanish knowledge, really. "Oooh, waffles. That sounds fuckin' good," he said. High as he was, though, Key noticed how the woman was leaning against the table, so he gestured to the empty seat across from him. "The more, the merrier," he told her. Taking another bite, he tried waving down his server buddy when she mentioned that he looked familiar. "Oh yeah? You've not mistaken me for another pretty drummer stoner?" he said teasingly. Sara. Sara, Sara--why did that name sound familiar? "I think...Corey mentioned you. You two buddies, or something?" The details were foggy, and then his thoughts were interrupted when the server came by. He ordered waffles for the both of them. "You want anything else?" he asked.

They had a half-empty plate of scrambled eggs and toast set in front of them, the smell of it almost as strong as the stench of marijuana. It made Sara's stomach rumble, hunger making her entire body ache. He was clearly stoned out of his mind; bloodshot eyes slow and wide and red as they trailed up to meet her gaze. They poked at their food with a fork in hand. "Some food, or some weed?" Sara asked, laughter manifesting as a scoff at the back of her throat. The kindness one exhibited when they were high as a kite, huh? "I'm craving waffles, I think, but thank you kindly." Sara leaned her thigh against the edge of the table, her body groaning at her to take a seat, and take a seat soon. "Did you want some company?" It somehow felt less awkward than being the only two in the entire diner, sitting eons apart for no reason and eating alone. "You look familiar." She noticed, head tilting to the side as she examined them. "I'm Sara, by the way." Just in case that sparked some recognition in him.

[keygupta]

"Dude!" Key shouted with a laugh, jumping away when he felt the roller getting his shirt. "Oh, you are so gonna get it and you won't even know." It was an empty threat, of course. The shirt was usually worn whenever he dyed his hair or something.

"I don't know! I know they're love songs and everything, but I didn't know they were actually about someone Corey's been seeing," Key said, his voice more whiney than anything. "But that says something, doesn't it? If they're literally writing love songs, it's gotta be serious for them. Corey doesn't write songs just for anyone." He had to wonder who the hell was his bandmate seeing, though. Especially since they seemed to be close to Jaylen in some way, as well.

"Hey, you mentioned your abs first," he pointed out, trying his best to ignore the way his cheeks were heating up from hearing princess by Jaylen. "Alright, the shirt is coming off if you're gonna be a little menace." He slipped the tank top off, tossing it aside somewhere. His expression had softened at how sweet Jaylen was being. "Ugh, you're making me swoon even though you're a little shit," he teased, approaching the other to face him, looking at him in the eye. "I, uh...I'm going by he and they pronouns," he admitted. "I'm okay with any 'gendered' terms, though. Masc terms, femme terms--I don't care, personally. Just...as long as you're not straight up calling me just a man, you're good. Okay?"

And with that, Key gently tapped his paintbrush on the tip of Jaylen's nose. "Oops." He grinned widely.

Jaylen gave a small nod. He'd never asked too many questions about the gender stuff, not because he took any kind of issue with it that he wanted to be ignorant, but simply because he accepted Key as they were, and didn't really see them as anything but Key. If their sister was going to have a trans boyfriend, partner? though he could probably stand to educate himself a little more. "Kiddo again. Jerk." He wiped the edge of his roller on Key's shirt, flashing him a smirk. "Oops."

Jaylen couldn't help but grin a little at Key's response, shaking his head with a low chuckle. "What did you think they were about?" Sometimes whatever thoughts (or lack thereof) took place in Key's head were a complete mystery to him. He couldn't help but be endeared by it. Jaylen wouldn't say his thoughts were particularly deep, but he usually felt he had far too many of them, a defense mechanism, he was sure his therapist would say.

"Okay, I mean, you were the one talking all about your abs. I'm never going to complain about a shirtless princess," Jaylen laughed. "No, I just... I don't know, I would just wanna make sure I'm using words that feel good for you, you know?"

[keygupta]

Inez was probably the last person Key expected to hear from. It'd been a while, and if he was honest, he didn't think that he'd ever hear from her again. He nearly dropped his phone when he saw her name flash across the screen, his heart racing, and he spent way more time than necessary to come up with a casual response. This wasn't even the first time she was suddenly back in his life, and maybe he should've been more ruthless, but maybe...maybe it was different this time. So yeah, of course he agreed to meet with her.

Approaching the malt shop, Key was hit with a wave of memories of the two of them joking and laughing and sharing secrets and crying on each other's shoulders. They were just kids when they first met, and then middle school happened and they grew apart. They were in totally different worlds by high school, with Key being a freak while Inez was a cheerleader. But there was something about the summer between freshman and sophomore year that brought them together, and Key could never forget that.

Seeing her in the flesh for the first time in a long while made Key lose his breath for a moment. He was still processing that this was actually happening when he felt her arms wrap around him, but he didn't hesitate, immediately returning the hug with his face buried in her hair. "Hi..." he said, finding his throat a little dry. The second time they lost contact was after Inez started dating the football quarterback, and Key was so sure that they weren't supposed to be friends after all. Something about messing with the food chain of society or whatever. People like Inez couldn't be friends with someone like Key.

Now that they were here, Inez mentioning how this was a sign from the universe, Key couldn't help but give her a small smile. "Yeah...yeah, maybe it is," he said in a soft voice, taking a seat. "How've you been, Inez? How's, uh...how's the boyfriend?" His mouth tasted bitter as he said it. He had not so pleasant memories of the guy from high school. He never really asked Maggie about her sister, though, wanting to keep the peace.

✿ closed starter / key gupta @keygupta ✿ location: mcgee's malt shop

Finding out her baby sister was friends with Key Gupta had rocked Inez. It wasn't really Maggie's fault, because Inez hadn't ever really talked about the summer she and Key spent together back in high school, passing their free time in what felt like pockets of time tucked away from the rest of Blackstone Ridge, even if they were taking place right in the heart of town. Key had been her confidante, her friend, her first real crush. She'd opened up to him about being bisexual before she even really had the word to label it, and long before she'd had the courage to come out to her family.

She wasn't even sure if Key would remember her, or respond to her text, if she was being honest with herself. They'd shared a summer, a kiss, and she'd stepped in a couple times when she caught classmates bullying Key—but that didn't mean Key still thought about her the way she did him. Texting had been okay, but Inez was desperate to see Key again, to see how much they'd both changed over the years. She wasn't expecting anything romantic, of course, because that would just be silly... But Key was still someone from her youth—from before her ex had nearly ruined every last good piece of her—and she had to know if she'd lost that girl completely.

She'd suggested the malt shop because it'd been one of the first places they'd really opened up to each other, and somehow that felt like a good memory to channel. Inez sat in their old booth, reupholstered now but still looking the same as ever, and waited for Key to arrive. Every time the door opened, she looked up from her phone. Finally, Key walked in, and Inez felt a wave of relief wash over her. If he'd shown up, that was a sign that he didn't hate her entirely, and that had to be a good sign.

She stood up as he approached, wondering if it was too weird to hug him after all this time. When Key was finally close enough for her to decide, Inez went for it, wrapping her arms around Key's neck like she had a hundred times in their youth. "Hi," she said when she let go, stepping back to give him space. "Thanks for coming. I almost fell over when Maggie said she was going to see you play at the Peach Festival, and I just... I don't know, I wanted to reach out a million times over the past however long it's been, I just wasn't sure how to even begin. This felt like a sign from the Universe."

[keygupta]

Key stared down at him for a long moment, feeling the tension growing thick. He studied Elio's face, knowing that his anger was unwarranted. Of course he doesn't know anything about the other man. How many times has he been wrong about others who seemed to be have the perfect life, only to be proven wrong? Still, though. He was fucking stubborn. And Elio was still a pain in his ass.

Without a word, Kiran reached out to grab on to one of Elio's wrists, pulling him through the crowd over to the bathrooms. Stepping inside, he closed and locked the door behind them before Key turned around and shoved Elio to the nearest wall, pressing his lips roughly against his. "This doesn't mean I like you," Key muttered against Elio's lips in between kisses, his hands gripping hard onto the other's shirt. "You just piss me off."

Elio nodded, chewing the inside of his cheek as Key listed off everything that was wrong with him. He supposed they must have been true, at least partly, because he was arrogant enough that none of them really hurt. Thick-skinned enough to shrug it off. Water off a duck's bag, or whatever the saying was. "Mm, suppose all that is true," Elio said, still leaning against the bar, right next to Key, scent of Key's (what he could only assume was cheap) cologne flooding his senses. "Maybe I can be all those things, and still be fun, and interesting, and charming." He tossed another peanut into his mouth, chewing it with a grin. "And I know struggle and pain. Just 'cause it's not the same as yours, doesn't mean it doesn't exist." He shrugged, straightening up a little. "It's okay to admit you secretly like me."

[keygupta]

"Hey--" Key gently nudged Jaylen's shoulder with their own. "You are smart, kiddo. You're very smart. But, uh, thanks. I really appreciate that." They couldn't admit that their heart gave a flutter, seeing how much the other actually cared. They figured out the gender thing in their 20s, but it was nice to know that Jaylen was willing to listen.

"Wait." Thinking back on it, they did play an awful lot of love songs. "Holy shit..." Key's eyes widened at the realization. All this time, Corey was singing about a certain someone and Key never even connected the thoughts. "Holy shit! I didn't even think of that! Oh my god. Alright, I'm gonna fight Corey, actually. I can't believe how dumb I am." They sighed, shaking their head.

"I mean, yeah. It's just a tank top and sweat pants. Unless you want me shirtless?" Kiran then paused the painting once more, considering Jaylen's question. "Aww, why? You wanna call me princess?" they teased lightly. "You're very sweet, though. I honestly don't mind what you call me, I'm sorta just fluid that way, ya know?"

Jaylen knit his brows together, absorbing what Kiran said. It made sense that Key would like Corey, given the whole band thing, but weren't there people in bands together who hated each other's guts, too? Probably less common in small local scenes like this. "Oh. Well. That's good." He gave Key a half-smile. "You know, I'm not... um, smart and stuff, and I'm not trans or non-binary either, but you can talk to me about that stuff too, if you want, if you just want someone to listen." He had to tear his eyes away for a second. The vulnerability, the intimacy, it felt too real.

"All those songs you guys play, about romance and sex and love and stuff, they've gotta be about someone, right?" He thought differently about things after knowing Corey and Charlie had been together for three years, that they were actually in love. It painted everything in a new light than it had when he just thought they were casually flirting (which, who the hell could miss?).

"I'm not sure I like my odds against them in a fight, but I'll do my best," he said with a small smile. "You're not wearing anything you mind getting paint on, are you?" He lowered his gaze for a second again, but couldn't resist glancing over at them. "Do you ever want me to change? Like, the way I talk to you or the words I use?"

[keygupta]

"Oh." Key stared at the other man for a long moment, realizing how much of an idiot he was. "Oops. My bad, man." There was a wave of relief that he felt for some reason. Or he was just being ridiculous. God, he wasn't even high for once! He went back to painting, moving to the other side of the wall. He was feeling the heat rise into his cheeks from embarrassment, and he didn't embarrass easy.

"Huh. That's good--I mean, that's...good for you. Yeah." Key tried to clear his throat. He always had a feeling that Jaylen liked men, but he was never sure till now. He wanted to ask if he was Jaylen's type of masc, but that'd be...inappropriate or whatever, right? They were just friends.

"Ohhh." Now it made sense. It was his turn to scowl, though. "Corey's not a fuckboy," Key insisted, before he had to correct himself. "Okay, they got around, but like, not in a bad way! They're just naturally flirty." He sighed. "Look, they're a real great person. They were the first person I went to when I was having a gender identity crisis, they've been there for me when my dad passed, and I wouldn't be in this band if it weren't for them. I trust them with my goddamn life. I know it's different when it's platonic shit, but...I think your friend's heart is in good hands." He gave Jay a soft smile. "But you have full permission from me to kick their ass if they fuck it up."

Jaylen's eyes widened at the idea of him having a crush on Corey fucking Jensen. "What?" He wrinkled his brows together, the misunderstandiing sinking in. "Ew! Key, no. That's not... that's not why I'm asking." He sighed, dipping his roller in the paint and leaving a trail of color across the walls. It only became truly apparent how old and dull the paint on the walls was as he covered it with the new coat.

"It's not for me. I only like guys. Or like, mascs, I guess? And they're definitely not my type of masc." They were loud and a little annoying, but then again, Jaylen hadn't spent extensive time with them. They'd worked for practically an entire summer on the family farm, but it wasn't as if Jaylen lived there and saw them every day.

"They're maybe involved in the life of someone I care about. And they always strike me as having this huge fuckboy energy, you know? Like, rock star, sleep with and date whoever you want. I don't want my friend's heart to get broken." Maybe if he claimed it was a friend, Key wouldn't immediately think of Charlie. Jaylen wasn't about to throw her under the bus.

[keygupta]

Key gave her a quick once-over, letting out a thoughtful hum. "Huh. There may be some hope for you after all, young Padawan," he said with a teasing grin on his face. His brain was already listing off some records as she continued to speak, and he gestured for her to follow him to a different section. "I know she's like, super popular but you want upbeat and some mellow songs? Chappell Roan is your girl. Now, if we wanna go with some oldies, you can't go wrong with Stevie Wonder." He picked out the vinyl for Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed & Delivered. "Mix it with some Bee Gees, Radiohead, Fleetwood Mac and you got yourself a playlist."

"Please, I'm ruthless but not exceedingly so" Adriana snorted, shaking her head. "She's not even my favorite pop girlie. You wanna win me over, slip me something by JoJo or Victoria Monet. Then we'll talk." She stuffed her hands in her pockets, kicking at the floor a bit. "I like music a lot, but my brain feels like a hamster wheel. I dunno. Maybe a little of both?" She cocked her head at him, rocking from side to side to the imaginary beat in her head. "Go on, hit me with a recommendation. You're in this position, what would get you goin'?"

[keygupta]

Key only scoffed in response, glancing away as they chewed on the peanuts. However, when the other man leaned in close, he was all Key could see, hear, and smell. They breathed in deep and they shut their eyes for a moment, as if they could will Elio away from them, but it didn't help when the two were practically sharing the same air. They couldn't even come up with a smart remark, knowing that they had absolutely no excuses. They tried to forget how Elio's lips and teeth felt on their skin, how he looked on his knees in front of them. God, they almost hated themself for giving in, as if it went against some doctrine. "Pfft, I could say the same thing about you," Key said. "You're arrogant, you think you can do whatever you want and have whatever you want 'cause of your wealth and status, you don't know struggle or pain, and you're just a pain in the ass. Must I go on?"

"What, don't like cupcake? You're right. It doesn't suit your abrasive personality. Sorry, chiquito." Elio was being a little jackass, of course, but playfully so. He and Key always had this back and forth. "Hell, I was drunk too," Elio said, lowering his voice a little and leaning in close. Pent up emotions; a cocktail of annoyance and desire, had led to them losing themselves in a closet, and in each other. "But what was the excuse for the second, third and fourth times?" Elio scrunched up his face a little, feining offense. "Friends? Of course I have friends. Can't I just have fun, enjoy playing with you? It's not like you're a ball of sunshine either, honeybuns." He leaned against the bar, way too close. "Why do you dislike me? Most people like me just fine. Ever since you first laid eyes on me, it's like you see me as the gum on your shoe."

[keygupta]

Key was high as a kite. It'd take them a bit to get them there nowadays, but after a good ol' hotbox in their van earlier in the night, they desperately needed some food. Being a night owl, Key showing up at the diner wasn't unusual. Hell, they'd even share a joint with the server on the night shift in exchange for some free coffee.

Their eyes were bloodshot and they had a bit of a dopey smile on their face as they were digging into their plate of scrambled eggs and toast. Best fuckin' eggs ever. They didn't even notice the woman standing by their table till she spoke, and they slowly looked up at her. "Mmf, yeah," Key responded with a mouthful, before gesturing to their plate with their fork. "Wan' some?"

PEACH'S DINER - MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT @keygupta

After the Peach Festival, Sara never wanted to hear the word peach again - but when she'd worked well into the night on a miniature project without having eaten anything for hours, Peach's Diner was the only place she could turn to. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week, with food she didn't have to make for herself. The neon sign on top of the building was pulsating and blinded her as she parked. She squinted until she got out of the car and locked the door behind her. Looking through the diner windows, she could see that the place was empty. Deserted. Good, she thought - hopefully her food wouldn't take long to get ordered, cooked, and placed in front of her to eat.

When she entered the building, she was met with a bright peach-colored interior. Black and white checkered tiles, booths specifically made for a classic American diner. It reminded her of Waffle House, a little. God. She missed Waffle House. Sara hoped they fucking cooked waffles, even at 3:24 in the morning. The waitress behind the bar told her to take a seat of her choosing, and Sara ventured forth to find herself a booth with an okay view of the dimly-lit streets outside of the window. She passed a couple, and then got hit with the smell - the musky stench of marijuana that stopped her dead in her tracks. Huh, so it turned out that she wasn't the only middle of the night patron of Peach's. A man sat at a table on his own, clothes absolutely reeking of weed. Sara hadn't come here to socialize - food had been her only goal. But. She eyed him, and hung back at his table before finding one for herself. "You got the munchies?" Sara joked. Not everyone was crazy like she was, eating 'dinner' at 3 in the morning because she was hyper-fixated on a project. Some people, like this guy, were practical and ate when they got hungry.

[keygupta]

"Jay, stop that!" Key exclaimed with a chuckle, attempting to snatch the paintbrush out of Jaylen's hand. "C'mon, it's not a bad thing," they insisted, even though kiddo was totally meant to be a tad bit condescending when they first met. They couldn't help it, they were a little headstrong at times, especially when it came to their opinions of other people. "You taught me a lot that summer, ya know? You're a real smart kid, if that makes you feel better." They grinned.

Kiran then made a face at the thought of going on a hike. "Ugh, gross," they moaned. "I'm plenty healthy, man! You're not the only one with abs around here." Key was tempted to toss their own shirt off to prove it, but maybe that'd be a little too much. As they continued to paint, they kept glancing at Jaylen, watching those lines of muscle stretching and moving. "Thanks, man. It was fun, right?" Key said, preening under the praise. "You should come to one of our jam sessions."

Key's eyebrow raised slightly. "Yeah, they're my neighbor," they answered. "We practically grew up together when I moved in with my uncle." They stilled for a moment, looking even more confused. "I mean, I don't think so?" Wait. Was Jaylen...interested in Corey? The thought sort of stung for some reason. They had to be gentle about this, though. "Uhhh...look, Jay. Corey is pretty cool, like, they're probably even cooler than me. But uhh, they don't particularly--well, they don't tend to go for...men. Cis men, really. Sorry, dude."

"I don't think that matters anywhere nearly as much as it did back when I was like nine and you were twelve or thirteen," Jaylen answered. "Don't make me poke you in the eye with this thing." He brandished the paintbrush with a playfully threatening aura. Jaylen might have been 'just a kid' in Key's eyes when they met, but he was good at being a boy scout, good at building fires, identifying plants, tying knots. Key wouldn't have earned half his boy scout badges if it weren't for Jaylen there helping him. In return, Key had taught Jaylen about card games and video games, something he still wasn't very good at, but hell, he'd tried.

"I might pressure you into getting pizza, just so I can pressure you into being healthy and going on a hike with me," said with a little smile, continuing to apply tape around the edges of the skirting boards and make sure the carpet was covered in sheets. Hopefully Key's uncle wouldn't be mad they painted the room. It'd been in need of doing for a while. "It was really good. Kai was awesome. Not that I really know anything about music, ya know? But it sounded good." Jaylen had kept Charlie company during the set, had watched as her eyes followed the lead singer.

"Hey, this might seem like a weird question, and totally out of left field or whatever, but have you known Corey a while? That's the singer, right?" Jaylen pretended not to be too familiar with them, as if they hadn't spent practically a whole summer doing projects around the farm while Charlie flirted with them and pretended not to. "Are they a good guy? Do you know if they're dating anyone right now?" Maybe flying too close to the sun, but maybe if Corey was still screwing around, Key would know about it and let it slip.

[keygupta]

Time was beginning to speed up and slow down at the same time, the lights coming from the carnival making pretty shadows through the windows of his vans. Key couldn't help but laugh at his coworker's admission, the sounds mixed with coughing from smoking. "Are you serious? Like, a literal debutante ball you see on fuckin' Gilmore Girls or something?" he said, having to take the joint back from Harry for another hit. "That's wild, bro. Did you wear like, a white fluffy dress and everything?" He was absolutely giddy about this tidbit of information.

Harry loved this. Just laying with Key, smoking and shooting the shit. She loved her job, ‘cause her boss was chill and she got to be surrounded by music, all the time. But she had also met a once-in-a-lifetime person in Key, grinning over at him as he took a hit of the joint. “Hmmm.” She nodded as she took the joint from his fingers. “Kind of fucked up, right? Sucks, ‘cause I’m sure some of the girls are really stoked about it, but they’re also being perceived in such an archaic way. Ick.” She laughed a little, feeling a bit buzzy. “My parents would’ve been so stoked if I won a pageant. Did you know they made me do a debutante ball?”