#(i even took the long shower head down to let it soak in vinegar to ungunk it and put up a new shower curtain)

[heart-bones]

I keep putting off my laundry - I know its become a bigger obstacle in my head and it would not take too long to do but... ⚰️

[caxsthetic]

Away From Home

Oikawa Tooru x F!Reader

No matter how far you were from home, your heart will always be calling out to the said place.

Pt. 1 < Part 2 > Pt. 3

“Hey, can you finish the report for the TV commercial this afternoon?”

“I need it on my desk as fast as you can, but no pressure, okay?”

“How is the advertisement going for that section? Anyone gone to the studio?”

Today was just like any other day; your office was bustling with people who needed to give you reports and information. There was no time for you to think about anything outside of your business, that’s actually your goal from the start. You need to do something, talk to someone, or maybe just look outside of the window, observing people that were passing by.

But you couldn’t just do nothing, not even for a second.

Because if your mind were empty for a split second, he would haunt you, and those memories would rip your heart apart, piece by piece. Oikawa Tooru used to be your home, but he decided to left you in the cold. Without warning, without a sign, without preparation.

“Miss?” You jolted, once again letting your mind fall to the deepest hell called anguish, “I am sorry, should I leave for now?” Your assistance looked worried, it’s not the first time you suddenly become quiet all of a sudden.

“No, you can stay.” It only needed a second to make you come back to the real world, “So, any report that you want to share with me?” There it is, a megawatt smile that no one could resist. A smile that your business partner was always happy to see. 

But what they couldn’t see was how that smile was just an empty shell. There’s no reason for that smile. It’s just a facade to tell the world that you were happy and striving. Nothing could break you, not even one man that you were supposed to love. For everyone, seeing you with that smile meant that you were alright. And if that means you wouldn’t get bombarded with questions, you were okay wearing the same mask everyday.

You will always go to the office around 7 am, and you were not going back to your apartment until midnight. Being alone in your apartment was not an ideal place for you. Since the second you lay in your bed, the only thing that will creep into your mind was his presence. Something that you have lost for five years now.

When he left you in your bed alone that particular day, you were lost for weeks. You didn’t know what to do except bawling your eyes out and sobbing for him to come back. But when two whole months passed without a hint of trace about him, you knew he left you for good.

You lost the home that you built together for something that you didn’t even know the reason was. The only way for you to get out from there was to jump into conclusion. You needed to coat yourself with a hurtful lie, and when he started to engulfed your heart once again, you knew what you needed to tell yourself to.

Oikawa Tooru left you because he didn’t love you anymore.

That’s the mantra when your mind was falling back to him, that somehow telling yourself over and over, seems like it was the real reason. You still save a box that was full of his stuff. There was his cologne, his jersey, and some things that you got from him. There were numerous times when you almost burned it. But something always stopped you from doing so, and you will always end up sobbing, realising that no matter how many times you try to forget him, he still owned your heart just like from years ago.

“Going home, boss?” Your mind was in the cloud when you heard someone’s voice, “I wonder why you are always the one who comes first and goes home the latest.” Turns out; it was one of the security guards. You only let out a little smile at his remark,

“Well, there’s no one waiting for me in my apartment.” You hugged your jacket tighter, feeling the night breeze a little bit suffocating, “I have no home, just a place to stay and sleep.” He was taken aback by your behaviour. You are known as someone who never let anything bring you down no matter how hard life is. But here you were, looking so vulnerable in front of the security guard nevertheless.

“S-sorry, boss. I didn’t mean to intrude your privacy,”

“Ah, no. It’s alright.” You walked up to him and patted him on the back, “Don’t forget to rest well when your shift ended, okay? I’ll be going now, good night.” He smiled at you before going back inside.

People at your office always wondered why you, their CEO, never drove a car and chose to use the train instead. It’s not that you hate it, but it will always remind you about someone who will never sit on the passenger’s seat or drive you to anywhere you want with music playing in the background.

It’s like you tried to avoid any chances that could make you remember him. But again, who are you kidding here? It’s not like all of your feelings could be evaporated to the thin air no matter if you really want to. Every step that you took, he will be there, lurking at the shadow to remind you that he’s always concealed in your heart.

You never bothered to say that you were home, knowing that no one will be there to greet you. There’s only darkness and silence when you open up the door to your apartment. You slipped your bag to the couch, preparing a hot water to brew a cup of dark chocolate.

“Bweh! How come you could drink something like this, (Y/n)-chan~?!” Your boyfriend always commented the same every time he sipped your chocolate, “It’s so bitter!”

“It’s dark chocolate, Tooru. Of course it is bitter!” You chuckled as he gulped down a glass of milk to erase the bitter taste from his tongue, “You know I always drink this, why bother taste the same thing again?”

Oikawa was silent for a second, a smile suddenly appeared on his face. He walked to your figure and plopped down beside you on the couch. His index finger turned your chin to looked at him,

“I want to get used to everything that you love,” You blushed at how close his face was, “Because someday, we will wake up in the morning together, and I wouldn’t complain if you mistaken the chocolate for me.”

“What a liar,” You blurted it out to the empty space, letting out a deep sigh as you poured the hot water to your cup. It was almost 1 am, you wonder, is he asleep right now? Was there someone who calmed him down when he had a nightmare? Who lay by his side to warm his body as you sitting here alone?

Something happened, that’s what you know when Oikawa didn’t give you a kiss on the forehead anymore. Every time you two were together, it’s like his mind was far away from you. His figure will always be there by your side, but his mind wasn’t. And it scared you, creating a twisted possibility in your head.

He never told you that he would have extra practice at school anymore. It’s only a month before graduation, but it felt like forever to you. He didn’t say that he loves you, not for as long as you remember. His hugs became cold and his kiss was just a kiss. You could only feel his lips on yours, but you couldn’t find the warm that was usually there.

“Tooru, did something happen?” You were sitting on his passenger’s seat, right in front of your house. The ride was silent after having lunch together with the third-year who had now graduated. You love being there, seeing him smile and laugh with his teammates that he loves so much. But somehow every time he caught your eyes, he always averted his gaze like you were no one.

“Nothing,” You have asked him numerous times already, and his answer will always be the same, “You don’t have to worry about anything.” And now, it feels like your patience was in the thin line.

“Are you falling out of love from me?” Your question caught him off guard. He didn’t show how his heart broke to think that he made you feel unloved, “Please, I want you to say something, Tooru.” He gulped as his grip on the steering wheel became tighter, making his knuckles white at the process.

“I still love you,” But even though the words sounded beautiful, the fact that there’s no emotion in his voice said otherwise, “Can you get down now? I need to pick up Takeru.” Lies. You gritted your teeth at his remark as you removed the seat belt from your body. He knew that you were angry, frustrated by his behaviour for these past few weeks.

“You know what?” You were already getting down from the car as you called out to him. He turned to face you, hoping to see your eyes blazing with fire. But he could only found a pair of glossy eyes instead, “If you still love me, fucking act like you do!” That’s the only words you said before you slammed the door’s car.

You stomped away from the car, tears blurring your vision as you tried to unlock the front door. You take it slow, hoping that maybe he will run to you, explaining why he’s become so distant. But when you heard the car engine’s start, you slid down to your door frame, knowing well that he didn’t even bother to calm you down.

You opened up your eyes slowly, hearing the alarm from your phone. The sun already started to rise and hit your face, making you groan as you realised where you were right now. Your hands frantically searched for your phone, wanting to end the annoying sound.

Rather than finding where your phone was, your hand decided to bump the hot chocolate that you made last night, resulting for the chocolate to spilled and soaked your rug,

“What is- Argh!” You sat up straight, bodies aching all over the place due to how you fell asleep on the couch. Today feels like a nightmare already, and you hate every second that you waste for not doing anything.

So you stood up, turned off the alarm and immediately grabbed a white cloth to absorb the spilled chocolate. You pour the vinegar and water solution and let it absorb for a while. It was 5.30 right now, and you only have an hour before going to work.

You walked to your bedroom and bit your lips when you saw how cold it was in the room. Five years had passed but somehow, he still lingered in your head without a way for you to get rid of it.

Showers usually helped you to think, or just made you calmed down and prepared yourself for the day. But at the same time it makes your mind run wild without a break. You gaze at your hand, fingers calloused due to a lot of works that you needed to do for the last years.

Your hands used to feel so soft, and you will always take care of your skin. He loves feeling how your fingers would stroke his soft brown hair even at the most random time. He would hold your hands and say things like, “Your fingers were so soft~ It feels good compared to mind.” Now it made you pout as you thought about that.

You loved him with all of your might, and you were sure that he felt the same. So it was all a mystery to you when he disappeared in the morning and never once coming back. And since then, you felt like you were always away from home.

It’s been days since the last time you talked to your boyfriend after the little fight that you two had. He never called you, and your messages somehow always went unread. No matter how much heartache you felt, you couldn’t just forget about him and go on with your life.

You were just done taking a shower, it was around 7 pm and today you were packing for your college days. It was tiresome, and the fact that you don’t have him to cheer you up made the day harder than it was supposed to feel. When you opened up your bathroom door, your eyes immediately fell to a figure that was now sat on the edge of your bed.

At the sight of him, you were enraged. He didn’t answer any of your messages but here he was, sitting on your bed like he owned the place. But when your eyes scanned his whole figure, all of your anger seems to dissipate into the thin air, replaced with worries.

The figure dropped his face to his palm. His hair that was usually well styled, was now unruly and messy. The shirt that he wore was crumpled, it looks like he didn’t care for himself for the last few days. It broke you, seeing the man that you love so much looking so vulnerable.

“T-Tooru?” He jerked his head when he heard your voice. You widened your eyes when you saw the tears that were streaming down his face. Without thinking, you immediately ran and embraced him. He’s trembling, hands clenching on your arms. You know it will leave a trace, but you didn’t care at all by that time.

You don’t know what to do except to just be there for him. The only thing that you want was for him to be happy, nothing else right now. So here you were, embracing the man that you loved so much, even if he didn’t feel the same anymore, you couldn’t just erase the feelings that were always there for years.

After an hour he crumbled down in your embrace, he finally looked up at you. His brown eyes that usually looked so beautiful were still covered with tears. You wiped all the tears away and pampered him with kisses, didn’t dare to ask him what happened. Because for you, the most important thing is him. And if you live with unsatisfied feelings, for you, it’s the price that you need to pay for loving him.

“Do you want to stay here for tonight?” Your voice was soft, soothing his heart little by little. He nodded, putting his head on the crook of your neck. In your arms was where he found the safe haven, “I have your clothes on my wardrobe, let me bring it for you, okay?” You kissed his forehead and let him lay down in your bed before searching for his trousers and shirt to wear for sleep.

When you gave him the clothes, he was just silent. He didn’t emit anything, not even a syllable from his velvety lips. It was strange for you to see him so quiet. He was a man of words, so it feels like life was being sucked out from his body, leaving him to hovered this world without a soul.

So you didn’t speak, you showed him that you were there for him. Both of you laying on your bed, he engulfed you in his arms as the warmth from his body channeled towards you. You were laying on his chest, feeling the heartbeat that always soothes you. After a month drifting apart, you now could feel the love that he radiate. Something that you have missed for just a short period of time. 

“I miss you,” His voice was cracked, like it’s the first time he let out a sound for the day, “I am going to miss you so much,” You don’t want to think about it, but no matter how many times you want to deceived yourself, the words sounds like a goodbye.

You looked up at him as you could feel his tears fall to your own cheek. The sight was creating a storm of feelings inside your heart. You positioned yourself on top of him, wiping all of his tears delicately,

“Oh, Tooru… I am going to miss you too, love.” Your lips met with his eyes, trying to erase any trace of hurt in his mind, “Yes we will go to a different college and it’s hard,” You put your forehead on his and closed your eyes, “But I am still going to be here when you wake up tomorrow morning,” His breath hitch for a second, like he was gasping for air, “Take some rest now, Tooru, my king.”

You kissed his lips, pouring all of your love on that one particular kiss. It’s just like you know it might be the last time. You were craving for him, and he understood that. His hands gently fall to your hips, caressing your skin up and down. Gently, he turned the position so you were now the one who lay on the bed.

This night, he kissed all over your body like you were some kind of an angel embodiment. His touch was soft and yet electric that ignited the fire inside you. It feels magical as two bodies connected enticingly to become one. Your hands wrapped around his neck, lips moulded to each other, a perfect fit.

You didn’t even know when it was all over. The act prolonged the warmth that was shared, keeping it there to be remembered forever.

“I love you, my queen.” His voice was soft, you smiled at this. Too tired to answer, you just kiss his hand gently. He chuckled to see how you were already drifting apart, “And you deserve to be with the man who could promise you the world.”

It was strange, hearing those words. But it only rang in your head as your mind started to go to the dream state. You want to say, ‘Who needs the world when I have you?’ But you had already gone to another place, and he couldn’t hear something that was only lingering on your mind.

So when you woke up in the morning and found nothing, your mind was frantic. It’s not real, Oikawa Tooru was too in love with you to ever leave. With only a blanket wrapped around your body, you looked around your house, trying to find the heavenly figure. 

But it’s like he was never there. Every picture of you together, his clothes on the wardrobe, some dolls that he gave you on your dates, it was all gone. Your house feels like there was no Oikawa Tooru in your life. Tears were already streaming down your face when the realisation hit you.

“Tooru? Love?” You called out to the empty space, “My king?” It feels like someone clawed your heart, and no one was there to heal it. You called him, and it’s a dead end. You emailed him, and it says there’s no one with the said email, “Tooru, please… Don’t joke around like this…” 

You gulped down, sliding yourself in the corner of your room, engulfed by the blanket that you two shared last night. One of the remaining things that you found that signified him, “Tooru,” You called out to him, again and again like it was the only words you know.

But he was not there anymore to answer your calling.

“Y-Yeah, I will be late.” You were on the phone with your assistant right now, “Nah, I am okay, you don’t have to worry about me.” When you heard what she said, you almost choked, “No way! I am not going home with a guy! Pfft, who would want to love a guy when I have you guys?” You mute for a second, letting out a deep sigh.

It’s not that you are out of love from that one person though.

“Yeah, I am already on the train right now. See you in an hour.” You hung up, looking at the wallpaper on your phone when you were done. There was a picture of him with Takeru. It was taken after a match when you celebrated his win with the young boy too.

A smile plastered on your face. The picture is the only remembrance of him. You were a hypocrite after all. You want to forget him, or rather, you didn’t want him to spread on your mind. But here you are, with the same wallpaper that you put even after five years losing the light.

“(L/n)-san?” You jolted when you heard the voice that you were familiar with. You turned your head to your left, finding a dark hair that sticks up straight upwards, “You are (L/n)-san, right?” You blinked at this, the undercut that he had made you wonder for a second who was the man beside you,

“OH MY GOD!” Your squeal made the others around you jolted, “KINDAICHI!!!” You wrapped your arms around the younger man. He was someone that you cared about while you were still in high school. There’s a blush in his face since he rarely got into close contact with a woman.

“(L/n)-san yes it’s me!” He chuckled awkwardly, you noticed this and pulled your hand back, “Y-You look great!”

“Thank you, Kindaichi!” You gave him a sincere smile. It’s funny how everything that relates with your high school somehow feels like home, “You look great too! How are you doing?”

Kindaichi told you all that happened and how he was right now. Deep in your mind, you were hoping that maybe Oikawa’s name could slipped on the conversation. You wanted to just ask, but you are not ready for the answer that might come out from his lips.

“So,” He scratched his neck, wanted to ask you something but hesitated, “Uhm, I am sorry but… Are you still with Oikawa-san?” Well, you didn’t expect him to be the one who asked about the relationship.

“I-I don’t know,” He looks confused with your answer, “We lost contact.”

“Huh?”

“We really lost contact, right after we graduated.” You looked down, regretting the words that you chose. But it’s the most neutral thing that you could muster from the deep of your mind, “So yeah, we lost contact without having the time to talk about our relationship basically.”

“So you didn’t know?” That question caught you off guard. What this man doesn’t understand from losing contact? You let out a long sigh. Still thinking either you should ask him about it or not. You were not ready for the answer, not at all, “Oh, this is my stop.” He stood up and bowed to you before walking to the exit door.

That’s when you snapped. You didn’t care anymore if the truth would break your heart. The only thing that mattered was him. You need to know that he’s alright, safe and sound and enjoyed his life. Your hand gripped on his wrist, making him jolt. He turned around and widened his eyes when he saw the desperate gaze in your now glistening orbs.

“W-What I didn’t know?” Kindaichi straightened his posture, tried to give you the news with the most simple words that he could think of. You gulped down and prepared your heart for the worst. Five years, you were ready to hear anything.

“He was now a professional player in Argentine.”

[theforce]

presumptive horrible rotten case of corona: symptoms

presumptive bc i couldnt get a god damn test i live in new york and while there are testing sites all over the state and our state govt is doing what they can now, i don’t want to be the person taking away a test from someone else especially now that i am mostly better, most of this went down at the beginning of the month and i’m still dealing with the effects of it. 

there was a lot of confusion here even as recent as 2 weeks and we are the state that’s testing more than the rest of the entire country so here is my account of what went down w me, and honestly, what might go down with you or someone you know as soon as this reaches your state

1) i threw up all night long, thought it was a stomach virus, had a lot of stomach issues for like 24 hours, very strange i haven’t had a stomach virus in YEARS since i was a literal child, anyways right before i started puking up my life i developed this weird cough, it felt like it was from my throat, like i was trying to clear it? but it was often and annoying 

2) after my 24 hours of hell i felt feverish and exhausted but i chalked it up to being on the floor of the bathroom all night, exerting my esophagus and body to throw up the devil himself, i tried to sleep it off, i woke up a few hours later in a fog, i was shivering but i was also burning up, i couldn’t tell left from right, up from down, my fever was 100.3, at this point i had my mom call my doctor and make an appointment, she made it for me w the receptionist, everything was fine until 20 minutes later i got a call back from my actual doctor not the receptionist who was like, oh no not you’re not coming here with those symptoms baby and i was like ?? ok cool thanks, she said to keep watching my symptoms, slam some tylenol and if i felt shortness of breath to call or text her personal cell phone and she would get me set up at the nearest hospital i said ok sounds fucked up i mean i didn’t say that bc i was too fucked up to even speak, she also gave my mom instructions to keep me in my room, to not go near me, to give me a designated bathroom, to have food and water delivered to my door, my mom was like u dont gotta tell me twice (she has lupus) during this time my cough become dry and horrible, i could feel my lungs rattle, i would cough so hard and for so long i’d wake from my feverish coma to kneel over my bed and just let loose on the world, it felt like i was drowning, i couldn’t get enough air everything hurt, everything was sore 

3) things continued on like this for 5 straight days, i was literally in and out of consciousness, my fever got up to 102 and my mom said that if it raised at all from there we were going to the fuckin hospital and i was like listen la rona i know u wanna take me out but i havent even ever eaten a krispy kreme donut, please let me survive this i can’t leave this way, in that moment i literally had a fever dream of god herself, i said take this from me and i’ll stop being such a cunt in life. i started slamming hot toddy’s, i’d drink as much water as possible in between the time i wasnt literally trying to expel my lungs by way of my mouth

4) woke up from that whole ordeal drenched in SWEAT from my feet to my head i was soaked, it was gross, at that point i still had a sense of smell so let me tell you my last and final symptom should have kicked in a bit earlier but i checked my temp and it was normal! i didn’t feel like my head was going to explode! but i had new things going on i had a new stuffy/runny nose, my cough was producing some liquid which i proceeded to throw up into a mcdonalds cup i took a shower, i brushed my teeth, i felt like a brand new woman, i had cold like symptoms but i can live with cold like symptoms, i had an appetite for the first time in a week, felt like i could eat my whole family out of house and home given the opportunity, i’d lost 20 pounds in less than 2 weeks and ya girl was honestly, looking good but THAT’S A BAD WAY OF THINKING disregard please thank you, at this point i went into my doctor with a full on mask, gloves, hair pulled back, she gave me every test you can think of, most importantly a flu test which is all she could do since getting a test was impossible at this pint, which of course came back negative 

5) things continued like this for weeks, up until right now actually, exhaustion was gone, fever gone, cough still here and there but not like how it was, i’ve put on makeup in my room, i’ve watched every season of law and order svu, i’ve gone on drives in my car just to drive, i’ve tried to keep myself as busy as possible, 3 days ago the strangest, most inexplicable and hopefully last symptom arrived, a complete loss of smell and bc of that taste, i’ve tried smelling candles, essential oils, laundry detergent, canned meat, my brother lit a match with my back turned and asked me what the smell was, i ate extra hot cheetos, raw onions, shot of vinegar, there’s nothing there, i just hope it comes back 

during this time i haven’t been even close to my mother, who has lupus or my sister, who has asthma, i stayed in my room, i’m still in my room actually 14 full days out from the last time i left the house, one month since this whole thing started, i eat in my room, i use a different bathroom than my whole family, everyone talks to me from my door frame besides my little brother who also was sick but recovered super fast, he bleaches the bathroom after i use it, he puts all my food on single use plates, he brings me jugs of water and reminds me of what it’s like to at least talk to another person. 

on a more serious note, i haven’t touched another person in 20 days nobody has even been within 6 feet of me besides my doctor who was administering the only tests she could administer, fully decked out in a hazmat suit, she was scared for me, i could tell, she was trying to put on a brave face and downplay the severity of my symptoms but thank god for her, she’s checked up on me, she’s tried everything, she’s put in calls, she’s made herself as available as possible even though she’s probably going through the same thing with countless other patients, i worry for her, i’ve worried for my family, i’ve stressed beyond the point of no return which has for sure slowed my recovery and i was one of the lucky ones! all of this and my case was considered mild because i never really had trouble breathing beyond being choked by my own coughing. 

people have been there for me during all of this, in ways that are further reaching than touch, i have been very vocal about not liking when people touch me but i do look forward to the day i can hug my mom, where i can tell my friend to take a sip of my drink to see if she likes it, to have someone pat me on the shoulder and tell me to keep my head up or whatever 

hopefully im on the other side of this, my more at risk family members are about to be 14 days from the last time any of them were near me or my brother, they’re at the end of a long tunnel and i’m just so happy that maybe soon we’ll all see the light 

take care of yourselves

[marsupials-of-mars]

Night Terrors

Part three of my Dreams/Nightmares series (Dreams came first, then Nightmares, now this much later), because once Remus was revealed it was clear he should have totally been nightmares instead of Virgil but I worked him in anyway!

Contrary to Roman and Virgils nights with Thomas, Remus generally didn't talk much. Suprising really, considering his personality, but the videos they watched together had some auditory stimulus that he didn't dare interrupt. So he just enjoyed himself, lending his presence. He loved his Thomas nights, a full night to be good and nasty and Remus it up, loosen up after a long day, for Thomas to tire himself out for a good nights rest. A night all to himself and Thomas, what could be more fun?

But as all good things must come to an end, so too did his contributions. Thomas was tired, and that meant off went the explicit content, onto it's charger, and under the pillow. Remus whined. Sleep. What was it good for anyway? Just to waste time. He sank back into Thomas's subconscious and sulked over to the basement door. He yanked it open and practically oozed down the staircase. He didn't want to sleep that night. Sleep was boring, he wasn't even tired! He wasn't...

His eyes lit up at the realization. When a side wasn't tired it meant... Remus scrambled back up the stairs on all fours, bursting out the stairwell and into the hallway. And now that he was facing the right direction, it was clear as day. A black and hot pink door. Remus squealed.

Aint no rest for the wicked.

He skipped down the hall, overwhelmed with excitement. He didn't care much for the guy really, but he sure loved the work. He popped his knuckles, dagger-like claws bursting from his fingertips. He would have toyed with his coworker a bit but he didn't feel like wasting any time that night. He gouged his claws into the wood of the door, dragging them down its length with a terrible, grating noise.

"UP AND AT EM BEAUTYSLEEP, WAKEY WAKEY!" He pressed his ear to the door. Silence... but he could smell the fear.

"Okay, rude, I was willing to be polite but here goes." He sent his tentacles about the doorframe, their boneless, mucus-soaked nature letting them slip through the cracks and around the door in its entirety, effortlessly ripping it off its hinges. "See!? See what I gotta do when you bully me?" He waved the door around above his head before chucking it aside and retracting his slimy extremities back into his person. He locked eyes with a face of absolute horror and disgust, apparent even through the sunglasses. "Well I won't hold it too much against you Remy... after all, we're still NAME TWINS!" He finished in a singsong voice and fell into his host's arms.

"EW!" Remy gasped. He dropped him and quickly retreated backward until he was pressed against a wall. "Bitch, you will not TOUCH me, you will not SPEAK to me! WHY do I still not get some warning when one of you are coming?!" He hovered his contaminated arms far away from the rest of his body.

"Hey, I warned you! Warned you not to piss me off!" Remus giggled from his spot on the floor. "Cmon, you love me!"

"I don't! I really don't, I'd appreciate if you jumped in a lake! It'd at least be some sort of bath, you heathen." He sneered and whipped out a portable hand sanitizer. He started slathering his forearms extremely thoroughly.

"Aww, 'heathen'? You flatter me..." Remus brought his hands to his face as he blushed a warm shade of puke green.

"Whatever. WHATEVER. Get the job done and get OUT." Remy massaged his temples. He seemed to be going out of his way not to look in Remus's direction. It filled Remus's stomach with delighted butterflies. Maybe moths... mosquitoes? Mosquitoes sounded right.

"But REM!" Remus whined. "Last time Virgil was in here he left all pretty with face paint and claws-"

"Makeup and acrylics. Because we had a bonding moment. Acrylics are EARNED." He took a sip of his coffee. With a second thought he mumbled around the straw: "And don't call me Rem."

"Pleeease? Please with something hairy on top? I'll make it worth your while..." He bit his lip and winked. Remy nearly spit up his coffee.

"You need to CHILL."

"But I CAN'T! The only thing that could ever quell my madness is claws and facepaint! But alas..." Remus sighed dramatically and brought the back of his hand to his forehead. "You couldn't possibly provide such things..." He opened one eye and grinned when Remy groaned.

"Fine. FINE. But we're watching what I want." He grudgingly dragged his feet over to a cabinet by the TV and pulled out a makeup bag and a bin of nail supplies. "Wasting my best stuff on you..." He mumbled to himself at a volume that made it difficult for Remus to believe that he wasn't supposed to hear. Remus squealed and leapt onto the couch, giddy to be included, even more giddy that it was a grudging inclusion.

He was suddenly hit in the face with a container of wet wipes.

"I'm not touching your hands until you get that grime off, I'm not catching any diseases tonight." Remy pulled out a binder from a bin under the coffee table. The wipes quickly turned various shades of brown as Remus scrubbed his hands, but his attention was elsewhere, peering over Remy's shoulder.

"Whatcha got?"

Remy placed the binder gingerly on his lap. "Ideas."

As soon as Remus got a good look at it, he recognized his brother's calligraphy. He scrunched his nose. "So you and the Quest for Camel-snot are real besties aren'tcha?"

He knew that Roman had work with Remy too, but in the moment it kinda stung. He got the lights, did he really need the extras too? But Remus didn't really want Sleep, not his type. So it was fine, right?

"My closest girlfriend, bitch numero uno. He's a genius, really. Full binders of inspiration for every one of you." He flipped through the binder, double tabs color coordinated to each side, nails and makeup. Profiles and front views of each side's face in Roman's swoopy, perfect art style, graphite with oil pastel for color. Remus craned his neck to see.

"You're at the back. He has a lot of ideas for you, he talks about them a lot. Never gets around to drawing them up though, pretty sure it's personal. Gets uncomfortable drawing your face."

Remus ignored that last piece of commentary.

"Don't care, show me what he DID put in there! Probably awful, I could do better..."

Remy flipped to the green-tabbed page. There were three pages in the Remus section, contrasted against the five or more for every other side. But Remus wasn't focused on that. He was focused on the drawing: The palette was dark but bold, dark greens, black, metalics and greys. The look was extremely busy with intense, full mascara, black lipstick dusted with metallic green, tentacles curling from the eye flaring in the direction of the lashes and writhing down the side of the face. He was even crazy enough to scatter black rhinestones and silver glitter about, seemingly at random but somehow in just the right places. Remus stared at the drawing in awe. It entirely fit his aesthetic, minus the grime. The drawing still didn't quite look like him, though, and it broke Remus out of his trance to laugh out loud as he realized why. Roman had deliberately refused to draw in the mustache.

"What?" Remy squinted at him.

"He's so petty!" Remus conjured a pencil and scratched on some glorious facial hair in some frustratingly wobbly lines compared to Roman's. "There! There's my guy!" Remy grabbed the binder and clapped it shut.

"Ugh, you ruined it!" He opened the page back up and pouted.

"It's better now! Whatever, just fuck me up!" He sat up and closed his eyes, ready for beautification. He felt a wet wipe instead, though it wasn't like he was caught of gaurd by a sudden cold dampness to the face. "What are you doing?"

"You're so oily, if I tried to apply anything it'd roll right off like water on duck feathers. You owe an apology to your pores hun... and a shower."

"Nah I'd rather you keep with the wiping. Feels nice and sensual." He felt the scrubbing grow more hesitant and heard a quiet but exasperated sigh.

"Tell you what, if you can keep your feral little mouth shut for the next ten minutes I'll let you at the expired wine. It's real vinegary."

"Ooh!" Remus mimed zipping his lips and flicking away the key. Remy seemed suprised that his deal worked.

They sat in relative silence for a while, save for Remy's instructions for Remus to tilt his head one way or another, and the scrapes and clinks of makeup containers on the coffee table.

"Aaand...done!" Remy sat back and surveyed his work. Remus blinked.

"Wait I can't... I can't see..." His eyes rolled back in his head as he tried to look at his own face. Remy rolled his eyes.

"Cut it out, I've got a mirro-" Before he could reach under the coffee table, Remus had already plunged his fingers into his own eye sockets and torn his eyes from their nerves.

"HOLY SHIT-" Remy threw up in his mouth but managed to hold it back. Remus turned his eyes to look back at his face.

"Ooo well done! Though the eyes are a little smudged."

"Because you just mutilated your mascara with your fat knuckles you ANIMAL!" Remy grabbed Remus's wrist and pushed it back toward his face. "Back! Back in!"

Remus groaned and popped his eyes back in. He blinked rapidly as they resituated their orientation in his skull.

"I didn't even bleed, cmon, I'm being respectful of your work."

"Whatever, just sit still..." Remy pinned his shoulder to the couch and kept his legs down with a knee. He blended out some smudged eye shadow and reapplied the mascara. "There." He fell back onto the couch and massaged his eyes. "Now grab us some wine so I can make it through the rest of the night. Right of the fridge, top shelf."

Remus hopped up from the couch and twirled over to the cabinet. He found the bottle that had clearly been re-corked among the vast array and popped it open with his teeth. He waved it under his nose. Vinegar. He called over his shoulder; "You said I could have all the expired stuff?!"

"What else would I do with it? Grab me something."

Remus re-corked the bottle. He grabbed another bottle of red and a single wine glass and ran back to the couch. He cannonballed into the cushions with enough force to make Remy yelp and send out his arms to stabilize himself.

"Claws now!" He clapped his hands. Remy held up a finger.

"Just a sec, hon." He opened the fresh bottle and filled his glass. And kept filling. And kept filling. He tipped the bottle back just as he reached the brim. He took the glass gracefully and downed it in a single tilt. He let out a sigh of relief. "Mkay. Claws."

The next two hours were occupied with messy, drunk acrylic construction, trash reality TV, and half coherent conversations about either the meaning of life or over which two patent moms would get in a fistfight first based on their initial introductions. Remus could half remember Remy crying at some point over how bad the nails looked and how he was losing his gift, and another point where he ranted about how the other nail techs of the world better "step the fuck up or drop dead" at his sheer talent.

Remus began to come to, though barely. He pawed at Remy's shoulder. "Rem, Remmington, up up up! Got night terrors to make!"

Remy rolled over. His lips were smudged with black and metallic green. Remus didn't say anything, though silently cursed himself for having blacked out through that part.

"Hm? Nah bitch, you're on your own. Scary shit, not my cup of tea."

"You've got the assets!" Remus snorted at the word. "Yknow, the characters and stuff."

Remy groaned for a long time. "Fiiine." He rolled off the couch and followed Remus to the recording room. Remus attempted a cartwheel but fell over halfway through. He made it into the room at least. Remy snorted.

"GIRL! You're WORTHLESS!" He pulled a giggling Remus to his feet.

"Yeah..." Remus bounced from foot to foot. "Gimme!"

"Hold on a sec!" Remy yanked open a file cabinet and pulled out a handful of folders. "First choice..." He hiccuped. "Classic spiders."

"Cmon Rem, what kind of creativity would I be to keep using spiders every time?"

Remy thought. "A bad one?"

"Correct!" He reached into the folder and pulled out a spider. With a tap of his fingers he multiplied them into the thousands. "Next!"

Remy pulled out the next. "Sharks."

"Nah, that's just a sharp fish. Something GROSS, something WEIRD. Next!"

"Ummm...Thomas saw a dead mouse the other day. Part of it's belly smushed open."

"ZOMBIE! RATS!" Remus grabbed the mouse and threw it on the ground, instantly multiplying it into a writhing pile of the living dead, which quickly dispersed through the blackness, some eating spiders and the others being eaten by spiders. It was quite the beautiful display of the circle of life, but Remus wasn't thinking about that as much as he was thinking about how awesomely disgusting it was.

"MORE! Characters!"

"Mom! Fitness trainer! Mark from Rent! Moana!" Remy read off folder titles.

"All of them! To be CONSUMED BY THE ZOMBIE RATS!!!" He dumped the folders into the swarm of arachnid and gorey fur. Remy began to squint and avert his eyes. No matter how drunk, there was only so much he could take. "Last part! Setting!"

"We've got... woods behind our old elementary school, the underworld from the first Percy Jackson movie, and the church basement!"

"When presented with some form of hell, hell it is!" Remus grabbed the underworld folder and opened it to surround them with sweet sweet fire and the wails of the damned.

"Okay! Let's go!" He grabbed Remy's shoulder. He rewound the terror and hit play from the beginning before pulling Remy out the door. He slammed it behind them. Remy, who was just coming to, winced.

"You know you could have made the whole thing while it was paused?"

"What's the fun in that?"

Remy huffed. "Well, we're done. You can finally get out of my room.

"Do you really WANT me to though...?" Remus wiggled his eyebrows and nudged Remy with his elbow.

"Yeah. I REALLY want you to."

Remus gasped in offense. "Fine. Be that way. I had fun."

Remy rolled his eyes. "Well once I got drunk you weren't as bad. Take that as you will."

"I'll internalize that as a confession of your deep sexual attraction to me."

"Please don't."

"Too late!"

Remy grabbed Remus's shoulder and spun him towards the door.

"Just get out."

Remus snorted and made his way to the door. He stopped and turned back. "You might want to get your door fixed by the way. I don't want to alarm you," He put his hand to the side of his mouth and whispered. "But I think some idiot broke it."

Remy gestured for him to shoo. "Yeah. I'll look into it."

Remus grinned. He looked down at his acrylics for nearly the first time. They were wobbly and awful and sharp, like twisted daggers. Not what the sketchbook recommended, but better than Roman could have come up with anyway. He looked back up at Remy.

"Great. Bye name twin!"

"Good riddance."

[nobodyeverasked]

home; xiao dejun

(1842 words) - small

Summary: You’re my home…

A/N:  H O N E S T L Y~ You have no idea how happy I am that someone requested! OMG! I’m sorry if this is a little short, or not what you wanted... But - I tried my best!

The foggy haze of the aging evening settled into the warm-hued sky as the sun started to hide behind the horizon, it’s coral luster caressing the vibrant trees and draping against the prismatic clouds that peppered the atmosphere. A warm current of paramount comfort leaked through the thick, white wood of the door of Y/N’s house, the tepid drafts weaving around rectangular columns and pieces of monochromatic furniture. The young man, Y/N was laying on the couch, his phone clutched gently in his hand as he reveled in the soft winds of alleviation that gently coiled his fingertips that hovered above his lit screen, his boyfriend’s number banging at his head before he took a deep breath.

“He’s probably coming home now… Should I call him…?” Y/N stared up from the screen that rested in his lap, his eyes slowly moving to a large, glass wall in his living room to reveal the warm coloured portrait of the mellowing sunset. Choruses of amalgamated anticipation, yearning, and excitement singing to him through the orange rays of evening light that stroked his grey Fila sweatshirt. “Oh, he’s gonna kill me…” Y/N sighed into the stagnant air of the house before leaning back onto his couch, eyeing the smooth, white ceiling above him as he pressed the call button on his phone, languidly bringing it to his ear. Silent desperation - for his boyfriend, Xiaojun to pick up the phone - pulsing through the room in wavering echoes of mild paranoia. Despite Y/N’s nerves and worries, the older - Xiaojun - always loved to hear his boyfriend’s voice, the rings of cheer within every word that the younger pushed past his lips dispatching symphonies of velvety sweetness to knock at the front doorstep of the older’s mind.

As soon as the first ring emanated from Xiaojun’s phone - the ear-piercing shriek of his ringtone bouncing off the walls of his car and crashing into his ears with rugged echoes - he picked it up from off the passenger seat. He pressed the speaker button on his phone and set it down by his gear-shift, the brushed nickel handle of the gear lever reflecting the coral lights that poured through the tinted windows of his car. He faced the road with an effulgent smile, the images of his boyfriend’s grin, cheeks and effortlessly amiable personality cascading through the peaceful recesses of his mind before he finally answered the phone for what seemed like forever.

“Hey, babe, I’m almost home.” Xiaojun immediately said, almost feeling the soft sting of anxiety that radiated off the younger straight through the phone.

“Oh- I know, I just… I just really miss you, that’s all.” Y/N sat up and crossed his legs, looking blankly into the abyssal screen of their television, hoping that somehow the screen would turn to something that could distract him from the disquiet that pulsated in his lungs. “I can’t wait ‘til you get here, I haven’t seen you in so long! You have to tell me everything!” Y/N’s happiness soaked through his wavering speech, the joviality in his voice echoing through the phone like tranquil summer rain. The pure bliss that Xiaojun felt on the other side of the phone just for hearing his boyfriend sound so happy filling his head with daydreams of how many hugs and kisses he would give the younger.

“Okay, I’m heading off the highway right now, ETA like forty-five minutes, then I’m all yours, okay?” Xiaojun kept a smile plastered on his lips as he turned out of the intersection, the flames of their torrid ardor radiating through the very screens of their phone. The ivory headlights of neighbouring cars making the nightly commute home painted the blackened streets with streaks of cream and white, the lambencies of the pumpkin-tinted streetlights glazing the asphalt with a warm luminescence.

“Great, bye, Junnie.”

“Bye love.”

*

Xiaojun pulled his car into the driveway, the sleek black body of his BMW M4 blending in with the dark, night sky that stroked the indigo clouds of the swiftly dissipating sunset. He knew that he arrived early, and part of him kind of wanted to see how his beautiful boyfriend would react to his punctual arrival. He stepped out of his car, the rumble of his engine languidly coming to a stop as all he could hear were the distant euphonies of the nocturnal birds and echoes of other cars that drove across the highway that was close to their home. He looked into the sky, his eyes tracking every flickering star that shone through the obscurities of the night before he sighed deeply, the clouds of his breath rupturing the serene drafts of the tepid night that danced between his fingers and intertwined with his hair.

He hopped up the concrete stairs and fumbled with his keys before gently opening the door, only for the refreshing aromas of fresh greens and searing meat to fill his senses, the crackle of oil on a pan making his head snap up to the large doorway that stood several meters away from him. The mocha walls that lined the inside of their house filling him with an overwhelming sense of familiarity and jubilation. He silently walked to the edge of the doorway, peeking his head around the corner of the wall to see his little baby, Y/N, all done up in a grey apron and dressed head to toe in Xiaojun’s clothes, the loose, light grey sweatpants that hung low around the younger’s smaller waist making the older want to hold him and embrace him right then and there. Y/N still had his back turned, his razor-sharp focus fixated onto the two pans that he had in hand.

Xiaojun took this opportunity to sneak upstairs, winding around the dark wooden steps to take a shower. During his shower, Y/N was almost done the food that he was making, neatly plated salads and glasses of champagne strewn across the kitchen table. The younger kept a single pan in his hands, the lamb that was in it dancing gracefully with the balsamic reduction that was pooled around it.

The older skipped down the stairs, small droplets of water that embellished the back of his neck and stray locks of his hair glistening in the cream light of the crystal chandelier that hung high in the kitchen, the torrid aroma of Xiaojun’s untainted love and appreciation for his boyfriend mingling with the refreshing aura of the salad that laid on the table. He straightened his oversized, mint green sweater over his underwear before tip-toeing to his boyfriend - who was oblivious to the mischievous boy behind him.

A shriek boomed through the house, hitched echoes of radiating shock and astonishment coursing through the air as the sound that erupted through Y/N’s throat finally subsided into the smoke that billowed from the pan in front of the two boys. The younger heaved a breath of relief after seeing the mint-coloured sleeves that wrapped around his waist, and feeling a kiss planted to the top of his head, his shaking hands - trembling with unadulterated fear - gingerly setting the pan down onto their electric stovetop.

“Junnie! You scared me!” Y/N turned around to see a coy and cheeky grin casually meander onto his boyfriend’s lips, the delicate cinders of pure amusement that danced in Xiaojun’s eyes as he longingly gazed into Y/N’s, coiling to the heat of their youthful amity. The younger melted into the warm embrace that tightened around his waist, his head leaning on the older’s chest before the latter received a playful punch in the shoulder, the awe that swiftly filtered out of Y/N’s body still leaving the sour remnants of shock in his mind.

“I’m sorry!” Xiaojun giggled, breathing deeply out of his nose as a pair of smaller arms wrapped around his torso, the ginger bind that Y/N had around his chest kindling the flames of their sweltering devotion that sang boisterously in the older’s chest. “You’re so cute when you’re scared though~”

“Oh my- sit down and let me finish this stuff, it’s almost done…” Y/N sighed, receiving a peck of acknowledgment from his boyfriend before the latter sat down on one of their wooden island bar-stools, Xiaojun’s delicate fingers fidgeting with the rim of a champagne glass as he rested his elbows on that dark quartz countertop of their kitchen island. The older took one small sip before craning his neck to see Y/N bring the pan with the lamb over to two plates, the subtle fragrance of hearty meat and the stimulating aroma of the balsamic vinegar making Xiaojun dig his teeth into his bottom lip.

“Babe, it looks so good, you really didn’t have to-” Xiaojun was hushed as a velvety pair of lips seized his, lean arms draping around his neck before he let a low hum resonate through their instantaneously brushing tongues. The heatwave of satisfaction that ran through the tips of his fingers and down his spine pulling at the corners of his mouth. The older traced the lines of Y/N’s toned waist, lifting him up and bringing the younger’s legs around his hips before bringing them both to the living room, the boiling flames of their ardent fervour hastily trailing the boys. Xiaojun set Y/N down on the couch, the plush pulses of their mingling lips and dancing tongues resonating through their mouths and throats in cacophonies of zealous affection and tenderness. The champagne that lingered on Xiaojun’s tongue sending shivers down the younger’s spine and dispatching sweet poisons of intoxicating ardor into his head.

The older stroked the divots of Y/N’s stomach muscles from under the latter’s jumper, a smile forming on his lips as he could feel a hitched hum echoing through their languidly slowing kisses, Xiaojun’s graceful caresses that ran along Y/N’s body hitting the latter in the head with the softness of a spring breeze, the saccharine euphoria that billowed through their intertwined bodies remaining pungent even after their kiss ended.

“ I love you, Y/N… I missed you so much.” The older littered Y/N’s neck with delicate, angelic pecks, tepid gales of comfort winding around both of their spines as their bare ankles brushed on one another’s.

“I missed you more-” Y/N sighed in content as his boyfriend pressed more swift kisses onto his collar bones, their fingers lethargically interlocking as the dimmed lights that hung heavily over their heads lined the rampantly blazing flames of their furious adoration for one another. “Wait, I think the food’s getting cold…”

Xiaojun huffed, twisting around slowly to rest Y/N on his chest, the latter relaxing his nerves to the alleviating sound of the older’s symphonic heartbeat. He hushed his boyfriend with a gentle hum, his fingers slowly finding the younger’s again as they were locked into each other's gazes once more, the writhing embers of their resolute infatuation glazing their tired eyes. “I guess you’re right… Five more minutes?”

“Fine~”

[whifferdills]

"Comfort Eagle" 12/Nardole, gen-ish, queerplatonic cuddles, ~1.2 k words

i blame @resting-meme-face entirely

(read on the Ao3)

"How do you do it?" the Doctor asked. He was slumped down on the jail cell floor in a position that promised future back pain.

"Do what?" Nardole replied. He did a lot of things, generally speaking.

The Doctor sighed melodramatically and crumpled further in on himself. "Be so nice to everyone, all of the time."

Nardole considered for a moment. "It's easier than not being nice," he decided on finally.

"For you, yeah, I s'pose it would be."

This was presumably meant as some sort of insult, but Nardole let it slide, partially because he wasn't quite sure how to interpret it. Instead, he rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a slightly-smushed bag of Asda own-brand chocolate biscuits. "Would eating help? You know you get grumpy when you're hungry."

The Doctor frowned from inside the pile his body currently was. "They'll be broken all to fuck by now. And I'm fine, anyway."

His stomach growled audibly; Nardole shook the bag of crumbs encouragingly in his general direction; he rolled his eyes, grabbed the bag, unfolded slightly, and shook the contents down his throat.

(The Doctor might have been about to say 'thanks', but then the guards came by and there was a whole Plan to be executed and there was a great deal of panicked running and, possibly, screaming, on Nardole's part, so it's possible he was mistaken there.)

"It's just something you decide to do," Nardole said later. On the ship, in one of the velvet-clad rooms, on the floor and doing the thing the Doctor had made him promise to never, ever call 'cuddling' again.

"Pardon?" The Doctor was flicking through miscellaneous curb-pickup listings on Craigslist at a frankly alarming speed, mobile phone held at an awkward angle away from the not-cuddle tangle they currently were.

"Being kind," Nardole said.

"Ah."

"Sure, some people don't deserve kindness. But most do. And I think it's best to start with kindness and then progress to angry invective and/or punching, if needed." He patted the Doctor's head, then let his fingers sift through all that hair, scritching at the Doctor's scalp.

The Doctor squirmed slightly and made the noise that he'd made clear was to not, under any circumstance, be referred to a purr. "Yeah," he said, coming out of the not-a-purr. "Yeah. But history's proven otherwise to me, so."

"Still important to decide to be kind," Nardole said, wrapping his non-hair-occupied hand around the Doctor's narrow chest.

There may have been an explosion, or three. Nardole might have been slightly on fire. He discreetly patted at his coat until the smoke stopped, and then took off his coat - since it was ruined - and tucked it neatly into the nearest garbage chute.

"Go on, then," the Doctor said. He looked remarkably unscathed and unsinged. "Tell me what I did wrong. You're always so keen on informing me how I fucked up, how you would have done it better, how it's so important to be a good person and how nice it would be if I could manage that."

Nardole circled him warily. "You were mean to a housekeeper."

"He was in the way."

"He was working."

"It's not all puppies and rainbows, right? If the apocalypse comes, d'you stop to help a pensioner across the street? If you need to do something, right now, okay, you don't stop and hold someone's hand and gently guide them through - what are you doing?"

Nardole grinned, a little bit nervously. "You get angry when you're hungry." His hand, holding a jelly donut, shook slightly in front of the Doctor's face.

"And when I'm not, as well," the Doctor said, trying to say it from between clenched teeth and marginally succeeding.

"Even so. Can't hurt." Nardole waved the donut around. "C'mon. You know you want it."

He considered it a victory that the Doctor only spent 1.5 minutes glaring and denying before snatching the pastry out of his hands.

"I know," Nardole said. He carefully stripped off his goo-soaked clothing. The TARDIS hummed and bumped the ambient temperature up a few degrees.

The Doctor stood shivering and a little unsteady on his feet. "They were all fucking bastards."

Nardole scraped a handful of ooze off his shoulder and watched it drop heavily, wetly to the floor. The TARDIS made an unhappy noise. Long story short: there'd been an explosion. "I know," he said again.

"And you want me to be kind," the Doctor said, or spat out. Bitterly, either way.

"Not to people who don't deserve it," Nardole said, squelching over uncomfortably. "But to those who do deserve it, yes."

"And who, in this scenario, deserves anything even vaguely approximating kindness." He looked like a drowned rat, poor thing, hair matted to his face and drenched through with...whatever it was.

"Yourself," Nardole said, scraping the Doctor's hair off of his forehead. "And me."

The Doctor shivered under his touch. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah. You. Sorry."

"C'mon," Nardole said, trying and failing to get a grip on the Doctor's arm. "Let's get us cleaned up."

The TARDIS had, by Nardole's count, at least 53 showers and baths; he shoved the Doctor through the door of one and found himself another. Rinsing the day off, like. Washing all of it off. He came out squeaky-clean and pink-skinned, warm and relatively happy and bundled up in a supremely fluffy bathrobe.

He sat down on the bed cross-legged and waited. Eventually, the Doctor emerged, equally scrubbed and flushed. He patted the mattress beside him, and the Doctor paused, considered, and headed over eventually.

"So," Nardole said, as the Doctor said "It's just..."

You first, Nardole motioned.

"I'm done with this," the Doctor exhaled.

"You are. And you're not at all, at the same time. Right? You love this. Even the goo. Especially the goo." He nudged the Doctor's shoulder, like friendly hey-c'mon-now.

The Doctor laughed begrudgingly, and leaned into the nudge. Together they slowly fell back onto the mattress.

"I hated the goo and wish to never experience that again," Nardole clarified. He leaned away - the Doctor making a noise they'd promised to never refer to as a whine - and grabbed a batch of chips off the nightstand. The TARDIS always supplied what was needed. Hot and fresh and with the vinegar on top. He waved the paper cone at the Doctor.

One chip falling out and landing just about directly into the Doctor's mouth. "That's your plan, then," he said, taking with his mouth full.

"Eh?"

"Keep me well-fed. Fat and happy."

"I mean. You are looking a bit healthier, these days." Nardole propped himself on his elbow and patted the faint bit of pudge above the Doctor's waistband in what he hoped was a positive, encouraging way. "Got a long way to go before you catch up to me, though." He fell back down, curled around the Doctor, partially for emphasis, letting his belly press against the Doctor's side.

"Shut it."

"Use your words. The nice ones."

"Please...be quiet? For a bit?"

"Right, yeah." Nardole sighed, and let himself relax. They wouldn't ever mention how the Doctor eased and extended his embrace in kind. And they wouldn't say the word 'embrace', either. Or 'hug'. 'Temporary physical contact with no emotional implications', that might do it. For now, anyway.