Chapter Text
Todd’s eyes widened as he realized who it was. Oh god no. Not right now. Not like this. Todd was NOT ready to talk to Lucas right now. Todd simply tried to walk away, but Lucas was faster. “Todd, wait.” He said, blocking Todd’s path. “Why didn‘t you respond to my message? You didn’t even leave it on read..”
Todd was surprised at Lucas’s tone. He expected Lucas to be PISSED, but he actually seemed… relieved? He just sighed, “Can we talk about it later? I’m kind of busy,” He said, still attempting to pass Lucas.
Lucas stood firm, continuing to block Todd. “No, dude. You can’t just run from this shit.”
Todd grumbled, “I’m busy.” He repeated.
Lucas gave Todd a skeptical expression, “Todd, you’re never busy. I’ve visited you numerous times here and even if you have something to do you can easily talk while doing it. Stop trying to avoid me.”
Todd rolled his eyes, “Can I at least take my fifteen first?”
Lucas sighed, “Fine. Maybe it’ll give you time to think. Maybe then you’ll actually be ok with seeing me.”
Todd walked finally past Lucas, “thanks.”
Lucas just stared as Todd walked off, now getting irritated. What the hell is his deal? It’s like he just reverted back to what he used to be. Immature and insincere.
Todd practically ran to the break room, relieved to see nobody there. Almost instantly, he broke down. The stress of the day itself and then seeing Lucas, on top of that. He was so angry. Why couldn’t he just talk? He ran away AGAIN. He was honestly questioning why Lucas even bothered. Todd knew he was being shitty and Lucas probably knew too, so why did he still persist? Why hadn’t Lucas just given up already? It was all so confusing. He could recall countless times when Envy broke up with him when he was being a dick. Technically, they did always end up back together eventually, but she never exactly made the effort to try and talk to him when he was being shitty. So why would Lucas? Lucas wasn’t even romantically involved, he was just a friend. That was even weirder. Lucas was putting more effort into a friendship than Envy had ever put into a relationship. The more he thought about it, the more he felt he needed to talk to Lucas. He was going to make this right.
Lucas was in an aisle, trying to focus on the groceries he needed to buy, although his mind was elsewhere. All he could think about was Todd. On one hand, he was SO relieved that Todd was alive, but he was also still annoyed. It wasn’t new for Todd to not enjoy confronting his own emotions, let alone someone else’s. It was such an immature mindset, but Lucas kind of understood in a weird way. He continued grabbing groceries, half expecting Todd to just continue avoiding him. He was walking toward an aisle where the next few items on his list were located, when he heard hasty footsteps behind him. ‘Damn.. someone wants their groceries..* He thought, assuming it was another customer. He scanned the aisle, dinging what he was searching for. He picked up the canned food, turning around to put it in his cart. He was met with someone standing less than a foot away from him instead, and he jolted, dropping his can. His eyes darted down to the can and back up at… Todd?? “So you actually decided to show up,” Lucas said, his irritation subsiding ever so slightly.
Todd chuckled sheepishly, “uh..yeah. I did..” he was struggling to pick his next words. “Lucas, listen- I.. uh.” Damn, he was REALLY struggling. Finally, he took a deep breath, “I’m sorry.” Todd said, looking up at Lucas. Unlike any other sorry Todd had ever said, this one really felt real. Like he actually felt bad. He wasn’t just trying to save his ass, and he definitely wasn’t being sarcastic. Todd braced himself, shutting his eyes tightly. He was afraid his apology wouldn’t be accepted. Just then, he felt something completely different. His feet lifted off of the ground and he was practically getting the life squeezed out of him.
Lucas hugged him.
“I’m so glad you’re alive,” Lucas said, tightly hugging Todd.
Todd opened his eyes, giving Lucas a look of confusion. “Did you think I died or something?” He asked with a chuckle.
Lucas loosened the hug, his hands resting lightly on Todd’s arms. “I mean, yeah. Kind of. You had me worried sick all night, man. Did you even see my text?” Lucas asked, his expression still concerned.
Todd nodded hesitantly, “I uh.. yeah. I did see it.”
Lucas paused, now looking at Todd with confusion. “Why the hell didn’t you respond? You know when someone says ‘drive safely’ it’s usually because they know there’s a high chance of you not driving safely, right?”
Todd shrugged, “I don’t know, I was just..” Todd paused, remembering why he didn’t respond. The dude was bawling like a baby. There’s no way he’d admit that part. “It was weird.. seeing you be so nice after the stunt I pulled. I mean, most people would’ve sent a passive aggressive text or even cussed me out. But you? You just… wanted me to be safe.” Todd said.
Lucas’s eyes widened as Todd spoke, not expecting such a response. “I mean, yeah. What you did was pretty dumb, but you’re still my friend dude. It’s gonna take a lot more than one moment of dicky behavior to get rid of me.” He said with a chuckle.
Todd was surprised, was that really all it took? All he had to do was apologize and give a brief explanation? This was a concept he wasn’t used to at all. “So.. we’re still bros..?” Todd asked, still shocked.
Lucas nodded, “yes, bro. Always.”
The rest of Todd’s shift went well, the two of them talked while Todd was facing the shelves, making sure the items were neat and where they belonged. Todd told Lucas about the bitchy pedestrians, along with the faulty left turn. Lucas was very disappointed in Todd, but not in a bad way. He just lectured Todd about safe driving. “I swear, dude. You’re gonna get yourself killed if you keep driving like that. Am I gonna have to become your passenger princess to make sure you’re not actively tap dancing on the line between driving and crashing?”
Todd chuckled and shook his head, “you probably don’t. It’s only bad like that if my brain is being evil. The only thing I do other than all of that is just standard speeding.”
Lucas cocked a brow, “standard speeding?”
Todd shrugged, “yeah, like 5-10 over. Pretty much everyone already goes 5 over anyway. 10 is just a little more.”
Lucas shook his head, “yeah, sure. Try telling that to the cop that pulls you over. I’m sure he’s gonna understand that real well.” The sarcasm in his tone was very evident.
Todd thought for a second, “you’ve done cop chases in some of your movies, maybe I should have you as a passenger princess to give me some tips and help me out if a cop decided to get on my ass.”
Lucas’s eyebrows raised, “you’ve watched my movies?”
Todd shrugged, “mostly just Action Doctor and Let’s Hope There’s a Heaven. Those two are my favorites.”
Lucas’s face flushed, remembering the fact that Let’s Hope There’s a Heaven definitely had a sex scene in it, starring him of course. Action doctor also featured him going shirtless a few times. “Oh..? What was so good about those..?” Lucas asked, intrigued.
Todd hesitated, realizing there was definitely a reason he liked them, but he went with the most standard excuse. “Well, I just like the plots.” He said with a shrug.
Lucas looked at Todd, confused. “You like sappy romance films and grey’s anatomy ripoffs?”
Todd hesitated again before nodding.
Lucas shrugged, “suit yourself,”
The two continued walking around, talking about random topics. Todd brought up his brief interaction with Envy, and Lucas listened intently.
“Damn, dude, you dropped the fact that you cheated on her out of nowhere? That’s crazy,” Lucas said with a chuckle.
Todd shrugged, “I wasn’t in the mood to deal with her.”
“Fair enough,” Lucas responded, understanding where Todd was coming from. “Wait. Can that employee discount thing actually get you fired?”
Todd nodded.
Lucas’s eyes widened, “Dude!! You’ve used that for me on like.. Five different occasions!”
“So what? I’m pretty sure my manager uses that discount for his friends too. He just doesn’t wanna admit it.” Todd said with an unapologetic shrug.
“Whatever you say, man.” Lucas said, “just don’t blame me if you get caught and fired on the spot.”
The end of Todd’s shift was approaching, but for once, he didn’t really want to go home. He wouldn’t mind if he was more open to inviting Lucas in, but his apartment was still a mess. It was around 7:20, and Lucas was still hanging out with Todd. He followed him over to the break room, watching Todd put away his vest in a tiny locker. “You’re supposed to leave that here?” Lucas asked, confused.
Todd shook his head, “technically, no. we’re supposed to take them home with us. I just don’t trust myself to keep track of it. I lost it in my house once and had to borrow someone else’s for the day, and since then I’ve been trying to get into the habit of just putting it in here.”
Lucas nodded, understanding. “That makes sense,”
Todd left the break room, Lucas following right after. They were both met with Todd’s manager, standing in front of them with his arms crossed. “Why were you bringing a customer into the employee break room?” He asked in an accusatory tone.
Before Todd could speak, Lucas started talking to the manager for him. “That was my mistake, sir. Todd told me to wait outside, but I wanted to see what it looked like inside. He kept warning me that I shouldn’t, but I just really wanted to get a tour. He was trying to follow the rules, it was me that made him break them.”
Todd watched as Lucas effortlessly took the blame for him, appreciating it heavily. The manager’s attention was directed onto Lucas, believing the lie completely. “Oh, alright.. we’ll, for future reference, Mr..” The manager hesitated for a moment before speaking again, “wait.. I think I recognize you from somewhere..”
Lucas smiled, “it’s Mr. Lee, sir. Lucas Lee.” He extended a hand to shake the manager’s.
“Wait, like THE Lucas Lee? Didn’t you star in The Game Is Over 2?” The manager asked, his demeanor changing instantly.
Lucas nodded, “Yeah, that was me.”
The manager smiled, “Well it’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Lee.”
Lucas chuckled.“You as well, Mr..”
“John. You can call me John.” The manager said without hesitation, finally taking the hand Lucas still had extended out for a handshake, grasping it firmly and shaking it.
Lucas acted interested, “John,” Lucas repeated, “It’s nice to meet you, John.”
After Todd clocked out, he and Lucas exited through the main doors, snickering. “Dude, no wonder you’re an actor. That was a good ass lie. Did you improvise a lot with your scripts?”
Lucas nodded, “Yeah. I didn’t even read the scripts in the last few movies I played in.”
Todd was impressed. “Damn, really? You’ve got skills, man.”
“Skills that the movie industry is never gonna get to see again.” Lucas said, crossing his arms, “I don’t need that anymore, though. I’ve actually been really liking life down here in Toronto lately.” He smiled at Todd, gesturing that Todd was a contributor to his newfound love for the simple life.
Todd smiled back, “I’m glad you like it.. it’s been nice having you around, you know.”
Lucas picked up his skateboard that was hidden in a nearby bush, “Yeah, it’s been nice with you, too..” he said, giving Todd an almost affectionate look.
The two of them walked over to Todd’s car continuing to converse casually. Once they approached Todd’s car, Todd grabbed his keys, unlocking it.
Todd looked at Lucas, “I work pretty much all week by the way, just a heads up.”
Lucas chuckled, “guess that means I just have to get a lot of..” Lucas trailed off, realizing he left his cart stranded in the middle of that random aisle, not actually buying any of the groceries he was originally planning to get. “I forgot to get my groceries.” Lucas pointed out with a chuckle.
“Do you wanna go back there to get them?” Todd asked.
Lucas shook his head, “Nah. I’ll just go in tomorrow. When do you work?”
“Let me check,” Todd said, pulling out his phone. He opened the app and looked at his schedule. “Damn it, it’s an opening shift. I hate opening.”
Lucas tilted his head, “What’s the hours?”
Todd sighed, “5:30am to 1:00pm.”
Lucas’s eyebrows raised, “Jesus, that’s early.”
Todd nodded, “Yep. I hate it here.”
Lucas looked at the Sun, which was almost completely setting behind the mountains. “I should probably get going..” he said, looking at his skateboard.
“I can just drive you to your house. I filled up my gas this morning so I have plenty to spare,” Todd offered.
Lucas shook his head, waving a dismissive hand. “Nah, I won’t make you do that.”
Todd popped his trunk, grabbing Lucas’s skateboard and setting it in there. “Get in the car. You have no choice.”
Lucas’s eyes widened, “Oh uh.. if you say so, man.” He walked over to the passenger side of the car, getting in the passenger seat. Todd shut the trunk and then climbed into the driver seat, turning on the car. The two of them drove off together, Todd vaguely remembering how to get to Lucas’s house.
It was almost pitch black by the time they got to Lucas’s house, and Lucas was now extremely grateful for Todd practically kidnapping him. Todd parked in the driveway, unlocking the car doors and popping the trunk. “Thanks for coming to my work and.. y’know.. talking everything out with me,” Todd said.
Lucas nodded, “Of course. Thank you for eventually complying and doing your part in talking everything out.”
“See you tomorrow, bro.” Todd said with a smile.
“See ya.” Lucas said. He hesitated to leave, holding eye contact with Todd. The two of them just kind of stared at each other for a moment. Lucas snapped out 9f his daze, opening the passenger door and walking back to the trunk to grab his skateboard. After grabbing it, he shut the trunk and walked toward his porch. Todd was still watching in his car, making sure Lucas got in safely. Maybe it was an excuse to look at him for longer, but Todd was just caring for his dear friend. Once Lucas opened his door and stepped inside, Todd drove off.
Todd stopped by the gas station before going home. He knew if he was opening the next day, there wasn’t much use in trying to sleep. If he did that, he’d probably end up being late again. He grabbed a couple red bulls and walked up to the register, getting them checked out. After buying the canned heart attacks, he walked back to his car, driving to his apartment.
Todd walked into his apartment, greeting his cat. He picked up the food and water bowls, realizing he hadn’t changed rice’s water in a couple of days. “Oh, I totally forgot to change your water, I’m sorry buddy.” Todd said, dumping out the water and quickly cleaning the inside of the bowl before filling it with cold water. He set the water bowl back down and Rice instantly started lapping at the water. Todd then filled up the food bowl, setting it next to the water bowl. He started doing some basic chores, starting up a load of laundry and doing the dishes.
At around midnight, he cracked open his first redbull, taking a few swigs before starting to clean up the rest of his apartment. He got out a small speaker and blasted his music, which scared the shit out of Rice at first. Eventually, the cat got used to the loud sounds and continued to casually prance around.
The rest of the night went pretty much the same way. Todd cycled through about 3 loads of laundry, and everything was starting to look better. He wiped down the counters, getting all the gunk from old food off.
At around 3:30am, Todd hopped into the shower. While rinsing himself off, he found his mind wandering to his best Bud. He was excited for Lucas to see his apartment all nice and clean, secretly hoping to impress him. At around 4:15, he got out of the shower and dried himself, getting into comfortable, clean clothes. He dried his hair partially with a towel, putting some product in it before brushing it down. He always preferred to let his hair air dry, so he spent the next 30 minutes letting his hair dry while he scrolled through tiktok. While scrolling, he noticed a video on his for you page with a familiar face, and when he looked down at the name, he saw the name of his good ol’ buddy ol’ pal, Lucas Lee. Todd always enjoyed being a lurker, so his profile views were off so people wouldn’t be able to see when he viewed their profiles. He spent the remaining time scrolling through Lucas’s reposts as if it was a for you page of its own.
Todd turned over to look at his clock again, and sure enough, it was 5:00am. He started getting ready for his shift, grateful to not be dealing with bed head this time. He left the house at about 5:10, which gave him the perfect amount of time. On his way out, he grabbed his second redbull, cracking it open. For once, he wasn’t really dreading the opening shift. It was mostly because he knew he’d see Lucas, so that automatically outweighed everything. Todd drove over the speed limit as usual, but this time doing so safely.
Pulling into his favorite parking spot, Todd drank the last of his redbull in the car. He turned off the engine and stepped out, holding the empty can. He walked into the Walmart and checked the time as he walked in. 5:25. Not bad. He walked into the break room to grab his vest, tossing the can in the recycling bin. After emerging from the break room, he was met with John. “Well look who decided to show up on time for once.” John said, half impressed, half joking. Unlike his usual comments, it didn’t have any kind of condescending tone. Is this what happens when you befriend a former celebrity?
Todd chuckled, “I’m running off of pure caffeine right now.”
John chuckled along with Todd, “Whatever helps get you through the day. Is your celebrity boyfriend gonna come in and distract you from your job again?” He asked with a cheeky grin.
“He wasn’t distracting me, I was doing my job perfectly fine.” Todd said, surprised at how friendly his manager was being to him. “Also he’s not my boyfriend.”
John raised a brow, “you sure about that?”
Todd scoffed playfully, “Whatever.” He turned over to the little screen, tapping in his employee number to clock in.
“Well, you can open this place first, gawk at your friend later. Got it?” John said, handing the Walmart keys to Todd. “And don’t forget to put these on my desk when you’re done.”
Todd nodded, “will do.”
Todd opened the place like usual, doing all of the little procedures and making sure everything was in working order. At 6:00, the place was fully open and more employees walked in. Some greeted Todd, some were still avoiding him. The coworker that covered for him yesterday walked up to him. “Hey, Todd! You doing better today?” He asked.
Todd nodded, “Yeah, I am.”
The coworker reached in his bag, pulling out a breakfast burrito. “I’m assuming you didn’t have breakfast yet?” Todd shook his head, a bit confused. The coworker handed him the burrito. “Here. Sorry about my comment yesterday. I know you definitely heard it.”
Todd took the burrito, his eyes widening. “Oh, it’s fine. I was pretty bitchy.” He said with a sheepish chuckle, “And thanks for the burrito, I actually kind of needed that.”
“Just like you needed to take your fifteen?” The coworker asked with a cheeky grin. Todd sighed, although he wasn’t annoyed. He watched them walk over to a register, flipping the display switch on and beginning to wait for customers. Todd decided he should follow suit and do the same.
Business was pretty slow for the next few hours, as usual. Todd was just sitting on his phone, chilling. At around 9am, he got a text from Lucas.
Lucas: “how’s work going?” 9:06am
Todd opened the notification pretty fast, responding.
Todd: “slow as hell” 9:06am
Lucas: “haha I bet” 9:07am
Todd: “John was being oddly nice today. I think you charmed him a little too well lmao” 9:08am
Lucas: “oops. I do that a lot” 9:08am
Lucas: “have I charmed you yet😏” 9:09am
Todd snickered at the message
Todd: “oh absolutely. I’m in love.” 9:11am
Todd was too busy giggling at his phone to notice a customer waiting at his register. He snapped out of the conversation to help them
Todd: “oh shit customer brb” 9:15am
Todd helped the customer with their groceries, giving them the total and asking if they wanted the receipt and what not. business was really starting to pick up now, so Todd wasn’t able to look at his phone for a while. At around 12, Todd finally checked his phone again. He was finally able to see what Lucas had been texting him.
Lucas: “oh have fun. Hope it’s not a karen.” 9:15am
Lucas: “[attatchment] I found your tiktok😈” 10:35am
Lucas: “damn is it that busy?” 11:00am
Lucas: “I’m getting ready btw. I’ll be there in a bit.” 11:30am
Lucas: “so I accidentally crashed into a child on my skateboard..” 11:50am
Todd: “[reply to attatchment] how the hell” 12:05pm
Todd: “poor child” 12:05pm
Lucas: “[attatchment] I see you.” 12:06pm
The attachment was a photo of Todd smiling at his phone like an idiot behind the register. He immediately looked up and made eye contact with Lucas, who was giggling. Todd held up a hand, signaling Lucas to wait a moment. He walked away from the register in search of a coworker to cover for him. He found someone. “Yo, do you think you can cover register 3 for me?” Todd asked.
The coworker gave him a thumbs up. Todd walked back over to where Lucas was, gesturing for him to follow him. They both saw John relatively close to the break room door. Todd approached him, “hey, can I bring Lucas into the break room with me? I’m taking my fifteen.”
John was hesitant, but nodded. “Sure. No funny business, you two.” He said, eyeing Todd and Lucas. “Keep it PG-13 in there.”
Todd and Lucas both looked at John, shocked and caught off guard by the comment. “We’re not even-!! nevermind. Thank you, John.” Todd said, leading Lucas into the break room. Lucas gave a wave to John before following Todd.
The two of them sat down on the couch that was in the break room, chatting. Lucas noticed Todd’s eye bags were a bit darker than usual. “Dude did you get any sleep last night?” Lucas asked, a bit concerned. Todd shook his head in response. Lucas chuckled, “Jesus man.. your eyebags are really showing. They’re so big you could probably start using them for the customers’ groceries.”
Todd let out a bark of laughter, “that’s wild, bro.”
They heard the door open, and the coworker that gave Todd the burrito came in. “Oh hey Todd,” they said. They looked over at Lucas, “who’s the himbo?”
Todd snickered at the comment. “That’s Lucas.”
The coworker nodded, “well hi Lucas, I’m Onyx.”
Lucas nodded back, “that’s a sick ass name.”
Onyx smiled, “thanks.” They turned to Todd, “is he a new trainee?”
Todd shook his head, “Nah, he’s just here to chill with me for my last hour.”
Onyx gave them an unsure look, “and John is fine with that..?”
Todd nodded, “Yup. I asked him first.”
Onyx’s eyes widened, “Deadass? And he said yes?”
Todd nodded in response.
Onyx chuckled, “Lucky.” They paused, looking at Todd and Lucas for a moment, “so.. are you guys… y’know…” they did a hand gesture to symbolize being together.
Todd grumbled, “good lord…”
Lucas chuckled, “No, we’re just buddies.”
Onyx gave them a skeptical look, nodding slowly. “Alright…” they obviously did not believe that bs for a second.
Onyx sat on the chair that was right by the couch, crossing their legs. The three of them talked about a bunch of random stuff, literally just chilling. It was probably the best fifteen break Todd ever had.
“So.. I’m curious, how old are you?” Lucas asked Onyx casually.
Todd eyed Lucas quickly before looking back at Onyx, wondering why that was randomly brought up.
Onyx responded, “oh, I’m 17.”
Lucas chuckled and looked at Todd before looking back at Onyx, “Damn, so you’re still just a little baby.”
Onyx rolled their eyes, “I’m almost 18!”
Todd chimed in, “Yeah but not quite yet. I’ll have to adopt you as my work child or something.”
Onyx flipped them both off, “Fine. how old are you guys, anyways?”
“24,” Both of them said at the same time.
Onyx chuckled, “oh ok, so basically I’ve got gay grandpas.”
“We’re not gay.” Todd said, rolling his eyes.
Onyx waved a dismissive hand, “Yeah yeah, whatever peepaw. Let’s get you to bed.”
Lucas snickered, watching the two’s banter.
Onyx looked over at Lucas, playfully narrowing their eyes. “Don’t act like you’re safe, you geezer.”
Todd checked the time, realizing they doubled their fifteen by accident. “Oh shit guys it’s 12:30.”
The three of them snickered as they walked out of the break room, still hanging around each other.they all decided to just follow where Lucas was going since he was actually there to shop. Todd and onyx were organizing the shelves in the aisles as Lucas browsed. At some points, Lucas would purposefully misplace items to mess with them.
When Lucas was finally done, Todd led him to an empty register and rang him up so he could give the employee discount. Onyx watched as he did that, “You can do that??”
Todd shrugged, “well, technically we’re not supposed to, but it’s Lucas so it’s fine.”
The time was about 1pm, so the three of them walked to the screen so Todd could clock out. “What time are you off?” Todd asked onyx.
“5:30.” They said, annoyance in their voice.
Todd chuckled, “imagine,”
“I’ll tell John that you’re giving out employee discounts to customers,” Onyx jokingly threatened.
Todd rolled his eyes, “You wouldn’t.”
Onyx yelled out, “Oh Johnnnn!!”
Todd and Lucas both stared, wide-eyed at onyx as they did that, seeing John walk over. “What’s up, Onyx?” He asked.
Onyx grinned at Lucas and Todd before looking back at John. “I forgot to tell you, I put burritos in the break room fridge if you want one.”
Todd and Lucas sighed, and John seemed intrigued by the burrito offer. “Ooh, sounds great!” He turned his attention to Todd, “you headed outta here?” He asked, which Todd nodded in response. “Well, see you tomorrow.” He looked at Lucas, “and probably you, too.” With that, John walked into the break room, excited to get his hands on a burrito.
Todd and Lucas both waved at Onyx, “see you later, bro.” Todd said, giving them a fist bump.
Todd and Lucas walked outside, and Lucas grabbed his skateboard from the same bush. “How the hell has that never gotten stolen?” He asked in half amazement. Lucas just shrugged in response, following Todd to his car. Todd popped the trunk, gesturing Lucas to put the skateboard and groceries in it.
Lucas’s eyes widened, “again?”
Todd nodded, helping Lucas load the groceries into it. Lucas felt particularly warm. Ever since the reconciliation form yesterday, Todd had been acting much.. nicer? He was already nice to Lucas, but now it was even more apparent. After loading the groceries, the two got into the car and took off.
Once they got to Lucas’s house, Todd parked the car and started helping him unload the groceries. Lucas pressed numbers on the keypad next to his garage door, opening it. The two walked into the house from there, taking two trips. While Todd was setting the last of the bags onto Lucas’s counter, he looked at Lucas and asked, “wanna put these away and come back to my place with me?”
Lucas looked over at Todd, “Yeah, that would be great.”
Todd helped put away the groceries, pretty much figuring out where to put everything on his own. Once the groceries were done, they went back into Todd’s car, driving back to his house. On the drive, Todd pointed out the places where he made poor driving decisions, like the red light he ran and where the pedestrians flipped him off. Eventually, they reached the apartment parking lot. Todd parked in his usual spot, turning the car off. He led Lucas up to the second floor in the apartment complex, turning toward his door, fumbling a little with his keys. Lucas let out a chuckle as he watched. Todd shot him a playful glare and eventually opened the door.
When Lucas stepped in, his attention went straight to rice, who was purring and pressing himself against Todd’s leg. “Oh he loves you,” Lucas said with an adoring chuckle. He bent down to pet rice, and rice pressed his head into Lucas’s hand, allowing him a few moments before scratching the shit out of it. Lucas winced, taking his hand away and shaking it. “You asshole,” he said. He stood back up, taking a look at the apartment. It was surprisingly clean. Lucas turned to Todd, “I think I can guess what kept you up all night.”
Todd chuckled sheepishly, “yeah..”
Lucas gave an approving nod, “it looks really good in here though, bro.”
Todd yawned, but quickly suppressed it. Lucas noticed it, though. “You tired?” He asked. In all honesty, Lucas found both the yawn itself and the attempt to cover it up kinda cute.
Todd shook his head, “nah, I just.. no. Not tired.” He said firmly, standing up straight.
Lucas raised a brow, “whatever you say, bro.”
Todd gestured to one of the few doors in his apartment, “let’s go to my room. I like it better in there.”
“You just wanna be on your bed so you can feel like you’re sleeping,” Lucas teased.
Todd rolled his eyes, “shut the eff up, man.” He was starting to hit the slightly loopy, delirious stage of being sleep deprived. Lucas was honestly so ready to deal with this version of Todd. Free entertainment in his eyes.
Todd’s bedroom had a few decorations, including his old bass which he hadn’t touched in ages. Other than that, it was band posters. There was a small desk in front of Todd’s bed, which had a small tv. Todd picked the remote up off his nightstand, turning on the tv. He handed the remote to Lucas. “I have Netflix and Hulu. Choose a good movie.” He said, sitting down on his bed. Lucas sat next to him, going to Netflix. he found a good rom-com to watch, and put it on. The two of them adjusted to get more comfortable in the bed, laying down. Lucas looked over at Todd, giving him a knowing smirk. “You’re gonna fall asleep during the movie.”
Todd looked at him defensively, shaking his head. “Will not!”
Lucas raised a brow, “wanna bet?”
Todd smirked back, “you know what? Yeah. Let’s bet on it.”
Lucas nodded, “alright, 20$ you’re gonna fall asleep.”
“20$ I won’t.” Todd responded, giving Lucas a determined grin.
As the movie played out, Todd could feel himself slowly drifting off to sleep, shaking his head furiously to try and get rid of the drowsiness. Lucas would steal a glance every now and then, already planning what he was gonna do with the 20$. Occasionally, the two would make eye contact, resulting in Lucas grinning and Todd flipping him off. The movie was progressing further, and Todd was starting to lose the fight against sleep. His head would drift down to the side before he caught himself, trying to play it off.
Lucas was still watching the movie, now invested in the plot. It was just starting to get good, a bit more rom than com. He felt a weight in his shoulder that was definitely not there before. He looked over and saw Todd leaning against his shoulder, knocked the fuck out. Lucas smiled, ready to taunt Todd when he awoke from the nap. He turned his attention back to the movie, continuing to watch. He felt Todd shifting beside him, almost getting… closer? Weird. Must just be how Todd always acts when he sleeps or something. Lucas tried not to pay any mind, though he appreciated the warmth.
The movie had ended, the two characters on the screen laughing together before kissing or something. Lucas shut off the tv, looking back at Todd, who was practically pressed up against him at this point. He hesitated before cautiously carding his hand under Todd in the space between the mattress and his neck. Lucas watched Todd’s chest rise and fall, playing it off in his head as just looking at the shirt. The blank black shirt. His gaze moved up to Todd’s face, which had an expression more peaceful than Lucas thought was possible for Todd. He found himself admiring Todd’s features. The way his jaw was sharp from the side, yet round in the front. The way Todd’s eyebrows were thick yet well maintained. The way that there was a little brown poking out from the roots of his bleached platinum hair. The way his nose was almost completely smooth and perfect. The way his—
Lucas blinked
And then blinked again
He looked away from Todd for a moment, his face contorting to one of immense confusion. Why was he staring at Todd? How was Todd so damn perfect? His gaze crept back to Todd. What was it about Todd that had Lucas so drawn to him? Why the hell was he drawn to Todd in the first place? Lucas took a deep breath, making sure the movement wasn’t too fast or loud so Todd could keep sleeping. Lucas shut his eyes as well, attempting to relax. If his eyes were closed, he wouldn’t have to see Todd! Then the questions can calm down!
Ha you thought
Now Lucas was stuck with what was on his mind, which kind of did the opposite of helping. Maybe he wasn’t seeing Todd with his active vision, but that fucker crept into his mind like a parasite, slowly taking over. Lucas’s eyes were shut, but he was still being blinded by Todd’s lethal face card. The more Lucas tried to just focus on something else, the worse it got. He considered following suit with Todd and just taking time to rest. Maybe if his brain’s not occupied, he can chill the fuck out. His arm was still under Todd, and he carefully adjusted himself comfortably against Todd, getting a bit closer. He wrapped his other arm around Todd from above, his mad resting on Todd’s back. Lucas closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
Todd’s eyes opened briefly, instantly met with Lucas’s chest. “What the…?” Todd said, more confused than anything. He didn’t exactly have any complaints. It was actually really comfortable being wrapped in Lucas’s arms, not to mention the view Todd got. Todd’s hands were both to himself, under his face. He lifted a hand, setting it on Lucas’s waist. Todd wasn’t sure if his brain was just foggy from just waking up or what was going on, but all he knew was that his best bro had some serious jugs on him. Todd paused at that thought. Lucas was his friend. Todd thought back to Onyx’s question. “Are you guys like… y’know.. together..?” Todd chuckled at the thought. Him and Lucas?? Together?? No way. He pictured how it would be if they were together — Just for fun, of course. He pictured the two of them driving somewhere. He had one hand on the wheel, one hand clasped with Lucas’s on the center console. They were both talking about everything the same way they would. Lucas’s eyes were on Todd the whole time they were conversing. Then, It fast forwarded to a scene that was similar to how they were right now.
Cuddling… in his bed…
The difference, though, was that both of them were awake this time. There was a moment of comfortable silence, where they both stared at each other, warm smiles on both of their faces. Todd leaned in, giving Lucas a playful peck on the lips.
Pause.
Todd snapped out of that instantly. He let out another chuckle. That would be so weird. Kissing Lucas? Totally unrealistic. They’re just bros. There was no way he wanted any of that. Todd blinked, coming back to complete reality. His eyes widened. He was staring at Lucas that entire time, and now Lucas was awake. Instantly, he averted his gaze.
“Good- uh. Good morning.. bro.” Todd said awkwardly.
“It’s 6:00pm, bro.” Lucas replied. He wanted to tease Todd about having been staring at him, but he couldn’t find it in him.
Todd shrugged, “same difference.”
Lucas grinned, “hey, I think you owe me something.” He rubbed his fingers to his thumb, symbolizing money.
Todd rolled his eyes, grabbing his wallet from his pocket. Lucas felt the warmth of Todd’s hand leaving the side of his waist, not even realizing it had been there until then. Todd reached into the cash pocket, pulling out a folded 20 and throwing it at Lucas’s face before putting his wallet back in his pocket. “Happy?” He asked, playfully narrowing his eyes.
Lucas nodded, “yes very.” He put the 20 in his pocket for now, going back to the cuddle position.
Todd froze for a moment, not expecting Lucas to revert back to cuddling like they were before. Hesitantly, he put his hand back onto Lucas’s waist, pulling him a little closer. Almost instinctively, he started to nuzzle into Lucas’s chest. He paused, confused at why he did that.
Lucas swore he felt his heart skip a beat. He reached one of his hands up to Todd’s head, carding his fingers into Todd’s hair. He began to softly play with it, shocked at how soft Todd’s hair was. “Jesus, how the hell did you manage to keep your hair soft?”
Todd shrugged, “I take care of it.” He leaned into the touch of Lucas’s hand, enjoying the feeling of his fingers in his hair.
“Does frying it with bleach count as taking care of it, too?” Lucas asked, continuing to mindlessly run his fingers through Todd’s hair.
Todd rolled his eyes, “yup.”
Lucas chuckled, and the two sat in a comfortable silence as Lucas played with Todd’s hair. They stared at each other for a moment before Todd spoke up, “You know, you’re the best friend I’ve had. Like ever.”
Lucas nodded, “You too, bud.”