Chapter Text
You had honestly been a bit skeptical the night you hung out with Robert and got pizza with him for the first time. The moment he ordered pineapple pizza for the both of you, your heart had just about stopped dead in its tracks. That was very dangerous territory. You, personally, had never had a strong opinion either way. You had more important concerns than if people ate pineapple pizza or not; not burning your house down while cooking because you, realistically, can't survive on nothing but fast food was one of those concerns. And that concern didn't factor in pineapple pizza anywhere, so. No big deal.
When he had ordered those pizzas and looked back at you and asked if you were okay with it, you went with your gut instinct and said yes. He wouldn't have ordered Hawaiian pizza if he didn't like it or expected you to hate it, so you knew you'd look like a huge jerk if you were like, “No, that's disgusting and you're wrong, pineapple does not belong on pizza.” A part of you had been afraid that you wouldn't like it and you'd have to force yourself to eat the pizzaーyou, admittedly, hadn't had pineapple on pizza since you were much younger, in college, and went to a pizza buffet with Craigーbut you were pleasantly surprised. The mix of the sauce and cheese, the thinly sliced Canadian bacon, the little pineapple chunks… it was way better than you had remembered it being.
And you had said that pineapple was the best pizza topping. It had been a bit of an exaggeration, sure, but it felt like the right thing to say in the moment. Robert had smiled and agreed with you. Since then, the two of you have gotten that pizza together quite a few times. It really has grown on you. You didn't think you'd ever actually enjoy it the way you do, but, well, when you're with him, you enjoy a lot of things you might not have otherwise enjoyed.
He had that kind of effect. You had even grown somewhat used to him showing up at your door late at night, inviting you to go cryptid hunting even though you need sleep. Among his list of personal improvements he’s made, he’s gotten better at sleeping at night, but he’s still a bit of an insomniac. Says that going out there and looking around for cryptids helps him calm down. You aren’t sure how that works, but hey, to each their own. It’s probably fine. He seems to function just fine, all things considered. He’s not perfect, of course; he still doesn’t sleep enough, he still smokes occasionally, and even though he’s cut way back, you know he still takes a drink once in awhile. But he’s better.
You yawn. You’re lying on the couch, munching on some popcorn and watching Toddler Playhouse Hunters: Tri-State Edition . Just like the name suggests, these parents are so desperate to find the perfect playhouse for their kids that they’re searching a bunch of stores in their state and two others. A little blonde haired girl is stomping her foot and crying, saying, “It’s too small! They’re all too small! I want a mansion!”
The girl’s mother looks desperately at the person who is getting paid way too much to try to help find a playhouse for a little kid. What even is this show? Why does this exist? Why are you watching it? So many questions, and yet, so few answers. You sigh in relief when the show cuts to a commercial break. This show is… lord. Exploiting bratty young children for entertainment is always fun, sure, but you’ve reached the conclusion that they really will make a house hunting show about anything .
You’re about to doze off to the sound of a commercial to yet another house hunting show when there’s a sudden knock at the front door. It’s a miracle your bowl of popcorn hasn’t fallen to the floor, considering you almost fell asleep with it on your lap and then nearly jumped out of your own skin when the knocking started. You put the bowl on the coffee table and make your way to the door. You don’t bother wondering who’s on the other side. Who else would it be at almost midnight?
Robert is standing on your porch when you open the door. “Hey. You busy?”
You shake your head and stand to the side, inviting him inside without words. “Nah. What’s up? What’s in the pizza box? I hope it’s pizza.”
He doesn’t hesitate to make himself comfortable, plopping down on the couch and putting the box on the table next to your popcorn as you close the door. He opens the box with as grand a flourish as he can manage without standing up again.
You gasp in a joking kind of surprise. “Really?” you ask. “A whole pizza? For me?” Until now, the two of you have mostly lived on single slices; neither of you can be trusted with a whole pizza.
He nods, grinning as he pats the couch beside him. You join him on the couch. “For us , babe. For us.”
“Aww. I’m so happy. I can’t believe you did this for us. It’s even Hawaiian. You’re so sweet.”
Robert laughs and wraps an arm around you. “Yeah, I know. Sweet as sugar, aren’t I?”
“Absolutely,” you confirm, less than seriously. He’s obviously not an overly sweet individual, but hey, you still love him. Wait, what? You love him? Seriously? Are you really in love with him? Ah, hell. Looks like it. You ended up falling for him at some point or another. Well, no harm done. There are worse people to love. Still… you think you’ll keep it to yourself for a little while longer. You don’t want to rush into anything with him. He’s the kind of person you have to be patient with.
He grabs the remote and starts flipping through the channels. “How can you watch this stuff?” he asks. “I like seeing kids cry as much as the next guy, but isn’t this one kinda… stupid?”
“It’s awful. I don’t know why I watch this stuff.”
“I knew it.” He stops flipping on a channel you’ve never really paid much attention to. “Let’s watch this.”
The information tab says that this show is called Ghosts of the South . As one would expect, it appears to be about hauntings in the southern states. Robert grabs a slice of pizza from the box, leans back, and starts eating. You follow his lead. After a few bites, you ask, “So. What brings you here on this fine night?”
“Thought it’d be fun to come watch bad TV and eat pizza with you.”
“That’s pretty boring by your standards.”
“Guess so. You’ve softened me, kid. How dare you. I used to be cool.”
You laugh. “Eh, don’t worry. You’re still cool.”
He grins. Your heart skips a beat. He’s so beautiful. “Thanks, babe. You’re cute.”
You tear your gaze away from him and look back at the TV. Are they… in a pizza joint? You take another bite of your slice. They are definitely talking about ghosts in that pizza place. “Did you do this on purpose?” you asked. “The pizza and the show about ghosts in a pizza place, I mean.”
He shakes his head, looking mildly surprised now that he’s realized it, too. “I had no idea. I just like to watch this show sometimes. I guess it was meant to be.”
“I feel like there’s a joke here about ghosts and pizza that I just can’t see.”
“Probably. I guess… Hawaiian ghosts?”
“The spirit of Hawaii?”
“The spirit of Hawaiian pizza.”
You smile. “I like it. Let’s go with that.”
He holds out the remainder of his slice. You roll your eyes and tap your slice against his. “Cheers,” he says, returning the pizza to where it belonged: His mouth. You, of course, do the same. You really get the feeling that this is going to be a good night.
Then again, every night you spend with him is a good one.