Work Text:
Now this tree needs a little friend, so I’m just going to put a little friend right, right here next to it…
Spot blinks blearily at the laptop screen on Elmer’s lap, rolling his shoulders back and sliding a little farther down the bed. Race looks over at him from the other side of Elmer,
“Falling asleep over there?” he asks and Spot makes a noncommittal noise, pushing his face into Elmer’s side.
We’ve got some happy bushes right here on the edge of the water…
Race picks up his bowl of mac n cheese from his lap and pokes Spot’s arm with the fork. Spot groans and Elmer laughs, pausing the Bob Ross video playing on his computer. Albert protests quietly and reaches over, pulling Race’s hand away from Spot. Race sticks his fork back in his bowl and leans over Albert to set it on the floor. Albert wraps an arm around his waist, pulling him against him and shutting his eyes.
“Hey,” Race says softly,
“Hey let me go, I’m going to squish you.” Albert doesn’t let go and Race props himself up on his forearms, rolling onto his side and leaning his back up against Elmer, pulling Albert against his chest. Albert hooks a leg on Races’ hip and reaches out blindly with one hand, grabbing Elmer’s hand and holding onto it. Elmer cards the fingers of his other hand through Spot’s hair and tips his head back against the wall. Spot leans up and kisses his neck, his jaw, the corner of his mouth, and when Elmer turns his head to really kiss him, he pulls back.
“Hit play,” he mumbles, and Elmer hits the spacebar,
Light and easy, just barely touching the canvas…
Elmer grabs the front of Spot’s tank top and pulls him up into a kiss, and Spot’s fingers wind into Elmer’s hair. On the other side of Elmer, Albert’s breathing has started to even out and Race strokes through his hair gently, feeling him relax and fall asleep. Eventually, he nudges Elmer, who pulls away from Spot and shifts so he can see him better,
“Yeah?”
“Albo’s asleep, and it’s almost four, so we should probably get some sleep too,” Race says softly and Albert shifts,
“‘M not asleep,” he mumbles into Race’s shirt and Spot laughs. Albert wrinkles his nose at him and Elmer leans over and kisses him on the forehead.
“Hey Al?” Spot whispers, like he’s not two people away from Albert and talking over them. Albert just blinks up at him in way of response, “Before you fall asleep-”
“ Not asleep,” Albert breaks in petulantly.
“Before you fall asleep,” Spot continues, “Did ya take your binder off?” Albert groans and pushes his face into Race’s chest again. Race rubs his back gently, looking over at Spot,
“He didn’t,” he mouths and Elmer reaches over to push his fingers through the strands of Albert’s hair.
“I don’t want to,” Albert mumbles, “too comfortable,” and Spot frowns. Albert looks up and all three other boys and propped up, looking down at him with various expressions of worry and exasperated fondness.
“Mm fine,” he says, but doesn’t move for a few seconds, eyes fluttering shut again until Race nudges him.
“C’mon,” he says softly, standing and pulling Albert up as well. Race helps him work off his shirt and binder and Spot reaches into their dresser, tossing him the first shirt he grabs, which happens to be Elmer’s. Albert and Race fall back into bed and Elmer hits play on Netflix and the voice of Bob Ross fills the small room again. Elmer tips his head onto Spot’s shoulder and all of their legs tangle together at the bottom of the bed. The clock in the corner ticks forward to five am and Race traces his fingers over Albert’s hips and back, with Elmer’s hands in his hair, tugging lightly on the curls. Spot has an arm draped over Elmer’s shoulders and a hand rubbing his thigh mindlessly. It is strangely domestic, for the four of them, but they know they deserve it. It has taken them far too long to get here, and they took far too many convoluted paths and detours along the way. Elmer’s head tips forward onto his chest, and the computer almost slides off his lap as he shifts. Spot grabs it, before looking over to see that Race and Albert are already more than halfway to sleeping. So he just shuts the computer off, turns out the light on their bedside table, pulls the blankets up so all of them are at least a little covered, and drifts off to sleep.
A phone starts buzzing and Albert groans, reaching for the bedside table and dropping it on Race’s face before slumping back into the bed. Race jerks awake, and yanks the phone off his face, looking at the screen blearily. He pushes the power button, denying the call and shifting to put the phone back on the table when it buzzes again. Spot reaches over Elmer and pats Race’s face clumsily,
“Shut it off, ” he mumbles and Race denies the call again. A few seconds pass before the phone starts buzzing again and he finally accepts it.
“You better be dying or something,” he mumbles and he listens for a second before poking at Albert,
“Hey, let me out for a sec,” he says and Albert just looks at him so Race rolls over him and stumbles out of the room. After a few seconds the three other boys hear Race pounding on Romeo’s door and Romeo yelling,
“Fuck off,” faintly. Race reappears in the doorway and flops back into the bed.
“He’s fine,” he says into the phone, “tiny fuckface, but no more than usual.” He listens for a few more seconds then ends the call, cuddling back into the others.
“Who was that?” Elmer asks,
“Romeo and Specs got shit faced last night and they both caught an uber back but usually Rome texts them to let them know he got home okay, but he didn’t and they just wanted to make sure he got home fine.” Race explains without picking his face up from the pillow.
“Mph. What time is it?” Albert asks,
“Almost eleven,” Race says and Spot props himself up on his elbow,
“Breakfast?” he says, looking at Race, who still has his face pressed into the pillow. Race doesn’t say anything, and Spot flops back onto the bed, sighing loudly.
“Go away,” Race says into the pillow and Elmer nudges him. Albert wraps his arms around his waist and pulls him on top of him. Race snuggles into his chest and Albert rolls over, pushing Race off the edge of the bed.
“Fuck all of you,” He says from the floor and Spot laughs,
“Maybe later, but first we need food,” Spot says and Race groans loudly. He still doesn’t move, and after a few seconds, Elmer climbs out of bed and disappears into the kitchen, returning with three cups of coffee and one of tea. Keeping the tea for himself, he distributes the coffee and heads back out, eventually coming back with a tray of bagels and a few leftover muffins. Race still hasn’t moved, his coffee cooling on the bedside table, and Albert grabs half a bagel from the tray and throws it at him, bouncing it off his head.
“Fuck off, leave me here to die .” Race says, stretching his arms above his head.
“Get your ass up here, Higgins,” Albert says and Spot glares down at the floor,
“Don’t make me come down there,” he threatens and Race reluctantly rolls over, looking up at the boys on the bed.
“Come on Race,” Elmer says softly, “Come back to bed.” He reaches a hand down to Race, who grabs it and manages to get back on the bed. Spot pulls Albert towards him to make room, and Race flops down next to Elmer, snuggling into him. Spot runs his fingers through Elmer’s hair and both Elmer’s and Race’s eyes slip shut. Albert and Spot look at each other and Spot moves the food to the floor and shuts the blinds before climbing back in next to Albert.