Work Text:
When they had met it was almost like something clicked. Not anything fantastical like love at first sight, but more like a mutual friendship at first laugh. They were awkward at first- talking to a new person was always like trying to learn to ride a new type of bike- but after a few conversation starters it wasn't hard for them to hold a conversation. Chris almost regretted letting them meet because he wasn't sure he'd be able to get a word in for a while.
He soon found himself smiling while they got along so well, and from there it was history.
They all hung out a lot, together, and slowly but surely they got more comfortable. They started to be those friends that knew exactly how the other operated, in perfect sync. So it was only natural that started hanging out alone, right? They went out to get lunch a few times, debated what fast food chicken nuggets were the best once (Ding Dong is a firm Wendy's believer, while Julian is steadfast on McDonalds), until they finally started going to Julian's place to hang out.
At the time, Julian had roommates, and he apologized profusely for the conditions but Ding Dong just smiled as he was led to Julian, getting a few dirty looks. Julian apologized again when he shut the door. “Roommates, sorry, I'm trying to get my own place.” Julian seemed a little stressed, but some of the stress lifted from his shoulders when he locked the door with a click.
They had known each other for a few months now, and Ding Dong didn't deny that he was attracted to the guy, but he made the mistake of letting himself open his mouth. “California apartments are expensive.” That was a fact, that was fine. “If you need a roommate when you move, let me know.” That was a wish. But Julian got a big smile on his face.
“Yeah, sounds good.”
And they talked for hours.
-xxxxx-
He learned within a few weeks that Julian's roommates were glaring at him because they didn't know when they were going to have to pull out the earplugs to block out noise. Ding Dong knew he went a little red when Julian told him that, but Julian just laughed it off and worked on a drawing while they talked and Ding Dong pulled out his laptop to find something mindless to do.
“Whatcha doin’ there?” Julian looked away from his computer, twirling his tablet pen in his hand. They had gotten to like talking and having company when working, but they never really asked questions. Julian was curious. Ding Dong seemed a little shy, maybe embarrassed but he turned his computer, showing Julian a little pixel sprite on his screen.
Julian leaned forward to look. “It's nothing compared to your art, I'm just making some place holders to try to program something-”
“You program?” Julian smiled, leaning back in his chair.
Ding Dong realized that he somehow never told Julian what he does- that they're conversations always went for music or food or something subjective. He hadn't really thought about the fact that Julian could be interested in what he was doing. “Yeah, I used to work for a pretty big company- I still enjoy doing it though.”
Julian got this mischievous smirk on his face looking back at his computer, and then to DD’s. “Y’know?” Ding Dong didn't know, and he showed it in his face enough that Julian laughed. “We could make a pretty great team, DD.”
Ding Dong just sort of smiled, scooting himself off of Julian's bed and over to his desk. He wasted no time in opening some files and sharing the idea he had with Julian.
-xxxxx-
They started becoming a package deal, and Chris was half convinced they already had a thing going on before they did. They were essentially a development team, but nothing changed. They worked on a simple trial game sometimes, they still talked normally, and they recorded with Chris too.
To keep it short, they started spending a lot of time together, and didn't ever get annoyed with each other.
To make it more complicated, they got closer instead.
It happened when they were moving some assets from Julian's computer to DD’s, Ding Dong leaning over Julian from the chair he had dragged in out of the kitchen, and the chair completely fell over, plunging him into Julian's lap. Julian was laughing hysterically, trying to ask if Ding Dong was okay, but wheezing instead. Ding Dong crossed his arms and tried to be mad, but a smile soon broke out on his face too, and his tail wagged a little watching Julian laugh while trying to keep Ding Dong from falling flat on the floor.
Incidentally, he was pulled up to sit in Julian's lap, comically tall to be cramming himself in the space. When the laughing wore off he should've gotten up. He easily could have. But he sat there, looking up at Julian with a stupid dumbstruck look. He wouldn't say anything. He never did. But he wished these moments went differently. It was right about now that Julian usually laughed it off and cracked a joke, but he didn't.
For once, he looked nervous, and DD felt that sort of magnetic pull they talk about in teen romance novels. He was still acting shy, and he slowly moved closer, but Julian grabbed his face and pulled him up, their lips coming together. At that moment it felt like an end to a build up not of a few minutes, but of many scattered moment, lots of thoughts and almost actions.
Neither of them seemed to want it to end. The action that started it was a abrupt, so it took them a moment to feel it out, and they only broke away to make sure it was real. Their faces flushed with heat and their lips were still parted. Ding Dong sat himself up a little, still on Julian, but more comfortably.
They fell back into the kiss after a moment of disbelief, this time more comfortable and steady. They both couldn't stop from laughing, happiness coming through. Ding Dong broke away again and rested his head near Julian's shoulder. Julian shifted a little and reached for the cord DD had been reaching for when he fell.
Ding Dong quickly hopped off of Julian's lap, nervously looking around the room. “So, are you buying your roommates those earplugs?” Julian meant to laugh but all that came out was an ugly snort noise.