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"You, Me, PJs, Pizza, Bed. The Pj's are optional."
Travis shoots Larry an incredulous look, the red tinge from earlier tears only adding to the expression. Larry's quick to drop the finger guns in favor of throwing his hands up in an attempt to look innocent.
"Listen, It's not like that. It's somethin' me and Sal started eons ago. Pajamas are uncomfy bullshit when you just wanna lay down and snuggle, yeah? That and sometimes the skin on skin contact just feels-- I dunno, nice? No homo."
"I'm sure the grease dripping all over your chest and fingers just adds to the snuggly experience."
Brown eyes roll before Larry stands up from the couch, kicking stray crumpled tissues into a pile on his way to the kitchen. They were going to have to clean those up- the other inhabitants of the apartment wouldn't appreciate the mess that scattered its way across the living room. The idea of Sal casting a disappointed stare his way is more than enough to make the blonde scramble upright, gathering up the empty tissue box alongside it's crumpled innards up from the floor and properly into the trashcan.
Sal had stayed true to his words back in school. Eventually, one hangout had become two, then three and well.......It had taken time for Travis to become ingrained into their close-knit group. It had taken suffocating conversations with apologies. There'd been fights and rows though the group never allowed it to go physical which was a novel experience in Travis' book. After all of that, things settled. He relearned physical affection. Sal liked to tuck into people's sides on cold days. Todd never understood the concept of personal space. Larry and Ash were quick to pick at each other playfully, something that occasionally lead to a round of tussling in the middle of everything. Neil sprawled out often and brushed against someone without really intending to. There were so many parties. For birthdays, holidays or maybe just because. All of it was a lot to acclimate to.
All of that to say, things were better now in ways he had never imagined. He never would have imagined himself in the shared apartment of someone he had bullied relentlessly, for one. He never would have seen himself coming over and venting to Larry Johnson, of all people. But here he was, cleaning up from a visit as Johnson popped a pizza in the oven that they were apparently going to snuggle over? While potentially undressed? Yeah. Younger Travis would have had heart failure.
Current older Travis was sort of excited about it, though.
Whistling, Larry rounds the corner and very nearly clipping Travis in the process. Luckily, the brunette catches sight of him belatedly and jumps back before his overwide steps nail Travis in the face.
"FF--! Holy fuck, dude. What are you doing on the floor? "
Travis pushes himself back to his feet, eyebrows raised as he points to the trashcan. "I figured I should clean up after my impromptu visit, some of us like to clean up right away."
"Man, Whatever. When you're done talkin' smack, I got some clothes you can borrow if you want."
----
Despite earlier misgivings-- The whole cuddling semi-nude with pizza was actually pretty nice. Begrudgingly, Travis could see the appeal.
It had been a bit of a disaster at first. The pizza had been nearly upended multiple times, elbows flew scarily close to noses or soft stomachs. But they both made it into the bed, under the blankets and tucked up close to each other without any injuries.
Larry settled himself into the corner of the bed, blankets and pillows alike squashed behind him in a sort of nest and he had tugged and manhandled Travis until the blond was settled against him, half perched on his thigh, side pressing into Larry's broad (naked) chest, and their legs tangled in a knot of limbs. Travis' right arm was crushed like this, but hey, his left hand was dominant anyway.
They eat the pizza in relative silence aside from their joint munching, and Travis takes the newfound peace to decidedly not freak out at just how abruptly aware he was of Larry's newfound muscles since school.
The position did little to deter him from the thoughts, though. With Larry's one arm cradling his back and the other on distinct display with every raised motion to eat a bite of pizza, Travis has to focus that much harder on-- well. not being hard. It's a lot to ask of a guy and if he wasn't still worried about being blasphemous he'd consider himself up there with the saints in this moment.
Thankfully, the pizza is eaten without incident. Larry gathers up the empty plate from their hands and carelessly drops them to his crowded bedside table. As Travis twitches, his kneejerk instinct urging him into at least setting them in the sink, Larry's hands find his hips and Travis' brain shuts off for a second.
Long fingers curl along the waistline of the borrowed sweat pants, using them as a vantage to tug Travis closer and down as the taller male squirms them both down into a laying position with Travis sprawled all the more against Larry's chest. Normally he could find something smart to say but quite frankly, Larry was warm and Travis was full. The steady heartbeat thumping in his ear combined with how Larry's hands sneak under the sleep shirt and rub soothing circles into his back leaves the blond complacent enough that he settles instead.
Today had been rough, That's why Travis had come over unannounced with enough pent up stress lining his shoulders that all it took to make him burst into a fit of tears was Larry wrapping him up into a hug. It had been unexpected but so, so needed at that moment. Larry had let him vent with some endless well of patience, holding his hand whenever Travis had stalled out, choking over his words. And had simply... been there when he needed him. Travis had so much more than he ever thought he would. He didn't have the words for how grateful he was and Larry wasn't going to push him into expressing them.
Eventually, Larry breaks the quiet of the bedroom, stirring Travis from the brink of sleep. His talking sends warm puffs of air along the blond's shoulder.
"Y'know. If you ever wanted to leave your pops' place. We could make room for you here."