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It happens when Rae is setting up a lobby for a game of Among Us.
Corpse had noticed that she was already in the one of the gaming voice chat on discord and decided to hop on, quietly asking if she’d already started streaming. He hadn’t seen her post anything on Twitter but he didn’t want to cause too much of a disruption if she did happen to be streaming.
“Nope! Not yet, I’m mostly just trying to fill in a couple spots,” Rae explained. “I think Ludwig is coming on but…”
“Who couldn’t make it?” Corpse asked, trying to remember who exactly was supposed to be on today’s stream. Aside from Sykkuno.
Raes icon flickered as she sighed. “Sykkuno and Edison.”
“Oh.” Oh. He didn’t even try to hide the disappointment in his voice.
Rae snorted. “Yeah, oh.”
Corpse worried his bottom lip for a moment. He was hoping to talk to the older streamer; it’s been too long since they have. Corpse missed him. “Is–is he okay?”
“Yeah! Don’t worry too much, he hasn’t been feeling well lately and finally came down with a cold, it’s not anything horrible,” Rae said fondly. “He’s been staying up too much playing Rust and not taking care of himself.”
Corpse chuckled, relieved. “Of course, he’s always got something new every time we play.”
The notification sound that someone else joined sounded and Corpse, like a truly desperate man, was hoping it was Sykkuno. He grumbled when it was only Toast.
“Wow. What a welcoming.”
Rae snickered and Corpse grumbled some more just to poke fun at Toast.
“Ugh, I’m actually hurt,” Toast said flatly. “Rae, find someone else, I’m gonna go write a song about heartbreak.”
Another sound and Brooke joined. Corpse groaned.
“What the hell? I just got here and this guy is–“
“He did it to me too,” Toast said solemnly. “I’m crying.”
More notification sounds and three more people joined. None of them were Sykkuno. Not that he was expecting him or wanting him to join. Sykkuno needed to rest and if he so much as saw Sykkuno online, Corpse would absolutely spam him until he got the message.
“Jack, you won’t believe what just happened–”
“Where’s Sykkuno?” Jack interrupted, a few others acknowledging the question with their own.
“He’s sick,” Rae said simply, “is anyone streaming right now?”
“Aww, I should text him once we’re done.”
“Nah no ones doing it yet,” Leslie pipes in before adding “yeah, I hope he eats some soup.”
Corpse leaned back, smiling a bit as the conversation spiraled into what the best sick soup was. Someone said tomato soup and Rae started yelling. Appropriate response.
Another person joined the chat and Corpse lurched forward.
“Sykkuno!”
“What are you doing here? You should be tucked in and sleeping!” Jack reprimanded way too softly.
“Hey guys,” Sykkuno said, voice stuffy and cracking.
“Oh my god...Sykkuno,” Corpse sighed out in concern.
Everyone started talking at once, but they all practically said the same thing; “go back to bed Sykkuno.”
“I’m, I just felt bad guys,” he coughed and Corpse cringed. “I promised to play today.”
Corpse shook his head. Of course Sykkuno would do this. Of course he’d put his health below a promise to play video games. Not that he could say much–but still. “Sykkuno, please get out of here and sleep,” Corpse said through the chaos of everyone speaking, emphasizing the please.
“Oh!” A cough. “Hi Corpse!”
Corpse wanted to hug the shit out of this man. And also tuck him into bed. “Hi Sykkuno. Go to bed.”
Everyone else voiced their agreement; it had Sykkuno stuttering an explanation and Corpse couldn’t help the little chuckle even though he was trying to be stern.
“Well...I guess if Corpse says so,” Sykkuno said like it didn’t immediately activate Corpses stupid monkey brain.
“What?!” Rae shrieked. “You’ll listen to him but not your twin?! This is cyberbullying, Sykkuno!”
Toast said something in agreement but Corpse was still trying to reboot his brain. Sykkuno is literally the cutest man alive; what Corpse wouldn’t give to date the fuck out of him.
He ran a hand through his knotted curls, scowling when one of his rings got caught in a knot. He needed to buy some new product, maybe Sykku–wait. Why’s the lobby so quiet?
“Corpse? Buddy?”
Corpse frowned, “what’d I do?”
Rae made a choked noise and Leslie shushed her.
“You’ve been touched by an angel Corpse, so lucky that Sykkuno got up for some tea before you said that,” Toast said and shit it better not be what he’s thinking.
“But you’re gonna ask him when he gets back, right? Ask him to date the fuck out of you?” Rae hinted with barely contained glee.
Corpse flushed before the feeling dropped into cold panic. He said that out loud? Was his monkey brain really that bad? He said that OUT LOUD? “I, no, uh–I’m really–I didn’t m-mean–” he doesn’t even know what to say; his hands were sweating, shaking against his lap where he clenched onto his jeans.
“H-hey, I’m back,” Sykkunos soft voice was like a release of pressure, warmed him instantly and then it had him internally panicking once again.
“Welcome back, what kind of tea did you get?” Leslie asked after another chorus of “hi Sykkuno”.
“Lemon tea, and I added a little honey,” Sykkuno said before pausing. “For my throat.”
Oh fuck. Corpse should try that again whenever his throat was acting up. It’d be even better if Sykkuno–
“Alright, I think, yeah,” a cough, “ouch. I’m going now.”
“Awww, but also yess,” Jack said first before it was followed by Toast and Rae.
Oh fuck he’s leaving. Is Corpse really going to do this? Oh god, oh fuck. What’s the worst that could happen? Sykkuno verbally beating the shit out of him. No wait that isn’t even bad.
“Sykkuno, before you go,” Corpse blurted out, voice steady despite his hands shaking.
Thankfully everyone else took the hint and spoke among themselves, not leaving it awkwardly quiet. Although Jacks whispered “you got this buddy” almost pulled a hysterical laugh from Corpses throat.
“What is it?”
“Uh...just, I’ve been–d-do you want to come over? And uh, hang out?”
Rae screeched, Brooke was steadily getting louder and Jacks laughter only prompted Toast to start yelling. Corpse had to remind himself that they weren’t laughing at him and pushed the last words out despite the noise. “Like a date...I-I mean only if you, like, I guess if you want.” Everyone’s voices cut out, suddenly silent.
“Yeah! Y-yeah, I’d love to come over!” Sykkuno wheezed out. “Uhm, I’ll text you later? When I’m not half dead?”
“Yeah, yes, later,” Corpse said quickly, face hot and hands cold. “Get some rest Sykkuno.”
The older hummed brokenly; “bye Corpse.”
And he was gone, leaving Corpse to go through 10 different emotions in 1 second ending with him holding back a scream of actual happiness.
“Oh my god, Corpse…”
Oh, yeah, he was still in the call with the others.
“He actually did it?”
“He did...HE DID IT BITCHES!”
“W-wait, holy fuck, I just, FUCK,” Corpse half whispered, feeling almost lightheaded.
The yelling from everyone faded into white noise, Corpse busy thinking of what the hell he’s going to do once Sykkuno actually comes over.
*☂︎*̣̩⋆̩
Sykkunos coming in two days. Two tiny little days that are beating the shit out of Corpse.
He still has no idea what he’s going to do once the older was actually here. What do you do during a stay at home date? Sit on the couch? And what, look at eachother?
He’s over thinking. Sykkuno being here would probably immediately soothe him because Corpse is a grade A simp. Nothing to be ashamed because: Sykkuno. But for now he was pacing in circles, picking his already chipped nail polish.
There was a ping from his phone and he scrambled for it, dropping onto the couch and unlocking the phone. His excitement died down when he noticed it was only Toast. Corpse sighed, opening it. Something about streaming later today.
Another sigh and Corpse pulled up another app to order some food. Something Ash and Sykkuno had told him to get instead of pulling up each site. He should eat before stream or he wouldn’t eat at all and that always came back to bite his ass the next day.
Soup sounds good but so does–
“Pizza!” Corpse gasped out. Sykkuno said something about–yeah, yeah that could work, they could try it together. Vegan pizza couldn't be that hard.
*☂︎*̣̩⋆̩
Sykkuno is nervous. Excited but so nervous.
He’d already texted Corpse that he was here but that was five minutes again and Sykkuno was still in the car, trying to talk himself into actually moving.
He didn’t know why he was being like this. Sure it’d be the first time they see each other; that Sykkuno sees Corpse, but that should be something Corpse is anxious about. Not that he wants him to be, but. But…
Sykkuno grabbed his phone, texting Corpse one more time.
‘Are you sure you want me to come up? Or well I mean are you okay with meeting?’
He didn’t want to pressure the other streamer, even though he’d asked this question three other times on his drive over.
The response never came and Sykkunos anxiety spiked, gripping his phone right and ready to apologize, to tell him they could do this another time.
There was a knock at this window and Sykkuno jumped, his phone falling into the gap between the cup holder and the seat.
But Sykkuno was too busy looking at Corpse. At pretty hair and even prettier eyes, at dark circles that moved when Corpses eyes scrunched up into a smile that was covered by a mask. This is Corpse?
Sykkunos cheeks felt warm, wide eyes flickering between thick brows and long eyelashes. Oh man. If he thought he’d fallen stupidly in crush with Corpse, actually seeing him just threw him down the ditch of Crushing.
“Sykkuno?”
Oh, his voice sounded deeper than on calls.
They were outside. Corpse was outside…!
Sykkuno grabbed his door handle and Corpse stepped back from the window. “Corpse, you didn’t, I mean thanks b-but you didn’t have to uh, come out!” Sykkuno gasped out once he stumbled out of his car.
Corpse waved a hand, the other shoved into his large black sweater. “It’s fine, I wouldn’t have come out If I didn’t want to,” there was a smile in his voice and his eyes were still scrunched up so Sykkuno relaxed. Just slightly enough for him to stop holding his breath.
“Well, uhh, thank you and h-hello.”
“Hi Sykkuno.”
The moment of silence had Sykkuno tensing up again, eyes moving down to his beat up shoes and then back to Corpse. He almost choked when Corpses gaze was still on him, actually looking down before trailing back up.
Oh man, okay. Okay. “Uhm, let’s–we should go in, right?”
Corpse nodded slowly and Sykkuno smiled slightly. “Alright let me get my phone,” the older turned back around, bending over his seat and shoving his hand into the crevice between the console and the seat. “I think it fell in here, eh.”
Corpse made some odd wheezing noise just as Sykkunos fingers touched the corner of his phone. He grabbed it quickly and slipped out the car, turning on his heel worriedly. Corpse was looking red and sounded like he was holding back a cough.
“Are you alright?” Sykkunos hand hovered with lots of space to spare by Corpses trembling shoulder. Just in case. “Come on, take me up–”
“Sykkuno,” Corpse wheezed out at last. “H-hold on.”
So he waited, still anxiously hovering but trying desperately to not overwhelm Corpse. Until finally the younger streamer stood up straight, shaking a hand through his curls at the back of his head. “Fuck,” Corpse murmured. “Yeah, let’s go up.”
Sykkuno nodded, following behind Corpse silently.
Neither of them said anything but it wasn’t uncomfortable, it didn’t have Sykkuno itching to fill the silence with some stuttering nonsense. It was nice.
And then they arrived and Sykkunos nerves once again flared up.
*☂︎*̣̩⋆̩
Oh fuck, now what. Once Corpse unlocks the door, what then? He’d already almost died when Sykkuno bent over, how was he going to survive making pizza with this man?
He turned the key the wrong way twice before actually getting it right; he swung the door open and held it so that Sykkuno could get in first, following behind him and locking the door.
“Oh, it’s so dark, how are your plants surviving?”
Corpse jolted, a smile spreading on his lips before he actually processed the question. But Sykkuno was already spluttering and it really was too dark because Corpse could barely see the red in his cheeks.
“I–I mean, uh, well I get it! Your eye! But the plants, they need some sun, eh, uhm–” Sykkunos voice was pitching and he was starting to twist his fingers and Corpse couldn’t hold it in.
He started laughing, roughly before it gentled into a giggle. “Sy,” he gasped out, “you’re actually the fucking cutest.”
Corpse has the pleasure of watching Sykkunos eyes widen and red spread down his neck. “W-what? No, y-you!”
“Me?” Corpse snorts.
Sykkunos still bright red and his hand has made its way over his mouth. But Corpse can tell the older is smiling just by the little shine to his eyes. “That’s right,” he says just a bit more confidently.
Corpse snorts again but says nothing more because woah. Sykkunos in his home. Talking about his plants rather than the pill dispensers right beside it. Talking about how dark it is rather than the emptiness of the room. Calling Corpse, indirectly, cute even though the younger still hadn’t removed his mask.
And fuck if Sykkuno isn’t the prettiest boy he’s seen.
Even in half darkness.
“Want to make some pizza, Sy?”
Sykkuno brightens, hand still covering his mouth and Corpse is determined to have that hand down just once during this...date.
*☂︎*̣̩⋆̩
“Corpse…I don’t think this is right…” Sykkuno mumbled, struggling to peel off the incredibly sticky dough from his hands.
Corpse glared at the dough then down to the instructions on his flour covered phone. “Uh, add more flour?”
Sykkuno added two whole cups before Corpse could stop him.
“I didn’t say to add the whole bag,” Corpse chuckled, watching as the other slowly rolled the very hard dough.
Sykkunos ears were red but he was focused on trying to stop the dough from crumbling. “Y-you didn’t say not to either,” Sykkuno grumbled.
There was a moment of silence where Corpses grin was so wide it almost hurt, his dark eyes focused on the flour stuck to Sykkunos cheek.
“You might actually be worse at cooking than me.”
“H-hey!” Sykkunos voice was small but there was a tiny quirk to his lips that had Corpse going through some Pavlov dog response.
And then there was a flicker of white covering his vision and filling his nose. Cocaine. He sneezed and the taste of flour shot down his throat.
Sykkuno was giggling, a flour covered hand lifted over his mouth.
Corpse stared and Sykkunos only laughed harder. Until Corpse reached over and grabbed a handful of flour. Then Sykkuno was freezing, holding his other hand up in defense. “W-wait, Corpse, it was an accident, I, I swear,” but Sykkuno was smiling, sounding so much like a little shit that Corpse wanted to drop the flour and kiss the fuck out of him.
Instead he threw the flour at Sykkuno, most of it landing in his hair. It had Sykkuno sqwauking, Corpse giggling now as the older struggled.
His giggle was caught in his throat five seconds later becuase suddenly stepped way to close, his breathe fanning over Corpses mask and shit. Sykkunos eyes were bright, eyelashes dusted with flour and cheekbones pink underneath the white. How was this man real? Corpse choked on his words but Sykkuno wasn’t done; he shook his head, the flour sprinkling all over Corpse once again but he hardly paid any attention to that. Because Sykkuno was smiling widely, hand nowhere near his face, and the sight almost had the taller looking away because it was so bright, so pretty in person.
“Woah,” he breathed out, flour puffing off his mask.
Sykkunos smile was unwavering and he still hadn’t moved back. Not that Corpse had a problem with that. “What?”
“Why’d you say yes?”
Sykkuno tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
Corpse frowned, brows furrowing because he was ruining it but god damnit he had to know before his stupid brain thought something bad. “Why’d you say yes to a date with me?”
Sykkunos smile dropped. Fuck fuck fuck–
“I-I said yes? To a date? W-wait, Corpse uhm, is this is a d-date?”
Corpses mind went blank. “Y-yes?”
Sykkuno looked away, still not smiling and Corpse was starting to spiral. He could feel the nausea in the pit of his stomach. “Sykkuno, I asked you out…during the voice call,” Corpse said, voice taking an edge.
Sykkuno took a couple step backs and Corpse started to shake. “I–Corpse, I thought you just asked if we could hang out?” The older said slowly.
Corpse laughed, bitter and sharp. “Okay, yeah,” he mumbled, because of course Sykkuno wouldn’t say yes if he knew it was a date. “Let’s, this is just us hanging out then, forget about that.”
He needed to wash the floor off his face anyways, now would be a good time to run away.
“Corpse,” Sykkuno said, softly and even as he was starting to panic, he remained. “I didn’t know this was uh a d-date, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“N-no it’s not,” Sykkuno said firmly, looking back up and directly at Corpse. “But…uhm, it’s not like I uh, I don’t, I mean, I would like it to be.”
Corpses eyes widened. For real? “Really? You’re not fucking with me?” He asked hesitantly.
Sykkuno gave him a look, brows raised and yeah. Sykkuno isn’t cruel. “Of course, I wouldn’t lie about this,” he said.
Corpse let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Can I hug you?”
Sykkunos smile returned, bright and for Corpse. He opened his arms and motioned for the younger to come closer. Corpse didn’t hesitate and slid into the space, arms wrapping around Sykkunos skinny waist and squeezing. Sykkuno made a little noise but returned the squeeze with his arms over Corpses shoulders.
“Holy shit, are we going out?”
Sykkuno giggled against his neck. “We better be, I don’t hug just anyone.”
Corpse squeezed him again, burying his face into Sykkunos neck.
It was a nice moment of silence; Sykkuno making them sway in place and Corpse trying to soak up everything he could before they had to part. Eventually he did pull back, though he kept his arms around Sykkuno, snorting when he saw the mess of flour he left on the shorter mans neck. “Sy–”
Lips pressed to his masked cheek before he could blink and then Sykkuno was leaning back with his face bright red but smile still blinding.
Corpse must be smiling too because his cheeks hurt and then he’s also leaning in to press a kiss onto Sykkunos forehead.
The both of them giggle like kids and Corpse feels so good. He feels light, happy, and gets somehow even happier when Sykkunos leans in to kiss his other cheek.
He’s so happy he’d even the forgotten pizza Sykkuno completely ruined. He tells the older as much and Sykkuno narrows his eyes and starts talking about how it could be saved. It can’t be but Corpse is happy listening to his voice and watching the uncovered smile.