Work Text:
What’s not to love about love?
“There was a time when you wanted my love, Chet. You wanted it like nothing else in this world.”
Tommy draws his legs up more on the couch, curling up under one of the many throw blankets he keeps around. He can’t help but wave his hands in excitement, glancing over at Darnold, who lounges on the other end of the couch. No one, not even Benrey, had ever agreed to watch his favourite show with him before, and the excitement inside of him feels much too big for his body-- even with his above-average height.
Invitation to Love plays on Tommy’s living room TV with the subtitles on; Tommy is very grateful that Darnold isn’t the type to complain about that sort of thing. On screen, a new mysterious and rugged character appears.
“Hello, beautiful.”
The lady on TV, Emerald, smiles knowingly. “I knew you’d come back.”
Tommy’s grin grows wider, the knowing smile of someone who has seen every twist and turn of this show.
“Wait,” Darnold speaks up. “Who’s he? Are we supposed to know?”
“N-no, don’t worry,” Tommy reassures him, finally settling on fidgeting with his bracelets so his wrists can rest from all the excitement. “I can’t say much, I’ll-- it would spoil it. You’ll see.”
“Ah, okay.”
A sudden nervousness comes over Tommy, which he tries to convince himself is unfounded. He and Darnold have been close for a long time, even before the resonance cascade. The potions master had already been subjected to many of Tommy’s interests, and Tommy had always returned the favour when it came to Darnold’s interests as well. So why would he be annoyed now?
The answer is he wouldn’t be. Tommy can be himself around his dear friend, and it’s one of the best feelings in the world.
On screen, an old man writes a letter by a fireplace.
“My darling daughter Jade…”
There’s a heavy pause. And then, the old man hastily adds, as if he’d almost forgotten, “...a-and Emerald.”
Darnold barks a short laugh, and Tommy can’t help but beam at the mixologist. He’s already seen this show more times than he could count, so watching the TV screen seems pointless when he could watch Darnold’s every reaction instead. Is that weird? Surely not, when it brings Tommy such indescribable joy. Two things in the world that he absolutely loves in one place; the world could never be more perfect.
Love? Yes, love. Tommy loves love. The love found in silly drama TV shows, canon or not. The love he has for his family, consisting of his ominous alien father and immortal dog. The love he has for his friends, the science team, and of course, Darnold.
Tommy isn’t one to follow social norms. Perhaps he can thank being socialized as a girl at the beginning of his life for letting him experience being able to openly express love and affection for his friends without judgement. No one blinks an eye at a girl saying “I love you” or hugging their friends. But transitioning, neurodiversity, and growing up half-human made for one heck of a combo when trying to figure out where he fit in this strange society humans constructed. As he got older, he decided it was a waste of energy to constantly put on a performance. If he wants to hug his friends and tell them he loves them, he will, and they won't think him weird for it because Tommy has excellent taste in friends.
“Tommy likes mean people,” Benrey had once said. It was funny how the alien had come to such a conclusion; what they were trying to explain was that Tommy practically has a 6th sense for those that society considers “rude” or “socially inept”, those who don’t fit into or understand social norms. Benrey has a habit of blurting out whatever pops into their mind without a filter. Gordon cusses like a sailor and yells a lot when he’s stressed. Darnold can get so focused on his work he doesn’t socialize with anyone for days. And yet, these three are who Tommy values as his closest friends.
Recently, especially, he finds himself spending most of his time with Darnold in particular.
“So, what-- thoughts so far?” Tommy asks after they’ve made it halfway through the first season.
Darnold hums in thought, taking a sip from his mug of hot Dr. Pepper he’d made a couple episodes ago. “Let me get this straight. So, Emerald and Chet used to be married.”
“Yep!”
“And Jade and Montana used to be married.”
“Mm-hm!”
“But now Jade is married to Chet, and Emerald is having a fling with Montana. Chet clearly still longs for Emerald, and Jade still longs for Montana who longs for her back.”
“B-basically!”
“My only question is, how does Emerald truly feel?” Darnold waves his hand (the one not holding the mug) around as he speaks, eyes fixed on the TV as if searching for the answer in the paused frame of the opening title. “Is she only in it for the money? Did she seduce Chet just so he would steal her father’s updated will so she could burn it? Does she only keep Montana around so that he would finish the job and kill her father? Now that things have all gone horribly wrong, will she take matters into her own hands? Was it never about love to begin with?”
Tommy stares, mouth hanging slightly open, eyes glimmering. Darnold meets his gaze, and after a couple of heartbeats suddenly becomes flustered. “Sorry, er, am I reading too much into this?”
“No!” Tommy blurts, his hands back to waving excitedly. “This is perfect! You-- You’re completely right! Emerald is truly the, the wild card in this story. Just you wait, you’re d-definitely asking all the right questions.”
Darnold smiles, looking relieved. “I’m glad I’m following so far. Though, there’s one more thing that confuses me, but maybe I’m just being silly.” He licks his lips. “Why did Chet and Jade leave people they both clearly still love only to marry each other? What’s that all about?”
Tommy stills his hands, only to rock back and forth instead. “It’s-- there’s reason behind it. Messy, complicated, drama-filled reason.”
And so the show goes on. They continue to fight over each other’s money and hearts, characters presumed dead return without a scratch, and the love triangles get even more heated.
On screen, the mousy man known as Chet confronts Emerald in her bedroom. “I love you, Emerald!” he proclaims. “I love you so much it’s killing me! Your very presence poisons my soul, your eyes tear me apart with every glance! If I can’t have you again I shall fling myself from this 5th story window! Is that what you want?”
Emerald takes a drag of her cigarette, fixing Chet with an unreadable gaze. “You care what I want?”
“Yes! I’ll do anything for you! Forget your father, forget Jade, forget the laws of man and God! I would kill for you, Jade! And I would die for you!”
Darnold is clearly trying to hold in a snicker during this scene, so Tommy reassures him, “You can laugh. It’s very… The writing is overly dramatic and the actors are overdoing it.”
A breathy laugh escapes the curly haired man, and he comments, “This all would have been resolved a while ago if they’d just agreed to be polyamorous. Y’know? Then everyone would be happy.”
The thought has Tommy’s shoulders shaking with laughter, so much so that his head ends up falling on Darnold’s shoulder as he tries to pull himself back together. “You’re-- you’re a genius!” he manages to say.
***
This is quite the situation Darnold has gotten himself in.
Darnold knows so much about Tommy, and yet sometimes he still feels like there’s so much he’s missing. Tommy has always been the affectionate type; not nearly as flirty as Benrey, who’s hardly serious about what they’re saying anyway (except towards a certain theoretical physicist, apparently). The tall, beyblade loving scientist is comfortable with hugs hello and goodbye, which Darnold can understand as platonic. But the way Tommy puts an arm around Darnold’s shoulders during a deep discussion, holds his hand while at a crowded event so they “won’t lose each other”, rests his head on his shoulder while laughing or when it’s getting late at night…
Surely this is going somewhere?
Tommy may be the true romance-genre buff here, but Darnold is cultured in the ways of Hollywood too. If this were a movie, they would have definitely kissed sometime around, well, now. Right?
There’s just something so… precious about Tommy. Darnold had always been an isolated person before the ray of sunshine had come into his life. But now that Darnold has such a valuable relationship, he can’t bear the thought of losing it. Yes, he had always been just fine alone. But when you have such a special friend, you don’t take that for granted; you don’t let yourself lose them like a forgotten childhood toy-- Tommy deserves someone who is a good friend in return.
Friend… Friends, friends, friends.
As Tommy tries to catch his breath, the comfortably heavy weight of his head on Darnold’s shoulder, the mixologist can’t help but think, I want this forever.
Unfortunately, Tommy checks the minion-themed watch on his wrist. “Oh, jeez,” he sighs. “It’s already 3… 3:26 am. I’m sorry I kept you up this late.”
Never apologize, never ever, Darnold thinks. “It’s alright, I don’t mind,” he says.
If this were a movie, Tommy would offer to let Darnold stay the night. But despite how often Darnold is over, he’s never been extended the offer. That’s fine; maybe that just isn’t something Tommy is comfortable with. It doesn’t stop Darnold from hopelessly wishing for it. He’d be happy to sleep on the floor if it meant not going back to his own home, a place that absolutely sucks because of its lack of Tommy.
Sadly, Tommy lifts his head, pulling away and rubbing his eyes. “You have work tomorrow, I-I should let you get to bed. Will you be able to drive home okay?”
As if Darnold would be too tired to drive with all of the caffeine in his body. “I’ll be fine, really. I could go all night.” He smiles, hoping that he doesn’t come across as imposing. Is he being too much? He doesn’t want to go home, but he also doesn’t want to be so greedy for being around Tommy that he ends up being overwhelming, thereby leading to him being pushed away, thereby leading to him being all alone again, thereby--
“It’s-- It’s important to get enough sleep,” Tommy begins to gently scold, throwing off the blanket and standing up. He extends a hand to help Darnold up and continues, “I don’t want you to… fall asleep while making someone’s drink. You could mess up, or get fired, or end up drowning--”
“Drowning?” Darnold laughs, accepting the help up, noticing quickly how close the two of them stand. “It’d be mighty impressive if I managed to drown in someone’s 32 ounce styrofoam cup.”
“It could happen!” Tommy pulls Darnold into a tight, warm hug that feels more like home than anywhere Darnold has ever been. “Go home and sleep well, please.”
Darnold hugs back, only letting go when Tommy pulls away. “I will. This was fun, I can’t wait to do this again!”
“R-really?” Tommy looks surprised, rocking on his heels. “You want to watch more?!”
“Of course!”
The beaming smile on Tommy’s face is priceless, and Darnold feels warm knowing that he’s the reason for it.
***
Darnold wakes up, and Tommy is on his mind.
Darnold drives to work, and Tommy is on his mind.
Darnold arrives at work, making special sodas in a little shack on main street, and all he can think about is Tommy. All he ever looks forward to is when they can spend time together again. He often daydreams the time away, imagining new activities they could do, just the two of them.
He’s giggling to himself at an inside joke only he and Tommy would understand when two familiar faces approach the soda shack window.
“Hey, gamer bro,” Benrey greets, hand in hand with Gordon. “Gimme one that uhhhh turns me into a neko.”
“Knock it off,” Gordon scolds lightheartedly. “How goes it, Darnold?”
Darnold no longer needs to put on a customer service smile around these two. He used to resent Gordon for insulting his interest in potions, and Benrey for ruining his old laptop and losing all of his game progress as a result, but that was all in the past. These two are actually pretty fun, and Gordon had forgiven him for the whole machine-gun-for-an-arm mishap. Plus, if Tommy liked them, Darnold did too. “It’s goin’ good, Dr. Freeman! What can I get for ya?”
Gordon orders a basic lemonade, while Benrey orders a crazy mixture of flavours that Gordon calls atrocious. Darnolds hums as he makes the drinks.
“Been hangin’ out with Tommy, I can tell,” Benrey says out of nowhere.
Darnold splutters, spilling a bit of soda and ice onto the counter. “Oh? Uh, what makes you say that?” he responds, doing poorly at playing it cool.
“That’s the beyblade theme song. You thinking ‘bout beyblades? Or Tommyyy?”
Darnold holds the drinks out the window in a rush. “Here ya are, enjoy and come again, thank you!”
Benrey gets busy chugging their drink (ignoring their straw), but Gordon tilts his head and smiles in a way that tells Darnold he’s about to be trapped into a conversation. “How are things going for you two, by the way?”
“Why do you say it like that?” Darnold asks accusingly. “We’re not-- he isn’t-- we’re definitely just friends, don’t you know that?!”
Gordon holds up a hand in defense. “Darnold, hey, it’s fine. If you two are just friends, that’s cool, we’re just teasing you a bit. But, y’know, if anything ever changes…” Gordon takes a sip. “We’d be happy for you both. Just saying.”
Darnold blinks, then turns his back to the two. “There’s nothing going on. Just two good buddies having… good fun.”
“Glad to hear it. Thanks for the--”
Darnold turns back to the window, letting his head fall into his hands. “Oh, Dr. Freeman, you’ve caught me, it’s horrible, just horrible!” he cries.
Gordon and Benrey’s eyes widen in shock, the two frozen in place.
“What’s going on, buddy?” Gordon asks worriedly.
“It’s true,” Darnold confesses behind his hands, “I’m smitten! Head over heels! Shot through the heart by cupid’s arrow! I’m hopelessly in love with Tommy!”
“CALLED IT!” Benrey exclaims, and Gordon slaps his hand over the alien’s mouth.
“Why’s that a bad thing?” Gordon asks, making a face as Benrey clearly licks him.
Darnold lets his hands fall and marches away, pacing in frantic circles inside the small shop. “Tommy is much more of an expert on love than I am! We talk about romance all the time, what the movies get right and wrong, stuff like that. He loves the subject. And I just think that, y’know, someone like Tommy would be the type to-- well-- notice! I’ve tried to do all the right things, let the proper romance that Tommy deserves play out step by step, but--”
“Take a breath, man,” the theoretical physicist advises.
“We go out together, the two of us, all the time! I insist on paying for both of us whenever I can! I keep a list of gift ideas on my phone for him, which I buy for him even when it’s not a holiday-- I don’t just do that for anybody! We hold hands in crowds and cuddle during TV show marathons and… and… It was him who initiated the physical contact anyway, so…. Why hasn’t he asked to kiss me yet?” Darnold’s face is uncomfortably warm, but he doesn’t stop letting the waterfall of words spill out. “Am I doing something wrong? Is he stringing me along because he thinks it’s funny? No, he wouldn’t do that…”
Benrey pushes Gordon’s hand away from their mouth, smacking their lips before speaking up. “I asked Tommy out once.”
Darnold’s nervous pacing comes to a halt. “What?!” he and Gordon ask in unison.
Benrey nods, eyes glazing over as they recall the past. “Forever ago. Told me he uh… didn’t have a romance path, no unlockable Tommy dating sim… but he still loves me. Best bros forever, kiss your homies goodnight, put your minecraft bed next to mine haha.”
Gordon fails to hold back a laugh, while Darnold reflects on the jumble of words. “I suppose you’re right. I’ve got to take matters into my own hands after all,” he sighs.
“Yep,” Benrey agrees, wrapping their arm around Gordon’s waist. “Benny’s top ten tricks to getting a boyfriend, number one: full send.” They tilt their drink up to begin munching on the ice rather loudly.
“Oh, but don’t you see?” Darnold rests his elbow on the window sill, his cheek in his palm. “If I were to do that, things would be different. And they could be different bad. I don’t want to risk ruining what we have now. I don’t want to risk losing him.”
Gordon ruffles Benrey’s hair as he thinks. “But they could end up being different good, ” he points out. “You two are clearly close. I’m sure there’s no harm in being open with him about this. Just give it a try?”
“You been, uh, racking up those romance points for a while,” Benrey adds, talking with a mouthful of ice. “Just gotta level up and unlock the secret ending.”
Darnold taps his fingers on the window sill in thought. Then he snaps his fingers, expression brightening. “I’ve got it! I’ll make it the most romantic confession ever, something Tommy will just LOVE! After all, he deserves to live the best romance story in the world.” The mixologist clasps his hands together. “Thank you, you two. I’ve got to get planning right away.”
“Of course, man, good luck!”
Gordon tries to walk away, but Benrey stays glued to their spot.
“Can I get a refill?” the short alien asks, holding out the now completely empty cup.
“I’d have to charge you for another drink.”
“Aww, wuh? Not even for a friend? Best friend?”
“Nice try,” Darnold shakes his head, “but only Tommy is my best friend.”
***
Ah, love! Such a funny thing. Tommy truly believes that the world runs on love.
As he fills Sunkist’s dogbowl, he gives the sweet golden retriever a kiss on her head. Love.
His phone buzzes in his pocket. He checks it to see a message from his dad, asking if he’s free to see a movie this weekend. Love.
Tommy watches the clock; seven minutes til the hour. As he simply sits and waits for time to pass, he slips off one of his many stim bracelets and spins it around his fingers. This particular one Benrey had spent their arcade tickets on and gifted to him months ago. Love.
A knock at the door, just on time, like Darnold always is. Love!
Tonight, the two of them have plans to go stargazing atop a nearby hill on the outside of town. Darnold had been planning this for quite a while, insistent on catching a rare meteor shower. Tommy recalls a time when the handsome scientist had rarely ever agreed to go out. Over time, with Tommy’s persistence on inviting him to things as often as he could, Darnold had opened up more and more. Now, it seems the mixologist is the one always making plans, at least with Tommy. And Tommy loves it, no longer feeling like he’s forcing Darnold to hang out with him or anything; his good times with Darnold are always genuine.
Tommy jumps up, taking a quick moment to fix the tucked in yellow plaid button-up he’s wearing and readjust his propeller hat. Satisfied that his outfit looks (and just as importantly, feels) all good, he opens the door.
“Hi--”
Tommy cuts off at the sight on his doorstep. It isn’t unusual for Darnold to dress up nicely; tonight, he wears an orange dress shirt, white pants, and a white vest. But what catches Tommy by surprise is the bouquet of flowers being held out towards him.
Love?
"These, uh, are for you," Darnold says, head ducked and face hidden behind the offered collection of yellow roses.
Tommy blinks. Then he claps his hands excitedly, exclaiming, "This is j-just like when Chet gave Jade the yellow rose when... during the flashback episode in season two!" He accepts the bouquet, taking a moment to appreciate the soft feeling of the petals against his nose. "Did you know? Yellow roses can mean jealousy, friendship, or happiness."
Darnold follows him inside as Tommy marches into the kitchen, on the hunt for a vase. "Oh. Well, y'know, they're also your favourite colour. Is what I was actually... ahem, anyway." Darnold crouches down to scratch Sunkist's ears. "You ready to go, sweet girl?"
Sunkist gently barks some brightly coloured Sweet Voice in confirmation, and soon the three of them are on the road in Darnold's car.
Tommy sways side to side in the passenger seat, beaming. Every song that comes on is a favourite love song of his, ones that he's sure both he and Darnold know all of the words to by now. The two of them pick up singing the choruses together, though their attempts at remembering some of the verses ends up in stumbling and stuttering and laughter.
They arrive at a particular spot outside town, pulling over on the side of the road, then grabbing a blanket from the backseat and spreading it out over the grass on the top of the hill. Sunkist immediately lays down and takes up half of it, leaving Tommy and Darnold to sit close together in the remaining space, side by side with their heads tilted up to the sky.
"I brought something special with me," Darnold says, a hint of mischief in his voice. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small vial. "Recognize this?"
Tommy raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Is that-- Is that the potion that slows down time? The, the one that we worked on together?"
Darnold nods, unscrewing the cap with a smile. "This meteor shower is a very special, rare, and exciting one. I was thinking we could slow down time for the two of us and enjoy it even longer?"
Tommy takes a small sip from the vial, then hands it back so Darnold can do the same.
Above them, streaks of glowing white paint the sky, lasting longer than normal so the two scientists can appreciate the beautiful show. There's a slight chill to the night air, and Tommy enjoys the warmth he gets from being pressed up against Darnold. It warms his heart that even Darnold lets him be so close. He used to worry that Benrey would be the only one in the world willing to indulge Tommy in his desire for contact, the alien completely uncaring what sort of connotations usually came with certain actions. With Benrey getting into a relationship, Tommy had been afraid he'd lose a lot of what had become a regular comfort in his life. After all, Benrey had someone else to cuddle and hug and even kiss. Would Tommy ever have that again...?
And then he's brought back to reality, remembering who exactly is beside him. Perhaps...
But, no. Unlike Benrey, Darnold is a human who was raised in a western human society; even though they're such close friends, Tommy's sure of it, he still isn't certain that Darnold wouldn't misunderstand his intentions. He'd hate to drive away someone so close to him, someone who has become part of his life routine, someone who he's spent so long building such a close relationship with.
He feels Darnold take his hand.
Tommy glances over at the mixologist, searching his expression. Darnold keeps his eyes glued to the sky, so Tommy returns his eyes upward as well.
"Tommy?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for everything." He feels Darnold tighten his hold on his hand, press in closer to his side. "I... I've never been happier my whole life than I am with you."
Tommy rests his head on top of Darnold's. "I'm so glad to hear that."
"And, you see, I, well. As wonderful and lovely as things are now... If things ever have to change, I want them to change for the better, y'know? I'd want what we have to only get better." His voice grows much quieter as he adds, "I'm so scared to lose this."
Tommy feels his heart beating faster, growing heavier. "Me too," he admits just as quietly.
Tommy knows. He isn't that oblivious. Gordon may refer to him as a kid, but the soda addicted scientist has been alive for nearly four decades. Tommy knows exactly what it looks like when a person loves another romantically.
Tommy knows Darnold has a crush on him.
He's fine with that, really. It doesn't bother him at all. But it just means he'll have to let down someone else. Watch the heartbreak in their eyes as they realize he can't love them as they wish to be loved, can't return the feelings...
Is it Tommy's fault? Should he have been clear from the beginning? Has he been selfish by letting things get this far? Is he a horrible person for having indulged in the closeness they had when all this time it meant something so different to his dear friend?
His heart sinks as Darnold inevitably asks, "Can I confess something?"
"Anything," Tommy answers. "You can always tell me anything."
There's a moment of hesitation. And then, with a tinge of nervous laughter, Darnold blurts, "I love you."
Tommy shuts his eyes tightly.
"I know," he whispers.
"R-really?" Darnold asks quietly, sounding surprised.
Tommy drags out the silence afterwards for as long as he possibly can. He tries to stay in the moment they're in, where the two of them are so close, and comfortable, and open, and warm, and together.
But Darnold deserves an answer, and it feels cruel to keep him waiting like this.
Tommy pulls away so they can see each other's faces, but keeps their hands together. He opens his mouth to speak, and is startled by the fact his throat is tightening up and his eyesight is beginning to blur. He didn't expect to get so choked up about this, but it makes sense. He hates that he has to do this. Darnold is so, so important to him. But there's such a high possibility that Tommy's going to lose him now.
"I-I'm so sorry," Tommy gasps, shocked by the way his shoulders begin to shake and tears spill down his cheeks. He hunches over, covering his mouth with his other hand as he cries. Embarrassment floods through him. He'd meant to be calm and mature about this, just like all the other times this has happened throughout his life, but... but...
Not Darnold. Not him, too.
Darnold pulls his hand back, leaving his hand feeling cold, and Tommy only cries harder.
"Hey, there's... there's no need to cry," Darnold says gently, clearly forcing his own voice to be steady. "We can stay friends. Right? Or if I've been too much of a creep, and you're just realizing that, well... Fair enough. I really have been too much, haven't I? Stupid, stupid me for having these stupid feelings that only ruin such a good thing, right? Ahah..." Darnold draws his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "Guess I've been selfish this whole time, huh? Being so close to you just because of... these feelings. Hoping you'd feel the same." He shakes his head. "Selfish and stupid, huh? I'm sorry."
"No," Tommy chokes out, "no, no, no... It was real. It wasn't.. you weren't..."
When Tommy is unable to speak for another minute, Darnold says, "You're right, it was real. Even if motivated by a crush, the good times... We were happy, right? You were happy?"
Tommy hates how he's talking about the good times in past tense. He desperately nods.
"Like I said earlier... thank you. For everything." Darnold stretches out a hand to stroke Sunkist, who is nuzzling into her owner with concern. "I can leave you be."
"Darnold, I love you!"
Darnold whips his head to stare at Tommy, eyes blown wide. "What?"
"I love you, Darnold, I love you, I love you! I-I don't want to lose you, I love you!" Tommy swallows hard, forcing himself to make eye contact, if only for a moment. He ignores the way his cheeks are sticky with tears, the way his whole body is trembling, the way self loathing creeps into his mind. "But you d-deserve someone who can love you properly, and I-- I can't! I don't, I can't love you right, not in... Not how you want me to, I--"
"Tommy, what on earth are you talking about?" Darnold uncurls, leaning towards him and tentatively reaching out a hand, but doesn't make contact.
"I don't love you romantically." Tommy's eyes fall to the blanket beneath them. "I'm aromantic."
"Oh." Darnold then repeats, "Oh. OH. Is that what Benrey meant when they...? That little gremlin, going on about 'no romance option'..."
Tommy sniffles, using the inside of his shirt to wipe his nose. "Benrey told you? About when they asked me to be th-their boyfriend?"
"Well, yes and no. They were rather vague about it. You know how they can be."
Tommy nods knowingly. Maybe if he explains what happened with Benrey, it will help him here and now; maybe Darnold will understand. Maybe he won't leave.
***
"Tommy?"
"Yeah?" Tommy takes a few more hefty gulps of the soda brand Benrey has dubbed as Gamer Fuel. The two of them are in Benrey's Black Mesa dorm, playing a first person shooter Tommy isn't really a fan of gameplay-wise, but rather enjoys making fun of the shoddy storyline. They sit on Benrey's bed, a bunched up blanket across both their laps.
It's dark except for the TV screen, definitely sometime during the early hours of the morning, and Benrey's eyes have a faint glow as they stare intensely at Tommy. They seem to be concentrating very hard inside their mind before blurting out, "Do you wanna be my boyfriend?"
Tommy's mouth falls open slightly, and he goes quiet for a long moment.
"I... Oh my." Tommy nervously tugs on his bottom lip with his teeth, processing.
Benrey ignores the screen asking him to continue to the next level, scratching slightly-too-sharp nails across the plastic casing of their controller. "Just thought... cuz you're cool and epic and... nice to me, only one here who likes me tbh. And I like you too. You're the mvp ever. Kissy time? Yes no or..." Benrey swallows, then curses. "Did I do something bad? Not again..."
"No, no," Tommy reassures them quickly, resting a hand on their arm. "You haven't done anything wrong! You-- I really, really appreciate you telling me how you feel. You can always tell-- be open with me, okay?"
"Okay..." The security guard still seems uncertain, fiddling with the joysticks.
Tommy takes in a deep breath. "Benrey."
"Tha's me."
The scientist turns his body fully towards the alien, who mimics him, setting aside their controller. Tommy doesn't make direct eye contact, instead watching his own hands wave around as he speaks. "What does, uh, romantic love mean to you?"
Benrey tilts their head. "Kissing. Bragging about you to everyone. Keeping you overnight. Yeah."
"Hmm. I see. Does that include everything we already do? Like... Hugs and game nights?"
"Yeah!" Benrey nods excitedly.
"What if..." Tommy feels his heart begin to sink just at the thought of Benrey's disappointment. He hates to let down his dear friend, but he also wants to be completely open and honest with them. No pretending to feel things he doesn't. No putting on an act; he knows very well how wrong it is to build a relationship on lies. "What if we had all-- most of that, but in a different way?"
"Different?"
"We can hug and hang out all the time and-- and we can even kiss sometimes too if you want. But I don't... I'm aromantic. Do you know what that means?"
"Wuh?"
Tommy laughs softly. "That's okay. It just means th-that I don't..." Tommy links his own fingers together. "I love you, Benrey. But not romantically. And I don't think... I don't know if you'd be happy to call me your boyfriend if I don't... return your feelings like that. Is what I'm..."
"No Tommy romance path?"
"...I'm sorry."
There's silence as it's Benrey's turn to process, half of their face lit up by the glow of the TV. Tommy glances up to see their eyes flickering around.
"But... we can have the different thing?"
Tommy nods, heart racing. "If you want. Or if not, that's o-okay too, we can be strictly, uh, platonic. We can do less touching if it just makes you sad and--"
"No!" Benrey interrupts. They reach out to gently pull Tommy's hands apart from each other, then intertwine their fingers with his. "Doesn't make me sad at all. We can still have this?"
Tommy smiles hopefully at them. "Yeah."
Benrey grins, showing off sharp teeth. "EPIC. I like this. Special Tommy and Benrey thing, private server, no one else gets it cuz their iq's aren't high enough. You're my... my Tommy."
Tommy squeezes their hands. "And you're my Benrey."
***
"...And when Benrey-- when they fell in love with Gordon, and things turned out well in the end, I was so happy for them. They got the kind of... romance they were looking for." Tommy swipes his sleeves across his cheeks. "The kind I can't give you."
Darnold hums in acknowledgement. He's kneeling now, brow furrowed as he thinks.
"I'm sorry," the half-human murmurs.
Darnold sticks out his tongue slightly in thought. Then he sits up straighter and says, "I mean, honestly? Tommy, the way you love me is enough."
Tommy rubs his palms into his eyes. "...Huh?"
"Tommy," Darnold says again with a breathy laugh, "the way you love me is enough! In fact, I love the way you love!" He opens his arms wide, beautiful dark eyes crinkled from a wide smile. "You have no idea how happy you make me! I'm the luckiest man in the whole world because you love me !"
Tommy stares at the way his arms are so inviting. Does he dare go for a hug right now? Disbelief keeps him paralyzed. "You... You want to stay with me, even when... Even though I can't give you a proper romance?" He holds up a finger for emphasis as he asks, "If we were to 'date', o-or be 'romantic' partners, what would you want to change?"
Darnold rests his hands on Tommy's shoulders. "Gosh, what would even change, anyway? When things are wonderful as they are?" He glances away shyly for a moment. "I mean, I'd love to brag about you as my partner. Just because you're the most amazing thing in my life and I can't stop myself from talking about you. And... maybe... well, you really don't have to even consider this, it's fine, but Ijustthoughtit'dbenicetokissmaybe but you can ignore that bit."
Tommy tries very hard to detangle the quickly spoken words.
"But if you just want to be best friends, Tommy, if it means I get to have you in my life, that's enough." Darnold gently rubs his thumbs against the plaid yellow fabric. His eyes are starting to glimmer with tears now too. "What we’ve got is perfect. I've never felt so loved before. So... thanks for that."
He... feels... loved? He feels properly loved by Tommy?
Tommy's love is enough ? He isn't a crushing disappointment? He hasn't ruined this most precious relationship, he doesn't have to say goodbye, he gets to keep Darnold here with him now and far into the future, forever even?
He finally comprehends the words from earlier.
"If you want to kiss, we can. I-I like physical affection," Tommy says, putting his hands over Darnold's. "I've always been so worried... that without a romantic relationship I couldn't, uhm... have that."
Darnold gapes, looking starstruck. Which is funny, because the actual stars above them have been long forgotten. "Are you sure? You'd really be okay with that?"
"If you're okay with... the lack of romantic feelings on my end."
Darnold's hands grip Tommy's shoulders just slightly tighter. He leans in, and kisses Tommy so sweetly and gently. Tommy feels like he could start crying again, realizing that he is loved as he is, that he won't lose his dearest friend, that maybe the sort of relationship he hopes to have with someone else really is achievable after all and not an impossible dream.
"You won't be sad?" Tommy asks when Darnold pulls away, still uncertain. "About... how I feel differently?"
"You still love me, right?"
"I love you."
Darnold places a warm hand on Tommy's cheek. "I love the way you love me."