Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Dude! All I’m saying is we’ve ridden horses before, and there’s unreleasable footage of my arm up a cow’s ass-” Cody was so gracefully explaining, lighting up the studio in laughter as Noel stomped his feet. 

“ Very unreleasable, I should emphasize,” Noel interrupted.

“Yeah, yeah. What I’m saying is we should be honorary cowboys at this point! I wanna be a cowboy!” he complained to more laughter. Noel had his head thrown back and hands clutching his stomach.

“Bro, you think our scrawny LA pansy asses could survive at a ranch? You really want to be a cowboy?” 

“Hell yeah! I wanna be a cowboy, baby! I want to wear a straw hat and eat barbecue and drink tea and ride a fuckin’ horse! I conquered my fear now I wanna crush it!”

All of the TMG studios employees in the room couldn’t believe their eyes as Cody so seriously argued his point. He almost sounded convincing as the point eventually divulged into their typical podcast banter. 

The rest of the episode and the bonus went on without a hitch and people were moving around as it ended, talking and joking as they wrapped for the day. 

“Dude, that bit about going to a ranch was priceless. Nice one,” Noel congratulated when he found Cody in another room texting. 

“Haha, thanks. But I mean, it wasn’t fully a bit. Cody and Noel Do a Dude Ranch could be dope,” Cody responded, placing his hands ahead of him to gesture around his conjured title. 

“Would the word ‘ranch’ be in parentheses because I feel like it’s the only way to do it right.”

They both chuckled at the joke and moved on. The week slipped past as they eventually rejoined for the next episode filming, sitting around in a meeting prior to discuss the previous week’s engagement and the upcoming episode’s talking points.

“I’m sure you guys all saw, but the cowboy bit is blowing up,” their producer Luke said. It wasn’t too much of a shock since they’d named the episode after the bit: I wanna be a kowboy, baby. “That tiktok is up to, like, 2.3 mill last I checked, and we’ve got comments from places in Texas, Colorado, and Montana inviting us to their ranches.”

“Yoooo, let’s go,” was all that Cody could say.

“We could make it happen if you guys wanted to,” Luke replied seriously, looking between Cody and Noel. They turned to each other and shrugged, trying to guess what the other was thinking so their energies would match. 

“I mean, how soon are we thinking? I’ve got a month long break between shows coming up, so if we can get in on short notice, I could make it,” Noel started.

“And, like, in the bit I had kinda been thinking of Texas but we could do anywhere. I’m down if the team is.”

The entire group of production members looked between each other with smiles. It was official. They were going to Texas, it was now just a matter of setting up the trip. In the meantime, Cody and Noel prepared for the week’s cold open by putting on cowboy hats and bandanas.

—

It had been relatively easy to get the trip set up with only a few week’s notice.

Perhaps too easy. 

The plans to come had quickly been solidified as a ranch hand had commented on the tiktok clip and gotten the team in contact with the owners. It didn’t take long to ensure that rooms would be open and they would be allowed to film there. 

Now, their 15 person team was on a plane bound towards Austin, where they’d then take a long drive out to the ranch.

“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” Cody said when he and Noel first settled into their adjacent seats. “Didn’t feel real until just now.”

“Man, I feel like it’s gonna get a whole lot realer in a few hours.”

They laughed it off and as the plane began its journey, they discussed shot ideas and bits against the incredibly vague itinerary they’d been given. 3 hours and a solid 1200 miles later, they were all loading up into 2 large white vans, reminiscent of a summer camp experience. 

The hour and a half drive wasn’t completely uncomfortable, but the bumpy roads in addition to having to cram all of the camera equipment and luggage among themselves for the weeklong stay had everyone relieved when they saw a sign over a gravel road that read “Huckleberry Ranch.”

It was hot as a cloudless sky allowed the sun to beat down when everyone got out. There was a woman waiting with a clipboard when they arrived, so Cody and Noel followed Luke to introduce themselves and check in.

“Howdy, y’all! My name’s Abilene Keith, but y’all can call me Abby. My husband Randy and I run the place. He’s busy wranglin’ some calves that got loose but he’ll come around soon enough. In the meantime, let’s get y’all situated, alright?”

Abby led them all into a wooden lodge reminiscent of a ski cabin which featured a large living area upon entering. To their left was an office, and then a dining area with a large kitchen. Towards the right was a hallway with some doors next to a staircase going up. Straight ahead were picture windows overlooking a porch and pool and lush greenery behind it.

Luke went into the office with Abby to discuss everything and make payments while everyone else settled in the den space, waiting to hear their rooming situation. The boys had looked at other ranches before booking this one, seeing that many were mostly like a resort experience, whereas this felt like visiting a family farm. Unfortunately, none of the big ones had been available on short notice, but they appreciated the privacy this one offered. The lodge hadn’t looked all that big from the outside, so they figured room sharing would be expected.

“Heyyy, guys, can we talk real quick?” Luke said to Cody and Noel once he had finished everything up, walking them into the empty kitchen. “So since we’ve got a big group, we’re gonna have to share rooms. Thing is, usually families come here, so there’s a master bedroom with a single king. Do you think you two would be okay sharing? I can ask around but, you know.”

“It’s a king, I’m sure it’ll be fine, right Cody?” Noel replied. They both looked at the blonde, who seemed lost in thought.

“What? Oh, yeah no that’s totally fine. I’m pretty sure we were in closer quarters back when we toured than we will be here. Could probably make a bit out of it for the video, too, if we wanted.”

“Dude that would be hilarious. Maybe have it end with us laying there looking uncomfy or some shit?” Noel laughed.

“Oh my God, thank you. I did not want to have to ask the other guys. You’ll even get a private bathroom from the rest of us so here are your keys. She said it’s upstairs at the end of the hall,” Luke said, handing them each a key attached to a wooden tag that read “201.”

With that, they grabbed their large luggage bags and began hauling them up the creaky wooden steps. Just as Luke had said, at the end of the hall was a dark stained door that opened to a large room. The king bed sat in the middle, covered in a western quilt and a million pillows. There was a door on the right which led to a balcony overlooking part of the ranch while the left held the closet and bathroom.

Cody got to opening his suitcase on a bench at the end of the bed, trying to find the clothes he wanted for filming this afternoon, when they’d have their first trail ride. In the meantime, Noel checked out the bathroom, whistling.

“Damn, dude. For some farm in the middle of nowhere, this is nice.”

Cody got up to see what Noel meant, eyes widening when he peered over the man’s shoulder. The bathroom was bigger than they expected, with double sinks, a shower, and a massive bathtub. After a few seconds of looking around, they separated, reentering the room. Noel sat on the bedside as Cody returned to rummaging through his bag.

“Hey, sorry if I kind of threw you under the bus about staying in here. I just don’t want to make anyone else share when we’ve known each other for so long, you know?”

“What? Don’t even worry about it dude. I mean, there’s enough pillows that we could make a barrier and call it good. Plus, we can cuddle if it gets cold,” Cody joked with brows wiggling. Noel scoffed.

“You’re on your own there, pal.”

They went on to getting their bags set up and clothes changed, eventually deciding they had everything they needed to go back downstairs. They were laughing as they entered the hall when they were stopped by a tall bearded man holding a stack of fabric.

“Y’all two sleepin’ together?” he asked, causing both boys to react in confusion. 

“We’re - uh, we’re both having to stay in there, if that’s what you’re asking,” Cody stuttered. 

“I’m just tryin’ to figure out how many towels the rooms need. It’s the one thing I forgot to put up before y’all got here. I’m Randy by the way, we’re happy to have you folks here. Sorry I missed y’all coming in. Fence was broken.”

“Oh, well thanks for having us. I’m Noel, this is Cody. And uh, we’ll probably be fine with two towels, thanks.”

The boys quickly moved on, not wanting to discuss the implications of Randy’s question prior. Sure they were “sleeping together” but it’s not like they were sleeping together sleeping together. They could assume that it was a harmless question, but this was also the south and they were two city boys coming from LA. 

It was much to think about despite neither actually wanting to think about it. 

After a tour of the place, which included a pool and hot tub next to the house along with hiking trails and the barn, the group was ready to shoot the video opening. They stood under the entrance they’d seen when they first got there, Randy off to the side. Despite the heat, cameras rolled, Cody and Noel again wearing their cattleman hats and bandanas around their necks.

“Howdy!” Cody started, putting on a thick (and quite bad) accent. Noel followed with his own, slightly better, southern twang.

“Welcome to another Cody and Noel do where today we’re doing a dude…”

“…ranch,” they both said together, looking seriously into the camera. 

“As you can see, we’re at the hidden valley ranch factory,” Noel said in his normal voice, gesturing to the land behind them.

“What? Dude no, this is brokeback mountain,” Cody argued. Noel stared at him in shock before responding,

“Hold on what? Shi-“ he started before running out of frame. 

They all laughed off the joke, it was one of the bits they’d discussed on the plane and it landed just right. As they reset for the next shot, Cody couldn’t help but notice Randy, who hadn’t hardly reacted to their humor. They had all made it clear that almost anything out of the boy’s mouths would be a joke, but his stone faced demeanor suggested that he was judging their every move. He hoped that the rancher was just camera shy and would loosen up eventually. 

“Okay seriously, we are just outside of Austin, Texas at the Huckleberry Ranch where Cody is finally gonna get to live out his cowboy dreams while the rest of us try not to die out here,” Noel explained, fanning himself and wiping his forehead. 

“Yeehaw, baby! But seriously, big shouts out to this place for letting us come. Mr Randy Kieth here,” Cody gestured to the man so the camera could briefly pan. The rancher stoically waved. “He’s the owner and is gonna be taking us on some of our horseback adventures. So what’re we waiting for?”

They both clapped their hands together and rubbed them, starting back down the driveway towards the horse stables.

—

“This feels racially motivated,” Noel deadpanned as he stood in front of a brown horse and Cody in front of a white one. Randy’s eyes bulged for a second before Noel started laughing.

“Fuck off! We can switch if it’s that big of a deal,” Cody offered.

“No, no, no. I don’t like the implications of either of us ‘riding’ the other’s horse, Jake Gyllenhaal.”

“What ? Why do I have to be Jake Gyllenhaal. Fuck that guy! Plus this episode does suggest we’ll do a dude so…”

“Alright I’m walking back to California,” Noel exclaimed, again rushing out of frame. "And you’re totally Jake Gyllenhaal!" 

The next cut, they were both sitting on their original horses, trying to get used to them before heading off. Their trail ride lasted just over an hour but by the end of it, their legs were tired and butts numb. 

Back at the stables, Noel dismounted first and started towards the crew to look at footage when Cody started laughing. The man was walking stiffly with legs spread wide and knees ever so bent. 

“Oh fuck you dude, like you’ll be any better!” he called as Cody slid from his horse, immediately mimicking the stance. He too, started limping as his hips and inner thighs tried to loosen up. He groaned and accepted defeat as they followed Randy back towards the lodge, trailing behind the rest of the group in pain. Aside from some team members who just wanted to ride the horses and the ranch hands, the team was lucky. They’d been allowed to ride ATV’s to maintain a somewhat steady setup. 

As soon as the doors opened, they were all greeted to the smell of Texas barbecue, stomachs growling after their long day. They were all more than happy to sit around the tables and dine on the large spread of food. 

“We hope you guys enjoy a taste of the best brisket you’ll ever eat,” Abby started, winking. “Me and our cooks work real hard to make sure everything tastes good but if anyone ever wants to beat the heat and join us, feel free! We’re always happy for an extra hand.”

The sun hadn’t hardly begun setting when dinner was finished, but almost everyone was already planning to head to their rooms to take it easy, edit footage, and rest up. After a few discussions about the upcoming day, which would include filming the weekly podcast episodes, Cody and Noel headed upstairs towards their room. 

Upon entering, the first thing they noticed were two towels resting on the bed. 

“So… you wanna shower first? I don’t mind waiting,” Cody said. Suddenly the fact that they were going to be staying alone in a room with one bed became a lot more real once the door shut. While Noel took to the bathroom, Cody sat on the balcony, scrolling through social media and answering messages to distract himself. 

He was so caught up in a tiktok rabbit hole that he didn’t hear the door open behind him. 

“It’s all yours,” Noel said, causing Cody to jump. 

“Damn, dude, you scared me. But uh, thanks. If you want to look while I’m in there, I added a couple things to the talking points thread for tomorrow. Found some weird shit on tiktok.”

When Cody ran products through his freshly washed hair, he looked in the mirror as anxiety bubbled back up. There was no avoiding it now. As soon as he stepped out of the bathroom, he would be crawling into bed with his best friend. 

Well. Not like that . 

But it felt almost as intimate to him. 

Upon opening the door, Cody found Noel sitting atop the bedcovers on the side closest to him, leaned back on a stack of about 5 pillows. He looked up from his computer to address the blonde. 

“Sorry, I just kind of claimed this side while I was working but we can switch if you want.”

“No, no it’s fine. I prefer the other side anyways. Shouldn’t really matter when we line the pillows up between us anyways, right?”

“Yeah, not like we’re gonna run out of these things anytime soon, either,” he replied, sitting up to shift some of the pillows behind him. 

For at least an hour, both just sat on top of the quilt, the small TV on the wall quietly playing local news as they edited footage for their own channels. The room lights were off save for a lamp next to Noel’s side. Cody’s arms were getting cold as the air conditioner kicked on and blasted cool air into the room. However, he wasn’t keen on being the first to crawl under the covers. 

He shut his laptop and again started scrolling on his phone, occasionally glancing to Noel’s screen to see what he was up to. The man was engrossed in what looked like another of his weird DMs installments, adding email screenshots to the clips of him talking. Cody couldn’t hear the video since Noel had headphones in, and he didn’t want to risk looking like a creep by trying to read the text, so he just tried to guess how much longer Noel would be. 

Just as Cody was starting to shiver, Noel abruptly shut his own laptop and closed his eyes to rub them. He pulled out his earbuds and turned to Cody, sighing. 

“Man, I should have just sent this to my editor. I love reading the weird dms but those videos take so fucking lon- woah. You good, bro?” He quirked a brow. 

“Yeah, for sure. I just got kinda cold when the AC started running.”

“Should’ve crawled in, man. No reason to wait on me. I’m done now anyways so go for it. I gotta brush my teeth and shit but then I’m tapping out.”

Cody just nodded, watching as Noel got up and went back into the bathroom, door shutting behind him. He stared at the shut door for a moment before moving, pulling down the covers to stuff some pillows down the median of the bed as the rest got tossed to the floor. He had removed his shirt (despite the cold), plugged in his phone, and was taking off his glasses when Noel re-emerged. 

Wordlessly, Noel looked at the pillows littering the floor and smirked before getting in on his side. He stayed sitting up for a second, looking at the TV blankly as Cody laid back, watching the other man. After a few moments, Noel took a deep breath and pulled off his own tee. 

“You mind if I turn this stuff off?” He asked, looking at Cody, who immediately glanced away as if he’d been caught, then back. 

“Knock yourself out. I’m falling asleep as we speak.”

Noel chuffed then reached to his side, first grabbing the remote, then switching off the lamp. The room wasn’t pitch black, a blue glow emanating from around the blinds that covered the clear deck door. Cody laid still in silence as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light.

“Night, dude. Sleep good,” Noel said in the quiet before shifting so his back faced Cody. Cody gulped. 

“Yeah, you too. Goodnight.”

Cody waited a beat before turning himself, trying to make sure he laid on the very edge of the bed despite its grand size and the barrier bisecting it. Though his heart hammered in his chest, his eyelids became heavy and before he could think, he was out.

Chapter Text

Cody’s eyes shot open and for a moment, he had no idea where he was.

As he blinked and the room became clearer, he remembered that he was deep in the heart of Texas, as they say. The room was darker now than it had been when Cody fell asleep, so when he glanced at the clock and it said 4:07 , he wasn’t all too surprised.

Back home, it wasn’t unusual for Cody to rise early. He loved to wake up and hit the waves as the sun rose, maybe get in a morning workout and feel woken up by the time he needed to work. But 4:00? That was early even for him. Even worse, Austin had a 2 hour time difference from LA, meaning that back home it was only 2:00. Despite his remaining sleepiness, Cody rolled to his back and couldn’t help but ponder why he was awake so early.

Of course, he and Noel had traveled and ridden horses the day before, so that was a factor. Plus sharing a bed. On top of this, they’d also gone to bed somewhat early.  He hadn’t paid attention to the time, but he estimated that it had been around 10pm. 

After a few moments, he rubbed his temples and sat up on his elbows to peek over the pillow wall. Noel had turned in his sleep so that Cody was now looking at his expressionless face. He felt a pang in his chest as he studied the closed eyes and relaxed jaw of his friend. He quickly realized that Noel could possibly wake at any given moment and this was creepy, so he again laid down, hoping he could fall back asleep.

He tossed and turned a few times, trying not to move the bed or hog the covers too much. After almost an hour of this and not getting anywhere, Cody gave up. He needed to piss and wanted to stretch his stiff legs, still sore from their horseback ride.

As stealthily as possible, Cody slid off of the mattress, feet hitting a rug first. He cringed when he stepped onto the cold wood floor, and even more so when he realized how painful it was to his inner thighs. He snuck around to the bathroom, hoping he wouldn’t step on any creaky boards. 

He spent way too long in the bathroom, especially for having not turned on the light. He didn’t want to wake Noel from light streaming under the door, but he also felt like an idiot for not bringing his phone to be able to see. He was now afraid to step back out, worried that he’d somehow woken Noel. 

Cody breathed a sigh of relief when the door creaked open and he found Noel in the same position as before. He stood still for a moment in contemplation before deciding to just go downstairs in the hopes he could make some coffee and sit alone for a little bit. Appreciate the place they were staying. 

He tiptoed down the hall and stairs, on high alert of any sounds he might make so he wouldn’t wake or alarm anyone. Once he made it to the first floor, he noticed a soft light emanating from the kitchen. He assumed a light had been left on intentionally, in case someone like him woke up when it was pitch black outside. 

Cody’s soul about left his body when he stepped into the doorway and found a figure facing away from him, hands resting on the counter as they were hunched over the keurig. He squinted without his glasses to ensure that he was right in guessing who it was. 

“Randy?” Cody asked quietly. The cowboy seemed to jump from his own skin as well, sharply stiffening up and whirling around to meet Cody’s eyes. He breathed heavily for a few times and placed his hand over his chest. 

“Oh lord, sorry. You, uh, you scared me, Coffee maker in the house broke so I figured I wouldn’t be too much of a bother if I stopped in real quick.” Randy explained as his coffee finished brewing. He turned to grab his mug and walk off. “I can get out of your hair-“

“No! No, you don’t have to do that. This is your house after all. Sit! Sit down… I mean o- only if you want to, of course,” Cody stammered, internally cringing as his nervous speech. There was something about the man’s hardened expressions that made him uncomfortable, but he felt some relief when Randy sat on the nearest chair. 

“I didn’t really expect anyone to be awake at this time, though it probably wasn’t best to come in unannounced regardless,” Randy said once Cody’s coffee began brewing. The blonde leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms. 

“Oh I don’t blame you. I’m sure you usually get city people like us who sleep in super late and stuff. I’m just the type to wake up early back home, plus traveling always fucks up my internal clock. But yeah, back home I typically get up and surf really early so I can get all my work done before lunchtime. So yeah.”

Randy nodded for a moment and Cody started to feel dumb again. He was on a ranch word vomiting about the dumb shit he usually did in LA like a total LA asshole to a guy who does hard physical labor for a career. Surfing? Really? What was the point in bringing up-

“You surf, huh?”

Cody snapped out of his self-deprecating stupor. 

“Oh, hah, yeah. I know, so LA of me but yeah. I enjoy it. S’not something you guys really get to do around here, huh?” he chuckled, getting a slow laugh in return as his coffee finished brewing. 

“Oh, no no. Not out here. I’m lucky, though. I lived in Hawaii for a time, back in my twenties, so I’m a big fan of surfing,” Randy revealed, causing Cody to perk up. 

“Wait, really? You surfed?”

“Yeah, yeah. Actually, my sister ended up marrying a Hawaiian guy and we try to visit every year or two, so I still catch a wave sometimes. Not near as good as I was back in the day, I must say.”

“No way! I’m sure you still shred out there. I can’t imagine that someone who makes a living wrangling cattle and horses and everything doesn’t have the strength and balance to tear up on the waves.”

Randy just smiled into his coffee, staring down at the black void as Cody found some creamer to pour in his. 

“Well that’s real kind. I’ll admit, I was pleasantly surprised at y’all’s horseback ridin’ yesterday. Not bad for self-proclaimed city slickers.”

“You think so?” Cody asked in surprise as he made his way to another of the empty chairs by the dining table. “Neither of us have too much experience. We just did a video once that was all about riding horses because I used to have a big fear of them. They freaked me out a lot.”

“You? Afraid of a horse? You looked like the most comfortable up there.”

“Yeah, well the original fear was because of a bad experience when I was a kid. I was on a trail ride and my horse was very last and apparently the most stubborn because it stopped to eat and then just bolted. We ended up doing a video all about horseback riding a while back and it helped me work through it.”

Randy again nodded slowly while Cody sipped his drink in silence. He was about to start spiraling into his thoughts when the rancher slid his chair back and stood, grabbing his now empty mug from the top.  

“Well I better head out and get to feeding the herds. Nice talking to you this morning.”

“Yeah for sure, you too. See you around,” Cody awkwardly responded as the man tipped his hat and walked through a back door, leaving him awake and alone once again. With no phone to distract him, Cody moved to the back deck. The sun was rising on the other side of the house, so he enjoyed the sounds of nature as the sky began to light up. 

—

He didn’t know how long he had been out there, though he figured it had been at least an hour, when he heard a door open and shut from inside. Cody’s coffee was long gone so he went inside to see what was going on, happy to see that it was Luke getting his own cup of coffee. 

“Cody? What are you doing up?” Luke asked, looking at the empty mug. He looked like he wasn’t fully aware that he had woken up. Cody shrugged.

“Woke up a while ago. Couldn’t fall back asleep so I came down here. I uh, I actually scared Randy by accident.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah. I guess his coffee maker isn’t working so he came and grabbed some. It was like 5 am so I don’t blame him.”

“You’ve been awake since 5? Dude it’s like 6:30.”

Cody rubbed his neck sheepishly, passing by to wash out his mug.

“Actually it’s been since like 4. Guess traveling fucked me up.”

Luke nodded for a moment while the sink ran and his coffee brewed. After Cody finished washing and grabbed a towel, Luke spoke up again.

“You know you don’t have to sleep with Noel, right? Like, I’m sure we could figure something else out if that’s an issue.”

Cody’s stomach dropped and his hair stood on end, like a jolt of electricity had gone through him. He was nervous for where the conversation might go. 

“What? No I’m not- I don’t… that’s not the problem. I promise. We just went to bed really early and I always have trouble sleeping after a flight. Swear to God it’s not a big deal.”

“Okay, okay. Message received. Just wanted you to know you have an out since you seemed apprehensive yesterday.”

Apprehensive ? Sure, Cody had had a bit of a delayed answer, but it’s not because he wanted nothing to do with sharing a bed with Noel. It was very much the opposite of that. Really, Cody had been terrified of the idea of sleeping next to each other because he didn’t want to fuck it up. Make Noel uncomfortable. Say something in his sleep that he shouldn’t.

Okay, maybe he had been apprehensive. But Cody had it bad . He had for a while, but no one else needed to know that, right? Especially not Noel. Especially not while they were sharing a bed on a work trip. He already felt bad enough about the idea of Noel finding out before. Now would he think Cody was trying to take advantage of him? 

Cody’s thoughts had been running for a while when he was snapped out of it.

“Like that,” Luke said, pointing at him. Cody was becoming a little irritated at the feeling of being interrogated and prodded, even though he knew Luke probably had good intentions. 

“Dude, I was just thinking. That’s it. I promise that’s what was happening yesterday, too. I have a bunch of ideas floating around and sometimes I get distracted.”

With that, they fell into silence as Luke drank his coffee and Cody leaned against the counter awkwardly. He felt kind of bad for coming off harshly, but he couldn’t let himself get figured out, especially not this early into the trip. It was only Tuesday and they weren’t leaving the ranch until Friday and Austin until Sunday. 

—

Noel wasn’t surprised to hear Cody’s laugh from the kitchen when he made his way down the stairs, considering their empty bed, but he was surprised to find Cody by the stove, helping Abby and another person flip pancakes.

The rest of the team was already in the dining room having lively conversation (big shocker that Noel was last to rise), and they let out cheers of excitement that Noel had made it before everyone else started eating. He couldn’t help but notice, though, the brightness in Cody’s face. He didn’t look like someone who had just recently awoken like everyone else. 

Upon hearing the commotion, Cody turned to meet Noel’s eyes with an easy smile, the kind he got when he laughed at one of their dumb jokes. 

“Yo, dude what’s up!? Food’s almost ready and I didn’t have to wake you up to come get it,” he laughed, Noel flipped him off and rolled his eyes lightheartedly.

“Yeah, yeah, snap a picture, just make sure to get my good side. You know I’m sure there’ll be a day where my lateness benefits us all,” he mocked, crossing the room to make some coffee and try not to think about his growling stomach as the smell of maple and bacon wafted around him. 

It wasn’t much longer of sitting around heckling Cody about his cooking skills that they were all eating and discussing the day ahead. After changing clothes, the first thing would be filming the podcast episodes in the living room. It was reminiscent of the tour days when they would record on the bus or the green room of a random theater. 

The living room was actually a great place for filming, especially compared to those days when the pair were the only ones doing the set up. They sat on large brown leather recliners with their handheld mics, the indirect sunlight that streamed through the windows providing the perfect amount of brightness. The crew had gotten comfortable on the dining chairs they brought into the room and counted down.

“Alright, we’re rolling whenever you’re ready,” Luke said, giving a thumbs up.

With their change in scenery, the episode’s cold open had been filmed the day before during the trail ride, giving viewers a sneak peak of the video to come later. They had been talking here and there while setting up, so conversation immediately flowed.

“Alright, we’re rawdoggin’ it like the good old days,” Noel started off, setting the tone. 

“Dude I’m so fucking tired,” Cody retorted. It was only 9 am and he had already been awake for 5 hours.

“What, did being our domestic little houseboy tire you?” Noel teased. Cody rolled his eyes.

“Before anyone takes that the wrong way, he’s talking about me helping cook breakfast for everyone this morning, but no. I woke up at fucking 4 am.”

“ Four ? Bro, what happened?” Noel chuckled in disbelief. He had no idea that their shared bed had been empty for so long.

“I don’t know, man. Traveling got to me I guess. Shit was kinda nice, though. Got to sit outside and listen to birds.”

“Birds? That’s your only positive?”

“Well I didn’t have my phone, so yeah. Birds.”

They laughed and the conversation continued like usual, the two diving into a few topics they had planned to bring up as they moved into the bonus episode. It was a little weird since they couldn’t have a screen to watch videos or look up pictures, but it felt good to take it back to their roots.

In the bonus, the conversation continued into their regularly weird discussion.

“Okay why do we say ‘fuck me’ whenever we’re like, embarrassed or annoyed or whatever. I feel like it’s just punching yourself while you’re down,” Cody pondered.

“Probably because you wanna get fucked,” Noel replied with a low-eyed grin. Immediately, Cody got nervous. He was on camera and needed to play this right. 

“ Whoa , woah wait a second there…” he doubled back with a nervous chuckle as crew members started to laugh. 

“What, you don’t wanna be my lil bitch boy?”  Noel dug in, clearly joking, though there was a hint of edge in his voice. Just enough to make Cody flush and stammer. 

He had to play this off, to keep laughing. Cody tossed his head back and groaned, face visibly cringing, though he tried to hide it behind his arms.

“Aw come on dude,” he replied weakly while Noel cackled, well aware that he had won whatever little game they were playing. Cody just knew what the comments would be talking all about once the episode dropped and was going to start spiraling if they didn’t move on. 

Despite the laughter, Noel quickly sensed the energy Cody was exuding, hoping it was subtle to everyone else. Even though he loved to poke fun at his friend, Noel was willing to quickly salvage the conversation and move on. 

By the end of the episode, Cody had calmed down, the moment replaying in his head over and over. He was terrified at the idea of everyone else seeing it but wasn’t going to ask for it to be cut. That would just make the crew get suspicious, right?

He was back in the kitchen drinking water as they wrapped and people started heading back to their rooms to prepare for some hike they were supposed to be taking for the video. He hoped that walking around the expansive property and eating the picnic lunch that Abby had packed would make him feel less anxious. 

“Yo I’m gonna head upstairs real quick. Need me to get anything?” Noel asked from the doorway.

“Uh, actually, I’ll just come with you. Apparently we’re swimming in a river so I need to change again.”

Noel just nodded and turned back around, Cody catching up to him on the stairs. Neither said anything as they went inside and started rummaging through their bags. 

“Hey, uh. I can ask the guys to cut that one part from the bonus if you want,” Noel said warily, not looking up from the shorts he was digging through.

“What part?” Cody pretended not to know what he was talking about. He hoped that would make him less suspicious, though he knew Noel of all people would see right through him. He was starting to get annoyed at the way people seemed to be walking on eggshells around him. Noel stood up and looked at him, unconvinced. 

“You know what part I mean, dude. I’m sorry if I took it too far and we can just remove it and call it a day. The audience never has to know.” 

“That bit’s funny. You don’t have to apologize. I can handle some dumb comments, it wouldn’t be the first time. Swear, man. It’s not a big deal.”

Noel didn’t respond for a moment, only nodding as he went back to his bag, finally pulling out some river-appropriate shorts. He stood up and sighed.

“Look I know we’re barely been here a day, but it just seems like you’ve been acting weird since we got here. I mean, you woke up at 4 in the morning, and that’s early for you . Like, did I do something that made you want to leave the room or-”

“No! No it… has nothing to do with you.” Good job, Cody. Real convincing. “Like I’ve said, traveling throws me out of whack and we went to bed kind of early. I’m sure I’ll sleep great tonight since I’m so tired. Everything’s cool, man. No need to tiptoe around me, which is what everyone seems to be doing.”

“Wait, what?” Noel cocked his head. Confused at the last sentence which Cody had muttered. “What do you mean?”

“Okay it’s not everyone , but Luke was being weird this morning and then yesterday you were apologizing for this arrangement, or whatever. It just seems like everyone knows something that I don’t.”

“Oh. I guess it must be some kind of misunderstanding, then. I’m sure it’s just the change in scenery for all of us,” Noel conceded, stepping away into the bathroom as Cody’s heart pounded.

Chapter Text

Cody shouldn’t have been breathing this hard, but with the midday sun beating down, the hills covered in worn down dirt, and the backpack he carried, this hike was exhausting Cody. He was jealous of those riding the ATV with the bulk of their supplies and food. 

They were getting great content out of it, though. The team had been sent as a group with no guide and a map, the trail apparently ridiculously easy to follow, so they felt like jokes could fly more loosely than when “supervision” was around. They weren't sure how long the hike was supposed to last, but they didn’t see running water for 45 minutes. 

When they got to the stream, they were pleasantly surprised to find a swimming hole and a large clearing on the bank, perfect for setting up tripods. Immediately, the duo both tossed down their backpacks and dramatically sank to their knees despite small rocks littering the bank. 

Cameras were rolling, after all. 

They both ripped off their shirts and shoes and ran into the water. Despite the warm air, the water was crisp, causing them to shriek as they doused themselves. They figured this bit would be perfect for some bonus content. No one was seeing their nips for free. 

Once they were sufficiently cooled down and plenty of content was filmed, the cameras were cut and large towels laid out for their lunch. Cody and Noel settled onto one towel, biting into simple meat and cheese sandwiches and conversing easily with everyone else who were scattered around the clearing. 

Cody tried to ignore the fact that he and Noel were having to sit so close, shirtless, but he couldn’t help the jolt sent through him every time their arms touched. Eventually after bumping each other multiple times, Noel had seemed to scoot closer so they were in constant contact. Cody wasn’t sure what to think about that, but he internally panicked all the same. 

After lunch, the sun was so hot that they caved, everyone taking some time to refresh in the stream. When the exhaustion from swimming around and being in the sun started wearing on them, they loaded up the ATV and set back off towards the house. 

In spite of the fact that they were tired from walking there, Cody and Noel opted to walk back too, letting most of the group drive back to work on editing while them and a couple other people fell into differing paces. Cody and Noel trailed in the back, out of earshot.

“Feeling any better or just more tired?” Noel asked, bumping Cody’s arm lightly to snap him out of his stupor. 

“Eh. Little of both, I guess. The water was refreshing but I also would not be opposed to chillin’ out for a while. Apparently some of the guys were going to ride in the van to the liquor store for hanging around the pool tonight.”

“Oh? You gonna be drinking?”

Cody shrugged.

“I don’t wanna go crazy, but I wouldn’t be against a seltz or two.”

They both laughed, knowing that they would likely end up tipsy when all was said and done. Cody wasn’t too keen on it, though. He was already scared enough of what he could reveal in his sleep, so who knew what a drunk Cody might say? 

After spending so much time away from each other to try and maintain things to talk about on the podcast, Cody appreciated the one-on-one time he was getting with Noel on this trip. Sure, it gave him anxious butterflies every time, but on the flight there and this hike back they were starting to dig deeper into things that they couldn’t really say on the internet.

Back inside, Cody had immediately gone upstairs to rinse off and lay down while Noel stayed downstairs to work on business things. Cody felt bad that he probably wasn’t being the best boss right now, bailing out on the group, but he was so exhausted that it didn’t matter.

It was sometime after 2pm when there was a soft knock and the door cracked open. Despite the tiredness, Cody couldn’t fall asleep in broad daylight, so instead he half-listened to whatever show was on TV and looked at his phone. Noel peeked inside carefully. 

“Hey, what’s up?” Cody asked, voice raspy. Noel stepped all the way in.

“Sorry, I just wanted to see if it was cool for me to come shower. I can do it later, though, if you’re trying to sleep.”

“What? Dude, this is your room too. Don’t gotta ask me for permission, have at it. Not like I can sleep with the sun up anyways.”

With whatever permission Noel felt like he had been granted, he grabbed some clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. When he came back out, Cody had not-watched through more riveting tales of… whatever the show was while scrolling through tiktok. 

“I’m gonna head back down, maybe lay on the couch down there.”

“Literally why would you do that when we have a perfectly good bed. There’s plenty of room for both of us to sit here and do nothing,” Cody offered, internally kicking himself for putting them into another vulnerable situation. 

Noel looked like he was weighing his options for a moment but finally sat on top of the bed, their pillow wall still intact under the covers. Cody was glad there was some sort of barrier between them. 

He went back to scrolling on tiktok, pulling a small blanket that he’d found over his legs as he sat back into more pillows. Despite the distraction, he couldn’t help but to glance up every once in a while at Noel, who had become surprisingly engrossed with the TV. 

“I’m finally starting to understand why this show had the following it did,” Noel spoke up during a quiet moment. The boys looked at each other, Cody in confusion.

“What?” he asked, glancing towards the TV, then back at Noel. On the screen had been two guys just talking. “What is this?”

“Supernatural. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the dialogue’s shitty and plot is ridiculous, but I see why teenage girls would eat this up. Two hot guys for leads will make anything seem better than it is. Hell, even I’m invested in the episode now.”

Two hot guys? Cody thought as he looked at the screen again. Sure, he could objectively say they were attractive, but they weren’t Noel. Cody nodded, the dialogue completely lost on him.

“Huh. Interesting. Never seen it so I guess I don’t really have a frame of reference. I could see why some teenager out there might… thirst, though,” he agreed. Noel smirked and huffed in amusement.

By the episode’s end, Cody had gotten to watching the episode as well so they could make fun of it. They were laughing when they both got a text asking them to come downstairs. It was only 4pm, so they were wanting to get the guys more comfortable on horseback for the next day’s bit where they’d get to help round up cattle. 

After resting for so long, Cody was feeling energized again when they headed down. Both lamented the fact that they’d just showered and were probably going to get sweaty and dirty again, but they were also glad to have something to do. 

It didn’t feel like they had been riding for very long when everyone was called to a Tex-Mex dinner, and it wasn’t much longer until everyone was lounging around the pool with drinks in hand. 

Cody was standing in the shallow end, elbows resting on the warm concrete as he sipped on a fruity hard seltzer. On a chaise ahead of him sat Luke and another producer, the three of them conversing and laughing. At the other end of the pool, Noel sat between a few other people on the edge with legs dangling in the water. 

As bright sunlight faded into stretched pinks, oranges, and purples, people became more loose-lipped as a result of drinking. What had started as a quiet chatter had risen to loud storytelling and big laughs by the time the sky dimmed to a star-dotted navy blue. The whole group now sat together on the porch. Cody had barely drank anything, but Noel, ever the lightweight, had all eyes on him.

“I’ll just never forget Cody telling the story about the guy who came up to him at the gym,” he started, flowing seamlessly into another story from the early podcast days. He eyed Cody across the makeshift circle, who immediately groaned.

“Are we really bringing up the gym tickler right now?”

“Bruh I still don’t get how you couldn’t tell that dude was hitting on you! Man was fingering your lats and you just thought he was a gym bro,” Noel cackled, causing others to do the same. Cody was far more sober than the rest, so he couldn’t really make any argument stick, but he was going to try regardless.

“In my defense, I was deep into my set and got confused. I mean would you expect to get hit on by another dude in the gym?”

“Hell yeah, man! We live in fucking Los Angeles and you’re a hot guy blonde surfer dude!” Noel slurred. “I’d be more surprised if a guy didn’t hit on you!”

The crowd was laughing, but Cody felt a pang in his chest as nervous energy spread throughout his entire body. There was no way Noel was saying that right now. He felt his face begin to heat up and was trying to think of a retort when Noel continued. 

“Holy shit I got you blushing! Guess you do really wanna get fucked, huh? My little bitch boy!”

Cody felt that one even more. What he had said on the podcast episode was nerve-inducing, sure. But now Noel was heading into dangerous waters by calling him out in front of the group. This was the kind of stuff Noel might say with a laugh when they were alone together, but alcohol had brought on the chaos. He wasn’t sure how much more public teasing he could handle.

“Ha ha, okay, you got me,” Cody tried to play it off. “Come on, Uncle Nole, I think you’ve been overserved tonight.”

Cody got up and crossed the porch to grab Noel’s wrist and guide him up. The older man pouted for a second but complied, drink still in hand. Cody gave him a stern look and eventually the can got passed off to someone else’s willing grasp. Cody’s grip didn’t leave Noel’s wrist as he tugged him towards the door.

“Night guys. See you bright and early for shooting,” Cody called out with a wink, knowing that he was going to be the first one awake again in the morning. Goodnights and groans rang out as he and Noel tossed waves to them and stepped inside.

Getting Noel to actually go upstairs once they were inside wasn’t that bad. Without anyone to perform in front of, Noel was quite compliant to Cody’s directions. He leaned on the blonde as Cody unlocked their bedroom door and sat obediently on the bed when they got inside. 

“I’m gonna get ready for bed real quick and then let you do the same. Okay?” Cody asked, feeling very much like a parent at the moment. He got a thumbs up and did as he said he would, spending only about 5 minutes away. When he came back, Noel was laying back in a starfish position, legs still dangling from the bedside. Cody grabbed his knee and shook it.

“Hey, go get ready for bed, okay?”

It took a second for him to sit up as Cody again had to tug him by the wrists, but he eventually disappeared into the bathroom with his own clothes. He looked absolutely exhausted once the door opened back up, so it was no surprise that he flopped onto his side of the bed and almost immediately fell asleep. 

Cody felt weird that they were in this situation, but there was nothing to do now except sleep it off. He switched off the lamp on his side and the room became a dark blue void. He listened to Noel’s soft, steady breaths for a moment.

“Night, Noel,” he called out quietly, to no response.

Chapter Text

When Cody awoke this time, there was actually some light streaming through the curtains. 

Same as before, he leaned up to read the clock:

6:14 am

It was better than the day before, but still early considering their late night at the pool. Cody couldn’t help but cringe thinking about it as he turned to see Noel passed out facing him. He was glad that he had thought quickly enough to get out of an uncomfortable situation, but his stomach still churned at Noel’s comments.

You’re a hot guy blonde surfer dude! Guess you do really wanna get fucked, huh? My little bitch boy!

What had come over Noel that made him say that? The alcohol, of course, was of no help. But to say that alcohol was the only thing talking that night would be an oversimplification of it all.

Right?

Cody rubbed his eyes and slid out of bed, being less careful with the noise he might make this time. Knowing how drunk Noel had been when he fell asleep, Cody had no doubts that he would be out for a while. 

He checked his phone and found that the weather was supposedly quite nice. Not super hot yet, but the sun was clearly shining. With no gym on the ranch and nothing better to do, he decided to resort to an old favorite: running. Cody got ready quickly, carrying his tennis shoes down the stairs to be quiet in the halls. He drank some water and filled up a bottle before heading out.

Cody chose to run on the trail they’d hiked the day before. What had taken 45 minutes while filming and walking a decent pace he assumed would be 30 or less doing a light, easy jog. He was spot on and smiled when he reached the creek. In the solitude of the clearing, he let himself overthink some more. 

He just couldn’t get his mind off of the things Noel had said the day before, from the podcast to the back porch. It was all too much. His heart didn’t slow the way it’s supposed to when you stop exercising as he remembered that the episodes would be going live later that day. 

“Maybe I should’ve let them edit that part out,” he rambled to himself, hands on his head as he paced. “But no, that would be worse, right? That would just, it would make me look like a fucking coward. Or a freak. Or like I’m into Noel! I can’t be fucking into him! He’s my best friend! He’s a dude ! What the fuck is wrong with me !”

Cody gripped his hair in frustration as he growled. This wasn’t the first time he’d had a conversation with himself like this, but the same insecurities always crept up. He wanted to scream. Being that he was in the middle of nowhere, he did. Cody let out a yell that encapsulated everything he was feeling. He only hoped that no one was around to hear it. He was breathing heavily and wanted to cry. 

“ Fuck ,” he spat, no louder than a whisper. He closed his eyes to try grounding himself and eventually his heart rate lowered to an acceptable pace. After a few minutes, he picked up a small rock and hurled it downstream, imagining he was tossing his frustrations with it. 

Cody stared at the running water another few minutes before finally deciding it was time to let it go. With that, he turned towards the trail and started running back.

—

It was almost 7:45 when Cody stepped into the lodge through the kitchen side entrance. He was sweaty and in need of a water refill. It was of little surprise to him to find Abby in the kitchen getting out supplies; the group had told her they wouldn’t be ready for breakfast until at least 9 knowing that hangovers would plague them all.

“Well… if I didn’t know any better I’d’ve thought you were out there tossing hay bales with the farm boys,” she said when she saw Cody. “What have you been up to this mornin’ that’s got you all sweaty?”

“Oh I just went for a run on the hiking trail. It was nice!”

“All the way to the creek and back?” She asked. Cody nodded with a smile. “That hike’s over three miles!”

Cody just chuckled and blushed, now sure how to respond when being put on the spot.

“Well I run quite a bit back home, so it was good to get out. But now I can help if you’d like,” Cody added, noticing that there wasn’t a second cook this morning.

“Oh, no, you don’t need to do that. You look like someone who needs a nice cool shower and some fresh clothes. By the way, you’re free to use the washer and dryer over there,” she pointed to the breezeway by the kitchen, “I noticed that y’all seem to change clothes a lot.”

Cody gladly excused himself upstairs with that, piling his dirty clothes together to take downstairs later. Noel was still fast asleep where Cody had left him, and he wasn’t sure that the man had even shifted once in the past hour and a half. He disappeared into the bathroom and rinsed the morning’s problems down the drain, hoping that the sound wouldn’t wake Noel. He worried more about the fact that he’d showered so many times in the past two days alone.

When Cody finished toweling off and went to put on his clothes, he realized a major flaw in his plan: he had only grabbed a pair of boxer briefs and nothing else. He had already been planning on getting a shirt once he left the bathroom, but cursed himself for throwing all of his pants in the wash pile, too. There hadn’t been an unworn pair, so he’d automatically tossed them together. 

Cody really hoped Noel was still asleep as he thought about what to do. If the guy was for sure sleeping, he would be fine to just tiptoe into the room and grab some shorts from the pile. He could also wrap his towel around his waist, but that would make him look actually naked, not to mention it would dampen his underwear.

He decided to just go for it, so he took a few deep breaths and cracked open the door slowly. Noel seemed to be asleep still, though he had finally moved some, now lying on his back with head facing the bathroom. Cody stepped quietly into the room towards his laundry when he heard a rustle.

“What are you doing?” Noel rasped, voice exceptionally deep. Cody both winced at being caught and wanted to melt at the sound. He made sure his back faced Noel in case he got too turned on. He quickly bent down to pick up the cleanest pair of shorts in the pile and tugged them on.

“I went on a run and forgot clothes when I was showering. I was planning on taking all this downstairs to do laundry. I guess I can wash anything of yours if you want.”

Noel blinked, clearly hungover. He rubbed his eyes and stretched with a yawn.

“You don’t have to do that if you don’t want. I’m, uh, trying to replay last night in my head. I don’t really remember going to bed.”

Cody’s stomach dropped.

“Oh… well what do you remember?”

“It’s kind of fuzzy, but I remember being in the pool, then out of the pool, then you pulling me inside. Guessing I got too rowdy for my own good..?”

That was one way to put it. Cody tossed his head from side to side, weighing his possible responses. 

“A little, yeah. I also know how you are and figured it was better to get you out early so you’d get plenty of your beauty rest before today’s shoot.” Despite his pounding head, Noel chuckled. They both stared at each other in silence for a moment. “Do you want some water or advil or…”

“Nah, nah it’s cool. I’m a big boy. My head’s swimming a bit so I’ll get up in a few. Seriously though, Codes, thanks.”

Cody’s heart felt warm and fuzzy at the nickname, so he only grinned and nodded, heading back out with laundry in hand and a little extra bounce in his step.

—

Riding through a pasture not far behind Randy, Cody was well aware of how Noel (and other members of the team) looked pretty rough. They’d had a good breakfast, lots of gatorade, and taken as many medicines as they thought would work but still, Noel especially had flushed skin and a half-lidded gaze in the Texas sun. 

As they rode side by side, Cody continued to glance over at Noel to make sure he was okay. Cameras weren’t rolling yet, thankfully, so they mainly stayed quiet as Randy led them to another part of the property. Upon reaching a fence, Randy dismounted. 

“Alright, y’all can take a breather and set all your things up. I need to open the gate and then we’ll go over your instructions,” he said, tying their leads to the fence before walking away. The boys slid down to stretch their legs.

“Hey, man. You good?” Cody asked when they walked out of earshot of everyone else. “You look like you’re gonna vom at any given moment.”

Noel closed his eyes and put a hand up.

“Don’t suggest that or it might actually happen,” he started, swallowing thickly. “I think I’ll be fine as long as those anti-nausea meds kick in soon. If not… well I guess it’ll make for some decent bonus content.”

They both laughed lightly before becoming awkwardly quiet. Neither was sure what to say as they stared at the ground beneath their feet. 

“Hey, by the way-” Noel began before getting cut off.

“Yo, lemme mic you guys!” someone had called out. The boys stared at each other for a second longer but didn’t continue the conversation, instead walking back to get their microphones. Cody wondered what Noel may have wanted to say, but those thoughts were quickly overshadowed by their job. 

Filming the scene had actually gone well when all was said and done.

Noel survived the bumpiness of trotting around on a horse throughout hilly pastures without becoming sick once, though no one questioned it when he disappeared into the bathroom before lunch. Additionally, they had completed the task at hand: helping round up the cattle and drive them into a different pasture to graze. 

For two city boys, they’d done pretty well, and the footage that came from it was going to be great if the cameramen were to be believed. They had gotten to ride around more freely than before as their horses circled the herd. Despite the rough start to the morning, it had actually been kind of fun, but they were more than happy to return to the air conditioned lodge for the afternoon. 

For a while, everyone broke off to do their own work. Cody and Noel needed to film at least one video for their personal channels and there were phone calls to make and clips to edit among the rest of them. It was nice to get some space and work alone for the time. 

But then came the scene. 

The scene that Cody had accidentally suggested and Noel had fleshed out into something filmable. The scene which would be meant to end the video. 

Cody’s stomach flipped more than Noel’s had been earlier as they laid in their large bed next to each other. It wasn’t just because they were right beside each other this time, but because there was an entire film crew in the room and their pillow barrier had been removed. 

At least they were fully clothed. 

That was the logic Cody was clinging onto. 

With the cameras set up at the foot and side of the bed, Cody hoped they would only need to do one take and then move along to keep things from getting more awkward than they already were. He tucked his nose under the quilt to hide a blush while thinking about it. 

They had already discussed the shot somewhat extensively. It would be relatively quick and played for lots of laughs. There wasn’t a true script, but they had an idea of what to say. When they finally called “action” on the scene, both boys gripped the quilt under their chins as they leaned back on the pillows. 

“Sooooo…” Cody trailed.

“We did all the shit we were supposed to do on the ranch…” Noel added, brows quirking. 

“Yeah, yeah. All the stuff that you do on a normal ranch.”

“Right. A normal ranch. But this is a dude ranch. And… like I said in the beginning of the video-”

“We’re doing a dude.”

Both boys looked away from each other uncomfortably, heads circling the room before turning to each other and eyes locking. 

“Well you’re a dude… and I’m a dude, so…” Noel trailed, shrugging. 

Both guys just stared at each other in silence, mouths agape. 

Then suddenly, their hands reached out to hold each other’s faces as they came in for the kiss. 

Or so it would seem, because before their lips could meet, both men swerved and laughed, the little game of gay chicken hilarious in their eyes. The crew was also smiling and laughing when they called cut on the shot and both boys quickly separated. They had big grins, knowing that take had gone exactly how they wanted.

Despite the great attempt, the crew wanted a couple more to ensure they got the footage, much to Cody’s dismay. When they finally called it after the fifth take, Cody let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and got out of the bed as quickly as he could. 

Thoughts had crept in about the podcast episodes going live and with that overshadowing his mind, all he wanted to do was go outside and read the comments, even if that was the worst thing he could do. When everyone got back to their other work, that’s exactly what he did.

Unsurprisingly, the top comments about the bonus were about Cody’s “fuck me” bit and more specifically, his seeming desire to be “Noel’s little bitch boy.” 

Cody groaned and put a hand over his face. He’d expected some jokes, of course, but now he was starting to see comments calling out his uncomfortable reaction. The crimson flush that had burned his cheeks. The way Noel moved on so quickly.

Of course. Of course the fans would catch onto anything. He should have known better. He should’ve bitten the bullet and had it removed instead of actually being a little bitch boy and letting himself be the butt of the joke. Whatever emotions Cody thought he’d thrown into the river this morning were bubbling back up.

However, when Cody heard his name being called from inside the house, he pushed it back down, pocketed the phone, and pretended everything was fine. 

—

It was dark outside again and Cody was exhausted. The podcast comments and Noel’s claims had faded into the back of his mind when he was no longer alone with his thoughts, but now his heart had begun to flip-flop again. The lights had been turned off and goodnights were said but yet, Cody couldn’t fall asleep.

It wasn’t just the anxiety, though. 

Cody was freezing . 

Whoever had control of the air conditioner downstairs must have either been extremely heated or just wanted everyone else to suffer because despite leaving on his shirt and pulling the extra blanket over himself, Cody couldn’t warm up. 

He tried tucking himself into a ball but still began shivering. Nothing was working and he was seriously considering getting up to put on some socks and go downstairs when Noel’s voice called out. 

“Cody, are you awake?” he whispered, shifting his body. Cody could hear the sheets slide against Noel as he tucked further into himself. 

“Yeah,” he finally replied.

“Are you okay? It feels like you’re vibrating. Are you cold?”

“I’m fine, I promise. Just need to warm up a little.”

“Dude…” Noel trailed. Cody started to panic a little when he felt the sheets lift up. The pillow median which had been replaced after filming was being deconstructed again. “Come here. I’m fucking freezing, too.”

“Seriously, Noel, I’ll be fine,” Cody protested. He couldn’t risk getting any closer to Noel. He just couldn’t. 

Cody could feel Noel’s eyes boring into the back of his head as he continued to hold the sheet up. After a moment, Cody was relieved as the sheet lowered, until he felt a jolt run through him when Noel’s hand rested softly on his side. He tugged Cody lightly to draw him nearer, and this time Cody couldn’t refuse. It didn’t feel real when he scooted back into Noel’s chest. 

Immediately, Noel’s right arm snaked forward to hold onto Cody’s torso as he tucked his own ice-cold hand under his chin. The pair spooned in silence for a while before Noel spoke softly into his ear. 

“I’m really sorry for what I said, Cody,” he began softly, hand gliding up to grip the blonde’s shoulder and rub small circles into it. Cody’s brows furrowed but he didn’t say anything. Noel squeezed his shoulder. “I shouldn’t have embarrassed you in front of the crew last night. And on the podcast.”  

“You remembered?” was all Cody could reply. Noel’s arm shifted back to its original position around his stomach before he continued. 

“Yeah, been thinking about it all day. I went too far and I know it made you uncomfortable and you’re too nice to say anything. I should’ve just had the guys cut that part in the first place and not let it get posted. And then last night I should’ve known better.”

“You were drunk-” Cody started to argue, but Noel shut him down.

“Yeah, and I shouldn’t have gotten to that point. I know my limits and I take full responsibility for surpassing them. I really am sorry, Codes.”

Cody’s stomach dropped again. He moved his hand down so that it covered Noel’s, fingers weaving over fingers. It was a risky move that he’d probably regret in the morning, but he couldn’t stop himself before whispering

“It’s okay, I promise. Thank you.”

They stayed like that until Cody felt something press onto the crown of his head. He couldn’t help but think it was Noel kissing him, but he knew better. It was probably just the way he’d moved. Despite Cody’s eyelids growing heavier by the moment, he shifted again, flipping to face the other man. When their eyes met, everything came back into perspective. 

It was real. He was tangled in the arms of his straight (?) best friend, playing the little spoon no less, and now they were face to face. Both offered soft smiles to one another. 

They studied each other’s expressions, unsure of what to do. With the touch, Cody was no longer as cold as he’d previously been. He reached up his left hand to cup the side of Noel’s face, Noel doing the same. Cody’s heart began to race again when he felt himself being tugged forward again.

Was this it?

Their faces were already so close, and now they were being brought closer. He braced himself with eyes closed but was surprised to feel Noel’s lips on his forehead. It was soft, so gentle. So unlike the hardened comedian whom he loved. His eyelids fluttered open and mouth gaped at the gesture. He guessed that Noel had kissed the back of his head before. 

He was glad that he had no time to think again before Noel was pulling Cody’s head under his chin. It felt like a role reversal from the night previous. The man who’d had to play authority was now letting himself feel small under the protective grasp. His arm wrapped around Noel’s side and squeezed tight.

“Goodnight,” they both whispered into each other, and with that they were out.

Chapter Text

When Cody took in a deep breath through his nose, he savored the scent of the pillow his face was buried in. It smelled like Noel.

Noel ?

Cody’s eyes slowly opened and he realized the pillow he’d buried his nose into was actually Noel’s shirt, and, of course, Noel himself. Cody pulled his head back to examine the man ahead of him, but he didn’t get far as the grip around him tightened. 

For once, he didn’t resist. 

Maybe it was the latent exhaustion from everything else that had gone on so far, maybe it was the fact that all he’d ever wanted was to wake up this way and now he didn’t want it to end. His mind started racing as he imagined what Noel might say or think when he awoke, but Cody pushed those thoughts down as he let himself snuggle further into Noel’s warmth.

Cody’s own arm was still thrown over Noel’s side, so as he got closer, his own arm fastened tighter around the other man and head tucked back under his chin. He laid there for a while, eyes closed as he drank in the moment, when Noel’s breath changed and he shifted, grip around Cody loosening ever so slightly.

Cody pretended to still be asleep, wanting to see how Noel would react to their proximity. The arm that rested over Cody began to shift, Noel’s hand coming up to grab the base of his hairline. Fingers combed through the short hairs, then stayed. Cody was afraid to spill the beans, but eventually decided to reciprocate by moving his own hand further up Noel’s back. 

“Cody?” Noel said softly. He only hummed in response. “Do you think we should get up?”

Cody groaned and shook his head slightly. He felt Noel’s chuckle deep in his chest

“Dude, you know I hate waking up, but I really gotta take a piss.” Cody groaned again but accepted, removing his hand from around Noel. Noel squeezed the back of his head one last time before throwing off the covers and disappearing into the bathroom. 

Cody stayed there, frozen as he stared at the shut door. He felt anxiety bubble up as he wondered if Noel had just been looking for an excuse to get away from him. He thought back to how tender Noel had been the night previous and wondered if it was a farce. 

He probably should’ve gotten up in the time Noel had spent in the bathroom, started picking out his clothes for the day at least. But no, when the bathroom door opened, Noel looked down to find Cody staring right back up from the place he’d left him. They stayed there in silence for a moment, then Noel’s eyes flicked to the clock and he cleared his throat.

“I should, um, probably go downstairs. I need to wash some of my clothes and I think I’ll help out with breakfast today since I’ve been late every other morning.”

Cody nodded silently with a tight lipped grin, taking a deep breath before tossing off the quilt. When he went into the bathroom, he let out a sigh.

So that’s how it was gonna be? They weren’t going to talk about what happened?

Great.

—

Noel seemed pretty upbeat for such an early morning, if you could call 8 am all that early. 

When Cody came into the kitchen, it was again a reversal of their previous roles. The room was bustling with chatter and laughter as Noel dipped pieces of french toast to be cooked up in the pan. He looked up and flashed a smile.

“And sleeping beauty finally arises!” he exclaimed as the crowd laughed. Cody rolled his eyes, beelining for the coffee machine. 

“I guess there’s a first for everything,” Cody muttered, drawing more laughs from the crew. After a few sips of his hot drink, Cody washed his hands and shoved in next to Noel.

“Here we go, let me show you how it’s really done,” Cody stated confidently, cracking his knuckles and getting to work with the bread.

“Ooohh I see how it is,” Noel exclaimed sarcastically, hands thrown into the air. “Well then, I’ll just let you finish the job, huh?” 

“Shit wait it wasn’t supposed to go like this!” Cody complained as he realized the work had been pawned off. 

“Damn, man, he’s been trying to get all of us on the action for twenty minutes!” one person exclaimed. Cody picked up an egg from the carton next to him.

“Hey now, one more comment and this thing’s flyin, alright?”

He let more chuckles roll in before cracking the egg with one hand, earning him some impressed exclamations. When Cody turned his head towards the onlookers, his eyes met Noel’s, who gave him a nod and winked. 

The butterflies were back in Cody’s stomach as he grinned. He could feel himself blushing when he turned back to grab the cinnamon to mix in and hoped no one noticed. If anyone did, they didn’t say anything, because it wasn’t long until the chatter resumed and the group gathered around the table to eat. 

With the exhaustion of the past few days catching up to them, the crew decided it would be good to have a day to relax, hang out, and not film any major content for the studio. 

Since the ranch wasn’t all that large, it didn’t have many resort-style amenities like other dude ranches. However, there were the hiking trails, a ride to a local spa (or just the town in general), and of course the animals if anyone was interested. 

Some chose to hike together to the watering hole again (Noel included), another group decided to go get a massage in town, and others decided on riding horses or hanging out by the pool.

Cody, however, went with none of those to start off his day. He wanted to go on a long run to clear his head after all of the things that had happened with Noel on the trip. His thoughts were still racing from their hands brushing against each other when passing dishes at breakfast. 

There were multiple trails Cody could take, so he just started running, hoping that he would eventually end up back where he started. After an hour of aimless wandering, Cody decided it might be best to start heading back. It was hot and he was already in need of a post-run snack.

The issue? He wasn’t quite sure which way to go. 

Of course, he could just turn around and hope he found his way back, but he also knew that a couple of the trails made a loop, so he decided to keep following the one he was on. At the worst, he would reach the end and just have to turn around. He cursed the area having no cell reception, having chosen to leave the device in his and Noel’s room since it would do him no good. 

Another half hour went by and it seemed that the trail wouldn’t end nor did it curve around like he expected. Cody stopped to drink his water and breathe for a moment when he heard a distant yell. His brows furrowed.

Maybe I’m closer than I thought.

Cody kept walking along the trail, occasionally hearing voices call out, slightly louder each time. The sun was beating down and sweat rolled down his bare back, so a voice in his head suggested that maybe it was all his imagination. 

“Oh shut the fuck up bro!” a male voice called, followed by laughter. A distinctly Noel -esque voice. 

Noel? Cody wondered. Now he was really getting scared. Was heat stroke setting in so soon?

As he continued on, the sporadic phrases melded into low, indistinct chatter. He eventually heard splashing and found that the trail opened up to the creek where people were swimming. He looked in shock from the bank across from where Noel stood, also surprised. 

“Cody! Dude! Where did you come from?” someone asked. 

“Oh, hah, I was on my run and kind of just… ended up here? To be honest I was a little lost. That being said… do you guys have any more water?”

— 

Cody had spent another 15 or so minutes with the group cooling off in the stream before they decided to head back. He still felt awkward about what had happened that morning, so Cody took the lead with one of the camera guys to keep any deep conversations from bubbling up. 

It was already noon by the time they got back, so lunch was hot and they ate around the back porch with everyone else despite the air conditioned lodge feeling oh so nice. 

Cody was so hungry from his extended journey across the ranch that he scarfed down his meal and ran upstairs to shower off the sweat, dust, and grime that had accumulated. He felt bad for leaving everyone hanging, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of gross . 

Standing under the cold water also gave him another opportunity to try thinking about anything other than seeing Noel standing in the creek, the sun glistening off his bare back and torso, muscles flexing when- 

Oh God shut up shut up shut up Cody told his brain, squeezing his eyes shut and forcing his face into the shower stream. 

At this rate, there was no way they could avoid having a conversation about last night. It was going to force itself out of Cody at some point, and he’d rather it not be during his sleep. 

He gave his hair one last rinse-through and abruptly turned the faucet, shaking his head a couple times before grabbing his towel to dry off. Thankfully, Cody had remembered all of his clothes this time around, so he didn’t feel so awkward when he walked out right as Noel was entering the room. 

“Feeling alright?” Noel asked, brow raised. Cody had left so quickly that everyone feared something was wrong. 

“Huh? Of course. Maybe a little sore and tired but nothing terrible.” 

“Ah. The guys were worried you were as sick as me yesterday,” Noel explained, a side smile popping up as he gathered some clothes. “You know, there’s a group of us going to get massages if you want to come. I know they’re your weakness.”

A massage? With Noel? There’s no way, right?

Buuuut… spas are pretty private, so it’s not like we’d be anywhere near each other. 

I’d just need to stay away from the sauna…

“Hello? Earth to Cody?” Noel interrupted as Cody snapped back to reality. 

“Sorry, I just got really spacey for a second. But yeah, a massage honestly sounds great. My hips and thighs are still fucked up from riding the horses.”

“Oh thank God it’s not just me. Okay, well, I think you just gotta tell Luke and they’ll get it all handled. We aren’t leaving for another hour.”

With that, Noel disappeared into the bathroom and Cody weighed the idea of actually going to the spa.

—

Cody was going to the spa, he had decided, so he couldn’t complain much when he ended up sitting next to Noel in the van. 

He drummed his fingers in nervous excitement along his knee, hoping this massage would be just the ticket for clearing his head. He was mostly looking out the window at fields and trees as they drove, but couldn’t ignore the feeling of Noel’s eyes boring on his fidgeting hand. 

The drive wasn’t too long, and they noticed that not too far from the spa sat a few different shops and restaurants. A small pizza place was already calling Cody’s name despite them having eaten not long before, and he wondered if they could convince the cooks to take the night off and enjoy some pizza on the studio. 

“Hey, is that pizza place good?” Cody asked the guy who’d driven them, pointing down the street as they walked into the spa.

“Oh yeah. It’s about the best damned pizza you’ll ever have. At least, I think so.”

Cody nodded a moment before suggesting his idea. 

“Do you think they’d be okay with that or is the dinner menu, like, a strictly planned thing?”

The ranch hand looked at him a little condescendingly, but there was a glint in his eyes.

“My man, this is Texas not the MET gala. I don’t believe it’ll take much convincin’ to accept your offer.” 

Cody raised his hands in resignation and chuckled. It was settled then. He texted one of the guys who had stayed behind and asked them to talk to Abby so that everything would be ready once the massage ended. 

Because of his preoccupation, Cody missed the conversation that was happening at the desk. 

“I’m sorry, sir, but you booked out the rest of the rooms since it was last minute. When you called to make the reservation, it sounded like you were asking for a couple’s massage,” the desk employee was explaining to Luke, pointing at her computer. He looked distressed, which was an interesting juxtaposition for someone in a spa. 

“Well, can you at least put up a screen or something?” 

“I’m so sorry, but we don’t have anything like that. All of our rooms are meant to be private except for the couple’s tables.” 

“Okay, okay, one second. Excuse me,” Luke said, walking away and gesturing Cody and Noel over. 

“What’s going on?” Cody asked, having only caught the tail end of the conversation. Noel looked equally as confused. Luke sighed and looked down.

“Well… apparently when I called earlier, they got everything right except they thought Noel was spelled with 2 L’s and an E, you know, like the girl spelling? So they booked you two in a couple’s massage.”

Cody immediately felt his face fall and the color drain from him. He couldn’t even hide it this time. Both he and Noel seemed too stunned to speak. 

“Look, I’ll fix this alright? I can hop in there and see if-”

“It’s fine. We’ll do it,” Cody blurted out. It took everything in him not to wince upon realizing what he said. “I mean, if Noel’s cool with it. We’ve been sharing a room all week so what’s another hour?”  

He turned to find Noel staring back at him. Luke looked expectantly between the two. 

“Um… yeah, no yeah. That’s totally fine. What’s one more hour?” Noel shrugged. 

“Are you guys sure? Because you know you’re allowed to say no.” 

They both just nodded and as Luke started back to the counter, Cody felt a whole new wave of nervousness wash over him.