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The Codfather woke with a jolt, though not an unfamiliar one. Waking in a bed immediately after soaring through the End portal felt like those dreams of falling, albeit significantly more surreal considering it wasn’t all in one’s head.
Trying to get his bearings and slow his racing heart, Jimmy looked around to take in his surroundings - no doubt he would find the comfort of his slightly worn down, wooden walls.
What surprised Jimmy was not the fact that he wasn’t wearing his cod head, nor was it that the bed he was in felt silkier than he was used to; those would be an afterthought to his realization that he was not, in fact, in his own room.
Jimmy leapt up, heartbeat picking up as he noticed the decorated walls of King Smajor’s bedroom. Thinking that perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him, Jimmy scrambled to the large window only to confirm his fears that yes, he was in the elven kingdom of Rivendell.
He took a shuddering breath, before racing down the stairs and out the door, taking off into the sky and muttering about needing to get out quickly. Jimmy didn’t notice the few citizens who had watched him leave Smajor’s house in a frenzy.
While he flew to the Cod Empire, his mind went about a million miles per hour, wondering why he would have woken up in Smajor’s bed. He hadn’t slept there before - that he could remember. Jimmy wracked his brain, trying to figure out if his memory had gaps or if somehow the respawn from the end had glitched.
Breaking his thoughts was a buzz from his communication device. Lizzie had always told him not to text while flying, but in his fervor he didn’t particularly care, pulling out the device to multitask.
Fantastic. It was a message from Smajor.
Codfather, why did I hear word that you were in my house?
Jimmy began to panic. Of course Smajor could easily find out. He might even think that Jimmy was trying to steal, or invade, which would not be good for the very recent and tentative alliance that had sprouted between Rivendell and the Cod Empire.
He landed safely in his swampy lands - take that, Lizzie - and rushed toward his house to try and process everything that had occurred in the last ten minutes.
Jimmy quickly typed up a response.
My bad!! Spawned there after a trip to the End!
It was then that he noticed that the cod head was not situated safely atop his head, nor could he find it anywhere. He scrambled for his communicator as it buzzed again.
Your cod head is in my bed. Would you mind coming back to retrieve that? I need to talk to you.
His nerves were somewhat soothed knowing that he hadn’t lost the head on the journey back - or worse, in the End - but anxiety pricked Jimmy’s mind at the vagueness of Smajor’s words.
Be there soon, he responded.
He just needed a moment to sit down, catch his breath, and think. Then he would leave to pay Rivendell another needless visit.
-
Jimmy shivered as he walked through the streets of Rivendell. He lived in warm water, so it was always a shock to visit the mountains. The cold stares that citizens in shops and homes along the path gave him as he passed did not help, and he got the feeling that word about him being in Smajor’s house spread quickly. He only hoped it wouldn’t spread to the other empires, namely Mezalea and the Ocean Empire. His sister and her husband tormented him enough, especially in regards to his newest ally.
Fortunately, it wasn’t much longer before he reached Smajor’s grand home that always seemed to put the Cod Empire to shame. Jimmy envied Smajor’s talent almost as much as he admired the man.
“Hello, Codfather.”
The words jolted Jimmy out of his thoughts and he turned to where Smajor was standing behind him.
“Admiring my house? You’ve evidently seen it before.”
“About that,” Jimmy said, trying not to make eye contact, “I genuinely don’t know why I ended up there.”
“I think I know,” Smajor responded. If Jimmy was a little less sane, he would think the elf sounded nervous. “But we should go inside. It’s cold out.”
Jimmy knew that it couldn’t possibly be cold for Smajor, and that it was solely for him, and he appreciated the gesture. They both stepped into Smajor’s house and Jimmy got the opportunity to properly take in the interior; he had left rather quickly earlier that day.
Jimmy looked at Smajor. “Your place is amazing.”
“Thank you,” the elf responded simply. “So, you’d like to know why you spawned in my bed rather than your own?”
“If you know, yes.” Jimmy fidgeted with his sleeves anxiously, feeling exposed without the cod head
“Right. So.” Smajor sounded as if he didn’t know what to say. “Do you remember the House Blossom meeting-that-turned-party a few nights ago?”
“No?” Jimmy said, word lingering as a question before remembering vaguely. “Yes.”
“You were- well, you were quite out of it, and no one really thought you could fly home on your own. I offered to bring you here since, you know, alliance, and Rivendell is close to the Overgrown.”
Jimmy felt as if Smajor was leaving out something. “And so I slept in your bed?”
“Yes. You left quickly in the morning, I thought that you’d at least remember that, but I suppose not.” Smajor looked like he was trying to avoid meeting Jimmy’s eyes.
“And I didn’t get to sleep in my own… I was in the End for a few days,” Jimmy muttered, mostly to himself. “Oh gods, what must the other empires think?”
“I diffused the whole situation pretty well. I mean, I can’t really stop them from gossiping, but we could probably just ignore it.” Smajor began walking toward the stairs, and Jimmy hesitated a moment before following him up to his bedroom.
“I have your cod head,” Smajor said, proving his point by picking it up. “Thought you’d want it back.”
“Of course I do!” He reached for it, expecting some sort of trick or for Smajor to pull it back, but surprisingly, the elf simply handed it to Jimmy with ease.
“I do want to talk about how this will now be the third time that I’ve very suspiciously left your house,” Jimmy said, “There will be talk.”
“There’s already talk. It’s bound to happen. All of the ‘this ruler is dating that one, those two are screwing, and those two hate each other,’ you and I both know it always happens.” Smajor shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“It tarnishes both our reputations, though, all that talk,” Jimmy insisted.
“Then what do you suppose, Codfather, that we lie and say we’re together?” Smajor suggested, clearly as a joke.
Jimmy stayed silent.
“No way,” Smajor said, tone more disbelieving than disapproving.
“It’s not a bad idea,” Jimmy pointed out. It would stop any rumors and it would give logical reasoning.
“I mean… we could become the top story for a while, then ‘break up’ quietly once it’s all died down.” Smajor seemed to be genuinely considering it, which was good for Jimmy.
“Yes! Sure, it would be unbearable to talk to Li- Shadowlady and Smallishbeans for a while, but they’re already overbearing,” Jimmy said, before continuing, “In a good way, of course!”
Smajor laughed. “You’re right. We should do this. We’d have to come up with a lot of backstory but it could actually work.”
“It will work! We’re phenomenal actors.”
“I’m a phenomenal actor. You’ll get away with it because of your pretty face.” Smajor cupped the side of Jimmy’s face with one hand, and Jimmy was pretty sure his heart stopped beating for a moment.
“You can’t have reactions like that if we’re dating! We’ll have to be used to each other.” Smajor smirked, not removing his hand. In fact, he leaned closer to Jimmy until he could feel Smajor’s breath on his lips.
Jimmy was sure he would die from embarrassment right then and there, heart racing as he tried - and failed - to not look Smajor in the eyes.
“Will you be able to get used to this?” Smajor asked, voice barely audible, yet Jimmy heard every word with perfect clarity, echoing through his bones.
“I- I’m not sure,” Jimmy muttered in response. He could hardly think, the only thing crossing his mind was wondering if Smajor would actually kiss him.
Smajor pulled away, a wide grin across his face. “This should be fun!”
“Yeah. Yes. It will,” Jimmy spluttered. His mind was still trying to compute.
“Uh oh, I seem to have broken him,” Smajor said to the air.
“I’m alright! I’m good. Just startled.” Jimmy chuckled.
“I’m sure,” Smajor smirked. “Oh! If we’re going to be dating, you should probably know my name.”
Jimmy had forgotten entirely about that. Smajor knew him as the Codfather, and that couldn’t possibly be comfortable to call someone that you’re courting. It would be strange to know Smajor as anything other than his name, outside of the formalities of royalty.
“You can call me Scott,” the elf said. He was suddenly much less confident, body language showing anxiety.
“Scott,” Jimmy said, testing it out. He decided that he liked it. Smiling, he continued, “My name-”
Sma- Scott interrupted him. “I uh- I actually know your name already, Jimmy.”
He jolted internally. “What?”
“You told me a few nights ago,” Scott said quietly.
“Oh. I- at least you heard it from me… Gods, I wish I could actually remember that night.” Jimmy blinked a few times, trying once again to remember.
“That can’t possibly be the normal drunken memory loss. You weren’t even drunk, unlike most of the rulers there.” Scott said.
“That’s certainly odd,” Jimmy mumbled. His communicator buzzed, cutting the conversation short. He scanned the message before looking back up at Scott. “I’ve got to go, Shadowlady is summoning me and that’s always a whole thing.”
“I understand. Before you go, I’ve got something to give you.” Scott leaned close to Jimmy similar to a few minutes prior, but this time he kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll talk to you later, petal.”
Jimmy’s face felt hot. “I- Yeah, see you.”
Before he could let himself process anything, he walked down the stairs - surprising himself by only tripping on one - and fired the rocket to take off.
-
“Really? Smajor?” Joel asked, sitting in a relaxed position on a comfortable armchair in Lizzie’s living room.
The three of them were sprawled across furniture, having an ‘important business meeting’, also known as Family Hangout Time.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Jimmy asked defensively, sitting up straight.
“He’s not exactly-”
“An ally,” Lizzie said, cutting Joel off. “He’s your ally, but that’s just recent, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes, but,” Jimmy started, not knowing exactly what to say. He took a deep breath. “I really like him.”
“That part’s pretty obvious,” Joel laughed, “It’s not as if this was a surprise.”
Jimmy blinked. “What?”
“You two have clearly fancied each other for a long time!” Lizzie smiled widely. “The most surprising bit to learn is that it took this long.”
“Oh. But you’re still wondering why?” Jimmy had assumed, by what Scott had said, that the empires had only recently been talking about them. Except now Lizzie and Joel were making it seem like they had been waiting for it for a while.
His sister looked at Joel then back to Jimmy. “We’re just worried. It’s bound to happen, you know.”
“Smajor may not be our ally, but he’s not been unkind to us,” Joel added.
“So you approve?”
Lizzie laughed. “Jimmy, you’re the ruler of a kingdom. You don’t need our blessing to get a boyfriend.”
“Alright! Well, this is,” Jimmy struggled to find the right word, “Good!”
The conversation shifted to lighter topics afterward and Jimmy internally let out a sigh of relief that neither of them had caught his lie, and that they approved. He was still confused on why they said they’d known for a while, though. How could they ‘know’ he was with Scott when he didn’t even fancy the elf in the first place?
-
Jimmy was sitting on the dock just outside his house, letting the familiar ambiance of splashing and creaking wood fill his senses. He was taking a break from sorting through his storage system, a task too heavy for one day alone. It was peaceful, sitting with his eyes closed, basking in the sun.
He heard the sound of large wings, then the thump of boots hitting wood. Jimmy opened his eyes and turned around, a little startled to see Scott standing there. He stood up quickly.
“Scott! What are you- To what do I owe the pleasure?” Jimmy didn’t know how formal he needed to be with Scott; they hadn’t had many conversations outside of arguing before their alliance, and he didn’t truly know the elf.
“Can I not pay a visit to my boyfriend?” Scott asked, smirking.
Jimmy felt his face heat up. “Of course! I was just- Wondering, I suppose. Sometimes people come for trade deals and such, so I didn’t know.” He knew he was rambling.
Scott laughed. It was a wonderful sound. “I just wanted to see your face. Which is rather difficult with that cod head constantly covering it. Not saying you need to remove it, I promise! Do whatever makes you comfortable.”
Jimmy hesitated, then removed the head, setting it on the dock. He didn’t normally do so when someone asked, but strangely he felt comfortable enough around Scott.
Scott walked toward Jimmy, not quite the proximity from the time in Scott’s house, but certainly close. Unprompted, Scott wrapped his arms around Jimmy’s shoulders and behind his neck. The touch sent shivers down his spine and he knew his face was heated again.
“You know you don’t have to do this, right?” Jimmy muttered. “We aren’t technically in public.”
He wasn’t complaining, though, to his own dismay.
“Always good to practice, don’t you think?” Scott responded.
Jimmy couldn’t figure out what to say, so he simply nodded. He could feel his heart beating incredibly quickly as Scott leaned in even closer.
“Do I make you nervous?” Scott whispered.
“I think that’s pretty obvious, isn’t it,” Jimmy said, trying to avoid looking at Scott’s eyes, accidentally glancing down at his lips instead.
“There’s going to be a House Blossom alliance meeting tomorrow,” Scott said after a few long moments of silence, “That’s when we really have to play up this act.”
For a split second, Jimmy had forgotten that they were acting. He had let himself bask in the way Scott played this game and had gotten lost for a moment. He didn’t let that disappointment show, though; he was a better actor than anyone gave him credit for.
So he smiled as he responded. “You’re right.” He then swallowed his fears and moved forward, pressing his lips to Scott’s. It was short, and Scott clearly didn’t have enough time to respond before Jimmy leaned away, heart racing. “For practice, you know.”
Scott seemed stunned, and Jimmy briefly wondered if he had overstepped a boundary. Perhaps he should have asked first, but it honestly seemed like the elf was going to do it anyway.
It took a full minute for Scott to look like he knew where he was. “We should practice more often,” he said quietly, although it didn’t lack his usual flirtatious tone, so Jimmy didn’t worry.
“Oh, I do want to ask,” Scott started, now back in Business Mode after his system reset. “Who all have you told? I’m assuming the Ocean Queen and Mezalean King, but is there anyone else?”
Jimmy shook his head. “You’re right, just those two. You?”
“After the whole fiasco with Xornoth and then my uncontrolled ice, it left me with fewer strong alliances. I told Katherine and Shubble, but the Wither Rose Alliance doesn’t trust me anymore.”
“They suck anyway,” Jimmy shrugged.
“You’re biased,” Scott laughed.
“Of course I am! They like salmon.”
“I knew I never really fit with them,” Scott whispered, Jimmy could feel his breathing, “I’ve always preferred cod.”
It was then that Jimmy once again realized their proximity, and despite having already kissed the man it was almost overwhelming.
Jimmy very much did not want to, but he needed to get back to sorting his storage system. He stepped away from Scott and ran a hand through his own hair. “I’ll see you at the meeting tomorrow.”
He didn’t give an explanation, which may have been unfair to Scott, but the atmosphere was far too warm and there were things to be done.
Jimmy heard the sound of Scott’s wings taking off, and decidedly did not turn around to watch. He spent the next several minutes calming down his racing heart and attempting not to think.
-
The next day arrived far too quickly for Jimmy’s liking, but it arrived nonetheless. Katherine announced that the meeting would be earlier in the day to avoid the events of the previous one - she was very cautious about details, though - and Jimmy was not looking forward to waking early.
He was awake at an hour much earlier than he was used to, anxiously getting ready for the meeting; at some point, he had decided he wasn’t attending and laid in bed stubbornly for a few minutes before telling himself how silly that was.
Jimmy fastened the cod head into place and took a deep breath before heading to the Overgrown.
Somehow, somehow, he still arrived late. People were already in their seats mingling - the actual meeting hadn’t started, fortunately - by the time he stepped through the flowery door.
He scanned the table to find Lizzie and Joel, whom he usually sat next to, but his eyes fell on Scott with a conveniently open seat next to him. They met eyes and Jimmy flushed, looking away quickly and rushing to sit next to him.
“Hi, Jimmy,” Scott muttered when he sat down, quiet enough for Jimmy alone to hear.
“Hey,” Jimmy responded, not quite knowing what to say.
He gazed at Scott, who seemed to glow in the morning light. His light blue outfit appeared almost silver if Jimmy looked at the right angle.
“It’s far too early for you to be looking at me like that,” Scott whispered with a smirk.
Jimmy was taken out of his thoughts. “What?”
“I’m only saying that if you keep staring, we won’t have to confirm anything, you’ll be confirming it for us.”
Jimmy laughed anxiously. “Sorry about that.”
“Oh, it was definitely appreciated. Perhaps I could appreciate it when we’re alone,” Scott smirked.
“Why do you always have to say something like that?” Jimmy asked, sounding much more serious than he actually was.
“Like what?” Scott responded innocently.
“Scott.” Accusing, non-serious.
“Jimmy.” Playful, joking.
Jimmy laughed, Scott only hesitating a moment before following in laughter.
Soon the chatter in the room quieted as Katherine easily seized the attention and energy filling it.
Katherine cleared her throat. “Thank you all for coming. And thank you for putting up with having meetings often; we don’t want another case of someone dealing with something like Xornoth-” Jimmy did not appreciate the amount of people who glanced at Scott. “-without telling anyone, so meetings must be often so that we may better protect our lands.”
Jimmy definitely agreed, but he didn’t appreciate being in a room for several hours with his enemies. The only reason Katherine could get away with the meetings was because she was allied with every kingdom.
“I know this gets boring, but we learned from last time not to bring drinks, didn’t we, fWhip?” She asked, giving the explosive man a pointed look.
“Alright, I’ll admit it didn’t go well! I just wanted to spice things up.” fWhip raised his hands in the air as if in defeat, but Jimmy knew he never admitted defeat.
“Unfortunately, that worked like a charm,” Katherine sighed. “But never again. If another ruler’s drink gets tampered with at my empire, in my meeting which I am responsible for, I will be cutting ties with people.”
It was an empty threat, but Katherine’s alliance was a necessity for enough people that they never questioned it.
Jimmy internally did a double take. Someone’s drink had been tampered with? He didn’t remember much of the whole event, so it made sense that the other rulers would know what he did. The realization then hit him square in the face; it had been his drink.
The realization set his anxiety alight and he felt a small amount of paranoia spike. Had someone been attempting to kidnap him - or kill him?
“Back on topic,” Katherine continued, “For the safety of the empires, I need you all to report at this meeting or to me in private if you think you are in danger of any sort. But if you’re talking to me and it’s about another kingdom, just forget it. I don’t go against any of my allies.”
No one spoke up initially, all glancing around at each other with caution. Jimmy looked at Scott anxiously, although he couldn’t find the source of the anxiety.
“I trust that you all know what is best for your empire,” Katherine started, before launching into a whole other speech that Jimmy truly did try to pay attention to, but his attention span was never that wide.
After a few moments, someone else started speaking and Jimmy quickly tensed, hearing the voice of fWhip.
“Right, and I think that says something about the empires.”
Jimmy hadn’t heard what had preceded that statement, but his interest piqued in that moment, and a quick glance around the room told him that quite a few other rulers were thinking the same.
“Elaborate,” Katherine said.
“Well, you know, some of us are good at ruling. Others, however…” fWhip’s words tapered off as he subtly looked at Jimmy. It wasn’t obvious, but Jimmy noticed it and started to feel very uncomfortable.
“Everyone in this room is more than capable of ruling their empire, fWhip, and your biased judgment is not a valid assessment of us as a whole.” Scott spoke slowly and deliberately from beside Jimmy, and he looked at the elf in surprise.
fWhip laughed anxiously. “I hope you know I didn’t mean you, Smajor. We all know that Rivendell is flourishing with you running it. I know that we can agree, however, that places such as the Cod Empire don’t fare as well.”
Jimmy could feel Scott bristling, and a moment later the elf slammed a hand on the table. To his credit, Jimmy only slightly flinched.
“You forget yourself in your delusions of superiority, Count fWhip. You know how fragile your walls are.” Scott sounded almost dangerous, and if Jimmy were not the one being defended he would be much more terrified. It was sort of sweet how willing Scott was to defend him, especially since fWhip’s words held some truth.
fWhip seemed to realize this as well, and a small smirk crossed his face. “Why so defensive if not for your own sake, Smajor? Surely you wouldn’t defend any other ally like you are defending the Codfather.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” Scott responded quickly, tone icy. “Do not be so quick to judge.”
There was a glint in fWhip’s eye as he responded, “You two have been awfully close lately. One might think you were hiding something.”
Jimmy internally panicked, looking toward Lizzie and Joel as if they could do anything, then focusing back to the conversation.
Somehow, Scott had remained perfectly calm and calculated. “If you think we’re hiding something, you’re very bad at simple observations.”
Jimmy blinked. Where was Scott going with this? The rest of the room seemed to be asking themselves the same question.
“It can’t possibly be so hard to tell that the Codfather and I are together that it has to be seen as rumor. Really, we thought it could go without saying.” Scott smiled at Jimmy, who was still slightly bewildered. “So yes, I will be defending my boyfriend.”
There were murmurs throughout the room, most sounding excited and others confused. Jimmy could have sworn he saw Pearlescentmoon begrudgingly slip some diamonds to GeminiTay.
Katherine herself seemed a bit taken aback, but when she spoke there was no hint of it. “Alright, so if that issue is resolved, fWhip, I would like us to return to a normal, peaceful, meeting environment.”
As if the meetings were ever truly peaceful, but the room fell quiet once again. It was called to an end shortly after.
Jimmy walked out of the building feeling slightly overwhelmed, but proud of himself for not storming out the second that fWhip started speaking. As he walked to a quiet area in a garden outside, he noticed Scott trailing directly behind him
He turned, but before he could say anything, Scott spoke. “Did I overstep in there? I know I was a bit… passionate.” His voice was incredibly soft, a stark contrast to how he spoke with fWhip.
Jimmy reached out and took Scott’s hands in his own. They were cold. “No way. I’ve never actually had someone stand up for me like that before. Sure, Lizzie has been protecting me in a wat for many years, but no one has ever done what you did.”
“So you aren’t upset?”
Jimmy was confused. “Why would I be upset?”
“I told everyone about-” Scott trailed off, as if he didn’t know what to say. “About this.” It felt almost real, when he said it like that.
“We went in there knowing we might have to. I think you went about it the best way,” Jimmy said, smiling at Scott and hoping to see that golden smile in return. “You’re incredible.”
Scott removed his hands from Jimmy’s before pulling him into a hug, and Jimmy only hesitated a moment before returning it. He closed his eyes, because it felt safe. It felt like home.
It was a few long moments before Jimmy pulled away. When he met Scott’s eyes, he noticed the beginning of tears forming.
“Are you alright?” Jimmy asked softly.
“I am, yes.” Scott sighed, before contradicting himself. “No. I’m not alright.”
“Need another hug?” Jimmy offered, trying to put a hint of humor in his voice.
“Not right now,” Scott responded. “I need to get back to Rivendell.”
“Okay,” Jimmy replied quietly.
The moment was over just after Scott lifted a hand to Jimmy’s cheek, lowering it as quickly as it had been raised and taking off into the air.
Jimmy didn’t know why he followed. Before his mind could form a coherent thought, he had activated his elytra and was flying - albeit much slower than the elf - towards the snowy mountains. He followed because he didn’t want to fly to his own empire, alone and confused.
Jimmy didn’t even feel regret when he watched from a distance as Scott landed on the balcony of a large building, didn’t feel regret when several moments later he clumsily fell onto the same balcony, tripping over the cracks in the wood.
“Wha- Jimmy?” Scott exclaimed.
Jimmy slowly righted himself, face flushed in embarrassment. He didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t sound incriminating. He spluttered a few times, trying to form a coherent sentence, before Scott spoke again.
“It’s cold out here, you shouldn’t be out in this weather.” Scott directed Jimmy to the balcony door and they both stepped in, Jimmy still silent as Scott gently closed the glass door.
Jimmy looked around, realizing that they were in Scott’s bedroom. “I shouldn’t have come, I’m sorry.”
Scott tilted his head in confusion, not unlike a small dog. “I don’t mind.”
“You don’t?” Jimmy asked, refusing to meet his eyes as he studied the room.
“I wouldn’t get upset with you for simply being here, Jimmy.” The lighter tone had returned, and Jimmy wondered what had caused Scott to be so vulnerable before.
“I still want to apologize for intruding.”
“I was the one who ran off, that was unfair to you.” Scott crossed the room and sat on the edge of his bed, patting the space beside him for Jimmy to sit. So he did.
“You did say you needed to get back here.”
“It wasn’t so urgent that I needed to leave,” Scott said. “The only scheduled thing I had for today was the meeting.”
“Then why did you leave?” Jimmy wasn’t trying to press, but he did have a small curiosity.
Scott didn’t respond. That idle silence forced Jimmy to be aware of their proximity as they stared at each other. It wasn’t the first time, and it wasn’t awkward, yet he felt a warmth creeping up his face as if he were embarrassed, complete with a racing heart.
“Do you even know why?” Jimmy asked, moving closer to Scott without realizing it.
“I do, yes,” Scott’s voice was barely above a whisper, and Jimmy noticed him looking between his eyes and, oddly, his lips.
“Then what-”
He was cut off by Scott briefly pressing his lips to Jimmy’s. Bewildered, he stared wide-eyed at Scott while his heart skipped a beat.
Scott had an apologetic look in his eyes, and moved to stand up, but Jimmy gently cupped both sides of the elf’s face in his hands and pulled him into a kiss.
Jimmy hadn’t realized what he wanted until that moment, and as the kiss lasted longer than it did before, his heart soared. There was something sweet about finally getting something he didn’t know he needed.
It didn’t last too long, however, and Jimmy would be forced to confront the logical part of his brain. As they pulled apart, foreheads pressed together, Scott laughed a light, joyful laugh.
“What’s funny?” Jimmy asked, ignoring his own urge to laugh.
“Nothing, really,” Scott responded, “Just didn’t think I’d ever be able to do that.”
“I’ve kissed you before,” Jimmy pointed out, embarrassed at the memory.
“Yes, but not like that.” Scott looked like he had more to say, so Jimmy stayed quiet in wonder. “It was-”
“Real?” Jimmy asked, hope tinting the word.
“Real.” Scott said it as though it were the word he was looking for the whole time.
Jimmy captured Scott’s lips in another kiss, slow yet purposeful. It felt better knowing it was real.
A few minutes passed, probably, when they pulled away. “I don’t want to be fake-boyfriends anymore,” Jimmy said quietly, as if the words would hurt to say.
Scott laughed. “I think perhaps that was already established. I love casually making out with my fake, not-real boyfriend whom I don’t like and who doesn’t like me.”
“Well when you put it like that-”
“Yes, we can be real-boyfriends,” Scott said humorously, though Jimmy knew he was completely serious.
“Scott?”
“Hm?”
“What happened that night?” He didn’t need to specify. It had caused this whole ordeal - which, to be fair, did have a pretty good payoff.
Scott took a deep breath, clearly not prepared. Jimmy wondered why. “As you know, I brought you here because you couldn’t make it to your own empire. You were very clearly out of it, saying all kinds of things. About me.” Scott’s face reddened. “You- you kissed me, that night. I didn’t know what to do, so I let you sleep in my bed while I slept on a couch downstairs.”
Jimmy sighed in relief. “So it wasn’t- Gods, okay, that’s good. I was worried that-”
Scott’s eyes widened. “No! Nothing like that. I wouldn’t- let that happen if you weren’t sensible enough to consent.”
“That’s honestly really considerate of you.”
“It’s the bare minimum. Actually, it’s lower than the bare minimum. The bar is below the ground,” Scott deadpanned.
“Still.” Jimmy gestured vaguely. “Thanks.”
Scott smiled. Jimmy relished in it.
“Thinking about it,” Jimmy started, “Did we ever figure out who tampered with my drink in the first place?”
“Honestly, I’ve got no clue. My bet’s on fWhip just because of his grudge against you. He likes stirring trouble for no real reason,” Scott responded.
“That would make sense, yeah. I was thinking that as well.” Jimmy let himself fall from his sitting position onto the bed, where only the ceiling was visible. It was nearly mid-day, yet he was incredibly tired. “Too much happened today. I’m usually not even awake yet.”
Jimmy heard a noise beside him and turned his head to see Scott had fallen backwards as well. “It’s been an exhausting day.”
Jimmy made a vague sound of agreement.
Scott sat up. “Hey, wanna sleep our responsibilities away for the rest of the day?”
“Of course. What do you mean, responsibilities? You said you had nothing scheduled.”
“Still had things to do. I don’t really want to do them. I want to sleep,” Scott said. Jimmy wasn’t sure that Scott was entirely truthful about being tired, but he wasn’t complaining if it meant he got to sleep.
“Then we should sleep.”
Just as Jimmy sat up again, Scott wrapped his arms around him and caused them to lay in the normal human way of sleeping on a bed. It was comfortable. Facing Scott, Jimmy leaned forward and kissed him again, just because he was able to. It was addicting.
Jimmy fell asleep very quickly afterward, safe in Scott’s arms. It was perfect, and it felt like home.
-
When Jimmy woke up still in Scott’s arms, he was only surprised for a brief moment. Moonbeams streaked through the windows and Jimmy wondered how they had slept through the entire afternoon.
Still in a sleepy haze, he planted a kiss on Scott’s nose before falling into an easy rest.