Work Text:
"So, how was it dude?!", Larry yelled as loud as his vocal chords allowed, anything to avoid getting up and turning the radio's volume down.
Nothing unusual for Sal who has already grown used to barely hearing anything when talking to his best friend.
"Well bug's and praying aside, it was actually pretty nice, like the forest and stuff... We walked around a lot!", Sally yelled just as loud, scooting closer to the dusty fan in Larry's room, a barely functioning and yet sacred machine.
Aka. only way to actually cool off in this shitty summer heatwave.
Thankfully it wasn't an actual heatwave but it sure as hell felt like one, air was heavy and humid, buzzing sound of mosquitos stubbornly trying to get past black mesh glued to the windows was ringing in their ears. Sally was practically swimming in his own sweat, too embarrassed to take off his shirt.
Unlike Larry, the casual nudist of the two.
"Dude, coudn't be me. I'd burn that place down if my mom actually ever sent me there", Sally chuckled at Larry's claim, 100 % sure his friend woud if he got the chance.
"Anyways, you saw anyone we know?", Larry finally decided that being deaf by the age of 30 wasn't a good look for him, getting up and turning the radio down to the point they coud talk and actually hear eachother.
"Uh, no man, the camp's way too far away from here.", Sally's inner cheek ached as he bit it, glad to have the prostetic hide his lies.
He was never a good liar anyway.
But what he didn't expect is for the sound of Sanity Fally to leave his ears so quickly, Larry turning the radio down compleatly.
The silence was louder then the screaming vocals of their favorite songs.
Shit.
Did he know?
Sally immediately looked up, eyes wide and already preparing excuses as to why he didn't tell Larry he saw Travis there too because lord forbid if he hid anything from the brunette.
More then just saw but his travisphobic friend didn't need to know all the fine details.
"Sal, I'm not really proud of myself for this one.", Larry sighed deeply and Sal's anxiety was going through the roof, word vomit on the tip of his tongue.
But before he coud fuck up his evening by self-sabotaging, Larry started talking again.
"So, you know how we talked about getting tickets for this band? You know, the one we were talking about like, before you got sent to that summer thing and all?"
Sally was more confused now then anything.
"Oh that, yea-yeah I remember-"
"Wait, did you get the tickets??", Sal asked, jumping up and nearly hitting the barely functioning fan with his knee.
"I got the tickets..", Larry said, smilling sadly, an expression that suprised the smaller boy.
"That's awesome Larry, it's today, yeah?", The boy got a small nod from his friend, a bit worried now, "So um, what's with that long face?"
"So basically.", Larry looked around the room, rubbing his hands like he often does public speaking or asking his mom for money.
But rarely with Sally.
"Hey, whatever it is I won't be mad, you can tell me.", Sally said, smilling beneath the prostetic as if Larry coud see it.
"Okay so, I got the tickets and all but I didn't know you were gonna be back, like, today, so I asked Ash to go with me insteaad...", Larry muttered, scratching his head, "And like, the tickets are all sold out and it be kinda shitty to ask her to give her ticket to you-"
"Wow, wow, Larry slow down. It's fine dude.", Sally assured, all though he coudn't help feel a little bit sad he coudn't go with his friends.
He didn't show it, obviously.
"For real man? You really don't mind?"
"You and Ashley have been their fans for much longer then me, I know how much this means to you guys.", Sal chuckled, giving Larry a thumbs up, "Besides, I kinda thought about staying in and hanging out with my dad today anyways.
"Thanks for not taking it to heart dude-"
Larry stopped talking and raised his eyebrow.
"Wait, he didn't tell you?", brunette asked, wiping sweat of his forehead and reaching to turn radio's volume up again, "My mom and him are going out tonight."
"Uh.. What?", this was definetely news to Sally.
This has to be a joke.
It wasn't like he was against his dad dating. By all means, it coud probably do his old man some good, getting out there and moving on.
Plus it's Lisa, and Sal woud rather it be someone he knows.
He just, you know, expected to hear that from his dad, not best friend.
"Like, I know they have been hanging out much more this few weeks and that stuff. I'm not all that into it eather.", Larry sighed, nodding with a 'deep in his thought' expression, "It is what it is."
"It is what it is, coud always be worse.", Sal repeated after, brunette nodding in agreement.
"Well, I coud hang out with Todd then. I've been meaning to ask him to make some upgrades on my gear boy-"
Larry cut him off before he coud finish the sentence.
"Oh no, he's is hanging out at his boyfriend's today."
Damn, okay.
"That's cool, I'm sure Chug-"
"Nope, him and Maple are like a thing now. And if I was you I woudn't, uhh- disturb them if you know what I mean.", Larry replied at the speed of light and Sal was almost positive his friend found the situation amusing."
"Uh seriously? I mean good for him but like, am I really the only one free today?", Sall sighted in defeat, "What about C.J and-?"
"He went home like two weeks ago and probably all the other collagers. Try again.", Larry snickered, positioning the fan closer to himself, earning a dirty look from Sal.
"I-,fuck, how much stuff have I missed?", Sally groaned in anoyance, taking of his prothetic and wiping the sweat oh his face. The heat was getting to him.
"Too much dude, tooo much.", Larry slaped him over the shoulder, practically dragging him out of the apartment into the hallway, "Now sho- I need to start getting ready."
"Aww, but don't you want my help?", Sal asked teasingly, plopping onto the floor right next to the apartment door.
"I think you need way more help then I do.", Larry cheerfully replied with same energy, flashing a cheeky smile, "You can always call Phelps."
"Wait what-", Before Sally coud even properly panic Larry slamed the door, leaving him in a humid hallway alone.
Sall looked at the closed door after a few seconds and huffed, his beating heart reminding him of mosquitos.
"I think I will."
..............................................................................................................................
"Ugh what? I obviously didn't tell him shit I don't even...", Travis kept going on and on, Sally snapping in and out of reality every so often.
And he coud only blame the heat for his brain being a distracted mush to certain extend.
Now was this smart? Probably not.
He didn't even think Travis woud answer, taking his chances with calling just because.
Sall's dad left long ago, promising to be back before midnight.
Sal knew damn well that was a lie but like he was complaining.
Even few hours woud be enough really.
Sal sighed, glancing through the window of the apartment, meet by the muted reds of the summer sunset.
Such a romantic sight.
If only-
"Gizmooo, where are y- ah", Sal looked around, finding his furry pet spreading out on the fridge.
Impressive jump ability for a fat cat, Sal noted to himself.
"-Fisher!", Travis whined in annoyance, the nice roughness of blonde's voice sending as shiver down Sally's spine.
He needs to concentrate.
"Huh? Right, sorry. You sure you didn't tell anybody at all? Maybe you-"
"And why am I the one getting blamed here exactly?", Travis scoffed over the phone,
"I- yeah, you are right, sorry, I'm just, I don't even know-", faint creaking noise on Travis's line cought Sal's attention, his lips suddenly very dry.
"Wait, are you in bed right now..?", Sal asks rather timidly, fidgeting with his hair.
"Yes and?", Travis asks in with that cocky, mocking tone Sal coudn't stand most of the time, "Gonna do something about it?"
"No no! I'm just.. curious."
Sally bit his chaped lip, huffing quietly.
"Mhm, whatever you say..", Travis muttered back.
There was a certain challenge to the words that sparked Sall's attention.
It was as if he coud hear a smirk on the boy's face.
"Huh, you don't believe me?", bluehead asked, sarcasm dripping out of his mouth.
.. It felt wrong.
Fake, plasticky when it left his mouth.
He hated it.
But..
Travis still huffed in playfull annoyance.
And he liked that.
Needed it.
More then he'd want to admit.
The closeness they shared, shoulder to shoulder during morning church.
Humid air, heat they hid from under tall trees.
Drunk on sunlight and smell of Travis.
His hair, skin, clothes.
He already missed it.
Missed it so, so much, too much, desperately clinging to the breathing sounds on the other line of the call.
His feelings have been all over the place, numb dissapointment burning his throat, because of dad, because of Larry, Ash, Chug, everyone, feverishly high on heat and nostalgia.
..-
"H- How coud i possibly when you ask things as such, stupid?", Blonde answered after all, his insult sounding strangely endearing, devoid of harshness and edge.
And Sal didn't want to fight it, his cheeks were flushed before his mouth even opened to say-
"I need you. Close to me, like now."
Barely a statement, mostly a pointless whine to get his heart all worked up again.
Chasing the thrill.
It felt so good to let it out.
"But.. you saw me just this morning?", Travis asked, suprised and intrigued more then anything else, face heating up embarrassingly quickly, "Barely half a day ago."
"Yeah? Well I still miss you.", Sal pushed further, pressing a pillow against his chest,
"It doesn't change the fact..", He wiped sweat off his forehead and smiled, wishing Travis coud see it, see him.
"Then do something about it.", The blonde challenged, not sure where he got the guts to.
He never talked like this.
It was new.
It was fun.
"Well, who says I won't?", Sal chirped, rolling off the couch and streching his dirty shoes out, "Y-you know where Addison apartments are, right?", he asked.
"Obviously.", Travis scoffed, quiet creaking in the background of the call.,"You seem to always forget i lived here far longer then you hav-"
"Okay, I know, just..get here soon. Please?", the bluehead paced around the living room like a stupid fly, deciding to clean the place at least a little to kill some time.
Soon he realized it wasn't neccessary to, the apartment sparkling flawlessly.
For some reason it frustrated him deeply.
He decided to just head out the door and meet Travis outside.
-
"Ugh...Lower..", Travis gasped, hot shivers burning up his body from inside and outside, brightly flushed as he pressed himself closer.
He swore he coud smell the ocean in Sal's untamed blue mane.
Somewhere, somehow, there was this memory, faded now, that flashed before his eyes the second Sal closed the door behind them, closing the distance between them just as quickly.
Lips left his skin, blue hair pressing further into the crux oh his neck.
"G-goddamn it, I said lower not-", A quiet goan escaped him, pleasurable sting turning his brain to a mush.
Oh how was he gonna regret this later, glaring at shy Sal while rubbing make-up over hickeys and little bitemarks.
But now he doesn't care.
He doesn't care one single bit.
-
Grab, pull, touch.
Abuse, hurt, pleasure
That's what he desired, desperately craved from their unfulfilled lives.
Fuck everyone around them.
Fuck what dad woud think, insensitive assumptions friends woud mutter to eachother if they found out.
Sal needs this, and he needs it hard, dangerously bad.
And Travis always delivers.
In record time.