Work Text:
The 5 people woke up on the cold mine floor.They were happy to be back but Steve didn't know how to feel.Last time he has been in the human realm he worked a boring office job and lived alone in a cheap house.He didn't want his life to go back to that.Garett noticed the man's troubled expression.Being on the verge of getting evicted himself and in no way financially stable enough to sustain himself he shouldn't have suggested this,but his brain was,for some reason,refusing to think straight:
"Do you want to live with me Steve?For however long it takes to get used to being away from the otherworld",the garbage man said ,immediately regretting his impulsive nature.Where would Steve even sleep?The couch? That was his spot already!There was no way they could make this work.
"I would love to Gar-Gar.Thanks for the offer", the middle aged man responded, grinning at Garett.His smile was full of genuine happiness, like a lil kid's,and the garbage man couldn't help but start smiling too,a light shade of red appearing on his cheeks.
"Guys we should get going, it's already pretty late and Henry has school tomorrow"said Natalie, already searching for her carkeys.
"Ughh..do I have to? I'm practically expelled anyway."
Natalie didn't respond and just gave her brother a mean look that he was instantly startled by.
"After you sis..",the boy said in a defeated tone.
The group said their goodbyes for the day as Natalie,Dawn,Dennis and Henry hopped in Natalie's car,driving away from the coal mine, leaving the two men alone.
"Should we get going Steve?"said Garett already walking to his car.
"Yes let's go,Gar-Gar.Can't wait to see how your place looks like."
~In the car
As he was driving Garett turns on the radio, listening to whatever metal song his favorite radio station was playing and started to sing along to the lyrics .Somehow, the garbage man was actually a pretty good singer, amazing Steve to the point where he couldn't take his eyes off Garett
"And if you go,i wanna go with you.And if you die,i wanna die with you.Take your hand and walk away..."he sang out, almost crashing his car for not paying attention to the road.
A few minutes later Garett parked his car near his cheap studio apartment, making sure that his jacket's streamers didn't get caught in the car door like last time(he didn't want to get embarrassed in front of steve damnit) and guided Steve to his crappy first floor studio apartment.The bearded man was excited and started looking around everywhere.There was a kitchen that spread into the living room,a bathroom and a tiny balcony where Garett grew some plants:
"Get comfortable.Imma go shower.But don't touch my action figures!"
"K come back soon"the other responded ,his eyes on the only clean thing in the house.a trophy for the gaming competition in 1989
Steve spent about 10 minutes looking trough Garett's game stash until the man came back,dressed in his pjamas,a white dirty tanktop and some black shorts.
"I left you a change of clothes in the bathroom.idk if they will fit you but it's worth a try"
Steve came back a few minutes later wearing the garbage man's clothes.They were a tight fit but they were more comfortable than his previous outfit so he called it a day.
"I only have a pull-out couch but if we squeeze we can probably both fit"
The two jumped on the bed, instantly falling asleep from all the exhausting events that took place only hours earlier.
--That morning
Garett woke up looking at the other man, their faces so close they were almost kissing.He ran his hand trough Steve's messy hair then went to make breakfast.He left the middle aged man's plate on the table and left for work, leaving behind a spare set of keys for the person sleeping on the couch.
That day at work Garett could only think about Steve's sleeping face against his light pink pillows,his heart racing almost as high as back when he won in 1989,but Garett was a total idiot so he ignored it.
Around 3pm, Henry came by with a plate of tater tots:
"My sister made them.She said to share them with my friends"
The garbage man took one,then another.
"Didn't make any friends today either kiddo?"
"Not really.No one talks to me anymore after the jetpack incident.They probably think I'm a weirdo"
"How about you show them another one of your inventions.Something all of them can enjoy?You can use anything from my shop."
"What about a game? like...i turn what happened in the otherworld into a videogame!"henry said with excitement.
"Now you're talking my language!"
They spend the rest of the day talking about the game and then Henry goes home, leaving Garett to close the shop.Another day without costumers.That was becoming the norm.Just as he was about to leave he saw a note on the glass window.As soon as he read it,the garbage man wanted to throw it out,his mind filling with rage and sorrow.His shop was being forced to close in 3 days.
At home,Steve was waiting for "gar-gar" to come back home. He was getting extremely bored all alone in the apartment and wanted some company.However,when Garett got home he dived straight to the bed,not saying a word.
"What's wrong gar-gar?"steve asked, worried for his friend.
"I have to close the shop in 3 days."
"Maybe we can save it?"
"No we can't.I have never won..never since then.Trying will only give me false hope.i just have to cope with the fact that im a loser."
"No garett you're not",Steve interrupts him, kissing his forehead,a gesture which startles the other man."you showed me how important friendship is and that I can't just stay in the other world forever.You thought me how to really live my life and for that i am forever glad ive met you.
"Steve what are you trying to say?"the garbage man said still a dark shade of red from the forehead kiss.
"I love you, Gar-gar and I hate seeing you like this"
Steve pulled the other man into a hug,and Garett couldn't hold his tears anymore.He would never admit it but the garbage man was glad hehad Steve by his side to comfort him or who knows what he would have done.
That night Garett fell asleep peacefully next to steve,both men carefully holding onto eachother.He may have been a loser but to Steve he was a winner,and that was all that matters.
--three days later
The dreadful day finally came and Garett hated having to say goodbye to his shop.He drove to work, expecting to see his landlord but instead he saw his found friends and dennis standing im front of the store
"Guys?what are you doing here?i have to close the shop and empty it before lunch."
"No you don't",Natalie responded as Dawn chimed in.
"Yeah!Steve told us how you were getting evicted so we put some money aside.."
"..and we paid your entire rent for 3 more months!"henry said,happy that he could skip school that day to surprise Garett.
The garbage man was ecstatic.He couldn't thank his friends enough as they all shared a big group hug.
But it wasn't enough and Gar-gar knew exactly what he was supposed to do.He walked up to Steve and pressed his lips against the man's, filled with gratitude and love.
The group stared in utter silence until Natalie finally spoke,looking at Dawn with a cocky smirk on her face:
"Called it."
"Guess i owe you 20 bucks",Dawn said looking trough her wallet for the money.
Garett thanked everyone again,then invited them inside the store for a round of Mario kart.