Work Text:
The shelf right above the headboard has loose screws. It could fall at any moment, and sooner or later, it will, in fact, fall. Two Time just hopes it's not now. They have important work to do.
But before that, they really need to text their other trusted friend. For the seventh time in fifteen minutes. Just to gather some courage. Elliot has the patience of a Chinese monk in continuous meditation for nine months, he definitely wouldn't mind.
>Lord of Pizzas<
𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠
𝙸 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎.
𝚢𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚜
𝚜𝚘
𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚑??
𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚑.
𝚕𝚘𝚕
𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗?
𝙽𝚘…
𝚆𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚌𝚞𝚍𝚍𝚕𝚎𝚍.
𝚆𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢.
𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚙𝚘𝚗
𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚕.
They were both in Two's room, sprawled across their bed – too small for two people as loose-limbed as them, yet somehow oddly cozy. – Chance sat with his back against the wall, legs crossed over Two’s, all tangled in sheets, skinny limbs and confused feelings. On Two Time’s part, of course.
They even felt a bit embarrassed for bringing their friend to their modest apartment after so many visits to the fancy mansion where Chance lived. But Chance looked genuinely happy to be invited – and especially to step inside – that the feeling died quickly in their chest.
They need to confess.
But the shelf might fall any second now, and how are they supposed to survive that? There are at least twenty books up there with questionable religious content and a few others on supposedly varied topics like Illustrated Glossary of Introduction and Development to Simple Botany. Actually, it’s not even that varied. It’s just plants and rituals.
They can confess. They have been thinking of it for two and a half months now.
First came the algae, which had nothing. Then bryophytes, followed by pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and finally, the baddest of them all: angiosperms . General trait: plants reproduce through internal fertilization with alternation of generations. A cycle that repeats in all of them in an almost primitive way. Multicellular female gametophytes, formed by mitosis, produce gametes also by mitosis, which fertilize and become zygotes. Which, by mitosis, become sporophytes. Which, through meiosis – surprise! – release spores. And then mitosis mitosis mitosis mitosis
It’s going to be now. If not now, all their friends will die. Including
“Chance!” They shouted too loudly.
The other startled, looking up from the magazine. “What?”
“Tracheophytes are vascular plants!”
“Cool?” fUCK
Two Time quickly sat up too. If the shelf falls now, at least it won’t crush their head. And if all the plants in the world caught fire right now, global warming would speed up exponentially.
“I’m going to tell you a secret.”
“Mhm.”
“I have romantic feelings for someone.”
“Alright.”
“…How should I confess?”
“Just go up to them and say, ‘I like you.’ Straight up, pal.”
“I like you.”
“Exactly like that! You catch on quick.”
That was attempt number one. Instantly ruined by Chance’s complete lack of perception – combined with his amazing ability to grasp the most complex concepts and still miss the obvious. How can someone be so smart and so dumb at the same time? It was more than obvious that Chance would react like that or something similar, and even so, Two Time thought it was a solid plan.
Whatever. That was just plan A. There are still thirty-two more. Not because there are thirty-two letters in the alphabet.
Not yet.
♡♡♡
The smell of ovens cooking food at full power fills the air like an olfactory blessing. Ignoring how greasy some parts of those cushioned seats might be, everything about the Pizzeria is pleasant. The yellowish lighting – both from the bulbs and the sunset outside – is cozy. The sound of friends, families, couples, and proudly single folks fills the room. In the background, a calm, elegant jazz tune plays. That place is definitely one of Two Time’s favorite spots in the city.
"There's no way he's that dumb."
Elliot was sitting at the table with Two Time instead of working, which they didn't questioned.
"I would also rather not believe it... I prefer to think it was just a misunderstanding, a poor choice of words on my part." The two of them were talking about Two Time’s failed attempts at confessing their love. They’d figured it would be a good idea to go straight to Elliot for help with better plans, afraid that the ones they had in mind were too bad. But maybe showing up during working hours hadn’t been the wisest idea.
"Of course not! You were as clear as humanly possible!" Elliot slammed his fist on the table, always full of passion in every gesture and word. Two Time think it’s cute, "That dumbass Chance only pays attention to what he wants to," he huffed, indignant.
"Yeah..." they laughed nervously, "But we can not ignore the fact that he did not get it. I need to be even more direct than that, if that is even possible..." They sighed, leaning back in their seat. They looked out the window beside their table, watching the sun sink lower and lower while customers kept pouring in for dinner. Soon the noise would get overwhelming and they would want to bolt.
"Just plant a big ol’ kiss on the idiot already. You can't get more direct than that," Elliot grinned confidently, straightening up from his slouched position on the table. He laughed when he noticed Two Time’s cheeks flushing bright red, but stopped abruptly, as if remembering something important, and curled back up.
"What is it?" Two Time asked in a whisper, maybe it was a secret.
"Shhhh," he brought a finger to his lips and pulled the brim of his red cap down in an attempt to hide his face, "I'm only here to hide from a customer." Two Time had already found it odd. Elliot, of all the employees, hiding from work? The most hardworking of them all?
"Can I ask why?" Their cute little smile didn't hide their hunger for fresh gossip from anyone. Elliot clicked his tongue.
"See that guy at the counter?" he gestured with a thumb. Two Time saw a man wearing a ridiculous hamburger hat, desperately trying to calm down a visibly hyper child, "The one with the stupid hat. Yeah, that’s the one I’m hiding from." Two Time also noticed another employee rushing over to handle the growing line of people waiting at the empty register. "I don’t have the slightest bit of patience to deal with that jerk. Let someone else handle it."
The man in question looked tired, but friendly. Two Time still couldn’t understand Elliot’s obvious disdain.
"Did he do something to you...?"
"Oh, he sure did!" Elliot stood up again, this time angry. His complaint was loud enough to draw the attention of the cashier. Looking closer, it was now possible to see that the man in the suit was actually Elliot's father. Two Time felt a bit uneasy for their friend, Elliot couldn’t even see the death glare the man was throwing at him from behind.
"That guy and that godforsaken kid of his have never heard a single word about manners. My GOD, they are unbearable–"
"Your manager is giving you a dirty look." Two Time decided to just say it. Elliot froze. He turned with the strategic slowness of someone trying to use peripheral vision to see the enemy.
"Screw him. I’m not the only employee here." Even so, he got up and went back to work.
"May Spawn grant you luck with the problem-customer." Two Time wished him well, doing their best to lift their friend’s spirits, but Elliot’s soul was already half in hell and half in heaven by the time he approached his father.
Two Time sighed. They hadn’t forgotten what Elliot had just said. ‘Just kiss him already,’ huh?
.
..
…
NOT IN A MILLION YEARS.
As if Two Time would ever have the guts to do something like that. It doesn’t even make sense! Well… maybe it would be kind of nice… But it’s not logical at all! What if Chance doesn’t feel the same way? At least with words, you can get rejected with some dignity. But a kiss?! A surprise kiss, no less! Wouldn’t that count as sexual harassment? If I ask first, then it is not a surprise anymore... and then it’s just weird. Who even asks someone for a kiss out of nowhere when you’re not even dating yet? Chance would definitely punch them. Or even worse- what’s worse than a punch? A bite?
…I would like to be bitten by them…
THAT’S NOT THE POINT.
More and more people coming in, the place getting crowded. Loud conversations and piercing laughter. A night threatening to drag on longer than it should, and bubbling thoughts bursting beneath pale, thin skin. There's no one else at the table but them. They are definitely occupying a space they shouldn’t. They should just leave.
Two Time ran out the moment they crossed the exit door of the pizzeria.
♡♡♡
Red roses are too intense, red tulips follow the same line of thought, while yellow roses are more platonic than they should be. A shame, really. They're the prettiest ones in Two Time’s opinion, and they suit Chance. Right now, lavender roses are leading the race. To be honest, they only really know about roses and tulips, because they’re the most well-known and easiest to remember. Even so, they feel that Azure would be a little disappointed by their limited floriography repertoire.
Once, Azure said they reminded him of an iris flower. He didn’t explain why. Two Time promised themselves they’d look up what the flower meant later, which they never did. Always pushing it off for another time: a quieter hour in the day, or at night. They can’t tell when days became weeks and weeks became months. Over time, they started to feel anxious about looking it up, precisely because they’d let so much time pass. From that point on, they also stopped researching flowers altogether, as if some invisible wall were telling them that they could only keep learning about that small botanical universe if they first faced the mystery of the iris. Ridiculously crippled by rules and standards of their own making, held back solely by their own neural wiring. A failure of a person.
Azure noticed their sudden loss of interest in the plants he seemed so fond of. He asked why. Two Time didn’t know how to answer. Azure got upset. And what could they have said? There hasn’t been a single day in their life that they truly knew how to clearly put into words all the turmoil in their head.
“You’re making a funny face," Chance’s voice – with an audible smile – snapped them out of their morbid stupor.
“Yeah? What face?”
“That one you make when you get lost in your little world,” Two Time has no idea what their expression looks like when that happens. But if Chance guessed exactly what was going on, it must be a common thing.
The two of them are at Chance’s house, leaning against each other on the couch, watching some dumb movie on TV. It’s nothing special, but it’s been a while since they last invited each other out for a solid reason anyways. If Two Time were cheesy enough, they’d say the reason is simply each other’s presence. And Chance – who is, in fact, cheesy – said exactly that. Their heart nearly skipped a beat when they heard it.
“What are you thinking about?” Chance asked, his voice a murmur, head resting on Two Time’s shoulder.
It’s a little strange to look at Chance when he’s not wearing his fedora, sunglasses, or trademark headphones. Strange, but not unpleasant. His hair, down from its usual ponytail, adds an extra charm, and Two Time considers it a blessing whenever they get to look into the other’s honey-colored eyes. It looks so warm, something melted, glowing. The finishing touch is the small beauty mark just below his right eye, Two Time’s lost count of how many times they have held themselves back from kissing that exact spot.
“I had a boyfriend.”
“Seriously? You never told me about that!” Chance shifted from their comfortable position with an excited movement, damn it.
“He died of sadness.”
He seemed to go into shock for a moment. “Oh man... I’m really sorry for your loss…”
“It’s a joke!” Two Time could barely believe Chance actually fell for it, “We just broke up.”
“Ah… Why?”
“It was a long time ago. He moved to another country to study botany. I didn’t want to go with him. It was too much change for me, you know? I preferred to stay. So we decided to end things for good, no drama,” Two Time sighed internally. They still miss Azure sometimes, even though they still keep in touch. It’s hard to get over someone you called ‘love’ for so long. They are not even sure if they still loves him or not, but they do know their feelings for Chance grow stronger with each passing day.
“Ugh, dude, that sucks. I totally get it– same thing happened to me," Chance actually looked genuinely sad for them, with a little frown and a slump of the shoulders. But Two Time was more interested in what they’d just heard come out of their friend’s mouth.
“What do you mean? You also broke up with an ex?” That was news. Chance talks a mile a minute, it’s almost impossible that he never mentioned this before.
“Yup.”
“And what happened…?”
“He got arrested,” Two Time choked on their own saliva.
It took a few moments of Chance gently patting their back – concerned, asking if they were okay – before the coughing fit passed. Then they finally calmed down.
“Arrested for what?!” Well, not entirely. But hey, maybe it was for something different than what Two Time was imagining. Something involving, like, crimes. Maybe the guy was wrongly accused of something he didn’t do, or got caught speeding on some random highway more than seventeen times. Happens to everyone eventually.
Chance lifted the baggy shirt he was wearing, revealing the side of his hip and part of his pelvis. Two Time barely had time to blush before hearing: “He stabbed me here,” He pointed at the scar.
Another round of coughing and pure outrage. So much outrage. (‘You got a cold or something?’ the idiot actually had the nerve to ask.)
“But it was so unfair! I never even complained about it,” The story just kept getting worse and worse with every word Chance said. Two Time didn’t know whether they wanted him to keep going or never open his mouth again. “It was my mom who filed the report,” he rolled his eyes. “But then again, right? The guy was dumb enough to stab me right in front of her.”
“Spawn bless your mother.”
“What.”
“Thank Spawn you are alive!” Two Time forced a bright, stunned smile. How is someone supposed to even begin processing that kind of information?
“Alive and without my love!” Chance threw himself dramatically on top of Two Time, knocking both of them flat onto the couch. “Apparently, forgiveness isn’t enough to make judges drop criminal charges.” He buried his face into his friend’s neck and hugged them tight, curling up comfortably. They were definitely starting to feel a bit too warm – does this person not have one ounce of shame? “Mom threatened to take Spade away from me if I didn’t accept the restraining order.” His words came muffled for obvious reasons.
Two Time returned the hug slowly. Spawn bless your mother , they thought, but didn’t say it again. Sighing instead.
“How can you forgive someone who hurt you that much?” They asked, not sure if they’d crossed a line. Then again, everything about this conversation had already gone way past any lines. Even their strange embrace.
Silence settled over the room, broken only by the steady sound of the television, which gently kept Two Time from sinking back into thoughts. Chance took a while to answer, but eventually said:
“I don’t know if I ever really forgave him.” Two Time made a point not to show the relief that washed over them at those words. Out of respect. “I don’t even know if I still like him…” Oh. They felt bad for how good it felt to hear that. But honestly, there was nothing wrong with it! It was simply the genuine relief of knowing that their friend was no longer emotionally tied to a criminal who had literally tried to kill him.
Even if a truth only represents 30% of the whole, it’s still the truth. The other 70%… well, they had more to do with the fact that if Chance really didn’t like that guy anymore, then maybe, just maybe, Two Time had a chance with him.
Explosion sounds came from the TV. Two Time looked over and saw fireworks lighting up the screen.
They lifted a hand and gently ran it through Chance’s hair. Soft . “If you ever want to talk about it, I’m here to listen.” Like good friends should. Or partners. Depends.
They felt a gentle tug at their shirt. It was Chance’s hand, briefly curling into a soft, hesitant grip.
“I think–” a pause, “I think I was just scared of being left. So I accepted anything.”
Two Time understands.
Despite the thousands of thoughts they could never put into words, there are a few that Chance seems to formulate for them. The way they seem to understand exactly what he means. The way he speaks so directly, clearly, without fear. That was, without a doubt, one of the reasons Two Time fell in love. Those rare moments when Chance drops the fake smile and opens up, just for them. It’s intimate. Almost too much. And it would be, if Two Time ever felt satisfied. But they never do. They want all of Chance, and a little more.
Gently, they helped them both sit up again. Chance instinctively pulled away from the hug and placed his hands at his sides, avoiding eye contact. Two Time’s hands reached up to his face, cupping his cheeks gently.
“You are afraid of being left.” It wasn’t a question. It was a confirmation. Two Time understands.
“Is that so weird?” They shook their head. Never weird. They understand, they did it so well. Because if any of their friends… if their love leaves again, they don't know if they’ll survive it.
Two Time leaned forward until their foreheads touched, they had never been this close. So close, they could see the shimmer on Chance’s eyelashes. Chance placed one hand over Two Time’s, and finally looked them in the eye.
“If I promise to never leave you, will that fear go away?” They wished it would. They wished they could rip that weight straight out of the other’s chest.
Chance exhaled softly through his nose, “You can’t promise something like that. You never know what might happen.” It was a harsh truth. One that nearly tore their chest open – knowing they would never have control over everything.
“And what if I promise to stay by your side as long as I can… and try, even when I can not? Would that help?” They felt frustrated when Chance gave a small, breathy chuckle in response.
“No, it won’t," but his smile never left, “But I think… I think that while you’re with me, I can ignore it. Your voice is enough to distract me from everything.”
The TV sounds – voices, music, all jumbled – became a grand background symphony never meant to be heard in the foreground. The screen flashed with warm colors, sharply contrasting the fact that they were only just now hearing the rain falling outside. Soft, uneven thuds tapping against the windowpanes. Nothing aggressive, just a quiet warning that something was about to overflow.
Chance’s smile is warm. Warmer even than the red now returning to Two Time’s cheeks.
“I really want to kiss you,” It slipped out before they noticed.
“So what’s stopping you?”
“You have to flirt with me first.”
The intimate moment shattered when Chance pulled back to laugh, loud and theatrical. Two Time had to grab his waist with both hands to keep him from falling over. They should’ve been mad at him, if they weren’t laughing too. That was such a stupid answer.
“You literally just said you wanted to kiss me!” Chance could barely speak between his laughter.
“But what if you didn’t want to?” They scoffed, “I– I don’t even know if you really do. You didn’t answer!”
“I like you. Of course I do!”
Two Time’s little world froze. Suddenly, nothing else seemed to work.
"You… like me?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Chance was blushing now too, maybe realizing the conversation they were actually having. Or the position they were in: sitting in Two Time’s lap, hands on their shoulders, their arms wrapped around Chance’s waist.
“NO?!” An exclamation.
“HOW NOT?!” Two exclamations.
“Chance, you never showed anything!”
“You gotta be kidding me–" Chance had an incredulous smile stretched across his face, “I literally hug you and wrap myself around you every chance I get! Look at us right now!” Yeah, he definitely realized.
“I-I don’t know? I thought you were just… needy," Two Time’s voice trembled, trying to process everything they were being told.
“I– How– That’s– UGH!” Two Time laughed again, not even knowing why anymore, “Yeah, maybe I am a little needy, but only with you, because I-like-you!” Chance kept rambling about Spawn knows what, clearly trying to hide the embarrassment consuming him. Two Time didn’t hear a word of it after that second confession. Huh. Unfair. They hadn’t even made their second yet. So they cut the monologue with a kiss.
It was abrupt, clumsy, and short.
Chance’s eyes were wide when Two Time opened their own. They themselves were in shock, not believing they actually had the courage to do it.
They opened their mouth, maybe to apologize. But before they could say anything, Chance pulled them back in.
His arms wrapped once more around their neck, and Two Time let themselves explore his back. Their hands slid along his sides, and they felt Chance’s fingers tangle in their hair, gently stroking. Two Time nearly melted.
The kiss was almost electric. Lips clashing in tiny jolts, broken only by breathless giggles. Both of them trying to stretch the moment as long as possible. One lost in the other, as if they were one. The taste of fulfilled longing was only slightly sweeter than Chance’s lips – everything culminating in that shade of red Two Time never even dared dream of before.
Eventually, they had to part. Both breathless.
Chance laughed, clearly joyful. His cheeks were so high they nearly closed his eyes. Two Time was completely dazed by the sheer, indescribable beauty in front of them.
“Bite me.”
“what.”