Work Text:
High On Weed or High On You?
Ever since Medkit first smoked weed with Boombox, he hasn’t been able to get those rushing thoughts out of his head. Getting to finally hear the song that’s been plaguing his mind for weeks on end was nice, it’s a wonderful song composed by someone the doctor would once begrudgingly call talented. But now it’s not so begrudging.
Thoughts about that evening and the days leading up to it have since taken the song’s place in his mind. Trying to think back on the evening is fuzzy at best, the intense high he experienced clouding most of his memory.
Ever since then, the confusion in the healer’s head has only ramped up. He struggles to recall what really happened that night, even when alone with his thoughts. Of course, he’s aware things happened that night. He remembers smoking with Boombox, but everything after that is a bit of a blur.
What little he does remember are the quiet moments in between the dazed high. Soft, gentle hands holding him close. Hushed conversations of worry and reassurance. Endless banter and giggles into the late evening hours.
At the center of it all? A warm, kind soul being ever so patient with him. Something he’ll cherish forever.
A few days later, Medkit finds himself sitting across from the same Inphernal he smoked with - at a café of the healer’s choice - nursing a cup of black coffee while the other waited on the childish milkshake he ordered. It wasn’t Medkit’s favorite café, so he didn’t mind being seen in public with the musician. He couldn’t risk Boombox finding that location, and the thought of running into the musician in his safe space was too much to bear.
Medkit is unsure why he felt so compelled to have this conversation in public. It could have been a text exchange or a phone call, but here he sat with Boombox. Boombox was still Boombox, over text or in person, as annoying as ever. But for some reason Medkit didn’t seem too bothered by the other’s antics.
The inphernal in question is drumming his fingers along the edge of the table. The rhythm is upbeat in nature, something typical for the DJ, but it wasn’t anything Medkit recognized. Not that he was paying much attention to the drumming, instead being focused on Boombox’s words.
“…And that’s pretty much it!” Boombox finishes retelling of the events of that fateful night with a slight smile, turning his digital eyes up from his lap to the doctor across from him.
“And… You’re certain nothing else happened?” Medkit hesitates for a moment with his question, lifting his coffee cup up to his mouth to hide a faint grimace.
“Nope! You came over, I showed you the song, it rained… Which shut off the power, and we had sandwiches in the dark. After that you kinda passed out on the couch,” Boombox states as if it were a fact, which it was. “That’s literally what I just said,” he ends with a chuckle.
“Apologies, I wanted to get the facts straight and make sure your stories lined up.” Medkit responds, resting his coffee cup to the table, taking in a breath and simply observing.
Maybe it’s last week’s events clouding his vision, but Boombox has started to look different to him. Not that he looks any different today, nothing in particular has changed, but different in a way of finally noticing parts about the musician that Medkit otherwise hasn’t paid much attention to.
Like the deeper toned freckles dotting his cheeks, most likely littering the space under his visor as well. Along with the freckles scattered over his elbows and forearms. Heights, was this inphernal covered in them.
Medkit notes how expressive his LEDs truly are, something he never noticed until he got a closer, more in detailed look at them. The way the circles become upright semi circles when Boombox smiles especially wide, even mimicking a wink perfectly, something Boombox did fairly often around the healer. Even the static images the visor would reflect. Exclamation points whenever the DJ was startled or has an ‘aha!’ moment, or the question marks that displayed whenever he was confused or asking a question.
Little things like that, that the healer otherwise missed when on the battlefield together. Right now, the visor displayed semi circles, glee written all over his face as Boombox is presented with his prized milkshake. He thanks the waitress, excited rubbing his hands together before jumping right in to savor his dessert.
Medkit can only shake his head and let out a gentle sigh. How could any adult be so excited over something so painfully sweet? Any insult the healer had died on his tongue upon his second glance at the inphernal. He’s met with a new sight, one he takes for granted.
How soft and sweet Boombox’s smile is. He’s excitedly humming to himself, partially wiggling in the booth from how much he was enjoying the treat. Medkit can’t help but smile in return, unknowingly smitten by such an otherwise childish display.
How cute…
“Oh man, this is good! Are you sure you don’t want any?” Boombox asks, offering up a sip of his chocolate milkshake topped with whipped cream and a cherry.
“Certain. It’s too sweet for my palate.” Medkit hums before adding, “If it were dark chocolate then I would consider it.”
Besides, there’s only one straw and your mouth has been all over it. Mentally he scolds but chooses not to voice his complaints.
Boombox only shrugs as a response. A quiet ‘suit yourself!’ before leaning in for another sip. A few moments pass before he decides to strike up a new conversation. “I know you said you don’t remember much but, did you at least enjoy yourself?”
The healer takes a moment to reflect on the question, gazing down at the half empty mug of coffee before looking back at the musician. “I think so? I’m not really sure. It…It wasn’t bad per say but I wouldn’t call that enjoying myself.”
Boombox is quiet as he nods along, soon chewing on the inside of his cheek as he thinks. Heights, how does he phrase this without coming off as pushy…
“Would…Would you want to try again?” he hesitates but finally asks.
“Try again?” Medkit quietly repeats the question. “What, getting high?”
Boombox nods a little too quickly before breaking out into a slight smile. “Yeah, we can try tonight if you have the time! That way you actually remember it and hopefully it’ll be more enjoyable that way.”
Medkit pauses, processing the question. An opportunity to get high with Boombox again? It’s something he would have previously shot down without a second thought, but now he hesitates.
Why was he hesitating? He’s partially screaming at himself to try and figure out the reason why. Surely the last experience he had while high would be enough to put him off smoking weed altogether, especially with Boombox. But now he’s not sure. The idea itself doesn’t sound unappealing, something Medkit himself can’t quite explain.
But then again, if he can’t find a reason to not try again, why not take that chance?
“Sure,” Medkit replies with a sigh. “But not tonight, I have some…work that needs attending to.”
Boombox’s eyes light up at the words. His small, content grin stretches into a wide smile and his LEDs change into stars. Oh, oh that’s new. The healer notes.
“Awe-some!” The musician squeals, gaining a few looks from the other patrons in the café. “How about this, we can try again this weekend?”
“Sure. I’ll check my calendar when I get back and make sure that’s okay.”
---
Soon enough, the weekend rolls around and Medkit finds himself on the other side of the region in Playground. Thankfully, this time, he did let Sword know where he was going as to not worry the swordsman too much. Of course, Sword had his concerns about Medkit being in that faction, but the healer did his best to reassure him that things would be fine.
“It’s not like I’ll be wandering around Playground on my own,” Medkit quietly said over the phone with a scoff. “I’ll be with a friend.”
That was enough to get Sword off of his back, at least for a few moments. Of course, he wanted to know what friend Medkit apparently had in Playground, but Medkit quickly shut that conversation down.
Now inside the musician’s apartment and sitting down, Medkit gazes down at the small tray Boombox has laying out of the table in front of them, the scent of weed fresh in the air. The healer lets out a small, curious hum when he spots Boombox’s handy work, a pair of freshly rolled blunts.
“Okay, we’re gonna try something different this time.” Boombox states, picking one of them up. “This time I rolled these bad boys, so you don’t have to worry about taking in too much smoke too quickly! It’ll be like smoking a cigarette!”
Medkit couldn’t deny that this was smart. Not only was it something the doctor was familiar with doing, but it would also serve to make it easier to gauge how much smoke he was taking in as well. He gives a small hum of approval followed by a nod.
“Smart.” He comments, watching the way Boombox breaks out into a bright smile, his LEDs changing to stars for a brief moment before reverting back to their neutral state.
“Aww, you think so?” Boombox sets the blunt back on the tray before standing. “I’m gonna grab us some water before we start, I don’t wanna have to get back up later.”
“Ice water, please. If you have some ice.” Medkit requests, receiving a small nod in response. He sighs, relaxing further back into the couch. His gaze wanders back down to the tray on the table, eventually reaching over and picking up the blunt for himself.
Bringing it closer for a bit of an inspection, looking over the neatly packed ground flower delicately wrapped up tight. It’s nothing like what he used to see. The wrapping wasn’t clumsy, nor was it perfect by any means, but it was neat in its own way. The healer knew how gentle the DJ could be with his hands; he’s witnessed it firsthand but seeing it in another form was interesting.
The musician makes his way back into the room a few seconds later, looking down at Medkit with a look of confusion. “What, did I not roll it tight enough?” he asks, head tilted to the side.
“No, no.” Medkit shakes his head. “I was just looking.”
“Ah,” Boombox mouths, setting two glasses of water on the table. He turns, taking a seat next to the doctor. “Do you wanna light it or do you want me to?” he asks.
“No, you can light it,” Medkit replies, passing the blunt over to the other.
The musician nods, swiping the light off of the table. He takes the blunt between two fingers and presses it to his lips before striking the light once to produce a flame and lighting up.
Boombox closes his eyes as he inhales, taking a nice long rip before lowering the blunt from his mouth. He holds the smoke in for only a second or two at most before exhaling a large puff of smoke.
Medkit can’t help but stare silently in awe of how well Boombox smokes. Of course it makes sense, Boombox has been smoking longer than Medkit ever has, but watching him so up close like this was fascinating. How cool and collected he can be at times.
The healer only realizes he’s been staring when a small grin creeps onto the musician’s face. “You must like watching me smoke or something,” Boombox teases.
“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Medkit scoffs, rolling his eye. He’s met with soft laughter.
“Whatever you say man,” Boombox adds with a wink, passing the joint over to the healer. “Here, your turn!”
Medkit takes it with a nod, shifting into his usual smoking position. He pressed the butt of the joint to his lips, and since it was still burning all he had to do was inhale. He does just that, taking in a small amount of smoke before removing it from his lips. In one swift movement, he exhales the smoke resting in his lungs.
This time he finds the hit to be a lot smoother. It doesn’t sear the back of his throat like the bong did, plus it was easier to maintain how much smoke he was taking in.
“How was that?” Boombox asks, his digital eyes being replaced by question marks, mirroring the curious gaze he had under his visor.
Leaning back into the couch, Medkit sighs. “Better,” He admits, letting that warm fuzzy feeling wash over him once more before glancing over in the musician’s direction.
Yeah. This is something he could get used to.
The pair spend the next few hours passing the blunt back and forth, eventually flicking on the television for background noise, and simply chatted into the evening hours.
~
That evening became a turning point. Medkit and Boombox began meeting up more often than the healer would like to admit. He formed a bit of a routine with the musician, coming over every now and again to smoke with him whenever Medkit felt like it.
If anything, it served as a reason for the doctor to get his work done ahead of time instead of putting off what he could for a few days. Medkit always made it a point to go over to Boombox’s apartment to smoke, never smoking in his own. He always phrased it as not wanting the rest of his clothes to smell like weed but in all honesty, a small part of him enjoyed the company of the musician’s smaller apartment.
A few phighters have commented on how close the pair have become, the two often seen leaving phights together even if it is simply to take Boombox home for the evening or because the doctor just wanted to smoke after pretty bad phight.
To those closer to the pair, they could definitely tell something was going on between them. Even if they were just smoking buddies as they claimed, there was something more going on beneath the surface.
Medkit has found himself dancing amongst those underlaying feelings. Feelings he didn’t quite understand. Despite what others might have been saying, there was nothing going on between him and Boombox.
…Right?
Many sleepless nights are spent lying awake, rolling from one side to the other. Medkit thought once he heard the song that would be the end of that chapter and he could move on with his life but no, every now and again the song will get stuck in his head.
But it’s not the song getting stuck in his head that bothered him.
It was that damn musician.
Instead of lying awake at night thinking about the song, he’s thinking about Boombox. His smile, his dumb infectious laugh, the warm, bubbly feeling Medkit gets whenever he’s nearby.
Medkit feels like he’s in a daze whenever he’s around the DJ, to the point of feeling like he was at least a little high. Which he knows he not, the pair spend plenty of time around each other sober but that didn’t explain the weird ‘high’ he gets around the other.
Even when Medkit is away from the musician, simply thinking about him causes that high feeling to creep back into the point where it’s getting concerning.
Maybe… Maybe it’s not the high. If it wasn’t the high, then what was he feeling? Every night that it’s cropped up Medkit would always explain it away as just being tired, the aftereffects of smoking that evening or even possibly coming down with some sort of sickness.
Developing feelings for someone is never something that’s on his radar. I mean, that would be stupid after all, right? He didn’t like Boombox in any romantic sense. Their relationship is strictly platonic; he’s just a friend.
…Right?
---
Another rare day off with nothing scheduled graces the healer’s calendar. Just him and the rest of the day to do absolutely nothing. But that would be a bit boring, so he decides to pay his friend in Playground a visit. He texts beforehand to make sure the musician is actually home before making the trip over to Playground.
He’s roughly halfway through his drive when it begins to rain. It’s not only raining but pouring. Nothing like previous storms he experienced the first time he was in the faction but it’s raining hard enough to cause some concern.
When he pulls into the apartment complex, dread sets in. His umbrella in nowhere to be found. He checks his car, looking over every possible spot that the umbrella could be before he gives up. It’s not raining too badly, right?
…
Medkit is soaking wet by the time he makes it inside the apartment building, his shoes squeaking against the tiled floor as he makes his way up to the other’s apartment. Great, just great. Irritation begins to set in with each step he takes. He huffs out a groan when he finally reaches the door, meeting the warm smile of Boombox when the DJ opens it.
“Meds, hey!” Boombox beams. “Damn, you’re soaked! It must really be coming down outside.”
“Really? I haven’t noticed.” Medkit doesn’t bother greeting the other, huffing out a reply. “Will you get me a towel?” He asks, closing the door behind him after fully stepping into the apartment.
“Yeah, one second!” The DJ nods, disappearing into the back of his apartment before reemerging with nice, fuzzy towel.
Medkit swipes the towel from the other’s hands and begins to dry himself with it or at least attempt to. He’s only able to go so far with just the towel.
It’s only when Medkit begins to dry his hair that Boombox starts to stare. Medkit stood there ruffling his damp hair with his hands above his head. The sheer button down shirt leaving very to the imagination with how wet it is.
Boombox flushes, quickly adverting his gaze but his eyes can’t help by seem to wander back over to the doctor. Medkit is relatively thin, something that surprises the musician. To think he’s a lot smaller under his uniform, not that it was form fitted to begin with.
He notes how plain Medkit looks underneath. He’s not toned like other phighter and not particularly pudgy either. He simply looks like any average guy.
“This isn’t working,” Medkit huffs, burying his face completely in the towel before groaning. “Can I have another towel—”
“Let me get you a change of clothes.”
“What?” The healer stops in his tracks, lifting his head to meet Boombox’s gaze.
“Yeah, I can give you a change of my clothes and we can throw yours into the dryer!” Boombox gives a kind smile, “I think I have something that’ll fit!”
Medkit’s confusion softens, a gentle flush stretching across his face. Wearing… Boombox’s clothes? A shiver runs down his spine just thinking about it. Well, it would beat the alternative of standing here in damp clothes.
There was nothing weird about wearing Boombox’s clothes, right? Friends loaned each other clothes all the time; it sounded like a normal thing to do. Not that Medkit had any previous experience in doing so. He and Sword never found themselves in a situation that would warrant either of them having to borrow cloths. A coat, maybe. But an entire wardrobe change was unheard of.
Medkit sighs, lowering the towel down to his chest. “I guess it couldn’t hurt…” He begrudgingly agrees, not daring to meet the DJ’s gaze. Not with the way he was smiling at him. So soft, so kind.
It takes Boombox a few minutes to return with a small stack of clothes in his hands. “Here, there’s towel in the bathroom you can use to finish drying off.” he says, trading them in for the damp towel. He’s met with a small, appreciative smile from the doctor, a soft teal blush dusting his face. The faintest of glows shimmering from his horns.
“Thank you.” Medkit quietly thanks, brushing past Boombox as he makes his way to the bathroom down the hall.
Upon seeing himself in the mirror, the healer stops dead in his tracks. He sets the cloths on the sink’s countertop and slowly turns to get a better look at himself and what greets him is rather… revealing. His wet dress shirt clings to his damp skin and chest and with how shear the shirt is, it left everything on full display. His stomach, his chest, his… Let’s not mention those.
And Boombox saw all of that.
The faint teal blush on his cheeks darken at the realization. Of course, Boombox had to have seen all of that, there’s no mistaking that. Not with the way he was looking. Is that why he was so insistent of letting him borrow clothes?
That’s got to be the reason. Medkit lets out a winded groan, rubbing a hand down his face. He shakes his head, going back to focus on the task at hand. Right, he was changing clothes.
The healer reaches for the stack of clothes and begins to unfold them. He’s met with a pair of grey sweatpants and a graphic tee shirt he’s all too familiar with. The same black and pink shirt with a logo for one of Boombox’s favorite games on the first, ‘Just Shapes & Beats’.
The same shirt Boombox was wearing when they were high in the dark together. One of, if not Boombox’s favorite shirt. He remembered that much from their previous conversations. Medkit’s eye widens at the realization, staring down at the article of cloth speechless.
Why in the Inpherno was Boombox letting him borrow his favorite shirt? It baffles the healer, not ever in a million years would he let alone borrow one of his favorite pieces of clothing, so why was Boombox doing the same? Did he care so little about his ‘favorite shirt’ that much to let someone else wear it?
Or did he want to see Medkit to wearing it?
Once again the healer shakes his head. That’s stupid! He shouldn’t read too far into this. Maybe this was the only shirt the musician had that he thought Medkit would be able to wear, that seemed more likely. Yeah, that’s exactly what it was. Nothing else.
Medkit quickly strips himself of his wet clothes, pats himself dry as much as he can and thanks his lucky stars that his boxers were spared from the rain for the most part. He slips into the sweatpants with ease. A little big in the waist but they fit him in the legs so that’s all he cares about. He was a little nervous they wouldn’t go down all the way given the height difference between the him and Boombox.
The shirt, however, partially swallows him whole. It's big. Maybe a size or two larger than he would usually wear, maybe even three. He didn’t check the size of the shirt before he put it on.
Medkit stands before the mirror, taking in his new look so to speak. Hair damp and messy, wearing a shirt that’s so big on him that it comes down to his thighs and exposes a bit of his chest.
And Boombox wanted him to wear this… Why? Surely he had other shirts that may have been a better fit for the doctor, but he chose this shirt specifically. Medkit lets out a light scoff as he gathers his clothes and tries not to think much on it anymore. He’s wasted enough time in the bathroom as is.
Boombox perks up from the couch the moment Medkit reenters the room, dropping the joint he was smoking into the ash tray on the table before. Digital eyes shifting over the doctor.
Seeing Medkit wearing more casual clothing was interesting to say the least. It was always business casual with him whenever they hung out. Button downs, sweaters, dress pants and occasional pair of jeans. Nothing like what he was wearing now. If Medkit did dress like this when no one was looking (which he does), Boombox would be shocked.
What mattered in the moment was the fact that Medkit was wearing his clothes. His clothes. And he looked damn good in them to boot. A blush creeps its way onto the musicians face, his horns beginning to glow, reflecting his flustered state.
“Ya look good, Meds!” Boombox finally finds the words to say, breaking through his awestruck gaze.
“…Thanks.” Medkit sheepishly replies. “Was the shirt necessary?”
Boombox grins. “What, did you want to walk around shirtless—”
“No!?” Medkit cuts him off, his own horns beginning to faintly glow. “Why— Why would I want to…Never mind.” He disregards with a huff.
“No, I’m talking about how big it is.” Medkit settles on.
“Oh! Yeah so about that...” Boombox lets out a nervous chuckle, adverting his gaze from the healer. He couldn’t outright admit to wanting to see Medkit wearing his favorite shirt, right? That’d make things awkward even if it was true. Which is was, the DJ has daydreamed about seeing Medkit in one of his shirts. Crushing on someone for as long as he has been will make you think about those sort of things.
“I didn’t have any other clean shirts that weren’t work shirts and I doubted you wanted to wear those so…” The DJ trails off. A lie on his part, he had plenty of clean clothes. He flashes an apologetic smile, before getting off the couch and approaching Medkit.
“Here, let…let me throw these in the dryer for ya, yeah? Don’t be shy, make yourself comfy!” Boombox waves him off,
He takes the damp clothes from Medkit’s hands and trots off towards the back of the apartment to… wherever his washer and dryer were stored. Avoiding the rest of the awkward exchange between them entirely.
Medkit doesn’t question it. He takes a seat on the couch and picks up the half smoked blunt and lighter, going about the day like they had planned to do anyways. Eventually reaching over to grab the remote off the coffee table and flick on the television for some background noise.
Boombox returns minutes later, empty handed. He takes a seat next to the healer and can’t help but let his eyes wander over his form. Another wave of warmth washing over his face. Wow… Medkit really was wearing his shirt. He looked adorable in it, the large tee hanging off one of shoulders despite him desperately trying to fix it again and again.
Soon Medkit catches wind of the stare and raises an eyebrow. “You’re staring.” He calls Boombox out with a pointed glare.
“I am not!” A lie on the DJs part and they both know it.
Medkit gives him a look, one that clearly shows he’s not buying that one bit. “Your horns are glowing.”
“They-they aren’t…” Boombox breaks out into giggles, trying to think his way out of this. “It’s just the high, don’t worry about them.”
“Mmhm…” Medkit hums, not quite satisfied with the response but chooses not to push it any further. He didn’t feel like verbally chasing the musician around in circles (again).
The DJ settles further into the couch, taking a hit when he’s passed the blunt. Smoking the rest of it before setting the butt of it in the ash tray. Letting the pair sit in a comfortable silence before deciding to break it minutes later.
‘Ya’know, Meds, I don’t see wear a lot of casual clothing.” Boombox speaks up over television, digital eyes flicking over in the doctor’s direction.
“I don’t see the need to. If I’m going out I want to look presentable.” Medkit begins to explain, “Clothes like…these aren’t something I would call presentable by my own standards. They’re more lounge wear.”
The musician nods along. “I mean, I think they’re presentable enough to go out in public in!”
“Oh please, you’d go out in public naked if it were legal.” Medkit replies with a chuckle, soon breaking out into a laugh. True music to the musician’s ears.
Boombox lets out an over dramatic gasps, placing his hand to his chest. “I would not! Who do I look like, Skateboard?” He gawks, his eyes closing briefly in mock offense. “I can’t believe you’d accuse me of such a thing.”
The doctor doesn’t reply, though there’s a faint smile on his face.
“Did I ever tell you that story? Of when—” Boombox doesn’t get to finish his sentence as Medkit cuts him off.
“Yes, you try to tell the story every time you get incredibly high. Skateboard went riding around Playground in his boxers and eventually took those off.” Medkit rolls his eye, relaying the short version of Boombox’s favorite story to tell. “How high are you now?”
And Skateboard was dubbed “Streakboard” for the next month.
“Ehhh,” Boombox stretches out the word, “Honestly? I could be higher but I’m vibing right now.” He shrugs.
“But going back to your question; I think sweats and a t-shirt are fine, they simply don’t suit me and my standards for clothing. I think they suit other people better. For example,” Medkit lifts his eyes to meet Boombox’s gaze.
“I think you pull them off much better than I could.” The doctor compliments, sending a bright green flush onto the DJ’s cheeks, his horns shimmering in turn.
Boombox stammers for a bit before regaining himself. “Nah, nah, I think they look better on you.” He adds with a wink before dipping into a warm, genuine smile. He meant those words.
It’s unclear how much time has passed before Boombox remembered that Medkit’s clothes in the dryer. When he does remember, he retrieves them and hands them over to their respective owner.
Medkit gives a small nod but chooses to fold the clothes instead and sets them off to the side. It’s not that he didn’t want to wear them, they were his clothes after all but the thought of taking off Boombox’s shirt left a small pit in his stomach, something the healer couldn’t explain.
There’s this warmth in his chest that doesn’t seem to falter. If anything, it gets better? Worse? Whenever Boombox smiles or laughs, something he did rather often. Another weird feeling the healer can’t even begin to explain.
Boombox doesn’t question the lack of changing clothes, however. Not even when Medkit sits around in his clothes for a little longer while sobering up. Not even when Medkit leaves in his clothes. Boombox let’s in happen, smiling all the more seeing Medkit leave in his favorite shirt.
-----
A few weeks go by without any incidents. Medkit and Boombox still kept up their routine visits with nothing out of the ordinary occurring. For once, Medkit isn’t accompanied by Boombox in his apartment. No, tonight was his and Sword’s monthly dinner date and it’s his turn to host.
“Hey, this is great! I think this is your best dish yet!” Sword compliments, twirling up another folk full of pasta. Rather quickly shoveling the sauce soaked noodles in his mouth.
Medkit huffs out something akin to a snort. “Oh, come on, you say that every time I make dinner.”
“B’cause is true!” Sword manages to get out despite the full mouth.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” The healer says with a pointed glare, turning to pick up his glass of wine. He gives the red liquid a good swirl before continuing. “I thought Venomshank taught you manners.”
The swordsman doesn’t immediately reply, choosing to shallow this time before speaking. “He did! But you make the best alfredo, I can’t help myself.”
“Show some restraint or I won’t make it again.” Medkit halfheartedly threatens, taking a long sip of his drink.
Sword lets out a soft gasp, nearly dropping his folk at the empty threat. “You wouldn’t dare…!”
“Try me.” Medkit flatly replies, a smirk pressed against the rim of his glass.
Sword gives in to the doctor’s request, toning back how ravenous he eating habits were over what Medkit claimed was a “simple dish”. Despite the claim (And bold face lie, according to Sword) the pair still enjoyed their meal together, basking in each other’s company. It’s not until a certain someone is mentioned that things seem to take a turn.
Sword has been pretty keen on Medkit’s more recent bad habits. Since they were sharing locations with each other, it was easy to see when the healer was either home or working. More importantly, it was easy to see when Medkit was over in Playground with his… Oddly chummy pal. Naturally, Sword is rather nosy of his friends’ well, friend. Medkit didn’t have a large social circle like he did, so seeing him willingly go out of his way to see and meet with someone once, sometimes multiple times a week was cause for curiosity.
“Soooooo,” Sword draws out the word. “You’ve been spending quite a lot of time in Playground recently, what’s up with that?
Medkit perks up when Sword gets his attention, however his brows knit together in a line at the contents of his sentence. “I’m simply visiting a friend.”
“You know you can say Boombox, right? I mean, practically everyone knows you’re seeing him, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” The swordsman says, beginning to poke and prod a slice of cheesecake with his folk.
Medkit himself is about to take another bite of the sweet before he stops, lowering the fork. “We are not. Seeing each other. I want to make that absolutely clear.” He scoffs, a small look of disgust written on his face.
“Dude, everyone on the roster thinks you two are dating.” Sword bluntly points out.
“We are not dating.” The healer sets his fork down entirely, then reaches up and pinches the bridge of his nose with a groan. “Why in the Inpherno would people think that?!”
Sword can’t help but let out a bit of a laugh. “I meeaann, it’s pretty obvious there’s at least something going on between you two.”
“There’s not.” The doctor rolls his eye. What the hell was Sword getting at anyways? Other than getting on his nerves with this…this nonsense.
“Oh, c’mon, we all see the way you two look at each other.” Sword finally manages to stop playing with his dessert, scooping up a fork full of it.
Medkit’s brows furrow. “What, is looking at another person a crime now? We’re simply on friendly terms.” He retorts, crossing his arms. Getting… oddly defensive over the subject.
“I don’t think normal friends stare at each other from across the battlefield for that long.” Swords says followed but a nervous chuckle, taking another bite of cheesecake. “You were staring at him hard last weekend. You do it every time he styles his hair differently.”
“Oh please, he hardly ever puts his hair in braids.” Medkit comments, uncrossing his arms in favor to retrieve his glass of wine, giving it a nice swirl before taking a sip. “You say that as if you don’t do the same thing with Skateboard.” He remarks, a smirk following suit.
“That’s different and you know it!” Sword half-shouts, a small flush blooming on his face. “Don’t drag Skate into this!”
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry you can’t handle a bit of return fire.” Medkit lets out a dry laugh. “Besides, ‘we all see the way you two look at each other.’” He adds with another laugh. Bits and pieces of his playful side showing thanks to now third glass of wine he’s had.
Sword’s horns are glowing at this point, further proving the healer’s point. With his face turning redder and redder with each taunt and jab Medkit throws his way.
“Okay— But, but what about you two going out to lunch?” Sword throws out.
“And? What about it? It’s perfectly normal for friends to do.” Medkit replies, followed by a scoff. “How is Boombox and I going out to lunch any different than when you and I go out for lunch?”
Sword doesn’t bother answering the question. “There’s the fact that you two are seen leaving almost every phight together.”
“Yes, because I take him home. Occasionally we smoke afterwards.” Medkit plainly states, once again reminding Sword.
It started out simply as Medkit not wanting Boombox to walk home while it was storming and soon evolved into Medkit taking the musician home after just about every phight they’re both scheduled for. It’s second nature at this point.
Sword cocks an eyebrow, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. “Ya’know, you two passing a blunt back and forth counts as indirect kissing.”
Medkit pauses, face begins to heat up. “Don’t be so childish.” He scoffs, looking over to the other with a glare.
Indirect kissing… Medkit mentally scoffs again at the notion. What were they in middle school? Who would ever get so wrapped up at the thought of indirectly kissing someone.
Well… Medkit apparently.
Sword can’t help but hold back laughter, which gets the attention of the healer. “What, what’s so funny now?” Medkit asks, a look of annoyance plastered on his face.
“Your horns! They’re glowing! Sword squeaks out in between giggles before settling down with a sigh. He props his elbows up on the table, looking at the healer with a keen eye. “Would it kill you to just admit you like him?”
“I don’t like him like that.” Medkit huffs, brows knit together in irritation. “Please, I intended this evening to be peaceful, not you attempting to dig into my social life.” He continues, once again picking up his glass and pressing it to his wine stained lips.
“Medkit, you have one of his shirts, how much more obvious can you do?” Sword states, pointing over his shoulder in the vague direction of the living room.
The doctor is halfway through his sip of wine when he chokes on it, nearly sipping out the liquid entirely at the words. Did he seriously forget to put that away? The short answer was yes; he did forget to put the infamous shirt away and left it lying across the arm of the couch.
“I-I…” Medkit stammers, his horns growing ever brighter from embarrassment. How could he be so foolish and leave out one of the most incriminating pieces of evidence.
“…I’ve been meaning to return it.” He settles on, setting his glass down. Reaching over with a shaky hand and grabbing a napkin to wipe his face. More importantly, to hide behind the look Sword was giving him.
The look in question was a singular raised eyebrow, arms crossed and leaning back in his chair. Sword wasn’t believing it one bit. “Likely story…”
And rightfully so, Medkit has no intention of returning the shirt. It’s been in his possession for over a month now. He’s had every opportunity to return it and hasn’t. He’s thought returning it during the first week of having it but now, it’s a piece of clothing he’s become oddly attached to, even to the point of sleeping in the shirt. The shirt has long since lost the scent of its owner, but that hasn’t stopped the healer from wearing it.
With it getting into the late evening hours, the swordsman decides it’s time to take his leave. Thanking the healer for dinner before throwing in one last jab on his way out.
“Oh, and Med? Tell your boyfriend I said hi next time you see him.” Sword half shouts from the doorway, throwing in a wink to further tease the healer.
Medkit raises his head to look back at the other, opening his mouth to retort but he’s unable to get a word in. The door is closed not a second later, leaving him alone in his apartment.
Tell your boyfriend… The words ring through his ears, setting his face on fire. No, Boombox wasn’t his boyfriend. Sword was just saying that to get under his skin. But the words don’t sound as unappealing as he wants them to be.
He groans, tossing the dishrag he was using to wipe the table down with over his shoulder. He reaches up, holding the bridge of his nose and just. Thinks.
Why didn’t the term boyfriend make him recoil, something it would do previously. Maybe it was the alcohol clouding his thoughts, causing him to second guess his feelings for the musician…
Once again he tries to deny his feelings. He didn’t like Boombox romantically, they were smoking buddies, simply friends that got on well together despite the clash in personalities.
Romance was never something Medkit even considered in terms of the musician, but now he’s unsure.
---
The next day Medkit finds himself walking into the apartment of the inphernal that unknowingly became the subject of last night’s discussion. They exchange pleasantries as Medkit closes the door behind him before he stiffens, remembering the last words Sword shared before leaving.
“Oh, and Boombox? Sword wanted me to tell you hello.” Medkit begrudgingly follows through with the swordsman’s request, resisting the urge to mumble the words. Not that passing on the message made Boombox his boyfriend, mind you.
Boombox looks to the healer from where he’s sitting, smack dab in the middle of the floor with his elbows leaning against the coffee table in front of him. A place he commonly sat if he wasn’t sitting on the couch. Something about the floor being comfortable to sit on, not the Medkit agreed with the notion having since tried it a few times on previous visits.
“Aww well tell him I said hi back! Ya’knoooww.” The musician draws out that last word, digital eyes turning from the blunt he was rolling to the healer. “You didn’t have to stop hanging out with Sword just to smoke with me,
Medkit takes a seat on the couch across from the DJ, returning the soft gaze with an unreadable expression. “Oh no, that was last night. He came over for dinner and…” He trails off, stopping himself from revealing the fact that they were talking about the DJ over dinner.
“Ah! Bet that was nice.” Boombox hums, lifting himself to his feet. He makes his way over to the healer, taking a seat next to him with his usual, soft smile.
“It was. It’s always nice to have him over.” Medkit notes, firing off a quick text of where he was to the inphernal in question before setting the small device on the table.
His eyes turn to Boombox who’s now lighting up the joint in his hands, more than ready to get the party started, and he pauses. There’s more he could say, but every word falls flat on his tongue.
Seeing Boombox take a hit from the blunt or bong for that matter will always be captivating to the healer. Even after the many times we’ve smoked together, it was always something that pulled him back in. Something that struck him as… dare he say attractive.
Medkit averts his gaze when the DJ’s digital eyes begin to open. “Ah, I had some left over cheesecake. I should have brought it over.”
“That would have been awesome if you did. Maybe we can swing by your apartment after tomorrow’s phight.” Boombox muses before pumping his fist in the air. “Post phight cheesecake to celebrate a match well fought!”
Medkit only nods in response, taking the blunt when it’s passed to him before giving it a funny look. Sword’s words are still fresh on his mind despite chasing them away each and every time they cropped up. But now being face to face with the action in question, this stupid indirect kissing bit, Medkit can’t help but pause. The look he gives is small, but noticeable. Something Boombox picks up on.
The musician cocks his head to the side, his visor displaying a series of question marks. “Something wrong?” He quietly asks, looking to the healer for an answer.
“No, it’s…” Medkit trails off, ultimately pausing for a moment. Indirect kissing… was that stupid thing Sword said really getting the better of him?
Indirect kissing… Was that really what he was so concerned about? The fact that he’s been indirectly kissing the inphernal he’s been unknowingly crushing on for well over a month now? He has a job for Sfoth’s sake, surely there’s better things to worry about right now. But his mind can’t seem to do anything else but think about what Sword said.
As much as he wanted to deny it, he simply couldn’t deny the way the swordsman’s words got under his skin. But looking at Boombox now, his mind can’t help but wander. Not that how Boombox was looking at him made it any better.
Soft lips gently parted, his head cocked to the side with confusion written all over his lower features as well as his visor… Such soft, kissable lips…
Heights, what in the Inpherno was he thinking?!
There’s no way he actually wants to kiss Boombox, right? Medkit wants to reassure himself that he doesn’t but there’s his nagging in the back of his mind. A quiet, rather annoying voice telling him to just go for it.
He squashes the thought the moment it crosses his mind. There’s no way in hell he was ever kissing Boombox. What a laughable thought.
“…It’s nothing.” Medkit finally settles on.
Boombox’s gaze is still on the healer, his visor reverting back to their normal eyes but with an added sweat droplet in the corner. “Are you sure? It doesn’t look like nothing.” He continues to ask, poking and prodding at the healer. He’s not buying it one bit.
The look on Medkit’s face that said it all. A tired eye avoiding eye contact, the faint grimace resting on his face. That delicate, tired face that the musician was always fond of seeing. He’d happily admit that the doctor was handsome, cute even.
Things he’s tried to tell Medkit again and again in an attempt to get the other’s attention. Yet every single time Medkit brushed the compliments to the side. Something about flattery not being useful on the battlefield or whatever he said. Boombox was too busy admiring him in the moment to pay attention. And how could he not? It was Medkit for Sfoths sake. Someone the DJ has been admiring from afar and now up close for months now.
It was simply so easy to fawn over him, Boombox couldn’t help it. His five o’clock shadow, the occasional stubble he wore whenever he forgot to shave. If anything, Boombox liked the stubbled look more than when he was clean shaven. The way his nose crinkles up when he laughs and the ever so rare snorting fit Boombox has only managed to earn twice now.
Medkit rolls his eye, turning his gaze further away from the musician. Brows knit together as he places the butt of the joint to his lips, inhaling the smoke before exhaling. He holds onto the joint for a few more moments. He sighs, taking another hit for good measure before passing the blunt back to the musician. Glancing over at him as he takes a hit for himself before setting it in the ash tray.
“C’moooonn, you always make that face when it’s ‘just nothing.’” Boombox mocks, using air quotes to further his point. “You’ve been acting weird ever since we started smoking today, what gives?”
“Like I said, it’s nothing. Just something stupid Sword said.” Medkit sighs, grabbing the remote to the tv and flicking it on. Anything to keep his mind off of that damn comment. “Will you drop it now?”
“Fiiiiine.” Boombox groans out with a huff before turning to face the television. “But I get to pick what we’re watching.” He says, snatching the remote from the healer.
“Please Sfoth, don’t let it be another musical…” Medkit sighs.
“You’re no fun!” The musician replies, sticking his tongue out at the other before going back to flicking through the different series and movies the streaming service had to offer.
---
The pair flicked through the recommended page but ultimately couldn’t decide on what to watch. They debated on starting a new series but defaulted back to another episode of their ongoing show. It was a series they’d both seen dozens of reruns of at this point, so it was easy to talk over and smoke without disrupting the plot.
It’s unclear at what point they stopped paying attention to the show and started chatting. It could’ve been thirty minutes; it could have been an hour. Time seem to slip away from the pair when they were together. Maybe it was their collective high warping their perceptive of time, or maybe they were simply enjoying each other’s presence too much to care.
The current topic was a previous phight neither of them participated in, but they both ended up tuned in to cheer on their fellow phighters.
“I still can’t believe Sword managed to stick Skateboard with his phinisher during that drive by. Did you see that?” Boombox muses, his gaze on the healer rather than the tv.
“Oh yes, I saw it alright. He gave me an in depth play by play last night over dinner.” Medkit replies, a cup pressed to his lips before taking a sip of water. “He was very proud of that play even if they still lost.”
“The clips of it are everywhere! I can hardly scroll a few videos without seeing it!” Laughs the musician, gaining a dry chuckle from Medkit.
“Maybe you’re scrolling on that damn phone too much.” Medkit remarks, letting out another chuckle.
“I am not!” Boombox gawks, placing a hand to his chest for dramatic flair. “How dare you accuse me of such a thing!”
Medkit only rolls his eye, setting his drink back down on the table before letting out a content sigh. “Whatever you say, Boombox.” There’s a warm smile on his face when he looks back at the musician.
A warm gaze that lands mostly on Boombox’s digital eyes. Watching the way they changed expression to mirror whatever the DJ was feeling at the time. His gaze can’t help but drift downward to the DJ’s mouth, something he found himself doing quite a lot this evening.
Simply admiring how expressive he was, even with only half of his face visible. His mouth said it all, quite literally. His playful pouts, wide smile showing off where he’s missing a tooth, or even curling up into the cutest mischievous grin; like how he’s looking now.
“Hey, wait, speaking of Sword—”
Medkit can feel his eye twitch at the mention of his friend, not that it was a bad thing to mention Sword. Just given the previous subject, there was a 50/50 chance something dumb was about to come out of the Boombox’s mouth.
“If you have that damn clip pulled up, I swear to the Heights.” He shoots a glare at the DJ.
“No, no! It’s not that.” Boombox laughs, waving his hand in a downward motion. “You mentioned he said something stupid earlier.”
Medkit cocks an eyebrow, a look of caution on his face. “And…?”
“I dunno, you’ve just been looking at the blunt weird ever since you mentioned it. Are they conneeeected?” Boombox asks, breaking out into a wide grin. Heights, here we go…
Medkit simply sighs, shaking his head. “Don’t be so stupid.” He huffs, trying to skirt past the conversation as quickly as possible. Though he fails to notice how his horns begin to take on a faint glow.
Indirect kissing… Something they’ve been doing for weeks now. Something they’ve been doing all day today while smoking. Of course, now Boombox wants to bring it, when the doctor is pretty high and not thinking the clearest.
“No, c’mon they’ve got to be!” Boombox can’t help but laugh. “You horns are starting to glow again!”
“They are…” Medkit trails off, cutting himself short of denying it. A warm flush spreading across his cheeks, the glow of his horns brightening. Caught in the act. “It’s just the high.”
“No, but they never glow this much when you’re high.” Boombox points out before reaching up to touch his own horns. “Mine aren’t glowing that much and I’m pretty damn high.”
“You handle your highs much better than I do.” Medkit can’t help but admit.
“C’mon, out with it! I’m not gonna stop until you tell me what he said!” Boombox half-shouts, getting a groan from the healer.
“Boombox, don’t act so childish. I’m not telling you—”
“Pleeeaaassseeee? I wanna know!” The DJ protests, starting to bounce on the couch. His fists at his chest bouncing in turn.
Heights, here he goes…
Medkit doesn’t bother to hold back his glare. Annoyance bordering on frustration clearly written on his face. Here was Boombox, a fully grown inphernal acting like a child. All over a stupid comment he accidentally let slip.
Boombox doesn’t let up, continuing to bounce and pester the doctor. “Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me tell—”
“Fine for Sfoth’s sake!” Medkit snaps, pure frustration shining through. He pauses, his features softening as he realizes how loud he had gotten. He adverts his gaze from the musician, a small look of guilt on his face. “Apologies…”
Medkit feels a hand rest against his shoulder, a gesture of forgiveness. When he turns to look at Boombox again, there’s small smile on his face and a sweat droplet in the corner of his visor. No words are spoken, in place of them are digital eyebrows raised slightly with a knowing look. Go on?
Medkit sighs before taking a deep breath and looking away once more.
“All he said was something about us indirectly kissing…” Medkit quietly admits, his flush deepening at the words. “I told him it was stupid and childish, and…”
Medkit only pauses when the soft snicker that leaves the DJ’s mouth soon turns into giggles.
“What?” Medkit asks turning to face the DJ head on. Narrowing his eye at the DJ and his shit eating grin.
“All those weird looks… over that?” Boombox simply asks, his grin not faltering.
Medkit stammers, scrambling for a response. Eventually he averts his gaze with a huff. “Like I said, I told him it was stupid—"
“But you let him get under your skiiiinn!” Boombox giggles, scooting closer to the healer. Beginning to poke at his arm and shoulder. “Is that why you kept looking at me funny? Wait, wait wait, don’t tell me!”
Boombox reels back, grabbing the attention of the doctor. Medkit once again turns to face him, a light glare on his face and slight pout on his lips.
“Ya’know Meds, if you just wanted to make it direct you should’ve just aaaasked!” The musician teases, nudging Medkit with his elbow.
Medkit’s glare is soon replaced with confusion. “Make it direct…” He parrots the words, slowly processing what Boombox meant by that until it hits him. His entire face turning a deep shade of teal and his horns glowing bright.
“No! No, absolutely not!” He barks, shutting down the notion entirely. “Don’t even joke about something like that, I don’t…”
“Then why are you getting some flustered? Hmmm, hmm?” Boombox continues to tease.
Medkit sighs, throwing his head back with a groan. Great, now he had to listen to this for the next hour or so. Or until Boombox got tired of annoying him, whichever came first.
“Will you please just let it go.” He groans out, his cries falling on deaf ears.
“And your horns! Oh, my Heights, it’s like your Phinisher is ready! Hold on, wait wait. What’s that thing you always say?” Boombox calms down for a moment, clears his throat and puts on the best Medkit impression he can. Dark, broody, mysterious… Trying to get his voice as low as he possibly could.
“Let’s not do that again…!” He lovingly mocks the doctor before breaking out into a cackle.
“I don’t sound like that!” Medkit tries to retorts, but the DJ only laughs more.
“Let’s not do that again! I’m Medkit and I want to kiss Boombox!”
“I do not!” Medkit continues to protest, a bit louder this time. “Will you let it go already!?”
“Nuh uh!” Boombox laughs before sticking out his tongue. “The face your making is just too priceless! You wanna kiss me so bad it makes you look stupid!”
“Will you be quiet already?!” Medkit doesn’t even attempt to deny wanting to kiss the musician, something Boombox picks up on.
Digital eyes narrow in on doctor. Boombox knew he had cornered him and fully intended on teasing him within inches of his life. Boombox lets out a sly chuckle. “Make me.”
Make me.
Two simple words that Boombox knew how to use all too well. Two simple words that always managed to get under Medkit’s skin. Two words that pinned the healer between a rock and a hard place.
Two simple words that broke Medkit’s resolve.
“For fuck sake, Boombox!” Medkit curses through gritted teeth, anger boiling over.
He turns the rest of his body to face the annoying inphernal beside him, adjusting his sitting position to kneel on the couch while facing Boombox head on. With one swift moment, tightly balled fists grab ahold of the collar of Boombox’s shirt.
The musician flinches at the sudden contact, his back stiffening at the force of which he’s grabbed. Digital eyes glitch for a moment, cycling through different emotions before settling on a look of shock. Not once has Boombox seen Medkit violent like this before. Angry, sure but not to the point of wanting to harm another inphernal.
Boombox opens his mouth to protest, but he’s seconds too late. Medkit yanks him close before he has the time to put his hands between them.
With a rather violent jerk, Medkit pulls Boombox close by his collar and closes the gap between them. Lips colliding in the sloppiest attempt at a kiss that the inpherno has ever seen. The kiss is off center, teeth and canines clacking against each other from the sheer force.
Soft, albeit chapped lips muffle whatever the musician had to say. Any protest he had died on his tongue the moment Medkit’s mouth met his own. He freezes on the spot, his face flushing a bright shade of green; his horns felt like they were on fire but finds it in himself to kiss the inphernal back. Eyes wide with shock eventually close, a wave of bliss and want washing over him.
Medkit pulls back far sooner than he had hoped, maintaining his grip on the DJ’s shirt. He breathes softly into the small space between them, trying to recollect himself.
He can only stare at Boombox, inches away from his visor. His own eyes wide with shock and an underlying layer of horror.
Holy Sfoth. Did he actually just kiss Boombox. Something he said he didn’t want to do mere moments prior.
And why did it feel… nice?
Boombox doesn’t say anything. He just lets his mouth hang slightly open, shock written all over his face, with his visor visibly glitching. Warm breath ghosts across the healer’s face as Boombox tries to process what just happened.
Medkit kissed him.
Medkit just kissed him!
Everything in his brain was screaming. Everything felt so fuzzy, and it wasn’t the high this time. The pair has had plenty of time to come down from their collective highs and now… this. This wasn’t the high talking; this was sober thoughts and actions blamed on the high.
“Medkit…” Boombox breathes out, his voice barely above a whisper. Afraid that talking any louder would ruin the moment.
Medkit doesn’t say anything, at least not right away. His furrowed brows soften, something close to their usual resting position. He opens his mouth again to speak but nothing comes out. His grip of the DJ’s shirt is the same, holding him in place mere inches away from his person.
“Why did you just…” Boombox trails off, for once being thankful that he had his visor on so Medkit couldn’t look him fully in the eyes.
“I-I…” The doctor stammers, trying to come up with a clever excuse but nothing comes to mind. Every fiber of his being is screaming trying to come up with something, anything! To explain to the DJ as to why in the inpherno he just kissed him out of nowhere.
The DJ’s confusion slowly fades into that mischievous smile he loved to wear. Looking back at Medkit with the dumbest, smuggest smile he can muster.
“So, you did wanna kiss me!” Boombox teases, not bothering to control his volume anymore, defaulting back to his normal (and rather loud) speaking level.
Medkit’s brows furrow not a second later, his mouth moving before his mind can. “Shut! Up!” He growled softly, once again tugging at the musician’s collar and pulling him in for another kiss.
This one was smoother than the first. Lips colliding against one another with the intent of shutting the other up, and Medkit was doing just that. Holding Boombox in place and simply melting into the kiss. Leaving the poor musician speechless with a glitching visor.
There’s a soft whine that leaves the DJ’s mouth when Medkit does eventually pull back. Slowly letting go of the other’s shirt and retracting his hands. Not a word is said when Medkit begins to move, each movement slow and deliberate. Shuffling closer to the DJ, planting one of his knees between the others.
Medkit’s hands found their way up to Boombox’s shoulders, steadying himself against the other. Essentially boxing him into the corner of the small couch they shared. The healer is basically crawling onto the musician’s lap with no intention of stopping. Grey hands slowly snake their way up the healer’s body, resting on his hips. Guiding him through the movements as the gap between them begins to shrink.
Their noses are mere inches apart, horns glowing the brightest they possibly could. Their eyes are locked on each other, hearts thumping loud in their ears, drowning out the sound of door handle turning. The moment between them only broken by a familiar voice.
“Boooooom, are you still gonna do my hair or—“
Medkit and Boombox freeze up on the spot, a wave of dread as cold as ice water rushing over them. Their heads snap over to the voice and lock eyes with Skateboard, who’s now standing in the doorway for Boombox’s apartment.
Shit shit shit shit shit—!
The skater stops dead in his tracks the moment he spots the pair, dumbfounded. Catching the duo in one of the most compromising positions imaginable. He blinks, a look of shock on his face. Though, only one of his eyes visible while the other remained covered by a curtain of twisted hair. Horns glowing ever so slightly from secondhand embarrassment.
This… wasn’t what he was expecting to walk in on.
No words are exchanged, just the deafening sound of silence. Neither party dares to make a move. Not that either of them knew what to do with their newfound… predicament, for lack of better words.
What are you supposed to do or say when you walk in on your friend and the guy he’s been crushing on for months now, on the couch together looking like they’re about to get it on?
The simple answer was nothing.
Seconds slowly tick by that feel like minutes have passed of just awkward silence and staring. The silence only interrupted by a lone, singular beep of the smoke alarm. Signaling to the apartment owner that it’s time to change its battery.
Eventually, the skater decides to break the silence, awkwardly shifting to the side.
“Yeah uh… I’ll just um. I’ll just get Coil to do it…” Skateboard quietly says before slowly retreating through the doorway. “Next time check your phone, ‘kay man?” He adds for good measure before closing the door, leaving the pair in silence.
A quiet sigh leaves the healer’s mouth when he looks back at the inphernal under him, grimacing.
That… really just happened.
Boombox’s face mirrors the doctor’s. Pure, unfiltered embarrassment painfully written on both of their faces. The glow of their horns dimming to a light glow as they attempt to calm down from the heat that was their passionate exchange.
Medkit is the first to move, siding off of the musician’s lap in favoring of (rather awkwardly) sitting next to him. He shifts slightly, propping his elbows up on his knees and holds his head in his hands. Eye squeezed shut trying to block the rest of the world out.
Holy Sfoth. That really just happened. His life as a healer is over. How in the inpherno is he meant to face Skateboard now having seen what he just saw.
“Okay, wow… That just happened…” Boombox mumbles to himself, catching the attention of the healer. He shifts, propping himself up on his elbows before fully sitting up. “I thought we locked the door…”
Medkit pauses, taking a moment to think. He was the last one to enter so naturally he would have locked the door, but he’s so accustomed to Boombox locking the door behind him that maybe he forgot? That seemed plausible…
“I…I must’ve forgotten…” Medkit quietly replies, taking a moment to breathe. Trying to drown out the way his mind is screaming for him to leave, to walk away from his experience and never look back. He knew he’d have to face either Skateboard or Boombox eventually, they phought together. Whether with or against each other, so he couldn’t avoid them entirely even if he wanted to.
He had a match scheduled with Boombox two days from now for fuck sake, there was no way getting away from him. The mere thought of walking out on Boombox after what just happened pricked at his chest, leaving a dull ache in its wake. He takes another breath before letting out a soft sigh.
“I…I should go…” Medkit says, despite the pain in his chest. He pushes himself to his feet, ready to bolt for the door when he’s met with resistance. He turns to look at the source, finding a firm, grey hand latched onto his wrist.
“Please, don’t go yet...” Boombox softly pleads, looking up at the healer with this… Expression Medkit has never seen his visor make before. It’s strange… sad, even?
The word he was looking for was longing. Boombox didn’t want the moment to end, not now at least. He didn’t want their afternoon to end on such an awkward, sour note.
“I-I just want to talk before you go.” Once again the musician pleads. “Please?”
Medkit’s shoulders slump, a look of guilt washing over him. Right… It would probably hurt more in the long run to leave Boombox like this especially given what happened.
“Okay.” The healer simply replies, his features softening into a small, reassuring smile. Well, as good of one as he can muster. Smiling wasn’t his strong suit… Nor was dealing with complicated emotions such as these.
Boombox returns the gentle smile, a small look of appreciation on his face. His grip on the healer’s wrist loosens, allowing him to return to sitting on the couch.
“What…what is there to talk about?” Medkit starts off the conversation, hands folding in his lap. His fingers beginning to fiddle and pick at his claws, a nervous tic of his.
“You kissed me...” Boombox flatly states, looking over at the healer with unseen brows furrowed in confusion. “Why did you…”
“I-I um….” Medkit stammers, fumbling to find a clear response. Why… Why did he feel so inclined to kiss the musician? He wracks his brain, searching for an answer but nothing comes to mind. Everything in him is screeching, screaming into the void that was in mind for something, anything! It wasn’t something he thought about until…
It clicks.
It wasn’t something he thought about until Sword brought up indirect kissing, then it was all he could think about. Medkit sighs, keeping his eye glued on the floor as he continues to pick at his nails.
“I… I don’t know, it’s just… Heights…” Medkit sighs once more, bringing his hands to his face to scrub it, frustrated. Of all times, now was the time his brain decided to short circuit.
“Hey, look at me.” Boombox requests, his gentle smile not faltering. If anything, it gets a little wider when the healer fulfils his request, shifting his body in the others’ direction.
Boombox extends his hand slowly with caution, as if Medkit were a scared animal ready to make a run for it. Which, admittedly he was scared. The healer was downright terrified to face his feelings head on. Now looking at Boombox sitting across from him, he had no other choice but to face his fears.
Medkit looks down at the musician’s hand before looking back at him, brows knit together with worry. Worry he might screw this…whatever this was up. Whatever they had going on between them.
With a sigh, Medkit places his hand on top of Boombox’s and lets it rest there. His first reaction is to pull his hand back, but he fights the urge and takes a deep breath. Maybe… Maybe this wasn’t so bad. The feeling was… oddly comforting. Reminding the healer of a simpler time.
His shoulders slump when he feels the soft hand curl against his own. Delicate claws molding against his form, holding his hand with the softest touch the healer has ever felt.
“…You said you didn’t want to kiss me, but you did anyways…” Boombox says, slowly swiping his thumb against the back of Medkit’s hand. Gliding across the short patch of fur there that’s usually covered by his gloves.
“…I might have misjudged.” Medkit admits before sighing. He can’t back down now, not after everything he’s said and done this afternoon.
Boombox’s digital eyes flicker down to where their hands meet. He gives one gentle squeeze before looking back at the healer. “Is this… Is this okay?”
“Yeah… This is fine…” Medkit breathes out, his eye not leaving their hands. “It’s… strange, but in a good way.”
Boombox can’t help but smile. “I get it.” He says, giving his hand another squeeze. Letting out a soft chuckle but Medkit returns the squeeze.
There’s a moment of silence between them, neither one of them knowing what to say. It’s not awkward like it has been previously, this time it’s soft, mellow. Comforting, even. However, it doesn’t last for very long.
“…I didn’t know I wanted this. Whatever… this is.” Medkit carefully lifts his hand from the other’s, waving it in the space between them before reuniting their hands once more.
Whatever this is… Whatever they are. Even Medkit isn’t sure what they are anymore. No one just goes around kissing their friends (Unless you’re Skateboard apparently), not when there’s this much tension between them. The subtle looks, awkward attempts at flirting, longing gazes from the other side of the battlefield… It was all too much, resulting in thoughts and emotions boiling over into whatever this was.
“What do you even call… this?” Medkit asks, lifting his eyes from their hands to face Boombox. Who’s looking back at the healer is a soft, kind smile, with even kinder eyes hidden behind a visor.
“This… It’s uh. It’s what happens when you like like someone.” Boombox says before a smirks creeps onto his face. “And it looks like you like like meeeee!” He teases, pulling a groan from the other.
“Boombox, I’m trying to have a serious conversation.”
“I am being serious!” The musician gawks, ultimately failing to fight off a few more giggles. He takes a breath before continuing. “This is… Well, we can call it whatever we want! Some people call it seeing each other, dating—”
“I get it.” Medkit cuts the other off before he can continue, pulling his hand away in favor of resting his face in his palms. “I think… I think I just need some time to think. I don’t…”
Medkit hesitates. Part of him flinches when Boombox said the words dating. Dating wasn’t something he thought he’d ever do again, not after what happened with his last relationship. Not after what Subspace did to him.
But that was years ago, well over a decade at this point, but still that sinking feeling persists. The physical scar might have healed but the mental scars still remain. But that’s a conversation for another time. Now is probably not the best time to bring up past relationships and talk about unhealed trauma.
“I get it… We-we don’t have to, you know…” Boombox says with a light grimace, fearing the worst. Maybe it was just the weed talking. Maybe Medkit doesn’t like him like that, and he misread the room, maybe—
“I never said I didn’t want to.” Medkit states, cutting his eye at the other. His tone serious as it was flat. “I’m just… nervous.” He painfully admits, adverting his gaze.
“About?”
“This. Whatever this is…” Medkit sighs. He glances over, finding Boombox’s hand planted flat on the couch. The healer takes in another breathe before moving his hand on top of the other’s. The blush on his face deepening a bit.
“I just… Don’t want whatever this… is… to stop. I-I…” Medkit trails as he attempts to talk his thoughts out, trying to find the right words to say. I like you, is what he wants to say but maybe it’s too soon to say something like that, at least on his part.
Boombox gives a small nod before taking his other hand and cupping Medkit’s cheek. “We don’t have to stop.”
A smile blossoms on the musician’s face. “How about this! We can take this at your own pace. Take things nice and slow, ya’know?”
Medkit melts into the others’ touch, allowing himself to lean further into Boombox’s open palm. He sighs, taking in the words. So gentle, full of care.
Take things at his pace… Yeah, that has a nice ring to it.
“I’d… I would like that a lot.” The doctor replies, placing his hand over Boombox’s and holding his hand closer.
“Then it’s settled!” Boombox beams, his smile growing even brighter. “I like this, I like us!”
“Us?” Medkit quietly asks.
Boombox doesn’t say a word, only gives a single nod in response.
“Us… I-I…” Medkit pauses before sighing and closing his eye. “I like us.”
---
Skateboard turns on his heels the moment he closes the door, making his way down the hall and as far away from the awkwardness that was his friend’s apartment. Once he’s outside, he breathes a sigh of relief and reaches for his phone. Sliding over to a particular orange and teal horned inphernal’s contact and hitting the call button.
“Dude. You’re not gonna believe what I just saw.”