Chapter Text
Surprisingly, time passed by without much incident. Despite Coil feeling as if his entire world had been flipped on its head. Seriously, imagine having a crush on your friend’s crush’s brother.
Well, Coil didn’t need to imagine it, considering he was lying on his and Skateboard’s shared couch living that very scenario.
It had been a week since he realised he liked like Shuriken and since nothing seemed to have changed.
He still went to the cafe, bought a strawberry tart, and spent hours cooped up in the basement tinkering with wires.
As always the devil lied in the details…
Constant heckling over the 5 bux that the tart cost had diminished in intensity, and some of the time he used to use for harassing Slingshot had been repurposed to spare a few glances at the waiter that could be seen smiling around the cafe
The most egregious change of all was in the basement, a room that was pretty much his own private area…
Walking in, he would first be greeted with the floor, messy as always, before catching sight of a piece of decor that did not match the rest of the room in the slightest.
The imitation of Shuriken’s tattoo stood in a vase above his shelf of tools, incredibly out of place up on its perch surrounded by strewn bits of metal and plastic.
The loops of wire constantly caught the light whenever he turned it on, sending stray glints scattering across the room, never failing to catch his attention
The vase had been a last minute addition when he noticed simply placing it wherever would result in it potentially falling and denting if he grabbed a tool carelessly. He initially thought he’d be ashamed when walking in and seeing it, but every time he caught sight of it, he would find a smile growing on his face.
He was in deep
He hadn’t even talked to Shuriken since that day. He hadn't had the chance. The guy went back to his waitering duties like nothing had happened, and maybe for him nothing had.
It was unfair how easily he had caught Coil’s attention.
He looked down at the box in his lap, still containing half a strawberry tart he’d bought after yesterday’s trip.
Normally he’d have eaten the tart immediately after purchase, no box needed. He would’ve also looked like an absolute slob but since when had he cared about appearances?
Since last week, apparently. He just couldn’t bring himself to look anything less than his best when Shuriken was flitting across the cafe floor right across from him.
He’d even brushed shoulders with him when he went to the cafe that morning, sending a bolt of electricity through him and nearly sending the box to the floor as he reminded himself to breathe.
He never thought he would be jealous of Skateboard of all inphernals, at least the guy actually got to talk to his crush at the cafe.
Skateboard has thankfully not noticed anything at all since his slip-up last week, at times such as these he was grateful that his friend could be such an oblivious dolt. The guy was far too often staring longingly at Slingshot to notice Coil was doing the very same with Shuriken
On the other hand, he’s pretty sure Slingshot may have noticed something was up, the baker was strangely perceptive when he wasn’t being verbally attacked from all angles.
Since he toned down the barrage of snide comments and backhanded compliments, the guy was sending him curious looks and suspicious glances whenever he walked up to the register.
Hell, just a few days ago he spotted a glare when he stared a little too hard at Shuriken smiling while the brothers were talking. It wasn’t even genuine, the waiter was simply smirking after getting caught slacking off in the kitchen, but it was still enough to stop Coil in his tracks and send his mind spiraling.
He didn’t want to think about what would happen if Slingshot found out about his not so little crush. SFOTH, if that guy found out, he would probably be killed…
“Coil, I’ve uhh… got some news.” Skateboard called nervously, snapping him out of his daze
He looked up, eyes widening in alarm as he realised the voice was coming from the kitchen.
He jumped up from the couch, immediately checking if his roommate had dared to attempt cooking once again.
The last time had ended with the red-horned inphernal pouring cooking oil down the sink after deep frying chicken nuggets. Why the guy decided to try his hand at deep frying nuggets when he could barely fry an egg was beyond him.
The two of them ended up needing to stay up until sunrise attempting to unclog the drain.
The chicken nuggets ended up raw in the center, so the entire debacle was for nought.
SFOTH… he hoped he wouldn’t have to experience a repeat of that incident.
He had just entered the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing in his hands, not a frying pan, but a phone
That relief became confusion once more when he realised Skateboard was still nervous, because what in Inpherno had Skateboard been talking about on the phone to get him this shaken.
“So um… you know…” Skateboard started speaking while communicating absolutely zero information, apparently thinking Coil was capable of telepathy.
No he didn't know.
“Spit it out.” He didn’t have the mental bandwidth to deal with anyone else's mental crises aside from his own.
“SLING IS COMING OVER FOR A MOVIE NIGHT!” He yelled at an entirely unnecessary volume, considering Coil was standing a mere meter away from him.
The red-horned inphernal’s head dipped down at that, seemingly relieved to have finally gotten it off his chest. He might’ve also been trying to hide a blush, but with his helmet covering his ears, Coil couldn’t tell.
He did recall Skate planning on watching a movie with Slingshot for the night. Strangely, he also distinctly remembered Skate mentioning that he’d be going to Slingshot’s house.
Something had to have changed…
“Damn, ya finally got the balls to invite him over?”
“NO! It’s just–” He choked up, face flushing at the accusation.
“Something happened in their apartment, apparently it's really bad so I just said it’d be better to just have it at our place.” He said the last part in a soft murmur.
That was it? To Coil, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal. He’d hoped for a more interesting story.
“Ah lemme guess, you’re embarrassed that I’m gonna be third wheeling you?” He flashed a cocky grin, enjoying how Skateboard’s mind seemed to be overheating from the onslaught.
“DON’T SAY THAT!” He yelped out, face absolutely glowing at this point. He’d nearly forgotten how delightful it was teasing someone.
He was still planning on what barb to use next when Skateboard added on to his previous sentence.
“Besides, his roommate is coming over too so you can chat with him.” That threw him off.
Slingshot had a roommate? He was under the impression the guy lived alone in a penthouse with how successful his cafe was, either that or he lived with Vinestaff and Shuriken, but in that case Skateboard wouldn’t have used the word ‘roommate’ for family, would he?
Shuriken… He thought back to yesterday when he saw him, wearing a simple t-shirt with an apron. The waiter was doing absolutely nothing of note, but his mere existence was enough to entrance Coil
His mind was wandering off again.
“So why are ya tellin’ me all this now?”
“I just wanted to ask… if you can tone down the teasing for today. I really want tonight to go well.” The taller inphernal used a rare pleading and sincere tone
Did he not notice Coil had already toned down said teasing a significant amount since last week? Sure it was for reasons entirely unrelated to his roommate’s love life but he had still done it.
“Sure, sure,” despite how he may seem, he did truly want the best for Skate in the end, it was just fun seeing how the dude reacted to teasing along the way.
Roughly a minute passed before Skateboard became frazzled once again, all because of a throwaway comment from Coil.
“Hey Skate, how d’ya get him to agree to come here?”
“What do you mean?” His roommate looked genuinely confused at that, appearing as if he hadn’t even considered the possibility of Slingshot rejecting his invitation.
“Like ain’t Sling kinda a neat freak? Won’t this place be too, ya know, ‘down in the dumps’ for his prim and proper ass?”
‘Prim and proper’ was putting it mildly, the guy had once tossed an entire tray of croissants into the bin because they were ‘too patchy’ in their colouration.
Skateboard’s face paled at the realisation.
“Shit! You’re right!” His voice came out slightly shaky
“Did’ya tell him our place was messy or not?”
The silence provided its own answer
Oh no.
He was not dealing with a panicking Skateboard right now
“Well! I’ll leave you to prepare!” He was already walking to the door
“WAIT NO HELP ME CLEAN UP–”
“Nah, ya know, I’ve gotta find more stuff for the basement, almost running out.” He cut his panicking roommate off, grabbing the door knob of their dingy home.
Strictly speaking, what he said wasn’t true. He still had plenty of scrap metal and plastic hidden away in whatever nook of the basement he couldn’t be bothered to clean, but he was running low on wire. He tried to ignore the reason for that lack of wire that stood in a vase.
He’d truly used an absurd amount of wire for it now that he thought about it. It was thick copper wire too, high quality. Strangely, it didn’t feel like a waste when it was used for Shuriken.
He felt a familiar flush creep up onto his face, and he immediately shut the door behind him. Skate may be oblivious but he wasn’t blind.
-------------------------
It had been an hour, and in that timespan he’d found 4 pieces of copper tubing from a trashed refrigerator, as well as a half-broken toaster. He’d needed to dive into a dumpster for the items, but smelling like absolute shit was a small price to pay to get stuff that was otherwise free.
He could already imagine the inventions he was going to make with his newfound haul.
Navigating his way back to his and Skate’s shared home, he was cautious, taking alleyways and shortcuts to avoid being seen by any potential biografts alone the way
He came back a few minutes later, opening the door and nearly slipping onto his ass with how wet and soapy the floor was.
Treading carefully, he turned the corner and was greeted with the sight of Skateboard doing house chores.
Well… attempting to do them. At least that was what Coil was thinking.
The guy was vacuuming the couch
Sure that may have accomplished something for others, but their couch clearly did not have the structural integrity nor deep crevices that belonged to an actual plush couch to handle or warrant Skate’s aggressive sweeping, the guy was shoving the vacuum head to the point Coil could hear the plastic colliding with wood.
If he kept this up, what little fabric remained might get sucked straight into the vacuum
“Dude. What are you tryin’ to do?” He nearly dropped the scraps he had found upon seeing that sight
“I’m cleaning the place up.” The red-horned inphernal said quickly, a hint of tension still in his voice.
“Well don’t vacuum the couch, it's gonna collapse if ya keep sweepin’ like that!” He replied, but his roommate still didn’t look at ease…
Wow, Skate must care about this night a lot if he was still this down after an hour.
“Besides, Sling’s been ya friend for how long by now? I’m sure he’ll handle a little mess just fine.”
“I guess so… But–” His voice was steadier now, but Coil wanted to quash all doubt from Skate’s mind.
To do that, he had to suck in air through his teeth in preparation,
His reputation as a tough guy was going to get a tough hit, mainly because what he was about to say was going to make him sound like he cares about Skateboard, which he did, he just preferred not to speak so cheesily about it.
“Sling can handle me perfectly fine with all my shenanigans at the cafe and he doesn’t even like me, I think he can handle hangin’ out with a few crumbs when it’s with you.”
It sounded incredibly cringy when he said it out loud, but it was a sacrifice to his dignity he was willing to make to calm Skateboard down.
“...Ya? I know that.” The guy looked at him like what he said was obvious
Wait what? Was that entire build up for nought?
“Then why–”
“I’ve been friends with Sling for years. I know he can handle a little grime…”
Coil could sense a ‘but’ coming up
“But–” There it was
“–he’ll enjoy it more if the place is clean, I don’t want to be anything less than the best when I’m with him.”
He froze up at the last part of that statement. That sappy sentiment was awfully close to his own opinion of Shuriken. He’d spent far too many nights dreaming of scenarios of ‘what ifs’ where they could hangout, where Coil would make him laugh, where Shuriken would look at him like he was the best thing in all of Inpherno.
He could feel a smile creeping up onto his own face the more he thought about it.
“Coil, what are you smiling about?”
Shit, was it too obvious?
“N-Nothing, they just grow up so fast.” He wiped away an imaginary tear, acting like a proud parent.
“I’m older than you man.” Skate chuckled as he said that, stepping closer before wrinkling his nose
“Did you go dumpster diving, you smell atrocious.”
“Ya couldn’t tell? I’m holdin’ scraps right here.” He flicked his head to the toaster that was still in his arms
“Whatever, just get cleaned up soon. They should be coming by any minute now.”
The preparations looked nowhere close to ready. He looked around, registering the clear lack of any snacks on the table, not even popcorn.
“Is Sling the typa guy who doesn’t eat when watching shows?”
“No why do you ask?”
“Cause there’s like, no snacks here.”
“Oh, Shuriken is bringing them.”
Shuriken? Shuriken wasn’t coming was he, just Slingshot and his roommate–
The realisation felt like a sack of bricks had landed on his head
“WHAT!” He yelled, wondering if he hallucinated what Skate had said.
“Dude, too loud!” No he was not going to stay silent on this matter
“Shut ya trap! Shuriken is Sling’s roommate!?”
“...Did I not tell you? I mean they live with Vine too…”
“NO! You didn’t! Why would you use the word ‘roommate’ for family members?”
He had to process this. Shuriken was coming over to his house, technically shared between him and Skate, and he was currently covered in grime and reeked of shit.
SFOTH, he needed to get himself cleaned up
He shoved his hoard into Skate’s hands, the guy looking perplexed at his sudden mood shift.
“Whatever! Just toss the scraps into the basement.” He was already running to the shower, snatching a towel from the clothesline
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He’d gotten out of the shower, and by some miracle, Slingshot and Shuriken still weren’t here, giving him such much needed time to decide on what to wear.
He normally would wear his classic orange hoodie with ripped off sleeves, undeniably and characteristically him. Unfortunately, that hoodie was laying in the depths of the laundry basket after today’s excursion.
Inspecting his closet, he was met with the sobering realisation that he had not bought new clothes in over a year. It made sense, considering he was a wanted criminal, but it also meant that his only option for a top was an old black T-shirt. At the very least, he was thankful that there were no holes.
Slipping it on, he found it was a little tight, but he had no other choice.
Well technically, there was the shark onesie Skate had bought him for April Fools, but he’d die before letting Shuriken see him wearing that.
He slid on a pair of shorts soon after, already aware that his selection of pants had disappointingly little variation and that basically anything he chose would look the same.
The sound of a doorbell signified the duo’s arrival
Walking out of his room, he could see Skateboard opening the door, already welcoming in the pair of siblings.
Slingshot was smiling, sincere and grateful, he didn’t miss the way the baker took sight of the house, judging its cleanliness. After a quick glance, apparently satisfied, he looked up. Coil could see the smile immediately fall when their eyes met.
He didn’t have time to laugh at him though, because Shuriken jumped out from behind him soon after, dressed in his signature black hoodie, previously hidden in the shadows. He was smiling, holding an absolute hoard of snacks within his arms, still attempting to wave at Skate as he held the door open.
Coil was rooted to the spot, fully processing that this was indeed Shuriken, in his house. He muttered a quick hello, uncharacteristically soft, unsure if Shuriken even heard him, the guy was still smiling.
That damned smile, it never failed to make him feel warm inside, and a smile began to creep onto his own face.
He watched as Shuriken’s eyes looked around, inspecting everything with curiosity that Coil found so entrancing. His gaze wandered over the walls, the furniture, and even the ceiling before they finally landed on him.
The ninja’s eyes widened in recognition, beaming and crinkling in that distinctive way that always sent butterflies into his stomach, but he quickly turned to his brother before Coil could wave back at him.
Considering Coil was out of commission to lead a conversation, Skateboard finally decided to ask the key question.
“Sling, what movie are we watching?”
“Oh, it’s a slasher that just came out, did you watch it already? I can get another movie if you two have already seen it.”
“Nah, we’re too broke to go to the movie theatre.” That was Coil, still far too focused entirely on Shuriken to notice the way Skate’s body froze upon hearing what Slingshot had said.
“SLING! You brought a horror flick?!” Shuriken yelped, the previous dazzling smile completely wiped off his face, and Coil could see his face pale. So Shuriken was bad with horror?
“Sure did.” Coil could swear Slingshot glanced at him as he said that. The baker looked a little smug, a slight smirk on his face.
Shuriken had an… odd reaction to that. Coil stared at his face as it shifted from its previously pale complexion to a reddish tinge.
Gees he really must’ve been embarrassed…
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Shuriken had truly brought over a wide variety of snacks, there were half a dozen bowls balancing on their rickety old table, and there were still bags yet to be opened.
Unlike the table, their TV was top notch, courtesy of many modifications made by Coil. The back was a monstrosity of tangled wires, but from the front, it was sleek and refined, capable of running at 120fps with barely a hitch in performance. He could see Shuriken and Sling both appraise it with approval, a faint sense of pride settling within him.
“Coil! Did you make this?” He flinched upon hearing Shuriken’s voice directed at him for the first time since last week, hearing the identifiable lilt that was so precisely him that it made his face flush.
Stars were shining in his eyes, filled so much with wonder and the unabashed want to know that Coil always found enticing
“Nah… I just…” He could feel his face heating up the longer Shuriken looked at him.
“It’s not that difficult…” He finally restated, unexpectedly modest to a point that Slingshot sent a confused look his way. Skate on the other hand had finally turned the TV on, that was normally Coil’s job, but he had been so preoccupied with talking to Shuriken that it had slipped his mind, and was ready to assign seating arrangements.
With Slingshot being a guest and having brought the movie, he was given first dibs on the seat. The blue-horned inphernal took one look at their decrepit couch and chose the floor, sitting on the right side.
Skateboard could burn a hole through what remained of the right seat cushion with how hard he was staring at it. A pleading look at Shuriken was sent, and the guy thankfully got the message, electing to sit on the floor with his legs crossed on the far left corner so Skate could sit aside Slingshot.
Rushing in, Skate immediately plopped onto the right seat, hilariously eager to sit behind Slingshot.
Unfortunately, Coil had no time to tease him, given that he now realised where the sole seat left would put him.
Behind Shuriken
He was suddenly hit with cold feet. The thought of having Shuriken in his sights for over an hour was triggering alarm bells in his mind.
He would like that sure, actually he would like that a lot, to the point he had fantasies about it, dreams consisting of nothing but hours of just staring at Shuriken, admiring every feature on his face, when he was too tired to be ashamed.
He probably wouldn’t manage to hold a single conversation with anyone given how Shuriken would be in front of him…
But he’d be really happy, this day would probably be embedded in his memory for years to come.
A decision solidified in his mind, he wanted to get closer to Shuriken, what better time than today?
Screw it, he may regret it in the future, but right now he wanted nothing more than to be next to Shuriken
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Despite his worries, he did not break out into a hot and sweaty mess while sitting on the couch, at worst his posture was slightly straighter than it normally was. He was actually in a relatively good mood.
The movie Slingshot selected had actually managed to capture his attention. The guy had good taste in movies, with characters having actual personality and motivations instead of being the oh too common caricatures that had become everpresent in recent media. Slingshot himself was staring at the TV with rapt attention, the bowl of popcorn completely ignored.
One purple-horned inphernal had barricaded herself in a shed, trying to buy time while her companions attempted to call for help.
Unfortunately, the killer had found her hiding spot.
A knife stabbed through the wooden door, sending splinters flying
A scream echoed through their living room, but not from the movie. Shuriken had leapt from his position on the floor, screaming from the jumpscare, flinging himself backwards with astonishing speed.
He had flung himself backwards with such astonishing speed in fact, that Coil didn’t have a chance to move before Shuriken landed on him
He was no stranger to physical contact, in fact he liked to believe he had more than most, the scars and bruises that littered his body from his brawls in both the ring and the streets were a testament to that fact.
Of course, a key difference that distinguished those cases from the current moment was the atmosphere, the high tension that filled the air, where one properly placed punch could mean life or death, win or loss. In those matches, his instincts were fight and flight, carefully evading his opponents’ strong hits with a dash, only to hit back twice as hard, pummeling them until they were little more than metal and wire on the streets, or knocked out on the padded floor of the ring.
Right now though? His body was supplying a whole new form of tension. The kind that made his heart race and face flush in equal measure. The kind that made his mouth fall silent, no longer spewing harsh barbs or sarcastic remarks. The kind that was only present in scenarios that had Shuriken in them.
Faced with another instance of physical contact, what was his reaction? Would it be fight or flight, or perhaps the dastardly combo that far too often left his adversaries on the ground.
His body chose freeze instead
He attempted to gasp, but that reaction died in his throat as Shuriken barreled into him. Then he was quickly reminded of the fact that he was wearing a shirt today instead of his normal thick hoodie. With the thin fabric of his t-shirt, he could feel every part of Shuriken that touched him, the graze of contact enough to send his mind and thoughts scattering in various directions.
He couldn’t breathe. The movie shifted from his main focus to distant white noise. He couldn’t move, not just from Shuriken being on top of him. The way that the minute amount of physical contact from Shuriken’s hand landing on his own felt euphoric on his skin. His mind felt far away, floating in overwhelming emotion.
He was going to die happy.
Shuriken finally turned back, and Coil could see as his expression turned from the previous pale-faced fear, to rosy embarrassment. Coil spent far too long staring at that expression. He was thankful that his own face was currently cast in shadow, if how warm it felt was any indication of how red his own face was. Muttering something he couldn’t hear, the ninja slinked back down to the floor. Coil’s eyes tracked him the entire way down, trying to take in every detail how Shuriken looked.
Coil couldn’t tell how long he remained there… just frozen to his seat, mind whirring, the previous sights imprinted into his brain.
Finally looking back at the movie, the camera’s perspective had shifted to outside the shed, harsh screams and pleads could be heard echoing, before fading to pained wails. Eventually, the victim fell silent and the killer walked back out, still cloaked in shadow, though a bloody knife was now visible by their side.
Despite the grim scene playing before him, his mind couldn’t focus on it at all. After what happened earlier, Shuriken had grabbed his attention for at least the next hour.
He needed a distraction.
He leaned forward, pointedly not looking down the entire time to avoid another mind-melting incident, and grabbed a cola gummy from the bowl closest to him. The sour flavour did little to divert his focus in any meaningful way.
Considering looking down was out of the question, and looking up would be absolutely ridiculous, he turned to the side. Upon which, he was met with a sight to behold. Skate had crouched down, eyes covered by his own hands, desire to see his crush completely outweighed by the gory scene before him. Slingshot’s own hand was on his shoulder, the baker patting him calmly while he looked at the TV with a discerning eye. It was awfully domestic, and it made a pit of jealousy well up from his own stomach.
Could he do the same? Well, the guy in front of him didn’t reciprocate his feelings, even if he wished he did, but he could still offer what little comfort he could. He was in the midst of this decision, hand hovering over Shuriken’s shoulder, when yet another jumpscare popped up.
At least that was what he assumed had happened, he could barely register a flash of light in his peripheral vision. He wasn’t looking anywhere at the screen, instead focusing on the curve of Shuriken’s shoulder, the way fabric wrapped around it, leaving its shape formless and unidentifiable.
He was still gazing longingly at the shoulder, like a puzzle hiding a forbidden truth, when it began to rush towards him.
Thankfully, his reflexes didn’t falter this time, however said reflexes consisted of grabbing the closest thing to him.
Shuriken’s hoodie.
The two of them froze.
And then, nearly imperceptibly, Shuriken relaxed, leaning into the touch.
Almost no one else would have noticed that slight relaxation, but most people didn’t watch Shuriken as closely as Coil did.
Slowly, Shuriken turned towards him, and Coil could see the unease and nervousness that lay hidden under the thick hoodie.
“Scared?” He asked, trying too hard to balance the carefree attitude he normally wore with the genuine concern he was feeling, because he couldn’t bear to see Shuriken anything less than happy.
“Yeah…” The guy under him said honestly, though hesitant. He sounded embarrassed, voice tired and slightly raspy from the high pitched screams that were heard earlier.
“Want me to… hold you?” He asked, the memory of Shuriken leaning into his touch rising up.
It sounded desperate even to his own ears, and maybe he really was desperate for it, for any chance to get closer to Shuriken in any way.
Shuriken didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds, and Coil was beginning to worry that he had overstepped when a reply finally came.
“Okay”
That one word that held a million meanings.
He silenced the alarm bells that were blaring in his head, keeping his hand on Shuriken’s shoulder even as he slipped back down, notably less stiff and wound up.
Yeah he could do this, he was simply helping as a… he realised he could hardly even count as a friend. An acquaintance, yeah, he could help as an acquaintance.
He tried to silence the traitorous voice in his head that kept asking for more
This was enough. For now, it had to be.
Time passed, and Coil’s mind never drifted from the shoulder his hand was on. He was beginning to feel sleepy, having spent the past hour and a half sitting on a couch. Everything was beginning to blur together, he couldn’t tell if the gummy he just ate was apple or lemon flavoured.
On one hand, his mind was beginning to dull, the sights and sounds blending together to become something closer to a mental smoothie than an actual movie night.
On the other, his senses were hyperaware of everything in front of him, the way the hoodie felt under his hand, the way Shuriken breathed, steady inhales and exhales that felt like the rhythm of his entire world. The way he moved back and forth as he leaned forwards to grab a snack, inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but still enough for him to spend several minutes staring at his body instead of the movie
He’d noticed, because of course he had, that Shuriken had completely stopped looking at the TV in front of them. Combined with the fact that Coil was looking at Shuriken the majority of the time, and Skate was avoiding even glancing at the screen in favour of his own hands 90% of the time, it left Slingshot the sole viewer of the movie.
Midway through the movie, when the third victim was being chased through the woods, Shuriken finally began talking, and Coil realised that this could be the first actual conversation they had since last week. He didn’t count the previous short exchanges.
“So… you live with Skate?” Objectively, it was a horrible conversation starter, but he’d take anything he could at this point.
“Yeah, I mean I’m an on-the-run criminal, I can't exactly find housing easily can I?” He replied, injecting a little snark and sarcasm into his tone, trying to liven up the somber mood Shuriken was feeling.
“That's true!” The guy was much more cheery now that he was no longer looking at the movie.
Was he really that bad at handling horror?
That thought proceeded to evaporate from his mind as he soon realised Shuriken was smiling at him, all his focus now directed at keeping the expression of joy on his face.
They continued talking, and he ignored Slingshot when he muttered a not so quiet ‘shush’, leading to the blue-horned inphernal rolling his eyes. But he couldn’t care about that when he was actually engaging in conversation with Shuriken, every word sending a thrill through his veins.
He learned so much, more than his wildest dreams. He learned Shuriken preferred sour candy over sweets, that he enjoyed stargazing, that even though his favourite colour was clearly green, pink was a close second.
He clung to every word like it was water in a desert.
He remembered when he first heard Shuriken’s voice, the real one, not the customer service one. He had likened it to a song, but the specific details evaded him.
He still couldn’t narrow it down now, but he had more information, enough to realise that trying to liken something as variable as Shuriken’s voice to a single genre was an exercise in futility.
There could never be a single word that defined it in its entirety. The way it changed, fluid as the seas.
Eventually, the duo fell silent, though the atmosphere was now homely, and Coil could proudly say they were comfortable with each other’s presence.
It was magical, how Shuriken looked when he was at ease. He was staring, the movie entirely forgotten, at the way every piece of him looked, how just seeing him made him feel like he was melting, warm and content.
So warm and content in fact, that he began to doze off, eyes winking off to sleep with Shuriken still in front of him.
The last sight he saw was of Shuriken, eating 3 gummies at once, laughing.
He was living in bliss.
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He roused to the sound of snickering, confusing sure, but he was currently feeling incredibly comfortable so he had only half a mind to pay attention to it.
He attempted to get up, but his hand slipped off the floor
Except it definitely didn’t feel like their flooring, it felt more like fabric.
Wait…
The memories of the past hours came back to him. The movie night, the snacks and candy, Shuriken’s hoodie, talking with Shuriken, admiring Shuriken… it was a lot of Shuriken.
Even the dream he’d just woken up from had consisted of Shuriken, it was nothing new, a repetition of a fantasy involving the two of them talking, laughing and bantering like close friends he wished they were. They were alone, staring at the stars above, sky completely absent of the pollution normally commonplace in Playground.
He couldn’t recall the specifics of the dream, but he remembers the emotions. The way his heart had gone on a rollercoaster the entire time, the way he smiled so hard that his face began to hurt.
He thought back to his last conscious moment, he hadn’t been entirely aware of his surroundings, but he’d at least remembered being on the couch, so why was he flat on the ground right now?
A lot of things weren’t adding up
He was also incredibly warm right now, the feeling tempting enough to risk just going back to sleep, snickering in the background be damned.
It felt like he was on top of a heated blanket, something he had never thought he'd enjoy, but if they were this pleasant to sleep with he might go into his workshop and craft one up.
More giggles could be heard, he could finally distinguish the presence of two separate voices, probably Skate and Slingshot.
Where was Shuriken?
The sound of a deep rumble shook from below him, startling him and making his head rise up high enough to finally see clearly what exactly he had been dozing on.
Huh, a black hoodie, where had he seen that before…
Holy shit
Holy phucking shit
He scrambled, fully panicking with shaky breaths. His arms flew wildly for a few seconds before they froze, barely any net movement made considering he was essentially floundering around, mind having completely shut down.
A weird mix of a cough, a choke, and wheeze escaped his throat, sounding absolutely ridiculous.
He couldn’t say a single word, his tongue was flopping around like a dying fish in his own mouth.
Slingshot and Skate were full on cackling now, sounding like hyenas, full-bodied laughs that echoed around the room from sheer volume. They were even holding onto each other for support, knees buckling under their laughter.
“SFOTH Coil, never thought you’d snuggle up with my brother.” Slingshot wiped a tear from his eye as he said that, a smirk still on his face. It felt oddly karmic.
He couldn’t reply to that. Confronted with the fact he had been on top of Shuriken, there was no space in his mind for denial.
Just seconds ago, he and Shuriken were sleeping like logs against each other. Skin to skin. Well, fabric to fabric for the most part.
He had hugged him for SFOTH’s sake, like a damn bolster, and he’d enjoyed it too. His face was flushing at the very thought, Slingshot was definitely going to catch that.
He looked back down in an attempt to disguise it.
How they had ended up in this position was a question he didn’t have the answer to.
Another loud snore punctured the air, Shuriken was still asleep somehow, the guy blissfully unaware of the inner turmoil he was going through at this very second.
“Guys, what time is it?” He said out loud, in a weak rasp, because he needed something else to focus on right now.
“It’s like 9 right now, the movie ended half an hour ago, we’ve just been cleaning up.” Skate replied, a slight giggle still in his voice. He gestured to the table, uneaten snacks having been packed into plastic bags.
He did the math in his mind, the movie was still playing when he fell asleep, and it didn’t look anywhere close to done when he last saw it, so he assumed that there was still 30 minutes left. Add that to the half an hour after the movie ended…
He’d fallen asleep with Shuriken for an hour…
A new wave of heat bloomed across his face at that realisation.
His hand was still on the black hoodie after all this time, but he couldn’t bring himself to take it off.
“Should we wake him up?”
“Yeah, you can do that, I’ll be helping Sling throw away some of the trash.” Before Coil could object, the guy dashed off to the kitchen to be with Slingshot.
He was now left alone in the living room, aside a very warm and very much asleep Shuriken.
At the very least he wasn’t sleepy any longer, the realisation he had just mere minutes ago had ensured he was wide awake.
So what to do…
He could feel his heart rate spiking in real time
He should just get it over with, for the sake of his heart.
-------------------------
That was easier said than done.
He had tried tapping his head, whispering, straight up talking in his face at normal volume, and none of it worked, the ninja just refused to stir. Those methods were mild yes, mostly because he had an incapability of being anything less than gentle with Shuriken, but they still should've worked.
He’d thought the guy was a light sleeper based on his eyebags, but apparently he was mistaken. At this point, he was debating straight up shining a light into his eye. He looked at those eyes once more, still completely closed.
He grabbed his phone, turning on the torch with just a few presses, before holding it roughly a foot from Shuriken’s face.
No reaction.
Seriously?
He checked the brightness level, it was at the highest it could go, leaving the only other option as moving closer.
He inched himself closer, trying not to startle the sleeping inphernal, counterintuitive, he was aware, but he still did it.
Eventually, with barely an inch separating his hand from Shuriken’s face, the guy finally showed a reaction. He didn’t open his eyes, probably for the best, but they moved, scrunching up.
Coil leaned forwards to get a closer look
“Sling, I'm awake…” the green-horned inphernal muttered, eyes still shut but mouth moving
Success! A grin was present on his face, having felt relieved that the aforementioned’s brother finally awoke.
He moved to turn off the flashlight, ensuring that Shuriken wouldn’t effectively get flashbanged when he inevitably did open his eyes.
“Great, I was thinkin’ ya were never gonna wake up!”
“What, wait who are you?” The guy cracked his eyelids apart, alarm quite clear in his voice.
“COIL!?“ The tone shifted, now shifting to something closer to embarrassment. It made him feel awfully self-conscious.
The face before him was turning red, likely a mirror of his own expression, though probably for dissimilar reasons. He thought back to when he awoke on top of Shuriken, had they really been propped like this for the better part of an hour?
Right, they were quite close physically now that he thought about it, and they were making direct eye contact too. He could see his eyes, widening rapidly. Hell, he could see his own reflection in those eyes
…Weren’t they too close?
Both of them seemed to agree, because they both pushed back at the same moment—
BANG
“Coil, was that you?” Skate’s voice came from around the corner
“I’m fine! I’m fine!” Hitting his head had hurt like hell, but it gave him so much needed clarity from the previous scene, so it was a net positive in his eyes.
“You sure? That looked like it hurt.” Shuriken was luckier, head landing against a couch cushion rather than a table edge.
He stood up, brushing his knees and about to repeat that he was fine when he was hit with a bout of vertigo.
Right, he’d basically been on the floor for an hour.
Thankfully he didn’t fall over, though he did sway precariously for a few seconds, mind absolutely swimming and stars dotting his vision.
He was still clutching his head, though more from dizziness than the already fading pain, when the other two walked back in.
“Woah, you managed to wake Shuri up.” Slingshot sounded mildly surprised as he stepped towards them, holding a bag that was roughly half the size that Shuriken brought in.
“Sling! You’re making me sound like I laze around all day!” His brother sounded aggrieved from his position next to the couch.
“You basically do.” The baker directed his voice back to Coil “How did you manage to wake him up, Coil?”
“I just…” His mind wandered off, thinking of the aftermath of waking Shuriken up, how the two of them had stared into each other’s eyes for longer than was probably socially acceptable
“...used a flashlight.” Slingshot looked at him weirdly, probably for his slight pause, before mentally cataloging that information for future use.
“Good to know.” The guy replied, unexpectedly civil considering he was talking to, well, Coil.
“By the way, you all should prob’ be going back home by now. We’re done packing.” Skate finally injected himself into the discussion.
They moved their way to the door, Slingshot and Skate making idle chatter as they walked. Shuriken seemed to be in a world of his own, and Coil was experiencing much of the same.
The way Shuriken’s face had turned red, allowing for him, for one desperate second, to think that his crush wasn’t so one-sided
Reaching the door, Skate and Slingshot stood still, and Coil was wondering whether they forgot something important when they approached each other.
They got closer, chests nearly touching, and from this angle, he could see Skate’s face clear as day. There was the normal gentle smile that he wore whenever Slingshot was near him, but the guy wasn’t blushing at all, acting as if this was just a normal Tuesday.
Did Skate confess to Slingshot while they were asleep? No, he would still be blushing even if he did.
It took until they clung to each other, faces close enough that they could feel each other’s breath when Coil finally understood what was going on.
This was a hug.
They were hugging each other, arms wrapping the other like they had always done this. He glanced to the side, Shuriken was indeed looking at them, but he didn’t appear surprised in the slightest. He looked as if he had seen this sight replay more than a dozen times.
Understanding dawned upon him. To them, this was completely and utterly platonic, without any hint of romantic undertones.
So this was how they ended movie nights?
He couldn’t even say they were wrong, at least not with confidence, for doing it. Skate seemed entirely content with the arrangement.
Maybe they weren’t wrong…
An idea made itself known in his head
The next series of actions are something he will not take account for, and instead will blame purely on circumstance.
He shall blame sleeping next to Shuriken for warming him up to the point his blood felt like it was boiling. He will blame hitting his head for his loss of rationality and impulsive decision making. And he will blame Skate and Sling’s hug for even putting the idea in his mind.
Maybe he wasn’t entirely awake, or maybe he was simply grasping at straws, trying to keep the warmth that danced across his skin, but he moved forward towards Shuriken, mimicking the movements Skate and Slingshot made moments earlier.
Shuriken looked at him, confused, but he didn’t seem against it. He stood still for a second, and Coil was ready to cut his losses that very second. That second felt like an eternity, leaving Shuriken forever out of reach.
Thankfully, that figment of his imagination didn’t come to pass.
Shuriken turned towards him, his arms spread, unconfident and inexperienced, but still willing. That acceptance felt electric across his entire body, and he wasn’t able, nor did he want to, keep a grin from spreading across his face.
It wasn’t exactly private, but with Sling and Skate still preoccupied with their own hug, they likely wouldn’t have any eyes on them
It was startlingly awkward, he was not used to the way Shuriken’s body felt, and he wasn’t the type to hug people in the first place. But still, he enjoyed it, relishing the comfort and warmth he felt. By the looks of it, Shuriken felt the same, beaming at him with twinkling eyes.
Sure, today was an absolute shitshow. Between the mysterious incident at Slingshot’s apartment, the panicked cleaning that Skateboard attempted, his quick shower and attire change the moment he was aware of the details, and the entire host of shenanigans that occurred during the actual movie, it was impossible to deny that it was atypical to say the least.
But it had also undeniably been a day for him to look back on fondly. Having Shuriken here had made his mood lift, even if it was preceded by panic over his own appearance. Having the opportunity to sit behind Shuriken, though anxiety inducing, was novel in a way that he would never get tired of.
Even now, he was in an embrace that made his mind feel as if he was high on euphoria.
Simply said, he didn’t regret today.
In the end, that was all that mattered.
-------------------------
“Ok Coil, what’s going on with you?” He was questioned the second Skateboard closed the door.
“What d’ya mean? I’m not sick.”
“Maybe not, but you’re acting like a whole nother person. I don’t remember the last time I’ve ever seen you hug someone.”
Ah, so he did see them hugging.
“You did it twice too! I have video evidence of it!”
“WHAT!” So that was why they were snickering when he woke up.
“Like, you’ve told me you like Shuriken, but this seems a bit too much for simple friendship.” Shit. He was getting close.
“You and Sling just hugged in front of us, ya can’t use that point!” He tried to defend himself, but it came out more feeble than expected.
The guy didn’t even get flustered when he mentioned the hug, shrugging it off and barreling forward with a conversation he did not want to have.
“Yeah, but we’ve been friends for years. I haven’t even seen you and Shuri talk since last week.”
He couldn’t even say anything to that.
“I just wanna get closer with him…” He finally got out. In the end, that was the truth.
His roommate looked suspicious, but he finally seemed to accept that answer.
“Okay… You were just really clingy to him, almost thought that you had a crush—”
Coil choked, loudly. He cursed his own body for deciding to breathe a sigh of relief at that very moment, falsely thinking that the interrogation was over.
Skate’s eyes widened at the sudden sound, and he rushed forward.
“Want some water—” He stopped as he noticed Coil’s expression. Admittedly, the guy had been acting all sorts of strange today, but the pieces finally clicked for him as he looked at his face. The dude was red, like deep red, a shade of red that always got him teased for by the very same guy.
He may be oblivious, the guy in front of him had given him flak for it many times, but he wasn’t blind.
“YOU HAVE A CRUSH?!”
This was going to be a long night