Work Text:
“Alright everyone, it is that time of night yet again!”
Dex looked up from his textbook to see Lardo charging in from the kitchen, megaphone in hand. Why he bothered studying in the Haus on a Saturday night no one ever understood, but despite constant distractions, the atmosphere put him at ease. That is, until around midnight.
He set the textbook aside, wary of the events following. ‘That time of night’ could mean almost anything. At least a third of the time, it meant someone has officially passed out and a room was now off-limits. Not this time, apparently. Lardo took off her snapback, giving it a little twirl. “Gentlemen! It’s time for a throwback; anyone remember Seven Minutes in Heaven?”
“Is that really necessary?” Dex asked. “I swear I’ve seen the majority of you make out for no reason at another one of these games.”
“That’s the point, bruh! Nobody has to see!” Shitty emerged from behind Lardo, wearing flowery swim trunks–in October–and nothing else. “What happens in the broom closet stays in the broom closet!”
“We have a broom closet?” asked Tango.
“We do indeed!”
“Do we even have a broom?” asked Dex.
“Irrelevant!”
Dex crossed his arms, shooting sidelong glances at Nursey. Of course, he seemed perfectly “chill” with the idea. He huffed, sliding off the couch. Everyone gathered around into a circle, Lardo holding out her hat in the middle. “Everyone puts something small into the hat, whoever’s item you draw, that’s who you’re stuck with! You’ll get a max of two people. One whose item you drew, and one who drew yours.”
Bitty spoke up, his face red. “Not that I have a problem with it, but isn’t this game a tad outdated? My mama used to play this game in high school!”
“Woot! Go mama Bittle!” Ransom pumped his fist, and Bitty sent him an admonishing glare. Dex simply rolled his eyes and nodded. He would play their silly game, if only to feel like he was proving himself somehow. He dug in his pockets–nothing distinct there, just some change and gum wrappers. He looked in his wallet, and found the perfect item. It was a single penny, tarnished beyond recognition. He found it on the beach his first summer working for his uncle, and now carried it around everywhere as a reminder of the hard work it took to get where he was. Dex dropped it in the hat and stepped back.
The others placed their items, one by one, and Lardo shook them up. “Before we start,” she called, “is anyone in a committed relationship?” She asked, looking at Chowder.
“Oh, yeah, that’s me!! It’s okay, I texted Caitlin and she said it’s fine ‘cause she knows you guys and that she wants deets after. Isn’t she the ‘swawesomest girlfriend ever!?”
Lardo nodded. “I trust everyone here can be responsible. I’m not letting you get away with not playing, but you can always be boring and just talk in there.” Everyone murmured their agreements. She grinned, and pulled out the first item. “Alright, I have a feeling I know whose measuring spoon this is…”
Bitty blushed, and took her outstretched hand.
Meanwhile, Holster piped up. “Sooo, youtube karaoke while our bros chill in the closet?” Ransom grinned, pulling up an instrumental of ‘I Want It That Way.’ “Aw, c’mon man, you know I’m more of an NSYNC guy.”
Ransom’s face screwed up as he exclaimed, “I try to forget! JT carried that group, but he was right to go solo. Backstreet’s where it’s at!” Dex watched them argue for the remaining seven minutes before being startled by the alarm. Shitty made a show of opening the door. Bitty drifted out, smiling. He had a single lipstick print on each cheek. Cute, Dex thought.
They went around the circle, though Dex zoned out by the next round. His mind was only on Nursey; would he end up being paired with him? What would he do? Ugh, that jackass would probably just get up in his space and tell him to relax or something. Given his experience with close-quarters Haus movie nights, they’d be lucky to get through it without throwing a punch.
Eventually, it was Nursey’s turn to draw. The boy reached in and smirked at what was in his hand. “Lucky penny anyone?” Dex’s face went bright red. “Oh I see, Poindexter’s got some superstition after all.”
“It’s not superstition!” he shouted. “It’s… well. You wouldn’t understand anyways.”
Nursey nodded. “It’s cool, I get it I get it. Lucky penny.” Dex puffed out his cheeks. “So are we gonna go or not?” he asked after a tense few seconds passed.
“Yes. Let’s go.” Dex forced his shoulders down, letting out a breath. The room was pitch dark, and cramped as all hell. Nursey was basically sitting on him. “Can you scoot over a bit?”
“Where? Dude, there’s like three square feet of space in here.”
“Yeah well…” he closed his eyes. “I guess. Just. We’re s-stuck like this then,” he stuttered.
“Man, it’s chill. Like camping or something. Have you no imagination?” Nursey asked with a chuckle.
“I’m not the poet here,” he quipped.
“Guess not. So I’m leaving this up to you. I’m down with whatever. We still got like 5 minutes. Just wanna talk?” Nursey leaned back, finding a wall to slouch against. How can someone be all limb like he was? Dex might be the same height, but he was stockier. He felt shorter because of it. Another thing to piss him off about Nursey.
Dex clenched his fists. Nursey truly believed there was no way he’d be okay with participating didn’t he? “Well I don’t know! We don’t have to. I don’t care.”
“Dude, don’t push yourself or anything it’s okay.” He reached over and ruffled Dex’s hair. Could he be more infuriating? As if he was always in control, always more experienced, always more well adapted. Well, not this time. Dex reached forward and fumbled for Nursey’s face, pulling in closer to his. “Whoa so-” Nursey was cut off. Dex pressed his lips into Nursey’s, but Nursey pushed him off.
What was the problem now, Dex wondered. “I thought you said-”
“Just startled me is all. Wanna try that again?”
“Guess you’re not as on top of things as you like to think you are, huh?” Dex asked, situating himself more comfortably against his fellow defense-man.
“Oh c’mon,” Nursey laughed, “don’t start that shit. Not everything is a challenge, y’know?” He wrapped his arms around Dex pulling him in. Their noses bumped when they both turned their heads the same way. Dex huffed a laugh, short and stunted. The tension left his shoulders. “See, there y’go. Guess you’re not always a stick in the mud, huh?”
At this point, Dex didn’t have the energy to bother disputing it. Nursey’s hand brushed the nape of his neck and he bristled. Their foreheads were pressed together between kisses, the two of them smiling like they shared a secret, which he supposed they did. Dex felt like this is what they’d been waiting for–what they both needed–since they first enrolled at Samwell. It was chaste but intimate, and didn’t last nearly long enough. Soon they heard the shrill of the iPhone outside the door, and Ransom opened it with a flourish.
The group exchanged glances: raised eyebrows, kissy faces, rolled eyes, the whole nine yards. But somehow, everyone else seemed relieved to find them both exit the room smiling.