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♡
“Ar-are you nervous?”
Snorting quietly, they squeezed his hand gently. A form of trying to keep themself from slipping away as easily as rain running down the side of a building. Lasko would put his finger under the raindrop, however, and carry them with him to wherever they were comfortable being.
They knew that.
Humming in thought, they glanced at the door and focused on the feeling in their stomach. It twisted and churned silently. Their pulse was racing dramatically in their veins, and they huffed.
“Yeah I’m nervous. I told myself I wouldn’t be,” They mumbled, scratching their cheek worriedly and looking down at the doormat to the entrance of the house. “I-I don’t think I did anything wrong to make them not like me. I mean I haven’t even met them yet.”
Smiling reassuringly, he rubbed his thumb over his Dear’s hand. “Do-don’t worry, dear. They’ll love you. Wh-who wouldn’t?”
With soft, appreciative eyes, they leaned over and used their free hand to cradle his cheek. The pads of their fingers rubbed smoothly over his skin, and he leaned into their touch. Their warmth was like a blanket of silk, leaving him with the sentiment that he never wanted to escape their hold.
For they could lift the tides of the ocean and capture him, whisking him away. And even then, Lasko would find himself happy to have been taken captive by his favorite siren.
Goodness was it hard to stay focused around them.
“You’re the sweetest person I’ve ever met, you know that?” A slight smile graced their face and brightened up his day. The sun behind them watched enviously as they became the brightest light he had known.
“O-oh, tha-thank you,” Lasko said, cheeks flushing a little. “B-but I would like to introduce you to my sweet pa-partner. I think you t-two would get along.”
Eyebrows raising, his Dear looked at him with amusement shining in the stars that gazed at him. “Oh you’re funny. I think we would despise each other.” They joked, and Lasko furrowed his eyebrows with a smile on his face.
“H-hey! Now that’s just mean. M-my partner is the kindest person you’ll ever be lucky enough to meet!” He whined, pulling them closer to him.
Laughing, they grinned at him, and he felt his heart speed up in his chest. With gentle, caring eyes, they dragged their thumb down his cheek and brushed it over his bottom lip. “Lasko, can I kiss you?”
Cheeks flushing a little more, Lasko nodded and closed his eyes. His Dear’s lips pressed against his, and he hummed dazedly.
“Y’know,” He mumbled quietly against their lips, “You don’t have to keep asking.”
Pressing their lips to his once more, they pulled back and held his face in their hands. “I know, but you deserve to have someone ask for your permission. And what if you don’t want a kiss one time and I kiss you anyway?”
“Well I-I think I would be out of my m-mind to not want your ki-kisses,” He said, half joking, “An-and your kisses wo-would make it um- b-better.”
“Still,” They rolled their eyes and tried to hide their smile, “I like asking you. You get all soft and mushy.”
“We-well, it’s because n-not many people ask th-thi-this far into a relationship!” Insisting, he turned his head and hid his embarrassed blush. “It’s just really sweet of you. I-I like when you ask me.”
They tapped his nose and he grinned hopelessly at them.
“I feel better now, thank you Lasko.” Leaning forward, they kissed his forehead and pulled away.
Grinning at them, he raised a fist and knocked on the Freelancer’s door. Grabbing onto his hand, they turned back to the door and took a deep breath.
The door swung open a little, and a Freelancer opened the door with a friendly smile. Quickly moving forward, they pulled Lasko in for a hug, making him freeze up in embarrassment before he hugged them back.
Pulling away, the Freelancer barely took a full look at Lasko’s partner before they reached out their hand and happily grinned at them.
“You must be Lasko’s partner! It’s amazing to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot of things,” Their eyes flicked over to Lasko, a teasing smile taking over their face for a second. “Very good things, don’t worry.”
Face flushing, Lasko scratched the back of his neck and looked away in embarrassment.
“Fr-Freelancer…” He whined quietly, rubbing his cheek to hide his blush.
The Freelancer laughed, patting him on the shoulder before they looked back over to his partner. “Oh! I’m so sorry- I didn’t even ask! Are you like- okay with me shaking your hand or hugging you? I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable or anything.”
“Uh- no, no! I’m okay with that!” His Dear reassured, reaching their hand out and shaking the Freelancer’s gently.
With an excited gleam in their eye, they curled their fingers around Lasko’s partner’s and hurriedly pulled them into their residence. Yelping, Lasko was dragged inside after them when his partner gently grabbed his hand.
The heads of his friends turned over to them, and his Dear suddenly felt like hiding all over again. With a nervous smile, they scooted closer to Lasko and tried to shift themself so he was covering them. He nudged them away a little, only half covering them.
Huxley was the first to smile at them, walking over to them and immediately pulling Lasko’s partner in for a hug. Their eyes widened in surprise and they were left mouth agape.
“Hey new friend! It’s nice to finally meet you!” He said excitedly, pulling away with a wide grin and radiating sunshine. They blinked and tried to process the immediate hug they were subjected to. “Hey Lasko! Nice to see you again dude.” Huxley was quick to pull Lasko back in for a hug as well, and Lasko smiled.
“He-hey Hux!”
“Aren’t they a sight for sore eyes?” Gavin mumbled, smiling to himself as he watched Huxley cause Lasko’s partner to malfunction. He cleared his throat to stifle his rising laughter, and Damien side-eyed him.
“What’re you laughing at?” Damien asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow curiously.
“The two of them are cute, wouldn’t you agree? Lasko feels happy. They feel just as happy.” Gavin rested his elbow on Damien’s shoulder, and Damien swatted at his hand with a frown on his face.
“You’ve never even seen them interact before this.” He pointed out, but Gavin just continued to smile.
“Even someone who doesn’t have pleasant vision can see that they’re cute.”
Rolling his eyes, Damien looked back over to them and felt his lips twitch subtly when Huxley got embarrassed at the compliments Lasko’s partner gave him. He watched as Lasko watched the two of them as well, a lovesick smile adoring his lips. He watched as Lasko reached his hand over to hold theirs, and the two of them held hands behind their backs.
Even if they thought they would drown together, they stayed afloat together.
“See? Even the Freelancer here agrees.” Gavin nudged Damien’s shoulder, gesturing to the Freelancer whose grin never faded, even as they walked over to the nervous couple that held onto each other like a buoy in an ocean.
Damien shook his head slightly, rolling his eyes once more. “How do we even know if this partner of Lasko’s is good for him?”
Chuckling, Gavin looked at Damien and made eye contact with him. With a fond smile, he wrapped his arm around Damien’s shoulder affectionately. This time, Damien let him touch him.
“Well we can talk to them, observe them, do the whole routine. But at the end of the day, they make Lasko happy,” He smiled at the feelings exchanged between the two of them as they glanced at each other fleetingly, looking away with flushed cheeks and butterflies rushing through their veins. “Even if it doesn’t end well for them later, which we should hope it does, Lasko’s happy now. I think that’s enough reason to trust them,” Gavin looked back over to Damien, squeezing him closer affectionately. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
Nodding slowly, Damien let himself smile visibly.
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” He mumbled.
“I guess it helps that the big guy seems to like them.” Gavin chuckled, and Damien snorted quietly, watching as Huxley excitedly led them over to the couch to play Smash.
“Huxley likes everyone as soon as he meets them.”
“You don’t, but you seem to like them.” Teasing, Gavin poked his cheek, and Damien frowned before pushing away Gavin’s finger.
“If you say anything, it’s over for you.” Damien threatened, and Gavin just laughed before he pulled away. With a playful look in his eyes, Damien squinted at him and watched as Gavin walked over to the Freelancer with a grin on his face.
Lasko’s Dear smiled nervously at Gavin, still getting used to their immediate friendliness when they were expecting some reluctancy. Gavin made a suggestive comment right off the bat, and they laughed in surprise, making Lasko blush and Gavin smirk more.
Huffing and uncrossing his arms, he walked around the couch and sat next to Huxley, waving at Lasko’s partner and introducing himself.
The sun cascaded down the curtains, and watched as Lasko’s Dear became the light it only wished it could be.
♡