Chapter Text
Moving in with Army was one of the greatest decisions Aloha's had done. Sure, it had its quite...downturns sometimes. Like he'd barge into the pink inkling's room at 6 in the morning going off about drills, or he'd go nuts if he sees a piece of wrapper forgotten on the counter, etc.
But they were little things, and they didn't bother Aloha at all. He loved the other's company, along with everything else. How he had an adorable expression focusing on his manuals, how he literally shined while dumping bunch of info, how he quite sunk in Aloha's (already oversized) hoodies due to his shorter height, and many more.
Although there was a thing that bothered Aloha. And he wasn't sure if it was a little thing.
Army always wore some sort of gloves and he never took off that hat of his. It was kind of like Mask, where Aloha never saw the cyan inkling without that gas mask.
Aloha wondered about the reason why. Sure, he get Army not being comfortable enough. That was why he still didn't offer sleeping in the same room.
At least yet. The pink inkling was dying to wake up to his boyfriend's sleepy face, if he managed to wake up before him. (There were times though! Times where Aloha did wake up before Army. He always wanted to surprise him, but he always faced with a locked door instead.)
Now, in their third year of dating, a thought made into his mind at 2 in the morning. A thought that he quite loathed having, a dark one.
Does he trust me?
He stared at the ceiling, pink yellow-ish glow radiating from his tentacles and flooding his peripheral vision.
Aloha trusted Army with his entire being. But was it mutual? Did he trust the pink inkling?
He tossed and turned in the covers, hugged his pillow pretending it was him (didn't help), stared more at his ceiling.
And now he was standing in front of the bathroom mirror. He looked at the slight eyebags under his magenta eyes. With a sigh, he splashed some water on his face. At least the eyebags disappeared a bit since he didn't host as much parties as he used to, which meant less all nighters or waking up in the most random places possible. He could remember in one after party he and several other inkfish tried to get Straw down from a chandelier. Or Diver who somehow got lost in one of the cupboards.
Aloha snickered at the memory, then yawned. Trekking towards the kitchen for a glass of water he thought, I should catch up with them sometime.
A faint glow under Army's door catched his eye and made him stop in his tracks.
Is he not asleep yet? At this hour too...
Without a thought, his hand reached for the doorknob and twisted it-
...the door opened.
Aloha's eyes widened when he realized he was actually inside Army's room, via an unlocked door. His sleepiness evaporated instantly as he looked around, with a little smile on his face.
"Babe I know you want to work but you shouldn't keep pulling all nighters-"
He locked eyes with Army, as his words were cut off, his smile fading when he saw his boyfriend's face.
Army's gold pupils were as small as pinpricks. His mouth was slightly agape, as he dropped the cloth he was holding. His hands, bare and no gloves on like his hat, were shaking. The cloth was stained black, his face paint, as well as his cheeks and nose bridge-
Huh?..
"Army?–"
Without a chance to finish his question, the other bolted towards the door, tackling Aloha in the process. The pink inkling held onto the door frame to not fall, yelling the name of the other.
"Army! Wait–"
But it was futile, as the other already slammed the front door close.
Aloha sighed.