plot twist: teenagers are bad at feelings

[prethief]

[So. He said a lot of things he'd never planned to say at all ever. That's fine. Eames can live with that. He's said a lot of dumb shit in his life so far and he hasn't died yet.]

[Of course, previous instances of 'dumb shit' weren't an incomplete baring of his surprisingly complicated feelings surrounding anal sex. Which, well. He's never thought about it at any great length, so it leaves him feeling deeply embarrassed and angry about being embarrassed in the first place. Eames elects to spend the weekend with some other friends to blow off steam, any texts from Arthur getting a quick "sorry, busy" in response so he doesn't have to think about what a fucking moron he is.]

[It's harder to ignore him come Monday, but Eames thinks the fact that he's turned up hungover as fuck and mainlining energy drinks to get through the day does a lot to stop anyone from talking to him. And the one class he has with Arthur that day, he spends the time sleeping in his car instead. And the one after that. And basically the rest of the school day. Still there once people start filtering out for the end of the day.]

Comments

[interpunct]

[Arthur feels his stomach tighten at that, and he raises his eyebrows at Eames, matching his smirk.]

Oh yeah? You think you could?

[IT'S A SEXY CHALLENGE.]

[prethief]

[Eames scoffs, shaking his head at Arthur. He will fight this gentleman anytime.]

Please, Arthur. You're not exactly, you know... [gesture] Fighty. Are you?

[interpunct]

[Arthur shrugs, nonchalant.]

I've never had to be.

[prethief]

Well, there you go.

[He winks.] Plus I have the weight advantage.

[interpunct]

Well, maybe I'm... scrappy.

[He knows it's stupid okay but this is a stupid conversation no one holds someone down until they agree to be friends.]

[prethief]

[Eames laughs and rolls off Arthur, slotting himself in the space between Arthur and the wall to lay down next to him.]

Yeah, maybe.

[He clearly does not think so.]

[interpunct]

[Arthur gazes at Eames for a little bit, happy that they've moved on from this. He knows they still both have stuff to work out but at least right now he has his friend back.]

[prethief]

[He catches Arthur's gaze and frowns, not that he's upset by it, just a little confused, and he lifts a hand to his face under the assumption that there's something there.]

What is it?

[interpunct]

[Oh, caught in the act. Arthur shrugs and shakes his head, looking up at the ceiling.]

Nothing, sorry.

[prethief]

[Eames squints at him for a moment, but whatever. Arthur's weird sometimes, he's used to it. He just ignores it and turns on his side, shimmying a little to get comfortable, because if neither of them have anything else to say he's going to get some more sleep. Being awake is exhausting.]

[interpunct]

[Arthur can do naps. He's been just short of pulling his hair out all weekend, so he is a bit tired. He sighs one more time and turns on his side facing away from Eames, closing his eyes and finding he's actually more tired than he realized.]

[prethief]

[It doesn't take long at all before Eames is sound asleep. Between the hangover, the heavy conversation, and the fact that he barely slept all weekend, there's only a few minutes between him closing his eyes and that blissful dark.]

[In his sleep, he eventually ends up closer to Arthur — there's not a lot of space, it's not exactly hard — and he curls up behind him with a soft sigh, draping an arm over Arthur's side and pressing his face lightly against the back of his neck. This is significantly more comfortable.]

[interpunct]

[Arthur has long since accepted that Eames is naturally cuddly. Ever since they started sharing beds or anything like that, he's been dealing with Eames getting up close and personal. He's had to teach himself not to freak out about it because it doesn't really mean anything. Cuddling is nice whether it's with a significant other or a hookup buddy or a close friend and they qualify as two out of three of those things.]

[He wakes up a little when Eames cuddles up this time, but thanks to being neurotic about this in the past he is now pretty comfortable with it, and he hums contentedly before he commits to sleep again. He just hopes Eames' mother doesn't decide to come in because then he'll have a meltdown about the fact that they're spooning and someone knows about it.]

[prethief]

[Thankfully his mother doesn't walk in, or if she did she didn't wake anyone up, though Arthur will get the fun sensation of Eames sneezing on the back of his neck when Arthur's hair tickles his nose, so. That's nice.]

[interpunct]

[Arthur's so startled by this that he actually just rolls off the bed with a strangled shout.]

[prethief]

[WELL. That sure wakes him up.] [

Eames sits up, alarmed because Arthur just fucking shouted and vanished from next to him, but then he spots Arthur on the floor and just. Laughs. A lot. There might even be tears.]

[interpunct]

[Arthur is so shaken up he doesn't know what to do other than sit up and look bewildered.]

You sneezed on me!

[prethief]

[He's laughing so hard that he's actually struggling to get his words out.]

It's-- Probably 'cause of all your hair.

[interpunct]

I didn't tell you to stick your face in my hair!

[Arthur is actually going to get up on the bed and wrestle Eames down onto the bed because shut up!!]

[prethief]

[He's still laughing, which makes it hard to really fight back, but he doesn't make it easy. Pushing back against Arthur's hands even after he falls back against the mattress and lifting a leg to wedge it between them.]

I was asleep! And you're warm.

[interpunct]

[Arthur tries to get his hands on Eames' wrists in an attempt to pin them to his chest, but Eames is a bit stronger than him, probably even when he's laughing this hard.]

Oh, so it's my fault.

[So rude.]

[prethief]

Maybe you should try being less warm and inviting.

[Eames might be stronger, but Arthur does have the advantage of being able to put his weight into it. Eames is still struggling regardless, absolutely refusing to let his arms touch his chest.]

[interpunct]

I was sleeping!

[Arthur doesn't have a lot of recourse here other than maybe to try and pin one of Eames' arms down with his knee? There is the problem of Eames' leg between them but he really isn't the wrestling type.]

[prethief]

[Well. He lifts his other leg to wrap it around Arthur's waist, which kinda means the one between them has to go, and he pushes up against Arthur's arms with a grunt. Intending to try and flip them over, but he glances to the side and realises there's not enough space unless he really feels like seeing what injuries they'd get if they fell out of bed like this.]

[He frowns up at Arthur.]

So I guess it's nobody's fault then?

[interpunct]

[Well, it seems they are at an impasse. Arthur loosens his grip a little bit so he's not actively pushing on Eames' arms and he shifts a bit to get more comfortable where he is since Eames now has him trapped with one leg. He raises an eyebrow.]

I can't believe you sneezed on me.