#Jimothan will be there too eventually | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

binbogummy · 3 years ago

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Hiding From The Shadows: Chapter 3

Definitely a little late coming and definitely a little lack luster but here's chaper three! One more chapter after this one when we jump back to the action!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

"Read em and weep, boys!"

The collective sound of defeat from the rest of the table was immediate as Kamal leaned proudly back in his chair.

"Third time this week you've won, Bora, maybe you're not as rusty as you claimed." Jimothan guffawed, tossing his hand of cards onto the table with a loose flick of his wrist.

"Indeed, quite well done, though the sting of defeat does grow a bit old. All the more reason keep at it, I suppose." Trencil agreed, setting his own cards down and reaching to take a sip from the delicate-looking teacup that sat by his place at the table.

"Aww, that's nothin'. Just a bit of luck from an out-of-practice enthusiast." Kamal insisted, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully

"Don't be modest now." Wallus, who sat beside him, threw his arm over his shoulder and pulled himself closer to that nights victor. "My friend Kamal here's a real ace when it comes to any game with a solid deck to deal; no pun intended."

"Daww, thanks. In that case, I can tone it down a bit to give you guys a fighting chance if you'd like?" Kamal teased, and the rest of the table erupted in a feigned offense that quickly faded into laughter.

A few minutes of joyful chit-chat passed but the energy at the table eventually died down as Jimothan got up from his seat to begin collecting that rounds cards.

Glancing towards the clock, Kamal sat up a little straighter, intertwining his finger before stretching both his arms over his head as he yawned. "Alright, I'd say it's about time we head out."

"So soon once again?" Trencil asked, mild disappointment in his voice as he watched Kamal push his chair away from the table and stand up.

"Yeah, you two always leave right away. S'shame you can't stay longer." Wallus agreed, placing a hand on his knee as he leaned towards Kamal. "We can fit another round in, you sure you wanna go already?"

"Afraid so, got work in the mornin' remember? Plus, I'm not too keen on keeping the kid out this late as is." He added, nodding towards the back of the room.

"Ah, let 'em go, guys." Jimothan cut in, stepping around him and reaching past Wallus to collect their cards. "We'll see you guys tomorrow, best get going."

Giving him a thankful nod, Kamal spun around on his heels, turning to look at one of the booths a few tables away from them. "You ready to go, kid?", he yelled.

The sound of giggling could be heard out of sight and he rolled his eyes, taking a few steps closer.

"Give me just a second!" You yelled back as he approached you. "One more lap and I win!"

Stopping once he reached your table, Kamal propped his elbow on the back of your seat as he waited for you to finish. "Y'know as much as you pressured me into this, I can't believe you show up just to play Mario Kart with Parsley." Kamal joked, raising an eyebrow at the two of you.

You and Parsley sat side by side in the booth, controllers gripped tightly as you both leaned over the table. "Hey, it's a win-win situation. I get to hang out with Parsley and you get to hang out with Wallus." You smirked, eyes still focused on the game.

"And I since you're here my dad's not making me play anymore." Parsley finished, a split second later dropping his controller to elbow you in the side as he crossed the finished line first. "And...I win!"

"Wow, the first time all week." You joked, setting your controller down to applaud him sarcastically. "Alright-" Quickly packing up your things you scooted yourself eagerly out of the booth and stood up, arching your back with a groan, stiff after having been hunched over the table for so long. "Let's get going." You agreed.

The car ride back was notably quieter tonight as neither you or Kamal bothered to start conversations. It was an oddly comfortable silence, the two of you understanding that the other was just as tired as yourself, but still sharing a snicker at the stupid jokes playing on the late-night radio or smiling fondly at the other when you'd pass on a yawn.

You leaned your head against the cold car window of the passenger side, watching the treetops and roofs of houses fly by in the moonlight, working to shake yourself awake as you knew you were getting closer to home and soon working to remove your seatbelt as Kamal pulled slowly in front of your place.

"I'll see ya, kid, have a good night." He said, waving fondly as you stepped out the car. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Maybe." The corners of you mouth perked up ever so slightly at that seemingly innocent response.

"Maybe? Oh, got plans or somethin'?" He asked sarcastically.

"You'll see!" You giggled, "I have an idea, but I will see you tomorrow."

"Ah, keep your secrets then, I'll see ya tomorrow kid." He relented with a smile, and the two of you shared one final wave before you shut the car door behind yourself and he began pulling away.

Was it supposed to have only been one more time? Yes, but after your second late-night outing, every night became "one more night" and after a week straight you didn't even have to ask anymore as Kamal started showing up to pick you up on his own. It was simple but it was some of the most fun you'd had in a while and you'd been looking forward to it every night for the last week.

It was nice to see Kamal unwind like he had been too. He was a dork and got a kick out of the simplest things, card games being one of them.

Nat did make fun of you a little for hanging out with her dad and the rest of the "old foagies" and Tim Tam even showed up once in a while, even if all they ever did was sit at the card table and eat the crackers that Jimothan would give them to keep them from stealing the cards. Whether or not Lulia and Jerafina knew their kid was sneaking around in the middle of the night was unknown but you all figured that knowing Tim Tam, there would be no stopping them anyway, so you all just excepted it.

All things considered, you were pulling it off really well. You got by on the fact they your sleep schedule was already completely backwards, Kamal on the other hand still got up to go to work in the morning, and the fact that he managed to still pull it off was a testament to how much he was enjoying himself to keep showing up.

There was only one small issue; the fact that Boris still had no idea. You weren't hurting anyone, you were just hanging out with some friends, and hey, it's not like they were lying to anyone either, Boris had his hang-ups, and staying up late was one of them, but what he didn't know couldn't hurt him. It was no big deal, right?

"Kamal?"

"Hmm?"

"Is...everything okay?"

Kamal paused mid-bite, his mind going to the worst-case scenario. Why would he ask that? Did he know? How could he have found out? Was he starting to slip, darn it he needed more coffee.

"I'm all good, why do you ask?"

Boris let out a contemplative hum, looking down at his breakfast and absent-mindedly poking the yoke of his eggs. "Perhaps it is nothing, but are you getting enough sleep?"

'He knows, he knows, he knows, he knows'

"....Yyyyes."

"Okee, just making sure! If you're ever feeling unwell, please do tell me." Boris smiled at him kindly but there was definitely something unsure underneath it.

"Course, everything good with you?"

"Oh yes, I am fine. Like I said, I am probably just worrying too much."

"Why, what's up?" Despite his sense of self-preservation, Kamal prodded, if only to figure out the reason behind his usually cheery roommates almost melancholy demeanor.

"Well, it is hard to explain. It's regarding Y/n. I haven't seen too much of them lately but there is definitely something...странный, unusual about them as well."

'As well?' Kamal thought to himself, knowing he was most likely the other person in question despite Boris' refusal to pry into him further. "And you've figured this out just by talking to them? That's...impressive!"

"Yes, it is quite easy. I've got a good sense for these sorts of things you know!" Boris cheered up somewhat as he spoke, even winking at Kamal. "But I can not be sure, it is only a feeling and they insist that everything's fine, so perhaps that is why it is beginning to frustrate me?"

"I'll be sure to check up on them too then." Kamal offered, hoping desperately to change the subject soon.

"That would be helpful, yes." Boris nodded, seemingly happy to leave it at that as he took a long sip from his mug. "They will be stopping by later today so I do look forward to spending some time with them! It's been almost a week since the last time they stayed the night too, so I'm hoping I can talk them into having a sleep over!"

"Sounds like a plan, bud." Kamal attempted to hide his week smile behind his coffee mug as he took a long sip. Boris wasn't stupid, and Kamal wasn't surprised that he'd already begun picking up on something, something that Kamal himself hadn't even noticed. But because he trusted the two of you, he refused to pry. It was in that moment that quickly growing guilt began; Boris was going against his better judgment to take him at his word. This was all just for fun but perhaps they'd taken it too far. It was no big deal, right? At least, maybe it wouldn't have been if they'd stopped after "One more night".

"If it's not too much trouble, could I stay the night?"

"Of course!" "Wait what?" Boris and Kamal both replied in unison.

"You don't even have to ask!" Boris reassured, already skipping up beside you to lean down and give you a celebratory hug. "I was hoping you'd want to! It's been a while so we have some catching up to do!" Kamal on the other hand stood staring at you in confusion as you hugged him back, trying to figure what exactly was going through your head. Returning Boris' embrace cheerfully you met eyes with Kamal from over his shoulder to which he quickly mouthed 'What are you thinking?'. You were only able to respond with a confident grin before Boris finished off your hug with a little spin.

"Aw, come on, we still see each other almost every day, you big nerd." You joked, giggling as you were spun.

"Did you bring anything to sleep in?" Boris asked, finally releasing you and tapping a finger to his chin curiously.

"I did actually! Plus, you guys still have my overnight bag somewhere too right?"

"Oh yes yes, of course! I almost forgot, I'll go get eet!" He nodded cheerfully, stepping around Kamal to head upstairs. As soon as he was out of sight Kamal stood silently, waiting until the sound of heavy footsteps could no longer be heard before he spoke to you.

"You want to tell me how you plan to make this work?" He asked dryly once the coast was clear.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh?" Tilting his head, his expression softened. "Weeere you just not coming tonight? That's almost surprising, but if you're not going then I'll stay home t-”

"Of course I am, we can still go, I don't see why not." You corrected him before he could finish.

"Kid, you want to spend the night that's fine but sneaking out to go to Jimothan's too may be a bit much."

"Nah, this works out great, you guys live way closer to the lounge anyways. We'll save a bunch of time!"

Kamal's expression once again deflated to one of doubt. "Kid, you're gonna get us caught."

"I mean, you've been sneaking out every night with no problem, I'm sure I can too."

"Well yeah, but he's gonna be on high alert with you here. I guarantee he's already picking out a bedtime story."

"Then I'll just 'go to sleep', no problem. We can go after he falls asleep then. As long as he has no reason to believe I'm gonna be up then he won't have to worry about me."

There was a clear moment of hesitation in Kamal's face as he thought on your seemingly already thorough plan.

"Doesn't that seem a little, I don't know, underhanded?" He questioned, apprehensiveness clear in his voice.

"But, isn't that what you've been doing every night?"

Kamal's eyes widened in surprise at your response but it was only for a moment before his expression turned back to one that seemed a lot more uncertain. "You're not wrong, but... this is kinda different." His words weren't accusatory, he looked more like he was trying to find the right words to say.

"It'll be okay, Kamal. I'll be super careful don't worry, he won't know a thing. I haven't spent the night since we started going out late, I don't want to bail on Parsley, but I miss hanging out with Boris too."

Kamal didn't respond at first, his eyes seemed to be focused on the ground in front of him as he thought.

"Yeah, the big guy did bring that up a little while ago, 'bout you not comin' to visit lately. But it's been for good reason, or at least an understandable one, can't have your cake and eat it too, y'know." He took a step closer to you, an understanding look on his face. "How's about we pace ourselves a little, I appreciate that you miss hangin' out with the big guy so why don't we cut the late-night adventures to a couple times a week at most?"

Your previously enthusiastic expression disappeared, but before you could answer the two of you turned you attention towards the stairwell.

"Here it is!" Boris cheered excitedly as he returned, skipping back into the room with a familiar black and blue gym bag in his arms. "Right where you left it last time." He commented proudly, handing it to you.

"Awesome, thanks! These next few days are gonna be great!"

"Days?!" "Days?! :-D "

You were the one that mouthed to him this time as Boris had already swept up into another spin, still catching Kamal’s concerned gaze each time your eyes met over Boris shoulder.

'It'll be fine.'

"Are we ready for bed?" Boris asked, slinking his way around the door of the guest bedroom quietly; closing it behind himself once he was inside, his eyes quickly darting around the room before they landed on where you sat on the bed. He held a book to his chest, clearly excited for something as he jumped up and down on his toes, tapping his fingers against the cover.

What he wasn't expecting however was your reply.

"Yep, goodnight, Boris." You replied, pulling away the covers and throwing you legs up into bed before quickly making yourself comfortable and rolling onto your side.

"That is what I thought you might say! But just wait until you hear-" ceremoniously he held the book out in front of himself proudly but his victorious grin fell when he registered your response. "Pardon me, what did you just say?"

You chuckled at his question, looking over your shoulder to smile at him and repeat yourself. "Goodnight, Boris, sweet dreams!"

"Oh?" Boris stood dumbfounded at your out-of-character compliance, glancing down at the book in his hands until his smile grew as well than set it to the side. "That is very good, Y/n!" Taking a few steps closer he reached forward and gripped the edge of your blanket, pulling it over your shoulder a little higher. "Sweet dreams to you as well." Smiling down at you fondly he slowly stepped away once he was satisfied with the peaceful look on your face, opening and closing the door ever so carefully as he made his exit and heading to his own room to have some sweet dreams himself.

It was about 11pm when that peaceful look on your face disappeared, replaced with one of satisfaction as you slowly opened your eyes and sat up. While being quiet should have been your first priority, you didn't hesitate sliding out of bed, deciding to test the waters. If you'd wake him up just leaving the room, you'd never be able to make it out of the house, and leaving your room would at least be explainable, being caught halfway out the front door with Kamal would not. So you sauntered towards the door with pride, stopping once you'd rested your hand on the knob to examine the book he'd left on the stand by the door. The Hobbit, definitely a good choice, you almost regretted missing out on starting it with him tonight, but you were sure you'd get another opportunity.

You made your way out into the hall, sure to close the door behind you and head straight for Kamal's room. Passing Boris' you smiled at the unmistakable sound of thunderous snoring, no longer bothering to tip-toe the rest of the way. He'd have to hear over himself before he'd hear anything you were doing.

Reaching Kamal's door, you tapped your knuckles against the hard wood, waiting eagerly for a response. After a few moments of no response, you knocked again, once again being met with silence. 'Did he forget?' you wondered, slowly turning the knob, to peek inside, an exasperated look falling on your face once you saw him then quickly stepped in the rest of the way.

He was snoring away himself, albeit much quieter than his roommate down the hall. You couldn't help but smile when you stepped closer to get a better look at him. He was sprawled out in all directions, one leg hanging off the bed, one arm behind his head, with his blanked half covering him and his hair spread up over his pillow.

You didn't miss the opportunity to take a quick picture before stepping to the side of his bed to try to wake him.

"Psst, Kamal?" You whispered, unfortunately receiving no response. "Kamal?" You whispered again a little louder with the same result.

Rolling your eyes your reached forward, placing a hand on his shoulder to shake him lightly. "Kamal~" You sing-songed, "It's time to get up~"

He let out a tired groan, gripping his blanket and rolling onto his side to avoid you, which only made you follow him, walking around to the other side of his bed to face him.

"Kamal, wake up!" You whispered loudly, shaking him much more suddenly this time and immediately receiving a response as he jolted awake, kerfuffling his words and movements until his tired eyes finally focused on you.

"Wha....kid? What do you want?" He groaned, falling back down onto his mattress.

"Take a guess, you know what time it is don't you?" You asked.

"I'm guessing it's almost midnight?" He asked sarcastically.

"Correct, which means...." You drew out your response hoping he'd fill in the blank, but continued when he only glared at you tiredly. "We've got to get to Jimothan's!" You finished happily.

"Kid, we talked about this...."

"I can drive if you're tired."

"Kid..."

"Boris is snoring up a storm too, so there's no way he'll hear-."

"Y/n, listen to me for a sec." Kamal interjected. With another groan, he sat himself up and patted the mattress for you to sit down with him.

Your enthusiasm dampened as you obeyed, taking a seat near the foot of his bed to face him. "What's up?"

"I'm surprised you don't seem to get it, kid. You're usually a lot wiser when it comes to these sorts of things." He sighed with a tired smile.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I told you, I'm not worried about making him mad...I mean, he will probably be mad but it's more than that. It's got nothin' to do with us stayin' up or sneakin out, how do you think he's gonna feel if he finds out I've-you've-WE'VE been lying to him for a whole week? He's really happy to have you over. You've seen it, do you really want to...taint that with a lie?"

"It's not exactly a lie." You bargained.

"Yeah, that's what I've been telling myself to but come on, whatever you want to call it it ain't right, not at this point. He's only gonna get more worried if those bags under your eyes keep getting bigger without knowing why, so... I think we should call it quits and pretend it didn't happen. Already texted the gang and they get it, Wallus even agreed we need to start hangin' out at a more normal time of day anyway, heh." You reminded quiet and Kamal quickly picked up on your unhappiness. "We can still go sometimes, I for one just won't be going quite as often."

"I'm always awake at night anyways so..."

"Yeah, I get it, kid, but doing this to yourself every night ain't gonna help. That ain't my business, but you know it's true."

"Does that mean you're going to tell him?"

"That depends, you still planning on going without me?"

"..."

"Yeah."

*Sigh* "You're an adult and I'm no snitch, but.... think about what I said. And for yourself, the big guy and for me, don't get caught before you come clean, k?"

The next morning Kamal took notice of his roommates unusually cheerful attitude. Boris was practically glowing as he hummed to himself as he cooked, even cracking eggs to the beat before dropping them into the pan.

"What's got you so happy." Kamal smiled along with him, his pure positive energy was contagious.

"Oooh, nothing in particular!" Boris insisted but his grin proved differently, spinning around on his heels to wink at Kamal before turning his attention back to the stove.

"Oh really?" Kamal questioned, glancing around the kitchen as he tried to figure out what might have him in such a good mood. His brow furrowed when he noticed the absence of a certain guest this late in the morning. "Kid, not getting up?" He asked as if changing the subject.

"Oh no, I haven't woken them yet, I think they deserve to sleep in a bit~".

"Oh really, what makes you say that?" Kamal was happy that Boris paid no mind to the trace of annoyance in his voice as he responded.

"They went to sleep right away last night! I didn't have to lecture them, so I'm going to let them wake up on their own."

"If anything doesn't that mean they should be able to get up now?"

"Well yes, I suppose, but I think it will be good for them to catch up on some sleep while they are here. I know they struggle with staying up late so I'm happy to know that they can relax here, it makes me feel like I am doing something right" Boris added, resting a hand on the side of his face as he smiled to himself.

"Yeah, ha ha, yeah it's great...." Kamal once again hid his now annoyed expression behind his coffee mug, tightly gripping the handle as Boris turned his attention back to the stove to continue cheerily flipping his eggs. 'Just how long are you gonna be able to keep this up, kid?'

The answer being, impressively enough, almost another week.

"Do you want to shhhnugle?" Boris asked with a cheeky smile, scooting over in his bed to make room for you.

You'd come unto his room to return the stack of unread books that had been growing in your room, each left after another night of you not needing a bedtime story. Not that you ever "needed" one, but he'd entered the guest room prepared to help you fall asleep every night for last five days.

"No, I'm good, Boris."

"Are you sure? It might make you feel better :-( " He bargained, reaching his hands out jokingly in a grabby motion towards you.

"I feel fine, I promise. " You offered a cheery smile in hopes that would be enough to convince him and while he didn't push further, the disappointed look on his face told you he was still worried. Still, with one final goodbye, you turned towards the door, preparing to head to bed yourself.

"Wait!" Boris called out to you rather suddenly and you quickly turned around to look back at him.

"What's up?"

His expression was unreadable but it did hold a little shame for having called out to you without having thought of what to say. His shoulders slumped as he looked away from you, gripping his blanket and fiddling with the edge. "I am right in here if you have trouble falling asleep, please don't hesitate to wake me up, okay? It is no trouble at all!"

"You got it, Boris, thank you." You nodded with a small smile, turning back towards his door to make your way down the hall, missing the sad expression that once again settled on his face at your response.

As you layed with your eyes half shut you were half tempted to actually doze off. Normally staying awake was no problem, but having to lay in bed like this until the coast was clear every night had your body feeling heavy and staying up was becoming more and more of a struggle as the nights went on. Still, you were determined to show Kamal that you could handle it. You could probably just set an alarm on your phone and catch a few winks until midnight. The only downside being that you knew if you fell asleep, even for a little while, waking up in a few hours would be far more trouble than staying awake and fighting your drooping eyelids now.

Still, giving in to them just a little you let your eyes close as you rolled your head back onto your pillow.

Not much time passed but you were satisfied with the little in-between you body had reached, definitely not sleep but relaxed enough that you weren't straining yourself to stay up. And just as you were falling a little to much to one side, unexpectedly you felt your blanket lift and the mattress shift as someone heavy slid into bed beside you. You nearly fell off the other side of the bed as you quickly jumped back in shock only for a hand to reach out and grab you by the arm before you reached the edge.

"I am sorry! I did not mean to frighten you!" Boris apologized, quickly pulling you back before you topped over the side.

Calming down once you realized who it was you stared at him in confusion. He just barely fit with you into the twin-sized bed of their guest room , taking up almost 75% of it just while laying on his side to face you and leaving you uncomfortably close to the edge as you backed up to make eye contact with him.

"Boris, what the heck are you doing?! I didn't even hear you walk in."

"I'm sorry :-( I didn't mean to wake you, and you looked so peaceful too..." He frowned as he looked down at you.

"You're okay, you just scared me, now what are you doing?"

"I was worried about you. I know you say you're fine, and you've been going to bed on time but you seem so tired during the day, I want to make sure you are sleeping peacefully."

"That's sweet but-" before you could finish you were pulled towards him as one of his arms wrapped around your back and the other hand rested on the back of your head, squishing your face into his chest.

"Shhh, it'll be okay. I'm just going to make sure you have sweet dreams all night!"

You found a little wiggle room, working your arms up between the two of you to push at his chest so you could look at him, "Boris, would you- mmmph!". But just as you managed to put some space between you he readjusted his hold, wrapping both arms around you entirely in a hug that pinned both your own to your sides and you were once again smothered into the fabric of his nightshirt.

"Nothing makes for a good sleep like a good snuggle!" He added happily, nestling himself comfortably under the covers with you.

After a few moments of over-enthusiastic snuggling, he finally took notice of your muffled yelling and weak struggling. "Oh, is everything okay?" He asked innocently, loosening his hold on you enough for you to lean your head back with a gasp, free for a moment from the smell of flower-scented fabric softener.

"Boris, I'm fine, really. I was about out of it when you walked in anyways, you don't need to worry about me." You explained firmly. He gazed down at you in quiet confusion as he seemed to be processing your words, a second later releasing you as a sad look crossed his face.

"I know, I just....You've been doing so good lately but you still seem..." Boris trailed off, scooting backwards and then out of your bed entirely to kneel at your bedside, sitting there for a moment before resting both his arms on your mattress and leaning into them as he continued. "I'm sorry, I should be happy, you've been taking better care of yourself. That's all I asked anyway."

What could you possibly say to that that wasn't a lie or would get you found out. Glancing up at the clock you realized you probably should have left minutes ago, but there was no way you'd get to show tonight with him still here. At least that's what you would have been worried about if Kamal's words hadn't resurfaced in your mind, weakening your resolve. What could you say to him that wasn't a lie or wouldn't make him upset?

While you had yet to respond, wrestling with your own conscious, Boris didn't seem to mind your quietness. Still on his knees at your bedside he rested his head on his folded arms, glancing sadly towards the door. "I am sorry for waking you, I was just worried. I guess it was pretty silly of me."

His expression was sad, clearly ashamed at the thought of having woken you up purely out of worry on his on his part. Then with a weak smile, he pulled himself to his feet, brushed himself off, and reached forward to pull your blanket back into place after having had disturbed it.

"Boris, wait." Against your better judgment, you stopped him, taking a deep breath as he looked down at you curiously. "If you want we can *sigh*...snuggle...I guess." You said, a half-embarrassed red flushing your cheeks as you lifted your blanket to welcome him underneath.

A wide smile slowly crept up his face but he hesitated for a moment, watching your expression then finally sliding back in beside you when you gave him a reassuring nod. He took a second to officially make himself comfortable, scooting back a few times when he realized how little space he left for you in this bed and masterfully adjusted the comforter. Once he was finished the two of you laid facing each other for a moment and your own curt expression changed to one of acceptance when he flashed you a wide foreboding smile.

You didn't even bother to struggle this time as he pulled you flush against him in a full-body snuggle, his large arms wrapped securely around you with no signs of letting go as he intertwined his fingers and rested them on your back. Just cocking your head up to look at him your nose booped his when he looked back down at you.

"Comfy?"

"Mmm-hmm!" He nodded, resting his head against the pillow and closing his eyes, and with what you wanted to deny was a tired smile, you did the same.

A little note left on the table beside the bed was the only sign of him when you woke up. Boris always got up at his own time, the same time every day. 7:00 on weekdays and 8:00 on weekends with the only exception being holidays and when he wasn't feeling well. It was well into the afternoon now; it seemed like you just kept sleeping in later and later as the days went on, even before you started your late-night hobby, and while you didn't usually mind, you did feel bad doing so while at your friend's house. Especially now when the only reason Boris was letting you sleep in was because he was worried about how tired you seemed during the day, even after supposedly going to bed on time every night you've stayed.

He was so sweet and after last night, you weren't sure if you could stand to worry him anymore. Or at least if you were still going to go at night, you could tell him the truth so he wouldn't be left in the dark as to why exactly you've been so tired when you have to wake up at a normal time.

Speaking of which, you basically ghosted Parsley and the rest of them last night. It's not like you could pull out your phone and text them either when you're stuck in the arms of a giant Russian teddy bear. So it would probably be best to do that now.

As expected, you had several texts from Parsley, starting last night with the latest one being from just a few minutes ago.

{better get here soon, all the good food is going to be gone soon}

{joking of course I'll be sure to save you some}

{aww did you finally fall asleep tonight?}

All of them in a similar fashion and a few playfully blaming you for making him play cards with his dad again since you weren't there. Getting ready to apologize you scrolled right to the bottom, but before you fingers hit the keyboard you paused at the most recent message, dated just 10 minutes earlier.

{ I AM SO SORRY }

There was a pretty big gap between this one and the other messages with nothing in-between warranting an apology so curiously you typed out a response and hit send.

{What for?}

{Oh, and sorry about last night, yeah I did fall asleep.}

After a minute of watching your phone and not receiving a response, you shoved it back into your pocket and stood up, finally turning your attention to the note Boris had left you on the bedside table while you waited.

'I'll be running some errands today but Kamal will be home. I'll be back a little later in the evening!

P.S: I hope you had happy dreams :-)

P.P.S: Also, I will be bringing home dinner from Jimothan's as a treat so save your appetite! '

-Boris

Maybe you were just being paranoid and connecting the dots too quickly. That's what you told yourself when a feeling of dread washed over you. What were the chances that this and that strange text were connected?

You received your answer much more quickly than you would have like when the door to the guest room swung open and Kamal forced his way inside, quickly shutting the door behind himself as he leaned up against it, panting heavily like he had ran all the way there.

"We need to hide now!"

#smile for me #boris habit #kamal bora #sfm writing #hiding from the shadows #And you only woke up once in the middle of the night with him on top of you #The man is a SNUGGLER #Hugs is a friend in bed like a body pillow when he falls asleep #we're talking arms and legs wrapped around you #snoring into the side of your neck #next chapter we get back to the present #from sleepy time snuggles to scary shadow man

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ultimaid · 3 years ago

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well now i Have to know about kamal and randy being exes bcs that's way too genius and big-brained. if you dont want to elaborate anyway that's fine but know that you're so smart for that

LEJDFKFNDJ IT WAS ACTUALLY MAX’S IDEA… we have a high school au (that’s. not really a high school au? many of the characters are in high school but some are not—jimothan and trencil are whole adults and nat is, like, a baby) and in that au kamal and randy are exes. they have a… hmm. Very Strained relationship at first, but eventually they work it out. it requires seven layers of context to fully understand but basically it started in this very specific au that max and i have and now i’m just like “yeah it works for regular smile for me canon too”

#asks #smile for me

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yearninghell · 4 years ago

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(this ones a little specific i think? I hope thats ok!) Jimothan being like a dad to the reader during the events of the game, and eventually ends up adopting them?

(drops to my knees and crumples into a ball of paper but in a daddy issues kind of way) /j lh

---

Jimothan being a father figure to the reader

---

-honestly,,,,neither of u are really sure of when it started becoming a parental kind of relationship

-maybe you came in bc u were one sweatdrop away from a heat stroke and wanted a drink or maybe u came in to try and repair his and parsley’s relationship

-who knows

-either way!!! you two eventually started talking more

-usually you would either ramble to him abt something you found interesting or your day or he’d tell you stories about his life and maybe even things abt parsley from time to time

-the first time u call him dad is purely by accident

-its late at night and u kno u should get going so you wait your conversation to kinda reach its end, wishing him a good night and for a sec you dont even notice you called him that

-then you notice that he’s staring at you. and then u reflect on ur words a little. then u panic

-before you can freak out too much or even stammer an apology out he chuckles and puts his hand up to stop you, reassuring you that its ok,,,,,,champ

-after that it sorta becomes a normal occurence

-when you’re eventually adopted its a really tear-filled and emotional moment

-even if he keeps insisting its just sweat

-u don’t sweat from ur eyes stop lying already hug ur child goddamn

-also also u and parsley exist to confuse him entirely with ur senses of humor but he loves u both dearly anyway

-yes he’s going to call you champ im sorry

#sorry for not posting yesterday and maybe the day before that!!!! twas not a great weekend in Yearn's health town #jimothan botch #sfm jimothan #jimothan #jimothan botch x reader #the x reader is familial tho #smile for me #smile for me game #smile for me imagines

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habitatimagines · 4 years ago

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gillis x parsley headcanons???

Hey, Hey anon I have no idea wtf you’re chugging but can I please have some?? This is an interesting take I like it. (If y’all got any out there ships go ahead and send them in I love these)

After write edit: This prompt made me SOFT loved this.

🐻Parsley x Gillis hcs!⚖️

🐻- So, I can imagine that Parsley and Gillis meet at the carnival when Gillis notices that he’s slumped against the wall and goes over there to make sure he didn’t die of starvation or something.

⚖️- Once he sees Parsley’s okay and just looks exhausted 24/7 everything’s fine tho

🐻- They have a little bit of smalltalk and discuss why they’re at the habitat and Parsley sort of lets it slip that he’s feeling really hungry.

⚖️- Gillis offers to go ask Jimothan to make him something and Parsley hastily tells him that it’s fine, Gillis isn’t aware that Jimothan is his dad quite yet.

🐻- Since Parsley’s the only other adult in the carnival Parsley and him sorta hang out a bit and Gillis offers to play the games with him (even though the games aren’t very good, it’s something to pass the time with)

⚖️- Gillis wins the whack-a-tooth game for Parsley.

🐻- Eventually I can imagine Parsley sort of opens up to Gillis a bit about the relationship with his dad and Gillis is just,, really understanding

⚖️- Parsley notices Gillis eyeing plushies while he’s shopping online or something, a day or so later Parsley gives him a plushie he found online it’s so ;-;

🐻- As time goes on Gillis realizes he really really likes Parsley, and eventually he realizes oh no it’s a crush.

⚖️- Parsley’s kinda developing feelings but he strikes me as the kind to not know he’s falling until he hits the ground y’know

🐻- I can imagine once they get so lost in conversation that curfew hits and passes, Parsley can’t remember much but instead of waking up in the carnival he woke up in his bed (wonder who brought him there)

⚖️- One thing gets vaguely remembers is Gillis carrying him back and he lowkey can’t get over it.

🐻- Parsley would probably confess first because I think Gillis is a bit too soft to do so.

⚖️- After that they relax at the carnival together and hold hands the end

#sfm #smile for me game #s4m #smile for me #imagines #headcanons #ship headcanons #sfm gillis #gillis socco #smile for me gillis #s4m gillis #sfm parsley #s4m parsley #smile for me parsley #parsley botch #parsley x gillis #smile for me imagines #smile for me headcannons #smile for me headcanons

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pedal-mail · 5 years ago

Text

@winemomparker and I were talking about his Smilin’ West au, sepcifically about the idea of Wallus skipping town after Kamal and Boris get gay. So have a little thing! Featuring our OC Leigh, who’s an absolute sweetheart!

“And you’re sure it’s safe to meet them?” Boris asked Putunia as she led her two dads into town.

“Yes! It’s perfectly safe!” She said. “Millie said one of her dads used to be a ranger, but now he just helps her other dad with his sheep. She also said that she’d ask them to bring Stella! Stella’s their sheep dog! She’s huge and sweet!” Boris and Kamal shared a glance and chuckled.

Putunia was starting to get bigger, almost eleven now, but no less excitable or energetic. She was adjusting to their move really well too, and neither of her fathers could be more grateful. They’d had to leave the old town because it was simply too dangerous. People still spotted Doc Habit, and it was starting to get to be too much. So, they’d moved out of the area. Texas was a big state after all, it wasn’t too hard to up and move where no one had heard of you. Harder if you had a body count, but not impossible.

Putunia had made a friend, a girl named Millie who was nine years old. She was rambunctious, and always ready to start a fight. Her dads (and that made both Kamal and Boris grin) let her wear whatever she liked, so she was usually found in boys clothes. Her and Putunia both actually. Kamal and Boris had met Millie a few times, but had never met her dads.

That was changing today.

“Putunia!” Millie shouted as the Habit family rounded the corner into town. She came barreling over to Putunia, who giggled as she grabbed her in a tight hug. Kamal and Boris laughed, and were both focused on the girls for a little bit.

Long enough that Kamal didn’t see exactly who her father was.

“I never will understand ya ‘Mal.” Kamal jerked his head up and stared Wallus in the eyes.

Wallus, who had left almost three years ago. Wallus, who had been his best friend in the whole world. Wallus, who’d been his partner in fighting crime. Wallus, who’d taken countless hits for him, who always had his back, who he’d given up for Boris. Wallus, who had skipped town and hadn’t sent word since.

He was here.

And he didn’t look pissed.

“Putunia seems happy,” he said, still staring Kamal down. “You do too. And I ain’t heard nothin’ about the infamous Doc Habit hurtin’ anybody. So...I guess you two figured it out.” Kamal’s vision became blurry, he couldn’t make out Wallus’s face anymore. “C’mere you wamble-cropped bastard. It’s been too long.”

Kamal stumbled forward and fell into Wallus’s open arms. They held each other tightly, both of them crying. Kamal tried to get out words, apologies, or insults, or anything, but he was crying too hard. Wallus just cradled his head against his chest, running a hand through his hair. Kamal gripped his shirt tightly, not willing to let go. Eventually though, Wallus let him go, and he didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

“What the hell are you doin’ here?” Kamal asked, still holding onto Wallus’s arms. Wallus laughed, and Kamal couldn’t help but frown at the tear tracks on his face.

“I could ask you the same thing!” He said.

“Got too dangerous, had to pack up for the kid’s sake if nothin’ else,” Kamal said. Wallus nodded.

“Well I’m damn glad you moved here,” he said. Kamal laughed, even though his voice was still shaky. “I think there’s someone you should meet. And someone I oughta remeet.”

“Oh! O’ course, sorry,” Kamal said. He let go of Wallus, and turned to his partner. “It’s real nice to meet ya sir, sorry for gettin’ all over your husband.” He just laughed.

“No worries! If you’re the Kamal I’ve heard so much about, I’m glad he’ll finally be able to stop being so upset about ya,” he said. “Name’s Leigh! I tend to sheep outside of town, y’all’ll have to come by some time!”

“I think we will!” Kamal said. He gestured to Boris. “Wallus, Leigh, this is Boris! Wallus, play nice.” Wallus laughed, but he still looked stiff.

“N-nice ta meet you both,” Boris said, smiling sheepishly. Kamal glanced at the girls, and found that they had been watching the group of adults like it was the most interesting rodeo ever. “I promise I left that life behind Wallus, I don’t-”

“Hush you,” Wallus said. “I spent three damn years doubtin’ Kamal, and I’m sick o’ it. If he trusts ya, I trust ya.” He said.

“I’m...very lost, but Putunia’s a sweet girl, and I trust any parents who can turn out such a nice girl,” Leigh said. Boris laughed, and blushed a little.

“Much obliged!” He said. “Did...did ya have plans for what ta do today?”

“Well...saloon’s open!” Leigh said. “Don’t know about the girls though…”

“We’ll be fine!” Putunia and Millie both said.

“Got your knife?” Kamal and Wallus asked at the same time, and they looked at each other in surprise. The two girls both pulled knife’s from their pockets. Kamal and Boris hadn’t given Putunia a lesson in guns yet. Not for another few years.

“We’ll watch out for each other too!” Millie said. Putunia nodded.

“Stay away from horses ya don’t know, they might bite. And if men ya don’t know try to get at ya, you start bitin’,” Boris said. Both girls nodded, before running off. “How’s the sallon here? We ain’t been yet.”

“Don’t compare to Jimothan by a long shot,” Wallus said, “but it’ll do for a quick drink and a catch up.” Wallus wrapped an arm around Kamal’s shoulders and squeezed him. “And I think that’s all we need.”

#yes I typed a dialect for once #shocking I know #smilin' west au #the smilin' west #smilin' west #habismal #fuck it main tag too #smile for me

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bytemycupcakes · 5 years ago

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Trevor’s eyes cannot be trusted when he’s half asleep. Especially on the farm when he’s almost completely nocturnal and the sun is glaring through windows.

Victor learned of this in a very interesting way.

Preparing to go out to tend to the farm for the day while Trevor’s preparing to sleep, Trevor tells Vic to be careful. That he’s been seeing ghosts out there.

Now they’ve been on this property for decades and neither of them have done anything to bring ghosts around so obviously Victor was very confused.

Over the next week Trevor keeps talking about a ghost he keeps seeing outside when he wakes up randomly during the day. What it seems to be doing, what he thinks he sees it wearing, normal ghost stuff, and Victor is listening intently.

Until it clicks.

Trevor isn’t seeing a ghost. Trevor is seeing Victor. But he’s so far from the window, and wearing hats and aprons Trevor doesn’t see very often... So Trevor’s tired mind doesn’t register that it’s just his husband.

Victor doesn’t tell him at first. Decides that Trevor will figure it out eventually, because surely he’ll notice that the apron in the laundry is familiar, or that he’s seen the hat in the diningroom before.

But several months go by. Trevor has convinced Jimothan and Millie there’s a ghost on the property. Millie and Trevor start planning a ghost hunt. And Victor is queezy from their plans.

Victor has told Nat and Trencil about this craziness back when it started, and Nat is eating it up. She has even added suggestions because she wants to see how long Victor will go without telling Trevor. And Trencil is chosing to stay out of it entirely, it’s bad enough Jim is involved.

Victor follows Trevor out to the shed while Trev gathers trap materials, trying to talk Trevor out of this. Saying the ghost hasn’t been doing any harm, that it might be fun having a ghost on the property. So many suggestions that don’t reveal it’s just Victor. But none work because Trevor is too determined, too convinced that the ghost wont be friendly forever, that Victor is in danger every day he goes out there.

Until Victor finally cracks

“It’s me!” “What?” “You’re just seeing me out there-” “Vic don’t lie to me.” “You know when I’m lying, Trevor.”

Staredown. A rather intimidating one given Trevor is holding an axe. But he thinks for a moment. Victor points out the apron patterns, the hat, that he’s looking outside in bright sun while half asleep. Trevor groans. “Why didn’t you say anything-”

“You haven’t been excited about a cryptid in years... You needed the fun-”

#smile for me #Smile for me oc #Trevor Garbo #Nat Vancey #Millie Coulro #Jimothan Botch #Trencil Varnnia #Bloody mary #sfm Flower kid #Oc: Victor #oc x canon #Veighn Family

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smile4meimagines · 5 years ago

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thanks legends for taking nsfw asks; here’s hoping ppl keep their cool abt it — could I get some cuddling/general intimacy HCs featuring Parsley (doesn’t have to include nsfw but can be, like, suggestive/teasing)

Mod Gay: I think as long as we keep the tags appropriate peeps will be pretty cool about it.

Mod HB: yeah! Tagging just in case is always good ~

Parsley w/ a S/O general cuddling/intimacy

Headcanons:

Parsley’s tense like, 24/7. If you can get this man to slow down for a sec, please give him a shoulder massage. He’s gonna complain about not getting work done right up until you rub his shoulders, then all of a sudden he’s the relaxed you’ve ever seen him. He might have actually fallen asleep.

He gets flustered very easily if not drunk. But the more time you spend around him the less flustered he’ll eventually get.

Pulling him into a cuddle after a really long day of work is easy. If you tug him down by the tie he’ll just slump over you. He’s so tired, but he really wants to spend some time with you.

He likes to rest his head on your shoulder when your both lying down. He might trace patterns against your arm, or count your freckles if you have any. Other times, he might just press the bridge of his nose against yours and close his eyes, holding your hand. He really loves these quiet, intimate moments.

Intimacy around Jimothan will make him VERY embarrassed. Jimothan will bombard both of you with questions and embarrass Parsley while he’s at it. Parsley will either run away or get a drink. Stopping himself from speaking by drinking, though he wouldn’t drink too much because you’re there.

He’s not fond of cuddling too much when he wants to go to sleep in bed. Or that’s what he says anyway. You always wake up to him cuddled against you.

If he’s come home late, and your already tucked in, he’s gonna slide in and spoon you, his arms wrapping around your middle and holding you close, nose pressed into your hair.

He would lightly tease you if you kept on complimenting him, not feeling like he deserves such compliments. “You’re being to lovey dumbling...I uh...mean dovey”

He loves it when you kiss the back of his neck whenever he’s tied his hair up in a ponytail. It makes him shiver and stutter a little.

He isn’t much of a dancer, but if you pull him into a quick little dance in the house, he’ll chuckle, and happily take the excuse to be close you you, saying something like, “Okay, but only because it’s you, Love… Dove…” Even getting your nickname wrong doesn’t matter too much when they both fit you in his eyes.

If you catch him off guard his eyes will glow a piercing red..like in broad daylight. Like a cats eyes would when light reflects off them.

Maybe he purrs….do half demons purr?Mod Gay: They do now. Parsnips purrs binchMod HB: SWEET

~Mod HB and Mod Gay

#smile for me #smile for me game #smile for me (2019)#Parsley Botch #parsley botch x reader #parsley x reader #s4m #sfm #headcanon #headcanons

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smile4imagines · 5 years ago

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first kiss hcs for parsley??

on GOD we gon get u a kiss bro -me and Jimothan

Parsley Botch first kiss headcanons!

it was a bit late at night, after you and Parsley’s third date. you were sitting on the couch in his apartment, just talking

you notice that after awhile of talking, he start getting a bit nervous, and kinda sweaty. he doesn’t look you in the eyes, and he’s talking a bit faster than normal

you place a hand on his shoulder and ask whats wrong. he jumps back and looks at the hand on his shoulder, then at you, then to the floor, then back at you. after stuttering a bit, he takes a deep breath, and clears his throat

“ah.. um, its.. nothing. i just uh, i got a little er,.. nervous is all. its nothing, don’t look too much into it!!!”

you offer to bring him a cold drink or turn the fan on, but he declines your offer. after looking around and stuttering a bit more, he finally looks directly at you and says, in a bit of a higher pitched voice,

“uhh.. actually. i was, um,, well i was wondering... you can say no if you want! but, uh, do you think maybe, its dumb i know but maybe possibly we could... like... kiss? just a little, and it doesn’t have to go any further than that!!!”

by now he had turned completely red, and he whispered “kiss” so quietly you could barely even hear it over him tapping his foot anxiously. obviously, you say yes! he perks up and says “r-really? you really want to??”

after conforming that yes, you DO want to kiss him, he nods his head and kinda, awkwardly places his hand on your arm, before closing his eyes and leaning in

it starts out as just a little peck, which after he’ll turn away and question if he actually really just did that, but after you tell him that it was nice, and you liked it, he gladly goes back for more

its a bit messy at first, he doesn’t know where to put his arms and he’s not exactly sure what to do with his lips either, but he eventually gets the hang of it and you guys get to full on make out, right there on the couch

after a minute or two, he pulls away to catch his breath, and looks at you with a look of awe on his face.

“that was... it was really nice. uh.. th-thank you... i mean.. um... yea. it was good- no, it was great, actually!”

depending on how you guys feel, you either spend the night kissing, or spend the night cuddling. either way, you’re both very happy.

#smile for me #sfm #smile 4 me #smile for me game #smile for me imagines #smile for me headcanons #parsley botch #parsley botch x reader

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binbogummy · 4 years ago

Text

Hiding From The Shadows: Chapter 2

Pretty boring chapter after the last one but I'm happy to be done with it! There's actually gonna be two more chapters after this with one more to follow this one and then we're gonna jump back to the present~

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Kamal: {Every night?}

Y/n: {Yeah! Well almost, most weekdays during the summer at least. Jimothan, Parsley, Wallus and Tencil all meet up at the lounge together and play cards after hours.}

Kamal: {And you want to join them?}

Y/n: {No, I want US to join them. Parsley invited me to start coming along and Wallus asked if you would come too.}

Kamal: {Wallus never really does do anything with his freetime during the day, makes sense that he's a night owl. But I dunno kid.}

Y/n: {Come one, let's go to at least once. You love card games, right?}

{It'll be fun}

Kamal: {I'm sure it will be, but unlike you, I got a personal betime enforcer}

{and it's not like I don't gotta work in the morning either.}

Y/n: {Pleeaase, Kamal, I told Wallus I'd bring you so I'm not going unless you are.}

Kamal: {Oof, well then I guess neither of us are going.}

Y/n: {Just once! One night, that's all I ask. I'm sure you can talk your way around Boris.}

Kamal: {Kid}

Y/n: {Pleease}

{come on}

{please}

{please?}

{Please.}

Kamal: {...}

{Fine, okay, I'll go}

Y/n: {Nice! I'll tell them you'll be there.}

{Meet you there at midnight on the dot!}

Kamal: {Yeah yeah, see you there}

{Don't make me regret this!}

A group of friends meeting up in the middle of the night to play cards, something about it was so almost cliché, Kamal thought to himself as he tapped the corner of his phone against the table. Of course you'd want to join. You never seemed to be that into card games but the secretly meeting up in the middle of the night thing was right up your alley.

Agreeing to tag along with you probably wasn't setting the best example, since both of you had things that you needed to be up for during the day but honesty, he didn't feel all that adverse to the idea.

It wasn't too often he got to hang out with Wallus anymore thanks to how he always went out of his way to avoid running into Kamal's current roommate.

It became the subject of conversation between them more than once. Funnily enough it had nothing to do with what had happened at the Habitat anymore. There was a long period of time after everything that went down where that was the cause of his avoiding the dentist, but eventually Boris went out of his way to try to make things up to him and Wallus finally acknowledged his change of heart.

There was no longer any bad blood on that front, but unfortunately, sometimes people just don't like eachother and the same blunt, exasperated personality that made Boris favor Kamal when they worked together still considered Boris to be incredibly exhausting to be around. Annoying, if you want to put it more bluntly.

It wasn't personal or begrudging, Wallus just preferred to hang out with certain types of people and well, Boris wasn't one of them. They were two of his closest friends but were so very different from each other so he juggled spending time with them separately.

Still, Boris wasn't oblivious to Wallus' avoidance of him and Kamal never missed the remorse in his voice then the former janitor's name was brought up. The resentment was pretty one sided on Wallus' part but Boris still made efforts to try to interact with him so their relationship was at least friendly, just a little strained.

Interrupting his thinking, the creak of the screendoor not far from where he sat signaled the return of one of the men in question.

"Hiya, bud." Kamal greeted as Boris let himself in through the back door.

Boris responded with a cheery hum, stepping inside and then around the kitchen isle with a large, fresh cut bouquet of flowers. After placing them gently down on the counter, he crouched down, opening the cubby under the sink and pulling out a crystalline vase.

"My lillies were beginning to grow out so I trimmed some for the kitchen." He explained with a satisfied smile as he stood back up and began filling it with water. "Where would you like them?"

"Oh uh-" Kamal sat up a little straighter, glancing around the room before his eyes landed back down at the table in front of him. "Howzabout right on the table here?"

"Okee." Boris nodded in agreement, sliding their stems into the now half filled vase. As soon as they were in place, he took his time carefully adjusting each individual flower and when he was satisfied with his work he smiled down at the bouquet proudly, looking to Kamal for approval, and after receiving a thumbs up, he carried them over to the table and placed the vase it ceremoniously in the middle.

Once they were in place he plopped himself down in a chair on the opposite side of the table, resting his head in both of his hands and staring contently at their new centerpiece.

Their fresh, clean sent was already filling the air and somehow, some of the tension that Kamal always held in his body had disappeared.

"Looks perfect, big guy. Goes great with the others too." Kamal snickered, glancing towards the numerous other displays of fresh flower that sat in various places around their kitchen.

"Thank you, I think so too!" Boris exclaimed, resting his head back on his hands and pulling out his phone to take a picture of their new addition.

He seemed pretty happy so this was as good a time as ever to bring it up he guessed. "Oh yeah, Boris, buddy, I needed to ask you about somethin'."

"Go ahead!"

"Okay, so the kid just texted me about something and-"

"Oh, Y/n!" Boris cut him off, looking back down at his phone he closed the camera and quickly began scrolling through what looked like text messages. "About them; I texted them last night to ask them if they were sleeping and they said yes, but..." Boris gripped the bottom of his chair, scooting it around the table until he was beside Kamal and leaned in close to whisper to him. "I think they may 'ave been lying..."

"Whaaat? No way." Kamal just couldn't resist humoring him sometimes.

"I can't be sure, but I have my suspicions." Boris nodded seriously, shoving his phone back into his pocket. " В любом случае, I interrupted you, I apologize, what were you going to say?"

"Oh uh...well, ya see; they...invited me to come play cards with them and a few other people from town later!" Kamal continued with exaggerated enthusiasm. "And I uh, just wanted to give you a heads up, that's all."

"Ooh, well doesn't that sound like fun! I know how much you love card games :-) ."

'Is that just one of my character traits or something?' Kamal thought, unamused.

"Anyway, yeah as long as you're cool with it. I didn't want to go making plans if you had something you wanted to do."

"Kamal, as they say; 'do not sweat it!' Please do not feel obligated to plan your schedule around mine. You should take more time to prioritize what you'd like to do!"

"Aww, thanks, bud." That was oddly touching even as Kamal sat here trying to avoid the details. And just as he was wrestling with how exactly he'd continue Boris spoke up again.

"Oh, I will pack you and Y/n something to snack on! What time will you be leaving, should I start now?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, I'm sure Jimothan will have something for everybody."

"Nonsense! In fact, I'll make enough for everyone. Or...perhaps I won't have enough time? You must be leaving soon right?"

"Uhh, eh not until a...little later actually" Kamal wiggled his hand in a so so motion, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oooh, well look at you going out in the evening like a true blue bad boy!" Boris joked, raising a hand to cover his mouth in mock surprise. "Oh! If Y/n is going with you than perhaps they could just get a ride back with you and stay the night, wouldn't that be fun! They won't be able to lie their way out of a proper bed time then."

Suddenly, Kamal found it a lot harder to maintain eye contact. "Sure, I'll...be sure to ask 'em."

"And since you're going to be the one coming home last then that means I get to make dinner tonight, right?" Boris seemed to be getting more and more excited about this as he planned it out in his head. "I'll set everything up so nice! What oh so daring time of night should I expect you to be back by?"

"Oh, y'know...maybe three...or four." Kamal leaned into his hand, mumbling out his answer at a just barely audible volume.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I didn't quite catch that."

"Threeorfour-" He repeated again quickly in the form of a fake sneeze into his elbow.

"Gesundheit! Now what was that?"

Letting out a long sigh he finally looked back up at Boris. "Three or four, bud."

"Oh?" Boris glanced over at the clock that hung by the fridge. "Kamal, my friend, then you are quite late, it is already half past four!" Boris stood up, stepping behind Kamal's chair to usher him out of his seat. "You'd best get going, I'm sure they are all waiting for you!"

Skidding to a halt before Boris had successfully shepherded him the whole way out of the kitchen, Kamal decided to just come clean.

"N-no, no, Boris, three or four...AM."

The larger man stopped in his tracks, hands still resting on his shoulders. "AM? As in, in the morning?"

"Yeah, 'fraid so..."

"Oh..." Boris released him, taking a step back as Kamal spun around to look up at him.

"We're actually meeting up at the lounge at midnight. I figured three or four hours sounded right for a game night...it could be later though."

"I see..." The previously enthusiastic man placed a hand on his chin as he seemed to be thinking to himself intently at this new information.

"I know, I know it's super late but the kid seemed super excited for it and Wallus is gonna be there so, I...though it might be something kind of different. I wasn't trying to keep it from you I just knew you'd be worried so-"

"No, it's alright, please do be careful. I hope you have fun!"

"Yeah, I know but-" Kamal froze to process his words. "Wait, you don't have anything to say about it?"

"Well, I do 'ave quite a lot to say about it but I won't! I know I make a fuss about you and Y/n getting your resties but I trust you, Kamal." Boris crouched down to his level, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I just do not like to see the two of you hurting yourselves when you ignore your bodies needs every night. For your own sake I ask that you don't make a habit of it but there is nothing wrong with staying up late once in a while, especially if it's with friends!"

Standing back up, he beamed down at Kamal and raised a finger. "Just promise me you'll be careful and you'll pass my words on to Y/n! They of all people do not need another reason to constantly stay up all night and you know they will push themselves too far..."

"Course, you want me to have 'em stop by here beforehand tonight so you can give 'em an earful yourself?" Kamal joked.

"You just be sure to tell them that I'll let it go for tonight, but I'm making it my solemn duty to get their sleep scheduled back on track!" Boris slammed his fist down into his other hand in a show of determination. "And I'll be coming for you too if I start seeing tired eyes at breakfast!" he continued a lot more lightheartedly.

Suddenly, Kamal felt a little guilty for being so reluctant to tell him about this. "Thanks a lot, bud. It's...nice...to know I got someone looking out for me the way that you do."

"Please, think nothing of it!" Boris waved him off, finally stepping aside and turning back towards the counter. "Now, my offer for snacks still stands, what do you think everyone would like?"

Gazing down at the meticulously arranged bouquet at the table, Kamal slid back into his seat to text you the good news. "Surprise us, I'm sure anything you come up with will be great."

"You didn't have to stay up with me, doc." Kamal reasoned, tilting his head fondly at the droopy eyed man sitting on the couch. It wasn't often he saw Boris awake at this hour. He usually had a strict bedtime of 9 o'clock, 10 at the latest and could only be found awake any later if he was up trying to get somebody else to go to sleep. Other than that he slept like a log all night, from not long after he would lay down to when his body's clock woke him up naturally every morning. The consistency was actually very impressive.

"Mmmm....but I would like to see you off!" Boris sat up, letting out a groan as he stretched his arms above his head and leaned over the back of the couch, an audible pop sounding from his back.

Kamal just shook his head with a smile, pulling a few Tupperware from the fridge and stacking them in a duffle bag. "You sure did make a lot, I feel kinda bad, not sure we'll be able to finish it all."

"Oh, just give the leftovers to Y/n, I'm sure they will enjoy them."

Humming in agreement, Kamal zipped up his bag, threw it over his shoulder and returned to the living room. "If it makes you feel better I can wake you up when I get back, kay?"

Boris nodded slowly, his eyes now closed as he leaned into his hand. "I would like that, yes."

Taking a few steps further towards the door, Kamal paused next to the man now half asleep on the couch. "Alright, see ya in the morning, bud."

Just barely cracking an eye open, Boris reached out and patted Kamal on the arm as a goodbye. Poor guy really wasn't used to staying up this late.

Making his way to the exit as quietly as possible, he gripped his keys tightly as he pulled them down from their hook and shut the door with surgical precision to mellow the click of the lock. Once he had successfully shut the door behind himself and stepped out into the pathway, pausing to take in a breath of the cool night air he marched with renewed confidence to his car.

Funny how this kind of felt like sneaking out of the house as a teenager, not that he ever did that to know what it felt like, and he was an adult, and he wasn't sneaking out, but darn it if he didn't feel daring. It was only a quarter til midnight but going out on the town felt way cooler than staying up just to do paperwork.

You and everyone else were waiting for him, so with giddy anticipation, he practically slid into the driver's side car seat and started it up.

A little later than anticipated, Kamal was back home, unlocking the door and tiptoeing back into the darkness of his living room, slowly shutting the door behind himself and flicking the light on as he entered. Now away from the company of his friends, he realized just how dead this time of night could be, even walking in from his car was oddly haunting. Not to say that it was a bad thing, it was very peaceful and he might have found more time to enjoy it if tiredness wasn't beginning to dawn on him.

'I don't know if I can even remember the last time I was up this late?' Kamal thought to himself as he let the empty bag slide off of his shoulder and onto the floor. 'Collage...definitely collage.' His eyes were heavy as they followed the wall up to the clock that hung by the television. '5:21 am. That gives me 'bout 3 hours to sleep until work.'

He had promised Boris he'd wake him up when he got back, but maybe it was better to just let the guy sleep. He'd leave him a note at least, knowing that if Boris woke up in the morning and realized he'd never come to wake him up then he'd surely panic before he'd so much as made it out of bed. So a little note on the inside of his bedroom door would probably do the trick.

Still only standing a few feet from the doorway, Kamal was stuck in the awkward, tried state where his mind knew what it wanted him to do but his body didn't want to do it. The longer he stood their the longer he'd have to wait to finally go to bed but moving meant he'd actually have to put in some effort. Letting out a small groan the half awake side of him won the argument and he slowly dragged himself into the kitchen.

Rooting through the junk drawer at the end of the counter he pulled out a small piece of paper and a pen.

'Got home safe

didn't want to wake you' - Kamal

Should be good enough.

Not thinking much more of it he shoved the pen back into the drawer and slid it closed, turning back toward the living room with note in hand. He didn't make it very far though, walking directly into the person he had no idea had snuck up directly behind him.

"KaMal~"

"...Boris? I'm sorry, I was trying to be quiet. Did I wake you up?" Kamal took a step back to look up at his friend, crumbling the now obsolete note in his hand and tossing it aside.

"Hmm? Oh, doo not wowwy, of course not! I was waiting for you." Boris rubbed his half lidded eyes then slowly leaned down to wrap his arms around Kamal in a loose hug.

"Wait, you weren't up all night were you?" Kamal raised an arm to support him, his legs buckling a little as the tired man leaned a most of his weight into him.

Nodding slowly, his head still on Kamal's shoulder, he let out a soft hum before squeezing Kamal closer to his chest "It'zz okay, we can go to bed now."

"You really didn't have to do that. Just cause I'm screwing up my night cycle doesn't mean you have to too." Kamal felt bad but he couldn't help but smile a little, Boris always go so loopy when he was tired and it seemed like now was no different.

"But I wanted too... I wanted to make sure you got home okay. Did you have a good time? How was eveyone?"

"It was a lot of fun! They even asked if I'd...." Kamal's smile fell just the slightest as he stopped himself from speaking, instead focusing on keeping Boris upright. Attempting to take a step back despite a groan of protest coming from Boris, Kamal placed a hand on either of the larger mans shoulders and helped him steady himself as he stood back up to his full height. "Ah, never mind. Yeah, it was a blast, thanks, doc. Let's both get to bed now, howa 'bout it?"

Despite his initial protest at having his hug interrupted, Boris managed a tried smile and another nod. "Yes please..."

"Alright, alright, let's go." Grabbing Boris by the hand and slinging his arm over his shoulder before he tried to lean in for another hug, Kamal began leading the drowsy man to his room. It was a bit of an awkward dance with the larger man attempting to lean into him every few steps and slowing their progress but they eventually made it down the hall and to the florally decorated door of Boris' room.

After kicking it open with a huff, Kamal made his way over to the bed and with a gentle push Boris flopped face first down onto his pillow.

"Never thought I'd be the one putting you to bed, huh?" Kamal joked, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. Waiting a minute, he took the lack of a response as a sign that it was safe to head to bed himself.

Before leaving, he gave his unconscious roommate a soft pat on the arm as he stood back up, "G'night, bud."

Kamal awoke the next morning slowly. The first thing he noticed was the unusually groggy feeling weighing on his body that had him closing his eyes a few more times before his senses came to him and he remembered that if he was awake, it was probably because he has to get up soon

The ray of sunshine coming through his window had him squinting with confusion as his still cloudy mind tried to make sense of what it was.

'That’s weird, doesn't usually shine that bright this early...'

Reluctantly sitting up, he rubbed his eyes clear and scooched over to the side of his bed, reaching for his alarm clock. His heart dropped in an instant when he saw the time; it was well after noon already.

In his rush to get to his feet he ended up wrestling with the blanket and almost a face full of carpet before finally kicking himself free and hurriedly getting dressed.

Of course he slept in, Boris always woke him up so he never set an alarm, but right now the big guy was probably as out of it as he was just a minute ago.

Mentally reprimanding himself for not thinking things through, he managed to throw his scrubs on in record time and almost hit the floor once again as he stumbled out into the hallway, trying to put his shoes on in the process.

Backtracking a bit he turned around and rushed to Boris' bedroom door, banging hard and fast with a yell before heading back towards the living room. "Boris, bud, we overslept!"

While unlike Kamal, Boris was self employed and didn't have to be anywhere, he knew that he'd be upset that he lost that much daylight just by sleeping in. Not to mention if he eventually woke up on his own and Kamal wasn't there.

While he was already almost four hours late, his attendance was almost perfect so he knew there wouldn't be any real consequences but just the idea of ghosting his team like that had his stomach in a knot. All he had to do was grab his bag and be on his way; he'd call clinic on the way there too and let them know what happened. It would probably be a good idea to call the house to as soon as he got on the road too just to make sure that Boris actually did wake up.

Speaking of Boris, he nearly ran into him as he rushed into the kitchen to grab his work bag.

"Crap, sorry, bud!" He ushered a quick apology as he weaved around him to pick up the bag that sat near the leg of their kitchen table.

"Good morning, Kamal!"

"Yeah, you too!" Just as quickly as he had entered the kitchen he turned around once his bag was in hand.

'If I speed just a little bit I can get there in less than ten minutes. I'll just have to avoid-" Mid thought he reached out and grabbed the doorway to stop his own exit, flinging himself back into the kitchen when something finally clicked. "You're awake?!"

Boris, who had turned back towards the stove to tend to whatever he was cooking, responded with a cheery nod and an "Mmhm!"

"What time did you get up?!"

"Ah..." Boris rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, "I am embarrassed to say I did sleep in a bit! I'm afraid I didn't get up until about 7:30."

Kamal had to take a second to think on what he just said, doing the math in his head before giving up and jumping to another question.

"Why didn't you come to wake me up? I overslept by like a lot!"

Now Boris was the one looking at him quizzically. "Overslept? But you were up so late last night! In fact..." turning to look at the clock he hummed to himself in thought "Hmm, not quite 8 hours, but I guess you should be okay."

"Boris, I'm late for work." Kamal finally blurted out.

"Oh!" Boris' face lit up in realization as he looked up and down Kamal at his uniform, then a satisfied looking grin replaced it. "You do not need to worry, I already called them! :-D"

"..."

"Is that what you were in such a rush for? I am sorry! I was going to come wake you in a little while and tell you, I hadn't expected you to get up on your own."

Even if it was through rather unexpected means the knot in his stomach unfurled as he let out a long sigh of relief and leaned up against the doorway of the kitchen.

"Is everything okay? I do apologize for the scare."

Running a hand down his face with a groan, he revealed a small smile of his own. "Nah, you're okay, thanks. Just...keep me a little more informed next time, kay? Nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Oh, yes yes, of course!" Boris gave a eager nod of understanding. "But now we get to spend all day together, isn't that great?"

Even after the unwelcome scare, that didn't sound like a bad idea at all. Kamal could use a day off and spending it doing practically nothing at home was even better. "Sounds like a plan, bud."

Boris had suggested inviting you over as well, saying that you deserved to partake in their stay at home day too since you were also up until an unholy hour last night.

"Is it really a stay at home day if they're comin' to our home to do it." Kamal joked.

"..."

"Hey, I'm just sa-"

"Shhh, shhh, shhh, Kamal, don't ruin the sentiment!" Boris shushed him, pressing a finger to the smug smile on his face as he held the phone up to his ear.

But unfortunately, none of his texts were answered and his calls went right to your voicemail.

Kamal remembered you saying that you had nothing to get up for today, which is why you were so eager to stay up as late as you could last night, so chances are you were still asleep and you probably wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

Even with this explanation, Boris still seemed hopeful at the possibility of your arrival, checking his phone every few minutes in hopes of a response until finally getting distracted when the two of them started watching tv.

Kamal could tell he was still the a little bit discouraged but it didn't last too long before he was snuggled up on the couch beside him, completely engrossed in whatever was on the screen.

You'd no doubt wake up to an absurd amount of colorful voicemail and texts, receiving even more when you finally responded, chiding you on your poor sleeping habits but wishing you a late good morning none the less.

It was a more than peaceful evening from there on out and when night finally rolled around, Kamal found himself graciously embracing the coolness of his sheets, and despite having slept in, fell asleep faster than he had in a long time.

But even as peaceful as it was, after what had to have been only few hours, he once again woke up to an unusually groggy feeling. Kamal opened his eyes to near darkness this time. It was still night-time, that was for sure, and glancing over to his clock only confirmed that. It was about 12:30 midnight, so why was he awake? His tired mind must have decided that it wasn't worth thinking too much about and was already making its way back into unconsciousness until a series of taps had his eyes cracking open once again, much more alert and concerned this time as they searched for the source of the unwelcome noise.

Another quick set of taps prompted him to sit up and flick on the lamp by his bed. Finally the anxious feeling that started to tug at him started to disappear when he came to what he thought was the source of the noise and rolled his eyes.

"Very funny, Pabit." He scoffed loudly. "Did Boris forget to put you to bed or something?" He asked, lurching over the side of his bed to look underneath it. "If you wanted to sleep with me you could have just-"

The confidence in his voice was replaced with confusion as he hung upside down, gazing at the emptiness underneath. No puppet, not even it's maker this time.

"Hmm.." Kamal heaved himself right-side up again, unsatisfied with not having found the culprit. Throwing his legs over the side of his bed, he gripped the edge of his mattress, waiting to see if the sound would continue.

"Kamal!" A voice called his name and instead of a few small taps it was followed by several loud bangs, now loud enough for him to realize they were coming from his window. As if the unexpected noise wasn't enough, Kamal let out a shrill scream when he saw the figure of someone right outside as well.

"Kamal, Kamal, calm down it's me!" They whispered quickly, taking a step back from the window and raising their hands in surrender.

Kamal, who had preformed a sudo hood slide across his bed to hide behind it peaked his head up, the panicked look on his face slowly shifting into confusion as he focused on the person outside his window. He could only stare at them as the fear that was keeping him frozen in place slowly melted away and was replaced with disbelief, and soon a need for answers had him stomping around his bed and right up to the culprit.

"What in the world-" taking a pause to undo the lock, he lifted his window open with a huff and cocked a questioning eyebrow at the person he now stood face to face with "-do you think you're doing?" He continued.

All you offered at first was a kind of nervous smile as you seemed to be testing waters of how mad he was. "Oh, uh, sorry to wake you like that."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kamal squeezed his eyes shut tight, trying to calm himself down. At least from the sound of your voice there wasn't any type of emergency. "Well?" He managed to ask.

"'Well'?" You parroted questioningly.

"Well, why are you outside my window!? It's the middle of the night, kid, what are you doing?" He raised his voice a little, struggling to keep it at a whisper. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah I'm fine!" You reassured, taking a step closer to grip the edges of the window and lean forward. "I'm here for you!"

"For what?"

"So we can go to Jimothan's again! We'll be a little late tonight but I really want to go again."

"Kid, I told you, I wouldn't be coming again. Once in a while maybe, but not this soon."

"I know what you said, but you seemed like you had so much fun and everybody really wants us to start coming regularly."

"It was fun, but I can't make staying up this late a habit. That's not me being a stick in the mud either, I actually have work in the morning."

"Aww, come one, Jimothan, Parsley and Trencil all do it. Tim Tam even shows up sometimes and nobodies' ever even told them about it."

"Trencil's literally a vampire, Jimothan works nights anyway, Parsley can get through a three day trial on half a cup of coffee and a 30 minute nap and I'm pretty sure I've never even seen Tim Tam blink. Your point is moot, the two of us don't really compare." Kamal crossed his arms, satisfied with his point.

You almost looked defeated but it was easy to catch the second an idea seemed to pop into your head. "What about Wallus?"

His posture loosened as you finally seemed to have caught his attention. "What about 'em?"

"Apparently, he hasn't showed up to one of these in a while, but he did last night because he knew you were coming. He's gonna be there tonight too! That's why I think you should come; you guys don't have a lot of time to hang out during the day do you?"

"Well, no but-"

"Then this is perfect, right?" You reasoned, a hopeful look in your eye.

"Kid...even if I wanted to, like I said, I got things I gotta get up for, plus..." Kamal nodded towards his bedroom door.

"Oh yeah, he stays up and waits for you doesn't he?"

"You know Boris, he's a worry wart, doesn't like to go to sleep until everyone else has. He'll be up every night waiting for me to get back. And even then, I give it three nights before it starts to weigh on us and we get the bedtime tyrant on our backs." Glancing back at his door, a sly smile crossed his face. "In fact, how do you think he'd feel if I went and woke him up right now and told him you were sneaking around in the middle of the night?"

"You wouldn't..." You frowned.

"Ah, maybe not tonight. But for real, kid, it's...out of the question, okay? You go ahead and have fun, but I find out you get carried away and I'll be the reason the big guy finds out!" Kamal joked, trying to lighten the mood of his rejection as you nodded in defeat. "Alright, cool now-"

"But what if he didn't find out, though?" You spoke up again, a new air of confidence in your voice.

"Huh?"

"Just don't tell him! Come on, we can go right now, just climb outside."

"Very funny."

"No, I'm serious. What time does he usually get up; seven right?"

"Yeah, and?"

"And we'll be back by 5 at the latest. Have you seen the way he sleeps? Like a dead man! He didn't even wake up when you screamed earlier and he's right down the hall."

"No need to bring that up, and you can't be serious? Even if we didn't tell him he'd-"

"If he thinks you're sleeping he has no reason to stay up in the first place, right?"

"Kid..."

You clasped you hands together and leaned against the windowsill. "Please, Kamal, please! Just one more night, okay? Just to see how it goes, if he does wake up I'll take all the blame, I promise."

There was a long moment of silence where Kamal just stared at you, taken back by your enthusiasm and desperation. After a few seconds you were sure he was going to shut you down again so you took a step back, heaving a sigh defeat. Then, from inside the window something was thrown out to you, hitting you gently in the arm and landing on the ground.

"4 o'clock, no later, I get to drive and if he finds out then you're gonna be the one doing all the explaining, deal?" You could no longer see Kamal as he had walked away from the window but almost literally jumping for joy you agreed quickly, bending down to pick up what had been thrown out to you. "Go start my car, just give me thirty second and I'll be out, okay?"

"Yes, sir!" You saluted, tossing the keys up into the air once before catching them and making your way back around to the front of the house.

"Don't make me regret this!"

"You won't, I guarantee it!"

#smile for me #boris habit #kamal bora #reader/flower kid #sfm writing #next chapter will have more Boris #still not used to doing chaper based stuff so this is sloppy but consider this fic my practice!#hiding from the shadows #Kamal is a sucker that can't say no if you ask him enough times

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binbogummy · 4 years ago

Note

Jimothen would absolutely take FK and Parsley camping! Since Dallas drives out, I can't imagine he'd pass a chance to tag along - and I imagine Parsley would be more willing if FK was there. His dad is a lot and everyone know it! Manly camping!!!

I just want to say thank you so much for this request I had a lot of fun with it!

• Out of all the father son bonding time Parsley is forced into, camping is his least favorite. He's not a very outdoorsy person at all. The bugs, the burnt food, sleeping on the ground; it's not exactly his idea of a good time and Jimothan's insistence on roughing it as much as possible only makes it worse.

• Jimothan proudly brought up their upcoming yearly trip at the Lounge one day and you mentioned that you hadn't been in a while and that camping sounded like a lot of fun. This immediately caught Parsley's attention and he was quick to suggest you come along with them.

• Jimothan was surprisingly okay with this idea as well. He'd always been so insistent on it being a father-son trip but he was already proudly blustering on about showing you how to pitch a tent "the right way".

• Parsley on the other hand was just happy to have someone to suffer with. And who knows, his dad might even tone it down a notch with you around. He almost felt bad, you had no idea what you were getting yourself into.

• A few days later while hanging out with Dallas you mentioned getting to tag along with them and he congratulated you, wistfully mentioning how much he loved group camping trips. A few minutes later and you're making a call to Parsley asking if there was room for one more

• Jimothan remembered Dallas from their time at the Habitat but overall didn't know much about the guy besides what he usually orders at the bar.

"I don't know, the kid's one thing but we only have so much room in the truck. You ever been camping before, son?"

"Allll the time, daddy-O~ The mystique of the forest really scratches the id, y'know? Makes for a excellent atelier~"

"What in the sam hill does that-"

"He goes there to paint." You clarified "Oh and don't worry about space! We can just take Dallas's bus, he's got plenty of room."

Dallas flashed Jimothan the "OK" symbol and though he still looked reluctant, Parsley was already on board and looking more excited about going camping than he had in a long time.

"I'm just happy I don't have to ride in the bed of the pickup this year." Parsley sighed in relief.

"Oh don't complain. I always tell you; the Breeo X Series 19 Firemaster has to sit up front with me for safe keeping."

• When it comes to actually camping, Jimothan is old fashioned but impressively efficient. When you pick out a spot and begin unpacking your things he's already working on setting up the tents and starting a fire. Fishing, hiking, rock climbing, he tries to fit in as many outdoorsy activates into the weekend as possible. .

• Dallas takes a much more relaxed approach to camping. He brings a lot of modern amenities and prefers to sleep in his bus instead of out in the open. Spending most of his free time finding a good place to set up a temporary studio and painting

• Much to Jimothan's dismay, Parsley latches onto this laid back approach to camping and ends up spending most of his time with Dallas.

"C'mon, Pars, Marv told me the lake north of here is full of biters!"

"Uh, thank, dad...but I'll have to pass for today. Dallas and I are gonna go swimming though, so maybe I'll see you up by the stream?" Parsley was awkwardly dancing around his dad's enthusiasm and you weren't blind to the dejection and annoyance that was building in Jimothan's eyes every time Dallas stepped in to join one of their activities or offer an easier alternative to Jimothan's bare bones way of camping.

• Dallas really was just doing his best to be friendly even going out of his way to strike up conversation with Jimothan despite the older man's gruff attitude.

• Considering that Parsley never shared his love of camping, Jimothan gets pretty excited if you show interest in what he's working on or ask him to assist you with something. Though he does tend to take over and show you how to do it as opposed to just helping.

• You do your best to keep him from feeling left out but unfortunately this backfires and now you're the one he's waking up at 5am to go hiking. You had to admit you felt bad for him but you were beginning to understand what Parsley meant about his dad being a lot to handle. Still, it's actually kind of sweet. He really does just want someone to share a common interest with and pass all his tricks onto. He just lacked basic communication skills.

• Speaking of Parsley, he seemed to genuinely be enjoying himself this time around. He got along really well with Dallas, even modeling in front of the sunset for him at one point.

Unfortunately Jimothan’s over eagerness begins to wear on you and you find yourself tempted by the dark side. "You sure you don't want to stick around? Dallas is gonna show me how to make dream catchers." Parsley asked, scooting over to make room for you near the fire.

"I probably shouldn't. Jimothan already asked me if I wanted to go rock climbing with him."

"Rock climbing? You mean on that 30ft tall cliff by the waterfall? You nodded wearily. "Yeah, he already tried to get me to go too, buddy system and all that. But I get forced into that stuff every year. Missing it this one time won't hurt him."

"I don't know, he seemed pretty excited." Just as you were struggling with your decision Dallas emerged from his bus holding an assortment of crafting supplies.

"Heyy, little buddy, are you going to be joining us? I've got some pressed flowers you could use for yours, it'll fit your aesthetic perfectly~" Before you could answer, Parsley pulled you down to sit beside him.

"You bet they are!" Okay, maybe a quick crafts break wouldn't hurt.

• Before you knew it three hours had passed and you were doing outdoors yoga alongside Dallas and Parsley with flowers braided into your hair. The serene atmosphere only being broken by Jimothan stomping into camp. He was soaking wet and looked like he had taken quite the tumble. The annoyed look on his face only reconfirmed this theory.

"So...how was rock climbing?" Parsley asked nervously. The only response any of you received was a furrowed brow before he angrily retreated into the tent to change.

• After a bit of time he eventually returned and went about readying the camp for dinner. It was beginning to get dark so you, Dallas and Parsley were sitting on the top of the bus watching the stars. The view was nice but there was just one thing missing.

"Hey, Jimothan, you should get up here, the views amazing!" Parsley seemed to catch onto what you were doing and followed your lead.

"They're right ya know. It is pretty cool up here." Parsley seemed to finally have caught his attention and he looked to actually be considering it for a second but shook his head.

"Nah, you kids have fun. I need to get this fire started." There was a hint of sadness to his voice as he went back to smacking his wet flint and steel together. They must have been in his pocket when he took his tumble down the waterfall.

Dallas leaned over the railing at the top of the bus. "There's no need for that, my guy. If you can't get that started I've got a microwave in the back, we can have Pad Thai." He seemed to be trying to raise the mood but Jimothan didn't offer his addition so much as a glance. He did however huff and begin smacking the flint and steel together much more aggressively.

You and Parsley gave each other a worried glance but it was interrupted by Dallas placing a hand on each of your shoulders. He winked and seemed to be giving you a look that implied, 'let me handle this', before effortlessly vaulting over the railing and sliding down the side of the bus.

Without missing a beat he kneeled down beside Jimothan and pulled put a ligher. Quickly flicking it alight and holding it beside the piece of newspaper he was trying to start the fire with. "I feel you though, nothing like cooking over a real fire, right?"

• Jimothan looked at him in awe for a moment and Dallas just gave him a friendly smile. Then Jimothan threw down his flint and steel, stood up and marched off into the forest.

Parsley slapped a hand to his forehead and slouched backwards, "Oh boy..." You scrambled down the ladder to stand beside Dallas who was still staring in the direction Jimothan had stormed off in.

"Did I say something wrong?" He looked at you worriedly but before you could answer Parsley slid down the ladder to stand beside you.

Nah, not really. He's just...not good with change."

• Jimothan goes pretty quiet after that, eventually returning to huffily chop wood not far from the camp. After a bit you offer to go talk to him but Parsley steps up insisting that he should be the one to do it.

• You and Dallas sit by the fire, just barely being able to make out their shapes as they talked off in the distance. You couldn't hear what they were saying but just watching their silhouettes interact told the whole story.

• Jimothan seemed to be ignoring him for a while until Parsley picked up an axe and started chopping alongside him. There was an obvious struggle on Parsley's part that was enough to catch Jimothan's attention and soon he moved to show him how to do it properly. Adjusting the wood on the chopping block, showing him how to hold the axe right and demonstrating the proper chopping motion. He then stepped back to let Parsley try again, giving a small applause as he successfully split a log down the middle.

There a moment of stillness as Parsley seemed to be speaking then he walked forward and hugged his dad. Jimothan froze for a moment then hugged him back. They stayed like that for a bit and you almost wished you could have heard what they were talking about.

• Not long after that Parsley came walking back into the light with Jimothan close behind him. There was a clear bit of awkward tension in the air but Dallas was the first to stand up and apologizes for having done anything that may have upset him. This was enough to get Jimothan to speak up, and he insisted that Dallas had nothing to be sorry for.

"You're here as a guest. I'm sorry for causing a scene. If Parsley happy doing..." He vaguely motioned to Dallas's bus, "whatever it is you've been doing... then maybe I need to open up a bit"

Parsley was smiling at him proudly but he raised a hand, "Just a bit though!"

• The next morning all four of you went spear fishing then later that evening Dallas set up a projector and you had a little horror movie marathon. You even got Jimothan to make a dream catcher. It was a disastrous collage of fish hooks and rocks but he seemed proud of it so you hung it up with the others.

• Dallas plays the acoustic guitar and Jimothan plays the Banjo and as it turns ou the two of them have a mutual love of campfire songs. You're forever grateful to Parsley for thinking ahead and bringing an extra pair of noise canceling headphone for you because those two go on for hours. Seeing them both go all out together is incredibly sweet though.

• When it comes time to pack up and leave Jimothan offers Dallas a hand shake but Dallas goes straight for the hug. Leaving Jimothan to give him an awkward pat on the back as he half returned it.

• Parsley has already assured you that you're definitely coming next year, no exceptions. And who knows, they might even make it a tradition to start bringing some of the others as well.

#smile for me #parsley botch #jimothan botch #sfm #reader/flower kid #Finally finished somthing!#and there's more on the way #thank you all for requesting and reading!

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