#but for some reason this image of Emmett in briefs and socks popped up in my head and then I spiraled

[pameluke]

Socks

Emmett/Travis, references to Michael, rated M because naked cuddling in bed as always. A little ficlet about love and socks, that I might expand on someday, but for now I just had to get out of my head.

Emmett is a socks-on kind of guy.

Travis didn’t notice at first. When they hooked up, or when they were Just Friends Who Cant Stop Having Sex, Emmett never just slept over. He came over, and he slept, but the keyword was he came.

He never stayed over without them getting off first, and getting off meant clothes getting off, before or after. Either way, the socks came off, because if Travis had the pleasure of having someone as hot as Emmett in his bed, he was going to enjoy it, and that meant getting his hands all over his hot, naked, body.

Then they quit having sex, and quit being friends for a while and it all sucked until Travis got his shit together and Emmett somehow flourished in the middle of a pandemic and somehow life threw him a bone and they worked it out.

Travis has Emmett in his life in all the ways he wants to. He stays over, a lot. They fuck, a lot. But mostly, he stays. Is there when Travis comes home. Kisses Travis hello when he wakes up after a double shift. Tucks himself in against Travis’s back after a run and a mourning shower when Travis needs to catch up on sleep.

Emmett likes to show off. It’s convenient, because Travis likes to look. Especially at Emmett, who is gorgeous and beautiful and built but not too much, his skin golden and speckled with freckles that make Travis want to touch and his chest broad and dusted with hair that makes Travis wants to rub himself all over him. So yeah, Travis likes to look, and Emmett must have caught up at some point, because he always finds a reason to get rid of his shirt.

But now it’s winter, and after their too hot summer, it’s actually kind of nice to layer up. Turns out Emmett looks hot in cosy sweaters too, and Travis didn’t appreciate that enough last winter.

It’s even better to get Emmett out of his clothes, because now there are so many layers Travis gets remove, like unwrapping a gift, building expectation until Travis gets to enjoy all that carefully hidden skin. It’s great, and Travis gets enthusiastic and dramatically throws Emmett’s socks away after pulling them off Emmett’s feet with his teeth — he’s aiming for sexy and landing somewhere between ridiculous and charming, but it makes Emmett smile and slide his foot down Travis’s chest before he pulls Travis on top of him, so Travis counts it as a win.

But after, when Travis is too lazy to move and wants to enjoy some naked cuddling in the afterglow, Emmett betrays him and gets out of bed.

“Where are you going?” Travis is not too ashamed to whine. He worked hard for his cuddles, dammit, he earned them.

“Just getting my socks, don’t worry. Damn Travis, how far did you throw these?”

“I didn’t think you would need them! Come back to bed.” Travis sits up, letting the duvet pool around his middle. Maybe his chest isn’t as clearly defined as Emmett’s, but he has it on good authority Emmett is into him, and Travis is not afraid to play dirty.

Emmett doesn’t see the way Travis artfully drapes the duvet around himself, because he’s too busy looking for socks. “It’s winter, I get cold,” he defends himself. He doesn’t pull on his t-shirt or the pajamas he keeps around for lazy Sundays with Vic and Theo.

“Just grab a new pair and come spoon me. “ Travis pulls the duvet back up, pretending to shiver. “I’m getting cold without you.”

Travis can see by the way Emmett’s shoulders move that he’s rolling his eyes at Travis, but whatever. Mission accomplished, Emmett grabs a pair of Travis’s socks, gets into bed and wraps himself around Travis, nose tucked into Travis’s neck. He pushes a knee between Travis’s thighs and squeezes his socked toes between Travis’s calfs.

It feels familiar. Comfortable and cosy.

Something clicks in Travis’s heart, like a clock before the hour strikes, all its radars connected and fallen into place.

Michael used to wear the same. Socks and briefs and nothing else, no matter the season. Travis isn’t sure if it was just because it was Michael, but Travis always found it sexy and charming and kind of a turn-on.

Maybe he shouldn’t have mocked Vic’s dead-lover socks because Travis kind of has to swallow back emotion just thinking about them now.

But it’s not really about Michael, not really. Or not only him. It’s because Michael and Emmett have this little but specific thing in common, and it connects them in Travis heart. Because Travis loved and loves them both.

Emmett pulls Travis a little tighter against himself. “You okay? Feeling nice and warm now?”

“Yeah.” He reaches for where Emmett’s fingers are splayed over his stomach and tangles their fingers together. “All warm and cosy. You? Socks worth leaving the bed for?” It comes out incredibly soft and fond, but Travis doesn’t really care. Emmett can know Travis loves this about him.

Emmett smiles against the back of Travis’s neck. “Worth it. Feeling very cosy. With my boyfriend’s warm socks,” Emmett wiggles his toes, “and my even warmer boyfriend.”

Travis knows he should tease back, but his heart feels too full, so all he says is, “that’s good.”

Because it is.