#i mean romantic attraction

[sillypilled-friendcel]

you can love someone romantically amd not be attracted to them. btw.

[iguessthisisanewobsession]

Damian does not know how he has got into such a mess.

That was a lie.

Like most messes in his life, it all started with his family and their constant “ribbing”.

‘They act as if gaining a date was not easy,’

Damian glared as he scouted out a suitable target in the mall.

Sitting alone by the arcade there was an attractive boy on his phone.

Acceptable.

Making his way next to his target, he sat down and tapped his shoulder.

The other boy flinched and subtly (though not to someone as trained as him) glanced Damian over, eyes seeming to catalog instinctively.

Good, not perfect but admissible all things considered.

“Uh hi.?”

“Your age.”

“Pardon?”

“What is your age?”

“16.?”

Damian nodded as he mulled over the information. About a year his senior, not ideal but still viable.

“ Date me.”

“Excuse me??”

“I will pay you for your inconvenience of course but I am in need of a date and you are the most suitable person I have seen so far.”

“Wait a minute-“

“Here is your first payment.”

Damian handed the boy the envelope he had prepared for today and had to hold back a smirk as he saw they other boy’s eyes widen.

“I-“

“I will pay you monthly with bonuses for any extremely taxing events that may occur if you agree.”

“I- I guess?”

“Good, now give me your number and I will contact you for our first date. My name is Damian Wayne.”

“Danny..”

~~~~~~

For all purposes the agreement has only worked in his favor.

His family was off his back, galas were less boring and they even shared common interests.

That being said,

“You did not need to give me a gift Daniel, it was not a requirement.”

Damian looked down at the katana shaped keychain he was handed, it was well made and surprisingly sharp.

“I know Dami, but it just reminded me of you!”

What a mess indeed…

[delphiniumjoy]

The aromantic version of the “am I gay?” quiz is reading articles about how to tell if you have a crush.

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

saw that new article that was like "hacks is the greatest romcom on tv but in a totally platonic way because deborah makes fun of ava's hands being big all the time and would clearly never be dtf" and i was like "we are watching this show very differently"

[normystical]

ATTENTION ALL ALASTOR SHIPPERS: 

uniromantic 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. PROCEED

[rottmnt-residuum]

Any other LGBTQ+ Headcannons that are canon is the comic??;)

*patiently awaits Cupioromantic Donnie*

hmm... had to think about this for a while and talk about it with co-author, but here's what we got. we mostly base this stuff on how plausible it is in show/if there's evidence for it. with a dash of personal experience. This only applies to residuum, btw. I have different personal headcanons for these characters outside the comic.

april: lesbian. this is mostly based off of the fact that most aprils get with their caseys & the comment she said to dale. which could be taken as disinterest in dale specifically, but she seemed more concerned with impressing that popular girl earlier and that reads as more... saphic, i suppose. or at the very least homoromantic.

raph: raph is just raph. we look at him and basically just *tv static*. go crazy. all we got is jokes or stuff that has too little evidence to support. so, yeah, he's whatever you want him to be i guess?

leo: trans. already said my reason in the other post. also, gay. if gay were a power source he could power the entirety of the united states for five months straight without a single power outage. failing power grid notwithstanding (< thats the actual word. its supposed to be mushed together like that. wack.).

donnie: as much as i'd like him to be ace/aro spectrum rep, he just doesn't have the evidence in show for us to apply it to him in this comic. it's funny, for being hc as ace so often he sure is the most outwardly romantic/sexual turtle in the show lmao. one! cherry: "you're so cute, but you're so mean! why do i always go for your type?" two! astrogirl?? (whatever her name is) he is very very romantic with her. he has a type y'all. also just look at those two, he's a leg man lmao (bootyyshaker9000 anyone? ha!) anyway. and with the bromance/instant chemistry he had with that one guy in the purple dragons... Pan. or possibly Omni as he does seem to favor... cute brutal femme... Yeah. Omnisexual.

(you have no idea how fucking bad i want this boy to be ace spectrum. hes got the colors y'all!! The Colors!!!!! but alas... i am bound by my canon plausibility creed for this comic)

mikey: ace. possibly ace/aro. he shows interest in literally no-one. we're aware that the common hc is pan but... we know a pan 13 year old, and let me tell you ahahahaha, kids going through puberty are very uncomfortable to be around sometimes, especially around their partners. or crushes. and mikey... well, that boy is ace behavior personified lmao. aces in the back you get what we mean right?? right??? anyway commiting to aroace

[klavierpanda]

Categorising different actions/desires into different types of attraction can be helpful to process and vocalise your feelings but treating this system as a general rule that fits every single person is no more helpful than when alloallos do it. The same action can have different connotations and meanings for any given context and it is not your job to decide that unless you're one of the people involved

[ambrosiagourmet]

Take this with a grain of salt but I don’t think Izutsumi necessarily MUST be be viewed as canonically aroace. I do not have a problem with that reading at all, to be clear, but I’ve been mulling this over for a while and with how much self-loathing and neglect informs her character it just doesn’t seem to entirely fair in insist on taking the “I don’t have a type” line at face value.

She’s a traumatized 17-year-old girl who thinks she’s unlovable and has never had the freedom to chose what to do with her life. Of course she doesn’t have a type and longs for a mom to love her unconditionally.

[sherlock-is-ace]

Once again I find myself enjoying the perfect queerplatonic relationship in a fandom while forced to interact with the most qpr erasing people on the fucking planet 🙃

[sreyeh]

I’m back, a day before I move into college, with my favorite punk. I hope you like him too!

Bonus lineart because I was testing out a new lining brush:

[hephaestuscrew]

“This has both our names on it”: Viewing Fleet and Clara’s relationship in Victoriocity through a queerplatonic lens

TL;DR: By Season 3 of Victoriocity, Fleet and Clara have developed a committed emotional partnership that certainly moves beyond the purely professional. Whilst very much operating as a duo, they can be interpreted as often rejecting or subverting romance-coded elements in their relationship, instead embracing a unique dynamic that can be read as resonating with the concept of a queerplatonic relationship (QPR).

Buckle up because this is over 2,500 words long! If you'd rather read it as a document, you can access it here: Fleet & Clara QPR Google Doc

Disclaimer: I'm not making any claims about creator intent, nor about how anyone else ought to interpret Fleet and Clara's dynamic. It's also worth acknowledging that queerplatonic relationships are inherently defined by the people in them and any attempt to apply such terminology to a story set in 1887 is obviously anachronistic (although whether that should matter when said story also contains a cyborg Queen Victoria is up for debate). 

With that said, if we define a QPR as a committed personal partnership which is not entirely captured by the typical expectations of either friendship or romance but may contain some elements typically associated with either (other definitions of QPRs are available), I enjoy viewing Fleet and Clara's relationship through a QPR lens, and I want to talk about some of the reasons why I think this reading works.

***Spoilers for all three seasons of Victoriocity and the novel High Vaultage***

Detective duos

Even before we actually get into Fleet and Clara's particular bond, detective / crime-solving duos as a general concept have QPR energy to me (which probably predisposed me to this interpretation). It's the Holmes-and-Watson legacy. It's the use of the word 'partner' in a non-romantic context (‘associate’ or ‘companion’ can also serve a similar purpose). It's the intense trust and reliance on each other. It's the sense of being a recognisable pair, always appearing together, known as a duo, with skills and attributes that complement each other. 

Romantic assumptions

Moving on to Fleet and Clara specifically, one aspect of their relationship that can be read through a QPR lens is how they are often in situations where other people believe or imply that there is a romantic relationship between them. Sometimes this is a deliberate strategy of theirs, and sometimes it’s imposed upon them by others. But I’d argue that there’s never a point where they both simultaneously seem entirely comfortable with that romantic narrative for their relationship. Usually one of them will actively deny the assumption or react negatively to the implication:

When Mrs Hampshire interprets Clara and Fleet as a couple experiencing “young love”, Clara might be happy to adopt this as an effective cover story, but Fleet seems unsettled and keen for them not to be perceived this way: “No. No. You’ve misunderstood, we are not, that is to say I am…” (S1E2)

When Warden Hughes assumes Fleet is the new Warden and Clara is the new Warden’s wife, Clara says “I am certainly not”, with emphasis on the ‘certainly’. (S2E2)

Fleet definitely doesn’t sound enthused when he realises Clara has gone for a married couple as their cover story at the Grand Salcombe: “I am sure I’ll regret asking, but by any chance am I [Mr. Theasby?]” (S2E2)

When Titus Byrne tells the pair “I take it you're happy sharing [a room]”, Clara responds with a horrified “What?” (S3E4) (Obviously sleeping in the same room isn’t inherently romantic, but it is often perceived that way.)

Of course, fake dating and external assumptions of romance are very common tropes in romantic will-they-won't-they dynamics, and these moments could definitely be interpreted that way for Fleet and Clara. But I prefer to read these instances as reflecting a different kind of closeness between these two characters. They have a sense of emotional partnership that allows a marriage cover story to seem plausible to others and that other people sometimes automatically assume to be romantic (obviously with some period-typical heteronormativity at play). But to me, it doesn't seem like either of them are fully comfortable with their relationship being perceived in a directly romantic way. Perhaps they are a couple in a different sense…

Proposal via door plate 

The way that Fleet asks Clara to be his business partner has always seemed to me like a platonic version of when people find personal ways to surprise their romantic partner with a proposal:

CLARA: You bought me a door plate for your office? [...] This has both our names on it. FLEET: What do you think? CLARA: I like it. (S2E7)

Fleet could have just asked Clara outright, without going to the trouble of buying a sign that would have been useless if she’d said no. If it was purely a professional business proposition with no emotional meaning behind it, I think he would have just asked verbally. But instead, he gifts her a sign with their two names paired together: Fleet-Entwhistle Investigations. There's something so intimate about that to me: about Fleet asking Clara whether she would like to be a duo with him in a more formally-defined but still non-romantic way; about him choosing to present this offer in the form of a gift; about the way he presents her with their two names joined together etched into metal and asks what she thinks; about the significance that this gesture attaches to their partnership; about him having enough trust that she'll say yes that the effort and vulnerability of presenting her with that sign seem worth it for him. And the gesture means an awful lot to Clara:

She thought about the door plaque he’d had engraved with both their names on it as his way of inviting her to be his business partner – typical Fleet, refusing to tell her so much as his favourite breakfast food and then to go and do something like that. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her. (High Vaultage, p187). 

Anniversaries

In the special episode ‘Murder in the Pharaoh's Tomb', Clara says “And you know what else is a big occasion Fleet? It's our one-month anniversary.” She wants to celebrate the anniversary of Fleet-Entwhistle Investigations. Their partnership holds a significance for her that means key dates associated with it are worth remembering and remarking upon. 

When Clara first mentions their anniversary, Fleet nearly chokes on his drink, which seems like an instinctive reaction to the usually romantic connotations of an anniversary (see my point above about Fleet not being comfortable with their dynamic being perceived as romantic). But when Clara clarifies what she means, Fleet seems much more cheerful about the notion of their anniversary: “Ah, so it has.”

“Miss Clara Entwhistle, my partner”

I get extremely strong QPR vibes from this moment, when Fleet introduces Clara to the sailors at Grave End:

FLEET: This is Miss Clara Entwhistle, my partner - in business, my business partner. CLARA: I'm also his friend, but he doesn't like to say it. (S3 E3)

Fleet and Clara are partners, but not in the way the average person might assume from that word, which Fleet realises mid-sentence here. This is another instance of Fleet reacting negatively to the idea that their relationship might be interpreted romantically (see above). And yet, 'partner' (rather than, say, ‘colleague’) is the word that comes naturally to him in this moment to describe who Clara is to him. He then frantically emphasises the professional element of their relationship so as to avoid the romantic implication, but Clara is keen to proudly assert that there is a personal, emotional aspect to their dynamic too. They are first-and-foremost partners, and they are friends, and they do not want to be seen in a romantic light - this post basically writes itself... 

“Her ridiculous detective.”

When Clara fears for her life at the display of the Lanterns, the narration tells us:

“she thought of her brother, her sister, her parents... Her ridiculous detective.” (High Vaultage, p172) 

The fact that Clara thinks of Fleet in this moment of fear clearly indicates his importance to her, but I think the phrasing of this quote is particularly interesting. The narration lists Clara's immediate family: two of whom are dead (her sister and father), one of whom is publically mourning Clara's life choices (her mother), and only one of whom we have any real evidence of her having a positive relationship with (her brother). And then, separated from these complicated familial relationships by an ellipsis, the narration tells Clara also thinks of Fleet, “her ridiculous detective”. 

Parents and siblings are familial relationships that tend to come with established expectations, in which the use of a possessive pronoun (i.e. her brother) to indicate the relationship is a norm. ‘Detective’ does not fall into this category; unlike ‘brother’, ‘sister’, ‘parent’, ‘friend’, ‘partner’ etc., ‘detective’ is not a word that inherently implies a relationship or that we'd usually expect to see preceded by a possessive pronoun. The idea of ‘her detective’ therefore stands out, giving the sense that there is a unique relationship being indicated here. The way in which Fleet is ‘hers’ is something that Clara has chosen for herself, something that they have shaped together. Who they are to each other can't necessarily be fully expressed using standard phrases that traditionally describe relationships between people. But Fleet is Clara's detective, of which she only has one, and who she'll think of in the midst of “the screaming of the heavens at the end of the world”.

Fleet is also the only one in this list of Clara's loved ones who gets an adjective - her love for him has detail. And while “ridiculous” might often be perceived as negative (it's certainly not a classic romantic endearment), it seems to me like there's such fondness in it in this context: the recognition of and affection for eccentricities, the idea that his importance to her is not (purely) based on his professional strengths but on Fleet as a whole - perhaps at times ridiculous - person.

“Settled”

When Clara and Fleet talk about Clara's mother’s expectations for her, they have this exchange:

"She's still living in hope that one day I'll settle down."  "You're not settled?" asked Fleet. "I am." (High Vaultage, p259) 

By ‘settle down’, Clara's mother of course means ‘marry’, ideally into “at least a minor baronetcy”. But Clara already considers herself "settled", just not in a way her mother would understand or appreciate. She's not looking to "settle down" into a lifestyle other than her current one. She is settled in a situation where Fleet is certainly her closest personal connection in London (and perhaps anywhere), and where the two of them work closely together, operate as a duo, and then go back to their separate homes. And this partnership with Fleet is a comfortable set-up that feels right for Clara exactly as it is, rather than being a precursor to, or a distraction from, the marriage ambitions that her mother wants for her.

I think this exchange also contains an implicit sense of the commitment between the two of them. Fleet wants to check that Clara is ‘settled’ in her current situation, of which working closely - and platonically - with Fleet is obviously a major element; Clara confirms she is. There's a subtle indication of their shared intention to be in this for the long haul.

As a sidenote, Fleet and Clara’s implicit assumption that their partnership is a long-term one can manifest itself in joking contexts as well as serious ones. Look at this exchange from S3E5: 

FLEET: We're not bandits, we're just going to flag it down. CLARA: We'd be terrific bandits! FLEET: Let's just see how our current line of work goes.

I think it’s notable that, in this joking speculation, both Fleet and Clara use ‘we’ and ‘our’. The joke could have been phrased just as effectively if they were imagining only Clara becoming a bandit. But the suggestion is that, if either of them was a bandit, they’d be bandits together. Even if they changed their lives entirely, they'd still approach life together.

Inseparable 

Fleet and Clara have become a nearly inseparable duo in a way which is noticed by others. For example, after Clara and Fleet fall out in High Vaultage, Fleet meets with Keller, who says: 

"You're here with me instead of barrelling across town with her, so I'm just assuming there is some thickheaded puffinry for which you need to apologise to Miss Entwhistle" (p335)

Keller, hardly the most emotionally perceptive man in Even Greater London, automatically infers from the fact that Fleet is on his own that he has had a falling out with Clara, rather than that they just happen to be in different places. When all is well, Keller expects to see the two of them together, whether or not they are in a position to be actively working a case.

Going back earlier in their partnership, Keller makes a similar assumption about Fleet and Clara being inseparable in S2E6. When Clara shouts her name amidst Keller's anti-Vidoc booby traps, Keller asks "Entwhistle? Which means… Fleet?" Again, there's this idea that if one of them is there, the other is likely to be there too - they come as a pair. (It's worth noting that this scene takes place less than two weeks after they first met.)

“Like a friend might?”

At the end of S3E7, Fleet suggests that he and Clara go to the theatre together. It would have been easy for this invitation to have been explicitly framed as a romantic proposition, or even for the nature of the offer to have been left more ambiguous. But Clara says "Archibald Fleet, are you inviting me to a social activity? Like a friend might?" The use of the word 'friend' directly labels this as a platonic interaction. And it's with that platonic lens on it that Clara is extremely excited to spend non-work-related social time with Fleet.

“Maybe it'll just be my good luck charm.”

CLARA: My grandmother's ring, I don't suppose you managed to hold on to it? [...] FLEET: Oh, it's been crushed.. I'm sorry Clara [...] CLARA: No, you keep it. FLEET: What? No... CLARA: Keep it. Maybe it'll remind you not to run towards trains. FLEET: Maybe. Maybe it'll just be my good luck charm.

In S3E7, Clara gives Fleet a ring, which - as a gift from one person to another - is traditionally a symbol of a particular, legally recognised, kind of personal commitment. But when Clara tells Fleet to keep the damaged ring, down in the Underground tunnels after the destruction of the beast and Fleet's latest brush with death, it is quite a different situation to a wedding or a proposal. A married man would traditionally wear his wedding ring on his finger for all to see, but Fleet won't ever wear this ring like that. The ring itself has been bent into a different shape between the wheels of their misadventures, subverting the usual associations of a ring given from one person to another. (In a heteronormative world, those associations are particularly strong when the two people in question are a woman and a man.) 

That ring is not an engagement ring, but it is Clara’s grandmother's ring, an inheritance from the blood family she never really felt she belonged in, now given to the man who might be a very different kind of family for her in London. That ring - with which Clara saved Fleet's life - is a symbol of their bond. And it therefore serves as a reminder for Fleet “not to run towards trains" and as a “good luck charm”. I like to think he'll carry that ring with him, perhaps in his jacket pocket - a little piece of his partner, kept close to his ticking heart…

Thank you for reading all of this!

If you’ve read all of this, I'm assuming you also enjoy the concept of Fleet and Clara as a QPR (unless you're really a glutton for punishment) and that makes me very happy! This was long because there's so much to say about them… And I wrote all of the above without even getting into: the potential to headcanon Fleet and/or Clara as aspec (which I don't think is necessary for QPR headcanons, but which is also fun); Clara's baggage around and discomfort with marriage in general; the speed with which Fleet and Clara become a ride-or-die duo; and the many other demonstrations of care, understanding, trust, respect, and affection between them that didn't feel as directly QPR-coded to me but are nonetheless wonderful. Please do feel free to share your own thoughts!

[lgbtlunaverse]

Done with the phrase "there is no platonic explanation for this" there are several platonic explanations for this I just think the romantic one's the funniest.

[toastedjeans]

This was originally meant to be just platonic but i couldn't help myself so.. here you go, pepstavo enjoyers

Tw for blood and injuries

It was finally done. That wretched tower was no more, and everyone had made it out alive, without sustaining any significant injuries. Well, at least not during their escape. The battle atop the tower had left everyone a little battered and bruised, some moreso than others. Nonetheless, nobody was lethally wounded.

Peppino, Gustavo and Brick made their way back to the pizzeria, with the smaller one riding atop his newly acquired giant rat, while the other insisted on walking back. Even after he was offered to be carried on the rodent's back, he refused, claiming that he was alright, despite his limping and pained expression he tried to hide. He had ran and fought the whole day, had been burned, struck by lightning, squashed into pizza boxes, stuffed in barrels and rolled around, and much, much more. Multiple times. All the while breaking through countless lines of enemies under immense time constraints. He was utterly exhausted, but wouldn't let himself show any weakness. He didn't need anyone's pity, nor their mockery.

When the establishment came closer into view, Peppino stopped for a second, almost stumbling over in shock. A bit of debris from the tower had seemingly been thrown all the way over here, hitting a part of his beloved restaurant and leaving behind a huge hole in the wall. Broken glass and wood was strewn about on the floor, dust and small rocks all over the place. He couldn't believe his eyes. As much as the sight devastated him, it made him significantly more furious. The whole point of bringing that tower down was to save his pizzeria from destruction, and now part of it had been destroyed anyway. It didn't even matter in the end. He would love nothing more in this moment than to find Pizzahead, just so he could kick his face in once more until he was fully unrecognizable.

Gustavo turned to look at his friend, noticing his sour expression as he stood at the broken wall, leaning against it. He could only assume what must be going through his head at the moment. After all, he knew how much the pizzeria meant to his friend.

Hopping off of his trusty steed, the small man made his way over to the other.

"Are you okay, Pep?"

Peppino's hands formed into tight fists, his jaw clenched, but then he simply sighed. It wasn't worth it to get worked up about this now. As he looked at the chaotic state his establishment was in, he quietly stepped inside, his aching leg making itself apparent again. He forcefully shut one eye, a small tear threatening to fall down his face, which he wiped away with his arm.

Gustavo followed his friend inside, a worried look on his face as he watched him, painfully slowly, bending down to pick up a few broken off pieces of a table. He wasn't going to do what he thought he would, was he?

Peppino winced as he struggled to get up again, holding his hand against his back in an attempt to stabilize himself. He ignored the pain spreading throughout his whole body, making his way over to the counter and placing the debris he gathered on it. His friend approached slowly, with Brick close by, sniffing around the wreckage in hopes of finding something to nibble on. He let out a short sneeze.

Gustavo watched as his fellow chef went to fetch a broom from the nearby closet, already sweeping up the floor. Or, at least as much as his aching body would let him.

"Peppino, come on", he started, "I know how much you love your pizzeria, but don't you wanna take a break first?" His voice was quiet and gentle, yet a little firm.

He shook his head, letting out a sigh, "I can't, Gus. You know I can't." He didn't even look at his friend, trying to push past him. "I have to fix all this", he gestured into the room, "and the debts aren't gonna pay themselves."

Gustavo sighed as he watched his friend struggle to move, his limping seemingly getting worse. He knew how stubborn he could get, something that sometimes could be a blessing, but it was mostly a curse.

"Of course they aren't, but-"

Just then, Peppino's leg gave in, and he fell to his knees, letting out a strained grunt. The other man quickly rushed to his side, carefully placing his hands on both his shoulders.

"You need to take care of yourself first."

Finally, he brought himself to look at the smaller one, exhaustion clearly evident in his eyes. His body trembled lightly, slowly losing more and more strength and energy.

"And if you aren't doing well", Gustavo continued, retreating his arms, "the pizzeria is gonna suffer from it. You know that."

But Peppino was persistent. With shaking hands, he pushed his friend aside once more, trying to stand up again. He couldn't give in just yet, not in front of Gustavo. He was supposed to be the strong one, the one in charge. What would he think of him if he just let himself show how weak he actually was? Not that he cared too much about what his friend thought of him, or at least he didn't admit that he did. The only thing he didn't want was to disappoint him, destroy this image of himself for him. He couldn't risk Gustavo seeing who and what he truly was, or at least to what extent. He was pathetic, an anxious wreck.

Of course, the other knew him well, flaws, insecurities and all. But sometimes, he couldn't help but worry that the only person he truly cared about would leave him behind after witnessing him in a state of vulnerability. Just like everybody else in his past would.

"This is all I have, Gustavo", he managed to push out, "I've handled that damn tower, I can handle a measly hole in the wall."

Gustavo's face fell, knowing how much he tended to push himself to the brink of his limits. Whether it was to ensure every customer's satisfaction, or to meet deadlines, he always tried to give his all, and even more. And if anything didn't meet his self-imposed high standards, it wasn't good enough. He wasn't good enough. Everything had to be perfect. And by extension, he had to be perfect. It was no wonder the man was chronically stressed.

When Peppino managed to stand up again, his body was shaking even harder than before. Preparing to take a step, he sharply inhaled and threatened to fall to the ground again, if Gustavo hadn't immediately reacted and caught him. Despite his small stature, he firmly held onto the taller one's body with ease, clicking his tongue to get his pet's attention. The rat looked up from the rubble, a small piece of cheese in its mouth, before trotting over to the two men with an affirmative squeak.

"Look, I know you could handle it.", he said as he laid his friend down onto Brick's back, who let out a quick huff, not used to carrying this much weight.

"If this was any other day, it would be fine. But look at you, you can barely even stand."

"Stop patronizing me." Peppino grumbled quietly, turning his head away from his friend in shame. He hated being this vulnerable, this weak.

Gustavo exhaled quietly, patting Brick's side to signal that they were going to leave, and started walking beside his furry companion. Despite them only knowing each other since the beginning of this whole tower debacle, they perfectly understood the other, as if they'd been a team for years. Like a loyal dog, the abnormally large rodent stayed by his side, following him to wherever he would lead them.

"I'm not patronizing you. You're my friend, Peppino. I care about you."

His friend was quiet for a few moments, still averting his eyes. He only muttered a few weak protests in response, which the other didn't quite catch. But perhaps that had been for the best. A continued argument would just wear them out even more, and he didn't want things to become heated between them. Especially not when they both desperately needed rest.

---

The front door opened, and the group of three stepped into the cozy little apartment. Gustavo was lucky his landlord didn't see them walk in, he did not have the capacity to argue about the presence of an enormous rat in his living quarters right now. Having pets wasn't allowed, much less a rodent of this size. Hopefully he could persuade them that it was his new service animal or something similar.

Brick cautiously sniffed around the room, making himself familiar with the new place. He walked over to the small couch in the middle of the living room, plopping down in front of it, as if trying to hint at something. The man who still lay atop his back let out a short grunt at the sudden stop.

After locking the door and getting a few supplies, Gustavo quickly joined his visitors, helping his friend relocate from one surface to the other. As warm and fuzzy as Brick was, it was finally nice to sit on something that wasn't living and breathing. At least the couch wouldn't complain about his weight. Verbally, that is.

Peppino's eyelids twitched when Gustavo lifted his arm to examine it. There were only minor cuts and bruises, nothing too severe that needed immediate medical attention. Still, the touch stung a bit. When he moved on down to his hand, carefully hovering over his knuckles, Peppino could feel his cheeks warm up a little. He instinctively pulled his arm back to his side, avoiding the other's gaze once more while pouting. His friend just looked at him with a mix of confusion and slight disappointment, before releasing a quiet sigh. He was fully aware of his friend's aversion to touch, especially his hands and face. And of course he didn't want to push things or make him uncomfortable, but it would certainly make it harder to check for injuries, let alone tend to them. Then again, he could have asked before touching him.

"Pino?" Gustavo's voice was quiet, and he patiently waited for his friend to look back at him. Sure enough, Peppino's head turned ever so slightly, ever so slowly, until their eyes finally met. As was so often the case, his brow was furrowed in general unease. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable in the other man's presence, far from it. He just hated being seen in the state he was in at the moment.

"Would you let me take a look at your leg?", the other finally asked, to which he crossed his arms in protest, huffing for further emphasis.

"It's fine! You're just wasting your time!" Even if the volume of his voice returned momentarily, he wasn't able to hide the way it sounded so strained. Yes, it hurt, his whole body did, but he would get through it. He had to.

Gustavo's expression fell a little, but he didn't want to give up just yet. It could be something serious, after all.

"At least show it to me. Please."

The bigger man hesitated, wringing his hands together. The concern in his friend's small eyes made his stubbornness waver little by little, and he finally released a breath he had been holding in. With slow and careful movements, he removed his boots and placed them next to the couch. Rolling up his pant leg, he sucked in a quick breath as the fabric brushed against his skin, slowly revealing what he had hidden from his best friend.

The cut on his lower leg was deep, the blood around it half dried. A thin crust had already formed on the sides. How he had gotten such a nasty wound without his pants ripping was beyond him, but at least the fabric seemed to have stopped the blood flow well enough. Fresh red liquid started to spill out of the gash once more, slowly running down Peppino's leg, which had begun to tremble.

Gustavo's eyes widened, his pulse quickened. He couldn't let his friend suffer with a wound like that. Something had to be done, and he would be the one to do it.

Without a word, he stood up from the couch to get some warm water, took some supplies, and sat down on the floor next to his friend. He gave the other man a hesitant look as he reached out to place his shaking hand on his knee. Peppino's brow furrowed with guilt and embarrassment, and even if the feeling of Gustavo's skin on his made his throat narrow and his chest heavy, he slowly gave him a short nod, allowing him to tend to his wounds.

Gustavo's hands were slow and gentle as he cleaned the big cut. The warm water felt nice on Peppino's skin, even if everything else was unpleasant and stung, making him wince in pain. Every so often, his friend would retreat his arms and glance up to check on him, to make sure he's as comfortable as he could be in a situation like this. He would give him an apologetic look before continuing to treat his injury, right before he did something he knew would be a little more painful. Brick had positioned himself on the couch, right next to the injured man, occasionally nudging his hand with his snout and offering comfort and distraction. Peppino was still wary about the huge rodent, but soon enough he found himself scratching Brick behind his ears and patting his back, while his best friend continued to tend to him. As much as he didn't like rats, this particular one seemed to slowly grow on him.

Peppino would never admit it, but it felt surprisingly nice to be taken care of for once. Usually he did everything by himself, very rarely accepting help from others. It wasn't that he didn't trust anyone else or that he was selfish. Although, sometimes he could be. But most of the time, he didn't want to burden anyone. Especially not people he was close with.

Gustavo was a dear friend to him, maybe even his only friend, always by his side, always supporting him. Even now, after he hadn't been honest with him, he continued to care for him, continued to stay with him. He just... couldn't understand why. Why would he continue to be his friend, when all he did was weigh him down, hold him back, burden him with his problems?

His face fell. He continued to pet the rat's soft fur, lost in thought. He didn't deserve to be treated with such patience and compassion. Why would he? All he did was complain and whine about his debt, and hide behind his constant anxiety. He wasn't good for anything.

And yet. The way Gustavo took care of him, the way he kept glancing back at him to ensure his comfort, the way his gentle hands felt against his skin. It felt strange, yet nice. Unfamiliar, yet warm and inviting. It made his skin crawl and his chest flutter, and it left him craving more. More of his touch, more of his warmth, more of his proximity. It made him feel lighter, more at ease, something he didn't even know he could feel like.

Gustavo's work was nearly done, he just finished wrapping the leg in bandages, careful to apply just enough, but not too much pressure. After all, he didn't want his friend and coworker to endure even more pain than he already did. He let out a sigh, his own exhaustion slowly catching up to him, and glanced up to Peppino. His cheeks seemed flushed, but it was hard to tell in the dim light of dusk. He wore a melancholic expression on his face, his eyes focused on the animal next to him, not quite realizing his treatment was over yet. As they wandered over and met with Gustavo's, the man's face remained still for a second, then flushed deeper, and he cleared his throat while turning his head away.

"I- uh... Thanks. For that..." Peppino managed to stutter, his voice barely audible. His face was still turned away, and he had crossed his arms over his chest, but his shoulders were hunched forward, as if he wanted to make himself smaller. His uninjured leg bounced with nervousness as Gustavo stood up from the ground and gave him a smile and a light chuckle, preparing to move Peppino's boots towards the front door. His friend held himself a little tighter, rubbing his arms as if he was cold. He still felt the lingering warmth of Gustavo's touch, or perhaps it was just the blood flowing through his leg, or the applied bandages. Either way, he couldn't help but yearn for more of this feeling, more of these sensations. More of Gustavo.

He shook his head. Ridiculous. He was a grown man, damn it! How could the closeness to another human being make him so... weak? It was ridiculous. He was ridiculous.

Gustavo returned to the other man's side with a big blanket and several pillows under his arms. He placed the biggest pillow on one side of the couch, fluffing it up for good measure, but stopped in his tracks when he noticed Peppino intently watching him, his arms held up to his chest.

"Are you okay with sleeping on the couch? I mean, I can lend you my bed too if-"

"N-no, I'm fine! It's. It's fine, I can- I can sleep here. No worries!" He waved his hands in front of himself, then formed an O-shape with his finger and thumb, forcing a nervous grin. Gustavo just smiled as he held back a giggle, his friend reminding him of the logo on his own pizza boxes. He sure could be cute when he was flustered.

After a moment of awkward silence, they both settled into their respective beds. Peppino finally managed to lay down, his leg cushioned by small, yet surprisingly soft pillows. The couch itself wasn't the most comfortable, but it beat the old and worn down mattress he usually slept on by miles. The blanket was so thick and warm, and it smelled so fresh too. This was certainly different, and a huge upgrade compared to his normal sleeping situation. He already wasn't sure if he would even be able to go back to his own bed after spending a night here. Or several nights. Or however long it took until he could walk without falling flat on his face. He hoped it wasn't too long. After all, he didn't want to take advantage of Gustavo's hospitality like this. It just didn't feel right.

"Oh, and Pino?", his host's voice nearly made him jump, he turned his head towards where it came from, "If you need anything... I'm right here. My door is open for you, okay?"

Peppino hesitated, then nodded and gave back a quick hum in agreement. He watched as Gustavo smiled at him, slowly turning around and disappearing into his own room again, and he sighed. He held his hand up to his face, forming it into a fist a few times, then brushed his thumb against his index finger. His brow furrowed once again. Why did it feel so nice when it was his touch, yet so... normal, almost dull when it was his own? Why was his smile so contagious, his laugh so magical? And why didn't he notice it until now? Has it always been that way, and he just didn't pay enough attention to him before? Should he tell Gustavo how he made him feel, or would he be mad at him, or even worse, disgusted or weirded out by him?

He felt a small nudge against his elbow, followed by a short sneeze. It was already dark, but he could still easily recognize Brick's face staring up at him from the floor, his big eyes focused on him. Peppino let out a slightly annoyed sigh, letting his fingers wander through the rat's warm fur. A delighted squeak escaped the rodent, and the man reluctantly continued to pet it, his previous thoughts pushed to the back of his mind, momentarily forgotten.

He'd have time to figure things out in the morning as well. The exhaustion finally caught up to him. For now he could rest.

[flufallo]

Edwin, after catching feelings for his bully back in the early 1900s, falling for his friend of 30 years, replaying the cat king's abs and 'i am fascinated by you' over and over in his head, and meeting up with a astrology loving crow- human: he is a boy and I am a boy. If anything he just enjoys ghosts.

[sammygender]

years ago i remember someone saying about dave strider that either he’s gay or he’s bisexual but deep down too misogynistic to actually have a fulfilling romantic relationship with a woman. anyway. this is how i see dean winchester

[day-colors]

really not liking those [character] sexuality headcanon polls because guess which characters consistently get voted to be aroace. Guess which