Rose Gold

At this point, it was beyond obvious that I was a very easy man to please. Waking up beside Tobias on Sunday morning was enough to set my mood for the rest of the day, and to no one’s surprise, the same went for Monday. Luckily, my presence didn’t cause him to oversleep, primarily because I set a precautionary “five more minutes” alarm for when he refused to release me from under the sheets. It was barely a complaint. Not only was it freezing outside of the house, but I had no desire to get smacked by the cold after getting out from under the covers.

Regardless, getting kissed by him on the way out the door made my whole day. His thing was grabbing me by the tie and fixing it afterwards of course, and mine was leaving notes in his lunch. I thought the old ones obviously hinted at my crush, but now that I had nothing to hide, I could be as repulsively cute as I wanted. Thus far, he seemed to love it.

After getting stuck in traffic on the way home, I lost my motivation to cook anything. As a result, I ended up eating a mixture of leftovers from the outing we had on Saturday, and some pizza bagels, as I couldn't find anything else to keep me full. Thanks to Tobias' presence, I found myself cooking more often, which prevented me from resorting to eating miscellaneous items from the basement freezer. I'd stay near the top since everything at the bottom has freezer burn, but I'd yet to find the motivation to clean it out.

As I sifted through my collection of adult beverages, searching for what would pair nicely with pizza bagels, I heard the front door open. Despite not cooking a full meal, I quickly tried to clean up my mess until I heard Tobias scream from the other room.

I slid out the kitchen in my socks, holding the small oven tray as a shield. “What?! What’s wrong—are you okay?!”

“I’m beyond okay!” He beamed before running over and sticking an array of papers in my face. “The fucking check came!!”

Although my eyes couldn’t focus on the collection of mail he held, I quickly lit up as he did. “Wait, for real?!”

“Yes!” He laughed before finally sitting his work bag down and taking off his jacket. He gave me the envelopes to hold, and I attempted to sift through them as he finally closed the door back, but I wasn’t sure what I was looking at.

Until I saw the check.

There were a hell of a lot of words on those papers, but I knew a check when I saw one. 

Hell, I knew a check when I saw two.

“W-Why’d they send multiple?!” I cackled as he made his way back over to me.

“One’s for you,” He snickered, loosening his tie as he leaned against the back of the couch. “You had to be reimbursed for humoring me for so long,” He nudged my side. “You ever wonder why I kept stealing your receipts?”

“Shit, yeah.” I looked back at the numbers with a shrug. “Honestly, I was just glad that they were no longer cluttering my desk.”

“Makes sense,” He chuckled as I returned the mail to him.

Aside from when he asked me out weeks ago and saw me the morning after on Saturday, I had never seen him so giddy. He seemed to bounce rhythmically as he read through the rest of the mail, and the cutest part was that he didn’t even know he was doing it. I watched as made his way through the rest of the stack, separating the junk mail from what looked important. When he finished, he handed me my check.

“Anyways, this one’s yours—don’t get it lost,” He smirked before returning everything else to the mail stack by the door.

“I won’t! I’ll tape it to my wall,” I examined it. “I’ve never received a check so big,” I laughed.

“Deposit it before you tape it to the wall, at least!” He grabbed a few things out of his work bag.

“Right!”

“You’re adorable,” He chuckled, glancing back at me as he pulled out a folder. “My bank’s already closed but I’ll probably stop by tomorrow before work. The status quo is finally fucking returning!” He beamed as he finished organizing his stuff on the floor.

“Yeah! I guess you can get back to showing up to work in suits,” I joked, but from his face, it seemed like that was the first thing on his list.

“Hell yeah, and aren’t you lucky? Now you won’t have to ogle me from afar!” He raised his eyebrows as my cheeks burned. 

“Yeah,” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I can literally watch you get dressed. That is, if you let me.” I paused, avoiding his eyes. “Which implies that I would want to watch you get dressed every morning but even I’ll admit that’s a bit weird.”

Tobias laughed and made his way back over to me. “Nice to know you have some boundaries,” He ruffled my hair before giving me a tight hug, although I was not prepared for him lifting me off the ground and spinning me in a circle.

“O-Okay, I definitely could’ve used a warning for that!”

“Alright! Warning: I’m doing it again,” He grinned, spinning me around in the opposite direction, but even once I was back on flat ground, he continued to hold me. “You smell nice,” He mumbled into my neck. “Like pizza…Pizza and Cason. Pretty good mix, I’d say.”

“Thanks,” I chuckled. “Then I guess you already know what I had for dinner.”

“There’s a solid possibility, yes.” He released me with a smile as I followed him into the kitchen. I leaned on the doorframe, watching as he ate the remaining few bagles on the counter before digging through the fridge.

“Checks aside, did you have a good day?”

He grabbed his box of leftovers and started making a plate. “Honestly? Yeah!” He laughed. “It was a nice change. While the process for finding a full-on assistant superintendent is taking an eternity thanks to screening and whatever, I do at least have an intern now. Y’know, for the mundane ‘hey, can you print this for me?’ type of shenanigans,” He shrugged.

“Aw hell yeah. So now you can focus on the important stuff.”

“Finally,” After turning on the microwave, he examined my beer on the counter and grabbed himself the same one. “Hell, I don’t think I’ve been able to do a hundred percent of my job ever since Matthew had been there,” He sighed.

“Wait, I don’t think I ever knew how long you’d been around him for,” I chuckled before following him to the dining room table.”

“Hm, yeah.” He played with his fork. “Well, I started as the assistant to a woman who eventually went on maternity leave, never returned, and then I got promoted to her role. After a year of that whole fiasco, Matthew transferred over here from another school district…?” He started eating. “He tried to keep in touch after graduating high school, but I wasn’t too pressed. All I knew was that he moved to Pennsylvania.”

“And obviously he came back for some God-awful reason.”

The man snickered. “Tch, yeah. He claimed he missed the ‘Tobias charm’ that was exclusive to Wilmington,” He rolled his eyes. “It was honestly just a really bad coincidence—that we ended up working together, that is. Especially since he wanted to be a math teacher, last I heard of him.”

“I don’t think he should be in education whether that be as a teacher or all the way at the top…” I mumbled, which earned a hearty laugh from Tobias.

“Real shit.” He wiped his mouth. “Honestly, we used to be real friends. I hate to admit it, but back when we were kids, shit was relatively fine,” He shrugged. “He was still a flirt, but it was high school, y’know? I had no friends, it was an all-boy’s school, and we were both closeted idiots.”

“Wait, did you like him?”

Tobias scoffed. “Circumstantially when I was sixteen—yes. But for some reason he took that confession and let it carry him all-throughout high school, college, and into the work world.” He rolled his eyes. “Why he thought I would still like him, hell, even remember him almost ten years later is beyond me.”

“That’s—” I broke out into laughter. “That’s so fucking embarrassing! And sad! Has he never dated another man?!”

“Nah, nah, he has!” Tobias began, covering his mouth as my laughter infected him. “He just always claimed that I was better. Mind you—! We never slept together!” He leaned forward. “Even in high school!”

“So either he’s still a fucking virgin or he’s compared all his partners to—I don’t know—how good you were at kissing or some shit?”

Tobias shook his head. “Hell, if I know. I never cared enough to ask, mainly because I knew he’d get the wrong idea if I ever brought it up.” He sighed. “It’s just…nuts, honestly. He never matured. He still has frat boy written all over him.”

I coughed. “Fag frat boy.”

“Literally!” He sighed as he finished his beer. “I’ll never get it. Maybe I was a last resort, y’know? He made it all the way through college and grad-school, never managed to get in a stable relationship, rediscovered me, and hoped he could make that high school sweetheart fantasy come to fruition. Who knows? I mean, oddly enough, I don’t wish any ill intent on him, but I hope he gets his life together. He’s far overdue.”

I cleared my throat. “Y-Yeah.”

Tobias raised an eyebrow. “What? What’s with that look?”

“Nothing!” I leaned back in my chair. “It’s just…it’s obvious he’s a total weirdo but like,” I paused. “So am I. Not in the same way—of course!”

He leaned on his hand across from me, confused but intrigued. “Alright…” He smiled. “Yes, go on.”

“I did the same thing!” I blurted. “Tried to pursue high school crushes in college. In my defense, it was only freshman year and he somehow seemed ten times as hot as he did three months ago during graduation.”

Tobias’ face lit up as he erupted into laugher, which only worsened my blush.

“Well, it’s not strange for people to try and reinvent themselves after graduation.”

“Exactly!” I slammed the table. “I promise I’m normal!”

“Well, you’re normal in the ways that count!” He grinned. “It’s not like you’re still chasing the crush. That would be weird, especially since you like me…right?”

“The hell are you asking that for?!” I lightly kicked him under the table. “Duh!” I took a deep breath and leaned on my arms as Tobias started cleaning up his area. “You’ve been holding my brain hostage ever since I moved here. I suck at attention to detail, but I always managed to notice you.”

“Heh, I was a priority, despite you knowing jack about me.” He chuckled. “I can’t believe I even made an impression on you.”

“I hate to say it, but you were my only interesting neighbor. Especially since you appeared to actually be around my age.” I shrugged, smiling a bit. “I had already moved on from the housewarming phase when you suddenly appeared on my porch weeks later with a plant.” I laughed.

“Well, now you should know why!” He blushed. “I get up early, leave work late, and I’m always on corporate autopilot. It took me way too long to realize there was a different car in front of 1504.”

“And that the cat lady had been replaced with a pink-haired rando.”

“Yeah.” He shook his head. “Eh, well at least I eventually realized and still got you something. I-I mean, obviously I didn’t know what to get, but it’s the thought that counts.” 

“See, but I was so confused at first! Since you sent me a gift out of the blue, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to know you already.” I shook my head.

“Wait, so you thought it was some kind of surprise gift exchange?”

“That’s why I gave you my business card!” I laughed. “And then you explained that you lived two doors down but then it would’ve been weird if I tried to take my business card back.”

Tobias grabbed his plate and stood up. “Hey, I think it was still a fair exchange! It was the easiest way to learn about you.”

I groaned. “Ew, yeah. From my Instagram.”

“So what? I still like seeing your stuff on my feed—you’re cool! Hell, I still have it, actually.”

“You didn’t lose it in the fire?”

“Nah,” He shrugged. “It fell out of my wallet when I was in the car, so I stuck it in my glovebox. Meanwhile, what ever happened to that plant?”

“Oh, I killed it.” I snickered as he walked past me, only to quickly stop in his tracks.

“For real?!”

“I kept the pot!” I looked back. “I keep binder clips in it—it’s on my desk! It was a cute pot!”

Tobias laughed before continuing to place his dishes in the sink. “Why didn’t you just put another plant in it?” He asked from the kitchen.

“Because I’m a certified plant killer!”

Moments later he snuck up beside me and leaned on my shoulder. “You could’ve gotten a fake plant.”

“Eh,” I chuckled as he kissed my neck. “I’m still putting it to good use! It was a good gift! It stopped me from having to make another trip to Office Depot.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I lose office supplies like people lose socks,” I explained with a smirk. “The employees literally recognize me.”

“Oh my God—do you think they have your photo up?”

“I sure fuckin’ hope not!” I laughed while leaning further into him. I lost my train of thought as his lips grazed my ear.

“I’m gonna take a shower and finally get out of my work clothes,” He chuckled after finally kissing me on the cheek. “You wanna do anything?”

“What? Like—in the shower…?” I asked slowly. “Or after your shower?”

Tobias leaned against the table. “The hell’s up with you and having company in the shower?!” He looked me over. “And haven’t you already showered? I mean—” He cleared his throat. “It’s your water bill but—”

“I washed up!” I shook my head. “Not the point! Also, not what I was implying!”

“Is that your fantasy? Or like, your thing?” He crossed his arms with a smirk. “Shower sex?”

“I’m not answering that!” I got up from the table.

“Is it?!”

I walked into the living room. “To answer your original question—I made a watchlist that’s just every movie with Jim Carrey in it, so I’ll probably get to one of those tonight if you wanna join me.”

“Sure,” He ruffed my hair after I plopped onto the couch. “You sure you don’t wanna join me?”

I shot him a look before grabbing the remote, unable to ignore the heat rising in my body. “Go take your shower.”

“Hey, I’m just being nice! It’s your bathroom, after all!”

I shooed him away, rolling my eyes as he laughed all the way up the stairs. 

By the end of the week, I had finished rewatching all my favorites on the list. Even if Tobias wasn’t paying full attention, he’d still join me on the couch every evening. Ever since the check came, he seemed almost as bubbly as me. Although, I wasn’t sure if his improved mood was thanks to the money or the weekend at the beach.

When I got up Friday morning, Tobias was already on the move. I stayed up far too late indulging in personal art projects and slept through the “five more minutes” alarm, but the smell of breakfast eventually got me out of bed.

I threw on an oddly patterned sweater vest before grabbing my computer bag and making my way to the first floor. While stuffing my face in my half-asleep state, Tobias left the basement and walked past me into the living room, though I instantly did a double take.

“Holy fucking shit—” I mumbled with my mouth full, attempting to grab a napkin before following him. “You’re in a suit?!”

The man did a little bow. “Yep. Got one tailored after work on Tuesday!”

“I didn’t really think that’d be the first thing you’d do!” I laughed. “Doesn’t your job have casual Fridays?”

“Somewhat,” He chuckled before grabbing his keys from the rack by the door. “I just never took part.” He looked himself over. “God, how I missed this feeling.” He muttered to himself with a smile.

“You look awesome,” I grinned as I stood in the middle of the living room in awe.

The man did a 180. “Feel free to rubberneck!”

I laughed and walked towards him. “This really is ten times better than staring at you from my car,” I smirked. “The only time I really got to admire you in a suit was when you came to the studio that evening, although I had to split my attention between drooling over you and doing my fucking job.”

“Yeah, so you wouldn’t zone out and drop your camera.”

“Shush!” I playfully shoved him, only to keep my hand in the same area as I examined his suit jacket.

“Alright, well I’ve gotta get to work,” He smiled. “You can stare at me this evening.”

“Just gimmie one more minute!” I patted his shoulders and eventually straightened his tie after walking around him in a circle. “It’s been so long—I just wanna get a good look.”

He nudged me. “Oh? Seems like you’re more focused on touching the merchandise.”

“It’s not like you said I couldn’t,” I mumbled while dragging my hand down his side. “You’re wearing a different cologne too.”

“D-Do you like it?” 

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?” His cheeks tinted red.

“Mhm,” I hummed before leaning in and planting a soft kiss on his lips. After pulling away, I kept alternating between fooling with his collar and investigating the rest of his suit. Not only did he look good in linen, but given the dark shade of his hair, he looked good in all black too.

“Fuckin’ hell, man. I’m not even convinced I’m awake now.” I forced a laugh. “You just look that good.”

“Well,” He began as he eventually found himself pinned to the door. “I originally planned to wear one tomorrow for our date.”

I stiffened. “Oh God, do I have to be that dressed up?!”

“Not at all!” He laughed and ruffled my hair. “I just knew you’d get a kick out of it. Although now I feel like I’ve ruined the surprise.”

I scoffed. “Yeah right! You can still wear one. Hell, I’m begging you to wear one,” I mumbled before kissing him again, lingering for a bit longer this time. After I heard him place his keys down, he slid his hand across my back.

“You know I love Formal Tobias,” I smiled into the kiss while resting my hands on his waist. “With your hair slicked back and your shiny dress shoes,” I snickered, pausing to kiss him again. “And your fancy watch and your freshly shaven face—you’re killin’ me.”

As Tobias stepped forward, I grabbed his face and leaned him back into the door. He wrapped his arms around me as my admiration took over and I passionately kissed him. We only pulled back once out of breath, and even then, Tobias couldn’t get me to completely let go.

“It’s seven in the morning…” He mumbled against my lips.

“I know—I’m sorry. J-Just another minute. I promise,” I claimed, which only made him laugh. When I went to kiss him again, he turned us around so that I was pressed against the front door. A moan slipped out as he lifted my leg and pulled me into him. I felt him loosen my tie with his free hand, but he didn’t let up when I tried to lean back.

“I thought—”

“The world won’t end if I’m late,” He mumbled before kissing me again. I ran my hands through his hair for a split second before he grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head.

“O-Oh.”

“You fuckin’ kill me when you look at me like that,” He began as he lips trailed my jaw. “You’re always so cute and innocent but every now and then you’ll look at me like you wanna eat me alive and,” He groaned. “It’s so hot that it rewires my brain.”

“You’re kidding,” I laughed softly while leaning into his touch.“Being hot isn’t my thing—”

He cut me off with a deep kiss and I quickly lost my breath as he untucked my shirt and started feeling up my chest. I squirmed against the door with nowhere to go but being restrained made it feel ten times as good. I lost my concentration the moment his tongue circled mine. He kept me against the door for several minutes before he noticed my legs trembling and lifted me off the ground.

“When do you have to be at work?” He asked as we traveled a short distance to the couch, and he laid me on the cushions.

“My first shooting is at ten,” I chuckled. “You?”

He straddled me as he pulled off my tie and finished undoing my shirt buttons. “Well, there was an interview I was gonna sit in on—hence the suit—but no one will lose their heads if I skip it.” He smirked. “And in the small the chance they do, I really don’t care.”

“Oh my God,” I laughed while covering my face, but he quickly pinned me back down and ran his lips across my neck. “D-Don’t leave any marks,” I paused. “Where people can see.”

“As you wish,” He chuckled as he scraped his teeth across my soft spot and I jolted. “Do you want me to let go? You’re hella squirmy.”

“N-No,” I avoided his eyes. “I’m squirmy cuz I like it,” I mumbled. “Hell, I’m already overheating.”

He grabbed my chin and made me look at him. “You were hard before you even pressed me against the door,” He laughed. “Is this your thing? Me in a suit?” He slowly ran his finger down my stomach, and I whimpered.

“K-Kinda,” I groaned, lifting my waist as his hand stopped on the top of my jeans. “Yeah, sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” His face lit up. “You’re fuckin’ adorable.”

“C-Cuz,” I stammered as he undid my belt. “We’re gonna be late for work. And I don’t have anything important, but you do—”

“I really don’t!” He laughed as his lips eventually found their way back to my neck and slowly made their way down my chest. “No one requested my presence for the interview—it was optional. I kinda just wanted an excuse to dress up.”

I nodded, unable to make any sound other than a moan as his tongue flicked my nipple. He continued to laugh while I clung to his body, failing to respond after he released my hands. I’d had an embarrassing number of wet dreams that consisted of him in a suit, directing all of my movements. I was always pinned against something—a door, couch, or shower wall while he had his way with me.

Nowhere in my life did I think it’d actually occur. I would’ve preferred a weekend as opposed to the crack of dawn when I was half-awake and should’ve been on the road, but I wasn’t pressed and we were past the point of no return. 

What started as a quickie evolved into the full thing and I made it to the studio with three minutes to spare before my first client came in. Halfway through the day I realized I never drank any coffee, but thanks to Tobias, I didn’t need it. Although I had already spent the entire morning with him, I was still scatterbrained, as I was eagerly looking forward to seeing him again after work. 

I was equally desperate to see him dressed in the same fashion tomorrow. Knowing he’d be looking spiffy for me and not just work doubled the appeal. Hence, when I finally made it home, I dug through my wardrobe for something that was at least close to his level of formal.

Searching for an outfit turned into cleaning out my closet, which evolved into me rethinking every fashion choice I’d made since graduating high school. I sat in the middle of my bedroom, surrounded by clothes when I looked up and saw Tobias in the doorway. I frantically turned down my phone after realizing I never even heard him come in.

“The hell are you doing?” He laughed, loosening his tie as he tried to find a path to approach me, only to find himself trapped.

“I-I was looking for an outfit for tomorrow! I mean, I got distracted but that’s what I was originally doing,” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Oh, don’t worry, you can move that.”

“Laundry?” He asked while shoving the basket away from the doorway. 

“Giveaway pile, actually. I have a friend who works at a consignment shop so I might be able to get money for some of it.”

Tobias chuckled before squatting and kissing my forehead. “You really don’t need to panic about tomorrow.”

“Well, yeah, but I wanna look at least a little fancy. I’m always way too business casual.”

“Between you and me,” He began while helping me tidy up my general area so I was no longer trapped in a sea of Cason-droppings. “You could pull up wearing nothing but those Halloween boxers you wear year-round, and I wouldn’t care.”

“Shut up!” I stammered as my cheeks burned. 

He laughed before grabbing a random hanger off the floor and hanging his suit jacket above the doorframe. “Question for you though,” He cleared a path to my desk and sat in the rolling chair. 

“Yeah?”

“Now that I’m…relatively stable,” He chuckled to himself. “I’ve been looking at apartments and whatnot. Well, looking them up—I haven’t actually seen any in person, but my coworkers had some input.” He shrugged. “Anyways, there’s an open house tomorrow afternoon for one I’ve been eyeing, and I wanted to know if you wanted to join me.”

“O-Oh,” I stared at the collection of ties in my lap. 

“I mean, I’m not rushing but it’s about damn time, right?” He laughed. “I’ve been in your hair for long enough. But you have a good eye for interiors,” He gestured to my room. “I mean, right now is a terrible example but I like how the rest of your house is decorated.”

I flashed him an awkward smile. “Psh, yeah.”

“But I figured it be fun to get your insight, especially once I get a place and have to furnish everything.”

“What? You don’t wanna be one of those guys without a bedframe?” I snickered. “Actually, I found a bedframe in the attic when I went up there a few weeks ago.”

“Yeah—can’t say I’m a fan!” He grinned while shifting in the chair and sitting cross-legged. “I know you’re not an interior designer, but I need someone with an artsy eye. Hell, I’ll even pay you if you want.”

I waved my hands. “Nah, it’s alright! I-I’d be happy to help—whether that be decorating or just going on tours with you. On some level, it probably counts as an errand and, y’know,” I shrugged. “I like running Saturday errands with you.”

“Alright! Well, the open house is at one and I made our dinner reservation for six. Actually, I probably should’ve started with that.”

“No sweat,” I smiled. “That gives me more time to…” I examined my general area. “Get myself together.”

“You want help?”

I looked up at him, blushing. “M-Maybe, yeah.”

“Alright, lemme just go put on something more suited for sitting on the floor,” He chuckled before disappearing out my room and coming back in some sweats. I turned the music back up a bit as he told me about his day, and I showed him every tie I had.

Although now my distractions were intentional.

Now that he’s been reimbursed, of course he’s gonna be back on the housing market. Or at least the apartment market. Part of me was so infatuated that I was convinced he’d stay here forever by default. Alas, I’m sure he misses having a place to himself with his own belongings and privacy, even if he doesn’t express it.

Still, I didn’t want my feelings to get in the way regardless of how much I wanted him to stay. I constantly fantasized about dating him months ago, but if all had gone according to planned, we’d still be regular friends at this point. Hence, it be weird if he continued living with me after the fact.

I hung my outfit for tomorrow outside my closet while refolding everything else I had scattered around the room. 

“Um,” I began softly, failing to hold my tongue. “I thought you said you didn’t want to start over—y’know, with the whole apartment search and roommate thing.”

Tobias sighed. “Yeah, until I realized how unrealistic it was,” He flashed me a smile. “Nonetheless, after all that’s happened, starting over doesn’t seem too bad. It seems like a weird time to turn over a new leaf, but I think I’ll benefit from it. Letting go of the old baggage and whatnot,” He nudged me. “And focusing on my new boyfriend.”

I blushed as he got to his feet and restacked my bins before placing them in the bottom of my closet. 

“Thanks to your Nana, I’m actually paranoid about dying in my forties,” He chuckled awkwardly. “I’m trying to break free from my workaholic routine.” The man stared into the closet for a few seconds before closing it back. “And I’m also paranoid about losing you because I can’t focus on anything but work,” He muttered to himself.

“O-Oh.”

I noticed his ears turn red. “And imagine if I literally died from exhaustion and then you were single again. I’m not implying tomorrow, but even down the line it’d be just as bad.” He glanced back at me. “Sorry, that’s depressing as hell.”

“N-No, it’s alright,” I got to my feet and kicked a few remaining objects under my bed that I didn’t feel like dealing with. “I’m happy to know I’m being factored into the equation.”

“Well, you’re the most important part of the equation,” He walked over and pulled me in by my waist.

“No,” I threw my arms over his shoulders and rubbed my nose against his. “The most important part of the equation should be you. You’ve spent awfully too long disregarding your wellbeing.”

“Ah…” He mumbled. “True. And I needed someone else to tell me that. How embarrassing is that,” He looked to the side.

“Hey, this is why having friends matters,” I chuckled. “You can’t always figure out everything by yourself,” I whispered before kissing him softly for a few seconds. “Even if you really want to.”

“God, yeah.” He chuckled before pulling me back in. 

We slowly rocked back and forth as he kissed me in the middle of my bedroom. His hands ran across my back before tangling themselves in my hair. Now that we were close again, I realized he still smelled like me from this morning. It was weird but comforting.

“Anything else on your to-do list?” He asked softly, breaking the kiss despite his eyes still being closed.

“Not really,” I mumbled. “Or at least not for today. I have an infinite to-do list, really.”

I leaned back as he smiled. “Like redyeing your hair? If anything, it seems like you’re saving best for last.”

“I mean—maybe!” I laughed and sat on my bed. “I stock up on dye so it’s not like I have to buy more…” I scratched my head. “I guess I’m just still on the fence about dyeing it again in general.” I glanced over as Tobias joined me. “Like, maybe I should pick a new color. But pink’s my signature thing!”

He snickered. “True. You could choose a more natural color if you want. You ever considered being a brunet? Or maybe a redhead?”

“God, no! Being a redhead on top of all these freckles would be way too much.”

“You think?” He nudged me. “I think you could rock any color. Except black.”

I leaned over and played with his hair. “Because black’s your thing? Actually,” I shifted closer to him. “Is your hair actually black or is it just really, really dark brown.”

“It’s really dark brown,” He chuckled. “But it’s impossible to tell—even in the sun.”

“You ever considered going blond?” I joked as his eyes widened.

“No way in hell! Seeing Matthew bleaching his hair back in the day was enough to remind me that not everyone looks good blond,” He laughed.

I collapsed back onto my bed with an exhale. “Well, that’s my issue too! Do I look good blond? I’m contemplating just bleaching my hair so I’m normal again,” I laughed awkwardly as Tobias examined me from above.

“You look great blond,” He smiled.

“So do you think I should redye my hair pink or finally go natural after almost a decade of strawberry Samwell?”

He shook his head. “Don’t dye your hair because of me! Do you what satisfies you. No matter what you do, you’ll still have those pretty blue eyes and your freckles and that big smile—I’ll like you regardless of your hair color.”

I smiled up at him. “W-Well, that’s reassuring.” I examined a strand of my hair. “I think I’ll keep the pink going for a little longer—at least for the winter.”

“Yeah?”

I sat back up. “When it’s warm, the pink will be gone in a flash thanks to more sun and more showers. I’ll go natural once it’s eighty degrees!”

“And what if it’s eighty degrees in March, huh? Then what?” He teased as I stood up and walked into the bathroom. “It’s gotta be seasonally exclusive, not temperature.”

“Yeah, yeah!” I yelled from the other room while scanning the area for the pink bottles I’d stashed somewhere months agao. I stood on the bottom shelf of the closet while digging in a few of the bins, but when I looked back, Tobias was standing guard just in case I fell.

“If I’m free and you wanna help, we might as well do it now,” I chuckled. “That is, if I can fuckin’ find it in here.”

“You need a flashlight?”

“I’ll survive,” I glanced back. “Otherwise, I’ll go out and buy some more. I figured being freshly dyed for tomorrow could be nice.”

“If we fuck this up and you come outta this with Barbie pink hair, we’re having a guy’s night in.”

“Oh, shut up!” I attempted to shoo him away, but he quickly pushed me forward into the closet before I fell back too far. “T-Thanks.”

“Mhmm.”

While it was taking me ages to sift through the bathroom closet, Tobias went ahead and grabbed a comb, some gloves, and relocated my speaker. Although, when he went to grab the color brush from the basement bathroom, he found the bottle sitting beside the washing machine. At that point, I was glad he volunteered to help since my arms were already tired.

“Are we doing your whole head or just your roots?” He asked as I sat on the side of the tub, draped in three hand towels.

“Just the roots.” I grabbed my spare comb. “How about this—I’ll do the front and you’ll do the back where I can’t see. Deal?”

He chuckled while beginning to part my hair. “Sure. You might wanna tell me what to do though,” He smiled at me in the mirror.

“Oh, I have the directions in my notes app.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and handed it to him. “Password is 80085.”

“That’s mature,” He laughed before reading over my improvised WikiHow directions on dyeing hair. “And is an odd password choice for a gay guy.”

“It’s funny!”

“I’m surprised no one’s hacked your phone.” He went back to sectioning my hair.

“Me too, honestly.”

Frankly, I’d been dyeing my hair for so long that I really didn’t need his assistance. Although, it was nice to have someone to talk to while I waited for the dye to set with a plastic shower cap on my head. It was small things like fixing up my roots or decluttering my room that I’d miss having his company for. 

If anything, I was more worried about ending up in the hospital given my knight in shining armor wouldn’t be around to stop me from falling off countertops and stools. 

It was bad enough when he closed himself up in the guest room, but I’d rather have that than have him gone altogether. He hadn’t even looked at his first apartment yet and I already missed him. If anything, I was the fool for getting so attached in the first place. Regardless of him returning my feelings, it’s not like we’d be next-door neighbors after the incident.

All I could hope was that he wouldn’t find a place across town.