Sorry if the writing style differs here and there ( and that everyone is OOC i think). My mood chooses that for me so its either really bad or really good idk. This is basically a bunch of drabbles smashed Haphazardly together, unlike the chapters of before, so yeah.
He blinks slowly, realization crawling through his mind like a silent phantom, clogging up his senses, only allowing the few in this situation to actually work. Aster's arm was wrapped around his shoulders with a comforting weight, seeming to nearly lull him back to sleep, despite his refusal to do so, and the other's cologne was practically stuck everywhere as if he had just shoved a bunch of it up his nose, and couldn't get it out.
The chill of the air surrounding him made him wish to curl up, even a little, inside this cold truck, but he knew if he tried to, it'd just go back to bite him later. Did Aster even know what he was doing? Did Damien?
Honestly, you would think that he could have a little shut-eye without having to worry about people or himself for just a little while. Waking up to this? He wasn't entirely sure what to think other than 'comfy' and 'oh my God'. He was stuck in that anxious feeling you get when you want to move or say something, but feel like you can't.
He should just sit up and away from the other body, take the arm off from his shoulders, and laugh it off like he usually does to these awkward things. He should slap Aster or maybe pitch a couple jokes his way, to rile him up some and release him.
But no.
He reaches up to cover his burning face with a hand, closing his eyes tightly, while forcing himself to breathe slower, in order to not startle anyone.
Dear lord, help him. This was just too much for today.
Of course his prayers were unanswered.
Aster, in his usual, normal state of mind, would never - ever - do such a thing as he was right now, with his arm over Jackson, and the younger curled up into his side. Aster would fuss or scream or - or - something, truly! Anything! Heck, even go on and on about vegetables and art!
Oh no, though, he just had to be fast asleep, head crooked in his other elbow, face scrunched up to the side of the pet carrier, Moxy inside said pet carrier looking as if she were going to murder someone. Aster is snoring very, very lightly, and Jackson wonders how the other can pull off such a feat before he slowly wipes his face with his hand, trying to make the blush go away.
He goes to sit up slowly, being sure not to wake the other up, only to stop and turn his head to his shoulder, where Aster's arm was draped around.
A blush makes its was to his face yet again at the fact. He reaches up to try to tug it over his head, but comes up short as a shush from Damien causes him to stop, looking over to the man.
Damien looked like the man who won the lottery, his eyes sparkling and his lips pulled tight into a smile, almost like he didn't want to laugh. He waves to Jackson. "About time." he whispers. "We're almost home."
Jackson blinks at that. "Home?"
The man chuckles as quietly as he can, giving the younger a wink. "Yep." he smiles humorously. "Where else could we go?"
Jackson faces foreword again, sitting up straighter than before, watching as the road narrows out into a sort of gravelly driveway. There's no light ahead, so Jackson could only assume that it was the Bunnymund's property they were driving into. By the way the driveway was mostly dirt, Jackson only expected it was a long one.
Then again, Damien once mentioned he was a veterinary, so he probably had some money. But to spend it on such a large property?
Maybe it was just for the view. There were all kinds of trees surrounding them, so you never know.
Damien jerks his head slightly to Aster. "Fell asleep a few minutes after you did." he quietly says.
"What time is it?" Jackson asks. "And what about your car?"
Damien huffs a laugh. "I'm going to get it tomorrow on my way from work; Aster doesn't have a permit yet, or he'd be driving the car back. It's also one thirty." he leans forward to tap the small clock on the dash. "This is the correct time, I think."
"Why would you want to continue driving this hunk of junk?"
The older shrugs. "Better than a bicycle?" he turns to Jackson to wiggle his eyebrows at him. "So you have a thing, or...?"
At the question Jackson blinks over at the man confusedly, before realizing he held Aster's hand in his own throughout their small conversation. He, flushed, releases it quickly with a tiny squeak of surprise, jerking up just enough to wake up Aster, who sits up albeit too quickly.
"Wha?" Aster groggily asks, wiping the drool from his cheek as he glances around to see what had woken him. He turns to look at the two. "Did I fall asleep?"
Jack laughs. "Awe, did wittle bun-bun take a nap?"
Damien snorts. "You're one to talk."
"Yeah, but I woke up before him, so I have a special privilege!"
Aster takes his arm from Jackson's shoulder, rubbing the sleep from his eyes to blink out the cracked window. "Oh, we're home. What timing." he comments.
"Yep." Jackson says. "Are we unloading all this tonight?"
"It's only like four boxes or so." Damien answers. "We could easily stuff it all in the guest room - er - your room. Or the living room."
Aster shakes his head. "No thanks. I'm ready for sleep."
The older man's eyes crinkle up. "You're helping." he then sends the other a certain, knowing look. "Or I'll tell Jackson all your secrets."
The color drained out of Aster's face, and he cast a side-glance to Jackson, who is just as amused by his reaction more than the secret they could be keeping. "Fine." he answers gruffly, crossing his arms and frowning.
Jackson laughs. He's never seen such a guy as Aster pout before - it was such a silly sight, after seeing the other with an angry look for such a long time. "Hah. Thought you could get away with it, didn't you?"
"Blackmail, I tell you." Aster huffs, as Damien parks the truck.
It was too dark to see, but what he could see of it, the house looked much newer than the one Jackson had lived in for the past few years; It took on a sort of cabin look, while also being as modern as it could be. He could only think on how much it would actually have cost, but he could tell it was much fancier than what he was used to, and it made him a little uncomfortable with the idea of staying.
"Cool." Jackson comments.
Aster nods. "She's a beaut, isn't she? - We built her from scratch with a few friends." he takes off his seatbelt to hop out of the truck, moving the things he had been holding in his lap out of the way. "Mostly Nicholas and his parents. They like building stuff." he adds.
"You mean the Russian people?" Jackson asks, stepping out of the truck as well, taking a hold of Moxy's carrier, which had been sat on the ground. "The ones who win every Christmas decorating competition ever?"
"Yep." he answers. "They're annoying, boisterous arseholes, but they're friends, and that's what friends are."
"Seriously?" Jack asks. "I thought friends just kind of...I dunno...hang out?"
the other shakes his head. "Usually, but I...I'll introduce you later, I guess."
Damien hefts up the largest box - the one with the computer in it - with difficulty, grunting at the weight. He shifts it to one arm for a bit to unlock the door. They had parked inside a lean-to, or the beginning of a garage, and so it was only natural to have a door leading out to it, Jackson could imagine.
The door opens up to a small room, with coats hanging on the walls and shoes lined up underneath; it was just so mundane to have a room specifically for coats ad shoes that Jack couldn't help himself but chuckle at the sight. Yes, his home had a coat rack, but it was placed in the kitchen, right near the doorway. He never really heard about having a room for coats, nor has he seen such a thing until now.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Aster rolls his eyes, placing the shoebox Jackson had packed and stacking it on a larger one. "Put your demon-infested pet inside and help out, would you?"
Jack rolls his eyes. "She's not demon-infested, she just likes you!"
"Like hell it does!" he answers, not even turning around as he lifts the two boxes up to carry them inside, using his foot to tap against Jack's legs, urging him to walk a little faster.
Jack places the carrier down by the living room couch, not even sparing the room a glance as he quickly shuffled back outside to grab another box - there were only four of them, he remembers, also counting the shoebox, so really this was the last one.
He uses his foot to close the door behind him as he makes his way back into the living room, where the other two were setting the boxes. Moxy lets out an irritated yowl, but is only ignored as Jack sets the box on the floor closest to the television.
The living room was like one of those ones you'd see on television, where it was spacious enough to fit an elephant in, if you wanted to. It had a flat-screen television hanging up on the wall, bookshelves made into the corner by the staircase, and a green L-shaped couch.
It was fancier than what he was used to, just like the outside appearance. It made him wonder if Damien wasn't just some billionaire in disguise. He knows, though, that if that were the case, Damien would have probably never bought this house - or built it - in the first place, seeing as how most billionaires tended to have mansions with too-large windows, a pool, and all that other stuff he couldn't really name off.
"Like it?" Damien asks. "It probably seems way different than the stuff you're used to, huh?"
"A little." Jack nods.
"You can stay on the couch for tonight." Aster says, before Damien sends him a look.
"He can sleep on the futon in your room. It's way more comfier, plus, I'd hate if I woke him up in the morning."
"No way!"
Jack blinks at the two men for a moment, taking in Damien's cheeky look and Aster's frustrated one with interest. Why would he being in Aster's room cause that kind of reaction?
Oh wait.
Oh no.
Aster's room.
As in the place where he sleeps at night and paints and talks to his friends and oh wow. That may be problematic. Aster was a great looking guy - and even with his horrible temper he was still good looking, and Jack didn't think it'd be too much of a great idea to stick him in a room with that, even for a short time.
He also wasn't stupid, he knew Aster must value his privacy enough to make a stink about it. He knew how much wanting to be alone meant.
"Uhm, I could just take the couch." he offers, shifting uncomfortably. "It's not the first time I've slept on a couch." he says the final part in a softer voice. A couch wasn't the worst place to sleep; why, he used to love sleeping on the couch whenever his mother was out late with friends. She never bothered him over it, so it became his favorite thing to do.
Damien looks anxious at that. "No, I insist; Aster's room is large enough for the two of you. I'll buy a mattress tomorrow, so it's only for one night!"
Jack looks between the two worriedly, unsure what to do. "I guess." he began slowly, before he throws Aster a smirk. "But only if you don't snore as much as you do in class!"
Aster sputters."What? - I don't snore in class! I don't even sleep in class!" he denies.
"Suuurrre." Jack drawls, turning his back to the two to pick up the carrier and undo the latch, letting the cat out.
"Ugh." Aster says, resigned. "Sure. I snore. Deal with it, frostbite."
"Wow," Jack smiles. "Going with old insults, now? I thought you better!"
"It's too late for this, Jack."
"It's never too late!"
Damien huffs in amusement, watching the two boys pick at each other for a moment more before clearing his throat, catching their attention. "Boys," he offers a thin smile. "Goodnight." He turns around and walks out of the room.
After a few moments of silence, the two share a glance.
Jack, his smile never wavering from a minute ago, merely chuckles. "So...futon?"
Aster rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Grab some jammies and I'll show you my room."
"Jammies?"
"Pajamas."
"Oh, good, because I don't think I have jammies." Jack laughs, moving to the box he remembers he had packed his clothes in. He opens it up to push around clothes until he pulled out a pair of shorts and a long sleeved shirt.
"Shorts? In this cold?" Aster questions.
"I like shorts." Jack replies. "Let me like my shorts."
"I think your bum would appreciate it if you didn't have shorts."
"Ah, I see." Jack nods. "You want me naked?" he then asks cheekily, dodging with a laugh as Aster tosses a couch pillow at him.*
"No!" Aster shouts, face flushed red in embarrassment.
"I wont!" Jack laughs. "It was a joke, Aster!"
Aster chuckles, shaking his head at the others antics. "Alright, follow me, then."
With that, they both walk up the stairs, Moxy trailing behind them, occasionally weaving her way between Jackson's legs and making it difficult to walk. The wall on one side of the stairs had the occasional picture of Aster, Damien, or other people; not many pictures, but enough. Aster didn't smile in any of them, from what Jackson glimpsed. Sour puss.
Soon they came upon a hallway and went left, passed a couple doors - one, which was open, was a bathroom. They then came to a stop in front of a brown door, and Aster opens it up.
"Here it is." he gestures with a hand. "Ladies first."
"Age before beauty, hop-scotch." Jack rolls his eyes, before gesturing as well.
"No, I insist." Aster says. "You are a guest after all."
"I'm what you call a proper guest." Jack replies. "I like to let the other guy go first."
Damien pokes his head out of a door down the hallway. "Can you guys be any louder? Some people have work to sleep for, you know."
Aster sighs, rolling his eyes as he enters the room. "Come in you stubborn showpony. You're helping with the futon."
Jack doesn't hesitate to follow him inside. He knows how late it is; he's going to feel awful tomorrow at school, that's for sure.
The bedroom was nothing like Jackson's; The room had enough space in it to shove the bed next to the dresser, while still having room for a violin and it's stand. There was a desk by the window covered in papers haphazardly strewn everywhere about the surface, and it had all kinds of posters, pictures, and sticky notes on one wall.
The room was painted a soft grey-blue, while the carpet was a tan color. It looked nicer than what he was used to, but heck - everything at this point Jackson was unused to. The room, despite everything in it, was quite large.
Jack whistles. "Nice." he comments, as Aster pulls out a black futon from his closet.
"Here. Lay this over there. I'll get the blanket and stuff while you get dressed." Aster replies, handing the corner of the futon to Jack, who takes it and goes in the direction Aster wanted, right across the room from Aster's bed.
Jack then aligns it with the wall, and takes off to the bathroom down the hallway; no way was he dressing with Aster in the room. He's sure he'd completely embarrass himself, having someone watch him.
As soon as he returns, the futon has a thick, purple blanket thrown over it and a pillow from the couch downstairs. Jack can't help but laugh at how much effort was put into making it. "I love the guest bed, it looks so comfy." he smirks.
Aster, from his place sitting on his bed, chuckles. "We didn't have any pillows to hand you."
Jack shrugs. "I'll live. It's only 'til tomorrow."
"Just don't wake me up." the other goes to lie down. "Get the light." he then says.
Jack turns the light off, causing the place to go dark, the only light being the small opening of the curtain, where the moonlight shone in. He closes the door behind him and retreats to the futon, carefully laying down on it. It was a little uncomfortable, and he could feel the hardness of the floor whenever he moved, but he knew it was too late to back out even if he wanted to.
He abandons the blanket, pushing it aside, and closes his eyes. The house was quiet save for the ticking of a clock, and he found himself hating those ticks; he was so used to the white noise of a fan that silence and the ticking of a clock felt nothing short of terribly annoying.
Three minutes later, he cracks open his eyes to see Aster checking his phone.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he asks.
"Give me a minute to tell these people off." Aster replies. "I don't even know why they're up at such a God-forsaken hour."
"To text you?" Jack says, rolling to where he faced away from the light. "I'd probably do the same thing."
"Text people at this hour, or text me at this hour?"
"You, mostly."
A noise is heard - Aster turning to face him, probably. "Oh yeah? What's your number?"
Jack laughs. "One eight hundred no-phone."
Aster is silent for a minute, and Jack finds himself turning back to face him. "Wow, you've got to be the only person I've met without a phone." Aster says.
"Surprise?" Jack smirks. "Not everyone has a phone, you know."
"Why not?" Aster asks. "I mean, even my dad has a phone."
"Awe, that's just rubbing it in."
"Even the principle has a phone."
"Pictures or it never happened." Jack huffs, smile never leaving his face. "And I was going to buy one soon."
"Sure you were." Aster says. "Tell you what; tomorrow I'll take you out to buy one."
Jack blinks at the other in surprise. "...But don't they cost a butt-ton of money?"
Aster smiles. "Nothing over a hundred, okay?" he then lays back down, draping his arm over the side of the bed to place his cellphone underneath it. "Night, Jackie." he whispers, and Jack couldn't help the giddy feeling he got at that. It'd been a long time since he had a goodnight from someone, and Aster whispering it was a much better thing to hear than what he could have imagined.
Though that sounded weird, didn't it? All well, guilty pleasures.
"Night." he repeats back, in a whisper himself.
He should probably be worrying about his mother or worrying about how hard the floor was or that the curtains to the window were closed, and he knows he should be worrying about Aster buying him a phone, or how he'd have to talk to his boss later.
He knows he should be worrying, and if not should, then usually he would be worrying.
But, even if he normally would be anxious about nothing and everything, just having Aster in the room with him made him feel at ease. They weren't friends -or, well, they seemed to not be friends- but just having someone around right now helped.
It was late, though, and his mind was probably not the sharpest thing when he was tired. Still, Aster's weirdly silent presence helped him calm his thoughts, and even he admits that he could afford to be selfish once in a while.
So, he closes his eyes to sleep.
Aster couldn't sleep. Not with his crush in the room. He couldn't help but glance in the direction he knew the other was in before snapping his eyes back to the ceiling. It was such a surreal thing, having the other here.
His dad never got to telling him why he had drug Jack away from his home other than that he and his mum had an argument of some sorts, but Aster couldn't help but think it was something else. Every family gets into a spat every once in a while, and you never really see someone rushing to leave home afterward. It was sketchy.
Also not to mention the ice cream. Damien hardly ever bought ice cream. The man was one of those health lovers, who would stock up on fruits and vegetables, so him buying ice cream was rare. Perhaps the 'fight' Jack and his mother had was of something more horrible than the normal teen angst? Aster wouldn't know, but it was a bit worrying.
He shakes his head, knocking the thoughts from his mind before leaning over to grab his phone. He had set it aside but he could hear it vibrating on the floor, and he was just about ready to fling it out the window. Whoever it was needed to go to sleep like an actual person, and he was going to tell them so.
Groupcht
T: aster did you kiss yet
T: because if you didnt im going to make you later
N: ooo do it i will get camera
S: north theres a camera on your phone :)
N: how do i get it
T: guys aster and jack? kind of a thing that could be happening?
Aster smirks at his friend's antics. They were probably the most annoying bunch he knew, but they were the most amazing batch of friends he's ever had. They didn't judge him for anything, and they always asked him if he was okay.
And then there's this crap they pull.
A: go to sleep you shits
He prepares to toss the phone aside, thinking that is that, before it's buzzing in his hand again. He tiredly looks at the chat once more, growing a little agitated.
S: i'm already in bed!
T: tell me about the kissing part
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
Aster jumps a little at the sudden voice, glancing to where Jack was laying. Was Jack watching him this entire time?
"Give me a minute to tell these people off." Aster replies. "I don't even know why they're up at such a God-forsaken hour."
"To text you?" Jack says, shifting around - probably getting himself comfortable. It was pretty late, and he did fall asleep on the trip home. Jack must have been tired as hell. "I'd probably do the same thing."
"Text people at this hour, or text me at this hour?"
"You, mostly."
Aster turns to face him. "Oh yeah? What's your number?"
Jack laughs. "One eight hundred no-phone."
Aster goes quiet for a moment, taking a small glance at his phone as it vibrates once more at a new message. "Wow, you've got to be the only person I've met without a phone."
"Surprise?" Jack says. "Not everyone has a phone, you know."
"Why not?" Aster shrugs, taking a second or two to turn the message notification on his phone off, successfully silencing it for the night. "I mean, even my dad has a phone."
"Awe, that's just rubbing it in."
"Even the principle has a phone."
"Pictures or it never happened." Jack replies. "And I was going to buy one soon."
"Sure you were." Aster says. "Tell you what; tomorrow I'll take you out to buy one."
"...But don't they cost a butt-ton of money?"
Aster smiles. "Nothing over a hundred, okay?" he then lays back down, draping his arm over the side of the bed to place his cellphone underneath it, ignoring the little machine for now. "Night, Jackie." he finds himself whispering. In a way it was kind of nice to whisper a goodnight to someone. As weird as that may sound.
"Night." Jack whispers back.
This is split in two parts sorry not sorry
and sorry for horrible writing i start out in amazing poet-like grace but then poof its gone goodbye amazing art goodbye and hello horrible chapters hello
O if you liked, X if you didn't!