#justdatingthings

[knitsock]

#justdatingthings Part of the charm of being in a relationship isn't found in the amor, the grand shows and trapping. Contentment can just as easily come from the little things - or even the silly things - about being close to someone. At first, you're either naturally standoffish or wary or you're intent on impressing them and not looking like a total nerd. That's how the "getting to know you" process works, unfortunately. As you get more serious...you may actually get less so? Maybe you'll let them see your dorky humor, your weird laugh, your bizarre hobbies, your bed head. It could end up that the two of you have more fun playing video games together, Netflixing and chilling, baking cookies, or sword fighting (if you're in the olden days, where Netflix and cookies are scarce). And, really, you can't help that their clothes are so comfortable on you. It's a good thing you guys are together. You really did gain a best bud. Character, preferences, etc. You know the drill! Thread. Go forth and kill spiders, share clothes, snuggle together for warmth, play Mario Kart, open jars, bake brownies, hang out on the drawbridge of a castle, slay vampires, whatever you dudes get up to. ♥

Comments

Henry Cheng | The Raven Cycle

[fiskers]

Grace Ford | OC | m/f

[barre_none]

Ziva David | NCIS

[4letters4ninja]

Sara Sidle | CSI: Las Vegas

[cannonwithagun]

Newt Scamander | Fantastic Beasts | OTA

[wellwisher]

Neil Josten | all for the game | m/m

[1hundred]

Kara Danvers • Supergirl (ota)

[ex_clobbers559]

Rey | SW: TFA | OTA

[thesefirststeps]

Kei Tsukishima - Haikyuu!! - ota

[itsjustanaccount]

[Character info in journal if it helps canonblind]

Archie Kennedy | Hornblower

[betteralready]

/careful reslife au

[midship]

[dorm room movie night?? stupid texting throughout the day?? bringing each other coffee while studying??]

:D

[betteralready]

[movie nights plz so that cuddles!!]

<3

[midship]

He shouldn't be nervous. This isn't something to be nervous about.

Things have been going well, after all. They've been finding time to spend together. They've been getting comfortable with casual contact. They've been learning how to be easy together, how to steal little kisses and tangle their fingers together without either of them getting skittish.

He's still fretfully checking his reflection every few seconds, fingers tugging unhappily through his hair and twitching nervously at his collar. He's still checking and double-checking that the internet's connected, that the pizza hasn't gotten unacceptably cool, that the movie is cued up.

Dating Archie is incredibly easy. It still sends his heart into more of a tizzy than he can handle with actual grace.

<333

[betteralready]

Archie has cared for Horatio Hornblower in two lifetimes. It means that he doesn't mind at all the nerves, the overthinking. It's fondly familiar, after all, however unecessary.

It's really not particularly difficult to show up on time, when they live in the same building. Archie shows up exactly on, just because showing up too early (no matter how excited he is) would likely just freak the other young man out.

But he is rather obviously excited, when Horatio opens the door.

"Hi."

already just. nerds. <3

[midship]

Of course Archie's right on time. Of course there's barely a heartbeat of time for him to properly panic in, because of course Archie's right there, exactly when he's meant to be.

The tips of his ears are pink as he stands briefly in the doorway, breathing through the nerves and excitement for a moment.

"--hi."

A deep breath is needed to get him reaching out, fingers catching hesitantly at Archie's to pull him into the room. This is good. This is real.

This isn't going to be snatched away.

[betteralready]

He's blushing happily as he's tugged in. He's squeezing Horatio's hand happily as he does so.

"You look-- nice."

[midship]

"I look-- like I look."

In fact, he'd guess he looks a bit more flustered than he usually looks. The flush is bleeding down into his cheeks as he fumbles to press a careful kiss against Archie's cheek.

"C'mon. We're all set."

He's not... great at this.

[betteralready]

He's not great at this. That's fine. That's part of why Archie likes him so much.

There's something gentle to his laugh as he presses a kiss back against his cheek.

"All right, then."

[midship]

Lingering close is unconscious. (They used to get so little time. They used to need to savour even just a simple breath together.)

He doesn't quite let go even when he does move away to make space. He can't quite completely get out of the other man's space as he moves to grab them both some pizza.

"Bed all right?"

[betteralready]

"Yeah. That's fine."

It's so nice to mean it. It's so nice to not be scared; to know fully exactly how safe he is, here.

To be able to stay stuck close as he can manage and not have to worry they'll be seen.

[midship]

"You can start it."

And he can feed them. He can focus on simple things like acquiring food. He can let Archie get settled before he worries about how he's going to settle himself in as well.

If Archie's distracted by the movie while he figures out how to settle in, that's much better.

[betteralready]

"You sure you don't want me to wait for you?"

But he is moving in the general direction of the bed, to settle in.

[midship]

This is right. This is good. This is as comfortable as it's ever been, without any terrible change to the calm between them.

He can do this. This is the happy part.

"No-- go ahead. I've seen it a hundred times."

[betteralready]

"Okay."

So another kiss to his cheek, quick and easy, before he finally moves to the bed.

[midship]

It's a soothing sort of thing. It's infinitely comfortable to hear the beginnings of The Hunt for Red October on his computer.

He's not good at dates.

But he's good at getting pizza. And he's not terrible at finding his way into being curled up next to Archie, just a touch nervous.

[betteralready]

It's not the smoothest they've settled in beside one another, but it's a good start. It's an easy enough position to nestle into, as well.

They fit well. They always have. Somehow, it feels all the better, now.

[midship]

It's not smooth, but it winds up natural all the same. His body knows how to lean comfortably against Archie's, as if they've been doing it for a hundred years.

He can focus on other things. He can focus on eating and watching, on thinking through the rest of the night and the rest of the week.

As soon as his mind's properly engaged again, it's easy to relax into the easy comfort he's always had with the other young man.

[betteralready]

It's all the better, once they're properly settled in together. It's such a comfort, to be able to be tangled here, murmuring quick questions about the movie every so often but mostly reveling in the proximity.

It's even greater, to steal a quick kiss against the other young man's cheek.

[midship]

Questions are good. Questions help keep his mind comfortably distracted from what's natural in his own body.

It's lovely to rattle off facts about submarines. It's lovelier to rattle them off with his lips brushing against Archie's temple, with the wonderful punctuation of kisses.