Andres focuses on his breathing, as he's met with silence. He counts the seconds between Onyx's words. His touch is a comfort he's glad he's dying with. And then he felt his chest throat again. Something snapping with cold rushing through his head. He shuts his eyes, gathering the strength to talk. "And?" The word is a struggle, but it helps him gather strength for the next bit. The bit where he smooths it all over. Where he makes it all go away. Where he is just Andres, happy and smiley and helpful and dumb. Because he was smart. He was smart enough to know how this would end. And he'd still gone through with it, like an idiot. [break][break]

"Why-...why does that matter anymore?" It doesn't. Not to Andres anyway. Count how many more times he could smash the sledgehammer on the mirror. How many more pieces he can break into dust. He laughs. Its quiet and raspy, and it pulls at his lips into a forced smile despite how much he fucking hated himself. But he keeps a singular goal in mind. Don't cry. He could hold it in just- wait. "Don't worry. I-I just wanted to tell you." Because this pain was temporary. There's more tan enough liquor squirreled away in this apartment. He'd drinking himself to death before the meteor shattered the whole continent.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub | don't look at me during [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

He waits patiently as Onyx sets up their food, keeping still and pressing against the pillows. He's not, terribly hungry so the wait feels fine. If anything his attention drifts, and his eyelids droop a little until Onyx speaks up again. "Thank you..." he settles the bowl on top of his lap, one hand carefully holding the side while he carefully leans over and inhales steam. He slurps a spoonful of spicy broth, then, another, and a third. [break][break]

He only stops, lightly panting as the pepper and chilis take effect. His nose runs and he clamps a napkin on it shut to stay decent. He drinks a bit of water before watching as Onyx gets up once more. The guy had a whole routine around food huh? He tilts his head idly before letting the man wander. [break][break]

Instead he goes to attack the noodles and fishcake in his bowl. Chuchi for the most part is wide eyed and still as Onyx place the bowl of meats down. She doesn't bite him, more lunge either. Instead she carefully paws the bowl to the side before tearing up the contents excitedly. Utterly ravenous in his wake. It seemed like she wasn't just inhaling her food because she liked the taste. There's a rabidness that comes from it. Like she really hadn't eaten in a while. [break][break]

With the guardian of the closet, and Andres' apartment home, Onyx is free to roam and poke and prod. Andres is too weak to call him back and too distracted by his meal. There's multiple things just barely hanging from hanged, shirts pants. Some drawers had unrolled clean underwear falling from it like it'd been yanked out without much thought. But that's only one small side. The rest of the closet seemed meticulously organized. The non daily wear things untouched and organized by category. There's a couple of track suits, some regular officer wear, a couple of suits, and then a few jackets and trench coats for the colder months. Hidden inside one dark brown coat though, is something poking out through the neck. Like a small headband with a couple of white horns on it.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub | bitch im a cow [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Andres struggled to keep it cool, to go back to normal. It's irritating how little he can hide from Onyx. But Andres had never had a good poker face. "Would you have preferred I hadn't?" He'd barely opened the door before they were tangled in each other, desperate. [break][break]

"Guess I'm not that bad of a fuck for you to come to me." [break][break]

Andres smiles, hard and fake. The flags down a waiter. 2 more rounds. Tequila, and a refresh on the salt and lime. [break][break]

Onyx pushes the weight of responsibility on him and he snickers. [break][break]

“But you picked me, for your last night on earth. When we’re just friends?”


[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Andres watches, looking back at the stars to keep Onyx form feeling like a fish in a tank. He hadn't known that and it felt...odd. Different. Very few things bothered Onyx. He wouldn't thought his fears- dislikes would've been something more different. Not contradictory to what Andres knew him as: confident and wild and- [break][break]

He pushes the thoughts down as the word strong comes up, a memory of bone meeting metal flashing for a moment. He dared not think about those things while with Onyx. He didn't know what it'd make him do- or say. [break][break]

So when Onyx moves on, so does he, happy to forget. Eager to, in fact. "Well, there was a reason I didn't like PE." Team sports, cardio, basketball shorts too big on his skinny frame, borderline asthma- The list had been endless. He never excelled like that, not matter how much he'd wanted to. [break][break]

And As he says that the world id dyed blue, then yellow. Trails of colorful like cross creating a faint green for a moment before separating again. "Yeah...I guess you're right." he sips from his glass, awed by the poor Minior. For once he was at peace, his mind slowing down and focusing on a single thing again. "It's the one good thing I found out there." he said.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Andres nodded, wondering how he as going to take care of Ziadem. How long Onyx was going to stay hospitalized? He should probably check in with the nurse later. [break][break]

He watched Onyx try his best, changing Andres' grip to something more personal, it felt. Something he'd intentionally avoided. The nickname makes his heart throb. Simple pleasures amidst tragedy. How utterly selfish of him. "I don't mind, don't force yourself." he said, voice lowering as he watches Onyx's lone eyes flutter in an attempt to stay away. The medicine already working to drop his tired body into sleep. "Sleep...I'll keep watch." he murmured, leaning in closer, lips ghosting over the Rocket's knuckles.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

His breathing slows, but he doesn't release Onyx from the grip he's put him in. He doesn't move to fix the sticky mess on both their stomachs. He'd die on that couch, either fucked out of his mind or alone. But even if he's not expecting much there's still a sting that his tired brain registers. A painful grip in his heart. [break][break]

Onyx is in disbelief, and part of him thinks he's appalled, maybe even disappointed. He feels sick for a moment swallowing as he closes his eyes. One small breath, that's all he needed. [break][break]

Because yeah. Yeah that's about what he expected from this. From being honest and vulnerable. It hurts. Because despite all…all the weird signals, their time spent together he's still just friends. Even resigning himself as just...a bed warmer for him, it still hurts. He hates himself for it all the same. For caring so much, for being so desperate. "O-Onyx-" its a struggle to name the man that has ruined him unintentionally. [break][break]

Andres smiles into his skin, quiet and sad. This is his fault for testing something so fragile. But as much as it had been a bad idea he doesn't stop. He already broke it. "I love you." He whispers the confession into his neck, smiling and holding back a sob. He thinks it's ok. It's all ok. He's ok. He got what he wanted, if brief. He'd fed into his own delusions long enough. And how fitting for it to end at the cusp of the apocalypse. [break][break]

What is more fitting to a euphoric high than falling down to the deepest depths for his low?



[break][break]

+ onyx straub | don't look at me during [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Onyx never uses the front door, preferring to break in whenever he pleased. And that irritated one fat fucking Eevee. As he calls for her trainer, spots of orange flash in the darkness that is the bedroom. Clothes throw on on the floor, bed made a mess. But empty. She huffed, eyeing the open balcony door and then peeking out form behind furniture to glare at Onyx. She lets out a sharp bark, immediately nosing through grocery bags intent to see what treats he brought her. The toll for entering her domain was high. [break][break]

Not a soul stirs in the apartment for another twenty minutes before the door lock clicks, and the door knob begins to turn. In walked Andres, tired and slouching. He drags in a gym bag and a bag of frozen pizzas. It's an off day for him. [break][break]

The bags are unceremoniously dumped at the front door as he shuts and locks behind him, groaning and leaning on the wall to take off his shoes. "Me siento mierda, Chuchi." he complained only for the Eevee to bark. Sitting on the very top of the couch, tail wagging she cuts off the rest of his complaints and gives him a moment to look around. [break][break]

"Onyx?" he asked, visibly perking up at the hope of seeing the guy. There's the bags on the floor so- who else could it be. Nobody could win over Chuchi after all. Onyx had compromised privilege's, anybody else got mauled. [break][break]

And he makes up his mind then and there, if the man isn't home he'd invite him over. Now that it's in his head...he wanted to see him.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub || affections confections (ee) [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

He can't smell the ramen, but Chuchi scurrying out from underneath the bed and after Onyx is enough of a tell. She watches from a distance, peeking out from Andres' room before moving away and hiding as Onyx returned. She takes up residence in the open closet where clothes are still strewn on the ground from Andres' attempting to get decent for errands. [break][break]

"Spicy...please." He said as he made an effort to sip up a little straighter, carefully grabbing pillows so they wouldn't fall off. He settles in as Onyx looks at him, and he doesn't have the energy to walk around this. Barely keeping away he nodded. "Yeah...if you're not busy-" [break][break]

It would not be far fetched to believe Onyx would leave. He was a busy guy. Andres didn't doubt he wouldn't want to stay to take care of him. He wouldn't ask that of him. A few days of sleep and he'd pop back up fresh as a daisy. [break][break]

"You came for a reason, right?" he asked, smiling as he did. "We can eat, and you can tell 'em about it." he added as he pat his chest as if calling for Onyx to settle in closer.


[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

He grins, catching Onyx off guard was a good feeling. When Onyx looks away first for once, hiding something in his eyes it gives him such a thrill. A different part of Onyx he guarded jealously in the back recesses of his mind. "Sure-" He's quick to respond, giddy as Onyx moves in on him. Andres doesn't move back, doesn't falter until- [break][break]

SNAP! Onyx has him caught in the mousetrap and he just forgets to breathe. Out of anything Onyx Straub could've said tonight, this was not a possibility Andres had ever imagined. They'd gone completely back to normal-ish. As normal as their friendship had been. Neither one brought up that night. Sure, Andres had zoned out a lot of the most of December but, for the most part, Onyx had acted the same as before. Texts, hang outs, breaking and entering. [break][break]

Shit even now hadn't been anything special. Just an invite Andres had latched onto. [break][break]

"You tell me. You came to my door." he said, pushing back despite the overwhelming urge to get up and go home. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to have half drunk. This wasn't something he wanted to revisit. He got the message the first time. [break][break]

"You know, that night was the first time you've ever really knocked at my door." Any other time he'd come over. He'd forced his way in. Andres could get the message he was coming over and come home to Onyx already on his couch. He'd considered giving him a key but...that'd be awkward now wouldn't it?

[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Why not?" he asked. He doesn't ask but it's obvious he's making the connections in his head. So much of the gym challenge in Galar was the crowds, the notoriety across the region the further and further you went. So was he just really good as suffering through them? Had it all been for battling? [break][break]

"It was...a long day...I'd never actually been in the forest for that long." He'd also never walked that far, and while he had been a bit knowledgeable about building a shelter and finding water- none of that mattered when he was too weak to go more than a couple of miles and misidentifying plants. [break][break]

He blushes, embarrassed at the memory. He'd touched it thinking it something normal at first and then before the rashes kicked in he fell after tripping over a root. They'd found him tangled and dragging it around, covered in mud with his glasses cracked. The last one back for a good couple of hours. And swollen like a pufferfish no less. [break][break]

"Yeah...I couldn't move much because the itching got so bad I sat down and scratched instead of walking." That and he'd given up on getting out without somebody else's help. That unit had been to give kids a leg up if they managed to get into the Gym Challenge, which was many of them. After all, it was a popular thing. Andres hadn't cared much for it...until Onyx had shown him he did.

[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Andres swallowed trying to stay in control of himself. Onyx talks, and he is so relieved. So happy. Onyx tilts his head towards him and Andres brushes the few strands that fall away form his face. He avoids touching the bandages and the skin, scared of giving him an infection. His hair is free game however, and he spends his time carefully threading fingers through it. [break][break]

"I'm glad you're awake...Ziadem was worried." he said, happy to just sit near him. He moves his other hand to Onyx's struggling one, grasping it like it could crack at any moment. Careful of him, he leads it back to rest on the bed and wraps his fingers around. "It's ok-" he whispered, rushed as he tried to keep the man from straining. [break][break]

"I can be here- I- I want to be here."


[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

He's so fucking stupid. So ignorant of himself. How could he still call their relationship just friends? It hurts. They part mouths too soon for Andres, but he can't fight it. He's too drained from uncorking whatever the hell decade's worth of feelings he had stuffed away in the deep recesses of his mind. [break][break]

Andres stared at his apartment walls, clinging to Onyx. Too weak to do anything else. He doesn't speak for a while, head blank and eyes glassy. Eventually, he hides his face again into the crook of Onyx's neck and inhales. Soothed by his touch and his scent he closes his eyes. He could die like this. He could. but he'd have a regret. And in the moment. he's too drained to feel shame. [break][break]

After all, if they're going to die anyway, then who cares? Any pain here would be brief, running its course by morning. He truly had nothing to lose. Andres struggled, swallowing and wheezing out the words amidst his own afterglow. "I-...you-" he pauses, focusing hard to summon forth the words. There in the shadow of the meteor, fucking away his last hours of life, he tries to make it count. To at least verbalize that obsession growing inside of him. [break][break]

"I love you."

[break][break]

And it's a really fucking shame, that he's such a coward about this, it took until the literal apocalypse to admit it. But Andres had always been a coward, and that would never change. [break][break]


[break][break]

+ onyx straub | don't look at me during [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Andres watched Onyx move about, returning with determined eyes and some meds for him to swallow. He doesn't argue as he drops little capsules only turning to his cup and sucking a bit of water before popping thebpills and awallowing hard. He sips more to help the capsules go down before smiling up at Onyx for his effort.[break][break]

"I'm ok for now." He said as Onyx retrieved his cup for a refill. "Are you- are you staying over?" His voice carried a tinge of hope and another of worry. "You don't have to- if you are-" he added, his voice traling off althe further Onyx got.


[break][break]

+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]