[attr="class","uriah"]once again, her expression is unreadable; he should really stop trying at this point because nothing can come from it. he turns away the moment she takes her clothes, heading to the wardrobe off to the side to retrieve fresh clothing for himself.

as long as it doesn't take too long.

at this, he slows down when putting on his shirt just a bit, smiling as he nods, though with his back turned to her it's not like she could see it regardless.

"alright."

and after putting on sweatpants, he steps away, pointing to the wardrobe over his shoulder as he leaves the room.

"you can borrow clothes if you want. your dress smells."

outside, he starts preparing the uriah hangover special, which is really just extra greasy bacon, scrambled eggs, and french toast.

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]how is it better? wait, he's not saying this out loud.

"how is it better?"

regardless, he slowly pushes off the bed, standing before he walks away, soon leaving the room for a few moments before eventually returning with her clothes.

he extends it over to her.

"at least stay for breakfast?"

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]uriah.

not uri, not uri uri, just uriah. it's the first slap in the face that makes him understand, and slowly, he blinks, readjusting to the now dim lighting of the room to peer up at her face. unsurprisingly, he finds nothing, which is the second slap.

the third?

"oh."

grunting, he moves to sit beside her, bringing a hand up to rub at tired eyes.

"you really gonna dip without trying the uri hangover special?"

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]relief comes when the curtains are inevitably drawn close. he exhales, sinking into the mattress before peering up to meet her silence. he's far too tired to even consider how awkward it is; he's just glad she's still here.

so he shifts a little closer when she sits, slipping underneath the blanket before a hand reaches out for her.

at her question, he can only groan as he shakes his head, which makes his headache even worse.

"too fucking early."

looking up at her, he asks:

"are you in a rush, sol?"

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]one of the blankets? no, uriah only has one, which ends up being dragged away from him when sol goes to stand.

"where are you going?"

to get the blinds, probably, but this doesn't occur to him despite his previous words which he's already forgotten.

without her in bed with him, and with no blanket, he suddenly feels cold.

"sol...come back..."

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]having been too caught up in each other, he doesn't remember to close the curtains before passing out last night, which inevitably allows bright rays of sunlight to shine through, blasting his face for a very unpleasant morning wake-up call.

groaning, he tilts his head away from the window only to find his arm draped around another.

"get the..."

he shifts closer, both seeking her warmth and also escaping the harsh sunlight.

"...get the curtains..."

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]uriah doesn't mind either, and his arms fall around her waist to pull himself closer, also too caught up in the moment to care about anything other than her.

from there, his movements become more natural, more in tune with desires that are no longer held back. a hand trails up to slip the straps of her dress off her shoulders.

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]his heart's in his throat. he can practically hear the silence of the room as he contemplates his next move. it doesn't take him long to figure out that he doesn't have one.

it shouldn't be this difficult.

uri.

fuck it.

"sol."

with a step, he reaches out for her waist, pulling her into a kiss as he presses her against the door. nothing cuts the kiss short this time; he takes his time, kissing her sweetly, passionately, as he had wanted to for a while now.

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]no, i'm not.

of course she isn't; why would she be? jumbled thoughts run through his head, looking to overpower and possibly ruin what's to come. thankfully, her touch pulls him out of it, only to push him down an entirely different pit.

he returns the kiss a little too late. she pulls away, leaving him stunned as she steps out of the elevator.

but surprisingly, his nerves start to fade, especially at the sight of her smirk.

"okay."

and after a breath, he steps after her, narrowly avoiding walking into the closing elevator doors. what a mood killer that would've been.

soon, they reach his familiar apartment, closing the door behind him. it's not as dark as it should be; the drawn curtains allow the city lights to shine through, illuminating just enough.

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]is uriah nervous? yes. it's not hard to tell. her question makes him chuckle slightly, nodding as he responds:

"a little."

so much so that he forgot to press the button. he realizes, then not-so-subtly stretches a hand out to press at his floor. only then does the elevator start moving.

he draws circles on her skin; an act that calms him just enough.

"i just don't wanna mess this up, you know?"

she's great and he's...well, an idiot.

tilting his head over, he asks:

"are you?"

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]despite his words, uriah knows he doesn't truly hate his father, at least not in the way he says he does. their relationship is complicated, to say the least; it always has been and it likely always will be.

"you're really wise, sol, i should really start listening to you more."

his words are void of any sarcasm because honestly, he means it. he returns her grin, tugging her into his apartment building just as they arrive.

the elevator doors close, drawing an exhale out of him. he leans in, pressing his shoulder against hers to whisper:

"sorry in advance for the mess."

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]you're sweet.

"that's true."

you're so bad.

"that's also true."

he laughs with her, carefree as they continue to walk down the empty streets of slateport. they're getting closer to his apartment now, which seems to be making him quite nervous, but also excited.

"my uhh...my dad chose it. said it would be good for the family and the business so i didn't have much choice."

too drunk to stop himself from saying it...

"fuck i hate him."

and then he laughs.

[attr="class","noodles"]@sol

[attr="class","uriah"]"but dad..."

his gaze shifts off the dragon-types in the air, moving to his gorilla of a father next to him.

"i'm doing the exact same thing as you are."

[attr="class","noodles"]GABRIEL BLACK