Work Text:
Standing just out of sight, Colin eyes the new familiar, Topher. For some reason, he’s having a pickle of a time reading the guy. Most people have a little juice to drain out, may that be a small inconvenience somewhere in the day. Something to nitpick at, but Colin was getting absolutely nothing. Shaking his head, he sighs in defeat.
Topher hears it, looking over his shoulder he smiles wide enough the corners of his eyes crinkle. He tries to say something, but before he can get a word out, Colin is retreating out the front door.
For some reason seeing this, nobody familiar smile made a bundle of butterflies swarm inside Colin’s chest. Shivering, he realized he completely forgot to grab his coat, rolling his eyes he decided to keep walking. Maybe he can drain some extra energy on his way to work. Seeing the bus stop, he spots an older couple standing under the awning. Smirking he stands next to them, striking up a conversation, he starts spitting out ridiculous facts on why coats are weakening the human immune system.
An argument sparks instantly, feeding his eyes glow a dull blue. They talk back and forth until the bus arrives, stepping in, Colin turns around. He thanks them for the lovely talk, the couple is in such a daze they can’t move. Waving them off, the door shuts, and the bus takes off. The couple collapsed shortly after, too drained to stand.
Even though it wasn’t the breakfast, he wanted it satisfied Colin’s needs for the time being. Work went as it usually did; the cue tip argument gave him a sweet snack before lunch. Sitting at his desk, he sent an email after email to everyone saying he was going to throw a party. Smiling to himself, he chuckled at the thought of all his idiot coworkers showing up to an empty building. What a feast that will cause, his mouth began to water at the mere thought.
Soon the day ended, and his trek home began. When he walked through the front door, Topher was immediately there to greet him.
With a sickenly cheerful tone, Topher smiled,” Hello Mr. Robinson. Did you have a good day at work?”
Squinting Colin looks around, no one’s asked about his day before. This has to be a trick; seeing no cameras in view, he relaxed. Muttering, he shrugs,” Fine.” Shifting his footing, Colin asks,” How was your first day as a familiar?”
Chuckling Topher’s eyes lit up,” Fantastic, Mr. Robinson. So far, it’s the best job I’ve ever had.” Leaning in close, he whispers,” And I’ve had a lot of jobs.”
Leaning back, Colin felt a wave of nervousness he’s never felt before run up his spine. Nodding, he says something along the lines of okay before bolting to the basement. He can hear Topher yell something behind him, but Colin is too focused on getting to his room to listen to him.
Once in his room, Colin slams his door shut. Leaning against the door, he sighs, sliding down his bottom hits the cold floor. What is wrong with him? Holding his hand to his chest, he feels a warm fuzziness. This is new, concerned he went and grabbed his laptop. After a few google searches, Colin thinks he’s able to pinpoint his problem. According to the Internet, he’s either experiencing a heart attack or has a crush on someone.
Swallowing the lump in his throat Colin chuckles to himself. He can’t have a crush on Topher; this isn’t right. Shaking his head, he sets his laptop on his desk before changing into his pajamas. Once he’s comfortable, the warm fuzzy feeling dissipates, waving it off; he concludes,” Must have been a mini heart attack.”
Today has been a weird day; tomorrow should be better, he predicts. Before he’s able to crawl into bed, a soft knock catches his attention. Opening the door, his eyes widen, Topher with his goofy smile is standing on the other side.
Holding a blanket in his arms, Topher offered it to Colin.” I thought since it was so cold out, it might make your room extra chilly.”
Taking it with caution, all Colin can muster is a muffled thanks. That warm fuzzy feeling spreads across his chest again, this time with a vengeance. Clearing his throat, he awkwardly goes to shut his door, as he does, Topher tells him goodnight. Nodding Colin says it back before slamming the door shut, wincing slightly at how harsh it sounded. Turning to face his bed, he mumbles,” Fuck.”
The next day Colin makes sure to wake up early enough everyone is asleep, including Guillermo and Topher. He heads to work and goes through the day having a mild panic attack the whole time. His office is able to get work done for the first time in ages. In fact, he sneaks out early to walk around town to clear his head. He spends time in a few cafe’s draining the Karens that argue with the staff. After a while, he sighs, feeling a bit better. On the way home, however, he spots Guillermo and Topher walking out of a beauty store. Cursing, he quickly hides behind a tree, praying they didn’t see him—no such luck.
Topher sneaks up, popping his head into view with a loud,” Hi!”. Colin jumps involuntarily, making Topher laugh.” Sorry, Mr. Robinson. I saw it was you, so I couldn’t resist.” Sparing a glance to Guillermo, he holds up the bags he’s carrying.” We just finished getting everything Laszlo and Nadja wanted from the makeup store. While we’re out, would you like anything, sir?”
A blush creeps across Colin’s face, stuttering he says,” I-I’m okay. Thanks, though.”
“Alright well, if you think of anything,” Topher digs in his coat pocket, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen he jots down his phone number. Handing it over, he beams with a wink,” Don’t be afraid to call or text.” That said, he leaves Colin stunned and at a loss for words. Both Topher and Guillermo go to make their way to the next stop.
Fiddling with the paper in his hand, Colin lets out a shaky breath once they’re out of sight. Staring at the piece of writing, he raises an eyebrow, might as well put it in his phone. After closing his flip phone, he felt a smile cross his face. The butterflies returned, causing him to clear his throat. Looking around, he spots the camera crew filming him from afar. Feeling embarrassed Colin’s eyes flash a bright blue before he turns away. Cursing, he walks away as fast as he can, losing the camera crew in the process.