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“We’ll be back tomorrow around noon, so be good boys, and don’t forget to feed the cat.” Balloon’s mom kissed Balloon on the head, then gave Nickel one too, smiling warmly at both of them. Balloon’s dad simply gave a casual wave before the two parents headed out, leaving Balloon and Nickel alone together for the night.
“Geez, how often do your parents go out? What is this one anyway, some kind of business trip or fancy business dinner thing?” Nickel asked. He honestly liked how welcoming Balloon’s parents were. They’d always been supportive of his relationship with Balloon, and Nickel thought it was really sweet.
“Uh… the second one, I think? I dunno, I don’t really pay attention to what they do.” Balloon scooped up his cat and covered her in kisses before setting her back down and letting her run off. “Anyway, what do you want for dinner?” he asked his boyfriend.
“Heh… you.” Nickel gave an exaggerated wink.
“Shut up.” Balloon laughed, pushing Nickel’s face away. His boyfriend could be so unbelievably cringe sometimes. “I’m serious. Mom said we can either order something on her card or cook something ourselves. Whatever you want.”
“Can we get chicken nuggets from McDonald’s?” Nickel asked with a grin.
“Of course we can. We can get a share pack and split it. You want soda too?”
“Yes!!” Nickel nodded eagerly.
Balloon pulled out his phone and ordered through Uber Eats using his mom’s card. Nuggets, fries, dipping sauces, and two large sodas. “It should be here in about twenty minutes,” he told Nickel.
“We should watch a movie tonight!”
“We should watch a movie, or do you mean we’ll start one and then you’ll end up crawling all over me begging for attention?”
“When do I ever do that?!” Nickel exclaimed.
Balloon gave him a flat look. Seriously?
It was still pretty early, around six in the evening. They’d only just gotten home after hanging out with Suitcase and Baseball, so neither of them had changed into comfortable clothes yet.
“Why don’t we put our pajamas on before the food gets here?” Balloon suggested. “Then we can relax in bed with our food and movie without worrying about it getting cold.”
“Sounds like a good idea.” Nickel smiled.
The two of them headed upstairs to Balloon’s room. Balloon opened his wardrobe and pulled out a white tank top along with a pair of pajama shorts, setting them neatly on the bed.
Meanwhile, Nickel wandered over to the basket of random clothes he constantly threw things into instead of properly putting them away. Balloon had tried countless times to get him to organize them, even buying him his own wardrobe, but Nickel still refused to use it.
Nickel hadn’t grown up with much money and used to live with barely anything, so Balloon’s parents had bought him plenty of new clothes that weren’t old, torn, or falling apart. Nickel was incredibly grateful for it all, but honestly? He still preferred wearing Balloon’s clothes to bed. They were oversized, warm, and smelled like him.
“Nothing to weaaaar,” Nickel complained dramatically.
“There’s plenty to wear. You just want to steal my clothes again.” Balloon sighed, though there was obvious fondness in his voice. He opened his wardrobe again, grabbed an oversized red t-shirt, and tossed it at Nickel. “Here.”
Nickel caught it instantly, his face lighting up with victory.
Yesss. Score.
Balloon pulled off his red sweater and draped it over his desk chair before starting to unbutton his white shirt. As the fabric parted, it revealed his pale, lightly freckled skin. No matter how many times Nickel had seen Balloon shirtless, he still couldn’t help staring. Balloon was just… beautiful to him.
The soft curve of his stomach, the warmth of his chubby frame, the way his freckles stood out against his fair skin, the messy red curls that always framed his face perfectly, Nickel adored every part of him. Balloon slipped the shirt off completely and tossed it into the dirty clothes basket before pulling on a white tank top.
When he turned around, Nickel was still standing there, red-faced and staring openly.
“Yes?” Balloon raised a brow. He already knew exactly what was happening. This wasn’t anything new.
“Whaaat?” Nickel smirked as he walked over. “It’s not my fault you’re ridiculously attractive.”
He grabbed Balloon by the hips and squished at his sides, making Balloon squeal.
“Nickel, quit it!!” Balloon laughed, shoving him away. He unbuckled his jeans, stepped out of them, and kicked them aside before changing into a comfortable pair of pajama shorts. “Get dressed, idiot. Stop staring,” he scolded, though there wasn’t much seriousness behind it.
Nickel sighed dramatically before pulling off the band shirt he’d been wearing and tossing it aside. He peeled off his ripped black jeans as well, throwing them onto the floor nearby. Compared to Balloon, Nickel’s skin was more tanned, and his build was much leaner. He picked up the oversized red t-shirt Balloon had given him earlier and pulled it over his head. On him, it hung almost like a dress, and somehow that only made him look even cuter.
Balloon paused, staring for a second too long.
“Pssh, now who’s staring— HUH?!”
Before Nickel could finish, Balloon suddenly scooped him into his arms. Nickel yelped as Balloon hugged him tightly, peppering kisses across his cheek, nose, and forehead.
“Come on, let’s go,” Balloon laughed.
He carried Nickel downstairs despite his loud protests about being put down. The second they reached the living room, Balloon tossed him dramatically onto the couch. Nickel landed in a heap of laughter while Balloon climbed over the armrest and leaned over him.
“What are you doing?” Nickel asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
Balloon only smirked mischievously. He braced one arm above Nickel’s head, caging him against the couch while straddling his legs on either side. For a moment, he simply looked down at him, quietly admiring him. Then Balloon leaned down and pressed a few soft kisses against Nickel’s lips.
Nickel immediately kissed back, melting into it almost instantly. His hands slid to Balloon’s waist, pulling him closer while absentmindedly squeezing at his soft sides. The moment probably would’ve lasted longer if the doorbell hadn’t rung.
Nickel let out a dramatic whine as Balloon pulled away.
“That’s dinner,” Balloon teased with a grin, clearly amused by how flustered his boyfriend looked sprawled out beneath him in the oversized shirt. “Come on!”
Balloon hopped off the couch and headed for the door, grabbing the food bag and thanking the Uber driver.
Meanwhile, Nickel stayed sprawled across the couch for another moment, his face burning red as he tried to recover from the whole interaction. Even after being together for over a year, Balloon still had this effect on him every single time. Whenever Balloon got close like that, kissing him, pinning him down teasingly, looking at him with that stupid smirk, Nickel completely lost the ability to think straight.
He let out a shaky breath and swallowed hard before finally standing up and following Balloon upstairs. Nickel loved Balloon with his entire heart. Truly, completely adored him.
It still amazed him sometimes that they were actually together. It had been nearly two years now, or close to it, and Nickel still caught himself wondering how he got so lucky. They’d known each other since middle school, spent years constantly arguing and getting on each other’s nerves, and now here they were as adults, graduated and sharing nights like this together.
Nickel never could’ve imagined it back then. Maybe that was part of what made it feel so special. After so long spent at each other’s throats, being able to hold Balloon, kiss him, and call him his boyfriend still made his chest feel warm.
When they got upstairs, Balloon grabbed a folding bed tray and set it across the end of the bed before placing the food and drinks on top. He switched off the bright overhead light and turned on the large lamp in the corner instead, filling the room with a softer golden glow. Then he grabbed the TV remote and turned on the wall-mounted television.
Nickel immediately crawled onto the bed beside him and started stealing chicken nuggets while Balloon searched through movies.
“Hey, hold on, I want some too, y’know,” Balloon laughed.
Eventually he settled on a horror movie and tossed the remote onto his bedside table before grabbing a nugget and dipping it into the sauce.
For a while, the two of them sat comfortably in silence, eating fries and nuggets while sipping at their sodas as the movie played in the background. By the time they were done, the food containers were empty and Nickel was full enough that he nearly wanted to flop face-first into the mattress.
Balloon, however, hated leaving mess around. He paused the movie halfway through, gathered up all the rubbish, and carried everything downstairs to throw it into the bins before returning a few minutes later.
“Come on, let’s brush our teeth,” Balloon said as he grabbed Nickel by the ankles and tugged him toward the edge of the bed.
“Noooo, I hate brushing my teeth,” Nickel whined dramatically.
Still, he knew Balloon absolutely refused to kiss him if he hadn’t brushed them, so he eventually gave in.
The two of them headed into the upstairs bathroom and stood side-by-side at the sink, brushing their teeth together. After rinsing and spitting into the sink, they headed back to Balloon’s room and climbed underneath the blankets properly this time, settling in together to continue the movie.
When it came to Nickel and Balloon movie nights, neither of them ever actually paid much attention to the movie for very long. They always ended up distracted by each other instead. Balloon reached over and switched off the lamp, leaving only the glow of the TV lighting the room. He used to hate the dark, but having Nickel around made it easier now. Even so, he still liked having the television on for some light.
The horror movie continued to play quietly in the background while Balloon lay back against the pillows. Nickel curled up against his chest, listening to the steady beat of Balloon’s heart while the flickering TV light reflected in both of their eyes. Balloon absentmindedly ran his fingers through Nickel’s hair, lightly scratching at his scalp with his nails while watching the movie.
Nickel, however, had already stopped paying attention. Instead, he tilted his head up slightly, admiring Balloon’s face. The soft lighting made his freckles stand out, and the glow from the TV caught against his curls perfectly. Nickel leaned closer without even really thinking about it.
Balloon noticed immediately. He looked down at Nickel with a small, amused smile. Nickel puckered his lips expectantly. He could never make it through a movie night without demanding kisses at least once. Balloon sighed dramatically before leaning down and giving him a gentle kiss.
Then he turned his attention back to the movie. That, unfortunately, was nowhere near enough for Nickel. He let out a quiet huff and shifted higher against Balloon, deliberately blocking part of the TV.
Balloon glanced down at him again. “I thought we were actually going to watch the movie?”
“I am watching…” Nickel muttered unconvincingly.
“You literally aren’t. Come on.” Balloon tried nudging his head aside so he could see the screen again, but Nickel refused to move.
Instead, he climbed fully on top of Balloon, straddling his lap and blocking the television completely. He stared down at his boyfriend with a smug grin. They were home alone, comfortable, and cuddled together, and Nickel wanted attention.
A lot of it.
Balloon sighed again, though this time he was clearly trying not to smile. He pushed himself up slightly and slid a hand behind Nickel’s neck, gently pulling him closer. Their lips met again, softer this time at first. Nickel melted into the kiss immediately, one hand moving into Balloon’s hair. As he did, he carefully tugged out Balloon’s hair tie, letting his curls fall loose past his shoulders. Nickel smiled against the kiss as he ran his fingers through the soft hair, tugging him a little closer.
The kisses slowly deepened, lingering longer as the two of them relaxed into each other. Nickel held onto Balloon while Balloon’s hands settled warmly around his waist, keeping him close. Eventually Balloon pulled back just enough to catch his breath, his face flushed slightly as he looked up at Nickel.
“You’re always so needy,” Balloon laughed quietly.
Nickel only grinned. “Yeah? And you love it.”
Before Balloon could even argue back, Nickel leaned in for another kiss, and Balloon immediately kissed him back, his arms tightening around Nickel’s waist while the forgotten movie kept playing in the background. This happened every single movie night. Neither of them could ever get enough of the other. It was practically impossible for them to sit through an entire film without Nickel eventually climbing all over Balloon and demanding attention instead.
Nickel kept pressing soft kisses against Balloon’s lips, each one lingering longer than the last. Their foreheads brushed together between kisses as they stayed wrapped up in each other, completely ignoring whatever was happening on the TV now. After a moment, Nickel pulled away from Balloon’s mouth and buried his face against his neck instead, leaving a trail of desperate kisses along the warm skin there. Balloon shivered slightly at the feeling of Nickel’s breath against his neck while Nickel continued kissing along his throat and jaw.
Balloon’s hands rested on Nickel’s sides, rubbing gentle circles against them while he leaned his head back against the pillow, letting Nickel do whatever he wanted.
His breathing had already grown uneven.
“Nickel…” Balloon whined softly.
Nickel only continued, kissing along his jaw before moving back to his lips again, peppering kisses all across Balloon’s face while grinning against his skin.
“I love you so, so, so much, Balloon. Like seriously, so much,” Nickel said between kisses, unable to stop himself as he kept peppering Balloon’s face with little affectionate pecks.
Balloon let out a soft laugh, clearly enjoying every second of it. He tilted his head forward and kissed Nickel on the nose, gentle and quick, before shifting his hands from Nickel’s waist to take his hands instead. Their fingers slid together easily, interlocking as they settled there, holding on to each other while they just looked at one another for a quiet moment.
“You really just love distracting me, don’t you?” Balloon teased with a small grin.
Nickel smiled back instantly, still a little breathless. “Only you. You’re the best distraction.”
Balloon raised a brow, amused. “That so?”
Nickel leaned in closer, their hands still locked together. “Mm-hm. And I’m not even trying to behave right now, just so you know.”
Balloon laughed under his breath, his thumbs gently brushing over Nickel’s knuckles. “Yeah, I noticed.”
Nickel’s grin widened. “Good. Then you also noticed I’m not planning on stopping.”
“Oh?” Balloon’s voice softened, a little more playful now. “That sounds like a threat.”
“A promise,” Nickel corrected, leaning in again to steal another kiss, softer this time but just as lingering. Balloon hummed against his lips before pulling back just slightly, still close enough that their foreheads almost touched. “You’re my favourite distraction anyway,” he admitted quietly, a teasing warmth in his voice. “Even when you’re being annoying about it.”
Nickel gasped dramatically. “Annoying?! I’m adorable.”
Balloon snorted. “You’re cute.”
Nickel leaned in again immediately, smiling against him. Their lips crashed together again, hungry and desperate. The kiss deepened instantly, warm, wet mouths sliding against each other, tongues tangling in a messy dance of heat and hunger. Saliva glistened at the corners of their lips as they breathed each other in. Both were getting really hot, struggling to catch their breaths, foreheads glistening with sweat.
“Mmm, Nickel…” Balloon shifted up slightly, carefully pulling Nickel with him until they were both sitting upright. He settled Nickel comfortably into his lap, arms wrapping around him to keep him close.
Nickel immediately adjusted, looping his legs around Balloon’s waist as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Balloon leaned forward until his forehead rested gently against Nickel’s, both of them slowing down as they caught their breath. The room felt quieter now, the TV still playing in the background, forgotten and ignored. Neither of them seemed interested in it anymore.
Nickel, of course, still couldn’t fully stop himself, he pressed a few soft, lingering kisses to Balloon’s lips, slower this time, more gentle than before. Their breathing was a little uneven, both of them smiling faintly as they stayed tangled together.
“Okay…” Balloon let out a quiet laugh, his voice soft. “Getting sleepy now...”
Nickel gave a small, breathy chuckle against him. “Yeah… I was just getting started.. heh”
Balloon shook his head slightly, but didn’t argue. Instead, he tightened his hold around Nickel just a little, thumbs rubbing slow circles against his back.
“Let’s nap for a bit,” Balloon hummed lightly.
“Aww, do we gotta?” Nickel shot back, grinning.
That earned him another soft laugh from Balloon. “Shhh,” he murmured fondly, leaning in to press one more gentle kiss to Nickel’s lips.
Then, slowly, he shifted down until he was lying back against the pillows again, still holding Nickel close the entire time. Nickel followed him naturally, settling on top of him and resting comfortably against his chest. He let out a soft sigh as he got comfortable, listening to Balloon’s heartbeat, still a little fast, still catching up from everything earlier.
The movie had already rolled into the credits, and before either of them really noticed, another one started automatically in the background. Neither of them bothered to change it.
Balloon didn’t seem interested in moving at all now. He just kept Nickel close, one arm wrapped securely around him while the other idly played with his hair, fingers slowly combing through the soft strands in a soothing rhythm. Every so often, he’d press a lazy little kiss to Nickel’s cheek or the top of his head, even though his lips were starting to feel a little sore from all the earlier kissing. He didn’t care. It was comforting in a way he didn’t want to stop.
Nickel melted into it immediately.
His eyes began to flutter closed as Balloon continued to gently pet his hair. The steady motion, the warmth, the quiet closeness, it all made him feel safe and heavy in the best way. He wanted to stay up a little longer, maybe tease Balloon a bit more, maybe talk or laugh or do anything really… but the comfort was too strong. He gave a small, sleepy hum instead, shifting just a little closer as his grip on Balloon loosened.
Balloon noticed the change and smiled faintly to himself, softening even more as Nickel’s breathing slowed. A few quiet seconds passed, and then Nickel finally drifted off completely, little soft breaths slipping out as he fell asleep against him. Balloon stayed awake a little longer, just watching him.
He kept gently stroking Nickel’s hair, careful and slow, like he didn’t want to disturb him at all. Nickel looked so calm like this. Eventually, Balloon’s own eyes started to feel heavy too. He blinked slowly a few times, the warmth of the room and the steady weight of Nickel against his chest making it harder and harder to stay awake.
With one last quiet exhale, he let his eyes close as well, still holding onto Nickel like he always did. Just like that, the two of them fell asleep together, tangled up in blankets, soft movie light flickering in the background, completely at ease in each other’s arms.