Chapter Text
Romeo lay with his head on Race's lap, shirt long discarded, as Race undid his cufflinks and leaned back into the couch, groaning. They had been sitting quietly (other than Romeo’s sniffling) as soon as they'd left the formal, letting Jack know that afters mightn't be the best idea for them (and he agreed, considering his situation, and everyone elses.) On the coffee table in front of them was two empty bottles of water, after Race made Romeo drink one and a half and finished what he didn't drink. Now some random late-night made for TV movie played quietly in front of them as they sobered up, neither of them paying attention. Romeo curled up closer, frowning.
"I messed up real bad, Race." He whispered, wiping his eyes.
"You didn't mess up," Race patted his hair, running a hand through it. "He did. You're amazing and he'd be lucky to have you. I mean, you're the one who had the balls to ask him out in the first place, and then he just ignores you all night? If you're not even a prom person, why'd you bother coming to a fucking prom!"
Rome raised an eyebrow and gave Race a small smile. "Something tells me you stopped talkin' 'bout me an' Specs a while ago."
"Yeah, sorry Ro. You can vent. I'm just pissed, that's all."
"And you have every right to be." Romeo patted his back. "I mean, he totally Roger'd you."
"He... Roger'd me?"
"Like, in Rent? When Roger invites Mimi to dinner but then just ignores her? Except he didn't even invite you, and you two didn't even get an I Should Tell You-"
"He fucking Roger'd me!" Race yelled, throwing his arms up. "God, Ro. Why can't I be Collins and find my Angel?"
"'Cause Blink and Mush are obviously gonna have the perfect relationship, when they stop being idiots and get together.” Romeo joked, rubbing his eyes. "Seriously, though... Race, what do I do? I dunno if Specs'll ever wanna talk to me again."
Race rolled his eyes "Stop being a dumbass. Neither of you were sure if it was a date, right?" Romeo shrugged. "Well, neither of you made it clear. And you were an idiot, kissing someone else- But you were also a drunk idiot who was trying to get his attention. Just explain that to him, and it'll be fine."
Romeo frowned, burying his head closer into Race's. "But what if he doesn't like me like that? Then he'll just think I'm dumb and a loser."
"You are dumb and a loser."
"Ha, ha."
"Okay, seriously though. Ro, what kind of guy leaves a formal after his date kisses someone else if he isn't into his date? Why do you think he left? 'Cause he likes you, and didn't wanna see you making out with someone else. And it wasn't because you were sloppy, 'cause I know you're amazing at making out. It's 'cause he was jealous."
Romeo groaned. "I hate how much sense you're making right now. Let me wallow in my dumbness, okay?" Race rolled his eyes, nudging Romeo off him.
"We should go to bed. I don't want to deal with dragging you off this couch in the morning," He grinned, standing up and holding out a hand. Romeo took it, pulling himself up, and then into a hug with Race.
"Thanks, Race." He buried his head into his friends shoulder, hugging him closely.
"It's fine, Ro."
Romeo pulled away, winking. "And with any luck, Spot'll message you an apology and then you two can redo, yeah?"
Race shrugged. "Dunno if I want him to."
"Oh, c'mon. I've read your messages," Romeo rolled his eyes. "You are so into him. Let's just hope he stops being a dickhead, yeah? 'Cause if he doesn't apologise, then I'm gonna have to kick his ass."
"Yeah, yeah- okay, maybe." Race tiredly nodded, grabbing Romeo's arm and dragging him towards the stairs. "Right now I just wanna sleep this off."
Romeo nodded, heading up the stairs and collapsing onto his bed beside Race.
When he woke up, he was tangled up with Race. He groaned at his killer headache, shoving Race aside (who whined in his sleep and pulled all the blankets away from him. Romeo rolled his eyes, sitting up. “I’m taking your painkillers.” Race just grunted, and Romeo took that as approval and he pulled himself out of the bed. He knew Race’s grandparents were out, and where the medication was kept, so he went and helped himself.
When he was in the bathroom, he opened his phone as he took the pills, and felt a twist in his stomach when he saw messages from specs.
specsyback: Hey
specsyback: Sorry for leaving last night, uh
specsyback: If you noticed lol
specsyback: Can we like talk whenever you wake up
He felt his heart sink. If he even noticed. To anyone else, that message might sound a bit passive aggressive, but Romeo knew Specs added the lol to seem like he wasn’t that upset, or insecure about if Romeo had noticed. Of course he had noticed- who wouldn’t notice their huge crush leaving?
x69romeo69x: holy shit specs
x69romeo69x: i am SO sorry
x69romeo69x: i got way too drunk bc
x69romeo69x: shit can we like
x69romeo69x: call or meet up
x69romeo69x: i want to explain this irl its
x69romeo69x: too important to b said online
specsyback: Im free today but that might be too soon
specsyback: We could just call or wait till next week
x69romeo69x: waiting would b HELL
x69romeo69x: im free today as well
x69romeo69x: let me get dressed and meet you at the usual place in like?? an hour??
x69romeo69x: if thats ok???
x69romeo69x: again im
x69romeo69x: so so so sorry
specsyback: Its okay
specsyback: We can talk it out
specsyback: Same tho
specsyback: See you soon?
Romeo took a record amount of thirty minutes to get dressed, wake Race up and quickly tell him he was leaving (he only grunted and rolled over), and make it to the bus stop. The tight feeling in his chest was only getting worse when he waited on the bus. He had messed up really badly, and it was one hundred percent his own fault. He could have talked to Specs, or just acted normal, but no. He had to go and fuck it up, and now here he was- possibly about to find out he couldn’t fix the friendship with his crush.
And it wasn’t just a crush. Romeo’s mind skipped back to what Mush said a few weeks ago. Romeo got fleeting crushes and infatuations, and he had flings and dates and hookups. That’s what he did. But this was something else altogether. Sure, when he’d just followed Specs, it’d been attraction only. Getting to know him was a different matter.
Specs was funny in a way Romeo loved, sarcastic and causing chaos just to sit back and watch it with that little smirk of his. He was nerdy, and it was easy to get him on a rant about the difference between the MCU and marvel comic universe, how cool it was that the Star Trek cast basically forced the first interracial kiss to be aired or how fucking terrible the Hobbit movies were. Romeo had barely any idea what any of it was about (the longest running show he watched was Gossip Girl), but Specs would actually take the time to explain it to him when he was confused- something no one else had really cared enough to do. Seeing him so passionate about things made Romeo genuinely interested in a way he’d never been before. And Specs was smart. Not that his other friends weren’t smart, but Specs was smart in a different way that mashed his intelligence and humour and caused Romeo to constantly be doubled over laughing. He spent his spare time figuring out how to make an equation that says 'FUCK' when you graph it because he thought it was funny, or breaking into his school on a Saturday because someone said he couldn’t.
And the way that they messed around, hugging and cuddling and sitting on each others laps and jokingly calling each other pet names. It killed Romeo, honestly. Every time he wanted to just lean in and kiss him, or tell him he wanted to go out with him. Butterflies in his stomach exploded whenever Specs jokingly put an arm around him or kissed his cheek.
And now, he might have ruined it, which that filled him with a sense of dread, pain and guilt.
When the bus pulled up to a familiar stop, he nervously fiddled with the bottom of his shirt as he got off and saw Specs. He waved, and Specs waved back, giving him a small smile. Usually, they’d be hugging by now, and Romeo would be saying something ridiculously affectionate. Now, there was some tension and awkwardness in the air. Romeo bit his lip, and Specs looked at the ground awkwardly before taking a deep breath.
“Wanna go to the Starbucks?” Okay, it couldn’t be too terrible. That’s where they always hung out- usually buying one drink and then sitting there for hours, talking. Romeo nodded, smiling a bit. The anxiety wasn’t gone, but now that he was actually here, he felt like he could deal with it.
When they arrived after a quiet walk, they both ordered the usual- a black coffee for Specs and an iced caramel macchiato for Romeo. When they sat down, there was a few seconds of silence before Specs looked up.
“I like you.”
Oh. Oh my god. That was absolutely, 100% not what Romeo expected to hear at all. Specs liked him. When he opened his mouth to ask for clarification, Specs had already started to continue.
“Like, romantically. That’s why I got upset and left, which I know was really rude of me, but I thought that if you asked me to prom, there might be something- and seeing you dance like that with someone else, I was just… Disappointed. And I know it was an overreaction, but-”
“No,” Romeo interrupted, shaking his head. “No, it wasn’t. I would have reacted like that too- ‘Cause I like ya as well. Romantically and all. I’m dumb, and I wasn’t sure if you wanted it to be a date and so I nervous-drank and then drunk me, who’s more of an idiot than I am sober (and that’s saying something), thought, oh, you know how to figure out if Specs likes you? Dance with someone else and see how he reacts?” He finally stopped rambling, giving Specs a sheepish smile. “God, that was dumb, wasn’t it?”
Specs laughed, rolling his eyes and reaching across the table, tentatively taking Romeo’s hands. “It really is. But it’s what I like about you.”
“That I’m dumb?”
“I couldn’t date someone as smart as me,” He joked, then shaking his head. “Nah, you’re… You. It’s just the way you are. You think up elaborate ideas for things that could be simple, and it’s funny and cute.”
“You’re funny and cute.”
“Wow, you’re amazing at flirting.”
“What can I say?” Romeo laughed. “Seriously, though? When I’m around you, I fuck up my words. I can flirt with anyone, but then- you? You make me get all… I dunno, mushy and gay, and then I get nervous and say something stupid. I mean, my friends know me for like, hookups and going on dates. But they noticed you were different. ‘Cause. You are.”
Specs laughed. “I asked Race if you flirted like that with everyone. I wasn’t sure that I had a chance with you, at all.”
“Are you kidding? I sat on your lap regularly, Specs.”
“I mean, you’ve proposed to Race twice in front of me.”
“...Fair. But I mean what I say, you’re special, and I’m sorry for acting like that at prom.”
“So are you. Special, I mean. And I’m sorry too, for leaving.”
“So… Wanna make out?” Romeo grinned and Specs laughed, rolling his eyes.
“On the starbucks table? Sure, let’s go.”
Romeo would be lying if he said he didn’t seriously consider it for a split second, before smiling genuinely at Specs. “In all seriousness, if you like me, an’ I like you… Wanna be like, boyfriends?”
Specs grinned and nodded, and then leaned in and kissed him. It was quick, considering that they were in public, but it was everything Romeo could have wanted. They quickly finished their drinks and decided to head to Specs’ place.
“You know, my parents work on Sundays.”
Oh fuck yes.
By that evening when he had to leave before Specs’ parents came back and questioned a boy cuddled up with Specs in bed, Romeo had 17 texts from Race by the time he left Specs’ place, hair messy and a huge grin on his face.
x69romeo69x: sorryyy i was makin out with specs (Face With Stuck-Out Tongue And Winking Eye )
theywascoronas: why r u messagin me get back at it
Race was the best friend ever, he decided. And Specs was going to be the best boyfriend.