sunshine, you're the best time i ever, ever had

[justneedsomehelp]

Who: Marc Spector and you
When: Early June
Where: Various locations
Summary: Just trying to get his sea legs, so to speak.
Warnings: Some cursing, some references to substance abuse. Nothing major. Will update later if needed!



I. a little shopping trip

It's the restless urge to be up and doing something that has him browsing through the shop, maybe grabbing a chocolate bar, browsing through the paperbacks. He's not really one to read all that often, but-- there's Steven and maybe he's trying to decide on a book or two to bring back to their cabin and leave inconspicuously on the bed so he can begin hoarding up a new room. It won't be French poetry or books on the Gods, but... honestly. Screw the gods. He'd rather read some trash paperback about some bosomy chick and her dangerous ex-soldier solving some mystery and falling for each other or whatever any day.

When he's not staring down whatever trash novels are in this place, he's plucking up a few extra toiletries on the way out, maybe a few pain meds for any unfortunate hangovers he might acquire along the way.

He might turn a curious eye to anyone who's in there with him and ask, "Does anyone actually see how this stuff's restocked?"

Or who keeps this shit clean and dust free or whatever. Yeah, yeah, ghosts or whatever. But there's got to be more behind it, right?

II. let's hit the sauna

Self-care might come in the form of alcohol and other substances for Marc, maybe the odd brawl here or there, but here he is, trying a little bit of a healthier way at the spa. It's a good thing there aren't any massages -- he'd not be interested in them anyway. But the sauna? Oh, yeah. He can get behind that.

Really get behind it. Marc finds a time when it seems to be empty enough that he can stretch out with his towel spread out over his lap, eyes shut. Fake some of that peace and quiet he's never truly known in his head, maybe.

It's when someone comes in that he seems to go back to alert, sitting up a bit straighter and clearing his throat. "Oh-- uh. Sorry."

He'll even scoot over to give plenty of space to whoever decides to join him.

III. big pills, little pills

Somehow, Marc ends up int he infirmary. Well, not just... by chance. He's curious, just in case he ever needs to perform surprise minor surgery on himself or needs a hit of something stronger when the alcohol isn't enough to knock him out or bury the bad memories.

That doesn't mean he doesn't scowl a bit at some of the-- medieval torture devices, er, medical supplies. "What the fuck is this thing?"

Do they... do they do lobotomies around here still? Bleed people with fucking leeches, what?

But once he finds the pills, he seems to perk up a little bit. "Hey, they got some of the good stuff..."

Guess who's gonna be sleeping a little easier tonight?

IV. tauva

Maybe this isn't his type of joint, generally, but he's finding himself enjoying the atmosphere... and the whiskey doesn't hurt it either. Better than the place that keeps playing Billy Joel too, in his opinion. He might be huffing out a quiet laugh when he picks up a bottle with yet another weird date he's pretty sure is a lie. Whatever. It could have been back from the beginning of time and he's not gonna be choosy.

"Hey," he'll start if he notices someone close enough with an empty glass. "You want a refill?"

Never let it be said he can't be nice on occasion.

V. wildcard

[Want something else? Leave a prompt or hit me up through PP or at noassgardian]

Comments

[latersgators]

"Oh!" Well that's one way to distract the Brit. He turns to look at the neat stack of books and tries not to laugh at the cover and the first couple of titles. Oh that's terrifying but he doesn't want to undermine the nice thing that Marc did for him.

Reaching over, Steven grins as he picks up the book from the top. The cover looks so cheesy! Who knew Marc was into these kinds of... legal secretary has issues paying the rent, gets a side hustle being a lady of the night, and witnesses a murder on her way home, steals a pack of cigarettes from the corpse that happens to contain a pendrive with nuclear codes kind of trash? He can't help but laugh as he shuffles up to the headboard, settles cross-legged in bed and starts opening the cover.

"I didn't know you were into horror," Steven muses as he starts the page turner. Mostly it's horrifying how bad the writing is. At least it doesn't open straightaway to her moaning while a strange man ploughs and grunts on top of her.

When Marc emerges out of the shower he will find Steven's eyebrows telling a story of their own, rising and falling as he giggles over the over the topness contained in the first chapter alone.

[justneedsomehelp]

Hey, look, it's not like the selection was... huge or anything. Just a few paperbacks shoved out for display with varying degrees of cheese, but none without it entirely.

He comes out of the shower in his boxer briefs and damp hair pushed back before he flops down on the bed next to Steven. He lets out a quiet laugh at the faces he's making and shifts on to his side to face Steven, pulling the covers over himself.

At least-- he looks? entertained. Somewhat. Marc sinks back against the pillows and folds his arms over his stomach. "Hey, try to get some sleep tonight, yeah?"

[latersgators]

"I'll just finish the first chapter," he promises with a few nods. He won't keep Marc up with the light on. It shouldn't be that addictive anyway, beyond some sense of masochism to keep going and seeing how much worse it gets. And it's actually a bit of a struggle, because Steven didn't die with his glasses on him, so pushing himself past that is just going to wear him out.

Besides, it's tempting to get comfortable with Marc now. He doesn't want to settle in too much until after he's gotten up and had his turn in the bathroom - without any cheese-induced incidents, thank you very much.

"Have you read any of these kinds of books before?" Steven asks while he's still peering into the abyss between the pages. He's not sure if Marc's read any kind of book before, but one shouldn't end date night with what people might perceive as insults to their hobbies or intelligence or anything like that.

"I'm not sure they're the kind that'd put you to sleep, but. If you're struggling, sometimes it helps."

[justneedsomehelp]

Marc might have stashed a few bottles of sleeping pills up in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom that he's pretty sure will put him to sleep quicker than any book Steven to push at him, but-- he doesn't tell him as much. No reason to push whatever help Steven's trying to give him by suggesting reading.

"Mm?" He stretches out on the bed with a sigh, thinking that over. "Never been much of a reader, really. Just whatever I had to read in school."

And half the time, he was too-- stressed out or depressed to actually care about more than just getting by and getting the hell out of their parents' home. "Guess there was Hebrew school too. Not that-- our Bar Mitzvah was worth all that studying and shit."

Mom had made sure of that, the way she made sure every birthday was miserable as fuck too.

[latersgators]

Steven winces, feeling like he's opened a can of worms there with a question that had sounded much more innocent in his head. He frowns and puts the book down, back on top of the pile, freeing up his hands to latch onto Marc, give him a tight but fairly brief hug.

"I'll read to you," he promises softly before slipping away again, sitting up and shuffling away to get off the bed. "Tomorrow night maybe." He's just going to take a quick one in the bathroom before sliding back into his side of the bed, sneaking in under the covers and keeping his cool, damp hands to himself, at least until he wrings some warmth into them.

"Do I disturb you in bed? I've never-- really shared a bed with anyone."

[justneedsomehelp]

It's not-- really that bad of a question. Marc doesn't look that upset by it. It's all just-- facts of their lives, right? And now they're dead, so no sense in dwelling on that if he can help it. The hug is a bit of a surprise though, and it gets him to give Steven a quick pat on the back, reassuring.

"I can read," he insists with a laugh, but-- "Alright."

Not gonna hurt to try to pick up a new hobby or two, right? They're here for the foreseeable future after all.

He's still awake by the time Steven comes back, arms folded behind his head, eyes up towards the ceiling. He makes room with the other slides in though.

"Nah. You're alright, buddy. If you want a bed to yourself though-- I can always pull out the couch, you know. I don't mind."

He's slept worse places.

[latersgators]

"I don't need the whole bed," he insists. There was something reassuring about the ankle cuff, but if it's between that or snuggling with Marc, who would choose the cuff?

"I like you here," he mutters softly, sidling up next to Marc. He likes... holding him, even if they're not spooning. He likes breathing him in. Is that weird? He just-- smells so familiar. Feels so familiar. He likes Marc's hand in his hair.

"I still-- want you inside." How he means that is definitely not up for interpretation. "But. I like that you're outside, too."

[justneedsomehelp]

"You-- what?" Way to nearly give him a heart attack, Steven, for fuck's sake. His heart actually skips a beat. "C'mon, man, don't say it like that."

Or there are going to be all kinds of wrong ideas floating around and it'll be massively weird. Or not weird, which will make it even weirder somehow. "I get what you mean. I-- miss it too, but it's better for you. Right? You get to live your own life for once, not worry about what I'll drag you into."

Which is-- a good thing. Marc's grateful for the chance for Steven, even if it's leaving him uneasy and weirdly... a bit hollow.

"And whatever happens, you got me right here too."

[latersgators]

"Like what? Was I not inside you?" His grip tightens a bit around Marc before he lets go again.

Is this better? He doesn't really know for sure. "I think... it's a little early to tell. If this is going to be better for us." Because the 'us' part is important, not whether it's going to be better for just Steven or just Marc.

"I wasn't-- made for that." Living his own life. He'd tried before, but clearly it didn't work out. And anyway, who knows how long they're going to be here for? This could be another short stint in any psych ward type of place.

"I still want to stay here, with you." Maybe he's still a little worried that he can't get back in if he strays too far or something. "Live my life out of this room... that's okay too, innit?"

[justneedsomehelp]

"It just--" Okay. It sounds dirty when he says it like that. Filthy, disgusting, porno levels of dirty, and Marc's not a good enough man that his thoughts aren't straying there of their own accord.

"Never mind. That's-- yeah. Sure. That's how it was, buddy." They were inside each other, in entirely non-sexual, non-deviant ways.

"Stop that. You're whatever you want to be, Steven." He was a kid. He hadn't made him with-- any intention. He just happened. He came to him when he needed him. It makes-- Marc feel some way when Steven insists he wasn't made for this or for that. He wants him to have that free will to decide how to be happy for himself.

He lets out a breath as he settles his arms a little more securely around Steven, holds him close and tight and-- maybe in every way he shouldn't, but Steven keeps insisting he wants it and Marc's an asshole. So of course they're gonna keep doing it. "Hey... yeah, it's okay. Of course it's okay. We're always gonna be together. Promise, alright?"

[latersgators]

Steven murmurs quietly and nods a few times, running his fingertips across Marc's skin as he starts to relax in his embrace. He doesn't know what he wants to be just yet. He just has a few inklings here and there of how he wants to be. And maybe he should be more independent, and a little less reliant on Marc. But Marc isn't pushing him away and they're making this cabin work together and there's no reason to do anything too different from how things are working out for them now.

Tugging down on the hem of his shirt, Steven wriggles a bit and tries to settle down for the night.

"Goodnight, Marc." Steven snakes a leg in between Marc's and stops just short of going full octopus, latching on just a little bit, keeping his head above the blanket line just enough to not suffocate under the covers.

[justneedsomehelp]

"Yeah... Goodnight, Steven," he murmurs quietly, parting his legs a bit to give him room to tangle in, one hand going up to pet through Steven's hair. It seems to relax him as much as it does Marc just being able to touch.

He thinks he can-- actually fall asleep like this. The warmth and solid press of Steven around him, the way Steven's breath will inevitably start to even out as he settles in for sleep. Maybe he won't even have the usual bouts of nightmares.

He hopes so, anyway.