keep me close

1

Waking up in his best friends' arms is surprisingly warm. It's cozy and fuzzy because Arin knows his shit when it comes to having the right blanket. Dan assumes, at least. He decides he'll just lie there, in the warmth, for as long as he can as last night's events come back to him.

Due to The Backstreet Boys' raging tour across the globe, they have no way to record Grumps at the office. Instead, they regress back a little, to when they used to record in Arin's bedroom. Arin has enough extra recording equipment shoved in a side-room and enough games in his closet to play. And even if they do end up running out of games, the lovelies are more than happy to watch them play one over again.

Sometimes it's just too much of a hassle for Dan to drive back home, though. So he stays at Arin's house overnight here and there. And it's not like he hasn't stayed over before. But because The Backstreet Boys are back (alright), he can't really help just sitting and thinking about things too much to be totally comfortable.

Their session is over for the night. It's already nearly midnight, and it's like Arin knows Dan is going to ask if he can crash on the futon because he stands up and makes a beeline for the closet to grab the extra blankets and pillows.

"I didn't even ask," Dan chuckles as Arin rounds the futon and drops them down on the floor, sitting back into his spot.

"Didn't need to," Arin hums, shrugging nonchalantly. He gestures, "Besides, I, uh...already saw you taking micro-naps in between those last episodes." Dan huffs. Arin had caught him, but it wasn't that much of a shock. His best friend knows him well enough to spot that, which is...a little endearing.

"Thanks," Dan presses his lips together, giving a nod. Arin smiles. One of those fond, God, I love this person smiles. He reaches and pats Dan's leg, standing back up.

"Night, buddy," he hums, walking off towards the hall to the bedrooms. Dan can't help but just watch after him. He just looks so...safe.

Dan looks down at the blanket and two pillows on the floor and his heart feels like it grows twice as large. Maybe three times. He feels like a hot air balloon.

He decides he's not going to think about it too much. Loving your best friend is supposed to be like that, in any context of the emotion. Regardless of the connotations it holds, platonic or otherwise. It's way too true and it's too late for Dan to be getting emotional about Arin knowing him well enough to give him the fluffy cotton blanket instead of the polyester.

He gets up and turns off the lights (assuming Arin left them on in case he was going to stay up longer) before heading back to the futon. He doesn't bother flattening it (too much work and pressing up against the back of the cushion feels safer than flat and exposed in the middle of the room).

He kicks off his jeans, deciding that Arin probably won't care if he sleeps in his boxers on the couch. He's sat on the Grump room couch without pants before, and they spend entire days on that thing.

He throws the pillows onto one side before snatching up the blanket and draping it over as he lies down. It's a little bit cold despite the season, but he's grateful he's dealing with this instead of blazing California heat. He doesn't think he'd survive.

But he just can't fall asleep. His thoughts are on a single track, jumping from one thing to the other. Backstreet Boys, Arin, haircut, hungry, Arin, blankets, weather, heat, Arin, cold, Arin.

At least two hours pass, he thinks. He's not sure because he hasn't exactly been counting, but it's quiet and calm, the kind of atmosphere you only get in the middle of the night.

He sits up and rolls his shoulders, standing and pacing around the futon, thinking about how to stop thinking. Trying to come up with different ways to distract himself is already distracting enough, but it doesn't help that every other fucking thought is about Arin.

"Dude." Dan looks up wearily to see Arin standing at the threshold of the hallway. He's in boxers and a t-shirt, as per usual. They're almost matching if it wasn't for Arin's socks. "You're still up?"

"Uh, shit- Sorry, did I wake you up?" Dan wonders aloud, frowning a little. He probably said something out loud without realising it. Arin waves it off.

"Nah, nah, you're good," he assures. "Just got up for the bathroom and saw you standing there. Can't sleep or something?" Dan shrugs.

"I guess," he huffs. "My thoughts are getting a little...blah-blah-blah lately. Y'know." He makes a little exploding motion with his hands, paired with a quiet sound effect. Arin chuckles and raises his eyebrows at the articulation.

"Yeah, looks about right," he agrees. He looks over his shoulder and motions, "You want to sleep in my room? Since Suzy won't be back 'til tomorrow." Dan holds up his hands.

"Nah, dude, that's your space. I'm not going to make you sleep out here-"

"No, I mean, sleep in the same bed, Dan." Dan pauses. "I'm not giving you my bed, I'm offering the other side to you."

"...Oh." And Dan doesn't really know how to feel about that at this moment in time. Arin's far too honest in showing his true colours to Dan that sometimes it feels surreal. Like maybe he's imagining things. Until the aftermath ensues and he discovers that things really do happen to him, all the time. "That's cool with you?"

"Yeah, bro. I can put up a wall of pillows so we don't...purchase tickets from each other accidentally without realising it." Dan laughs.

"I don't think that's necessary."

"So, is that a yes?" Arin gestures, again, to the hallway, and Dan decides, alright. He wasn't going to accomplish anything more than insomnia on the futon, anyways. He nods and it seems like Arin's smile grows wider by the second as he gestures for Dan to follow.

He's been in Arin's room before, loads of times. Hasn't ever slept in his bed, though. But it looks like today's the day.

"Here, you can just...take right, and I'll take left," Arin hums, rounding the bed to the left side and slipping underneath the covers. He pats the mattress, beckoning, and Dan reluctantly goes to lie down on the other side. The comforter is way too big for the mattress itself, which Dan guesses is fine. It's just about the right amount for each of them.

"Night, Dan," Arin says as he strains out to shut off the table lamp, the room turning dark.

"Night, Arin," Dan hums back, facing away onto his side. Somehow, this feels even more safe than the futon. Because he knows that if some dude comes in and tries to kill him, at least Arin will be there behind him to protect him.

"Love you." Dan's heart skips a beat when Arin mutters the words without a second thought. He doesn't even seem like he realised he said it, which doesn't come as a shock. He swallows hard, face out of sight, and speaks.

"Love you, too, buddy."