Smoke Signals • EarthMix AU

CHAPTER 9. Flicker

Earth wakes up to a blurry image of Mix smiling.

And a serious hard-on.

He scratches his head. 'What the fuck was that about?' He tries to get up, sees the hard-on again, and collapses on the bed. 'And what the fuck is this?'

Sweat rolls from his forehead as he tries to steady his breathing, trying to distract himself. Thinking about anything aside from Mix. Or that smile. Or the way he looked at him in that dream. The exact same way he did that night—demanding, steely. Ready to take ownership. To take all of Earth in, if only for a night.

Earth has never dreamt of Mix that way before. Hell, he never dreams of Mix—full stop. But that he did the first day after he asked to just be friends with him feels like karmic revenge somehow.

The universe's fucking joke. Something to shake him; pushing, until he falls to the wayside.

But Earth knows his decision's for the better.

That's the only way he could keep Mix with him longer.

So Earth waits for the erection to go away calmly. But it's weird, he thinks, how time seems to expand whenever he's in shitty, confusing situations such as this.

Suddenly, his phone notifies him of a message from Hooked Up. It's been a while since he's gone on the app; longer still since he's met up with someone for casual sex. He tries to recall when exactly he stopped snooping around and realizes it's about the same time after he met Mix.

Earth scoffs and shakes his head. Seeing no way to calm his erection down but relieve himself, he finally gets up to do his 'business'. And after a cold shower and a pretty serious headache from trying really, really hard to erase that image of Mix from his head, he decided to respond to an offer from a man on the app.

'Guess I'll see you tonight then, Gawin.'

- - -

Bright lays down Mix's iced Americano in front of him and the latter nods at the young man, muttering a small 'thanks'. The Curio is, quite possibly, their group's new hangout spot, what with Khaotung dating Podd and Mix... well, being friends with Earth.

"Plans for tonight? We're checking out this new club a few blocks down. Do you want to come with?"

Khaotung asks from the bar where he and Mix sit. Podd and Bright are preparing orders for a group of customers who just came in.

Podd side-eyes Bright before saying, "You can maybe invite your brother, too."

Mix offers a knowing smile. "I'd ask Win, it's a holiday tomorrow anyway." Mix raises an eyebrow at Bright who sheepishly grins in return.

"But I can't tonight. Earth offered to teach me how to cook."

"He did?" Podd asks, momentarily stopping.

"Yeah. Why'd you sound so surprised?"

Podd takes a moment to focus on Mix and levels his eyes with the latter's. "Because he's not nice. He doesn't do things like this for just anyone, Oxfords."

"He's not so bad," Mix nonchalantly says before looking away. Podd sneaks a quick glance at Khaotung who responded with a shrug.

Mix waits for Earth to arrive so they could do a quick grocery run for his 'lesson', which the latter was kind enough to offer after he said he loved Namtan's cooking from the day before.