Fitting His Views (texacali)

piece 3

     It was a few days later now and it was the night before June really started,  may 31st but it was already 11:45 and most people were asleep. This is usually when Texas got to sit on his own, so he sat calmly in the living room watching the news.. whatever,  boring,  blah blah blah, he doesn't care, he watched the news. Suck it.
     Texas sat there calmly with a cup of coffee, clipboard of work in his lap as he just starred at the tv. Nothing to interesting was happening right then but he heard some yelling.  He was annoyed by it but overall decided to ignore it until he saw California standing in front of a mirror in the hall,  trying to draw somethin on his neck(?)
   Texas directed his attention that way,  seeing California get more and more annoyed with himself.  "Need help there- sorry," texas smiled awkwardly as he saw California jump,  he hasn't really been noticed by the other so when he spoke cali got a bit spooked. Or, in his words, [spoke in new york]
    Cali sighed as he rubbed a wash cloth on his neck, walking over. "Oregon kicked me out of the bathroom where I was trying to draw a pride flag on my neck,  as you can see,  not going well.  I just can't draw on my neck it's awkward,  I have to look up for it and,.." cali went on ranting for a few Minutes while texas gave their undivided attention for the duration until, "God or sorry or just, why am I ranting to you? Sorry," As cali sighed,  texas offered a small chuckle glancing around.
     After looking around,  texas sighed, "tell no one and I'll draw it for ya," texas voice was quieter than it was during the day but he saw cali's eyes light up and texas already stood up to set things aside on the table,  aka, his coffee and clip board.
      "Please? " Cali asked as he saw texas nod. The two argued less recently since texas decked Tennessee. California sat and started up at the ceiling so that texas could get to his neck with the paints easier, before he apologized and brought out his phone with a reference picture to which texas only laughed.
     "You can put your phone away; I can remember what the flag is, " texas stated, starting with some light lining of the 5 triangle outlines along with the circle at his own far left before going on to lines at the right.
      "You know it well enough to have it memorized? "Cali asked to which texas hushed him a bit.
      "Talking moves your throat.. and I know it well enough, I mean,  it's not too hard to pay attention even if you aren't as progressive as you should be.." texas called himself out a bit, pinching his binder down a little as he continued the progressive flag along cali's neck.
      Cali smiled as texas did this,  realizing just how sweet he could be when they weren't yelling at each other about baby formula. That almost made him giggle but he didn't want to mess texas up.
      Just as texas started on the intersex flag colors at the far left, someone's hands hit his back making him fall forward onto cali, his head hitting cali's shoulder as his hat fell and he heard both Florida and Louisiana's laughter go down the hallway.  "Are you ok texas?" Cali looked down quickly, raising the other up some as the hat was retrieved.
    "Hi friend," Austin mumbled, holding his hat and looking at the hallway, "that was rude... happy pride tho," he said smiling,  seeing it click with cali he got to see Austin.
    "Hey Austin,  how's it going? And yeah,  happy pride," cali smiled though he saw Austin hitting his hat against his own chest fidgeting.
    "Is going good.. I'm not to sure what you and texas are doing but you get back to that, " with that the hat was back on and texas blinked some,  seeing cali giggle a bit.
     "The one time is fine for him to be out.. oh God I'm sorry God damn I mean.." texas sighed,  getting off of California from where he'd been shoved on him by the nick named gator twins as he shook his head.
         "You didn't make Austin leave? " Cali questioned, smiling as he leaned his head back again,  seeing texas pick up his paint brushes.
      "No.. pretty sure he don't like 1 on 1 is all,  he likes ya tho," texas mumbled this,  starting to draw the rest of the intersex portion of the progressive flag, "if he talks to more than one person it's fine but he's a bit awkward... it's likely he also left outta confusion tho." Texas stated doing the flag calmly,  not talking to much before he heard about the incident in austin in May off the news. He looked for the remote, getting awkward but cali looked back at texas and sighed,  offering the headphones from his neck.  Hesitantly texas took them,  putting them on before continuing on to the pink after white.
        Cali tapped his phone and texas heard music come from the headphones,  immediately unable to hear the tv.  He didn't recognize most the songs, tho he knew the Hamilton ones and a few from what he thought was twenty one pilots. Either way he was quick to go on to the blue then brown,  finishing with the thick black line before going on to the right where the rainbow flag was.
       Cali has to admit he was amused,  paying attention to texas. Ok, maybe 'ammused' was rude, but texas was interesting to cali.  The fact texas was actually trying to fix certain things and his moral stand point- it interested cali a lot.  Sure,  cali didn't understand texas mindset a lot but it wasn't like texas just wanted to argue over it, he actually could have a decently sensible conversation with cali without going full anger mode.
       Cali felt his phone buzz and lifted it up high so he could see it,  the message being from New York.
    "Texas' Gator buddy friends are saying you two are in the living room,  you good? "
    Cali rolled his eyes,  replying with a quick message to saying they were fine and adding that Florida was dumb.
    Cali smirked as he got a few photos of texas focusing on painting calis neck; cali wondering what he would have thought of someone told him a week ago it'd be happening.
     It wasn't like the two were dating so he supposed it wasn't to unbelievable but texas knowing a pride flag by heart?  That is surprising to him.  Yet so was texas punching Tennessee, and texas asking for advise on parades and protest.
     Slowly cali realized just how little he really knew about texas,  and he realized when people asked to much texas was the master of avoiding questions.
   Meanwhile texas was onto purple, finishing up the color quickly before going over the lining 1 more time. After doing so he put the headphones down into his shoulder and around his neck, California immediately hearing "not another song about love" blasting. "I didn't realize it was that loud.." cali mumbled softly,  slowly looking down.
     Texas gave an awkward smile;  slowly standing fully and stretching, "no worries,  good music no shame and it worked, " texas yawned quietly,  taking off the headphones and going to wash his hands after he set down the paint.  When he came back California was looking with his jaw dropped, to which texas got worried,  "did I not get a color right-? I should've used a reference damn it," texas was cut off to a laughing cali.
     "No it looks great!  I just uh.." cali blushed softly,  "it looks really good and I didn't even know the progress flag was updated, " he mumbled the last part,  tho when texas heard he gave a laugh,  only to get punched in the arm. "Ay, texas.. can I get a picture with you since you drew it on my neck?" Cali asked, making texas nervous enough to grab the collar of his shirt.
      Texas thought slowly then nodded,  "sure but um.. you aren't allowed to post it or send it to certain states of.. nature," he mumbled, making the only slightly smaller state grin.
     "The gator boys won't get it,  don't worry. " with that texas walked over nervously,  only to be pulled closer with cali putting his phone far out and up.  Texas smiled nervously as the picture was taken.  "Hella cool; Thanks Tex!" Cali squeezed him with a gentle grasp still before going off to his room.
     Blush slowly rose up to texas cheeks as he smiled, bringing a hand up to cover his grin, "Oh you are down so bad little buddy." Alaska laughed,  getting a jump out of texas who spin around to see Alaska drinking a soda.
    Texas scoffed, grabbing his coffee as he avoided eye contact;  "shut up,  big talk for someone so far, " texas said fastly, drinking his now barely warm coffee due to how long he let it sit.
    Alaska smirked,  leaning against the fridge,  "that why you don't even mind the odd taste now that your coffee sat for almost an hour since you took your time to impress california?" Alaska questioned,  as texas bit his tongue; blushing oh so much darker.
    "It wasn't to impress him Lask'.. I just wanted to help a bit if all, " texas grabbed his clip board; trying to ignore Alaska and just do his work.
     Alaska only smiled more,  "oh so you were proving yourself to him,  really helping your 'big' case there buddy," texas had these thoughts flood him from Alaska bothering him, and he couldn't even speak.. "You won't even deny it? Adorable," Alaska stated, walking over to sit down.
    "It's bad.. or gross or somethin', is that what you mean?" Texas asked slowly, looking down at his cup as he glanced at his reflection in the cup.
     "Excuse me?" Alaska asked, grabbing texas' shoulder, "I think your internalized homophobia is showing." And Transphobia* texas corrected in his head, groaning as he just leaned onto his lap.
     "My coffee is Luke warm," he muttered, hearing only a sigh from alaska. Alaska starred at texas , wondering calmly.
     Soon enough Alaska leaned back, crossing over 1 leg as he relaxed, "texas, do you know your sexuality?" Texas eyes widened and he quickly set his coffee on the counter, but Alaska put out his arm, "you don't have to leave or answer, its your own business really." Alaska shrugged, offering a smile. "No matter what it is tho, it isn't wrong or bad, ok?"
     Texas gulped and gave a only slightly fearful chuckle, "your externalized support is showing, careful now." Alaska laughed softly at texas response and he tipped texas hat slightly.
    "It'll be ok, little buddy, and I'm always around to talk, " Alaska said this calmly,  watching as texas clicked his pen.
    "And here I was thinkin' you liked your solitude." Texas joked, passing the remote to Alaska,  knowing he probably didn't want to stare at the news.
    "I do... but, I can like socializing too, just needs to weigh out right. " to that texas have a nod as he slowly filled out papers,  going through them relatively fast.  Another day, another night, another learning scale.
    "By the by,  you have paint on your face, " Alaska stated, seeing texas quickly start trying to wipe it away.
    "Where?" He asked,  wiping his face a lot now.
    "You got it."
    ".. did I or?"
    "Yeah"
    Fifteen minutes later,  texas went to wash his face getting ready for bed before,  "OH YOU- [speaks in new york]"

(Edited this one relatively quickly so yay)