Strawberry milk layers their upper lips, and they giggle and lick it off of each other. They taste it in each other's mouths, and on their tongues, and it fills their tummies. There are 7 cartoons in the fridge, with 1 out that they keep pouring into fucking shot glasses. They give each other a 'cheers!' and tip it down their throats, instead to wipe away the burning that fills them.
(Troye still has days he needs to feel good on the inside. Jacob can see it in his eyes, and on these days, Jacob needs it too.
Maybe just as much.)
**
Troye slowly pads out of the bathroom, head bent and lip between teeth. Jacob has been wondering why he has been in there so long, but he keeps choosing not to look into it for the mere sake that Troye deserves privacy. Instead, he watches him carefully from where he is at the kitchen counter, going through his emails that he has been neglecting as of late. Troye looks torn though, fingers wringing around each other until his knuckles are white, and he turns to go back into the bathroom, but then turns again, facing Jacob.
Jacob goes back to looking at his laptop screen quickly, but he can see Troye shuffling closer to him. He hears a soft cough, and, "Jake?"
Jacob looks up at Troye's almost frightened tone, breathing out, "Yeah?" It really sounds like more of a 'what's wrong? Are you alright?' like what he has been wanting to ask since Troye nervously stepped out of the bathroom.
"Can you, um," Troye looks down sheepishly, hands entwined together in front of his stomach, "can you help me?"
Jacob shuts his laptop a bit confused, and stands up. "Of course, what do you need?" He feels like he asking too urgently, maybe making Troye even more scared.
"I just wanted you, to uhm, help me put some... stuff away?"
Jacob sees it written on his face what it is he is talking about. He looks so frustrated with himself, but most of all terrified, like doing this is going to bring him back.
Jacob smiles reassuringly, tilting his head to the side. He softly breathes out, "Yeah," as he walks around the corner of the counter, putting a gentle hand to the small of Troye's back, "of course, yeah."
Troye doesn't reply, but they walk to the bathroom, and Jacob notices all the body washes on the counter lined up, along with all of the toothpastes.
"All of them?" Jacob asks, hand still on his back, his thumb rubbing comforting circles.
"No! No," he says in haste, blushing and looking down, "I mean, no."
There is a piece of Jacob that knows this is a more special moment then it could possibly seem like to anyone else. So he kisses Troye's shoulder, and neck, murmuring to his skin "okay," before pulling away and grabbing them all.
"What are you doing?" Its obvious Troye is nervous, but all Jacob does is drop them to the ground, before plopping down himself.
He gestures for Troye to take a seat as well, "We're going to pick out the ones you like the least, love."
Troye blinks, sitting down unsurely on the small pink rug that sits on the bathroom floor there.
Jacob picks up a bottle, "French Lavender and Honey?"
"Keep," Troye murmurs, blushing.
"Warm Vanilla Sugar?"
"Keep."
"Coconut Lime?"
"N-no."
Jacob smiles reassuringly, setting the bottle off to the side.
