[ The tone of Dennis' voice makes Joe smile, a tiny huff of a laugh escaping him. Admittedly, he kind of loves it when Dennis talks like that, even if he's usually being cheeky when it happens. ]
[ Joe's standing on the other side, one hand tucked into his front pocket, and the other still holding the phone up to his ear. He smiles when he sees Dennis, but doesn't hang up just yet. Instead, he sucks in a quiet breath through his teeth. ]
Yeah, I have to go now too. I met this really handsome guy a while ago, thought I'd pay him a visit, so - talk to you later?
[ His left eye squints just slightly, very quickly, like a phantom wink, and Joe hangs up finally, his fingers closed around his phone. He's still looking at Dennis - hasn't looked away from him since he opened the door. ]
[There's a smile breaking across his lips when Joe calls him handsome, when he winks. This is so stupid honestly, but at the same time he likes when they fool around like this. All silly and such.
He'll hang up next, casually stuffing his phone into his pants pocket.]
Hi.
[Dennis tilts his head up just a bit, wondering what this is all about. It's not like they don't hang out just for the hell of it, there just tends to be more of a warning. Joe usually isn't already on his way. He wonders if something is up, but the way Joe is looking at him makes it hard to care.]
[ Joe has the decency to look a little bit shocked. To be fair, it's probably not all acting - he's not shocked, but he is a little bit confused, wondering if maybe he's forgotten some kind of code word they came up with a thousand years ago. Joe doesn't really forget things, though (sometimes he wishes he could), so it's got to be Dennis just playing around.
He crosses his arms, moving forward a little to lean his shoulder against the wall next to the door frame, looking down at Dennis. ]
[ Joe cranes his head down a bit, but otherwise stays where he is, leaning against the wall. He presses his lips together and considers just barreling inside, picking Dennis up over his shoulder along the way, but for now he decides to play along with whatever game Dennis has just made up.
[ He attempts to look unamused, and for the most part he pulls it off, passing a roll of his eyes off as a casual upward glance. He exhales through his nose, then shrugs the shoulder not pressed against the wall. ]
We could be here all day.
[ Despite his attempt to appear inconvenienced, the corner of his mouth curls a little with a ghost of a smirk. The way Dennis rocks from heel to toe and back again is actually a little bit endearing, but he knows exactly what he's getting at.
Joe tilts in a little closer, but still keeps some space between them. ]
[Dammit Joe, you are playing along too well. How dare you. Dennis will rock forward and reach up to grab for the collar of Joe's shirt, tugging him down a little and pushes up on his tip toes to whisper in his ear.]
M'gonna shut this door on you if you don't kiss me.
[Spoken far too sweet to be an actual threat. He would never.]
[ Honestly, Joe's not expecting Dennis to grab his collar, so even though the tug at his shirt is small, it's enough to tilt him a little off balance a bit. He readjusts, pushing his shoulder away from the wall, and chuckles under his breath.
Briefly, he closes his eyes to just kind of memorize the moment, then opens them so he can murmur back. ]
That would be kind of rude, don't you think? [ He turns his head a little, enough that he can ghost a kiss against Dennis' cheek. ] After I came all this way.
[ It's... really not terribly far, but he's just being a nuisance. Or, as Dennis would probably call him - a wanker. ]
Can I come in? [ Joe's voice is quiet, softer, and just because Dennis asked for a pass code (and also because he wants to do this anyway), he tilts back just enough so he can kiss Dennis properly. ] ... Please.
[It's these strange little intimate moments like this that Dennis loves so much. Him being rather silly and Joe going along with it, being silly in his own right. For no reason other than they're that comfortable with each other.
Each little kiss makes him smile and when Joe asks if he can come in, with a please even, he can't say no of course. He tilts his head and regards him, cheeks dimpled from his bright smile.]
Yeah... guess so.
[And he takes a couple steps back, but doesn't let go of Joe's shirt, leading him on in, letting go only once they're both inside so he can close the door. He'll nudge against him then, turning to walk backwards a bit towards the kitchen.]
[ Joe has absolutely no reason and absolutely no desire to protest being dragged inside by his shirt collar, even if that means he needs to hunch over a little. Accommodating for the difference in their heights is something he's used to by now, so it's not uncommon for him to make himself a little smaller when he's around Dennis, just for Dennis' sake.
He straightens up once his shirt is freed, smoothing it out a little out of habit. Where once he may have been concerned about wrinkles in his nicely pressed shirts, he hardly cares about that sort of thing anymore, not around Dennis. ]
Hey, [ He says quietly at Dennis' little nudge, though it's mostly teasing and not at all admonishing. He smiles, letting Dennis put a few steps between then. At the offer of a drink, Joe pauses, then smiles a little strangely. ] Yeah. Sure.
[ He doesn't follow right away, choosing instead to linger by the door for a moment, quietly thoughtful as he lets his eyes wander around Dennis' apartment. He's been here plenty of times before, but the majority of their time together is spent at Joe's place. Somehow, it seems kind of fitting that today, they're here instead of there.
Eventually, Joe steps out of his shoes, setting them aside near the door before he pads through the living room area toward the kitchen. He's just rounding the corner toward the kitchen, pausing to lean against the entrance way when Dennis peeks out of the fridge. ]
I worked this morning for a little while.
[ Well, giving a quick lecture and assigning some reading before dismissing his class early probably doesn't count as working, but - details.
Joe watches Dennis for a moment, his expression vaguely distant. He blinks. ]
Apple juice is fine. Do you have a straw for that, too?
[Dennis doesn't now why anything is fitting, as far as he knows Joe is just here for a little visit, which he loves. Joe, why are you here. Why did you dismiss the class early? So many whys.
Joe gets a look for that teasing.]
Think you're real funny. Haha.
[Said with plenty of humor though, as he doesn't mind the teasing one bit. He'll pour them both a glass, closing the fridge.]
Fresh outta straws, Prof.
[Dennis gives Joe's cup a light little push with a couple of his fingers, moving it across the counter at him.]
Think you'll manage though.
[To which he'll sip sassily at him. Yes. Dennis Severs sipped his apple juice. Sassy like at Joe.]
[ Joe's brows lift questioningly at Dennis' look, like he's actually expecting an answer to his question. Like maybe he'll consider not taking the drink if there isn't a straw to go with it - which isn't actually the case, but Joe's in a relatively good mood, so he's able to go along with the teasing with ease.
He smiles. Of course he thinks he's funny. Joe MacMillan is hilarious(ly terrible at being funny). ]
Prof, [ He says more to himself, repeating Dennis with a little bit of amusement in the way he murmurs it. Despite his current occupation in Eudio, none of his students really call him professor, or any variation of the title. It's usually just 'Mr. MacMillan' or 'sir', but Dennis has used the title more than once, and it still make Joe smile a little.
Pressing his lips together, Joe has to hold back a smirk at the way Dennis sasses him. What a cheeky little shit, and what a drastic contrast. When Joe first met Dennis, the very first night they literally ran into each other, he was a drunken, nervous, stuttering mess. And then, he was a drunken, nervous, stuttering, bleeding mess.
Joe takes the drink, the glass looking much smaller in his hand than it did in Dennis' when he was pouring them out. ]
You're a lot more confident than you were a year ago. When did you go from stuttering to sassy?
[ The corner of his mouth curls a little with the beginning of a smile, his eyes focused on Dennis and nothing else. ]
[It catches him off guard, he doesn't like to think about the person he was when he first got here. He was... not a good person, or he thought not, he wasn't happy, not confident in the least. A mess. It's obvious it trips him up a bit, the sass and smile fading some what, but then it comes back. More fond than anything.]
Guess you rubbed off on me.
[Figuratively and literally. Dennis feels strange thinking that it's been that long, remembering how he'd been. Remembering how shy and uncertain he was with Joe. It also reminds him why he loves him so much.]
[ Joe's never seen Dennis as someone who wasn't a good person. Learning, maybe, nervous and prone to mistakes and a little bit of awkwardness, but never not a good person. Then again, even after a year of knowing him, there's still a lot about Dennis that Joe doesn't know, and vise versa.
For a moment, he thinks maybe he's said something wrong ( of course. typical. great job, Joe ) when Dennis smile falters and his attitude shifts for a moment. He breathes out through his nose, about to apologize for whatever stupid thing he's just said without realizing it, when Dennis' smile returns, bringing with it a small sense of relief.
Joe chuckles, shaking his head. As far as he's concerned, nothing good comes from Joe rubbing off on anyone. Everything he touches eventually falls apart - improvement and growth aren't things he bestows upon anyone. ]
Don't credit me, it's been all you.
[ And he believes that much. Dennis has grown a lot as a person since the day he first met him, but Joe would never take credit for that. He couldn't and he won't, even if Dennis thinks otherwise.
Joe wets his lips, setting his drink back down on the counter, untouched. He leans on the same hand, looking at Dennis with a faint fondness in his eyes. How a year has gone by so fast is beyond him, and it's also a little bit terrifying, but... for the most part, it's been a good year. In comparison to his life before Eudio, it's been pretty great. ]
[ Joe grins and laughs a little, his brows furrowing slightly like he's questioning if maybe he misheard Dennis, even though he knows he hasn't. It's a strange comparison to make, and definitely not anywhere close to anything he's been compared to before. A vegetable is... new. ]
A carrot?
[ Really, Dennis? At least Joe seems mostly amused by it. However, he doesn't entirely agree that he was the driving force in Dennis becoming who he is now. He's made too many shitty decisions in regards to the two of them to be any kind of positive influence on him, but he's not here to argue.
He's here to spend time with Dennis on an anniversary of sorts, even if neither of them knew they'd make it this far back then.
Joe just looks at Dennis for a few moments, his head tilted slightly and his expression soft. He presses his lips together, then pushes away from the counters a little with his hip, reaching to pick up his glass. ]
... Why don't you go put some shoes on? I want to take you somewhere.
[And really he is absurd, Joe should know this by now. Things get quiet again and Dennis feels like he's on display, Joe's eyes regarding him. While he feels... shy, it's not in a bad way, he just doesn't know what to do when Joe studies him like that.
Though he's hardly uncomfortable. If Dennis is anything, he's curious, because Joe is asking him to put his shoes on and saying he wants to take him some where. What. He just got here though.]
Huh? You just got here and now we're gonna leave?
[He'll set his cup aside and goes to find his boots, kicked off in his bedroom like the slob he is.]
Where we going?
[His voice asks from in his room as he sits on the bed to put them on.]
[ Joe picks his drink up again, pausing with it halfway to his mouth. At this rate, it's going to get warm before he even gets anywhere close to finishing it, but Dennis is sweeter than the cup of fruit juice anyway, so he's really not losing out on too much, he thinks. ]
I mean, [ He says, tilting his head and shrugging one shoulder nonchalantly. The cup hovers in front of his mouth, and he follows Dennis with his eyes as the younger man starts to move away, no doubt wandering off to find his shoes. ] We could keep standing here talking about carrots if you want.
[ He chuckles, more to himself than anything, and then drinks most of his beverage before reaching for Dennis' cup and setting the two of them down in the sink to be taken care of later. ]
Or, [ There's a pause as Joe steps out of the kitchen to go and put his own shoes back on. Stepping out of boots is much easier than stepping into them. He bends over to tighten up the laces, lifting his head to look in the direction of Dennis' room, where his voice is coming from. ] You could just let me surprise you.
I ain't standing though, so you can keep standing and I'll sit.
[Cheeky little shit. Once he's got his boots on and tied he ponders getting his moon, it's put away right now, he can't stand it around his head all the time okay. He looks towards his door, to Joe's voice then back at the box he keeps it in when he's not having it orbit him.]
... hey you mind a third wheel or this just a party for two?
[ Cheeky little shit indeed. Joe huffs a quiet laugh through his nose, shaking his head to himself with a half-smile as he finishes tightening up the laces on one boot and then moving on to the other. He straightens up once his all done up, smoothing the creases out of his shirt out of habit and adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves where they're rolled up to his elbows.
While he waits, he does a quick down of his pockets to make sure he's got everything - back pocket for his wallet, front left for his keys, front right for his phone -, just to make sure he's not leaving anything important behind that he might need later on. He takes a few steps toward Dennis' bedroom at his question, his brows ticking together briefly. Give him a minute - he's not getting it. ]
Uh, [ He says, drawing out the sound for an extra second or two. He... hadn't planned on anyone joining them (then again, he hadn't really planned this little trip at all), but if Dennis wants to bring someone along, that's... fine. ] No, sure. Whatever you want.
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I mean, that's why I asked.
[ Knock knock, dear. ]
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He's quick to go answer, phone still held to his ear as he opens the door.]
Hey, I gotta go. This real fit guy just showed up at my doorstep. Gonna let him in.
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Yeah, I have to go now too. I met this really handsome guy a while ago, thought I'd pay him a visit, so - talk to you later?
[ His left eye squints just slightly, very quickly, like a phantom wink, and Joe hangs up finally, his fingers closed around his phone. He's still looking at Dennis - hasn't looked away from him since he opened the door. ]
... Hey.
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He'll hang up next, casually stuffing his phone into his pants pocket.]
Hi.
[Dennis tilts his head up just a bit, wondering what this is all about. It's not like they don't hang out just for the hell of it, there just tends to be more of a warning. Joe usually isn't already on his way. He wonders if something is up, but the way Joe is looking at him makes it hard to care.]
You can't come in. Not without the pass code.
[He's being cheeky now, blocking the doorway.]
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He crosses his arms, moving forward a little to lean his shoulder against the wall next to the door frame, looking down at Dennis. ]
Oh yeah? Since when do I need a passcode?
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[Don't you come closer to him you handsome giant man. Stay where you are.]
Might take bribes if you can't tell me what it is.
[Like kisses. Kisses are good bribes.]
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He sucks in a breath through his teeth. ]
... Do I get a hint?
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What's the fun in that?
[He rocks on his feet, heel to toes, pursing his lips a little. C'mon, Joe. Give him a kiss.]
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We could be here all day.
[ Despite his attempt to appear inconvenienced, the corner of his mouth curls a little with a ghost of a smirk. The way Dennis rocks from heel to toe and back again is actually a little bit endearing, but he knows exactly what he's getting at.
Joe tilts in a little closer, but still keeps some space between them. ]
Are you sure you can't just whisper it to me?
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M'gonna shut this door on you if you don't kiss me.
[Spoken far too sweet to be an actual threat. He would never.]
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Briefly, he closes his eyes to just kind of memorize the moment, then opens them so he can murmur back. ]
That would be kind of rude, don't you think? [ He turns his head a little, enough that he can ghost a kiss against Dennis' cheek. ] After I came all this way.
[ It's... really not terribly far, but he's just being a nuisance. Or, as Dennis would probably call him - a wanker. ]
Can I come in? [ Joe's voice is quiet, softer, and just because Dennis asked for a pass code (and also because he wants to do this anyway), he tilts back just enough so he can kiss Dennis properly. ] ... Please.
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Each little kiss makes him smile and when Joe asks if he can come in, with a please even, he can't say no of course. He tilts his head and regards him, cheeks dimpled from his bright smile.]
Yeah... guess so.
[And he takes a couple steps back, but doesn't let go of Joe's shirt, leading him on in, letting go only once they're both inside so he can close the door. He'll nudge against him then, turning to walk backwards a bit towards the kitchen.]
Want a drink or something?
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He straightens up once his shirt is freed, smoothing it out a little out of habit. Where once he may have been concerned about wrinkles in his nicely pressed shirts, he hardly cares about that sort of thing anymore, not around Dennis. ]
Hey, [ He says quietly at Dennis' little nudge, though it's mostly teasing and not at all admonishing. He smiles, letting Dennis put a few steps between then. At the offer of a drink, Joe pauses, then smiles a little strangely. ] Yeah. Sure.
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... apple juice okay?
[Dennis asks, leaning out from the fridge to look for Joe, if he's followed him.]
So you not working today, Professor?
[Or maybe he already did, who knows.]
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Eventually, Joe steps out of his shoes, setting them aside near the door before he pads through the living room area toward the kitchen. He's just rounding the corner toward the kitchen, pausing to lean against the entrance way when Dennis peeks out of the fridge. ]
I worked this morning for a little while.
[ Well, giving a quick lecture and assigning some reading before dismissing his class early probably doesn't count as working, but - details.
Joe watches Dennis for a moment, his expression vaguely distant. He blinks. ]
Apple juice is fine. Do you have a straw for that, too?
[ He's just... teasing. ]
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Joe gets a look for that teasing.]
Think you're real funny. Haha.
[Said with plenty of humor though, as he doesn't mind the teasing one bit. He'll pour them both a glass, closing the fridge.]
Fresh outta straws, Prof.
[Dennis gives Joe's cup a light little push with a couple of his fingers, moving it across the counter at him.]
Think you'll manage though.
[To which he'll sip sassily at him. Yes. Dennis Severs sipped his apple juice. Sassy like at Joe.]
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He smiles. Of course he thinks he's funny. Joe MacMillan is hilarious(ly terrible at being funny). ]
Prof, [ He says more to himself, repeating Dennis with a little bit of amusement in the way he murmurs it. Despite his current occupation in Eudio, none of his students really call him professor, or any variation of the title. It's usually just 'Mr. MacMillan' or 'sir', but Dennis has used the title more than once, and it still make Joe smile a little.
Pressing his lips together, Joe has to hold back a smirk at the way Dennis sasses him. What a cheeky little shit, and what a drastic contrast. When Joe first met Dennis, the very first night they literally ran into each other, he was a drunken, nervous, stuttering mess. And then, he was a drunken, nervous, stuttering, bleeding mess.
Joe takes the drink, the glass looking much smaller in his hand than it did in Dennis' when he was pouring them out. ]
You're a lot more confident than you were a year ago. When did you go from stuttering to sassy?
[ The corner of his mouth curls a little with the beginning of a smile, his eyes focused on Dennis and nothing else. ]
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Guess you rubbed off on me.
[Figuratively and literally. Dennis feels strange thinking that it's been that long, remembering how he'd been. Remembering how shy and uncertain he was with Joe. It also reminds him why he loves him so much.]
... really been that long, huh?
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For a moment, he thinks maybe he's said something wrong ( of course. typical. great job, Joe ) when Dennis smile falters and his attitude shifts for a moment. He breathes out through his nose, about to apologize for whatever stupid thing he's just said without realizing it, when Dennis' smile returns, bringing with it a small sense of relief.
Joe chuckles, shaking his head. As far as he's concerned, nothing good comes from Joe rubbing off on anyone. Everything he touches eventually falls apart - improvement and growth aren't things he bestows upon anyone. ]
Don't credit me, it's been all you.
[ And he believes that much. Dennis has grown a lot as a person since the day he first met him, but Joe would never take credit for that. He couldn't and he won't, even if Dennis thinks otherwise.
Joe wets his lips, setting his drink back down on the counter, untouched. He leans on the same hand, looking at Dennis with a faint fondness in his eyes. How a year has gone by so fast is beyond him, and it's also a little bit terrifying, but... for the most part, it's been a good year. In comparison to his life before Eudio, it's been pretty great. ]
... Yeah. Sounds kind of crazy, doesn't it?
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Nuh uh, you were like... the carrot dangling right in front of me the whole time. Driving me to be better.
[Dennis is a rabbit now apparently.]
... feel like a whole different person now, but I like who I am here. Like what I got here. Friends and. You.
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A carrot?
[ Really, Dennis? At least Joe seems mostly amused by it. However, he doesn't entirely agree that he was the driving force in Dennis becoming who he is now. He's made too many shitty decisions in regards to the two of them to be any kind of positive influence on him, but he's not here to argue.
He's here to spend time with Dennis on an anniversary of sorts, even if neither of them knew they'd make it this far back then.
Joe just looks at Dennis for a few moments, his head tilted slightly and his expression soft. He presses his lips together, then pushes away from the counters a little with his hip, reaching to pick up his glass. ]
... Why don't you go put some shoes on? I want to take you somewhere.
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What, I like carrots.
[And really he is absurd, Joe should know this by now. Things get quiet again and Dennis feels like he's on display, Joe's eyes regarding him. While he feels... shy, it's not in a bad way, he just doesn't know what to do when Joe studies him like that.
Though he's hardly uncomfortable. If Dennis is anything, he's curious, because Joe is asking him to put his shoes on and saying he wants to take him some where. What. He just got here though.]
Huh? You just got here and now we're gonna leave?
[He'll set his cup aside and goes to find his boots, kicked off in his bedroom like the slob he is.]
Where we going?
[His voice asks from in his room as he sits on the bed to put them on.]
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I mean, [ He says, tilting his head and shrugging one shoulder nonchalantly. The cup hovers in front of his mouth, and he follows Dennis with his eyes as the younger man starts to move away, no doubt wandering off to find his shoes. ] We could keep standing here talking about carrots if you want.
[ He chuckles, more to himself than anything, and then drinks most of his beverage before reaching for Dennis' cup and setting the two of them down in the sink to be taken care of later. ]
Or, [ There's a pause as Joe steps out of the kitchen to go and put his own shoes back on. Stepping out of boots is much easier than stepping into them. He bends over to tighten up the laces, lifting his head to look in the direction of Dennis' room, where his voice is coming from. ] You could just let me surprise you.
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[Cheeky little shit. Once he's got his boots on and tied he ponders getting his moon, it's put away right now, he can't stand it around his head all the time okay. He looks towards his door, to Joe's voice then back at the box he keeps it in when he's not having it orbit him.]
... hey you mind a third wheel or this just a party for two?
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While he waits, he does a quick down of his pockets to make sure he's got everything - back pocket for his wallet, front left for his keys, front right for his phone -, just to make sure he's not leaving anything important behind that he might need later on. He takes a few steps toward Dennis' bedroom at his question, his brows ticking together briefly. Give him a minute - he's not getting it. ]
Uh, [ He says, drawing out the sound for an extra second or two. He... hadn't planned on anyone joining them (then again, he hadn't really planned this little trip at all), but if Dennis wants to bring someone along, that's... fine. ] No, sure. Whatever you want.
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