Day 4 - On a Date
“Just trust me.” Noh-Varr sat in the pilots seat, his fingers moving effortlessly over the controls as Tommy peered out of the windshield, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“I don’t know…”
“Can’t you just trust me? You’ll like where I’m taking you, I promise.” Noh-Varr sighed at the snort that Tommy replied with. “Or I could just not take you and we can head back to Earth…”
“No, no, by all means.” Tommy held up his hands defensively, moving around the co-pilot chair and dropping into it casually, once more propping his feet up on the dashboard. Noh-Varr sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly, and the smirk he was given in response almost made him reconsider this whole “date” thing. The only thing keeping him from canceling was the fact that he actually knew that Tommy would appreciate it in the long run. The speedster was what some might consider hard to please, but Noh-Varr felt confident that he knew what made him tick, and what he enjoyed doing.
“Tommy, feet.” Noh’s voice was a little more stern than it had been a few minutes ago, but he was finding himself quickly agitated by Tommy’s behavior.
“What about them?” he asked, slouching diagonally in the chair so that his head could fall back over the side, his arms crossed loosely over his chest. Noh-Varr sighed, his hands flying across the controls as he set the ship to autopilot them to their destination. He glanced at Tommy, who was smirking at him lightly, and stood, reaching over to grab his feet and forcefully lift them from the dash, moving them to the ground. The smirk that the speedster had been wearing quickly turned to a scowl, and he stood up as well.
“It’s not like my shoes are dirty. I don’t get why you’re always so damned stiff,” he grumbled, turning to walk away. Noh-Varr bristled, following after him closely.
“Because you show a blatant lack of respect for my things, Thomas. Not just my things, but my home.” He knew that calling the speedster by his full name would only serve to irritate him further, but he couldn’t help himself. He was annoyed, and he wasn’t in the mood for Tommy to just strut around ignoring him and talking back, especially not when he was attempting to do something nice for him. Their relationship was progressing, if slowly, and he was of the belief that his attempt at a date might be a little more warmly received. He should have known better, though; this was Tommy he was talking about. It was like he functioned on an entirely different plane, like his emotions worked backwards and just loved to baffle and confuse all who encountered them.
Then again, that was partially why he liked the boy. Whereas his twin was very…open about his feelings, expressing himself and how he felt on a regular basis, Tommy was different. The only emotions he seemed to regularly show were anger and happiness, and somehow the strange lack of balance in his moods appealed to Noh. He was imperfect, in a very alluring, captivating sense. He kept Noh on edge, something that most others failed to do, and thus he had stolen his attention, and his affection.
Tommy was less than happy when he whirled around to face Noh, his brows furrowed and his gaze harsh. Even like this, though, Noh found a sort of respect for him. Tommy may not have expressed all of his emotions on a regular basis, but when he did, he wielded them with deadly accuracy. His glares were stunning and intimidating, and if Noh were a lesser being he probably would stop in his tracks every time he was given that look.
“Yeah, but it’s not hurting anything. I just don’t get why it’s got to be such a big fucking deal when, really, it’s not.” It was true. The argument that they were having was petty, stupid, and not worth the angry words they were exchanging over it. However, Noh-Varr couldn’t find it in himself to just let it slide; at least not yet.
“Is the fact that I have asked you to stop not enough?” he demanded, the irritation he felt towards Tommy evident in his voice.
“If I asked you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?” Tommy almost cringed at his comeback, as it reminded him of his days back in elementary school, but the words had escaped his mouth before he could consciously realize what he was saying.
“...What? No, why would you ask me to jump off of a bridge?” Noh-Varr stared at him in obvious confusion, unaware that he was reinforcing the fact that he did not originate from Earth.
“Just…nothing. Nevermind.” He waved it off, turning to walk away from Noh, unwilling to continue with the fight. He was stopped by a strong hand on his arm, and he turned towards him, shooting him a glare and twisting his arm away, only for Noh to grab him by both of his shoulders and push him against the wall nearby, the action firm but not forceful enough to hurt him. His breath hitched a little, as it tended to do when he was pinned by the larger male in the way that he was, and he glowered at him heavily, trying not to let it show. “What?” he snapped, not bothering to push him off. Noh-Varr was…pretty strong, and he didn’t feel like giving him an opportunity to prove that fact.
“Tell me what’s wrong, Tommy.” He met the intense, blue-eyed gaze of the alien and had to fight not to tear his own eyes away, forcing himself to keep eye contact, glaring at him angrily.
“Nothing’s wrong, Noh, I just think it’s stupid that--”
“Tommy.” Noh-Varr’s voice was low and stern, but controlled. The glower on Tommy’s face unwillingly shifted into something a little more furtive. The alien’s gaze softened slightly, and he moved one hand from Tommy’s shoulder to grip his chin, scanning his face. “...You do realize that I’m attempting to do something nice for you, don’t you?”
Tommy couldn’t help but tear his gaze away at that, though he attempted to retain a little bit of pride by straightening up a little. “Yeah. So?”
“So…why does that bother you so much?”
Dammit. The stupid alien knew just how to get under his skin, and make him feel like he was some kind of open book that, despite all its locks and defenses, failed to keep the secrets contained within it. Hell, Noh could call him on shit that he didn’t even know bothered him. He huffed a sigh, turning his gaze on him once more, and didn’t reply. Truthfully, he wasn’t even sure of what to say. He swallowed thickly, trying to think of something, anything to break this stupid, awkward tension that was building. He worked through a few possible responses, and then finally opened his mouth to give one a try, intending to try and avoid the subject altogether, only to be startled out of speech when the alien suddenly dipped his head and pressed himself closer.
The kiss he received next was unexpected. It shocked the hell out of him, honestly, and he found himself frozen, eyes wide, unable to force himself into action. When Noh-Varr pulled away, he was annoyed by the realization that he was absolutely dumbfounded, and possibly a little flustered. He probably looked it, too, which definitely annoyed him further.
Noh-Varr looked almost disappointed, and there was the slightest hint of worry behind his eyes. “...Do you not like me kissing you?” he asked, and for some reason the fact that he sounded like a kicked puppy had Tommy ready to explode. From what, he wasn’t quite sure, but it was a little overwhelming nonetheless.
“I-- What was-- Can’t you just-- Oh, fuck off,” he grumbled, finding himself unable to put his thoughts together. He didn’t pull away, though, and Noh-Varr took that as a sign that he could continue, which he did. It took Tommy a moment to reciprocate, but he finally did, opening his mouth slowly to allow the kiss to deepen. He could feel a flush building in his neck, moving up to his ears and his cheeks, but he ignored it, kissing the other male back almost thoughtfully. This was…strange. Yes, he and Noh had been flirting, sort of, but...they hadn’t kissed yet. They’d gotten a little close at times, but Tommy always pulled away, or squirmed out of his hold, or ran off. He couldn’t help it; he just panicked and ran away from the situation, because that was what he did. Maybe the fact that he hadn’t immediately rejected Noh’s advances this time had pushed him to finally seal the deal.
When Noh pulled away, Tommy was silent for a long moment, his brows furrowed inwards thoughtfully. “...Huh.”
“What?” Noh-Varr sounded amused, and it took Tommy a moment to realize that he’d actually spoken, drawing a response from the other.
“Hmm? Oh, uh…just that…I-I dunno, kissing a guy isn’t…that much different from kissing a girl.” Noh-Varr began to look smug again, and Tommy flushed once more, feeling himself heat up. “Oh, fuck off,” he snapped again. “It’s weird. Just not…bad weird?” The strangest part had probably been that he was on the receiving end, and was the smaller of the two parties involved.
Noh-Varr hummed in response, and pressed closer against Tommy, his other arm moving to brace against the wall above him, a smirk playing at his lips. Tommy felt his heart jump into his throat, and his heart began to race, but he didn’t pull away, staring the other down. He slowly sucked in a breath of air, trying to be as inaudible as possible, and when the next kiss came, he was better prepared, leaning into it and allowing Noh to snake an arm around his middle, drawing him in closer and effectively pinning him against the wall. There was something…nice about it, and Tommy decided that he could maybe get used to this. Hell, it wasn’t like Kate ever took him seriously. Maybe this could turn out to be…better.
-----
A couple of hours later showed Tommy in an infinitely better mood. He emerged from the bathroom as they arrived to their destination, freshly showered, and pushing a hand through his hair. He thumbed the damp locks for a moment, and then darted to the front of the ship, allowing the speed in which he did so help along the drying process. He slid to a stop, a hand braced against the back of Noh-Varr’s seat as he peered out of the window, tilting his head. “What’s this?” he asked, glancing down at the alien, who smirked up at him before returning his attention to the controls so that they could land.
“...A party.” Tommy’s eyebrows shot up when Noh replied, and a grin spread across his face, his eyes locked on the flashing of the building they were approaching. It was a large, dome-shaped building, with intricate, abstractly shaped windows decorating the top and sides, contrasting with the shiny black material of the building and reflecting the colors of the lights. He was sure that from an above view they looked rather impressive, but from their vantage point they were cool nonetheless. The lights he could see emanating from inside were flashing different colors and speeds. The dull sound of the base from some sort of strange, electronic music that he’d never heard before was booming from inside, and he could just tell that the place was bursting with life.
It was his kind of place.
“Am I gonna be able to breathe here? I don’t have to like wear some weird helmet or anything do I? Are there drinks? Are we getting drunk? I mean, this is like, a real party right? Not just some pussy straightedge sort of thing where everyone dances like Billy and preaches abstinence right?” Tommy barely realized the words that were pouring from his mouth, nearly blending together in his sudden excitement. He was nearly vibrating against the chair, and Noh-Varr couldn’t help but laugh as he stood up.
“Yes, you can breathe. I researched it thoroughly before bringing you. No helmets unless you want one. Yes, there are drinks. It’s up to you whether or not we get drunk. Yes, it’s a real party.” Noh-Varr chuckled lowly, adding with a suggestive smirk. “No abstinence here.” He winked at him, moving towards his bedroom, the ship successfully parked, and stopped to glance at a mirror as he went. Of course, his appearance was as perfect always, with not even a hair out of place, aside from the few, purposeful strands that brushed against his forehead.
Tommy rolled his eyes, and would have commented, but he zipped to the bathroom to do the same. He was about to go to an alien party after all. He couldn’t go in looking like some sort of slob. He admired himself in the mirror for a moment, before shrugging and deciding that he looked just fine, sticking his head out the door to call at his alien companion. “Noh! Hurry up, slowass, I’m ready to go!” There was no bite behind his words, and he grinned as he watched Noh walk out with a roll of his eyes, though he returned a smile.
“I am ready. Let’s go.”
They stepped off of the ship, and Tommy turned to look around him in awe, his head tilted towards the sky. It was a deep, dark orange, streaked with teal, and it only served to excite him more. This was going to be awesome. He took a deep breath, and was satisfied with the fact that he didn’t immediately start choking from the alien atmosphere. It was a little heavy-feeling, but definitely doable.
He turned on his heel and flashed Noh-Varr a brilliant grin. “You ready? Come on, let’s go!” He swept his hand towards the crowd of aliens gathering near the front, turning to walk after them.
“Uh…slight problem.” Tommy froze, turning to look back at Noh, a brow quirking.
“What problem?” he asked, sounding unintentionally suspicious. He scowled slightly, actually excited to attend this party and get things going.
“We’re gonna have to sneak in.” At Noh’s reply, his grin returned, even bigger before.
“Wait, wait, so we’re going to a huge alien party and we’re sneaking in? Why the fuck didn’t you say so earlier?” He gave a laugh, allowing Noh to lead, a mischievous smile on the alien’s face.
“I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. Also, I was worried that if I told you, you wouldn’t have stopped rushing me to get here.” Tommy wanted to pop back with something witty and argumentative, but even he could admit that Noh was probably right. Hell, he was already getting impatient, and they were just making their way around the side of the dome. As soon as they were out of the immediate sight of any passerby, Noh took off, Tommy at his heels.
They came to a stop beside a triangular, angled window that was opened outwards a few feet, and Noh-Varr glanced around, glancing up at it. Tommy worked his jaw lightly, looking from it to Noh incredulously.
“Uh… You do realize that I can’t just walk up to that, right? I mean, maybe I could run up the wall, but with the way that window’s open I’d just skewer myself.”
Noh-Varr gave Tommy an almost disapproving look. “Tommy. I’ve already thought this through. Have some patience. Perhaps some faith as well.” Tommy held up his hands, backing away and watching as the alien moved towards the dome. He jumped up, landing smoothly against the wall, moving to a near-crouch as he walked up its side as if it were nothing. Tommy pressed his lips together, watching him with furrowed brows; he had a tendency to forget what all the alien could do sometimes, despite the time they’d been spending together recently.
Noh-Varr reached the window, peered inside carefully, and the slipped inside. Tommy resisted the urge to yell at him indignantly, reminding himself that Noh had claimed to have thought this through. Not only that, but if the alien ditched him, Tommy could always steal his ship. He’d probably wreck it, but spite was a powerful weapon.
A few moments later, the window slowly started to open wider, and Noh-Varr appeared a few minutes later, the opening now a few feet taller than him. He held out his hand and gestured for Tommy to come up, and Tommy heaved a sigh, holding up a finger. He turned around and darted away, sliding to a stop after fifteen seconds or so of running, and then turned on his heel, running for the building again. He watched it approach, and prayed that he had the skill to pull this off successfully -- he really didn’t feel like breaking his nose when he was supposed to be breaking into this building instead.
He neared the dome, and jumped, just enough that when he hit the wall, he had the momentum to push himself up, running against the wall. He drew closer and closer to Noh, feeling himself slow as he gained height, and he pushed himself, also not in the mood to break his back trying to get in due to falling. Just as he felt himself losing his momentum, teetering on the edge of falling back down, he reached out his hand, finding the tight, secure grip of the alien above him. Noh-Varr tugged him up and over the edge, holding him steady so he wouldn’t fall down.
Tommy looked down at the ground he’d run up from, and gave a triumphant laugh, his free hand braced against the wall beside the window. He grinned, turning his attention inside of the building, and was nearly floored by the sight he was greeted with.
“Dude…” he mumbled, in awe of the massive building. They were in a slightly less-populated area of the building, on a higher level, but beyond the railing of the platform they were on, he could see where the real fun was. The lights were insane, and everyone was moving. Aliens of all different shapes, sizes, and colors were dancing, bumping into each other and laughing and drinking colorful liquids and generally having a good time.
Tommy grinned, stepping down from the window’s ledge, and looked around. He turned back to look at Noh, mischief shining in his eyes. “Let’s fuckin’ party!”