[You, Rachel, Taylor, Lisa & Brian have been added to a new chat!]
[Brian has changed the chat name to WHAT THE FUCK]
Taylor: ?
Brian: can we PLEASE talk about Alec, because this shit has to stop
Alec’s faint amusement took a hard drop, a lurch so hard it made him rub his stomach actually.
Lisa: OMG yes please FINALLY god
Rachel: it’s not that bad
Taylor: today? It really is
Alec stared at his phone as he sat. The big bowl of snacks he’d brought to the couch suddenly seemed not so appetizing.
Weird.
It had been a day of hanging out, from stupidly early to well past twilight and he was trying to get in a few rounds of an online game before bed.
Casting his mind back through the day, which had been pretty great all things considered– and despite the early hour they’d started– he couldn’t remember making any extremely off color jokes.
They hadn’t even talked about anything flirty, for fuck’s sake.
He’d spent half the morning complaining about waking up before nine just to get concert tickets, but nobody had seemed overtly bothered by it at the time.
They’d even laughed, bantered back.
Lisa: I can’t STAND it
Brian:Today was… especially rough
Alec stared at Lisa and Brian’s nicknames.
Hadn’t they had a good day? It was stupid but Alec couldn’t remember any of his team so much as frowning seriously.
Everyone had had a stop on the outing, Taylor’s bookstore, Lisa’s concert tickets and cafe breakfast, Brian’s minigolf, Alec’s sip and paint.
He hadn’t even asked for that, he’d looked at the storefront just a second too long and found himself being bodily drug into the place and sat down at a stool.
They’d had lunch between excursions and just randomly wandering in stores, pointing out things and teasing or laughing at each other, sometimes buying, and then dinner at home after the golf wrapped up.
Sure they spent the most time at the paint and sip but when he’d tried to leave early they just ignored him and painted increasingly silly portraits of each other while he worked on one semi-serious piece.
Alec had fallen asleep on the couch shortly after for a well-needed nap– he was truly not an early riser and his sleep schedule reflected that– and when he woke up his half-dried canvas had been carefully leaned against the door of his room.
He can’t recall making any remarks but he must have; unsurprisingly really, his sense of humor is warped to say the least. Even he can recognize that much.
Still, making a separate groupchat to bitch about how gross he was was a little much, right?
At least they weren’t saying that shit to his face, though he’d honestly prefer it. Whatever, everyone needed to vent a little.
Alec put a piece of popcorn in his mouth and frowned at the phone.
He was totally gonna spy the fuck out of the chat though, out of some weird and morbid curiosity.
Lisa: the PAINTING PLACE? Who the fuck approved that
Alec sank into the cushions a little. Not his fault, he’d tried to leave thirty minutes in. Didn’t even complain when they got up and left, which Lisa wouldn’t allow until he’d fully finished. Why was she complaining now?
Lisa: god he’s so fucking cute when he focuses like that
Alec went still.
Oh, it was like that.
Okay, the groupchat made more sense now. Alec snorted at the idea. Weird to make an entire chat just to bitch about how he looked, but he could see how it would be irritating to be attracted to someone you didn’t actually want to fuck.
Or date, or whatever the kids did these days.
“Wouldn’t be the first to complain about how pretty I am.” Alec muttered under his breath.
Commiserating about how gross he was would have been one thing, but he wasn’t sure he could sit and read about how the way he looked was unfair, or made them angry. While abstractly the idea that they might like things about his appearance wasn’t bad, the reality of it made his acid reflux act up.
Still there was an ego boost to it and he was vaguely curious about who would say what.
Rachel: very focused
What?
Taylor: the little furrow in his brow
Lisa: i know the exact wrinkle
Brian: he was so intent on the canvas
Taylor: his smile when he would make little jokes, barely paying attention to us.
Alec touched his mouth, frowning. He could feel even now just the slightest– slightest– dip of his lips, though it felt like frowning. His face just wasn’t expressive at the best of times, much less when he was focused on something else.
Lisa: The smallest twitch to his mouth
Rachel: not really smiling
Brian: but the eyes, yeah
Lisa: THE EYES
Rachel: nice eyes
Taylor: His laugh???
It seemed like a nonsequitur but the others jumped on it. What about his laugh?
Lisa: DON’T get me started on the laugh
Lisa: fuck. If we could bottle it we’d be rich
Brian: the little breathy-air thing he does, not real sound but his shoulders shake
Lisa: THE BREATHY NOT-LAUGHS!!!
Rachel: sometimes he cackles
Taylor: I like how happy he looks when he laughs wildly like that
Lisa: yeah yeah the witch cackling we’ve all seen it
Brian: don’t dismiss the cackling, it’s the best
Lisa: better than the little chuckle he does sometimes?
B the one under his breath?
Rachel: how can it be under breath
Lisa: like this, you uncultured heathen
Lisa: alec392.mp4
The video loaded to show not a scene from their day that day but one fron the week before, Lisa and Alec out just shooting shit at the mall.
Brian: when he’s kinda breathing air through his nose in a scoff but it’s like four times in a row?
Lisa: YES but obviously also when his eyes scrunch and his shoulders shake a little
Taylor: he covers his mouth with his hand sometimes. I can’t even say i don’t like that because it’s also cute
Lisa: CRIMINAL OFFENSE
Lisa: let me see you giggle baby
Lisa: I could eat anyone who hurts him, I really could
B Did you see him napping?
Rachel: he’s cute when he naps
Lisa: he’s cute all the time, more importantly–the fluttery snore he does when he’s napping on the couch
Brian: retweet
Taylor: retweet
Rachel: retweet
Rachel: what the fuck does that mean
Taylor: it means you like it enough to share it with the world
Rachel: oh
Rachel: RETWEET
Brian: because I walked by earlier and almost walked into a wall
Lisa: loooooook it’s not your fault, we tired him out
Lisa: so of course he needed a nap
Lisa: it’s so fucking sweet he can sleep with us here?
Brian: you live here though
Lisa: And I get to see sleepy couch alec more often than all of you as a result
Lisa: suffer, losers
Taylor: he sleeps on the couch often?
Rachel: half the time when i come by after three, a nap
Brian: he’d probably call it a siesta and insist it’s necessary
Lisa: “spanish culture to nap at 3pm every day actually, you philistine”
Brian: completely ignoring that he’s not Spanish
Taylor: We don’t know that. He could be half-Spanish
Lisa: he’s not but the naps are super cute
Lisa: god I just want to cuddle
Lisa: imagine he just curls into you and lets you pet his hair
Brian: fuck me, the hair
Rachel: he has good hair
Taylor: my hair is curly too but Alec’s is… so fluffy? He takes such good care of it
Brian: you should see him in the mornings. So many products. So much leave-in conditioner and dehumidifying
Taylor: It’s diffuser
Taylor: hair diffuser
Lisa: neither of you wake up with him, he’s so meticulous in looking good
Lisa: and then I see him in the right lightning and stare like an idiot
Taylor: that happened to me five times today
B six
Rachel: just three for me
Rachel: he doesn’t like when I stare, so i don’t
Lisa: couldn’t be me, I need to stare
B he did the cute fluttery snore when i walked by earlier and i almost walked into a wall
Lisa: omg how could i forget the snore
Taylor: he does a cute snore!?
Rachel: I’ve heard it
Alec snored?
They listened to him snore? What weirdos.
And his laugh? He barely even laughed, just– well. Like they said. Amused huffs or scoffs or brief chuckles, when he wasn’t doing the evil witch laughter for something truly hilarious.
Lisa: Yeah he’ll like. Idk how to explain it
Brian: it’s this nasally little sound every so often and then back to being so quiet in his sleep you can’t tell if he’s breathing
Brian: i always gotta check that he hasn’t like. Died.
Was that why Alec was occasionally roused from a nap to Brian nearby, usually dropping a blanket over him– his ability to fall asleep with no pillow or blanket on the couch confused his teammates, who insisted it wasn’t soft enough or comfortable enough without those things.
The whole point of a couch was that it was just fine as a short-term lounging and sleeping surface. Sure, you’d get a crick in your neck if you spent hours sleeping there, but for an hour or two?
Taylor: well now i’m jealous, I’ve only ever seen him asleep a couple times
Rachel: skill issue, come to the loft more
Lisa: rachel who taught you that
Rachel: alec
Lisa: ah fair moving on
Rachel: lol
Taylor: he looks so relaxed when he sleeps? Like all… unbothered and peaceful
Alec slept better when there were other people in the loft, moving around and making the noises of living.
Brian: A stark contrast to when he’s awake and being a Menace
Lisa: he’s my favorite menace tho
Taylor: Try not to smile when he’s being annoying on purpose challenge
Lisa: Brian win/loss rate 0:10000000
Brian: at least i try, you’re grinning the entire time
Brian: taylor’s the best at not reacting but even her lips twitch after a while
What? Taylor didn’t think he was funny. It usually took so much wheedling to get even a huff from her.
Taylor: i hate him
There, see, that was more in line with…
Taylor: he’s so cute, how am i supposed to handle that
Taylor: even when he’s just chilling and not trying to be Irritating On Purpose. He just.
Lisa: no yeah we understand
Brian: it’s a problem
Rachel: he should be in my lap
Brian: rachel…
Lisa: i see the Vision:tm:
Taylor: i mean if he doesn’t want to be i understand but god
Taylor: is it bad that i want him in my lap too?
Alec was strangely tempted to ask if they meant like, as a sex thing, but knew the moment they saw Alec is typing the entire game would be up.
Lisa: we’re the same size but I bet he’d be so nice to have in my lap, also
Lisa: like, he could do that thing
Lisa: taylor you know the thing, where someone lays their cheek on your shoulder
Brian: he could go limp and just be deadweight and it would be. Fucking adorable
Taylor and Lisa both started typing and Alec forced his eyes away from the phone. It was near midnight.
If he wanted to get the reward for his run, he had to get started. He picked up his controller and set his phone aside, but it was tempting– very tempting– to just watch them talk.
–
Alec pulled himself onto the bar stool with relief, taking the first sip of his syrupy coffee. It was cold in the bay and the comparatively warm air of the cafe was so nice.
A buzz had him pull out his phone, subtly angling it away from the others when he saw which chat it was.
What the fuck, really, right in front of him?
Lisa: Jesus, look at how fucking adorable he is with that scarf
Taylor: why does he dress like he just escaped off a fashion magazine, it’s not fair
Brian: his windbitten cheeks.
Brian: uncalled for
Brian: he looks so cold??? Do you think i could offer him my jacket
Alec ducked his lower face into his scarf, hoping the slight color would be hidden by either the soft material or camouflage with the ‘windbitten’ red from the cold.
Taylor: no he’s already wearing his fancy coat, it would turn him into the pillsbury dough boy
Rachel: from the cookie commercials? Do you think he’d giggle if i poked his stomach like that
Brian: I wish he was that chubby, he doesn’t eat enough. I’m going to go get him a pastry
Lisa: hang on let me… yeah he’d best like the lemon one
Glancing up revealed Lisa blinking away from him, with a little smile as she briefly caught his eye and idly went back to her phone.
Did she really just use her power– her extremely limited per use per day power– to figure out what pastry he’d like best?
Brian didn’t make a big show of it, talked out loud to Taylor briefly before wandering over to the counter.
He ordered the lemon pastry.
Brian walked over and dropped it in front of him with a raised eyebrow.
“You can’t live off coffee, man, no matter how hard you try.”
“It works for Lisa.” Alec snorted, pawing the bag closer to him.
“Lisa has a weird symbiotic blood-caffeine drip. It’s probably a parahuman power at this point.”
Alec huffed a little laugh, then remembered what the others had said about it. Brian’s face didn’t really change, eyes still faintly amused, still looking like the amicable guy he was.
Then he sat down, palmed his phone like every other person in the cafe, and typed:
Brian: FUCK jesus Lord and god
Lisa: there, there
Taylor: what did he say?
Brian: he teased about Lisa’s coffee addiction
Lisa: wow rude
Lisa: i can stop whenever i want
Rachel: if we kissed him would he taste like coffee or lemon right now?
Alec paused ever-so-slightly on his first bite. Then he finished chewing it and took a sip and wondered, for the hundredth time, why they were even talking about this.
Taylor: aslkdfasdf
Lisa: i hate you so much
Brian: probably both?
Brian: but he doesn’t want kisses, it feels gross to talk about him like that
Alec tilted his head a bit.
Lisa: UGH fine be all reasonable about it
Taylor: i don’t need kisses, i just need to run my fingers through his hair or read a book when he’s lying next to me
Taylor: what if i put my hand around his waist and he’s just. Soft and relaxed and cozy
Lisa: cozy Alec is illegal actually
Lisa: I’m still not over the scarf???
Rachel: i could keep him warm
Rachel: he doesn’t need the scarf
Brian: should i go get another pastry? He’s almost done with that one
Brian: and he needs to eat more
If Alec explained that there’s a whole kink for feeding people, Brian’s head would probably explode. Also, he ate plenty, he was just naturally slim and lived a fairly exercise-heavy life.
Rachel: he can lay out on one of those long chairs and i’ll feed him grapes
Lisa: LMAO like the emperor? On a chaise?
Rachel: sure, whatever
Taylor: we can’t let him get bored, though, i mean he likes naps but how can we keep him close when he’s awake?
Lisa: yeah he needs novelty
Lisa: can’t have him understimulated
Lisa: maybe new games for his handhole console? The gameboy?
Brian: help i just imagined him in my lap playing it
Brian: i get to put my face in his hair and he gets his little game
Rachel: oof
Rachel: stupid
Brian: that thing where he pokes his tongue out a little and doesn’t realize it
Brian: when he’s really concentrating
That wasn’t a thing. Alec didn’t do that.
Lisa: I almost dropped my latte last time i walked in on that
Lisa: then the little cheer when he won
Lisa: his face is like -_- neutral
Lisa: but his eyes sparkle when he’s happy
Okay now that really wasn’t a thing. Alec was aware his resting face was unaffected by default, years of emotional master fuckery just… numbing his ability to feel most things.
He knew it came off as ‘unnatural’, that his expression was so flat, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it besides emote more loudly when he wanted to really emphasize something was funny, fucked up, whatever.
It was just a lot of work to exaggerate his expressions that way and he didn’t always bother.
Rachel: fuck you i love his face
Brian: he does look like a model, with it
Brian: the unaffected expression
Taylor: but he is so expressive? Sure he doesn’t make a LOT of changes to his face but the changes that are there are so obvious
Taylor: the slight crinkle around his eyes when he’s happy, the tinniest twitch of his mouth downward when he’s sad, the eye rolls, the twitching eyebrows
Lisa: the blink-and-you-miss-it scrunch of his nose when he thinks something’s gross
Brian: sometimes he smiles very slightly, like he doesn’t realize he’s doing it, a lazy little curl of amusement to his voice
Brian: god i want to make him laugh
Brian: wait, are we ignoring him?
Lisa: no he’s playing on his phone
Lisa: probably watching dumb videos
Usually he would be, with the sound off because he’s a super villain not a miscreant, but his new favorite app is the one where they’re all talking about him.
He’s tried to figure out the actual reason for the chat, but they’re always talking about him.
Taylor: he sometimes tilts his phone towards me and pulls up cute animal videos
Taylor: like i don’t even ask, but if i’m nearby he’ll offer
Rachel: me too
Lisa: i’ve gotten a few
Brian: …
Brian: 🥺
Brian: I haven’t, what the hell
Taylor: maybe he doesn’t think you’ll like them?
Brian: is it because of me
Brian: do i put off ‘doesn’t like cute videos’ vibes
Brian: do i put off ‘doesn’t like to cuddle’ vibes
Lisa: well…
Brian: gah
Rachel: I can tell you like to cuddle, Brian
Brian: thank you!
Taylor: you were a little intimidating when i first got to know you
Taylor: just, absolutely jacked
Taylor: to say nothing of the Grue persona
Taylor: it didn’t exactly feel like I could scooch in next to you on a couch and cuddle up
Brian: well yeah but we didn’t know each other then
Brian: it’s different
Lisa: he’s jacked but he’s so good to lay on
Rachel: we could all four fit on his lap probably
Lisa: i mean… probably not but we could try
Rachel: I can make us fit
Brian: intimidating
Rachel: >:)
Lisa: brb can’t handle it anymore
Alec thumbed away from the chat as she came over, sitting down next to him with a dramatic sigh.
“I need a coffee.” Lisa said.
“You’re holding a coffee.”
“It’s not enough.” She pooled her arms on the table and sighed again. “I need Coffee 2. Extreme coffee. A genetically engineered super-molecule that’s more potent than caffeine.”
“Mmn, pretty sure you’re just describing coke.”
“Urhg. Pass.”
Normally he’d just laugh at her but… hm.
Alec reached over and touched her hair, fingers drifting along her roots.
“There, there. I’m sure some tinker will make you a Coffee 2. Beard-asser is probably making it his life’s work as we speak.”
“2/10, not your best work.” Lisa’s voice took on a bit of a grin.
“Eh. They can’t all be masterpieces.” He increased the pressure and Lisa exhaled with pleasure.
Glancing up saw Brian and Taylor casually chatting, just outside of hearing range at the table next to them, and Rachel watching them outright.
They were still on their phones. He wondered what the chat would say about this and bit the inside of his cheek.
Someone entering the cafe sent a waft of chilly air at them and Lisa shivered a little. Alec frowned.
“Ugh, we have to go back out there to get home.” She complained.
“You need to dress warmer.” She was wearing a long pea coat with a turtleneck underneath, but it stopped an inch or so below her chin.
“These pants are so comfffyyyy though.” Lisa whined.
“Your practically transparent leggings? Putting on fuzzy ugg boots doesn’t actually make your legs warm, they only come up to your lower calf.”
“They’re not transparent, they’re the thick warming kind that go on under regular clothes.” Lisa blew her cheeks out, pouting like a hamster.
“But you’re not wearing them under real pants. You’re just white girl-ing it up in leggings and a coat.”
“I make it work, though.”
“Pumpkin spice chic.” Alec agreed. “Great for the fall, not so much the winter. Stupid.”
He unwound his scarf and draped it over her, quirking a smile when she lifted her head.
“You’re going to catch a cold.” He moved her hair in and out of the way, putting it on properly. “In Canada you’d be a literal ice cicle by now.”
“I forgot this is mild weather to you.” Lisa said, muffled by the fabric as he looped it around her head again, covering her lower face. She laughed, pushing at him.
“Yeah, you big bunch of babies.” Alec adjusted her jacket lapels to tuck the excess scarf ends into. “It’s what, 27 out?”
“It’s not like we were planning to go ice skating or anything.” Lisa reached up and did some adjusting of her own, pulling her hair out where it’d gotten caught. “We were planning to mostly be inside.”
“We walked.” Alec was unimpressed. “Maybe if we took the van, I’d give you more credit.”
“What about you?” Lisa tucked hair behind her ear.
“What about me?”
“You’ll get cold. Your face.”
Alec shrugged.
“Like you said, this is ‘mild’ weather for me.”
“Maybe when you first moved here, but surely you’re acclimated by now.” She worried her lip briefly with her teeth.
Alec looked at the others, all finished with their food.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re headed home after this, right? And at least I’ve got pants on.” He stood and offered her a hand.
Hers were little and cold. Not much smaller than his but they felt dainty, maybe because of the cute polish, or maybe because Lisa was pint-sized in general.
“You’re not wearing gloves, either.” Alec said, flatly. “I’m telling Brian.”
“Noooo.”
“Too late, he’s gotta know.” Alec pulled his own gloves out of the pocket of his coat. “You want one of mine? We could match. Stick your cold hand in your pocket, used the gloved one to do hand stuff.”
“Pff, hand stuff. Pretty sure that’s a porn category.”
Alec barked a laugh, surprised. He bumped his shoulder with hers as they approached the others.
“Here.” He lifted Lisa’s hand up and tugged it on. You wouldn’t think much tugging would be necessary, but putting a glove on someone else was surprisingly finicky.
Her cheeks were dusted a little pink. Alec abruptly remembered that they had some sort of… weird focus on the smallest things he did. It didn’t seem negative so he should probably just forget it, or enjoy being… appreciated?
He dropped her safely-gloved hand, then picked up the naked one with his own, tangling their fingers together.
“Warmer.” He explained.
“It’d probably be warmer to stick the bare hand in a coat pocket.” Rachel said dubiously, earning a quick glare from Lisa.
“If she doesn’t want to hold my hand, she can say that.” Alec rolled half a shoulder in a not-quite-shrug, unbothered. Lisa did not let go of his hand.
“Do you reprobates want to actually go home for movie night, or have you melted into your chairs from the central heating?” Lisa turned her nose up at them, haughty.
Brian climbed out of his first, until suddenly he was standing so much taller than any of them.
Alec got the strangest urge to lean against him, a little, like bumping shoulders but longer. What could they even do, standing up?
Maybe he’d try it out when they were all settled around the TV later.
“Movie afternoon, more like.” Brian stretched, donning his own gloves.
They were black and leather and pulled so smoothly onto his big hands.
“We can find something else to do if you really don’t want to start until later.” Taylor said, standing too. Brian offered her a hand, ever the gentleman, and then Rachel as well when it was her turn.
He put a casual arm around the redhead, not seeming to think anything about it. Rachel was wearing a worker’s jacket, thick and brown and made of that uncomfortable canvas, though surely the inside was lined with something soft.
Car-heart, he thought the brand was. It certainly worked for her, though her jeans– equally as thick and stiff, not like the feminine cut like Taylor’s had– probably weren’t the warmest.
Taylor had gloves, but she was also the only one not… included, physically, and he saw Brian realize it at the same time Alec did.
Maybe Brian could put his other arm around her?
“Hey.” Alec said, offering his gloved hand.
Brian and Rachel and Taylor couldn’t walk three abreast, they’d look ridiculous. Especially if he had both arms out like he was T-posing, regardless of the pretty girls under them, and the position would get ridiculous fast.
Taylor blinked at him a moment before shyly stepping up to take it.
“You need four hands, so me and Brian aren’t left out.” Rachel complained. “Go find a cape that can make it happen.”
“That would look ridiculous.” Alec said. “You can just take turns.”
“But my hand will get cold.” Lisa put in, bottom lip glistening.
“Yeah, her hand will get cold.” Rachel frowned.
“She can hold my hand.” Brian said, seriously. “When it’s not her turn.”
What were they even talking about? This was so silly. Alec’s lips twitched fighting a small grin.
“What about when it’s Brian’s turn? Who will hold Lisa’s hand then?” Taylor said, as though it was a legitimate and deeply important matter they had to resolve immediately.
Alec’s default response, that Brian didn’t want to hold his hand, got caught in his throat.
‘Do I put off ‘doesn’t like to cuddle’ vibes?’
“Me.” Rachel said, no-nonsense. “I’ll keep you warm.”
“My hero.” Lisa mock-swooned.
“Hey, now.” Alec said. “I’m the one who started this. And I’m giving turns to the rest of you out of the kindness of my heart.”
“You’re right.” Lisa said, eyebrow kicking up in challenge. “Alec is the one who deserves praise, y’all.”
“Such a heroic sacrifice, holding Lisa’s hand.” Brian said, holding back a grin.
“Real Protectorate material.” Taylor said. “Thanks for giving me your other hand, Valiant.”
“Valiant?” Alec sputtered. “C’mon, what?”
Taylor shrugged. “They like to pick out heroic attributes and make them hero names.”
“We can workshop it.” Brian said. “But she’s right. Gallant, Dauntless–”
“Celibate.” Alec put in, amused.
Brian paused, almost like he wanted to frown, before shaking it off. “– Triumph, Resolute–”
“Who do you know that’s named ‘Resolute?’” Lisa asked, before Alec could.
“New cape in hmm New York, I think it was. I saw an article last week, but i could be remembering it wrong. I try to keep up with cape news, but I don’t memorize everything.”
“It was in Philadelphia,” Taylor said, not missing a beat. “New York has so many capes coming in and out of the scene that they barely bother to report them anymore unless they do something significant.”
Alec squeezed her fingers lightly, offering her a smile when she glanced over. She flushed, tucking her chin.
Oh, come on.
Had they always been like this? Did he just not notice?
Then again, her reaction coincided with their little group making their way back into the chilly street, so it could have just been her being cold.
That even made more sense and yet he was sure he’d find written proof later that it wasn’t true.
Alec was, politely, a little baffled.
“So,” Lisa said, with the tone of a Thinker 7 about to knowingly drop a bomb into their midsts. “What are we watching for movie night?”
Rachel and Brian immediately started to argue, and Alec shook his head, lips twitching. Lisa squeezed his hand.
The walk home seemed to almost fly by.
–