It’s a Friday night, and finally, Aloe can rest easy for the time being.

Before seeing the hickey, Aloe didn't think much of the reduced time he’d spent with Basil. 

From lunch to dinner, from late-night studying to just watching dumb movies—the two of them often spent their time together. Even when Aloe wasn’t too fond of the activity, so long as they were together, he would be satisfied.

But ever since they stepped into their third year of university, their time spent together became less and less.

Aloe chalked this up to them being busy with their respective majors, but seeing that hickey made him think that Aloe now had to share his time with Basil.

And he’s fine with it.

I’m fine with it.

Over and over, he repeats those words. As if it were a prayer begging for it to come true. 

Because what is he even expecting otherwise? 

And besides, they’re going to be seniors soon, so he has other things to worry about other than these stupid emotions plaguing him. 

This will come to pass. He is sure of it.

He just needs time to think about things that aren’t Basil related.

So, he uses his Friday night to settle down on his bed with a good book, surrounded by his fluffy pups snuggling up to him. 

Outside, the strong rain and looming clouds blanket the city in gloomy darkness. Lightning flashes from a distance, but the thunder’s sound manages to reach the ears of his terrified pups.

Aloe closes the curtains and pulls the blanket over his dogs. “Easy there. I’m here, so the scary thunder can’t get you.”

They whimper, and though he feels bad for their distress, he does think it's cute how such large dogs try squeezing as close as possible to him. It reminds him of when they were just puppies.

Another flash of lightning, but when the thunder booms, it is accompanied by a loud thud on his front door.

As if they weren’t cowering just a few minutes ago, all three dogs jump down and run towards the entryway. When Aloe catches up to them, he sees all three of them growling and pointing at the door.

He walks over to peek at the intercom to see who’s at the front, but the camera doesn’t catch anyone.

“Strange…” he mumbles to himself. 

Could it be from a different apartment door? What if someone got hurt?

Aloe doesn’t have to wonder about it for too long, because soon, a groan resounds from the other side of his door. He knows that voice well enough to not think twice about letting him in.

The minute he opens the door, Basil falls backward, hitting the ground with a loud thud. He’s soaked head to toe with rainwater, causing Aloe to frantically worry.

“Basil?!”

When Aloe’s dogs see the familiar face, their growling turns into curiosity, surrounding the man and sniffing around him.

Despite hitting the ground hard and being soaking wet, Basil just giggles away on the floor. His cheeks are flushed red and his eyes are glazed over. There is a heavy scent of alcohol around him, making Aloe feel all the more concerned.

“Can you get up?” Aloe asks as he tries to help Basil, but the man doesn’t pull much of his weight.

Instead, Basil circles his arms around Aloe, still giggling and smiling like a fool. His head is just beside Aloe’s, and with each breath, Aloe feels his cheeks grow warmer and warmer. 

He tries to wave away his strange thoughts. Right now, it’s more important to get Basil dried off and inside the living room where it’s warmer.

They leave a trail of rainwater behind them, but Aloe’s priorities are skewed elsewhere.

It takes a lot of effort, especially when three big dogs are huddling around them as Aloe carries—drags—Basil to the living room. Aloe’s a lot thinner than Basil, so it’s impossible for him to fully carry him.

Once inside, Aloe retrieves a towel and tries to pat Basil dry. As he does so, he wonders how he’d gotten like this. 

He hears the drunk man giggle, and though he’s always been a bright person since his youth, Aloe has simply never seen him this drunk.

He could pretty much guess who this is related to.

A foul feeling bubbles in his chest, but he doesn’t let it fester any longer than it should.

He pulls away from Basil.

“I’m just going to get you a change of clothes—”

Aloe had always been weak, so it’s easy for anyone, especially Basil, to pull him down with a single hand. He lands cheek first on Basil’s chest, and before he could pry himself off of the drunkard, an arm wraps around him, keeping him in place.

Basil chuckles, a tone of laughter entirely different from his prior giggling. There’s a sort of sensuality to it, as if he were teasing Aloe, and it makes him blush to think of it that way.

“What are you doing?” Aloe asks, trying to push himself away. But with a nuzzle of Basil’s nose against Aloe’s hair, all his strength disappears.

What?! What?! What?!

“You always smell nice,” Basil whispers. 

It causes Aloe to shiver at the intimacy of how he says it.

It’s not just strength that’s left him, but rationality, too. He no longer thinks of how he’d been dragged down unwillingly, nor does he think about how soaked his clothes are getting from the contact.

All that he thinks of now is the proximity of their bodies. 

Aloe has never allowed himself to be open about his true feelings, but just this once, he feels like it’s okay to let himself be overwhelmed with the joy and giddiness of being held in Basil’s arms.

“I feel at ease when I’m with you.”

Me too.

“I wish you would look at me more.”

Me too.

“Can we stay like this, Poppy?”

This week really fucking sucks, huh?