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After one final glance at his watch, Phinks practically barreled towards the room where his partners were sleeping. They were staying at, what appeared to be, the remains of a building after a mission that got another bounty over the Troupe's heads.
The spiders who stuck around after took turns looking out for fools seeking to claim the reward.
In his desperate attempt to get back in the arms of his lovers, he completely forgot to tell Nobunaga it’s his turn for lookout duty.
"Whatever, he’ll figure it out." Phinks huffs. He slowly pushed the door open, careful not to wake his sleepy partners.
Shalnark peeked his head up from underneath the thin blanket he was wrapped around. Phinks gave him a large, goofy smile and slid across the floor to lay in front of the younger blonde.
“Fei’s already asleep?” He inquired with a hushed voice as to not wake the feisty transmuter.
Shal let out a soft giggle before replying, “Yeah”.
“Oh? Having fun without me, huh?” Phinks gave him a flirtatious smirk and tucked a hair behind the other man’s ear.
“Something like that..” The manipulator looked away with an obvious flush against his cheeks.
“Is something wrong Shal?”
“Oh no, no. I’m fine I.. Fei let me brush his hair and we cuddled a bit.. it was nothing.”
Phinks looked at Shal with big, sparkly eyes. The younger of the two just shrugged.
“Ya know Shal, Fei never, and I mean never, let people be super affectionate with him like that. Hell, half the time he threatens to chop my head off if I even tell him he’s hot!” Phinks’ voice raised slightly with his excitement, earning a groan and a shift in Feitan’s position. His heart dropped and Shal let out a mocking gasp.
“You better quiet down, Phinksy, or you're gonna get us in trouble!”
“Whatever, asshole. Howdya even get Feitan to let you brush his hair anyways? Did he even know you're supposed to do that?” The enhancer questioned teasingly.
Shalnark grinned, “I had to go out and steal this really fancy tea. It was made from the dried leaves of an exotic plant. In large amounts it can be hallucinogenic and, if you use the wrong part of the plant, fatal. Though the packages seemed pretty trustworthy and Fei didn't seem to mind!”
Phinks stared at the smaller blonde for a moment. He loves listening to his new lover’s rambling. He loves the manipulator's cheery voice and extensive knowledge on practically anything you could think of.
A thought briefly drifted across Phinks' mind.
"Hey, Shal?" He asks slowly.
Shalnark flicked an eye open, "Hmm?"
"Why do like brushing hair so much?"
The younger man pondered the question for a moment. Why did he like it so much? Is it because he likes being in control? 'No' the blonde thinks. Sure he likes to be in control, he is a manipulator after all, but his gut told him it's something more.
He has no idea why this question is so hard to answer. He has always enjoyed it. Was it weird? Did Phinks think it was strange? A wave of insecurity crashed into him.
"I... I just always- I just always have," He trailed off trying to find the right words to follow up. He really didn't want the enhancer to judge him. It wasn't in Phinks' nature to be critical of his friends, and certainly not his boyfriends, Shal was just unsure.
Phinks' noticed the small blonde's sudden change in mood and reached for his hand and squeezed lightly, "Are you okay, sweetheart?"
His heart swelled in his chest. That's why.
'I want to take care of someone again.'
The air suddenly felt heavy against Shalnark's chest. His mind drifted away to him immediately. It had been so long since he had felt loved like this. It was so lonely after they left Yorknew. Before he got with his current lovers, he felt so empty. He still feels empty without..
Uvo.
Another wave of stifling emotion drags him under its currents. He pulled his head out of the water to see himself laying atop his past lover’s muscular thighs while scrolling mindlessly on his phone.
Shal giggled to himself and showed Uvo a picture on his phone earning a deep chuckle.
"Geez Shal where'd ya get that old thing?" The enhancer smiled widely taking another look at the familiar face on screen.
Shal returned his smile and sat up on the other man's lap, "I took this around the time I joined the Troupe and just after we became friends! I have one with Nobu too."
Uvogin let out a hardy laugh and ruffled the blonde's hair. A dusty pink blossomed across Shalnark's round cheeks.
"I look so different wow it's kinda weird, ha!"
"Well yeah, you're much stronger now," He flirts, "your hair is also messier!"
Uvo smirks, "Yeah I am pretty strong.. and my hair is pretty fucked."
"Ya know if you'd just take care of it it wouldn't be so unruly." Shal laughed. A real laugh.
"Eh, I don't care enough. I think it's fine." The large enhancer shrugged and wrapped his arms around the manipulator's waist, pulling him closer.
Shalnark stretched his arms behind his lover's head and tried to run his fingers through his long, thick hair.
He snorted, "I can't even run my fingers through it!"
"Pfft! You're just not trying hard enough."
His statement granted him a rough tug at his scalp and the tall man just chuckled and held Shal tighter.
After a while of the blonde's finger fumbling and twisting through the older man's hair, Shal reared back with a gasp.
"Can I brush it out for you?" As soon as the words came out he flushed with embarrassment and his eyes darted away.
When he gathered the courage to look his partner in the eyes again, he was greeted with an odd look.
"Brush it? Do you even have a brush cuz I sure as hell don't!"
"I have a brush." Shal smiled softly making Uvo gush.
His lover's booming voice must have drawn the other spiders out, because Phinks strolled in laughing.
"You're gonna get head lice, Shal!" Feitan popped out from behind him and gave Phinks a quizzical look.
"What is a lice?"
"Bugs that live in your hair. They lay eggs that attach to the strands. It can be a real hassle gettin' em out, but it's easier for the eggs to stick to clean hair so Uvo probably doesn't have them." Shal teases and Uvo's face goes red.
"FUCK YOU GUYS! Whatever Shal, do what you want. I can't say no to ya anyways, yer too cute."
Shal blushed and turned away. He laughed as he heard Feitan joke about Phinks having "bug hair".
Shalnark's mind drifted back as he thought about the pair.
'Right. I still have Fei and-'
Phinks interrupted his thoughts with a light shake. "Shal you good babe? Shal?"
"Oh, yes. I'm alright. It's just- I," The younger blonde felt himself choke on the name at the tip of his tongue.
His partner seemed to get the memo. "Hey don't worry about it. Um.. it's getting pretty late. I- we both really need some rest." Phinks says softly with a dramatic yawn.
Shal hums, happy to be thinking of something else, and nudges closer.
His lover pulls him into a tight embrace. Shalnark smiles into the other blonde's chest as he is enveloped by comforting body heat.
'I am still loved,' He thought. 'I have someone, people, to care for. I'm no longer alone...'
His body relaxed atop the other man's chest. Phinks placed a soft kiss on Shal's soft hair. Then turning to glance over to their already sleeping partner and blew him a kiss.
A deep sleep took over the three despite sleeping on the cold, rocky flooring. The presence of each other was enough to keep them calm no matter the conditions.
Even as the sun began to rise, and the other spiders were already stirring around, the three stayed on the floor. A tangled ball of limbs and newly found love.