Work Text:
In the middle of yet another busy day at the cafe, Slingshot found himself missing somebody who, by all means, he should have despised. In a way, he did despise him, but something strange had been coming over him as of late. A realization. One that he wouldn't be caught dead simply admitting to. It was embarrassing– why was he even feeling such a thing for Coil? What about him was so intriguing that could possibly lead to him developing a crush on him? How dreadful.
It was the middle of winter, and from what he had unwillingly learned from Coil in all of his endless oversharing, he despised the cold weather– quite the opposite of Slingshot himself. Nothing excited him more than when the leaves began to change color and fall from the trees. Snow days were always nice, as it allowed him a chance to have a break from the cafe and enjoy his time with his friends.
It had been around a few weeks since he had last seen Coil– and he might have been concerned, had he not known how he handled the winter. It was embarrassing in itself that he remembered small details about him like that. It was true that he was very in tune with his own emotions, and it wasn't lost on him that he had a bit of a crush, but he most certainly wasn't happy about it. The weather was a bit rough, and it had quite a few inphernals stopping in for hot drinks and pastries. Winter was generally when the height of the cafe's traffic came through, and it was certainly one of those days.
Slingshot had fallen into a rhythm, taking orders, passing drinks and pastries to customers, handling the unruly and rude ones when it came down to it. It was simply routine for him. Even in the midst of it all, he couldn't stifle his own yearning. As long as it didn't interfere with his work, it didn't matter that much. Still– how odd it was to miss somebody who made a habit out of getting on his last nerve every time he visited. A small part of him couldn't help but fear that maybe, just maybe, he had gotten over whatever it was that compelled him to visit so often and bug him endlessly. To even imagine never seeing Coil's smug face in his cafe again made his heart ache.
Another customer came into the cafe, and he greeted them as usual– until he realized who it actually was, and his heart began hammering in his chest.
Coil strolled into the cafe, that typical air of cockiness about him. He wore that shit-eating grin of his when he noticed Slingshot behind the counter– and acted surprised, as if he wasn't always the one behind the counter. Slingshot straightened up and regarded him with indifference, fighting to ignore the way his heart threatened to beat straight out of his chest and jump directly into Coil's hands.
“Hey, kitten,” he greeted with a smirk, “been awhile, hasn't it? I know you must have missed me so much.”
Slingshot's eye twitched. Just how badly he wanted to grab him by the front of his coat and shout in his face, ‘Yes, you dumbass, I did miss you!’ Unfortunately, he had to remain calm, and he certainly couldn't just up and admit he missed the inphernal who pestered him almost every day while he tried to work.
Slingshot's expression remained neutral, or so he hoped it did. “What can I get for you?”
Coil stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Straight to business, huh? You're no fun,” he pouted, giving him the most obnoxiously adorable puppy dog eyes. “Well, whatever. I'll have a vanilla latte and some pumpkin bread.”
Slingshot rang up his items and took the money he passed to him, pointedly trying to pay no mind to how his heart seized in his chest when their fingers brushed against each other. He grabbed a slice of pumpkin bread from the pastry case and put it in a pastry bag, reaching over the counter to pass it to Coil.
“I'll have your drink right out,” he informed him.
“Don't keep me waitin’, kitten,” Coil smirked before turning his back and walking to a table.
Slingshot let out a long, drawn out sigh before heading into the kitchen to tell Vine Staff his order. When he walked through the door, he was a little startled to nearly run into Shuriken, who was standing in place with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Shuri, you know better than to stand in the way of the door,” he chastised him.
Shuriken didn't move from his spot. Instead, he gave him a strange look and tipped his head to the side. “He's back, huh? How are you feeling about that?”
“I am entirely neutral on his presence in the cafe,” Slingshot deadpanned. “Now, if you'll excuse me–”
“Not so fast!” Shuriken grabbed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.
“I have a job to do, and so do you.”
“Just gimme like one minute, okay?” Shuriken pleaded.
“Fine.”
“Okay, so, you do know how obvious you are, right?” He inquired, seemingly expecting Slingshot to know what the hell he was even on about.
“What do you mean?”
“Your little crush, I mean,” he explained, all too casually.
Slingshot's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. “Wh-What?”
“Yeah, dude. I know. Vine knows. Katana probably knows. I mean, who doesn't?” Shuiken rolled his eyes, none the wiser to how rapidly Slingshot was beginning to panic.
Was he really that obvious? Did Coil know, too? With his thoughts and his heart racing, and having nothing better to do to quell his anxiety, Slingshot began digging his nails into the palm of his hand. Shuriken's eyes widened, and he quickly grabbed his hand and forced him to stop.
“Sling, breathe for a second,” he instructed unhelpfully, squeezing his hand hard.
“Iambreathing–”
“More like hyperventilating,” Shuriken sighed. “Come on. Breathe with me.” he drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, and Slingshot did his best to follow suit.
It took time, as it always did, to come back down. Shuriken had somewhat mastered the art of bringing him down from his panic attacks and the works. Without him, he wasn't entirely sure what he would do with himself. Then again, he was the reason Slingshot had a panic attack in the first place.
“I'm sorry, dude. I didn't think it'd freak you out that bad,” Shuriken scratched his head sheepishly.
Slingshot squeezed his hand one last time before letting go of it. “It's… fine, I guess,” he muttered in response. “But, Coil, he– you don't think he knows, do you?” He was so desperate to have some semblance of reassurance that he wasn't the complete and utter fool he feared he was, that his stupid crush wasn't plain as day for Coil himself.
“Nah. You're worrying about the wrong thing,” Shuriken reassured him, “Coil might be smart, but somehow, at the same time, he's dense as hell. There's no shot he actually knows.”
“That's… good,” Slingshot hesitated– but why was he hesitating, exactly? He shook his head in a way like he hoped that it would clear the foolish thoughts from his mind. “Okay, seriously, I need to get back to work now,” he stated, pushing Shuriken out of his way and heading towards the kitchen.
“Wait!” Shuriken yelped, grabbing his attention yet again.
Slingshot crossed his arms and tapped his foot against the floor. “What, Shuri?”
“Do you think you'll ever tell him?”
“No. There's no way in hell he can ever know,” Slingshot muttered before turning his back and leaving without another word.
Vine Staff made Coil's drink, but of course Slingshot wasn't able to make it out of that interaction without her trying to pry and insist she just wanted to know why he looked so irritable. While he appreciated her concern, if he had to spend even another minute acknowledging and discussing his crush he felt he might have gone mad.
Filled to the brim with anxiety and dread, Slingshot had to request Shuriken to take Coil's drink to him instead. Shuriken gave him another apologetic look, and all he could do was shake his head before looking away.
Once he managed to focus back on his work, he was able to mostly keep his mind off of Coil– keyword being mostly. It was a little difficult to fully rid his thoughts of him when he continued to sit in the cafe long after finishing his drink and food. There were no specific rules against anyone hanging out in the cafe for extended periods of time, so there wasn't much he could do about that. And sure, it was his cafe, and if he really wanted, he could have kicked Coil out, but some stupid part of him didn't want to lose the company– even despite the anxiety that continued to plague him.
Hours passed, and still Coil remained. Whenever Slingshot passed him, he would try to get his attention by saying something outrageous, but he did his best to pay him no mind. It was a little shocking he was even still there– he had to have been bored out of his mind just scrolling on his phone and occasionally trying to get on Slingshot's nerves– but still, he remained.
When Slingshot passed Coil for the umpteenth time while he brought drinks to other customers, he noticed something that had him reeling. The tips of Coil's horns had turned into a gradient, with blue at the tips of them. It wasn't just any blue, either– it was the same exact hue of blue that Slingshot's horns were. By some miracle, Coil's eyes were glued to his phone, and he didn't pay him any mind, for once. Slingshot quickly brought the drinks to the waiting customers and walked as fast as he could without interrupting the peace to the backroom. He closed and locked the door behind himself before pulling his phone out and opening the front facing camera– and just as he had feared, the tips of his horns were an orange and cyan gradient.
“No, no, no no no,” he chanted in a stunned panic. Unable to bear seeing himself like that for any longer, he turned his phone off and shoved it back into his pocket.
It shouldn't have been shocking for him to see his own horns the gradient of Coil's horns color– after all, he was entirely aware of his own crush. But Coil– it was unmistakable– his horns, too, were a gradient of blue. It made no sense. It couldn't be. There was no way he felt the same way towards him, not with the way he constantly taunted and bothered him… right? There was a knock at the door and he gasped. Right. He was at work. He had a job to do. But he couldn't be seen like that– not by Coil, not by anybody else, for that matter. What choice did he have, though? At the very least, maybe he could make it out with Shuriken and Vine Staff being the only ones to see.
“Sling!” Shuriken's voice rang out from behind the door. “Earth to Sling! What are you doing in there?”
Slingshot let out a shaky breath and steadied himself– as ready as he could ever be to face Shuriken with the painfully obvious tells of him having a big, stupid crush, he unlocked the door and opened it. Shuriken's arms were crossed and he looked deeply irritated.
“What is your pro–” he paused and stared up at his horns. “Oh. You're really in deep, huh?” He marveled.
“Shuri. I can't let Coil see me like this. You know I can't.”
“So, what do we do, exactly? Shut down the whole cafe because you have a little crush? Come on, dude,” Shuriken groaned, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him slightly.
“That's not what I'm saying. Just– can you take over the cash register for the rest of the day? There's only like–” he paused and checked his wrist watch, “an hour and a half left until closing. Please, Shuri.”
“Yeah, yeah, I'll take over,” Shuriken patted him on the shoulders. “...Only if I get your share of the tips for today, that is.”
“Not happening,” Slingshot deadpanned.
Shuriken sighed and slouched his shoulders. “Whatever, it was worth a shot. Go on back and help Vine, I'll get to the cash register.”
“Thank you. I mean it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Shuriken waved a hand, shooing him off to the kitchen.
When he got back into the kitchen and Vine Staff noticed him, her eyes widened. “Your horns–”
“Not a word,” Slingshot interrupted her.
“Fiiine,” she sighed dramatically before getting back to work.
The rest of the day went by smoothly, and now that he wasn't constantly in Coil's company, he could finally relax– at least, somewhat. The thought of him remained in his head, buzzing around like an obnoxious pest, and no amount of wishing the thoughts away did him any good. There was one thing that remained– why were Coil's horns like that? It simply made no logical sense– what kind of inphernal would constantly pester somebody that they had feelings for?
Finally, it came time to close up shop, but Slingshot refused to leave the kitchen until he was certain Coil was long gone. The door to the kitchen opened, Shuriken standing in the doorway.
“Coast is clear, come help clean up!”
Slingshot left the kitchen, scanning the area to ensure that Coil really wasn't there before he got to work. Once they finished cleaning up the cafe, he locked the doors behind them, and they headed home together.
As soon as they made it home, Slingshot locked himself in his room and collapsed into his bed, stuffing his face in his pillows and letting out a muffled scream. What a fool he was, falling for somebody like Coil. Out of all the inphernals it could have possibly been, it just had to be him, didn't it? And there was nothing he could do to stifle those feelings. There was a fire burning in his chest, intensified by every little interaction they had, despite how mind-numbingly obnoxious he could be.
There was a knock at his door, followed by Shuriken's voice calling out, “Is it okay if I come in?”
Slingshot groaned and got out of bed, because at the end of the day, he knew he needed the comfort that Shuriken was likely there to offer. After unlocking the door, he walked back to his bed and sat on the end of it. Shuriken wordlessly joined him after shutting the door behind himself. When he sat next to him, he leaned his head against his shoulder, and he felt some of his tension ease.
“I'm sorry if I went too far,” Shuriken said sheepishly. “I really didn't think it'd shake you up that much. I also didn't really expect the whole horns situation.”
“It's fine,” Slingshot mumbled half-heartedly.
“...You did see Coil's horns, right?” Shuriken probed him.
“Yes, Shuri. I saw.”
“Sooo… Don't you think that's a good thing? He must feel the same way!” He insisted.
“Good? No. No, I don't believe it,” Slingshot muttered, glaring at nothing in particular. “I just… can't. There's no way he feels that way about me. Who treats someone they have feelings for like this?”
“I mean, Coil is a pretty odd one, if you ask me,” Shuriken shrugged.
“Oh, that's rich coming from you.”
“Oh shut up,” Shuriken rolled his eyes and elbowed him in the side. “Anyway. My point stands! Maybe he just sucks at expressing his feelings. Who knows?”
“And what exactly am I supposed to do if he really does feel the same way that I do?”
“Confess?” Shuriken tipped his head.
“No. No. There's no way in hell I'm doing that.”
“Well, can you really just sit with it forever? Hope that it magically goes away? Clearly he's interested enough to make the effort of traveling all the way from Playground almost every day just to stop by at the cafe!”
“...I'm scared, Shuri,” Slingshot finally admitted, his voice soft.
“I know you are,” Shuriken bumped his shoulder against him. “You gotta do it scared, or you're gonna be stressing out over this for SFOTH knows how long!”
Slingshot heaved a sigh and flopped down onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. Shuriken moved next to him and sat with his legs crossed. “Knowing this doesn't make it any easier,” Slingshot mumbled.
“I never said it's gonna be easy. I mean, it might just be one of the hardest things you've ever had to do!”
“You're not really helping here,” Slingshot groaned.
“Come onnnnn,” Shuriken shook him back and forth by his shoulders. “You can do this! If it goes poorly, Vine and I will be there for you,” he assured him, still shaking him. “You don't wanna spend the rest of your life wondering, do you? And I mean, you never know if you'll get a next time, right? Especially with Coil living in Playground and all.”
Slingshot hated hearing it, but deep down, he knew that Shuriken was right. Worst of all, he was filled with dread at the implications of what he said– ‘you never know if you'll get a next time’. In the end, he understood and accepted what he would have to do. “...Okay. I… I'll try to confess tomorrow.”
Shuriken grinned wide. “Good! You've got this in the bag!”
Just then, they both turned their heads when they heard Vine Staff's voice calling out from outside of the room. “Shuri! Come out and help with dinner!”
“Fine!” Shuriken called back. “Better go help sis,” he stated and hopped out of Slingshot's bed. When he reached the door, he turned back to look at him over his shoulder. “Lemme know if you need anything else! And try not to stress out too much!”
“Easier said than done,” Slingshot mumbled under his breath.
Shuriken closed the door, leaving him alone with his thoughts once more. Slingshot curled up, pulling his legs to his chest and hugging them. There really was no other way, was there? If he didn't tell Coil how he truly felt, those feelings would begin to fester and turn into something far more unbearable. There was only one thing he could do. Slingshot spent the rest of the night fighting to keep his thoughts off of all of the what-ifs. He soon left his room to assist Vine Staff and Shuriken in the kitchen as a way to occupy his time. When bedtime rolled around, he would toss and turn all night, hardly able to get a wink of sleep.
The sound of his alarm blaring pulled Slingshot out of his restless slumber. He slammed his fist on it to shut it off. The first thing that crawled its way into his mind was Coil, because of course it had to be him. And of course he was too high-strung and anxious to get any decent sleep to prepare him for his confession. Begrudgingly, he got out of bed and dragged himself to his dresser to start getting ready for work. It was going to be a long day.
Upon arriving at the cafe, his nerves were already frayed, his heart hammering in his chest. There was nothing reasonable about already panicking about it, but he couldn't really help it. That day, he would work in the kitchen with Vine Staff, because SFOTH knows he didn't have the mental capacity to handle customers all day long, much less than he typically was with his lack of proper sleep.
As the day went on, he would grow increasingly anxious, waiting for Shuriken to let him know when Coil arrived– but that never came to pass. The day came and went, and Coil had been nowhere to be seen. They would close up shop without having seen him even once.
It took everything in Slingshot not to burst into tears on the way home. Only when he ran into his room and shut the door behind him did he allow himself to break down, trembling and hiccuping as he cried all of his emotions out. All of the worst case scenarios ran through his mind– what if something happened to Coil? What if he actually had seen his horns and was so appalled that he decided to stop his visits? What if he really wouldn't ever see him again? All it would take was for Coil to make the decision not to make the effort to visit the cafe.
There was a gentle knock at his door. “Just come in,” he hiccuped weakly.
The door opened, and he didn't need to look to know that it was Shuriken standing there. It typically was him who came to calm him down when he had panic attacks or any sort of mental breakdown.
The bed dipped next to him, and he felt a hand settle on his arm. “Talk to me, Sling. I know Coil didn't show up, but why are you panicking about it?”
“Be-Because what if– what if he saw? What if he knows?”
There was a silence that followed that filled him with even more dread before Shuriken finally responded, “I am positive he didn't see. But he must have seen his own horns. I mean, your gradient didn't fade until hours after we got home. It was probably the same for him.”
“So he probably does know,” Slingshot lamented.
“Sling… At least try to be rational about this,” Shuriken insisted, “if his horns were like that, it has to mean something. That doesn't just happen willy nilly, y'know?”
“I… But if he does… Why would he not visit? What if something happened to him?” Slingshot had somewhat managed to calm down, despite how anxious he still was.
“...You do know you can just text Skate and ask, right? I mean, they literally live together, dude,” Shuriken groaned.
“Oh. I guess I can ask,” Slingshot agreed sheepishly.
“You really don't think straight when you work yourself up into a panic,” Shuriken observed.
“I don't exactly have control over that,” Slingshot muttered as he grabbed his phone and unlocked it. He typed up a message to send to Skateboard. It took him a little too long to figure out how to word it properly.
Slingshot: hey, do you know if coil is doing alright?
It didn't take long for his phone to light up with a response.
Skateboard: *you* asking about coil's wellbeing? thats a new one
Skateboard: he's aight, though
Skateboard: he was kinda goin thru it today, but im not goin into detail since thats kinda his business yknow
Slingshot: yeah… i understand
Slingshot: i'm glad he's okay.
Skateboard: i'm sure he'll hit the cafe up sometime soon again! not that i ever expected u to want him to do that, lol
Slingshot: yeah uh. change of heart, i guess.
Skateboard: well good for you, dude
Slingshot: thank you, skate
Skateboard: anytime homie
Slingshot swallowed around the lump in his throat. Coil was okay.
“He's okay,” he murmured. “He's dealing with… something, I guess.”
“Yeah?” Shuriken tilted his head to the side. “You don't really think it's all just a coincidence, do you? I mean, come on, you're smarter than that.”
Everything was beginning to fall into place, slowly, but surely. It made sense, didn't it? Why else would Coil visit the cafe nearly every single day? So why was he in such denial about something that was clear as day?
“Yeah, I… I think you might be right,” Slingshot sighed. “It's just… strange.”
Shuriken shrugged. “Yeah. Can't blame you for doubting that the dude who ragebaits you all the time has feelings for you.”
“...I think I should get some sleep,” Slingshot decided.
“Yeah, you seemed pretty rough today,” Shuriken agreed as he got off of his bed. “Goodnight!” He said and left his room.
Left alone to stew in his thoughts, Slingshot realized he was much better off than he was before. Shuriken was the voice of reason he needed to stop him from working himself into a panic. Sure, he was still terrified to actually confess, but knowing what he did, it seemed a little more doable. After changing into his pajamas, it didn't take long for him to pass out.
The following morning, he was filled equally with anxiety and anticipation. Anxiety over the obvious, but anticipation at the prospect of finally getting his obnoxious crush sorted out. While he couldn't know if Coil would visit the cafe that day, he had to hope, and worst case scenario, he would wait as long as he needed to for him to show up again. Something inside of him told him that Coil wouldn't be able to keep himself away from the cafe– or Slingshot himself– for very long.
Having gotten proper sleep, he was able to take back over the cash register duties. Every time the little bell on the door rang and somebody walked in the cafe, he hoped that it would be him, but so far, he had no such luck.
It wasn't until much later in the day, relatively close to the time the cafe would be closing, that he finally showed his face. Slingshot was both elated and unbearably anxious as Coil strolled into the cafe. The strange thing was that he seemed… off. Different. That typical smugness and confidence he carried was nowhere to be seen. His hands were stuffed into his pockets, and he looked exhausted. Slingshot felt a pit forming in his stomach, wondering if something had happened to him. When he approached the counter, his demeanor changed, and he managed a smirk, although it was quite noticeably forced.
“Fancy seein’ you here,” Coil greeted with a grin.
“I own this cafe,” Slingshot deadpanned. Business as usual, it almost seemed.
“Yeah, yeah. I know I'm the real star of the show here,” Coil drawled. “No need to deny it.” Despite the effort he put into it, there was something very clearly going on with him. How was he supposed to break the ice? Better yet, how could he ask what was going on without seeming suspicious?
“Whatever,” Slingshot sighed deeply. “What can I get for you?”
“Eh. Just a chocolate chip muffin, I guess.”
“You guess?”
“What? Getting strung up over the specific wording I'm using, now?” Coil scoffed and rolled his eyes. Something was bothering him, and he could barely tolerate not breaking down, walking out from behind the counter, grabbing him by the shoulders, and demanding him to tell him what it was. Slingshot balled his hands into fists and fought to keep himself calm and collected.
“...Forget I said anything,” Slingshot muttered in defeat. Wordlessly, he got Coil his muffin and took his money.
Coil, too, left without a word, taking a seat at the far end of the cafe, facing away from him. Even despite whatever was going on with him, he chose to stay. That had to be a good sign, right?
The rest of the night was uneventful. When it was time to close up shop, Coil still sat across the cafe. Slingshot knew what he had to do. Before he could do that, however, he would have to request that Shuriken and Vine Staff both leave.
Slingshot opened the door to the kitchen and called out their names. They both walked over to him. “Hey. I'm gonna clean up on my own, you two can head home.”
Vine Staff furrowed her eyebrows. “That's a lot of work for one inphernal to do alone. Are you sure–”
“Yes, Vine,” he interpreted her gently, “I'm sure. Just… trust me on this, okay?”
Vine Staff pursed her lips and stared at him for a few more moments before sighing and shrugging. “Whatever you say.”
“I'm not complaining about going home early!” Shuriken exclaimed, already on his way out. Vine Staff rolled her eyes. Before she followed after him, she walked up to Slingshot, and to his surprise, she hugged him.
“Good luck,” she whispered in his ear.
Slingshot felt a little too emotional after that. “Thank you.”
Once he was certain Vine Staff and Shuriken were long gone, he let out a shaky breath and steeled his nerves before leaving the kitchen and walking to where Coil was sitting. When Coil noticed him, he looked up at him.
“I get it, I'll leave,” he muttered, already beginning to stand up.
“Actually,” Slingshot started, causing him to stop, “can you… stay for a moment?”
At that, Coil actually looked at him. He looked suspicious. He supposed he couldn't blame him for that. “Why? Don't you want me out of your hair?”
Already, Slingshot was at a loss as for what to say. How could he inform Coil that he had to tell him something without coming across as even more suspicious? “I– I– I have… something… I should tell you,” he stuttered awkwardly. The feeling of his cheeks burning up was nearly enough to convince him to run away, but he had to do this.
Coil didn't look convinced. “Listen. I get it. I have shit to do anyway,” he muttered and stood from his seat. As he began to turn his back, Slingshot panicked and grabbed his arm to prevent him from leaving. Coil turned back around with an unreadable expression on his face.
“What? Am I banned from the cafe or something? Just get it over with.”
“I– Coil, I–”
“Just spit it out already! I get it!”
“Gods! I'm in love with you, you asshole!” Slingshot cried out, gripping his arm with such sheer force that his claws pierced holes in his coat. He gasped and released his hold on Coil in favor of crossing his arms over his stomach.
Coil. How could he even begin to describe the look on his face? Stunned. That was a good enough word for it. Was he shaking, too?
“What the fuck?”
“I know! I. Gods, this is humiliating, I shouldn't have said anything! But I thought– I thought I wouldn't have the chance to see you again, and I just–”
“Sling…”
“What?” Slingshot rasped, refusing to look him in the eye.
“Shit, how do I even say this?” Coil laughed, but it was humorless. “This is stupid, actually,” he muttered.
Slingshot felt tears welling up in his eyes. The panic was beginning to set in. Then, he felt a hand grabbing his hand, and he gasped and finally looked back up at Coil.
“It isn't just you,” Coil murmured, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “I feel the same way.”
Slingshot wasn't entirely sure why he was so shocked upon hearing that. After all, did he not have that conversation with Shuriken the prior night? Maybe knowing it and actually being confessed to were entirely different. “...Really?”
“You're right. This is humiliating,” Coil groaned. “Yes, really. I'm not just sayin’ this for the hell of it.”
“Oh,” Slingshot uttered.
“Oh? Is that all you have to say?”
Strangely, something about that had Slingshot bursting into a fit of giggles. Maybe it was due to his frayed nerves. He wasn't entirely sure.
“Dude. What the hell.”
Slingshot laughed even harder. It was a little embarrassing. “Oh, you should see the look on your face,” he gasped between breaths. “Oh my gods. You're an asshole, you know?”
“Hey!”
Something came over him. An urge that he couldn't, or rather, didn't care to fight against. Slingshot grabbed Coil by the front of his coat, pulling him close and smashing their lips together. Coil made a muffled sound of surprise, but within moments, he was melting into his touch.
Slingshot wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling his body flush against his own. Everything had fallen perfectly into place. For a brief, blissful moment, nothing in the inpherno mattered more than the two of them.
They pulled away with a gasp, but remained close enough that he felt Coil's breath hot on his mouth.
“What the fuck?” Coil rasped. “...Can you do that again?”
“So polite, for once in your life,” Slingshot purred.
“Man, fuck y– mph–”
Slingshot kissed him again, because he didn't need to hear the rest of that, but he did need to feel his lips against his again. They kissed, and they kissed, only stopping to catch their breaths. By the time they somewhat had their fill, it was beginning to get dark outside.
“I– I need to clean up and close the cafe,” Slingshot breathed against his lips.
“Lemme help. It's uh. The least I can do. For bein’ an ass.”
“Oh? So you admit it,” Slingshot chuckled.
“Well now I take it back,” Coil deadpanned.
Slingshot grinned and pecked him on the lips one more time before begrudgingly pulling away. “Let's get to work, then.”
The two of them worked together shockingly well. It was incredibly strange, after SFOTH knows how long of being tormented by Coil at his job to just… get along with him. When they finished, he locked the doors to the cafe. They stood together outside awkwardly, unsure of what to do next.
“...I guess I'll be goin’ home then,” Coil said, sounding like he wanted the complete opposite of that.
Slingshot gently grabbed his hand and held him there. “...You can come over to my place. If you want.”
Coil turned to face him with wide, hopeful eyes. “Really?”
“Pff– yes, really,” Slingshot giggled.
Coil grinned. “Take me away then, kitten.”
“I really wish you would stop calling me that,” Slingshot muttered. If Coil thought anything of him still holding his hand, he said nothing.
“Not happening.”
They walked to Slingshot's apartment together, hand-in-hand. Fortunately, when they got inside, neither Shuriken or Vine Staff was around. They went to Slingshot's room, Coil shamelessly walking around and taking in the sights.
“It really can't be that interesting,” Slingshot laughed.
Coil shrugged. “I just wanna know more about you. Can you blame me?”
Slingshot felt his face heat up. “I guess not…”
After some time, they ended up nestled up in bed together, Coil borrowing a pair of his pajamas for the night. Coil laid on top of him, purring softly, and it was all so strange, but it felt so right. They fell asleep together like that, comfortable and content.