Connor turned away from James with a small grin. They’d shared a moment just there, hadn’t they? He knew James couldn’t resist him for long! 

His smile faded when he spotted Brody sitting on the ledge by the building entrance, sipping his iced coffee. He was clearly waiting for someone– for Connor. 

Connor’s stomach clenched, he wasn’t sure what it was about Brody. He was always nice, always smiling, always helping him out of tight spots, and comforting him when he got yelled at. And yet, Connor couldn’t help but feel like the tally of what he owed Brody was mounting, and that it was definitely being tracked. 

It just… gave him the heebie jeebies somehow. He gave himself a little shake, reminding himself that Brody had asked him something as they walked towards the elevator. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I said, is that your boyfriend?”

Connor blanked out. “Oh, no, I um–” He looked at his feet. “He’s not. What makes you say that?”

“Mmm, the way he touched you. The way you smiled at him I guess. “ Brody pouted. “How come you never smile at me like that?”

Aren’t you fucking married? Connor hissed internally, out loud he said, “He’s just roommates… with the person I’m dating.” His voice stumbled on the lie, Victor wouldn’t mind, would he? Maybe he’d even do one of those fake boyfriend scenarios sometime and stop by. Connor snorted, yeah right, getting Victor to leave the couch was impossible. He’d have to handle this alone. 

They stepped into the elevator together, and Connor stiffened when Brody reached across him to tap the fob for their floor before Connor could do it himself. Connor stared at himself in the mirror, startled to find his hair was a mess. 

He was pawing it straight when Brody put a hand on his shoulder. Connor flinched. 

Brody chuckled, his fingers lingering for a moment too long.“Oh, did I startle you? I like this shirt– is it linen? So fancy, do you have a date after work then? Is that why you’re dressed up?” He took a pull on his coffee, rattling the ice loudly. “With your boyfriend?”

Connor opened his mouth, ready to tell him to mind his damn business, when the doors slid open. Mary was there, in the power suit Connor had come to despise. She stepped in without letting them out. “Brody out,” she said “Connor you’re coming with me to an off-site, stay here.”

“R-right,” Connor stammered, immediately starting to sweat.

“Have fun! See you at lunch!” Brody called with a cheerful wave. The heavy metal doors slid shut like the top of a coffin closing.

Mary turned to him, “It’s good you’re making friends with the others,” she said bluntly, and Connor’s jaw dropped. She’d never praised him before. “Brody is an excellent role model, you’ll learn a lot from him.”

“Yes, of course, we get along really well,” Connor replied eagerly, desperate for more praise, but Mary was already engrossed in her phone again.

They never made it back to the office for lunch, the offsite meeting ran till seven, and Mary told him he could just go home after. 

Exhausted and demoralized from yet another ten hours straight of taking meeting notes nobody would ever read, Connor stumbled home in a daze. This certainly wasn’t the glamorous life he’d expected to live here. 

And lately, being alone didn’t seem fun and independent, it felt lonely. The dark borders of a despair he hated to name were crowding in. He needed a distraction before these familiar feelings got worse, got destructive. Without pausing to consider, he wandered into the apartment next to his.

It was quiet, and not even the fat cat greeted him. He sighed, deflated, maybe he would just go to sleep for the rest of the day… or forever...

As he was turning to go, Victor walked into the living room holding Freckle in his arms like a baby. His eyes landed on Connor and his frown deepened. Victor didn’t look surprised to see him. He didn’t even look happy. He was angry? Victor’s dark circles were more prominent than usual, his hair was a mess and he was wearing baggy clothes that were definitely not his. 

Connor could smell the tobacco on him from across the room. At least Connor wasn’t the only one having a bad day.

Victor placed the cat on the floor. “I think you got the wrong apartment,” he said, a bit too sharply. 

Connor beamed a fake smile at him. “No, I was in the mood for a grumpy asshole, actually, mmm-mmm just right!” 

Victor blinked rapidly at the cheesy response. “I have enough of that to drown a town.” He didn’t move closer to Connor, which Connor found insulting.  

“Oh, yes, hit me with it again! Make it hurt!” Connor flopped on the couch. “I had a rough day though, so don’t hold it against me if I bite back.” 

Victor didn’t miss a beat. “Your mouth's too small for it to hurt.” Well, at least Connor could count on him to always have a smartass response ready. 

“It’s big enough for my purposes,” Connor licked his upper lip ostentatiously and glided his eyes over Victor like a touch. “I don’t always bite– ugh sorry.” Connor tossed up his hands. “I just got bored with what I was saying. No energy to be horny.” He let himself sag into the couch like sludge. “D’you ever feel like you wish all your blood was on the outside of your body so people could like… see what it feels like on the inside?” He turned a nervous gaze on Victor, unsure how he’d respond. 

“No, but I wish I were a skeleton that walked around strangling people,” Victor said. If it were anyone else, Connor would have assumed they were still pissed. But it was Victor, and Connor learned how Vic sounded when he was joking. 

“Oh dang, you’d make such a good skeleton, and like think of the savings on skincare!”

Victor hummed. “I am rather tall and I can always pour milk over myself. As a skeleton, I mean.”

“Nobody would fuck with us then....” Connor rolled over and smiled, his dark feelings finally loosening. “Wanna watch something?”

“Is it bloody?” Victor yawned and rubbed his unshaven face which didn’t look half bad. “If someone doesn’t die horribly in the first twenty minutes, I don’t want it.” 

Connor perked up. “Can it be me?”

Victor shook his head. “No. I can’t cook and I’m not eating Ollie’s special spaghetti ever again.” 

“Oh, ok, ok, I see how it is. it’s alright.” He winked. “I like to be useful.”

“Hang on, I gotta grab my phone,” Victor said, pointing towards his room. “Wait a bit.” 

Connor stood up to follow, he didn’t feel like being alone, not even for a few minutes. What if Victor didn’t come back? He seemed kinda flighty. “Nah,” he said and joined him.

Victor looked slightly perplexed but shrugged it off, which Connor found somehow comforting.  He followed Vic to his room. He hadn’t seen it yet, and curiosity beckoned even through his bad mood.