･*˚⁺ someone new

oliver's question comes as a pleasant surprise. then again, it's just like him to care for others even when they don't deserve it, " hurts, " denver answers with a light shrug, " but i'll live." he shifts his weight on his good foot as he waits for the initial awkwardness to pass. he hates this. just a few nights ago, the pair stood in this room having a different conversation; one full of hope and promises for the future. now he's uncertain if they'll even stay friends. " i know, but it's your favorite." he doesn't mention there are two dozen muffins scattered throughout the kitchen as a result of his anxiety, or, how he spent the entire morning rehearsing his apology in front of the oven because when his brain is overwhelmed his hands need something to do, "i'm sorry" the male starts, making his way into the room, " i'm sorry for backing out of our date...and for yelling at you in the bathroom....and for asking nicky to give me a hickey... " denver sighs as he runs his hand through his hair. he sure caused a lot of damage in one night. " i thought i was doing the right thing but i ended up hurting you instead " he attempts to explain himself the best he can without giving away the full story. oliver doesn't need his family drama. "i uh... i was wrong" 

"oh," is all he can say. what he wants to do is drop it all and tend to the other. in different circumstances, oliver might rush the other to a seat and request he elevate his ankle to prevent further swelling. but they weren't where they usually are. there's a distance between the two that has yet to be reconciled. it's uncomfortable and looming. they can't just ignore it. oliver looks down at the box, opening it to find a blueberry muffin. his favorite. he tried to dampen the spark in his chest -- knowing that the other likely spent his morning filling the kitchen with the pastry. in awkward silence, oliver places the muffin on the top of a nearby dresser. denver begins to speak again. oliver felt some of the tension in the room evaporate. some of it. oliver's shoulder's sink and the look in his eyes soften. he forgave him. perhaps, not by words -- he was still figuring out all that he ought to say. oliver reaches for the other, his hands holding the other's face. the touch is gentle but needed in a moment like that. he needed to feel close to the other again. he places a kiss onto denver's forehead. apologies aren't easy. oli wanted denver to know he appreciated it. "apology accepted." he replies.

𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 @ftoliver

there were whispers going around the house about denver's incident and oliver found himself in quite the precarious situation. guilt sadness and worry are not the easiest emotions to juggle. especially not all at once. he found himself moreso consumed by wondering whether or not denver was okay rather than their fight. though, that still elicits a ray of feelings he was too conflicted on to properly deal with. oliver paces around in his room, drafting an apology to denver in his notes app. he'd been working on it for several hours. though, nothing he typed out sounded right. there's an unexpected knock. oliver opens the door. a strange mix of relief, joy, and bitterness takes over. "how's the ankle?" he asks immediately unable to hide his concern. his gaze falls on the box in denver's hand. an offer he couldn't resist -- granted, he would accept his offer with or without a muffin. "we should talk... yeah." he agrees, taking the box from denver. "you didn't have to make this, y'know." he lets out a humorless laugh. this is incredibly awkward.

bath house & sauna w/ ( @ftoliver ! )

" arnie, whenever you ask me that... just know the answer will literally always be no. how do you come up with stuff like this? " the other seemed to pick only the most unique excursions. little activities that oliver would have never thought about doing alone let alone with friends. oliver tightens the towel around his own waist a little more. "it's a good idea though. looks relaxing." better than ice fishing, though he chooses to keep that to himself. afterall, he did enjoy ice fishing. mainly, just due to arlo's presence. regardless, the trip to the bath house seemed alot more oliver's speed than something like skydiving. "have you been to one before?"

he shrugged his shoulders at the declined cigarette and leaned back against the siding, taking his own drag. "oh, buckets." he said, sarcastically. "buckets and buckets of fun, actually." suffice to say, the night sucked and noah was ready for the party to be over, so he could go back to hiding in his room without feeling contractually obligated to be in front of the camera at all times. he side-eyed oliver curiously, getting any kind of clue of his mental state. he didn't know exactly what happened, but he knew something had happened. still, he knew better to bring it up without any semblance of privacy. he was just nosy. instead, he said, "looks like you got sucker-punched, too. i've already called dibs on the promo, though."

oliver smiles weakly, "good. that's good." the other's sarcasm was obvious. despite their... differences. oliver couldn't help but agree with the sentiment. "i mean, clearly me too. best party eve-ah." he says in a flat, sing-songy voice. oliver takes a deep breath. the fresh air comforting him. a wind chill blows through and he tightens the blanket around him, draping it over his head. he glances in noah's direction, "sucker punched. yeah, you could say that. emotionally fucking... pummeled." oliver lets out a somber drunken laugh. at first he thought that was some type of metaphor he'd missed. he tilts his head at the mention of the promo, "wait are you serious?" oli squints, blurred vision making out a bruise. oliver's night was spent either drinking away his sorrows or arguing with denver. it seemed everyone failed to mention denver and noah's collision. "oh, shit... did you get punched?" he laughs. this time loud and bright. he is clearly thoroughly amused. "who? let me guess, denver? damnit and i missed that...?"

denver begins to shake his head frantically, it seems the more he speaks the bigger the mess he creates, "no, no, you've got it all wrong, oli," he attempts to explain. the last thing he wants is to turn back the clock, there is no such thing as 'normal' for them anymore- at least not for him. he's still cemented in his feelings for the other man even if he's doing a terrible job at showing it, " i was drunk, yes, but i do like you. i want us to be together ... just not right now. all i'm asking for is a little time," denver is practically begging, which only goes to show how badly he wants to make this work. 

an aggravated sigh escapes him, wishing he'd hurried out of the room faster. this is not a conversation they should be having. it's pretty obvious this is going down hill. and yet, even when he told himself to disengage, oliver couldn't help but rebuttal. slightly red in the face and clearly irritated, oliver scoffs. "it's funny, 'cause never say shit like that when you're sober." oliver tosses his hands up, "you've had time. all you've had is time. all i've been doing is waiting. how long am i supposed to just wait, den? seriously. "

" citrus and strawberries — " mav is quick to point out enthusiastically, though he knew that this point of argument isn't going to be successful. he'd tried his best just the night before to no avail, and had given up after convincing oliver to at least TRY ON a couple shirts. now, it's just a bit of fond teasing. " you pulled it off, definitely — it's all in the styling, " mav agrees, though he knows very little on the matter, which may also be the reason oliver turned down all his shirts. " it would look better with a DRINK though — want to check out what they stocked us with before the good stuff is gone ?? "

━━ ⟢ closed starter for @ftoliver

oliver needed air. frankly, he'd drank far too much and the room spun just a bit too much for his liking. with a blanket draped over his shoulders, oliver steps outside. the cool winter air felt refreshing, causing the nausea to somewhat subside. the smell of cigarette smoke catches his attention long before he even notices noah. "yeah." he says honestly. "i feel like shit." the usual irritation in his voice when he talks to noah seems to be missing. oliver doesn't have the energy to bicker. he shakes his head at the other's offer. "no thanks." he says. oliver hadn't seen or heard much of noah the entire night -- which is just as unusual as this brief moment of genuinely cordial behavior from oliver. "have fun tonight?"

"you love karaoke," aranya stated with a pout. it really was beginning to feel like this party was going downhill fast, the brunette slowing herself down from any plans and taking a seat next to oliver. "that isn't what fun looks like," she remarked, looking towards him with a soft smile. "what going on with the two of you? is everything okay, seriously?"

he shrugs, "well. not anymore." still terribly untrue. oliver turns towards the other as she speaks. he rolls his eyes -- through, there's no real annoyance in the gesture. "nope." oliver says bluntly. "but, y'know, nothing matters. denver will always be denver and everything's the way it already was even though i thought it was gonna change." he speaks cryptically aware of the possibility of onlooking cameras. "i'll be fine." he assures the other. he's certainly still not sober -- but, some time has passed since the defunct game of truth or dare in the bar lounge. a realization hits him."did i... totally ruin truth or dare?"

denver looks at him with desperate eyes, silently pleading for him to understand that he simply can't do this right now, "i know…. i just-" he cuts himself off by grabbing oliver's hands and dragging him to the nearest bathroom and away from the cameras. he locks the door behind them and begins to pace back and forth in the small room, "i meant what i said, okay? i like you. so much that i wish i could bring you to the dance floor and kiss you in front of all those people… but things are complicated right now; i just need time to work some shit out" denver walks up to oliver, grabs both of his hands, and brings them to his chest, "please. this is a party i want to have fun …..with you. just ..not like a couple"

oliver is pulled off to a bedroom hardly able to maintain his balance as they hurry . clearly, denver's stressed as he paces back and forth. oliver crosses his arms, listening patiently. "den, i get you need -" he starts to concede as he so often does -- just because it's denver. but, something stops him. the hope he had mere moments ago completely evaporated in a matter of minutes. he shakes his head, "you don't have to do that. you don't have to say you like me or whatever. it was stupid and you were drunk. i shouldn't have -" he wants to say he regrets telling the other how he felt last night. but oliver can't seem to muster the courage to say something like that. especially not with denver's hands in his. though that hesitation dies quickly after. "just not... like a couple." he repeats -- though, that only makes it sting more. " back to normal then, right?" oli can't hide the bitterness in his tone, no matter how hard he tried. it didn't help that his eyes began to burn with tears.

for @ftoliver

"have i ever told you i hate karoke?" no, he hasn't told her that because he loves karoke. usually. any other night he'd probably be belting along with ari. but, a few too many drinks in and oliver really just wants to sit and sulk. "i'm having fun, see. this is me having fun." he pulls on a smile. "you pick the song. "

" me too. " denver responds quickly. he runs to the bar, grabs the first bottle of clear liquor, and pours it into a cup. he assumes the easiest way to get through tonight is to get as drunk as he possibly can, maybe then he can blame his actions on something other than him being a horrible maybe-boyfriend. even when he's seconds away from losing his mind, denver still smiles at oliver's compliment, "thank you, you do too. although, i don't remember disco being so... dark," he says, leaning into the other man out of habit. it's so easy to get lost in the moment when they're together, unfortunately, a public relationship is not a luxury he can afford right now. once he's aware of the proximity between them he stands up straight and takes a step back, " hey, can we maybe... not do all of this right now, " he whispers. 

the compliment leads oliver into a brief false sense of confidence. perhaps, earlier was just a weird fluke. clearly, he had nothing to worry about. "i don't own anything bright. and mav's clothes were too big." or too bright. as denver leans closer, oliver dares to lean in for a kiss. though, unfortunately, the other stops him just short. "do all of... what, den? i'm not doing anything." he asks, somewhat innocently. like he knew what denver was getting at but hoped he was still wrong. oliver always assumes the worst is in his head. perhaps this is just one of those times. "thought last night we talked about.... this." he gestures towards the looming camera crew.

the usually comforting touch ignites fear in the pit of his stomach when he notices the cameraman in the corner. he drops oliver's hand almost immediately, guilt washes over him the moment it happens. sometimes he truly hated being a part of the show, everything would be so much easier if he didn't have a million people watching his every move. he clears his throat in an attempt to save face and gestures towards the bar, "um, you want me to get you a drink ? " he says forcing a smile on his face. all he needs to do is act normal for the next few hours, after the party, he can take oliver somewhere private and show him that he truly meant everything he said the other night, " you seem like a gin and tonic type of guy. "

that was weird. oliver does his best not to overthink the rejection. denver really just wanted to get a drink. or, at least that's what oliver told himself. in an attempt to save his pride, oliver slides his hands into his pockets. maybe hand holding wasn't his thing. fair enough. "yeah, yeah i could use a drink. something strong, preferably." oliver says. oliver hoped they weren't hiding it all anymore. still. even when denver seemed to want to get as far away from him as possible. oliver rests his elbows against the bar, leaning over to whisper to the other. "you look hot tonight, by the way."

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫: @ftoliver

if oliver weren't so infatuated maybe he wouldn't have gotten his hopes up. it's unlike him to be so... naive. for once, oliver is completely stress free deciding to let himself have fun tonight. he's clearly on cloud nine. denver seemed to remember the night before. and the moment they shared really felt like a turning point between them. as much as he enjoyed parties with his friends -- he undoubtedly looked forward to finally not having to hide his feelings for denver anymore. "i think it's disco. in a casual... mtv definitely maxed out their budget sorta way." the distance between them felt too familiar. oliver reaches for the other's hand. "but, we're gonna make the most of it. disco or not... disco. right?"

" and look like a bowl of citrus? absolutely not." oliver replied, shaking his head. who knew getting ready for a house party could be so challenging. oliver lived in shades of navy blue and black -- colors that weren't exactly... disco. "besides, you cannot convince me this doesn't look good." he says pointing to his shirt. "with the shoes? like come on."