#inoticed

it's not just you and me who are into lestappen color coded things.

Max Verstappen too apparently.

Soooo my cousin's 4th birthday party was this weekend. It was Spiderman themed because he loves Spiderman (makes me happy).

My mom got his gift Friday night. It was a Spiderman web shooter nerf thing. Pretty cool and ngl my 19yo self is jealous lol.

So the next day being Saturday, and the day of the party my mom had me wrap the gift. One small issue.

Me: mom

Mom: what?

Me: you got DC wrapping paper for a Marvel gift???

Mom: it was the only super hero one they had!

Me: YOU GOT DC WRAPPING PAPER FOR A MARVEL GIFT

Mom: I knew you were gonna say something

---

Sting knew sometimes he was childish and he didn't really bothered. He knew it annoyed his friends from time to time but they all accepted it as an important part of himself and when they complained it was usually more teasing and jokes than anything else.

So, no one was really surprised when autumn appeared and Sting offered to help to collect the fallen leaves just to get a chance of jumping into the high piles of dead leaves. It was to be expected from someone like him. It was even funny to see, even though he did a mess and had to clean again.

Sting never complained, he was happy with being able to enjoy his silly entertainment, so he didn't care if he had to do the same thing once and again. That lasted until Rogue appeared, trying to keep Frosch on his arms.

“Stop jumping” “Why? It’s funny!” “Now Frosch wants to do it too” “Frosch thinks so!” said the frog-cat “So?” Sting asked smiling “Let him do it! It’s amazing!” “And it spills the leaves all around again, you’re supposed to be helping, not making a big mess” “Aw, don't be a party killer Rogue! Come here Frosch!’ the cat wriggled and jumped from Rogue’s arms flying towards Sting “There’s a huge pile just here!”

Rogue didn't say anything nor tried to stop them, but Sting could feel his eyes on him. After he teached Frosch how to jump and not get hurt, he turned around to see the other man, who was looking at him with an unreadable face.

When he noticed Sting was looking, Rogue moved to his side and gently carded a hand through his hair. Sting looked at him, eyes wide and suddenly the air between them was tense.

“Uh… sorry” Rogue said “You had a leaf on your hair and…” “Oh? Oh, yeah, right, don't worry, thanks!”

FUN STORY (not fun). I forgot to save the english copy of this so I had to translate it again and I’m pretty sure the original was better sooooo...

Sort of related to my fic Seasons from the Stingue week, but not really necessary to read it.

The constant stress of permanent training had been getting to Rogue. The pressure of always having to reach a goal, to fit an standard, to get better and better, hurt him in many ways.

At least, he thought, he still had Frosch, Lector and Sting by his side. They were the only friends he had at the cold guild that Sabertooth was. They were the only thing keeping him there, because he didn’t want to go back to the times when they were alone, with no place to call home. The guild wasn’t a nice place, but as long as they pleased the master, it wasn’t that bad either.

Lately they had been failing that last part because they were still unable to complete the sleep he had asked them to, Unison Raid. It was very difficult, actually, because they magic were supposed to bleach with each other but, since they were complete opposites, they keep separating once and again before they could release them. It was a shame.

Anyway, they had no chance but keep trying and so they did, day after day until it worked. Rogue wasn’t sure what happened, but it worked. The new spell, a mix of white and black left their hand and raised to the open sky. It made Rogue happy. Not only because it would made the master happy but because he thought the spell was beautiful.

It made him think about his relationship with Sting. It had been also hard at first, and sometimes still was, because they were different in so many things and kept clashing just as their magic did. Even then, at the end they had fit together and created something new. Something that, Rogue thought, was beautiful too. Something that made him feel at peace, even if everything else was crumbling down.

I like this HC, what can I say...

It would be funny in a few months, Rogue thought. It would surely be a fun story to share with friends once they got over it, but it was anything but funny and nice at that moment. Getting trapped at the tiny and dark room with the cleaning tools was annoying and stressing, even more because he wasn’t alone.

Rogue was more or less resigned to stay there trapped until someone found them, but Sting was knocking and kicking the door while screaming his lungs out, hoping that someone would hear him. It was getting on Rogue’s nevers, specially because it was Sting’s fault that they got trapped there. He had been distracted and didn’t keep the door open while looking for what they needed.

“Can you calm down?” He finally exploded “There’s no one near or they would have already heard you.” “No, I want to get out” “Someone will come even-” “I want to get out! Now!”

Silence followed his scream, Rogue a little surprised because he had saw him exaggerating and being dramatic sometimes but it had never been that way. It was weird. The blond resumed his frenetic knocking on the door but he stopped his loud callings so Rogue could hear his accelerated breathings. It made him furrow his brow and move closer to the door. Something was wrong.

“Are you okay?” the dim light filtering through the door let him see when he shifted around to try and look at him, before lowering his arm and answering. “No! I’m trapped here and there’s no one coming for us and there’s not even a damn bulb here and…” He raised his hand again, but this time Rogue felt him and caught it before he could knock again.

“Stop. You’re gonna hurt yourself” “It doesn’t matter! I want to get out! Let me go!” “No, you’re gonna hurt your hand, st-” Rogue felt it them. Tremors going through his body, including the arm he was holding. “Are you shaking? Sting, are you okay?”

That seemed to send the other one through the edge, because he turn around to face him and Rogue heard and hiccup before he said.

“No! I don’t want to be here! I wan’t to get out! I can’t stay here, I don’t want, I have to-” “Hey, hey, calm down.” Rogue felt his panic and hugged him, even though he wasn’t sure it would work. It seemed to, because Sting clinged to his shirt like if it were a lifeline.

“What’s the problem?” Rogue asked softly and after a long silence he got a low whisper as an answer. “It’s… It’s dark” “Oh…” “You must think I’m ridiculous” “I already thought that so this changes nothing” Rogue heard a tiny and wavering laugh on his ear so he guessed he had done well. He drew small circles on his back with his hand before asking “Can I do something to make you feel better?”

He felt Sting shaking his head against his shoulder and he took it as an answer. He kept moving his hand and felt him relaxing slowly until he was mostly sagging against him.

“Are you better now?” Rogue asked. “Yeah...” “Do you want to sit? There a clean space on the middle” Sting nodded on his chest but he didn’t move so Rogue felt forced to add “Are you gonna let me go?” “No” “Oh… Okay. Okay.”

Sting woke up because he wanted to go to the bathroom. That was it. There was no cute story behind what happened that night. It was mostly a coincidence but Sting was glad it happened. Even if it made some things weirder than they already were with his roommate.

He woke up, went to the bathroom and was ready to get back to his room when he noticed a small light on the living room. He thought it had been his imagination at first, but then he saw it again. He wasn't sure what it was and he even thought it could be a robber, so he made his way slowly to there, just to find Rogue sitting on their couch browsing on his phone. At three in the morning.

“Weren't you already sleeping?” Sting asked and startled him. “I could ask the same” he answered after he recovered. “Went to the bathroom. Was heading to bed. Not scrolling at my phone on the couch” “I didn't want to sleep anymore” “You went to bed even before i did because you said you were tired. How are you not sleepy anymore?”

Rogue went silent and Sting felt something strange. He wanted to sleep but he was worried for Rogue and didn't want to leave him alone until he was sure everything was okay. He moved to sit on the couch, by his side, and asked him.

“What are you not telling me?” Rogue stiffened at his side but he kept scrolling on his phone like if he hadn't hear him, so Sting continued. “You know you can tell me whatever you want, right? We’re friends” “I know” “You don't need to sit here all by yourself pretending nothing happened.”

Rogue sighed at him and locked his phone, putting it on his lap before saying. “I had a nightmare and couldn't fall asleep again” “A nightmare?” “Yes. It’s stupid you don't need to worry” “If it bothers you it's not stupid. Want to talk about it?” “Not really…” “Well, then…” They were silent for a few minutes until Rogue said. “You should go back to sleep” “What? And leave you here all alone? No” “It’s late” “I know. Not moving” “What are you gonna do then?” “Keep you company until you go back to bed?” “You don't need to” “I know, but I want to. So… how are your classes going?”

Second part to Game from When I saw you

Rogue wasn’t feeling very well. He wasn't feeling well at all. It had been a rough month, rounded off with an even rougher and shitty week. He had been spending all his free time sleeping, which had been barely 3 or 4 hours a day. Besides his studies, he had a familiar emergency since his father had a relapse with an illness that was supposed to be healed already. Life sucks.

He was already better, but Rogue was still worried about him and lacking a lot of sleep and even with all his efforts he was a little behind with his classes. So, he was feeling very low and needed a full night of sleep. However, when he got to home, early for the first time in a long month, he didn't feel like going to sleep already.

It wasn't even that late and he doubted he could sleep with all the thoughts going around. So, he turned on his computer and logged his account, even when he didn't feel like playing anyway. He wasn't sure what he wanted, maybe just the reassurance of a normal activity.

The screen loaded and his character appeared at his last location, fortunately a city. He made him seat, wondering what should he do, when a message dropped on his chat.

“Hi, Blackie” it said, and the sender was, obviously, ShinyArmor. “I told you to not call that” was his only answer. “Don't be mean, I missed you! Where have you been?” Rogue read the message three times before sighing and answering. “Things happened” “How so?” “I don't want to talk about it” “Oh…” there was no answer for a moment but soon another character appeared on the screen and say next his own. “Do you want to see how many slimes can I collect without killing them?”

Rogue was surprised the other one didn't ask anything because he had gotten to him and he knew he was curious, but he was grateful anyway. A senseless slime hunt was exactly what he needed at that moment.