#1 tousho fan

Just imagine Colt laying naked all giggly and blushing

-🦋anon

oh my god you’re so right. i adore this hc i’m stealing it it’s mine now

just colt and ryland pressed up close while ryland searches for the newest additions to colt’s scar collection, smiling as he kisses them and colt sighs happily after each one 🥹🥹

and does ryland discover this unwillingly when he’s staying over early into them officially dating and proceed to start internally freaking out as colt wordlessly starts stripping because he thought they were just sleeping WAIT HOLD O—

and ryland’s like, becoming increasingly red, “colt? what- what are you doing?”

and colt, down to just his underwear and nothing else, drops his pants into a nearby hamper and frowns.

“um.” he looks down at himself, then at ryland in bed. “getting ready to… sleep?”

ryland blinks, trying very very hard not to let his eyes stray below colt’s chest. it’s. a lot of skin. and while that’s not necessarily new for them, it feels different in this context. very different.

strained and reedy, ryland manages, “naked?”

ryland watches in real time as realization dawns on colt’s face; the confused frown melts away, lips parting and brows lifting.

“oh,” is all he says. he runs a hand through his hair, pink in the cheeks. he’s suddenly unable to maintain eye contact.

ryland, draped in colt’s clothes that are too big around the thighs and shoulders, just watches.

colt’s next word is, “uh…” and he wordlessly walks back to the hamper and grabs his pants.

“you don’t—” ryland starts, embarrassment cutting him off when colt immediately halts.

his back muscles are genuinely insulting. who the hell needs all that? good lord.

it’s still an easier sight than front-facing. then colt turns around, pants in hand. fantastic.

he blinks expectantly, waiting for ryland to continue. ryland feels a lot warmer than he did a couple minutes ago.

“you don’t… have to,” ryland swallows, “uh. be- be dressed.”

flawless execution, really. couldn’t have worded it better. ryland nearly facepalms.

instead, he shakily clears his throat, staring very intently at colt’s shoulder and NOT anything below that—

“if you don’t want to, i mean,” ryland continues. “not that— i mean, i don’t mind. either way.“

a quick glance at colt’s face makes ryland want to bury himself under these sheets and never resurface. his lips are pressed together, brows halfway up his forehead. ryland can’t tell if he’s trying not to laugh or if he’s surprised.

ryland’s mouth keeps moving without his consent. “actually, it’s great if you don’t. y— for you. you know. if you… if you like that. by the way, how did i not know this? is this new?”

ryland shakes his head though colt hasn’t said a word in response. “am i special?”

…what?

oh, god. what the hell did he just say?

ryland promptly buries his face in his hands and slides down until he’s flat on his back. his cheeks feel hot enough to fry eggs on.

into his hands, ryland squeaks out, “i’m going to sleep. ignore me. don’t answer that.”

ryland then flips onto his side, away from his brother. he curls into a ball of mortification.

it’s silent for a few long, horrible seconds. then colt resumes movement. ryland hears the drag of a waistband, the shuffle of feet. no whisper of fabric.

so, colt’s naked now. great.

footsteps, and then the bed dips at ryland’s back. he turns his face, still in his hands, further into the mattress. he doesn’t want to scoot up to the pillow. he’ll sleep like this now. hiding in the safety of his hands with his back complaining the curved position.

it’s silent but for ryland’s uneven breathing and the rasp of the sheets as colt settles down, an occasional creak here and there.

eventually, colt sighs. ryland does NOT think about how it sounds and he never will. no matter how soft and low and pleased. nope. never.

“it’s new-ish,” comes colt’s voice, close enough that ryland startles despite the quiet rumble of it. “but you are special.”

ah.

“great,” ryland squeezes out, muffled. his heart feels like it’s trying to burst from his ribcage, hummingbird-fast.

so you get naked just for me?

…what the hell, brain.

colt shifts. ryland doesn’t know if he flipped onto his back, onto his side, or sat up, or what. and he won’t check.

“ry,” colt murmurs. “would you look at me?” he pokes between ryland’s shoulder blades, and there’s no way he doesn’t notice the resulting full-body twitch. “turn around.”

“i’m,” ryland says, “not doing that.”

“suit yourself,” colt says, in a tone that suggests he is not actually letting ryland suit himself.

sure enough, ryland is then promptly rolled over by force. then, as if that wasn’t rude enough, colt gently pries his hands from his face.

ryland sulks up at his brother, cheeks no doubt ruddy red.

colt’s on his right side, covered from the waist down by the sheets, blanket also pulled up to his torso. so, that’s good.

but his very bare very prominent chest is not. there’s a thin scar right over his left topmost rib. silvery; old. ryland’s never seen it this close up before.

colt cups the back of ryland’s hands and starts lightly massaging his palms, thumbs rubbing sweeping circles with just enough pressure to make the tension in ryland’s spine melt out of him.

dang it. man, that’s nice.

ryland relaxes with a quiet exhale, the heat in his cheeks spreading to the rest of him. he arranges himself properly, mirroring colt’s position.

colt’s eyes are soft and amused when ryland meets them. “does this make you that uncomfortable? you’ve seen me naked.”

ryland’s calf finds colt’s, fabric to skin. colt catches him, tangles their legs with a small smile. it’s ridiculously hard to stay focused on his face.

“it’s not that i’m… uncomfortable,” ryland says. “it’s different.”

“why?” colt asks. “‘cause i’m so close?”

he releases one of ryland’s hands to fall to the bed, bringing the other one up to his lips to kiss the life line creasing ryland’s palm.

agh. aaaagh.

“you’re, ah,” ryland stutters, “it’s— intimate. and you’re… very distracting. not in a- a bad way. i like it. -oh my god.”

ryland should just stop talking for the rest of time.

colt chuckles softly. already, his eyes have a sleepy tilt to them, and it’s extremely charming.

“distracting, huh?” he drawls. “i’m flattered, ry. you’re not easy to ignore yourself.”

good lord. what a cornball.

“…that’s such a weird way to phrase a compliment.”

“mm.”

colt threads their fingers together and sinks sideways onto the pillow. ryland follows, and then they’re facing each other in the dimming light.

colt’s very handsome, all swathes of tan skin and soft lines.

“if it actually bothers you,” colt murmurs, a quiet seriousness in his voice, “i’ll get dressed. promise.” his eyes dart between ryland’s, soft and sincere.

wordlessly, ryland scoots closer, until he can slot their bodies properly together. colt looks quietly delighted, smiling slow and syrupy.

he’s absolutely radiating heat. ryland’s other hand finds colt’s chest, pressing into his heartbeat. it speeds up beneath his touch.

“no,” ryland whispers, “this is nice.”

colt’s eyes crease. “good.”

and then, after all that drama, ryland still ends up falling asleep pressed close to his brother.

it is nice.

even if ryland forgets upon waking up and finds himself being spooned by a very naked colt and almost flings himself off the bed.

I’m so happy there are some that ship the twins!

ehe thank you!! he isn’t called colt “loverboy” seavers for no reason 😌😌

and actually as i’ve found out, there are quite a few people who ship the twins, we’re just a much quieter minority than the people who don’t \o/ aka we’re the based ones

<>

Rocky: Grace have mate question?

Ryland: Nope- actually yes I think i did! He was always there for me! I hope he's alright...

<>

Ryland: Rocky! I remembered more about my mate! His name is Colt and I think we met in college!

Rocky: Yay for Grace!

<> (flying to Erid)

Ryland: heyyyy.... it turns out Colt is my twin brother...

Rocky: oh... so Colt not Grace mate question?

Ryland: ......I wanted him to be....

<> (on Erid)

Rocky: Rock made time travel so Grace can get back to Grace's Colt! Rocky fix Grace missing maybe-future-mate statement!

Ryland: Oh my gosh Rocky! ...but what if we end up different ages... I miss being the same age as him...

Rocky: Rocky is not an idiot! Now hurry hurry hurry up and pack. Rocky and Adrian are ready to go!

<>

roll credits! Hehe hopefully you get the vibe (and I may be trying to write a fic wish me luck lol)

-🦋anon

YESSSS omg, i didn’t include rocky in my initial post for the maximum angst but of course ryland still meets him like normal

and for a while he’s happy and distracted enough to forget about it for a bit in favor of figuring out communication and everything else that comes with now having TWO people working to save their worlds…

but then rocky asks The Question. and ryland responds, “i… i’m not sure, actually. it’s complicated.”

thus leads to him telling rocky everything, updating him about any new memories that return. he even shows rocky the photo, and from then on rocky refers to colt as “grace mate colt” to ryland’s delight

and then ryland slowly starts getting his memories back.

first, a name: “colt.”

he whispers it out loud, testing the way his mouth forms it, and shivers at the devastation in his own voice. the aching love.

at this point, he’s assuming colt was his lover, because the next few recovered memories are domestic, happy scenes that fill him with warmth; late breakfasts and cuddling on couches and dancing in the rain and endless laughter.

then they get younger.

first, ryland hypothesizes that they met in college, then that they were highschool sweethearts, then that they were actually childhood friends turned eventual lovers.

memory by memory, flashback by flashback, ryland falls in love with “colt” all over again. his smug smirks, his wheezing laugh, the way he looks when he first wakes up, all rumpled and soft.

and it’s agonizing, already knowing how it ended. knowing that it doesn’t matter if ryland gets back all of his memories. it doesn’t matter how much ryland believes in the love that was between them.

in the end, they can’t be happy. because ryland’s going to die alone in space, and colt is going to die back on earth.

and then he remembers.

finally, finally: they’re twins. twin brothers.

and they’re not childhood friends, or highschool sweethearts, they’ve been together their entire lives. maybe not in a romantic sense, but then again, something in ryland’s heart is whispering otherwise.

that he’s loved colt for as long as he’s been alive.

ryland’s been sleeping with the photo—the photo of colton grace, his twin brother who he can’t believe he forgot—and he rubs his thumb down colt’s grinning face now, hollowed out from grief and love.

and he realizes then, tears dripping silently down his cheeks, ah. i did love him with my entire soul.

no, not past tense.

ryland does love his twin brother colt with his entire soul. and he thinks he’s going to be grieving him until his last breath.

did they get to say goodbye? did colt get to hold him tight one last time? did they say “i love you” enough? is colt grieving him too?

ryland doesn’t know. and he’s helpless but to wait to find out. the answers might help, but they might not.

they might make it worse. because ryland is now homesick for a place he can never return to, and a person he can never see again.

ryland curls up and presses the photo to his heart.

wherever you are, colt, he thinks, i love you. i miss you. i hope you’re okay.

he sniffles.

i’m going to figure this out. for you.

colt: “huh. wow. haven’t heard that since middle school.”

ryland: “what?”

colt: “‘language,’ ry? really?”

ryland: *embarrassed groan* “it slipped out…”