@/Sukinomai: "Skeppy has an entire box of poems to Bad and keeps them in his room but once they became roommates, Skeppy forgets the box in the living room and Bad reads them all and slowly falls in love with the person that made them"
——-

No One's POV

A week ago...

Zak hums to himself, hearing Under the Tree remix by Faster play through his AirPods (smh rich boi). He cleans out his desk, finding out what to trash or to keep.

He opens his lowest cabinet in his dresser and his eyes widen. There, a shoebox covered in doodles and stickers sits by his clothes. He sighs and kneels down to pick it up. His heart clenches as the familiar cardboard touches his fingertips.

Then he frowns, the sudden wave of unexpected sadness rushing through his body. Many thoughts race through his head and he shakes them away.

He stands up abruptly, box clutched in his hand, as he makes his way out of his room and towards the living room. Zak's travel the room as he stops behind the couch. The empty room sends chills down his spine. In a few days, someone would be here to keep him company. And that someone, shouldn't have this box.

Zak spots the TV standing on a huge table against the wall. A few drawers sit under the table and he walks up to the one on the lower left. He stuffs the box inside the drawer, making sure it isn't suspicious.

—-

A few weeks later...

Zak bids Darryl off, the younger boy leaves to take Rocco on a walk. "Stay safe!" Darryl smiles, waving as Zak vanishes through the front door.

With a sigh, Darryl throws his head back on the couch with Lucy's head on his lap. "What to do..." The older boy whispers, gently petting Lucy's head.

Lucy whines, yawning softly before shaking her head and falling back to sleep. Darryl awes, giggling softly before pressing a small kiss to her head. "Go to sleep, my baby."

Darryl smiles and he turns to reach his hand out toward the coffee stand beside the couch. He halts as his eyes spot the TV remote missing. He groans and looks around the room. He frowns as he doesn't spot the TV remote anywhere. With a long sigh, Darryl looks down at Lucy and gently moves the small puppy's head off of his lap.

Then he stands up and walks around the room. He checks shelves and cabinets, but no remote insight.

He then walks over to the table under the TV and checks each drawer. He doesn't find the remote in any, but once he opens up the lower left drawer, his eyes spot the box.

He notices a bunch of heart stickers and animal stickers all over the box. There were even doodles of Minecraft or random things on the box.

Darryl raises an eyebrow, confused about its purpose. He reaches into the drawer and grabs the shoebox, lifting it out of the darkroom. He shuts the drawer up and walks back to the couch, shoebox in hand.

Lucy wakes up as the couch dips a bit. With tired eyes, she looks up at Darryl and her ears perk up at the sudden box. She just examines and lets the scene play in front of her.

Darryl hums and opens up the box. His eyes land onto a bunch of folded letters. Each letter was just thrown in the box, hiding their mysteries away from the world.

Darryl grabs the first letter and unfolds it. His eyes travel to the top where the date is shown. His eyes widen as the latest letter was written a few weeks ago. About two weeks before Darryl moved in.

His eyes travel to the beginning and his heart perks up as he reads to whom the letter is for.

'Dear BadBoy,'

It's for me? Darryl thinks, eyebrows furrowed as he continues to read.

'This might be my last letter to you. I'm sorry. I just can't write more. You are literally becoming my roommate in about two weeks and I'm so nervous. You are going to be right in front of me.

It's crazy.

So, stopping these letters will help me hide my feelings towards you. I would probably cry myself to death if I found out you read these. Oh god.

But, I have thought about wanting to confess. I really have, and I've made up my mind. I won't be confessing.'

Darryl frowns. Aw, are these written by Zak? This does look like his handwriting...

'I probably should, but I'm really fucking scared...'

"Language!" Darryl gasps.

'I know he doesn't like me back. I've been trying to flirt with him for ages and I don't think he's picked up my signals...'

"I'm so dumb..."

——

Zak chucks the key into the doorknob and twists, unlocking the door. He opens up the door and steps aside to let Rocco in first. Rocco walks in, his tail wagging behind him as Zak closes the door.

Rocco turns and allows Zak to unhook the leash before walking off into the house. Zak smiles and hangs the leash on a hook by the door.

He then swiftly turns around and he halts, eyes froze in place as he sees Darryl on the couch.

His breath hitches as a familiar opened shoebox sits beside Darryl. The older boy was passed out on the couch, an opened letter in hand. His head rested against his hand by the couch, snoring softly as the opened letter is close to falling out of his fingertips.

Zak holds in a tear, heart racing as he knew Darryl must know now. He quickly jogs up and puts all the letters that were lying around the older boy, back into the box. He carefully slides the letter in Darryl's hand out and tucks it in the box.

Then, with a rush, Zak disappears out of the room with his box in hand.

——

Darryl's eyes flutter open. He yawns and moves his arms around to stretch. He feels his back crack a bit, as he raises his hands up to the air.

Then he slumps back down on the couch.

Darryl looks around, eyes trailing across the room and they look past his empty hands. He doesn't think much, but then it clicks.

His eyes snap downward and his head races. He looks next to him and the box is missing. Darryl frowns and he picks himself up, looking up by the door to see Rocco's leash on the wall.

Without a second to spare, Darryl makes his way around the couch and towards the stairs. He goes up and his feet find their way in front of Zak's door. With a simple knock, he asks if he could come in.

Zak stiffens as he hears the voice and knock. His hands stop moving his mouse and keyboard and his Minecraft character stays frozen in place.

Before he could say anything, the door already opens up. His eyes widen and he snaps his head towards Darryl's direction, who walks inside.

The box is hidden in Zak's desk, not known to Darryl of its location. Darryl looks at Zak and smiles warmly.

"Oh, hi," Zak whispers, turning his head back to the monitor.

"Did you write them?" Darryl asks softly.

Zak's heart freezes, he swore his life flashed before his eyes.

He clears his throat and shakes his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The smile on Darryl's face turns upside down. "Zak... the letters, did you write them?"

"I don't know of any letters. Sorry Bad. I'm just playing Mine-"

"Sometimes I wish I could be held by him. I wonder if he truly gives wonderful hugs, what I've heard. With Darryl so sweet, I wouldn't doubt his hugs could cure me whenever I'm sad."

Darryl read a few lines from a letter. Zak doesn't move, doesn't think. He sits there, scared and his hands are close to trembling.

"Zak... I'm not upset you wrote them. I really am not. I'm actually really happy and flattered. Every letter I read, you described how special I am to you. How much you love me and how much you care about me." Darryl slowly steps closer to Zak, watching for any sudden movement from the smaller boy.

Zak closes his eyes, hearing Darryl's words. He doesn't mean it. He's just saying that to make you happy.

"I know you may not believe me, but I love you too. I love and care about you so much Zak. You are my special little muffin." Zak feels his chair turn and his body is rotated to face Darryl.

Zak feels his eyes slowly start to water as he feels his heart start to pick up, looking up into Darryl's green orbs.

"You really mean it?" Zak whispers, finally speaking.

Darryl smiles, moving his hands to Zak's hands, gently holding them. "Every word."

WC: 1490