3ofswords | IC Inbox

"Really? I would have thought a bedazzled unicorn costume was the closest." Ty said solemnly, content to let Kira lead and trusting that he would get them there in one piece. Part of him wished that Kira would release his arm, or at least not hold onto it so tightly, because it was making his heart beat crazily in his chest, his whole body warm from something other than alcohol. Most days it was easy enough to tamp down his attraction to his best friend, to be content with what they had instead of thinking of what might happen if they had more, but he was only human. He had moments of weakness, and when Kira pulled him close like this or found excuses to touch him, agreed to go to prom with him, was he a fool for hoping?

He shook his head, drawing himself back into the conversation, putting a hand over his heart as if he'd been wounded. "Even though you don't like her, Delilah's still the better half? That doesn't seem right."

But he wouldn't argue it, at any case. In almost everything, Delilah was better than him. Drive, academics, talents- she really had it all and even being called her worse half was a compliment.

"And if you want a dance," Ty declared, leaning down slightly so he could murmur in Kira's ear, teasingly, "you're going to have to make it worth my while."

"When has better ever been what I'm after," Kira asks, narrowing a look up from their pressed shoulders. Too late does he remember: when has Ty? Just tonight, he thinks, staring down the barrel of eight more years.

Just--Prom, like any other person his age.

Until Ty gives it back, leaning up close and personal. His breath touches Kira's ear, heat disturbing the chill of a Manhattan night settled to Kira's hair--and he breaks away. Gently shoves Ty off in mock offense, skulking ahead with his cigarette.

"My presence is a present," he quips, pulling ahead on the sidewalk. "And if you invited me so you could stand on the sideline drinking punch, discussing how to best save the seals with your friends whose parents inject baby seal blubber into their faces to stay young, I will absolutely leave you in a corner."

Even though Ty was honor bound to hit Kira lightly in the shoulder for the insult, he was still laughing at the barb. "I'm both comforted and insulted. I really didn't want to have to arm wrestle Delilah for your favor. She would have won easily and it would have been embarrassing for all of us."

But mostly him.

He watched fondly as Kira shrugged him off, allowing him to sulk ahead of him for a few steps before falling into step with him. There must really be something wrong with him where Kira's pouting face only endeared him to his best friend more.

"The well being of baby seals is important, Kira." Ty said with a solemnity that was hard to take seriously, tucking his hands into his pockets as they went from the sidewalk to the stairs to take them to the subway. "And you wouldn't. You might get stuck talking to even snobbier rich kids. Then where would you be?"

"On the dancefloor, at least." Another block fades behind them, parts of the city Kira isn't likely to see. However amenable Ty is, however many friends they pretend to share--Kira's a guest here. He'll never be able to quite pay the price of admission.

When he goes out, without Ty, it's not with these people.

But he's not going to stand next to him all night, like he's afraid to leave his anchor. "Is there going to be a real DJ at this thing, I need to ponder my song requests."

"You know just how to wound me." Ty said with a theatrical sigh, before heading up to one of the ticket machines to buy a few train passes. He had only learned how to use the train system because Delilah insisted he be somewhat self-sufficient, and for the few times he felt like taking it to Kira's house instead of taking a car. After he got a few tickets, he headed back to Kira, holding one out in case he wanted one.

"Of course there's going to be a DJ. Don't know what qualifies as 'real' to you though. Last year we had Paris Hilton." Not that Ty was planning on staying long enough to form an opinion on the DJ.

"I suppose you wouldn't really use a card," he says, happy not to have to swipe the one in his back pocket. He never has to really explain I was restless to his mother, when it comes to reviews of his fledgling finances, but her knowing judgment is its own cross to bear.

He waits for Ty to feed the reader at the turnstile and presses in at his back as he pushes through, both of them wedged into the metal arms and passing on a single ticket.

As it cranks them out toward the steps, he shoves Ty ahead, separating them. "There, now we're covered on the return trip."

"Are you kidding? Half the people at school would probably try to hose me down if they knew I'd ever taken the subway." Ty said, going to push through the turnstile blissfully unaware of Kira's plan before suddenly they were squished together. He let out an undignified squawking sound, stumbling out the other side and turning to look at his friend, torn between laughter and scolding.

"Seriously? That's what you're worried about? If I'm paying anyway, is it really that big of a deal?" Still, they had a train to catch, so the scolding could wait once they got a seat. He grabbed at Kira's hand once he saw the doors start to close, all but sprinting so they could make it.

“Nice,” he replies, flat tone and flat gaze, under lifted brows. “I’ll make sure to take a bath in the restroom sink when we get there, really fulfill the concept for them.” The next shove Ty gets is a little more earnest, a bit of a bite that forces him to find his footing as they get on the train.

“Oh no, you touched the rail. Let me check the cards to make sure you’re not going to get leprosy.”

Rolling his eyes, he resists the urge to pull out the spare ticket and tear it up. “Remind me why I’m spending my Friday night on a bunch of assholes?”

"C'mon don't be like that." Ty groaned, hanging onto the railing instead of taking a seat, feeling exhausted or like he was sobering up, neither of which was a particularly wanted feeling. Sometimes the disparities between them seemed enormous, things that wouldn't bother or even register with his other friends seemed like a huge fight with Kira. Not only that, but sometimes Ty wasn't just fighting for what was happening here and now, but stupid things he hadn't even done yet.

"And you're spending Friday night with me." He nudged their shoulders together, giving him a grin. "And we're going to drink, dance, and enjoy ourselves. The assholes are secondary."

He paused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "And place bets on who's going to be Prom King and Queen. You think it's too late to try to rig that?"

"I thought you said the assholes were secondary." He mutters it as he flops into several seats, an asshole in his own right and earning the flick of a gaze. Nobody engages on the train if they can help it, and he's not going to announce that they're here for all of two stops.

One arm slung on a corner of several rails, he watches the tunnel recede through the window. "If I'm not getting a tiara, I honestly don't care who does."

He'd cut out early for bigger reasons besides, but being over it had been a general mood. "King and queen of the assholes. Who's most deserving."

"I guess now is an awkward time to tell you that I rigged it so we got nominated." Ty said with mock solemnity, grinning slightly. "But if you want a tiara, I'm sure it can be arranged. You sure your outfit needs more sparkles though?"

He paused as his phone buzzed again, taking it out absently to see a few more texts from the others, texting them back quickly, expression fond, the train slowing to their stop. He tucked his phone away, shoving his hands into his pockets as he went to stand by the doors.

"So other than the tiara, any other prom wishes I should be aware of?"

Kira lets the train sway and rattle to its stop, lets the door open and Ty wait briefly on the other side of it before he moves. He can't remember the last person in his family to own a car; doesn't need prescience to know how long the doors stand open.

He resolves out of the passengers streaming into the train, standing at Ty's elbow just as he starts to look around for him.

"Horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park," he says, catching Ty by the sleeve and pulling him toward the stairs. "Three am trip up to the top of the Empire State Building--the works."

"I guess I should have asked you sooner. It'll be hard to swing last minute, but I'll do my best." Ty said with a small grin, allowing himself to be led along by Kira. He waited until they were out of the crush of bodies and out on top of the stairs before he hazarded a glance at his best friend, wanting more than anything to link their hands together properly. Instead he shoved his hands into his pants pockets, trying to look unaffected.

"So is now a bad time to tell you I had a promposal song written up? If I had known you actually wanted one, I would have played it for you instead of that video clip."

"That was not on the list," he points out, trying to adjust to the fact that he knows Ty is not joking. He always knows, that Ty is never joking about things like that. "We are well past that. We are promgaged and heading for the prom aisle."

Which is potentially worse, when they're actually on their way to a prom. When Kira is also always, never joking.

He doesn't have to glance at Ty to know how his posture's shifted. He never has to look at Ty at all, he just constantly is, when they're in the other's orbit. With a gentle roll of his eyes, he nods at the awning of the venue up ahead, and offers: "I will settle for you holding my hand on the way in, you fucking loser."

"It might as well be on the list of every romantic prom cliche ever. I think the only thing you missed is confessing your undying love for me." Ty teased, not letting his gaze linger too long on Kira's face just in case it came off as actually Genuine. While he couldn't deny that he would like for nothing more, admitting it when Kira wasn't interested seemed like opening himself up to more teasing than what he was already enduring.

Not that it would matter anyway if they came in holding hands, and Ty felt his face flush, a small smile spreading across his face before he could stop it.

"Wow, is that any way to talk to your prom husband and best friend? I don't want you to hurt yourself, expending all that effort." But he was going to hold out his hand expectantly, because why wait for when they were entering when they could do it now?

"You're not my prom husband until I get a dance out of you, with witnesses." Shoving his hand the rest of the way into Ty's, he squares his shoulders a bit under the sequins. Squares himself internally for the sharper presence at his side, the warmth of a hand, the rush of reaction.

It's too soon to decide, if the rush is better or worse, when it's so close to what he already feels.

"I hope you didn't leave the tickets in the limo," he says, looking out at the street like it might pull up alongside.

"Why do you have to make it sound so ominous?" Ty complained, but he couldn't stop grinning as Kira slid his hand into his. He wanted to squeeze his hand reassuringly, or just to make sure that this was real, but he settled instead for bumping their shoulders together in a totally platonic way, laughing at Kira's grouchiness.

"Whose fault would that be? You should have just said you wanted to take the train and have me all to yourself." He teased, perking up as they got closer to the swanky hotel that had been rented out just for their school's prom. Already streams of other expensively dressed teens were making their way in, some of them having already pregamed harder than they had. There were a few gruff security guards checking tickets are the door, and Ty glanced over at Kira, eyebrow raised.

"Last chance to bail."

"It's your prom and your tickets: it would be your fault." Not that he's worried: he's never worried. Either realistically dreading oncoming strife, or secure in the knowledge that nothing is going to happen.

Nothing isn't quite what he feels for the rest of the night, but it's not an immediate sense, and it isn't dread. Looking at the line of suits and short dresses, he finds justification for the sequins. It isn't a cheap jacket by his means, but it doesn't suffer from the flair, and it comes off intentional.

"Where the fuck else am I going to wear this," he asks, squeezing the hand in his and yanking Ty toward the line.

It was stupid and unfair how the fact that Kira hadn't thought of wearing that obnoxious sequin jacket anywhere else but to prom with Ty made his heart stutter and stop. Almost as soon as they were inside they found the others, there was more drinking, and like Kira had predicted, the biggest assholes of the school got crowned King and Queen. He allowed Kira to drag him out more often than not on the dance floor, and even though he was sure he looked ridiculous, he couldn't stop laughing and was surprised by how good of a time he was having. But then again, he always had a good time with Kira around, and that was the dangerous part.

He had bugged off to catch a breath and chat a bit with the others when a slow song came on, his stomach twisting. They were probably going to cut out soon, which was fine with him, but before they did he wanted to have one slow dance. Even if it was cliche, he might not get another chance.

So he went to find Kira again, nudging him gently with an elbow. "Hey, wanna dance?"

There's a phantom of the nudge before it happens, Kira winding down a bit of drunk and playful vitriol with Felix just as Ty connects with his side. "Hmm," he says, looking up like he doesn't already know, a soft and silly bat of lashes in the beat before his answer. "I suppose the night wouldn't be complete without one."

He just has to knock back the last of his punch, shove the cup at Felix, and shove the elbow Ty nudged him with. Once it's out at the right angle from his side, he slides arm through arm, pulling him out toward the floor.

"Why did you have to get so tall," Kira asks, as they arrange hands and feet in some attempt to properly sway together with the music.

Ty gave Felix an apologetic grin over Kira's head before he followed Kira out onto the dance floor, before turning his full attention to Kira.

"I just don't want to hear you complain I didn't give you the full prom experience." He said, as if his heart wasn't hammering crazily in his chest as he rested one hand on Kira's shoulder, the other on his hip. It was stupid how he felt his palms starting to sweat, how all of his limbs suddenly felt long and alien, when he was used to touching and being touched by Kira. He supposed context was enough to make a difference, that if maybe Kira was more receptive to it or Ty was more of what he wanted, this could have been something proper.

As they started swaying, he pulled in closer, snorting at that. "It was the only thing I was missing out of the whole 'tall, dark, and handsome' description. Would me getting down on my knees make you feel better?" He paused, as if realizing the innuendo. "Scratch that, we can get you stilts."

Last dance of the night, last dance of the year; Kira doesn't need Ty's clammy nerves to infect him through the touch, and when his jaw tightens at the corner, it isn't to steel himself against them.

There are tragedies to being eighteen, glittering, out on the town. They have nothing to do with this, but he'd have to put it on the list if he pulled away from it.

Just once--just once, and he already knows it won't be a thing he tells himself one time. Eighteen is selfish, and very likely, so shall many years after be. "I don't need stilts," he says, tugging Ty's hand around to the small of his back and leaning in, resting forehead to chest as they move.

The fact that Kira, who usually pushed him away as soon as Ty tried to get anywhere near close, was pulling him was nothing short of a prom miracle. Ty moved in with a grace and ease that felt as foreign as Kira's head resting against his chest. Could Kira feel or hear how crazily his heart was beating against his rib cage? It seemed to drown out even the music, and while he felt self-conscious about it, he also felt a bit reckless and carefree tonight. He was here with his friends, Kira was his date even if it was only in the lightest sense of the word, and he let his arms loop loosely around Kira's waist instead to draw him closer still.

"You're right. In your state you'd probably fall over and break a leg. How much have you had to drink?" He teased, because alcohol must be the culprit here.

It is almost always a factor: he'd had a buzz on the walk, and maintained it well enough with Ty's friends. "Ask whoever spiked the punch," he says, muffled in a fold of Ty's lapel.

"It's your prom, dipshit. Enjoy a dance."

That it's Kira's too doesn't really matter, just enough to keep him here. Ty is a warm place to rest his head, eyes slit to avoid the vertigo of alcohol and moving in the dark behind his eyelids.

If anyone cares, he doesn't. They pass a bored chaperone, and irritation rolls over but settles in them. There's worse happening here for them to ignore, and he pulls Ty deeper into the crowd with his weight, lets it close up around them.

There were plenty of things Ty could say to rebuke that: that it was Kira's prom too, was that anyway to talk to your prom husband, or tease him for holding onto him so close. But instead, he was content to let that slide in favor of doing just that, enjoying having Kira so close to him and not fighting it for once.

What he really wanted to say, what he really wanted to ask, would probably take more drinks and them being alone before he would even bother springing it on him. After Ty proved himself as being a good prom date, would that open the doors to more? Or would whatever barriers Kira had carefully erected between them still be there? Ty respected and knew his friend well enough to let him keep his secrets, he just wished that whatever was affecting what they could have wasn't one of them.

He pressed his cheek briefly against Kira's hair, resisting the urge to sigh. He felt content and tired all at once, wanting to have this moment hang on forever and already ready to leave it. Still, it didn't mean he didn't feel a stab of remorse when the song ended, and he spotted Harper waving at them from across the dance floor, jerking her thumb over to the entrance. Carefully, he disengaged himself from Kira, turning back to grin at him, hoping it was steady.

"Okay, whatever other prom things you wanted to do here, better make them quick. Looks like we're cutting out in a bit."

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