𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 - 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐱 𝐨𝐜

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

"yeah— do you wanna meet them?"

"i mean—" clay stopped, mouth dropping open at the sight of alex. "i—"

iris glanced behind her. alex stared at clay with a mixture of excitement, hesitance, and welcoming. "hi," they said quietly. "i'm alex porter. rye's cousin."

"i..." clay's eyes flickered down to the three little ghosts on alex's hoodie; one with goggles, a bandana, and a smiley face. "i like your hoodie."

"alex, meet my roommate clay. clay, this is alex." iris could sense the tension forming, but alex quickly shattered it by clapping their hands together.

"okay gamers!" they shouted. "i'm hungry as fuck so... iris, imma grab some food. i hope you'll have at least your floor picked up."

"of course, idiot."

"literally shut the fuck up."

"sorry mommy."

alex cocked a brow. "iris mommy kink confirmed?" referring to the conversation they'd had at 2am the night before.

iris's face flushed bright pink, and she scrambled to throw pillows at alex, who shrieked and ran away, swerving past clay to get out. finally, when it was just her and clay, she took out her ponytail and ran a hand through her hair. "sorry about that."

clay smiled nicely. "don't be. they seem nice." he looked hesitant, but he asked, "what's their hoodie from? it looked familiar."

iris frowned. "alex likes watching minecraft youtubers. i think they're too shy to talk about it cuz family has called it stupid, but i know they enjoy it. why? do you watch the same ones?"

a dusty blush covered his cheeks. "mm, i don't know. it was just...nice to see."

iris nodded, running her tongue over her lips before glancing around her room. "was there something you needed?"

"i wanted to know if you wanted anything specific for dinner." he glanced away, then back at her.

"that's it? nothing about a certain pen you have?" there was that crooked grin again as he unpocketed a wax pen, holding it out to her in an offer. she shook her head, saying, "thanks for the offer, but i probably shouldn't drink and smoke. later, though, yeah?" a quick wink sent his way had his eyes closing while he smiled. iris continued, "regarding dinner, i have no clue. but i do know that i absolutely have to use the bathroom so i'll get back to you in, like, ten mins, ok?"

clay rolled his eyes, waving her off and going back downstairs. iris quickly went to the restroom down the hall, doing her business and washing her hands before making her way back to her room. hearing voices through her window, she peered through the glass and saw alex and clay talking outside. clay's shoulders were tense and alex was wringing their hands together, nervously glancing around the neighborhood. iris frowned, recognizing the panicked look in her cousin's eyes. had clay said something to make them nervous? she felt her own shoulders drawing up as she watched them converse. clay visibly relaxed at something alex said, the latter seemingly relieved that he was calming down. what had he said to alex to make them so nervous?

iris marched downstairs, dead set on intervening outside, but clay had just shut the front door by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs. "what did you say to alex?"

she realized he was on a completely different planet when he looked at her, amused. "sorry?"

"why was alex so nervous out there?" iris crossed her arms, trying not to come off as aggressive but also increasingly getting concerned. she knew clay was a good guy and she trusted him more than she should, but alex was where she drew the line and questioned everything. at clay's stifled laugh, iris's eyes narrowed. "why is this funny to you?"