dog days ━ scotty valens x male!oc!

4

Chapter Four:

Unsurprisingly, Scotty makes it home much later than he usually does. The sky is already dark, the last remnants of pink and purple disappearing into the horizon as it quickly changes into black. The air is colder than it was a few weeks ago. Scotty can feel the cold biting at his skin.

Asher hears him unlocking the front door, whining as he flutters his eyes open and hazily looks around the living room. The smell of peppermint is heavy in the air. Aleja had been here earlier. She had brought him some clothes and made him some cup noodles and then watched a few episodes of friends — to which Asher had simply sat on the floor, thrown his blanket around his shoulders and watched with her. He had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of an episode and Aleja must have left not long after.

Rubbing at his eyes, Asher clumsily stands to his feet and goes to greet his owner like he sometimes does when he's awoken from his slumber. He's met with the sight of Scotty slowly pulling his tie loose, one side of his face is bruised, a thin red line runs around his eyebrow down to the bottom of his eye — it looks fresh, all red and slightly swollen. Asher tightly wraps his fingers into the material of his hoodie and worries his bottom lip with his teeth. Was his owner okay? Did he get into a fight? Did he need any help? Scotty's usual nice scent is covered by blood and alcohol. It's making Asher's stomach twist uncomfortably. He probably shouldn't be worrying about Scotty... because he was going to be like all the others before him, right? Asher makes a soft, unsure sound in the back of his throat and Scotty raises his gaze to him, coal like eyes slowly blinking in the dull light of the hallway.

"Did I wake you up again?" He asks, voice low and tired. He runs a hand through his dark hair, scratching at the back of his skull as he makes his way towards Asher. His other hand hangs simple by his side, covered in a thick layer of bandages. Asher stares at it for an odd second and when his stomach flips uncomfortably, he raises his line of sight back up to look into coal coloured eyes.

Scotty gives a small smile. "It's nothing," he says. Asher thinks the smile is supposed to be reassuring, it's anything but that. Scotty suddenly furrows his brows and slowly lowers his gaze until it's trained at the bottom of Ashers hoodie. There's something pink and pleated sticking out ever so slightly. Reaching out, Scotty pulls the hoodie higher and Asher makes a small, odd sound in the back of his throat, face flickering with panic. His hands awkwardly fly out and grip around Scotty's biceps like he's trying to stop him.

"Oh," Scotty breathes out when he sees what Ashers wearing. It's a pretty, pink skirt. Pleated with two thin white lines that run across the bottom and all around. He blinks, slow and unsure and then tilts his head to the side consideringly. He gently folds the front edge of Ashers hoodie into the skirt, the rest of it stays out and falls over his backside. Scotty trails his gaze all over the skirt and how nicely it sits across Ashers hips and just above his thighs. There's a little charm attached to the zipper on the side and Scotty absentmindedly fiddles with it, it's a golden crescent moon. How fitting.

Probably from Aleja, no doubt.

When Scotty raises his gaze back up to match Ashers, he's met with the sweet sight of flushed cheeks, the tips of the younger males ears are red too. His chest is heaving, but his breathing is quiet and his teeth are biting into the pink flesh of his bottom lip. He lets out a high keening sound when Scotty licks over his lips, face leaning closer to Ashers own, noses almost touching.

Asher stares at Scotty with wide, hazel eyes. He releases his bottom lip, mouth parting ever so slightly and fingers tightening around Scotty's biceps. What was his owner doing? He was acting weird. Weirder than usual. Was he not upset about the fact that Asher was wearing a skirt? Aleja has said he wouldn't be, but then again Asher didn't exactly trust the woman.

"I'm not... forcing you into anything, am I?" Scotty asks, voice quiet and barely audible. He raises a hand and cups Ashers cheek, thumb rubbing across the soft skin there. He frowns when Asher flinches at the contact. "Never mind," Scotty mutters, pulling away. He runs a hand through his hair once more and nods towards the direction of the living room. "Go back to sleep." He says, moving past Asher and going into his bedroom. 

Asher ducks his head and ushers himself back into the living room. The scent of peppermint is still heavy in the air and it keeps him awake for the rest of the night. The blanket he has and the cushion from the sofa aren't doing much from blocking it out. He buries his face deeper into the cushion and pulls the blanket over his face. It does nothing but remind him of the fact that he needs something of Scotty's that's absolutely drenched with the scent of something flowery and coffee to help him sleep. He's gotten too used to Scotty's scent and now that there's Alejas all over the room, it's completely throwing him off.

He whines into the cushion, small and muffled. It's not like Scotty can even hear him anyway.

——

Asher listens to Scotty fumbling around the apartment. It's still early in the morning, streaks of light are shining through the curtains and falling across Asher's form on the carpet. He stretches himself out, movements sluggish and tired. His eyelids are heavy. Forcing himself to sit up, Asher strains his ears for the sound of Scotty putting his coat on and unlocking the front door. There's a small scuffle as he drops the keys and mutters a curse. Other than that, he opens the door, steps out and locks it closed. As soon as Asher hears the click of the lock, he stumbles to his feet.

Rubbing his knuckles unto his eyes, Asher yawns. He grabs his cushion and blanket and steps out into the hallway, holding his items tightly to his chest. He hesitates for a split second and then shakes his head to clear himself of any doubts. Asher slowly make his way further down the hallway and stops in front of Scotty's room. The door is closed. He stares at it for almost a full minute, internally debating on weather or not he should actually go inside Scotty's room and just take a well deserved nap.

He wants to sleep, but... he's not allowed inside Scotty's room, is he? Well, Scotty won't know he's been inside the room if he just takes a short nap and leaves before his owner comes back. Biting softly into his lower lip, Asher wraps his fingers around the handle and pushes the door open. He's instantly hit with the scent of something musky and flowery, it's so nice and calming that he sighs, body going lax and eyelids lowering. He hums, legs moving on their own as he steps inside the room.

Asher curls into a ball on the carpet in front of the bed, nuzzles into his favourite cushion and pulls the blanket over his body. He falls asleep instantly, feeling safe with Scotty's scent all around him.

1275 words//unedited.
//this chapter is slightly shorter than the others. sorry for that guys!