rodrick heffley x male reader

rodrick vs the pictures

there's not much, or really anything, rodrick misses about *not* being out.

except one thing.

pictures.

he didn't love them, but pictures have always had a special place in their relationship.

______ loves cameras. and rodrick. so naturally he took many, many pictures of him. his favorites are candid. taken in the moments rodrick is speaking about something he's passionate about, which is usually music or band-related. or when he's telling a story. or sometimes it's neither. sometimes rodrick is just walking towards him and it's almost too perfect. like the sun is just putting a spotlight on his boyfriend. ______ would never miss such a perfect opportunity.

and as flattering as all that is, it's always made rodrick a bit shy. so in retaliation he'd cover his face, grabbing whatever he could; a notebook, his jacket hood, his phone, etc; and putting it in front of his face. eventually he started pulling up his phone's camera, trying to take a picture back. rodrick has lost count of how many times he's caught and thwarted ______ attempts at taking a cute picture of him while they're on a date. or while they're in one of their rooms. or just talking. it really doesn't matter where or when.

really, he just misses when there was no possibility of coming home to his mom and his boyfriend showing each other pictures. ______ showing the pictures rodrick failed to ruin, and his mother showing old baby pictures of him. he misses when this wasn't a thing that's happened before (it was only once before and that time she was just pointing out particular pictures on the walls, rather than from an album. and ______ didn't have his camera, so it was just a few pictures from his phone. in his opinion that was still way to much). in this moment, it truly felt like a luxury he didn't know he had.

it's hard to pin point exactly why it bothers him. it shouldn't. his mom seeing ______'s pictures doesn't really bother him. he knows ______ would only show her the 'nice' ones. and obviously, ______ has seen many pictures of him before and will probably see many more in the future. although, usually it's the ones already hung up in the house. or he's looking over ones he's taken, with that dorky smile plastered on his face, leaning into rodrick to show him the pictures, rambling about the lighting or the composition of whatever or whatever other thing about photography that rodrick will never understand no matter how many times ______ has and will explain it. although he'll always be happy to listen to his boyfriend go over it again.

maybe it's not so much him seeing the pictures. maybe it's more his mother recounting the stories behind them. maybe it's ______ pointing out some picture rodrick can't see from where he's standing, very loudly stating how cute he is in them. and maybe it was all overwhelmingly embarrassing. so overwhelming embarrassing, it's overriding rodrick's ability to think. he couldn't even think of anything to say so he just stood there, red in the face. until ______ noticed him in the doorway. he waved him over, greating him, "hey".

rodrick wanted to hide or maybe just spontaneously combust (but not really spontaneously, preferably it'd be specifically in this moment). he didn't. obviously. just murmured 'hi' back and walked over.

"we were just-" ______ wraps his arm around rodrick's waist when he's close enough, pulling him a bit closer to show him the picture they're on "-going through some pictures."

"mmhm" he hesitated for a few moments, not really knowing what to say to get his boyfriend to come upstairs. he'll figure it out. "...we should probably, uh, y'know-"

"oh, right! algebra! we have to study. i completely forgot about that," he rambled a bit, but when doesn't he? and gave rodrick's mom a quick thank before letting rodrick finally guide him upstairs.

away from all those pictures.