himbomb | IC INBOX

Aaaaah.

[...That is weirdly intimate and it is making him feel a Thing. Several things actually. Most people could care less to ask what he likes. There's a pause, a definite lull in the conversation, because he is both stunned and uncertain.

Should he tell him the truth?]

Well, I've always had a thing for gymnastics, but I do a lotta that out in the field, soooo...

[look who is getting REALLY bashful now]

I like stand-up comedy specials, I guess? Or, anything funny that's either so bad it'll drive me into a fit of hysterics or... The stuff that, like, took a lotta work to write, obviously? The brainy-shit that makes you think a little bit.

[a-ah... //// this i s weird]

When it comes to food, I like it hot! You know- Spicaaaay? And with meat, oooh, and lots of it! I'm not so much of a fish guy, but bring on the lobster, baby! Oysters are good too, 'specially when you drown 'em in hot sauce.

Ooh! I also like to take a peek at all of the weird shit you happen to find at 7-Eleven. Sometimes I'll pop in around 2 AM and see what wackass sandos they've got hangin' out on the shelf. One time I found one that said it was ham but it looked more like somebody sliced off a piece of an ear and stuck it between some moldy pieces of bread. Wild!

[screams how does he do this normal socialization thing]

...What about you? So, I know you're into nerdy shit. Anything else?

_{[ It’s wordy and it’s a lot and Rex has a unique voice that isn’t at all anything melodic and soothing, but somehow, it easing Mark into relaxation and making him more tired. Maybe it’s something about the raspiness in his voice? And he’s not being terribly loud. Mark feels his eyes close again as Rex answers and he is getting even more comfortable, tucking one of his hands under his cheek. It’s obvious he is a still listening, though, cause some stuff Rex says gets a facial reaction— a quirk of a smile or raises brows.

He keeps his eyes closed again. ]}

I like comedy. Laughing is really nice.. and spicy food! Mom makes some of the best spicy dishes. I think you would like her cooking.

_{[ He shifts his body, seeming to wiggle a little closer to Rex but not touching him yet. He can feel a little warmer though. ]}

And did you buy that… sando… and try it?

_{[ He will answer more of this question but he’s gotta know the 2 am sandwich fate … ]}

[Rex is not used to actually being listened to, not without very obvious hints of irritation, especially since he has the tendency to go on and on and on. His own mother had never cooked all that much, also because mentally, he can't say that she ever really felt like she was there, but that does sound nice.]

Hah! No.

I saw green growin' around the corners of the crust and noped right on outta there. I was totally gonna though. The meat looked so damn rubbery!

[Funny. Rex is really smiling now, the expression almost dorky, goofy in nature. Which is strange, because usually the mention of any tender family moments makes him feel bitter inside.]

I was almost positive you could make a shoe out of it, hey.

_{[ Mark opens his eyes halfway just in time to catch the glimpse of the other hero’s smile. It’s a good smile and something about it makes Mark feel warm. Probably cause he has never seen it before. It’s pretty obvious he’s honing in on Rex’s lips for a moment.

He has an inclination to close the distance between them and snuggle up close, but he dismisses that thought quickly. Mark also smiles cause he has something funny to say: ]}

Well, yeah. At that point it’s not a sando anymore.. it’s a sandal.

_{[ SO FUNNY.. ]}

[The laugh that escapes Rex's throat, while still full of that ever-present, signature Rex Splode raspiness, lacks spite.]

Wooooow. That is so stupid!

[So stupid, and yet, the perfect joke. Is this riffing? This is the sort of thing that Rex actually enjoys.]

But funny, actually. Fuck.

[It's late at night and Rex is far too exhausted to dismiss the feeling of warmth alight in his chest as he presses his cheek to whatever it is he is resting his head on. Heroes do not get to do this often, at least, not over a dead body or until after a grueling sparring session.]

You could probably whack somebody with it. Wah-pah!

Officer, officer.. don’t arrest me. It’s just an old gas station sandwich, I promise.

_{[ Mark has never been one to be an intentional clown or someone who tries to make jokes, but there are moments where it just happens and then he can’t always stop right away. More laughter escapes him, but then he thinks about the previous question a little harder. ]}

I really like attending festivals, you’re right. And hanging out with people I like. Recently, it’s been flying.. but I’m not really into sports or anything like that.

And yeah, like I said, spicy food is the absolute best.

Huh! So you're a goob and a goof. Figures!

[Still, Rex laughs once more. That was a good joke, even if it was a little corny.

He listens to the other boy talk, and while the conversation is light, like always, reality begins to creep back in. Up until the very point where the younger teen's powers manifested, which to some degree was incredibly late, this guy probably had a nice, normal life.

And now his father, a man with the power to slaughter thousands in just a single day, has revealed himself to be a madman. Poor Invincible.

Or, even moreso? Poor Mark.]

You feelin' any better?

[Rex knows the answer, but he still makes the effort to ask anyway.]

Yeah.

_{[ He tugs one of the animal pelts further up along his shoulder. ]}

A lot better... maybe the best I've felt since we got here.

_{[ chops off my own yaoi hands and drops the game ]}

How about you?

Ehhhhh! I dunno.

[Rex doesn't attribute any of Invincible's improved mood to his own actions or presence, as the thought would be inconceivable.]

On one hand? I'm likin' the fact that Cecil can't dog me at 3 AM, tellin' me to hurry my ass up over the sound system or the big screen! On the other...?

[He's been reminded in nearly all of his interactions that, if it weren't for the superpowers and the cushy do-gooder gig, he'd be worthless, undesirable, and despised.

He is already.]

I've got too many damn questions.

[And he misses the team. Irritated as the Guardians may be by his behavior... They do have an affection for him, in a way. That's not easy to earn outside of such close quarters.]

Edited 2021-09-19 03:41 (UTC)

You mean about this place and what's going on?

_{[ Mark can imagine it must be nice to get a little vacation and reminded he's kind of glad he's not an official member of all of that. Yeesh.

He reaches over and settles a hand on Rex's shoulder, pushing his thumb along tan skin in a small attempt to comfort. ]}

We'll be alright.

_{[ How can say that with confidence even though he's been having his little emotional fits? He is still optimistic in the long run. ]}

Either we will get answers or we won't, but regardless, we will be alright.

Edited 2021-09-19 04:16 (UTC)

[Now, that's a complicated question. Rex knows full well that the very state of being alive is never a guarantee, not in their line of work. He opens his mouth to say something contrarian, only to notice that he's distracted by that touch from Mark in a way that makes him, well, panic.

He practically yelps in response-]

Y-yo! Don't touch me, man, I'm like-

[Raspy as his voice is, it's capable of getting quite squeaky as well.]

Naked and shit!

[He is not. He's in his underwear, and also, that argument is completely irrelevant as Mark has already seen his uncensored d*ck.]

_{[ why is rex so hot and cold mark doesn’t understand

He recoils his hand and tucks it back under his own cheek, regarding Rex. They have been a little touchy feely since they got here, haven’t they? ]}

You’re not naked and shit.

_{[ He wouldn’t be this close to you if you were “naked and shit?” Um.. Mark doesn’t think so. ]}

You don’t like being touched?

Yes I am!

[No!!! No... Rex is so mad at himself, it's clear he's in the middle of some sort of conniption. He can feel the back of his ears warming up.]

M-mostly!

[Even though outside of the suit, that seems to be his preferred state of dress. Or, well, undress.

While the hot-tempered boy short circuits, he's forced to do something he hates- Consider being honest and vulnerable with this idiot meathead that he's supposed to hate.]

N-no! It's not that, I just...

[But the truth of the matter is that Rex is touchy feely. Perhaps a little too much, for most people...]

You made me feel a thing! And I don't like it.

[kill bill sirens are going off in his head right now, does he blow up himself up by charging his own skeleton now or later...]

Stop doin' that.

_{[ For the first time, Mark hasn’t heard this guy stammer and stutter and act all nervous as much as he is now. But like always, Rex is still an enigma to Mark that he’s trying— a little more desperately— to understand. His confused expression says it all: he has no idea what Rex means. Feel a thing? That’s.. kind of vague.

Feel a thing and don’t like it? Even more confusing. His expression drifts from confused to hard contemplation and before asking for an explanation, which would make more sense, he comes up with his own. ]}

Oooooh. Um. Oh. Here, um.. I’ll give you some space and privacy.

_{[ He’s getting off of the cot? But bringing an animal pelt with him. ]}

I didn’t, uh, um.. I didn’t know you were that sensitive. I’m sorry, man. I was just trying to encourage you. Um. Encourage us, really. I won’t touch you again, I promise.

_{[ THIS IS SO AWKWARD AND NOW HIS EARS ARE TURNING RED.. ]}

Edited 2021-09-22 15:35 (UTC)

[IF REX WAS ANGRY BEFORE-]

W-wha... NO?! HEY!!!!

[Now he is screaming at the top of his lungs, fully humiliated, that high-pitched rasp of his evident. Rex is not one to blush, not usually, not even when he should in most situations, being the kind of take-no-prisoners brand of shameless that he usually is...

But boy is his face red now.]

I MEANT EMOTIONALLY, YOU DUMBASS! What do you think this is, the third grade?! I'm not that easy, come on!

If I was that sensitive I'd be readjustin' my junk constantly. Or at least put in a fuckin' codpiece, holy shit! Though, stuff like that kinda seems like false advertising? And I would feel mega weird about it...

[he shudders thinking of how monster girl embarrassed him in front of the entire superhero community IT'S NOT THAT SMALL???]

_{[ Mark halts when Rex raises his voice like that and blinks a few times, gradually feeling more embarrassment and honestly some anger too. His lips draw tight. ]}

You could have specified that! Oh my God.

_{[ He drops his ass back on the edge of the cot and heaves a sigh. God. EMBARRASSING. He's quiet for a moment as he thinks about what this could imply. Obviously it's not anything like a crush. Rex would never like him in that way, right? ]}

So.. you're feeling like.. maybe you didn't like me at all and now you think I'm okay? And.. maybe that's weird for you cause we never were close.. so it's uncomfortable for you?

_{[ why is it he's smart at the weirdest times ]}

[God forbid... Thankfully, Rex's superpowers have got nothing to do with telepathy, but a crush? On Invincible of all people? God, that'd be hitting rock bottom for sure.]

...Aaaaah.

[Rex looks up at the ceiling of their little encampment, forced to consider a few things. He is, oddly, grateful that Invincible is here. So far, he's done nothing but make quite a few enemies and hooked up with one person. Try as he might to seem macho and independent, Rex is not the solitary sort. Having spent much of his childhood alone, or at least feeling that way, he'd been with Eve, the Teen Team, and now the other Guardians.]

Yeah?

Yeah... That's, um, pretty much it.

Like... We're not supposed to be cool. Not with each other!

_{[ Mark folds one of his legs up onto the cot and turns halfway so face Rex better. ]}

.. Why can't we be cool with each other? I mean, I wouldn't mind it. You've been nice to me when you're not yelling at me. I've told you how much I've appreciated it.

Anyway. I'm interested in us being cool with each other, especially since we're sharing a camp. We're sharing a sleeping space.

Usually people that do that are cool with each other.

[There is such a tender fragility in the air that if one were to reach out and try to grasp it, it would crumble between their fingers. Rex gnaws on his lower lip, averting his gaze from the other boy once more, although he doesn't turn away. He has put up so many walls, so many layers of cement, to keep from hurting that getting in touch with how he's actually feeling has proved difficult on so many occasions.

In the moment, he had even struggled to even provide Eve with an explanation.]

I dunno.

[He sounds defeated. Timid and small.]

You were always just supposed to be...

[Far removed from the lifelong dick-measuring contest that is superhero-dom, Invincible, or Mark as he prefers to be called, really doesn't seem all that bad, and somehow that's even more of a slap to the face than if he were an actual douchebag. He's reeling from a horrible new realization, kind and patient, and is actually tolerable.

It's annoying.]

The competition.

[A symbol, like a thing.

Not a person.]

_{[ It's a realization on Mark's part too; not cause how he feels about Rex is anything like that, but how Rex feels about him. Now all the rudeness makes a lot more sense. Rex was jealous of him? He shouldn't just say it, but it just kind of tumbles out: ]}

You're jealous of me? All along?

_{[ Now Mark is getting comfortable on the cot again, turning to face Rex entirely but sitting criss-cross style. He back pedals. ]}

No, no.. sorry.. I didn't mean to say that. That's may not be what you mean. Sorry. Um. Phew.

_{[ Mark blows a small raspberry and tucks his lips inward, trying to think of something better to say. All along Rex had him in a different category and Mark had no idea. Mark saw him as a colleague and a person; Rex saw him as a threat and a competition. No wonder the older teen is so prickly towards him. ]}

It's okay. I mean, I never saw you like that.. but.. that's because I never really got to know you.

_{[ and probably cause Mark is OP and is seeing the world through a different perspective than Rex. It's probably an insensitive thing to say, but he realizes this and quickly adds on: ]}

I can.. still be your competition..? If you want? Stuff like that can be healthy, and..

_{[ Mark thinks about it a little more, his eyes falling along a patch of animal pelt that is near Rex, but not directly looking at him. ]}

Mm. There's things you are good with that I'm not good with either, so you can be my competition in that way too. Just.. maybe we can be friendly competition instead? You know— I mean.

_{[ A beat. ]}

I can be whatever you want me to be, but I know now that I..
Well, I consider you a friend more than just a colleague now.

[Jealous, envious, what have you. He has and he still is. Hearing Invincible prattle on, in his usual dorky way, is enough to make Rex's blood boil once more. Of course, he himself had been jealous, while the other hadn't so much as considered him as an afterthought. Just another body, not even the type of hero who had stood out, other than for his bad attitude and infidelity.

When the other boy says that, some bullshit about being good at other things, Rex dismisses it entirely. He's just trying to be nice. Asshole! He might as well be honest, or just not say anything.

Rex turns to rest on his stomach and hands.]

You think you're done cryin' for tonight?

[He doesn't mean for it to sound dismissive.

Mark says the word friend and it feels so foreign. Rex has not had a single male friend his age, not a human one anyway, or so he thinks. Robot is just that, supposedly- A robot, made of metal, clearly a person in his own right with thoughts and feelings, but not a boy, a teenager. Rex has surprisingly found it easier to get along with women, if only because the one he's encountered spend an extra few seconds giving him more than just a couple of once-overs.]

_{[ Rex may not mean it that way, but that's how Mark takes it and he exhales slowly, shifting to lie down on his side with his back facing Rex. His teeth are drawing tight from behind his lips. He bites off the words sharply. ]}

Yeah. Sure. I am. I guess. Cause I can just control when I cry and when I don't. I also guess I was wrong when I thought I was in a safe space around you to let those emotions out. Whatever.

_{[ He really hates he is as emotional as he is, so it was pretty freeing to hear someone else tell him to let it out when he can. ]}

Sleep well.

[Perhaps it's not such a bad thing, to still be in touch with one's emotions. Anger, spite, vindictiveness- These are all the feelings that Rex can willingly tap into time and time again, but to keep himself from experiencing real pain, the kind that he lives with on the daily, he blocks so much of it out.]

Look, that's not what I-

[Rex rolls over for the umpteenth time, his voice soft. He reaches out, almost touching the other boy's shoulder, but his hand stops and collapses midway.

It's no use. He's just going to make it worse again.]

It’s not? Okay, then give me one explanation then. Just one. I’ve run my mouth off and trying my hardest to get along with you but sometimes it feels like you are trying your best to push me away.

If that’s the case I’d like to know so I can stop fucking trying.

_{[ OOOH the f word again. Mark remains where he is, though, back facing Rex and as far away from the other hero as much as possible. He’s almost off of the cot at this point. ]}

[Ugh, this is worse than having his brains bashed in. Almost as bad as shitting blood! But you know, that would actually be awful in a place like this, because shitting blood in the woods full of monsters and dead body snatchers just does not sound like a fun time at all.

Very reluctantly, only because he's well aware that without the superhero mantle, a team to fall back on, and a clamoring group of hormonal teens who want his body, he's got very few takers and boy does that information suck.]

Growin' up, I didn't have any guy friends. Fuck, I didn't have any friends, period, okay! There.

[What a loser-y thing to say.]

Even right now, my main fallback guy's Robot! And he's got, like, all of two, maybe three emotions? With the girls if I fuck up I either own that shit or flirt a little bit to get my footing back with 'em, and Samson... God, he's got a major stick up his butt, I dunno, maybe he lost a paternity test and needs to play da-da to man the fuck up or somethin', but uh, as of right now I'm definitely on his shitlist.

[Oof.

That felt wrong to say, even for Rex. He hopes the guy gets out of the hospital soon. Or, well, ever.]

I don't get you, most of the time.

The only time I feel like I do it's... When you're all sad and shit.

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