Chapter Text
"Mike!” Tenna shouted into the receiver. He had the TV blaring in his living room so Mike could hear it over the phone. “THIS is the show I was talking about! The puppy show! We’re meeting first thing Monday morning to plan a full blown MARATHON for the puppy show! And I’m green lighting a made-for-TV movie.”
Mike yawned. “Yes, Mr Tenna, but you're fully booked Monday, you know.”
“Mike, this is Azzy’s favorite show! Are you really going to disappoint our dear Lightner audience? Just pencil over our morning meeting. Spammy already went over finances with me anyway.”
“But Tenna--”
“No buts! Mike, I have full confidence in you and Spam to handle finance, and this takes priority. We’re talking puppies Monday.”
“Yes sir. Good night sir.”
“Night Mike~”
Tenna hung up with a smile before turning back into the kitchen. He turned the stove heat down to low, frowning as he checked the time. Spamton was running late for dinner. He paced around the kitchen for a beat before returning to the living room to distract himself (that’s what TV was good at!). It was far too early to be shrinking.
He heard the front door click open just as the credits rolled. He sprang up from the couch. “Spammy!”
“Hi bug,” Spamton leaned up to meet Tenna’s kiss halfway. “Sorry I’m late.”
He grumbled to himself as he shook off his suit jacket. Tenna took it from him with a little hum.
“What’s wrong, love letter?”
Spamton’s sigh dropped like an anvil. “I get to the bar, no hello, immediately brags about his new deal with Queen or whatever.”
“That’s rude,” Tenna agrees as he loosens Spamton’s tie.
“That’s what I’m saying!” Spamton huffs as he follows Tenna into the bedroom. Tenna puts away his jacket and tie as he continues. “And then he starts talking about his hair. Again, I’ve said maybe two words.”
“Did you finally speak up?”
“Yeah, I called him ugly.”
Tenna flinched. “What exactly did you say?”
“Oh I don’t know. Something about pepto bismol puke or somethin’.”
Tenna strolled back into the kitchen with a laugh. “I should write that one down.”
He dished out their dinner while Spamton set the table. “You shoulda seen the look on his face, too.”
Tenna brought in their stew just as Spamton finished placing the utensils. He flipped out his coattails (out of habit, he had taken off his jacket hours ago) and sat across from Spamton. They both took a few bites with satisfied hums.
“You know, you already see him on Wednesdays with the guys. You don’t have to suffer through one-on-one time with him on Fridays too, do you?”
Spamton shrugged. “No… I wanna keep goin’.”
Tenna nodded. “Ok.”
He didn’t really understand Spamton and Clickson. He doesn’t know if he’d ever understand. But he understood it was important to Spamton to keep seeing him, and so that was enough for him.
“How was your night, bug?”
“Oh, good! Asriel is watching that one show again, the one with the cute dog? Absolutely adores it! I’ve asked Mike to arrange a meeting to expand on it first thing Monday morning.”
Spamton’s scowl shifted. “I can’t do Monday morning. I have that appointment.”
“Oh shoot, that’s right. Sorry, Spam.”
Spamton swallowed hard. “I can skip it--”
“No, absolutely not. We can do it Tuesday.”
Tenna would be damned if he was the reason Spamton shirked his monthly therapy. Tenna was proud of the progress he had made. Rare was the day he didn’t hear all of Spamton’s grievances. It drove him nuts some days, but he honestly wouldn’t trade it for anything. His Spammy, shouting about Clickson, or some other moron that made him feel shitty. Tenna and Spamton were becoming skilled at verbally roasting pretty much any Darkner. He felt it leaking into their writing. He wasn’t sure how good of an influence it would be on his darling Asriel, but it certainly made for good comedy.
Tenna smirked, trying to pull Spamton’s scowl into something that didn’t make his stomach lurch. “We can bump Consolius if you prefer.”
Spamton rolled his eyes with a scoff. “Like I’d risk getting in the way of you two gossips. What’re they yapping about this time? Elnina and Lanino still giving them the cold shoulder?”
“I don’t know! Guess I’ll find out… or not! If we don’t meet.”
“If I get to meet with Clickson,” he gagged on the Addison’s name, “You should be able to meet with Consolius.”
“Yeah but the difference is, Consolius is my friend and will understand. Clickson is,” he put a finger to his chin. “Well, Clickson is Clickson, isn’t he?”
Spamton bit his cheek. Tenna could see in his eyes that he wanted to argue. Push himself off. “Let’s just do it Tuesday.”
Tenna let out the breath he’d been holding. Spamton was trying to compromise. “Tuesday it is, then.”
Tenna turned back to his dinner, but it wasn’t long before there was an Addison nudging onto his lap.
“Ant, aren’t you tired? Let’s go to bed early.”
Tenna delicately dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “Going to bed, huh? This early on a Friday?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t you want to go tear up the town, dance, drink?”
“...No.”
“You want to sleep,” Tenna clarified.
Spamton paused. “I don’t just want to sleep.”
Ah. There it was.
“My dear, I have no idea what you mean.” He leaned his heavy CRT head on a hand lazily.
“I want to sleep with you.”
“You already said that.”
Spamton leaned closer. “I want to make love to you.”
Tenna giggled. “Forward, tonight, aren’t we?”
When Spamton didn’t giggle back, Tenna shifted gears. He wrapped a sweeping arm around his back. He had to build up to the grand finale for his favorite viewer. He pressed him flush to his chest, pulling him fully off the ground. He ran his other hand through his black hair, noting the white fringing his scowl.
“I can dye your hair first if you want.”
Spamton nodded. Tenna knew he lost as the mailman quietly leaned even closer, hovering over his lips. He grinned at Tenna’s flush.
“I’d like that.”
“Hah…” was all Tenna could muster.
“I wanna turn the TV on while we do it though.” Spamton leaned so close, Tenna felt the heat of his lips on his. Yet they still didn’t touch.
“Hah~”
Spamton shifted to sit properly on his lap, moving his ass more than necessary. “But you better make sure you finish the dye job before anything else, Mr Tenna.”
Tenna swallowed. Gosh, Spamton was gorgeous. Why did it take them so long to start dating?
Unbidden, Tenna thought of the Spamton of tomorrow morning, hair loose and a shirt haphazardly thrown on.
The Spamton of next week, shouting at some Pippins who missed their cue. Deliciously gruff yells chock full of colorful insults.
The Spamton of next year, lounging next to him by a pool, his swim shorts a little too low.
The Spamton of years from now, passing out next to him after a week solid of shoots. They were old hats, but giving it their all on set was still exhausting work without a pair of arms to relax into.
“I love you,” Tenna breathed.
Spamton gawked, his smooth demeanor melting instantly. He leaned back and Tenna saw his opening, pressing a kiss into Spamton’s trembling neck. It was his turn to flush and breathe funny. Tenna shifted to kissing on his cheek, smiling as Spamton leaned into it.
“I love you, too.”
『••✎••』