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"I know we use this space for the podcast, but I'm not lyin' when I say it's actually super comfy here!"
"Well, yeah. It needs to be comfy if we're going to sit here for a couple hours just talking."
"Yeah, but I mean, just sitting here, chillin' and doing whatever. It feels really nice."
As if to prove his point, Grizzy sinks further back into his designated seat. Puffer nods sagely after giving his input while Droid scrolls on his phone. They aren't here to record a new episode for the podcast; just as Grizzy says, the room is a good place to hang out and the couches are comfy. So comfy, in fact, that Pezzy is finding it hard to stay awake.
"You good there, Pezzy?" Although he was glued to his phone, he's vigilant when it came to his friend for reasons he doesn't know. "You've kinda been nodding off a lot today. Ever since we arrived, actually."
"Mm...? Yeah, yeah, I'm good. I'm just..." There's a pause and he's oblivious to everyone's silent concern as he takes a while to continue. "I'm tired. Haven't slept well lately."
"You can nap if you want," Puffer offers. "We've got a spare bed if you want to use it."
"You're not sick, are you? Do you want one of us to take you home?"
"I'm fine, Grizzy." Pezzy rubs his face really hard, earning more sympathetic looks he can't see from behind his hands. "I'm good. If I sleep now, then I won't be able to sleep tonight."
"Yeah bro, like you've been sleeping at all at night." Droid jokes, but everyone knows what he means. It's been a few days of Pezzy complaining about not being able to sleep or sleep well at night, so they wish he'd take the opportunity to sleep now while he's able to. But there's some truth in what Pezzy says, so they let him be and instead do their best to keep their friend awake.
"Hey!" Droid claps his hands and laughs a little when Pezzy startles. "Let's play a game! Something simple."
"Like what?" Puffer asks. "I'm not in the mood to play anything on a screen."
"Doesn't have to be. We can play cards or a board game. Or 20 questions?"
"20 questions is such a bitch ass lame game," Grizzy says, "but also so fun when people choose something outrageous. I'm down for it!"
"Or what if we just answered questions off the internet? You know, community questions and stuff." Everyone looks at Puffer with a slight groan, so he quickly adds, "But we're not going to record any of it! A lot of people come up with funny things which are fun to talk about."
"Then what's the point in answering them if no one gets to hear them?" Feeling slightly more awake, Pezzy chimes in. "I don't mind answering questions, but it's a little unfair if they're the ones who asked but don't get an answer."
"Then what if we went through questions and chose which ones we'd like to answer for the next podcast? We don't answer them, but we go through and pick out the ones we do want to answer in the future. And if we find anything funny and want to share it now, we can."
There's general agreement between everyone, largely in part because no one else had any idea of what else to do. So, after putting out a post asking for people to ask them questions separately on their accounts and waiting a few minutes for responses, they each began going down the list of questions sent to them.
"Yo, I just got a crazy question right from the start!"
"Do you wanna share it?" Grizzy asks.
"Nah, I'm gonna leave that for another day." Droid saves the question in his notes app and continues scrolling. "Oh my god, I'm telling y'all, they went crazy with these questions!"
"Yeah, I see what you mean." Puffer hides his smile behind his hand, eyes widening when he comes across likely the same questions Droid's received. "They know we're doing something which is why they're asking this, but Droid, what did you put in your post to get them saying these things?"
"I just said to ask us anything and we'd answer it!"
Grizzy pulls up Droid's post. "You said, 'Hey. The bros and I are going to answer your questions. Ask us anything—"
"See!"
"—ANYTHING AT ALL," Grizzy disrupts Droid's interruption, chuckling as he recites, "can be anything except about toes and sucking and sucking toes, and we'll answer them.' Bro, you're just askin' for it."
Droid turns to him and speaks in a wise tone. "Look, when you've received as many texts as I have about toe sucking, you learn to ward off that shit as quick as you can."
"Oh, we know." / "We know." / "We definitely know."
Everyone speaks at the same time, a chorus of 'we know' and their shared experience of strange, perverted messages. Pezzy pipes in every now and then, but then becomes quiet and resumes scrolling through the questions on his phone. Eventually, he stops at one. "Hey, I've got one that isn't too bad, but I don't think it needs to be in a video."
"What is it?"
"'Out of the four of us, who is the most huggable?'"
"The most huggable..." Puffer repeats, looking between his friends. "I think I've got my answer."
"Yeah, same here," Droid says.
"I've got mine too," Pezzy says.
"You guys are so quick." Grizzy is the last to decide on his choice. "I think I've got one, but I can't be too sure."
"We should definitely hug after this to confirm our answers."
"True, true." Droid rubs his hands together, laughter erupting around him because of it. "Should we say who we think it is on 3 or go one by one?"
"I think we should say it on 3," Pezzy says.
"On 3, then?" Puffer asks.
"On 3," Grizzy affirms.
"Okay... 1, 2, 3!"
"Grizzy." / "Grizzy." / "Droid." / "Grizzy."
Puffer, Droid and Pezzy share understanding laughter. Grizzy remains confused. "What the fuck? You all said me?"
"Is it not obvious why we picked you? You give great hugs!"
"Yeah, I get that."
"He's not even gonna deny it."
"Should I, Droid? You picked me to be the most huggable!"
"Indeed, I did. And you picked me!"
"I did."
"Thank you!"
"Yeah, you're welcome!" He says with some sass. "But it genuinely surprised me that none of you picked each other."
"It's not that hard to believe. You want us to prove it? We said we would, didn't we?"
They nod at Puffer's question and each stand up to give Grizzy a hug. Both Puffer and Droid give pointed compliments about Grizzy's hugs and why he is the obvious choice. Grizzy gives his compliments to Droid and the latter smiles, happy to receive them. The last person to receive a hug is Pezzy who, in spite of the excitement from laughing earlier, has begun to feel drowsy again. There isn't a need to, but everyone already had their hug and, feeling left out, he got up to give one too.
Grizzy just sat down in his seat and didn't expect the sleepy man to stand up, but now he is in front of him and he has his arms spread wide. "Want me to stand up, Pezzy? Pezzy?"
"Mmph." He makes a noise and climbs on top of Grizzy, sitting in his lap and wrapping his arms around Grizzy's neck. The position is completely unexpected.
Droid breaks the silence with an audible 'yo' and Grizzy, in his confusion, completes the hug by wrapping his arms around Pezzy's back. His small frame reminds him of a koala – a baby one while he's like the mother – and he looks to Puffer and Droid for their reactions. There isn't a need to ask for help; just that it is all very unexpected.
Puffer voices his opinion. "I think we should send him to bed."
"That's probably a good idea."
Grizzy stays silent as he listens to Pezzy's gentle breathing right beside his ear. His head's positioned to face away from him, so he feels his chest move more than he can hear his breaths and is sure he's fallen asleep. From his face alone, Droid makes the connection and says something about how 'Grizzy really is the most huggable' and 'he's so great he can put people to sleep'.
The spare room is already prepared for guests. Puffer makes a motion to follow him and Grizzy stands, but the moment he does Pezzy shifts and his head turns to the other side. His mouth is next to his neck and Grizzy feels ticklish.
"Do you need help?" Droid asks.
Grizzy shakes his head. He adjusts his hold on Pezzy, careful to not squeeze him too much, and realises Pezzy has a tight grip of his own on him. His arms and legs are bound around him which may prove to be an issue later as they try to pry him off of him and settle into bed, but for now it will work to help take him to the spare bedroom.
Thoughts and concerns fill the group's heads as they, in single file, bring Pezzy to the bedroom. It even occurs to Grizzy that maybe the reason for Pezzy's tiredness and inability to sleep may just be because he needs someone to hug. But it's a fleeting thought as his earlier thought is proven true when trying to lay Pezzy down, he refuses to let go. It requires Puffer and Droid's help to detach his limbs and put him beneath the blanket. Once Grizzy is free, they quietly leave the room and shut the door.
"He's going to be okay, isn't he?" Droid is the first to express his worry. "It didn't feel like he had a fever or anything."
"Just leave him be for now. I'll check on him later and see if he wakes up." He looks at the time on his phone. "You guys need to go anywhere? It's still the afternoon, so we can do something else in the meantime."
"I'm good to stay." Like Droid, Grizzy keeps looking between his friends and the door leading to Pezzy. In an effort to lighten the mood, he says, "So I guess I am the most huggable person of the group."
It seemed to work as Droid immediately says, "I said that earlier, but I've got another question for ya: who do you think is the most fuckable?"
Puffer joins in and asks a question similar to what he posed earlier. "Are we going to confirm our answers by testing it after?"
"Fuck no!" Grizzy clamps a hand over his mouth and everyone waits to hear if Pezzy wakes up. There's no sound beyond the door and they quietly laugh and move to another room. When they're far enough away, Grizzy eyes them. "I'm not gonna say who, but I just wanna know if we all have an answer."
"Nah, you already thought of one?" Droid sounds surprised, but shoots back with, "Actually, I have one too."
"Yeah, yeah, so do I," Puffer says hesitantly.
None of them say anything further. In silent agreement, they return to their respective couches and scroll through their phones for more questions.