Marsh always kept a tidy trailer but it was a trailer regardless and he wondered if he’d ever figure out how to not slide just above the poverty line. The ingredients he’d gotten from Ronnie was a mostly made from scratch Spaghetti recipe. Marsh wasn’t about to try to make his own pasta from scratch. He’d done most of the work for the sauce before Nobu arrived, it had to simmer for hours and he didn’t want Nobu to have to wait to eat.
He kept nervously checking his phone to see if Nobu had called or texted. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous, the first date went well but Marsh still felt like he might mess this up. He heard a car pull up finally and he sighed, making his way outside to greet his date.
Nobu hopped out of the truck and waved goodbye to the driver that had been kind enough to give him a ride to town as he drove off. Turning, he saw Marsh stepping outside of his trailer to greet him. “I have arrived!” He declared with a wide smile and a flourish. “Konbanwa!” He started closing the distance between them but was suddenly stopped by an overly enthusiastic Rudy before he could reach the trailer’s stairs. “Ah, Rudy! Hello!” He greeted, doing his best to avoid the dog’s built in whip of a tail while he scratched his back. “Did you miss me? I missed you!”
He chuckled at Rudy’s lack of grace and the way it startled Nobu. “Rudy, it’s not polite to knock over the guests before they come inside.” He said and walked toward Nobu, placing a quick kiss to his lips. Nothing too heated but a reminder of what they had done on their last date. “Come in, I thought you could help me finish cooking.” It was Ronnie’s idea for them to cook together and Marsh liked it, hopefully Nobu did.
He led them and Rudy into his trailer which smelled like garlic and tomatoes. “Hope you don’t mind, I had to get started or else it would have been 3 more hours before we ate.” Marsh was already hungry from cooking but there was still more to go.
A hint of color appeared on his cheeks when Marsh's lips touched his. Dammit. He had resolved not to be all weird yet here he was blushing less than a minute into their date. There wasn't any time to dwell on it, however, as the other man immediately mentioned cooking. “Neat! I love cooking!” He said happily. It was no surprise the food crazed tanuki would also enjoy preparing said food though he didn't get to get often these days. Not having a kitchen made it hard to make anything beyond simple meals.
Following his date into the trailer, he sniffed at the air intently. Garlic and tomatoes... his mouth was already watering. “Good call. I probably would have died if I had to wait to eat for 3 hours.” He laughed.
Sniffing a bit more, Nobu found his way into the trailer's kitchen where the sauce lay simmering on the stove. He lifted the cover to get a better whiff of the fragrant concoction of tomato and spices. “Mmm smells delicious,” he purred, nodding approvingly as he set the cover back over the pan. “So what are we making?” He asked enthusiastically, turning to Marsh.
He smirked over at Nobu and leaned against his counter. “Spaghetti, some bruschetta and bourbon. Does that sound good to you?” He asked. From what he gathered Nobu liked to eat just about everything but even the least picky eater had their preferences.
His record player was low enough for them to speak but he’d put on the White Album and smiled to himself as the opening riff for Helter Skelter came on. He must have been thinking about Nobu’s Samhain costume when he picked the record out. “This is my favorite song.” He said as if in passing. Even though he considered Led Zeppelin his favorite band, the Beatles had his favorite song.
"Sounds magnifique!" He declared, bunching his fingers together and kissing the tips with an exaggerated 'mwah'. "Noodles in all forms are fantastic." And speaking of... he browsed the contents scattered on the counter - ingredients, utensils, and so forth - in preparation for helping with the meal.
Marsh's comment brought his attention to the music. "Ohh Helter Skelter. Not a bad favorite song at all!" It wasn't his personal all-time favorite song but he didn't really have a single favorite anything. It was always multiple favorites for pretty much everything. The amount of favorite songs he had was uncountable.
"That is vinyl, yeah?" He could hear the little imperfections that came from traditional 45s. It was nostalgic. There just wasn't the same character on digital or even cds. "You have a record player?"
Marsh pulled a pot out of his cabinet and filled it with water before he put it on the stove. He figured Nobu could take care of the pasta while he cut up the tomatoes and onions for the bruschetta. “Yeah it is. Never been a fan of cds or digital music. I’ll listen to a tape in the truck once in a while but nothing sounds as good as a record.”
He handed Nobu the dry spaghetti noodles he bought at the store. “What about you?” Not many people younger than him liked records as much and by the looks of it Marsh had a few years on Nobu.
Nobu sprinkled a bit of salt into the pot then leaned against the counter while he waited for the water to reach a boil. “I know, right? Records just sound ten times better.” He was glad to find he and Marsh agreed. “If it is too crisp and clear it just sounds weird. At least for the older stuff. Newer stuff can get away with it but it is still better in vinyl form.” But then he was biased. The very first recorded music he heard was on a record; if it had been tape or cd maybe his feelings would be different.
“I don’t, no,” he answered with a shake of his head. “I travel too much to have anything like that. Not easy to move around while lugging a player and records which means settling for digital.” He let out a dramatic sigh. “Sadness.” A chuckle followed. Across the way on the other size of the living room he noticed the record player along with a series of filled bookshelves. “What do you have in your collection? Looks like a good sized one.”
The idea of Nobu traveling registered as a disappointment in his book. He certainly didn’t want to hold anyone back from pursuing their passion. He ignored his instinct to probe into further and settled on answering his question. “Well, I’m sure you can see that I’ve got a lot.” He replied with a chuckle.
He walked over the collection, getting on his knees to sift through them. He pulled out Physical Grafitti by Led Zeppelin and held it up to show Nobu. “This is my favorite album.” He pulled it down to look at the track list on the back. “It’s mostly stuff like this. Classic rock, some newer stuff too.”
Carefully he slid the album back in place and got up to check on the sauce. It felt nice to stand next to Nobu, his kitchen wasn’t very large.
Nobu followed after him, standing beside him while his date kneeled down to grab one of the records from the shelf. “Ohh Led Zeppelin. Very nice,” he commented with an approving nod, leaning forward a bit to have a look at the album’s track list as well. The first time he had heard the album was all the way back when it came out. “Great album. We should definitely give it a listen sometime.”
Before straightening up and following Marsh back into the kitchen, Nobu took the chance to read the spines of the other records. He created a mental list of all the albums he hoped to listen to at some point. It was a long one, and pretty much had every record he spied on it. Marsh had great taste in music.
“You do not know how excited I am to listen to all these,” he said excitedly as he returned to Marsh’s side. The water was starting to bubble. A minute or so more and it’d be ready for the pasta to be placed in. Nobu paused, visibly contemplating. “Was that who you were?” He suddenly asked. “At the party. Someone from Zeppelin?” He couldn’t remember the names of the band members but he seemed to recall one of them dressed similarly to his outfit.
He nodded his head. “Yeah, I was Robert Plant who was the singer but if I’m going to be honest I don’t remember putting that costume or any costume together for that.” He also didn’t want to think about what happened after he left. A moment of extreme weakness and a desire for immediate gratification. If he could go back to that night, he’d have run away from Roman the moment he said a word to Marsh. If he was able to use his ability, he wouldn’t have invited him inside.
“My dad used to tell me it was garbage, that I was too young to listen to it but my mom bought me the tape when he wasn’t looking.” He wasn’t sure if he missed his father as much as he just liked talking about how terrible he was.
“What about you? Do you see your family?”
“Well, see, that is because you didn’t put it together,” he began, sliding the spaghetti out of its box and placing it into the now boiling pot of water. “None of us did. There was magic that changed us when we entered. No idea how it picked the forms it did--” Like how he completely transformed into other people while others never changed their faces “--But, yeah, it was magic. Powerful magic too.”
Nobu’s eyebrows rose. Garbage? Too young to listen to? “He sounds like an asshole.” He didn’t even apologize for the statement though manners dictated he should at least add a ‘no offense’ after. That didn’t happen. “No one is too young to listen to any music. It is music. It is meant to be enjoyed by everyone.”
Then came the question about his own family. “Rarely. We are busy with our own lives so we do not see each other often.” His father was an elder in the community last he heard and his mother helped with those duties. As for his brothers and sisters… Nobu had no idea. Some had remained with their parents while others had set out to see bigger and better things like he had.
He leaned against the counter, watching as Marsh prepped the bruschetta. Since they were on the topic of family… “Is it just you and your parents? No siblings?”
Marsh scoffed at the comment about his father. “Well he was that and more. He passed twelve years ago so he ain’t being one no more.” He wasn’t the least bit offended by Nobu’s comment, Marsh and his dad had a complicated relationship, in that he wasn’t Marsh’s real father. He scooped up the chopped tomatoes and onions into a bowl, grabbing some basil to chop.
“I have a little sister, Eleanor. We always used to call her Ella but she goes by Elle now.” They had a kinship that was more akin to a father and a daughter rather than half-siblings. He hadn’t called either of them in a while and knowing his little sister's history he could only assume the worst. She was just like their mother.
When the basil was cut he put it in the bowl before taking out some lemon juice and olive oil. He sprinkled some into the bowl with garlic salt and mixed it. “My mom and my sister live in Durango, I gifted them my house when I moved.”
There was a hint of surprise when he didn't seem to react to Nobu's explanation about the magical costume changes at the party. Marsh's comments made it seem like he wasn't aware magic was at play but maybe his date knew more about magic beyond traditional sleight of hand and distraction than he originally thought. It was obvious Marsh didn't like his father and his further comments made it especially so. “Good riddance. No one needs that kind of negativity in their lives.” Was it too harsh to say about another person's parent? Perhaps but Nobu made no apologizes. He called it like he saw it.
“Eleanor? That's a nice name,” he remarked with a smile. And not just because it was featured in a song by the Beatles... okay, it was mostly because of that but he liked the sound of the name too! He just happened to be introduced to it through the song.
“I have a little sister too. Yukiko. Used to follow me around a lot when we were kids.” She had been the closest to him in age so she naturally gravitated toward him as opposed to their older siblings. “Think she's with our parents now. She was always a bit of a homebody.”
Finally the sauce was finished along with the bruschetta so he placed the bread and bruschetta on the table and checked in the pot containing the pasta. Taking a noodle out he chewed off a piece and looked at it from the inside, it was definitely finished. “You want to drain that, then it looks like we’re ready to eat.” He proclaimed, grabbing two glasses and his bottle of bourbon from his cabinet.
Ice, liquid and then he was handing a glass to Nobu. “To our second date.” He said before he clinked their glasses together.
“Yesss food!” Nobu did as he was told, stealing a noodle from the strainer before shoveling the remaining pasta into the waiting bowl. He took the glass given and clinked it against Marsh’s. “To our second date,” he repeated with a wide smile, taking a little sip.
With toast out of the way, he set the glass onto the counter and went about scooping the pasta onto their dinner plates. The pasta was piled high and the sauce plentiful; it looked like a little carb volcano with tomato lava running down the sides and pooling at the bottom. “You grab the drinks, I get the food,” he instructed, picking up the plates and placing them at opposite ends of the small table.
Somehow, Nobu managed to resist the urge to sit down and devour his meal right off, instead waiting for Marsh to sit down at the table before partaking. Once the man sat, however, he was diving into the food like he hadn’t eaten in days. “Mmmm this is really good!” He exclaimed as he shoveled another fork full of the pasta into his mouth.
Marsh watched as Nobu began to devour his food, so fast he was likely to choke on it. Still, a smile came to his face to see the pure joy it gave him just to eat food. He decided he’d try his first attempt at cooking something different. The sauce was incredible and the noodles were cooked just right. He’d have to thank Ronnie for the recipe because this was far more appealing than some steak and eggs which was his usual meal at home.
“Tell me something about yourself, something a lot of people don’t know.” It was a dumb question to ask and he immediately regretted opening they can of worms. He’d likely want something from his closet full of skeletons in return.
Nobu stopped mid-scoop, fork hovering in the space between the plate and his mouth. The fork slowly went back to rest on the diminishing pile of pasta as he contemplated. Something a lot of people didn’t know? He didn’t know if there was anything that fit that description. There was very little in the way of secrets about the tanuki; he was an open book. Though there was one thing he had only discussed with one person recently…
“I’ve never dated before,” he admitted. “Or had a crush on anyone before,” he added, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He could feel his cheeks growing warm at the admission. “That’s what Penny-chan says it is anyway. A crush. I never actually had one so I don’t know. But I trust her. So I guess I have a crush on you?” He began to fidget a bit in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable. “Is that weird? It is weird, isn’t it?”
Shock didn’t even begin to describe the way Marsh felt. It was hard to believe that no one had ever expressed interest in him. There were those out there much more forward than Marsh, he couldn’t have possibly been the first one to come along and ask him out. “Oh.” He replied, unsure of what a good response to that would be. He knew how frightened he was the first time he was with a man intimately, the sheer idea of the way it worked both excited him and terrified him.
“It’s not weird, though I’d like to think we can move past the idea that it’s some sort of child’s game. Like you to me, I find you attractive and I like being around you. It don’t need to be more than that.” He wasn’t trying to let Nobu down by any means but this was new to him too. Not dating per se but an attempt a connection that didn’t start and end with a roll in the hay.
“Ah, okay,” he mumbled, gaze dropping to his plate. Nobu had no idea how Marsh would respond to his confession, or how he would have wanted him to respond, honestly, but the response given didn’t feel like the one he wanted to hear. If the hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach was any indication, anyway. Why was that exactly? He wasn’t sure. It had all been confusing before but now it was even worse.
He ran a hand through his hair with a forced smile, letting out a bit of a laugh. “Ah, well then. I told you mine, you tell me yours.” An attempt to move away from the confusing and awkward conversation he had inadvertently caused.
Just like that the cloud over Marsh's head drifted over the sun that always seemed to shine over Nobu’s. This was something he hadn’t thought of before, he didn’t know how to play coy. He didn’t understand what Nobu was going through because he’d been down this road time and time again, each time worse than the last.
It was then he decided it was time to fess up something good, something deserving of Nobu’s confession. He reached out across the table and placed it on Nobu’s hand.
“Before I came here I was a therapist. Went to school for a long time, had my own practice and a large roster of patients. My official title is Dr. Marshall Grey PhD.” He looked down at his food, feeling his appetite slipping through his fingers.
“I got my license revoked, my whole career was destroyed so I moved away from the constant reminders of my failure.”
Nobu was stunned. When he asked Marsh for a little known fact about himself he hadn’t expected something like that. He figured it’d be in the same vein as his - something silly and ridiculous that probably wasn’t even an actual thing but just a misunderstanding that he and Penny both got wrong because of course it was - not something so… heavy. Marsh’s mood changed considerably and Nobu struggled to figure out what he could do to lift them out of this funk he had managed to put them into. He never should have mentioned those weird stupid feelings.
No time to dwell on it now. He needed to fix this.
Nobu took Marsh’s hand and gave it a light squeeze, offering him a small smile. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, both for causing the topic to be brought up and for Marsh’s past. “That must be hard.” He started to fiddle a little with Marsh’s fingers, sliding his own under them and lifting Marsh’s up playfully. “I don’t know what I can do to make things better but I will try. Let’s do something. Whatever you want.” His smile grew, hopeful his suggestion would lighten the mood. “Sky is the limit.”
His confession was a big one, the biggest one he’d ever made and even though it felt nice to say it out loud again it also didn’t make it any less true. Still, this was a date, not some pity party for Marsh. “Well now we both have a secret about each other.” He said and stood up from the table. He put his hand out to Nobu for him to take.
“And I’m sorry about what I said. If it’s any consolation, I also have a crush on you and I ain’t never been one to date either so that’s a first for both of us.” When his hand was finally taken he lifted Nobu up from his seat.
“I know it’s not sexy to admit to this but it’s better out sooner rather than later. I have a lot of emotional baggage and if that’s a deal breaker than I’d rather know now.”
Nobu let out a mental sigh of relief. The mood seemed to be taking a turn for the better to which he was thankful. It would have been disappointing if the evening had turned sour because he brought up uncertain feelings. Feelings, it seemed, Marsh had too. The corners of his lips upturned into a smile as he took his hand and was lifted from his seat.
“Everyone has some kind of baggage.” He didn’t, or at least he didn’t think so anyway, but he had come to find out over the years he wasn’t like most people. For better or for worse depending on how one viewed it. He took Marsh’s hand, giving it a squeeze as he smiled up at him. “It is what makes you, you. And I like you. So why would it be a deal breaker?”
Marsh let himself smile at that and wrapped his hands around Nobu’s waist before picking him up and placing him on the kitchen counter. When he felt like Nobu was safe he leaned in and pressed his lips against him. His arms circled around his torso to pull his body tightly to him. Marsh wasn’t sure how lucky he actually was but right now this felt really good.
He was an explorer, pushing to see how far Nobu would go, letting his tongue slip past just ever so slightly. He didn’t expect Nobu to want anything more and he was thankful because he’d begun to realize that he didn’t need to jump immediately to his carnal desire.
He let the kiss end for a moment so that he could think with more of a clear head. “Is this alright?”
“Whoa!” Nobu exclaimed in surprise as Marsh lifted him onto the counter. The sudden action confused him but before he could question it, Marsh’s lips were pressed against his. His eyes went wide and he went still. This was not something he had expected or experienced and he had no idea how to respond to it. His heart raced and his face went hot much like it had done the last time Marsh had kissed him. That kiss, however, was quick. This one lingered.
After a moment, he closed his eyes and let himself melt into the kiss, encouraged by Marsh’s embrace. The tongue slipping past surprised him and he touched his tongue hesitantly against it. Then the kiss ended, though Marsh’s lips stayed close to his. “Ah… yes?” He answered breathlessly with some uncertainty. He liked it, the closeness, but he was so hot. He felt like he was on fire. “Is it hot?” He asked suddenly. “It is really hot.”
He chuckled a little, resting his forehead against Nobu’s. “That’s a good thing.” He replied, feeling his breath grow ragged and the closeness of the two men. If he let this go too far Marsh wasn’t sure how well he’d be able to hold himself back, but the truth was that he didn’t want to pressure Nobu into anything more.
He leaned his lips into Nobu’s again, taking it slow this time so that he could get used to the feel of it and maybe understand why people liked it so much. His face was hot too, there was no doubt about it and if this continued too long he’d have to excuse himself to the bathroom like a teenage boy.
“Is it?” There was that assurance again. That what he was feeling, albeit uncomfortable, was a good thing. Why was it that all these good things felt so damned weird? He had only just barely started to make sense of the emotions he had felt on their last date and now he was dealing with a whole new set of unfamiliar feelings. It was proving a bit exhausting.
Their lips touched once again. His eyes closed, savoring the flavors of their dinner that lingered on Marsh’s lips that he had missed during their last kiss. Before he had been too surprised to notice the little nuisances - the softness of his lips, the warmth of his breath, the touch of his hands on his waist - but now he felt it all and he found himself growing even hotter because of it. He pulled back after a moment and rested his forehead against Marsh’s, eyes still closed and breathing heavy. “I think I am being burned alive,” he murmured.
There were sparks flying between them, a veritable Fourth of July celebration exploded in each nerve. Nobu was right, this was getting too close to taking it too far. So often things went south as soon as the dirty was done and Marsh didn’t want it to be like that with Nobu. He pulled back from Nobu and looked in his eyes. “Okay, I don’t want you to feel pressured so let’s just keep it at that, for tonight.” He said, bringing his hand up to push a strand of hair out of the other man’s face that had gotten mussed up from their contact.
“Is that alright?” Because really this was more of a first for Nobu than it was for Marsh and he couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to be experiencing something like this for the first time.
“Yeah, that is alright.” Nobu nodded, letting out a shaky breath. What had just happened between them had brought up feelings he had never felt before, feelings he wanted to explore but was too overwhelmed to pursue any further. He brushed a hand through his hair and slid down off the counter awkwardly. He needed to cool off before he died from the heat.
Without a word, he wandered to the fridge and shoved his head into the freezer. A sigh of relief. “Oh hey is that ice cream?" He asked, popping his head out and grabbing the carton. Stepping back, he let the freezer door close. "It is!" He turned to look at Marsh. "We should have this!" He was smiling, seemingly unphased by what just moments before had him sticking his head in the freezer in the first place. Food was always a good distraction from the uncomfortable.
Marsh watched with interest as Nobu hopped off his counter and stuck his head into the freezer, only to emerge with the carton of ice cream. “Sure, thought it might be nice after we ate but we can have it now, if you like.” He grabbed a couple of bowls and a large spoon since he didn’t usually keep ice cream in his trailer, handing them to Nobu.
“There are also some toppings in the fridge.” He added, taking out some Tupperware to put away the leftover food they’d had from dinner. Maybe he’d let Nobu take it home to enjoy later, maybe even have a reminder of Marsh.
“Yes, now is good,” he confirmed with an enthusiastic nod. While they hadn’t finished their meal, Nobu was in desperate need of something cold to bring his temperature down. The pasta and bread would have to wait for another time. Probably in a few hours when his stomach would inevitably start rumbling again.
He placed the carton and bowls onto the counter then opened the fridge to check out the toppings. “Aw yeah. That is the stuff,” he said happily, grabbing the variety of ice cream fixings Marsh had bought. Whipped cream, hot fudge that would need to be warmed, there was even a small jar of maraschino cherries, all things to make a delicious sundae.
He looked over to Marsh as he readied the hot fudge for a trip into the microwave. “Do you have any sprinkles? Or nuts? Ooh, candy bits? Any or all. I will take it.”
From up high Marsh grabbed a package of chopped peanuts and handed them to Nobu. He usually used them for a quick snack but he didn’t mind using it for ice cream especially when he had someone to share it with. When the ice cream was finished he took the bowl and made his way over to his couch, patting the seat next to him.
Marsh had a tv but he rarely ever used it with the exception of a few dvds he rotated whenever he couldn’t decide on what record to play. “When I had fits as a kid my mom would give me a bowl of ice cream to calm me down.” He said, recalling how his father claimed it would only make it worse.
Nobu eased himself into the seat next to Marsh, taking care not to spill any of his too-big-for-the-bowl sundae. Already a few nuts had found their way onto the floor and subsequently into the belly of the ever diligent Rudy. “Good mom.” He shoved a spoonful of whipped cream into this mouth. He’d have to get past the large mound of toppings before he could even touch the ice cream underneath. “The ultimate comfort food. Eases the soul, they say.”
His gaze moved to the television in front of them. The record had long since stopped, leaving a silence in the room. “Looks like the Beatles finished their set. Did you want to watch a movie?” He asked, tilting his head curiously. “Or more music?”
Marsh wasn’t as eager to finish his ice cream as Nobu was but he was enjoying it nonetheless, even better with good company. “I’ll defer to your judgement.” He replied, tepidly procuring a spoonful of ice cream before putting in his mouth. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had ice cream, it had been a while.
“I don’t have any streaming services but I have a few of my favorite movies under the TV.” Brazil, There Will Be Blood, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures and Falling Down. He had a few more elsewhere but those were in his usual rotation. He carefully put an arm on the couch behind him, letting his fingers play with the threads on Nobu’s shirt.
Nobu consumed a couple more mouthfuls of his dessert while he considered the options before him. Music or movie? Both worked for him though he had a better idea of the music selection than the movie selection. “A movie then,” he decided. Handing his bowl over for Marsh to watch over, Nobu went to look at the dvds. He ultimately decided on Bill & Ted after being drawn to the cover. Two guys riding on top of a phone booth? Seemed like it would be a laugh.
“Let’s go with this one.” Placing the dvd into the player, he made his way back to his seat. He took back his ice cream and laid up against Marsh with legs stretching out on the couch, getting himself comfortable. He tipped his head back to look up at Marsh. “Is this alright?” He asked, indicating with a quick nod toward his figure that he was talking about the way he was sitting.
It was definitely a movie choice he used often to take his mind off the things that haunted him. It’s what he was always doing, trying to escape rather than deal with it head on. Even just being around Nobu was a form of escapism for him, a way to forget that he still had a long road ahead of him if he were going to try and get over this feeling by himself.
“Yeah, it’s fine.” He replied, letting his arm wind around Nobu as the film began. As usual he laughed, it was such a ridiculous movie and it always tickled his funny bone. He swapped out drink after drink and by the end they were making jokes over the movie without even bothering to follow it.
He looked over at his clock when he realized how late it was. “It’s getting late, I don’t think I’m sober enough to drive you. Why don’t you stay here tonight?” He had no ulterior motive and he’d let Nobu sleep in his bed while he took the couch to keep him from wanting more.
The movie had been a fun watch even if Nobu didn’t necessarily understand all the references. That was the beauty of the movie; it was just ridiculous enough to be enjoyed by even the most novice history person. Not that it mattered if he could follow it as they eventually lost the story all together during all their drunken joking and laughter.
“Aww.” He glanced over at the clock he had just managed to locate after following Marsh’s gaze. The time didn’t seem late to him but he could feel the alcohol convincing his mind that a nap would be quite nice. “Yeah, sure,” he answered with a smile. The couch was a comfy one; he wouldn’t mind crashing on it a while. “We have become friends sitting here, the couch and me. It will make a good sleeping place.”
He shook his head and adjusted his body to stand. “Nonsense. You’ll take my bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.” The last person that had slept there thought about burning someone alive and he hoped he could bring some better energy to his bed after that. He didn’t mind the couch though if he was honest he couldn’t extend his leg in the way he liked when he was asleep.
That didn’t matter as much as Nobu’s comfort level and if sleeping on the couch was a way for him to do that then he would happily oblige. “I’m serious, you’re my guest and I insist on your comfort.” Besides which there tended to be a bit more quiet in the bedroom versus the living room. Rudy got big bursts of energy in the middle of the night and tended to throw toys around in the middle of the night.
Nobu tilted his head. “But the couch is comfortable.” He was confused why Marsh seemed to think otherwise. Sure, it wasn’t particularly long but he was a small guy and tended to curl himself up into a ball anyway so there wasn’t an issue. His much taller companion, not so much. “I do not think it would be comfortable for you though. I can take the couch.” He hopped up from the couch, stretching his arms far above his head. “Or we can both sleep on the bed,” he suggested. “If you wanted. I do not mind sharing.”
He sighed, resigned to let Nobu have his way. At the very least he could sneak off in the middle of the night to lay on the couch himself but he doubted he’d be able to will himself out of his own bed. “Are you sure? I don’t want to crowd your space.” That was completely untrue, he wanted to wrap Nobu in his arms, hear his whisper that everything was alright but it seemed like the polite thing to say.
Marsh did have a comfortable bed, one thing he splurged on when he got to Searchlight on account of his leg and he knew Nobu shouldn’t miss out on the comfort.
“I’m sure,” he reassured, giving him a dopey smile. “I am small. I don’t need a lot of room.” Now that he was standing up he was feeling a bit woozy. Some sleep was definitely needed.
Nobu took a few steps forward, leading the way to where he assumed the room was located. Luckily for him, his guess was correct and soon he found himself falling face first onto the mattress. “Oh this is comfy,” he purred as he situated himself under the comforter and up by the pillows, being sure to stay to one side so Marsh could join him.
Marsh chuckled softly at that and followed Nobu into the bedroom. He grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt from his drawer and began to change his outfit. Marsh himself was a little drunk so he didn’t even think about modesty at a moment like this. Once he was comfortable and the dirty clothes were placed in the laundry hamper he joined Nobu on the bed, carefully getting into it so he didn’t disturb Nobu too much.
With the exception of his doctorate framed on the wall, Marsh’s bedroom was bare and for some it was a little unnerving. His walls in the rest of the trailer were decorated with band posters while his bedroom was quietly unassuming. Only one part of his personality was on display there, in his most private place.
“Goodnight Nobu.” He said as he settled into a laying position.
Nobu's face was already snuggled into the pillow by the time Marsh started undressing so didn't notice. If he had, though, he wouldn't have been bothered. Modesty wasn't something the tanuki concerned himself with. While clothing could be fun, he didn't deem it necessary unless temperature (or societal norms) dictated otherwise.
His head turned toward the shifting weight on the bed, partially open eyes watching Marsh as he settled. He could already feel himself being pulled into slumberland. He gave him a sleepy smile. "Oyasumi," he mumbled, closing his eyes and nuzzling into the pillow, drifting off to sleep.