"Tinni, the cup. Tinni. Tinni!"

The Axolotl snapped back to reality and gasped, looking down in surprise at the over-poured coffee cup. He immediately dropped the milk container and turned, quickly heading across the small space behind the counter to get a paper towel. His colleague laughed, covering his mouth as he gingerly grabbed the cup by his fingertips and moved it to the side, pouring some of it into the open sink before he finished it off. A quick topping of whipped cream and a clasp of a rounded top had it passed over to the take-out line, where another colleague called out the recipient's name.

"I'm so sorry..." Tinni apologised with a whining tone that made it clear he regretted his actions, and with gloved hands, he wiped across the countertop with a couple of paper towels. "I'm all over the place today."

"Trust me, Tin, we've noticed." His colleague laughed despite the mistake-- it wasn't the first of the day and most certainly wasn't the last, especially considering they were right on the tail end of the lunch rush. The white, pink and blue axolotl/salamander Axolotl looked over at his colleague, a yellow and black skink, and he grimaced; he could see the reptile was amused.

"Is it that bad?" He asked gingerly, taking the paper towels and dumping them into a little bin container hanging along the inside of one of the cupboard doors under the counter. When he looked to his co-worker, all that the reptile did was pin him with a knowing gaze before turning their attention to the register to take an order from a customer.

If his friend wasn't telling him, then it must be bad. Of course, Tinni knew why; he was...in love? No, that wasn't the right word. Love was too strong for what he was feeling. Maybe it was just a fleeting crush, or maybe there was just some...pull. It was hard to explain. He knew what he felt, but couldn't really describe it to anyone if he asked. He'd just been thinking a lot lately, about one particular person. Someone so charming and mysterious and reserved that it only made him want to sink in further. He was 19, a bit naive, perhaps he was getting duped...but who was going to tell him it was the wrong idea? Not his friends, certainly, and definitely not his parents...not after what happened the last time.

He was spacing out again. His hand absently wiped across the counter over and over in a spot he'd already cleaned and he snapped back to reality just before someone else scolded him for zoning out on the job. He forced his brain to focus-- though that was a monumental task-- and returned to what he was doing. Being a Barista was easy, even if the customers could be mean. Normally, he was incredible at his job...which made his poor performance that day all the more noticeable. It was a good thing the owner wasn't in; she was kind, but when her business was at stake, she was the opposite.

"Sorry, that's all cleaned up...um..." Tinni hovered on the spit beside the skink and looked from the cashier to the machines behind them and back. "Do you--"

"Take five, Tinni," He sounded harsh, but the smile on his maw and the soft gaze in his eyes made it clear it came from a place of compassion. "Get a little fresh air and come back, okay? Besides...I heard there was someone out back that's been waiting for you to get off break."

"R-Really?" Tinni squeaked, and he didn't even give his co-worker a chance to respond before he bolted through the back door and into the rooms behind the counter.

Round the back, he furiously patted down the front of his apron and then grimaced when coffee smeared across his fingers. He frantically went to the paper towels and tried to wash his hands under the sink in the break room, getting off all the coffee, before he wrenched the apron off and threw it to the side. He looked down at his floral button-up shirt, white and pink, and he adjusted the collar of it and toyed with the rainbow pin around the chest area, frowning to himself at the sight of the black wetsuit beneath. He tried not to think about it as he looked down at his shorts, where the wetsuit poked down all the way to his ankles, and he decided that it was respectable enough. He headed for the back door, at the far end of the room, and as he placed his hand on the handle and quietly clicked it open, he immediately heard talking from beyond.

"Look, man, I don't have the money, alright?"

Tinni froze. It was bad to eavesdrop, but through the crack of the open door, he saw a magma-coloured reptile pacing on the spot, speaking into a phone pressed to his ear hole. He had a hand stuffed in his slim leather jacket, and as he turned to face the door, Tinni shied away from the entrance of it, not wanting to be seen. Thankfully, the man wasn't looking, his eyes pointed down to the floor. Tinni knew who it was, of course; it was the very man he'd been seeing on and off.

"I know, I know," The reptile, Magnus, spoke into the receiver with an edge to his tone, like exasperation or panic, or somewhere in between. "I promise I won't touch any of your stuff, I just didn't have the money to get some food-- I know! I get it, I do, I'm sorry. I'll pay you back, just give me some time, alright?"

Was he having some money trouble? Now that Tinni thought more about it, he remembered Magnus had mentioned he didn't really have a home; the two had met up a handful of times since their first encounter a couple of months ago, where Tinni had gotten lost and the lizard had more or less helped him get home, and that's when Magnus had spilt the beans. Tinni remembered inviting him in, remembered the way they'd exchanged a kiss or two on the couch and then sat and watched a movie. It felt like a date. Was it a date? Just the thought alone had Tinni squirming on the spot, but he turned his attention back to the conversation; he may only be 19, but he got the impression that maybe Magnus was rooming with someone...but it was just speculation.

"C'mon man, don't cold shoulder me like that. We go way back. Please? ...Dude?" Magnus paused for a moment and brought the phone away from his face, grimacing at the screen before he gritted his teeth and seemed to vent his anger on the spot, though it was so subtle that Tinni wouldn't have noticed from a distance. The Axolotl saw his opportunity to jump in and took it.

"Magnus?" Tinni pushed the door open and stepped out into the sunlight around the back of the coffee shop, and the reptile jolted on the spot, turning to face him. For a brief moment, there was surprise on his face, but it was quickly swept away by a remarkably suave yet genuine smile that had Tinni's stomach twisting with excitement. Magnus blew a puff of air from his pointed muzzle and reached up to drag back the stylised mohawk of hair atop his head, that seemed to fit so perfectly to his entire get-up. Tinni sheepishly smiled back and tried to push the conversation to the back of his mind...but the feelings lingered.

"I'm surprised you came to see me-- didn't you say you were busy for the week?" Tinni remembered the texts they'd exchanged and suspected he wouldn't see Magnus until sometime at the end of the week. In response, the reptile stepped forward and reached out his hands, his two-toned fingers slipping around Tinni's sides and pulling him in. The Axolotl giggled in his grip, enjoying the display of affection.

"Well," Magnus began with a sigh. "I found time. How's work?"

"It's okay. I'm on a quick 5-minute break right now," Tinni tilted his head in the direction of the door. "I'll need to head back, but...do you want to sit inside? I can get you a coffee." 

"...Sure," Magnus shrugged his shoulders, bowing his head in to nuzzle it against Tinni's damp neck. "Throw in a sandwich?"

"Fiiiine." Tinni boyishly chuckled as he rolled his eyes; were he a warm-blooded person, he was sure he would have blushed. He made a gesture for Magnus to go around front, and the two shared a brief, quiet moment, giggling amongst themselves before the reptile did as he was told. Tinni watched him go for a moment before ducking into the coffee shop through the back, heading back to the front through the back rooms.

He knew he must have looked giddy, especially by the way his co-worker, Noct, pinned him with a telltale stare. The Axolotl attempted to focus on just making up another brew of coffee as customers continued to pile him, but he glanced over his shoulder, watching until Magnus stepped in through the door. By the time he made it up to the counter, Tinni was already preparing him something to eat.

"Hey there," Noct started to greet him. "What can I--"

"I got it." Tinni butted him with a sheepish yet excited grin, and he passed a coffee cup over-- a cold macchiato, with a pump of vanilla-- before diving under the counter and pulling out a respectable sandwich from their chilled section that lined the through. Noct looked at him quizzically again, but quickly put two and two together and briefly stepped to the side, allowing the Axolotl to punch in the codes into the machine, stuffing a hand into his pocket to drop his own cash into the register. He handed the sandwich over and there was a lingering touch, accompanied by a quiet, approving thanks, before Magnus departed from the line. He took up a spot near the back of the cafe, sitting close to the window, in perfect eyeline of the counter.

Tinni stared over at him, their gaze meeting, before he was rudely interrupted by the black skink bumping him in the side, moving him out of the way so he could get through the remaining small handful of people wanting their coffee. Tinni cleared his throat awkwardly and kept his eyes down, listening to the incoming orders, and turned to focus on making up the coffee for them...though it didn't stop his tail from madly wiggling with glee.

"So that's him, huh?" Noct remarked, and there was an edge to his tone. Tinni paused and raised his head from the coffee he was making to look over his shoulder, grimacing at the reptile's tone.

"Y-You don't like him?" Tinni valued Noct's opinion, mostly on account of the fact he was a good 5 years older than him, and had more 'life experience'.

"He's...I don't get a good vibe." Noct turned from the counter, having served the last customer, and approached the back counter where all the coffees were made. He hovered over the espresso maker, punching a finger across the console before glancing to Tinni, his maw pursed into a line.

"He's a good guy...really." Tinni assured him, but his voice wavered with uncertainty. He didn't like to admit it, but approval was important. Noct, however, refused to give it; his expression was kind of hard to read, and he didn't meet Tinni's eyes. The Axolotl didn't really know what to say...but in the end, it didn't matter. Time was running on, and the end of his shift was slowly approaching.

Magnus, true to his word, stayed and simply waited, having finished his food and coffee long ago. Normally, people who weren't sitting around and drinking were usually told they had to go, but there was some leniency in that particular little cafe; it wasn't all that close to the heart of Miami, but it was near the college, and so many students came there to study. Most were allowed to sit for a couple of hours before they were encouraged to leave, and most people kept to that rule without needing to be prompted. Magnus was lucky that he didn't catch the ire of some of the other co-workers, and that was only because Tinni vouched for him-- that, and it was only a couple of hours until the end of the 19-year-old's shift.

It was slow and calm towards the end, the clock ticking to 3pm. Most of Tinni's work days ended sometime in the early afternoon so that he could attend lectures in the evening, but on that particular day he would be free for the rest of the night. He slipped out of his apron at the end of his shift and clocked out, hung it up against the lockers. He stretched, working out the tension in his muscles, before he slipped back to the front counter. He tried to talk to Noct, who offered some small talk but otherwise wished him a good night, and Tinni frowned at his strange behaviour before he headed over to the table his crush was sitting at. Of course, Magnus had been waiting.

"Hey, Magnus. Are you ready?" Tinni asked him, brushing down his shirt and shorts, wanting to be sure he looked presentable, and Magnus lounged for a moment before he slowly raised himself up and out of his seat, pushing it inwards before rounding the table.

"You bet. What's the plan, Tin?" He asked him with a slight tilt to his tone, and Tinni refrained his tail from wriggling with glee at the little nickname.

"Um...I don't really have anything on all night. Do you want to...head back to my place? We could get dinner and..."

"You sure do like spoiling me, don't you?" Magnus remarked suddenly, making Tinni's eyes widen. "Nah, this time I want to spoil you, at least a little. I'll give you a choice, okay?"

"A-A choice?" Tinni nervously grinned, trying not to squirm on the spot.

"I've got a buddy running a house party tonight...they're gonna have a few people there, but it'll be chill," He began, and immediately Tinni began to feel apprehensive. "Or, I can splurge some drinks on you at the club."

"Oh, Magnus, I'm not really much of a party person..." Tinni admitted. "I kind of have my quirks, and I'm not good at meeting new people."

"I think you'll do great," Magnus insisted. "Besides, I just kind of feel like going out tonight...and I want to be with you. Try it? Just this once?"

Tinni was easy to manipulate, but also not stupid; if he thought it was truly a bad idea, he was certain in himself that he'd say no. Magnus's slightly pleading, but mostly charming expression was enough to sway him, though-- maybe he could stomach a little house party for one night.

"I've never really been to a house party before." The Axolotl looked down and Magnus scoffed, taking one of Tinni's hands and lifting it up.

"I can tell." The reptile smirked, causing Tinni to pout slightly. "But you'll do great. Trust me. I've an eye for these things."

His charming confidence made Tinni feel nervous, somehow, but he conceded to the reptile's suggestion and nodded, sheepishly grinning when Magnus squeezed his hands to encourage him.

"That being said..." He began with a roll of his shoulders. "I have something to do before the party. I'll text you the address, okay?"

"Oh! Okay." Tinni kind of wanted to hang out with him, but he wasn't about the monopolise his time. Magnus gave him an apologetic look and leaned in to peck him on the cheek, before he slid past him, briefly brushing his hand over the Axolotl's shoulder. Tinni turned to watch him go, his smile shifting into something more akin to a nervous grimace before he collected himself and moved towards the counter; the remainder of his stuff was in the back room, even though it was just his jacket. He slung it on and then headed out the back.

Getting home was easy, but it was trying to psych himself up for the party that concerned him the most. When he was a teenager, his unique physicalities brought him a lot of anxiety, but with the support of his friends and occasionally his parents, he had ultimately gotten over it-- however, it significantly dampened his social prowess. He never really went to parties, never had big, extravagant birthdays, and he didn't go to prom either. In fact, it was the unique act of wearing his wetsuit that kept him 'healthy' throughout the day, despite how self-conscious he was of its appearance. He didn't know what things would be like if he went to the party, if he met people who had never seen someone like him before. Magnus had accepted him easily, but that didn't mean much...he didn't even know what Magnus's friends were like.

And the matter of the invitation itself scared him. Was Magnus effectively asking him to act as a plus one? Like a date? How would he be introduced at the party? The thought of entering someone's home and being referred to as 'Magnus's Boyfriend' made him giddy with glee, and he giggled to himself mid-changing, squirming on the spot in his little apartment, before he brushed over the thought with the reality of the situation; he knew Magnus very little, and though Tinni wore his heart on his sleeve, he was sure that the reptile didn't see his crush for what it was. Ultimately, at that moment, they were just friends...could it be more? Did he want it to be? Thoughts danced and scattered throughout his mind, making it hard to focus. He had a million questions that only the most insecure parts of him could answer, and he didn't want to hear what it had to say.

Eventually, he settled on his attire; first was the wetsuit, of course, and over the top he placed a loose, bright blue shirt with a pattern over the front that was a little punky, with splatters of graffiti-like markings. He opted for a pair of shorts, and he was daring enough to pick a little shorter pair than usual, if only so he could throw a little longer jacket over top-- the wetsuit helped cover up the rest. He hoped he looked the part...at least he knew what he was wearing seemed fashionable. Some time midway through him picking out his outfit, Magnus had texted him the address; it was a way across town, and he'd have to take a bus, but it was doable. He replied back at the time, of course, trying to feign excitement despite the nervous twisting in his gut.

When it neared the time, he took transport across town. Getting a bus was easy enough, but it was nearing the evening so it was busy and cramped. He kept to himself whilst he sat down, tapping away on his phone, though he didn't actually do much other than look at the map on his phone and follow the GPS to make sure he was getting off at the right stop. Part of him was worried he'd run into some trouble, but that was slim...right?

His thoughts were mostly accurate. There were some weird people, but they mostly left him alone. He eventually got off at a stop not far from where this house party was being located-- Magnus had insisted on that as opposed to a standard nightclub-- and Tinni nervously followed the map on his phone towards the place. As he turned into the street, he realised quickly that he didn't even need to check his map to know he was in the right place, for the party was already in full swing.

Close to the corner of the street's entrance, 3 houses down, was a bustling party of what Tinni guessed must have been a lot more than a 'handful'. A bunch of people stood outside a small 2 story house, some of them sitting on the front lawn talking, whilst others mingled around the porch, cheap plastic cups in hand. It felt less like an adult party for friends and more like something straight out a frag meet, the likes of which Tinni had never really wanted to go to. The more he approached, the more nervous he became; Magnus was nowhere out front, and he was apprehensive to go inside. Those standing around started to cast glances at him and he felt put on the spot. Did he even have the right place?

A large part of him wanted to just leave, but disappointing his crush was the only thing keeping him there. Despite his nerves, he sucked in a breath and stepped over the grass to the path, leading up to the porch. He hesitated for a moment at the base of the steps before steadying his breath. He tried not to puff out his chest and appear normal as he ascended, heading to the open front door, where he heard thumping music from within. It sounded mostly like House music, but as he stepped into the hallway, the sound faded out and was replaced by an EDM track, he guessed. The eerie silence, intermingled with talking and laughing, was enough to make him more anxious.

"Tin! You made it!"

The Axolotl turned on the spot and looked through the doorway of what he assumed to be the living room to see Magnus striding towards him. He looked a little different than usual; his iconic leather jacket was nowhere to be seen, and he instead wore the vest he usually had on beneath it. The low collar and slim bands of fabric draped over his lean figure showed off his semi-broad chest area, where Tinni caught glimpses of dark red scales peeking through-- with the vest being as thing as it was, Tinni could even see nipples. It was hard not to stare, and if Tinni were a warm-blooded person, he probably would have turned red from head to toe.

"You alright?" Magnus's words snapped the Axolotl back to reality and he focused his gaze on the reptile's face, before he awkwardly grinned. 

"Yeah! I'm okay, just a little nervous." Seeing him brought a welcome relief, but for a moment he looked past him and to the collection of people sitting around the couch. Some of them were drinking, others smoking joints or cigarettes, but the vibe he got from them was relaxed, like they were all just there to talk. The music didn't originate from the living room, but somewhere deeper in the house-- even still, just standing in the doorway made it hard for Tinni to hear him.

"Well, come on, you can meet my friends." Magnus didn't wait for his approval, and with a hand guided the Axolotl further into the living room, towards those sitting on the couch. As Tinni approached, he got to look at them a little better, at the very least; one of them was a lean possum with an irritated expression, another a reptile like Magnus but with no horns and darker scale colours, and a handful of others that Tinni didn't get much of a chance to look at before he was directed to sit on the couch, in an empty space beside Magnus, who squeezed in between them.

"Tin, this is Niko," He introduced the possum first, then continued with the others. "Jasper, Craig, Valen, Trent, Polar...and guys, this is...my friend, Tinni."

So this is how he was to be introduced. Tinni tried not to let the brief disappointment he felt show, and instead offered a simple smile and an awkward wave, having to sit forwards a little just so they could see him. Some of them waved back, and others merely took in the sight of him, as if trying to feel him out. Part of him could understand why; compared to them, he looked and acted quite different compared to them. The smell of weed hung in the air, something he was at least loosely familiar with, and he watched as they collectively took drinks, some shots of vodka and others swigs of beer.

"So this is who you're swanning off to every other day." One of them jeered, but their tone was light, not malicious. The others giggled and even Magnus grinned, making it clear he didn't really mind their probing. It wasn't like Tinni wasn't used to that kind of talk either.

"Yeah, yeah." Magnus scoffed, and Tinni tried not to stare too much; he was only trying to gauge his reaction, nothing more.

"What do you do then, uh, Tinni?" One of them asked, a little more interested than the others, who merely sat there and listened.

"I'm a Barista at a coffee shop, whilst I'm in college." Tinni explained, trying not to go overboard-- honestly, it was easy not to, mostly because he felt put on the spot.

"No shit? What place? What do you study?" The first person chimed back in, who looked to be a canine of sorts, with long floppy ears.

"Oh, it's uh...a small cafe near the college, called Apple Gardens. And I'm studying Ancient Greek Mythology."

"Holy shit, we've got an academic!" One of them laughed, different from the first. "Better than this dropout. You landed that job yet?"

A brief laughter broke out amongst Magnus's friends, but this time the reptile wasn't laughing with him; his expression was dark and brooding, and Tinni could tell it was a sore spot. What bothered him more was the talk of a job; frankly, he didn't know much about Magnus other than his couch-surfing tendencies, but he didn't even have a job either? He always looked so well-kept...what exactly did he do all day, if it wasn't working? Tinni couldn't just sit by and not ask about it.

"Yeah...actually, what do you do for money?" Tinni asked, and a silence fell amongst his group, but Tinni couldn't understand why. Magnus looked at him for a moment before averting his gaze.

"You don't know?" One of them remarked quietly, and another awkwardly cleared their throat.

"He, uh..."

"That's enough," Magnus quickly brushed it off and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "I don't work, Tin. Tried to land a couple jobs, but...yeah."

"Oh..." Tinni knew he was hiding something, but he was too kind to press him on the matter, and too naive to realise that there was significantly more to it than a harmless question. Magnus's friends seemed to sense the tension, for one of them abruptly said they were going to get a drink, and rose. Another went with them, for company, whilst the others sat there in silence. Tinni's anxiety pounded in his ears, but all he could do was sit there, too polite to just get up and leave.

After what was an agonising handful of minutes, Magnus slowly shifted in his seat, pushing himself to his feet. He glanced at Tinni for a moment before holding out a hand, and the Axolotl glanced up at him before looking to the reptile's friends, unsure what Magnus's plans were. He inevitably raised his hand to place it in Magnus's own and rose, watching with curiosity as the reptile pulled and led him out of the room. He didn't ask where they were going, at least not for the moment, and Magnus brought him down the narrow hallway of the ground floor, towards a door at the back. He pushed it open to reveal a small, cramped backyard that only had a handful of people within, a couple of them sitting on the grass as others idled around the back door, but they scooted inside when Magnus stepped out, sidling in past Tinni and heading inside.

"Do you have a reputation, or something?" Tinni asked with a giggle, and when he turned to meet Magnus's gaze, he was surprised to find him strangely serious. Tinni opened his mouth to speak, but quickly clammed up when the reptile abruptly took a step forward, suddenly closing the distance between them. Tinni instinctively stepped back, and Magnus swung his body to the side, more or less manipulating the Axolotl into moving towards the wall, as opposed to the door. His back met the wall easily, and shortly thereafter Magnus pinned him there, getting a little too close for comfort.

"Why? Do I look intimidating to you?" Magnus asked in a quiet, low voice. Tinni wasn't even particularly scared-- if anything, it just seemed strangely out of character, like he was trying too hard. On instinct, Tinni started to giggle, and raised a hand to cover his mouth as Magnus darted his eyes up and down, staring with a simmering intensity. 

"I mean, I guess so..." Tinni eventually replied with a grin. "But I'm not really scared or anything. I've seen what you can be like."

"Well...not all of it," Magnus scoffed, leaning up slightly. "You've seen me when I'm nice. When I'm mean, it's...well, not pretty."

"Then just...don't be mean?" Tinni tilted his head to the side. "What's gotten into you?"

Magnus didn't answer for a moment, bringing his head closer, and Tinni sucked in a breath and tensed up as the reptile's maw hovered mere inches from his own face. Magnus was a little bit taller than him and had to angle his head down, and something about the way he came close put Tinni on edge, more out of the anticipation for something intimate more than anything else. He jolted ever so slightly when he felt one of Magnus's hands on his side, brushing around his jacket, and the Axolotl was sure he would have grown flush with embarrassment when it snaked up his body-- if only that were possible.

"There's a lot about myself I don't tell you...and I should. Probably," Magnus began. "But...I just really can't yet. You understand, right?"

"Um...sure...?" Tinni frowned. "I wasn't really going to ask anyway...we don't really know each other that well."

"But I want to." The reptile's gaze darted down, his hand moving further and further up until it reached Tinni's neck. His other arm lifted, pressing against the wall above the Axolotl's head, and Magnus leant forward with purpose, bringing himself even closer. Tinni instinctively raised his hands to put them on Magnus's chest, and immediately regretted it; the reptile, though he supposed he was a Dragon, was unfathomably warm. Just being this close made Tinni's heart pound in his chest.

"You're being a little weird." Tinni remarked, but Magnus's expression didn't change.

"I've had a bit to drink." He eventually said, his maw twisting into a small smile. "But I mean what I said. I want to be more for you." 

Tinni didn't know what to say; part of him was giddy with glee at the idea of closeness, his naive 19-year-old mind easily swept up into the romance of it, but another part of him was sceptical, and found it a little weird for him to be so intense all of a sudden, especially when before he had been nothing but suave but standoffish. Magnus didn't seem all that perturbed by the lack of Tinni's response, and neither of them knew what to say. Their mouths were inches apart. They both knew what was going to happen...neither of them fought it.

Despite the peculiarity, it was impossible for Tinni not to want him. Their lips brushed and he leant into the heat of it, like he was desperate for the warmth. Magnus pushed to reciprocate that eagerness, his maw tilting to the side as the two exchanged a deep, purposeful kiss that had both of them breathless, though one moreso than the other. Tinni melted against Magnus's kiss, his knees weak, and the reptile held him up just a little, enough to make sure he didn't go fainting on him. Their kiss lingered far longer than necessary, but neither of them cared, briefly parting to reaffirm their lips, tongues sticking out ever so slightly to touch. Tinni let out a noise, a quiet and tender squeak that had Magnus trailing his hands down, curling around to cup handfuls of his behind, making his intentions clear. Tinni tensed, his muscles stiffening, and he parted their kiss with a quiet pant, feeling embarrassed.

"S-Stop teasing me." He complained, though it really didn't sound like he minded, and even he knew that. He cast a glance over Magnus's shoulder and felt a twinge of unease when he saw those sitting in the grass in the backyard glancing at them. Magnus seemed to sense what he was looking at.

"It doesn't matter if they're looking." He remarked, purposefully ignoring Tinni's sheepish complaint, and the Axolotl squirmed.

"It does." Tinni argued, and he sucked in a breath as Magnus rolled his hand around, dragging it towards the front of his body, where his digits deliberately pressed with purpose around Tinni's more intimate area. The arousal was obvious and it made the 19-year-old even more embarrassed, to the point where he pushed, urging Magnus to withdraw. The reptile didn't take things further, but as he stepped back, an amused smile crossed his maw.

"That's not funny." Tinni argued, not finding much humour in it-- he rarely got upset, but this was a unique time. Even Magnus seemed to realise he'd overstepped-- his face fell and he frowned.

"I'm sorry." He apologised, and Tinni huffed through his nose. He didn't want to ruin the mood of the party-- perhaps that was self-sacrificing, but he'd only just arrived. He wanted to have fun.

"I-It's okay. Can we go back inside?" Tinni asked, and Magnus stared at him for a moment before he grinned. He stepped forward and hooked an arm around the Axolotl, leading him back inside.

The party was about as chaotic as Tinni was expecting. Magnus directed him back to his friends and Tinni sat with them talking for a while-- the conversation didn't deviate to him, for the most part, and so they mostly shifted from topic to topic, talking about work, the weather, TV shows, even types of food they eat. Tinni didn't want to talk about his own eating habits, since they weren't great, but it was a relief to hear about the kind of meals some of Magnus's friends had, some more impoverished than others. The party carried on long into the night and Tinni spent most of his time sitting and talking, occasionally drinking some kind of alcohol but predominantly sticking to water; he wasn't much of a drinker. He got to hear more about Magnus, though very little-- he talked a bit about his childhood, but only in passing, and it sounded like it was as normal as Tinni's own.

When it neared the time for the party to end, at least from what Tinni could see, people were starting to leave a bit at a time, whilst others adjourned upstairs or crashed on the couch. Magnus seemed to have no intention of leaving the more that Tinni saw others doing so, and in the end, he knew he'd have to go home too...though he dreaded the thought of trying to get home so late.

"You should stay." Magnus suggested when Tinni went to rise, causing the Axolotl to pause.

"Oh, I don't know. I do have work in the morning..." Tinni explained. "And a lecture."

"Ah, shit. Well, here, let me walk you home then, at least." Magnus offered, and Tinni blew a sigh of relief; he'd like that a lot. They gathered their things-- or lack thereof, frankly-- and then headed outside. Tinni gave directions for where to go, and the two of them walked.

For a while, it was just silence. They made their way to the bus stop Tinni had got off at to get there, and checked the timetable on his map. The last one pulled up 20 minutes later and the two sat on the bus, patiently waiting as it did its route around the city back towards Tinni's apartment close-ish to the college campus, though still a good walk from it. Neither of them knew what to say; they had talked all night, to the point where they'd almost exhausted topics of discussion. At that moment, Tinni thought about the events earlier that day, when he'd been working.

"...Did you manage to find a place to crash for tonight?" He abruptly asked, then smiled apologetically when Magnus's eyes widened. "I overheard you talking on the phone at the cafe earlier today. Sorry."

"Oh, that. Uh...no, not yet. I was planning to crash at the party, but..." Magnus shrugged his shoulders. "I can make my own way back, so don't worry about me."

"Do you want to...stay the night?" Tinni asked, which made Magnus sit up slightly, blinking at him. "Just for a couple of days and stuff. I don't know what the situation with your other friends is..."

"You'd do that for me?" Magnus sounded surprised, perhaps even moved.

"Well...sure, as long as you do chores and stuff." Tinni shrugged, and Magnus suddenly slid closer to him, hooking an arm around him and cuddling up to his side.

"Thank you." Magnus mumbled, barely above a whisper, and he slid his other hand down, placing it on Tinni's leg. He squeezed against his shorts and wetsuit, displaying his affection in the only way he knew how.

Tinni squirmed in his seat, but he was smiling, his stomach twisting and his heart fluttering. He knew he wasn't making a mistake in extending a helping hand...and part of him hoped it might blossom into something more.