TW: Nonee

Title: ~Not What I Expected~

Grumbling to himself under his breath, Ross raps his knuckles on the door of Will Strife’s base. Why the hell he’d had to walk all the way over there when he was pretty damn’ sure that Will owned a jetpack he had no idea. Still, after dying several times (one due to falling from a height, not uncommon of him), Ross found himself more curious than angry. It was more often that he, Trott and Smiff would receive mail asking to confer with the entire trio, yet Strife had asked for him specifically. Of course, Ross’ gelatinous friend had quipped about Strife inviting him over for something other than business, only to duck out of the way with a laugh when Ross’ force pick had been swung at his head.

“R-Ross! Hey, I didn’t… expect you to come alone…” Strife’s tones, ever dulcet, have a bizarre soothing effect on Ross; sending a pleasant shudder down his spine and quirking his lips at the corners.

“Well, you did ask me to… did you want the other two as well?” Ross sincerely hopes that Strife hadn’t intended to see all of them at once - he didn’t want to trudge all the way back again. Thankfully, Strife shakes his head animatedly; no. Ross lets out a sigh of relief and smiles genuinely, not missing the light green tinge to Strife’s cheeks when he does so. He had heard that the CEO was not of this world, and so meeting him face-to-face only confirmed the word on the grapevine. There is a slightly awkward pause, and Ross shifts under the literally bright - for Strife’s verdant eyes are glowing ethereally - gaze coming from the blonde man before he seems to remember himself and jolts out of his bizarre stupor. The blush on his cheeks only darkens, and Ross suppresses the odd flutter in his stomach at the thought of Strife being flustered by him of all people.

“Sorry, uh, I didn’t-,” Strife stammers, and it’s at that point that Ross realises that this isn’t how the man usually behaves. After all, he’d heard that Strife was known for being condescending, and having more knowledge about Minecraftia than any other being on the planet; surely he couldn’t be this discomposed all of the time. Strife steps aside to allow Ross into his base, leading the suited man down the various hallways and up seemingly endless flights of stairs until they come to his office. Ross thinks it to be pleasant enough - he was more of an architect than an interior decorator, but he could still admire Strife’s taste.

Speaking of the CEO, when Ross looks at him again and sees him shifting his weight between his feet with nerves and pulling on the rolled-up sleeves of his red shirt, blushing mint green and looking furtively up and down Ross’ body, he once again feels that flutter of somethingin his stomach.

“So… what can I do for you?” Ross is very much aware of his own heart rate taking a sudden jolt when Strife steps closer to him, vibrant eyes flicking down to Ross’ lips and back up to his own dark gaze.

“I- uh-,” Strife clears his throat, looks away whilst muttering to himself for a moment. Ross catches the mention of Parv, who he knew to be close to Will. For a split second he wonders if the alien before him and the guitarist are more than just friends, before Will’s eyes are once again boring into his own and Strife seems to grasp a small amount of confidence as he speaks again. “Do you want to have dinner with me some time?” And then, as quickly as it had pulled Strife up by the shoulders, the confidence is washed away by blushing nerves; “I mean, if you want to, I don’t know what the thing is with you Hat Films guys; Parv thinks you’re not together but you seem awfully close and-,”

Strife’s mouth is so very warm when Ross puts his hand across it without thinking, only to flinch back with wide eyes when Strife’s entire face turns a light shade of green. “We’re- We’re not- We’re just friends.”

“S-So is that a yes?” Ross pauses; is it a yes? The flutter in his stomach plays up again, agreeing that it is indeed a yes, and Ross finds that this time it is him blushing as he smiles shyly and inclines his head.

“Yeah, I guess it is.”