Work Text:
July
(870)202-5294
6:03 PM: Yo…
6:05 PM: What’s up
6:12 PM: Hello?
Isa glanced over from where he was cooking, his eyebrows knitting together at the buzzing coming from his phone. Whoever was trying to get in contact with him, the list was rather short, would need to wait because the recipe he was trying out needed his full attention.
It wasn’t until he sat down, dinner in front of him that he checked his phone and saw that the messages weren’t from one of his parents or co-workers like he had thought. As he was trying to figure out if he knew the number, another message popped up.
(870)202-5294
6:39 PM: This was stupid lol but if you wanna chat let me know I’m bored
“The hell…?” Isa said aloud, realizing that it was some stranger messaging him. Isa knew he could just block the number, after all it was probably some kid or even worse some weirdo trying to scam people.
But… maybe it was the rough week at work or the rare instance of curiosity that he decided that he would try to mess with them a bit. After all, he told himself, he could block them at any time.
Me
6:43 PM: Bored enough to text a stranger? How boring is your life then?
Isa smirked slightly, setting his phone down to take a bite out of the risotto he had made. The near instant buzz startled him, and he had to wonder if his question hit the nail on the head for the person to be glued to their phone.
(870)202-5294
6:44 PM: Sooooo boring. But yo! You’re the first person to get back to me lol
6:44 PM: I should give you a prize, hold on
6:45 PM: 1stplaceblueribbonclipart.png
6:45 PM: Congrats lol
Isa stared at his phone as the messages rolled in, a snort escaping him at the image. He shook his head, figuring this has got to be some bored teen before deciding to indulge a bit.
Me
6:46 PM: What a great prize.
6:46 PM: Are you messaging multiple random numbers? Aren’t you aware that is how you get an axe murderer’s attention?
(870)202-5294
6:47 PM: So you an axe murderer?
6:47 PM: you’re an*
Isa snorted again, shaking his head as he continued to eat, somewhat amused. He pushed his food around on his plate as he thought about his next reply, more invested in this conversation than he had previously thought.
Me
6:48 PM: Perhaps, you wouldn’t know, would you?
6:48 PM: Just as I wouldn’t know if you were one, or one of those scammers wanting me to buy $500 worth of gift cards.
(870)202-5294
6:48 PM: Hey I won’t stop ya from buying them but i’m just looking for a pal to chat with
6:49 PM: Sort of like modern pen pals, y’know? Lol
6:49 PM: i gotta scram soon, nice to meet ya axe murderer, don’t block my number pls
Isa didn’t realize he was smiling, shaking his head as he wondered the odds of him getting messaged by some bored punk. Though, as he sat there thinking, he supposed he couldn’t be too hard on them, after all his life wasn’t the most exciting and he had to admit this was something different.
Me
6:55 PM: Very well. You will see if I do or not if your messages are able to go through, kid.
(870)202-5294
6:57 PM: Kid? Lol, sure. Maybe. You must be old, but I’m not a kid. I won’t tell you, in case you really are an axe murderer, but I am over 18 lol
6:58 PM: HA messages got through!
Isa rolled his eyes, amending his previous thought. Some bored punk ass adult was texting him, but he supposed he was also a bored adult texting back.
August
(870)202-5294
11:45 AM: Good morning Geek (:
Me
11:45 AM: Not quite, getting closer though, Loser.
Isa smiled at his phone, shaking his head as his texting pal failed once again at converting his time zone. The two of them had been texting on and off for the last couple of weeks and he learned that they were: male, five hours ahead of him, in his twenties, and had an absolutely terrible sleep schedule.
He knew a little bit about his hobbies and things here and there when they talked, but for the most part he really did not know anything about him. Not that Isa minded, he wasn’t exactly volunteering his social security or anything like that. He did make the unfortunate mistake of mentioning that he enjoyed space documentaries, giving him the fuel needed for his nickname.
(870)202-5294
11:47 AM: Shit lol
11:47 AM: Time zones are hard
11:48 AM: Though it’s 11:47 for you, ass. It’s morning.
Stifling a laugh, Isa sent the smirking emoji. He found it very easy to rile Loser up and he quite enjoyed the reactions that he got out of him for it.
Perhaps it was the anonymity and the relative distance between them, but Isa found their conversations enjoyable. Other conversations with his coworkers or people he knew felt forced or he felt taxed after. Here, if he didn’t feel like talking to Loser (which admittedly, wasn’t very often) he could just set his phone down and walk away. It was… refreshing.
(870)202-5294
11:50 AM: You still seeing that movie tonight? I wanna know how it is before I spend my money on it
Me
11:50 AM: So I’m the guinea pig? You never did get back to me on the game you just got.
(870)202-5294
11:51 AM: Been busy~
11:51 AM: Talk about pushy
11:52 AM: When we gonna swap ids? I know it ruins the mystery but it’d be fun to play sometime when you’re not being grumpy old man
Me
11:53 AM: You’re not helping convince me you’re not some twelve-year-old. I’m still suspicious.
(870)202-5294
11:54 AM: lol I’m 25, you nosy ass. Bet you’re what… 45?
Isa bit his lip, unsure whether to believe him but decided to hell with it and took the bait.
Me
11:55 AM: 26. So you are a child.
(870)202-5294
11:55 AM: Oh real mature of you, Mr. I’m Only One Year Older
11:56 AM: What’re you? A middle child?
Me
11:56 AM: An only one, but I certainly have you beat on maturity, as well as spelling, and grammar.
Isa smirked, setting his phone down to go get ready for work, fully expecting a barrage of texts and petty insults to come back to-- much to his amusement.
September
Me
8:23 PM: Are you still up? I got busy with family visiting for a birthday so I couldn’t reply.
Setting his phone aside, ringer on, Isa ran a hand through his hair before undressing for the evening. As he was tugging his pajama bottoms on, a soft ding came from his phone and he hurried over to check Loser’s reply.
(870)202-5294
8:26 PM: I was actually going to bed for once, but glad to know you aren’t dead lol
Me
8:26 PM: Yes, still very much alive.
8:26 PM: After all, someone must give you hell about your shit sleep schedule.
(870)202-5294
8:27 PM: Says that man who has literal insomnia
Me
8:27 PM: To the man who does not and needs to get better sleep so he does not fall asleep at work again.
(870)202-5294
8:27 PM: Not my fault they don’t give us nap breaks
Laying back in bed, Isa settled himself amongst his pillows as he tutted at Loser’s bad habits. I really should get his name… Isa thought absentmindedly, hesitating for a moment before deciding to hell with it.
Me
8:29 PM: Only a loser would say that
8:30 PM: By the way… even though you are a big loser, it would be nice if I could have your name.
8:31 PM: After all, when I sharpen my axe I’ll need something as a mantra.
Isa bit his lip, hoping the joke came across. Loser seemed to get when he was joking, but after years of having his dry humor fall flat, he still had moments where he wondered if the other person would take to it well.
(870)202-5294
8:32 PM: Wow. This is a huge step, Geek. I really never thought we’d get to this
8:32 PM: Are you sure you’re ready for this? I gotta think about this…
8:33 PM: Such a huge leap, my hands are sweating
Isa exhaled through his nose, shaking his head as his worries fell away with Loser’s own joking. He often found that the anxieties or troubles he had with other people really weren’t there when he was talking to him.
Me
8:34 PM: I take it back; I’ll only ever refer to you as Loser
8:34 PM: Far more appropriate than whatever your name is.
(870)202-5294
8:35 PM: It’s Lea. Make sure you get that memorized ;)
Lea. Lea. Isa paused, humming in thought. It was a nice name, surprisingly feminine -- at least, in how he has heard it pronounced.
Me
8:36 PM: Like Leah? Lee-uh?
(870)202-5294
8:37 PM: Ya know, you are not the first to ask this. Thanks mom.
8:38 PM: No, like Lee. But there’s an A instead of an E.
8:39 PM: Return the favor?
Me
8:40 PM: Isa. Like Eye-suh. Nice to meet you Lea, with an A instead of an E.
Lea
8:40 PM: I hope you know I groaned out loud and rolled my eyes
8:41 PM: They almost rolled right out of my head
8:41 PM: Isa is a nice name though.
8:42 PM: YO WE’RE THE THREE LETTER NAME BROS!!
At that message, Isa laughed out loud, surprising himself with how amused he got at the reaction.
Me
8:43 PM: Bros? Again, not helping your case.
Lea
8:43 PM: Look, been hanging out with my younger brother a lot. Give me a break.
Me
8:44 PM: Now where is the fun in that?
Isa could imagine Lea groaning again in response to that, a smile settling on his lips as he settled down to relax into his new nightly routine.
October
Me
10:34 PM: How was the party?
Lea
10:45 PM: Sht saw my ex and got drunk because fuck him
10:45 PM: would have had more fun talking to you i think, parties suck ass anymore
10:46 PM: not really, it’s fun seeing friends but seeing him sucked
10:47 PM: he was there with his new bf
10:48 PM: i’m crashing at friends, not driving
10:49 PM: night isa, talk to you later
Reading the texts, Isa blinked. He was glad Lea was getting rest, even though it would have been fun to see how he was while drunk. While concerned for Lea and how upset he seemed about seeing his ex, which Isa planned to gently prod him about when Lea is sober to make sure he is okay, he couldn’t help but fixate on the fact that Lea’s ex is a male .
He never thought about Lea and romance, it just never came up in their conversations. Sometimes the topic was joked about, mostly on Lea’s end, but it was never something that Isa actively thought about. It made him realize that there’s a lot that he doesn’t get to see or know about Lea’s life.
Isa frowned at the realization that he was still talking to a stranger and that somehow, he’s grown to care about that stranger. Isa could readily admit that he looked forward to talking to Lea, that he enjoyed the snippets of their lives that they shared with each other.
He found himself wanting to know more about him, to find reasons to trust him with more about himself and to hopefully be trusted with more about Lea. Isa also found himself cursing that somehow the one person he’s been able to really connect with was born halfway across the world and he only got lucky because that person was bored one day and decided to find the right combination of numbers that was his.
Also… while he really did not want to acknowledge it, he couldn’t help but return to the fact that Lea dated men. There was some feeling, completely unformed and not ready to be acknowledged, associated to the thought but he was somewhat pleased that they had that in common as well.
Me
11:10 PM: Goodnight Lea, I’ll be here when you wake up.
11:20 PM: Also, don’t forget to drink water, because I know you will and it will help with the hangover, loser.
November
Lea
1:50 PM: So let me guess what you look like.
Tucking a piece of his hair behind his ear, Isa smiled at his phone before stirring the salad he was eating around. The topic of their appearance came up before, in a similar fashion, so Isa was happy to indulge whatever silly mood Lea might be in.
Me
1:52 PM: Very well, what will you guess today?
Lea
1:53 PM: Let’s see… I’m thinking short. Purple skin and bright green hair. Yellow eyes and the beefiest body anyone on your half of the coast has ever seen.
Isa snorted when he read the text, shaking his head at the ridiculous description.
Me
1:54 PM: You get close in some places, but you’ll need to keep guessing.
A smile settled on his face as he chased a cherry tomato around his bowl. Right on cue, Lea sent him the message Isa had been expecting.
Lea
1:54 PM: Damn. I’ll get it one of these days lol
1:55 PM: Okay, your turn.
Tapping his fork, Isa took his time thinking of a genuine guess. He hadn’t asked Lea for anything beyond his gaming usernames, so he hadn’t looked at any other social media he had. Likewise, he had not provided anything for Lea to find images of himself (which would prove difficult anyways, as he didn’t have very many photos online). It kept a bit of the mystery, but part of Isa was really itching to see what he looked like.
Me
2:00 PM: I think you’re white, brunet maybe, perhaps with blue eyes. You seem like the type to be a class clown, so I bet you got a big goofy smile half the time.
Isa set his phone down finished his salad before taking his bowl to set it in the sink. He heard his text notification, but he stood there for a moment, thinking about the image of Lea he had constructed in his mind.
Definitely a smiler. Probably a little boyish, soft round face. Brunet or blond. Maybe a little stocky.
He felt certain of the image, despite knowing that he was likely wrong. Walking back to the table, he grabbed his phone and took it to the couch as he moved to sit and curl up to watch a movie. After picking something that looked semi decent, Isa finally turned his attention to his phone.
When he opened his message app, he blinked in confusion at the image he was looking at until realization dawned. Heat flooded his face as he looked at the picture Lea sent, a smirking tan redhead with stunning green eyes. His hair was loose around his face, falling in soft but styled waves and he genuinely felt his heart skip a beat at the soft smattering of freckles he could see across his face and shoulders, disappearing beneath the black v-neck he wore.
He was so far from what he thought, but he was so much more than he thought. Worst of all, he was attractive as all hell and Isa could feel himself being thrown back into his fumbling adolescence where he was tongue tied with sweaty palms around any attractive man.
Lea
2:10 PM: Yo, you still there? Did I spook you haha…
The message popped up and he remembered that Lea was likely waiting for some kind of response from him. He was struggling to figure out what to write before settling on something he could deal with-- full offense mode.
Me
2:10 PM: Is that you or some model’s image that you snagged off Google to catfish me with?
Lea
2:12 PM: I’m so flattered you think I look like a model~
2:12 PM: No, it’s me, hold on I’ll prove it
2:15 PM: 201X1113.jpg
The image Lea sent was a picture of the same man but this time he was holding a ripped piece of paper that had ‘Hey Geek, oh whoops, hey Isa’ in a messy scrawl up with the exact grin Isa had imagined him having on his face. What caught Isa’s attention, though, was the heart drawn next to him. It was likely Lea messing with him, but the heart coupled with the knowledge that the man on the other end of their messages was extremely attractive had his stomach doing weird flip flops that made Isa glad he ate light for lunch.
Me
2:17 PM: I see.
2:17 PM: Not at all how I imagined.
Isa left it at that as he debated. It wasn’t a long debate, but even as he opened his camera app and flicked the screen to enter selfie mode, he couldn’t help the way his hands were shaking with nerves. Before he could chicken out, Isa attached the image and hit send before setting his phone aside.
The movie had been long forgotten and when he looked up at the screen, he had no clue what was happening. He heard his phone go off, but he gave it a little while for him to calm down before checking his messages again.
Lea
2:25 PM: Not at all how I imagined either.
2:25 PM: Love the blue hair, I thought you’d be way too stuffy for that
2:26 PM: Also, guess I never really believed you were 26, but if this is you and not some handsome model you are catfishing me with then I guess I gotta believe it.
Handsome. Fuck.
Isa groaned, his head falling back as he stared up at his ceiling and contemplated the fact that he might have half of a crush on the random stranger he has been texting the last few months.
Maybe more than half. Maybe it started well before he saw his face. Hell, it doesn’t even have to do with his face but the face helped him realize that yeah he’s real, yeah they talk pretty much all day, and holy fuck he thinks he’s handsome.
Letting out a shaky breath, Isa leaned over to grab the notepad he kept on the end table, neatly printing out ‘You are such a loser, Lea’ before snapping another selfie with it to attach and send.
Lea
2:29 PM: I laughed! Also no fair that your handwriting is better than mine go figure I guess
A soft exhale of silent laughter escaped Isa when he read that, relaxing a bit as he fell into the same pattern that he and Lea had created.
Me
2:31 PM: We already know I am just better, Lea.
Isa paused, debated himself again, before deciding to against the impulsive flirting (for really, it couldn’t be anything) he wanted to do.
Lea
2:32 PM: Talk about a big head, watch out, you’re gonna get stuck in doorways
2:35 PM: Hey Isa… can I call you some time?
2:35 PM: Since ya know. We basically live together now
Me
2:37 PM: If showing you my face means we live together then I expect rent at the end of this month
A soft smile formed as he pressed send on his next message.
Me
2:38 PM: I would like that, Lea.
December
“Hello?” Isa balanced the phone between his shoulder and ear, smiling at the sound of Lea’s voice greeting him on the other end of the phone.
“Yooo, Is’. Whatcha doing?”
“I am…” Isa paused, moving to set his phone down and pressing the speakerphone button, “I am putting you on speakerphone and I’m sorting through some mail and paperwork I need to sort. What are you up to?”
Isa set a pile of letters he needed to respond to on one side of his desk, glancing to his phone at the sound of Lea’s hmmmming.
“Besides talking to you? Nothing really. I was thinking of hopping online soon and working on our farm.”
“Don’t you do any of the festivals without me, I’ll sell all your chickens.” Isa half threatened, smiling as he thought about sitting down and playing with Lea after he was finished with his task.
“Not my chickens!” Lea laughed and Isa felt his heart swell a bit.
Over the course of the last month, he has come to terms with the fact that he had strong feelings towards Lea. As soon as they shared their pictures and talked on the phone, which had Isa swooning as he heard how great his voice was, it was as if the floodgates had opened. The two of them were far more comfortable and Isa knew enough about Lea that he felt comfortable calling him a good friend, if not his best friend.
Each day was filled with Lea, the two of them texting, calling, or sharing images of their lives. Isa saw Lea’s art for the first time and was blown away by how talented he was. Isa shared his astronomical charts and notes that he had from the classes he taught, and he remembered the awe in Lea’s voice when he asked him about his studies. The glimpses he caught of Lea’s life, his home-- his work (a flower shop, which Isa teased him about flower meanings and such), and god, his face-- Isa was head over heels for him and cherished each thing that was shared with him.
He learned about his family, his childhood, his exes, all while gifting the same information to Lea in the hopes that he was finding him as captivating as he found him.
“Yes, your chickens,” Isa said with a laugh, a piece of hair falling from behind his hair as he moved a stack of papers out of the way. “I will be on in a little bit, I just have to double check my final for any errors that can trip the students up.”
“Got it, got it. No rush, it’s not like I won’t be here all night trying to bug ya.” Lea chuckled and Isa bit his lip to keep from smiling too wide.
“Oh yes, you’re such a nuisance, an absolute pain in my ass.” Lea’s laughter made Isa break his dry serious delivery to laugh too, his face warming from the realization that he could listen to him all night-- which he felt grateful that he got to.
“Hey Isa, can you believe we’ve known each other six months already?” The tone of Lea’s voice caught Isa’s attention and he paused in what he was doing to look at his phone.
“I was just thinking about that the other day…” Isa trailed off, not wanting to continue with that he was thinking about how lucky he was again.
“Yeah, I just… I can’t believe that -- Well, how we met you know? It’s almost like fate!” Isa smiled at that, humming in agreement before Lea continued.
“If you hadn’t have responded, I wouldn’t have met you. Which…” Lea’s voice got softer and Isa felt his heart lurch in his chest, “Would’ve really sucked. I love talking to you Isa. I love our friendship.”
Isa stared at the phone, his heart racing as he listened to Lea trail off. It was as if he had more to say, the soft wistful-- no, hopeful but almost hesitant tone of his voice allowing for Isa to imagine what he might say.
A silence stretched between them and the weight of it made Isa realize that perhaps what he imagined that Lea was going to say might not be so incorrect.
“Lea…” Isa started, his hands shaking as he grabbed his phone to turn speakerphone off before pressing it to his ear. On the other end he could hear the white noise of their connection. If he focused, he swore he could hear Lea’s breathing, but hearing anything was hard over the sound of his heart hammering.
“I think I love you, Isa.”
Isa felt his heart stop, his mouth moving without making any noise before he swallowed and tried to figure out how to respond.
“Isa… please don’t leave me hanging when I said I got a thing for you.”
Letting out a shaking exhale, Isa huffed at the phone as a joyous warmth spread through him.
“Lea, can you give me a minute? I just had the man I’ve been falling for tell me he loves me, and I need to process it.”
“Wait? You’ve-- You? Really? I thought…” Lea started babbling, talking about how he didn’t think Isa would be interested in him and Isa couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous it was that the both of them had fallen for each other.
“Isa, do you realize how long I’ve been holding this in? Like, the instant I saw your picture, it was like-- shit. No, it was before then, but I didn’t realize how hot you were and then god, your deep voice, just how could I not fall for you? You’re smart--”
“Lea-- Lea please, hold on…” Isa was laughing, his face flushing as Lea said everything he had wanted to say to him in response.
“I feel the same, Lea. Truly.”
There was another long pause.
“So… does this mean we’re going out now?”
Isa snorted, shaking his head. He leaned back in his chair, smiling wide as he thought about how a random combination of numbers based on a spur of the moment decision could change his life so utterly and completely.
“Lea, you really are such a loser. Yes, of course we are.”
January
My Lea
7:08 AM: Good morning, handsome <3
Me
7:08 AM: Good afternoon, my love.