My Future Husband

by TallLiar

Summary:

Time Travel. Sounds impossible, doesn't it?

Well, apparently nothing was impossible for a certain gravity-defying Marshmallow.

But after heading into the past with her to bring their old host back... OJ makes a choice. A choice to explore the limits of what this power could show him.

And... well, it's certainly an experience he'll never forget.

[Fic requested by hidingfrommilly on discord!!]

Notes:

Told ya I'd post a new one-shot today! This premise is so silly, but it had too much potential for me to resist making a fic about it LMAO. Honestly, that machine has so much untapped fic potential.

Enjoy S1 OJ being completely lost lol

Chapter 1

When Marshmallow first proposed the idea of time travel in order to get the old MePhone4 back after MePhone4S shot him, OJ will admit he was more than a bit skeptical of the idea.

It sounded like a good idea in theory, sure, but… time travel just… couldn’t be possible, right? 

Even crazier was Marshmallow casually suggesting that the idea of time travelling was as simple as taking your first steps. Even if technology that could do that existed… would Marshmallow really be the first object to get her hands on it?

Though before he even had a chance to protest… Marshmallow hit a button on a strange device she had, and all of a sudden… they were back.

He could see MePhone4, standing there, in the flesh, face to face with MePhone4S. No massive crack, no scratches, no nothing… which must have meant…

“It worked! We’re back to the exact time he was shot! Now quick…”

OJ… didn’t really pay attention to whatever Marshmallow had to say next, glancing around the plain field they’d landed themselves in.

There were small, bright specks of dust littering the sky’s still navy blue colour, but aside from that, most things were still the exact same. He supposed that made sense, since, in theory, they’d only time travelled a single day into the past, after all.

But eventually, his eyes landed back on Marshmallow, who was still explaining the plan.

“…Replace MePhone4 with this dummy, which I got from Walmart!”

“Uhh… wow. Walmart has everything.”

“Yes. Yes it does. Now go OJ!”

She pressed a button on the machine, and the MePhone dummy was shoved into his hands. It was clear what he had to do. And so, he walked over to where MePhone4 was standing and replaced him with the dummy he was given.

He took a look at the bush Marshmallow and Taco were sitting in, both with excited grins plastered onto their faces; their plan would work, after all. Probably….

But that wasn’t his main concern. Not anymore.

Because oh my god.

Marshmallow has a TIME. MACHINE.

Why was she just- keeping that thing around?! It could be SO useful. Imagine the possibilities! He could fix small errors in his past, or even use it to rewrite the future if he ever made a mistake-

Wait.

The future.

He could SEE his future…

Oh, that was an opportunity far too good to pass up.

He walked back over to Marshmallow and Taco, his gaze distant and unfocused. Neither of them seemed to notice, and with a press of a button, they were back in the present.

And naturally, his eyes locked onto the big, shiny red button Marshmallow was holding so carelessly, waving it in the air with a massive grin on her face. 

She was so small… and she wouldn’t see it coming. It’d be so easy to just… steal it.

If he wanted to do it, he had to act now. While it was still out in the open, free for the taking. 

In one quick swoop, one impulsive decision that could permanently change his outlook on life forever, he snatched it right from under her nose. 

He hit the button before anyone had the opportunity to realise what he’d just done.

-

The place he ended up when he’d regained his vision was… certainly different to what he was used to.

The world was more… polished? Even things like the grass looked more… real. The hues of emerald and lime green mixed beneath his feet were utterly enchanting, and the blades themselves were so tall, soft and lush… nothing like the spiky, mushy slop he was so used to.

Even the sky was different. Instead of a dull, faded blue, it was a pleasant, crystal gradient dotted with fluffy clouds. It was all… absolutely mesmerising to him.

When… When was he? And why was it so quiet out here?

He decided that he realistically had only one option (aside from returning to his time, of course, but there was no way he was going back now) and that was to explore.

So he walked around for a few minutes, just to see what he could find, or if anything else was different. He was expecting to run into another object eventually; surely life wasn’t extinct or something?

But what he wasn’t expecting… was to see a whole ass building.

That wasn’t even mentioning the fact that the entire thing looked like a massive glass of orange juice. Weirdly enough, there was no name attached to it anywhere, only a couple holes where he assumed a massive sign must’ve once hung. Maybe whoever was in charge was rebranding?

After a few seconds of contemplation, he decided to head inside. What was the worst that could happen?

…Well, a lot of things could go wrong. Very quickly. But he didn’t want to think about those possibilities. 

And the moment he opened that door, his eyes lit up. It was… wow. A lot. But the first thing that caught his eye wasn’t the striped, neon orange walls, or the lovely velvet carpet - but the sight of so many familiar faces!

Pickle and Bomb were gaming on a couch, he could see Lightbulb eating… something… out of the corner of his eye, and Balloon was chatting with Nickel, Baseball and some… suitcase girl or something. 

Of course, there were some unfamiliar ones too, like a bottle of soap scrubbing the walls, or a microphone casually leaning against the couch. But he was sure that if they were hanging out with other people on the show, that they all probably got to know each other well enough over time.

He was starting to get fairly confident that he’d landed himself in the future by now. Everyone would’ve probably told him about a building like this if it’d existed before his time.

After a couple seconds of standing there and trying to make sense of everything, the soap bottle he’d seen earlier began walking over to him.

“OJ? I thought you were upstairs!”

He completely froze, staring right at the girl for a few seconds. Oh shit. He’d never seen this person in his life, but clearly the OJ of this time had…

He bit his lip, eyes darting around the room for some sort of excuse, before the girl suddenly provided him with one.

“Wait… you don’t… look quite like OJ. Are you OJ?”

He breathed out a silent sigh of relief, shaking his head.

“Uhhh… no. I’m… Carrot… Juice. Yeah.”

“Hmm…”

She raised a hand to her chin, studying him for a while, before letting out an approving hum as she shrugged.

“That checks out! Normally, OJ would book a room for you, but he’s sorta... busy right now. You can just… hang around here until he’s free, I guess.”

OJ… his future self…

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little curious to see what he’d gotten up to… with the way this girl referred to him, it sounded almost like he had a position of power here. She said he was upstairs, right?

“Sounds like a plan… uhm…”

“Soap! I’m Soap! Nice to meet you, CJ.”

OJ flashed her a smile, reaching a hand out for a handshake, which she gladly took.

“Alright, well, I’ve gotta get back to cleaning! See ya around!”

And just like that, she was gone. He’d been left completely to his own devices to investigate the building.

Immediately, he tiptoed towards the stairs. He wasn’t gonna waste a second when he had the potential of finding out what his future self was like.

At the top of the staircase, he found a ton of rooms. Like a lot. So this was probably… some sort of hotel? Did everyone live here?

He walked by a few doors, but his curiosity was starting to get the better of him. What were they like? Who lived in them, and what were they doing?

God, imagine if he found the one he was in - he could talk to his future self!

He made that his goal, opening every door which had its light on and was unlocked. He didn’t even bother with knocking, just checking every possible door he could.

What he found was… certainly interesting.

A tissue box and a trophy hanging out together, a candle and a silver spoon doing breathing exercises, even just a box, sitting on their bed, all alone…

There was a good blend of familiar and unfamiliar faces. When he found the door for Salt and Pepper’s room, he shut it in a heartbeat.

And then- he found it.

It was one of the last ones he had yet to check, but… there he was.

A glass of orange juice. Him.

He was so focused on the fact he’d found his future self that it took him a few minutes to register… what else was happening in the room.

He had a cork in his glass, and a laptop on his lap, presumably watching some sort of show.

But that wasn’t the most interesting part. No, it didn’t even come close.

What was the most interesting part.. was what was next to him.

Or rather… who was next to him.

Because he immediately recognised that object.

Paper.

Just… sitting in bed with him, pressed so firmly against his side he could’ve sworn his page had started to wrinkle. His arms were around his future self’s glass, holding him close, and his future self was doing the same.

And to top it all off… They both wore matching rings on their fingers. Even standing as far away as he was, OJ could spot their silver glisten, so bright and beautiful it was practically taunting him.

He couldn’t even hear what was playing on the laptop. He was far more concerned with what he was seeing.

What. The HELL?!

Was he… was he married to PAPER?! Or at least engaged to him?

Ohhhh he had so many questions…

First and foremost, was he seriously gay? It was something that’d never crossed his mind. None of the girls on the show seemed all that appealing, but he never would’ve imagined that it was because of… of this. He just always assumed he’d be single forever.

It… simultaneously explained a lot, and confused him even more.

He felt like he was looking at some edited clip or something… there was no way this could be real.

But something even more strange to him was… why Paper? Wasn’t he the weak wimpy guy who got eliminated first for not doing the challenge? How would he possibly fall for a guy like that?  

Sure, maybe they got to know each other outside the competition or something… but it just seemed so weird. He was probably the last guy on the show he’d ever see himself dating. In fact, he’d basically forgotten that Paper even was on the show.

Was his future self’s taste just… really that bad? He barely even knew Paper! Maybe this guy cast some sort of spell on him… that had to be it, surely.

Actually, how far into the future was he? It just occurred to him right then and there that he had absolutely no clue.

He spent a few more seconds staring at the… couple… because he simply couldn’t help it. What was he seeing? He couldn’t tell if he felt more disgusted, shocked or confused. Maybe a mixture of all three.

Paper had somehow shuffled even closer to future him on the bed, letting out a quiet yawn as his grip on the glass tightened. That was something his future self seemed to notice, his eyes flicking to Paper, a small smile spreading across his face as he gently caressed the side of his page.

“Awwwh… is someone tired?~”

He shut the laptop, placing it on the nightstand and shifting so he was fully facing Paper, who let out another yawn as he nodded.

“Mmm… cuddles?”

The question was so simple, but future OJ nodded at the idea without hesitation, bringing the two deeper into their bed and letting the sheet of paper wrap perfectly around his glass.

“Mhm, I don’t see why not. We have the whole day to ourselves, don’t we? Soap and Pickle can take care of whatever…”

“Hmm.. that’s true.”

The room was engulfed in silence. But not the uncomfortable silence that came with having to sleep outside on the show without a cork brought him. It was a warm kind of silence, comfortable and conveying a thousand thoughts and feelings of comfort without a single word.

Even past OJ could feel it… and it brought him an uncomfortable sense of… longing?

“You know, ‘Jay… I… I really love you.”

“Hmm… I love you too, hon. You’re my everything, and you always will be. Never forget that, okay? My sweet, thoughtful, adorable paper angel…”

“Ohh, stop it you…”

“Mm… never~”

They let out a few happy, tender chuckles, nuzzling into each other and falling deeper into their embrace.

OJ… OJ couldn’t help but admire them.

Maybe it was just knowing that this was his future, but… something about seeing himself curled up in Paper’s arms, content and completely at peace…

He… he wanted that. He needed that.

Nevermind all those thoughts he was having earlier… they’d all completely left his mind by now…

Because he’d never really taken a moment to actually… think about Paper in a different light. After all, he had no reason to.

But damnit… his future self was completely right, he looked adorable… all cutesy and giggly, happily snuggled under the covers with him…

God- god he really was gay.

He’d have to live out the rest of his life knowing at some point… he didn’t know where or when… he’d fall in love with a male sheet of paper, so deeply that he’d apparently agreed to the commitment of spending the rest of his life with him.

And honestly? He didn’t even mind. He was… looking forward to it, even.

He shut the door to their room again, breathing out a deep sigh.

“What was that?”

He stiffened up at the sound of Paper’s tired, groggy voice, pulling out the button and preparing himself to press it. His finger was practically hovering over the button when he heard his future self’s response.

“What- oh- OH. It’s- it’s probably nothing! Might be Yin-Yang acting up again…”

He stumbled over his words, and it was clear that he sounded… panicked?

Wait- did he know?

…Of course he knew. What a stupid question. That OJ probably remembered all of this…

Thankfully, Paper was tired enough to buy that… honestly awful excuse. 

“Hmm… okay. We’ll deal with it in the morning.”

“Yeah… yeah. I’ll… go lock the door.”

He heard his future self shuffle out of bed, walk over to the door, and lock it without a second thought.

Huh.

That was… probably his cue to leave.

There was so much from this time he still didn’t know, but… he felt like he’d learnt more than enough already.

He took a deep breath, pulling out the button and pressing it once again.

-

“And because it’s the season of giving, as a reward for winning the challenge, Team Chicken Leg can choose an eliminated contestant to join their team.”

That was when OJ saw it.

Saw him.

Suddenly, everything made so much more sense…

A list of all the eliminated contestants flashed on MePhone4’s screen, with the first being… Paper, of course.

Who could’ve guessed the very next challenge after he went to the future was one where an eliminated contestant was going to come back? Was it all just a coincidence, or did fate orchestrate this sequence of events for him?

Paper. God, he hadn’t stopped thinking about him since he visited the future. He saw it all so clearly now… even just as a few pixels on some phone’s screen he looked… incredible.

“Pepper!”

Salt’s cheer snapped him out of his daze, and he was quick to protest. No, Salt had already met her best friend. He knew basically nothing about his future husband. He deserved this chance.

“No. I think Paper was a good person. He should join.”

“No!”

“Pepper!”

“Wow, you guys are undecided. I guess I’ll let the viewers vote. Go on viewers…”

That was when it all faded away for OJ. Because he’d literally been to the future… he knew what the likely outcome of this vote would be.

Paper will rejoin. He had to. And then… then he’d be able to get to know the man who would one day become the love of his life… spend time with him, do challenges with him… just- grow closer to him in general… until the future he’d seen that day was his.

He couldn’t wait.

Chapter 2

Summary:

OJ is faced with yet another temptation to peer into his future… and it’s one he simply cannot resist.

Notes:

bet you didn’t expect this huh. Out of ALL THE FICS TO GET A SEQUEL. Neither did I, but I’m BACK BABYYYY

I bet the like 2 people subscribed to this fic cheered so loud. I love this concept so much guys

OJ had to admit, it was… pretty weird going through the rest of that initial season when he already had a rough idea of where he would end up.

Learning the exact details of his journey to get there did come with its own fair share of surprises and challenges. When he'd initially time travelled to the future, he'd never really considered the consequences of doing so - would the mere act of him learning about all his later success in life lead to a different outcome altogether? How could he be certain that this version of him would be able to achieve the same goals? Was he always meant to have this knowledge, or did he disrupt some weird obscure law of physics by doing so?

They were all thoughts that occasionally plagued his mind every now and again; in his opinion, they were pretty valid concerns to have. But as he continued trekking through challenge after challenge, outlasting all the other contestants, and eventually won the grand prize, he started to realise just how easy it was to pretend he'd never seen anything at all. Over time, he found himself wanting to progress towards the future he wanted to have of his own accord - and this future just so happened to be the very same one he'd seen that day. He truly meant every word he uttered as he gave an eloquent and powerful speech before founding Hotel OJ, and he was extremely excited to begin renovations, gradually accepting taking on the task of becoming the contestants' 'caretaker'…

…And of course, his heart hadn't stopped endlessly tugging him towards his now best friend, Paper.

There was simply no other way to put it, Paper was absolutely perfect. He didn't understand how an object could manage to be so sweet, so understanding, and so unapologetically adorable all at once. Every single day, he found himself falling deeper and deeper into a mess of adoration and admiration for the man who'd, for a reason he still didn't fully understand, decided to stay by his side no matter what. It was like he was caught in a soft, silken web that he knew he'd never be able or want to escape from.

Even on those days where the hotel was in absolute chaos and disarray, or when he was knee deep in paperwork he knew he'd never be able to realistically finish… there was always a quiet voice in the depths of his mind reminding him of just how hopelessly he'd fallen for the guy.

But despite that, he still hadn't found the courage to ask him out yet. Even if he had a vague, faraway glimpse into a future where they did end up together, he had no clue how far that future was from the present. When did Paper start catching feelings for him? Who confessed first? Where did they confess? What would be the perfect moment to do so? How could he guarantee that he wouldn't screw everything up?

There were far too many variables and consequences for him to consider before he even thought about taking that massive leap towards them becoming a couple. For now, he'd have to suppress that flickering craving he had to feel the warmth of Paper's arms around his own. It was easy enough to do, considering how packed his schedule was with the hotel already, anyway.

OJ felt himself suddenly snap back to reality upon hearing the ping of a new notification from his computer. Just how long had he just been daydreaming for?

He sighed to himself, taking a glance at the time now. 2:34PM. That was… fine. He'd only spent a few minutes getting distracted.

Once he'd finished checking over whatever email he was on now, he was moments away from clicking on the next when he heard a knock on his door. He cursed to himself under his breath. If he was being entirely honest with himself, he really wasn't in the mood for talking to someone right now - but of course, as hotel manager, it was his responsibility to hear whoever it was out.

"Come in!"

He expected to see someone like Yin-Yang or Trophy complaining about something stupid again, but instead the object at the door was…

"Paintbrush?"

They gave him a slight wave and a nod, gently holding a crab in their other hand. OJ had to admit, he was somewhat confused. Wasn't Paintbrush still competing in Season 2?

Unless…

His confusion shifted to a look of sympathetic realisation, frowning slightly when everything finally snapped into place in his head. Paintbrush seemed to take notice, awkwardly smiling with a light chuckle.

"Surprised to see me, huh?"

They asked, shrugging as OJ only nodded a little.

"I mean, yeah. I never had time to watch that many episodes of the new season, but I always thought you'd last one of the longest out there."

Paintbrush nodded along to OJ's words, shaking their head with a huff.

"Well, apparently not. I let my temper get the better of me, and that got me the boot."

"Right…"

OJ hummed to himself a little at that. It must be hard getting eliminated for just one small mistake after working so hard and making it so far. Paintbrush glanced down at the small crab in their hand again before looking back up at OJ, a hint of concern evident on their face as they spoke up again.

"But I think… it was for the better. The game's been kind of falling apart."

OJ's eyes widened slightly upon hearing that.

"How come? Did that lawsuit actually shake MePhone?"

Paintbrush shook their head, looking around the office for a few moments, trying to gather their thoughts before letting their eyes settle on OJ again.

"Well, not exactly. But towards the end of the game, even the contestants started randomly disappearing. Lightbulb and Test Tube somehow reappeared, but Marsh is completely gone…"

…Marshmallow?

That name caught OJ off guard. After she got eliminated from the first season, he hardly ever talked to her, but that fact wasn't what immediately sprung to the forefront of his mind.

It was that time machine.

He never really knew what became of that thing after he first used it all those years ago. Did she still have it?

What if she still had it? What if that was how she and the others 'disappeared'?

"Like… completely gone? You have no idea where Marshmallow went?"

"Nope. None. She just… left without a trace, and when she didn't show up at the start of the next challenge, MePhone eliminated her."

OJ nodded along, hoping Paintbrush couldn't see the ideas and questions brewing in his mind as he contemplated what they'd told him. He tried to push those thoughts down, but the idea of the time machine still being out there…

"…Hm. Well that's a shame."

He hoped that half-baked response would be enough to convince them, that he was still paying attention. Thankfully they seemed to be distracted by the situation themselves, sighing as their eyes drifted off to some random corner in his office.

They stood there in complete silence for a few seconds, and the thoughts were whirling faster in OJ's mind then ever. Surely, he shouldn't… he had no idea what would happen if he tried to travel to the future again. What if his first visit messed everything up and it was something horrible?

Or worse, what if he never managed to find Marshmallow or the machine? What if she'd used it for her own gain, and he'd never know? What if-

"Right, but uh… I actually just came to ask if you'd be okay with me holding onto this little guy? He's… not exactly my 'pet' but he is Lightbulb's, so… I'm not sure what the hotel's policies with that sort of thing are, but…"

OJ's attention snapped back to Paintbrush again when he heard their voice, intuitively nodding along to whatever they'd said.

"Oh uhm- yeah, sure, sure. That's fine."

The way they squinted slightly told OJ that they were still somewhat unconvinced by that response, but they seemed to brush it off.

"Right, well- you must be really busy and all, so I'll let you… get back to working. Cya, OJ!"

He let out an internal sigh of relief, waving them goodbye with as innocent of a smile as he could manage.

When Paintbrush had finally left, closing the door behind them, OJ just stood there for a few seconds, allowing himself a moment to digest all the information he'd just learnt.

A part of him was already more than tempted to investigate, for just a shot at potentially finding Marshmallow if she'd come back from wherever or whenever she went…

But he knew he shouldn't. He really shouldn't be messing with this stuff again, right? The consequences of it could be disastrous.

Though of course, at that very moment, his brain just had to remind him that there was a chance he'd see himself and that future Paper again. That there was a very real chance he'd get to witness Paper actually loving him, giving the man who would be his husband all the love and attention in the world… cuddling him, whispering sweet nothings to him, kissing him…

His face turned a scarlet shade of red when he realised what he was thinking about, hearing his juice start to simmer just a little.

Did he seriously just think that? Oh god, he really was a desperate mess, wasn't he?

What was he even doing? Why was his mind so weak? Why was he even considering this?

But then he also considered that… maybe… he could even learn a little more about how he and Paper actually got together… maybe he could know exactly how long he'd have to wait, how it'd happen, how he should prepare for the moment…

OJ ran a hand down his face, letting out an annoyed groan as the temptations only continued to swarm his mind, cracking his resolve as the last shreds of his resistance crumbled to dust.

Just one more time.

That was all it'd take.

Before he could even contemplate that thought any longer, his feet already started dragging him out of his office, keeping his head down as he walked past the chatty residents of his hotel. His steps were extremely fast-paced as he made his way outside. If anyone asked, he could probably just say he was going out to buy groceries again, couldn't he?

OJ began making his way back onto the open fields near the contestant grounds, ready to start searching for any hint at where Marsh could've gone.

He checked every place he could possibly think of that wasn't blocked off by the show's 'parameters'. The beach, the new elimination area, even that courtroom he'd sued MePhone4 in a while ago… but there was no sign of her anywhere.

After an hour or so of searching, he started to wonder if this was even worth it at all. He was losing so much time he could've been using to sort through the rest of those emails, and there was no telling how much chaos the contestants could've gotten into by now… why'd he even leave his hotel in the first place? This was an awful idea. He wasn't going to get anywhere with it. So he decided to head back, shoulders slumped ever so slightly in defeat.

Though on the way back, he stumbled upon a vending machine he'd somehow completely missed the first time he was searching.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to get some more Dr. Fizz to keep Yin-Yang at bay a little longer once he got back - though he didn't bring any coins to slot in for drinks. But oddly enough, the machine didn't even specify how much a drink would cost anywhere, and only had coloured buttons aligned to each row.

Out of curiosity, OJ tried pushing one, surprised to hear it actually make some sort of noise indicating that his input had registered. Then he pushed a different one, and it made another, higher pitched noise. Then he pushed another. And another. Before he knew it, the machine's side completely opened up to reveal some sort of… slide?

He didn't even have enough time to process what'd happened before he was suddenly being pulled right into it.

"Aaaughhh!-"

Miraculously, he landed at the bottom with a soft thump and almost none of his juice spilt over; only a few drops or so had managed to escape the confinement of his glass.

OJ grumbled quietly as he attempted to readjust himself to his new surroundings, scratching the top of his glass. Where in the world was he? And why was this hidden behind some random vending machine in the middle of nowhere?

It was completely silent, almost abandoned, and yet the lights had still been left on. The floor beneath him was evenly checkered and almost spotless. Several shelves and countertops full of all sorts of bizarre science equipment lined the walls of the room he'd found himself in.

He decided to get up off the floor and see if there was potentially another exit that wouldn't involve him trying to awkwardly climb the slide or something…

…But something on one of the counters in particular caught his eye.

It was some sort of… futuristic calculator, perhaps?

OJ walked over to the strange device, picking up up between his hands, examining it for a few moments, until he noticed it.

A small hourglass on the screen display. Buttons with labels like 'year' 'day' and 'week' on them…

And of course, a button right at the bottom that simply said 'travel'.

He could barely believe his eyes.

Had he seriously just… randomly stumbled upon another time machine? What were the chances?

Part of him knew that using it would probably be a bad idea. An awful idea. One that he might live to regret in the future…

…But he'd already come this far, hadn't he? And he was still curious to find out more details about his fate… plus, with the way he simply happened to come across this machine, it almost felt the universe itself wanted him to have it. Or at least, that's what he tried to convince himself of as he slowly typed in the exact time he'd wanted to visit.

Exactly ten years into the future.

He took a deep breath, braced himself, and hit 'travel'.

-

"Aaaagh!-"

This time, a portal appeared to drop him off into the future in a blink of an eye. He'd barely even processed what had happened before he'd once again landed in the middle of nowhere, sitting up with another grumble as he rubbed his head to rid himself of a slight headache. That was the second time he'd been randomly sucked into something in the past five minutes. Not a great track record.

One thing he did recognise almost immediately, though, was the Crappy Cliff, not too far from where he was standing. He was able to figure out where he was from there, walking towards the direction of his hotel. At least this time, he actually knew where and when he was - he wasn't completely lost. Everything looked… relatively similar to how it did in his time; in a way, it felt a bit like he was starting to catch up to the future now.

He kept the machine tightly clutched in his right hand, looking around for a massive orange building…

…Only to come to the realisation that it… no longer existed?

What?

Of course he would've expected it to look at least slightly different from how it did now, maybe a little more polished, modernised, or even a tad worn down…

But instead a massive grey building simply labelled 'HOOT' stood in its place.

He… didn't really know how to deal with this. How to process this.

Was his hotel… and all the hard work he put into keeping it up and running… really doomed to be temporary? To be lost to time in just a matter of a few years? Maybe he really had doomed the universe by time travelling the first time…

No, he couldn't jump to conclusions that fast. Maybe he'd just relocated! Or this building was still connected to him in some way! Or maybe even-

"Ah, OJ! There you are."

OJ froze up immediately, the shock of someone actually running into him before he'd have time to prepare pulling him out of his train of thought. He instinctively hid the machine behind his back with one hand.

And of course, the moment he turned around, the object he was face to face with was… Paper.

His face almost immediately began to redden.

It was one thing to watch your future self cuddle with a stranger from afar… but it was a whole other to see a future version of your best friend up close. He just seemed so… elegant, with such soft, thin baby blue lines and a slightly wider frame, smiling sweetly at him without a care in the world.

OJ would've probably forgotten how to speak entirely if it weren't for that initial panic and shock taking over and forcing words from his throat.

"Ah, uhm- I'm not OJ, hahah!-"

Paper immediately tilted his head at that, examining him in a way that made it clear he wasn't buying the excuse. Of course he wouldn't, but what else could he have said?

"…Really? But you do look exactly like OJ…"

OJ's eyes darted around the field for a moment, chuckling as he tried spitting out something… anything…

"A-Ah, well, that's uh- pretty funny, actually, I don't know who that guy is! I'm… Carrot Juice, uh, yeah… nice to meet you, stranger!"

He gave Paper what was probably the most nervous, awkward, toothy grin to ever exist, but then some sort of miracle occurred. Paper's expression shifted to one of realisation, nodding along to 'CJ's words with a smile.

"Ohh, really? You must be one of the newbies from MeAfterLife then!"

OJ let out a barely audible sigh of relief, nodding along to the excuse Paper had kindly handed him.

"Right, that's me! From… Me-After-Life… uh-huh."

Paper hummed to himself, giving OJ a cheerful smile.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, CJ! I'm Paper!"

He held out a hand for OJ to shake.

One that just so happened to have a ring around one of the fingers. A ring that just so happened to look identical to the shimmering silver ring he'd seen all those years ago, and up close he could even see all the small details and patterns carved into it…

He had to resist the urge to just stroke that ring, examine it, study it and all he knew it meant to him… to them…

But instead, his brain forced the thoughts in his head tumbling out of his mouth.

"You're… married?"

Paper looked down at his hand, then at OJ, shrugging with a chuckle as he nodded and lowered his hand. He gazed deeply into OJ's eyes, with a smile so warm he could feel his heart being melted right then and there.

"Yep. I'm married. To someone very special."

OJ let a somewhat dopey smile fall onto his face, feeling his chest start to flutter at the mention. He knew he wasn't doing the best job at hiding his emotions… but he couldn't bring himself to think logically right now. Not with those eyes latched onto him like that.

"…Right..."

He murmured, just loud enough for Paper to hear.

They stood in a comforting silence like that for a long while, and OJ allowed that cosy, almost domestically calming feeling to envelop him completely.

Paper… Paper really was magical, wasn't he?

"How did you two… y'know… get together?"

He didn't even realise he'd said anything until Paper's expression started to shift, looking down at his ring again with an equally tender smile as he contemplated the question.

"Mm… well… the day we got together was one I'll never forget. We'd been friends for quite a while, a few years or so… and one day, when we were reflecting on our journey together, in the same place that we first really became friends and clicked… it sort of just… happened. And we laughed, smiled, maybe even cried a little… and just watched the sunset together, completely lost in our own little world.

OJ already felt his entire chest start to warm from that answer. Sure, it was a little vague, and it wasn't the direct, detailed answer he'd hoped to hear, but… there was something about the way Paper spoke those words with such fondness - like it was a glistening memory that'd stick with him for all eternity - that tugged at his heartstrings in a way he couldn't explain himself. He couldn't wait for the day when he'd be able to claim that precious memory as his own…

"That sounds… wonderful."

"It was. It really, really was."

OJ let out a quiet huff of air, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from saying anything stupid as he tried to think of his next question.

"Do you remember when it was?"

Paper shrugged to himself, letting out a quiet hum before speaking again.

"Oh, I don't know, just a few years ago… though it still feels like it was just yesterday."

He couldn't help but be a bit frustrated with that answer… even if he understood why it was the one Paper gave him completely.

"Right. Of course."

OJ stared at his feet for a while, letting his feelings gather until yet another question popped up into his head.

"What do you… see in him?"

Paper examined OJ closely for a moment, and his eyes lingered on his curious expression for just a little too long for his liking… but he eventually let out a deep breath, allowing his smile to widen again as he looked off to the side.

"Well… he just… made my life better in every way possible. I was so used to people discarding me after I was no longer useful to them, or thinking I was annoying, or weird… but he's not like that at all. He appreciates me. He never forced me to change who I was, or made me feel like a burden… and even if he was a bit of an idiot sometimes, in the end he always listened to me. He's just so… so hardworking, so wonderfully sweet, and a bit of a dork, in his own charming way. I dunno, I suppose I just… love him."

Paper's eyes had somehow found their way over to OJ, who couldn't believe what he'd just heard, certain he was already turning a very deep shade of red; he couldn't even tell if his juice had started boiling or not over his own thoughts. How in the world could Paper be talking about him?

He tried to open his mouth and find the courage to ask something else - to try to grasp at some sort of minor detail, or learn something else to help him in his future relationship - but Paper cut him off before he had the chance, pointing towards the building he'd been looking at earlier.

"Well, you should probably head inside and get registered here. Just head for that building, OJ'll take care of the rest from there."

He couldn't help but feel a tad bit disappointed, but he knew it'd be better not to push for more time. He'd already gained so much information about the future… asking for anything else would just be silly.

"Right… o-of course, I'll… go do that. It was nice meeting you...!"

Paper gave OJ one last pleased smile before nodding along.

"You too."

And with that, OJ turned around, pulling the time machine out from his back and staring at it for a few moments.

He started walking away, typing the date of when he was before he travelled, taking one last glance at Paper behind him to ensure he'd turned around and was no longer facing him…

…Before running off behind the building and hitting 'travel' once more.

-

For whatever reason, the portal had dropped him back outside the vending machine this time instead of the weird laboratory he'd been in before. He didn't really feel like going back inside that place and getting stuck again, so he decided to just… leave it on the ground by the vending machine and hope for the best.

He soon realised that the sun had started to set in the sky, making him let out a quiet hum as he headed back to his hotel, ready to reflect on everything that'd happened today.

But of course, he didn't even get the chance to do that, because as soon as his hotel was in sight, the present version of Paper walked out of the double doors, an empty plastic bag in hand as he set foot on the path leading away from the hotel.

When he spotted OJ, he immediately walked right up to him, chuckling as he breathed out a loud sigh.

"Oh, OJ, thank goodness you're okay! I was looking all over for you…"

OJ felt his heart start to beat just a tad bit faster, forcing down the blush threatening to rise to his cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"O-Oh, you were? I was just… heading out to get groceries, is all…"

Paper giggled to himself, pointing at the bag he was holding.

"Well, I'm just glad you're okay… and I planned to do the same thing. Maybe we could go together?"

OJ blinked to himself at the idea, glancing between Paper's bag and those glimmering, pleading eyes…

Well, how could he possibly say no?

"Yeah… that sounds like a plan. Maybe we could… even watch some of that show you like? Desperate Houses? I feel like we haven't hung out in a while…"

He watched the way Paper's entire face seemed to glow just a bit brighter with his words, nodding along quickly as he started practically skipping to the grocery store.

"Ooh, yes! That's an amazing idea! You're gonna love the newest episode, because Apartment's been getting some character development and he's considering actually building a healthy relationship with Cottage this season…"

Paper's ecstatic squeaks and rambles soon faded into background noise in his head, letting a content grin spread across his face as he lost himself in the sound of Paper's voice.

He couldn't stop the drop of pride that fizzled in his chest. And as they walked off towards the distance, all those chaotic thoughts from before completely faded away in OJ's head. All he could think about was the fact that he loved seeing Paper happy like this, so excited to talk about what he was most passionate about…

…Or maybe…

…Maybe he just loved Paper.

He didn't care how long he'd have to wait to call him his husband, or his boyfriend… hell, he wouldn't even care if they just stayed friends like this forever…

…Because none of that really mattered right now. What mattered was that, for whatever reason, Paper was still here by his side, right here and now, and they were making memories together that OJ would never forget.

And these incredible moments and memories were something he'd be thankful for as long as he lived.

-

"Alright, I think that wraps things up for today."

Cabby stated, aligning a few files she'd written before placing them back in her bottom cabinet.

OJ nodded along to her words, already feeling more than exhausted from his OSC duties that day. He was honestly more than ready to leave and see his beloved husband again.

"Right… I'll see you two tomorrow then."

He, Cabby and Suitcase all waved each other goodbye as he opened the doors of Hotel Hoot…

…Only to find that Paper was right there waiting for him, just standing outside the double doors with a massive, giddy grin on his face.

"There you are, sweetheart!"

OJ's smile almost immediately mirrored his, letting out a happy sigh of relief that faded into gleeful giggles and laughs as he gave Paper a slight squeeze; not enough to risk crumpling him, but enough to show how much he appreciated Paper being there. They remained like that for a few minutes, tied up in their own wonderful embrace, until OJ decided to pull back from Paper enough to look at his face.

"What are you doing here? I thought you said you'd be hanging out with Pepper today?"

Paper shrugged to himself, letting his smile widen as he spoke.

"Well, I was going to, but she said something else came up and she had to cancel last minute. Plus… I ran into someone… special."

The shift in tone of Paper's voice and the way his lips curled up into a sly smirk warned OJ that whatever he was about to tell him would either deeply humiliate him, make him feel like an absolute dumbass, or both. Likely both.

"And that someone is…?"

His husband let the silence hang between them for just a moment or two, his smirk widening as he spoke again.

"Oh, just someone who said he was named Carrot Juice… who asked some personal questions about our relationship… know anything about that?"

Oh.

Oh.

Today was THAT day, huh?

OJ's face was engulfed in a crimson red, his juice immediately starting to boil as sweat rolled down his glass. Still, despite his rising temperate, he made a feeble attempt at playing it cool.

"Ah! R-Really? That's weird, I don't know what you're talking about!"

Paper only rolled his eyes.

"OJ, I'm not stupid, you know… I know it was you. Why'd you think I'd tell some stranger I barely know so much about us, anyway?"

OJ couldn't help but let out another embarrassed groan.

"You… you actually knew?"

"Yes, I knew."

He tried burying his head in his hands in an attempt to save himself the shame, but Paper simply pulled them away, gently cupping his face and lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Hey, it's nothing to be embarrassed about… I actually think it was kinda cute."

OJ started at his lover for a few precious seconds, gazing into his eyes as Paper gently stroked his cheek.

When he looked into his partner's sincere and adoring smile… OJ completely forgot why he ever bothered to hide what he'd done from Paper in the first place.

Until that teasing tone in Paper's voice returned as he spoke up again.

"…And hey, at least now I'm not the only one who abused time travel to learn more about our future relationship."

"WHAT?!"

 

Notes:

might write more of this if I feel like it or y’all want more, but for now I’m just gonna leave it as completed lol.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 11 of Lia’s Payjay Fics! <3