Chapter Text
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?!"