crossmyheartandhope

requiem: for real tho!!!

[ a couple minutes pause ]

requiem: actually
requiem: u wanna hang out? or u got a moment to talk
requiem: like talky talk not text
requiem: i wanted to ask u somethin

[But he is like 99.9% sure he doesn't want to answer whatever this question is going to end up being.]

[He puts off answering for a little while. Then, finally:]

hurricane: yea sure
hurricane: where r u?

requiem: wanna come chill on our balcony?? we got a sick fire pit and gargoyles and stuff

hurricane: dude u got gargoyles??
hurricane: there in 5

requiem:yea theyre sick

[ but she'll wait patiently ]

[There's a knock on Zrael's door a few minutes later.]

[ opens up ]

Hi! Come on in. I started up the fire pit already.

Thanks, dude.

...man, check out your place.

It's rad, right? I'll show you the garden next time.

[ leading him to the balcony, where there's a couple of blankets on the chairs in case the fire isn't warm enough.

As promised there's gargoyles on the corners or pillars or something? Idk. ]

[Straight for the gargoyles.]

Dude, check it out. Your dorm doesn't do things by halves.

Right? Stuff gets wild half cuz of unit aesthetic garbage rather than stuff we ask for.

[ flops in a seat and drapes a blanket over her legs ]

[Makes the rounds peering at the gargoyles up close and personal before he plops himself in one of the chairs and helps himself to a blanket.]

S'nice out here.

Right? Can't wait until it's nice enough out to actually chill here more.

[ and tosses him a pack of strawberry pocky ]

Here, I had some left over. Figured you'd appreciate it more than I could.

We could share it. Take the color, then I'll have the black n white version.

You sure? I dunno if it'll still taste good.

[ Nem's eaten food she's taken color from before but...

after a moment she gets up with her blanket, and shuffles over onto his chair next to him ]

So we'll find out.

[Wagging the box her way.]

Thanks.

[ smiles, and tears a pack open to pull one of the pocky sticks out. ]

... so, uh. First off. I wanted to apologize, kinda.

What for?

Bullying you-- I only meant it to be fun, I swear-- and pushing you into something I kinda realized later might be really, um... hurtful? Because of how Nem can be, partially, but mostly because I, uh...

[ considers the pocky, before sucking the pink out of it, and offering it to hurricane if he really wants to try-- it's kinda sad and grey now... ]

... didn't really occur to me that my picking Nem for a joke might've possibly been, uh... right. 'Til I saw your expression. And I kept being kinda mean about it, and I shouldn't've? But like-- I guess I just wanted to... ask. Like, if that's the case. Cuz I care about you, and her. A lot.

[My god, what even is all of this emotional honesty, he is going to get hives or something.]

[By the time she's halfway through, he's looking acutely uncomfortable. By the time she's done, he is nowhere near eye contact. His gaze is somewhere on the balcony floor.]

[He takes the pocky and munches it, just for an excuse to not answer right away. He doesn't say anything until the whole stick is gone, tbh.]

I mean.

...does it even really matter?

Edited 2019-03-04 18:34 (UTC)

[ a non-answer is practically a yes, when it comes to something like this, and when it comes to someone as allergic to feelings talk as hurricane.

she considers it for a moment, frowning at her hands-- takes another pocky, sucks out the pink, hands it over again.

They're vaguely strawberry-flavored when grey, but... kinda bland. ]

I mean... I want you both to be happy, so it kinda matters to me? And I know you don't say nothin' about anything, so if you were the same way-- I thought about you just holding onto it and here I am, acting like a big idiot, dating your best friend, and I didn't even think about you in the process, at first? And I mean, like... I know... why would I have? We weren't really friends, at first, but now...

[ quiets for a moment ]

I mean. I don't regret nothin' about how things are now. I'm just sayin'-- if you feel that way about her... you should go for it? Or don't, if I'm wrong, or you don't wanna. I'm kinda assuming a lot about this, but, um...

...

I think... love is important, whether it's... friendship, or what. Especially in a place like this. So...

[ and trails off. ]

[He munches his way through the next stick of pocky; the milder flavor is pretty nice, honestly, and even if it wasn't, he's not especially a picky eater.]

[When she gets done talking, it takes him a beat or two to find the right words.]

...sounds like we're on the same page.

Place like this, you gotta go for what makes you happy, right? So I'm glad, too. That you and her - like. That you figured stuff out.

[ pauses with the next stick in her mouth, finally looking back over at him with her brows furrowed-- more confused than anything. ]

You're glad? I mean. Um. I'm-- happy? If you really are. But... s'not really about me, you know? And like. You get it, right? That you shouldn't let me being here stop you, if you really feel that way? Like-- it's a two-way thing. I want you to be happy but I also want her to have anything she wants, too. And you two are way closer than I'm ever gonna be besides.

[ flopleans against his shoulder, biting half the pocky stick to give him the half that wasn't hanging from her mouth. cuz thats just polite. ]

... you're one of the bravest dudes I know, so. I guess I feel like you should put that courage to good use more.

[Just... looks down at the pocky for a couple of seconds. This huff of air might be trying to be a laugh.]

...man. You must not know a lot of people.

I like to think I'm a good judge of character.

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