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[outofoffice]

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Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

You dodged the question.

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

[ Silence for a long moment, even from his obnoxious tail. Then, steadily: ]

First memory, meeting him in an orphanage. Second one, being taken in together by this innkeeper. Third one, we're teenagers, I'm making cookies, he's impressed for some reason — I get really irritated.

[ Beat. ]

Fourth one, I run into him for the first time in years, and I'm... all over the place. It's good to see him again, a relief, but it's also something I was dreading. We fight off some assassins, and for a few seconds it's — perfect. He knows me, I know him, we're fighting like two halves of the same person.

[ A slightly longer beat. ]

But then I open my mouth, and we aren't fighting together anymore, just each other, and I don't want to piss him off but it's so easy. It hurts, but there's something horribly satisfying about it, too.

[ Muffled thumping resumes. ]

Kind of goes from Why the hell haven't I seen this guy for three years to Oh.

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

Mmmm . . . I see what you mean about things being piecemeal.

Even so, you still avoided answering the question directly . . . I think that's telling.

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

[ Just. Sighs in response to that. You and Doc and Tea, all wanting it to be — cute. He supposes he'd like it better if it were cute, too. ]

I know we grew up together. I know we lived together, at least for a while. I know his opinion was really important to me. I know we stopped talking for three years.

[ Slowly: ]

I don't think it was because of this. [ He might have replayed the alleyway memory, just for himself, a few times since he shared it with Tea. ] I'm pretty sure I would've been worried about different things if it had been.

[ But. ]

...I just. Don't want to do that again. Especially not here. [ A very sardonic smile. More than a little brittle. ] How're we supposed to avoid each other for years in a place like this?

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

So don't.

One of the very few benefits of this place is its ability to wipe the slate clean. Approach things with him authentically. Don't lie, don't hide, but don't push him away either.

And -- if you wanted to give this a chance -- isn't now as good a time as any? How do you think Zhongli and I arrived where we did after several thousand years of avoiding it?

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

[ So don't. Like it's really that easy. Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump. ]

Maybe I should ask you again sometime when you're not 'craving changes'.

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

[ Okay, that earns some laughter. ]

Why? Because you don't want to hear it?

It won't be changing much, I'm afraid. After all, I didn't go after that old boulder just now.

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

Right, you just waited several thousand years first. Sounds good to me.

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

Hey! I didn't wait.

That blockhead just needed character development before he could figure it out.

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

[ Well, he wasn't expecting that! Startled laughter. ]

You — sorry, what now?

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

I wrote him a love ballad some thousand years ago.


He critiqued my rhyme scheme and said nothing else about it.

1/

[at_heart]

[ Well, the laughter dies abruptly. Sure would like to not be able to imagine how that'd feel, but. ]

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

...Sorry.

[ And if it hadn't, obviously, worked out okay in the end, he'd be a lot sorrier. ]

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

[ Laughs ]

Don't be sorry. I love him because of who he is, not in spite of it.

Anyway, take it as a lesson -- shoot your shot, for you can't possibly be shot down as hard as I was.

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

[ Gonna just... stare at you for a moment, Venti, before: ]

Pretty sure my apology stands unless it didn't hurt.

[ And if it didn't hurt, well. Good for you, frankly envious, but. ]

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

Oh, it did. I moped for . . . half a century, maybe?

I was overdramatic in my youth.

[ BECAUSE HE'S NOT DRAMATIC NOW, CLEARLY ]

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

[ Definitely not laughing this time. ]

This is where I say I'm sorry again. You get that, right?

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

I'll accept a little pity. As a treat.

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

It's not really pity.

[ And his shoulders are curving in a tiny bit. ]

—Three years must not sound like anything to you, huh?

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

Not particularly.

But it's a long time for you, and that's what matters in this context.

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

...Yeah.

[ A little bit clipped. ]

This whole thing is such a raw deal. Barely remembering someone should at least mean you don't get so messed up when you think about maybe-ruining a relationship.

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

It's not that strange. You can know someone is important without remembering everything about them, right?

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

Sure, but.

[ And eye contact is officially canceled forever. ]

...It just feels — so stupid.

[ Of all the things to be afraid of. ]

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[outofoffice]

I don't think it is.

We know what's important to us, deep down. And clearly your bond with him matters, regardless of the form it takes.

So I'm guessing you're worried you might lose him if you tried to address feelings stronger than friendship?

Re: 491 (nsfw-ish)

[at_heart]

[ Thumpthumpthumpthump. Ugh. ]

There's that, yeah. But there's also the part where I'm not even sure there's anything to address.

[ Takes out his phone to pantomime a text. ]

"Hey, Art! I know we don't know each other that well, mostly because I've been avoiding you, but FYI that last memory we bought together like two weeks ago has me really confused. I don't know if dating is even something I really do, and I'm definitely not sure I want to date you, but I just thought I'd let you know I'm deliberating. Hope this doesn't make anything weird between us!"