haven inbox;

[nostalgiabomb]

( x )

Comments

[phaselocknroll]

Okay.

[ and there she'll be waiting, having found somewhere to sit by the edge of the spring ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter figures this will be something like ripping off a bandage, so he heads out as soon as the call calls. Still, he's looking uncharacteristically timid as he approaches. ]

Hey. Uh. How's it goin'?

[phaselocknroll]

[ She stands, and offers him a small smile. ]

Hey. Can we just... get this out of the way? I'm really not mad at you.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Er. Peter glances up, frowning. ]

-- You're not?

[phaselocknroll]

I'm not. I promise.

I didn't call you here to yell at you. I just want to talk.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He doesn't sit, but he does move closer, crossing his arms over his chest.

And then: word vomit. ]

-- Look, about what happened. I-- I seriously don't know what that was about, and I'm really sorry, okay? I don't-- I dunno, apparently I figured thinking with my dick was in the cards that day or whatever, and I didn't mean--

I took it too far, I know, and I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, but I obviously did, and I-- it's okay, you know, if you wanna just slap the shit out of me, so--

[phaselocknroll]

Peter. [ her tone is firm, the "shut the hell up" implied. ]

I told you it was okay, and then when it wasn't anymore, you listened. You left.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ His mouth shuts with an audible click when she interrupts him. ]

So-- we're-- what, we're okay?

[phaselocknroll]

We're okay. Perhaps a bit different now, but okay.

... You know, that was my first kiss.

[nostalgiabomb]

Oh, fuck.

[ THAT IS THE WORST POSSIBLE NEWS. ]

I'm seriously sorry about that.

[phaselocknroll]

Don't be. If it had to be anyone in this place, at least it was someone I like.

... I actually kind of enjoyed it.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ That brings him up short, and, uh.

What. ]

I--

Wait... Really?

[phaselocknroll]

Yes really? I assume that wouldn't be too strange, would it?

[nostalgiabomb]

I mean-- [ He makes a sort of dithering noise, shifting his weight from foot to foot. ] --I'm a good kisser, so--

[phaselocknroll]

.... So, uh. Would it be weird if I asked if we could do it again?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ EXCUSE YOU WHAT ]

I--

Are you--

What?

[phaselocknroll]

[ And now it's Maya who holds up her hands, taking half a step back ]

I'm not asking to be your girlfriend or anything. I'd just, you know, like to... kiss you again?

That's probably totally weird, isn't it? I'm out of my depth here, help me out.

[nostalgiabomb]

I mean--

[ Most of the time, kissing randomly lead to having sex randomly and then ditching in the morning, so-- ]

-- What are you asking for, here? I just. I wanna make sure we're clear, here.

[phaselocknroll]

I don't really know?

I-- okay, in the Abbey, I was trained to fight- never mind all the monks and vows or whatever- they only let me have one purpose. So things like physical affection just... never came up. I never really cared to experiment, and I had no one to experiment with.

But now here we are, and having realized what I've been missing out on for the past twenty-seven years, I'd kind of like to explore it a bit more. But I don't know that I want a relationship to go with it.

And if that's totally not a thing, feel free to tell me to shut the hell up, because I really and truly have no idea how this kind of thing works.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He's blinking a few times, face blank, but then he's frowning again. ]

No, I mean-- that's not-- too weird.

So you want-- a friends with benefits thing? Is that it?

[phaselocknroll]

... Is there really a name for it?

[nostalgiabomb]

Well, I mean--

[ Now they're easing onto more familiar territory, and he's relaxing by degrees. Sex isn't difficult to talk about -- feelings and honesty and patching up friendships are another matter entirely. ]

Usually "friends with benefits" entails sex, just with no strings attached.

[phaselocknroll]

Ah. Considering you just learned I've never even kissed anyone before--- [ She sort of trails off there. ]

I'm sorry. You can forget I ever brought it up, if you'd rather.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He's starting to look more amused than shell-shocked, at least. ]

So you-- seriously just wanna make out? That's all?

[phaselocknroll]

I guess that's the sum of it, yeah.