You lie very poorly. [And it doesn't convince anyone! She comes to a halt just one step behind him, and with only two seconds of hesitation - enough to glance at him and the door - she closes her eyes.]
You're trusting me anyway. [And he guides her out, a hand again on the small of her back, more for shepherding than snuggling purposes.]
Okay. You can open them, now.
[And there's a tree. A tree growing from the brickwork near the edge of the hospital roof. It's somehow survived all the city has thrown at it. A tree, in full leaf, just big enough to spread shade.
[It's totally a tree. He reaches for her arm as she sits so she ends up close.]
Um. Because we lock the door? [Just a little nod to the way she came in.] I found it not long after I started working here. Figure a bird must have hit a seed, the seed must have hit a crack in the brickwork. We're sitting under a series of fortunate coincidences.
[He picks the one day when she's uninhibited enough that any sort of affectionate physical contact comes easily to grab her arm; she manages to get their fingers threadding together by the time he finishes with the story.]
I like it. [The place, the tree, him being forward. She likes it now, yes; she's well aware that she was much more hesitant months and months ago. Stop judging her.]
I might have to do something too forward in retaliation.
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You're an actual hero, [said with the sort of laugh that implies she's not very sure she means it as a compliment or as a joke either. She leans back against the trunk of the tree, looking up to its foliage.
The affection train hasn't left the station, because she's still taking their held together hands as a sign of a green light to lean against his side as well. Sort of snuggling yes.]
It's like we're in a whole different place right now. [A pause, the well-timed breeze and all; she looks down again.] Why'd you bring me here?
I'm wearing spandex under my scrubs. [He'll take it as a joke, but not without looking at her a moment too long, letting his arm rest around her shoulders. Snuggling is very workable.]
What I said about the tree? I think this whole place is like that. A series of coincidences. Some of them have been fortunate.
[There's an answer to her question in there somewhere.]
She knows, they've had this conversation before but charged with so many other things, so many explanations and confessed secrets and - in spite of the curse - unspoken words, but she still knows he's glad. She's very glad, too. For many reasons, which would her take a while to enumerate.
So glad, it turns out, that this is that moment; the one where she reaches up with her free hand, hooks her fingers into the vee of his scrubs shirt, and pulls him down. It's only half the spiked drink, really. Maybe it's less than half, even.
It's been a very, very long time since the last time she got to press her lips against his. Even if it's so brief that it barely counts.]
[Not so brief that he doesn't have time to make that split-second decision between pulling away or returning the kiss. And he doesn't pull away. His fingers wind loosely into her hair even after there's a breath between them again, and he tastes the sweetness on his lips with the tip of his tongue just in case there's enough lingering there (enough to be an excuse).
With his forehead against hers, maybe she can hear that faint chorus of damn damn damn currently running through his mind. But, he wouldn't be any good for her. He never would have been. He thinks he made that clear enough during the curse.]
[But he doesn't pull away, or push her back. She wants to tip her head and try for a firmer brush, but she doesn't want to do it with someone who can't kiss her back.
He might here the faint chorus of damn damn damn currently running through her mind, too.]
Oh. [And here she is, all but throwing herself on him - shit.]
Oh, right - uhm. [Let her just...pull away from letting their foreheads touch so tenderly, at the very least.] I'm sorry - I shouldn't have hoped - I mean assumed - I mean. That was rude, very rude cliché gesture of me to pull.
And yes, look at her throwing herself at him, it's disgusting. He shakes his head to that effect.]
No, I'm offended. You can blame it on the drink but apology or not... [And then he manages a smile, because it's the best possible deflection from showing that twinge of regret at her pulling away-] I've been trying to get you to want to kiss me for what, a year? You waited until now?
[Mae, there's absolutely nothing to be sorry for. He's sorry.]
[She laughs, but it's a dry and humourless laugh, as she rubs her face; she'd slap herself right now if he wasn't around.]
Look, I'm a complicated person apparently. I've been under the impression that I'd lost your attention, and I thought - well, you said you were glad we'd become friends and I'll be quiet now before I ruin that.
Hey. [Serious now, he shifts to face her.] That's not going to happen.
[The other way round wouldn't surprise him, but she's not ruining anything. Timing's the only thing screwing anything up. Well, that and maybe miscommunication. That's what makes him sigh, now.]
You didn't lose my attention. Giving up telling you I was interested isn't the same as losing interest. I didn't. [He hasn't.] I just figured you weren't.
I was. [She winces a bit, starkly aware of how badly their timing sucks. But amidst all that embarrassment and disappointment, she does believe him when he says she hasn't ruined a thing.
They're still here, aren't they? Even if he now knows she'd kiss him given the chance, they can still be friends? Friendly? Fuck if she knows right now.]
I was just - you know. The ever so familiar 'came from a bad place' speech. [Which wasn't even a bad place, compared to most people in the City. What, she'd been lied to by one boy who'd declared a romantic interest in her, her ex had actually gotten with her to get close to her brother, the boy she'd developped feelings for had come and gone from the City without ever remembering or knowing of any of the events that had brought them closer, and in spite of not wanting to think about it in those terms, there'd been the issue with age and all. She winces again at her own syrupy lines.]
I feel like this is where I go home and listen to Taylor Swift.
[Please, how long had she known he'd kiss her given the chance (and some less complicated circumstances)? They were friends through that - at least it's the term he'd use. He pulls a face at her next suggestion.]
Don't tell me I've driven you to that. Not after showing you my secret place.
[Never not going to sound dirty, especially the way he says it. Smile, Mae.]
[She laughs at his reaction, the tension somewhat dispelled. Somewhat. There's still the clenched feeling in her gut and the lingering heat on her lips, products of a kiss that should've satisfied more, but she'll set that aside.]
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4th july; backdated; action
4th july; backdated; action
Okay. You can open them, now.
[And there's a tree. A tree growing from the brickwork near the edge of the hospital roof. It's somehow survived all the city has thrown at it. A tree, in full leaf, just big enough to spread shade.
Chase walks ahead, to sit under it.]
Best view in the world. [This world, at least.]
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Wow, this is amazing.
[A tree! On a roof! She ends up smiling at it for some reason, and walks over to sit under it and next to Chase.]
How is this place not full of people?
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Um. Because we lock the door? [Just a little nod to the way she came in.] I found it not long after I started working here. Figure a bird must have hit a seed, the seed must have hit a crack in the brickwork. We're sitting under a series of fortunate coincidences.
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Is this like your secret place?
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[He lets his hand link with hers and settles both in his lap. This kind of comfortable affection's exactly the diversion he was going for.]
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I might have to do something too forward in retaliation.
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Oh, I see people's secret places in clinic every day.
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I'm reconsidering the plan right now.
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Perils of the job. [Some might say perks. Anyone with any experience knows better.]
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The affection train hasn't left the station, because she's still taking their held together hands as a sign of a green light to lean against his side as well. Sort of snuggling yes.]
It's like we're in a whole different place right now. [A pause, the well-timed breeze and all; she looks down again.] Why'd you bring me here?
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What I said about the tree? I think this whole place is like that. A series of coincidences. Some of them have been fortunate.
[There's an answer to her question in there somewhere.]
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That's...a very twisted way to answer a very simple question. [Just so he's aware.] Which magazine did you get that one from?
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She knows, they've had this conversation before but charged with so many other things, so many explanations and confessed secrets and - in spite of the curse - unspoken words, but she still knows he's glad. She's very glad, too. For many reasons, which would her take a while to enumerate.
So glad, it turns out, that this is that moment; the one where she reaches up with her free hand, hooks her fingers into the vee of his scrubs shirt, and pulls him down. It's only half the spiked drink, really. Maybe it's less than half, even.
It's been a very, very long time since the last time she got to press her lips against his. Even if it's so brief that it barely counts.]
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With his forehead against hers, maybe she can hear that faint chorus of damn damn damn currently running through his mind. But, he wouldn't be any good for her. He never would have been. He thinks he made that clear enough during the curse.]
I can't kiss you back. [Not a second time.]
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He might here the faint chorus of damn damn damn currently running through her mind, too.]
Why not?
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I'm dating someone and we... recently figured we'd see how the exclusivity thing goes.
[He's still surprised, himself.]
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Oh, right - uhm. [Let her just...pull away from letting their foreheads touch so tenderly, at the very least.] I'm sorry - I shouldn't have hoped - I mean assumed - I mean. That was rude, very rude cliché gesture of me to pull.
4th july; backdated; action
And yes, look at her throwing herself at him, it's disgusting. He shakes his head to that effect.]
No, I'm offended. You can blame it on the drink but apology or not... [And then he manages a smile, because it's the best possible deflection from showing that twinge of regret at her pulling away-] I've been trying to get you to want to kiss me for what, a year? You waited until now?
[Mae, there's absolutely nothing to be sorry for. He's sorry.]
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Look, I'm a complicated person apparently. I've been under the impression that I'd lost your attention, and I thought - well, you said you were glad we'd become friends and I'll be quiet now before I ruin that.
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[The other way round wouldn't surprise him, but she's not ruining anything. Timing's the only thing screwing anything up. Well, that and maybe miscommunication. That's what makes him sigh, now.]
You didn't lose my attention. Giving up telling you I was interested isn't the same as losing interest. I didn't. [He hasn't.] I just figured you weren't.
4th july; backdated; action
They're still here, aren't they? Even if he now knows she'd kiss him given the chance, they can still be friends? Friendly? Fuck if she knows right now.]
I was just - you know. The ever so familiar 'came from a bad place' speech. [Which wasn't even a bad place, compared to most people in the City. What, she'd been lied to by one boy who'd declared a romantic interest in her, her ex had actually gotten with her to get close to her brother, the boy she'd developped feelings for had come and gone from the City without ever remembering or knowing of any of the events that had brought them closer, and in spite of not wanting to think about it in those terms, there'd been the issue with age and all. She winces again at her own syrupy lines.]
I feel like this is where I go home and listen to Taylor Swift.
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Don't tell me I've driven you to that. Not after showing you my secret place.
[Never not going to sound dirty, especially the way he says it. Smile, Mae.]
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Driven me to Swifting.
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4th july; backdated; action