discomfort | gregor

Maybe. But we can still hope it'll be better this time.

[please a fucking CRUMB of hope.]

Oh, also.

[ he gestures for gregor to calm closer ]

Huh?

[yeah okay sure he scoots closer. what.]

[ he places his palm over gregor's mouth, and then kisses the top of his own hand. and then lets go. ]

That is all.

...Owner?

[blinking up at him like. ??? hello? what. what?

one more blink before he grabs owner's hand.]

What-- no, hey, what was that for? Why--

[making a gesture with owner's hand in his like he meant to gesture At his hand and temporarily forgot he can't do that because he is, in fact, holding it. WHAT WAS WITH THE HAND.]

[ he blinks, looking down at their hands. he doesn't pull away and just lets him keep holding it. ]

A gesture from me to you. Thank you.

[ the petals are still in his pocket. this is the most he will breach the topic. ]

I got that part, I mean why did you...

[at least do it properly, come on.]

[ owner refuses to put himself on the kiss counter he doesn't know exists ]

Because...?

[ he moves to stand, tugging gregor up with him. ]

...oh, c'mere.

[he lets himself be tugged up, but then steadies himself.

and pauses for a second because, like, if owner Objects he will let him dodge this but also francy don't be a COWARD.]

[ well.

at the very least, owner does not move from here, and just looks up at him. sort of waiting. ]

[okay. then if he's not saying no-- gregor leans in to give him a brief kiss back. on the mouth, this time, though it's still chaste.]

Call it a gesture in turn.

[ his lips twitches into a smile. ]

An exchange, then.

[ there's a pause, before he keeps talking. ]

I cannot offer more. I am-- I'm afraid that nothing good will ever come from me, because that is who I am. But I did not want to pretend like I did not see.

[ the petals, the emotions behind them. ]

...yeah, I know. Or- I figured, anyway.

[it's fine, he's getting very used to hearing people say those words here, actually. that's why he never said anything, why the petals had to do it for him.]

Something good did come from you here. I knew you.

[ meanwhile, those are words owner is very much not used to hearing.

his free hand reaches over to brush through gregor's hair absentmindedly. ]

You may be the first to say that! I am horribly unpopular, surprisingly.

I told you already, didn't I? Ah, maybe not in so many words.

[estwas.

his head tilts slightly into the brush of his hand. just a little.]

You're strange even by our standards, sure, but... I've seen more than my share of strange.

Have you? That's a surprise.

[ he manages to keep his face straight at the comment. ]

You seem like a normal salaryman.

Oh, bud, there's nothing more horrifying than balancing books.

[why do you think he doesn't fucking do it]

Taxes are rather scary, aren't they? I am glad I have never had to do them.

[ tax evader.

... ]

While I would have preferred for you to be over there, it has been nice being in the Helly Belly with you.

...yeah. It has. I think if there's been anything good to come out of dying, it's been having good company.

[everyone else too, not Just owner, but.]

I'd've missed you.

You just mostly chased me around...

[ as owner ran around touching brains... he opens his mouth. closes it. thinks. ]

I suppose saying 'mom' again as a joke may be too much.

After I kissed you? Yeah. A little much.

[don't make it awkward owner]

[ very obviously trying not to laugh. ]

[STOP

choking on a couple more petals as he watches him laugh and SHOVING THEM IN HIS POCKET owner knows what they're going to be anyway]

[ help.

his expression softens, before turning more serious. ]

Do you remember a few weeks back, when we were playing drinking games? There was a question about going on dates, and you were surprised that I said I had been on one. There was, a time, when I had tried to be domestic with someone. It was nice. But it did not work.

Yeah?

[he's quiet, for a few moments, but.]

...what happened?

[if he doesn't want to talk about it, gregor figures he just won't.]

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