Sad Peps Club House

[wonderlandgirl]

Who: Peps + (Un)invited Guests
Where: pep!pep! dorm
When: Day 129, Afternoon

[So, uh.

[Those were certainly some decisions we all made back there. Yup.

[Anyone for tea?]

Comments

[we_meet_again]

Thank you.

[shuts the door behind them and sits down on the bed. It's rumpled and unmade only because he'd been trying to sleep in it a few minutes ago.

If Thorn wanted to sit, he could sit beside Cobalt on the bed or take the desk chair]

I put in for a window. Hopefully if comes in soon...

[he folds his hands, looking slightly anxious.]

[justfuckingtryit]

[Hesitates. He glances at the rumpled bed, then away again, before settling himself into the desk chair.]

It takes them a while.

We finally got our kitchen.

[we_meet_again]

Did you? Congratulations.

How is it?

[justfuckingtryit]

Shitty. It matches the rest of our dorm.

[Shrugs, with just one shoulder.]

We'll be able to cook with it, though, so I'm not complaining.

[we_meet_again]

That's good. Least you won't have to carry things all the way down to the hotel kitchen and back when you want to have a meal at home. That's pretty nice.

[justfuckingtryit]

Mm. I've been thinking about it off and on, since that one game.

...anyway. You wanted to talk?

[we_meet_again]

Yeah.

...I've been thinking a lot, since the game ended. I just kinda wanted to apologize to you again.

I know how difficult it is when bad things happen to people you care about. We were so desperate to keep ourselves from feeling that kind of emotional pain that we took all that fear and stress and handed it off to you, instead. And that was super unfair. Especially -- especially after I'd already asked you to look after yourself, for exactly this reason. And then I turned right around and did this to you.

So I'm... I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Lumen.

I want to do better to be worthy of whatever care you place in me. And I want you to know that I won't do this again. Obviously, I can't promise that we'll always be okay, or that we won't have to make compromises or take risks in games. But I will promise that I won't set out to play this way again, and I'll try to be be more careful to respect your feelings.

Thank you for caring about me. I'm sorry I did that to you.

[justfuckingtryit]

[His expression sure does take a journey during all of that, beginning with taken aback -]

[justfuckingtryit]

[- followed by something unreadable, but softer -]

[justfuckingtryit]

[- and then something else, mostly hidden behind his hair.]

...you don't have to keep apologizing.

[we_meet_again]

I just... wanted you to know.

I doubt my unit will play this way again, but if it does, you'll know I'm not present. Same goes for Wednesday, and probably Sunshine, too.

[justfuckingtryit]

[Nods, slowly.]

Okay.

[He hesitates - hesitates longer.]

I know it's a lot to ask. So... thanks.

[we_meet_again]

If anyone gets to ask, it should be you.



And, um. I know this might be a lot to ask, too, but...


...could I...





...could I hold your hand?

[justfuckingtryit]

[The hesitation is longer, this time. Probably it involves some consideration of distance and positioning, because when Thorn moves at last, it's to stand and take a few steps closer to the bed so that he can sit down beside Cobalt.]

[A beat or two later, he holds out his hand, palm up, like an offer.]

[we_meet_again]

[He hesitates a beat as well, considering that offered palm... before he reaches up and delicately cups it in his own.



He leans down and -- haltingly, reverently -- places a kiss in Thorn's palm.

After a beat, he withdraws, sandwiching Thorn's hand between his own.

He's slightly pink, staring at the hands and the bed and the floor and definitely not Thorn's face.]

[justfuckingtryit]

[He goes very tense at the kiss, and oddly still. His gaze is fixed on the floor, as well - intent and focused.]

[He doesn't say anything for a long, long time - but eventually, he lifts his chin a little, to glance sidelong at Cobalt, gauging his expression.]

[we_meet_again]

[Cobalt's holding their clasped hands to his lips, now -- not kissing, this time, just holding them there, as if in prayer. His eyes are closed, and his expression is some combination of sad, scared, and grateful.]

[justfuckingtryit]

[He hesitates, and then hesitates longer.]

[Leans over, careful, to press a kiss to Cobalt's cheek.]

[we_meet_again]

[He lets out a shaking breath and looks up at Thorn with just his eyes.

Still tightly clinging to Thorn's hand, he... slowly leans in... and puts a feather-light kiss to Thorn's lips.]

[justfuckingtryit]

[The change in expression is not a smile so much as the hint of one - a softening in the eyes and around the lips.]

[He returns the kiss, feather-light; after what feels like a thousand years (but is probably only about thirty seconds) he sets a hand, careful, on the back of Cobalt's head, in the short hair where it meets the neck.]

[we_meet_again]

[he kisses again, gentle... Brings his hand up to softly trace his thumb along Thorn's jaw, looking at him with lidded eyes before kissing him once more.]

[justfuckingtryit]

[He shivers softly at the feel of the thumb tracing his jawline; shifts slightly, leaning in to give the kiss a better angle.]

[we_meet_again]

[his fingers trail up the side of Thorn's face and into his hair, carefully sweeping it back to tuck behind his ear.

He continues kissing, slow and soft, fingertips drifting through Thorn's hair and down the back of his neck.]

[justfuckingtryit]

[His other hand lifts, almost cautious, to touch Cobalt's side - smooths its way down from his ribs and then lower, to rest just above his hip.]

[The hand at the back of his neck curls slightly, the fingers threading through the hair beneath them.]

[we_meet_again]

[do you ever suddenly get real shy even though it's just a bunch of cautious smooching?]