[gansey nods along to kieren's description of his sister.]
Adam's family is awful. Just completely awful. Mostly his father, I think, but his mother never protected him, either. So he's not great at friendship, especially the trust part. He's also brilliant and quick-thinking and driven, but extreme is a good word.
[he lifts his head with kieren's hand and smiles.]
We had it out. Maybe not the worst fight, but close. I think he gets it now, but it's going to be a process. [his smile brightens.] I do have you. And you're pretty great, I have to say. [he pinches kieren's cheek, but then ends up holding it instead.]
I know this is a pretty huge ask after what I just said, but...I'd like you to meet him. You're important to me, and he's important to me, and he's just going to have to get used to that. It's fine if you don't want to. I don't expect you to bend over backwards or anything.
(And Kieren did. He wasn't just saying that. Rick's father had been...Not abusive, maybe, but he was the reason Rick was how he was. Rick had a lot of problems.
He is glad to see Gansey brightening, and even tolerates his cheek being pinched. Gosh. Amy would love Gansey if only because they both were interested in pinching his cheeks. What was that about.)
Only pretty great, he says. (Kieren rolls his eyes, but there's not a lick of heat in it.
He raises both his brows and snorts outright at Gansey.)
Bloody hell, Gansey. It's just meeting a boy. It's quite all right. No part of me is bending over anything at all to meet your friend. He seems lovely, if only a teensy problematic. But who isn't? If he's important to you then I'd be honored to meet him.
[but he honestly looks surprised when kieren is enthused about meeting adam, which probably speaks to what he's used to in friend introductions. then he grins.]
Well, yes, just meeting a boy, right. Reasonable people do this all the time. [he laughs a little.] You're amazing, Kieren. Everything seems terrible and then you say two things and it's just all right back in proportion. Is lunch tomorrow all right? I'm a terrible roommate who hasn't memorized your class schedule yet, but I figured the college is about as unassuming and neutral as it gets.
(Oh, if Kieren were able to blush, he would be showing some rather convincing color right then and there. Thankfully he's not capable anymore and can take this in stride instead.)
They do. It's this odd thing called socializing. Perhaps you've heard of it? (He's teasing Gansey. Even raises a hand to gently tuck some hair back from his face. Ah. There it is. Another moment where he badly wanted to blush. The only true benefit of being dead was clearly saving face in front of cute boys.)
Ah. (Kieren blinks and stares at Gansey.)
Lunch would be fine if it weren't for the whole eating part. I suppose I can always say I ate before. I hope it won't make me seem rude.
[gansey smiles, amused, which probably wouldn't help the blushing problem kieren doesn't currently have.]
Social...iz...ing? Nope, never heard of it. What a strange concept.
[gansey's hair is getting a bit long, but he's still at the stage of looking handsomely scruffy instead of unkempt.]
Oh, lord, I'm sorry.[he smacks his own forehead, feeling genuinely stupid for having forgotten.] I have his schedule, though. We can make it after lunchtime, so no eating necessary.
Well over in England where real civilized people live it's where blokes sometimes go out together to chum around. Sometimes friendships are even made. Really quite exotic, I know.
(Kieren was fairly certain that there was very little Gansey could do to look anything less than unfairly gorgeous. Including getting a bit of a mop.
Kieren laughs at Gansey's reaction, patting his arm.)
That's okay, Gansey. You living people are so focused on food it's almost like one would suspect you need it to survive or something. Odd.
It might be a little fake. I have a grand total of three friends and one is my sister. (Now wait a second....) Sorry. Four including you.
(Kieren angles his head, smiling faintly at the fact that Gansey's hand was still covering his face. Stop that, you. He reaches out to gently pry Gansey's hand down and away from his face.)
I'm very flattered that you don't think particularly hard about the state of my heart rate, yes. I do so appreciate it when people treat me regularly.
That's exactly how many I've got, including my sister, and you can see how well the ones who aren't you can go, so as far as I'm concerned, you're doing brilliantly.
[gansey seems to have no intention of uncovering his face until kieren pries his hand away. it doesn't take that much doing, but gansey still has an embarrassed blush high up on his cheeks. he tries very hard to be mindful of kieren's condition, but it's also become increasingly easy for gansey to forget that kieren's not a normal living person with very cold hands.]
Good, even if I still feel like a bit of an ass. I'll try not to make any more meal dates.
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Adam's family is awful. Just completely awful. Mostly his father, I think, but his mother never protected him, either. So he's not great at friendship, especially the trust part. He's also brilliant and quick-thinking and driven, but extreme is a good word.
[he lifts his head with kieren's hand and smiles.]
We had it out. Maybe not the worst fight, but close. I think he gets it now, but it's going to be a process. [his smile brightens.] I do have you. And you're pretty great, I have to say. [he pinches kieren's cheek, but then ends up holding it instead.]
I know this is a pretty huge ask after what I just said, but...I'd like you to meet him. You're important to me, and he's important to me, and he's just going to have to get used to that. It's fine if you don't want to. I don't expect you to bend over backwards or anything.
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(And Kieren did. He wasn't just saying that. Rick's father had been...Not abusive, maybe, but he was the reason Rick was how he was. Rick had a lot of problems.
He is glad to see Gansey brightening, and even tolerates his cheek being pinched. Gosh. Amy would love Gansey if only because they both were interested in pinching his cheeks. What was that about.)
Only pretty great, he says. (Kieren rolls his eyes, but there's not a lick of heat in it.
He raises both his brows and snorts outright at Gansey.)
Bloody hell, Gansey. It's just meeting a boy. It's quite all right. No part of me is bending over anything at all to meet your friend. He seems lovely, if only a teensy problematic. But who isn't? If he's important to you then I'd be honored to meet him.
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[but he honestly looks surprised when kieren is enthused about meeting adam, which probably speaks to what he's used to in friend introductions. then he grins.]
Well, yes, just meeting a boy, right. Reasonable people do this all the time. [he laughs a little.] You're amazing, Kieren. Everything seems terrible and then you say two things and it's just all right back in proportion. Is lunch tomorrow all right? I'm a terrible roommate who hasn't memorized your class schedule yet, but I figured the college is about as unassuming and neutral as it gets.
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(Oh, if Kieren were able to blush, he would be showing some rather convincing color right then and there. Thankfully he's not capable anymore and can take this in stride instead.)
They do. It's this odd thing called socializing. Perhaps you've heard of it? (He's teasing Gansey. Even raises a hand to gently tuck some hair back from his face. Ah. There it is. Another moment where he badly wanted to blush. The only true benefit of being dead was clearly saving face in front of cute boys.)
Ah. (Kieren blinks and stares at Gansey.)
Lunch would be fine if it weren't for the whole eating part. I suppose I can always say I ate before. I hope it won't make me seem rude.
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[gansey smiles, amused, which probably wouldn't help the blushing problem kieren doesn't currently have.]
Social...iz...ing? Nope, never heard of it. What a strange concept.
[gansey's hair is getting a bit long, but he's still at the stage of looking handsomely scruffy instead of unkempt.]
Oh, lord, I'm sorry.[he smacks his own forehead, feeling genuinely stupid for having forgotten.] I have his schedule, though. We can make it after lunchtime, so no eating necessary.
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(Kieren was fairly certain that there was very little Gansey could do to look anything less than unfairly gorgeous. Including getting a bit of a mop.
Kieren laughs at Gansey's reaction, patting his arm.)
That's okay, Gansey. You living people are so focused on food it's almost like one would suspect you need it to survive or something. Odd.
(He doesn't want Gansey to feel bad.)
That sounds fine. Whenever works for me.
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[he'd get a trim, but he's heard Things about the hair salon. screamy, cagey things.]
Is it a compliment or an insult to say that I forget you aren't also living people?
[he asks this from behind his hand.]
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(Kieren angles his head, smiling faintly at the fact that Gansey's hand was still covering his face. Stop that, you. He reaches out to gently pry Gansey's hand down and away from his face.)
I'm very flattered that you don't think particularly hard about the state of my heart rate, yes. I do so appreciate it when people treat me regularly.
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[gansey seems to have no intention of uncovering his face until kieren pries his hand away. it doesn't take that much doing, but gansey still has an embarrassed blush high up on his cheeks. he tries very hard to be mindful of kieren's condition, but it's also become increasingly easy for gansey to forget that kieren's not a normal living person with very cold hands.]
Good, even if I still feel like a bit of an ass. I'll try not to make any more meal dates.