There ain't nothing that comes close to as good as you
He had considered pulling out their hats, or, in their absence, demanding they adopt some kind of accent or add a required, silly phrase to every sentence. Whatever it took to chip away the tension, because he would not let his foolishness ruin anything more than it had, and he certainly wouldn’t give Zavien that power over his life. Fortunately, she seems to be of a shared mind, and where a chill had begun to descend on them both, the spark of contact shoves it away like it’s a force on par with gravity.
Everything recollects and organizes itself in her vicinity, a reminder of what’s already been tested and hard fought, of patience worn between them both, of things made better out of bad. It’s history and future all at once, and it’s the exact reassurance he always needs to clear his head.
When she says she expected as much, that his reaction, maybe not justified, is understood, it brings back a smile. Shy, and small, but carrying a bit of hope in his lips that he’s seen and known to a degree that matters. ”It’d been my mistake, to make that reach.” His shoulders shrug a bit, helpless to the fact he’d dared believe the two had reconciled and committed. He didn’t even know the half of it though, as it turns out. All the times Flora’s disfavor for his cousin had started to edge into conversation, he’d found an excuse, a shake of his head, a reason to give Koa credit. If Flora had been hearing everything from Soh though, about how she’d been made to feel, enough so that the two have now fallen this far apart… maybe there’d been more merit to hearing it all in those moments. Then again, if Soh is ramping this up, maybe she’s done the same with Koa? He’d need to see his cousin soon, for many reasons.
The whisper of her fingers through his hair is more calming than it has any right being, and tension leaves him so suddenly his body sags in its absence. ”You would not be a creepy witch,” he edges in, frustration briefly losing the battle to the smile that cracks out in response to her. ”You’d be a hot witch. Everyone would want potions from you.” It’s a dash of sprinkles, when everything’s gotten so heavy, but the weight of what she says lands true.
He nods, slow and understanding, because he already knows the things she’s saying are right. Had known them in the moment too, but too late. He’d picked the fight with Danta, and he still tries not to dwell on it, his brain prickling every time he remembers Danta desiring to fuck her again. This though, this he hadn’t intended, and tried to pull back, but the anchor had already dropped even as he hauled back on all the rope. ”She kinda was asking my opinion,” he huffs, a hand already weaving away the rebuttal. ”I know, not about who’s she’s dating.” Although with how often he’s made a mess of things, it might seem like he can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life, but he generally tries not to upset people. He just also has a strong knee-jerk reaction when it comes to the people that matter to him, Koa and Flora topping that list.
”Just, maybe made it easier to say it,” he sighs, the disappointment clear. He never meant to hurt Soh. ”I don’t know how I keep fucking up so much,” and there’s a wariness that creeps into his voice, because for someone accustomed to keeping things light and making people laugh, he’s done a lot of the opposite lately, and he’s beginning to consider sewing his lips shut. He has strong opinions, sure, but he can temper them usually. ”It’s not like I told her to break up with him, or threatened anything. She just… really took it poorly really fast. I don’t know how to work through something with someone if they’re not willing to stay and do it.” He can be persistent when it counts, but now his trust feels a little bruised with Sohalia.
He glances up at her, gaze having gone wayward with thought again, his hands pulling her down the step to him into a hug that he needs more than anything right now. ”I feel like I’m just upsetting everyone, even you.” Even the people he thought he wouldn’t, even the ones he thought he’d repaired it with. Too much again, too honest and too loud and too Kaisel.
Everything recollects and organizes itself in her vicinity, a reminder of what’s already been tested and hard fought, of patience worn between them both, of things made better out of bad. It’s history and future all at once, and it’s the exact reassurance he always needs to clear his head.
When she says she expected as much, that his reaction, maybe not justified, is understood, it brings back a smile. Shy, and small, but carrying a bit of hope in his lips that he’s seen and known to a degree that matters. ”It’d been my mistake, to make that reach.” His shoulders shrug a bit, helpless to the fact he’d dared believe the two had reconciled and committed. He didn’t even know the half of it though, as it turns out. All the times Flora’s disfavor for his cousin had started to edge into conversation, he’d found an excuse, a shake of his head, a reason to give Koa credit. If Flora had been hearing everything from Soh though, about how she’d been made to feel, enough so that the two have now fallen this far apart… maybe there’d been more merit to hearing it all in those moments. Then again, if Soh is ramping this up, maybe she’s done the same with Koa? He’d need to see his cousin soon, for many reasons.
The whisper of her fingers through his hair is more calming than it has any right being, and tension leaves him so suddenly his body sags in its absence. ”You would not be a creepy witch,” he edges in, frustration briefly losing the battle to the smile that cracks out in response to her. ”You’d be a hot witch. Everyone would want potions from you.” It’s a dash of sprinkles, when everything’s gotten so heavy, but the weight of what she says lands true.
He nods, slow and understanding, because he already knows the things she’s saying are right. Had known them in the moment too, but too late. He’d picked the fight with Danta, and he still tries not to dwell on it, his brain prickling every time he remembers Danta desiring to fuck her again. This though, this he hadn’t intended, and tried to pull back, but the anchor had already dropped even as he hauled back on all the rope. ”She kinda was asking my opinion,” he huffs, a hand already weaving away the rebuttal. ”I know, not about who’s she’s dating.” Although with how often he’s made a mess of things, it might seem like he can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life, but he generally tries not to upset people. He just also has a strong knee-jerk reaction when it comes to the people that matter to him, Koa and Flora topping that list.
”Just, maybe made it easier to say it,” he sighs, the disappointment clear. He never meant to hurt Soh. ”I don’t know how I keep fucking up so much,” and there’s a wariness that creeps into his voice, because for someone accustomed to keeping things light and making people laugh, he’s done a lot of the opposite lately, and he’s beginning to consider sewing his lips shut. He has strong opinions, sure, but he can temper them usually. ”It’s not like I told her to break up with him, or threatened anything. She just… really took it poorly really fast. I don’t know how to work through something with someone if they’re not willing to stay and do it.” He can be persistent when it counts, but now his trust feels a little bruised with Sohalia.
He glances up at her, gaze having gone wayward with thought again, his hands pulling her down the step to him into a hug that he needs more than anything right now. ”I feel like I’m just upsetting everyone, even you.” Even the people he thought he wouldn’t, even the ones he thought he’d repaired it with. Too much again, too honest and too loud and too Kaisel.
Kaisel
There is you, then all the rest, second place is the best they'll get
Wearing a watery blue, faded and stretched-out sparkling hair tie on his left wrist
