Everest
Staring into Mateo's face, unable to discern if he's joking or not, Ever shakes his head slowly. "I thought I had to ask you out on a proper date before you'd pretend to be dating me." He counters, hazarding a smile.
"It does happen," Ever agrees, struggling to remember all the things he'd learned to say and do from the various sexual assault sensitivity training he'd taken. "But that doesn't mean it's okay. We can talk about it, if you want to. At any time, alright? There's no...no..." Fuck, why hadn't he payed better attention? "..no time limit. And you're allowed to be okay now, but not be okay later." He tries again, stepping back as Mateo stands. "Just..whatever you want to feel, is okay. That's all I'm trying to say."
Packing up the first-aid kit, Ever nods. "I can read to you in the bath, if you want?" His mom used to read to him in the bath, but only when there had been enough bubbles to keep him absolutely covered. "Fairy tales, or Cosmo, or.."
"It does happen," Ever agrees, struggling to remember all the things he'd learned to say and do from the various sexual assault sensitivity training he'd taken. "But that doesn't mean it's okay. We can talk about it, if you want to. At any time, alright? There's no...no..." Fuck, why hadn't he payed better attention? "..no time limit. And you're allowed to be okay now, but not be okay later." He tries again, stepping back as Mateo stands. "Just..whatever you want to feel, is okay. That's all I'm trying to say."
Packing up the first-aid kit, Ever nods. "I can read to you in the bath, if you want?" His mom used to read to him in the bath, but only when there had been enough bubbles to keep him absolutely covered. "Fairy tales, or Cosmo, or.."
I was a dead man walking,
with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
with bloodshot eyes—right place, wrong time.
