OPEN SEASON 2.

[crawly]

1. pick a character.

☛ optional.
☛ character list here.
☛ full list.
☛ specify in the subject line if you want one character in particular.

2. provide a prompt.

☛ image, words, music, whatever you want.
☛ i like to think at least one of my three tumblrs has something interesting. (be warned that all three blogs contain nsfw material, including porn.)

3. gotta go fast.

☛ not actually. this is a permanently open post! tag at your own speed.

previous post here.

Comments

[canicide]

[ Heine hums in acknowledgment before sitting down on the couch next to him. ] Yeah. How was your Christmas, anyway?

[indeliblestars]

It was fine, I got all the news of who did what and what happened, all the usual family stuff. Dinner was edible, I'm pretty sure I got told I need to make sure I'm working hard around four times. Overall it was about the same as it always is. As long as everyone's okay I can't complain. What about yours?

[and as usual, no acknowledgement of his work or asking after it, but he's used to that. better that than something lamenting "why couldn't you be an accountant like your cousin."]

[canicide]

Okay. One of my friends wanted to watch some cheesy movie so we did that.

[ It was a bad movie, all told, but he'd watched it anyway. Revealing to Fee that he spent no time with his family (or, more accurately, had no family to spend the holidays with) garners about as much emotion. It's not something he really tries to hide and he doesn't think Fee will make a big deal of it. ]

I'll probably open for limited hours tomorrow in case some people need emergency flowers.

[indeliblestars]

[no he won't, but there's something in him that makes him a little happier that Heine showed up to the friends' dinner.]

Really? I guess there's never a shortage of things people want flowers for. Or you never really know what's coming up. At least you got a little break for the holidays.

[canicide]

Yeah, having a few days off is nice. But I'm sure someone needs to apologizing for messing up Christmas. Or to ask someone for a date on New Year's.

[ Heine's more amused by the thought than anything. ]

[indeliblestars]

[Fee laughs, smiling a little more.]

Wouldn't that be cool, though? If someone asked for a New Year's date, I mean. You already have all the fireworks and crazy energy going around.

[moving on! moving on.]

Anyway, it's thoughtful of you to provide that.

[canicide]

Mm. [ Yeah, a New Year's date doesn't sound bad. ] I don't have anything better to do.

[indeliblestars]

[Fee gives a noncommittal hum, and turns to watch whatever's on. something dramatic is happening, if the music is any cue, but he's not thinking about that.

wait. wait at least until the commercial, before he turns his head to look at Heine.]

Can I ask you something?

[calm, simple. but he knows if he doesn't say it soon he'll probably explode on Heine's couch, and that's not a great idea.]

[canicide]

[ Heine's not even sure what's going on in this show, except that someone got murdered at some point. When Fee speaks to him he glances over. ]

What is it?

[ He's trying not to let his expectations take over. He's trying. ]

[indeliblestars]

[inhale. exhale. and Fee turns himself so he's more facing Heine. once he starts talking, it's easier.]

I'm not the best at staying subtle about shit, no matter what it is. So I'm just coming out with it - I like you, and I've liked you for a while. Didn't want to make this weird, so I didn't say it, but...I like you. You don't have to feel the same or anything, and if you're not into that, no problem. I'll figure out how to get over it and just be your friend. But I do like you. Is that okay with you?

[canicide]

[ It's sort of what he'd expected. Heine can pick up a hint or two—but he had never planned to act on anything, and when Fee brings it up it's a relief.

Immediately after the relief comes mild panic. Fee likes him? Heine thinks about possible problems, like the fact that people usually don't like him, that he's bad with relationships, and that things can change. Things always change, and Heine has found it sometimes easier to let them pass him by rather than risk trying to grab hold of anything.

But Fee is asking him, and he knows he needs to answer if he wants any chance of holding on. ]

Yeah. [ He looks at Fee's face for all of half a second before glancing down, posture stiff without leaning away. ] It's... I'm okay with that.

What if I do feel the same way?

[indeliblestars]

...Then I'm really glad I told you all this.

[and there's a smile on his face, but it's softer. a little more shy than Fee usually is in any context.]

Whatever happens next, up to you. As long as you don't decide that us sitting here like this is suddenly too weird to deal with.

[he'll adapt. he'll work with Heine. in some aspects Fee is extraordinarily simple, happy to simply be in the same room as someone else that he likes. in others he calculates and meticulously thinks through how best to make sure he doesn't upset whatever balances are there.

so he doesn't reach out to touch him. but he does keep smiling like that, trying to not laugh for pure relief and happiness.]

[canicide]

No, it's, uh. It's fine.

[ Heine only delays looking at Fee for another second or two before resting his eyes on him and the genuine smile he's beaming with. ]

Do you want to do something new?

[indeliblestars]

Something new? Like what?

[man, that's a difficult question. exhaling, he looks away, runs a hand through his hair, and looks back. yep, still awake. still hearing all this.]

[canicide]

[ It's so hard to be direct. God. ]

Like a date. [ Huff. ] Though we already hang out, I guess.

[indeliblestars]

Oh! Yeah. Yeah, a date.

[they're great at this, clearly.]

...If you're not doing anything for New Year's, we could go out.

[canicide]

[ Yes. So good at this. ]

Sure. Yeah, I'm not doing anything. Where do you want to go?

[indeliblestars]

I'm not really sure. But there are supposed to be fireworks pretty close, if you're into that.

[an actual date. a date with Heine. how'd he manage this?]

[canicide]

[ Fireworks are okay. He wouldn't mind going out on New Year's Eve, either, and Fee's presence usually makes him calmer than others'.

What could go wrong! ]

Okay. When do you want to leave?

[ Going about things so carefully is a rather foreign concept to Heine. He wants this to work. ]

[indeliblestars]

A bit after it gets dark? I can check the time and see if the fireworks are still happening, but beyond that...

[there's nothing else he has to do. no time he has to spend doing something else beforehand, and he's pretty sure he's not opening on the day after so time won't be an issue. it all works out.

(if he calls Jakob later and asks him to remind him of the schedule then that's just making absolutely sure nothing's getting in the way of the date. holy shit. a date.)]

You got a preference on that?

[canicide]

We could go and get... dinner. Before the fireworks.

[ That would be nice and pretty normal. ]

[indeliblestars]

Dinner sounds good.

[right. dinner. that's a good idea for a proper date.]

Anything in particular you've been craving?

[because leave it up to him, he'll just end up cooking and bringing it with him.]

[canicide]

[ Heine can't think of anything immediately. Something casual, something that won't make things weird. ]

There's this place that does Italian. My friend works there. It's not fancy or anything, but, uh, it's good.

[ Okay, 'friend' is kind of a stretch. Still. ]

[indeliblestars]

Italian it is.

[sounds good. sounds exactly like first date food. sounds like Heine knows where it is, which means no fumbling for the address. perfect.

for a moment, Fee's quiet, and then he just laughs. just for a second, but it's with pure delight, being happy about all of this. some part of him feels like a teenager again, while the rational part says that he needs to not fuck this up.]

[canicide]

[ The laugh surprises a smile out of Heine. ]

Then I'll see you... on New Year's Eve.