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[ Alex had no idea how long he'd been asleep, and honestly, he didn't really care. A long time, and even then it still didn't feel like enough to make up the week he'd gone without. But it was a hell of a lot better than he had felt earlier.
The music was off but the songs kept playing in his head, even in his dreams, and he woke up almost humming Don't Stop Believing. He quit it as soon as he noticed he was doing it with a sigh.
He slowly sat up, still groggy, and leaned his back against the wall. Everyone was gone, save for Bobbie - who was curled up on the mattress against the other wall on the opposite side of the room. He couldn't help the pang in his chest, recognizing the distance between them. They'd had no trouble just passing out next to each other, before Kovacs and the Observation deck and that agonising discussion. Before the kiss.
Christ, he was an idiot.
His stomach growled at him, and he considered just quietly slipping away to go get breakfast, but the two of them got breakfast together every morning. And as much as he kind of wanted to avoid the hell out of it, sometimes, he also did not want to look like he was avoiding it. So he'd made sure to keep acting as if nothing had happened. (To an extent.)
So instead of getting up, he cleared his throat lowly. ]
You up, Gunny?
The music was off but the songs kept playing in his head, even in his dreams, and he woke up almost humming Don't Stop Believing. He quit it as soon as he noticed he was doing it with a sigh.
He slowly sat up, still groggy, and leaned his back against the wall. Everyone was gone, save for Bobbie - who was curled up on the mattress against the other wall on the opposite side of the room. He couldn't help the pang in his chest, recognizing the distance between them. They'd had no trouble just passing out next to each other, before Kovacs and the Observation deck and that agonising discussion. Before the kiss.
Christ, he was an idiot.
His stomach growled at him, and he considered just quietly slipping away to go get breakfast, but the two of them got breakfast together every morning. And as much as he kind of wanted to avoid the hell out of it, sometimes, he also did not want to look like he was avoiding it. So he'd made sure to keep acting as if nothing had happened. (To an extent.)
So instead of getting up, he cleared his throat lowly. ]
You up, Gunny?
[Bobbie can't remember the last time she's slept this long—long enough to have a vague headache and to be hungry as hell. She doesn't wake up until Alex clears her throat, and it takes her a second to figure out why he's all the way across the room. Oh, right.
She pushes herself upright, running a hand through her hair and biting back a sigh. Things are awkward between them now, just like she was afraid of.]
I'm up. Feeling better?
She pushes herself upright, running a hand through her hair and biting back a sigh. Things are awkward between them now, just like she was afraid of.]
I'm up. Feeling better?
Feels a bit like I'm tryin' to rise from the dead.
[ There was a slight pause, there, a grimace spreading across his face. ]
... Nah, it really don't, can't use that metaphor anymore.
I am pretty damn hungry, though.
[ There was a slight pause, there, a grimace spreading across his face. ]
... Nah, it really don't, can't use that metaphor anymore.
I am pretty damn hungry, though.
Edited 2018-07-08 17:25 (UTC)
[ It had been an invitation, one phrased casually enough that it would have been easy to ignore or turn down. He can't help but feel relieved that she does neither, even if he's still anxious about it.
That second worth of relief in her expression is enough to make him feel both guilty and relieved at the same time. But he doesn't mention it. ]
Amos and that one kid managed to get one of them workin' well enough to almost make real food. I even got somethin' close to lasagna, earlier.
[
That second worth of relief in her expression is enough to make him feel both guilty and relieved at the same time. But he doesn't mention it. ]
Amos and that one kid managed to get one of them workin' well enough to almost make real food. I even got somethin' close to lasagna, earlier.
[
Hell, we could try and see if it'll make an omelette.
[ He had no idea if it was morning either, but then, on the station, there wasn't really any way to tell anyway, other than the clocks. Which he didn't bother to check, as he groaned and pulled himself up off the wall. He still felt a little dizzy, mostly out of drowziness, but otherwise okay. ]
You feel alright? Get some decent sleep, at least?
[ He had no idea if it was morning either, but then, on the station, there wasn't really any way to tell anyway, other than the clocks. Which he didn't bother to check, as he groaned and pulled himself up off the wall. He still felt a little dizzy, mostly out of drowziness, but otherwise okay. ]
You feel alright? Get some decent sleep, at least?
[ He keeps more distance between them than he used to - over aware of how close he is, at any given time, and doesn't quite get within arm's reach. He also slips his hands into his pockets as he walks. ]
The music's done, so hell, I'd be dancin' if I didn't still feel like I could sleep another week and a half.
The music's done, so hell, I'd be dancin' if I didn't still feel like I could sleep another week and a half.
Yeah, I guess so.
[It's not much of a response, but she's too focused on how much distance he's keeping between them. It's significant, and it just serves to make her feel more miserable. She doesn't bother to try to close the gap—it's clear he's doing it because he's not comfortable with anything else, so she just focuses on the hallway in front of them. She can't quite bring herself to look at him, because just looking at him, knowing there's a new wall between them, makes her heart twist.]
[It's not much of a response, but she's too focused on how much distance he's keeping between them. It's significant, and it just serves to make her feel more miserable. She doesn't bother to try to close the gap—it's clear he's doing it because he's not comfortable with anything else, so she just focuses on the hallway in front of them. She can't quite bring herself to look at him, because just looking at him, knowing there's a new wall between them, makes her heart twist.]
[ He's trying to be respectful, he thinks, trying to keep it less awkward. Because he doesn't know what he'd do if his hand accidentally brushed hers and she looked the way she had after they'd kissed. He wasn't sure he could deal with it. He knew they needed to talk about it, but - he'd never been good at that. Ever. Every time he thought about bringing it up he just slid straight into avoidance mode. It took everything he had just to try to keep up general appearances rather than run half way across the system.
He'd always been better at running, than facing it.
So he's counting it as a win, that he can speak casually and keep walking down the hall.
That being said, the silence that descended was awkward as hell, and it set a misery easily into his bones, though he tried not to let it leak into his expression. (He failed.) He cleared his throat, again. ]
... At least I feel like I can think again.
[ That was close to the discussion, right? That was almost not completely avoiding it? Maybe? ]
He'd always been better at running, than facing it.
So he's counting it as a win, that he can speak casually and keep walking down the hall.
That being said, the silence that descended was awkward as hell, and it set a misery easily into his bones, though he tried not to let it leak into his expression. (He failed.) He cleared his throat, again. ]
... At least I feel like I can think again.
[ That was close to the discussion, right? That was almost not completely avoiding it? Maybe? ]
Yeah.
[ There's another awkward pause, and he doesn't meet her gaze when she looks at him, his brows furrowed and his eyes locked on where they're going. ]
Though that's ain't - all of it, I guess? Spent the whole damn time feelin' like a live wire, if you know what I mean. Now I feel like I can breathe again.
[ He shifted his weight a little awkwardly, almost pulling his hands out of his pockets and then remembering why they were there in the first place and sliding them back in. ]
[ There's another awkward pause, and he doesn't meet her gaze when she looks at him, his brows furrowed and his eyes locked on where they're going. ]
Though that's ain't - all of it, I guess? Spent the whole damn time feelin' like a live wire, if you know what I mean. Now I feel like I can breathe again.
[ He shifted his weight a little awkwardly, almost pulling his hands out of his pockets and then remembering why they were there in the first place and sliding them back in. ]
Edited 2018-07-08 22:56 (UTC)
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