...We need to talk.

[little_wing003]

It was Tim's turn to make dinner--which almost always meant takeout. Tonight was Indian food--which Tim choose almost entirely because the place on the corner made the best kheer he'd ever had in his life. He carried the bags with him up the stairs to the apartment and let himself in

Comments

[notarrowette]

Cissie looked up from where she sat in the middle of the living room floor, her homework spread out around her. She laughed at him and the bags of take-out. "Hello handsome," she said, grinning back. "Indian tonight?"

[little_wing003]

"Mmhm." Tim grinned. "I felt like kheer." He nodded to the books and papers spread around her. "Lot of homework tonight?"

[notarrowette]

"It smells good," she said, smiling. She looked around her and wrinkled her nose. "I've got a psych paper due soon, so I thought I'd start doing some research." She pushed herself up off the floor and stretched. She went over to take one of the bags of food from Tim and give him a quick kiss. "Hi."

[little_wing003]

"Mm." Tim smiled and slipped an arm around her waist, tugging her lose for a hug. "I do love to see a brilliant girl in action. Where's Kon?"

[notarrowette]

Cissie laughed, hugging him back with one arm. "I don't know about brilliant. Brilliantly confused, maybe." She gave him a quick kiss and set the food on the kitchen counter. Turning around, she leaned against the counter and made a face. "Kon's out. I might have snapped a little--but I was trying to concentrate and he was just hovering and chatty..." She sighed. "I feel bad. But he'll be back soon, I think."

[little_wing003]

Tim nodded. "Flying?" he asked, smiling a little. "He does that sometimes when I snap at him, too--though usually he goes to see you first." He shook his head a little and sighed. "I... think we need to talk about how we're all going to handle things if this ends up being permanent--which it's starting to look like it will be. He can't sleep on the couch forever."

[notarrowette]

"Yeah," she said, sighing with him. "Flying. And I think you're right." She went to him and took his hand, pulling him into the living room with her. Kon would be back soon, before the food was cold, and she didn't really want to have this talk while they stood around in the kitchen. "I think he's stuck here too."

[little_wing003]

Tim sighed. "We should get an actual bed for him." He glanced at the couch. "He really can't keep sleeping here. I mean--he needs privacy eventually, and a place to put his stuff. But... I think getting him furniture and so on would force him to admit that--for the foreseeable future, at least--he's stuck here."

Just like they were.

[notarrowette]

Cissie nodded and dropped to sit on the couch with a sigh. "I know. You're right." She looked up at him, smiling sadly. "I guess this means we have to do some apartment hunting?"

[little_wing003]

Tim made a face. "At least I won't have to fake our credit histories again." Their (excellent) credit history was well documented, now that they'd built upon the work he'd done to create the initial credit report. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "At least we'll have Kon's help when we move?" Moving in had been easy--they didn't have anything. Moving out would be more difficult. They had accumulated stuff.

[notarrowette]

Cissie wrinkled her nose and leaned against Tim's side. She looked around their living room, which was already beginning to look small and cluttered before Kon arrived. She dropped her head against his shoulder. "At least there's that," she agreed. "It'll be good to have more space?"

[little_wing003]

"That will be nice," Tim agreed with a small smile. "Maybe we'll have room for a bookcase for all of the school books we've collected. And on which to display some of my art atrocities."

[notarrowette]

"Oh, a bookcase. Maybe even two!" She found his hand, lacing their fingers together. "And they are not atrocities. I like your art. But maybe we'll finally have room for your comic collection."

[little_wing003]

Tim made a face. His comic book collection was starting to get large enough to attain its own gravity field. Ever since he'd found out that they documented their lives--the lives they were unable to get back to--he'd been obsessed. He couldn't help it. He just... needed to know what was happening to their friends and family.

And most days, he wished he didn't know, because it was never good.

"They are atrocities," he argued, focusing on the lighter of the subjects she'd mentioned. "They're crimes against aesthetics. I have no idea why you won't let me destroy them. I mean--the sculpture, Cissie." He motioned toward the pathetic little ceramic gargoyle decorating the top of the television. "Look at it. It's begging to be put out of its misery."

[notarrowette]

Cissie squeezed his hand, knowing what he wasn't saying, and letting him avoid. They had discussed his comic book obsession before, and she still wasn't sure if it was good or not to read them--she wasn't completely sold on their validity, and they only ever upset them--but she knew Tim needed them. Needed even that strange and tenuous a connection with home.

She shook her head and nudged his side with her elbow. "Don't insult my gargoyle. You'll make him sad."

[little_wing003]

"He's already sad," Tim laughed. "Poor pitiful thing."