[Upon returning to her door, surely safe and sound perhaps not of sound mind she stared at all the notes. And stared. And swayed a little and stared some more before stretching her arm across the length of the door in an exhausted and highly perturbed attempt to clear them off. All of them except that one, which she carefully plucked free.]
"...call... me... when you... oh."
[Inside she took about two steps and collapsed on the floor face first. Dialing Falcon's number had never been so hard. When she finally did, it rang about three times before the phone's battery blinked out.
As did Samus.
Come morning... afternoon morning there was still a giant empty swath of post-it notes on her door for much of Saturday.
For all intensive purposes Samus did not remember a damn thing about her fantastic Friday night adventure other than it was very fantastic and her refrigerator had some things in it that were not there before. Hopefully all of it was alchohol oh god she hopes what the hell did she do last night.But there was a post-it
( ... )
[Falcon also slept well into the afternoonmorning, mostly because it was the weekend, but also because he had spent a good chunk of the night before scouring the campus and driving slowly through the streets of FDC searching for a certain drunk bounty hunter and her "supervision", if such a chaperone even existed.
Samus never answered, but Falcon didn't happen upon any bike accidents, so he was able to return to his apartment eventually, worried but still knowing that the blonde was, in all likelihood, just fine. He knew she could take care of herself, even if she had been incredibly inebriated when they spoke earlier, and had, in all probability, gone on a quest to procure more booze.
He was jarred from slumber by the sound of his phone ringing, and he groaned and sat up, fumbling around on his bedside table for the device. Blinking sleep from his vision, he made out "Samus" on the caller ID, flipping the phone open and trying not to sound like he had just woken up.]
"Hey." Oh yes this was brilliant. Call without any idea of what to say other than maybe I have the worst headache like you have no idea. "I uh... got your message." She managed after a few seconds of awkward silence.
Well, at least she'd kept that promise. And technically, their conversation from the night before never got to the point where she promised to stay in her dorm, so he really shouldn't be angry with her.
But that didn't mean he hadn't been excessively worried. Hearing her voice relieved him quite a bit.
"I know. You promised you wouldn't. Are you okay? Where were you last night?"
Samus would have opted to stumbling around her dorm more trying to discover more clues that could potentially answer that question as she really wanted to know what she did and where she went last night too, but she was kind of tethered to the electrical outlet via the phone charger for now. So she crawled into bed and stared at the ceiling.
"I know. I promised." Appropriate phone conversation viewing material.
"I'm... fine." She started. "...better." She corrected. "Minus the hangover." She added.
"I... don't know what I did, to be perfectly honest."
Falcon would have been a bit more quick to admonish if he hadn't been in the same boat quite a few times. Waking up and not remembering anything of the night before was an experience he was rather familiar with, so he decided it would be wise to save Samus the lecture, lest she spin it around on him.
"Well...you're not hurt, are you? There's nothing weird in your apartment that you may have brought back?"
She was probably really hung over and didn't want to talk, but Falcon would keep prying, because it served her right after her little disappearing act. He couldn't get mad at her for not remembering anything, but he could be a little ticked that she'd run off on him. "Are you sure you're okay?"
As he continued to talk, he found himself wondering less about the drunken escapades and more about the event that led to them in the first place.
While also familiar with it, getting that drunk wasn't something she did very often, nor did she want to make a habit of it. The very notion of not being in complete control of her own actions frightened her... for many reasons. And she totally would have turned it back on Falcon. Pssht.
Samus flexed her hand and a quick body inspection later she... seemed okay? If she got into a scuffle it wasn't noticeable over the dull ache the hangover was providing. She wasn't sure at this point if she would have preferred that over the hangover. She didn't quite feel like rolling out of bed yet to inspect the rest of her dorm for anything else she might of brought back. If she only checked her computer then she would know that Kyle was probably in the same boat as her. "Nothing weird... 'cept your angry mob of post-it notes all over my door." She mumbled irritably into a pillow.
Was she okay? Maybe. Everything sort of just... ached. "...you shouldn't have to worry about me."
"They're just post-its." He retorted. It had seemed really funny at the time. Falcon had been so unbelievably infuriated after his search that it was the only thing he could think to do. Nevermind the fact that he could have spent the post-it time continuing his search. You deserve to have them all over your door so there.
Falcon knew he shouldn't have to worry about her. Just like she shouldn't have to worry about him. But they worried about each other anyway. "To be honest, I was mostly worried about the emotional state that made you get so drunk in the first place."
You could have talked to me about it I could have come over you didn't have to run off like that.
Somehow, something as mundane as an immature post-it war got her to crack a smile. It didn't hold much more than a second, but she knew Falcon and Falcon wasn't someone who was going to just walk away from this, regardless if he was on the phone or in person. He would push her just as much as she pushed him.
"...I needed it." Samus answered finally. Talking about these sorts of things was especially hard for her. She and Snake never really did either until... things weren't working out. Even then, both of them seemed to keep a reserved distance when it came to personal feelings and personal history. Out of respect or... fear? Samus couldn't tell. There were many things left unsaid. A lot of stories not shared. All she could tell was that it wasn't working anymore.
"I didn't drink anything after I left your place that night... I didn't eat. I sat in the shower until the water ran cold, and then some. I moped. It was pathetic. I was pathetic." Samus quietly admitted
( ... )
Falcon took the opportunity to sit up in bed and pull his knees to his chest, folding his arms and resting his chin on the back of his hand as he listened. Jesus, these words could just as easily be coming out of his own mouth.
"Samus..."
He wanted to tell her how much he understood, how many times he'd asked himself these same questions and how many nights he'd spent in an drunken stupor and how when that happened, he'd needed it too.
"Don't think that this was your fault, okay? Or that there's something wrong with you. You didn't do anything wrong
( ... )
Samus wasn't sure how his lifetime of unsuccessful partnerships was supposed to make her feel better but it did in a way, if only to feel fortunate and special enough to be someone to see another glimpse into his life and just hear his voice. It did make her feel special and... not alone.
"..."
Did she do the right thing? She had been thinking about it for an awfully long time. It had been bothering her for an awful long time until recent events finally slapped her in the face with a realization. Snake and her had a bond, she wouldn't deny that. It was some kind of love, just... not one she should keep trying to convince herself was right for her. Probably... not one Snake should either. Putting that into words was very difficult, especially when she was fighting the most wicked hangover from hell.
"...I think it's better this way." Samus exhaled... both metaphorically and physically. She was feeling much better already, saying just that one little sentence.
His own biased feelings aside, it probably was better this way. And he could tell she needed to say that. "Sometimes...sometimes things just don't work. No amount of pushing or pulling or forcing will make it work. And then it just hurts more in the long run."
Falcon felt like he knew that better than anyone. He wished he could take his own advice.
Telling her was one thing, but having her understand it and admit it to herself was another. He could tell by the sound of her exhaling over the phone that she'd made that first step--or was at least trying.
"Listen, if you need anything, just let me know, okay?"
Samus wished dearly this conversation didn't have to be on the phone. So much more could be conveyed through looks or glances over the quiet little "Mmn.." that came out over the phone. Or the hug she was sure she could use right about now. Not that she was going to admit that anytime soon.
A pillow and his voice would suffice for now.
I need you. I can't fly the WIG by myself. I need you... to keep talking to me. Just for a little bit.
"If you need anything you let me know." That went without saying. "What's Papa Falcon doing for tomorrow?"
Right. I was going to ask you if you wanted to come but then you broke up with Snake and got drunk and disappeared and now it's going to seem like a pity invite.
Damn it.
But he'd ask her anyway because he still wanted her to come and hopefully she wouldn't take it as a pity invite. It was an opportunity to get out and focus on other things. Yes. She'd know that, right?
"Actually, I was going to take Jeff and Ionia to the beach tomorrow, if you wanted to come. I was going to ask you but we just made the plans and you were...gone. Last night."
Oh yeah way to rub it in Falcon. Luckily for him she knew that. She wouldn't of asked otherwise because Samus Aran was not a person who took pity.
At all.
She still felt a little imposing regardless. It was supposed to be his day. "...That'd be nice, actually. If you don't mind the company. I told Jeff I'd go with him and Ulty to pick out a card for Father's day. We could do that real quick beforehand."
Samus rolled on her other side and brought the phone closer, whispering a little.
"You know, it's kind of awkward just a little considering the situation but it feels ...good to be able to support them. Even Ulty."
"I wouldn't have asked you to come if I thought you were imposing." He said, smiling and stretching out, sinking down into the pillows. "I want you to come because I think it'll be fun for all of us to go."
Together. Because that's what families do. And that's what they were. Some kind of weird, dysfunctional family that he wouldn't trade for the world.
He had a feeling he knew why she thought it was awkward, because honestly, Falcon thought it was pretty awkward too, but he was going to poke at it anyway, if only for his own amusement. "Awkward? What do you mean awkward?"
"...call... me... when you... oh."
[Inside she took about two steps and collapsed on the floor face first. Dialing Falcon's number had never been so hard. When she finally did, it rang about three times before the phone's battery blinked out.
As did Samus.
Come morning... afternoon morning there was still a giant empty swath of post-it notes on her door for much of Saturday.
For all intensive purposes Samus did not remember a damn thing about her fantastic Friday night adventure other than it was very fantastic and her refrigerator had some things in it that were not there before. Hopefully all of it was alchohol oh god she hopes what the hell did she do last night.But there was a post-it ( ... )
Reply
Samus never answered, but Falcon didn't happen upon any bike accidents, so he was able to return to his apartment eventually, worried but still knowing that the blonde was, in all likelihood, just fine. He knew she could take care of herself, even if she had been incredibly inebriated when they spoke earlier, and had, in all probability, gone on a quest to procure more booze.
He was jarred from slumber by the sound of his phone ringing, and he groaned and sat up, fumbling around on his bedside table for the device. Blinking sleep from his vision, he made out "Samus" on the caller ID, flipping the phone open and trying not to sound like he had just woken up.]
"Hello?"
Reply
"I didn't ride my bike."
Reply
But that didn't mean he hadn't been excessively worried. Hearing her voice relieved him quite a bit.
"I know. You promised you wouldn't. Are you okay? Where were you last night?"
Reply
"I know. I promised." Appropriate phone conversation viewing material.
"I'm... fine." She started. "...better." She corrected. "Minus the hangover." She added.
"I... don't know what I did, to be perfectly honest."
Reply
"Well...you're not hurt, are you? There's nothing weird in your apartment that you may have brought back?"
She was probably really hung over and didn't want to talk, but Falcon would keep prying, because it served her right after her little disappearing act. He couldn't get mad at her for not remembering anything, but he could be a little ticked that she'd run off on him. "Are you sure you're okay?"
As he continued to talk, he found himself wondering less about the drunken escapades and more about the event that led to them in the first place.
Reply
Samus flexed her hand and a quick body inspection later she... seemed okay? If she got into a scuffle it wasn't noticeable over the dull ache the hangover was providing. She wasn't sure at this point if she would have preferred that over the hangover. She didn't quite feel like rolling out of bed yet to inspect the rest of her dorm for anything else she might of brought back. If she only checked her computer then she would know that Kyle was probably in the same boat as her. "Nothing weird... 'cept your angry mob of post-it notes all over my door." She mumbled irritably into a pillow.
Was she okay? Maybe. Everything sort of just... ached. "...you shouldn't have to worry about me."
Reply
Falcon knew he shouldn't have to worry about her. Just like she shouldn't have to worry about him. But they worried about each other anyway. "To be honest, I was mostly worried about the emotional state that made you get so drunk in the first place."
You could have talked to me about it I could have come over you didn't have to run off like that.
"Are you sure everything's okay?"
Reply
"...I needed it." Samus answered finally. Talking about these sorts of things was especially hard for her. She and Snake never really did either until... things weren't working out. Even then, both of them seemed to keep a reserved distance when it came to personal feelings and personal history. Out of respect or... fear? Samus couldn't tell. There were many things left unsaid. A lot of stories not shared. All she could tell was that it wasn't working anymore.
"I didn't drink anything after I left your place that night... I didn't eat. I sat in the shower until the water ran cold, and then some. I moped. It was pathetic. I was pathetic." Samus quietly admitted ( ... )
Reply
"Samus..."
He wanted to tell her how much he understood, how many times he'd asked himself these same questions and how many nights he'd spent in an drunken stupor and how when that happened, he'd needed it too.
"Don't think that this was your fault, okay? Or that there's something wrong with you. You didn't do anything wrong ( ... )
Reply
Samus wasn't sure how his lifetime of unsuccessful partnerships was supposed to make her feel better but it did in a way, if only to feel fortunate and special enough to be someone to see another glimpse into his life and just hear his voice. It did make her feel special and... not alone.
"..."
Did she do the right thing? She had been thinking about it for an awfully long time. It had been bothering her for an awful long time until recent events finally slapped her in the face with a realization. Snake and her had a bond, she wouldn't deny that. It was some kind of love, just... not one she should keep trying to convince herself was right for her. Probably... not one Snake should either. Putting that into words was very difficult, especially when she was fighting the most wicked hangover from hell.
"...I think it's better this way." Samus exhaled... both metaphorically and physically. She was feeling much better already, saying just that one little sentence.
Reply
Falcon felt like he knew that better than anyone. He wished he could take his own advice.
Telling her was one thing, but having her understand it and admit it to herself was another. He could tell by the sound of her exhaling over the phone that she'd made that first step--or was at least trying.
"Listen, if you need anything, just let me know, okay?"
Reply
A pillow and his voice would suffice for now.
I need you. I can't fly the WIG by myself. I need you... to keep talking to me. Just for a little bit.
"If you need anything you let me know." That went without saying. "What's Papa Falcon doing for tomorrow?"
Reply
Damn it.
But he'd ask her anyway because he still wanted her to come and hopefully she wouldn't take it as a pity invite. It was an opportunity to get out and focus on other things. Yes. She'd know that, right?
"Actually, I was going to take Jeff and Ionia to the beach tomorrow, if you wanted to come. I was going to ask you but we just made the plans and you were...gone. Last night."
Reply
At all.
She still felt a little imposing regardless. It was supposed to be his day. "...That'd be nice, actually. If you don't mind the company. I told Jeff I'd go with him and Ulty to pick out a card for Father's day. We could do that real quick beforehand."
Samus rolled on her other side and brought the phone closer, whispering a little.
"You know, it's kind of awkward just a little considering the situation but it feels ...good to be able to support them. Even Ulty."
Reply
Together. Because that's what families do. And that's what they were. Some kind of weird, dysfunctional family that he wouldn't trade for the world.
He had a feeling he knew why she thought it was awkward, because honestly, Falcon thought it was pretty awkward too, but he was going to poke at it anyway, if only for his own amusement. "Awkward? What do you mean awkward?"
Reply
Leave a comment