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[castaside]

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[forgingfires]

"Oh? The taking it easy, or just being with him?" Red Son asked.

[castaside]

"Just being with him is what I meant. I'm certainly fine with hard-fought relationships when they're worth it," MK and Wukong are proof enough of that, "but it's nice to not feel like I'm swimming upstream. It's like how things happened with you, that kind of easy."

[forgingfires]

He hummed and nodded his head against his chest. "That's good to hear. You deserve easier relationships," he said. Macaque deserves to have all the good things.

[castaside]

"Mm. The one thing I have to adjust to is that without all the physical stuff, or at least without most of it, I'm getting a lot less reinforcement than I'm used to. It'll be good for me to learn to open my mouth and ask if things are okay, I guess."

[forgingfires]

"It is a pretty good habit to develop," Red Son said. "Hopefully he is responsive when you ask things?" He IS giving the affirmation Macaque looks for them, right? The fact things are easier, he would hope so.

[castaside]

"He is. I just don't want to pester about it too much. You know how that new stage is, when you're trying hard not to be annoying."

[forgingfires]

"Its hard to imagine you annoying," Red Son said, hand wondering to his neck. Working through the fur there. "But good. If he doesn't treat you right, he would get a very stern and mildly threatening lecture."

[castaside]

Macaque shakes his head. "Would never happen. If he was ever an asshole to me, he'd apologize." Ask him how he knows.

[forgingfires]

"You're quite confident," Red Son said, surprised. "Usually you're more....more resigned to being treated poorly. Have to insist you do otherwise."

[castaside]

"He knows that he can be an ass sometimes, and so we discussed it. He's been so clear that not even I could doubt it." And the flowers were a nice touch.

[forgingfires]

"...wow. Clear communication," he said. How novel. He's been trying to be better at it with Saya's influence and because clearly MK needed it and Macaque seemed benefited from it, but he had his shortfalls.

[castaside]

"Mmhmm. It's kind of addictive when you get used to it. Which I'm not entirely quite yet, but he's getting me closer."

[forgingfires]

"You deserve it," he said. "To have someone make it easy to know where they are and where they want to go." Unlike SOME people who are absolutely garbage at words.

[castaside]

"I don't know if he quite knows where he wants to go, at least not with me. Yet. I don't mind taking things slowly... but who could blame me for hoping we get there at some point?"

[forgingfires]

"He must have really charmed you," Red Son said. "Its kind of cute." Macaque really does have that schoolkid crush vibe right now.

[castaside]

A light burst of laughter as Macaque nudges Red. "Shut up."

"...But yes. He did."

[forgingfires]

"You're adorable," he said, finally looking up. His eyes are puffy and face tear stained.

He reaches up and baps Macaque's cheeks. "You should take him on more dates if it gives you these adorable faces."

[castaside]

It's a cute face even so. He will allow the cheek bap but don't make it a habit.

"I'll ask him." Once Choco is out of the jar, oops. "We can't have you going without cute faces."

[forgingfires]

"Absolutely not. I want more cute Mac faces," he said. Lightly poking his cheeks.

Well, at least he's reaching distracted drunk phase.

[castaside]

"I probably make cute faces when I talk about you, too." He's just saying, Wash doesn't have a monopoly.

[forgingfires]

"Hm, but I don't get to see you TALK about me like that, so I don't get those faces," he said.

It's a good expression on Macaque. He keeps poking his cheeks. Something peaceful. Fond. Maybe even safe.

Slowly the small smile on Red Son's face fades. Tears starting to prick at the corner of his eyes. "I'm sorry...I don't think I can make the dream come true anymore..."

[castaside]

The dream...? --Oh.

He holds Red closer. "You'll still have me. No matter what."

[forgingfires]

"I know. But it was the part that would make you happiest that's gone. I think it was gone before I even had the dream," he said, the tears building.

[castaside]

Red gets a kiss on the temple. "You make me deliriously happy, Red. Not being able to make it work with him won't make me unhappy."

[forgingfires]

"I thought I could. I thought after the apology, after he accepted the laptop, that it was a sign he was open to moving forward. I thought his avoiding me was because he was a hermit or skittish about the changing dynamic. I thought...I thought if I just kept TRYING, then he would reach out on his own and then we could try getting closer and then MK would be happy, and you'd be happy, and he'd be happy and it'd WORK OUT, but..." He whines, burying his face against his shoulder again.