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[heliophilic]

This is M. I'm most likely out punching someone. Don't worry, they deserve it.

Probably.

I'll call you back later.

TEXT | VOICE | VIDEO

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[heliophilic]

Look, where you all chose to put those rings are none of my business.

[killtime]

[ She gives him an amused little sidelong look.

Naughty, M. ]

We're a lifetime away from that kind of ring. [ Dryly: ] He's never even seen me fully naked. And I'm not sure he actually wants to.

[ Does Rex even know if he actually wants to? She's not so sure. ]

[heliophilic]

Well that would make your bedroom dealings awkward...

[Unsure if he should go with serious or joke, he decides to pick one and let Andy decide if he's made the wrong choice.]

I mean, you could leave the lights off.

[killtime]

Babe, I'm pretty sure my husband has never handled a vagina before. [ Dryly: ] Not sure I want him fumbling around in the dark down there.

[ Funny though, how she says that with a twinge of something like affection instead of frustration. Sure, it's been a while since she's gotten laid and sure, she's doing a lot of self-maintenance right now, but she doesn't... Mind it as much as a person might think.

Oddly, she seems... Almost content with things. ]

[heliophilic]

Then your husbands have something in common.

[M absolutely notices her tone. Though he may be teasing her about her and Rex's unconventional relationship, whatever makes them both happy--sex or no sex--is all right by him. It's nice to see his cynical friend something akin to content.]

[killtime]

[ Wry as ever, giving M a little sidelong glance as she leans to refill her own glass: ]

That's my type: Men who aren't physically attracted to me. Something about the idea of indefinitely unresolved sexual tension really makes me want to commit.

[heliophilic]

You're truly only attracted to your little fleshy friends.

[He takes a big sip so he can hold out his glass for her to refill as well.]

[killtime]

[ She's not a completely terrible friend — so she obligingly refills his glass too, topping him off rather generously. It's a good thing he's steady-handed.

WIth the same dryness: ]

What, like I'm not capable of a little romance?

[heliophilic]

[How kind.

With the exact same dryness:]

I don't know, have you tried in the past millenia?

[killtime]

Yeah.

[ A bit quietly: ]

I have.

[heliophilic]

[Well shit. Way to make her feel bad, asshole.

He shifts as he adds, softer:]

Something you don't want to talk about?

[killtime]

[ She doesn't answer right away. For a second, her grip tightens slightly on her glass, then she suddenly tips the whole thing back, chugging her drink like the seasoned alcoholic she is before she finally responds: ]

Just been a while, that's all.

[heliophilic]

[Slowly, hesitantly, he puts his hand on her shoulder.]

Sorry.

[killtime]

[ She lets him. They're close enough for that, aren't they? ]

What for?

[heliophilic]

Being an ass.

Just because I can see every outcome before it's made, doesn't mean that it's the right one. Sometimes I pick the one that hurts the most out of habit.

[killtime]

[ Ah. She must really seem pathetic, for him to back off like that. For him to apologize like that. That realization makes her huff out a little breath, half-annoyed with herself. ]

Stop. Don't do that.

[ She scrubs a hand over her face. ]

You don't have to go easy on me just because I'm a moody old woman.

[heliophilic]

[M just shoots her a look.]

There's going easy and then there's being a dick about love.

If we were talking to me five years ago, the claws would be out. What the fuck did I care?

But you clearly loved at least one someone. Who am I to fuck with that?

[killtime]

You should save this romantic side for Apollo. [ She answers with a twinge of wryness, still trying to play it off, waving a hand dismissively in M's general direction ] It doesn't matter. I'm fucking ancient, so yeah, I've been in love once or twice.

[ She may or may not be in love now, but fuck. She doesn't need to admit that out loud. ]

[heliophilic]

I can be multi-talented.

[He pauses.]

Look, I'm... not going to talk about it if you don't want to, but you know how to reach me.

You were prying into my love life?

[killtime]

Nothing to talk about. He's dead. The one before him is dead. And the one before that too.

[ She sighs heavily, sagging against the couch so that her head falls backward, her face pointed towards the ceiling and her eyes closed. ]

Just let me be happy for you.

[heliophilic]

[He... kind of figured, once he shut the fuck up. It's why he eased up so fast. He leans down and quickly kisses the top of her hair while rubbing her back.]

Leave it to you to be excited your husband is seeing other men.

[killtime]

[ It's comforting, that gesture. The human contact. For a moment, there's a subtle crack in the mask of her carefully crafted indifference — she instinctively leans towards him as he leans towards her, those dark eyebrows drawing together ever so slightly when he kisses the top of her head, something soft and a little sad in her face.

Her wryness is absent and quiet when she answers him: ]

You're lucky I'm that kind of wife.

[heliophilic]

[M's not the best at comforting people, but even he can see that what he's doing is making a difference, so he keeps it up, his hand rubbing small circles into Andy's upper back, and placing another kiss on top of her head before opting to just lean his head against hers instead.

He really is a dick sometimes, even when he doesn't want to be.]

I'm lucky you humored me with that HypeReader quiz all that time ago.

[killtime]

[ Gods, is she really that transparent? Is it really that obvious, how much she wants to feel connected to somebody else at moments like this? She should probably pull away. Say something dismissive, as if that would prove that she's fine. That the cracks aren't actually showing.

Instead, she just lets her head lean against his, some of the tension easing from her neck and letting her posture sink into something a little heavier.

In a low mutter: ]

I'm lucky you still wanted to be my friend after I made you kill me.

[heliophilic]

ImPort bullshit made me kill you.

[Despite the easiness of his words, he tenses somewhat at the thought. He doesn't like to remember it.

It's the first time he's killed someone that he actually felt something about... Felt something he didn't like.]

That wasn't how I wanted to check off "kill the unkillable" off my bucket list.