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Arden had stupidly had the jitters all day Tuesday, thinking of the plan with Cal to have one last paintball dinner while here in Québec. Did it mean something? Something more than friends? Surely he wasn't trying to drop a hint or anything...right?
Which meant that she couldn't help but inwardly (and ruefully) laugh at herself when they ended up deciding to end up at the Buffet de l'Anquitaire. The food looked amazing, don't get her wrong, but the chill diner atmosphere didn't really give off 'confessions of a secret crush' vibes. She was definitely glad she'd stuck with a cute but nothing fancy outfit. This was firmly 'two friends having dinner post-paintball' territory.
Once again proving that the only one harboring a secret crush was Arden. She really needed to stomp that out. She'd been making good progress, but Parents' Weekend had derailed that. But hey, if she could kill a crush during a trip where there was only one bed, then there was probably no bringing it back, right? Of course right. She was just gonna...get on doing that, then.
"Let me guess," she teased, snagging a seat in one of the bright red booths, "you wanna get the hot dog and sausage poutine. And, hey! We'll have to try some of these pies so I can report back to Graham."
Which meant that she couldn't help but inwardly (and ruefully) laugh at herself when they ended up deciding to end up at the Buffet de l'Anquitaire. The food looked amazing, don't get her wrong, but the chill diner atmosphere didn't really give off 'confessions of a secret crush' vibes. She was definitely glad she'd stuck with a cute but nothing fancy outfit. This was firmly 'two friends having dinner post-paintball' territory.
Once again proving that the only one harboring a secret crush was Arden. She really needed to stomp that out. She'd been making good progress, but Parents' Weekend had derailed that. But hey, if she could kill a crush during a trip where there was only one bed, then there was probably no bringing it back, right? Of course right. She was just gonna...get on doing that, then.
"Let me guess," she teased, snagging a seat in one of the bright red booths, "you wanna get the hot dog and sausage poutine. And, hey! We'll have to try some of these pies so I can report back to Graham."
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Date: 2024-10-23 02:51 am (UTC)She was trying to settle her brain down, but even so she couldn't stop smiling.
"Are you serious? You...like me? Because, like. I've had a crush on you almost from the beginning. And I've been trying to fight it down, because I didn't think that you liked people like that. And I didn't want to ruin our friendship and make you uncomfortable or go against your Code."
A beat.
"Oh no, your Code. Did I...how are you...what do you mean? Like...how do you..."
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Date: 2024-10-23 03:04 am (UTC)"Like I said, I have no idea what I'm doing. But I know I care about you, a lot, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather figure this stuff out with than you." His own rambling aside, something finally clicked for Cal. "Wait, you've had a crush on me? The whole time?"
It was a good thing he was cute.
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Date: 2024-10-23 03:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 03:24 am (UTC)It made sense at the time!
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Date: 2024-10-23 03:43 am (UTC)"How much experience dating do you think I have?" she asked. "Goddess, Cal! I don't care about any of that! I've been half in love with you from the get-go and stressing out because there was no way to do that without hurting you and forcing you to do something that you don't want, because you don't like people like that, or...didn't like me like that...or...you don't like things like...kissing or...stuff. I mean! Not saying that that's a thing that has to happen! We're not agreeing to anything or anything! But just...I didn't think...you wanted anything like that. Or would allow it. Because of the Code...Anyway, it wasn't because I was saving it for somebody who knew 'what they were doing.'"
She rolled her eyes at him, suddenly realized she'd said the words 'half-in-love-with' and started trying to calculate the distance between the diner and the sea.
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Date: 2024-10-23 12:49 pm (UTC)"I didn't tell you about the Code to make it seem like we couldn't be more than friends. Or maybe I was trying to protect myself," he admitted. "My intention was never to push you away or stress you out. I was so busy stressing out about my own feelings that I never considered you might have worries too. I'm so sorry." He laughed softly at the idea that he didn't like people at all. "I like people and I like kissing, I think. I don't know what it's okay to feel, to be honest. I've been too afraid of myself to think about it too hard."
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Date: 2024-10-23 01:12 pm (UTC)"If it helps, I never thought you were trying to push me away or make me back off? I just thought I was being a really bad friend for continuing to have a crush on you when you'd - I thought anyway - made it clear that that kinda stuff was something you weren't interested in or allowed to do. Like if someone kept trying to get me to eat wings after I told them I didn't eat chicken, you know? I just...never wanted to pressure you or make you feel uncomfortable or even make you doubt that your Code was a good thing for you, or whatever."
She might have a lot of questions and reservations about the Order, but that was different than respecting that he'd chosen to hold to the Code.
"But, um. You said you like kissing?" She has to clear her throat there a second. No reason. "That's interesting--wait, you've been kissing people?"
Wait no! That sounded bad! "You don't have to answer that!" she said quickly. "Like, you're a free person, you can be kissing people and it's not my business...I just was surprised and curious, not like... demanding you explain yourself."
The tables near them didn't need to be wiped down, but this was way too interesting to not eavesdrop on, or so thought several of the waitstaff.
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Date: 2024-10-23 05:35 pm (UTC)"I think I like kissing. You're the only person I've kissed, and I liked that, so either I like it, or I just like kissing you." Ignore the way his stomach twisted at that attempt to be smooth. That sounded smooth in his head, at least?
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Date: 2024-10-23 06:00 pm (UTC)"Oh." Again, Arden looked down, flushing slightly. And trying not to smile. "You're also the only person I've kissed, so, umm...same. With you know. Liking it. Or liking it with you."
Wow, Arden, way to make Cal Kestis look smooth.
"So..." She peeked up at him again. "We've admitted we like each other as more than friends, but that doesn't have to mean anything. Like, you said this was new, and you're still figuring things out, and that's okay. Were you mostly just telling me because you didn't wanna feel like you were lying still, or...?"
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Date: 2024-10-23 06:30 pm (UTC)There was some distraught beeping coming from under the table, because how could Cal come so far and still fall short?
"Would you like to be more than friends with me?" Cal asked.
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Date: 2024-10-23 06:50 pm (UTC)She squeezed his hand. "But also? I'd understand if you're not sure? Or you wanted to go slow? Cause like you said you're still trying to figure things out. And I don't want you to feel pressured to do something because you think it's what I want or the expectation is there for something specific?" She bit her lip. "Can I ask possibly a bad question?"
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Date: 2024-10-23 06:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 07:05 pm (UTC)Look, she had a lot of experience of people saying they wanted her and then changing their minds and...
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Date: 2024-10-23 07:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 08:17 pm (UTC)So about walking into the sea...
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Date: 2024-10-23 08:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 08:45 pm (UTC)This was much better than walking into the sea.
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Date: 2024-10-23 09:09 pm (UTC)Cal kept going until he needed some air, his cheeks turning as red as his hair. "I... yeah, I still like that. That's really nice," he said. "No regrets here."
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Date: 2024-10-23 09:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 09:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 10:03 pm (UTC)"...Is this gonna make our rooming situation awkward?" Look, she had to ask.
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Date: 2024-10-23 10:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 10:45 pm (UTC)Though whether it was something about them or a tiny droid stealing the pillows in the night, who could say?
"Is there anything else that you think we should do different?" she asked. "I have no experience with this and you don't, so it's kinda like you said, we're gonna make it up as we go along. But other than kissing and admitting that we have feelings more than friendship, I don't really know what separates being together from just how we've always been."
A pause.
"Okay, also I get to be stupid about your arms in front of you now. That's a change."
Another change? Arden was pushing her plate and milkshake over to his side of the table. Not to share, but because she was getting up to slide into the booth next to him. This seemed like an excellent time for some non-platonic cuddling.
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Date: 2024-10-24 01:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-24 01:40 am (UTC)She was just going to huff a laugh, shake her head, and then lean against him anyway.
"You have very good arms," she told him, and then added, "They make me want to bite them." No she would not be explaining. "Kamala makes fun of me because I forget where I am in sentences sometimes when you're in a tanktop."
Very good arms.
"...You get stupid about how I look in dresses?"
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