For Yuna! (Whereishe). Continued Cuteness

[my_belfry_of_fun]

Title:Continued Cuteness
Who:Yuna and Alex Mercer
What:Cuteness in an evolving friendship
Open/Closed:Closed
Additional Details:Originally based on a meme, set in the Explorers setting.

Comments

[whereishe]

"Oh. That is true. Thank you then." Her cheeks reddened as she placed her spoon down on her tray. "I mean for watching over me."

Yuna meant for everything but she supposed that he could take it as he liked. She sipped her water and then set it down on the tray. "I've finished if you are okay with maybe moving this talk back to your room?" She wasn't ready to let go of his jacket and even now she nuzzled her face into it's sleeve.

[lessandmorethanhuman]

From how he'd grown up, you didn't waste food. So while he'd taken his time eating during their conversation, he was finished as well. "Worried about getting into a battle with the blanket again?"

Teasing gently, as he gathered the trays and glasses, then moving to take them to the kitchen area for washing and cleaning. He was due to start a shift soon anyways, and should probably change into proper uniform.

[whereishe]

"Like the blanket could win." She laughed as she stood following Alex to the kitchen to lend him a hand. It was hard to do anything in his jacket but she really wanted to keep it on.

Once they were done they were heading down the hallway. Yuna laced her fingers behind her back as she walked.

[lessandmorethanhuman]

"Seemed like it was giving you a good challenge before..." Easy banter, and Alex was fine with it. Eyes flicking to her every now and then, and as they walked down the hall of the ship towards the crew-quarters once more, he hung back a little.

"Y'know, if it weren't for that half-skirt thing that hangs from your belt, you'd look a lot less dressed considering my jacket dwarfs you." Deliberately keeping his voice neutral, but he'd noticed. He'd noticed earlier too, but he was attempting to look at things in a different way, given their chat.

Mostly trying to figure out his own feelings still, as well. If nothing else, patience was a must, when dealing with him.

[whereishe]

"Is that.. bad?" Her head tilted to the side as she brought her hand out next to her as a grin played across her lips. It certainly made him look incriminating since it was his jacket but she liked it, more so since it was over sized.

Her palms reached down and rested on her thighs trying to measure the length of the jacket. It was several inches longer than her shorts so even when she sat down it still looked as if she wore nothing underneath. Plus she was only 5' 3".

[lessandmorethanhuman]

No easy response to that, so Alex kept his mouth shut. Quietly swallowing, to keep his throat from going more dry. Hands in his hoodie pockets, and moving more to keep pace with her. "Considering some of the beings we've encountered and what they run around in?"

Not a proper answer to her question. Mostly because ever since their goodbye, when he wasn't focused on the mission, he'd been trying to figure out how he felt. Especially now that he had it confirmed how she felt.

[whereishe]

She wasn't used to people answering her questions with more questions. She looked up curiously and stopped walking only to quickly catch up a moment later. Her finger tips grasped at the sleeves of his jacket excited to feel the soft leather under her finger tips.

"So I can keep running around in this then?" Yuna smiled up at him taking this time to let him know that she would love to hand onto his jacket while he worked. At least then she could smell him, which wasn't weird!

[lessandmorethanhuman]

"Seriously, are all your spheres that...less...clothed?" Oh yes, tables were turned and he was dodging. He wanted his jacket back, damnit...

But she was being cute, and he valued her as a friend, and that was already complicated because friends weren't something he was used to having. All a big mix up in his brain when he was used to simpler emotions--or at least emotions that didn't involve worrying about other people.

"...I really do want it back, at some point." Murmured, his own head tilting away, and no--he was not being petulant. Not at all... "I like my jacket."

Ok, yes, he was being petulant.

[whereishe]

Yuna laughed softly. "I will give it back." Besides pretty soon it would smell more like her than him and she'd rather it smell like him again before stealing it to wear it.

She lightly scratched at the back of her head blushing. "Most of my spheres are rather revealing, some more than others." She wasn't sure if that was bad or not. She didn't think he was one to feel things like jealousy.

[lessandmorethanhuman]

Ok--whether he cared for her in a big brother way, or any other way, he wasn't sure he was comfortable with the idea that most of her outfits being so revealing. Not that there was anything wrong with revealing, and not that Yuna didn't look good...just...

He frowned at himself, trying to figure out the jumble of thoughts and feelings this stirred up.

"So you wouldn't have had anything warmer in your spheres if you had been able to focus on your magic?"

Yes, that's right Alex, focus on the recent mission and its results. Clearly that was a much safer subject in his mind. Gesturing her ahead of him on the ladder that lead down to the crew-residential quarters.

[whereishe]

"I have a jacket if that is what you mean but I never need to use that sphere." Mostly because it was her white mage sphere which was a skill that she has already mastered.

Yuna stopped at the ladders edge and then looked back at Alex. "How about you go first?"

[lessandmorethanhuman]

"What, scared of heights now?" Because considering the thoughts that had been stirred in his brain, Alex didn't want to go down the ladder first. Well, he could--but he would have to avoid looking up.

[whereishe]

"No. I just.." She was going to finish her thought but waved it away with a flick of her wrist. She moved over to the ladder and tried her best to climb down with the sleeves of his jacket covering her hands. It was awkward and at best she slipped once trying to play it off as if she meant to do that.

[lessandmorethanhuman]

Hmmm, he did notice but he hadn't thought of that aspect in terms of how her wearing his jacket worked. He made sure he gave her space, but followed down and then lead the way down the hallway.

He'd chosen crew-quarters away from most of the other crew, if he could. Privacy freak, not to mention he had heightened senses, so ambient noise or scents were a bit more annoying for him. Not that their exploration ship was big, but most people had set up in the crew-housing on the main level.

Alex liked his space, and privacy--so he'd sought out a bit further away, and kidnapped one of the double-quarters for himself.

[whereishe]

Yuna walked into his room before him trying to sort her own thoughts. She wished that she knew what he was thinking and then maybe she would have a clue as to what to say. She didn't even know how he felt about her. He said one thing but then his actions almost dictated another. Her heart ached remembering his hand as he brushed her hair to the side.

"So.. we can talk now. If you want." She wanted to be open and to let him know he could talk or not talk as he wanted.

[lessandmorethanhuman]

"I thought we were talking." Alex responded, kind of amused at Yuna's casualness. She was getting bolder, not that she hadn't ever really been confident. At least, he didn't think she had been.

Shy was definitely not something he'd ever have used to describe her. But even while she'd visited, it hadn't ever really been something common to him. Part of her job usually--given she'd check in on everyone, as Morale-officer.

But hey, he'd hung out in her room while she slept, so...fair was fair for now.

Moving over to the closet, and pulling out his uniform as crew. He'd be keeping his hoodie, but that had never been a problem. "But...that's not what you want meant, is it?"

[whereishe]

"Well.." Her hands fidgeted in front of her while she tried to think. "I have said what I wanted to say. I just wanted to make sure you didn't have any questions. My feelings won't change and.." She wanted to tell him he didn't have to accept them but she also wanted to say that she hoped it would. It was strange but more than that she didn't want to lose him as a friend.

Her two toned eyes looked up at him with a small smile.

[lessandmorethanhuman]

Alex kicked off his shoes while listening to her, but otherwise didn't do much except move to lean against the wall. "I...don't get why." A shrug, and he met her eyes. "I'm just...I'm not a good relationship target. Friends, is still so new to me, and I'm sure I do it wrong most of the time."

Almost shy, and clear he was awkward.

[whereishe]

"I think you're a wonderful friend and I don't want to push you but it is how I feel." She looks up confidently with a wide smile. "I know why. It's because you are you and I think that person is wonderful. You are strong and you try your best at each task. You might be silent but you always think before you speak with the other person in your thoughts. Does that really sound so bad?"

Her head tilted to the side, her smile growing as she explained a small part of why she liked him. He might not know it but there was so much more.

[lessandmorethanhuman]

He blinked, and was still confused in some ways. "I...do that because I don't really know how to 'do' friends, so to me it's...I try to be there for them. It's an extension of how I do tend to take my responsibilities serious. I also don't speak a lot because I don't really care. Other people, beyond basics, don't really register for me."

Which was also saying in an unspoken way, that his friends WERE important. Because he didn't really care about most people, those few he did were clearly important.


"I'm ruthless, and practical though. I'm not that sentimental--again because I don't really care much. I'm anti-social, and don't care if others like me or not, so long as the job gets done. I'm not afraid to do what is necessary, including kill without remorse."

[whereishe]

"I don't see how any for those are bad things." She lightly scratches the edge of her cheek as she regards Alex seriously. "I know you aren't perfect. I don't believe that anyone truly is but I know you. The good and the bad and.. well.. I still like you."

Which Yuna thought meant more than anything, not just seeing the man she wanted to but who he was and still caring about him.

[lessandmorethanhuman]

He wasn't a good man, wasn't even 'human', but Yuna already knew that. Part of him was quiet, watching her, as he puzzled over this and took his time with his thoughts. Clear that he did value her friendship, and she was important to him.

"And...the man you're searching for?" Because even if he hadn't heard the whole story, he'd heard enough. Part of how they'd become friends, some of their history being bared, and what they'd been through. Part of why Alex felt Yuna was stronger than she thought.

[whereishe]

She felt her face fall and as much as she tried to hide it his question hurt but she didn't want to hide things from him.

"He's a friend from my time as a summoner. I.." Yuna paused before looking up at Alex. "I killed him."

It was a little more complicated than that but that was how she felt about it. Her heart ached as she heard her own words she felt tears form at the corner of her eyes. She has killed so many people but she never wanted to sacrifice a friend. "I was the one who should have died." ..but would that have really changed anything? He'd be alive but other than that she didn't know.

[lessandmorethanhuman]

He'd moved while she was preoccupied, and reached out now to stroke her hair once more. His own way of offering comfort. "I think I'm glad you didn't. Because then you wouldn't be my friend, and wouldn't be here." Quietly voiced, but firm.

"I didn't mean to make you remember bad things, just...it's complicated. But we are friends Yuna, at the very least. And that's already rare for me. Focus on that for the moment, then we can finish talking."

[whereishe]

Yuna shook her head. "I'm sorry." She looked up, happy for his comfort with a determined smile. "You're right but I'm not going to pretend that I don't have these feelings." She didn't want to just forget her feelings. She knew that life was short and she didn't want to waste a moment of it knowing how she felt.

Her hand rested over her heart as her smile became more gentle. "Is it alright if you want to talk more later. There isn't any rush but.. it's how I feel." She wanted to step away from him or hug him but instead she just stood there letting his fingers run through her hair.