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 Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 6:12 pm
As tense as he was, Chris jumped a little when Paris suddenly pulled at his shirt, but before he could snap or ask what she was doing, her warm hand was against him and he knew he was stepping out of line.
Slowly but surely, he seemed to settle down. Not enough to stop him from shooting a glower at Finn for his stupid comments, but at least he wasn’t ready to throw fries across the table, or yell and shout and have a tantrum like he was a child. So he took a deep breath and tried to ignore the fact that he was remembering quite well why he didn’t like dealing with Finn.
“I wasn’t trying to convince you to go back if that’s not what you wanted to do,” he explained through gritted teeth and a scowl at an offending napkin. Maybe he wanted to see for himself that Finn was okay. That he was actually doing more with his life than just hiding from the war. “I wasn’t trying to keep you away from your classes or anything like that… But she’s right. We’re not going to just pretend as though you don’t have people you care for back in Destiny City, and we’re going to help however we can.”
If he wanted to convince Finn that going back was the thing to do, he would have done it in a way other than just talking to him. Even though he thought he would be mature enough to handle his issues with Finn, Chris was clearly mistaken.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he grunted, picking once more at the cracks in the table, grateful for Paris’s presence, and hating himself for not knowing how to behave. It wasn’t even that Finn was doing anything… There was obviously something wrong with him to get so worked up about the other.
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Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 4:31 pm
Paris told herself she should be pleased that Chris was settling down, and might have started petting at his hair and cooing at him if she didn't think he'd find that entirely inappropriate (and completely humiliating) in front of Finn. So she kept her hand on his back instead and made soothing motions with her fingers, growing quiet again as the two said their piece over the table.
When her smile returned it was somewhat timid, her voice still low and cautious instead of its usual exuberant tone.
“We're not really all that selfless,” she said. Her expression grew sheepish. “Or at least I'm not.”
The fact that Finn even agreed to return at all should have relieved Paris, and there was a part of her that was happy that he did, but she also knew that his returning would once again put him in danger, and she didn't like to think it was because she and Chris had come to pull him back. She'd wanted to see him, to make sure that he was fairing alright all the way out here, but she hadn't wanted to make him feel as if they were trying to take him out of his little corner of peace. Now she was partially responsible for removing him from the safety distance from Destiny City had brought him.
“Do what you feel you have to do, and if you need help, just ask for it,” she told him. “But no one's going to judge you if you come back here after. We understand. I can't imagine any of us would blame you. You should have the chance to make your own way. We just... we want to know that you're going to be okay,” she insisted.
“If you... well, if you need a place to stay for a little bit while you get back on your feet in Destiny City,” and here she looked cautiously at Chris, “we have plenty of extra rooms.”
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Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:22 pm
Finn didn't know what exactly Chris and Paris's living situation was, but staying with them for more than a few days sounded like a nightmare - not because a 24/7 slumber party with Paris didn't sound like fun, but because he was pretty sure that the only thing keeping him and Chris from coming to blows was not having to spend more time in the same physical proximity than absolutely necessary. "I couldn't abuse your hospitality like that," he said awkwardly. It wasn't like his parents didn't still live in town - though he hadn't figured out what he'd tell them about being back and blowing off the rest of the semester. "Maybe for a few days," he said, "But I'll find my own place. Craigslist housing has never failed me before." He shrugged and reached for a few more fries. "I guess it sounds sort of stupid, but I moved here because when the war ends, I want to be ready to live the rest of my life. Have a degree in the thing I love, be in a place where I can do it." Which sounded spectacularly short-sighted and selfish now. "But I have a duty back home and I shouldn't have just left and expected you guys and everyone else to pick up the slack." Their food arrived, and Finn went quiet, simmering his thoughts for the time being. Once the waitress was out of earshot, he started back up. "So hey, you've got me, I'm going back," said Finn, dumping ketchup onto his burger. "Everyone's made sacrifices. I shouldn't have thought I was special and could just split town like that. I mean, if everyone did that, we'd be ********. So here. I'm in. For a few months. Maybe longer. You have my lantern." He appreciated Paris's concern - even if they'd never been close before, she and Chris were clearly good for each other. "And I'll be okay."
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Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 5:38 pm
Chris’s jaw tightened as Paris practically offered their house to Finn. And while he tried to convince himself that it would just be for a few days, he couldn’t help but think of the parties the other young man might decide to throw, or if they’d come home to find their dining room tables turned into some lame piece of wanna-be dada art… Or worse, if Finn was stupid enough to lure youma and other such villainous beings to destroy their house.
Instead of saying anything, he shoved some fries into his face, grumbling about how it was fine. After all, he wasn’t about to go back on an offer Paris made, even if it was to Finn. Chris remained pretty silent through the rest of what Paris and Finn had to say to each other, and while he didn’t think Finn needed to feel so guilty or whatever, he couldn’t blame him.
He didn’t blame him. He didn’t blame Daniel or anyone else who needed to get away from a war that was killing them, some slower than others, some in a blink of an eye.
Regardless of what he thought of Finn (or didn’t know what he thought of Finn), he leaned his chin on his hand, elbow propped on the table as he mumbled around a fry he was nibbling at, “I got that reference…”
Whether or not Finn would truly be okay… only time would tell.
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