Cypher kept his distance, watching Fysarious fumble through the process of burning the trash with a carefully neutral expression. The flames roared to life, bright and fleeting, before settling into a lazy smolder.
It was almost disappointing in its predictability.
He leaned against the fence, arms crossed, keeping his posture casual. That didn’t mean he wasn’t paying attention. His gaze flicked between the trash can, the flickering embers, and Fysarious’ hands. Not because he was worried, but because recklessness was the kind of thing that could burn down more than just garbage.
When Fysarius turned to him with that uncertain look, Cypher didn’t react. Didn’t twitch. Didn’t give him the satisfaction of reading even a flicker of emotion. He just let the other man fill the silence, the awkward explanations tumbling out in a way that almost made Cypher smirk.
Almost.
But then came the kicker:
”Wanna have a drink with me?”The words hung in the air, lingering longer than they should have. Cypher tilted his head slightly, the closest he came to betraying his surprise. But he didn’t rush to fill the silence. Instead, he held still, his expression unreadable, until the moment stretched just long enough to be uncomfortable. Then, finally, he gave a small shrug- barely a motion, more like a ripple of movement through his shoulders.
Why not… he thought to himself as he pushed off the fence, his steps unhurried as he came closer to the smoldering pile of discarded food, keeping his focus on the smoke before finally speaking, his tone low and unbothered.
“You’re better at dragging me into things than you think.” A deliberate non-answer but his continued presence was perhaps enough of a reply.
