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 Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 6:07 pm
Ariel’s expression was agreeable, fond, even, for the most part. Until Casey mentioned the courtyard.
His smile fell, just slightly, but he was quick to put another one in place. It wasn’t as convincing, but he hoped he could get away with the explanation that he was just tired.
He didn’t want Casey to think that the response was because of him, though; he’d already determined that he had enough blows to self-esteem from others and Ariel didn’t want to add to that.
“Would you be too upset with me if I asked if we could keep it indoors? It probably sounds silly. I just have such a hard time relaxing outside. I get anxious about getting interrupted. Or spied on. I hope I don’t sound like a conspiracy theorist, I promise–I’m sane. Mostly. This city just does things to people, you know? But I think it would be very nice to get together and talk. Over dinner especially. I’ve missed having someone to just talk to. And I mean it when I say you’re nice to be around. And not just because Harrison is so charming. Really. I’ve never felt so comfortable in someone else’s house. Which is clearly a problem, because maybe that’s why I keep walking in.”
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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 7:01 pm
Oh. Oh, he saw the way Ariel’s smile fell. Casey wished he could vanish on the spot. He didn’t want Ariel feeling uncomfortable around him. Maybe he shouldn’t be making so many suggestions. He didn’t want to be weird or sound like he was trying to be pushy or anything like that.
But then Ariel explained. Kind of. There was something missing from his explanation that Casey couldn’t quite put his finger on. Maybe it was nothing. Or maybe Ariel was just being polite and didn’t want to upset him. That was okay. He didn’t mind.
“Oh, yeah, no, that’s completely fine,” he quickly agreed. “Sorry, I didn’t know if you were tired of looking at the inside of the same four walls. But no, yeah, I usually end up coughing a lot around smoke anyway. Not really useful for wanting to talk, right?”
He did manage to smile a little more at Ariel’s comment about walking into his apartment. Really, Ariel was sweet and Casey wanted to spend more time talking to him. But he was also extremely cautious about pushing his luck, now more than ever.
“Whatever you want to do, it’ll be great! Harrison would love it, too.”
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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 7:47 pm
Ariel laughed softly. “Your place is very nice, I don’t know if I could get tired of looking at these same walls. I’d invite you over to my apartment and–well, actually, you are welcome, if you’d like to eat over there, but I guarantee that you’ll judge me. It’s boring. Those are four walls to get tired of. It’s dismal and unwelcoming. But I was trying to make sure I didn’t get attached to the place.”
It didn’t really work, not when he was reclining on Casey’s comfortable couch, enjoying a nice meal, appreciating how cute Harrison looked while she was begging.
“Things won’t be like this forever. I’m just waiting for a few loose ends to tie up, and then I’ll be much more enthusiastic about getting out and doing things. Honestly, I’ve kept myself cooped up for so long that it sounds nice to get out. Just a little longer,” he sighed. He adjusted his position slightly to get a bit more comfortable, but he flashed another quick smile so Casey couldn’t worry about him.
“I suppose I should be getting back soon. Your couch is too welcoming, though. But I’ll see you again tomorrow, right?”
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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 8:18 pm
“I wouldn’t get tired, because I wouldn’t be looking at the walls,” Casey said with a soft smile as he picked off another piece of ham for Harrison and--
Oh wow, what did he just say? That he would be looking at Ariel instead? Oh. Well, he would, but he didn’t want Ariel thinking he was being creepy or something.
Casey laughed awkwardly. He could feel his ears turning red again, but that was okay, he would just pretend like he wasn’t being awkward.
“Yeah you’ll definitely see me tomorrow. I’ll go ahead and grab a piece for my lunch and then you can take the rest,” he agreed with the plan, and quickly scrambled to get up off the couch so he could take a piece and scamper into the kitchen with it so Harrison wouldn’t get any ideas.
“I hope things get easier for you soon. It sounds like you’ve been in a rough place for a long time. If there’s anything I can do, don’t hesitate to ask, okay? I promise it won’t bother me or be troublesome or anything like that.”
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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 8:43 pm
Ariel almost laughed. He thought Casey was teasing, and if he wasn’t, Ariel was too tired to really think about what he was saying, anyway.
Casey moved so quickly, Ariel felt like he’d hardly blinked during his absence. He’d finished his pizza and felt full, and now he just had to drag himself back to his apartment. It was probably tacky to ask if Casey could make sure he got there. He could probably do it himself, it couldn’t have been more than twenty steps away.
“Thank you, Casey. You’re very kind. I admit, I don’t like the idea of being a burden. It’s not easy to make friends when you’re pouring all of your trouble onto them right off the bat. I don’t want to be too needy.” And he felt like he was already pushing his luck–even if he’d wound up enjoying tonight much more after wandering in here.
“I really do appreciate that, though. Things will look up soon.” He sounded exhausted when he said it, like it was a promise he’d made to himself a long time ago and he was still holding out hope for it to come true.
“And the first step to a better tomorrow is a good night’s rest. I hope you sleep well, Casey. Thank you for having dinner with me.”
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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 9:14 pm
“Thanks for busting into my apartment again,” Casey teased as he helped Ariel collect everything he needed to bring with him and walked him to the door. He tugged on the handle, then remembered it was locked, laughed awkwardly, and unlocked it.
“I’m going to stand right here to make sure you don’t go into anyone else’s apartment by accident. Thank you for keeping me company and have a good night,” he smiled, using his leg to keep Harrison from busting out of the room as well.
He would have offered to walk Ariel to his apartment, but that seemed like it might have been too nosey of him. He was still trying to determine what was okay and what wasn’t with Ariel. He seemed to like his space and privacy, so Casey wanted to give that to him.
Regardless, he couldn’t help but smile as he thought about their plans for the next night. He would have to remember to keep his door locked just to prove that he could listen to Ariel’s concerns and hopefully give him one less thing to worry about.
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