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"No, of course you didn't hurt my feelings...I'm just...worried that i'll hurt you..Or disappoint you..."
Austin wiped the tears from his puffy, red eyes quietly, his voice crackling here and there
"I Love you Kia. I really do. I just don't want..to put you in a relationship with me...and end up hurting you. or disappointing you. or.."
Austin looked at the carpet. Wow, the grains of carepetry have gravity in emotional situations, don't they?

"I...I want to make you happy. Because you've made me so happy in these past weeks. I want to bring joy to you, even when the world is grim. To make you smile when nobody else can. I want to love you, Kia.."
Austin reached quietly, and rather feebly for Kia's hand. Hoping that he could grasp it.

Austin quietly pulled Kia close then. He held her for several moments, saying nothing.
After a bit, Austin yawned.
"Is it me, or is it late? I thinkwe should get some rest, Kia.."
Austin smiled. Things were still up in the air for him. But he wasn't going to ask a bunch of questions to Kia tonight. He would figure otu the answers himself. With time.

Austin smiled slightly, slipping off his shirt. He headed to bed, slipping into his sleeping bag quietly.
"Night, Kia.."
He adjusted himself carefully, trying to find a comfortable spot amidst the shag carpeting that was to be his mattress for the night. Alas, he found none. So he simply turned on his side and acted content, and closed his eyes.

Austin slept rather uncomfortably for the majority of the night. Eventually, he found himself awake at three in the morning. He was sweating, and had a major ache in his back.

"God. Maybe it's that time again..."
Austin went to his desk, and opened up the drawer. Inside was a tobacco box, and cigarette papers. He opened up the box, and plucked a pinch of smoking tobacco. He pulled out a zig-zag, and opened his large bedroom window quietly. He rolled up the tobacco, then pulled a lighter from his pocket. He placed the cigarette in his mouth, then lit it. He seated himself on the windowsill, his leg hanging from over the edge and he inhaled heavily. He removed the cigarette from his mouth, holding it with his fore-fingers.
He exhaled, and a pillar of smoke escaped from his mouth.
"God...I know i shouldn't smoke, but...I can't help it. There is so much to take in right now.."
Austin took another toke, exhaling after a moment. The moonlight bounced off of his tan skin, providing a rather nice glaze effect.

He would continue to look over at Kia, inhaling again.
"Goddammit. Why's love such a b***h?"
He finished with one last toke, then tossed the half- finished cigarette out into the sidewalk of the courtyards. It glared for a moment, then faded quickly. He slowly lowered himself from the windowsill, then wandered over to his sleeping bag. He quietly slipped into it once again, then fell back to sleep.

Austin groaned slightly, curling over in bed.

Despite his efforts, he'd never gotten any sleep that night. The best he could get was closing his eyes and resting on his sides painfully, with constant shifting and aching.

He sat up, his back cracking with his movement slightly.

"Morning, Kia...How are you?"

"Meh. Kinda..stiff. Like a board, actually. I think i might go get some lumber today and make myself a nice bed..or casket."
Austin ended the sentence with a joking laugh, then slowly rose to his feet.
" Kia, to tell the truth, I think i'd rather spend today here, in my room. I'm just..too scattered to go anywhere, or be of any use otherwise. If you'd like to head out and do something, i'd be glad to accompany you for as long as you'd like. But if I can, i'd like to just sit here and think. Maybe mess around with my bass, read. Post on Gaia. or something. But nothing else..."