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 Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 2:34 pm
Today was the day. He made his peace with the fact this day might be the make or break of him. If it failed, he'd just have to try and patch himself up and move on. If it went well? That.. was actually scarier. What would he do then?
It was scary, terrifying. It was so intimidating and daunting it made him feel ill, which he knew was in his head since Hunters typically didn't get sick all that often.
He was at her door. A door he used to live straight across from when he'd first woke at Deus. It seemed so long ago now.
Every inch of him wanted to avoid this as much as possible. Dodge and evade the subject for as long as he could. He took hold of his will, and raised a hand to the door, knocking three times.
Now to wait...
Maybe she wouldn't be in and he could put this off for another day...
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 2:48 pm
Strange dreams aside, Eva's last few days at Deus Ex had passed as uneventful as ever. She supposed that she should count her blessings--after all, they could have been on a dangerous mission right now or, god forbid, the Sahara--but when one's daily schedule was as repetitive as hers...
So, when the unexpected knock came on her door, the young woman instantly lit up, tossing the objects she had been holding onto her bed and hurrying to greet her visitor. Without even looking at them, she swung the door open and threw her arms around the figure. "Save me from this boredom, please." Spar with her, talk to her, anything would do, really! She just wanted a break from all her monotonous tasks.
...But wait, who had she just hugged? Of the people who usually visited her, surely it was one of her friends, right? ...Unless Caelius had decided to personally drop by and yell at her for something.
The thought caused her to jerk her head back slightly so that she could see her visitor's face, but when she realized who it was, she instantly relaxed. Grin curling on her lips, she pressed her cheek against the blond's. "Hi, you! What brings you here today? Here to keep me company?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 3:01 pm
Of course she was in. The sudden hug threw him off, as she'd barely just opened the door not a moment ago. Well then.. guess he had her full attention then. If she was that desperate for a distraction, he sure had a big one for her.
He looked down as she looked up, catching sight of her intense blue gaze before she once again nuzzled his cheek like she always did. Dammit, of course she seemed ten times cuter now that he came here with intent.
"Uh.." WORDS! He could make them. "Yeah, in a way.." His heart raced faster as it hurried him to release his caged in feelings, his brain pounded with a headache as his mind insisted he put this off to enjoy her company as always.
He tried to ignore the burning red he felt in his cheeks and ear lobes, keeping his focus on the goal. "I actually need to talk to you bout somethin'."
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 3:14 pm
"Hmmm?" Eyes wide, Eva drew back a little so that she could get a better glimpse of Otto's face, her expression becoming puzzled as she took in his reddening cheeks. Slowly, her lips curved into a worried frown, her brows creasing as she looking him up and down. "Talk to me about something? Are you okay? Did something happen?"
At the very least, although she did not know the reason for it, even Eva could sense the blond's subtle change in countenance today. He seemed...serious? And maybe a little uneasy.
"Do you want to come in?" A part of her wanted to crack a small joke--something like, "you sound like you're about to break up with me or something"--but she wasn't entirely sure that now was the appropriate time. Maybe she was just being a worrywart and it was actually something minor or something good, but until she found out...
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 3:40 pm
Was he okay? Not really. Did something happen? In a manner of speaking. He hesitated as she offered for him to come in. He didn't want to make her feel trapped if he did, after telling her what he felt. If she needed to escape back to her room, he wanted her to have that option.
"Um.. here is fine.. or outside for some air or..." That all seemed like a pain to take this elsewhere. "No.. never mind. Here is good. It'll be quick." He hoped. As far as he could tell, no one was around.
Tell her now and rip the bandaid? Or lead into what he wanted to say? Otto wasn't any good at fluidly leading into a topic though. He was a clumsy person when it came to matters of the word or heart.
He took one last look at the Eva he knew. The friendly, flighty Eva that gave him cheek squishing and hugs no matter how much he fussed or whined. He took a deep breath.
Be blunt. Blunt is the only way she can hear you from all the way up in Eva space.
"Eva.. I like you. Not in the friendly friendzone kinda way, okay? More like the make my heart pound when you enter a room.. sort of way.." ******** that was way too cheesy. Damn, when he opened his heart, his feelings just rushed out like a torrent. He bit his lip, trying to put a cap on the exploding bottle of emotions that tried to fizz out.
"I'm not sayin' this to try and make you feel weird or awkward or pressued, I just..." Fuuuuck WORDS! "Just bein' your friend.. as much as I cherish it.. and I do.. it.. I'd like there to be more than that." Otto tried not to fidget, tried not to rub his cheek, or dig his heel in the floor or grip the hem of his ******** HE WAS DOING ALL THREE OF THOSE THINGS!
Crap.. what would she do? Or say? To her... wasn't he just the silly little puppy she liked to coddle? Could he ever aspire to be anything beyond that?
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:04 pm
Now she was really worried. The fact that he seemed so uneasy made her uneasy, the palms of her hand growing a little clammy as she watched him fidget. What could possibly be bothering him? She chose to say nothing, giving him time to go over and prepare himself for whatever it was that he wanted to talk to her about.
And when he did say it, all she could do was let out a stunned little "oh".
Eva was pretty much as dense as they came, so any such indications of this in the past had obviously just flown over her head. Having it told to her upfront, however, most definitely got her attention. Blunt was good with this girl, and it had served its purpose at catching her attention.
But now...how did she feel about Otto? Their relationship had been...haha, well, kind of rocky at first to be sure. Then she and Reine and adopted him as their "puppy", and at that point, he had just been their cute, grumpy friend. Somewhere along the lines though, he had started to become someone she was comfortable enough to confess to about things she wouldn't tell anyone else. He had undeniably become someone who she cared for, someone who was reliable and--despite his grumpy facade--sweet. But it was probably easier for her to think of it this way: once upon a time, she had been super eager at the idea of hooking Otto up with someone here. Was she still as excited to do that now, or would she feel...?
The young woman had remained silent, her surprised expression changing into one that was almost unreadable. It was calm, thoughtful, introspective...
And then the calm mask shattered and her whole face turned red. She suddenly looked not unlike a shy, nervous teenage girl.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:46 pm
It was the most anxious stare down he'd ever had with anyone in his life.She wasn't saying anything. Her face was almost void of any emotion that he could read or gauge. At first he felt antsy, impatient. Say something. Anything. And the longer she seemed lost in thought, the more he felt self conscious. He'd certainly put his heart on the table here. He'd never felt more vulnerable, as far as he could remember. And finally some signs in Eva's otherwise unreadable mask. She seemed.. embarrassed? s**t, he'd made her feel uncomfortable, right? Should he apologize? No, he wasn't sorry he felt this way. Saying sorry wasn't the right thing to do. But this silence was making him stir crazy, and he continuously doubted himself and his chances. "S...say something.." He murmured nervously.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:11 pm
It was definitely a hell of a good thing that no one was walking down the hallway at that very moment, considering that two very red-faced individuals were in the middle of having a nervous stare down. When he asked her to say something, she bit down on her bottom lip and fidgeted with her fingers. Well, he deserved an answer at least--even in the state that she was in, Eva had no doubt that it had taken quite a bit of courage to come here and say that. No wonder he had looked so nervous!
"I, um..." A brilliant start for a reply, to be sure, but Eva took a deep breath and pressed on, "I mean, um...it doesn't...bother you that I'm a little older?" Age was just a number, and the traditional views were--in her opinion, at least--kind of outdated, but it was admittedly still a concern to her. In the past, when she thought of Otto dating, she always imagined the girl to be someone younger, cuter, and not quite as dense as she admittedly sometimes was.
"Because, you know, I ah...I don't...dislike you, at all." Obviously, since Eva had never held anything but affection for the blond, but she was apparently trying to present her answer in the most roundabout way. It was certainly a bit of a change from her usual tactless and "in your face" kinds of responses.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:17 pm
"..No." He answered quietly. He usually tended to forget she was a little older than him, so focused on who she was and how she made him feel to care. "I mean.. it mostly bothers me that I'm younger.." He admitted, since that stigma was hard to ignore. But did that mean his age.. bothered her?
Disheartening.
"You don't dislike me.. but?" Oh no.. he knew this would happen. He needed to know, though. He needed to be sure of her feelings about it. For his own good.. He couldn't keep playing fantasy. It would either be real or not.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:36 pm
Relief. That was the feeling that washed through her when he told her that their ages didn't really bother him. Well, aside from his own, a fact that brought a small, amused smile curving on her lips. She felt herself grow just a teeny bit braver, her tensed shoulders relaxing slightly.
Still, she was clearly still quite nervous as she gave a shake of her head, her face still red. "There...is no 'but' about me not disliking you, Otto. You know that I never have and never will dislike you. I guess I'm trying to say that I, uh...oh for god's sake, Eva, what is wrong with you?"
The young woman suddenly frowned and lightly slapped herself on both cheeks with her hands. Come on now, this timid, skittish girl wasn't like her! She had beaten up monsters, almost been killed, carried out horrible tasks...why was it that after all this, responding to a confession was proving to be the most difficult? She steeled herself and glanced up so that she could meet his eyes.
"I don't dislike you because I like you, okay?"
There was a long pause after that...and then her whole face turned red. Again. It was like magic, just...serious face, and then poof, tomato.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:53 pm
Otto's anxiety fell and lifted and fell. This game was a roller coaster of heart wrenching worry and waiting. Her outburst that had her smacking her cheeks threw him off. It wasn't like Eva to get so flustered, really. Was she okay?
Her own confession made his heart stop entirely. He couldn't breathe at all. It was almost terrifying, until he rmemebered to take in a breath again, as if he had to think about it. He'd heard her right... right?
"w....HUH!?" His face burned red, bright eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Somehow he'd not allowed himself to expect an answer like that. he still doubted it to be real.
Well.. at least they both looked like tomatoes. "Like... for real?" As in Like Like?!
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:04 pm
Despite the situation and the fact that her whole face felt like it was o fire, the girl still managed to let out a laugh and give Otto a light, teasing nudge in the side. "Come on, Otto, I'm not cruel. This...isn't something that I'd joke about, okay?" Her voice had taken on a slightly softer tone at the end, but then she cleared her throat and smiled at him.
"So um...yes, for real. ...Was my answer strange, or are you just surprised by it?"
She really, really needed a cold cloth to cool down her face after this. Or an ice pack. Something to calm down her heart would be nice too, considering that it seemed to be beating in an erratic fashion and oh god confessions were so hard. Uncertain what to do, she looked at Otto and carefully tried to gauge his reaction to...well, all of this.
Good? Bad? Confused? Now she was the one who was nervously waiting for some kind of response.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:19 pm
So it was what it was. She did just confess back, right? She accepted his feeling, and even returned them. That totally just happened! A wave of relief washed over him, letting out a breath he didn't realize he'd once again been holding.
"I am surprised! I mean.. I spent all that time preparin' myself to be rejected that I just.. didn't prepare for an alternative scenario..." He gave a short and nervous laugh, ruffling the hair under his beanie.
How did he feel now? Happy, for one thing. Very happy. As evidenced by the dumb smile now planted on his face. If there was one expression that rarely ever got stuck on Otto's face, it was a smile.
"Damn.. well that.. makes me really happy. I nearly gave myself an aneurism comin' here today."
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:44 pm
Eva grinned in amusement, seeming to have finally relaxed. "Geez, were you not at all optimistic of the outcome?" She teased, propping her hands up on her hips as she lifted her brows at the boy, "Though you really did catch me offguard there. I uh, I've been told that I'm a little...oblivious to these things, so..."
She sheepishly lifted a hand to rub the back of her head, but rather than fixate on her own embarrassment, there was something else that caught her attention. Something rare.
Was Otto...smiling? Actually smiling? She stared in surprise, and then promptly grinned, reaching out to pull him closer so that she could rub her cheek against his again. Hopefully the smile would be a permanent--or at least, more frequent--thing.
"...I can still call you my puppy, rightttt?" She leaned back to beam at him, blue eyes wide and innocent.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:00 pm
"I dunno if ya noticed, but I'm a pessimistic sort of guy." He said with jest, though it held some truth. He didn't usually look on the bright side after all. Maybe that's why he always looked so grumpy. "Yeah, I was... well, being blunt seemed like the best way to be understood." Beating around the bush? Not Otto. He was capable of taking a plunge when he needed to. He smirked at her admittance to being a little oblivious. "Yeah, I've noticed."
Otto's hands instinctively held Eva's shoulders as she pulled him closer. Ah, the cheek squishings. Geez, now he really couldn't stop smiling. It almost hurt, like his face didn't know how to cope with it. "Yeah, you can." He said with a short laugh. "It never really bothered me, anyway." He just liked to complain about it. The fact that it didn't mean he was a puppy to be babysat took away the stigma it once held.
Tenya was a buzz with excitement for Otto, having kept quiet all that time so he wouldn't get distracted. He'd almost forgotten she was there. Who knew where she went when he didn't feel her full presence. Hopefully not snooping about...
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