TLV IC Inbox

[inthebiblicalsense]

[In a very serious, business tone, Abel's answering machine sounds after any attempted calls that aren't responded to right away.]

You've reached Abel. I am not available at the moment, but I'll get back to you as soon as I can. If this is urgent, leave the line open.

And if this is Fitz I hope you're having a good day.

Comments

[inthebiblicalsense]

I will.

[There's a short pause, mulling it over in his mind before he speaks again.]

What are you taking your time up with instead? I assume you're not just sentenced to boredom?

[inthebiblicalsense]

[Abel decides to sit, not really needing anything himself and grabs a pillow to set in his lap, leaning into it.]

Alright, I'm listening. What did you want to talk about?

[artistinexile]

My warden wishes it. I imagine he finds it a form of discipline.

[reargunner]

[It takes him a second. He's clearly organising a couple of thoughts before he decides to say anything.]

You wanted us to let each other know if something changed between us and someone we were sleeping with. [Which he doesn't object to. It's just... he didn't think he'd be needing to have this conversation.]

I said I didn't want that. At the time— at the time, that was true. [He's measuring his tone carefully, calmly.]

But. There's been a... development. I guess. [A soft exhale through his nose.] There's somebody else.

[inthebiblicalsense]

[That certainly is a good punishment, though he'd like to offer something different. Something that doesn't actually affect anyone else if it didn't break the rules.] I've been teaching mechanical skills, but I think you're probably a little more advanced than my students are.

Maybe we could tinker with my Starfighter sometime? For fun, if you're interested?

That's not a project, just...an excuse to be social.

[inthebiblicalsense]

[Abel's listening, his eyebrows slowly inching up. He's not about to react negatively, though there might be some...frustration sitting there right at the surface.]

I was under the impression that there was a better way to say that. [Or at least that's what he'd been told, but he doesn't sound upset, just a little surprised and trying to cut some tension with a tease.]

Who is it? I assume I at least know them, though I've been surprised before.

[reargunner]

[He decides to not react to the attempt at levity. Alexei doesn't feel particularly tense - he got all that out about an hour ago - but he's not going to just treat this like something he can just gloss over either.]

Given how many people you know I expect it'd be more of a surprise to me if you didn't.

[But. Sigh.]

Florian. It's Florian.

[inthebiblicalsense]

[There is the subtlest shift in his grip on that pillow when he says who it is.]

Well, he obviously cares about your well being, so I can't say I'm all that surprised. Are...you going to tell him?

[artistinexile]

If you wish me to assist you, I can.

I am not prone to social situations. I may offend you.

[reargunner]

[A soft snort.]

He knows. He— I tried to break it off with him, rather than telling him at all.

[And then panicked the moment he saw him. Like an idiot.]

Made a fucking tit of myself. [Shrug.] Thinking I could just walk away from it was fucking stupid.

[Though, under different circumstances, he certainly would have.]

[inthebiblicalsense]

Oh.

[Abel is kind of thankful he grabbed this stupid pillow. He rests his chin on it, trying his best not to break eye contact.] What did he say, then?

[Which is a better question than 'you didn't think to talk to me first?' He's trying his best to not make him feel like he's not supportive, but there definitely are some feelings starting to rear their head over how this went down and how he'd approached this himself.]

[reargunner]

... That he loves me too. That I knew before I even asked.

[He exhales slowly, leaning back a little where he's perched.]

He was right.

[And it still feels strange in a way he isn't sure he likes, and he still has to think it over some more, but the idea of trying to push Florian away from him feels so stupid now.]

I just didn't want to look at it.

[inthebiblicalsense]

I was isolated for a good deal of my life, because of my own arrogance or against my will. I'm still learning, so I think it would be good for both of us.

Being social is better with something to tinker with anyways, at least I think so.

[Especially when you can get your hands dirty.]

[artistinexile]

[Thrawn prefers isolation to forced social circumstances, but he's never had much luck explaining it without irritating others. Instead, he merely nods]

As you say.

When would you like to work?

[inthebiblicalsense]

Mmm.

[He can understand that, at least a little. Except he still hadn't gotten a real confirmation from Norton, and he's trying to be patient about bringing it up again.]

You know, I tried to do that when I first realized that I was in real danger of catching feelings. I didn't say anything aside from no when he'd ask, but... just being friends only made it worse and made me feel angry with myself. It's probably better that you didn't try that route, I wouldn't recommend it.

[inthebiblicalsense]

[He's not forcing you to do anything Thrawn, in fact he'd like to think it would be something you'd enjoy.]

When would I like to spend some time with you? [He is doing that entirely on purpose.] What time do you usually go to bed?

[reargunner]

[A shrug.]

I could have handled it.

[If they'd been keeping this a closed thing. But that got changed, and that gave him options. Ones he hadn't realised he wanted to take until he did.]

Doesn't matter though. I don't have to. Still feels weird to accept it, but it's good.

[inthebiblicalsense]

[He's quiet a moment, pulling at a loose thread on the pillow before he looks at Alexei again, mulling over his own thoughts.]

So, what are you doing with that? Or have you not gotten to that yet? I have to assume he's not bothered by me, or at least I hope he wouldn't be... Anything I should know about?

[reargunner]

Doing with it?

[He cocks his head slightly.]

No, he doesn't have a problem with you. It'd be a different story if he did.

[And he can't think of anything Abel really needs to know, save for the main point of why he asked him here to begin with.]

[inthebiblicalsense]

Like, are you adding some kind of official label, keeping it the same as before?

[And Abel does have his own issues with Florian, though he's sure he can get over them. They just feel compounded now that he's a bigger part of Alexei's life. But it's fine. It's mostly his own issues and he's sure it will be okay, working through that himself.]

[reargunner]

We didn't talk about it. Anyway, he's got Johann, this is just... for now, and that's okay. I don't need anything more than that.

[It's just nice knowing, and the relationship isn't any less real for not having a label stuck to it.

And he still seems so calm, talking about it. Like his entire view of something didn't get turned on its head.]

[inthebiblicalsense]

[Abel nods, accepting that. He doesn't know much about Johann, they'd only shared the boat for a short time before he'd left. He'd been much less receptive to weird, magical beings anyways, so it probably wouldn't have been great for either of them if he had.]

A-alright. Well...thank you? For telling me.

I doubt I'd come off as intimidating to a man like that, but I do hope you won't mind me taking up the tradition of a gentle warning against harming you?

[reargunner]

[Alexei blinks, raising one eyebrow slightly.]

I'm not gonna tell you that you can't.

[But aside from not finding Abel intimidating in the slightest, he doesn't think Florian will find any amusement in the 'threat' either.]

But I'm sure he wouldn't do a thing to cause me harm. Entirely sure.

[inthebiblicalsense]

That's what I thought of myself and you. Entirely sure that I wouldn't, made it a priority not to in my own way, and yet here we are. I'm not saying I expect he will, I trust him to take care with you, but I would feel odd if I didn't at least say something.

[And he isn't looking to threaten him, no. Perhaps tell him that Alexei can certainly take care of himself, but there was something that he felt Florian should know about himself in the event that something does happen, even accidental if he were to witness it.]

[reargunner]

['Here we are', he says, and Alexei's eyes flick away while he makes a small face. Yeah, here they are, but he knew how things would be with Florian going in.]

Whatever you feel you gotta do.

[He's sure he'll hear about it, one way or another.]

Like I said, I'm not going to try to stop you.