transfusionem | •daybreak inbox

[It's a whole new year, a whole new chance to get his fucking life together. There were some bumps in the road even just at the end of the year, but altogether? Things feel stable. He's okay. And he's okay with his decision to do this, too.

After his classes, Maverick lounges around the common area on Aube's fourth floor, curled up with a textbook he's scratching notes into and changing the colors of while he waits -- and he must have been waiting, because as soon as Adelaide is around and he can notice her, he sits up and snaps the book shut.]

Hey! Bumble, over here.

[New year same old Adelaide. There's one thing you can say about her, and it's the fact that she's reliable.

She also seems to have been doing some shopping, as she's holding some bags in her hands as she enters the common room. She stops as soon as she sees Maverick, surprised to see him there, but there's a grin on her face as she makes her way over to him.]

Hey, wasn't expecting to see you up here.

I had some business with a certain lovely lady.

[Sort of. It...does feel important, but he also doesn't want to put too much pressure on this moment. Everything has had...so much pressure, lately.

To deflect from that feeling a little, he points to the bags.]

S'going on here? Please tell me it's not all ingredients.

Oh, is that so?

[She's the lovely lady, isn't she?

She shakes her head at the mention of ingredients.]

I got some cash for Christmas, so I decided to do some shopping. It's mostly clothes and yarn.

[Shoutout to Moriarty.]

[Ah - ]

You, too? What the fuck was up with that? I almost thought Cricket brought me a shit ton of dubiously acquired cash again, at first...

[But also, hm. Maverick leans against the arm of the couch, propped up on his elbow, and considers the bags again. It's probably too much to want to see her try stuff on, that's a little...inappropriate and unfair to her. Not to mention Rover. Sigh.

Also just for the record, of course he's wearing the hat she made him.]

Good. If you didn't spoil yourself at least a little, I'd have to be disappointed.

Yeah! Just...five hundred bucks! I don't know where it came from, but you know what they say about gift horses...

[She's glad to see him wearing the hat. It's a relief, to see him liking it - at least liking it enough to wear in public.

It's good.]

Well, I hate to disappoint.

Pretty sure that shit applies to all horses. Things are kinda assholes, aren't they?

[has he ever been near a horse, who is to say

ANYWAY. He clears his throat and shifts his textbook to hold it against himself. He instinctually wants the privacy of her room for this, but...hmm...which way is more awkward...]

Hey, if we go up on the roof, is it still, uh, daytime enough it makes you feel like crap, or...?

I don't know, I'm not a horse whisperer.

[She's a very poor excuse from a Texan.

She blinks, looking over towards the windows. The sun is starting to go down, so...]

Nah, we should be good.

[Though she'd have said that even if it was the middle of the afternoon.]

[a truly terrible yeehaw.

He studies her a moment, but decides he doesn't really have much of a reason to doubt her, and gets to his feet.]

Cool. Meet me up there, if you're free? I assume you at least wanna drop shit off...

[He should be ashamed about not giving her any warning about monopolizing her attention, but nah. It's on brand.]

Yeah, sure! I'll meet you up there.

[She lifts one of her arms in a psuedo-wave, before trotting off to her room.

She doesn't waste too much time in putting things away, so it's not long before she's heading up to the roof.

Also, it's not like there's anything she'd rather be doing than spending time with Maverick.]

[Ugh... She's too cute. He loves her. He hurries to the roof after giving a wave in return, burning off some of his nerves by pacing quickly from one end to the other and back. His textbook and bag are abandoned nearby, as everything important enough to want near is already in his hoodie and coat pockets or around his neck. As much as he was expecting her, he jerks a little reflexively when the door opens and he comes to a stop. But it's her, and he relaxes into another smile almost immediately.]

Hey.

[He said that already. Hm.]

Happy New Year, by the way. Guess it's kinda fucking weird well-wishes when you know it means you're another year closer to the end of the world, but... Glad to see you in it anyway.

Hey!

[She doesn't mind the repeat, laughing a little as she shuts the door behind her.

She tucks some hair behind her ear, shaking her head with a fond smile.]

Yeah, happy to be here. And I'm glad you're here too - even if it is pretty fucking weird that things are going to try to end soon.

[The keyword being "try".]

[Awh, look at that... He sort of loves that she's so optimistic about it, even if most days he's pretty sure that rather than Nightfall not going down without a fight, the fight was going to end up going down along with it.

Discussing it doesn't really matter -- it's not like it would change the outcome, whichever way it was going. Instead, he reaches into his pocket again and closes his hand around the little box that's there.]

Shit's probably gonna change... Get more serious, all that. But, uh... I dunno. [It's stupid, what he was going to say. Instead he pulls the box out and holds it out for her, abandoning words for now.]

[Someone has to be optimistic, with all you gloomy bastards around.

She's about to agree with him, make some remark about yeah, things are going to have to get more serious soon, but then he's pulling out a box and her words die in her throat. She...doesn't have the slightest clue what it could be, but she takes it from him anyways.]

Is this for me?

[No, dipshit, it's for Rover.]

[He raises an eyebrow, gaze going flat and unimpressed for a moment. Oh, honey.]

See anyone else up here, dumbass? If you bothered to take a look, you'd see it couldn't be for no one else.

[aaaaaa he's nervous, now that his hands are free he's gotta dig out a cigarette.]

[Listen. Shut up. She flushes, embarrassed, before opening the box.]

Shut up! You never know, what if there was a ghost up here...

[He lights and brings the cigarette up to hide the little bit of smile starting to pull at his mouth's corners.]

Yeah? Would you just fucking look at it already?

[Because while a ring of tungsten isn't particularly unique, the one in the little box being offered out to her is engraved with something just for her. No one in their right mind goes out and asks someone to write peanut butter on the inside of a metal band for just anyone -- the target audience is right here on this roof.]

Give me a moment, geez!

[So impatient...She blinks at the ring, pulling it from the box and turning it around in her hand. She stares at the engraving, smiling softly.

Peanut butter, huh?]

It's lovely.

[of course he's impatient!!!]

I, uh...wasn't so sure you'd want it. I know you got one from him. [The other Maverick she'd met inside the mirror. What an odd concept...

Balancing his cigarette between his lips, he digs out another ring from his pocket, matching tungsten, but a little bit bitter to suit his fingers, instead. He doesn't put it on just yet.]

It's not exactly the same... I can't fucking give you everything he could, no matter what I'd try, I fucking know that. But, uh, if it's okay, I figure we can have our own kinda promise. I can't be him, but I can be the chocolate to your peanut butter, and we can just be us?

[Well he should be more patient!!

She curls her hand around the ring, holding it up to her chest. She thinks...she might start crying, but she doesn't really want to.]

Of- Of course it's okay. [Oh, no, she can feel her eyes stinging. She sniffs, trying to hold back the tears.] We're an inseparable duo.

[He takes an instinctive step towards her but catches himself. It's awkward enough without him concerning himself over her crying -- she's not even crying yet!! Instead, he gives a clumsy sort of smile that doesn't come as naturally to him as the ones where he's teasing or riling someone up. It's...hard, being genuine. It's hard being happy.]

For sure.

[But it's a lot easier when he knows she's right there with him. He turns the ring over between his fingers again, then takes a wide, marching step over to her. Hello!]

I dunno how to do this shit -- do we, uh. I mean, we can put 'em on ourselves... [or there's that Other Way]

[The smile is awkward, but it's no less a delight to see. Maverick smiling is - it's something beautiful. Something to be cherished.

She smiles back, though it's a little wobbly.]

Definitely.

[She squeezes the ring, before lowering her hand. It feels...a bit too intimate, really, to ask for him to put it on her, but...]

I'm not sure there's a traditional way for something like this.

Mm.

[He awkward shifts his weight to one foot, closing his hand around his own ring. He's not...going to make her do it. It's enough that she just has it, really. It's fine. Curious as he is, he won't push to know whether or not that other version of him had been less of a fucking pansy and put it on her himself, either. It won't change things. He's not the same Maverick.]

Well -- yeah. I dunno. [He's just going to look at his hands a moment, then slip his ring into place. He needs his hand for smoking, anyway, best to just get it over with and not bother her.] Probably not. We're fucking unique. And...

[mmmm admitting this is less fun, but]

I'm still not...at one hundo percent on...things. But I'm here. I'm gonna be here and trying...to get better about, uh. Shit. You're too fucking important to let that get in the way.

We are fucking unique, that's for sure.

[She follows his lead, slipping the ring onto her finger. She looks down at it, turning her hand around for a moment before dropping her hands to her side.

She can feel it on her finger, a reminder of what Maverick feels for her, and it...

It feels good.]

It's okay. [Her voice is soft, patient, and there's a sympathetic look on her face.] I'm not...expecting you to be at one hundred percent, but...I wanted you to know, so I don't mind. Take all the time you need, and I'll...I'll be here for you when you need me, no matter what.

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