[He comes home not all that much later; he only has a single bag, because he only bought the ingredients for a gin fizz and the cleaner. The question of cleaning is only happening because it's oddly stubborn against magic, but for some reason he knows it'll work with cleaner.
He sets down the bag, and he sits at the table, closes his eyes, and breathes.]
Hey.
Reggie.
[He looks at him, and there's a tug of fondness there, under his heart.]
[ Reggie walks over, same as he always does-- casually with just a touch of swagger and a grin (though today it's just a smile), but edged with more warmth than smugness.
He can tell -- or at least, he suspects -- that something is bothering Nick, but Nick didn't seem to want about it, so Reggie is trying not to act any differently than normal. He puts a finger under Nick's chin and tips his head up so he can kiss him. ]
[ Shit. Crap. Fuck. Reggie's heart lurches a bit, skips, feels like it's about to fall into his stomach because his chest is suddenly too tight for it.
He pulls back. ]
I don't-- [ And he manages a weak smile, huffing a laugh like a breath. ] What's that got to do with anything?
[ Reggie doesn't know what to say to that. He opens his mouth, prepared to deny it, but then just wets his lips and drops his gaze, staying quiet for a long few seconds.
He doesn't know if it's true, but he doesn't know that it's not true, either. He's realizing that now. ]
I... that's not--
[ He pauses, then looks over at the grocery bag, moving to start taking the drink ingredients out. ]
[ Reggie doesn't look up yet, getting a cocktail shaker and two glasses out and then opening up the gin.
He sets the bottle down before pouring, leaning his hands on the table and then looking over at Nick, shaking his head in a sort of dismissive, shrug-like way. ]
It's fine, Nick. You know I don't even, like, mean half the stuff I say during sex, right?
[ Well, he means most of it, but he doesn't tend to think he does-- or want other people to assume he does, either. Considering. ]
[ Reggie tenses like he's preparing to have to defend himself -- against which point, he's not even sure -- but he swallows that impulse down, knowing if he lets himself he'll say shit he really doesn't mean.
And he doesn't want to fight about this. He's convinced Nick doesn't really believe him, but he's still going to leave it alone.
He kisses Nick back hesitantly at first, and only after a couple seconds, but then Reggie cups his face with his free hand and kisses him a bit harder. Deep and intimate. ]
Even if I did-- [ Love him, that is. Reggie pulls away to pour the gin. ] You wouldn't have to, like, do anything.
[The breath he takes is one that is saturated with relief, overflowing with it. He didn't expect this; he didn't expect this to go so easily. He had almost resigned himself to Reggie leaving, upset. He doesn't know how mortals respond to things like this.
This is never a conversation he's had to have.
The kiss makes the relief even more palpable, and he responds just as enthusiastically, his hand in Reggie's hair.]
That's shockingly-
[Oh, his gin fizz. He takes it, his fingers curling elegantly over the glass.]
[ Similarly, the possibility that Nick might not be comfortable keeping him around if he thought Reggie was developing feelings is one that's crossed Reggie's mind, since Nick did mention at the start what not to expect from him.
And Reggie's not expecting anything. He doesn't have to be in love to not want to leave, but that still doesn't say much. ]
Love's just not really my thing, is all. [ He shrugs a little, brushing his fingers over Nick's hand. ] So I'm used to it.
[ That makes Reggie cock his head a little, eyebrow raising. He's not annoyed, though a little bemused; he isn't sure how to explain this kind of thing to someone who doesn't understand it. ]
Make it my thing how? Y'know, it's not always that easy-- sometimes you have to let it go.
[ He shakes his head a little, and shrugs again. ]
But it's fine, Nick, like... tons of people don't fall in love. It's not just witches.
Hell if I know. Life doesn't always work out the way everyone wants it to. [ Blunt, but not combative; it's just the truth. ] And mostly cuz it takes two people to be in love.
[ Nick's drinking that down pretty fast. Reggie puts a hand on his arm. ]
[ That-- what's happening, right now? Reggie kisses him back, but briefly, before he looks at Nick again with a confused, vaguely troubled expression on his face. ]
Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about that [ Why is he worried about it? ] Things always work out for me.
[ ... Anyway that's a fucking lie. But Reggie kisses him again, trying to settle him down. ]
[Nick, who is usually so calm, so in control, lost it. For a moment.
And he takes a breath, closes his eyes, and nods.]
Okay.
[Reggie will be fine.
He'll find some mortal girl - boy, whatever - one day, and he'll fall in love. And everything will turn out fine. Nick doesn't know why suddenly this feels so important, except that it does.]
I-
It's strange for me. To not have a coven. That's all.
[ Though Reggie isn't sure if that'll be as reassuring to Nick right now as it usually is, given how flustered he seems just by the possibility of Reggie being in love with him.
(Well, and some incriminating evidence to back that possibility up with, but it's still all just circumstantial. Jumping to conclusions.) ]
I, um-- [ Reggie pauses, biting the inside of his cheek in though for a moment before he makes a decision. ] And there is a girl back home, sort of. I never told you about her cuz we were never really like, official or anything, but...
[ Will this help? Before now Reggie always thought definitely not, but now he's much less sure; if Nick's so concerned about it, maybe this will set the matter to rest. ]
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u want one dont u?
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pick up the ingredients while ur at the store and when u get back I'll make u one
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Thank you.
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happy to help
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He sets down the bag, and he sits at the table, closes his eyes, and breathes.]
Hey.
Reggie.
[He looks at him, and there's a tug of fondness there, under his heart.]
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[ Reggie walks over, same as he always does-- casually with just a touch of swagger and a grin (though today it's just a smile), but edged with more warmth than smugness.
He can tell -- or at least, he suspects -- that something is bothering Nick, but Nick didn't seem to want about it, so Reggie is trying not to act any differently than normal. He puts a finger under Nick's chin and tips his head up so he can kiss him. ]
Welcome home.
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He smiles, just a little.]
I can't love you.
Witches can't love, Reggie.
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He pulls back. ]
I don't-- [ And he manages a weak smile, huffing a laugh like a breath. ] What's that got to do with anything?
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You love me.
[He rubs his hand over his face.]
And I-
I cherish that. No one has ever loved me before.
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He doesn't know if it's true, but he doesn't know that it's not true, either. He's realizing that now. ]
I... that's not--
[ He pauses, then looks over at the grocery bag, moving to start taking the drink ingredients out. ]
You said a gin fizz, right?
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But there is just a little tug of regret. He wants to reassure him, badly.]
Gin fizz, yeah.
[He goes quiet. He comes over and comes closer; he stops moving and doesn't touch him, even though he really wants to.]
I can make you forget. If you want me to.
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[ Reggie doesn't look up yet, getting a cocktail shaker and two glasses out and then opening up the gin.
He sets the bottle down before pouring, leaning his hands on the table and then looking over at Nick, shaking his head in a sort of dismissive, shrug-like way. ]
It's fine, Nick. You know I don't even, like, mean half the stuff I say during sex, right?
[ Well, he means most of it, but he doesn't tend to think he does-- or want other people to assume he does, either. Considering. ]
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I know you mean more of it than you let on.
[Which is true, but Nick just sighs. Okay. He gets the memo, Reginald.]
Hey.
[He grips his wrist, quick as a whip. And he kisses Reggie on the mouth.]
Okay. I believe you.
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And he doesn't want to fight about this. He's convinced Nick doesn't really believe him, but he's still going to leave it alone.
He kisses Nick back hesitantly at first, and only after a couple seconds, but then Reggie cups his face with his free hand and kisses him a bit harder. Deep and intimate. ]
Even if I did-- [ Love him, that is. Reggie pulls away to pour the gin. ] You wouldn't have to, like, do anything.
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This is never a conversation he's had to have.
The kiss makes the relief even more palpable, and he responds just as enthusiastically, his hand in Reggie's hair.]
That's shockingly-
[Oh, his gin fizz. He takes it, his fingers curling elegantly over the glass.]
-I didn't think mortals were so easygoing.
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And Reggie's not expecting anything. He doesn't have to be in love to not want to leave, but that still doesn't say much. ]
Love's just not really my thing, is all. [ He shrugs a little, brushing his fingers over Nick's hand. ] So I'm used to it.
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You should make it your thing.
You get to feel it. Don't let it go.
[He says it with this ripe with jealousy, needy and desperate.]
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Make it my thing how? Y'know, it's not always that easy-- sometimes you have to let it go.
[ He shakes his head a little, and shrugs again. ]
But it's fine, Nick, like... tons of people don't fall in love. It's not just witches.
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What's the point of mortality if you don't fall in love?
[He takes another drink.]
You have this short life, just ninety years. No magic. No certainty. That's the advantage you have.
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[ Nick's drinking that down pretty fast. Reggie puts a hand on his arm. ]
What's with you?
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He stands up and comes over to kiss Reggie again.]
But it can work out for you.
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Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about that [ Why is he worried about it? ] Things always work out for me.
[ ... Anyway that's a fucking lie. But Reggie kisses him again, trying to settle him down. ]
Nick, tell me what's going on.
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And he takes a breath, closes his eyes, and nods.]
Okay.
[Reggie will be fine.
He'll find some mortal girl - boy, whatever - one day, and he'll fall in love. And everything will turn out fine. Nick doesn't know why suddenly this feels so important, except that it does.]
I-
It's strange for me. To not have a coven. That's all.
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[ Though Reggie isn't sure if that'll be as reassuring to Nick right now as it usually is, given how flustered he seems just by the possibility of Reggie being in love with him.
(Well, and some incriminating evidence to back that possibility up with, but it's still all just circumstantial. Jumping to conclusions.) ]
I, um-- [ Reggie pauses, biting the inside of his cheek in though for a moment before he makes a decision. ] And there is a girl back home, sort of. I never told you about her cuz we were never really like, official or anything, but...
[ Will this help? Before now Reggie always thought definitely not, but now he's much less sure; if Nick's so concerned about it, maybe this will set the matter to rest. ]
It's like I said, right? Nothing to worry about.
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