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right. hypothetically.

i'd just be up front. it sucks but at least then i'm not guessing, you know?

[ which is all fair and right about when sam falls asleep. and then he wakes up again, looks at That Message again, and all the ask if this is something casual or not goes out the window. ]

if anyone asks, you don't know anything about this.

[ but. ]

you ever wanted to be steve martin in roxanne?

yep, got it

[ But. ]

you mean by being really good with words when it comes to romance? yeah all the time

[ ugh. okay. okay. ughhhhhhhhhhh. sam drake, forcing himself to talk directly about The Situation. ]

by telling me what the hell i say to this

[ cue screenshot of...you know. that. ]

Edited 2021-01-30 00:06 (UTC)

oh

wow

yeah.

[ This is so beyond the realm of hypotheticals now. Part of him also has a kind of kneejerk isn't she kinda young for you? reaction, but Nate keeps that one in check. Something something adults, adult choices. ]

well, she seems sincere? a little confused and a lot nervous. though i get why you probably had an aneurysm. when did she send this?

last night.

DUDE

WHAT

you should probably reply
if there's one thing i know about this stuff it's that radio silence is bad news

yeah i know. they got a name for it now, it's called ghosting.

[ thanks, ian. ]

nathan i have read this thing a dozen times and i still don't know what she wants

okay stop thinking about the great wall of text for a second
what do YOU want?

same thing i always wanted. screw around a little, see what happens.

[ that's not, you know, completely it, but he doesn't really have an idea of what to do about everything in there that isn't just lust. they don't actually have to talk about that part, right? they can just ignore it. ]

yeah, got it, so here's where i'm confused
it kind of sounds like she also wants to see what happens
so which part is tripping you up? the part where it's couched in a date? because don't you guys already hang out and eat together sometimes and whatever the hell else?

if the only difference is the label just say so

[ it's a typing-and-stop-typing, start-again-and-stop kind of pause. ]

might be the label

[ maybe? this conversation is taking years off his life. ]

she wants it to be a date, doesn't want to sleep with friends, that's
look, someone tells you they don't want something intense and it takes them that many words, they're probably lying to themselves

then why are you talking to me, sam?
sounds like you've already talked yourself into a corner
or into being a little bitch

[ Does he use this language often, if ever? No. Is it effective on people like this brother? Almost always.

[ quite a bit later, while someone's on the way to a pretty girl's apartment: ]

all right, all right.
don't wait up, little brother.

[ How many times has he heard that before? Over a decade of being exposed to his older brother's romantic overtures and sexcapades and Nate doesn't even need to think twice to know what it means. ]

wear protection

Edited 2021-01-31 20:57 (UTC)

you'd think there'd be something better than condoms by now, you know that? they got a moon colony and they're still selling condoms.

stop, please, don't share any more than this

things have not changed since we were in our twenties and i don't need you to regale me

[ later. much later. long enough later that something sexy DEFINITELY happened. the delay really tells the whole story here. ]

accusing me of being the kind of guy who'd kiss and tell? that hurts, nathan.

i've literally known you my entire life, so yes

you're killing me here. i'll have you know my lips are sealed.
hers, on the other hand...

[ okay, that wasn't even a good one. whatever. ]

i owe you one, cyrano. let me know next time you need a pickup line

ok i'm blocking your number now, christian

(no subject)

withmeinparadise - 2021-02-18 22:16 (UTC) - Expand