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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 16, 2020 20:23:10 GMT -5
“It’s a poor substitute for intimacy, I know. I am sorry for that.”
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jan 16, 2020 20:32:14 GMT -5
"I mean there's nothing that I want from you," he said rather more unkindly than he meant to.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 16, 2020 20:36:43 GMT -5
Veidt brought over a pair of little pots of milk and sugar. He looked more tired in the direct light than he had in the kitchen.
"Very well. I don't blame you for that in the slightest. I understand that our interactions have been... ambiguous, to say the least."
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jan 16, 2020 20:40:07 GMT -5
"You mean like you were leading me on? I didn't say that."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 16, 2020 20:44:02 GMT -5
“I fear that it must have seemed that way at times, at least," Veidt admitted as he came to sit by Adrien at the table. "And I'm sorry for that."
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jan 16, 2020 20:45:42 GMT -5
"You're my boss, like you said." He did not want to be dragged into comforting Adrian over this.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 17, 2020 3:01:34 GMT -5
"If I've made you uncomfortable, I don't mind having you transferred elsewhere. That's not a punishment, it's an offer. We've spent enough time together that I- well, to be frank I've grown very fond of you, and would like to see you thriving, even if it's not by my side."
He smiled, a little sadly.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jan 17, 2020 10:55:29 GMT -5
"You're really stupid, for a smart person," said Adrien, choosing to blame this bluntness on the lack of coffee, though he'd slept very well and felt fully awake. "You know I'm crazy about you, right? Just don't act like you're doing me a big favor ignoring that. I think I've behaved myself very well, considering!"
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 17, 2020 10:58:02 GMT -5
“You have,” Veidt said. “I’m trying to figure out how to minimize further pain-“
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jan 17, 2020 11:01:25 GMT -5
"Let's just stop talking about it," he said, looking away proudly. "I'll leave after I eat."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 17, 2020 11:03:56 GMT -5
"Do you still want the haircut?" Veidt asked flatly, with just enough pause for it to be clear that he was carefully managing any displays of emotion that could come up.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jan 17, 2020 11:17:48 GMT -5
"Sure," he responded in a similar tone.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 17, 2020 12:51:12 GMT -5
Veidt watched him for a moment longer, and sighed.
“I don’t want you to leave so quickly. I know that my expression of my feelings toward you has been erratic, to say the least, but I can assure you that they're... very positive," he said carefully.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jan 17, 2020 20:22:37 GMT -5
"Yeah," said Adrien after a moment, realizing that there was no point in hedging this topic. "I can tell you feel something."
It was the most hollow victory in the world.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 18, 2020 0:56:04 GMT -5
“I haven't made any public announcement of this fact, as I would prefer it go as unnoticed as possible to begin with," Veidt continued, "but it's a goal of mine to steadily lower my public profile over the next eighteen months to two years. Within my lifetime, I would like to see men such as myself rendered obsolete, and I would prefer to have myself out of the game as much as I can before the crash I estimate to be coming no later than '88 or so based on current trends. I don't want to prevent you from living your life, but perhaps... if you wanted to wait..."
He met Adrien's eyes.
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