#elsewhere

She sighs.

A hug "I'm sorry. I should have kept my yap shut. Nnow I've ruined it all"

She shakes her head, returning the hug. "No. It was going to have to be a talk we had, anyway. I've been...trying not to think about it." A rueful sound. "Some troll I am."

"Trolls are half human, Doof." A sad smile "And maybe it's very trollish to try to protect a man you care for by a touch of denial? either way... it's out now. Go talk to him. However it goes, I'll be one friend you can call"

"I'm counting on that, Hayseed. Don't die again. You take too long coming back when you do that." A tease as she lets go the hug. A deep breath and she stands. "Okay..." And she heads back towards Colton's room.

Why does this feel more like a challenge than any monster she's had to face?

(End Scene, for now)

Sylvi pauses outside Colton's door, takes a deep breath, and gives a quick little knock as she opens it. "I'm back."

"Great" He takes Sylvi's hands in his "Hope she's better?"

"Hm? Oh. Well, yes. She was just worried about some stuff she needed to talk to me about, but it's all okay." She gives his hands a little squeeze.

"Good.." a smile "now where were we?" He starts to kiss

She returns the kiss, but pulls away after a moment. "Um..."

"Uhm?" A blink

"Uh, yeah. Um." A kind of wince before she says, "Can we talk?"

DANGER! An alarm goes off in his head but surely nothing could havee gone wrong in a mere 15 minutes before this "Sure?"

She lets go of his hands and takes a seat...in a chair, not on his bed. She looks worried.

He notices the placement of her firm rump and that it is NOT on the bed "What did you ...wannt to talk about? If it's abou the Music man I'll be there"

"No, it's not. I...oh, man, I don't even know what to..." She takes a breath. "It's a relationship talk," she says apologetically. "And I don't know how to start without using a cliche."

"Please tell me it's not starting with 'it's not you, it's me'?"

"Well...kinda, but not the way you're thinking. It's the where-are-we-going-with-this talk."

He relaxes, a little "Okay. " Thenn nconfusion "You're going to goldfinch, I'm staying here, and we... commute by trod?"

"Y-yeah," she nods. "But I mean..." A pause and she looks at the ceiling. "This is just..." A deep breath. "Colton, I kind of feel like we've started down a path that leads to one day you going down on one knee in the middle of a crowded restaurant and I have to answer on the spot, and...and...I don't...I'm not ready for that kind of committment, but I feel like it's kind of assumed that's where we're going. Like, it feels like other people are assuming it. Maybe you are, too?"

A nerrvous look then he says "Please,, that's nothing like what I had in mind"

She looks at him. "Tell me the truth, Colton." A serious request.

He winces "The proposal was going to be five years from now in a musical theatre. Not a restaurant." A beat "Totally different"

A wan smile. "Oh."

"Annd it was't SET in Cemennt I... just depending"

"It's just confusing, Colton. I love you, but I'm... I mean...I'm glad you were at least thinking five years out. I was a little worried you might have had something planned for next week," she admits.

"Please, I nnever would... that's reserved for the Music Man, and I am not trying anything romantic with that ,or Sully or some DeBuke will take credit and I'm not sure which would be worse"

That surprises a brief laugh out of her. "You're not wrong," she says, her voice a little shaky.

A smile, then "I am sorry if itt feels like I.. look, to be honest, a earlier I thought we were .. I thought about letting you go to live your own life and... because you deserve to follow your new dreams at goldfinch without me latched on like a tick"

She sighs. "I think we can make it work...but I'm not sure how we deal with it if it ends up that it's, y'know, not working."

A beat "Do you wannt to see other people? The truth , please"

A frustrated gesture. "I'm working too much on the theater and the freehold and school coming and stuff, that that's not even on my mind."

"Do you want... want me to give you space?"

She frowns. "It's not just about what I want, Colton. You keep asking what I want, and that's...." She pauses. "Well, no, I guess I do know what you want. In five years, anyway." A sigh. "I'm just confused." She puts her face in her hands.

Ah shit.. he can't help it and moves to support her "Look, I can only hope..and work, but it's okay. Things are .. you're not prescripted. You're not required to do anything. And there's not just ONE solution to what lays before anyone. "

"I just...I'm not sure, but I don't want to stop dating. Is that...is that fair?" she asks sincerely.

"It's honest, and.. it's honorable. You're nnot making false expectations"

"And I'm not being too greedy, wanting it like that?"

"Well, I mean, when you say you don' want to stop dating, you mean you don't want to stop datinnng ME right? not that you want to be... you know, juggling guys for dates?"

A bit insecure and he hates himself for it, but this is honesty time

She grins. "I mean I don't want to stop dating you." A nod.

"Whew" Escapes him, louder than he intended "Good. I don't want you to stop dating me either. Okay. How about this. If it helps? I scrap any 'plans' at all that go further than a month when it comes to us? You do like wise?"

She looks immediately relieved, her shoulders relaxing. "Yes. That sounds.... yes."

"We're just dating. Nothing beyond that is set in stone."

"And Sex every full moon" He says somberly "Bad luck otherwise"

A challenging brow. "We can only think one full moon ahead, remember?"

"But I think we can manage it a bit more often than that."

A smile "Can't blame a guy for tryingg THERE" he says "And.. yes." he strokes her cheek "I want you, and those ttimes where we are ... one, are.. so perfect I don't want to lose them, but no planing past a month" A tilt of his head "Were you ..worried about this even before Goldfinch ? Feeling... pre scripted? "