#rivervale_lodge

He frowns, and it takes a long time for him to respond.

She waits, quietly.

Finally, he looks up, and while still fidgety, he's relaxed a bit. There's at least a bit of his normal sense showing in his expression. "You realize that if anyone hears of this, all of your own past, fetid, hidden secrets might just be wormed out and put on sordid display..." A completely hollow threat, though there is a hint of gratitude hidden in his expression that belies the whisper.

The threat may be hollow, but he might also get the briefest of notions that he might have hit a nerve. However, whatever flickered across her expression is gone so fast that it might have been his imagination. "Noted, but I take it that means that you don't want me to tell AnneMarie anything about what happened to you today? I'd be able to convince her more easily if I could share some of what you've told me. I'd be tasteful, I promise."

"I... don't want her thinking there's something she needs to fix. Even if she wouldn't tell everyone and their aunt, and she might... I've thought of maybe telling her I have a girlfriend, who lives in Canada... but then you know she'd find a way to fly to Vancouver to meet 'her'."

"I think that's my point, though. If I try to get her to ease off without telling her why I know she should ease off, she won't hear me."

"Maybe I shouldn't have said anything." He withdraws a bit more, rubbing at his chest a bit, while his gaze, his stupid traitor gaze, goes towards the door beyond which the sound of Dagmar bustling in the kitchen can be heard.

She shakes her head. "If you don't want me to tell her, I won't. I'll still try to get her to ease off. I just wanted to know my parameters." She follows his gaze and looks back at him.

"Thank you for telling me. I think you have a rare opportunity today...to tell her."

"I don't want to fuck things up with Dagmar. She's been..." He cuts off, and "She doesn't need this. I mean, it can't last more than a day, right? Then we can go back to normal."

A curious look. "You don't think you'll still feel like this about her tomorrow?"

"No... I think I'll stay the same. But I won't have this..." He taps his chest. "This flutter, this stupid urge to bring it all up like dirty laundry and shove it in her face."

"It doesn't need to be shoved. But...it could be shared. A gift you're unlikely to want to give on any other day."

He counters, "It would be a burden. She'll see me differently, and it will change things, because I couldn't just leave well enough alone."

"Also possible," she nods. "And I respect that you're considering her needs in this. Just...consider it." A furrowed brow. "I do have a question for you, about the future."

He looks up at her questioningly. "You mean what we're going to do with the cherub? It's stuck in a chest freezer right now."

"I thought maybe I could ask Siv to take it to Earthrunes and let it go there. Like, catch and release."

"In the chest...freezer..." She looks vaguely disturbed, but then shakes her head. "No...it's about your feelings about Dagmar. You treasure her, she's your partner. If she someday finds herself romantically attracted to somebody. somebody who is also good for her...could you let that happen? Would jealousy interfere?"

"I want her to be happy." He doesn't need time to respond. "I mean... she was going to be with Nadeen. If I can handle that, what else could da'an throw at me?"

A touch slower, "...but that also means that if there was someone who would hurt her... I wouldn't let that happen. Like when Nadeen thought of keeping her as a side-piece." A glint in his eyes, still a little ticked about that idea.

"Mmph." Kerri's expression tells him she's of a common opinion. "Well...Nadeen learned and grew, thank goodness. And don't tempt da'an like that," she chides gently, knocking on the wood of the bedframe. Then she nods. "I'm glad you're in Dagmar's life, Symon. And I'm glad she's in yours."

"So you see why I don't want to mess things up with my... mess."

"You do know that most of the best love stories are ones where the two parties are worried that admitting their feelings will only mess things up?"

“It's not a love story. It's a story of a wrecked friendship because I made it weird.”

A nostalgic grin about something. "If you say so. Then...take your best friend out to the movies today. I'll treat."

A wary look. “What's the catch?”

She shakes her head. "None. Absolutely none." And she's handing over enough money to cover movie, soda, and snacks. "If you'd like to bring something from the kitchen to suit your tastes, help yourself."

He takes the offered cash, still a little dubious. “If you see Siv, let her know about the Cupid? Warn her it has a sniper rifle.”

"I'm not sure whether she'd leave it in the freezer, or defrost it as quickly as possible."

"Symon...thank you for speaking with me." Sincere gratitude that he shared a confidence with her.

"If she takes it out before the end of the day, ask her to release it someplace... Fiona. Not around here, okay?"

He sticks his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, well... that's what the Hearth is for, isn't it?"

"Among other things, but yes." She stands, as he seems ready to go, and opens the door.

"And, uh, thanks." His ears are a bit mottled purple in a blush as he heads out.

"You're welcome," she says quietly as he goes. She shuts the door, and follows him downstairs.