superniceone | tfln overflow / open post

"You just complained about me putting you to work. Sit." Gustave tilts his head toward the table, his eyes still careful as they consider Verso. "I'll be finished soon and then we can go."

He's in the middle of pulling out a chair when Gustave's comment catches up with him. "We?"

"Yes? You're clearly looking for an excuse to leave." Gustave hesitates, then adds: "Maelle will be out for another few hours at least. I don't know if that's more or less likely to make you want to stay."

Yes, he'd already known he was leaving. It's Gustave inviting himself along that's surprising. "I might just have plans." He doesn't, but he could.

Gustave stares at him, freshly naked potato in hand. "Do you?"

"Not... as such." That is to say, not at all. "But I think it would be better if I didn't infringe upon your get-together."

He's not exactly in a sociable mood, and besides, even if he were, it would be a nightmare to have to introduce himself to a group of people from a city with such a dwindling population that surely everyone knows everyone.

His brow furrows; he's not fully sure if he's dealing with a misunderstanding or if Verso is just using whatever he can as an excuse.

"I'm not on the council," Gustave says slowly. "I'm going to be in my room."

"Oh."

Both?? Verso scratches his beard again. It isn't that he doesn't want to be around Gustave, but more that it feels like he probably shouldn't be. What is he supposed to do, just try to forget that his existence makes everything worse?

"I'm not sure I'm particularly entertaining at the moment. I might bore you."

"You don't need to entertain me," Gustave says, and he seems a little rankled by the suggestion. "I've got books. You could read. Do a jigsaw puzzle. Stare at the ceiling in total silence for an hour— I don't really care. Just stay here for a little while?"

Verso wants to tease Gustave for being so blatantly desperate, but he probably thinks that if Verso walks out his front door, they'll never see each other again. It's not a completely unfounded fear — he's still considering the possibility of making his way back to the Continent. Something tells him he'd be seeing Maelle sooner rather than later if he did that, though.

A long pause stretches out, and then he says, "I am really good at jigsaw puzzles."

Gustave can't help it; he hadn't expected to see Verso on the other side of that door, and he's still mentally calibrating. "Okay," he says, turning to finish with the potatoes. He clears his throat, tries again. "The last week doesn't count. Towards our month, I mean."

That was an agreement he made when he was delusional enough to think that everything wasn't horrible forever. Obviously, things have changed in that regard. Hell, he'd been insane enough to think that maybe he might be able to make this thing with Gustave work for more than a month back then. Now, he's trying to figure out how to break up with him for his own good for a third time.

But that's an unpleasant truth, and he prefers to dance around those. So, instead, he says, "Sorry, I should have said something." He shouldn't have disappeared in the first place, but he's used to being able to ditch Monoco and Esquie for months and years on end before being instantly forgiven. He shrugs. "Rough transition, I guess."

"No, I get it. Something— I mean, something is obviously fucked, right? I just assumed you'd talk about it when you were able." He doesn't believe Verso would have tried to destroy the Canvas without a reason. Not that Gustave has any idea if he'd agree with that reason or not, but that's not the point.

He's matter of fact as he finishes prepping, his back to him. "I'm fine. To wait until you're ready."

Verso stares at Gustave's back, eyebrow raised. "You're not... angry?" About what he did after they'd confronted Maelle's father, about his very inconsiderate disappearance once they landed. About anything, really. It feels like Gustave should be angry with him. In some masochistic, self-pitying way, Verso would prefer it if he were.

"Putain de merde." It's a frustrated whisper, almost exasperated, and he puts down everything in his hands so he can brace himself on the counter. His back curves in his forward sway. "I'm not angry. I'm terrified."

Oh. Well, if he'd felt bad before, he feels awful now. He looks away from the silhouette of Gustave's ~~scoliosis-ridden~~ back. "You don't have to be afraid." Because it's well and truly over; Maelle is the god of this world, and there's no point in trying to argue with her. "She won't let anyone get rid of the Canvas."

He can only assume that's what Gustave is afraid of, at least. Verso nearly wiped them all out twice now. It's reasonable to be scared that he might try to do it again.

Gustave shakes his head, trying to keep the frustration he feels surge at that swallowed down. He knows; he's witnessed what Maelle is able to do now firsthand.

"The two of you fought about something," he says, careful to keep his voice even. "That's what I'm afraid of." He has no idea what it was that drove a wedge between Verso and his last remaining family member, and it unsettles him. But they have time now, at least, and he can wait — so he barrels on instead. "I'll have to let Sciel know you're still alive. She's been asking after you."

"Of course I'm alive." Verso wants to be flattered by her apparent concern, but it feels a little silly, too. He was never going to be anything else. He's tried. "Not much of a choice in that matter."

Gustave is glad his back is to Verso, if only to hide the grimace. Okay. Poor phrasing on his part. "—I'm not trying to actually hold you hostage, you know," he says. He's finished with dinner prep, but he's not turning around yet. "If you don't want to be here, I won't stop you from leaving."

Verso feels like he's done something wrong, which is probably because he has. "Is my conversation that bad?"

Yeah. It probably is. He'd warned Gustave about lacking in entertainment. He should definitely leave; he's already causing Gustave strife and it's been, what, fifteen minutes? In fact, he gets up, slides the chair he'd been sitting in back into the table.

"Sorry," he says again, because he's kind of been terrible the whole time he's been here. "I just wanted to see you."

"Then act like it," Gustave says and immediately regrets, because he knows, he knows it's more complicated than that. "I want to see you. But it feels like I disappointed you by opening the door when you knocked."

"You're the only one I wanted to open the door," he says with a step toward Gustave, and he wants to reach out, but he isn't sure if the gesture will be appreciated. He imagines Gustave shrugging off his hand, and it feels safer to abstain.

"It's just—" He falters for a moment, unsure how to explain. "...Complicated," he finishes lamely, hanging his head. It doesn't sound like a very good excuse.

"It might surprise you to hear this, but I actually figured that much out on my own." There's no bite in the words. If anything, Gustave is just relieved when he sees Verso take a step nearer to him instead of defenestrating himself to escape this conversation.

He folds his arms at his waist, unsure what to do with them. "Is that offer to borrow your arm still good? I slept better with it. If you want to just leave that behind, I mean."

"Well, you've got a knife—" He rolls up his sleeve to his elbow, forearm flattened on the counter. "Would it make you feel better to chop it off?"

"Oh, Emma would love that," Gustave says dryly, resting his hand on the bend at his elbow. "'Don't mind the blood in the stew, I just sliced off my lover's arm so I could keep a little of him with me.'"

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when i lock the thread again it means im too embarrassed to carry on

😭 he was diagnosed with scoliosis AFFECTIONATELY

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