comeoutwrong | Room 323 [Thursday, Evening]

"Where's your creative thinking? I can't be answering everything for you," he asked, amused. "You've got the IOU from me so you can choose the entertainment. I just reserve the right to call it stupid if it is."

"Thought that was the stipulation on my side of this," she reminded him. "You're the one wanting something from me right now."

And if she could talk him round in circles, more was the fun.

"And I gave you an incentive," he reminded her. "A big one. But I'm also not making your decisions for you. You've got a brain, I'm sure it works."

"It works," she confirmed, smiling and moving to straddle his legs. If he was taking up space on her bed, she could take up space on him. It was becoming a thing.

"I don't have any board games." The sort of games they played, tended to have far more interesting rules anyway. "Could just chat?" Sure, he'd appreciate that with her sitting on his lap.

"You're in a chatting mood?" he asked, keeping still while she got comfortable. "We could talk about the weather. It's fucking hot outside."

Because they were such great small talkers. Once or twice didn't count.

"Think there's something wrong with your country." Humidity like this was just nasty, in her opinion. "Feels like someone chucked a wet towel over it."

See, she could talk weather!

"You just have to get used to it," he advised like he was some expert. "Nothing wrong with the country, something wrong with the weather. Live near the ocean, this is what you get. It was dry heat back where I'm from."

So could he!

Small talk really wasn't so hard.

"And where's that, anyway?" Because after all this time, she wasn't sure she'd actually asked.

... Maybe she wasn't all that great at the small talk.

"Iowa," he shared, shrugging a shoulder. "It's in the midwest, pretty much. Lots of farms, lots of tornadoes, little to do. Home sweet home."

Yeah, his tone did not indicate that he really thought that.

"Oh yeah, sounds delightful," she remarked, breathing a little amusement.

"Minus the tornadoes, could be Somerset."

"And that's why I have no plans to go back there," he said easily. "There's nothing there for me. If I ever have the urge to find farms again, I'll go to your Somerset place."

Effy, very sensibly, kept her mouth shut on the subject of if he didn't at least have family to visit.

Doing pretty well not pushing each other lately, and she wasn't stupid enough to hit that one right now.

"Probably a lot closer farms around than the ones in the South of England."

If he'd felt a little apprehensive about a possible question like that, it didn't show and he was thankful when it didn't come. His own family was a subject he tried to avoid like the plague.

"Probably but that one would give me a little variety," he said, smiling slightly. "Even so, I really don't want to go touring farms. They're fucking boring and I'm not a damn farmer."

"We've got more interesting things than that when you know where to look." Because, like he said, farms? Not exactly the height of excitement.

"Like tea houses?" he asked, sort of amazed that they'd actually gotten into small talk about England. Of all things. "Or that big clock that everyone seems to want to go see? Or..."

His knowledge of England was not very vast.

"...stuffy British royals?"

"Don't really move in those circles." Shocker. "That's old lady territory."

If you wanted the underground raves, Effy was definitely your girl.

"Well, that's just so surprising," he said, eyes wide. "You don't? How shocking."

Though, picturing her on a tour, complete with a fanny pack, was kind of a funny image.

Alex leaned back on his hands again, smile still on his face despite (or maybe due to) the odd conversation.

"I'm sure your circles are more fun anyway," he said. "And a safe place to hone your conversational skills."

Effy nodded with a slight grin of her own. "Seem to be in good enough nick for you." He hadn't tried to fall asleep yet! "Or are you just saving my feelings?"

"The second one," he decided without much truth behind the words. "You're pretty boring and I'm wondering if you're going to start showing me slides soon."

With her hidden projector, yes.

"I'd say I might take matters into my own hands, but, well..." He trailed off, shrugged. "Your turn to entertain me."

Effy's lips twisted in a little amusement. "I think, if you really thought I was that boring, you wouldn't still be here." He was the one came to her, not the other way around.

"I don't think you're that boring," he agreed with a slight shrug. "Right now, I only think you're a little boring."

"Appreciate the clarification," she said. "Makes me feel so much better." On some level she probably cared, even if she pretended not to, and thought he was likely exaggerating to be annoying.

"You did pick the topic, remember."

He enjoyed being annoying like she enjoyed being vague. They all had their talents.

"You picked the entertainment," he asked, pushing himself up a little more and bringing himself closer to her. Made it easier since she was on his lap and all. "So really, it's your fault. You should pick better things to do."

"It was just a suggestion," Effy reminded him, leaning in a little closer herself and smirking. Space invasion wasn't for him alone. "Could've thrown out an objection."

To Alex, it felt like they were wandering into one of their all too familiar games of chicken now. Those were always fun.

"And broken your heart?" he asked, tilting his head innocently but sliding his arm her waist as he did. If she was going to sit on him, he was taking advantage of it. "I know how sensitive you are. A fragile flower despite the rough exterior."

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