[To anyone else, that would probably sound like a date request. Even for Hermann, it sounds a bit strange. He gives Newton an appraising look and steps back from the door]
Yes, mom. [He rolled his eyes but went to work tidying up and finding himself a clean shirt to wear.
It wasn't a date--it sounded perfectly normal to Newt, who wasn't trying to think of this as anything more than a natural evolutionary process, a hopeful step in a new direction. They no longer had to think of themselves as coworkers, as lab partners. They were Best Friends. He had known Hermann, in some manner, for a third of his lifetime. By now, war over, they could socialize outside. In public. Like normal people did. He could ask Hermann to coffee, Newt thought, hoped, and not have to feel like he was trying too hard, being too friendly, being too much and too desperate, that he'd scare this new friend away. Or he wanted to think that way. Anxiety wasn't quite letting him, but he wanted to think he could be a friend while still being himself.
[Hermann on the other hand, wasn't thinking about it too hard. He retreated back to his room and looked his new parka over with a smile. Well, he might as well break it in and wear it. Mornings were chilly, after all.
When he met Newton in the living room, he was bundled up and pleased to see a distinct lack of cereal bowl on the coffee table. The man's nerves were a bit concerning however, and he gave his drift partner a searching look]
Anything I should be aware of before we leave, Newton?
[The parka looked right, a close enough approximation of the original to pass. The fluffed up bird was back.
He shook his head. Not wanting to make it weird...]. No? There's no more jackets hiding in your closet because of me, I swear. ...Alright. Okay. Let's just-- You asked, so. I'm not being too weird, right? I mean. I know I'm not great at this friend thing, but I'm not coming on too strong, am I? I scare people off. Don't let me scare you off, man.
[Weird. Hermann's eyes swept over Newton as if looking for anything unusual, and shrugged. The man was acting slightly stranger than usual, but nothing worth mentioning. But 'coming on too strong', really.]
Newton, I don't know where you've been for the last five years, but it's going to take a lot more than a jacket and breakfast to do anything of the sort.
Yeah well the last five years you were a jackass. Now you're by Best Friend, jackass, and I actually fucking CARE if you decide I'm too annoying to talk to.
[The outburst left him at odds with how to answer. Uncomfortable things, these emotional situations, but Newton was his friend- best friend- now, and dismissing things like this was out of the question. He might as well give the coat back in that case.
What was Newton looking for- reassurance? Even with the drift, his insight was only slightly better than normal. Now it's his turn to be nervous, because he's really terrible at this, and one wrong word could turn this into an emotional molotov]
I don't.. find you excessively irritating. And I am not simply 'putting up with you', if that's what you're worried about.
[Not excessively irritating. Hermann was such a flatterer. No, but seriously, he felt bad airing out his insecurities like he needed Hermann to give him pats and say we're good. And yet he liked those pats, felt worlds better because of them, despite the guilt of forcing that out of Hermann. It felt a little like he imagined crawling into that parka would feel like.
Okay, he didn't have to imagine. He totally tried it on at the store. The parka felt like a hug. Newt almost kept it.
He shook his head.]
No, I know. Look, sorry for the insecure idiot thing. We don't have to rehash the Best Friends talk again, promise. But, uh...thank you.
[Hermann nodded, shoulders relaxing and too relieved that was either enough reassurance or Newton simply wanted to drop the topic to bother pursuing it any further despite the anti-climactic note it ended on]
Yes, quite. [Hermann reached to pull open the door and motioned Newton through with his cane] Anything you're in the mood for?
[Hermann followed him out, closing the door and locking it behind him]
Well there ought to be a Dunkin' shop around here somewhere. I believe they have more than donuts as well, for those of us that aspire to eat more than a half dozen sweets in the morning.
I aspire to a whole dozen if you're not going to help me with them. [Not really, of course. He fell into step beside Hermann. Someday they'd teleport places, maybe, though nothing really beat walking and talking. Or even arguing in a taxi.]
But, anyway, revisiting that masquerade thing-- [because Newt was good at talking a topic to death but also because he had been thinking about it all month and they couldn't talk about coffee the whole way there. Or they could, but it was kind of silly.] ---you're okay going, right? I know we kind of swore off swear ins but we practiced --you practiced the teleporting and I want to go, but I really don't want to drag you if you're not ready. But I think we should go. It'd be good for you--us.
[Ah yes, the eternal struggle with pluralization, Hermann listened with faint amusement. Did he want to go? Still vivid memories of August cautioned him against it. He frowned down at the floor and wrestled with the uncertainty warring in his chest.
Hermann raised his head and nodded firmly]
We're taking the necessary precautions, it's not a swear-in, and may be perhaps the best avenue to determine risk factors for public events in general.
[The elevator dinged and Hermann stepped through the open doors, jabbing his cane for the lobby]
Much as I'm not inclined toward social settings, I do enjoy the occasional outing.
Yeah, okay, Socializing Experiment, Take Two. [He followed Hermann into the elevator and paced around the small space. The occasional outing. Like breakfast with your Best Friend? He hoped Hermann meant like breakfast with the Best Friend, because yeah, this was going to be a good outing.]
Exactly.
And if we don't like the party? We'll duck out early, get take-out, go make our own better party somewhere with loads of Halloween candy like those dumb gummy eyeballs and some fun-size multi-packs of the good stuff--Twix and Snickers and Butterfinger, none of that cheap Palmer chocolate--live it up, watch creepy movies with the lights off, scare trick-or-treaters, snuff pixi-stix with rolled up bills like it's blow... It'll be awesome!
Okay, it got a little absurd near the end there--definitely not actually snuffing pixi-stix because that HURTS and it 100% not a good idea for the nasal mucous membrane, but yeah, not afraid to go make our own party, right? We can be our own two man social outing if push comes to shove and the masquerade is dull, or, I mean, we can invite Mako and Qubit and Hiro and stuff. That's fine too.
I haven't been to a party in forever, though. I'm psyched.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mathemagier
(no subject)
Clean up, and then we'll go.
(no subject)
It wasn't a date--it sounded perfectly normal to Newt, who wasn't trying to think of this as anything more than a natural evolutionary process, a hopeful step in a new direction. They no longer had to think of themselves as coworkers, as lab partners. They were Best Friends. He had known Hermann, in some manner, for a third of his lifetime. By now, war over, they could socialize outside. In public. Like normal people did. He could ask Hermann to coffee, Newt thought, hoped, and not have to feel like he was trying too hard, being too friendly, being too much and too desperate, that he'd scare this new friend away. Or he wanted to think that way. Anxiety wasn't quite letting him, but he wanted to think he could be a friend while still being himself.
Dammit, he just wanted to hang out with Hermann.]
(no subject)
When he met Newton in the living room, he was bundled up and pleased to see a distinct lack of cereal bowl on the coffee table. The man's nerves were a bit concerning however, and he gave his drift partner a searching look]
Anything I should be aware of before we leave, Newton?
(no subject)
He shook his head. Not wanting to make it weird...]. No? There's no more jackets hiding in your closet because of me, I swear. ...Alright. Okay. Let's just-- You asked, so. I'm not being too weird, right? I mean. I know I'm not great at this friend thing, but I'm not coming on too strong, am I? I scare people off. Don't let me scare you off, man.
(no subject)
Newton, I don't know where you've been for the last five years, but it's going to take a lot more than a jacket and breakfast to do anything of the sort.
(no subject)
(no subject)
What was Newton looking for- reassurance? Even with the drift, his insight was only slightly better than normal. Now it's his turn to be nervous, because he's really terrible at this, and one wrong word could turn this into an emotional molotov]
I don't.. find you excessively irritating. And I am not simply 'putting up with you', if that's what you're worried about.
(no subject)
Okay, he didn't have to imagine. He totally tried it on at the store. The parka felt like a hug. Newt almost kept it.
He shook his head.]
No, I know. Look, sorry for the insecure idiot thing. We don't have to rehash the Best Friends talk again, promise. But, uh...thank you.
...so... breakfast?
(no subject)
Yes, quite. [Hermann reached to pull open the door and motioned Newton through with his cane] Anything you're in the mood for?
(no subject)
Uh, I don't know. I can always go for coffee or something. Donuts, maybe? The good, cheap kind, nothing fancy and gourmet.
(no subject)
Well there ought to be a Dunkin' shop around here somewhere. I believe they have more than donuts as well, for those of us that aspire to eat more than a half dozen sweets in the morning.
(no subject)
(no subject)
[Mostly because he won't be able to resist despite his best intentions. Still, he will have an egg sandwich or whatever else they carry to go with it]
And likely a coffee, as I doubt they have much of a tea selection.
(no subject)
But, anyway, revisiting that masquerade thing-- [because Newt was good at talking a topic to death but also because he had been thinking about it all month and they couldn't talk about coffee the whole way there. Or they could, but it was kind of silly.] ---you're okay going, right? I know we kind of swore off swear ins but we practiced --you practiced the teleporting and I want to go, but I really don't want to drag you if you're not ready. But I think we should go. It'd be good for you--us.
[He hit the button for the elevator.]
(no subject)
Hermann raised his head and nodded firmly]
We're taking the necessary precautions, it's not a swear-in, and may be perhaps the best avenue to determine risk factors for public events in general.
[The elevator dinged and Hermann stepped through the open doors, jabbing his cane for the lobby]
Much as I'm not inclined toward social settings, I do enjoy the occasional outing.
(no subject)
Exactly.
And if we don't like the party? We'll duck out early, get take-out, go make our own better party somewhere with loads of Halloween candy like those dumb gummy eyeballs and some fun-size multi-packs of the good stuff--Twix and Snickers and Butterfinger, none of that cheap Palmer chocolate--live it up, watch creepy movies with the lights off, scare trick-or-treaters, snuff pixi-stix with rolled up bills like it's blow... It'll be awesome!
Okay, it got a little absurd near the end there--definitely not actually snuffing pixi-stix because that HURTS and it 100% not a good idea for the nasal mucous membrane, but yeah, not afraid to go make our own party, right? We can be our own two man social outing if push comes to shove and the masquerade is dull, or, I mean, we can invite Mako and Qubit and Hiro and stuff. That's fine too.
I haven't been to a party in forever, though. I'm psyched.