makinglies | Just the sniffles

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Just the sniffles

[It's very rare that any of the cyborgs ever get sick. After all, when building an advanced super weapon you don't want it to succumb to disease. It's not unheard of, they do still have organic parts, but for as long as Albert had been a cyborg, he'd never once fallen ill.

Until today, that is.

It takes his eyes longer than usual to focus when he opens them in the morning, woken by Jet rolling out of bed. That in and of itself is his first clue, that Jet is up before him. The man may not sleep until noon as he used to but Albert's still usually a much earlier riser, or at least gets up at the same time. Yet here he is still huddled under the blankets while Jet brushes his teeth in his boxers, with absolutely no drive to leave the bed.

His vision is fuzzy, his head aches, and what little real skin he has is cold and clammy (a strange sensation when only roughly fifteen percent of your body is honest flesh) save for his face, which feels hot.

With a groan, Albert curls over with the comforter, his steel-gray hair barely visible peeking up from the bundle of blankets.]

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[While Albert's busy being Francoise's man of honor (as Frannie says, but Chang and Great still call him 'maid' for the fun of it), Joe keeps Jet busy with all sorts of things. Today it's trying on suits, something for which Joe's woefully unprepared and keeps looking anxiously at Jet as if he can magically make everything fit properly with a wave of the hand.

Well, no, he's not that unrealistic but he does keep nervously turning in the mirror.]

You're sure it's no too old fashioned? I mean, I talked her out of ruffles on the shirts but a tail coat...?

[He looks over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of said tails and resisting the urge to actually ask Jet if they make his butt look big.]

Edited 2013-10-26 07:51 (UTC)

[If there was one thing to pull him out of confusing thoughts, it was poking fun at Joe. He got his friend was nervous, happened to everyone as far as he knew, but that didn't mean he was going to let Joe off the hook.]

No, it's snazzy.

And stop checking out your non-existent butt, it's fine.

I have a butt! It's just... kinda flat.

[He pouts at Jet, then takes a seat to wait for the tailor to finish with someone at the back of the store before they get to them. It's some big order so they have awhile to wait.]

I can't believe this is happening finally.

[He's expressed this same sentiment every twenty minutes or so all afternoon, so Jet may no longer be impressed, but Joe is still in giddy awe. This time, though, he has a question.]

Have you ever thought about it? Getting married I mean.

[Jet leaned back in his chair, gaze drifting from place to place in the room.]

Sure, back when I wasn't a cyborg.

It just sort've stopped coming up as I got older.

[He had more important things to think about than chicks and marrying them. Besides, as he'd gotten older he'd become less and less the desirable 'marrying type.' Girls wanted a street-guy to have fun with, not settle down with.

Now...well, now he was trying really hard to not think about what getting married would be like.]

I don't know, it's not really a question anymore.

[In an attempt to deflect, he turned a smirk on Joe.]

But you're a sap, so I can see why it'd appeal to you.

How is it not a question? Albert's crazy about you. I bet he would, if you asked!

[The little spikes at the back of Joe's head bob in his indignation, then he turns a bit pink in embarrassment since it sounds like Jet really doesn't want to.]

Unless you don't want to. I mean, I'm not saying you're like us or anything.

[Wait, that came out wrong.]

I guess I just thought you two were so settled by now. I mean, you're always really happy around him, even when you're arguing, and he smiles a whole lot more than he used to.

[He fidgets with the buttons on his jacket sleeves then gives Jet a sheepish grin.]

I guess I am a sap, huh.

[If it was anyone but Joe, this conversation would be shut down as of right now. Instead he gives a pointed look at his best friend--]

Yeah. You are.

[--before looking away again with the barest tinge of red on his cheeks.]

It doesn't really matter whether I want to or not, I'm sure he's just not that interested.

I mean, just cause you might care about someone like that doesn't mean you have to marry them; yeah, we're happy, but a ring's not gonna change that either way.

[The tinge of color disappears and he shrugs.]

Albert's been down that road already, it makes sense why he wouldn't be interested in it again.

[The expression that crosses Joe's face at first is worry; did he go too far and start another fight? Luckily Jet's ire fades and he keeps talking. As he talks, Joe's expression grows more and more dubious.]

Have you asked him?

[Jet stopped leaning back and fixed Joe with a slightly affronted look and that tinge right back where it had started.]

Of course not. Would we be having this conversation if I had?

Besides, I wouldn't want to...I don't know, chase him off or something with a question like that.

It doesn't matter.

[It wasn't worth it if it just ended up being this awkward question that made Albert uncomfortable.]

[The skepticism just grows deeper.]

But you do actually want to, if you thought he'd say yes?

[He crosses his arms, a little defensiveness creeping in.]

I don't know. Maybe.

I guess it might be nice.

Then you're being a coward.

[He says it with finality, leaning back again in the chair, softening a great deal after a moment.]

I mean, I get it. I was too. I was ready for this the second I woke up after we got rid of Black Ghost for good, but I made up all of these excuses, like how she was probably mad at me for going off without a goodbye even though we already talked about it, or that we can't have kids so it'd be too painful for her to have that one half without the other, or even just the simple fear that she didn't want to marry me, or get married at all, or... anything. But you know... she was just waiting for me to ask all this time. If I wasn't so scared about it, things would have gone a lot differently.

[He smiles gently, the soft kind that makes it obvious he's thinking about Francoise.]

It's funny though, how we can face things like Black Ghost and His Voice and keep getting back up to fight but when it comes to our personal lives we're complete cowards.

[He bristled a bit at being called a coward, but it went away the more Joe talked. He was right, after all, Jet was too afraid of what might happen that he wasn't taking a risk. This was probably one of the few times that was the case.]

Yeah...

[But after everything that had happened, how much did he really want to risk? There was just too much he didn't know.]

Joe...what do you think his answer would be?

[Joe wasn't always the most observant as a rule, but he was the only one Jet felt comfortable enough with to ask that.]

I don't talk to him nearly as much as you do, but...

[He smiles again.]

After we came back again, Francoise and I talked a lot. I'd left her twice to go and die, you know? So I was surprised that she took me back as if nothing had happened, but she only said that if you love someone enough to want to make the world better for them to live in whether you're in it or not, then that's someone worth keeping in your life forever.

[He's quiet for a moment, letting that sink in, then tilts his head a little.]

It's the same for you and Albert, isn't it?

[That tinge that had been threatening to grow deeper finally did and spread pink across Jet's cheeks.]

Yeah...I guess so.

[It had been rough at first, but Albert had taken him back even after having died on the guy twice and after having been an idiot for nearly three decades. There were times when he couldn't possibly imagine what it was he was doing right to earn that kind of forgiveness, but whatever it was, it was enough that Albert hadn't let him go yet...that probably counted for something.

But that still didn't mean he wanted to swap rings with the American or anything.

But, Joe was right, Jet hadn't really asked either.

He shook his head.]

I don't know. I'll think about it.

...For now let's finish up with this joint so we can move on to more interesting things than suit-fittings.

What, a bachelor party? You know she'll kill me if there's strippers or anything!

[He totally wants cake though, okay? Lots of cake. And all their friends there of course. The thought is so thoroughly distracting that he leaves off the previous subject for the rest of the afternoon.]

[Francoise's sentiments weren't too far off from her husband-to-be's. She stood in front of the three-paneled mirror, looking at herself in every angle as she appraised the princess-style dress. It was beautiful and she knew she looked good in it, but that didn't stop her nervousness and anticipation from making her fret.]

Albert, it doesn't make my butt look big, does it?

[The outline of her butt wasn't even visible under the fluffiness of the skirt, but she had to ask because--it wasn't too much right? Her hands traced down the form-hugging bodice of the dress as she turned to look at her Man of Honor.]

Edited 2013-10-27 23:16 (UTC)

It does, but it's supposed to in that style.

[He flips through his email, a little irritated that whenever he gets days off approved, they always seem to go out of their way to send him work. Maybe he should just quit and drive trucks again...

He sighs a bit and looks up to appraise the gown more attentively. He can't help but smile to see his dearest friend dressed all in white like that.]

You look wonderful.

[Her hands ran to the skirt of the dress, but she smiled at the compliment, the tension leaving her a little.]

Thank you.

[She sighed, blushing but still just as happy.]

I can't believe it's actually going to happen. I'm so nervous!

After we were taken by Black Ghost, I never thought it would be an option, but then we met Joe and, well, I'm really glad it still is.

[He crosses his legs, making an agreeable hum noise.]

At first I never thought we would be able to work together like we have, but... well, first Chang and Great, now you and Joe. It seems we've all done well for ourselves despite what Black Ghost did to us.

[Or... maybe a little because of it. It would have been completely different had none of them been kidnapped. Then, he would have given anything to have had that been the case. Now? He's happy. He has a wonderful family, a spontaneous and loving boyfriend. He never thought he'd be content with his life again but that's the thing about life; it can surprise you.]

[She smiled softly, thinking of their family, how happy they made her and how wonderful their lives were considering what they could have been.

She stepped off the little platform in front of the mirrors and crossed to the couch Albert was on. Carefully, she arranged her skirt so she could sit next to him comfortably.]

What about you, Albert? Have you and Jet talked about getting married?

[Her mind was already there, so it ran with the idea of what her two best friend's wedding would be like. Of course, she would have to plan every single detail, Albert would likely go too subtle and there was no trusting Jet with something like that.]

We haven't talked about it, no.

[He folds his arms, putting his phone in the interior breast pocket of his blazer.]

I'm not certain if he would want to. Things are calm and going well between us. I don't want to provoke anything uncomfortable.

[Jet's never once mentioned anything about marriage. They'd talked about staying together forever, and Albert takes that quiet seriously; as far as he's concerned, they may as well be married, but something about adding rings into their existing equation seems as if it may be an uncomfortable prospect for the younger man and so Albert simply hasn't even brought it up on his end either.

Not to mention, with all their history and how close he believes them to be, to get rejected with that question would be devastating and shake his perception of their relationship. He doesn't want to do that, not in the slightest.]

He's uncomfortable enough ever confronting the fact that I was previously engaged.

Well, I think that would be the case for almost anyone, don't you? Besides, that might be the reason he's never mentioned it, or perhaps he's never even thought of it.

[Those bright green eyes of hers were pinned to him with one of her 'don't you dare lie to me' looks.]

Say he was interested, though, would you be?

Or he's just not the marrying kind. It's been years and he's not exactly one to hold his feelings in for too long. He would have said something.

[He leans forward, resting his chin on his laced fingers in thought, eyes vacantly staring at the base of a mannequin across the way.]

If he was... Well, it's a little complicated but on the whole, yes.

[He smiles softly.]

I can't imagine my life with anyone else now.

[She smiles just as softly because of that smile; she sometimes wished she could take a picture of Albert's face when he talked about Jet and show it to him, because she was fairly certain he didn't realize just how much love was clearly written there.]

I think you should give it a shot, he might surprise you.

If anyone can ask something without directly asking it, it's you. With everything that's going on, I'm sure you could find an opportunity.

[He chuckles and leans back again.]

I'm not certain about that. There's also the possibility that I scare him off by asking.

[He sounds light and joking but in all honesty if Jet took it poorly Albert would be devastated and that fear makes him cautious. Jet's slammed the door behind him for much less, and even if it's been years since he'd come back, he's still a bit skiddish that Jet will find some reason to disappear again. It's just a feeling, against all logic, but it still frightens him to think he could wake up to an empty bed. He has to wonder if Francoise ever feels that same fear but he doesn't think it appropriate to ask only a week before her wedding.]

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