>>Week 7; Monday, 12pm; Hajime Hinata

[symbologic]

[Faize keeps a firm grip on Hinata's wrist, continuing to lead him up the stairs and then into room 102. Only once they are safely inside does he offer an explanation, still giving Hinata an incredulous look.]

I was attempting to be discreet, Hajime! I thought you would appreciate that, given that you are clearly more bothered by this motive than you would like any of us to believe.

[Really...dude...he knows he's not great at this whole emoting thing but give him some credit here. He's not so hopeless that he believes oj is the answer to all your problems.]

Comments

[symbologic]

[Faize hadn't expected Hinata to answer immediately. He'd ended up dumping quite the speech on him, after all. So it would be only natural for the other boy to take a few minutes to take it all in and process. So the silence, Faize wholly expected.]

[The tears on the other hand...not so much. That is not what he was aiming for at all, and since Hinata still has his face in his hands, Faize can't actually tell what kind of tears these are.]

[...shit.]

[Hinata, he literally just gone done telling you that he wishes he had your ability to comfort others. He has no idea what he's supposed to do here.]

U-uhmm... [HOW DOES HE MAKE THE TEARS STOP? This is different than when Alisha came and cried on him a few weeks back. That wasn't his fault. He could just give her a tissue and say a few reassuring things and bam, problem solved.] I-It was not my intent to upset you further. But as I said, this is not an area in which I excel, so if you would prefer to speak to...someone else...

[Fuck, anybody would be a better option than Faize here.]

Or even if you would just prefer to be alone, that is perfectly understandable as well, and I will leave without another word.

[hopefragment]

...

[God damn it Faize, just let him have his cry in peace? Because when the other boy says that, clearly not understanding, Hinata can only laugh. It's a weird sound, to be sure, because laughing while crying at the same time? Not usually the kind of things that go together.]

N-no, Faize...

[Shit, he can't stop laughing now. He's on this emotional roller coaster and apparently can't get off, what the fuck. Let him off?? It's a helpless laughter as he shakes his head, trying to wipe his eyes with already-wet palms.]

I'm just... n-no one's ever... said anything like that to me.

[symbologic]

......

[Oh thank god. Faize sighs in relief, letting out a short, nervous chuckle of his own. Okay, this is fine. He didn't make things worse, at least. Though he's not certain if this can truly be considered "better". He disappears briefly into the bathroom, returning with a box of tissues which he holds out to Hinata. Here bro. Your hands are too wet to dry your gross dangan tears.]

Even if they have never said so, I have little doubt that others have noticed. It is incredibly hard not to do so, after all.

[hopefragment]

[Ugh... thanks man. He doesn't take the box, instead just pulling a bunch of tissues out to try to clean up his face. Things might not be totally better, but they're certainly not worse.

It still hurts, an empty ache in the center of his chest to know that by the standards of where he comes from, he's nobody important. But maybe... maybe Faize is right. He's still shaking from the emotion, but at least he's not crying nearly as hard, just hiding his face behind the tissues.]

T-thanks... thanks, Faize, [he manages finally, when he trusts his voice enough to stay steady. It's a little hoarse, but it doesn't seem like he'll be breaking back into tears immediately, at least?]

[symbologic]

[Faize smiles gently, inclining his head.]

Of course. I know that this is very difficult news for you, Hajime, but...so long as you keep moving forward in spite of it, you should be just fine. And know that I am here to assist you, in whatever way that I can.

[So...it'll be alright, man.]

[hopefragment]

[Difficult... it's almost funny again, how little that word really means. Lots of things are difficult, but this had seemed almost impossible. And... even with the pep talk, it doesn't mean he still won't stew on it. At least for now, though, he just keeps rubbing at his eyes and trying to sniff his snot back into his nose. Gross.]

I... thanks, Faize. [You said that already, dude.] ...I mean it. You're right, I just... have to keep moving forward and... do my best. We both will.

[Finally blows his nose into the tissues... still gross, but slightly less gross than trying to snot it back where it came from.]

[symbologic]

[Ew...Hinata...das gross...]

[Faize doesn't actually say this though, but rather smiles even more brightly. Apparently agreeing that he has to keep moving forward was the right answer. He looks really pleased to hear Hinata say that.]

If ever you need to talk about it again, you know where to find me.