Tina Belcher (buttsbuttsbutts) wrote in freedomtownic, @ 2020-08-04 22:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | brian pritchard (dr_pritchard), tina belcher (buttsbuttsbutts) |
Ask Me Again
Who: Brian and Tina
Where: Xavier Memorial Hospital, then out for a walk
When: After their network interaction, not long after Gertie's arrival
What: Brian talking about old loves
Rating: PG
Status: Closed; Complete
"There he is," Tina said with a beaming smile as Brian approached her in the reception area at Xavier Memorial Hospital. She hadn't been waiting long and was legitimately surprised when he turned up near enough on time. Just due to the nature of his work she knew that he couldn't guarantee when he finished. Still! She was happy to see him now. She smooched his cheek and handed a coffee to him. Since it was later in the evening she'd rugged up in layers and was, most notably, wearing a long scarf that was very reminiscent of what the fourth incarnation of The Doctor wore. "How was your night, handsome?"
He took the coffee gratefully, leaning in to give her a quick kiss. "It was ok, I guess. Nothing out of the ordinary, thankfully. How was yours?" He couldn't help but smile when he looked at her. She was beautiful, there was no doubt... but what really drew him to her was her quirky, random, at times hilarious personality. She could go from saying something sweet and romantic to.... saying or doing something so weird you couldn't even explain it. He was definitely in a bad place right now... but somehow, he could feel it - if he could get past his own hangups? This was the girl for him.
Tina beamed after that kiss and gave Brian a chance to get situated before hooking her elbow around his and setting them at a walk. "Nothing out of the ordinary," she replied. She knew that he'd been preoccupied lately, but just figured that it was due to his work. She trusted that he'd tell her if he needed to. "It's still weird not having Gene in the house." She missed him, but figured that maybe his parents needed him more. "Oh, hey! Did I tell you that Jimmy Jr. showed up? His family's restaurant turned up not long after. Should provide hours of entertainment if you're ever in need of it. Louise is hilariously fiercely competitive."
"God, you and your sister are never NOT entertaining." Brian chuckled, shaking his head. They really were an odd family... but he wouldn't change a thing about them. "I'm.... really sorry I've seemed so distant the last week or so. You don't deserve that."
Tina sipped at her coffee and snuggled against his arm, comforting him. "It's okay. Sometimes we need to take time for ourselves." She figured his work kept him busy; but she also didn't know about Gertie arriving or his love for her. "Whatever's on your mind, I figured you'd tell me if it was really important," she told him.
"You ever have someone in your past that you just.... had a seriously hard time getting completely over?" He asked her, hoping that he wasn't about to bare his soul and end up looking like a complete loser.
Tina chuckled. "You're talking to 'boy crazy Tina' here." Her teenage years particularly were filled with all sorts of weird crushes. She gave his question serious thought. "I mean... when I was younger every break-up hit me, but if you're talking big big love stuff, I think only one person ever really came close." She looked at his expression, connecting what he'd said to how he'd been acting lately. "You... had that person on your mind, or did the gem just decide to fuck with your heart?"
"The gem fucked with my heart. Twice." He admitted, grumbling to himself. "First, it brought one of my exes in. Who I loved, but decided to toss me aside. So just having her here is like a constant reminder of not being good enough. But.... the one that's really messing with me.... there was a girl back home. Little younger than me, but mature beyond her years. We became great friends, but... she never saw me as more than that, and it broke my heart, because I had fallen head over heels for her. And try as I might, I couldn't get myself to STOP feeling like that. And now, the gem decided to give me the finger again and bring HER here."
"Maybe it's closure that you need," Tina replied with a little shrug. It was either closure or the other thing and she wasn't willing to let him try the other thing. Brian was hers. She'd decided that a long time ago. "A chance to finally let them both go." She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. "To take a breath and see the bigger picture."
"Yeah... I guess it's possible." He answered, squeezing her hand. "I mean, I admit Baily being here doesn't bother me anymore. I was able to let the anger go. I just wish.... why did the gem have to bring Gertie here? Things were going so well until then."
"Maybe here is just where she was meant to be," Tina replied sensibly. She watched his expression, hating to see him upset. "Maybe it's a lot of things." If the gem had any sort of motives it was definitely fucked up, but... she chose to look at it hopefully for him. It didn't have to be all doom and gloom. "And maybe once she's settled you should talk to her."
"Tina?" He said then, sighing at his own messy mentality. "You need to know though... this isn't about you or about us at all. I love you, ok? And I promise you I'm all in here. With you, I mean. I'm yours."
She gave him a soft (if a little sad) smile. "I know that, silly." She gave him a hip-check as they walked along, trying to bring a smile to that dial. "I know that you love me. You just have to work on you for a while. I get that." She smooched his cheek.
"I just wanted to make sure you knew, that's all." He said, giving her cheek an affectionate, loving nuzzle. "You're the one, Tina. And I've never said that to anyone before."
She smiled contently at the nuzzles and gazed at home for a moment, thinking: Boy, you'd better not break my heart. "Well, I'm amazing. Like you had a chance," she joked. "But seriously? I'm here if you need me. You don't have to get lost up there." She poked his temple. "You're not alone anymore."
".........Tina?" He asked, blinking as if a thousand things just became clear to him at once. "This is gonna seem entirely out-of-the-blue, especially for me..... but god: you're just perfect. You're gorgeous, you're protective, you take care of me... marry me."
Tina's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Usually she was the one who blurted out whatever was on her mind (usually to the detriment of whatever relationship she was in). "In a heartbeat, Yummy," she purred, taking his hand and lifting it over his head so she could twirl in front of him, still holding his hand. Still, their conversation had been about his previous loves, so she said: "Let's go home and make love and in the morning, if you still feel the same way? Ask me again."
"You know? That sounds great." He knew how it sounded, and how it seemed. He did mean it though... and he knew the best way to show it was to do exactly what she said. "Let's go. It's high time I show you that you're the only one for me."
"Oh, I knew that from the start." Tina grinned broadly and gave his hand an enthusiastic tug, more than a little eager to get home already.