Pride kept Zach from admitting that this was territory that not even he knew well, after all the whole relationship thing had been something he had steered clear of most of his life. But even so, he wanted to be able to help Dillon, to give him some kind of advice that might make this all easier on his kid brother. “Look, it’s not about knowing all the answers here,” he began. “Everyone start’s somewhere, and this thing with April is your starting point.” Maybe it was later in life than most people started, but in the end that didn’t really matter, did it? “I get that, you’ve got a good thing going with her right now and you don’t want to ruin it be rushing, so don’t rush.” It sounded easier that it truly was, but maybe that was the point – over complicating the relationship could be what ultimately might end it before it even got off the ground.
“I know you did,” he answered with a half-smile. Dillon had always seemed to buy into all those romantic gestures more than anyone else in the family. “We’re a bit of a doomed bunch,” life had already kind of proven that. Running a hand through his hair, Zach sighed and fought down frustration when his younger brother admitted to feeling liked he sucked at this. “You can’t compare real life to fiction, but you get that already,” he paused. “Look, you don’t suck and in case you’re forgetting something you aren’t the only Johnson who’s never been in a relationship.” Sure dealing with women came easy to Zach, but one-night stands didn’t amount to a relationship and even he knew that.
Right. The whole ‘don’t think about it’ had been a long shot, but at least he had tried. “Yeah, I know,” he answered with a shrug. “Had to try though, right?” He gave Dillon a sort of ‘hey I had to try’ kind of look, nodding in understanding when he started in on how he felt like he was cheating. “Just because you didn’t have to wade through a whole series of women to find the one that clicks with you doesn’t mean it’s cheating,” or at least he didn’t think so. “Just means maybe fate’s giving you a break here.” Which if anyone deserved some kind of a break it was definitely Dillon. “In the end it wouldn’t be about the clouds, right? It’s just a reason to spend time with her.”
Chuckling softly, he nodded. “Alright, next year you’ll have the biggest birthday celebration ever!” Part of him still felt like a shitty brother for forgetting Dillon’s birthday, but hounding on the subject was only going to make them both feel worse about things, probably. “Then we won’t do alcohol,” he replied, thinking for a moment before adding. “Maybe we’ll spend the evening playing video games and you can remind me why I stopped laying with you when you were ten.” The reason behind that had been that Zach hadn’t enjoyed losing to him, but he’d lose for an evening if it meant celebrating Dillon’s birthday in some way.
“Nah, hate to break it to you but you’re not all that scary,” He admitted. “But that’s what sets you a part in a good way, you’re more of a thinker than a fighter.” There were days Zach envied Dillon’s ability to not jump directly into attack mode. But he knew well enough to know that he just wasn’t wired that way, he’d always go to fighting or protecting first – it was just his nature. “Oh trust me, I count myself very lucky.”
He simply smirked at Dillon’s all to familiar eye roll. “Hey, you and I both know I’ve always sucked at pleading my case,” Which was generally why he always wound up taking the fall for everyone else, because he had never been very good at weaseling his way out of things. “Honestly, I can’t believe they still let Kanji cook,” Zach remarked as he stepped out of the infirmary and into the hallway. “True, I just assumed.” Which had probably been a tad silly since it was winter time and getting fresh anything was a bit impossible right now.