Nicholas 'Nick' Choi (stadion) wrote in remains_rpg, @ 2016-10-16 17:22:00 |
|
|||
NICK: [he was trying his very best not to worry as he waited for Pete to pick up, and he could admit to letting out a sigh of a relief when his friend answered.] Hey Pete, this a good time? [even though the other man was in quarantine, he didn’t want to assume he had time to talk.] PETE: Yeah, this is good. [he's in better spirits than in previous conversations, thanks to the date, though he isn't counting his chickens before they hatch. He still has one more final day to go.] What's going on? NICK: Nothing real serious, just thought I’d call and catch up with you. Find out if you’d gone geek on us or not. [pauses.] Though Lita’s full of statistics about how there’s only like a 1% chance of someone turning this late into their quarantine stay. You know if that’s accurate or not? [quickly adds.] Don’t tell her I was second guessing her statistics or anything… PETE: [he can't help but laugh.] No, not yet. Dunno if 1% is the exact number but we're less than 24 hours away, so I think things are looking pretty good. Never can tell, though. NICK: [laughs.] Make sure to keep it that way, okay? Exact number or not, I’m going to remain on the side of positivity and think that there isn’t a chance in hell you’re going geek on me, not so close to the end. [pauses.] So you got plans on what you want to do first once you’re out of there? PETE: Not yet. I think Bea's holding it together at work, so while I'm gonna go back eventually… I'm not really in a rush. Maybe take a couple of days, get used to things again. [He doesn't exactly look forward to going back to where he was bitten.] Gonna stay at Savannah's until Nathan gets out. I think the place will be too empty without him. NICK: [nods despite the fact Pete can't see him.] I get that. Settling back into life is going to be hard enough, probably better not to throw work on top of that. [raises an eyebrow at the mention of Pete staying with Savannah.] Are you two a thing again? Or just a friend helping a friend out? I mean, I can't blame you for wanting company after being in quarantine alone for a month. PETE: Just friends. [it's a quick answer, but there isn't any hint of secrecy in his voice.] But we've been talking more. I've been trying to figure out… I don't know. Things in here kind of make you question everything, so I've been doing a lot of thinking. Not even sure how to describe it besides that, but it's been good, I think. NICK: Alright, you know I'm not going to be the one to give you crap about whether you are or aren't just friends. [he did after all get his own dose of that whenever he and Lita were discussed.] Well, I'm happy as hell you two are talking more. Friends should be able to do that. [a curious expression flickered across his features even though Pete couldn't see him.] Shit, sounds like your time in quarantine has been real introspective. I won't ask you to put it into words, I know how much those ten days can make a person think about everything a little more closely. PETE: Yeah, exactly. [even though they haven't directly mentioned it, it is reassuring to remember that Nick's been through this before.] How about you and your 'friend'? NICK: [even if he had been through it before, it’s nerve racking to have one of his oldest friend’s waiting to find out his immunity status.] Surviving those ten days really, I don’t know, makes you appreciate life more. [he can’t help the face he pulls at Pete’s question.] Don’t think I didn't hear quotation marks there. Lita and I, we’re good. I mean we’re mostly just hanging out right now since she’s recovering, so I guess it’s been a lot of me taking care of her. Which is shit friends do for each other, so it’s not like it’s weird or anything. [there’s a note of something in his voice, like he’s not addressing something that’s so glaringly obvious there.] PETE: [he knows it's a sore subject, probably, but he can't help but think the entire arrangement is dumb.] Still pretending it isn't worth having that conversation, huh? NICK: [sighs and runs a hand through his hair, mussing it up.] Kind of, yeah. I mean right now we’re fucking good, better than we’ve ever been. I’m shit at relationships though, so what if we make shit official and then it all crumbles? She and I drifted apart once, I don’t know if I want to try surviving that happening again. PETE: Or what if you don't make things official and it crumbles anyway? It's not like anyone who's ever been in a relationship before doesn't think that they're bad at relationships. NICK: [sighs.] Man, look, I know you’re right. There’s no guarantee that things won’t go to hell either way. Still, I don’t even know if it’s something Lita would even want. PETE: [he can't laugh at the absurdity of the conversation.] And not asking really helps with knowing that, doesn't it? NICK: Shit, no. It doesn’t help at all. [he scrubs a hand over his face.] You don’t have to tell me I need to man up and get this out into the open, I’m just dragging my feet. Right now I have Lita, even if I don’t really have her officially. Do I want to rock that boat? PETE: I don't know. [he pauses for a moment, thinking, before he adds:] But I can tell you it sucks dragging out knowing whether there's any point to it. At least if you talked about it sooner than later, even if she doesn't want to make things more serious but you do, then you're not wasting your time. But do whatever you want to do, man. I just think life's too short to not know. NICK: [he considered what Pete said, knowing ultimately that he made a valid point.] Maybe when things settle down or get back to some semblance of normal I’ll broach the subject with her. Because, I mean you already know you’re right, but life is too short to spend time not knowing. [pauses.] Thanks man, I appreciate your advice on this. PETE: Yeah, no problem. [he's a bit skeptical of that ever happening, though at least it's more than before.] Anything else new with you? NICK: [shakes his head despite the fact Pete can’t see him.] Nah, I mean unless you count almost being able to walk again, no thanks to the dude filling in for Liv. I swear he’s hellbent on making me worse not better. [pauses.] You really don’t want to listen to me bitching about that though. Life is just kind of life, mostly I’m counting down the days until you all our out of that place…. |