alnifolia | open rp post 2.0

Yeah, it does.

[ Kasumi understands, she really does. Up until Keiji she'd kept everyone on the surface, something she tried to do again after he was gone. But then Peter Quill came along, again and again, and he's as much of an anomaly in her life as she is in his. ]

So what happened, then? Why change your mind now?

... I'm not sure.

[ Which is true enough. He chews on the inside of his cheek before inspecting a new stain on the table. ]

Guess I just... I saw you, and... I dunno. Thought we could maybe— give the whole friendship thing a shot.

[ The whole friendship thing isn't quite what she expected, which gives her pause. She's pretty sure there was at least some level of attraction between them that fell outside of friendship but if that's what he wants... Maybe friendship is more to the speed of what they need. No need to complicate things further with feelings, right? Friendship is fine. Her gaze drifts off, lips drawing into a thin line before she continues to press for answers, ]

And why's that?

[ It's not that she's nosy. It's just that she's nosy and wants to understand what he thinks he wants from her. ]

[ Again with all the hard-hitting questions, Peter thinks with a wince.

Yondu taught him a lot of things while he was growing up – how to maintain a gun, how to clean a blade, how to kill a man six ways with a coaster. Somehow, honesty and genuine discourse never made it into his lessons, and he shies away from it on instinct.

But he already let Goto in this far, already let her know this much, and part of him thinks, What the hell? It's not like this can get worse.

Still, he gets to his feet, traversing the short distance between the table and the kitchen under the guise of grabbing a bottle of water. As a convenient consequence, as pulls open the door on the compact little fridge, he has his back turned to Kasumi when he quietly admits, ]

I think... I think seeing you— it made me realize—

[ He fishes the bottle out, letting the door close with a quiet fwump. ]

I think— I think I realized how much I missed you.

[ A pause, and he huffs out a quiet, bitter laugh. ]

Weird, huh?

[ Oh. That... makes sense, maybe. She had thought that their run-in might have made him think, Hey what the hell, why not hang out with Goto more often? She didn't think he would've actually missed her. That's different, isn't it? Her brow furrows, with an almost concerned expression on her face. ]

--You did?

I almost didn't think there was much to miss.

[ He keeps his back turned, contemplating the label on his bottle. ]

I guess there was.

And I know that sounds creepy, or whatever, so...

[ He trails off with a shrug. ]

[ She shakes her head, although it goes unseen with the way they're positioned. ]

Well, want to know a funny story?

I missed you, too.

[ Funny, how a statement as simple as that makes him freeze, makes him turn to look over his shoulder at her with undisguised surprise. But it happens, and he frowns at her, confused. ]

... You did?

Well, yeah.

[ she says, as though it were so simple. She takes a moment to sort of gather her thoughts and think of what to say, and her expression turns more somber all the while. ]

We kind of left things hanging last time, then you vanished. Of course I'd miss you. I feel like I should be the one asking that question.

Well, I mean—

[ ...she actually might have a point. He hesitates before turning toward her, leaning back against the counter and the bottle twisting in his hands. It takes him a moment, but he parrots back her words: ]

Just wasn't sure you had much to miss, is all.

[ Considering the amount of unguarded moments they shared probably could be numbered on one hand. He says it without any bite, though – just a flat statement of fact. ]

[ She huffs a light laugh at hearing her words thrown back at her, fixing her gaze down at a suddenly intriguing spot on the table, mostly just avoiding eye contact. ]

Don't know. Mostly I kept wondering what you were up to, or if we'd still run into each other if I hadn't said everything that I said, last time. That kind of thing.

[ He watches her before a few dragging steps bring him back to the table. ]

So... what happens now? Where do we go from here?

[ His movement bids her to look up at him, even as she's slumping in the chair a little and shrugging her shoulders. ]

You tell me. What do you want out of this? If it's someone to share a drink with at a bar every now and then, I'm cool with that, but I'm open-minded. I already told you what I thought last time.

[ Which was that she felt attracted to him. She realizes, of course, that this is new territory to Peter, so she doesn't say it outright again this time around. ]

... Right.

[ Admittedly, "last time" didn't go over so well, but he doesn't say as much.

He slowly slips back into his own seat, leaving the bottle on the table's top. ]

How 'bout we just— try the friend thing for now?

[ Now, at least, she can offer a little smile.

That's... a little bit of a relief, actually. In spite of what she's said now and even before, she doesn't actually know what she would do if he said pretty much anything other than what he'd just said. It hasn't been that long since Keiji died, and--it would've been easier to fool around, maybe, if she knew he wasn't expecting anything else out of it. But the friend thing casts a different light on things. Still--that, she can do. That, she actually feels ready to do. She actually sighs. ]

Sure. Yes. We can do that.

...Right?

I think so.

[ Well, that's the hope, at least. His answering smile is slight in return, almost shy. ]

I mean... assuming you're willing to cut me some slack. I'll probably need an adjustment period.

Nope. No slack at all for you. Either we're doing our nails together and talking about boys right away or I'm out.

[ That surprises a laugh from him. ]

You don't do anything halfway, do you?

[ Kasumi, in turn, flashes a smile at him. ]

I'd be pretty terrible at my job if I did, Star-Lord.

I, uh, think it might be best if we leave the code names for when I'm actually on the clock, if it's all the same.

Not even on your own ship? Alright. Your place, your rules.

[ He lifts a shoulder in a shrug. ]

I make a point of keeping my work and personal life separate.

open rp post 2.0

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