The question "Why do you call me so often?" should be an easy one to answer. Especially considering he knew why. But Florida still found himself coming up with some quick lie to cover up what he knew was true.
("Because it's funny!"
"Whatever.")
The truth was that he was in love, essentially. Or at least, that's what Loui told him when he described it.
("I don't know, I just want an excuse to talk to him?"
"Why?"
"Not sure. He's fun to talk to, you know?"
"He's kind of a dick, sha."
"I mean, yeah, but he's still nice to be around!"
"You're hearin' yourself, right?"
"I don't know, there might still be water in my ear.")
As much as Florida enjoys saying he's fearless (which he is), something was daunting about admitting not only his feelings, but his romantic feeling with someone he shared a home with and worked alongside. Could you imagine how weird it'd be if he said no? Having to run into that guy at breakfast and ignore the fact you asked him out? And usually he'd be fine with flirting, but considering how stand offish he got the first time he tried, his answer seemed pretty clear.
("Hey, Mass, wanna see the gator I found last week?"
"..What the fuck? No?"
"Just look at him! I made Loui take a picture!"
"I don't want to, get out of my room and go to bed.")
Like, his intentions were clear with that one. And Mass' response said enough—he simply wasn't interested. So Florida dropped it and moved on. Or tried to drop it and move on.
As it turns out, shaking feelings for someone is hard. He could distract himself for a week, maybe, but everything would seem to just come back once they got in a meeting and he had to stare at him for over an hour as Gov just.. talked. And talked. And talked.
Seriously, could you imagine being around someone who never shuts their trap? For an hour? When it's mandatory to be there? It's no wonder he tried to sneak on his phone during the meetings! (Though, all that got him was a ban on electronics in the room and glares from the others who probably did the same thing he was doing, just sneakier)
The ban on electronics only seemed to doom him further, as instead of being able to distract himself from Massachusetts directly across the table, now he had to force himself to stare anywhere but his face as he blankly stared at Gov (seriously, it's like he managed to turn his brain off during meetings). All these futile attempts got him were funny looks from Loui and eye rolls from whoever got forced to sit next to him that week.
And every single meeting, feelings he thought he'd managed to finally stamp out would make their way back into his brain. He ignored the urge to try to make a face at him as he forced his eyes to the window, ignored the urge to ask him to hang out after the meeting despite not talking for longer than 10 minutes outside of them when he looked down at the ground, ignored the random passing thoughts of just giving him a tight hug or holding his hand as he focused on the table in front of his that had nail marks embedded into it from his previous times in the chair where he got bored and started scratching at it until Old DC told him to stop (because he "didn't want to have to find another table that could fit this many people at it"). He acted like he didn't notice the questionable looks New York and Connecticut shot him across the table, both of which looking menacing for whatever reason.
Because there was no reason for them to give him that look. He was not visibly staring at their older brother, he was not red, and he was not thinking about how he could win his affections. (Dunkin Donuts, maybe? He always has that in his hand. What's in the cup though? Is it not donuts?)
Whatever was in the cup didn't matter to him, because he had no reason to win the affections of Mass. Because he was not in love, not at all.
——————
"Because it's funny."
Damn bastard.
Mass "listened" as Gov continued to drawl on about numbers, choosing to think about the conversation he'd had with Florida earlier. He wanted to know, was the constant seeking of his attention because it was Florida and no one was actively giving him attention, or if it was because of something else.
(There wouldn't be anything else, because Massachusetts does not fall in love.)
He was angry about the response given. He wasn't mad because it wasn't the answer he wanted, not in the slightest. He wasn't mad because he thought Florida had reciprocated and was just looking for a reason to talk with him, because there was nothing to reciprocate and he did not want to scream because of it. He was just.... mad that Florida thought he was funny. Sure.
He noticed in the corner of his eye a suddenly glare coming from New York in front of him and turned his blank stare from Gov to him, and then to what he was glaring at.
Florida, avoiding his gaze, bright red like the time he'd returned from the beach sunburnt to hell and back, picking nervously at his thumbs.
Massachusetts turned his stare to the plant in the corner of the room that seemed to desperately need a spot with more sunlight. He resented his brain for the thoughts it gave him, the ones that said Florida looked cute just now, the ones that said he should act on his feelings. Because Florida did not look cute and he did not have feelings. And his face did not feel warmer than it did a few moments ago, and he did not see New York look at him and proceed to roll his eyes the same way he did when looking at some of the other states in these meetings.
And Mass did not wonder if Florida would want to join him later that day for lunch.
—————
yuh
in the massachusetts joins the table vid he says sumn like "florida? again?" and thats where this came from
enjoy
