Come As You Are

double bass

"there's something I need to tell you."

"you're gay, I knew it!"

"what, no? well - yes, but that's not it!"

constance would snicker at genes flustered expression as she sat on the kitchen counter, legs dangling freely as she smiles at him. gene sat beside her, an unlit cigarette between his lips. he only kept it there because of the 'ironic truth it spoke.'

the only ironic truth was that gene belmont was truly a fucking loser. and maybe a bit of a poser too.

"if what you want to tell me is that you're a loser, gene. i already know, and i accept you for your loserhood." constance taunts, nudging him with her shoulder. gene would scoff is disbelief, eyes rolling as he nudges her with his shoulder in response. harder than she did with him.

"that's because you're a loser as well, dumbass." gene taunts, leaning away as constance shoves him, scrambling to put the unlit cigarette away in a packet before it fell on the floor. "we can be losers in arms," constance snorts, now leaning into gene as his arm wraps an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to themselves.

the silence that follows is comforting. gene's hand carefully tucking a few strands of constance's hair behind her ear. he'd stop partway, admiring the studded earrings that decorated her ears. he was proud of his handiwork, that was for certain. considering those piercings were made with a needle and a lighter? the lack of infection was impressive.

"so, seriously. what was it that you wanted to tell me?"

"oh, so now you want to know?"

"just shut up and tell me."

at constance's insistence, gene would smile. his body moving so that he was laying down on the counter, head laying on her lap. constance's hand would reach out, playing with gene's black curls. the ringlets curled around her fingers like they were the rings around saturn. natural, belonging where they were.

"okay. i have a girlfriend," gene shrugs nonchalantly.  those piercing blue eyes staring into her soul, she felt as transparent as a ghost. her stomach churned, an uncomfortable feeling in her throat that ate her body whole. constance, disturbed by this revelation but not too sure as to why, would smile at him some more. "if you have a girlfriend, then why is your head on my lap?" the question is snarky, cold and most definitely calculated, as if she is trying to prove a point to him. an envy rotting her to her core at the thought - walls immediately rising like the tidal waves at dusk.

"don't be such a bitch about it," gene sighs, looking far too tired for this. as if it were a charade that they had played over many, many times. they were sick of this game, the amusement of it long dead and now rotting six feet under. he stares at her, and the look of exhaustion in those blue eyes is enough to catch constance off guard, "please..."

"right, sorry."

"it's fine."

"is it?"

after that, they sit in a thick silence for far too long. the air in the kitchen is uncomfortably stuffy, but they don't make any signs of moving. gene's hair continues to be entangled along constance's slender fingers, and they're both glad that she took off the excessive rings and studded gauntlets that she usually wore. that would be a nightmare to get untangled. and even if they were currently in an untold argument, they both agreed that they didn't want to have another sasha incident on their hands. gene valued his gorgeous curls, even if he tried to act like he didn't care about his appearance, constance knew the truth about his morning routines.