The Time from Before

Integration

Allen woke up a little dazed and confused. Calming himself down, he recalled the events that had transpired yesterday step by step. With a sigh, he got his bearings. He was sitting up on a couch with a fairly thin blanket. Taking a look at the room he was in; he saw Harper and Sasha passed out on a mattress on the floor.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he focused on his physical state. He was a tad tired, but not exhausted. His internal clock screamed that it was morning, though.

He carefully got up from the couch, trying not to disturb the others, and walked out of the room. He found himself in the kitchen, which was connected to the living room by an open doorway.

"Oh! Awake, are we?" Marina greeted him cheerfully, taking off her headphones and placing them on the table. She was sitting in front of a laptop, its screen flashing color.

"How long have I been out?" Allen asked, yawning.

"Not long. Maybe a few hours." She smiled, turning her attention back to her laptop.

Allen sighed and sat down opposite her.

"What day is it? No, more importantly, what's your job?" He rubbed his eyes, trying to wipe the sleep from his face.

"Why?" She asked casually, without looking up from the screen.

...

"Never mind. Do you mind if I...?" Allen pointed towards the fridge.

"Hm? Oh, no, go ahead. Take whatever you want. I usually have to throw out half of it because... What's the word, expires? I don't usually stay at this apartment, but uh... Yeah." She chuckled, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Uhm. Say, Allen, you have friends, right?"

"I do. Why? Did you upset one?" Allen opened the fridge, looking for something edible.

"How... How did you know?" Marina stopped typing for a moment, staying still.

"You've been mulling over something, and that question answered mine. I wasn't going to ask, but..." Allen took out a jar labeled, "Ink Pickles", and set it down.

"Yeah, I uh..." She sighed. "I don't know."

"If you don't tell me what's wrong, I can't help." He looked at her, pausing his search.

...

Marina sighed again, and then she took a deep breath.

"I... She... Ugh. She asked me out, and I turned her down. Actually, I almost screamed no..." She squinted her eyes, cringing at the memory. "I feel bad, but I don't. I love her, but, not in that way? I don't know. It's so... I-I shouldn't be talking..."

"Hey, Marina, look at me." Allen walked over to her, staring directly into her eyes.

She stayed silent, staring back.

"I can't say much about this 'friend' of yours, but..." Allen sighed. "Tell me. How long ago did this happen?"

"A-About a week ago." She looked away, staring at the floor. "It happened about a week ago..." Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Marina." Allen reached out and grabbed her shoulder.

"Yeah?" She looked up at him.

"Do you or do you not want to date this person? Don't give me a vague answer. Give it to me straight. Think carefully before you speak." Allen's voice was firm, even more so than when he commanded Harper.

...

"No."

"If you're that confident, then who am I to fault your judgment? Listen closely. Love is a complicated thing. But it's only complicated because of the people involved making it complicated. I want you to speak with this person, and decide on your feelings verbally. Make it clear of your situation." Allen let go of her shoulder, crossing his arms. "If you feel guilty; don't. You'd be surprised what a civil conversation can do. And you'll do this alone. Don't ask for help. Am I clear?"