Blending Into Gray

Chapter 18

Roman and I sat on the couch in the living room in front of the still-muted tv, staring down at the floor.

I was worried for my dad, and Roman was worried for both of them, it appeared.

What else was there to do other than sit and wait?

We could have interjected, I suppose, and went with my father.

But my father had always told me that he never wanted me involved in a fight that wasn't mine. If it wasn't personal, if there wasn't a reason for me to fight, then it wasn't worth fighting.

Wise words, really, coming from someone that was supposed to be a dangerous person.

That was a load of bullshit though.

Roman seemed to know that, too.

Evidently he held no hard feelings for me because I was a Villain, actually apparently quite the opposite, though that had nothing to do with my status.

But if someone as pure as Roman could like me, then we couldn't be that bad after all. At least, not all of us.

My father had told us that it would only take him an hour to get to the city using a bike, and to expect to see him somewhere, wherever Geoff was.

It was likely to be covered on the news, so hopefully we would know what was going on.

Regardless, the waiting was killing me.

I knew I was just stressing, but stewing in my own thoughts wasn't helping me any.

Roman seemed to notice my distress.

"Don't stress too much, ok? You're so upset you look like you'd rather chop all your hair off than wait," he stated, raising an eyebrow.

The waiting was torture. Maybe I could cut my hair.

No.

My hair is staying.

"Seriously, try not to worry, alright? Besides, I can feel it from here."

Oh.

I tuned the projection down a bit, and Roman opened his mouth.

When I didn't shut my projection off entirely, however, Roman closed his mouth again, seemingly to stop whatever protest he had originally been going to make.

"What?"

I had to know, since he was obviously getting ready to say something.

He shook his head, a tint to his face.

"I like knowing how you're feeling. You always know how I feel, but even though I have facial expression cues that's not entirely the same thing. So as long as it isn't tuned up high enough to make me lose my mind or whatever shit you can do," he paused, grinning.

"Then I like to know how you're feeling."

Oh.

I could feel a slight warmth emitting from my own cheeks, but was more focused on how vulnerable Roman both looked and felt.

He sounded confident, like he still believed what he was saying.

Though his face was beet red by now, and his emotions had some embarrassed vulnerability on display.

But it was kind of endearing.

I didn't say anything, but nudged his shoulder with my own.

For a second, I could feel his panic, likely thinking I would say something, but I didn't.