i like you (say it back) ; egobang

07

When Arin arrives at his house, he can tell that Suzy just got in herself. And when he gets inside he sees that she's just starting to put together a salad for them to eat for dinner. Arin comes up behind her and kisses her cheek before he heads to the fridge to get a flavored water, ignoring the alcohol bottle that sits on the shelf beside it.

It's quiet for a while, with Suzy quietly humming something to herself while Arin takes long and slow sips until he can't help himself any longer, finally opening his mouth to speak.

"Suze, can I ask what you were talking to Dan about?"

Suzy simply smiles, but doesn't turn away from the cutting board, dicing up a tomato and adding it into the mixture of lettuce, carrots, onions and cucumbers. "You can, but whether or not I tell you is another story." Arin groans, taking a seat at the island, and then Suzy finally looks over at him. "Trust me, baby, it wasn't anything bad. Nothing for you to worry about, okay?"

"But I wanna know," he groans again, leaning over the countertop and closing his eyes with a sigh. "Were you talking to him about me?"

"In a way, yes," she answers with a cute giggle, resuming what she was doing before. "Look, if you really want to know, I'm planning on going to visit my sister, Jean, and I asked Danny if he would stay here and keep you company until I come back. I figured that you two could spend some time together, and maybe it'll be long enough for you to try and figure out how he feels."

Arin lifts his head and turns to look at her, perking up. "Really?"

She nods, turning her head to show her smile. "Yeah. So make the most of it, okay?"

"I will," he tells her, unable to keep the corners of his lips from quirking up into a small smile of his own. He lets his head rest against his arms again until Suzy's finished with the food, placing an empty plate in front of him so that he can get some from the bowl. As he gets up, he looks at her when she sits down. "So when are you leaving?"

"I told Dan either tomorrow or the day after," she utters around a mouthful of salad, "But I've decided that it'll definitely be tomorrow. I bought the ticket already, and I have to be at the airport by 10:15 in the morning. After I finish eating, I'm gonna text Dan and let him know."

Arin sits down across from her, nodding. "Okay. Do you want me to wake up early and drive you there?"

She shrugs as he digs into his salad. "If you want to, but I know that you like to get your sleep so I mean... I can always take an Uber or a taxi or whatever. Either way, I'm fine."

"I can take you," Arin insists, reaching across the island for her hand. He goes quiet for a moment, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "And thank you, Suze. I'm gonna miss you like hell while you're gone. But you know, if you're just doing this for me, then... you don't have to go. I don't wanna fuckin' make you feel any type of way, you know?"

"I know," she says simply. "I'm gonna miss you too, baby, but I promise I won't be gone for longer than a week, tops. And anyway, this was my idea, and not because of anything you said or did. I just want you to have some extended time alone with Danny and this way, I can give it to you. Besides, I miss Jean anyway. I already told her that I'll be coming to visit, and she's excited. I'm excited. So don't feel bad or anything, okay?"

She lets go of his hand to finish her food when he nods, and he quietly goes back to his own food as well.

And later, when she goes to bed, he goes with her, holding her tightly until they both fall asleep. When he wakes up to the sound of the alarm a few hours later, she's already gone from the bed and he can hear the shower running. The clock says it's 9:17 in the morning, so he forces himself to get out of bed and get dressed before he heads downstairs to make breakfast.