The States

held his hand like I hold yours

i. 

Part of Mindy was expecting to be single again once Austin worked out everything with Theo, but here she is. She still has a boyfriend, even if her boyfriend also has a boyfriend.

"Do you want to date me?" She asks softly, leaning up on her elbow to see where Theo's laying on Austin's other side. She knows he's still awake, even though Austin is asleep between them. 

Theo looks at her. "What?"

Mindy sighs, propping her head up with one hand. "I understand if you're just here for Austin. This doesn't have to be a love triangle, you know. You and I don't have to date for this to work. I just thought you'd like to know that it's an option."

Theo offers her a small smile, barely visible in the dark. "Alright."

ii. 

Mindy wakes up sweaty and confused, and it takes her a moment to be awake enough to figure out why she feels like she's melting. 

She loves Austin, she does, but he's a human furnace and it's too hot for her when he's curled up around her and she's cocooned in blankets.

Mindy kicks the blankets away. Getting out of Austin's arms is a little more difficult, but she manages eventually. 

Theo's not in bed, which explains part of why she woke up. Usually, Theo's in the middle, and if he isn't, then he's the one Austin is cuddling because Theo gets cold easily. 

Mindy runs her fingers through Austin's hair as he stirs, waiting for him to settle back to sleep before she goes looking for Theo.

Theo turns to smile at her when she steps out the back door. 

Mindy takes a moment to tip her head back, enjoying the barely-there chill. 

Austin is a baby about the cold, but she was made for it. 

"You're such a northerner," Theo whispers. 

Mindy just hums, sitting down beside him to watch the dogs chase each other around the yard. 

"Austin doesn't have your flower around," Theo says, suddenly enough that it startles her. 

To her embarrassment, she can feel a blush spreading across her face. All personifications could Walk (or Step or Jump or whatever you wanted to call it), but only on their own land and territories. Nations could Walk to other lands via embassies, of course, so embassies were a big deal most of the time. 

States didn't have embassies the way nations did. So instead, for close relationships, they'd give each other flower pots of their own dirt, usually with their state flowers in them.

"Um, yeah. The dog kept digging them up. The apple tree by the porch is mine." 

There were bluebonnets growing by the porch of her house in Saint Paul, right beside the Prarie roses Tyler had given her when she moved in. 

Theo hums thoughtfully. 

The flowers are a big deal. It's a big thing to allow another state the ability to Walk on over anytime they want, to trust someone that much. 

"You know, if you wanted, you could plant something next time you're over at mine." 

Theo shoots her a surprised look, one that softens into something more affectionate. "Yeah, I'd like that."

iii. 

Mindy doesn't know everything that happened between them, just that Austin and Theo have what might be considered a past together. 

She doesn't know what happened with them, so she doesn't know how to react to whatever argument they'd had after she went back home. 

She also doesn't know what to do with Theo showing up at her house to sulk around rather than Austin. Mindy accepts this in stride, however, breaking out some of the beer she kept around for her brothers and the nights where her teams lost badly and allowing him to lean against her, head on her shoulder. 

"He gets like this, sometimes," Theo explains after a long moment. "I kissed him, maybe a decade after the civil war. It wasn't something he was ready for, and I should have known that. He keeps trying to apologize for something that wasn't his fault, and it's annoying as hell."

Mindy processes this, before offering her own opinion. "I think that he keeps trying to apologize because he can, now. You wouldn't have listened to him before if he tried to apologize."

Theo is quiet as he considers this. "I was pretty pissed at him for a while, but that wasn't because of that."

"Then what?"

Theo sighs heavily. "1894, Halloween, we were both drunk and we made out. Probably would have done more than make out, but we were too drunk." Theo takes a sip from his bottle, shrugging like the next sentence doesn't mean anything, like it hadn't hurt. "We fell asleep together, and he left before I woke up."

Mindy turns to look at him. "And then what?"

Theo smiles sadly. "And then nothing."

"Austin just left? And never said anything to you?"

Theo shrugs again. "People can be cruel without meaning to when they're scared. It's fine, I'm over it, but I was pretty angry about it for a while."

Mindy swallows, throat feeling tight. "I'm sorry," she murmurs. 

"It's not your fault," Theo tells her, sounding almost amused. 

They sit in silence, Theo resting his head on her shoulder again. 

Hesitantly, Mindy combs her fingers through his hair in a soothing gesture, pulling away when Theo goes still.

"No, go ahead," he murmurs. "You can if you want to."

Mindy does, quietly pleased that Theo's hair is as soft as she thought it would be. 

They stay like that for what feels like hours, but realistically couldn't have been more than thirty minutes since it's still light outside, before Theo sighs softly. "I've got to go, before Austin thinks this means I'm going to break up with him."

Mindy tries not to frown as Theo gets up. "You guys should talk, you know?"

Theo smiles. "Yeah, I know."

Mindy freezes when he kisses her cheek. "Bye, Mindy."

(She curses when she realizes she didn't say goodbye back, later.)

+1

Austin gets called in for a shift because one of his coworkers has either the flu or the actual plague, and even though he says he can just tell them no, Mindy knows him well enough to know that if he doesn't go, he'll feel guilty about it all night.

So she tells him it's fine, and Theo tells him to go, and Austin does after a lot of apologies and promises to make it up to them. And it's just Mindy and Theo sitting on Austin's couch with a distinctly Austin-shaped hole between them.

The movie they were watching ends, and Mindy turns when Theo stands up, watching him curiously as he leaves. 

Theo comes back with the keys to Austin's truck. "Do you want to go get something to eat or something?" 

Theo opens the car door for her, grinning at her raised eyebrow. 

"Theo, is this a date?" Mindy teases, shoving at his shoulder playfully.

Theo smiles, shrugs. "Maybe."

Theo keeps smiling, even when she grabs the collar of his shirt to pull him close so she can kiss him. 

"I want it to be a date," she tells him when they break apart, breathless and not in love yet, but maybe someday soon. 

Theo's eyes are bright, and she thinks he feels the same. "I guess it's a date then."

a