open post 2/2

[busybean]

× open post × tfln overflow ×

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[sweetabatina]

"Good." He gets up from the couch and crosses to the TV, grabbing a couple of controllers. He returns to the couch and plops down on the opposite side from Leo, and tosses him one.

[busybean]

He takes the controller, clearly comfortable holding it even if he has no idea what it is they're about to play. "Hey," he says after a moment, driven by idle curiosity more than anything else, "how old are you?"

[sweetabatina]

Ceder turns on his XBox, rolling one of the thumbsticks around idly.

"Twenty-eight." He says, "Why?"

[busybean]

Leo pauses for just a split second, but moves past it quickly, shrugging as he turns the controller on. "No reason. Just curious."

[sweetabatina]

"Hnh." He's loading up a racing game, the latest Forza.

"Racing is my favorite." He says, "-how old are you?"

[busybean]

"Couple of years younger than you." Six, actually, but he's already made it weird once, he doesn't want to do that again. "God, I can barely drive a real car."

[sweetabatina]

"I've got other stuff, too." Ceder says, cleanly filing Leo's age in his mind as '24-25ish.' "This isn't totally like driving. It's like pushing a magnet around."

[busybean]

"I don't mind," he says, shooting him a lopsided sort of smile. "Just letting you know I'm bad at them."

[sweetabatina]

"Don't worry, it's not a test. Just tell me if you're not having fun, okay?"

[busybean]

"Ceder. I think I could sit in the dark and stare at the wall and have fun right now."

[sweetabatina]

Ceder glances at him and grins,

"Because of my winning personality and not the drugs, right?"

[busybean]

"Can it be both?" He laughs a little at that, reaching out to sort of tap him with his foot. "Where are you from, anyway? Sorry, I guess I realized I don't actually know that much about you."

[sweetabatina]

"Legally? Boston. But I grew up mostly in DC." Ceder says, nudging Leo's foot back. "My dad got elected pretty soon after I was born, and the old fossil's not giving his seat up until he's dead."

[busybean]

"Oh shit, your dad is in politics? God, mine is just a lawyer, and that was enough pressure." It's idle chatter, and he's relaxing through it.

[sweetabatina]

He glances away from him, eyes focused on the screen, a crease forming beside his mouth,

“My dad is a senator.”

[busybean]

"God, that sucks," he exhales. "He shitty to you?" Leo says it like he's expecting it, like it's the only option.

[sweetabatina]

“He’s fine.” Ceder shrugs, “He’s- supportive. In a very milquetoast way.”

[busybean]

"Oh," Leo says, and he relaxes visibly, smiling sideways at him again. "Mine kicked my ass out. Haven't talked to him since. Don't really miss him, though."

[sweetabatina]

“Jesus.” Ceder blows out a breath, “What a piece of shit.”

[busybean]

"Yeah," he says with a laugh. "I was fifteen. Mom caught me making out with my lab partner."

[sweetabatina]

Ceder furrows his brow,

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have complained about my shit.”

[busybean]

"I didn't say that to make you feel bad," Leo says, and he shifts to sit slightly closer to him. "It's kind of funny now."

[sweetabatina]

“I didn’t think you were.” He shifts over so his thigh is touching Leo’s. “It’s just- crappy. You’re so nice, you don’t deserve that.”

[busybean]

"Why does everyone think I'm so nice?" He exhales, but it's not a real complaint, focused more on the game. "I do asshole shit too."

[sweetabatina]

“Maybe you just have one of those faces.” Ceder says, sinking back into the couch, eyes and hands focused on the tv. “Like what?”