Second Floor Common Room; Sunday Morning

[fiery-demigod.livejournal.com]

Leo was wide awake after radio and he wasn't comfortable enough to spend all his time stalking Fixer-Uppers yet, so he decided to check out the common room on his floor. It seemed nice, not as high-tech as cabin nine, but it had a TV and food so he really couldn't find much to complain about.

He put the TV onto ESPN and idly listened to the anchors talking about the playoff games today while making himself breakfast. Southwestern omelets. The actual, good, Southwestern kind. Not that crap rolled up into a burrito that you got at McDonalds for two bucks.

[The common room is open, yes]

Comments

[longislandiceme]

"You left me a message all talking about how my legs were short enough for my new boots." Which had momentarily confused him because he actually did have new boots with his new uniform, as a matter of fact. But then the other messages had arrived and he figured out that the phones must have been screwed up again. So now he was mostly just giving Bod a hard time.

[therewaslife]

"Did I?" Bod asked, frowning. "That...wasn't supposed to go to and I apologize if it did. I didn't realize that the phones had malfunctioned until far too late. Your legs are fine, I assure you. I don't think they're too short at all."

Embarrassed, he blushed a bit and looked down at his feet.

[longislandiceme]

"Well... good." Bobby said grudgingly. "I have awesome legs, thanks."

[therewaslife]

"Yes, well."

Now, he was really embarrassed about a myriad of things.

"I guess I should apologize for several things, shouldn't I? I'm sorry if I've made things difficult for you."

[longislandiceme]

"I don't really think I'm the one that needs the apology," Bobby said matter-of-factly.

[therewaslife]

"I'm sorry, how do you know I haven't already apologized?" Bod asked, raising an eyebrow. "I've tried. She hasn't."

[longislandiceme]

Well, no, he hadn't known that Bod had already tried. But then, there had been plenty of times when Bobby himself had had to apologize more than once for screwing up. "Well, obviously, you've gotta keep trying," he reasoned. "Make a gesture."

[therewaslife]

"Bobby, she lied to me and betrayed me," he said, shaking his head. "This is not all on me and I refuse to keep taking the blame for things she's done. I've tried. She doesn't want to try so there's nothing else I can do."

[longislandiceme]

Bobby had to disagree with that. Kate wouldn't have been so cranky these past couple of weeks if she was fine with the way things stood. "I never said it was all on you. It takes two people to fight, I know that." What was that quote Hank liked to use on Bobby back when they were first learning to use their powers...? "'Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.' As a friend of mine likes to say." Man, this quoting literature stuff made him sound smart, Bobby found himself thinking. Maybe it was something he ought to do more often.

[therewaslife]

"Bobby, have you spoken to her at all?" Bod asked, shaking his head. The quote was nice but misguided. Bod didn't think it had to be recited at him.

"She knows what I think. I've told her that all I want her to do is understand why what she did was so hurtful. I told her I could trust her again and that I didn't want our future to just be tainted forever. She refuses to understand and she doesn't want to try. I'm not going to keep setting myself up for rejection. Even I can't handle that."

[longislandiceme]

Bod, you are talking to someone who's literally had a girl scream and run away from him. Bobby's definitely familiar with how rejection feels.

"Maybe she's got other shit than just relationship drama going on, you know," he said in all seriousness. She'd started carrying a knife and was having someone teach her how to use it. That was a pretty big clue that something bad was going on. "Plus, girls are just weird sometimes about who has to be the one to admit they're wrong. But whatever, man. I'm just trying to help."

[therewaslife]

"I know why she's carrying a knife," Bod admitted sadly, shaking his head. "I'm peripherally involved in that as well though I don't know if it's my place to tell you."

He shrugged and looked a little helpless. "I can't admit I'm wrong about this one. It's too big and it's not my fault and I refuse to make it that way. I'm sorry."

[longislandiceme]

Bobby wanted to know what the knife thing was about, but it looked like Bod wasn't going to say anything about it. Nuts.

He shrugged. "I get it, dude. Whatever." Even if the concept of not being at fault was somewhat foreign to Bobby's experience.

[therewaslife]

"She doesn't want me anymore, Bobby," Bod said, shaking his head and sighing. "I wish she did but she doesn't and I can't keep trying when she's made herself clear."