[Whoa, someone's feeling courageous. Does he think Mal owes him something after being so direct about the ghost thing? Maybe he does owe him for the attempted murder at least.]
...No reason that justifies it.
[Big boy pants fit funny, don't they.]
I'm a coward, and I was afraid. So I wanted you to be the one afraid of me first.
[It's not like he has anything left to lose by admitting it now.]
[ That was— totally unexpected. At the very least, he was waiting for a scoff of some sort, not. All of that. He's so taken aback by the response that he forgets to speak, leaving them in ticking seconds of silence, the only sound around them being the bustle of the bar.
He blinks, does so again, all until he snaps his parted lips together to swallow. That was honesty. It almost served as an apology all on its own. ]
. . . They were right about you. [ He's spoken to more than one person, after all— both of which are important to Mallory, so . . . There definitely was something he was missing. ] And— I guess I wanna be wrong.
Eiji, or someone else? It doesn't matter. Mal's used to there being plenty of office gossip about him, and very little of it has ever been positive. He snorts lightly.]
If you needed someone else to tell you I'm no good, you really are an idiot.
[ He has to scurry over to step in front of him. He's got it all wrong. ] It was Miss Peony and Miss Riye. And they said good things. I was the one thinking you're no good.
[Oh, BARF. He'd be flattered, but he's not fond of the plucky young optimistic type who wants to believe the best in everyone. Even if it's someone who's tried to kill him.
He smiles down at him, something tired and sarcastic that doesn't reach his eyes in the least.]
There's a lot Riye doesn't know. Peony does, and I made her run away. I don't know how much their endorsement's worth.
[What makes him so special that he and Peony were both able to bond so fast and put their full belief into each other?! It's not that Mal's jealous or anything, except for the part where that's exactly what it is.]
Drop it.
[Or he'll remind him just why he makes people run away.]
[ His shoulders subtly flinch upwards, but eyes hardly stray away from a stare that stretched for quite a few moments. Or what, you'll punch me again? he almost says, inhaling and ready to let the words roll off his tongue— until a little voice at the back of his mind tells him not to.
While he had things to do . . . That can wait. He'll look around first. Now Ethan's the one that adjusts his bag and gets ready to leave Mallory to his own paintrain.
It's funny, how they're both jealous about the same thing and can't even see it. Before he can stop himself a second time, it's too late to hold his tongue as he pushes by him, trekking to the doorway and looking back at Mallory with rising fumes. ]
You don't know how lucky you really are.
[ That hanging session is taking the back seat for now— time to look around. ]
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...No reason that justifies it.
[Big boy pants fit funny, don't they.]
I'm a coward, and I was afraid. So I wanted you to be the one afraid of me first.
[It's not like he has anything left to lose by admitting it now.]
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He blinks, does so again, all until he snaps his parted lips together to swallow. That was honesty. It almost served as an apology all on its own. ]
. . . They were right about you. [ He's spoken to more than one person, after all— both of which are important to Mallory, so . . . There definitely was something he was missing. ] And— I guess I wanna be wrong.
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Eiji, or someone else? It doesn't matter. Mal's used to there being plenty of office gossip about him, and very little of it has ever been positive. He snorts lightly.]
If you needed someone else to tell you I'm no good, you really are an idiot.
[He starts to turn back toward the exit...]
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[ He has to scurry over to step in front of him. He's got it all wrong. ] It was Miss Peony and Miss Riye. And they said good things. I was the one thinking you're no good.
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He smiles down at him, something tired and sarcastic that doesn't reach his eyes in the least.]
There's a lot Riye doesn't know. Peony does, and I made her run away. I don't know how much their endorsement's worth.
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. . . Miss Peony ran away?
[ After everything she said about him, it felt— weird— to have that be the actually cause. ]
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[He runs his hand through his hair with a half-growl, half-sigh.]
If you do happen to see her around, pretend I never told you.
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But then again when does he ever. ]
After everything she said . . . C'mon, that's— she wouldn't run away from you.
[ It means something. Even he wished he knew how that felt. ]
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Drop it.
[Or he'll remind him just why he makes people run away.]
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While he had things to do . . . That can wait. He'll look around first. Now Ethan's the one that adjusts his bag and gets ready to leave Mallory to his own paintrain.
It's funny, how they're both jealous about the same thing and can't even see it. Before he can stop himself a second time, it's too late to hold his tongue as he pushes by him, trekking to the doorway and looking back at Mallory with rising fumes. ]
You don't know how lucky you really are.
[ That hanging session is taking the back seat for now— time to look around. ]