Swallow Your Affection

Returned Kindness

It's difficult to tell with the mask.

"Thanks for giving a helping hand-" you scratch at your head before asking, "What brings you here?"

"Just a pit stop to check in."

"I'm assuming you heard the news?"

He merely nods, shuffling once more to peer at the armor.

"Who's armor is that?" He questions.

You turn to look at it, "Fundy's. You know Wilbur's kid?"

"You could say we met a few times." With a huff he sits down at the table, taking a single finger to tap at the diamon chestplate, "Word of advice- don't fix anymore armor."

What?

You reel your head back to give him a confused look, "Come again?"

"Just trust me." He says, and does a double take clearly realizing how that statement sounded when the both of you discussed each other's mistrust, "Okay- Trust me as much as you can. I've got plans."

You squint at him and his head titled away from your stare.

Good.

Let him be the one to act nervous instead of the other way around. His hand twisted itself in a circle, fiddling with the edges of the table as he poignantly refused to look.

"I would offer tea, but I'm out of tea packets." You finally say, and any of the tension in the air tumbles down. You didn't mention that you stress drank all of the packets in a desperate attempt to keep yourself awake.

With that, a silence falls over the room. A blanket of hush wrapped itself around the both of you like a snake.

A long snake, with winding scales and restricting loops. Not the best kind of atmosphere all things considered, but he wasn't as off put anymore, so you had that going for it.

It was harsh, and stiffled, and it seemed like he wanted to say something to you, but you had nothing to say to start the conversation, so you both just.... sat there.

His hands didn't stop twisting themselves, and he didn't stop twitching his head. The way his mouth opened and closed made it seem like he kept loosing his words, which was so strange to see from Techno. He always chose precisely when to talk, and knew precisely what to say. Unlike now.

He shuffled, the mop of pink hair on his head sliding down his shoulder as he titled his head and finally seemed to grit out some words to you.

Not the words he wanted if the way his body was stiff was anything to go by.

"Are you going to try visiting your brother again?"

Why would he care if you're going to visit?

He shouldn't.

But if he did- you guessed that made you feel happy. In a weird, 'someone cares' kind of way.

"Uh- not for a good while no." You grit back in reply- trying to grin but failing with how stifling the atmosphere was.

He really, really looked like he wanted to say something.

"Have you gotten yourself a weapon yet? Because traversing the nether by yourself without a weapon is very... inefficient at best." The tension in him coiled the slightest bit more- a hand clenching before he forcefully unwound it.

"You're correct in assuming I have no weapons." You wave a hand, "How does this correlate to me visiting my brother exactly?"

Was he offering to escort you again? You could've sworn after you dumped emotional baggage on him last time he would have sworn off ever escorting you again.