i want you to decide. how would you like to introduce me to them?
[ he's trying to put it on vincent because a) they're his parents and b) rai isn't sure how he wants to define what they are. usually when he gets involved with people, it isn't worth defining. casual sex to sate the solitary bird and then they're sent on their way.
but this, with vincent, is not that. it's something else. this feels a little more complex ]
[ texting doesn't mean he's free, after all, just that he has a few minutes to spare. rai doesn't want to just assume and show up at vincent's dorm only to find out vincent's potentially in the middle of his studies ]
[ don't worry vincent, you've got some time before rai shows up at your door. twenty seven minutes worth of time, actually. that's what there is between rai's last text, and the sound of him knocking at vincent's dorm room door ]
Thankfully, Vincent and Andrew aren't filthy college boys! They clean up after themselves (mostly). But Vincent still double checks to make sure there aren't any shoes in front of the door way or an unwashed dish in their sink. One he's satisfied the place is presentable, he busts out one of his books to start (trying) to do some homework before Rai arrives. A futile effort since he's nervous and excited to talk with Rai about their status.
It's definitely a talk they should have face-to-face and not over the phone. That doesn't make Vincent any less nervous! SO much so that he pops up onto his feet the second eh hears the door and skitters open to open it up, big brown eyes peering out curiously as if it could be someone other than Rai.
Okay but why does Rai feel oddly nervous too? Nervous isn't really something he feels in any situation! New situation, new feelings, perhaps? It isn't as though 'defining a relationship' is really something he's had to do before so maybe that's where nervousness has been hiding all this time. Maybe it's just been waiting there, tucked beneath an experience he hadn't yet had.
When Vincent opens the door, and Rai sees his face, the nervous energy somehow feels like it both dissipates and builds up even more. It's a strange combination of feelings. To give himself an extra moment to centre himself, Rai wraps an arm around Vincent's waist and steps forward for a quick kiss before ever bothering with returning his greeting. Following that, he breathes out a content sigh as though that's all he needed to be able to relax a little.
For what it’s worth, Rai doesn’t look nervous. Vincent would never guess he’s feeling any sort of way outside of the usual. Vincent leans in when Rai wraps an arm around him, also sighing over that soft kiss. Once he’s free, and smiling, he steps back to invite Rai inside.
Birds just don't show their feelings the same ways that humans do. Even birds who happen to look perfectly human. He also has a lot of practice keeping people from knowing what he's really thinking. It helps to keep people at a distance, where he wants them. Until Vincent. VIncent, he wants to get closer to. Vincent, he doesn't really want to keep at arm's length like he does with the rest of humanity.
Not that that means he intends to give up on his talent for being able to hide things like nervous energy. Oh no, that is a very handy skill, being able to make people think he has his shit together more than he really does.
"I want you~" he chirps as he enters Vincent's dorm, stepping out of his shoes and closing the door behind himself. "But I'll take some water."
Vincent nearly squeaks at hearing that! He manages to hold it in, but there's not hiding the red blossoming on his cheeks. It's a nice feeling to be wanted. But that Rai's so forward about it is what gets to him.
He hurries to the kitchen to get to glasses of water and brings them back out to the dorm's living area. They should probably talk there instead of in the bedroom. Right? It makes sense to Vincent.
Rai may be a little less open about his feelings, but wants are always on full display. He mostly sees humans as a way to fulfill those wants and needs, after all. Even with Vincent, who has taken on a much different role in his life than any other human before him. Especially with Vincent. Especially.
A little more slowly, Rai follows Vincent further into the dorm. He's about to follow him all the way into the kitchen when Vincent returns with their water in hand. Brings it specifically to the living area. Rai glances toward Vincent's bedroom but doesn't make any move toward it. They probably should talk out here. The only intention is to talk. The bedroom can lead an often single-minded bird down a certain line of thinking that tends to leave talking behind. They're here for a conversation. So Rai takes both glasses of water and sits, giving Vincent a chance to sit and get himself settled before handing one glass back.
He's nervous, pulse fluttering as he sits down on the couch beside Rai, twisting slightly to face him better. He folds his hands in his lap (not unusual) but keeps fidgeting with them (that's the unusual part).
"They're really nice. Like I said, they love all my friends." Wow, it's hard to look Rai in the eye right now. "But I'd like to tell them you're, um, that we're more than friends..."
Rai is quiet as he waits for Vincent to speak. It's surprisingly difficult to play a more passive role in the conversation. He wants to help Vincent out. He wants to say for him what he's expecting Vincent to say. Take some of the burden off of the clearly nervous human's shoulders. As though he isn't feeling some nerves himself. But he bites his tongue, waiting not exactly patiently for Vincent to get out what he's trying to say.
"What kind of 'more than friends' would you like to tell them we are? That could mean a lot of things."
Could it? Well, it probably could, yes. But since Vincent knows what he means, it's the most obvious thing to him! And very unkind to put him on the spot like this, Rai!
"Well, if you're not against it..." Please don't be against it. That will make all of this so much more awkward than it already is. Vincent drops his eyes and quickly mumbles, "I'd like to tell then you're my boyfriend."
Rai likes to think he's helping, thank you! Even though this is one area that he has no experience in. Nothing to help guide Vincent except theories. But the way he sees it, Vincent saying it to him will help him to say it to his parents too. Experience or something. And maybe it's totally unnecessary, maybe it'd be obvious to Vincent's parents too what he means by 'more than friends' but what if they don't?
Or what if Rai just wants to hear it? Try the title on for size before anyone else hears it.
Rai moves a little closer to Vincent, stretching his arm out across the back of the couch, behind the blond's shoulders. Rai ducks his head, trying to catch Vincent's eye. "I'd be okay with you telling them that."
Well, if Rai wants to hear, that's a little better. It's less malicious! Definitely less mean-spirited.
It's easy to catch Vincent's eye, even as he he shyly looks when Rai shifts into his field of vision. He perks up immediately, wide-eyed now from surprise and no small amount of happiness at hearing that Rai's okay with this!
"Really?" Excuse him if he gets a little exuberant and throws his arms around Rai's neck for a hug.
It's not like it would've been his intention to be malicious or mean-spirited. Maybe a little manipulative, but nothing more (as though being manipulative is a small thing). It's just his attempt to help in an area where he has no experience. It's hard to watch Vincent struggle through something even if he doesn't know what he can do to help.
He really does have feelings for this human, doesn't he?
"Really." Rai laughs and snakes his arms around Vincent's waist, pulling him closer. Hugging him tightly. "You know," he starts as he presses a kiss to the side of Vincent's head. "I've never actually had a boyfriend before. After all this time, I think this was the only first I had left."
Deep down inside, Vincent knows Rai isn't mean. They're both floundering a little right now, so it's not even something that will cross Vincent's mind. And now that the nerves are gone (oh god was he nervous Rai would object!) he's just so happy!
"What? I never could've imagined!" Rai exclaims as he nuzzles Vincent's hair, pressing another soft kiss to the side of his head. He pulls back, then, just enough to get a better look at Vincent's face. Sunshine. Actual sunshine. Not always the sort of thing that appeals to him. And yet.
"I've never really bothered with relationships before. I managed to get what I was looking for without them. Until you. I don't really want some easy hook up with you. I want the whole relationship."
He could remark on the sarcasm in Rai's first comment, but the one that follows moves Vincent too much. Rai's not a regular human. It isn't just 80 or 90 years and done for him. He's... maybe immortal? Vincent isn't sure and he's never asked. He can't even fathom that. But however old Rai is, he wants something with him, with Vincent that he's never wanted before.
He suddenly wishes they were still hugging so Rai can't see the happy tears filling his eyes.
"I guess we'll both be going into this kind of blind then, huh?"
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👉 👈
We're not NOT friends.
How would you like me to introduce you to them?
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[ he's trying to put it on vincent because a) they're his parents and b) rai isn't sure how he wants to define what they are. usually when he gets involved with people, it isn't worth defining. casual sex to sate the solitary bird and then they're sent on their way.
but this, with vincent, is not that. it's something else. this feels a little more complex ]
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[ texting doesn't mean he's free, after all, just that he has a few minutes to spare. rai doesn't want to just assume and show up at vincent's dorm only to find out vincent's potentially in the middle of his studies ]
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(( Now that he's full of nervous energy, he picks up the pace to get back and make sure everything is tidy before (he hopes) Rai gets there. ))
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[ don't worry vincent, you've got some time before rai shows up at your door. twenty seven minutes worth of time, actually. that's what there is between rai's last text, and the sound of him knocking at vincent's dorm room door ]
text → prose
It's definitely a talk they should have face-to-face and not over the phone. That doesn't make Vincent any less nervous! SO much so that he pops up onto his feet the second eh hears the door and skitters open to open it up, big brown eyes peering out curiously as if it could be someone other than Rai.
"Hi."
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When Vincent opens the door, and Rai sees his face, the nervous energy somehow feels like it both dissipates and builds up even more. It's a strange combination of feelings. To give himself an extra moment to centre himself, Rai wraps an arm around Vincent's waist and steps forward for a quick kiss before ever bothering with returning his greeting. Following that, he breathes out a content sigh as though that's all he needed to be able to relax a little.
"Hi."
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“Do you want anything? Some water or a snack?”
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Not that that means he intends to give up on his talent for being able to hide things like nervous energy. Oh no, that is a very handy skill, being able to make people think he has his shit together more than he really does.
"I want you~" he chirps as he enters Vincent's dorm, stepping out of his shoes and closing the door behind himself. "But I'll take some water."
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He hurries to the kitchen to get to glasses of water and brings them back out to the dorm's living area. They should probably talk there instead of in the bedroom. Right? It makes sense to Vincent.
"So, um, about my parents..."
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A little more slowly, Rai follows Vincent further into the dorm. He's about to follow him all the way into the kitchen when Vincent returns with their water in hand. Brings it specifically to the living area. Rai glances toward Vincent's bedroom but doesn't make any move toward it. They probably should talk out here. The only intention is to talk. The bedroom can lead an often single-minded bird down a certain line of thinking that tends to leave talking behind. They're here for a conversation. So Rai takes both glasses of water and sits, giving Vincent a chance to sit and get himself settled before handing one glass back.
"About your parents."
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"They're really nice. Like I said, they love all my friends." Wow, it's hard to look Rai in the eye right now. "But I'd like to tell them you're, um, that we're more than friends..."
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"What kind of 'more than friends' would you like to tell them we are? That could mean a lot of things."
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"Well, if you're not against it..." Please don't be against it. That will make all of this so much more awkward than it already is. Vincent drops his eyes and quickly mumbles, "I'd like to tell then you're my boyfriend."
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Or what if Rai just wants to hear it? Try the title on for size before anyone else hears it.
Rai moves a little closer to Vincent, stretching his arm out across the back of the couch, behind the blond's shoulders. Rai ducks his head, trying to catch Vincent's eye. "I'd be okay with you telling them that."
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It's easy to catch Vincent's eye, even as he he shyly looks when Rai shifts into his field of vision. He perks up immediately, wide-eyed now from surprise and no small amount of happiness at hearing that Rai's okay with this!
"Really?" Excuse him if he gets a little exuberant and throws his arms around Rai's neck for a hug.
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He really does have feelings for this human, doesn't he?
"Really." Rai laughs and snakes his arms around Vincent's waist, pulling him closer. Hugging him tightly. "You know," he starts as he presses a kiss to the side of Vincent's head. "I've never actually had a boyfriend before. After all this time, I think this was the only first I had left."
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"Wow, really? You're my first boyfriend, too!"
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"I've never really bothered with relationships before. I managed to get what I was looking for without them. Until you. I don't really want some easy hook up with you. I want the whole relationship."
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He suddenly wishes they were still hugging so Rai can't see the happy tears filling his eyes.
"I guess we'll both be going into this kind of blind then, huh?"