mydailybread | IC INBOX

No. If anyone had gotten hurt, he would've been the first to know about it. I hate hiding things from him, but I don't want him needlessly worrying about me, and I don't want to disappoint him.

[He didn't like to imagine scaring Galo, or upsetting him, with silly things like smoking and starting fires.]

Sorry, you really don't know me either, and I don't want to be burdening you with this. I just... I want to find a better outlet, for all this.

I think everyone needs to vent, sometimes...

[He thought a moment, then heaved a sigh.]

I used to think I didn't, but then I realized my friend was always taking me out and getting me drunk until I spilled everything to him. Just his way of taking care of me, I guess.

I've tried venting. It hasn't helped, either.

[Lio turned towards Jean to furrow a brow at him, though. Going out and drinking sounds like the one unhealthy avenue Lio hasn't tried yet, but he really wasn't much of a drinker regardless.]

... If you didn't even realize what he was doing, was that more for your benefit, or for his? [Not to sound accusatory, but from an outsider's perspective, it seemed more like Jean had been taken advantage of.]

[Jean hummed thoughtfully and took another drag before replying]

Probably a bit of both, I think. It's kind of hard to tell sometimes, when it comes to that guy. [It might have been part of Nino's job, or it might have been personal satisfaction.]

Anyway, like I said, I don't mind listening, and I appreciate the Chroma.

[Well, Lio was glad that Jean didn't seem to bat an eye at him prying like that. He wasn't going to keep pushing his luck on that front, though. It wasn't his business.

Lio leaned down to rest his free arm and his chin on the edge of the building's railing, letting his cigarette smolder between his fingers by his ear.]

The Chroma's the least I can offer after dragging you up here. [He smiked, suddenly, glancing at Jean from the corner of his eye.] Maybe now's a good time to mention I don't think it's strictly allowed for us to be smoking up here. But I doubt anyone's going to catch us, or care.

[Jean turned to look Lio in the eye at that last bit.]

Oh? Well, I promise not to tell if you don't.

[His lips curved up into a slight smile as he tapped a bit of ash of the end of his cigarette.]

Like I said, I'm good at keeping secrets.

[Lio gave a small smile back, lifting a brow at Jean.]

Every time you say that it sounds just a little more sinister, I hope you realize.

[He was starting to question whether or not Jean really was just your typical office worker, in fact, with the way he said that. With a poker face that good, he could be doing taxes for a crime syndicate for all Lio knew.]

Though if you're as loose lipped around alcohol as you claim to be, maybe I should be worried after all.

[Just a small joke, in the hopes of lightening the mood a bit from Lio's earlier dour tone.]

Oh? That's really not how I meant it.

[Though it did make Jean feel a bit, just a little bit, like he might be cooler than he really was. Maybe he shouldn't dispel those notions too quickly.]

Hey, those are really just my own secrets... And I 'm pretty sure it only works for Nino, anyway.

[His voice trailed off on that last bit. This was one place Nino probably couldn't follow him, wasn't it.]

[Lio was going to let Jean live his dream, for now.

His own smile fell just a bit - really only changing from humorous to more melancholy. He didn't think he was reading too much into that, given he'd been right on the money with the last two or three couples he'd made assumptions about. But he wouldn't say it out loud, not directly.]

... If it's any comfort, I've heard time doesn't pass in our own worlds while we're in this place. As much as you may miss him, at least he won't be missing you. Or worrying about your whereabouts, at the very least.

[Jean let his face relax into its default, deadpan expression.]

Telling me my friend doesn't miss me is supposed to be comforting?

[He couldn't help but tease, just a bit.]

[Lio rolled his eyes at him. He wasn't falling for it.]

Don't play dumb, you know what I meant.

[He took another drag on his own cigarette, half forgotten in all the talking. He supposed that was really the point of all the talking, wasn't it? But the burn hitting his lungs helped distract him from the worst of the thoughts.]

I mean... I'm not personally too happy about it, cause apparently we lose our memories of this place if we return back home. And I'd rather not give up what I have here with Galo.

[Jean acknowledged Lio's call out with a small smile before taking another drag himself... They'd lose memories of this place, huh? In that case...]

So even if I find really good bread here, I won't remember it.

[... Was probably not what was important. Whoops. He cleared his throat.]

Mm, yeah, I can see why you wouldn't want to forget. It's an unsettling thought.

[That got a small snicker out of Lio, who raised a brow at him and squeezed on his hand teasingly, but he decided not to comment on it.]

Yes, unsettling, and sad... Even if I manage to heal while I'm here, from all this nonsense, I'll just have to do it all over again back home. And I might make worse mistakes there than I did here.

[He breathed in more smoke, letting it curl from his mouth and nostrils together this time as he closed his eyes.]

I'm at least relatively confident Galo and I will end up together one way or another back home, even if we forget everything that happens here. He wasn't exactly subtle about his feelings.

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