(no subject)

[takecourage]

Nova is a nightmare to text with. It's either rapid responses or it's nothing for eighteen hours and there's no fucking middle. Since Alex had all but thrown herself at him while high at Pride, they've been sort of figuring out the borders of their friendship again and she hasn't actually seen him in person.

She's promised Darlington that she'll paint the bedroom this afternoon - after some negotiating, she's managed to talk him into a rich peacock blue-green that'll look amazing behind the brass bed frame that they've managed to find for (virtually) nothing.

come over and help me paint, asshole, she texts, and then she sends him a pin to show him how to get out to Black Elm.

I'll order pizza.

Comments

[maloscuridad]

Only cuz you ask so nice.

It takes Nova a little while by bus, but he makes it, using the better part of the commute to remind himself not to get into fights with Darlington. It's only for Alex's sake. Shit's been kind of messed up between them. Better now, but still messed up. But not better enough to tolerate someone trying to colonize his magic.

"Yo, Alex, I'm here," he says, rapping on the door.

[takecourage]

It takes Alex a while to get to the door from where she'd been sprawled in the sunroom on the broken down (and ridiculously comfortable) couch that they just bought. She opens the door and gives him a crooked grin.

"Not bad, right?"

[maloscuridad]

Nova laughs. Even with only a glimpse through the door, he can tell this is Alex's place and she looks like she rules it. "Not bad," he agrees. "Needs some paint though."

[takecourage]

"You're totally right. At least I've talked him into letting me have some bright colours around the place so it won't feel like we're living in a museum." She walks ahead of him into the great room, with the long leather couch in front of the fire. "You want the full tour?"

[maloscuridad]

"You're really trying to rock his white boy world, huh?" It's just as well, Nova thinks. Alex brings color and vibrancy to everything else. Her home should reflect that more than anything, despite her stick in the mud boyfriend.

[takecourage]

"Every damn day, baby," says Alex, with a broad grin. "It's a struggle, but I'm winning the war." She walks ahead of him, through the grand room and into the kitchen with its blue and white delft tiles and the big table that they picked up from a craftsman in town.

[maloscuridad]

"He never stood a chance," Nova says with a grin. "Poor bastard." He says it more than he feels it but his beef with Darlington has nothing to do with Alex, so he actually means to hold back with the bullshit, for once.

[takecourage]

"Damn straight," says Alex with a grin. She loves the light in the kitchen and she goes straight to the fridge, grabbing a couple of beers and offering one to Nova. "We can sit for a while, or do you want to get straight to work?"

[maloscuridad]

"I got nowhere to be. I'll take a drink instead of pouring them, yeah." Nova grins and reaches out to take the bottle and then sits on the exceedingly comfortable-looking sofa. "Unless you wanna drink and work. Can't see that going wrong."

[takecourage]

Alex folds herself into the other end of the sofa, pulling her knees up and taking a swig of her beer.

"I won't even rub my tits on you this time," she says, and glances up at him. "Sorry about that, by the way. I was...off the fucking rails."

[maloscuridad]

Nova doesn't quite smile but his mouth thinks about making the shape. Then, he scoots down a little on the couch and puts an arm around her. "You were going through some shit," he says, matter of fact. "Don't know if I made it worse or not but, you know?"

[takecourage]

"You didn't make it worse," she says, after a moment, relaxing into the warm curve of his arm. Sometimes, she can't quite make sense of how far she's come. "It's nice to have a friend I did't fuck."