Happy Boob-Day To You (Tak)

[Takchawee Ominotago]

If only Oriel knew how many times Tak had cried alone at night over the entire ordeal with Cam and the baby... Maybe he would see things differently. She wasn't one to usually open up to people about those sorts of things; this outburst was rare, and she already felt bad for showing so much. But she didn't blame him, she didn't really blame anyone but herself. It was her decisions that had made all this happen... Well, apart from Cam leaving. "... I'm sorry..." she whispered. "I didn't mean to drag you into this... None of it's your fault, it's nothing to do with you..." Oriel was just sticking up for her when he didn't have to. She appreciated it as much as she wished he didn't feel like he needed to.

She was trying to cheer them both up from her little pity-party. Tak didn't know if it was hormones or what, but she was getting tired of feeling sorry for herself.

"You're grown so much since we first met," she murmured. "Physically and otherwise." How long had it been? Nearly three years ago? It was amazing how much both of them had changed. "... You still beating up poor innocent vending machines?" she joked weakly with a small smile.

She didn't know why she'd said what she did. Reassurance? For who? And Tak didn't expect him to return the words in kind, so she wasn't disappointed with his response. "I guess we're just able to see past the shield you put around yourself," she murmured. A sudden idea hit her, and she squeezed him tighter for a moment before pulling away a bit, suddenly shy. "... I thought of something... You could do for me," she said quietly. Tak looked away before meeting his eyes again. "... Sleep with me?" She chuckled a bit and added,"I mean... Just... Spend tonight over? I... I haven't slept in someone's arms for a long time, it... It would be really nice..." She looked down again and added,"At least, if Phoenix would be alright with that. I won't make any moves, I promise."

[Deleted]

“Like fuck,” he grumbled. “You didn’t drag me nowhere. I stuck my nose in ‘cause I worry too fucking much.” How could he not when Tak let herself be walked all over by people so much? Her attitude always seemed so uncaring about what others thought, but that just made it easier for people to take advantage of her. And take her for granted. Like those who only saw no-good, angry delinquent, all they saw from Tak was a no-good, wanton slut. Just another deviant who screwed up her life because she didn’t live her life they way they wanted her to, completely bypassing everything good about her.

“I don’t have to care. But I can’t help it,” Oriel continued, his voice low and mumbly. “And maybe that’s some sort of burden on you, but…I see something I don’t like going on between you and all those other fucktards I’m supposed to just let it happen? I may be a fucking asshole but at least I got some standards…and I don’t go ‘round pretending that—“ He stopped himself. Oriel was getting worked up again, his speech gaining speed and volume as he continued his rant. He took a breath and continued more slowly. “I ain’t a good person….but maybe that’s why I can see that they ain’t either.” They, being everyone who thought they could get away with shit just because of money or status or smarts.

He fucking hated this world.

Oriel appreciated her attempts to make him feel better, but it all still weighed heavily on his heart. And it probably would for a while longer, until he could start thinking about something else. That was…a lot harder to do than one would realize. He managed an equally weak smile of amusement. “Actually, yeah. Them things’re anything but innocent.” Though he didn’t go to town on them nearly as much as he used to. Not like when Tak and he first met.

“Shield, huh…?” Oriel muttered, holding that thin brunette in his arms. “What’s it you see?” He honestly wondered that, though after posing the question, he was, of course, afraid of the answer.

“Sleep with—?” Oriel looked down at her, confused by the request. He scratched his head, pondering over the possibility. “You might not make any moves but…I don’t know if I’d be able to hold back.” That was one of the primary reasons why he’d stopped doing some things like kissing Erik and going to the gym with Kodi and groping Tak…Oriel didn’t trust himself to not take it further. He should turn it down. He really should. “Yeah, guess it doesn’t hurt to ask, right? Want me to call him?”

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak held back a sigh and looked at the floor. See, this was exactly why she loved Oriel, even though it made her heart hurt to see it - how protective he was of those he cared about, maybe even more than he realized himself. "I don't want to make you worry," she said softly. "I'm a big girl. I should be able to take care of myself." Not that she seemed to be doing that very well, lately. She went quiet as he kept talking, staring down at the piece of boob-cake in her hands, hating herself for feeling her stupid eyes start to well up again. She didn't let it get past that, though. Finally,".... I appreciate your concern, Oriel. I really do. Thank you... For being a good friend." Tak swallowed thickly and took a bite to hide her quivering lips. "You're a good person to me. I... Don't know how much that means. But... You are."

She took a deep, quiet breath and chuckled at his response, still feeling bad for turning the mood down so much. "Has anyone ever asked to get them fixed?" she responded, peeking up at Oriel again. "Seems like all anyone gets from those things is frustration."

Tak's gaze seemed to go sort of distant when Oriel asked what she saw, and it was obvious her ability had sort of cast her into a momentary fog as she purposefully strengthened her perception to see into the young boy. "I see.... Someone who has been hurt far too many times for their age," she finally said softly. "Someone who desperately wants people to trust... And protect... And love... And not have to worry about losing them." She blinked and shook her head, looking down once again. "... Sorry..." Tak murmured. "That was rude of me."

She finished off her piece of cake and set the plate aside, nuzzling herself against the boy's chest again. "I trust you," she told him firmly. Tak wasn't worried about Oriel getting handsy; it was possible, sure, but... She believed he had the self-control not to do too much. At least, she hoped. "I would appreciate it," she murmured. "Thank you, Oriel... It means a lot." She unwrapped herself from the boy and hopped off the counter, giving the younger boy some space to call his boyfriend.

[Deleted]

It took effort to care about someone, but when you really couldn’t help it, when you honestly worried without even a thought to it, it took so much more effort to not care. Oriel should know, he’d been trying to not care all his life. He was still trying, though being in an environment like Hammel, meeting the people there and making connections with them and finding others who actually tried to understand who he was, Oriel had changed. Not enough for some people, but looking back at the person he used to be, beating up on vending machines to the point where he’d nearly break his hand while in a rage(he still did it, just not with such ferocity), throwing childish tantrums at least every other day, spitting out venom towards anyone who even dared to try and come close….Oriel was still some of those things, but there was a considerable difference between him then and him now. Now…he was opening up more, even if it was just to his friends. He had friends, even if they were just a few more than he used to. Had he not grown up in such fucked up circumstances, maybe this side of Oriel would have felt safe enough to come out sooner?

“I just…want you to be happy. And I hate seeing you treated unfairly.” Especially by people who thought it was justified.

Oriel shrugged slightly. “I complain all the time but…fuck, guess they don’t care.” As long as he could get his dollar back, though, it wasn’t a problem. And the dorm monitors had that handled.

Oriel often wondered what it was that Phoenix and Tak and other people saw in him that actually gained him friends. He still wasn’t sure he trusted their authenticity, but it was still nice to believe. He also wondered what it was that Tak always saw with her seer’s eyes. How much of him did it reveal to her? Was she able to see specifics? How much did she know about him without her having to ask? It even occurred to him that she only befriended him because she took pity on what she saw. Oriel listened in silence as she dictated to him the things she perceived from him with words that struck his soul at every syllable. She really did see a lot. “It’s…okay,” he choked out, his throat suddenly feeling dry as moisture started to pool in the corners of his eyes. How could being told about himself by someone else hurt so much? Especially when it was true? Her words stirred up memories that he avoided dwelling on at all costs.

Oriel cleared his throat, looking down with shoulder that just barely trembled. “I…there’s a lot…I haven’t told nobody yet. Not even to Phoenix.” Even though he’d shared some there was still so much more. “I…don’t know if I’ll ever be able to. But I’m glad that….you know it’s there.” Oriel needed another hug. So he pulled her in for one.

When they parted again, Oriel nodded. “Alright, let me just…” Oriel pulled his phone from his pants and dialed his boyfriend’s number.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak gave a small, sad smile, and lifted her hand to rub Oriel's arm. "I am happy, really," she murmured. "I'm doing better. It's thanks to people like you, and Phoenix, who make me laugh and smile and feel protected." Well... Phoenix more just the entertainment, but he was a sweetheart in his own rights. "Please just... Try not to worry too much. Otherwise I'm gonna have to get my mom face on, and no one wants to see that." She managed a small chuckle and squeezed Oriel's arm before letting go.

If Tak really tried... She might be able to pick up specifics. She vaguely knew of a tattoo artist, and gangs, and a woman in Oriel's past that he'd tragically lost, a lover, maybe his first. But she didn't like to dig deeper without permission; it felt like an invasion of privacy, even if she couldn't help it sometimes. The closer she got to someone, both emotionally and physically, the more she could perceive - and she was closer to Oriel than most. The Native women felt him choke up, and looked up with wide, worried eyes, taking Oriel's hands in her own. "I didn't mean to upset you," she murmured. Tak felt bad, but then again... He'd asked, and she would have felt worse for lying.

She traced her thumb against Oriel's palm as he spoke, slowly nodding in understanding. "I... Can sense that there's a lot you have wrapped up in here," she said quietly, pressing her hand against his chest. "I... I don't think it's good to keep it locked up forever, but I also know that... You want the right person to tell it to, if you ever do." Tak wrapped her arms around her friend once more as he pulled her in, feeling so many more emotions than she had in a long time, she was nearly overwhelmed. "I... I just want to be a good friend to you," she whispered. "I don't ever want to hurt you, sweetheart."

Tak stepped away to the bathroom for a few moments to let them talk, checking to make sure she hadn't smudged mascara all over her cheeks from their conversation. When she sensed the call was over, she would return, hopefully a little more cheerful and bubbly than before.

[Deleted]

“You sure?” he asked. “You ain’t just telling me that so I don’t worry, right? I ain’t like you, I don’t got some power that can tell me when things’re chill or not.” If he did, he probably wouldn’t mind Tak’s power. It wasn’t exactly like mind reading, but more like vague reading, at least how he understood it. Oriel wouldn’t want to be burdened with the specifics of a person’s thoughts and past and everything, but wouldn’t mind just enough to know whether or not he could trust them.

“It…ain’t that,” he mumbled. Well, maybe it was, but… “It wasn’t on purpose. I…I kind of walked into that one.” In all truths, Oriel wanted to tell someone, but he was afraid to. Not just because of the painful memories. He was also afraid that people might look at him differently, treat him differently, if they knew everything about his past. Maybe they’d hear it and think it wasn’t that big of a deal and judge him because he didn’t handle it as well as they claimed they would have? Maybe they’d be disappointed in the things he’d done? Maybe they’d be scared to know what he was capable of?

“I know you don’t,” he said as they embraced. He didn’t want to hurt her either, but Oriel was such an asshole, he felt like it was only a matter of time before he slipped up and everything turned to hell. Then he’d’ve just given them the perfect excuse to leave him behind, again.

The phone call with Phoenix was short and…went a lot smoother than he expected. A lot better too. He went into it expecting one thing and came out with more than he was asking for. He fondled the phone in his hand as Tak came back from the bathroom. “I, uh…got…permission,” he informed her. “And if we…wanted to do anything else…anything more than that then…he said he was okay with that too.” Oriel was surprised, considering it was Phoenix who invoked the whole exclusive rule on Oriel in the first place.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak chuckled quietly. "I promise. I'm not that good at hiding how I feel." That... Might have been a lie. Tak had pretty much perfected her poker face over the years, for when she needed it. Now, though, she was feeling better. Getting that all out just felt... Good. "If anything else comes up, I'll let you know."

She watched him as he explained himself, twisting a few strands of hair between her fingers. "Well... If you ever feel like talking to me, I'm always here," she offered softly. "I won't be hurt if you don't, though. I understand... It's hard." She thought he was probably more likely to tell Phoenix anyway, and that was fine.

Tak wished there was more she could do for Oriel. She thought about this as she touched herself up in the bathroom, making sure any traces of sadness were erased from her features before she went back out. "Oh, good!" she breathed happily, a genuine smile lighting up her face. It faltered slightly when he said the next part, and she blinked with surprise. "More?" she questioned. "You mean... Oh!" That... Was totally unexpected. And yet, it totally seemed like something Phoenix would do... She wondered if that was his birthday present to her, or something. "That was really nice of him," she murmured. And now, since she had permission... Tak walked right up to Oriel and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down for a much-needed kiss that, if all went her way, lasted more than just a few seconds.

[Deleted]

Oriel knew all about poker faces, which was probably how he knew when someone else was putting up a front. Or maybe he just liked to delude himself into believing that he could see things like that. He didn’t have any sort of superpower for it, so it was all based on his own powers of observation. Thought it was true enough that he often misinterpreted what he saw for something else…or did he? It was so hard to tell.

“Alright,” he said, giving her one more hug. “I’ll…let you know.” Though Oriel wasn’t sure he was going to be able to say much more to Tak…at least not for a long while. He was hesitant to even say anything to Phoenix and Phoenix should be the first person he told anything.

After the phone call and he gave the news, Oriel smiled to see how much Tak’s features brightened at the good news. “Yeah. He really likes you.” Oriel couldn’t imagine anyone else that Phoenix would be okay with this sort of thing for. Before he could protest, not that he would, Tak was already up against him and pressing their lips together. Eager he thought. But then, so was Oriel. As soon as their lips touched, Oriel’s arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her up off the ground as their kiss gradually became more passionate. When they finally broke, Oriel grinned like a little boy, his ‘anticipation’ already quite apparent. “Shall we?” he asked, thought he barely waited for an answer as he folded his lips over hers once again and carried the small woman back to the bedroom.