2019-12-02 - Non-Psychic Relationships

When he sent the text to ask if he could drop by it took a few minutes for the response, but then Ash gave an easy affirmative, that the door would be open if she didn't answer.

When he walks over, that long, long distance, she doesn't answer, but the door is unlocked, and he can hear someone upstairs singing. Badly. Two guesses who it is. (Hint: Not Astrid)

By this point, it's probably a given that the residents of #7 and #9 just wander in if the door is unlocked. So it is that Corey lets himself in, that awful singing catching his ear and leading him upstairs. Not quite a siren's song, but it'll do. Heading to the room that it is coming from, he does knock on that door, loudly enough to be head over whatever music she might be making noises to.

"Come in!" Ash calls, and the music gets turned down so that when he does finally open the door it's not going to blast him off his feet with the volume of it. Inside the room it looks like she's recently gotten out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her hair, a pair of leggings on and her brush in hand.

Opening the door, Corey meanders in and nudges it shut behind him, heading over to curl an arm around Ash and tug her in for a lazy kiss. "Hey babe," he greets post-smooch, quieter and more thoughtful than his usual mood, letting go to move away and drop to sitting on the edge of her bed. "How're you doing?"

"Hey." Ash replies, returning the kiss before letting him head towards her bed, giving him a faintly curious look at the quieter mood, but she doesn't pry into it. Instead she just goes to turn the music all the way off before moving to drop herself onto the bed next to him, the hand not holding her brush reaching up to tug the towel from her hair, "I am....good? I mean, glad that the semester is almost over, looking forward to Christmas break....all the usual stuff." She gives him a shoulder bump, "How're you doing?"

"Really looking forward to that break," Corey affirms with a wan smile. "Doing 6-12 at work then 2-8 in class every weekday and then a full Saturday at the patisserie too, is fucking exhausting." Not that he doesn't love what he does, but downtime is a rarity. "Been thinking about stuff. All this thanksgiving crap, makes me think how glad I am we moved in next to you guys." There's a slight hesitation between 'you' and 'guys', as if the last word were added last minute.

"Yeah." Ash starts to section out her hair so that she can begin to work through the knots in it, "Fuck, right? I've been picking up as many shifts as I can at work, with Christmas around the corner there are like...so many people on my list. There's mom and dad, my brother, the Vikings, Ast, you guys...I mean, just like...Whew." She glances at him, pausing in her brushing at the last part, a smile flashing across her lips, "I'm glad you guys moved in too." She then tilts her head, the wan smile, the hesitation, the more subdued demeanor, "Something on your mind?"

The student chef takes a breath. "Yeah, actually. Honestly, I don't know what I want," he admits up front, opting for truth rather than coyness. "But I know I want to see more of you, babe. Not like, exclusive, but.. I dunno." He runs out of clarity at that point, one hand lifting in a vague 'I have no idea' gesture. But he's trying!

There is a slight upwards twitch of her brows, then they furrow just a fraction before she shakes her head, "You want to see more of me, but not only me?" Ash tilts her head, one corner of her mouth twitching upwards in amusement, the final knot brushed out of her hair before she sets it down on the other side of her. She then reaches a hand over to him, reaching for the gesturing hand, "Back up, okay? Are you saying not exclusive because you don't want it, or because you are thinking I'd say no and run away? Because...just seeing more of me is just super simple and an option any time you want."

Again, Corey makes that clueless gesture. It's hard, trying to figure out what he wants. Can't Ash just be psychic, or something. Pause. Wait, she probably could be. He glances over, as if checking she hasn't picked up on that thought. "What do you want?" he asks, in return.

Lucky for Corey that is not a trick she has. In fact, she's just as unpsychic as she always is, which could be very bad in this situation. No mind reading to map out the relationship landmines. "I asked you first." Which is very mature. One hand reaches up to his cheek, fingers sliding against it, "Okay. So. Question...close your eyes and say the very first thought. How does it make you feel when you think about me dating other people?"

"Honestly? Happy for you," Corey admits. Probably the right answer was being all caveman and jealous, but that's not really his bag. "If they make you happy, I mean. Some people are assholes, but I figure you know what you're about." He tilts his head into the hand on his cheek, kissing Ash's palm, then the inside of her wrist. "How about you, with me sleeping around?" He doesn't dignify it with 'dating', it's never that serious.

Probably the right answer was being all caveman and jealous. For someone else. But it doesn't appear to be the right, or wrong, answer. Just an answer. "How do I feel?" She shrugs her shoulders at the question, "Relieved?" She moves her hand upwards to slide her fingers into his hair, "No, maybe that's not the right word. Happy, yeah. Glad you're not like...lonely."

Now it seems like it is her turn for hesitation. Maybe at her own answer, maybe about the question that comes next. Either way, there is a moment between the first, then the last words, "Are you just wanting to sleep with me more or see me more."

Keeping his eyes closed as Ash ruffles his hair, Corey muses over the question for a moment before responding with, "Both. I enjoy your company, Ash. I like hanging with you, with or without sex." It's a slightly guarded admission, his eyes opening again and finding hers.

"So...what would you say if I answered that I wanted to be exclusive?" Ash wonders thoughtfully, fingers continuing to slide through his hair for a moment before she starts to slide her fingers from his hair, expression curious, eyes remaining on his.

There's a slowly exhaled breath as Corey tries to find the words. "I don't know if that's for me," he admits. "Is it something you want?" he asks in return, holding that gaze and extending a hand to catch the one leaving his hair, lacing fingers and squeezing lightly.

"I've never actually considered it." Ash shakes her head at the question, giving his hand a squeeze in return before she lifts his hand towards her mouth to press a kiss against the back of his hand, "I don't know that I'm capable of something like that...I mean, not...the feelings part. I'm okay with those, and I'm more than happy to see someone more." Which is possibly a significant thing to add. "But I can really, really like someone and not feel an urge to like...lock them away."

Because it's Corey and he really can't help himself, he grins slowly. "Guarantee you'd enjoy being locked away with me." He wiggles his fingers lightly against Ash's chin. "But yeah, I'm with you there. And for the record, I really, really like you, babe."

"You're probably right." Ash replies with a laugh, tucking her chin at the tickling before she leans in towards him to press her mouth briefly against his, then she smiles at him, her brows waggling just a fraction, "Really, really like me, huh?" She gives him another quick kiss before her expression gets a little more serious, "I'm not afraid to say how much I like you, but if you'd rather I not..."

"I'm all ears," Corey assures after savouring that quick kiss. "Communication, it's important. Don't ever feel you've got to hide anything, babe. Say whatever's on your mind."

Ash laughs at that, nodding, "I think that communication is super important, yeah." She gives him another kiss, this one a little slower, a little more lingering, but she does eventually break it to tell him what's on her mind, "I like you, a whole lot. Love is a really good word for it."

Closing his eyes for that lingering kiss, Corey flops back onto the bed, tucking his hands behind his head and looking up at Ash. "Love, huh?" He considers the word, turning it over in his mind; he doesn't seem offput by it, at least. "Thank you. For feeling me, for telling me," he then responds, his smile returning.

"Mmmhmm." Ash replies, leaning back on one hand when he flops back onto the bed, "You're welcome." She replies with a smile before she drops herself back onto the bed next to him, rolling herself over onto her side to face him. "So you are wanting to see me more? How do you want to go about it?"

Scootching over a bit so he can bump the tip of his nose against hers, Corey drapes a loose arm over her hips. "Still not sure," he allows. "Maybe. Maybe like, a regular date night? Even if it's just nachos and a movie." The idea is one he's pondering even as he says it, tossing it out there for her to give her input on.

"I just so happen to like both nachos and movies." Ash points out with a smile, a hand moving up to his shirt, her fingers moving to idly twist it around her fingers, "We can do a regular date night, and not regular date nights, too. What day do you want to do it? I suggest not a friday or saturday, unless you don't mind starting it after I get off work. Which would for sure make it nachos and a movie night."

Considering, and thinking about his own timetable too, Corey suggests, "Mondays? I can't promise I'll be up for anything too out there, but I'm usually not totally wiped out. I finish class about eight, so we could do say.. half eight?"

Ash considers it for a little while, then she nods faintly, "I can do Mondays." She replies, leaning towards him to press another kiss against his lips, her fingers loosening her hold on his shirt before sliding her hand back into his hair. When she releases the kiss she smiles faintly, "I mean, it's about seeing more of me anyways. So we don't have to go out anywhere ever..."