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[paged]

hit me with your best shot ❢ meme continuations ❢ aus ❢ idek

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[endlesswar]

[No denying that. His head bobs slowly.]

I'd like to sometime.

[Another squeeze of her hand.]

This is me over here.

[His place. The apartment complex is not exactly a brownstone. Still well kept. He leads Karen up the steps and punches in the keycode to unlock the door to the small lobby.]

[paged]

[ She doesn't say anything in response to that, just follows where he leads. She doesn't want him to know, even know. Her shame and fear combining to make her feel he would just pull away if she admitted what happened.

Guilt is so insidious like that. She only marginally realizes how much it has warped her thinking of herself and of how Frank will react to it.

Karen remains silent as they enter the lobby, eyes going from the building to the floor to looking back up again. Different from hers but not in a bad way. ]

Do you have any roommates?

[endlesswar]

[That's totally okay. Frank is much further into her privacy than she had ever intended. Not going to force his way further.]

No. This is the place I was telling you about.

[In the family and helping with the maintenance. He rings for the elevator.]

....we can still take the stairs. If you want.

[His legs kind of hate him. His whole body really. Constant training. Going out and being normal was the idea originally. Whelp.]

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[ She shakes her head, ]

No, it's fine.

[ She finally looks back at him again and, under this light, ]

You look tired.

[endlesswar]

[Frank blinks and clears his throat.]

Yeah? Just been--been doing a lot. This has been my first night out in awhile.

[The elevator dings and he gently pulls her in.]

I've never been a guy for parties.

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[ She nods, affirming that yes he looks tired. But if he's training for the Marines, she can't imagine that's easy. Combine it with school and she feels for him. Burning the candle at both ends rarely ends well.

Going along with the pull, ]

What are you a guy for? You can't train all the time.

[endlesswar]

[Pressing the floor button he leans on the side of the elevator. He's still holding onto her hand.]

...Music. But you knew that.

[And it makes him smile to think about it.]

I also like to read.

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[ She leans on the back wall of the elevator, still holding his hand back. ]

Think I knew that, too.

[ She smiles a little, thinking about their conversation at the restaurant. ]

[endlesswar]

[They're both looking and feeling pretty beat. Though he's sure he couldn't pull it off the way she does.]

...I'm afraid to admit that I'm not terribly complicated. What you see is what you get. No hidden agenda. Not much of anything, Karen. Just--[he breathes in for a sigh, grasping for words. When you recite poems or prose it's easy to borrow. Nothing he can think of works here.] I dunno. Trying.

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[ She gives his hand a squeeze. ]

Selling yourself pretty short there. "Not much of anything"?

[ She shakes her head. She doesn't buy that any more than he had bought the lines she had tried to feed him a few days ago. ]

[endlesswar]

I don't know how to say it.

[So he'll try again. Frank studies the floor of the elevator. The marble finish isn't real.]

These days I feel more like a work in progress as a person. There's so much I could do and be. Right now I'm still loose ends.

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There's nothing wrong with feeling like that.

[ She feels more like a single thread than a loose end. But she remembers what it was like to feel the same way. Or like something was torn at the other end.

She moves forward and closes the distance to use her free arm to wrap around him, pull him into a hug. It's the least she can do after what he did for her earlier. ]

But that doesn't mean there isn't much there. It's just... still forming.

[endlesswar]

[It's hard to admit. That he's come this far in life and still not feeling complete. Karen's moved across the country and has full agency of herself. That's another level too.

Her embrace catches him a little by surprise and he returns the motion with his own free hand as the elevator stops.]

Thank you. Just...frustrating you know?

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I do. I know how it feels.

[ She gives his shoulders a squeeze before moving away as the doors open. ]

Even when I try to push through it. Doesn't always feel like it's working.

[endlesswar]

[Again he's taken aback with how wonderful it feels to be standing in the light of Karen's attention. Her words are real and honest. Not pacification.]

...Would you believe me if I told you that's one of the reasons why I'm enlisting?

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[ She nods again, her expression almost sad as she looks down. ]

Yeah, I would.

[ Adding, ]

I can't say I understand it. But I've heard other people talk about it the same way. Their reasons for enlisting.

[endlesswar]

[They step into the hallway and he catches that look.]

This is a really touchy subject for us both here. I'm not trying to make things harder or make you upset.

[Frank stops in the midway down the hall and tilts his head to a door. This is their stop.]

For tonight we can just talk and have pizza. Nothing pressing.

[He gives her hand another squeeze as he unlocks the door.]

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[ She looks at Frank only to lower her eyes and nod. He should know why it's "touchy" for her now.

Even if she has to begrudgingly accept that it's what he is going to be doing. It just figures it's her luck to find a guy like him just for him to be leaving.

But she will follow him in with little prompting. ]

[endlesswar]

[Be that as it may, they're working on appreciating the common ground they stand on. Tomorrow will come. Tonight has to happen first. Frank flicks on the light and stands aside as she steps in. The entry way is narrow and short. From there is a small kitchen and small island separating it from the living room. Once the door is shut, he follows behind her. Another lights witch gets turned on as they enter the larger space. There is a very comfortable looking couch and a decent sized television.]

Please, have a seat.

[It's nice to see her in this space he sees so much.]

Make yourself comfortable.

[Meaning she can discard the jacket and shoes. Frank is removing his own jacket and drapes it over one of the chairs at the tiny kitchen table.]

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[ She goes through and heads for the couch. She sits down without removing her jacket. After looking at the floor for a moment she starts to push her shows off with her heels.

She still feels a bit out of place here but also doesn't want to leave. She pulls her legs up onto the couch to tuck under herself, leaning her head back against the couch cushion. ]

[endlesswar]

[He gets two glasses of water from the kitchen and sets them on the small coffee table in front of the couch. After he takes a seat and crouches to remove his own shoes. See? Comfy and no pressure or hassle at all.]

Now I feel like we know each other well enough for me to ask.... what kind of toppings do you like on your pizza?

[Some humor to cut the tension that's rising again.]

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[ Karen thanks him softly for the water but doesn't reach for it yet. When he asks about pizza toppings - and in that way - she breathes out a laugh through her nose, not suppressing a smile completely. ]

Pepperoni and sausage.

[ She's not going to even pretend to be a girl that only likes cheese pizzas or doesn't eat them at all. She gave up trying to do that back in high school. ]

[endlesswar]

[He laughs too.]

I'm gonna get two larges. One for you and one for me.

[No way she can hide her appetite. Here they are again, bonding over Italian.]

...did you need to call any of your girlfriends. Let em know you're okay?

[Frank has the phone in his hands, they are going to order soon. But the important things need to get out of the way. Making sure Karen is comfortable.]

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[ That actually brings out more of a smile, ducking her head as she grins some. He's seen her eat so she can't deny it even if she wanted to.

Shaking her head, ]

I can call them after you get the order in. They won't be back home yet anyway.

[endlesswar]

[Behold, Karen Page, Frank's secret shame. He has to turn his head to hide his expression as he demonstrates that the place that will send them into this binge is on speed dial. They're themselves here.]

It'll be just a second.

[Someone says hello. He counters the greeting. And in a few moments it's clear the person on the line knows who he is. And what he wants. But wait! There's another order tonight. Yeah. Thanks. Yeah. He hangs up and passes the phone to her.]