"I do want to," Luke replies. Though it occurs to him now that even the most well-intentioned solicitousness could register to someone as an imposition. Suppose Archie is the independent type, and doesn't want a worrywart like Luke hovering over him, telling him not to sprain his tailbone while giving a lap dance. Much to think about.
"And you don't need to thank me or anything. It wasn't intended as a compliment, just a sort of observation." Luke makes a face. "Though it wasn't intended as uncomplimentary, either. Um. You know."
"Okay," Archie replied. "I don't mind, by the way." He felt he should clarify, even if he did sort of have conditions. "Just don't hover overprotectively or whatever." Archie was okay on his own, but he was not going to turn down support.
"Oh," Archie furrowed his brow. Not a compliment but also not an uncompliment. He thought he understood, but he wasn't sure. "So just an objective observation with no subtext?" Archie's voice rose as if that was a question when he wasn't even sure if it was a question.
"Right." Luke does a little salute, half-meaning it, and smiles. "No hovering."
And—
"Oh, gosh." Luke rubs at his eyes with his hand, slightly redder now. "Don't ask me about subtext. I really don't know anything about it. It was an objective observation, how about that?"
Seeing Luke get redder, he didn't know whether it was cute or if he should be worried that he was making some sort of error. "Got it. Just objective observation. No underlying desire to snog me or anything." The comment came with an awkward laugh. "I should just shut up now." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
“No, you’re fine,” Luke says. His face is now an incendiary red. “Please don’t shut up. It’s just—I just—”
He pinches the bridge of his nose, which does absolutely nothing for the state of his face, but makes him feel a little better.
“Do you know planks of wood?” He cracks open one eye to stare at Archie. “How they’re just sort of, like, there? That’s how I try to be. Planks of wood don’t have a subtext, or underlying desires, or overlying desires. They’re there, they serve a purpose, that’s it.”
Archie was still feeling a lot like he should be shutting up before he dug himself deeper into his embarassment and apparently even Luke by how red his roommate was. Though as Luke started talking about being a plank of wood and just being there and serving a purpose, Archie furrowed his brow. "You are more than just a plank of wood, Luke. You are a person with thoughts and feelings."
Archie's mouth hung open for a moment. He closed it after a moment. "I..." Archie had started, but then it just faded away. "I get that feelings are a lot, but it is nice that we can have them. Isn't it?" Archie knew he was going directly against what Luke had said; he wasn't forgetting it or ignoring it.
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Archie & Luke
"And you don't need to thank me or anything. It wasn't intended as a compliment, just a sort of observation." Luke makes a face. "Though it wasn't intended as uncomplimentary, either. Um. You know."
Well then.
Archie & Luke
"Oh," Archie furrowed his brow. Not a compliment but also not an uncompliment. He thought he understood, but he wasn't sure. "So just an objective observation with no subtext?" Archie's voice rose as if that was a question when he wasn't even sure if it was a question.
Archie & Luke
And—
"Oh, gosh." Luke rubs at his eyes with his hand, slightly redder now. "Don't ask me about subtext. I really don't know anything about it. It was an objective observation, how about that?"
Archie & Luke
Archie & Luke
He pinches the bridge of his nose, which does absolutely nothing for the state of his face, but makes him feel a little better.
“Do you know planks of wood?” He cracks open one eye to stare at Archie. “How they’re just sort of, like, there? That’s how I try to be. Planks of wood don’t have a subtext, or underlying desires, or overlying desires. They’re there, they serve a purpose, that’s it.”
Archie & Luke
Archie & Luke
Archie & Luke