A few days later...
T frowns as he studies D, who was just quietly staring at a wall with a blank expression. The Core four busy with school. "You know… They're not gonna be back for hours. We could leave. Do, ya know, something fun. Remember fun?"
Hyades deadpans as she shifts to look at T, "Yeah I remember fun."
"Ah so it does speak… Was worried Mal had cut out your tongue for a minute there."
"It would just heal." Hyades shrugs.
"Are you sure?" T tilts his head to the side. "It's inside your mouth."
"Well, unless she ordered me to stay still and open my mouth…" Hyades stops and blinks twice before she shrugs, "I guess she could try if she wanted to."
T frowns. "You're a member of her gang, not a slave." He shakes his head. "I get Mal is a cunt, but you know, you guys were friends before the shit hit the fan."
"I don't think she'd do it," Hyades shrugs again, "I just realized she could try if she really wanted to."
T rolls his eyes. "Anyone can do anything if they really wanted too."
"They could certainly try."
"Try being the key word." T agrees evenly as he pushes off the wall. And a word he felt like she had forgotten. As in Hyades was barely trying to make this work. And was just making it hard on herself. And hard on everyone around her. He didn't blame her. It had to be a difficult situation to deal with. Her family had all but stolen from under her feet. "Come on, Mal said we could play our game and you haven't asked once." He frowns. "What the fuck is up with that?"
"I know you're busy." Hyades sighs as she stands up and walks over to the tiny window, "And you already take my notes-"
"I can make time for this." T shrugs, "And you still haven't read theirs." He points out with a frown. Which was concerning. He'd spent a long time transcribing the Sea Threes horrible handwriting, for like three hours. He hadn't minded. Her father had just thought they were scribbles- Which apparently had been too close to actual writing for his liking.
"I think I'm afraid to make it hurt more." Hyades admits before she bites her bottom lip.
T frowns, "Well then get the fuck out of here and come play with me. Everyones worried about you…"
"Why?"
T rolls his eyes, before he gestures to her blank expression. "That." He deadpans.
Hyades blinks and looks down at herself, "What?"
"Just everything." T shrugs, "That's the shorter way to say it…"
"It might be shorter, but it's not helpful." She frowns.
"Your face then." T shrugs, "Your attitude. Your general lack of, well, anything..."
"I'm rotten to the core, what's wrong with that?"
"No." T shakes his head. "The Core actually know how to smile- Even the Queen Bitch, though she'd deny it."
"I smile." Hyades demonstrates with a grin.
"Uh huh." T rolls his eyes. Her smile was a fucking joke. He would know. "You know what I fucking mean. Your miserable and everyone fucking sees it. Maybe not when you're out roughing shit up. But the people who give a fuck about you see it."
Hyades blinks before she walks towards T, "Is it really that bad?"
"Yeah, it really fucking is." T frowns, "Even Mal commented to ME about it."
"She didn't say anything like that to me…" Hyades frowns, "She said she was proud."
T shrugs, "It's fucking Mal, when that girl decides what she actually wants I'll be dead." He rolls his eyes.
"Then how am I supposed to know?" Hyades pleads, her voice rising in pitch for the first time in weeks, "If I do something wrong Evie will die."
"One. There's nothing wrong about acting like yourself. Two. No one knows who the fuck they are, why do you think Mal's so fucking mercurial all the damn time. This places breeds inner confliction and self doubt-" He shrugs. "Must be nice that this is the first your realizing that." He sighs.
Hyades lets out a dry, humorless laugh, that makes him grimace. "Yeah, I've never felt like this before. Ever." She rolls her eyes.
"Clearly." T frowns, "But not knowing who the fuck I am, or where I fit in this shit hole is like a full fucking time job, ya know."
"You really think I've always known who I am, or have felt like I belonged?"
T nods, "Near enough, anyways. More than this. And yeah, you belong to your fucking family, but that ain't happening any time soon." But it could. He narrows his eyes. If she ever fucking left this stupid building without an escort.
"Thanks for the reminder." Hyades rolls her eyes again before she purses her lips to the side and wraps her arms around her waist, "I usually get time to sort my shit out before I have to deal with people."
"No one is stopping you from doing that, but you princess."
"Fine!" She snaps as she stomps over to grab a sheet of paper. She pats out the flames on her arms before she grabs a pen and starts writing.
T lifts his brow, as he watches her. What the fuck was 'Fine!' cause it clearly wasn't the definition he'd read of the word.
She slams the pen down on the table and walks to the door, "Coming?"
A genuine smile lights up T's lips. "Seriously?"
"I told Mal we're playing hide and seek."
"Then what the fuck are we still doing here." T smirks as he walks over to her.
"I'm just waiting for you to step down from your soap box." Hyades smirks.
"You're welcome." T passes her. Well it had taken three long fucking weeks, but he was just happy to get her to do something that used to bring her joy. Maybe some fresh air would help?
"Quadrant or terrain?"
"Ladies choice." T shrugs.
Hyades stares off into the distance for so long he starts wondering if she's heard him, "Beach."
"Sounds perfect to me. And gives ya plenty of places to hide." T agrees easily. That was a good sign at least. At least it showed progress. Not a lot of progress, but at the moment he was willing to take whatever scraps he could.
