twenty eight | what is love

[strike_you_out]

[Rather than read the assigned acts of Romiette and Juleo, or whatever it was called, Slugger is finding every imaginable reason to procrastinate. He discovers that knocking icicles off the roof and shoveling the driveway are good excuses for wasting time, though he finishes both a bit too quickly. After the last of the snow has been shoveled from the driveway, he turns to empty the mailbox and idly flips through its contents piece by piece.

There's nothing remarkable in the mail today, only a few envelopes, a post card, and a magazine. The magazine, at least, he could mutilate later for fun. On the back cover is an ad featuring the title "Young Love" in which a little girl is pictured kissing the cheek of a little boy. Slugger pauses. Young love? Dropping the snow shovel, he looks up, wide-eyed and silent as if stricken with a sudden realization.]


Phone

[Slugger gives the telephone a long and apprehensive stare before he dares to pick it up. Holding it to his ear, he opens his mouth to speak... then quickly hangs up. Several deep breaths later he tries again, this time with more success.]


Hi.


What do you do when--

[He briefly freezes up, near horrified at what he's about to admit.]


...when you think you love a girl?

Comments

[werejew]

Have you made out with her yet?

[THESE ARE REALLY FUCKING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS OKAY]

[strike_you_out]

No.

[Wait.]

...What?

[theboytwin]

You see if she loves you as well.

[strike_you_out]

[Uncle Johan, help!]

How?

[Filtered]

[ceasetoexist]

Just tell her, you idiot.





She likes you too.

[Filtered]

[strike_you_out]

Really? You think so?

[ukelelenogood]

Oooooh, girl troubles huh? That sucks kid. You know how many boys have been laid low due to a crush, their love-lorn carcasses strewn over the battlefield of puppy love?

Luckily for you, you've got me to give you advice.

You ready? Cause I'm not wasting my time.

[strike_you_out]

[You can't see it, but you might be able to hear him wrapping his fingers in the phone cord uneasily.]

Yeah. Go.

[koyo]

You kiss her.

[strike_you_out]

...

Do I say something, first?

[bravabarber]

Oh it is a wonderful thing to be in LOVE, chico~! If you love her, then you tell it to her with all your heart ablaze, with passion in your words, tell her that she means the sun, the moon, the stars, everything to you, that neither hell nor heaven will render the two of you apart, that you will stay by her side and whisper sweet words of love and tender care into her ear, that you will never abandon her for anything, that through sickness and health, richer or poorer, you will be willing to shout to the world, "SHE IS MY BELOVED, MY ONE AND ONLY TRUE LOVE"~~~~!♪

[strike_you_out]

[As this goes on, the receiver gradually drifts farther and farther from Slugger's ear. He can feel sweat beginning to condensate beneath the brim of his cap.]

...

...

...

[Slugger will focus on the part of this that makes sense, the part about heaven and hell.] She works for Hell.

[shallbeavenged]

[Luckily for his sanity. Ai missed that phone call. But randomly during the day she'll come and visit him like usual.

Hey Slugger. There is a girl hanging out next to you. Wherever you are.]

...Hi.

[strike_you_out]

[She'll find him sitting on his bed, back against the headboard with his chin nearly resting on his chest. At the sound of her voice, his head jerks up as if he'd fallen asleep reading a thick textbook sprawled across his lap -- highly unusual considering Slugger's aversion to sleep, though it was equally unusual for him to be reading this kind of book.]

Ai?? [Pushing off the book, he straightens and is suddenly overcome with anxiety. Did she hear his phone call earlier which he stupidly forgot to filter? His eyes flit from her to a nearby desk. Sitting on the desk, which Ai likely noticed upon arrival, is a velvety red lily. It's not in a vase or a bouquet but is actually potted in soil. Johan did say flowers. Beside it is a folded paper roughly the size of a card. Slugger meant to give these to her when he knew what he would say to her, but now he's at a loss.]

Um... Hi.

[questionauthority]

[That totally wasn't a loud crashing noise in the next room over in reaction to Slugger's inquiry, nope nope nope.]

[strike_you_out]

[More like yep yep yep. Slugger ventures toward the other room to investigate, half-expecting to find Giegue standing over Edward's unconscious body or perhaps Edward's unconscious body lying beside a banana peel.]

[Phone]

[hisnameisthecaptain]

First you...

Wait... how old are you?

[strike_you_out]

[Hey, he knows that voice.]

Thirteen.

[hintcoinplz]

[Oh hey when did Luke get here.]

Have you told her yet?

[strike_you_out]

[Slugger keeps his head lowered, allowing his cap to obscure his face.]

I don't know how. [And he's still unsure if he should even try.]

[inthebones]

Flowers are the reasonable way to go, I think.

[Suddenly, there is a Susan behind him.]

[strike_you_out]

[Susan's sudden appearance doesn't faze him, but the fact that she has overheard him leaves him feeling a little unsettled. She doesn't seem exactly fond of his choice in girls.]

Mr. Liebert thought so, too. [See? You both think so much alike!]

[shoulda_toined]

(Oh, hey, it's Ai's not!boyfriend that Bugs sees hang out with her occasionally.)

Flowers. Chocolates. Serenades under a window. Dat sort 'a thing.

I've been thinking of a way ta make her laugh, and I could use yer help.

[strike_you_out]

[Flowers: check, chocolates: sounds good, serenades under a window: hell no.]

Will it involve pie?

[freakinblur]

Ya tell her! Chicks eat that kinda shit up.

[strike_you_out]

[Slugger adds another tally mark under "tell her". So far it's tied with "flowers" on the advice score sheet.]

Tell her with flowers?

phone

[envyspites]

Go right out and tell her, doofus.

[strike_you_out]

[But it's scary.]

What if you're not human?

[halfalegend]

Um, well I guess you stay with her all the time so that she knows you do and that you want to be with her?

[strike_you_out]

[That's... actually something he has experience doing.]

I do that a lot.