for isnt_the_same

[chesstotem]

The night Ariadne met Aubrey, things didn't turn out as they were supposed to. It started out just fine - they met in the bar they'd agreed on, chatted inside for a while about nonsense like the weather, then stepped outside to talk business.

It was as though the dark figure had been waiting for them - Aubrey was right in the middle of a sentence when suddenly a tall figure swooped in out of nowhere and descended on her like a rabid dog. Ariadne screamed as the person - thing - whatever it was - ripped her throat out, and the next thing she knew she was running blindly back towards the street, something warm trickling down her temple. The time that followed was fuzzy - she knew she must've ran for a while, because she was out of breath, but then she was in a cab (the cabbie was giving her a funny look, maybe to do with that warm trickle), and then she was at a hotel, getting more funny looks as she stumbled into the elevator.

Then she was pounding on Arthur's door, praying to whatever gods might be listening that he was inside.

Comments

[chesstotem]

"Because you said you weren't interested," she pointed out, looking surprised.

[isnt_the_same]

"C'mere," he told her.

[chesstotem]

She looked at him warily for a moment, then got up and moved to stand in front of him. "What?"

[isnt_the_same]

"Do you know what I like most about you? What you want something, you take it."

[chesstotem]

"Sure, but I'm not going to take something I want from someone else without their permission. And you thoroughly friend-zoned me, don't even try to deny it."

[isnt_the_same]

"When have I ever friend-zoned you?"

[chesstotem]

"Uh, when you told me you weren't interested in romantic relationships at all?" she suggested. "For an immortal, you have a short memory."

[isnt_the_same]

"I'm not interested in romantic relationships, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested in other types of relationships," he pointed.

[chesstotem]

She studied his face carefully. "I don't want a one-night stand, Arthur. I'm not asking you to marry me, but you're important to me. I care about you. I couldn't just have sex with you, like it was nothing."

[isnt_the_same]

"You expect too much."

[chesstotem]

"I've always had high expectations," she said quietly. "I would expect you to be faithful to me, for starters. To give me a little more consideration than other people. To ask me about my day. To call me when you're out of town."

[isnt_the_same]

"You have the entire world before you. Why would you only want to belong to one person?"

[chesstotem]

"I would never belong to you. That implies giving you power over me. It's my choice, and I could always make a different choice, if circumstances change. Is that a vampire thing, or just a 'you being afraid of being a boyfriend' thing?"

[isnt_the_same]

He just laughed.

[chesstotem]

"What're you laughing at?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

[isnt_the_same]

"Just that you used the phrase 'vampire thing' to describe what I feel."

[chesstotem]

"Well, for all I know, vampires have some weird, draconian system of ownership over their partners," she said, exasperated. "That's why I asked if it was a vampire thing, or just you."

[isnt_the_same]

"Fine, it's just me, then."

[chesstotem]

She shoved her hands in her pockets and went to the minibar - she needed a drink, dammit. "Fine. And for the record, I hate the terms 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend'. No matter how committed I was to someone, I'd never use those terms. I'm a grown-ass adult."

[isnt_the_same]

He shrugged. "Alright."

[chesstotem]

She grabbed one of the tiny bottles of whiskey and drank it in one gulp. "I suppose I can go home, now," she said, staring at a piece of art on the wall above the minibar, her back to Arthur.

[isnt_the_same]

"If you want. I'll also help you clean, too, if you want."

[chesstotem]

"You don't have to. I don't want you to feel like you belong to me, by giving me extra consideration," she said, sarcasm creeping into her voice.

[isnt_the_same]

"Have you never been in love before?" He asked quietly, confused. "You've never felt like you belong to someone? That was you felt for them ran that deep?" People like him experienced love. It wasn't just a "human thing."

[chesstotem]

She turned around, giving him a confused look. He couldn't know, but Mal's shade had asked her almost exactly the same thing once. She gave Arthur the same answer: "No, I haven't. Is it so bad?"