Raymond didn't say anything, staring straight out of the windshield. His face was getting a far-away look, which meant he was about to tell a story. For a guy who found it so difficult to understand other people, he told some great stories.
"That picture you have of me. It was probably the happiest I've ever been. And it had nothing to do with the basketball game. Sure, we won and everything, but before tip-off I had made myself a promise. As soon as that buzzer rang, whether we won or lost I would walk straight to you and ask you out. And the best part about making a promise like that is that I wouldn't have to overthink it. I would be completely enveloped in basketball for the next two hours. There wasn't a chance for me to wuss out because my mind wouldn't be on it. The fact that we had won bolstered my confidence. So as soon as that final buzzer had rang, I glanced up at the score one last time before turning to study the crowd. But…..I couldn't find you." Be blinked a couple of times, as if he was starting to come back to reality. "And when I saw you the next day, the confidence I had was gone with the wind. In two weeks, I was off to college, missing my chance to ever really see you again. Or at least I thought."
((It’s called sleep you ass))
Khione blinked, something flickering across her face and once again pulling apart the mask for a moment. “I fucked that up for you.” She whispered, slumping in her seat. For a photo. Unknowingly, she had fucked over any hope for anything with him, for a photo she could have gotten some other time. Maybe. He didn’t smile too often, and never like that. But still.
"Maybe," he said, not really seeing the point in disagreeing with her. The story seemed to suck whatever energy he had left out of him. "But….I'm here now. And it's not like I've met anyone while I was gone. Maybe there's still a chance. Or……" He made a grunting noise, his nose scrunching up. "I don't know right now. I'm a bit overwhelmed, to be honest. Just….give me some time to get used to things again."
((And it's for the weak))
"Yeah, o' course." She nodded, a few times too many. His mention of there maybe being a chance brought her movement to a stop as she remembered the words. Something almost like hope bloomed in her chest, but she quickly squashed it down. There wasn't time for hoping. It would happen or it wouldn't.
"Uhg. Okay, now that's out of the way, we can go home."
He buckled up and pulled the car out of the parking lot. It took him barely 5 minutes to get out of the city and on to the highway, heading south.
"I have, like, three bedrooms, so you can pick which one you'd like," he said after a bit. "Most of the time I end up sleeping on the couch, so it doesn't really matter which one you choose. Will you need me to sleep in the same bed as you?"
"I don't get much sleep, so it wouldn't really matter." Khione said, shrugging a shoulder. "I'm sure I can last the night without sleep. I might…need ya to the next night I sleep though. If you're alright with it. If not, I'll manage."
"Whatever you need," he said. The silence afterwords was….awkward, needless to say. While he wanted to turn on the radio, he never lifted either of his hands from the steering wheel. He just didn't trust himself.
"Mind turning on the radio?" he asked after a few more minutes, nodding at the touchscreen between them. "Just press the treble clef symbol."
(Ooo, he should go take a shower and when he gets out of the bathroom she's already taken, like, 3 of his sweatshirts)
((fdghgjh she's not even wearing her own clothes. she's dressed head to toe in his stuff))
She had been leaning against the window during the awkward silence, basking in the cool feeling from the glass against her head. When he spoke, she sat up slightly, glancing over at him. Humming in acknowledgement, she reached over, pressing the thing he'd indicated. Leaning back, her lips twitched for a moment at the song that had just started.
"….Burning cities and napalm skies, fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes. Your ocean eyes…"
He hummed the song lightly as he drove, since he'd heard the song but knew literally none of the lyrics. It was pleasant enough, if not a little slow, but it wasn't really his type of music. Raymond made no protest after seeing Khione's face, however. It was obvious she enjoyed it.
"You heard this before?" he asked, turning on his right blinker to turn tot he exit lane.
(Imao, she's just buried in his clothing)
Careful creature
Made friends with time
He left her lonely with a diamond mind
And those ocean eyes
Careful creature
(This can go many places. It could be how Khione always treated him carefully because of how afraid she was of losing him or how he made sure to not get deeply involved with the Reapers)
Made friends with time
(It took him a while to really trust Khione)
He left her lonely with a diamond mind
(He left her when he went to college and then to the pros, leaving her missing his "mind", or how his disability made him different from everyone else)
And those ocean eyes
(Obviously she liked looking at his eyes)
((you're such a sap baylee))
"I have." Khione said with a nod, eyes slipping shut as she listened. The song made her think of him. She couldn't exactly explain why, what exactly about the lyrics made her think 'Raymond', but if she put the time into it, she probably could. For now though, she was content to hum along, eventually singing softly, something she really only did around people she trusted completely.
"No fair, you really know how to make me cry when you give me those ocean eyes," he mumbled softly as he took the exit and continued right, heading into a wealthy suburban neighborhood.
His mind was much simpler than Khione's. It couldn't really attach people or emotions to songs or pictures, so the words didn't really strike him the same way it did to his friend.
When the song ended just as he pulled into the driveway of a larger-than-average home with none of the lights on. The number beside the door said, "764."
"We're here," he said, putting the car in park and turning the ignition off. "Do you want me to get your bag?"
"I can grab my own bag, Ray." She said, raising an eyebrow over at him. The song seemed to have soothed the awkwardness in her movements and interactions with him a bit. Almost back to normal. She slipped out of the car, moving around to grab her bags, both the packed one and the one from the general store.
Raymond didn't know what else he expected, to be honest. He got out of the car and put his keys into his pockets, waiting for her to drag all of her stuff out before walking to the door.
"It's an electronic lock," he said, gesturing to the number pad that was in the place of an actual deadbolt. "The code is 69013."
He pressed in the numbers and opened the door, taking a step back to let her through.
((nice))
Khione arched an eyebrow at the electronic lock. God, the world he was living in now was so different than the one she was, with her shitty deadbolt and lack of windowlocks, and a door that didn't even shut all the way. "Fancy." She stated simply, stepping inside only to stop again. Even fancier.
"The couch is too big," he grumbled as he stepped in after her, shutting the door and locking it behind them. It was an old habit grinded into him as a kid.
"My room is the first one when you walk up the stairs," Raymond said, gesturing up the stairs that were immediately to the left of them. "It has a TV in it in case you wanna watch something."
"God, I ain't watched TV since that movie night at the community center last year." She murmured thoughtfully, turning slowly as she looked around the room. "Your house is fuckin' huge, man. Like, insane. No wonder it feels lonely."
He nodded solemnly, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Most of my teammates live in this neighborhood, so I wanted to be around them. But…I never can muster the strength to go walk over to their houses and say hi. So, I just sit around watching TV when I'm not practicing." He watched her spin around before adding, "I'm gonna go take a shower. Feel free to make yourself at home."
With that, he made his way up the staircase and took a left, disappearing from eyesight.
She blinked, watching him leave. That left her alone in a house she'd ever been to before, a house that, luckily, belonged to an old friend. So…exploring it was.
Khione wasn't sure how much time had passed since she'd gotten here, but now she was curled up on Raymond's bed, dressed head to toe in his clothes and watching some show about crime solving. She was swamped in the hoodie she'd stolen. It was slightly funny, how tiny and grumpy looking she was, in such a large hoodie.
About half an hour later, the shower cut off and the sound of the shower curtain being pulled away could be heard of the sounds of gunshots on the TV. Another 15 and the door opened. Raymond padded into his room with his dirty clothes and wet towel, wearing a tank top and blue athletic shorts. He smiled at the sight of her curled up on the bed in his hoodie, even though it was a little weird.
"You raided my stuff?" he asked, packing the towel and clothes into a somewhat tight ball before dropping them into his clothes hamper. "Aren't those sweatpants way too big for you?"
"Yes." She stated simply, eyes fixated on the TV as she watched the characters on the screen go over evidence and try to piece together the case. "But I rolled 'em up. Grabbed the drawstring ones, too, which was slightly helpful. Do they actually solve things like this, or is this a dramatization?" Khione asked, more musing to herself, but willing to hear input from Raymond.
