Zara Jackson
July 12, 2021 5:48 AM
What makes you think that's a risk? by Zara Jackson
Felipe was sweet, and Zara knew (given the number of parental, auntie, and older cousin warnings that had begun with ‘if he…’ and ended with either a threat or the words ‘chuck him’) that that was a good thing. Sometimes though, he took it a little too far. If he was apologising before even doing anything wrong and wasn’t even sure what for, for example. Zara tried not to sigh in frustration with him because that wasn’t very nice. It just seemed like it had been happening more lately, and she wasn’t really sure why.
She wasn’t sure that anything about her had changed. She hadn’t exactly ever been shy in her relationship with Felipe, or given him any reasons to think she didn’t want his attention. She liked things that felt good. She’d always been fun-seeking, and not prone to too much self-analysis or guilt. As a kid, that had mostly been chocolate or running around in the sunshine. As a teenager… Well, it was still both those things, but also making out.
“I’m more than fine with everything that happened last time happening again,” she suggested, pressing herself a little closer.
Unless the issue was that he wasn’t fine. It was something she maybe didn’t ask as much as she should have. He seemed to ask enough for both of them, and everything life threw at her said teenage boys were the ones who struggled to keep control, and that their default state was wanting it. It also always felt like a risky business asking Felipe ‘are you okay?’ Not that she never did, and not that she never checked in with him consent-wise. It was just a juggling act, trying to make sure she wasn’t over-asking, or prodding him into thinking about things, when it seemed like stopping thinking would do him more good. Now seemed like one of the times to ask though…
“You?” she checked.
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Zara Jackson
What makes you think that's a risk?
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Felipe De Matteo
July 12, 2021 12:34 PM
Is that a trick question? by Felipe De Matteo
Felipe smiled some, embarrassed by things he couldn't control but which he was sure Zara was aware of. He focused instead on the feeling in his stomach that told him to stop thinking so hard and enjoy the moment. The question was whether his brain would agree to that course of action. He tried to keep his thoughts free of things he'd rather not think about but that was hard to do at the best of times."Yes," he murmured. "I'm more than okay with all those things. Just... Promise me you'll tell me if you change your mind about anything or if you don't like something. Tell me so I can fix it? I don't want to hurt you and I don't want someone who cares about you to hurt me to try to fix it if I mess up.". His words all came out fast and he mostly degraded into rambling in Spanish for a moment when he'd finished saying his piece in English, but he shut his mouth and his eyes and put his forehead against Zara's when he'd done. He didn't want her to leave but he couldn't keep acting like nothing was on his mind and he wasn't sure how normal the course of action he geared was. "Someone upset Leonor. Did something she wasn't okay with. And my dad made them disappear. I don't want that to happen."
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Felipe De Matteo
Is that a trick question?
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