[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]unfortunately, he's correct.

her expression settles into something neutral, as if it doesn't want to give into the quick rise of bitterness.

at that point, she'd rather experience a heat death than what their fathers had put them through.

her chin rises as he hails for the check.

"i've been through worse."

she echoes the sentiment with a strange sort of determination. worse than her father, worse than herself. somehow, she's still kicking.

"i wish it wasn't scary, though."

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

had she forgotten?

[break][break] or perhaps being in the league had tainted her memory. whatever it was, jayden was pleased to see that his words had left an impact, whatever it was.

[break][break] he reaches for the check almost as soon as it arrives, signing off his name michail volkov before he hands it back. he's tempted by the sight of another waiter passing a tray of shaved ice, bleeding blue and pink, but decides against it. a quick glance at his watch tells him that his lunch is almost up, and it's time to return to work.

[break][break] "yeah," he says, blinking sympathetically. "me too."

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]she wishes she could but... she has not forgotten.

even if she wanted to, the evidence is etched into her body as much as it is his.

a waiter passes by, carrying a tray of shaved ice that draws jayden's eye. her own follow suit, honing in on the sweet dish and the pretty swirl of colors. she opens her mouth to ask for more time, to request a shaved ice of her own...

and a soft zap of electricity from her rotom's presence in her phone quickly dispels any urge to get more dishes. lunch is almost over.

"hey."

it's a soft demand for his attention, eyes softening when they meet his.

"promise me you'll give love a thought when you have some free time?"

she knows it's trivial but... after everything their families have put them through, don't they deserve some sunshine in the world?

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

he blinks quizzically at her.

[break][break] "what do you mean?"

[break][break] what a bizarre question. first of all — when did he even have free time? when did she? sure, they had met for today's lunch but that had been after weeks of having to re-schedule.

[break][break] secondly, why was she so interested in his —

[break][break] understanding dawns on him and he frowns.

[break][break] "illeana..."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]"you deserve love after... well, our families."

he blinks, however, and she blinks back.

her expression takes on a more owlish look when he frowns, as if she doesn't quite understand why his mood looks to have soured.

"what?"

did she say something wrong?

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

he blinks.

[break][break] "ah."

[break][break] his expression clears, relief sweeping through him. that would have been awkward.

[break][break] "i suppose you're right," he says instead. "love can come in different forms."

[break][break] for his father, love had meant to chain him. teach him right from wrong. to hold a knife to his neck so no one else would be able to.

[break][break] "nothing," he says loftily, as he shrugs back on his coat. "shall we go?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]her own frown is quick to rise as he avoids answering the question. whatever line of thinking he had... she's kept from knowing and it irritates her to no end.

"you're impossible."

the huff is short lived, however, as he adds another layer to her statement.

love can come in many forms. which one would either of them prefer? she's quiet for a moment before grabbing her coat and rising from her seat.

"let's."

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"impossible?"

[break][break] he frowns, pausing in his steps outside the restaurant. now, they are standing in front of their table, which likely creates a scene.

[break][break] jayden seems less interested about that than what illeana reyes has said.

[break][break] "what do you mean?" he asks. "did you not want me to pay?"

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]she's quick to roll her eyes, half in annoyance and mostly in jest.

"no."

men... she can never win with them.

"why'd you frown and say my name like that?"

the curiosity would surely kill her, just like a cat.

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"ah. that is easy."

[break][break] he was glad then, that her upset had an easy solution. an easy answer.

[break][break] he busies himself with buttoning up his coat, as to make sure he does not catch a cold from wandering outside.

[break][break] "i was afraid you were going to confess to me," he says, a bemused smile flashing across his features. after all, everything she had said had made perfect sense. they had known each other for years, were friends, and jayden didn't often make it a point to talk about his love life very often. or at all. the only reason he had answered illeana's questions was because of the breadth of time that they had known each other.

[break][break] and of course, the last identifying factor.

[break][break] that she seemed oddly invested in his own love life.

[break][break] "it would have been awkward to have to break your heart in front of all these people."

[break][break] especially after the conversation they had.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]the statement catches her off guard.

and for a moment, she blinks slowly... until a burst of giggles erupts from the body.

"wait... you thought i was talking about you?"

amusement continues to persist well into his second statement. she knows, on some level, they'd only ever just be friends. perhaps when they were younger, she had seen him in a different light but now? they feel like two different people.

"no, no i'm glad you didn't."

another laugh escapes before she slowly begins to settle back down into a state of ease.

that wasn't too bad, right?

"bold of you to assume you were my only friend growing up, though."

give a little more credit... she had two! she resists the urge to drive the concept home with a sharp jab or two into his shirt-covered chest hair.

jayden cross

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

he blinks. she bubbles with laughter beside him and perhaps if it was anyone else, he might have felt offended. as it was, it was illeana reyes, so all he can do is look vaguely amused as she doubles over, giggles pealing from her small form.

[break][break] "i don't know about bold," he says lightly, as they walk out of the restaurant. they pass by a hannukah direction on the way outside, as the wintry sky blazes above. "you're the one who is overly concerned about my love life."

[break][break] he arches a brow, holding the door open for her.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] illeana reyes [break]
bond bridge

☉

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]it takes another moment before the laughter finally and fully subsides.

and when he opens the door for her, she flashes a cheeky smile as she passes him.

"listen, is it so wrong that i want you to be happy?"

it's a pure sort of sentiment, as if she's wishing on a birthday candle for this. the holidays are coming up and whether he celebrates christmas, yule, etc, she wants him to spend it with someone he loves.

she reaches for his hand then, squeezing warmth into his fingers.

"unless you'd prefer i pine for you instead?"

the tease, surprisingly, has no laughter following it.

jayden cross