[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]recognition slowly blinks into existence. by the time it dawns, she’s stepping back to allow him in.

”oh, it’s you.”

she sounds confused, as if this isn’t his apartment and she isn’t a guest.

”um, i cleaned and put some of my things out?”

by some, she means a lot. it’s mostly plush blankets and pillows and various trinkets she’s taken over the years. nothing big, nothing permanent.

”is that okay?”

CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]it’s temporary like all things in her life: fleeting, a step away from disappearing.

she just… has a habit of making herself comfortable a little too quickly. it does more harm than good most days.

and yet, he smiles, steps in, and reassures it’s okay. with confirmation, she feels a little bit of tension ease out of her shoulders.

”no problem. it’s the least i could do.”

he’s not charging her rent or anything so might as well make herself useful and clean.

”mmm yeah, i think so. i haven’t slept much, but that’s normal.”

she sleeps like she’s ready for the sky to fall, overly alert and jumping back awake at the slightest sound. it’s exhausting.

”how’s your friend’s house?”

a roundabout way of asking what he’s doing here, perhaps.

CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]”oh, nice!”

she blinks, a yawn creeping in after seeing his own.

”the dog part, i mean, not the sleep part.”

too much clarification, too awkward. she’s forgotten how to properly function around him, let alone anyone.

and while the urge to busy herself rises, she drifts toward the couch and perches atop one of the armrests instead.

”no worries, did you want any help?”

CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]she blinks.

is he... asking for permission to be in his own home?

"yeah, stay as long as you want. it's your place."

she cracks a smile, slowly diffusing awkwardness out of her body as it spreads.

and when he peers toward her, she feels a faint flush creeping up. right, still awkward.

"okay, scoot over."

she makes a shooing sort of motion with her hands and rises to settle onto the couch.

CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]the company is nice, she realizes, as she settles onto the couch next to him. she can't remember the last time she's had someone around. well, actually, she can...

it's that habit that almost wills her to bring her feet up and settle them into her lap. she refrains if only because he slumps, hiding into his hoodie.

and the question is surprising, perhaps, given the concept she had imagined of him: happy, content, not a single care in the world.

the reality is not nearly as forgiving as her mind had been for him.

"yeah. crying takes a lot out of you, unfortunately."

she grabs one of her plush, fuzzy blankets, then, and throws it over the both of them to provide a little more comfort. it's not much but maybe it's enough.

and when her voice returns, it's quieter, tentative.

"do you want to talk about it?"

CIAN MAHER

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]cheated on?

a sharp, little exhale escapes her. that... had not been what she was expecting. it lands like a suckerpunch, right into the gut and left to ache.

"shit..."

her eyes stay focused on him, on the way he closes his eyes and allows his head to settle against the back of the couch.

maybe she shouldn't have packed up his ex's things, then...

"i'm sorry."

words kind of fail her in this moment. what does she even say? your ex sucks? want to burn their things to help you feel better? nothing quite fits and it dawns that she's never been in this position before. there's never been anyone to comfort. she's always been the other girl, the other side of this issue. damn, maybe she should change that too, be a better person and all that?

"you didn't deserve that."

CIAN MAHER