(no subject)

[a1enzo]

Two weeks ago, Enzo's newly-established True Love returned to her own world to begin a new life with her genetic family. Enzo felt a little ambivalent about it, for the usual selfish reasons, but mostly happy for her and content to reflect on their love until he saw her again.

That was two weeks ago.

Two weeks of wanting to talk to her and having to remind himself that she's not here. Two weeks of wondering how she's settling in, how she's getting along with her new family, whether she's doing any heroing, whether the media are harassing her too badly, whether it's even been two weeks for her.

Two weeks of trying to concentrate on studying because he's got his fragging exams coming up.



Green pre-teen sitting at a table, staring blankly at a ReadMe file, and periodically smacking his forehead with his hand, the file, or occasionally the table.

Love bytes.

Comments

[alien-catcher.livejournal.com]

When Gwen wandered back into Milliways for the second time, she was halfway expecting to not see a single person she met before. After all, the place seemed a bit too vast for that kind of thing.

So she certainly wasn't expecting Enzo, especially sitting glumly at a table... and slamming his head against it.

Gwen walked up to him, and mustered a comforting smile.

"Enzo," she said. "Is something wrong?"

[a1enzo]

Without raising his head, Enzo lifts an arm, flails until he finds the window he was reading from, grabs it out the air, and waves it around.

"I can't concentrate!"

[alien-catcher.livejournal.com]

Gwen stares at him strangely.

"Maybe you need a break?" Gwen offers. "I know if I'm working for too long I stop being able to concentrate."

She's not sure if it's that or something else. But, she figures if Enzo wants to talk, it will come out eventually.

[a1enzo]

Oh, he's willing to talk. Actually, the proper word might be 'vent'.

"It's not that. It's my girlfriend."

[alien-catcher.livejournal.com]

Gwen knows it's not time to be patronizing about young love, because Enzo looks genuinely bothered.

"I know a bit or two about that kind of thing," she says gently. "What's happened?"

[a1enzo]

Enzo releases the window. He sits up and leans back heavily in his chair.

"She went home two weeks ago. I mean, that's a good thing, she didn't use to have a home, so she lived here for two years, and now she's got a home and a family and everything, which is great!"

[alien-catcher.livejournal.com]

"That does all sound quite nice," Gwen says, looking at Enzo quizzically. "What's wrong, then, love? Are you upset she's moved away?"

[a1enzo]

"I... yeah." Enzo looks rather ashamed. "I mean, I'm glad, I really am... but it's been two weeks and it still feels totally weird for her not to be here, and I haven't heard from her yet and I just can't stop thinking about her..."

[alien-catcher.livejournal.com]

"She hasn't contacted you yet?" She frowns. "I'm sure she's a bit busy, and I imagine she just needs some time to settle in?"

It comes out more like a question, because Gwen isn't sure, exactly, how serious this relationship is.

[a1enzo]

"Well, yeah." No doubt about that. It's a very... eventful time for her. "And I don't even know if it's been two weeks for her. It might only be a day, or... or a minute or something!"

[alien-catcher.livejournal.com]

Of course. She had almost forgotten that time passed differently outside of Milliways.

"That's true," Gwen said optimistically, "I am sure she'll get ahold of you soon as she can! Maybe you should think about writin' her a letter. Even if you can't send it yet, it might make you feel a bit better. Then she'll also know how much you've missed her since she left."

[a1enzo]

"Already left a note with Bar. It's not really a letter, I wasn't sure what to say."

[alien-catcher.livejournal.com]

"Well, I imagine if you've told her you miss her that would be enough, don't you?"

She feels very bad for Enzo. Love is always rough, but it seems worse the younger one is, in Gwen's experience. "You must really care for her."

[k_in_black]

K eyes the smacking for a bit. Then strolls over with his bourbon.

"I've been to a lot of places, Enzo," K smiles. "But I haven't found one yet that had much luck processing information through direct impact."

[a1enzo]

Enzo gives a weak bark of laughter. "I'm not processing it anyway," he points out. "It can't work any worse."

[k_in_black]

"Well, let's see," K says, shifting to look over Enzo's shoulder. Translating the hexadecimal takes him a few seconds, the charts and graphs rendered in abstract binary take a few more. "Tears, huh?"

"I'd have thought that would be pretty interesting?"

[a1enzo]

"It is," Enzo groans, not even bothering to be impressed by a human being able to read his TXTbook. "I like my classes this term."

[k_in_black]

K gives Enzo another look with a lingering trace of a smile. Then slips smoothly into the chair opposite his.

"Well, Tiger, if I had to call it, you sure don't look like a guy having fun."

"What's on your mind?"

[a1enzo]

Sigh.

"My girlfriend."

[k_in_black]

K makes a silent, Ohhh, of understanding as he nods.

"No trouble like that kind of trouble, kiddo. Nobody could blame you for feeling bad about that."

[a1enzo]

This elicits a surprising degree of... well, surprise.

"You heard about her?"

[k_in_black]

"No, can't say as I have. Didn't even know you were seeing anyone, to tell the truth."

"But problems with a girlfriend, that's one of those things that's universal."


"Except when they aren't," K adds cryptically, in that way the MiBs usually do.

[a1enzo]

This is known as 'hedging one's bets'.

"It's not problems," Enzo snaps, quick and defensive. "We're in love."

[k_in_black]

"And that's why you're trying to drive your head through the table there?"

[a1enzo]

"Ye—no!" Beat. "Sort of."