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[littletonoidea]

"This is the audio log of Communications Officer Doug Eiffel of the-- previously of the U.S.S Hephaestus, leave a message and I'll see if I can bear to drag myself away from whatever utterly engaging task I must be doing to not notice my comms--"

BZZZZZZZ

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[littletonoidea]

...what?

[Well that certainly wakes Eiffel up a bit, and he pushes himself onto his elbows to look at the camera properly.]

Jedao, baby, speak to me. What are you talking about?

[deuceoftears]

[Jedao takes a slow breath. No one's ever called him baby before. He kind of wants to cry. The Galley was a fabulous excuse to put this off for a month but it hasn't made it any easier.]

Look, there's just - things. That I have to tell him. Like - it would be wrong, to keep going, if I don't.

And I don't want to talk about it, but just - if he dumps me, be - be cool about it, okay? Don't - defend me or say it can't be that bad, because it can, and - he can tell you if he wants, but don't make him. Can you just - do that? Be his friend first?

[littletonoidea]

[He wants to push. By God does he want to reach through the screen and shake Jedao and tell him it won't be as bad as he thinks it is. Because Gonou was a good and kind person who wouldn't hate him for it.

But since Jedao doesn't offer it, he won't. But fuck the urge is real.]

...okay. But-- Jedao, you're my friend too. I'm not gonna not keep being friends with you for-- whatever this is. Even if Gonou hates you, which he won't.

[deuceoftears]

[He smiles, and it's horrible. Just an awful, incredibly sad smile.]

I know. Thank you.

But I don't want to hurt him worse than I have to. So I'm asking you, as a friend, to be his friend first.

[littletonoidea]

[Jedao you're making it very hard to promise this when he just wants to hug it out.]

...yeah. I can do that.

[And it's very much not a promise because he absolutely wants to be able to go back on his word if he has to.]

[deuceoftears]

Thank you.

[It's soft and very earnest. Are you willing to disappoint this face, Eiffel?]

[littletonoidea]

[Hey, he can blast those puppy dog eyes all he wants, he raised a literal baby. It's the other face Eiffel has trouble with.]

...you're not a bad person for letting him... I dunno, make an informed decision, I guess? [It's a quiet offer, some final act of solidarity and care.] But I don't think it's gonna change things. Long as you're trying to be better, right? Intent means a lot.

[deuceoftears]

I know that's not why. I'm being better.

[Gonou deserves that. They just both have to live with the consequences.]

I hope you're right.

[He doesn't believe it. But he does look a tiny bit heartened. He believes Eiffel believes it, even if he doesn't know the details, and - it helps, to think Eiffel wouldn't hate him. Would care more about who he is now, in a way that Gonou doesn't really have the luxury of.]

[littletonoidea]

[Eiffel doesn't miss that tiny shift in Jedao's mood, and even if it's only like, one percent less self-loathing, he did that.

So he smiles back, and there's such a quiet, gentle sincerity to it.]

Iiii may not always be right, but at least I look good doing it, right?

[It's a stupid joke, but he makes himself grin, so there's that.]

You're gonna be just fine, babe.

[deuceoftears]

You always do.

[Soft and wry, but still sincere.]

...you’re a good friend, Eiffel.

[littletonoidea]

[That makes him chuckle softly.]

You gonna be alright if your good friend goes back to sleeping off the mother of all hangovers? I'll be back on my feet tomorrow afternoon, probably. Or- is it today afternoon, now?

[deuceoftears]

Time isn't real.

Get some sleep, Eiffel.

[Smash cut to like, twelve hours later. Voice only. That voice is hoarse and watery and still a little in shock, but like. In a good way.]

...you can say I told you so.

[littletonoidea]

[Eiffel is a lot more awake twelve hours later, and therefore has to try not to be too overly enthusiastic at the sound of good news.]

I take it by your reluctant admission that I am, truly, a genius and right about everything all the time forever no take backsies that things went...

Weeeeeeeeeell?

[deuceoftears]

[Dryly; haplessly amused by both of them.]

I'm pretty sure if one of the new guys didn't have your old key, we'd've fucked in the Engine Room.

[It was still an extremely close thing.]

[littletonoidea]

[--sorry that just flashed a very vivid image through Eiffel's mind, and his voice sounds distinctly strangled for a moment.]

U-um-- would- wait, so, if I still had the key, you would have??

[deuceoftears]

I don't know.

[Jedao would have risked it, if Gonou did. But it'll be nice when one of them has an actual bed.]

[littletonoidea]

Okay, well- um. Moving on--

[He can think about that later. Possibly in private? Who knows!]

You guys talked, it went well, hooray! I'm glad to hear it, seriously. And I'm gonna reserve my 'I told you so' 'cos this is a happy occasion and you deserve to own that.

[deuceoftears]

I don't mind. You're an easy person to be joyful with.

But also I owe you a shirt.

[littletonoidea]

[Jedao please stop changing direction. Eiffel can't help but laugh, trying not to sound affronted and failing but it's fine because he's not really offended?]

What are you doing with my clothes? I didn't think filter access meant wardrobe access!

[deuceoftears]

Yesterday you asked me to bring you a clean shirt. You were really out of it, huhn?

[littletonoidea]

...oh right. I did too, didn't I?

In my defence I got my brains severely blitzed, and also it was like four a.m., man, next time grab me in person, I'll be way more awake like that.

[This is an outright lie, but not an intentional one.]

[deuceoftears]

Do you still want it, or should I bring you something else?

[littletonoidea]

I've got clean pants, funnily enough, so if you feel like picking up a snack pack on your way here, I- don't actually know if the kitchen's clear for duty yet and I'm starving.

[deuceoftears]

I can do that.

See you soon, Eiffel.

[littletonoidea]

Thank you booooo.

[He's still in the Infirmary when Jedao comes and finds him, but he's also just sitting on his rumpled bed, wearing jeans that are somehow both extremely old and half a size too big, and pulling on high-tops to lace up. He's not wearing a shirt yet, fully anticipating the fresh one from Jedao, so he's rocking a little bit of tum with a comfortable level of body fat, his hair a short crop of curls again and bright ginger hair scattered across his chest and stomach to match his forearms.]