How Green Becomes Wood

"It feels almost like..." Milo sighed, trying to find the words without knowing everything about both sides of the situation, "It's like he was saying that he is allowed to grow and change, but he doesn't trust you to do the same. I'd be upset too. You know, if I had a brother to have those problems with."
 
"Yeah." Xander clenched his teeth briefly and flicked the cube a few more times. "I've been holding back something from him, too, but it was more because I haven't figured it out yet, myself. I fully intended to tell him once I'd figured it out more. To me, it makes sense to not tell, but does that make me some kind of hypocrite instead?"
 
"I think that depends on what you're hiding, how you're hiding it, and how upset you think you'd be if you found out about Alec's girlfriend back when it was just him having a crush on her," Milo replied with a shrug, "because if you'd be angry at him for not telling you immediately that he likes a girl, then yeah it's probably hypocritical, but if what bothers you is the fact he got into an established relationship without telling you, then it's different."
 
"That was my line of that," Xander said, feeling a little relieved to be let off that particular hook. "If he was just feeling out the idea, yeah, I don't blame him for not telling me. I know I'm not exactly the most positive person in the world when it comes to stuff like that. But this... he's definitely had a pretty established relation for a while now."
 
"I'd guess from his perspective, he did really feel like he did need to hide it, and that's hard, and in a way it's a two-way street, because he probably feels like he had good reasons to doubt how you'd react, but if he's not going to give you a chance, you can't do anything about that." Milo said, nodding to himself as he thought things through, "Yeah. Because it's not like you're able to start working through things you don't know about."
 
"Yeah." Xander studied the solved Rubik's cube for a moment. Then he broke the perfect pattern and started twisting again.

Peter walked over, grinning. "Hey, guys! How's it going?" He hesitated, his smile fading as he glanced between them. "Is now a bad time?"
 
When Peter came up, Milo just shrugged and ducked his head down. "We were just talking." Xander was the one with something going on, he didn't want to answer for his friend about what he needed.
 
"Nah, it's alright," Xander told him. "What are you doing here this early?"

"My dad had an early meeting and dropped me off," Peter told him. He came over and sat next to Xander instead of Milo, not wanting to crowd him.

"Don't you drive yet?" Xander asked.

Peter shrugged. "I haven't decided if I want to live here more or somewhere where they drive on the left-hand side of the road, and I'd really rather not have to unlearn one set of rules if I pick wrong."
 
"It's a good ability to have, especially in emergencies," Peter agreed. "If you keep up your photography business, I'm sure you'll be able to afford a car soon!"

The bell rang, and Xander stood. "Come on, you two. Time for school."

Peter grinned at Milo and whispered loudly, "He already has a car, so of course he doesn't care about our troubles. Maybe we should just get rides off of him wherever we go."
 
"I have a bike," Milo replied, shoving his hands into his pockets, "but he already gives me rides when I need them." He paused, and with great effort, doubting himself with every word, dared to joke, "I guess. it shows. his favourite."
 
Peter clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I guess the novelty of my accent and foreignness couldn't save me forever, could it?" he sighed melodramatically. "Ah, well."

Xander just snorted in amusement not really paying attention.
 
Milo shook his head, smiling a bit but staring down at the tile, "You have been here longer than I have, I think you are no longer perceived as a foreigner amongst people who know you."
 
"He's the world's greatest detective," Milo pointed out, "DC wants his primary trait to be that he is clever. Although once he figured out he was dealing with Dracula by writing 'Alucard' on a serving tray with lipstick and holding it up to a mirror, so I am not sure how much intelligence that takes."
 
"I guess it's so stupid it circles back around to being smart?" Peter suggested. "I actually don't know a lot about Batman other than the vague basics most people know. I grew up more on The Crimson Comet, and Red Stelle, and Captain Justice thanks to my dad, and those are all mostly pretty old."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top