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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 11, 2009 16:45:21 GMT -5
"Wait, I'm not done," Roland said. He was about to grab Fabian's arm, but refrained, knowing that could lead to a fight. "I kissed her... and it clearly didn't mean as much to her as it did to me. So what I'm saying is... you make her happy. I don't. So I won't do anything about what I'm feeling for her. I'll keep my distance... as much as possible. But if you hurt her, I swear to you, I'll make sure you regret it. Sound fair?"
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Post by Fabian Prewett on Mar 11, 2009 16:58:26 GMT -5
Just a small fraction of relief hit him, but his jaw was still clenched. "Don't worry about me hurting her," he said. "The thought of doing that would never cross my mind." Fabian stared directly at Roland. "But yes, it sounds fair." He was going to avoid any big arguments. Fabian didn't like to argue anyhow, but he refrained himself from doing so with Roland. Maybe he should possibly talk to Riley, and just ask her about kissing Roland. It was something he had to know, however he was going to wait and see if she would say something about it first.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 11, 2009 17:05:36 GMT -5
Roland nodded quietly, his eyes intense but unreadable. "OK. That's all I wanted to say. Consider the subject closed."
He took another sip of his drink, then sighed. He was actually in a lot of pain at that moment, but he refused to let anyone there see it. It had been hard to admit that he liked Riley, and the subject of the kiss had been even harder to talk about. Just thinking about it brought him back to that moment, and he could still feel the burning of her lips against his. But she didn't want him. It hadn't had the effect on her that it had on him.
"You can stay... or you can go. Whatever you want. I just... I don't want you to leave because of me, that's all."
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Post by Fabian Prewett on Mar 11, 2009 18:21:18 GMT -5
Fabian nodded. He still felt things were kind of awkward, but he was going to leave anyway because he did have a few things to do. "I'm still about to leave. I think Molly said something about coming over for a few minutes," he said. "I have to make sure the place is somewhat neat before she goes after me again." Fabian gave a light smile. "And I do have a few other things I need to accomplish. "So, I'll see you three later. I hope that you enjoy yourselves, and thanks again Arthur."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 11, 2009 18:56:02 GMT -5
Roland nodded quietly. "Yeah, OK," he said. "No hard feelings, Prewett. Good luck."
He turned away from him then, and turned back to the bar, gulping down the last of his glass of firewhiskey and quickly ordering another. Part of him regretted what he had said, but he also knew he'd had to get it out in the open. He had already decided that he was not going to pursue Riley... not unless she indicated that she wanted him to. If she gave him a hint that her feelings had changed... well, then, all bets were off.
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Mar 11, 2009 19:27:02 GMT -5
Arthur had watched the whole thing silently, preparing to break them up, if it became necessary. He was honestly surprised at how it had turned out, however. Roland's feelings for Riley were far deeper than anyone had even thought. Probably more than even he had realized. And yet, he was letting her go, even though it clearly pained him. He was not hiding it nearly as well as he thought he was.
But for now, Arthur turned his attention to Fabian. He clapped his friend on the shoulder. "No problem, Fab," he said. "Thanks for the advice about Molly. I'll let you know how it goes... that's if she doesn't kill me first." He grinned.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 11, 2009 19:43:00 GMT -5
Ted was also surprised by how this turned out, and would have bet money on Roland losing it. He didn't... not physically, anyway, and Ted had to hand it to him.
"Sorry, Fabian," Ted said quietly. He did feel bad everything had taken a turn for the awkward. "Next time we invite you for drinks, it'll just be us, all right?" He smiled, then gave Arthur another look as Fabian left. They needed to organize much better next time, he thought with a little laugh to himself.
He flagged the bartender down. "Can we get three more firewhiskeys?"
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 11, 2009 21:35:34 GMT -5
When Fabian had gone, Roland turned to Ted, still frowning deeply. "You don't have to say it," he said. "I shouldn't have done that. And it'll probably get back to her anyway, and she'll probably hate me. As usual."
He paused to take a sip of his drink, as if he hoped it would give him strength. "I never wanted any of this to happen, you know. I never wanted to... to..."
He stopped, unable to bring himself to say the words. He'd never wanted to fall in love... but even saying those words now was like an admission that he had. And he couldn't do that.
"I swore this would never happen to me."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 11, 2009 21:44:11 GMT -5
"I don't think it's something you really get much say in, Roland," Ted answered, his voice somber. When he told Roland he wanted to talk about Riley, he didn't think it would be this heavy. "And yeah, it will probably get back to her. It's probably going to eat at Fabian, knowing she's kissed you. Which, by the way, she's kissed you?"
That was something new that Ted had not anticipated. That meant something.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 11, 2009 21:50:42 GMT -5
He was starting to learn that this was not so much a choice that a person made, as a choice that made a person. It was also not something that a person could really fight, no matter how strong he was. It was like the flu, a sickness that had taken hold of him and wouldn't let him go.
He winced at the mention of the kiss. "Yeah, we kissed," he said. "Three times, actually. But the first two hardly count."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 11, 2009 21:59:07 GMT -5
Ted shook his head. "Ohh... no. No, there are no such things as kisses that don't count. Every kiss counts. For both of you. Three times? Merlin."
He looked at Arthur. "You know, I'm beginning to wonder if Fabian shouldn't have a heart to heart with Riley."
Quietly, he turned his gaze back to Roland. "And it seems like the two of you already have. Three times."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 11, 2009 22:04:56 GMT -5
He shook his head stubbornly. "No... No, they don't count. The first one was a mistake. She didn't want me to kiss her, and she didn't kiss me back. The second one... my little sister came in the room and caught us standing under mistletoe and made us kiss."
The third kiss, however... Well, that one counted enough to make up for the first two.
"You know... Fabian walks in and she breaks into a smile. I walk in and she frowns. He makes her smile all the time... I hardly ever do. He's better for her."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 11, 2009 22:10:51 GMT -5
"Well, okay. What does Fabian do to make her smile? You could do it, too."
He paused, then wondered just how big a can of worms he was about to open. "Look... answer this question for me. Was the kiss between her and Fabian like the kiss.. sorry, kisses... between her and you? As far as emotion, intensity, whatever? I don't want to sound like your cheerleader, because maybe he is better for her, and maybe she really feels for him. But you don't just kiss someone who makes you frown all the time because some little girl comes in and suggests it."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 11, 2009 22:18:53 GMT -5
Roland thought for a minute, trying, painfully, to remember the whole exchange between Riley and Fabian that he'd witnessed from his desk. "OK... he gave her a flower. And... well, he jokes around with her. I suppose I can do the flower thing, but she'd probably just question my motives. And I'm not really the joking kind of guy. I'm more cynical."
As the subject turned to the kiss, he gulped down more of his drink. Was the kiss between Riley and Fabian like the one he'd shared with her in the study?
Well, of course it wasn't. Not even close. Her kiss with Fabian was... well, it wasn't all that different from the way she acted with Geoffrey. Her kiss with him was like fire.
"No. No, she did not kiss Fabian the same way she kissed me," he answered. He didn't elaborate.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 11, 2009 22:23:22 GMT -5
"It is like pulling teeth with you," Ted commented, unafraid to do so. "How was it different? And which of your three kisses are we talking about?" It didn't dawn on Ted until just then that Roland didn't explain all three of them.
He grinned like the cheshire cat. "The third one? She kissed you hotter, didn't she? Honestly, Roland, you need to talk to her, lay it all out there for her... and then it's her decision from there, isn't it?"
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 11, 2009 22:43:00 GMT -5
Roland sighed and stared into his glass. "Yeah, the third one... It was... It was pretty hot."
If he was honest with himself, it was the hottest kiss he'd ever had with anyone. He didn't know how she felt about it, but he couldn't forget about it. And it was slowly killing him.
"No. Look... the ball is in her court, anyway. I am not going to sit there and pour my heart out to her, and I'm not going to force myself on a woman who doesn't want me. If she gives me a hint or a sign or something that her feelings have changed and that she does want me... Then I will do something. I'm trying... I'm trying to be nicer, I gave her a bracelet... I'd make her dinner, but I can't cook. But I'm not going to try anything with her unless I know she wants me to."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 11, 2009 22:48:21 GMT -5
"You gave her jewelry?" Ted asked. He was getting six thousand different mixed signals from Roland, and it was driving him crazy. "And she accepted it? God, I haven't even given Andi jewelry yet. A jewelry box, but that's much different." It didn't matter that he had bought her jewelry... it just wasn't the right time to give it to her yet.
"What do you think, Arthur?"
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Mar 11, 2009 23:06:58 GMT -5
Arthur had listened to the entire exchange in silence, his eyes wide. It seemed like things between Roland and Riley were going a lot faster than he would have guessed. In fact, Roland and Riley had already kissed more times than he and Molly had kissed.
He took a slow sip of his firewhiskey, which was normally too strong for him. "I don't know... Jewelry seems more of a special occasion sort of gift. You know, anniversary... Valentine's Day... that sort of thing. I think Ted's right... you have to tell her. Before things get too far with Fabian. At least give her a say in this. Let her make the choice."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 11, 2009 23:29:54 GMT -5
Roland threw his hands up in the air. "It was Christmas!" he protested. "What was I supposed to give her? What did you give Andromeda for Christmas, huh?"
He waved the bartender over for a refill, and when he was gone, he swirled the drink around in his glass for a moment before taking a sip. "I'm crappy at giving gifts... I give all the women in my family jewelry. I don't know what else they like. It wasn't a big deal, anyway, it was just a bracelet. It's not like it was a ring."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 12, 2009 1:09:21 GMT -5
Ted was quiet, for once. He watched the bartender refill Roland's drink, and listened to the words after. It's not like it was a ring.
Something about the whole situation just hit him hard, and he knew he'd have to go see Andromeda after he was done with these two.
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "I didn't get her jewelry. Even if I had, Roland, Andromeda and I are dating. You and Riley can't even call yourselves friends yet."
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