Broken Boulder spin for you like your favorite records used to

haha good old delight habit, slipping a small piece of alarming truth into something without even thinking. since alarian doesn't bring it up, the androgyne doesn't think much of it, instead smiling faintly as he continues the conversation. "yeah," he says, "i think i understand." it's a complicated situation. he wants to push for more information, and opens his mouth even to do so, but is cut off by his friend's thanks.

"oh, you're -" delight starts, and then stops abruptly, going wide-eyed. it's silly -- hadn't he just said those words to alarian not long ago? is that what it feels like to hear them for yourself? unlike his friend, delight has been happily oblivious to the subtext between them -- too busy with queenie and the pregnancy, with tindómë, with his lingering feelings for mato. but he's not a fool. he knows what the fluttering of his heart feels like.

it just.. can't happen. "thanks," he murmurs, masking shyness with distance. this is not a repeat of the moment mato and he shared. alarian doesn't -- couldn't! -- feel for him in that way. delight doesn't deserve that. whatever this is, whatever has found a weak spot along his chest to take up residence he will have to cope with on his own, silently, secretly, squash it before it becomes something new.

he can't go through this again.