[Quentin's not even going to bother answering. He's just showing up at Keller's door a few minutes later. And obviously he does the classic "shave and a haircut" knock because he can't be normal. Look. Be glad he knocked at all.]
( quentin has no capacity to be normal at any moment in time, this is just normal quentin quire behavior that julian has longsince gotten - well. not used to, no one gets used to him. but more expectant of. he knocks, and the door opens on it's own - julian doesn't bother getting up from his desk, which is very clearly settled on the side of the room that would have belonged to someone else, if the school was still being used as a normal dormitory.
there's a model in front of him, one with intricate little pieces all required to be perfectly placed to build up a small remote controlled car.
but julian's taking his eyes off it to place his elbow down on the table, palm up so he can rest his chin atop it, looking to quentin in the doorway instead. )
I do have eyes, idiot.
( there's no heat behind it. it's insults just to insult, not anything he really means. )
You want to tell me what the hell you're doing? Since you're the one being sarcastic about nuances.
[Huh. The model-building is interesting. Not something Quentin would have predicted, though possibly that's because it's one of the many activities he uses to stave off the endless boredom that comes along with having a brain that runs at fifteen times the normal speed. He kinda figured Keller would spend his free time like... doing push-ups or something.
Whatever, he's stalling.]
Pff. Excuse me for trying to be courteous.
[Uh, okay. Quentin kinda stands... weirdly right inside the door, glancing around for somewhere to sit. It is also at this point that he realizes he had literally no plan for where to start with this. Or at least where to start that doesn't make him sound insane. Well. Completely insane. Nobody in this fucking house is sane. And after letting his high speed brain process for what is for normal people a couple of seconds but to him is an eternity, what he comes up with is:]
So. Okay. Yeah, I've been... hooking up with Sophie. For a while, actually. But it's not—I love Phoebe. Not Sophie.
( no one in this house is sane, even if they can get close to faking it. just like none of this is bullcrap anyone who was sane would get into. no one would fuck the twin sister of the person they've actually got feelings for just because she's there and available. no one sane would willingly have this conversation with quentin quire of all people.
no one rational would sit here looking at quentin and waiting for something vaguely sane to come out of his mouth while fully acknowledging there isn't anything in there to be found that would be able to rationalize - this.
and yet here's julian, looking at quentin and vaguely expecting exactly that.
he raises a brow, but stays quiet until it's clear quentin's got nothing more to offer. )
You love Phoebe?
( it's not his only takeaway here but it's the bit he chooses to focus on first. )
[Oh, god. Would it be unethical to erase Julian's memory of that whole opening line and just start over? Probably. Doesn't mean Quentin isn't going to debate doing it, because Keller is staring at him like what he just said is the dumbest thing to ever come out of any person's mouth in all of history—which, to be fair, isn't exactly wrong—and holy shit Quentin is going to cut off his own fucking head if Keller does not stop looking at him like that. The question he asks does at least serve to snap Quentin out of his own head, which is appreciated. Though he is going to basically side-step the answer. For reasons.
Quentin slumps his shoulders and pinches the bridge of his nose.]
Look. Okay. I know what this looks like. Really. I do. But... gah, fuck. Alright.
[He takes a breath to try and collect himself for real this time and launches into... an explanation of sorts, gesturing animatedly as he talks.]
Phoebe dated me on Krakoa. It was a whole—I dunno, man, it was a weird time, I was going through some stuff, she offered, I said yes. What the hell else was I supposed to do? [Wait. No. Not the point. Focus, Quire.] Whatever, doesn't matter. I was serious about it, she wasn't, no big deal, it happens. Said her sisters were her top priority, which is—fine. It's fine! Anyway, she left to go be with her sisters and, I dunno, I guess they all ended up with Empath. And it's like, she's allowed, right? I mean even if he's a complete freakazoid and a weirdo and a psycho.
[Getting off topic again. He starts pacing, just because he needs to vent the anxious energy somewhere.]
So I get here, right? And Sophie shows up. And look, man, I tried to talk to her. I really did. But she wasn't getting it, and we were just getting more and more pissed off, and then one day she says—and I quote—"fucking is less intimate than this". [He spreads his arms out and shrugs helplessly.] And I say, well. Why don't we just try that?
( this whole thing is already exhausting the hell out of him.
julian knows it doesn't have to make sense and likely won't just because it's quentin quire of all people having love life issues. and while he waits for quire to get through his stupid story that's just as stupid as his life choices, julian's left wondering what brought him here specifically. why it is that quentin's making out with the hot blond chick who spends damn near almost all the time they're together leaning against julian, being in his space, wrapping herself around him, while julian is still sitting at his desk putting together model cars alone into the dark hours of the night.
it's not that he wants to fuck sophie. he isn't opposed to the idea necessarily: she's hot, fun, messy as hell but that's just - part of being a mutant and there isn't anything anyone can do about that. now that he's thinking about it though, he definitely does not want to, he's already intertwined in their mess enough without being the one to complete her i've fucked all the mutants around my age docket.
he thinks it, moments before he realizes that's also stupid, there's three of them, three isn't an innately high number and they're all three the same brand of asshole, too, so at least her type is pretty obvious if she were to try with julian. except she isn't. and he should really stop considering the implications of whether or not she would when the point is that fucking quire is getting laid more than he is and making a mess of his relationships while julian is sitting here, still alone, and it's not that he's looking for anyone because he isn't but it'd be real nice of laura or sofia would show up around now - okay, maybe it is that he's. . . lonely. somehow. sophe and the cuckoos being with empath isn't a surprise because he's heard that story before, saw it told through someone else's eyes and julian really doesn't know how he ended up there outside of being - desperate.
kind of like he is now for an easy way out of this except he started it and this is on him to put out because he's the only one capable of doing it except there's the whole, )
Jesus Christ. You're both stupid.
( the exhausted tone says this isn't surprising but also it is very tiring, and julian's giving a sigh before pressing his face against cold metal fingers. )
[Quentin watches Julian put his face in his hands, and well. At least he doesn't have to try and monitor his facial expressions now. Perks of talking with non-telepaths. He glances down at the floor and clears his throat uncomfortably.]
Yeah, well.
[Look, he's not even going to argue that point. He and Sophie both know their whole arrangement is stupid. It's probably not a stretch to say that was kinda the point. I mean. Who the hell decides to start fucking based on a "haha jk unless"? And then continues fucking for, what is it? Like six months? Christ. They have rules for god's sake. Rules like "make sure I don't care too much." And "we don't do anything that reminds me of your sister." Both of which are, objectively, unhinged. Quentin sighs.]
Now you know why I didn't tell you.
[Hold on. Did Julian know that this started before he left? Did Sophie tell him that part? Well, he knows it now. Oh, well.]
I mean, that, and. Well. You know.
[See, contrary to popular belief, Quentin? Doesn't actually take a whole lot of joy in lording his sexual exploits over Mr. No-Hands Foreveralone over there. He's an asshole, but he's not that much of an asshole. And Keller, well... Julian isn't the most trusting guy, not regarding his own vulnerabilities. But for whatever reason, he—kinda—seems to trust Quentin with some stuff? Or seemed. With a sufficient amount of booze in him, in any case. Which... okay, Quentin knows talking about That Conversation is verboten. But like... if he doesn't acknowledge to some extent the vodka-fueled elephant in the room, he's going to explode. Possibly literally. So he's just going to. Vaguely allude. Address without actually talking about it. That should be fine. Right? Right.]
( he hadn't known this had been happening since before he left until just now, actually, but the realization doesn't seem to be something that weighs on him too much. it does irritate him a little further, knowing that he and quire had talked about girls, relationships, it'd been one of the things they'd actually bonded over, and quire just went off and started crap with sophie after moping to julian about how she was fucking around with people similar to him but not him just to rub his nose in it.
julian keeps his face pressed to his palm.
it's been long enough that if they were going to be stupid and petty about it, it would have come up already. he still doesn't trust them not to implode at some point and cause a stupid amount of mess for the rest of them (read: him mainly) but it's not like they're idiotic teenagers anymore.
not that they had much room for that at any point anyway, but. )
Fine, whatever. But when she breaks your heart, just know I'll be first in line to tell you I told you so.
Quentin winces, not that Julian will see it. See, this is why he wanted to find the best time to tell Keller about all of this. And by best time he means maybe never. Except no, shit, Julian does deserve to know. All things considering. Quentin owes the guy that much. But also. Fuck, Quentin doesn't have the people skills to navigate this shit! No mutants do, to be fair. They're all a bunch of fucked up psychos. Welcome to the X-Men, where even the "nice" ones actually suck.
That said, he has a sneaking suspicion that Julian would somehow manage this better if their positions were reversed. Shame he's lonely and handless and can't get a date and they had a whole stupid conversation about that and—ah, yes, there's the crushing guilt. He was wondering when that would kick in.
Damn Sophie and her sudden obsession with morals and her inability to keep her mouth shut!!!]
Yeah, sure. First in line after me.
[Whatever, fuck it. He's tired of standing in the middle of Julian's room like a weirdo, so he'll just go slump on the edge of his bed like a weirdo.]
You think I don't know what kind of pipe bomb I'm juggling here? When Phoebe... dumped me, she said it was because I cared too much. I'm just—I got big feelings, I guess. I'm a lot. So I told Sophie, before we start... this, whatever this is, there's gotta be, you know, rules. Guardrails to keep this shit from blowing up in our faces. One of those is, well, if I start caring, we stop. Full stop, cold turkey, do not pass go, do not collect $200. It's... been working. So far.
[He pauses, considers, and then adds as an afterthought:]
Honestly, she doesn't even like me when I'm nice, anyway.
( he knows there's no way he's better at - at this than the rest of them. but at the same moment he thinks that, he realizes - between the three of them, he's the only one who isn't accustomed to feeling out the inside of others heads. julian has to rely on social queues to figure crap out, rather than just being able to dig deep into them and find it.
telepaths, man. )
That's the problem, Quire.
( he says it like it's obvious, because it is as far as julian cares. it's right there under quentin's nose, likely in the one place he isn't looking because he doesn't want to see it. )
You do care. Maybe the both of you aren't looking at it that way, but you just admitted to it - you care too much, you've got big feelings. Whatever. You already care about her. And you're both being idiots about it.
( going into it with it doesn't mean anything when there's no way it doesn't is just going to end with both of them getting hurt. )
[Shit, is Keller right? Does he care?? Quentin doesn't... feel like he does? Not like he did for Phoebe. But... hm. Sure, there was his dumb childhood crush. And the nervous feeling he got whenever Sophie was around when she first got here. That was admittedly still there when they started their little fling, but it faded a while ago. Now it's just... whatever. She shows up, sits around and plays her games for a while, they do the horizontal tango, and that's... pretty much it. They hardly even talk.
Uuuughhh.
Now it's Quentin's turn to put his hand over his face and make a noise of frustration. He doesn't want to think about this. Any of it. That's literally why he and Sophie have the arrangement they do. It's avoidance. They've always known it's avoidance. It works. For now, at least. And for now is all that's needed. It's fine. And now stupid Julian is dredging up all the shit that was supposed to stay buried because he can't mind his own damn business. Why does he even care?
Hold on.
Why does he care? Quentin looks up from his hands and over at Julian.]
You're worried.
[He says it matter-of-factly, but also almost like it's a surprise.]
Like actually worried, not just that it'll be a pain in the ass for you or whatever.
( the most offensive part of all of this is how surprised quire looks. like julian shouldn't be concerned. like there's no reason for him to be as concerned as he clearly is, like it's weird of him. it pisses him off, but at the same time, he - kind of gets where it's coming from.
why would julian give a shit about how much quire fucks up his own life? it's not like it's anything new, he does it all the time and julian's never stepped in before now.
but it is different. because it's just them here, because he's been stuck with quentin quire every second he's been here since the guy showed up. they've been talking, not just pushing each other around like assholes.
they've grown. )
Yeah? Obviously. Why would I bother calling you here if I didn't.
[Alright, probably a little bit harsh, considering Julian's reaction. The guy did just say he was... worried. About Quentin. Which, look. Is weird, alright? Oh sure, there's Julian's whole "these people are mine and it's my job to make sure they don't have mental breakdowns" thing. And his "better remind Quentin he's fucking up in case he forgets" thing. But this is... This is different.
Quentin sighs, clears his throat. Tries again.]
Fine, okay. Sure. Obviously you give a shit or whatever.
[He still doesn't sound like he buys it—because he doesn't—but he's not going question it. As a favor. Keller's earned that. Quentin shrugs and gives him a "get on with it" hand gesture.]
Then spill. What is it that you're so worried about. Walk me through your most catastrophic prediction.
it's not like he's quire, whose whole thing is being nosy and judgemental. for a moment, he looks about ready to open his mouth and throw out objections because fuck you, quentin, except he keeps chatting and - yeah, okay, fine, he can talk this part through.
even if he's pressing his lips together and holding back the snark he wants to start throwing out. )
You guys break up, do that whole I don't want to be in the same space as them bullshit, which makes keeping this really makeshift half put together team together harder than it needs to be. Alternatively, one of you sets off the other, and half the mansion gets fucked in the process. And I don't want to have to rebuild it.
[Okay, see, now that's more what Quentin was expecting. Blah blah blah, this'll be such a pain for me, boo hoo, I'm obviously unproblematic and not a big dramatic asshole. Typical Julian Keller bullshit. For a second it kinda sounded like he was, you know, concerned for Quentin's actual feelings getting hurt, but now all is right in the world and also that realization doesn't make him a teeny tiny bit sad so don't even ask. Oh and that thing Julian just said was really dumb, too. So that also tracks.
Quentin peers at him in disbelief. Like... seriously, did this moron not hear what just came out of his mouth? Or Quentin's mouth for that matter? Since when is Quentin the one who telekinetically wrecks shit when he's mad, for one thing. Also? Hello, telepaths? There's no "I don't want to be in the same space as them" because they're literally always in the same space. Quentin would have to leave the damn planet to not have Sophie "in his space". That's literally the entire problem. He couldn't fucking get away from Sophie, and they couldn't be around each other without carnage, so they found an "alternate" way to interact. It's not that complicated?? But noooooo, that's way too high IQ for Keller over here. Unbelievable. Oh, right, and also there's the fact that Quentin and Sophie aren't dating that's why he said "hooking up" and not "dating" so there's no break-up you smooth-brained homunculus that makes no fucking sense
Wait.
Hold on.
It doesn't make sense. None of this makes sense. Julian's insistence that he cared about something other than how much of a pain this would be for him personally right before listing a bunch of things that would be a pain for him personally. The frankly weak reasoning of "weh weh teamwork is hard" and "the mansion could get wrecked" when anyone with two braincells to rub together knows precisely which pair of mutants clash the most in this stupid house. No, there's something deeper going on here, and Quentin has a suspicion of what it is. His expression shifts to something more calculating. But... the thing is, there isn't exactly a delicate way of addressing this. Even if Quentin had a natural skill for tact, Julian is, well. He doesn't exactly take being called out with grace. There's no way to do this without being an asshole... so Quentin just does what he does best: be a smart-ass. He raises his eyebrows, tilts his head to the side, shrugs nonchalantly.]
Damn, dude, if you're feeling that left out you should just join us.
( he's starting to come to terms with the fact that quentin quire being quiet is worse than when he's being a loud asshat. mostly because - quiet quentin? plotting. loud quentin? at least julian has the vaguest hint of what he's doing. quiet quentin means not only is he thinking enough to shut up but it means that julian is left here with his last statement out there and no other noise to fill the air. quiet quentin means he's - up to something stupid. probably. granted, julian assumes he's always up to something stupid.
his statement just confirms the fact.
there's a scowl on julian's face, mouth turned down at the corners and brows furrowed. )
You know if I kill you, you'll just come back, right?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Hey, asshole, it's me.
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there's a model in front of him, one with intricate little pieces all required to be perfectly placed to build up a small remote controlled car.
but julian's taking his eyes off it to place his elbow down on the table, palm up so he can rest his chin atop it, looking to quentin in the doorway instead. )
I do have eyes, idiot.
( there's no heat behind it. it's insults just to insult, not anything he really means. )
You want to tell me what the hell you're doing? Since you're the one being sarcastic about nuances.
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Whatever, he's stalling.]
Pff. Excuse me for trying to be courteous.
[Uh, okay. Quentin kinda stands... weirdly right inside the door, glancing around for somewhere to sit. It is also at this point that he realizes he had literally no plan for where to start with this. Or at least where to start that doesn't make him sound insane. Well. Completely insane. Nobody in this fucking house is sane. And after letting his high speed brain process for what is for normal people a couple of seconds but to him is an eternity, what he comes up with is:]
So. Okay. Yeah, I've been... hooking up with Sophie. For a while, actually. But it's not—I love Phoebe. Not Sophie.
[Oh. Yeah. Totally not insane.]
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no one rational would sit here looking at quentin and waiting for something vaguely sane to come out of his mouth while fully acknowledging there isn't anything in there to be found that would be able to rationalize - this.
and yet here's julian, looking at quentin and vaguely expecting exactly that.
he raises a brow, but stays quiet until it's clear quentin's got nothing more to offer. )
You love Phoebe?
( it's not his only takeaway here but it's the bit he chooses to focus on first. )
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Quentin slumps his shoulders and pinches the bridge of his nose.]
Look. Okay. I know what this looks like. Really. I do. But... gah, fuck. Alright.
[He takes a breath to try and collect himself for real this time and launches into... an explanation of sorts, gesturing animatedly as he talks.]
Phoebe dated me on Krakoa. It was a whole—I dunno, man, it was a weird time, I was going through some stuff, she offered, I said yes. What the hell else was I supposed to do? [Wait. No. Not the point. Focus, Quire.] Whatever, doesn't matter. I was serious about it, she wasn't, no big deal, it happens. Said her sisters were her top priority, which is—fine. It's fine! Anyway, she left to go be with her sisters and, I dunno, I guess they all ended up with Empath. And it's like, she's allowed, right? I mean even if he's a complete freakazoid and a weirdo and a psycho.
[Getting off topic again. He starts pacing, just because he needs to vent the anxious energy somewhere.]
So I get here, right? And Sophie shows up. And look, man, I tried to talk to her. I really did. But she wasn't getting it, and we were just getting more and more pissed off, and then one day she says—and I quote—"fucking is less intimate than this". [He spreads his arms out and shrugs helplessly.] And I say, well. Why don't we just try that?
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julian knows it doesn't have to make sense and likely won't just because it's quentin quire of all people having love life issues. and while he waits for quire to get through his stupid story that's just as stupid as his life choices, julian's left wondering what brought him here specifically. why it is that quentin's making out with the hot blond chick who spends damn near almost all the time they're together leaning against julian, being in his space, wrapping herself around him, while julian is still sitting at his desk putting together model cars alone into the dark hours of the night.
it's not that he wants to fuck sophie. he isn't opposed to the idea necessarily: she's hot, fun, messy as hell but that's just - part of being a mutant and there isn't anything anyone can do about that. now that he's thinking about it though, he definitely does not want to, he's already intertwined in their mess enough without being the one to complete her i've fucked all the mutants around my age docket.
he thinks it, moments before he realizes that's also stupid, there's three of them, three isn't an innately high number and they're all three the same brand of asshole, too, so at least her type is pretty obvious if she were to try with julian. except she isn't. and he should really stop considering the implications of whether or not she would when the point is that fucking quire is getting laid more than he is and making a mess of his relationships while julian is sitting here, still alone, and it's not that he's looking for anyone because he isn't but it'd be real nice of laura or sofia would show up around now - okay, maybe it is that he's. . . lonely. somehow. sophe and the cuckoos being with empath isn't a surprise because he's heard that story before, saw it told through someone else's eyes and julian really doesn't know how he ended up there outside of being - desperate.
kind of like he is now for an easy way out of this except he started it and this is on him to put out because he's the only one capable of doing it except there's the whole, )
Jesus Christ. You're both stupid.
( the exhausted tone says this isn't surprising but also it is very tiring, and julian's giving a sigh before pressing his face against cold metal fingers. )
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Yeah, well.
[Look, he's not even going to argue that point. He and Sophie both know their whole arrangement is stupid. It's probably not a stretch to say that was kinda the point. I mean. Who the hell decides to start fucking based on a "haha jk unless"? And then continues fucking for, what is it? Like six months? Christ. They have rules for god's sake. Rules like "make sure I don't care too much." And "we don't do anything that reminds me of your sister." Both of which are, objectively, unhinged. Quentin sighs.]
Now you know why I didn't tell you.
[Hold on. Did Julian know that this started before he left? Did Sophie tell him that part? Well, he knows it now. Oh, well.]
I mean, that, and. Well. You know.
[See, contrary to popular belief, Quentin? Doesn't actually take a whole lot of joy in lording his sexual exploits over Mr. No-Hands Foreveralone over there. He's an asshole, but he's not that much of an asshole. And Keller, well... Julian isn't the most trusting guy, not regarding his own vulnerabilities. But for whatever reason, he—kinda—seems to trust Quentin with some stuff? Or seemed. With a sufficient amount of booze in him, in any case. Which... okay, Quentin knows talking about That Conversation is verboten. But like... if he doesn't acknowledge to some extent the vodka-fueled elephant in the room, he's going to explode. Possibly literally. So he's just going to. Vaguely allude. Address without actually talking about it. That should be fine. Right? Right.]
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julian keeps his face pressed to his palm.
it's been long enough that if they were going to be stupid and petty about it, it would have come up already. he still doesn't trust them not to implode at some point and cause a stupid amount of mess for the rest of them (read: him mainly) but it's not like they're idiotic teenagers anymore.
not that they had much room for that at any point anyway, but. )
Fine, whatever. But when she breaks your heart, just know I'll be first in line to tell you I told you so.
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Quentin winces, not that Julian will see it. See, this is why he wanted to find the best time to tell Keller about all of this. And by best time he means maybe never. Except no, shit, Julian does deserve to know. All things considering. Quentin owes the guy that much. But also. Fuck, Quentin doesn't have the people skills to navigate this shit! No mutants do, to be fair. They're all a bunch of fucked up psychos. Welcome to the X-Men, where even the "nice" ones actually suck.
That said, he has a sneaking suspicion that Julian would somehow manage this better if their positions were reversed. Shame he's lonely and handless and can't get a date and they had a whole stupid conversation about that and—ah, yes, there's the crushing guilt. He was wondering when that would kick in.
Damn Sophie and her sudden obsession with morals and her inability to keep her mouth shut!!!]
Yeah, sure. First in line after me.
[Whatever, fuck it. He's tired of standing in the middle of Julian's room like a weirdo, so he'll just go slump on the edge of his bed like a weirdo.]
You think I don't know what kind of pipe bomb I'm juggling here? When Phoebe... dumped me, she said it was because I cared too much. I'm just—I got big feelings, I guess. I'm a lot. So I told Sophie, before we start... this, whatever this is, there's gotta be, you know, rules. Guardrails to keep this shit from blowing up in our faces. One of those is, well, if I start caring, we stop. Full stop, cold turkey, do not pass go, do not collect $200. It's... been working. So far.
[He pauses, considers, and then adds as an afterthought:]
Honestly, she doesn't even like me when I'm nice, anyway.
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telepaths, man. )
That's the problem, Quire.
( he says it like it's obvious, because it is as far as julian cares. it's right there under quentin's nose, likely in the one place he isn't looking because he doesn't want to see it. )
You do care. Maybe the both of you aren't looking at it that way, but you just admitted to it - you care too much, you've got big feelings. Whatever. You already care about her. And you're both being idiots about it.
( going into it with it doesn't mean anything when there's no way it doesn't is just going to end with both of them getting hurt. )
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Uuuughhh.
Now it's Quentin's turn to put his hand over his face and make a noise of frustration. He doesn't want to think about this. Any of it. That's literally why he and Sophie have the arrangement they do. It's avoidance. They've always known it's avoidance. It works. For now, at least. And for now is all that's needed. It's fine. And now stupid Julian is dredging up all the shit that was supposed to stay buried because he can't mind his own damn business. Why does he even care?
Hold on.
Why does he care? Quentin looks up from his hands and over at Julian.]
You're worried.
[He says it matter-of-factly, but also almost like it's a surprise.]
Like actually worried, not just that it'll be a pain in the ass for you or whatever.
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why would julian give a shit about how much quire fucks up his own life? it's not like it's anything new, he does it all the time and julian's never stepped in before now.
but it is different. because it's just them here, because he's been stuck with quentin quire every second he's been here since the guy showed up. they've been talking, not just pushing each other around like assholes.
they've grown. )
Yeah? Obviously. Why would I bother calling you here if I didn't.
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[Alright, probably a little bit harsh, considering Julian's reaction. The guy did just say he was... worried. About Quentin. Which, look. Is weird, alright? Oh sure, there's Julian's whole "these people are mine and it's my job to make sure they don't have mental breakdowns" thing. And his "better remind Quentin he's fucking up in case he forgets" thing. But this is... This is different.
Quentin sighs, clears his throat. Tries again.]
Fine, okay. Sure. Obviously you give a shit or whatever.
[He still doesn't sound like he buys it—because he doesn't—but he's not going question it. As a favor. Keller's earned that. Quentin shrugs and gives him a "get on with it" hand gesture.]
Then spill. What is it that you're so worried about. Walk me through your most catastrophic prediction.
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it's not like he's quire, whose whole thing is being nosy and judgemental. for a moment, he looks about ready to open his mouth and throw out objections because fuck you, quentin, except he keeps chatting and - yeah, okay, fine, he can talk this part through.
even if he's pressing his lips together and holding back the snark he wants to start throwing out. )
You guys break up, do that whole I don't want to be in the same space as them bullshit, which makes keeping this really makeshift half put together team together harder than it needs to be. Alternatively, one of you sets off the other, and half the mansion gets fucked in the process. And I don't want to have to rebuild it.
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Quentin peers at him in disbelief. Like... seriously, did this moron not hear what just came out of his mouth? Or Quentin's mouth for that matter? Since when is Quentin the one who telekinetically wrecks shit when he's mad, for one thing. Also? Hello, telepaths? There's no "I don't want to be in the same space as them" because they're literally always in the same space. Quentin would have to leave the damn planet to not have Sophie "in his space". That's literally the entire problem. He couldn't fucking get away from Sophie, and they couldn't be around each other without carnage, so they found an "alternate" way to interact. It's not that complicated?? But noooooo, that's way too high IQ for Keller over here. Unbelievable. Oh, right, and also there's the fact that Quentin and Sophie aren't dating that's why he said "hooking up" and not "dating" so there's no break-up you smooth-brained homunculus that makes no fucking sense
Wait.
Hold on.
It doesn't make sense. None of this makes sense. Julian's insistence that he cared about something other than how much of a pain this would be for him personally right before listing a bunch of things that would be a pain for him personally. The frankly weak reasoning of "weh weh teamwork is hard" and "the mansion could get wrecked" when anyone with two braincells to rub together knows precisely which pair of mutants clash the most in this stupid house. No, there's something deeper going on here, and Quentin has a suspicion of what it is. His expression shifts to something more calculating. But... the thing is, there isn't exactly a delicate way of addressing this. Even if Quentin had a natural skill for tact, Julian is, well. He doesn't exactly take being called out with grace. There's no way to do this without being an asshole... so Quentin just does what he does best: be a smart-ass. He raises his eyebrows, tilts his head to the side, shrugs nonchalantly.]
Damn, dude, if you're feeling that left out you should just join us.
no subject
his statement just confirms the fact.
there's a scowl on julian's face, mouth turned down at the corners and brows furrowed. )
You know if I kill you, you'll just come back, right?