"No, I'm the one who's intruding," Adam tried to argue, feeling trapped and guilty at chasing Alec off, and at how urgently Alec wanted to go.
"Alec, my nails," Izzy complained, confused and worried about why Alec wanted out so fast and Adam was looking so spooked.
Adam felt wretched that he'd messed things up this badly and now only seemed to be messing things up worse as Alec made a quick retreat. He still felt as though he was the one who should leave, but he didn't know how without turning around and just walking out first, which seemed awkward and rude.
Speechless and miserable, Adam watched him go. "I was awful to him," he explained to Izzy.
"What happened?" she asked, inspecting her nails.
Adam looked off after Alec, still trying to figure out if he should go after him, but Adam was incapable of apologizing and he didn't know what to say, so he stayed to answer Izzy's question.
"I lost my temper." Coming over, he sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, also considering her nails. "Sorry, I don't know how to take over for him. I didn't know that was a service Alec offers." He smiled the tiniest bit, charmed by Alec doing his sister's nails.
"You could ask him to do yours," Izzy teased, carefully so as not to spook him.
Adam glanced up at her with a hint of a smile. "You think he would?"
"If you asked." Izzy smiled back at him, starting to suspect again that Adam liked her brother. "What happened?"
Adam grimaced, looking down at the floor and hesitating. He wasn't good at sharing his thoughts and feelings, but Alec had spoken so highly of Izzy, and Adam needed someone to talk to. "Is he really not allowed to want things?"
"It's complicated. He takes his duties seriously, and a lot is expected of him." Izzy wiggled her fingers as she waited for her nails to dry. "Did you really tell him he shouldn't have come out?"
Startling, Adam stared at her. "Of course not. I was trying to say that he should do more things like that. He should have the things he wants."
"Do you like him?" Izzy asked outright, hoping to surprise an honest answer out of him. He tensed like a deer in the headlights, which told her everything she needed to know.
Shy and guilty, Adam nodded.
Izzy sighed. "I'll talk to him again. What did you come here for?"
"I wanted to work on the technical specs for the field capacities, like we discussed."
Izzy gave him a serious look, because that was an important topic, even though she was worried about her brother. "Can it wait?"
"Yes."
"Can you just tell him you're sorry?" Izzy prompted.
Adam tensed his jaw.
Izzy sighed again. "Go find him and tell him to come back here and finish up. Please don't mention in public that he was doing my nails."
"I won't," Adam promised. "They look very nice."
That pleased Izzy, and she smiled at her nails, then waved her hand at Adam to shoo him. "Go kiss my brother and tell him you're into him."
Starting to stand up, Adam looked back at her in terror. "He doesn't even want to be in the same room as me."
"Maybe next time don't lecture him," Izzy suggested.
Ducking his head guiltily, Adam nodded, and went.
He searched the institute quickly looking for Alec, and stiffened his shoulders when he saw him, walking straight up and hoping that Alec wouldn't just walk away. "Izzy wants to talk to you again."
no subject
"Alec, my nails," Izzy complained, confused and worried about why Alec wanted out so fast and Adam was looking so spooked.
Adam felt wretched that he'd messed things up this badly and now only seemed to be messing things up worse as Alec made a quick retreat. He still felt as though he was the one who should leave, but he didn't know how without turning around and just walking out first, which seemed awkward and rude.
Speechless and miserable, Adam watched him go. "I was awful to him," he explained to Izzy.
"What happened?" she asked, inspecting her nails.
Adam looked off after Alec, still trying to figure out if he should go after him, but Adam was incapable of apologizing and he didn't know what to say, so he stayed to answer Izzy's question.
"I lost my temper." Coming over, he sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, also considering her nails. "Sorry, I don't know how to take over for him. I didn't know that was a service Alec offers." He smiled the tiniest bit, charmed by Alec doing his sister's nails.
"You could ask him to do yours," Izzy teased, carefully so as not to spook him.
Adam glanced up at her with a hint of a smile. "You think he would?"
"If you asked." Izzy smiled back at him, starting to suspect again that Adam liked her brother. "What happened?"
Adam grimaced, looking down at the floor and hesitating. He wasn't good at sharing his thoughts and feelings, but Alec had spoken so highly of Izzy, and Adam needed someone to talk to. "Is he really not allowed to want things?"
"It's complicated. He takes his duties seriously, and a lot is expected of him." Izzy wiggled her fingers as she waited for her nails to dry. "Did you really tell him he shouldn't have come out?"
Startling, Adam stared at her. "Of course not. I was trying to say that he should do more things like that. He should have the things he wants."
"Do you like him?" Izzy asked outright, hoping to surprise an honest answer out of him. He tensed like a deer in the headlights, which told her everything she needed to know.
Shy and guilty, Adam nodded.
Izzy sighed. "I'll talk to him again. What did you come here for?"
"I wanted to work on the technical specs for the field capacities, like we discussed."
Izzy gave him a serious look, because that was an important topic, even though she was worried about her brother. "Can it wait?"
"Yes."
"Can you just tell him you're sorry?" Izzy prompted.
Adam tensed his jaw.
Izzy sighed again. "Go find him and tell him to come back here and finish up. Please don't mention in public that he was doing my nails."
"I won't," Adam promised. "They look very nice."
That pleased Izzy, and she smiled at her nails, then waved her hand at Adam to shoo him. "Go kiss my brother and tell him you're into him."
Starting to stand up, Adam looked back at her in terror. "He doesn't even want to be in the same room as me."
"Maybe next time don't lecture him," Izzy suggested.
Ducking his head guiltily, Adam nodded, and went.
He searched the institute quickly looking for Alec, and stiffened his shoulders when he saw him, walking straight up and hoping that Alec wouldn't just walk away. "Izzy wants to talk to you again."