[ The withdrawal of both question and Wanda herself is enough to make him properly raise an eyebrow at her. ]
You asked me a question. I'm just trying to understand what you meant.
[ But he had had seen the way she shifted a little, her gaze turning away from him and back out towards the landscape. And it's mostly because of that there's nothing in his tone to suggest that he's annoyed or even scoffing.
There might be however a patient undertone that implies if she doesn't expand, he won't press upon the subject. ]
( there's a certainty here that she isn't incredibly comfortable with putting herself out there. there was a time when wanda could do without caring about what others thought about her, so long as those she loved were at her side; past sokovia, the events in novi grad, losing pietro, the avengers taking sides and 'breaking up', a lot of her stable ground has shifted into something shaky and tenuous.
trying to build it all up from nothing feels like exposing parts of herself that she isn't confident in presenting to othersโvulnerabilities, soft sides of herself...
but cassian's patient undertone gives her room to breath instead of agitating her thoughts the longer the seconds tick by in the silence that grows between them. which is probably why wanda is a little kinder with herself, when she admits to him in the form of a question, )
Are we friends?
( it's still awkward, though, even if she's trying to be kind and honest to herself about it. )
[ The sound of the tires against the road and the low rhythmic beat of the lofi that hums through the stereo fill the silence as he waits for her to decide if she wants to expand or leave it be.ย
Whatever she decides, doesn't matter to him โ or rather, he won't be offended or annoyed if she decides that she doesn't want to clarifyย anything. People have said things before that they don't necessarily intend and been burned by it. This isn't one of those situations.ย
There's no risk here. Well, except perhaps her own perceived embarrassment and having to sit in that for the remainder of the drive.ย
But then she clarifies and Cassian's own realization dawns on the tail end of that. Friends. He didn't make them easily. Hasn't in a while due to the nature of his work. But they are here for the foreseeable future and there wasn't any harm in that. In being friends. Unexpectedly, the word soothes a balm against a part of his heart he hadn't realized had been tender in the absence of those that he did in fact call friends. ]
Is that what you want to be? [ But then he corrects himself, realizing that that would do little to help the awkwardness that she's feeling (and by extension the awkwardness he's beginning to feel). ] I don't usually make a habit of picking up strangers. You never know what they're going to do.ย
( it's good that he changed his mind about the question being the only thing he'd say on the matter. wanda's own sensibilities, the awkwardness of it all, would have had her absconding even further if he had set it as something that sounds so incredibly childish (is that what you want to be?). when he adds his own insight, his own explanation, an amount of give to the idea of her not being just a stranger to himโ
well, it causes the tight knot in her chest to give way a bit. )
Like breaking people's noses with a door?
( โthey are so past that.
but it gives wanda room to collect herself, to not feel so vulnerable in this moment, despite being all too pleased that this foraging into forcing the label of 'friend' onto another has worked out just fine.
for her part, she seems appeased with his answer. wanda leans back on her seat, shoulders relaxing, and finding reason to be soothed by the wind blowing through the windows and the smooth tunes. )
Friends forgive each other for accidents like that.
[ And hopefully that utterance of that word is more reassurance for her too. That they are in fact friends.
At one point in his life he'd balked from labelling things, particularly relationships of the romantic sort. That implied a sort of commitment, a reliance that he was in some ways, afraid of failing. Friends was easier, even if he'd thrown the word around in an attempt to ply credits from people on loan.
But he means it here. And there's nothing he's trying to gain from it either, unless you count the company on the long drive back. And that is enough for him too. Before he allows them to fall back into a comfortable silence reserved for those that there's a comfortable companionship with, he motions backwards to the seats behind them. ]
There's a blanket in the back if it gets too cold.
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no subject
You asked me a question. I'm just trying to understand what you meant.
[ But he had had seen the way she shifted a little, her gaze turning away from him and back out towards the landscape. And it's mostly because of that there's nothing in his tone to suggest that he's annoyed or even scoffing.
There might be however a patient undertone that implies if she doesn't expand, he won't press upon the subject. ]
no subject
trying to build it all up from nothing feels like exposing parts of herself that she isn't confident in presenting to othersโvulnerabilities, soft sides of herself...
but cassian's patient undertone gives her room to breath instead of agitating her thoughts the longer the seconds tick by in the silence that grows between them. which is probably why wanda is a little kinder with herself, when she admits to him in the form of a question, )
Are we friends?
( it's still awkward, though, even if she's trying to be kind and honest to herself about it. )
no subject
Whatever she decides, doesn't matter to him โ or rather, he won't be offended or annoyed if she decides that she doesn't want to clarifyย anything. People have said things before that they don't necessarily intend and been burned by it. This isn't one of those situations.ย
There's no risk here. Well, except perhaps her own perceived embarrassment and having to sit in that for the remainder of the drive.ย
But then she clarifies and Cassian's own realization dawns on the tail end of that. Friends. He didn't make them easily. Hasn't in a while due to the nature of his work. But they are here for the foreseeable future and there wasn't any harm in that. In being friends. Unexpectedly, the word soothes a balm against a part of his heart he hadn't realized had been tender in the absence of those that he did in fact call friends. ]
Is that what you want to be? [ But then he corrects himself, realizing that that would do little to help the awkwardness that she's feeling (and by extension the awkwardness he's beginning to feel). ] I don't usually make a habit of picking up strangers. You never know what they're going to do.ย
no subject
well, it causes the tight knot in her chest to give way a bit. )
Like breaking people's noses with a door?
( โthey are so past that.
but it gives wanda room to collect herself, to not feel so vulnerable in this moment, despite being all too pleased that this foraging into forcing the label of 'friend' onto another has worked out just fine.
for her part, she seems appeased with his answer. wanda leans back on her seat, shoulders relaxing, and finding reason to be soothed by the wind blowing through the windows and the smooth tunes. )
Good.
( that's done, then! )
no subject
Friends forgive each other for accidents like that.
[ And hopefully that utterance of that word is more reassurance for her too. That they are in fact friends.
At one point in his life he'd balked from labelling things, particularly relationships of the romantic sort. That implied a sort of commitment, a reliance that he was in some ways, afraid of failing. Friends was easier, even if he'd thrown the word around in an attempt to ply credits from people on loan.
But he means it here. And there's nothing he's trying to gain from it either, unless you count the company on the long drive back. And that is enough for him too. Before he allows them to fall back into a comfortable silence reserved for those that there's a comfortable companionship with, he motions backwards to the seats behind them. ]
There's a blanket in the back if it gets too cold.