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adventureic2024-04-04 12:40 pm
werewho) wrote in adventureic2024-04-04 12:40 pm
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WHO: Maya & Asher
WHEN: Tuesday afternoon.
WHERE: Asher's apartment.
WHAT: Maya decides it's time to have the talk that Asher wanted to have before the moon.
WARNINGS: Slightly NSFW topics but no actually explicit acts take part in this log.
There had been so many revelations in the past week that that really enough to keep someone wide awake and thinking through the possible outcomes that would come from management realizing. However, because Maya’s brain was being absolutely ridiculous, or because she thought this was coming since Newton’s arrival, her brain was more focused on the talk Asher had wanted to have before the moon and how they’ve continued to put that talk off all week.
It’d been too long and her brain had gone through too many scenarios. So when she was getting a mid-afternoon smoothie she ordered a raspberry one for Asher too before heading to his apartment.
When he answered the door she asked. “How do you feel about a mid-afternoon raspberry smoothie?”
"Is that a metaphor?" he smirked, only half-kidding as he spotted the very literal mid-afternoon raspberry smoothie in her hand. "Oh. Also good." He moved out of the way to let her in. His place was always neat, though there were occasional signs of being lived in; a book unevenly placed on his coffee table, a breakfast plate still in the sink. Even around his own place, he was always dressed; one never knew when somebody would drop by, or when they'd find themselves transported to the rim of a volcano. While he'd let himself get a little more casual around Maya over the last week or so, it still didn't come quite naturally, and he found he was still more comfortable covered.
"It's definitely just raspberry, right?" he teased, studying the dark red concoction. "I know what you get up to with your smoothies up in healing."
“It could become a metaphor.” Maya returned with a smile as she entered his apartment that she’d become more familiar with recently. “Yea, fruit only,” She confirmed. “I’ve been trying to treat Hyacinthe to some fruit smoothies since I realized how much he hates the meat ones. Figured I should add some more fruit to my day too since I have far too much access to the meat smoothies.” She smiled. “And figured your stomach could handle this one much better too. An added benefit.”
"'Meat smoothie' is still just a terrible phrase," Asher said. He took a tentative sip, cautious more that the phrase would cause something upsetting in his stomach than the smoothie itself. Also, he'd need to stave off any brain freezes. He moved toward the table and took a seat, extending an unspoken invitation to follow. "The texture alone … and the smell … I don't know. I'm not trying to be judgey, but."
“It is but it’s also direct, and to the point. No room for mistakenly thinking we constantly have strawberry smoothies available.” Maya followed him to the table and took the seat across from him. “But good to know the meat smoothies gross you out.” Maya shrugged her shoulders. “I can’t say that I was excited when it first showed up but that got vetoed by my werewolf senses.”
Maya took a sip of her own smoothie. “Speaking of, we’re well past the moon now.” She glanced up at Asher, then back to her smoothie. “I know you wanted to talk. And I know I cut you off, before the moon.” She looked back up at Asher. “Sorry about that, but I think we should talk. Make sure we’re really on the same page.”
"Aha, a strings attached smoothie," Asher said lightly. He'd suspected as much when she appeared, but wasn't sure. The mere mention of the topic days before seemed to shut her down, and Asher did not want to push. 'We can feel it out,' she'd said, and apparently that's what lead to their smoothie break today. "I wasn't trying to …" Asher started, but wasn't quite sure of the next words. "I don't mean we need to have everything figured out. This isn't supposed to be that kind of a talk." He spun his straw in the smoothie, deciding to start again, again.
"What worries you?" He decided for the most direct route. And it isn't 'are you worried about anything' because that's too easy to lie and say 'no' to. "About--" (not 'us', quite yet) "this?"
Maya gave him only a slightly apologetic look at his declaration, though he was the one to bring it up first so she didn’t feel that bad about springing onto this conversation. And if she went any longer thinking about what they might talk about she was pretty sure she’d burst.
“What worries me,” She repeated, thinking about how to word the answer. “We can start with the obvious stuff, the witch and werewolf–” problem was the word that first came to mind but that wouldn’t get her anywhere with how she was thinking about herself and her ability to embrace the fact that she is never not a werewolf, that is her existence even when she’s not in wolf form. “Species differences? I don’t want to hurt you, physically. Or, emotionally, either,” She rushed to add. “But I’m more worried about physically hurting you.”
Asher nodded. He gave a half smile of assurance that he wouldn't be emotionally hurt, but the physical side was real. "If Bracken and Broderick can make it work…" he joked, but he knew it was more serious than that. "Really, though, so far so good. We'll figure out a good safe word, heck we could make a whole code, if we wanted. 'Canteloupe' means a little more to the left." It wasn't that he was not taking it all seriously; he just didn't know how else to talk about it all if he couldn't joke. Especially self-deprecatingly. "I promise I'm too much of a coward with too low a pain tolerance to let it get too far."
Her corners of her mouth lifted upward at his melon reference, but the concern was still there that her strength could be an issue. “We can add Honeydew to the list to make it useful,” she returned, trying her best to match his light tone. “But I do want you to tell me, even if it’s just a bruise.” She thought about pointing out he was allowed to be as rough as he wanted with her because she could handle it but that seemed like it’d redirect the conversation to be an entirely different type of talk and it was best to keep this concentrated on their broader issues first.
Maya tilted her smoothie towards Asher. “Let’s hear one of your concerns next.”
Asher hung his head to the side. He cycled through a few in his mind before landing on, "I have an angry ghost problem," he said. "I know it might be temporary, but for all I know, she's … like, around. Here. Right now."
“Right,” Maya glanced around the room, wondering where Dorr was watching them from. “I haven’t felt any kind of attempt of possession.” Although she wasn’t exactly sure that was possible. Maya looked back at Asher. “Have you and Broderick decided when you’re going to deal with her?”
"We're getting there," he replied. "But I think if she was going to be able to possess anybody again, she would've done it by now. Except with Broderick, when we're going to have to let her." Asher was visibly uncomfortable with this fact, but he didn't see another way through, either.
“The way he was possessed last time and the way he will be this time are different, right?” Maya asked. This was well outside of her experiences but she trusted Broderick and if he thought this was the way it had to be done she didn’t have any doubt that this was the right way forward. “What are you most concerned about when dealing with her?”
"Isn't it weird that ghosts are just around? Nearby?" This was not an answer to either of Maya's questions, but Asher had never been good at getting to the point. His growing awareness of the spirit realm, one he had pointedly avoided learning much about when he was a young witch, made him uneasy. Like there was no real privacy, and Asher valued privacy above almost anything else. "I don't think it's a problem with a solution, unfortunately. Maybe I shouldn't have wasted a worry on it. Your turn."
Maya pressed her lips together while she determined if she should really just move on. The Dorr problem was obviously something that was bothering Asher. But she didn’t really know enough about ghosts and how to deal with them. She doubted she could say anything on the matter that could resolve his concerns surrounding it. “Sure, but, they’ve been around all of our lives, right?” Maya shrugged. “You’re right, it’s not something that can be solved.”
She twirled her straw, knowing what had been a surprise for Broderick to learn about being with a werewolf. She knew she needed to tell Asher about it but her gut squeezed in the way that it was warning her to be gentle with him. He wasn’t going to like this information any more than he had liked that she’d figured out his curse on her own.
“Wolves, and, uh, shifters, in general, have a greater sense of smell,” Maya started, stating what was probably obvious to someone who’d lived in a supernatural community all their lives. “Like, I can smell when someone is a wolf, for example, but I can’t really tell if they’re just a different kind of shifter. But other shifters can smell other things.” Maya shifted in her seat, clearly nervous about what she was trying to explain. She was hardly able to look him in the eye as she went on to more clearly explain the issue. “We, the wolves, sort of leave…scents on people or things. And, uh, other shifters can smell those scents. And I’m not really sure how detailed it is for them but uh, the wolves can pretty clearly identify who it is if they know the scent of that person. So, there’s that.”
Asher nodded. He felt like he should've put all of that together, but somehow hadn't, quite. He didn't like it. He could adjust to things with Maya, even things that still worried him. But getting the rest of the pack—no, not pack, Asher should respect that—involved was frustrating. It wasn't that he wanted to hide what was going on with him and Maya, but too many things lately had been out of his control. Too much was out without him having a say, and now, did this mean any time they were together, the wolves would just know? If something happened and they needed a few days apart, would the rest of the wolves figure that out, too?
None of this was Maya's fault, Asher knew. He tried to pretend it wouldn't bother him. "So, what, you're like, marking your territory?" he teased.
Maya felt her face heat up at the question. “I mean, that is probably the, uh, the function of why we do that.” She took a long sip of her drink as if it would do anything to calm down her blush. This was much more amusing when she wasn’t the one leaving her scent on other people. “And I, uh, accidentally left my scent on your couch yesterday.” She rushed to assure him, “It’s already fading. And I think I can try to control leaving it on places in here, but I don’t think I can control the fact that you’re going to smell like me when we’re together. So, uh, your turn?”
It immediately brought Asher's attention over to the couch. It was a nice couch, mid century modern, but nothing looked amiss. "The couch had it coming," he decided. "Okay, but I do have a follow up. Are they, like, weird about it?"
Her shoulders relaxed at his quip about the couch. “No, not really. Except, well, I didn’t really know about that at the beginning of my time here and wasn’t used to it. So I was kind of weird about it so it’s possible Bracken might wanna get some teasing in but I’m pretty sure he’d direct that at me.”
"I was mostly picturing, like … suddenly they're all perked up and staring at us silently," Asher said. "I don't know. Teasing's going to happen either way, that's fine. Okay, my turn. I probably don't need to waste one on 'No Biting', at all, but you know. Better safe than sorry, or whatever." He kept his tone light, like he was making a joke, and moved on quickly because it didn't seem like a comfortable place to dwell. "And I don't … this isn't exactly what we're talking about, but I really hate being snuck up on. Yeah? Like if somebody touches the back of my neck and I don't know they're there first? Hate that."
Maya nodded and forced a smile at the comment about no biting because the fear of turning him was real. She agreed that there was no reason to needlessly risk it. But also wondered if a complete avoidance of her teeth would even be possible. The topic made her want to hide her hands again but she forced herself to keep them visible, wrapped as they were around her smoothie. She was relieved that he immediately moved on and they weren’t going to talk about that topic at length.
“No problem,” Maya agreed with the easiest topic that had come up so far. “I’ll make sure to be loud in my approach. Does that mean you hate things like surprise parties too? Since sneaking those on people is kind of the whole point?”
"I've never had a surprise party," Asher said. He had a feeling that didn't matter, though; he could guess how he'd feel about the thing. "I didn't take you as a fan of surprise parties, are you?"
Maya tilted her head to the side, trying to decide if she was a fan of surprise parties. “I guess I’m not necessarily a proponent of surprise parties?” She shrugged, trying to put her thoughts into words. “I tend to just let people know what I want to do for my birthday and then we do it. Though, I’m not particularly against them either. In theory it’s nice the people cared to try to put something together and surprise me with it. Although, my senses would make it incredibly hard for anyone to pull it off successfully.”
Asher nodded again, then sipped at his slightly melted smoothie. "When is your birthday?" he asked, realizing this is something he should probably know, and sooner than later in case it was in the next week or something.
“July 10th,” Maya answered. “When is yours?”
"End of the month," he replied, then waved his hand to yadda yadda, "I can't believe it's April already, and so on. I think we're on your turn."
Maya frowned. “Whoa, wait, hold up. I gave you an exact date, I would very much appreciate getting a day for your quickly approaching birthday, please.”
Asher rolled his eyes playfully. "The 28th. Taurus sun and moon, Cancer rising. Good enough?" He sipped his smoothie.
Her eyebrows rose in surprise at the additional horoscope detail. “I actually have no idea what it means that I’m a Cancer and you’re a Taurus. Although I do have a screenshot of all the things I need to know when I date someone who is concerned about it, if you need that level of detail?”
"Absolutely not," Asher assured her. "We had some astrology and prophecy witches in my coven growing up, but I don't follow any of that. I don't even read my horoscope in a magazine. I just know because I know."
Maya hummed, stuffing away this important birthday information for a later date. “I hate being called ’baby’ and can’t help my whole body cringe when people call me that.”
"It's such a weird one," Asher agreed readily. "Is 'babe' in the same boat?"
She sipped at her smoothie as she shook her head. “Strangely, no, ‘babe’ is fine as long as I’m not scared it’s gunna become a ‘baby’. I think there’s something about the tone of it.”
"Noted. No 'baby'." Asher's mind wandered back to worries, and to the one he'd been avoiding; but that was the whole point of this conversation, wasn't it? Sort out their supernatural shit, so the rest could happen naturally?
He leaned back in his chair and let out a low sigh. Then, with one hand, he gestured vaguely toward his chest. He trusted she knew what he meant. "I don't want you to try and fix me," he said, though it was strained. "This. Okay? I know you're concerned about the medical side of it all and that's fine, but don't … It isn't your problem. Or, I mean, it shouldn't have to be. I don't want you to treat me any differently because of it. I'd rather it not … if it gets out, it gets out, but I'd prefer it didn't. But what I really want is for it not to get in the way."
She watched his hand as she stirred her straw again. She spoke slowly, but deliberately, knowing this was likely the most sensitive subject Asher had about himself. “I will find it very…difficult not to think about ways to ease your pain. And I feel compelled both professionally and personally to track the medical side of things and what the long term effects are to your body. But I don’t think I have any skills that could fix your problem.” She left it unsaid that she suspected some of their wizard friends might not feel the same way. “I’m sorry if you feel like I have treated you any differently. It was a surprise, obviously, and I don’t know all the details but I’m trying not to pry, either.”
Asher leaned back again, tapping his fingers against the smoothie cup. "I know I'm not always … the most forthcoming person," he said. "It's okay to ask. Though … maybe not today. We've kind of run the gamut already. Unless you've got another?"
She nodded her head, recognizing this conversation has been a little emotionally exhausting for both of them. “Well, I have one more thing, actually.” Maya answered, though she looked pretty relaxed about this topic, in comparison to all the others. “We don’t have to define words because it’s too early for that. But we should probably know whether we’re still sleeping with other people or just each other?”
"Oh, right," Asher said softly. It's a very reasonable question, and one he should have thought of, too. Except, "I … haven't been, for a little while now." He'd been so buttoned up, literally and figuratively, and sex could be so vulnerable and exposing. He gestured vaguely at his chest again. "It's … I don't know. I had a lot to figure out, and then …" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I hadn't been, and I wasn't really planning to, but I think it's maybe too early for that to be … you know, a requirement."
She realized her mistake in asking when he motioned to his chest. Asher valued keeping his cursed state a secret and that would certainly come into conflict with being intimate with anyone who didn’t already know. “Well, typically, when things get serious I usually bring up the fact that I prefer a monogamous relationship. And while it is too early to determine any labels, I’m also happy to limit my sexual partners to just you.”
"Okay," Asher said, not mad at the news. "I think we can make that work."
“Great.” Maya smiled, then stood up. “That was a lot to go through. I think it’s probably only fair if we get a little metaphorical mid-afternoon treat now.” She straddled his lap. “You know, if you’re not opposed to that?”
And with that, the smoothies were forgotten.
WHEN: Tuesday afternoon.
WHERE: Asher's apartment.
WHAT: Maya decides it's time to have the talk that Asher wanted to have before the moon.
WARNINGS: Slightly NSFW topics but no actually explicit acts take part in this log.
There had been so many revelations in the past week that that really enough to keep someone wide awake and thinking through the possible outcomes that would come from management realizing. However, because Maya’s brain was being absolutely ridiculous, or because she thought this was coming since Newton’s arrival, her brain was more focused on the talk Asher had wanted to have before the moon and how they’ve continued to put that talk off all week.
It’d been too long and her brain had gone through too many scenarios. So when she was getting a mid-afternoon smoothie she ordered a raspberry one for Asher too before heading to his apartment.
When he answered the door she asked. “How do you feel about a mid-afternoon raspberry smoothie?”
"Is that a metaphor?" he smirked, only half-kidding as he spotted the very literal mid-afternoon raspberry smoothie in her hand. "Oh. Also good." He moved out of the way to let her in. His place was always neat, though there were occasional signs of being lived in; a book unevenly placed on his coffee table, a breakfast plate still in the sink. Even around his own place, he was always dressed; one never knew when somebody would drop by, or when they'd find themselves transported to the rim of a volcano. While he'd let himself get a little more casual around Maya over the last week or so, it still didn't come quite naturally, and he found he was still more comfortable covered.
"It's definitely just raspberry, right?" he teased, studying the dark red concoction. "I know what you get up to with your smoothies up in healing."
“It could become a metaphor.” Maya returned with a smile as she entered his apartment that she’d become more familiar with recently. “Yea, fruit only,” She confirmed. “I’ve been trying to treat Hyacinthe to some fruit smoothies since I realized how much he hates the meat ones. Figured I should add some more fruit to my day too since I have far too much access to the meat smoothies.” She smiled. “And figured your stomach could handle this one much better too. An added benefit.”
"'Meat smoothie' is still just a terrible phrase," Asher said. He took a tentative sip, cautious more that the phrase would cause something upsetting in his stomach than the smoothie itself. Also, he'd need to stave off any brain freezes. He moved toward the table and took a seat, extending an unspoken invitation to follow. "The texture alone … and the smell … I don't know. I'm not trying to be judgey, but."
“It is but it’s also direct, and to the point. No room for mistakenly thinking we constantly have strawberry smoothies available.” Maya followed him to the table and took the seat across from him. “But good to know the meat smoothies gross you out.” Maya shrugged her shoulders. “I can’t say that I was excited when it first showed up but that got vetoed by my werewolf senses.”
Maya took a sip of her own smoothie. “Speaking of, we’re well past the moon now.” She glanced up at Asher, then back to her smoothie. “I know you wanted to talk. And I know I cut you off, before the moon.” She looked back up at Asher. “Sorry about that, but I think we should talk. Make sure we’re really on the same page.”
"Aha, a strings attached smoothie," Asher said lightly. He'd suspected as much when she appeared, but wasn't sure. The mere mention of the topic days before seemed to shut her down, and Asher did not want to push. 'We can feel it out,' she'd said, and apparently that's what lead to their smoothie break today. "I wasn't trying to …" Asher started, but wasn't quite sure of the next words. "I don't mean we need to have everything figured out. This isn't supposed to be that kind of a talk." He spun his straw in the smoothie, deciding to start again, again.
"What worries you?" He decided for the most direct route. And it isn't 'are you worried about anything' because that's too easy to lie and say 'no' to. "About--" (not 'us', quite yet) "this?"
Maya gave him only a slightly apologetic look at his declaration, though he was the one to bring it up first so she didn’t feel that bad about springing onto this conversation. And if she went any longer thinking about what they might talk about she was pretty sure she’d burst.
“What worries me,” She repeated, thinking about how to word the answer. “We can start with the obvious stuff, the witch and werewolf–” problem was the word that first came to mind but that wouldn’t get her anywhere with how she was thinking about herself and her ability to embrace the fact that she is never not a werewolf, that is her existence even when she’s not in wolf form. “Species differences? I don’t want to hurt you, physically. Or, emotionally, either,” She rushed to add. “But I’m more worried about physically hurting you.”
Asher nodded. He gave a half smile of assurance that he wouldn't be emotionally hurt, but the physical side was real. "If Bracken and Broderick can make it work…" he joked, but he knew it was more serious than that. "Really, though, so far so good. We'll figure out a good safe word, heck we could make a whole code, if we wanted. 'Canteloupe' means a little more to the left." It wasn't that he was not taking it all seriously; he just didn't know how else to talk about it all if he couldn't joke. Especially self-deprecatingly. "I promise I'm too much of a coward with too low a pain tolerance to let it get too far."
Her corners of her mouth lifted upward at his melon reference, but the concern was still there that her strength could be an issue. “We can add Honeydew to the list to make it useful,” she returned, trying her best to match his light tone. “But I do want you to tell me, even if it’s just a bruise.” She thought about pointing out he was allowed to be as rough as he wanted with her because she could handle it but that seemed like it’d redirect the conversation to be an entirely different type of talk and it was best to keep this concentrated on their broader issues first.
Maya tilted her smoothie towards Asher. “Let’s hear one of your concerns next.”
Asher hung his head to the side. He cycled through a few in his mind before landing on, "I have an angry ghost problem," he said. "I know it might be temporary, but for all I know, she's … like, around. Here. Right now."
“Right,” Maya glanced around the room, wondering where Dorr was watching them from. “I haven’t felt any kind of attempt of possession.” Although she wasn’t exactly sure that was possible. Maya looked back at Asher. “Have you and Broderick decided when you’re going to deal with her?”
"We're getting there," he replied. "But I think if she was going to be able to possess anybody again, she would've done it by now. Except with Broderick, when we're going to have to let her." Asher was visibly uncomfortable with this fact, but he didn't see another way through, either.
“The way he was possessed last time and the way he will be this time are different, right?” Maya asked. This was well outside of her experiences but she trusted Broderick and if he thought this was the way it had to be done she didn’t have any doubt that this was the right way forward. “What are you most concerned about when dealing with her?”
"Isn't it weird that ghosts are just around? Nearby?" This was not an answer to either of Maya's questions, but Asher had never been good at getting to the point. His growing awareness of the spirit realm, one he had pointedly avoided learning much about when he was a young witch, made him uneasy. Like there was no real privacy, and Asher valued privacy above almost anything else. "I don't think it's a problem with a solution, unfortunately. Maybe I shouldn't have wasted a worry on it. Your turn."
Maya pressed her lips together while she determined if she should really just move on. The Dorr problem was obviously something that was bothering Asher. But she didn’t really know enough about ghosts and how to deal with them. She doubted she could say anything on the matter that could resolve his concerns surrounding it. “Sure, but, they’ve been around all of our lives, right?” Maya shrugged. “You’re right, it’s not something that can be solved.”
She twirled her straw, knowing what had been a surprise for Broderick to learn about being with a werewolf. She knew she needed to tell Asher about it but her gut squeezed in the way that it was warning her to be gentle with him. He wasn’t going to like this information any more than he had liked that she’d figured out his curse on her own.
“Wolves, and, uh, shifters, in general, have a greater sense of smell,” Maya started, stating what was probably obvious to someone who’d lived in a supernatural community all their lives. “Like, I can smell when someone is a wolf, for example, but I can’t really tell if they’re just a different kind of shifter. But other shifters can smell other things.” Maya shifted in her seat, clearly nervous about what she was trying to explain. She was hardly able to look him in the eye as she went on to more clearly explain the issue. “We, the wolves, sort of leave…scents on people or things. And, uh, other shifters can smell those scents. And I’m not really sure how detailed it is for them but uh, the wolves can pretty clearly identify who it is if they know the scent of that person. So, there’s that.”
Asher nodded. He felt like he should've put all of that together, but somehow hadn't, quite. He didn't like it. He could adjust to things with Maya, even things that still worried him. But getting the rest of the pack—no, not pack, Asher should respect that—involved was frustrating. It wasn't that he wanted to hide what was going on with him and Maya, but too many things lately had been out of his control. Too much was out without him having a say, and now, did this mean any time they were together, the wolves would just know? If something happened and they needed a few days apart, would the rest of the wolves figure that out, too?
None of this was Maya's fault, Asher knew. He tried to pretend it wouldn't bother him. "So, what, you're like, marking your territory?" he teased.
Maya felt her face heat up at the question. “I mean, that is probably the, uh, the function of why we do that.” She took a long sip of her drink as if it would do anything to calm down her blush. This was much more amusing when she wasn’t the one leaving her scent on other people. “And I, uh, accidentally left my scent on your couch yesterday.” She rushed to assure him, “It’s already fading. And I think I can try to control leaving it on places in here, but I don’t think I can control the fact that you’re going to smell like me when we’re together. So, uh, your turn?”
It immediately brought Asher's attention over to the couch. It was a nice couch, mid century modern, but nothing looked amiss. "The couch had it coming," he decided. "Okay, but I do have a follow up. Are they, like, weird about it?"
Her shoulders relaxed at his quip about the couch. “No, not really. Except, well, I didn’t really know about that at the beginning of my time here and wasn’t used to it. So I was kind of weird about it so it’s possible Bracken might wanna get some teasing in but I’m pretty sure he’d direct that at me.”
"I was mostly picturing, like … suddenly they're all perked up and staring at us silently," Asher said. "I don't know. Teasing's going to happen either way, that's fine. Okay, my turn. I probably don't need to waste one on 'No Biting', at all, but you know. Better safe than sorry, or whatever." He kept his tone light, like he was making a joke, and moved on quickly because it didn't seem like a comfortable place to dwell. "And I don't … this isn't exactly what we're talking about, but I really hate being snuck up on. Yeah? Like if somebody touches the back of my neck and I don't know they're there first? Hate that."
Maya nodded and forced a smile at the comment about no biting because the fear of turning him was real. She agreed that there was no reason to needlessly risk it. But also wondered if a complete avoidance of her teeth would even be possible. The topic made her want to hide her hands again but she forced herself to keep them visible, wrapped as they were around her smoothie. She was relieved that he immediately moved on and they weren’t going to talk about that topic at length.
“No problem,” Maya agreed with the easiest topic that had come up so far. “I’ll make sure to be loud in my approach. Does that mean you hate things like surprise parties too? Since sneaking those on people is kind of the whole point?”
"I've never had a surprise party," Asher said. He had a feeling that didn't matter, though; he could guess how he'd feel about the thing. "I didn't take you as a fan of surprise parties, are you?"
Maya tilted her head to the side, trying to decide if she was a fan of surprise parties. “I guess I’m not necessarily a proponent of surprise parties?” She shrugged, trying to put her thoughts into words. “I tend to just let people know what I want to do for my birthday and then we do it. Though, I’m not particularly against them either. In theory it’s nice the people cared to try to put something together and surprise me with it. Although, my senses would make it incredibly hard for anyone to pull it off successfully.”
Asher nodded again, then sipped at his slightly melted smoothie. "When is your birthday?" he asked, realizing this is something he should probably know, and sooner than later in case it was in the next week or something.
“July 10th,” Maya answered. “When is yours?”
"End of the month," he replied, then waved his hand to yadda yadda, "I can't believe it's April already, and so on. I think we're on your turn."
Maya frowned. “Whoa, wait, hold up. I gave you an exact date, I would very much appreciate getting a day for your quickly approaching birthday, please.”
Asher rolled his eyes playfully. "The 28th. Taurus sun and moon, Cancer rising. Good enough?" He sipped his smoothie.
Her eyebrows rose in surprise at the additional horoscope detail. “I actually have no idea what it means that I’m a Cancer and you’re a Taurus. Although I do have a screenshot of all the things I need to know when I date someone who is concerned about it, if you need that level of detail?”
"Absolutely not," Asher assured her. "We had some astrology and prophecy witches in my coven growing up, but I don't follow any of that. I don't even read my horoscope in a magazine. I just know because I know."
Maya hummed, stuffing away this important birthday information for a later date. “I hate being called ’baby’ and can’t help my whole body cringe when people call me that.”
"It's such a weird one," Asher agreed readily. "Is 'babe' in the same boat?"
She sipped at her smoothie as she shook her head. “Strangely, no, ‘babe’ is fine as long as I’m not scared it’s gunna become a ‘baby’. I think there’s something about the tone of it.”
"Noted. No 'baby'." Asher's mind wandered back to worries, and to the one he'd been avoiding; but that was the whole point of this conversation, wasn't it? Sort out their supernatural shit, so the rest could happen naturally?
He leaned back in his chair and let out a low sigh. Then, with one hand, he gestured vaguely toward his chest. He trusted she knew what he meant. "I don't want you to try and fix me," he said, though it was strained. "This. Okay? I know you're concerned about the medical side of it all and that's fine, but don't … It isn't your problem. Or, I mean, it shouldn't have to be. I don't want you to treat me any differently because of it. I'd rather it not … if it gets out, it gets out, but I'd prefer it didn't. But what I really want is for it not to get in the way."
She watched his hand as she stirred her straw again. She spoke slowly, but deliberately, knowing this was likely the most sensitive subject Asher had about himself. “I will find it very…difficult not to think about ways to ease your pain. And I feel compelled both professionally and personally to track the medical side of things and what the long term effects are to your body. But I don’t think I have any skills that could fix your problem.” She left it unsaid that she suspected some of their wizard friends might not feel the same way. “I’m sorry if you feel like I have treated you any differently. It was a surprise, obviously, and I don’t know all the details but I’m trying not to pry, either.”
Asher leaned back again, tapping his fingers against the smoothie cup. "I know I'm not always … the most forthcoming person," he said. "It's okay to ask. Though … maybe not today. We've kind of run the gamut already. Unless you've got another?"
She nodded her head, recognizing this conversation has been a little emotionally exhausting for both of them. “Well, I have one more thing, actually.” Maya answered, though she looked pretty relaxed about this topic, in comparison to all the others. “We don’t have to define words because it’s too early for that. But we should probably know whether we’re still sleeping with other people or just each other?”
"Oh, right," Asher said softly. It's a very reasonable question, and one he should have thought of, too. Except, "I … haven't been, for a little while now." He'd been so buttoned up, literally and figuratively, and sex could be so vulnerable and exposing. He gestured vaguely at his chest again. "It's … I don't know. I had a lot to figure out, and then …" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I hadn't been, and I wasn't really planning to, but I think it's maybe too early for that to be … you know, a requirement."
She realized her mistake in asking when he motioned to his chest. Asher valued keeping his cursed state a secret and that would certainly come into conflict with being intimate with anyone who didn’t already know. “Well, typically, when things get serious I usually bring up the fact that I prefer a monogamous relationship. And while it is too early to determine any labels, I’m also happy to limit my sexual partners to just you.”
"Okay," Asher said, not mad at the news. "I think we can make that work."
“Great.” Maya smiled, then stood up. “That was a lot to go through. I think it’s probably only fair if we get a little metaphorical mid-afternoon treat now.” She straddled his lap. “You know, if you’re not opposed to that?”
And with that, the smoothies were forgotten.