Cloud blinks as, indeed, a lingering discomfort he didn't even realize was there just vanishes the moment Fred takes his hand. "Huh." Then he shrugs without letting go and, predictably, says, "Fine. Had to push it to its limits or it wouldn't be much of a test."
Then there's a pause that's only a little awkward. "Guess we should just...hold on, for now. While it's easy, might as well."
She nods a bit when he says he's fine. If she just leaves that bit of hope open, maybe he'll actually think it over, eventually.
"That works for me, if it works for you," she says, squeezing his hand gently. "I'm guessing this is hitting the whole ship, so no one's gonna think the wrong thing about us holding hands." Probably not even Sephiroth, although the jury is out on him. "We're probably doing better than most, considering we work together already. But, um, let me know if you need some space- like, mental space. I promise I don't have to be talkin' all the time."
There have been numerous times in Maintenance when she hasn't said much at all, in fact. She will get extremely focused on one project or another. But being actually tethered together makes this situation feel a little different.
Cloud Strife, think over whether he's actually fine or not? Next she'll be wanting pigs to fly...
"Sure," he confirms, squeezing lightly back. "Don't much care what anybody else thinks about it." Except Sephiroth, of course, but that's a given. He'll get in touch telepathically in a bit and head that off at the pass, just in case.
"Good point. Might be the only ones still working today." Which is fine with Cloud.
He glances over at her at the offer, brows slightly raised. "Even if you did, I don't mind." Granted, he would definitely mind if it was a lot of other people. But not Fred.
"Really?" She asks, smiling a bit as she takes that in. Cloud could tolerate a lot, but he wouldn't say so unless he meant it. "Thanks. Looks like it's gonna be an okay week for us, then. I know a few people are probably going to have it tough."
As they're walking to the office, she thinks over what they have waiting for them. "Y'know, I bet we could probably hold down Maintenance ourselves if we had to. There's not as many projects as there have been in the past. Of course, no one's come around messing up the place either, recently. It's practically serene, compared to what I'm used to."
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onlyembers
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Date: 2025-06-30 10:01 pm (UTC)Then there's a pause that's only a little awkward. "Guess we should just...hold on, for now. While it's easy, might as well."
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Date: 2025-07-02 08:09 pm (UTC)"That works for me, if it works for you," she says, squeezing his hand gently. "I'm guessing this is hitting the whole ship, so no one's gonna think the wrong thing about us holding hands." Probably not even Sephiroth, although the jury is out on him. "We're probably doing better than most, considering we work together already. But, um, let me know if you need some space- like, mental space. I promise I don't have to be talkin' all the time."
There have been numerous times in Maintenance when she hasn't said much at all, in fact. She will get extremely focused on one project or another. But being actually tethered together makes this situation feel a little different.
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Date: 2025-07-05 04:43 am (UTC)"Sure," he confirms, squeezing lightly back. "Don't much care what anybody else thinks about it." Except Sephiroth, of course, but that's a given. He'll get in touch telepathically in a bit and head that off at the pass, just in case.
"Good point. Might be the only ones still working today." Which is fine with Cloud.
He glances over at her at the offer, brows slightly raised. "Even if you did, I don't mind." Granted, he would definitely mind if it was a lot of other people. But not Fred.
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Date: 2025-07-06 10:08 pm (UTC)As they're walking to the office, she thinks over what they have waiting for them. "Y'know, I bet we could probably hold down Maintenance ourselves if we had to. There's not as many projects as there have been in the past. Of course, no one's come around messing up the place either, recently. It's practically serene, compared to what I'm used to."