The halls of the NRMH rang with activity, and with the war over, that wasn't a universally BAD thing anymore. Once the gangs crawled out of hiding that would likely change, but for now, everyone was enjoying the breather.
Ric was levering himself into his wheelchair as Bliss walked in. He told Roan he'd meet her in the cafeteria when she got back from the compound. Seeing he was alone, Bliss pounced and smooched him up one side and down the other. He blinked. "What was that for?"
"Um ... 'cause I'm happy to see you, and Roan wasn't here, so I could get away with it."
She was smiling when she said it, but the tension between to two women was killing him. "You two really need to hash things out."
Smile all in place, Bliss replied, "We don't have anything to hash out ... that implies one of us is mad at the other, and we're not. I just don't want to do something that upsets her, so I wait 'til she's gone to lavish any major displays of affection on you."
He grabbed the blankets he used to hide his legs, mostly from himself. "She's stronger than she looks. And you're her best friend."
"And you're mine."
"So kiss me whenever you want."
She sat cross-legged on the floor. "Oh, that'll go over big. 'Excuse me, Roan, could you move out of the way for a second so I can kiss Ric?' Oh yeah, lead balloon time!"
She laughed, but he couldn't stand the mood that settled over them when they all got together. "You won't ask; I will." Something's broke, fix it. He's a guy, you can tell.
"Ha!" she said, getting to her feet as Ric turned toward the door. "The second she starts cuddling you, your brain goes into the Roan-zone."
That made him laugh ... he wondered if it were actually true? As they got to the elevator, Bliss continued, "I think Mik gets the same look on his face when I kiss his ear. Or nibble on his neck..."
"Hmph; I don't think I need to know any more."
As the elevator doors closed, Bliss said, "Oh yeah; like you guys don't talk!"
They were still discussing whether men or women were the biggest gossips when the door opened out into the lobby. Ric wheeled out first, turning back to her halfway to the cafeteria. "Gotta keep up with me, Bliss."
"Ha, very funny. I can keep up just fine, Roderick."
Serious now, he gave her a look. "Call me Ric. Please." Reminding her that he and Mik weren't hiding the fact that they were twins anymore; an idea Bliss was strangely resistant to.
She walked ahead of him to the cafeteria door. "I like the name. Reminds me of a great king."
He let it drop. "You gonna open that door, or should I put a new dent in it?" He nodded towards the ones already there. She swung the door open, sticking her tongue out and making faces at him as he passed. He rolled through, oblivious to Bliss' faces. He found himself a red-head.
Roan-zone. Guilty as charged.
She had been there for nearly 15 minutes, wondering what was taking him so long. She had been facing the doorway on purpose. When she saw Ric, she smiled ... the big, bright one she knew muddled his brain. He smiled back, heading right toward her. "Hey Roan, I gotta question for you..." He looked back, daring Bliss to stop him; but the blonde had gone off to the food table in search of gelatin.
Roan was still grinning at him. "I may even have an answer."
"Roan, my love, would you mind if Bliss showers me with affection in your presence?" Now he stuck his tongue out at Bliss. He really believed he was doing everyone a favor.
Roan, however, was extremely puzzled. "When DOESN'T she?" Bliss had been smooching his head just the other night, while Roan was in his lap.
"She's been holding back." Bliss, hearing his words, looked around for something to throw ... but found only jello. She turned away so they couldn't see her blush.
Roan, meanwhile, was looking at them both like they had grown third eyes. "You guys weren't naked in the jacuzzi or anything, were you?" She was still trying to figure out what she was supposed to be pissed off about.
"No; I leave that to Mik." He was grinning, oblivious to Bliss' discomfort. Bliss brought back two bowls of jello; deciding on the way back if Ric was going to eat his, or wear it. It was close, but she ended up setting his on the table instead of dumping it on his head. She then turned back to the serving table for tea. Ric finally noticed her. "Uh oh ... I've embarrassed her."
"You're behind. I've embarrassed her before."
"It's serious, though..." he said, his brain fuzzing again as she moved closer. Close enough to kiss; so he did.
They got over it just as Bliss got back to the table. She nudged the jello in Ric's direction and started on her own, all without saying a word. Roan gave Ric a questioning look, wondering why everyone was so quiet. He said "You angry with me, Bliss?"
Roan stood. Anger at the way things had been going for the past few weeks welled up, the way she never, ever knew what was up with anyone, and the way everyone always *always* said nothing's wrong when she tried to talk to them. "I'm hungry. Ric, you want anything besides jello?"
He gave her a wink. "Yes, please." Concentrating on cheering up Bliss, he didn't notice she was just leaving to get away.
As expected, Bliss answered Ric, quietly, "No, I'm not mad at you."
He tilted his head. "But I blew it, right? Your good mood?"
"No, not really. I'm just really embarrassed right now. It'll pass."
"Why? I mean," he gave an eloquent shrug of his shoulders "... if you can't trust us, who can you trust?"
Roan, at the serving table, wasn't listening. She was wondering if, just once, she'd be allowed to maintain her happiness without running off to hide at the compound or upstairs. She hadn't even been able to discuss wedding plans, lately, without bursting into tears.
Bliss, at the table, blew a raspberry at Ric. "Ya weren't supposed to ask her, ya pain in my butt."
"I told you I would." He flung a cube of jello at her, using his spoon as a catapult.
"Hey, no throwing perfectly good jello!" She tried to catch it, but it wobbled away. She resisted the impulse to fling some back.
"I had to ... sacrifice for the cause ..." He readied another cube.
Roan discovered that she wasn't really hungry after all. She got herself some bread, and filled a plate for Ric. Walking slowly back to the table, she noticed that they had gotten happy again in her absence. Maybe that was the problem.
Ric noticed the look on her face. He turned the spoon on her, and let fly the jello-missle. Roan caught it in mid-air, her training coming in handy. She dropped it back in his bowl, all squished. Bliss giggled, Ric said "Eww".
Bliss leaned over and peered in the bowl. "I think she killed it, man."
Noticing that now Roan wasn't speaking, Ric banged his fist on the table. "Dammit! Ya'll have it in for me!" He grumped and went back to eating his jello. Roan wasn't listening; she was staring off into space, convincing herself she could regain her good mood, trying like hell not to wait for the "depression" shoe to drop; failing.
Bliss, however, had her spoon up and ready, and loaded with a cube of her own. She aimed, fired, and BOSH - got Ric right between the eyes. It stuck there a moment, then plopped in his lap. Bliss nearly slid out of her chair, laughing. He looked back and forth between them. He spoke quietly. "See, one minute, you're down in the dumps, and the next minute, she is; or expecting it."
"Aw hell, Sparky," Bliss said, sitting up again. "Except for a minor bout of embarrassment, I've been in a good mood all day."
Roan finally looked his way. "I'm not down in the dumps. I just can't seem to get in a good mood 'til I know everyone else is gonna stay that way." She almost said 'mood swings; hormones, yanno,' but she was tired of pretending.
Ric wasn't angry, just exasperated. "Well, I'm tired of it. Tell me what to do, and I'll do it. I just want to see both of you freakin' smile at the same time!"
Bliss stopped laughing at Ric's outburst, and blinked at both of them. She looked down into her bowl and said, nearly whispering, "What did I do now?"
Roan, however, rounded on Ric, emerald eyes flashing Kelltikk fire. "YOU'RE tired? Who is it that wants to do all the serious talking all the time? If Bliss and I need to talk, we'll know it ... stop being such a guy and trying to fix everything!" She had caught the 'you weren't supposed to ask her' part of their conversation earlier. Hearing Bliss mutter, she turned on her, all the pain that had caused her to go into a mental "coma" twice now pouring out all at once. "And WHO had to go and bring up Sienna while I was trying to discuss my wedding dress?"
"Just keeping you both informed..." She finished off her tea and stood, picking up her jello.
"It could have waited."
Ric stopped dead, just looking at her. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"Sure thing, Roan." She went in search of a doggie-bag, mask of indifference in place.
Seeing Bliss running, she went for broke. "And for the gods' sake will you STOP asking Ric 'what did I do wrong?' Maybe *he's* the one doing stuff wrong!" She didn't notice him goggle at her, or whisper "I often do..." Her anger spent, she suddenly wished she'd just let herself pass out again.
Bliss shot back, from her stance at the serving table, "He doesn't do stuff wrong; and if you think he does, then maybe you should re-think your relationship."
Roan got that "third-eye" look again. "Cripes, hon; he IS humunn ... we all are ..." She poked him in the side to demonstrate.
"Ow!" He squirmed; not sure how to react; not wanting to make it any worse.
Roan yawned, emotionally exhausted. "And I guess I made a mistake opening my mouth, too. So, I won't anymore."
Bliss, having found a to-go container for her jello, walked back by the table. "Nah; just clearing the air."
Roan crossed her arms. "And I'm wearing white to my wedding, no matter HOW pregnant I get!" That had been a point of contention a few days earlier.
"Fine by me," Bliss said, making her good-byes as well. "My dress is white with pink accents, but it's basically white."
Ric nodded; he didn't speak, he was trying to make sure Mik would be home when Bliss got there.
As Bliss turned toward the door, Roan still hadn't smiled yet. She stuck her finger in Ric's jello. She looked into his eyes, drew on his face with the sticky stuff and then licked it off.
Ric just blinked, almost stunned. He whispered, "But you hate green gelatin."
She whispered back, "But I love you."
