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[credere]

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[credere]

"I don't know. If - if I said I needed some time alone and then disappeared for more than a week and got hurt, I'd want Shiro to see if I was okay," is all he can offer.

[magician_king]

"Should I text him?"

He should text him.

"I've been recording books for him to listen to."

[credere]

"....You should go see him," Credence says, after a pause for thought. "If you send a message and he doesn't answer, you don't know if he's choosing not to, or if he just hasn't seen it."

[magician_king]

"I don't want to make him feel cornered."

He says, shaking his head.

"He said really specifically that he would call me when it was okay to see each other again."

[credere]

Credence sits back in his chair. He just needs to shut up. Quentin never even asked for his advice, not really. He obviously doesn't want it, so.

"Okay. Thank you for the tea."

[magician_king]

"I'm sorry. I'm being such a dcik. I'm just- paralyzed with terror."

Good fucking God.

"Sorry C."

[credere]

He should have brought one of his cats. He doubts hugging Pope would be very nice.

"...I just think that if you're worried it's already over, you can't make it worse?"

[magician_king]

"Unless crowding him would hurt him. I can live with being dumped, I don't want to hurt him."

Is the only way he can think of explaining the difference.

"But you're right. I'll wait until the two week mark even and then I'll find him."

[credere]

"I hope you can fix things. I - I don't want you to lose what makes you happy."

It's the best way he can put it.

[magician_king]

"Thanks."

He says, and scrubs his face again.

"Fuck, I forgot the downside of dating."

[credere]

"....People can be very complicated," Credence offers, cautiously, since he himself is navigating both sides for the first time.

[magician_king]

"That's true."

He says, and sips his tea, composing himself.

"God, this is miserable. I hope things with Shiro are still good?"

[credere]

"Yes. She painted my nails."

Most of it has chipped off, but there's still traces of pastel yellow near his cuticles.

[magician_king]

"That's probably a good sign."

Says Quentin, leaning over to see, and then sipping his tea again.

"It's good that you can do things like that together."

[credere]

"It is good. I...."

He frowns.

"I know I have to change so I can graduate," he says, abruptly. "But what if I change into someone people don't like?"

[magician_king]

"Well, don't think about 'people' as a conglomerate with a consensus."

Is Quentin's first advice.

[credere]

He very clearly doesn't know what either of those words are.

"...you mean not everybody thinks the same thing," he ventures.

[magician_king]

"Yeah. Whoever you are, someone won't like you. Fuck that person."

Reasons Quentin, philsophically.

"Be whoever you like, and be someone who is good to the people you like most."

[credere]

That sounds overly simplistic, but maybe Credence is biased on the basis of past experience.

"You make it sound really easy."

[magician_king]

"It isn't easy, but it is important."

He says, with a shrug.

"Don't appeal to people. Be good, instead."

[credere]

How can you do that without letting people take advantage of you, he doesn't ask. He honestly doesn't think there's an answer.

"I know I should."

Which is more honest than saying he's trying.

[magician_king]

"I like you, and I think you're a good person."

He needs to say.

"You were really nice to me today."

[credere]

As usual, he struggles with the praise.

"...I just want you to be happy. I hope you can fix things."

[magician_king]

"I'm going to do everything I can to try."

He says, gamely.

"I will."

[credere]

"I don't know that you did anything wrong. But if you did - they should forgive you. That's why we're here, isn't it?"

To let bygones be bygones, even when it's hard.