I Just Know

[Sortz]

She shrugged, as if she could physically shrug it off. She should be used to it by now. But it never actually got easy to pretend it didn't bother her at all. Absently she reached up, scratching at the base of her small horns, then rubbing the back of her neck.

"Trigonometry," she supplied, smiling a little. In part at his reassurance, in part as his other words, and in part just at him.

She stepped in, meeting him halfway, hand curling around the cue stick right above his. She paused when he didn't let go, looking up from the stick to his face- and then he dropped that.

"Uhhhhh-" Genuine surprise flickered across her face, followed a moment later by a slight darkening of the green across her cheeks and nose.

"No.... I, uh... I don't hear that a lot," she admitted. "You..... you like... .them? .... Really?"

In truth that was a first. Sortz took very good care of her tusks, and despite the weird looks and sometimes outright disgust they got from no small number of sentients, she was proud of them and liked the way they looked. No amount of other people's responses was going to change that, but she hadn't ever expected someone, especially from a species that didn't have tusks, to compliment them.

"Thanks," she said, deeply self conscious but smiling a little. "You, uh.... have a nice smile."

[member="Samson"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Sortz"]

He tried another smile for her.

It wasn't easy for him- not when he knew how it made his scar tissue stretch and look more angry than it already was, but it wasn't really a thing that Samson could do something about. "Thank you, Sortz, very kind of you." Because he didn't really believe her in that moment. Not to say that she was lying, but simply... that she was probably just trying to spare his feelings.

There wasn't much to compliment him about, no?

"But yeah, I really do. It is clear you put a lot of effort into grooming them." His hand briefly moved to touch her wrist. Just a touch, before letting go of the cue so she could take it up. "And I like you."

Like like.

But Samson wasn't sure how to say that as clearly as that.

"Would you-" Hm. "-are you seeing anyone?" Usually the clone didn't employ flowerly language like that. There was nothing wrong with being direct and to the point about things, yes? But he had read about this idiom just... recently and thought it might sound better? More interesting? Sam wasn't really sure why part of him was being so anxious about things.

But he was.

 

[Sortz]

"Samson really," she said, catching that wry quality to the smile and the response. Her tone was earnest.

"You.... don't smile a lot. So when you do, I know you mean it. Not.... not a lot of people smile at me. I like when you do."

It was friendly, it was comforting. It made her feel wanted instead of just in the way. In truth she barely noticed the scars- not more than any of his other features anyway. They were just part of Samson and-

She tilted her head, smile widening slightly.

"I do... uh... thanks for noticing. And I like you too Samson."

She missed the emphasis on like when he said it. Mostly because it didn't even occur to her that someone might mean it like that. She glanced down at his hand on her wrist, a little confused, then back up as she pulled the cue the rest of the way toward her. She was about to turn back toward the table when he asked the next question.

"Um. You?"

She sounded confused. A beat.

"There's no one else here, Samson."

[member="Samson"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Sortz"]

Samson blinked.

Me?

Since when, what? Had he missed some sort of vocal cue, some idiom he hadn't underst- oh, Force, okay. That made a bit more sense. "Oh." Scratching his neck, his scalp and fidgeting a bit. "No, I meant... are you. Um." That was the moment that Samson actually realized he wasn't sure how to phrase it in a way that was comfortable to him to a degree.

"Dating? Because. I like you? Like. Like like."

This wasn't helping whatsoever.

In fact, he kinda started to feel a bit warm, flushed around the ears and neck, and he really wasn't sure what to do about that. "Can I ask you out on a date?" Okay, that was better, yes.

Just be direct.

To the point.

Who the feth ever invented idioms????

 

[Sortz]

She just looked at him while he stumbled around it. Honestly, she had no idea what he was getting at until he finally managed to get it out plainly. And even then she just kept looking at him for a couple of seconds after, processing. Like maybe she'd heard him wrong.

"I. Uh."

Her own face got hot, green darkening to a positively forest shade.

"I.... uh..... you.... mean that?"

Her tone was careful, guarded. She didn't think he was making fun of her. That wasn't the Samson she knew. But really, she didn't know him that well. Still, she didn't think he'd tease her like that. But she didn't really believe he meant it.

Not like that. She hated asking, but she had to.

"Uh.... I know, um, sometimes you..... don't always know what a thing means?" She's never judged him for it, and honestly, she was clueless as often as he was. Probably more. But this was important. "So, uh. I.... don't know if that's what you actually think you want. With me."

[member="Samson"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Sortz"]

Head tilted.

Studying the expression of confusion and bewilderment.

That was when his own doubt settled in- had he messed up again? Dating meant what Samson thought it meant, right? He hadn't accidentally asked her, if she was okay with him chewing through her clavicle or something, had he? Oh dear, what if the clone had misunderstood yet again and had just insulted her? Oh, dear, that wasn't what Sam had wanted to do.

"Oh, dear. Um. I apologize if I offended?" Trying to find a way to clarify without causing more offence. "It was my understanding that it is customary if someone likes someone else? Finds them attractive?" Both physically as well as personality wise, because just being attracted to someone appearance wise was nowhere near an indication of compatibility. "That you can ask them, if they would like to go on a date together? A fun activity... with the understanding of romantic connotations rather than friendly tones?"

Brows furrowed a bit as he shook his head.

"I am not good at this, Sortz, I apologize. I would completely understand if you'd rather go home rather than finish playing the game with me tonight."

It had been silly anyway.

Maybe she had liked the smile, but that didn't mean anything and Samson shouldn't have read into it.

 

[Sortz]

"No! No. It's okay. I mean, you don't have to apologize? I want to finish the game... I just....."

Sortz's hand made the rounds again. Back through her hair against her horns to the back of her neck, rubbing absently. She wasn't any good at this either. What would Daro- No, not particularly useful here at all. Maybe it was time to start watching those holodramas he had saved on his system. Why some of them were in an encrypted folder she had no idea.

"I just.... you find me.... attractive?"

The surprise and confusion was clear and genuine. Sortz was used to being stared at. But because she stood out for all the wrong reasons. Big, green, honestly she mostly scared people. Until they got to know her. And even then it wasn't like this.

It made her self conscious even to ask that.

[member="Samson"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Sortz"]

Oh.

Now it was Samson's turn to be confused.

Because... yes, obviously? From the very moment they had met, in fact. But back then Samson didn't actually have a clue if she was the kind of person that was compatible with him in any way. He still wasn't sure? But Sam knew her better now than before and knew that you couldn't really figure it out, unless you actually tried to get to know the other person a little bit better.

"Yes? Of course. I actually thought that for a while now, but I wanted to get to know you a little bit better before.... all of this." Brows furrowed again. "I- I didn't really handle this very well, did I?"

Samson wasn't going to apologize again.

She already said that that wasn't necessary and Sam trusted her in that. "I am confused though. Can I ask you out on a date then? This is rather new for me, so I am unsure right now."

 

[Sortz]

"You handled it just fine," she says quickly, embarrassed. "It just.... caught me by surprise... is all. People, uh. Well."

She scratched the back of her neck.

Did she like him like that? Did she even know what 'like that' meant? She enjoyed his company. Liked talking to him. He was easy to talk to, they had a share experience of not only being 'too big' for the galaxy but everything that came with that. He was nice, gentle, kind, thoughtful. All of this? More of those traits reinforced.

"I'm not really used to.... uh. This. Kind of thing. I don't have a lot of friends."

Her mind flashed back to Daro's comment about there being no such thing as friends, just people working temporarily toward the same goals. Why did that always come up at times like this? He was wrong, right? She finally sighed, hand staying on the back of her neck as she caught his eyes.

"I like you, Samson. You matter, you know? I've never..... well. Been on a date. Not that I remember anyway. I don't even know of Tro'zet normally date."

She was rambling and she knew it.

"I guess.... what I'm trying to say.... is..... yes. I think I'd like to try."

[member="Samson"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Sortz"]

Samson could relate with her.

His circle of.... friends was increasing slowly, but it was still something that he could count on one hand and that was by being liberal about the definition. More often than not he wasn't really someone that people could consider a friend. Too large, too scary, too too and much. It wasn't something that Sam allowed himself to be bothered by, though it did sting sometimes.

He listened patiently to her weaving her own words and it was only in the end that Sam got his answer.

Prior to it he had already been feeling a sinking feel in his stomach. A sensation that wasn't pleasant, but immediately was wiped away by her agreement. "Yes! I didn't want to assume.... but I am really happy." A bright smile- free and broad, before he reached out, extending his hand to her. "I think. Hm. I think we should hug now, that seems like the correct course of action here."

"If you are okay with it?"

Of course, maybe he was expecting too much at once, but that was why he'd ask first.

 

[Sortz]

His smile was perfect, and helped more than she expected it to. Genuine. There had still been a moment where she'd been half waiting for him to laugh at her, tell her he was joking. That the whole thing had been that and haha wasn't she a dope to think he was serious?

"Uh, is it?"

Honestly Sortz had no idea.

She laughed a bit self consciously.... mostly because hugging wasn't really something that happened to her.

"I don't really know what the correct course of action is here," she admitted.

Then, a bit hesitantly, she reached out and put her hand in his. They'd touched before- heck he'd stitched up a long gash on her side the night they'd met- for that matter it was only a few minutes ago that he'd had his arms around her showing her how to shoot pool. Her cheeks darkened again, the sudden epiphany of some of his reaction there hitting her full force.

Maw she was dense wasn't she?

Stepping up, she tried not to be awkward, to not look like she had no idea what she was doing.

It failed miserably.

"Uh, this is also a first for me," she mumbled against his shoulder when they finally figured it out.

[member="Samson"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Sortz"]

In truth Samson didn't really know either.

For one... there wasn't actually a manual on 'How To Hug' and believe it, he tried to find one. The HoloNet hadn't actually been very helpful either, mostly he had come across fairly....... compromised and straight-up strange videos. He was pretty sure what those people were doing wasn't hugging whatsoever. For one, you didn't need to be naked to hug or um.

Yeah.

Not hugging for sure.

"Me too, Sortz, but I think this is... hmm." His hands around her waist, nose brushing the side of her cheek before nodding. "Yes, I like this. We should do this more often, if you like it too?" Because that was always the most important thing as far as Samson was concerned. It took two people to do something and you could only enjoy it together.

If only one person enjoyed it?

Then you weren't really doing it together, so why would you insist on that other person's presence, if it wasn't about them in that moment?

That would be very odd as far as Sam was concerned.

 

[Sortz]

"Yeah it's....." With her face next to his, her arms over his shoulders with his around her waist, she tried to think of a good word to explain just what it was.

"Nice." She said finally.

That word was not actually very good, down right inadequate even, but it felt like a safe enough option. And it was nice.

It was more obvious like this that she was a little taller than him. But it was close. Sortz wasn't used to other people being close to her size. Usually she felt like she had to be very careful if she were physically interacting with someone. Samson didn't seem nearly as delicate as other people and it made it easier to relax into this and just enjoy it.

"Do you want to...." she said a moment later. "Uh."

Drawing back a bit so she could look him in the face, rather than talking to his cheek.

"Finish the game?"

[member="Samson"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Sortz"]

"Hm?" Sam drew back a little too to meet her eye, before she asked her question.

Somehow.

His eyes were drawn to her lips when she asked though. It made him think things and reminded him of a different thing he had read. The only thing was that Samson didn't really know if it was appropriate here. Maybe it was too early for that? His eyes glanced up once more to meet her eyes, but it took a bit of effort truth to be told. "Oh, yes, I do want that."

His arms didn't let go though.

"Um. So. This might be early, it probably is early. But I'd like to ask if I could kiss you?" Brows furrowed. "I haven't actually done that before, but I read it is very nice?"

Fidgeting a bit Sam shrugged.

"Only if you want, of course."

 

[Sortz]

She noticed his glance down to her mouth, but assumed it was something else entirely for a moment.

In truth, Sortz was used to people doing that. Not looking at her lips but at her tusks. And while he'd complimented them earlier, for a moment she wondered if it was the same thing here. Not because he liked them, but because they were strange. Different. She'd never really noticed him do that before and there was a twinge of self consciousness when he did until-

"O-oh."

Her face flushed dark green again. There was a surprisingly warmth in her chest that she didn't know what to call or what to do with it.

"E-even with my tusks?" She asked, hesitantly.

He nodded.

"I.... haven't ever.... either."

Which was probably obvious, she realized. If she didn't usually hug people it seemed like a reasonable assumption.

"I.... I'd like that I think. Yes, you may."

[member="Samson"]