ArchivedLogs:What to Expect

What to Expect
Dramatis Personae Anette and Akihiro	2017-01-03 We've been a couple for five minutes and we're already arguing.
Location <NYC> IHOP - Bronx
Pancakes. Not the greatest pancakes, but it's two a.m., you're probably drunk, and they're available all night long. Akihiro and Anette have arrived just in time to beat the lunch rush, securing a booth near the kitchens. As they seat, Anette seems more occupied with the stack of papers she sets on the placemat in front of her, which she thoroughly glances through. "Who knew being pregnant was going to be such a pain in the ass?" she mumbles, half to herself. All the papers are printoffs from the internet and magazines, with parts highlighted and notes written in the margin by the doctor. They have titles regarding the side effects, body changes, things to do, things to avoid. The paper that gets the most attention is the one listing what foods to avoid. "I can't eat /deli meat/? What the hell am I supposed to have?" Her eyes drift down lower until she sees 'soft cheese'. "Alright, now /that's/ bullshit" "Well, guess that just means I'll have to look up some recipes for what you can have. Sure it won't be a huge deal." Akihiro is more interested in the pancakes on the menu at the moment. He does reach over to give Anette's hand a squeeze. "I'll stick to the same foods, so you don't have to watch somebody else eat all your soft cheeses and deli meats though." Though he already didn't eat those things. "At least I can still train. Though doing without sparring is going to be...rough," Anette says, setting the papers down and picking up he menu. She does glance towards Akihiro, smirking slightly. "You don't have to. Only one of us needs to be pissy. Besides, you couldn't go without weed or alcohol for nine months if your life depended on it," Anette teases, glancing back down to the menu as she tries to find something she likes and is allowed. "No different than if I did smoke and drink. Besides, long as you're around what would I have to be pissy about?" Akihiro turns his attention over to the papers Anette was going through now, taking a moment to read some of the ones she's already went through. "Do you think it'll be a boy, or a girl?" "I dunno. I seem to have an issue with boyfriends returning from the dead. Bet that would make you pissy quick," Anette says, raising an eyebrow as she glances over her menu to Akihiro. She ignores him again as he reads the papers and she reads the menu. When he asks his question, her eyes stop moving though she doesn't lower the menu. "Isn't it a little early to tell? Though if the dreams mean something, I think we already have our answer. Why, did you have names picked out?" "Means I need to kill them better. Don't think you have to worry about any of those coming back for me." Akihiro grins, despite it making him feel like shit. "Not yet. Figure we could do that together, when we know for sure. And nothing that happened in those dreams is set in stone. I'm not fighting bears in Canada." "Unfortunately those dreams are coming too close. Did you hear about the mutant detectors? Apparently Toure labs has a prototype. Regan is...working on it." Anette flips the page in the menu and resumes reading it though her eyes are pressed together just a bit too tightly. She sighs softly though and sets the menu down. "You're right. You're not fighting bears in Canada. You're here. Which means we should probably figure out what...we're doing. Since we don't have faking our deaths to distract us this time around." "Don't like the sound of that." Akihiro taps his finger lightly against the top of the table in a slightly irritated manner. "I thought we were getting lunch before we went home. Should bring Missy something home, imagine she's unhappy that she had to stay at the house." "I'm sure she'll have no problem letting you in on...whatever plan they have. I'll be doing something whether she likes it or not. And I should probably get something for Vader. It would be nice for him to like me for a few seconds today." Anette offers Akihiro a thin smile. "You know that's not what I'm talking about though." "I'll be sure to ask. And hopefully you aren't expecting to do anything dangerous." Akihiro exhales quietly through his nose and straightens up a touch. "I know. What would you like us to be doing, then? You know how I feel, none of that has changed." "Oh yes, let me just sit in the sidelines and watch. Perhaps I'll be the brains of the operation. Maybe hack into something," Anette says, perhaps a bit bitterly. She does slowly release her breath as Akihiro questions her further. "I've been...thinking. I know we were terrible together in the past. But I think enough time's passed...and we've both changed. Not to mention circumstances are slightly different. And as stubborn as I am, even I don't think I can do this alone." She takes another deep breath. "I think we should -- I mean, we could try. Again. Start off slow, see what happens." She gently rests her hand on her stomach, giving a faint chuckle. "At the very least, I think we should at least try to give the kid a normal life with two parents." "Anette Eccleston, are you asking me out?" Akihiro says in mock shock, eyebrows arching. "I don't know, I'd have to think on it." He props his chin up onto his fist, giving a thoughtful "Hrmm." A second or two pass before he sits upright once more, "I've thought about it. And it'd be an honor to be your boyfriend." "Let's not go that far," Anette says with a chuckle, quickly raising her menu up to and semi-legitimately reading it. "I don't want to just pick up where we left off. If only because the constant fighting was getting...rough. Let's just, start from the beginnig. Fiure things out." She peers up over the menu a bit towards Akihiro. "Happy?" "Well, we spend a lot of time together. Eat together, sleep together, watch movies together. Figure that would be starting from the beginning. Wouldn't be a huge stretch for us to start the relationship back up, be doing exactly the same things we are now." Akihiro reasons, all of his reading done for the moment. "We'd just do what we've been doing, but with a title." "I guess you're right. It's like those people who never get married because they don't need a piece of paper to prove they're in love," Anette agrees. "Still, sometimes the titles are the hardest part." She offers Akihiro a faint smile. "Maybe you've been dating me this whole time but I wasn't dating you. It wasn't about the movies or the sex. It's all...mental. Emotional. I think I can let you in again. Not walk away when you kiss me or get upset when you tell me you love me. Maybe." "Fair enough." Akihiro sighs quietly, leaning back and crossing his arms. "Maybe's better than no hope at all. Not a whole lot, but I guess I'm a romantic." "I just told you we're something again. What more do you want?" Anette says, rather sharply. She sighs softly and gently rubs at her eyes. "Sorry. I'm just...trying the best I can. And my head isn't in the right place. Fucking nightmares." "Hard hearing the person you love doesn't quite feel the same, even when you already know it." Akihiro says quietly, he clearly doesn't want to argue. Especially in public. "Those nightmares have started again? If you want you're welcome to stay with me at night, maybe having somebody sleep next to you will help. Always helps with mine." "I never said that," Anette says firmly. "Christ Akihiro. You know me. You know I don't do...feelings. It takes time for me. I can't just pretend everything's perfect, throw a ring on my finger, and be yours forever like you want me to." She takes a deep breath, crossing her arms on the table. "Nightmares? You have them too?" "Never said that was what I wanted." Akihiro defends himself, albeit weakly. "Of course I have nightmares. Can't close my eyes without seeing the people I've killed. There's a reason monsters come out at night, it's because our pasts won't let us sleep." "Guess I'm lucky. No nightmares of people I've killed," Anette says quietly. "Just of failing. And it was only one night. I'll be fine. Just the...stress of everything lately." She does raise a brow. "What /do/ you want then?" "Don't know what I want. That's what I wanted, yeah. But it's not something you ever have." Akihiro lets his eyes drift closed while they wait for the waitress, who is probably letting them finish arguing before coming over. "Stress is gonna get worse. Which means that the nightmares are probably gonna start back up again. Don't like the idea of leaving you to deal with them alone. But you're a grown woman, more than capable of making up your own mind." "And yet, here you are. Still...waiting," Anette says, shaking her head. "I feel like whatever I give you isn't going to be enough." Anette folds the menu and sets it down, pushing it slightly away from her. "We've been a couple for five minutes and we're already arguing. The last thing I want is to burden you with my own issues." "To be fair, we always argue. But it's nothing serious. I was just saying I understand that you don't want to get married, and I'm fine with that. You should know I'm still here for you, don't want you to have to deal with things alone. I'm just not very good at saying what I mean all the time." Akihiro finally opens his eyes once more. "And for that, I'm sorry." "Yeah, we do," Anette says. Whether she thinks that's a good or bad thing remains unclear. "I just...thank you," she says softly, waving the waitress over.