"Thank you for the movie," Ondine said, smiling shyly. "I wasn't expecting to like it that much."
"Yeah," Kim said, grinning. "There's something about the way it knows it's a ridiculous action movie, but it tries to be as serious about it as it can. Maybe it's the main actor. He probably got a lot of practice hamming it up as a professional wrestler in America."
Ondine nodded. "That makes sense." She looked at the skyline for a moment, trying to arrange her thoughts.
"Kim?" she asked.
"Yeah?" he said, looking at her.
"I...didn't tell you what my last secret was. The one I put in the ring before I...well, before what happened."
Kim nodded. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"I do," Ondine persisted. "Because I'm not sure whether I should think of this as a date or not."
"A date?" Kim looked confused.
"Yes," Ondine said, gathering enough courage to look at him. "I think I'm falling in love with you. That was my last secret."
"Oh," Kim said, processing. "Oh," he said, as the generators warmed up and started turning on the lights in his brain. "Oh!" he said, realizing the full implications of everything as the extra illumination gave him a clear picture of the scene.
"I'm so sorry, Ondine!" he said immediately. "I didn't mean to lead you on."
"So you don't love me back," she said disappointedly.
"Noooo?" he said, drawing out the syllable slightly.
"Is there someone else, then? Am I too late?" she asked.
"No," Kim said more definitely, but now he sounded as confused as she felt. Kim looked like he was trying to remember something.
"Why not?" Ondine asked, hoping she didn't actually sound as demanding as she felt.
"Did I not tell you?" Kim asked.
"Tell me what?"
"I'm pretty sure I'm aromantic," he said.
"Huh?"
"I don't have any romantic interest in anybody. I know what the word means, and I can see people do things that others say are romantic, but I just...don't have any desire for that."
"Oh, thank God," Ondine said, and then clapped her hands over her mouth as she realized she had said it aloud. "I'm so sorry, Kim!"
He waved his hand dismissively. "Alix said the same thing."
"Alix did?"
"She was the first person to suggest it, after she tried everything she could in her flirting playbook and got nowhere. I'm glad she didn't call me 'broken'. Plenty of other people have."
"You're not broken," Ondine said, resisting the urge to hug Kim. "I was worried I was."
"What? No," Kim said, cocking his head at Ondine with a look of confusion. "You're smart. You swim and dive really well, and I've heard some people say you look really good in your swimsuit."
"Thanks." Ondine shook her head. "I got upset over nothing. I don't feel particularly smart."
"Nothing to worry about," Kim said. "I'm not hiding it, but neither am I going out of my way to shout it from the rooftops."
"So, what happens now?" Ondine asked. "I don't think I can just turn off what I feel for you, Kim."
"We can still be friends," Kim said, "and swim partners. Alix and I still compete with each other all the time. You probably could talk to Alix about this whole thing. She might appreciate having someone else to talk to about how terrible it is that one of the people she loves so much just doesn't understand."
Ondine chuckled. "I can't imagine Alix saying something so dramatic."
Kim shrugged. "I don't know what she would actually say. But you two should talk."
Ondine nodded.
"Are we okay?" Kim asked.
Ondine took a deep breath and let it out.
"We're okay," she said, smiling and looking at Kim. "Tell me if I'm making you uncomfortable."
"I will," he said, nodding. "You should do the same for me. Did you want to go back to the pool?"
"No," Ondine shook her head. "Do you have any more of those silly action movies, though? I want to watch another one."
"Do you mind if Alix tags along? There's one I've been saving for her. I think you both will enjoy screaming about how little sense it makes."
Ondine nodded. "And we can braid each other's hair and talk about how terrible it is that Kim isn't interested in us, right in front of you."
Kim laughed. "If that's what it takes for you to be okay, I can take some ribbing."
Ondine laughed. "You say that now, but I know that Alix is a wonder at snark. Your ears will burn by the time we're done."
"Challenge accepted," Kim said, grinning at her and pulling out his phone.
no subject
"Yeah," Kim said, grinning. "There's something about the way it knows it's a ridiculous action movie, but it tries to be as serious about it as it can. Maybe it's the main actor. He probably got a lot of practice hamming it up as a professional wrestler in America."
Ondine nodded. "That makes sense." She looked at the skyline for a moment, trying to arrange her thoughts.
"Kim?" she asked.
"Yeah?" he said, looking at her.
"I...didn't tell you what my last secret was. The one I put in the ring before I...well, before what happened."
Kim nodded. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"I do," Ondine persisted. "Because I'm not sure whether I should think of this as a date or not."
"A date?" Kim looked confused.
"Yes," Ondine said, gathering enough courage to look at him. "I think I'm falling in love with you. That was my last secret."
"Oh," Kim said, processing. "Oh," he said, as the generators warmed up and started turning on the lights in his brain. "Oh!" he said, realizing the full implications of everything as the extra illumination gave him a clear picture of the scene.
"I'm so sorry, Ondine!" he said immediately. "I didn't mean to lead you on."
"So you don't love me back," she said disappointedly.
"Noooo?" he said, drawing out the syllable slightly.
"Is there someone else, then? Am I too late?" she asked.
"No," Kim said more definitely, but now he sounded as confused as she felt. Kim looked like he was trying to remember something.
"Why not?" Ondine asked, hoping she didn't actually sound as demanding as she felt.
"Did I not tell you?" Kim asked.
"Tell me what?"
"I'm pretty sure I'm aromantic," he said.
"Huh?"
"I don't have any romantic interest in anybody. I know what the word means, and I can see people do things that others say are romantic, but I just...don't have any desire for that."
"Oh, thank God," Ondine said, and then clapped her hands over her mouth as she realized she had said it aloud. "I'm so sorry, Kim!"
He waved his hand dismissively. "Alix said the same thing."
"Alix did?"
"She was the first person to suggest it, after she tried everything she could in her flirting playbook and got nowhere. I'm glad she didn't call me 'broken'. Plenty of other people have."
"You're not broken," Ondine said, resisting the urge to hug Kim. "I was worried I was."
"What? No," Kim said, cocking his head at Ondine with a look of confusion. "You're smart. You swim and dive really well, and I've heard some people say you look really good in your swimsuit."
"Thanks." Ondine shook her head. "I got upset over nothing. I don't feel particularly smart."
"Nothing to worry about," Kim said. "I'm not hiding it, but neither am I going out of my way to shout it from the rooftops."
"So, what happens now?" Ondine asked. "I don't think I can just turn off what I feel for you, Kim."
"We can still be friends," Kim said, "and swim partners. Alix and I still compete with each other all the time. You probably could talk to Alix about this whole thing. She might appreciate having someone else to talk to about how terrible it is that one of the people she loves so much just doesn't understand."
Ondine chuckled. "I can't imagine Alix saying something so dramatic."
Kim shrugged. "I don't know what she would actually say. But you two should talk."
Ondine nodded.
"Are we okay?" Kim asked.
Ondine took a deep breath and let it out.
"We're okay," she said, smiling and looking at Kim. "Tell me if I'm making you uncomfortable."
"I will," he said, nodding. "You should do the same for me. Did you want to go back to the pool?"
"No," Ondine shook her head. "Do you have any more of those silly action movies, though? I want to watch another one."
"Do you mind if Alix tags along? There's one I've been saving for her. I think you both will enjoy screaming about how little sense it makes."
Ondine nodded. "And we can braid each other's hair and talk about how terrible it is that Kim isn't interested in us, right in front of you."
Kim laughed. "If that's what it takes for you to be okay, I can take some ribbing."
Ondine laughed. "You say that now, but I know that Alix is a wonder at snark. Your ears will burn by the time we're done."
"Challenge accepted," Kim said, grinning at her and pulling out his phone.