@offiiciium may be a little slow on the uptake.
the dots connect all at once as he turns away, about to head home after an evening with maive. what had just been a flicker of a thought before now hits him. though he's still not certain. "hey-" uncertainty makes him nervous. asking this makes him nervous too. maybe he'll end up looking like a fool, but that's no worse than letting the thought torment him. "before you go... 'ave you been flirtin' with me??"
maive's cheeks are almost sore from the force of smiling and laughing all evening. norman is much funnier than he gives himself credit for. and he's sweet. honestly, maive can't remember the last time he'd had this much fun with a guy. or just liked someone this much.
phone already in his hands, he's typing up a slightly exaggerated, dramatized version of events for his sister, complete with a few too many heart emojis.
glancing up for just a moment, though, norman is looking at him over his shoulder, and he seems tense. nerves wafting off of him thick and heavy. maive's heart sings in his chest - this is it! norman is going to kiss him goodnight and it's going to be all he can think about for days! there's already a symphony about to burst from his chest, the words, yes, of course you can kiss me, on the tip of his tongue, at the ready. before he goes, yes - yes, go on!
the words that hit his ears next, though, are not a profession of love or a request for a goodbye kiss.
"have i been - is it not - um -" maive stumbles over his words as everything feels like it's crashing around him. has he been flirting with him? of course he has! it's all he's done for weeks! and if norman has to ask that...
this isn't a date. neither was their time together yesterday. or the dinner they went to a few days before that. or any other time maive thought it was.
and if norman was interested, he wouldn't have to ask. because if he was looking for it, well, it was right there! in his face! and if he wasn't looking for it, if he was trying to ignore the blatantly obvious, then he definitely isn't interested. and maive has been making a fool of himself for god knows how long. oh this is embarrassing. really, really embarrassing.
"i can stop." he finally blurts, curling in on himself, not quite meeting norman's eye. "i'm - i'm sorry if i made you uncomfortable." his fingers busy themselves in his hair, combing through absentmindedly. mirae teased him on his way out, about the fact that he only wears his hair fully down when he really likes a boy. and now it's a sick reminder and a comfort all at the same time.
norman was never different he just wasn't interested. maive feels... a little sick to his stomach.
"i... have been. sorry. i thought this was a date?" the question in his voice hikes up as he finally makes himself look at norman. "kind of, uh, thought we'd been on a few. i'm sorry, i just sort of assumed." oh this is humiliating.













