In The Yellow Time of Pollen - Preview
Preview of things to come in Chp. 2 (work in progress)
Chp. 1 is available on AO3 or FFN
>Kallo. Hey.
>>You got a minute?
>>>Hello?
>Busy up here... not crashing the ship and everything. But yes, Ryder. A minute.
>Ryder again, huh? Sara didn’t last long.
>>Listen, I’m not trying to hassle you, I’ve just noticed that you’ve...
>>>Well, since Havarl, you’ve been...
>You seem a little off, that’s all. I wanted to check in. Make sure we’re okay.
>>Make sure... Um. Hell, I don’t know. You don’t have space pneumonia, do you?
>Maybe I do. My head feels funny.
> Mine too.
>>You can always talk to me about what’s bothering you.
>>>I’m not a great listener but I’ve been known to shut up every once in a while...
>I’ll believe it when I see it.
>Right. I just. Um.
>>I guess I was hoping we could spend more time together?
>>>Kallo?
>I know we’re not compatible. That way. Sexually.
>>That’s not what I meant.
>Really. What can you and I even be?
>>Human plus salarian equals what, exactly?
>>>Friends who hold hands and gaze into one another’s eyes for long stretches of time?
>Well. I guess... Maybe? I’d hoped. Somehow. Yeah. Something like that.
>>Cuddling, but with clothes on?
>>>I know, I know. Romance, sex. Not the salarian wheelhouse.
>>>>I get it. I think. I’ve never really cared about that either. Not really.
>>>>>I care about you, Kallo.
>You know I can’t reciprocate.
>>Not the way you want.
>Ahh... Dammit.
>>I know I shouldn’t presume. But, I mean... C’mon. Mixed signals!
>>>I don’t know what a salarian crush looks like, but you were holding my hand pretty hard back on Havarl.
>Don’t make this into a joke.
>I’m not. I’m not joking.
>Straight talk: do you care about me as more than a friend?
>>Or am I only seeing what I want to see?”
>Sara... It’s complicated.
>Great! I like complicated!
>>I do ancient alien Sudoku puzzles for fun, remember?
>First of all, there’s no such thing as a salarian crush. What are you even...
>>No. Better to end this before it starts. Stay friends.
>>>I don’t want to get your hopes up.
>>>>It's not sustainable.
>>>>>You’d be disappointed.
>Kallo. Don’t make assumptions.
>>Plenty to be said for living in the moment.
>>>And for flying blind.
>>>>Please answer.
