cecil.
{ The smile, the laughter, the soft words that all leave Alis in a new, less sorrowful or tired way is relieving to the host and without even noticing he lets out a sigh to convey that relief he’s feeling. He must’ve done something right, even if it was only giving opportunity for Alis to work his problems out in his mind, all on his own. Cecil’s lips turn upward into a smile of their own, genuine too, and filled with adoration for the other. He finally allows his arms to fall away from around him, now using one hand to softly stroke Felix’s head ( such a sweet dog he is, coming in to comfort Alis like this ) . }
“Of course. You and I are friends, are we not? And what are friends for if not to lean on every now and then? I’ll be here whenever you need me, so don’t hesitate to swing by if you’re ever feeling down or even if you’re feeling elated. Anytime, really.”
{ Cecil’s grin widens. He’s happy to see that Alis appears okay now. He’s also happy to hear that he’ll be spending the night. His free hand again finds one of Alis’ and interlocks them in a purely innocent way, giving the appendage a gentle squeeze. Now when he talks, he’s speaking a lot like an excited child.}
“Alright, so, if you’re sleeping over, I insist that you take the bed, alright? No objections about it. Oh, also, we could like, go bowling or something. Or we could go out to eat somewhere like Big Rico’s Pizza if you want. Or, as I think I mentioned earlier, we could drop by the station and you can meet Khoshekh. He’s my cat–the cutest cat–who’s stuck hovering in the men’s bathroom for unknown reasons. I mean, whatever works. We could always just stay here and, I don’t know, watch a city council approved movie or two. Whichever you prefer.”
{ The acts of affection -- however platonic they may be -- sends his cheeks aflame in a particularly colorful display of embarrassment and internal confusion. He almost wishes that he’s still hiding his face in Cecil’s shirt, regardless of whether or not he’s tired from the crying he just did. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy the affection from others -- no, it’s actually quite the opposite; he absolutely adores getting affection from those around him, especially from people near and dear to him, but he’s not used to it. After about a century and a half of isolation from even his own coworker, and barely having ten years to get sued to her rather strange presence in the corridors, affection was a scarce delicacy, so to speak. All things considered, he had a right to be confused, concerned when someone shows him affection. ( He almost asks Cecil what he wants from him, but he dismisses the thought process altogether. ) }
{ Cecil’s rambling catches him off guard, and he only hears small parts of it, to which he only responds with a few blinks, and then a bubbly laugh follows after it, a bit more GIRLISH than usual. Alis’s free hand moves to cover his mouth with a surprised expression, and his face lights up even more. His hand does nothing to hide the smile in his red-ringed tangerine eyes, and it’s obvious that he’s at least decently enjoying himself. His hand slowly moves away from his mouth as he begins to speak, but the fierce blush refuses to die down.}
“Alright alright, I won’t argue on the bed thing -- since apparently you know me well enough that you know I’d insist you still sleep in your bed. On the rest of that spiel you had goin’ on there though? Whatever you think is the most fun, Ce. We always have the time to do everything.”