“Can superman get drunk?” Kyle muttered tipping the bottle to his lips. “If so, would he be a lightweight? The man of steel defeated by a six pack..” 

I think you’ve got it mixed up… Her smile switched to a frown as she became puzzled. How could she have misinterpreted it? It sure seemed like a date. She was still running over the night in her head when she heard his tone shift and he grew closer and his question shook her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah, when I saw you two. I don’t know, it just made me….whatever. Like i said, it was selfish of me.” she looked up to meet his gaze with an embarrassed smile. “I guess because I saw how much fun you were having and…it wasn’t with me? That’s stupid, I know that’s stupid, but I just didn’t want to share you in that moment. So I’m sorry for that…”

Curiously, he restrained his jovial quips to allow Donna to command the space. Her emotions always took precedent over his own. A rule he’s learned from his mother who suffered in silence to protect the flame of her own love curled in thorns. Kyle would happy lay down to make sure Donna was happy. Even if that didn’t leave room for him to enjoy some love sick happily ever after. “It made you whatever..” his brow creased at her lackluster verbiage. It wasn’t like her to allow the cat to get her tongue. 

I just didn’t want to share you in that moment..

She straightened as he reminded her why she stopped by. “Oh, yes.” Leaning back against the arm of the couch, she took a breath before pushing through the awkwardness that could potentially follow this apology. “I just wanted to apologize. I’ve been sort of distant and it, well…I was being selfish. I saw you on the date that night and you’ve been busy - which is all good of course but I got so used to you always being around that I guess I got a bit jealous. Which is unreasonable I know so that’s why I’m here to apologize…” she spilled her thoughts all in one breath, trailing off finally and studying the carpet pretty intensely as she waited for his response.

The fluttering pattering his heart echoed in his ears in juxtaposition the solid sound of Donna’s footsteps. Kyle jiggled his keys between his callused fingers. Donna’s piercing blues borrowing a hole into the back of his head as he resisted to look at her. Kyle wanted to kick himself in the ass for being so hyperaware of every shifting inch of her posture. The way her met the neck of her neck briefly to uncoil the material of her scarf. To the way she’d withered at the realization of her drunken escapade. "It’s all good,” he hummed. Kyle didn’t mind the repair or the way she’d smashed into his life. “You know I’ve always liked that open concept shit,” he scuffed. He rubbed at the back of his neck.

Kyle peered back up at her to acknowledge her “apology” with a distorted expression filled with confusion. A date? When did I go out on a date....Ada. “I think you’ve got it mixed up...” his words teeming with the sweeping justification before being stilled by her confession. “..you’re jealous?” He couldn’t help but smirk. He’s seen every emotion imaginable elicited from her but jealousy wasn’t one of them. 

⟡

The disgruntled expression on Ada’s face indicated she was painfully aware of how late she was, as did her flushed cheeks show that she’d quite literally sped walked from where she parked her motorbike. Ada Kish had been tardy for just two occasions in her whole life, today being the second. “There was an accident, I was stalled in traffic behind a commuter with a broken taillight” who did not use,” she explained, bottom lip slightly rounded in a pout. She’d left her apartment early as well to account for any unpredictable delays. She so hated when things did not go according to plan.

With a arched brow, Ada took a seat across from him and smirked faintly at the scrap of paper. "You’ve smeared the last few digits,” she observed as she carefully unfolded her napkin and began her ritual. Wipe the silverware clean, adjust the place settings… “Did you mention a date? I wasn’t aware this was a date?” she questioned, head tilted. Her eyes lifted to try to discern if he was joking, she’d come to learn he did that quite often. “You’re being sarcastic”

Ada swept in with an unrelenting force of chaotic fury and crippling anxiety. He swallowed back the mirth that danced on his lips. Kyle admired the way she never shied away from the quirks that both elevated her personality and pinned down her own emotional security. Ada possessed great power despite her own doubts. “No biggie, Ada, I’m kidding. I just got here myself. No traffic accidents to excuse my tardiness.” He lifted to pull the chair out for her to sit. Rounding the table, he settled back into his chair and poured her a fingerling of wine; she needed it. 

Donna stepped inside quickly, although the lobby wasn’t much warmer it did provide some relief from the biting wind. She briefly glanced down at his shoes as she breathed into her hands in effort to warm them up, briefly rolling her eyes at the love the man before her had for his shoe collection. “I would be more concerned about the feet that go inside the shoes but you do you…” she teased as she started towards his apartment, watching him take the stairs almost two at a time to beat her to his front door.

She smiled to herself at these little quirks she had grown to love and expect from him, following him inside an apartment she almost knew as well as her own. “I can fly faster than any uber….I just didn’t account for the wind,” she admitted sheepishly as she began to strip down some layers as the heat began to wash over her. “Sorry to just show up out of the blue.”

Kyle bristled at the soft jab that rolled effortless off her lips. He wished that he didn’t pay as close attention to the pout, pink hue of her cupid’s bow. No matter how he wanted to covet her love for the rest of eternity, it just wasn’t in the cards. Kyle came that conclusion bitterly but allowed for it to roll off his shoulders. If he had her in his life, he’d be contented in concealing the love that fluttered foolishly in his chest. They had responsibilities to shoulder the burdens of the city with a smile. There was no use in adding more weight to world digging into their shoulders; it would be a shared struggle with someone he can dream about. “You just mad you don’t got it like me.” Kyle shimmered his shoulders as he sauntered quickly up to unlock the door. The door swung open flagrantly as he gestured her inside his apartment. 

“Still,” the overprotective inflection in his tone couldn’t be tamed; at the end of the day he would always be stuck in this habit. Kyle beheld her beauty with a bated breath. “C’mon, D, you know you never have to announce yourself. I do prefer you use the door instead of the window..have you ever tried to repair a window in the dead of night? My super is about to toss my ass into the cold if I break anything else under this lease.” He grinned. “What’s on your mind? It’s clear you wanna talk and I’m always here to listen.” 

“You know, Doc, they say it’s polite to call and tell “your date” if you’re going to be runnin’ late. The waitress thinks I’ve been stood up and instead of slipping me the check, she gave me her number.” Kyle waved the scrap of grease soaked transfer paper with a kinked grin. 

@evildxllface

There had been a shadow that loomed over their holidays and Donna knew it was her fault. They had grown more distant the past couple of weeks as she let her best friend — guy best friend — do his own thing and not be so intertwined with her. Once she had seen him with that girl, she had been doing her best to quiet nagging and needy voice inside her demanding more of him than she was entitled to. She had turned him down after all so what right did she have? The feelings weren’t there….right?

Except when she tried to stop thinking about these thoughts and him they were all that plagued her for days on end. Thus, she had been acting weird so here she was coming to apologize. Apologize for her jealous behavior and for not knowing what she wanted. He didn’t owe her anything but she owed him that.

Shivering in her oversized sweatshirts and large winter coat and beanie, she tucked her phone into her pocket and opened the door as soon as she heard the lock click to let her inside. It had been extra cold out recently and without snow, it was just miserable. “Please tell me you have your heat on full blast. My toes are already turning numb.”

Kyle ignored the curdling side effect of his excitement and disappointment seeing her. No matter the instance, he’d drop every thing in his path to meet her halfway. Donna had become such an important fixture in his life; yet, she had seemed to drift into the scattered white out that sprinkled Central City with cheer. December swept by and blossomed into a new year with new expectations and unrequited fantasies. He loosened the reigns of his infatuations to allow Donna to choose the path of less resistance. A path that didn’t exactly have him painted in the warmest, or most important light.  

We’re just friends. It’s time to give it up.

The little voice in the back of his head fell silent as he’d allowed her energy to engulf him like a dwarf star going supernova. Her flames thawed the chill that had begun to set into his joints. Just like that, all of his resolve had dissipated into thin air like the white puffs of their breath. “You know I gotta keep my babies nice and toasty,” he mused with a bright grin. His thoughts drifted to his newly minted retro ones decked with the bright bully red repping Chicago’s finest. Kyle just peeled back the cellophane to allow them to breath without allowing a single crease to depress into the glossy leather. His apartment was the perfect temperature to allow his collection to sustain their longevity. 

Swallowing back the bite of chocolate chip goodness with haste, Kyle popped from the coach. His phone clattering from his lap onto the floor as he raced towards the door; he couldn’t allow his precious Donna Troy brave the cold for too long. As he shuffled, he grabbed the first pair of clothing he could, a washed hoodie, and jammed his feet into a black pair of slides. Kyle slipped through the agape slot of the door with his keys handing precariously from his pinky. Taking the steps two by two, he’d reached the bottom to punch in his code to buzz her through the inner annex.

“It’s too damn cold, D.” He hissed. “C’mon on in.” 

Donna: did she not know it was a date?

Donna: that's why I'm texting you now dummy

Kyle: No, I didn't know. Tommy set us up.

Kyle: Rude.

Donna: Misunderstanding? It was a date wasn't it?

[unsent]: sure looked like a date and Kory said it was

Donna: I'm actually just walking up to your door now

Kyle: Yes, technically speaking.

[unsent]: shit.

Donna: of course she does but only because I mentioned wanting to talk to you

Donna: it's the girl from the club right?

Donna: it won't take long, I promise

unsent: It must be real serious if you had to talk to someone else about it.

Kyle: I think there's been a misunderstanding here but yes. Her name is Ada.

Donna: Hey I know you have a date tonight but um

Donna: Do you have a second to talk before?

Kyle: Hey. Kory loves to gossip, doesn't she?