Kuzco didn’t know the other man too well yet, their brief interactions were usually… well, rushed. Ben did most of the talking and as hurried and nervous as most it was, Kuzco listened. Most of the time. Sometimes his thoughts did start to wander, his inner voice known as his e g o would make comments, willing it to stay quiet in most of his interactions he had with other people. But weirdly, around Ben, it was mostly silent. Mostly.
If he had any passing thoughts with Ben, they were gone pretty quickly, and superficial at the surface. Otherwise, silence, as he took in the other’s appearance and mannerisms all while trying to keep up with the others racing thoughts and opinions.
Ben made him feel close to one hundred years old, their first meeting particularly when they went for a hike, Ben basically unaffected while Kuzco, who regularly worked out, was huffing and puffing by the end. He may have well been ancient.
Still, his presence had a nice effect on Kuzco’s overall sense of being.
He was young and lively and innocently wide eyed, and Kuzco barely got to interact with people like that anymore, let alone have it be reciprocated for more than a second or two. He could get used to it.
He gripped the styrofoam cup in his right hand, surprised when Ben’s form came into view before he even had time to think about what he would say when he walked inside of the four star restaurant, glad that the change in plan didn’t show in his steps, not a stumble in sight. Cool as ever.
“I’m not going to ask the question before you’ve had a sip,” was his greeting, taking in the sight of the other, but not offering the cup.
“You look,” he paused, wondering what word would come up first, eyes panning from the wild hair to the apron, which was definitely wet, ignoring the way the skin of Ben’s arms seemed to glow from the water under the streetlights. Safer to stay on the eyes, green and wild. “Frazzled.”
turnnoffyourmind
origamiaround
yousharknotpass
