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[The next few weeks were... Well "less than stellar" would be a severe understatement. It was no surprise when pretty much everyone in their circle learned about the giant mess of a fallout that occurred between the two. Understandably, Leia had the sympathy and Alvin the flack. Even Jude confronted him and punched him when he couldn't explain himself. What confused everyone was that it was clear the two did have mutual feelings, but the one who was supposed to be an adult wasn't acting them. Rowen tried to reason with him, to give him that elderly mature advice and remind him that this was not the path he had chosen and was one they all thought he had left.

Time and time again, Balan, Rowen, Jude, and even Yurgen asked him the important question: Why not? And all Alvin could say was that it just can't. Eventually they stopped asking since it was clear that Alvin had made up his mind. They didn't agree to it, but there wasn't much they could do. Elize again did not want have anything to do with him, both hurt and disappointed by his actions.

Only Elle contacted him again, and with her usual forthright attitude, remark how stupid he was being. Perhaps it was because Elle didn't have as many deep roots with them that she was able to not be as adversely affected by Alvin's action. She had never seen him before, so it just seems weird to her. And it was to Elle he eventually caved and told about he didn't think he would be a good match for Leia—that she deserved more. When he started to say he wanted her to be happy, Elle was quick to point out that what he was doing now wasn't really helping that. It was a fair point, and one he knew himself, but he just remained silent. He was using the logic that it might be painful in the short run, but it would be better in the long.

While Alvin was on his GHS, Elle had wandered into his office and was just being a nosy pre-teen, looking through his desk. It was there that she stumbled across the long forgotten tickets, and when she pulled them out, Alvin had caught her and was about to give her a playful smack on the head as punishment. But when he saw the tickets, he froze. He remembered the circumstances as to how he acquired them...and more about that particular day. When he saw Elle notice a particularly worn and old looking letter, he quickly shut the drawer, telling her to quit being nosy. But when she asked about the tickets, he told her the truth—they were for him and Leia. The deal was if she didn't miss her deadlines, he'd take her up there. Of course...that plan was shot now, so if Elle wanted to, she could go with Leia in his place.

Of course the girl would have none of it. She quickly pulled out her GHS and called Leia, asking where she was. After that, she grabbed Alvin's hand and forcefully dragged him out, even kicking at his shin when he tried to protest (and damn did that hurt). Not long after, they were at Helioborg, and again Alvin hesitated. He knew what the girl was trying to do, and somehow his feet actually allowed his body to be dragged to it. He had avoided Leia as much as possible, keeping only minimal contact and giving her short replies to any texts or calls she gave him. So seeing her there talking with Jude and Balan made his blood run cold.

It was awkward—he could see Jude giving him the cold look and even stepping closer to Leia, as if to help protect her for whatever pain he might dish out next. Balan on the other hand was a bit intrigued (of course he would). And then Elle was shoving and pushing him toward the group. The topic of the hot springs began, and even though he tried to just give the tickets to Leia for her to do what she wanted, she refused to take them. But he was refusing to go with her because it would be a bad idea. In the end, Balan settled it by taking the tickets and actually calling the hot springs.

"You're lucky, Alfred," Balan said after he hung up. "Those almost expired and that would have been a waste. But you're both good to go now! One honeymoon suite for just the two of you. It was the only one left, so you only have yourself to blame," he added when everyone gave him incredulous looks. "Anyway, it's about time we got back to work. Let's go, Jude."

Alvin could feel the intense look his old friend was giving him. Jude would later call him not to yell, but in a tired and somewhat pleading voice told him, "Just don't hurt her anymore, okay, Alvin? I know you're better than that, so...just try talking it over?"

The days leading up to that overnight trip were heavy for him. Several times he thought about just canceling, but the pressure everyone was giving was more than even he could take. And really, he did owe Leia at least something. He had asked for time to think. Hadn't he thought enough? The very least he could do was at least finally tell her what his thoughts were about this. To apologize. But all the endings that came to his mind after that...they didn't exactly leave him feeling all that good.

And now, they are at the hot springs. He tried to keep a normal facade, smiling and being as casual as possible with her. But he still maintained that distance, both physically and emotionally. Of course they were mistaken as an actual couple, particularly when they were rung up and led to their room. Of course that would just...bring a lot of awkwardness to stay, so he suggests they walk around, check the place out. As is the protocol, they had to change into the yukata-like robes provided and seeing Leia...well he tries very hard not to think too much about it, for once not commenting on how she looks.

The resort is rather large. Not as large as the water park, and it has a very old, traditional Kanbalar flair. But because of the season, there are plenty of people, both from Rieze Maxia and Elympios. There are families, singles, couples. It definitely had a relaxing atmosphere.

Now if only he could actually feel that way.

As they walk, he finally glances over to her.]

So...what do you think? I have to admit it's pretty nice.

[Small talk. Small talk is good, right?]

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[ even if she wasn't the one being scolded by their friends, the time they spend apart wasn't much easier on leia than it was on him. even though she has the support of the rest of their group, the fact that she doesn't get to see or speak to alvin himself very often... well, it stings. even if she had been frustrated with him when she left his apartment that night, that didn't stop her from missing him, and even though they had both gotten a little harsh with each other, it also didn't do anything to lessen her feelings for him. on top of that, both elle and balan had taken it upon themselves to stick their noses into the situation and let her know that, more likely than not, he felt the same as she did. that her feelings weren't one-sided, and that he was just being stubborn, for... whatever reason. and if her feelings weren't one-sided, then she couldn't let herself give up. while she didn't try to contact him constantly, she did text him every few days, and she tried calling him once or twice, too. it never really went anywhere, though. things always ended just as quickly as they started, which only served to make things feel more awkward.

then, a few weeks later, they actually ran into each other. she had been meeting up with jude for a quick chat and to bring him something to eat when alvin came in. she had heard from elle to expect a "super surprise visitor", but she hadn't thought it would be him. she had expected something cuter and more childlike, like an impromptu visit with rollo. instead, she found herself face-to-face with alvin for the first time since she was in his apartment. her heart gave an involuntary leap when she looked at him, but... with all of the tension between them (not to mention jude's interference) she couldn't get too close.

when he tried to give her the tickets, she immediately refused, telling him that she would only go if he went with her. that had been their initial deal, and a small part of her reasoned that maybe a relaxing setting like that, far away from their homes and friends, could give them a chance to work all of their problems out. unfortunately, he proved to be just as stubborn about the matter as she was, and they weren't getting anywhere fast before balan once again stuck his nose into the situation and made their reservations for them.

(and even if she couldn't thank him then and there, she definitely sent him a grateful text after the fact.)

as the day that they were meant to go to the resort crept closer, she found herself feeling both excited and nervous. excited because she had worked her butt off and even fulfilled the terms of their deal, and nervous because who wouldn't be nervous in a situation like the one they were about to be in? and then it finally came. things were definitely tense, especially when the staff mistook them for a couple, but... hopefully the awkwardness between them would be gone by the end of their trip.

she had jumped at his suggestion to walk around, and changed from her typical clothes and into the robe provided in what may or may not have been record time.

also, thanks to the casual atmosphere, she's opting to leave her hair down again, so. have fun with that. ]

Yeah, totally! I've been looking forward to this for a while, and I've gotta say, it's definitely living up to my expectations.

[ she plucks at her robe a little as she speaks, grinning up at him. ]

They even gave us cool stuff to wear!

[ the cheer in her voice is actually genuine as she says all of this, even if she's trying not to get too close, either. physically, at least, because even with all of the tension and awkwardness between them, she's not the type to close herself off to someone on an emotional level. the fact that every once in a while her fingers brush against his, like she might be about to take his hand but she can't quite bring herself to go all the way, might be a clue that she's trying not to be too touchy-feely with him, though. ]

[Why must she tempt him like that? Especially when she mentions her robes and he has to stop himself from saying what he really thinks about her appearance. Feeling her fingers brush against his also doesn't help matters, but he manages to restrain himself there as well.]

It's definitely keeping up with the tradition. You know, I've actually never been to a hot springs, either.

[Let us pretend the hot springs ending never happened.]

I hear they have both indoor and outdoor baths, too.

[ hey, it's not her fault. it's not like she knows how he feels about her wearing her hair down, okay. ]

Then... wanna hit those up after we finish checking everything out?

[ a soak would probably be nice after all of the things they've been dealing with lately on top of the walking around they're doing, she figures. maybe it could relax them enough to have a comfortable conversation, too. ]

I bet the outdoor ones feel pretty awesome this time of year.

[ it's not the coldest part of the year anymore, but it's still cool enough that the air and the hot water would probably make for a nice combination. and isn't that the whole appeal of a hot springs, anyway? ]

Sounds like a plan for me. It's a shame that the baths are separated, though.

[Did he just crack one of his usual (but dirty) jokes? Why yes he did.]

[ considering the tension between them lately, that's... not something she expected to hear. her mind immediately jumps to the conclusion that it's a shame because they'll be separated specifically, which is probably written all over her face, thanks to the way she starts to turn red. blame it on the fact that balan and elle more or less spilled his secret to her, probably, because under any other circumstances she would just assume that this is alvin being alvin. ]

Wait, what? [ be cool, leia. ] Why would it be a shame?

[A slight rise of the brow.]

Do you really want to know?

[That's...not quite the reaction he expected. He thought she might call him out on it and smack him or something.]

[ she actually looks thoughtful for a moment before waving a hand in front of herself awkwardly. ]

Uh... on second thought, maybe not!

[ because now it occurs to her that this is probably just him being his normal self. which is good. no need to make things weird by pressing a subject that could revert the mood to the tense, hurtful one from the night she was at his apartment so easily. ]

I bet it's something shady, so I'd probably just regret asking.

[...He thought it had been a pretty obvious innuendo. Separate baths meaning not mixed meaning he can't see all the lovely ladies. But given her reaction, it's clear she's thinking about something else, and his line of thinking does stray toward something more toward what she had initially thought.

Fortunately it's cut short by the sound of some loud cheering in one of the nearby rec rooms—followed by a shout and something white whizzing right past his face.]

—Whoa!

[The white object slams into the wall next to them and bounces off to land on the floor, revealing itself to be a ping pong ball.]

Jeez, what the hell?

[Did he lose some of his bang hairs???]

Edited 2015-02-01 06:08 (UTC)

[ she takes a small jump back when the ball flies by, her eyes following it until it hits the floor. it isn't until it stops rolling that she realizes what it is, and when she does she stoops down to pick it up, holding it so he can see. ]

I guess someone lost their ball.

[ she nods in the direction of the rec room. if she felt up to grabbing his hand, this would be where she would drag him behind her, but instead she just hesitates for a moment like she might be considering it before letting her hand fall back down her to side. ]

C'mon, let's go give it back!

[ and leading the way inside. ]

[The hesitation did not go by unnoticed, but he just follows after and wonders who the hell spiked a ping pong ball that hard. Turns out there's some kind of tournament going on. Win fifteen rounds against the reigning staff champions and the meals for the stay are completely free.]

...Oh man.

[He knows where this is going as he looks over at Leia.]

"Oh man" is right!

[ she turns to look up at him, excitement written all over her face. ]

We should give it a shot! You like free stuff, right?

[ and she likes food. it's a win-win situation and she probably won't let him say no, anyway. ]

Like I have a real say in this? [He knows that look. He knows what she's like.

...And the free food is not a bad deal. He's seen the prices, and voucher or not, it's still a good sum. And the less he has to pay back Balan, the better.]

All right, let's give it a go.

[He does wonder if this is really a good idea on a different level, but... It's just a game. Being together like that should be fine.]

[ and give it a go they do.

there's a short wait after they sign up, but then they get their chance to play the first game. during that wait, they decide to link to make the game run smoothly (it's not cheating if there's no rule against it, right?) which ends up being a very wise choice.

the first few games aren't too bad, but as they work their way through the matches, they do get harder— the last one is so close that it's actually hard to tell who the winner will be before it's over and done with.

by the end of it all, even after they've been named the winners and told that they can order their first complimentary meal as soon as they're ready for it, leia's blood is pumping. in fact, all of the awkwardness from before seems to have been thrown out the window thanks to the thrill of competition and the happiness that comes along with winning something. at least, that's how it is for her.

she turns to him, grinning, and lifts her hand for a high five. ]

That was pretty awesome, huh?

[All that awkwardness also quickly disappeared after they linked and really started getting into the game. And let's be real—these two are a force to be reckoned with once their competitive sides come out. And awkwardness or no awkwardness, he's been around her long enough to know where she'll be and easily predict her movements, even without a Link.

So really he's not surprised they won and he just grins as he raises his hand to meet hers for a really energetic high five.]

Don't you know it. After all, we're the best team—

[....................Ah. His words are cut short because he realizes what he's saying and he falters. Well that's one way to go from 100 to 0 in a second. Way to go, Alvin.

But not really wanting to completely ruin the mood, he just clears his throat, his hand falling to his side.]

So should we hit the baths first and then order that meal? You can choose whatever you want, too.

[ naturally, that high five makes her pretty happy. when was the last time they were able to pal around like this without things being awkward? there had even been some tension between them as far back as her birthday, so... it's been a while.

then, when he stops short and changes the subject, she feels a small pang of guilt— they had been doing so well before she opened her big mouth— so there's a short pause before she responds. ]

Uh... sure! That was kind of a work out, anyway. [ and maybe a little bit of time apart will give her time to think of a good way to tackle the awkwardness between them, since that had been part of why she wanted to come out here to begin with. ] Let's get going.

[ after a moment of hesitation, she's going to start leading the way. ]

[It's funny how they're both blaming themselves for the awkwardness. Only it's not really funny because of the tension. However, Alvin tries to salvage a bit of that camaraderie, because it is something that he missed.]

I wonder how busy they'll be. There seems to be a lot of people, so probably a lot of brats and old guys. [Sigh. Man Leia, you'll have it good with all the fine ladies—

Except maybe not. Because one of the staff members recognizes them from the little tournament and is all too happy to tell them that they have a special private bath just for the two of them~! ♥ It's prepped and ready for them.

Uh.]

[ that sort of thought crossed her mind when he made that joke, but she hadn't expected to actually end up in that kind of situation. especially not with a bath just for the two of them.

a mixed bath might not be so bad if there were other people around, but...

she shakes her head quickly, like she's trying to remove that thought by force. sharing a bath with no one else around might be more than a little awkward, but maybe it would turn out okay in the end. hopefully.

so, they're led to their super special private bath (luckily the changing areas are separated, because if they weren't she would probably back out then and there) and after a while longer than what is probably necessary, leia will poke her head out to see if he's already out in the bath. she's got a towel securely wrapped around her body, but she still wants to know what she's about to walk into, okay. ]

[Spirits save him, is this karma getting back at him for all the shit he's done? And there's clearly no getting out of this, not with how all eager the staff seem to be. Balan, what the hell did you tell them!? (Maybe they're all in on this.)

He had also taken that cautionary look, but apparently he finished changing first. He's also keeping that towel wrapped around him because what the hell is this kind of situation. On the one hand, he wants them to at least have a decent time and not completely ruin everything, especially if this is their only shot at the baths (well maybe not). On the other hand... Sharing a bath with Leia??

As he makes his way over to try and settle in at one end of the bath, he lets out a long sigh. The water did feel good, he could at least admit to that. It's an outdoor bath as well, so he could see the outlines of the trees. Although they're high up in the mountains, the heat from the natural springs as well as the use of a few fire spirit artes help keep the entire place warm and comfortable. The bath itself is actually rather large so there would be decent amount of room. In fact it's more like a pool and the area itself is also decorated simply but nicely. It did give a very "romantic" type of feel, and...is that a faint aroma of incense? Or maybe it's just the flowers.

But now his thoughts are just all over the place as he continually glances over to where Leia should be coming out and feeling those nerves. He's a grown man, too, dammit. He shouldn't be feeling this way. But...

It's not like he doesn't still have his feelings or that attraction for her either, so this just makes all his thoughts and instincts even more wired. The only thing that's keeping him sane is reminding himself how old she is. Which... Actually isn't that young anymore, at least not by their social standards. Especially since she's hitting the age where a lot of girls and young women are actually at their—

GRAH.

He actually dunks his entire body under water, believing he needs to just. Literally cleanse his mind. And it's right after that that Leia pokes her head out so she won't see him immediately, the rising steam not helping.]

Edited (who the hell is balah.....and i just lose letters) 2015-02-02 07:15 (UTC)

[ she actually feels relieved when she doesn't see alvin immediately. despite how long she took to get changed, she had been hoping to beat him to the bath, since for one reason or another being the first one in felt like it might be a little less embarrassing.

so, she's very quick to cross the space between the changing area and the bath so that she can be sure she'll be neck-deep in water by the time he comes out. as she goes, she does notice that the decorations and overall atmosphere seem kind of romantic (maybe even a little too romantic, since the sight only makes her think that, had things gone a little differently, maybe they could have been enjoying this trip as a couple), and that train of thought keeps her so occupied that she doesn't doesn't notice him even as she's starting to slip into the water. ]

[Underwater, completely unaware that Leia had entered, he just tries to block all those unnecessary thoughts. He chose the hellish path. Whatever kind of "night" they could have had under different circumstances...he basically shot and ruined. He might not even be able to salvage their friendship, if that's even a think he should try and save. Not that he wouldn't want to, but—

He has to come up for air, and as he does it's a bit abrupt as he rises from where he had been, revealing his entire upper body. And he's actually not that far from her since she entered in a different spot than he thought she would. There's still a few feet between them, but then again, it's not like there's that much distance from either end of the bath regardless.]

[ is he trying to kill her? because when he comes out of the water (seemingly) out of nowhere, her heart feels like it's about to stop. the fact that he's... closer than she imagined they would end up being doesn't help matters much, either. neither does the fact that her eyes unconsciously linger on his torso for a moment before she wrenches her gaze away to look... anywhere that isn't at him, really. ]

Sorry! I thought you were still getting changed!

[ she doesn't know why she's apologizing— there's not anything inherently wrong with being near each other— but it slips out anyway as she glances his way one last time.

... this is going to be a lot more awkward than she anticipated. ]

[He had been looking outward, a hand raised to brush back his hair when he freezes and jerks slightly at Leia's voice as he looks at her. Wait—what—]

When did you—

[And then he realizes his eyes may have glanced a little downward and— Jeez, it's not like they've never seen each other in a state of half undress (or mostly undress). But somehow the context and circumstances changes everything, and he quickly glances away, that hand lowering more toward his lower mouth and chin as he sinks a little more into the water, turning away a bit.]

Er—no, it's fine.

[And since this is hella awkward, he's going to try and reach for something else to say.]

The, uh, bath is pretty nice, huh?

[Damn that sounds even more awkward.]

[ she doesn't notice that glance, but her hand reflexively moves to hold her towel a little tighter around herself regardless. the towel covers everything that should be covered just fine, but she still feels surprisingly self-conscious and very aware of the fact that he's next to her, and she can't keep herself from sneaking glances at him. they've been in their bathing suits together, so it's not like he's never seen her mostly-undressed, but this just feels... different.

so, she tries to be casual as she moves away from him just a little, sinking deeper into the water until it comes up to her shoulders. ]

Yeah, totally! It feels great. [ there's that forced cheer of hers, though it might even sound less convincing than usual. ] I was getting kind of hungry earlier, but this might be even better than food.

If you're feeling hungry, we don't have to stay too long. [Thank you, Leia's stomach, for providing an excellent excuse for them to leave at any moment.

...Except—] But they said they'd tell us when that was ready, didn't they. [... ...Well they still could leave at any moment if they wanted to. But he wants her to enjoy the bath first, so maybe—] If you want I can head out and check on it and let you enjoy some privacy.

[It's like he tried to think of a million excuses to try and flee, and it probably showed given how his words might have come out a little more rushed and stilted and then would be normal.]

[ the thing is, she might even feel weirder if he left. besides, they've seen in other in less than thing before, even if taking a bath together is a little different from hitting up rides at a water park. she can also tell there's something up with him, so... all the more reason to try to get him to stay, so they can try to work past this awkwardness. ]

Come on, at least stay for a little while longer! It'd be a waste of a perfectly good bath if you left now.

[ also, if he keeps this up, she might have to resort to something drastic. like grabbing him. maybe. ]