I Meant To Ask

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

The concern very nearly made things worse, especially as Riley approached Zoe. It definitely didn't help that moving became suddenly something that was way too difficult to actually manage. Yet there Riley was, standing right next to her.

Also interesting fact: smart phones did not turn off when you threw them. This coupled with Di's being loud meant that the muffled voice could still be heard from in the room. Zoe had little doubt that Di would have figured out that something had happened at some point. Zoe actually looked at Riley for a moment instead, her mouth opening and closing a few times. Then she opted to dash into her room, scrambling around and trying to find her phone. She'd pulled it out, hearing a drunken Di continue:

"Jeez, are you still freaking out about it? Sex is sex, and you've definitely got to get--" Zoe quickly hit the mute button, fumbling around on her phone for a bit to try to figure out how to get it set up, while looking over her shoulder and hoping that Riley somehow didn't actually catch any of that.

[Riley Forrester]

Zoe still seemed panicked as Riley approached. She didn't answer Riley's question, which only made the concern grow as Zoe's mouth opened and shut without words. It seemed like Zoe wanted to say something, but couldn't. But then Zoe suddenly dashed into her room faster than Riley could react. Blinking, Riley followed her and watched as she fumbled with her phone before muting it and looking back at Riley.

Riley hadn't caught what Di had been saying. All she knew was that Zoe was suddenly very panicked and very fast. "Zoe?' Riley asked again, coming into the room slowly.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Again Zoe found herself attempting to move her mouth and more or less failing at actually producing sounds. She finally had to settle for an unsteady smile as she looked up at Riley. She held the phone up for a moment, before realizing that there was still someone talking on the other end. Zoe quickly moved to hang up on it, hoping that Di didn't even remember this conversation come the morning (which Zoe actually doubted; Di was one of those who had a wonderful memory when it came to these sort of things).

Which left Zoe looking up at Riley and trying to figure out what to say or do. "I'm---she was---" she said for a moment, before flushing. She gave her shirt a tug for a moment, looking around the room for some sort of inspiration, something she could cling to that would somehow make this easier for her. It most definitely did not help that she'd definitely been thinking along the lines that Di had strongly hinted and, well, all she could do was smile up at her girlfriend like some kind of idiot.

[Riley Forrester]

Once again there was a speechless gaping as Zoe seemed to try and find a way to communicate her thoughts. She ended up simply smiling a tad sheepishly before she reached over and hung up the call to Di. Then it was more nervous movement, a few stammered words, a tug of her shirt, and a look around before finally just settling on Riley and smiling.

Obviously there was something Di said that Zoe didn't want Riley to know. What could it be? Riley wondered. It was making Zoe so embarrassed and panicked around Riley. Did Riley not trust Zoe? No, Riley definitely trusted Zoe. If the girl wasn't ready to tell her something, Riley could wait. If there was one thing psychology had taught her well, it was patience. So instead, Riley just smiled and chuckled and drew Zoe into a warm hug.

"You are so goofy." Riley teased, placing a kiss on Zoe's cheek. Then she pulled back a little and slide her hands down to take Zoe's in her own. "And you can tell me about what Di said when you're ready. I'm not going to pester you about it." She promised with a smile

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Nope, no words. Still none, not even as Riley looked at her. Not even as Riley drew her into a hug, wrapping her up in those arms that felt way too good when wrapped around her. Still none even when Riley teased her and placed that soft kiss on her cheek again. Hands took hers, and she thought she might be able to produce some noise but, nope, still nothing. She just smiled and nodded.

"Okay," she finally managed, the only word she could. Flushing, Zoe reached up to move back some hair. How could she bring this up? Should she? No, it was probably best for it to just sort of naturally happen, right? Sex naturally came up in relationships. At least, so Zoe had been told. She leaned up to lightly kiss Riley's lips again, smiling.

"Oh, have you seen my room?" Zoe said, turning and indicating the room in general. There was the collage of photos which Zoe kept updated to reflect her feelings. Naturally Riley had a prominent position, with several photos of her featured prominently. There was the relatively organized table. And the bed which had a giant wolf plushie still tucked to the side. Various letters and poems were pinned to another cork board, and yet another table was nearly covered with photography supplies. There were some clothes here and there, but clearly Zoe kept things at least relatively tidy.

[Riley Forrester]

Finally, Zoe said something, and it made Riley breath a sigh of relief. Even though it was small, and barely a squeak, it meant she had relaxed just a little. Instinctively, Riley reached out to help tuck the hair behind Zoe's ear, smiling sweetly at her girlfriend. She still seemed to be debating inwardly, but eventually she leaned in to give Riley a kiss that the punky girl easily and happily returned.

When Zoe mentioned her room, Riley looked around to take everything in. "I don't think I have." Riley answered, smile growing on her lips as she took it all in. Her eyes lingered on the photos and she blushed a bit to notice she was a prominent feature, but she kept looking around before looking back at Zoe and giving her another warm hug as she chuckled. "It seems so... You, for lack of a better explanation." Riley said. It really did. Riley could just pick up traces of 'Zoe-ness' in everything in the room. It almost made her curious about her own. Does my room do that? Probably just looks messy.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe stood quietly for the seconds while Riley looked around. Her hands had folded behind her back, tucked away, prevented from getting too much in the way. She swore she felt her heart thudding faster, as if just looking at her room was another step. But it was, really: this was in many ways Zoe's final sanctuary, where she kept so much that was inherently here. She'd had to build so much of it over the past year, cobbled it together from bits and pieces that she'd picked up while making her new life here.

"That's my collage board," she said, taking a step toward the photos and pointing. "It's where I keep everyone who matters to me and, um, help sort through my emotions. See, they're all divided into different groups," she gestured. "There's people who aren't in my daily life," it included a punky girl with the name "Maelea" attached, a pretty blonde named "Liz," an alternate looking black girl "Di," an exotic looking young woman who seemed pained to smile "Alice," and so many more. "These are the people I look up to," Dr. Jason Campbell, Quinn Wiley, Francois Laffont, Maya Angelou, Adrienne Rich, a few photographers, "and these are the people I lo--" Zoe stopped short, flushing. For she'd hit the main part, where she'd put everyone she loved, the people nearest and dearest to her. A crinkled photo of her family was there. Riley's photo was dangerously close. Devyn's and Ezra's photos were hovering on the edges.

Zoe just stood there, chewing her cheek, looking at it, already guessing that Riley could see it and suddenly wishing that maybe she was a bit more guarded with her feelings. "There's, ah, poetry over--" she said, already getting ready to turn and hopefully distract.

[Riley Forrester]

When Zoe stepped towards the board, Riley had followed, getting a closer look at all the pictures. Zoe is so good at these. Riley thought with a soft smile as she looked over all the pictures and listened to Zoe explain them. There were friends who weren't in Zoe's daily life-- where Riley got to see who exactly had been yelling on the phone and smirk a bit. Then there were the people Zoe looked up to. But then as Zoe explained the last part, she cut off. But Riley already caught on and knew what it was.

The ones Zoe loved.

Her family was in the middle of the spot, which made perfect sense. Two other pictures were near the edges, including Ezra. But what Riley was focused on and was surprised at was her own picture. It was so close. A flush grew in Riley's cheeks at the implications. At what that closeness meant. Zoe... The girl in question had gone silent before turning slightly and mentioning her poetry. Riley was still fixated on the picture for a few more seconds as her heart swelled to the point of bursting.

She turned towards her girlfriend, who was obviously embarrassed about Riley seeing it and was trying to change the subject. Smiling a smile filled to the brim with sheer affection and something akin to the emotion Riley's picture was striving towards, Riley took one of Zoe's hand's and threaded her fingers through it. "Poetry, huh? I bet it's good since you made it." Riley said playfully, but meaning it completely. She wasn't going to dwell on the picture if Zoe didn't want to. Besides, the effects of the photo was good enough anyhow.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

She got it.

Riley didn't say it. Didn't do more than look, but Zoe knew. Zoe knew that Riley could figure enough of how she thought and acted to deduce something like that. Really just about anyone could probably figure it out, given Zoe's near flub and the various other pictures surrounding this one. Her family and closest friends, the ones still around. What else would that section of the emotional collage be? Zoe could feel her heart threatening to completely revolt and run away, since this was clearly more than anyone should be expected to handle.

Thankfully Riley just took her hand. Like with everything, she simply accepted it, accepted Zoe, easily. They didn't have to say it. Not now. Let it be. Let it come natural, like everything else.

"Some of it is," Zoe said, she directed the attention to some of the poems. "There's the one about Mr. Spencer, or, well, a copy. It talks about how he's this steel bear in knight's armor," Zoe flushed, realizing that the poem had meant a great deal between her and the large man. There was also poems about someone with wings, someone fighting shadow. She pointed at the one that she'd shown Riley, the copy talking about the girl who made her own way. "Sorry, this, is, ah, what you get when you date an artist, I guess."

[Riley Forrester]

Zoe directed her towards some of the poems, and Riley read as well as listened with interest. The name Spencer was familiar. "Mr. Spencer was the one who protected you, right?" Riley asked, looking over to Zoe for an answer before looking back at the different poems. There was one about wings, and someone fighting shadow, amongst a few others. Then Zoe pointed to a familiar one an apologized.

Sorry? Riley had to grin and look back at Zoe, giving her a swift kiss before chuckling. "Zoe, it's amazing. I love it. And you're dating an artist too-- if my impromptu serenading at your door wasn't evidence enough." She pointed out with a kind and playful smile. "So I'm prepared for poems if you're suited up for songs." Good God you're corny Riley. Her brain thought, mentally face palming itself.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"Yes, he's a medic here," Zoe said. "He was, ah, there when SPECTRE went after us. When I... when I killed someone," Zoe licked her lips for a moment. That had been at that cabin. She'd wanted to go back there with him; they'd talked about it, but he'd seemed distracted and busy lately, so Zoe hadn't wanted to impose. She had a feeling that it would happen someday, and that was all she could really hope for in that regard.

A kiss was a lot more than hope. Zoe let out a giggle of her own. "Well, yes, I know," Zoe said, flushing. She was tempted to point out that Riley's creativity was part of what drew Zoe to her, part of what made her love her, except that would be admitting to something that she was still keeping locked up for the moment, well, no, that wasn't quite right. Something that she was just keeping between the two of them, a hovering unspoken thing that stood there and warmed them both.

"You're welcome to sing to me any time," Zoe said, before sliding her arms around Riley again. She leaned against the girl, taking a deep breath. Who would've thought that just calling her to ask about a trip would've led to all this? Certainly not Zoe.

[Riley Forrester]

Riley's memory had been right. Mr. Spencer had been there for Zoe when she had killed someone. Seeing Zoe's reaction to the memory, Riley gave her hand a squeeze, marveling at the bravery and strength of her girlfriend once again. But then they were on to lighter things, and Riley brightened at the sound of Zoe giggling. Zoe insisted she already knew before blushing. It was just so cute to see her beautiful girlfriend blushing so easily. Riley wanted to pull her in for another hug, but Zoe beat her to it.

Arms wrapped around Riley again, with the assurance that Riley could sing to Zoe whenever she wanted. Smiling softly and finding for the girl, Riley returned the embrace, drawing Zoe in further as she rested her chin on Zoe's shoulder, sighing contently. "I definitely will." Riley confirmed with chuckle, nuzzling into Zoe. Maybe it had all started out as a phone call.

But Riley was happy with what it had become, and she wouldn't have had it any other way.