brilligspoons | "Complain, v.: To tire of your own voice, even as you are using it."

Orphaned words, free to a good home.

Was supposed to be for the

queer_fest prompt: any fandom, any character, an asexual wishes they could go to the local bar and pick someone up just for cuddling.

***

Charles scowls over his brandy at Raven. She grins and raises her wine glass to him in salute. "You don't have to be beastly about it," he says.

"All I did was suggest you do that thing that Emma does," she replies, waggling her fingers near her temple to mime, Charles has to assume, psychic ability at work. "She does it all the time. Her partner gets a good time, and she gets a quiet, restful night in the company of another person. Everybody wins in that situation."

He shakes his head. "That might work just fine for Emma and the people she sleeps with, but it's not the sort of arrangement I'm looking for," he says. Raven rolls her eyes and signals the bartender for another round. Charles resigns himself to leaving his car in the bar parking lot yet again. "I know you think I'm being ridiculous, but this is important to me. I've been trying to be more open-minded, I really have."

Raven knocks back the last of her wine just as the bartender arrives with their new glasses. She pushes Charles' across the table to him and pokes him between the eyes when his attention slips away from her. "Look, I'm not trying to push you into anything you're uncomfortable doing," she tells him.

"It certainly seems like you are," Charles grumbles under his breath.

"I want you to have - well, whatever it is you want," she continues. "You seem to be floundering like the awkward turtle you are sometimes, so I was trying to help you brainstorm."

"I'm not sure I want dating advice from the girl who blew up her high school chemistry lab just to impress the girl she wanted to ask to prom."

She sweeps out both arms pointedly and raises her eyebrows at him. "Last time I checked, that worked out really well for me, so I don't understand what your reservations over this are. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

Charles groans and rests his head on the bar. "I hate it when you say things like that. Now I am absolutely going to embarrass myself in the worst possible way, and it's all your fault."

Raven sighs. She takes a few bills out of her purse and places them on the bar next to his head, then tugs on his shoulder. "Come on. If you're not going to take my advice, I'm not going to sit here and get drunk with you while you whine and complain about how no one wants to cuddle with you."

Charles slides off the stool and takes hold of her hand while they maneuver their way through the crowd to the exit. His mental filters are thinner than usual, and a headache, born of both alcohol and disappointment, begins to brew right behind his eyes. I really ought to stop doing this to myself, he thinks. At least, I should stop taking Raven with me. Maybe then there'd be less judgment and mockery involved. Or maybe - He slams into someone's chest and loses his hold on Raven's hand. - I should start paying attention to where I'm going, too.

"I'm so sorry," he says with his face still pressed against said chest. Now this, this is nice. This is the sort of thing I'm looking for. He pulls away a little to stare up at the person he's bumped into, and his heart maybe stops for just a moment before stuttering back into production. "Oh."

"Hello," the man says. Erik, Charles can't help but glean from his mind. "Sorry about that, I wasn't looking where I was going."

Charles opens and closes his mouth twice before he remembers to use his words. "It was my fault entirely," he says. "Can I buy you a drink to make up for it?"

Erik smiles. Charles' heart starts beating a little faster.