Home, Sweet Home

Keith wasn't used to not understanding exactly what went through his head at all times, and found it to be, without exception, a very unpleasant experience. Even when he had drunk to much, there was a method to his madness, a thread that connected the miscellaneous thoughts that would seem random to anyone not intimately involved with their creation.

But when Wally kissed the boy, Ignazia, Keith was subject to a tumult of different thoughts. Part of him  to just shrug the whole thing off. Part of him wanted to pound a head against the wall (whether his own head or Ignazia's, Keith wasn't sure). Part of him wanted to give them both a weeks detention for public displays of affection. Part of him wanted to smack Ignazia right across that smug face of his, and part of him wanted to just laugh knowingly and roll out into the sunset.

True to form, he did none of these things. His fists unclenched, his neck relaxed, tension draining from his body as he stopped feeling and started talking. Keith much preferred talking to feeling. 

He ignored Ignazia, who was no longer important enough to be considered, and instead focused his next words on Wally. "Someone's been busy," he said, taking a few steps back. His hands were by his hips, and he spread them out in a "what can you do" gesture, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I won't question your choice of...uh, distraction, or whatever. As long as it doesn't affect your professional performance. Damn, I'm such an open and accepting employer. I would love to work for me."

He grinned slightly. "I think it's good for you, in fact. You were always too focused on school and...stuff, anyway. Honestly, I'm just sorry I missed the courting process. I'm sure it was worthy of a romantic comedy of the highest calibre."

He checked his watch, which, as always, failed to tell the correct time (it was stuck at 2:15) and then looked back up at the happy couple. "So I guess I'll leave you guys be then? Don't want to be a third wheel. Uh...monthly reports on your own time, Willhelmina, but soonish. Right? I need to get caught up." He nodded politely and turned around, heading back towards the Ravenclaw common room. 

At least now her behavior made some sort of sense. Wally wasn't really the type to mix personal stuff with work stuff, and it was obvious now that he fell rather solidly into the latter category. He wondered when she would've told him about Ignazia if he hadn't decided on that exact moment to walk by. Probably never.

Geez, Wally was frustrated. She simply could not understand how to make this situation work for her. And she really couldn't even decide what she wanted out of this situation, either. Part of her wanted both boys to simply burst into flames, which could easily be fixed with a spell she had long ago perfected, if she decided to take that route.

But part of her did not want to face the next few moments alone, and her rash response was sending the very person she would have most enjoyed the company of, and rooted a complete stranger steadfastly to her side when she would have rather he disappeared. Her sudden, strange decision had delivered a rather averse effect.

And the kiss itself? Wally really didn't care. She had kissed a boy back in Australia when she had needed to escape a particularly sticky spot when Spice had almost been confiscated from her, so it was not as though there were any major sacrifice. But something had really pushed her to do it, and she could not place why.  

Keith began to walk away and his words got to her, but not as badly as his decision to just strut off. So, she followed her instinct, again. She reached down, pulled her shoe off of her right foot and flung it at his shoulder.

"Keith Nicholas!" she commanded, her voice loud though not yet shrill. "You have no right telling me how to live my life and how to run business after disappearing like that. I waited very patiently for you to return or send word but you didn't say shit and how dare you speak to me like that!"

The shoe hit Keith's shoulder with a world shattering thud, then fell to the floor.

"Ow!" Was Keith's witty response. Damn, he was good. It was almost painful to be this good all the time. You would think that someone had sent him to a school for goodness. Look how quick he was on his feet. Ow. Truly a masterpiece of Shakespearean acclaim.

"What is with you was his second response, as he whirled around to face Wally and Ignazia. This was incredibly weird behavior for Wally. The coldness, well, that was her trying to keep her life compartmentalized. The public displays of affection, he could've attributed to puppy love, and maybe him missing some stuff while away.

But shoe throwing is where he drew the line.

"Keith Nicholas!" She shouted, and he literally flinched when she used his name like that - at least she hadn't used his middle name too. "You have no right telling me how to live my life-"

"Wait-"

"And how to run business after disappearing like that."

"Hey-"

"I waited very patiently for you to return or send word but you didn't say shit-"

"Well-"

"And how dare you speak to me like that!"

There was a long and awkward silence as Wally stewed in rage, Keith waited to see if she was actually done, and Ignazia stood there, most likely wondering what God he had offended so much as to get stuck in the middle of this. Keith almost felt bad for the guy. Almost.

"I...uh," Keith said, scratching the back of his neck as the minutes wore on. The words which usually came so easily seemed to be insistent on sitting this one out, leaving him to stutter and flounder as he worked desperately to force his jumbled thoughts into semi-coherent sentences. "I mean...I guess...I, I'm sorry?" He said finally.

He exhaled heavily, and with the breath came words. Sweet, beautiful words. "I guess it didn't really occur to me? You seemed so much more...able to handle yourself after Australia, with all the enterprising, and the solo business deals, and heck even talking to people who weren't me, so it's not like you needed my help, so I guess I just figured you'd prefer I let you do your own thing until I got back. Uh..." He paused, face scrunching up in concentration as he searched for what the outburst was saying in between the lines, so to speak. "Did you want to tell me about...this?" He asked, motioning at Ignazia. "Cause I think it's great, and totally cool and all, go you, if I was into the guys I'm sure I'd find Ignazia very attractive, but don't get any ideas dude, I'm strictly for the ladies. So...yeah."

He was sputtering out a response but Wally had no intention of being steamrolled, so she pressed on with her vocal crusade. Wally would not, could not, be derailed from her purpose. Not now, not ever.

She did not expect such a mild response from him. His words, expressions - all of it was much more temperate than the Keith Nicholas who had always seemed so unreasonably loud natured and exuberant. Reserved really wasn't his thing.

Even the length of time he put between his confused apology and her harsh words was strange. Keith Nicholas was... hesitating? It just didn't seem right - which made Wally all the more frustrated.

She bristled as almost palpable waves of heat radiated from her body. The other boy almost all but forgotten to her as she focused on Keith. It was for this reason that she was confused as Keith prompted her to speak about the boy. She looked at the stranger and shrugged. "I don't know what this is. I've never seen This before."

She turned to him. "Don't get all cocky. I don't NEED your help with the business. I don't NEED you around I just..." She paused and drew up her shoulders, making herself look and feel tough to compensate for the lame stuff she was about to say. "I just like having you around."