[ This is literally the worst timing for all of this to be happening right now. Of all the Meet and Greet events for him to decide he needs to attend - because city administration is changing and that's an important thing to be aware of when the responsibility of carrying out everyone's incentives is being passed on to someone new.
Especially when he's very heavily contemplating whether or not he still wants his original incentive granted at all.
His mouth suddenly feels a little dry. ]
I... right now? I've— [ Fuck, he's the worst person on the planet. ] I've got some things I need to take care of right now, but... later. I can see you later tonight.
[Dennis hasn't been to one of those since... Halloween. Or the one near then. He can't remember exactly, just that he got super drunk and made out furiously with Joe and they got hot and bothered and he probably begged Joe to fuck him right then and there in the maze.
Bless Joe he had the restraint and respect to not do that, not even when they got to Dennis' place later on. Joe is too good to him. Too good for him.]
Y-Yeah... later.
[There's a sniff, but then he's breathing in, breathing out, a little shaky, but he's okay. He's okay he's got this.]
Joe... if I ever wanted to leave, I'd let you know. You'd be the first. Days, weeks ahead. I wouldn't just disappear on you. Promise.
[ Joe's... probably not good for anyone, so he's certainly not too good. He's trying, though, he really is. To be a better person than he used to be, a better man, even if so far he's been nothing but shit at it when it comes to everything with Dennis.
There's a weird heaviness that settles in his chest when he hears Dennis sniff. He's not sure if he's crying, but it's close enough and the idea that he might be twists him up a little inside. He listens to him breath, listens to him trying to keep himself calm. ]
... Yeah. [ There's another extended pause here. He wants to say that he that when he leaves, he'll tell Dennis too, but - he's not sure it's a when anymore, so all he says instead is: ] Me too.
[ Dennis can't see it, but Joe cards his fingers through his hair, his fingers splayed across the back of his head. ]
I'll call you... tonight. Is that okay? I won't be that late.
[He's not crying, he won't allow himself to. He's never really been ashamed of crying before, but he feels like he does it so much around Joe that it's probably become ridiculous at this point. He doesn't want to make Joe feel sorry for him, he doesn't want to make him feel guilty. Not anymore, now that he's realized that's what he's been doing all along.
So he answers with a soft noise of confirmation. That's fine, Joe can call him, he'll be awake, no doubt for quite a while.]
[ As much as he hates to do this, as much as the timing of all of this is total shit, he's already running a little bit late. He's not too upset about it, but the changing of city representatives is a fairly important thing, now that he's been thinking about changing his incentive to something a lot more serious than stopping some asshole from stealing his design. He needs to know who's in charge, who he needs to talk to, who he can trust to make sure he gets exactly what he wants.
Once he figures out what that is, anyway.
He does want to see Dennis, though. He means that. ]
[Late? He doesn't want to know right now. Whatever it was, Joe could handle it and they could talk later. In person or not. It's not a proper goodbye, but he hesitates on saying more than that, before hanging up]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Especially when he's very heavily contemplating whether or not he still wants his original incentive granted at all.
His mouth suddenly feels a little dry. ]
I... right now? I've— [ Fuck, he's the worst person on the planet. ] I've got some things I need to take care of right now, but... later. I can see you later tonight.
[ Joe wets his lips. Should he just... not go? ]
I promise.
no subject
Bless Joe he had the restraint and respect to not do that, not even when they got to Dennis' place later on. Joe is too good to him. Too good for him.]
Y-Yeah... later.
[There's a sniff, but then he's breathing in, breathing out, a little shaky, but he's okay. He's okay he's got this.]
Joe... if I ever wanted to leave, I'd let you know. You'd be the first. Days, weeks ahead. I wouldn't just disappear on you. Promise.
no subject
There's a weird heaviness that settles in his chest when he hears Dennis sniff. He's not sure if he's crying, but it's close enough and the idea that he might be twists him up a little inside. He listens to him breath, listens to him trying to keep himself calm. ]
... Yeah. [ There's another extended pause here. He wants to say that he that when he leaves, he'll tell Dennis too, but - he's not sure it's a when anymore, so all he says instead is: ] Me too.
[ Dennis can't see it, but Joe cards his fingers through his hair, his fingers splayed across the back of his head. ]
I'll call you... tonight. Is that okay? I won't be that late.
no subject
So he answers with a soft noise of confirmation. That's fine, Joe can call him, he'll be awake, no doubt for quite a while.]
Okay. I'll keep my phone with me.
no subject
Once he figures out what that is, anyway.
He does want to see Dennis, though. He means that. ]
Okay... good. [ A pause. ] Listen, Den', I've— I'm already late...
no subject
[Late? He doesn't want to know right now. Whatever it was, Joe could handle it and they could talk later. In person or not. It's not a proper goodbye, but he hesitates on saying more than that, before hanging up]
no subject
[ But that's all he can get out before the dial tone interrupts him.
Oh.
:( ]