Phos made a noise in the back of his throat, and he rapped his knuckles on the table in frustration. "Of course that girl likes you!" he said angrily, the secret forcing itself through. "She just doesn't know how to express it because she's scared. She's scared because she wants you two to mean something, but because you have this... 'player' thing going on, she doesn't believe that's a possibility!" (2000! Woo hoo!)
His eyes widened in surprise. "She does? She does? You're lying to me, right? There's no way." A grin spread across his face. "Right?"
Phos frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "Does it look like I'm lying?" he asked grumpily. (AWWWWWW)
He covered his mouth excitedly for a moment. "Wow. Y'know what? I'll show her that I can be faithful to her, and that she won't be some fling."
"Good," he said, nodding. "Because you're losing her right now. She's believing pretty profoundly that there's no hope for you two."
Phos leaned against the table, calmer since his outburst. "It's not really about showing her," he said. "I know for a fact that she really dislikes public declarations of love. That's a huge part of why she and Evan broke up, you know; he knew that she didn't want to get married, but he proposed in public, hoping that the pressure would make her say yes." He shook his head and then shrugged. "You just need to be honest with her, I would say. She appreciates that."
He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright. Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it."
"I won't try to. Trust me. This a relationship that I actually want, and not something to just fill the gap."
Phos nodded, satisfied, and returned to his chemicals, slipping his goggles back on over his eyes. Clearly, to him, the conversation was over.
Poppy returned 15 minutes later, her hair slightly frizzier than usual from sleep. Her eyes were clear, and she entered the room, smiling slightly when her gaze landed on Francis. "Hey," she said warmly when she was close enough to greet him. "Phos' stuff worked!"
She frowned, her head cocked slightly. She crossed her arms across her chest, studying him. "You doing alright?" she asked with concern.
The grin was back on her face, and she nodded. "Yep," she responded cheerfully. "I'm all good. Why? Did you want to go somewhere?"
"Not yet. I might just go back to my room for a bit. Think about things," he said, trying to plan quickly. "But I am going to the observatory again, tonight. It calms me, oddly enough."
"I'm alright. Trust me," he replied smoothly, walking towards the door. "You're free to join me again. I'd enjoy it."
