potassiumboron

~I'm drinking coffee on a trampoline~
Original poster
MYTHICAL MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. Multiple posts per day
  2. 1-3 posts per day
  3. One post per day
Online Availability
3pm - 1am (GMT / BST)
Writing Levels
  1. Beginner
  2. Elementary
  3. Intermediate
  4. Adept
  5. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Nonbinary
  4. Transgender
  5. No Preferences
Genres
Monsters, supernatural, fantasy, romance, criminality, slice-of-life (modern or set in past, usually with some twists)
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Life for Ethan Dyer hadn't been the greatest for the last few years. At one time in his life, everything had been going perfectly for him, where his only troubles had been balancing his active social life with maintaining his good grades at school. He had thriving friendships, a boyfriend he loved and, he felt, a good future ahead of him.

All that changed when he discovered that he wasn't strictly normal, and his problems went from dragging himself out of bed on a school morning to trying to make sure nobody around him realised he could manipulate fire. After an unfortunate accident that ended in his next-door neighbour's death, Ethan's mental health suffered. The emotional strength it took to overcome that and continue to act as though everything was fine just wasn't something he had in him. He managed to act normally at school, but his parents were witness to how different their son was becoming. One suicide attempt later, and he was institutionalised for his own good.

Not that the hospital helped him all that much. Unable to talk about what the problem with him was, he was prescribed pills and the problem never really went away. He had to deal with it by himself, and he chose to deal with it the only way he knew of at the time - by pretending he was normal and avoiding situations that would anger him into responding with literal fire.

For two years, Ethan stayed in the hospital, only to be left alone without a single visit from anyone other than his parents. Having been so popular before his institutionalisation, the boy naively clung to the hope that he would receive a visit from his friends and if not them, then, at the very least, Arie. His boyfriend was his best friend, having been at his side since they were 8. If nobody else would visit him after his attempted suicide, he fully expected Arie would... and it was that that really started to twist Ethan's view of the world. He had attempted suicide for a variety of reasons, one major one being his inability to deal with what he was because of the threat he posed to people, even strangers, around him. However, if those closest to him couldn't be bothered to care about him, he started to realise that strangers probably wouldn't give a shit either - so why was he bothering to care about their wellbeing?

For the last week, returning to school only cemented his decision not to care about anyone. The reaction of not only his friends but every student who remembered him spoke volumes. He was either completely avoided or glanced at with unsubtle whispers about who he was, where he had been for the last two years and how 'weird' he now was. It was hardly a confidence boost, yet he was almost glad that he received the response he did. It consolidated everything he had started to think, and was the catalyst into him finally accepting himself and what he could do.

Walking into school that morning was one of the most joyous occasions in his life. The news of his crime was on everyone's lips - how a horrid fire had ripped apart the local store and taken the lives of several, injuring even more. It was a terrible accident, one that the city wouldn't forget in a hurry. Even though nobody knew it was him, Ethan was fine with that for now. The experience had been one that he enjoyed because, for once, he was happy with who he was, and that was invaluable to his mental health. He fully accepted what he could do and who he was - surely that wasn't a bad thing?

Seeing how affected everyone around him was was also deeply satisfying, especially when, for once, nobody seemed to whisper about him. Instead, they were unknowingly whispering about something he had done, and that was at least something he could take pride in. The sight of Arie walking through the corridor with all their old friends, however, did sap his good mood, turning his back and tugging his hood up to avoid catching the eye of his ex-boyfriend. Every day for the last week, he had been tempted to simply set them all on fire and watch them burn. He was planning to do that eventually, but not yet, and he didn't want to be provoked into unleashing that plan early. Thus, avoiding Arie's eyes and therefore avoiding getting enraged by him was probably for the best.
 
Much like Ethan, the last week of school had been hell. There were already plenty of stressors in his life, what with his job his home life and school all being heavy. The only thing that helped him,lcwas the fact that he had his boyfriend, Jason, to help comfort him. He was no Ethan, and he knew no one would be like the Ethan he remembered before the suicide attempt, but it was... good enough. A lot of his life had been settling as of recent, and that was just another thing to add to the list.

Hearing Ethan had returned initially filled him with joy... until seeing the other boy. He remembered Ethan as the smiling, laughing boy he grew up with. To see him now, ralther pale and clearly upset was a big flip. It was then that the guilt really set in, and he has been feeling that way since.

One of the pluses to Ethan being back and burning the local store down, though, was deciding fighting whoever was causing this would be a good distraction from everything. He didn’t say anything to Jason about it but Arie was someone to look at the very details. He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but he could at least pick up on context. So, when seeing Ethan’s smug expression as a kid watched the news report from her phone, he decided to get the first burst of confidence in a hot minute and approached his former boyfriend.

“... hey,” he greeted quietly, though didn’t sit down beside the other. “You... look happy. That’s nice. Can we... can we talk, maybe?”
 
Having been completely ignored by his former boyfriend and best friend for the last week, the last thing Ethan expected (or wanted) was to be approached by him. Even though it hurt for the first day or two to be avoided by someone he once cared so much about, he realised eventually that that was for the best. Being around Arie would only make him angry, and he really didn't want people to see him completely lose his shit. It would only reveal to everyone what he could do, and until he found a good disguise, he didn't want anyone to see what he could do and survive to tell the tale. It was just easier to avoid using it around people who would live to recall it.

So, having Arie approach him was a potential recipe for disaster, and it took everything he had not to immediately set the boy on fire. Instead, he stayed silent as he got to his feet to search through his locker. He didn't need to, but it was an excuse not to turn to face the other. Inevitably, he had to compose himself enough to turn back towards him, only to realise he hadn't exactly done the best job of preparing himself when his instant reaction was to shove the other away from him.

"...Why do you want to talk to me? You had two years to talk to me when I was having pills shoved down my throat at that hospital. I'm not crazy; I was depressed. I could have done with the fucking support, Arie-- is that what you want to talk about? How bad you feel? Fuck your feelings, I don't give a shit," he spat, clenching his fists at his sides, too angry to realise he was full on yelling at the other. Not that he remotely cared about that, really. "...Just leave me alone, you're making me angry and I don't think I won't my good mood to be ruined by you of all people."
 
Physically wincing at the yelling as just a natural reflex, he let the other speak first. He had learned that interrupting someone who was clearly frustrated only ended in tears for everyone involved. So, after letting the other yell at him (despite it making him feel like shit in more ways than one), he awkwardly rubbed his arm as he tried to come up with something to say.

“Look, you know that it wasn’t that easy for me. There’s just... stuff that you wouldn’t understand, that’s why I couldn’t see you,” he explained with a nervous chuckle. “I’m not telling you to stop being angry at me, I get it. I’m an asshole and I didn’t treat the situation well and I’m sorry. Just - I wish you would have told me why you did it, Ethan,” he admitted once his attempt to stay on track failed. He was an emotional person and he wasn’t very good at beating around the bush more often than not. While he had genuinely approached to comment on the smile, he couldn’t help but grow teary-eyed and nervous as he fiddled with his hands in an attempt to distract from the sudden urge to use his own powers.

“I’d rather we talk this out. I’ve been avoiding you because I’m scared. This isn’t the you I remember, and... Jason says I should avoid you but I can’t do that. Like... seeing you smile at destruction isn’t like you,” he commented quietly with a nervous smile. “I don’t want to stop being friends, I guess - I know it’s different. I’m sorry...”
 
"...I don't think it's any of your business why I tried to kill myself. You don't have to be all subtle about it. Everyone knows I tried to off myself, Arie, it's not a secret. At least be blunt about it. You had two years to come and ask me. Besides, I failed. I'll have to work on tying knots if I think about doing it again," he shrugged casually, the dark topic not exactly affecting him too much. He had no intentions of hurting himself like that again, though Arie hardly deserved that comfort. Causing him a little distress was a) enjoyable, and b) what he deserved. At least, it was perfectly fine in Ethan's mind.

The fact Arie seemed to have noticed his smugness regarding the arson caused a chuckle to leave his lips. He didn't want to show Arie any expression or sound of amusement or happiness, because he didn't deserve to witness that, but it was hard hiding the enjoyment he was garnering at the other's worry and fear. His parents were exactly the same way with him lately, and however weird it was, he did enjoy that. It made him feel like he was doing something right for the first time in his life, and if he scared people, that was better than being ignored and overlooked.

"Destruction? You mean that arson attack down in that store? The cunts probably deserved it, Arie. I find that funny, sure. Does that scare you?" He challenged calmly, glancing behind the other at the group of friends wearily observing the exchange. "...I don't want to be friends with you. I don't want to be friends with anyone-- people suck. You can't trust them. Those folks at the store were probably assholes."
 
“They were innocent people,” he corrected quickly as his own eyes darted to the group of people, though they returned to Ethan just as fast. “No one deserves to die like that for just walking into a store, Ethan. They... were just shopping. What happened to you? People don’t deserve to die willy-nilly, t-that... look. I’m not going to give up on trying to mend whatever it is we have left. I know you want to burn bridges but I’m not going to let you do that in our last year of school,” he declared firmly before offering one last smile, completely unaware of his unintentional pun.

He was clearly either embarrassingly naive or dangerously hopeful for thinking things would get fixed as easily as he thought though it proved just how bad the guilt hit him. With that, he hurried to rejoin the group with pursed lips, shooting the other occasional glances before he was led away by Jason.

“Was I too harsh? Should I have talked about something else? Fuck, I fucked up, didn’t I?” He whispered, moreso to himself than the others. “This isn’t right. This isn’t him. I want to help him, at least before he goes off to college,” he explained with sniffles, his hands trembling as he tried to rub the sudden cold out of them.
 
"He seems like a nutter," commented Jason bluntly, having no reason not to speak so rudely about Ethan. He wasn't naive; he could tell that his boyfriend still held a torch for his former friend, so speaking as rudely about him whilst having a group of people around to back up his assertion would (hopefully) help convince Arie that he was wasting his time. Besides, he wasn't necessarily making things up to twist his mind; he genuinely thought that Ethan was a complete weirdo who was best left to his own devices, rather than be pursued. He was weird and creepy, and he didn't want his boyfriend near him. If anything, he felt he was protecting him, even though he knew he'd feel the same even if Ethan was perfectly cheerful and happy.

"Really, babe, he seems like he's got a few screws loose," he continued slowly, to the agreement of the friends around them who hurriedly nodded, eager to cut their association with Ethan as soon as possible. It was only Arie that really wanted to build a friendship back and apologise for his mistakes. Everyone else seemed eager to distance themselves. It wasn't necessarily because they found the boy weird. It was more to do with reputation, and Ethan's was currently so bad that avoiding him was the only way to continue to maintain theirs.

"Let's just get to class. Art's always pretty chilled, it'll be nice. Forget about him, please? He's... probably doing this for attention. It's kinda working. It's best to ignore him. He'll realise he's wasting his time and then he'll come around, promise."

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“I guess you’re right,” he lied as he followed along, going as far as offering a halfhearted smile. Entwining their fingers, he pressed close for well-needed physical contact. If it was up to him, he would spend all day in Jason’s home and just cuddle the man. The one plus of having Arie as a boyfriend, especially during particularly hot days, he was a living freezer and pressing against any part of his skin could help with a fever instantly. He would simply claim it was because he was just sick most of the time, of course.

“I guess I’m just worried about him. He’s changed so much, it’s... unsettling,” he explained honestly as he trailed alongside his boyfriend. “I know I shouldn’t care and that he’s going through some shit but I didn’t help him, you know? I feel guilty. I could have at least visited him - I’m sorry,” he quickly murmured before rummaging through his pockets to blow his nose with a sniffle.

“... could I come to your house tonight?” He questioned after a moment, his cheeks growing rosy. “I’m sorry. Just... this is all stressful, I guess. I got some cash so I could get us some cheap food to make it up for you,” he offered desperately.
 
However irked he got with Arie when the boy started to whine about his ex-boyfriend almost instantly disappeared when the topic changed, smiling easily at the proposal. He knew enough about Arie's home-life to know that he didn't want him being there, and he had tried countless times to convince him to tell someone about it, though Arie seemingly wasn't prepared to do that, for whatever reason. Deciding not to bring that up, he simply gave his hand a squeeze and nodded his agreement. If anything, spending some quality alone time with his boyfriend would help distract Arie from everything else going on in his life, particularly the Ethan issue.

What he hadn't anticipated was Ethan approaching them at the end of the day just before they got into Jason's car. The sight of Ethan coming over immediately alerted Jason, preparing himself to protect Arie from some vile words, or another hard push. In fact, he would have preferred that over the polite smile Ethan instead offered across.

"...I was thinking about your offer about moving on, Arie. I... my therapist said it's not wise to hold onto things, that's how dark thoughts grow or whatever-- how about a movie or something, tonight? You can bring your boyfriend if you like, I don't mind. I... just want to move on, I think," smiled Ethan, fiddling with the straps of his backpack. He had no intention moving on, of course, and it was taking every fibre of his being continuing the charade, even if it had only been a few seconds in. He didn't really know what spurred him into heading over and suggesting the movie idea, but he decided that it would be a good move for him. He had a mask at home prepared for his first real attack, and he couldn't think of anyone else better to witness it firsthand than Arie.

"There's this cool horror movie out, I figured it'd be neat to go to it, and I don't want to go alone. I don't... have many friends these days, and you said you wanted to still be friends, so... look, if that's weird, that's fine. I'm not the most popular kid around here anymore, so... sorry for asking, I... sorry."
 
Having fully intended on making out with Jason once alone, that intention was ceased when Ethan cut them off. Naturally hesitant, he looked to Jason for any input and, when none was given, he offered a small smile and a nod toward his ex. It wasn’t really what he wanted to do on a selfish level but the sight tugged on his heartstrings too much not to say yes.

“Sure!” He replied cheerfully as he adjusted himself in his seat, his smile growing bigger a tad. “Yeah, that sounds nice. What time? We can smuggle in some snacks if you’d like - do you still like Milk Duds? Maybe this’ll be fun! I... I really want you two to get along,” he insisted and went as far as to nudge Jason a bit.

“I’m glad you’re giving me a chance again, Ethan,” he insisted, his tone softening as did his smile. “You know I’m not one for horror but I’ll go if it’ll make you welcome again. We’ll get people liking you again in no time,” he insisted before strapping himself in safely.
 
"I don't know why they stopped liking me, I... didn't do anything to them--"

"I can probably answer that for you," piped Jason, rolling his eyes when he realised he couldn't exactly come out with the truth. Well, he could, but it'd just provoke Arie into telling him off for it later on, and he didn't want to deal with being chastised if it could be avoided. However, it was tempting to put Ethan in his place, especially when Jason didn't trust him and found him weird. Instead, he offered a thin-lipped smile as Ethan offered the details up, which he took note of. He didn't want to go to the cinema, but he was prepared to do that, rather than let Arie go alone. He trusted him completely, but he wasn't stupid. He knew he still cared for Ethan, and he didn't want sympathy or guilt to result in a kiss. If he was there, he could at least stop that.

He assumed Ethan's intentions were romantic, unaware that Ethan wasn't entirely planning on anything that innocent.

"Why the fuck did we agree to come again? He's, like, ten minutes late. The movie's about to start," he groaned once at the movie a few hours later, grumpily slumped in his chair whilst glancing around at the room full of people for any glimpse of Ethan, scowling more and more when he realised he wasn't there. He ought to be happy about it -and he was- but he knew Arie would only be upset, and he hardly wanted to see his boyfriend upset over someone he deemed inconsequential. "Babe, it's... fine, yeah? We'll enjoy the movie, fuck him. It's like a cute date night or whatever. Ethan being a third-wheel wasn't something I was looking forward to, obviously, so this worked out great for us," he beamed, wrapping an arm around the smaller teen's shoulders with another of his playful winks. His sudden focus on Arie, in an effort to cheer him up, meant he failed to notice a hooded figure make his entrance and head to the back row. That in itself wasn't strange. The fact he had a mask covering his face, however, was.

Ethan wasn't really sure how to proceed, especially now that he was hesitating. It was one thing causing an accident in the store, having done so suddenly without really thinking, but this was pre-meditated and he couldn't reassure himself later by telling himself it was a spur of the moment decision made out of spontaneity. He had thought about this for hours and turned up to finish it, but his hesitation wasn't expected, and for a good five minutes, he sat physically fidgeting, nervously debating what to do. It was only when a few teens near him chose to whisper about him, going as far as to throw some popcorn at the 'weirdo in a mask', that he made his decision. Their stupid joke essentially confirmed his theory that people were jerks, and cemented the fate of several in the screening room.

"You all should probably get a move on, I'm going to burn this place down and I'm a nice guy, I'm giving y'all a warning," he called out easily, manipulating his voice just a little. He wouldn't have bothered masking it, but with Arie present, he hardly wanted to be found out by him this early on. Plopping back into his seat, he quietly placed his feet up while starting the fire beside him, which, at his will, quickly spread. He wasn't so sadistic that the sounds of screams made him happy, but, reminding himself that people deserved it, he could at least relax back comfortably without much remorse.
 
The minute he smelled the burning did Arie get to his feet in horror. Tugging Jason to his feet, he took in the packed seats in fear as people pushed past. While initially hesitant, he pushed Jason into the crowd of people to be safely taken out of harms way to leave him behind. If he was alone he could safely put out the fire without being seen and could eagerly slip out of the theater as if nothing happened, and that was his intentions.

Stepping back from the door, his eyes immediately met with the villain. Being someone with powers himself, it wasn’t hard to tell that, that was exactly the case. Nervously shifting his feet to break the ice around his ankles, he hesitated. If he did this, it would expose his powers. So, instead of going through with properly putting out the fire, he bolted once everyone else was out.

“Did someone call the fire department? We gotta go, Jason,” he quickly insisted, tugging his boyfriend lightly on the wrist.
 
Jason's instant reaction was to grab who he was with and get the hell out, like everyone else in the theatre. That took a small break the moment he got to the door and glanced back, catching sight of Ethan casually laid out whilst on fire. The sight would have horrified Jason, had he not noticed the fact that Ethan wasn't in any pain, and nor was there any sign of his clothes (or the skin on show) burning. In fact, Ethan (not that he knew it was him) was perfectly relaxed, even managing a cocky wave over to Jason once spotting him staring over in confusion and horror.

"He... He's not fucking burning," he blurted, coming to his senses the moment he was nudged to get a move on. By the time he broke out of his daze, Ethan had made an exit through another door and, with the flames spreading fast, Jason only resumed talking when safely outside, observing the blaze take hold of the building.

"...He wasn't... He wasn't burning, Arie. I... You saw that, right? He was... fine," he grimaced, leaning on his car for support and, after coughing hard into his fist, frowned deeply again once remembering Ethan. "He... He's not in there, right? Do you have his number or something? I... don't like the guy, but I don't want him to... to be in there, when this is happening."
 
“Yeah, I’ll call him,” he replied quietly, his own reaction more of anger than fear, surprisingly. Here comes this guy with super powers, casually trying to hurt people, unafraid of his powers under the protection of a mask. Meanwhile, he was left frozen in fear, no pun intended, when he could be helping rather than watching the cinema burn down. Looking away shamefully, he quickly tapped at the number he remembered in hopes of getting Ethan to pick up.

“... you’re safe, right?” He whispered to Jason with a growing frown, only cringing when hearing the familiar sirens in the distance. The last thing he wanted was to be in one of those blankets and cared for when all he wanted was to go home. “God, this was a nightmare. I promise to make up with a better date, okay? We can go home and just... relax.”
 
"I'm... I'm fine, my chest feels a little tight but... but I'm fine. Don't focus on me, just... I'm fine--"

"Arie?" Ethan answered down the phone, after a good few seconds of letting it ring. He didn't really want Arie to call him, unless it was to scream down the phone in fear. A small part of him, though, was also scared. He didn't want anyone knowing he was doing this, because being thrown in a high security cell for the rest of his life wasn't his idea of fun. He assumed Arie had somehow worked it out and was calling to yell at him to explain what the hell was happening but, on the off chance he was just being paranoid, he decided to play up a part.

"A-Arie, fuck, I... I-- shit, I can't-- my phone's cracking up, I can't hear you-- there's a fucking fire in here, don't go to the theatre, alright? I don't know where you are, just don't come to the cinema, someone's-- it's all on fire," he babbled, managing to sound suitably panicked, holding the phone to one ear whilst his spare hand tugged off his hoodie and mask. Now they weren't on him, they were susceptible to damage from the fire, but that hardly mattered. If anything, burning them was probably for the best.

"...I-I... I'm fucking... I think I can get out, just don't come here, alright? I... I think the fire engine's here, I'll be alright-- stay on the phone, please? I... I need you to talk to me or I'm going to lose my mind."
 
"You're in the theater? That can't be," he quickly replied as he shot Jason a wary look. Getting to his feet, he motioned the other to stay as he hurried towards the entrance. He didn't know how he would do it subtly but he bolted into the theater quickly enough before the police and fire department showed up. Sure, he wasn't very happy with Ethan and his behavior but no one deserved to die in a fire. So, with steam trailing off him as he used his powers to keep from burning alive, he was pretty exhausted nonetheless once properly in the theater to find Ethan.

"Fuck - come on!" He ordered quickly in panic. He was sweating from the heat but not dead, which would probably seem strange to most. He would just blame it on fast moving and whatnot in the end because it was a natural talent of his. "Are you okay? Hold on, I'll carry you. When did you get in here? It had to be after - " he began, only to cough hard at the smoke that suddenly hit his lungs. Desperately trying to pick up Ethan in genuine fear for the other, he offered a wary smile. "Can we hurry up, please?"
 
Ethan wanted to stir up some fear and perhaps even a little worry, because he felt he deserved a little attention and because he didn't really like Arie, so causing him some emotional stress was always a good thing. In no way did he want him to actually head in after him, and he hadn't even planned for it. He didn't know Arie had powers, after all, and so he was hardly going to assume his ex-friend would run into a burning building to save him. When he did, it probably explained how Ethan was stood rooted to a corner, not appearing trapped by anything in particular.

Seeing Arie didn't fill him with warmth at seeing his ex risk his life for his. If anything, seeing him just filled him with anger and disgust, which he couldn't really hide from appearing on his face.

"...Why are you still alive, Arie? Why aren't you curled up in a ball, gasping for breath and preparing for fucking death? It doesn't make sense," he mumbled, staring at the other in complete confusion. Only when he realised his own behaviour was strange did he jerk into action, scrambling to his feet and making an effort to avoid the flames on his way out. They couldn't harm him, but walking through them would probably give the game away. "Fucking hurry up, Arie-- here, grab my hand, yeah? Cover your mouth or the smoke will get to you, just-- try and be quick."
 
"It doesn't matter, what matters is that you're alive," he managed to say through his sore throat and heavy coughing. He had never done anything like this so naturally, he didn't really think of the consequences that came with running into the fire. He wasn't going to set into flames, nor was his clothes going to burn, but he'd be lying if he said the smoke and the heat alone weren't dizzying. He latched onto Ethan nonetheless, not really sure who was dragging who out of the theater.

Once out, Arie collapsed to his knees in a fit of harsh coughing and wheezing. Outside of the edge of his sleeves, he was externally fine, though his powers were subtle enough by the fact that he was still in clear pain, just.. not as bad as it could be. Once gaining his balance, he immediately looked at Ethan warily. He didn't seem to be hurt by the flames somehow which was suspicious in itself, though he didn't have time to focus on that when a firefighter quickly attended to him to make sure he was alright.
 
"You're actually an idiot. Why didn't you let the firefighters deal with it, they would have got to him in time-- you're an idiot." Jason reiterated as he leaned against the ambulance while his boyfriend got checked over, the comments made purely because he had been terrified, rather than out of genuine anger. Once he managed to calm down enough to notice there were no burns on him, he offered a supportive smile and moved to sit beside him. "You can't just go dashing in there, you're not invincible-- and he's fine, right? The firefighters would have gotten to him-- but look, it's all good. Nobody died, so it's... it's fine--"

"Funny how you didn't get burned though, isn't it? I was hiding away from the flames; you probably had to run through some to get to me, and there's not a mark on you? I'm not interrogating, I just find it... odd," smiled Ethan from the side, having shooed away one of the people trying to check him over once assuring them he was fine. Instead, his focus was on Arie. He didn't want to spend that much time with him, but he now had a reason to - something wasn't adding up and it obviously intrigued him. However, pretending that everything was fine wasn't something he wanted to do. It felt fake, and he wasn't entirely comfortable pretending he was someone he wasn't. That was the whole reasoning behind his suicide attempt; that he couldn't cope pretending any longer. Doing that now with Arie wasn't exactly helpful for his mental health, but, given the sudden curiosity he had in Arie, it was necessary, however detrimental it might end up being.

"...Ignore me, I'm... still in shock," he weakly laughed, coughing hard into his hand with ease. "...You guys are alright, yeah? I... I could have died in there, that was... Arie, I... don't know how to... thank you? I, uh... could buy you lunch tomorrow at school? That's probably all I can afford to do right now, aha..."
 
"You don't have to thank me, just... don't stay in a burning building," he countered, his throat sore as he spoke. Rubbing said throat warily, he thanked the firefighter for a bottle of water handed over to him and took a well-needed gulp. With his own suspicious glances toward Ethan, he replied by offering a smile... even if it was forced. He wanted to ask Ethan as well about how he mysteriously appeared in the theater despite staying behind to make sure everyone was safe, or how he hadn't gotten a single burn. He instead decided to leave it at that.

"I wish this went better," he admitted to the other with a nervous laugh. "Look, let's... pretend this never happened, okay? I'm fine, you're fine, it... probably wasn't a good movie anyway, right?" He attempted to rationalize before shimmying off the blanket given to him to at least attempt to pretend everything was fine. "You don't have to pay for lunch, I just want you to know that I still care about you, obviously..."