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[amicably_absent]

The room had been neatened, but for the sake of the sanctity of the suite and bedroom, they were working in the lab.

And if there has ever been anything more frightening than a headcase in a leather apron, gloves, welding mask and wielding a cutting torch, it's not in the nearby vicinity. He has an assistant nearby, making sure he doesn't hurt himself, but he cutting through pieces of steel and nearly done with this part.

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[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"Ambrose?" He looks around, turning in a circle and looking himself over. "Oh! Metal stress testing! No, not Ambrose," he grins. "Ambrose seems to have bailed out on us..."

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

He hides his face with both hands and groans behind them in frustrated defeat. "How come I always mess things up with you guys!?"

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"We mess things up between ourselves, what makes you think you should be so special as to not mess things up," Glitch huffs.

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

He sighs, dropping his hands away from his face and gives Glitch a tired look. "I don't know? I really don't know how Dad keeps you guys so... zen."

That's a little something he picked up from one of the princesses. He's just as impressed as she was, when she used said expression in a very similar fashion.

"We were sort of talking, me and Ambrose... About relationships."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"Ha! You didn't see me and Ambrose throwing stuff and hitting each other the other night!" Glitch pulls down the welding mask and picks up the welder again, reigniting it.

"What relationships?" He starts welding two pieces back together.

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

...

...

Jeb blinks, shakes his head, and tells himself he didn't hear what he thinks he just heard. In any case, he might as well ditch his original setup and forget about ever asking Glitch or Ambrose what Wyatt needs to do to get them living together. And besides, he shouldn't be meddling in his father's business.

And besides, now that the cat's out of the bag, he might as well go with it. "Ummm, well... He seems to think me an' Raw... But we're not, not technically, and..." He sighs at the first sign of another blush coming on.

"I think he likes me."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"Of course he likes you," Glitch replied with a bright smile. "You can see it in the way he watches you. That little head tilt thing, you know," he mimics the way he tilts his head, the draw away but pushing forwards. "He's just shy. But he likes you."

He finishes the join and sets aside the welder again. "You didn't come here to ask us about Raw, did you? Something about... more time together?"

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

"That's the thing, though." He musters new resolve and stands up straighter, even if he hasn't recovered quite yet from being so very left-fielded.

"How would you tell someone you want to spend more time with them without sounding like a..." He can't find the word, but then it pops right into his head. "Like a lack-lustre fool?"

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"You say, 'Wyatt,' because if I was doing this, I'd be talking to him, you say 'Wyatt, I miss you every moment you're not there, because my heart beats only for the promise of being with you again.' But that might be a bit intense. So instead maybe ask them on a picnic, do something together and then casually drop in that you really like spending time with them and want to do it more often."

He pulls off his gloves and mask, dropping them in a pile and walking over to Jeb. "How intense is the relationship already?"

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

Glitch says intense, Jeb says schmoopy and sickly sweet and somehow just right, coming from the former Advisor to the Queen. He smiles at the notion, but it drops away the moment Glitch starts walking closer.

"I'm not sure... I mean, I wouldn't..." He ducks his head. "We're friends. Just, close friends. Close friends that sometimes look at each other like they're not. Like there's more."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"Then take him somewhere you both like, or you think you'd both like. Spend some time with him. Test the waters, see if you can enjoy doing the same things. Tell him you enjoy his company."

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

He smiles self-consciously, immeasurably intrigued by his boots. "You make it sound so easy.

"Sometimes... Sometimes, I just wanna take his hand and drag him off wherever the sun shines."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"So do it! Why not?" He grabs Jeb's hands. "It is easy. Just go up and ask him to come with you."

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

"But," Jeb protests, looking at Glitch with wide open, slightly horrified eyes. "But he's a Viewer! What if just grabbing someone is the rudest thing you could possibly do? And even if it isn't, what if he sees something in me that just...isn't... I'm not the purest of hearts out there, Glitch. I've done more bad things than I can count, I've had even worse thoughts. I don't want to scare him off."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"Look," he says firmly, bringing his hands up to Jeb's shoulders and looking him in the eye. "Viewer's are very tactile. Raw's a bit different, because he was one of Azka-Dee's viewers so being touched makes him nervous when he doesn't know someone."

He makes sure to hold that pale blue gaze. "And I know, whatever's in your heart that you think is so terrible? It isn't. We've all done things that we're not proud of. We've all had wicked thoughts, but thoughts aren't actions. You're a good man, like your father. You're a loving person, like your mother, rest her soul. And the fact that you're so worried about what you've done and how he'll react proves it. Now," he smiles slightly. "Stop finding excuses and just do it. You have nothing to lose but time with him if you don't."

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

Looking into Glitch's eyes is difficult not only because it feels as though it's a challenge (and maybe it is), but also because it's like he can tell exactly what goes on in Jeb's mind.

He sighs, returning the smile despite himself, and if his voice trembles, it's because of an entirely fresh batch of nerves. "I'm scared..." he admits quietly.

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

Glitch nods slightly and squeezes Jeb's shoulders lightly. "Of course you are. You've had a hard life and this is so different and so big... but it's not big. I promise. It seems like it will be, but it won't be. You'll ask and he'll say yes and suddenly, you'll feel like the world's biggest fool and the wisest man all at once."

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

Jeb nods, deciding that Glitch is right. He's taken so many chances with his life before, he shouldn't chicken out just because this time is different.

"...was it like that with you and Dad?"

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"Sort of..." He thinks back over it. Parts of it are spotty. "He made me feel like I was flying and had just forgotten I could do it to begin with. He never treated me like a child or a boy, and he listened. I felt closer to him than I had ever felt to anyone that I could remember. When he kissed me... it was just right. It was what was meant to be."

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

Listening to Glitch tell him his point of view, his feelings, Jeb only grows more certain that they're good for each other, him and Wyatt.

"That sounds...real nice." He smiles, reaching up to squeeze Glitch's arm. "Better than nice."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

Glitch ducks his head slightly, blushing a little. "I love him. I know I'm probably not all Adora was, and I'm a headcase, but no one else alive is going to love him like I do," he promises Jeb.

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

Jeb chuckles softly, sort of stoked he made Glitch blush. It's sweet. "Glitch?" He looks him straight in the eye, ready to dole out a little bit of wisdom of his own.

"She's my mother. You couldn't top that even if you tried. No one could." He pats his arm to soften any potential blow to his ego or self esteem. "But you're the best thing to happen to my dad in a very long time, and I don't mean that in a relative sense either. He's real happy, and I don't know what else I could ask for."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

Glitch smiles slightly, looking very pleased with this. He doesn't hear 'can't top Adora', he hears that Jeb is happy that they're together and that Wyatt is genuinely happy. "Thanks," he says softly. "You don't know how much that means to me."

[spoonfulofwit.livejournal.com]

Not like he meant it like that either, so Glitch's reaction is exactly what he expected. Or, well, very close to what he expected.

He shrugs, still smiling. "I think I have a fair enough idea. I mean, I know things have been really weird between you an' me, but I never wanted you to get the wrong impression. So if I have to be very clear about stuff, then that's what I'll be."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"I can get confused," he admits. "I'm sorry about that. I just forget what was being talked about sometimes." His gaze drifts off to the metal beams, frowning slightly.