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Reed poked his head down the stairs almost as soon as Johnny and Sue got back. His polite request to have a word with her upstairs turned out to be the roof, where a pair of folding patio chairs have been set to both have a nice view of the day and shade from one of the large pieces of roof equipment that litter pretty much any given building in New York.
"It has come to my attention I owe you a conversation," Reed explains as he leads her to the quiet privacy he has arranged. "…and it occurs to me it is perhaps actually somewhat *over*due."
*
Still dressed in her fantastic uniform, Sue had originally thought that upstairs had meant the lab. Which is why, she quirks a curious eyebrow when beckoned to the rooftop. The curiosity turned to obvious delight at the view and the chairs, complete with an easy smile and a vaguely intrigued manner.
There's another quirk of Sue's eyebrow as she slips into one of the two folding chairs, and issues Reed a nearly sheepish, not-quite-assured grin. But even as she sits in the chair, her eyes trail the skyline. "The view is amazing," coming from a woman who can float on nothing. "Sometimes I forget what it looks like to just watch what's in front of me." Her lips twitch upwards in another quirk of a smile as her chin drops.
The notion of the conversation merits a bashful lidding of her eyes while faint pink hues along her cheeks. She hums quietly — agreement in nearly silent form.
"Perhaps a bit," she agrees to her feet. She forces herself to raise her chin in an effort to meet Reed's eyes. Dark eyes reflect clear warmth as she resolves to maintain that eye contact. "Although I could've initiated it as well."
*
Reed slides easily into the other chair, and seems content to be patient and let her enjoy the environment, making an agreeable noise at her observation regarding the view. "It's possible blacking out most of the lab windows was a mistake, even with good reasons," he allows, waiting for her to return to the topic at hand when she's ready.
When she does, he chuckles a little, and meets her gaze after a short delay. "I wouldn't disagree that you could have. But I believe the polite rule of thumb is first to assume is the one that should have asked?" He waves it off. "Point is… we probably should have talked about it already."
He thinks about it for a moment. "So… here, we can start with something basic and of immediate concern. Was it totally out of line?"
*
It would be easier to talk to the horizon than Reed, but the directness of the question warrants a tighter smile. A little more concealed and a little more subdued. Sue swallows hard and allows her hands to clasp lightly in her lap. "You have always managed to get to the hart of the problem head-on," while the words could be sarcastic or humoured, the tone actually hinges on appreciative, perhaps even a little jealous.
But ask a direct question, get a direct answer. "No," she finally states. "Definitely not out of line. And…" finally her eyes drift back to the skyline, "certainly what I was hoping for. I just… you just… it caught me off-guard."
There's a long pause as she watches the buildings. Her tongue rolls over her lips slowly, "When you were my TA and I was just another one of your students, do you know how hard I tried to get you to notice me?" She rolls her eyes as a large good-humoured smile edges her lips, "No one should spend that much time on their chemistry homework. It was a lot of effort. And then you did," the grin grows. "And very quickly my crush grew into something deeper."
The smile subdues some. "And then. Everything happened. And," her head lulls to the side as her eyes continue to stare at the skyline, "we needed to be a team." The smile fades as her head turns to face Reed again, "But through all of it, for the better part of several years, I've been rather hopelessly devoted to you." Her head turns back towards the skyline to let her honesty hang in the air. "There hasn't been, nor is there, anyone else."
*
To his credit, Reed lets her get the whole thing out without interrupting. But maybe the way he ends up propping his chin on his palm and smiling a little somewhere around chem class suggests it's not that hard to listen to.
"You know," he muses. "I was very happy when all that hard work paid off. Because it meant I didn't need to come up with an excuse to spend more time with you later. Or, I suppose, admit it was somthing I wanted to do."
His eyes are… subtly haunted in a way that doesn't jive with the words when he, too, brings up the Incident, though. "And then, yes… the rest. I… don't often think of it as one of the better things that have happened, but staying together certainly has made it much better," he notes, offering her his palm. And lightly kisses the back of her hand when he gets it. "I don't know I could do any of this without you, Seo." And of course he means more than just on a practical level, but there's that aspect, too.
*
The fond tug of Sue's lips indicates easy appreciation. Seo's fingers easily interlock with Reed's. And the kiss to the back of her hand earns a flicker of a smile. "I…" her smile takes on a rueful edge, "…I was scared before." It's not an admission she makes easily, but it's an honest one. She emits a soft sigh. "I'm still scared," she says quietly. "Things with us, with all four of us, they're working. I need them to work, but…" she squeezes his hand. The thought is lost to the ether and a shy smile pulls her features upwards again.
She finally turns back to face Reed again, "Control, keeping things in balance, hasn't made me terribly happy." She swallows hard. "Spending time with you, being close to you, working alongside you… that has. That does." Her smile turns oddly shy as she once again allows chin to drop towards her chest. "So no, Reed. It wasn't out of line. And it wasn't even presumptuous. I'm just sorry I've closed myself off to the possibility for… well." Her lips twitch and her smile tightens.
*
Reed squeezes her hand as she admits to the frightening aspect of the whole prospect. "Things will still work," he assures her. "I can virtually guarantee Joon and Ben have known what's going on a lot longer than we'd care to admit." He, after a sudden thought occurs to him, leans over to kiss the corner of her mouth, repeating the last time he did it, including the attendant sentiment— "Everything's going to be okay."
*
The kiss is easily returned this time, and is followed by a vague nod at the remark. Sue emits a soft sigh and leans back in her seat. Her eyes hone in on Reed's. "I know they're more than a bit aware. Joon has already, well — " she just smiles instead of finishing the thought. "And I told Ben I kissed you." While drunk. Her face flushes and her throat clears, "Sorry that I took your room. I'd intended — " her face flushes further. "I didn't have the best judgment." Her smile turns oddly secretive with just an edge of mischief.
*
Reed pats her hand, though doesn't release it as he settles back. "I don't know… it seems to have worked out," he muses with a slight grin. "Anyway… I didn't mind. Sleeping on the couch was in deference for you feelings the morning after, not out of any dislike for the… ah… other options," he finishes, a touch embarrassed to even talk around the topic. Cough.
"In any case, you shouldn't feel bad about it; unwinding now and then is good for you." Yes, he might be missing some subtext.
*
Sue's eyebrows lift and she curiously shoots him an unusual smile. Mischief creeps into her gaze and she watches him as she tries to piece together what Reed does or doesn't understand she's saying. "Reed — " Sue starts and then stops. "You could join," she tries to pull together her thoughts, "if you wanted to," her words slow considerably, "I wouldn't have felt badly the next morning. I won't." She's not saying anything well and so she finishes by saying, "No pressure."
*
Reed doesn't *quite* break down into a fit of coughing and 'yes well…ahem'-es, but it's close for a moment, and his flustered response is… okay, actually a little enduring. After a fair pause, he bites his lip, glancing at her a couple of times, and then pushes up to his ffet and offers Sue a hand up.
"How about… dinner tonight," he begins, with a slightly shy smile of his own. "And we can sneak back. Late. Annnnnd… breakfast. How's that sound?" he concludes in a wholly amusing combination of embarassed and hopeful.
*
The hand is accepted, and his shy smile earns a few anxious twitches of Seo's lips. "I.. think…" the smile gains some confidence, "that sounds perfect. And no one else will be the wiser." Slowly, carefully, she leans forward to lightly brush her lips against his. "Besides, I sneaking," her eyebrows lift, "is kind of my strength." She grins. "I bet I could sneak in. Maybe. Probably."
*
Reed accepts the kiss, using it as an exuse to pull her closer and loop his arms around her waist to return it. "You know… I think you might just pull it off," he agrees, then repeats her words.
"Noone the wiser."