neverstudied | Victory Road IC Inbox

[A little too sharply:]

It's fine. ... [He exhales slowly, and his tone evens out.] It's fine, Spengler. You didn't- I know you didn't mean anything by it.

[And he does know that, he's had years to get used to it, but fuck if it isn't difficult to deal with at times.]

I thought, with you being worried about Winston when he first got here- whatever. I was wrong.

[Egon lapses into silence, not willing to push the matter immediately. He knits his hands together, staring into the darkness that seems to stretch on for miles in the cave.

After a few moments, he quietly says:]

Do you remember when we finally met each other at the Goldenrod train station?

[He's going somewhere with this, just...yeah.]

[Venkman blinks, startled, before narrowing his eyes.]

... Yeah. 'Course I do. Why?

[Egon pauses for what feels like an eternity.]

I was unwilling to say so at the time, but...I was incredibly apprehensive about meeting you in person. I wasn't sure if you would react favorably.

[He says this with a great sense of reluctance. The only other person he even considered telling was his, well, journal, and that doesn't really count. And even though they technically met before, that was with weird body swapping.]

I probably should have confided with you at the time you expressed your previous concerns, but I didn't think my--I didn't think it was relevant.

[He didn't think his own feelings on the matter was relevant.]

Edited 2019-09-11 02:35 (UTC)

Ah.

[He stares holes into the ground as he digests this piece of information.]

I- assumed you were probably nervous, but I didn't know for sure- can't always tell with you.

I was about to go absolutely crazy, personally. Waiting to meet you again.

I find it difficult to express certain thoughts I find irrelevant. [Egon shakes his head ever so slightly.] I'm sure you've grown accustomed to it by now.

[He's not sure if he's getting anywhere with this. Egon turns to look at Venkman, raising an eyebrow.]

I'm sorry for making you wait.

I know. And- that's not your fault.

[Venkman finally glances over to meet Egon's eyes again.]

... God, why are we both so terrible at this?

...

[He lets out a quiet noise that sounds like a half-snort, half-scoff.]

It would be easy to point a finger towards absent and/or negligent parents.

[He says it in an almost humorous tone.

Almost.

Egon reaches out and gently takes Venkman's hand again, threading his fingers between his partner's.]

Perhaps that is something we need to work on.

Hey, that's definitely at least, like, a fourth of it.

[He takes the hand without complaint, squeezing it gently, and leans closer to Egon- not quite leaning against him, yet, but close.]

Fifteen years to work on it, and not a lot of progress made. Still. We were worse in college.

We've had other priorities during those fifteen years.

[...He's just realizing it's a little strange that they've been talking in a relatively dark tunnel this whole time, but it's fine.]

Besides, we haven't exactly been in a position to see a marriage counselor for a variety of reasons.

[Is Egon Spengler...making a joke???]

Edited 2019-09-11 05:05 (UTC)

[Venkman snorts, shaking his head.]

Hell of an idea. That'd probably end in disaster, both in this dimension and back home. I think I'd prefer any potential consequences in this place to our dimensions, though.

Either way, not like we're married in the first place.

[He goes predictably quiet after that.]

[Egon looks away from Venkman.]

I suppose not, no.

[Egon doesn't think to comment any further than that. As far as he's concerned, there's nothing to comment on. This is a conversation that should wait until later, when they're not trying to fumble their way out of their conversations with all the emotional maturity of schoolchildren.

....

Dammit.]

I admit, I never used to have much of an opinion on marriage. I suppose I never had a big enough sample size to draw any sort of happy conclusion from it.

The idea's grown on me, I guess. Maybe not the whole big ceremony of it, the- parading of our- of lives out in front of everyone. But the concept- I dunno. I like... [A beat. He breathes in, slowly. Out, slower.] There's something about the permanence of it- not really permanent, I know, divorce is obviously a thing, but the commitment of it- the fact that someone could look at my hand and know that someone- loves me, I guess, without knowing anything else about me.

[He looks vaguely uncomfortable even putting it into words, but Egon probably deserves to hear this. Even if he won't know what to say about it.]

There's something about that that I can't really give up on. Even back in New York. I knew it wouldn't really be possible. Closest thing would've been getting hitched to Dana and us really pushing the beard thing, but then there'd probably be unnecessary media attention, and neither of us really wanted to go through with it. Either someone- or someones- we really loved, or not at all.

It's stupid. But I couldn't give up on it, then, and I can't- I can't, now. Not when it's...

[Possible. Plausible. Doable.]

[Egon listens quietly to Venkman. The idea that someone else outside their immediate circle would be able to know that he had someone looking after him...it's frightening. Frightening, but also oddly thrilling. That the sum of all their years spent together, impossible to describe in words, can be neatly summed up with something physical.

For some reason, only now does he realize why so many people daydream about marriage.

He meets Venkman's gaze and says in a firm tone--]

I accept.

[Venkman was in the process of withdrawing back in on himself after going on that little tangent and trying to formulate an excuse for Egon to forget he ever said anything, when Egon speaks up. He tilts his head, confused.]

Accept what? The fact that your partners're sentimental saps?

I accept your proposal.

[His tone remains completely flat and unemotional as Egon stares unblinkingly down at his partner.]

You-

[Venkman gapes at him for a moment, before laughing, somewhat nervously.]

Funny, Egon. Real funny. This isn't- I mean, this is just- talking about it, not an actual- this isn't what a normal proposal is like- I don't even have rings, and you're not joking are you-

[Egon has managed something that is rarely accomplished by anyone, particularly when Venkman is sober- his face is red and he's genuinely flustered as he tries to figure out what to do about... this.]

[Egon blinks.]

You stated a desire for marriage, and I would not be opposed to the idea. Thus, I would accept this arrangement, whenever it is to occur. Rings do not matter in this situation.

[Egon tilts his head to the side, slightly bemused.]

Are you alright?

I...

[He slides down the wall to the ground, staring at his hands.]

Egon, most proposals don't take place in the middle of the night in dark caves. Except maybe some really adventurous teens trying to elope. And- there's still Ray and Winston- Ray's gonna be so upset he missed it-

[None of this is him outright saying no to Egon's proposal proposal.]

Most romantic partnerships don't take place between four adult men. I can withdraw my proposal, if you'd like.

[A pause. Egon glances over his shoulder towards the tents.]

Or we could wake up Ray.

I-

[Well there's nothing he can say to that, because Egon's right. How could Venkman have ever expected this to be normal? He's just lucky ghosts weren't involved.]

... No. No, I don't want you to withdraw it. I... really want this. I just really wasn't expecting to get engaged when I fell asleep last night.

... If Ray's pissed, then you're taking the blame.

[Egon offers a hand to help Venkman up.]

Come on.

[A pause.]

Are we...supposed to propose two more times for each partner?

I have no idea. I was basically planning to propose en masse, to all three of you at once, but this puts a wrench into that plan.

[He takes Egon's hand again, and just... holds it.]

We're engaged.

[Stating the obvious, yes, but there's something vaguely awed in his tone. Then:]

Was this an elaborate plan to make me stop thinking about the shit you were worried about earlier?

There's still no reason you wouldn't be able to do that. We still need rings. Of course, it would be more of a formality, but...most such things relating to romantic relationships are just formalities.

[Egon stares down at Venkman's hand intertwined in his. A surge of unidentified emotion in his chest makes it suddenly difficult to breathe. He's fairly certain, however, that the emotion is positive.]

What? No. You were the one who chose to speak about your desire to marry.

... All good points.

[The gears in his head are already turning to figure out how he can make Proposal Round 2 go off without a hitch.

When they get back to the tents, Venkman hesitates, frowning.]

... You wanna break the news, or should I?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject