{"id":312,"date":"2016-10-19T06:57:34","date_gmt":"2016-10-19T10:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/?p=312"},"modified":"2023-05-26T10:29:58","modified_gmt":"2023-05-26T14:29:58","slug":"a-purveyor-of-tragedy-and-all-the-things-that-follow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/312\/","title":{"rendered":"a purveyor of tragedy, and all the things that follow"},"content":{"rendered":"

You get the door open and he slams you against it, the light from the hall shining on half your face. He kisses down your neck and you wrap your legs around him, moaning, trying not to sound too<\/em> happy (even though you are.) His hands find your thighs near the strap of your garter, under your dress, tied to the top of your thigh highs; he holds you in place and kisses around your clavicle and his arms are warm around you.<\/p>\n

This is when you let your head turn. Mark is sitting in the hall of your apartment, like he was this morning, the shadow of his profile illuminated outside light. He looks at you, and when he notices you noticing him, he comments, \u201cClassy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eduardo\u2019s lips detach from your neck. \u201cWho\u2019s that?\u201d he asks, hot breath in your space, against your cheek.<\/p>\n

You turn back to him, kiss his chin, his jaw, the length of his neck. \u201cA roommate,\u201d you lie, and he breathes, \u201cOkay,\u201d before hiking you up, your legs tight around his waist. He walks you both backward which is unbelievably hot, and you cling to him, arms around his neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cBedroom\u2019s that way,\u201d says Mark\u2019s voice somewhere behind the both of you, but you ignore him; it\u2019s not like either of you can see him in your dark apartment, anyway. You push absently at the door of the room that\u2019s yours. Eduardo gets his hand on the knob, still barely holding you up, and straddles you both in and onto your bed.<\/p>\n

Tonight you are maybe louder than usual, when Eduardo ducks his head between your thighs, when he is hot inside you, pushing at you with gentleness and tenderness that you have to press the heels of your feet at his ass to fuck him harder. He is nothing like Mark was in bed (nervous, wiry, determined), but you think of Mark in the hallway, and you moan louder than you normally would, pant Eduardo\u2019s name between each of your thrusts, don\u2019t try to stifle your cries by digging your teeth into Eduardo\u2019s shoulder. You don\u2019t think too much of it, but as you fuck Eduardo you think of Mark.<\/p>\n

You want to put on a show for him.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

In the morning, her alarm wakes the both of you up. You groan; the sunlight shines bright through her turquoise curtains.<\/p>\n

She kisses you on the nose and your eyes squint open. \u201cGood morning,\u201d she says, smiling, rolling out of bed.<\/p>\n

You watch her bare ass as she heads to her closet. \u201cMorning,\u201d you say to her backside. \u201cIs it time for you to kick me out already?\u201d<\/p>\n

Erica laughs, glancing back to you, giving you a smile that looks entirely too secretive. \u201cNo, it\u2019s fine, I just have work,\u201d she says. \u201cYou can help yourself to whatever you find in the kitchen, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s generous,\u201d you say. You sit up, grabbing for your shirt, buttoning it up your chest. You\u2019d put your boxer briefs on after last night, and you get up from her bed and walk over to her. You wrap your arms around her torso and she giggles into you.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave a good day at work, honey,\u201d you tease against her cheek.<\/p>\n

She giggles again. \u201cAren\u2019t we moving fast,\u201d she says, turning in your arms and lightly pushing you back.<\/p>\n

You smile at her again, despite yourself. You\u2019d only met her last night at a club: she was sitting at a bar, drinking and tired, and you\u2019d sat down with her, meaning to get your own drink and ending in small talk. One thing led to another\u2014her complaining about her ex and not wanting to go home, you complaining about work and your father, and her eyes kept drifting down to your lips and you\u2019d taken a chance and covered her palm with yours. The one thing had led to a pretty fantastic another, and now you\u2019re here, standing awkwardly in the doorway of her closet, as she gets dressed, unashamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeriously,\u201d you say, \u201cthanks for the\u2014\u201d You run a hand through your bedraggled hair, blushing suddenly. \u201cI don\u2019t usually do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

She grins at you. You feel like a little boy, caught being shy. \u201cNeither do I,\u201d she says, \u201cbut it\u2019s okay. We all deserve a night off, don\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d you say, relieved.<\/p>\n

Erica\u2019s in a blazer and trousers now, tied her hair back into a long plait and looking like someone ready for work. \u201cWell, like I said,\u201d she says, walking up to you again, \u201chelp yourself to anything in the fridge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate it,\u201d you say sincerely.<\/p>\n

She smirks. \u201cI know,\u201d she says, before going up on her toes to kiss the corner of your mouth. \u201cBye sweetheart,\u201d she teases, before disappearing out of her bedroom door.<\/p>\n

You sigh, feeling luckier than you\u2019ve been in a while. As you trudge back over to her bed\u2014maybe you\u2019ll sleep a bit more\u2014you hear some voices outside. You remember last night fuzzily\u2014you do remember nearly tripping over some person on the floor, though. It would be embarrassing if they\u2019d heard you and Erica having sex, although it also asks the question of why they\u2019re outside of her room in the first place.<\/p>\n

You sleep for another hour in Erica\u2019s bed before waking up again, your stomach rumbling. It takes you a disoriented moment to remember where you are, but you remember Erica\u2019s words from before and then you eagerly exit her bedroom to find her kitchen.<\/p>\n

As soon as you walk out, though, you stop short at the sight in the hallway\u2014it\u2019s a guy, presumably from the night from before, bouncing a ball against the wall. He stops and looks up at you when he emerges. His expression is fixed in something like a bored glare.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello,\u201d you say, tilting your head. \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019ve met.\u201d<\/p>\n

The guy rolls his eyes. \u201cWe met last night.\u201d He resumes bouncing his ball. \u201cThough I guess you were too busy making out with Erica to notice.\u201d<\/p>\n

You nod vaguely, and head to the room across, which looks like the kitchen. You begin rifling through the cupboards for essentially anything. \u201cSo what kind of guy listens to their roommate having sex?\u201d you call.<\/p>\n

You hear the guy snort. \u201cI\u2019m not a roommate,\u201d he says, as you find a box of Cocoa Puffs and pull it out.<\/p>\n

Raising your eyebrows, you open the box and look at him. \u201cThen what are you?\u201d you ask, grabbing a few chocolate pieces.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m her boyfriend,\u201d says the guy. He nods at the cereal you\u2019re holding. \u201cAnd that\u2019s mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

You raise your eyebrows. \u201cBoyfriend,\u201d you say, disbelievingly.<\/p>\n

For the first time, his gaze falls. \u201cEx-boyfriend,\u201d he revises.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere we go,\u201d you say, nodding. You hold out the box of Cocoa Puffs. \u201cWant some?\u201d<\/p>\n

He stares at you. \u201cI\u2019m not hungry,\u201d he says, after a moment.<\/p>\n

You shrug. \u201cFair enough,\u201d you say, and continue eating. You\u2019re leaning against the kitchen doorframe peering out into the hallway, and his legs are outstretched on the hardwood in front of him. He\u2019s still bouncing his rubber band ball. \u201cI\u2019m Eduardo, by the way,\u201d you say.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guy who had sex with my girlfriend.\u201d He nods.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour ex-girlfriend,\u201d you remind him, and he flinches like he hadn\u2019t wanted to hear it said out loud. \u201cSo I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything morally wrong with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes flicker up to you. You have a feeling like he\u2019s trying to figure you out, judge you by your dress shirt and black boxer briefs, the way you\u2019re eating his cereal from the box, which isn\u2019t a habit you normally practice except you\u2019re still feeling as exhausted as you\u2019ve been all week.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe can do better than you,\u201d he says, finally.<\/p>\n

Your eyebrows shoot up. \u201cOh I see,\u201d you say, rummaging through the cereal. \u201cYou think she can do better than me with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if you\u2019re her ex,\u201d you continue, leaving to get a glass of water, \u201cwhy are you sitting in her hallway listening to her have sex with random guys like me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not\u2014\u201d the guy starts. Then: \u201cYou\u2019re the first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI must be special.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not,\u201d he says immediately. \u201cShe was desperate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo sleep with someone who isn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s scowling when you come back, but you\u2019re grinning a little. He\u2019s funny, jealous\u2014you don\u2019t usually try to piss people off, but he already seems to be and you can\u2019t help but push him a little further to see how far his temper can go.<\/p>\n

You gulp down your water and decide to give him a break; he\u2019s going through a breakup, after all. \u201cSo,\u201d you say, coming back to the hall. \u201cDoes Erica\u2019s creepy ex have a name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not creepy,\u201d he says defensively. Then: \u201cMark.\u201d He gives his name reluctantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Mark,\u201d you say, after finishing your water. \u201cI\u2019m sorry you\u2019re going through a breakup, but you really should at least stop living in Erica\u2019s hallway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s our<\/em> hallway,\u201d he says petulantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d you say. \u201cAnd breakups are hard to get over, but it\u2019ll probably be easier if you don\u2019t try to convince yourself you still live here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

You ignore him, going back to Erica\u2019s room and getting yourself changed. Your own work doesn\u2019t start until the late morning, but it\u2019s already nine and it\u2019ll probably take you at least another hour to go home and then commute. You pull your pants on and make sure you have everything\u2014wallet, keys, subway card. You go back out to the kitchen and find a post-it and pen, and bend over the counter to scribble on it.<\/p>\n

Mark\u2019s voice comes from the hallway. \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d he calls, annoyed.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving my number in case Erica needs someone to talk to,\u201d you reply honestly. \u201cOr,\u201d you peek over your shoulder to meet his eyes, \u201cin case she needs someone to help get her over her ex, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

He narrows his eyes at you. You smirk.<\/p>\n

You go to the front door and pull your shoes on. \u201cBye, Mark,\u201d you say, wiggling your fingers at him before leaving.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

You stare at the post-it on the counter. Is he stupid? You go over to it and pick it up, and consider throwing it out for a full five minutes.<\/p>\n

Erica is at work; she doesn\u2019t have his number if he left it, so there\u2019s no way she would know if you did. The sticky part sticks to your index finger as you stare fixedly at the ten digits. On second thought, you pull out your own phone from your pocket and put the number in.<\/p>\n

Erica won\u2019t come home until five in the afternoon. You go to where Eduardo had left the Cocoa Puffs on the counter, and open them up.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

He\u2019s still there when you get home. You take your boots off and say wryly, \u201cThis is the longest I\u2019ve seen you go without a computer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes that mean something to you?\u201d he asks. His tone doesn\u2019t show it but you know he\u2019s hopeful.<\/p>\n

You hum. \u201cNot really,\u201d you say. You notice he has his phone out on his lap. \u201cWho are you texting?\u201d you ask, despite yourself.<\/p>\n

He shuffles his phone away. \u201cNo one,\u201d he says, and he sounds like he\u2019s lying but you never knew his friends that well anyway. He looks up at you. \u201cDid you like having sex with Eduardo last night?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n

You glare at him. You shouldn\u2019t justify that with a response, but\u2014\u201cYes, I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were really loud.\u201d He cocks his head to the side. \u201cIt sounded like you were faking.\u201d<\/p>\n

You flush. \u201cI was not faking!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he didn\u2019t make you come, you shouldn\u2019t have sex with him again,\u201d he says bluntly. \u201cYou know, not many guys think about that sort of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I bet you\u2019re just the paragon of thoughtfulness,\u201d you snap. You feel the heat rising to your cheeks, the tension in your head, but you don\u2019t care. \u201cIf you\u2019re trying to get me to like you again, Mark,\u201d you say, \u201cit\u2019s really not working.\u201d<\/p>\n

You get your hand on the doorknob of your bedroom. \u201cAnd by the way,\u201d you say, without turning around. \u201cHe made me come twice. So fuck you.\u201d You enter your room and slam the door shut.<\/p>\n

You breathe heavily against the wall. It was always so easy for Mark to rile you up\u2014it was the reason you liked him in the first place, the reason you broke up with him. You close your eyes; you\u2019d almost said that the sex with Eduardo was better than it had ever been with Mark\u2014but people had always told you your honesty was to a fault, not to the point of exaggeration. You get your nerves back together, change into comfortable clothes, and move around your apartment like you usually do, like Mark isn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n

At the end of the week, you go out again\u2014same club as before, this time with friends. Eduardo is there and finds you and, grinning, says, \u201cHey stranger.\u201d You grin back as he winds his arm around your waist, inviting you to dance.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

You know where Erica\u2019s apartment is this time, help her in, press her against the nearest flat surface (the wall) and kiss her senseless. She wraps her arms around your neck, tucking her heels behind your ankles.<\/p>\n

Mark\u2019s voice floats over. \u201cWelcome home,\u201d he says dryly.<\/p>\n

You both ignore him. Erica says, \u201cWe should go to my bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

You shrug, considering. \u201cWe should,\u201d you agree, but it\u2019s so easy for you to slip your hands up Erica\u2019s skirt, tease at the edge of her panties, duck your head down to mouth at her breast through her shirt. She gasps and moans and your mouth works on her. Mark is right there. You groan a little when your finger dips at where she is hot and slick.<\/p>\n

\u201cEduardo,\u201d she starts, but you slide down, prop her knees and legs over your shoulders, raising her up from the ground and ducking under her skirt. Her hands fist into your hair.<\/p>\n

You hear her say, \u201cThis shouldn\u2019t be physically possible,\u201d but you say, \u201cI work out,\u201d and then you\u2019re too busy with your mouth and then she\u2019s far too lost in the sensation to try to pretend she can think clearly again. Mark is right there and you eat her out in the hallway of her apartment, and she comes softly, a stifled shout, thighs trembling around your head.<\/p>\n

She yanks you back up and kisses you and says, very seriously into your mouth, \u201cBed.\u201d You grin against her lips and say, \u201cBed,\u201d and she tugs you by the collar of your shirt and into her room.<\/p>\n

Later, she comes back from brushing her teeth, wearing your button-up and her underwear. It\u2019s dark but you think she smiles when she joins you back in her bed, finding your hand with hers. You kiss the junction between her shoulder and neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me about Mark,\u201d you say to her.<\/p>\n

She snorts, rolling onto her back. \u201cWhat?\u201d she says. Then: \u201cYou don\u2019t want to hear about Mark.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes I do.\u201d You nudge her gently with your knuckles. \u201cTell me about you two. About your breakup.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone\u2019s nosy,\u201d she says, and you just nudge your nose against her cheek, making her giggle and punch your shoulder. Then she sighs. \u201cIt\u2019s really not that interesting, seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt must be at least half as interesting as you,\u201d you say.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s pushes you again, but only barely. \u201cYou\u2019re trying to flatter me to get me to open up,\u201d she accuses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not!\u201d you say sincerely. \u201cI mean it. You\u2019re interesting, your relationships must be at least a little be interesting, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine, fine, I\u2019ll bite.\u201d She laughs again. \u201cI don\u2019t know, with Mark things were just\u2026 unpredictable and weird. I\u2019m surprised we lasted as long as we did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how long is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

In the dark, you see her head turn. Surely she\u2019s giving you a look for your incessant questions, but she says, \u201cFive years. We lived in this apartment together for two years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo years,\u201d you say, surprised. \u201cWell, that explains why he\u2019s still here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2014\u201d She cuts herself off and sighs. \u201cI was fascinated by him, I think he was fascinated by me, too. There was always just something new to discover about him, and he always acted like he was better than everyone else, but he liked me, so.\u201d You feel her shoulders shift, maybe shrugging. \u201cI guess that made me feel special.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe<\/em> made you feel special,\u201d you say pointedly.<\/p>\n

She sounds reluctant when she says, \u201cYeah.\u201d Then she rolls over to kiss your cheek. \u201cBut you know how to make a girl feel special too, Eduardo,\u201d she says, and you can feel her smile against your skin.<\/p>\n

You laugh. \u201cThis wasn\u2019t supposed to be about me,\u201d you say, though she\u2019s rolled on top of you and kissing down your neck and you can\u2019t really protest. She is small and arches forward so she is smaller and she is still wearing your shirt, so the night ends with your head between her legs again.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

You hear them have sex again. Your chest hurts and you\u2019re half-hard in your pajama bottoms and the hall is dark. Her noises are the same as always, as before\u2014his are unfamiliar. You listen.<\/p>\n

They stop, eventually. There\u2019s some mumbling and something that sounds like her laugh, something that can only be his laugh. More talking, and then it\u2019s quiet. You\u2019ve lain down on the ground, even though the floor is hard and the rest of your things have been moved back to your parents\u2019 place, thirty minutes away from the city. You close your eyes and listen to the silence, the soft sound that hadn\u2019t been there before, that is probably his snoring. You listen with your hands across your chest, waiting for yourself to fall asleep.<\/p>\n

You think you may have hit the edge of exhaustion when you hear a door creak open. It\u2019s probably for Erica to go to the bathroom again, so you keep your eyes closed, and breathe shallowly.<\/p>\n

The light doesn\u2019t turn on from behind your eyelids. Her footsteps pad closer to you\u2014are around your shins\u2014there is a warmth at your side, a body parallel to yours. You hear her breathing next to you, drifting like a ghost against your face. You let your chest rise and fall as before. She lies there. When her head turns, it\u2019s a faint sound against the wood of the floor.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t turn your own head, but you blink your eyes open. Your gaze drifts to the side. Her eyes are closed and you watch her\u2014even in the dark, you can see where her eyelashes stop and begin, and there is no moonlight in the hallway but you know every angle of her body, can trace it from memory. Your eyes close again.<\/p>\n

After a while, you hear her get up, step quietly back to her room. The air next to you is cold. You try and sleep.<\/p>\n

In the morning, they are both in the kitchen, laughing over coffee. You always hated coffee, preferred something with sugar like Mountain Dew or Red Bull. (When you were still in high school, your dad, who\u2019s a dentist, tried to get you to stop the habit. If he couldn\u2019t, no one could.) You, also already awake, bounce the rubber band ball that had originally been Dustin\u2019s before it was yours before it was hers. They ignore you.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I can cook is breakfast food,\u201d she\u2019s saying, and there\u2019s the sound of cupboard doors opening. \u201cLike pancakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re in luck. I like pancakes,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Since you are sitting opposite them, facing away from the kitchen doorway, you imagine her turning around and smiling. She had walked out in a white button-up that looks too big for her, that can\u2019t be hers, and it infuriates you at how good she looks in it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou like most things, don\u2019t you?\u201d she says to Eduardo, who laughs so loudly he had to have thrown his head back, with his long, golden, stupid neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntrue! I dislike spiders, and also stepping on wet surfaces while wearing socks,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell you\u2019re<\/em> in luck, because I think spiders are cute,\u201d says Erica. You already know this. \u201cBut no one likes wet socks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one should like spiders, either,\u201d Eduardo says pointedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey could make very cute pets,\u201d Erica insists. You\u2019ve heard this argument before. \u201cAnd they contribute to the ecosystem, you know. Spiders\u2019 rights and all that!\u201d and Eduardo laughs again. It\u2019s annoying. \u201cAnyway, I guess this means I\u2019ll carry away the spiders\u2014and not<\/em> kill them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever works for you,\u201d says Eduardo\u2019s voice. \u201cAnd you\u2019ll also cook the pancakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could water the plants,\u201d Erica suggests. You know she\u2019s not joking; her plants line the windowsill kitchen, and you could never be trusted to water them because you\u2019d always forget. She never minded or really complained, because she loves her weird plants that you don\u2019t know the names of, loves stroking their leaves and watering them and murmuring to herself.<\/p>\n

But you listen as Eduardo enthusiastically exclaims, \u201cI could!\u201d and then Erica\u2019s telling them all their names in Latin, which you\u2019ve never heard her speak before. Spathiphyllum<\/em> and disocactus<\/em> roll off her tongue, between the sound of their laughter, and they are bright under the kitchen sunlight. You throw your rubber band ball against the wall, in the shadow of the hallway.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

\u201cGirl.\u201d Christy rolls over from her desk on her chair, to you. \u201cWho was that?\u201d<\/p>\n

You turn to your computer and try not to smile. \u201cWho was what?\u201d you ask, even though you work on the first floor of the building and basically everyone had seen Eduardo walk you to the door, kiss you on the cheek before leaving.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat very, very\u2014\u201d Christy leans over your desk \u201c\u2014very<\/em> fine man you were walking with just now. You bounce back fast<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was the one who broke up with Mark. There\u2019s nothing for me to bounce back from,\u201d you remind her. But then you think of Eduardo and smile. \u201cBut yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n

You let Christy sit in eager anticipation a second longer. Then you turn to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis name\u2019s Eduardo,\u201d you enthuse, \u201cand he\u2019s kind of incredible\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIncredibly sexy, I\u2019ll say,\u201d says Christy, and you cover your face and try not to laugh too loudly. You\u2019re both the same age, fresh out of college, work the front desk of the building, though she\u2019s at NYU for grad and you\u2019re taking online classes at Fordham. She smirks at you and asks, \u201cSo, have you slept with him yet?\u201d and you hit her arm playfully, pretending to be scandalized.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristy!\u201d you exclaim, but she keeps looking at you like she knows. So you say, \u201cTwice. Counting by night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGirl<\/em>.\u201d Christy whistles. \u201cIs this an exclusive thing? Do you want to share a piece of that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d you say, and then fidget. Your mind drifts to Mark again\u2014stubborn, stupid Mark, whom you still miss in bed, who\u2019s still there<\/em> in your fucking apartment. \u201cMark\u2019s still sitting in my hallway,\u201d you grumble, turning back to your computer. \u201cSo I\u2019ve kind of technically shared him with Eduardo already.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christy\u2019s eyes go wide, comically. \u201cHe didn\u2019t hear\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

You nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a perv<\/em>.\u201d Christy looks disgusted, before she rests her chin on her hand thoughtfully. \u201cYou think he\u2019s into that?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n

You roll your eyes. \u201cHe\u2019s not that<\/em> weird,\u201d you say, and Christy snorts (because she\u2019s met Mark before.) You turn back to work, ignoring the part of you that\u2019s hoping, maybe he is.<\/em><\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

The text comes in: so you admit you do think you\u2019re funny<\/em>. You laugh and cover your mouth. I admit that I think I know my way around a joke.<\/em><\/p>\n

not bad, but there\u2019s room for improvement<\/em> is the response.<\/p>\n

You want to keep the conversation going, but you have several new emails from clients and need to update your spreadsheets for the day; plus your father is, once again, bugging you about quitting independent work and go into a business where he can put in a good word for you. You have your own money from investing in heating oil every summer; you like the unpredictability of young clients the same way you like the harmless destruction of storms.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t like being stressed and swamped with work, though, so you put your phone on mute and roll your shoulders, stretch your neck, preparing yourself for the tunnel vision of work.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

Randi asks, \u201cAre you seriously still at Erica\u2019s apartment?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s our apartment,\u201d you say stubbornly, into the speaker. You\u2019re alone right now because it\u2019s the afternoon on a week day, and you have a notebook and were writing code, but it got too sore on your wrist and your brain moves faster than the speed you can draw a bracket. \u201cShe hasn\u2019t technically kicked me out yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pretty sure she did when she dumped you and you moved out,\u201d says Randi\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

You are silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d says Randi, abashedly. \u201cJust\u2014I refuse to take responsibility in enabling you, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just asking you for my laptop,\u201d you say. You have stopped coding, resorted to doodling, even though you hate art. \u201cAnd my charger,\u201d you add.<\/p>\n

\u201cMove on<\/em>, Mark.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee you in forty,\u201d you say, and then hang up.<\/p>\n

Randi does come, in roughly forty minutes, with your laptop and a sad expression on her face. She doesn\u2019t say anything, but you say, \u201cIt\u2019s not that bad. She hasn\u2019t thrown out my Cocoa Puffs yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you taking that as a gesture?\u201d says Randi. \u201cDo you want her to throw out your Cocoa Puffs?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be because Eduardo keeps eating them,\u201d you add thoughtfully.<\/p>\n

Randi\u2019s eyebrows furrow. \u201cWho\u2019s Eduardo?\u201d<\/p>\n

You shrug. \u201cNobody. It\u2019s nothing,\u201d you say, because that\u2019s the truth. \u201cThanks for my laptop,\u201d you say, and begin to push her out.<\/p>\n

\u201cMark\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

She tries to push back, but you get the door closed. You peer through the fish-eye of the peephole, where you see her wait for a second, sigh, and then leave. You go back to your spot in the hallway and open up your laptop.<\/p>\n

Your phone buzzes. Can\u2019t believe how many people I have to work with<\/em>, says Eduardo. I don\u2019t mind it, but sometimes I\u2019d rather stay in bed. <\/em><\/p>\n

You wait for a second.<\/p>\n

You type, with me?<\/em><\/p>\n

You backspace.<\/p>\n

grin and bear it, no one will suspect otherwise<\/em>, you send instead.<\/p>\n

You open up your laptop. Your phone buzzes again.<\/p>\n

Great advice. Any idea how to translate that to emails?<\/em><\/p>\n

You think of something you wouldn\u2019t say.<\/p>\n

pretend they\u2019re someone you actually enjoy talking to? pretend like you\u2019re texting me.<\/em><\/p>\n

I could pretend they\u2019re you<\/em>, he sends you.<\/p>\n

You blink and open up SublimeText on your computer, trying not to think too much. Your phone buzzes with another text from him, this time asking about what you\u2019re having for lunch. You make something up, code, carefully allotting for intervals of silence, and putting your phone on silent when she comes home.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

When you see that he\u2019s begun to occupy his hallway time with his laptop, you know that means he isn\u2019t planning on leaving any time soon. You resist the urge to take his laptop and smash it into a million pieces and scream at him to leave.<\/p>\n

On the third day with his laptop, you come out of the bathroom and he is typing rapidly, washed in blue light. You slink over and slide down next to him. He stops and looks at you.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you think you should give up?\u201d you murmur.<\/p>\n

He squints. You know he\u2019s trying to look calculative, but all you can see is hurt. \u201cI don\u2019t want to give up on you, Erica,\u201d he says to you.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s nice, but I don\u2019t want you to make your sister to come here to bring you stuff anymore,\u201d you say. \u201cLike Red Bull and Twizzlers.\u201d You\u2019ve seen the trash when you come back from work, and in the morning. \u201cMark, we were over a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

He leans in and kisses you fiercely. His lips had always been full and a little sweet and he makes a soft noise in your mouth. You hate that there\u2019s still a spark, that there\u2019s a tug of want<\/em> in your chest, and after too long you force yourself away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI shouldn\u2019t have done that,\u201d he whispers against your lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have,\u201d you say, though you don\u2019t pull away from the gap, even though it\u2019s there. You know he wants to close it again, you know you should leave\u2014you should go back to your room and masturbate and sleep, without him. You let your breaths mingle for another minute, before you let your body stand up, and head to your room. You try not to think about it, or him.<\/p>\n

He is still there in the morning.<\/p>\n

You worry you may be getting used to this.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

She pretends to be surprised when she sees you. \u201cWalking me home from work now?\u201d she says, laughing against your side. \u201cAre we dating?\u201d<\/p>\n

You smile and decide not to answer. \u201cWell, I know where you work,\u201d you point out.<\/p>\n

\u201cPoint,\u201d she says, poking you. \u201cAnd you know where I live. That\u2019s two-zero.\u201d<\/p>\n

You watch her for a moment. \u201cI can show you where I live,\u201d you say, and she grins.<\/p>\n

A couple of hours later and you get up off your couch as she, naked, stretches on it. \u201cHey,\u201d she says to you. \u201cQuestion. How do you get someone to leave when you\u2019re not sure if you want them to leave anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre we talking about Mark?\u201d you ask, coming back with two glasses of water. She takes the other one gratefully.<\/p>\n

She sips and sighs, sitting up cross-legged. \u201cI broke up with him for good reason, but.\u201d Her gaze drifts past yours, and she looks wistful. \u201cI can\u2019t believe I\u2019m kind of glad he hasn\u2019t given up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, some would say that that\u2019s a toxic relationship,\u201d you say pointedly, joining her, sitting cross-legged as well. \u201cHarboring old feelings where you let them get in the way of your new ones is bad for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, therapist.\u201d Erica bumps her knee against yours. \u201cI just\u2014\u201d She bites the corner of her lip. \u201cDo you want to know why I broke up with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cColor me intrigued,\u201d you say.<\/p>\n

Her knee knocks against yours, again. She says, \u201cHe started to make me feel like he thought I should be grateful for him. Not that he thought he could do better than me, but\u2014\u201d She breaks off again.<\/p>\n

You rub your thumb at her ankle.<\/p>\n

She looks up at you. \u201cHe was just really condescending about some things, you know?\u201d she says. \u201cI know he cared, but he\u2019s also so blindsided<\/em>\u2014he\u2019s such an idiot<\/em>\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you broke up with him because he\u2019s an idiot,\u201d you say. She gives you a look, but you say, \u201cNo, I\u2019m serious. It\u2019s a good reason, if he\u2019s not smart enough to think about you as much as you need.\u201d<\/p>\n

She rubs at her eyes. \u201cGod, it makes me feel like such a bitch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, no.\u201d You lean in and take her hand, kiss the tips of her fingers. She raises her eyebrows at you like really?<\/em> but you don\u2019t care. \u201cYou can be pretentious,\u201d you tell her honestly, \u201cbut you\u2019re not a bitch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you just call me pretentious?\u201d she laughs, as you begin to pull away from her.<\/p>\n

You grab your TV remote and turn on the TV, where it flicks to the weather channel. \u201cDo you want to see something interesting?\u201d you say, and she rolls her eyes but nods.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a weekday and you\u2019re alternating between working on a program you don\u2019t quite know the purpose of, yet, and texting Eduardo. He seems to be in a good mood today so you don\u2019t mind the breaks in your coding, and you\u2019ve finished two whole cans of Mountain Dew since eight this morning. You were awake when Erica had gotten out, showered, and alternated between dressing for work and eating breakfast. She hadn\u2019t said anything to you so you hadn\u2019t said anything to her.<\/p>\n

Eduardo sends, do you want to hear a math joke?<\/em><\/p>\n

You reply, no<\/em>, but you do, and smile a little when a reply comes a minute later.<\/p>\n

Too bad<\/em>, then Did you know that 3.14% of sailors are pirates?<\/em><\/p>\n

You stare at your phone.<\/p>\n

that was really bad and i am so glad you are not a stand-up comedian.<\/em><\/p>\n

Thank you for your support.<\/em><\/p>\n

You pretend you\u2019re not smiling as you return to your laptop. He\u2019s probably working and you are, too, technically\u2014you do freelance programming, which on its own isn\u2019t very promising, except you have Microsoft and Harvard on your resume so you have more clients than the average freelancer. You\u2019re waiting to hear back from your current clients, and\u2014since the breakup\u2014you\u2019ve had a lot of free time on your hands, to write your own programs. Before that you could\u2019ve been sulking, except you don\u2019t sulk.<\/p>\n

Nearly an hour later for what should be Eduardo\u2019s lunch break, he sends, Hey, I\u2019m off work early today. Want to meet up?<\/em><\/p>\n

Your fingers fumble over your phone keyboard. no<\/em>, you type quickly, I can\u2019t<\/em>. You wait for a second, then send it.<\/p>\n

You sure?<\/em><\/p>\n

some of us have work<\/em>. It sounds short in your head, but Erica always managed to make her texts sound light.<\/p>\n

Fair enough<\/em>, he replies, and you are relieved.<\/p>\n

Thirty minutes later, you hear a knock at the door. Startled, you scramble up\u2014maybe it\u2019s Erica, maybe she forgot her keys\u2014she would be grateful for you opening the door, maybe she\u2019ll talk to you. You don\u2019t even check the peephole\u2014<\/p>\n

Eduardo is there, and grins when he sees you. You scowl.<\/p>\n

\u201cErica\u2019s not here,\u201d you say.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d he says. \u201cCan I come in?\u201d<\/p>\n

You want to say no, but he\u2019s already pushing his way past you, getting the door closed. You\u2019re about to ask him what the hell he\u2019s doing here, why he just invited himself in<\/em>, but then he has a hand wrapped around your wrist and dragging you toward his body and you\u2019re too stunned to really say anything.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t notice where his other hand is going until you realize he\u2019s holding your phone, having pulled it out from your pocket. \u201cDo you want to explain something to me?\u201d he asks. Both of his thighs are touching yours.<\/p>\n

You swallow and keep your gaze locked on his. \u201cExplain what,\u201d you say. You want to ask him why you\u2019re both standing so close together, except you don\u2019t really want to pull away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy you\u2019re texting me pretending like you\u2019re Erica,\u201d he says to you. He searches your gaze, and you keep your face as empty as possible. \u201cWhy you sexted me pretending you were Erica.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou bought into it,\u201d you say.<\/p>\n

He raises his eyebrows. \u201cYou started it.\u201d<\/p>\n

You had; you had early on, with are you awake right now?<\/em> and i can\u2019t get to sleep<\/em>, neither of which had been lies. With i’m also half-naked, if you\u2019re up for that<\/em>, which had been except your hand was in your pants and you remember his stupid face in the kitchen that had once been yours, eating your Cocoa Puffs and grinning at you with the mouth he\u2019s had on your ex-girlfriend, on all the places your mouth had been.<\/p>\n

You say, \u201cYou don\u2019t have any proof,\u201d despite that you\u2019d nearly confessed to it. Your phone is on lock.<\/p>\n

He rolls his eyes. \u201cI\u2019m not an idiot, you know,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Before you can open up your mouth to refute that, he adds, \u201cI have Erica\u2019s real number.\u201d<\/p>\n

You blink. You stumble back.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou,\u201d you say. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou texted me first,\u201d Eduardo says. He squints at you. \u201cWhy are you still in Erica\u2019s hallway?\u201d<\/p>\n

Your mouth is trying to catch up with your mind. \u201cYou knew it was\u2014you left your phone number for me,\u201d you realize. \u201cYou were trying to get me<\/em> to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t trying to get you to do anything,\u201d says Eduardo. \u201cWhat were you<\/em> trying to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t trying to do anything either,\u201d you lie. When he stares at you\u2014he\u2019s not holding onto your wrist anymore, but you don\u2019t back away\u2014you say, \u201cI was going to try to get you to hate her, but that wouldn\u2019t\u2014\u201d You shake your head. \u201cYou like her too much,\u201d you say.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo do you,\u201d he accuses. You can\u2019t even protest that, just glower, but his face is getting closer to yours. \u201cStop living in her goddamn hallway,\u201d he mutters between your lips.<\/p>\n

His hand is on your cheek, and you open your mouth against his, let him slide his tongue hotly into your mouth, work his lips against yours. This feels dirty because neither of you live here and Erica is\u2014you want to be Erica\u2019s, too, but his other hand is at your hipbone and the front of your pajama bottoms brush against his trousers, and you feel smug and victorious and guilty all at once.<\/p>\n

\u201cFuck,\u201d you say, pulling back. His eyes are black and you\u2019re turned on. You think of Erica\u2014this isn\u2019t fair to her, and you say, \u201cErica\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2014should be back in,\u201d Eduardo\u2019s pulled his own phone out (yours had clattered to the floor, from his hand, but you don\u2019t really care), \u201chm. Twenty minutes?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shows you his phone, where he has a conversation under Erica<\/em>, none of the messages coming from your number. His most recent text says, I told Mark.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cShe only found out a few days ago,\u201d he says, even though it doesn\u2019t stop the humiliation from washing over you, \u201cand we were waiting for you to come clean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is,\u201d you start, but he\u2019s begun kissing you again, and you hate how you can taste a little bit of Erica on him, as well as something that\u2019s his own, spicy and sweet like cologne. \u201cUnfair,\u201d you say, between kisses, between getting your hands under his shirt and across his stomach.<\/p>\n

He gasps at your touch. He says, \u201cYou can say thank you any time now.\u201d<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

He\u2019s never going to be your favorite person in the world, but he\u2019s sitting at your kitchen when you come home. He\u2019s surrounded by his boxes\u2014a mirror image of months ago, except now the other way\u2014and your pen stylus is in his mouth as he\u2019s typing.<\/p>\n

You unstrap your shoes. \u201cGood afternoon,\u201d you say, frowning at him. You know he sees, even though he doesn\u2019t look up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was playing a game,\u201d he explains. \u201cThen I had a thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

You go over to him and pluck your stylus out of his mouth. \u201cAs if that\u2019s an excuse to leave teeth marks on this,\u201d you say. \u201cI use my tablet for work<\/em>, Mark.\u201d<\/p>\n

He rolls his eyes.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t greet him with a kiss, don\u2019t tuck your ankles under his and ask how his day was, like you used to. You find your tablet on your sofa and put the stylus back; you decide to find the game he was playing and resume it yourself. You hear a noise of protest from the kitchen but Mark doesn\u2019t come over and make you give your tablet back. He works and you play his game\u2014you beat his high score, and cheer. He glances over and pretends to scowl at you.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all a new pattern\u2014like before, you go to the bathroom with the door open, sometimes walk around in your underwear. His eyes drift to you but he never tries to touch, and you don\u2019t, either. Christy says that you\u2019re making a mistake moving back in with him.<\/p>\n

Truthfully, you probably are. But you\u2019ve caught Mark watering your plants in the morning twice in a row now.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

You get back to the sight of your two favorite people in the world\u2014Erica on the couch, barefooted and in her clothes from the day\u2014Mark at her kitchen table, presumably still working. It\u2019s your favorite sight, though the day Erica had come back when you were both supposed to be at work to Mark blowing you in her hallway is somewhere up there, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do you come here every afternoon if you don\u2019t live here,\u201d Mark mutters without looking up from his work.<\/p>\n

You go over to home, still holding your briefcase, and kiss the corner of his mouth. \u201cYou know why,\u201d you say, smiling. You go to the living room and Erica tilts her head back; you kiss her, too, full on the lips and kind of upside down.<\/p>\n

She laughs into you. \u201cThis is killer on my neck,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

You kneel down by the couch and put a hand at the back of her head and kiss her up front, fully. She\u2019s still smiling against your mouth and, between your kisses, manages out, \u201cThat wasn\u2019t meant to be an invitation,\u201d and you kiss her neck and say, \u201cToo bad.\u201d You begin to arch over the couch to make out with her, like the day you\u2019d shown her your place for the first time and the conversations you\u2019d been having with Mark, before.<\/p>\n

She glances over your shoulder. You do, too; Mark is watching you two. He looks away quickly when he catches you both noticing, but doesn\u2019t start typing right away at his laptop.<\/p>\n

You chuckle. \u201cWhat do you want for dinner?\u201d you ask Erica.<\/p>\n

\u201cHm,\u201d she says. \u201cStir fry?\u201d<\/p>\n

Your eyebrows furrow. \u201cI\u2019ve never made stir fry for you before,\u201d you say. You usually make dinner because breakfast is the only thing Erica can cook, and Mark likes to pretend he eats only licorice and canned tuna for lunch, instead of your leftovers.<\/p>\n

But Mark looks at you again, and this time he says, \u201cI have,\u201d and Erica taps your chin and says, \u201cHow convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

You think they will have sex on the couch while you cook; instead, Eduardo comes over to you and asks, \u201cWhat can I do to help?\u201d You try and say, \u201cI\u2019m working, Eduardo,\u201d but he gives you those stupid eyes and begins tugging you by the wrist, and there\u2019s always been a part of you that\u2019s bad at saying no to making Erica happy; and now there’s a new part of you that wants to join Eduardo as he begins puttering around the kitchen.<\/p>\n

So you find leftover rice and tell Eduardo what to pull out from the spice rack (soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar) and you move around the kitchen together in clatters and smirks you steal when he is definitely looking. He places a hand at your waistline when he asks you about how to pour the right amount of soy sauce; he kisses your cheek before going to make the other dishes that you don\u2019t know anything about.<\/p>\n

He plays footsie with Erica over dinner and you wish you had thought of that, back when you and Erica were still\u2014together. You and Erica had always lived well together, but never really worked well. That\u2019s what Eduardo is here for.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what you would tell anyone if they asked.<\/p>\n

The truth is, you like the scale of Eduardo\u2019s body against yours, when he\u2019s away at work and pretends he\u2019s focusing but spends half the time sending you completely unimportant texts. You don\u2019t really like that the bedroom that had once been spare has now become yours, but you\u2019re not sure if Erica will ever like you as much as she likes Eduardo; as much as you<\/em> like Eduardo.<\/p>\n

She says to you, \u201cSo what have you been working on?\u201d as she picks out the peas in her stir fry and plucks them into Eduardo\u2019s plate. He doesn\u2019t like them either. They\u2019ll end up in your dish eventually.<\/p>\n

You tell them\u2014her, because Eduardo is busy protesting\u2014about some of your clients and your personal project, trying to make it sound cooler than it really is, catching the flicker of her interest fading to boredom. You say to her, \u201cJust give me your peas,\u201d and then she has the nerve to actually try and feed you, and you only go along with it because it makes Eduardo shut up and stare at you both.<\/p>\n

Eduardo leaves (eventually), with kisses on both of your foreheads while zipping up his pants. You both listen to him leave.<\/p>\n

(The truth is, even though your things are all in the other bedroom, you\u2019ve spent more time on this mattress.)<\/p>\n

You say against her chest, once he\u2019s gone and it\u2019s just the two of you, \u201cI can\u2019t believe we\u2019re cuddling.\u201d<\/p>\n

She laughs and pokes your shoulder. \u201cIt\u2019s your own fault,\u201d she says, because your arms are around her waist and you are afraid of letting her go. You never were, before, never touched her too long in bed or brushed your knuckles against her needlessly, before.<\/p>\n

But now as you get up you brush your knuckles against her cheek, and she smiles at you. \u201cYou know,\u201d she says. \u201cEvery day I wonder if we\u2019re a good idea again.\u201d<\/p>\n

And it makes your chest ache. It does. Yet she is here<\/em> and smiling as if to ask you to convince her otherwise.<\/p>\n

You still want to make her laugh, and make her look at you as if you\u2019re something unreal, as if you\u2019re better than you are, and you don\u2019t think that\u2019s a bad thing. And she still knows you down to your bones\u2014and Eduardo, who is pretty to the veins on his palms, does not deserve you as you are either.<\/p>\n

But you try.<\/p>\n

So you say, \u201cCome sit in the kitchen with me,\u201d and she whines about moving and getting dressed. She puts your sweatpants on, anyway, and your t-shirt that is a little too big for her, and walks out of the bedroom first.<\/p>\n

She starts talking about embroidery patterns, and you don\u2019t care but you listen, pretending to have as much interest in what she\u2019s saying the same way she does when you talk about your work. And she doesn\u2019t take your hand when you walk back out, but her hip bumps against yours, and she smiles a little, something unsure on her face. You aren\u2019t sure if it will ever go away, but Eduardo will be here tomorrow.<\/p>\n

So Erica teases about your work being just video games, and in retaliation, you make her say the Latin names of her plants again, because she never took Latin in high school. Her pronunciation is laughable and she\u2019s laughing too, over tripped up consonants, and calls you a nerd<\/em>, fond. Every once in a while, your feet bump against hers, and it\u2019s an accident which she ignores as you both work.<\/p>\n

Together, you sit and wait: for him, and, hopefully, for everything else.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wearing your best poker face, you call his bluff. (No hearts were broken in the making of this long con.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[313,43,248],"fandom":[511],"rating":[676],"ship":[593],"relationship":[611],"minorfandomships":[],"class_list":["post-312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-default","tag-alternating-pov","tag-casual-sex","tag-second-person-pov","fandom-tsn","rating-mature","ship-eem","relationship-poly"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=312"},{"taxonomy":"fandom","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fandom?post=312"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=312"},{"taxonomy":"ship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ship?post=312"},{"taxonomy":"relationship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/relationship?post=312"},{"taxonomy":"minorfandomships","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/minorfandomships?post=312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}