Deep Breaths (Garcello x Reader) [Slow Updates]

Part 4 - The Park

(F/IF) = Favorite ice cream flavor

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"Um, (Y/N), as nice as it is for you to set me up with Ashlyn... I dunno, what if she doesn't like me back?"

You blow a raspberry, waving a hand flippantly.

"Ridiculous!" you exclaim, "Who wouldn't like you?"

"That's the thing, though..." Calvin trails off, shaking his head. "People like me as a friend. What if Ash feels like that, too?" 

You look away from your phone to stare at your friend. He looks... genuinely upset about all this. Sincere distress isn't an expression often seen on Cal's face. 

You feel... bad. You didn't figure how uncomfortable he'd be with this.

"You can tell me if you don't want this," you say softly after considering your choices, "I can always just tell her we're hanging out as friends."

Calvin lowers his head and ponders.

"Yeah," he decides after a moment, "I think I'd prefer that for now. I can tell her when I'm ready, you know?"

"I gotcha, CalPal," you snigger, patting Calvin on the back heartily. He laughs, the sound filled with natural confidence yet again.

The two of you sit back on the park bench, the sun beaming down on you, your vision bright. The cone of ice cream in your hand begins to drip under the heat.

"Oh, shoot, better eat these before they melt," you gasp, quickly licking away the (F/IF) ice cream from the edges of your cone. Calvin does the same with his strawberry-flavored one.

"Hey, guys."

A familiar voice speaks from behind you and Calvin. Quickly turning, Calvin grins giddily.

"Hi, Ashlyn!" he chirps.

"Hi Cal," she replies, smiling softly, "I see your taste for strawberry ice cream hasn't changed a bit."

Calvin chuckles.

"Well, I guess you could say it's just my jam!"

You can't help but roll your eyes. Ash laughs.

As the two chat away, you start to tune them out, speeding to finish your ice cream. It's not out of malicious intent or because you don't like them, it's just that you tend to space out pretty often, and today is no exception. 

Peering around the park, you spot an unusual sight: a tall monitor-headed robot in a sleeveless shirt dribbling a basketball. That's... huh, odd.

It seems your life has just been a whole bunch of odd since a few days ago. Meeting a teal-haired smoker with a rainbow cigarette (that sounds worse than it is, honestly), and now seeing a huge robotic basketball player? You're half-convinced that all of this is a fever dream.

That is, until the robot seems to take notice of your friend group, catching the ball and trotting over with a grin on its... screen.

"Calvin!" it shouts cheerily, waving one long metal arm to grab your friend's attention. It obviously works.

"Wait-- Hex?" he gasps, finally tearing his attention away from his crush. A wide smile spreads across his freckled face. "Oh my gosh, it's been too long! How've you been?"

"I've been great, thanks!" the robot replies with a just-as-wide grin, apparently named 'Hex'. "How are you?"

Calvin's smile falls a little lopsided. "I'm okay. Could be better, I guess, but okay."