Three Man Value [IDV]

I Have A Question

Victor and Luca stood together at a cipher machine, both trying to get it primed so that they could get the round over with. The hunter was busy on the other side of the map, and they only had to pop this last one to be home free. Well, sort of.

Luca had set up his electricity field around the cipher, which would protect them if the hunter did decide to switch targets. He also had another cipher connected to the one that they were on, but that was only to help him get it done faster. After all, he felt like he could focus more when working with his invention.

Victor would act as their eyes, since while Luca was more focused like this, he transferred into tunnel vision somewhat, and would forget to look around as often and check his surroundings.

"Hey, Luca?" Victor asked quietly.

"Hm?" Luca didn't look up from the cipher, but he was still listening to the blond nonetheless.

"U-Um, let's say that— hypothetically— someone likes someone else a... a little more than friends."

Why was he asking that question? And why here? Luca shook his head, igniting the situation they were in slightly to hear what Victor had to say. "Go on."

"Well, say that the one person really likes the other, but they're not sure the other person likes them back. They've hanged out a lot with each other, but neither has tried to talk about subjects like that to the other, y'know?" Victor sighed. "Should... should they still tell the other person how they feel, even if they don't know if the other person rec... recipro..."

"Reciprocates?"

"Y-Yeah. Should they still try to tell them, even if the other person might not... reciprocate... the same feelings?"

Luca looked up and thought for a moment. "I mean... if Person A really thinks that they like Person B, then, sure. They should at least give it a shot." He started on the cipher again. "And, hey, if they're shot down, they can say that they at least tried."

Victor nodded. "Alright."

"How come you thought of that?" Luca asked with a small smirk.

"O-Oh, um, not for any reason, really." Victor tried to brush off the question, but even he knew that he was a bad liar.

"Ya sure? You seemed oddly specific on the conditions between the two people for them just to be hypothetical."

It's over. The gig's up. The questioner is now being questioned by his own questions. Great.

"Y-Yes I'm sure." Victor looked down at the cipher to try and hide his face. He was outsmarted by the prisoner. Why did he ask the person who used to be treasured as a genius, anyway? "I mean I was just wondering and it was a random topic and maybe I shouldn't have talked about it in the first place and hEY LOOK THE CIPHER'S DONE."

"What?" Luca didn't even realize that the cipher had been popped. He looked up to see Victor running off to the nearest exit gate.

He smiled as he casually walked to the gate, seeing Victor trying to type in the password as quickly as his fingers could allow him.

He leaned against the door, looking at the postman. "Since you asked a question, may I?"

"Yeah sure whatever-"

"Does your chest ever feel like it tightens up when you're around certain people?" Luca asked. "Where it gets hard to breath and it feels like you have butterflies in your stomach?"

Victor nodded. "Yeah, I-I guess. Not that often, though."

"Ah, alright." Luca looked down and fidgeted with his fingers. "Mine feels like it's aching. I... I kinda like it, though." He looked over at Victor and smiled. The aching to him was a good thing, in a way.

Victor glanced over at him. "Maybe because of that chain thing you always have around your neck?"

Luca chuckled to himself and shrugged. "Maybe."

Victor finished entering the password. Luca, not noticing that he had been leaning on the part of door right where it opened, fell backwards. "Ah- shit!" he hissed as he hit the ground.

"Are you trying to get the attention of everyone in the area?" Victor said as he walked over and helped Luca up. "Because if you were, I think even the people back at the manor could have heard you."

"Sure." Luca smiled as they both walked off through the gate.

Tomorrow, the prisoner thought.

Tomorrow I'll tell him.