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“Do you have Love Island?”
Telly blinks at him for a second, no smart quip or pop reference on his tongue. Reggie uncrosses his arms and sighs.
“You're right. I don't even know why I asked so nicely.” He says, just a bit smug. Reggie reaches for the remote, but Telly snatches it up instinctively. The look he gets in return is not impressive.
“I- I mean I do. Valdivian television ain't got nothing on me!” Telly exclaims, trying to regain his footing. “But aren't you like- hate?”
Reggie pulls a mocked offended look, running a hand over his chest as he raises an eyebrow. “Excuse me? I'm rejection, CNN. Not hate.” He replies.
Telly simply crosses his arms, leaning back on the coffee table the TV sat on. Reggie lightly chuckled, enjoying the teasing. “Fine. But what does that have to do with this?”
“Love island?” Telly inquires, picking up the remote. Despite his questions, he scrolls through the catalog to find the show. Telly himself had never watched it, on account of…nothing really. It was just one of the few shows he didn't watch. Not his cup of tea. But Reggie? Telly was just happy someone was coming around to use the damn router, considering the human really didn't watch him as much as they just talked to him anymore.
Reggie rolls his eyes. “You seriously haven't watched it?” He jostles, sitting down on the coffee table in front of the couch. When Telly shakes his head, he barks out a laugh. “Damn, I really thought you would have. Anyways, if you ever had watched it, you'd know that that island is filled with everything but love.”
Reggie crosses his legs, sits adjacent to Telly, and waits. For some reason he doesn't have any witty quips, no instinct insults. He's just bored, by the looks of it.
It's…been a long time since someone had come to Telly because they were bored.
“I thought you hated love at least.” Telly mentions, clicking on the cover for the show. The intro music plays, and Reggie clicks his tongue.
“I'm past episode five.” He grins, twirling his hair around his finger. Telly, once again, looks shocked.
“Seriously? You seriously watch this show?” He asked, skipping through the next few episodes as he briefly read the summaries. They looked…concerning, to say the least. He skims over the third one.
“‘Feelings are hurt after a recoupling; some Islanders are turned off after playing "State Your Case.”’ Telly reads out loud, squinting his eyes as he skips forward to episode six. “What the hell? I thought this was a love thing.”
Reggie chuckles, shaking his head. “Nah, they all basically hate each other. It's funny what people would do for ‘love.’” Reggie says, air quoting his last words.
Telly doesn't say anything, just pipes down and watches the show with Reggie. The man has his own commentary, laughing at the sudden plot twists or petty fights, but Telly notices how invested he is. Invested enough he listens to Abel when the man nicely asks him to get off.
“Damn…she didn't have to word it like that.” Telly murmurs, leaning against the couch as he watches along with Reggie. He can't even lie—this is immersing.
Reggie, surprisingly, agrees with him. But then he smirks. “They all hate each other in the end. It's my favorite part.”
Telly nods, leans back, and they continue to watch the damn show. He's still silently marveling at how calm Reggie is, and simply realizes he has no idea what the man does in his free time.
“Why didn't you come here earlier? To watch the other episodes.” Telly asks as the final episode wraps up. Reggie turns to him with a newly bored expression, suddenly interested in his fingernails.
“Ah, didn't think about you until now.” He says casually. “I mean at first I knew you hated me, but then I realized I don't give a damn and I'd just turn it on either way sooo…beats staring at my phone.”
Telly looks up at him, slightly shocked at his announcement, before shrugging. “I don't hate you.” He mumbles.
“What?”
“I don't hate you. I mean- i know you hate me, and you're literally hate and all that, but I don't hate hate you, y'know? I just think you're really good at your job. So you can come watch uh-whenever you want and all that.”
Reggie looks at him like his makeup is wearing off, and despite the fact he knows it isn't, Telly runs his fingers over his lips just to make sure.
“Hm. Well now I'm offended.” Reggie hums. “...and slightly flattered. I'll hold you to that, honey.
Telly doesn't reply, just smiles slightly. At least one person is watching his damn television.
And he's not that bad.