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Fëdor couldn't remember what the topic had been before. Just that Waru had made some dirty joke that made even Romeo blush. And then Gabriel had followed it up by tilting his head and asking, with full innocence, "Why do they call it 'being hot' anyway?"
Fëdor would have preferred no reply to that question. Instead, Waru answered, "It's just something people say cuz they're stupid. No one actually feels warm or drawn to anyone."
He cackled, as if what he said hadn't made the entire room turn their heads toward him. Anyone could have interjected. They could have said anything. Anything at all. And out of anyone and anything, Romeo opened his mouth and shattered Fëdor's reality even further.
"Of course everyone feels attraction. You just have to force it."
"You don't have to force it," Kuromaku cut in.
Fëdor sighed. Finally, someone who can set this straight.
Kuromaku continued, "You just have to get to know someone really well and for a long time, and then the feelings might come."
"I've known people very well and for a long time," Felix remarked. He put a finger to his chin to think. "Maybe I could feel attraction toward other people, and I just have chosen not to."
Spade made a face. "I don't know if what Kuromaku said is completely true. I mean, the more I get to know someone I feel attracted to, the less attraction I feel toward them."
"Exactly," Romeo agreed with him, "That's when you start forcing the feelings to stay. That's how it goes."
"I am not wrong," Kuromaku argued forcefully, "And that is not how it goes."
"Hold on. Hold on," Brolly muttered to himself, curled up on the couch, "I thought romance just felt like being very best friends with someone. You guys feel a different version of love entirely?"
Fëdor could barely hear the teal clone under the commotion. He gawked at him. The living room was in uproar. Over it all, Waru was driving himself to tears laughing, until it suddenly petered off.
"Are you guys serious? Or am I being pranked right now?" Waru yelled, "Because it was funny at first, but I'm scared now."
"Why are you scared?" Gabriel asked him.
"Because attraction's not real!" Waru insisted.
"Are you sure?" Gabriel asked him, "I'm pretty sure Kuromaku's right."
Through the pandemonium, they could all hear Romeo ask, "Is it normal to stop wanting to date someone but to kind of still want to have sex?"
"You people are weird!" Waru wailed.
Then, came the breaking point. Dante rose from his beanbag. The room went dead quiet. It took a lot to drag Dante out of a deep sleep, and if they'd done so, they were definitely going to get some noise complaints. Any more of those, and a few of them might be evicted. Every one of them stared at the red head, and in return, the king of diamonds scanned the room.
Dante scratched the back of his neck. "So love is a completely unique emotion for you guys?" he asked, sweat beading on his brow, "Because I thought loving someone was a mix of finding them interesting and fun, and thinking they had good hobbies and enjoying talking to them?"
"Love is like a warm well in your heart!" Romeo sing-songed.
Announcing it like a superhero, Felix added, "Love is that fuzzy feeling like a sweater you get when your friend smiles at you! It's what makes life so vibrant when you surround yourself with those you care about."
Waru made a loud, gagging sound.
"That sounds nice," Dante said, his smile faltering.
"No!" Felix quickly interjected, "What you described was beautiful!"
Brolly added softly, finally heard by the rest of the room, "If that's how you define what you build your relationships on, rather than feelings of love, I think you'll be just fine. Those are wonderful qualities, and good feelings to have about people."
"Well said," Spade agreed.
"Wait a minute, guys," Fëdor finally interrupted, finding his voice after the initial shock had worn off, "Do none of you experience attraction?"
"TV writers made it up!" Waru shouted.
"That's not true," Fëdor told him before turning his attention back to the room. "Seriously? None of you just find people attractive? And then act on it and have it stick around?"
The clones all exchanged looks. "I don't know," Gabriel chimed, but no one else replied.
Fëdor pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure how I didn't know this about you guys. Okay. So, typically, people just find other people attractive, and they feel kinda warm around them. That's where the term 'being hot' comes from."
"Ah. Thank you, Fedya."
"You're welcome, Gabriel."
"So it shouldn't go away?" Spade asked.
"Not usually. Not for a long time, at least," Fëdor said, "And usually it happens because you aren't as compatible as you seemed at first, and you don't get along outside of that initial attraction."
"And it's not like being a best friend?" Brolly wondered.
"No, but it's not a bad thing to be able to be friends with your partner."
Kuromaku gave him a skeptical look. "How do you know?"
"I… I just know because of what I've been told," Fëdor admitted, "I know what it is because I've seen it and I've heard of it, but I haven't found someone that I'm very attracted to, honestly."
The room was awkwardly silent.
Fëdor furrowed his brow. "Wait a minute."