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Something had shifted in Ren's demeanor.
He was always so bashful and shy around False, but it seemed like he was finally becoming proactive. Ren playfully dragged False's chair closer even as False scrunched up her face and complained he was aggressive (she didn't mind; she enjoyed it even). He was clingier than usual, and something gave him the courage to drape his arm over her shoulder when she was recovering from the bubbles (that something was probably a someone, to be specific Jono who appeared and disappeared alongside Ren).
And False wondered, was it finally happening?
Ren had a crush on her for ages. That was the definite truth. False had also been crushing on him since the last time they were in Seattle. That was her truth. Perhaps Ren really was that oblivious, but despite his best efforts to friendzone her (hilariously pathetic in hindsight), their secret desires slipped through. Whatever that was going on between them was becoming borderline impossible to ignore, but Ren had always been an impossible man.
Even though False knew they both wanted the same thing, she had promised herself she wouldn't make the first move. It wasn't just because she wanted to be wooed (she had already fallen for him), it was because she wanted Ren to chase his own happiness. She wanted him to realise what and who he wanted, and then make an effort to achieve it. He'd done it before— Demise 2, multipass, the Secret Surprise trophy. Ren was absolutely capable of charming her with his sincerity, and he was capable of sculpting a more fulfilling life for himself. False simply wanted Ren to be happy because he deserved to be. She was pretty much ready to progress forward, so she was (im)patiently waiting for Ren to see she was there for him. Standing in the middle of the diminishing distance between them, hoping to receive an invite to cross it.
After the second day of the charity event, False went to find Ren in the corridors of the Mojang office. Now that all official business was completed, False finally dared to address the tension in the room.
"Ren," she said.
Ren turned to look at her. It was their typical call and response. (His gaze only grew fonder the more time they spent together.) "Yes?"
"I saw you, y'know. When we were talking with Bdubs and you stood up and hovered behind me." False bit her lip. "You were hesitating so much but you were just gonna pat me on the shoulder!"
Ren blinked and began stammering. "Well, I— I mean, I..."
"It's fine, dude," False cut him off before he embarrassed himself. She giggled to lighten the tension. "I'm not untouchable! Blimey!"
"I— I saw you leaning away from me!" Ren shifted on his feet, nervous. "So I thought you might get nervous! I didn't want to overstep!"
False almost rolled her eyes. Surely Ren was the nervous one. "I was leaning away because I had to talk to you," she explained. "And, y'know. We were in front of an audience then."
Ren nodded, getting on her wavelength. After all these years, False knew her and Ren had developed a similar wavelength on many issues despite never explicitly discussing them.
"But," False continued, slowing down so Ren could never miss it, "there's no audience now."
Ren stared at False. False stared at Ren.
I noticed, False thought. I noticed you care. I noticed you trying to court me. I noticed we ended up flirting. I noticed the cup of water, the arm around me, the chair drags, the little touches, the adoring gazes. I noticed it all.
Once upon a time, a distant year ago, everything was terrifying and insurmountable. Back then, she wasn't exactly in love, but she could foresee a future where she would be. A future version of her, a more mature version of her, someone who let Ren take up residence in her heart. And that was the present her. The ball was fully in motion, rolling down and down, abiding by the unchanging laws of gravity. The plausible deniability that they tossed around like a dodgeball had melted away without a fuss. Back then, they could twaddle and procrastinate and shove it under a rug. But now, with both of them making a move, literally putting their heads together, the next step was inevitable.
One last shot to winning MCC. One final strike in the heart to winning Blood on the Clocktower. One chess move to checkmate.
Whatever that was happening now had already happened.
Ren's eyes never left hers. She saw his Adam's apple bob. Surely, he was making the same calculations as her. One plus one equaled two. Sunrise followed sunset. His answer to the decade-long question.
"Come here, you," Ren murmured, pulling her closer with a warm arm around her shoulder, and False just laughed.