Chapter Text
"Scott?" Drift calls, poking her head into his mana veil and feeling the rush of cold air flooding around her. She steps inside and closes the door, "Scott are you here? I... need advice."
"Drift?" she hears Scott call from above, followed by a loud thump, the clattering of feet on floorboards, then the creak of ladder rungs, and finally the man himself swings round into his little foyer, a warm smile on his face. "Drift! Graecie told us you got stuck, I'm glad you made it out oka—" his eyes fall to her neck, and an eyebrow shoots up, "—aayyyy...... is that—"
Drift groans, hand instinctively shooting up to cover her neck with her cloak, "Yes."
"From—"
"Yes."
"Right." Scott clears his throat awkwardly, "Ah, how about you take a seat and I get you a drink, coffee sound good or should I pop over to Pyro's room?"
"Coffee's fine man," Drift says, collapsing into the sofa with a weary weight, leaning over the back to watch the very large man putter about in his very tiny kitchenette. There's a surprising amount of... delicacy in how he moves around that seems almost ill befitting of his hulking frame. Drift honestly finds it fascinating to watch. But before long, there's a whistle from the kettle and a pair of steaming mugs in his hands.
"So," he says, handing one of them to Drift and taking a seat next to her, "What happened in there?"
"Oh I do not want to talk about it," Drift says, putting her suddenly very red face into her hand and immediately setting her mug somewhat precariously down on the arm of the sofa to free her other hand up for maximum face burying endeavours.
Scott hums, "Then what do you want to talk about?"
Drift shifts a finger and scowls at him through the gap, "You know what I want to talk about dude, you're always teasing me about her."
"Ah," Scott says with a smile, and sips his drink, "Shelby."
Drift groans and drags her hands down her face, "Yes, Shelby. What am I supposed to tell her!"
"Well, do you like AJ?"
"I hate her!"
"Mm," Scott hums.
"She—she—ugh!" Drift makes a vague frustrated gesture in front of her. After a moment Scott considers that she might actually be miming strangling the woman, "She thinks she's better than everyone here and knows exactly how to rile me up with that stupid smug little grin on her face, and no matter what I do or say it only makes her more smug. It's infuriating!" she throws her arms up wide into the air, thankfully not knocking her mug over in the process, though it does teeter concerningly. Perhaps he ought to put a coffee table here, this probably won't be the last time they converse like this.
"Mhmm," Scott responds instead, taking another sip.
"She also probably hasn't washed herself even once since we got here! Her personal hygiene is as foul as her personality! There's nothing to like!" Drift huffs, crossing her arms and trying to blow a strand of hair out of her face, to little success.
"And yet..?" Scott prompts.
Drift glares at him, then huffs once more, then (to Scott's relief) picks up her coffee and blows on it. Then she sighs, long and weary, and looks at him defeated, "She's hot."
Scott laughs lightly, "Is she now?"
"Uuugh, yes! She knows exactly what she wants and she's not shy about it, and her teasing is so—" she cuts herself off with a loud frustrated groan, followed by a long slurping sip. "I hate her," she mutters, scrunched in on herself and frowning horrendously.
Scott smiles and nudges her, "What about Shelby?"
Drift's shoulders relax and a smile creeps onto her face, "Shelby... Well, she's funny and sweet and unbelievably cool. She's... she's the best friend I could ever ask for."
She's quiet for a moment, gazing into her mug, "I didn't really... get to have friends, before this, you know. So meeting her, and you and Pyro, and Megii, and, and everyone here... It's meant a lot to me. And Shelby, she... I really like her. I'm not sure if she even..." Drift glances at Scott and swallows, "But I... I don't want her to think less of me, and... if she does, you know, like girls, I don't want her to think that me and AJ are... Ugh." Her face returns to her hand, and she mutters through her palm, "What do I even tell her."
Scott takes a long sip, and looks at Drift consideringly. "I know you said you don't want to talk about it, but... exactly how far did you and AJ go last night?"
Drift jolts upright, face bright red, and averts her gaze, "N-not... we... mmm." She sets her mug back on the arm and takes a deep, steadying breath. "We just made out. A lot. I left a lot more marks on her."
"Drift!" Scott exclaims, an undeniable note of glee to his voice.
"Listennnn," Drift whines, then covers her face again, "She said she didn't believe I'd ever kissed a woman before."
That makes Scott laugh loud and hard, making him set down his own mug, "Well, had you?"
"That's not important! Okay!!" she gesticulates wildly at him.
"Suuure, sure. So, you made out with a hot woman and got a hickey, and you're scared of how Shelby's gonna react?"
"Ugh!" she throws her head back, then glares at him, "Don't they say icing hickeys makes them go away or something man, you've got ice powers can't you just get rid of it and I can pretend none of this ever happened!?"
Scott laughs again, "Even if that was how it worked, I imagine half the academy has heard aaall about it in the time we've been sat here talking. You said you left more marks on AJ? AJ?"
Drift groans and slumps back in the sofa, "I'm doomed man Shelby's gonna think I'm a floozy."
"I think Shelby's reaction will be veeery enlightening for you," Scott says, picking his mug back up and punctuating with a long slurp.
Drift peers at him sideways, "What do you mean?"
"Well, if she gets jealous then you have a pretty clear answer to whether or not she likes you."
Drift's face twists, "But... what if she doesnt..?"
Scott smiles at her gently, "Well, not everyone is the type to get jealous, so—"
"—Like me, I meant," Drift interjects in a small voice. "What if she doesn't... like me."
A sadness tinges Scott's eyes, "Ah. Well... You just keep being the best friend that you can be, I suppose."
Drift sighs.
"Besides," Scott says, nudging her shoulder, "If you need to get your feelings out it sounds like AJ is happy to provide~"
Drift groans and shoves him away, "Ugh, gross, shut up dude!!"
Scott laughs, the last dregs of his coffee sloshing about dangerously, "It'll be alright. You two are cute together, I think you've got a chance."
Drift picks her mug up and sips at it sulkily, "I hope so."
