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"Hello Doctor !" says a sing-songy voice barging through the door of his private office.
Veritas refrains a fond sigh, before checking his calendar sitting idly on the side of his desk. Not that he notes anything on his desk calendar, but reminding himself of the date is usually enough to remember any plans he might have had. He does have plans with his exuberant accolyte today, although the hour is... Quite off.
"Gambler," he greets him nonetheless, hoping his confusion doesn't show. "Did I forget a meeting of some kind ?"
"Oh, no, nothing of the sort." With nonchalant ease, Aventurine strolls through his office and settles on the couch at the opposite end of the room, rather than one of the chairs facing his desk that are actually meant for visitors. "I simply... Require your expertise." Expectedly, he makes himself at home, spreading his arms over the backrest and his legs over the coffee table.
"Please keep your shoes off the furniture," says Veritas with an eyeroll. His friend laughs it off but complies, so the doctor continues : "What may I help you with ? You know my door is always open for you."
He tries for his most genuine smile, and despite the distance, feels Aventurine's mask of bravado slip slightly.
"Say doc, you're a psychologist, right ?"
"I... Own a psychology degree," he says, wary somewhat, "but I'm not a professional psychologist, nor do I wish to become a pratitioner."
Aventurine blinks a few time before he shrugs, mumbling something like "same difference".
Veritas thinks for a few seconds more before he also adds : "As we are friends, I must remind you I can't be your personal therapist either."
What Veritas doesn't say, but he hopes Aventurine hears anyway, is that he intends to remain friends with him, and even maybe go even further. His guest waves it off with a falsely relaxed dismissive hand gesture.
"Nah, it's nothing so serious doc. I guess I just need some... Advice. About personal matters."
Intrigued, Veritas saves the file he'd been working on and closes his laptop, crossing his hands on his desk to give his full attention to the matter at hand. He had hoped to use his free time more productively, but it's not like he could just turn him down when Aventurine so rarely reaches out to him about so called "personal matters". It must be important.
"See I've got this... Friend," starts Aventurine.
Veritas smiles internally. Of course, a friend. Silly gambler, he probably already knows that Veritas can see right through him, but for the sake of his friend's dignity, he's willing to play along for a time.
"Who has a colleague," he waves his hand like it could help along the convoluted explanation, "and they came to me the other day - my friend I mean - about their colleague. They've been acting strange lately you see, and I didn't really know what to tell them so I thought perhaps... You might be able to help maybe ?"
With a long sigh, Veritas crosses his arms, already tired of the incongruous detours this conversation is taking. Keeping his answer concise, he asks : "Define 'acting strange'."
Aventurine straightens on the couch, clearly avoiding eye contact. Could he be the colleague in that story, given that Aventurine is referring to himself as the friend, or is this situation more complicated than it seems ?
"Well... They've always had a complex relationship with that colleague, but lately... They've been growing closer, or, or so they say ! And just... Lately, my friend has confessed that they feel as though this colleague might have been a lot more... Touchy. And... Smiley, and saying nice things and stuff. Asking them out to dinner and making eyes. Which. I mean. I sort of know this colleague and, I don't know. It feels a bit out of character for them you know ?"
Veritas feels his eyebrow twitch, but now at least he's almost certain Aventurine is talking about them. What he hopes to achieve by asking him about their own relationship, now that remains to be elucidated. Schooling his expression back to neutrality, Veritas asks, with as much patience as he can muster :
"Has your friend considered that maybe, this colleague wants to bone them ?"
Aventurine immediately turns red-faced and rigid, letting only a small, awkward laugh escape : "Haha, doc you think so ? That's such a ridiculous idea though..."
"Or perhaps the other way around," adds Veritas to tease, "I don't know your friend after all."
"No, no," says Aventurine, "that's impossible."
"Why is that ?"
Aventurine sputters, he crosses his legs, adjusts his glasses. Then uncrosses his legs to cross them again the other way around, sort of facing Veritas.
"Well for starters, my friend, he's kind of a jerk alright ?" Veritas lifts an eyebrow but lets him continue : "And, we both know that. I tell them all the time and they really don't care. But this colleague is like. Way out of their league. There's no way he'd be intrested in m- in them like that."
Veritas already knew that Aventurine had low self esteem but he doesn't like the way it sours the conversation, which should be a light hearted indirect confession of mutual feelings and instead is turning into the gambler deminishing himself as an imaginary third party. He crosses his arms sternly.
"No matter if you truly believe it or not, you shouldn't talk about friends this way," he says, because Aventurine deserves to be treated fairly and with kindness, especially by himself.
"Ah doc, you say that but you don't know them. It's fine really." Veritas must be making a face because Aventurine gulps and changes tone : "Whatever. My point still stands, Even if we admit that my friend is regular nice, and I guess good looking, it doesn't change the fact that he could never score this specific colleague. He's just... Way too good for them."
"It sounds almost as if..." Veritas smirks, "You were interested in the colleague yourself, gambler."
"What me ?"
"If you truly believe that this.. Friend, is so unworthy of their colleague's affection, perhaps you should be the one to step in."
"Doctor you can't be serious..." says Aventurine, sliding his fingers between his glasses and eyes in either embarrassment or tiredness. Most likely both.
"You have no short amount of charm, after all. You are a pleasant conversationalist, and a sharp minded individual with a kind heart. Let us not forget how you're also a rich, powerful, beautiful man, with an eye for fashion and unbelievable luck. Surely, this so-called colleague would fall right into your arms if you asked them to."
For a short while, Aventurine stays speechless, before he regains composure, and once more waves him off.
"Ah, now you're just flattering me doctor."
"I speak nothing but the truth."
"Ah whatever. I should've known you wouldn't know much about the matters of the heart. I really don't think this is it, but ah, thanks for your input I guess."
Veritas frowns, refrains himself from saying "I know more than you'd think". Perhaps Aventurine has a point, if it's been this long and Aventurine still hasn't catched on to his flirting, maybe Veritas is being too subtle. Too ambiguous.
"Well," says Aventurine as he stands up, still somewhat awkward, "better get going. I recall your break's almost over, and I also have duties to return to."
Veritas stands too, to accompagny him to the door. Before his friend goes, he rests a hand on his shoulder and asks : "Are you still free for dinner tonight ?"
Aventurine smiles warmly, he hasn't crossed the threshold yet : "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
...