Home Is Where The Heart Is

Offering a brief smile, he did tilt his head to at least face the television, giving some sign that he was trying to act a bit normal despite his emotional turmoil. He wanted to at least act a bit normal - as normal as he could, at least.

"No one's family is perfect. I mean, my family is the reason I moved out here, after all. If it weren't for them, I'd probably be alive and productive and all that. Shit happens, I guess. I can't go back and change anything, though. Would you ever reconnect with her?" He questioned curiously, his eyes only briefly drifting to the human.
 
"With my mom? Nah. I mean, that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's a whole lot more that goes into that-- but hey, that shit's depressing. What would you rather talk about? My so-called mother, or your awesome, cute, new housemate?" He grinned, stopping himself from offering across a playful nudge. He wasn't quite sure if he would be able to make physical contact with him, after all, and the last thing he wanted was to have his hand slip through the ghost. It would be horrifying for him.

"You're cute, by the way. Like, if you were alive and I met you in this town, I'd so chat you up. I normally go for, y'know, beefy guys with tans, but I could go for you, definitely," he complimented with ease, resting back with his hands behind his head. "You're, like... yeah. Cute's the right word."
 
"It's only because I'm the only guy you've met here. I'm pretty sure you and I - well, you are the only person in this town who isn't over the age of 40. That doesn't leave you with many options, Nyle," he reminded defensively, blatantly denying the idea of being 'cute'. He was weird, after all, and that came from one of the only people he ever loved. He physically waved the other off with emphasis... even of his small smile grew a bit.

"Look, I know you're trying to cheer me up. I'm fine. You don't need to lie to make me feel better, seriously. I mean, like you said, I'm nothing like your preference. In fact I'm the antithesis of it," he snorted, rubbing his face against his pale knee.
 
"Wasn't really lying though. I mean, sure, you're not my normal type, but I'm not asking you to date me. You're dead, Leo. Not to remind you of that, but you're kinda dead, so dating isn't really possible now, is it? Besides, you're not even gay, so there's another barrier right there. I can say you're cute though, which you are." Nyle repeated, propping his feet up on the little coffee table to be able to stretch out. Even if he could theoretically lay across the couch with the possibility that Leo's form wasn't physically stable, that just felt rude. If he was a ghost, he wouldn't want someone laying down and putting their legs right through his body. That was just disrespectful.

"...There's no guy over 40 here? That's... mildly annoying. Not that older guys can't be cute. The oldest I've gone for is 30, though. I'll just venture out of town, I guess. I don't know what I expected when I bought the place. It's obviously... not like back home."
 
"I'm not gay but... I mean, there are other genders and sexualities and stuff, you know," he grumbled in response, childishly pouting as he ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, it's not a matter of not liking guys or other girls it's just... I couldn't approach people. If I was as social as you, I'd probably have gotten people clinging to me. You said yourself that I'm cute, right?"

His smile was now a grin at the thought as he nervously rubbed his wrists, that being something he did when nervous. Covering them up with his hands, he took in Nyle fully.

"Like I said, this is a dying town. Give it fifty years and the whole place will be gone but me."
 
"Oh, that's silly. Maybe I'll trip in the shower and whack my head. We could spend eternity annoying one another then," he snorted, smirking to himself at the idea. Obviously, death was not something he wanted to happen to him until he was at least in his 80s. However, if it did happen prematurely, the idea of spending eternity wandering about the house with Leo was something he wuld surprisingly be okay with. It wasn't something he desired, but it happened, he figured he'd be alright with it.

"Listen, I have no plans going anywhere. Mind you, if I'm, like, 80 or something and close to dying, I'm not going to die in this house. If I do run the risk of, like, being left behind, I don't wanna be an old ghost. God, that'd be awful. If I'm old, I'd prefer just dying and going straight to the afterlife, I guess."
 
"Look, you might not even end up stuck here like me. I mean, fuck. I don't want to be here so if I could find some way to 'cross over' or whatever, I would have taken it immediately. I'm pretty sure whatever force is keeping me here is doing this as a cruel lesson or something. It's like all of those books and stuff,I guess. I dunno." He murmured as he took in the idea. Sure, a part of him wanted to be alone but Nyle was cute.

"I can assure you that, if you do end up like me, I'll make sure you 1. aren't found weeks later and 2. don't become a bitchy little shit like me. I mean, I didn't actually see my... state, I guess - I was already buried when I came through, so that's comforting, right?" He babbled shyly, his lips pursing. "Sorry, I know it's stupid trying to comfort you for something that won't happen."
 
"Dude, it might happen. I'm a clumsy piece of shit. I've fallen in the shower countless of times. I think it's because I get carried away singing in there, doing little dance routines. It ain't wise trying to pull off some dance move in the shower. I know that now," he laughed, holding up his arm for emphasis. On his forearm lay a dark bruise, all sorts of dark colours, that had been gained from falling in the shower. It had happened a while back now, and the fact it was still there was a testament to how badly he'd slipped.

Slipping and killing himself one day really wasn't as ludicrous as he wanted to believe.

"Look, I'm gonna be here for a few years yet, you don't need to, like, worry about being alone or whatever. I like 'ya. Sure, you didn't appear likeable when we first... met, but you're a teddy bear really."
 
"I'm not a teddybear, I'm... a scary ghost, yeah? I mean, I imagine that's how the townspeople see me. Shit spreads fast here so I'm sure everyone knows how I've treated that stupid realtor. The way that lady spoke seemed to emphasize that fact," he reminded as he glanced towards the door, watching as clouds began to form. Despite the fact that he no longer could feel the cold, he still shivered at the sight. He first-hand faced the overwhelmingly hot summers and the deadly winters and, despite it being only early fall, he knew better than Nyle.

"I like being alone, for the most time," he reminded, "... well, alone with Bitters. I like it quiet, so... you getting an outside job would be nice for me. I can be alone, you can earn money. Win-win, right?"
 
"Cheers, pal. I thought we were getting on like a house on fire, but you're suddenly eager for me to get a job and piss off, huh? Really makes me feel wanted, that does. Relax, though. I'll get a job eventually. I have a few hundred to get me through the month. My Dad gave me a little going away present," he shrugged, smiling to himself. He knew he wasn't doing his father justice by downplaying the hundreds of dollars he'd scraped to save up for his son, but gushing about the man didn't seem very... wise. He didn't want to make it seem like he had a loving, supportive father that Leo presumably didn't have. It just seemed like unnecessary boasting.
 
"He did? Even though he didn't want you leaving? That's... I-I mean, that's pretty sweet," he replied in genuine surprise - granted, Leo didn't have the most pleasant fatherly experience to really paint any father as good. Clearing his throat, he shyly scooted closer, exaggerating his genuine curiosity in the matter.

"So you and your father are close, how close? Are you going to... call him? I mean, I just sort of didn't expect you to be really close with any of your family until you mentioned it. You seem... independent. I like that, by the way - being independent and whatnot, I mean."
 
"I am independent, huh? My Dad wasn't fond of my upping and leaving, but I wanted to prove to him that, hey, I could do this. He's real close to me and my sisters. He went through a tonne of shit with my Mom, but he never once made me think that he didn't love me. He's... a real good guy. One of the best. I'll have to call him and get him over here at some point. He's really into fishing, so maybe there's a lake nearby or a pond or something," he murmured, knowing the offer of being able to fish would have his father more inclined to drop everything and come and visit.
 
"When I want to go outside, I use Google Maps," Leo began to explain, his cheeks growing a tad pink in embarrassment, "I mean, I'd go outside my porch and stuff but I didn't really step into the back but... when I wanted to see the rest of the neighborhood, I'd just Google it. There's a lake a few miles south, I guess - I mean, it might have dried up. Do lakes dry up?" He questioned honestly, biting his lip in thought. "I mean, in five years? Probably not, a-aha.."

Letting out a sigh, he decided to grab the remote. He could change the channel with the flick of his wrist but picking up the actual remote felt nice. When he was alone, he tried his best to pretend that he was human, such as picking up the remote or pouring himself water only to pour it out into a plant. Feeling the buttons affectionately, he scrolled through the channels once again to put it on the Kardashian's.

"I think I need to go away for awhile," he admitted, seemingly tired. Being around others made him weary, it was just how he functioned, and while he didn't sleep, laying down somewhere and closing his eyes felt similar. Snatching a pillow off the couch, Leo disappeared quickly despite the sight of the pillow wandering up the stairs of the cabin to the small attic - or, rather, crawl space. It was small and cozy, at least in Leo's mind, and he often slept there when he was too tired to fuck around with the realtor.
 
Leo's sudden decision to leave and take time for himself did surprise him, considering he thought that they'd been getting on well. He wasn't going to pretend they were suddenly best friends. He was well aware that they had just met, and even calling them 'friends' might be a stretch. But he at least thought they were warming up enough to sit and watch TV together.

Although, he also knew that Leo had more or less always been alone. Suddenly going from isolation and seclusion to sharing his home with someone as loud and outgoing as Nyle was probably a shock.
 
Once in the small nook, Leo returned to his favorite activity of self loathing... at least, he wanted to. He couldn't focus much with all the ruckus downstairs. He was used to silence when he wanted it, just another reason he hated having other people. He hated it so much so that the television suddenly shot off all the way from downstairs. Was it rude? Of course, but Leo had the social skills of a ten year old so it was natural for him to be a little immature.

It was also why he didn't have many friends in the real world. They were always either too loud or fussy, he liked to approach people on his own terms - being thrown into a situation was more than overstimulating.
 
"Oh, way to go, asshole! Cheers for that!" The living human snapped as loudly as he dared. Even though the nearest neighbouring house wasn't right up next to his own, he still had a habit of keeping his shouts to a minimum. Living in an apartment, surrounded by other people, meant that he'd had to learn how to limit his voice when he wanted to yell-- and he thought he'd gotten quite good at it.

Glaring furiously at the blank TV screen, he didn't really have much else to do other than browse his social media again, even if it just made him lust after the life he left behind. His friends going for coffee together, one of his ex-boyfriends he was on good terms with now in a new relationship, his neighbour getting a new puppy... It all just made him sadder by the second.
 
Unsurprisingly it would be another half hour before Leo would make himself known. In life, he would often go long period without sleeping - days, even - before spending days just sleeping. It was one of the main reasons he was so weak looking, after all, what with his short yet lanky build and his baggi clothes - a part of him wished he had died in something a little less embarrassing, though it wasn't like he owned a suit or anything.

Once making his presence known again, it was by the sound of footsteps and the fridge seeming to open and close on it's own. A common activity of his was to stare at the fridge, craving food without hunger. He managed to not even notice Nyle in his journey, evidence of his strange habits and weird coping mechanisms.
 
"So the asshole returns, huh? You know, if you're going to throw tantrums and turn the TV off, don't fucking do it when the Kardashians are on. You don't come between a guy and his favourite show, alright?" The other boy mumbled, briefly glancing up from his screen, though promptly looked back down when he realised that, despite the fridge opening, he couldn't actually see Leo right now. He knew he was a ghost, but he didn't want to be reminded of it, and so avoiding looking at thin air was a good start.

"...If it helps you feel better about that girl you loved moving on, all my friends are having fun without me. They don't miss me at all. Look at this shit! They're shopping without me! I get that I'm not dead, but hell, they could at least... limit how happy they are for a day or two. Sheesh."
 
"They didn't move on, Nyle. Just because you're gone doesn't mean they don't miss you, but they aren't going to just sit back and wait for you to come back, you realize that right?" His voice replied before closing the fridge. Within seconds he was besides the human, his knees pressed to his chest once again.

"Don't you have all of those apps for things to keep in contact? Send them a picture of your new place," he insisted, the faintest bit of teasing in his voice. "Or talk to them directly. You seem like a demanding person."
 
"Oh, you don't know them. They'll go shopping, buy some fake Louis Vuitton shoes, and forget I even exist. Trust me. I love them to death, but there's nothing a bit of shopping doesn't cure. I'll be a faint memory by the end of today, completely gone tomorrow," he dramatically sighed, knowing that his hyperbole could be exhausting at times-- but he amused himself with it. He couldn't care less if other people thought he was a pain in the ass.

"...Look, I'll do it tomorrow. I'll leave them a few hours to question my lack of presence on social media, make them worry about me, then pop up on Instagram gushing about my new place with my awesome new friends," he huffed, smirking deviously to himself. "Gigi's gonna be a good friend of mine, I like her a lot. I could see myself drinking wine with her and gossiping about everyone in this place. And you're a mate now, like it or not. You're a little kooky, but I like that-- and who else can say they have a ghost as a friend?"
 
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