Silence is Always a Test for Strengh

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Bailey nodded. "Alright, I'll be here." He sat down and then watched John go into the store and buy drinks. He stared down at the table until he came back, then he looked up at him. { Tea eh? } He thought to himself. Bailey thought that was kind of sophisticated. Not many people drink warm tea around here. Bailey sipped his drink. "I've been good." He answered. "Everything's all right." He then paused. "How are you?"
 
How could he answer? John was still feeling incredibly awkward and oddly under pressure, struggling to remember how to move his lips and tongue in a way that would produce suitable words. God, he never wanted to attempt to be social again. "I've been...fine, too." He shrugged, offering a wry smile as he admitted, "Well, truth be told work has been mind numbingly boring. But, I suppose that's what you get working in an office." He knew his day job was hardly exciting, and that was how he liked it. "What do you do, then? Anything more engaging?"
 
Bailey didn't seem to mind that John had forgotten his words. "That's good." He told him with a smile. He nodded. { So, He works in an office. } "Um..." He wasn't sure what to say though he had practiced this. { I can't say I steal for a living. } "I'm a doctor. Specializing in hormones." He said. { I hope that was convincing. }
 
"Really?" John asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow as he spoke, though he soon relaxed again, blushing ever so slightly as he shook his head, "Sorry, it's just you look so young." He wondered how old this guy really was, though of course he was not uncouth enough to ask outright. "Must be interesting, though, and fulfilling. You actually make a difference in the world, y'know?" He didn't mean to put him on a pedestal, but couldn't help this bit of admiration.
 
Bailey nodded. "Yeah, I know." He said. "I.. I graduated high school early." He explained, therefore he got into college earlier. Bailey knew he was a bit young to be a doctor but, he said that and generally people didn't question that. "Well, It's never boring." He said. "I wouldn't say that..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's a job, and it pays decently..."
 
John supposed that accounted for his youth, and the aura about the other that just oozed sophistication and intelligence. Some people had a leaders charisma, and he seemed to be one of them. "You know, modesty isn't always a good thing. Sometimes tooting your own horn isn't that bad either." He didn't mean to lecture, but he was one that felt strongly about giving credit where credit was due.
 
It was a shame that he was born in a place where he could have done good with what he was born with. Hell, if he had enough money to get a good degree, he could have been anything he wanted to be. "Maybe you're right," He glanced down, sipping his drink. Then he looked up. "I'm no hero though." He smiled though, ruefully, for a second.
 
"Fine. I'll give you that one, until the day you make some amazing breakthrough." John laughed, adding, "Then I might come down with a case of the hero worships." He felt surprisingly at ease by this point, and actually didn't mind making a bit of a fool of himself. Maybe they really could be friends, rather than just acquaintances that barely knew each other. "So, what do you do besides work? Anything interesting?"
 
"An amazing breakthrough in hormone therapy?" Bailey chuckled, rolling his eyes. "I might let you, if that happens." He didn't think there was much to do there, maybe something to fix too much hormone production. Bailey smiled at him, Maybe they could be friends. It might be nice to have a friend, maybe. He hasn't had very many in his life. "Besides work? Hm..." He leaned back for a second, stretching. "I read, and stuff." Rob banks. "What about you? What do you do with your life?"
 
Well, maybe he had a point there. John couldn't say he knew all that much about hormones, but it did have to be said that they were certainly an important part of the functioning human body. But, whatever the case, it was now time to move on to bigger and better things. He was sort of relieved to hear that Bailey was a reader, feeling a little less self conscious about his less than exciting life, "The same. I read alot, and I go to the gym. I wouldn't call that fun, but it at least means I can have the odd doughnut or three." He laughed, of course not admitting that the real reason was down to his secret status as a crime fighter.
 
Bailey doesn't go to the gym, he runs though. He tries to keep somewhat in shape, so he can run after a crime. But once upon a time, He went to the gym at his school, in hopes to not look like a gangly teenage kid his whole life. It paid off somewhat. Bailey laughed a little. "That's great." he really did enjoy reading however, and staying at home.
 
Now what? John was unsure how to proceed now, feeling that their one common interest was far too broad to present an easy opportunity for conversation. He didn't want to leave just yet, as unaccustomed to social interaction as they both seemed to be, John was sure that they would get on famously, should they get over this little hurdle. "You know, I never was one for sitting around, do you fancy taking a walk?" It seemed as good an idea as any.
 
Bailey felt the same way almost. { What else can I say? } He wondered to himself, though there wasn't much he could say. He looked up at him, from staring down at the table as he thought. { A walk? } He wondered. He stood up, and stretched. His shirt lifted up for a second, but he fixed once he finished stretching. Bailey smiled. "Sure, Might as well."
 
Good. They had something to do, and perhaps their surroundings would inspire some conversation out of them. John hoped so, anyway. He thought it almost charming that Bailey was relaxed enough to randomly stretch like that, something the elder of the two wouldn't dream of doing, for fear of appearing rude or disinterested. English sensibilities never really left, or so John had found. "Shall we head to the river? There's an old path that's a bit overgrown, but it's nice and quiet." Well, unless the geese were mating, in which case one took their life in their hands just by going there.
 
Bailey always found that it made him look confident, not disinterested. And he knows a lot of people like confidence. "The river? Sounds good to me." Let us hope the geese were not preforming their reproductive rituals. He started off towards the river, smiling at John. "It sure is nice out." Yes, The weather.
 
How unbelievably cliche. How on earth had they managed to make a normal interaction so blindingly awkward? "I guess it is. Shame about the company, eh?" John shook his head, "I do apologise for not being more engaging." He chuckled a little, bashfully, as they headed down towards the river. Meanwhile, the weather continued to do its weathering, though it seemed clouds did seem to be drawing in on the horizon. Maybe this would have to be a short walk.
 
Because they were unable to hold a conversation of small talk? That could be it. Bailey was generally more suave than this. What about John make him this way? Bailey looked at him. "Oh, No, It's okay." He reassured him. "I am sorry for being so terribly boring today." { What has gotten into me? } He wondered. But there was no answer.
 
Well, at least they were both on the same page - pathetic thought that might be. Still, John found himself enjoying the company of Bailey, even if they were stuck for a topic of conversation. Sometimes, silence could be more than companionable, and it seemed that as they approached the track that meandered along the river. "It seems like an age since I've seen any real countryside. I even miss being woken up by foxes yowling in the middle of the night." Well, maybe not quite that, but he did yearn for the open space he had known as a child.
 
Bailey paused. He had lived his whole life in a city. "What was it like?" He paused again, before clarifying a bit. "Living in the countryside?" He managed to say. He couldn't help but question, and hoped he wasn't being rude. "I... I'm sorrry if that sounded rude." He ended it.
 
John shook his head, "Of course it's not rude. If I wasn't happy talking about it, I wouldn't have mentioned it." He offered a smile that he hoped was reassuring, "I don't really know how to describe it. People are either the friendliest you'll ever meet, or the most insular, racist bastards on earth. It's odd. But mostly it's just a whole lot nicer, in my opinion. You get to breathe fresh air and listen to nature, rather than what we get here." He shrugged, "But I could be over romanticising."
 
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