Xaviers!

Basil followed Colette quietly back to her dorm. He presumed it would be empty, being that they left Chisaki and Chase back at the DR.

"You realize I came with you because I didn't want to talk on front of them anymore.

I'm still angry." He clarified.

Colette took the time to make sure that the door was locked before she spoke; their first time with an audience hadn't gone very well.

"I am well aware of zat Basil. And you have every right to be angry. But, we want to work zrough zis, yes? Zen to do zat, we must talk."

"Alright." He sat unceremoniously on the floor in his skinny jeans, looking up at her from around his untamed poof, waiting on her.

Colette did her best to try and remain calm and collected, but in reality she was having a difficult time keeping it together.

"So, I zink I will start wiz some apologies, unless you have anyzing you would like to say first."

"No." He replied, then gave his first.

"I am sorry that I snapped at you when you were trying to joke to relieve the tension."

"And I am sorry zat I insulted you, zat I made you feel as zough your feelings or wishes do not matter, or zat I have said zings zat make you feel uncomfortable."

Well that was SOME of what she had to apologize for. The night was still young.

Basil sighed. He certainly wasn't going to force her to apologize for things she didn't want to.

"It's just....

Provided it's not hurting you or others to do so, you don't have to share someone's opinions or thoughts to be respectful of them. Nowhere is that more true than in a dating relationship.

You've said plenty of shit that's made me uncomfortable but I knew you weren't trying to hurt me when you said it, so I said nothing. "

"And while I can appreciate zat Basil, if you do not tell me when I say somezing of zat nature, zen how will I learn not to do so again? Everyone has little quirks and zings zat may be of an annoyance, but if somezing makes you uncomfortable zere is no reason we cannot discuss it as adults."

"I did bring up something I thought we should be able to discuss as adults and I got insulted, avoided, then locked in the holodeck, psycho-analyzed, and ripped apart by people not even in our relationship." Basil observes as he uncomfortably shifts, then sighs.

"Doesn't exactly inspire me want to speak up."

Colette opened her mouth to speak a couple of times but kept pausing to reconsider.

"Ze danger room was not my idea. And had I known zat zings would have gone ze way zat zey did, I would not have stayed. And again, I apologize for insulting you. But zat is why we need to speak up, to avoid situations like zat from happening in ze future. We have to speak so zat we can actually understand eachozer, because clearly I did not understand your viewpoint, or ze depth to which your... values ran. Most of zat is on me, perhaps all of it. But if I promise to try to listen and be understanding, can you promise to try and be patient and explain zings differently if I simply am not getting ze point you are trying to get across?"

"Only if you promise to listen when I try."

Colette knelt down to be closer to Basil so that she could properly look him in the eye.

"I promise, Basil. I care about you, and I want zis to work."

Eye being the appropriate wording, as one of them was covered in a poof of hair, obscuring his vision.

".... Alright." He replied, swallowing to steel his nerves as he looked back at her.

Colette smiled softly. "Good. Because we have much to discuss, about ze past and ze future, and I have much to learn if I am to fulfill my role in your life."

The edge of Basil's mouth twitched as if it wanted to smirk, but it tamed itself back down again.

"... May I have a hug?"

Colette pretended as though she had to consider the question.

"Mm, I suppose zat after all you have been zrough, you have earned it."

Basil scooted closer to Colette and gingerly put his arms around her, sighing when he did so. His hands weren't touching her surface, trying not to strain his hands.

After an awkward pause, he spoke as he was still pressed against her.

"By the way, horses that break their legs frequently get put down for their own good, due to the legs being like fingers that can't support their own weight once they get injured and the high likelihood of infection.

So maybe a bad example."

Colette wrapped her arms around Basil, restraining herself from squeezing him too hard. She missed this, a lot.

"Well, I zought zat a horse was a more noble creature zan a cat or a dog. Chicks dig ponies."

Basil leaned away from her with his brow furrowed.

"Noble?" He said with a smirk.

"They shit where-ever they feel like it and can't stop drooling on themselves."

Basil then took a queue from Colette, and switched languages.

<"I'm not into that.">

"Of course, not when I can drool on you instead." She raised a hand to coil some of Basil's hair around her finger, taking great care not to get it all goopy.

"Cependant, il y a au moins une similitude entre vous et un cheval...."

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?"

Colette just stared at Basil for a moment before wiggling her eyebrows as she tried to suppress her giggles.

"You're filthy." He commented from beyond his smirk, but his face turned flat.

"Listen. I need to talk about something serious for a moment."

Colette nodded in agreement. After all, problems like this weren't solved in five minutes and a few dick jokes.

"Yes, of course Basil. Do you want to maybe have a seat somewhere more comfortable?"

"I'm fine. I just need you to listen." He stated, switching back over to French.

<"What we are talking about... some people do not think you can do it in a 'normal' pairing. That it and romance cannot be-"> Basil paused and stumbled with his words, then twined his fingers together in front of her to symbolize what he meant by the next word- <"-sewn together."> Close enough.

<"It's why you hear of this as a business or something done in shady places between strangers. People go to others to do this because their lovers will not.

I do not want to be that man to you. I do not feel it is respectful to go to other women for pleasure.

But I also do not want to force you to do anything you do not feel right doing because you feel you have to because I am your boyfriend. That is also not good.">

Colette listened patiently, and appreciated that Basil wanted to discuss it in her own language. It seemed like that was becoming the default for this topic, perhaps in case anyone overheard them.

<"You are not forcing me into anything, Basil. I cannot promise that this is something that I am capable of. But it is something that I want to learn more about, and something that I want to try. If I am not comfortable with it to the extent that you are, I will let you know. But I do ask that you be patient with me, and understanding. It takes a lot of trust to leave yourself so open and vulnerable, I will not violate that trust.">

Basil furrowed his brow and chewed on his lip a bit as he looked at the floor, obviously deep in thought.

After a moment he nods.

"Okay."

Colette gently stroked Basil's hair, pushing it back and away from his eye.

"Okay. And if zere is anyzing zat is not okay, you will tell me, yes?" She smiled softly. "Whenever is best for you, of course.

"It may take some time, but I am certain zat we will find ze balance zat will work for boz of us. I am not opposed to ze idea of bringing in some outside help."

"I am." He said with finality, pulling her closer. "A person cannot be fully committed to multiple parties."

"Zis is true." Colette said, patting Basil's back gently. "But I more meant someone who has expertise in zese matters. A... tutor, if you will."

"Maybe. I don't know anyone like that whom I would trust anymore."

He paused.

<"Amber once tried to use me as a teaching tool without telling me. A woman almost beat me to sleep before she realized I had not said yes to it. Amber told her it was part of the game. That is the thing that caused Harold to tell my parents she was living in my apartment.">

Sleep? Unconsciousness perhaps?

"So I definitely don't trust her."

<"Oh I would not dream of asking Madame Amber. There is too much bad blood there. And from what you had already told me about her I would not have trusted her either. I especially do not trust her now.

But taking lessons just by reading things online is not a very good alternative, that can be just as dangerous or worse. You don't know anyone else in the... scene, do you? Or any particular places where we might be able to... network?">

After a long, thoughtful pause he stated.

"Kyle might. Kyle and Amber run the same circles."

"Well zat is a start. And zere is no rush, we have all ze time in ze world."

Basil nodded.

"Alright..." He replied, then sighed.

"I'm tired."

"I cannot blame you, you have had a very tiring day. You need your rest.

"Would having some company help you rest more easily, or would solitude be more beneficial?"

"I don't like sleeping alone..."

"Zen tonight, you will not have to." She said softly. "Come, let us get ready for bed, yes?"

"Okay..." He said, nodding in agreement.

Colette was pretty much already dressed for bed, since she'd been mopey and underdressing lately; the t-shirt and PJ pants were good enough attire for bed. But she assisted Basil in getting ready, in so far as doing the things that his injured hands had difficulty with, nothing more.