the things we know

 "So it was good, huh?" Mercer smiled about it now as he listened to Link talk about Prom with Izzy over his Android. Of course, Mercer didn't go. Yes, there were a few who asked, but he wouldn't dare take a chance to get blinded by the light, so to speak. He was destined to be the old man that Cade said he was. 

Not that he'd planned the whole darn date out for Link. It was only a suggestion. Of course, Mercer would have gone with Izzy, but he knew it was best to sit this one out and he was glad Link had remembered her. He did seem fond of her, but of course, Link was scared of girls.

"That's just ridiculous," Cade thought it was a joke when Mercer told him later about Link. "How could a guy like Link be that afraid?" Of course, suddenly Cade was spilling the time he went on a date when he faked to be Rafe.

He shook his head with a laugh. "It was easy."

"Really?" Mercer had never done anything solo when it came to the dating game. These days, Cade played THE LAST OF US, and Mercer stayed on the couch reading comic books. "I'm beginning to think you like playing anybody but yourself." 

The  AC kicked on. They weren't buried in winter anymore, but they might as well be. Mercer seriously thought they were becoming vampires. Of course, Cade was much more alabaster than he. Mercer did have to walk places, like the library.

At least Mercer was there to work at nights as a shelver these days so maybe he was human, after all. But then again Cade would come along and walk him home. Actually, there was a growing suspicion that maybe Cade liked the fellow in adult services, but Mercer wouldn't mention it. Not even now. It was best to leave well enough alone and yet here he was speaking his mind and Cade ignoring him as usual.

"So..so you're saying that girl never caught on?" Mercer looked over his graphic novel. Cade kept thumbing at his heavy-duty controller, stomping his way through the action-packed game of the wilderness.

"Who cares," he said ever so dully.

"Did you love her?" Mercer wanted to know. It fascinated him how people fell in love. He didn't seem to understand it, but he wanted to.

"Doubt it." He was his usual cold self.

"But..but what did you two do?"

"She thought I was Rafe." He shrugged as he forged on as fat green leaves were flying up like a casual reprieve as his character showed who was the master of the domain.

"Yeah, I know..but uh, did you kiss her?"

"Why would I?" He looked back at Mercer as if he was just being stupid now.

"Because..." He looked at his book and turned a page. "Because you were being Rafe."

"Rafe hasn't even kissed Lily," Cade spoke so bluntly.

"And..and you would know?" Mercer gave Cade a look even if it was at the back of his blonde head. Mercer nudged him with his fingertips and Cade nudged back. Mercer winced. What was that supposed to mean? They were friends, but still, it felt as if they were incomplete different universes.