* I LIKE YOU THE BEST [devin]

It was like clockwork. Wake up, lay in bed for an hour and stare at the ceiling deciding whether or not to get up, then finally roll out of bed and wander around the house aimlessly for another hour before grabbing breakfast and flopping down on the couch. Athena was not always pleased with this routine but she would get over it eventually. Besides, she was at school most of the time so the weekends were usually the time she witnessed this. The younger girl sighed in exasperation as Devin grabbed his bowl of cereal and pulled his feet across the room towards the couch. "Get a job," She grunted, passing him a disapproving stare. He laughed and nearly spilled his cereal in the process. "I have a job 'Thena. It just so happens that I took off work this afternoon." Normally he would have had a shift that night but he was good on money and could afford to do such things every now and again. Living with his aunt certainly helped. "Oh? And why did you do that?" Athena tilted her head a bit, hair bobbing off to the side. She was always asking questions even when she was little. Devin merely flashed her a smile.

"I'm going to be spending the day with Sandy." About the time the girl's name passed his lips, Devin regretted it. His little sister's smile twisted into a knowing smile as she raised her eyebrows. He swallowed; the last encounter Athena had with Sandra, it was walking into the living room while they were occupied in staring at one another. His heart skipped a beat. It was hard to refrain from rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, I see." She replied, still looking smug. "Well, I hope you two have fun. I'm actually off to go and spend time with Kaitlyn for the day. You two get the house alllll to yourself." You knew it was bad when the boy who had done just about everything began to blush at the thought. Obviously Athena caught on to this and relished in making her older brother flush red over a girl. It was adorable but amusing at the same time. Eventually she was ready and left the house soon after, leaving Devin to lounge on the couch. He was not sure when Sandra would so up so he absorbed his time in the TV.

His ears were soon graced with the sound of the doorbell, and without hesitating he jumped over the coffee table and went straight for the door. Only when he opened it did he realize that...oh. Whoops. I forgot to put my shirt on. He shoved that aside quickly. "Hey, beautiful!" Devin willingly hugged her back but hoped this would not make things strange. He often went around the house shirtless--as most guys would--but around Sandra it felt...weird. Unexplainable, really. Then again, he had not quite felt himself around her anyway. Maybe that was why he felt the urge to run back to his room and put on a t-shirt. I can't act too jumpy or she will notice. So, with that, he stepped aside to let her in and shut the door behind her. "I'm so ready!" Devin chirped, wandering back towards the living room. The needles and thread and other items were in a bag next to the coffee table ready for them to use. "Aunt Judith gave us everything we need. I just hope we don't turn ourselves into human pincushions." He laughed at the thought, then frowned.

With their luck, that was an extreme possibility. Good thing Devin went out and bought band-aids!

"If you want anything to drink or...anything at all, feel free to raid the kitchen. You're welcome to whatever you want!" As he did with most of his friends, Devin ensured them that his home was their home. So long as they didn't think it was okay to steal their stuff. That wouldn't be good. With a huff, he sat down and opened his hands to gesture to the space next to him and around the table. "Sit, sit! Get comfy. I can put on a movie or music or something for background noise while we work if you want. Or I can just listen to your voice. That's ten times better in my opinion." Even as he said it, the words sounded so natural but wondered what she would think. Devin was like this all of the time! What was different now? Why now? So long as it did not make her uncomfortable...that was all that mattered.

[Like I said...babble babble babble. XD And the pictureeee. <3 Unff. I couldn't help myself. Hope you enjoy the distraction~]

Awkward, awkward, awkward. Although Devin was not aware of how she felt towards him being shirtless, he certainly felt a bit strange. The urge to run back and put on a tank top or something was settled at the forefront of his mind but he constantly pushed it away. 'Oh, I know we're just supposed to be friends and things are supposed to be cool between us, but I need to run and put a shirt on to hide the awkward.' Yeah, that would not go over very well. Then Sandra would definitely know that something was going on and that was the last thing he wanted right now. Devin was still not sure what drew him in towards her, but the gravitational pull was incredibly strong. I don't want to hurt our friendship. They had been friends for so long, Devin feared that asking her out on a date or attempting a kiss would ruin everything. Autumn was different, but even so their relationship ended on a sour note and now they were no longer friends. He lost both aspects of a relationship with Autumn. He did not want that to happen with Sandra. She was far too important. Far too special.

He was glad they could focus on their task at hand now. Let his mind drift away from the previous thoughts and doubts for the time being. At least while he was with her. Devin laughed and nodded; they really were not the most graceful people in the world, and their experience with needles and thread was minimal. "Probably! But...at least it's proof that we worked on the costume?" Not that they needed proof really; or maybe he did, something to show Athena that he and Sandra actually worked on the project instead of anything else she might have assumed to happen between the two. It did hurt that Athena thought Devin would stoop so low as to try and pull something over on one of his closest friends but his past was of no help.

"Band-aids..." He reached into the bag Aunt Judith left and yanked out the box he bought the day before. "Check! I figured we would need a lot of them. I've never tried sewing anything before so I plan on being pricked and poked a million times." Devin had been in the medical wing more times than he could count and probably made enough visits to the hospital to last him at least ten years, but he had a feeling that those needles will not amount to the ones they would be dealing with today. "Ah, I don't think she'll mind. She never uses them anyway so even if they are bloodstained it won't be a big deal." He waved it off as though it really were nothing to worry over. Would Judith actually grow curious or concerned if her sewing needles were stained red? Maybe. Devin clasped his hand together and patted the table. "Sweet! Now we have all the materials. At least, I hope so. We didn't forget anything did we?" They had the needles, the thread, the fabric, their hands, and plenty of skin to poke. What more could they possibly need? He smiled and looked a bit abashed--rubbing the back of his neck in the process--and pointed into the next room. "Right over there. The pantry is next to the fridge. I'll have to give you a tour later." Devin would normally lead Sandra into the kitchen and give her a brief tour right now but he hesitated. They were already in the house alone, and he needed to sort out his thoughts for a moment.

Devin may have managed avoiding Sandra's gaze for a time, but when she sat down it was hard to stare at the coffee table as an alternative. His bright blue gaze was drawn upwards towards her face and he smiled softly at her. It did not take long for him to notice that Sandra was blushing, and instantly his own face grew warm. He looked at her for another long moment. When he realized that it was becoming more of a stare than anything else he glanced away. Why is she blushing-- Was it because of the shirt thing? Devin felt bad and wondered if he should do something about it. He would wait for a better moment. He chuckled. "I figured you wouldn't. And I have no problems listening to you for hours. So I suppose we can just do that! But hey, if I ever bother you feel free to request a movie or music." He tossed his hands up and smiled brightly at her, not really phased by the fact that he might be annoying. No surprise; the kid really was quite the chatter box. He shrugged a bit and attempted to let his mind drift away from the girl sitting next to him. That was incredibly difficult. "My day has been really...uneventful. Woke up, had some breakfast, and just lounged about on the couch waiting for you. You know, my usual." And that was his usual. Being lazy was pretty much a daily occurrence and he had no intentions of changing that any time soon. Then he for some reason thought over his words. "Not that...I wait for you every day or anything. Though I don't mind doing that. I just...uhm..."

Shit. Devin exhaled and ran a hand through his hair, dropping his chin for a half second. "Nevermind." His voice was a small mutter before turning towards the fabric and pulling them out a little bit to look them over. "So, fabric, and sewing and stuff." He reached over and pulled the bag between them on the floor. "You can have first pick! Do we have templates? I don't think I got any of them..." Whoops. It would be hard to make them without some of those. "I mean, I can print some off real quick if not." Realizing that he had been rude and not reciprocated the question, he turned back to her and flashed her a smile. He placed his hand on top of hers. Why? To see if it felt the same way it did those few times before. And it did. "I'm sorry...I forgot to ask how your day was. Was it okay? Hope the trip over here wasn't too bad."

Devin nodded, smiling knowingly at his friend. They hardly got anything done, ever. So many distractions! He sometimes wondered if he had Attention Deficit Disorder but had yet to be tested. He certainly would not be surprised with how short his attention span was for most things. Either that or he was simply lazy and got bored after a time. Schoolwork seemed to have that effect on him a lot. Maybe I have SADD. School Attention Deficit Disorder. The thought amused him but he refrained from chuckling. Sandra's question pulled him away from his thoughts and as he pondered over it, Devin felt his neck grow warm. There was a reason he wanted proof, but should he tell Sandra? "Uhm...well, probably my sister." Devin rubbed the back of his neck and laughed, though it sounded strained. "She knows how lazy I am and probably thinks I'll shirk the costume like everything else." Good catch, Thatcher. Maybe she won't notice. Or she would, because he had a feeling neither of them forgot the moment when Athena walked in on them. It was around that time that both of them seemed to talk less.

As he shook the box of band-aids, Devin realized how clumsy the two of them actually were. It was rather adorable, but at the same time concerning. Tripping over thin air could potentially be problematic when there was a large flight of stairs. A really large flight of stairs with marble steps. He chuckled and wiggled his fingers a little in the air. "And they'll say 'here lies Devin and Sandra. May they forever be remembered without looking like pincushions.'" That would actually be an amusing headstone, but he was not exactly eager to die just yet. "Let's avoid dying though, if we can. It will definitely be fun if we can dodge that bit!" A little painful and full of discomfort but it could always be worse. I'm spending time with her. That's worth a thousand needle pricks. Even the thought was mushy but Devin's mind sort of did what it wanted. He had no control over what popped into his head.

"Aww, don't worry," Devin soothed with a small laugh of amusement. "Judith won't mind, even if it is a bit creepy to open up your sewing bag and find bloodstained needles." He would definitely be freaked out to stumble upon something like that. Then again, he did not exactly have the most sturdy stomach. It amazed him that Josh could handle the prospect of being a doctor knowing all it entailed. Injured people was not something Devin could deal with on a daily basis. He frowned. "Well, my aunt has the car so I guess if we need something we'll have to walk. Or go by bus." But he'd rather avoid the bus because he had had a few bad encounters in the past.

Knowing that he would wind up giving her a tour later set him on edge. He had no idea why, and it was probably stupid, but it did. Devin still had that strange feeling in the pit of his stomach when they were alone. Not a bad feeling really; he liked the feeling Sandra gave him, but in some ways that seemed like a problem. He had sworn himself off of relationships (sounded like a past drug addiction or something) and here he was thinking about it. No one crossed his mind the way Sandra did. Not since Autumn.

It was actually adorable that both of them were flushed red over one another. Devin continued to look at her, Sandra looking right back, the air between them feeling stiff and awkward. He wanted to look away instantly but found that he couldn't. Blue eyes continued to watch her, waiting to see if she would make the first move to break eye contact, but when that did not happen he did so himself. What the hell? His heart was hammering loudly in his chest. The boy did manage a smile at her comment, though, and managed to look in her direction again. I hope my face isnt' red anymore. Unfortunately it was and he looked like a blonde cherry. "Good, I'm glad!" And then Sandra began to blush again. He fiddled with the hem of his shorts as a distraction. "Well, even so I always want you to tell me if something is bothering you okay? Like...if I upset you or bother you. Anything at all!" Because the last thing he wanted to do was irritate his friend. That would be a bit inconsiderate. Part of him wondered if she would tell him why she kept blushing, but at the same time Devin did not want to know. If it was the shirt he could certain acquiesce and put something on, but anything else... Maybe that's just me. Because if he were asked to tell her what was going through his mind, he did not know how well that would turn out.

And now for more awkward. Why did this keep happening? Sandra was one of his closest friends and their previous times spent together never wound up like this. They cuddled and laughed and had fun, but now he could hardly look at her without feeling his heart swoop into his stomach and a lump form in his throat. "...no I'm not." Devin replied quietly to her complement, barely able to manage the words. He did not feel cute. Then again he never claimed to have the highest self esteem. "But yeah, all the basic stuff us lazy people love to do. I hadn't quite managed to get around to video games yet but I'll toss that into the pile later tonight." An excellent distraction from all of these thoughts and insecurities that had been plaguing him for days now. Killing virtual people with virtual guns sounded like the perfect outlet. Glad for yet another distraction--which he grew to love more and more every time they hung out--he smiled brightly at the drawing Sandra pulled out of the bag. It was a bit hard to see considering she waved it around in excitement, but finally managed to catch a glimpse. "Oh wow! He's really talented!" Devin took the picture and looked it over. It actually did look quite a bit like him. The smile became a bit softer, but still present. "I hope I can pull off the outfit as well as this guy can. That's the most important thing." And Devin was not extremely built so there was no way he could look like Canada's version of Superman.

Devin nodded. "Okay, I'll be right back then." With that, he pushed off of the couch and went to his room to print off the templates he had found before but abandoned in his forgetfulness. He used this time away from her to breathe, to sort out his thoughts. What is it about her? Everything, really. No direct answer came to mind and he eventually settled for an all-encompassing response. Templates in hand he finally wandered back in and set them on the table. "There we go. These should help a little."

His hand on hers felt natural but it made him anxious at the same time. He did manage to smile at her when she placed her other hand on top of his. Devin allowed his fingers to push up under her hand to hold it with an affectionate gentleness, squeezing slightly. "Good!" The boy replied, "I'm glad you didn't get lost. I mean, I would go out and find you if you did, though." He would do that for any of his friends. Even so, every time he made those sorts of comments he wondered what she thought. Probably nothing. Ugh. He hated this second guessing himself thing. "So...uh..." What to do now? Devin sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We should probably do measurements. You'll need to measure my waist and shoulders and stuff." But that also meant close proximity. Could he actually handle that? Now he began to wonder if this was a good idea after all. Not to mention that doing this without a shirt was probably the easiest way, leaving him with no other choice but to stay as he was.

Silently he exhaled, relieved that Sandra did not catch on. If she did then she was good at hiding it and that was all that mattered. Devin was not eager to dwell on what thoughts went through her head because they were so infinitely distracting. "It is special!" He exclaimed, subconsciously reaching out to poke her nose. "It was your idea, after all. That makes it special." God, everything was starting to sound cheesy and stupid and...romantic. He felt the urge to stop but was not quite sure if he could. They just seemed to roll right off of his tongue. Sandra probably thought they were silly too, and that only made things worse. "Oh, she left a while before you came over. Spending some time with her best friend today or something like that." Devin waved it off like it was no big deal, because it mostly wasn't. He was sort of hoping she would stick around the house to rid the air of awkwardness but...perhaps her presence would not help in the least. He would never know now. All Devin knew was that he was making stupid comments and over thinking everything.

"No dying definitely sounds good. We'll have to make that our goal today." He laughed, knowing that this was not exactly something to die over. It was still an amusing conversation and a good distraction from everything else. It was sad that he would rather focus on pricking himself with needles than any of the other thoughts occupying his mind at the moment. "I think we can! So long as we take our time and try to avoid our fingers. I think Judith gave me a few thimbles we can try..." He dug into the bag and pulled out a few little metal thimbles to set on their thumbs as they worked. "Aha! It'll at least protect one of our fingers while we work." That was better than nothing right? And they wouldn't have to wrap themselves up in band-aids. He nodded and smiled when she agreed to walking. He just hoped that they wouldn't have to do that today. Maybe they would have what they needed, at least to get things started. Going out and shopping just...required too much effort today. Devin wanted to be at least partially lazy.

He wanted to ask 'how do you know?' but stopped himself. He did not want to doubt Sandra, but his insecurity was eating away at him. What if he was annoying, or bothersome? He did not like the idea of that at all. At least not with her. Because, strangely enough, she was one of the few people he believed when they said things like that to him. Sure there was always the chance that he would bother her on occasion but she sounded sincere. He held onto that. Devin turned his gaze back towards her when she insisted that he was, indeed, cute, and this time he argued with a shake of his head. "I just...do." He rubbed his arm, but was then caught off guard by Sandra's arm around him. Devin felt his body grow exponentially warmer but did not make a big deal of it. Instead he allowed her to cuddle against him, his arm wrapping over her shoulders. "I've heard it before I just..." Just what? The words were formulated in his head, but not making their way to his tongue. He rested his head against hers. "I don't know. You actually sound genuine. No one else seemed to mean it. So..." And most of them were wasted or at least far enough gone for a safe one night stand. Now, here he was, sitting with Sandra and hearing it sober. Completely and totally sober. And, like just about everything else the girl said, it sounded true. What was he supposed to do with that?

A look of disappointment briefly crossed his features when she pulled away before allowing it to dissipate into a smile, still relishing her closeness. They had not done that in a while and he missed it. Unwillingly Devin pulled his arm away and used her joystick comment to keep his hands occupied. He wiggled his thumbs around in a circle with a grin. "I think I can manage! I've toughened up my joystick thumbs a lot, so." His attempt at deepening his voice and sounding more...manly...was a bit of a failure and even Devin himself laughed. There was no way he could be manly like Josh or, well, any of his guy friends really. There was a bit of strength behind him but not enough to make him intimidating. "Yeah, he is!" Devin agreed, then realized how that sounded and scrunched his nose. "Not that I agree he's cute, because, well...that would be weird. But you know what I mean." He was one hundred percent heterosexual. Strange how women could find other females pretty without getting an odd look but a man found another man good looking and automatically they were gay. He was confident in his sexuality but sometimes there were moments he felt the need to explain himself. Devin placed a finger on his chin and observed it for another moment. "Yeah, it's a scary resemblance," He noted, then frowned. "Though...I think he's more muscular than me. He kinda overdid that part."

Super heroes were meant to be big and muscular and strong, which Devin felt he was not in the least. He could not fight--did not want to know how or have to--had a fairly weak constitution when it came to blood and vast amounts of pain. He thought on this while he was gathering the templates, wishing that he could be more like a real hero. Someone worth looking up to. Maybe Sandra would notice him then--no. No there was no going into that train of thought. Devin did not want to be disappointed if he found out she was not interested. That would hurt, and potentially ruin a friendship. His smile brightened considerably when he found Sandra smiling--it was so incredibly contagious. "Yep! I would have made bigger templates so we could see them better but the printer only does 8x12 sheets." Devin shrugged, not all too bothered by this. They could make it work! Besides it was not really the costume he was focused on, though it was fun. "That works for me. Oh oh! I wanna make the maple leaf!" He waved his hand around in excitement, like a child in class who was eager to answer a question.

I'm not a hero. Even if it was said in jest he could not bring himself to believe something like that. Instead he focused on their hands, to which he noticed that she was also looking at them. Devin did manage a smile and looked up at her, messing with his hair with his free hand. "That's me, Captain Canada remember? I have to hold up my name, yeah?" He queried, quirking an eyebrow. Not that he actually could be much of a super hero but he would try for Sandra. Whatever she needed him to be. For now he was focused on the awkward part of this ordeal: the measurements. Why did I bring that up anyway? Now he was not sure if he could handle it. Ah, but he had to. Sandra wasn't supposed to know how he was feeling. Devin glanced around. "Yeah...hmm..." Then at her suggestion he smiled and nodded, pushing away from the couch and standing up straight. It disappointed him to let go of her hand, but he could not act out of the ordinary. "Uh, do I need to put my arms out? I think that's how this works..." For a moment, the boy stuck his arms out to his sides and looked at them before settling them at his sides again.

This was so strange. And not because he wasn't sure if looking like he was about to fly was the right pose, but because Sandra had to be so close. Devin tightened his chest and muscles to ensure they could get the best fit. Whatever tone he had was now visible. "Okay, my little seamstress, measure away. I don't know what all needs to be measured...I know the waist and shoulders are important. Uhm...I guess torso and then legs? To make sure the top and bottom fit comfortably." Ughh, if only he did not feel the way he did, this would be easier. So much easier.

"No they aren't!" Devin looked offended, pulling his head back and frowning. He might have been biased--considering he...well, he liked Sandra, in possibly more than one way--but he was pretty sure that most of her ideas were not stupid or dumb at all. Now, the people who decided it was okay to try and be Mary Poppins and jump off of the roof with an umbrella had stupid ideas. Not that...he had ever attempted this before. No, of course not. I was drunk. The excuse still did not hold much water considering he voluntarily drank enough to lose sobriety. He chuckled and allowed Sandra to poke his cheek, to which he felt a faint blush appear. Why did this girl have to be so damn cute? It had to be illegal. "Yep, she seemed really excited about it. I guess they don't do much with one another." Devin shrugged a bit, not one to nose too heavily into his sister's life. Perhaps it was because he didn't want her to take interest in what he did. Kinda like how she nosed into his friendship with Sandra. Athena had taken to teasing him about it more often. He swallowed at Sandra's observation. "Yeah...she uh...she's been busy. School and friends and sports and all that." Which Athena actually was busy but even so the past incident was still fresh on his mind.

He also stuck the thimble on his finger and wiggled it around, giggling and amused. It seemed Sandra was, too, because she was giving him the same gesture with her thumb. "Now we have armor for our thumbs!" Little armor plates for their sensitive fingers. Now if only they wielded a sword and a shield. Devin's train of thought rambled off into some sort of spiel about knights and dragons before drifting back into the current conversation. Constant little rabbit trails in his mind, as always. "They do feel weird," He agreed, wiggling his thumb again. "But better than being poked!" His pain tolerance was fairly high considering how many times he had been beaten down by the opposing elements or...well, anyone who wanted to beat him up really, but even so little pokes were probably more irritating and constantly nagging. "Oh...I hope we don't end up there either! Although it would probably be just our luck." Devin sighed and shook his head, knowing this to be true. His luck was simply astounding.

Although physical affection was not lost on someone like Devin, someone who had spent many nights with quite a few different girls, this one particular girl was different. Just her hug made him want to melt into her and never wander away. To just...stay there. Comfortable. Happy. Should he be more confident? Maybe. It was not as though he were an inconsiderable bastard who did things solely to please himself all of the time, nor did he consider himself a bad friend. However when it came down to it Devin simply wondered if there were things about him that could be adjusted or fixed or made better. Looks were a bit difficult, but perhaps the personality aspect was workable. "Maybe they did," He replied solemnly, closing his eyes as she nestled her forehead against his cheek. Why are you so amazing? He wanted to ask her, but refrained. There were quite a few things he wished to ask but did not quite know how nor deemed it the right time. It created several gaps full of silence. Devin sighed softly and turned his head a little towards hers. He hesitated for a split second but allowed his lips to meet her forehead in a light kiss, his grip on her shoulders tightening a little. "I believe you. I promise." It was going to be difficult--insecurities could not be overcome in a day--but he was going to try just for her.

It was in that moment that he realized what he had done, and although he was disappointed in her breaking contact he was simultaneously grateful. God, how he wanted to pull Sandra back in and simply keep her there. Just keep her close. Instead the conversation allowed them to drift away from the moment and onto something less awkward or emotional. "Maaaany years of practice," He boasted jokingly. He was amazed that he managed to keep as many friends as he had with how often he shut himself away in his bedroom to play games. "I would flex my thumb muscles but I'm not really sure how..." He made an attempt, and failed. He laughed. So much for that! He managed to fail at flexing his thumb muscles and didn't have much overall to work with either.

"You're right," Devin agreed, looking at his own muscles and flexing them a little bit. Not much there but at least he was not a stick nor was he bubbling fat. "I don't want to look like I've been shooting up steroids or something. That would just be gross. I'll leave the buffness to Superman." He shook his head and looked down at himself, feeling decently content. Could he use a little work? Probably. Laziness got in the way of that though.

He flashed her a smile when it seemed that the templates were going to be good enough for their project; not that they needed a whole bunch of special images and stuff to make this work, nor would it be the end of the world if it didn't. Devin was happy just spending time with Sandra. She was wonderful company and--no matter how awkward he was feeling around her--he would not have anyone else sitting next to him currently. Like a child the boy clapped his hands together. "Yes! Maple leaves! I'm...probably going to suck at it but I'm going to give it my best shot." Like a fucked up octagon or something. He had no idea how it was going to turn out and personally he was not eager to see the end result. With another grin, Devin puffed up his chest a little and attempted to appear heroic, though (in his opinion) it failed. Slowly the air passed his lips and he deflated. "Duh nah nah! I'm Captain Canada! Handing out maps of Maple Hollow and calling the cab when all else fails." He wondered if anyone could actually make money off of doing that, but he could not be sure. Disc Jockeys made a good amount of money so he was content to stay where he was at.

Well, winging it was not always a bad thing. Unless, of course, you were actually doing something stupid like doing parkour across the top of a building when you had no idea what to do. That was dangerous and stupid. For them, it was simply measurements. Awkward measurements. Devin stood still as she approached him. "Okay, shoulders are good," He mumbled, adjusting his posture so he stood at a good five feet and six and a half inches. So the kid was short. Maybe it would come in handy one day? Devin chuckled and nodded. "Yep! But that's okay. At least we had fun doing it. And I got to spend time with you. Sounds pretty good to me." Once again, Devin wanted to go back on his words but they were already tossed out in the open. He also wanted to try and rectify himself but he remembered what happened last time. So much stuttering. That wouldn't help at all. When Sandra leaned in to take in the number on the measuring tape, he felt his body stiffen. He did not even realize he was holding his breath until she moved away. Every single time... And it used to be different. Affection came easily for them. Now just being in his personal space was intoxicating. Paralyzing. He could not help but giggle when she wrapped the tape around his waist. Hey, he was ticklish! Not a lot, but enough to make him flinch.

"Stop it, that tickles," Devin pleaded quietly between tiny bouts of laughter. Maybe the fact that he was distracted by this would help ease the tension, but even as he thought about this he was thinking about her. What the hell? I want to ask her. Even amid the giggles and wriggling around, Devin really wanted to see what she would say if he asked her on a date. I can't. Sandra had better options. Someone who did not have such a long record with females. It certainly did not give him a good image, and he tried to think of what Sandra thought on this. The insecurities came flooding back. He cleared his throat. "I uh...so yeah. Do we have the measurements we need? Or are there others?" He had no idea. This was not helping at all. "I would fail home economics in five seconds flat, I think." And that did make him laugh, though it was uneasy.

Devin chuckled and nudged her affectionately. "Napping can count as being busy, sure! Because I mean...you're doing something right?" Even if it was not insanely productive it was still having your body do something other than sit on the couch. Right? Maybe. Sleeping did mean your body was going dormant. Either way he would consider it being busy because he could. He smiled and returned the thumb bump, all the while thinking of how insanely adorable she was. How badly he wanted to tell her this but felt it would not do much of anything except for add to the air of awkwardness that he had helped create. Devin watched as she pulled out the little box of needles and wielded one like a mini-sword. Oh my god this girl. It was so difficult not to simply cuddle her forever. He grabbed a needle and poked at hers. "En guard! You will not win against me and my amazing sword skills!" Pffft. Like he had any sort of sword skills. With his luck he would wind up stabbing himself in the process. That was okay though; at least today they were using sewing needles instead of actually sharpened blades. He loved that he could do these sorts of things with Sandra, have this type of childish fun. It was also a good distraction and he was taking those opportunities more and more lately.

"We'll avoid it if we can," Devin said with a bright and unwavering smile. The hospital definitely was not on his list of things to do for the day but with their clumsiness you never know what could happen.

Although he did not say anything, it felt good to have her so close to him. Like a pillar for support when he needed it most. He never outright stated that he needed her--at least, not that he could remember--but Devin needed her in his life. Her happiness, her smile, her bubbly personality, everything. A beautiful change of pace. He let his lips linger on her skin, mumbling the words to her as he did so. It was soothing. The silence did encompass them for a long moment, and in that time he began to worry that he overstepped a boundary. I used to do things like this with her all of the time though, Devin argued with himself, still unable to get rid of the awkward feelings in his stomach. He liked that they were able to to divert themselves to other sources of conversation but at the same time he wanted to talk about what he was feeling. That was difficult when he though that maybe Sandra would not feel the same way. All of these gaps in communication were not helping at all. Devin smiled when she did though. "Aww but I want to show off," He pouted playfully, fiddling with his thumbs a little bit. "I mean, no one could match my thumb muscles." Eh, someone probably could but it was okay to talk big sometimes.

Sandra was right, though. Not all super heroes looked like Superman. The only problem was--at least from what he had seen in glimpses of cartoons on TV and the like--was that most of them were definitely defined in muscle and tone and had the strength to protect themselves and others. Devin was far from that. Would I defend Sandy if she was in trouble? The more he thought on it, the more frustrated he became at the thought of someone touching her the wrong way, or making her cry. No, this was not a good time to dwell on that. It actually caused him to frown for a moment before tuning in to Sandra's voice once again. "But tracing is so boring," Devin whined, rolling his head back a little. "Besides, we can tell people we made the costume ourselves! Someone will have to appreciate our talent. So long as like...it doesn't come un-stitched and I have to walk around naked. Or something." That image was actually kind of embarrassing and instantly he shoved that away. Not to mention the fact that he would probably not be alone and multiple people would see him wandering the streets of Maple Hollow in all of his glory. He felt his face grow warm at the thought. If Sandra were there... Nope. Stop there. No more thoughts on that.

"Oh psh," Devin waved a hand in dismissal. "It makes perfect sense! I'm sure they have heroes in other cities. They don't need me to be everywhere." He poked at her nose again and laughed, enamored by how truly adorable Sandra was. "Besides, I would miss you too much. And Josh and Nell and everyone else." He quickly added everyone else to the list, knowing how awkward that might have sounded otherwise. If he did have to leave the city he would miss everyone of course, but since he was only conversing with Sandra it made sense for him to mention her first. It still bothered him that he thought she might assume something different though. She might not even know. "If I did have to leave for whatever reason, we would talk as much as you want to. Every day. And letters all of the time. And texing." Everything. Anything to keep contact. Devin loved his friends and would do what was necessary to prove his loyalty to them.

Being this close to Sandra made him want to pull her into another hug, but Devin refrained for the time being. How random would that be? 'I know you're taking my measurements but I'm going to wrap you up in a big bear hug now.' Why did everything feel so weird now? Before, if he had done something like that, he would have laughed and played around without a thought or a care in the world. Of course, now it was hard to stand still because she was tickling him. Devin bit his lip to refrain from laughing louder than he already was but the effort was practically wasted. He sounded like a little kid, flinching and trying to stay as still as possible. "Hurry upppp," He tapped his foot and expelled another bout of giggles while she worked, trying his best not to back up or curl over himself into a partial ball. "This is torture! Why are you so cruel to me Sandy." So dramatic. She finally pulled away to write down the numbers; Devin was good on the measuring thing for now, considering he did not want to fall over crying from being tickled. At least not right now. He leaned over the table to look at the measurements. "Hm. Those look about right I guess. Not that I've really measured myself or anything but they'll work for the costume." Even if they sagged a little bit, no big deal! He would wear it no matter what. "I don't think we ever really know what we're doing," He commented with an amused chuckle. They really didn't, which could be dangerous.

And then, Sandra did the unthinkable. She poked him in the side, eliciting another giggle as he put his hand out in front of him to guard himself. "No no no...of course not! I'm a big sturdy wall of non-ticklishness. Yep! No ticklish Devin heeere." In defense, he reached out and gave her a good poke on the side to see what her response would be. If Sandra was ticklish then he supposed that a war just might ensue. And he would try and win, even if being tickled did somewhat render him helpless. "If you tickle me, I tickle you back. Just a warning!" Devin smiled at her and continued to laugh even after she had poked him. His body was prepared for the worst.

Uh oh. So she caught it. Devin was not an unhappy person by nature and so for him to frown or look upset by something it usually made it all the more obvious. With some it was normal and no one thought much on it but for him it probably stood out a little more than he would like. He swallowed a little bit and glanced at her, pushing up a smile. "Oh, nothing! Really, nothing to worry about." He waved his hands in front of him to dismiss the inquiry, though he knew that his response was a lie. "I was just thinking is all. No big deal." It was very odd to think that Devin of all people felt incredibly defensive over Sandra. Sure he would love to protect his friends in any way possible but he never considered throwing up a fist or coming between them and an opponent. The thought of someone touching Sandra though...that really did set him on edge. Won't be able to do much about it. He thought bitterly, knowing his past with fights. They were never won. If not for Josh, some of them could have landed him in the hospital.

"Yeah, like...it takes the fun out of everything then. And I don't know if I could ever improve in my maple leaf drawing skills if I copy someone else." Not that he had art skills to improve in the first place. His idea of making art was drawing a stick figure and putting a smiley face on it. Ta da! A masterpiece. He was definitely no Picasso or Rembrandt. He chuckled and nodded in agreement; they would definitely have to do a test run with the costume before going out and about. "I get a chance to run around the house in my Captain Canada outfit? Heck yeah!" He did a mini fist pump and grinned, acting all boyish and excited about flaunting his suit to Judith and Athena. Devin looked over at her and did catch her face turn red and the smile faded considerably, but did not question it. His cheeks had been doing the same thing lately and wondered how many times she noticed and did not say a word.

Maple Hollow was, in his opinion, a very special place. He had grown up here, gathered up many memories, made a lot of friends. There were some negative memories as well--he dealt with Lauren a lot and suffered the physical abuse that came with that--but he was tried to see past all of that and focus on the better portions of his life. It helped him to pull through. "It's good to know I would be missed," He replied with a soft smile. It was nice to know that his friends cared about him and wanted him to stick around. That was important. It also helped that the words came from Sandra's mouth. That meant a lot. She always managed to make him feel good and happy. Devin watched as she toyed with the thimble, frowning. "No, no I wouldn't. I don't plan on leaving anyway." He considered going somewhere else for college but his attachment to the Hollow and his friends led him to stick it out at the Academy. His fingers brushed over her hand for reassurance. "And if I did have to go, you'd be one of the first to know." Leaving her...no. Devin did not even want to consider walking away. Not from her, or Josh or anyone else.

His fidgeting was somewhat warranted but at the same time did cause them problems with trying to get these measurements right. He pouted. "I know I do." It was always easy to poke at him and tease him and well...just about do anything to him and get away with it. He certainly was not about to fight back. That was simply not Devin's style. "Yep! We can always re-measure if we need. We probably won't need to though." Part of him hoped they did because the close proximity to Sandra was something he enjoyed, but felt that that was somewhat wrong. This was his friend, nothing more. He should not be craving her closeness as much as he did. Before Devin thought nothing of it but recently it had been on his mind more often than he would care to admit. "Very true. We've never actually had much of a need to be...all exact and shit. So I guess we'll see how this goes!" Hopefully not horribly wrong. Not that it would be the end of the world, but having the costume be way to small or so big he could practically swim in it was not something he wanted in the end result.

"Ohoho, I beg to differ dear Sandy," Devin countered, his smile just as broad and bright as hers. "You poked me first remember? I get a free poke. And maaaaybe a few more after that." He continued to keep his hands up in defense, but apparently it was not good enough and he felt he should take action. As he reached out to poke a second (possibly third or fourth time), Sandra retaliated first and he hunched over himself in protection. "No-not fair!" He giggled, his toes curling into the carpet. He reached back out and finally met her side with his fingers and poked several times over, laughing and squealing in the process. "You're not going to win! I hold the power!" With that, he bunched himself again as a sort of shield and fell onto the couch, grabbing her waist and attempting to pull her down with him. In the flurry of tickling and laughing Devin momentarily forgot about the awkwardness before and thrilled in the tickle fight. That was, until he heard the front door open and a faint gasp reached his ears. Instantly Devin stopped and nearly fell on the floor in attempts to break away from the situation. "Athena!" Devin exclaimed, out of breath. His hair was tousled slightly, chest heaving a bit from the excitement of their fight. She did not look the least bit amused. "Kaitlyn and I could only do lunch because she had to go home for some family stuff..." She thumbed behind her in a generic gesture, still appearing shocked.

Devin did not know what to say. Instead he glanced back at Sandra and then to Athena again. "We were just--" Athena raised an eyebrow. "Just what?" Ugh. Little sisters. Why the hell did she have to come home now, of all times? Even if he explained what had happened there was no way she was about to let him live this down. No way. "We were actually having a tickle fight. I was winning. You saved Sandy the embarrassment of losing to my tickling skills." There we go. That made light of the situation. Athena still looked disbelieving but ignored it and waved at Sandra. "Hey Sandy! I hope my big brother has been good to you." She eyed the blonde with a dark gaze before making her way upstairs to her room. Devin exhaled. Once again, Athena made things awkward, at least for him. "I'm sorry about that..." He apologized to Sandra lamely, still catching his breath. "She always has the weirdest timing."