#also poor r g really puts him through it without even meaning to xP

[auntiewhiz]

Whiz isn't exactly surprised that Richard isn't into the idea of him asking Cora about her situation with Grant, though Whiz still thinks it wouldn't be that big of a deal. But he's a little taken aback by just how upset Richard is about the idea. "I never said you're being irrational, mate," Whiz says gently. "I believe you about the snog. They're just both just so bloody weird I'm not convinced a snog means they're hooking up currently. But--I won't ask her if you don't want me to," he adds quickly, holding his hands up in surrender. "And, for the record, even if I did ask her I wouldn't have mentioned you." He already knows Richard surely knows that, but a reminder feels needed here.

There's more he wants to say. A lot of it focused around Richard's worry that Grant might find out he's jealous and decide he's too high-maintenance to keep being friends with benefits with. There's a lot packed into that Whiz doesn't like. If Grant thinks that Richard having feelings about Grant possibly fooling around with multiple people at the same time means Richard is too high-maintenance, maybe it's best this thing run its course quickly and be done. But that doesn't feel like what he should say to Richard right now. He doesn't want Richard to feel like he can't talk to him about this stuff. It's probably just going to get more messy if this is where they already are. So he leaves it there for now.

"Yeah, I don't begrudge you not paying attention to my fancy and his ex over your fancy," Richard tells him. It would have been easier if Whiz saw the kiss. "But you don't need to have seen it to because it was a proper snog. It was not a friendly kiss. A flirty kiss even. It was a full on snog in the middle of the dance floor that he looked very pleased with after." And Richard was totally over it. Mostly. Richard's eyes went wide in horror when Whiz offered to ask Cora. "No!" He didn't shout but his voice was louder and his tone incredulous that Whiz would even suggest doing such a thing. "Do not ask her about it! Don't talk to her about any of this!" That was nightmare fuel just the idea that Whiz might bring this up to Cora. "Please do not!" Richard can't even believe Whiz thought it might be a good idea. "My god. I don't want him to find out I care about what else he gets up to. It's not that sort of arrangement. He'll decided I'm a bloody high maintenance nightmare. And I don't care. It's not like whatever he's doing with Cora impacts what he's doing with me." The idea of Whiz just casually asking Cora that freaks him out. "I know you just want to help Whiz but that will not help anything. Can't you just take my word for it that it was not a bloody friendly kiss on New Year's? I'm not being irrational here. Yes I was jealous over it but that doesn't change the fact that they snogged. You don't just snog someone you don't have at least a physical attraction to." He's certain that it would lead back to him being a jealous idiot over the bloke he's meant to be in a casual no strings not a thing with. Not to mention the humiliation of it. Because he's certain Grant and Cora would have a laugh at it all. They never seem to take anything serious when they're together. Grant's not malicious but that doesn't mean he mightn't trample all over Richard's feelings unintentionally. Especially given he doesn't know about Richard's feelings. Richard would like to keep it that way. Grant would likely not be all in for a no strings attached thing if he knew Richard actually had feelings.