97 Two In One

"Ryder?" Regan muttered, eying Antonin up and down. 

"Hmm," Ryder nodded, pointing at himself, "the better version of this idiot."

"Hmm, I felt like something was wrong," Regan chuckled, "turns out it was a whole 'nother person."

"Full of surprises aren't I?" Ryder chuckled, he leaned in closer to Regan, his eye glowing with amusement, "so tell me, love, what gave me away?"

Regan looked at him up and down. "Your eyes."

Ryder flinched, "my eyes?"

Regan thought for a moment before giving a confident nod, "there were many other things, but your eyes were a big factor of it."

Ryder grinned, his hand running through his hair again. "Oh really? Mind telling why?"

"You sound excited," Regan giggled.

"Of course I am! Somebody noticed me, why wouldn't I be?" Ryder grinned.

"Hmm… well for one, Antonin had light brown eyes but yours are dazed making them appear duller. The mood around you changed as soon as I saw those eyes, your gaze changed. More intruding than observing and your smile more mischievous than innocent," Regan explained, pointing at Ryder's eyes.

"Well hello~ there Sherlock," Ryder chuckled, "never expected a big brain from Miss. Delicate."

"Miss- what?" Regan cocked her head, "have you seen me? Do I look delicate?"

Ryder gave it thought and smirked, "Hm... You didn't seem that delicate when you stripped but you feel delicate."

"Wow…" Regan sighed, "how long have you been watching?"

"I don't know really," Ryder shrugged, "When Antonin started this shift, I thought we were going to see another boring human. Can you believe that this place is filled with psychopaths but I have yet to meet one that is actually interesting? Not even the ones that tried to overpower him were interesting. They looked desperate."

"And I'm supposed to be interesting?" Regan scoffed.

"Of course. Five seconds after we walked into the room, you looked like you were going to attack us with whatever thing you have under that couch," Ryder chortled, his expression switching to concern quickly, "by the way… are you still holding it? You're not going to use that fork on me right?"

Regan looked down at the metal fork in her hand. She was a bit taken aback to realize that she was eating with it in front of someone that openly. Vixen hadn't let her go near anywhere metal and had sharp sides for weeks or even glance at it while he was in her presence. The metal fork fit weirdly in her hand, it's cold surface unusual in her hand and her grip on it was a bit awkward due to the different shape of the fork. 

"Hmm… Nah. Not today," Regan replied.

"Not today? Then you're going to do it another day?" Ryder leaned toward Regan despite her threat.

Regan looked up at him, locking eyes with the brown murkiness in his eyes, "depends on my mood."

A subtle smile flashed across Regan's face as she turned back to her plate of spaghetti, unaware of the gaze Ryder had fixed on her.

"You guys are really different," Regan muttered, "your entire mood changed, tone and behavior. It would have been weird if I didn't notice anything really."

Ryder grinned. "You came off as nonchalant but turns out Antonin wasn't the only one that was observing each other. You were watching us the entire time?"

"Hmm, I guess so. I guess I was but, to be honest, it was normal for me to notice since you're so… extra," Regan muttered.

"Or maybe you just find me interesting," Ryder grinned. He leaned over the table and stopped inches away from Regan's face.

She didn't turn to him.

"Look at me," Ryder muttered.

"I don't want to," Regan replied, not even bothering to turn her head to him, "quite an attention seeker aren't you?"

"I don't know what that is," Ryder grinned, "all I know is that I'm quite famous."

"Oh really?" Regan chuckled, her head turned to face him. Her emerald eyes locked on his confidently and she smirked. "Mr. popular?"

Ryder flinched for a moment, unable to speak before chuckling, "you can call me that if you'd like."

"I'd rather not," Regan retorted, pushing strands of Ryder's hair that touched her face away, putting them behind his ear, "you sure you like to keep your hair down? They might get in the way."

Ryder grinned, inching closer to Regan, "Then you can just push my hair out of the way for me then."

"Hm, I don't want to do that though," Regan muttered, her eyes flickering more a moment.

"Then what do you want to do?" Ryder asked, his face 2 inches away from her's.

Regan leaned in and right before they touched, pushed him away, and turned back to her plate of food. "I want to eat."

"Ouch," Ryder clutched his heart, "brutally rejected."

"Sorry not sorry," Regan shrugged. "Don't expect anything from me."

"I'll make sure I don't," Ryder chuckled, "I feel like I'm not going to need to though since you're already interesting enough."

"Hmm, okie then," Regan chuckled, "you're really on your flirt game today. You should show yourself more when Antonin visits other people. I bet some people are gonna like you."

"As amazing as I am, I pick those I hang out with carefully. I don't like to just hang out with many people, can't share myself like that you know," Ryder chortled, "I'm that special."

"You're very arrogant," Regan sighed.

"As I should be," Ryder chuckled. 

"When are you leaving?" Regan asked. She took a bite out of her spaghetti and flinched, realizing it was now cold.

"You want to get rid of me that quickly?" Ryder pouted, "at least show that you notice me."

"I do, a bit too much too. I assume you heard what I said earlier right? I've grown accustomed to silence and appreciate it more than conversing now," Regan smiled.

"I hate that Vixen guy…" Ryder muttered, a pout forming on his handsome face. He placed his face on the table and blew his cheeks, "I would be able to talk to you more if he hadn't made you like this."

"Cute but the answer remains the same," Regan shrugged, she glanced at the clock, "you're 10 minutes late to whoever you have next."

"I don't want to leave though.. Be honest, is Antonin better?" Ryder pouted, "Is that why you want me to leave?"

"According to me, you're all annoying so no. I want you to like... Actually leave. The room. Haha…" Regan chuckled, looking down at Antonin's pouty face. She ruffled his hair, "I thought you liked Vixen."

Ryder looked up at Regan as her hand remained on his head, peeking through his strands of black hair to look at her face. "What do you mean like Vixen? I don't like him at all."

"Hmm, your actions seem inspired by him though. Your attitude, hair, and actions are similar to his," Regan teased. 

"Pfft~ does it? I guess I admire him a bit," Ryder chuckled. His left eye closed sleepily when Regan ruffled his hair again. 

"Thought so," Regan grinned, her smile blossoming into a laugh, "don't hate him if you don't want to. I don't like people doing things for me that aren't needed."

Ryder stared for a moment, a sentence he wanted to say clogging at his throat. He cleared his throat. "Don't you seem a little too calm right now? Do you not seem to understand the situation? There's two of us. Me and Antonin. Two different people, in one body. Aren't you worried? Concerned? Scared?" he asked, looking up at Regan. "are you just pretending to be ok?"

Regan smiled again, "Pretending? Why would I do that?"

"I've never seen a nonchalant reaction," Ryder smiled desolately, "it's either a deep frown, complete rejection, or worse they call me crazy. 'There can't be two in one, you're hallucinating, stop acting like a different person it's sickening' stuff like that is normal. But you- I predicted you to be one of the ones to reject it completely."

"Aish! I thought you said you thought nicely of me?" Regan flicked his forehead.

"Ouch! I never said I thought of you any other way," Ryder touched his forehead in annoyance, growling at Regan, "and seriously?! Did you need to do that?"

"You were judging me unfairly so I had to retort," Regan chuckled, her voice having a hint of mockery.

"Geez, my poor forehead," Ryder pouted touching his forehead protectively.

"Oof… maybe I used too much strength there," Regan touched the spot she flicked gently, "do you think a bump is going to be there? Antonin is going to be so confused when he wakes up."

Ryder flinched at Regan's hand touching his skin and immediately grabbed her hand. "You didn't answer me," he muttered, holding on tightly to her hand, "isn't this weird? Don't you hate this?"

Regan blinked blankly at his question. "Me? I don't care."