L4, backdated to March/Aprilish
Jun. 17th, 2010 12:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
3nanashiThe Winner estate library is, unsurprisingly, both comfortable and extensive.
In about three hours, Trowa will have to head back across the colony to the park where the circus has set up its tents, so he can change and warm up in time for the evening's show. But that's three hours from now. Right now, he's settled on one of the third-floor sofas in the Winner library, reading a borrowed book while Quatre's off getting tea.
(The caffeine is mostly for Quatre, who's a workaholic even when he's not rearranging his schedule to spend afternoons with a friend, but Trowa's not objecting to it either.)
In about three hours, Trowa will have to head back across the colony to the park where the circus has set up its tents, so he can change and warm up in time for the evening's show. But that's three hours from now. Right now, he's settled on one of the third-floor sofas in the Winner library, reading a borrowed book while Quatre's off getting tea.
(The caffeine is mostly for Quatre, who's a workaholic even when he's not rearranging his schedule to spend afternoons with a friend, but Trowa's not objecting to it either.)
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 04:11 am (UTC)Awkward silence-breaking like that is not usually a feature of their conversations.
(It can't be Bernie's entrance, even if it was -- a bit more of a surprise than usual. His sisters wander in and out of the library often enough.)
"Sure," he says, and finishes off the last swallow of tea.
"Thanks."
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 04:53 am (UTC)The water runs for longer than it really ought to, to wash the cups out preliminarily. This is because Quatre’s staring at it, and wondering if dunking his face in it will make him stop being stupid.
He turns it off, and goes to brush his teeth in the restroom instead.
(There’s nothing in them; he flosses, anyway.)
This is ridiculous, he thinks at his reflection. The worst that could happen is that he could be wrong, and they’d still be friends. Obviously not ideal, but would it be so awful? No, of course not.
He takes more risky chances every day before lunch. Well, at least twice a week. Quatre cleans the toothpaste off the corner of his mouth, eyes himself sideways for a moment, and walks back to the library with what he hopes is casu—oh, Trowa’s reading again.
Um.
Hm.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 04:57 am (UTC)(What he doesn't quite ask: everything okay?)
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 05:04 am (UTC)He sits down at an angle where he had been earlier, facing inwards towards Trowa. "I'm going to steal your attention for a moment--well, a few moments. More of an indefinite amount of moments--from Reicht. Would you prefer to finish your chapter first?"
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 05:07 am (UTC)Which is enough answer, but he says anyway, "It's fine."
He's listening.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 05:26 am (UTC)This was so much easier in theory.
"Basically," he says, voice a lot steadier than he feels, "I'm probably going to talk too much, but I'm prefacing this with the fact that I don't expect anything, and I'm--trying not to assume anything. Um."
Quatre glances sideways for a moment, before looking back. (His eyes wander to the side now and then, during the next part.) "It's a little redundant to say you're my best friend," he starts, wryly, "but I still feel like it's important, with everything else. Um--I'm pretty sure that's why it took me until two years ago to--well, I mean." He's definitely not looking at Trowa now, and his left hand is twisting at his right cufflink. "I think it's returned, or I wouldn't say, but--I could be wrong, and that's fine--um, I just--basically-I'm-also-attracted-to-you?"
He winces, almost, as he says it.
"Which, I mean, I can never bring it up again if that's a problem! And I mean, don't worry about--you're my best friend, I'm not--well, yes, I'm going to be awkward. But not for long--"
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 05:31 am (UTC)Trowa's smiling, just a little.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 05:50 am (UTC)"I know," he admits, once he's breathed. "To sum up: I like you, do you like me? Register yes or no at your earliest convenience. Which-- doesn't have to be right now."
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 06:13 am (UTC)You'd have to know him to hear the fondness under the words.
But it's less hidden than often. If you know him, you can hear it.
Trowa reaches out -- the care is only because this is new, and deliberate as such -- and sets his hand lightly on Quatre's. "Yes."
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 06:43 am (UTC)He brushes his thumb against the side of Trowa’s knuckle, half-concious.
"Well," he says, "that's--good. To know."
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 06:47 am (UTC)At all.
"Yeah," he says.
Suspecting, and being unsure what to do about it next, is not the same thing as this.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 07:22 am (UTC)When he's regained the faculty of speech: "So: If you have any questions about that, or anything."
He doesn't seem to notice that the sentence didn't really go anywhere.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 07:36 am (UTC)He can't think of any.
Admittedly, he's a little distracted.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 01:41 am (UTC)Well, Trowa will ask. If he does. So.
Quatre takes a half-breath, pauses an uncertain moment, and goes for it. "I have one, if that’s all right."
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 01:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 02:15 am (UTC)A split-second pause, and "We probably should close the door. If you don't, I mean."
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 02:22 am (UTC)And then he laughs.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 02:41 am (UTC)"To the door?"
He applies light pressure upward in an unspoken come with?, before letting go so that they can stand more easily.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 02:53 am (UTC)Trowa's laughter was brief, and it's over, but the amusement's still there in his eyes.
It's not far to the door.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 03:32 am (UTC)His right forearm is leaning against the doorjamb for the moment, as he turns back to face Trowa, and smiles with a sudden, almost bemusement.
"Hi," he says, processing this change; after a moment he moves his right hand to touch Trowa's left elbow, and steps closer.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 04:11 am (UTC)So, however quashed, is faint uncertainty. It's not that he's unwilling, in any way; it's only that Trowa's kissing experience is, well. Minimal.
Which is to say, he's dodged kisses from strangers a few times in his life. But that's it; even family kisses to the cheek or head weren't something he really got as a child.
So this is new territory.
All the same, he lets the corners of his mouth lift a little more, and brings his left hand up to lightly (and tentatively) match, and doesn't move away.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 05:24 am (UTC)(He’s pretty sure, in the back of his mind, that Trowa’s never done this; he doesn’t want to make him feel trapped, even in slightest of ways.)
Trowa’s the closest to his height of anyone he’s ever kissed (except Olivie, before he started growing—but that was five years ago, and old enough data that he’s discarded it), so there’s a moment between when he tilts his head to the right and when he actually kisses Trowa.
It’s gentle and experimental, and his left hand comes up anyway to rest against Trowa’s shoulder.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 05:54 am (UTC)Hesitant, yes; uncertain, yes; content and happy and excited and a muddle of other emotions, yes, in a fluttering mixture of endorphins that he can't name, and thus doesn't try. Trowa's not much given to focusing on his own emotions anyway.
But decidedly not trapped.
He tips his head a little into the kiss, and follows Quatre's lead.
(And if nothing else, Trowa is a fast learner.)
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 07:42 am (UTC)"You know," Quatre says, quietly with a smile audible, "you never told me what you decided about Reicht."
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 07:56 am (UTC)"I got distracted," Trowa allows, blandly.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: