Why is this so painfully unexpected? He learns of Al's goodness everyday, and even as he let words tumble from his mouth with the intent of hurting, he wished he could suck them back in before a sliver of damage could be made. He's a breathing contradiction.
His eyes well up and up. They stay wide, too, when tears do finally fall out of them, and though his mouth is subtly ajar, he keeps his breath in.
His eyes snap shut, tightly, and his mouth presses into a line. First, his frightened, uncertain hands cling severely to the edge of the counter, but then those newly bandaged things come up to cradle Al's own hands.
''I couldn't blame you,'' he says, weeping in the quietest way of it. ''I am a tiring thing. I know it. See, I couldn't at all blame you if you did feed me to wolves.''
It had made him nervous, but he doesn't want to say that aloud, doesn't want to be a gossamer thing for Al's viewing. Although, he is, must be, unintentionally as he's taken too long to say anything and goes on softly swinging his legs.
”That sort of kissing. It's for a mum or dad and a baby. ...Isn't it?”
Such a strange thing, having to pick it apart from his usual ideas when it pertained to elements like lips and skin. Perfectly innocent, perfectly unsoiled. What an ache it gives him, and he picks with a scabbed fingernail at the edge of the counter top.
”Or, how I kiss Luca because he's my very own.” He tilts forward slightly, peering at him.
"... oh, come here," Al murmurs, and reaches out to hug him close. His heart gives that hurting ache again as he realizes just how that hit the boy -- Al had known a parent's love, and it had been his reason for being. No wonder Alois hurt so badly.
There is such a blink of a second, where Alois and Jim come into the same body, and not knowing what to do, all his bones and muscles lock up. Then, Jim's ghost is gone; Alois fits his fingers into Al's shirt, and his cheeks get wet.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2012-11-13 07:46 am (UTC)His eyes well up and up. They stay wide, too, when tears do finally fall out of them, and though his mouth is subtly ajar, he keeps his breath in.
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Date: 2012-11-14 05:17 am (UTC)"... will you accept that?"
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Date: 2012-11-15 04:49 am (UTC)''I couldn't blame you,'' he says, weeping in the quietest way of it. ''I am a tiring thing. I know it. See, I couldn't at all blame you if you did feed me to wolves.''
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Date: 2012-11-15 06:14 am (UTC)Al rubs his thumbs against the unhurt parts of his hands. "I will never, ever give up on you."
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Date: 2012-11-15 06:27 am (UTC)''My birthday came. It was May still, back home. It wouldn't come for some months, but here I'm already older. Not that I feel any.''
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Date: 2012-11-15 06:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-15 06:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-15 06:39 am (UTC)... he only looks sixteen.
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Date: 2012-11-15 06:49 am (UTC)''Maybe eighteen.''
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Date: 2012-11-15 06:55 am (UTC)"It's true. It's a long story, but it's true. So don't you fuss about not looking older."
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Date: 2012-11-16 05:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-16 06:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-16 07:19 am (UTC)''Al. I didn't hate it, not so very much. When you put your lips on my head.'' This bit is shyly wary, and his eyes are on the floor.
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Date: 2012-11-16 07:02 pm (UTC)"Is it that it startled you? Or did it make you nervous?"
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Date: 2012-11-18 07:51 am (UTC)”That sort of kissing. It's for a mum or dad and a baby. ...Isn't it?”
Such a strange thing, having to pick it apart from his usual ideas when it pertained to elements like lips and skin. Perfectly innocent, perfectly unsoiled. What an ache it gives him, and he picks with a scabbed fingernail at the edge of the counter top.
”Or, how I kiss Luca because he's my very own.” He tilts forward slightly, peering at him.
”I'm older, but I'm not any wiser, am I?”
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Date: 2012-11-18 07:56 am (UTC)He nudges him though, almost playful, and very fond.
"You're getting there. Don't worry, you know that you're getting wise when you realize just how much you have to learn."
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Date: 2012-11-18 08:06 am (UTC)... Oh, whoops!
He hasn't been anyone's baby, not like Luca is his, in too, too long, and—
'That was the way I meant it,' Al had just said.
Alois looks at him, now, like a stupid thing. Clutching in his breath, saline turning Al into a mosaic under a pond's surface.
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Date: 2012-11-18 08:12 am (UTC)"... oh, come here," Al murmurs, and reaches out to hug him close. His heart gives that hurting ache again as he realizes just how that hit the boy -- Al had known a parent's love, and it had been his reason for being. No wonder Alois hurt so badly.
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Date: 2012-11-18 08:21 am (UTC)”Is it going to become dark again?”
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Date: 2012-11-18 08:25 am (UTC)He ruffles his hair with a small hum. It's a familiar touch by now. "You're welcome to stay with me."
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Date: 2012-11-18 08:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-18 09:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-20 08:22 pm (UTC)Noticed this habitual excuse he's developed, Al?
”My arm throbs. We need a new mirror, by the way, for the bathroom in the hall.”
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Date: 2012-11-20 09:00 pm (UTC)"I'll fix it. We just need to be careful about things like that."