It's Been a While

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's eyes rose from their hands, and the path of his fingers slowed as he took that in. It was hard for him to think that Michael really liked him that much, even if the evidence was all there, even if he knew how much he liked Michael. Everything Michael had said was difficult, Dare could feel it. He lifted Michael's hand and pressed a kiss to the back, then smoothed his hand over it, capturing Michael's hand between both of his. "You're a good guy, Michael. Better than you think."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

The corner of Michael's lips turned up slightly, "I guess I'm just making up for all the sh~ I've done." He hadn't exactly been an innocent bystander in the past. He felt comforted by his hand being surrounded by Dare's, like he understood what Michael was saying and accepted it. "Still have a lot to make up for," he said, his words sounding light-hearted, even if he felt serious about it.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"You'll get there," Dare said, lips curving into his crooked half smile. He was as serious as Michael; he really believed his words. Michael had a lot of regrets, and Dare wouldn't pretend to think he knew even a portion of them, but what he did know was Michael as he was now. That sadistic twist was nothing in the grand scheme of things. If anything, it made him more interesting, added to that depth that so drew Dare.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"I'll be old and gray and marking the last thing off the list; I guess Dare was right," Michael said, grinning. He was at the same time glad that Dare hadn't asked what he had done and wanting to tell him so that he knew what Michael had done. But he figured the conversation had had enough tense moments that he didn't need to bring up anything, didn't want to, it was a conversation for another day.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare laughed lightly, though he was secretly pleased with the idea of Michael thinking about him that far in the future. "You have a list?" he asked. The words were in no way a prompt for information, but a tease. "I can see it now; a long roll of parchment with everything you've done since birth, cross-referenced with the opposite action." He paused and made a face at that. "Sounds like something Silver would do."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael matched Dare's laugh and nodded, "Yes, age three: tripped Emilian, age seventeen: picked up a third year's book. I'm doing good." He grinned and met Dare's eyes, "Seriously though, I don't have a list," he assured, shaking his head. He could only imagine what all he would have on it if he did. "Is Silver really like that?" he asked, he hadn't met Dare's brother.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare chuckled. "You have no idea," he said. Dare looked down at their hands for a moment, then back up at Michael. "I'm pretty laid-back, right?" he asked. "Let's just say Silver picks up the slack." And then some. "It's not that he's uptight, so much as he's...nervous. So busy wondering what people think, or trying to avoid people in general, that he just...ends up by himself." A different side of the Blackwood coin. Dare was a loner too, but for different reasons. "He's a great guy, though, once you get past the wall of nerves."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"Well yeah, he's your brother," Michael said, "That pretty much guarantees that he's a good guy." He couldn't imagine Dare's brother being a bad guy. "What will he think about this?" he asked, tilting his head at Dare. The only person that knew was Anna, and he couldn't very well use her reaction as a basis for everyone else.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare smiled at Michael's compliment, then looked back down as he thought about it. "I don't really know," he said. "Silver's pretty oblivious sometimes." Dare looked back up at Michael, eyes gleaming with mischievous amusement. "It might be fun to just...not tell him. Not hide anything, but just see if he figures it out. He's real smart, but sometimes he's too busy looking at the trees to see the forest, you know what I mean?"

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"So mean," Michael said, laughing lightly even while his eyes sparkled at the idea. His nerves tingled at the thought of someone else knowing, someone that was so close to Dare, and he chewed his lip lightly. He had the distinct feeling that Anna wouldn't tell anyone, though he could always be wrong, so it seemed it would be up to him and Dare whether people found out or not. "It'll be interesting."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare grinned, then gave a light laugh. "I'd tell him eventually," he said. "Otherwise I can see him just thinking about it and never asking." The fun of that would wear off fast, and he didn't want to drive his brother over the edge, just play with him a little. "You've got to meet him first, though. I'll have to hunt him down or something, I haven't seen him since the masquerade." The beginning of the masquerade. They'd parted at the doors, and that was the last of it.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael felt a rush of nervousness at the idea of meeting Silver, he would be the first to know that they were actually together, more than likely. "I look forward to meeting him," Michael said, grinning and pushing the nerves down. He was looking forward to it, even if it was just the game. The idea of someone knowing made him feel odd, like it wouldn't just be theirs anymore, because the knowledge would be shared.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"Well, then I'll like, send him an owl or something. It's easier than finding someone in this massive school," Dare said. He squeezed Michael's hand, silently reassuring. He could feel Michael's nerves as much as he could see them in his eyes. "It'll be fine," he said. "Silver's open-minded. For all I know he heard something at SWIM and kept it to himself. He's cool. He's a huge geek, but he's cool."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael smiled and nodded, "Alright, just tell me where to meet you." Not that it had been a problem for them to find each other before. Dare's assurances helped to push the nerves completely away, where before they had just been shoved beneath the surface. He knew they would come back when the anticipation came, but he hoped they wouldn't be anything to worry about.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare thought about it a moment. "It doesn't really matter where we meet. I guess we could just meet here, go on into the forest. I can see Silver being into the forest, it'll make him less nervous. I'll send him that owl tonight, get it all worked out." Dare looked around then, at what was left of the light. "We probably ought to head back to the castle, you think?"