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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 16:32:08 GMT -5
Dare breathed a sigh of relief as he entered the shop with Michael. Hogsmeade hadn't been so bad, mostly just stares, but getting through the school had been difficult. Dare was positive that it wouldn't have been any better if he'd been walking a foot away from Michael instead of right beside him. His fingers ached slightly from having clutched Michael's hand so tightly.
Dare had kept his head down, resisting the urge to glare at people, though it had been highly tempting. He'd wanted to swear, or flip a rude gesture, but he'd gotten catcalls and whispers about his look before, and he knew from that past experience that confrontation only caused a bigger problem, so he'd done his best to ignore things and dragged Michael along.
"Can we take a few minutes?" Dare asked Michael softly, stopping just inside the shop. He wanted to calm down a little before heading upstairs. The jewelry hadn't even occurred to him yet.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 16:47:08 GMT -5
Michael had kept his head down the whole time, and he hadn't noticed how tightly Dare was holding his hand from the deathgrip he had had on Dare's. His eyes were wide when he nodded silently. He had been ridiculed before, he had heard the whispers, but it had never been as open as what they had experienced during the walk through school. It had been quiet murmurs of how someone would get him for his decision, whichever one it was at the time. But that...what some of those people had done in the corridors...
Michael's fingers wouldn't relax however hard he tried to make them, though he knew they wouldn't have to worry about any negative remarks since they were in Emilian's shop. He never thought he would consider the place Emilian lived a safe haven, but it was, and he dreaded leaving to take the long walk to the dungeons.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 16:52:51 GMT -5
Dare took Michael's silence as an affirmative, only noticing as he took deep breaths to cool down how tense Michael was. Dare turned, drawing his free arm around Michael's waist and buried his face in the soft hair fallen over his neck. "We'll be okay," he murmured, trying to convince himself as much as Michael. "They'll get bored, they'll move on." And in the meantime, he and Michael just needed to stick together. Dare didn't think that would be difficult at all. "I love you," Dare whispered.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 17:00:33 GMT -5
Michael forced his fingers loose enough to pull away, then wrapped his arms tightly around Dare's shoulders, burying his face in the crook of Dare's neck and closing his eyes tightly against the wetness he could feel in the corners. He wouldn't, he rarely cried, and he refused to let himself do it because of those people, even if it was completely understandable with the week he had had so far. He choked out a tense I love you, too, and tried to believe Dare's words.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 17:11:20 GMT -5
"I'll be with you," Dare murmured. He held Michael for some time, letting silence reign, letting physical comfort be enough. Eventually, he pressed a soft kiss to Michael's neck, then pulled back with a deep breath. "You want to look around for a little?" he asked Michael. If Emilian came down, he didn't care. He'd take this opportunity to return to some semblance of normalcy. Dare's mind lit on his original intent in looking around, and he nodded lightly toward the nearest display.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 17:19:28 GMT -5
Michael pulled his arms to himself and nodded, if only to postpone going up to see Emilian in the state he was in, and wiped his eyes before putting an arm around Dare's waist for comfort's sake. He looked absently at the display, at the dully shining pieces that attempted to show off in the dim natural light from the front windows. He wasn't really even aware of what he was looking at, his mind still whirring with the insults that had been thrown on their way through the school.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 17:26:11 GMT -5
Dare didn't have the heart to push, not with Michael still so upset. Dare slipped his arm around Michael's waist and pressed another kiss to his cheek. They're only words, he wanted to say, but for now, he thought maybe distraction would help. They could talk about everything later, when they had more privacy. "Look at that one," Dare said softly, pointing through the glass at one of many in a collection of men's rings. It was a wide white-gold band with a delicate antiqued design engraved into it. He was too distracted himself to be as subtle as he'd have liked, but he didn't think Michael would notice.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 17:37:30 GMT -5
Michael looked at the one that Dare pointed out and nodded, speaking a soft it's nice before his eyes moved on to the rest in the display. His eyes were pulled to a set of three, a silver one with a copper-colored pattern of leaves set into it, a solid one of the same copper color and same design, and a gold with the leaves in silver. "I like that one," he said, pointing to the center one. It hit him somewhere that he had chosen that one because it reminded him of the forest, and that was where he generally went when in the kind of mood he was in.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 17:59:10 GMT -5
Dare followed Michael's gesture, and knew the ring the moment his eyes found it. His lips curved. He'd imagined that this would take forever, but no, he couldn't imagine another ring topping that one for Michael. "I like it too," Dare said. And there were two of them. He'd have to get Emilian alone. He didn't want to risk it getting bought or moved. "Do you think Emilian has like, facial jewelry? Watches? I ought to get a watch," Dare added, more to himself than to Michael. He was always in by curfew, but if he was getting a job, he needed to be a little more punctual than in at the general time.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 18:13:56 GMT -5
Michael pulled his eyes away from the rings and looked up at Dare, thinking for a second, "Surely he has watches, and he probably has the other, too." He looked around the room then, and gestured with his head over to a small display with body jewelry. He turned his eyes back to Dare and mentally put a ring in his lip. It just barely kept his previous thoughts from his mind.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 18:19:51 GMT -5
Dare nodded, then brought Michael over to the display. His hand at Michael's waist shifted, hopefully subtly, around Michael's hip to tuck into his back pocket. Without pause, and with intent to distract, he pointed at a slim silver ring with a metallic blue ball on it. "What do you think about that?" he asked, part of him waiting for Michael to move his hand. "Right here," Dare said, drawing his finger up to lightly touch off-center of his lower lip.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 18:34:53 GMT -5
Michael looked over at Dare and shifted slightly, he could feel Dare's hand, though it wasn't as obvious as if he had been wearing tighter pants. His eyes sparkled slightly as he looked at Dare, then glanced over at the ring Dare had pointed out and imagined it where he pointed. "It would look good on you," he said, just like he had said in the Room of Requirement.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 18:44:24 GMT -5
Dare's lips curved, bypassing his usual crooked smile for the beginnings of a grin. He felt like he'd gotten away with something, even if it was obvious that Michael had noticed. Dare watched Michael another long moment, then glanced back down, clearing his throat. "Think we ought to go up?" he asked. "The faster we go, the faster we can leave, right?" They'd have to face the school again, but then they'd be in the Room of Requirement, and they'd be safe. If hungry, Dare thought, his stomach rumbling.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 18:57:02 GMT -5
Michael sighed but nodded, glancing towards the back of the room where the door to the stairs were. "Yes, I guess so," he said, "Let's get it over with." It also meant they would get the walk back up to the castle, and the trip to the dorm, over with sooner. He sighed again and started towards the staircase. "Are you going to keep your hand there while we're up there?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and looking over at Dare.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 28, 2008 19:04:30 GMT -5
Dare's grin widened. "Maybe," he said, the tease sparking in his eyes. Dare gave an melodramatic sigh, then brought his hand back to Michael's waist as he leaned slightly to steal a kiss. He just wanted one kiss, just a bit more of that pleasurable comfort before he pulled back and caught Michael's hand instead. "Will this work?" he asked, drawing Michael's hand up for a kiss. He didn't feel like letting go of Michael right now, not even for the short time they'd be dropping off the portrait. It had escaped him for the moment that he intended to get Emilian alone at some point.
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