Another Night In (Michael/Dare)

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare was watching Michael too closely to entirely believe him; he wasn't sure Michael believed himself. "I don't want you to be okay with it, Michael. I love you, and I want you to be happy. It's supposed to be something beautiful, right? What we have, it's amazing, it's beautiful, and that's what I want. If I need to get off, I can do it myself, but making love to you..." Dare looked down to where his hand had settled against Michael's arm. "I'll wait forever for that," he finished.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael didn't know how to react to that, what could he say to that? He swallowed and looked up at Dare. It was so odd, hearing it said. It wasn't that he had never thought about it, that he had never considered it, but hearing it made it so much more real. He didn't think too hard on the one part of Dare's words, I can do it myself. That was a strange thought, one he hadn't consciously associated with Dare, and he pushed it to the back of his mind. "You won't wait forever," he said, somehow certain of it, whether it was from a positive ending or a negative one.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"I'm not in a hurry," Dare said. He looked at Michael a moment longer, considering a kiss, but it seemed too much for what they were talking about. Instead, he gave Michael's waist a light squeeze, then settled his hand back against him. "What about you? What do you want?" Dare asked. Sometimes it felt like they were of one mind, reaching for the same thing and loving the journey, and others...Dare felt like he wanted too much, or like he was persuading Michael to go along with things.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael paused, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty for not wanting more, but even more than that he couldn't bring himself to accept more. What did he want? "I like where we are," he said softly, uncertain in it all. "But I want," he continued, shifting slightly, "To do more, eventually." If only to make Dare happy. He remembered the look on Dare's face that day, Michael wanted to see that look again. The choice that had to be made to get it was too much, though.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare nearly sighed. Michael didn't sound at all convinced about wanting more, even eventually. Dare shifted his hand lightly against Michael, trying to keep him grounded, hoping they could keep this up. Deep conversation was something they were good at, so why not this? "What we have now is awesome," Dare said softly. "It's incredible, amazing, and everything we've done has been amazing, right?" He thought for a moment before going on, raising his voice ever slightly. "Change can be good. Us being together has been a change. That first time you kissed me, I'm never going to forget that. So we take baby steps, right? One thing at a time."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"What if I can't?" Michael asked, almost a whisper. What if he couldn't be comfortable with it? If he had panicked that morning, then what was to say he could change, that he wouldn't freeze up if they tried something? He had never considered the possibility that he wouldn't be able to go farther, he had just thought that the right person hadn't come, or that the right time and opportunity had come.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's hand rose from Michael's arm, lightly framing his jaw. "You can," he said softly. "When you're ready to try something, it'll happen, I know it will. Sex isn't supposed to be something that's forced, it's supposed to be natural. It's something that just happens." It was what Dare had been taught, and he truly believed it. "If you ever want to...try something on me, if you ever wonder, just try, all right? I'm yours, Michael, you can't screw this up. If you want me to do something, let me know and I will, but until then, I like where we are, too. I swear it." Dare prayed Michael would believe him, would accept him, prayed he was going in the right direction.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael looked up into Dare's eyes, he believed Dare, in a twisted way, though part of him wondered how he could like where they were and still want more. He couldn't imagine himself trying something, at least not very soon, and it was harder to imagine asking Dare to do something. He took a breath, "I'll try." He didn't know how to ask Dare to do something if he even got to that point, but he could promise to try.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare believed Michael this time, though he knew there was more. He just didn't know how to get Michael to say the words, how to lead Michael to the answers so he could say them in the first place. "Don't try too hard," Dare said, trying for a gentle tease. "Just let things happen and they'll work out." He had to believe that. He loved Michael, and Michael loved him. It made sense that things would happen, just on their own time. Dare couldn't stop himself then, and the hand at Michael's jaw shifted, tipping his face up for Dare to kiss him.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

The kiss was a relief, in Michael's mind signifying the end of the talk. He hoped so, at least, the morning had been emotionally draining and he didn't know if he could handle much more of that thread of conversation. His mind was still filled with questions he didn't have an answer to, but he tried to cut them off, to focus on the kiss and the knowledge that everything was fine.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

The kiss was a relief for Dare, too. He couldn't be sure if anything he'd said to Michael had sunk in, if anything would last. But this he understood, and he hoped Michael understood. The kiss was amazing, but it was amazing because of everything, not just because of the undeniable chemistry between them. Dare couldn't have said how long they stayed like that, side by side on the piano sharing a kiss, but when it ended, his heart ached with everything he felt for Michael. He wouldn't have changed it for anything, and it shone in his eyes.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael wrapped his arms around Dare's waist and tightened them gently. "I love you," he said, looking into Dare's eyes and nodding as he said it. "More than anything." He held that green gaze for just a few more moments before he let his eyes drop, back down to the crisp black and white keys in front of him. His lips tingled pleasantly as he looked at them, and his mind stayed determinedly away from their previous conversation, he would have plenty of time to think it over and analyze it later.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's heart soared at those few words, and he had to blink, breathe in deeply not to do more than tighten his arms around Michael and press a kiss to his cheek. "I love you too, Michael," he whispered, afraid his voice would crack if he tried to speak. He wanted to say something clever then, but couldn't think of the words. All he could think was that somehow, that first day in the forest, he must have done something right.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael sighed softly, relaxed for the first time that morning, and rested his head on Dare's shoulder, looking out at the dark wood of the piano. Something tugged at the back of his mind, and as he tried to figure it out, it slowly dawned on him that it was Sunday, which meant they had classes the next day. "Should we stay in our dorms tonight?" he asked, "Since there's class tomorrow?" He didn't want to, but they couldn't very well stay away all the time, could they?

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare blinked, and his eyes widened momentarily before he closed them, wanting to just relax for five minutes. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he thought. "I can't imagine it'll be much better," he said softly. He didn't want to go back, didn't want to leave Michael's side. But maybe Michael didn't want to sleep with him again after what he'd done this morning. "We could try, if you want to..."