|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 17, 2008 18:05:52 GMT -5
Michael had turned down a corridor a few steps before hearing a loud scream, or maybe it was a squeal? He wasn't sure, but he backtracked those few steps and looked around the corner, only to see Dare, at least, he thought it was Dare since no one else was on the hall, with a girl on his back. Michael's eyebrows came together and he tilted his head as he watched. He was momentarily stuck to the floor as he tried to figure out what on earth was going on.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 17, 2008 18:10:47 GMT -5
Dare gasped for air and leaned forward, his hands reflexively catching the bottoms of the girl's thighs with his hands. He blinked, confusion overwhelming him for one long moment before his mind registered both the voice and the fact that she'd called him Alasdair. "Oh my f~ing God, Brindle?!" Dare's hands tightened, and he spun in a quick circle before letting her legs go.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brindle Sterling on Oct 17, 2008 18:25:36 GMT -5
Brindle jumped down, laughing from the spin, and rounded Dare to throw her arms around him again in a hug. "I missed you!" she said, pressing her head to his chest as she hugged him as tightly as she could. "I thought I'd never see you again, I didn't think I'd find you in this place, and there you were!" She looked back up at him, vivid blue eyes brightening further. "Markise is right behind me. Keesee! Hurry up!" she called over her shoulder. It took a bit of effort to peel herself off Dare, but somehow she managed.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 17, 2008 18:34:24 GMT -5
Markise's chest tightened as he approached, his lips curved softly, pale blue eyes showing things he hadn't expected to feel. He'd expected excitement and joy, but this...it was heart wrenching. God, he'd missed Dare. Markise moved past Brindle, looking up at Dare for a moment before he trusted himself to speak. It had only been the summer, why was it so overpowering? I never thought I'd see him again.
"We left SWIM," he said, licking his lips as he tried to think how to tell Dare. "I told my family, and Brin knows about us. I told everyone...about me," he clarified. He hadn't told anyone but Brindle about him and Dare, but that was another story entirely. Markise closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Dare's waist, resting his head against Dare's chest.
|
|
|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 17, 2008 18:40:20 GMT -5
Michael had gotten the idea that the girl was someone Dare knew and hadn't seen, but he couldn't see her face well enough to even have a guess as to who she was. Dare seemed excited, though, and so Michael had relaxed, at least until the second person had come out. A person that then hugged Dare in a very personal way. A male person that was hugging Michael's boyfriend. His feet, which had started to move towards Dare, froze again.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 17, 2008 18:44:48 GMT -5
Dare's heart had stopped when he'd seen Markise, and at the feel of Markise's arms around him, Dare's eyes had closed, and his own arms had wrapped reflexively around Markise. There was a moment of silence after Markise spoke before Dare opened his eyes again, released Markise, and shifted away from him. "So why are you here?" he asked softly. Dare flicked a glance at Brindle, not wanting to exclude her, but the question was for both of them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brindle Sterling on Oct 17, 2008 18:48:33 GMT -5
Brindle had entertained herself by looking at an interesting-shaped chip in the stone wall while her brother and Dare had their moment. But she managed to hear that question, and so she turned back to them. "Things weren't going so well," she said, then looked to Markise to explain. She'd come along for him, and it was his story to tell.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 17, 2008 18:51:43 GMT -5
Markise shook his head, then looked back up at Dare again, drawing his hands back to himself. "I'll tell you later," he said. There were some details that Brindle didn't need to know. His parents knew, that was why he'd been pulled from SWIM, but Brindle just knew there had been trouble. Markise's eyes took in Dare's face, so different with his hair the way it was, but still the same. His gaze dropped to Dare's lips, paused, then rose to meet his eyes again. "For old time's sake?" he asked softly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 17, 2008 18:55:35 GMT -5
And Dare had hugged him back. Michael didn't know what to think, he couldn't see the two in good enough detail to even begin to make the connection with the pictures he had seen in and on Dare's sketchbook. It's just a hug, he tried to tell himself. But that hadn't looked like just a hug in Michael's opinion. He still felt frozen to the spot, silently watching and wishing he knew what was going on, but he couldn't make his feet move to carry him to Dare and ask.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 17, 2008 19:01:23 GMT -5
"I can't," Dare said, his gaze dropping to Markise's lips all the same. It was funny how he could remember how nice it had always felt to kiss Markise, could remember what he'd tasted like, and yet he didn't feel tempted at all. Dare turned his head to look down the corridor where Michael had headed, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw him there. Sh!t. He had no idea what all this looked like from the outside, but prayed that it was okay. Dare gestured for Michael to come over, then only glanced down at Markise long enough to give him a meaningful look before turning his gaze to Michael again.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brindle Sterling on Oct 17, 2008 19:04:38 GMT -5
Brindle had looked away from her brother again, but she'd seen Dare's gesture from the corner of her eye, and so she turned to look as well. There was a guy down there, with awesome hair and an unfortunate outfit that made her think of a lumberjack. Had no one told him that flannel went out in the 90's? Still, he wasn't close enough to see clearly, so she told herself to reserve judgment.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 17, 2008 19:09:10 GMT -5
"What do you mean, you can't," Markise asked, just a moment before his gaze swung down the corridor after Dare's. His eyes widened slightly, and his heart dropped. Maybe some part of him had recognized that Dare couldn't be waiting for him--he'd been with Kwami when Dare left, after all--but it was entirely different seeing what was obviously another guy. Markise had enjoyed the feeling of knowing that Dare had only ever kissed one boy before him, that he'd been kissed by that boy, and he, Markise, was the only one Dare had kissed willingly. He could only assume the guy was with Dare, though. Why else would he have called him just then? And what was he wearing?
|
|
|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 17, 2008 19:14:26 GMT -5
Michael almost wanted to duck away, it seemed like such a long walk with the three of them watching him. But he didn't, he forced his feet to move and bring him closer to Dare. When he was close enough, just the faintest twinge of recognition hit him with the two new faces, but he still couldn't place them, then it clicked that the guy looked like...Markise. At least that would explain the hug, but why on earth would he be at Hogwarts? Michael didn't know what to think as he came up beside of Dare, pulling his eyes from the two newcomers and looking up at him with a questioning look in his eyes.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 17, 2008 19:20:25 GMT -5
Dare's lips curved, and one hand slipped down around the back of Michael's waist. "Michael, this is Markise and Brindle," he said softly, letting his excitement well up again. He dropped his gaze from Michael to the two facing them, and took a deep breath. "This is Michael...my boyfriend." It was so different saying it to someone else, but it felt good, it felt...real. Dare knew his friends would be happy for him. This was so much infinitely better than writing a letter.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brindle Sterling on Oct 17, 2008 19:25:02 GMT -5
Brindle's eyes widened momentarily, then shifted immediately to the guy--Michael. She'd almost thought Markise had lied to her, even with that hug she'd just seen. She looked over Dare again, but he looked the same as ever, except his hair, which she loved, then turned her gaze back to Michael. If you discounted the flannel and the baggy jeans, he was gorgeous. And gay, she added, annoyed at the thought.
|
|
