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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 19, 2008 12:45:02 GMT -5
Michael caught that look in Dare's eyes and then his own widened slightly as he understood. He watched Dare's lips for a moment, his own curving up in a soft smile, before he turned his eyes back to Markise. It was interesting, to say the least, how everything was playing out. Michael hadn't thought there were any other guys like them in the school, but apparently he had thought wrong. He couldn't help but pray that Markise ended up with Logan, maybe he was still a little insecure.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 12:49:14 GMT -5
Markise couldn't miss all that silent communication, and he felt heat stealing up his neck and into his cheeks. "Don't tell anyone," he said softly, just loud enough for the two of them to hear. He looked between Dare and Michael again. "He hasn't even admitted it to himself. He's straight, okay?" Markise didn't know Michael, but he prayed that the guy could keep a secret. Markise gave Dare a sharp look. Damn you for guessing!
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 19, 2008 12:56:15 GMT -5
Dare's brows rose. "All right, he's straight," he said, closing his eyes a moment and shaking his head. He turned to Michael then. "I ran into the guy in the dorms when I went up to get my stuff," he said, then looked back to Markise. "He seemed cool enough, supportive of my personal choices." Dare gave Michael another light squeeze. "Nearly flipped when he thought I'd implied something about him, though." Logan was obviously in the closet, deeply in the closet by the sound of it, which amused Dare to no end. Markise's closet status was debatable only because he'd toned himself down.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 19, 2008 13:03:52 GMT -5
Michael didn't think that the whole straight thing meant very much, he had actually been straight just a few months before, hadn't he? His arm tightened around Dare at that thought, and then looked up at Markise. "So are you and this guy going to meet up any time soon?" he asked, realizing that Dare would probably see the question for what it was, that little bit of insecurity he had showing. Not that he really thought Markise would take Dare from him, but Michael would feel much more at ease if Markise had someone of his own.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 13:09:51 GMT -5
Markise blinked, pulling his gaze away from Dare toward Michael. Then it dropped back down to the shredded blade of grass he held. He dropped it and picked another. "I...I hope so," he said, knowing how much those words would give away. "We didn't make any plans though. He kind of ran off. He's straight, remember?" Markise had no doubt that Dare would get exactly what he meant, even if Michael didn't. But he couldn't bring himself to just out and say it. Markise had never talked about his boyfriends with Dare. Dare knew Kwami, and he'd seen them together, but Markise hadn't talked about him much, either.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 19, 2008 13:15:44 GMT -5
Dare's brows rose again. Something had happened. He couldn't begin to guess what, considering how little Markise had told him about Kwami, and that was the only boyfriend Dare knew Markise had even had. Still, Dare knew Markise well enough to put the pieces together. Something had happened, and Logan had left because of it. Dare swept his hand lightly against Michael's side, reassuring him, then turned to look at him. He wasn't entirely sure what to say to that.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 19, 2008 13:43:17 GMT -5
Michael licked his lips, debating saying something. His words could give Markise false hope, but they could also help him. "Well, I was straight, too," he said, glancing over at Dare. Not even in the closet, but had never even considered being with a guy before, until Dare. He hadn't really thought about it too much in a while, and it was odd even remembering a time where he hadn't been with Dare.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 13:51:18 GMT -5
Markise blinked and looked up at Michael. "Really?" he asked. "Like, girlfriends and everything, hm?" That was a step past Dare, who Markise had known was bi for a while now. Markise looked back down at the mangled grass in his hands. "Um...I don't really know about Logan," he said softly, then lifted his head again to look suspiciously around. He wanted to make sure there was no one within hearing distance, or even lip-reading distance. Then he looked back at Dare and Michael, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "I think he's just saying it," he whispered, though he knew Ariel was just saying he was straight. It had been incredibly obvious during the kisses they'd shared. Markise gave Dare a pointed look. He couldn't say it, because Ariel was still going around saying he was straight, but Ariel had felt so powerful, so much like he was letting out everything he normally repressed, that Markise was fairly certain that Ariel was gay. Not bi.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 19, 2008 14:00:02 GMT -5
Dare arched an eyebrow again. He was sure by the time this conversation was over it would be permanently arched. He looked at Markise a moment longer, then turned to Michael, cupping his hand over Michael's ear to translate in a whisper. "Something happened with Markise and Logan, and he can't say because..." Dare flicked a glance at Markise. "They probably kissed or something and he won't say it because Logan's in the closet." Deeply in the closet.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 19, 2008 14:09:55 GMT -5
Michael's lips turned into an oh of understanding as he listened to Dare's explanation, then focused again on Markise. He hoped that it turned out well for Markise, maybe that Logan guy would be able to accept how he was. It hadn't been that hard for Michael, not really. It had felt like a hard decision, but when he had focused on the most basic elements, it really hadn't been.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 14:15:50 GMT -5
Markise smiled sheepishly, then dropped both his gaze and the remains of another piece of grass. Then he raised his hand to toy with a lock of hair. "So, um...how did you two happen if you were straight?" he asked, glancing at Michael. It wasn't entirely his business, but he wondered, and it seemed like a thorough escape from talking about Ariel. Markise wanted to just forget he'd let that cat out of the bag and go on. He wouldn't even feel tempted to tell anyone else, but this was Dare, and apparently Dare's sidekick.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 19, 2008 14:19:36 GMT -5
That was a question that Dare couldn't answer for Michael. He knew his side and knew it well, had a fair enough idea of how he'd managed to get Michael interested, but it wasn't his place to answer. Dare gave Michael another supportive squeeze. If he didn't want to answer, he didn't have to and they'd fish for another topic of conversation. But Dare trusted Markise, and knew he wouldn't abuse the information.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 19, 2008 14:30:25 GMT -5
Michael didn't see any reason not to tell Markise, but that didn't mean he was going to go all out with detail, either. When he spoke, he looked over at Dare, even though his words were directed to Markise. "We met up at the edge of the forest and we went in and talked. He tried to kiss me," he said, shaking his head lightly and his eyes fell for a moment from Dare's. "The rest just kind of...happened." He glanced over at Markise but brought his eyes quickly back over to Dare as he tightened his arm and smiled.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 14:37:15 GMT -5
Markise looked away from Michael at those words and that smile. He wasn't quite over Dare yet, and as little as Michael had just said, it was still too much. He looked at the grass a moment, then up at Dare. It had just kind of happened. That was the way it had been with him, too, though he'd been the one to suggest it and they'd never come out, never so much as acted like anything but friends when anyone else was around. It was a lot to think about.
Markise's mind made a jump to Ariel then. That had just kind of happened too, but Markise had been the one to initiate. He still couldn't believe he'd done that, that he'd just leaned over and kissed a guy who had been coming onto him so subtly that Markise still wasn't sure he had been. And then he'd thrown himself at Ariel. Markise blinked, throwing off those thoughts. Now wasn't the time to dwell on what had and hadn't happened with Ariel. It'd work its way out one way or another, right?
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 19, 2008 14:46:49 GMT -5
Dare's lips curved at Michael's words, and he turned to look at him, mossy eyes shining. He'd just reduced a very complicated situation into two sentences, of which the main point was Dare tried to kiss me. Had it been that easy? Dare gave Michael another squeeze, but resisted the urge to lean over and kiss him. The other day had been an entirely different circumstance, and he'd hold himself in front of Markise today. Speaking of Markise, Dare turned back to see that Markise was deeply lost in some kind of deep thought. Dare watched him a moment, but he couldn't guess. "Are you okay?" he asked Markise.
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