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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 17, 2008 22:47:57 GMT -5
Dare shook his head, knowing Michael couldn't see the motion. "I couldn't," he said. He didn't think he'd need to explain why this time. Dare shifted a bit, stretching what muscles he could without jarring Michael. He was numb to the exhaustion by now, numb to his thoughts. He hadn't gotten up even once, but with Michael awake, Dare was looking forward to getting away from the bed, to doing something that would keep his mind far away from what had happened.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 17, 2008 23:06:17 GMT -5
Michael pulled his head from its place warm and heavy against Dare to look up at him. "Are you okay?" he asked, figuring he probably wasn't going to get a straight answer about it, if Dare didn't just completely avoid the question. Michael's thoughts to work the things out in the morning were gone, and he hoped to just move on and find something to do.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 17, 2008 23:40:01 GMT -5
Dare gave a light half shrug. "I'll make it," he said. His gaze moved past Michael, over to his carelessly opened bag. "I'm going to need more potion, though," he mused. He didn't want to try sleeping without it again. Maybe he'd try it in another month, and if it happened again, the month after that. Maybe he'd pick up some more calming potion, too. He wasn't using it much anymore, but he'd rather have more than he needed on hand than not enough.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 17, 2008 23:51:21 GMT -5
Michael didn't like the idea of Dare becoming dependent on the potions to get sleep, even if it looked like the only way. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly, intending to drop it should Dare be completely against it. He knew that talking could fix it much easier than a potion could, and much more permanently. He wanted Dare to be okay and not have to worry about bad dreams.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 17, 2008 23:54:46 GMT -5
Dare blinked and looked down at Michael. "Talk about what?" he asked. He'd pushed the nightmare out of his mind hours ago, into the shadows to melt together with the others he'd had over the past couple years. They'd already talked about them and the fact that neither of their attempts at selflessness would have worked. What else was there to talk about right now?
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 18, 2008 0:05:43 GMT -5
Michael looked up at Dare, searching his eyes before shaking his head and speaking a low nothing. His eyelids fell closed and he kissed Dare lightly. Hopefully it would work out some time, but he was willing to let it go. "Do you want to go outside?" he asked, eyes snapping open as his mind moved farther back into the night to the snow that had been falling the whole way back to the castle.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 18, 2008 0:12:20 GMT -5
Dare was thrown off-guard by the question. Before he'd been able to insist that Michael tell him what was wrong, there had been that brief, teasing kiss. And before he could steal another, Michael was suggesting they leave the safe haven of the Room of Requirement. Dare's brows knit slightly. "Okay..." He couldn't for the life of him think why Michael looked so... interested, but he wasn't going to argue.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 18, 2008 0:19:30 GMT -5
Michael smiled and firmly put away thoughts of the night before. "You don't sound very excited about the snow," he said softly, hoping that it would make everything that had happened leave their minds. He didn't let himself think about the possibility that the snow hadn't stuck or that it wouldn't be enough for them to do anything.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 18, 2008 0:33:27 GMT -5
Dare's eyes widened at the reminder. He'd completely forgotten what had happened before they'd gotten to the Room of Requirement. Dare let go of Michael and stood to grab his bag without so much as thinking to say anything. He muttered under his breath about how hard it was to find things in such a packed bag as he pulled out the winter accessories Markise had given him and some clothes. Taking a shower would be far too time-consuming today. He flicked a look back at Michael as though to ask why he was taking so long.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 18, 2008 0:42:01 GMT -5
Michael smiled, truly relaxing at Dare's excitement. He knew that they couldn't be completely free while out in the snow, not with having to keep their bags close with nowhere to keep them while they were out. He leaned against the pillows and raised an eyebrow, "So now you're in a hurry." His voice was amused and he didn't make a move just yet to get up and dress, the snow would be there for a while yet.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 18, 2008 0:50:45 GMT -5
Dare looked back over his shoulder as he set his bag down. He saw Michael just lounging there, and for once, his mind was on something other than how good that looked. "You said it melts," he explained, then turned to grabbing up the jeans he'd chosen. "Why aren't you getting dressed?" he asked. Dare spared half a second's consideration toward dressing in the bathroom, but this would be faster and Michael had seen it before. He started by changing out of his sleep pants and into the jeans.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 18, 2008 0:59:32 GMT -5
Michael grinned and shook his head, then pushed himself out of the bed. "If it's out on the ground," he said, moving over to his own bag. "Then it won't be melted just yet, promise." He prayed there would be snow on the ground, he thought there would be, but he knew how unpredictable the snow could be. He didn't want to see disappointment on Dare's face should they walk out and the ground not be white.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 18, 2008 1:07:19 GMT -5
Dare completely missed the reality of the word if. All he heard was affirmation of Michael's statement last night that by morning there would be enough snow to do something with. And if it was still snowing, he could catch snowflakes. Dare pulled one of his few long-sleeved tees on over his head and straightened it over his torso, then grabbed his socks and headed back to the bed. He could watch Michael, make sure he was really getting ready while he put the other pair of shoes that were in his bag onto his feet. He was glad he'd grabbed them, since his other shoes were still cold and damp.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 18, 2008 12:08:18 GMT -5
Michael shook his head lightly and started changing, pulling on high socks and heavy jeans, then layering a long sleeved shirt underneath a long sleeved button up since he assumed Dare was going to be hijacking his sweatshirt. He had a thinner, knitted one that he pulled on, knowing that if the snow was out there, he would want to be able to move and that the cloak wouldn't leave his arms free.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Dec 18, 2008 12:18:45 GMT -5
Dare watched Michael and realized that his thin fitted shirt probably wasn't going to do much if Michael was wearing two. He didn't let himself think about it much, though. He focused on the goal which at the moment was just getting outside. With his shoes on, he went back to his bag and pulled out one of his short-sleeved shirts, tugging it over the first. Then he went in after his arm-warmers. It felt ridiculous wearing all that and Michael's sweatshirt on top of it, plus gloves, a knit hat and a scarf, but Dare firmly pretended he knew what he was doing. "Are you ready?" he asked Michael.
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