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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 18:26:28 GMT -5
Mano blinked, thought, then shook his head, "I don't know of one." He hadn't been in the city very long, though, so it was understandable that he wouldn't know where everything was. "Do you want to walk with me back to the cafe? Then you would at least know where you were," he offered, glancing down the street. He could offer another coffee when they got there.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 18:33:57 GMT -5
Markise's gaze went off the way Mano's had, and for a moment he silently debated. Mano had been nice last time too, hadn't he? Unfortunately, Markise's memory was colored by emotion and the other things he'd been brooding over. Still, he knew he'd made no mistake about the bottom line.
It didn't seem to matter much when Markise thought about it. The alternative was going back to school and locking himself in some empty classroom so he could feel sorry for himself in complete privacy. Weighed against the possibility that Mano had something else in mind, he didn't particularly care about the danger. "Sure," Markise said, looking back at Mano.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 18:48:34 GMT -5
"So why would Michael hate you, assuming he's the fiance?" Mano asked, then began walking almost lazily toward the cafe. It was enough to bring back the thoughts that Markise might just not be as straight as some of the other guys walking down the street. He looked over at Markise, but kept an eye on the street in front of him, it wouldn't due to run into someone.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 18:56:30 GMT -5
Again, Markise's lips pressed together. He couldn't possibly give someone he'd just met the whole truth, especially if he knew DareandMichael. And Emilian. How had that not struck him in the head when he'd heard it? Markise was suddenly nervous again, and then he remembered that he was supposed to be answering an impossible question. "I think he was jealous that me and Dare were such good friends," he said. That much was true, at least. "And he might have taken some of the things I said a little too seriously." Likely because he'd meant them.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 19:27:31 GMT -5
Mano nodded to show he was listening and thought about that. What had Markise said to make Michael hate him? "My word I won't go off telling any of them if you want to tell me anything," he said, remembering the tears he had seen on Markise's cheeks. He didn't see any reason Markise would tell him anything, but he hadn't given Markise a reason not to, and if Markise trusted him, all the better.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 19:42:41 GMT -5
Markise gave that some moments of deep thought as they walked. He was already sure that Mano wouldn't judge him for his sexuality, if he hadn't already figured it out, but the only one he'd ever told about him and Dare was Brindle, and only the bare bones of it. But he didn't have to say everything. It wouldn't do anyone any good to confess his feelings for Dare, but the rest... The rest he desperately wanted to talk about. And Markise didn't know why, after what had happened in that coffee shop, but something about Mano just... gently urged him to trust.
Markise's tongue swept lightly over his lips, and he glanced around the near-deserted street. There was no one watching and no one who'd care to listen. He glanced aside at Mano, then returned his gaze to their path. "Apparently Michael knew about me and Dare," he started. "I hadn't seen or heard from Dare for months, and when I... when I had to transfer, I wanted to go to Hogwarts because he was here." And that confession was only the beginning. "I didn't know Dare had a boyfriend, so yeah, I was rude, but.. I had no idea."
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 19:56:28 GMT -5
"So you moved to be with him, and he hadn't told you he had a boyfriend?" Mano asked, shaking his head. It was a shame, really. Not that Mano really thought it would be that big of a deal for him personally, but he could see how it could hurt. He looked over at Markise, silently urging him to continue if there was more to tell. He would listen, he was patient, much moreso than Emilian was.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 21:10:52 GMT -5
Markise nodded. He could have cried all over again at that. It wasn't that it was difficult to put the pieces together, but still, this was the only person who knew anything other than the fact that Markise and Dare had been together for a while. He wasn't even sure why he'd said it, but he was glad he had, if it meant there was someone who could understand. "I don't think he even realized... We've been friends since we were eleven, the only reason I didn't say anything in the first place was because I thought he was straight!" And then he was back to his stupidity.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 21:19:53 GMT -5
"Well, you can do two things," Mano said, glancing over at Markise again. "You can go tell him and hope for the best, or you can move on." The first choice was dangerous, for all of the people involved. Mano thought the second choice was the best, though his choice was tainted by his own desires and hopes. He forced his eyes away from Markise, perhaps he should wait until Markise was seventeen, maybe he would have moved on from his problems by then.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 21:32:06 GMT -5
Markise shook his head vehemently at the first choice, and only stopped at the second. He didn't like that one a bit. "I've tried to move on," he said. "And then I found out I was dating a prostitute. And yes, I mean that literally." It still made him sick, though thankfully not as badly anymore, as long as he didn't think about it too long. He tried forcing himself back to Dare, but that was just marginally better.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 21:45:51 GMT -5
Mano turned his head sharply to Markise at that news. A prostitute? That was low by Mano's standards, that was low by Emilian's standards. But Markise hadn't known, obviously, so Mano wouldn't hold it against him. "Is that what had you so down the other day?" he asked, finally turning his eyes back to the street in front of him.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 21:54:04 GMT -5
"Pretty much," Markise answered. "It's been driving me crazy, and it's not like I can tell Dare, I told Michael part of it, but I was even worse that day." He shook his head, then his shoulders shuddered a bit at the disgusted shiver that raced up his spine. "Then Dare and Michael went off on vacation and I couldn't even pretend I'd go talk to them, and I'm not going back to that club, especially if that twisted bastard might be there." He shuddered again and made a low noise of displeasure at even the idea of it.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 22:26:39 GMT -5
"Well, I can give a nice, objective point of view," Mano said, smiling softly. "I'm an open ear and a good cup of coffee." Among other things, but he wasn't going to mention those. He wasn't going to advertise, he would rather take his time and have someone that would come back again, even if he didn't get a bedmate every time. He had many more repeats than some of the people he knew.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 22:42:08 GMT -5
Markise managed a chuckle at that, and felt just a bit better for it. He'd decided sometime during the walk that he wasn't even going to think about what had happened at the coffee shop last time. He'd just be careful. Besides, it wasn't like the guy had tried tricking him into the back.
Markise looked aside at Mano from the corners of his eyes, grateful to find that he was watching the street. He pushed lightly at that ticklish strand of hair as he took in what he could without being obvious, then turned his eyes back to the street as well. He couldn't see much, but Mano's clothes were very nice, and maybe, just maybe Markise had taken in enough of how the cloth fell and how it moved to give himself something else to think over.
"Are we close?" Markise asked at last. He still wasn't entirely sure, but then, he'd never come from this direction before, so even if they were he wouldn't recognize it.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 23:00:36 GMT -5
Mano nodded and gestured down the street with a gloved hand, "Just a little bit more." He tucked his hand back into his pocket and looked over at Markise. "Are you that anxious to get rid of me? Or do you just want more coffee?" he teased, smiling. He didn't know how true either one was, or what Markise was thinking, but he hoped he had made a good enough impression.
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