Deja Vu (Dare/Michael)

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's lips curved again, and his eyes followed Michael for a few moments before he dragged them away with a low exhalation of air. He glanced down at the picture in the book, then dragged over his layout pad and flipped it open. It wasn't as much of a chore as he'd thought it would be flipping down another page and sketching out something very like what was in the book, right in front of the spot where he and Michael had first gone into the forest together. His lips quirked at the thought, and he found his eyes straying to Michael again.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael helped the man pick out the animal he wanted and the things he would need, constantly glancing back at Dare as he did so. By the time the man had finally made his choices and they had made their way back to the counter with a not-so-happy looking cat in a cage along with all the necessities Michael couldn't keep from letting his hand rest lightly on Dare's back before he began ringing things up.

"I was gonna ask if what the Prophet said was true," the man said as he glanced between the two of them. "Looks like that new woman's just as full of it as the other, though." He shifted on his feet, as though he was bringing up the topic because he felt he had to yet was uncomfortable with it.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's gaze snapped from Michael to the customer, tension from earlier creeping back into his muscles. He realized that the man hadn't insulted him, but it was a reminder, and he resented the interruption to his wistful thinking. He gave the man a pathetic attempt at a half-smile, then gave up and turned his attention as completely as he could to darkening lines and adding detail to the foliage at the tops of the columns.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's fingers had slowed in punching in the numbers, but when the man hadn't said anything negative he looked up. "From what we've heard that's what it sounds like," he said, then glanced over at Dare. "We don't read the Prophet anymore so we only know what that woman Mabel Werts told us."

The name brought a grimace to the man's face. "She told my wife last year that I was cheating because she saw me at the cafe with my cousin," he leaned in a little over the counter. "I didn't say this, but Diagon Alley will be a lot better once that old broad's gone."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare gave a poorly-smothered chuckle that came out more like a snort. He glanced up, then shook his head, declaring himself out of the conversation. It was just better if he didn't say anything. If he got started, there was no telling if he'd be able to stop, and he didn't feel like proving whatever the Prophet and Mabel had said right. Rather, he worked on trying to represent the direction and strength of the lights on paper.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael smiled and shook his head, though he couldn't argue the point. Granted, it would be a lot less galleons coming in once it happened, but private lives would be private again. "She's an odd one," he said, then took the payment and put the man's things in a bag for him. The man said his thanks and left. Michael settled back down into his chair and leaned over to watch Dare. "I've only ever met that man once," he said softly. The man had come in with a young daughter to look around. He certainly hadn't made enough of a connection for the man to want to stick up for them.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare gave a slight shrug of his shoulders as he straightened, setting his pencil aside. He was uncomfortable even thinking about all the people that must come in here, let alone talking about them. He didn't want to think about what the Prophet was saying either, though it was at least a little heartening to know everyone didn't automatically hate him. "What do you think?" he asked Michael, gesturing down to the layers of forest, fairy lights and stars, and... arch? He didn't even know what to call it, but he thought it looked nice.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael slid his chair closer and put his arms around Dare's waist. "It's perfect," he said softly. It was hard to believe that in just over four months they would be standing there. "We'll have to find someone to do it for us." He didn't know how a civil ceremony differed from a wedding, and it wasn't really explained in the book. He did know that the basics were the same, with vows and rings, but that was it.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"It shouldn't be hard," Dare said, slipping one arm back around Michael. "I mean, we won't need to keep the columns or anything, so we could probably just get someone to conjure them up for a while. I think... I think we ought to get real plants, though. Maybe keep one," he suggested. Then his lips quirked. "We'd have to put it up where Elouai couldn't get it." His mind hadn't made the leap that Michael's had, and he was still thinking about the decorations.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael rested his head on Dare's shoulder and nodded. It had took him a second to go back to what Dare meant from where his thoughts had caught on his own ideas of vows and the ceremony itself. "That sounds good," he said softly. "We could let everyone take one if they wanted it, it says something in the book about momentos so maybe that would be a good one."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's lips curved, and he shifted slightly to rest his head lightly against Michael's. "Sounds like a good idea," he said, closing his eyes. He let out a low sigh and let his thoughts drift. He didn't know enough about weddings, or civil partnership ceremonies, to put detail to much, but his mind paused at the kiss, going through several scenarios before his lips curved again. "We should practice kissing," he suggested, then turned his head, pressing his lips softly to Michael's hair.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael chuckled lightly, "As though we don't do that enough already," he teased. No, it could never really be enough. They couldn't very well do it down in the shop, so they would have to wait. His nose wrinkled as he realized how long they would have to wait, considering Dare probably still had to work. "Well, I guess we should practice a short kiss," he said, grinning. He didn't know how the act of kissing would go over in front of the little group of guests, but surely they could handle a short one.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare shifted to press a soft kiss to Michael's lips, then pulled back far enough to look at him. "That was too short," he said, though the tease had been his intention. "Everyone's going to be there, but I swear if that's all I get... I'll think of something," he finished vaguely. He was sure he could rein himself in not to totally ravage Michael in front of his Father and Silver, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy it. Besides, he couldn't imagine anyone would be looking anyway.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael smiled and let his mind wander at that. He wasn't sure what Dare had planned, or what he would have planned, but he wasn't going to argue it. Yes, people would be watching, but he refused to let that spoil anything. "We'll figure something out," he said, then pulled away slightly when another person came in and went immediately over to the fish. "That's not one of the things we have to figure out right now."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare silently lamented the distance, but made it up to himself by looking Michael over from behind the safety of his fringe. "The sooner we figure it out, the more time we'll have to practice," he teased softly. They couldn't practice now, though. Not with another customer walking around. He sighed and looked back down at the book, turning the page.