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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 10, 2009 8:15:16 GMT -5
Markise nodded his agreement. The club was its own world, and it was so easy to keep it separate. He wasn't himself there. Or was he more himself there? He wasn't sure anymore. But he could think about that another time. Right now, he was standing in the moonlight with Ariel, holding hands. Curfew occurred to him, but they were back at school and he didn't want to give this up if he didn't have to.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 10, 2009 11:00:53 GMT -5
Ariel's eyes trailed over Markise's face. He wished he could just accept what Markise offered. Could he even do that? It was so strange to imagine having someone to talk to when he had gone without for so long. "I can try to talk," he finally said softly. He didn't know what he would talk about, didn't know how it would turn out, how it could turn out any way other than hurting Markise.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 10, 2009 11:06:09 GMT -5
Markise's eyes lit up hopefully. He couldn't help that instantaneous reaction, even if he knew how very badly it could turn out. He wanted a friend that he could talk about everything with, and Ariel knew so much anyway. And Ariel couldn't judge. It wasn't a spiteful thought, but it was true, and he wanted it. He was willing to keep any of his own judgments to himself if it meant not hiding everything anymore. "I'll listen," Markise promised. He reached out with his free hand and, hesitantly again, stroked back the hair over Ariel's eyes.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 10, 2009 11:12:34 GMT -5
Ariel didn't cringe away this time, but his eyes did drop. "Tomorrow," he said instead of entertaining any thought at all of kissing Markise again. He wanted to badly, but he couldn't let himself do it. He could get everything out at the club, there was no reason to chance being seen kissing him. There was no reason to kiss him, period. Ariel had convinced himself that he didn't have feelings for Markise, no matter what had been pulled to the surface during their night together.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 10, 2009 11:23:01 GMT -5
Markise nodded, and after a moment his hand dropped. His mind wasn't on kissing, but he wanted to hold and be held by Ariel, and refuse to let go. He wanted to extend this moment where they were talking again and Ariel seemed to be trying. Was it for himself? Markise wasn't sure, but he didn't want to think about the possibility that Ariel was doing this for him. He wanted to be friends, to take comfort from that. Without even realizing it, he wanted something very similar to what he'd had with Dare.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 10, 2009 11:36:07 GMT -5
Ariel stayed silent for some time, unable to speak what he knew needed to be spoken. He wanted to stay, but they needed to leave. Finally he opened his lips, "We should go." It wasn't even because of curfew and the fear of being caught, it was because of....because he knew he didn't need to be with Markise alone any longer than he needed to be. He needed time to think first.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 10, 2009 11:40:43 GMT -5
Markise nodded again. "We should," he said softly. He was afraid of ruining their tentative truce, afraid of losing whatever it was that was happening between them. He didn't want to think too much on it, but it was there and undeniable. It was strange and unidentifiable. Markise looked back up toward the castle and thought for just a moment. They wouldn't be visible, not really, except as shadows. He left his hand curled in and around Ariel's and turned to continue their walk.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 10, 2009 11:49:57 GMT -5
Ariel glanced down at Markise's hand curled in his and took a low breath that he let out in a sigh before he started walking. He tucked his free hand in his pocket. He knew that Markise wouldn't do it if there was a chance of being seen, and Ariel didn't think it was very likely that they would be considering the time. He let his mind wander as they walked. It continually came back to their clasped hands or the night they had spent together, and every so often checked in again to make sure they weren't yet visible.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 10, 2009 11:54:32 GMT -5
It wasn't until they were in the castle that Markise's attention turned more onto the walk than Ariel. They'd missed curfew, and though they hadn't missed it by much at all, that would amount to nothing if they were caught by Filch, a professor, or a prefect. That thought had Markise blinking and looking around. "We should let go," he said apologetically. He gave Ariel a look that said quite clearly he'd rather have held on, then slipped his hand free.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 10, 2009 12:01:23 GMT -5
Ariel clenched his hand, then opened it and stretched out the skin before sliding it into his pocket. "I'll meet you here tomorrow after class," he said. He still fully intended to go help as much as possible, and by that time he would have had plenty of time to think about everything. He almost said something else, but nothing came out. So he just shook his hair back down over his eyes and glanced toward the corridor he needed to go down.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 10, 2009 12:11:09 GMT -5
Markise nodded, but Ariel wasn't looking at him, so it went unnoticed. "If I'm here first, I'll wait," he said, the tone of his voice lowering in case anyone was nearby. He looked at Ariel, standing there with both hands in his pockets, and he wanted a hug. But Ariel obviously didn't. He pushed another curl behind his ear, paused, then in a moment of impulse, leaned forward to press a kiss to Ariel's cheek, just near the corner of his mouth. He pulled back, heat stealing into his cheeks, and turned to walk away before he could do anything worse.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 10, 2009 12:20:05 GMT -5
Ariel's eyes had closed at that brief contact and he only looked back at Markise when he was sure he had turned away. He watched Markise for a few seconds, imagining that he should say something, before turning to head to his own common room. He would be able to see Markise again tomorrow, could touch him as much as he wanted on Friday night, and that would just have to do.
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