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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 22:11:47 GMT -5
Dare wasn't looking at Michael or he would have offered to leave. He looked up now, but Michael was already looking down again, so there was only discomfort left. He suddenly realized that their time here was likely over, or about to be over. What would happen after? Would Michael keep his distance? Had he thrown them back a month over this?
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Post by Kane Garrett on May 11, 2009 22:22:07 GMT -5
Kane caught Michael's glance and nodded lightly. "It shouldn't take too long," he assured Michael, and maybe Dare as well, since he looked pretty stressed, too. "Dare, what about you? I can get hold of a couple of your professors too, if you're interested."
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 22:25:33 GMT -5
Michael wanted to keep his distance, he wanted to keep Dare from touching him when he knew it would only remind him of everything. But he couldn't imagine going back to how they had been before! It had been torture then, and it would be even worse now, especially so close to the ceremony and after everything they had fixed and moved on to do.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 22:35:28 GMT -5
Dare shook his head, not even bothering to speak. "So, like, we can go now?" he asked. He didn't care if he hadn't made much of an impression. He'd gotten Michael in, and Michael had agreed to accept some help. That was all he'd wanted.
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Post by Kane Garrett on May 11, 2009 22:38:43 GMT -5
Kane paused to look at Dare for just a moment. "If that's all I can do for you, then yes, you can go." He hadn't gotten much of an impression of Dare, and even with the reasonable explanation of stress, he wasn't at all sure about the interation-- or rather, lack of --that he was seeing between the two.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 22:43:01 GMT -5
Michael had almost hoped that he would be able to talk to Kane now that everything had been figured out, but he knew that he couldn't ask Dare to leave. He pushed himself up to stand, his hands moving immediately to his pockets. He didn't want to keep distance from Dare, but he could already tell it was going to be hard to force himself not to.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 22:48:00 GMT -5
When Dare stood, he looked back at Michael, ready to offer his hand no matter how stressed either or both of them were. But Michael's hands were hidden away. Both of them. His gaze dropped, and for some moments, he didn't move. Then he stuffed his hands into his sweatshirt pocket. "If you want to stay, it's fine," he said softly. He didn't want to be with Michael right now if it was just going to be miserable for both of them.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 22:53:21 GMT -5
Michael looked up at Dare and his eyebrows came together. He hated seeing Dare like that, but he wouldn't be good for comfort in the state he was in, so he didn't move. Instead, he licked his lips, paused, and then sat down again, avoiding Dare's eyes should they move to look at him. He didn't know what he would talk to Kane about, but it would be better, both in the short and in the long run.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 22:59:14 GMT -5
Dare tossed a brief, apologetic look at Kane, a flickering glance back at Michael, then left, closing the door softly behind him. He wasn't even sure where he wanted to go. Home. He'd go home and walk Elouai.
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Post by Kane Garrett on May 11, 2009 23:02:40 GMT -5
Kane waited just long enough to be sure the door wouldn't open again, then turned his attention fully to Michael. "I take it there's more going on than Seventh-Year Stress," he suggested. It was as far as he'd go when it came to guesswork. "I'm all ears."
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 23:07:22 GMT -5
Michael sighed and pulled his hands from his pockets to run them roughly over his face and through his hair. Then he nodded when he brought them back down to his lap, slouching slightly in his chair. "Yes. It's been really hard since..." He closed his eyes and shook his head. He wondered absently if he could unscrew his head if he shook it enough. "I mean, he asked me to marry him on Christmas and then..." It had been perfect for all of two weeks.
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Post by Kane Garrett on May 12, 2009 7:12:03 GMT -5
"And then what happened?" Kane prompted gently. He couldn't make any guesses here, even based on Michael's mood. He could, however, go back to that moment when Michael had shaken his head and stopped himself. "Did something happen after Christmas?" He wouldn't put any stock in what the Daily Prophet said.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on May 12, 2009 10:03:33 GMT -5
Michael took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to decide how much he could tell Kane. "Back in November Dare started taking sleeping potions, and by January he was taking the Drought of Peace, as well. I didn't want to think it was a problem, but his friend made me talk to him. There was...a big fight." Even saying a big fight didn't seem to cover it. It had been misery.
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Post by Kane Garrett on May 12, 2009 13:43:28 GMT -5
Kane nodded to show he was listening, but there was still a lot that Michael wasn't saying. The potions had obviously been a problem, and might still be. "Was it a problem?" he asked. "And is it still a problem?" He could tell that Michael was weighing his words carefully, but he wouldn't rush, only encourage.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on May 12, 2009 13:47:06 GMT -5
Michael nodded and shook his head in answer to the questions. "It was a problem, I just...didn't want to admit it. But it's not now. It was really hard getting it like that, though. There were days we didn't even talk...a lot of days we didn't talk." He tucked his arms against his stomach again. "It wasn't until...sometime in April, maybe, that we really started getting over it."
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