Another Old Friend (Eros/Michael)

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael eyed Eros for a moment more before he dropped his head slightly. "You have to think of everything that's happened to me over those years," he said. And it had been a lot. He thought he was completely in his own right to be defensive about it. He looked up at Eros again, watching him for a few seconds before he let out a quick breath and shook his head at himself.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

Eros let a moment's silence-- or near-silence --settle for some moments before speaking again, his tone low and even. "I'm afraid I know little of those years aside from rumours," he said. "I realize that some rumours are based in truth, but not all of them are. Still, yes, I can understand. Considering the sheer number of rumours in the past year or two, you must have had little privacy." The photographs didn't so much as flicker through his mind.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael shook his head, "These people don't understand the concept of privacy." Not that the old group had, either, but at least in the past his every movement hadn't been commented on in a newspaper. "Tell me, what rumors have you heard?" he asked after a moment's thought. He was at least mildly curious; what did the people he used to know think of him?

[Eros d'Avonderre]

Eros gave a light sigh, and a bored look came across his face. "Well, I've been reading the Daily Prophet more or less since I found out where you'd gone off to, but only for entertainment value. There have been, of course, rumours regarding your status as heir, and whether or not you've even been acknowledged as a Hardt, but most recently, I've spoken with the Sotas. Before the story got out of control." Eros debated heavily whether asking about that dance would be pushing his luck.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael very nearly groaned at the mention of the Sotas, but contained it to a wince. "Do I even want to know what they said? Or what they're saying now?" He probably didn't, but really what else could they come up with to make him look worse in the circle? There wasn't much else that could be done to his reputation now.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

"At the time I heard, which was admittedly before many, there was little said. They said that your mother inherited everything, that she was sympathetic to you, and that your fiancé," he said, though the Sotas had used a different term, "took the lead in a dance without argument. I'm sure by now he's developed some physical abnormalities aside from his height, but I generally dismiss things like that, except as entertainment."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael wrestled a smile from his lips at the memory of the dance, though it was still a mixture of pain and pleasure to think of being as happy as he had been that night with Dare. He closed his eyes briefly and then nodded, "At least what you heard was true." He didn't know, and didn't really care to know, what they were saying by now.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

Eros's brow arched infinitesimally, but he made no comment as to any personal thoughts. He was sure that Michael already knew the oddity of that dance, not to mention that it was nearly old news by now. "Is he really worth all this?" Eros asked, his voice lowering again. If it seemed an impertinent question, he didn't recognize it as such. He simply couldn't imagine why one would put oneself through such hell for one specific person.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael stared at Eros for a long while. He had already suspected that Eros was just there to try to get information to feed his need for gossip, but at the same time he hadn't hounded him with questions. Michael's eyes dropped to the sketchbook which hid so many drawings of Dare, new ones from their latest trouble, and then looked back up at Eros. "Yes, he is."

[Eros d'Avonderre]

Eros blinked from surprise, even if part of him had expected Michael to say as much. If any of their group were likely to refuse to give up the first person they got attached to, it would have been him. Though Eros had never have imagined Emilian to become attached to someone, so one never did know. It took him a moment to compose himself.

"Well, I can't say I ever expected any of that, but I won't try to talk you out of it. Which I would appreciate if you didn't mention." He still thought that Michael was insane, and that it was an act of pent-up sexual frustration, but if Michael was set, then argument or lecture would be a waste of perfectly good breath.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"Of course I won't say anything about it," Michael said, "Wouldn't want to ruin your reputation." He rolled his eyes and sat in his chair behind the counter. So he was being a little bitter, he was allowed, wasn't he? He thought he was doing rather well not to have been bitter or fought over the things he had lost over the past few years. "Besides, there's nothing you could say that I haven't thought of before." There had been a lot of things he had thought about during those first few weeks after meeting Dare.

[Eros d'Avonderre]

"Indeed?" Eros asked, not at all convinced. "If there is nothing, then I suppose conversation has little use." He thought that there were plenty of things he could say that Michael wouldn't have thought of. However, he didn't wish to wrack his mind sifting those things apart from the more obvious. Besides, their conversation, for lack of a better word, was perilous enough as it was. Michael's conversational skills most definitely had not blossomed over the years.

"Come now, Michael. There must be something of interest that I could say, some pearl of wisdom to impart, on any subject." He would far prefer to begin dragging information out of Michael, but he paced himself. Besides, he was bored off his arse, and there were few enough people worth speaking with.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"Oh yes, please do tell me where I can find papers naming both of us citizens of a country where gay marriage is legal," Michael said, arching an eyebrow. Then he shook his head. "I'm sure you can give me the few answers I do need," he added, his voice low. "Tell me, please, what is it you want to talk about now? I actually do have work to finish."

[Eros d'Avonderre]

Eros could tell when he was unwelcome, and it was an entirely different situation from merely being unwanted. If he bristled at Michael's tone, it was only inwardly, as he suddenly found an imaginary wrinkle in his clothing that needed smoothed out.

"Well, I do apologize for the interruption," he said smoothly, "but it was nice speaking to you, Michael, if briefly. Do come by the... candy shop some time. If I'm not in, Orenda will let you know when I should return." He didn't know how or why Mano and Emilian had survived without house-elves.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's eyes dropped, feeling almost as though he had been disciplined. His jaw tightened and he firmly told himself not to apologize. "I probably won't have time any time soon," he said, making a conscious effort to take the sarcastic tone from his voice. "I'm normally not like this," there, he satisfied his constant need to apologize without actually doing it. Although...he wasn't really sure what normal was anymore. "It's been rough, been really busy lately."