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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Apr 8, 2012 16:17:36 GMT -5
Dare grimaced. "It didn't start out great. My dad went off on Michael as soon as he could get him alone, but then I talked to him." He glanced over at Michael to be sure he wasn't paying attention before looking back at Rhys. "I told my dad I was going to propose to Michael before New Year, and there was nothing he could say that would change my mind. I loved Michael. I love him. My dad's a Pureblood, and when he married my mom, he was marrying a Muggle. It's all just words. I loved him because I loved him, and I wasn't sticking around if I had to choose."
Dare shrugged, though the motion wasn't as casual as it looked. It had been an hours-long argument, but in the end it had worked out. "My dad knew he was either accepting Michael or losing me the way his family lost him." Or so Dare had thought at the time. "So he went downstairs and apologized to Michael, we stayed, and he welcomed him into the family."
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Post by Rhys Moreau on Apr 8, 2012 16:40:28 GMT -5
"Yeah? We were lucky, Matthew really had an easy time of it all. His mum dotes. It's like she's so happy he's in a long term relationship and she's afraid that if she doesn't give me a cake every time I visit I'll leave him," Rhys said with a small smile. In reality, he knew that the woman knew at least part of his own history and likely felt she needed to make up for his own lack of a doting mother figure.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Apr 8, 2012 20:06:58 GMT -5
Mrs. Hardt's seemingly blind approval of Dare was something he'd never understood, but hadn't she told him the first time they'd met? As long as he made Michael happy, she didn't care who he was. He looked over at Michael, playing with their sons on the broad blue blanket. "If the cake is good, don't knock it," he told Rhys. Maybe he wasn't doing as badly as he thought.
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Post by Rhys Moreau on Apr 8, 2012 20:15:48 GMT -5
Rhys smiled. He could never turn her down, he wouldn't be able to stand the fall of the smile that greeted him every time he visited. "So how did Michael's mum react to you two coming out?" Or being outed, that was what Dare had said had happened, right? It sounded like they each had one parent. Rhys wasn't sure if he should be thankful that somewhere both of his parents were still around or to be jealous both Dare and Michael had one that accepted them.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Apr 8, 2012 20:22:18 GMT -5
Dare hadn't thought of most of this in years, excepting the occasional horrific nightmare. "He wasn't talking to his mom then," he said. "But after his dad... died, she was just glad to have him back. It's a long story." And one he didn't know if he could tell. He'd rather not think about it at all, not when anyone was around.
He shrugged. "His mom and my dad came to the partnership ceremony, so it worked out."
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Post by Rhys Moreau on Apr 8, 2012 20:34:45 GMT -5
Rhys nodded, once again returning to silence as a debate raged in his mind. It wasn't really hidden knowledge that he hadn't seen his parents in years, but it felt like secret knowledge just then. "I haven't seen my parents since the day I turned eighteen," he said after a few moments. "I'd had everything packed for a week and I moved out that day instead of going to school. I haven't even heard from them since I left."
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Apr 8, 2012 21:06:28 GMT -5
Dare's gaze moved back to Rhys, and for a heartbeat, there was nothing that felt right to say. "I'm sorry, man. That's got to be hard." Dare knew that Michael had left home, but he couldn't really imagine... and yet he could. He'd met Soren. He shook his head at himself. "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?" Just keep telling yourself that.
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Post by Rhys Moreau on Apr 8, 2012 21:12:16 GMT -5
"Thanks, yeah, I've been through worse, you know?" Rhys shook his head and reached up to run a hand through his hair. "I brought up your kids to stop everything from being so serious and now look at me." A small smile and a flick of his eyes up to Dare and then his attention was focused toward the blanket again with the others. His eyes caught Matthew's for a second and his smile widened briefly.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Apr 8, 2012 21:26:19 GMT -5
"Yeah," Dare said. He knew, all right. He'd been watching Rhys, and for a moment his eyes had caught on a bold mark against his arm. He was distracted by the thoughts which followed, and he looked down at his own arms, hidden safely in their cloth sheaths. He didn't want to go there. It was none of his damned business. He forgot to speak as his gaze skittered off into the grass, where it was safer.
All seeming god-moding done with explicit permission from Rhys's writer.
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Post by Rhys Moreau on Apr 8, 2012 21:35:57 GMT -5
When the conversation, as hard as the topic might have been, had been so easy, that simple yeah stood out. "You okay?" Rhys asked, turning his attention back to Dare, who was no longer looking at him. That was curious. He didn't make the connection to nearly decade old scars he was used to hiding.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Apr 8, 2012 21:54:45 GMT -5
"Yeah, just... thoughts. Hard times, you know? The stuff that doesn't kill us." And he was dragging everything down. Now wasn't the time for this. He reached up and ruffled the back of his hair, then smoothed it back down. "Anyway, the weather's great. It's nice that it's warmed up. Good call coming out here." He pasted on a smile. He could be miserable later.
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Post by Rhys Moreau on Apr 8, 2012 21:59:18 GMT -5
Rhys raised an eyebrow. "Do you need to talk? We could walk...or you could come by later or something," he offered, ignoring Dare's attempt at changing the subject. He didn't mind talking if Dare needed it, and the horrible topic change attempt screamed that something was going on.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Apr 8, 2012 22:02:58 GMT -5
Dare shook his head, but couldn't look at Rhys. "No, I'm fine, it just... comes back sometimes. It's fine." And yet he could feel the heat stealing up both sides of his neck and the tension pooling in his forehead. He turned back toward the blanket rather than give Rhys any more opportunity to push. "How are the twins doing?" he asked Michael.
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Post by Rhys Moreau on Apr 8, 2012 22:09:33 GMT -5
Rhys was incredibly curious, but kept himself from pushing. He could ask another time, and he knew that it could be just as damaging being forced to talk. He spared a last glance for Dare before heading toward the blanket and lowering himself down next to Matthew. He didn't speak as he pulled himself close, thinking back on the conversation to see if he could figure out what might have triggered Dare.
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Post by Matthew Moreau on Apr 8, 2012 22:11:09 GMT -5
Glad to have Rhys back, Matthew slid an arm around his waist and stole a kiss. A subtle shake of Rhys' head kept him from asking any questions about what the two had been talking about. Elouai dropped the ball for him again and, after instructing her to sit, he threw it for what felt like the hundredth time.
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