slipped along the way

[unmarred]

(from here)

So... up the stairs they go, mostly side by side. Mark lags by a step or two.

There is a persistent silence.



"I... didn't think you'd react the way you did," he says finally. "I mean, I thought you might—that there might be something there, but not that you'd actually."

Comments

[unmarred]

Mark mumbles something unintelligible.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Um... what was that?"

[unmarred]

He mumbles again, then turns his face sideways to he's not speaking directly into Stalas's much-wept-on shirt.

"I said - it hurts me that you care. But it's a good hurt. I cannot remotely handle it but I don't for a second want it to stop."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I... all right. Good. Because I don't plan on stopping."

Very tentatively, he runs a hand down Mark's shaking back.

"I still don't understand... anything about you, almost. But I'd like to. I feel like we have some things in common."

[unmarred]

"Like hilariously shitty lives? Yeah," says Mark. "I think so too." He nestles his head against Stalas's chest and sighs.

[thisvorlunatic]

"I bet nobody's tried to eat you recently."

[unmarred]

"I'll give you that," says Mark. "Bet nobody's - hmm - I'm not sure nobody's had you tortured, actually. Have they?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"...They haven't."

[unmarred]

"Sorry. I mean - I'm not - it hurts you to think about it; I'm sorry for that."

[thisvorlunatic]

"You're the one it happened to," says Stalas, hugging him gently. "...Look, I have the feeling neither of us is going to want to let go anytime soon and I don't know about you but I don't look forward to standing here for an hour. Bed?"

[unmarred]

"...Sure."

He unhugs, very reluctantly, and goes to curl up on the bed, taking off his shoes on the way.

[thisvorlunatic]

Stalas leaves his boots beside Mark's shoes, and his sword and all his daggers beside those.

He's a little hesitant about the next part, but only waits a few seconds to gather his courage before lying down next to Mark and embracing him.

[unmarred]

Mark snuggles up and resumes crying into Stalas's chest, somewhat less desperately than before.

"I bet this wasn't how you expected this to go," he mutters self-consciously.

[thisvorlunatic]

"I... can't say I'm exactly surprised. Even though I wasn't expecting it."

[unmarred]

"Mm. Yeah... I see what you mean," he says.

A pause, and then: "You left somebody behind, didn't you?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"...Eh?"

[unmarred]

"Someone... in your world. That you wanted but couldn't have. And you don't think you'll ever see again."

[thisvorlunatic]

"How do you do that? Yes," says Stalas. "My second. My best friend. I loved him, and I... I know he cared for me, but I can't believe he might have cared for me that way. I never - told him anything about it." He sighs. "And now we're both exiled, but at least he was meant to survive his."

[unmarred]

"I just know how you work," Mark explains in a murmur. "You're harder to figure out than Miles, most of my life has been spent in an intensive study of Miles, but I'm learning. And everything you do tells me things."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I think I'm getting used to it," says Stalas. He discovers that he wants to rub the back of Mark's neck, considers this urge for a moment, and then goes for it.

[unmarred]

Mark giggles softly.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Well, that's an improvement on the crying."

[unmarred]

"'S nice," he mumbles.

[thisvorlunatic]

"That was kind of the idea."

[unmarred]

"I like you. It's actually terrifying how much I like you," he says dreamily. "At least you're a Miles. I have some hope of figuring you out well enough to avoid absolutely fucking everything up."