[drp] night owls early birds (Chris & Thorne)

[grayseasons]

i just wanna hold ya

"Eh," Poe flaps a lazy hand, "It could've been someone else, he was kind of assigned to me. I'm glad he stuck though, didn't quit after that year. Rough year." His own smile is slightly lazy, but it's curved too, amused.

He watches Thorne easily, although after a minute turns half back to the email he's composing to type out a line and send it. Check the time, figure out when Chris will be back. The teacher he was monitoring for was known for their long tests and it seemed this time wasn't going to be an exception, working the students to the last bone if Chris wasn't back yet. He had said he'd come back to steal something from Poe's fridge if Thorne hadn't showed up by then.

"That is the most Chris thing I've heard," Poe says easily, turning back to Thorne. "Although you still have to answer as to why you were up at 3 am with cupcakes. You sound about as bad as him, although I bet you didn't try to brew coffee with an energy drink or anything. Not his finest moment." His mishap had gotten them a new coffee machine though. "I would hope you do love him though, even if he is terribly troublesome."

elkbones

[wc: 211]  

[moonjavas]

from the bottom

Thorne hums, a soft noise deep in the hollow his his throat, and looks at the other man with gentle eyes. "We'll have it all," he says, a promise, a reiteration, a hope and a dream, "We'll win, in this cycle. And then - we'll take it all."

He rubs his thumb over Chris's knuckles, watches the glass that sits before them as though suddenly it might show them a memory or sing them a hymnal from the depths of the sea.

"Wheein Lee," he repeats softly, and looks over at Chris. "I think I would have liked her." He leans his shoulder against Chris's. "Which one do you want to put in first?" There are other questions, invasive ones, but Thorne will let Chris go at his own pace. Tell him when he wants.

PeanutButterPies

 

[moonjavas]

i just wanna hold ya

"You seem fond of him nonetheless, though I imagine he's made you cry on several occasions with how awful he handles sleep," Thorne retorted with a wry laugh, his eyes dancing and mirthful. "Was that the year of the energy-drink-coffee monstrosity?"

He leans back, fusses with his phone, wonders just how much Poe knows that he doesn't. In a way, Thorne feels he's back in university himself, getting counseling for something entirely academic this time instead, and it scratches at him a little. He tries to keep the anxiety down, watches Poe with lazy, cat-like eyes and a warm smile on his face.

"Oh, that one's easy," Thorne retorted. "Like calls to like, I guess. Sleep doesn't come easy on me either, but Chris makes it better when he's around." His eyes flicked to Poe, curiously. "That is part of the reason why I love him. I'd do just about anything for him, really. Sometimes I just wish I could do more."

PeanutButterPies

 

[grayseasons]

from the bottom

"Yes," Chris says and it's firm, resolute, absolutely determined. He's wanted so much this is is something he wants more than anything and he will do what he can for this hope, for this dream. For this precious thing he wants to protect. "We will absolutely win. I will keep you and this, and everything."

He closes his eyes at the touch, squeezes Thorne's hand gently in reply. But finally, carefully, with his free hand he reaches out to the jar and unscrews it, the faint smell of sea in the air.

"Yeah," He says quietly, leaning into Thorne's shoulder. "She would have loved you back." He looks among the shells and then carefully, picks up one from the first beach. Lets it sit in his palm for a second and then carefully, places it in. "You too," He nudges Thorne, feeling oddly bold. Less hurt now that the jar was open, that some of it was between them. It still hurt, but he could deal with it. Handle it.

elkbones

[wc: 170]  

[grayseasons]

i just wanna hold ya

"More than several occasions," Poe shoots back instantly, looking scarily haunted and way too aware for the moment. "But yes I'm fond of him, despite it all." He shakes his head, giving Thorne a soft look. "No, that was another year. It was another thing entirely, he had to go back to Jejudo for a year. Wasn't good."

He doesn't mind Thorne's motions, used to them now over the year. Almost tunes them out as he watches him for a second, then half goes back to his email. Poe knows little to nothing about Thorne, hell he had to ask him if they were dating, and he wants to know more.

"No wonder," Poe says dryly, but he smiles anyways. "It's good you make it easier for each other, at least. I've been enjoying seeing him with less dark circles." The smile remains, grows a little. "Good, although, if you haven't figured it out yet here's a hint. He doesn't think he deserves everything, doesn't want to let people do things for him. Strangely self sufficient, although I guess that's because he's lived here alone since he started college."

elkbones

[wc: 189]  

[moonjavas]

from the bottom

Thorne exhales and looks over at Chris, eyes roaming and wild and vivid with the same resolution that the other man speaks with. He tilts his head, a nod, touching the other softly to reiterate the fact in something more than words.

"A good enough future, for sure," He says out loud, and smiles.

He turns his attention back to the jar as Chris unscrews it and takes up the seashell he'd found on their first beach together. When Chris asks him for a shell as well, he blinks and looks down at their array before finding a smaller white shell. It's from their last beach on the West Coast, up north of Seattle and deep to the West. He'd sprinted through the salty waves, yelling at how cold it was. He'd made Chris cold too, getting him wet. But it had been a good time, a great time even.

"For her, then," he says, and smiles at Chris. "I would have loved her too."

PeanutButterPies

 

[moonjavas]

i just wanna hold ya

Thorne scoffs softly and watches Poe, amused as much as he is curious. He's glad to hear that someone else is fond of Chris, if only because Chris himself doesn't believe that he's worthy of it. His eyes flick across the office, lazy and content.

"Oh," Thorne hums softly, and looks back at Poe, wanting to pry but knowing better, knowing not to, "That sounds like it must have been pretty bad."

He pauses at the next bit of information though, and shakes his head. His eyes flick to the window, and he considers his answer for a long moment before saying, "I know. He does though. He deserves all of it. I hope one day he realizes that, but until then, and even if it never happens, I'll still be there for him. That's what I've chosen to do, after all. If nothing else."

PeanutButterPies