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Post by Adrian Veidt on Oct 20, 2009 14:25:34 GMT -5
The walk back had been a quiet one, to say the least. Adrian had kept a protective arm around Adrien's slender shoulders the whole time, as though worried the boy would fall.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Oct 20, 2009 14:27:03 GMT -5
When they got back in, Adrien turned to embrace him tightly, almost as though he feared he would fall over.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Oct 20, 2009 14:28:55 GMT -5
"Are you going to be all right?"
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Oct 20, 2009 14:29:37 GMT -5
He nodded. "C'mere, though."
His voice was muffled against Adrian's lapel.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Oct 20, 2009 14:30:40 GMT -5
Adrian guided him over to a chair nestled beside a bookcase and sat him down in it.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Oct 20, 2009 14:37:34 GMT -5
"Sit with me," he implored, lifting his eyes to him and reluctant to let go of his hand.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Oct 20, 2009 14:41:31 GMT -5
In for a penny, in for a pound.
Adrian pulled off his coat and gloves and set the plain-glass lenses on the pile before sitting beside Adrien and taking him into his arms.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Oct 20, 2009 14:42:41 GMT -5
"I love you so much," he said, not in a desperate way, but as though he were finally calming down.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Oct 20, 2009 14:45:49 GMT -5
"Perhaps you had better stay in this weekend," he said decisively. The boy was proving to be rather... delicate, given his occupation.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Oct 20, 2009 14:50:40 GMT -5
"I didn't know we were going to talk about that," he said, shutting his eyes and rubbing his head against Adrian as though he had a slight headache. "I don't think about any of it, mostly. I've never told Divine, or... Darling, or Marchetti..."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Oct 20, 2009 14:58:02 GMT -5
"Who is 'Darling'?"
There was a slight edge to his voice now. By now, he'd decided that he'd really rather learn it all in one go.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Oct 20, 2009 15:00:21 GMT -5
"Divine's boyfriend, I mean the old one. The one I met her through, you remember. I don't know his real name. He's a pimp," said Adrien, rubbing his eye, and then looking up brightly though tiredly at Adrian.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Oct 20, 2009 15:03:19 GMT -5
Adrian did not say anything for a while.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Oct 20, 2009 15:06:13 GMT -5
"He's swell," Adrien went on, cheering a bit. "I met him because I dropped my wallet and he picked it up, and then he took out some of the money, pocketed it, and handed it back to me. I didn't know what to say at all! 'Course, I knew he was a pimp, so I wasn't going to complain or anything. Darling and me hit it off right away, and then he brought me back to live with him and Divine, which was really nice because, you know, bad things happen when you live on the streets."
His voice had dropped considerably at that last phrase, but he hadn't appeared to lose his cheer.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Oct 20, 2009 15:07:26 GMT -5
"Adrien, I do not want you going back there," Adrian said decisively, his voice hollow.
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