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Post by Adrian Veidt on Nov 1, 2009 20:18:06 GMT -5
Adrian swallowed hard at the sight of him.
"Hey," he said weakly, forcing a smile. "Did you know we have free food here?"
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Nov 1, 2009 20:18:43 GMT -5
Adrien sniffed, but the corner of his mouth curved unexpectedly.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Nov 1, 2009 20:34:57 GMT -5
Adrian set his load on the counter and pulled off his jacket, then knelt by Adrien's side, the fingers of his good hand gently probing at the bruise on the boy's forehead.
"You are without a doubt one of the most confounding people I have ever met," he said as he gently lifted Adrien's head into his lap, "which is precisely why I feel I've been terribly cruel to you today."
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Nov 1, 2009 20:39:16 GMT -5
"I - I don't know what got into me," said Adrien quickly, in a voice with the quality of babbling, and a huge amount of fatigue, licking his lips and pressing them together in a frown line, even as he pulled himself into Adrian's arms, his own arms shaking. "Roge'd've knocked the shit outta me if I'd've - if I'd've - "
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Nov 1, 2009 20:45:32 GMT -5
"I... I reacted poorly," Adrian said, with a great deal of hesitant dignity. "It's merely that-"
In truth, it was the fact that it was Micaela's dress that had really set him off.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Nov 1, 2009 20:48:10 GMT -5
"I'm so sorry," Adrien said in a rush, nuzzling Adrian's suspender pitifully - not with the usual tenderness at all, but rather timidly, as though he wanted to climb into his lap and couldn't bring himself to out of the terror of heartbreak; he thought he would be pushed off. "I shouldn't have done it, I should have - you're right, I have a place, and I forgot - "
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Nov 1, 2009 20:57:19 GMT -5
"Adrien, I wouldn't hide you if I didn't have to."
He reached to ease off the boy's wig, but his fingers instead moved into Adrien's own soft hair. He stroked through it a little more, and this only confirmed it.
"Adrien," he sighed, "why would you-"
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Nov 1, 2009 21:00:35 GMT -5
He didn't realize Adrian meant about cutting his hair. He assumed he was petting it and still talking about the dress.
"I told you," he said, breath catching a little, "I thought that you would - "
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Nov 1, 2009 21:11:30 GMT -5
"I meant your hair," said Adrian. He pulled Adrien up to look at the effect, and made an exasperated noise. "Did you do this yourself?"
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Nov 1, 2009 21:15:04 GMT -5
He nodded gently, reaching up the ungloved hand to try to un-muss it.
"I thought if I looked like I girl, we could..."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Nov 1, 2009 21:27:06 GMT -5
If Adrian had needed any more proof that this boy was better than he deserved, here it was.
"Well, I'm afraid you'll need some help tidying the back," he said. It was easier to focus on this than the boy's willingness to live a full double life for him. He fingered the uneven, choppy section at the base of the boy's neck and sighed again.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Nov 1, 2009 21:29:47 GMT -5
He made a small, almost startled noise. "Mm." And then he tilted his head and peered at him. He didn't dare get his hopes up, but he asked anyway. "Would you... help me, then?"
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Nov 1, 2009 21:34:23 GMT -5
Adrian was somewhat taken aback.
"These matters are best left to professionals."
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Nov 1, 2009 21:37:17 GMT -5
"Oh, okay," said the boy far too quickly. "Oh, I can - no worries! of course - "
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Nov 1, 2009 21:42:21 GMT -5
"What?"
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