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Post by Jon Osterman on Jan 4, 2020 1:32:13 GMT -5
"I am," said Jon with another ghost of a smile. Had he smiled at Adrian in truth 20 years ago? It did seem more likely. He touched the face of the man in bed with him and made the comparison. "You used to have lighter hair. Sometimes, you would fall asleep in bed after this."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 4, 2020 7:57:04 GMT -5
“Ah, yes, and rather vain for someone whose face didn’t settle until thirty,” Adrian conceded with a laugh. “I was, I think- you might have even gathered this- probably just glad I’d come back together in one piece. If you had seen me after Blake was through with me in ‘57, you might have never wanted anything to do with me. I thought I looked like Frankenstein’s monster.”
He laughed again at this, and then sighed.
“Maybe it would have been better if I had. I could have accomplished so much more then if I had cared more for the greater world and less for being proud that my hair made a full recovery.”
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Post by Jon Osterman on Jan 4, 2020 7:59:48 GMT -5
"Hmm."
It was a laugh, from Jon.
"If it helps you come to terms with any of it, I don't think you would have been less interesting," said Jon, the greater Frankenstein's monster between the two of them - hair or not.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 4, 2020 8:06:26 GMT -5
“Oh, now I’m convinced it would have been better,” said Adrian as he turned to gently stroke his hand back over Jon’s bare head- as though Jon needed the reassurance that Adrian did not consider that a deficit where Jon was concerned.
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Post by Jon Osterman on Jan 4, 2020 8:28:32 GMT -5
Jon had seen multiple timelines, looked at infinite possibilities for their lives - when he glimpsed Adrian, at any rate. But there was no need to trouble Adrian's conscience with brighter, better worlds. Adrian would only ever have this one.
"It's what we have." Another pause, as he contemplated the sensation of Adrian's callused hand running over his bare skin. "Hm."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 4, 2020 8:49:42 GMT -5
Adrian propped himself up to kiss him, cupping his face in both hands now.
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Post by Jon Osterman on Jan 4, 2020 8:55:13 GMT -5
Jon leaned into it slightly. Pointless trying to catch him off guard, though he did not think that was what Adrian was really doing. Jon was not a mystery to himself, and neither was anything Adrian would ever do to him. But why Adrian did things, that was something else. He had as much to learn about Adrian and what drove him in life as he did to learn about the entire rest of the universe.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 4, 2020 9:06:52 GMT -5
“They need me here,” Adrian said softly. “I would come with you if they didn’t.”
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Post by Jon Osterman on Jan 4, 2020 9:14:06 GMT -5
He didn't think he would, actually. But -
"I know," said Jon, tenderly, cupping his cheek.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 4, 2020 9:27:28 GMT -5
“Thank you,” Adrian murmured. “I suppose it won’t be too hard to forget on my-“
There was a little metallic clatter in the next room. Adrian looked back over his shoulder.
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Post by Jon Osterman on Jan 4, 2020 9:28:58 GMT -5
Jon only watched him. He could make out from the most minute change in the muscles of Adrian's face when he had realized it; it was not long coming.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 4, 2020 9:35:24 GMT -5
Adrian slowly climbed out of bed, as stealthily as he could, and leaned toward the doorway.
A moment later, he groaned and rubbed his eyes.
“Okay. Okay. Right. I really wish you’d told me you were going to be working,” he said, gesturing wearily at the second Jon currently working in the living room.
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Post by Jon Osterman on Jan 4, 2020 9:37:33 GMT -5
"It did not impede me," said a third Jon from the corner of the room, assisting the second one in their continued building. Behind him, Jon said, "My attention never wavered."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jan 4, 2020 9:58:24 GMT -5
“I could tell,” Adrian said flatly.
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Post by Jon Osterman on Jan 4, 2020 10:06:36 GMT -5
One of the Jons just barely quirked one of his eyebrows.
"I thought you would appreciate that the work continued," he said. He might have been baffled. "You've said yourself we are at a critical stage."
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