[ Clive's turn to nestle, now. There's been a lot of this today, but Clive hardly cares or minds the nature of their affection-laced bond, and sees no reason to feel any sort of shame in receiving comfort from Verso's steady presence next to his. Their lives are far too short and irregular to regret the things they didn't say or haven't done.
His forehead rests against Verso's jaw. Close enough to feel the other man's warm breath moving the ends of his unruly hair. Clive's guiding light in the tumult of this upending, too-good-to-be-true news. The same, patient presence that'd endured weeks of Clive's stilted attempts at becoming human again.
When asked what he's thinking: ]
That I'd like to kiss you.
[ Not even a line. Sincerity, like the blunt end of a cudgel. Clive loves Verso far too much for Verso's own good. Tears cooling on his face, he squeezes Verso's hand again, trying to reorient himself back into this new reality, this new timeline where Joshua isn't dead and where there is still a possibility that his brother can be found. ]
―And that I need to go to him. Joshua. [ There's an assumption here, that of anyone that Clive has ever met, Verso would understand what it means to be bound to a sibling the way Clive is. He remembers Alicia sitting next to her brother on the piano bench, and the gentle way Verso had spoken to her, played music for her. ] The creature said that he went somewhere dangerous.
[ (Very rude of Clive to not call 'the creature' by its proper name, but he has to be forgiven his ignorance.) A low, long exhale, and he straightens somewhat. ]
Will you show me the way?
[ Selfish, he knows. Maybe he should be more graceful about this, and give Verso the option to stay here in the Station and wait for his friend to return instead of chasing shadows in Nevron-infested territory. They're lovers, yes, but they needn't be beholden to each other always; Verso is entitled to his freedoms. ]
[Where there is nestling, there are lips to a crown and fingers stroking hair; there's a settling in place and a narrowing of the world down to the two of them and the nebulous space that Joshua now occupies. The fire crackling before them is large but so is the station, and the cold can only be escaped through proximity to warmth, so Verso draws Clive a little closer, too, laughing more breath through his hair as he speaks of wanting to kiss him.
The way they're tucked together precludes that but not the reverse, so Verso shifts enough so that he can press kisses to Clive's forehead, then his temple, his own lips curling slightly more into a smile with each kiss. At least the Grandis have given them their space, he thinks – doubly so when Clive calls them creatures and Verso can only hope they're out of earshot – which is all the more reason to indulge. Not that he minds anyone knowing that he loves the man by his side and in his heart, he's just a man who appreciates his privacy. Especially in moments like this. It's no surprise to Verso that Clive intends to go after Joshua, and nor does Verso expect anything other than the immediate and indefinite halting of their own travels. Even had Clive not said anything to that effect, Verso still would have dragged him along down whichever paths Joshua might have taken.
That Clive wants Verso's help isn't much more of a surprise itself, but it feels good in ways he wouldn't have expected. If it's selfish, then that's its appeal – the resulting confirmation that Clive will lean on him, too, even when that leaning angles them towards danger with no guarantees of what truly awaits them.]
Of course.
[His answer comes quickly, easily, voice laced with encouragement and certainty and the assurance that he would have this no other way. Whatever they do, they do together.]
We'll head out when you're ready.
[A part of him wants to insist that they rest first, get some food in their bellies, dry themselves the rest of the way off, warm those places deep inside their bones that still bear traces of a chill. But, again, it isn't his call and he doesn't want to assert anything in this moment besides his desire to see this through with Clive, so he leaves it at that.]
[ Easy acquiescence. Clive should have known. Verso is too good to him, and he'd have half a mind to push back if he didn't also know that doing so would be an insult. This is Verso asserting his freedom, and Clive will have to accept the notion that he is part and parcel of it instead of another burden for Verso to bear.
So: ] Thank you. [ Gratitude, on the tail end of a warm sigh. ] ―We'll spend the night here, and head out in the morning.
[ Flirting with the vague notion that Joshua might come back, while also acknowledging that it's been a long, long day. Again: death and love and survival. Clive's heart needs to rest as much as the rest of him does, desperate as it is to confirm whether this new development is truth or trick.
His fingers dance along Verso's jaw, appreciating his closeness before telegraphing that he'll relinquish it temporarily. There are tints that he needs to replenish, and other useful supplies and information besides that the Grandis could provide him with: he should also make sure that the blond-haired man really is his Joshua, though he really can't recall any other Expeditioner in recent history going by his brother's name.
One last soft kiss to the corner of Verso's mouth, and Clive untangles himself to do his due diligence. He'll return in time to help Verso with finding a cozy spot to untangle bedrolls, and help him hang their clothes over a warm fire to dry them properly for their subsequent impromptu journey. ]
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flamebrand) wrote2024-09-08 02:07 pm
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His forehead rests against Verso's jaw. Close enough to feel the other man's warm breath moving the ends of his unruly hair. Clive's guiding light in the tumult of this upending, too-good-to-be-true news. The same, patient presence that'd endured weeks of Clive's stilted attempts at becoming human again.
When asked what he's thinking: ]
That I'd like to kiss you.
[ Not even a line. Sincerity, like the blunt end of a cudgel. Clive loves Verso far too much for Verso's own good. Tears cooling on his face, he squeezes Verso's hand again, trying to reorient himself back into this new reality, this new timeline where Joshua isn't dead and where there is still a possibility that his brother can be found. ]
―And that I need to go to him. Joshua. [ There's an assumption here, that of anyone that Clive has ever met, Verso would understand what it means to be bound to a sibling the way Clive is. He remembers Alicia sitting next to her brother on the piano bench, and the gentle way Verso had spoken to her, played music for her. ] The creature said that he went somewhere dangerous.
[ (Very rude of Clive to not call 'the creature' by its proper name, but he has to be forgiven his ignorance.) A low, long exhale, and he straightens somewhat. ]
Will you show me the way?
[ Selfish, he knows. Maybe he should be more graceful about this, and give Verso the option to stay here in the Station and wait for his friend to return instead of chasing shadows in Nevron-infested territory. They're lovers, yes, but they needn't be beholden to each other always; Verso is entitled to his freedoms. ]
no subject
The way they're tucked together precludes that but not the reverse, so Verso shifts enough so that he can press kisses to Clive's forehead, then his temple, his own lips curling slightly more into a smile with each kiss. At least the Grandis have given them their space, he thinks – doubly so when Clive calls them creatures and Verso can only hope they're out of earshot – which is all the more reason to indulge. Not that he minds anyone knowing that he loves the man by his side and in his heart, he's just a man who appreciates his privacy. Especially in moments like this. It's no surprise to Verso that Clive intends to go after Joshua, and nor does Verso expect anything other than the immediate and indefinite halting of their own travels. Even had Clive not said anything to that effect, Verso still would have dragged him along down whichever paths Joshua might have taken.
That Clive wants Verso's help isn't much more of a surprise itself, but it feels good in ways he wouldn't have expected. If it's selfish, then that's its appeal – the resulting confirmation that Clive will lean on him, too, even when that leaning angles them towards danger with no guarantees of what truly awaits them.]
Of course.
[His answer comes quickly, easily, voice laced with encouragement and certainty and the assurance that he would have this no other way. Whatever they do, they do together.]
We'll head out when you're ready.
[A part of him wants to insist that they rest first, get some food in their bellies, dry themselves the rest of the way off, warm those places deep inside their bones that still bear traces of a chill. But, again, it isn't his call and he doesn't want to assert anything in this moment besides his desire to see this through with Clive, so he leaves it at that.]
no subject
So: ] Thank you. [ Gratitude, on the tail end of a warm sigh. ] ―We'll spend the night here, and head out in the morning.
[ Flirting with the vague notion that Joshua might come back, while also acknowledging that it's been a long, long day. Again: death and love and survival. Clive's heart needs to rest as much as the rest of him does, desperate as it is to confirm whether this new development is truth or trick.
His fingers dance along Verso's jaw, appreciating his closeness before telegraphing that he'll relinquish it temporarily. There are tints that he needs to replenish, and other useful supplies and information besides that the Grandis could provide him with: he should also make sure that the blond-haired man really is his Joshua, though he really can't recall any other Expeditioner in recent history going by his brother's name.
One last soft kiss to the corner of Verso's mouth, and Clive untangles himself to do his due diligence. He'll return in time to help Verso with finding a cozy spot to untangle bedrolls, and help him hang their clothes over a warm fire to dry them properly for their subsequent impromptu journey. ]