[R] Not Jealous (Sinope & Rowan)

[Kitomyx]

Quote:

Backdated to early November.

The Dark Mirror Senshi knew he really shouldn’t have done it. He thought he had made his peace with everything when Elex had explained why he had been following Rowan at the Bootanical Garden event. But for some reason, Jack realized he was constantly comparing himself to taller young man until an alarming percentage of his thoughts were permeated by Rowan. Not as alarming a percentage as Elex permeated, to be fair, but more than enough for Jack to deem it disturbing. Finally, seeking to remove or at least reduce the influence that the firey-eyed teen had on his mind, Jack sought Rowan Cameron out as Sinope.

One reason he went as Sinope was because, despite the possibility that the use of his super senshi abilities for such a personal endeavor might have been considered an abuse of them to some, it was the easiest and quickest way. Sinope could go to places Jack couldn’t, especially since, as of late, his parents had become extra vigilant regarding where and when he went out aside from school. Moreover, if Rowan decided to take a car someplace or went somewhere inaccessible to most plebeians, Sinope would more likely be able to remain in pursuit.

Another reason the teen decided to go as a senshi was because he recalled all too well the look that Rowan had given Elex when Jack had first introduced himself at the garden event. He already knew that the purple-haired youth likely wouldn’t have given the middle-class high schooler the time of day, much less listened to anything he had to say. His chances of being able to talk to Rowan were a lot greater if he was powered up, he figured, because at least his magic powers and enhanced abilities were bound to be somewhat impressive to a civilian, if not his family wealth or background.

It was a couple nights of following the Cameron boy around before Sinope finally decided to make his move. As it turned out, Rowan went to regular ballet practice at the Destiny City Ballet Theatre which was easy enough for Sinope to slip into and hide out in. Tracking down his particular target was a little trickier, but in a ballet theatre, the Dark Mirror Senshi wasn’t too worried about being identified as an intruder. He imagined his outfit, or at least parts of it, might have been close enough to be taken for a ballet costume of sorts. If he waited in the dressing rooms, perhaps he could find Rowan in there without drawing too much unwanted attention to himself and attracting too much suspicion.

Sinope’s main goal for that meeting was simply to meet and talk to Rowan. He hoped that if he was able to meet the guy properly rather than in a garden full of monster spiders and have a decent conversation with him when they weren’t in danger or worrying about others, he might have been able to get to actually know him. Maybe he could understand what the purple-haired Cameron son honestly thought of Elex instead of allowing his horrid, jealousy-influenced imagination to make up stories for him. After all, Elex had only claimed to have been watching Rowan because he had wanted to see how he had coped with having had his energy drained. Even so, Sinope hadn’t been able to stop comparing himself to the guy as if he unconsciously considered him his rival in gaining Elex’s affections or something. It made him shudder to think about. At the very least, perhaps if he could get a better grip on what Rowan was like in reality, he could compare himself to a real person with flaws and weaknesses like any other human instead of some thought-up god of perfection his mind currently envisioned the guy as.

Rehearsal had been a focused one. The corps had been the heavily utilized as their specific parts were run multiple times to make sure everyone knew where they were going, were in time, and all the steps were perfect. There was little want of finding a single dancer out of line or step. It would ruin the whole effect of each individual performance. So, needless to say it had been a grind. When they were finally released for the evening while soloists were pulled to rehearse, Rowan was terribly pleased. A few of the other men offered for him to join them on a night out. Apparently they were headed home to prepare and meet back up but Rowan declined with a smile and wave. “I’ve got too much to do, but you guys have fun.”

By himself he hurried off to the dressing rooms where he had left his bag. Intentions that night were to do a patrol. See if he could hunt down someone else to talk to. Learn a bit more about this whole senshi business and war. Of course, he had no intentions of doing so dressed in his leotard, tights and ballet slippers. Even if his fuku replaced those things he wasn’t keen on powering back down into them, so a quick change in attire was necessary. Not to mention a cool, wet washcloth would feel divine on his flustered, sweaty skin.

The hallway that connected to all of the dressing rooms was a much cooler temperature than the stage. It was refreshing and helped ease hot muscles as Rowan navigated to one of the last doors. Slipping into the large room meant for a plethora of people to change and get ready in, Rowan sighed as he closed the door behind him. The bright lights surrounding the mirrors were still glared to life and the young man rolled his eyes. “I bet Jasper was the last one down here.”
Walking over he flipped the switch to turn off the lights as he reached up to pull his hair out of the low makeshift bun.

Turning he nearly jumped out of his skin as he saw another young man there, lounging in one of the plush chairs in the corner. For a moment he thought it was one of his colleagues when he realized that the face didn’t match anyone he knew, let alone that outfit. Had this person gone and raided the costume department?

“Who are you?” Immediately Rowan was on defense as he stared down the teen. “How did you get in here?’ There was no chance this person was waiting for any of the other men as they had all scurried home for their plans. After all, this was the men’s corps dressing room..

”Whoa, whoa, whoa, please calm down,” the senshi said, putting up his palms as he was discovered. “I’m a senshi. I’m sorry I kinda ended up having to ambush you like this, but you’re a busy guy. I couldn’t exactly book an appointment.”

Sinope sat up on the chair and leaned forward to support his elbows on his knees. Hazel eyes appraised the taut muscles and athletic build of the toned body before him. Well...looks like I can’t much compete there, he thought with some bitterness, but managed to keep his expression calm and friendly enough. Even if I took up ballet, looks like it’d be years before I got anywhere near that. Not to mention his natural height cuts an imposing figure.

“My name is Sinope. Again, I apologize for having barged in on you like this, but I have a couple of reasons for doing so.” He glanced down at his hands as he interlocked his fingers, suspending them as a bridge between his knees. “See...I don’t know if you’ve heard of senshi before or know what they are, but I’ve been watching you for a while. If you’ve noticed, there’ve been some malicious forces at work around the city. Like those spiders at the botanical gardens for instance.”

Dropping his hands, he pushed himself up from the chair and sauntered on over to Rowan. As he did so, he studied the wavy, purple locks that their owner seemed so protective of and the shape of his face and eyes. “In keeping an eye on you, I’ve managed to ensure you’ve stayed safe, but the more I’ve been observing, the more I’ve wanted to meet you.” He glanced away, face flushing slightly. “You’ve been on my mind a lot lately and I admire you a great deal.”

A senshi? Well that certainly explained how he got into the theatre without being seen. Golden eyes roved over the dark Fuku. Perhaps not White Moon. Better keep quiet about my own identity then, just to be safe.

A hand upon one of the dressing room counter, Rowan raised a brow at Sinope. “Right, so you’re a senshi.” He waved a hand as if to say he had no clue what that even meant. “And you’re here to warn me about some...I don’t know, mafia or gang that’s causing problems? Please, like the papers said, those ‘spiders’ were nothing more than a prank that went wrong.”

Muscles tensed as Sinope stood from his place of rest. Rowan wasn’t sure what to expect but was willing to play along with the little game. So, he watched carefully as the other teen sauntered over to him. “And for some unknown reason you picked me out of a crowd of a hundred or so people to keep an eye on?” Needless to say, Rowan felt rather flattered by such an admission. Of course, he had looked rather spectacular at that event in his victorian vampire get-up. Enough so to catch someone’s attention.

A grin danced across the dancer’s face at the blush that crept onto Sinope’s face. The boy looked away as if unable to look directly at Rowan when so close. In an effort to ease the other teen, Rowan shrugged and stepped around him. His focus slipped to the black duffel bag which housed his clothing and other necessities. Opening a side zipper, he pulled out a washcloth, and a hand towel and proceeded to the singular sink in the room. “I don’t know, that sounds a bit...stalkerish.” Turning on the faucet he turned back to look at Sinope as he awaited the water to warm up.

“So why me? Out of all of those other people?” His voice held a curiosity to it. “Why do I need protection? A soft steam began to rise up from the water pooling in the sink, and Rowan turned back to dunk the washcloth in it. A quick wring to remove any excess water and the young man turned off the water and returned his attention to Sinope. Reaching up he pulled the two straps of his leotard down and over his shoulders and arms, and pulled the article of clothing to his waist. The wash cloth, warm and wet, was used to wipe away the sweat from rehearsal. “What makes me so special?” He questioned, eyes looking up from his own body to Sinope.

The redhead’s own brows rose slightly at Rowan’s response, noting the way his muscles tensed and the doubt in his tone when he spoke again. Ah...so he’s not a complete idiot. I guess rich people have to have the brains to keep and maintain their wealth. At least that might make for some interesting conversation if he’s not just all looks and no substance.

Sighing, Sinope’s blush deepened somewhat as he tugged his hood a little further over his face. As inexperienced as he was with praising others or admitting his feelings about them, he could alter his voice and school his expression all he liked, but he still lacked control over much of his body’s natural reactions. “I said ‘malicious forces’, not mafias or gangs,” he murmured, getting somewhat irritated with himself for acting so flustered. “And yeah, that was the explanation in the media. But it’s not like they say anything about the existence of senshi like me in there, so how much stock can you really put into what they feed you?”

The grin that graced Rowan’s face was not lost on the super senshi. It lit up his already-radiant countenance so that the resulting brilliance caused the ruddiness of Sinope’s complexion to spread like a bad sunburn. That wasn’t fair. How come people like this had it all? Prestige, talent, wealth, charm, and good looks? He supposed it was the result of successful and attractive people wooing equally successful and attractive mates, but the reasoning didn’t make him feel any better. He had come here to alleviate his concerns, not escalate them.

Silent gratitude combined with indignant fury chased the ballet dancer’s back as the taller male side-stepped the shorter. Rowan was enjoying Sinope’s flusterment; something he couldn’t control. Though the senshi still felt he had a great deal more knowledge and, thus, power on his side, the inexplicable helplessness he experienced regardless exasperated him. So much so that it took even his motor mouth a few minutes to start up again when questioned about his motives.

“Better me stalking you than others who might seek to harm you,” he answered with a calm composure he didn’t feel. “Don’t you have bodyguards? It’s not much different than that. Just farther off.” He crossed his arms with a huff as he examined Rowan’s activites out the corner of his eye. His friendly smile had already wilted into a small frown. Sinope’s gaze darted from the faucet to the washcloth to - damn it, was Rowan showing off?

The Dark Mirror Senshi promptly turned his back to the dancer. He supposed it was his own fault for attempting to confront the guy in a dressing room, of all places. He hadn’t expected the other teen to be so unabashed about changing in front of him, but with a body like that, Sinope supposed Rowan had no reason to feel shy. Face adequately concealed from view, he snorted. “The sheer amount of questions you’re asking me for the same answer suggests to me that you already know it, but fine. You want me to say it? You’re eye-catching. You stand out. You probably get that sort of thing a lot, so I’ll stop there, but I’m sure you get the gist.” The line of his mouth twisted as he glared at the floor. “You probably don’t need protection any more than the rest of Destiny City. It was just an excuse to keep close.”

”The media isn’t feeding me anything. I was there as you very well known.” Rowan said cooly.

Making sure not to drip too much water all over the floor, Rowan carefully cleaned himself up. The washcloth felt lovely and helped the young man feel a bit more refreshed and not quite as slick from his own sweat. It would be hardpressed for Rowan to say he wasn’t showing off. He very much enjoyed and basked in every ounce of attention he got, but Sinope had also made it a point to confront Rowan in the dressing room. The young man wasn’t going to stay in sweaty clothes to save a blushing teen from feeling embarassed. Being bashful about his body was not something Rowan ever really felt and it wasn’t just because of his looks. More often than not, there were many a young men in the same exact dressing room naked and changing into costumes or back to street clothes.

“That’s you saying it.” Rowan said as he paid extra attention to his arms with the cloth. “Who’s to say you’re not some psycho. I don’t know you. You could have some sort of devious plot of your own devised.” Switching hands he worked on his other arm with a roll of his eyes at the bodyguard comment. “I am not walking around with bodyguards following me 24/7. That would be ridiculous.” Rowan stated it as if that was an obvious thing to know. It was incredulous to imagine walking around with a bodyguard following his every move. Not to mention it would make his evenings a bit tough when going on patrol.

Rowan found it amusing when Sinope turned away from him. The hood of his fuku did well at covering up a face that was likely stained red. But, it didn’t matter. Tossing the washcloth into the sink to be rinsed, he utilized the hand towel to dry himself off as he listened to compliments raining from the other’s mouth. “You’re right. I do.” He remarked as he walked back over to his bag to drop the hand towel in and begin pulling out his clothes to lay out. “So needless to say flattery won’t get you too far.”

Returning to the sink he began to rinse the washcloth, gave it another good wringing before laying it over the sink’s edge to dry some. “So, what, exactly are you here for? To play protector and get to know me? It’s been weeks now since the attack at the gardens and only now you bother to confront me? Why now? Why here?” He spoke to the other’s back. “Anyone else could have walked through that door and found you. It was pure luck that it was me tonight.”

The senshi nodded slowly. “So are you saying, being there, you believe it was a prank? Even with people having gotten hurt and traumatized from the experience? If that was a prank, whomever arranged it must have either had very little regard for the safety of the guests or not had a clue what they were doing, because it seemed like that prank was far from harmless."

Sighing deeply, Sinope unfolded his arms and combed his fingers through his hair, his hood falling back with the gesture. “That’s a fair accusation,” he conceded. “But it’s not like I follow you around 24/7, because I agree, too. That would be ridiculous.” The young man went over to sit at one of the vanity tables and selected a tube of some sort of cosmetic to examine it. Just don’t look up at the mirror. Don’t stare. Would it be too awkward to avoid looking at all, though? Damn it, what do I do? Just focus on the make-up. Wait, will he think I’m weird? No, this is the guy’s dressing room; guys wear this stuff. Right?

“Oh, good. That would have been boring.” Glancing up at the mirror to check the color of his own visage, the senshi finally thought it an acceptable hue to face his conversation partner with some amount of dignity once more. He scooted the chair back a little and turned in his seat. “To play protector? Not so much. I guess if I need to, but like you said - for all you know, I could be the one you need protection from.” Hazel eyes met yellow-orange ones from behind tousled red, brown, and blonde bangs. “I’m not asking you to trust me. In fact, if you want me to leave, I will.” He stood as if to emphasize his point. “Just hear me out a little more, first.”

Walking back over to the taller teen, Sinope was determined to keep his blushing to a minimum this time. He halted a couple of feet away. “I never said this started at the gardens. I just gave that incident as an example. And yes, anyone could have shown up, but I wasn’t concerned. I’m pretty good at bullshitting my way out of trouble if I need to.” He held up a single digit. “One thing I don’t do, though, is lie.

“I know you have no reason to believe me and I know I can’t prove it to you, but it’s the truth. I am honestly interested in you. In getting to know you and finding out what you’re like.” Waving his hand in a vague gesture, he explained, “It must be so tedious, having to deal with people left and right who may be attracted to you for the most superficial things like your appearance, status, and money. I don’t know; maybe you’re used to that lifestyle and fine with it. Maybe you even prefer it, being able to and even expected to conceal your true feelings and thoughts behind metaphorical masks. But out of curiosity, don’t you ever crave...I don’t know, something real?”

Raising a brow at Sinope, Rowan pulled out one of the chairs and, using it as balance and support, he reached down to pluck one ballet slipper, than another from his feet. “Traumatized by large spiders and a few days of feeling ill?” Rowan shook his head. “No wonder people buy the stories. But, you believe what you want, and I’ll believe what I want. Easy enough. I see no real reason to hash this out between us. It’ll do nothing useful.” Dropping his slippers into the bag he looked back up at Sinope.

“So, you’re here. You made it in. Found me.” He spread his arms. “Someone who says they aren’t a stalker yet has claimed to follow me, doles out compliments as if it’s the only thing he has going for him, stands there and tells me they don’t lie when…” He raised a brow. “He does everything he can to skirt around the truth.” Rowan chuckled.

Without hesitation he reached down and pulled the rest of his leotard down leaving his standing in nothing more than his black dance belt by the time he managed to free himself from the tight spandex. With nonchalance he stood, leotard in hand and folded it up. Taking his time with his movements and making sure all was neatly folded and placed just right in the bag. “Are you saying you’re not attracted to me for my looks? Didn’t you say earlier that I ‘was eye-catching. I stood out?’” A knowing smile crossed Rowan’s face as he closed the distance between himself and Sinope. Hands reached out to grab the younger teens shoulders in a gentle grip. “I do crave something real. Something...more than you described.” Fingers squeeze Sinope’s shoulders before he pushed away. “But if you’re here to proposition me you’ve been wasting your time. My interests lie elsewhere than with a boy who has nothing better to do with his time than watch someone for days and convincing himself that it’s for my protection.

Rowan turned his back on Sinope again and sauntered his way back over to his clothing which still lay laid out for him. Grabbing an article of clothing from the pile he glanced at Sinope over his shoulder before taking off his dance belt and slipping on his boxer briefs.

The sailor scout cast Rowan an incredulous, half-lidded look. “If I recall correctly, your very own brother was one of those trauma victims. But you’re right; that’s besides the point.” I take it you didn’t see the steaming blood, then. His eyes absently followed the slippers into the bag as he continued to hear the older teen out. Perhaps that’s for the best.

Gaze jerking up at the sound of the chuckle, Sinope responded with a saccharine smile too sweet to be genuine. “I’m not sure what you mean by skirting around the truth. I’ve answered every question you’ve asked me so far, haven’t I? Was there a reply not adequate enough for your liking?” This is ridiculous...first you were looking down on me because of my status and now you’re just plain looking down on me. What the hell am I doing wrong this time? Where do you get off...wh...

The hairs stood up all along the senshi’s body as a sight he was utterly unprepared for was thrust upon him without so much as a word of warning. Immediately he attempted to retreat back to his original seat at the mirror, but before he had taken enough steps and had a chance to properly register why his physiology was reacting the way it was, he found himself held back by a grip on his shoulder. His panic was such that he could barely register Rowan’s words, much less attempt to pull away and he froze where he was. A hard swallow refused to dislodge the hard knot of discomfort lodged in his esophagus and he shut his eyes tight. He wouldn’t have been able to think otherwise. Not with certain distractions in such close proximity.

What the is he doing?! he internally screamed. Did he notice when I turned away earlier? Is he trying to test me? Torment me? Why the hell am I even bothered by this? As Sinope did his best to work his way through irrational agitation with the power of reasoning, his panic was quickly replaced by frustration and annoyance. I used to hang out in the changing rooms all the time with the other guys after P.E. None of their junk bothered me. So why now? When did this star - oh. Realization impacted like a home-run hit. ELEX. This is all Elex’s fault!! I didn’t get all weird around seeing naked guys before he - but - wasn’t it just him I was…?

Doing his best to steady his breathing, Sinope braced himself mentally as he opened his eyes. Nope. Nope, if that was true before, it’s definitely changed since then. Maybe it was just that the images on the internet weren’t...this close. Or maybe it wasn’t like this before and it is now because I’ve been thinking about dirty things waaaay too frequently lately. Whatever it is, it never would have happened if it wasn’t for Elex!

The senshi cleared his throat as the echos of Rowan’s remarks finally caught up to him and his voice was recovered. By then his shoulder had been released and the paralysis that gripped him had dissipated. “Yeah, I said those things about you,” he confirmed, licking his dry lips, “and they are true. But I never stated anything about being attracted to you myself. For your looks or otherwise.” Not like it looks like I need to...stupid hormones… If he was lucky, the dancer would have been too preoccupied with his own ego to notice Sinope’s involuntary response. As discreetly as he could manage, he slipped behind a rack of costumes to avoid attracting attention to his sudden shame. Rowan decided to choose that moment to glance back over his shoulder and the senshi flinched. Had the older male really been suggesting what he thought he’d been suggesting? Or was it just do to the recent inclination of his thoughts toward the perverted that caused him to suspect that?

“Sso - so, just for clarification,” he began again, speaking just a tad too loud at first, “What…kind of craving were you thinking of, exactly? Did you have something specific in mind, or just like...a vague direction?” Though he had originally started that line of inquiry for the sole purpose of distracting from his awkward behavior, his mouth had once again spoken before he had a chance to think over the words and only after did he understand he had possibly just dug himself a deeper hole. He hastened to correct it with a sheepish smile. “Your interests...you mean like ballet and stuff?”

“You’re playing word games with someone who grew up learning to read between the lines. The answers you’ve given me have been catered to what you think I want to hear. How much of the truth has been casually omitted I wonder?”

And suddenly it grew quiet and Rowan smirked, his back still to Sinope.

Grabbing his jeans, Rowan turned to look at the senshi and found him hiding behind a rack. “Something wrong?” He questioned as innocently as possible as he worked the black jeans with a soft grey wash up. A quick zip, shove of a button, and Rowan was standing mostly decent barefoot and bare chest.

“Right, so I caught your attention because I wasn’t at all attractive.” A knowing brow rose. “Why keep lying to yourself? Or to me?” Turning he grabbed his black undershirt and quickly put the article of clothing on. There. Maybe now I can actually get some half decent responses out of this guy.

And then came the babbling.

Right. Maybe not

“Yes. Interest like Ballet.” A roll of his eyes. “Really you’re acting like I am going to be offended.” He gave a knowing glance downward. Why else would the teen run to mask himself behind something? “But, I am not an idiot. You’re not the first nor the last.” A shrug.

“Now, while I get the rest of myself in order, why don’t you tell me why you’re really here? Stop beating around the bush? Otherwise you’ll miss your chance because I have things to do tonight.” Perhaps a push in the a** will get him moving?

A deep blue button down shirt was quickly put on over his black short-sleeved undershirt and buttoned with deft fingers as he stole glances at Sinope, waiting for a possible explanation for this whole encounter. There was little doubt in his mind that ‘protection’ was really the reason for all of this.

Ah...that was right. Of course he would have been familiar with reading between the lines. However vain he might have acted, that didn’t necessarily mean Rowan didn’t have brains and Sinope decided he probably deserved at least part of his embarrassment for having underestimated the guy. He had been so busy getting indignant about being belittled that he didn’t realize he had been subconsciously belittling Rowan. Perhaps part of the reason Elex also seemed to have so much more insight into him than his other peers had been because he, Rowan, and the other teenagers of upper-class status had been raised with an entirely different mindset. Thus they easily recognized the methods Sinope used because they themselves utilized them on a regular basis.

As intriguing as this revelation was, the senshi still felt the purple-haired dancer was being unnecessarily obnoxious. He may not have been as dull to converse with as Sinope had feared, but he was providing his own obstacles with which to frustrate the sailor scout.

“If you’re concerned about omission, I would have thought you’d know to ask more direct questions,” he answered crisply, sifting through a few of the costumes hanging from the rack he stood behind. The redhead clenched his jaw at the supposedly innocent question. “Thank you for your concern, but everything’s fine,” were the words forced through gritted teeth.

I can’t believe this. I just told him I don’t lie. Hazel eyes narrowed at an especially showy leotard decorated with sparking sequins. Is he deliberately saying I’m lying as a jab at my pride? Or does he just not listen? He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he drew upon the reserves of his patience.

“I am not lying; not to myself or anyone,” the sixteen-year-old insisted, his voice low and edged with barely-suppressed irritation. He didn’t think anyone had truly managed to rile him up to this extent since he had first encountered the youngest Yorke. If he wanted to stop being treated like a moron, though, he concluded that he was going to have to show Rowan the same courtesy so they could cease bullshitting and start speaking on the same level.

“Yes, you caught my attention, but not because I was attracted to you. I am most definitely not attracted to your looks, I can tell you that right now, so don’t go making any more absurd assumptions. You may be stereotypically good-looking by society’s standards,” the Dark Mirror Senshi acknowledged, “but, perhaps unlike you, my ideals of attractiveness aren’t influenced by anything as superficial as status, wealth, or appearances.”

Rowan’s eye-roll caused Sinope’s face to darken. His thick brows slanted and he squinted at the arrogant young man. “Excuse me?” Is he talking about...oh, great. So he is. Ruddy skin burning with resentment and humiliation, he stepped out from behind the rack of outfits. “This - “ the teen stated, jabbing a thumb downward, “ - this is not because of you. Not entirely,” he amended, forcing himself to meet those fiery eyes with a vicious glare. “It’s because you made me think of someone else just now. And not on account of your looks, either. If it’s so common and expected to you, then you should have no problem ignoring it.”

Marching back over to the plush chair he had originally been discovered lounging in, the redhead seated himself with as much dignity as he could still manage to muster. He closed his eyes so as to keep from allowing Rowan’s little looks to agitate him further, rubbing his temples wearily and leaning as far back as he could.

“I already told you. I want to learn more about you as a person. Or was that not specific enough for you?” Scowling, he sighed again and finally looked over as he gestured with an arm. “Fine. What kind of person are you attracted to?”

It took everything in his power not to break down in a full fit of laughter at the teen. Instead, Rowan hid his amusement behind a knowing grin and a cough into his hand. Whatever the circumstances were for his impromptu display, it was so terribly...uncouth of the boy to point it out so magnificently. It was also somewhat endearing the way that he had completely given up in his attempts to hide his shame of his body’s reaction.

As the teen plopped himself down in the chair with a purpose that was both show and needful, Rowan casually grabbed his socks, sat down in one of many vacant chairs in the room, and sat with one ankle crossed over his thigh as he slipped one on. “You really need to learn to be a little less direct with your words.” Rowan responded as he dropped the one socked foot to the ground and lifted the other foot to do the same. “You’re very much out of your league playing games with me.”

Keeping his one foot propped up, Rowan leaned over and reached into his bag to pull out two well polished, black leather shoes. “And, is knowing about what I am attracted to in a person for your own general research? I mean, you said yourself you’re not at all interested in me, so why such a question? It makes one think that perhaps you weren’t telling me the entire truth during your tirade just now.” Rowan gave the senshi a look from beneath purple locks as he finished tying off the laces of his first shoe.

Rowan might as well have laughed for what Sinope gathered from his cough. He was too familiar with the ways of concealing one’s amusement to not have guessed what the reaction meant, but he couldn’t say he hadn’t expected it by this point. Even so, with legs out, he lay one forearm atop the chair’s armrest, and bent his other elbow to support his chin on the heel of his palm. Though his head faced the other direction, his half-lidded eyes were trained on the older male and his mouth was a small, thin line of severity.

“I’m so glad you’ve determined what league I’m in after only a few minutes of speaking with me,” he retorted coolly. “As well as what it is I need to learn to do. Please, do tell. Teach me how. I’m always open to gaining more knowledge.”

His thick, dark brows furrowed, drawing together as his conversation partner continued, and the line of his mouth morphed into a faint frown. It took him a few seconds of deep breaths to overcome his inner disgruntlement. “...When did I ever say…” he began, but then stopped. Sinope took a moment to face ahead again and lean forward in his seat, clasping his hands loosely together between his knees before starting over. “Didn’t I just finish telling you multiple times that I am interested in you?” I ‘need to be a little less direct in my words’? It sounds to me like I haven’t been direct enough.

It occurred to the senshi that the dancer might have taken the terms ‘interest’ and ‘attraction’ to have been interchangeable in the context of their discussion. However it would have been difficult to clarify the difference without implying something else entirely. He had already said he wasn’t attracted to Rowan’s looks, but if he said he wasn’t attracted to Rowan for his looks, that would have implied he was attracted to the Cameron boy for some other reason. And he couldn’t deny being attracted to the young man at all because...frankly, he wasn’t certain that was true.

His body’s reaction was indication enough that he wasn’t fully understanding what was going on here and it irked him to no end. He suspected it may have had something to do with the way the conversation had been going so far and how the tall performer had demonstrated a certain degree of wit, especially through his teasing. Sinope had no doubt that teasing was all it’d been, too, which was what perturbed him most about becoming aroused. He knew he had been toyed with; knew that the other teen likely had no sexual thoughts toward him whatsoever, and yet he still didn’t have complete control over his physical reactions. Thus, he opted to keep his mouth shut and and trust that Rowan would work through Sinope’s reasoning until he arrived at an understanding. But if not - if he got bored and simply decided to conclude that the redhead was speaking nonsense so he could leave it at that - then the senshi would respect his wishes and pester him no longer.

This boy is far too easy. Rowan mused to himself as he reached over to grab his second shoe. The leather, soft and supple beneath his fingers, bent easily to fit around his foot. With quick work the laces were done up and the danseur was, in all intents and purposes, finished with preparing for his journey home. “You are beating around a bush.” Rowan commented. “This whole conversation had been nothing more than non-sense, amusing yes, but I can’t say I’ve gleaned much for your purpose here.”

Dropping his foot to the ground, Rowan stood up and smoothed out his shirt of any tell-tale wrinkles. “And I do believe I warned you that there was not an infinite amount of time for chatter.” Leaning over he zipped up his bag quick a quick tug. “So, frankly, I have no time to teach you anything new. Not tonight, anyway, as I’ve got plans.”

Hefting the bag by the two short handles so as not possibly wrinkle his shirt at the shoulder, Rowan turned to Sinope. “As much of a surprise as this was, meeting you, it certainly has been...entertaining.” A smile danced its way across his face at the remark. The whole confrontation had been the highlight of his evening thus far. It wasn’t often he got the chance to make another boy blush and act bashful, not in his line of work. Many were well aware of themselves and their bodies and being naked around each other was a fairly normal practice. This Sinope, had been a breath of fresh air. Funny how people can be so uncomfortable with another person’s nakedness.

Walking towards the exit door, Rowan paused a moment to give the room a quick glance over to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. Custodians would be around later to clean and turn off any remaining lights so that wasn’t a duty that fell upon the teen. His eyes stopped their roving of the room when they passed to Sinope again, still sitting in his chair in his desire to hide what Rowan saw as normal, male behavior. “I am going to assume you don’t need assistance getting out of here considering your arrival. So, I wish you a good night and, uh, perhaps a night off from stalking me is in order, hm?” Chuckling Rowan turned and pushed the door to the dressing room open.

Sinope threw up his arms with a sound of vexation as the dancer insisted he was still beating around the bush. How much more direct does he want me to be before he’ll believe me?! he wondered, throwing himself back onto the soft support of the plush chair once more. Maybe he ignored my question because he didn’t want to answer. But he could have at least had the decency to tell me he didn’t want to answer it, then, or that it was none of my business. I refuse to believe he’s actually this obtuse. Hazel eyes widened. Unless this b*****d does know what I want and is just pretending not to for the sole purpose of getting under my skin…

It didn’t seem to matter now, though. As Rowan had stated, their time was up, and as Sinope had dropped in unexpectedly, there was no doubt the wealthier young man had other places to be and other things planned to do with his time. I’ll get more out of him next time, the senshi decided determinedly. Even if I have use my magic to do it.

“Happy I could provide entertainment,” the senshi answered, his smile wry as he raised a hand, not bothering to get up. He wasn’t about to follow Rowan out the door like some lovesick puppy, especially because he didn’t intend to leave through that exit himself. The mention of ‘not tonight’ whetted his curiosity. Did that mean the dancer wouldn’t have minded if he visited another time? The smile the Cameron boy bestowed upon him wiped his own off his face and Sinope averted his gaze, his complexion reddening worse than ever.

“Don’t worry,” he grumbled peevishly, his warmer-than-usual cheek supported by his palm as he lounged, staring vacantly off to one side. “I think I’ve seen enough of you tonight to last me a while.”

Kolina