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 Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 9:30 pm
”You won’t break it,” said Caspian confidently. “Come on, you’re teaching me how to sail, and you’re already saying you’re going to help me cook, too. Let me teach you something in return. We don’t even have to do it in public,” he added, tilting his head as he looked at Michael, hair falling in dark strands across his forehead. “No one but me will watch, it’ll be fun.”
He beamed at him, resisting the strong urge to reach over and poke at Michael’s cheek, something that should definitely not happen while the man was driving. But he’d caught the startled laugh, and even if it was more nervous than anything else, it was something. Michael Gallo, in spite of everything, was changing, little by little, and it sent a thrill of satisfaction and pleasure through Caspian just thinking about it.
But he couldn’t get ahead of himself. Things took time. He was not going to pressure Michael or make him feel uncomfortable, not when he had finally gotten him to open up even just a little bit.
“Not Faramir, either,” said Caspian laughing, and he caught ahold of Michael’s hand mid-teasing gesture. “And maybe just a little bit too much fun with it,” he consented, but his smile was playful. It softened around the edges, and Caspian’s fingers gave Michael’s wrist a slight squeeze before he let go again, grinning over at him.
“So,” he said casually, “Are we there yet?”
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 10:17 pm
“Don’t you dare start,” he warned in exasperation at the Are we there yet? comment, nudging his leg again with the back of his fist. “We’ll get there when we get there,” he said with a shake of his head. He hadn’t pulled away when Caspian caught his hand, and even as he released it, Michael kept his arm relaxed over the armrest, although still over Caspian’s seat. Just in case he needed to hit him again. Gently of course.
Michael grimaced at the thought of trying to skateboard, already knowing that it was going to be a horrible experience. Sure, he could sail, ride a motorcycle, hang glide, all of those things… but skateboards had such tiny wheels, and Michael’s center of balance did not do well on tiny wheels. It was why he never tried to rollerblade or skate.
But he also didn’t like the idea of turning Caspian down when it was obvious he was serious about it, even offering to not be in public. That, and he looked so damn happy about it. Or something. He was happy and smiling about something, and Michael didn’t want that to change, which surprised him. Since when did he care if Caspian was happy? Recently? Soon after they met? He wasn’t sure.
“Fine,” he hissed, although he couldn’t imagine it would turn out very well. “Just… don’t be disappointed when I fail miserably,” he told him, shifting his right hand again to flick at Caspian’s leg.
As for the name… he just shook his head. “Really? No hints?” he groaned, leaning his head back against the seat as he drove. “Eldarion,” he said hopelessly, about ready to call it quits for the time being. “I’ll share something about myself for a hint, how about that?” he offered, knowing Caspian wasn’t about to budge when he was clearly enjoying himself. “You can even ask,” he added bravely, immediately wondering if he was going to regret it.
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 6:20 am
Caspian’s laughter was muffled behind a sleeve again.
“Don’t worry, I’m just messing with you,” he said, eyes twinkling. “Cassie and I used to do that to our mom on long car rides, and it drove her crazy. But I won’t do that to you, I like you too much to drive you to insanity.”
He was undeniably pleased at Michael’s acceptance, however reluctant it might have been. Caspian caught his hand once again, and the expression on his face was intent as he looked over at him, his thumb sliding to rest against Michael’s pulse point on his wrist.
“Don’t start off thinking you’ll fail, start off thinking you’ll fall but that you’ll get up again,” he said with a smile, and let go once more, after a reassuring squeeze to his hand. It was back with the physical contact, but he couldn’t quite help himself. Michael sometimes looked as though he needed someone to remind him that it was okay to do what it was that he wanted.
Caspian’s face lit up at the idea of a game, especially one that would get him to learn more about Michael. He half shifted in his seat, turning a little so that he could look at him better without straining the seat belt too much.
“Deal,” he said, sounding pleased. “Okay, your first hint is that…it’s not a human’s name. And that means one question for me,” he added happily.
Caspian considered for a moment, then said, “Favorite food?”
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 7:00 am
“I feel bad for your mother,” Michael frowned, although it was a halfhearted attempt at best. Despite himself, there was too much amusement in imagining how Caspian and his sister (who he just imagined looked like Caspian but maybe with her hair in a ponytail), would be utterly obnoxious on purpose. Michael was very glad that Caspian apparently liked him enough to not put him through that.
Once again, he didn’t pull his hand away. Part of him wondered if he was encouraging the physical contact maybe a bit too much, but Caspian never held onto his wrist or messed with his hair for long. Michael wondered if he should be concerned that he felt a strange sense of disappointment whenever Caspian did draw his hand away.
Or maybe Michael was pushing too much for it, and Caspian only felt obligated, or like he had to indulge him.
Still, his hand remained where it was against the armrest, a strange pressure in his chest lingering as he could feel Caspian’s eyes on him.
“If I start off thinking I’ll fail, then I won’t be as disappointed in myself when I do,” he said with a small snort, shaking his head at the optimism that was more familiar to him than Caspian probably realized.
“Come on,” he groaned, “That only cuts out maybe two names,” he exaggerated. He could tell that Caspian was willing to work with him if he complied to answering his questions.
“You’re going to start off with what my favorite food is?” he snorted softly. “Alright… It’ll have to be my mother’s lasagna. Not any other lasagna. Just hers. Probably because I grew up with it. Other than that… I like most kinds of seafood. I don’t like lobster, and I don’t like anything deep fried in batter. Stuff like… smoked salmon and yellowtail. I like eel probably more than I should. And for dessert… I’d pick coffee ice cream,” he said, feeling quite pleased with his thorough answer. “You going to tell me yours, or is this just for hints?” he wondered, surprisingly okay with giving up on the guessing for Caspian’s middle name if it meant just talking to Caspian about himself, which Michael realized he knew so little about.
“Samwise,” he tried, glancing over to Caspian with a raised brow.
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 5:39 pm
Don’t worry,” said Caspian, “Mom got back at us more than once. One time, she tied all my socks together and hung them from my bed because I wouldn’t clean my room when she asked.”
It took a bit of self restraint to keep his hands to himself - not because he had a terrible desire to do anything more than poke or prod, but because there was something about Michael that soothed him. The physical contact only added to that in a way that made it feel almost dangerously nice, especially for someone who had a tendency towards physical contact as it was.
I could get too used to this, Caspian thought, glancing at Michael.
“You shouldn’t be disappointed in yourself if you do fail at something like that,” he said lightly. “Failing just means we have a chance to start over again, right?”
It was something his mother had said, a philosophy that Caspian had adopted. He toyed with the sleeve of his shirt and found himself thoroughly pleased by Michael’s detailed answer, his mind already working to fit those bits and pieces of information into the proper spots for later.
“Yellowtail’s delicious,” Caspian agreed. “And my mom’s favorite dessert is coffee ice cream too, we always had a gallon or two in our freezer. I personally think Rocky Road is so much better,” he added, with a grin and a shake of his head. “Not Samwise. I like seafood a lot, especially clams or oysters, but I like fish. I like Asian food a lot, Chinese is probably my favorite, but I’ll try anything once.”
He thought for a moment, then said, “It’s not a complex name. Do you have a place you like to go when you just want to destress or get away?”
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 8:48 pm
“Oh good,” Michael agreed with a nod, “You probably deserved that. I hope it was just as complicated to get your socks untied as I imagine it was. My father does stuff like that too. He’s never yelled at us, but he’ll find ways to get us back for being brats. Like, once when Peter refused to shower, he rigged Peter’s door with a bucket of water. Peter was more pissed that his phone he was holding got ruined, I think.”
Since he wasn’t really thinking about it, Michael didn’t realize just how easy it was to talk to Caspian. Even though he tended to be obnoxious and purposefully antagonizing, Caspian also knew when to hold back and give Michael the space he needed. Space that was starting to no longer matter.
“Failing means you weren’t good enough to succeed the first time,” he said softly back, but that was the least of his concerns. He was much too curious about everything else than to worry about how he would definitely be horrible at skateboarding… and try not to think about anything else, like everything he’d already failed at in his life.
“Well, I’ll know where to find some coffee ice cream if I’m ever desperate,” he grinned even though it didn't sound as though Caspian still had coffee ice cream in the freezer, living with just his sister. “You can have your Rocky Road. I’m the same way. Trying anything once, I mean,” he explained as he thought about the next hint. A name suddenly dawned on him, but he had doubts on if his guess was correct. He supposed it could be, given the name Caspian, but...
He suddenly didn’t want to keep guessing, feeling as though finally figuring it out would stop their conversation.
“I usually go sailing, actually,” he said, glancing curiously at Caspian as if he was trying to determine whether it would be absolutely ridiculous to even suggest the name he was now thinking. Would Caspian laugh? Would it offend him? Would it be right? It had Michael hesitating longer than he cared for.
“I would spend days out on my boat if I could get away with it. I would love to leave my cell at home and just… stay out on the ocean. The beach, too. I sometimes toy with the idea of doing something crazy, like living on an island and being a hermit. To leave society and drop off the face of the world. To live on my own without having to worry about anyone or anything,” he explained, although he could tell the quality of his voice changed as he spoke. It grew sad and lonely, and that wasn’t what he’d intended.
“But,” he continued after a few moments, his voice lighter and a small smile appearing in place of the sad frown as his thoughts shifted on their own, reminding him why he couldn’t just disappear. “I’m currently attempting to be a mentor to someone who thinks they need my help. He’s stubborn and reckless and makes me worry to the point where I think I’m aging twice as fast, but he has a lot of potential, and he tries to do good, and he understands how dangerous it is, but refuses to give up. So, as long as he needs me around, I’ll stay…” Michael said, his chest feeling strangely tight as he spoke, and then glanced over at Caspian once more, his smile brighter than he could remember it being in years.
“Honestly, I think he’s mentoring me more than I’m mentoring him…”
And he hoped Caspian realized he was being sincere and not just messing with him. He knew it wasn’t really often that he was very open with his thoughts, but Caspian at least deserved to know what Michael felt about him.
“Caspian Arwen Lyons…?”
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:06 pm
He wrinkled his nose a little. “Why did Peter refuse to shower?” said Caspian with a laugh. “Though I wish I could have seen his face when that water dropped on him, that’s brilliant. It’s definitely something my mother would do.”
Caspian shook his head. “Failing means you have the strength to get up again,” he reminded Michael, a gentle smile on his face. “And we still have coffee ice cream in our freezer, I kinda got stuck on it too after my mom kept eating it.”
Michael’s voice was quiet, and while it had started off positive, it had grown quietly more somber, less relaxed, as though the answer to the question was a sadder one than he had thought. Caspian opened his mouth to say something, anything, because hearing the lonely tone in his voice made him feel unhappy in a peculiar way -
-but he did not get the chance to say anything yet. The small smile, the words, all of them seemed to ease into Caspian like warmth, spreading through him so that he wasn’t aware of anything else. There was a strange pressure in his chest, a fluttering in his stomach, and for the first time since he’d been in Michael’s presence, the pink that tinged his cheeks was visible as it spread across his face.
Michael was still driving, he reminded himself, because he had a very strong and startling urge to fling himself at the man and bury his face into his chest. Caspian’s mouth slowly shut, and for a few seconds, he looked at a loss for words.
When was the last time anyone had spoken to him in such a way? He couldn’t remember ever feeling the way he did, as though the air in the car suddenly wasn’t enough, as though his heart was beating too fast to be contained behind his ribcage. Caspian wanted - he didn’t know what he wanted, except for Michael to do exactly what he’d said: not leave.
You can’t leave now, he thought, Not when I’ve only just found you.
Caspian shifted, slowly leaned sideways across the armrest, and pressed his forehead against Michael’s shoulder, exhaling a long breath. A hand raised and curled fingers in the side of Michael’s shirt, and he knew he might be overstepping the unspoken boundaries of physical contact, but sometimes words weren’t enough.
And he also did not want Michael to see any more of the fierce blush that was on his face, not when he couldn’t control it.
“Good,” he murmured, and he was fighting the stupid smile that kept threatening his heated cheeks. “I’m glad you’re staying.”
He turned his head slightly and laughed, the sound muffled against Michael’s shirt.
“Almost,” he said. “Almost. Close, in a way.”
There was a pause, and then he said softly, “And you need me, right?”
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:18 pm
For some reason, the flushing of Caspian's face was incredibly endearing, which caused Michael to grin even wider, a small laugh escaping him. He hadn't intended on fluttering or embarrassing him, but the fact that he'd never seen Caspian react in such a way before made him feel like he was finally seeing him beyond the teasing and sarcasm, even passed the frustration he'd shown towards Michael.
As honest and sincere Caspian was about expressing himself, Michael felt as though this was proof that there were many more facets about him that Caspian only let a few people see. And Michael felt a strange warmth inside his chest knowing that he might be one of those few.
He didn't say anything about the red in Caspian's cheeks nor did he protest or pull away when he leaned over to place his forehead against his shoulder. Michael tensed slightly, but only out of instinct, and soon relaxed again. He shifted his arm that Caspian was leaning against to reach out and place his hand on Caspian's knee, giving him a few, light, hopefully comforting pats.
"Who knows why Peter does anything," he said, trying not to sound too amused on account of Caspian's blushing. He made a mental note about the ice cream, but decided he was in too good of a mood to respond in regards to his failures, knowing it would just be something negative coming from his mouth.
And you need me, right?
The question surprised him, if only because he thought the answer was obvious. But then again, Michael had said and done plenty to make Caspian question it. This was one of those rare times where he could see through the facade of complete confidence Caspian usually had built up around him.
In the end, Caspian needed just as much reassurance about certain things as Michael.
"I've never had a mentor before, so... as long as you're willing... yeah, I need you, too," he said softly, keeping his eyes on the road, but shifting a little to the right in his seat so that it was hopefully more comfortable for Caspian to lean against him.
"I don't mind," he heard suddenly coming from his own mouth, the words escaping before his brain had time to catch up and wonder if he would regret anything. "You leaning against me or being close, I mean. I don't mind. I thought I would, but... it's okay if it's you."
He thought he should mind. He should keep his distance, but it was obvious that Caspian was trying hard to give him his space, when he seemed to really just want to be close. And it was soothing, too. He could feel the heat from Caspian's face against his shoulder, and it soothed him more than he expected it would.
"Elrond," he quietly guessed, shaking his head at himself. "I'm not really good at this."
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:33 pm
It felt strange that it almost ached waiting for the answer to the question he had asked. Caspian was not a nervous person, had never struggled with frank, open-minded questions or comments or concerns or anything in the past. He was cheerfully blase about a great number of things that would have normally made someone else hesitate.
But for some reason, waiting to hear the answer to whether Michael needed him too made his chest feel oddly tight. Caspian had already come to the conclusion that they needed one another, but to hear it out loud was something else entirely.
He had a terrible need to hear a yes. And it came, a second later, like warmth that was similar to the feel of Michael’s hand as he patted his knee. The heat in Caspian’s cheeks seemed to double, and he couldn’t control that either, resolutely pressing his face more securely into Michael’s arm, as though he could somehow hide this fact.
“Good,” he mumbled. “Can’t get rid of me that easily.”
As the blush steadily began to subside - finally - Caspian was on the verge of pulling away, knowing he was probably overstepping. But Michael’s words stopped him, and for a moment, his eyes were wide and startled, before his expression softened entirely, invisible in this position to Michael. Caspian bit his lip, his fingers curling tighter in the side of Michael’s shirt.
“You can’t say that to me,” he said, fighting a smile. “Otherwise I’ll think it’s okay to stay like this.”
It was made obvious that he very much wanted to, since he had not yet pulled away, and Caspian was suddenly deluged with the memory of Michael’s arms around him in the boxcar, his hand gently smoothing through his hair.
This was dangerous. He could get too used to this, too used to the sense of comfort and warmth that Michael exuded towards him, the steadying force of his presence, the sense of soothing and familiarity.
And yet he wasn’t going to pull away. Not when Michael had expressly told him he didn’t have to.
Caspian exhaled a breath that was also a laugh.
“I like hearing you guess anyway,” he said, sounding pleased. “It’s not an Elven name.”
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 10:12 pm
There was a part of Michael that wished they were having this conversation while he wasn’t driving, since he couldn’t give his full attention to both Caspian and the road, but there was another part that was glad that they were doing this now.
He wasn’t sure how to describe how he felt about everything, especially in regards to Caspian and his desire to be close. Michael already knew that Caspian thrived off physical interactions, while Michael tended to remain guarded.
There was a lot of contrast between them; physically, mentally, emotionally. But there were also things that they could relate to one another, and their opposites even worked for them. Michael was hesitant where Caspian was persistent. Michael was grounded and avoided risk where Caspian was more mischievous and too trusting.
It wasn’t a friendship that Michael had ever expected, but one that he was quickly growing to depend on.
And he knew just how dangerous that was.
Michael made no comment about the increased heat he could feel from Caspian’s face through his shirt, but instead did his best to lean over the armrest so Caspian wasn’t too uncomfortable until he was ready to pull away.
“You can stay like that, but you’re going to be sore, probably,” Michael pointed out, patting Caspian’s knee once more. He could feel Caspian’s hand tightening as he held onto his shirt, and it was clear that Caspian seemed to need the contact, so Michael wasn’t about to make him move. Michael had already done enough to Caspian to upset him. Michael hoped this would be a small way to make some of that up.
“Hey, hey,” he forced a small frown, “You can’t get out of answering your own question and give me practically two hints. What about you? How do you destress?” Michael asked, knowing that he’d threatened to turn the conversation down a sadder route than he meant to, but now with Caspian being flustered, he thought it was a good distraction.
“And since you didn’t ask, I’ll make up my own. What is my favorite thing to do, other than sailing or going to the beach?” His voice was light, Caspian’s embarrassment and soft laughter easing him out of any tension that might have been lingering. “I like to read, usually. I don’t mind cooking. I like working on my bike, but there’s only so much that can be done to it. I used to play more sports, but since I started teaching, it’s been difficult to do that on top of making sure my students are prepared for their engineering competitions. I don’t actually have a teaching degree, but since Azure is a private school, they were willing to look beyond teaching certificates, especially since I only teach an elective class and my degrees are in electrical and mechanical engineering.”
He paused, glancing over the top of Caspian’s head as Caspian leaned against him. “So what about you? Other than volleyball and skateboarding and vandalism and getting arrested for shooting men in Reno?”
Another pause, and then curiously he asked, “Gandalf?”
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 7:15 am
He was reckless, he knew. He was mischievous, a troublemaker, that kid who was always getting into trouble in school for misbehaving or pulling pranks. Michael himself had caught Caspian tagging a wall with spray paint in their very first (civilian) meeting. He enjoyed life, and he thoroughly enjoyed taking risks and chances to get more out of life.
But Michael - Michael with his steady presence and his continued strength and his solid, soothing self that somehow, miraculously, seemed to ground Caspian, to keep him level without stifling him. It was something he had never experienced in his life - where he and Cassie continually fed off of each other’s energy, sometimes to excess, Michael was the balm to his soul that felt unbelievably natural in a way that Caspian had not thought possible.
He wanted to hold onto this feeling for as long as he could.
“Don’t care,” Caspian mumbled, in response to Michael’s comment about him getting sore. He wasn’t at the moment, and that was all that mattered, his knee tingling from where Michael had patted it. A laugh escaped him, and he gave the smallest shake of his head.
“To destress, I...go for walks, usually,” he said, after a moment. “I like being outside. I always liked camping when I was a kid, just sitting out under the sky. I like nature and rainstorms and sitting on the beach when it’s dark because you can see so much more, and the sky and the ocean just seem so endless the more you look at them.”
He shifted a little, Caspian now resting with the side of his head against Michael’s arm instead of his forehead so his voice was less muffled. “I used to just...go out whenever I got into fights with Cassie or my mom,” he said quietly. “I like places that make me feel as though I’m a part of something bigger.”
He tapped his fingers absently on his leg and could not hide the smile that spread across his face.
“What do you teach?” Caspian asked. “As for what I like to do other than spending time in Reno…” He gave a shrug of his shoulders. “There’s this guy I kind of hang around who scowls too much sometimes but who I like anyway because he looks out for me, so I like spending time with him even if he probably thinks I’m annoying.”
He tilted his head up to look at Michael, cheeks still a little pink, but he was fighting a smile, biting his lip before looking away again.
“I like movies. And one day I’ll learn to make a mean batch of cookies. Gandalf is a little colder than before, by the way,” he added, clearly enjoying the game.
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 7:26 am
Michael glanced over the top of Caspian’s head as he told him what he liked to do to destress, frowning a little when Caspian said how he liked to go out when he got into fights, and probably needed to be alone. Michael could understand that, and didn’t think there was anything wrong with wanting to, but it did send a weird sense of concern through his stomach at the thought of Caspian being out on his own, at night, even before he was a senshi.
He wasn’t sure when it started to matter, or why he suddenly started caring more about what Caspian did, or would do, than any other person. Sure, he would worry for just about anyone wandering the streets, but it was different now that he felt responsible in a way for Caspian’s safety.
“You might actually like your homeworld more than you think you would, then,” he said softly, keeping his hand on Caspian’s knee and giving it a small squeeze of comfort. “It’ll definitely give you the feeling that you’re part of something bigger, you know,” he said softly. “Sometimes on Jupiter, the clouds break up enough so you can see the rest of the moons around it, and the space beyond that. So, unless your world is in constant clouds… well, you’ll never know until you see for yourself.”
It wasn’t as though he wanted to pressure Caspian into going, but he wanted him to at least know that maybe it was just what he was looking for. Maybe it would be someplace he could find solise.
“I’ll still go with you if you want me there,” he added, wanting Caspian to make sure he was still planning on making good on his promise.
“I teach mechanics and engineering,” he said, his voice casual. It wasn’t much for him to think into. “At least that’s the name of the class. There’s some robotics involved. Learning how engines work. Although these Azure boys probably won’t need to ever do it themselves, they will at least learn how to change the oil in a car,” he half joked with a small shake of his head.
“That guy you like to hang around sounds kind of questionable,” he continued, although his voice was carefully free of emotion. “Anyone who scowls a lot tends to dwell on all the things wrong in the world, probably because they think their experiences are somehow more important than anyone else, and it makes them lose sight of the good things around them. So, even if he thinks you’re sometimes annoying, he probably appreciates your idealism. He was probably an idealist once, too,” Michael said softly, and then forced a frown. “But he might also be a total creep, so you should be careful.”
Michael shook his head once more, completely at a loss for this middle name. “Peregrin… what the hell… I don’t think I’ll ever get it,” he grumbled, despite still being in a good mood. “And we’ll both have to learn how to make cookies, because I’m not that great a baking.”
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 7:44 am
He couldn’t see Michael’s face while leaning against him like he was, but Caspian was listening carefully to the tone of his voice. The feel of his hand on his leg was sending warmth rippling through Caspian, soothing and something else at the same time, something that Caspian couldn’t quite define and wasn’t sure if he wanted to at present. All he knew was that it felt nice sitting here, with Michael letting him stay close, with Michael slowly but surely letting up to him.
“Come with me to my homeworld,” said Caspian. “Maybe...maybe it’ll be like you said. Maybe I’ll, I dunno...find myself to be a bigger part of something, like you said. And then - “
He felt a smile tugging at his lips. “And then I want to go to Jupiter, if you’re still okay with taking me.”
Caspian was absurdly comfortable, even leaning like this. He felt warm and secure, almost sleepily content sitting with his legs curled up sideways with him and his head on Michael’s arm. The prospect of visiting his homeworld was still a little intimidating, but somehow it felt like it might be even the smallest bit easier if Michael was there too.
Somehow it wasn’t all that surprising that mechanics and engineering was what Michael taught. Caspian let out a little laugh. “You as a high school teacher,” he murmured. “I find that…very interesting.”
He couldn’t say why, exactly, but it was true. Caspian shifted slightly, listening to Michael’s quiet voice, and closed his eyes, the sound of it easing into him. He felt another smile tug at his mouth, and his fingers curled loosely in the side of Michael’s shirt, still holding on as though for reassurance, as though he’d forgotten he was even doing it in the first place.
He was hyper aware of Michael’s hand still on his leg.
“I’m careful,” said Caspian. “But he’s a good guy no matter what he says.”
His eyes opened again, and Caspian lifted his head, turning so that his chin was resting on MIchael’s arm now. His expression was a mixture of amusement and pleasure and a sleepy sort of happiness as he looked up at him, eyes half lidded.
“Very, very warm,” he said softly.
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 8:37 am
Michael could tell that Caspian was getting tired, or he was at least growing quieter. Whether it was from the sun shining in through the windshield, or just being tired from being out at night all the time, patrolling and keeping the city safe. Or maybe he was just having trouble sleeping more than he was actually telling Michael, he wasn’t sure.
“I will,” he reassured him, knowing that Caspian was already hesitant about going. “I wish I could promise you it’ll be everything you want, because it might not, but you’ll never know until you try,” he said, although he knew that was probably obvious. “And yes, you can come with me to Jupiter. It’s wet and dreary, but I’ll take you if you want to see.”
He wondered if it should bother him that he’d obviously grown fond of Caspian. He knew it was dangerous to get close to anyone, but Caspian was patient and cautious with him in a way that made it easier to open up and share pieces about himself that he didn’t think he would want to openly share with very many others.
“It wasn’t really my choice,” he admitted with a small grimace. “I was pretty much bullied into it by my grandmother. I figured it would be easier to teach than to do anything else. At least I have the summers off, and I didn’t have to do much to get hired, since my brother already went to the school, and Peter goes now. I think a large donation also helped influence them agreeing to hire me,” he said softly, a hint of shame in his voice now. “I really didn’t want to do anything…”
Again, he realized that his voice was growing a little too sad and lonely, so he cleared his throat and tried to force a small smile for Caspian’s benefit. This was what happened when he opened up about himself. There were too many things that he didn’t think he should bother sharing, because now he was sure Caspian would be concerned.
“Teaching isn’t so bad, as long as the students are actually doing their work,” he said, resisting a shrug so as not to jostle Caspian from where he rested against his shoulder. He didn’t dare mention how he was pretty sure some of the students signed up for the class not because of the subject matter, but because he was the one teaching it. Go figure.
Michael glanced down as he felt Caspian lift his head, feeling the strange tightness in his chest and twisting in his stomach from the contented look Caspian was giving him. He was quick to turn his attention back to the road.
“Caspian Meriadoc Lyons?”
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 8:55 am
Going to his homeworld had always been something of a hesitant subject for Caspian, but he thought maybe now he could stomach it. Maybe he would find it pleasant in a way he hadn’t thought, or maybe it would just be at least not nearly as overwhelming or frightening he’d believed it to be.
“I want to see Jupiter,” he said with a nod. “I want to see where the great Sessrumnir gets his start.”
He could hear the softer note to Michael’s voice, the tendency towards something quieter and softer, not quite bitter, but unhappy, even. Caspian reached down and found Michael’s wrist, giving it a little squeeze. “You’re doing good things,” he said softly as he let go. “I think teaching’s pretty cool, even if you hadn’t intended to go into it. And I think you’re probably that teacher everyone secretly admires,” he added, a teasing note in his voice.
He liked - he liked a lot - the fact that Michael was opening up to him. He liked that Michael was the one offering information, that Michael was learning, little by little, how to say what he was feeling, and that he was saying it to Caspian, of all people. It made him feel warm and pleased inside as he looked at Michael’s profile now, at the brief, fleeting moment when their eyes connected as Michael glanced down at him.
Something hot was inside of Caspian’s chest, threatening to push outwards, but he couldn’t - didn’t - understand it.
A small smile was on his face, warmly affectionate.
“Ding ding ding,” said Caspian softly. “You’ve earned yourself a prize now, Michael John Gallo.”
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