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 Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 10:18 am
“I don’t know I don’t wander, I assume so, I don’t think anywhere I’ve been hasn’t had kids SOMEWHERE close to it.” He shook his head making a face. “And no… I didn’t put a lot into the tracks other than it’s not my boots, for all I know they walked backward to be all Nancy Drew clever about it. Cops aren't gonna do ******** about it - this City's like neck-deep in costumed weirdos." Yes he might have been reading kid books now that he had reading glasses, he had a lot of interesting things to catch up on and you could get them cheap and used or from the library. “Though they just need to be in walking distance to play that old thing… The only people I’ve ever met who took the time to do that kinda stuff were dumbasses anyhow.” He shook his head and huffed. He still didn’t like the man, didn’t like that he tried to horn in. Hated that it had gotten so damn petty, but it wasn’t like that kind of behavior was new. People with perfect lives just liked to pretend they were above doing s**t like that, they never were. it was just a matter of reminding himself that things could be worse… It wasn’t worse unless it turned out to be Ilya who hurt Priam.
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 10:36 am
Ilya inhaled, held it, and then finally nodded as he released it. His eyes again found the door, and the little dog noses--two now--pressed against it. He could distantly hear Priam's voice from inside, obviously talking to the dogs to keep them just interested enough not to try and force their way outside.
"...I was thinking about getting some sort of security system." He didn't add that he'd put that on hold if only because he had also been looking at other places to live, but he'd put so much money into this already that there really wasn't any way for him to just up and leave.
...Yu didn't need to know his plans, it didn't matter. Maybe if he could catch him on camera, it would be enough of a threat to keep him from further harassment--or maybe just the threat of it would be enough to end this. Might be good for him to have proof that he wasn't leaving his house to go key a car, too.
"...Look. I'm sorry. About butting in," he said, nodding towards Priam in the house. "...It looked bad, from where I was standing. Whatever you three want to do in your private life is fine, I don't care. None of my business. I don't want to see Sterling hurt. Whether you believe it or not, I never tried to mess up your relationship with him. You give him something I couldn't. And if he's...into a nontraditional relationship...that's fine." It wasn't like it was easy for him to say; he didn't want to admit anything or apologize to Yu given how bad things had been between them.
...But if he was in the wrong, he was in the wrong. He hadn't done any of the other things Yu had accused him of, but he could take responsibility for this, at least.
"I apologize for misunderstanding the situation."
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:13 am
He started to say something at ‘looked bad’, that defensive snarl just below the surface, barely contained by the vague need to be civil for the sake of someone he cared about, but he held it back. “I don’t want sterling hurt either, I’d do a lot to keep them both safe.” He said trying to not make it come off like a warning, if it did or not he’d said it, it was words flown free. “And the… nontraditional, relationship.” He said with just a hint of sarcasm half bitten back, “Was his idea. I kinda doubt we’ll be getting security any time soon but I at least have two witnesses and a job that keeps calling me in for extra hours.” He glanced in the direction of the garden and made a small humph, he hadn’t touched it, but he thought it was still the prime suspect if Ilya hadn’t done it just to make trouble. “Sorry people were dicks to your garden, I hope it didn’t all get trashed.” It was the best he could do and it was still bitter in his mouth.
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:53 pm
Ilya was quiet and followed his gaze, glancing back at the garden. It used to be beautiful, even, with thick, well maintained grass. Now, he'd done his best to smooth it over, but there were still bald spots. He'd scattered seeds, but nothing was growing yet. It looked like parts of the yard were dying or dead, but he knew that in due time the grass would return. His garden, however, was unrevived.
He pursed his lips to try and not say something biting back; instead, he spoke calmly, but with a sadness that even his mask couldn't hide.
"It got pretty trashed. I wasn't able to save anything. Haven't really replaced anything yet, not sure I wanted to put in the effort." It wasn't just the damage to his herbs, or the little plots he'd worked on, or the threat that someone could just come back and do it again. "Winter and all, not so good for growing things. Don't think anything I'd plant now stands a chance, so. We'll see."
Maybe he'd go back to his small little set of herbs, but he was having a hard time even dragging himself to a nursery or garden center. Whatever he got, he'd dejectedly realized it wouldn't be safe outside, in the backyard he'd wanted so badly so he could give them the chance to thrive.
...But it was less dirt, he supposed.
He wasn't even happy about it.
"...You have dogs, so that has to count for some security. If something's going on, maybe a camera will catch it." He saw Priam close to the door, but it seemed just to fuss at the dogs; he had ushered them back into the kitchen with him and disappeared again, but his attention was once again on them, and their relationship. "...As long as you're all happy, I suppose that's really all that matters. I won't pry. Or come over accusing you of cheating, or try to stir trouble. In case you were worried about it. I haven't talked to Sterling since you--"
He was quiet, and then corrected, "Since someone decided to landscape my backyard for me. I figured he had his hands full with your guest."
...Guest? ...Boyfriend?
Ilya was the nontraditional sort, himself, only he was on the exact opposite end of the spectrum and wondered if he could just yell that at Yu and have him get off his case about trying to steal Sterling.
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:18 pm
He had a few thoughts on how you could start growing again despite the cold weather. But… “…Maybe a window” He offered, Though he tensed at the near return of the accusation, the need to defend himself again rising and caught before he said anything again, but the look of ‘I didn’t do it’ still lurked in his eyes. Be… bigger. That was the worst advice and the best too, he tried to undo some of the tension in his jaw before he said, very carefully, the frustration still under the words. “You… care, about Sterling too… I can... [i]see[i/] where … you’d have concerns.” He said his teeth still gritted. He caught himself starting to sink nails into his arms. He knew Priam did things like this, more to his scalp, but it didn’t mean he should trigger that reaction in him now. He made himself stop, fingers stiff.
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:52 pm
"...Thank you for clearing it up for me," he said, and though it seemed hard for him to say, he at least meant it.
A part of him still wanted to bring it up to Sterling, just to make sure he wasn't being played for a fool, but he refrained and just tried to accept this as a truth. Tried to accept that things didn't have to be all knives and daggers.
...And yet, it was so hard to let his guard down.
"...Maybe a window. That's where I had them before, when I was in an apartment."
It was strange, to feel like he had less room now than he did in a crammed little apartment. To be able to see the backyard that was his but to know it was out of reach, not safe. To know that a major reason why he bought this house was lost to him because of paranoia and grief.
"...Did you get to cook with them?" he asked, thinking it was a stupid question. "...I sent some home with Sterling before, you know."
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:01 pm
Yu Huffed folded his arms and then nodded. “Yeah… I’m not gonna waste perfectly good herbs just because I’m mad. They taste better fresh… fresh is…” He stopped himself from saying something more. Fresh is harder… rarer. He wasn’t even sure why he stopped, it wasn’t like Ilya didn’t KNOW but… He took a breath and let it out, and finally said it. “Rare.” He said at last. His shoulders rolled forward, drawing his arms inward in a small arch, a moment of insecurity. Waiting for a judgment or a new start to an argument. “So… thank you.” His jaw worked and then he added. “I have some leftover… if you want.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:28 pm
Ilya wanted to bite that he didn't want any of his poisoned food, not sure that Yu wouldn't fill it with rat poison or laxatives or some other toxic things, but he'd always considered himself at least decent at reading people and found himself lost.
Yu was defensive. He looked nervous, drawing into himself like he was waiting for some sort of attack.
He didn't look like some hooligan who vandalized his backyard, who tore up the herbs he'd just cooked with. His herbs that tasted better.
...It wasn't fair that this wasn't so simple. The evidence was there, literally leading to his doorstep, but he wasn't acting like someone who would have trashed everything.
"...I wish I'd sent over more," he said after a few seconds. "...I hadn't gotten to try a lot of them yet." He didn't want to accept the food; he could cook for himself, he didn't want Yu to think he needed it. He had to force himself to relax a little more. "...I'd like to see what you made of them, if you have extra," he said, even if it was hard.
"If not, it's no fuss. Maybe I'll go out to the store and see about starting over. Just getting a few of the basics for the window, for now."
He was reluctant to open up too much, still watching Yu like he expected some sinister grin, some mocking joke.
...It would have been so much easier to just hate him, he hated this guessing game. Hated the uncertainties.
Hated not knowing what was going on around here.
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:18 pm
“I’ll go get it, I should check on Priam too.” He said glancing away, he couldn’t bring himself to be relieved that nothing was said about how he felt about the herbs. He couldn’t bring himself to see if it had made any changes in the man's face. He just felt… lost. He felt too young and too confused where people were a dangerous battleground of hidden emotional landmines and his quickest reaction was to fight back or hide. He wanted it to go back to when this felt safe when he felt secure but now it was just ….sand under his feet, and he felt very small indeed. He wished he still felt secure in the idea that ‘not so bad’ was better than awful even as he headed into the house to collect the sort of peace offering he could manage. Better to remove at least some animosity, or subdue it if he could...because not bad, was better than awful.
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:28 pm
Ilya exhaled, taking the moment while Yu's back was turned to hunch forward a bit and exhale, like it was some great effort to keep standing up straight, to carry the burden of civility. He didn't know what this was.
Yu, not cheating on Sterling, in a threesome with the accident prone (?) doctor who he'd originally thought was Sterling's boyfriend, anyway. Yu, who still held fast to his claims of innocence, who had spoken kindly of his herbs, offering a guiltless apology for their loss, and who was getting him some leftovers.
...Which meant that either he was a very good liar, that someone else in that house was giving him unnecessary chaos, or that there was some neighborhood hooligan destroying personal property and trying to uproot their lives.
He took a few seconds to breathe, to relax, to will himself to shed the nervousness and other tangled emotions he got whenever he saw Yu, whenever he spoke to him.
Inside, Priam was humming to himself and smiled when Yu came in. "I'm almost done!" The dogs were sitting on the ground, looking up at Priam, who had obviously at some point in time dropped something on the ground because they were still licking their licks expectantly. He had two sandwiches, carefully made and stuffed full, and a small assortment of sides--grapes, and chips--and two cold glasses of lemonade. There was a sheet on the counter, ready to be laid outside, but even as he finished setting the tray he paused to read Yu's expression. "Are you all right?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:36 pm
Yu blinked as though he’d just been called back to earth, and then offered a smile that was at best forced into his eyes. “Yeah!” He assured though he sounded exhausted and he wandered closer, opening his arms. “I just…can I steal a hug?” he offered. “Imma…bring Ilya some of the leftovers with his herbs. Someone trashed his garden, There’s some weird s**t going around,” he said softly. "I...uh... explained ...us." He added. "He was worried." Keep it civil, keep it polite. Don't stand out because standing out got you knocked down. “Lunch looks amazing.” He added because it did. It was so… perfect that it almost hurt. He’d heard the sigh behind him, didn’t really want to address the garden. He knew there would be questions, there might even be accusations. But it really…hadn’t been him.
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 4:12 pm
Priam opened his arms instinctively and wrapped them around Yu, holding him tightly. He rested his chin on Yu's shoulder and let his arms wrap around his waist so he didn't have to strain his shoulder to hold him. He held him like that, snuggly and comfortably; it was loose enough that he could draw away at any point in time, and Priam didn't seem like he was going to make any effort to be the first one to draw away.
"It's not stealing a hug, it's sharing one. I'll always have one waiting for you," he said, resting his temple against Yu's.
He was sure Yu could feel the lump in his throat when he swallowed, a little nervous about 'explaining us', but it must have gone over well enough if Yu was bringing him leftovers.
"That's horrible, about his yard. I'm home almost all day, all the time. I haven't heard anything." His breath hitched, just a bit, but he nuzzled against Yu slightly. "...What was he worried about?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 4:18 pm
Yu made a small sound and a shrug, still with his arms around Priam, and just let himself breathe for a moment. “He… thought I was cheating on Sterling, they used to date so, I guess it's not unreasonable.” He murmured and tried hard not to tense as the garden came up and was put aside as well. “I … figure he didn’t get to enjoy as many of his herbs as he should have, so the best I can do is share. If I catch who did it… well. I’ll have some words for them. Are…you okay? I'm sorry I took it on myself to…tell him about us. If I overstepped… I’m sorry.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 4:27 pm
"Why?" Priam asked gently, "I'm not ashamed of us. I feel a little giddy, actually. You told someone else. So it makes it a little more real." There was a smile in his voice, even though he knew Yu couldn't see his face as he still hugged him.
"Everyone I work with has seen me naked, Yu. Really, I don't think there's much else for me to be embarrassed about anyone finding out. You and Sterling are such bright lights in my life. I'm honored and overjoyed to get to be a part of what you two have. I'm glad he was looking out for Sterling, especially if 'weird things' are happening."
He hesitated and then asked, "Are they weird things I should be worried about?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 4:30 pm
Yu shook his head dismissing it. “Naw… I don’t think so. I think it’s…kids maybe. The dogs keep barking, and Ilya mentioned finding a bag of burning dog …. stuff, on his front porch.” He sighed. “I just don’t like it, not with what happened to you. But I know I’m paranoid.” He turned to press a small kiss to Priam’s neck and made himself release, slowly. “Also… that’s all the more reason we should find you a tattoo.” He teased. “Then you’ll have something they haven’t seen. Like a new secret. We could have like… Sterling write out the word ‘Mine’ and we could get it tattooed”
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