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 Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:12 pm
Ladon was at least glad that Paris could stay longer, and would stay up half the night talking or simply munching on cookies till his teeth rotted and fell out just to have him nearby. It was a blessing that the other boy got where this limited flow of conversation was leading, and took the iniative to just call his father up and tell him he was sleeping over. This in itself overjoyed the boy, who couldn't hide his smile as Paris resumed his spot on the couch. "Okay. I'll - I'll get you some PJs." He said, rising up from the couch, finishing his cookie, and walking into the bedroom with a bit more haste than he intended.
Moving into his bedroom, he rustled around his dresser until he found some sweatpants and a t-shirt he knew would fit, and set them on the bed. Ladon then inspected the bedroom a moment. He wasn't sure if Paris would want to sleep in the bed with him now that he was with someone or after how long it had been, but he moved to Billy's side of the bed and pulled out the boy's shirt from under the pillow. It still smelled like him, but it was faint now. Just barely there. He took it and shoved it into his sock drawer and then closed it. Done, he moved back out with the PJs and offered them to him. "I don't mind if you take the bed ....or sleep on the futon couch....or....um, whatever you want. It's cold here so I don't want you getting cold during the night. I'll leave the mini heater here in this room. You can adjust it if it gets too hot or something." He wasn't sure what else Paris would want or need. It was like the first time the boy stayed over but even more awkward because they had been so at ease with him staying over and now he wasn't sure. "I can lend you a blanket and a pillow too. I don't have an extra toothbrush, but the bathroom is free." Was he forgetting something? He would have suggested Paris could leave any time he wanted if he was uncomfortable, but he didn't want that option to be available to him.
He was tired, but he still wanted to talk.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:49 pm
“I don’t really mind where I sleep,” Paris said as he took the set of night clothes being offered to him. “If you want your bed, that’s fine. It’s yours, so you’d probably be more comfortable there anyway, and I can honestly sleep just about anywhere if I have to. Or I wouldn’t mind sharing so long as you don’t,” he lightly teased, flashing Ladon a tiny grin. “We’ve done it before so… no big deal to me…”
He happened to sleep much better when he had someone else close by, but after so long he didn’t want to force anything if Ladon would find it awkward or uncomfortable. Maybe when they’d first met he wouldn’t have cared about those things so much, but the situation was a little different now. They were different now, and Paris cared too much to be inconsiderate.
He got up to quickly change in the bathroom, slipping off his clothes to pull on the sweatpants and shirt Ladon had got for him. Paris went ahead and finished the process of getting ready for bed, even if he didn’t intend to go to sleep until he knew for sure that Ladon wanted to. He pulled his hair back and washed the makeup from his face, and wasn’t too concerned by not brushing his teeth for a night. He took his discarded clothes back out with him once he was done, and set them all out of the way with his purse.
Then it was back to the couch again. He observed his friend carefully, but couldn’t really tell what Ladon wanted or expected now that he’d made the decision to stay over.
“We can just go to bed if you want,” he offered. “If you’re forcing yourself to stay up for my sake, don’t worry about it. Or if you just wanted to watch movies or do something else… or talk some more,” he prodded.
Paris was still plenty curious and plenty worried about his friend, and while he was determined to make sure that Ladon was going to be okay, he didn’t want to push too much too fast and risk doing or saying or asking something wrong, especially if there were things Ladon just wasn’t prepared to discuss.
“Tonight is whatever you want. I swear I don’t mind. This is me being totally open and non-judgmental,” he said. Paris tried to make the comment sound light and innocent enough, smiling all the while, but he definitely wanted to get it across that he was also completely serious.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 4:20 pm
While Paris went to the bathroom to change, Ladon moved to the bedroom again to toss his dirty clothes in the hamper and change into his PJs - which was a blue t-shirt with a white dog floating among some clouds, a bit worn now, and some gray sweatpants. He returned and made sure all the food was put away when Paris showed up, and then set all the dirty dishes in the sink. He'd leave them like that overnight. It wasn't like he'd have much to do tomorrow anyways.
Stepping over, he sat on the couch, unsure of what to do next. It was getting late, he didn't know what to watch if they wanted to watch a movie, and didn't want Paris too tired for when he went home tomorrow. There was also a fear that if they continued, he'd wind up saying something to make Paris hate him and leave or that Ladon would loose his temper suddenly and scare Paris away. That or touch on a million subjects he was dodging.
"Maybe we should go to bed? You can...sleep in my bed if you are okay with it. Whatever you want." He wasn't sure and didn't want to force Paris to be uncomfortable. Whatever he wanted. Ladon just wanted his visit to be a happy one and to have someone in the apartment with him for once. It brought a sense of security that he hadn't had in a long time.
He rose up, and went to turn off the kitchen light, and make sure the locks were in place, and then gestured for Paris to follow. "I'll....I'll take this side." He pointed, only because it was Billy's side and he didn't want Paris to ruin it.
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 2:48 pm
Paris jumped back up off the couch to happily follow Ladon into the bedroom, trying not to smile too widely and risk looking like an idiot. He would probably rarely ever admit it out loud for fear of making Ladon feel bad or uncomfortable, but the idea of sleeping on the couch or even in the bed by himself made him feel a bit lonely and sad. He much preferred having someone to snuggle with—and if Ladon didn’t want to snuggle, at least there’d be another warm body close by. Paris liked that much better. He knew he was better off with someone else around, and he thought Ladon might be, too.
“This is the best Christmas Eve I’ve had in a long time,” he said, climbing onto the side of the bed Ladon had designated for him and making himself comfortable on his side with his head propped up on one hand. “Way better than last year.”
In fact, he did his best to forget about last year. It didn’t always work, but at least looking out for Ladon and celebrating with him hadn’t given him much of a chance to worry about it.
“Thanks for having me over,” he added. He settled down a bit more to snuggle a pillow. “Honestly, this is way better than all the stuff I used to do. Just being around one person who really cares is ten times better than being in a crowded room of people who couldn’t care less. I didn’t really get that until you and Chris.”
He got it now. He thought he understood life, friendship, and relationships a lot better than he used to. He hoped it meant he’d be a better person, and a better friend.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:42 pm
Ladon sat on his side of the bed, not going into the covers just yet. "Yeah. I'm....glad I can share it with someone. I didn't really like the idea of spending another holiday alone." Thanksgiving had been nothing more than a sad attempt at making a dinner - yet he was the only one eating. It had been a waste, and he had gotten sick of eating the small turkey he had prepared. He wound up wasting it. It was as if he was constantly reminded of a sad holiday every time he made something with the leftovers, and he felt more empty after eating than without. The idea of Christmas had left him wondering if he should make something small or not bother and pick something up, and just stay in bed eating cookies until it passed. Even the decorations bothered him when he went out on patrol, and that festive feeling turned into guilt. His mother would be alone. Who would make her dinner? Was it smart for him to have given her that present? Would it hurt her?
Reaching out, he found the small box he moved to Billy's nightstand and popped out a pill, pressing it on his tongue before taking the water bottle nearby and drinking it down. Even with Paris there, it was probably better if he had a little help. Closing the bottle, he crawled into bed, making himself comfortable.
It smelled like Billy, but if felt wrong to be on his side.
"Chris is lucky to have you. I hope he knows that. If he doesn't...and does anything bad, you can tell me." He smiled. "I'll beat him to death for you." As far as Paris knew, he was joking. Ladon wasn't. The moment Chris messed up, his starseed was his. While Paris was happy living a more stable life with Chris, he still didn't feel too thrilled sharing Paris. Paris had always been his broken friend who needed someone to lean on, to call when out late, to come into his apartment when it was too cold or rainy outside. To hang. In a sick way, he sometimes liked that Paris had an unstable life. It meant he needed him, and Ladon as happy to try and make his life better. But Paris now had someone to help him, to make him happy. He moved on. Billy had too.
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:09 pm
Paris frowned very lightly but tried not to have much of a change in facial expression aside from that as he watched Ladon swallow a pill—which he could assume the purpose of even if he couldn’t read what the bottle said. He told himself it shouldn’t be much of a surprise under the circumstances, considering how hard of a time Ladon had been having lately, and as long as the pill-taking didn’t exceed a certain level it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. It still didn’t sit well with Paris, though, and he told himself he’d just have to keep an eye on his friend to make sure nothing Ladon did ever crossed the line from “worry” and “concern” to “needing an intervention.”
He did, however, find Ladon’s comment about Chris extremely amusing, and his face broke out into another smile as he laughed humorously.
“I appreciate the thought,” he snickered, “but I have a feeling Chris could survive anything you tried to throw at him. No offense, Lady, but he is sort of a whole foot taller and probably nearly a hundred pounds heavier than you. Just because he’s a gentleman doesn’t mean he’s a wuss. He’s not always a pushover.”
Well, Chris did seem to have a few issues with naivety and trusting strangers a bit too freely, but they were working on that. It didn’t mean he was incapable of punching people in the face and laying them out flat, and Paris amused himself with the memory.
If Paris’s grin happened to turn into more of a fond smile, and if his eyes acquired something of a giddy-with-affection sheen, he didn’t notice it himself and couldn’t have controlled it if he tried.
“We’re good, though, so don’t worry about it. I’m not going to do anything stupid this time, and Chris… well, he’s the one who came to me, so I figure he and I are pretty much on the same page. I promise I’ll tell you if he’s ever mean to me, though, so you can intimidate him with your cute glare and little fists,” he teased. “Knowing him, he might actually second-guess himself and back off, though it would probably be more because he’d think it was cute and less because he was afraid, to be honest.”
He realized he was rambling and at risk of going on and on again, and while Ladon had been the one to bring it up, Paris didn’t want to talk about it too much and rub his good fortunate in, because he knew he was fortunate. Everything he had now that was good had all come to him through various strokes of luck.
“Sorry,” he said and hugged his pillow closer. “It’s still sort of new. I guess I’m not as immune to all the mushy stuff as I thought.”
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Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:10 pm
Paris got a hard shove from Ladon, but not in a way that could hurt him. "Hey! I'm tough. I could take on Chris! Give me some credit to at least give him a broken nose or something." He lifted his head to take his pillow and hit Paris over the head before returning his pillow, raising one hand to examine his fist. "My fist aren't small either." He grumbled, and then smiled. "I could take on you."
He hugged his one pillow as he pressed his face against it, watching Paris smile as he held his own pillow. "It's okay. You're not supposed to be immune to it. I'm glad you're happy. I hope everything goes well for you." He did, though he already knew he was jealous. It was nice to be the one with the boyfriend and having a single friend. It would have been nice before to double date if Paris knew Chris back when Ladon was with Billy. Now he couldn't help but feel that he was half there now. Missing a vital piece. Before Billy, he seemed fine on his own and not needing to hook up with anyone. He thought it would work after Billy left, but he felt like a part of him was gone and he had to have something to fill in that gapping spot. A someone else. The thing was, the thought of going out and attempt to find a replacement felt wrong to him. Maybe he just wasn't ready yet.
He breathed in the smell of his pillow as discreetly as he could with Paris so close by.
"Thank you for staying over. It's really nice to spend the holiday with someone." He squeezed his pillow a little more. "...and hey, now I don't have to spend so much on heating tonight." Not with Paris warming the bed.
A cold foot touched Paris' leg as Ladon teased him, aiming to shock the boy.
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Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:38 pm
“You could maybe break his nose if you got lucky,” Paris allowed, laughing and ducking away as he was whacked with the pillow, but he didn’t escape from it entirely. “But that’s if you could actually reach.”
It felt good to laugh and joke and tease, even if he was still cautious about saying something wrong or being unintentionally insensitive. Paris liked seeing Ladon be playful. He supposed that sort of teasing between friends would seem completely normal to an outsider, and he thought it should be, but after everything… he was pleased to note that things could still be normal, that sometimes they could just be two kids lying around in bed threatening one another with pillows and teasing each other about their physical capabilities.
If things could be like this all the time, Paris thought he could be very happy, even living a life that wasn’t entirely normal.
He released a squeak that turned into a laugh as Ladon’s cold foot grazed his leg, but he smiled cheekily and nudged back instead of shifting away. “I always knew you liked having me around to warm your bed,” he joked, wagging his brows suggestively. “And you always pretended to be so innocent about it. All ‘Oh, but it’s cold!’ or ‘Wherever you’re comfortable!’ but really you just wanted an excuse for some company. Well, I’m on to you now.”
Paris tone was light and playful the entire time, maybe a little low and falsely seductive at points, smiling in a way that he knew was inviting but exaggeratedly batting his eyelashes to make it clear he was only fooling around. He didn’t shift closer as he might have so many months ago, since he wasn’t even sure how much of this feigned provocativeness Ladon would even appreciate at this point in time. Paris had known better than to tease too much before; he was even more cautious about it now.
“I suppose it is always the innocent ones,” he observed. “Chris is a sweetie, too, but he’s got a bad potty mouth and a pretty active imagination when he bothers to use it, if you know what I mean.”
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 9:18 pm
"Hey! Now you're getting to the short jokes." He wanted to shove Paris off the bed, but was already starting to feel drowsy. Maybe he shouldn't have taken that sleeping pill.
Yawning, he turned to his side, looking at Paris as her laid there, but then reached to pull half the pillow over his head to cover his ear. "Aww. I don't want to hear Chris being dirty. I have to like the guy after all." Well, he had to tolerate him, and hearing about what he thought on a more intimate level was too much information for Ladon. Even though he would probably need to eventually open up about such subjects.
Letting the pillow fall back to it's proper place, he smiled, and breathed out. "Don't tease me too much or I'll tell Chris that you're trying to seduce other people." He teased, feeling a tad bit adventurous with their remarks. Maybe he was trying too hard to win Paris' favor - or maybe the meds really were kicking in.
"Thanks for coming." He exhaled. Yup. Defiantly the medication.
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Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 2:56 pm
Paris laughed and grinned and almost teased back, but he thought he’d done enough and he wasn’t of a mind to mentally scar his friend any further.
Maybe some other time.
For now he settled himself down more comfortably, resting on his side so he was still facing Ladon, partially cuddling his pillow even as he rested his head along it. “I’ll always come when you want me,” he reassured him. “All you have to do is ask.”
Hell, he’d probably even come around when Ladon didn’t want him to, though Paris liked to think he never got in the way much—certainly not now that Ladon was on his own with no more Billy standing in the way. Paris liked being there, in any case. He always had. It was easier than being at home sometimes. He liked hiding away and pretending like the rest of the world didn’t exist for a while.
Paris’s smile lingered even as he closed his eyes. He might not be as drowsy as Ladon, but he knew it wasn’t going to be hard to fall asleep tonight.
“Good night, Lady,” he said. “I’ll still be here in the morning.”
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