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Colin had finally made it home from the Royal Academy of Dance in London, his mother and sister having met and collected him from the airport upon his arrival. He'd given Björn the information too, but he had politely demurred, saying he would not come between a mother and her child...especially after such a long separation. Nothing he said could convince Björn otherwise, so Colin had swallowed his disappointment and instead offered to get together with his former boyfriend later on, after he'd had time to drown in his family's affection.

When he'd had more than enough from parent and sibling - a little over a week after his return - he sent Björn a text. Oh, he knew that the blond didn't really like doing the whole "text" thing, 'cause of his big hands and the tiny keys, but...it was an easy way for him to ping his ex - and Björn could call back if he had the time, or just type a short no if he didn't.

While waiting for Björn's reply, Colin eyed his family as they watched the flickering lights from the television screen: he didn't need to watch the footage, he had both lived it and also watched it, while receiving critique from his instructors. "Hey, you guys want something to drink?" Maybe doing something would make the wait for a reply go faster?

"Sure Collie, would you make me some coffee?"

"I'll take some cran-apple juice!" Miriam piped up, not even bothering to look at his slowly retreating back.

He checked his phone after pulling a mug and a glass out. No reply. That didn't mean Björn hadn't read it, or wasn't planning to reply - it just meant that he hadn't done so yet. Colin was nervous, it had been quite a while, after all..he'd changed some, surely Björn had too. Maybe they wouldn't even be compatible as friends, let alone anything else.

"Mom, do you want a whole new pot brewed or--"
"Just finish off what's there dear, that's fine."

Colin poured the drinks and brought them back into the living room, handing each to the appropriate person. He almost dropped Miri's juice down her front because the vibration of his phone made him jump. Mrs. Hargrove just raised an eyebrow at him, she knew that if her son was being jumpy the text was probably from Björn. She approved of Björn, he had been a good house-guest and treated her son very well - heck, he'd treated she and her daughter very kindly too.

"Are you going out, Collie? Be careful, it's gotten more dangerous since you left..."

"Mhmm." He fished his phone out, read the message quickly and then once more, smiling. "Gonna meet up with Björn. We'll be fine." Either because Björn himself was a freaking tank or because he was Sailor Aegir; he'd have to get used to carrying his transformation wand again - it had been a while.



After poking a new message to Björn, he bounced back to his old bedroom to change into jeans, a long-sleeved undershirt and a graphic t-shirt that was nerdy but almost looked cool (bonus: it was clean). A bathroom stop and his still curly hair was brushed twice, teeth brushed once and of course time was spent staring at himself critically. What would Björn think about the gauges in his ears? They weren't that big or crazy-flashy...plain black and just a little bigger than standard, mostly because Colin hadn't decided if he wanted to end up on the cover of National Geographic or anything.

[quote="Ivynian]'Code' was a good idea for texts! biggrin

After being told no less that twice to "stop pacing" by his mother, Colin had finally just settled for sitting in the kitchen and playing a game on his phone, a messenger bag on the table before him (mostly to hold the doofy wand that turned him into a pretty-pretty magical princess). Björn's knocking had Miri starting from the couch where she was still watching Colin's dance footage (while playing some game or other on her DS, she loves her brother but JEEZE his dancing could be BORING, especially when their mom insisted on watching tons of it all at once); she didn't get far though.

"I'll get it!" He grabbed his bag, just in case, and bolted to get the door; composing himself just a moment before opening it and greeting the person on the other side. "Hi! Hey Björn - wow. You look great!" Colin gave the taller man a quick once over and then did what he always did because he had zero care for personal boundaries: he launched himself at Björn and put his arms around him as much as he could, greeting his friend with an exuberant bear hug.

Being spun around like he was nothing made Colin laugh; among those of an age, only Björn had ever managed to lift him so easily. "Yeap, you can thank Mom for that. She kept sending care packages and texts to remind me to eat." At least, after the first Skype conversation they'd had and she'd gotten to see her hollow-cheeked, exhausted son "in the flesh". She'd been adamant that if Colin were going to remain, he had to both eat and get enough rest.

"Oh. Right, a coat." He looked back into the apartment, where his mother had paused the TV and both females were watching the reunion between he and Björn with interest. "Just a sec." Colin snagged one of the few coats hanging that wasn't overtly feminine or pink and slid into it before picking up his bag again and setting the strap over one shoulder. "Um, love you guys - don't wait up."

Mrs. Hargrove waved and called out in greeting to Björn, before proving that she was just as obnoxiously parental as any other mother on the planet. "You boys be careful, don't stay out too late - it's gotten so dangerous out there."

With a small roll of his eyes, Colin rejoined Björn on the stoop; he might have invited him in, but he really wanted to get out of there, fast. "We'll be fine Mom..." He looked up at his companion, smiling, "Okay, let's get out of here before she decides to give us both rape whistles and pepper-spray."

"I know you will, dear. Have fun." As the pair headed off, Colin's mother waved briefly before returning to the video - she wasn't watching just to see his arabesques, but more to see how her son had grown and changed while he'd been gone.

Colin walked companionably with Björn, the silence ,was both daunting and comforting at the same time. It had been one thing to text, write or call him...another entirely to be able to just reach out and touch the broad-shouldered man beside him. When was the last time he'd felt so fluttery inside with Björn? Thinking about it brought colour to his cheeks. 'Oh yeah...that time - NEXT TOPIC PLEASE, brain.'

To distract himself, the dancer spoke of inconsequential things mostly, his room-mates from R.A.D....how happy he was to be back, how scary it was to come home and find his kid-sister had grown breasts. It didn't take long for the one-sided conversation to die off, leaving Colin back to feeling awkward and unsure. A year really was a long time...of course Björn had changed too.

Didn't keep him from wanting to take Björn's hand and hold it as they walked.

He stuffed his hands into his coat pockets and watched the traffic signal, wondering and worrying over things he normally didn't, like personal space, his appearance...whether the guy next to him still felt anything...

"I have missed you" Björn's voice brought his head up and his attention back to the present.

"I missed you too." Understatement of the year; whenever he'd been awake enough to think about such things, he'd missed Björn terribly and even tortured himself by imagining him with all manner of people not Colin.

"A lot. Like, most of the guys were homesick...but mostly I just...missed you." He fidgeted and glanced at the light, waiting for it to change so they could keep walking on; it didn't happen. Traffic kept moving, the wake making his jacket flutter against his thighs.

Colin hadn't wanted to ask Björn either, mostly because he hadn't wanted to hear an affirmative answer...not knowing seemed easier than knowing initially. Later it was more because such things never came up - thankfully.

He would answer, when his brain wrapped around what he'd been told. Drew Collins? "Drew Collins, as in Mr. Collins-the-gym-teacher?" The red-head. With a hot body and ice-cold eyes? As in, the guy that had run the boys ragged so that they couldn't think of misbehaving?

"Do you still see him?" Colin tossed his head a bit, trying to move some errant hair from his eyes without pulling his hands from the warmth of his pockets. It didn't work; pushing back a few wayward strands, he tilted his head to look at Björn. "To answer your question, no. I'm not dating anyone. I fooled around with another dancer a couple times."

"Holly Jankowski. Didn't work - wouldn't have. But she kept coming on to me, and..." What could he do but shrug; he'd been lonely and feeling pretty low...and Holly had been extremely forward, sweet-smelling and very accommodating. He was only human.

Oh wait, he wasn't really, was he?

The polite thing to say, regarding Drew Collin's not being well, was that he was sorry to hear it. But Colin was possessive and he could be unkind enough in his own mind to think 'Good.'...and conversely kind enough to feel shame at thinking such things. In the end he reached out to touch Björn's arm and spoke honestly, "That's unfortunate..." After all, he did not know that the creepy red-headed General Obsidian moonlighted as Andrew Collins...as far as Colin was concerned, Björn's sometime lover was another human, an Earthian that deserved his protection just as much as any other.

Björn's smile was good to see, no matter how brief it's stay. Colin did so love to see him smiling. He was so...damned noble, too. Saying he was happy that Colin had found some companionship or distraction! But if the dancer couldn't be so giving in one manner, he'd always been very gracious in others; everyone had flaws and strengths that must be worked with, lived with.

"No." Time he'd already had, an entire year and then more - even the stab of jealousy he'd felt been told about Drew didn't really change anything. He had told Björn it was fine to find someone else before he'd left. Choices made a bed of consequences to lie in. There too was Holly to consider, not any relationship but the history - how could he be upset over Drew when he'd been with her?

Many thoughts all passing faster than it took him to exhale, fingers caught in Björn's sleeve to pull him near. "I've had a year to think about 'us'." Colin smiled, so he'd planned to ask if he wanted to try again, had he? It pleased the dancer greatly that he wasn't the only one thinking to reconnect as a couple.

"If you want me, I'm yours." Simply put and as blunt and honest as he ever was.

A kiss allowed and reciprocated, if nothing else. Actions did speak louder than words, and how.

Lights? What lights? What traffic, what chilly weather? Colin couldn't have given two damns how long they'd been standing there, waiting for the light to change - or how many times it had. But a hot drink did sound a good idea.

"Sure, something hot'd be nice." He raised one eyebrow at the question of what professional dancers did to relax, "Oh, we find a nice bed and crawl in." Delivered in a totally serious, deadpan manner and then ruined by the twinkle of mischief that crept into Colin's eyes.

"Depends, really. I still meditate or watch old Star Trek episodes. Sergei watched porn, Holly did yoga...Lee baked. What do you do?"