#earthrunes

Several emotions flash across his eyes, which he turns down to the brochures. After a thinking pause he says "I'll find him before I leave for the weekend. Apologize."

She trails fingertips down his shoulders. "August...you know he cares about you, don't you?"

"He..." August shakes his head. "We don't really know each other. Here. Some dream-memories.... it's not the same."

Softly, "We didn't know each other, at first." She strokes his hair. "I think he remembers a little more than either of us did."

He lays down from his propped up pose, resting the side of his head on his stretched-out arm. "You're more my type." Softly. "Not that I would have said I had one."

"Oh, love...I'm not suggesting you become his lover. Unless, of course, that's something you'd like to try at some point. But...I just think he misses something about you. About both of us."

He flushes a bit. "I don't... I'm not gay. I could understand anyone missing something about -you-.... but me?"

A frown. "August...have you never, ever had a close male friend?" It's curiosity, not accusation.

"Tomas?"

"Mm...he was your Dreamer, love. There's something more...transactional...about that. I don't think that's what I mean."

He shakes his head.

"Then, no."

"I suspect it doesn't have to be a gay thing."

"Besides...he seems far more interested in Bachdion for those desires."

A faint frown from under her. "And you."

A slight smile. "Not for the gay desires, no."

"No."

A whisper, "You're frowning."

"Thinking." He murmurs back, and makes an obvious, if odd, effort to remove the frown.

"Mm." She kisses his shoulder again, and just watches him think, waiting for him to share.

"He's not... I think we are very different."

She smiles and rolls her eyes. "Well, YES."

"What would we have to talk about? I mean....." He stops and falls into thought again. "Oh."

She leans her head against his shoulder, listening, waiting.

He sighs heavily. "You. That's what we have... had... in common."

"Mm." A finger trails down the ridge of his nose. "Yes. That's a place to start. But I bet there's more you'll find."

He shakes his head. "Maybe? I don't understand what he's talking about most of the time, I don't drink and he's a bartender.... I don't know."

"Oh, I actually like that about pooka. The not understanding. There's so much truth in their lies."

"There weren't many pooka at the Hollows."

"So...maybe you'd like him more when you get more exposure to how he talks."

"Maybe."

"I'll... I'll try. I'll talk to him before I leave."

"Good." She shifts and mirrors his posture, lying on her side with her head resting on an extended arm, almost nose-to-nose with him. "Do you know...my love...how very amazing you are?"

He seems a bit startled. "Well. Like this? With you? It feels pretty amazing."

"Mm, it does." A smile, and she nuzzles noses with him. "But...you are so very brave. So many things you aren't sure about, but you're willing to try. Amazing."

"I want to be worthy of you." Simply.

"I'm not complaining," she says with amusement, and presses her lips to his softly.

He kisses her back, gently.

She deepens the kiss slowly, intently...and if anybody in the 'hold is waiting for them to come out of the room, they're going to have to wait a while longer....