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Post by Hitomi Gilespi on May 20, 2010 17:53:16 GMT -5
"Damn it, Hitoshi!" Hitomi snatched the iPod by the wires and tossed it across the bed -- she hoped absently that it was still in working condition after -- then grabbed him by the arms, forcing her brother to look at her. "Will you stop being an asshole for five minutes and think about someone other than yourself?"
Her stormy gray eyes narrowed dangerously, making her look strikingly like her brother. "If you actually give half a damn about Alex, you're going to sit there quietly and listen to me. If you can't even do that much for Alex, then you don't deserve him."
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on May 20, 2010 18:17:20 GMT -5
Hitoshi paled slightly as his sister tossed his iPod over the bed, wincing as it clattered against the floor. "Hey, what are you--" he started, cut off by his sister.
Hitoshi stared at his sister, stricken. "Fine," he said. "Say what you have to say. I'm listening."
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Post by Hitomi Gilespi on May 21, 2010 0:13:58 GMT -5
Hitomi sat back on her heels. "I'm going to need you to be quiet and not speak unless I ask you a direct question, understand? I need you to hear what I'm saying."
She took a deep breath, running one hand through her long hair. This was going to be difficult, but she had to get through to him. "First of all, I need you to think about why Alex might have left you--don't say anything yet." Hitomi gave him a warning glare. "Just think. He told me that he needed think, that...that people don't stay with one person forever."
Hitomi held her brother's hands between hers, looking at him imploringly. "Hitoshi, I think he's scared. There's all of this prophecy business, and most people don't end up with the first person they've ever dated. I think maybe he broke up with you because he's afraid, and he's never been with anyone else before.
"And I don't think he really knew how strongly you felt about him..." She continued, nearly blubbering. "He doesn't know how much of a difference he's made for you, and Hitoshi, you blow hot and cold...and...and..." Hitomi bit her lip, sniffling just a bit.
"I'm betting you never even told him you love him or anything--" Her brother bristled slightly at that, and Hitomi squeezed his hands until it hurt her. "Hitoshi, if you really care about him you're going to have to do something. I saw him earlier today with that Blaise kid that just transferred in--"
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on May 21, 2010 0:23:56 GMT -5
"With?" he sputtered. Hitoshi wrested his hands out of his sisters', fisting them into his sheets. "What do you mean with? He was-- Was he--" Hitoshi snarled and looked away from his sister.
He remembered Blaise. He was athletic, blond, and Hitoshi got the distinct impression he would chase after anything with the pulse. The last place he had any right to be was around Alex.
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Post by Hitomi Gilespi on May 21, 2010 0:31:59 GMT -5
Hitomi had obviously struck a nerve with the last bit, and she hung onto it for dear life. She was going to make a point, damn it.
Hitomi made a dismissive gesture. "It's not like Blaise would actually be seriously interested in Alex, anyway," she continued. "It's not like Alex is all that attractive or anything." Hitomi winced inwardly at her own words; she knew exactly how sensitive Alex could be about his looks, but so did her brother. "He'd probably just lead Alex on for a little while and then drop him. I don't think he has the attention span for one person, anyway."
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on May 21, 2010 0:35:40 GMT -5
"Like hell he will," Hitoshi seethed. He didn't want that creep anywhere near Alex, but if Alex was interested in him, he damn well wasn't going to let the bastard hurt him.
Hitoshi glared up at his sister. "I think you've said enough. Get out."
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Post by Hitomi Gilespi on May 21, 2010 0:38:49 GMT -5
"Hitoshi, wait--" Hitomi reached for her brother's hand, but as his eyes fell on her, she felt suddenly as though she were falling backward. Wind whipped by her face and for a split second, the world around her was blurry.
Then, suddenly, she was outside of Hitoshi's dorm, staring at the closed door. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.
She really hoped she hadn't just made things worse.
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Post by Blaise Park on May 24, 2010 23:31:09 GMT -5
It was late Saturday evening, about an hour before curfew. The halls were mostly empty, particularly at this end of the boys dormitories. Alex's room was near the end of the hall, several rooms down from Blaise's own. The first few times he had visited Alex's room, he'd been a bit nervous of running into Alex's roommate and ex-boyfriend, but as far as Blaise could tell, Hitohi was almost never in his room. According to Alex, Hitoshi usually came back to the room right before curfew was up and left the room before Alex woke up, when he came back at all. He seemed to be spending most of his time in his uncle's room.
Blaise had yet to convince Alex to drop the Greece field trip in favor of visiting France with him over the break, and at this point he had more or less dropped it. Alex seemed rather adverse to the idea of dropping it after Hitoshi's family had paid for his room and board, and for reasons Blaise couldn't fathom he actually seemed to like the idea of visiting Greece. He also had a feeling Alex was more than a little interesting in spending time with Hitoshi again, even if he wouldn't admit it. Blaise didn't like the boy, but in spite of everything Alex did seem to still like him. Blaise wasn't blind.
They had spent most of the evening hanging out in Blaise's dorm room and watching movies, then grabbed dinner at the cafeteria. It was, all in all, a fairly quiet night; Rhys had been out of the room, which left Alex and himself all alone.
"Have you spoken much to Hitoshi recently?" he asked, glancing back over at Alex. He was still a bit shaken from his little...encounter with Alex's ex.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on May 24, 2010 23:58:13 GMT -5
Alex looked up at Blaise with a small smile. "No; why?" It was obvious to Alex that Blaise had some kind of reaction to or history with or something with Hitoshi, though either it wasn't that significant or Blaise was good at hiding it. He couldn't help but be curious.
He would very much have liked to talk to Hitoshi. They'd been friends, or at least Alex had thought they had been; he still had the bracelet someplace where it would be safe, and he missed playing chess with him or talking about math class or necromancy. Still, the more time he spent with Blaise, the less he thought about Hitoshi. Blaise was fun, he was exciting, and he was... well... incredibly attractive.
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Post by Blaise Park on May 25, 2010 0:14:16 GMT -5
Blaise shrugged one shoulder. "Just curious," he replied. Blaise leaned against the wall by Alex's door. "He'll probably come around. It's not like he would really expect the two of you to stay together for the rest of your lives or anything."
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Post by Alex Meriweather on May 25, 2010 0:31:10 GMT -5
Alex sighed. "I have no idea what he expects, but being able to stay up and read after curfew without getting conspicuously not-stared at would be great."
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Post by Blaise Park on May 25, 2010 0:45:35 GMT -5
"It's just because you were his first, and I get the impression he's not the sort to move on easily," Blaise said. "And, welll... If he's still being weird by the end of the year, you could always request a different roommate next year." He shrugged.
"Do you want me to come in for a few minutes?" he asked. "There's still a little while before curfew."
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Post by Alex Meriweather on May 25, 2010 0:48:09 GMT -5
Alex smiled. "I don't see why not."
He unlocked the door and headed inside, holding the door a little for Blaise.
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Post by Blaise Park on May 25, 2010 1:12:29 GMT -5
Blaise stepped past Alex, peering around the room. It was an interesting contrast between Hitoshi's side of the room and Alex's; even if you didn't like Hitoshi -- and Blaise wasn't sure that he did -- it was hard to deny that he was extremely interesting. Various books were scattered around the edges of the bed, most of them non-fiction. The table near Hitoshi's bed had a textbook-sized manual crammed full of post-it notes, and at first Blaise was sure it was some sort of school book, but open closer inspection, it looked like a cook book. A battered copy of The Iliad rested beside it.
Blaise once more had the fleeting thought that being a mage would be much more fullfilling than being a shapeshifter. He couldn't imagine people cowering in fear from a ferret.
The entire room smelled like cinnamon and old books, and he wasn't sure how much of the scent was Hitoshi and how much was his things. The scent was warm and comfortable, and for a moment it was easy to understand how Alex could have liked Hitoshi.
Blaise sat down on Alex's bed and slid back against the wall, his legs folded beneath him. He didn't typically come in to Alex's room, partly because he wanted to avoid causing trouble with Hitoshi, but as little as Hitoshi seemed to be in his own room, he doubted it would be a problem if Blaise spent a few minutes there.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on May 25, 2010 1:45:06 GMT -5
Alex closed the door and walked over to stand beside Blaise. His side of the room was covered in posters and pictures, with a few neatly-stacked books and pieces of folded clothing lying around.
"Is it about what you expected?" He smirked slightly.
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Post by Blaise Park on May 25, 2010 1:52:34 GMT -5
"Something like that," he said. The picture on Hitoshi's nightstand caught his eye, and Blaise shook his head slightly. "It's weird to see him as a kid. And happy, of all things. I can't believe that little toddler is, well, that." Blaise gestured vaguely toward Hitoshi's side of the room.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on May 25, 2010 2:08:48 GMT -5
"It's not weird once you get to know him," Alex said softly, sitting on the bed in front of Blaise. "But did you come in to discuss Hitoshi, or is there something else you wanted?"
He wasn't entirely sure what to do.
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Post by Blaise Park on May 25, 2010 2:22:32 GMT -5
"Mm. Not unless you want to." Blaise wrapped his arms around Alex's waist and pulled the other boy closer to him, resting his chin on Alex's shoulder. There was something fond and almost wistful in Alex's voice when he talked about Hitoshi, and while it was somewhat interesting to hear Alex talk about someone like that, it probably did sound a little strange. He probably should have been jealous, given.
"I could think of a few things we could do, but I don't think you would approve," he said lazily, nuzzling Alex.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on May 25, 2010 2:42:18 GMT -5
"Ah," Alex began to reply, blushing. "Hi."
He sat still, not sure whether he should move, or return the nuzzling, or... whether he was even comfortable with this. Talking was one thing, but flirting with Blaise was like playing a very strange and extended game of chicken. Still...
"Mm, you think about a lot of things... I don't think 'approve' or not is the right way to put it."
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Post by Blaise Park on May 25, 2010 3:22:26 GMT -5
Blaise snorted, but he seemed to notice Alex's discomfort and eased off just a bit. It was likely because Blaise's average relationship lasted about a month and he rarely went very long without a significant other, but he tended to take personal boundaries for granted. Of course, it might have also had something to do with the fact that he didn't pay attention to the personal boundaries of people he wasn't dating -- Alex and Rhys could both attest to that. He got the impression that Hitoshi was much more stand-offish in their relationship. He was a bit curious, but he didn't want to be too nosy.
"I can't believe anyone would read The Iliad for fun," Blaise murmured, sliding the book off of the nightstand. The cover was worn and soft, but as battered as it looked, it felt sturdy. He wondered if it was enchanted for that, or if Hitoshi was just that careful with his books. He started to flip the book open to bookmark.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on May 25, 2010 3:38:44 GMT -5
Hitoshi headed back to his dorm with the speed of a glacier, staring at the floor most of the way. He was hardly eager to go back to his dorm room, given the circumstances, but even if his uncle didn't mind him staying in his room, Hitoshi had no intention of hiding behind his family members just because... Because what? Because he was afraid that Alex might be happy without him? Because he was afraid Alex would say something to him and he would start to unravel? Because he was a coward?
A part of him wanted to talk to Alex, even if they weren't going to be together, particularly after what Hitomi had said to him, but the thought of being anywhere in the vicinity of Alex made his stomach muscles tense and his throat tighten. He wasn't sure if he was ready to face Alex again.
Hitoshi eased the door open in front of him, his gaze sweeping up from the floor. He wasn't sure exactly what he expected to see--Alex sitting on his bed reading, or his room completely empty, or Lhachlhass devouring bits of the furniture were all reasonable expectations--but it certainly wasn't Blaise.
But there he sat in Hitoshi's room, his arms wrapped around Alex and looking at his books like he fucking belonged there.
Hitoshi stiffened in the doorway, his gaze falling imperiously on Blaise. "Get. Your hands. Off. Of my things."
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Post by Blaise Park on May 25, 2010 3:43:58 GMT -5
Blaise started slightly and dropped his arms from Alex's waist like a child caught sneaking sweets before dinner. He stared stupidly at Hitoshi for about five seconds before he realized that Hitoshi was probably talking about the book. Blaise slowly put the book back on the nightstand.
"I was just looking at it," he said smoothly. "No harm done."
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Post by Alex Meriweather on May 25, 2010 3:58:15 GMT -5
Alex jumped a little when Hitoshi came in and pulled his knees up to his chest, embarrassed. He swallowed and reminded himself that he hadn't done anything wrong, and Blaise touching Hitoshi's book shouldn't be that big a deal.
He looked up at Hitoshi, who hadn't seemed to even notice him yet. "Hey," he spoke up. "Nice to see you. How was your day?"
Seeing the boy again had steeled his conviction: he could date other people and keep Hitoshi as a friend, and all parties involved could cope. He would make certain of this.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on May 25, 2010 4:09:18 GMT -5
In the time that Blaise spent staring at him like he no longer understood English, Hitoshi managed to cross the room back to his own bed. He snatched the book the minute Blaise returned it, placing it beside him on the bed.
"You don't look with your hands," he said acidly.
Hitoshi kicked off his shoes and slid back against the wall, staring at the cover of his book. He couldn't quite bring himself to look at Alex, at least not with Blaise there.
"My day was fine," he said more softly, though he was certain it sounded forced. He wanted to ask when Blaise was planning on leaving, but he doubted that would be a good idea, and there was only about half an hour until curfew anyway. He could hopefully keep himself from killing the blond for that long.
He wanted to talk to Alex, but there was no way in hell he could seriously talk to the other boy with Blaise there.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on May 25, 2010 4:32:09 GMT -5
Alex watched Hitoshi as he moved, then looked at Blaise.
"Tonight was fun. Some other time?" He didn't really want to kick Blaise out, but it was Hitoshi's room, too- and it would be a lie to say there weren't several other reasons to start gently playing them off each other. He wanted Blaise to know he wasn't just going to drop him for Hitoshi without letting him antagonize the other boy, and let Hitoshi know Blaise might be around more often without letting him think Alex was willing to hurt him.
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