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Post by Alex Meriweather on Dec 24, 2009 5:16:52 GMT -5
"Hffff," Alex breathed, beet red.
He tried again: "Ah... ahm." He licked his lips and tried- successfully, to his mild surprise- to sit up. "S-supposed to-? Wh- you. You don't supposed."
There was something very significant he was protesting, he thought, but at the moment it wasn't something really important, or... well, there were other things demanding attention.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Dec 24, 2009 5:41:45 GMT -5
"Should," he corrected. "Wanted. Something--I don't know." Hitoshi leaned against the headboard of the bed, pulling his knees up against his chest. "Not...supposed. Something."
He slipped his glasses, still slightly askew, off of his face, wiping the lenses on his his shirt before putting them back on.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Dec 25, 2009 4:04:41 GMT -5
"Ah- oh." Alex turned to look at the movie, letting his heartbeat slow for a minute or so, and his mind to focus on something other than how adorable Hitoshi looked.
"That's... good," he finally replied. "I think. Did you get your answer?"
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Dec 25, 2009 4:31:55 GMT -5
Hitoshi stared forward at the screen, doing his best to not think about-- things he'd rather be doing. Which, admittedly, wasn't going all that great.
"I..." Hitoshi swallowed slightly. "Yeah. I think I did."
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Dec 25, 2009 4:34:56 GMT -5
"Ah." He scooted back towards the headboard as well, tugging his pillow out from under the covers and laying against it. He paused.
"Well, ah, that- I don't know about you, but that was more fun than wondering and worrying, huh?" Alex chuckled nervously, still looking at the screen. He grabbed the remote from the foot of the bed and turned the volume up a little.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Dec 25, 2009 4:57:29 GMT -5
Hitoshi blushed, still staring intently at the television. He really didn't care about the movie -- he hadn't been watching it enough to know what was going on -- but looking at Alex would probably make him decide to start kissing him again.
"Yeah," he agreed. "I...yeah."
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Dec 25, 2009 5:05:08 GMT -5
"You're really cute when you talk about stuff that isn't nerdy," Alex mumbled. A broad grin was growing on his face that he just could not get off. "I mean. Not that there's something wrong when you do."
"You wanna play Risk later?" He pulled one leg up and lay his head on his knee.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Dec 25, 2009 5:20:33 GMT -5
Hitoshi flushed, glancing back at the other boy. He wasn't exactly sure how to take 'cute. He presumed that, in this case, it was probably a good thing.
Hitoshi turned toward Alex at the suggestion, smirking. "I might, but you'll probably regret it."
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Dec 25, 2009 5:46:35 GMT -5
"Are you seriously saying that, without a doubt and without playing me before, you would beat me at Risk?" He smiled sweetly at Hitoshi, then paused; his eyes lit up with curiousity.
"I don't suppose you play shogi, do you?"
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Dec 25, 2009 5:53:01 GMT -5
"A bit," Hitoshi replied. "Hitomi had a period where she was obsessed with everything remotely Japanese, though I preferred Go--"
Hitoshi paused. "Are you implying that you have an actual shogi set?" he asked.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Dec 25, 2009 5:59:09 GMT -5
Alex grinned impishly. "Why, yes, I believe I am."
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Dec 25, 2009 6:06:56 GMT -5
"That settles it, then," he said. "We play shogi."
Hitoshi smirked. "And if you don't put up too much of a fight," he continued, his voice challenging, "we might be able to squeeze in a game of Risk before bed."
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Dec 25, 2009 6:15:40 GMT -5
"And if I beat you, what do I get, O Emperor?"
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Dec 25, 2009 6:20:50 GMT -5
"Is there something in particular you want?" he asked, his grin broadening. At the moment the only thing Hitoshi's brain could think to offer was another kiss--and that seemed more like a prize for himself than anything.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Dec 25, 2009 6:27:09 GMT -5
"Your sister to see you with that expression."
Alex braced himself for the reaction.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Dec 25, 2009 6:37:12 GMT -5
"I'm not quite sure why you're so keen for that," he replied, "but it's going to take a little more than a game of shogi to get me in this sort of mood around my sister. She's not usually conducive to me enjoying myself."
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Dec 25, 2009 6:38:52 GMT -5
Alex made a disappointed little noise. "I was mostly wanting to see how you reacted, really. I don't know what I'd want from you that I don't already get."
"I guess we can just see how we do in the first game, then see what stakes seem fair, hmm?"
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Dec 25, 2009 6:51:56 GMT -5
"That sounds reasonable," Hitoshi replied.
Some part of Hitoshi was a bit worried that their attempt at board games was going to turn out very similar to their attempt at watching a movie.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Dec 29, 2009 22:59:59 GMT -5
Alex rolled his shoulders back and smiled, leaning back against the headboard.
"And I have completely lost my place in the movie..."
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jan 10, 2010 22:37:02 GMT -5
===
Thanksgiving Day passed uneventfully; there was indeed tofurkey, as well as vegan walnut stuffing, some kind of pomegranate salad, sugared cranberries, yams with butter and with marshmallows, made-from-scratch macaroni and real cheddar, some sort of fried spinach-cheese-tomato casserole thing, more cider, several types of rolls, black molasses gingerbread, peppermint semifreddo (his mother waited until after the meal to bring these out, and Alex drank two glasses after he said he was full). Given it was only the four of them this year, there were leftovers that would last well into the next week, and Alex's mother talked about sending some with them on the trip back (as well as half-a-dozen other things, most of them food).
Alex had asked Hitoshi to go see a movie with him and his friends the following Saturday, before they went back. His father drove them, and they met up at the theatre- a young woman in a heavy coat with a heap of floaty blonde hair named Katie, her eight-year-old sister, and an attractive older boy who introduced himself as Caim.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jan 11, 2010 0:06:29 GMT -5
Hitoshi trailed closely behind Alex, his hands shoved in the pockets of his windbreaker. His hand curled loosely around Alex's gift; he hadn't been able to get anything decent looking to wrap it in and didn't want to settle for something ridiculous looking like newspaper, but he had at least managed to get a small velveteen box from his aunt. He had to find the right moment to give it to him, however, and for that he needed to get Alex alone. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain the gift to Alex.
He wasn't entirely looking forward to seeing a movie with Alex's friends. No one actually knew what movie they were seeing yet, and Hitoshi wasn't very optimistic given the choices. He knew nothing about Alex's friends and hadn't the slightest idea what he might have been expected to say to them. It was easier with parents -- they were generally more predictable, and Alex wasn't quite as eager to spend time with them.
It was peculiar thinking of Alex having a life outside Dunehelden, most likely because Hitoshi's life had always been centered around it. The only family member he even had outside of it was his grandmother, and it wasn't as though she was particularly integrated with the outside world.
Hitoshi stood half-beside, half-behind Alex, waiting for some cue of what to do.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jan 11, 2010 0:52:25 GMT -5
"Hey," Alex waved, slipping his gloved hand quickly in and out of his coat. "This is Hitoshi, he's from the boarding school I'm going to."
They piled inside, and after some teasing, Alex admitted Hitoshi was his boyfriend; Katie seemed to find this the most adorable thing ever, or something, but after a couple of minutes talk moved to old friends, new schools, and Caim insisting on buying refreshments for everyone. Alex made an attempt to keep Hitoshi in the conversation, but there weren't that many opportunities. Apparently, they were seeing something called The Men Who Stare At Goats, or rather, they were going to buy tickets for The Princess and the Frog and then sneak into the former movie.
They stopped before refreshments to let Katie's little sister use the bathroom. Alex took Hitoshi aside a bit and smiled at him. "Sorry, they do this; I should probably ask if you mind."
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jan 11, 2010 2:37:50 GMT -5
Hitoshi kept toward the edge of the group, occasionally making comments when Alex addressed him directly but mostly just listening to the conversation. He felt somewhat out-of-place, and momentarily wondered if he should have gone to his grandmother's for the holiday. He felt a bit like he was getting in the way of Alex socializing with his friends.
Hitoshi leaned against one of the promotional posters, his hands still in the pockets of his jacket. "Doesn't really bother me," Hitoshi replied. He shrugged one shoulder. "I don't think this is the sort of movie an elementary school-er should be seeing, but it's not really any of my business."
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jan 11, 2010 3:14:06 GMT -5
"Probably not, but she's seen worse," Alex admitted. "All right. Call me paranoid, I just don't want you to feel left out." He gave Hitoshi a quick peck on the cheek.
They snuck in with no trouble at all, and the movie was decent; there was a nude scene the little girl had to cover her eyes for, but it seemed to be mostly a dark comedy. Katie made the occasional comment, the movie ended, and they made plans to go out to eat at some Chinese buffet.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jan 11, 2010 4:05:37 GMT -5
Hitoshi wasn't particularly impressed by the selection -- there wasn't much that was fresh, and the white rice was dry and not particularly hot -- and in the end Hitoshi settled for lo mein with beef and broccoli, and if he didn't like it he could always get fruit from the salad bar. Hitoshi went quickly through the buffet, easily managing to get back to the table first; Katie was slowed down by her sister, and Alex was busy catching up with Caim.
He slid to the far end of the booth, then moved the drinks around so that Alex's was next to him, the child's was on the far end where someone could bring a chair for her and she wouldn't cause a disruption if she had to use the bathroom again, and Caim was across from Hitoshi rather than Alex.
Satisfied, Hitoshi began picking at his food. He considered asking the waitress for chopsticks, but he decided it would be more trouble than it was worth. He glanced up, waiting for the others.
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