@intolerablexsacrifice continued from [x]
The moment he had caught sight of the redhead at the tavern Thomas had felt his stomach twist. The idea that James might come here, that after all that happened he might have come to Nassau was heartwarming as it was absolutely devastating. He couldn’t even tell if he wanted the man to be James, or if he would rather his lover and wife had found a peaceful life in the colonies. All he knew was, he could not leave the question of it unanswered.
He could tell, however, that the man was not particularly keen on being approached. Thomas had hoped to make this a quick venture – just a stop by to assuage his curiosity and put the terrible idea aside – but the man had been determined to make that as difficult as possible. By the time Thomas finally caught up to him, he rather felt he deserved something good to come of it – but even still, he could not decide what outcome of this could in fact be determined as a good one.
He was faced, finally, with a close examination of the man’s features. That ridiculous hair and beard aside – those mismatched green eyes could not possibly belong to any other man. He knew this face – intimately, he knew this man – and he could see in the cavernous silence between them that the other man knew him in turn.
Lips formed over a familiar name, and for one wild and impossible moment Thomas considered hauling the man by his shirt and kissing him senseless just to prove them both real to the other. He didn’t know what manner of man James had made of himself to survive here, however – and he would not shatter that reputation to ease his own heart.
“James,” Just saying his name felt like enough, and a dangerously emotional smile curved upon his lips, “I thought that might be you.”
Ocean Archive 