the-empires:

_{If he closed his eyes, the warmth of the hearth could be mistaken for the hint of the heat that the Kingston sun beat down on them. The air was balmy and the sound of waves crashing on the sand was always within earshot. An icing of humid wax hung to the broad, vibrantly green leaves of the flora, shushing together in a distinct sound as the pair wandered along the paths together. Being with Theodore made the heat just the more warm. The memory brought a smirk to his lips.}

_{His eyes opened and he felt confined in the dim light of the empty room. Cold rain beat against the building and he shivered momentarily. He studied Theodore, brown eyes narrowing as he watched him put his outer clothes to leave. As much as he wanted to be left alone to catch his breath, Bram did not want Theodore to leave him. But then again, he could not voice that. Did that make him weak, or was it a show of his lack of strength?}

_{He realised that now would be an appropriate time to admit his own emotions for Theodore, but he could not do that either. He wished he could. Theodore said that he was special. What part of him was so, he wondered. There were only two things that Bram had ever been told were remarkable about him: his purse and his mind. Not…him. As refreshing as it was to hear that he was more, it was terrifying.}

_{“There’s no need,” he croaked, a weak attempt to keep Theodore from doting upon him even further in fear that he might explode. “Are you leaving so soon?” The Earl asked, trying to seem nonchalant, though his protestation burned through the thin veil.}

@oceanfoamed

Lips quirked themselves into a smile, though it seemed even in this he was perhaps conflicted as only one half tilted upward. It was rare, for Theodore’s smile to become a lopsided thing – generally a sign that he wanted to smile but recognized that the timing was off just enough to restrain the brightness of it. He could tell that Bram was unbalanced as much by the honesty as by the potential for more of the same kind, and though he knew he could have delivered if prompted, a part of him was warmed by the awkward refusal. There was a humility in it that was pleasant, though he was wise not to comment on that, either. 

“I had thought you would want me to,” Theodore was no more willing to lie now than he had been moments ago. Considering the topic of their conversation and the sharp dramatics with which Bram had responded ( which were unlike him enough to hold their own power ) it had seemed to him wise to both cover for the man and to retreat from him until he determined what it was he wanted out of their friendship going forward. 

He lowered his gaze to the board thoughtfully, considering as much the game ahead as his role in it, before he glanced up and met Bram’s eyes squarely. “I’m not opposed to staying, if you desire it – but you have no obligation to allow it, either. What you choose changes nothing in the long run. We can pick up the game where we left off, whenever you feel comfortable doing so.”