A Dangerous Mind

Christian!

Interrupting concentrated discussions about diplomacy and seating arrangements required therein, the abrupt cry didn't distract him so much as startle him.

Christian's heart began to race in response to the urgency of the mental tone and he shot back an answer as soon as he'd recovered from the fright. There was no answer; just a blanket block and it took him a moment or two to remember that Johnny was stressing out this morning. Something about an exam? He gave an internal shrug and dismissed the call. Panic on his lover's part most likely and then the professor's hit the timer signaling the start of the test, so he's shut down.

"You alright?" Caeline's slim fingers wrapped around his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as she made her soft enquiry.

"Yeah." Christian glanced sideways at her. "Just Johnny having a panic attack over his exams."

He looked around the room but no one seemed to have noticed their inattention. Either that, or they were being polite. He squeezed Caeline's hand in return. "What did Markham say? If they seat French and Adele Happington within twenty feet of one another, there'll be a bloodbath…"

Caeline collapsed in a cascade of squealing giggles and buried her head in the pillow -- again -- and Johnny smacked her on a denim-clad knee. "Come on, you're the one who asked! And I'm serious, what you do with your tongue is important!" (  I'm serious, what you do with your tongue is important! )

The Emperor's New Clothes

Marton trudged down the hallway with Vin, as always, three paces behind. He wasn’t actually trudging, he just felt as if he were. It had been another long, difficult day, not helped by his state of mind and he was late getting in as well. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to change into something comfortable and put his feet up in front of the vid screen for a couple of hours. He’d missed dinner as well, but there was bound to be something around worth eating.

( ''Two words, Father.'' Anna came to stand by Orlando’s side. ''’Fashion’ and ‘parade’.'' she said. ''We have the fashion,'' she swept a hand over the racks. ''the parade,'' the hand gestured to the cleared space in front of the closet door, ''and now we have the model.'' She pointed at him. )

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As Christian led the way into the Shack, Johnny thought about asking if anyone wanted something to drink, more out of habit than anything else, but they'd all just come from the overflowing cornucopia of the Carnival and if the others felt anything like he did then all they wanted to do right now was get off their feet. ( Read more... )

The shack was a blessed haven of silence, the sofa a gift of comfort and relief for legs and feet that had spent altogether too long standing today. Even Christian's hand ached from all the shaking and his face felt stretched into a permanent smile. He kicked off his shoes and wiggled his sock-clad toes, fingers tugging at the tie around his neck. His jacket was already discarded, thrown through the open bedroom door and onto the covers as he'd come in and now he was comfortable at last, he began wondering where Johnny had got to.

Johnny, who'd been on his knees in front of the open fridge cleaning something white and fuzzy out of one of the vegetable drawers, bounced to his feet and headed over to the sofa, a beer in each hand. He flopped down next to Christian, handed him one of the bottles, and said, ( ''Hey, I never knew you played the tuba!'' )

Will knocked on the Shack door like the nice, polite lad that he was. Not. Then he shoved it open and stepped inside, meeting Christian halfway down the hall on his way to answer the summons. "Evenin' pardner," Will said with a laconic nod, head down.

Christian opened his arms wide. "Pappa!" He looked Will up and down. "They fit!" He grinned, admiring the leather trousers he and Johnny had given Will for his birthday as a match for that disgusting jacket of his. "Oh boy do they fit. Come on in."

( Will followed Christian back into the living room and then twirled on the spot, giving Johnny a wink. )

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“So what’s it like?” Christian looked over at his father who was leaning on his desk reading the status report on Esea. ( Read more... )

Johnny got out of the shower, towelled off and slipped into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. It promised to be hot today -- that had been obvious even first thing in the morning when he'd snuck over to Palace Proper to swipe some muffins out of the dining room -- and he planned to shuck the shirt as soon as it got uncomfortable. Obie bounced back and forth next to him when he headed for the kitchen. He got his morning cookies after Johnny got dressed and wanted to make sure they weren't forgotten. Johnny handed him one, then followed him to his bed and dropped a handful. Happy crunching followed him back across the room, where he handed Shannon her cookie. She ate it politely and wagged her tail a couple of times, but her heart clearly wasn't in it.

( ''Sorry, love. I'm still working on that haunch of elk, okay?'' )

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Johnny waved through the window at Stan, the guy on the gate, before remembering that the glass was tinted black from the outside. He blushed and slumped down in his seat, hoping Christian hadn't noticed, but unfortunately Christian's attention had been firmly on him for the last hour. Usually he thought that was wonderful, but his lover's twinkling eyes just made him blush harder. At least Lawrence and Jet were up front with the driver, and Obie didn't care.

( Read more... )