Re: In-person: Damian/Burden
"Shut up," Damian said to the boy's shaky protest. It was not a harsh command, but something with bore an overindulgent, unearned fondness. As I have mentioned, in this particular moment (and several before, unfortunately), Damian was not engaging in self-reflection or the regulation and maintenance of appearances and/or emotion. It ought have been a reflexive act. It was, under normal conditions, but... well, perhaps the house could be blamed. After all, if it might have an effect on Burden, why should it not on Damian—save for the fact that he did not desire it to? Regardless, Damian was not thinking about any of this. He was providing Burden with a coverage—too, he was noticing being noticed. No, it did not particularly seem the time, and yet... "In the apricot season," was the idiomatic phrase Damian employed, assuming it had the same meaning in English, though it did not. He glanced upward and gave a brief smile as he settled back upon the seat of sand and mud.
Staring was not so rude a thing to Damian. It did not bear the connotations it did in American culture. Yet, in this instance, with Burden's eyes upon him, Damian did feel seen. He was aware he was shirtless and then he was aware that Burden was aware.—The boy peered out upon the water and Damian made himself consider the house. When he turned back to Burden, yes, he did take pale hands between his own. The boy squeezed his grip and Damian considered, jarringly, all of the sensations and emotions he was currently containing. It was very much. He nodded a terse, single nod when Burden stated that it was foggy. It was, and Damian was displeased that he could not ascertain any truth from the augury in white clapboard.
What he did not expect was to be named the source of Burden's rigors. He frowned, for he had been with the boy before, and such had not occurred. Yet he had not the time for a counterargument. Burden told Damian to kiss him. Damian felt the wind skate over his skin with detached awareness. Much more forefront was the physical reaction of his heart. Palpitations. "Oh." His gaze followed a predictable path downward. They were not so far away from one another. Burden's hands were still between Damian's. He did not release them as he dipped forward and toward Burden, to place cold lips upon colder, shuddering lips. Was it wise? He did not know.