Rupert Aveline (easterntrader) wrote in toujoursliberer, @ 2008-08-11 22:00:00 |
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Entry tags: | character_development, piper, rupert_aveline |
Takes place after this but before Lord Hurst's ball
Subject: Reunions
Who: Rupert Aveline, Nicholas Hoge aka Piper
Where: Bridge Theatre and then Rupert's townhouse
Warnings: NC-17 for lots of sappy boys and boy love*G*
Open To: nobody; CLOSED LOG
The show as over and all through it Rupert was both eager and nervous. He watched intently the whole way through and just stared at the boy so close looking to Nicholas. He'd found someone in charge or sort of named Will who with a little bit of patronage money, showed him backstage. Rupert was looking around and then, as he waited and paced on the floor, he looked up to see the dark head. He craned his neck and his eyes got wide as he walked up to the young boy still partially in costume and cleared his throat. It was now or never.
"Nicholas. Nicky is that you?"
Piper felt the presence seconds before he really saw the man by his side. He was about to turn and flash a friendly smile to him, be a good little actor and everything when both the sight of him and his words stopped him. He stared a moment, more confused than anything, and his mind raced. No, it said practically. No. It couldn't be. No one knew him, and anyone who did, wouldn't know. Except, of course, Rupert. But even so, he wouldn't be here, would he? It made perfect sense to him in his head, except his eyes told him something else entirely. His eyes told him that this was what Rupert might look like two years later from the last time he saw him. And his mind knew no matter how tanned or weathered or filled with facial hair he might be, he would know his Rupert anywhere. Carefully he licked his lips as he gathered his wits about him.
"I'm sorry, sir, I'm Piper," he said, smiling slowly. "And I don't believe there's a Nicholas here, but if that's what you like, I'm sure we could arrange something..." He trailed off, mischief in his smile now. How he remained so calm when he wanted to explode was beyond him, but he tried not to think about it. If he thought about it, he'd completely mess up and ruin his carefully crafted cover of being Piper, just Piper. In a different setting at a different time, it might not have been such a bad thing to ruin that, to throw himself at Rupert and scream that yes, it was him, but his brain and bit of reason he had wouldn't let him. It was the same part that urged discretion at him with clients on a nightly basis, and suddenly, he hated it, though he truly was thankful for it as well.
Rupert stared at him, his eyes moving over the boy in front of him. Piper he said his name was Piper. He took a few steps forward and smiled. No matter what he called himself, Rupert knew now. It was Nicholas. All grown up and taller but still his Nicholas. But did he not remember him. Was it so long ago since they'd seen each other? Or maybe there was a reason he didn't want to be recognised or didn't want to see Rupert. His heart ached but he didn't want to do anything to jeopardise what Nicholas had here.
"I... no I'm sorry. I was looking for someone specific.... but I made a mistake.... I am.... sorry."
Rupert looked around, trying to find out how to leave quickly, hating himself for the fool he must look now. He should have stayed in Marrakesh.
Piper's heart nearly stopped, and his hand reached out to catch hold of Rupert's hand. "Don't be sorry. Why not just stay instead? You've paid, I assume. Why waste the money?" It was a valid reason in his mind, and he hoped if Rupert even merely suspected he was Nicholas that it would be enough to stay. He bit his lip a little and moved closer.
"Or we can leave the theatre," he said softly, slightly suggestively. "It wouldn't take long at all to finish getting out of costume, and then we can go somewhere more private than the back rooms of a theatre." He bit his lip again, cursing the butterflies in his stomach.
He stopped as his hand was grabbed and Rupert looked up with a smile. "I did pay yes." Maybe he should. If he could get him alone, maybe he would open up. Or they could talk or something. He was almost beside himself when "Piper" bit his lip like he did. Just like Nicky, he thought to himself.
"If you do not mind, then somewhere else and more.... private would be a very good thing. I can.... wait for you to change if you wish." He would wait as long as he needed to to be able to talk to him and privacy would be far more better.
Piper nodded, clamping down on all the excess emotions that coursed through his body just then. He almost didn't know what to do other than smile at him, though his brain kicked in a second after he nodded, and he said, "It's probably more comfortable for you to wait out in the lobby. Won't be jostled by passing boys and patrons and other things." He squeezed his hand a little. "It's just that way, sir," he said, pointing out how to get back in case he felt lost or something. And it was an excuse to hold his hand for a second longer.
"I'll be out very shortly," he said, biting his lip and smiling. He was doing that a lot lately. He hadn't really done it in two years, and now he felt like he was doing it every few hours. He wanted to blame Charles because he'd started it up again by just being so wonderful, but he knew that was neither true nor fair. And Rupert? Rupert was just Rupert. And Rupert was here, and he was about to go off with him, and he didn't even know if Rupert really knew it was him or if he merely thought he looked liked him. It was almost too much for him, and Piper let go of his hand, taking a step back and slowly turning. He walked to his room as calmly as possible, even though every cell in his body said he ought to be running so he could be with him again sooner and for as long as possible.
Rupert nodded and couldn't help but melt a bit inside when Piper squeezed his hand again. The lobby was a good idea; there were a lot more people back here now and it was a bit chaotic but in a good way. "The lobby will be fine. Please take all the time you need." He smiled again and nodded and he turned away and made his way down the hall and into the lobby. Rupert found a seat and fidgeted as he sat, waiting. He told Nic- Piper to take his time but he hoped he wouldn't. If he wanted to say he merely looked like Nicholas, Rupert would play along, for now. He'd spent two years trying to process that Nicholas was gone and that he needed to move on. But now he knew he was alive and right here, and Rupert was ridiculously happy.
Piper closed the door to his room, ensured that it was bolted, and then sat heavily on his bed with a great sigh. He needed a few minutes to process everything that had transpired in the course of the last few minutes, and he wasn't sure he had that time. Rupert was waiting--Rupert was waiting--and he knew better than to keep a client waiting too long, but he couldn't just rush out there to be with him. For all his dreaming (and there had been a lot both in his waking and sleeping hours about Rupert finding him and about him coming to find Rupert), he never expected to see him again, and he honestly didn't know what to do. Of course he would go out and spend time with him because that was his job, but that was easy and obvious. What he would really do, underneath that, he didn't know. He wanted to hide under his bed and not come out for a year, and at the same time he wanted to run into the lobby and throw himself at Rupert, tell him everything that had happened, and demand he take him away to wherever he was staying and keep him there forever. Both were highly impractical, and after a few minutes, he started to take the rest of his costume off.
While he couldn't afford to be a picky dresser (he had neither the time nor the means for such things despite his love of clothes), he still took his time deciding on what to wear. He wanted to look nice, and he crinkled his nose at the few things he had that had wrinkles in them. He pulled on a pair of his nicest stockings and then his black breeches. He pulled on his nicer pair of shoes and wished he had an appropriate waistcoat to go with his clothes. He was greatful he did have a cravat and a decent red coat, and he put them on, buttoning a few buttons of the coat to compensate a bit. He then combed his hair and tucked his pocket watch safely into his pocket, pursing his lips as he sighed again. He smoothed out his front and stepped out of his room, stopping one of the boys passing by if he looked all right. He nodded, and Piper gave a quick thank you before casually making his way down the corridor and out from backstage.
He paused before reaching the lobby, smoothing himself down one last time. He took a breath, holding it for a few seconds and slowly exhaling to calm himself. This is just a client, he told himself, even though no part of him believed that for a second. Still, it did help a little, and he emerged in the lobby a moment later, looking purposefully around. Thankfully it wasn't too full, and he spotted Rupert quick enough. He crossed over to him and smiled, wondering how completely inappropriate it would be to kiss his mouth hard right there. Instead of doing that, he said, "Shall we?" and nodded toward the door.
Rupert smiled and stood up as Nicholas, or Piper ( he would have to try and remember ) came out into the lobby. He wanted so much to just take him into his arms but he didn't want to completely freak him out. Rupert walked with him to the door. "I'm ready if you are." He grinned as he gently lay a hand to the small of his back. "You look very nice." They walked outside, Rupert holding the door for him, mostly so he could keep watching the other boy.
The night was nice, not too cold at all. "Do you have someplace in mind? There is a place, up town I have, but if you have some place closer, more.... preferable, that would do me fine as well." He tried to keep his words short and sweet for fear of rambling and not stopping because his nerves were on edge.
"Thank you," he said both to the door holding and the compliment. He resisted the urge of leaning back into Rupert's touch, looking around as if considering the options. He could think of a few places they could go, but they weren't necessarily more preferable to whatever place Rupert had. That seemed far more private than any place he could immediately think of, and slowly he shook his head, turning to look up at Rupert.
"The places I can think of aren't necessarily preferable. They're more convenient than anything. But if you're not in a hurry, we can go to your place, so long as you have no problems with it and weren't suggesting it simply to suggest it," he said. And as he said it, that thought formed in his head. What if this was all just because he could and not because he wanted? And because of who wanted what? For a moment he started to doubt this was really Rupert or that if it was that he really did want him. What if this was some kind of trick? Worse, what if it was a dream? He didn't want it to be a dream, and he reached out to put his hand on Rupert's upper arm to feel if he was truly real with the pretense of being intimate.
"You're welcome." Rupert kept his hand at Piper's back as the walked down the sidewalk a bit. "I have no problem at all to going to my place. None at all. I will warn you though, I've only been back in town a few days so things are... well they're a mess," he said with a smile. He glanced at Piper as he hailed a carriage that could take them uptown to the Commander's townhouse that was effectively now Rupert's.
"I'm Rupert by the way. I have dreadful manners and don't think I introduced myself. Rupert Aveline."
And just like that some of Piper's worries disappeared. It was Rupert, and he did mean it when he said they could go to his place. For a second his mind panicked that his place was also the Avelines' house, but he waved that thought away immediately. That would be completely stupid, going there. Unless every single person there was gone, but then that left the problem of them coming back. He doubted sincerely that Rupert would take him there. Not unless he was coming to retrieve him after all these years, though he thought Rupert would have just said so if that was the case.
"A mess bothers me not," Piper said. "As long as it doesn't bother you, I can ignore it. And your manners are fine. Not everyone feels compelled to introduce themselves." He smiled. "And did you come from the country or another town?" he asked, climbing into the carriage that stopped at the curb a moment later.
Rupert smiled as the carriage stopped and they both got inside, Rupert telling him the address to the townhouse before settling in. The further away they got, the more private it seemed, the happier Rupert was. "I'm glad you don't mind the mess. I should have planned better but I'm naturally messy I'm afraid," he said laughing again. "I actually have just arrived from India. I work for the East India Company and my job has taken me there for the past few years. I go where my boss goes, and so now we're back in London, though thankfully, I get to stay."
He'd been in India, which would explain why he hadn't seen him around. Not that Piper had been looking for him, but it'd be a lie to say he hadn't occasionally stopped in the street to wonder if he'd just seen Rupert or not. One time he even followed one around for most of the day before he could catch a proper glimpse and dispel his thoughts that he was his Rupert. But here he was now, sitting in a carriage, and Piper felt like he was a child again. He turned to face him to keep himself from leaning against him and see if he smelled like he remembered, looking interested at his words.
"India? Oh how exotic! What's it like over there? And will you be staying in London for long?" He hoped so. He didn't want him to be there for only a few weeks just to leave again. He thought it might be hard enough when summer ended and he lost Charles. He didn't want to have to part from Rupert as well, especially not for a second time. "And if you don't mind me asking, what do you do in the East India Company and how did you get started?" He was curious. He was insanely curious, thanks partially to his nature and partially because he wanted to know everything that had happened since he last saw Rupert.
Rupert smiled at all his questions. He liked it and certainly didn't mind. "It is so different. Here it's all very proper and rules but there it's so open and wild. The people are wonderful and I was so lucky I got the chance to get to know the culture. It was really amazing. I've gotten a promotion of sorts so being in London works better for the job now, so for the foreseeable future, London is once again home." It seemed like old times, the two of them talking. Piper seemed so eager and interested, Rupert didn't mind, not at all.
"I started as a clerk, doing general work, keeping track of a set of ships. That led me to Fort William in Calcutta. Then I got promoted to assistant and moved to Marrakesh. That's where I stayed for the rest of my stay there. Now I'm the private assistant to the undersecretary. I'll be taking care of his business while he's away as he oversees the fleet of his ships personally."
Two emotions overcame Piper at that moment. One was pride that he probably had no business feeling for what sounded like success. The other was jealousy. He'd never get to do any of that, and he felt jealous and trapped, and that made him feel weird. However, he kept up his appearances, listening intently to him speak. Despite his jealousy, he held no ill feelings toward Rupert and still wanted to listen. He still found his voice as beautiful as ever.
"It sounds amazing! And you must be very good at what you do to earn such promotions that allow you to go to India and to come back and to have someone trust you enough to oversee his business. And overseeing a fleet of ships! I cannot even imagine keeping track of one ship, let alone an entire fleet. You must be very, very good," he said. And he meant it. He must have been. And he knew that it couldn't have happened over a long period of time, which just meant Rupert was even better than what Piper just said he was to have accomplished such things in such a short time. It was almost enough to make him feel like he hadn't done anything with his life. He didn't, though, because he knew he could have been far worse off than he was.