the temperature changes
Talking to Jade is, as always, an adventure.
There are some things he can’t disguise (like the way he glances up at the idea of Mieu’s return, how his shoulders go slack with familiar jabs) – but there is a blanket annoyance Jade provokes just by talking, and that is what Luke hides behind.
He thinks Jade would make fun of him if he smiled, too.
He grumbles, ‘What do you think I want it for?’ He tries – and fails – to get the defensiveness out of his voice, tries to pretend he wasn’t imagining a giant evergreen in Guy and Natalia’s home. It’s a seed, right? A seed. ‘I was just examining it.’ Examining, that’s what he says, but he’s got no time to affect smugness and prattle back; he’s too busy wandering forward, looking at everything else, watching. Observing.
It’s a couple long minutes before he talks again, and by then, there’s a beach ball in his hands.
‘By the way,’ he says, when his hand is done with its slow trace of the writing on the side (Super Magic Ball Deluxe 5000), ‘Wasn’t it your birthday a while ago? Guy said something.’ Jade doesn’t look any older or any wiser, but – ‘Happy birthday.’ – Luke still takes extra care in tossing the ball over.
The last thing he wants is for Jade to break a hip.
Unfortunately, no kind of action would spare one from Jade’s remarks. It’s a natural talent to be able to pick up virtually anything and use it for his personal form of endearment.
Luke, as always, is a terrible liar. Jade’s face shows exactly just what he thinks about it: raised eyebrows and a mild grin. “Ah yes, examining it. Isn’t that what tourists usually do? Pick up anything they fancy so they have something to brag about when they go home.” And they don’t understand whatever they’ve gotten really means, Jade doesn’t mention, because Luke isn’t like that when he cares too much about the smallest of things.
Jade won’t mention that either, because he has a reputation to uphold.
“Guy did now?” Of course Guy would have known, did Peony tell him? He takes the ball easily with a single hand, but he takes on a face of mock disappointment regardless. “Do be gentle Luke, my frail bones cannot take too much.” He looks over the inscription – Magic Ball Deluxe 5000? Sounds childish. “Did you pick this up from somewhere? It looks store bought.” Chances are it’s something useless, and it’s not that interesting either.
But he doesn’t hide a smile of gratitude from his face.
@mesomer
