#icanswer;

[xtwin]

Do it.

i f  y o u ’ r e  b r a v e  e n o u g h,  s e n d  m e  ” d o  i t. “29. my muse interrupts whatever yours is doing to sit on your muse’s lap

[ entirely tired after another rehearsal, richard finds himself at home with no further experiencing the outside world; his little kingdom awaits, more than ready to greet him, and that’s exactly why he leaves earlier, almost rushing back to where he belongs. the hot bath is in order, spreading a delightful scent of oils across the bathroom, and the storyteller jumps out of the limits the clothes are setting; under the soft, white foam he finds peace after a long day of work. one he craves desperately, sinking into the warmth it offers. one that creates a blissful smile on his flushed face. dear god, if eternity could be spent like this, he would volunteer. ][ but water gets cold, and foam disappears; it’s the moment when he is supposed to finish washing his hair and leave the tub, not to turn into an icicle. it happens with a loud yawn, and soon richie grabs his favourite, mellow towel, drying himself off. a grey bathrobe replaces both clothes and pajamas (just because these got lost in action, and the exhausted actor would have to search for another pair in depths of his wardrobe). after tangling the belt he is ready to leave, silently begging for cereals with milk as a supper. the wish leads to the livingroom first. ]   [ sebastian is there. focused on whatever occupies his attention, not expecting the thoughts that suddenly claw at richie’s mind; the smile widens as he sneaks upon the other man and ever so casually takes a seat on the tiger’s lap, squirming in a way reminding of correcting uncomfortable pillows. after the relaxation given by the bath, he is but too lazy to reach the kitchen at once. lingering here sounds like a marvelous option, when the heavy head rests against the familiar shoulder of the sniper. no. not the sniper. sebastian. ]             ❝—hmm… evening, sebby.❞[ he mumbles, filling the tired voice with an audible sting of sweetness. ]            ❝—i’m, uhm… you said i don’t bother you, and you’re a good— good chair.❞[ the amazing compliment is meant to convince the other that having the storyteller on his knees is exactly what he wants; then again - richie giggles at how it sounds, fiddling with the fluffy belt of his favourite bathrobe, while the stare moves to the tv screen. ]

[xtwin]

Do it.

i f  y o u ’ r e  b r a v e  e n o u g h,  s e n d  m e  ” d o  i t. “1. my muse gives yours a strip tease

[ too much alcohol, yet again - the taste is delicious enough to keep richard’s mind away from a potential no more. he doesn’t even remember when the drinking session with sebastian started, but the dim memory makes him grateful for the reactions occuring in his still swaying body; it’s warm and nice, making the storyteller smile at every possible detail of life he can spot around, when the world is spinning so fast. breathing reminds him of sweet salvation, one he is eager to accept, while thinking remains a higher mystery. no, the poor little thing is unable to go that far. reaching for another bottle, he opens it with clumsy movements and immediately greets his throat with fresh dose of liquid happiness, purring. it’s his newly discovered, favourite sound; no wonder why he does that statistically two times per minute. ][ and then it happens. one of the most terrible ideas strike the leftovers of consciousness, encouraging richard to stand up from the safe couch and stumble down the corridor. jim is here, somewhere, probably working like he’s used to do most of the time (at least in the actor’s opinion), so this is the only chance to lead the older twin to the relaxation. richie feels like a hero, as his shoulder lands against the stable surface of the door and pushes it open, inviting him to a whole another world. neat, alcohol-free one. the utter need to change that burns through his veins like fire. ]            ❝—surps— surprise, jimmy! i’ve go-ot… a surprise for you.❞[ the exclamation is louder than it should have been, while, god knows where from, richard finds a remote in his hand and clicks a green button, allowing a rather slow song to escape from the nearest player. oh, that’s good. exactly how he wants it to be. with the widening smile he steps forward, careful enough to find himself in the consulting criminal’s sight, and presses hands to his slightly wrinkled shirt, playing with it for a longer moment. like a cat. seductively, as much as he is able to in a state like this. and then the material reveal skin. richie’s chest is free, when the prison of top clothes fall to the ground, and the attention slides furhter down, right to the edge of his trousers. even the hips never stop moving, as he wants the show to be good. ]

[xtwin]

"Do it."

i f  y o u ’ r e  b r a v e  e n o u g h,  s e n d  m e  ” d o  i t. “9. my muse interrupts your wedding vows

[ to his own surprise, the world still exists. sometimes richie liked to think that if anything wanted to part them, the entire reality would break into pieces and leave nothing behind; not even a single trace of what has once ruled over the life and death. the sun and moon. but the day comes, and he is not ready. the fake smile of non-existing happiness embellishes his face, when the small number of invited guests attend for a chit-chat. it may be another disguise, another lie tangled in the web of lost truth, but that’s something the storyteller doesn’t know. can’t know. jim doesn’t speak to him so often anymore, trapped in the completely new chapter of life; one richie is not allowed to share with him. the era of two twins reaches its end, while the hands that shake under the weight of struggling emotions can do nothing to stop it. ][ maybe it will make jim happy. satisfied with what the world has to offer. probably for the first time wearing such a neat suit, richard observes his beloved brother as he sinks into whatever awaits with an unconstrained smile spread across his beautiful lips. the consulting criminal’s beauty is emphasized by the expensive decorations of the hall, and his chosen one’s charm as well. for the first time richard, poor little richard, believes he can find enough courage to hate. ] [ the words that lead to the beginning of the ceremony echo in his head, yet remain with no paid attention. he is lost in the abyss, in depths of his imagination, bringing back the memories of their childhood - the period of existence that belonged to them only. the adolescence. every kiss shared during the life of adults. it’s unfair. the ruthless divines of destiny push him to kneel in front of the majesty of what humans are no longer capable to define; it’s fate that interrupts in the love they used to possess. the consciousness is desperate enough to cling to the question asked by the officiant, letting the bitter hope overrule the clarity of mind. ]             ❝—jimmy, no. n-no. it’s— it’s wrong. you’ve got to stop this.                   please, you’ve got to— you’ve got to stop this.❞[ the protest is not nearly as weak as richard thought it would be. it holds power and promises, because he is the one who should be standing next to his brother. he is the one to proceed to vows, hold his twin’s hand and put a ring on his finger. james and richard, how it always should have been. ignoring the shock painted on the gathered people’s faces, family, friends, hired actors, he takes one step towards the joyful couple, knowing it’s the last chance. the last chance to fight for the dreams they once molded together. clumsy hands reach for his brother’s warmth, his love, begging to step out of the absurdity and return to where he belongs. to richie. ]

[xtwin]

"Do it."

i f  y o u ’ r e  b r a v e  e n o u g h,  s e n d  m e  ” d o  i t. “24. my muse tries to seduce yours away from their work

[ it’s been ages. ] [ when watching a silly movie in the telly becomes not enough to keep richie entertained, he sighs under his breath and raises hands, with a yawn attempting to catch the dim light. jim is busy again, deeply absorbed by the kingdom of criminal webs and problems richie would personally prefer to disappear. even one evening spent together is an option to fulfill his wishes, as in the safety of the mind he begs for his older twin’s attention. but the king has to take care of every next errand put on his never-ending list; now makes richard squirm on the couch, as the brain attempts to come up with a good idea to get his brother back. even for an hour. even for few minutes. ]            ❝—jimmy?❞[ the question is meek, stained with innocence mixed with utter love, after finding his way to the consulting criminal’s office. as expected. the sight in front of his eyes makes richard frown in disappointment, although no verbal complaint can be heard. the purpose is different. so he paces towards the chair and leans down, pressing a quick kiss to the top of man’s head in a prelude of what is about to happen, smiling sweetly;  then the storyteller a bit clumsily moves to the side, pressing his body against jim’s side as best as he can, and seeks more ardent kisses. yet this time he is focused on other areas than head - gentle pecks land on the criminal’s neck with no end. ]            ❝—jimmy, could— could you take a break? please?❞

[xtwin]

☢:

send ☢ for a desperate text

[msg;] sherlock? rb[msg;] sherlock, please, talk to me. it’s bit childish… rb[msg;] listen, i’m sorry. i really am. i didn’t… please? rb[msg;] i will never speak a word about that hat anymore. rb[msg;] could you… answer? rb[msg;] pretty please? rb

[xtwin]

"It's you and me against the world. Remember that."

[ richard looks up from the checkers board and can no longer tame the smile, which conveys happiness greater than it is supposed to. somehow the thought of them, them only, in one team is warming him up, offering comfort and invisibly patting the storyteller’s head; two sentences lock him in a whole new mood, that will last for at least a week more. because, even - or mainly - unintentionally, the consulting criminal can save him with promises of this kind. ]              ❝—why, jimmy?                  i mean, uhm… is that the effect of the movie we’ve seen on the telly? that bit emotional one? it’s very lovely though, and you’ve got my word that i remember.                    you and me.❞[ resting chin on closed hand, he allows the stare to move down, back to the board. of course he is going to lose the game soon, but under such circumstances richie couldn’t care less. he radiates with joy and playfulness, that in the end mold into hope. ]

[xtwin]

"It's you and me against the world, Richie. Remember that."

[ it feels like love. the words that embrace him with sudden happiness, the words that send waves of warmth to fill every possible corner of his body, and richard is grateful for the attention following the sentence. it may be nothing, of course it may, but for the storyteller it means more than life. ]             ❝—i know, jimmy, i really know… but sometimes the world is— kind.                   sometimes it doesn’t want to hurt.❞[ he points out with an almost sweet smile, as the stare wanders up to meet the older twin’s one. and richie loves these eyes. although it’s said they look the same, with no easily visible difference, he is able to discover so very different emotions there; different experiences, different memories, different desires, different dreams. ] 

[xtwin]

"It's you and me against the world. Remember that."

             ❝—couldn’t, uhm… couldn’t there be more?❞[ the question comes meek and almost playful, while richard knows the possible meaning may cause him trouble. jim can understand it the way he doesn’t want him to, but then again - his smile widens from reasons locked in the safety of his mind, before the storyteller steps towards his room and disappears there for a moment. few minutes, no more. the older brother could get angry with richie for leaving him like this, while it’s not the point. never is. coming back, there is something fluffy and black scooped in his arms. ]             ❝—i didn’t plan it, jim, i swear. it’s just… i found him on the street, and— and wasn’t able to leave him there anymore. just look at it! can’t it be you, me and mr. cat?❞[ a kitten. dark, purring ball that is not merciful enough to even open its eyes. ]