and we are the dreamers of dreams

[vvoolgathering]

woolgathering

private multi-character blog written by mia characters

[historiies]

"good," he smiled softly, the expression a little bleary as he reluctantly fought the still-present grasp sleep had. the gnaw of anxiety and disappointment in their lack of freedom remained at the back of cyrus' mind, too. he tried not to give it the power to sully their few uninterrupted interactions too much, to remain optimistic, but it was pervasive. with remy in front of him, it was easier. he could lose himself remarkably easily in the inviting warmth of those brown eyes and so that was what he did. "i know," sympathised with a slight pout, studying the other's face as if he didn't already know every millimetre off by heart and gently spiking his hair up in between his fingers. let his hand slip to the back of remy's head as he moved, propping himself up on his elbow for a moment to squint at the clock on the mantelpiece. "i think we're safe for another hour." he nodded. "he has, and he will continue to do so. we're lucky it was him."

[vvoolgathering]

remy made a noise of protest as cyrus shifted beneath him, but just as soon hummed in response to the other's approximation. "not nearly as long as i'd like, but we'll just have to make good use of it," he observed, dragging the tip of his nose along cyrus' jaw. "god, i hope so. if anything should happen to you because of us - because of me - " he shook his head slightly: perish the thought. it was no use thinking about it, tainting their precious time together with unwelcome hypotheticals. "still, i can hardly wait for the day we will be married and share a home together and have all the time in the world. we deserve nothing less." did he have any idea how or when this dream would come to fruition? of course not, but falling in love had made him something of a relentless optimist.

[historiies]

"that's gonna put me to sleep if you carry on," mumbled, minuscule effort put into making it sound like a warning, or the world's lightest telling off. he would never usually dream of complaining about ziggy playing with his hair, but the fear of knocking out exactly where he was sprawled was very real and increasing by the second. "god, i guess they will," he laughed to himself. head lifted again, as if it was some sort of colossal effort and rhett beamed up at his genius, tolerant and miraculously strict boundary-setting husband. "as the kids say, i love that for you." also, it was extremely hot of him, so hot that it was enough to entice rhett up from his starfished position to sitting upright, legs outstretched and one hand rubbing idly at his hip. "a thousand times yes. that plan has never sounded better. so good i could kiss you, but you're very far away right now."

[vvoolgathering]

ziggy giggled, a sound that only the man hugging his leg had ever been able to get out of him. "but if you hold off, you'll get to sleep in our nice, comfy bed at home. doesn't that sound a bit nicer than kipping out on your office floor?" he watched rhett straighten up, concerned gaze catching on the way he rubbed at his hip; ziggy was always wary of signs of pain or stiffness in rhett's bad leg, but he had to keep in mind that neither of them were in their twenties anymore, either, and sometimes a stiff joint was just a stiff joint. "feeling ok, darling?" he asked softly, hand now lightly massaging his husband's shoulder. he laughed again at rhett's comment, more eager than ever to get the two of them home. "i'd come down there with you, but then we'd both fall asleep. how about i help you up, and you can kiss me then?" he proposed, standing and taking both his husband's hands in his.

[historiies]

he'd nodded even before the real question had been posed and fell silent for a long moment after to compose his response. "well, your... normal speaking register is a sort of... dark orange. very saturated. actually," a momentary pause. "your voice is like a.. a spectrum of sunset colours. your real laugh," because he'd heard enough to differentiate, "is bright yellow and sort of spiky -- staccato. but nice. warm. the rest sort of flow like silk, or running water. smooth." he made a vaguely flowing gesture with one hand. "when you speak lowly, or sort of quietly, it's more of a deep pink, almost red." he paused. "if that makes sense." teddy cleared his throat. settling back into his previous position, his eyes slipped close for only a moment before hastily reopening to intently study jules' face as he spoke. "if you were a bad person, that would not be the case," murmured softly, lips twitching into a slight smile as he leaned into the touch. "it's quite comfortable, actually," happy to grant the request, though, he moved to occupy the space next to the other, knees tucked to his chest. "better?"

[vvoolgathering]

jules leaned back against the seat, eyes closing as teddy spoke. this must have been how the other man felt when he listened to his favorite music, perfectly at peace and wanting for absolutely nothing. something like a smile twitched at his lips as teddy went on, admiring the poetic nature the man himself would deny he possessed. and the words themselves - christ, he really did think highly of jules, the first person who had ever bothered to look beyond the facade and find something that jules himself wasn't privy to. "that - " he paused, swallowed the hoarseness of his voice. "that sounds quite lovely, actually. i hope that you have - ah - enjoyed that. found comfort in it, perhaps." he watched teddy rise, naked hope on his face, but his expression fell once more as the other man curled in on himself. but what had he been expecting - teddy to cuddle with him? "yes," he said. "teddy, i never expected to - to become this attached. to fall so deeply in - " he sucked in a sharp breath in lieu of the word it seemed he could only write. "regardless of what happens, i have not regretted it for an instant, nor will i ever. i want you to know that."

[historiies]

"that's some restraint you've shown there," he pointed out, kissing the top of her head again. it wasn't as if he'd have been angry, or upset even, if she'd jumped ahead and done... well.. everything. he wanted to be as involved as he possibly could be, of course, but this experience, in all of its aspects, should be led by her. or so he believed. anything creative-wise sam would be much better off in her capable hands anyway. he grinned, shoulders shaking with subdued laughter at her unbridled and highly contagious enthusiasm. "thought you'd like that idea. do we repaint first, you think? i can't imagine a world where wes says no to doing a mural, but we could do the rest first, right?"

[vvoolgathering]

"i sure thought so," evie agreed with a grin. shopping was one of her personal favorite pastimes, but she wanted to experience absolutely every part of this experience with him. picking out clothes usually wasn't sam's cup of tea, but she had a feeling that looking at wee jumpers and tiny shoes would have him much more invested than their adult-sized counterparts. "me either - i think he'll jump at the chance." that, and wes would do absolutely anything for sam. the two had seemed to transcend friendship years ago, brothers as much as wes and jonah were. "yeah, i'm sure he'd appreciate a nice blank canvas. i think he could be trusted with full creative reign, how about you?"

[historiies]

"a holiday might not be the only thing you want," he countered, eyeing his husband with thinly-veiled playful suspicion. "i have to say, you're not doing a very good job by bringing up histrionics every chance you get." though he was self-aware enough not to try and argue the point. he was prone to dramatics and enjoyed indulging in them. such was the spice of life. laurie hummed, pausing his hair exploration to rest his hand on the back of will's neck, twisting a few curls at the nape of his neck around a finger. "mmh. same thing," reiterated with a knowing smile, though he again punctuated it with a small kiss, just to demonstrate his appreciation. "oh? i'm sure that can be arranged." stretched slightly to brush his lips across will's forehead. "i'm sorry you had a hard day, darling. i'll look after you -- and i'll even take back the nagging comment. why don't we go and sit down, order more food than we could ever possibly eat, and i'll work on the very long list of reasons i adore you."

[vvoolgathering]

"kidding, darling - i love you because of them, not in spite of them." mostly. when it came down to it, laurie was so unlike anyone will had ever met, and he had known from the start that he wanted to spend the rest of his life being pulled into the other's adventures. he let out a contented sigh as laurie kissed him, hoping there was plenty more where that came from tonight. his shoulders relaxed as laurie drew out their plans, nodding along at what - to him - sounded like a perfect evening. "yeah, let's do that."

[historiies]

being abroad and lumped in with various military branches usually meant a distinct lack of personal space. in a way, it was nice to have a whole flat completely to himself. by about three days in, though, he'd had enough -- the place needed forrest to feel right. he needed forrest there ( or anywhere, really ) to feel right. malik watched him count with a quiet laugh, dipping to rest his cheek atop his head. "that'd be good. i don't even have a desk right now. i usually just sit on the sofa, or the floor and work..." trailing off thoughtfully, he rubbed his cheek against forrest's hair. "i'm gonna take you to so many good restaurants when we get home. oh! and my amma will definitely want to cook for you. god, she's gonna love you. you better prepare yourself."

[vvoolgathering]

forrest's eyes fluttered shut with a happy hum, adoring the sensation of malik cuddling against the top of his head. "your work is so important, ali, you deserve a nice - uh, what's the word - stately place to work. an' maybe i could find a workshop to rent over there. i ever tell you i always wanted to start my own business? now seems as good a time as any to try, right?" he said softly, partly thinking aloud and partly seeking malik's blessing. "aw, man, don't make me drool," he said with a laugh. he hadn't been in much of a mood to eat since waking up in the hospital, but he had a feeling that once they reached london his ravenous appetite would return in full force. "yeah? you think she will? 'm excited to meet her." forrest had adored his mother - a mama's boy, his father had always sneered - and still felt the loss of her half a lifetime later. the idea of another maternal figure that would fill the void she'd left, if only slightly, meant the world to him.

[historiies]

he huffed a breath, turning his head and lifting an arm to rest his cheek upon it instead of the rougher carpet below. the greeting drew a smile to his lips and rhett opened one eye, to peer up at ziggy through his askew ( but thankfully not broken ) glasses. "nono, they're not..." cut himself off with a delighted sigh, eyes slipping closed once more as he tilted his head to chase the feeling of ziggy's hand in his hair. "they're great kids. prob'ly my favourite class, actually. it's just..." he laughed. "like teachin' twenty mini-mes. makes me feel very sorry for my teachers, back in the day. anyway," lifted his head slightly. "you get much done?"

[vvoolgathering]

a small part of ziggy wanted to gently suggest that his husband get up from the floor, but after having been married for two decades he knew that sometimes rhett just needed to do certain things his own way, in his own time; ziggy could only hope that he was comfortable enough in the meantime. the smile certainly helped matters, as did the gorgeous blue eyes flashing in ziggy's direction. rhett's comparison drew a laugh from him, understanding the predicament immediately. "and they'll feel sorry for you thirty years from now. it seems like a cycle." he nodded, not even sparing his laptop a glance. "a solid third of a chapter, i think. we'll see what survives revisions, but there's a particularly good bit of dialogue i really like. but we're all done with work now - let's talk about home, yeah?" if the ziggy from the early days of their marriage - that obsessive young man who typed away at his keyboard at all hours of the night - could see him now, happily confined to working during a set schedule, he might have suspected his elder self of being some sort of shape-shifting demon, and continued to ignore his husband in favor of writing a story about it. "how about takeaway from your favorite? if i order now it'll probably beat us home."

[historiies]

"now you're just being silly," which typically was one of her favourite things about him -- they could be silly together. "you are a very professional young man when you need to be," she gave a serious nod and wagged a finger at him. it was probably for the best she was distracted by the hand on her hip, one of her hands closing around his wrist. she could not abide by any self-talk that was less than complimentary. "i did like that, very much," confirmed with another laugh, her own conscious effort made to lean forward as he tilted his head to hear better. close enough to do so and rarely one to deny herself, jas shifted a tad nearer to place a kiss right by his ear and bopped round to mirror the affection on the other side. she couldn't have one side feeling left out, now. "would you like that?" silly to ask, maybe, given the ball of enthusiasm dressed as a man in front of her. "i think i'd struggle to pretend not to be very deeply and madly in love with you, but that could be fun," she grinned. "oh good. i like to make a point of it, you see. 'cause i love you. very much."

[vvoolgathering]

"i'm always being silly," wes countered in a murmur, brushing the tip of his nose against jasmine's. "part of my charm, innit." of course she'd meant it in a lighthearted way, but he still happily took it to heart. after breaking free from his and jonah's horrific childhood, he'd decided that he was through with pain and fear and would finally begin to live on his own terms, and that involved as much love and warmth and silliness as possible. he thought he'd reached that zenith before jasmine 'angel on earth' howard had entered his life, but she had easily and happily proven him quite wrong - and looked drop-dead gorgeous while doing so. "i've been known to wear a tie when the situation calls for it," he agreed with a slight nod. and sure, the tie had pac-man on it, but it had been a hit at the last video game conference he'd attended. a slight flush colored his cheeks where jasmine kissed him, as if her lips were a paintbrush and she was creating a masterpiece on the canvas of his skin. "right, yeah, i've also been considering that. we could always tweak the idea and pretend that we're spies on a mission - but spies who are in love, of course." oh, those words - they hit a hundred times better than any high or buzz ever could, and wes was in a pretty good position to make that call. "i know you do, and it's wonderful. love you, too, princess."

[historiies]

a soft and unquestionably satisfied hum escaped at the sound of remy's voice. it served as a reminder that they were together -- even if it had just been for a couple of hours, and would probably soon be ending. cyrus was dragged unwillingly to full awareness by the mention of the thing keeping them apart and sighed accordingly. smiling into the kiss and eagerly returning it, he gave the smallest of nods and opened his eyes at last. "very. did you?" one arm wrapped automatically around remy's waist, anchoring their bodies even closer to one another. laughing softly, he nodded and freed his other arm to brush fingers through remy's adorable bedhead -- decidedly not to tame it. "you might have mentioned it," mumbled sleepily, moving to trace the ridge of the other's brow. "i missed you too, so very much. i know you were not too far away, and it really wasn't that long, but it felt like an entire lifetime without you." he leant to brush his lips across remy's forehead. "how long can you stay?"

[vvoolgathering]

"better than i ever have," remy replied. even as he spoke the words he felt a painful tug in his chest, wondering when it was that he could next sleep alongside cyrus. he would never regret anything involving this man, but sometimes the secrecy and the agony of pretending they were strangers - worse, rivals - took its toll. remy had never asked for much in this life, and rather thought that being able to hold the hand of the man he loved in public was hardly expecting the world. "it might as well have been the other side of the world." but then, he felt the same when the two of them were at a ball together, mere meters away from one another; geography was hardly the only thing working against them. he gave a wry laugh and kissed cyrus' shoulder before tracing small circles against it with the tip of his nose. "as long as i can without being discovered by your family - well, the rest of your family. i take it young augustus has kept his word about being quiet?"

[historiies]

@vvoolgathering

slipping through his office door and shutting it behind him to lean back against, rhett heaved a whole body sigh. he was incredibly sorry for wronging whichever god of timetabling left him with year 7 and 8 in the last lesson of a friday, but more grateful for the truly delightful sight of his husband writing away at his desk. without a word he dropped ( or rather awkwardly and carefully lowered himself ) to his knees to crawl from the door to the desk. both arms hooked around ziggy's nearest leg as he collapsed to lie flat on his stomach next to him. "hello," his casual greeting was followed by what rhett himself would describe as an unexaggerated groan. "my lovely and very quiet husband, please, please tell me it's home time."

[vvoolgathering]

ziggy mouthed along to the words he was typing, more than a little caught up in the world of his current novel. on days he found himself with a serious case of writer's block, he headed over to rhett's school to spend the rest of the day with him. he was convinced that just being in the same building as the other man helped the words flow more easily than ever, and today was no exception. he only barely registered the sound of a door opening and something moving in his peripheral, but definitely felt his husband hugging his leg. ziggy looked down at rhett and smiled before briefly returning his attention to the laptop screen, finishing his sentence before closing the computer. "hello, my wonderful and poor, tired husband," he greeted in reply, one hand reaching down to feather through rhett's hair. "it is absolutely home time, darling. rough classes, huh?"

[vvoolgathering]

@historiies

"i do not want to go," remy bemoaned, turning to bury his face in the pillow to hide it from the early morning sunlight streaming through the windows. "this bloody feud is keeping me from having a lie-in with the man i love - all the more reason to hate it." he reluctantly surfaced to cuddle closer to cyrus and press a kiss to the other man's lips. "sleep well, sweetheart?" it had been a risk, of course, to spent the night, but nothing could have torn remy away from cyrus, not after having been separated for a week. he quietly added 'managing the construction of the new family estate in the country' to the list of detestable things keeping him from his love. "and by the way, have i already mentioned that i missed you terribly?"

[historiies]

"oh, absolutely. i appreciate that," he gave a resolute nod and chuckled quietly. it would be nice to have what actually felt like exclusive rights over forrest -- not in a possessive way -- but without the military, or work pulling them in opposite directions their time was really their own. malik intended to rinse every moment for all it was worth. "it should be good. it's pretty, uh... bare bones. this is the most time i've ever spent there, so i never really decorated that much." pressed another kiss to the top of fenn's head. "our flat," corrected gently. "what did you make?"

[vvoolgathering]

forrest made a quiet, thoughtful noise in his throat as malik spoke about his place; he felt much the same about his own nondescript little apartment there in georgia, having dreaded going back to it alone once he was released from the hospital. but now he would be sharing a home with the man he loved in an exciting new place, and they could live in a shoebox for all he cared. "right, ours," he affirmed, yet another dazed grin crossing his face. "i maaaade -" forrest held up a hand and counted off his projects. "a bureau, a coffee table, coupla night stands, and i'd just finished a desk 'fore i left - polished it up real pretty an' everything. maybe you could use it for when you work at home."

[historiies]

rubbed a thumb gently across atticus' cheek, wincing in sympathy at the irritation colouring it and so many other patches of his skin. and those were only the ones he could see. he wished dearly that he could have never left -- could've stayed at atticus' side and avoided all of this in the first place. or at least looked after him if it wasn't to be avoided. lips twitched upwards into a small smile at the agreement and he nodded slowly. "of course," murmured softly and like it was a given. moving to place both hands on the other's shoulders, he smiled again and pressed another kiss on his forehead. "i've got you, atty," he scrambled hastily to his feet, one hand still on atticus' shoulder purely to maintain contact and, once situated, bent to offer the other his help. "whenever you're ready. take it easy."

[vvoolgathering]

atticus had always prided himself on his resolve, but all it took was a small show of affection from the man he loved for it all to come tumbling down. dazed from a combination of the fall, pain, and james' affection, he swayed slightly as he watched the other man stand. for a moment he could only stare at james reaching out for him, vaguely wondering exactly how many desperate evenings he had spent praying for this sight. "right," he finally muttered, grasping his arms to pull himself up with a stifled groan. despite james' assurances, atticus cast a glance down the hall to ensure their solitude before allowing himself to lean against him. "how is it you were even here to find me?" he asked, voice hoarse. "at such an hour as this?"

[historiies]

she smiled adoringly at him, laughing gently as he kissed her belly before standing. "oh you're very welcome, my sweet." he needn't have thanked her, really. anything she did for him, she wanted to. rosie loved milo so much sometimes she didn't know what to do with it all. at least some of it, she supposed, had been poured into the new life she was now carrying. mirroring his brow quirk, she placed her hand stop his on the curve of her stomach. "it was a good one, wasn't it?" she beamed. "well, it is related to that one," clarified a little further, reaching to take his other hand on the side of her belly. "i am hoping they will put on the performance they did for me on my walk," leaning in, she kissed him quickly. "they kicked for the first time. but like i said... we might have to be patient." though she hoped not too patient.

[vvoolgathering]

"the best," milo agreed, beaming. he'd been in shock, there was no doubt about it, but once the reality of it had set in he had been happier than he'd ever been in his life - even more so than when he'd married his beloved rosie. he watched as she took his hand and placed it on her stomach, his smile softening at the idea that their child was growing inside at that very moment, nurtured by the loving mother who already adored them. a giggle escaped milo as rosie kissed him, shoulders hitching toward his ears as they often still did whenever she showed him affection. "oh!" he exclaimed at her news, wide eyes trained on rosie's stomach as if he would somehow be able to see something happen. "an athletic little thing, perhaps? they will take after their mother, i hope," he enthused. milo could only pray that he did not pass his weak lungs onto their child, that they would be healthy and strong - and, yes, favor rosaline in just about every other regard.

[historiies]

"no," he frowned, the single word coming out with a little more emphasis than he had perhaps intended, though he found it worked for his purpose. "i do not see the goodness in everyone," a pause, he self-corrected, "i try to, but i know that sometimes there is very little to see." his own father came to mind and another man he would not name for el's sake. "i just know that there is a lot in you. certainly more than you are able to see, anyway." he tensed slightly, the hand in his hair an unexpected but not unwelcome gesture. nodding against jules' leg, he hummed a single note. "you did. but i also... think... or believe that doing so hurt you." part of him wanted very desperately to, but he did not move to look up at julian as he spoke. "and that you regret having done it." hooked his free arm around the other's leg. "and as i know that you are not a bad person, i know that you wouldn't do it again." he shook his head then, moving slightly ( with the intention of not dislodging the hand in his hair ) to look up finally. "i disagree. it is precisely the kindness you deserve and i want to give it to you." and so he would. "i wish... i wish you'd let me, jules."

[vvoolgathering]

more than you are able to see. jules made a thoughtful sound in his throat. "will you tell me something, teddy? what do i sound like?" he had absolutely loved the other man telling him what he saw when he heard music, birdsong, any type of sound - but his favorite was when teddy explained what someone's voice looked like. somehow teddy's gift painted such a clear and vivid portrait of that person - and it was for that reason that jules had never asked about his own. but now, vulnerable as he was, he figured he had nothing more to lose. "it crushed me," he breathed. he hadn't eaten, slept only a few fitful hours at a time. regret had nearly consumed him, and he felt that he was only a shadow of his former self. "and yes, i do, more than anything." he took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh, looking down to meet teddy's gaze. his hand gently slid out of the other man's hair and down to frame his face, finally allowing himself to want everything he was offering. he opened his mouth to respond, but changed his mind at the very last moment. "would you come up here? please? it must be terribly uncomfortable sitting on the floor like that." if anyone should be on their knees it was julian, begging teddy for forgiveness. still, the two of them might at least be on the same level. "there's enough space for the two of us."

[historiies]

she scoffed in exaggerated offence, watching him watch her and enjoying every second of it as if she hadn't seen this exact movie hundreds, if not thousands of times. jas turned her hand the second wes placed his over it to lace their fingers, tilting her head to one side. "i thought you were the epitome of professionalism before that lapse," free hand came to rest on his chest and she laughed again. "aw, but that was really the best you've done yet. you did the little movie look into their eyes-then their lips-then their eyes again. it was very good," slid her hand up from his chest to pat his cheek and then into his hair to bring him closer by the back of his head. "i don't know about eighteen, but it does sound familiar." stretched slightly to kiss the tip of his nose. "but i'll never get bored of it, if that's what you're worried about." jas scratched the back of his head lightly. "have i told you today that you're the best guy around? and crazy handsome to boot? i don't think i have... shame on me."

[vvoolgathering]

"see, i know i have a fair amount of good qualities, but i never knew professionalism numbered amongst them." wes helped himself to resting his free hand on jasmine's hip, thumb rubbing gentle circles against her side. he knew that the sooner they made and ate dinner the sooner they could move on to dessert, but there was something to be said for an amuse-bouche. he grinned a toothy grin as she graced him with that wonderful sound again, turning his head to the side ever so slightly to better hear it with his good ear. "you liked that, huh?" he noted, clearly proud of himself. "maybe sometime we should go out and do that roleplay thing where we pretend we're strangers who just met! that could be so fun!" jasmine loved him as he was (and wes pinched himself every day), but if she wanted him to temporarily become a suave, charming admirer, he could do it - and have the time of his life, because he would be with her. "well, maybe it was more like seven," he mused, barely aware of what he was talking about and much more interested in the kiss she was placing on his nose. "i think you did. or maybe it was yesterday, dunno. but you tell me well and often," he reassured.