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last online May 18, 2024 8:39:46 GMT
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Jul 16, 2020 18:32:38 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2020 18:32:38 GMT
"You are welcome," Valentin said with a nod, one corner of his mouth ticking up in that atypical smile of his. He took a drink of his black coffee and his gaze swept their surroundings thoughtfully. When he looked back at Julian, his eyes narrowed just slightly in question, because the other boy didn't look entirely comfortable.
Valentin pursed his lips in thought, wondering if maybe Julian hadn't wanted to get coffee after all and had only agreed to be courteous. That he was twiddling his thumbs waiting for their cups to be empty. Valentin wasn't a worrier, generally, but it wouldn't have been the first time he didn't pick up on social cues in a way that was awkward for others, and made him feel guilty.
He was thinking if maybe being straightforward and letting Julian know if he didn't want to be there, Valentin apologized and he was welcome to leave, was a good route. Although, as he turned it over in his head it sounded like it might be even more awkward than waiting it out - and what if Valentin was wrong and Julian did want to be there?
The back-and-forth way that Valentin's thoughts were tugging him were interrupted, thankfully, when Julian spoke. He blinked, once, slowly, at the other boy. Expression inscrutable, but stern as ever. "No," he answered, simply, after a moment. Just because Valentin didn't personally see why powers were still such a trouble point for humanity, with how common they were, didn't mean he couldn't see all the reasons someone might be particular about them.
Now that Valentin knew Julian treated his powers with such privacy, though, it brought up a new thought. "It was very selfless of you to use them to help that woman," he observed. He didn't have to. He didn't have to get the lug-nuts to help Valentin, let alone the more obvious second use of his powers in plain sight of Valentin. He tilted his head thoughtfully, studying Julian's face and mannerisms - each one as cute as his blush. | . . . i see you here in the darkness, blinding light right where your heart is. if you're ready, i'll be waiting, heart is open, come find me . . . zagreus |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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last online Jan 2, 2024 8:00:42 GMT
Hero
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Post by Julian Stane on Jul 17, 2020 0:12:39 GMT
All Valentin said was a single word but it was enough to cause Julian to visibly relax. There was a chance he was being lied to and he was fully aware of that, but he seemed sincere. Astaria was one of the more welcoming places when it came to those with powers. Perhaps he was being too worried, too paranoid? Though he thought most of his worry was seeping more into whether or not Valentin would be able to figure out he was Vulcan at any point.
He blinked, confused when Valentin called him selfless though he also couldn't help blushing, feeling some shyness creep it. He hadn't thought much about it, aside from using his powers. Helping someone was what he did as Vulcan so it made sense that he should try to do it as Julian Stane too.
"Technically you helped her," he pointed out, a playful smirk coming onto his face. "I just helped you." His tone made it clear he didn't mind helping Valentin at all. Even with his doubt about using his powers and letting Valentin see that, when he thought about it he realized he was growing more and more glad he'd met the other man the longer he spent time with him.
He picked his latte back up and grinned over the edge of the cup. "Besides it beats being in class." Having coffee with Valentin certainly beat studying in his math class.
"It was nice of you to help her, y'know?" he said, nudging Valentin's leg under the table with his foot. He found himself grinning again. "And they say chivalry's dead." He hesitated then, feeling awkward as he pondered what to say next. He didn't like awkward silences and he was admittedly one of the chattier of his siblings - not as much as his sister but sometimes he got close.
But all Julian could think of was questions about Valentin and he wasn't sure if the other man would appreciate prying or at least getting bombarded with curious questions.
"Tell me about yourself," he settled for, smiling warmly across the table. He thought it was wiser than just asking questions right off the bat even if his reasons were innocent and he just wanted to get to know this attractive man who sat across from him. "If you want to, of course." | ... IF YOU WERE DROWNED AT SEA, I'D GIVE YOU MY LUNGS SO YOU COULD BREATHE ... vulcan @valentin outfit391 words Sorry this took so long. ;-; |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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played by Aaron
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last online May 18, 2024 8:39:46 GMT
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Jul 17, 2020 18:13:27 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2020 18:13:27 GMT
Valentin studied Julian's face steadily while he talked, enjoying how his eyes glittered and shone with such bright spirit; tracking the course of the beautiful pink flush in his pale cheeks like his was cloud-watching; and continually tracing over his thin, pink lips, that seemed to hide a smile even when he wasn't smiling.
And though Valentin's expression was as grim and stern as ever, if Julian looked closely, he would see a softness to those piercing eyes.
"Tell me about yourself. If you want to, of course."
Valentin shifted in his seat, reaching down to grab it with his free hand and move the chair further in. He leaned forward on the elbow of the arm on the table, holding his cup of coffee. Now he was much closer to Julian, and could study his features in even better focus. Valentin wondered why he hadn't moved sooner.
"Hmm. Well, I am not from America," he said. His lips plucked in that ghost of a smirk. His accent wasn't the heaviest, but it was still significant; his European roots flavoring each syllable noticeably. Even though he'd been born in London, he'd grown up with a family who spoke almost explicit Bulgarian, and had got the accent that way. "My family is from Bulgaria and England," he added, thinking that was worth mentioning, probably.
"And you? You certainly sound American." Valentin's phantom grin was there again, and he had the good sense to add, "This is not a bad thing." | . . . i see you here in the darkness, blinding light right where your heart is. if you're ready, i'll be waiting, heart is open, come find me . . . zagreus |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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last online Jan 2, 2024 8:00:42 GMT
Hero
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Jul 17, 2020 22:29:00 GMT
Post by Julian Stane on Jul 17, 2020 22:29:00 GMT
He found Valentin's eyes mesmerizing. They were hard, almost enough to make him fidget in his seat, feeling as if he was being studied, but the longer he looked - or rather the more he tried to get casual looks without seeming weird - he thought he caught a note of softness there.
Valentin scooted closer and Julian copied that out of instinct, moving his own chair closer without fully realizing he was doing it. He felt his knees brush against the other man's legs. He rested an elbow against the table, resting his cheek in his hand, head tilted faintly as he watched Valentin. He smiled at the small smirk he caught, liking the way it added a glint of mischief to the other man.
Bulgaria and England certainly explained the hot accent, Julian couldn't help thinking, his face hot at the thought. He looked away only when the question was directed back at him, head still in his hand, lips pursing thoughtfully.
"Born and raised in Astaria," he explained. To his recollection he'd never known another home. Though he was still aware that there was a gap in his memory. He'd started to assume that was normal. "Mom's as American as you can get I guess - Choctaw and Chickasaw descent." He shot Valentin his own grin, proud of that part of his heritage.
But his mom was, unfortunately, not his only parent and he didn't know if Valentin was likely to ask about that if he didn't mention his dad.
"Dad's..." He bit down on his lower lip and shrugged, eyes falling to the table, any trace of his grin gone. "Fuck if I know - One of the white places, probably." He took in a breath and let it out, resisting the urge to say he thought his dad was probably from Hell and hoped he was back there right now. He didn't think deadbeat dad was a good conversation topic.
"What brought you to Astaria?" he asked instead quickly, an obvious and purposeful topic changer as his eyes found Valentin again. | ... IF YOU WERE DROWNED AT SEA, I'D GIVE YOU MY LUNGS SO YOU COULD BREATHE ... vulcan |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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played by Aaron
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last online May 18, 2024 8:39:46 GMT
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Jul 18, 2020 19:09:39 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2020 19:09:39 GMT
Valentin decided he liked the feeling of the other boy's legs scraping against his own beneath the table. He decided, too, that he liked the attentive, hand-in-palm, head-tilted pose Julian took even more. Ordinarily Valentin was objective and removed in his acknowledgement of how others looked. Just then, though, he felt a heat take root in his chest, and a distant, irrational fear speared through him: the knowledge that in a short while, he wouldn't be able to watch Julian anymore.
He listened with unwavering focus that normally unnerved people to Julian's side of the conversation. When the other boy brought up his father, Valentin's steady, strong stare softened in compassion. He made a note not to needlessly bring up Julian's father in future conversation... And that thought brought another into Valentin's head: that he very much hoped there was future conversation.
Soon, the focus of their talk was back on Valentin. He'd have been more than happy to listen to Julian talk the entire time they shared their coffees together. In fact, he wasn't used to talking about himself, usually staying silent in conversations or feeding the other person a steady drip of questions that kept them busy answering them. But he wanted to talk to Julian, even if it was outside his comfort zone.
"I moved here to work at a cousin's garage. I'm a mechanic," Valentin stopped and considered the words. He guessed they were good enough. He thought, momentarily, of the unfortunate situation that had lead him to flee the UK for America in the first place. Valentin carefully set aside those more jagged, painful memories while he took another swallow of coffee.
"You mentioned school. What are you studying?" Valentin rolled his shoulders absently and then stretched the arm not cradling his coffee cup out on the table, long, pale fingers resting lightly palm-down on the flecked blue paint of the wrought-iron tabletop. | . . . i see you here in the darkness, blinding light right where your heart is. if you're ready, i'll be waiting, heart is open, come find me . . . zagreus |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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last online Jan 2, 2024 8:00:42 GMT
Hero
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Post by Julian Stane on Jul 20, 2020 3:32:11 GMT
Julian's head lifted slowly from his hand when Valentin said he was a mechanic, curiosity aflame in his eyes. If he'd been paranoid like his brother, Ivan, he might have become suspicious at the coincidence - he didn't think his brother believed in coincidences, especially when it came to people he was attracted to. But he wasn't his brother of course.
He was grinning by the time Valentin asked him what he was majoring in. Without thinking, he rested his other hand down on the table, his fingertips brushing against Valentin's.
"Mechanical engineering actually," he replied, resting his head back down cheek first in his hand because he liked the angle it gave him to stare at Valentin dreamily and admire him. He bit down on his lower lip before adding, "Maybe I can stop by the garage some time and you can... show me the ropes."
It wasn't every day he actually tried to flirt with someone. He wasn't sure if the attraction was mutual or if this was a date or not. But he didn't think there was harm in flirting, hoping he didn't come off as pushy. He thought if it fell flat, he'd still possibly get a friend out of it.
His legs brushed against Valentin again as he shifted awkwardly in his seat, unable to stop his mind from trying to picture Valentin bent over the hood of a car. His face suddenly felt very hot.
"What uh - What do you think of Astaria so far?" he asked, grimacing as he asked it and chastising himself for not thinking of a less lame thing to ask. "Sorry I'm usually better at this - uh talking." He let out a light laugh and shrugged. "You're just--" He lightly laughed again, gesturing at Valentin and dipping his head with a shy smile. "Yeah."
He leaned back in his seat, not remembering the last time he'd felt this shy, a foot brushing up against Valentin's leg. "Cute," he supplied, taking a moment before he could meet Valentin's eyes, his face bright red. "You're cute." | ... IF YOU WERE DROWNED AT SEA, I'D GIVE YOU MY LUNGS SO YOU COULD BREATHE ... vulcan |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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played by Aaron
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last online May 18, 2024 8:39:46 GMT
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Jul 20, 2020 18:30:36 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2020 18:30:36 GMT
Julian's fingertips brushing his own made a fever start crawling up Valentin's neck. And he did not mind it. Not at all. In fact, he silently wanted to feel that fever spread completely over and through him. He held those thoughts and sensations in one hand, though, and kept his focus and attention primarily on the other boy sitting opposite him.
"Really?" Valentin said, full lips ticking up in his unique semi-smile when Julian explained his major. He'd not stopped studying the boy's face and so he noticed Julian gently bite his bottom lip before his next comment - the fever spread lower. "I... would like that," Valentin said, soft but sincere, keen eyes turning tender at the very edges.
The soft pink hues that Valentin was carefully monitoring in Julian deepened without any reason he could connect it to. Valentin was glad that that flush hadn't been paired with the lip bite from earlier, or his mind wouldn't have been able to compute.
Julian seemed to flounder and fidget with his words, then. Valentin's brow creased and crinkled, hoping everything was all right, making sure to show uninterrupted attention so Julian would know he could finish whatever thought he was trying to.
"Cute. You're cute."
Valentin blinked. For once the grim set to his face went a little limp in his version of surprise. Now it was his impossibly pale cheeks's turn to get very, very faintly pink. Valentin's slightly widened eyes fell on Julian's hand, still stretched out on the table between them. He was not used to interacting with new people, let alone ones in a... flirtatious way. But Valentin was emboldened by that fever still clawing into his skin like a wild animal.
Slowly, Valentin's fingers stretched forward, sliding between Julian's until they were laced. He looked slowly up at the other boy, arching one brow and his lips were in more of a faint smile than they'd been yet. "Thank you. You're cute, too. And I think much better of Astaria now than I did an hour ago," he added, belatedly answering the question. It might've sounded charming, but Valentin was just being sincere. | . . . i see you here in the darkness, blinding light right where your heart is. if you're ready, i'll be waiting, heart is open, come find me . . . zagreus |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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last online Jan 2, 2024 8:00:42 GMT
Hero
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Jul 21, 2020 22:45:10 GMT
Post by Julian Stane on Jul 21, 2020 22:45:10 GMT
Julian sucked in a breath when he felt Valentin's hand grasp his, their fingers lacing together. This was definitely a date, he thought; he was sure of it now. He wasn't sure if it had always been a date but he was certain it qualified as one now. He stared at him, wide eyed and blushing, when he returned the affection and at the clear implication of why he was enjoying Astaria more.
He was pretty sure if he'd been standing he would have swooned - and he'd never swooned over anyone before. His hand felt warm in Valentin's grasp. He liked the way it felt.
"Glad to know I've improved the city," he replied with a smile. He hesitated before slipping his hand away from Valentin's and standing up. He moved somewhat quickly, not wanting the other man to think he was suddenly leaving him. He grabbed his chair and moved it, sitting back down so that he was more next to Valentin rather than across from him.
He reached forward, gently grabbing the other man's hand, lacing their fingers together again, missing the warmth of his grasp. They were close enough that it would have been easy for him to lean over and press their lips together - and he was very aware of this fact. He didn't know if it was too soon to try that, though. Even if Valentin thought he was cute, that didn't necessarily mean he wanted to kiss him. He wasn't even sure if Valentin liked kissing - He knew some people didn't.
"Can I...?" he found himself asking before he could think better. "Can we...?" He scooted closer, finding himself leaning in as if he was being drawn magnetically to the other man. His voice was a whisper against the wind as he said, "I'd really like to kiss you." | ... IF YOU WERE DROWNED AT SEA, I'D GIVE YOU MY LUNGS SO YOU COULD BREATHE ... vulcan |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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played by Aaron
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last online May 18, 2024 8:39:46 GMT
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Jul 24, 2020 19:25:30 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2020 19:25:30 GMT
Valentin was very aware he was not the best with words. But, just then, he didn't care if he was doing well, or very poorly with them. Whatever he'd said had caused that beautiful pink color to rise again in Julian's cheeks, and so Valentin felt triumphant. He was still busy admiring the way that shifting color dusted the contours of Julian's face when the other boy's hand slipped out of his.
Panic lashed like a thunderclap through his chest. Exteriorly, Valentin's softened expression steeled over, bobbing back to its normal, unreadable stern mask. Julian moved quickly, Valentin's eyes watching him closely, and soon was sitting much more closely than a moment ago. The panic died away, his features faintly warmed again while Julian reclaimed his hand, winding their fingers together.
This close, Valentin could appreciate just how much taller he was than Julian. He felt a distinct urge to defend the other boy - the desire to enfold Julian in his arms. Valentin was still picking through these welling impulses when the other young man's words cut through them.
"Can I...? Can we...? I'd really like to kiss you."
Valentin's pale cheeks flushed - in their faint, almost unseen way, at odds with how bright Julian's blush was. Only when the other boy said it out loud did Valentin realize that that was the largest urge that was rising in his chest - had been since they'd met, now that he looked back with greater clarity. Valentin had no intention of voicing his answer, though. With Julian's beautiful mouth so close to his, there was only room in his mind for action.
Valentin's other hand swept up, skating over Julian's neck, then up into the back of his hair, one large thumb on his jaw. And he closed the distance. As far as first kisses went, theirs was incredibly long, unhurried and thoughtful. Heads turning between gentle bobs of their lips kneading against each other. Valentin was utterly given over to his emotions, and soon had collected Julian against him, their knees and chairs clashing together. | . . . i see you here in the darkness, blinding light right where your heart is. if you're ready, i'll be waiting, heart is open, come find me . . . zagreus |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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last online Jan 2, 2024 8:00:42 GMT
Hero
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Jul 24, 2020 23:26:03 GMT
Post by Julian Stane on Jul 24, 2020 23:26:03 GMT
He was worried that despite the clear flirting, Valentin would say no. That he might regret it and decide Julian wasn't attractive to him. Julian couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this nervous, at least in this way. He couldn't remember the last time he wanted someone to reciprocate his feelings so badly.
But then Valentin's other hand was on him and then their lips were pressed together. Julian's eyes widened faintly before he sank into the kiss, his eyes fluttering close. He kissed him back, slow and soft, leaning in to his embrace. He fell into the kiss, not paying attention to how much time had passed. He felt himself pulled closer to Valentin and went willingly, scooting where he was almost off his chair, so close to just being in Valentin's lap.
He didn't try to deepen the kiss, enjoying it as it was, already perfect in his mind. His hands rested against Valentin's thighs mostly to hold himself up and keep his body from falling entirely onto Valentin, not that he disliked the thought of having his whole body pressed up against the other man's.
When the kiss broke, Julian found himself grinning, his face hot. "I want to do that again," he breathed against Valentin's lips before pressing another soft kiss right there. A soft moan escaped him at the renewed kissing which he caught and pulled back, looking utterly embarrassed.
"S-Sorry!" he said awkwardly, head dipping with shyness. "You're uh - You're pretty good at that." His latte was entirely forgotten, having not been moved when he'd moved his seat. His focus was on Valentin and only Valentin.
His eyes were on Valentin's lips, wanting to kiss him again, wishing all he could ever do is kiss those lips. His gaze fluttered up to Valentin's eyes.
"I... I want to keep kissing you," he admitted, voice quiet, intimate, wanting the words for Valentin's ears and Valentin's ears only. "Like - Like boyfriends do." He realized what he'd said and gave a light laugh. "That's probably the weirdest way to ask someone to be my boyfriend, sorry." | ... IF YOU WERE DROWNED AT SEA, I'D GIVE YOU MY LUNGS SO YOU COULD BREATHE ... vulcan |
[googlefont=Dancing Script]
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played by Aaron
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