frogs_of_war (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
frogs_of_war) wrote2012-05-01 05:44 pm
frogs_of_war) wrote2012-05-01 05:44 pm
Entry tags:
A Balance of Harmonies: All Sparkly
I just finished typing in my caveman-space story, Gestures. I wrote the first 10k back in August 2010 and the last 24k last month. But both bouts of writing were only a week long. But in going over the story, I’ve found several inconsistencies I need to fix. Like Colt’s boss went from Mr. Robertson to Robinson. The cave planet is Deresla 3, or that’s Colt’s planet and the cave planet is Deresla 2. (Or should that be Deresla II and III?) A cot turned into a bed, so the scene will need to be rewritten because four people will never fit on a cot mattress even if it’s lying on the floor. “Headman” became “Grandfather” maybe because he is Lion’s grandfather. Colt’s drawers became boxers, the island ships are allowed to land on changed names, and the containers they carry stuff in are knapsack, bag, and satchel by turn (although that might be all right). I also need to find a prestigious middle name (or several) for one character.
It will take lots of work, but the arduous part is over.
Title: All Sparkly
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter sixty-eight of many
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: determination, dark thoughts, morning, vagueness, coffee, no sleep, tears, music, pets, fantasy, names, size, reasons, breakfast
Length: about 2,500 words
Summary: Peregrine doesn’t sleep. Kurt tells of his fears. And Emil discusses animals.
Master list
Peregrine sat on the beach and watched the light change as the sun rose behind him. He should have brought a sketch book and a pencil and maybe some more food. His stomach protested its hours of emptiness. How long before Emil could come back to his side? How old would Peregrine be before he stopped needing a caretaker? Never. He would never stop needing Emil.
That made him a child or childish at any rate. He wanted to be the kind of man who could make it on his own, as unpleasant as that might be, who wanted his lover instead of needed him to be sane. Would Peregrine be back home before Emil had to go to his next book convention? Could Peregrine survive the next few days alone?
He would have to. Emil needed this break. He needed to spend time being spoiled by Kurt in a way Peregrine wasn’t grown up enough to spoil anyone. Those papers had to be ready to sign on Monday. Peregrine couldn’t last.
He got on the bike and let the sea air and morning sun drive the dark thoughts away.
--
Kurt rolled gently out of bed. Emil was still sound asleep. Peregrine’s clock said six o’clock was right around the corner. He wanted to lie beside Emil until he woke up on his own and spend some time cuddling, but that would have to wait. Hunter was on Kurt’s mind. He dressed in yesterday’s clothes and slipped out of the room. No sounds were coming from his office.
They needed to get this place remolded, so his books wouldn’t be in the guest bedroom.
He started coffee and then sat down and looked at his phone. Would Peregrine be awake at this time of the morning and if so, had he slept at all? Kurt called him. The call went to voicemail and he left a vague message about Hunter.
When the coffee was ready, he poured himself a cup. He would not interrupt Emil’s sleep. He’d have a few days with him and the rest of their lives. Besides knowing someone was in the house with him made him feel less alone.
He walked out onto the living room’s balcony. This one wasn’t half as nice as the one in Emil’s room. The floor was cement and the railing was grey pipes. They should buy some furniture for out here. At least a chair or two and maybe a table to put his coffee on.
The view wasn’t as spectacular as some days. Rain hadn’t fallen in weeks, so the mountain disappeared against the sky, but no one was out yet, so the streets were quiet and the birds twittered in the trees. A good day, made better knowing he was going to spend it with Emil.
Kurt’s phone rang. He opened it quickly. “Peregrine?”
“Good morning, my dragon, your message left me worried. Where is Hunter?”
“He’s here, in the spare room. We changed the knobs around so he could lock himself in. He was really scared. Do you know what’s wrong?”
“Just a second. Let me get further off the road.” Car noises. “No one expects a bicyclist this early and the drivers haven’t had enough coffee to be awake.”
“Where are you?”
“On my way back from a beach I don’t remember. But I’m not lost because I’m not going anywhere particular.”
“Have you slept?”
“I will, later, when I can’t stay up a minute more. I think I have a few more hours in me.”
Kurt hated to think of Peregrine exhausted on the side of some road somewhere. He needed someone to look after him as much as Kurt needed someone to snuggle.
“Anyway, back to Hunter. Tell me what he said.”
Kurt repeated last night’s conversation as best he could.
Peregrine sighed. “JJ. Ok. I know the two are having sex and Hunter and I have discussed whether the smaller person always had to take the lower position and that he can say no at any time to anyone at any time even if he said yes before, but… I wish I was right there. I wish I could tell him that I’d always protect him, but that would be a lie. He needs much more protection than I can give him. What if every time JJ was with him was rape? What if I let that happen under my watch?”
Kurt could hear the tears in Peregrine’s voice. “Now we know. What matters is what we do from here.”
“Don’t let him go back.” Peregrine sucked in a phlegmy breath. “At least not to sleep. I’ll call Andre and see if he can still go to school if he sleeps somewhere else. What time is it? He’ll be awake. Andre needs almost no sleep or else he couldn’t do his job. Make sure Hunter eats well, he goes without sometimes and maybe not pancakes, I don’t think he likes the sweet syrup and if you could keep him busy today. I don’t really want him back until class starts for him on Monday.”
Kurt agreed. “We’ll do what we have to. Zan and Autumn said they can take him for a few days if he ok not having a lock on the door. I think I’ll let Keith know Hunter needs a lock and probably his own bathroom.”
“Olivia has her heart set on sharing a bathroom with him. The room she picked for him has a bathroom between them. She has no idea what brothers are like, poor thing.”
Kurt didn’t really either, but he did remember his sister’s complaints about the state he’d left the bathroom they’d shared. But then he was always messy. Why not be if someone was always around to clean up after him?
“I’m sure Keith will work the whole thing out.”
Peregrine sighed. “That’s why he’s such a good dad. I’m going to call Andre now. I’ll call you later.”
“Do and gets some sleep before you collapse.”
Peregrine laughed. “It’ll take more than one night of no sleep for that. I think my limit is three and a half days before I start hallucinating.”
“Don’t go that long!”
“I won’t. I won’t. I’ll call you back when I get up from whatever sleep I get, ok? But I need you and Emil beside me to sleep well. Everything else is just a nap.”
“I love you, too.” The door opened behind Kurt. “Take care of yourself.”
“I will, I will.” Then Peregrine hung up.
Hunter stepped out onto the balcony in the shirt Emil had loaned him, his pants from yesterday, and bare feet. He lifted one foot and then the other. The cement must be cold.
Kurt opened the door and ushered Hunter inside. “Are you ready for breakfast?”
“Who… who were you talking to?”
“Peregrine. He’s worried about you.”
Hunter looked away.
“He wants you to be safe.”
“But JJ…”
“As much as Peregrine loves JJ, he loves you too and to him that means keeping you safe even if that means keeping you safe from JJ.”
“But JJ isn’t hurting me. I… I don’t… I don’t want to talk about it yet.”
“All right.” Kurt would feel better with a trained therapist giving Hunter all the right answers. “So what would you like for breakfast? Scrambled eggs?”
Hunter shrugged.
“I can cook, but I think Emil’s cooking is so much better. Maybe I should wake him up.”
Hunter kicked at the floor. “Are you taking me home?”
“Back to the shelter? If you want to. Or you could come to church with me and Olivia and Keith or over to Zan’s with Emil. I think that’s where he’s going.”
Hunter looked away.
Kurt looked at his phone. “You have two and a half hours to decide. Church doesn’t start until ten.”
“You can go wake Emil up.” Hunter walked to his room. “I’m not hungry yet.”
The door closed and the lock clicked.
Kurt turned on his stereo and put in a CD. If Hunter was going to hang out in his room for a while, Kurt was going to hang out in his.
He opened the door. Emil was still asleep, but that could be remedied. Kurt peeled off his clothes and slid into bed right up against Emil.
Emil moaned Kurt’s name. This morning was looking up.
--
Emil peeked out into the living room. Hunter sat of the couch paging through one of Emil’s books. He stooped and stared at a picture. Emil got up his nerve and steeped out. “That is a snow leopard. They live in central Asia.”
“The babies are cute.”
“Aren’t they? They almost make I want one as a pet, except of course they are wild animals and wild animals don’t make good pets. Plus Peregrine doesn’t even want goldfish.”
Hunter turned on the sofa. “You have no pets?”
“None.”
“Do you want one?”
Emil thought about that for a moment. “Not as much as I want Peregrine. What about you?”
Hunter looked down.
Emil got out the eggs. “If you could have any pet, what would it be?”
Hunter looked at him then away. “Just one?”
“No.” Emil took the big bowl from a lower cupboard. “This is a fantasy, ok? As many different as you like.”
Hunter looked back at the book. “What about you?”
Emil smiled. He was willing to go first. “A snow leopard and a meerkat and… maybe a polar bear.”
Kurt stepped out of the bedroom, carrying his church clothes. “What’s that?”
“We are telling our fantasy pets.” Emil beat up the eggs.
“Fantasy, huh? Mine are a Phoenix and a little monkey with wings.” He kissed Emil’s neck.
Emil tingled down to his toes. That second one was him. Only he didn’t have wings.
“No, Kurt.” Hunter stood up. “They have to be real animals.”
Kurt beamed. Was this the first time Hunter had called either of them by name to their faces?
Kurt stepped over to Hunter. “So what are yours?”
“I want a big brown dog almost as big as me and a little grey kitten that tiny even when he’s full grown. I’ll be tiny everyone says because I’m so small now.”
Kurt patted his head. “You never know. Your body might be waiting for the right time to put on height, but we will love you no matter how big or small you are.”
Hunter hugged Kurt and then stepped back and looked at the ground. Kurt patted his shoulder. “Thanks. See you two in a few minutes.”
He walked into Peregrine’s studio.
Hunter pulled a stool up to the counter. “Why don’t you sleep in there?”
“In Peregrine’s studio? Because Peregrine can’t have light from the south and that’s what the other two rooms have.”
Hunter frowned. “Why did you move here then?”
“Peregrine bought the place because I loved the balcony in that room. Have you seen it?”
Hunter shook his head.
“You can go look.” Emil was glad he’d made the bed. “If you want.”
Hunter looked that way and back at Emil. “Where will you be?”
Emil lifted the pan and swirled the egg. “Here. Unless you need me.”
Hunter slid off the stool. He stopped outside Peregrine’s studio. The water turned on in the bathroom. Hunter walked on to the bedroom door. He looked back at Emil then slipped inside. He returned a moment later and slipped back onto the stool.
Emil grinned. “It’s it pretty, all dark rugged rock?”
“Peregrine took me to that noodle shop.”
“I’ve eaten there. It was good. We can go there tonight if you like.”
“You had sex with Kurt.”
Emil slid the scrambled egg onto a plate, but when he was done he still couldn’t think of the right thing to say. “Yes.”
“This morning,” pressed Hunter, “before you came out here.”
The door had been closed and music on in the living room and they had tried to be quiet and they’d made the bed, and here was a kid asking about it. But Hunter fingers were white against the counter. He needed an answer and Emil wasn’t going to start a brotherhood with Hunter by lying to him. “Yes.”
“Good.” Hunter sagged into his seat. He picked up his fork and took a bite of eggs.
Emil lifted his eyebrows. “Good?”
Hunter nodded.
“And why is that?”
Hunter swallowed. Emil got him a glass of water and he drank half of it in just s few gulps.
“I… I’m glad.” Hunter stared his fork. “I feel safer when… when I know you’ve been together.”
Emil felt torn open. “Are you scared? Of us?”
Hunter shook his head. He took another bite of egg. Emil turned and cooked up some more food. Kurt would be out of the shower soon.
“I…”
Emil glanced at Hunter. He was looking at his plate. “I feel safe here. I see how much he wants you, how much you want him. I… Kurt doesn’t look at me the way he looks at you and Peregrine, so I know I’m safe with him.”
Oh that poor child. Emil’s heart bled. Only force of will kept Emil from hugging the kid. And the worry that he’d make things worse. “I’m glad you feel safe here.”
“I do.” The kid actually smiled.
“I hope someday you will feel as safe with Dad and Casey.”
Hunter nodded. “That’s why I’m going to see Josh.”
Emil nodded back. And he’d thought his life was rough.
Kurt opened the studio door and stepped out. Emil put the eggs on a plate and buttered the toast. “I made you breakfast.”
Kurt kissed his neck. “I’m always hungry.”
Emil pressed his fingers over Kurt’s.
Hunter pushed back his plate. “Kurt, do you know that Emil’s eyes sparkle when he looks at you?”
Kurt grinned. “Do they?”
Emil blushed under his gaze.
Hunter nodded. “They get all sparkly like he’s about to cry only he’s really happy. Peregrines’ don’t. He relaxes when he looks at you. At both of you. I’m going to take a shower. If I go to church, can I do it in these clothes?”
But he didn’t wait for the answer.
Kurt turned to Emil. “Tell me?”
Emil shook his head. Kurt needed to eat and with him in the room, Emil felt stronger. Or maybe that he didn’t need to be strong. And as long as they could keep Hunter safe, the conversation could wait until Emil was in a place that his red eyes wouldn’t matter. Maybe tonight before bed with Kurt holding him.
--
Peregrine woke as the sun stole the trees shadow from him. He looked at his phone. He had to go back to his parents. Mr. Matheson would be there soon and Peregrine wanted to oversee the work. But he waited a second to text Kurt that he had slept. Only he didn’t tell him where.
It will take lots of work, but the arduous part is over.
Title: All Sparkly
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter sixty-eight of many
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: determination, dark thoughts, morning, vagueness, coffee, no sleep, tears, music, pets, fantasy, names, size, reasons, breakfast
Length: about 2,500 words
Summary: Peregrine doesn’t sleep. Kurt tells of his fears. And Emil discusses animals.
Master list
Peregrine sat on the beach and watched the light change as the sun rose behind him. He should have brought a sketch book and a pencil and maybe some more food. His stomach protested its hours of emptiness. How long before Emil could come back to his side? How old would Peregrine be before he stopped needing a caretaker? Never. He would never stop needing Emil.
That made him a child or childish at any rate. He wanted to be the kind of man who could make it on his own, as unpleasant as that might be, who wanted his lover instead of needed him to be sane. Would Peregrine be back home before Emil had to go to his next book convention? Could Peregrine survive the next few days alone?
He would have to. Emil needed this break. He needed to spend time being spoiled by Kurt in a way Peregrine wasn’t grown up enough to spoil anyone. Those papers had to be ready to sign on Monday. Peregrine couldn’t last.
He got on the bike and let the sea air and morning sun drive the dark thoughts away.
--
Kurt rolled gently out of bed. Emil was still sound asleep. Peregrine’s clock said six o’clock was right around the corner. He wanted to lie beside Emil until he woke up on his own and spend some time cuddling, but that would have to wait. Hunter was on Kurt’s mind. He dressed in yesterday’s clothes and slipped out of the room. No sounds were coming from his office.
They needed to get this place remolded, so his books wouldn’t be in the guest bedroom.
He started coffee and then sat down and looked at his phone. Would Peregrine be awake at this time of the morning and if so, had he slept at all? Kurt called him. The call went to voicemail and he left a vague message about Hunter.
When the coffee was ready, he poured himself a cup. He would not interrupt Emil’s sleep. He’d have a few days with him and the rest of their lives. Besides knowing someone was in the house with him made him feel less alone.
He walked out onto the living room’s balcony. This one wasn’t half as nice as the one in Emil’s room. The floor was cement and the railing was grey pipes. They should buy some furniture for out here. At least a chair or two and maybe a table to put his coffee on.
The view wasn’t as spectacular as some days. Rain hadn’t fallen in weeks, so the mountain disappeared against the sky, but no one was out yet, so the streets were quiet and the birds twittered in the trees. A good day, made better knowing he was going to spend it with Emil.
Kurt’s phone rang. He opened it quickly. “Peregrine?”
“Good morning, my dragon, your message left me worried. Where is Hunter?”
“He’s here, in the spare room. We changed the knobs around so he could lock himself in. He was really scared. Do you know what’s wrong?”
“Just a second. Let me get further off the road.” Car noises. “No one expects a bicyclist this early and the drivers haven’t had enough coffee to be awake.”
“Where are you?”
“On my way back from a beach I don’t remember. But I’m not lost because I’m not going anywhere particular.”
“Have you slept?”
“I will, later, when I can’t stay up a minute more. I think I have a few more hours in me.”
Kurt hated to think of Peregrine exhausted on the side of some road somewhere. He needed someone to look after him as much as Kurt needed someone to snuggle.
“Anyway, back to Hunter. Tell me what he said.”
Kurt repeated last night’s conversation as best he could.
Peregrine sighed. “JJ. Ok. I know the two are having sex and Hunter and I have discussed whether the smaller person always had to take the lower position and that he can say no at any time to anyone at any time even if he said yes before, but… I wish I was right there. I wish I could tell him that I’d always protect him, but that would be a lie. He needs much more protection than I can give him. What if every time JJ was with him was rape? What if I let that happen under my watch?”
Kurt could hear the tears in Peregrine’s voice. “Now we know. What matters is what we do from here.”
“Don’t let him go back.” Peregrine sucked in a phlegmy breath. “At least not to sleep. I’ll call Andre and see if he can still go to school if he sleeps somewhere else. What time is it? He’ll be awake. Andre needs almost no sleep or else he couldn’t do his job. Make sure Hunter eats well, he goes without sometimes and maybe not pancakes, I don’t think he likes the sweet syrup and if you could keep him busy today. I don’t really want him back until class starts for him on Monday.”
Kurt agreed. “We’ll do what we have to. Zan and Autumn said they can take him for a few days if he ok not having a lock on the door. I think I’ll let Keith know Hunter needs a lock and probably his own bathroom.”
“Olivia has her heart set on sharing a bathroom with him. The room she picked for him has a bathroom between them. She has no idea what brothers are like, poor thing.”
Kurt didn’t really either, but he did remember his sister’s complaints about the state he’d left the bathroom they’d shared. But then he was always messy. Why not be if someone was always around to clean up after him?
“I’m sure Keith will work the whole thing out.”
Peregrine sighed. “That’s why he’s such a good dad. I’m going to call Andre now. I’ll call you later.”
“Do and gets some sleep before you collapse.”
Peregrine laughed. “It’ll take more than one night of no sleep for that. I think my limit is three and a half days before I start hallucinating.”
“Don’t go that long!”
“I won’t. I won’t. I’ll call you back when I get up from whatever sleep I get, ok? But I need you and Emil beside me to sleep well. Everything else is just a nap.”
“I love you, too.” The door opened behind Kurt. “Take care of yourself.”
“I will, I will.” Then Peregrine hung up.
Hunter stepped out onto the balcony in the shirt Emil had loaned him, his pants from yesterday, and bare feet. He lifted one foot and then the other. The cement must be cold.
Kurt opened the door and ushered Hunter inside. “Are you ready for breakfast?”
“Who… who were you talking to?”
“Peregrine. He’s worried about you.”
Hunter looked away.
“He wants you to be safe.”
“But JJ…”
“As much as Peregrine loves JJ, he loves you too and to him that means keeping you safe even if that means keeping you safe from JJ.”
“But JJ isn’t hurting me. I… I don’t… I don’t want to talk about it yet.”
“All right.” Kurt would feel better with a trained therapist giving Hunter all the right answers. “So what would you like for breakfast? Scrambled eggs?”
Hunter shrugged.
“I can cook, but I think Emil’s cooking is so much better. Maybe I should wake him up.”
Hunter kicked at the floor. “Are you taking me home?”
“Back to the shelter? If you want to. Or you could come to church with me and Olivia and Keith or over to Zan’s with Emil. I think that’s where he’s going.”
Hunter looked away.
Kurt looked at his phone. “You have two and a half hours to decide. Church doesn’t start until ten.”
“You can go wake Emil up.” Hunter walked to his room. “I’m not hungry yet.”
The door closed and the lock clicked.
Kurt turned on his stereo and put in a CD. If Hunter was going to hang out in his room for a while, Kurt was going to hang out in his.
He opened the door. Emil was still asleep, but that could be remedied. Kurt peeled off his clothes and slid into bed right up against Emil.
Emil moaned Kurt’s name. This morning was looking up.
--
Emil peeked out into the living room. Hunter sat of the couch paging through one of Emil’s books. He stooped and stared at a picture. Emil got up his nerve and steeped out. “That is a snow leopard. They live in central Asia.”
“The babies are cute.”
“Aren’t they? They almost make I want one as a pet, except of course they are wild animals and wild animals don’t make good pets. Plus Peregrine doesn’t even want goldfish.”
Hunter turned on the sofa. “You have no pets?”
“None.”
“Do you want one?”
Emil thought about that for a moment. “Not as much as I want Peregrine. What about you?”
Hunter looked down.
Emil got out the eggs. “If you could have any pet, what would it be?”
Hunter looked at him then away. “Just one?”
“No.” Emil took the big bowl from a lower cupboard. “This is a fantasy, ok? As many different as you like.”
Hunter looked back at the book. “What about you?”
Emil smiled. He was willing to go first. “A snow leopard and a meerkat and… maybe a polar bear.”
Kurt stepped out of the bedroom, carrying his church clothes. “What’s that?”
“We are telling our fantasy pets.” Emil beat up the eggs.
“Fantasy, huh? Mine are a Phoenix and a little monkey with wings.” He kissed Emil’s neck.
Emil tingled down to his toes. That second one was him. Only he didn’t have wings.
“No, Kurt.” Hunter stood up. “They have to be real animals.”
Kurt beamed. Was this the first time Hunter had called either of them by name to their faces?
Kurt stepped over to Hunter. “So what are yours?”
“I want a big brown dog almost as big as me and a little grey kitten that tiny even when he’s full grown. I’ll be tiny everyone says because I’m so small now.”
Kurt patted his head. “You never know. Your body might be waiting for the right time to put on height, but we will love you no matter how big or small you are.”
Hunter hugged Kurt and then stepped back and looked at the ground. Kurt patted his shoulder. “Thanks. See you two in a few minutes.”
He walked into Peregrine’s studio.
Hunter pulled a stool up to the counter. “Why don’t you sleep in there?”
“In Peregrine’s studio? Because Peregrine can’t have light from the south and that’s what the other two rooms have.”
Hunter frowned. “Why did you move here then?”
“Peregrine bought the place because I loved the balcony in that room. Have you seen it?”
Hunter shook his head.
“You can go look.” Emil was glad he’d made the bed. “If you want.”
Hunter looked that way and back at Emil. “Where will you be?”
Emil lifted the pan and swirled the egg. “Here. Unless you need me.”
Hunter slid off the stool. He stopped outside Peregrine’s studio. The water turned on in the bathroom. Hunter walked on to the bedroom door. He looked back at Emil then slipped inside. He returned a moment later and slipped back onto the stool.
Emil grinned. “It’s it pretty, all dark rugged rock?”
“Peregrine took me to that noodle shop.”
“I’ve eaten there. It was good. We can go there tonight if you like.”
“You had sex with Kurt.”
Emil slid the scrambled egg onto a plate, but when he was done he still couldn’t think of the right thing to say. “Yes.”
“This morning,” pressed Hunter, “before you came out here.”
The door had been closed and music on in the living room and they had tried to be quiet and they’d made the bed, and here was a kid asking about it. But Hunter fingers were white against the counter. He needed an answer and Emil wasn’t going to start a brotherhood with Hunter by lying to him. “Yes.”
“Good.” Hunter sagged into his seat. He picked up his fork and took a bite of eggs.
Emil lifted his eyebrows. “Good?”
Hunter nodded.
“And why is that?”
Hunter swallowed. Emil got him a glass of water and he drank half of it in just s few gulps.
“I… I’m glad.” Hunter stared his fork. “I feel safer when… when I know you’ve been together.”
Emil felt torn open. “Are you scared? Of us?”
Hunter shook his head. He took another bite of egg. Emil turned and cooked up some more food. Kurt would be out of the shower soon.
“I…”
Emil glanced at Hunter. He was looking at his plate. “I feel safe here. I see how much he wants you, how much you want him. I… Kurt doesn’t look at me the way he looks at you and Peregrine, so I know I’m safe with him.”
Oh that poor child. Emil’s heart bled. Only force of will kept Emil from hugging the kid. And the worry that he’d make things worse. “I’m glad you feel safe here.”
“I do.” The kid actually smiled.
“I hope someday you will feel as safe with Dad and Casey.”
Hunter nodded. “That’s why I’m going to see Josh.”
Emil nodded back. And he’d thought his life was rough.
Kurt opened the studio door and stepped out. Emil put the eggs on a plate and buttered the toast. “I made you breakfast.”
Kurt kissed his neck. “I’m always hungry.”
Emil pressed his fingers over Kurt’s.
Hunter pushed back his plate. “Kurt, do you know that Emil’s eyes sparkle when he looks at you?”
Kurt grinned. “Do they?”
Emil blushed under his gaze.
Hunter nodded. “They get all sparkly like he’s about to cry only he’s really happy. Peregrines’ don’t. He relaxes when he looks at you. At both of you. I’m going to take a shower. If I go to church, can I do it in these clothes?”
But he didn’t wait for the answer.
Kurt turned to Emil. “Tell me?”
Emil shook his head. Kurt needed to eat and with him in the room, Emil felt stronger. Or maybe that he didn’t need to be strong. And as long as they could keep Hunter safe, the conversation could wait until Emil was in a place that his red eyes wouldn’t matter. Maybe tonight before bed with Kurt holding him.
--
Peregrine woke as the sun stole the trees shadow from him. He looked at his phone. He had to go back to his parents. Mr. Matheson would be there soon and Peregrine wanted to oversee the work. But he waited a second to text Kurt that he had slept. Only he didn’t tell him where.