A Balance of Harmonies: Shades
Oct. 26th, 2012 06:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frogs_of_warI walk about four miles (6.4 k) every day I don’t work (three to five days a week) and I read last week that calories burned has to do with oxygen used (so the harder something is to do the more calories burned). Some guy tested on a tread mill and found out that it’s easier to walk until you’re (or at least he’s) going 12 mile (19 k) an hour, so running at slower speeds is actually better than walking.
I walked this 4 miles in an hour fifteen or twenty, so I decided to try to jog part of the way. The first day took me just as long as walking, but yesterday and today (after less than two weeks of speedy trips) I walked/jogged it in almost exactly an hour. I didn’t even have to change the disc for my book on tape.
Now I’m going to try to finish the route in 48 minutes (5 miles or 8 k an hour), but although the running part of the trip gets easier each day, I don’t expect to get there for a while.
Title: Shades
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter ninety-three of many more
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: quirkiness, color and texture, a wish, TV, gray plaid, dancing, the vest guy, going home, longing
Length: about 1,600 words
Summary: Emil expresses an opinion. Kurt meets a stranger. Peregrine longs for him.
Master list
Emil opened the door to May and Thad, the young architects. Bags surrounded them. Emil gestured at the floor. “Could you use a hand?”
May paused. “Would that be unprofessional?”
“Standing in the hall is unprofessional.” Thad picked up three bags.
“I think,” Emil lifted the nearest bag, “if the client asks, then it’s not, but you shouldn’t ask them.”
Thad nodded. “Exactly what I think. Also asking if something is unprofessional is unprofessional.”
May sighed. Emil gestured them into the dining room. “But don’t feel you have to be conventional and professional with us. Quirky is good.”
May smiled. “I’ll remember that.”
She opened a bag and took out her laptop. “We came by today with swatches and paint chips to see what you like. My violet or red might be different than your violet or red.”
She took several large rectangles of fabric out of her bag. Emil reached for the velvet to see if it was really as soft as it looked despite the chocolate brown color. It was.
May made a note. She offered him a six inch square of fabric. “Sit down. Now close your eyes and feel.”
Emil liked the first one’s softness, didn’t like the roughness of the second, loved the velvets, especially the less stiff ones. Two of the silky ones were good, but the stiff slick one wasn’t. One felt like it had paisleys on it. He couldn’t decide. “I like the texture and the feel of the embroidery, but the fabric beneath it is rough.”
She passed him another embroidered one, which he liked and third which he didn’t. “It might make good curtains or something no one touched, but I can’t imagine resting my head against it.”
May laughed. “I agree. Six more.”
Emil went through the stack quickly.
“Now open your eyes and tell me the ones that catch your eyes.” May laid the fabric squares down in a light/dark pattern.
He pointed to the purple, the red, the greens, and the blues. “I like bright colors. I always wanted colors like this on my walls, but this is the first place I’ve ever owned and the other two will probably want white.”
Thad looked up from his ipad. “Are you the only one that does the laundry?”
Kurt helped on occasion and Peregrine did laundry when he was on one of his cleaning kicks and he did all the ironing. But Emil did the day to day laundry. “For the most part.”
“Then the laundry room should be just as bright as you like.”
Emil smiled. He could live with that.
“You also do the most cooking.”
“But I want Kurt and Peregrine to feel comfortable in the kitchen. Plus we want it open, so I can see and talk to people at the table while I cook.”
“I think,” May looked up from her laptop, “the kitchen should be a work of art. A showcase that is lived in. Peregrine says you three are friends with other artists. Any that could design tiles?”
“Our best friends work in glass, steel, and fabric, but I think we could find someone.”
“Glass tiles might be a smart idea. Can you give me their names?”
Emil did and then he was set to sorting the squares into like and didn’t like. All the beiges and browns went straight into the don’t-like pile and most of the bright when into the like. May pointed at the yellow and orange. “Not these?”
Emil frowned. “I don’t really like them.”
He put those squares in the don’t-like. He picked up the black shiny one. “I’m not really a black person, but I can’t resist this fabric.”
He rubbed it against his cheek. “I’d love sheets made out of this.”
May grinned. “Kurt said the same thing.”
“Peregrine won’t.”
She just grinned at him.
Once the colors were put away, Thad sat down beside Emil and turn his ipad to him. The screen had a picture of a laundry room. The walls changed from white to blue to green to purple. “Do you have a preference?”
Thad showed Emil how to tweak the color. Emil changed the walls to his favorite shade. “But our laundry room will need a sink and a place to hang up hand washables and maybe a place for Peregrine to iron. He likes to iron.”
May looked up from her laptop. “Does he need to iron in the laundry room? Does he iron shirts or tablecloths? Big things need a lot of room. A special shelf tucked into the dining room wall might be a better arrangement.”
“Maybe someplace he can look out the window.”
May nodded. “He’ll be back on Friday?”
“Yes, but not until late.”
“Eight Saturday morning at the other condo,” said Thad. “We prefer to do these consultations one client at a time.”
May nodded. “Sometimes people pick things they think their housemate would like but doesn’t, so they both end up with something they hate. We want you to love your house.”
Emil nodded. “I think we will. About the dining room table…”
He told them his wish and to his surprise they had heard about the table in question and knew someone who had bought one. Emil might just get his wish.
--
Peregrine surveyed his mother’s living room. “I’m going to clean up.”
Dad looked up from the TV. “It is clean.”
“Dad,” Peregrine patted his arm. “Either I vacuumed now or when you are exhausted after physical therapy.”
Dad sighed and waved his hand. “Go ahead. You just want me to miss my TV show.”
When Peregrine wanted Dad to stop watching TV all day, Dad would know. But that was the plan for next week.
--
Kurt walked into the lobby. He was almost home. He was going to take Emil out to dinner then dancing and they would come back and dance some more, this time horizontally. He opened his mail box. Ads.
“Mr. Skyles.”
Kurt turned to a little old man dressed in grays. Kurt hadn’t even known that plaid came in gray. “Hello.”
The man frowned. “Are you trying to let just anyone come in our building?”
“Anyone can now.”
“That should be stopped.”
“Why?”
“Gangs of teenagers roam the halls chattering away at all hours.”
Kurt tucked the junk mail into his pocket. “But shouldn’t we deal with the problem people and not make rules against everyone else?”
The man crossed his arms. “You obviously don’t live on my floor.”
“Four.”
“Well if you were on eleven, you would change your tune. My next door neighbor has four sons, all teenagers. That shouldn’t be allowed.”
Where did people like this come from? “The rule change would not affect anyone currently living in the building, only people coming for work purposes. So you plumber or the guy who fixes you computer or maybe you grandchildren.”
“I don’t have grandchildren.”
“Nieces, nephews, the UPS man delivering you books…”
The man pressed his lips together. “They couldn’t keep my friends from coming to the weekly poker game.”
Kurt nodded. “That’s exactly what they are trying to do. If you try to keep someone else’s friends out, you can’t invite your friends in.”
“That’s not right. My friends aren’t rowdy. Not very rowdy.”
“But they aren’t residents and therefore might not be allowed inside.”
The man stamped his foot. “They can’t do that. I was one of the first residents. Next time the board is up for election, I’m running.”
And then he stomped off before Kurt could ask for his name and condo number. Kurt sighed and pressed the button for the elevator. He had someone more important to think about, waiting for him.
--
Emil twirled around the dance floor. He was riding the high that only dancing gave him. His dance partner changed again. Emil didn’t care as long as they were polite. This was a guy he recognized. The guy grinned. “Remember me?”
Emil nodded. The vest guy who was with the suspenders guy from that night when Kurt’s colleagues had shown up. Boy, could he dance. The guy leaned close. “My boyfriend was extra-specially brilliant after we dance last time. I hope for a repeat.”
Emil grinned. He was quite willing to help. He danced his best, which was always better across from a good partner. They danced through two songs and were starting a third when arms wrapped around Emil’s waist and he was lifted from the ground. He took in a deep breath, but the hands on him and the chest behind him were Kurt’s.
“I just couldn’t hold it in anymore.” Kurt nibbled on Emil’s ear.
Emil leaned against him. “Time to go home?”
Kurt growled. Emil laughed. He wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight, but he didn’t mind a bit.
--
Peregrine looked up at the sky. Clouds obscured most of the stars, but the moon showed though. Arwen sat down beside him. “You miss them.”
“I wouldn’t be with them tonight away. Wednesday nights are their date nights.”
“But if you were home, you’d know they were coming home to you.”
Peregrine sighed. “I’ll be coming home to them.”
Arwen leaned against him. “Will I ever love anyone like you do?”
“I wouldn’t recommend it. I’m like a vampire who lives on their souls or a plant that lives on their light. I am not alive without them. But, truly, I can’t imagine living any other way.”
I walked this 4 miles in an hour fifteen or twenty, so I decided to try to jog part of the way. The first day took me just as long as walking, but yesterday and today (after less than two weeks of speedy trips) I walked/jogged it in almost exactly an hour. I didn’t even have to change the disc for my book on tape.
Now I’m going to try to finish the route in 48 minutes (5 miles or 8 k an hour), but although the running part of the trip gets easier each day, I don’t expect to get there for a while.
Title: Shades
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter ninety-three of many more
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: quirkiness, color and texture, a wish, TV, gray plaid, dancing, the vest guy, going home, longing
Length: about 1,600 words
Summary: Emil expresses an opinion. Kurt meets a stranger. Peregrine longs for him.
Master list
Emil opened the door to May and Thad, the young architects. Bags surrounded them. Emil gestured at the floor. “Could you use a hand?”
May paused. “Would that be unprofessional?”
“Standing in the hall is unprofessional.” Thad picked up three bags.
“I think,” Emil lifted the nearest bag, “if the client asks, then it’s not, but you shouldn’t ask them.”
Thad nodded. “Exactly what I think. Also asking if something is unprofessional is unprofessional.”
May sighed. Emil gestured them into the dining room. “But don’t feel you have to be conventional and professional with us. Quirky is good.”
May smiled. “I’ll remember that.”
She opened a bag and took out her laptop. “We came by today with swatches and paint chips to see what you like. My violet or red might be different than your violet or red.”
She took several large rectangles of fabric out of her bag. Emil reached for the velvet to see if it was really as soft as it looked despite the chocolate brown color. It was.
May made a note. She offered him a six inch square of fabric. “Sit down. Now close your eyes and feel.”
Emil liked the first one’s softness, didn’t like the roughness of the second, loved the velvets, especially the less stiff ones. Two of the silky ones were good, but the stiff slick one wasn’t. One felt like it had paisleys on it. He couldn’t decide. “I like the texture and the feel of the embroidery, but the fabric beneath it is rough.”
She passed him another embroidered one, which he liked and third which he didn’t. “It might make good curtains or something no one touched, but I can’t imagine resting my head against it.”
May laughed. “I agree. Six more.”
Emil went through the stack quickly.
“Now open your eyes and tell me the ones that catch your eyes.” May laid the fabric squares down in a light/dark pattern.
He pointed to the purple, the red, the greens, and the blues. “I like bright colors. I always wanted colors like this on my walls, but this is the first place I’ve ever owned and the other two will probably want white.”
Thad looked up from his ipad. “Are you the only one that does the laundry?”
Kurt helped on occasion and Peregrine did laundry when he was on one of his cleaning kicks and he did all the ironing. But Emil did the day to day laundry. “For the most part.”
“Then the laundry room should be just as bright as you like.”
Emil smiled. He could live with that.
“You also do the most cooking.”
“But I want Kurt and Peregrine to feel comfortable in the kitchen. Plus we want it open, so I can see and talk to people at the table while I cook.”
“I think,” May looked up from her laptop, “the kitchen should be a work of art. A showcase that is lived in. Peregrine says you three are friends with other artists. Any that could design tiles?”
“Our best friends work in glass, steel, and fabric, but I think we could find someone.”
“Glass tiles might be a smart idea. Can you give me their names?”
Emil did and then he was set to sorting the squares into like and didn’t like. All the beiges and browns went straight into the don’t-like pile and most of the bright when into the like. May pointed at the yellow and orange. “Not these?”
Emil frowned. “I don’t really like them.”
He put those squares in the don’t-like. He picked up the black shiny one. “I’m not really a black person, but I can’t resist this fabric.”
He rubbed it against his cheek. “I’d love sheets made out of this.”
May grinned. “Kurt said the same thing.”
“Peregrine won’t.”
She just grinned at him.
Once the colors were put away, Thad sat down beside Emil and turn his ipad to him. The screen had a picture of a laundry room. The walls changed from white to blue to green to purple. “Do you have a preference?”
Thad showed Emil how to tweak the color. Emil changed the walls to his favorite shade. “But our laundry room will need a sink and a place to hang up hand washables and maybe a place for Peregrine to iron. He likes to iron.”
May looked up from her laptop. “Does he need to iron in the laundry room? Does he iron shirts or tablecloths? Big things need a lot of room. A special shelf tucked into the dining room wall might be a better arrangement.”
“Maybe someplace he can look out the window.”
May nodded. “He’ll be back on Friday?”
“Yes, but not until late.”
“Eight Saturday morning at the other condo,” said Thad. “We prefer to do these consultations one client at a time.”
May nodded. “Sometimes people pick things they think their housemate would like but doesn’t, so they both end up with something they hate. We want you to love your house.”
Emil nodded. “I think we will. About the dining room table…”
He told them his wish and to his surprise they had heard about the table in question and knew someone who had bought one. Emil might just get his wish.
--
Peregrine surveyed his mother’s living room. “I’m going to clean up.”
Dad looked up from the TV. “It is clean.”
“Dad,” Peregrine patted his arm. “Either I vacuumed now or when you are exhausted after physical therapy.”
Dad sighed and waved his hand. “Go ahead. You just want me to miss my TV show.”
When Peregrine wanted Dad to stop watching TV all day, Dad would know. But that was the plan for next week.
--
Kurt walked into the lobby. He was almost home. He was going to take Emil out to dinner then dancing and they would come back and dance some more, this time horizontally. He opened his mail box. Ads.
“Mr. Skyles.”
Kurt turned to a little old man dressed in grays. Kurt hadn’t even known that plaid came in gray. “Hello.”
The man frowned. “Are you trying to let just anyone come in our building?”
“Anyone can now.”
“That should be stopped.”
“Why?”
“Gangs of teenagers roam the halls chattering away at all hours.”
Kurt tucked the junk mail into his pocket. “But shouldn’t we deal with the problem people and not make rules against everyone else?”
The man crossed his arms. “You obviously don’t live on my floor.”
“Four.”
“Well if you were on eleven, you would change your tune. My next door neighbor has four sons, all teenagers. That shouldn’t be allowed.”
Where did people like this come from? “The rule change would not affect anyone currently living in the building, only people coming for work purposes. So you plumber or the guy who fixes you computer or maybe you grandchildren.”
“I don’t have grandchildren.”
“Nieces, nephews, the UPS man delivering you books…”
The man pressed his lips together. “They couldn’t keep my friends from coming to the weekly poker game.”
Kurt nodded. “That’s exactly what they are trying to do. If you try to keep someone else’s friends out, you can’t invite your friends in.”
“That’s not right. My friends aren’t rowdy. Not very rowdy.”
“But they aren’t residents and therefore might not be allowed inside.”
The man stamped his foot. “They can’t do that. I was one of the first residents. Next time the board is up for election, I’m running.”
And then he stomped off before Kurt could ask for his name and condo number. Kurt sighed and pressed the button for the elevator. He had someone more important to think about, waiting for him.
--
Emil twirled around the dance floor. He was riding the high that only dancing gave him. His dance partner changed again. Emil didn’t care as long as they were polite. This was a guy he recognized. The guy grinned. “Remember me?”
Emil nodded. The vest guy who was with the suspenders guy from that night when Kurt’s colleagues had shown up. Boy, could he dance. The guy leaned close. “My boyfriend was extra-specially brilliant after we dance last time. I hope for a repeat.”
Emil grinned. He was quite willing to help. He danced his best, which was always better across from a good partner. They danced through two songs and were starting a third when arms wrapped around Emil’s waist and he was lifted from the ground. He took in a deep breath, but the hands on him and the chest behind him were Kurt’s.
“I just couldn’t hold it in anymore.” Kurt nibbled on Emil’s ear.
Emil leaned against him. “Time to go home?”
Kurt growled. Emil laughed. He wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight, but he didn’t mind a bit.
--
Peregrine looked up at the sky. Clouds obscured most of the stars, but the moon showed though. Arwen sat down beside him. “You miss them.”
“I wouldn’t be with them tonight away. Wednesday nights are their date nights.”
“But if you were home, you’d know they were coming home to you.”
Peregrine sighed. “I’ll be coming home to them.”
Arwen leaned against him. “Will I ever love anyone like you do?”
“I wouldn’t recommend it. I’m like a vampire who lives on their souls or a plant that lives on their light. I am not alive without them. But, truly, I can’t imagine living any other way.”
