A Balance of Harmonies: Apart, Together
Jan. 25th, 2013 03:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frogs_of_warFour days into my vacation (which went by too fast), I got a phone call from the store manager. My immediate boss was sick again and the doctor wasn’t letting her come back until Tuesday, so could I work the first two days of the week. I could and did, but no one had been in the department Thursday and Friday, so it looked a mess. As of yesterday, I think we might have finally got it back into shape. But we are still behind for Valentines.
Title: Apart, Together
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter one hundred six of
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: dancing, overwhelmed, impatience, realization, anger, pain, worry, a search, savoring
Length: about 3,300 words
Summary: Emil discovers that his men aren’t as perceptive as he’d hoped. Kurt doesn’t know what he did or how to fix it.
Master list
Emil danced close to Kurt. He wanted to wear this costume to bed tonight — Willow had assured him it was one hundred percent washable — but he wasn’t about to wear it outside and into a hotel. He looked like an expensive person of the evening, which was fine as long as no one thought he actually was one.
But dancing this close to the ones he loved with almost nothing between them, made him want to be skin to skin. “Do you think it’s late enough to leave?”
Kurt pulled him closer. “Maybe.”
Olivia and Hunter walked slowly upstairs. Keith stepped into the ballroom. “You too.”
Tyler yawned. “School tomorrow.”
Dakota grinned. “I’m going to ace my physics test.”
Tyler grinned. “I know you will.”
The two headed for the stairs.
Emil nodded at Dad. “We better call it a night as well.”
Liam shut down the stereo and turned off the kitchen lights. Willow flutter around. Emil led the way upstairs. He looked in the bedroom and closed his eyes. He’d forgotten that they would have to be moving all their stuff into the hotel. He really did have to change.
Peregrine tossed himself on the bed. “I could sleep for a week.”
He closed his eyes.
They would never get out of here at this rate. Emil nudged Peregrine’s foot.
Peregrine waved him away. “I’ll go last.”
What? Maybe Peregrine didn’t want to go to the hotel dressed in his costume. But hadn’t he before?
Kurt stepped into the room. “Willow says we should have enough towels, but she showed me where the linen closet is.”
Were they expected to take showers before the left for the hotel? They wouldn’t get there until midnight as it was.
“I’ll go first.” Kurt pointed to the bathroom, “if you don’t mind.”
Peregrine waved his hand. Kurt closed the bathroom door behind him.
Emil sat on a chair. No one seemed in a hurry to leave.
A knock sounded at the door. Willow stood outside with a small pump bottle. “I thought you might not have makeup remover. You don’t have to take it off right away, but don’t sleep in it.” She looked past Emil into the room. “You can return it tomorrow. Goodnight, Emil, Peregrine, Kurt.”
Kurt wished her a goodnight, but before Emil could close the door, Dad appeared. “If you guys need anything, just let me know. I’ll get to you as soon as I can. Casey had a hard day and I want to give him a bit of undivided, but you boys are important to me too.”
He hugged Emil. “Thanks for this. Goodnight.”
Kurt closed the door and locked it. Emil sat down in the chair. “We are staying here.”
“You said Keith wanted us to stay, so I made the arrangements right then.”
But Emil had never said he wanted to stay.
“Keith said how happy he was that we are. He feels like your real dad now.”
Emil could have lived without the guilt trip as well.
Peregrine sat up. “Emil, is something wrong?”
Emil shook his head. “I’ll take the bathroom next.”
Only he hadn’t brought the makeup remover in and he didn’t want to waste time just smearing the makeup around his face.
His men looked up as he walked out the door. He grabbed his bag and went back into the bathroom. Maybe he could sleep in the empty bedroom on the other side of the bathroom. He looked out that door. The room had a bed frame with a mattress but no bedding. Was he angry enough to spend the night in here?
Yes.
He scrubbed the makeup off his face and pulled out sweatpants, a tank top, and a hoody out of his bag. He didn’t want to look or feel sexy. He hopped in the shower to wash off the last of the evening, of back when he’d been happy. Dad kept the bathroom stocked, so Emil picked the soaps that wouldn’t remind him of home.
He was angry. He was vivid. Only…
Kurt really had no way of knowing how much Emil hated to be a burden. Emil hadn’t exactly told him to say no to Dad.
But Emil put on the baggy clothes anyway. He wiped his eyes on the towel before finishing drying his hair.
He was being unreasonable, but shouldn’t people he knew as well as he knew Kurt and Peregrine be able to pick something like this up? He shouldn’t have had to spell it out, should he, to the guy he’d dated for almost seven years and Kurt who was normally so perceptive? They hadn’t been able to see something that meant so much to him.
Did they love him at all?
Yes, yes they did.
They loved him even if they were blind. He curled up on the empty bed. He was going to freeze laying here without any blankets, but he wasn’t ready to go back yet. Maybe he’d wait until everyone was asleep and get bedding out of the linen closet.
--
Kurt buried his face in his hands. “What did I do?”
Peregrine patted his shoulder. “What makes you think it was you? I could have done something despicable.”
“No, it had to be me.” He was the one who’d been talking when Emil’s face fell. “If he didn’t want to stay here, he could have at least told me.”
Unless Emil’s troubles were for some other reason, which they could easily be. Emil loved his dad. Moving back home was never easy; Kurt had been dragged back home with only the tiniest spark of hope that he’d ever be free again. Emil would only be here a week with the men who loved him. Surely that couldn’t be so bad that Emil would storm out.
The shower started.
Kurt rubbed his face. “How can I fix this?”
He pulled off his tie. Emil wasn’t going to come out ready to touch and be touched. Kurt took off his suit and sat back on the bed.
Peregrine got up. “I might as well take this off too.”
He changed into flannel pajamas and stood outside the bathroom door. “I don’t think he’s coming back in here.”
He opened the door slowly. The bathroom was empty.
Kurt followed Peregrine into the bathroom. “Where did he go?”
Peregrine pointed at the other door and then grabbed Kurt’s arm as he reached for the knob. “Give me a minute to get this makeup off. I think we should go in there together.”
Kurt paced the spare room and came back into the bathroom. “Maybe you should go first.”
“I might not be able to get him to come back.”
“He doesn’t have to come back. Just a second.” Kurt pulled on a shirt and then went into the hall. Maybe Emil had gone somewhere else. Kurt checked the downstairs and then came back up. He didn’t know which rooms were occupied, so he didn’t want to open them at random.
He came back to the bedroom. “He’s probably in there.”
Peregrine nodded and dried his face. Kurt stepped back out of the room. The linen closet had extra blankets. Kurt grabbed a few. He went back in the bathroom and passed Peregrine one. He nodded at the door. “After you.”
Peregrine opened the door and stepped in. Emil curled tighter into a ball on the bed. He was sobbing gently. Kurt took a deep breath. He’d cause this. Somehow, Emil’s pain was his fault. He nudged Peregrine closer to the bed and dropped the pile of blankets in the corner then unfolded one and laid it on top of Emil.
Emil shivered. Kurt opened the second blanket and covered Emil better. Peregrine wrapped himself in his blanket and lay down beside Emil. Kurt did the same with his arm over Emil’s blankets.
Emil turned in Kurt’s arms and cried against Kurt’s chest.
Kurt didn’t know what he had done and he didn’t know how he fixed it or even if it was fixed, but he was going to savor the feeling of Emil in his arms tonight.
Title: Apart, Together
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter one hundred six of
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: dancing, overwhelmed, impatience, realization, anger, pain, worry, a search, savoring
Length: about 3,300 words
Summary: Emil discovers that his men aren’t as perceptive as he’d hoped. Kurt doesn’t know what he did or how to fix it.
Master list
Emil danced close to Kurt. He wanted to wear this costume to bed tonight — Willow had assured him it was one hundred percent washable — but he wasn’t about to wear it outside and into a hotel. He looked like an expensive person of the evening, which was fine as long as no one thought he actually was one.
But dancing this close to the ones he loved with almost nothing between them, made him want to be skin to skin. “Do you think it’s late enough to leave?”
Kurt pulled him closer. “Maybe.”
Olivia and Hunter walked slowly upstairs. Keith stepped into the ballroom. “You too.”
Tyler yawned. “School tomorrow.”
Dakota grinned. “I’m going to ace my physics test.”
Tyler grinned. “I know you will.”
The two headed for the stairs.
Emil nodded at Dad. “We better call it a night as well.”
Liam shut down the stereo and turned off the kitchen lights. Willow flutter around. Emil led the way upstairs. He looked in the bedroom and closed his eyes. He’d forgotten that they would have to be moving all their stuff into the hotel. He really did have to change.
Peregrine tossed himself on the bed. “I could sleep for a week.”
He closed his eyes.
They would never get out of here at this rate. Emil nudged Peregrine’s foot.
Peregrine waved him away. “I’ll go last.”
What? Maybe Peregrine didn’t want to go to the hotel dressed in his costume. But hadn’t he before?
Kurt stepped into the room. “Willow says we should have enough towels, but she showed me where the linen closet is.”
Were they expected to take showers before the left for the hotel? They wouldn’t get there until midnight as it was.
“I’ll go first.” Kurt pointed to the bathroom, “if you don’t mind.”
Peregrine waved his hand. Kurt closed the bathroom door behind him.
Emil sat on a chair. No one seemed in a hurry to leave.
A knock sounded at the door. Willow stood outside with a small pump bottle. “I thought you might not have makeup remover. You don’t have to take it off right away, but don’t sleep in it.” She looked past Emil into the room. “You can return it tomorrow. Goodnight, Emil, Peregrine, Kurt.”
Kurt wished her a goodnight, but before Emil could close the door, Dad appeared. “If you guys need anything, just let me know. I’ll get to you as soon as I can. Casey had a hard day and I want to give him a bit of undivided, but you boys are important to me too.”
He hugged Emil. “Thanks for this. Goodnight.”
Kurt closed the door and locked it. Emil sat down in the chair. “We are staying here.”
“You said Keith wanted us to stay, so I made the arrangements right then.”
But Emil had never said he wanted to stay.
“Keith said how happy he was that we are. He feels like your real dad now.”
Emil could have lived without the guilt trip as well.
Peregrine sat up. “Emil, is something wrong?”
Emil shook his head. “I’ll take the bathroom next.”
Only he hadn’t brought the makeup remover in and he didn’t want to waste time just smearing the makeup around his face.
His men looked up as he walked out the door. He grabbed his bag and went back into the bathroom. Maybe he could sleep in the empty bedroom on the other side of the bathroom. He looked out that door. The room had a bed frame with a mattress but no bedding. Was he angry enough to spend the night in here?
Yes.
He scrubbed the makeup off his face and pulled out sweatpants, a tank top, and a hoody out of his bag. He didn’t want to look or feel sexy. He hopped in the shower to wash off the last of the evening, of back when he’d been happy. Dad kept the bathroom stocked, so Emil picked the soaps that wouldn’t remind him of home.
He was angry. He was vivid. Only…
Kurt really had no way of knowing how much Emil hated to be a burden. Emil hadn’t exactly told him to say no to Dad.
But Emil put on the baggy clothes anyway. He wiped his eyes on the towel before finishing drying his hair.
He was being unreasonable, but shouldn’t people he knew as well as he knew Kurt and Peregrine be able to pick something like this up? He shouldn’t have had to spell it out, should he, to the guy he’d dated for almost seven years and Kurt who was normally so perceptive? They hadn’t been able to see something that meant so much to him.
Did they love him at all?
Yes, yes they did.
They loved him even if they were blind. He curled up on the empty bed. He was going to freeze laying here without any blankets, but he wasn’t ready to go back yet. Maybe he’d wait until everyone was asleep and get bedding out of the linen closet.
--
Kurt buried his face in his hands. “What did I do?”
Peregrine patted his shoulder. “What makes you think it was you? I could have done something despicable.”
“No, it had to be me.” He was the one who’d been talking when Emil’s face fell. “If he didn’t want to stay here, he could have at least told me.”
Unless Emil’s troubles were for some other reason, which they could easily be. Emil loved his dad. Moving back home was never easy; Kurt had been dragged back home with only the tiniest spark of hope that he’d ever be free again. Emil would only be here a week with the men who loved him. Surely that couldn’t be so bad that Emil would storm out.
The shower started.
Kurt rubbed his face. “How can I fix this?”
He pulled off his tie. Emil wasn’t going to come out ready to touch and be touched. Kurt took off his suit and sat back on the bed.
Peregrine got up. “I might as well take this off too.”
He changed into flannel pajamas and stood outside the bathroom door. “I don’t think he’s coming back in here.”
He opened the door slowly. The bathroom was empty.
Kurt followed Peregrine into the bathroom. “Where did he go?”
Peregrine pointed at the other door and then grabbed Kurt’s arm as he reached for the knob. “Give me a minute to get this makeup off. I think we should go in there together.”
Kurt paced the spare room and came back into the bathroom. “Maybe you should go first.”
“I might not be able to get him to come back.”
“He doesn’t have to come back. Just a second.” Kurt pulled on a shirt and then went into the hall. Maybe Emil had gone somewhere else. Kurt checked the downstairs and then came back up. He didn’t know which rooms were occupied, so he didn’t want to open them at random.
He came back to the bedroom. “He’s probably in there.”
Peregrine nodded and dried his face. Kurt stepped back out of the room. The linen closet had extra blankets. Kurt grabbed a few. He went back in the bathroom and passed Peregrine one. He nodded at the door. “After you.”
Peregrine opened the door and stepped in. Emil curled tighter into a ball on the bed. He was sobbing gently. Kurt took a deep breath. He’d cause this. Somehow, Emil’s pain was his fault. He nudged Peregrine closer to the bed and dropped the pile of blankets in the corner then unfolded one and laid it on top of Emil.
Emil shivered. Kurt opened the second blanket and covered Emil better. Peregrine wrapped himself in his blanket and lay down beside Emil. Kurt did the same with his arm over Emil’s blankets.
Emil turned in Kurt’s arms and cried against Kurt’s chest.
Kurt didn’t know what he had done and he didn’t know how he fixed it or even if it was fixed, but he was going to savor the feeling of Emil in his arms tonight.
