mushrooms.
Chocolate.
Hazelnuts.
His eyes caught the ice cream store stand.
No ice cream.
His eyes filled with tears. Three weeks. Three weeks and it still ached.
Someone bumped into him, knocking his list from his hand.
“Sorry!” Warm hands steadied him and then moved quickly away. “Topaz?”
He met Quincy’s eyes quickly and nodded, bending to fetch his list. “Hello, Gem... Quincy. How are you?” He couldn’t meet those pretty eyes again, not without crying.”I miss you.” Quincy’s voice was husky.
Topaz nodded, swallowing hard. “I miss you, too. I can’t stop dreaming about you.”
Quincy’s hand touched his arm again and then slid away. “I want... can we go somewhere and talk?”
“Okay. Sure. Uh... the coffeehouse?” He folded his note and stuck it away. “It’s quiet.” Oh, God. Oh. Oh.
“All right.” Quincy’s hand came back, stroking his arm before taking his elbow and guiding him down the street.Topaz followed quietly. Leo and Stephan had been so good to him, making sure he didn’t hermit away in his nest. Feeding him. Loving him. Trying to ease the pain.
Never once calling him a fool.
They made their way to the coffeehouse in silence, though Topaz could feel the weight of those eyes on him for most of the trip.
They ordered a latte and a green tea, taking their drinks to an isolated table in the corner, Topaz settling in the corner. He almost laughed -- the second time they’d been together over a restaurant table and they’d fallen in love and broken up between.
“How... how are you doing?” Quincy asked after the silence had stretched out between them.
“I hurt. I dream about you. I work a lot.” Topaz sipped his tea, letting it warm him inside. “How about you?””I’ve been dumped more times than I can count, but nothing’s ever hurt like this.”
“I didn’t dump you, Quincy. I asked you to stay. I wanted you to stay.” He put the cup down, willing his fingers not to shake.
“I know... I... I just thought I love you meant I love you, not you and Leo and Stephan and... I guess it just means more to me than sweet words.”
Topaz’s heart clenched, breaking quietly. “It meant everything to me.”
“Then I don’t understand.”
“What don’t you understand, Gemini?” He shrugged. “I am in love with you. You... you’re like a missing part of me, like my partner. Ku and Daisy are my lovers, but they’re soul mates to each other, they’re a single unit. I... I don’t understand how loving them and being in love with you is wrong.”
“What about loyalty, fidelity?”
“I am loyal. I don’t offer my body, my heart easily.” Topaz could feel the tears gathering, feel them hot on his lower lashes. “I have been with Stephan and Leo for years and have only had two other lovers, both of whom are my friends, who care for me. Isn’t that loyal?”
“I don’t know. Yes? I don’t know. Oh God, Topaz, please don’t cry. I... fuck. You aren’t like anyone I’ve ever known.” Quincy’s voice was thick with emotion, mostly pain.
He blinked hard, wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry.” Topaz didn’t know what he was apologizing for -- the tears, the pain, the differences. All he knew was that he was sorry.”Me too.” Quincy’s hand slid over his, warm and gentle. “I want to see you again.”
“Do you? Really?” He turned his hand over, holding on.
“I do,” whispered Quincy. “It hurts so bad, being away from you -- more than anything, even Tommy and he was... we lived together for almost two years. I can’t say I understand or am happy about you and... and them, but that doesn’t hurt near as much as not being with you does.””It doesn’t have to be me and them. If you decide to, it can be us and them.” He reached out, stroked Quincy’s cheek. “I wouldn’t leave your bed to go to them, love. It’s not like that.”
“Us?” Quincy nuzzled into his touch, surprise and shock warring with need in those beautiful
Chocolate.
Hazelnuts.
His eyes caught the ice cream store stand.
No ice cream.
His eyes filled with tears. Three weeks. Three weeks and it still ached.
Someone bumped into him, knocking his list from his hand.
“Sorry!” Warm hands steadied him and then moved quickly away. “Topaz?”
He met Quincy’s eyes quickly and nodded, bending to fetch his list. “Hello, Gem... Quincy. How are you?” He couldn’t meet those pretty eyes again, not without crying.”I miss you.” Quincy’s voice was husky.
Topaz nodded, swallowing hard. “I miss you, too. I can’t stop dreaming about you.”
Quincy’s hand touched his arm again and then slid away. “I want... can we go somewhere and talk?”
“Okay. Sure. Uh... the coffeehouse?” He folded his note and stuck it away. “It’s quiet.” Oh, God. Oh. Oh.
“All right.” Quincy’s hand came back, stroking his arm before taking his elbow and guiding him down the street.Topaz followed quietly. Leo and Stephan had been so good to him, making sure he didn’t hermit away in his nest. Feeding him. Loving him. Trying to ease the pain.
Never once calling him a fool.
They made their way to the coffeehouse in silence, though Topaz could feel the weight of those eyes on him for most of the trip.
They ordered a latte and a green tea, taking their drinks to an isolated table in the corner, Topaz settling in the corner. He almost laughed -- the second time they’d been together over a restaurant table and they’d fallen in love and broken up between.
“How... how are you doing?” Quincy asked after the silence had stretched out between them.
“I hurt. I dream about you. I work a lot.” Topaz sipped his tea, letting it warm him inside. “How about you?””I’ve been dumped more times than I can count, but nothing’s ever hurt like this.”
“I didn’t dump you, Quincy. I asked you to stay. I wanted you to stay.” He put the cup down, willing his fingers not to shake.
“I know... I... I just thought I love you meant I love you, not you and Leo and Stephan and... I guess it just means more to me than sweet words.”
Topaz’s heart clenched, breaking quietly. “It meant everything to me.”
“Then I don’t understand.”
“What don’t you understand, Gemini?” He shrugged. “I am in love with you. You... you’re like a missing part of me, like my partner. Ku and Daisy are my lovers, but they’re soul mates to each other, they’re a single unit. I... I don’t understand how loving them and being in love with you is wrong.”
“What about loyalty, fidelity?”
“I am loyal. I don’t offer my body, my heart easily.” Topaz could feel the tears gathering, feel them hot on his lower lashes. “I have been with Stephan and Leo for years and have only had two other lovers, both of whom are my friends, who care for me. Isn’t that loyal?”
“I don’t know. Yes? I don’t know. Oh God, Topaz, please don’t cry. I... fuck. You aren’t like anyone I’ve ever known.” Quincy’s voice was thick with emotion, mostly pain.
He blinked hard, wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry.” Topaz didn’t know what he was apologizing for -- the tears, the pain, the differences. All he knew was that he was sorry.”Me too.” Quincy’s hand slid over his, warm and gentle. “I want to see you again.”
“Do you? Really?” He turned his hand over, holding on.
“I do,” whispered Quincy. “It hurts so bad, being away from you -- more than anything, even Tommy and he was... we lived together for almost two years. I can’t say I understand or am happy about you and... and them, but that doesn’t hurt near as much as not being with you does.””It doesn’t have to be me and them. If you decide to, it can be us and them.” He reached out, stroked Quincy’s cheek. “I wouldn’t leave your bed to go to them, love. It’s not like that.”
“Us?” Quincy nuzzled into his touch, surprise and shock warring with need in those beautiful
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