fate is both a prison and an open hand (CD)

''That you know of'', Sebastian said, answering to Hari's distress by staying as calm as he could, though he was still frowning, his eyes locked on his lover's usually soft and gentle hands. He did not know why either, but the fingers which were caressing his skin just a few short minutes ago have definitely turned into something else for a moment there.

''It would appear this is how these things work unfortunately'', he said, reaching for the hand Hari was hiding at his chest, giving it a tight squeeze once he had grabbed hold of it as if to show that he was not afraid. ''I myself haven't turned until I was seventeen'', he said, scoffing both at the memory of that first shift and the scales he was currently spotting because of it. And all of it because he got so angry he just wanted to <i>bite</i> someone. ''It's probably the same for you'', he added, thinking both about the cause of it all being the stupidest thing one could possible imagine and the fact that some powers manifested later in life.

''It's fine'', he then said, bringing the hand he had grabbed onto earlier to his lips and kissing it gently before standing up. ''We can box it up, or something. It doesn't matter.'' Offering a hand to Hari so he could help him get up as well he added. ''And we can always go on another date once we figure out what's wrong with the pair of us. Unless you think the scales? They will disappear, you know. Hopefully.''

Sebastian smiled slightly at Hari's words, the said smile growing bigger and brighter as Hari's hands wrapped themselves around his neck. Instinctively he reached to pull his lover closer, wanting nothing more than to feel him pressed against himself as he kissed him breathless, only to be stopped by a loud squishing sound. Looking down, he saw that one of Hari's feet has decided to bury itself deep within one of the delicious looking pies Hari's hands have made for them to eat.

''Well'', he said jokingly, as he pulled his lover closer to himself and out of ruined pie, ''it seems we do not need to worry about boxing up the food. You can just step all over it since you seems to inclined'', he said, laughing lightly as he pressed a soft kiss against Hari's lips. ''Though boxing it up is much more practical if not as emotionally satisfying'', he added with a cheeky grin, before bursting into soft laughter again.

''As for the second date'', he added some time later, after he had stopped laughing, still half joking thought he was also half serious, ''I demand a talking ban be put on it. I assure you it will make everything much better considering it is hard to have an emotional break down if you are not allowed to talk about things.''

Still self conscious about his new golden accessories, he intentionally passed over Hari's comment about liking them, not quite sure if he believed him. ''Let's get this back where it's supposed to go then'', he said after Hari's words about heading back soon, looking down at the food, ''without stepping on it. You think you can manage that?''

''Honestly?'' Sebastian said as he crouched by the other man's side, his hands busying themselves into pretending that they were helping Hari pack up the food. ''No, not really'', he said, frowning a little as he eyed all the food hey would have to bring back with them. ''Did you really think we could eat all of this?'', he asked, turning towards the man at his side and eyeing him playfully. ''Especially since it I was initially forbidden from doing anything that would make us need to build up our energy'', he added, his smile growing playful as well.

''In truth I just don't see the point of it'', he continued then to talk about the previous topic, his hand going once again from stone still to pretending they were doing something while actually just moving food around from here to there. ''I've never actually tried it before,'' he said, frowning a bit; most of his conquests have been just that, conquests, which didn't leave much place for candles and roses, but that part he had never wanted anyway, so he never missed it. Love, sure, he missed, needed, delighted in finally founding it right here, but...

''I guess I'm just more of a physical person than you'', he tried to explain. ''Sex... It feels great, right? It's fun, it's...'', he frowned, founding it hard to explain how he felt. It was just that for him, that was enough, that was all he ever wanted to do, hold and be held., love and be loved. Not even words were needed if he knew, like he had known even before today, that it was indeed so, both ways. He had never thought much about this side of himself before, and he had certainly never tried to explain it. He could only hope Hari would understand.

''It's just something I don't need for myself, but I'll do it for you'', he finished in the end.

''So you are trying to kill me with food?'', Sebastian laughed, immediately picking up the picnic basket once it was packed. It was heavy, much heavier than he had expected, which was yet another reason why there was no way in hell he was letting his lover carry it once again. Not that he was much stronger than Hari. He suspected they would have to take regular breaks on the way back.

''Or at least make me double my weight. Do you know how much sex we would have had to have to work all of this food out of our systems?'' he asked jokingly as he squeezed Hari's arm in return. ''Yeah. The sooner I get rid of this things, the better'', he muttered after that, his eyes catching once again the glimmer of the gold scales against the sun. With little experimentation, he found a way of carrying the picnic basket in just one hand which didn't make him want to drop it down immediately, and with that, they slowly returned to the school. With regular breaks for him to rest his poor hand.