Subtle (ClockwiseDream)

''Yeah, I guess that's true'', Lionel said with a small laugh as Volkan pointed out that he would have needed his help even more had he actually needed to drag his massive photography books down. ''Perhaps I'll give you a call next time I actually have to bring them down from their shelves'', he said with a small huff and a nod of his head, one is his hands already pointing down the hall as he said: ''This way then. Elevator is a bit further down the hall.''

A minute or so later they found themselves standing in front of the elevator door. Lionel pressed the button, calling it down, before he started going through his pockets, looking for his room key. ''Just so we don't actually have to stand in front of my dorm room like a pair of idiots'', he explained, finally feeling the cold metal under his fingertips. Dragging it out, he saw they got completely tangled up with his earphones. ''Somehow, this always happens'', he said, sighing, as he attacked the web made of plastic and metal trying to free his key. ''And I don't even know how. If you asked me a moment before I would have said they weren't even in the same pocket.''

The elevator arrived just as Lionel was putting the earphones back into his pocked, and he held the door open for Volkan to enter first. ''So'', he said as he did so. ''You haven't told me yet what you've seen so far and what you want to see next.''

Lionel sensed the embarrassment Volkan tried to hide in the frown of his brow and he suddenly found himself frowning as well. It was not his intention to embarrass the other man with his words in any way, especially as he had already seen that the fire dancer was much shyer that himself. He didn't say anything, however, guessing that doing so would only increase the other man's embarrassment, only reminding himself to take better care of what he said and did, at least until Volkan opened up a bit more to him.

''Sounds like I have a lot left to show you then'', he said with a smile as the elevator finally reached his floor. Opening the door, he started listing all the various locations, first in his head, then out loud. ''The on campus buildings are interesting, but not that interesting. It won't take us long to see them all if we hurry. I could show you some of the power training classrooms if they are empty as they can be kind of cool'', he said, humming under his breath as he held the door. ''I've never needed them much as my power is all about getting into people's heads rather than blowing things up, but I've heard all kinds of stories'', he explained, a smile still on his face, but having perhaps fallen a shade darker. He really did not like his powers all that much.

''Then there is the forest of course'', he continued, as he moved down the hallway on his left, his room being some five doors down. ''I took some great shots there, it's really beautiful. The ocean, too, on either side of the island, though I know a few special spots on the cliffs. There is the city, but you've already been there so I don't know if there is much left to show you'', finally reaching his door, Lionel entered the key into the lock and opened them. ''Here we are'', he said, nodding towards the room. ''No room-mate yet for this year so come right in. This will just take a second'', he said, entering himself, and heading straight for his wardrobe as he kept his camera there at the highest shelf.

Bringing the camera case down from its place on the highest shelf, Lionel joined Volkan by the desk, lying the bag slowly on the wooden surface, before zipping it open, his hands bringing it out and turning it on by habit, checking the battery and the lens just as he always did. It was something engraved in him from even before he had a camera of his own, a thing he had learned to do by watching his father take care of the instrument of his work probably from even before he could remember.

''No, don't worry about. We can leave in just a moment'', he said, answering Volkan's questions as he did so, despite his mind being slightly more focused on the camera, his expression calm and serious as he checked one of his most prized possessions.

''A lot of people here have some form of elemental control powers'', he added then, his eyes never leaving the object in front of him, even as he continued to speak, ''so, from what I've heard, there are whole rooms dedicated just to teaching people that. Fire, water, elemental control in general. I've never been in one of them, but there are supposed to be big, so they can't be that hard to find'', Lionel said, his hands changing dancing subtle over the surface of the camera, making sure that everything is in place.

Having made sure that the camera was in just as perfect of a condition as it was when he had last saw it two days ago, Lionel raised it slowly to his eyes, and snapped a picture of Volkan's profile as the man looked around the room. Realising immediately what he has done, he put the camera down, turning it off.

''I, sorry'', he said, feeling now embarrassed himself. ''I'll delete that if you want. It's just a habit, I do that all the time to check if the camera is still working properly, and you have nice features so... I should have asked for your permission first'', he explained, wondering what in the world had come over him. He always asked people for their permission first, always, especially when he knew that they might be uncomfortable with it, and from what he saw and felt, Volkan would definitely be uncomfortable with it, and he did not want that.

''I'm sorry. Really'', he said once again, his hand itching to turn the camera on and see how the photo had turned out at least. Instead of doing so, however, he pushed it away from himself, already knowing that if he did that he would feel a bit bad about deleting it, and he did not want that. ''I'll just delete it'', he promised.

''I'm still sorry, though'', Lionel said, taking the camera back in his hands and holding it gently as he stared down at it, frowning. ''I know better than to just snap photos of people, even though they are pleasing to the eye'', he said, shooting Volkan a small but bright smile. He had already guess that the man would disagree with him on that. ''And you really are you know'', he said, though carefully, as despite never being the one to hold back when he found somebody attractive, he had already stepped over one boundary today, and he had only met the man properly not even a full hour ago.

''Your colour is amazing for one'', he explained, still choosing his words carefully. ''Your eyes are a good colour too. And you have a pretty strong profile'', he finished, deciding he shouldn't say anything more. He intentionally avoided mentioning Volkan's scars, though he thought that they added something to the picture though. ''Perfect for taking photos of'', he said in the end, turning the camera back on without switching it into the mode that would allow him to browse pictures. ''It's probably why I couldn't help myself even though the first rule you learn about taking pictures of people is to ask'', he said, frowning again. ''Just snapping photos like that is rude. Not to mention illegal in some countries'', he said, only half joking as he did so.

''And even if it were not it still shouldn't be done'', he said, handing Volkan the camera. ''Especially when the people in question don't like to have their photos taken, like you do'', he added, his hand still outstretched. ''Here'', he said. ''So you can delete it. I'll have to try and catch a photo of you when you're performing though, though I'm a bit afraid of bringing my camera into the circus'', all of this was said with a smile never fading from Lionel's lips, though it stayed small and apologetic.

''Ah, no, not reall...'', Lionel started saying as soon as he registered the words leaving Volkan's lips, but he was still just a fraction of a second too late. The camera was turned towards him, the photo of the man holding it filling the whole screen. And it was a damn good photo too, he thought, already sorry that it would have to be destroyed for good. ''Damn'', he said, closing his eyes as he heard the click of a button being pressed, the deleting of the photo complete.

''You really shouldn't have shown me that'', he said, opening one eye, his head slightly bent, and looking up at Volkan almost shyly, or as shyly as somebody who hasn't been shy since he was three could get. ''Now I'm going to feel bad about feeling guilty for letting you delete such a good photo for the rest of the day'', he explained, sighing, as he shook his head. At whom, he wasn't sure exactly, though it was most probably at himself. Had he not taken the photo in the first place, none of this would have happened.

''And you could just take it as a compliment, you know'', he said, taking the camera back from Volkan slowly. It was not that he did not trust the man, he had handled his possession in the most delicate and careful way, making sure beyond sure that he would not drop or break it, but he still felt odd seeing it in someone else's hands. Plus, he also wanted to confirm that the man had really deleted the shot, some small hope that he had not still living on inside his heart even though his mind knew that it was the only right thing to do.

Damn, he hated losing good shots, he thought, sighing again as he was met with a sight of the last photo he took before Volkan: a sunset over an African savannah from the last time he had gone to visit his father a few weeks ago.

''I have, in the end, meant it as such'', he said, turning off the camera and putting it back inside its bag carefully, debating once again simply leaving it here, mostly because he knew he would be tempted to take photos of Volkan again now that he knew how good the man could look in the shot. He would not do it again, not without his consent, he was sure of it, but...he would be tempted.

''Give me one more moment and I'll really be ready to go'', he said in the end, deciding he would just take it with him and bare the burn of trying not to point it in the wrong direction again. Having said that, he turned back towards the wardrobe, grabbing a small bag he used for carrying things such as keys and phone when he went for his artistic walks, packing said items into it, before disappearing into the bathroom for a quick change of clothes.

''Alright'', he said once he came back, stretching his arms a bit in order to get the new shirt to lie comfortable on his shoulders. ''What do you want to see first?'', he asked, turning back towards Volkan and shooting him a smile when he was set and done.