Prompt Post: ROUND TWO
ROUND TWO IS CLOSED
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Rules post.
Flat view.
ROUND TWO: Updates Post (WIPs only)
ROUND TWO: Fills Post (completed Fills only)
damalur's firstclasskink on Delicious.
Volunteers always welcome.
Please use the Discussion Post if you want to talk about community alterations or get my modly attention. Do not ( Read more... )
<< ROUND ONE | ALL ROUNDS | ROUND THREE >>
Rules post.
Flat view.
ROUND TWO: Updates Post (WIPs only)
ROUND TWO: Fills Post (completed Fills only)
damalur's firstclasskink on Delicious.
Volunteers always welcome.
Please use the Discussion Post if you want to talk about community alterations or get my modly attention. Do not ( Read more... )
How shallow, he thinks, and Erik looks up, the fire crackling, the bright snapping orange flames picking up the gold and scarlet in Erik’s hair. “What’s shallow?”
Charles blinks; he hadn’t realized he’s been projecting so hard. But maybe it’s that it’s Erik, and the other man can hear him regardless. Charles would like to think so -
He swallows the last dregs of his brandy and stands, hands shoved in his pockets. “Nothing. I’m just musing. Did you want more - ” but Erik’s laughing, the rough lowness of the sound enough to make Charles turn and stare at him, his hands desperately wanting to raise to his temple. He knows everything there is to know about Erik Lehnsherr, but he wants to hear it from Erik’s lips. Not from stealing his way into the lockbox that Erik makes of his mind.
Leaning back, Erik watches Charles watching him, and lets the laugh drift off. He tugs at his collar; his face is flushed, although he tells himself it’s from the drink. “You were looking at me, Charles. What is so shallow that you can’t tell me outloud? Come come, my friend, I’m no wilting daisy.” His lips twitch but his face remains tight and blood-blushed, the thoughts that had been bouncing around his head while he was supposed to be focusing on the game at hand - Charles always had the skill and the love to beat him at it, but sometimes the other man was genial enough to pretend he didn’t - were dark and lonely and Erik didn’t want to be there. He wanted to be here, in the room with Charles and the odd comfort that rose with the fire and the drink and the expressive blue eyes that watched him as though he were the most special and delicate thing in the world.
Erik rumbles a laugh again; he’s anything but. Delicate as a machine gun, soft as a metal table, weak as a silver coin that lives in his pocket. He cocks his head and narrows his green eyes, even as Charles hems and haws and twists his red lips.
“Why do you cover up?”
That was the last thing Erik expects to hear. His mouth collapses to a thin line as he crosses his arms over his chest. What are you hiding from me?
“You say you know everything, Charles. Don’t choose to lie to me now,” Erik snaps back, pushing out of the chair, his voice soft as a wind rising before the storm that will inevitably follow. Icy rain pounds at his skull, and he stands in the yard with Herr Doktor and raises the steel shovel again and again, higher each time Schmidt hits him with the lash (only leather, of course). “I know you can see all of it.”
And therein lies the rub. Erik’s fingers (trembling a bit now; he’s surrounded by shouts of ausgesieschnet and the feeling of the lash coming again and again) cover his mouth and he slinks toward Charles, the anger rising, a small bell on top of a side table crunching with a weak ping. “Why am I shallow?”
A murmur, whispered, cracked and only half spoken, but he knows Charles hears it. The other man’s blue eyes slide shut as he speaks, the fire that was pleasant a few moments ago roaring like the ovens are busy today, Herr Doktor!
“There is more to you than pain, my friend,” Charles whispers, taking the two steps that separate them. “There is more to you than the past. Can you trust me with it?” I believe in you. Please show me.
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NGH THIS LINE.
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"his hands desperately wanting to raise to his temple. (...) lets the laugh drift off." Love this section
"Erik rumbles a laugh again" and "even as Charles hems and haws and twists his red lips." Love the word choices here
And the line about how Charles looks at Erik like he's "he were the most special and delicate thing in the world" is just WAFF inducing.
And then Erik getting angry, the flashbacks and the small bell getting crunched; I loved it a lot for how riveting it is and how much tension is going on.
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And as I said thank you so much for the detailed feedback. I love that kind and I'm so glad you liked this piece. :))))
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