A Corner of the Preserve, Tuesday Evening, and then Later that Evening in Room 402

[oncourtandstage]

Troy was out for an evening run, pushing himself further and further, making his way through the preserve on longer and longer winding paths, sometimes making paths of his own

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Later, in Room 402

[oncourtandstage]

Troy bustled around a bit, getting out two mugs and plugging in his electric kettle. "This'll just take a couple of minutes," he said.

Re: Later, in Room 402

[redintraining]

"Thanks," said Sky quietly, seating himself in a desk chair, starting to look blank and a little lost again. It was plenty warm in the dorm now, so he took off his jacket and draped it across the back of the chair. This revealed the Tangarian Coil bracelet on his right wrist, and Sky had to bite his lip and fight down a sudden sob when he saw it.

Re: Later, in Room 402

[oncourtandstage]

Troy turned away from the tea things, immediately moving over and pulling Sky towards his bed. "Here," he said, sitting beside him and just holding him close. "Cry if you need to. It's okay."

Re: Later, in Room 402

[redintraining]

"S-sorry. My bracelet... it was just a gift from him. A tradition on his home planet is to share one of these with one's closest friend... so you'll always think of each other."

At the back of his mind, Sky didn't feel right. Way, way back. Troy was almost a stranger to him... a friend, sure, but getting this close? Sharing such intimate things with him? However, his doubts quickly quieted down. He allowed himself to be held, raising his right wrist and looking at the silver bracelet, remembering what Dru had said to him the day he'd given it to him, sliding it on his wrist, allowing Sky to put Dru's on for him, as was tradition. "Wear this, and you'll be connected to me. No matter how far apart we are, no matter how long... you can look at this and think of me. I'll look at mine and think of you. Always."

He hurriedly brushed away a tear. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't...

Re: Later, in Room 402

[oncourtandstage]

"That's... that's a really nice tradition," Troy said, smiling softly. "Your friend Dru, he's from another planet? Did he ever take you there to visit?"

Re: Later, in Room 402

[redintraining]

Sky shook his head, letting his arms fall, his hands resting on his thighs. "He wanted to, if we ever could have gotten away- but we both got really intensely involved in our training. We still had plenty of fun, though..." He found himself unconsciously moving even closer to Troy. Almost snuggling, even... if Sky was the type to use such a word, that is.

Re: Later, in Room 402

[oncourtandstage]

Troy let Sky snuggle in, understanding that he probably just needed the physical contact right now, knowing from experience that sometimes you just needed to feel someone else to be able to feel yourself. "Yeah?" Troy asked. "Like what? Did you make trouble at your Academy?"

Re: Later, in Room 402

[redintraining]

Sky snorted derisively. "We started out like that. A few years ago. But we both matured beyond that, especially as we grew closer." There it was again, that nagging feeling. Maybe it was true. Maybe he... "...I loved him," Sky said suddenly. "Not even just as a friend and a brother... but it wasn't til today, til he... it took this happening to realize it." He laughed bitterly. "Now it's too late."

Re: Later, in Room 402

[oncourtandstage]

"... Oh, Sky..." Troy said, pulling him even closer. "You don't know that. You don't know what's going to happen -- you said they don't know for sure, right? There's... there's always hope. And even if not... you still have your memories. You still have him, there inside you."

Re: Later, in Room 402

[redintraining]

This closeness. Sky was enjoying it, in spite of himself, and his grief and confusion and denial and...

"Sure. Yeah. Part of me is still holding onto hope. Desperately. But that part's about to let go and accept reality, I think." He was getting crazy thoughts, sitting here with Troy, trying hard not to cry, mourning the loss of his so-called "husband". Sky would never have imagined being here, now, as he was... but he hadn't counted on Dru dying, either.

Re: Later, in Room 402

[oncourtandstage]

Troy leaned over and, without thinking, kissed the top of Sky's head. "It's... it'll be okay," he said. "Somehow. Maybe not the same, but... okay, somehow."

He felt a bit guilty, some of the thoughts he'd been having -- some of the thoughts he was having -- given that Sky had just realised that he loved the best friend who had just died, but... he shoved that to the side. The important thing at the moment was helping Sky.

Re: Later, in Room 402

[redintraining]

"Yeah... yeah, it will be okay," said Sky, before his brain had processed that he'd been kissed. He wasn't startled, he just... wondered if this was alright. If it was acceptable. If he was dishonoring Dru and what they had together, by being here, now, being kissed by another guy... but Dru would've wanted him to be happy, right? And they'd never been official boyfriends. Fooled around a few times, yes, but never anything more.

Sky simply stared into Troy's eyes. He couldn't think of anything more to say, but the blank look was gone, at least.

Re: Later, in Room 402

[oncourtandstage]

Troy's breath hitched slightly as he stared back into Sky's eyes; now that the blank look was gone, he couldn't help but notice their depth. "You're..." His voice trailed off as his mouth worked, his brain scrambling for words before he started to pull away. "I- I'm sorry, I shouldn't..."

Re: Later, in Room 402

[redintraining]

"No... no, it's OK," he said quietly. "I... didn't mind that at all. It... makes me feel... ... kind of good."

Re: Later, in Room 402

[oncourtandstage]

"Yeah, but you..." Troy's breath seemed almost to stop for a moment, before he leaned back in, pulling Sky back into his arms. "... Maybe just... this... for now?" he asked, his voice even softer, almost seeming to have dropped half an octave.

Re: Later, in Room 402

[redintraining]

Sky nodded.

"For now. This is enough. More than enough."