[00?] baby i was born this way

[triedinception]

WARNING: This verse and log will approach and deal with transgender/genderqueer issues. The mun wants to make it clear that she does support the trans community as a whole, and if she fails to properly address/treats issues in a way that is offensive, openly invites herself to correction (but will attempt to treat the subject with all due

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[littlspecificty]

Arthur, having always had a lithe body type (and considered 'too feminine' when he hit puberty), had never doubted his gender. He had always known he was male and it never occurred to him to ever think he was anything else

[littlspecificty]

Arthur almost found himself smiling at that answer, glad that Eames had been able to have that kind of support when he needed it the most. (Arthur had heard many horror stories - and even lived a few himself, so... Eames' mother automatically had a great deal of respect from him even though he had never met her.)

After debating over it a moment, "So, Yusuf knew about all of it?" He could still feel something clench in his gut at the thought of the chemist and his relationship with Eames - even if they were no longer involved and hadn't been for a while. Arthur wouldn't want to admit openly it was jealousy he had felt the first time he had caught Eames and Yusuf kissing (hadn't even been able to figure it out at the time) but the fact he had felt actual relief internally at the news that they were no longer together... Well, Arthur knew then it had to have been that (or he was just that horrible of a person to be glad his friend was alone and had seemed quite down about it

[triedinception]

Almost puzzled by Arthur's question (but not quite; once he and Arthur had started dating, Eames had realized that Arthur's behaviour during his relationship with Yusuf had probably been jealousy even if the point man at the time didn't know it) Eames arches both eyebrows as he replies.

"Yes, he did. It would have been rather hard to continue the relationship without telling him. And I don't like having to hide my body," he pointed out.

He wondered if Arthur thought that was the reason Yusuf had ended the relationship, so he elaborated, "He'd known pretty much from the start, just like you do now." Considering the relationship had been Eames' longest in the time he knew Arthur, almost a year, he thought that would speak for itself.

[littlspecificty]

Arthur remained quiet, simply nodding and not knowing what else to say at that point, looking back down at his plate without really seeing it (a bit too busy trying to stamp out that feeling in his gut; especially as there was no real reason to be feeling it).

There was a part of him that had wondered why they had broken up since, from what Arthur had seen, they had seemed happy together. But, even with Eames telling him this very personal information, that kind of line of questioning wasn't really any of his business to be asking.

[triedinception]

Eames hadn't been terribly hungry to start and still wasn't, so he glanced down to his plate and pushed his food around.

He wanted to ask what Arthur thought but, again, the point man needed time, so he was fine with silence for the moment.

[littlspecificty]

After a few minutes had passed, when Arthur felt he could talk about something else, he looked back up at Eames, "So those pills you take...?" He had seen Eames take pills from an orange prescription bottle a few times before when they had been forced to share a hotel room and while he had wanted to ask what they were (more than once), he had respected Eames' privacy and not pried.

But now... his curiosity was peaked again.

[triedinception]

Eames looked up as well when Arthur spoke. He was surprised Arthur had never asked or even snooped around the pills ( considering he had never been confronted with a 'you're taking steroids?').

"Testosterone," he confirmed after a moment. "Many different ways to take it, but pills are fairly easy to stock up on and to order for various reasons without having to go through a doctor."

Though Eames did see a doctor; the doctor had no idea that Eames didn't even live in the country he was in, and Eames mostly used him as a reference for how many and how much testosterone he should take, though he was fairly settled into the pattern now.

[littlspecificty]

Nodding again, as it made sense knowing what he did now, he turned over his next question in his head a few times before asking, "When did you... have the surgeries?" While it was obviously before he and Eames had met, Arthur was curious to know how old Eames had been when he went through all of that.

[triedinception]

"When I was nineteen," he answered easily, grimacing faintly at remembering going into the doctor's and coming out, bandaged, but feeling infinitely happier. "I realized how I felt at 17, when I was nearly out of school. I spent a long time binding and dressing before I was able to start taking testosterone and having my surgeries. After they were done I ended up joining the military, and you know the rest of that story..."

They had met when Eames was AWOL, after all, several years after the fact.

[littlspecificty]

His brows went up at the last part, finding that part more shocking now that he knew what he did. While he knew the British military had been more progressive than the United States in terms of accepting their soldiers' complete person along with their service he couldn't help but find it hard to wrap his mind around going through what Eames did to get his body to fit how he felt he was inside.

He felt himself smirk slightly, eyes going back down to his plate. It seems at nineteen they both took control of their lives, refusing to lead a life they weren't happy with.

Eames had taken steps to make his body match his self while Arthur at nineteen had regained control and power in his life (at least for the most part) and had completed his first solo hit after being trained rigorously for a year by the hit woman who had seen the potential he had -- and a bit of herself in.

Guess he and Eames were alike in more ways he had originally thought.

[triedinception]

Eames smiles slightly and reaches a hand to squeeze his own arm. "The military was very helpful in helping me build up muscle mass," he teased gently, needing the light moment.

He fell silent after that though, contemplative.

[littlspecificty]

Smirking more fully, "And it looks good on you, too." Arthur had to admit that Eames' physique was actually something he had found instantly attractive upon meeting the other man (along with those lips).

Then, slowly, "... you wouldn't still happen to have your uniform... would you?"

[triedinception]

Eames grinned the grin of someone who knew that, but didn't respond to it right away. At the question though, he quirked an eyebrow and looked at Arthur.

"I do, it's packed away in a storage facility in Florence. Why?"

[littlspecificty]

Arthur nearly grinned at that grin, Eames' crooked teeth having always been oddly cute to him (and that was not a term he associated with many if at all).

At getting an affirmative, though, he felt his whole body flush before he could really stop it, eyes looking anywhere but at Eames. He also felt his ears grow [annoyingly] hot,"Well." He gave a little cough and took another pull from his drink as he didn't really know how to say he liked a man in uniform without sounding like a cliche.

[triedinception]

Eames didn't mind sounding like a cliche.

"Have I found a new kink of yours? Do you like a man in uniform?" He asked, fingers tracing along the edge of his drink with a coy look in his eyes.

[littlspecificty]

"Who said it was "new"?" Trying to sound as coy as Eames looked but a whole new shade of red coloring his cheeks and ears kind of undermined the attempt.