Gonebeyond - finding a home

[whatdoesithurt]

According to the time in the Gonebeyond, John had been out of the village for two weeks. He was an extremely adaptable man - part chameleon part pirate - and yet leaving that strange world-outside-of-worlds hadn't been as easy as he hoped. He dreamed of River, regularly, of Lore, of Jack, but he was out of their reach now

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[stildyne]

Months now back, a year and better, beyond since he'd been back in the hull of a Freighter, waiting and wondering where he'd wind up, his cargo of bonds.

Frankly, if it weren't for Robert's occasional knowing smile, the occasional hard-to-interpret word from Cousin Stanoczk, he'd think the thing was a dream, entirely.

He worked in the fields with the bonds, and there was the wind farm to keep up and running and everyone hopping, and he wondered about people moving betwixt and between, maybe waited for something, maybe didn't. Robert was waiting, too, it was in his eyes.

Still a surprise to be told by a Nurail farmer in his labor group that "Someone's looking for you."

"Are they now." His one mobile eyebrow lifted.

"Newish one. Weedy thing, but not bad," she said, with a nod. "Works around the turbines, I think."

"Who's his supervisor, do you know?"

He got the name and the rough whereabouts-- rough because 'he left just after he found out you were here, do you owe him money or something?' and as evening fell he ranged out into the fields with the name 'Hart' on his thin lips and an unfamiliar urgency in him.

[whatdoesithurt]

John was still up there, smoking one of the last cigarettes he'd brought with him to the village. He hadn't been able to get his hands on the equivalent of tabacco yet and was rationing his smokes.

He heard the foot steps swishing through the grass and he glanced back from where he was sitting against the base of one of the turbines. John did a double take and rolled to his feet quickly, flicking the smoke to the ground and stamping it out, not taking his eyes off the large man approaching him.

[stildyne]

Stildyne crossed his arms, tipped his solid chin back. "Mister Hart. Here nearly two weeks I'm told and you haven't come to see me. Shame on you."

But there was a flicker of mirth and of what might slanderously have been identified as genuine happiness gleaming dully out of his dingy yellow eyes.

[whatdoesithurt]

"I only found out today," he protester before realizing it was a joke. The man's gravel voice sent a thrill down his spine and the next instant he was dashing forward to throw his arms around the larger man's throat in enthusiastic greeting.

[stildyne]

Stildyne laughed heartily and swept the smaller man into his arms when he came. "Took you long enough," he pronounced, and pressed a hard kiss to the other man's mouth.

"You'll be living in our cabin, then? Mind I'll take no for an answer, but I'll be sore as it wasn't easy convincing everyone we needed to build another room for some phantom someone who might be showing up within the year or might not," he warned.

[whatdoesithurt]

John was grinning into the kiss, hands scraping down into Stildyne's short hair. He pulled back to look down at him in surprise. "You built a room for me?" No one have anticipated his arrival by building a home for him.

[stildyne]

"Only because we had the material left over," Stildyne protested; anyone would think he was getting soft and sentimental in his slightly older age.

Would have been more convincing if his arms didn't linger supportively around Hart, one hand splayed against his lower back.

[whatdoesithurt]

John was wriggling as close as possible, ducking his head to kiss the man again and again. "Don't believe you," he murmured happily, "Doesn't matter just kiss me." All that anxiety was gone.

[stildyne]

Stildyne lifted his head, hitching John a bit more securely into his arms before he kissed him long and thoroughly, and not entirely gently-- if he remembered, though, Hart never minded a bit of an edge on his pleasure.

Damn, it was good to see him, to know he was real and here where Stildyne could keep half an eye on him. He'd missed the man.

[whatdoesithurt]

John's feet were just barely off the ground and it was perfect. This was exactly how he'd wanted this meeting to go, exactly as dramatic as he'd hoped. He returned the kiss, inspired by that slight edge of pain and the tight squeeze of Stildyne's arms.

[stildyne]

Wanton as ever. It made Stildyne smile into a kiss that went on as the sky darkened over them. The night winds were picking up, making the turbines hum, the grain rustle.

"Come home a while? Meet the bonds. But you'll know Robert, of course."

[whatdoesithurt]

"Yes," he breathed, happier than he could remember being. "Yes and food and you..." he paused to look up at him, "and you, right?"

[stildyne]

"And me. And nibbles of Stoshi when he can swing by." And any other agreeable worker on the planet, neither of the men were cut out for monogamy. Loyalty, however, Stildyne might well be accused of. He laid a kiss on Hart's jaw. "You like the place?"

[whatdoesithurt]

"It was all right before, so I think it may have reached excellent about two minute ago." He couldn't help his enthusiasm. "I've waited such a long time, big man."

[stildyne]

Stildyne made a rude noise. "Oh, it's just a farm planet. Nothing so much worth waiting for." But he smiled, hideous and unabashed. "You'll have to tell me how long. What you've been up to. We'll have the time for that."

He stooped to let the man's feet touch the ground again.

"Come and walk with me. Got a spot in the grainfields I want to show you."

[whatdoesithurt]

He slipped his hand in Stildyne's with a shy look before following along. "It was the village. You know. It got bad for a while. I wasn't liking myself so much, but..." he shrugged and ducked his head.