[He heads for the couch to flop down once he gets his shoes off, spreading out comfortably. There were pros and cons to doing this in person vs in text; in text seems like it might've been less embarrassing. Probably. But he's kind of comforted just to be here hanging out rather than holed up on one end of a CereVice, so maybe this was for the best anyway.]
Yeah, tea's fine! I'm not like, a tea freak . . . but it's supposed to be relaxing, right? Sounds pretty good . . . look, I promise this ain't serious, though.
[He grabbed a tray loaded with the teapot and some cups and brought it over, sitting down on the far end of the couch. He poured them each a cup, eyeing Leon for a moment.]
But I will believe you about it not being serious.
[He picks the cup up and then sets it back down immediately; that's way too hot, he can tell already. This always happens with him and hot drinks. How many times has he burned his tongue? Not tonight, Satan!
Which leaves him with nothing to do but . . . talk.]
Yeah, yeah. It's tooootally not! It's nothing, ha ha! I-I don't even know why I—look, first things first, I'm not telling you this in a weird way or anything! Don't get me wrong here! I just, I guess I just . . . sometimes you just wanna get somethin' off your chest, right . . . hey, you've got demons and angels and all that crap, you probably have confession too, right? I've heard about that before. So like that! —Not that I think you're a priest, I'm not, y'know?
...I am the wrong person to ask about matters like confession. [He would be such a shitty priest, seriously.] And don't be so nervous. It makes me wonder what exactly you did.
[He's rolling his eyes a little, though there is still a joking tone to his voice. Because he can't imagine what this could be about now, because it's Leon. Really.]
I-I didn't do anything! I mean, okay, I did something, but not like that!
[Like what?! That doesn't even make sense.
He picks up his cup again, already having forgotten he shouldn't take a sip yet, but he's saved by being too busy rambling to do so. For now.]
. . . Ooookay, yeah! Uh, remember when you asked me if, y'know, I'd have a problem with it if you were dating Kazuya? Like if I'd get down on you if you were gay, I guess? Remember?
[Oh God Leon, what are you being so shifty about? Come on. Learn to be more nonchalant. Like William here.]
Why bring that up again? [He flushes a little, suddenly concerned, for himself. Is this going to be round 150 of this?] But yes, I remember that. I remember all of that conversation.
I'm gonna tell you! Chill out . . . I was gettin' to it. It's just—I brought it up 'cuz—what about you, huh? You ain't like that, but you wouldn't freak out about it and run . . . right?
[He says it with equal parts nervousness and hopefulness, and cringes at the sound of his own voice when he hears it. Yikes.]
[William raises an eyebrow and then shakes his head. If it was back home, he might have been... annoyed by such things. There were certain rules of society you had to follow, regardless of your feelings and he hated when others flaunted their inability to do so.
But he had become more flexible on those things back home and here... well, it didn't matter. And he had done A LOT of thinking on it.]
Why would I run? There is nothing to fear in that situation, as long as it is not a pretext for acting untoward.
I didn't mean in a fear kinda way, c'mon, you know what I mean, right . . .
[Actually, he doesn't quite know what he means himself, so he just trails off the end of that already weak-sounding sentence and sighs. At least that reaction wasn't bad. Okay. Leon rubs his eyes and nose with his hand, which doubles as a good excuse not to look at anything or anyone.]
—I don't even know what you mean by "acting untoward"! Isn't pretty much everything untoward for you? Like—like if, like just for example, if I slept with a dude or something, that'd be . . . untoward! Right?
[Shit, William had seen through him . . . well, no, deep down he's relieved. The alternative would have been having to actually clarify later that this hypothetical wasn't a hypothetical at all. William's smart, of course he got it right away.
But god, talk about embarrassing. He's ready to feel the rush of relief that will hopefully come with getting this off his chest, but it's not rushing anywhere just yet. He's still seized with uncertain humiliation, staring down at one of his hands curling next to himself on the couch.]
I definitely do, but . . . that . . . still happened?
[Apparently. Why are you telling him this Leon? That's what he wants to ask, but that's not going to be helpful Because well, there is probably a reason.]
Are you okay? I mean? With it. Having happened. Or...
[That's why. He turns a pleading look on William, suddenly intense, and he's not even sure himself what he's pleading for. Someone to figure all of this out for him, maybe.]
[And he doesn't know. Really he doesn't know and this is hitting far too close to William's own issues. But after a moment, he manages to say something.]
I... don't think you are supposed say one thing or the other. I mean... what matters is what you feel about it. I mean. It doesn't change who you are. At all.
[That . . . helps. He relaxes—forcibly, with a huge sigh, letting his whole body go slack at once as he sways forward to lean his elbows on his knees and rest his head on his hands. It's a bit dramatic, but despite the show, something does loosen inside of him to hear William say that.]
[It's kind of funny, and Leon even snorts a little, managing a smile.]
You want all the juicy details? Heh . . . just kidding. Just kidding!
[It's especially funny because how many times back home had he fooled around with a girl, and had that conversation with a dude friend the next day? But William's not that kind of friend . . . and this wasn't a girl.]
I, uh . . . I mean, if you're wondering if we're like, a thing now, we're not. It's nothin' like that at all! We don't even get along as friends half the time! It was just, I dunno, there was something goin' on there, and I guess he picked up on it, and he asked if. If I, y'know. Like, wanted to "experiment."
[It's weird as hell to Leon too, which is why he's over in the first place. They can commiserate about how friggin' weird this is. It is helping, too, to talk to a friend about it in concrete terms. It's like it makes it just—a thing that happened, not something life-changing, and easier to deal with as a normal event.]
A couple months, I guess. . . . Did you go to the prom thing a while back?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
backdated to pre-interlude, first week of Julyish
can I talk to you about something
I promise it's not about me being dead or anything
no subject
But the fact that you had to qualify it makes it sound ominous.
But what is it?
no subject
This sucks
Is your butler home or is it safe to come over
no subject
But Kevin isn't home.
I think this is one of those days where he is "secretly" gambling. He'll be gone for a good while.
no subject
I THINK???????????
LOOK Ill be over in a bit
Dude your butlers weird wtf
[All right, on his way, then. He can do this.]
no subject
Instead, William decides to put on some tea and opens the door for Leon once he arrives.]
I don't know if you drink tea, but I put some on anyways.
no subject
Yeah, tea's fine! I'm not like, a tea freak . . . but it's supposed to be relaxing, right? Sounds pretty good . . . look, I promise this ain't serious, though.
no subject
[He grabbed a tray loaded with the teapot and some cups and brought it over, sitting down on the far end of the couch. He poured them each a cup, eyeing Leon for a moment.]
But I will believe you about it not being serious.
no subject
Which leaves him with nothing to do but . . . talk.]
Yeah, yeah. It's tooootally not! It's nothing, ha ha! I-I don't even know why I—look, first things first, I'm not telling you this in a weird way or anything! Don't get me wrong here! I just, I guess I just . . . sometimes you just wanna get somethin' off your chest, right . . . hey, you've got demons and angels and all that crap, you probably have confession too, right? I've heard about that before. So like that! —Not that I think you're a priest, I'm not, y'know?
[He is really hitting this one out of the park.]
no subject
[William laughed a little as he leaned back.]
...I am the wrong person to ask about matters like confession. [He would be such a shitty priest, seriously.] And don't be so nervous. It makes me wonder what exactly you did.
[He's rolling his eyes a little, though there is still a joking tone to his voice. Because he can't imagine what this could be about now, because it's Leon. Really.]
no subject
[Like what?! That doesn't even make sense.
He picks up his cup again, already having forgotten he shouldn't take a sip yet, but he's saved by being too busy rambling to do so. For now.]
. . . Ooookay, yeah! Uh, remember when you asked me if, y'know, I'd have a problem with it if you were dating Kazuya? Like if I'd get down on you if you were gay, I guess? Remember?
no subject
Why bring that up again? [He flushes a little, suddenly concerned, for himself. Is this going to be round 150 of this?] But yes, I remember that. I remember all of that conversation.
no subject
[He says it with equal parts nervousness and hopefulness, and cringes at the sound of his own voice when he hears it. Yikes.]
no subject
But he had become more flexible on those things back home and here... well, it didn't matter. And he had done A LOT of thinking on it.]
Why would I run? There is nothing to fear in that situation, as long as it is not a pretext for acting untoward.
no subject
[Actually, he doesn't quite know what he means himself, so he just trails off the end of that already weak-sounding sentence and sighs. At least that reaction wasn't bad. Okay. Leon rubs his eyes and nose with his hand, which doubles as a good excuse not to look at anything or anyone.]
—I don't even know what you mean by "acting untoward"! Isn't pretty much everything untoward for you? Like—like if, like just for example, if I slept with a dude or something, that'd be . . . untoward! Right?
no subject
[Wait, what? That was...
Leon is like Kaz you know. Terrible at doing things with anything regarding tack. And lying. And wait what?]
...I thought you only liked girls.
[That is the first thought that pops into his head. Because he's not going to be kind and humor your Leon with your bad, bad totally a hypothetical.]
no subject
[Shit, William had seen through him . . . well, no, deep down he's relieved. The alternative would have been having to actually clarify later that this hypothetical wasn't a hypothetical at all. William's smart, of course he got it right away.
But god, talk about embarrassing. He's ready to feel the rush of relief that will hopefully come with getting this off his chest, but it's not rushing anywhere just yet. He's still seized with uncertain humiliation, staring down at one of his hands curling next to himself on the couch.]
I definitely do, but . . . that . . . still happened?
no subject
[Apparently. Why are you telling him this Leon? That's what he wants to ask, but that's not going to be helpful Because well, there is probably a reason.]
Are you okay? I mean? With it. Having happened. Or...
no subject
[That's why. He turns a pleading look on William, suddenly intense, and he's not even sure himself what he's pleading for. Someone to figure all of this out for him, maybe.]
Which one am I supposed to say?
no subject
I... don't think you are supposed say one thing or the other. I mean... what matters is what you feel about it. I mean. It doesn't change who you are. At all.
no subject
. . . You mean it?
no subject
[He bits the inside of his mouth, feeling a little knotted up inside over this.]
...do you mind telling me what happened? I understand if you don't though.
no subject
You want all the juicy details? Heh . . . just kidding. Just kidding!
[It's especially funny because how many times back home had he fooled around with a girl, and had that conversation with a dude friend the next day? But William's not that kind of friend . . . and this wasn't a girl.]
I, uh . . . I mean, if you're wondering if we're like, a thing now, we're not. It's nothin' like that at all! We don't even get along as friends half the time! It was just, I dunno, there was something goin' on there, and I guess he picked up on it, and he asked if. If I, y'know. Like, wanted to "experiment."
no subject
[William snorted in annoyance.]
...I see. Is that something you have been thinking about for a long time, wanting to "experiment?"
[This is all so weird to him, okay?]
no subject
A couple months, I guess. . . . Did you go to the prom thing a while back?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)