Revelation in the Light of Day // [Embryze]

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d10f ekta ram // [earthling]
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cameron stood in line for an hour for a stupid ride for me <3 best <3

Revelation in the Light of Day // [Embryze] Jul 27, 2012 21:04:44 GMT -5

Post by d10f ekta ram // [earthling] on Jul 27, 2012 21:04:44 GMT -5

for what it's worth, I have a slow disease that sucked me dry... I always aim to please
but I nearly died

The day had been long, exhausting, engaging, and most of all, distracting. By the time the evening had lit District Ten aflame with its colors, Mace was as far from the 61st as he had ever been. He'd claimed Julian's hand during the pageant, and had hardly let it go throughout the rest of the fair. After the pageant the events dwindled towards the closing, and Mace wasn't strictly required to be at the finale. He didn't ask Julian to check his schedule. Instead, he leaned in as they walked and whispered a kiss over the flesh at the nape of his neck. It was time to go home.

Thankfully the fair wasn't far from the victor's village. As had become their custom during Julian's stay in Ten, Mace took the smaller guest bathroom while Julian had the grand master one. It didn't matter a whit to Mace, as long as the shower had good pressure. He scrubbed down quickly, trying to rid himself of the stench of the crowd, and then tied a robe tightly around his fluctuating figure to go upstairs and changed. It was maddeningly strange to live with someone and not really live with them. They still hadn't quite figured out the daily routine, let alone how to live together while their relationship was still in a toddler stage.

It was quite frankly the longest Mace had ever gone without being more intimate.

He'd forgotten about sex altogether after Elon's death. In the weeks that followed he'd thought only about what he could have done differently, about how he could have shown his brother a more worthy love, about how much he had failed. Nothing penetrated his grief. He couldn't even delve into his feelings for Julian because they had changed, part of them stolen along with Elon's life. But Mace was not made of stone. It took time, many sleepless nights, but he was beginning to find feelings anew. And Julian was ever at the forefront of his thoughts.

He picked out a pair of dark jeans and a white button-up, fastening a leather belt around his middle. At the moment it was considerably shrunken, but still not to the condition his abs had been for the Games. Still, he was slowly dwindling to his former glory, one side benefit of the loss he'd suffered. He drew his thumb over the wide belt buckle, a gift from Cygnus. It had suited him over the last holiday season, and yet it looked strange on him now. Gaudy in a way Ten could only be. He doubted Julian would approve.

And it was that thought, so simple in the turmoil of the rest of them, that made him smile up to one side. He tapped the metal, and then hopped down the stairs, out to the barn to check on Whicker. The horse remained a consistent source of comfort for him, even when he didn't necessarily need it. Buoyed by the long day, the hilarity of the pageant, the tingling he'd felt when he'd kissed Julian's soft neck, Mace just wanted to see Whicker to see him, not to escape.

The horse knickered as Mace drew close. He redistributed his feed, making sure not to give him too much, and then looked around the barn. There was plenty for him to do; really he should hire a caregiver. The thought clanged against his heart, but it hit a wall instead of piercing straight through. He felt it, felt Elon's absence, but it was becoming something he could carry instead of something that crushed him. Mace unconsciously scratched his chest as he walked up to the tack pile, ready to polish whatever it needed it when he heard the barn door creak open.

In the dimming light of Ten, Julian Bryze looked like he was glowing. Mace blinked, and then looked down at the saddle. He should focus on it, do his part to take care of Whicker. But all of him thrummed with the idea of Julian being so close, even though he'd been stay in Mace's house for a fortnight. He laid a hand on the U of the saddle, and then looked to Julian again. It seemed to Mace that it was suddenly very difficult to breathe.

"You were great today," he said, even though he'd meant to tease him about being clean enough for Two. But that's what had come out, and so he stuck to it, offering a small, awkward smile. "I mean they really love you here. I wasn't sure it'd work but... you're everything we've ever wanted."

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Revelation in the Light of Day // [Embryze] Jul 28, 2012 1:56:22 GMT -5

Post by pthalorarity on Jul 28, 2012 1:56:22 GMT -5

'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass
Hardly anything else I need to be

Over all, Julian really couldn’t say that the fair of District Ten was an unpleasant experience. It had been so long since he strolled a street hand in hand with someone he cared so much for—granted, this was not Two, and Midas was no longer the boy by his side… but Julian was positive that the feeling that tickled at his heart throughout the day was the closest to happiness he had found in Ripred knows how long. In fact, Julian might even go as far to say as he actually had fun at the pageant, making silly comments with Mace as the ridiculous contestants only continued to get more outlandish.

Despite his enjoyable time with Mace throughout the day, he was quite thankful to be able to wash the grim of Ten off in the large master tub of the home in Victor’s Village. It was still not quite what he was used too, but the number of products his mother had packed and sent with him made it feel a bit more like home. After a long, warm soak, Julian decided he was bored and got out to dry off. Before dressing, he picked out one of his favorite lightly scented lotions and quickly spread the buttery concoction over his still damp skin. Usually, he was not bothered with such trivial matters as the smoothness of his skin when his mother was not around, but there was someone else to please now. Though Julian was known to often shy away from any sign of physical affection aside from that of Midas, he was slowly coming to find a new comfort in the touch of Mace.

He could see from the large bay window of the bathroom that Mace had made his way to the stables. Most of Julian’s clothing his mother had selected to send with him was hardly suitable for an evening in the foreign summer heat of District Ten, so he simply opted for a loose fitting tank top of golden silk and a pair of white pants out of a vey light, flowy material. He inspected himself in the mirror before heading out and stifled a sneer. He looked far too soft for the hardened killer he truly was, but it seemed to him that Pashmina Bryze purposefully limited the amount of work out apparel Julian was so prone to wear. If she couldn’t be here to force him to dress nicer herself, she simply had to impose her rules upon him in other methods. Not that Julian didn’t know how to look nice for formal occasions, but if Pashmina had it her way, he would be done up by Cream back in the Capitol every day of the year.

With a final spritz of cologne, Julian made his way downstairs and out into the backyard. The rich reds and pinks of the setting sun reflected off his top and caught his eye for a moment. Even the colors of the sunsets and sunrises were different here in Ten. He had to admit it was quite beautiful in it’s own way… in fact, he couldn’t really recall if moments like these were beautiful or not in District Two because back home, there was hardly time for anything so frivolous as admiring the colors in the sky. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Certainly some people deemed it worthwhile of their time; Midas had—Julian ignored him. Now was not the time to dwell on those memories though, because now Julian’s eyes were far more open, and there was someone special who was showing him this new way to see.

Julian opened the door to the barn slowly, catching sight of Mace with his prized horse. The creak of the old door betrayed his presence quickly though and he caught the young man’s attention… and then, there it was: the small smile in the corner of Mace Emberstatt’s mouth. Julian felt his heart flutter and tucked his head down for a moment as a bright smile of his own crossed his lips. He gave a small laugh at Mace’s words.

“Well, thank you,” Julian said as he looked back up and leaned against the doorframe. “I was bred precisely for days like this you know… to put on a show and be some sort of idol. I guess my parents are pretty pleased these days. Of course, it can’t last forever… Soon they’ll remember me for what I am. One day, they’ll replay my Games and then there won’t be so much of that love… But I think you’re worth a few people chasing after me with pitchforks.” He let out a small laugh after his last sentiment and winked at the cowboy before him. The day had been so nice thus far; he didn’t want to sour the mood now.

Last Edit: Jun 15, 2014 18:52:19 GMT -5 by pthalorarity

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d10f ekta ram // [earthling]
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9,460 POSTS
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last seen May 8, 2024 13:14:08 GMT -5

cameron stood in line for an hour for a stupid ride for me <3 best <3

Revelation in the Light of Day // [Embryze] Aug 1, 2012 1:08:24 GMT -5

Post by d10f ekta ram // [earthling] on Aug 1, 2012 1:08:24 GMT -5

for what it's worth, I have a slow disease that sucked me dry... I always aim to please
but I nearly died

He continued to stare down at the saddle for a moment, gathering himself and his courage. After all of the subtle flirtation at the fair - holding hands beneath the table, clinging to each other in the crowds, brushing his lips against Julian's soft neck - he wasn't quite ready to see him again, yet. They had established a pattern, a routine, a balance, and he didn't want to upset that. Life was finally starting to feel normal again, and he wasn't about to let something as stupid as hormones get in the way of that.

And yet. It was basic, necessary, a deeper part of him than grief.

It was always a balancing act for them. To move forward with the weight of memories required a delicate balancing act. Mace took a deep breath, found a smile half-formed on his face, and began to walk towards Julian. He flexed and unflexed his hands, not sure what to do with them as they swung at his side. "Doesn't matter. None of it does," he said, his accent coloring the words as he advanced on Julian from the shadows. He felt it too, that line, that tension, between what the world expected of them and what they felt. Between the anchor of grief and the will to carry on. It was that same will that had brought them both through the other side. It was impossible to ignore it now.

His heartbeat was in his throat, his ears, reverberating throughout his skull as he closed the distance. The heat of the sunset was far behind Julian, but Mace felt it in the barn, engulfing them, stilling the tremors and the memories. He brought his knuckles down along Julian's cheek gently. They were rough to be sure, but sun-kissed instead of calloused, the way his palms were. "No replays or pitchforks here." His smiled widened a little, became more balanced.

Whicker grunted from his stall, reminding Mace that there were some things in the barn. Good things. Familiar things. He settled his hand along Julian's shoulder so that his thumb rested against his collar bone, his fingers along his upper back. "I don't want to be like this any more." He came up short, as always, words failing him. Mace's gaze flickered away for a moment, settled on some of the hanging crops while he gathered his thoughts. And when he looked back again, his grey eyes were filled with the blazing sunset.

"I want to know what we are, what we've got. I still can't even fucking believe you're here, except when I touch you," And his eyes had drifted from Julian's own, to his lips. He felt the heat from the setting sun ignite in his chest as he leaned down and captured Julian's lips with his own.