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[outerfringe]

open post for jeff

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[hardlydead]

That was barely a compliment.

[ david rolls his eyes but it's good natured, amused. ]

[outerfringe]

Please. You're laying it on thick.

[Jeff has come a long way since high school: he likes himself just fine these days. He likes himself fine, but he's also aware of the fact that he's a bit softer in the middle than someone like David, that his most defining feature is a gnarly face scar.

He kisses him again briefly, as if to just remind himself that he can.]

[hardlydead]

"I like being able to see your face," is laying it on thick?

[ he laughs against jeff's lips, simultaneously surprised and not surprised at all. ]

What if I said it's 'cause I think you're a good looking fella? What then?

[outerfringe]

Yes.

[Jeff is laughing in return, catching David's upper arm and smoothing his fingers down the side of it. Simply wanting to touch.]

But I'd say thanks, I guess. So are you.

[hardlydead]

[ still laughing, david lifts his hands to rest along the sides of jeff's jawline to hold him for another quick kiss. ]

Look at us, pair of good looking blokes.

[outerfringe]

[He likes that, and he tries to share this appreciation by resting his hand against the small of David's back. It's the same sort of idle affection as before.]

Keep expecting one of the kids to stumble by us.

[hardlydead]

[ he's had the thought, but still it makes him bristle to hear jeff say it. he's handling his own shit, slowly, but he's doing it. that, uh. it'd be a lot. ]

[ david brushes it off with a snort, focusing in on the feeling of jeff's hand at his back. ]

God, I hope not. Never hear the end of it.

[outerfringe]

[Jeff can feel the bristle more than he can see it. There's a flicker of protectiveness, unbidden.]

No one's- said anything to you, have they?

[hardlydead]

Nah.

[ he shakes his head and lets his hands fall away from jeff's face, a little reluctantly, and looks down at where one of them lands on his chest. ]

You?

[outerfringe]

[Jeff shrugs one shoulder, then shakes his head no.]

Bill did a double take when he heard me talk about a guy I used to date. That's about it.

[Unthinking, he covers the hand on his chest with his own.]

[hardlydead]

[ he's not really sure what he's supposed to do with that information, but david nods anyway. ]

No big deal.

[ s h r u g ]

[outerfringe]

[If you want someone better at navigating awkward small talk you might wanna sit with someone else, David.]

Yeah.

[But small talk is basically all there is out here, huh.]

So like, normal Friday night back in Manchester. What kind of trouble are you in?

[hardlydead]

Average Friday's probably a rumble with whatever fucker thinks they can take me. Few bets on the underdog maybe, but most know better.

[ david narrows his eyes a little, the briefest twitch of a frown flickering on his face with the memories. they're still so vivid, the way it feels to land a punch or how the pub's basement stank of old beer. the roar of blood in his ears, people cheering him on, sore knuckles and a cold pint in his hand. ]

Drinks on me after.

[outerfringe]

[Jeff considers him for a moment, expression curious as he leans to rest a little against the tree trunk.]

You like to fight, or are you just good at it?

[hardlydead]

Loved it.

[ he's an angry man with a lot of shit bottled up, fighting was pretty much his only outlet, and it felt so, so good. being made unable to fight back here, it... sucks is an understatement. ]

There's a reason I never lost.

[ he says it like it's a joke as he moves to lean against the tree next to jeff. ]

[outerfringe]

Cuz you love fighting so much. How do you figure something like that out?

[Jeff can't imagine it.]

[hardlydead]

Being a dumb, angry kid with a short temper does most of the work for you.

[ toxic masculinity does a lot of heavy lifting too but we won't talk about that ]

[outerfringe]

[Jeff reaches out, casting for one of David's hands. He pulls it in close, inspecting his knuckles with sincere interest.]

You care if I keep asking questions? I can shut up.

[hardlydead]

If I'm really that interesting to you, sure.

[ he shrugs, smiling at jeff inspecting his hand. ]

[outerfringe]

You a bully in school? [Said in a way that's teasing, not condemning. It was a long time ago for both of them - he's just curious.

He hopes the 'yes, I find you that interesting' is clearly implicit.]

[hardlydead]

[ something about the word gets a barely-there flicker of something that's not anger or disgust, but it's deeper. darker. he's practiced at catching those moments when there's people around though and it fades to a laugh at the question like it was never there in the first place. ]

Nah, not me. [ he shakes his head ] Not to say I wasn't a little shithead, I was, but near everyone in a public school is some kind of twat or other.

[ wait-- ] Private school.

[ he's had that conversation enough times by now. ]

[outerfringe]

[He notices, but chooses not to say anything. Jeff is curious about David's life because he wants to know him, not because he wants to pry painful secrets out of him.]

Private school. Your family had money?

[He's ready to bail on the line of questioning the second David looks actually uncomfortable. He's just curious, more than he's been about anyone else for a while.]

[hardlydead]

[ he laughs at that one, more genuine than before, nodding ]

Don't seem like it right?

[ he gets that a lot ]

[outerfringe]

Dunno. You seem like an educated guy.

[Jeff flicks the pad of his thumb over one of David's knuckles, thoughtful.]

What'd you do for fun? When you were a kid.

[hardlydead]

[ ha ha ha imagine having fun. david shrugs a shoulder. ]

Don't really remember.

[ anyway ]

You think I seem educated?