tfln overflow / open post

[superniceone]

(open / overflow)

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[recreatable]

Verso wants to be offended, but he isn't. It's fair that Gustave suspects that. After all, it's essentially what he did every time he pushed off their not-quite-a-relationship to 'after the Paintress'.

"Yeah. I should definitely say that there isn't a chance." Which is not, in fact, the same thing as actually saying that there isn't a chance.

[superniceone]

"I'm doing my best to think back on what it is I could have done to deserve being treated this way by you, and I'm honestly coming up blank." It's harmless grousing, and he's turning his attention back to the fire. "Just to say, if you had any idea how— infrequently it was I made passes like that, you'd be extremely flattered."

[recreatable]

There were extenuating circumstances. Gustave was not only drunk, but also at the end of the world. And Verso's sure he looked especially handsome in the dim light, which probably didn't help. All the same: "I was flattered." He still is.

"I'm trying to be self-sacrificing, Gustave." Which, admittedly, manifests as jerking him around and playing with his feelings. "Some might say it's admirable."

[superniceone]

"Who asked you to be self-sacrificing?" Okay, there's a little frustration that slips through there, though it's not genuinely aimed at Verso. "I don't need to be protected from myself. I know that I'm not— we aren't going to—" He groans, drags his fingers through his hair. "This isn't the start of some grand love story. But it's nice to pretend for a few minutes, isn't it?" Wasn't that what they'd all done in Lumière, anyway, knowing that most of their cohort would be dead in their early thirties?

Gustave has felt unmoored since the moment they'd been brought back and had the truth of the world explained to them. The fact that the rest of the group seemed fine to just accept it still has him thrown off kilter. Later, he'll apologize for implying outright that he wants to use Verso for selfish reasons; for now, he's just glad it's out there.

[recreatable]

It's what he wanted to hear—that Gustave isn't emotionally invested in this, so Verso couldn't possibly let him down—but he can't say it makes him feel particularly good about himself. Then again, very little does, so at least it feels familiar.

"All right," he says with a half-hearted shrug, trying not to sound like he just got his feelings hurt. "If you're going to be so reasonable about it." He shakes off any residual disappointment, then adds, glibly, "But I can't say I feel very seduced right now."

[superniceone]

Gustave would be mystified by that interpretation of his words. He knows that there's no future for them, not in a world where Verso seems reluctant to even go back to Lumière; that doesn't mean there's no emotional investment.

He doesn't want to pretend Verso is someone else; he just wants to pretend they both have a kinder existence.

"I'll kiss you right here," Gustave says flatly, half offer and half threat.

[recreatable]

Gustave has turned red like a tomato every time there's been the slightest acknowledgement from the others of— whatever this is. So, no, Verso doesn't quite believe that Gustave has any intention of actually kissing him in public, although his embarrassment doesn't offend.

He knows better than to say that, though, so he just laughs. "I see. You just want to make Sciel jealous after she turned down that proposition of yours." Fake-ass proposition.

[superniceone]

It's been a few days since Gustave has discovered that everything is made up and the points don't matter; it's made the idea of being Known less mortifying and overwhelming. There are so many other things to keep him up at night now that this seems like small potatoes.

"You are the only person on this beach I've ever wanted to make jealous," he says matter-of-factly, and he gets up only long enough to sit back down right at Verso's side. He hesitates for a moment, then settles his hand lightly on his thigh.

[recreatable]

Verso's not sure he's ready to contend with how charming he finds this. Gustave could have just made an actual move at literally any time, and he would have crumbled. Unconsciously, he leans in, although he says, "You'll traumatize Maelle."

[superniceone]

"She didn't seem that upset when she caught us by the caves," Gustave admits, and he takes that lean in as permission to kiss him. It's slow, sweet, and he pulls away after a moment to murmur: "Maybe she was a little bothered by the age gap."

[recreatable]

He doesn't really expect Gustave to have the guts to do it, and for the first couple of seconds, he's too surprised to even kiss back. The surprise passes, though, and he's eager despite himself, even knowing that he should temper his expectations for something that isn't even something, and that would be doomed even if it was. When Gustave pulls away, he's a little disappointed.

"Well, that was before she knew—" That she was related to both of them, he's thinking, as he glances over to make sure she wasn't looking. A moment later, though, the rest of Gustave's comment hits him, and his gaze snaps back to his. "What did she say about my age?" This is fully the most upset he's been all conversation. Just because he's old doesn't mean Maelle's allowed to think it, much less say it.

[superniceone]

It's the first time he's kissed Verso and not felt a strange undercurrent of guilt in it. It makes more sense now, why it might have been hard to be affectionate with someone knowing you'll all be abruptly Gommaged sooner rather than later; still, it's nice to be kissed back without tension in it.

Gustave squeezes his leg when Verso pulls away, and then again when he starts to protest Maelle's remark, grinning in a way that's been pretty rare lately all things considered. "I believe her words were 'He's like a hundred,'" he says, remaining close enough that it's clear he's deliberating on going in for a second one. (He is pointedly not looking in the direction of any of the others. It's true that he's nihilistic enough right now not to care if they see, but that doesn't mean seeing their reactions sounds necessarily pleasant.)

[recreatable]

No, he doesn't feel guilty. If this is all just pretending to Gustave, if he doesn't actually think that it's going anywhere or maybe even expect to see Verso ever again once they've dealt with his not-quite-father, then he supposes there's nothing to feel guilty about. Irrationally disappointed, maybe, because Verso is a sensitive musician with sensitive musician feelings, but not guilty.

"And you said?" Tread so carefully.

[superniceone]

It's probably going to be rough on them both when Gustave realizes that he's been lying to himself about lying to himself, but that's a later problem. For now, he's just going to try to grab this strange and unsteady thing between them before it crumbles again.

"I don't remember what I said," he admits. "Mostly I remember how disappointed she was when I told her you weren't my secret boyfriend."

[recreatable]

Pepperidge Farms remembers what Gustave said. He said Verso looked 95.

But Gustave has said the right thing — not only because he avoided calling Verso old, but because he implied that Maelle liked Verso enough to want him to be the person she loves most in the world's 'secret boyfriend'. It clearly makes him happy to think that she had some sort of affection for him even when she didn't know who he was, although— Verso shrugs and tries not to sound like too much of a sadsack when he says, "Well, she's probably changed her mind on that now." If Maelle had a secret boyfriend who was anything like Verso, he'd put an end to it immediately.

[superniceone]

He said ninety-five maximum, thank you very much.

Gustave fixes him with a funny look. "Maelle doesn't care who I'm with as long as I'm happy," he says, perhaps more confident about his mutual adoration for her than he is anything else. "But why would she change her mind? You're her brother— her actual brother. I'm the one who should be worried about the audition here."

[recreatable]

It's obvious the topic sours his mood. "Well. 'Actual' is a relative term." Her actual brother is dead. Lucky bastard. He's never been more jealous of anyone than he is of Verso's charred corpse.

But that's not a conversation they need to have now or probably ever. He's already spent enough of his time crying about his life being a lie. "You're right, though. You should probably start begging for her blessing now."

[superniceone]

Sensitive subject. He'll keep that in mind. Gustave's hand moves from Verso's leg to the small of his back, pressing gently there in silent apology, but he doesn't let that in his voice.

"I'll take any tips you've got," he says, voice low and mock-serious. "Can't have her running me out of camp."

[recreatable]

There is no world in which Maelle doesn't approve of Gustave. A world in which she finds this whole thing a little weird and icky, sure, but not one in which she disapproves. Gustave was there for her when she was at her loneliest, and Verso sees the way she looks at him, like he's the greatest person in the world.

Not that Verso plans on them bringing this thing up to Maelle at all, if he can help it. She's too young to understand adult relationships. She'll be confused by its expiration date.

All of that said: "You should definitely get down on your knees. Anything less, and she'll know you don't mean it."

[superniceone]

Gustave laughs again, but it's a surprised sound more than anything else. He's already sat and kissed him by the fire in full view of anyone who may have looked over; he figures it can't be any worse to lean in close enough to whisper: "I asked for tips on convincing Maelle, not you."

It's a movement that could have been suave or sexy— from anyone else. But there's still a laugh in his voice when he says it, a little sheepishness like he's worried stretching the joke out will kill it. So, yeah: mostly it's just sort of dorky.

[recreatable]

Oh, my god!!! Verso shoves him, although it's good-natured. As it turns out, he kind of likes dorkiness. There's something very earnest about it, and although he's spent his entire life avoiding earnestness in himself at all costs, he finds that he likes it in others.

"Now he's bold." A shake of his head. "What happened to the guy who called it fraternization?"

[superniceone]

That guy hadn't been erased from existence and then reconstructed from his base elements by his adopted little sister. He wonders sometimes if maybe Maelle had made a mistake somehow; if maybe he'd come back wrong. Gustave tries to chase that thought away, fixing Verso with a faltering smile. "Too much? I thought you'd like bold."

[recreatable]

He does like bold. He wouldn't usually come right out and say it—he has to obfuscate everything, as Gustave had accused him of—but there's something uncertain in Gustave's expression that he can't quite place, so he says, "I like bold." He likes Gustave, actually, but that's a little too bold, even for him.

"—But I wouldn't recommend mentioning that when talking to Maelle." She is an INNOCENT SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD BABY. She can't know they had sex.

[superniceone]

"As far as Maelle is concerned, the boldest thing I've ever done is kiss you by this bonfire," Gustave agrees. He allows his hand to relax, dropping it to rest in the sand between them again.

He's turning to watch her now, aware he should probably feed the fire soon. "Verso," he starts after a moment, "I— there was this— back, after we arrived on the beach. There was an unsigned note left for us at the Indigo Tree. That Maelle had been taken to safety."

It wasn't really something he'd had the luxury of spending time thinking about before, but knowing what he does now about Verso and Maelle... well. There's no explicit question, but he does end it there.

[recreatable]

Someone was bound to put two and two together eventually, realize that Maelle was on Verso's radar before Renoir ever threatened her. Far before that, really. It doesn't reflect too well on him that he only stepped in when he did, but most of what he's done since the Expedition landed on the Continent doesn't.

"Sounds dashing."