tfln overflow / open post

[superniceone]

(open / overflow)

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[recreatable]

This feels less like a favor and more like an ambush. It's true that he does need to talk to Maelle—about many things, extending beyond silly, ultimately inconsequential things like this—but he hasn't had the opportunity to ready himself for it, and having it descend on him so suddenly is jarring, to say the least.

"Yes, Gustave," he says, somewhat displeased, "what could we need Maelle for?"

[superniceone]

Gustave just shrugs at him, finishing off what's left of his fruit leather. "Verso wanted to know if we talked yesterday," he starts, and Maelle taps her knee in thought.

"About your appendix on the gestrals? Or— oh, you probably meant the part where you think you're being sneaky about your relationship. I can pretend I haven't noticed if it embarrasses you too much," Maelle offers with a little grin, leaning into Verso's arm, expression mischievous.

[recreatable]

'Relationship' doesn't seem quite the right word, but he's hesitant to correct her when it sounds more flattering than the alternative. At least Sciel hasn't opened her eyes to the casual, no-strings-attached part of their dynamic; immortality or not, he might just die from humiliation if she had.

"I'm not embarrassed," he says, embarrassed. "I just—" He hesitates, glancing Gustave's way. "I'm not convinced this needs to be a three-person conversation."

[superniceone]

"You were the one worried about it," Gustave protests, and— okay, yes, this is stupid, and Verso is probably going to be deeply irritated with him, but it's kind of nice to just have something as pointless as this to care about for a few minutes. (And if Verso hadn't seemed so accusatory when he'd approached, maybe Gustave would have used a gentler hand!!)

Maelle rolls her eyes, but the expression on her face is unmistakably fond. "Sorry, but if it involves the both of you, it's automatically my business. It's cute that you think you can keep any secrets from me. Do you need anything else, or—?"

[recreatable]

"No," he answers before Gustave can. There's more that he should discuss with her, but three is a crowd. Better to speak with her in relative privacy, so that he can let his guard down a little without feeling watched. "Go practice fencing your papa." Hers, not his. "I'll find you later."

Verso waits for Maelle to get out of earshot before he turns to Gustave, frowning. "I was going to talk to her."

[superniceone]

"Yes, but I asked her to talk to you last night," Gustave says, "and obviously she didn't. Sorry." It's weird and complicated and he sort of just wishes they'd managed to keep their business fully private from everyone else, but it's too late for that now. His smile turns a little wry, and he watches Maelle until he's sure she's distracted by something else.

"Look, the second she strolled up to me last night— she called us secret boyfriends. I didn't know what to say. 'You've got it all wrong, Maelle, we're both just deeply flawed men making huge mistakes'?"

[recreatable]

While it's objectively true, hearing it referred to as a 'huge mistake' smarts. It shouldn't; he should be glad that Gustave recognizes the futility of their not-relationship. He should be—and on some level, is—relieved that Gustave sees this as the trainwreck that it is.

"I recall trying several times to warn you away," he says, sidestepping any hurt feelings. "If you're going to mention my deep flaws, you could mention that altruistic action, too."

[superniceone]

Gustave has and will always be an awkward man, but he's usually better with people than this. The offhand way he calls this a mistake is more about their choice of timing and circumstance than their choice of each other. This must objectively be the worst time in human history to actively begin any sort of relationship, besides maybe whilst on a rapidly sinking boat.

"You did," he admits. "I'm an extremely stubborn man, turns out." Gustave hesitates, then bumps his leg against Verso's. "Sorry, honestly. I shouldn't have called her over here. That was petty."

[recreatable]

"It was," he agrees. Then: "But it's all right."

He did need to talk to Maelle, even if he didn't want to do it under those circumstances. Not with Gustave inserted into their relationship like that. He's already such a prominent figure in Maelle's life.

"...I'll explain it to her." In family-friendly terms. "I don't want her to think— it'll confuse her otherwise."

[superniceone]

The way Gustave rubs at his own shoulder is a genuinely unconscious action. "I think— just let her think what she wants for now," he says, finally. "Neither of us are the kind to let it get in the way of our jobs." She's got enough to worry about, he thinks, without involving their ridiculous situationship.

[recreatable]

She's going to think that Verso has done something wrong when it ends, but it wouldn't hurt to spend a little more time trying to figure out how to avoid that outcome, so he acquiesces, shrugging. Dryly, he starts, "I guess 'secret boyfriend' is preferable to—" 'Huge mistake'. He stops himself. "Well, it's a flattering descriptor. Sounds suave."

[superniceone]

It sounds ridiculous, considering Maelle's father is the only human in this whole canvas who doesn't know they're hooking up — but Gustave won't point that part out. "Suave suits you," he agrees. It looks like the rest of the camp is starting to pack up, and he stalls for a second, cutting his eyes to Verso. "Thanks again. For yesterday, I mean. I, uh— I really needed that."

[recreatable]

Only Gustave would say 'thanks for the sex' multiple times. Verso's mouth twitches in amusement.

"You make it sound as if I was doing you a favor." Like it's community service. He had thought that Gustave needed it, and that had been a significant factor in providing it, but it wasn't a selfless act that he got nothing out of. Certainly not deserving of any sort of gratitude. "I'm flattered you think I'm so altruistic, but I'm not that charitable."

[superniceone]

Verso had only agreed to resume their private endeavors like a day before, and it had been... strangely intense. Part of Gustave also just wants to acknowledge it as a pleasant little shared memory, and has no idea how to do that, so. Thanking it is.

"Cut me some slack," he says, chuckling down at his own hands. "The apology was just a vehicle for me to say I really enjoyed myself. And I'm looking forward to our next, ah, secret date." It's impossible to know when time will allow, but his point stands.

[recreatable]

The compliment is so incredibly dorky that Verso can feel his shriveled heart grow three sizes in real-time. Very fucking dangerous. He can't help but smile fully then, laughing and shaking his head. "I'll be sure to light candles next time."

For days after, the promise of another rendezvous does feature prominently in his thoughts. It wouldn't be right to say he's looking forward to it; that's too unequivocally positive of a description. It would, however, be right to say he ponders it to the point of perhaps obsession — he thinks of the prospect with mixed feelings, but he thinks of it often.

Time doesn't allow, though, until after they've felled another one of his family members. It's hypocritical, but he feels perhaps the lowest he's ever felt with Alicia gone forever without so much as as word exchanged between them. A not-insignificant part of him wishes that he were with her out in the ether. Once they've made camp and Verso has argued with Maelle and ruminated in depressing silence for most of the night, he seeks out Gustave and pulls him into the trees under the guise of a private conversation.

"I would very much like for you to take your clothes off." Sue him. He can't always be charming.

[superniceone]

Gustave never allows himself to become a priority. Whatever is going on between him and Verso is relegated to the quiet hours, downtime between working toward Expedition 33's goals. He does occasionally flirt a little at camp in an awkward, playful way, whenever the group spirits are especially high, but it's never more than a brief touch or nudge.

Then they approach The Reacher, and things go to absolute shit. Gustave checks on Maelle when she and Verso finish their private conversation, and as much as he wants to check in on Verso— he gets it. He prefers to process his grief alone, too.

He honestly isn't sure what direction the interaction is going to take when Verso leads him out to the trees, but he's not expecting a request to strip.

"Uh," Gustave says. He half shrugs his jacket off as if to indicate that he's not dismissing the request, but his face is creased with concern. "Are you sure that's what you want right now?"

[recreatable]

He wants his sister to not have just evaporated into nonexistence, but apparently, he can't always get what he wants. This is probably only going to make him feel worse in the long run, but Aline didn't include healthy coping skills when she brought him into existence. Probably because she has no concept of them, either.

Verso tugs the rest of Gustave's stupid jacket off. So much fabric. If only Gustave were wearing a slutty little V-neck, it would already be off!

"I thought you liked making huge mistakes." Not that he internalized Gustave's offhanded comment and made it a part of his self-image, or anything.

[superniceone]

Merde, Gustave wishes he knew what the right thing to say here was. He can't actually fathom the pain of losing a sister; he'd been in shock after the beach, in a bit of a suicidal fugue state the entire time he'd thought Maelle dead. He'd never had time to actually swallow that particular flavor of grief.

"Verso," he says, voice quiet but firm; and he reaches up to catch the back of Verso's neck, crowding him slightly as he does. "Whatever you need— if I can help you feel better, I'll do it. If that's fucking, then fine, just— as long as it doesn't hurt you more." I don't want to be something you regret is what he almost says, and bites his tongue. It's really not about him right now.

[recreatable]

It's not really any of Gustave's business what hurts him, so he chooses not to acknowledge that comment. Besides, at this point, he struggles to see how things could get much worse. He reaches down to work on Gustave's belt buckle, saying, "He calls it 'fucking' now. And here I thought it was just community service."

[superniceone]

Gustave flusters slightly, more at the call-out than the actual phrasing. They're well past the point of polite euphemism, he thinks, and he gently knocks Verso's hand away so he can deftly undo his own. "You get yours," he says, all business now; his mechanical arm is great for most things, but does add just a little bit of conplexity when it comes to pulling loose someone else's belt.

He is not even slightly aroused by what has so far just been standing in the woods and watching Verso suffer, but he'll figure it out.

[recreatable]

This is not even a little bit sexy, and pales in comparison to the near-sacrilege they committed by the Sacred River. Verso undoes his belt anyway. What else is he going to do, go off by himself and cry? He'll probably do that later.

Once he's dealt with his own belt, he reaches out to unbutton Gustave's pants like this isn't the weirdest, saddest sex in the world. He at least has the decency to feel a little bad about it, mumbling, "Sorry I forgot the candles."

[superniceone]

Gustave exhales a sound that's almost a laugh, surprised by the apology. "Hey, come here, slow down a little," he says, gentling his voice. He's trying to coax Verso's face up, wants to pull him into a kiss if it's possible at all, but he'll settle for just trying to skim Verso's jacket off in turn if he's denied.

He'll spin it as just needing a little time to get the metaphorical engine going, will fully accept the mantle of guy who kisses too much if he has to.

[recreatable]

Gustave is sweet. He's not feeling particularly deserving of sweet right now, but Verso has taken a lot of things he's not deserving of, so he lets Gustave kiss him anyway. He likes it when Gustave kisses him first, too, but saying that would mean exposing that he's been replaying their last encounter somewhat incessantly, so he keeps it to himself. His fingers still on Gustave's waistband, and he laughs humorlessly against Gustave's mouth before pulling back.

"It would probably be too much to ask for this not to be a turn-off, wouldn't it?"

[superniceone]

Gustave feels way more like he's floundering than being sweet. He can say with all honesty that this is the first and only time in his life that someone has sought him out for an angsty trauma hookup. More than anything, he's just worried about Verso, but he has no idea how well saying that out loud would go over.

"Mostly I'm thinking that the grass is a little damp," he says, leaning in to sort of brush a kiss against Verso's shoulder, before he kicks his own jacket out a bit flatter. "Sit down. My knees are too old to do all this standing up." He's— okay, well, he's rambling a little bit; he doesn't want to be sent back to the camp alone while Verso is transparently in pain.

[recreatable]

Damn, Gustave really hasn't lived. A good 50% of Verso's hookups have been the angsty, trauma-fueled kind, at least on one side. Lots of Expeditioners afraid to die.

He settles down on the jacket that Gustave very romantically kicked around, smoothing it out a little in an attempt to make this situation not the least appealing one Gustave has ever been in. The back of his neck is a little hot with embarrassment now that the uncomfortableness of the situation is sinking in; maybe he should have gone off to cry alone, actually, instead of trying to engage Gustave in grief-sex.

"Yeah, you really are an old fart," he says, an attempt to lighten the mood.