tfln overflow / open post

[superniceone]

(open / overflow)

Comments

[superniceone]

Gustave abandoned the actual dinner he'd made; he's going to at least graze!! "Ridiculous," he exhales, taking the plate and settling it on his own lap. He has a bite and finally seems to remember his own book. "Much more comfortable up here than that chair," he advises, "just in case your back starts getting stiff."

[recreatable]

He's not wine-drunk enough to actually do anything without thinking, but he is tipsy enough to use it as an excuse to do what he really wants to do; lying to himself is one of his greatest talents, after all. Verso lowers himself onto Gustave's bed without complaint, settling on his back beside him. He'd usually keep a couple inches of distance between them, but tipsiness is again a good excuse to let their knees brush.

"I slept on the floor my first night here," he offers. "The softness took some getting used to."

[superniceone]

"Not quite your cosy little home outside the gestral village, hm." It feels downright irresponsible somehow, how quickly he'd gotten used to having Verso at his side while he slept. Sciel had caught him in private once when she'd seen them holding hands in a way that reminded her of lost children, had gently broached the difficult topic of Sophie.

He puts his book face down next to him while he has his little French snack, reaching very deliberately for Verso's hand even if he's not acknowledging it verbally. "Can't believe you're too rugged for normal civilian life."

[recreatable]

Oh, he was supposed to dump Gustave, huh. Well, clearly, he's had too much wine to do that. He'll have to do it tomorrow.

It's less ruggedness and more that his back isn't used to so much support after sleeping on the ground for the better part of a century, but— "Yeah, that's me." So rugged. Just don't point out that his roots are starting to show.

So rugged, in fact, that he's holding Gustave's hand. He doesn't acknowledge it either, although his fingers flex to allow Gustave's to slip between them. He's weak. A moment of gazing meaningfully at Gustave passes, and then he says, "What kind of bookworm gives up on his book so easily?" He'd said he wanted to read!!

[superniceone]

"Both of my hands are busy," Gustave says simply, shifting his shoulders slightly where he's leaning back into the headboard. He rolls his head to the side to look at Verso, grateful that the wine seems to have removed the stiff iron from his joints, if nothing else.

"Really all just a placeholder for your poetry journal," he murmurs with a little smile. "You've really kept me on edge here."

[recreatable]

He's definitely written more poetry since his argument with Maelle, which means it's even more embarrassing to think about Gustave reading it. If he's lucky, Gustave's conversation with Maelle tomorrow will go well, she'll leave the Canvas, and Renoir will destroy the thing and condemn them all to oblivion before Gustave ever gets a chance to read it.

"You haven't embarrassed yourself yet," he points out. "I'm not sure it's a fair trade."

[superniceone]

"I am in a constant state of embarrassing myself," Gustave says, squeezing his hand with a little snort. Of all the potential last nights alive he's had so far, this one has been the most physically comfortable, at least. "But that's fair. You're safe for now."

[recreatable]

Verso falls silent for a moment after that. It's nice, being with someone in this way, quiet and without expectation save for his presence. He opens his mouth to say, "I wish—" but he's cut off by the sound of a door opening and closing, followed by the muffled sound of conversation.

"You're home early," is Emma's voice. Then, unmistakably Maelle: "Things go a lot faster than I thought, now— it smells good in here."

"Putain," Verso says, sinking into the pillows.

[superniceone]

That wash of something like dread is an extremely unusual feeling in response to Maelle's voice. Gustave balances his plate on the bedside table, then gently catches the side of Verso's head and presses a kiss into his hair like someone might do to soothe a child, because he's drunk and he's worried about Verso.

"I can talk to her tonight," he offers in a whisper, "if that would make it easier for you."

[recreatable]

"You're drunk." He can tell because Gustave really is treating him like a mémère. He's one step away from leaving garish lipstick stains on Verso's face while he gushes about how much Verso's grown. "And I'm not sure she'll find wine breath particularly convincing."

[superniceone]

"I was hoping you'd agree," Gustave admits, and he knows it's silly, but it's hard to treat the situation with the gravitas it deserves. They had won, they'd done everything right, and the world was still falling apart. "I'm just trying to keep you from having to sneak out my bedroom window."

[recreatable]

"It's not exactly the first bedroom window I've climbed out of." Although those were under much more pleasant circumstances.

With some reluctance, he sits up, swinging his legs over the side of the mattress. Gustave deserves a nice evening with Maelle before he has to broach the uncomfortable topic of her voluntarily leaving the Canvas. In truth, Verso's faith that Gustave can convince her is very little, but he has to exhaust all of his options before he gives up. "You should enjoy your night with her."

[superniceone]

"Enjoy my night with her. Right, sure." Gustave doesn't mean for it to come out so acidically sarcastic, and he immediately waves one hand in apology. He's not certain he's in any condition to spend time with either of his sisters, even disregarding the alcohol.

Which he isn't, because it seems like he has a renewed interest in the fresh bottle he'd procured earlier. He is sad and tired and stressed, and he is going to sit here and drink and read if those are the options he has to find some kind of joy in the night.

Gustave rocks his head back against the headboard. "Take care of yourself, Verso."

[recreatable]

Verso's just a little unsteady on his feet when he stands, approaching Gustave's window to sneak out of it like a teenager who's afraid to get caught by his girlfriend's father. He turns back after a second of deliberation, offering, "You can come by after, if—" If the world hasn't ended, which he imagines it probably won't. That would be too lucky. "If you want."

He'll be dying to know how it went regardless. It would be doing Verso a favor not to make him wait in agony. "Not to brag, but I have wine, too."

[superniceone]

"Come get me tomorrow afternoon, then," Gustave says, wry. His eyes are closed — he's a little afraid that if he looks at him, he's going to ask him to stay for what must be the dozenth time that evening. "I don't know where you live."

[recreatable]

"All right." Dryly humorous, despite everything: "It's a date."

Probably not quite as fun as their last date, but that was a special occasion. The doorknob rattles, and he's gone just in time for Maelle to burst in—

"My compliments to the chef," she teases, before stopping in the middle of the room and looking around with a raised eyebrow. "Are there three bottles of wine in here?"

[superniceone]

For all the stress and frustration, fear and worry he's felt over the course of the evening, the way he smiles at Maelle is sincere. "Yeah," he says, and he plays up his own drunkenness a bit, gesturing for her to approach. "Bit in my head tonight. Come here, you."

canonizing that gustave has smelled bad this whole time

[recreatable]

She crawls into bed easily, the way a little girl crawls into her parents' bed, although this time it's for Gustave's comfort and not her own; she sits up beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder— and then immediately recoiling. "Gustave," she scolds, playfully. "You just stopped stinking, and now you smell like a winery."

it's always been canon, verso is just used noseblind after monoco

[superniceone]

And he grabs her when she does that, in the light and playful way a big brother does when he's intentionally trying to gross out a little sister. "Oh, come on, just hold your nose for a minute, you've been through worse."

[recreatable]

"Oh, I can assure you I haven't!" she argues, waving her hand in front of her nose, although she's laughing. Yes, Gustave reeks of alcohol, but even that isn't enough to discourage her from being around her favorite person. Besides, the copious amount of wine bottles have her a little worried. "What's wrong? You haven't been this openly pathetic since the break-up with Sophie."

Sorry. But it's true.

[superniceone]

"Just having a farewell party for my mustache," Gustave says, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "I'll be alright. Just— had a few bottles of wine, so I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. And I hope you know I am." He leans his cheek dramatically against the top of her head. "Cancel your plans in the morning so we can have breakfast."

[recreatable]

"You're so dramatic," she says with a roll of her eyes, although it's obvious she's pleased at being told someone she cares about is proud of her. "We have all the time in the world to have breakfast together, you know."

A moment passes, and then she relents. "Fine. But I want pain au chocolat." A veritable god, and she's still demanding chocolate croissants. She wriggles out from under Gustave's cheek, saying, "We saved dinner for you. Try to sober up before Emma sees."

[superniceone]

"I'm an old man. I'm allowed to be dramatic." Gustave tilts his head slightly at her, watching her with evident fondness. If Maelle looks hard enough, she'll see a little pain there, too, in the furrow of his brow — the same look he often wore when overtaken by grief after watching loved ones taken by the Gommage — but to his credit, he's doing a pretty good job of masking it.

"Feel free to wake me up early in the morning. Really make me suffer for that breakfast."

[recreatable]

"You can't complain about being old anymore," she reminds him as she hops off the bed. "Not until you're actually wrinkly and decrepit."

There's a second where she falters, like maybe she wants to push. If there's anyone in the world who can read Gustave, it's Maelle. But he'd brushed her off before, so— maybe he just isn't ready. She'll broach the topic in the morning, when he has less wine in his bloodstream.

"You have half an hour left to drink alone before I drag you out and make you eat real food." There must be limits on this patheticness! Maelle taps her wrist. "Clock's ticking." With that, she steps out of his room, leaving him to his own devices.

[superniceone]

Gustave will do his best to sober up, slipping out to the kitchen to have a few bites of dinner just to make sure he doesn't raise any alarms with his sisters. He's mostly quiet, plays up his own tiredness and heads to bed early.

Not that he's able to sleep much, anyway. He's up at the crack of dawn, picking up some fresh pastries, and he'll be waiting for Maelle at the kitchen table as he nurses at a coffee the next morning.