Boom Boom Pow [open]

[MJ]

"Well, I'm glad one of us thinks so." he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. It was funny- from anyone else he rather hated that nickname, but with Kurtis it was different.
Well. Everything was different with Kurtis.

The silence curled up between them like a slumbering cat, warm and familiar. Despite the sudden cease of conversation, it wasn't awkward- neither felt the need to constantly chatter. They walked in contented quiet for a few moments. It had been a while since he'd been down to the kitchens. Some fresh bread certainly wouldn't go amiss, he decided. Would the cooks still remember him? Maude, the red-faced woman who seemed to be in charge, had made a point of stuffing him with food during his first year at Florence. "Boy," she'd said in a voice roughened from chimney smoke, "You're too skinny ta live."

"It's not that." he told Kurtis slowly, mind muddled as he tried to decide between the full truth, the half truth, or the comfortable lies. He was cut off by a sudden grasp of his shoulder- there was no way the other boy's hand could be that warm, no matter what lies his silly subconcious was feeding him- and a wave of tantalising smells hit him as he was tugged unceremoniously into the kitchen. Footsteps, he realised belatedly, out in the hallway. A teacher was coming. Jon wasn't sure if visiting the kitchens was against the rules exactly, but it was certainly frowned upon. At least Kurtis had been thinking quickly enough.

He relaxed amidst the familiar bustling chaos and took a seat as directed, content just to watch. Kurtis moved with the practiced grace of a dancer as he slid between cooks, and Jon couldn't resist a smile. Obviously he'd been here before as well, and a bit more often than himself. Shifting to find a more comfortable position on the stool, he undid another button of his collar before the heat grew too stifling. When the other male returned Jon picked up one of the apples, twisting and turning it in his hands without meeting Kurtis' eyes. "'Dish'. You sound like someone's gossiping grandmother." he teased, but the joke fell flat and his chuckle sounded forced.

The apple dangled from it stem, slowly winding as Jon stared at it intently, as though seeking answers in the smooth red fresh. "The person I like," he began, not entirely certain where he was going. "He's-"
And there was that blasted pronoun, slipping out despite- or perhaps because of- his best intentions. Oh well. In for a penny, in for a pound.
"It's not a her."

The words slipped from his mouth, bitter and clipped. Jon didn't dare look up but hunched his shoulders as though by crouching smaller he could simply disappear into the woodwork.

[Poe]

A Man Named... KURTIS LOWE

He was very at home in the kitchen, a place were teachers rarely poked their heads, and when they did it was for a short time. But the heat from the stoves and the smell of "home cooking" put him to ease when his mind was weary, and as a lad there would always be some new treat to taste and sample for the burly cooks who slaved over the kitchen fires, breathing in the thick black smoke. Florence itself was not his second home- the kitchens in Florence were. The stools that they'd chosen to sit at were worn and comfortable, the wood soft from so many years of use. Sitting in them made Kurtis feel like a young boy again, his grey eyes wide with wonder as he stared around at all the hammered copper pots and pans, glinting in the orange flames of the fires.

The apple in his hand was small and a dark red, the magic under his skin coursed along the object, pulsing, and making it feel as if the fruit had a heartbeat too. Running a hand down his face, he leaned back in the tall stool, his shoulders slouching. Ignoring his friend's weak jibe about sounding like a grandmother he took a large bite of the apple, patiently (or was it impatiently?) waiting for Jon to get the guts to spill the girl's name out onto the countertop where Kurtis could silently arrange ways for them to meet "by accident". And then those fateful words fell from his friend's mouth and Kurt slapped a hand over his lips to keep from spitting apple across the room as he sputtered, shocked.
It wasn't completely unheard of, it just wasn't something anyone talked about at Florence, you would be deemed imperfect, horrendous, a beast, they might even throw you out... And his best friend, Jon, the brainiac that could read in the dead language, who wore his hair long, and who cussed teachers out in Greek was... was... in like (Kurtis had decided very quickly that he couldn't possibly love another...) boy.

Not quite sure how to react, Kurtis swallowed the rest of his apple, blinking slowly, wiping a tear from his eye where it had been forced out by a slight choking fit at the news. "Sorry, that's not how I should have reacted," he muttered, completely unsure of what to say to the boy next to him. Instead of scooting the stool farther away across the floor he moved it closer, leaning down to look at him, leaving the apple, quite forgotton, on the counter next to his elbow, one large bite taken out of it. Now that he knew the she was a he, Kurt had no desire to learn the name of the unfortunate boy, so he did not ask. Instead he leaned over the countertop, watching his friend, asking the only question he was sure might be safe. "So is it requitted then?" He wasn't sure if his friend would take him seriously or would be extremely angry for asking a question as... personal as that. But he had to know.

Puzzle pieces were falling into place now. He should have known from the beginning. The boy had done a good job keeping it... ah, covered up. That was for sure.

ooc:
I decided it was okay, for having no muse.
Blah. xD

[MJ]

The cooks moved on in their normal orbits, chattering cheerfully, pots clanging and porcelain chiming as they prepared for the next meal. Nothing out of the ordinary happened- they hadn't heard Kurtis' question or the ensuing conversation. It felt more than a little bizarre, the two of them a still tableau amongst the bustling chaos. Jon held his head in his hands and braced for impact.

The impact was surprisingly quiet, if you ignored the choking sounds. He winced and glanced up through his fringe, hoping that he hadn't inadvertently caused his friend's death. Perhaps he should have waited until Kurtis was done eating, but he had the feeling if he'd waited any longer it wouldn't have come out at all. At least the other boy hadn't started shouting as he'd half-feared. His rages were always a bit unpredictable- and heaven only knew what the cooks would have thought. He was clutching the apple in one hand, so tightly it was sure to be bruised. A faint, sweet scent rose from the fruit as he carefully loosened his white-knuckled grip. It was curiously innocuous in the midst of so much tension.

"No? Exactly how are you supposed to react to the news that your friend is- is-" Jon couldn't seem to find a word, lost among too many unflattering epithets and crude terms that young boys threw at each other like knives. When he heard the scraping of the stool, he was certain that Kurtis was moving away from him, uncomfortable and disgusted.
But when he looked up hesitantly, eyes hooded and jaw set, the other boy was closer than he'd been before. Shock settled over his features, open and blunt, then morphed into something like cautious hope. He'd certainly never expected to get a positive reaction, and while this wasn't a wild, raving acceptance, it wasn't rejection. And that was the important part.

The question, however, caught him completely off guard. Jon blinked at him for a moment. Of course. Because this conversation wasn't painful enough, Kurtis had to go there. At least he hadn't asked for names- Jon knew he was no sort of liar, no matter how long this deception had been going on. He smiled, but there was no warmth in it, all twisted lips and mocking eyes.
"Of course not. He doesn't even know. It's not exactly something you just mention casually over breakfast one day. 'I rather fancy you. Oh, by the way, pass the jam?'" It was the harshest tone he could ever remember using, humorless and cold.

Then the blond sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking back down at the floor.
"Thank you." he said in a voice hardly more than a whisper.

[Poe]

A Man Named... KURTIS LOWE

Jon posed a rather good question... How were you supposed to respond when you found out your best friend for life (your biffel, haha) was... ah... homosexual, was the only term Kurtis could think of that wasn't completely crude. He blinked rapidly, trying to come up with the right response for his friend, hoping that he could somehow make the boy next to him feel better, not feel so... Well, anguished. After running a hand down his face, Kurtis rubbed his jaw, pursing his lips together, glancing at the counter top, counting the grains of wood, distracting himself as the gentle perfumed scent of apple wafted to his nose and he was forced to look up and watch Jon's hand begin to unclench it. His own stomach twisted into knots. What the hell was he supposed to be saying here? What words of encouragement would he want to hear? Or would he want to be rushed off to some shrink's office to be... made right again. Finally, he choked words out, the taste of the apple he'd just bit into completely covered by a stale sickness. "Does anyone else know?"

Perhpa, Kurtis thought that if someone else knew he could run to them, begging for their aide, hoping that maybe they could help him out. He swallowed bile, wondering if he was the only one that knew at all about Jon's... condition. The boy's answer about his... crush not knowing seemed to be answer enough, though. No. No one else except for him... He was the only one that Jon seemed to trust enough to tell. But why?

Well, maybe that's for the better...?" Kurtis asked, swallowing, totally at a loss for anything to say (and Poe is at a loss for anything to say because I feel so bad for poor Jon). He ran a hand down his face again, looking at Jon, letting his index finger draw designs onto the wood, wondering how something like that could happen to a guy. The words that fell out of Jon's mouth next stung, and he winced back, having never heard the rather happy-go-lucky boy speak so coldly. Kurtis had often pissed the boy off before, but... never quite like this, he'd never seen him smile so coldly, never seen his eyes so dark or mocking. Kurt's own grey eyes looked away, feeling like an abused dog, wanting to go hide, run with his tail between his legs at the expression on the boy's face next to him.

Jon... Kurtis said in a strangled voice, so at a loss for words.

ooc: SUCKAGE! :]

[MJ]

He shifted his shoulders and took a deep breath, trying to find his usual, carefree grin, banishing some of the tension from his posture. The atmosphere helped- had they still been in an abandoned classroom, echoingly empty, this whole conversation would have been even more uncomfortable. Jon was suddenly, ridiculously glad for Kurtis' empty stomach. Which, he suddenly remembered, he hadn't gotten much of a chance to fill.

He swallowed and waved a hand at the assorted food before answering, setting his own apple back on the table. "Why don't you eat something. I know I dropped that one on you without the slightest warning, but the world must move on. Wouldn't want you dropping over of exhaustion in the midst of my heartfelt confession." Jon turned to humor, trying to break the awkwardness that had sprung up between them. He wondered, fleetingly, if their relationship would always be like this now- dancing on eggshells.

He fiddled with the fruit, setting it into some sort of arrangement rather than meet Kurtis' eyes. "You're the first." he said quietly. "I'm not sure whether you ought to be honored or, I dunno, uncomfortable or whatever, but there it is. I've never...well, obviously it's not something I like to spread about the school, you understand." It was like the words he'd held back so long were finally bursting forth, and it was all Jon could do to keep them coherent.

"Oh, I don't know." he murmured, not allowing himself the luxury of imagining what might have been. He placed both palms flat on the table in an attempy to stop his fidgeting."Perhaps...perhaps we would be miserable. But we might have been happy, who knows." After all, no one suspected things when two boys were alone together- society had no such protocol, and things might have been secretive and hushed, dark corners and locked doors, but at least they would have been there....No.

Jon cleared his throat and met Kurtis' eyes, feeling suddenly guilty for the sadness there. Perhaps he shouldn't have said- now he'd brought the other boy into the secret, and he was surely feeling pressured. But it had felt to good to just say it out loud... "Well," he said with an attempt at lightheartedness, "Now you know why you should have stopped asking questions, you big oaf."

[Poe]

A Man Named... KURTIS LOWE

At the reminder of food, Kurtis's stomach growled, and he looked down at his stomach before looking at the apple next to him on the table. Blinking slightly, he picked it up, juggling it between his two hands, a nervous chuckle leaving his throat. "Yeah, you kind of did. But that's okay... I'm glad you were honest with me, really, I am." At least now he knew what he could tease Jon about and what he couldn't. Better safe, than sorry, he supposed. Slowly, Kurtis took a large bite of apple, letting the crunch of his chewing fill up the uncomfortable silence between the two friends. A silence that he wasn't used to having to fill. He hoped that it wouldn't be like this always now, an awkward silence settled between them like a thick custard, impossible to breath in. Would it be, that every time they were together, pardon the irony, a gay baby boy be born? He sighed, pushing a hand down his face, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, staring out into the kitchen, glad for that hustle and bustle that helped the silence.
It was in that silence that Kurtis finished his apple, letting the core spin around as he held the stem between his fingers, watching it spin.

Well, I feel quite honored," Kurtis said in response to Jon's quiet whisper. Saying he was the first. He held his friends gaze, his grey-blue eyes serious and honest in every aspect as he steadily answered what he believed was an unspoken question. "I won't tell a soul, I can promise you that," he said, waiting another moment before he looked away, reaching toward the tray of food he'd brought, pulling out a slice of bread, his body thankful for the food. It was energy he needed if he was going to deal with everything he was learning today about his friend. He would be interested to see what else he could find out.
How long would it take Kurtis to fit the rest of the puzzle together, to come to the realization that Jon was... slightly infatuated with him? Or would he never realize it? Would Jon be forced to keep the difficult secret to himself forever...?

Kurtis quietly watched his friend place his hands on the table, and he swallowed the last bit of bread, pulling out a scone, shaking his head at the almost grotesque hunger that had suddenly overcome him. Sometimes his anger and magic mixed together was a curse... "I'm sure... if anything ever did come of it, you'd be happy until someone found out. This society," he scoffed slightly, angry that this society was so unaccepting, "they just don't understand like they should, is all... And it isn't fair to you or anyone else that is the slightest bit different from the mold that they've created." He picked apart his scone, eating slowly now, trying to be polite, trying to listen. He wasn't uncomfortable, anymore, the information had sunk in, and, honestly, it made sense.

Snorting at his friend's attempt at light-heartedness, Kurt smiled slightly. "I wish you would have told me sooner, so I wouldn't have made you quite so uncomfortable from the beginning. I can't have imagined it was easy for you to keep it in." Ignorance was bliss, though, and Kurtis would have to deal with the fact that his friend was homosexual for the rest of his life, sharing the burden of keeping it a secret, but he'd do it proudly, and wouldn't let his friend down. He cracked his knuckles, glad that he didn't know who the lad was that Jon had placed his love on, that Jon might just waste his life away, never able to tell the young man that he loved him.
It had to be a horrible thing.

He was just so glad that it wasn't him...

[MJ]

"That's good, because I'm actually a really, really horrible liar." Jon grinned. "The only reason you didn't figure it out before was because you didn't ask."
The only way to get things back to normal, he decided, was to act as though nothing had changed. It had been said, he'd come out of the metaphorical closet- they didn't need to keep treading carefully about the subject when it was just the two of them. If he thought it would make things awkward, well, Kurtis would pick up on that attitude, and it would be. Jon didn't want to have this one heart-to-heart and then pretend it had never happened. He was hardly going to talk in depth to Kurtis about it- especially considering the, ahem, direction of his feelings- but he wouldn't ignore it, either. It needed to just become one more thing about him, like his penchant for dead languages or the length of his hair.

The blond sat back and watched the other eat with a kind of weary amazement, idly wondering just where Kurtis put it all. He wasn't as thin as Jon himself, but he was hardly the barrell that one would've expected from a guy who put so much food away. Maybe beating a kid up made him unusually hungry? Energy used, and all that. Jon only hoped they weren't eating enough to cause the cooks trouble for the next meal. He let out a low chuckle and shook his head, balancing his chair precariously on two legs.

"I know you won't." he assured Kurtis fondly. "Of course, if you did, I think I'd have to beat you up, lack of muscles or no. At the very least I'd hit you with my largest book." That was no light threat. His books got very large indeed; he'd actually fractured a bone in his toe after dropping one on a foot. Words could hurt just as much as sticks and stones, when you got down to it.

He picked up a pear, one of the lone survivors of Kurtis' hunger. Jon turned it about in his hands as the other male spoke, but he'd quite lost his appetite, what with all the stomach-churning anxiety. "Yes, well. Society is what it is. I suppose this guy is just a passing fancy, anyway. It wouldn't have worked out." He set the fruit back down with a quiet sigh. There was a rueful grin on his lips.

"I'm told suffering builds character." he quoted dryly, mocking one of their more rigorous professors. "Besides, I'm now going to get my revenge by telling you all sorts of uncomfortable things." There was mischief in his dark eyes, glimmering behind the spectacles. Jon went along with his decision to stick to humor, but didn't venture too far into the uncomfortable. He didn't want to scare Kurtis off, though he definitely wouldn't mind getting a bit of his own back. There had been too many conversations where he stared awkwardly at the floor the entire time not to retaliate.

He set his elbow on the table and propped his chin up with one hand as he smirked at Kurtis. "So, now that you know, does it mean I can stop pretending not to be blatantly ogling you when we go swimming?" he asked, only half joking.

[Poe]

A Man Named... KURTIS LOWE

Or because I only have enough braincells to be a common thug," Kurtis said lightly, grinning widely at the idea, and the memory when he had still lived in blissful ignorance- which, sadly, had only been moments ago. Silently, Kurtis agreed (without knowing it) to Jon's unspoken idea about this whole... understanding. He just had to act like it was another of Jon's mild quirks- like that he cussed teachers out in Greek and Latin and all that... It wasn't anything big. Sure, it would always be there, hanging in the air or in the back of Kurtis's mind, but it didn't need to ruin the friendship that they'd struck up at the beginning of their time at Florence, that just wouldn't do... at all.
Yes, Kurtis did eat quite a lot. And if Jon only knew where he put it all. Or why he ate it- he'd be amazed. Magic could be a good and a bad thing. Depending on how much energy used in his anger totaled how much magic was used, it didn't matter what how small or large the outcome of that magic... it drained him. And always, always left him feeling like a starved man. But Jon didn't know, because even in this time of sharing, Kurtis knew better than to tell him what sort of power he possessed, because ignorance was better when it kept you safe...

Rubbing the back of his head, Kurtis winced slightly. "Didn't you like, fracture your toe once or something with one of those monsters? I already swore I wouldn't tell, but lemme say so again, just because thinking of you hitting me over the head with one of those beasts while I'm sleeping gives me chills." He paused in his little speech to dust his fingers off of the crumbs of the scone he'd just eaten. "With the new threat of being hit over the head with one of your books, I will never, ever tell anyone. I swear," Kurt held up one of his hands while he said this, as if taking an oath. Ah, Jon, you poor thing, why'd you have to fall for a goon like this?
He watched Jon set the pear down, wondering if the boy was going to eat or not. He probably should be...

Now wait, you're making me stuff my face, but you won't eat at all? That certainly isn't a good thing," he said, shaking his head. "You need to eat something, Jonny-boy. You're a growing man, we can't have you wasting away, now." There, he'd said it, and pushed the pear toward him silently, rubbing his hands together, letting the last of the crumbs that had collected on his fingers fall to the floor, where the mops would sweep them up later that night.

Kurtis literally squirmed at the mention of uncomfortable things. "You wouldn't," he said softly, knowing that the young man next to him most certainly would. It was all his own fault anyway, for making him so uncomfortable all those times he'd brought up young girls. Of course, now, Kurtis would just feel the need to tease him about... different things when they were alone. Would probably attempt to play guessing games with the man, giggling a bit like a schoolgirl when he made Jon go red in the face. Oh yes, he knew he'd have fun with this. As much fun as Jon would have with him, at least. That was for sure. He ran a hand back down his face, looking once more at the food before them, contemplating eating half of the other scone or if he should leave it for Jon. He had not even thought about this affecting the kitchen staff or their dinner tonight, he'd always just assumed that food would always appear on the tables for them, no matter how many silly slash stupid (which equals stilly!) boys stuffed their faces after they had a massive temper tantrum or a mass energy drain after using magic...
He sighed, deciding against it, leaving the scone there.

Sputtering again, Kurtis stared at his friend wide eyed, shocked that that had just come out of his mouth. He felt a hot and heavy (haha) blush rise on his neck, from his back, coloring his cheeks at the thought. "Uhm... I had always assumed that there was a girl behind me, or something... So... he trailed off, unsure of how to end it, still watching Jon, the blush still heavy on his face. Laughing nervously, he shrugged, trying to shake it off. "Sure, I guess you can blatantly stare at my shirt-less self now."

[MJ]

"That might be a factor." he conceded with a nod and a wry grin, remembering all too well that Kurtis had let him win that one. In return, of course, he'd nearly caused the other boy to choke to death by confessing his homosexuality over a meal.
What was the saying? With friends like these...

Jon winced along in remembered pain, recalling the grotesque crunch and ensuing shock from the fallen encyclopedia. His foot hadn't hurt for one long, stunned moment- and then it had hurt like hell. His hoarse screams had brought help running, though he'd been more than a little chagrined when he'd had to explain the cause. Apparently too much reading really was deterimental to your health. "Sure did. That was my darkest threat, right there, so I am assured by your solemn oath." He grinned lopsidedly at the other boy, thinking vaguely that it was the little things like this- an honest promise to a friend, however goofily said- that truly made Kurtis so attractive to him. The good looks were definitely a bonus, though.

His own words, turned against him. Jon laughed as he picked the pear back up. "Yes, mother." he said in a mock whine, then took a hearty bite of the fruit, sending Kurtis a look with raised eyebrows that seemed to say 'see? Eating.' "I sure hope I don't grow any more." This time the tone was a bit more rueful as he glanced down at trousers that were almost too short. He'd have to stop getting taller at some point, right? Jon fervently hoped it was sometime soon.

"Oh, but I would." he countered, a wicked grin spreading on his lips as he watched Kurtis squirm. He leaned back with his hands behind his head, comfortable as a king on his throne and twice as smug. One foot was braced against the table- not on it, god forbid, the cooks would crucify him- and he was balancing on the back chair legs again. It wasn't often he made Kurtis blush- most of the time it was the other way around- and he was definitely going to savour this experience. Oh, yes.

At the other boy's bewildered stammering, Jon threw back his head in full-throated laughter. It was a release, and held more than a little hysterical relief that he would deny with his last breath. The kitchen help shot him amused looks before getting back to their chores, and Jon bit off another chunk of the pair, watching Kurtis gleefully as he chewed. He reached out to snag the half-eaten scone, using it to gesture at the other boy.
"Well," he said finally, "Looks like I figured out how to shut you up. A girl, really." Jon shook his head and let out a little snicker. "Not quite."
But he stopped there, mercifully. Or perhaps it was more self-serving than anything; after all, if he taunted Kurtis too much, he'd become immune. He wouldn't use it often, but ruthlessly when the occasion arose.

[Poe]

A Man Named... KURTIS LOWE

Kurtis snorted, shaking his head as he reached over, picking up a glass of water that he'd brought over, setting it down on the wood before he lifted it back up, taking a drink and examining the ring that he'd left on the worn wood counter top. He ran his finger through the ring of water, distorting its once perfect circular shape. He shook his head again, thinking of what Jon had said. Maybe he really was no more than a thug, though... He brought the drink to his lips again to take another long sip, letting his head fall back so he could stare at the ceiling for a long moment.

And not only would my skull be bashed in, but I would have to tell the shameful story of how my skull had come to be like that, unless, of course, I was already dead. Could you imagine? Death by a book..." He shook his head, wincing slightly at the thought, remembering how loudly Jon had screamed at the simple breaking of his toe... Of course, it could have simply hurt that badly because of the bones that were breaking. However, Kurt really didn't see how the breaking of the skull would hurt less. He stopped dwelling on the unpleasant thought, looking at his friend with as much of a raised eyebrow as he could muster. "That was all you've got? Just a giant book landing on my head? I'm surprised you won't sick some rabid body guard on me or something... But good, I'm glad you'll take my oath seriously. Since it was serious, and all." He laughed, shaking his head as he reached for the glass again, looking at the newly formed ring

The seventeen-year-old boy couldn't help but snicker when he was called mother, and he shook his head, watching his friend as if he was an anxious mother waiting for her son to get well again, or something. (All the old people at the nursing home I work at call me mother! XD It's so awesome. Okay, I'll post for real now. xDDD) "Well, you never know," Kurtis said to Jon's rather upset statement of not wanting to grow anymore, "maybe you'll grow out and not up. Get some more muscle on those arms. Or is that just wishful thinking on my part...?" He watched the boy next to him quizzically, wondering if he ever really would gain and muscle or if he was forever destined to be a skinny stick that would sit in libraries and read books, and when he was old would talk in a dead language gibberish no one else could understand...?

Hey now! It isn't nice to laugh at people, you know," Kurtis said, sounding slightly cross, but more amused, at Jon's full-throated laughter that filled the kitchen and sounded like the most genuine thing he'd heard all day from his friend's mouth. At least after he spilled his deepest darkest secret, of course. It sounded real, and it sounded like Jon- finally. So as hurtful as it was, it relaxed the larger of the two boys. Kurtis let out a breath of relief when Jon stopped the tormenting, the blush still bright on his cheeks. He leaned back in his chair as well, letting the back to legs hold him up, wobbling slightly. Watching him take the scone away from his reaches, Kurtis sighed. How cruel the world could be... How cruel.

ooc: this isn't one of my best, I'm really sorry, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things again. xP Sorry! -hugs-

[MJ]

Jon watched the other boy for a long movement, distracted by the long column of his throat and the movements as Kurtis took a drink. His head was tilted down, peering up covertly through his eyelashes so as not to be too terribly obvious. Unfortunately, intent on being subtle, he quite forgot to balance; the chair gave a dangerous lurch before he righted himself, topping forward to clutch the table in a white-knuckled grip. He froze in that position for a moment, adrenaline rushing, and mentally kicked himself. He'd nearly gotten a cracked skull because he was too busy watching Kurtis. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The boy straightened up casually, as though nothing had happened. The scone he'd had in one hand was now in sorry shape, thoroughly crushed. He looked at it with a little frown of disappointment and set it back on the table, then wiped his fingers on his trousers- a bad habit his father had never bothered to train him out of. "There could be worse ways to die," he said thoughtfully. "Trampled by small children. Swarmed by bumblebees. Running into a wall and cracking your head open." Jon snorted at the last one, knowing that in the early stages of reading while walking he'd come close to doing that very thing.

"Oh, it's not the very worst I can do. But I'd hate to ruin the surprise." He bared his teeth in a grin that managed to look creepy despite his somewhat feminine features. Jon didn't do 'intimidating thug' very well, but he could handle 'psychopath'. Kurtis' theory made him snicker as he struck another pose, glancing at his skinny arms. Jon shook his head, and strands of loose hair caught in the arms of his spectacles. "Somehow I doubt it. Wishful thinking, indeed. Might as well wish I could fly." he drawled. He dropped the muscleman imitation and set to separating hair from metal idly, with a pained grimace that said this was a fairly common occurrence.

"Well, I can't be nice all the time. I think you've used up my quota for the day, listening to your ramblings about women and humoring your outbursts of dreadful temper." He managed to make the last sentence sound like a penny dreadful, a cheap romance novel or something else ridiculously dramatic. Task complete, his hand drifted over to the abandoned scone, but Jon decided at the last moment to let it rest in crushed pastry piece. Instead he flashed a grin at a passing cook, who tossed him one of the apples in her basket without breaking stride. He nodded a sheepish thank you, but the portly woman was already bustling away.

Oh, he did love the kitchens.

ooc: aggh I'm sorry for leaving and then returning with this rubbish. xD

[Poe]

A Man Named... KURTIS LOWE

It all seemed to happen very fast for Kurtis, and he reached out quickly, ready to right his friend back up in his chair, much like he would have before he'd found out about the whole... gay thing. So obviously he was well over it, deciding that if he was going to have Jon as a friend then he was going to have to have all of Jon as a friend. His hand rested on his shoulder as he froze in that position, Kurt's grey eyes alight with humor, sparkling with unsaid chuckling. He pushed a hand through his hair, waiting for him to readjust before feeling more at ease that he wouldn't fall and bust his head open. Letting out a breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding, Kurtis shook his head again. Even though Jon had been so intent on being subtle he was trying to pass off being checked out on the master of checking people out. He said nothing to him though, deciding to let him live in the belief that he had gotten away with it, for awhile, at least.

Or cracking your skull on the counter after ogling at a boy..." he muttered, unable to hold it in, a smirk filling his plump lips as he looked at Jon's white knuckles and crushed cone. His own "snack" finished he picked up a napkin, wiping his hands on the dark cloth, before wiping his mouth on it, riding the corners of crumbs. "But, I can see where being trampled by children could be equally embarrassing- if you're as big as me... We'd have to excuse you for it," the bigger boy teased, glancing over at Jon to make sure he hadn't hurt his feelings too badly... He reached up to itch his nose, sniffing slightly before reclining in the stool again, his hands behind his head, eyes half closed as he tilted his face toward the ceiling.

Ah, I bet flying would come in handy for you, wouldn't it? No offense, but maybe running away would even be a little easier?" Kurtis asked, thoughtfully, his grey eyes opening to study Jon, very boldly looking at the boy in a new way for the first time. No, Kurtis could never be attracted to Jon, it just wasn't his way... He simply like women, and he was sure women liked him too, just as they'd like Jon, if he wanted them too. He pursed his lips in thought, watching him tangle his hair out of his glasses, keepings his mouth shut to words that would say he needed to just get it cut. No, no, no, no another fight about that just wouldn't do at all. He couldn't risk losing Jon's friendship now that they'd come so far... At least in the whole, trusting-stage-thing.
His mind wandered back to the flying thoughts, and he nearly laughed out loud at the thought of wings sprouting from anywhere on Jon's body. His back, his feet, his head...
Thought it would probably look pretty ridiculous, Kurtis could see it making Jon look a bit like an angel- not that he'd ever say that to poor Jon, though.

He laughed as Jon caught the apple, shaking his head. "You're more at home in the kitchen then I am, aren't you?" he asked, examining the apple, wishing he wasn't still hungry, and wishing dinner wasn't quite so far away. But if he ate any more he was sure he'd spoil his appetite, and that just wouldn't be good.
He'd almost forgotten about his temper tantrum, and he winced, glancing at Jon with a pained expression. "Yes, I'm sorry that I made you put up with my beastly side," he said softly, shaking his head, his mind wandering back to the desk that he should probably have destroyed while he had the chance... Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose, gripping the glass of water in his hand.

ooc: Your's was good, shut up, mine sucks. =P D:

[MJ]

Kurtis' words made Jon freeze in place, and a raging flush spread over his cheeks. It was a spectacular red that the other boy was sure to remark upon, and he knew there was no chance of hiding it now. He'd been found out. Oh god, Kurtis knew he'd been checking him out. Just thinking about it made Jon cringe, glad he couldn't blush any worse without imploding. The blond almost wished for a bolt of lightning to strike from the ceiling above, if only so he wouldn't have to meet Kurtis' eyes. "That too," he muttered somewhat less than graciously. As the horrible burn of mortification began to lessen, he was suddenly, fiercely glad that Kurtis hadn't moved away. He wasn't repulsed by Jon's attention, just a bit amused. And probably a bit weirded out, true.
He would have to be a great deal more careful about his ogling in the future.

He tossed his head like a skittish horse as though dismissing the matter. As his skin began to fade to a somewhat more usual hue, Jon took a healthy bite out of the apple and leaned back in his chair- keeping it on all four legs, however. After a bout of fierce chewing, he swallowed before answering Kurtis. "Ha ha," he said dryly. "I'm taller than you, and don't you forget it, you...you...muscle elitist." A bit weaker than his usual retorts, but Jon was fairly proud that he was capable of speaking coherently after that unfortunate episode.

He continued for a moment, his gaze thoughtful. Flight...it has been a favorite fantasy of his, as a child, though he'd never given it any consideration after a certain age. You outgrew those sorts of silly wishes when you realised they were hopeless, and only made reality that much more unbearable. But he did still have dreams. To sail above the clouds, safe, untouchable, a quiet world all his own- it had more appeal that Kurtis realised. A distant, dreamy smile curled its way onto Jon's lips despite himself. "It would be nice," he admitted. Then he glanced sideways at the other boy and smirked. "Wouldn't do for you at all, of course. Wings can only hold up so much weight."

He sent the kitchen around them a fond glance as he weighed the apple in his hand, long fingers running over the smooth skin. Jon tossed it up in the air and caught it neatly before taking another bite, enjoying the crisp sound. "It was my refuge, for a while. When I was shooting up a foot every night I was always hungry, and the cooks here are lovely." he told Kurtis with a fond grin. Jon rolled his eyes at Kurtis' grimace. That eyebrow rose again, this time admonishing more than questioning.

"Oh, stuff it, you." He hadn't intended that to be taken seriously. "You're no more a beast than any other man, I should think. You just lean more towards...theatrics." Yes. Theatrics seemed a bit less offensive than 'malicious destruction of property.'

ooc:
Oh, yes, we're both absolutely horrid. We should never be allowed to write again. x)