fandomtownies | Groovy Tunes, Wednesday

Separate the leper

Leto might not have come up with the idea to visit Groovy Tunes on his own, and he had to admit that Alice's company was more of a temptation that recordings of music. Still, that didn't matter much, and he definitely needed someone else to talk to than his cranky roommate.

He entered the shop, glancing around quickly before smiling at Alice.

Her own smile was genuine as she caught sight of him. "Welcome," she said. "Have you come to learn of more modern music? I did offer to escort you through it, I believe. Some of it is quite intriguing."

Leto walked up to her, leaning against the counter. "I have to confess I came more for conversation with you than for music, but I imagine a combination is possible."

"The two go quite well together," Alice laughed. "Conversation, music, a Dinah to pet, and that lovely thing where you reach up to play with my hair."

Sometimes, Alice quite enjoyed being mildly forward. Perhaps because it seemed so terribly un-Victorian of her.

Leto, who was unaware of what to expect of a Victorian girl, just find her forwardness very sweet and encouraging. "In that case," he said, reaching up to get his fingers tangled in her hair, "I think I can keep you busy all afternoon." He leaned in to kiss her.

Alice returned the kiss eagerly, leaning across the counter and sighing into his mouth. The music added a nice ambiance to kissing; one could simply fall into the open spaces and float away on someone else's breath.

After a long moment, she straightened up again. "I probably shouldn't kiss you all afternoon," she laughed. "I doubt Chad would be terribly pleased with me."

"Is Chad here?" Leto raised an eyebrow teasingly, then pushed himself up to sitting on the counter. Of course Alice had to work, but at least he could try to distract her. "And is talking as bad as kissing in that respect?"

"I should imagine talking could be more cleverly concealed," Alice laughed, leaning up for another kiss. They were quite addictive, that way. "I could claim that I was enlightening you as to music of this era. Kissing seems less likely to pass relevant information, beyond 'I enjoy the way your lips taste this morning.'"

"I have to admit you are probably right there," Leto replied, trying to pull Alice closer by wrapping his arms around her waist. This came so naturally, he noticed, and to both of them, it seemed. "But as far as I recalled, our list of subjects to talk about are now quite long." He leaned his forehead against hers.

She nuzzled in against him. She felt strangely secure, here, tangled in his arms. To be honest, something of that terrified her. She felt safe; that meant her defenses were lowered. It was difficult at times to quiet the small voice that wasn't certain that such was all right.

"It is," she agreed. "And growing at an alarming rate. Where should we begin?"

Leto, on the other hand, was used to never being alone. Ghanima had always been there, knowing him as well as he knew himself if not better. Alice was very different, of course, but her company did push away that feeling of loneliness that he usually harboured among people.

"Perhaps you could ask me a question," he suggested after a moment's hesitation. His arms loosened a little.

"All right," she agreed. "We can take turns, in that manner. Questions, answers, and then we see if there's anything left on the list."

She hesitated, knowing what she had to share, and fearing the outcome. They were so easy with one another, now; she was dreading that something might cause that feeling to shatter.

"What is it you would like?" she asked finally. "Not engagement, but not for us to part ways, either, it would seem. There is a great deal which lies between the two extremes."

This was a question he was unsure how to answer. "Alice, I would like to be close to you." In more ways than one, but he wasn't sure this was the time to bring that up. "But I can't commit in the way people seem inclined to do here." He bit his lip, looking away. "Also, I'm occasionally sharing my bed with someone, and while it's not a serious matter, I've been told it is important here."

Leto gave her a slightly nervous glance. "And what would you like?"

That required some serious thought. "This," she said simply. "I feel close to you. I like feeling close to you, even as it worries me. It's ... been a while since I let myself, I suppose. I don't ... do much bed-sharing myself," and this was accompanied with quite the rosy blush, "but I should assume that would be reciprocal; that you wouldn't mind if I were to go on dates, as well."

Proper society only allowed for men to keep extra entanglements, but Alice had never considered that to be quite fair.

"Though I wouldn't like ..." It was harder, to find words for this; she wasn't quite sure what she meant by it. "I suppose it would hurt, if you were to find another that played much more intriguing games, and decide you were quite bored with me. If that were to be the end, with an abrupt wave of your hand."

"I would certainly not ask any restrictions of you that I didn't ask of myself," Leto replied. "As for..." He thought for a moment. "There are no promises made that can save anyone from the pain of being abandoned." Then with half a smile he added: "But I have never met anyone who plays games like you."

"No, there aren't," Alice echoed, thinking of snow and fire once more. She shook her head quickly as if to will away such images. "It wasn't even the games, I suppose. So much as ... if this changes somehow, so be it. But if it could be replaced with a replica, without the least backward glance, that seems to imply it was never real at all."

That there had never been a connection; only the pretense of one, somehow.

She bit her lip, unsure of her place, before adding, "And I ... should like to know there was honesty for all involved, and not just myself. That the girl who warms your bed knows that you aren't pledging fidelity to her, and so on."

He seemed the honourable sort, so she couldn't imagine that he hadn't made his intentions clear to all. But so long as they were seeking clarity, more in that vein could hardly hurt.

"I cannot see the future," Leto said, although it wasn't the complete truth, perhaps. "But I know that the thought of visiting you here today did force me to make an effort not to be distracted." At her other request he laughed, shaking his head. "My roommate would certainly not expect such promises, and I would not want to give them." He looked at Alice, arms slipping around her again. "Is that answer enough to your question?"

"I believe so," she said, leaning in for another lingering kiss. "Very well. We go forward, from here, and we see what we shall see."

There was something quite encouraging about that, Alice felt.

"Which means we've one matter cleared, thus far. I started us on a topic, so I believe it's your turn to ask for one."

He returned the kiss eagerly, then pulled back a little to give her space. "What confessions were you thinking of when we talked at the dance?"

Alice drew a sharp breath, hoping that would quiet her nerves, which were jangling once more. "How I ... broke," she said. "And what the consequences were, from there. It's a bit of a long story, I fear, and mostly unpleasant."

She never told all of it; it seemed too convoluted and bizarre. She had a feeling that she might like to, were he to ask. Though he may not care to; it was not a happy story, even as such tales went.

"It wasn't kissing boys," she allowed. "It was ... losing everything I had."

Home, security, love, family, sanity, years; dominoes tumbling one after the other.

As this could hardly be the end of the story, or even the beginning," Leto remained quiet and listening, caressing her hair.

Another imprint in borrowed clothes

We can be numb
Passing through

Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Re: Talk to Alice

Mod Your Shopping

Play with Dinah

OOC