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if_i_trace2005-09-02 10:28 pm
kintail.livejournal.com) wrote in if_i_trace2005-09-02 10:28 pm
Entry tags:
Backstory sidefic: Trust
New! Not previously appearing elsewhere!
Set a few weeks after Like Opening, Like Closing. Worksafe.
Trust
While Keiran busied himself with making the morning tea on his own, Aaron poured a cup of cold water and took several prescription pill bottles out of the cupboard. Shaking assorted capsules into his palm, he swallowed several at a time with a grimace.
Keiran wasn't sure if he was supposed to notice or not, but he was pleased to see that Aaron wasn't taking any pains to hide such things anymore, even if Keiran couldn't get a good look at just what the medications were labelled. "What are those for?" he asked casually, trying to appear focused on measuring the prescribed amount of loose green tea into the tea ball. "You okay?"
"None of your business," Aaron responded pleasantly, rubbing his breastbone as if trying to help push the pills down, or keep them from coming back up.
Affronted, Keiran began to protest. "Hey! I was just worried..."
"No, you were just curious. There's a huge difference. I get enough of being the local curiosity around here." He returned the pill bottles to the cupboard and closed it pointedly.
Keiran didn't want to let the matter drop so easily. "That's not fair...."
Aaron looked at him in such a way that warned him not to require Aaron to point out the inherent unfairness of life.
Keiran ducked his head contritely, but didn't stop scowling. "You don't trust me."
Aaron actually laughed at that, at least that's what Keiran thought the short bitter sound was. "Oh, no, you've got it backwards."
"Huh?"
"I'm trusting you a lot more this way, Keiran. I'm trusting you to respect my boundaries and privacy. There's no lock on that cupboard, you could walk over there and have a look if you wanted to. You could research the medications and their uses easily enough. I couldn't stop you, except with a request that you don't, and the threat that you wouldn't be welcome in my house anymore if you do. Maybe your curiosity about it is more important to you, I don't know. But I've decided to trust you."
"Oh..."
"Don't let the water boil, or it will taste flat."
Set a few weeks after Like Opening, Like Closing. Worksafe.
Trust
While Keiran busied himself with making the morning tea on his own, Aaron poured a cup of cold water and took several prescription pill bottles out of the cupboard. Shaking assorted capsules into his palm, he swallowed several at a time with a grimace.
Keiran wasn't sure if he was supposed to notice or not, but he was pleased to see that Aaron wasn't taking any pains to hide such things anymore, even if Keiran couldn't get a good look at just what the medications were labelled. "What are those for?" he asked casually, trying to appear focused on measuring the prescribed amount of loose green tea into the tea ball. "You okay?"
"None of your business," Aaron responded pleasantly, rubbing his breastbone as if trying to help push the pills down, or keep them from coming back up.
Affronted, Keiran began to protest. "Hey! I was just worried..."
"No, you were just curious. There's a huge difference. I get enough of being the local curiosity around here." He returned the pill bottles to the cupboard and closed it pointedly.
Keiran didn't want to let the matter drop so easily. "That's not fair...."
Aaron looked at him in such a way that warned him not to require Aaron to point out the inherent unfairness of life.
Keiran ducked his head contritely, but didn't stop scowling. "You don't trust me."
Aaron actually laughed at that, at least that's what Keiran thought the short bitter sound was. "Oh, no, you've got it backwards."
"Huh?"
"I'm trusting you a lot more this way, Keiran. I'm trusting you to respect my boundaries and privacy. There's no lock on that cupboard, you could walk over there and have a look if you wanted to. You could research the medications and their uses easily enough. I couldn't stop you, except with a request that you don't, and the threat that you wouldn't be welcome in my house anymore if you do. Maybe your curiosity about it is more important to you, I don't know. But I've decided to trust you."
"Oh..."
"Don't let the water boil, or it will taste flat."
no subject
^_^ For some reason, that line just sticks out as a favorite. Flows so perfectly with that whole "...I am *not* funny" subtle mentality that Goujun does so well--throws me back to your lovely 'Tedious Maintenance' fic. Heh.
Ahem. Yes. This one. Very good points about trust and curiosity that--again--make so clear who we're dealing with at the root of these new (and utterly beguiling) characters. And the fact that it's such a brief little exchange that nonetheless manages to make its point with remarkable impact...yes. *happy sigh* Be it Tenpou/Goujun, Hakkai/Hakuryu, or Keiran/Aaron, I love the characters and the dynamics and the fact that you can capture them so perfectly, so poignantly.
Just...thank you. ^_^
no subject
*shuffles off to sort out chronology in own head*