IC contact for wethelost

[devoutish]

Solomons & Melborn
1108 Sweet Cream Street

[Feel free to use this space for letter/package deliveries as well as visits/knocks on the front door!]

Comments

[bywolves]

[ Royce stands up, and then offers his hands to Alfie, in order to help him up. ]

[devoutish]

[He lets himself be tugged, then pulls away to turn back to the stove. He wants to get the uneaten stew put away before it spoils; it's been sitting out for too long as it is.]

Royce.

[bywolves]

Alfie. [ Royce answers, rubbing at the back of his neck. ]

[devoutish]

Please don't go wish for it on your own and try to hide it.

[bywolves]

[ Oof. Royce shifts uncomfortably, and then: ] I won't.

I'm not sure I could hide it.

[devoutish]

[Alfie is almost positive that he couldn't, but the reassurance that he won't try helps.]

Thank you.

[bywolves]

Yeah.

I'm going to go get my book. I'll meet you on the couch.

[devoutish]

[Alfie will join him a couple of minutes later. If Royce will let him, he'll wedge himself between Royce and the back of the couch, flopping halfway on top of him.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce allows it, with a slight huff of amusement. He settles against Alfie comfortably, and he'll read in silence, though he does reach over to rest a hand on top of Alfie's. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie doesn't bring a book of his own; he's just reading over Royce's should here, gone totally relaxed and boneless.]

continuation

[devoutish]

[From here.]

And it doesn't make you feel different about anything?

[avere]

What do you mean?

[devoutish]

Seeing me in the flesh--

[In a matter of speaking.]

-- seeing the reality of me; seeing me as more than just a hypothetical. Does it give you pause, when thinking about the future?

[avere]

[ A beat, and she looks vaguely amused. ]

No, it does not. Should it?

[devoutish]

I'd hope not, but I couldn't blame you if it did.

[avere]

I don't see why it would. Do you feel as though I should feel threatened by you? I'm not understanding, I think.

[devoutish]

I think I would feel threatened by me, if I were in your situation. You may be a bigger person than I.

[avere]

[ She tilts her head to the side. ]

Is it because you and Royce are close?

[devoutish]

He told me I'm as important to him as you are.

[He says this softly, sincerely hoping that it doesn't come off as bragging - or worse, threatening.]

[avere]

[ She smiles. ]

I know. I'm fine with that. [ She leans forward, stretching out. ] That's a good thing, that he can have more than one important person in his life. And you aren't the first person he's compared to me, either.

[devoutish]

Mm.

I've finally come to feel as if I've sorted things out with him, but I do think it's gonna take me longer to feel like less of a prick around you.

[He still worries that he's taking Royce from her, somehow; taking a part of him that is supposed to belong only to her.]

[avere]

[ She nods a little. ]

That's understandable. If it helps, I don't even particularly think of it as sharing him between the two of us, even. Royce doesn't belong to anybody. He just gives out pieces of his heart to the people he loves, and he loves very few of them. The size doesn't matter. [ She winks at him. ] Just the offer itself.

[devoutish]

I've never heard a wife talk like that before.

[avere]

Well, I was a prostitute.

[devoutish]

[Alfie sputters, caught between laughter and surprise. He had not been expecting that answer.]

Yes, you were--