IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

[heliocentrist]

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

HOW THIS WORKS

• This takes place after the most recent exploration, after curfew.


• Anyone can post scenes here even if I made it for Neal and Atticus!


• Love you!

» Scenes: Just some scenes. Any scenes!

» OOC - Discussion

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Neal & Atticus

[heliocentrist]

Neal has everything lines up. Bread, cheese, butter. He doesn't need a lot. His back is to the door as he drops some butter into the skillet and listens to it sizzle. He hums tunelessly as he butters the bread, tired and yet too awake. He's expecting company.

Neal & Atticus

[harmreduction]

Atticus is quiet company. Even in the silence of the dormitory building after midnight, Neal seems to have not noticed his arrival, and he leans against the doorframe to watch him for a second. It hasn't been that long since they got back from the Shadow World, or since he's seen him. But it feels like a long time.

"Neal," he says after a moment, just loud enough to grab his attention.

Neal & Atticus

[heliocentrist]

Neal doesn't look up. He'd been hoping Atticus would show up, but now realizes it was no guarantee. The air feels heavy around him, and the smell of sizzling butter is only part of it.

"Atticus!" he replies, but focuses on preparing the fried food. He spins the dull knife in his hand just to catch Atticus' eye.

Neal & Atticus

[harmreduction]

"You didn't have to cook," he says, because he can't think of anything else to say. He stands from the doorframe, taking a few steps closer to Neal.

Re: Neal & Atticus

[heliocentrist]

Neal grins down at the bread he's buttering. Atticus' nearness is electric. It's routine, though. Whenever they're close, Neal imagines there's more to it. "I don't do anything I don't want to to," he says. It's a common and true sentiment.

Neal & Atticus

[harmreduction]

Atticus's slow approach comes to an end a few paces away from Neal, where he leans back against the counter. He's close enough that he can feel the heat from the stove, and he takes a second just to watch him work. He has a complicated relationship with food; even years out of the foster homes where it was scarce or stolen from him, he can't kick the habit of scarfing his meals. There's an intimacy to this gesture he can't put to words, and wouldn't care to even if he could. He just takes a moment to feel it.

But it's late, and they're here for a reason. "I don't know what to say," he admits at length. He's not sure what's left.

Neal & Atticus

[heliocentrist]

Neal looks up from the stove. Just a glance. Looking directly at Atticus is hard tonight in a way it rarely, if ever, is. He's afraid of what he'll see. Exasperation? Frustration? The last thing Atticus wrote keeps rising to the front of his mind. It could be snatched away at any moment with just a few words, and Neal's not used to being nervous.

"I can do the talking." He pauses to flip the sandwich, pressing on it with the spatula until it sizzles. "I'm good at filling the silence."

Neal & Atticus

[harmreduction]

"Okay," Atticus says, fidgeting with his hands. The fleeting eye contact is uncharacteristic of Neal and makes him a little nervous, too. He wants to move closer and touch him, but doesn't want to interrupt the cooking process. So he'll wait for him to be done with that... and whatever he has to say.

Neal & Atticus

[heliocentrist]

"Well." And then he's silent for a few more seconds. There is a lot he wants to say, but it's like trying to pour a river out of a wine bottle. "I know it's not as simple for you as I want to make it. It's easy for me to not think about things, or not feel really strongly about them."

Neal uses the spatula to peek under the bread, checking the color. Anything to avoid eye contact. "Usually. I mean, I tried to opt out of these feelings and it didn't work."

Neal & Atticus

[harmreduction]

"It doesn't have to be simple," Atticus says. It's probably impossible to make it simple, and that's one of the things he's been grappling with privately since New Year's. He's come to terms with the fact that his relationship with Neal might always be a little complicated, and it feels good to dismiss a concern that's held him up for weeks so easily.

Neal & Atticus

[heliocentrist]

"Yeah." Neal exhales; although he hadn't been holding his breath, it almost feels as though he was. The reassurance comes with an almost tangible relief, peeling off the layers of anxiety he'd been trying to ignore.

He slides the grilled cheese onto a waiting plate and offers it to Atticus. One corner's a bit over-toasted, and generous amounts of melted cheese pours out from the bread. It's the kind of food Neal knows Atticus could eat forever. Neal complains about his tastes, but Atticus has never listened. A long time ago it started to feel like a stupid in-joke. "I want to try again."

Neal & Atticus

[harmreduction]

Atticus hesitates for just a second as he considers responding. But the moment passes quickly. He takes the plate and discards it on the counter immediately, opting instead to close the small distance left between them.

There's no more hesitation in his movements, and no room left to misinterpret his intention, but pauses for a moment just shy of actually kissing him. He has a hand on Neal's arm, but doesn't actually pull him closer. If he wanted to step away, it'd be easy. He's not expecting him to, not really, but has to give him the chance.

But that moment only lasts a second before he presses his lips to Neal's.