fandomhigh | Library [15/02]

"Good morning, Liir." He smiled to see the now-familiar plate (and bowl) and hopped up to come around the counter. "You look well this morning," he said, looking at him closely. "Is that a new coat?"

He nodded.

"A gift from Andrew yesterday," he said as he fingered the sleeve with one hand. "It's very warm and water slips from it as if it were tarred."

He loved it.

"It suits you," he said, with a nod and a smile. "Very much, actually. Andrew made a good choice."

He went to take the plate and bowl from Liir. "And once again, thank you. I am going to have to contribute to your food supply if you're going to keep feeding me."

"It's very good for flying," he said. "I tried it out this morning. The wind can't slip in to chill me when I have it on."

He looked almost near hugging himself.

"Enough about me," he said. "You look pleased this morning."

He smiled crookedly at Karal.

"You know, I hardly sleep in the room all that often. And I've been told I'm always welcome with Andrew..."

It was testament to how much Karal wasn't thinking this morning that it took him a moment to understand what Liir was saying.

And then he went bright pink and looked at his feet. "Umm, I'll remember that," he said, glancing up at him. "I don't wish to put you out of your room, though."

"Just let me know," he said cheerfully. "I don't mind in the least."

Karal smiled again. "All right," he said. "I will. Thank you." Though he knew it wouldn't be necessary any time soon. "And I have my room to myself a great deal, since Aravis is so often with Seely."

"Andrew sleeps better when I'm there," he said, a little more sedate. No less pleased, but that couldn't be helped. Nor should it be, really.

"As do I. But it's good to have a room to go back to when I need it."

He didn't quite know the idea of personal space by name, but he understood that occasionally the desire for privacy and a solitary state were a part of his make up.

Karal's smile softened. ""It's good that you help each other, that you can give each other some peace."

His own smile went warm and just a little goofy.

"No one's ever loved me before," he said matter-of-factly. Or seemingly so. "It's almost like magic, in a way."

"Then it is well past time," he said firmly, enjoying seeing Liir so happy. "And Andrew is not the only one, though it is quite different!" he added with a smile.

Now he just looked confused.

"Er, what?"

Karal shook his head. "Andrew is not the only one who loves you," he explained. "You are like a little brother to me, a real one, not simply one assigned by the school, but, as I said, it is nothing like the same as what you and Andrew feel for each other."

He blinked once. Twice. Unfortunately, and he'd be upset to realize that he'd missed this in a way, but the terms 'brother' and 'love' certainly didn't immediately click together.

"I didn't-- I'm missing something."

Oh, Vkandis. It made Karal's heart hurt that something which was so obvious to him wasn't to Liir. He stepped closer, resting one hand on Liir's shoulder. "You're like a brother to me, which means I love you," he said gently. "The two things go together." At least they did for Karal.

His eyes went very wide.

"Oh," he said.

He didn't know. And it wasn't real, it wasn't true, it wasn't just wishful thinking until there were words. Until someone named themself, changed reality just that tiny bit.

He swallowed.

"I--love you too," he said, marveling at the word itself. It could go in so many directions, mean so many things, change so much in a way. Nothing was really changed. Not really. But in another way, everything had.

He wouldn't claim Karal as his brother, though. That never seemed to work out.

Karal beamed at him, hiding the flicker of sadness that it should come as such a surprise. "Which makes everything balanced." He squeezed Liir's shoulder briefly. "Are you all right?"

He nodded immediately, not wanting to upset Karal, especially not now. And he wasn't going to ask anything, wasn't going to--

"Why?"

He certainly didn't understand it.

It was his turn to blink. "Because, I don't know. Glory, I'm not sure it's something that can be categorised," he said slowly. It was not a question he'd ever expected to be asked. "Because you're kind and generous, despite everything you have been through. You're brave, even if you think you're not. Because," he shrugged helplessly, because you're Liir. I can't break it down into reasons. I simply do."

And because you need to be loved. Karal knew that was part of it, but it would help nothing to share it.

Generally, being Liir had gotten him ignored with brief periods of outright hatred mixed in. The idea that his Liirness might produce something like that, love, no, Love.

Some part of his Liirness cried out that he wasn't any of those things, that he was only a mirror for the kindness, the bravery, the Goodness of others, acting as such to maintain his worth in the eyes of those who'd chosen to show him kindness.

Another part told the first to keep quiet and to be happy for what it had earned him whether it was real or not.

He sort of hated both parts.

He swallowed.

"Oh," he said again.

"I'm glad," he continued. "That you do. Considering."

And then

"Sorry."

It was usually a helpful ending to his awkwardness.

Liir's awkwardness never bothered him. "No apologies are necessary, I promise."

He considered that for a moment.

"I should probably get to work," he said after a minute. He said it, however, with a small smile.

"And I should probably get back to mine." He smiled back. "I don't want to have to stay afterwards and be late to the dance."

Edited 2008-02-16 01:02 (UTC)

He looked at Karal for a moment before shifting to attempt a quick hug.

Karal happily hugged him. He would always have a hug for Liir. Always.

Then Liir pulled away, gave a mildly startled sort of smile, and scampered off.

Karal watched him go, shaking his head again in both affection and bemusement, before returning to his work.

Library [15/02]

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