Latent Dream (Summervale) [Cramler] [M]

[GoblinFae]

He grinned and then blushed. "You are shockingly modest," he teased. "Not all signs are perfectly safe for public company. You'll have to get creative when you start describing your—," he glanced down at Fletcher's crotch and smirked with a deeper blush.

"You don't have to sign, it's alright. I like the sound of your voice too. Just it's nice when you do sign too. It's like a secret hug.

"...would you want to teach me any of them? Something for us? Something I can learn for you?"

[Nightcrawler]

"Yeah, well...I imagine we'd speak amongst company, anyway. The wrong person might see this as too much of a kindness from your jailor. And I really don't want the girl knowing how much I know, if we can help it. Or Neal. Going to play stupid and grumpy with them for as long as I can."

He stopped as Theo gave him the most pointed look he thought he'd ever received from the man. A breathy laugh escaped him and broke the silence. "You're a bit saucy today, aren't you?" he murmured, basking in the attention. "You going to be this worked up all day? I'm not bothered by it, mind. It's nice to see you get a little bold."

Fletch rubbed at his chin, considering Theo's request. As he did, some of that spark left him, and he grew distant. "Mine? Or his?" he signed.

[GoblinFae]

Theo look bashfully back at Fletcher but wiggled his brows slightly then hid his face in his hands. "I have a reason to be, no?"

"Both? Either? What makes you happy. If I'm to meet your brother-in-law one day though perhaps I should try to earn some respect points?

"Do you really hear EVERYTHING in here?"

[Nightcrawler]

"...Oh." Whatever tension had flitted across his features eased considerably. "Suppose that makes sense. We'd have to do it out loud, though. The practicing. And again, I'm shit at it, and I've already got enough of an accent with it that he looks at me like I'm a crayon short of the box, so...I may not be doing you any favors. But I remember enough of how the old man used to say things that maybe we can make it work, yeah. I've gone and started talking aloud again," he realized, and switched back to sign. "It depends on where you're at in the room. Bed, yes. Fireplace, yes. Washroom gets tough to hear. I can hear you walking and pacing clear as day. Shit way to build a house, if you ask me."

Fletch squinted suspiciously. "Why?"

[GoblinFae]

His eyes shifted back and forth as he signed. "There has been a lot of wind breaking I thought I was much safer in breaking."

Theo tilted his head and rubbed at his scalp in thought. "Nanny room I imagine. Know when the baby or child is crying or up to no good. More upset—" he stopped abruptly and waved his hand as if flicking the thought away.

"Teach me ship words then. Aft and starboard and port—I know them but not what they mean really. All the different parts or why you raise and lower sails."

[Nightcrawler]

Fletch snorted. "I've just told you how bad it is sleeping in the hold. You know I don't give a damn about that. You really want to learn this? I can go grab that book from the piano room if you do. It's easier with a picture."

[GoblinFae]

"Embarrassed."

"You don't have to right now if you'd rather stay. I would like to learn one day though. Mane I should just read the book on my own time. Not bother you."

"How are you feeling today? Today is a good day?"

[Nightcrawler]

"It's no bother. Might be fun. You're right, though. Maybe that's a thing for when we're bored. A safe thing for when we might be overheard."

His mouth opened slightly at Theo's question. He wrestled with the idea of answering it truthfully. How was he today? Theo was fully aware of how he was: one touch shy of snapping and pushing the man up against a wall. For once, he knew that Theo felt the same, and that somehow made it even worse. He exhaled slowly, wishing he wasn't such a weak man to this powerful force between them. "Wanting you. Badly," he signed. "Maybe we shouldn't be in here together."

[GoblinFae]

"Is it too cold for a walk? I'd suggest sparring but I think that would make things worse," he giggled. "But if you need to excuse yourself I understand. I can go back to reading until dinner."

[Nightcrawler]

"Yeah, we'll see who's laughing about it later," Fletch shot back with an indignant jut of the chin. "But, no...cold's a good idea. And you know it's bad if I've said it. No bollocks left to use if they freeze off, right?" He sighed, shook his head, and rose gingerly to his feet. "This is madness," he muttered, more to himself than to Theo, though he did glance over at the man as he said it, expression a strange mingling of exasperation and lovesickness. "Absolute madness. You, er, want to come with? Or stay here?"

[GoblinFae]

"We already know how good you are at getting me flat on my back, yes. I still have much in the way of balance and footwork to go. I can only imagine my horror and your amusement should I ever end up on a ship at sea. You can just peel me off the floor when we make port."

He got to his feet and made to brush imaginary dust and wrinkles out of his clothes. "Would you like to walk alone or is the company welcome? I don't wish to...irritate, you further."

[Nightcrawler]

Fletcher's eyebrows raised, his left peeking above the eyepatch. He shoved his hands in his pockets and graced Theo with a lengthy stare. "Yes you do, you little shit," he muttered at last. "You're welcome to join if you like. Could go see the dog, I suppose, or walk the perimeter. ...Anything but this," he added with a soft laugh.

[GoblinFae]

His eyes lit up at the mention of Aya but Theo wisely kept from commenting too much and risking upsetting Fletcher over his late husband's dog. "Come along then. I'll nick some sugar cubes for the horses too. I'm sure they're going just as stir crazy as we are without all the trips to town. If you're sky maybe you can abscond with one of Kenna's mugs and some coffee too keep warm outside too?"

[Nightcrawler]

"Oh, you wound me, sir," Fletch said as they stepped out of the room. "'Course I can steal a fucking mug." He allowed Theo to lead the way and assumed his usual stiff posture, hands behind his back and expression stoic. He'd both wanted and not wanted the nobleman to join him. He couldn't get enough of the man's company, it was true. The only time he'd ever say no to it was if he'd been put so out of sorts by the day's events that he needed his space. But it was going to be a harder crawl back out of the depths he'd let himself succumb to, that was for damned sure. 

As they stepped into the kitchen, he circled back around towards the kettle and got it started. "Afternoon," he greeted Kenna with what he hoped was his winningest smile.

[GoblinFae]

Kenna eyed Fletcher with deep suspicion and pointed her knife warningly at him. "I'll be havin' none of ye mischief today, Young Jack. I got baking' ta do and her Ladyship changed the Yule party menu again af'r I jus' placed me order wit' da butcher. I now have to figure out how to turn a suckling pig inta a goose—eh! None of those sad eyes Mister Theodore. I'll make it work. I always do."

Theo grimaced all the same giving Fletcher a displeased look over his mother's inconsiderate nature when Aneisha popped in from outside looking decidedly rosy-cheeked and bright eyed.

"Good afternoon, Teddy, Jack, Miss Kenna~" she chirped with an obvious bounce in her step. She flitted about the room, humming softly as she went about her chores and grinning such a cheerful grin that even Theodore watched her in surprise. 

[Nightcrawler]

"You hear that?" Fletch interjected. "She called me young." He ignored Kenna's knife as he always did. The day she actually used it on him was the day he ate his boots for breakfast. He did, however, turn and deliver Aneisha a suspicious little look that quickly settled into something a bit more dangerous. "Who's the boy, Neish?" he asked.

[GoblinFae]

"Hmm?" The young woman sounded as she brushed past him gracefully to grab a spoon. Aneisha continued to hum and spin through the kitchen, flitting from one spot to the next in a kind of giddy absent-mindedness that gave Theo pause.

Was this what he looked like since accepting not only his love for Fletcher but also being confessed to by the same man? Was he so obvious that anyone with eyes could see he was in love? And as Fletcher had asked...who WAS the boy that had the scullery maid who was a hair width away from bursting into song at any moment.

He felt exhausted already from the possibilities but was far from above using the current uncertainty and curiosity as an excuse to look for treats.

[Nightcrawler]

"You deaf too, now?" Fletcher muttered. He shook his head, growing more and more serious by the second. He thought of Zoey, and the number of times he'd had to fight off her suitors when she clearly wasn't old enough for them. But she'd been eleven, and Neish wasn't so young. She was grown enough, as Theo had reminded him long ago. And he could no more scare off every boy interested in her than he could control the weather. The tension in his shoulders eased. "Well. He tries anything, you know where to find me," he relented, sounding a bit resigned to the idea that he wouldn't in fact be out brawling with some young upstart anytime soon. With one final shake of the head, he turned back to make his coffee.

[GoblinFae]

"He who?" Aneisha asked with a deeply questioning face. "And why is he trying anything? And why do you look so grumpy? Aren't you excited Yule's almost here?"

Oblivious to the conversation at hand, Theo managed to pluck up a couple of carrots that he stuffed into his clothes and a handful of sugar cubes. He was just going for a strip of dried meat when Kenna's all knowing spoon smacked him lightly on the knuckles.

"None of that. I won't have you spoiling that dog with the choice kitchen scraps. And the carrots come on. Hand them over."

Theo pouted but handed over both carrots but the moment her back was turned he grinned knowing he has managed to keep what he was truly after. 

[Nightcrawler]

Fletch chuckled. "Hey, you keep your secrets and I'll keep mine," he replied cryptically. "I've got you something good for Yule, though, don't you worry. So I'd better still be your number one man." As Kenna rounded on Theo, he took advantage of the distraction and quickly finished pouring his coffee. He held the mug by his side and out of her sight, though Neish got a front row seat to his tomfoolery. "Well, got to be moving on. Busy day and all. See you," he called, and before the cook could even register what was happening, he'd darted out the back and onto the grounds, coffee splashing out of the cup and onto the floor.

He waited until Theo emerged, clutching his prize and grinning like a fool. "Gives you a thrill, don't it?"