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[ladyjanelly]

In the past, there's always been a look to the men Sean would date. Slim-built pretty-boys for the most part. He's dated artists and actors, musicians and writers--never anybody too butch or too "queer."

He'd worried sometimes, about how the media would react if he was outed, what his fans would think of him. He'd always thought it'd go easier on is reputation and career to be perceived as the "man" of the relationship.

When he's more honest with himself, he'll admit he's been so selective because he's been afraid of feeling small and weak and floofy.

Waking with Dave's arm draped over him, he feels none of those things. Safe, yes. Loved, yes. Resting in the pre-dawn hours, he doesn’t feel the need to prove his strength or independence. He relaxes into the now of it, watching the numbers on the alarm clock turn and listening to Dave breathe.

He dozes for a bit and when he opens his eyes again it's time to turn the thing off before the beeping starts. Dave mumbles a protest as Sean slips out of bed, pulls the blankets against his chest before he settles down again.

Sean dresses in the near-darkness then resets the alarm for a more reasonable time.

Dave's hair is too short to be soft, but it is sleek under Sean's hand.

"Hey," Sean says, his voice soft as Dave makes the difficult climb to consciousness. Dark eyes blink at Sean in the dim light.

"I didn’t want to leave without saying good-bye." They both know Sean's schedule: the wrap-party for the film he's working on tonight, then a red-eye flight to New York for a week's filming of a guest-spot on a crime show.

"I'll walk you out," Dave rubs his face and shakes his head, finally attaining a semblance of wakefulness. Sleepy, he follows Sean down to the living room. Sean stands on the doorstep, Dave just inside the apartment.

"Can I call you from New York?" Sean asks.

"I'd like that." Dave leans against the doorframe, his elbow above his head, the side of his face cushioned against his bicep.

Sean thinks he's beautiful like this, all soft and relaxed. There's a youth and vulnerability showing that's all the more special because it is so rare.

"Can I kiss you?" Sean asks, knowing the answer, just because he likes the way Dave says yes.

"I'd like that too," and he just stands there waiting, letting Sean step in and lean down and brush their lips together.

It's the first kiss that Sean can remember savoring for the kiss itself. It's not foreplay; it is a prelude to nothing but their parting. Sean worries that he may have morning breath, so he keeps it shallow, and somehow that makes it more intimate. There's nothing rushed about it--nothing of the frantic "is this the last one before he goes back to the mother of his son?" feel that his encounters with Reedus tended to have.

"I'll call you," Sean whispers as he pulls back. He knows he's stalling but he can't resist brushing his thumb over Dave's lips one last time. He's rewarded with a drowsy smile.

"Go back to sleep," Sean says.

"I will. Have a nice trip."

Sean waits until he hears the dead-bolt click before he heads to his car and the beginning of his day.

Comments

[goodtwin.livejournal.com]

awwwww. see me melt and sigh.

They're utterly sweet.

Sleepy Dave is just as good as Sleepy Sean.

Such lovely, lovely writing again. Yummy.

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

Omg, you kill me ded with cuteness! *snuggles into sleepy Dave*

Dont't think I didn't see the Flandus, it's nice that he like this domesticity more though.

[ladyjanelly.livejournal.com]

It seems there comes a point in a person's life when all the excitement and craziness just isn't worth it anymore. Glad the Flandus didn't take you out of the story or anything. I debated not putting that in there, but in my head, this is pretty much the bastard stepchild of "Fucken' Brilliant," and if I hadn't put it there, a time might come in the story where I'll have needed the foreshadowing.

[4bdnsn0wflake.livejournal.com]

This is a very sweet series.

The mood you create with your words definitely has that "early-morning, but comfortable and full of affection" kind of feel.

I like how you got into Sean's head about the kind of guys he's dated and why, and how this is different for him.

Also love the bit about how he was worried he had morning breath. That's a nice detail, insight into his character, something "real".

And, you had to throw this in there:

nothing of the frantic "is this the last one before he goes back to the mother of his son?" feel that his encounters with Reedus tended to have.

^ That stung a bit. A little prick amongst the overall softness of the fic. Keeps the reader on her toes.

Nice chapter. :)

[ladyjanelly.livejournal.com]

I was sorta worried about this one (as worried as I get about this fic, which isnt much). it seems one thing to say X and Y fucked. It's another to say "this is what shaped X's personality, this is the way he thinks about his sexuality, this is the person he is behind all the characters." It got pretty personal. Glad it worked for you, and that you liked that about it.

The Reedus thing /had/ to be put in there. 'Cause y'know? It's less fun to imagine a world where they wouldn't have at least experimented with it. They are the anti-OTP, but I can see them as fuck-buddies.

Glad the "little prick" didnt poke you out of the story.

-J.

[4bdnsn0wflake.livejournal.com]

I was sorta worried about this one...It got pretty personal.

^ That's the kind of stuff that keeps me interested. I'm not really one for fucking or fluff just for the sake of fucking or fluff.

There have to be real characters with some level of depth to hold my attention.


The Reedus thing /had/ to be put in there.

^ Aye, it did. I really like the way you handled it. Nothing distracting or heavy-handed, but it really spoke volumes about what their fling was like.


Glad the "little prick" didnt poke you out of the story.

^ The occasional poke from a prick can't be anything but good, IMO. ;p

[ladyjanelly.livejournal.com]

The Reedus-mention also felt like it was tying back to the pretty-boy artist/actors of the first sentence. It made the chapter feel done.

[prfctdaze.livejournal.com]

It's not foreplay; it is a prelude to nothing but their parting.
I really like this line. It brings home the feeling of their comfortableness with one another. Like they want to take things as they come; nice and slow and easy.

And throwing the Norman in there was brilliant. Just a snippet of background that spoke volumes of Sean's previous dissatisfaction with his "relationships" with so-called "actor types".

Dave's a "real" man and he comes across that way to me (and as I read it, to Sean too).

This is wonderful :)

[ladyjanelly.livejournal.com]

And throwing the Norman in there was brilliant. Just a snippet of background that spoke volumes of Sean's previous dissatisfaction with his "relationships" with so-called "actor types".


I imagine a relationship with Norman being exciting in the way driving downhill on a mountain road in a car with no brakes is exciting. Not that Norman would be a bad person, or wouldn't try, but like his passions would run very intense but easily distracted.

Dave's very down-to-earth, very comfortable in the serenity of his life. The Sean in my head is ready for that sort of thing.

Glad you're enjoying.
-J.

[athousanderrors.livejournal.com]

haha everyone's already said this more eloquently than me, but I just had to add that I loved the little bit of Flandus in there. Not because I love flandus (because I do) but because yes, it ties in to Sean's previous lovers, artists etc, as you said. And they are the anti-OTP. And now I've just read your comment above - that being with Norman would be like driving downhill in a car on a mountain road with no breaks. Norman seems like a totally focused, passionate, slightly crazed person. I could see it being all too easy to be swept away by that all, unless you're as strong as Sean appears to be.

And I love love love sleepy boys. They are just adorable.

Keep writing, this is just...it's like a verbal warm cup of tea in the middle of winter. :)

[nature-aly.livejournal.com]

I was gonna wait until I got to the end to feedback, but the little bit about Reedus just killed me. Love. Okay, more when I finish it.