Cirque du Soir

Brink Orpheus

Brink looked over at Spade. He wanted to ignore the white haired man badly but he melted under the calm gaze of Spade. "Fine... But you better not pull any stunts on me..." Brink frowned. "One of us injured is enough..." Brink smiled a little and allowed himself to sit back down. "So... What now?" His voice was just a whisper as he stared at the ground. He could hear things still going around the Circus and he wondered if maybe he could sneak out and steal some cotton candy and just wander about. He'd done it allot as a kid but that was when his friend was still there and they both goofed around. Now a days that was not such a case but it would still be fun... Though he'd prefer to do something with his ghosty savior so he was leaving it up to him.

In response to Derrick moving himself closer, Julius wrapped his arms around the younger boy, pulling him close to his chest. It was a familiar gesture, not between the two of them, but of comforting sensations in the past. It had been the way he had been held by his grandfather as a child, the way he'd held his own brother on the rare chances he'd been allowed to as a child, of holding his precious lions when they were ill or he needed the comfort of their warm bodies. It was like a confirmation of an emotional connection, a quiet but sincere expression of love, whether it be friendly or romantic.

Julius couldn't truly discern between the two loves at the moment with Derrick nuzzling into his neck, warm breath tickling his skin with each exhale- he wasn't sure if would be able to make the distinction for quite some time. Was that fair to Derrick? Maybe not but Julius was well aware bringing up that objection now would be completely idiotic. It was a matter to be tended to when the time came, but for now he was content with threading his fingers through the snake tamer's hair, smoothing it down to its original neatness before... before everything had changed.

"Let me be Derrick just for you, okay?" Julius made a humming noise, his hand never pausing. It seemed like Derrick had shed some of the layers that he tended to hide behind, his biting sarcasm, his overly confident flirtations, leaving a fifteen-year-old boy who was desperate to not mess up a relationship with a twenty-year-old man. The thought made his stomach churn a bit. Was this what Lydia had felt like all those years ago? No, it couldn't be- she'd not returned the feelings. Or maybe she had and had simply made the opposite decision. Had he made the wrong decision or had she?

"I wouldn't want you to be anyone else," He instead offered quietly. So he just held him for a while, humming some forgotten song under his breath as he relaxed with the younger man in his arms and desperately hiding thoughts of wrong and right knowing that once he started down that road there would be no stopping.

"So," He said, finally breaking the silence. "I was thinking that maybe we could go visit the lions? Or we could stay here if you'd like." His voice was casual, not pressuring either way. Derrick would have to take the lead here as he would for quite some time. It would be easiest for Julius whose hesitation might bring this relationship to a crippling halt if he allowed it.

Spade gave a shrug, which was really a nearly unnoticeable movement that could probably be mistaken for a breeze moving the loose white tee. "There's a lot going on out there," his gaze drifted towards the exit of the tent, seeing the people ambling around out in the moonlight. "We could just walk around, until we find something to do." You would think that there would be a lot of things to do around a circus. Actually to the point where you should never be bored or without something to do. But when you actually lived and worked in the circus... It could definitely get boring. Though the whole always having something to do still stood, but most of the time whatever needed done was just more work. "It's your choice."

---

Julius's suggestion of going to see the lions was not perhaps the one Derrick would have suggested himself, but he also reminded himself that his ideas were more along the lines of laying with and cuddling with his friend for the rest of forever. Well, and lots of other things that definitely would not be considering going slow. He couldn't seem to get that certain subject off his mind. It sort of hurt, in a weird way. Though he tried to just keep telling himself that Julius needed time or something. But of course that led him to think that Julius only said yes to make him happy, or that he was still actually deciding if he wanted to do this at all. Really, it was just a bad situation. One bad thought led to another until his head felt like it was going to explode. It wasn't the most pleasant feeling ever.

Instead of voicing this things though- which would be incredibly stupid of him -he just nodded slowly. After a few more moments passed, he pulled away from Julius and grabbed his earlier attire. Quickly he removed the purple shirt- and reluctantly -and put his own clothing back on. It suddenly felt strange being in his own clothing, which sounded just about as weird to him as someone feeling strange in their own skin. His- unique -way of dressing was normal to him, it was who he was, in a silly way. Carefully folding the shirt, he sat it on the bed with a silent promise of coming back for it so he could get it washed properly.

As per usual, Derrick shifted easily back into his old self. "Come on and hurry up, the lions aren't going to wait forever." He winked and made an attempt at tugging his friend out of the caravan and towards the lions den. "It's so exciting, just like meeting the parents," he teased, subconsciously fixing his eye-patch back into place and fixing his hair again.