OTA

[alcuin]

It had been a while since anyone had randomly recognized Alcuin. He credited this in part to the fading memory of the city (despite the tabloid flair-up around the holidays), and in part to his decision to cut his hair. He'd also taken to wearing glasses, which were a prescription weak enough that he'd typically gone without them in the past, but he was spending considerably more time in front of a computer these days than he had when Anafiel was alive. Maybe it was a little Clark Kent of him, but he definitely wasn't noticed as much this way. And it wasn't even just being recognized, but he also got less attention. Which caused... more conflicting emotions than he would have anticipated.

In any case, this all resulted in his looking like a rather normal young man sitting at an outdoor cafe drinking coffee and reading a copy of Jon Ronson's new book So You've Been Publicly Shamed. It struck a bit of a chord with him, to be honest. He was glad he hadn't spent much time on social media last year. He really didn't want to know what Twitter had thought of him.

The cafe was busier than usual, perhaps due to the weather being nice, and it was a Friday just late enough for people to skip out of work early. He reached over and took his bag out of the other seat at his table in case anyone wanted to join him, as there were no more empty seats around.

Comments

[alcuin]

"Yes." Alcuin smiled at him again at that. "Thank you, that was thoughtful. Please, tell me what you thought of it." He settled back down in his seat so that they could talk.

[whispersoflove]

Anael sat in the other chair, his eyes bright with the joy of seeing Alcuin again. "It was lovely, truly. The love that shines through his words is amazing." That was, of course, the best sort of compliment Anael could make. That, and where their reading together had led them, perhaps.

[alcuin]

Alcuin was remembering that part as well, with definite fondness. Being with Anael had left him with a lingering warmth that had stayed with him for days.

"I would like to have thought that he might have written something about me, someday, had he lived," Alcuin said quietly. Because for all that love shone through, none of it had been for him.

[whispersoflove]

"I am certain that he would have," Anael stated honestly. "No man with a heart such as his would have been insensitive to such love as you bear him." Perhaps he should've spoken in past tense, but the love Alcuin felt for Anafiel was still so obvious that it would not have come naturally.

[alcuin]

"He did a good enough job of being oblivious to it for a very long time," Alcuin said with a little laugh.

[whispersoflove]

"Blinded by the love he had lost?" Anael softly suggested.

[alcuin]

"Maybe," Alcuin offered quietly, though he didn't necessarily think that was the truth. "Scared by it, maybe."

[whispersoflove]

"But he found his way back?" Anael prompted.

[alcuin]

"To love? Maybe. He was starting to, I think." Alcuin paused, and then added, "Will you tell me how you've been, Anael?" Not so much a deliberate change of subject, as wanting to not keep talking about himself without asking after his friend.

[whispersoflove]

"Oh, I'm always the same," Anael replied with a warm smile, letting Alcuin change the subject if he wanted. "My work is keeping me busy, most of the time." But he sounded as content as ever.

[alcuin]

"I have more free time now that the term is over," Alcuin said. "I was thinking of doing some traveling."

[whispersoflove]

"Where are you thinking of going?" Anael smiled at the thought. He did so love to discover new places.

[alcuin]

"A few different cities in Europe, perhaps," Alcuin said. "Hannibal mentioned that he might like to visit Prague and Amsterdam."

[whispersoflove]

"Oh, I love them both," Anael agreed, eyes shining happily. He was not surprised that Alcuin and Hannibal were still together. There was no heartbreak in Alcuin, and Anael did not think that it had been that long since they had last seen each other. "Not as much as London, but..."

[alcuin]

Alcuin smiled pleasantly at him. "And how do you feel about Paris? That's where I'm from."

[whispersoflove]

"I love it as well," Anael immediately confirmed, with a genuine smile. Admittedly, he tended to love everything and everyone. "When did you come to England?"

[alcuin]

"When I was twelve," Alcuin said, "so... I've been here almost half my life. And I love it. I had every reason to leave, but I didn't."

[whispersoflove]

"You had better reasons to stay," Anael reasoned with a fond smile. "What do you remember of Paris?"

[alcuin]

"Oh... the beauty, the people. My mother. I went back recently. It seemed so different, but I suppose it was me who's changed."

[whispersoflove]

"Maybe a little of both?" Anael suggested.