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

[harrowgate]

"Oh, darling, I'm afraid we really are," Felix agreed, his gaze tracking the movement of Alcuin's elegant hands filling his glass again. Damn. If he was this fascinated now, it did not bode well for his self-control once he started drinking. "I have to admit, I envy you a little. Your Doctor is much more my usual type, believe it or not. How did the two of you meet?"

[alcuin]

Alcuin filled his own glass as well, and then smiled at the question. "He rescued me from a throng of reporters who were camped outside the hospital waiting for me. He has a habit of rescuing me."

[harrowgate]

Felix's brows lifted with more interest than amusement. "Do you often find yourself in need of rescuing?"

[alcuin]

Alcuin did not want to give him a real answer to that, afraid it might lead him down a path towards his real secrets, the real dark things.

So he only shrugged and said, "Occasionally. Though it is not that I require rescuing, only that he is always there for me." He smiled a little, a bit bolder now into his second glass of wine. Alcuin was still something of a lightweight, to be honest. "It took a long time, you know. I never thought he would want me."

[harrowgate]

Always there for me. That was a hallmark of healthy relationships with which Felix was quite unfamiliar. What did it mean, for another person to be there?

"Nonsense," he commented, truly disbelieving. "I don't think there are breathing people who wouldn't want you."

[alcuin]

Alcuin shrugged. "Straight men." Though then a little smile tugged at his lips as he looked at Felix, as if he'd realized belatedly that he'd received a compliment.

[harrowgate]

Felix rolled his eyes playfully. "Hardly any such thing, in my experience. Most of them can't admit their curiosity, and when you... when one looks a certain way, swaying them isn't too difficult."

[alcuin]

"I'm afraid I can't take the credit in this case," Alcuin said. He supposed he had Kersen to thank. "But there's some truth to that, I think."

[harrowgate]

Felix swirled his glass, and drank around a secretive smile. "I have some first hand experience." Alcuin seemed to, as well, but Felix did not seek to inquire. "And I think I understand now Doctor Lecter's hesitation to venture out socially with Shannon and I in tow. I suggested it, but... well. Being seen with us, people would make assumptions."

[alcuin]

"His attitudes about such things have... evolved," Alcuin said after a moment. "For a long time even after we were together I thought we could only be so in secret, but that's changed, I think."

[harrowgate]

Felix smiled, a lazy curve of his lips. "Do you suppose he would entertain the notion of a social invitation, from me, to both of you? Nothing more shocking than dinner, I assure you."

[alcuin]

"I am certain he would," Alcuin said, because at the very least he was sure that Hannibal would do it for him if he asked. "Though perhaps I could convince him to have you over, instead. As you really, really need to experience his cooking."

[harrowgate]

"His cooking?" Felix looked surprised, but intrigued. "I don't think I know anyone who cooks. Of course, I would be delighted to accept... as long as he doesn't think me a heathen for knowing very little about food."

[alcuin]

Alcuin laughed, sounding delighted. "Oh, Felix, you are in for a treat. Truly, Hannibal is better than most of the very good chefs in the city. It's like art. And he adores teaching people about food."

[harrowgate]

"I will be an exceedingly inexperienced student to begin with," Felix warned playfully over his glass. "But I do enjoy learning. You won't mind your Doctor taking on a new novitiate?"

[alcuin]

"No, Felix, I would very much welcome any opportunity to spend more time with you," Alcuin admitted honestly. "And if I think so well of you, then Hannibal will as well."

[harrowgate]

"Do you?" Felix asked, his eyes glittering like the question could be a snare. "Think well of me? Even knowing that there is something about me that my lover couldn't bear to hear?"

[alcuin]

Alcuin looked genuinely surprised by the question. "Yes," he finally said, entirely sincere. "Whatever it is..." He let his voice trail off. "I know you think you probably know the worst of me. You don't." And when it came to the very worst - past just the spying, past the things before, but instead now, secrets about where bodies were buried - only Hannibal knew.

[harrowgate]

Now it was Felix's turn to look surprised. "I don't suppose I know the worst of anyone. Most people will never be in the situation to learn the worst of themselves. Besides, nothing you've told me has given me any reason to think ill of you."

[alcuin]

"Same," Alcuin said simply. Then, with a note of cheerfulness, "Another drink?" He waved to the bartender.

[harrowgate]

The contradiction in how Felix saw Alcuin, and how he saw his own situation, was just beginning to dawn on him. If there was nothing wrong in Alcuin's past, then his own ought to be the same... except that Felix felt very strongly that it wasn't the same. He just couldn't say why.

"By all means," Felix answered to the offer of another drink, now that the bottle of wine was empty and he was feeling the steady swell of warmth in his blood. "If you don't mind pouring me into a cab at the end of the night."

[alcuin]

The waiter brought over another bottle, and Alcuin smiled at Felix. "Not at all," he said. "I'll do the same. Or if this is such a nice hotel as you say, I could also just pour myself into a comfortable bed." He laughed.

[harrowgate]

"All alone?" Felix asked, very much against his better judgement, though his smile remained sparkling and his tone remained playful.

[alcuin]

"It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me not to offer to save you cab fare," Alcuin said before bringing his new glass of wine to his lips. He felt pleasantly buzzed.

[harrowgate]

Felix decided then and there not to think about this too intensely. "You are a consummate gentleman," he agreed, and gestured in acknowledgement to Alcuin with his own freshly filled glass. His voice lowered to a velvety purr as he added, "I... am not."