[gives him a look -- a little soft, a little sad.]
Not... all for nothing. Long as the lie's not about what's important.
[would never have been on the list. can't help but know it, in quiet hours when it's impossible not to think..... and that had been all the more reason to snatch at whatever time they had, before the Admiral inevitably reached his own destination and finally went home. even before putting two and two together without permission -- the important part, the reason for it all, had never been a secret.]
Oh, but you can do a lot with your clothes on.~
[you didn't come in here looking for a conversation without innuendo, did you?~]
You don't have to tell your life's story to enjoy someone's company in the short run. You just... have to be real.
['lying to his bedfellows' doesn't sound good, though, given the little Bel had seen of that snake they'd pried out of the smallest suit of armor while Greg had been washing the Randall stink off his incognito personage. hadn't been privy to the circumstances, or might have pointed out that those lies had been exactly the opposite of the ones that would apply here.]
What I wouldn't give for him to railroad me just a little.... [breathy laugh at the rest of it -- ah, there's one kink Bel's actually never been into.~ but the rest is just... it's baffling.]
You know.... until that night, with -- with the maple mead.... [hand shivers a little, empty.] He always flinched away, when I touched him.
[you don't flinch, Greg. had thought it was just Barrayar, but... you don't flinch. of course Bel's careful; it's heartbreaking. you're glad -- you trust? what about this isn't "all for nothing"?
would give almost anything for him, but one-true-love never did apply.]
We talked about it. Decided not to let it trouble us. [well, mostly him. wry attempt at a shrug, eyes slipping closed again to take a few more long breaths.] Going to... see what dirt we can dig up on it. I've... been making passes at him for years... whatever he decides to feel is his business, not some algorithm's.
no subject
Not... all for nothing. Long as the lie's not about what's important.
[would never have been on the list. can't help but know it, in quiet hours when it's impossible not to think..... and that had been all the more reason to snatch at whatever time they had, before the Admiral inevitably reached his own destination and finally went home. even before putting two and two together without permission -- the important part, the reason for it all, had never been a secret.]
Oh, but you can do a lot with your clothes on.~
[you didn't come in here looking for a conversation without innuendo, did you?~]
You don't have to tell your life's story to enjoy someone's company in the short run. You just... have to be real.
['lying to his bedfellows' doesn't sound good, though, given the little Bel had seen of that snake they'd pried out of the smallest suit of armor while Greg had been washing the Randall stink off his incognito personage.
hadn't been privy to the circumstances, or might have pointed out that those lies had been exactly the opposite of the ones that would apply here.]What I wouldn't give for him to railroad me just a little.... [breathy laugh at the rest of it -- ah, there's one kink Bel's actually never been into.~ but the rest is just... it's baffling.]
You know.... until that night, with -- with the maple mead.... [hand shivers a little, empty.] He always flinched away, when I touched him.
[you don't flinch, Greg. had thought it was just Barrayar, but... you don't flinch. of course Bel's careful; it's heartbreaking. you're glad -- you trust? what about this isn't "all for nothing"?
would give almost anything for him, but one-true-love never did apply.]
We talked about it. Decided not to let it trouble us. [well, mostly him. wry attempt at a shrug, eyes slipping closed again to take a few more long breaths.] Going to... see what dirt we can dig up on it. I've... been making passes at him for years... whatever he decides to feel is his business, not some algorithm's.