last_adam | (no subject)

(no subject)

It isn't that Adam's bored. In their household, there is no bored any more.

It's more that he's-

okay. yes. he's bored. Without the writhing and squirming and squealing of small children, with nobody to hold or walk or look after-

he's bored.

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There's a light chuckle, and then Adam's examing Thom's (really? he looks so different. and yet the same) face.

"Why jealous?

Different like, even more impossibly beautiful?

"Because Myles adopted Alanna -- but not me."

He taps lightly on the glass, with the intent of scaring away a bug outside.

Right, Thom. Something like that.

Adam just nods. It's so easy to forget that what Adam knows of Alanna's childhood, that so much of what he knows about Tortall at all, Thom wasn't a part of.

Thom isn't looking at him, but says, "Alanna saw a lot more of this world than I did."

He drops his hand and turns around, looking -- not upset -- resigned, perhaps.

"Sometimes we just don't fit."

And it wasn't at all what he meant to say, but it comes out just the same.

Sounding faintly surprised, "I hadn't thought of it like that."

It isn't all that often anymore that Adam can surprise Thom, and he doesn't keep from looking pleased.

"How did you think of it?"

"I just thought I didn't have time," says Thom. "When Alanna came back from adventuring, I was going to go to Carthak -- that kind of thing."

Adam nods again.

"Maybe that's why you didn't have the time. Or perhaps it's a coincidence. Or perhaps nothing has to do with nothing."

Thom shrugs. "Or maybe I didn't fit -- it doesn't really matter now."

"I guess not."

There's a pause, long and awkward.

"Have you lined up a place to stay?"

He grins: fierce, white.

"You don't really want to know how I'm going to arrange that stuff."

The arch of a single eyebrow says: try me.

Thom shakes his head. "I need some secrets. Anyway, I'm not going anywhere right away."

Adam smiles once more, and it's something like relief. For Alanna, if nothing else.

"Suppose we ought to be getting you away from here soon, though."

"Yeah," says Thom. "Before the seasons change, please."

And they both wait for Alanna to open the door.

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