Time Warp: If I Could Save Time In A Bottle (Phoenix)

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Phoenix couldn't read Oriel's mind, and his normally stoic expression made him hard to read even that way, so it was impossible for the pixie to know what he was thinking. If he was happy, or upset, or annoyed, or sad... Phoenix didn't know. So he just... Had to ask, something he was trying to get used to doing. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, squeezing Oriel's hand in his own. "If... If I ever do somethin' you don't like, you just gotta let me know, alright?"

Hopefully that would help, at least a little.

He didn't know why Oriel responded the way he did, and Phen peeked up at Oriel uncertainly, but... Didn't know how to reply. "Yeah, I mean... I guess I'm just savin' myself for someone special... Right?" he finally said, awkwardly. He hardly remembered any of his past lovers (if he even had any, although he had a pretty good idea with Oriel), so it was sort of like... Not having experience, because he couldn't remember how he used to do it anyway.

The sketchbook was a good distraction, at least. He nodded when Oriel said he knew; Phoenix wasn't surprised. "I wonder if I'd still be any good," he mumbled. Phen lifted his eyes to the taller man, only to be met with an intense stare that nearly made him step back, but he managed to stay where he was. "Did I?" he breathed, oddly captivated in the moment. "I... I bet I know why..." Phoenix didn't look down even when Oriel's hand touched against his. "You're... You're very, um... I think you're handsome," he finally managed to get out. Even though Oriel was worn, Phoenix had found himself growing fonder of the man, and his weathered appearance. He finally looked down as his shyness took over. "We, um.... We can keep lookin' now..." he said quietly, but he didn't move to take his hand away from Oriel's.

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Oriel was surprised by the question. Or rather, direction. Because Oriel was pretty straightforward when he was met with something that bugged him. Phoenix should’ve…would have known that, if he hadn’t…

“I’ll let you know,” he said with a shallow nod, his expression faintly curious that Phoenix felt the need to go out of his way to mention that. “I always do.” He hoped that clarified things.

Someone special….like who? Did Phoenix have someone in mind already? Oriel couldn’t help thinking that maybe he was waiting for Oriel to make a move….or maybe he meant that that’s why Phoenix hadn’t tried to initiate anything with Oriel. Because he was “waiting” for someone “special”.

Oriel was more disappointed than he should have been at that thought. That Phoenix had no intentions of being much more than what they were right now to each other. And just reminded Oriel that no, Phoenix wasn’t his anymore. Phoenix died and this person was…a new Phoenix. A different one.

Still…Oriel wanted…what did he want? he thought as he looked down upon his old lover, the meek thing that still stammered when he got nervous. Oriel slowly brought his other hand up, as if he were going to brush his palm against Phoenix’s cheek. But he kept it away, hovering a mere centimeter from the man’s face. He stood there for several moments after Phoenix’s last words, contemplating…before dropping his hand and turing away. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “Let’s keep looking…” Oriel stepped off without Phoenix, not even checking to see if the pixie was following behind.

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Phoenix bit his lip and nodded, looking down. "Okay," he said softly. "I just wanted t'make sure. I don't... I don't want you t'get mad at me for doin' dumb things, 'cause I do them a lot." Of course, Oriel was supposed to know that, so Phoenix probably didn't need to say anything. "An'... Sorry if I try t'get you t'smile a lot. I like it when you smile." As rare as it was.

Even the pixie wasn't... Entirely sure what he meant by what he said. It wasn't like he really had anyone other than Oriel in his life now anyway. He'd met (or, apparently, re-met) Tak, and a couple other people, but it was always Oriel he came home to, and Oriel who made him feel the least lonely. It was just... Natural that something should happen between them, right?

He didn't know... Maybe he was just destined to never really find that kind of love again....

Phoenix's breath caught in his throat as Oriel's hand lifted as though to brush his cheek. His body seemed to tremble as they stood there in silence, just looking at each other, barely touching. When the spell finally broke, he sucked in a small breath, feeling lost and confused but... Weirdly happy. "R... Right," he stammered after Oriel had already taken a few steps away. Phoenix caught up with him and looped his arm into the younger man's, determined not to let him get away so easily. "Wanna, um, wanna go over t'the bakery across the street?" he suggested. Phen couldn't really buy anything in here anyway. "For some reason, a danish sounds really good right now." He smiled shyly up at Oriel, giving his arm a squeeze. "Unless you wanna wander around more first?"

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As teenagers, Phoenix had done dumb things which Oriel found annoying, but those were more out of a sense of concern than pure annoyance. Phoenix had often been incredibly naive, and lacked a certain amount of common sense which ended up with the boy in dangerous situations more than once. But the small things, the little bouts of silliness like he’d just done with the hats, Oriel didn’t mind. He knew he would have enjoyed it back then. He liked to think he was just as amused by it now.

“Smile?” he asked, genuinely confused by the aspiration. And his surprise showed clearly on his face. ‘When you smile’ Phoenix had said. When did he smile? Oriel turned his eyes down to the side, pensively, before bringing them back up to face Phoenix. “I can smile, if you want me to.” It was just a matter of flexing a few muscles in his face, right? Oriel demonstrated with the same fake smile he gave his co-workers and the occasional customer while at work.

Utterly fake. It was the same one that Tak had scolded him for trying to use on her.

The intense stare he’d given Phoenix just now had been filled with more emotion. Not that Oriel was aware of it.

Oriel wasn’t expecting Phoenix to come after him so…bouncily. As such, he looked down at the shorter man with yet another look of surprise. He turned his head forward. “A danish…does sound good,” he said slowly. Oriel wondered for a moment if Phoenix had suddenly remembered that that had been Oriel’s favorite when they were young. Oriel might even say it still was. He just didn’t get to eat them much anymore.

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Phoenix still did dumb stuff pretty often, although while in the past it had often been out of giddiness and excitement, these days it was usually when his head got foggy and fuzzy and he temporarily forgot where he was and what he was doing. He was sure Oriel had dealt with it a time or two, and he felt guilty about it, but there was little he could do to stop it from happening.

"Yeah," he replied softly, a blush still tinging his cheeks pink. Oriel's genuine smiles were small, rare, and short-lived, but Phoenix had seen them. He wanted to see more of them, and he wanted to be the one who made Oriel do it. However... Not like this. Phen frowned as the man forced the fake smile, and shook his head. "Not like that," he said quietly, hesitantly reaching his trembly hands up to Oriel's face. His palms barely touched the man's cheeks as his thumbs brushed along the outside corner of each eye. "It doesn't reach your eyes when you fake it. I guess that means I'm just gonna have to work harder t'see it." Phen gave a tentative smile of his own and drew his hands away.

These looks of surprises were something, though, and the pixie chuckled as Oriel shot a look at him. "Okay then," he replied, gently pulling Oriel's sleeve towards the exit, He huddled closer to the warm body as the cold hit them again; at least this was just across the street. The door opened with a small tinkle and Phoenix stepped inside, sighing dreamily at all the smells. "It smells nice in here," he said to Oriel with a glance up at him. "Wh... What kind would you like t'get? I'm feelin'... Raspberry," he determined.

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Oriel was aware that he wasn’t the expressive person he used to be as a kid. He didn’t like either that he had to be conscious of how he came off to other people, especially strangers. He didn’t want to have to make those kind of efforts in front of the people he was closest to. It was 1. tiring to keep up appearances, and 2. dishonest, and thus, disrespectful to them. Tak had explained it as such, and even got upset with the man for trying to fool her.

But apparently he wasn’t as aware of himself as he thought, if Phoenix claimed to have seen something in him that Oriel hadn’t noticed himself.

Oriel relaxed his cheeks as Phoenix reached up to briefly touch them. “Most people don’t notice,” he said, not completely sure what he was getting at with that comment. Oriel closed his eyes, focusing on the tingling that came with the gentle brushing of Phoenix’s fingers upon his face. He opened them slowly as Phoenix regretfully pulled away. Oriel faintly wondered how much longer he would have to wait for Phoenix to….

He pushed the thought away, once again disappointed in himself for letting him foolishly get his hopes up.

Oriel allowed Phoenix to pull him outside and huddle close to him while they made their way across the way to the bakery. Oriel was again flooded with memories he should have already let go of. The smell was….tantalizing. It teased his appetite, his stomach protesting with an audible growl. Oriel looked away casually, though the color in his cheeks betrayed his self-conscious action. “Raspberry sounds good,” he muttered softly. It was still his favorite flavor, after all this time.

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Phoenix bit his lip and averted his eyes with a shrug. "I guess I've just been around you enough now that I notice that sorta stuff," he mumbled, still blushing a little. Phoenix had always been a bit dim to the emotions of those around him, but even in the couple weeks he'd been around the younger man, he'd looked over his face enough times (in hopes that he would suddenly get flooded with memories) to be able to recognize certain things. Like genuine, rare smiles.

He wanted to linger longer, and do more, but.... Didn't want to be creepy.

Phoenix gave his own small grin as he heard Oriel's stomach complain. "You shoulda told me you were hungry, we could've come here first," he murmured, reaching out as though to pat Oriel's belly before thinking better of it and just holding his hand against himself instead. "Okay, raspberry it is." He almost asked if the other man wanted to share one, but thought at the last minute that Oriel would probably want to eat a whole one, even if Phen wouldn't have very much of one (he'd never developed much of an appetite). So they ordered their treats and, after Phoenix steeled himself, set off into the cold again towards home, with Phen's free hand reaching tentatively for Oriel's once more. It hadn't been an extremely exciting outing, but Phoenix had enjoyed it all the same.