Tag: ato writes

Few Words Wednesday

On this darkest of Wednesdays, let there be fluff:

They headed across campus to where the Kresge Theater stood among some older buildings.  

“It’s mostly used for music performances now, but during the construction it was shared with the School of Drama, and pretty much all of the Scotch ‘n’ Soda Club productions were done here, too,” Zach explained.  The stage was smaller than the new Purnell center, but the theater was beautiful in its way, with wood-paneled walls and curved rows of seats.  And was the site of many firsts for Zach, including, he explained, what he considered to be his first really good kiss.  He took Chris backstage, behind the white velvet curtain that hid the dark, narrow space that was the scene of that memory, only to have Chris crowd him and kiss him senseless.  And that was fine, though after a moment he realized that he would never be able to think of the first memory without appending this one.  And that was probably Chris’ intent.

“I didn’t say the best kiss,” Zach managed to whisper with a laugh as Chris took a breath.  “Just my first good one.”

Chris’ mouth descended on him again, much to his amusement.  The kiss ended a moment later, before things got inappropriately heated.

“Just wanted to make sure,” Chris said with a final nip. 

“Like there’s any doubt,” Zach said, steering Chris back toward the wings.  

Six(ish) Sentence Sunday

He sat in one of the benches at the end of the room, thumbing through the book and occasionally using his phone to take pictures of Chris taking pictures.  Because really, he loved the way Chris threw himself into photography.  The way he craned his neck to look for different angles, crouching or stretching to frame the composition the way he wanted.  He made his way across the floor slowly, doubling back once when he missed an ornately carved chair that looked almost like a throne.  Finally, he reached Zach and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I love this place,” he whispered, cognizant of the students working nearby.  

Zach rose and took his hand.  “There’s one more thing I want to show you before we move on to CMU.  Come over here.”  He led Chris to the edge of a large semi-circular alcove.  “Now stand right here, facing this way, and listen.”

Confusion was clear on Chris face as Zach backed away, moving across to the opposite wall.  He kept watching Chris as leaned toward the wall and whispered Chris’ name.  Chris startled.

“What’s happening?” was the whisper that came back to him.  He grinned across the room to Chris, signalling he’d heard him.

“It’s a whisper room,” Zach answered.  “For telling secrets from a distance.”

Chris smiled.  “I love you,” he whispered back.

“That’s not a secret.”

Chris looked down for a second, chuckling, then answered,  “Well, not to you.”  

Principal avoidance writing

I decided not to chew her out right away (mature of me, right? I am a crone after all) and actually got a bit of writing done.  Here’s a very short snippet.

“So you used to come up here?” Chris asked quietly, sensing the peace that had descended on Zach.  

“Yeah.  To smoke, mostly,” he added guiltily.  “But also sometimes when I needed… I don’t know.   Perspective, maybe.  You can see so far, and sometimes when you’re always in rehearsal rooms and libraries and dorms and backstage, you forget that there’s a whole world out there.  I would come up here and just wonder about the future.  I was fairly confident, by the time I was a year or two into the program, that I’d have some kind of career in acting.  I never really imagined movies, but plays, maybe television.  I could see that.  But I was really insecure about everything else.  Whether I’d ever really come out. Whether I’d find love, or even people who really accepted me.  A family was actually beyond my imagination back then, I think.”  He paused for a moment as Chris ran his hands along Zach’s arms, squeezing.  Zach  kissed his cheek and held him tighter.  “What we have… everything…even with my career back-burnered at the moment.  If I told my 1997-self what I have now, I don’t think he’d believe me.”

Few Words Wednesday

From Cleaving, Chapter 7…

“It’s really lucky we don’t live in the age of film, because you would have had to change rolls three times already, and this is just our first stop,”  Zach teased, fond amusement warming his tone.  “Should have brought my book…”

And for that Chris turned the large lens on Zach and snapped a too-close-picture that probably included half his nose and one eye, out of focus. 

“See, that right there?  That would have been a total waste of film.  At least with digital you can just take as many as you want and delete the mistakes.”

“I never delete pictures of you.  You know that.  Remember last Christmas?”

Zach huffed a laugh, because he did remember last Christmas.  And besides the numerous disastrous pictures they took with Nathan and a variety of Santas, there was also a series of pictures Chris had taken in bed Christmas morning, Zach sleep ruffled and bleary and shirtless and not always in focus because they were too close for the lens.  But Chris had kept every one.

Six(ish) Sentence Sunday

From Chapter 7 of Cleaving, which is now past 6k words and sneaking up on its close…

“Better use the thick socks,” Zach suggested.  “We’ll be outside a bit. In fact, bring extras.”

Chris grabbed two pairs with a raised eyebrow.  “You going to let me know what our itinerary is for the day?”  Zach was glad to see Chris was dressing in layers, preparing for anything.

“Nope.  It’s all a surprise.”

“But we are going to Carnegie Mellon.”

Zach smiled, pleased that Chris was so adamant about seeing his alma mater.  “Yeah, we’ll get to CMU, but not until later this afternoon.  There are a few things I want to show you in town, first.  And you’ll want the good camera.  There’s some great architecture.  I’m going to have to bring a book or something, because you’re going to get all engrossed.”

Chris gave him a crinkle-eyed grin that made Zach’s heart skip a little.  And made him smile in a way he knew looked a little goofy and a little shy.  Which, considering what they’d been up to the last 12 hours, was patently ridiculous.  Chris’ grin grew wider.   

“Let’s get some food in you.  You’re going to need stamina.”  He started toward the door, but Chris stopped him as he passed with a hand on his hip, pulling him into an embrace and a sweet kiss that lasted long enough to make him sigh.

“I love you,” Chris whispered against his lips.

“Because I offered food?”

Chris snorted a laugh, and it felt good to have Zach’s teasing interpreted correctly, without the awkwardness or hurt feelings that had been coloring everything lately.

“No.  Though if you tell me we can have the rest of the tiramisu for breakfast, I might love you even more.”

Writing…

I also wrote 1500 words so far today, putting this chapter of Cleaving at 6k so far, and still several scenes to go.  I could split it, but then there’d be basically no plot in the next chapter.  Hmmm.  I think it’s just going to be a long one.