Romantic

Date/Timing: 4 June 2006
Setting: Edan and Rhys' dorm room, University of Manchester; Manchester, United Kingdom
Revised "Connections".
.
Edan drags himself into his dorm, dripping wet from the storm raging outside. He shakes he head, flinging water drops all over the post cubbies.
"Oi!"
And Rhys.
"Sorry, mate," says Edan, cringing.
"'s'not like I'm already drenched." Rhys unlocks his box, sighs, buttons it back up.
Edan works his open—squeals!
"Another missive from Beethoven to his immortal beloved?" drawls Rhys.
Happiest of sighs.
"And they call /me a Romantic." Rhys opens the interior door. "C'mon, Gingersnap. Let's get you to the room so you can melt down in private." 
Edan beams, bounces on his toes.
Rhys huffs, grabs him by the collar, and tows him to their room. He opens the door, shoves Edan inside.
Edan tangles his feet, goes down face-first onto his bunk.
""You're squishing it.""
Edan eeps, flips over, tears into the envelope.
- 24 May 2006
Berlin, Germany
Dear Edan,
I'm distressed to report the soap experiment was an utter fiasco. Something about my skin chemistry left me smelling like a walking bottle of children's perfume. It took four days and six showers dissipate. 
Hopefully your attempt at replication met with more success or at least a less noticeable failure.
On the topic of success, Dr Umarov says I have much potential as a computer programmer and have taken to it like a fish to water. Father was /almost proud, apparently, when he stopped Umarov to /check up on me chat. I'd still rather be searching for Einstein-Rosen bridges with you, but I'm making the best of it.
The work /is rather straightforward and interesting for the trance-like state coding can cause in me. It's as though I can almost forget I'm even a person when I'm absorbed.
The relative simplicity of programming leaves me enough cycles to continue my Russian (and fending off Dr Schulte's suggestions I add Yiddish).
Please don't suggest I learn Gaelic again; that's not something they offer here and I still can't find a suitable tutor. It would be fun to curse you out in the language of your homeland, however. Can you imagine what my accent would sound like? What a mangled mess!
Though I suppose you'd rather I croon endearments in your grandmother's tongue, yea? Like:
Tha mi gad ionndrainn mo ghràdh agus tha mi a 'cunntadh nan làithean gus an deach sinn a' faicinn a chèile a-rithist. - >I miss you my love and I'm counting the days until we see each other again.<
""Gingersnap.""
Edan jerks back into his room. "Wha?"
""Save it for later.""
"Wha?"
""You're doing that breathing thing that means you're thinking of wanking off—""
Edan's blood floods to his face.
""—but hold up fifteen minutes 'til I leave for that cram session.""
"Oh. Uh. Sure."
""Thank you most kindly.""
Edan rolls onto his front, props himself up on his elbows.
Shifts a bit.
Takes a deep, calming breath, resumes reading.
- Hopefully, the online translator didn't feed me pure gibberish. -
“That's just beautiful, lovely.”
Rhys grumbles something in Welsh.
"I'll speak whatever language I want."
""Not if you're expecting an answer from me.""
"I wasn't."
""Good, then.""
Edan huffs.
- I have to ask a question which has been bothering me since your previous letter:
Why haven't you given up on me?
You can't see me, can't talk to me, and there are plenty of more attractive boys in Manchester and Glasgow for you. So why me?
I'm crippled, scarred, probably more than a little crazy, under house arrest in another country for another 381 days, and all we have with which to communicate are these blasted letters. -
Edan rolls his eyes.
- Then I remember our last night and the warmth of your hand holding mine and your strength as I rested against your side and I pray to the God I shouldn't believe in that you'll remain patient.
I want so badly to kiss you again—taste tea with lemon and honey on your breath, smell the strawberry on your skin. I want to practice kissing until I can kiss you properly breathless. -
""You're doing it again.""
Edan scoffs.
""I mean it.""
"I'm not /doing anything!"
""You're /thinking about it.""
- I want your arms around me and your words in my ear.
God, I miss you. -
Edan bows his head, closes his eyes, pulls in lungfuls of air through his nose.
""Alright. I'm going.""
"Alright."
""Don't forget to clean up after yourself.""
"Shove off, Swansea."
""Shoving. /Gratefully.""
The door closes, the bolt /chacks.
Edan smiles to himself, turns onto his back, scoots up against the headboard, Hermann's letter in one hand, the other resting on his hip.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Manchester (setting)
Category:University of Manchester (setting)
Category:Edan
Category:Edan's POV
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Rhys
Category:Rhys (ficlet)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Conversations via snail mail
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Pages with comments
2006 06 04
Category:Celestial Mechanics
Category:Edan and Rhys are roommates