By Any Name

Date/Timing: 8 June 2008
Setting: various locales; Berlin, Germany
.
Edan peers at his reflection in the washroom mirror. 
Frowns. 
Pokes his hair.
Twitches the knot in his tie.
Frowns.
Pokes.
Twitches.
A knock at the door; he jumps almost out of his shoes, darts to the door, flings it open.
Hermann lunges, hugs him tight, mumbles, "I've missed you."
"Same, /leannan." Kisses his hair, drapes his arms across his shoulders. "Good thing your sister-ish /insisted I show myself, yea?"
Hermann sighs, leans into him.
Voices approach along the hall.
Hermann eeps, pushes Edan backwards into the room, stumbling—
Edan flails. "Your cane—"
"Damn it." Hermann separates, doubles back for the stick as Edan perches on the edge of the mattress.
Hermann closes the door, limps over, leaning more heavily on his cane than the last time. 
"Are you al—"
"What have you done to yourself?"
"Wha?"
Hermann aims his hands for Edan's neck. "You've /completely botched the knot." Sets to retying it.
Edan relaxes. "No one'll be looking at me, love."
Hermann bites his lip, ties more aggressively.
"I know you're worried about what your dad's gonna get up to, but there's no need to take it out on my neckwear."
Hermann pries his hands away, lets his shoulders slump. "I don't want him to ruin this day."
Edan tugs him down to sitting beside him. "It's on the old man if he does, not you or me. There's nothing we can do to get his head out of his ass before the happy couple leave on honeymoon."
Hermann sighs.
"I'll be on my best behaviour, no matter what he says. Promise." Grins. "Can't guarantee I won't shed tears, though."
Hermann smiles at that.
"That's more like it." Pats his pockets, looks over sheepishly. "Don't have a spare hankie, do you?"
Hermann rolls his eyes, offers a scrap of white cloth from a pocket. "Borrow mine."
"Won't you need it?" Edan tucks it away.
Hermann shakes his head. "I don't cry."
"You're kidding."
"There's no benefit in it." Hermann pushes off. 
Edan follows suit. "Except feeling better."
Hermann scoffs and really, truly limps for the door. "We're going to be late."
"No, we're not." Gets hold of Hermann's free arm, tugs him to a stop. "Take a deep breath and /relax."
Hermann slumps, exhales shakily, turns. "I apologize." Looks up through his lashes. "I should be beside myself you're here, but I just can't ... I wish ...."
"I could stay he—"
"/No. Don't—" Swallows. "Sabine wants you there."
"What about you?"
"I ...."
Edan waits, heart in throat.
"I want you to stay. Not go back after." Sets his jaw. "But that's selfish and stupid and I can't—" Deflates further.
"Two and a half months, Hermann. Then we'll be on the same island and three hours of train time apart."
Hermann shakes his bowed head, miserable.
Edan swallows. "May I hug you?"
"Please, don't," he croaks.
"Alright." Rolls his shoulders, trying to shake loose tension. "It's—it's not much better, I know that, but it's better than the most of a continent, yea?"
"But why are w—you still waiting for me? It's not like we'll ever—" Shuts his mouth with a click.
"Have one of these blowouts of our own? As you hopefully know, a partnership between us registered in my country has all the rights and responsibilities as the blessed union we're about to witness and one in this fine nation has most of 'em."
Hermann blinks rapidly.
"You think I haven't done my homework? I looked this up within the hour when I heard you were banned from coming back." Ruffles his hair. "Wanted to see if I could marry you out of house arrest."
Hermann keeps blinking.
"I, uh, couldn't think of another way to help?"
"You—" Blinks more, squeaks, "You seriously thought about marrying me?"
"Well, yea." Edan shrugs. "Two birds, one stone, right?"
"You ... you're /insane."
"Maybe? But I like what I see."
Hermann flushes bright pink, drops his eyes to his perfectly shined shoes.
Edan takes one of Hermann's hands, brushes its back with his lips. "Now, may I have the honour of escorting you to what will surely be the fete of the season?"
A laugh bursts out of Hermann and he straightens, hand over his heart and batting his eyelashes. "Why, Squire Reid! I'm flattered! Of /course I'll accompany you!"
"Splendid!" Edan offers his arm—
Hermann links his.
—checks his pocket for his key. "Let's be off!
Hermann grins and away they go, from the hotel to the cab stand to a little garden park festooned with rainbows of crepe and bright flowers and a squadron of /very happy people—
And one person who's definitely /not.
Edan leans close to Hermann's ear. «Sourpuss at ten o'clock's your dad?»
Hermann glances, stiffens, grunts an affirmative. «Please don't—»
«I'm not going /anywhere near him; don't worry. Just wanted to confirm who I'm avoiding.»
«Thank you.»
«For what—»
"Hi! You must be Edan!"
He turns—"Holy sh-heck! There's two of you!"
Hermann sighs. 
"Get told you look alike a lot, then?"
"All. The. Time," huffs the younger Hermann.
"Edan, this is my brother, Bastien," says the older.
Edan bows. "Please to make your acquaintance, young sir."
"The same, sir," laughs Bastien.
"And who is your /beautiful escort?"
The brunette beside Bastien curtsies. "Anaïs Dufour, Mister ...?"
"Reid. But call me 'Edan', please."
"Delighted to meet you, Edan."
"C'mon—" Bastien grabs his arm, tugs. "—let's go get drinks before things start."
"Apparently, I'm needed over here. Back in a moment!" Edan waves, lets Bastien tow him across the park in the general direction of a buffet table—
Which Bastien marches /straight past, opting instead to trap Edan against a brick wall.
Edan raises an eyebrow.
"Are you in love with Manny?" Bastien demands in a whisper.
"Yea, I am." Cocks his head. "That alright with you?"
"Only as long as you're good to him."
"A sensible policy," agrees Edan. "You've got my permission to /soundly kick my ass if I ever hurt him."
Bastien grins, steps back, relaxes, only to tense up again immediately.
"What's—?"
"Hsst!"
Edan shushes, listens.
Conversations in German—one hissed—another couple in what might be Turkish, laughter.
«You speak French, right?» Bastien says, low.
Edan nods.
«Father's talking to his da—calling you—» Grimaces.
«Fairy? Fruit? Faggot? Pansy? Poof?»
Bastien blinks, open-mouthed. «How ...?»
Edan smiles, shrugs. «I've been called them all /and worse, including one time a couple of lads decided to punctuate some of the usual ones with a cricket bat.»
Bastien winces, listens for a beat, then growls, eyes fiery.
«Moved on to bad-mouthing Hermann, yea?»
Bastien grits his teeth, nods.
«You know, listening to him isn't getting our dates their drinks.»
«Yea.» Forces himself to exhale. «Good point. Let's do that.»
«And get out of earshot of the bastard before one of us is tempted to resort to violence.»
Bastien laughs a little, heads off for the punchbowl.
Edan follows, but adds a little detour to cut across Hermann's dad's line of sight, beaming and waving as he strolls by.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Edan
Category:Edan's POV
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Sabine (mention)
Category:Lars (mention)
Category:Bastien
Category:Bastien (ficlet)
Category:Anais
Category:Anais (ficlet)
Category:Ficlets with images
2008 06 08
Category:Celestial Mechanics