a little idle talk

[clayforthedevil]

Bahorel knocks on Feuilly's door. If Feuilly answers, he's there to chat, and to return a book that he borrowed after Feuilly borrowed it from the Library (on Polish crafts. Of course it's on Polish crafts. But it's an interesting book, so Bahorel only teased a relatively little.).

(If Feuilly doesn't answer, Bahorel's got his lockpicking kit, a container of dental floss, some small coins, and a few little sewing tools. It's good to have backup plans!)

Comments

[tu_vas_triompher]

Oh yes, Feuilly is braced for Bahorel's retaliation in their little war. He's also hugging Bahorel--for a minute, until Bahorel's question, which gets a snort. "I'm occupied with my fan commissions."

[clayforthedevil]

"Oh, indeed?" Eyebrows. "I always knew you had a touch of the libertine waiting to express itself." He adds a note about a particular edition to his book list.

"-- He seems a good hearted sort, even if he did manage to get into a fight with Bossuet."

[tu_vas_triompher]

"It's not--libertine--" But now Bahorel is teasing him about Harry, and that's worse. Feuilly scrunches up his face and glowers, blushing, at the floor near Bahorel's feet. "Oh--yes--I heard about that."

[clayforthedevil]

" I'm impressed; it's not everyone who can provoke Bossuet into taking a swing at them. I'm sure it's good for his health." This is a genuine certainty in Bahorel's beliefs. Which Feuilly probably knows.

Feuilly also knows at least enough about Bahorel's own personal life to make that blushing and glaring ridiculous. Bahorel laughs, and swats at his leg. "I'm saying I'm happy for you. Even if you are being as ridiculous as a banker."

[tu_vas_triompher]

Yes, but that's Bahorel's personal life. Feuilly isn't used to having a personal life.

Especially not one that opens him to comparisons like that. "A--banker? Really? A banker? --But you're right, it takes some goading to get Lesgle that angry. Which I told Harry."

[clayforthedevil]

"Hah, and Bossuet's already looking to make peace. They'll be fine by the end of the day. "


Feuilly should be used to a personal life, dammit. It's an outrage that he isn't, one of the endless quiet injustices of their old life that make Bahorel want to scream down walls.

Since he's talking to Feuilly, who tends to the quieter side, he expresses this by ruffling Feuilly's hair in the most annoying way and conceding "Perhaps nothing as respectable as a banker. Merely a shop owner. Though not a tailor's shop; I hear they're utterly shameless."

[tu_vas_triompher]

"Oh, for--what do you expect, anyway? What do you want me to be doing?"

Really, Bahorel--what?

[clayforthedevil]

Cunning debate tactic, Feuilly; Bahorel is having a very hard time explaining himself through the laughing. "What--? I was congratulating you! " He had been! With just the least bit of joking! And Feuilly's managed to get offended, even with the comment about tailors.

In certain respects, the whole affair with Hotspur makes hilarious sense.

"A little teasing's the usual charge from friends when taking up with a new lover, you know. But fine, fine, my apologies. I shall be more serious, as befits the situation." He passes a hand over his face and pulls his face into a very solemn expression.

" I'm congratulating you, Feuilly. That's what's happening here. You've made a strange friend, but he thinks the world of you, and you're in a strange place and finding your feet better than nearly any of us; and I wish you every joy of it, and I'm telling you, you have nothing to blush over and no reason to apologize to anyone." His voice is rough now. "And if you're taking advice, I say throw a rock at anyone, especially me, who makes you feel for one second you have to give any account for it."

He's not joking in the least.

[tu_vas_triompher]

Oh. Oh God Bahorel is saying lover and--

Feuilly is too red and sputtery and too busy wrapping his arms very tightly around his knees, small and indignant and protective, to say anything. Which is just as well, because he catches the change in tone at the end. The result is an even tighter ball, because now he can't look at Bahorel, but-- "Mmmh."

A monosyllabic grunt counts as an expression of gratitude for years of friendship, right?

[clayforthedevil]

Sure, it's eloquent enough in its way. Bahorel puts an arm around Feuilly's hunched shoulders. And Bahorel could absolutely go on--

But because he isn't entirely merciless, he changes the subject. "You're looking at Gauguin for your fan commissions?" There's a cover of a book, bright and recognizable, propped open among the other references.

[tu_vas_triompher]

Oh, fine. Feuilly leans affectionately against him. And starts to uncurl at the question. "Oh--yes--well, no, not exactly. I, I got distracted. I was, I was looking into some of the work painters were doing at the end of the nineteenth century, start of the twentieth--they talk about post-impressionism--" He uncurls a little more, reaches out to pull over the Gauguin book. "--He painted in Tahiti. Which--oh, you probably know some of the colonial history--but the paintings are wonderful--"

Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? It's a series of questions certain to pull Feuilly's attention.

[clayforthedevil]

" They are--I'd love to see the originals." Color printing may have eventually exceeded the hopes of his own day, but he knows still a book-sized replica will never match the effect of a full canvas. "Were you looking to them for the style, or the history?" Either one's interesting! And probably going to get them into arguments! Bahorel grins, and settles into the familiarity of Yelling About Art.

[tu_vas_triompher]

"I found them because I was looking at the style--I need to read more about the history, I have some books out from the library--colonialism, exoticism--the paintings are very troubling, and there's something--here, this title is nothing but questions, and--"

Feuilly is more of a Stammering About Art type, not so much Yelling About Art. But that's friendship for you: different people.