Trick Photography

[Existentially Odd]

Harm could tell Trick wasn't happy with what he'd heard but he seemed determined not to comment - probably because he'd just been telling Harm not five minutes before that he didn't like to interfere when stuff wasn't his business. But Harm thought that was silly, since they'd both agreed that Harm was his business, based on their agreement. He was allowed an opinion about everything Harm did. He decided to wait and see if Trick could contain himself or not.

He got into the car with his phone in his hand, leaving it in his lap to put on his belt, ready to text Tobi if it came up. Or check his schedule, if that became a thing as well. His mind was going very fast, thinking about Trick and Gia surfing (did their powers help with that?) and Trick at the gym (could he just find a quiet spot to watch from? Like, seriously... woof), all while contemplating the many hours alone he'd have on Saturday and being without Trick until Sunday.

"Sounds awesome," he grinned, reaching over to rest his hand on Trick's thigh while he drove. "I assume you're driving me home now, right?" he chuckled, giving Trick a chance to respond. "Weeeeeell, would you mind if I got you to park in the lot I was telling you about and you came in with me to get my parking pass? That way, you can come see me any time you want and park safely and for free," he hinted.

[Pocky]

Trick slowly drove down the zigzagging road that took them down the point back to the mountain road.

"I'm not going to dump you at a bus-stop," Trick said. "Yes, I'm driving you home. And yeah, take me to your magical free car parking garage," he added with a growing smile.

He glanced over a few more times, pulling in breath once as though he was going to say something, but then they got to the T-intersection and he looked for approaching cars before pulling out and then heading back for the city.

He didn't add anything more.

[Existentially Odd]

Harm giggled, happiness filling his chest as Trick agreed to come and get the parking pass. He saw it as a sign of freedom, allowing Trick to come and be with him at any time - even if he wasn't sure they'd last a month. The thought twisted his lips a little, now.

Every time Trick looked at him, he felt it and when he inhaled, Harm turned to look expectantly at him but the road distracted him. As the silence stretched, Harm found he couldn't bear it any longer. He squeezed Trick's leg encouragingly.

"Just say it," he ordered with a breathy laugh. "You know you can tell me anything."

[Pocky]

"No," Trick refused. "It's not my business and it'll come out sounding shit no matter how I phrase it."

They were the only car on the road. No lights picked them out, only the stars and the moon following them. Trick licked his lips but didn't glance over at Harm any more. The road was winding.

[Existentially Odd]

"I am your business, now," Harm said simply. "I agreed to be. Willingly. So yeah, you get to have an opinion about me, about what I do, because of that. You get to air it, too. Doesn't mean I'll agree with you but I always want to know your point of view. You don't have to censor yourself just because you're anticipating a bad reception," he shrugged, his hand shifting on Trick's leg in a manner he hoped was reassuring.

"Or because you feel like you shouldn't be that guy. I know you're not. I know it's because you care or it impacts you somehow. I don't see it as interfering," he confessed, his voice soft.

[Pocky]

Trick took a lot of glances over at Harm as he spoke, and then after he was finished. The road straightened and they turned onto a main road with a little bit of traffic on it before Trick finally spoke.

"First up, I'll never be violent with you. That's totally unacceptable."

There was a long pause, then: "You're a massive flirt. The stuff you say and do to a guy you barely know." Trick puffed laughter but he didn't look amused. "Call it being friendly, whatever. I like that you're open but I kind of get why that boyfriend of yours got jealous."

He pulled his lips in afterwards, like he wanted to take his words back, but they hung in the car between them.

[Existentially Odd]

Harm felt blindsided by the angle Trick took. He'd figured he wanted to say something about him hanging out with Tobi but he was hurt by the implication that he'd done something to encourage the guy. They'd just had a conversation, he didn't recall doing anything untoward. The kiss had been initiated by Tobi as cover. Fucked if he was going to say anything about that, though.

Harm frowned, gnawing on the inside of his lip as his gaze fell to the phone in his lap, contemplating how to respond to the accusation he'd flirted when he fucking hadn't! But then he realised he had it wrong and his agitation eased. He had with Trick... that's what he was getting at. Trick assumed he was like that with everyone. Was he? He supposed he was, if he was interested. He never bothered hiding his interest because he had nothing to lose. But Trick had been different. There'd been an instant spark.

He sighed quietly, forced to confront an uncomfortable truth about himself and examine the underlying implications. Trick knew it was hollow, though. And he knew why, after tonight. It wasn't going to be an issue going forward. The reference to Adam left a sour taint in his chest, though, flavouring his thoughts. He wished Trick hadn't said it like that. It hurt that he was using his past against him. Still, he'd invited him to speak so he had to deal with it.

"It was different with you, right from the start," he smiled, swallowing down the sad, bitter feelings as best he could. His voice was softer than he liked so he cleared his throat and shuffled around in his seat a little, sounding more confident when he continued.

"I'm not a game player. I'm not interested in doing anything to make you jealous or anything like that. He was just a guy I pretended to know because a creep was hurting him and it scared the shit out of me. I bought him a cup of tea to calm his nerves and we talked. Eventually, about hanging out to game. That was Monday. We joked around, I guess I flirted, but I didn't have any hope for you, at that stage. I'll text him and put him off," Harm assured Trick, pulling his hand off his thigh in order to pick up his phone and do as he'd said.

[Pocky]

Trick sighed heavily.

"Man, this is why I didn't want to bring it up. I don't need an explanation or even want one. I don't own you. You can see who you like, do what you like. I still feel like we're doing things backwards, you know? Becoming boyfriends before properly dating a while, before sleeping together. I don't... I don't--"

Trick gripped the steering wheel tightly enough that his knuckles turned white before he relaxed and leant away from Harm, his elbow on the lip of the door where the window rolled up from, his head resting against the fingertips of that hand.

[Existentially Odd]

Harm was startled enough by the outburst to drop the phone and look at Trick, his eyes widening slightly at the use of the label. He hadn't dared consider them that but... he supposed it fit. They'd been driven by an intense attraction that bonded them, assisted forward by circumstances and unusual declarations.

Trick had a point and although it worried Harm that he was taking stock of the situation and feeling spooked, it didn't surprise him. This was all a little crazy.

"Yeah," he drawled, the word stretched on a long breath out. He rested his head back against his seat and watched the road unfold before them, thinking, letting Trick think. He flipped his locked phone over and over in his hands without paying attention to what he was doing.

When it felt like enough time had passed that one of them could say something, Harm had an offer. "So... we could take it back and end it, if you want - shortest relationship in history," he said with the ghost of a smile and a little laugh. "No hard feelings. Or move forward. You could... " he took a steadying breath and released it as quietly as possible. "Maybe you could stay at my place tonight? Find out if it's worth this... angst." Again, he laughed but it was so light he might have just been breathing oddly.

They weren't the only two options available to them, of course. They could ease off and take their time... but that sort of limbo didn't really appeal to Harm. Not after they'd gone so far ahead. He didn't feel like he was the one making the decisions right now, though.

"I don't have any roses or kittens, though," he warned with mock seriousness.

[Pocky]

Trick sidled his gaze over when Harm suggested they end things then dropped his hand back to the wheel when the invite to stay over came. His other hand dropped this time, moving to the centre of the car, his elbow resting on the centre console between the seats, fingers resting lightly on the auto gear shift.

"It's a lot of angst," Trick said, his tone lighter than his choice of words. "Our stamina is going to be massively tested for how much angst we have to combat. Good thing I work out so much, but who knows if you can handle that kind of punishment. Because... angst."

A slow grin crept across his face.

[Existentially Odd]

At first, Harm was wary but as Trick's body language opened up in his direction and then he continued speaking and his joke became clear, Harm sighed and sagged with relief, giggling because the release of tension made him feel almost lightheaded.

"Ohmygod," he sighed gutturally then straightened up, working his hand under Trick's so he could link fingers with him. "You had me worried for a second, there." More like a minute but who was counting? His thumb stroked Trick's palm as his mind doubled back in order to appreciate his joke properly. His boyyyfriend's joke. He wondered idly if Gia would be pleased or annoyed that her teasing would be for nothing now.

"Agreed. Far too much. But we have a history of you towing me out of difficult situations whenever I lag behind so I fully expect your princely intervention should I appear to not be up to the, er, task - not that I'm admitting I will! I assure you I'll be up for anything you dish out." A thrill of excitement went through him as he thought of what that might entail, leaving him tingling.

"Besides," he added huskily, "you're the one likely to lag. You just finished a long work day and it's late. I've got like five hours of sleep behind me. I'm pretty sure you'll be a sleeping beauty and I'll be the one lying there frustrated," he challenged with a grin.

[Pocky]

Trick laughed at Harm's challenge and shook his head. "Challenge accepted."

He drove just a little bit faster.


(Continued in Favourite Things)