eldritche ---
He is equally excited and devastated, wanting to hear every detail and none of them all at once – WHY ? Why oh why had he gone and opened his big mouth about setting Pete up – ? Despite the mental debate he has with himself regularly on the topic, he knows WHY. He wants Pete to be able to accept and love himself – Orpheus own needs and desires come second to Pete. Even if the idea of setting him up on date after date does tie Orpheus’s stomach in knots. He’d find someone, eventually, wouldn’t he – ? Pete was lovely and intelligent, witty – he was a keeper, for sure. Someone would snatch him up, see what the world was missing out on eventually. ( There is a voice, small and insecure, that reminds him he did this because he isn’t GOOD enough for Pete White. Too afraid of the rejection that would surely come to even try. )
“ Al has the very most experience being true to himself, in my opinion of him – I thought it would be pleasant for you to experience someone safe. I’m glad you enjoyed the night ! Speaking of TYPE – it would be helpful to know if you had one, so I can keep my eye out. “ He sips his own tea, smiling pleasantly. “ And as for your latter comment – no, Pete – no one on this earth really knows what they’re doing. Love and it’s elusive intricacies escape us, often – “
THAT SMILE. The sight of it is infectious and before he knows it White is smiling too. Orpheus flashes it so carelessly-- he doesn’t know that it is the very weapon that could put Mr. White down for good. Has not a clue that if he were to look in the mirror, he would find the very type they spoke of staring back.
But Pete can’t say all of that-- hell, he can barely articulate it all in his head between all the white noise that is unbearable affection for a man out of his league. So he makes the vaguest noise possible and sets his intricate little cup back on the saucer. “ Eh-- I’ll keep ya updated. I think it’s a li’l early to know for sure, you know- but it isn’t Al, I can tell ya that much. “ Silence falls and in the vacuum an itch to be daring is born. A sudden urge to throw caution into the wind and see what happens. It’s impulsive. It’s reckless. It’s the kind of thing Pete will regret at 3 am if it doesn’t explode in his face the moment it oxidizes- but fuck it, right?
“ I mean- “ White shifts to lean in closer to Orpheus, an elbows resting on his thighs. “ Okay, I guess I sorta got an idea. Somebody smart- so we can have intellectual talks and the like. Dark hair is cool. I like the idea of visually contrasting with somebody a lot on that front. Uhh.. I’m not that into mainstream fashion or music or anythin’, so a fellow alt fella would be neat, too. “ His eyes flicker up and down Orpheus, just for a moment. Totally not re-familiarizing himself. “ Ooh-- tall. I’ve always gotta be the tall one at home. It might be nice not to feel like a skyscraper for a change. “













