Pick Your Battles [Mickey]

[Mickey McKey]

"I know, and I'm really sorry about that..." Mickey hung his head, and truthfully felt quite bad about his previous behaviour, even though his face didn't show it. He couldn't stop himself from grinning, not even when biting his lip to resist the urge to take his hand back and bite on his ring more. It was a habit he'd grown up with, it was hard to break, and the smaller blonde definitely had a feeling that he'd be doing it a lot more often if it made Graham react in such away. But he couldn't stop smiling, even when feeling guilty, because things were good. Finally, it seemed like he was getting what he wanted, or at least they looked like they were moving towards it. Eyes fixed down, he was still beaming like an idiot when he admitted "I didn't mean to be such a jackass. I just didn't know - I liked you a lot, more than I'm used to... I just didn't know how to handle it. And I've never, well, I grew up around a lot of kids. I guess I just didn't know the mature way around it?"

The younger then sighed, eyes flicking up to look at the other. "Or maybe that's just a pathetic excuse. Either way, I shouldn't have been such an asshole... I'm sorry." Chewing his lip nervously, he tried to find a change of subject as he watched the Hufflepuff captain intently. Captain. Quidditch. "So... You're not really quitting are you? Because, like, that'd suck. You're too good to leave, we'd end up losing too badly and... well, it'd be a shame if I never got to see you in a towel again." With that last comment, Mickey gave him a cheeky wink, and resumed his smiling once again.

[Graham Kerr]

Gray tried to listen to him, he honestly did, but the boy was just so damn distracting. As much as he wanted to pay attention, he really only caught the sorry and the towel part. And something about kids that made him wonder if there was more to his history than Mickey was letting on. It didn't matter now though, they had time. All the time in the world to get to know each other. "McKey" he scolded jokingly, "if you want to see me in a towel, you can, y'know, just ask. Not guaranteeing you it will work since contrary to popular belief, I might actually get shy, but you could just ask me stuff. I promise the hitting days are over."

From now on it was only hitting on him that he was willing to do, but it sounded way lame so he kept it in and just looked at the boy before stretching out on the bed and patting the space next to him. "So let's, you know, talk or something. We hardly know each other and if we're going to be something, we should give it a decent shot, eh?" The blonde gave him a warm smile.

[Mickey McKey]

Laughing lightly, Mickey grinned at the tall boy in front of him brightly. "Are you sure? Because, you know, you haven't seemed that shy these past few weeks. What with... Nearly punching me in the face, and then kissing me... and then kissing me AGAIN. I'm just saying, you suck at being shy." He was teasing him again, but at least it was more light-hearted now. At least it wasn't going to be seen as a total character assassination this time around.

Graham's words had a mixed effect on the little blonde. At first, a strange warmth spread through his body, causing him to grin brightly. All this, just because Graham said they would be something. He actually said it, and damn that felt good, because he'd waited so long for it. But this good feeling didn't last. As natural as it was for the elder Hufflepuff to want to know more about him, the thought of telling anyone terrified Mickey. He didn't know what it was that made him so nervous, except that he didn't want, or need, people's pity, and he didn't want anyone to act differently around him. The seeker started playing with his fingers and chewed his lip neverously, before carefully saying "Well, er.. okay...what do you want to know?"

[Graham Kerr]

Gray snorted when Mickey accused him of being terrible at feigning shyness and he reached out to poke at the others stomach haphazardly. "Okay, okay, I admit I haven't been overly shy but someone had to make the first move and you seemed so determined to stay away from me. Which, absolute fail from your side. It's nice to know that someone's investing a bit of time in you, if you catch my drift..." It couldn't be all Graham who was doing the seducing because he wasn't all too good at that, which was proven by their last encounter.

As he noticed the blonde getting nervous, he frowned, pulling him closer on instinct, in an attempt to comfort him a little. "Well, I was going to stick to simple things but right now I'd really like to know why you're so nervous. Are there things you'd rather I not know? Because that's fine by me...it's not like I expected to share most of my life with you before we even got to this point." He grinned a little, running fingers through his hair in an embarrassed movement.

[Mickey McKey]

Squirming slightly as the man poked at him, Mickey giggled "Alright, fine, you made your point. I'll be more of a romantic from now on. Perhaps I'll bring you flowers and chocolates and stuff. Or perhaps you'd like a sonnet? My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun and all that. Did my heart love until now? Forswear it sight, for I never seen true beauty til this night. I could rattle of a ton of them at your command if you wanted." The small blonde winked again at the older man, with a grin spread across his face. Gently, he ran his fingers over the other's hand as he spoke. "I think you'll find, Mr.Kerr, that my style of seducing is a bit more refined than yours. It'll come out soon, I'm sure."

Mickey definitely liked being pulled closer to Graham, and it comforted him a bit, enough to let a nervous chuckle escape him. Chewing his lip a bit more, he brushed some hair out of his eyes. "Well, I... I don't really like talking about me. Well, my life. It's, uhh. It's odd. Every part of it, more or less. And awkward to explain I suppose. But, well, I'll tell you. If you want to know..."

[Graham Kerr]

Though to most Graham was the comics and magazines kind of guy, he actually had a secret fondness for Shakespeare. Not that he quoted sonnets and knew the stories by heart, but there was something about the romantic language that he loved. "Shakespeare eh? I have to say I'd prefer My Mistress's Eyes. Perfection is overrated and we all know I'm not perfect anyway." The sonnet was one of his favorite, and he'd read through it many a time, wondering if someone would ever view him in that way.

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

He smiled, nuzzling Mickeys cheek in a moment of honest affection as the younger male told him he'd share his life if the older male wanted him to. "I want you to be comfortable with me. Hell, that's more than I expected ever to get again this morning...We've got time, yeah? If you'd rather not tell me, then I'm fine with that. Honestly." He gave the other a good, long stare to make him understand that he was being serious, though he had to admit that he somewhat got lost in the others eyes in the process of it.

[Mickey McKey]

"See, that WOULD be appropriate for you..." Mickey's voice was soft as he picked up the other boys hand and started playing with his fingers instead, figuring that he might as well take advantage of this situation while it existed. Sure, at this moment in time it all seemed serious and reasonably permanant, but this was Graham. He seemed to have changed his mind several times in the past couple of weeks, and the blonde's ever-persistant fear of abandonment saw no reason to expect anything different this time, no matter how much his optimistic mind wanted to believe it would be. But for now, he had the older man. So he was going to enjoy this time. "Except, that sonnet's about finding someone who's not necessarily beautiful.... well, beautiful. But you're already a gorgeous man. So it can't apply to you, can it?"

With a small, sincere smile he looked up and met Gray's stare. As the man spoke, his smile grew wider. After he finished speaking, there was a small silence before Mickey responded. "You're really, adorably sweet..." He said quietly, nearly in a whisper, directing his eyes downwards again. He continued, slightly stronger "I'm okay with telling you anything. Just tell me what you want to know? I don't particularly like talking about"

[Graham Kerr]

Though Mickey was saying things that were adorable in their own right, Gray knew that only one word applied to it: BULL. It was complete and utter bullshit, what with everything about his being pretty and how sweet he was and all. Sure, he could be nice when he wanted to, and he cared a lot about a number of people, but only Reese had ever seen the full extent of how adorable he could be. He wasn't sure if he could even show this to the blonde in front of him, since he'd never really tried to impress his sister. But with this one, well, he did try. For better or worse, since usually trying made him come across as a weirdo.

"Flatterer" He laughed, letting the boy play with his fingers and liking how safe and secure this whole thing made him feel. He knew that he wasn't boyfriend material, per say, but he wanted to make an honest effort to change that. To defy the odds and NOT walk away from him, despite how tough things could get.

"Okay. I want to know, well, a lot obviously. You know a lot about me so it's only fair" He grinned, only joking, and settled down on the bed a bit more, taking the smaller boy with him until he was fit comfortably against his body. "Seriously though. I guess I'd want to know first and foremost why you're so afraid that I'm going to leave you. Aside from my predisposition to asshole-ism."

[Mickey McKey]

Chuckling lightly, Mickey cuddled up to the older man and made himself comfortable. He just knew that Graham hadn't believed a word he'd said, so he poked his stomach playfully. "Why are you so down on yourself, Kerr?" He asked, only half seriously. "Here I am trying to tell you I find you damn sexy and you're just sitting there thinking about how much rubbish I'm talking! Try just believing me, for once. We already know, you can learn something from listening to me!"

Resuming his fondling with Graham's hand, he took a deep breath as he considered how to word his answer to that question. "Becaaause... I've told you before. People tend to leave me." That'd do for a start, but he knew that would be nowhere near enough for the sometimes intrusive taller blonde. He gave a small pause and composed his thoughts, before continuing. "My life's just full of people walking in and out of it. Even... Even my mum can't, well, can't manage to stick with me. So, like... How can I expect anyone else to?" A small sigh escaped him at the end of this sentence, and Mickey started chewing his bottom lip, trying to control his nerves.

[Graham Kerr]

Gray snorted when Mickey got all condescending on him, almost wagging his finger as he told there were things he could learn from listening to him. "True. Alright, tell you what. I'll make a proper effort to listen to you" He smiled, brushing his thumb over Mickeys eyebrow as he looked at him, "if you make a proper effort to believe that I'm not going to bail on you intentionally. Granted, I might not be the worlds best at dating, but I really like you and I don't see that changing anytime soon." With that said he pressed a soft kiss to the blondes cheek and let him talk.

Over the course of the evening the two of them got into the subject a little more, and Gray did his best to understand what the problem was with the limited information he was given. He had the feeling that Mickey was holding back a few details, but as he'd stated that he didn't mind, he didn't feel fair calling the blonde out on it and just let it slide. They spent most of the remaining night cuddled up together, occasionally exchanging light banter as they talked, smiling and generally having a good time. It felt really natural for Graham to stay here with him, and he wasn't too surprised when he woke up the next morning to find that they'd fallen asleep together.