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handsomesempaiSid lays a hand on Joe’s back as they walk back to the ambulance, having left Marvelous and Don to themselves once more. “That went really well,” he says, turning to smile at Joe. “I’m glad that you and Don got on so well, I don’t think that would have gone nearly so smoothly if you hadn’t been here.” He’s not exaggerating at all; judging from how Marvelous had described him on the phone, Don had been greatly calmed by Joe’s presence. He’d been so brave, Sid hadn’t been able to help the urge to give Don a little petting on his fluffy curls when it was all done with. “Thank you for your help, Joe.” He strokes the back of Joe’s neck briefly before they get into the ambulance. Sid starts it up and backs it out of Marvelous’s driveway carefully.
“And I don’t think we need to worry about the possibility of abuse, either,” he adds as he drives. Marvelous’s every gesture had been loving and gentle, and Don had accepted them all happily, affectionately, never once flinching from his touch or looking the slightest bit uncomfortable in his presence. “I’m glad of it, Don seems like a very sweet boy.” Joe had seemed reluctant to leave him, like he’s grown attached in a way he usually doesn’t with patients. Or with the other catpeople at the clinic, for that matter - Joe has always been a little detached, and while he’s as fond of George as anyone, Sid can’t picture Joe cuddling with him the same way he’d done with Don just now.
“We’ll see him again soon,” Sid says, reaching over to pat Joe’s knee. “Marvelous is going to take good care of him, and with any luck he’ll be healed up when we give him his check-up.” They stop at a red light, and Sid turns to look at Joe. “If you want, I’ll give you official clinic director permission to give him a call now and then to check in on him. I think he’d be happy to hear from you.”
“And I don’t think we need to worry about the possibility of abuse, either,” he adds as he drives. Marvelous’s every gesture had been loving and gentle, and Don had accepted them all happily, affectionately, never once flinching from his touch or looking the slightest bit uncomfortable in his presence. “I’m glad of it, Don seems like a very sweet boy.” Joe had seemed reluctant to leave him, like he’s grown attached in a way he usually doesn’t with patients. Or with the other catpeople at the clinic, for that matter - Joe has always been a little detached, and while he’s as fond of George as anyone, Sid can’t picture Joe cuddling with him the same way he’d done with Don just now.
“We’ll see him again soon,” Sid says, reaching over to pat Joe’s knee. “Marvelous is going to take good care of him, and with any luck he’ll be healed up when we give him his check-up.” They stop at a red light, and Sid turns to look at Joe. “If you want, I’ll give you official clinic director permission to give him a call now and then to check in on him. I think he’d be happy to hear from you.”
(no subject)
Date: 2013-06-17 14:48 (UTC)“I’m obviously not an expert on interpersonal relationships where both parties are catpeople," he says, "but I think you’re off to a good start already.”
The way Sid talks he makes it sound easy, almost too easy! You like him, he likes you - Joe knows that much is true because he could sense it. It was plain enough in him for Sid to be able to read, that's no surprise, but Sid seems to have picked that up from Don too. His hand on the back of Joe's neck is soothing, just his thumb running up and down over his skin and the stray hair that grows there. His advice is sound, and reassuring - it doesn't sound like something Joe can't accomplish! Spend time with Don, talk to him, learn his interests.
“I know it can seem hard, and intimidating, to try to befriend someone,” Sid says, tucking Joe's ear beneath his cheek. Joe thinks his words sound like personal experience. Who could Sid possibly have found it difficult to befriend? There's been nobody who has ever been reluctant with him, except... Except Joe himself. Joe has been going on, forgetting about Sid this whole time and Sid - so understanding and kind - hasn't said a word about it!
"You," Joe begins carefully, untucking his head so that he can at least look in Sid's direction, even if he feels a little embarrassed now. "You have always been more than a friend to me. You have been a mentor, and a confidante, and a..." Joe's tail twitches nervously, and he channels the energy into brushing it over Sid's side to convey the closeness he still wants to feel. He can say it, even if he never thought he would. "And a lover. Sort of. Eventually. To me you are now, though. A friend, too, but always a lot of other things too. So I didn't think of it like that. I didn't offend you, did I?"
(no subject)
Date: 2013-06-18 09:38 (UTC)"You have always been more than a friend to me," Joe says, his eyes serious and sincere. Sid's heart swells with affection for him as he speaks. He understands Joe's feelings quite well without having to hear them spoken aloud, but it's deeply moving to hear Joe speak so openly about them when normally he's so quiet about them. "You have been a mentor, and a confidante, and a..." Joe hesitates a moment before brushing his soft, smooth tail over the side of Sid's waist, sending a shiver up the length of Sid's back. "And a lover," Joe says, before adding, "Sort of. Eventually. To me you are now, though." Sid just smiles at him; he considers Joe a lover now as well, even if they haven't been as intimate as most people who'd identify with that term.
"A friend, too," Joe continues, "but always a lot of other things too. So I didn't think of it like that." Sid thinks he sees a look of worry and regret pass over Joe's face. "I didn't offend you, did I?"
"Oh, Joe," says Sid, reaching up to stroke the side of Joe's face. "Of course not, you never could." He brushes his thumb over the soft skin of Joe's cheek, wanting to soothe him; he'd never meant to give Joe cause to worry about that. "It wasn't easy for me to earn your trust," he says gently, "but I have never thought of that as a fault in you. And it's made me value your trust all the more. " He smiles and strokes Joe's back with his other hand. "You're more than a friend to me, too. You're my partner, my lover. There's no one in the world I care for more than you." Just to make sure Joe gets his point, Sid leans forward to punctuate his words with a gentle kiss to Joe's soft lips.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-06-19 19:38 (UTC)'If you need anything, you can call me': Joe thinks he might be able to say that to Don over the phone. Not only taking Sid's advice, but modeling his actions after him a little, it's bound to be the right thing to do.
"It wasn't easy for me to earn your trust," Sid admits, "but I have never thought of that as a fault in you. And it's made me value your trust all the more. " He makes it seem as though Joe's trust is special, precious. Joe sometimes wonders, if he'd been more trusting, would he and Sid have become friends sooner? But he'd felt that way for a reason; no-one else is like Sid. He'd had no reason to believe things would turn out as wonderfully as they have.
"You're my partner, my lover. There's no one in the world I care for more than you," Sid says, and then presses his mouth to Joe's softly, as though he hadn't already taken Joe's breath away with his words. Joe reaches up, running strands of Sid's hair through his fingers as he kisses Sid back. He wouldn't mind staying like this for longer, but they're both still on the clock and if he's starting to feel uneasy about taking advantage then soon Sid will be suggesting that he himself work an extra hour or five this evening to make up for his time away from the clinic.