[And there's Paolo again, putting his head in his lap and essentially pinning Jindosh to the bed, even if he could be nudged off easily. He's so not used to... caring. He lifts the first book he'd picked up to read a little, to peer under it at Paolo.
Hmm. He hears that mumble, don't worry, but he won't comment on it because the Feelings are too much for him right now.] You want me to read to you?
[Okay, this isn't going to help him get any work done at all. He stares down at Paolo a moment, deeply considering putting the book down open on Paolo's chest so he can read from it and turn pages with one hand and scribble in a notebook laid open on the bed with the other, but Paolo will surely complain again, and perhaps Jindosh can wait until he actually falls asleep to scribble some notes.
Compromise is a silly thing. He's not so sure about it.]
Alright. I'm not going to stop to tell you what every other word means, so don't ask. [Not that Paolo's pride would allow him to ask, but Jindosh is going to say this anyway. He'll just read, then, a little awkwardly at first but more smoothly within the first few pages, this illuminating volume on—
the history and usage of whale oil and other theoretical applications. He adds his own marginal notes, which he says out loud for Paolo's benefit.]
[Paolo would like to think he made it pretty far, when Jindosh was losing him halfway through the first chapter. There were words he didn't know the meaning of, and he almost asked just to tease him. Almost. He figured it might just come back tenfold with how stupid the question could be.
But it's just too boring. Little jabs at his ego during his notes turned to mindless agreeing, to inaudible mumbling, to silence. It wasn't hard to tell when he'd fallen asleep, muscles relaxed and his expression, for probably the first time in Jindosh's company, was completely peaceful.]
[Paolo is ridiculous and Jindosh studiously ignores him, save for when one of his hands finds its way back into Paolo's hair where it's been for so much of this evening, running his fingers through it lightly and almost distractedly while he just keeps reading. He's ignoring Paolo's commentary, all but talking to himself as he adds his own snide remarks about the book itself by the time Paolo falls asleep.
Ah. Jindosh trails off mid-sentence when he realizes, looking down at Paolo again as he lowers the book and puts it down to the side. This isn't like him—to come back and do this simply because Paolo looked disappointed that he was leaving? To read to him? Is he overestimating the significance of his feelings after sleeping with him, or did sleeping with him bring these feelings to the forefront of his mind after being ignored??
All of it feels like a fist closed around his heart and he hates it, but he smooths Paolo's hair back one more time before sighing shortly, inaudibly, and flipping pages in that notebook on the bed so he can in fact do some work.
Somehow, at an obscene hour to still be awake, Jindosh manages to rearrange their sleeping positions without shaking Paolo awake (he doesn't want to hear the whining, honestly) and lies down for his requisite 4 hours of sleep. If he can even get that many, tonight.]
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Hmm. He hears that mumble, don't worry, but he won't comment on it because the Feelings are too much for him right now.] You want me to read to you?
[Is that... the pseudo-request here?? Is it?]
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Yeah. [He won't meet his eyes, because it's somewhat embarrassing at this rate, but.] If you want.
no subject
Compromise is a silly thing. He's not so sure about it.]
Alright. I'm not going to stop to tell you what every other word means, so don't ask. [Not that Paolo's pride would allow him to ask, but Jindosh is going to say this anyway. He'll just read, then, a little awkwardly at first but more smoothly within the first few pages, this illuminating volume on—
the history and usage of whale oil and other theoretical applications. He adds his own marginal notes, which he says out loud for Paolo's benefit.]
no subject
But it's just too boring. Little jabs at his ego during his notes turned to mindless agreeing, to inaudible mumbling, to silence. It wasn't hard to tell when he'd fallen asleep, muscles relaxed and his expression, for probably the first time in Jindosh's company, was completely peaceful.]
no subject
Ah. Jindosh trails off mid-sentence when he realizes, looking down at Paolo again as he lowers the book and puts it down to the side. This isn't like him—to come back and do this simply because Paolo looked disappointed that he was leaving? To read to him? Is he overestimating the significance of his feelings after sleeping with him, or did sleeping with him bring these feelings to the forefront of his mind after being ignored??
All of it feels like a fist closed around his heart and he hates it, but he smooths Paolo's hair back one more time before sighing shortly, inaudibly, and flipping pages in that notebook on the bed so he can in fact do some work.
Somehow, at an obscene hour to still be awake, Jindosh manages to rearrange their sleeping positions without shaking Paolo awake (he doesn't want to hear the whining, honestly) and lies down for his requisite 4 hours of sleep. If he can even get that many, tonight.]