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With some encouragement from her father, Michelle waved and mumbled “Hi,” back to Jack.
Graham kissed her forehead, “Well, it’s certainly chilly out her gentlemen. Cold enough to snow, it feels like. I assume you’d like to step inside and get yourselves warm?” He stepped to the side out of the doorway.
“Most appreciated, Graham,” he smiled, then glanced to Jack. “After you, sir.”
Jack nodded, stepping inside. He looked a little spooked. Like…like something had startled him. He gave Michelle a quick smile, eyes lingering on the little girl for a long moment, before he looked away again. He raked a hand through his hair.
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Michelle kept her eyes on Jack as well, even after Graham set her back down in the ground.
“Go back to the nursery, love. And tell Nanny I said you could have an extra cookie.”
Michelle smiled dashed off to the stairway.
Lincoln followed Jack inside, smiling at the familiar atmosphere of his friend’s house. The foyer had an immediate smell of baking bread, and hickory smoke emanating from the crackling fireplace.
Some classical music played from a gramophone in the corner of the room, where a wooden cane leaned against the table.
Jack took a deep breath, shaking away his unease. "You have a lovely home." he said to Graham, giving the other man a slight smile. He raked a hand through his red hair, taking off his hat after a moment.
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Graham smiled at the compliment, “Why, thank you. I can get around pretty well here.”
Lincoln hung his coat and hat, on the coatrack after shaking them off, leaving himself clad in his navy-blue suit and tie. He held out a hand to Jack, “I can take your coat for you.”
Jack looked up, then took off his coat, handing it to Lincoln. "Oh, alright. Thanks." he replied with a quick smile. He nodded to Graham. "You're welcome." he replied, looking around curiously, though not in a nosy, rude way.
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After hanging up Jack’s coat, he took a step closer to Jack, nudging his hand ever so subtly. It wasn’t like Graham would see them.
The living room was bare of most furniture, leaving open walking spaces between the sofa, fireplace, and the simple, essential tables. There was no foot rest cushion, nor coffee table.
Graham turned around again to face them, “Would either of you care for a smoke?” His accent was much heavier than Lincoln’s.
Jack gave a small, secret smile, linking his pinky with Lincoln's for a moment and squeezing lightly, then letting go as Graham turned around. "Oh, I don't smoke, but thank you for the offer." he replied with an easy smile. He tucked his hands in his pockets, then realized that that would be considered bad manners, and stopped.
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Graham raised an eyebrow at first, then dipped his head in acceptance, “That’s quite alright. And you, Lincoln?”
“Ah, not right now, thank you.” The corner of his lips curled with a similar concealed grin. Still addressing Graham, he continued, “I just finished some coffee; coffee and tobacco doesn’t sit well with me.”
Graham shrugged, “Alright. I didn’t expect your arrival, so feel free to make yourself at home. The only very messy place in the house is the nursery, so enter if you dare.”
Jack nodded, then chuckled softly. "Alright. I didn't plan to explore the house, since that's rude, but I'll keep what you said in mind." he said, looking over at Graham.
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“If you were with anyone else besides my brother Lincoln here, I’d be more cautious. But I trust him and his judgement with my life.” He looked in Jack’s general direction with a sincere smile.
“Aw,” Lincoln grinned, “The same to you.”
Jack raised his eyebrows a little, letting out a soft chuckle. "Are you two actually brothers, or…?" He trailed off in question. The two didn't look that much alike, but…he didn't want to assume.
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“No, we’re not actually brothers,” Lincoln shook his head, “We’re not biologically related. Graham just likes to call his friends brother.”
"Ah, okay. That's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure." He replied with a shrug, looking around the room curiously.
(Gtg to bed soon I think)
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(Oke doke, me too, gnight!)
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“Of course, I understand,” he snickered, looking at himself compared to Graham. They were practically different in every way; it would be a very interesting event growing up with him. We’re good friends, but I think I might get tired of him if I spend every waking minute with him. He looked back to his red-haired friend, But Jack I wouldn’t mind spending more time with.
Jack chuckled softly, running a hand over his hair. "Mm. I meant no offense, so please don't take it that way." He added, looking over at Lincoln witb a soft smile.
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“I took no offense, it was just a question,” He returned a smile, hoping it would be reassuring.
“Are either of you hungry? My wife just finished a loaf of bread,” Graham piped up. “She makes the best bread.”
Jack blinked, and looked at Graham. "Oh. I uhm…sure. Thank you." He replied slowly, unsure exactly how he should behave now.
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Graham dipped his head in acknowledgement and turned to disappear into the kitchen.
Lincoln inched closet beside beside Jack and leaned over. “He’s not quick to admit it, but he’s blind,” he spoke in a hush. “Hopefully he doesn’t come across as rude. He doesn’t mean to be.”
Jack caught his breath. "Oh." he said slowly, nodding. "It's fine. He didn't seem rude to me, but I understand now." he looked over at Lincoln. "Thanks for letting me know." he wanted to hold Lincoln's hand again, but he wasn't sure if he should.
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“You’re welcome,” Lincoln returned, looking at Jack for another couple seconds with a content expression. He took steps towards the sofa, but kept his gaze partially still on Jack. He sank down onto the cushion, “Care to join me..?”
Jack smiled a little. "Sure." he sat down beside Lincoln. He reached over and rested his hand gently on Lincoln's. "if he's blind, then doing this shouldn't matter, right?" he murmured, eyes finding Lincoln's. There was a faint blush on his cheeks.
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He turned his hand over to tangle his fingers with Jack’s, “Precisely,” his lips were pursed in a tight smile, but he was happier than ever. It was more to keep his heart from bursting out of his mouth. “We just have to be careful about what we say aloud,” he hushed his voice.
Jack smiled a little. "Yeah." he agreed, squeezing Lincoln's hand gently. "And let go if anyone else comes in." he smiled lightly, his pale skin showing the blush rather brightly.
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Lincoln’s chest warmed at the sight of his reddened cheeks; he tapped his foot anxiously again “Certainly…are you cold in here?” He chuckled softly, utilizing his free hand to gesture to Jack’s face. “I can add another log to the fireplace if you need.”
Jack shook his head a little. "I'm fine. But thank you." he replied with a small smile, thumb rubbing lightly over Lincoln's knuckles. "I…thank you for all your help, too. With…everything." he chuckled quietly, knowing that that wasn't very descriptive.
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Lincoln squinted and tilted his head amusedly, “I think I get what you mean by everything. You’re welcome. I hope I can fix Tip for you…” he trailed off, unsure what to say next. He crossed his ankles, shifting sideways to face Jack better. As he moved, the loose strand of his hair had fallen in front of his ear again.
Jack nodded. "Me too." he replied. Without thinking, he reached forward and tucked the loose strand behind Lincoln's ear again. His fingers brushed lightly against the other mans skin, and he bit his lower lip a little, pulling his hand away after a moment.
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He chewed on his inner lip at the brief, yet welcomed contact. He tilted his head towards his hand, at least until Jack pulled it away. He straightened his head, blinked his eyes back open. “Thank-Thank you,” he stammered, barely able to hear himself. This felt so unreal, maybe it was only a dream.
