[For a moment, Claude can't help but to laugh at the silly way Dimitri moves him arm in order to make a point. it's something so small and trivial—and yet incredibly cute and charming in equal measure. The little things like this are what have made Claude fall hard for this awkward Faerghan boy, and truly? He wouldn't want it to be any other way. After all, these are the moments that remind him why it was worth pursuing, and why he'll do anything he can to make sure Dimitri is happy and comfortable in his presence.
All of that goes out the window pretty quickly as Dimitri begins to react to Claude's suggestions. For a moment, he remains quiet with little more than a pleased, encouraging smile on his lips—he's giving Dimitri some time to sort out what he wants and is comfortable with rather than acting so decisively.
Were this a past relationship, Claude would've likely skipped all these formalities. He'd have been quick (and likely right) to assume his partner was looking to skip the meal and use the movie as nothing more than background noise to drown out the sounds of desire that someone on the other side of the wall might catch. There wouldn't be hand-holding this way, but Claude crawling into their lap, or perhaps pulling them into his and asserting what they both want.
But this isn't a past relationship. It's Dimitri. And because of that? Claude wants to do things right. He wants to make sure he goes at Dimitri's pace, make sure he's comfortable with any steps forward they take, and make sure that his own experience only helps Dimitri grow more comfortable with Claude in these situations. He has no issue with Dimitri being inexperienced—there's something fun and exciting about knowing he gets to be the one who guides Dimitri through these experiences. If there's anything he's concerned about, it's the notion that his own, excessive experience might intimidate Dimitri or scare him off once things escalate. It's a concern that for now he is always doing his best to keep at bay, but there's little denying that going slow is new to Claude. And he really, really doesn't want to mess that up.]
Sounds like a good enough start to me. We can order something once we get hungry. [His smile widens a bit, still soft, maybe with just a hint of mischief.] We can start with the movie, and the relaxing.
[Though in this case, he does mean relaxing, because he can tell Dimitri is a little nervous. He's not sure if it's the inexperience, Claude's abundant experience, if he's uncomfortable with escalating their affections any—but he definitely wants Dimitri to be able to unwind with him. With their hands still intertwined this way, Claude gives Dimitri's hand a gentle squeeze.] No reason to rush, right? ...Since we don't need to be up early for any classes or anything like that.
[They've got all night, for whatever it may entail.]
[The way Claude laughs only makes Dimitri's smile grow. Being able to make Claude laugh and smile like this has so quickly become one of his favorite things. If takes being a little silly to get that? Then he's more than happy to be silly!
Even if his nerves make him feel silly for an entirely different reason. While he's heard bits and pieces of Claude's past dating history (one of the many times he's wished El wasn't so overprotective, if only so she didn't have Hubert be so terrifying), he would never be so judgmental as to call Claude's experience "excessive." Still, it would be a lie to say that he isn't a bit intimidated by it... But only because he genuinely worries he could be boring to Claude.
Objectively, he knows there's no reason to think that. Everything about the way they've spent time together till now indicates the exact opposite, and from the warm, encouraging smile on Claude's face only further proves. Still, much like Claude, he's a little terrified of potentially messing this up. Maybe Claude isn't bored of him right now, but surely he expects something different when it comes to a relationship. What if that's something Dimitri doesn't know how to provide when Claude wants or needs it? He can see the slant of mischief in Claude's grin, and it's all too easy to imagine what that could entail—but Dimitri doesn't know if he can match up to whatever Claude may have in mind.
When Claude squeezes his hand so gently though, the frantic thoughts swirling in his head finally start to slow down. It could almost be funny, how Claude seems to be both the reason for his heart racing and why it calms down. Somehow, Claude's presence just has a way of helping him settle, whether from his own nerves or anything else.]
Right. Well... As long as you don't think there is, then there's no need to rush at all. [There's something just the faintest bit hesitant in Dimitri's gaze, or maybe even worried. It's a little too embarrassing to say it straight, but he just wants to make sure that Claude really doesn't mind if he's a little slower with this.
Maybe only a little slower though. Even if he can't pretend he isn't at least a bit nervous, he still scoots himself closer to Claude on the bed. While it might be a little soon for him crawl into Claude's lap or vice versa, there's no denying that he wants to be closer to Claude. As close as someone might want to be with their boyfriend.] We can take our time with the movie... And with relaxing, too.
[However the rest of the night ends up going, as long as Claude is happy and comfortable, he thinks that'll help him genuinely relax as well.]
[It gives Claude a bit of conflicting feelings—not because anything is actively wrong, of course.
But seeing Dimitri's smile widen should be just enough... and it's not. Because he can also sense that faint hesitation, seeing the worry in his gaze. And really? It's not as if Claude can say Dimitri's feelings aren't justified. They've spent enough time together for Claude to understand that exploring these feelings is something new for Dimitri—and that Dimitri has every reason to have any measure of trepidation. Even if Claude is doing his best to be reassuring, it clearly isn't quite enough. In that respect, there's a realization that he needs to do more in order to ensure Dimitri knows it's okay.
Whatever trepidation he has—whether because of his own concerns of being inexperienced, or because he worries said inexperience would be some kind of deterrent to Claude—he needs to ease it. And if words aren't enough, then it stands to reason that he needs to do something, take some kind of action to assuage those concerns. Which... well, it's a bit easier said than done when he's really doing his best to respect Dimitri's boundaries and his pace. Not being able to rely on what he's always used in these situations is more challenging than he had initially anticipated, even if it's a challenge he'd like to rise up to face head-on.
How? Well, he can try to figure that out as he goes. These thoughts are all barreling through his mind at a frantic pace, jumbled and scattered in ways that only Claude himself would ever be able to reasonably decipher.]
That's right. Don't they say it's about the journey and not the destination? [Okay, so it's not really much in the way of action, but Dimitri seems to have a way of stumping him, of flustering him out of doing what he'd normally do, so he simply doesn't have actions for this just yet, barring the way he embraces Dimitri scooting closer. He closes his eyes contentedly as he leans his head against Dimitri's shoulder, relaxing a bit more. It's almost like a silent signal to Dimitri: he's comfortable this way. There's nothing to worry about aside just having each other's company.] No reason to rush through the best parts just to see the end result.
[The best parts, of course, being the fact that they can just exist this way, without dancing around their feelings or what they want. They don't have to worry about one-sided attraction or accidentally crossing lines that just friends simply shouldn't do under normal circumstances.
(And who knew it could really be just that easy? This is all brand new information to Claude, after all.)]
ignoring how embarrassingly long this took me (and it's not even the worst offender)
[It's a bit of a conundrum. The fact that Claude is so respectful of his boundaries is something Dimitri takes a great deal of comfort in... But at the same time, without a little bit of push and pull, he also just doesn't have the experience to really know quite what to do. Part of him wonders if maybe he should simply ask, to not dance around this so much and be more direct as he tends to prefer when it comes to most things. Somehow though, the idea of it all just seems so embarrassing. Surely if he likes Claude so much and wants to get to know him as best he can, he should be able to gleam something this simple on his own, right?
Of course, what he doesn't realize either is that for all that their relationship has been fast and furious and out of the ordinary, this part of it is more typical. For things to be a little awkward here and there as they get to know each other in this new way, stumbling around a bit in trying to express these feelings he's never felt before... On an objective level, Dimitri knows these things, but with things still being so new, it's yet to really sink in that it would extend to the physical aspects of their relationship as well.
For the moment though, he tries his best to push that nervousness from his mind. Claude leans his head against him so easily after he scooted closer, his heart practically blooming in warmth because of it. Despite not saying anything, Claude makes his message plenty clear: Dimitri knows that he's comfortable, at ease, relaxed. He can tell immediately that Claude likes being here with him like this, and as leans his head against Claude's, a wide grin spreading across his face, he knows he likes being here together like this just as much.]
I certainly hope so. In some ways, it felt like such a journey just to reach where we are... But I'd rather this journey never end at all.
[And just like that, all of Dimitri's attempts to relax and push his nerves aside come crashing to a halt.
That wasn't—was that too forward? Too much? Did he basically just say he never wants their relationship to end? It's all true of course, there's a part of him that already thinks they could get married tomorrow and he'd be the happiest man on earth for the rest of his life—But isn't it far too early to say something like that so new into a relationship? Maybe there's a platonic way to interpret it, even though they're talking in the context of their romantic relationship so probably not. Granted, if they did actually break up, Dimitri's sure he would so desperately want to remain friends even if his heart remained shattered and broken for the rest of his life—
While Claude's thoughts are jumbled and scattered, Dimitri's are shooting off at the speed of light in an embarrassed, flustered whirlwind of emotions.]
I, um— That is— [He groans, lifting his head away from Claude so he can bury it in his free hand instead.] Sorry, I don't even know what I'm saying anymore...
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All of that goes out the window pretty quickly as Dimitri begins to react to Claude's suggestions. For a moment, he remains quiet with little more than a pleased, encouraging smile on his lips—he's giving Dimitri some time to sort out what he wants and is comfortable with rather than acting so decisively.
Were this a past relationship, Claude would've likely skipped all these formalities. He'd have been quick (and likely right) to assume his partner was looking to skip the meal and use the movie as nothing more than background noise to drown out the sounds of desire that someone on the other side of the wall might catch. There wouldn't be hand-holding this way, but Claude crawling into their lap, or perhaps pulling them into his and asserting what they both want.
But this isn't a past relationship. It's Dimitri. And because of that? Claude wants to do things right. He wants to make sure he goes at Dimitri's pace, make sure he's comfortable with any steps forward they take, and make sure that his own experience only helps Dimitri grow more comfortable with Claude in these situations. He has no issue with Dimitri being inexperienced—there's something fun and exciting about knowing he gets to be the one who guides Dimitri through these experiences. If there's anything he's concerned about, it's the notion that his own, excessive experience might intimidate Dimitri or scare him off once things escalate. It's a concern that for now he is always doing his best to keep at bay, but there's little denying that going slow is new to Claude. And he really, really doesn't want to mess that up.]
Sounds like a good enough start to me. We can order something once we get hungry. [His smile widens a bit, still soft, maybe with just a hint of mischief.] We can start with the movie, and the relaxing.
[Though in this case, he does mean relaxing, because he can tell Dimitri is a little nervous. He's not sure if it's the inexperience, Claude's abundant experience, if he's uncomfortable with escalating their affections any—but he definitely wants Dimitri to be able to unwind with him. With their hands still intertwined this way, Claude gives Dimitri's hand a gentle squeeze.] No reason to rush, right? ...Since we don't need to be up early for any classes or anything like that.
[They've got all night, for whatever it may entail.]
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Even if his nerves make him feel silly for an entirely different reason. While he's heard bits and pieces of Claude's past dating history (one of the many times he's wished El wasn't so overprotective, if only so she didn't have Hubert be so terrifying), he would never be so judgmental as to call Claude's experience "excessive." Still, it would be a lie to say that he isn't a bit intimidated by it... But only because he genuinely worries he could be boring to Claude.
Objectively, he knows there's no reason to think that. Everything about the way they've spent time together till now indicates the exact opposite, and from the warm, encouraging smile on Claude's face only further proves. Still, much like Claude, he's a little terrified of potentially messing this up. Maybe Claude isn't bored of him right now, but surely he expects something different when it comes to a relationship. What if that's something Dimitri doesn't know how to provide when Claude wants or needs it? He can see the slant of mischief in Claude's grin, and it's all too easy to imagine what that could entail—but Dimitri doesn't know if he can match up to whatever Claude may have in mind.
When Claude squeezes his hand so gently though, the frantic thoughts swirling in his head finally start to slow down. It could almost be funny, how Claude seems to be both the reason for his heart racing and why it calms down. Somehow, Claude's presence just has a way of helping him settle, whether from his own nerves or anything else.]
Right. Well... As long as you don't think there is, then there's no need to rush at all. [There's something just the faintest bit hesitant in Dimitri's gaze, or maybe even worried. It's a little too embarrassing to say it straight, but he just wants to make sure that Claude really doesn't mind if he's a little slower with this.
Maybe only a little slower though. Even if he can't pretend he isn't at least a bit nervous, he still scoots himself closer to Claude on the bed. While it might be a little soon for him crawl into Claude's lap or vice versa, there's no denying that he wants to be closer to Claude. As close as someone might want to be with their boyfriend.] We can take our time with the movie... And with relaxing, too.
[However the rest of the night ends up going, as long as Claude is happy and comfortable, he thinks that'll help him genuinely relax as well.]
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But seeing Dimitri's smile widen should be just enough... and it's not. Because he can also sense that faint hesitation, seeing the worry in his gaze. And really? It's not as if Claude can say Dimitri's feelings aren't justified. They've spent enough time together for Claude to understand that exploring these feelings is something new for Dimitri—and that Dimitri has every reason to have any measure of trepidation. Even if Claude is doing his best to be reassuring, it clearly isn't quite enough. In that respect, there's a realization that he needs to do more in order to ensure Dimitri knows it's okay.
Whatever trepidation he has—whether because of his own concerns of being inexperienced, or because he worries said inexperience would be some kind of deterrent to Claude—he needs to ease it. And if words aren't enough, then it stands to reason that he needs to do something, take some kind of action to assuage those concerns. Which... well, it's a bit easier said than done when he's really doing his best to respect Dimitri's boundaries and his pace. Not being able to rely on what he's always used in these situations is more challenging than he had initially anticipated, even if it's a challenge he'd like to rise up to face head-on.
How? Well, he can try to figure that out as he goes. These thoughts are all barreling through his mind at a frantic pace, jumbled and scattered in ways that only Claude himself would ever be able to reasonably decipher.]
That's right. Don't they say it's about the journey and not the destination? [Okay, so it's not really much in the way of action, but Dimitri seems to have a way of stumping him, of flustering him out of doing what he'd normally do, so he simply doesn't have actions for this just yet, barring the way he embraces Dimitri scooting closer. He closes his eyes contentedly as he leans his head against Dimitri's shoulder, relaxing a bit more. It's almost like a silent signal to Dimitri: he's comfortable this way. There's nothing to worry about aside just having each other's company.] No reason to rush through the best parts just to see the end result.
[The best parts, of course, being the fact that they can just exist this way, without dancing around their feelings or what they want. They don't have to worry about one-sided attraction or accidentally crossing lines that just friends simply shouldn't do under normal circumstances.
(And who knew it could really be just that easy? This is all brand new information to Claude, after all.)]
ignoring how embarrassingly long this took me (and it's not even the worst offender)
Of course, what he doesn't realize either is that for all that their relationship has been fast and furious and out of the ordinary, this part of it is more typical. For things to be a little awkward here and there as they get to know each other in this new way, stumbling around a bit in trying to express these feelings he's never felt before... On an objective level, Dimitri knows these things, but with things still being so new, it's yet to really sink in that it would extend to the physical aspects of their relationship as well.
For the moment though, he tries his best to push that nervousness from his mind. Claude leans his head against him so easily after he scooted closer, his heart practically blooming in warmth because of it. Despite not saying anything, Claude makes his message plenty clear: Dimitri knows that he's comfortable, at ease, relaxed. He can tell immediately that Claude likes being here with him like this, and as leans his head against Claude's, a wide grin spreading across his face, he knows he likes being here together like this just as much.]
I certainly hope so. In some ways, it felt like such a journey just to reach where we are... But I'd rather this journey never end at all.
[And just like that, all of Dimitri's attempts to relax and push his nerves aside come crashing to a halt.
That wasn't—was that too forward? Too much? Did he basically just say he never wants their relationship to end? It's all true of course, there's a part of him that already thinks they could get married tomorrow and he'd be the happiest man on earth for the rest of his life—But isn't it far too early to say something like that so new into a relationship? Maybe there's a platonic way to interpret it, even though they're talking in the context of their romantic relationship so probably not. Granted, if they did actually break up, Dimitri's sure he would so desperately want to remain friends even if his heart remained shattered and broken for the rest of his life—
While Claude's thoughts are jumbled and scattered, Dimitri's are shooting off at the speed of light in an embarrassed, flustered whirlwind of emotions.]
I, um— That is— [He groans, lifting his head away from Claude so he can bury it in his free hand instead.] Sorry, I don't even know what I'm saying anymore...