[March 15th afternoonish, junior dorm]

[smallgayjew]

David hadn't had much to move into his room, really. Most of his things had to fit into what luggage he could take on the plane with him, though he'd had a few boxes shipped ahead. He'd taken a break from moving in to look around the school a bit, and when he came back he decided it was probably best to get things unpacked as much as he could before there were too many things going on for him to concentrate on it.

So there's a small, English boy digging through boxes in his room with the door open, iPod cycling through Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall as he sings along.

Comments

[borntolose]

"Yeah, and how would you know?" Eddie asked, snorting, but still looking amused as he sauntered in, and started breaking down some of the empty boxes David had set aside, too, his movements casually efficient.

[smallgayjew]

"How d'you think I keep my youthful complexion?"

He wasn't usually so free with someone he'd just met, and certainly not with someone like Eddie, but...well, Eddie reminded him of home. It put him more at his ease than he'd been since he left Sheffield.

[borntolose]

"Figure it had something to do with a lack of fucking puberty," Eddie shot back.

[smallgayjew]

Well, that just...hit a bit too close to home, and David blushed.

"Fair point."

He'd hit puberty! Just...recently.

[borntolose]

Eddie had to snort a little laugh for the blush. "At least you haven't got spotty yet." The big man had had horrible acne when he was David's age. Some of the scars left by it were hidden under his sideburns, though. "Could be worse, kid."

[smallgayjew]

David had gone through the worst of the spotty phase already, and even that wasn't terribly bad. He's past the voice-breaking stage as well, though his voice isn't quite as deep as it will be eventually.

"I think I'm safe on that front, actually."

[borntolose]

"Yeah? Going to look like a choir boy forever, are ye?" Eddie asked.

[smallgayjew]

"Honestly? Yes, probably," David answered, rolling his eyes.

[borntolose]

The groundskeeper chuckled for that. "Well, there's some blokes what like that. Less the birds, though, sorry."

[smallgayjew]

"Yes, well, I don't...I mean...I hadn't thought..."

Hush, Eddie. He's not ready to admit he's gay just yet.

[borntolose]

Funnily enough, Eddie's actually not assuming David's gay - just probably younger than he actually is, and unfortunately effeminate. He's earned points for not backing off or acting intimidated in front of the big man, too.

"You'll see what I mean when you get older."

[smallgayjew]

"I'm not that young," David argued. He knew he came off as much younger than he actually was, and he blamed that for the fact that he hadn't started noticing girls yet. There's still a part of him that thinks someday that will kick in.

[borntolose]

"How old are you, then? Fourteen? Fifteen?"

[smallgayjew]

"I'm seventeen."

He wasn't offended by Eddie's guesses. He was rather used to people thinking he was younger than he was.

[borntolose]

"Oh, you're fucked, then," Eddie said unapologetically. "What're you doing in the States, then? Should you be about going on to Uni?"

[smallgayjew]

"I'm sitting the GCSEs in June," David affirmed. "And then I'm...well, I'll be working on getting into Oxford."

[borntolose]

Eddie didn't look particularly impressed, but then higher education didn't mean all that much to him, except as a way that rich people kept score. "Good luck with that, then. S'not much like real work, but I guess it's good for them what got the head for it."

[smallgayjew]

"It isn't meant to be like real work," said David, who understood what was meant by it even if he didn't agree.

[borntolose]

"Got that right." The big man grinned. "What're you going to do with it, anyway?"

[smallgayjew]

"Dunno yet. I reckon I've time to figure it out."

[borntolose]

Different worlds, definitely. "Try not to decide anything here," Edie advised, as he gathered up the last of the empty boxes. "This place drains your fucking soul. Go in, see the city if you get a chance. Chicago's not bad."

[smallgayjew]

David nodded, mostly because he'd already been thinking of heading into the city.

"Did you know you wanted to be a groundskeeper at my age?"

[borntolose]

Eddie snorted a laugh. "I don't want to be a groundskeeper, kid. I just got bills to pay. This ain't my 'career'. At your age, I wanted to be a rock star."

[smallgayjew]

David laughed softly. "Doesn't everyone?"

Well...not him of course, but most boys.