Sense and Sensibility [Mihal]

[Keir Wayne]

This is so dorky, Keir thought of the bouquet he'd made up. I hope he gets it as sentimental!

Mihal always seemed to have one of his protein bars with him, and knowing that Keir though it'd be cute to make up a bouquet of them as a gift. Give a girl flowers. Give a guy... what? It seemed like a good idea when he'd made it; now, he just felt silly holding the bouquet.

Keir shook off his nerves and buzzed Mihal's button at "Nystrom Tower."

[Mihal Nystrom]

Mihal was home, reading through journals that Keir and his mother had forwarded him on genetic testing and cloning. He was pouring through the research and highlighting passages and making notations when he heard the buzzer. Not expecting anyone, he threw down his stylus and rubbed the tired from his eyes, hitting the receiver on the intercom.

"Can I help you?"

[Keir Wayne]

"Hey... it's me. Keir."

Asking to be buzzed up would be silly and Mihal would say so, so that was why he left the inquiry off his words. He looked down at the crazy bouquet and, again, hoped that Mihal liked the idea of it.

[Mihal Nystrom]

'Hey, Keir. Come on up." He hit the control to unlock the door, wondering when the last time he saw his boyfriend since Keir was asked to leave the apartment he was co-renting since Alienor and her partner were getting serious. Since then, Keir had been sleeping at his office. Mihal should be mad, but it was so Keir to refuse moving in with him.

[Keir Wayne]

Keir moved past the security screen and went up the 'lift, thinking about the sheer number of Nystrom's who lived in this building. He chuckled to himself, wondering how Nikole and Aurelia were really allowed to live "off base."

He walked down the hall to Mihal's door and was just about to knock when the door opened. Keir grinned and held up the bouquet.

"Not sure if you'd like to get flowers or not, so I brought something I know you like," he chuckled.

[Mihal Nystrom]

Mihal's eyes were immediately drawn to the bouquet of protein bars that was arranged as if they were flowers.

"I ... Wow. Thank you Keir!" He was genuinely shocked since he never received a gift before. But he was having a lot of firsts with Keir as the Corellian was his first for everything when it came to relationships. "Come in! Can I get you something?"

[Keir Wayne]

"You're welcome!" Keir replied, passing the bouquet to him.

He grinned, stepping inside and letting the door close behind him. Keir waited a moment, his shy self warring with the initiative he wanted to take. He knew he had to go with the latter.

"Yes. I want you."

[Mihal Nystrom]

He brought the bouquet into the kitchen and immediately started to take it apart, putting the protein bars into one of the stocked cabinets. Little did he know of Keir's internal battle until the doctor said something.

In typical Mihal fashion, he took that request literally. Slamming the cabinet closed, the Morellian looked right at his boyfriend and sighed. "Seriously? Now?"

It was the disappointment talking since Keir was too busy thinking about sex and not moving in with him.

[Keir Wayne]

Keir flinched, then blinked at Mihal.

"Huh? Oh! No. Mihal, no. Come on," he said with a bewildered look as he followed him into the kitchen. "I don't mean that."

He sighed and rubbed his jaw, trying to find his words then.

"I meant that I want you. In my life. As often as you can stand me. I... I accept that we may never find a solution for our aging difference. And, I am telling you that I can deal with that... if you can," he said earnestly.

[Mihal Nystrom]

"Oh," he said, feeling foolish and a complete idiot. Throwing the trimmings from his bouquet into the sink angrily, Mihal sighed, waiting for the inevitable patience that would come from Keir. It was a double edge sword, because he needed that patient because the man was so naive - unlike his twin Katja. It was starting to bother him, in the last few weeks specifically, that Keir was sleeping in his office, wouldn't consider moving in, and they were stagnant about what to do with their relationship since the doctor couldn't find a solution to their longevity problem.

"What?" Mihal must have heard wrong because this couldn't be happening. It caught him so off guard that he didn't believe him at all. "Why the sudden change, Keir?"

No nickname. Instant notice that Mihal was being serious and his guard was up.

[Keir Wayne]

Keir shrugged, searching for words. That had gone a lot more smoothly in his head beforehand!

"Mihal... I've always loved you. I've always wanted a future for us. It was just the logistics of who we are that's thrown me off. I can't keep that as a wedge between us anymore. I just can't."

It was just so many things that had struck Keir to finally advance his thinking and his feelings. From the family meeting he'd been left out of, living in his office, to accepting the possible limits of science... Keir knew who he was in love with, and needed to let Mihal know.

[Mihal Nystrom]

"And how am I to know that this sudden change of heart isn't going to haunt me later? What if you change your mind about this. That my heritage is too much for you. Or what if..." he paused, swallowing hard. "Or what if we're supposed to be together. Forever. Like everyone else in my family. I know I won't be able to accept such rejection from you if you backed down ... I mean, I know it isn't a for sure. But it could be."

He sighed, crossing his arms defensively. "I mean, I figured we were going to remain this odd coupling because you refused to move in. So I'm sorry if I can't just accept what you're saying now, Keir."

[Keir Wayne]

Keir hadn't exactly expected the conversation to go easily, but Mihal's response took him aback. He sounded so negative and pessimistic... and that wasn't like him at all. Keir's shoulders slumped and he ran a nervous hand through his hair, trying to figure out what he could say to that.

"Mihal... I really don't know what to say to that," he admitted, when no words came. "I... thought you'd be happy to hear this. That we'd finally be on the same page. But, it seems we're really not at all."

And as a result of that, he didn't know what to do! Was this Mihal's way of saying they were breaking up? That he'd borked it too badly by refusing to move in? What Mihal didn't understand was that he was serious about his boyfriend, but Keir wasn't ready to move in with him even now!

[Mihal Nystrom]

"Sometimes I think we were and end up speaking different languages that I think my sister could interpret better." His defensive posture remained as such, not wanting to let his guard down too soon on something that appeared too good to be true.

"What do you want. I think I just need to hear how you want this relationship to go. Specifics. None of this general ... declarations of loving me because I'm past that point now." This may seem out of character for the only male sibling of Linnea Vandron - meek and unsure, awkward in social situations and unable to grasp jokes and innuendos. But when it came to loving Keir, it was the only thing that he was completely sure on, next to the loyalty that he felt for his family.

"I was reassurances Keir," he said flatly, waiting to hear what the good doctor would say next.

[Keir Wayne]

What is he thinking? I could promise that everything will be sunshine and roses, and breakfasts in bed... and then walk over here and get hit and killed by a garbage scow, he thought dejectedly. I can't offer reassurances when I don't know that everything will be good, or that we can handle every hurdle life throws at us. Who can be?

Keir lacked the zealous faith his twin sister found with love in her life. Where Aurelia had been determined to succeed where her parents had failed, Keir expected relationships to fail... and that said a lot for why he'd been so reticent about moving in with Mihal. He had so little faith in himself to advanced a serious relationship that he created a self-fulfilling prophecy instead.

"We live in an uncertain world, Mihal," Keir replied. "I don't have reassurances to give. I just have my love for you. And if that's not enough for you now... I'll... I'll just... I'm sorry, man."