flee this town.
RPS. Daniel Bruhl/August Diehl. 2333 words. Non-explicit.
Don't own, etc.
August looks miserable when he shows up. Daniel watches him wince against the onslaught of camera flashes from the other side of the red carpet. He's late; he's always late. Daniel hesitates for a moment before giving Michael a firm grasp and starting to let go.
"I'm going to--" he starts.
Michael doesn't even turn his head. "August can take care of himself," he says, his wrist on Daniel's shoulder. "Let him come to you."
"I think they want pictures of you alone, anyway," Daniel tells him, switching to German.
"I'm not here to make them happy," Michael says. "Wait."
Daniel tries a different tactic. "Look, Diane - Diane! - she probably wants to be in pictures with you. She looks much better; I don't photograph well standing next to you."
"You look fine," Michael replies, letting his arm fall from Daniel's shoulder. Daniel thinks he can get free, but Michael starts fussing with his lapel instead, straightening it, adjusting his tie. "There, better?"
"No," Daniel says, and Michael laughs like a shark, rows of teeth showing.
Diane makes her way over to them, the train of her dress held delicately in her hand. "Gentleman," she says, and it's a joke; she doesn't take either of them seriously. She reaches to put her arm around Michael's waist. Somehow, and Daniel's not sure how, but Michael smoothly manages to maneuver so she's in the center, reaching for Daniel, too.
"I like your tie," she tells Daniel, because it's really ugly.
"I'm just going to ignore that," Daniel says, and both of them laugh, and Daniel doesn't really care because August smiles when he sees him. It's a quick smile, but it makes Daniel smile back, wider than called for. "I'll--"
"I'm starting to think he doesn't really like us that much," Michael stage whispers. "He's been running away all afternoon."
"Come on," Daniel says. "I can only take so many pictures with you before they're useless."
"And?" Michael asks.
"And now I'll see you inside," he tells them, and Diane, unlike Michael, lets him go easily.
August is watching him as he makes his way closer, and when Daniel can finally see him without looking over someone's shoulder, he says, "I'm surprised you didn't sneak in this time," and also, "Hello."
"Hello," August replies, his mouth twisting up into something between a grimace and a smile. "I promised I wouldn't."
"Ah, well," Daniel says, and pauses. He wants to compliment August, but August looks like he rolls out of bed, slipped some clothes on, and ran his fingers half-heartedly through his hair. Anything Daniel would say to him would be both a lie and too much of a truth. "Maybe we can slip out early?"
"Yeah, maybe," August replies.
Daniel smiles at him, briefly, before gesturing for August to walk first. August has his hands in his pockets, trying to look relaxed, but the line of his shoulders is stiff. Daniel grips the muscle between August's neck and shoulder, and leans in to say, "Relax."
August doesn't reply, just shifts his shoulders and tries to shove Daniel's hand off. He's not very affectionate, at least not with him, and Daniel doesn't try to push it. Most of the time. Sometimes, it's hard to resist the urge to touch August when he knows, especially, how much August doesn't want to. There's something tempting about fighting August to get close to him.
When they pause to pose, instead of trying to get past unnoticed, August bumps his shoulder and holds him by the waist, his fingers fitting against Daniel's ribs. Daniel feels suddenly aware of ever breath he's taking.
"How are you?" August asks.
Daniel shrugs, resting his own hand on August's back. He smiles at the cameras. When he turns to look at August, he sees August's face is pulled up into the same half-grimace it was in before. He presses his palm a little firmer against August's spine.
"If it means anything," he says, "I'm glad you came."
August shrugs back in response, but there seems to be something uncontrollable about the way his mouth twitches. He says, "Do you think we can get away with staying an hour?"
"Probably not," Daniel replies, and August shifts, lets his hand fall. They're done, and the door is twenty feet away. August steps behind a group and Daniel follows him. "They don't have to know, though. We can just - go."
"I'll take the blame," August says, like it isn't placed on him anyway.
"Excellent," Daniel says, and August looks over his shoulder for a second before his disappears through the crowd of people inside the door.
/
They're placed at tiny tables. Daniel is sitting next to Melanie, who was assigned to the seat, a seat filler who only speaks English, and August, who Daniel thinks moved the place cards when he saw the seat was empty. Melanie laughed but didn't complain, and August's knee is pressed against his. Daniel didn't say anything.
August doesn't bother to hide his impatience. He checks his watch, pays more attention to the napkins than anything, and for a few moment, rests his head on his arms. By the time the end of the hour comes around, he looks tired and irritated.
Daniel looks at his own watch, clears his throat, and starts to stand up. "I have to use the restroom," he says. "Excuse me."
"Okay," Melanie says in French, and then again, like a question, in English, like she doesn't remember they understand her.
The seat filler continues to look bored, because he hasn't understood more than a few sentences they've said yet.
Daniel starts to undo his tie by the time he gets into the hallway. It's not empty, but it's full of people who are too busy to pay attention to what he's doing. He really does have to use the restroom, though, so he wanders the hall until he finds them.
August comes in when Daniel's washing his hands. He sees August in the mirror, running his hands through his hair, an exhausted smile on his face. "Hello," Daniel says, raising an eyebrow at August's reflection.
"It wasn't quite an hour," August tells him.
"I think it was close enough," Daniel says, giving the mirror his back when he dries his hands. "Let's catch a cab. We can go back to the hotel. You look like you haven't slept in a while."
"It's just jetlag," August says. "But we can go back to the hotel, yeah."
"Yeah," Daniel says. They just stand there for a moment, looking at each other - Daniel looking at August, really, August looking somewhere near Daniel's tie - before he gestures toward the door. "What are we waiting for?"
August shrugs. "I was waiting for you," he says.
/
In the cab, August sits with his hands folded in his lap, his head back against the seat. His eyes are closed. Daniel is pretty sure he falls asleep at one point, but when the cab comes to a stop that's longer than a red light, August opens his eyes and squints at Daniel. Daniel is looking through his wallet for cash. He really hates American coins.
"We're here?" August asks, like he can't make any sense of what he sees.
"Yeah," Daniel says, frowning down at his extensive collection of one cent coins. August responds by slipping out of the other car door. "Wait, what room are you in?"
"Yours," August replies. "We should get dinner tonight. I'll just wait inside the lobby."
Daniel watches him walk around the front of the cab and onto the sidewalk. It's raining a little bit, so he tucks his chin against his chest and walks quickly. Daniel looks away when August gets inside the hotel and gives up on the change; he hands the guy two bills and says, "Keep the change."
"Have a nice night," the cab driver says, like he genuinely means it.
"Thank you." Daniel gets out of the cab and makes a dash for the doors. He's never been fond of the rain, and August is waiting. Daniel is half afraid August will be asleep in a chair if he sat down for more than a few seconds.
It takes a few seconds for Daniel to spot August when he gets inside the hotel. August is leaning against the wall by the elevators, and he might as well be asleep, for all it's holding him up. Daniel walks quietly, coming up behind August, and says, "Boo."
August doesn't even reply. He twitches when Daniel touches his shoulder, though, before he leans into it. His eyes are half-open, like his eyelids are too heavy to hold up. "Come on," he says, pressing the 'up' button. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."
"And when is the last time you slept?" Daniel asks. The elevator dings. August uses it as an opportunity to avoid Daniel's question. Daniel wants to ask again, but an old lady joins them, and he doesn't want to bicker in front of her.
She gets off on the eighth floor; Daniel's room is on the fourteenth. When the doors close, he turns to August, who is rubbing his hand over his face. "The last time you slept?" he asks.
"I slept on the plane," August says, and Daniel's been on a plane with him: August doesn't sleep as much as he closes his eyes for long minutes. "Come on, stop now."
Daniel doesn't. "Where's your room?"
August shrugs. "I didn't get my key yet." The elevator stops and the doors open before August can continue or Daniel can harass him to. He finds himself following August, like he's done many times lately. It's hard to argue with August normally, because he'll win and not even have to try. It's harder still to argue with August when he's tired, because he won't even try and wanting to push it makes Daniel feel guilty.
At the door, Daniel gets the key card out and swipes it; August half leans on him, his nose pressed against Daniel's temple. Daniel stumbles for a moment, surprised, because when August touches him, it's usually a response. Daniel isn't sure what this is supposed to be.
After a second, he presses his knuckles against August's stomach, nudging him back. "Eat before you pass out on me, okay?"
August sighs in reply, but he moves back and lazily gestures for Daniel to go on. Daniel looks around the room for the phone and when he spots it, says, "I'm going to order room service. What do you want?"
"I don't know," August replies, dropping into a chair. He presses his face against his shoulder for a moment, yawning, before he reaches down to unlace his shoes. His hands are clumsy. Daniel watches him unlace the first shoe and then reaches for the phone.
"I'm getting - ah, they probably have lobster," Daniel says. He might as well splurge. "What do you want?"
"Soup?" August says, working on the other shoe.
"I'll ask if they have any erbsensuppe," Daniel tells him, dialing for room service.
August nods in agreement and pulls his shoes off. He places them next to the chair neatly before he works on peeling his socks off. Daniel is staring. "I'm hot," August explains when he notices, and Daniel nods at him, turning away when the other end of the line is picked up.
They have lobster, and they don't have any erbssensuppe, but they have something made with squash, and Daniel says okay because he doesn't think August cares either way. They say they'll be ready in twenty; Daniel thanks them and hangs up.
When he turns back around, August is trying to undo his tie. Daniel doesn't understand why he doesn't just tug it off, but August is bleary-eyed when he looks at Daniel and Daniel doesn't think he understands why, either. Something about it makes Daniel smile. He doesn't really notice his has until August says, "This is not funny," and, "I fucking hate ties."
"Stop," Daniel says, and his smile won't let up. "Stop, come here, I'm not laughing at you, this is sad."
"Come here," August says. Daniel doesn't know if he's saying it or mocking him, but he gets off the bed anyway.
"Ah, Diehl," he says, reaching down to pull one end on the tie out. August's hands fall back down into his lap. "Think about what Eli would say if he saw you here."
"Where?" August says, and his smile is slow and sharp around the edges. "Look at you. You're the one undressing me."
Daniel pauses, and he thinks it would mean more if August weren't blinking so slowly, like most of the world is distant and out of focus. He thinks he would stop then, but it feels - easy, too easy to stop, and sometimes he doesn't want to fight August. Sometimes he wants to give in.
He shrugs, then, and hangs the tie on the arm of the chair before he touches the buttons on August's shirt. It's buttoned up to his neck, and Daniel focuses on them so he doesn't have to look up at August's face.
On the third button, August laughs a little bit, pushing Daniel's hands out of the way. "I was kidding," he says.
"I know you're kidding," Daniel replies, and moves on the the fourth button. He does it, the fifth, and the sixth, before August seems to be remember to undo his own. He's breathing slowly, and he feels incredibly warm. When Daniel chances a glance up to his face, August's eyes are mostly closed. It feels - safer.
Daniel finishes the shirt and leans back. August's eyes don't open when he realizes Daniel has stopped, but he exhales softly. He doesn't move. It feels like permission.
"Stay tonight," Daniel says.
"Yeah," August says, and keeps his eyes closed as he leans in. Daniel hesitates before he slides his hands under August's shirt and shifts closer.
Don't own, etc.
August looks miserable when he shows up. Daniel watches him wince against the onslaught of camera flashes from the other side of the red carpet. He's late; he's always late. Daniel hesitates for a moment before giving Michael a firm grasp and starting to let go.
"I'm going to--" he starts.
Michael doesn't even turn his head. "August can take care of himself," he says, his wrist on Daniel's shoulder. "Let him come to you."
"I think they want pictures of you alone, anyway," Daniel tells him, switching to German.
"I'm not here to make them happy," Michael says. "Wait."
Daniel tries a different tactic. "Look, Diane - Diane! - she probably wants to be in pictures with you. She looks much better; I don't photograph well standing next to you."
"You look fine," Michael replies, letting his arm fall from Daniel's shoulder. Daniel thinks he can get free, but Michael starts fussing with his lapel instead, straightening it, adjusting his tie. "There, better?"
"No," Daniel says, and Michael laughs like a shark, rows of teeth showing.
Diane makes her way over to them, the train of her dress held delicately in her hand. "Gentleman," she says, and it's a joke; she doesn't take either of them seriously. She reaches to put her arm around Michael's waist. Somehow, and Daniel's not sure how, but Michael smoothly manages to maneuver so she's in the center, reaching for Daniel, too.
"I like your tie," she tells Daniel, because it's really ugly.
"I'm just going to ignore that," Daniel says, and both of them laugh, and Daniel doesn't really care because August smiles when he sees him. It's a quick smile, but it makes Daniel smile back, wider than called for. "I'll--"
"I'm starting to think he doesn't really like us that much," Michael stage whispers. "He's been running away all afternoon."
"Come on," Daniel says. "I can only take so many pictures with you before they're useless."
"And?" Michael asks.
"And now I'll see you inside," he tells them, and Diane, unlike Michael, lets him go easily.
August is watching him as he makes his way closer, and when Daniel can finally see him without looking over someone's shoulder, he says, "I'm surprised you didn't sneak in this time," and also, "Hello."
"Hello," August replies, his mouth twisting up into something between a grimace and a smile. "I promised I wouldn't."
"Ah, well," Daniel says, and pauses. He wants to compliment August, but August looks like he rolls out of bed, slipped some clothes on, and ran his fingers half-heartedly through his hair. Anything Daniel would say to him would be both a lie and too much of a truth. "Maybe we can slip out early?"
"Yeah, maybe," August replies.
Daniel smiles at him, briefly, before gesturing for August to walk first. August has his hands in his pockets, trying to look relaxed, but the line of his shoulders is stiff. Daniel grips the muscle between August's neck and shoulder, and leans in to say, "Relax."
August doesn't reply, just shifts his shoulders and tries to shove Daniel's hand off. He's not very affectionate, at least not with him, and Daniel doesn't try to push it. Most of the time. Sometimes, it's hard to resist the urge to touch August when he knows, especially, how much August doesn't want to. There's something tempting about fighting August to get close to him.
When they pause to pose, instead of trying to get past unnoticed, August bumps his shoulder and holds him by the waist, his fingers fitting against Daniel's ribs. Daniel feels suddenly aware of ever breath he's taking.
"How are you?" August asks.
Daniel shrugs, resting his own hand on August's back. He smiles at the cameras. When he turns to look at August, he sees August's face is pulled up into the same half-grimace it was in before. He presses his palm a little firmer against August's spine.
"If it means anything," he says, "I'm glad you came."
August shrugs back in response, but there seems to be something uncontrollable about the way his mouth twitches. He says, "Do you think we can get away with staying an hour?"
"Probably not," Daniel replies, and August shifts, lets his hand fall. They're done, and the door is twenty feet away. August steps behind a group and Daniel follows him. "They don't have to know, though. We can just - go."
"I'll take the blame," August says, like it isn't placed on him anyway.
"Excellent," Daniel says, and August looks over his shoulder for a second before his disappears through the crowd of people inside the door.
/
They're placed at tiny tables. Daniel is sitting next to Melanie, who was assigned to the seat, a seat filler who only speaks English, and August, who Daniel thinks moved the place cards when he saw the seat was empty. Melanie laughed but didn't complain, and August's knee is pressed against his. Daniel didn't say anything.
August doesn't bother to hide his impatience. He checks his watch, pays more attention to the napkins than anything, and for a few moment, rests his head on his arms. By the time the end of the hour comes around, he looks tired and irritated.
Daniel looks at his own watch, clears his throat, and starts to stand up. "I have to use the restroom," he says. "Excuse me."
"Okay," Melanie says in French, and then again, like a question, in English, like she doesn't remember they understand her.
The seat filler continues to look bored, because he hasn't understood more than a few sentences they've said yet.
Daniel starts to undo his tie by the time he gets into the hallway. It's not empty, but it's full of people who are too busy to pay attention to what he's doing. He really does have to use the restroom, though, so he wanders the hall until he finds them.
August comes in when Daniel's washing his hands. He sees August in the mirror, running his hands through his hair, an exhausted smile on his face. "Hello," Daniel says, raising an eyebrow at August's reflection.
"It wasn't quite an hour," August tells him.
"I think it was close enough," Daniel says, giving the mirror his back when he dries his hands. "Let's catch a cab. We can go back to the hotel. You look like you haven't slept in a while."
"It's just jetlag," August says. "But we can go back to the hotel, yeah."
"Yeah," Daniel says. They just stand there for a moment, looking at each other - Daniel looking at August, really, August looking somewhere near Daniel's tie - before he gestures toward the door. "What are we waiting for?"
August shrugs. "I was waiting for you," he says.
/
In the cab, August sits with his hands folded in his lap, his head back against the seat. His eyes are closed. Daniel is pretty sure he falls asleep at one point, but when the cab comes to a stop that's longer than a red light, August opens his eyes and squints at Daniel. Daniel is looking through his wallet for cash. He really hates American coins.
"We're here?" August asks, like he can't make any sense of what he sees.
"Yeah," Daniel says, frowning down at his extensive collection of one cent coins. August responds by slipping out of the other car door. "Wait, what room are you in?"
"Yours," August replies. "We should get dinner tonight. I'll just wait inside the lobby."
Daniel watches him walk around the front of the cab and onto the sidewalk. It's raining a little bit, so he tucks his chin against his chest and walks quickly. Daniel looks away when August gets inside the hotel and gives up on the change; he hands the guy two bills and says, "Keep the change."
"Have a nice night," the cab driver says, like he genuinely means it.
"Thank you." Daniel gets out of the cab and makes a dash for the doors. He's never been fond of the rain, and August is waiting. Daniel is half afraid August will be asleep in a chair if he sat down for more than a few seconds.
It takes a few seconds for Daniel to spot August when he gets inside the hotel. August is leaning against the wall by the elevators, and he might as well be asleep, for all it's holding him up. Daniel walks quietly, coming up behind August, and says, "Boo."
August doesn't even reply. He twitches when Daniel touches his shoulder, though, before he leans into it. His eyes are half-open, like his eyelids are too heavy to hold up. "Come on," he says, pressing the 'up' button. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."
"And when is the last time you slept?" Daniel asks. The elevator dings. August uses it as an opportunity to avoid Daniel's question. Daniel wants to ask again, but an old lady joins them, and he doesn't want to bicker in front of her.
She gets off on the eighth floor; Daniel's room is on the fourteenth. When the doors close, he turns to August, who is rubbing his hand over his face. "The last time you slept?" he asks.
"I slept on the plane," August says, and Daniel's been on a plane with him: August doesn't sleep as much as he closes his eyes for long minutes. "Come on, stop now."
Daniel doesn't. "Where's your room?"
August shrugs. "I didn't get my key yet." The elevator stops and the doors open before August can continue or Daniel can harass him to. He finds himself following August, like he's done many times lately. It's hard to argue with August normally, because he'll win and not even have to try. It's harder still to argue with August when he's tired, because he won't even try and wanting to push it makes Daniel feel guilty.
At the door, Daniel gets the key card out and swipes it; August half leans on him, his nose pressed against Daniel's temple. Daniel stumbles for a moment, surprised, because when August touches him, it's usually a response. Daniel isn't sure what this is supposed to be.
After a second, he presses his knuckles against August's stomach, nudging him back. "Eat before you pass out on me, okay?"
August sighs in reply, but he moves back and lazily gestures for Daniel to go on. Daniel looks around the room for the phone and when he spots it, says, "I'm going to order room service. What do you want?"
"I don't know," August replies, dropping into a chair. He presses his face against his shoulder for a moment, yawning, before he reaches down to unlace his shoes. His hands are clumsy. Daniel watches him unlace the first shoe and then reaches for the phone.
"I'm getting - ah, they probably have lobster," Daniel says. He might as well splurge. "What do you want?"
"Soup?" August says, working on the other shoe.
"I'll ask if they have any erbsensuppe," Daniel tells him, dialing for room service.
August nods in agreement and pulls his shoes off. He places them next to the chair neatly before he works on peeling his socks off. Daniel is staring. "I'm hot," August explains when he notices, and Daniel nods at him, turning away when the other end of the line is picked up.
They have lobster, and they don't have any erbssensuppe, but they have something made with squash, and Daniel says okay because he doesn't think August cares either way. They say they'll be ready in twenty; Daniel thanks them and hangs up.
When he turns back around, August is trying to undo his tie. Daniel doesn't understand why he doesn't just tug it off, but August is bleary-eyed when he looks at Daniel and Daniel doesn't think he understands why, either. Something about it makes Daniel smile. He doesn't really notice his has until August says, "This is not funny," and, "I fucking hate ties."
"Stop," Daniel says, and his smile won't let up. "Stop, come here, I'm not laughing at you, this is sad."
"Come here," August says. Daniel doesn't know if he's saying it or mocking him, but he gets off the bed anyway.
"Ah, Diehl," he says, reaching down to pull one end on the tie out. August's hands fall back down into his lap. "Think about what Eli would say if he saw you here."
"Where?" August says, and his smile is slow and sharp around the edges. "Look at you. You're the one undressing me."
Daniel pauses, and he thinks it would mean more if August weren't blinking so slowly, like most of the world is distant and out of focus. He thinks he would stop then, but it feels - easy, too easy to stop, and sometimes he doesn't want to fight August. Sometimes he wants to give in.
He shrugs, then, and hangs the tie on the arm of the chair before he touches the buttons on August's shirt. It's buttoned up to his neck, and Daniel focuses on them so he doesn't have to look up at August's face.
On the third button, August laughs a little bit, pushing Daniel's hands out of the way. "I was kidding," he says.
"I know you're kidding," Daniel replies, and moves on the the fourth button. He does it, the fifth, and the sixth, before August seems to be remember to undo his own. He's breathing slowly, and he feels incredibly warm. When Daniel chances a glance up to his face, August's eyes are mostly closed. It feels - safer.
Daniel finishes the shirt and leans back. August's eyes don't open when he realizes Daniel has stopped, but he exhales softly. He doesn't move. It feels like permission.
"Stay tonight," Daniel says.
"Yeah," August says, and keeps his eyes closed as he leans in. Daniel hesitates before he slides his hands under August's shirt and shifts closer.