[Csevet can sense Maia's discomfort and self-consciousness, and finds that all he can do to ease it is to continue to be quiet and allow him to gather his thoughts before putting them to words. For a moment, Csevet stops looking at Maia's face, to give him a break from being the subject of someone else's gaze, to give him the privacy he always, understandably, seems to long for. But his eyes settle instead on Maia's strong hands against the railing of the balcony, without any of his usual rings besides his signet, at the way his tendon and muscle move under his slate grey skin.
Maia's admission about Min Vechin comes as no surprise - at the start of his reign, Maia had had very little capacity to hide his crush on the opera singer, and Csevet cannot deny that she was beautiful, still is.
The second admission, however, comes as a bit more of a surprise. Csevet's head turns abruptly so his eyes lock on Maia's face, his ears lifting, eyes widening just a little. The truth is that Csevet had expected Maia to have only the normal inclinations, to be attracted to women. But to hear that Maia had been attracted to Nurevis, even if he'd only admitted to an emotional or mental attraction, is a little startling. Csevet feels something twist in his gut - hope, and it hurts more than anything else, because he knows that he shouldn't, that it would be impossible and improper and not even something he should be thinking about, let alone hoping for. But Maia's simple admission of attraction to a man...he can't stop it from affecting him, just for a moment.
It is Csevet's turn to fold his hands together to keep himself from fidgeting.]
If it is not too impertinent to ask...was your interest in Osmer Chavar...purely out of enjoyment of time spent together or was there some...physical attraction?
[Csevet is not usually one to be hesitant, to speak without eloquence, but he finds it completely impossible not to be so, when asking a question like that.]
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Maia's admission about Min Vechin comes as no surprise - at the start of his reign, Maia had had very little capacity to hide his crush on the opera singer, and Csevet cannot deny that she was beautiful, still is.
The second admission, however, comes as a bit more of a surprise. Csevet's head turns abruptly so his eyes lock on Maia's face, his ears lifting, eyes widening just a little. The truth is that Csevet had expected Maia to have only the normal inclinations, to be attracted to women. But to hear that Maia had been attracted to Nurevis, even if he'd only admitted to an emotional or mental attraction, is a little startling. Csevet feels something twist in his gut - hope, and it hurts more than anything else, because he knows that he shouldn't, that it would be impossible and improper and not even something he should be thinking about, let alone hoping for. But Maia's simple admission of attraction to a man...he can't stop it from affecting him, just for a moment.
It is Csevet's turn to fold his hands together to keep himself from fidgeting.]
If it is not too impertinent to ask...was your interest in Osmer Chavar...purely out of enjoyment of time spent together or was there some...physical attraction?
[Csevet is not usually one to be hesitant, to speak without eloquence, but he finds it completely impossible not to be so, when asking a question like that.]