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I do need to keep the sun off, and you just can't wear a hat with curly hair.

[He smiles and quietly accepts the change of location. He certainly won't complain, when he likes to sit by the water, and has no thought for being dragged around by Dorian anymore.]

[Only when Dorian has Judas settled beside him does he pry at the agreed upon question. He doesn't touch the obvious one.] So? What is it they wrote that I'll find so amusing?

[After loosening his tie, Judas unbuttons the first few of his shirt to pull the collar aside. He gathers up the hair that falls about his neck and holds it up so the ring of words isn't blocked.]

I mean, I was kind of upset at first, but it's actually pretty funny now that I think about it.

[Dorian stares at it a moment before he works out the meaning. It isn't exactly from an area of culture where he tends to hang out.]

Well.

It is fair.

[Sure enough, a smile is winning its way out as, the more Dorian thinks about it, the funnier it gets.]

See? That's exactly how I felt. A little confused, pretty offended, but then... [He laughs, shaking his head.] Well it's true, and they even did it like a noose, that's real attention to detail! What about you, what did you get?

[Dorian half-smiles, and he holds up his hands. They're perfect, of course, but he explains himself.] Across the lifelines. 'Lonely boy' on the right, 'like all the others' on the left. And—[A pause, and he points to his forehead.] 'Guilty.'

They were things my—my childhood friend said to me, before I stopped him. I understand the point he was making, and so I understand the point our hosts were trying to make. Of course, I would reply that it's their own doing that I don't take care of the problem, so there were are: absolutely worthless commentary, at the end of it all. Thus I got rid of it.

They do seem to mostly be reminders of things we already know.

[He shrugs. Though the indication of the forehead makes him feel guilty for trying to pass his off as nothing. It's not as if it's a secret. But he doesn't like this reminder, or having someone else force it on him. What do they know about the state of his forgiveness!!]

You're still a show-off.

[This smile that flickers onto Dorian's lips is more affectionate.] Jealousy is an ugly trait, my dear traitor.

And yet I remain jealous you don't need to worry about the consequences of cutting or burning off the writing. I look like enough of a mess when you strangle me.

[He touches a finger to the hollow of Judas's throat, all arrogance in his presumption of possession.] You look like a very attractive mess when I strangle you, as it happens. At least in my eyes you do.

But that is the point of the portrait. My actions don't have consequences for me. That's why I almost kept the writing on me. It has been a very long time since anything has left a mark.

Your perception is a bit skewed. [He raises an eyebrow to Dorian.]

Maybe they'll give you something less patronising next time and you can finally have the scar tissue you've always wanted.

Don't be unfair. [He wraps around Judas and pulls him in so he can kiss his shoulder.] I'll give you the acid. You can burn the skin until the writing is illegible, and then you can go in to Dr Banner and have him fix it up.

[With a small laugh, Judas wraps an arm around Dorian in return and kisses his jaw. He will be unfair. And he will laugh about it.]

Ah, well, being a doctor, I'm sure he doesn't have a problem with hearing of suicide, so it doesn't really matter. And I'm pretty sure I made a few jokes in poor taste about that kind of thing the first time I met him. At least, I assume so, why wouldn't I.

[OTHER WRITING ??? NOPE NONE]

I know that wouldn't trouble him. [Dorian glances at Judas. His eyes flicker up to his forehead, then back down to meet his gaze.] But I prefer your old hairstyle.

[Oh. Judas chews his lip to fill the silence put on by his pause.]

Yeah it's kind of dumb like this, I definitely don't plan to keep it. I'll brush it into place once I see the doctor. ...Sorry, you were honest with me.

Yeah, well, you are sweet when you're distraught over lies of omission. [He touches Judas's cheek to guide him for a kiss.] You don't owe anyone your secrets, you fool.

I'm not distraught - or sweet for that matter but that's beside the point - and it's not any secret, not from you anyway. I just don't agree with it and don't want to think about it, or give anyone who would see the wrong impression.

[He can't actually quite put his finger on why it bothers him so much to be marked as 'forgiven', it just does, because he can't accept it. It brings him more shame than anything else they could have written, but it would seem positive to any onlooker. Maybe that's part of the shame. But the kiss comforts, and keeping it from Dorian just feels worse. So he pushes his hair aside for a moment to give the truth without having to say it.]

[Instead of looking, Dorian shuts his eyes and pulls away. For good measure, he puts a hand over his eyes.] I told you, you don't have to show me. You're very easy to pressure, do you know that? Sometimes I wonder if I don't manipulate you without realizing it. I only want to see if you want me to—if it would give you something.

[Judas bristles and huffs, offended by each (true) point.]

I am not! I'm only swayed if I've already considered something! Don't turn away, just look so I can quit thinking about it!

I won't until you tell me how it's good for me to see it!

[a five year old attempts to be ethically sound]

I already said! I won't have to think about it anymore! If you've seen then I don't have to keep worrying about trying to hide it!

Fine, I'll look! [Dorian drops his hands and opens his eyes and—

—really?

Obviously, he starts laughing.]

Don't laugh!! I told you it wasn't some kind of secret, stop that!

[How dare you, Dorian. Traitor.]

I'm not laughing! [he said, laughing] It's just funny.

You are laughing! Thinking it's funny might as well be the same thing anyway, what's so funny about it?!

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