Work Text:
"You haven't used it?"
Marc looked over from his desk where Nathaniel was standing. He was looking down at a pen on his bedside table, still in the fabric lined box that had housed the pen since Nathaniel wrapped it for Marc's birthday.
It was extremely fancy. It had a glossy black barrel etched with a filigree pattern. The metallic parts of the pen were made of a rainbow metal, and the clip was engraved with Marc's initials.
"Ah. It... it's too precious to use. You spent so much getting it for me." Marc slid his chair back and stood up, walking over next to Nathaniel.
"It's special, so I don't want to use it for something like homework or some scribbled notes. What if I scratch it or something?"
Marc dared top reach into the box to hold the pen, unscrewing the cap and seeing the pristine metal of the nib, without a speck of ink anywhere on it.
"But it means a lot to me, so I just look at it..."
As he spoke, he felt a bubble of anxiety building as Nathaniel's face stayed the same; confusion and disappointment.
"Marc, I bought this for you to use," he reached over to hold the barrel, spinning it around his fingers and handing it back.
"It's a pen, and other than the engraving, there's a whole bunch that are just like this one."
"... it's still special to me," Marc frowned, checking if the pen had any blemishes from the little display. Even if it was a little impressive.
"If I made you a cookie, would you just keep it by your bed and look at it?" Nathaniel nudged Marc's arm, making him flinch before nudging him back.
"Hey." He couldnt help but frown from both the teasing, and from how right his boyfriend was.
"There's going to be plenty more gifts, and probably plenty more pens. So I'd like to see what you make with this one."
Nathaniel smiled and placed his hand over Marc's, with the cool material of the gifted pen felt between their hands.
With a sudden look of inspiration, Marc returned to his desk and took a fresh piece of paper to start writing.
A spill of ink on spotless page
Finding words trapped in my head
Smears and drips set the stage
Feelings are noted
First steps above
On this path
My love
Nath