• Closed • Cold Like The Sea

[Carver]

17th Break, 18 Cylus, Arc 720

“Can I?”

Carver happily followed the touch at his waist, then the guidance to sit into his husband’s lap. He scoffed, though, with a roll of his eyes. He dragged deep of his smoke but relaxed in the posture while Laures pulled his sweater to land a kiss directly. His skin was still soft, and that was because he did take care of it. In case he still needed to be Antoni for some reason, that was his reasoning and the explanation he gave Laures. Certainly, Carver hadn’t started to enjoy the nightly routine of lotion and similar care to his skin. Though why he needed to care for the parts of him that would go unseen by family members, Carver didn’t acknowledge that. He didn’t think Laures minded, anyway.

One hand busy with the cigarette, the other with the mug; Carver took a swift drink of the spiked cider then set it aside. He wrapped his arm around Laures’ neck, to rest his weight a bit more comfortably and get close enough to land a quick kiss to the other’s brow. Familiar with the subtle motions of his lover, though, he moved forward while Laures leaned back and even tilted his head as if expecting the wandering hands that reached for his wavy blond hair. He looked at the notes on the table, then glanced at Squeak who’d taken to nibbling at the various nuts.

He hummed behind his cigarette. The fingers that rubbed his scalp felt nice, and the kiss against his neck felt even better. Carver’s hips swayed in a gentle grind against the other man’s lap. Glancing over his shoulder, his dark eyes searched to find blue. He smiled slightly, when Laures hugged him close again, and he nodded.

“Of course,” he agreed. “Didn’t I already tell you? Whatever you need, love. Cut it, dye it, whatever you want to practice.”

He gathered some of his notes, then moved slightly so he could wrap his arm around the other man’s shoulders again. Carver felt a twist in his spine, and waist, and he exhaled into it with his tobacco-laced breath. He kissed the Laures’ sweet-tasting lips. Though he had agreed, though he had a dwindling cigarette in one hand, though they had the mugs on the table and an aye-aye watching with big round eyes, though he had notes to go over and finish…

…though everything, Carver turned a bit more to try and deepen the kiss. He forgot about the cigarette, and about the mugs, and even the little aye-aye mouse. The younger blond searched to look into the other’s blue eyes, but eventually allowed his eyes to shut behind the kiss for a moment of contentment. Carver wouldn’t get up from his spot, not without Laures’ guidance.

[Lars]

17th Break, Cylus 18, Arc 720

So easily did Carver redirect his attention, with nothing but the slightest of sways where he sat. Laures did not allow himself to react as he might have wanted to, instead slipping his arms back around the other man’s waist and hugging him closely, as if that (along with the request for confirmation) would distract him from the physicality of the situation he’d created. He supposed the blame was not entirely on his lovely husband, either. As easily as Carver could distract him, Laures allowed himself to be distracted, and indulged, and provided for in every possible way. It was not a conscious thing so much as an instinctual one - he wanted everything, all of the time, and he did not want to have to ask for it.

Laures nodded slowly, cheek moving against the other man’s back as he did. Despite everything, he could have fallen asleep right there, with Carver in his lap. It was warm and close, with just the slightest amount of discomfort, and there were few things that could have made it any better. His mouth opened again in another quiet yawn, and the older blond seemed as if he might have been content to remain right where he was, while Carver gathered and dealt with his notes. His moment of rest did not last long, however, as he felt the younger begin to twist, turning to put an arm around his shoulders. Laures straightened up to better accommodate the shift, and gave a little smile, staring up at his lover with a sleepy, affectionate look.

He breathed in the scent of Carver’s darker tobacco blend, and leaned in for a kiss at the same time as the younger. His lips were so soft… and so mistreated, and Laures tried to keep his eyes open, but the shadowed blues fluttered shut as he, too, angled his head to deepen the kiss. The hands at Carver’s waist slipped to rest at the small of his back, pressing lightly to encourage the curve towards him. His scarred fingers kneaded absentmindedly at the spot, grabbing gently at the other man’s sweater and pulling him ever closer. Still not entirely satisfied with this, though, one of his hands moved down to pull at Carver’s leg closest to him. More precisely, he pulled at the knee, until it bent and was pulled carefully to the other side so that his lover could face him properly.

His hands returned to their spot at his back, and Laures pulled him closer again, pushing his own hips upward simultaneously. Lips parted and wanting, he continued their kiss, homework and notes forgotten -

- until he felt something burn his arm.

“Ow! - wh -” Laures pulled away from his lover’s soft lips with obvious reluctance, even after the tiny jolt that’d went through him when he first felt the offending flame. Even Squeak moved away, darting back to partially hide himself behind the little bowl. Quick inspection revealed that it was only the embers from Carver’s dwindling (or, dwindled, at this point) cigarette, and Laures’ confusion was immediately translated into a laugh, lighthearted and soft.

Arm having been pulled away from the younger, he shook it to the side, just to ensure nothing potentially harmful lingered on his skin. “Well. I suppose we should get to it, then?”

Laures smiled as he looked back to his lover, and it was downright wicked, for how innocent his words had been. With one arm still wrapped about Carver’s waist, his free hand reached for his mug, and he downed a fair amount of the spiked cider before setting it down again. The little aye-aye had moved back around the bowl and returned to his search through its contents, and Laures gave the top of his head a little pet before returning his attention to the matter at hand.

Which was… practice, of course. He supposed he should have been thankful for the stray embers, for distracting him again from his previous distractions, though he could not find it in himself to be completely pleased. Whether Carver had moved away already, or he had to assist him in removing himself, Laures stood up soon after and shoved all of his things back into his bag.

“Would you get your hair wet, please?” requested the older blond, and he grabbed both of their mugs next, “then meet me by the fire.”

Laures turned around then, bag slung over his shoulder and half-emptied ceramic mugs in his hands. To the living room, to the hearth - he set both cups to the side for a moment, and pulled the little rug closer to the fire. He seated himself there then, and opened up his bag, taking things out and yawning again as he did so. So tired… he had been struggling to sleep again, and the blond had never functioned well on little sleep. Still, he had a certain confidence in his newly acquired abilities (or rather, in his ability to go slow enough not to ruin things too terribly), and he had no doubts that he could do this, make dinner, and then settle into bed comfortably when all was said and done.

So long as Carver followed him into the room, he shifted to sit with his legs spread wide, and said, “sit in front of me? I’ll try not to get anything on your notes.”

[Carver]

18th Break, 18 Cylus, Arc 720

Was it a distraction? To focus so completely on the only thing that mattered in the entire universe. Carver kissed Laures, and their eyes shut as their mouths opened, and he tasted of his lover’s warm saliva in a rough caress of his tongue. Hands pressed him closer, Carver followed the guidance. He moved to accommodate, not a single resistance to the older blond’s pulls against him. However, Laures wanted him, whatever his soulmate desired, he would want too (regardless of reason). He offered a quiet moan when Laures pressed his hips up against him. This was why he preferred to study at home rather than the library. This was also why he was already trials behind in his assigned work and didn’t understand more than half of what the professors talked about in lectures.

“Ow! – wh-”

Eyes flew open. Confusion, at first, then worry in those dark eyes before he realized what had caused the unusually loud exclamation from his demure sweetheart. He realized it was his cigarette – or more, what was left of it. Quickly moving it aside to snub it out on the table, he didn’t join the laugh. Concerned about the possible burn, he tried to grab onto the limb so he could look.

“Get to it?” he repeated with slight surprise at how unusually frank the statement was. Laures so often phrased things in romantic tones, that it seemed- seemed… he saw the wicked smile, then. His heart skipped a couple beats. Carver’s face warmed in blush. Of course, it was a joke. Wasn’t it? Carver rolled his eyes, having gotten fooled due to his concern. He didn’t move away though, not yet. Hands free, he ran his fingers over the other’s sweater and then under the hem to touch at the skin, to return to their mutual distraction and-

-he audibly exhaled when Laures moved to get up. Carver slid off the other man’s lap. He leaned against the table’s edge and glanced aside with his obvious reluctance. Fingertips slid across the table and he gathered one of the newly rolled cigarettes. An eyebrow rose askew when he heard the request. While the older blond picked up the mugs, he started his new cigarette with the candle. Quick puffs of fresh smoke, he shrugged and responded, “Wet, sure. I’ll be there soon.”

He almost sent a hand to tap at Laures’ rear while the older blond left, but he restrained the impulse. Carver was trying to get better at restraining himself, when it came to such things, ever since their first night in Scalvoris Town. Not that he was very good at it, but that just meant he had to practice more. He eyed Laures’ silhouette while the other man left. Instead of gnawing at his bruised lower lip, he inhaled a lungful of blended tobacco smoke. Gods, how he loved that man.

Carver waited for a few trills, then he left the table as well. He glanced at the basin in the kitchen but decided on the one in the bedroom. Once he returned the bowl of nuts back to the drawer, and coaxed the aye-aye mouse into his hand, he headed across the hall and into the cozy room. The aye-aye, with his collected little hoard of nuts kept in his paddies, settled into a small plush box to nap. Carver checked the scratches on his ankles, then went to the washbasin to rinse his hair.

Back to the kitchen, within a few bits (and with the bedroom door left open for Squeak, if needed), he collected his notes from the table and snubbed out his already-finished second cigarette. Did he dare for a third? Or was it a fourth? Regardless, he picked up the cigarette case and brought it along with his study materials.

Though he’d tried to slick his wet hair back, already a few wavy blond strands had escaped to hang limply around his face. Droplets of water fell onto his bare skin, for he’d discarded his sweater and shirt in the bedroom. In fact, he only wore a pair of cotton lounge pants that hung loosely at his hips and the cuffs were rolled up to above his knees.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to take so long,” he mentioned when he finally reached the lounge room. It’d been several bits. He followed the instruction and sat in front of Laures, with his notes and a book in his lap. Carver watched the flames flicker in the hearth, while he tapped at the book. He looked down and tried to read it but quickly found himself bored. He lifted his gaze to look at Laures and smiled in a casual flash of teeth. “I was thinking… maybe one of us should join the Elements? I looked into some, and similar to the academy, they seem open to those who wish to sign up. It could be useful, to keep track on how they operate from within.”

[Lars]

18th Break, Cylus 18, Arc 720

It took longer than he would have expected for his husband to join him at the hearth… but the little wait did not dissuade him, nor did it bother the older blond beyond the general disappointment that his lover was not in the room - and that applied to all situations regardless of wait. Laures sipped at his cider while he waited, looking over the notes and various items he had already taken out of his bag. He leaned back, propping himself up on one elbow and taking the time to appreciate the calm moment. With the fire crackling nearby, radiating such deliciously inviting warmth, it felt perfect. A few things could have made it better of course, as applied to most things, but the biggest one of all would be with him soon enough.

And sure enough, after a handful of bits spent sipping his cider and listening to the various ambient noises around him, Carver walked into the room. Laures lifted his head, and could not help but smile at the mere sight of him. He sat up straight, setting his mostly-empty mug to the side as the other man joined him on the floor. The apology was unnecessary, and therefore ignored, and he watched Carver in silence for another few moments. Obvious in his admiration of the other’s form, his cheeks were lightly dusted pink, though it seemed as if they had been that way before Carver had ever entered the room. His presence only made the coloration truly warranted, Laures thought - yet it had taken only the thought of him to warm the older blond’s face as he had waited.

Only when Carver lifted his gaze was he stirred from whatever thoughts had distracted him so. Laures had remained where he was in that time, frozen to near stillness as he observed, but he reminded himself that there were things to do. Practice to be… practiced, hair to be worked on, lips to kiss, a body to touch - no. No, he should tell his husband to put a shirt back on, to let him stay focused. But he could not bring himself to ask. He did not want to.

Laures seemed almost surprised, at first, to have been spoken to. Eyebrows raised, parted lips quickly shut; he cleared his throat as he went back through Carver’s words to process them. A furrowing of his brow, then, as the suggestion registered, but he did not look displeased.

“The Elements?” he repeated, finally forcing himself to move. He rocked forward onto his hands and knees, and then moved around to sit behind Carver and settle himself down again there. Legs stretched out on either side of his husband, Laures scooted closer until he was almost touching the other man’s back - but not quite. He did lean forward for a quick, playful lick to his bare shoulder, catching a little water droplet that’d fallen from his hair. He kissed the spot and then told himself, again, not to allow such distractions - so he hummed in consideration, glancing to the side to look through some of his notes.

After flipping through and finding the page he wanted, Laures offered, “if you think that would be a good idea, then sure. You don’t think it would be too dangerous? Too… close?”

He did not doubt Carver’s judgement, of course. The inquiries were genuine, and whatever the other offered in response, Laures would take it as the truth. Shadowed gaze returning to the back of his lover’s head, he ran his fingers through the wet strands, combing through to rid it of any knots and allowing it to lie smoother over his scalp. He could not help but scratch his nails lightly over it as well, so accustomed to massaging through his husband’s blond hair was he, and he gave another kiss to his other shoulder.

“I’m going to try to cut it,” mentioned Laures, a little quieter, “so try not to move too much, if you can help it. And - uh, look down? I... think that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

Faintly, he could recall hearing something of the sort… but more vividly could he remember what he had been thinking about instead, during that particular lecture. He supposed he should have paid more attention, but he was certain that he had heard enough to do something.

So long as Carver complied, he combed his fingers through the other’s hair again, and carefully began the process at the base of his neck. While he slowly snipped away (and thought about how all the hair would surely stick to his clothes), he continued, “they’re like the… officers? Enforcers? Something like that, right? Were you thinking of joining them yourself, or did you want me to?”

They both could, he supposed, but if they were only doing it for information rather than the coin, Laures thought it did not matter as much. Although… he did not like the idea of being away from Carver.

“Or - whatever you wanted. I can do anything you’d like me to, love, whether that’s staying here or working for something like the Elements. As long as I still get to see you.”

[Carver]

18th Break, 18 Cylus, Arc 720

As much as Laures showed obvious in his survey of Carver’s new body, so did Carver show obvious in a momentary reluctance. Though he remained mostly quiet about it, he still hadn’t gotten completely used to his new form. It was different, in many ways, from his previous figure. The bones, most specifically, felt different to him and the musculature had varying definition. Rather than lean arms with strong muscles trained from lifting, pulling, hoisting, etc. – he now had subtly muscled limbs that seemed familiar with the bare minimum of natural tone. His waist, too, was different. Though it was cared for (as Antoni clearly preferred what Carver had started to realize could be considered a healthy lifestyle), it wasn’t as slim as his previous waist despite his height being taller by a few inches. In the place where they came from, while he’d been stronger built than his lover’s body, he had been far leaner than he was now. Humans were stocky in his view, and his acquired human body didn’t change that view.

Along with everything else he’d been trying (such as not smoking), Carver also tried to become familiar with his new form. Laures’ attention helped, at times, but there were a few moments where he felt awkward about it. Yet he did his best to ignore it because he knew Laures dealt with similar (given the scars and rougher complexion). It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with Antoni’s body, it was simply that it wasn’t what Carver had grown up with.

In the quiet moments where everything else was right and safe, he felt the oddity and awe of existing – alive – in a body that had never been his own until now. Sometimes, when he’d lay awake (unable to stay asleep longer than a handful of bits) beside Laures in their bed, he thought about his own discarded body and how he missed it in a way he would have never predicted. How he’d mistreated it, too. If he ever got it back, Carver didn’t think he’d be so cruel to his born body again. He’d treat it well, even when anger swelled up inside him and frustration overwhelmed, and he just wanted to feel the pain of something thudding against his knuckles until the frustration went away. As much as he planned to toughen his new body up, Carver tried to remind himself that he did not want to push too much – or so hard that it might break entirely. Breaking oneself only resulted in strength if it was something he could heal from. Though his newfound magic made that prospect a bit different than it would've otherwise been.

He smiled at Laures while he took a seat in front of the older man. His momentary awkwardness was obvious in the way that the corner of his lips twitched with the slight forced expression. It faded once he tried to start studying again, only to get quickly distracted by his thoughts. He shared the idea that’d been kicking around for a while in his head, while bored in the lectures and trying to avoid smoking cigarettes.

One foot tucked under his extended leg, Carver closed his textbook and nodded in confirmation that he’d said The Elements. He ran a hand gingerly over Laures’ leg near his. When he felt the kiss to his shoulder, a sincere smile easily graced him this time. In consideration of Laures’ reply, he hummed and opened the book again. He ran his fingertips over a flecked ink stain that had dried pale enough to read through.

“It might be dangerous,” he admitted. “But if we want to stay here, it might be necessary or something like it. We need to find out how they conduct searches and handle criminals. There are the bounties on the board, but so much of the harder stuff seems directed to the Elements eventually. ”

Head moved forward, Laures’ attention to his scalp felt nice and the kiss and the explanation reminded him that he was helping Laures practice coursework. Carver had almost forgotten, relaxed in the company of his newlywed husband. He hummed and looked down at the book in his lap. The first snip of the scissors surprised him, but he said nothing of it and focused on remaining motionless.

“Yes, officers or something like that,” he agreed and tried to resist an instinctual nod. “I- I don’t know, I hadn’t gotten that far into a plan yet. Something I’ve been thinking about, though... I thought maybe we could kidnap one and make them tell us, but that seems as dangerous as joining ourselves. And if we join, yes, our faces – one or both – might be known but… do you recall ever hearing about an officer taken in by other officers for a crime? I don’t. It could be the same here and they don’t just arrest each other?”

“Maybe we’d get some sort of… forgiveness? I don't know, maybe not,” said Carver. From the tone of his voice, it was clear he was uncertain about the idea. “Things seem different here, not only – everything, but also the laws. So many laws, Laures. I found a book in the library, the other trial, and it had all these passages about slavery and executions and so on. But what if there is a way to make us… not criminals, and keep doing what we want?”

Forgetting to hold still, Carver shrugged. He flipped a page of his book, and audibly exhaled in a heavy sigh. “I don’t know, maybe there’s a better way to go about it. Or… I mean, you still want to… right? We have the basement now, so we could start planting a garden down there, together?”

[Lars]

18th Break, Cylus 18, Arc 720

Although he might have wanted to disagree on the matter of it being necessary, Laures found quite quickly that he was unable to disprove it. Even if he had the energy (or the will) to argue it, he already knew that if Carver wanted one - or both - of them to join the Elements, it was as good as done. He had not refused him anything thus far (and when he had tried, he had quickly deteriorated from the stress of it), and he did not have the desire to start now. Carver leaned his head forward as requested, and the older got to work, holding dampened blond strands between his fingers as he began slowly snipping at the ends. Careful not to cut too much at a time, he fared well enough in his multitasking, listening to Carver’s continued explanations while he cut his hair.

Quiet in his contemplation, the only sound Laures made was the little snip every few trills as he tended to the back of Carver’s hair. Admittedly, it was difficult not to set his things to the side and just pull the other man closer again. He was sitting just far back enough that they were not pressed against one another, but that fact could be so easily changed by either of them if only they allowed it. And oh, he wanted to allow it. He wanted to slip his arms around Carver’s waist again and hold him there until the next time they had to leave the house; he wanted to enjoy and appreciate his time spent with him as much as he could, and part of that included breaks spent in the stillness. Breaks spent holding each other without a single care for the rest of the world. The fire was so warm, and lovely, and Carver so soft and smooth. He could run his calloused fingertips over the newly-acquired and well-cared-for body for trials; he could trace maps in the lines of his soft hands and never get lost.

“Oh…” and something seemed to click into place, “yeah, of course. Kidnapping one of them seems riskier than joining them, at least until we know how they work.”

After all, it would not do them any good if they kidnapped an Element just to have them… teleport away, or whatever it was that the eccentric scholar had said before. Similarly, it would be just as pointless to start with the kidnapping when they could just save it for later. If something went wrong in the process, and they were unable to join this world’s curious form of law enforcement, then they would at least know more about it (and more about the people it consisted of) before they resorted to more drastic methods. Certainly it would be necessary at that point.

As for whether or not he had seen officers arresting each other for their crimes… Laures could admit that he did not know. If he had seen it before, he could not remember it, but the same applied to most things, as of late. He was certain that he had not seen anything of the sort occur since they had arrived here, however, and he supposed that Carver had a good point. Even if there was nothing to it, and the Elements watched each other as closely as they watched everyone else, then they would at least know what to expect. What to look out for, what to improve so that they would not need to worry about being watched.

Cutting temporarily paused, Laures ran his fingers through the hair at the base of Carver’s neck, shaking out whatever remained of the pieces he’d already cut. While he had not trimmed the length too dramatically, there was already a clear difference in the very back. Unable to help himself, he gently guided his lover’s head to the side, and leaned closer to kiss the soft skin behind his ear. He did not linger long, and let go of him as he mentioned laws and books and slavery and executions.

Executions… Laures did not like the sound of that. Didn’t like the sound of any of that, really, but he had already managed to escape such a fate in their previous world, and did not like the idea of having to do the same here. With a subtle frown curving at the corners of his lips, he guided Carver’s head back down slightly and returned to his practice.

“No, I think it’s a good idea,” he insisted, “we would have to be very careful, but… that’s already the case. I had not even thought about joining them, but it would be a good move, I think.”

The back of his neck was brushed off again as he quickly finished with it, and then the older blond was moving, shifting around to sit at Carver’s side and face him. A kiss was pressed to his cheek, but then Laures was focused again, inspecting his hair from the side and… trying to remember how he was supposed to cut it, quite possibly. It was not long before he was back at it, movements as careful and slow as before.

Suppressing yet another yawn (gods, he was fucking tired when he was comfortable), he continued, “and… of course I do. That hasn’t changed just because of… all of this.”

All of it being the house, the schoolwork, the pets, the… everything. The easy, comfortable domesticity. Laures loved it all, and had wished for such things for so long, even when he had not allowed himself to dwell on such fantasies. They were simply unachievable to him, so why bother trying? Why bother thinking about any of it at all? Yet, Carver had provided it for him. He was grateful beyond words, beyond measure; he seemed to thrive, too, in the environment. But underneath it all, under the layers and layers of comfy blankets and smiles and intimate moments, his desire to see the rest of the world destroyed had not been sated. It was the two of them against anything and everything else, and the utter chaos left in their path only made their union all the sweeter. Most of life was disgusting, he thought, if you looked real close… almost all of it. It only heightened his blissful observations of the other: the one truly beautiful thing amidst it all.

“We can grow our garden until it overtakes everything but our bed, if we want to. This is still what I want, Carver. Not to mention how much I enjoy seeing you get your hands dirty.”

With real, genuine dirt from the garden, of course. Certainly not anything else. An empty hand was raised to wipe away any errant hairs that might have fallen over Carver’s cheek. His thumb moved, then, to lightly trace his jaw.

“I bet we could make some coin, too, while we’re at it. Maybe we can be the best Elements there are,” though it was intended as a joke, with the playful nature of his smile, he supposed that it was not an impossibility. He did not know the Elements, he hardly knew anything about the Elements. They could have been entirely incompetent, for all he knew.

“So… if it’s something you think we should do, then let’s try it. Let’s be Elements.”

Laures paused again, remaining at Carver’s side but allowing his hands a break from the repeated, precise motions. He reached towards his mostly-emptied mug, but after finding it a little too far, he moved to stretch across Carver and grab it. The extension of his arm lifted the hem of his shirt, pulling it up to expose part of his midriff - and still, the cup remained out of his reach. With a quiet huff, he set his hand down on the rug, holding himself a little more comfortably, but still almost draped over the other man’s leg. He could just crawl over him to get it… or more reasonably, go around him, or wait. But he wanted it now.

“Would you hand me that, please?”

[Carver]

19th Break, 18 Cylus, Arc 720

Golden blond hair fell away in little strands that stuck to his damp pale skin. So close to the hearth, though, red coloration gathered from the warmth on his hands and forearms, his shoulders and chest, and his on the higher planes of his face. As soon as Laures agreed with the thought that joining the Elements was likely a better strategy than kidnapping a lone Element, Carver started to consider what he had to do next. Restless as always, he wondered if the headquarters of the law enforcement were open in the evenings or if he should visit in the morning. He had classes in the morning, but Carver didn’t necessarily want to attend them. Though, if he understood the material more, about what the professors spoke about, maybe he wouldn’t feel so disinterested. He fidgeted with the corner of his textbook, scratched his nail on the cover, and thought about tomorrow morning.

Slightly delayed, he leaned his head to the side when Laures guided him to do so. The kiss felt like a little reminder of the present moment, rather than getting lost in future planning. Head guided back down, he glanced over the diagrams on the textbook pages. A slight smile lingered on his lips when Laures insisted that the idea was a good move. Carver felt a little more certain about it, then. He visibly shivered when the hairs got brushed off the back of his neck, though he played it up some. His smile brightened when Laures moved to sit beside him. He leaned toward the kiss to his cheek and wanted to catch it for another kiss on the lips but stayed where he was since Laures still had the scissors and seemed to be looking at his hair.

Carver hummed when Laures confirmed he still wanted to plant a garden in the basement. He flipped a page of the book, then ran his fingertips over a sketched diagram of a pulley system.

“We can grow our garden until it overtakes everything but our bed…”

Unable to keep motionless, he slowly turned his head to look at his lover. He bit at his lower lip, a gentle press of his teeth against the bruised flesh. His eyes, always dark with dilated pupils now, widened and he turned his gaze forward again when Laures traced his jaw. He lifted his head in a straight-backed posture. Laures’ jest about the Elements conjured an easy laugh from Carver, neither barked nor scoffed, but a pure sound of gentle laughter.

“True, it is a proper type of job, ain’t it?” mused Carver aloud. “Never thought about it before, they’d never let me be an officer back in the city though.”

As Laures stretched across from him, to reach the mug, he surveyed the older blond’s body. He landed a hand on the exposed midriff, the moment that the skin bared itself to his sight. Caressing along the shape, he glanced at the mug. Carver picked it up with a simple grab, but he didn’t hand it over. In fact, he said, “This? You want this?”

The younger blond grinned. He held the mug out of reach and tilted it to look at what spiked tea was left. Swiftly, he embraced Laures’ waist and held him close to keep him from recovering the mug. Regardless if the other tried to grab it, or simply gave up, Carver finished the drink himself with a swig. He let go of the empty mug. It clattered to the floor, handle almost breaking from the impact as a crack went through it.

Carver moved forward. The book fell, with his notes, off his lap. He firmly grabbed Laures’ jaw, to force the other man’s lips to part, as he landed an open kiss. The liquored tea flooded from his mouth into Laures’ mouth. Kiss deepened, he continued to move without care of the various notes, of the other mug nearby that still had liquid in it, or that only part of his hair had gotten cut. He aimed to flip his sweetheart over so that he could be on top instead, so that he could caress and luxuriate in the pleasures of each other… but Carver got distracted while he danced his fingers underneath the pesky shirt. He tapped his fingertips down and up, down and up, along Laures’ ribs in ruthless tickling.

[Lars]

19th Break, Cylus 18, Arc 720

A soft hand found Laures’ exposed skin, and the touch sent a little shiver through him. It did not shake him from his quest, and he reached again for his mug before requesting his lover’s help. Carver was in a better spot to reach for it, and he supposed he could have just asked him before, and not dealt with it himself at all… but where was the fun in that? He was fully capable of doing things for himself, he thought. So he tried to grab it himself. But, as was rather commonplace for the older blond, he failed on his own, and sought his dear soulmate’s assistance.

Carver retrieved the mug, and Laures held out a hand in expectation for it to be handed over. Rather than let it go easily, though, the younger blond held his captured cup out of reach, and Laures gave another quiet huff at the little question. He reached out towards it in some attempt to take it - or, he started to, but he was held by an arm that wrapped around his uncovered waist. “Hey!” he gasped, and a smile overtook his face despite the exclamation.

That was his drink. Carver had his own, in the cup just a little farther away from them, but the damned cup-thief knew that, of course. Laures was powerless (or perhaps simply unwilling) to escape his lover’s one-armed hold, and he watched in mock horror as the rest of his cider was poured into Carver’s mouth. He wiggled against his hold, but still made no real attempt to move out of it, even when the emptied mug was dropped so carelessly to the floor. Cracked and nearly broken apart, he thought to reach out and set the poor dish aside, but he was moved again before he could.

Another sound escaped him, soft and surprised, as his husband moved forward without care for the items strewn over his lap. The older had enough sense to lean away from the other (less empty) cup as Carver’s fingers found his jaw, but that was about all he could do before he was distracted entirely. Warm fingertips pulled open his mouth and brought him into a kiss. Despite being forced a little off balance, Laures met the connection eagerly, pushing into the open-mouthed kiss as he sucked in a small breath. He easily allowed himself to be moved all the while, tasting liquor and cider and smoke, and laid back with his arms above his head.

Hands slipped beneath the thin fabric of his shirt, sending another little shiver across his scarred, ivory skin. His legs were drawn up at the knees, not-so-sneakily pulling Carver between them, and the corners of his mouth were curved slightly upward as he felt the other man’s fingertips dart across his ribs…

...and an involuntary laugh was dragged from Laures as the little motions did not cease, but continued their dance up and down the prominent bones. Quickly did his laughter devolve into a more characteristic (although typically murder-adjacent) giggle, and his spine arched beneath him as if it thought to pull away from the sudden onslaught of tapping fingers. His hair caught beneath his head on the floor, and his arms were brought down, hands swatting playfully - although quite insistently - at Carver’s.

He could have sworn he was not ticklish - but then, he supposed he had not tested that in his new body. Certainly, his old form would not have been nearly as affected by the touch; whether he had simply become too accustomed to the feeling of hands against his skin, or it had never done anything at all, he was not sure.

Careful not to grip too hard, Laures grabbed onto Carver’s hands to stop them. He attempted to catch his breath while he kept a firm hold on the offending fingers, an almost bashful smile on his reddened face. Had Iver grown so flustered so easily, or had he been used to it all? He was not sure how old the man had been, but surely, he had spent time enough in his own body to handle things with a bit more grace than he currently could.

“That’s evil,” insisted Laures, gazing up at his newlywed husband with clear amusement, “you take my drink and then you tickle me?”

He had gotten his drink back, in the end, and in a way he much preferred, but still. A low hum sounded from the back of his throat, and blue eyes narrowed, darkened in mirrored (and far less permanent) dilation. Laures lifted his head to land another kiss to Carver’s lips, short and sweet, before loosening his hold on his hands. He guided them to rest in the space between his ribs, as if his expanding lungs might steal the warmth from his soft fingers from within, and he pressed his knees against Carver on either side to keep him there.

Lifting his own hands to touch the younger’s arms and caress lightly over them, he mused, “we’re not very good at studying, are we?”

His fingers slowly walked upward over his forearms, and his biceps, all the way across his shoulders until they met at the dip between his collarbones.

“It’s hard to focus on anything else when you’re around, though. None of it matters. Not even that half-finished, fucked haircut I’ve given you.”

Another laugh escaped him then, considerably softer. It was not a terrible cut, in truth, but Laures certainly hoped that Carver would at least allow him to finish it before the trial was over. The unevenness hardly detracted from his lover’s appearance, but he knew that it was there, and it would bother him if he did not fix it before the end of the night.

“I’ll fix it later,” he decided, “kiss me more, please.”

[Doran]

Laures:

Knowledge:
Cosmetology x6
Discipline x4
Running x4

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: very minor cigarette burn.
Renown: +5 (for being used as a test subject by other students)
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

Carver:

Knowledge:
Endurance x1
Seduction x2
Caregiving x4
Resistance: Inhalation: Tobacco (Smoked).
Resistance: Inhalation: Bugberry (Smoked).
Engineering: Using a sketch with arrows to represent the concentration of weight.
Engineering: The shape of structures.
Engineering: Stability in structure.
Engineering: The Triangle is the strongest natural structure.
Engineering: Numbers represent measurements of designs.

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: scratches on ankle from aye-aye mouse.
Renown: +5 (for standing out in the cold Cylus like a crazy person)
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

- - -

Comments: This was another enjoyable thread from the two of you. Your writing styles match each other very well.

I was surprised that Carver started to smoke again. I wonder if he’ll regularly smoke again from now on or if he’ll give his habit up again sometime.

The scene were Laures served as a test subject for his classmates was quite entertaining.

I found Carver’s views in regard to his new life interesting, that he tried to find the flaws because it felt too perfect. I like how much room you two dedicate to your PCs’ thoughts and feelings.

The scene where Carver gave Laures one of his gloves so that they could hold ends was sweet. I enjoy their relationship, how they interact with each other, how they talk to each other – and even the occasional murder!

I can’t help but wonder what Carver looks like after the haircut that his husband gave him though. I mean, it’s a rather simple haircut, but still, Laures only has 10 points in Cosmetology!

Anyway, joining the Elements is an interesting idea, considering some of their activities. It’s definitely less risky than kidnapping an officer though. I wonder how long they’ll stay Elements though!

Enjoy your rewards!