apurrstate | IC Contact Duplicity

"Only if you can promise not to play it at the volume of many of the clubs." Including Subversion at points.

This time? Easy following into the spin and out of it. He'd stopped anticipating and it showed.

He scoffed. "Most assuredly not. Have I ever told you about Malum, the bar I regularly frequented and Hawke worked in back in the fleet?"

He was quietly pleased with the ease of the dancing and the mindlessness of the conversation, even. Light and easy and distracting. And a bit of physical exertion, dancing was always an easy way to get the blood moving. Another good reason to keep music around the house.

Slowly, the dance shifted a step here, another palm-circle there, things that weren't the pattern from before, but held the same steps and tempo and physical cues. Something off the cuff.

The... reality of the situation was that Alaric was bad at two of the things happening here: light conversation and anything off the cuff. The further reality was, he'd unwound and relaxed enough to follow physical cues easily and to let words that flitted into his mind come out of his mouth, even if they were inconsequential.

That was Anders' doing, entirely. Not in the moment, but everything that was the foundation of who they were and how they worked and who Anders was.

"No. You haven't told me much about the fleet at all. I'd like to know more."

He hadn't, had he? It was a delicate line: some people wanted to know more and others wanted nothing to do with the idea that they may just end up spirited off to some other place without ever seeing home again and, at the end of the day, the little details of the place they'd been before didn't matter here.

It didn't matter here either, aside from Alaric's curiosity, Anders' reminiscing, and the aim for mindless comfort of each other's company.

"Malum was a bar run by a demon named Crowley. Not your typical 'scary, bad, avoid' demon, but just another person who happened to be a demon. He was a very good boss to Hawke and a very good friend to us both. The whole place was lit in blue lighting and He had a jukebox that played all kinds of music I'd never heard before, but always at a low enough level to be ignored or listened to as you wanted. It was meant to be a comfortable and relaxing place for people to put their heads back on. Or lose them, it was a bar. He's the one who hooked me on the fruity drink I always order everywhere since he couldn't make anything I was familiar with."

Maker, he missed that place. Not the fleet, just Malum. He missed Crowley and his ridiculous tinted glasses hiding eyes that had something to do with him being a demon but Anders hadn't fully understood.

"Anyway...that's what I had in mind with the music: something to enjoy, not fight to be heard over."

Just another person who happened to be a demon.

Just another person who happened to be a demon.

What. The ever-loving--

He stopped moving outright at that and almost didn't hear the rest. Stopped and stared and-

"Did he teleport in a fire tornado?" Dry tone but he's kind of twitchy already. Why are you friends with demons? How is a demon not scary or bad? What the-

Alaric stops suddenly and Anders has no idea what's wrong or what's happened to suddenly throw them from easy dancing and talking to a full-out end of it. He hadn't-had he done something wrong?

Confusion drew his brows together and he shrugged. "No, not that I ever saw. He typically walked or just appeared places. He was very fond of some car he had, though he never drove it. He...had snake-like eyes? That's an oddly specific thing to ask..."

"There is a Prince of Hell in Duplicity. He teleports in a manner very similar to Nate, but rather than light it is fire," he says, absently. "You were friends with a demon." The hell is wrong with you, Anders.

"Ah." To both cases. He doesn't particularly care about 'prince' on a good day, mixed with the learned idea of 'hell' it took a moment to put the pieces together. 'You were friends with a demon' at least made more sense.

"Well, not immediately. When I met him, I was very cautious and told him why and he was reasonable about it. Then I had a passenger anyway, so he couldn't have done anything, and by the time my passenger was gone, I trusted him."

He shrugged a bit, as best he could. "I still wouldn't trust a 'prince of Hell' or a demon or anything of the like for a while, especially because those sorts tend to be charming. Crowley used to work for hell, from what I know, but then didn't like what they were doing and so did his own thing. Honestly, I think he was too lazy to be evil."

He leaned in to kiss Alaric's forehead. "I am cautious in my dealings with beings that might cause harm to me or those I care for and I never once struck a deal with him."

"I trust you," he says, to clarify. "I am just completely confused by the idea of a demon being anything but evil incarnate. Maybe I'll learn more as I am here longer. It certainly would not be the first time that the church had something wrong."

He's still pretty rattled and confused, but he's not close minded and he is willing to learn.

"Some still likely are, not all are good people." He was pretty sure he'd met the exception, not the rule, but it was enough of an exception to leave his mind open to there being more like Crowley. Demons would always inherently make him more cautious than comfortable.

"This time, I'm not particularly interested in talking about the church right now. I'm supposed to be taking your mind off things." He let their stance relax and simply took Alaric's hand to kiss his knuckles. "Shall we continue?" A simple check in to see if Alaric still wanted or needed this.

It actually takes him a second to figure out what Anders is asking him, he's so wrapped up in discussion about demons and religions and The Church.

Leaving him almost comically blank, expression wise, for a moment or two.

Then he remembers, flushes, and his expression turns sheepish.

"By all means, though I was enjoying the conversation as well."

Alaric flushing is always lovely, though he feels a little badly for it in this case. He leans in for a quick kiss, hand coming up to hover at the clasp of the collar.

"What I was going to do does not require this if you'd rather the-" what was the word? Like act in a play- "scene over. We can continue the conversation while I give you the massage I intended. What would you like?" His hand stayed by the clasp, waiting for his own instructions for their continued context.

"No. No I think I'd like to continue. My mind latching onto this so strongly is not particularly... desirable at the moment, I think."

Also probably not great for him or Anders, and he's curious.

"Please."

He nods and his fingers trace the line of the collar as his fingers fall. "We'll have plenty of time for discussion another time." One he would most certainly be interested in having, just not right now.

"Take off your shirt and pants and lay face down on the couch with one of the pillows. I'll be over in a moment." He squeezed Alaric's hand still in his, but then pulled away. He thought about turning off the music for a moment, but then changed his mind and left it playing as he went to go fetch the salve he was looking for.

He must be getting more secure because there is no ease at separation this time, and he is happy to undress and leave his clothes neatly in a chair. Then stretches out on his stomach on the sofa, arms under the pillow he rests his head on.

"I will put the animal stupid enough to interrupt to sleep," he warns.

He finds the salve quickly, most of the extras are stored either in the bathroom or in the laundry room, and he returns in time for the comment and to see Gauntlet settled down against the couch near enough where Alaric's hand could reach, like a subtle invitation for compromise.

Despite long limbs, Anders is fairly careful and well-practiced in folding his legs under him on either side of Alaric's feet. He scoops some of the salve into his hands, it's smell subtle but undeniably that of a deep forest after a rainfall. He works it across his hands, heats them and the salve with mana and then sets in working it into Alaric's left calf with slow and firm circles of dedicated attention. As it was pressed into Alaric's skin, the magic in it took, acting to both relax and sooth as much as the massage itself.

Alaric was pretty physically tight at first, but between the scent and the salve muscle slowly gave and relaxed, his breathing deepened and-

"What is in that?"

No wait, not what he was here for. He tried to brush that aside.

"It's lovely and don't answer that, please."

He trusts Anders. He can relax and just enjoy the weight and warmth at his back and the feel.

He should do this more often. Not the salve, it would lose it's effectiveness if used too often, but the massage, especially with the heat mana. Alaric carried his tension all over him, like a cloak he only took off when at his most peaceful which didn't happen as often as Anders felt it should.

He works up Alaric's calf to his thigh before getting more salve and starting in on the other leg. "Magic and plants." He offers with some cheek, but there's a gentle squeeze that isn't the massage as way of praise for not deviating off track.

He works his fingers up to the curve of Alaric's ass, then shifts up his body to begin the same, slow dedicated press of heat and salve into Alaric's back up to his shoulders. "You deserve days when you allow yourself to rest and relax completely. It's good for your body and mind both...and that little smile you get is something I cherish."

He groans, softly. "There is a limit to how much relaxation is relaxing."

Is that contrary? Probably, but what is new. Nor is the fact that he is doing it on purpose and with some humor. "And my smile would lose potency as fast as the salve if over applied."

He's also trying to halfway move into Anders' hands, vaguely and unconsciously trying to... not quite control things but direct? More than vaguely turned on, but not feeling urgent to pursue his arousal or increase it, at least.

It's probably for the best Alaric can't see his face, because the smile that curls Anders' lips is devilish at best. The commentary he doesn't mind and the bit about Alaric's smile gets a very quiet 'never' nearly whispered into the attention Anders was paying to his work, though he didn't argue more than that. No, the amused umbrage came from the movement, the leaning and attempting to direct Anders' pace and direction.

He wiped a hand off on his pants and used it to work his fingers into Alaric's hair at the back of his head, gentle even as his fingers clenched into a firm grip at the root of the strands in them. He tugged lightly and leaned over Alaric with his other hand braced on Alaric's back as Anders hovered by his ear. "Keep still, general, you're not to move until I'm finished or you'll undo my work." A quiet, gentle, but firm warning before he pressed a kiss to Alaric's ear and sat up again to continue his work.

"Just focus on the feeling of my fingers on your back, nothing else."

The hand in his hair makes him intuitively want to turn to ask what Anders is doing - which is in and of itself a sign of trust, if he'd had any hesitation he'd have been reaching mentally and predicting - but is stopped by the hand on his back.

He doesn't have time to get too confused before the low voice is in his ear and tension abruptly, completely, entirely, just drains out of him. Why? Because it's clear instruction, boundaries, rules, and that was maybe a little of what he wanted in handing over the collar-

It's also an extension of the dance.

"Yes, sir." His tone is slightly bratty and teasing all the same, but he hears, he understands and god this whole thing is both hot and relieving. Thank you

"Good, my star." The gentle and warm words are accompanied by Anders' hand smoothing through Alaric's hair in approval. Then he scoops out a bit more of the salve and starts again -a bit down from where he'd left off- to chase each tense line of muscle and each potential node of tension as he works the mixture deep into Alaric's skin. The line of Alaric's shoulders and the back of his neck receive even more attention until Anders' fingers move out to the shape of his love's upper arms. The last bit smooths down to Alaric's hands which receive a more brief massage and a kiss to the back of each when Anders is done.

"Wonderful, Alaric. Now...tell me how you're feeling. First physically, then mentally."

They have, he thinks, with just a touch of amusement, trapped one another into a game of communication chicken. None of them can refuse to try, without making a hypocrite of themselves for demanding others do so.

"Warm, sleepy, and as though I know why the cats enjoy your company," he says, voice soft and maybe a little slurry. It is, somehow, still carrying the faintest touch of dry humor. That isn't a good answer for the mentally though and that he just - "...Like I love you?"

Yes, he does think there is a right answer and he should find it.

It's a difficult arrangement, they're all challenged at communication in some ways, but it's useful and needed and he knows it's a press of an ask, but there's a bit of pride in him when Alaric finds the words. Although, the question at the end has him chuckling and there's a bit of warmth to his cheeks he's glad can't be seen.

He wipes his hands on his pants again and leans over Alaric, hands on the couch on either side of him to brace himself so Anders can kiss the back of his head.

"Sorry, I should be more clear: I meant if you're feeling better from earlier, but I'll take that too." His next kiss is to Alaric's temple and his voice is more of a murmur but not too low to be heard. "I adore you, Alaric Morgan."

Then he sits up to extract himself from their small tangle so he can slide down beside Alaric on the ground next to his head so Anders could pet his hair. "Would you like a nap or shall I tempt you into something more lurid and thoroughly exhaust you?"

He turns his head toward Anders and uses his forearms to push up enough to get away from the cushion and kiss Anders, warm and gentle and affectionate.

"Much better." That part is clear, but. "'m going to sleep, now."

Pause.

"Sit there and pet my hair for a while."

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apurrstate - 2021-03-01 02:54 (UTC) - Expand