slipped along the way

[unmarred]

(from here)

So... up the stairs they go, mostly side by side. Mark lags by a step or two.

There is a persistent silence.



"I... didn't think you'd react the way you did," he says finally. "I mean, I thought you might—that there might be something there, but not that you'd actually."

Comments

[unmarred]

Mark hums contentedly.

[thisvorlunatic]

Stalas smiles.

[unmarred]

"Mmmmyou're so nice. Teach me to breathe..." he mumbles.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Eh?"

[unmarred]

"Conversation I had with Miles once. I told him trust was like air to him, and I'd lived my life in a vacuum by comparison."

[thisvorlunatic]

...

"Wow. I can see why you depress him so much. I want to - I don't know what I want to do. Teach you to breathe, maybe."

[unmarred]

"You can. You will. You are," says Mark.

[thisvorlunatic]

"...I'm still adjusting to the idea that I'm not going to die horribly, alone in the dark, without ever seeing another friendly face," says Stalas. "So I want you know I'm speaking with empathy when I say you need to raise your standards."

[unmarred]

"...What?" says Mark, half-laughing.

[thisvorlunatic]

"I like you. I like the faces you make when I give you neck rubs. I care about the horrible shit you've apparently gone through. Those are all fairly basic things! I mean, I'm not going to forbid you from appreciating me - just - this is not the best it can possibly get."

[unmarred]

"It's the best it has gotten. It's pretty close to the best I can imagine," says Mark, closing his eyes. "Disregarding any thoughts I may or may not have had about you and daggers."

[thisvorlunatic]

Stalas snorts. "Keep dreaming, human boy," he says. "But you can have all the neck rubs you want."

The neck rubs definitely show no sign of stopping.

[unmarred]

"I'm like... two, three years older than you are," says Mark. "Dwarf boy. What if I want infinite neck rubs?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"Then I guess we'll be up here for a while."

[unmarred]

He giggles.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Dwarves don't dream," he feels the need to explain, after a moment. "Well, I dream, but I'm a pretty fucked-up dwarf."

[unmarred]

"Aha."

Snuggle.

"I like how you're fucked up. Don't kill me for this one, but the bruises are hot."

[thisvorlunatic]

Stalas pauses in neck rubs.

"...Dare I ask why...?"

[unmarred]

"Hmm... mostly because I'm imagining myself with them, I think," he says. "But also, it means you hurt all the time. And I don't want you to, I wish it was me and not just because I like pain, but watching you handle it like it's nothing... yeah, I like that."

[thisvorlunatic]

"...I can kind of see your point," Stalas admits. "I hadn't thought about it that way. It's just life, for me. Things are going to hurt."

[unmarred]

"Now that's familiar," Mark says wryly.

[thisvorlunatic]

Stalas rests his hand on the back of Mark's neck and lapses into a thoughtful silence.

[unmarred]

It's still nice. He doesn't complain about the lack of neck rubs.

[thisvorlunatic]

"...How much of me quietly thinking to myself is coming across, here?"

[unmarred]

"Some. You were definitely thinking about me liking pain for a little while there. I'm not telepathic, though, I just have a well-trained intuition for people who are you."