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]

"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."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I... was thinking about that, yes."

[unmarred]

"Any thoughts you'd like to share?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"I'm. Curious in ways I'm not sure I actually want to indulge," he says.

[unmarred]

"Well that sounds promising."

[thisvorlunatic]

"You are an intensely self-destructive person."

[unmarred]

"It's been said."

[thisvorlunatic]

"No, but really," says Stalas. "I kind of want to hurt you but I don't want to hurt you. It's a conundrum."

[unmarred]

"It's a nice conundrum."

[thisvorlunatic]

"...I like that I can say things to you and you can tell what I mean," says Stalas. "The benefits are starting to seriously outweigh the drawbacks."

[unmarred]

"That makes me happy."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Well, good. I guess."

[unmarred]

Mark shifts so he can look at Stalas's face.



After a medium-sized silence, he declares cheerfully, "You're thinking about hurting me again."