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]

Yes, a bit.



"Thank you," he mumbles, eventually, when he can talk again. "Thank you, thank you... you're so good... shut the fuck up about my standards, I don't care, you're perfect, you're amazing, you're the best thing that's happened to me, I love you."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I... Ancestors, Mark, I don't know what to say. You're welcome? I like you, I care about you, I still think your standards are for shit but I understand them much better now..."

[unmarred]

Mark starts giggling helplessly. And sort of tearfully. Giggle-crying.

[thisvorlunatic]

Well. Okay. Good. Stalas will take that.

Snuggle.

[unmarred]

After a minute, the weepy giggles trail off. Mark hiccups.

[thisvorlunatic]

Stalas cracks up.

"That was just needlessly adorable."

[unmarred]

"It's not like I did it on purpose!"

[thisvorlunatic]

"Uh-huh."

The way they're curled up together, Stalas happens to be very well-placed to kiss Mark's forehead just now. It occurs to him to do, and he doesn't see any reason not to, so he does it.

[unmarred]

Mark closes his eyes and vents a sigh of deep contentment.

[thisvorlunatic]

A cozy silence ensues.

[unmarred]

Eventually, Mark murmurs, "I wanna kiss you again."

[thisvorlunatic]

"That sounds like a fine idea," says Stalas, and proceeds immediately to implementing it.

[unmarred]

Perfect. Warm cozy snuggly kisses. Not that Mark has many points of comparison here, but those are rapidly becoming one of his favourite kinds.

He sneaks a hand under the hem of Stalas's shirt.

[thisvorlunatic]

Stalas produces no objections. In fact he produces a grin.

[unmarred]

Mark grins back, heartened.

"Can I see?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"What, me with my shirt off? Why not," he says, shrugging with only the slightest hesitation. Off comes the shirt.

Underneath it, bruises in every colour show through his pale skin - deep purple-black shading into red and from there to a fainter yellow-green. It's pretty ghastly.

[unmarred]

He runs his hands up Stalas's chest as it is revealed, bruises and all. Then he gives Stalas another kiss.

"You're beautiful," he murmurs. "You're fucking glorious. The things I want to do to you..."

[thisvorlunatic]

"...You could... tell me about them," Stalas suggests. "I wouldn't mind hearing what put that amazing look on your face."

[unmarred]

"Amazing? What happened to creepy?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"Creepy was when I felt like you were looking for things I didn't want you to see, and finding them," says Stalas. "Now I don't mind you looking, and the way you look... it's like... I can't even describe it."

[unmarred]

"Like I want to find out everything you've ever wanted, and give you all of it," says Mark. "Like you're the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen. Like I can't believe I'm allowed to touch you and I want to do as much of it as possible."

[thisvorlunatic]

Stalas laughs shakily. "Yeah. Like that, I guess. Ancestors..."

[unmarred]

[thisvorlunatic]

"Hey," says Stalas. "Are you somehow getting the impression I mind? Because I really don't. It's the good kind of overwhelming."

Then he grins.

"I still feel like something needs to be done about your standards, though." He picks up one of Mark's hands from where it rests on his shoulder, and kisses the palm, and nuzzles his cheek against it. "Maybe you should just keep touching me until you get used to it."

[unmarred]

"I... could do that," says Mark, thoughtfully stroking Stalas's face with his fingertips. "I could definitely do that."

He does that.

He does a lot of that.