video; un: whiteroad

[whiteroadrunning]

[Our scene is laid in a pod kitchen. The first-person view displays a countertop, with a toaster upon it. The toaster is older, a bit battered, but it's been lovingly polished to some semblance of its former glory. It's plugged in, but when Alec pushes the lever -- which he's done a few times since the video started -- he's not pushing it down quite hard enough to engage the power. Also, there's no bread inside. It seems, at the moment, he's just trying to figure out how it works.

Functional usage can come later.

After the fourth or fifth try, Alec sighs.]

Oh, Sakor's t--

This is a foolish question, no doubt. But would someone care to explain this to me? I've taken the damned thing apart and put it back together twice, and I can't...

It's for bread, yes? Or pastries?

[Alec grumbles and kneels down beside the counter. The feed cuts after a brief flash of his distorted reflection in the toaster, pouting, brow furrowed with frustration.]

Comments

[whiteroadrunning]

You seem to forget I rank among them now.

[of_bokthersa]

Well, at least you rank at the top.

[He disappears, reappearing with a pan full of slightly overcooked sausage. Clearly, he's made more even if he was eating them all before; he then sets the whole thing on the table.]

Where are my bold eggs?

[whiteroadrunning]

[Alec nudges at the plate beside him on the table.]

Probably cold.

[of_bokthersa]

[He puts them on his plate anyway.]

I'm banning you from jam for the foreseeable future.

[Which is all he'll say about what could have been their lack of sausage.]

[whiteroadrunning]

[Alec leans toward Seregil, the smallest shift that nevertheless brings him close enough to press a quick kiss to Seregil's cheek.]

I suppose I'll just have to steal sugar instead.

[of_bokthersa]

[The smirk it brings is fond and slightly wistful.]

I feel as though I may need to ban you from a great many things by the time we're done.

[whiteroadrunning]

Maybe so. We'll have to weed them out one by one.

[of_bokthersa]

[The thought to lean over and kiss him is there. Not a chaste kiss, as Alec had given him, but a deep and lingering one.

It was hard to fight the instinct to lavish Alec with affection when the other man offered it up and wished to receive it so willingly.]

I think you'd enjoy it too much.

[whiteroadrunning]

I think you're right.

[Alec leans away again and tries to turn his attention back to breakfast. It's only marginally effective. He can still feel the warmth of Seregil's cheek on his lips, and he wants just a moment to savor that sensation before something else graces them and banishes the feeling.]

[of_bokthersa]

[There was the tug again, to tease the other man and pull him into his lap. To just hold Alec and revel in his warmth. Alec was always warm.

Instead, he settled for stealing a piece of sausage off his plate.]

The question is, what should I do with you?

[whiteroadrunning]

[Alec has accepted that the possibility of getting any sausage with his breakfast is a far-flung dream. But Seregil doesn't get a pass on throwing around innuendo unchecked. Alec smirks, brow rising slightly at the question.]

What would you like to do to me, talí?

[of_bokthersa]

[The pause is slight, almost imperceptible before he bites into Alec's sausage. As teasing as it may be and as innocent as Seregil's question was before it, there was a lot to think over. Seregil knew precisely what he wanted to do to Alec; it was the same thing he'd wanted to do since he'd realized that Alec had overtaken his heart, and even before that.

He wanted to cherish him. Remain by his side for as long as Alec would allow it, and let the other man continue to carve himself deep into his heart (not that he thought Alec could do so any more in-depth than he already had). To him, Alec was precious; he was everything Seregil knew that he didn't deserve. Another reason he'd refused to admit his feelings, one he suspected he hadn't told the other man.

He reached over, threading his fingers with Alec's before answering.]

Time, talí.

[There may have been no thought to their joined emotions before, but this wasn't then. Seregil needed time to think, and no matter how much he wanted to move forward in a physical sense, he needed to take care with this.]

[whiteroadrunning]

[Alec's overstepped, and he knows it as much by what Seregil doesn't say as by what he does. There's no easy laughter or mischief in his grin, and Alec makes a mental note to be more passive in their flirtations moving forward. A more active role only seems to send Seregil's walls up again.

But again, it's not Seregil's fault. Alec has to keep reminding himself of that. And as rebukes go, at least it's gentle. Alec's smile softens, and he brings Seregil's hand up to press a kiss to his thumb.]

I'm sorry. I forget myself.

[of_bokthersa]

[Seregil frowned, rubbing the same thumb Alec had kissed over the man's joint.]

You're no longer the prudish Dalnan boy I met in Asengai's dungeon. It's hard to remember, and I forget myself along with the banter.

[Reaching over, he brushed strands of hair from Alec's face. It was hard being desperately in love with a man who, sitting before you, was much older than he should be. It was an adjustment for both of them, and Seregil hated it. He hated that Alec had to school himself when he'd become such a vivacious and brilliant man, that Seregil would hurt that man more than comfort him.]

It isn't you talí; it's me. You have nothing to apologize for.

[whiteroadrunning]

Still, thank you for letting me know I was overstepping. I don't want to make you uncomfortable.

[Alec doesn't release Seregil's hand, though. He's content to simply hold it until Seregil pulls away again.]

[of_bokthersa]

Alec,

[Seregil continued to run his fingers through Alec's hair, leaning to rest his forehead against the other man's.]

If I weren't getting used to five years of changes, I promise I'd have made love to you multiple times by now.

[whiteroadrunning]

[Seregil's undoing him, little by little. These touches would be chaste enough on their own, were they not coupled with that affirmation. That... He almost wishes Seregil hadn't said it. It was easier to feign morality when he could reason that Seregil didn't want...

At the very least, it brings a soft blush to Alec's face. And he reminds himself, pleads with himself for reason, to fight the compulsion to simply close that remaining distance and kiss Seregil breathless.

It's like fighting for air against a raging sea.]

Talí... [Alec closes his eyes. His voice is low, and he swallows hard against the sudden parch in his throat. His head tips, almost imperceptible, battling a habitual urge, though their noses touch.] You're not making this easy.

[of_bokthersa]

Neither are you.

[There's a slight smirk at his choice of words and the fact that he'd managed to make Alec blush. Form the moment Alec told him that there was a future where the two of them were together, everything had become so much more difficult than when he'd imagined the man to have no interest in such things.]

Illior's eyes, I almost pinned you to the counter because of that jam incident.

[whiteroadrunning]

[Alec opens his eyes again, laughing quietly. It's good to see that, at the very least, both their senses of humor are intact.]

What? Why? I licked your face. It wasn't meant to be appealing.

[of_bokthersa]

Yes, close enough for me to pin you to the counter and kiss the breath out of you.

[He can't help the low chuckle that comes out at the admission. In the end, he knows that he's a pathetic and easy creature. Just knowing that Alec loves him and wants him in return is enough to cause him to want him.]

And if we've been together for five years, I'm sure you're aware of what I can do with jam.

[whiteroadrunning]

I know what you can do with a great many things, but jam never figured into it. A bit sticky, don't you think?

[Alec's hands curl into loose fists, fighting physically against the notion of pawing at Seregil's face. Passive, he remembers. Let Seregil lead.]

But I'm still close enough for that.

[of_bokthersa]

Not if you're sure to lick every inch of it off.

[So close, close enough for him to tilt his head just slightly and embrace the other man. Alec was a damned tormenter and Seregil was sure the other man knew it. He was baiting him.]

And I'm well aware of how close you are. It's maddening, you know.

[It was strange, being this honest with Alec about his feelings. He'd hid them for what felt like forever, and now he was able to tell him just how much he wanted to be with him. In the end, he had no one but himself to blame, as with all things in his life; his suffering was his own doing.]

[whiteroadrunning]

Do you think it's only maddening for you?

[Seriously, he's two seconds away from sitting on his hands. It's awful. And he can't help the slight shift of his head, to press the gentlest, lingering kiss to the very corner of Seregil's lips.]

But I love you. And I want you to be comfortable with this.

[of_bokthersa]

[Damn, but Alec was making this hard. Seregil is well aware of his slipping resolve as his hand ghosts over Alec's neck. He knows exactly how this is going to end if neither of them pulls away. He's certain Alec knows too. Seregil was never one for patience or restraint, and he'd been at his limit since their last conversation. Chastly sharing a bed with the man he loved and knew loved him in return had been torture, but he'd convinced himself that it was for the best, that it was the right thing to do. That he needed to become reacquainted with this Alec before he took things further.]

I can see why my resolve to tell you nothing broke the first time. Damn but you're irresistible.

[A deep chuckle comes from him; warm and honest. Alec had always been so, but it wasn't for Seregil to believe that it was for him. Instead, he'd thought the boy could use it in his nightrunning. Now he knew how right he was.]

[whiteroadrunning]

I don't mean to be. I think you just bring it out of me.

[Alec tries not to shiver at Seregil's hand passing over his neck. Tries, and fails, because that's always been something of a weakness for Alec, and Seregil takes complete advantage of that fact. It's accompanied by a quiet sigh, and Alec's eyes drift shut again. If he just concentrates, centers himself, perhaps it will be easier to stop himself from leaning in for another kiss. And in theory, that's a fine idea despite being an outstanding test of willpower. But in practice, with Seregil still close enough that Alec can taste his breath...]

You can kiss me. [Alec whispers.] I miss the way you taste.