[The days were getting colder and Rude noticed he was getting slower. It irritated him some days, made him snap his teeth at people as if he were going to bite them but at the last second reigned it in. Other days it just made him feel tired and groggy, slow to think things through and slow to move about physically. He found himself wanting to either stay indoors more and warm himself with a fire or magical heater, or head out to the Wildes to enjoy the warmer weather out there. He was always warned how dangerous that was for a dragon though and he was getting tired of it.
One evening he came home just before sunset and all he wanted to do was take a warm shower and crawl under a set of blankets for the night. Except it turned out the sigil on the magitek water heater had faded and there was no hot water for the night. If it had been a normal heater he could have fixed it but no he was stuck in this world without magic and technology that only a witch could fix. He let out a soft growl of a sigh and headed to his room.
Only to find all his blankets missing. His fists clenched. And then relaxed quickly. He was too tired to care. At least he knew where to find them. It was his fault for letting it go on for so long that they had all disappeared over the week anyway. He usually went to gather his things back out of Reno's room more often, he'd just been too cold to care lately.
When he saw the warm, inviting nest created on Reno's bed the dragon was suddenly very interested in laying down. A faint part of him knew it was a bad idea (he would never want to get back up) but he did it anyway, slipping beneath the warm blankets and curling up in the middle of the nest. He nuzzled into it to claim it for his own. New lair acquired, he promptly hooked his wing claws into the blankets, wrapped himself up in them, and fell asleep on his hoard of warm blankets and discarded feathers.]
[ Witch could help with a water heater, but that would involve getting one inside the safehouse. It's an old habit, but Reno always defaults to finding other ways than letting strangers near his den. Aefenglom is no different.
Instead of asking for a service of a Witch, why not just change the whole sigil. Buying one each time the heating goes out, sounds expensive so Reno pulls all the contacts he gathered so far, to figure out to whom he could pass the old sigil for charging later while acquiring the new one. Along with instructions on how to change it.
After coordinating a long chain of favours (and pulling few strings on debts) he ends with a halfway charged heater for free. And an address where he can drop the used one the next day. Given how cold it got in the apartment, installing it is the first thing he does upon returning. Enjoying a quick warm shower is the next thing. And then he finds out that lights have gone off in the rest of the apartment.
Fuck this shit.
Did he accidentally bork something when he was fixing the heater? Was the original sigil not enough to power the warmth, but has worked for lights— while the new one lacks enchantment for that? Or is this issue completely separate, and the lights went out in rooms just because? No matter how much he curses, nothing can be done about it until the next day, and fortunately, he knows the layout so well he can navigate it despite the darkness.
Leave today's Reno problem for tomorrow's Reno, basically. He sighs, defeated, and carefully returns to his own room. Ready to slide into the warmth offered by his bed. But as he nests himself under all the layers there is another surprise waiting for him.
There's another... form, underneath them. A certain weight on his bed where there was none before. ]
Huh—? [ To quote, Somebody is sleeping in my bed! Is the realization he has as his extended arm-wing finds and locks on a limb ]
[The limb happened to be one of the wings Rude had curled around himself with the blankets locked into them. It would be an interesting tug-of-war if Reno tried to pry them out of the dragon's grasp.
However, he probably wouldn't get the chance. Rude was cold and sleepy but the weight of movement on the bed woke his human side in an instant. Though his mind was still foggy, his Turk instincts clicked quickly to the fact that he wasn't in danger. This let him move slowly, unafraid of the harpy whose scent he was currently wrapped in.]
Reno...
[His voice was gruff and he swallowed to clear it. Managed to dig his head out of the blankets to peer up at his partner in the dark. Vaguely, he wondered why Reno hadn't noticed him before he turned off the lights... or had the lights ever been on in the first place? He wasn't sure.]
Stop stealing all the blankets. It's too cold for that shit.
[ Oh. Of course, who else it could have been. Old habits die hard, but if someone is in his bed, in their shared apartment, it makes sense that it must be Rude. Reno chuckles, hearing the grumpiness in his partner's voice, something about the whole situation— about this new habit of stealing warm possessions and blankets— of stealing them mostly from Rude, and now being called out on it... something about it is just incredibly funny. ]
I don't steal, I borrow. [ He makes this useless distinction and buries himself even deeper under the blankets as the bed creaks underneath them. Rude surely warmed it up already, and with his own body temperature running higher than it's bound to get even warmer.
Problem is, that Reno's bed isn't a large one. So as he shifts and turns he's bound to find something. Rude's ribcage, shin, arm— who knows ]
You never bring them back. That's stealing, you little brat.
[Rude growled softly as he watched Reno shuffle around on the bed next to him, trying to burrow under the blankets and get comfortable and--in Rude's opinion--making a general mess of it.
Ow. And there went an elbow in a place it didn't belong.
Rude snapped open a wing suddenly, gasping at the sudden exposure to the cooler temperature outside the blanket nest, and reached out with one hand to grab at Reno. He tugged the red feathered bird close and hugged him tight against his broad chest, wing closing back over the two of them.]
Quit squirming so much before I decide to eat you. [He whispered to Reno from very, very close proximity.]
[ That's true, there is no denying that he is a brat, and he often lets that run wild with Rude around. Rude is both capable of dealing with it like no one else (the holy saint of patience, or something, if there was ever one—), or put breaks on him, put him in a place like—
—well, right now.
The continued banter over semantics what is stealing and what is not, that made Reno cackle softly, but what followed. Sudden closeness intensifying the brief second of cold air on the skin as Rude's wing raised up disturbing the next of loaned blankets— which of it gave him the goosebumps? Which of it made him shiver?
(ah, he knows the answer, really— )
The pause in laugh turned into a belated snort, with his face right in Rude's chest. Reno fell against him easily, because now he was warmed up in a way that no mere blanket could give. ]
But aren't I too bony? [ He teases with his usual bravado, long leg sneakily trying way to hook itself around Rude's (with less bravado, more experimental curiosity... there is part of his brain being keenly away that Rude is now a predator sitting much higher than him in the food chain) ] Would that really be enough of a meal?
[Rude felt Reno moving against him as they talked. The words had turned into their usual banter and despite Rude's grumpy responses he was feeling less and less bothered by the minute. This was familiar, it was good.]
I'd make do. Bird tastes pretty good when it's fixed just right.
[He shifted slowly, moving his leg up and over, inviting Reno's leg to slip between his own two. His hand itched to move to Reno's thigh and push it up but that would have defeated the purpose of a casual invitation.]
[ Reno takes the invite— there are stray small feathers around his ankle, but he has forgotten about them. Though even if he didn't, it's doubtful he'd be careful enough to not accidentally tickle. It's more of the usual banter, but it's— it's also this new usual banter, more tactile, more— more of this new, expanding thing. ]
Seems that my fate is sealed. I'm trapped and entirely on your mercy— [ he reaches to press his hand lazily over Rude's chest, unhurriedly slide it up to his shoulder. ]
[Rude hadn't thought of that--those feathers on his skin, tantalizingly soft and tickling as Reno moved against him. There was no objection. He was happy with Reno's acceptance, the movement between his legs, the warmth... The feathers only added to the pleasant sensation. He couldn't help it if he was attracted to those damn pinions and their press against his skin.
And for a moment his attention was split between two points. The tickle between his legs and the slow caress against his chest.
He wasn't sleepy anymore, or cold. The warm harpy pressed against him made sure of that.]
Then you better find some way to placate me. Ease yourself into my good graces.
[From an outside perspective, the banter was probably getting corny as shit. But it didn't really matter during the moment. It was an accompaniment to what else was going on. Rude thought little of it. His concentration had gone elsewhere.
His wings pressed tighter against Reno, entrapping the smaller man against his larger partner. They were moving though, couldn't sit still, caressing Reno's back. His hand finally took that dive lower, down Reno's buttocks and beyond to the thigh, pushing the leg higher. He left it there, didn't press for more, kept their impromptu embrace safe until he was given the cue that it wasn't necessary. But it was obvious he was willing. He was already firm, pressed against Reno's thigh.
There were no moons to battle against tonight. It was just them, and whatever decision they made.]
[ Warmer, closer, a strong hand on his back, sliding down to the thigh, placing him the way his partner wants— That move earns Rude a gasp, and a delighted truly delighted little chuckle. Because his first, most immediate response is to press back, hips shifting so automatically, it's clear he's going to fit against Rude however he wants it.
The ball is in his park now, and he doesn't even realize it yet. Everything's moved past anything that could be played off as a prank, or a mindless flirt. Starting with the big confession that has metaphorically shaken his world, and followed by... many things. Ever since that night when Rude joined on his impulsive "night-out" Reno got to do little... maybe not "soul-seeking", but looking inwards, trying to figure shit out.
Why is he scared shitless of something that he would most likely once kill for to get a taste of? Because it was far more real than he could handle? Because when he was coming to terms with an attraction towards his partner, he never made a real move, because— potentially losing what they had (a nearly perfect thing) wasn't worth honest admission that maybe he wants more.
Like what the fuck is even that "more"? Why he's never gonna think about it, risk getting overwhelmed by his own emotions, because that's not what he is. He is loud, cocksure, insufferable, forward, never says no, gets shit done, and surely, surely he's not actually a person underneath all of that, that might... question, doubt, or feel any of those pesky vulnerable feelings. Ew.
But if he continues that way, there isn't a place for "more" is it?
Well, fuck it. Fuck it all. Time to concentrate on the one really important thing. ]
Uh-huh. Challenge accepted. I can do that. Show you some real appreciation you deserve.
[ Keeping his partner warm. And placated— good graces sounds like an excellent place to be. And it's his time to make a move. Actions speak louder than words, or something like that. He can feel how the skin warms under his touch and he curiously explores with pads of his fingers where skin ends and scales start. And, ah Rude had always packed a punch, each muscle and each valley between is perfectly sculpted. Tons of hard work, training and missions both. Reno dips his face into the crook of Rude's neck, lips mysteriously brushing the skin, but then his fingers find something on his partner's chest. A scar, one of the many, still when he speaks he exhales near Rude's ear ]
[No objection. Reno slid into place readily. Rude felt the shift against him so distinctly--he moved automatically in response, no thought between the two of them, just like any other time. They were seamless.
But this was new between them, at least in some ways, and there was plenty to explore. Lots of areas and tastes and preferences to be explored and shared and found together. That was a tantalizing thought.
Not that he had room for much thinking. Reno's exploration was warm and comforting, and enticing, and Rude pressed into it needily. He squeezed Reno's thigh gently to encourage.
The words in his ears were a distraction, but the feeling wasn't unpleasant. His mind took a moment to register where Reno's hand had stopped. That. Yeah, he remembered that one, too.]
[ Shinra might offer top-notch medical service for their enforcers, but bodies are just that— bodies, pieces of meat. Wounds leave scars, the smaller the better patched up they are, sometimes barely visible. Still, it's a history
"Wasn't that one for me"? Is almost on the tip of Reno's tongue, but he stops himself from going there. It's time to be a warm blanket, no? Do the appeasing. So his fingers resume their slow mapping. ]
I remember every time you gave me a heart attack. [ Reno murmurs at the end of a huff. Not a chastising, just a joke, and acknowledgment of all the crazy shit they've been through together. ] But we're square on that, I bet.
[ Time to grow bolder. Those lips on Rude's neck before? Turns out not to be an accident. Deliberately, he slides his mouth down his partner's neck, shifting a bit to reach his collarbone, briefly tasting the skin and scales. That's when he bites and follows it with a kiss, not hard, just enough to be noticeable, hopefully pleasant. And should it leave a mark, it's gonna be hidden by the usual shirt's collar. See? Considerate! (Or just a little shit) ]
Damn straight. [Rude didn't soften the words. He knew Reno would just shrug or laugh them off. It was true though, Reno had given Rude quite a few scares over the years. And despite his stoic exterior Rude had one weakness and that was losing Reno permanently. He couldn't bare the thought.] You--
[He hadn't expected the sudden bite at his collarbone despite the teasing trail Reno's lips made as he was talking. The gasp of surprise was almost inaudible but the soft groan afterwards wasn't nearly so. Whatever else Rude had been going to say was lost to the pleasure he felt from that tantalizing action. Rude shifted, pressing bodies together, and back out; he tucked his head down and spoke softly in Reno's ear. Demanding:]
[ Hell, yes— the excitement Reno feels the moment he hears that gasp. It was a gamble, a surprise— because he likes being a little unpredictable, even with the one person who can predict his antics the most.
Then comes in the demand, warm breath on his ear sends a delectable shiver down his spine, and the way his partner moves against him, shifting his hips, makes him moan softly. It's not fair (but he never plays fair himself)- and it's what makes it so exciting. He's trapped completely and at Rude's mercy, and that's enough to make his heart beat faster. The entirety of his world, locked under the blankets consisting only of an infuriatingly hot dragon—
Beneath them, the stuffing of the mattress crackles, as he wantonly presses against his partner's larger frame. Literally, no one lives on this floor, and two floors beneath them. That's a lot of privacy to get comfortably settled in.
But there is a demand to give in to. The softness of Reno's lips traces the bite mark, before he follows it again, this time with the tip of his tongue. He traces up, as far as he can reach, to the mighty shoulder— leaving a trail of warmth, that cools down all too soon. The texture of scales tells him where to not attempt another bite— and there it is again, the taste of skin. Drives him a little bit crazy, really. Once again he lets his teeth sink in, savouring the half-second of resistance before the skin nearly yields under the pressure and sharpness.
—or maybe it did. He swears he can feel a bead of blood on his lips, but maybe it's just imagination? ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sometime in November
One evening he came home just before sunset and all he wanted to do was take a warm shower and crawl under a set of blankets for the night. Except it turned out the sigil on the magitek water heater had faded and there was no hot water for the night. If it had been a normal heater he could have fixed it but no he was stuck in this world without magic and technology that only a witch could fix. He let out a soft growl of a sigh and headed to his room.
Only to find all his blankets missing. His fists clenched. And then relaxed quickly. He was too tired to care. At least he knew where to find them. It was his fault for letting it go on for so long that they had all disappeared over the week anyway. He usually went to gather his things back out of Reno's room more often, he'd just been too cold to care lately.
When he saw the warm, inviting nest created on Reno's bed the dragon was suddenly very interested in laying down. A faint part of him knew it was a bad idea (he would never want to get back up) but he did it anyway, slipping beneath the warm blankets and curling up in the middle of the nest. He nuzzled into it to claim it for his own. New lair acquired, he promptly hooked his wing claws into the blankets, wrapped himself up in them, and fell asleep on his hoard of warm blankets and discarded feathers.]
no subject
Instead of asking for a service of a Witch, why not just change the whole sigil. Buying one each time the heating goes out, sounds expensive so Reno pulls all the contacts he gathered so far, to figure out to whom he could pass the old sigil for charging later while acquiring the new one. Along with instructions on how to change it.
After coordinating a long chain of favours (and pulling few strings on debts) he ends with a halfway charged heater for free. And an address where he can drop the used one the next day. Given how cold it got in the apartment, installing it is the first thing he does upon returning. Enjoying a quick warm shower is the next thing. And then he finds out that lights have gone off in the rest of the apartment.
Fuck this shit.
Did he accidentally bork something when he was fixing the heater? Was the original sigil not enough to power the warmth, but has worked for lights— while the new one lacks enchantment for that? Or is this issue completely separate, and the lights went out in rooms just because? No matter how much he curses, nothing can be done about it until the next day, and fortunately, he knows the layout so well he can navigate it despite the darkness.
Leave today's Reno problem for tomorrow's Reno, basically. He sighs, defeated, and carefully returns to his own room. Ready to slide into the warmth offered by his bed. But as he nests himself under all the layers there is another surprise waiting for him.
There's another... form, underneath them. A certain weight on his bed where there was none before. ]
Huh—? [ To quote, Somebody is sleeping in my bed! Is the realization he has as his extended arm-wing finds and locks on a limb ]
no subject
However, he probably wouldn't get the chance. Rude was cold and sleepy but the weight of movement on the bed woke his human side in an instant. Though his mind was still foggy, his Turk instincts clicked quickly to the fact that he wasn't in danger. This let him move slowly, unafraid of the harpy whose scent he was currently wrapped in.]
Reno...
[His voice was gruff and he swallowed to clear it. Managed to dig his head out of the blankets to peer up at his partner in the dark. Vaguely, he wondered why Reno hadn't noticed him before he turned off the lights... or had the lights ever been on in the first place? He wasn't sure.]
Stop stealing all the blankets. It's too cold for that shit.
[Grumpy dragon was a little grumpy.]
no subject
I don't steal, I borrow. [ He makes this useless distinction and buries himself even deeper under the blankets as the bed creaks underneath them. Rude surely warmed it up already, and with his own body temperature running higher than it's bound to get even warmer.
Problem is, that Reno's bed isn't a large one. So as he shifts and turns he's bound to find something. Rude's ribcage, shin, arm— who knows ]
no subject
[Rude growled softly as he watched Reno shuffle around on the bed next to him, trying to burrow under the blankets and get comfortable and--in Rude's opinion--making a general mess of it.
Ow. And there went an elbow in a place it didn't belong.
Rude snapped open a wing suddenly, gasping at the sudden exposure to the cooler temperature outside the blanket nest, and reached out with one hand to grab at Reno. He tugged the red feathered bird close and hugged him tight against his broad chest, wing closing back over the two of them.]
Quit squirming so much before I decide to eat you. [He whispered to Reno from very, very close proximity.]
no subject
—well, right now.
The continued banter over semantics what is stealing and what is not, that made Reno cackle softly, but what followed. Sudden closeness intensifying the brief second of cold air on the skin as Rude's wing raised up disturbing the next of loaned blankets— which of it gave him the goosebumps? Which of it made him shiver?
(ah, he knows the answer, really— )
The pause in laugh turned into a belated snort, with his face right in Rude's chest. Reno fell against him easily, because now he was warmed up in a way that no mere blanket could give. ]
But aren't I too bony? [ He teases with his usual bravado, long leg sneakily trying way to hook itself around Rude's (with less bravado, more experimental curiosity... there is part of his brain being keenly away that Rude is now a predator sitting much higher than him in the food chain) ] Would that really be enough of a meal?
no subject
I'd make do. Bird tastes pretty good when it's fixed just right.
[He shifted slowly, moving his leg up and over, inviting Reno's leg to slip between his own two. His hand itched to move to Reno's thigh and push it up but that would have defeated the purpose of a casual invitation.]
no subject
Seems that my fate is sealed. I'm trapped and entirely on your mercy— [ he reaches to press his hand lazily over Rude's chest, unhurriedly slide it up to his shoulder. ]
uhhh sure. why not. NSFW anymore
And for a moment his attention was split between two points. The tickle between his legs and the slow caress against his chest.
He wasn't sleepy anymore, or cold. The warm harpy pressed against him made sure of that.]
Then you better find some way to placate me. Ease yourself into my good graces.
[From an outside perspective, the banter was probably getting corny as shit. But it didn't really matter during the moment. It was an accompaniment to what else was going on. Rude thought little of it. His concentration had gone elsewhere.
His wings pressed tighter against Reno, entrapping the smaller man against his larger partner. They were moving though, couldn't sit still, caressing Reno's back. His hand finally took that dive lower, down Reno's buttocks and beyond to the thigh, pushing the leg higher. He left it there, didn't press for more, kept their impromptu embrace safe until he was given the cue that it wasn't necessary. But it was obvious he was willing. He was already firm, pressed against Reno's thigh.
There were no moons to battle against tonight. It was just them, and whatever decision they made.]
gotta stay close, gotta keep warm～
The ball is in his park now, and he doesn't even realize it yet. Everything's moved past anything that could be played off as a prank, or a mindless flirt. Starting with the big confession that has metaphorically shaken his world, and followed by... many things. Ever since that night when Rude joined on his impulsive "night-out" Reno got to do little... maybe not "soul-seeking", but looking inwards, trying to figure shit out.
Why is he scared shitless of something that he would most likely once kill for to get a taste of? Because it was far more real than he could handle? Because when he was coming to terms with an attraction towards his partner, he never made a real move, because— potentially losing what they had (a nearly perfect thing) wasn't worth honest admission that maybe he wants more.
Like what the fuck is even that "more"? Why he's never gonna think about it, risk getting overwhelmed by his own emotions, because that's not what he is. He is loud, cocksure, insufferable, forward, never says no, gets shit done, and surely, surely he's not actually a person underneath all of that, that might... question, doubt, or feel any of those pesky vulnerable feelings. Ew.
But if he continues that way, there isn't a place for "more" is it?
Well, fuck it. Fuck it all. Time to concentrate on the one really important thing. ]
Uh-huh. Challenge accepted. I can do that. Show you some real appreciation you deserve.
[ Keeping his partner warm. And placated— good graces sounds like an excellent place to be. And it's his time to make a move. Actions speak louder than words, or something like that. He can feel how the skin warms under his touch and he curiously explores with pads of his fingers where skin ends and scales start. And, ah Rude had always packed a punch, each muscle and each valley between is perfectly sculpted. Tons of hard work, training and missions both. Reno dips his face into the crook of Rude's neck, lips mysteriously brushing the skin, but then his fingers find something on his partner's chest. A scar, one of the many, still when he speaks he exhales near Rude's ear ]
Ah— I remember that one.
[ That bullet ]
no subject
But this was new between them, at least in some ways, and there was plenty to explore. Lots of areas and tastes and preferences to be explored and shared and found together. That was a tantalizing thought.
Not that he had room for much thinking. Reno's exploration was warm and comforting, and enticing, and Rude pressed into it needily. He squeezed Reno's thigh gently to encourage.
The words in his ears were a distraction, but the feeling wasn't unpleasant. His mind took a moment to register where Reno's hand had stopped. That. Yeah, he remembered that one, too.]
You should.
no subject
"Wasn't that one for me"? Is almost on the tip of Reno's tongue, but he stops himself from going there. It's time to be a warm blanket, no? Do the appeasing. So his fingers resume their slow mapping. ]
I remember every time you gave me a heart attack. [ Reno murmurs at the end of a huff. Not a chastising, just a joke, and acknowledgment of all the crazy shit they've been through together. ] But we're square on that, I bet.
[ Time to grow bolder. Those lips on Rude's neck before? Turns out not to be an accident. Deliberately, he slides his mouth down his partner's neck, shifting a bit to reach his collarbone, briefly tasting the skin and scales. That's when he bites and follows it with a kiss, not hard, just enough to be noticeable, hopefully pleasant. And should it leave a mark, it's gonna be hidden by the usual shirt's collar. See? Considerate! (Or just a little shit) ]
no subject
[He hadn't expected the sudden bite at his collarbone despite the teasing trail Reno's lips made as he was talking. The gasp of surprise was almost inaudible but the soft groan afterwards wasn't nearly so. Whatever else Rude had been going to say was lost to the pleasure he felt from that tantalizing action. Rude shifted, pressing bodies together, and back out; he tucked his head down and spoke softly in Reno's ear. Demanding:]
More.
no subject
Then comes in the demand, warm breath on his ear sends a delectable shiver down his spine, and the way his partner moves against him, shifting his hips, makes him moan softly. It's not fair (but he never plays fair himself)- and it's what makes it so exciting. He's trapped completely and at Rude's mercy, and that's enough to make his heart beat faster. The entirety of his world, locked under the blankets consisting only of an infuriatingly hot dragon—
Beneath them, the stuffing of the mattress crackles, as he wantonly presses against his partner's larger frame. Literally, no one lives on this floor, and two floors beneath them. That's a lot of privacy to get comfortably settled in.
But there is a demand to give in to. The softness of Reno's lips traces the bite mark, before he follows it again, this time with the tip of his tongue. He traces up, as far as he can reach, to the mighty shoulder— leaving a trail of warmth, that cools down all too soon. The texture of scales tells him where to not attempt another bite— and there it is again, the taste of skin. Drives him a little bit crazy, really. Once again he lets his teeth sink in, savouring the half-second of resistance before the skin nearly yields under the pressure and sharpness.
—or maybe it did. He swears he can feel a bead of blood on his lips, but maybe it's just imagination? ]