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 Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2019 10:58 am
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Noah awoke feeling simultaneously a little confused and also very warm and comfortable.
It too him a moment to remember where he was, because this was definitely not his unreasonably fancy loft in the heart of downtown Destiny City. This was a smaller, quieter, more personalized room, with lots of pictures hanging everywhere and the sound of soft snuffling coming from one corner of the room where there was a cage.
Ellis. That's where he was - this was Ellis' room. He'd stayed the night.
Noah took a moment to bask in the sheer wonderful knowledge of this; of the fact that he'd gotten to have Ellis in his arms, and that he'd gotten to have Ellis' mouth on his again and again and again, and that he'd spent most of the night just being with Ellis, because he was wonderful and great and everything was basically perfect.
It might not stay that way; Noah was smart enough to know that just because it was blissful now didn't mean that it was going to keep being blissful, but for now he could at least lay here and submerge himself in all of his happy feelings because Ellis Crowley was his boyfriend and that made everything better.
Ellis, who was currently lying curled up in Noah's arms, facing him, head bent a little so that he could nestle against Noah's bare chest. Noah had an arm looped around his waist to keep him there, and the blankets were pulled up around them, snug and comfortable.
He shamelessly let his gaze run over Ellis' sleeping face, tracing the fine lines of his jaw and the way the red hair fell over his cheekbones. Gently, he lifted a hand, trying hard not to wake Ellis up, and smoothed a few stray strands away, caressing his face tenderly, tucking red curls behind Ellis' ear.
It was joyous. Noah adored it.
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2019 11:37 am
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The gentle brush called to Ellis in his dreams, confusing him as he went from staring at a wide, endless ocean to suddenly trying to push away a tree branch that was tangling in his curls. He made a low noise in his sleep and reached up with a pale hand to brush it away both in the dream and waking world, oblivious too the man that was holding him so closely. Then the tree was growing and the ocean wasn't an ocean anymore, but a sea of green, shining like emeralds, vibrant and beautiful and a color that reminded him so much of..
Of what?
The veil of his dreams cracked as he realized where he had seen that green before and he came to, slowly. The warmth around him was the first thing his body acknowledge and he curled closer to it, dragging the blankets up closer to his face and snuggling against Noah's side. Then his blue eyes parted, blinked against the light, and very, very slowly settled on the eyes staring back at him. That's where he had seen that green before, that beautiful, alluring emerald stare.
"Hey," his voice was raspy but he pulled a lazy smile into place.
There was no way to describe the way it felt to fall asleep and wake up in the same place. He was warm and comfortable, peaceful and calm. It was a new feeling for Ellis who spent most of his time alone and struggling in the grips of a growing anxiety. All he could do was let his absolute adoration for the other shine through his baby blues and slip an arm across his chest so that he could drag his body closer. One leg hooked across Noah's, letting his knee rest on his inner thigh, and then he relaxed into their tangle, just like that.
His head turned just a fraction so that he could press a gentle kiss into his boyfriend's chest.
"Good morning."
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2019 12:42 pm
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It was simultaneously disappointing and delightful to feel Ellis stirring in his arms; disappointing only because Noah would have loved to be able to watch him sleep in peace for a while longer. But delightful, because it meant he got to have those baby blues open up to see him, and watching Ellis' groggy mind put the pieces together of where they were and who was with him was lovely.
"Hey," said Noah softly, and gave a hum of pleasure as Ellis slid closer, legs tangling together. He looped his arm contentedly over his boyfriend's waist, tugging him even more towards him, and felt lips against his chest, everything languid and soft and hazy in the morning light.
At least he was pretty sure it was morning. They couldn't have slept that late.
Noah couldn't bring himself to care. He didn't have classes, and right now his mind was full of this redheaded beauty that was coming awake in his arms, snuggling close in a way that made his heart ache with joy. He smoothed a hand up Ellis' bare back, fingers skittering along his spine.
"Sleep well?" Noah asked, ducking his head to kiss the top of Ellis'. "How are you feeling?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2019 1:18 pm
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After everything, it was silly that such a soft, gentle kiss against his crown could make him flush and smile so easily, but there it was. Ellis was true to his own nature. The fingers splayed against Noah's side flexed and traced the line of his ribs, drawing down until he hit the bottom one, then back up until he met the crook of his armpit.
It was languid and lazy. Peaceful.
"Yeah," he mumbled around a sleepy yawn that parted his lips. He didn't want to get out of bed yet, even if he could hear Poe rustling in his cage. Instead, his warm cheek rested against Noah's chest and his eyes fluttered low again, nearly shut as he lay there. "I slept really well, actually. I don't, usually."
Usually he woke up to every noise, panicked and worried that something was happening outside - like one of those dreadful dark army thugs causing trouble - or that, worse, someone was trying to break in. As well kept and neat as his apartment complex seemed to be, he knew it wasn't in the safest part of town. It was old, in an old block of the city, and it was prime stomping grounds for delinquents. With Noah, though, he had slept more peacefully than he had in a long, long time. He didn't know if it was just because someone else was there with him for once or if, like everything else, Noah had dampened some part of his worry over it.
"Mmmm," at his second question, Ellis stretched. Long arms and legs curled and straightened so that his muscles could lengthen, his back arched so that his belly pressed against Noah's side, then very, very slowly he curled back into him and relaxed. His eyelashes fluttered as they rose to look up at Noah's face again.
"I feel good. A little sore but in a lazy, good way. Did you sleep okay here?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2019 2:08 pm
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He could have honestly stayed like that for ages; just a lazy, relaxed, warm and soft morning with nothing but the two of them together, twined together safe and sound. Noah adored the feeling of Ellis' fingers skimming up and down his side, his own hand absently tracing patterns against the small of his back.
"That's good," he said gently. The yawn was adorable, which felt sappy to think, but Noah was beyond caring just how stupidly smitten he was at this point. "Sleeping with someone else always helps, I think. Especially if that someone else is your boyfriend."
He was going to keep saying it because it still made him thrill with a giddy joy. Noah watched Ellis stretch like a cat, all long limbs and pale skin, brushing against him with the movement, and then he was curling back up against him, and Noah tugged him close. In one smooth movement, he rolled onto his back, pulling Ellis with him across his chest so that he could wrap both arms around him, keeping themselves together, tangled in sheets.
"I'm glad it's not too bad. I hoped it wouldn't be, you know. Awful or whatever." He never wanted to hurt Ellis, but the aches were unavoidable in this case. Noah smoothed his hand up and down Ellis' back, a tender, affectionate gesture that was mostly absentminded, as though it was a perfectly normal and usual thing to do.
He smiled up at Ellis. "I slept wonderful. Maybe because I had a gorgeous guy to keep me warm."
His voice was teasing. Noah's smile turned into a grin.
"We'll just have to figure out how to make it a regular occurrence, I think."
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2019 2:53 pm
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The enthusiasm in Noah made him smile. Ellis was a lazy morning person but he should have known that Noah wouldn't be, not really, and it didn't surprise him as a torrent of bubbling compliments rained down upon him within minutes of being in the waking world. It was good, though, and he laughed as strong arms slid around his waist and pulled him up to sprawl along his boyfriend's frame.
"That definitely helps," he mumbled as he relaxed into Noah's body, letting his legs dip between his as his fingers splayed across the firm chest beneath him. He wanted to lay his head down but he also wanted to keep staring into those gentle eyes. It was unfair. He compromised by folding his arms on top of Noah's chest and letting his chin rest on them. That way, he could still stare up at his eyes, even if the soft, gentle way he was stroking his back made his own eyelids lull.
"I think that would be nice," he murmured gently, "but I don't want you to have to come all the way out here if you have class or something."
He also didn't want to just invite himself to Noah's apartment, even if they were dating, because that was a little weird.
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2019 6:50 pm
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Noah was exactly the sort of person who could sleep for two hours and wake up just as refreshed as if he'd slept ten. He was energized by physical activity, and considering how much had happened last night...well, either way he was already wide awake and practically bristling with energy.
He was still running his hand up and down Ellis' bare back, letting his fingers drift idly over the pale skin. Ellis was looking at him, and Noah smiled back up at him, lifting his other hand to brush away some of the curls from his face - any excuse to touch them, really, because he was shamelessly addicted to them.
And to Ellis.
His heart gave a little twinge. He wanted to say that he could invite Ellis over, wanted to say that it shouldn't be a problem...except that it was. His own loft was what it was, and he didn't want to make a big deal out of it, except he couldn't exactly hide half of his life for very long.
"Well, we'll make it work," Noah said, and then exhaled a breath. He had to be honest about this, but...next time.
"We'll just have to go back and forth, won't we?" he said cheerfully. "Besides, if it means I get to see you, then why the hell would I mind coming out here?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 11:07 am
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Nothing about the way his boyfriend spoke made him suspicious about his life. So far, Noah has been perfect, so why would he assume there was anything odd about the way he disregarded the option to go to his place. Maybe he had a bunch of college roommmates he had never mentioned, maybe he secretly lived in this awful dorms he heard so much about. Ellis likes his apartment and, despite the possibility of some awkward encounters, he didn’t think there was any reason for Noah not to be there.
“If you’re sure,” he all but purred, leaning his head into the hand that had brushed away his bed tussled curls, looking for more of that gentle touch. But then he remembered himself, and what day it was, and he strained his neck to look at the clock on the bedside table.
10:30
Red, digital numbers stared at him and he stared back, confused over how late it was for a breath. Then he remembered that the time had shifted and he groaned. They had lost an hour. It made him pout as he settled his chin back into his arms and looked back to Noah.
“I have to be at the bar by 3 to set up. We’ve got a little while but I know it’s going to go too fast anyway.” His lips were still set in his sulking as a hand rose and began tracing circles beneath the ridge of the other man’s collarbone. He watched the way his pale finger slid across the soft skin there, then slid it up along the line of the bone itself. “You could meet me after, though, if that’s not too... clingy.”
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 5:55 pm
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Noah was trying very hard not to show how relieved he was that Ellis hadn't seemed to notice the weird way in which he'd spoken about his own living situation. It wasn't that he didn't want Ellis over, because heaven knew he did, especially since Noah lived alone, whereas Ellis had his roommate slash best friend living with him. But just the sheer difference in their apartments to start with was a daunting prospect for Noah to explain.
He didn't want to make it weird. Or awkward. Or make it seem like he was just playing around, somehow, because that was always the case when you had people with money, Noah had learned. And granted, he had played around for a while, but Ellis was different. Ellis was special and he was beautiful and he was kind and gentle and Noah didn't want to do anything to ruin this new and wonderful thing between them.
"I'm totally, a thousand percent sure," Noah said, feeling Ellis tilt his head into his hand and grinning. "Where you are, I am, baby."
His own eyes followed Ellis' to the clock, and it also took him a moment to register the time difference. Fingers traced patterns along Noah's shoulder blades, dipping between them, almost mimicking what Ellis was doing to his collarbone unintentionally.
The pout was unreasonably cute, even if it shouldn't have been. Noah let out a long sigh, and his hand moved from Ellis' back to rub his thumb affectionately over Ellis' lower lip, smiling up at him.
"Trust me," he said, "You can't possibly be too clingy for me. I'll totally meet you after work. What time do you get off?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 6:42 pm
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The redhead let his eyes droop as fingers splayed between his shoulder blades and wrote swirls into his flesh. Noah had a magical ability to take even the deepest, tiniest sparks of his doubt and smother them away into the abyss. It was an art form, he thought, considering how much of his life had been spent trying to tell himself he was worthwhile, that he was likable, that he didn't ruin everything he touched...
Even now he was losing himself to his thoughts, drawn back out only as Noah's thumb brushed across his lip. It turned his pout into a smile instantly, brightening his eyes and bringing them back up to full attention. As Noah spoke, he pursed his lips together and brushed a tender, gentle kiss into the pad of the straying thumb.
"Some time between eleven and eleven forty-five, probably? It's hard to say. We try to have everyone out by ten thirty so we can clean up but drunks can be difficult. It's kind of late, so." He paused, and shrugged, fighting with another bubble of anxiousness born from his rational need not to make Noah's life any harder. "So if that's too late, I get it?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 8:11 pm
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He was wide awake, but something about Ellis being sleepy and contented on his chest was tugging at Noah's heartstrings. He could have fallen asleep again just like that, with his boyfriend and lover and sweetheart tangled up in blankets alongside him, soft and gentle. He wanted desperately to protect this beautiful person by any means possible.
The little kiss to his thumb made Noah smile; it was such an endearing little gesture and so very Ellis that his heart ached.
He moved his hand back to Ellis' back, palm against sleep warmed, bare skin, allowing himself both the privilege and the indulgence of being able to touch him, to soothe him. He could see the flicker in Ellis' eyes; Noah's expression was pleased, in spite of the hesitancy of the last question-that-wasn't-quite-a-question.
"Hey, don't worry about it being too late," he said firmly. "I'm gonna be there. And I'm gonna give you a good night kiss."
Even if he was staying the night. Which he wasn't sure he was, but still. Noah was already formulating a plan in his mind to deal with the drunks can be difficult comment, which, as offhand as Ellis had said it, made Noah want to punch said drunks.
"It'll be great, I'll be the one wearing the khakis, looking for my cute boyfriend."
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Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:07 pm
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Ellis flushed. He really couldn't help it and he knew that by now, Noah was more than used to it happening. He liked it, even, which was silly but at least it made Ellis smile through the heat in his cheeks as he remembered that.
"Okay," it was low and a little bashful, but he was grinning ear to ear, "I guess I'll be the cute boyfriend waiting for you, then."
A rustling across the room made him lift his head and there, paws against the side of the cage and nose twitching in the air, was Poe at his door. It made Ellis smile and, very carefully, he unwound himself from Noah's limbs and slipped out of the bed so that he could gather the little furball in his hands. Poe was small for an adult but it had never stopped him from being the best bunny he had ever seen. He was back in a moment, pulling back the sheets, and crawling carefully back to Noah with Poe in the crook of his arm.
As he settled back against the pillows next to the brunette, he let Poe rest against his chest and curled a hand down next to him so that he could grab Noah's and lace his fingers through the other's. Poe sniffed at the air and leaned a little forward toward Noah, hesitant, but comfortable where he sat on top of Ellis.
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Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 7:11 pm
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He adored that blush almost as much as he adored that red hair and those blue eyes. It was starting to become just one of those Ellis traits that Noah found continually endearing, to the point where he was going to end up acting like a starry eyed school girl pining for a crush.
"Hell yeah you will," he said, grinning. His arm slid from around Ellis as the other shifted upwards, Noah watching him with curiosity as he slid from the bed. He shamelessly let his eyes roam a little, watching Ellis appreciatively - but as soon as Ellis turned and began to crawl back into bed, Noah realized what he was carrying.
He let out a low sound, eyes widening. Ellis had curled himself next to Noah again, fingers tangled together, and Noah gave them a squeeze, his expression one of pure excitement; a little kid on Christmas morning who discovered that his favorite things had become presents.
"Is this...the famous Poe?" Noah whispered reverentially. He lifted his free hand, offering the tips of his fingers to the rabbit.
"He's beautiful."
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 8:05 pm
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Noah was absolutely enthralled.
"I've never had a pet," he said, watching the rabbit sniff eagerly at his fingertips, clearly learning the scent of him to make sure he wasn't some terrible intruder. "We didn't really have anything growing up. I wanted a dog - maybe a beagle or something, but my parents were always against it. I figured I'd get one when I was an adult."
Which he was now, but still had no dog. Noah's dream of having his own floppy eared best friend was still something to achieve, if he could ever manage to get things together enough to have a dog. He had the space and the money, it was just a matter of time, what with classes and all that.
Maybe things would change. Noah certainly hoped so.
Tentatively, he shifted his hand to under Poe's chin, moving them gently to scratch the underside of his soft muzzle. It should have been impossible that there was something that existed that was this cute in this world, but, well, the impossible had already been proven several times over by now.
"He's great," said Noah, with pure and unfiltered joy. "He's so great. Look at his little nose. And those ears."
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