Welcome to Gaia! ::

Pressing into that hand like he planned to keep it, Malory’s teeth bit into Eles’s palm, sloppy with a responding groan. By the time they stumbled out of the theatre, Malory was a dazed mess of boy. The tights were gone, leaving almost the whole stretch of his bare legs in the night air. The hat, sadly, had also been lost at some point. The buttons on the shirt had been done up entirely wrong, turning it into an asymmetrical designer piece.

Looking around, a little wide-eyed and blinking, he felt almost startled to see a whole world had been outside all along. That it hadn’t truly constricted to the two of them and whatever space was allowed in between. Brain slowly ticking back to its normal pace, Malory began leading them back the way they’d come. “I should call a ride.” Like he wasn’t actually sure.

Noting the alley ahead, he assured Eles, “If anything tries to eat me, I’ll watch you beat it with a pipe.” Oh yes, he had to use his phone to request a ride. With his free hand he began to fumble to pull it out.

Phone, acquired. Opening it, he saw the picture they’d taken at the beginning of the night. He should send that to Eles, whose phone is where pictures were sent to rest in silent peace for eternity. Sending it over, he decided to forgive Eles for the particular sin of never responding to the photos Malory sent, even after getting the thing unlocked and learning to use it. Leaning even further into the other boy, he planted a hard kiss on his cheek with a grand, “You’re forgiven.”

Oh and they needed a ride. Refocusing back on his phone screen, he eventually got the ride ordered. Then had to quickly adjust the request from picking them up at home to taking them there.

“Okay. Done. I did it.” He looked back over at his boy, face openly expectant.

Which morphed into distracted approval, “You’ve gotten so much better at that. Looking very cool with just the right amount of destruction.”

“Isn’t that why anyone starts smoking?” What else was there other than how it looked? At least until they managed to get a hook in someone, became a habit. He considered describing the atmosphere it could give someone, the way it could be another sort of nonverbal language. But why try to make Eles overly aware? He didn’t need it, didn’t ever really need the masks and posturing Malory so loved to play with and indulge in.

The soft adoration had yet to clear up into Malory’s more typical barbed affections, so he gave his boy another kiss on the cheek before getting into the car, only missing this time and getting a faceful of blonde locks. Then a chin. Then laughingly, nothing at all as he gave up and collapsed bonelessly into the back seat, giving the driver a wan smile.

“So do you want one, though?” He continued, before adding, “A motorcycle? A boat or a car?”

Malory was more than happy to be manhandled onto the very plaid lap, though he avoided leaning too far into that plastic shirt. He had a feeling it might stick to his face, and maybe he didn't have much left in the way of dignity but. Well, he didn't have much left and was honestly enjoying that fact.

The answer left him sighing, maybe he should tell his parents to get him another car. It could be a back up in case the road head situation proves dire. Or he could go with the bike, if only because Eles would look good on one, and his boy deserved crotch rockets of all sorts. The thing he couldn't do was leave the couple to their own ideas. The 17th century demi-cannon when he turned 15 was the last time he'd allowed for it. He was, as their child, lucky they had a fondness for beautiful, useless things, but he could only endure so much historical weaponry.

"We'll try some out, then."

The ride was comfortable, apparently they were lucky tonight in regards to traffic. After a brief lull, he gazed up at Eles's chin, noting the tiny line that lingered there still. Reaching up to touch it, he asked, "Was it a good first date?"

“Oh…that’s right, we did,” and Malory found himself beaming up at the boy at the surprise of that. It should feel strange and uncomfortable, especially without some kind of extra purpose or intention. A new way to seek benefits. An interesting new role to play around with. Wasn’t this fast? Wasn’t he so incredibly out of control here?

At worst, it was Eles promising to stick around a bit longer, maybe come back a little more after his first husband abducts him back into the sunset. But he hoped it meant so many more nights like this, more days like they’ve had. He didn’t need anything from Eles, and despite appearances, the other didn’t truly need him, either. Not to survive, not to get by, not to have some form of company. But the want he held for Eles’s presence, the quiet-sharp-cunning-mean-sweet-daring-wry-bold-hurting-coaxing-breaking enticement of him, was like turning toward the mirror and liking what he saw. It simply had to be this way. Every day. And he didn’t think he could tolerate a life without that. Wouldn’t enjoy who he became.

“Puts a bit of a high bar on our second, though.”

The less than well-earned tip was ludicrous, but at least she didn’t laugh at their exit from her car, as if Malory had grown several new limbs and didn’t understand the use of any of them. He kept wanting to touch Eles but also get into the house, but also maybe this called for another selfie together, to give their before a fun little after.

“At least three months,” he repeated. “And then you can start throwing me into graves.” It turned into a cheerful little singsong for their future.

“No white at the wedding,” Malory insisted as they approached the steps. Pausing at their base he considered 1) laying down instead of going up them, 2) leaping up several steps at a time, and 3) having Eles carry him up. All three probably ended up the same way: with him on the ground in various states of discomfort.

So he settled for the Fourth Best Option and just leaned heavily against his boy, hand seeking out Eles’s for once, instead of waiting with silent demand and expectation.

Being led through the much less onerous side gate, Malory sighed in relief. Eles truly understood his difficulties. How could he marry anyone else? And he, of course understood Eles’s difficulties in turn.

“You’re just afraid I’m going to vomit on you all morning, aren’t you?” It was said sagely, with a bit of smug mixed in. “But I never puke. I’m always the one holding the hair.” Something he’d denied Eles in his time of need, but there had been circumstances.

“On your right.” To make up for past cruelties, he helpfully pointed out the landmine awaiting Eles’s next step.

“Let’s sleep in the guest house.” Just to be on the safe side. He didn’t want to have to replace all his favourite bedding pieces again so soon. And it’d be like a little hotel stay, always a fun way to end a good first date. With that in mind, Malory began doing his best to be as burdensome as possible, free hand sliding up that stupid plastic shirt and teeth finding Eles’s clavicle.

“I still want to feel like s**t in the morning, though,” he assured the other boy.