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 Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:06 am
Moments, minutes maybe, after leaving the small congregation of guardians, mages and Thorn, Marc found himself wandering through the compounds. His feet were familiar with the layout now, and it would take some time for him to get lost. Where he was going, he didn't know. But his feet did. His feet directed him towards one place.
The labs.
What had Talon meant, by going out with Hadrian last night? Marc had no idea. He knew of course, that he had caught the two of them making out. But it had been a mistake on Hadrian's part, and surely a mistake on Thorn's. He knew the way the man looked at his mage, but it was something he would have been able to grow used to.
All men shoudl look at Hadrian that way. Because Hadrian was worth it.
Still. Questions, half answered and half formed flitted through his mind as he tried to add some order to them. It was difficult, and when that didn't work... well.
His feet carried him past the main door into the inner sanctum, and he waited for just a moment as he looked for the mage. He had some questions to ask.
But he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:09 am
Hadrian had just finished making his rounds, checking on each of the Souls; in fact, he was just on his way back to his office (to put a dent in that mountain of paperwork, he hoped), when he spied Marc.
"Marc!"
He called down the hall, since his lover heading down one of the others, as he stepped towards it. There was warmth in his voice and a smile on his face at seeing him; he wasn't thinking of last night at all.
No, he had more important people in his mind.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:14 am
The voice, the look in his eyes had Marc forget for just a moment what he had come all this way for. He smiled back, relaxing at the familiar sight of the mage, and some part of him dipped. Melted. Warmed. Whatever it was that happened, it made the man feel good. Really, really good.
"Hadrian." he said right back, eyes narrowing with amusement as he walked forewords. "You look busy." he wrapped his arms around the man, hands loosely locked together behind his back. "I met Dacian and Ahneta today." his voice, was rueful. Amused. Wary.
Dacian, was the same, really. But that other woman.
"Ahneta... she's different." he said outloud. Different from Dacian, different from Hadrian. Honestly, he had expected a mix of the two of them in the woman. Except she had been wilder, bolder.
A lot like Thorn.
The thought had him abruptly pause. He had been about to n** at the man's jaw, as was habit. But the thought... well.
"How have you been?" he enquired, looking into those eyes. The monocol seemed slightly smudged. Later, he'd clean it for the mage. "I'm sorry I wasn't around last night."
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:20 am
"Ahneta?"
Giving a rueful laugh, Hadrian nodded, "Yes, I know what you mean. When I first met her, I was beyond shocked...I don't think you know this, but Dacian and Ahneta are actually from the other empire. There are some severe differences in personal conduct at that other one from where I grew up, and I was definintly not prepared for someone like her."
"And not too busy. There's a mountain of paperwork in my office, but I've been thinking about hiring someone to do some of that..."
And whoever did it deserved quite a bit of cash, that was for sure.
Then, the question about last night - well, that brought up some thoughts of his own that he'd been trying to ignore.
"It's fine," he gave a wry smile to the other man, but avoided actually answering that further - he didn't want Marc to know that he'd spent the evening with Thorn. Not willingly, but still...
"How about we go out tonight? Make up for last night."
The mage hoped Marc didn't press. He was in a good mood, and didn't want that ruined...
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:26 am
Marc didn't know why he had asked the question in the first place. Had he wanted the mage to confess, so that he could get angry? Or to lie, so that he could get angrier? Either way, the vague, 'let's avoid the topic' reminded him of the other fight they had had before.
The one that involved his profession. And he didn't want to repeat an argument yet. Not so soon. First of all, he couldn't take it. Second of all... well. Haki would probably really kill him this time round.
So he nodded his head. Unhooking his hands and sliding one hand over the mage's shoulder, he smiled. "Why don't I go with you, then? I'll keep you company while you finish some of the paperwork." his ears had perked up at the thought of Hadrian hiring someone.
"Does that mean you'll have more time for me?" he grinned, easy going, really. Except... well. He didn't know.
Only this stupid mage could have him feeling so unsure of his own plans. His thoughts. "Tonight? It's been a while since we've gone out together in public." he looked over, and smiled.
He didn't want it broach it, not really.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:32 am
Hadrian, for once, was in an adventurous mood. Though for this man, adventurous meant going on a date...not quite the sort of things that an adventurous Marc would do, for example. Maybe his lover would get him there eventually, but for now, he was still somewhat prudish.
"I should have more time, yes, if I do so...I could certainly work less, if I didn't have to spend all day trying to lessen that pile." the mage began moving in the gradual direction of his office then, though he didn't actually leave contact with Marc; no, it was more of shifting both of them in that direction.
If Marc wasn't going to bring it up - well, he wouldn't either.
A while since they'd been out...yes, it had been. "Exactly why. Just the two of us, without any chance of someone walking in..."
Like Haki. He always felt nervous when he and Marc were together and Haki was in the flat - he'd be mortified if she walked in on them. Even if they were just making out.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:38 am
"Like Haki?" he voiced, because he was thinking about it to. Who would have thought that he would actually grow to love that little girl? He had seen her as a means to an end. A pretty blonde girl to cart around... but now, the thought of having a son instead of a daughter seemed ludricous.
Really.
"That sounds good." he grinned. "What would you like to do?" it was nice, standing side to side, hip to hip, led to led, arm to arm... well. Along those lines. It would be nicer doing something else, but Marc wasn't sure about it yet. He wasn't sure how to.
"What did you do last night with Thorn? I'd want to beat it, of course." The words slipped his mouth easily, as if they were suggesting ideas of what to do tonight.
By the time the last word left it, he was left feeling shocked.
Well.
It was out in the open, now.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:43 am
Hadrian had been about to open his mouth and suggest something -
When Marc mentioned Thorn.
Stopping, more from surprise then intent, he stared at Marc. A moment later he spoke, incredulous, "Surely you don't think think that was intentional? Natalie invited me to the play, but I didn't plan her inviting Thorn as well..."
For some reason, it didn't occur to him to explain exactly what it was that had happened; he just assumed that Marc had been told - by Thorn, no doubt - at least part of the story. And probably not entirely accurate, at that.
And...well, what he said wasn't entirely the truth. He had known she was inviting Thorn, after all.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:47 am
Marc stopped too, and turned his body to look at Hadrian more intently, arm slipping but not really quite off that mage's shoulder. In fact, he was probably touching more of Hadrian then he had been a while ago. His eyes searched the mage's-- Thorn had told him nothing, letting it slip only that they had been together, last night.
"Jane Eyre, right?" he asked, but not really waiting for an answer. He trusted the mage. He had no choice, because you don't get so far into emotions and not have trust tangle everything up.
But still... it was a masochistic side of him that had him push, just a little bit. "The man seems to have a lot of interest in you." he frowned then, and it was concern that leapt across his features.
"He hasn't made you uncomfortable, has he? He didn't hurt you in any way, or make advances?" It would be just like the man to try something, and really, it would be like Hadrian to fall for it.
It was part of his appeal... but right now, Marc wished he was more jaded then that.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:51 am
"Actually, I'm more concerned by the amount of interest he seemed to have in Natalie, last night. She's just a school girl..."
Another excellent side step. Thorn had definintly made advances - more then made them, really, he'd 'scored' - but he wasn't about to tell Marc that unless backed into a corner. He just...
Didn't want his lover to even catch a hint of what had happened.
So if he led Marc towards thinking that Thorn had shifted interest from Hadrian to Natalie - well, all the better. And he wasn't even actually lieing, just...not answering certain questions.
Right. That was why he felt guilty.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:58 am
"Natalie, the girl in the skirt?" he paused, holding on to this new piece of information with a frown. "I saw her today too. She thanked him for last night..." his smile was wry. "Thorn does manage to get his way with almost everyone." he responded, and paused. "Well, why don't we go to your office, then?"
He was frowning as he said this, worried about the girl, partially because eventually Haki would be that age too. (Of course, she wouldn't be allowed to wear skirts. At all. Maybe ones to her ankles. But only if they were formless and ugly.)
"Hadrian." he said, mildly. "I work for Thorn for a living, you know." he said this, because he realized now that the mage hadn't answered his question. He was _more_ concerned, but didn't that mean that the man was concerned for himself ******** on a stick.
He should never have opened his mouth in the first place.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:02 am
The comment about Thorn managing to get his way with everyone -
Hadrian managed to avoid wincing. Barely. Because he knew that was fact, even if the man had to resort to alcohol to get what he wanted...
As they entered the office, the mage spared one dour glance for the paperwork piled on his desk before turning his gaze back on Marc.
"Yes...I know."
Cautious, but he didn't quite understand where his lover was intending to go with that statement; and he hadn't even realized the other figured out he hadn't answered the question. So, furrowing his eyebrows as he peered at Marc, he spoke again,
"What about it?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:09 am
The office was busy. Another time, later, he would offer to help out. He could do basic, menial labour if it meant getting the mage out of the lab faster. But right now? He had bigger things to worry about in his mind. He looked around, and choosing an edge of the desk where there was enough room to lean on, he did just that.
Looking, at Hadrian. Eyes fastening onto his with strength. He wasn't a coward. Marc wasn't a coward. And no matter how many times he said that, he wasn't sure.
"You never answered my question."
How silly, how immature. But around the mage he grew silly and immature. He grew resentful and jealous and also a little bit too paranoid. But he couldn't help it. Not with Thorn.
He tried to keep his gaze. He didn't want to be the first to lower in, because he didn't want to miss a flicker of the glance, emotion to darken those already dark eyes.
He didn't want to risk being wrong. Not that he wanted to be right either.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:58 am
Hadrian, thinking that he had managed to side-step the question, wasn't expecting it brought back up. So it was the effect of opening his mouse, then letting it click shut again. What could he say?
Yes, Thorn had made him uncomfortable. Yes, he had made advances...and hurting - only emotionally. Or, well, he couldn't remember some of that night, so who knows what happened then; but really, how could he answer that question?
"He still does seem to have...interest."
In Hadrian. Delicately stated, and with a disgruntled expression on his face, he seemed dismayed by even having to think about this. To have to tell Marc this. But he couldn't outright lie to his lover...
He wasn't any good at actually lieing, for one thing. Marc would know, and probably assume the worst.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:43 am
Marc did know. It wasn't a lie, but it was still something. He saw the look on Hadrian's face, the expression that let him know it wasn't the whole truth. Not a lie maybe, but it wasn't the truth. Marc didn't need to look at the expression to know this- however. It was in the voice. The hesitation.
And Marc.
Well. He was upset.
"He does, does he?" he said the words quietly. Quiet was easier to manage, quiet let you pretend you still had some control over the events. And it was in the reduced silence that he nodded his head.
"I understand." Did he? All he knew was that Hadrian had hesitated. And he looked... he looked awful. And both of this was enough to wonder what Thorn had done to win this man over so completely, that he would lie for him.
Win over. Lie. Marc liked to jump to conclusion. Actually, he hated it. But his mind did it all the same. Whatever had transpired... well. It sounded dark. And sticky. And probably erotic in many forms of the kama sutra.
Probably.
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