( Pouring Bradley a drink in his bedroom in his apartment and taking a sip of his own glass... He's probably been drinking a lil harder lately, because stress. The room's still got all the default furniture the apartment came with, so it's kind of uncomfortable for Nero to exist in - but this bed's way comfier than the thin bed he had back in the manor.
He glances at Brad, not sure how to broach this topic. Does he know... No way, he's not the type... But also... Like... He can't be cursed with this knowledge alone...??? )
... Hey, you read the network? On the magi-tech thing they gave us. ( The phones, he means. ) Like, where different people post up messages and stuff.
[ he holds the glass while nero pours it, swirling it around before downing it in one gulp. he can hold his liquor quite well, so this much won't kill him, and even the lord of the night needs a break when thrown into a completely new place with new stuff to get used to. thankfully, the one single constant he needs in his life to feel anchored is sitting right next to him, so he's calmer than he would be under the circumstances.
he shrugs. ]
Ah, that thing? No. I thought it was a news outlet for everything that doesn't count as news.
( Honestly, Nero doesn't know what to make of it, but it's an all right distraction from popping open a recipe book from this place and having a crisis because he doesn't know what marinara sauce is and gaslighting himself into thinking he's a sham of a cook and...
Anyway, he takes his drink to his lips. His voice takes on a low, conspiratory, "you won't believe this thing I just saw on Twitter" type of tone: )
But yeah, that's about the reaction he expected. Nero half scoffs, incredulous himself. )
You won't believe it. The other day people were just, I don't know, takin' this assessment that tells 'em what they're into and just postin' it up on the network for everyone to see? Thought I'd walked into a Western saloon, I swear. "Rope bunny" was real popular.
( He doesn't know specifically what a rope bunny is, but, seeing those comments, he can kinda guess now. Cursed knowledge. )
( God, don't actually ask him (says guy who brought it up)— But he's starting to feel the alcohol just enough to not dismiss it totally. )
Ugh, it's like— I dunno, when you like bein' tied up, seems like? Real West stuff.
( He says that knowing Easterners are the nation of the most repressed people on the continent... anyway. )
There was this whole list of stuff like that. "Dominant," "Primal Hunter," "Voyeur"... No clue if it's normal, but a non-zero number of people were postin'.
[ wow. so this place was a wonderland of debauchery... it's a little weird how he doesn't feel as attracted to that concept as he would have in the past. right now, gossiping with nero felt way more fun than going online and telling the world just how big his dick is or whatever. but just slightly. ]
[ yay refill... he drinks it in one go again, flicking the glass off with magic onto the nearest table. you see, he needed his arm free to wrap it around nero's shoulder and bring him close. ]
I would if I had somethin' to gain from it. And who do you think you're talkin' to? Why're you suddenly embarrassed in front of me of all people?
[ is this his kink? pretending he's a pure white snowflake? ]
( Ugh, hey!! But he allows it... He presses a hand to Brad's chest in some protest, though - of the touch? Over the idea that a pure maiden like himself would have kinks??? Yes. )
Look, I don't recall ever bein' a rope bunny around you or nothin'.
( Ergo, he's pure. Unfortunately, he is embarrassed of his secret(???) biggest kink... big sexy charismatic bosses. )
[ he needs a second to imagine rope bunny nero.................. okay like five full seconds. ]
Maybe not that, but you gotta have something.
[ because that's how it goes, doesn't it? he knows how to please nero, but the truth is he's never actually thought of naming specific moments or positions or situations during their encounters to determine which in particular nero would consider his kink. ]
Unless you need me to say mine first like the coward you are?
( A little Northern bite in that. He takes a sippy, though, glancing pointedly at Brad. )
... But, what, you know 'em?
( Wait... Now he's morbidly curious... He knows Brad's Brad, but he's also never thought of specifics when it came to him... What's he into besides fat tits and Western chicks? (So, basically, the antithesis of everything Nero is.) )
( wow shut up some of us repress ourselves for no reason... )
... Yeah? Okay, so, what? Don't tell me you really like rope.
( He doesn't say that because he thinks Brad actually does, but to make the preceding question sound like a joke, just so he doesn't sound too eager to know Brad's kinks. But boy is he, )
[ he knew nero wouldn't resist asking, so the hand that was around his shoulder shifts a little to pull his head closer instead, lowering his voice to an almost whisper as he speaks directly into his ear. ]
I like it when you call me "boss".
[ and that's the truth. nothing gets his dick harder than that, for sure. ]
That, the combination of intimacy and tone and their unfortunate shared kink, gets a rush of heat running through him from his cheeks to his - anyway. He shoves at his chest, more forcefully this time. )
I— don't tell me like that.
( Half a beat, and only half, because tipsy as he is, he can't resist his curiosity— )
[ oho. he sneers, unfazed by the hand on his chest. ]
Ahh, you said it. [ his other hand comes up to grab onto nero's wrist, the one working so hard to keep him at bay. ] Even though I just told you it turns me on. Are you trying to turn me on, Nero?
What, we end up together, alone, at a place no one can find us, and all you can think of is getting jumped?
[ he leans even closer to lick his ear this time. ]
Is that why you brought up this kink stuff in the first place?
An embarrassing sound of surprise escapes him when Brad licks his ear, letting his (now empty) glass go on the bed so that one, too, can join the effort of shoving at Bradley - but not hard enough. )
Shut up— Ain't that what you're thinkin' about all the time? Gettin' your dick wet?
( Muttering... )
... You can have your pick of the litter out here... ( The kinky, kinky litter... ) It doesn't gotta be me...
[ can't believe they didn't even last 20 comments… sasuga 700+ doujin couple. ]
What are you talkin' about?
[ he's a little offended at nero's words, actually. he's pretty sure he's been unable to keep his hands off him since he recovered, so why would nero even think brad's mind would have room for anyone else? this is a honeymoon phase he plans to ride for years.
the grip on his wrist grows tighter, and he begins pushing his weight against him, trying to topple him down onto the mattress. ]
I own you, don't I? You said it yourself - that I can use your life however I wanted? Well, this is what I want: I wanna hear you say “thanks, boss” and stop questioning me.
( next time we can do a slowburn (horny only after comment 21)
Bradley's able to get him down easy, and quick enough Nero's looking up at Brad and his cool gaze. His heart's beating so fast he thinks he hears it in his ears.
I own you. The reminder of his own promise, their present circumstances, only makes it worse.
He parts his lips and hesitates for a few seconds, gazing at him - before, finally, he swallows, his eyes flicking away. )
... I can't... promise nothin' about not questioning you...
( Unfortunately, it's embarrassingly obvious that this is turning him on, too, and he seems to think looking away will somehow hide that fact. )
[ as if he'd ever ask nero to make a promise. every single time it's been nero who's volunteered to do so, and even if bradley were to ask him, he'd never request something as stupid as a promise to never question him. are you kidding? he loves it when nero challenges him.
but this is different, isn't it? nero clearly likes the reminder that he belongs to someone - it must take the anxiety away from making permanent decisions when he leaves that up to someone as capable and confident as bradley instead. and bradley meanwhile loves being relied on, so this is a perfect simbiosis.
he releases his wrist, though he doesn't expect nero to stop pushing at his chest. instead he brings that hand to the side of his face, caressing his cheek as he moves his bangs away from his eyes. he's quiet for a moment, just staring at him.
they really were alone at a new place where nobody knew them. there's still a chance this is the realm of some magical beast, or something like the forest of dreams… and maybe this won't be permanent, really. so why not enjoy his time with nero to the fullest? ]
Nero. You better not leave me again.
[ it's really just brad-speak for “thank you for being here, i couldn't do this without you :pleading_face:” but before nero can call him out on it with his deciphering abilities, he leans in to kiss him. he's been dying to, even though they've been all over each other for the past few months. it's a miracle nobody in the mansion has noticed - or maybe they have and just kept quiet for their sakes? who cares. ]
( Don't look at him like that - not with that gaze that gives him shivers, reminds him why he followed him and would do it again in a heartbeat if his own betrayal weren't twisting his tongue.
He won't leave him again. He can't. He promised. But, more than that - he hates how so much of him doesn't want to. Even way back when, when he was falling apart and trying to run far as he could from Brad and his gang, Nero didn't want to leave him. He'd just wanted to be with him, just like this.
There is a sense of resistance at first, Nero's stubborn guilt that acts as a wall, before he melts into the kiss easy, the way he always does, the sounds tipsy and needy and his breath wet. The hands pressing at Brad's chest start to curl in, pulling Brad closer like a lifeline.
If Brad weren't here with him, he doesn't know what he'd do. )
[ brad's been warned before, about letting something or someone else into your heart: they become your weakness, the thread on which to pull if they wanted him to come undone. eva told him, his family told him, he's seen it happen to other wizards and he knows there's no going back once it happens - he's known all his life. but no matter how much of the theory you know, no one is immune to love. bradley's heart is big and heavy and could harbor an entire country, but nero could squeeze that big heart in his fingers like it was made of foam.
if only nero wouldn't be intimidated by the vastness of bradley's heart - if only he’d try to hold it instead of immediately assuming it's too heavy for him to lift alone...
he kisses him back at his same pace, trying to make this last longer than it usually does - because they tend to jump into it so quickly all the time. and bradley doesn't mind it, usually. he's all about doing what you want, when you want it, however you want, but it's different when it's nero. with nero's he's greedy and wants as much of him as possible. the fact that nero's only comfortable because he has an out (pretending brad is forcing him to stay by his side because of the promise and because he told him he owns his life) isn't ideal; but bradley's confidence carries him through it. he knows nero likes it better this way because he loves brad, and he can tell by the needy noises he makes and the hands on his shirt clinging to him for dear life.
he moves the hand away from nero's face again to undo the buttons of his own shirt, then moves it back down to slide his palm under nero's shirt this time, feeling his skin under his fingers. for a second, he breaks the kiss. ]
Hey. You're not too drunk, are you?
[ tipsy's fine but what's the point if nero will pass out in the middle and also not remember??? ]
( A faint whine escapes his lips when Brad breaks it, wanting it more than he has his wits about him; he's not so far gone that a call out can't embarrass him into pushing Brad back to save what little pride he has (unsuccessfully), but, until he's reminded - his true feelings are plain.
His lips, slightly parted, purse into a tight frown at the question, the faint red of embarrassment heating his cheeks. Not embarrassed enough to breaks things off himself, fortunately for Brad. )
... 'm not a lightweight.
( Ugh. But he knows what Brad's really getting at. Brad's so - Nero doesn't know the word for it. He could make Nero do whatever he wants now, but he doesn't. He takes charge, but never too much. Even if Nero protests, Brad isn't too much when they're alone like this, hands pushed up under his shirt. Nero doesn't try to push them away. )
[ he didn't even stop to consider the question: the answer should be obvious. there's also the option to use magic instead of his hands to undress, but why rush the magic? his hands move in a calculated way over his chest, grinning against his mouth for a moment before kissing his briefly. ]
Think things'll be different here? Between us, I mean.
( If there's anything the alcohol's doing, it's making Nero dizzy and impatient - his body missing, already, what they didn't get to finish when Nova attacked. His stone says the kiss is unwelcome, but his expression gives away how badly he wants it. )
[ ah, he stops in his tracks for a second. he was thinking more like, can he slide his hands under nero's shirt in public or turn his face his way and kiss him without nero throwing a fit like usual. but now he's thinking of this. ]
somehow, the more embarrassing question - the one that gets Nero flustered most, that gets the back of his hand over his mouth and half his face, gaze falling away. The self-punishing part of him tells him he doesn't deserve this, doesn't deserve hearing it again, not the way Brad says it so fondly, so earnestly, so sincerely. The bitter part of him remembers the word as a shackle and a millstone; the guilty part of him wants Brad to berate him instead.
But the part of him that's always missed Brad remains, as has the part that's always loved him and what they used to be, before it all went sour.
He could protest. He has, all this time. But aren't things different now? Brad has the reigns; Brad owns his promise, and he could do whatever he wants with Nero. That's what Nero tells himself; that's how he rationalizes it.
Because he's afraid of saying yes. Because he's afraid of being so eager to jump right back to his same mistake, and tread the same path again - Brad always almost dead. But he doesn't have a choice, does he? (Or so he tells himself, again.)
( He parts his mouth to answer, which means he can't hide the first lewd sound that escapes his lips - and he immediately closes it, red as hell. But there's no doubt from the way soft gasps escape him and he shifts into the touch that he's feeling it :/ )
Hey— Don't— When I'm trying to, mmh, answer—
( ugh!!! He can spare one hand to push at Brad's chest to emphasize his point. )
I just— I'm yours, aren't I? So you get to decide what we are, now. And— if I hated it that bad, I'd say somethin'...
( He'll probably regret letting it slip he's into the idea too, but alcohol leads to looser lips and less awareness, so, )
[ while nero's busy complaining, bradley's hand has found it's way up to roll nero's shirt as far as it'll go, lowering himself over him to kiss a trail of wet kisses down his neck, to his collarbone, jumping past the rolled-up fabric and onto the soft skin of his chest. ]
. . . Then just be mine, and in exchange— [ he runs his tongue richly over the sensitive nipple right underneath, before wrapping his lips around it to suck, occasionally grazing it with his teeth. ] . . . —I'll be yours.
[ so it wouldn't be, for once, a one-sided relationship where nero's little more than a glorified underling, and more of an equal standing this time. ]
( His hands slide from Brad's chest to his shoulders, then tangled in his hair, at rest somewhere along the back of his neck as Brad works. But, fuck, that gets him just as bad as the kisses do, and Brad can feel it - the way the shiver runs down him when Brad speaks.
His lips part, and - he swallows. He hesitates, again. He wants it, he wants it, but... )
... You sure you wanna give yourself to someone who threw you away once before?
( He didn't, at heart. He said he did, he acted like he did, but he never let go. But, in Brad's view - Nero's sure it sure as hell seemed that way, and Nero spent a lot of time wanting it, betraying Brad every time he tied to break apart what they had, and what Brad kept trying to build back up.
His tone is thick with guilt. )
... Someone like me... doesn't deserve someone 's amazing as you... If I do it again— I could do it again. And I'd just go down with you...
( Even in this hypothetical scenario, he doesn't break his promise. He won't leave Brad again. He'll accept judgment. And if he does do in Brad somehow, he's going with him.
But Brad deserves better than that. Better than him. )
[ as turned on as he is by nero slowly losing himself under his touch, he knows he has to keep his wits about for at least long enough to respond and alleviate his anxiety. this comment in particular is something brad knows is a sour spot for both, but thankfully, bradley had a hundred years to consider the topic, so he simply raises his head slightly to meet his eyes. ]
I didn't like it, but . . . I'm glad you did it.
[ he lifts his hand to touch the side of nero's face, smiling an uncharacteristically soft smile. ]
'Cause now you've seen your life with me and without me, and you can decide which one you'd rather have.
( More than anything, he hates it when Brad is right.
Brad meets his eyes, and the connection holds - before Nero, as always, breaks it, always a little too faltering to hold his own in the face of Brad's relentless conviction, his sweltering affection. He could never be like him, no matter how much he wanted to. He could only ever be as little as he is.
And yet, Brad still wanted him. Why? Why? )
... It's weird...
( He can't help it; on instinct, his cheek comes to rest against Bradley's palm, closing his eyes. )
... I wanted so bad to get away, but I didn't feel like I was livin'. I couldn't stand seein' you all ripped up, but bein' out on my own...
( It was all right. It wasn't all bad. But he felt like a husk. An overbearing depression that made his mind a swamp; made it hard to think of the here and now, even on the best of days. Little things reminded him of Brad, and the gang. His thoughts would wander and he'd recall the past. He liked the shops he opened up, and he liked the people he met, the sort of stuff he got to do that he wouldn't have gotten to if he'd never gone out on his own.
But, still. Even then. )
... I didn'... feel like I had the right to miss you.
[ is this a bad time to tell nero that just looking at his face makes his dick hard? even when he's sad like this, avoiding his gaze, pressing into his palm with his eyes closed... well. he doesn't need to tell him. nero can probably feel it anyway. he huffs. ]
You won't be on your own again, Nero. I won't let you.
[ his partner, the most important person in his life, the only one he could leave his enormous legacy to, the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with... truthfully, despite being the one that asked, he has no words to describe his bond with nero. "boyfriend" was too silly. "husband" implied some contract with the government. "lover" felt more carnal than emotional... there was nothing to describe the deep love he felt for the anxious guy under him, who missed him so much he didn't know what to do with himself, like an idiot. ]
And I know you did miss me. 'Cause I missed you, too.
( Please don't get a boner while he's having having an emotional introspective monologue ???? Flush runs deeper across his cheeks again - in part because he can feel it, and, much more heavy in his heart, because of what Brad says. His chest echoes with his heavy heartbeats.
He hates it. He hates how Brad always tells him how he feels, and how he's sometimes (usually) not even wrong. He feels vulnerable and laid bare, but - it doesn't feel wrong. It's not like being exposed to a stranger, or an enemy, or even a friend - it's just - Brad's just - a part of him, and has been for a long time.
He turns his face half into Brad's hand, as if to hide himself - but this time, not turned away from him. )
... I just don't know what to do with you.
( Stupid, stupid Brad. Brad who still cares for him, wants him beside him, despite everything. Brad who can still look at him like this, talk to him like this, like he needs him.
It reminds him of that night, over a hundred years ago now, when Brad had begged him not to go. But this Brad is confident, comfortable, presumptuous; telling him they won't be apart, telling him how he feels, when Nero wants to deny it.
But, for once, he doesn't.
He mutters into Brad's palm: )
... That thing you asked earlier... ( About Brad asking if they can get handsy whenever, ) ... do whatever you want. 'm... fine with whatever, if it's you.
( Is he going to regret this later? Maybe. But also, Nero is almost as horny for Brad as Brad is for him. He's dignity might regret it, but his body sure won't, )
[ ..........hello? did nero just give him explicit permission to fondle and kiss him in public? he blinks down at him a few times, his voice stammering for a few syllables before speaking. ]
. . . Yeah?
[ this is new territory, even for him. back when they were in the gang, even at the time he was closest with nero, he never went out of his way to do anything of the sort in front of the other gang members. if it ever happened, it was done as a joke, but never with full romantic seriousness or sexual intent. this here feels different, like something couples do, and the question appears in his mind again— the question of the name of his relationship with nero, the question he literally just a second ago said he didn't want to answer.
his heart is racing - which is surprising, considering how little blood is left in his body to circulate. he huffs a smile, caressing nero's face and tucking his hair behind his ear. ]
You'll regret those words, partner.
[ yeah, well. "partner" has always been the term brad prefers, at the end of the day. partner means nero, even though he's aware it sounds childish and silly to others. when brad says it, he means it in a very intimate way, because it's the closest thing to his heart aside from family. he lowers himself back down to kiss him slowly and deep; his free hand slides down to tug at the hem of nero's pants, starting to feel a little antsy despite trying his best to make this last as long as possible. ]
( He'll absolutely regret them. But, right now - he doesn't want to. Brad calling him partner turns him on almost more than anything else, and he thinks he almost picks up the scent of those icy caverns in the north - the scent of their cramped little hideout, the distant sounds of the other guys not too far away, something half-finished in the kitchen, still simmering 'til it's time to serve.
It feels like home.
He kisses Brad back just as deep, feeling Brad hard against his stomach is almost as unbearable as his own pants feeling tight on him. Brad's hands, frustratingly, don't help him out of them - and he presses into his hands, his heel pressing down into the fabric of his pants to help tug it down, like giving Brad permission - and telling him to get on with it.
All this feelings talk has been just as bad on Nero's building need as it has been Brad, his fingers tangling in Brad's hair with one hand, nails digging into his back against the other, his scars like textured rivets against his skin - marks of Brad's strength, and always reminders that... for as strong as Brad was, he'd still brought him down, once. And that's a weight he'll always carry, no matter how much Brad wants to relieve him of it, even in moments like this, so long as he can still think. )
[ bradley only has so much patience when faced with a needy, horny nero, and he figures they've savored enough foreplay for magic to finally come into play. barely breaking their kiss, with their lips still together, he mutters his spell into nero's mouth, removing the rest of their clothes.
he rolls his hips slowly, rocking his hard cock against nero's stomach, kissing him back absently as he guides his own hand down to feel between nero's thighs for his entrance. as wizards, there's things they don't have to worry about and things that just naturally happen, and by now, with the countless times they've done it in the past, he knows how to tell when nero's so fucking wet he's about to go insane. it's a combination of those nails on his back and that grip on his hair, plus the countless little noises that come out of his mouth. nero might find it mortifying just how easily brad gets him horny, but for bradley it's always an ego boost. ]
Haha. Can't wait, huh? . . . At this rate you'll be done before we even start.
[ a theory he decides to test out by pushing two fingers inside him with ease, as far as they will go, hooking them and unrolling them to begin a steady rhythm that quickly rises in tempo. fucking him with his fingers until he comes might make nero mad, but wasn't that a good thing, really? he's doing him a favor by making the real thing last longer - like when guys jerk off before a date. it's the same thing. ]
( i'd say let him finish, but this isn't the kind of finish nero wants,
Brad's right it'll make him mad as hell. The first sound that escapes his lips into the kiss is embarrassing as hell, and every sound after is muffled between pursed lips - Nero trying to get out his hey—'s and knock it off, i'll kill you—'s between each press against his damn sensitive spot. But it doesn't take long for his protests to devolve into something more like just get it over with, a sort of needy pleading because he wants something more than this, and Brad knows exactly what, before he comes, and comes hard. He breathes hard, nails dug deep into Brad's scalp and neck, enough to draw deep, red lines - but his body relaxes.
Unfortunately, he's still horny as hell - he's just wetter between the legs now; stomach, too, from Brad's precum. And that just turns him on more. Fuck. )
... You're... the worst... ( And then, with need: ) Just— come on...
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He glances at Brad, not sure how to broach this topic. Does he know... No way, he's not the type... But also... Like... He can't be cursed with this knowledge alone...??? )
... Hey, you read the network? On the magi-tech thing they gave us. ( The phones, he means. ) Like, where different people post up messages and stuff.
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he shrugs. ]
Ah, that thing? No. I thought it was a news outlet for everything that doesn't count as news.
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( Honestly, Nero doesn't know what to make of it, but it's an all right distraction from popping open a recipe book from this place and having a crisis because he doesn't know what marinara sauce is and gaslighting himself into thinking he's a sham of a cook and...
Anyway, he takes his drink to his lips. His voice takes on a low, conspiratory, "you won't believe this thing I just saw on Twitter" type of tone: )
Hey. You ever heard the term "rope bunny"?
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The hell's a "rope bunny"?
[
i'll kill you]no subject
But yeah, that's about the reaction he expected. Nero half scoffs, incredulous himself. )
You won't believe it. The other day people were just, I don't know, takin' this assessment that tells 'em what they're into and just postin' it up on the network for everyone to see? Thought I'd walked into a Western saloon, I swear. "Rope bunny" was real popular.
( He doesn't know specifically what a rope bunny is, but, seeing those comments, he can kinda guess now. Cursed knowledge. )
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What? Like kinks an' shit? Is that normal here? . . . Maybe this is some hidden part of West country.
[ more importantly: ]
I still don't know what the hell a "rope bunny" is, though.
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Ugh, it's like— I dunno, when you like bein' tied up, seems like? Real West stuff.
( He says that knowing Easterners are the nation of the most repressed people on the continent... anyway. )
There was this whole list of stuff like that. "Dominant," "Primal Hunter," "Voyeur"... No clue if it's normal, but a non-zero number of people were postin'.
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Hah. Damn idiots need everything labeled, huh.
[ he shakes his empty glass at nero. more. ]
So? Did you post your own, too?
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Hell no. What do you take me for? Didn't even touch the assessment.
( Though, he was curious... He might still have the link open in a tab somewhere (currently untouched) (but the temptation is there)... )
I ain't got none, and I'm not postin' what I've got— what I don't got for everyone to see. C'mon, would you?
( Nero figures it's kind of a toss-up with Brad, tbh, big dick whore that he is, )
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I would if I had somethin' to gain from it. And who do you think you're talkin' to? Why're you suddenly embarrassed in front of me of all people?
[ is this his kink? pretending he's a pure white snowflake? ]
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Look, I don't recall ever bein' a rope bunny around you or nothin'.
( Ergo, he's pure. Unfortunately, he is embarrassed of his secret(???) biggest kink... big sexy charismatic bosses. )
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Maybe not that, but you gotta have something.
[ because that's how it goes, doesn't it? he knows how to please nero, but the truth is he's never actually thought of naming specific moments or positions or situations during their encounters to determine which in particular nero would consider his kink. ]
Unless you need me to say mine first like the coward you are?
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( A little Northern bite in that. He takes a sippy, though, glancing pointedly at Brad. )
... But, what, you know 'em?
( Wait... Now he's morbidly curious... He knows Brad's Brad, but he's also never thought of specifics when it came to him... What's he into besides fat tits and Western chicks? (So, basically, the antithesis of everything Nero is.) )
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[ fat tits are not a kink okay they're a fetish, get it right. ]
I ain't picky, but I know what gets my dick hard.
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... Yeah? Okay, so, what? Don't tell me you really like rope.
( He doesn't say that because he thinks Brad actually does, but to make the preceding question sound like a joke, just so he doesn't sound too eager to know Brad's kinks. But boy is he, )
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I like it when you call me "boss".
[ and that's the truth. nothing gets his dick harder than that, for sure. ]
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That, the combination of intimacy and tone and their unfortunate shared kink, gets a rush of heat running through him from his cheeks to his - anyway. He shoves at his chest, more forcefully this time. )
I— don't tell me like that.
( Half a beat, and only half, because tipsy as he is, he can't resist his curiosity— )
... Boss.
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Ahh, you said it. [ his other hand comes up to grab onto nero's wrist, the one working so hard to keep him at bay. ] Even though I just told you it turns me on. Are you trying to turn me on, Nero?
What, we end up together, alone, at a place no one can find us, and all you can think of is getting jumped?
[ he leans even closer to lick his ear this time. ]
Is that why you brought up this kink stuff in the first place?
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An embarrassing sound of surprise escapes him when Brad licks his ear, letting his (now empty) glass go on the bed so that one, too, can join the effort of shoving at Bradley - but not hard enough. )
Shut up— Ain't that what you're thinkin' about all the time? Gettin' your dick wet?
( Muttering... )
... You can have your pick of the litter out here... ( The kinky, kinky litter... ) It doesn't gotta be me...
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What are you talkin' about?
[ he's a little offended at nero's words, actually. he's pretty sure he's been unable to keep his hands off him since he recovered, so why would nero even think brad's mind would have room for anyone else? this is a honeymoon phase he plans to ride for years.
the grip on his wrist grows tighter, and he begins pushing his weight against him, trying to topple him down onto the mattress. ]
I own you, don't I? You said it yourself - that I can use your life however I wanted? Well, this is what I want: I wanna hear you say “thanks, boss” and stop questioning me.
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Bradley's able to get him down easy, and quick enough Nero's looking up at Brad and his cool gaze. His heart's beating so fast he thinks he hears it in his ears.
I own you. The reminder of his own promise, their present circumstances, only makes it worse.
He parts his lips and hesitates for a few seconds, gazing at him - before, finally, he swallows, his eyes flicking away. )
... I can't... promise nothin' about not questioning you...
( Unfortunately, it's embarrassingly obvious that this is turning him on, too, and he seems to think looking away will somehow hide that fact. )
... Boss.
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but this is different, isn't it? nero clearly likes the reminder that he belongs to someone - it must take the anxiety away from making permanent decisions when he leaves that up to someone as capable and confident as bradley instead. and bradley meanwhile loves being relied on, so this is a perfect simbiosis.
he releases his wrist, though he doesn't expect nero to stop pushing at his chest. instead he brings that hand to the side of his face, caressing his cheek as he moves his bangs away from his eyes. he's quiet for a moment, just staring at him.
they really were alone at a new place where nobody knew them. there's still a chance this is the realm of some magical beast, or something like the forest of dreams… and maybe this won't be permanent, really. so why not enjoy his time with nero to the fullest? ]
Nero. You better not leave me again.
[ it's really just brad-speak for “thank you for being here, i couldn't do this without you :pleading_face:” but before nero can call him out on it with his deciphering abilities, he leans in to kiss him. he's been dying to, even though they've been all over each other for the past few months. it's a miracle nobody in the mansion has noticed - or maybe they have and just kept quiet for their sakes? who cares. ]
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He won't leave him again. He can't. He promised. But, more than that - he hates how so much of him doesn't want to. Even way back when, when he was falling apart and trying to run far as he could from Brad and his gang, Nero didn't want to leave him. He'd just wanted to be with him, just like this.
There is a sense of resistance at first, Nero's stubborn guilt that acts as a wall, before he melts into the kiss easy, the way he always does, the sounds tipsy and needy and his breath wet. The hands pressing at Brad's chest start to curl in, pulling Brad closer like a lifeline.
If Brad weren't here with him, he doesn't know what he'd do. )
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if only nero wouldn't be intimidated by the vastness of bradley's heart - if only he’d try to hold it instead of immediately assuming it's too heavy for him to lift alone...
he kisses him back at his same pace, trying to make this last longer than it usually does - because they tend to jump into it so quickly all the time. and bradley doesn't mind it, usually. he's all about doing what you want, when you want it, however you want, but it's different when it's nero. with nero's he's greedy and wants as much of him as possible. the fact that nero's only comfortable because he has an out (pretending brad is forcing him to stay by his side because of the promise and because he told him he owns his life) isn't ideal; but bradley's confidence carries him through it. he knows nero likes it better this way because he loves brad, and he can tell by the needy noises he makes and the hands on his shirt clinging to him for dear life.
he moves the hand away from nero's face again to undo the buttons of his own shirt, then moves it back down to slide his palm under nero's shirt this time, feeling his skin under his fingers. for a second, he breaks the kiss. ]
Hey. You're not too drunk, are you?
[ tipsy's fine but what's the point if nero will pass out in the middle and also not remember??? ]
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His lips, slightly parted, purse into a tight frown at the question, the faint red of embarrassment heating his cheeks. Not embarrassed enough to breaks things off himself, fortunately for Brad. )
... 'm not a lightweight.
( Ugh. But he knows what Brad's really getting at. Brad's so - Nero doesn't know the word for it. He could make Nero do whatever he wants now, but he doesn't. He takes charge, but never too much. Even if Nero protests, Brad isn't too much when they're alone like this, hands pushed up under his shirt. Nero doesn't try to push them away. )
I know what I'm doin'. Do you?
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[ he didn't even stop to consider the question: the answer should be obvious. there's also the option to use magic instead of his hands to undress, but why rush the magic? his hands move in a calculated way over his chest, grinning against his mouth for a moment before kissing his briefly. ]
Think things'll be different here? Between us, I mean.
[ like... can we tell people... ]
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... What? You wanna call it somethin'?
( Debtor and creditor (no homo)...? )
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. . . You're my partner, right?
[ what else is there dot gif????? ]
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that's
somehow, the more embarrassing question - the one that gets Nero flustered most, that gets the back of his hand over his mouth and half his face, gaze falling away. The self-punishing part of him tells him he doesn't deserve this, doesn't deserve hearing it again, not the way Brad says it so fondly, so earnestly, so sincerely. The bitter part of him remembers the word as a shackle and a millstone; the guilty part of him wants Brad to berate him instead.
But the part of him that's always missed Brad remains, as has the part that's always loved him and what they used to be, before it all went sour.
He could protest. He has, all this time. But aren't things different now? Brad has the reigns; Brad owns his promise, and he could do whatever he wants with Nero. That's what Nero tells himself; that's how he rationalizes it.
Because he's afraid of saying yes. Because he's afraid of being so eager to jump right back to his same mistake, and tread the same path again - Brad always almost dead. But he doesn't have a choice, does he? (Or so he tells himself, again.)
He mutters: )
... If that's what you want us to be.
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You get a choice in this too, y'know.
[ don't think too hard about him fondling your chest meanwhile. ]
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Hey— Don't— When I'm trying to, mmh, answer—
( ugh!!! He can spare one hand to push at Brad's chest to emphasize his point. )
I just— I'm yours, aren't I? So you get to decide what we are, now. And— if I hated it that bad, I'd say somethin'...
( He'll probably regret letting it slip he's into the idea too, but alcohol leads to looser lips and less awareness, so, )
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. . . Then just be mine, and in exchange— [ he runs his tongue richly over the sensitive nipple right underneath, before wrapping his lips around it to suck, occasionally grazing it with his teeth. ] . . . —I'll be yours.
[ so it wouldn't be, for once, a one-sided relationship where nero's little more than a glorified underling, and more of an equal standing this time. ]
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His lips part, and - he swallows. He hesitates, again. He wants it, he wants it, but... )
... You sure you wanna give yourself to someone who threw you away once before?
( He didn't, at heart. He said he did, he acted like he did, but he never let go. But, in Brad's view - Nero's sure it sure as hell seemed that way, and Nero spent a lot of time wanting it, betraying Brad every time he tied to break apart what they had, and what Brad kept trying to build back up.
His tone is thick with guilt. )
... Someone like me... doesn't deserve someone 's amazing as you... If I do it again— I could do it again. And I'd just go down with you...
( Even in this hypothetical scenario, he doesn't break his promise. He won't leave Brad again. He'll accept judgment. And if he does do in Brad somehow, he's going with him.
But Brad deserves better than that. Better than him. )
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I didn't like it, but . . . I'm glad you did it.
[ he lifts his hand to touch the side of nero's face, smiling an uncharacteristically soft smile. ]
'Cause now you've seen your life with me and without me, and you can decide which one you'd rather have.
[ he knows nero knows the answer, too. ]
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( More than anything, he hates it when Brad is right.
Brad meets his eyes, and the connection holds - before Nero, as always, breaks it, always a little too faltering to hold his own in the face of Brad's relentless conviction, his sweltering affection. He could never be like him, no matter how much he wanted to. He could only ever be as little as he is.
And yet, Brad still wanted him. Why? Why? )
... It's weird...
( He can't help it; on instinct, his cheek comes to rest against Bradley's palm, closing his eyes. )
... I wanted so bad to get away, but I didn't feel like I was livin'. I couldn't stand seein' you all ripped up, but bein' out on my own...
( It was all right. It wasn't all bad. But he felt like a husk. An overbearing depression that made his mind a swamp; made it hard to think of the here and now, even on the best of days. Little things reminded him of Brad, and the gang. His thoughts would wander and he'd recall the past. He liked the shops he opened up, and he liked the people he met, the sort of stuff he got to do that he wouldn't have gotten to if he'd never gone out on his own.
But, still. Even then. )
... I didn'... feel like I had the right to miss you.
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You won't be on your own again, Nero. I won't let you.
[ his partner, the most important person in his life, the only one he could leave his enormous legacy to, the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with... truthfully, despite being the one that asked, he has no words to describe his bond with nero. "boyfriend" was too silly. "husband" implied some contract with the government. "lover" felt more carnal than emotional... there was nothing to describe the deep love he felt for the anxious guy under him, who missed him so much he didn't know what to do with himself, like an idiot. ]
And I know you did miss me. 'Cause I missed you, too.
[ so there. ]
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He hates it. He hates how Brad always tells him how he feels, and how he's sometimes (usually) not even wrong. He feels vulnerable and laid bare, but - it doesn't feel wrong. It's not like being exposed to a stranger, or an enemy, or even a friend - it's just - Brad's just - a part of him, and has been for a long time.
He turns his face half into Brad's hand, as if to hide himself - but this time, not turned away from him. )
... I just don't know what to do with you.
( Stupid, stupid Brad. Brad who still cares for him, wants him beside him, despite everything. Brad who can still look at him like this, talk to him like this, like he needs him.
It reminds him of that night, over a hundred years ago now, when Brad had begged him not to go. But this Brad is confident, comfortable, presumptuous; telling him they won't be apart, telling him how he feels, when Nero wants to deny it.
But, for once, he doesn't.
He mutters into Brad's palm: )
... That thing you asked earlier... ( About Brad asking if they can get handsy whenever, ) ... do whatever you want. 'm... fine with whatever, if it's you.
( Is he going to regret this later? Maybe. But also, Nero is almost as horny for Brad as Brad is for him. He's dignity might regret it, but his body sure won't, )
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. . . Yeah?
[ this is new territory, even for him. back when they were in the gang, even at the time he was closest with nero, he never went out of his way to do anything of the sort in front of the other gang members. if it ever happened, it was done as a joke, but never with full romantic seriousness or sexual intent. this here feels different, like something couples do, and the question appears in his mind again— the question of the name of his relationship with nero, the question he literally just a second ago said he didn't want to answer.
his heart is racing - which is surprising, considering how little blood is left in his body to circulate. he huffs a smile, caressing nero's face and tucking his hair behind his ear. ]
You'll regret those words, partner.
[ yeah, well. "partner" has always been the term brad prefers, at the end of the day. partner means nero, even though he's aware it sounds childish and silly to others. when brad says it, he means it in a very intimate way, because it's the closest thing to his heart aside from family. he lowers himself back down to kiss him slowly and deep; his free hand slides down to tug at the hem of nero's pants, starting to feel a little antsy despite trying his best to make this last as long as possible. ]
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It feels like home.
He kisses Brad back just as deep, feeling Brad hard against his stomach is almost as unbearable as his own pants feeling tight on him. Brad's hands, frustratingly, don't help him out of them - and he presses into his hands, his heel pressing down into the fabric of his pants to help tug it down, like giving Brad permission - and telling him to get on with it.
All this feelings talk has been just as bad on Nero's building need as it has been Brad, his fingers tangling in Brad's hair with one hand, nails digging into his back against the other, his scars like textured rivets against his skin - marks of Brad's strength, and always reminders that... for as strong as Brad was, he'd still brought him down, once. And that's a weight he'll always carry, no matter how much Brad wants to relieve him of it, even in moments like this, so long as he can still think. )
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he rolls his hips slowly, rocking his hard cock against nero's stomach, kissing him back absently as he guides his own hand down to feel between nero's thighs for his entrance. as wizards, there's things they don't have to worry about and things that just naturally happen, and by now, with the countless times they've done it in the past, he knows how to tell when nero's so fucking wet he's about to go insane. it's a combination of those nails on his back and that grip on his hair, plus the countless little noises that come out of his mouth. nero might find it mortifying just how easily brad gets him horny, but for bradley it's always an ego boost. ]
Haha. Can't wait, huh? . . . At this rate you'll be done before we even start.
[ a theory he decides to test out by pushing two fingers inside him with ease, as far as they will go, hooking them and unrolling them to begin a steady rhythm that quickly rises in tempo. fucking him with his fingers until he comes might make nero mad, but wasn't that a good thing, really? he's doing him a favor by making the real thing last longer - like when guys jerk off before a date. it's the same thing. ]
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( i'd say let him finish, but this isn't the kind of finish nero wants,
Brad's right it'll make him mad as hell. The first sound that escapes his lips into the kiss is embarrassing as hell, and every sound after is muffled between pursed lips - Nero trying to get out his hey—'s and knock it off, i'll kill you—'s between each press against his damn sensitive spot. But it doesn't take long for his protests to devolve into something more like just get it over with, a sort of needy pleading because he wants something more than this, and Brad knows exactly what, before he comes, and comes hard. He breathes hard, nails dug deep into Brad's scalp and neck, enough to draw deep, red lines - but his body relaxes.
Unfortunately, he's still horny as hell - he's just wetter between the legs now; stomach, too, from Brad's precum. And that just turns him on more. Fuck. )
... You're... the worst... ( And then, with need: ) Just— come on...