[ For all Declan knows, the kiss is necessary, but he also can't help but recall V's answers to Juniper's oh-so-subtle post-date survey. How he said he'd wanted to kiss him but lost the nerve. Was there any truth to that at all?
Perhaps Declan will never get the answer to that particular question, because every time it springs to mind, something else swoops in and takes priority. In this case, an actual kiss. No loss of nerves here, if only because V is swift enough not to let Declan get to that point.
Their lips come together with a pulse of warmth that is in part from another point of contact facilitating the mana exchange, but also in part from something else entirely. It's the former that definitely soothes his nerves, though, and he finds himself practically melting into V. This is... nice. ]
[V remains oblivious of his answers to Juni's survey taking up residence in Declan's mind. Maybe if he had known before now, he would have clarified that he had exaggerated those responses mostly for fun. He might have feared making this even more difficult for friend, otherwise.
Of course, now such thoughts are far from his mind. When their lips meet, there's that feeling blooming behind his ribs again: the mana exchange. But something else lays beneath the surface, too, something a little newer than before, and therefore all the more poignant: a strange little ache of wanting. It makes his heart ratchet up its tempo, where no such thing had ever really happened before.
…Oh. Well. That’s dangerous, isn’t it?
It doesn’t need to be a lengthy kiss; in fact, a peck on the lips probably would have sufficed. But Declan isn’t pulling away, and V finds himself in no hurry to, either. Instead, he just leans in, grips his hand a little tighter, and deepens the kiss — just for a bit. It's probably fine.]
[ He has literally no scale for how long these sorts of things should go, but he gets the sense that V seems to be enjoying himself so why not indulge a little? (Because it's dangerous. But it's definitely far too late to heed any sort of warning bells — if there are any. Everything is sort of drowned out by his own heartbeat.)
Eventually, though, the need to breathe makes itself apparent, and Declan finally leans away, eyes slowly fluttering open to look at V. He feels warm all over, and it's so hard to figure out what's a part of the mana exchange and what isn't. ]
V, I... that was...
[ Words are definitely failing him, and his eyes keep flicking to V's mouth. He has no idea how to move on from this. ]
[Declan doesn't pull away immediately, and somehow, it's this singular thought that really makes his heart beat harder against his ribcage. There are no expectations here, of course. He has not forgotten that this is just all for show, their fake marriage vows and their fake exchange of rings. A fake kiss.
But maybe a part of him did forget, and that’s—
What? Frightening? A little exciting?]
Um…
[He utters, very ineloquently as they part.]
My apologies. I shouldn’t have.
[Indulged himself. Declan’s as red as a beet. V’s own face feels warm, probably looking the same. Why did he do that?]
[ They had to, right? For the quest. But as Declan finally lifts his eyes, forcing himself to look at V instead of helplessly staring at his lips, he realizes with a start that if there is anything in this charade he wants to be real... that was it.
The pretty words and the exchanging of rings is one thing. A performance, one that he can accept knowing it might set a lost soul back on its course. But now having pulled away from the kiss, hands still clasped, the part of him that yearns so much for affection yearns for this, too.
What if someone wanted to kiss him? What if V wanted to kiss him? Normally, he would dare not hope, but the feeling of completeness and comfort thrumming through his veins makes it hard not to. ]
That’s not... That’s not exactly the response he expected. He thought it should be obvious, but maybe that was only with the assumption that he’d only have made it more difficult for Declan, more embarrassing, by indulging in that kiss. For stretching out the seconds for as long as they’d last.
V finds himself bringing his fingertips up to graze against his bottom lip, freeing up one hand to do so; an idle gesture as he tries to reply, and the ring on his finger glistens in the light.]
I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable to the point where it was just… cruel.
[Which sounds so inane falling from his lips, now, because this is very much the opposite of cruel-feeling to him. But it’s hard not to think on Declan’s initial embarrassment, or even further back than that, during their candy shop date, where even playing at romance had made the other man uncertain.]
If I cross a line, then you should tell me, Declan.
[ His eyes catch on the movement of V's hand, that little glint as the ring catches the light. Were it not still for their clasped hands, and the feelings pouring into them as a result, the awkwardness of the situation would have probably been too much for Declan to bear. Not cruel, just... uncomfortable.
For now, there's not such thing. A small miracle that means this, whatever it is, isn't halted by him shying away. ]
You haven't. Though perhaps... the real cruelty is that this is all for show.
[ Isn't it? Even with V's rosy cheeks, he doesn't want to assume anything. ]
[The real cruelty is that this is all for show. Declan is full of replies that he is not prepared for, ones that send his mind whirring, diving into alternate meanings and implications so that he does not interpret them wrong. But... there isn't much to ferret out. The meaning is clear.
Isn't it?
Ah, he clears his throat. Suddenly all of his words have flown from his mind, which is quite a feat, considering how much he likes to weave them into flourishing statements. Instead, he drops his hand, looking at Declan with a small bit of bafflement and a large bit of wonder.]
I... [Come on, now. Speak.] I think, after all we have done together thus far, I can't help but... agree.
[The truth comes easier for him than it would if he were, say, whole. But that doesn't mean he really knows how to move forward with any of this; if there's anything to move forward with at all. He just knows, standing here in this ridiculous room, that-]
And I'm inclined to believe that it doesn't all have to be for show. Right?
[ There it is again, that small flicker of hope. Perhaps the most dangerous thing of all, knowing he's willing to — and wants to, even — give himself to this in some manner. Wants whatever small pieces of genuine affection that he can get to see where they might take him.
Wide, violet eyes search V's face while he muddles through. (Perhaps later, he'll take robbing V of his eloquence as some sort of achievement.) His pulse is flying, heart beating like the wings of Juni's butterflies, in anticipation and nervousness. Some part of him braces for rejection. It always does.
It doesn't all have to be for show. Right?
Oh. Oh gods. He feels lightheaded suddenly. Giddy. Is this going where he thinks it's going? ]
[V’s eyes are searching Declan’s face with mirrored anticipation, swallowing hard somewhere in-between replies. But the confirmation hits him nearly the same way, too, and his heart feels like it might jump all the way up his throat, once more putting a stopper on any and all eloquence.
Not that being eloquent is high on his priority list right now. In fact, it’s a blessing that he’s at all comprehensible.]
I— I see. [See? Very eloquent. A true flicker of something that feels like excitement rushes through him, tightening around his chest in a way that he finds… surprisingly pleasurable.]
Then…
[With their still-linked hands, he gently tugs Declan just a tad bit closer. Inexperience be damned; these are the moments that poets write about, right? He can overthink it later. Maybe he simply does not wish to think at all right now.
Finally, his lips twitch upwards, despite the flush across every plane of his face.]
[ There probably won't be much poetry written about this moment, halting and awkward as they both are, but that's okay. It will stick in Declan's memory, regardless, even if he didn't have the uncanny ability to remember damn near everything that he lays eyes on.
V is so red, and so is he, from the tips of his ears all across his face. They're both searching, both wanting, and both terribly unsure of how to ask for it, dancing around the subject until...
Kiss me again. And Declan does, surging forward eagerly — perhaps too eagerly — to claim V's lips. The longer this has gone on, the more he's realized that he wants this. He wants it so much it hurts. Please. Please, please, please let V want the same. ]
[Oh, Declan. He's already decided that he wants the same; he's only done this much to win a second kiss from him, if not for the sake of confirming, then simply for the sake of being a little selfish. He can do that, right? Be a little selfish?
Because the second time around is just as potent as the first. He even brings his hand up to press at the small of Declan's back, as though to keep him close, as their lips come together once more. The surge of mana between them heightens once again, but somehow, even that is lacking to the giddy satisfaction he experiences wholly unrelated to the it.
Whenever they pull away to breathe, V's smiling. A little delirious from all of it.]
Oh, I'm certain now. Putting on a show is nice, but the real thing is much better.
[ Declan can't help but be keenly aware of V's every move. The way his mouth moves against Declan's own, or the hand at the small of his back. It all comes together in perfect harmony to make his heart flutter, to make him feel a little dizzy with glee.
When they do part, V's expression is mirrored in Declan as well. A wide, delirious sort of smile, splitting between rosy cheeks that perhaps feel a touch too warm. ]
It seems that... we're in agreement, then. Perhaps, ah, perhaps Juniper was onto something when she set us up on that date.
[ And perhaps the implication here is that there should be more dates. Real ones, this time. ]
[This is really happening, isn't it? Uncharted territory for them both, in which they might both stumble in their unique ways, but V cannot help but see it as exciting. Something new. Declan did promise to be his stalwart companion, didn't he? He just never expected to be quite like this.
He'll not complain one bit.
Having pulled away, his smile is far from leaving his face.]
Maybe she was. We should let her know that sometime soon, shouldn't we?
[He huffs out a humored noise.]
And perhaps she can suggest a location for a second one. A date, I mean.
Probably. She’ll throw a fit if we keep it from her.
[ And it only seems right that he shares this joy with her – this moment that she unwittingly helped facilitate. (That, and he should probably also make sure she doesn’t try to set him up on any dates with anyone else.)
His smile hitches wider, something he would have thought impossible, but there it is. This is new and unknown for the both of them, but hasn’t Declan always said how he thrives on learning? On discovery? And the idea of having someone by his side to discover with is so… it’s more than he could have ever hoped for. ]
I’d like that. A second date. Or a, um, a real first date.
[ Whatever vague nervousness Declan might have felt underneath all this happiness and warmth unwinds itself when V admits his newness to this whole dating thing. He’s so eloquent, so prone to grand gestures and more or less going with the flow that Declan would never have guessed that they’re similarly inexperienced. ]
I guess that makes two of us.
[ Only now does he suddenly remember the whole reason they’re here, and he casts around the room, as if the signs of their success would be readily apparent. ]
Do you suppose we did enough? For the ghosts, I mean.
[ They did just agree to be boyfriends in the middle of their fake marriage so surely that would do it. ]
If our fake wedding vows leading to declarations of true affections aren't enough to please these spirits, then I honestly think they're a lost cause.
[(Have no doubt said spirits are indeed satisfied and probably only haven't moved on because they want to popcorn this shit out of this. 🍿]
So... I think our job is done here. [Still, he feels giddy. He wonders how long that'll last, blooming in his chest.] Though we don't have to leave just yet, unless the candy has become too much of an eyesore for you, Declan.
[ Thank you for your support, ghost friends. If he knew, he’d be embarrassed, but as he does not, he just laughs as well. The words “true affection” make him feel light all over again, like he’s somehow cast Levitate on himself without realizing it.
No, his feet do remain planted firmly on the floor, despite how much he might feel otherwise.
He wrinkles his nose a little, but it’s undone by the way he just cannot stop smiling. ]
I had admittedly forgotten all about the decor until you mentioned it.
[ Amazing how quickly his entire world narrowed to just V and stayed there. He gives V’s hand a little squeeze. ]
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clockworksoul) wrote2023-04-30 08:50 pm
no subject
Perhaps Declan will never get the answer to that particular question, because every time it springs to mind, something else swoops in and takes priority. In this case, an actual kiss. No loss of nerves here, if only because V is swift enough not to let Declan get to that point.
Their lips come together with a pulse of warmth that is in part from another point of contact facilitating the mana exchange, but also in part from something else entirely. It's the former that definitely soothes his nerves, though, and he finds himself practically melting into V. This is... nice. ]
no subject
Of course, now such thoughts are far from his mind. When their lips meet, there's that feeling blooming behind his ribs again: the mana exchange. But something else lays beneath the surface, too, something a little newer than before, and therefore all the more poignant: a strange little ache of wanting. It makes his heart ratchet up its tempo, where no such thing had ever really happened before.
…Oh. Well. That’s dangerous, isn’t it?
It doesn’t need to be a lengthy kiss; in fact, a peck on the lips probably would have sufficed. But Declan isn’t pulling away, and V finds himself in no hurry to, either. Instead, he just leans in, grips his hand a little tighter, and deepens the kiss — just for a bit. It's probably fine.]
no subject
Eventually, though, the need to breathe makes itself apparent, and Declan finally leans away, eyes slowly fluttering open to look at V. He feels warm all over, and it's so hard to figure out what's a part of the mana exchange and what isn't. ]
V, I... that was...
[ Words are definitely failing him, and his eyes keep flicking to V's mouth. He has no idea how to move on from this. ]
no subject
But maybe a part of him did forget, and that’s—
What? Frightening? A little exciting?]
Um…
[He utters, very ineloquently as they part.]
My apologies. I shouldn’t have.
[Indulged himself. Declan’s as red as a beet. V’s own face feels warm, probably looking the same. Why did he do that?]
no subject
[ They had to, right? For the quest. But as Declan finally lifts his eyes, forcing himself to look at V instead of helplessly staring at his lips, he realizes with a start that if there is anything in this charade he wants to be real... that was it.
The pretty words and the exchanging of rings is one thing. A performance, one that he can accept knowing it might set a lost soul back on its course. But now having pulled away from the kiss, hands still clasped, the part of him that yearns so much for affection yearns for this, too.
What if someone wanted to kiss him? What if V wanted to kiss him? Normally, he would dare not hope, but the feeling of completeness and comfort thrumming through his veins makes it hard not to. ]
no subject
That’s not... That’s not exactly the response he expected. He thought it should be obvious, but maybe that was only with the assumption that he’d only have made it more difficult for Declan, more embarrassing, by indulging in that kiss. For stretching out the seconds for as long as they’d last.
V finds himself bringing his fingertips up to graze against his bottom lip, freeing up one hand to do so; an idle gesture as he tries to reply, and the ring on his finger glistens in the light.]
I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable to the point where it was just… cruel.
[Which sounds so inane falling from his lips, now, because this is very much the opposite of cruel-feeling to him. But it’s hard not to think on Declan’s initial embarrassment, or even further back than that, during their candy shop date, where even playing at romance had made the other man uncertain.]
If I cross a line, then you should tell me, Declan.
no subject
For now, there's not such thing. A small miracle that means this, whatever it is, isn't halted by him shying away. ]
You haven't. Though perhaps... the real cruelty is that this is all for show.
[ Isn't it? Even with V's rosy cheeks, he doesn't want to assume anything. ]
no subject
Isn't it?
Ah, he clears his throat. Suddenly all of his words have flown from his mind, which is quite a feat, considering how much he likes to weave them into flourishing statements. Instead, he drops his hand, looking at Declan with a small bit of bafflement and a large bit of wonder.]
I... [Come on, now. Speak.] I think, after all we have done together thus far, I can't help but... agree.
[The truth comes easier for him than it would if he were, say, whole. But that doesn't mean he really knows how to move forward with any of this; if there's anything to move forward with at all. He just knows, standing here in this ridiculous room, that-]
And I'm inclined to believe that it doesn't all have to be for show. Right?
no subject
Wide, violet eyes search V's face while he muddles through. (Perhaps later, he'll take robbing V of his eloquence as some sort of achievement.) His pulse is flying, heart beating like the wings of Juni's butterflies, in anticipation and nervousness. Some part of him braces for rejection. It always does.
It doesn't all have to be for show. Right?
Oh. Oh gods. He feels lightheaded suddenly. Giddy. Is this going where he thinks it's going? ]
I'd... I'd prefer if it wasn't. All for show.
no subject
Not that being eloquent is high on his priority list right now. In fact, it’s a blessing that he’s at all comprehensible.]
I— I see. [See? Very eloquent. A true flicker of something that feels like excitement rushes through him, tightening around his chest in a way that he finds… surprisingly pleasurable.]
Then…
[With their still-linked hands, he gently tugs Declan just a tad bit closer. Inexperience be damned; these are the moments that poets write about, right? He can overthink it later. Maybe he simply does not wish to think at all right now.
Finally, his lips twitch upwards, despite the flush across every plane of his face.]
Kiss me again. So we can be sure.
no subject
V is so red, and so is he, from the tips of his ears all across his face. They're both searching, both wanting, and both terribly unsure of how to ask for it, dancing around the subject until...
Kiss me again. And Declan does, surging forward eagerly — perhaps too eagerly — to claim V's lips. The longer this has gone on, the more he's realized that he wants this. He wants it so much it hurts. Please. Please, please, please let V want the same. ]
no subject
Because the second time around is just as potent as the first. He even brings his hand up to press at the small of Declan's back, as though to keep him close, as their lips come together once more. The surge of mana between them heightens once again, but somehow, even that is lacking to the giddy satisfaction he experiences wholly unrelated to the it.
Whenever they pull away to breathe, V's smiling. A little delirious from all of it.]
Oh, I'm certain now. Putting on a show is nice, but the real thing is much better.
no subject
When they do part, V's expression is mirrored in Declan as well. A wide, delirious sort of smile, splitting between rosy cheeks that perhaps feel a touch too warm. ]
It seems that... we're in agreement, then. Perhaps, ah, perhaps Juniper was onto something when she set us up on that date.
[ And perhaps the implication here is that there should be more dates. Real ones, this time. ]
no subject
He'll not complain one bit.
Having pulled away, his smile is far from leaving his face.]
Maybe she was. We should let her know that sometime soon, shouldn't we?
[He huffs out a humored noise.]
And perhaps she can suggest a location for a second one. A date, I mean.
no subject
[ And it only seems right that he shares this joy with her – this moment that she unwittingly helped facilitate. (That, and he should probably also make sure she doesn’t try to set him up on any dates with anyone else.)
His smile hitches wider, something he would have thought impossible, but there it is. This is new and unknown for the both of them, but hasn’t Declan always said how he thrives on learning? On discovery? And the idea of having someone by his side to discover with is so… it’s more than he could have ever hoped for. ]
I’d like that. A second date. Or a, um, a real first date.
no subject
V's smile widens, too, and he raises their linked hands just because he can, giving Declan's a squeeze.]
A real first date. I like the sound of that. My first first date ever.
[In case there was any doubt as to how greenhorn they both are to this.]
no subject
I guess that makes two of us.
[ Only now does he suddenly remember the whole reason they’re here, and he casts around the room, as if the signs of their success would be readily apparent. ]
Do you suppose we did enough? For the ghosts, I mean.
[ They did just agree to be boyfriends in the middle of their fake marriage so surely that would do it. ]
no subject
If our fake wedding vows leading to declarations of true affections aren't enough to please these spirits, then I honestly think they're a lost cause.
[(Have no doubt said spirits are indeed satisfied and probably only haven't moved on because they want to popcorn this shit out of this. 🍿]
So... I think our job is done here. [Still, he feels giddy. He wonders how long that'll last, blooming in his chest.] Though we don't have to leave just yet, unless the candy has become too much of an eyesore for you, Declan.
no subject
No, his feet do remain planted firmly on the floor, despite how much he might feel otherwise.
He wrinkles his nose a little, but it’s undone by the way he just cannot stop smiling. ]
I had admittedly forgotten all about the decor until you mentioned it.
[ Amazing how quickly his entire world narrowed to just V and stayed there. He gives V’s hand a little squeeze. ]
Let’s get out of here, shall we?