hardlydead | open post ye wankers

[ jeff turns slowly once he reaches the top of the stairs, like he doesn't want to shake david's hand off of him by turning around too quickly. there's a closed door off to his right, and an open one a little bit to his left, a few behind david on the opposite side of the landing, but jeff doesn't make a move in any particular direction right away.

instead, he lifts a hand and lets his fingers ghost up david's arm, skimming from his elbow, to his shoulder, to the side of neck where it settles, light and warm. jeff looks thoughtful for a moment, his gaze cast upward as he makes a show of contemplating david's question. after a moment, he shrugs, and when he speaks, his voice is just as low and quiet as david's. ]

American Werewolf? [ in london, but that should be obvious enough that no one should have to say the full title. also, it's unclear if he's being serious or not. jeff tilts his head, idly brings his other hand up, does the same thing - ghosts his knuckles up david's other arm, rests his palm against the other side of his neck. he looks at david now, and his eyes dip briefly to the shape of his mouth before flitting back up to his eyes. his eyebrows inch up a little. ] Beetlejuice?

[ as jeff turns to face him, david lets his hand move with him until it's resting lightly on his him, a warm and amused smile on his face as he steps back in close. jeff's touch is light enough that it leaves goosebumps in its wake, and something about that registers as a pleasure that tingles in the back of his head. makes something in his stomach flutteras he watches jeff talk, barely even paying attention to what movies he's mentioning. ]

[ his focus is largely on jeff's lips, or the way he moves his head when he speaks or thinks. the brief pull of his brows or tilt of his head, it's all extremely charming to david right now. he puts his other hand on jeff's other hip and leans in close with a soft, low hum as he tilts his head up to kiss just under his jaw. ]

Beetlejuice, huh?

[ he sounds amused by that one. ]

[ something about the way david touches jeff feels easy, but maybe that's just what happens when you learn to trust someone before you learn how to do anything else. maybe it's just because he's had david's hands on him dozens of times before now, pressing bandages over open wounds or shouldering most of his weight to get him through and out the gate when the stakes were high - maybe it makes everything else that much easier, when it comes to being close. jeff tries not to think about it too much.

when david leans up and brushes his lips just beneath the edge of his jaw, jeff's thumbs shift, smoothing short, gentle lines against david's throat, his hands still comfortably cupping the sides of his neck. he exhales quietly through his nose, a low chuckle catching onto the end of it for a moment when david questions his taste in movies. ]

Careful, [ he murmurs, his voice low and mildly teasing. he leans his head back just a little so he can look david in the face, the tiniest hint of a smirk hiding near the corner of his mouth, peeking out. ] That's twice.

[ beetlejuice, beetlejuice, beetlejuice. jeff slides his hands back a little, lets his fingers link together at the back of his neck, and then gently pulls david in so he can kiss him properly. when their mouths meet, jeff closes his eyes, and when he sighs quietly through his nose it sounds like relief. ]

[ david's laugh comes out silently, felt in the tremble of his shoulders and the rush of breath he lets out through his nose against jeff's neck. something about the idea of accidentally summoning betelgeuse like this seems especially ridiculous, even considering the way their lives are. ]

[ he smiles as he leans up into the kiss, slides his hands around jeff's hips until they're resting on his back and leans closer, mirroring that sigh with a quiet hum of his own. ]

[ it occurs to jeff after a few seconds that for the second time, they're kissing at the top of some stairs. he smiles slightly against david's mouth in his amusement, fingers pressing gently at the nape of his neck.

they should probably move, if only so they don't accidentally shift and tumble down the steps, so jeff moves his hands slowly, letting them drift from the back of david's neck, down over his shoulder blades so he can settle them against the sides of david's rib cage. gently, he puts some pressure behind one of his palms, urging david to turn so he can walk him backwards toward the open door off to his left, all without ever breaking their kiss. ]

[ it isn't hard to make david move in the direction jeff wants, turning carefully so he doesn't trip over a loose floorboard or his own feet or something and starts to move toward the open doorway. he balls a hand into a fist in the back of jeff's shirt to make sure he's got a proper hold on him, lifts his other arm to hook it around jeff's neck for the same. he can't see where they're going, but he trusts jeff not to direct him into a hole in the floor. ]

[ as he guides david backwards, jeff takes slightly wider steps just so he doesn't accidentally step on david's toes or trip the both of them up, broad hands spread around david's rib cage and urging him slowly backwards. though jeff's been scavenging in this house enough times to know where he shouldn't step and where the floors have caved in, he doesn't know it well enough to navigate it blind, so he reluctantly pulls away from david - but he doesn't go far. he kisses the edge of his mouth, his left cheek, his jaw, opening his eyes half way so he can watch where they're going over david's shoulder.

once they're past the threshold, jeff feels a little more confident about their footing and kisses his way back to david's mouth, carefully maneuvering him backwards toward the bed pushed into the corner of the room. ]

[ david matches him, tilting his head to leave quick kisses on jeff's lips, his cheek-- wherever he can without obstructing his view. feeling for the moment kind of giddy in a way he hasn't in a long time with the kisses and jeff's hands on him and the way he directs him back toward the bed. ]

[ his hesitation is brief when his legs hit the bed — though david finds it in himself to be annoyed that jeff both is observant enough and knows him well enough to notice it — but it's hard to shake that little thread of uncertainty that winds its way through his gut. he doesn't know why it's there exactly, but he knows he can't really get rid of it. just does his best to push through, doing his best to keep his hold on jeff as he sits and tries to move up the bed so there's room for both of them. ]

[ as fleeting as that beat of hesitation is, jeff picks up on it pretty immediately, and though he doesn't back off of david entirely, he does make a point to kind of slow things down.

with david's hands still on him, jeff has no choice but to follow him down, putting a knee up beside him to brace his weight on as david shifts backwards toward the opposite end of the bed, lightly brushing a kiss against his cheek again. when he settles though, he carefully eases himself out of david's grip and tilts his weight, shifting so he winds up sitting beside him instead, shoulder to shoulder, arms pressed close. whatever the reason is for that brief moment of hesitation, jeff doesn't want to do anything worsen whatever it is david's thinking or feeling.

he puts a hand on david's leg, squeezes lightly. leans a little bit of his weight against david's arm, looks at his hand a little above david's knee. quietly, his voice a little bit gravelly around the edges, he asks ]

Okay?

[ stupid, considerate jeff. david simultaneous appreciates and resents the way jeff slips out of his grip to sit next to him, though he doesn't fight him about it, loosens his hold so jeff can move freely. and when he's next to him david leans his weight against him with a deep breath and a sigh. ]

Yeah. [ he breathes out a soft, self-conscious laugh, puts his hand over jeff's, little things to make it clear he's not suddenly pulling away. he wants to be here, with jeff, where it's not necessarily safe, but it's quiet and it's just them, for the moment at least. ] I'm not - sure what that was about.

[ if he cared to dig into his feelings, he could probably figure it out, but he's not about to do that. ]

[ thumbing lightly over david's knuckles, jeff tugs his hand free from david's after a moment, but only so he can lift his arm to make room for david to come in closer. he settles his arm back down around his shoulders, slowly stretches his legs out so he's more comfortable. when's the last time he sat down on something that wasn't a fallen log or the hard earth? it feels like it's been an eternity. jeff tries not to think about home to often, but man does he miss his bed.

with his arm draped around david, jeff's fingers brush gently against david's bicep, fingertips dragging lazily back and forth. he makes a soft sound in the back of his throat, something that conveys that he's listening, and that david's moment of hesitation isn't a big deal. he's just as content sitting here in the quiet where they can be alone as he is kissing david. just to be clear, though, he offers some quiet reassurance. ]

It's all right.

[ because it is. jeff's not here to pressure david into anything, whether that's - making out, or talking about whatever's on his mind; he trusts that david will come to him when he's ready, but until then, david's company is more than enough for him.

fingers tapping out a soft, staggered rhythm, jeff wets his lips and tries to find something to talk about, which comes easier with david somehow. ]

You know, [ it's a murmur, because they're close enough that jeff doesn't really need to speak any louder than that. ] There's gotta be a football buried somewhere around here. Basement, maybe. Garage.

[ david only mentioned wanting one once, when jeff asked him what he'd want if he could have anything here, but he was paying attention. ]

[ this is... unusual. aside from maybe some drunk and rowdy affection between friends what feels like several lifetimes ago, david isn't sure he's ever just had someone's arm around him like this. it makes him a little unsure of himself as he leans into it, against jeff's side, like trying to adjust to a new mattress. not necessarily uncomfortable, just different in ways he can't put his finger on. part of him would certainly prefer to be making out right now, hell part of him thinks it's a waste of a bed to just sit there, but there's always going to be beds they can sneak off to. there's not always going to be this moment. ]

[ it's hard not to be embarrassed, but once again jeff proves himself to be safe, and david finds himself relaxing bit by bit, soothed by the fingertips on his arm. ]

Yeah? [ he has to take a moment to figure out why that's something jeff would even think of and then he chuckles, low and quiet. ] Could have a look. [ ... ] Later.

[ for jeff, intimacy like this isn't exactly new to him, but it's certainly been a while since he's just - sat with someone, at least like this. even before he got dragged into the fog, he hadn't really been seeing anyone, content with being on his own and never eager to really rush into anything, but just kind of existing with david feels easy. or, easier than he would have expected, anyway. he's still kind of unsure of what they're doing, what this new thing is, but he's also in no rush to define it, either. he likes kissing david, and he likes david's company (maybe more than he enjoys the company of most others), and they understand each other on certain levels. and that's all that really matters, at the moment.

david's quiet laugh makes jeff smile a little. he gently squeezes david's arm for a moment, then returns to ghosting random, aimless patterns against his sleeve. after a few moments of mostly comfortable silence, he checks in again, just to be sure, idly rubbing his fingers against his left eye. ]

You sure you're all right?

[ jeff has always been easy for david to relax around — maybe because he's never found the man's height or (awkwardness masquerading as) aloof nature intimidating, if anything he was the first person to show up in their age bracket who felt relatable in any way — and as weird, for lack of a better word, as he feels in this moment that fact still applies. ]

Yeah. [ he lifts a hand to jeff's cheek, a light attempt to coax him down into a kiss. ] I'm sure.

[ fortunately, it doesn't take much to convince jeff. if david says he's okay, then jeff trusts that he's telling the truth, or at least as much of the truth as he can manage at the moment. if david wants a kiss, then jeff isn't going to deprive him of one, especially not when they're free to do so without having to worry too much about being found.

what's michael gonna do if he creeps upstairs and finds two grown men making out on a shabby bed? kill them? he's certainly not going to tell anyone, which is really kind of the bigger concern.

so jeff is easily coaxed, and he leans down even though the angle is slightly awkward with the both of them sitting side by side, and he catches david's mouth with his own, soft and gentle, his other hand drifting to touch the back of david's hand at his cheek. ]

Edited 2023-01-09 02:23 (UTC)

[ david does what he can to make the angle a little more agreeable, sits up straighter, turns his body a little more toward jeff's. lets out a sigh that's both relieved and happy with this, feeling a little like he could just sit here and kiss jeff for hours. which is unusual for him (and probably not true in practice,) but it's been a long time since anybody caught his attention this way. ]

[ jeff does his part in shifting around too to make things easier for the both of them, tilting slightly in between each slow and lazy kiss until the strain is pretty minimal. his hand drifts from the back of david's, skimming down over the back of his wrist to his elbow, and then up to his shoulder. from there, he lightly brushes his knuckles against the side of david's neck, grazing the bottom of his ear just briefly in the process of guiding his palm to the back of his neck.

david's earlier blip of hesitation is still at the back of jeff's mind, so he's cautious of coming on too quickly or too aggressively, but eventually he breaks away for a moment, keeping close enough so that when he murmurs, his lips brush david's. ]

Come here?

[ the hand at the back of david's neck slides a bit, passing in between david's shoulder before drifting back up, and only if david allows him and is willing, he attempts to help him over and into his lap. ]

[ god, he's never going to get sick of jeff's hands on him, the way the warmth of them seeps into his skin with those gentle touches. every time his fingers skim over skin rather than clothing david feels his skin heat up and the tingle of goosebumps left in their wake. ]

[ --and then jeff asks him to move and his brain stalls the moment he realises what's being asked exactly, hesitating again because he's never... done... that. before. he's not giving jeff an opportunity to stop hom this time though. once the moment passes, david swings a leg over jeff's lap and smiles down at him once he's settled. it's deeply strange for him right now, but david can't say he has any complaints either. ]

[ like the first time, jeff catches that brief little pause as david hesitates. he almost says something, opens his mouth to tell david he doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to and that he's perfectly content to stay exactly as they are if david's more comfortable that way - but david moves before he can get a word out, and jeff's attention shifts toward helping him up and over, helping him settle.

for jeff, this is also - a little more intimate than he's used to, if he's honest with himself, or at least more intimate than he's been with anyone in quite a long time, so it's strange to him too, even though he's the one who initiated it. but like most instances in which he feels a little awkward, he powers through it.

instead of diving right back into kissing david, jeff decides to give them both a little bit of time to adjust. he smiles faintly back at him, and shifts minimally to get more comfortable with david's weight in his lap. idly, he puts his hands at the outside of david's knees, thumbs smoothing over his kneecaps for a moment, but they only linger there for a moment before they're moving again. carefully, almost like he's wary of spooking david, he catches his right wrist and gently turns his arm outward so he can see the tattoo on his forearm.

until now, he's never really been afforded the opportunity to look at david's tattoos up close. jeff knows what they are, but like this, without the threat of death or someone to catch his gaze lingering for perhaps a little too long, he can really take in the detail. lightly, he traces his thumb over the lion's crown. ]

[ david makes a small, almost silent noise of surprise when jeff takes his wrist, holds his breath for a second like that'll stop jeff from feeling the way his pulse is racing. he shifts his weight a little, trying to get comfortable — it's harder than he would've expected not to feel self-conscious like this, up here. especially when jeff doesn't dive right back into kissing like he expected. ]

[ he watches jeff inspect his tattoo. gently, after some moments, lifts a hand to push some hair out of his face and tuck it behind his ear. he's wanted to do that a lot, now david thinks about it, when he's seen jeff working on something and some of his hair falls in his face. he grazes his knuckles down the side of jeff's face while he's focused, traces his thumb lightly over the curve of his bottom lip. his own expression thoughtful like he's never fully considered jeff's face before. ]

[ jeff's focused, but he's not so far engaged in tracing the shape of david's tattoo that he misses david's hands on him. when david brushes jeff's hair out of his face, tucks it behind his ear, jeff pauses for a beat, his hand stilling and his eyes flicking up. he says nothing, but he looks at david with this quiet, vague sort of wonder for a moment, like he's surprised by the gesture, but not displeased. it's just - new. no one's ever done that to him before.

jeff drops his gaze again, shifting his attention back to the ink on david's forearm, his thumb tracing some of the softer line work, the shading that someone obviously took their time with. it's a beautiful piece of work, and jeff absently wonders what the significance is behind it, if there's any significance at all. god knows he's got tattoos that mean shit all - but he's also got some that are important to him, too.

when david ghosts his knuckles against jeff's cheek, jeff doesn't pull away. instead, he almost leans into the touch without even really thinking about it, gently nudging his jaw against david's fingers. when that thumb passes over his lower lip, jeff doesn't exactly kiss the pad of it, but he leans his mouth into it subtly, all while keeping his eyes on david's arm, on his own hands as he maps out all the lines of ink and the strong muscle underneath.

when he does finally say something, his voice is low, a little gravelly and stuck between a whisper and a murmur. ]

Was this one first? [ jeff taps two of his fingers against the back of david's right arm, glancing up to look him in the eye. after a second, he moves one of his hands, and very softly catches a knuckle under the edge of david's jaw, gently trying to coax him into turning his head a bit to expose the rose hidden behind his ear. ] Or this one?

[ the way jeff looks at him makes david's breath catch in his throat for a brief moment, only finding it again when his gaze falls back to his tattoo. his own expression is quiet, thoughtful, fond at the way he nudges into david's touch. he is becoming extremely endeared to this man very fast, he realises, but the curl of his knuckle under david's jaw chases that worry away as he turns his head for jeff. ]

Rose were first. [ he tilts his head a little, eyes hooded as he looks at jeff out the corner of them. ] When I got serious about rugby. Thought I was gonna go pro.

[ that last bit he says with a smirk pulling at his lips, amused, but a little sad the way you only can be thinking about the things in life you've fucked up. ]

[ as david replies, jeff flicks his gaze away from the side of his neck to look him in the eye for a moment, a silent gesture to let him know that he's listening, and also that he's genuinely interested. when he glances back to the tattoo tucked away behind david's ear, he shifts his hand from the line of his jaw so he can trace the stem of the rose with the pad of his thumb.

he's not unfamiliar with the emblem, but he'd never really been able to place it properly until now. jeff feels a little bit stupid about it, honestly, because it's not the first time david's mentioned that he used to play rugby and it probably won't be the last, but jeff never made the connection between the two. he passes his thumb over a petal, then lets his hand fall away.

curiously, he tilts his head a little, leaning to look at david again. ]

What stopped you?

[ david's built for rugby. with the way he moves in trials, there's no doubt that he would have gone pro. that he should have gone pro, and jeff can't imagine that david would have given that up unless he was forced to stop playing. david just doesn't seem like the type to give up if there's chance he can make something work.

but, you know. maybe it was out of david's hands. jeff's eyebrows pinch slightly, and he makes a small, vague gesture at their surroundings with one hand. ]

This?

[ getting dragged to hell to be a never-ending dinner show for some eldritch horror? jeff doubts it, but you never know. he drops his hand again, his palm settling over one of david's knees. ]

Edited 2023-01-11 23:51 (UTC)

[ he never expects anyone here to really catch that it's england rugby's emblem on his neck, even if the entity is extremely intent on making sure david never forgets that he fucked up his shot at a career he would've loved — christmas sweater, halloween tank, training jacket. he also doesn't expect the question, most people who don't know just assume some kind of injury or something. the sort of think that's ended innumerable athlete's careers before they started. ]

[ it shoots him back to the night he arrived in the fog, the man in the pub who wouldn't let it lie no matter how many times david asked him to leave it alone — what did that referee call you that upset you so much? — again and again. david shakes his head and shrugs, dismissive. it's no big deal. ] Just didn't work out.

[ he dips his head, noses lightly at jeff and presses a couple of kisses to his face; his cheek, the corner of his mouth, far more interested in that than in talking about himself. about his incredible ability to ruin his own life despite being born in a world with no shortage of opportunity. those are miserable thoughts and he'd rather not focus on them, not right now, with jeff right here under him. smooths his hands down the sides of his neck, past his collar to rest on his chest as if to confirm that fact for himself. ]

[ probably not for the first time with david, jeff gets the sense he's approaching a subject he shouldn't really push on. in hindsight, he maybe shouldn't have asked - if someone was about to make it big at something they obviously really enjoy, and it all fell through, well. jeff imagines it's probably not something david wants to think about.

jeff feels bad for prodding at all, but before he can get too awkward or anxious over it, david leans in peppers a couple kisses across his face. jeff exhales quietly through his nose, easily distracted at the moment by david's closeness and the warmth of his hands as they slide against his neck, settle on his chest. he makes a small sound in the back of his throat without even really noticing it, just a quick, low, contented note. his hands at david's knees drift a little, skimming up along the outside of david's legs, stopping about midway up. he likes feeling david's weight against him, whether he's just leaning, or seated in his lap, he's decided.

jeff takes one of his hands off of david's thigh and reaches up to squeeze one of his wrists where his hands are resting against his chest. from there, he moves again. hooks two fingers in the collar of david's shirt, lazily smooths his knuckles across the subtle rise of his clavicle underneath, and then gives his shirt collar a gentle tug as if wordlessly asking him to come closer so he can kiss him properly, even though david's already close enough. ]

Edited (maybe let's not start every sentence with jeff.) 2023-01-12 01:58 (UTC)

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