[Open Post]

[plate_builder]

Does it need to be said? You can find this poor civil engineer in any sort of situation you want. Put up a starter and let it run free. No Scarlets welcome, though. He can't stand them.

Comments

[plate_builder]

Reeve is a more personal man, comes with the territory.

Kissing after, that is more personal. Reeve allows it, though. Pulls from Rufus and lays down beside him and drags him close to feed the man the kisses he wants. The kisses he apparently needs. Who knew it? He meets Rufus with the heat of earlier, happy to open his mouth to Rufus.

[afterlaborday]

He's a little less greedy right now, partly sated with what was just done, but the open mouth is inviting enough that Rufus slides his tongue in to play momentarily with Reeve's if he will allow it, before shifting to settle beside him, slowly stretching himself out with a pleased sound.

Back later. Dinner with in-laws.

[plate_builder]

Reeve will allow it. Something tells him that this man rarely got affectionate gestures from partners. To that end he wraps an arm around Rufus to drag him closer.

“I hope I haven’t disappointed,” he says softly, a playful tone to his voice. He knows he hasn’t. He himself feels quite sated. Which isn’t to say he might not offer further attentions to Rufus before the night is out if the man asks it.

[afterlaborday]

"I haven't had a good partner since forever." Rufus responds, running a hand along one of Reeve's scratched arms gently. "Haven't had an amazing one ever."

[plate_builder]

“You’ll have to let me know if you find one,” Reeve laughs. Can’t help it, there are two ways that can be taken. He has opted for the humorous one. “Haven’t has a partner willing to leave marks in a long while myself. Thank you.”

He won’t bother healing them right away. The sting that will come from his shirt rubbing against the marks will be a nice reminder.

[afterlaborday]

Rufus chuckles a little, probably used to people like his father, who take compliments like water; easily and as if they are necessary for life. A man who deflects is rather charming and different. Still, "You can take the compliment you know? I won't blame you.

"As to these," Rufus scratches one very gently, before shifting a bit to look at Reeve. "Most people don't like being hurt, though they may enjoy inflicting it, during sex. I got in trouble once or twice for my nails."

[plate_builder]

“I will accept in the spirit given then,” Reeve smiles as his fingers reach to stroke Rufus’s hair. “I fear more that the quality of the partners you chose were lacking. A good lover would have found that and if they weren’t one of the many who did like pain, they would find a way. Give you something to claw at. Or another position.”

He does shiver in delight at the scratch. Strange though he may be, he likes himself. “At least you know not to accept truly lesser men now.”

[afterlaborday]

"I've only had one partner of any worth I chose." He stops scratching, instead leaning over to lick one of the wounds, before moving to straddle Reeve in a way that he can look him in the eye. "Son of one of the men my father wanted me to persuade. He tried very hard to make sure I had some fun and compassion whenever his father wasn't around.

"Which reminds me, what did Veld say she you told him about my father's side business with me?"

[plate_builder]

By Holy, was Rufus licking his... Reeve can’t help how he shudders at the sensation of a tongue dragging over skin and the stinging burn of the scratch. It feels good, and add in a man straddling him? Geez, good thing he’s exhausted. Because if he wasn’t he might drag another kiss out of the man. As it is, he meets Rufus’s gaze.

“You deserve better than the men you’ve had,” Reeve says, and he definitely believes it. Clearly his opinion has changed. But that question makes him frown.

“We didn’t talk of it much. I told him what the list was. Veld and I are not exactly friends. Just men interested in a similar end, seeing the world to a good place again. He said he would handle it.”

[afterlaborday]

"Sounds like him." Rufus smiles a little. For as much a pain as Veld was to his plans, he respected the man and especially what he gave to him without intention. Was glad he'd foiled those plans and gave Rufus a different perspective of the world. "Hey... I have to ask... Did my father ever make a pass at you or any of the other men in the company?"

[plate_builder]

“Now that is a way to kill a mood,” Reeve sighs. Not that he is in one. Even having a beautiful man straddling him isn’t enough after two encounters so close together. He probably wouldn’t be able to do more until after eating at the soonest.

Still, he takes the question seriously. Thinks about it and then shakes his head. “I can’t speak to other men, but he didn’t make a pass at me that I noticed. Why?”

[afterlaborday]

Rufus gives Reeve an apologetic smile, giving the man a gentle rub on the chest with his hands as if to further apologize, and listens a little before standing, handing Reeve the wet cloth sitting on the table and opening the dresser to pull an envelope out and hand it to Reeve. "Here... It's surprising it survived with me, but that's an image of my mother. I heard often from my father I got much of my looks from her.

"I'm going to go clean up and fetch dinner, it should be here by then. But, you should know at least once that bastard was interest in a male."

Probably what he said would destroy any mood left, but something earlier brought things to mind, and it seemed Reeve had earned every bit of honesty Rufus had. Not that he'll be able to comment anyway, as the blond is gone for several minutes before he bothers to pop in and let Reeve know dinner is ready, then head back towards the kitchen.

[plate_builder]

Reeve cleans himself a bit as he sits up. And then the envelope is being passed over and Reeve swallows. This... a picture of his late mother? That’s... too much. Too personal. Reeve lays it aside, shaking his head as he places it gently on the top of the dresser. Honesty is well and good, but that doesn’t mean he has a right to all Rufus. He is left sitting there in the bed, pensive. When Rufus is done with the bathroom he steals a very quick shower for himself before pulling back on a minimum of clothing needed to be appropriate before he moves to join Rufus in the kitchen.

How... do they talk now?

“Just because we’ve had sex doesn’t mean you have to share things that close to your heart.”

[afterlaborday]

Rufus looks up from where he has set up what Tseng has brought, a rather nice variety of foods from the local areas, and tilts his head questioningly. "It's not so close as that. I don't really remember her, and just happened to find an image in Turk files when I was with them. Besides, you already know my deeper secret about crushing on Tseng."

[plate_builder]

“Crushes tend to be fair topics among friends,” Reeve counters as he settles at the table. He should eat. Should they maybe talk? Figure out what they are doing?

[afterlaborday]

"Helps we can enjoy the same man, I suppose." Rufus sits down, indicating Reeve to help himself. "And relax. I know you wouldn't want a relationship and that this was just... Necessary."

[plate_builder]

Enjoy the same man? Reeve shakes his head. Perhaps once, but Tseng? He long since gave that up.

“There was nothing ‘necessary’ about this, Rufus,” Reeve dismisses. “This was something we were spiraling toward. And I don’t regret what has happened. And it can’t happen again.”

Reeve knows himself. He knows he would get attached. And isn’t that the problem? Perhaps Rufus has been too humanized to him at this point.

[afterlaborday]

"I'm aware." Rufus will take some of what Tseng brought, plating it, but he doesn't say anything more for now. Maybe he knows what Reeve is thinking, or maybe he's lost in some of his own thoughts. After all, it's obvious that these two would become something else if they allowed this to occur again.

[plate_builder]

Perhaps it was obvious to Rufus that they might become something else if they repeated. That was not so to Reeve. No, he knew that for him it would be a situation where he would want more, and would know it would not be given. To expect Rufus to return affection would be something beyond thought, beyond consideration. And Reeve had too often worn himself away over pointless longing before.

Reeve being who he was, that realization only opened a door to other dark thoughts. None of which he could afford to allow himself. So he bit his tongue to use the pain to drive them away before taking a plate to load other things on it.

“I could still call a car to leave if you would like.”

After all of that, Reeve almost doesn’t know where he stands with the man anymore.

Not a good choice of words, Reeve...

[afterlaborday]

The remark sends an honest frown to Rufus' face, and he looks over at Reeve almost as if the man had scalded him, a flash of something behind his eyes and words almost leaving his lips before he draws a deep, shaky breath that shows the emotion behind the words he does speak isn't false.

If the low, cold, almost deadly and injured tone didn't give it away.

"Oh, yes, please feel free to call for a way out. It's easier to pretend it didn't happen at all that way, isn't it?"

He doesn’t know that.

[plate_builder]

Wait. What? Reeve is left there, shocked for a long moment, caught off guard by the sheer bile there. Clearly that isn’t what he expected. Once more he has stepped on a landline, and this time he doesn’t intend to leave it with Rufus calling him names and storming off.

“You think you’d be so easy to forget?” Reeve counters, his voice soft, even with a touch of warmth. “I only offer something to... we have put ourselves in an awkward place, Rufus. No. I have put us in an awkward place. What just happened was... I wish I had a specific god to name, to put it at their feet. It was good, it was amazing. What you lack in experience you show in a willingness to learn, an ability to accept attention given to you for your sake, and a mischievous streak that will be in my mind for a long time to come. I have no doubt that I shall carry you as a new stick to measure others against, if I can ever find a man who would want me. I offer because I don’t know how to make this easiest for you. Some men really don’t like a partner overstaying their welcome, and that welcome tends to end once you’re too exhausted to put out.”

He frowns at his own plate for a while. How much honesty does he owe Rufus now? How much would the man be willing to hear?

The first, at least, he has an answer for. He isn’t sure what physical gesture he could offer, if approaching would even be acceptable. So he continues to sit there and meets all the anger and injury in Rufus’s eyes with acceptance. And more honesty than he offers most people.

“I need to handle this in whatever way works best for you. Because frankly, I don’t know that I can trust myself if I made decisions here. I may be the one with more experience in a bed but I am also the one with more experience with myself. And I know that you are a different kind of problem. The men I fall for are dangerous, confident, self-possessed and wise because of what they have been through. The difference between you and them is cosmetic, and in age. The former easily dismissed, the latter usually lending experience and wisdom alone. Unfortunately for me the latter is just as easily dismisses when it comes to you. Which means that you, Rufus Shinra, are a danger I didn’t see coming. An equal in many regards who I am now very sure I have no small degree of chemistry with in bed. And I cannot trust myself with that knowledge now that I have it.”

He moves his attention to the meal and takes a serving spoon to mound some fried rice onto his plate. “I find myself needing guidance in laying down lines now, and phrased it poorly. Perhaps it would have been better to offer to stay on the couch if you would prefer. Or at the very least, on top of the sheer you lay under. If only to inspire a lack of wandering hands.”

And may or may not realize what pissed him off

[afterlaborday]

Rufus isn't sure what response he's expecting, only knows it's not the one he gets. Honestly, some part of him had expected some form of half apology, or even a real one, that he knows full well would not call the sting of Reeve's prior words; not some long explanation that leaves him confused and unsure whether to remain angry or feel something else entirely.

The worst thing is that he understands Reeve very well, what his words mean and what they imply, but it doesn't really settle him down all too much. Awkward? Yes, they had entered an awkward spot, but they've been in such before and are both mature enough to work beyond it. Suggesting leaving needn't have even come up. This is the part that leaves him angry.

The rest, well that's an interesting little mess. Something he wants to ignore, maybe even accuse Reeve of flattery and nice words - he knows how those work, has had enough for a lifetime - but it's not the style of this man. Reeve knows not to try empty words with Rufus.

Which is really the issue...

"So, because you are afraid of something, you want to run? And act as if it's because of me that you are doing it? And then you're surprised at my anger?" He lowers his eyes, watching his hand as he moves his food around his plate a little. "Do you even know what made me mad?"

I am not even fully sure I get it.

[plate_builder]

“I am not a brave man,” Reeve admits. “Not when it comes to my heart. But I wish to understand.”

Let the man be angry. Reeve no doubt deserves it. He sighs and looks at his food. Perhaps he isn’t hungry.

“Is it that after I agreed to stay, I suggested leaving? Or the assumption that, despite your compliments, I defaulted to assuming you would regret it once you were really out of the moment?”

We will let Rufus explain

[afterlaborday]

Ignoring the remark about hearts for now, Rufus makes a face, some small realization coming to him that he may have over-reacted, that his reason for the anger is foolish. Yet now that he's expressed it, asked the question, he supposes he has to respond.

"It's... even if you say if I want, it's the fact you suggest leaving. Like you've done something and have to leave. That now that you've had me, that's all. Time to go home. I'm just the excuse for you to pretend you're different from them."

[plate_builder]

Really?

Reeve shakes his head.

“That’s all? Leviathan’s fins. Rufus, right now I’m half planning another five nights. Picturing myself on my knees near your bed, wrists cuffed behind my back, trying to stay still and with you having a riding crop in hand. That one is a particularly nice one. I don’t want

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Really?

Reeve shakes his head.

“That’s all? Leviathan’s fins. Rufus, right now I’m half planning another five nights. Picturing myself on my knees near your bed, wrists cuffed behind my back, trying to stay still and with you having a riding crop in hand. That one is a particularly nice one. I don’t <I>want<:I> this night to end. I want to act like tomorrow will never come. To not be the Commissioner of the WRO for a night worried about how this might put me under your thumb. To be just a man for a night with about the only one who being with doesn’t potentially risk my life. I want to see what places I can get away with leaving the faintest suggestion of marks. I don’t want to go. I don’t know what you want. And as I said, I don’t trust what I do.”

But he gets what he did wrong. A different set of expectations. A different history.