drear | tell me who you are, i can be the gentle boy

[ There really wasn't any space on the seat for He Ming's hand. He bends his thumb, feeling the warm solid muscle of his leg. Rune's voice slips out of his mouth and down He Ming's back; he shivers slightly at the words coming so close to his ear. ]

An hour or two, maybe. [ He peeks over Rune's shoulder and grins at the person who'd just approached. Turning so his own mouth can't be seen, he whispers, ] Can you hide us in the bathroom?

[ Whatever that means to Rune. He Ming thinks they can squeeze in some fun before he's missed from the festivities. ]

[ It means something, but Rune isn't so sure he wants to share any part of He Ming with the people here. They've already gotten to look at him enough. Still, he presses just the slightest bit into the pressure of He Ming's hand as he eases forward to slip off the stool, and now that he's standing, he's practically flush against him.

Hiding them would be easy. It'd only be a matter of how much if he was going to use his magic that way. ]

You should go in with me and find out.

[ A light nudge, and he moves around He Ming without another word, not bothering to glance back at him to see if he follows as he heads straight for the bathroom to check that it's clear. ]

[ That's what he was hinting at... Rune should wait for him! He Ming stands up straight after the nudge. Within the second he realizes that he should probably wait a little bit before following. His coworkers will probably rib him later, regardless, but some discretion is good for the sake of the customers.

He cleans equipment for about a minute before hurrying back.

A peek down low proves there are only two other feet in the bathroom, belonging to one Rune. ]

Hi. [ He can't help how quickly he wraps his arms around his waist and beams. ] Mr. Vampire.

[ His reasoning about the world hasn't yet expanded to include vampires as well as witches, and he's only teasing as he nuzzles up to the underside of his jaw. ]

You can touch now.

[ Moments before He Ming enters the door, Rune casts a spell over the small space. It's mostly to lock the sound in place and something to negate people from wanting to enter until they've left; it's nothing so elaborate as the spell he'd used when they'd been in the park but only because this is where He Ming works and Rune doesn't want to cause him any problems. So, he sticks to simplicity, crowding He Ming back against the stall as he curls an arm around him.

This is what he's wanted all night, jokes and teasing aside. ]

And how long am I allowed to do that?

[ The words are light, but there's a firmness to them that he punctuates by ghosting is lips over He Ming's jaw and towards his ear. He lets him feel the scrape of his teeth along the curve of his neck, making it a point to use his fangs. That they even have time like this and that He Ming feels comfortable enough for it is something Rune doesn't take lightly, though he can't help returning what He Ming has given him. ]

[ He Ming responds with a hum of consideration, lifting his chin to give Rune more space under his jaw. His teeth do feel especially sharp today. He thought glamours weren't physical, but he's happy to be corrected. ]

They'll miss me at the party soon enough. [ There are a few minutes before it's supposed to begin, though there will be time after that before anyone starts looking for him. As much of a typical bar bathroom as this is, he keeps his arms around Rune, letting himself be pressed against the stall without complaint. ]

But... I think we have a while. [ He extends his leg to hook around the back of Rune's knee. With one hand he reaches down and lifts up the hem of his skirt. Underneath, as he'd mentioned, he's wearing plain boxers. They're entirely incongruous with the frilled petticoat and thigh garter. Snorting a laugh, He Ming tugs on them and gives Rune a gentle nudge with his leg. ] What do you think, should I get rid of these before we go back out there?

[ He knows what he's doing, and Rune isn't sure he should give into it just yet. How long could he draw it out? Would it even be the same as He Ming working as he'd watched him move around in this very skirt that seems to offend him somehow? Rune considers it and promptly decides he doesn't actually care. ]

So they can wonder if you're wearing something underneath all this? [ A pause, and Rune lets his hand slide down to curl into the waistband of those boxers. ] Or so that I spend the next hour knowing the truth?

[ Apparently, that's how long Rune's socializing is going to last. Until then, he takes advantage of the position and leans into the warmth of He Ming's body, ignoring the placement of his arm so he can nudge his face up and kiss him. The press of his mouth is firm, letting the scrape of a fang drag along his bottom lip to entice him to ask for more. ]

Well, they're already wondering. [ He doesn't need magic or clairvoyance to feel eyes on him, and he doesn't have the modesty to feel any shame about it. It's fun. It makes him feel good.

Rune's fingers are hot against his lower stomach. He Ming pushes up against his firm presence, kissing him back. The catch of one of his pointed teeth makes his mouth go slack with a moan. ]

It's about you. I want you to know. [ He returns to the kiss, intent on showing Rune that despite all his teasing and messing around, Rune is the center of his attentions. A soft noise of need slips from him as he shifts his hips, trying to get Rune's fingers to pull his underwear down. ] I want us to share a secret.

[ He Ming is warm against him, and suddenly, he's almost frustrated that there isn't a decent place to really have his way with him. The only real steady surface is the sink, but that seems like such an arduous task considering what's happening right now.

Rune welcomes the kiss with a little more tongue, eventually giving in to what He Ming wants and tugging those boxers down enough to free his cock. He doesn't touch him though, pressing his fingers into his hip as he breaks contact to trail his mouth along his jaw to his ear. This is a dangerous line to walk with so many people outside a door that he's barred with magic, but he's still determined to tease He Ming until he begs him for exactly what he wants. ]

We have plenty of secrets together. You know mine, and I know yours. [ Mostly. Semantics aside, Rune doesn't have many that he doesn't just state or put on display. ] But you're right. I want this one to only belong to me. The same way you do.

[ He murmurs that last part, leaning into He Ming as he kisses his neck, and slowly, Rune's hand presses between them to touch him, the edge of his thumb the only real pressure he applies. ]

[ The way Rune talks to him makes He Ming feel like the most important person in the room, or at least the cutest. The words are so intimate and so close to him, warm and liquid, pooling at the base of his spine.

But even with that heat, He Ming shivers violently as he's exposed to the air. ]

Mm, I— [ His hips jolt. The motion causes Rune's fingernail to press in, but that too only makes him harder. Arching away from the sticky plastic of the stall, He Ming clutches at his back, nails catching on the fabric of his shirt. He has to close his eyes. ] I do.

[ When he manages to catch a breath, he turns his head to chase Rune's lips again, just so he can speak against them, fervent with want. ]

You're the only one I let touch. Rune, don't tease me for too long. I want to get off. I want you to get me off before we go out there so I feel it in my legs. [ Despite the limited point of contact, he tries to thrust into Rune's hand, not very much caring if it looks needy. His skirts swish with the motion. ] Please.

[ It's good to feel this again, after everything they've been through. The intimacy, the closeness. Rune doesn't really have a driving need for things like this, but it's something that had connected them first when they'd met.

So, regardless of place or what might come after, Rune wants to give He Ming everything he asks for. Whatever that might be. ]

I know. [ It's meant to be reassuring, turning back to kiss him again until neither of them can really breathe. ] Let me hear you.

[ And rather than shove him back into the stall, Rune presses him into the corner between the wall and the sink before sliding to his knees. Directing He Ming requires taking his hands off of him, but it only lasts as long as it takes him to grip his skirt and hold it out of the way. Then, with better access, Rune jerks him off as he presses his mouth to a thigh. He licks his way to the sensitive skin of his inner thigh, letting his teeth scrape there to tease just in case He Ming's forgotten about the glamour of his fangs, and as he rubs his lips over the length of him, he's looking up to watch He Ming's face when he finally takes him in and sucks. ]

[ He Ming makes a breathless noise of assent, a little uh-huh that pops out of him when his back hits the wall. He's not sure if Rune put a ward on the bathroom to keep the noises in when he locked other people out.

He presses a thumb to the corner of his mouth and looks down. ]

Rune. [ Pushing against the wall, he brings his hips forward, already moaning again as the skin at the inside of his leg reddens. It stays pink, visibly so, when Rune comes to the tip of his cock.

People may hear, but that pressure and the rush of it all reduces any other doubts to dust. He Ming's breathy sounds become louder when he's engulfed in the kind of wet heat that is uniquely intimate to sex, in his experience, and his first desperate words disintegrate to unintelligible gasping. ]

S-So good at this— [ He keens, thrusting forward. ] You're so good, Rune, I'm gonna come...

[ This is what he loves about him: the shamelessness and the exuberance.

Rune wants to hear just how much he likes it, how he enjoys the way he swallows him down and increases the suction back up to the tip until he's practically writhing with how good it feels, and it's been so long since they've had anything like this – the pleasure of one another, focus on something that isn't curses or witches or trying to survive – that Rune doesn't even bother to pace himself, urging He Ming to come until he tastes it. Then, he coaxes it out of him and breathes once his mouth is free, resting his forehead against his thigh for a moment to compose himself.

There's something he wants to say, but Rune remains quiet, turned on but not so much that it would hinder the rest of the evening spent mingling with the people just outside this door. He's certain the spell is going to wear thin soon anyhow, and as he stands, he's already helping He Ming adjust his clothes, crowded in close and soaking up the proximity.

He brushes his knuckles along the curve of his cheek. ] I want more of you later.

[ But he has to get through this social event first. ]

Don't say that. [ He Ming is still out of breath, as much as Rune is if not more. He reaches up to feel his hair with his fingers, holding him in close. ] I won't be able to keep my mind off of it while we're out there.

[ He lets his eyes unfocus and half-close, all the better to notice every soft touch from Rune's hands and the press of his whole body. The garter has to be straightened again, the skirts smoothed out. He doesn't even feel too uncomfortable back in his underwear. The rest of the situation, meanwhile, is oddly novel. He can catch a glimpse of the pointed eyeteeth in Rune's mouth when he speaks—never mind the clothes. There are so many new factors that He Ming can barely dredge up memories of that room from months ago.

Breathing out quietly, He Ming turns his head, seeking a brief kiss. His arms feel weak. He keeps them draped over Rune's shoulders, pausing with their noses just brushing. ]

But I always want more of you. I want more of you than those people did, when they tried to flirt with you out there.

[ It's sweet. This is sweet.

There's something about the way He Ming reaches for him that moves him just a little, drives that conviction deeper through him so there's no mistaking that he would do anything and everything to make him happy. To keep him safe. It's always a constant thought in the back of his mind, leaning to rest his forehead a bit more firmly against He Ming's as they embrace one another. They could have more of this if only he allowed himself to, which might not have been so difficult in that moment had they been somewhere else. The sound of music filters in, unbidden, and Rune presses a soft kiss to the corner of the He Ming's mouth. ]

I want you to think of me. [ As if it should be any other way since He Ming is all Rune can think about himself these days. ] I want you to need me until you can't stand it and ask me to take you home.

[ Another kiss, and Rune breaks the contact, reaching down to take his hand. ] So tell me more of what you want from me when you're done having fun. I know they're waiting for you. [ An exaggeration, surely, but He Ming would certainly be missed if he disappeared now since he does tend to fill up a room with his smile. ]

[ For a moment in a dirty bathroom, it feels romantic. He Ming has watched movies that don't feel half as rosy, even though movies have the advantage of suitable music and not thudding bass from the bar outside.

He draws in a breath that shakes when Rune speaks to him again. ]

Mm, yeah. [ Right, party. He Ming lifts Rune's hand with his own, interlacing their fingers as he starts walking towards the door. He doesn't quite stagger, but he leans heavily into his side, head dipping to rest on his shoulder. ] When we go back, I want you to put your whole body against mine. See you. Not in the bath.

[ He Ming opens the door for them. There's no one immediately outside, thankfully, so He Ming tugs Rune along towards the back part of the bar where his co-workers are. The closer they get, the more he slows down. He looks at Rune again. He can't not smile when he sees his face. They remain far away enough from the group that the music covers his low voice. ]

Do you want to fuck me in this dress when we get home?

[ He accepts the way they touch and the weight of He Ming leaning into him without so much as a second thought, glancing around at all of the guests even as he thinks about anything other than this party. Rune hadn't wanted to be here, but in doing so, there's a different sort of closeness that comes from it that he craves. He's able to watch He Ming in a way that he doesn't normally get to, and it's a chance at pretending nothing terrible had happened in the weeks before.

So, he follows his lead until they're slowing. The question itself doesn't draw any real physical reaction out of him, though he does lean so he can murmur in He Ming's ear. ]

I would fuck you in that dress right here if that's what you wanted.

[ Casual, quiet. He kisses at the lobe of his ear and lets the scrape of his glamoured teeth ghost his jaw until he can kiss his chin. Then his lips. It's brief, like he's giving He Ming a sendoff before he goes to join his coworkers—who seem to be staring just a little too hard. Then, Rune straightens up and gently smooths down some of He Ming's hair. ]

You're not working now. Do you want a drink? [ Or a dance? But he doesn't offer that quite yet. ]

[ Upon first spotting them, one of the other bartenders had called out. He Ming raises a hand in automatic greeting. As Rune leans into him, however, he breaks into a slightly distracted-sounding laugh and ducks his head. He lifts it again to kiss him back, humming against his lips and finally releasing him when he draws back. ]

Drink, please. [ His coworkers' attention is noticeable in his periphery. He Ming just smiles. He wonders if Rune's pointy teeth would make real marks on his neck. ] I'm gonna steal this dress and bring it home.

[ Finally peeling away from his side, He Ming trots off to his group of off-duty coworkers. They welcome him in and there's some good-natured ribbing about their respective costumes, as he'd expected. He Ming slots into a familiar rhythm of repartee. When Rune comes back, He Ming opens his arm to the side to pull him in. ]

You're back! This is Rune. Introduce yourselves and be nice.

[ That last warning is directed towards his coworkers, not Rune, and it mostly works. The only real question that gets asked is, ] So how did you two meet?

[ They separate, and he's back to wading through the people who've swarmed the bar, deciding on something bottled so it'll be easier to handle. Not only that, he realizes a little too late that he's going to have to socialize more and not make a scene, some attempt at being cordial when he'd exhausted most of that simply by walking into the place.

It's not the worst situation though, offering a polite nod of his head at all the introductions as he stands next to He Ming. He doesn't sense anything out of the ordinary about any of them either, which probably makes it easier to answer the question with more tact than he would have otherwise. Would it have been crude to say that He Ming had technically picked him up when he'd been "working"? ]

I run a tea shop not too far from here with my partner. We met there.

[ The look he gives He Ming apparently prompts a longer list of questions that Rune only shakes his head at, declining to answer and instead making a comment about the party to divert the conversation. It works well enough; at least for a few minutes.

It's long enough that Rune can lean in close to He Ming, tucking hair behind his ear as he half-murmurs into it. ]

Do you want to dance? [ It's what he wants, isn't it? Rune might also flash him a warmer smile with a bit of teeth—just in case he needs convincing. ]

[ Frankly, He Ming has no shame, even in front of his coworkers, and he'd readily describe being drawn to the shop and "falling" for Rune as soon as he saw him. Rune's briefer explanation comes out first, however, and he isn't so crass as to talk over it and reveal any more details. Instead he just sips his drink intermittently and keeps his arm around Rune.

The conversation has the odd (though not uncomfortable) tone of an already-formed group trying to welcome a new member. He Ming lets Rune find his own place on the edges of it, and he's not surprised when he suggests another diversion. ]

Do you want to dance? [ Well, it's evident enough that Rune doesn't want to stick around the others for much longer. He Ming gets to his feet so it looks like he's leading their exit strategy. ] Come on.

[ It's not a real dance floor like there might be in a club, just a space far enough from the bar that servers won't have to brave the fracas to reach the other tables. The music is some popular track that He Ming has probably heard a dozen times before in the past week. As he pulls Rune to a spot among the milling crowd, He Ming swings his hips into him a few times, just for the sake of making the dress move. His arm moves from Rune's shoulder to encircle his waist and touch where his shirt is tucked into his pants. ]

You do look like a real vampire. If your hair was a little longer, you could do the romance-novel thing.

[ With the music and the other people around them—normal people—He Ming finds it easier to tease, to be playful. He curls his arm until they're front to front, and begins to move Rune along with the melody, a slow series of steps that involves more shifting of their bodies against each other than dancing. ]

[ It's not exactly relief that he feels when He Ming draws them out into the space made for dancing, but it's close. He doesn't particularly mind socializing; it only gets tedious when there's not much he can talk about beyond the weather when his interests lie elsewhere. That's never been a problem when he's with He Ming, a thought that crossss his mind as they move against each other.

This music isn't exactly something he would say suits him either, but he's heard practically everything because of Ciro. So, it's not new. Neither is dancing, mimicking the embrace He Ming has around him until he needs to free his hands for something else. Because that comment makes him smile, something far more real than the strained ones he'd offered here and there since coming, and it's with a flourish he decides to show off. A little. He never uses his magic in such a way, but he's more than comfortable with He Ming, gripping his hands and giving them a squeeze before lifting them up to rest against the sides of his head. Rune pushes his fingers through the strands, adding to the glamour so it's as if his hair grows beneath He Ming's touch. ]

What do you think? [ It's not exceptionally long, but there's certainly a difference given his normal style. ] How does a vampire in a romance novel work? Should I seduce you right here?

[ He's not the only one who can tease, subtle as it is when he lets him go to draw him in close with the change of the music. ]

[ They're out of the sight of his coworkers now, though He Ming remains acutely aware that he's being seen by the others moving around them. Rather than bother him, it brings him some measure of extra excitement. People can see him with Rune. Close to him, holding him, safe with him.

Will they see him doing magic? He Ming doubts it. People will be too wrapped up in themselves to notice. He, after all, doesn't want to move his eyes away from Rune as he smiles. ]

You don't have to seduce me, you already blew me in the bathroom. I'm a simple man. [ Even so, he doesn't stop touching his hair. He Ming runs his fingers through it again, flipping the ends lightly and grinning at how it bounces. ] But it looks good. For someone who can try new looks whenever you want, I've never seen you try something too crazy.

[ If He Ming had that ability, he'd be trying all kinds of weird things. He clarifies quickly, ] I mean, I like how you look on a normal day. But Halloween is the best time to dress up as something you're not.

[ He would have probably pointed out that there's a difference between seduction and a casual encounter, but he doesn't. Rune cares little for the correction, especially when He Ming seems so fascinated with the glamour, and his focus is so singularly on the man in his arms that it wouldn't have mattered if everyone in the room had stopped to watch their every movement. ]

I don't see the point in using magic that way. [ Not like certain witches he happens to know. ] But I can show you more another time. I'll even tell you about the time I was glamoured as a woman for a week.

[ Not now, obviously. That's an embarrassing story he'd rather not relive when he's supposed to be in the middle of this date(?) where everything is normal and natural and there isn't anything to worry about. Rune leans into him, holding him close despite the tempo of the music beginning to pick up again. ]

Halloween – [ and the emphasis on the word is sharp, ] – means more to me than that. But you mean even more, so I'll be whatever you want me to be right now.

[ Even if that's a fake vampire with equally fake teeth. ]

It wasn't on purpose? [ Eyes lighting up with curiosity, He Ming squeezes his waist. Without really thinking about it, he moves them with the music in swaying little steps. ] I think you would be really pretty.

[ But he'll bring that into conversation later. Even though the music begins to speed up, he doesn't accelerate his movement. They're all wrapped up in each other, a cocoon of conversation around them. ]

You can be my hot immortal date for the evening, then. At least until we go home.

[ He Ming links his hands together behind Rune's back under the cape. ]

And I mean my place. Where I want you to come back to. The—en you can finish with the vampire act and go back to the witch thing.

[ He shakes his head slightly at that – I think you would be really pretty – because there's nothing more to comment on. It'll be a nice story to tell him some day, something far less nefarious than half of the things they've experienced together. For now, Rune simply moves closer until there's no space between them, flush together as he leans in. ]

I think I might want to be a vampire a little longer than that.

[ Not that he'd mind returning to being himself, but...

He gently dips forward to rest their foreheads together, briefly soaking up the contact before pressing a soft kiss to He Ming's cheek. Then, he's tilting He Ming's head to the side to gain access to his neck, lips parting to let his glamoured teeth scrape gently over smooth skin. It's not hard enough to puncture but enough that he knows He Ming feels it, and when he draws back, his thumb traces over the shell of an ear. ]

Or are you still set on me being a witch when we get to your place?

[ He Ming would readily tick off needy on a personality quiz, and yet so often, Rune gives into his whims. Whatever Rune promises he'd do for him, He Ming would double if he could. He would have killed for him if he had to, and he regrets nothing he's done or experienced so far. But the simplicity of dancing, miles from the violence, is a pretty good way to move on. As they press together he arches up into him. He can recognize every line of his body, and he can't think about much else. ]

Oh? [ Vampire, yes. His mental processes may have paused for a moment. They don't restart until after Rune's teeth are taken away from his neck and he shivers hard. Oblivious to many intricacies of supernatural relations, he prioritizes how hot he finds this instead. ] Um, no. If you want to keep the teeth on all night, I won't complain.

[ He lets the weight of his head rest further on Rune's hand. The motion shows the side of his neck and He Ming aids it by tugging on the front of his dress. Looking at Rune steadily, he pulls harder at his hips to better encourage moving to the music. The fabric of the costume dress seems decidedly flimsy with the heat of their bodies permeating it completely. ]

Unless there's some kind of extra witch advantage you've got going on for Halloween.

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