perhapstomorrow | The bell has been raised from its watery grave...

"I saw a man defending himself," Grey says quietly but doesn't force Midnight to stay close to him. He loosens his hold immediately when the mage struggles against it. He's not someone to force himself upon anyone. Even if it were good for them.

"They kidnapped you, and then were about to rape you..." The captain's stormy eyes narrow as he stares at Midnight. "You're supposed to strike back. You don't belong to anyone just because they're stronger and want it. Not them, not me, not anyone."

He points a finger at Midnight's chest and gently prods it. "I said if you want me, stop being an idiot. If you don't, then fine. I'm not going to fuck you just because you need a release from the storm. Nor should you."

It's... incredible how easily this mage worms his way under Grey's skin. He seems to have a real talent for it.

Dark eyes stare mutely up at Grey, Midnight's face both strained and just a bit confused as he leans back against a 'wall' of their shelter. His skin prickles all over but he stubbornly ignores it and how he's now covered in a fine sheen of sweat, hair sticking to his face and neck as he shakes his head, staring down at his feet.

How does he explain to Grey how the magic is pulsing in his veins, wanting some way to get out, but at the same time, it now terrifies him? He'd always known to some degree that his particular branch of magic could cause harm... he'd just never done it, beyond accidentally calling in the storm that had destroyed his last 'owner's' ship.

Now, as much as he wants to grab Grey, to slide into his lap and lick his way into that stern mouth, he's too aware of how dangerous he is. How Grey had been so right to be so wary of him. Not only that, but Grey had admitted to him, less than a day ago, that he didn't just jump into casual sex.

The mage lets out a dry, bitter little chuckle and hangs his head before dropping it back, turning his gaze out of their shelter to the darkening skies. "I'm a pretty shit liar, so I won't bother pretending I don't want to ride you like a pony. But you don't do casual sex. You said so yourself. And you hate magic."

His eyes slip over to Grey's face, his smile humorless as he shrugs and continues, "If we fucked, now? I don't know what my magic will do, and after... what happened earlier, not sure it's a good idea to risk it."

So, there's the problem. Midnight doesn't want him to think that this is going to be something more than sex. Grey understands it. It's not hard to see why he wouldn't want someone like Grey fixating on him. Especially because it's his ship and his crew.

Eventually he shrugs and looks away. He can handle rejection. Even if it's not familiar to him given his lack of trying.

The mage doesn't look that good with the storm obviously riding heavy on his shoulders. Grey offered to help and Midnight did not want it. There's nothing much he can do about it.

"You don't seem like you're struggling with control," he says but then folds himself up and stands, even if he has to bow over in the shelter that isn't exactly made for his height. "But it's up to you."

He peers outside into the darkening jungle. "I'll go see if I can spot the rest of the crew." They need to have their throats slit open.

That immediately grabs Midnight's attention and he tenses up, eyes going just a bit wider.

"Isn't that dangerous? You're outnumbered out there, and the storm's coming," he says, voice just a bit agitated at the thought of Grey going back out there.

"It's just a storm," Grey says, a little pointedly. And as if he weren't throwing the mage's own words at him, he shrugs and steps outside into the pouring rain. "They're not going to see me coming."

Midnight stares after him, hands clenching at his own knees.

Then, quietly, "Do... do you have to kill them?"

That makes Grey pause and look back at the mage.

He struggles with it for a moment, turning his face to the pouring rain and takes a few deep breaths.

Then he scoots down again, diving under the shelter to sit at the opposing side of their tiny cave, his jaw clenching as he looks at Midnight.

"No."

He certainly hadn't expected Grey to comply, but he's grateful for it, and Midnight remains silent for a bit, staring at the pirate from his side of the cave, legs tucked up to his chest.

"... I'm sorry," he mumbles at last, chin dipping and pressing the lower half of his face against his knees. "I know it's dangerous to let them live, I just..."

Shuddering, he wraps his arms around his knees and head, taking a deep inhale and exhaling in a loud, long sigh.

Grey watches him for a moment, lips pressed into a thin line. Then he sighs and pulls at the hem of his shirt, yanking it over his head and out of the bracers that are tight around his wrists. He offers the garment to the mage.

"You're going to be cold eventually. It's getting chilly."

Midnight's eyes are a bit distracted by the sight of a half-naked Grey rather than the shirt being held out to him, and he hesitates in reaching out. It's really, really not helping him keep his hands to himself, because he can see the sweat and rainwater mingling over all that skin, just begging for a warm mouth to kiss up-

"What about you...?"

Grey holds the shirt quietly, urging with his gaze for Midnight to take the shirt.

"I have the rest of my clothes. I'll be fine."

The way the mage looks at him like he were something absolutely delicious does not help with the arousal that is swimming just below the surface, just under his skin, ready to open the floodgates.

There's clear hesitation in Midnight's face but he eventually takes the shirt, biting his lip at the jolt of electricity that goes up his arm from the brief brush of his fingers against Grey's.

"... Thanks."

He pulls the shirt on, feeling the residual heat of the pirate in the dampened cloth as it settles over him. Without meaning to, he finds himself burying his nose against his sleeve-covered arm, a little shiver of delight going down his body on smelling Grey's scent that's been drenched into the worn fabric. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to accept the shirt...

And there, the floodgates have been opened. Grey's nostrils flare wide open when Midnight dives into his shirt that is practically a tent on the mage's slight built, constantly wanting to drop from one elbow or spill over his fingers.

Grey swears he sees white spots in the air with how quickly blood is rushing downward, his cock suddenly very uncomfortable in his pants.

He looks away sharply, staring into the rain and blinks several times.

Midnight combs his hair back as he settles with the shirt, closing his eyes as he savors the scent as it wraps around him. Unfortunately, that scent is also reminding him of that passionate night back on the ship, how Grey's musk had been especially strong between his legs when Midnight was doing his damned best to choke on his-

Lightning arcs across the sky and the mage lets out a quiet, helpless little moan, shivering and squeezing his arms tight around his knees, feeling his cock harden against his belly. He doesn't want to make it even more awkward for Grey, but his skin is itching and despite Grey having worried he might get cold, he's starting to feel feverishly hot with each passing second.

Grey turns to look at the mage when the lightning strikes somewhere rather near, illuminating even their little cave with white light. That moan makes the hair at the back of his neck stand up, goosebumps flaring over his skin.

"I can feel you," he starts, voice gone so low it's barely a purr, rumbling even lower than the thunder. "Do you want me to beg?"

He stares at Midnight, pupils gone wild and wide.

That voice seems almost as tangible as the magic prickling over his skin, making the mage shiver with not-so-secret desire as he dares peek at Grey from over his arms. There's a choked little laugh as Midnight tries for levity in vain, trying to give them both some way out of this.

"You wouldn't even know where to start," he teases weakly. "What you feel now is my magic trying to tether to you. You know what that means, back home for me? Marriage. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you the one who said at the bath house that you're not about to offer me an engagement ring?"

Grey stares at him for a moment with his lips pressed into a thin line. Then he moves, shifting onto his knees. All he needs to do from there is to lean forward and he's right in Midnight's space. The cave doesn't give them a whole lot in the way of personal space.

"Stop," he says roughly. "We're not on your island now. We're living in my ship where only our own rules apply."

He reaches over to brush his fingers down along the line of Midnight's cheek. His touch gentle but trembling with restrain.

"I told you, you can do that. Let it tether itself to me."

It takes everything Midnight has not to just collapse forward when Grey touches his cheek like that, and there's even a longing little whine at the back of his throat as he trembles, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You don't understand- I don't know if I can break a tether once it's formed," he whispers, wetting his lips nervously as he glances up at Grey's face. "And I'd be in your head while you'd be in mine. You've heard some of how bad it gets in mine..."

Grey pauses to stare at him, fingers slowly slipping down and curving around Midnight's shirtfront, his own shirtfront.

It's all happening very fast. Grey feels his head swirling because he's not at all ready to make these decisions. But at the same time, he knows what his gut says.

"I don't care," he says finally, very quietly. "Do you?"

There's another shudder, the smaller man's hand grasping at Grey's wrist. Whether to pull that pirate's hand away from him or to keep him there, Midnight's not too sure.

"I do," comes the soft, broken response. It hurts to deny himself, to stop them both from just tumbling over that edge into something that's looming at their feet, something that feels like it would be perfect and so right. "I'm not... good for anyone. Tethering with me could really hurt someone. It would hurt you. Are you saying you don't care? Tethering to any mage, let alone one that's half-insane?"

"Not to any mage," Grey responds immediately. This one mage. Just this one.

His jaw tightens as he listens to Midnight's babbling response and then finally tightens his hold and pulls him closer by the hold he has on the mage's shirt.

"Tell me. Is it that you're afraid for my sake? Or because you don't want what I offer?"

If it's just Midnight worrying about Grey, that worry is easily dismissed.

Midnight's hands scrabble at the ground as he's pulled in, the mage going very still as he's suddenly much closer to Grey, practically feeling the heat emanating off the pirate's body, now. His eyes are sad and he shakes his head, closing them tight to avoid being swayed by Grey's expressions.

"You saw what my magic does. I could really hurt you, and I don't just mean physically."

"I don't care about your magic," Grey snaps finally, his hand mildly shaking the mage as he leans in close to seek Midnight's gaze, trying to force the mage to look at him.

"I'll ask you one more time, and then I'm done," he warns roughly, voice gone even lower than before. This circling is getting to his nerves. "Aside from whatever your magic tells you and what you think about your magic, do you want me or not?"

Those dark eyes eventually meet Grey's, and Midnight swallows hard before he nods. His hand creeps up and lightly grasps Grey's around the shirt front, savouring that tingling energy the direct contact creates with a little shiver.

"You already know I do," he answers, voice wary and quiet. "But this is a bad idea."

"Okay," Grey replies in a much calmer tone and sits back down on his heels, his thighs spreading around Midnight's feet to give them both some room. He takes the mage's hand in his own, releasing the front of his shirt.

"It's not the sex," he finally mutters, his rough fingertips rubbing over Midnight's narrower ones. "I just want to be on the same page."

He stares at Midnight, quiet and thoughtful, the air about him expectant as he searches for the words to continue.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject