with whatsatisfies me, continued from XI log

[friendofdorothy]

Liir had been determined to extract a promise to end his isolation from Gilbert at the time. If he'd kissed him he'd have been rewarding that behavior. He didn't have such a problem anymore. He closed his eyes when Gilbert's lips opened against his and...

...he was small and scared and someone was doing something to him that he wished would stop. That was all he could glean from the conversation and the remembered feelings, besides the non, non, as he spoke little French. Liir is truly disturbed for the first time in a while. Perhaps more than his memories of Bandar.

He comes out of it shaken, does his best to compose himself, which is pretty good. The boy he was metamorphisizes into the young man pressed against him.

"Sorry. It's...been a while."

Comments

[whatsatisfiesme]

Liir does, in fact, look passably composed. This is what draws Gilbert up short when he raises his eyes, because for all that he still doesn't feel it. Unease might as well be coming off of him like heat, and for once its object is so shrouded and internal that Gilbert cannot begin to scry it.

He pulls back so there's most of an arm's length between them, both palms flat against Liir's chest. Now he looks worried.

"As if I mind; I could have guessed that!"

He's wincing despite himself.

"What is it...?"

[friendofdorothy]

Liir briefly considers his options. Ultimately the most plausible lie (thoughts of Trism) would be even more revealing than the truth.

"What I was just warning you about. Accidentally seeing memories. I've gotten much better about controlling it but it's still...disorienting sometimes."

And he was already feeling a little off balance anyway.

[whatsatisfiesme]

Gilbert's frowning tersely. He's wearing more distress than he normally allows himself to show, digits curling into the front of Liir's jacket. He looks like he intends either to cling on to him or else to give him a good shake before shoving him away.

He hadn't realized that this was what Liir'd meant, going on about his power. Nor does he like the thought, now. No one else could understand properly, he's sure, most of what's in his head and his memories.

"Well? Do you want to stop, then?"

[friendofdorothy]

Liir couldn't understand it properly because he doesn't speak French. He sees that history from the perspective of a strand of hair, a skin flake, anything organic but dead.

But this has also made him tolerant, at least. He shakes his head. He's wanted to do this with Gilbert for a while and he's not gonna let any uncomfortable, awkward trips to memory theater stop him. His hands come up to Gilbert's shoulders, as if their presence there will keep him from running away if he wants, a foolish idea.

[whatsatisfiesme]

Certainly foolish. But they do keep Gilbert there, somehow. He doesn't bristle against the suggestion of restraint, doesn't move to pull away further. He watches Liir's eyes coolly, scrutinizing for a long moment, and then leans back up against his chest.

"Well, then. Ça marche."

And he sounds more relieved than anything, as he goes onto his tiptoes, tracing feather-light kisses along the curve of Liir's neck, while he waits for him to regroup.

There are no memory-flashes this time. At least not yet.

[friendofdorothy]

Liir thinks he's got a handle on it, for now. This is the first time it's happened in months.

Liir turns his head, exposing his neck to him. His breath hitches in his throat, fingers curl around his shoulders before he leans in to kiss him again. This time there's less hesitation.

[whatsatisfiesme]

And, mercifully, Liir's head will stay free from invasion this time, though Gilbert answers even more fervently than before. By the time he's willing to part lips again, he's turned breathless, giving into small, satisfied pants as he rests his cheek against the taller boy's chest. His arms circle around Liir and hold on. He rather likes the fact that he's clinging onto him in semi-public like this.

It's enough to smooth over that edge of distress that had begun rising up his throat, before, to keep him from thinking too hard about what had drawn Liir up short.

"Did you want to stay for the rest of the dance, then?" he asks after a beat, with just the slightest, impish curl at the ends of an angelic smile.

[friendofdorothy]

Liir is just now realizing that, through the fog of emotion coming off of him.

"Non." He says, stroking the other boy's cheek. He's seen all he'll see here and Rin's gotten her confidence up enough to do OK without him.

[whatsatisfiesme]

"My room, then? Or...?"

Once he dispenses with playing demure, Gilbert does not beat around the bush much. He's forgotten about the rest of the student body milling around on the lawn, off away from them, in favor of watching Liir and twining his fingers around his free hand.

This is as agreeable as anyone at the Institute is likely ever to see him.

"Wherever you like is fine."

thread that out too or fade to black?

[friendofdorothy]

Wherever I like? He wondered if that meant in the shrub maze? On the roof? Anyway, most certainly not his own room. There was a brief spike of disgust as he imagined Eren frowning in disapproval at them during the act.

"...Yours. My roommate would be...a bit of a wet blanket." Coming from Liir, that's saying something.

Fade to black's fine!

[whatsatisfiesme]

Well, now he would never know, would he?

"Mine has hardly even been around, this past week."

And with that, he turns and begins leading Liir away from the festivities, drawing him around the side of the Mansion in the dark. It's a longer route back to the dorms than cutting back through the prom, but it gives him cover to begin undoing the buttons on Liir's jacket as they go.

"Come on, then."

His memories, at least, keep politely to themselves for the rest of the night.