Luag Chambers (dragons_shadow) wrote in afic, @ 2011-01-29 23:53:00 |
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Current mood: | cheerful |
WHO: Luag Chambers and Nate Summerby
WHEN: backdated Friday, 28 January 2005 | early Evening
WHERE: Luag's house, Isle of Harris, Hebrides
WHAT: Luag introduces Nate to a surprise gift and they talk about plans.
RATING: PG?
When Luag had gotten the message that his paperwork had gone through, he’d spent the rest of the day getting the house ready. Most of the old furniture in the house he didn’t care too much about, but he was certain that Nate would not warm up to the kneazle if the beast did anything to his fabric in its process of getting used to its new home. He made a sweep of all the rooms, making sure to collect any of Nate’s fashion supplies and put them into one of the bedrooms. He checked the door many times, making sure it latched properly and wasn’t easy to push open. He also made sure that door to their wardrobe actually did stay closed as he was certain that Nate wouldn’t appreciate any of their clothes becoming a nest for the beast either. He closed the door to their bedroom too before going to pick up the large kneazle.
Luckily, it seemed like the kneazle was taking to the house well. It made its way through the entire house, looking expectantly at Luag when it stopped in front of each closed door and meowed plaintively when he didn’t open the door immediately. The kneazle at least seemed to be satisfied with each explanation, even if it flicked its tufted tail in aggravation at not getting its way. By the time it was for Nate to come home, it had settled on the bed in one of the guest rooms and Luag went to settle on one of the old couches in the living room. He pulled out his broom to perform some maintenance on it, giving his hands and mind something to focus on rather than letting the nervous energy about how Nate would feel about this present get a hold of him and make him start pacing.
It was easier to Floo from London to Scotland, rather than Apparate, even though it meant needing to go to one of the public Floo points. After a long day, Nate didn’t always have the energy for the long jump. So just before dinnertime, the flames flashed green in the fireplace and a moment later Nate stepped out, brushing the dust off his shirt and trousers. His smile slowly grew when he saw Luag sitting there. “Hey, caro. Thinking about going up in the air after dinner? Bit chill out there for a night flight.”
Nate sank down onto the sofa next to him, knee pressed against Luag’s, comfortable here, home again.
“It isnae that bad,” Luag said with a chuckle as he propped his broom beside him. “But that wasnae my plan. Just needed somethin’ ta keep my hands busy, ye ken?” Stretching out a bit more on the couch, he stretched his arm out to rest along Nate’s shoulders and pull him in closer. “Ah’ve a surprise fer ye.” As soon as the words left his mouth, his cheeks tinged pink considering what the usually surprises they had for each other after work were. “Em... a surprise that isnae the usual surprise... Ah wouldnae have been polishin’ my broomstick if... well, the wooden broomstick... Ah mean....”
He was glad to hear a loud thump come from the direction of the bedrooms as it stopped his downward train of thought, which was a good thing considering how much he could feel his cheeks burning. “Oh, good. Ah think that’s the surprise. Ah was wonderin’ if Ah was goin’ ta have ta get him...” He rubbed his hand lightly over Nate’s shoulder as he found it hard to fully sit still as his nervous energy started to grow in anticipation of whether Nate would like the surprise or not. He was about to push himself up off the sofa when the large kneazle poked his head around the doorframe. Luag was pretty certain that the dark cinnamon colored, spotted feline was around the same size as the border collies whose domain was outside and in the byre with the sheep. It could very well have been larger than them. The kneazle huffed out a loud breath as it took in the scene, assessing the new addition to the household before slowly slinking into the room. “Aye, that’s a good lad. Nothin’ ta be ‘fraid o’ here,” he said before raising his eyebrows questioningly and smiling at Nate. “Surprise....”
Nate laughed softly, nuzzling Luag’s neck and pressing a kiss there as Luag stumbled through the explanation. He wouldn’t mind that sort of surprise; he never minded that sort of surprise and couldn’t imagine that changing any time in the near future. But his eyebrows went up when he heard the thump and Luag’s comment that it was the surprise. “You got me a bloke?” he asked in some confusion. He could feel the tension in Luag’s body and was starting to get unsettled himself, wondering exactly who “he” was going to be.
When the kneazle came in, Nate blinked at him, watching as it didn’t blink back. “That’s a bloody large cat, Luag.” He glanced at Luag, not sure exactly why this was a surprise for himself, or why the cat was quite this large. Gorgeous coat, though, Nate had to admit. And strong, too, as he felt the thump of the large head butting against his thigh, sniffing at his trousers. Nate held out one hand, and the cat shifted his attention to his fingers, whiskers tickling along Nate’s skin as he made certain to make a thorough investigation of this new human. “He’s mine?”
The comment about a bloke didn’t help the flush threatening to take over his entire face. Luag was just glad that the kneazle wasn’t being shy considering that it saved him from having to stumble through what to say about the idea of getting another bloke for Nate. “He’s a kneazle,” he explained as he watched it investigate Nate, his body ready to spring forward in case this didn’t go as well as he hoped it would. “Aye he’s a bit big even fer one o’ them though.” He tensed slightly as the kneazle hopped up on the couch next to Nate, staring at the the other man’s face intently for a few moments before it ducked its head and headbutted Nate’s shoulder as it let out a loud purr. Luag finally relaxed with a soft chuckle as he rubbed his hand over Nate’s shoulder. “Aye... yers. Or...” He bit his lower lip nervously a moment. “Or ours... Kneazles, they’re very loyal. Very protective. Ah figured... it might be nice. When Ah have ta be away, ta have some company ‘round the place, ye ken?”
The cat--kneazle--was bloody well big. There was a reassuring weight to it as it leaned into Nate, face rubbing against his shoulder, marking him with its scent. Nate turned somewhat so he could better see the kneazle (and if that made him lean back into Luag’s arms, well all the better). Nate started to reach out, slowing his movements when the kneazle checked his hand, letting his touch fall atop the big head and scritching behind the ears. He smiled when the kneazle purred at that as well. “One of Em’s kneazles?” he asked, tilting his head to look back at Luag.
Once Luag explained, it made perfect sense to Nate. His smile was a bit rueful. “You mean just in case someone comes by who doesn’t think a Muggleborn ought to be out here?”
Shifting as Nate turned to better nestle their bodies together, Luag’s smile turned warmer and easier at the obvious bonding going on between the kneazle and Nate. “Aye. The biggest o’ that bunch. One o’ the few who dinnae run at the smell o’ sheep an’ dragon.” He blushed slightly as he cleared his throat. “He almost wouldnae let me take yer boxers back home after he claimed ‘em fer a bed.”
Puffing out a sigh, he nodded before resting his chin on Nate’s shoulder. “Aye. Or anyone lookin’ ta cause trouble fer ye.”
“You gave him my pants?” Nate snorted, a sound which quickly turned to pain as the kneazle decided he might consider being a lap cat and took a cautious step onto Nate’s thigh. “Oi! Come any closer with that, and I might decide I don’t like you.” He nudged the kneazle into lying down across his leg, and kept on scritching just behind his ear. “He seems like a big enough fellow to hold his own up here, and I don’t think anything out there’s going to bother him. And I think he likes me.” It was hard to deny that, after Luag’s comments about his boxers, and with the kneazle half sprawled in his lap. “Does he have a name?”
“They were in a pillow case,” Luag mumbled bashfully as he wrapped his arms around Nate. He laughed when the gesture ended with the kneazle grabbing his hand with one paw and closing its mouth lightly over his wrist with a growl. “Och, he was mine first, ye ken?” he chided the kneazle. “Ye’ll have ta learn ta share.” He unwrapped an arm to pet the kneazle’s side as he stared down the beast. “Aye, see, ye’re gettin’ twice the attention now, so ye can let go.” The kneazle thought the matter over a few moments before huffing out a breath, letting go of Luag’s hand, and starting up with an even louder purr than before. Luag shook his head as he wrapped his newly released arm around Nate. “They’re smart too. Might take a bit o’ trainin’, but Ah’ve a feelin’ ye’ll get him wrapped ‘round yer finger too.” He shook his head before nuzzling Nate’s neck tenderly. “Ah’ve a few ideas, but... Ah thought maybe we could name him together.”
“I suppose possessive git isn’t appropriate, not matter whether it’s fond or not,” Nate mused. When the beast gave him a look, he had to laugh. “Smart, yes, I see that. Going to have to watch what I say, it seems like.” He tried to pet the cat’s head, trying reroute him when all the cat wanted to do was nuzzle him. “I’m not sure if I’ll have him wrapped around my finger, or if he’s working on wrapping me around his paws.” He fell silent for a bit then, letting the cat nuzzle his hand to his heart’s content while he tried to think of names. Turning his head slightly, he kissed Luag’s throat. “What names did you have in mind, caro?”
“As long as he doesnae steal all my pettings, Ah dinnae think it’ll be too bad fer him ta have ye wrapped ‘round his paws,” Luag teased before turning his head to brush his lips against Nate’s tenderly. “Mmm... Well, there’s Cathal... It means battle mighty. Flannagan means blood-red.” He glanced down at the large kneazle and chuckled softly. “Conan means wee doggie.” He frowned slightly in thought as he nuzzled Nate tenderly. “Or maybe somethin’ like Holmes or Watson...”
“I like Cathal,” Nate considered the name and the cat. “How do you say Cinnamon in Scots Gaelic? Is it even a word?” His hand stroked over the spice coloured fur, because that was what the colour made him think of, that deep burnished almost red tone of the hot and spicy cinnamon.
“Caineal,” Luag said with a chuckle and a nod. “Seems Ah keep gettin’ stuck on cinnamon, aye? The smell. The color.” He brushed his lips against Nate’s neck before raising an eyebrow. “Do ye think ye can handle either o’ those names? If we need somethin’ more managable...” He smirked mischievously as an idea popped into his head. “We could always name him Romeo.”
“Oi, you.” Nate twisted around, fingers sliding into Luag’s hair, pulling him in for a kiss. “No,” he murmured against Luag’s lips. “Not Romeo. Cathal or Caineal,” he decided. “Can’t argue against a Cinnamon theme. Might be what’s got him so fond of my scent, yeah?”
Luag laughed warmly as he circled his arms around Nate, batting a nip away gently. “Ah dinnae ken,” he teased with a big grin. “Romeo is warmin’ up on me.” He turned his head to look down at the kneazle who was wiggling to try and sprawl even more across their laps. “What do ye think, ye wee beastie? Should we be callin’ ye Romeo.” He hissed out a breath and made a face as the kneazle looked up at him and very purposefully sunk his claws into his jean clad thigh to pull himself to sprawl across their laps. “Alright, alright,” he muttered. “Caineal (pronounciation KEE-neyal) it is.” He rolled his eyes as the kneazle detached his claws and wiggled to show his tummy to the two men as he started to purr very loudly again. “Ah’ve a feelin’ yer goin’ ta have a few scratches ta kiss better ‘fore Ah teach him ta use his voice an’ not his claws ta answer,” he puffed out even as he reached down to rub the kneazle’s stomach.
“Hasn’t clawed me yet,” Nate pointed out, laughing softly at the interaction between Caineal and Luag. “And that’s a far better name than Romeo, he’s right, for all I’m likely to butcher the pronunciation.” He said it a few times aloud, watching the beast’s reaction, and deciding he couldn’t be making too much of a hash of it when he just kept on purring. With a slow smile, Nate’s hand joined Luag’s in rubbing Caineal’s stomach, while Nate himself made a low rumble of pleasure in his throat, snuggled back against Luag. “He’s a brill surprise, caro. Reminds me a bit of someone, yeah?”
“Maybe he knows he’ll get a swift clout if he tries an’ hurts ye,” Luag chuckled as a warm smile settled on his lips. “Or he just really likes ye. It’s hard ta hurt someone when ye really like ‘em.” His expression brightened more at Nate’s enthusiasm over the surprise. He would have likely kept the kneazle, if just as an outside or barn animal, even if Nate hadn’t taken to it, but this was much better. He felt all warm inside and a bit giddy at the idea of the kneazle being theirs rather than just his. “Ye’ve got that good, bòidhchead,” he murmured before laughing again. “An’ Ah dinnae ken what ye’re talkin’ ‘bout. Although he could learn a thing or two from ye ‘bout purrin’.”
“As long as you don’t start calling him piseag,” Nate murmured. “I’m your first cat, then him, and if he hasn’t figured that out, he will soon enough.” Although it occurred to him that with Caineal sprawled across their laps like he was, he was most definitely theirs. Or they were his. Or some permutation of that. He tried pulling his hand away from Caineal’s head, and the kneazle moved a bit, following him and headbutting his fingers until he started up again, waiting for him to purr. “How about you, caro? Do I need to teach you how to purr?”
“There’s only one piseag ‘round here an’ it isnae the kneazle,” Luag chuckled as he brushed his lips against Nate’s neck. “Ah think Ah’ll leave the purrin’ ta ye. Ye’re barry with that. No one better.”
“Bet I could make you purr if I tried.” Nate sighed, a low wordless murmur after that as he shifted to let Luag nuzzle him better, letting his head fall back to bare his neck. “We letting Caineal sleep in our room? Not so sure there’s enough room on the bed.” He felt claws dig into his thigh, and winced. “Alright, maybe let’s not the right word, yeah? He seems to think he is.”
Luag chuckled as he smiled warmly. “Ye can make me do anythin’ if ye try,” he admitted as he nuzzled Nate’s neck. “We’ll figure somethin’ out.” He shot a glare down at Caineal. “If someone keeps usin’ his claws though, he’s sleepin’ on the couch, ye ken?” The kneazle glared back at him before finally puffing out an irritated breath and flopping his head back down on Nate’s thigh and swiveling his body so all his paws were in the air and away from any body parts. “Aye, that’s a good lad,” he said as he gave the kneazle a tender pat of positive reinforcement.
Nate snorted. “Have to wonder how many languages he speaks, or if he just understands all of them. Or if he reads our intent.” He rubbed the furry belly with one hand, as Caineal stretched. “Seems to be we’ll be just fine once we all get used to each other.”
“We can always test him on it later,” Luag teased, relaxing into the couch. This was the life. True, it was rare that he didn’t feel this content with Nate while at home, but this was different. Even if they were living together, the house and the land was still his, as were the sheep and barn cats and the sheep dogs. Most of the furniture had been a part of the house and while there were a few things in the house that could be considered theirs, it wasn’t anything big. This had meaning and weight to it. Rubbing one hand over Caineal’s belly and the other over Nate’s, he leaned his head lightly against Nate’s. “What do ye think ‘bout havin’ a party here? Ah mean, both o’ us hostin’ a party, ye ken?”
“Do we have to pull out the formal dining with me sitting at the foot of the table?” Nate asked with a grin. “Sure, why not?” The idea didn’t seem a bother to Nate at all, and he liked the idea of hosting something in tandem with Luag. They’d been together so long it sometimes seemed odd to him that there were these couple things -- like hosting gatherings -- that they hadn’t really done yet. “As long as I’m not supposed to be the wife, unless ordering in food for it counts. What’s the party for?”
“Och, nae formal,” Luag said with a chuckle. “An’ Ah would just want ye bein’ ye, ye ken? My Nate. Helpin’ me in the kitchen. Makin’ sure Ah dinnae make a mess o’ the decorations.” He puffed a sigh out as he shifted a bit on the couch. Ever since he’d started to realize he wasn’t quite normal, holidays had been a mixed bag of emotions for him. On one hand, it was tradition and usually the amount of alcohol flowing and the good times and the ritual kept his brain occupied. On the other hand, it was uncomfortable considering that he could feel the pressure to fill in the virile male role. Once he had come out to his family, he and Nate had tried going to a few of the family parties, but it was obvious that the experience wasn’t doing either of them any good. Sadly, going on his own hadn’t been any better and so the past few holidays had been more of him trying to flub through the rituals on his own while teaching Nate. He was still wary about throwing a party of his own though, but with Nate by his side, he was sure it wouldn’t be all that bad.
Taking a deep breath, he sorted through his thoughts to make sure he worded it properly. “Oimelc is February second. Ah was thinkin’... Maybe we could do our traditions on the eve, but instead o’ just us fer dinner, maybe we could have family.” He made a face. “Nae the whole family, just... Davina an’ Alex, Trina if she can come over. Maybe yer maw an’ da, ye ken? An’ then maybe the evenin’ o’ the second we could have a bigger dinner party fer friends... If ye dinnae mind.”
Nate was already nodding before Luag had finished the explanation. “Sure, yeah, sounds brill. Mum and Dad sounds perfect, and Trina’s a given. Don’t suppose we could invite my nephew without bringing the git into it, can we?” There were times when Nate wondered when he and Sean would get on like normal siblings; Sean was nearly 30 after all. But every time they saw each other, Sean was still just as much of a git as he always had been to Nate. If it weren’t for his nephew, Nate’d avoid his brother altogether.
“Ye could threaten him with dragons,” Luag said with a wide grin, the mental image of what Nate’s older brother would do when faced with a full grown dragon brightening his mood. “But he probably wouldnae let his son come if he thought we’d be lettin’ him run ‘bout with dragons... Maybe Trina could go an’ kidnap him fer a day....”
“That’s a thought,” Nate mused, “but it might hack Sean off enough that I’d hear about it for months. Likely best not to rock that particular boat.” He leaned back and slid his hand up to cradle Luag’s cheek, tilting his head as he pulled Luag down so he could nudge a kiss. “As much as I love the idea of watching Sean run scared from the dragons, I’d be afraid that he’d give them indigestion if they actually caught him.”
Luag couldn’t help the snicker that escaped his lips as he nuzzled Nate tenderly. “Or try an’ mate with him instead,” he teased. “They might easily mistake him fer a hard ta get, grumpy lass.” Brushing his lips against Nate’s, he smiled softly. “But we willnae let the git ruin our night, aye?” He bit his lip a bit in worry as he thought about other things that could ruin the mood. Divination had never been a big part of their festivities in his family, unless they had wanted a good laugh, but it was good for this time of year. Especially looking for some advice on how to navigate a crossroad. “After the family leaves, ye should try the cards again,” he suggested in a quiet voice, knowing how much the last reading had affected Nate.
His brow furrowed. “You want me to do a reading?” Nate didn’t think that was like Luag much at all, actually asking for one. And Nate remembered how the last reading had gone, and how unsettling it was. He wasn’t sure enough time had passed for things to actually have changed by now, either. “A general reading, like that last? About how things are going in the wizarding world?”
"A general readin’," Luag said softly as he rubbed Nate’s shoulders tenderly. “It’s supposed ta be a good time ta do readings like that... Maybe the goddess’ll help give some more insight on the matter. They say that she’s at least supposed ta. We never took much stock in it, ye ken?” He brushed his lips against Nate’s forehead and then against his lips as he squeezed his shoulders reassuringly. “Ah’ll be with ye an’ ye dinnae need ta if ye arenae up fer it.”
Nate knew that Luag wouldn’t ask if he didn’t have reason, and if he didn’t think it was a good idea. And if it was a good time for readings... Nate stole another kiss while he was thinking. “You never put stock in it, because you never had anyone good at Divination. We’ll try it out, see if the rumours are true,” he decided. “Hopefully the cards will have a good story to tell.”
“Never had a reason ta believe in it before,” Luag murmured with a soft sigh before leaning in for another kiss, letting it be slow and lingering this time. He would have been content to stay like this for the rest of the night, but someone else obviously wasn’t in agreement considering the rough head bump that Caineal gave him before meowing loudly in his head. Laughing he rubbed the kneazle’s head as it tried to nuzzle its way in between him and Nate with a purr that would put any Muggle motor to shame. “Och, come on, ye brute,” he chuckled as he hoisted the large feline under his arm and he stood up, the kneazle looking confused about whether this was good attention or bad attention. Holding his other hand out to Nate, he smiled warmly. “How ‘bout we see if we can all fit in bed comfortably?” A smirked quirked his lips slightly. “When the mood isnae so... intense...”