InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Tragedy gives birth to Akuma"

Gideon Prewett (gideoned) wrote in anon_rpg,
@ 2012-06-06 21:54:00

Entry tags:

!06/1981, !thread, retired c: gideon prewett, retired c: sorin yaxley, retired p: jen, retired p: michelle

Who: Sorin Yaxley & Gideon Prewett
What: getting throug the night and dealing with potions gone awry
When: Wednesday evening
Where: Sorin's place
Status: incomplete, closed
Rating: tbd; mild for now

The entire time that Gideon had packed up his things for the night (with Sorin close behind him), he could only think about how they should've known that the concoction they had brewed up at work would be effective if inhaled. It only made sense. Yet it was something that they had failed to take into account. That is, until Gideon and Sorin made themselves unknowing guinea pigs by breathing in some of its contagious fumes. Who knew, standing over the cauldron to inspect the contents would have them physically bound to each other? The magic of the experimental elixir, they shortly realized, made it impossible to leave each other's side. They had a few feet leeway between them before it was like hitting a wall if the other didn't move with them or follow along. That wasn't the expected result, but that was the thing with researching magical potions---they were very unpredictable.

It had been more than a headache to deal with since it had happened. And the rest of the day at work had went to finding the antidote rather than doing the research they were initially there for. It all frustrated Gideon. But when he found out that it would take at least 24 hours to brew the liquid cure, he was especially upset. That would mean that the two were going to have to spend the night like this---no space between them, no privacy. He really didn't want to have Sorin at his place, but the thought of going to Sorin's was even worse. Gideon was used to his things, his ways, his home, his bed. He didn't want to deal with this now after such a stressful day. But there was no choice. So he dragged Sorin back to his flat in Diagon, and went to grabbing up the essentials.

That was less than an hour ago.

Now, they stood outside the door to Sorin's apartment. Gideon gave a frustrated but concealed glance upward and let out a silent sigh. He was not at all happy about this, in the least. In fact, he was quite distraught. It wasn't even as if he was here, waiting for Sorin to open the door and let them into his place, because he felt socially obligated to do so as a friend or coworker. Or for some other stupid reason that he couldn't make a good enough excuse to get out of. No. He was physically, magically stuck to Sorin. He didn't have a choice but to wait it out. Sorin was practically nonnegotiable when it came to who's house they would end up at for the night and so rather than wasting more time with an argument, Gideon gave in. With a satchel of things he would need for the night, he fumed silently on being out of his element with someone he disliked as much as Sorin and, again worried himself over questions about what the sleeping arrangements would be like.

"I can't believe this is happening," Gideon groaned. "...certainly mishaps... but nothing like this. Ever. Not before you!" Gideon rolled his eyes and rearranged the shoulder strap of his satchel because it was getting heavy to hold while just standing there. "You know that story you told... on your first day?" Gideon jabbed a finger into Sorin's arm as if he had to get his attention. "Well, here you go," now the finger was pointed at Sorin's face. "Here's my answer for you. Count this and never ask me that again." He was, perhaps, trying to make light of the situation. But Gideon wasn't even convincing himself. He was bitter and annoyed. And maybe even nervous. Maybe a lot nervous. But he wasn't entirely sure why other than the fact that he knew that he still wasn't sure he trusted Sorin. At least, he wasn't at complete ease with the other, even after being called out on it.

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sinful_sorin
2012-06-07 03:27 am UTC (link)

Sorin was off balance, irritable, and tightly coiled as he struggled at opening his door. Gideon wanted no part of the situation, which only added to the nasty tension. It had gotten only worse when he insisted they stay at his place. Frankly, Sorin wasn't sure what the other man had to bitch about, because he would have gladly invaded Gideon's space rather than the reverse. But he had to take care of Maggy, obviously, and he wasn't about to beg Gideon for understanding on that front after he'd already suggested the dog was too high maintenance.

Perhaps, for one shining moment, he'd hoped this opportunity would allow him to get in better graces with Gideon. As the man became increasingly agitated and gave Sorin's arm a pointed poke, Sorin's hand tightened around the key and he began to have his doubts that their nearness was a good idea. He was opening his mouth to respond to the diatribe when Gideon's finger started waggling about in his face.

Instead of addressing any of it, he simply took a deep breath and turned back to the lock, which he sprang from an instant later. As the sounds of Maggy's excited scamper, he forced himself to smile.

"Don't be mean to my dog," he offered as a warning as he stepped inside.

His apartment was the bottom level of a duplex, and he rarely saw the young woman who lived above him. It was spacious enough for him with hard woods and high ceilings, but it wasn't grande. He had the estate to impress people, if needed, but he didn't like the memories or the overwhelming space there. Though quite pleased with his apartment on any other day, he felt the need to explain to Gideon that he did have an estate, and it was impressive. Instead, he scooped up Maggy when she scampered over and held her squirming form in his arms--away from Gideon, thank you very much--and dropped off his keys on the kitchen island without apology or reference to his apartment.

Standing with his back to the other man, Sorin struggled for an appropriate action. It wasn't as if he could busy himself and allow the tension to break. The best he could do was turn his back, but Gideon was still standing three feet behind.

"Let's just sit down," he finally offered.

Turning for confirmation of every action was starting to grate on his nerves already, but neither of them could move without the other moving in tandem. Feeling more than a little manic, he released the insistent Maggy and began strumming his fingers against the arm of the couch.

"Okay." Sorin finally looked at Gideon head on and asked, "What do you want to do? What would make you happy?"

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gideoned
2012-06-07 03:54 am UTC (link)

As Gideon walked through the doorway, he was instantly peering around the apartment, curious to see what Gideon's place looked like. He hadn't had any reason to think about it before, but now that he was here, he figured it might be insightful.

His superficial visual snooping was cut short but the harsh instruction from Sorin which Gideon took rather offensively. "I'm not going to be mean to your dog!" Gideon spat indignantly. He really couldn't believe that Sorin assumed that he would be. "I have nothing against dogs..." he added, to clear the record. "I rather like them," he added, trying to reach down to pet it and play for a moment to introduce himself to Maggy. Only, he noticed, that Sorin was purposely keeping his pet away from Gideon. So he folded his arms over his chest and stood and waited for Sorin to stop ignoring him without flat out asking him to do so.

It did seem like an awfully long time before he was offered a seat, though. Gideon followed behind the other. There wasn't much of a choice. He was stuck to follow or stand still in a silent argument. This whole being bound together thing was so utterly inconvenient and ridiculous. (He had memorized the potions ingredients and preparation, earlier after the mishap, so never to make this mistake again.)

Instinctively, Gideon sat down like he was in a meeting or a job interview. His leg crossed over the other, his back straight. He clearly wasn't relaxed or comfortable. In fact, he felt like an intruder and clearly unwelcome in Sorin's personal space, just as it would be if things had worked out the other way around.

"You don't have to entertain me," he spoke as he rested his satchel by the end of the couch closest to him. Reaching over the arm, he dug into his bag and pulled out a book. "A typical weekday night, I come home, eat, catch up on things... bills, news, letters... shower, read and end up passing out in bed sometime around midnight." Absentmindedly, Gideon flipped through the pages of the paperback in his had, going back and forth and bending it up nicely. It was already quite broken in, anyway. "The closer I can stay to that, the happier I'll be."

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sinful_sorin
2012-06-07 04:33 am UTC (link)

"Yeah, well, you didn't seem to like her very much the other day. You can yell at me all you want, but Maggy is still sweet and expects people to be her friends, and I don't want you breaking her."

Sorin found himself even more agitated when Gideon pulled out his book and went about ignoring him all together. There was a tight anxiousness in his chest that only seemed to build, and his strumming fingers picked up their pace.

"We'll have quiet time later," Sorin snapped. "First we're going to break this tension even if I have to get creative about it."

After his impetuous, impassioned words, Sorin sort of stalled out. The way he figured it, they could start throwing punches, fuck against the wall, or laugh at each other. He valued his ability to blend into groups and break tensions, but there was something about the two of them that refused to let it happen. Deciding submission was always a viable option, he stood.

"I'm changing into something more comfortable. I feel constricted." He summoned clothing from the bedroom so neither of them would have to move, and then unabashedly stripped off his robe and shirt. He wasn't the least uncomfortable with his body, of course, but he recognized changing while another stayed totally clothed as an act of vulnerability. As he reached for his belt, he said, "You don't have to watch unless you want to."

He neither hurried nor teased as he lowered his zip and stepped from the dress pants. As he donned the tee shirt and jeans, he moved with the same efficiency. And when he was finished, he felt strangely better in his breathable clothing and with the act of submission out of the way. The nasty coiling in his chest had eased.

"I feel better," he finally said. "Maybe you should try it."

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gideoned
2012-06-08 01:05 am UTC (link)

Gideon disagreed with Sorin. He never disliked the dog, or made any judgment on her. The dog was cute from the photos that Sorin had put on display. It wasn't anything personal against the dog. It was just the decision to get one that Gideon thought wasn't for the best. Which was only a suggestion until it turned into a much bigger conversation. But he decided to let it go, instead of going off on another tangent just to argue and bicker even more.

Really, Gideon just wanted to get away from all this negativity between them. It was tiresome and stressful. And if he could ignore the other for a few moments, that seemed like the best way.

But clearly, Sorin wasn't having it. It didn't take any kind of brain power to decipher Sorin's very clear statement. Gideon quirked a brow and put his book down on the arm of the couch to rest before turning his gaze over towards Sorin. He was definitely uncertain as to what Sorin was going to suggest to break this tension, especially since he added, what Gideon took as a warning, that he could be creative about it.

Gideon expected so much more when all Sorin seemed to do was stand up. Did he forget that he couldn't just walk away? Gideon was close to rolling his eyes until Sorin---with a short introduction---began to strip.

Already having caught his gaze, Gideon couldn't look away. Dumbfounded by the shock of Sorin just stripping down in the living room, right in front of him like that kept his eyes on the other man and his mouth slightly open. Gideon didn't consider himself a prude. And he wasn't uncomfortable with sexuality or his body but everything had a time and a place. And he didn't figure either was right for this.

As it happened, and Sorin took off his clothes in front of him, Gideon watched just to see how far the other really would go. Was he trying to test him? Push him a little? See if this ruffled his feathers? The questions swam through Gideon's mind, stirring with thoughts of what he was seeing. The contours of Sorin's body, his toned torso that slowly exposed itself to him as he lifted his shirt over his head. Gideon had overlooked the attractiveness of this man up until this moment, too caught up in his predetermined feelings for him. He turned his head sideways now, to show some sort of effort of looking away. He didn't want to be caught staring, though there certainly wasn't anything wrong with the view. He was keeping his cool too, trying his best to seem unaffected. But when Sorin's fingers grazed over his zipper, Gideon finally looked away completely, using the ruse that it was a great time to put that book back in his bag.

He took his time, getting the book into a perfect place and digging through his things once again until the rustling of clothing stopped and he was pretty sure that Sorin was changed and settled. "Good," Gideon said as if he was genuinely glad that Sorin felt better. Gideon felt the same. He shifted and got comfortable again. But, honestly, it wasn't that comfortable.

Gideon wanted to disagree. But there really wasn't any good reason why he shouldn't change out of work clothes and at least try to relax. And changing in front of Sorin would be no different than changing in front of the quidditch team before matches.

Grabbing up the clothing that he had tucked away for more comfortable evening attire (a pair of extra long, loosely fitting sweat pants and a simple fitted white t-shirt), Gideon shrugged and decided that Sorin may be right.

"It'd be better than this," he tugged at his work clothes, "if we're in for the evening," he added as if there was another possibility, which Gideon was hoping there wasn't. Though he felt fine with himself, he wasn't sure how intimate he wanted to be with Sorin. And though there was no touching and of course, this had nothing to do with viewing pleasure, there was still something in the back of his mind that couldn't help but to make this just slightly more than what it appeared at surface value.

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gideoned
2012-06-08 01:06 am UTC (link)

But before he started to over analyze the situation to death, Gideon began to unbutton his shirt with quick diligent fingers and slide out of it. He was half turned to Gideon, wanting to make two things clear: he wasn't trying to put on a show or impress the other, and he also wasn't trying to hide from him either.

"Alright. That is a bit better," he said decidedly after he was completely changed and his clothes were folded and put back into his bag. He settled back into his spot on the couch, this time with one leg tucked under his body and the other dangling off the edge with his upper body leaned back against the cushion.

Making eye contact with Sorin was a little strange now. Just for a moment. He wondered why he had let his mind wander to places that wanted to focus on Sorin's body and how fit he happened to be. And he also wondered if the look on his face gave his thoughts away. He gave an indifferent smile and glanced away to think of something to say.

"Look. I'm not really happy about all this happening or the awkwardness between us," Gideon sighed, just letting it out or at least continuing through the door that Sorin opened. "And... I know that having me here---not that either of us have a choice----is not your idea of a great evening. Mine neither. But I'll try not to make it miserable." Gideon was trying to make a truce. "Should we start over? I'm not really sure where to go from here."

Honestly, in the last couple of days, Gideon was starting to feel a little bad for making such snap judgments on Sorin. Sure, he knew the kid when they were in school together. But people could change. Maybe he grew up, matured and grew out of that phase. He seemed almost convincing. Maybe that feeling and inclination to distrust him was overcautious. Gideon didn't want to be that paranoid guy or even the one that wasn't open minded enough to give someone a second chance. He did believe in second chances. Of course, it was hard to offer that up when he was so annoyed with the current situation. Still, maybe he ought to try.

"Why don't you tell me something about you that no one else knows that is incriminating or embarrassing or otherwise privileged information. Then if I'm holding that, I think I could trust you. And you'd have to trust me."

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sinful_sorin
2012-06-08 02:14 am UTC (link)

Sorin couldn't have been more pleased as Gideon first watched him strip with a speculative gleam in his eye, and then began to disrobe himself. He could almost feel the tension leaking out of the air with their strange, nonverbal compromise. Of course, Gideon did not face him directly, but even the peripheral view was enough to make Sorin take note. Prior to meeting him again, Sorin had no intentions of attempting a physical relationship to gather information--it wasn't a method he'd ever cultivated--but after their journal conversation, the idea took root. Knowing the other man was single, somewhat lonely, Sorin suspected, and gay had certainly helped alter the shape of their interactions in his mind. Gideon's trim torso, muscular thighs, and flexing back only fanned his smoldering hunger.

The clothes were extremely casual, almost domestic in Sorin's mind, and he only smiled when Gideon apologized for them. Comfortable and relaxing was exactly the point, and when Gideon lowered himself to the couch again, his body language was loose and graceful. Of course, the peace could only last an instant before Gideon began picking apart the exchange so they might put everything into its proper place once again. The recalibration was precisely Sorin's intention, however, so he had to bury his prideful grin when Gideon offered a truce.

"I'd like for us to start over. We can make the best of a bad situation."

When Gideon prompted him for something embarrassing or incriminating, Sorin wanted to pout a little because he'd tried that days earlier while Gideon was giving him the tour. Apparently, the potions accident hadn't sufficed. Searching his mind for something to make him vulnerable, because he knew very well what Gideon wanted, he had to fight his inner instincts which preferred to be seen as anything rather than weak. Knowing real emotion was the only thing that would seal this deal, he allowed himself to skim through the memories he usually kept locked away.

If Gideon was watching his face as Sorin stumbled upon the obvious truth, its obvious usefulness, and his absolute loathing of the idea, he would have seen Sorin's momentary anguish.

"When I was young ..." he said and felt a sinking feeling in his chest that threatened to steal his breath. "When I was young, my father used to hurt us. Me and my mother. He was a drunk and a bully, and by the time I showed up to Hogwarts, I was tired of being the victim. That's why I acted the way I did, I guess."

The momentary silence that followed felt unbearable, and any pains he'd taken to get them comfortable with each other seemed dashed. He couldn't have met the other man's gaze now to save his life.

Quickly, he said, "I've never told that to anyone. So, I guess I have to trust you, right?"

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gideoned
2012-06-08 02:58 am UTC (link)

Gideon was paying attention. He wasn't sure if Sorin was really going to agree to this proposal. After all, it put Sorin in a precarious position and left Gideon completely in his comfort zone. Yet, in Gideon's mind, it seemed like the only way that he could really move forward. He had no idea what to expect from Sorin's admission. No idea what direction it would take

However, he wasn't expecting anything close to what Sorin actually opened up about. The whole idea of it was horrifying and heartbreaking to Gideon. His family life wasn't anything like that... at all. He could hardly fathom growing up like that. And aside from feeling completely saddened for Sorin, he was shocked that he opened up in such a candid and real way.

Gideon was speechless. He didn't really have to say anything. The look on his face said enough. He was thinking about it though. And really, without knowing the details, Gideon could still believe that that explained a lot. He wouldn't say that though. He was sure that Sorin didn't need to hear that.

"I'm sorry," he breathed sincerely. A natural urge to reach out to the other had to be quelled. They weren't exactly at that point. Instead, Gideon shifted in his seat again, drawing his leg out from under him and bending his legs at the knees. He pressed both bare feet into the cushion of the couch and propped his folded arms on his knee to give his head someplace to rest. "You didn't have to tell me that," Gideon added, feeling as if he may have asked for too much. As he looked up at Sorin he tried to give him a smile that promised something reassuring but he could see that Sorin wouldn't really look at him.

"You can trust me, Sorin. Even if I come out of tonight wanting to use any combination of the three unforgivables on you, it's not my place to share that with anyone. It stays between us," he promised feeling strange now that they had something like that tying them together and building some sort of strange sudden camaraderie. Because really, only one minute ago, neither owed the other anything and now look what had happened.

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sinful_sorin
2012-06-08 03:29 am UTC (link)

Though it was exactly what he wanted--the purpose of the confession--he still flinched away from the sympathy in Gideon's voice. It sounded a lot like pity, to him. Forcing himself to get his shit together, he grit his teeth and raised his head. Of course, by that point, Gideon had turned to face him and his body language was exceedingly familiar, all warmth and restrained intimacy. Not even sure of his own mind, he pushed himself simply to speak.

"I told you because it's what you wanted," he said softly, leaving the slight resentment he felt from his tone. "You wanted power over me, so I gave it to you."

Not enjoying the echo his words called up, he braced himself to surge to his feet, desperate to pace if only for a moment, before he remembered he was chained to Gideon and the couch. Collapsing back against the cushions with a huff, he busied himself by rubbing his hands together in a nervous gesture.

"I wouldn't have confided in you if I thought you'd tell." Trying to explain the vulnerable action away for both of them, he said, "From what I know of you, you're almost annoyingly honest."

Trying to take any sting from the words, he shared a rare genuine smile, an acknowledgement between the two of them.

Needing something to keep his hands busy, he suggested, "Want to be my apprentice and I'll make us some spaghetti?"

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gideoned
2012-06-08 03:44 am UTC (link)

Gideon couldn't exactly argue with Sorin's statement. It did seem rather stupid now to say that Sorin didn't have to take it there. He did ask for exactly something like that.

"It's not a power thing," Gideon tried to explain but there really was no explanation for how this seemed to validate the other's intentions or trustworthiness. Gideon wasn't looking for collateral to dangle over Sorin's head, reminding him to stay honest. It was more of a show of faith, in Gideon's mind.

He recognized that Sorin was looking for some sort of escape when he moved around the couch. But it was pointless to attempt to get up and allow Sorin to move about. He wanted to distance from Gideon, Gideon could tell. And with him tagging along, that wouldn't exactly help. He stayed where he was though, resting his head and staring up at Sorin, trying to gauge if the other was really alright after the admission.

His analysis of the other man's feelings and current emotional state was overshadowed by the words that came from Sorin as he tried to brush it all off. "Annoyingly?" Gideon's voice was almost piercing as he scoffed at the idea and questioned the other man. "Since when is honesty annoying? That's not fair!" Even as he sounded incredulous, he was laughing underneath it all and standing up to join Sorin.

"You think I don't know how to cook?" Gideon asked curiously, only playing at being offended. It was weird finding out what Sorin thought of him and seeing how accurate he was or wasn't on certain things. Weird but also interesting, in a way.

Gideon was starting to feel better. The admission had worked and though it was a horrible thing for Sorin to have to go through and Gideon was sincerely sorry, he felt more at ease with the other. It really had worked in adding a certain level of trust between them. With a push from his palm pressed into the top of the couch, Gideon was quickly vaulting his body over the edge and was standing on the other side with Sorin in a few moments. "Alright, I'd be stupid to turn down someone else making me dinner."

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sinful_sorin
2012-06-08 10:25 pm UTC (link)

Sorin could have argued that it definitely was a power thing. After all, he understood the dynamics of power better than most, he felt, and he'd had Gideon looking at him warily since Hogwarts. It was perfectly natural for Gideon to need something to counterbalance that.

"I probably owed you an apology anyway," he said instead. "But apologies don't mean much, so ..."

When Gideon reacted to Sorin's half-joke, he could tell the man wasn't truly angry. Further, everything from his movements to his voice was bigger and more open, relaxed in a way that eased the tension and almost seemed friendly. As he'd always been extremely sensitive to the moods and emotional energy around him, the slackening of tension was a relief. Instead of saying anything that might shatter that, he grinned.

"I said almost annoyingly honest." Pushing forward, he added, "And of course you can cook. You're a brewer. But our movements are sort of restricted here."

With Gideon's exuberant bound over the edge of the couch, Sorin raised an eyebrow but smiled in genuine amusement. Unraveled and at ease, Gideon reminded him ever so slightly of Maggy, and the comparison both pleased and worried Sorin. Making sure they were both ready to move, they walked toward the kitchen.

As if his thoughts had called the dog, as soon as she heard them on the move, she was at their heels, running ahead to her food bowl and prancing about with excitement. Beside the cupboard, Sorin kept a little bowl with a blue bouncy ball in it; Maggy had a bad habit of jostling him as he fed her and making him spill the dog food all over the kitchen. He'd tried yelling at her for a few days, then he'd caved and bought the ball. Thinking that maybe he'd been a little defensive about Maggy, he handed Gideon the blue ball.

"Here. Keep her occupied for a few minutes, would you?"

He waited until Maggy went scuttling into the living room to quickly refill her bowl. Then, he began pulling the needed cans out of the same pantry. Tomato sauce, tomato paste, and vinegar were all set on the shelf.

"Do you like mushrooms?" he asked.

After he closed the pantry, he had enough room to move to his cupboard of spices. Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and oregano were all set on the counter beside the other ingredients.

Gideon was still occupied when he finished the task, and needing to get to the refrigerator, he came up behind the other man and lightly pressed his palm to Gideon's back without a whole lot of thought. When they managed to move together without much awkwardness, Sorin was relaxing into a good mood as he pulled the frozen solid package of hamburger from his freezer.

"Can you thaw this for me?" he asked and handed the meat off.

Inside the fridge, he gathered a tomato, onion, and bell pepper. Staring at the pepper for a minute, he said, "I cut this up real small, so you can't really taste it beyond the flavor. I don't like peppers, usually. But, I can leave it out if you want."

Maneuvering them back to the counter top, Sorin retrieved the noodles and the brown sugar and then stared at his ingredients for a moment, mentally checking and rechecking his supplies. When he felt momentarily satisfied, he gave a nod and then pulled the spaghetti pot from a cupboard at his feet. Thinking better of it at the last moment, he turned to address Gideon.

"Can you think of anything I'm missing? Anything else you'd prefer?" After settling that, he began to prepare the sauce base and asked Gideon, "Would you mind chopping the fresh ingredients?"

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-sometime in the middle of the night-

gideoned
2012-06-08 01:58 am UTC (link)

Falling asleep in someone else's bed wasn't something that Gideon had done in a very very long time. It had been years. There were certain rules that he kept (during normal circumstances) and that was one of them. Even if there was sex involved, he didn't stay the night and he didn't let others sleep in his bed either. No negotiations or exceptions.

Needless to say, it took a long time for Gideon to get comfortable and finally fall asleep. There was plenty on his mind. And the entire situation had made him think about just exactly how long it had been for him to be this close to another warm body. Maybe Sorin's presumptions were insightful. Maybe work was taking up too much of his time. But, well, it was safer. And more rewarding in the long run, wasn't it? A career could be built on a solid foundation and keep growing. Relationships were indefinite. They ended and usually badly. Gideon controlled the outcome of his career, solely. He got what he put in. Goals and expectations and tasks to be completed were laid out and clear. Relationships were never that simple. In his last serious relationship, he had given everything and got his heart broken. He had been foolish, he thought. Naive and overcome by feelings to see it coming after a year with that man. It didn't seem like something he really wanted to relive. Still, those logical thoughts didn't help when he got lonely or just craved interactions.

It was a lot to think about and eventually he had tired himself out on it.

Deep into the night, Gideon had found a restful enough sleep. With two pillows under his head, he slept on his stomach, mostly on his own side of Sorin's bed. They were still bound to each other even after wishful thinking had him hoping that the effects would just wear off by now.

Though they had both been adamant about sticking to their own sides when they were awake, a sleeping Gideon didn't seem so keen on holding up his part of that deal. During his sleep, he had rolled inward, still on his stomach but he was now resting against the warmth of Sorin's chest. His arm had flung around the other man, fingers barely gripping Sorin's arm. Their legs hadn't tangled yet, but had merely brushed up against each other's under the blankets that they were now somehow sharing when they had started off with one for each of them.

He must have found something subconsciously comfortable, as he laid there in Sorin's unknowingly arms because he was far from waking up.

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sinful_sorin
2012-06-08 03:00 am UTC (link)

Sorin had forced himself to lay motionless as he waited for sleep, curled in on his side. His natural inclination was to toss and turn, but he couldn't allow himself to flip over and come face to face with the other man. They'd ended the evening on far better terms than they'd started it, but barring magical intervention, sharing a bed wouldn't have been an option. In truth, he'd never slept in the same bed as another person, and the vulnerability of it scared the hell out of him. What if Gideon woke in the middle of the night and watched him sleep? Worse, what if things weren't what they seemed, and Gideon harmed him? It wasn't hard to kill a man in his sleep.

His mind was still reeling about frantically when he heard Gideon's breathing even out in sleep. After several long minutes, Sorin eased onto his back, stretched out, and set in for a long night of ceiling watching. At some point, he fell asleep.

When he woke, there was a moment of pure terror at the unfamiliar weight draped over his chest. If he'd been capable of moving, of doing more than gasping in fright, he would have bolted upright and possibly off the side of the bed. As it was, he lay immobile as his heart thudded a frantic pace in his chest. Not only was Gideon laying upon his left arm and half of his chest, but his fingers were reaching as if to grip and restrain Sorin's right arm as well. Being restricted brought every nightmare rushing back at him, and as he listened for the sounds of Gideon's breathing, he found he could hear nothing above the pounding in his own ears.

Then, like a blessing, Gideon made a soft "mmm" sound and nuzzled against him guilelessly. His mind recognized his safety before his body did, which allowed him to find a semblance of sanity even while his body continued to tremble in readiness.

"Gideon," he whispered, his voice spiking with panic. "Gideon, please."

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gideoned
2012-06-08 03:15 am UTC (link)

His sleep was much deeper than Gideon imagined it would be. But still, he wasn't completely in his own dream world. The whisper and erratic breathing and movement of Sorin's seemed enough to pull Gideon from slumber. Maybe not abruptly or in quite the urgent manner that Sorin was reacting in, but he roused confused and groggy with a slight lift of his head off of Sorin's chest.

As he slowly came to, Gideon was still uncertain of where he was. Waking up in an unfamiliar place with basically an unfamiliar body he was curled up against seemed more like some kind of dream rather than anything in Gideon's recent reality. His brain wasn't processing much other than how comfortable he had been and how he wasn't quite fully rested or ready to wake up yet.

"No!" he groaned in a low sleepy voice. He had processed someone saying his name. Maybe even the please that followed. "What?" he mumbled. "Okay." Gideon wasn't even sure what he was saying. He was really more than half asleep still. He attempted to open up his eyes but didn't really recognize anything and holding his head up was more effort than he wanted to exert at the moment.

Gideon was quiet for a moment, slipping back into sleep though he was fighting to stay the slightest bit aware. "Go back to..." and he interrupted himself with a wide mouthed yawn. "...yeah." Gideon let his head drop back down on Sorin's chest and stirred his body a bit. The hand that had been trying to grasp onto Sorin's arm was now a bit lower, grazing over the other's thigh. Of course, he was completely unaware and back to sleep as soon as his head had rested back into place.

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sinful_sorin
2012-06-08 04:08 am UTC (link)

Sorin groaned in a mixture of frustration and humor as Gideon mumbled incoherently and only nestled closer to him. The hand that was suddenly on his thigh only helped to muddy the situation in his mind, because out of nowhere it felt less dangerous and more sexual. The warm weight on his chest abruptly registered as the closest thing to human contact he'd had in a long time, and where Gideon's right hand curled into the fabric at his shoulder, something about the clutching grip reached for some long hidden warmth within him.

Still struggling against his innate desire to escape, Sorin raised his right hand and stroked the space between Gideon's shoulder blades rhythmically. Touching rather than being immobile and pinned helped to return an iota of power, and he found himself calming as he petted the other man.

Finally, his body gave an involuntary shudder and the tension drained from him. The manic quality of his stroking hand settled, and then the touch was slow and pleasant. Caught totally off guard, something akin to yearning blossomed in his chest, and still reeling from his terror-filled waking, Sorin found himself undeniably lonely.

Badly thrown by the emotional whiplash, he desperately needed a little space between the two of them. His touch became more forceful as he ran his hand through Gideon's hair and along his cheek and jaw, speaking softly.

"Gideon. Gideon. Please awake up." Caressing circles with his thumb onto Gideon's cheek, he finally saw the other man's eyes flicker half-open and confessed with as much warmth as he could conjure, "You're cuddling me and I'm starting to like it."

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gideoned
2012-06-09 01:13 am UTC (link)

Though Gideon was asleep and couldn't consciously know it, Sorin's touch was soothing. It kept him from waking back up too quickly and would've carried him through the night in the same comfortable position he was unknowingly in, if Sorin hadn't changed the pressure of his touch. It was still a calm way to wake up though, easy as Gideon's eyelids slowly lifted.

He didn't come to with the same panicky reaction that Sorin had, but he was still confused about where he was. He yawned again and tried to recognize the voice that was speaking to him, just exactly what it was saying and why he wasn't waking up alone, as usual.

Before Gideon really knew what to say, he let out a breathy laugh and swallowed away his sleep. It was followed by a awkward stretch and roll back onto his back and into his spot.

"I wasn't cuddling you," he insisted, tugging the blankets towards him, now that they were sharing. Gideon's tone wasn't angry or particularly argumentative. He just stated it like it was a fact and waited for what Sorin would say as he tried to wake himself up enough to pay attention right now. "I was... just trying to get warm." It sounded completely believable right now. Not that he felt he should explain. He was asleep. He didn't know what he was doing.

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