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Roger James Timothy Davies ([info]rogeringdavies) wrote in [info]finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-09-20 11:53:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:character: marcus flint, character: roger davies

RP: A Day on the Town
Who: Roger and Marcus

What: Roger and Marcus' Excellent Adventure in Muggle London, with bonus pining. Seriously, so much pining.

Where: Starts at Roger's flat, then around London

When: Saturday 20th of September, 9am

Rating: NSFW - Language

Roger was not pacing. He was just moving around his flat in a repetitive and agitated manner. Appleby had lost their game last night, and he'd been pretty shattered - convinced that the loss had been his fault somehow. In order to cheer himself up, he'd decided to move forward on his plans to show Marcus around Muggle London. Mainly because he wanted to see Marcus, but also because he had a fairly good idea that the older man had wanted to drown himself after their loss.

So now he was dressed - in Muggle clothes - and was pacing around his apartment, waiting for Marcus to arrive. He had an excellent day planned for them, and now all he needed was for the man himself to arrive. He was just thinking of flinging himself onto the couch when there was a knock on the door. Grinning, Roger rushed down the hall, down the stairs, and opened the front door. "Hey you," he said with a massive grin.


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[info]marcedflint
2014-09-20 04:30 am UTC (link)
Although he'd been in a rather awful mood after the match the day before - which was his standard response to dealing with a loss - Marcus was actually rather looking forward to spending the day with Roger. He still wasn't looking too closely at his own motivations for that feeling, but that didn't stop him from getting the sensation of butterflies in his stomach as he got ready in the morning.

After a shower, he got dressed, hoping that his slacks, plain white button down and light wool coat would be suitable - because he had no idea how Muggles dressed, and what was he getting himself into here? - he had enough time to stop by Sweet Nothings and grab a couple pastries on his way to Roger's without being late.

Marcus laid his knuckles to the other man's door at exactly nine, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling back when Roger opened it. "Good morning," he said, and then held out the bag from Melinda's shop like an offering. "I brought breakfast, if you're interested." And if he wasn't, Marcus wasn't opposed to eating his half.

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-09-20 04:45 am UTC (link)
Roger grinned at the proffered bag and took it from Marcus, before moving in to engulf him in a big hug. "You think of everything," he said happily as he led the older man up the stairs and into the living area. "Merlin's balls you got vanilla slice! I love you Marc, seriously." He munched on his vanilla slice and handed the bag back. "Here you'll need sustenance for the day ahead."

He looked Marcus up and down slowly, and while he was definitely appreciative of the outfit, he didn't quite think it would do. "Would you be heavily offended if I undressed you and put you in something more... Two blokes wandering around town having a laugh," he asked with pursed lips. "I mean, not that you don't look good but we can go more casual I think?" He pulled out his wand and summoned a pair of jeans a v-neck shirt. Then chuckling, summoned a baseball cap and a second pair of sunglasses. "I think we can charm things to fit you?"

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[info]marcedflint
2014-09-20 05:25 am UTC (link)
One day he would stop being surprised when Roger hugged him, but today was apparently not that day, and Marcus was a little stiff and awkward as he returned the gesture. He followed Roger inside, chuckling lightly at the words, though he did take back the chocolate croissant happily enough.

Marcus made himself stand still even as he saw and felt Roger's eyes on him, feeling somewhat measured and assessed. And then Roger had to go and say that, and there was no way that the question wasn't gong to come back and haunt him in some (probably inappropriate) way later on. With a shrug of his shoulders, he let the younger man steer him out of the living room to change, and a few minutes later, Marcus walked back out, feeling strangely comfortable in the new clothes, even borrowed as they were.

Still unsure of having his Mark exposed, he pulled on his coat again, before asking, half joking and half nervously serious, "Better?"

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-09-20 04:14 pm UTC (link)
Roger was mesmerised for a moment by the sight of Marcus in Muggle street clothes, and wolf-whistled appreciatively. "You look hot Marc. Make all the girls swoon for sure." He shook his head to dislodge the idea of ripping the clothes back off Marcus and running his tongue down- No, time to think of something else.

He watched Marcus pull the coat on self-consciously and smiled. "So I thought we'd walk down to Tottenham Court Road and catch the tube up to Camden, what do you say," he asked, summoning his wallet and handing Marcus a shiny new oyster card, before leading him out of the flat and towards the elevator. "I thought we could you know, mooch around the markets a bit and then I have an appointment to get a new tattoo, and I thought maybe you'd want to get one too?"

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[info]marcedflint
2014-09-21 12:47 am UTC (link)
The whistle and the words brought a flush to Marcus' ears, and he ran a hand through his hair self-consciously at the compliment. "Thanks?" he said, because it was polite, though it came out sounding a lot like a question. He was never sure what to make of Roger's comments like that, if he meant them the way Marcus would have liked, or if that was just the way the younger man talked to everyone.

Following Roger as he led the way, Marcus took the small object that was handed to him, looking at it dubiously for a moment before placing it in his pocket. As was pretty standard when talking to Roger, he only understood about half of what the man said, but he nevertheless nodded and smiled as he said, "Of the two of us, you're the only one who knows what you're doing, so lead the way."

He was a little taken aback by the revelation that Roger was planning to get a tattoo, but ever since he'd come to the conclusion that he did want to go ahead and get the Mark covered up, Marcus had been carrying around Bryony's sketch practically everywhere he went. "Yeah, actually," he answered with another nod, and then a small, self-conscious shrug of his shoulders. "Ever since you suggested it... Well, let's just say I've put a lot of thought into the subject."

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-09-21 04:46 pm UTC (link)
"You're welcome," Roger said, smiling brightly. "You really do look amazing though." He didn't add that the outfit he'd come in would have been a tad overdressed for a day running around town, rubbing elbows with tourists and generally keeping things casual. Not that Marcus didn't look good in formalwear - he was fairly certain the sight of Marcus in a suit would actually Roger - but concessions had to be made to not draw attention.

He chuckled at Marcus and threw him a giant grin. "This is true! I thought I'd give you the whole tourist experience and take you on a tube ride to Camden." The elevator arrived and he walked in. "I figure we'd walk down Oxford Street to Tottenham Court Road and you can see my area?"

He registered Marcus' surprise, and turned and looked at him with vast amusement for a second. "You realise I already have a tattoo right? A big one on my back. We've showered together, you must have seen it. But I think it's a brilliant idea really," he said with a toothy grin. "I'm glad you've thought about it, and I can't wait for you to wear shirts! Especially since Alicia gave me some cream that speeds up the healing process significantly, which is a nice plus."

Casually, he walked out the building and flicked on his sunglasses. "It's actually a really nice day," he remarked, turing right and heading up Oxford Street. "I reckon we might even get a couple more weeks of nice weather, what do you say," he asked, casually sidestepping for a weirdo in a pair or rollerblades who apparently hadn't heard that the nineties were over.

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[info]marcedflint
2014-09-22 11:34 am UTC (link)
Nodding his head in agreement as they entered the elevator (something he was still a little wary of, even if he'd used it before when coming to see Roger), though he didn't entirely understand exactly what he was agreeing to, other than following Roger around all day, Marcus said, "That sounds nice." He had to admit that he was more than a little interested to see where Roger had grown up, what kind of a place had managed to produce this man.

Marcus could feel the tips of his ears burning a little at the reminder of the fact that he had seen Roger's tattoo in the showers before, after practice or matches. He'd only caught glimpses before looking away, not entirely trusting himself to stop looking at the younger man if he actually started paying attention to those sorts of things. Shrugging his shoulders, he muttered, "It seemed like a good idea. To not have it there constantly." There was far more to his reasoning than that, but it was too much to say, and Marcus wasn't sure he'd be able to find the words.

Stepping out into the sunlight, he smiled softly at Roger's observation as he said, "I certainly hope so. But there's never any telling." Thankfully he was saved from considering the fact that they were having a conversation about the weather, of all things, by the distraction of the person zooming past them with some sort of contraption with wheels on their feet. Marcus couldn't help frowning after them in confusion, because what was that even.

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-09-22 03:07 pm UTC (link)
Roger smiled happily. "Yeah, I'm kind of interested to see your reaction to Muggle London to be honest. So many in the magical community exist beside it but don't really see it." He smiled, remembering the first time he'd taken some of his friends out for a curry in Brick Lane and a wander through the markets. They'd been totally flummoxed and a large part of him wanted Marcus to be equally astonished, if only because Marcus being astonished would likely make him look flustered, and hot, and very sexy.

He reached over and gripped Marcus shoulder reassuring for a second. "I totally agree, and it'll be great for your sense of well being to have something new and with more meaning to you on your skin, trust me."

"Bloody rollerbladers," he said, shaking his head as he led Marcus up Oxford Street through the throngs of busy shoppers. "This is one of London's main high streets," he said helpfully, as he ducked and weaved through the people, narrowly avoiding being mowed down by a taxi at one point. "Kind of like Diagon Alley and Monument Alley just less, uh, impressive." He gestured around him happily for a moment, "I kind of love that it's so busy you know?" He moved through a group of school girls exiting out of Oxford Circus, who were casting long glances at the two of them and giggling profusely. He turned and grinned at Marcus, "Well, what do you think?"

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[info]marcedflint
2014-09-24 01:47 am UTC (link)
Marcus shrugged again at that, somehow uncomfortable of the reminder that there was literally an entire world out there that he knew absolutely nothing about other than it wasn't his own. His own ignorance was something he didn't particularly like to be reminded of, even if he was well aware of it. But today there was probably not going to be any way to get around those sorts of feelings, though they might be tempered by the fact that he was actively trying to learn.

He thought it said something about how he was getting past his own issues when he didn't tense at Roger's touch, though that might have just been the fact that he knew it was Roger, whom had never been any sort of threat (except perhaps to his own self-denial, but that was something left best unconsidered). "It'll be a good change," he agreed as he stopped himself from reaching up to cover the other man's hand with his own for no good reason at all.

'Less impressive' was a sentiment that Marcus couldn't find himself to agree with - the sheer number of people was almost overwhelming, and he spared half a thought to be thankful that he'd never developed any aversion to crowds. And that was nothing compared to the street and the buildings themselves, which looked different than anything he'd seen before. It took a conscious effort on his part to remember to keep moving his feet and following Roger's lead, rather than stopping to stare at all the things he didn't understand but wanted to look at anyway.

Thankfully, the question brought his focus back to the other man, though it took Marcus a moment to understand what he'd been asked. "I think..." he started, before realizing he didn't have the words to say what he was experiencing, other than, "It's very impressive."

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-09-25 02:08 pm UTC (link)
Roger grinned and bumped his shoulder against Marcus', "Hey now, you're no less of a stud for not having been raised in the Muggle world, you know that right? So there's no need for sad frowny face number seven to be brought out." He chose not to think about the fact that he more or less had most of Marcus' expressions committed to memory, focusing his attention on making his friend feel better instead. This was, he figured, by far the wiser solution. If by 'wiser' you meant 'easier to deal with' and he did.

"Of course it will," he said with a fierce grin, fighting down the urge to move his hand down the other man's back.

"Ha, I suppose it is in a way, although not as magical as Diagon Alley," Roger agreed, distractedly flipping the bird at a guy on a bicycle who nearly ran him over. "We're just a few minutes walk down this way," he added, leading the older man past everything from record stores to clothing boutiques. He would have chattered more, but Marcus' wide eyed expression stilled Roger's tongue. "Ah there we are, Tottenham Court Road," Roger said finally, grinning toothily. "We go this way," he said helpfully, as he led Marcus into the station. "Take out the card thingy I gave you and swipe it on the reader like me," he added, demonstrating obligingly. "We're catching the Northern Line," he added over his shoulder, jostling through tourists and locals indiscriminately until he eventually found the right escalators to take them to the right platform. In a rather bizarre and unusual twist, the train arrived just as they got to the platform, avoiding the necessity to wait. "We go four stops before getting off at Camden Town," he said, grinning at Marcus.

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[info]marcedflint
2014-09-27 04:42 am UTC (link)
Marcus was sure that his eyebrows were furrowing together in confusion at the tail end of that comment, but decided that it was better to not question it, and take the comfort offered, because really, before now there wasn't much of anything he could have done to lessen his own ignorance.

He returned Roger's grin with a small smile of his own before frowning after the individual and whatever contraption he was riding. Making sure to keep track of where Roger was in relation to himself, Marcus found himself getting distracted by things that were probably incredibly mundane, but were unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Once they were inside the train station, it was easier to focus, if only because he was at least familiar with the concept from the Hogwarts Express from school days. Still, he followed Roger's instructions after a careful observation, making sure to stick close to the other man as they made their way through the station - the last thing he wanted was to get separated and then get himself lost and confused. A part of him was tempted to reach out and hold on to some innocuous part of the other man, but something about that didn't seem like a good idea, even though with the crowds he felt like he was completely invading the other man's space.

"How many stops are there total?" he asked, curious, since that was different from what he was accustomed to.

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-09-27 12:46 pm UTC (link)
"Oh God," he said, squishing obligingly into Marcus as more people got in at Goodge Street. "I guess there'd be about thirty or so on this section, but it sort of branches into a loop and then again some go to High Barnet and others go to Edgware, so I guess maybe fifty or so stops on the entire line." He paused, noticing that his elbow was resting on Marcus' upper thigh. Casually, he moved he crossed his arms so that he was no longer touching the other man somewhere that would make him awkward. He looked up, reading an advertisement for the London South Bank University. He turned and looked at Marcus with a smirk. "It's always important to respect urban solitude," he said quietly, gesturing with his chin at the multitudes of people studiously ignoring one another or chatting with their travelling companions. He looked up as the announcement mentioned Camden Town as the next stop, and rose. "We'll wait near the door," he said as he wandered over to the correct doors.

He exited the train and led the way up to the surface, once they were out he turned and grinned wolfishly at Marcus. "So where to, Cap? Do you want a tattoo or a market date first?"

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[info]marcedflint
2014-09-27 04:49 pm UTC (link)
"Wow," Marcus said, because that seemed like a lot. "How do people not get lost?" Because there seemed like that many places to go from one place left a lot of room for error. And focusing on that inanity was better than concentrating on the fact that the crowd had forced him to stand a lot closer than he normally would have, especially when Roger casually rearranged himself so that they were no longer touching. As inadvertent as it might have been, Marcus still found himself feeling somehow guilty about it, looking away at the - weirdly unmoving - advertisements adoring the walls of the train car.

He glanced around at the younger man's comment, carefully observing the way everyone was immersed in their own small bubble, even surrounded by other people. That was something he could at least somewhat relate to, though that period of his life wasn't something that Marcus liked to thing about, if he could avoid it. Looking back over when Roger spoke again, he nodded his understanding before following to where the younger man had taken a place near the door.

Getting out of the station apparently proved more of a challenge that getting in, since the protruding thing that blocked the aisle to leave tried to close on him before he was through, and Marcus didn't bother hiding his glare at the thing as he walked away from it. He would have started looking around again once they were outside, except that Roger's question brought, as usual, all of his attention back to the younger man. Smiling back, Marcus answered, "When I have ever turned down food?"

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-09-28 11:13 am UTC (link)
Roger grinned impishly and leant forward. "That's nothing. There's nearly three hundred tube stations across London, you know? Plus theres the overground. I couldn't even tell you how many there are across the whole country." He watched Marcus as he looked around at the carriage, overwhelmed with a desire to wrap an arm around him and rest his head on his shoulder. He knew it was stupid, but it took every ounce of self control to not go through with it.

He grinned at Marcus as he came to stand next to him. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Exiting the station had been one of the funniest experiences Roger had ever had. He'd exited through the gates properly, but Marcus had some difficulty getting through before the gate started to shut on him. It had taken hitherto unknown levels of composure to not laugh at the deeply offended look on Marcus' face. He grinned and looked at Marcus speculatively. "How about we get a snack, then tattoos, then poke around the markets," he asked, leading the way towards a little hole in the wall he knew with the best takeaway.

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[info]marcedflint
2014-09-30 02:55 am UTC (link)
Marcus was even more taken aback by that revelation, and it really did seem an almost miracle that people didn't get lost or confused everyday with that many places to wind up. He took a moment to be grateful that at least he was with Roger, who seemed to understand how this whole system worked, and wouldn't let him find himself somewhere with no idea where he was.

It was almost unfair, that any of his lingering irritation with the contraption behind him seemed to disappear in the face of Roger's grin, but he'd become weirdly accustomed to a lot of negative things being shaken off by the younger man's smile, so he just shrugged his shoulders as he said, "I suppose not."

He nodded in agreement with what sounded like a plan of action, because obviously he himself had no idea where to go or what to do upon arriving anywhere. Following Roger's lead, he stepped down onto the part of the street that was lower and a different color, for reasons Marcus couldn't have even begun to guess at, his own footsteps slightly slower as he tried not to get distracted by yet more strange sights. He had almost made it to the other side of the darker part of the path when he heard a a loud, obnoxious noise in conjunction with some sort of squealing. Startled by the sound, Marcus stopped and looked to his left, and was created by another unfamiliar contraption, though this one was much larger and had a very angry looking individual inside it who was waving their hands about and seemed to be shouting, though he couldn't hear a word they might have been saying.

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-09-30 03:06 pm UTC (link)
Roger grinned at Marcus' shellshocked expression, and patted his shoulder. "It's not too bad, they have maps you can use to work out where you are," he said, reaching into his pocket and passing Marcus a standard tube map. "As long as you follow this it's not too bad. It's pretty ingenious, the things Muggles come up really."

Roger grinned beatifically, unaware of the tremendous power it had on his companion. "Exactly!"

He looked back to make a comment, just in time to see Marcus nearly cleaned up by a lorry. "Jesus," he shouted, grabbing Marcus by the arm and roughly pulling him close, wrapping an arm instinctively around him. "Are you alright? What were you thinking? What was I thinking?" He paused to take a shaky breath. "I should have warned you that there's cars on the road, they would rather hurt if they hit you." He looked intently at Marcus for a moment. "I'm glad you didn't - I wouldn't have been able to -" he took a breath and smiled, leading Marcus away past a group of wide eyed tourists. Unthinkingly, he kept his arm around Marcus' shoulder as he led him down a the street and towards the takeaway place. Once they'd picked up their orders he dropped his arm and grinned, hoping Marcus hadn't minded the physical contact. He led Marcus off into the maze that was Camden, keeping a close eye on him as they walked. "What do you think of Camden anyway?" Eventually he stopped in front of an old building and led the way inside. "Right, are you ready to get some ink then?"

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[info]marcedflint
2014-10-01 02:34 pm UTC (link)
From Roger's reaction, Marcus guessed that something very bad had almost happened, and through the rambling he supposed that yes, if the thing had actually hit him, it wouldn't have been a very pleasant experience. Feeling vaguely guilty about having worried the younger man, Marcus let Roger lead him through the crowd, trying not to read too much into his reaction. All the same, the physical contact was rather nice, even if it was born of something Marcus didn't quite understand.

Ignoring the sense of loss when Roger finally pulled away, Marcus nodded slightly as he answered, "It's very interesting. And confusing." But, really, those two words could really sum up all of his experiences with anything Muggle-related. He was still looking around and taking in all the sights to be had, albeit more carefully since he would rather this day didn't end with him in the hospital because of something like what had nearly happened with the 'car'.

Marcus took a deep breath as they stopped outside the building that was the tattoo parlor. The parchment with Bryony's drawing felt almost like a weight in his pocket, but he'd gone over this in his mind what felt like a million times, and every time he'd come to the same conclusion. "Yeah, I'm ready," he said, because he was, for both the tattoo itself and everything it signified.

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-10-02 05:36 pm UTC (link)
Roger walked out of the tattoo parlour with a huge grin on his face. The middle-aged, voluptuous woman that had given them their tattoos had done a great job on the fox tattoo on his left arm that was the beginning of an eventual sleeve tattoo. "Are you happy with yours Marc," he asked as he led the way down the street and towards the markets for some well deserved post-tattoo lunch. "Remember, you have to keep the bandage on all day," he said, a smirk definitely drifting through his voice.

As he walked he looked at Marcus thoughtfully for several long moments. "So can I ask where the design came from," he queried at last, absentmindedly leading Marcus through the throngs of Camden Lock and into the Stable Markets, stopping to examine various interesting stalls and shops occasionally.

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[info]marcedflint
2014-10-05 05:00 am UTC (link)
"Very," Marcus answered honestly, returning Roger's grin with a smile of his own. The artist had made an interesting face at seeing the Mark that he'd wanted to cover, muttering something about 'shoddy work' before beginning.
The new tattoo went from his wrist almost all the way up to his elbow, and there was no trace that there had been anything there before it, which was more than he'd thought to hope for. "I know," he said, even as he attempted to peek under the wrapping that covered the length of his forearm. "She said to leave it on for twelve hours." He'd paid close attention as the artist had explained, and the sheet of instructions (which was far flimsier than parchment and had felt strange when he'd taken it) was safely in his pocket.

Feeling Roger's eyes on him, Marcus glanced over, and at the question, he nodded slightly before saying simply, "Bryony drew it." It occurred to him after he'd spoken that there was the possibility that Roger wouldn't know who Bryony was - a strange concept, after having grown up around people who always knew who everyone was and what their connections to one another were. Rather than get into all the complicated details of his relationship with her, since it would serve to put him in a strange mood and he was perfectly happy to continue his pleasant time with Roger, he limited his offered explanation to, "She's my best friend."

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-10-05 01:24 pm UTC (link)
"I'm glad," Roger said with a wink. "It definitely makes you um- it- it looks good." He blinked for several seconds, trying to reign in his mind. The fact that Marcus had a tattoo now was a definite turn on. He laughed and poked Marcus in the side playfully. "If you know then stop trying to peak through. It looks amazing. You look amazing."

He felt his eyebrows shoot up. "Bryony? You've never mentioned her before." He turned and looked blindly at a store selling photographs with subjects that spelt out letters. Was this person a friend or were they a friend? Roger felt something very much like jealousy gnawing at the pit of his stomach, but with a stupendous show of effort he pushed it aside. He was stupid to ever think that he would be anything to Marcus. "Well I'm glad you have a best friend, Marcus."

He pasted a bright smile on his face and decided to focus on showing the other man a good time. "C'mon let's get some lunch," he said as he walked in the direction of an awesome little stall selling Moroccan food. He grabbed his order and went and sat down on a bench. "So, where do you want to go next, Cap? Big Ben? The British Museum?"

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[info]marcedflint
2014-10-05 04:14 pm UTC (link)
Squirming away from the touch with a small smile and a slight blush, Marcus ignored the compliment to himself, and instead said, "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I don't want to see it now anyway." Feeling a little like a pouty child, he followed Roger's instructions, reluctantly abandoning the bandage to focus on the man beside him instead.

Marcus frowned slightly at Roger's words, and felt the need to explain. "She's been my best friend for almost twenty years now. She's..." Bryony was a lot of things, and it was hard to condense those down to words. He shrugged before continuing, "She's the light of my life, always has been."

"Lunch sounds great," he responded, feeling something in his stomach flip at Roger's grin - not an unusual occurrence, but there seemed to be something strange about the expression this time. Marcus watched the younger man a little more closely as he followed him to retrieve their food and sat down. With a small shake of his head, he answered, "Wherever you'd like. You're the expert, after all." He offered Roger a smile after speaking, because really, he had no idea where to go or what to do, and he was certain that he'd be happy with whatever the other wanted to show him next.

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-10-05 05:47 pm UTC (link)
Roger laughed genially at the way Marcus ignored his compliment and squirmed away from his touch, while privately trying to stop it from hurting a tiny bit. "Good," he said with mock severity. "If you try and look at them again I'll have to put you over my knee," he mock-threatened, guffawing at the mental image. "We both know you wouldn't like that."

"Well that's... So lovely for you," Roger said, his smile faltering for a moment. "I hope she's okay with you and I hanging out," he said, a volt of jealousy and dislike vibrating through his chest. "I wouldn't want to come between you and someone important."

He took a sip of his mint tea, thinking for several moments. "How about we hit Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, then Trafalgar Square and the National Portrait Gallery, then the Tate Modern, and maybe the Tower of London? What do you think, too much?" He glanced up at Marcus and tried to smile, though he rather suspected it came through as a half smile at most - his head was still slightly spinning from the revelation of this Bryony... person. He looked back down and began concentrating on his kefta tangine before it went cold. "We can apparate there of course, I won't make you endure multiple trips over the tube network in one day."

Once he finished, he led the way to a hidden little corner and tapped a disillusionment charm on his head and then on Marcus. "To make it easier to flit around," he explained with some of his old humour. Smiling, he disapparated and reappeared on the edge of the crowd on the Victoria Embankment. Smiling, he led the way up the stairs so they could see the tower properly. "What do you think?"

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[info]marcedflint
2014-10-05 07:44 pm UTC (link)
With a snort and a roll of his eyes, Marcus didn't respond to that, unable to think of anything appropriate to say, though he couldn't quite shake the desire to mess with the bandage again. Knowing it wasn't a good idea, and that the tattoo needed time to heal, was what kept him from doing so, because the last thing he would want was to somehow mess it up.

Marcus could feel his eyebrows furrowing together in confusion at the statement, and after a brief pause answered, "Of course she is. And I can't think of anything that would 'come between us', as you say." Hell, she'd stood by him through the war and his imprisonment, so it seemed unlikely that there would be anything that could break their bond.

There was still something off about Roger's smile, though Marcus couldn't pinpoint why that would be, and made a note to pay better attention to the younger man's mood for the rest of the afternoon. "That all sounds wonderful," he said, offering a smile of his own. He'd specifically not planned anything else for today so that he and Roger could take as much time as needed. Chuckling lightly at the comment about the tube, he shrugged and said, "I'm sure I could manage it better the second time around."

He followed Roger without question, letting him cast the charm even though he was more than capable of doing so himself - he was concentrating more on the warmth emanating from where Roger had his hand for the Side-Along. Looking out over the view, Marcus was quiet for a moment before glancing back over at Roger as he said, "It's amazing."

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-10-06 04:03 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, well that's... That's wonderful, Marcus," Roger said, a stab of pain coursing through him. Really, this was good. No matter what Oliver or Pansy thought, at least now Marcus was firmly unattainable. "She's a very lucky girl." And I'm completely heartbroken, he'd have liked to have said. "I must meet her some day, I can't believe I didn't know you had a girlfriend," he added instead.

"You're an easy boy to please," Roger said teasingly, smiling properly despite himself. "I'm glad you like my plan for the day." He tilted his head and stared pointedly at Marcus for a second. "Cap, the Tube network is like a Cretan maze! Except that it's not a maze. Also you can't get out just by keeping your hand on one wall and following the path..." He made a face and continued, "So really what I'm saying is that it's nothing like a Cretan maze ignore that. It's like a... thing that is hard. Not in a dirty way."

Roger grinned at Marcus and made an apologetic face. "Sorry for casting the charm on you by the by, I just sort of um... Sorry." Shaking his embarrassment off, he made a flourishing gesture at the building in front of them. "This is the Clock Tower, also known as Big Ben. It's part of the British Parliament which governs the country. Technically the Minister for Magic has a seat in the House of Commons, but the Muggles don't know it. D'you want to take a closer look?"

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[info]marcedflint
2014-10-07 01:27 am UTC (link)
Marcus was so taken aback by that comment that he actually stopped walking for a moment as he tried to parse what Roger had just said before continuing forward as he tried to clarify. "I don't. She's not... Bryony and I are not 'together', in any sense," he said with a shake of his head, dodging a woman with two children in a stroller. Dragging his fingers through his hair, he took a deep breath - he disliked talking about this, but it seemed... important, that Roger understand.

His tone was almost flat, though his words were halting as he explained, "For the majority of my life, I thought we were going to get married. It was never completely official - even the Cappers aren't old fashioned enough to still hold with arranged marriages - but it sort of... went without saying." Though, from his understanding, his aunt and uncle had done a lot of speaking of it while Bryony had been at Hogwarts with them. "And then after everything, when I was released, I asked her father for permission. He wouldn't allow it." Ephron's quiet but firm No had felt a lot like the cell door slamming shut again, another reminder of all the things he had been incapable of doing right. "But we're still close, and she knows me better than anyone," he finished, shrugging his shoulders, unsure what else he could say on that matter.

Chuckling at the teasing tone, Marcus inclined his head slightly as he agreed, "Yeah, probably." He'd learned to be appreciative of small things, and if that translated to happiness that was easy to come by, he couldn't complain about the result. Laughing again at Roger's response, he retorted, "I said I could do it better the second time around, not that I'd want to try it without you."

"No apology needed," he told the younger man, studying the building as Roger spoke about it. Though it was obviously an older structure, it looked so different from what he was accustomed to that he was nodding in agreement to Roger's suggestion before he'd even finishing speaking.

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-10-07 02:03 pm UTC (link)
Roger lifted his eyebrows for a moment as an almost palpable air of relief rushed over him. "You're not... Oh. OH! Sorry I just sort of assumed-" he trailed off as Marcus ran his fingers through his hair and he was forced to concentrate on trying to stop blood rushing to certain parts of his anatomy. "I uh, I didn't mean to assume."

"Oh well that's..." He felt the rush of hope in his chest fizzle and die. Sure, they weren't together, but Marcus had asked her to marry him. Surely that had meant something? The fact that she hadn't fought to be with him suddenly and rather irrationally filled Roger with rage. If he couldn't have Marcus than surely at least the older man deserved someone amazing - someone that would fight for him no matter what. "That's... I'm sorry Marcus. It sucks that you couldn't marry the girl you loved. Maybe in the future?" He closed his eyes for a moment, then pasted on a bright smile. "I mean, I imagine she'd be sad about it. I'd marry you myself in a heartbeat," he said in what he hoped to every possible deity was a jocular tone, though he rather doubted that it was.

Roger laughed and nodded in response. "I'm perfectly happy to whore myself out as your personal tube rider," he said before making a horrified face. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph that was one of the most... That is like a line from a gay porno, Merlin's fucking balls." He paused and covered his eyes with his hand for a moment, then began to laugh. "Okay why don't I try that again. I'm perfectly happy to show you how to ride the tube okay?"

Laughing, Roger through his arm around Marcus' shoulders and led him across the road and closer to the building. He told himself the utterly unnecessary physical contact was so that Marcus wouldn't get hit by a car on the busy road, but really deep down he knew it was he could be closer to the other man. "I don't think we could sneak in, even with the disillusionment charms, but we can look closer? Also, here," he reached into his pocket and took out a camera. "Do you want a photo?"


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[info]marcedflint
2014-10-14 02:37 am UTC (link)
Marcus shrugged, trying to cover the way the bottom of his stomach at dropped out at Roger and marriage in the same thought before he pushed the concept away altogether. "Unlikely," he admitted. "That ship sailed a long time ago. And we're better as friends anyway." As awful as it had been at the time, he could understand now why Bryony's father had made the decision he did to not allow the engagement. It wouldn't have been fair, to either of them, but he was more concerned with Bryony having the opportunity to find someone who would make her happy.

A chuckle burst out of him unexpectedly at Roger's facial expression, because he only partially understood how that could be something inappropriate, but by the younger man's reaction to his own words, the statement had obviously not come out as intended. "Sounds like a plan," he answered, still grinning.

Letting Roger physically lead him was no trouble, though somewhere in the back of Marcus' mind he knew that that in and of itself was strange, because usually he wasn't fond of people touching him randomly or without warning. But Roger was the exception to a lot of things, and he followed the younger man without question. Looking out over the view, he had to turn to look at Roger's question. He smiled, almost shyly at the question, and then answered, "Sure."

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-10-14 06:42 am UTC (link)
Roger was overcome with an overwhelming desire to hug his friend, but pushed it down because he wasn't sure he could have stopped himself from turning it into something more. "Well I'll have to meet this girl who you loved but didn't marry," he said with a strange twist of his lips. He was still deeply jealous of course, but if she was important to Marcus then she would be important to Roger.

Marcus's laugh only made him blush deeper. "Oh god, I'm just going to go fling myself into traffic," he said with a groan. "I wasn't trying to insinuate that I'd like you to you know, that I'd like to sit on your," he looked down at Marcus' crotch involuntarily and blushed again. "Right, excellent I'll show you how to use the tube network more another time."

Grinning, Roger took out an old film camera and prodded Marcus into position before snapping a photo. He paused and considered for a moment, then moved in next to Marcus and took another snap of them both. "Right," he said with a grin, pocketing the camera turning to stare at the other man. "How's about we head to Trafalgar Square," he asked, pointing out where they needed to go, discreetly reapplying his disillusionment charm and disapparating.

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[info]marcedflint
2014-10-19 02:26 am UTC (link)
"Any time," Marcus agreed with a nod, because he couldn't see any reason why the two sides of his life should stay in complete ignorance of one another.

He took a little bit of pleasure in Roger's blush, since it was so rare for the tables to be turned in this manner - usually the younger man was the one making him blush. "Sounds like a plan," he managed to say with a straight face, though there was a hint of grin at the corner for his mouth after he spoke.

His smile was a little more genuine for the picture that had both of them, for reasons that, as always, were better left unexamined. "Lead the way," he said, smile still firmly on his face as he extended his arm and hand for the Side-Along.

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[info]rogeringdavies
2014-10-19 05:30 pm UTC (link)
Roger grinned tightly and nodded. "I look forward to it," he lied smoothly, knowing full well that it would be absolute torture but also that any torture was worth it to be near Marcus.

He groaned and pointed an accusing finger at the other man. "Is this how I act when you fumble and blush; all sexy- err I mean small smiles and understanding nods? If so I am so sorry Marcus for being a twat," he said, poking his tongue out and hoping the accidental mention of sexiness would go unnoticed.

They landed in Charring Cross, their disillusionment charms meaning that people automatically began walking around them without really noticing. Grinning, Roger let his drop and led the way up the steps and into the square. "So this is Trafalgar Square, he said helpfully. "Named to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. What do you think?"

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