Rostislav Zelenka (ghostsongs) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-01-28 14:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | #september 2017, devlin, devlin x rostislav, rostislav |
Who: Dev & Rost
What: Sunday night chatter and flirtations
Where: Juniper Inn
When: Evening Sunday 09/24
Status: Complete
Devlin had spent the day being genuinely afraid. It was not a state he commonly found himself in and even Greer's presence hadn't managed to soothe his nerves. Of course she hadn't known just how bad it was. If anything, Dev was an expert in making sure everything seemed fine on the surface. All day he'd cracked jokes about the fog, about how lucky they were to be in Point Pleasant and how it was like time traveling without the modern comforts of electricity. Greer had picked up on him being a little nervous but that all consuming dread wasn't something he really wanted to share with her. Not yet.
When she went to sleep he tried to keep himself occupied because he wasn't about to fall asleep anytime soon. They'd had a good time with Rost and the man had said he was a night owl like Dev so... It was worth a shot to see if he was still up. He debated calling, then texting but finally opted for actually walking down the hall and knocking lightly on the door. It felt like the least intrusive thing if Rost was sleeping as phones could be really terrible, loud and bright. He knocked a little louder when he'd leaned in a little closer and actually heard music from within the room.
It had been a heavy day. Rost wasn’t sure how else to describe it. The fog was out there making the air too thick and strange. The power was off all day, which made everything even more eerie. Rost stayed in and slept for a good chunk of the day, trying to shake off the feeling of dread that seemed to hang around him like a cloud. Considering his state of mind lately, it wasn’t acutely distressing, it was just ... heavy. More of the same, but worse. It was a day to sleep as much as he could.
Unfortunately, that left him wide awake at night. Not so unusual in general, but a bit inconvenient when he was feeling shitty anyway, and there wasn’t much to do about it. Rost had lit quite a few candles throughout the room, and shrugged into a gaudy silk kimono to keep his shoulders warm while he lounged on the floor. The building around him seemed quiet and asleep, but Rost’s fingers were itchy to do something, so he sat up and pulled his guitar into his lap. He tried to play softly, humming along with old lullabies that used to soothe him as a child.
He didn’t hear the knock until the second one, and Rost winced a bit, assuming he’d woken someone up. He stood up with a sigh and shuffled to the door. “Apologies, I could not sleep ...” he was saying as he opened it up. “... oh. Hello.” He quirked a little surprised smile at Devlin.
Dev smiled back at him and then his gaze ticked down to the guitar in Rost's hand. "Oh you were playing?" he said maybe a little too loud for what hour it was. "That's bloody fantastic. Your insomnia is my gain, or could be... You want some company?" He flashed him another smile, this one amusingly hopeful and he tilted his head in an almost pleading gesture. He was too jittery to really stand still and it didn't feel nice out there in the hallway. Too dark, too long and he felt like something was coming for him but he wasn't exactly eager to come off as some kind of paranoid lunatic with his new friend.
Rost didn’t know him well yet at all, but he seemed ... nervous. Edgy, or something. Definitely not as relaxed as he’d been when they’d all hung out before. Rost could relate, honestly. If it had been any other of his morose-feeling nights, he might have demurred, but at the moment he thought he could do with some company too. He nodded and moved back from the door, opening it wider so Dev could come in. Once he was inside, Rost shut the door again and locked it, which wasn’t something he always bothered to do. Tonight it felt like a good idea though. “Everything all right?” he asked, trying to make it sound casual. Dev and Greer were obviously Sensitive people, and maybe he was picking up on the same thing Rost was.
"Yeah," Dev said as he flopped down on Rost's couch and looked around. The problem with hotels was they didn't tell you much about the inhabitants. Rost's own home would be full of little telltales of who he was as a person but here there was only the minimal sneak peek into his character. It also meant there wasn't much to fidget with but Dev made do with pulling over one of the restaurant pamphlets, idly folding the corners. "Greer's asleep and I won't be for a while, single room means there's not much to do that won't wake her." It wasn't really true, Greer didn't mind him doing whatever. Normally he would just draw while listening to a podcast or something but tonight he was too antsy. "I figured my new night-owl friend might be awake too. It's a weird day, innit..."
Since Dev took the couch, Rost went to sit on the floor again, his back against the side of the bed, guitar back in his lap. He crossed his long legs and idly picked out a couple of notes. “It is a weird day,” he confirmed. “I have felt unsettled for all of it. Even my dreams were unpleasant.” Dev could’ve just meant the lingering fog and the lack of power, but Rost didn’t really think so. None of them were in denial about the strangeness of reality, and it was kind of refreshing to speak so openly and not be judged for it. “But you are in luck, I suppose,” Rost offered with a faint smile. “I am indeed awake.”
Dev leaned forward as Rost spoke, his attention on the other man rapt. Since Rost was first to admit he was unsettled it didn't feel like such a burden to share his own worries although Dev's tone of voice was such that he might as well have been complaining about there being nothing good on TV that night. "I feel like something bad's gonna happen," he said with an air of almost casual exasperation if there was such a thing. "Like something big is gonna come waltzing into town and crush the lot of us. I'm not afraid of the fog or the dark so it's not that." He bounced his knee as he talked, that nervous energy needing somewhere to go.
Well there it was. Rost nodded along with Dev’s words, finding that they lined up pretty well with how he was feeling. He had the dark cloud that had been hanging over him for a week added to it as well, adding its color to everything, of course, but he’d been through enough painful cycles of depression to recognize it. On one hand it was nice to not be alone in his worry, but on another, that just made it more worrisome. Like that bad thing was going to happen for sure. “I have the same feeling, yes,” he agreed. Rost fought the urge to look toward the windows. He’d drawn the curtains a long time ago, but it was almost like the air out there was oppressive and ... watchful. “I am sorry to hear it is not just myself.”
"I don't usually get premonitions of any kind so I'm trying to keep my wits about me," Dev said and hearing he wasn't alone in this kind of did the opposite of helping. "But it's been pretty darn persistent all day long and now you, my friend, are also feeling it? I was hoping it was just a bad reaction to the weed I had last night or something, bad batch. It's quare is what it is." He finally stopped bouncing his knee by sheer force of willpower as he tried to manage his energy levels. They were on the wrong setting tonight and if he concentrated he could meddle with them and he didn't want to make Rost feel antsy too so calming down was a good idea. "You get fog like this often?"
Rost had learned to trust his gut a long time ago, and it had kept him alive in some pretty tough situations ... but almost all of those had been mundane. Surviving homeless, avoiding certain strangers, which direction to wander next, that sort of thing. He’d had Bad Feelings before, but he couldn’t remember one ever being so unrelenting. Or shared, apparently. Rost couldn’t avoid noticing Dev’s fidgeting anxiety, but he didn’t feel like he was absorbing any of it. He was just too tired, in too many ways. He was concerned, yes, but it was manageable. “Perhaps being somewhere with such high energies has made you more sensitive,” he suggested. Point Pleasant certainly had its ... energies. “But no, not that I have known. This is ... unusual. It is making me glad to be inside.” He paused, then quirked Dev a lopsided smile. “I have better weed, if you think it would help.”
Dev's face was fairly neutral one second but the next he had a wide, cheeky grin on it, nodding eagerly. "I think that might be just the medicine I need," he said and scooted forward to sit on the floor with Rost. It felt too far away sitting on the couch and looking down at him felt wrong in a weird way. "Any idea when you get to go home? We'll miss you around here when you go. Be knocking on your cabin door at all hours of the night."
Rost had to chuckle at the way the offer changed Dev’s demeanor. It was a common reaction, really. For some reason, the way he came down off the couch to join him made Rost’s chest a bit warmer. He set his guitar aside for the moment, leaning over to reach under the bed and pull the bag containing his stash out. He unzipped the main pocket and dipped a hand in. Usually he smoked at the window so the room wouldn’t get that skunky smell, but considering the hour and the fog outside ... Rost thought they were just fine where they were sitting. “I am calling the sheriff tomorrow to ask again,” he said. “I hope within the next few days. I am waiting for the power to be restored, at least.” He looked up at Dev with a crooked smile as he fished out a pipe and a small glass jar with a few buds in it. Rost set it in front of him and started to fill the bowl up. “I will welcome your company, truly. Not many souls brave the boneyard to visit me.”
"I like the boneyard," Dev said with a smile and it felt nicer now, being on the floor. Maybe because that put him closer to Rost. "People keep treating the dead like they're somehow bad but they're just people without bodies, you know? Show them some respect and you should be fine. Unless they're lunatics. Kinda like the living. Sure it's tough to deal with a lunatic who can't be restrained by physical means but there are ways I suppose." He was rambling now and he caught himself, squinting at Rost. "You ever had to deal with a dead lunatic?"
Rost listened as he packed the little bowl of the colorful pipe, still smiling. He liked Dev’s take on things, it lined up fairly well with his own. He tended to believe the dead had earned even more respect, as they had experienced things that the living hadn’t, not yet. “Lunatic? No. Not to my knowledge, at least. Restless and lost? Yes. As you say, they were human, they just needed a hand.” He offered the pipe and a lighter over to Dev so he could take the first hit. Rost hadn’t smoked anything yet that day, and had somehow avoided drinking too, wanting to listen to that restless inner voice some more. But maybe this was the medicine he needed too. “Have you?”
"Not a lunatic, no," Dev said as he lit up and inhaled deeply. It was definitely quality weed and it went down so smoothly he felt calmer almost instantly, as if it was more a conditioned reaction than an actual effect. He held the pipe out to Rost as he held the smoke in then slowly let go, his voice a little forced until the smoke had cleared from his lungs. "Angry though, that one was loud, but no, no lunatics, thankfully. I can only guess to how hard it would be to deal with them. I'm just glad I don't constantly see them - no offense to the dearly departed, of course. I just reckon it could get confusing and maybe a bit tiresome."
He hummed an agreeable sound as he took a hit himself. Rost liked to think he was at least somewhat Touched in that way, that he could sometimes hear spirits. But likewise, he was glad that it wasn’t a constant companion. He was mad enough as it was, probably. “You will have to tell me the story of your angry spirit sometime,” he said once he’d exhaled and offered the pipe back. “But I agree. I do not believe I would be living where I am if my eyes and ears were that open all the time. The cemetery is enough to deal with on its own.” Rost slouched a bit further against the side of the bed, watching Dev with open curiosity. The guy had a good energy around him, Rost liked him so far. He liked both of them. He just hoped it all wasn’t as temporary as it felt like it must be.
Dev and Greer had mentioned his particular gift with touch the night they all got drunk but it had been flippant and in passing so Dev wasn't really sure how much Rost knew about it. That night had been a bit chaotic too, with all the cars getting smashed and one of the other guests flipping out about it, not quite as pleasant and easy going as they would have wanted it to be. "It's good, yeah, being able to pick and choose when to see and well, I got a lot of stories," he said with a little grin. "I'll tell you any of them anytime." It made him think he should take those gloves off soon too, for more stories. It always sucked during but without shitty events there weren't many stories to tell so that was a price worth paying on the occasion.
Rost wasn’t positive, but he thought he’d caught a bit of flirtation in Dev’s words. Of course, he kind of sounded like that all the time, at least so far. He wasn’t going to read too much into it. Rost vaguely remembered asking the night before why Devlin wore gloves, and hearing some answer to it that had psychic reasoning behind it, but they’d been drinking a lot, and he felt like he’d lost the details. He nodded toward Dev’s hands now, one brow arching. “Forgive my memory ... you see things with touch, yes?”
"Yes," Dev said cheerfully, though that high tension was finally leaving his body with the help from Rost's weed. "Pyschometry they call it. Sounds like a load of bollocks and honestly? Sometimes it is. When you're trying to get a reading and there's nothing there but the poor bastard just needs to hear something good, you know?" His lips quirked into an impish smile. "For a coin, of course." Why he felt so at ease telling Rost he was a conman he couldn't really be sure, maybe because they felt like kin in some way. He just had a good feeling about the man in general. "But some of the time it's as real as that pipe in your hand."
He didn’t bat an eyelash over the admission. In fact, Rost grinned a bit and nodded. He hadn’t quite made a whole living out of being a conman, but he’d done it to get by when he needed to. It was amazing sometimes, just how eager people were to believe an eccentric Eastern European man in loud clothes could really read their palms or their tarot spread. Rost felt like he made up for the bad karma of it in enough ways. “Sounds fascinating,” he murmured. Rost took another hit off of the pipe and offered it back. “Is it only for things, or for people too?”
"Just things," Dev replied with a look that said enough about what a relief that was. He loved touching people, getting hit by Unhappy Memories every time he did would kill that desire fast. "Usually only meaningful things, you know? Jewelry worn for a long time, something that was present and prominent during a big event, that sorta stuff." He looked Rost up and down pointedly. "I'd have to be real careful touching you, in case you got something stored away in all that." It could be a bother but his grin didn't say as much this time.
Rost laughed a little, one hand automatically moving to where one of his many pendants rested against his chest to finger it. He would have been more surprised if there weren’t at least a few psychic impressions living in his jewelry. He’d been wearing it for years, and he’d been through a lot. He gave Dev a smile that was a bit more coy. “I never take them off ... but I could make exception,” he murmured. He was starting to feel more tingly and present in the moment, and he wasn’t sure if it was the weed or the conversation distracting him from his anxiety, but it was working pretty nicely so far. “If touching were to happen.”
That pleased Dev pretty visibly as his grin softened and his eyes crinkled a little. It wasn't all that often that guys were open to being flirted with by other men, no matter what their desires were. "Hmm, I think I'm more curious about kissing you," he said, sticking to a speculative tone for now. "I've never kissed anyone with a gold tooth before, I don't know where it falls on the spectrum of object versus part of a person." He quirked a brow curiously and much like Rost he was feeling far more relaxed while also a bit more excitable in completely different ways. "Might have to put that to the test sometime."
Rost’s eyebrows twitched upward, but he thankfully managed not to look as surprised as he felt. It was a good surprise though, finally, running through him like a soft buzz of electricity. There had been a good bit of flirting the night before, seemingly between all of them, but Rost was aware of how things sometimes got misconstrued. And sometimes men were touchy about that sort of shit in the bad way. But Dev’s statement had been pretty blatant, so Rost was reassured on that score. “Sounds like a thing you should find out,” he answered mildly, smirking a bit at the other man. “Scientific curiosity. If that would be all right with your lady, of course.”
"Ahh yes," Dev murmured, wincing a bit theatrically. "That could be a problem." He nodded slowly, then shook his head. "She might want to kiss you too. I know, it's a pain in the ass... But science, aye?" He was grinning again, tempted to crawl over to Rost and put this to the test already, even if a very small part of him was genuinely worried kissing him would give him some shitty vision or another. It was something that would go away with time and repetitive action and honestly Dev didn't mind that part either if it came to it.
That made Rost really laugh, and it felt lighter and easier than he would’ve thought, considering the rest of the day. It felt good, and even if no kissing happened, he was damn grateful that Dev had stopped by. “I cannot imagine why she would, if she already has you to kiss,” he countered, giving Dev an appreciative once-over. “But I would happily assist in this line of research.” They weren’t really being subtle, if this was sincere on both ends, but Rost was fine with that. He’d found both of them immediately attractive, and it felt like it had been a long time since he’d genuinely flirted with someone, so why not?
"You don't think it's a bit of a waste? Spending all your kisses on just one person?" Dev asked and they hadn't really discussed their lifestyle but then they'd only just met Rost so there hadn't been all that much time. "I mean, yeah, I'm a good kisser, but I'm only one flavor, really." He was grinning as he talked, Rost's laughter a bit infectious and he liked seeing the man laugh, it made him seem more relaxed and a little less sad somehow. There was so obviously a lot going on with him that it was clearly needed and Dev felt like it was his new mission to make Rost laugh as much as possible from now on.
“I do appreciate variety,” he murmured, holding Dev’s gaze with a lazy grin. Rost had never really bothered to define his sexuality, it wasn’t a thing that needed a label, in his mind. He just felt drawn toward people sometimes, it didn’t seem to matter what their outside was like. He’d tended to end up with women, the few times a relationship had drifted his way, but it hadn’t been a conscious choice. He always went where the moment took him, and sometimes it took him to warm, comfortable places like this. “You two are polyamorous? I have known some in the past.” As much as he was currently inclined to kiss Devlin, he didn’t want to accidentally alienate Greer.
Of course he had the vocabulary down and Dev gave him a 'there you go' gesture to indicate he was right. He didn't much like labels either but they could come in handy of course, when trying to find like-minded people. Though like-minded people tended not to really need those labels. Dev found they tended to get drawn together regardless of how they self-defined. "I don't think either one of us was built for monogamy," he admitted. "Monogamy, sobriety and diets are like poison to people like us." He indulged himself finally, scooting over until he was sitting comfortably next to Rost instead of in front of him. "What about you?" he asked, genuinely curious. Not everyone liked the lifestyle they led but he had a feeling Rost wouldn't mind making an exception this once even if he didn't.
Rost gave an understanding chuckle, because he was one of those people too. At least as far as sobriety and diets went, he’d managed monogamy a handful of times in the past. He watched Dev move in closer, his eyelids feeling a touch heavier. One thing that had definitely stuck out to him the night before was how touchy Dev and Greer were with each other -- and with him, to an extent. Being touched had been lacking in his life for years, and he already felt a little hooked on it. The closer proximity gave him that vague sense of yearning again, but he kept his hands to himself for the moment. “What about me?” Rost echoed, quirking a little smile. “I am alone, so ...” He lifted his fingers in a ‘what else is there to say’ sort of gesture and let his grin widen. “I am very anti-sobriety however, if that is what you mean,” he added lightly.
"Oh we noticed," Dev said with a toothy grin and reached up to run his fingers over one of Rost's gold chains. He wouldn't put them in the palm of his hands unless they got closer and he felt like there was a risk of it accidentally happening in the future - and then with Rost's permission of course. Not everyone enjoyed a psychic peek into their darkest secrets after all. "Are you alone by choice?" he asked with earnest curiosity because there were oddly enough people who preferred it that way. That didn't mean they couldn't have a little fun sometimes but Dev had left enough confused and irritated people behind when they miscommunicated what it was they were really after, it really wasn't something he wanted to repeat.
Dev still had his glove on, but it felt nice to be touched anyway. Rost’s skin gave a happy little twinge, and a bit of extra warmth settled low in his belly. The question itself came with less pleasant feelings, but they were dulled by the weed and the vibe in the air, so Rost wasn’t too bothered. “No,” he murmured. On the surface it was a simple answer to a simple enough question, but Rost wasn’t sure that anything was genuinely simple when it came to human relationships. He offered another faint smile, hoping Dev wouldn’t take it as self-pitying. It was just how his life was. “There is not much ... options, around here.”
It sounded like there was a lot more to it than that, though the lack of options definitely sounded like it could be accurate in a town like this. Dev wasn't going to pry though, instead he hooked a finger in one of the chains and tugged gently. "Well then, do you want to have a little bit of fun while we're here?" he asked and valiantly fought off that feeling he too often got with new people where he wanted to take them with him when he left. Things could change in a matter of weeks or even days and their departure was a later day thing to worry about. "I don't want to selfishly influence your decision but you do look like you could use a little fun," he added with a little grin.
Rost gave a soft chuckle, letting that gentle tug pull him a bit closer to Dev. Their faces were fairly close now, and he felt that pull in his body to further bridge the gap, to physically connect. It had been so long, his memory of the last time he’d gotten laid was pretty fuzzy. And his new Irish friend was so very pretty. “I do not doubt that,” he murmured, smirking faintly. They had arrived at one of the worst times he’d been through for quite a while, and Rost was more than a little grateful for the distraction. “I think I would love to have a little fun with you.”
Intentional or not, those words and the way Rost said them were hot as hell and Dev's grin softened into something a little different before he leaned in a little closer. "First one for science," he reminded Rost, only half joking because God he really hoped he wasn't about to have a damn premonition or a persistent ghost just from kissing a guy. He wouldn't know without trying though so try he did, claiming the kiss he was promised as he snuck one hand to the back of Rost's head. He really did love touching people, feeling the different textures of their skin and hair, how much they varied from person to person. It'd be even better if Greer was there but maybe it was just as well to start slow and not overwhelm Rost. Two on one, it could feel like peer pressure he supposed, though he doubted Rost would honestly mind that.
Rost had been lonely and untouched and skin-hungry for a long time now. He’d long thought of himself as a sexual opportunist, not really caring much about the genders of people he fell into bed with, but it was still a bit of a surprise to break his dry spell with a man. He wasn’t complaining in the slightest, because Dev smelled good and he looked good and the instant their mouths touched he had butterflies in his stomach. It was just interesting. Rost let his eyes slip shut and kissed him gently back, part of him watching for any signs of distress from Dev. Psychic sensitivities could be tricky things. With a bit of hesitance, Rost moved one hand to rest lightly on Dev’s thigh.
It was Dev who deepened the kiss, more cautiously than he would have if not for that tiny risk of catching a glimpse of something he didn't want to see. He held his breath for a few seconds but all he discovered was that kissing Rost was kind of awesome. He hummed contently as he pulled back a little, grinning. "It's not science if you only do it once," he murmured then, arching a brow at Rost. It was tempting to go wake Greer up, he wasn't about to take this too far without her knowing about it, but kissing was fantastic for now and maybe... maybe a little more.
Rost felt a bit flushed in the best sort of way, and he grinned crookedly back at Devlin. “Repeatable results, yes?” he murmured, his insides twisting in much happier directions than they had in a long time. His gold tooth hadn’t seemed to have any ill effect on Dev, so Rost felt fine taking this initiative this time. He leaned in to press their mouths together again, a bit more hunger behind it this time. The man had lovely lips and he knew how to use them, and now that he’d had a taste, Rost wanted more of it. He drew in a slow breath through his nose before deepening the kiss again.
Dev kissed him back eagerly and brought one hand up to cup Rost's cheek, gently caressing his stubbled cheek. This was why he usually preferred fingerless gloves, even if it was cold out sometimes, that urge to touch and explore without risking a full grasp of something he didn't want to experience. Fashion be damned, practicality weighed heavier when it came to his clothing choices. If things went further he'd take those gloves off completely of course, but only after Rost had removed whatever jewelry he was wearing and that likely wouldn't be tonight.
The light touch to his cheek pulled at something in Rost’s chest. It had been a while since he’d been touched with any sort of tenderness, and apparently he’d missed it more than he’d thought. It was probably a bad idea to let himself fall into this, to start feeling anything for anyone ... but fuck, it felt good in the moment. The only thing that could’ve made it better would’ve been Greer’s presence, both to approve and participate. But that was something to maybe look forward to. Rost focused on kissing Dev for another few moments, until his lungs burned for another breath, then he pulled back just a tiny bit. “Still good?” he murmured, his voice a little hoarse.
"Still good," Dev murmured and he didn't have to ask if Rost felt the same way. It was in the tone of his voice and the way he could see his eyes were half-lidded. Pleasure could be like a scent, you didn't really need to see or hear it to know it was there. "Your solitude is a waste of a gifted mouth," he added with a little smile. "I'm going to have to insist you kiss my lady too." He was certain Greer would love it, her attraction to Rost hadn't exactly been a big secret and Dev was still fighting off the urge to go wake her up and have her join them. The only thing really stopping him at this point was that feeling of dread, still lingering despite being somewhat muffled by the weed and the kissing.
Rost smiled faintly back at the compliment, that nice warmth down deep in his stomach glowing a little brighter. He knew he wasn’t the prettiest of men, but he’d still had lots of practice at the sexual arts and liked to consider himself a pretty good lover. The thought that he might get to put those skills to use again made his groin feel even more tingly than it already was. Which would’ve been a considerably stronger feeling if the bad one wasn’t still lingering around the edges. “If it pleases her, I would love to,” he murmured. Rost had found Greer -- both of them, honestly -- ridiculously attractive, and if she wanted to make out with him too, he would be crazy to turn down the opportunity. “You are both beautiful.”
"We are all beautiful," Dev corrected him. "She'll be delighted." He smiled again, trailing his fingers through Rost's hair. "I feel a little better now, how about you?" Not all the way better though he noted which was unusual for him. Kissing and fucking were the best ways to get rid of negative feelings and Rost was good enough of a kisser to dispel his anxiety and yet it didn't fully take. It made him think there was definitely something more going on, something to do with the fog probably, uneasy spirits perhaps. He might have thought it was just an echo of his latest visions but Rost felt it too.
The hair-petting was nice, and it kind of made Rost want to pull Dev up onto the bed so they could lounge together. Cuddling felt even more intimate than kissing though, especially with someone he’d pretty much just met, so he dismissed the desire. He just missed being with another person a lot -- he wasn’t built for the kind of isolation he’d been entrenched in for so long. All things with time though, Rost supposed. His gaze ticked upward for a second as he analyzed how he was feeling, then gave a little nod. “Perhaps not as good as I should, but better,” he murmured, giving Dev’s leg a small squeeze.
"There's only so much we can do to shield ourselves from whatever is out there," Dev said softly and he knew if he kept kissing he'd be tempted to start tugging off clothes and he hadn't really talked to Greer about what they wanted to do here so he was okay with backing off for now. That didn't mean he didn't crave the closeness though so he shifted to lean in against Rost's side, hungry for the comfort another warm body could provide. "When is your birthday?" he asked, having already decided Rost had to be water or fire by birth, it was just the vibe he got from him.
It was a wise thing to say, and Rost got another rush of warmth as Dev moved in closer to his side. He slipped his arm around the other man’s back, leaning into the press of firm body heat a bit himself. It did feel nice. Like he wasn’t alone, in the room, in how he was feeling, in anything. It might be temporary, but Rost wasn’t going to turn it down while it was there. He chuckled faintly at the question. “August seventeenth,” he answered, his thumb rubbing against Devlin’s back. He was pretty sure Dev was asking for some sort of zodiac purposes, but he didn’t offer the answer, curious if the other man had them all memorized. “Yours?”
"Fire," Dev mused, feeling a little pleased with himself for sussing that out. The Zodiac was one of those things that sometimes felt so spot on yet other times felt like complete gobshite. Dev still put some stock in it, he just didn't always understand all the ins and outs of it and that was to be expected when you were just human. "Mine's January twenty-ninth, I'm an airy bastard. Greer's Capricorn if you'd believe it, she breaks the mold but I suppose she does ground me in ways." He felt chatty again but in the most comfortable way and he liked the way Rost had fallen into holding him so easily, like they hadn't been strangers just a few days ago.
“Mm, Aquarius,” Rost murmured with a faint chuckle. “This is the dawning of the age ...” It was an old song, maybe too old for Dev to recognize it, but that was okay, it was just what drifted through Rost’s mind. It made him want to pick up his guitar again, but one of his hands was happily occupied at the moment. “That is three elements between us, pretty well balanced, I would say.” He said it lightly, because he didn’t put a ton of stock into the zodiac as most people understood it either, but sometimes there was more to things than first met the eye.
It was probably the weed but Dev couldn't help but start overthinking it a little, how those elements worked together and rather than words it just became images in his head that he itched to get onto paper with vibrant colors. He hummed contently. "When the moon is in the seventh house," he quoted since he knew the song well and it did make for a great soundtrack for his current thoughts. "And Jupiter aligns with Mars."
“Then peace will guide the planets, and love will steer the stars.” His tone was quiet and dreamy, and again Rost was tempted to pull Dev up onto the bed for a cuddly nap. It would have all been perfect but for that dim nagging feeling that something was still Not Right. It was quiet enough for the moment to be ignorable, but it still put a small damper on his mood. After a few moments of quiet, Rost’s arm tightened slightly around Dev. “Can you stay for a while?” he asked. “I think I can sleep with company.”
"Aww you're going to sleep on me too?" Dev asked with a mock pout since he had left Greer sleeping to find some awake company after all. That had been a while ago though and he did feel a bit sleepy by now, thanks to Rost's calming presence and the weed. "I can stay for a while," he then said since that question had been more of a tease and didn't require an answer. "I might slip out before you wake up though," he warned though it was okay if he fell asleep too. He'd left Greer a note in case she woke up ('couldn't sleep :( come find me at rost's!') so they might just wake up to her knocking at some point. It made Dev wish they were in a more private house where they could leave the doors open and come and go as they pleased but even so, this was pretty damn cosy.
Rost rumbled a chuckle, feeling only a tiny bit guilty about his drowsiness. He wouldn’t mind staying up and spending more time with Devlin, but considering his recent problem with insomnia, he wanted to take advantage of the urge to sleep now that he had it. “My door is open to you in either direction,” he murmured, turning his head to press a kiss against Dev’s temple. He smelled really nice. With a soft hum, Rost made himself sit up straighter, then climb to his feet. He crawled onto the bed, shedding the kimono as he went, leaving him just in comfortable track pants. He settled in and patted the spot next to him for Dev, smiling lazily.
While Dev enjoyed people a great deal he rarely found people he really felt like he fit in with so when he did he tended to cling to them. It didn't feel weird then to crawl into bed with Rost and do just that, cuddle up and drape his arm over him for maximum closeness. "If you wake up lonely our door is open," he murmured and maybe he could snooze for an hour or so before he went back.
Rost nudged the TV remote toward Dev’s hand just in case he needed something to occupy himself with. Some people couldn’t just be still for long periods of time. “Noise will not bother me,” he murmured, just so the other man knew. Rost’s limbs already felt heavier. Like all the rest of the tension had seeped out of him. As much as was going to go, anyway. He gave Dev another nuzzle and whispered a soft, “Thank you.” It was going to be easy to drop off, and maybe he actually would take him up on that offer ... it was something to look forward to.