neverendingbas (neverendingbas) wrote in tiberiusswann, @ 2011-06-12 14:00:00 |
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Entry tags: | bastian, syn |
Monday - December 8th, 2008
Who: Syn and Bastian
When: Lunchtime!
Where: Cafeteria
What: Surprise! I'm a super!
Bastian was having an interesting couple days. Yesterday he'd moved in, started to find his way around the campus and while working out in the gym had stumbled across someone he'd played with a couple times before. Who lied to him and then came clean. Apparently Rorie was engaged to two men who weren't too thrilled with his sexual preferences. It made for a tense arrival, but he'd managed to mostly brush it off. After a morning of acquainting himself with the kitchen staff he'd soon be working with, Bastian decided to have an early lunch. He'd brought a book and notebook with him because he wanted to sit in the cafeteria and watch the people. It would give him a better idea of what the food and service was like, and what the students and staff were looking for.
He'd filled his tray with a variety of different foods. A slice of pizza, what looked like it was supposed to be chicken parmesan, a bowl of minestrone, a slice of lemon meringue pie and a slice of cherry cheesecake. He'd skipped the salad because it looked wilted and the veggies looked dry or overcooked. Right off the bat, he was not impressed. Most everything looked to be frozen or prepackaged. Sighing, he moved to a table and started making notes. He had his work cut out for him. So engrossed in what he was doing, he didn't notice the familiar face walk in.
Syn did not typically eat in the cafeteria, but today he hadn't felt like making his way all the way back to the apartment to find something to eat. Besides, Ikon may have been there and the two of them were on a bit of the outs here recently. Ikon just didn't understand the things that Syn did and Syn was tired of trying to explain himself. So he was avoiding him, which was why he had ended up here, though he wasn't sure that he even wanted to eat after taking a look at some of the things people had on their trays as he walked by.
Nonetheless, Syn was headed toward the line when he stopped quite suddenly in his tracks. Was that...? It couldn't be. There was no way that he was here, of all the places in the world that he could possibly be. A hand moved instinctively to rest upon his stomach, the letters faint but still present as he'd yet to get them healed, had yet to even think about wanting to. Had he seen him? He didn't think he'd seen him yet. So he turned to walk off when a student stopped him.
"Professor Syn!" Could he have spoken any more loudly? The man looked like a deer caught in headlights as the boy started to speak to him, asking him about the flight lesson they had had earlier, wanting to know if he could maybe get in a little time with the professor before the final to practice a bit more. Syn was trying to pay attention to him, nodding his head at the appropriate times, but he was also trying to catch sight of Bastian again to see if he had heard, had noticed him trapped there.
Bastian was vaguely aware of someone walking down the aisle a few tables away. He was busy prodding the mass of sauce and noodles, attempting to find a piece of frozen, thawed and reheated chicken that was likely to get up and run. Sighing, he shoved it to the side, wiping his fork off with the napkin so he didn't have to taste canned, processed tomatoes again.
It was about that moment he'd heard a student call out. Not that interesting given this was a school, but the name had him looking up, glancing around. Syn? That was an interesting coincidence of names. Half a second later, he locked eyes with a man he'd seen not three days prior, discussing flight with a student. Well. This was interesting. Bastian leaned back in his seat, hands folded on the table and waited. Syn would either come to him, or avoid him.
When they locked eyes, he knew that he was done for. There was no hiding from him now, not that he had thought he could hide forever, but he could at least make himself scarce until he figured out how to explain everything. Not now though. The jig was up, as they say. And so he reassured the student that he would see him later on that very same day for them to go over a few things before he basically hurried him away.
A breath was inhaled before he strolled over, his head held high and his shoulders back slightly. His body language was entirely different here than it was in the clubs. But he still looked nervous, in spite of all his poise, and his hand was still resting upon his stomach. "Fancy meeting you here," he stated once he was near enough to be heard. He regarded the notebook for an instant before saying, "A private facility just outside of Boston." It all made sense now.
Bastian waited patiently. Syn talking to the student gave him time to figure out just how he wanted to handle this situation. He'd figured it out quickly enough and then just bided his time until Syn started walking over.
"Hmm. History teacher." Well this was going better than the last one. "So are you going to tell me that you've a different name? The Syn I met before is your brother or some bullshit?" Apparently Rorie's remarks had cut deeper than he'd like to admit. Bastian would work through it.
The smaller man quirked a brow slightly as he took a seat at the table, not waiting for an invitation seeing as how this wasn't a scene for the moment and those types of manners were not particularly required. "Hmm, no. As far as I'm aware, I have no brothers and my name's been the same since I changed it many years ago." Clearly Bastian was aware of what this place was, and so he would be aware of what that indicated about Syn.
"Flight Instructor and Air Control Professor." Syn smiled a little as he added, "I couldn't exactly tell you that before."
Syn wasn't out to lie to him. Knowing that, Bastian relaxed, sitting forward in his chair and smiling. "Well I can't exactly blame you for not telling me. You didn't know me that well and I didn't know you. Now we're back on even ground." It was probably trite, but Bastian wanted it to be cleared up. "Just so we're official," he started, holding out his hand in greeting. "Bastian Rhodes. Shamanic shifter and soon to be Executive Chef here at Tiberius J. Swann. And you are?"
There was no real point in lying to him now. It wasn't like he didn't know precisely who he was. They had, after all, played together more than once and spent an entire night in one another's company not that long ago. Granted, he liked to keep his private life private but... It would appear that Bastian could be in agreement with that.
A smile tugged at the corners of the sprite's lips as he extended a hand to shake in greeting. "Syntax. Air Sprite. And as I mentioned before, Flight instructor and Air Control Professor." His smile turned a bit coy as he added, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir."
Bastian was perfectly happy to keep things on a vanilla plane, for the sake of appearances. Rorie had already said he wasn't interested in anything more and it wouldn't surprise him if Syn had felt the same way. "The pleasure's all mine, Syntax. Or from what that student called you, should it be Syn?" Hearing the 'Sir' sent a little shiver down his spine, just like always. "Don't tease," he murmured softly, his eyes darkening just a bit from lust and memories. He held Syn's hand a moment longer than protocol dictated, taking the moment to rub his thumb over the knuckles.
His smile brightened a bit and he nodded his head. "If you would prefer." Of course the shiver did not go unnoticed, catching as a soft breath in the smaller man's chest before he replied in an equally soft tone, "But I'm so good at it." He could tell by the look in the other man's eyes that he remembered, causing a slight flush to creep into the sprite's cheeks as he looked down at the table in an attempt to regroup himself, drawing his hand slowly away.
"Syn it is. I have a feeling it suits you." Bastian remembered in vivid detail just how well Syn could tease. And he knew that Syn knew just how well Bastian could make him pay for it. Letting out a slow breath, he leaned back in his chair again. "I think I've found my challenge. You're going to make it hard." Knowing just how his statement sounded, Bastian let the grin spread slowly.
"I may have been told that once or twice." Syn smirked just a little. Oh yes, the details were quite vivid, making this moment feel incredibly tense. Still he wasn't sure how he felt about Bastian being here. It complicated things, to say the least. But he couldn't, he wouldn't, allow his mind to go off on that tangent just now. "Oh?" Syn feigned innocence, though his eyes gave away his mirth. "And what precisely am I making hard for you, Mr. Rhodes?"
"Quite a few things, Syn. Most especially how the hell I'm going to manage dealing with you on a professional level." When he wanted to, Syn just oozed sex. It was just part of the way he moved, he acted and looked that made you think of him. It was only sheer willpower that was keeping Bastian from forming a tent in his pants. Vivid memories.
If it was Bastian's intention to stroke his ego, he was certainly doing a good job at it. "Well, Sir..." Syn began in a soft, even voice, shifting in his chair in the process. He crossed one leg over the other, this position now leaving his foot free to trail up along the other man's calve beneath the table. "Who ever said you have to deal with me on a strictly professional level?" His brow quirked, trying his best not to break out in a bright grin just then.
Bastian cocked his head, curious. "There you go with that teasing again." Whether he was referring to the foot or the words he wouldn't say, but Syn was starting to get a reaction. To play back, Bastian closed his legs, trapping the wandering foor between his calves. "I'm trying to be respectful here," he said quietly, deeply. "I've an urge to haul you across the table to my lap and spank that ass of yours."
Syn let out a slight squeak as his foot was trapped, though his expression stayed the same. If one were to just look at his face, they would think nothing of it, but if they looked at his eyes, it would give them both away. Perhaps not entirely but... Bastian's words sent a slight shiver racing up and down his spine before he exhaled in a soft hum and remarked, "Did someone turn the thermostat up? For some reason it seems to have suddenly gotten quite a bit hotter in here." That was neither a yes or no in regard to what Bastian had the urge to do as he didn't intend to give him either.
Bastian noticed the tatic for what it was and squeezed his legs tighter around Syn's foot. "Avoidance? That's not like the Syn I know." He tsk'd softly in disapproval, though in truth he thought the attempt at coy cute.
Syn rewarded that effort with a bit of a soft whimper though it was barely audible over the murmur of students and staff around them. "Hmm?" He smirked. "Avoidance?" He continued to feign innocence. "I have no idea what you mean, Sir."
"Mmhmm." Bastian nodded slowly, dropping his gaze from Syn's eyes to his full mouth, lingering long enough to make the man squirm a bit. He had quite a bit on his mind at the moment, Syn first and foremost. "Maybe now would be a good time to tell you that I live the lifestyle twenty-four-seven. It's very difficult for me right now to not tell you to kneel at my side."
He definitely was making him squirm, a slight fire sparked in the base of his belly and trickling through his form. Bastian was just one of those men, especially knowing what he was capable of, who could make you feel things just by looking at you. His words made Syn nervous, though perhaps not for the reasons that he would have expected. He would have anticipated something like that unnerving him just because he had never lived the life to that extent. But instead, "Maybe now would be a good time to tell you that it would be incredibly difficult to not just do whatever you said if you said it." And that was what made him nervous.
Slowly, Bastian licked his lips, understanding just what it was Syn was saying. "So that leaves us in an interesting predicament. Having you so close at hand makes you far more tempting than the idea of driving into Boston for a weekend." Finally, he dragged his gaze back up to Syn's, starting to rhythmically squeeze and release his foot.
This was like torture. It was like some sort of slow, twisted torture. And while Syn was a fan of torture, he wasn't sure that he was a fan of this, exactly. Granted, it made him feel... some pretty interesting things on the inside, but it was also the source of much frustration, perhaps for them both. "I guess it does," Syn replied softly, following the other man's gaze from his lips back up to meet his own. "At least it will help save you on gas."
Bastian nodded. "That it will." He paused, trying to figure out just what to do, where to take this. "You know what to say to have me stop." Bastian wasn't certain he wanted to stop. Syn was fun and could be rather amazing when he wanted to be. This was definitely torture.
Syn nodded his head in response to that statement. But even he wasn't sure yet. But the fact that he wasn't sure was enough for him to know at least one thing for certain. "Though I think I'm feeling less red and more... yellow." Slow down. He needed to think. And he wasn't entirely certain he could do that right here, right now, with him so close.
Bastian took a deep breath and let it out in a huff, trying to mentally pull himself together. If this were a club, or a vanilla environment, anything but what it was now, he would know how to handle it. This, was complicated. Hearing the codeword, Bastian released Syn's foot, letting him do what he would. "Okay. Sounds good."
Syn felt like something sank inside him when the other man released his foot. He was quiet for a moment, simply watching the other man, trying to read him. "I've never... lived it to that extent before." The admission was a soft one, and one that he was sure Bastian could infer but it felt better to admit it openly than to just let it hang there in the air between them. And perhaps this way would open it up for discussion as to what it was that he feared about it.
Bastian was having difficulty thinking about things logically with Syn's foot in his legs, and he was sure the contact was only making it worse for the other man. Best they cut physical contact for the moment until they figured this out. The declaration was unexpected, but only in the timing. "I'd figured as much. May I ask why?"
Syn shifted once more, moving to place both feet on the ground as he folded his arms on the table in front of him now. "A few reasons. One being that I've never met someone who... seemed up to the challenge or who felt like they could be the right fit." He clearly didn't think that was the case with Bastian, however. His gaze dropped to the table as he added, "Additionally because so many people don't understand it. And, as a professor. which I have been for nearly twenty years now, respect is important. And the lack of understanding, I think, could lead to a lack of respect."
Bastian kept his position though it was starting to get slightly uncomfortable. He was the type of person to fidget slightly and right now he was holding himself still to avoid reaching out and touching Syn again. "All valid reasons. The right," he paused, searching for the right word given the circumstances. "The right partner would know how to maintain discretion if that's what you wanted or needed, but still maintain his or her dominance. It's a delicate balance but it's been done before." Bastian believed that if it was something Syn wanted, he'd help however he could.
Syn nodded his head in response to what Bastian had to say. "Discretion would be important." And that wasn't because he was ashamed of the way that he felt, the things he craved, but only because he wanted to be taken seriously as a teacher and as a man. He couldn't quite abandon himself to the idea that he shouldn't care what others thought in that regard.
"As it should. This lifestyle can be taken the wrong way and your Dom should be protecting more than just your body. Your reputation is important, too." Going out to clubs and parties and what happened behind closed doors could be drastically different from what happened outside in public. Syn seemed to need someone who would respect that.
"And would you?" It seemed implied. But then again, this could be only a hypothetical conversation. Perhaps he had misconstrued him and Bastian was not interested in more than what they had already shared. It was possible, but it didn't seem entirely plausible at this point. Syn doubted that he had misread him.
Bastian licked his lips, thinking about the question. Was it just hypothetical or was there something else Syn was trying to find out? He watched the man for a moment, trying to find the reasoning. In the end, he decided to just answer. "If you were mine, you'd be cherished. No one touches your body without my knowledge. Behind doors, I own you. Outside, I'd expect respect, but I wouldn't demean you in front of colleagues or students. You'd live your own life, but share it with me."
Syn couldn't stop the soft breath from parting his lips in response to the words that Bastian said. That was... basically everything that he had ever wanted to hear. But it was still more complicated than just that. In spite of how much of a fit he knew they weren't, how little hope there was that they would ever be more than just glorified friends, there was still the angel to consider, and the feelings that Syn had for him. It all seemed like too much of a decision to possibly rush, not that Bastian was asking him to. He was only answering the question that had been asked. Still, he felt inclined to say something in return. "May I suggest that we both keep that possibility in mind?" Not a yes, but also not a no. He was still on yellow, but at least he felt like a more informed yellow at the moment.
Bastian saw the light in his eyes, the way his lips parted, the slight flush to stain his cheeks before the darkness crept back in. Syn had a major wall blocking him and Bastian wasn't one to invade space that wasn't his. "It never hurts to be informed, but should that be something to consider later on, it's something we'd both need to decide on. I don't make those decisions lightly, which is why I haven't gifted my collar to anyone yet."
Syn smiled. It was almost bordering on cordial but not quite. He nodded his head. "Understood." He paused, his expression indicating that there was something more that he wished to say. "But in the meantime, you do still have my number, should you decide to make use of it." It couldn't hurt to get to know one another better, especially if doing so would be something they'd both enjoy.
Bastian smiled. "Hmm, that I do. I might even make use of it. Though since you're here now, we could just talk. I was enjoying that, too, Friday night." It was an offer, not an order and Syn was free to leave at any time. They both had a bit to think about and Bastian didn't wish to pressure.
A brow quirked slightly followed by a bit of a smirk forming upon the sprite's lips once more. "I'll see your Friday and raise you..." He was going to say later, but he had that student to meet up with. So instead, "Tomorrow night." Also an offer which the other could, of course, decline.
"My apartment. Staff building A, room 5A." There was no hesitation, no need to question or think about it. Bastian knew he wanted Syn again. It was one of the reasons he'd gotten the sprite's phone number. "Seven?" He asked merely to be flexible for the sprite's convenience.
Syn simply nodded in reply, committing the directions to memory. "I will look forward to it," he concured, then glanced toward the tray that had been sitting ignored on the table between them until now. "And I think I have suddenly lost my appetite for cafeteria food." It looked absolutely disgusting. So his gaze shifted back to Bastian once more as he asked, "I take it that's something you intend to remedy?" He smiled as he added, "I'll look forward to that as well." He still hadn't forgotten the taste of that cheesecake.
Bastian gave a withering glare to the 'food' on his tray. Something needed to be done about it and soon. "Yes. It will be fixed. First thing I'm going to do is in my intro post, still have to do that dammit, I'm going to create a brief survey, asking students and staff alike to respond. I'll see what I get and go from there." Picking up his fork, he prodded a cherry soaked with a thick sugar syrup and red food coloring. "Y'know. I've got better food in my fridge right now. Including the rest of that cheesecake."
Bastian had read his mind. A shy smile formed upon the other man's lips as he considered it. He really shouldn't. He did have things that he needed to get done this afternoon but, on the other hand, he was pretty hungry, and if he didn't eat here, he had to eat somewhere. It was entirely possible he was only rationalizing this because he wanted to say yes. "Will you promise not to keep me too terribly long?"
Bastian inclined his head, smiling. He'd won and he knew it. "I promise not to keep you too terribly long. No promises about terribly long." They were two different time spans and thus he was free to make the promise. Picking up his notepad and book, he gestured, indicating Syn should precede him. "After you, Professor." Bastian had to bite his tongue from calling him pumpkin.
Syn was waiting for that other shoe to drop and then it did. He smiled, unable to hide it all that well this time around. If anyone had been watching, they would know that something was up. And he honestly didn't care at this precise moment in time. His reputation could handle it. Rising to his feet, he followed the taller man's instruction, leading the way through the crowded cafeteria out into the hall, his movements showing the same level of playful grace as they had during their previous time spent together.