Who: Dorian, Vanessa, Victor and Ethan When: During the mistletoe plot Where: Out and about What: A chance encounter and an unexpected kiss Rating/Warnings: Low/None Status: Complete
The last few weeks had been extremely interesting, but considering the dreams Dorian wasn’t too shocked by the things he’d seen. He’d quickly come to accept that strange things happened in Orange County for one reason or another despite the fact that he’d never noticed anything strange until a few months ago. He tried not to question the things that happened, because he doubted he’d get any answers.
Besides, if there was one good thing about the snow, it was that it made for a rather romantic evening for himself and Vanessa. He had taken her out to dinner that evening and they then decided to take a walk in the snow and look at the various Christmas displays. Dorian had never really been one for Christmas, but with Vanessa he felt differently.
“I hope you enjoyed dinner,” Dorian said as they walked down the street, shoes crunching the snow underfoot, their arms linked together.
The snow had been unexpected but not unwelcome, Vanessa rather liked it. There was a kind of peace that accompanied it and, of course, it made even the most awful of places look beautiful, blanketing the world in it’s white embrace.
It definitely added an extra air of romance to the evening and she was in a rather contented mood as she walked with Dorian after their meal.
“It was lovely, thank you. I never even knew that restaurant was there” she told him, happy to walk along with him taking in the decorations and holding his arm.
On the other end of the street were another pair enjoying the season. Winter suited Victor much better than every other season (he enjoyed autumn when it was really autumn, not when it was California’s version of it). He felt an odd comfort in the dark and the snow. Not that he wanted to be bundled into a scarf and a somewhat thicker coat and be hauled outside, but, here he was. Hand in hand with Ethan who was plenty enthused for the two of them. If anything, Victor was tired. But he put on a brave face.
“I hope you don’t get too accustomed to this,” he said, to his companion. Ethan got one go a season to bring Victor out against his will. This was it.
And Ethan does like the snow. Maybe not the cold quite as much, but the snow is pretty damn fun. And he’s even more excited when he gets to bundle Victor up and bring him outside to enjoy it.
He knows Victor’s exhausted, and he worries about that. Much as Victor lets him worry. But at least he looks to be having a little fun, which is something. So he squeezes Victor’s hand and kisses his cheek, nuzzling a little. “I plan on getting as much as I can out of it. Maybe I’ll even get you to make a snowman. I’ve got plenty of yard for it.”
“Then I’m glad I was able to show you something new,” Dorian smiled as they walked. While he enjoyed the snow, Dorian didn’t have one favorite season so the fact that the weather in Orange County didn’t change much as opposed to other parts of the country didn’t really bother him. Besides, Dorian had lived in and visited a number of other states and countries so he had experienced many different types of weather. “I’ll have to find some place else you don’t know about for next time.”
“You always manage to surprise me somehow” Vanessa told him with a smile, she didn’t really have a favourite season either but she did like the changing between them which was somewhat lacking usually in this county. “I am sure you will, I haven’t explored as much as I would have liked to” she didn’t mind eating alone but sometimes it did lack something to do so.
“I am absolutely not making any snowmen,” Victor adamantly stated. There was probably a joke in there, about creating men from snow or something like that, but the moment passed for Victor to think about it. He saw, walking towards him and Ethan, a familiar face that surprisingly made him smile.
“Vanessa, what a lovely surprise.” The smile on Victor’s face faded quite rapidly, though, when he spotted Vanessa’s companion. He’d made no secret of his dislike for one Dorian Gray, a dream based prejudice that seemed to manifest on its own here. So much for hoping he’d never come face to face with him in the waking world. “Dorian, I presume.”
Ethan’s arm goes around Victor’s waist, the gesture protective. And a little trying to hold him back. And he’s glad for once that he runs a little warm and the weather is cold, and maybe no one will notice the faint pink tinge to his cheeks on seeing Dorian. At least he’d made himself clear that what happened in their dreams stayed in their dreams.
“So nice to see you both out and about. Looks like we didn’t have an original idea.”
At least one of the men approaching them was familiar to Dorian and he smirked at Ethan, noticing the way his arm went around the other man, who assumed was the person he had spoken of the last time they had talked. It took Dorian a moment or two to recognize the man from his tiny avatar, but he soon realized that this man with Ethan must have been Victor. The two had yet to meet in the dreams, but considering the way he spoke to Vanessa and knew Dorian’s name, there were very few other people who Dorian assumed the man to be, “You presume correctly. Am I mistaken in assuming you’re Victor Frankenstein then?” He glanced from Victor to Ethan and smirked again, perhaps a tad flirtatiously, “They do say that great minds think alike, Mr. Chandler.”
Vanessa smiled at Victor warmly, “Victor, it’s lovely to see you. You as well Ethan” she added, she held both men in high regard. Though she couldn’t deny she held a lot of affection for Victor, there was something about him that made her almost protective of him though she couldn’t say exactly what it was. “Well we have a number of great minds here so it isn’t too much of a surprise. Have you both had a nice evening?” she asked.
Victor didn’t bother confirming Dorian’s assumption, as Vanessa had done that well enough for his standards. He also tried not to be too perturbed at Ethan’s arm around him. It was all a bit too quaint and charming for Victor’s tastes.
“It’s been quite nice, yes, thank you. But I’m afraid we ought to be on our way. I’ve got some work I can’t fall very behind on.” It was only partly a lie.
Ethan had thought he’d made it pretty clear in his last conversation with Dorian that he was firmly taken, and being seen like this with Victor should confirm it. But maybe Dorian is just that sort of person in this world as well; too flirtatious for his own good.
It makes him want to wrap more firmly around Victor, maybe growl a little, but those are instincts that pop up all too often lately, the more full moons he goes through.
So instead he just unwraps his arm from Victor’s waist and slides a hand down to take Victor’s hand instead, keeping the smile on his face. “You know how Victor gets, Miss Ives. All work and no play, etcetera and so on.”
Ethan had made himself plenty clear, but like in the dreams, Dorian was a natural flirt and charmer. Even when he had the feelings he did for Vanessa, it was difficult for him not to flirt with others. However now it was simply harmless flirting. He had little to no ulterior motives when flirting any more.
“Leaving so soon?” Dorian asked, smirking at Victor then Ethan as he took a step closer to Victor, putting himself in the other man’s personal space. Truthfully, he wasn’t really thinking about what he was doing at the moment, but felt compelled to be closer to Victor, “No time to join Miss. Ives and I for a drink?”
Flirtatious behaviour was simply part of Dorian’s personality, and whether they were together or not Vanessa would not change that. He was friendly and sweet even if he was a little naughty and cheeky with it sometimes. Like now as he moved towards Victor, “Yes, really you should both join us. Take a break Victor, it will do you good I’m sure”
It is not in Victor’s nature to enjoy any sort of closeness, or at least not to welcome it readily. In the back of his mind, he knows he should be very displeased with Dorian’s proximity to him, and, in normal circumstances, would find something biting to say. But he doesn’t. In fact, he found he didn’t mind it so much. A part of him seemed to almost be drawn to Dorian in turn. Despite Ethan’s hold on his hand, Victor, in turn, took a step closer. “Oh - No. No, I couldn’t possibly …” There was a distinct amount of distraction in his voice.
Honestly, Ethan could expect this from Dorian. The flirting, stepping into Victor’s personal space like that. What he didn’t expect was Victor stepping in as well.
He gives Victor’s hand a little squeeze, but a rustling sound catches his attention. Looking up he sees that there’s mistletoe hanging from the awning above them. Which isn’t the weirdest thing he’s seen in this town, but it certainly does look out of place.
“We might have a minute,” he says, but it’s hesitant, his eyes going between Dorian and Victor. Watching this play out.
Now Dorian had kissed people before without any warning or thought on his own part, but when he leaned in and captured Victor’s mouth with his own, the last thing he was doing was thinking. It was as if something were telling him that kissing Victor was the only thing he wanted to do at that moment and he needed to do it right at that very moment.
Vanessa hadn’t actually expected Dorian to kiss Victor, or the good doctor to return it but somehow with the mistletoe hanging above them it wasn’t surprising. It certainly wasn’t something Vanessa was worried about, in fact it wasn’t an unpleasant experience at all to watch.
In the continuing tradition of strange things going on in Orange County, Victor was kissing Dorian in turn. Victor wasn’t even overly fond of kissing Ethan most of the time, but he wasn’t thinking of that. Or of anything. His mind shut down to any sort of reason until the distant rustling above him stopped, and Victor blinked once - twice - pulled away and stepped back. He didn’t even have any biting remark on his tongue. Mostly, his brain was catching up to what, exactly, had come to pass in literal seconds.
From a purely objective (and selfish) standpoint, it was damned pretty to see. He’d only ever dreamed about Dorian, but god knows he fancies Victor, and to see the two of them together caused some sort of spark in his brain.
Then Victor pulls away and Ethan realizes fully what just happened and musters up some sort of glare towards Dorian. “We may pass on that drink, then.” Not that he’s trying to be possessive, but he also doesn’t want Victor taken advantage of.
It was the mistletoe making it’s exit that cause the compulsion to break and as Victor pulled away Dorian couldn't help the slightly confused expression from coming over his features. He blinked at Victor and Ethan then at Vanessa before attempting to compose himself. “Perhaps that would be a good idea.” Normally he would have insisted they still come, but things were now awkward and while Dorian didn’t mind awkward situations, he didn’t want to do anything further that might hurt his friendship with Ethan. He’d wait a few days, weeks perhaps, before reaching out to the other man again.
Turning to Vanessa, he extended his hand, hoping that she wasn't upset with him for this, “Shall we?”
Vanessa wasn’t upset, something had been in the air around them and obviously hovering mistletoe wasn’t quite normal. She would contact Victor after the holidays to ensure he was alright as she valued his friendship too. “Yes let’s” she nodded taking his hand, before offering a smile to Victor and Ethan, “It was very nice to see you both” she said before they all parted ways. Well, she thought, things in this county really were never dull.