[TLV][IC Inbox]

[reargunner]

ᴛᴇxᴛ | ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ | ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ | ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ



Leave a message if you want. I'll get back to you when I pick my comm up.

Or I won't.

Comments

[inthebiblicalsense]

It's cute, the way that Alexei's interest shifts, Ethan squeezing his hand before he starts the shouldering walk through the crowd to a more open spot.

"Don't let go."

He keeps hold of his hand so they don't get separated, but it's still nice aside from utility, and the way he smiles is a bit more relaxed than he might have been as he finds his footing in the most basic public display.

[reargunner]

"Not on your life."

He laces their fingers together and holds on firmly as they work their way out of the crowd. A couple of times he gets pushed back by someone trying to step into the space Ethan makes but anyone who tries to do that immediately realises their mistake as he growls at them in acerbic Russian.

He said he won't let go and he's got no intention of being made a liar.

Once they're free he shakes himself off and straightens his clothes with his free hand. It's nothing special - jeans and a black vest with heavy boots, Ethan's dog tags gleaming against his chest.

"Made it."

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel tries not to laugh as he hears the aggressive Russian behind him, slowing when he feels the slightest strain on their clasped hands. He feels like he's got a big, scary dog that enjoys cuddling under a blanket with its own personal pillow and dog pajamas in the evenings on a leash. The image does get a soft snort out of him before they're free of the crowd.

His own outfit is fitting for the warm weather, shorts that wouldn't pass the fingertip test, a white tshirt and Alexei's dog tags jingling against his collar.

He pulls at his tshirt to get some airflow, knows he's sweating a little in the August heat, but doesn't mind at all. If anything the sun has bleached his hair even more blonde than usual, cheeks a little pink.

"You want to take the lead? I feel like you'd have a better eye for spotting someone appropriate than I do."

[reargunner]

"Hmm."

He pushes his hand through his hair, seemingly unbothered by the heat despite his dark clothes, and where Ethan's hair has turned lighter Alexei's skin has darkened slightly to a honey-coloured tan. They can just look around, as he has a vague idea of where to go.

Alexei works his hand free to put his arm around Ethan's back, curling his fingers against the other man's hip.

"This way first. Maybe I'll get something for myself."

[inthebiblicalsense]

Even if Ethan is being mindful of touch, he can't help the way his eyes light up, biting his lip as he watches him run his fingers through his hair, the stretch of his shirt, the way he's so obviously thinking for a moment before that arm comes around him.

This idiot is so very clearly smitten it's almost silly that he's so afraid of being too obvious in public.

"Yeah? Did you have anything in mind? You could get the other one done." He glances down at the hand at his hip and swallows, telling himself he's fine and relaxing into it, following along.

[reargunner]

He keeps the touch light, easy for Ethan to slip out of, but he won't say he's not quietly pleased when that doesn't happen. Just two guys walking through a festival crowd together and no one is so much as batting an eye at them.

As they shouldn't.

"Mmn, same ear. Was thinking about an industrial. It's a bar, here to here." He indicates where the holes would be in the shell of his ear. "But they're easy to fuck up, so I'll want to make sure they know what they're doing."

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel tries to imagine it but hasn't actually seen that kind of piercing before. It isn't like the people he'd met in his life had a lot of piercings, but he nods all the same. He'll have to see it if they find someone else, though he does laugh, gently nudging the other man's side.

"Am I the test subject then, do the easy one just to make sure they actually are decent before you ask for yours?"

[reargunner]

Alexei just rolls his eyes a bit.

"Nah, a piercing through the earlobe's way different to one through your cartilage. Doesn't hurt as much, for one." Not that the pain bothers him and he's sure Ethan will weather the sting of a needle going through his ear well enough, but there's a hell of a lot of difference.

"And an industrial needs to be lined up right, or you might as well not fucking bother."

[inthebiblicalsense]

He was only teasing, he can't imagine that Alexei would tell him go right ahead if the person they did find was more sketchy than legit in any case.

"Since it's got two different points of entry, that makes sense. You don't want it to be lopsided. Do they basically push a long needle through at the same time or do one and then the other?"

[reargunner]

"One long needle. It's gonna sting like fuck."

Said far too cheerfully for someone anticipating pain on the horizon. He taps his fingertips idly against Ethan's hip while they walk along, meandering casually between tents and between small groups of people gathered about.

"... Man, going back to that ship is gonna suck after this."

No, he still does not like the Barge.

[inthebiblicalsense]

He does somewhat agree that it will, though the routine is nice to get back to.

"You know, Thrawn was telling me that even during wartime they got leave regularly. Can you imagine that? Getting leave back home...I can't." He'd told Norton the other day he'd only felt the sun on his skin for 3 weeks in almost seven years. Its...hard to experience it and then just go back on board.

[reargunner]

A small snort.

"Come on. You think I would have got leave even if we were allowed it? Put me on the first habitable planet and I would have shot off into the sunset."

Because he was as much a prisoner with the Alliance as he was on Mars, and he's still one here.

"Wouldn't have seen me for dust."

[inthebiblicalsense]

He can't help but laugh, "I mean, that's exactly what happened. Blink of an eye and we were gone."

As fugitives, sure, but he's more confident he can get them off than he was six months ago.

"You know, It's a good thing we went together...as much as I was upset with you, I never once considered just...leaving you behind forever." Even coming here he had always planned to come back. He isn't great with words, especially sentimental ones, but he'll tilt his head so he's closer and quietly say, "you disappear and my heart would go with you."

[reargunner]

The way they'd jumped ship wasn't exactly what he meant but he lets Ethan have that one, just shaking his head a little with a faint, mildly amused smile.

"Never once, huh." He isn't sure if he entirely believes that but it doesn't mean the thought isn't nice. It's what the other man says next, though, that has him pausing mid-step and pulling Ethan to a halt with him, looking down.

"You can't say stuff like that and expect that I'm not gonna kiss you."

[inthebiblicalsense]

"I might have cut you off," read as 'tried to and failed', "but you do realize I hadn't really had any friends and I wasn't about to just let that go. Then I'd really be an idiot." That and as upset as he was, Alexei had shown remorse even if he hadn't wanted to hear it. He understands how complicated it all was.

Just about to point out that he wouldn't have been able to use the jump drive if he didn't want anything to do with him, he's stopped short. His lips part, nervously glancing from left to right before he presses them together again and closes his eyes.

"Do it then." As if not looking will make him feel any less seen, any less judged, "I want you to."

[reargunner]

"Yeah?"

He's pretty sure they're at a point now where Ethan feels like he can say no to something he doesn't want and not feel like he's going to be punished for it, so he will take the opportunity as it's given.

With festival-goers milling about in every direction and crowds clumped together having their own conversations he knows the other man is pushing himself. That he's probably nervous.

"Just stay focused on me," Alexei tells him as he pulls him closer. He pushes a hand gently into his hair, cups the back of his head, then leans down and fits their lips together in a warm kiss.

[inthebiblicalsense]

His back stiffens as he feels someone shuffle by him, brushing against his back. It's probably no one, but his fingers tighten in Alexei's shirt all the same, shifting his foot forward to get closer.

He breathes in just as Alexei kisses him, trying to clear his mind, focus like Sheehan told him, the way his body feels, each little part of it, and the rising panic settles at a low alarm.

"I'm fine," he lies back, gently patting his hand on his chest when he pulls back slightly, voice still quiet as if he's telling a secret in a crowd, "but maybe later you and I can go find some quiet spot and enjoy being planet side."

[reargunner]

Alexei isn't bothered at all by the closeness of everyone else and the potential of being Seen, but he knows that Ethan is and he doesn't have to entirely understand it to respect it. There's no complaint when he pulls back, though he does playfully nudge his forehead against his partner's when he makes that suggestion.

"A quiet spot? Sounds good to me."

But for now he'll let him go, offering his hand out to hold again.

"C'mon, let's keep looking."

[inthebiblicalsense]

That quiet spot might translate to begging to be railed in the woods, but still. A quiet spot.

"Okay." He says easily enough, glancing at that hand and hesitating a moment before taking it. It isn't that he feels better, but there is a little more courage there and he tries to keep hold of it.

[reargunner]

While they continue on their search he rubs his thumb idly against Ethan's hand, and some minutes later he finally comes to a stop.

"Over there."

He points over to a tent with a few people waiting around outside, and someone under the shade inking someone with a tattoo gun.

"Tattoo artists are usually good for piercing too, let's check it out."

[inthebiblicalsense]

It's a nice point of connection, keeping his mind just to the left of thinking about who might be glancing down to look at their linked hands, what they might be thinking.

He's a little dubious about a tattoo artist out in the open, but he supposes he shouldn't expect much different. Given what he's already seen around.

"I'll follow your lead."

[reargunner]

As long as they're practicing proper hygiene Alexei couldn't care less about where they're choosing to do things, and that's one of the things he looks out for first as they make their approach. The second thing is the clients waiting, what sorts of people they look like. There are half a dozen other small things he looks for, lingering just far enough away to not be assumed to be a customer, before he nods a little and gives Ethan's hand a tug.

"This should be fine. If anything seems weird after going in we just leave, don't worry about it."

Ethan might worry about it. Alexei isn't going to.

[inthebiblicalsense]

Ethan looks in curiously as Alexei judges the scene, trying to catch what he might be seeing that he has no clue about. The artist seems clean enough, confident, but aside from that he isn't sure what he's looking for.

It isn't the place to ask, standing in line though, following along and then waiting quietly at his side.

"You know, I asked my mom when I was twelve if I could get my ears pierced and she looked at me like I'd asked if I could dye my hair black and join a band. Absolutely horrified." He says quietly with a smile, "when did you get yours done?"

[reargunner]

"From what you've told me about your parents, I'm surprised you even asked."

Alexei doesn't look out of place at all in this line of people, though a few glances do get thrown Ethan's way and it's nothing to do with the fact they're holding hands. At least, not that they're two men holding hands.

At the question, he grins a little.

"I was fourteen. One of my friends did it."

[inthebiblicalsense]

"My mom wasn't as terrible as dad was. She just...wanted me to be perfect and never talked back to my dad." Which as a child he had never really understood, but didn't care to unpack as an adult either.

Ethan tries his best to not shift uncomfortably when he can feel the way that some looks linger, posture practically perfect, though he looks a little incredulously at Alexei, "w-what? Didn't your mom get upset? How did they do it?"