(Untitled)

[mrmoneypenny]

Reading, on the couch, is one of Villiers' favourite activities.

Even more so, now, that he has the perfect cuddlepartner when doing so.

"Ode 22," he reads. And smiles.

A kiss, to the top of Imriel's head. "Quite befitting of you, I must say."

And he reads:

"Integer vitae scelerisque purus

Comments

[mrmoneypenny]

It's so nice to have a partner that can appreciate poetry.

And there, a little collection of poems in a worn book, right next to Blake's little set. He flips through it quickly as he returns, and perches at Imriel's feet.

"La Belle Dame Sans Merci, by John Keats."

A little flourish, and he begins.

"Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done.

I see a lily on thy brow,
With anguish moist and fever-dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.

I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.

I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery's song.

She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said -
'I love thee true'.

She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.

And there she lulled me asleep
And there I dreamed - Ah! woe betide! -
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hill side.

I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried - 'La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!'

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side.

And this is why I sojourn here
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing."

[broodingbacchus]

His face moves smoothly from amusement to appreciation to recognition to oh hell no.

By the time Villiers' voice fades off he's regained his composure, and simply raises his eyebrows.

"Thrall?"

[mrmoneypenny]

He nods, just a touch grimly.

"Thrall."

Then, pulling Imriel close, a kiss.

"But, you're here. Which is a comfort, to say the least."

...actually, maybe he wouldn't sleep with her if he had the chance. Maybe angel's blood gives you some kind of advantage.

[broodingbacchus]

Angel's blood, no.

Experience, on the other hand...

Imriel rubs his face and sighs.

"I thought," he murmurs wryly, "I'd done with that sort of thing back in Tiberium."

[mrmoneypenny]

"Beauty does have a price, sometimes," he says wistfully, one finger tracing the fine lines of nose and cheek and chin.

"Including seductresses, and apparently, the fae."

Which is...interesting. But he's here, and not enslaved by some siren. Which is good.

"At least you got a good lay, and managed to escape, hm?"

Getting juuuuust a bit worried, now, as the message of the poem sinks in. It's been a while since he read it. He didn't quite know the full...potential La Belle Dame Sans Merci had.

Maybe he should educate Imriel in potentially dangerous people...

[broodingbacchus]

"I can't say," says Imriel slowly, "that escaped is the word."

Irritable frown.

"Name of Elua, can I once sleep with a woman who's neither being paid for it nor out to use me for something?"

[mrmoneypenny]

Imriel, darling, you get headpets and a Villiers curling over you.

"Well, one more reason to sleep with men," he murmurs quietly. Even if women are soft and curved and gentle and beautiful in ways that men can never really be.

A kiss, and he settles his head against Imri's chest.

[broodingbacchus]

Beautiful in ways that men can never be?

Open your eyes, Villiers, and have a look at who you're cuddling with.

Yeah. Thought so.

Imriel grins wryly, says absolutely nothing about the little voice at the back of his mind whispering but surely there's nothing wrong with the lady, and ignores it in favour of kissing Villiers' temple. Because he can, that's why.

[mrmoneypenny]

Ok, point.

Snuggle.

Then, a little sigh.

"As a general rule, Imri, avoid the fae. They love beautiful mortals, and enjoy enchanting them."

There was a time that he didn't believe in this stuff.

That was a time before Milliways.

[broodingbacchus]

Dryly: "I'll keep it in mind."

[mrmoneypenny]

"You'd better," he says mock-severely. Then his tone gentles. "I'd hate to lose you."

Soft kiss, tight hold, cuddlesnuggle, ♥.

[broodingbacchus]

Quietly, almost inaudibly so: "I'd hate to be lost."

Cuddle cuddle snuggle nuzzle sigh.

[mrmoneypenny]

Airily, lovingly, seriously, worriedly: "Then don't."

He takes another deep breath. Earthy. Sure, sex outside, but also: fae.

A sigh.

[broodingbacchus]

"I'll do my best, love."

Mmmmmmcuddle.

[mrmoneypenny]

Maybe he could help take his mind off things. For a time, at least.

Which is why Imriel gets pulled down for a long, deep kiss.

[broodingbacchus]

Oh hell yes.

♥