[5 Things Response] Part 1
Rating: T+, mostly for language in the Robin/Ishiah bit.
(Spoilers for Victory of Eagles)
Five Times Tharkay Wanted to Kiss Laurence But Didn't
1. It was an odd time as any to suddenly want to kiss a person, much less another man who was all over in foul smelling mud and dirt, and who, only days before, had irritated Tharkay beyond anything.
At the time it seemed so absurd to him, but before he could completely figure out why on earth he would want to, Tharkay stopped thinking all together and, with a surprising amount of trust he did not know he still processed, took Laurence’s hand with his own to shake.
2. Leaving the Prussian camp, Tharkay decided, was the best course of action he had done since the start of his blasted journey from China. Since then, he had mentally counted all his blunders and grievances, the leading explanation being that he had fallen inexplicably hard for the captain, and that he knew it. Tharkay almost wished that he remained ignorant of his feelings; it had been much easier to scorn and quietly mock Laurence prior to that night in Istanbul. Now, it was nearly impossible to see him and not feel anything but infuriating desire, and the thought of being completely smitten made Tharkay cringe when he was not, well, smitten.
To make matters worse, Laurence had actually tried to make him stay, and Tharkay wondered if it was worth the trouble to lunge forward and get it over with, or stand there, allowing Laurence to convince him, bit by bit, that-yes, someday he would return.
3. For Laurence, Tharkay had returned to Edinburgh, and it made him shamefully satisfied to see Parliament House abandoned and in near ruins. The sun had barely risen, but Tharkay could have imagined a surrounding gloom around the hated building. As restless as he was, he did not go in. Instead he found an empty home and the means to make a much needed cup of tea.
The tea was a little miracle in itself, calming and warm in his hands as he sat down against the narrow doorway to absently stare across the square. Laurence, unexpectedly, came out of the cathedral he had spent the night in. Tharkay saw him yawn hugely behind his fist, though there was hardly anyone awake to see. This struck Tharkay as an absurd time for his heart to start beating wildly, and he manage to quell it, somehow, by offering Laurence some tea.
Laurence shook his head, but went over to stand in front him, immediately blocking Tharkay’s view of Parliament House. Tharkay was sure there was a silly, overly romantic poet somewhere in the world who would be quick to take advantage of the scene, especially if the faint sunlight had to fall on Laurence like so, and tint his silhouette with a rosy orange color.
“I shouldn’t like to imagine what the ferals would do, once they are up and hungry,” Laurence was saying wearily.
“You need not worry; I am sure they will fend for themselves,” Tharkay replied, and suppressed a smile when Laurence appeared more distressed. He had a sudden and fleetingly impression of having to struggle with himself, but he fought down whatever it was and wordlessly held out his own cup of tea.
Laurence took it, and Tharkay knew, if only for a moment, he could be content with that.
4. The second time he went to say good-bye, Tharkay had prepared himself to decline any sort of request Laurence might suggest to extend his contract, or make him stay. Besides, he had already spoken with Admiral Roland, and he was to go on recruiting ferals for England posthaste; and the irony of it did not escape his notice.
All in honesty, Tharkay assumed that parting would be less troublesome than before, now that he had some vague connection to England, but when Laurence opened the door, looking mildly surprised and rumpled in an oversized nightshirt, Tharkay knew it was going to be an uphill battle from there on out.
5. “Laurence,” he said plainly, “you are a traitor,” and ignored the way Laurence seemed to flinch at his words.
And The One Time He Did
1. On the Allegiance, Laurence was quiet and thoughtfully withdrawn-- just as Tharkay assumed he would be-- though he had always welcomed Temeraire’s company, and occasionally took his meals with both Tharkay and Granby. During the evenings, Laurence would retreat back to his cell below deck and Tharkay did not know if the imprisonment was to be blamed on the guards or Laurence himself. One night, he found Laurence hidden beside Temeraire, absently reading from a French text even though the dragon was fast asleep.
“I have convinced the guards that I am not going to throw myself overboard the moment I come on deck,” Laurence explained with a rueful smile. He closed the book but did not get up. “I hope you will forgive my intrusion; I know you have been keeping Temeraire company while I was unable.”
Tharkay did not know which was more ridiculous, the relief he felt that Laurence had not been subjecting himself to self-confinement, or the fact that Laurence was apologizing for something so unreasonable, as Temeraire was obviously his. He shrugged, it had been no trouble at all and he had enjoyed holding their conversations in various languages.
“I am still struggling with French myself,” Laurence said, and looked pleasantly surprised when Tharkay laughed quietly and came to sit next to him. But, as he was kneeling down, Laurence glanced up with a look that was in equal parts blank and expectant.
Tharkay did not know which, precisely, compelled him to sit a little closer then, or made him touch Laurence lightly on the shoulder to lean forward for a wholly chastened kiss that did not justify how long Tharkay had waited to give. Yet, Laurence was smiling as they drew back and Tharkay knew that he wouldn’t have to wait any longer to try again.
Five Ways Tharkay Tried to Seduce Laurence and Failed
1. It took Tharkay longer than necessary to understand that herding ferals and participating in secret rescue missions hardly constituted as seduction. After that, he had to revise his methods considerably.
2. It wasn’t as if Laurence was unresponsive with his affection; that was hardly the problem. No matter what the time, if Tharkay tilted his head at a certain angle, Laurence would turn and happily graze his wind-chapped lips against his cheek and murmur quietly into his ear. It was all very nice, but what Tharkay really wanted, so selfishly, was to have Laurence pant and shudder against his touch, his eyes dark and heart beating quickly and fingers fumbling over his shirt buttons-
But, as always, when Laurence pressed his mouth against his for a near split second, it was Tharkay who was left breathless, heart pounding wildly, and entirely displeased as Laurence drew away with a cursedly oblivious smile, and Tharkay could not bring himself to act desperate enough to pull him back.
3. Temeraire had been oddly perceptive as of late, having taken them to a small and secluded isle and promptly leaving to hunt for fish. Tharkay always regarded the dragon as intelligent, but he had to admit that Temeraire acted with an unusual amount of quiet cleverness that was entirely out of the ordinary.
Leaning against a large outcrop of rock, Laurence commented that the Australian beaches were nothing like he had ever seen before, even in all his travels. Tharkay, however, was not as impressed; the water was clear (but so had been the water off the coast of India), and the sand was astonishingly pearly white (but the sand in Turkestan was also been very similar). The only difference Tharkay could truly appreciate was Laurence sitting beside him, a small and mischievous smile on his face as if he knew half the Australian covert would be up in arms trying to find where he and Temeraire flew off to, but didn’t give a care for it.
So, it was only natural that Tharkay was stunned to discover that Laurence had willingly went through all that trouble, only to fall asleep with his head in Tharkay’s lap until the sun had set and Temeraire came to return them to the covert.
4. Sometimes, Tharkay thought Laurence was not yet settled with the idea of having two other mutual lovers. To test this, Tharkay had forcefully pinned Granby against the wall, muffling his moans with deep, long kisses-right in front of where Laurence sat at a small table writing letters. This went on for several seconds, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Laurence stand up, giving them each a fond sort of smile. By this time, Granby had wormed his hands underneath Tharkay’s coat and shirt, briefly causing Tharkay to focus elsewhere-Granby’s damned neckcloth was tied too tightly-but when he looked up again, Laurence was already leaving, politely excusing himself to finish his letters in Temeraire’s clearing.
And then he was gone, just like that. Granby broke off their kiss with a grin. “I tell you, there’s no use being subtle with him,” he said, and used the cuff of his sleeve to wipe the corner of his mouth and licked the other side. “And I believe you owe me a bottle of Marsala,” he added, laughing, while Tharkay groaned and repeatedly thumped his head against Granby’s shoulder in frustration.
5. Tharkay realized a little too late that Laurence did not always act so gracious or noble. He had seen a glimpse of it during their stay in Istanbul, and nearly lost him in it during their campaign in England. Being ranged from the mild to the extreme, Tharkay wholly preferred Laurence’s chivalry and reserved manner above all, no matter how exasperating it could be; he was, after all, grateful (and more often smug) about his ability to keep one step ahead of Laurence, whose honorable demeanor was generally predictable, to say the least.
Though, right now, there nothing honorable about Laurence holding him down against the floor and running his teeth down Tharkay’s neck with excruciating care and patience. It went to say that Tharkay really did hate it when Laurence was not being as dignified as he should be, since all Tharkay could do was writhe and make the most humiliating and desperate noises while Laurence’s weight settled over him.
“Unfair,” he gasped, vaguely remembering that the whole night had started with Laurence under him.
“If you wish me to stop, you only need to say so,” Laurence replied, lifting his head, and would have sounded concerned if it hadn’t been for the smile that was made even more wicked by the flickering candlelight. For a moment, Tharkay thought about kicking him right then and there, but somehow he ended up with his leg hooked around Laurence’s waist, arching up until Laurence’s rough mouth was back on his neck.
And, if Laurence was any less restrained after that, Tharkay was willing to count it as a victory.
Five Ways To Get Into Ishiah's Pants (penned by Robin Goodfellow)
5. Honestly, there isn’t five ways to get that overgrown pigeon into bed. It’s why I’m starting backwards.
4. And, seriously, who would want to sleep with Ishiah anyway? He’s got no real sexual kinks, and the hate sex isn’t really all that great with him. He slams you against every fucking surface-vertical or horizontal, and I’m sure he’s invented some new dimension-growls like a dog, and bites like he’s Hades or something.
3. If that wasn’t enough, think of all the fucking feathers. Hades never had feathers.
2. Trust me, it’s not worth the effort. You can’t get him by buying flowers, or taking him on dates, or accompanying him while he shops (because his sense of fashion is as worse as his lack of sexual kinks), or even paying up your overdue tabs worth at least several thousands of dollars in alcohol. And even don’t think about trying to get Ishiah drunk. Ishiah doesn’t get drunk, he only gets pissed.
1. Really, it’s not worth the effort for you, because I’m pretty much the only way to get into Ishiah’s pants. So ay gamisou, pousties, you’re not trying anything on him.
On a somewhat related note, writing fail!Tharkay and win!Laurence with a fever was distressing. (Also funny. Very funny.)
(Spoilers for Victory of Eagles)
Five Times Tharkay Wanted to Kiss Laurence But Didn't
1. It was an odd time as any to suddenly want to kiss a person, much less another man who was all over in foul smelling mud and dirt, and who, only days before, had irritated Tharkay beyond anything.
At the time it seemed so absurd to him, but before he could completely figure out why on earth he would want to, Tharkay stopped thinking all together and, with a surprising amount of trust he did not know he still processed, took Laurence’s hand with his own to shake.
2. Leaving the Prussian camp, Tharkay decided, was the best course of action he had done since the start of his blasted journey from China. Since then, he had mentally counted all his blunders and grievances, the leading explanation being that he had fallen inexplicably hard for the captain, and that he knew it. Tharkay almost wished that he remained ignorant of his feelings; it had been much easier to scorn and quietly mock Laurence prior to that night in Istanbul. Now, it was nearly impossible to see him and not feel anything but infuriating desire, and the thought of being completely smitten made Tharkay cringe when he was not, well, smitten.
To make matters worse, Laurence had actually tried to make him stay, and Tharkay wondered if it was worth the trouble to lunge forward and get it over with, or stand there, allowing Laurence to convince him, bit by bit, that-yes, someday he would return.
3. For Laurence, Tharkay had returned to Edinburgh, and it made him shamefully satisfied to see Parliament House abandoned and in near ruins. The sun had barely risen, but Tharkay could have imagined a surrounding gloom around the hated building. As restless as he was, he did not go in. Instead he found an empty home and the means to make a much needed cup of tea.
The tea was a little miracle in itself, calming and warm in his hands as he sat down against the narrow doorway to absently stare across the square. Laurence, unexpectedly, came out of the cathedral he had spent the night in. Tharkay saw him yawn hugely behind his fist, though there was hardly anyone awake to see. This struck Tharkay as an absurd time for his heart to start beating wildly, and he manage to quell it, somehow, by offering Laurence some tea.
Laurence shook his head, but went over to stand in front him, immediately blocking Tharkay’s view of Parliament House. Tharkay was sure there was a silly, overly romantic poet somewhere in the world who would be quick to take advantage of the scene, especially if the faint sunlight had to fall on Laurence like so, and tint his silhouette with a rosy orange color.
“I shouldn’t like to imagine what the ferals would do, once they are up and hungry,” Laurence was saying wearily.
“You need not worry; I am sure they will fend for themselves,” Tharkay replied, and suppressed a smile when Laurence appeared more distressed. He had a sudden and fleetingly impression of having to struggle with himself, but he fought down whatever it was and wordlessly held out his own cup of tea.
Laurence took it, and Tharkay knew, if only for a moment, he could be content with that.
4. The second time he went to say good-bye, Tharkay had prepared himself to decline any sort of request Laurence might suggest to extend his contract, or make him stay. Besides, he had already spoken with Admiral Roland, and he was to go on recruiting ferals for England posthaste; and the irony of it did not escape his notice.
All in honesty, Tharkay assumed that parting would be less troublesome than before, now that he had some vague connection to England, but when Laurence opened the door, looking mildly surprised and rumpled in an oversized nightshirt, Tharkay knew it was going to be an uphill battle from there on out.
5. “Laurence,” he said plainly, “you are a traitor,” and ignored the way Laurence seemed to flinch at his words.
And The One Time He Did
1. On the Allegiance, Laurence was quiet and thoughtfully withdrawn-- just as Tharkay assumed he would be-- though he had always welcomed Temeraire’s company, and occasionally took his meals with both Tharkay and Granby. During the evenings, Laurence would retreat back to his cell below deck and Tharkay did not know if the imprisonment was to be blamed on the guards or Laurence himself. One night, he found Laurence hidden beside Temeraire, absently reading from a French text even though the dragon was fast asleep.
“I have convinced the guards that I am not going to throw myself overboard the moment I come on deck,” Laurence explained with a rueful smile. He closed the book but did not get up. “I hope you will forgive my intrusion; I know you have been keeping Temeraire company while I was unable.”
Tharkay did not know which was more ridiculous, the relief he felt that Laurence had not been subjecting himself to self-confinement, or the fact that Laurence was apologizing for something so unreasonable, as Temeraire was obviously his. He shrugged, it had been no trouble at all and he had enjoyed holding their conversations in various languages.
“I am still struggling with French myself,” Laurence said, and looked pleasantly surprised when Tharkay laughed quietly and came to sit next to him. But, as he was kneeling down, Laurence glanced up with a look that was in equal parts blank and expectant.
Tharkay did not know which, precisely, compelled him to sit a little closer then, or made him touch Laurence lightly on the shoulder to lean forward for a wholly chastened kiss that did not justify how long Tharkay had waited to give. Yet, Laurence was smiling as they drew back and Tharkay knew that he wouldn’t have to wait any longer to try again.
Five Ways Tharkay Tried to Seduce Laurence and Failed
1. It took Tharkay longer than necessary to understand that herding ferals and participating in secret rescue missions hardly constituted as seduction. After that, he had to revise his methods considerably.
2. It wasn’t as if Laurence was unresponsive with his affection; that was hardly the problem. No matter what the time, if Tharkay tilted his head at a certain angle, Laurence would turn and happily graze his wind-chapped lips against his cheek and murmur quietly into his ear. It was all very nice, but what Tharkay really wanted, so selfishly, was to have Laurence pant and shudder against his touch, his eyes dark and heart beating quickly and fingers fumbling over his shirt buttons-
But, as always, when Laurence pressed his mouth against his for a near split second, it was Tharkay who was left breathless, heart pounding wildly, and entirely displeased as Laurence drew away with a cursedly oblivious smile, and Tharkay could not bring himself to act desperate enough to pull him back.
3. Temeraire had been oddly perceptive as of late, having taken them to a small and secluded isle and promptly leaving to hunt for fish. Tharkay always regarded the dragon as intelligent, but he had to admit that Temeraire acted with an unusual amount of quiet cleverness that was entirely out of the ordinary.
Leaning against a large outcrop of rock, Laurence commented that the Australian beaches were nothing like he had ever seen before, even in all his travels. Tharkay, however, was not as impressed; the water was clear (but so had been the water off the coast of India), and the sand was astonishingly pearly white (but the sand in Turkestan was also been very similar). The only difference Tharkay could truly appreciate was Laurence sitting beside him, a small and mischievous smile on his face as if he knew half the Australian covert would be up in arms trying to find where he and Temeraire flew off to, but didn’t give a care for it.
So, it was only natural that Tharkay was stunned to discover that Laurence had willingly went through all that trouble, only to fall asleep with his head in Tharkay’s lap until the sun had set and Temeraire came to return them to the covert.
4. Sometimes, Tharkay thought Laurence was not yet settled with the idea of having two other mutual lovers. To test this, Tharkay had forcefully pinned Granby against the wall, muffling his moans with deep, long kisses-right in front of where Laurence sat at a small table writing letters. This went on for several seconds, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Laurence stand up, giving them each a fond sort of smile. By this time, Granby had wormed his hands underneath Tharkay’s coat and shirt, briefly causing Tharkay to focus elsewhere-Granby’s damned neckcloth was tied too tightly-but when he looked up again, Laurence was already leaving, politely excusing himself to finish his letters in Temeraire’s clearing.
And then he was gone, just like that. Granby broke off their kiss with a grin. “I tell you, there’s no use being subtle with him,” he said, and used the cuff of his sleeve to wipe the corner of his mouth and licked the other side. “And I believe you owe me a bottle of Marsala,” he added, laughing, while Tharkay groaned and repeatedly thumped his head against Granby’s shoulder in frustration.
5. Tharkay realized a little too late that Laurence did not always act so gracious or noble. He had seen a glimpse of it during their stay in Istanbul, and nearly lost him in it during their campaign in England. Being ranged from the mild to the extreme, Tharkay wholly preferred Laurence’s chivalry and reserved manner above all, no matter how exasperating it could be; he was, after all, grateful (and more often smug) about his ability to keep one step ahead of Laurence, whose honorable demeanor was generally predictable, to say the least.
Though, right now, there nothing honorable about Laurence holding him down against the floor and running his teeth down Tharkay’s neck with excruciating care and patience. It went to say that Tharkay really did hate it when Laurence was not being as dignified as he should be, since all Tharkay could do was writhe and make the most humiliating and desperate noises while Laurence’s weight settled over him.
“Unfair,” he gasped, vaguely remembering that the whole night had started with Laurence under him.
“If you wish me to stop, you only need to say so,” Laurence replied, lifting his head, and would have sounded concerned if it hadn’t been for the smile that was made even more wicked by the flickering candlelight. For a moment, Tharkay thought about kicking him right then and there, but somehow he ended up with his leg hooked around Laurence’s waist, arching up until Laurence’s rough mouth was back on his neck.
And, if Laurence was any less restrained after that, Tharkay was willing to count it as a victory.
Five Ways To Get Into Ishiah's Pants (penned by Robin Goodfellow)
5. Honestly, there isn’t five ways to get that overgrown pigeon into bed. It’s why I’m starting backwards.
4. And, seriously, who would want to sleep with Ishiah anyway? He’s got no real sexual kinks, and the hate sex isn’t really all that great with him. He slams you against every fucking surface-vertical or horizontal, and I’m sure he’s invented some new dimension-growls like a dog, and bites like he’s Hades or something.
3. If that wasn’t enough, think of all the fucking feathers. Hades never had feathers.
2. Trust me, it’s not worth the effort. You can’t get him by buying flowers, or taking him on dates, or accompanying him while he shops (because his sense of fashion is as worse as his lack of sexual kinks), or even paying up your overdue tabs worth at least several thousands of dollars in alcohol. And even don’t think about trying to get Ishiah drunk. Ishiah doesn’t get drunk, he only gets pissed.
1. Really, it’s not worth the effort for you, because I’m pretty much the only way to get into Ishiah’s pants. So ay gamisou, pousties, you’re not trying anything on him.
On a somewhat related note, writing fail!Tharkay and win!Laurence with a fever was distressing. (Also funny. Very funny.)