MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Going To The ChapelsharpestscalpelNovember 8 2011, 16:55:28 UTC
Erik restrained himself from rolling his eyes. Rolling his eyes was too juvenile, really. "If everyone really wants to stand around and talk about how I deflowered Charles, we can certainly do that. But, really, I hate to kiss and tell." Actually, Erik had never minded sharing details in the past. It was just that he didn't think Charles would appreciate it if he told everyone how wide Charles's eyes had been, how raspy his voice, how shaky his legs when they had finished. And, well, it just seemed kind of personal. And also it would probably be unfair if he killed them after telling them about it because no one was going to know how soft and happy Charles's mouth was after orgasm but Erik, thank you all very much.
He was, admittedly, a tad possessive. He'd have to work on that.
Frost was not a popular figure inside Shaw's kingdom - he took that back. She was a popular figure because the woman really was quite attractive. But she was as dangerous as any other sorceror - the pretty face and fantastic boobs had fooled many enemies in the past.
Was he still allowed to think that about her boobs? Erik would discuss that with Charles later.
***
Emma did roll her eyes, juvenile or not. Shaw's favorite was a rangy thing, all legs and cheekbones. He was as opposite as could be when compared to Charles - if there was a poster boy for sunshine and rainbows (and unicorns) that kid was it.
Though, really, she ought not think of him as a child anymore; Charles was more than old enough to have contacted her through his sister, after all, in a bid to win her aid. He had a knack for finding unexpected allies, Charles did. Emma didn't know of anyone else who had ever been given the horn of a unicorn, after all.
And he'd promised to give it to her after using it to kill Shaw, in exchange for her help. Emma wasn't entirely sure what she would do with a unicorn horn but it was certainly a powerful enough talisman that she wanted it. However, Emma would have helped to overthrow Shaw anyway. He'd treated her so poorly when they had been betrothed. She was not pining after him; she simply wanted to make sure the entirety of both kingdoms knew: no one left Emma Frost, Sorceress-Regnant at the alter.
MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Emma Is A TrollsharpestscalpelNovember 9 2011, 01:40:05 UTC
(I tried to come up with a more profound title for this section but ... yeah.)
Charles hadn't actually expected anything about being locked in a cage to be pleasant. So mealtime was a surprise.
Shaw was off doing whatever evil sorcerers did during their downtime (besides bathers) and so Charles didn't bother paying attention to the food server and the two guards that came with him, until said server was up the ladder and handing him a tray through the bars.
"Dude, so I heard you finally got your V-card punched. High five!" Sean pushed his hand through the bars and held it vertically, palm flat.
Charles just goggled. "You -- How -- What are you doing here, Sean?!" This was dangerous. Shaw could have any number of ways to monitor his own chambers, not to mention the guards below. Charles had few enough friends at court that he didn't want to lose one.
Sean blinked. "We came to bust you out, duh." He nods his head down at the guards, who are actually Darwin and Alex, two more young lords of Shaw's court and friends of Sean and Charles.
Charles shook his head. "No, it's too danger--" but Sean cut him off, looking uncharacteristically serious.
"No, you've been telling us that it's too dangerous to act for months, and you've been all noble and sacrificial and stuff to buy time. We are done waiting! We are getting you out of here, and then we are leaving." Sean produced a key.
*****
The boys had planned the escape well, taking the back ways down to the stables and stealing the four horses loaded down with supplies that had been waiting for them -- the work of another accomplice, Charles was told.
It wasn't until they were safely down the road aways (after having laid several false trails) that Charles dared to ask, "Where are we going?"
Charles was utterly relieved Raven had gotten out already, and felt ashamed for not asking after her earlier. (You were too busy pretending you don't want to ask about someone else).
*****
Negotiations were going quite well, actually, after Emma had mentally adjusted to the idea that Erik wouldn't be quietly assassinated during or after the uprising against Shaw. The original plan called for a new ruler for the neighboring kingdom that Emma would consider doing business with, and as Shaw's favorite, Erik had not been under consideration.
Now, well, after hearing what had transpired, Emma had concluded that A) Erik would be more trouble to kill than was worthwhile and B) Should she actually succeed in killing Erik, Charles, who knew how to play a long game and was much more devious than others gave him credit for, would find a way to make her really, really regret it.
Emma is pretty damn sure she knows which person, or which two people, would be ruling Shaw's kingdom after he was taken care of.
That didn't mean she couldn't have some fun, though.
"I have just one more condition to assure your good faith," Emma says in her loftiest tones. "To strengthen ties between our two kingdoms, I propose a marriage alliance between Charles and my cousin, the Lady Moira."
Emma sits back in her saddle and waits for the fireworks to start.
MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: It's Still True That Emma Is A TrollsharpestscalpelNovember 9 2011, 03:23:48 UTC
She didn't have long to wait. Erik raised a single eyebrow. Which was soon joined by a second raised eyebrow. And then all the trappings and draperies and livery on the horses and surrounding soldiers started to rattle and flutter, as though a dire wind were on the rise.
"The Lady Moira. I'm sure she's lovely." Erik's words were fair but his teeth were gritted together, a grimace trying to be a smile. "But Charles will not marry her." He coughed. "We don't believe in arranged marriages in our kingdom.
That was not entirely accurate. Shaw married off princes and princesses right and left, to anyone who struck his fancy. Erik did not believe in arranged marriages unless he got to arrange for Charles to marry him. Which struck him as entirely premature. Not that he wasn't willing to marry Charles. Just... they hadn't even had more than one occasion on which to kiss.
And it was probable that Charles would want to be consulted before Erik declared himself his betrothed anyway.
"Moira is beautiful. Dark hair and tawny skin and a lovely pink mouth. I think she'd be just Charles's type." Emma was not entirely sure how she kept a straight face. Moira and Erik could not be more similar in some ways - but they were not physically alike. "And if you're going to hold the kingdom, you're going to have to learn to compromise and negotiate. Arranged marriages are just part of politics."
"The wind picked up.
"And who are you going to marry?" Erik tasted blood where he'd bitten his cheek too hard.
MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Trolling Trolling Trolling, Keep Those Wagons TrollingsharpestscalpelNovember 9 2011, 21:37:48 UTC
"Well." Emma tapped a finger to the her lips, pretended to think. "Since you've rejected my first suggested alliance ... I suppose I could offer my hand in marriage to you. Unite our kingdoms, etcetera."
A bolt of lightning came out of the clear blue sky, striking right next to Emma. Emma to her credit, did not flinch. (And no one had to know that she'd quietly strengthened her personal shields and was keeping a magical death grip on her mount, to keep it from bolting.)
"No." said Erik in a soft, deadly tone. "Thank you." he spit out after Raven elbowed him (brave girl).
Emma sighed, pretending resignation. "No? Very well then. Here are the weapons, supplies and mounts, as promised." She waved forward two members of her entourage, who led a string of well-laden horses over to Erik.
"My representatives will be going with you, to assist as needed. Full ambassadorial privileges, the whole deal." said Emma, waving her hand imperiously. "Once you've taken care of your little domestic problem, send an ambassador back and we'll hammer out some trade agreements."
Erik's group quickly saddled up, and rode off. Emma gave a cheeky little wave and yelled "Have fun storming the castle!" Emma privately thought it would take a miracle to work, but she had faith in Charles' ability (or possibly Erik's) to produce a miracle.
Emma waited until their party had left, and were well without of earshot, and then laughed herself sick.
*****
Erik rode hard and fast to work off some of the rage he felt, so it was a couple hours into their journey before he felt the need to ask about these two strangers Frost had foisted on him.
He slowed down enough to ride in step with Frost's first representative, a woman with dark hair ... and tawny skin ... and pink lips ...
Frost wouldn't have -- what was he thinking, of course she would have.
Erik sighed. Best get this over with. "Lady Moira, I presume?" Erik made a mental note to figure who in his court pissed off Frost the most, and to appoint them ambassador to her court.
The woman blinked. "No. The name's Angel. And if you want to get technical about it, yes there's a 'lady' in front of it, but I don't usually use it in my line of work."
"Which is?"
"Waste removal."
Erik wondered why Frost thought he needed a sanitation engineer; Shaw was evil but he also liked his comforts, and the castle aqueducts were the best to be found within ten kingdoms. And with all that black leather, Angel couldn't possibly crawl around in ducts without it getting filthy ---oh.
Right. Assassin.
Erik and Angel spent a good half hour comparing techniques, and Erik found himself actually enjoying the conversation. (Angel even had a good recipe for cooking a human heart --"I had this one client, there was a thing with her stepdaughter and a forest and a mirror, anyway raw heart doesn't keep well for travel, and she wanted the proof.")
Finally Erik excused himself, thinking he should introduce himself to the other representative, who was currently deep in conversation with Raven.
Raven looked up and grinned. Erik felt faintly unsettled without knowing why.
"Erik!" Raven said just a shade too sweetly. "Come meet my friend, the Lady Moira."
"Hello," said Moira, her pink lips twisted into a cheeky little grin. "Raven's told me so much about you."
MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Moira? Also A Troll.sharpestscalpelNovember 10 2011, 01:02:31 UTC
To be fair, Erik hadn't said anything unflattering about the Lady Moira. Just that Charles would not be marrying her. He suspected that Raven had not done him the same courtesy in the midst of her gossip.
"Odds are good that everything she has told you about me is true in some fashion or another." Erik smiled with too many teeth. "And I'm sure you're a wonderful person."
It was just that he had no intention of giving Charles up to anyone.
Erik's smile was not particularly friendly; Moira's smile was equal to it. "If you'd just asked Charles if you could tie him up, he probably would have said yes. Did you really need to murder that which was pure and innocent in your pursuit of sexual gratification?"
The blush started at his ears and spread down his neck. He was going to have to check Shaw's library to see if there was some sort of memory alteration ritual. Because he was never going to live that down.
Raven giggled. "To give him some credit, Charles caught an eyeful and seemed quite impressed."
That was just-- "He didn't get an eyeful, I'm far more careful about where I point than..." Erik trailed off. Oh. "You meant metaphorically." His ears felt like they were burning.
Raven and Moira doubled over the necks of their horses, held on to their reins so they didn't fall off their horses from the force of their laughter. Erik, with quite perfect posture, slowed down to go ride with Angel some more.
MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Let's Talk About Sex, Baby, Let's Talk About You and MesharpestscalpelNovember 10 2011, 18:02:28 UTC
It wasn't that Charles wasn't grateful for the rescue. It's just that staying in Shaw's cage might have almost been preferable to all the questions and leading statements and innuendoes (in your endo, Alex had said, sweet Father Sunlight) that the boys were bombarding him with. Now that they were a bit down the road and less concerned about immediate pursuit, Darwin and Alex and Sean all wanted details.
And when Charles refused to give them, they'd started speculating. Very loudly. In graphic detail.
It was, it was private, between him and Erik. No one needed to know how good Erik had tasted, or felt, or how hot and eager his mouth had been around Charles' cock. Charles was feeling a bit more optimistic about his chances of having an opportunity to do it again with Erik, provided Erik forgave him for the whole kneeing him in the face thing. Of course Charles had forgiven Erik for the whole slaughtering unicorns thing, and objectively that was much worse.
So, more blowjobs. And maybe some other things. (He was absolutely not taking notes based on the lewd suggestions Darwin, Alex and Sean kept making. Not at all.)
"-- So did he even free you from the slab, or just leave you chained up while you two got busy?" asked Darwin.
Charles pretended to ignore the question, but thought, Oooh, maybe we could try that.
MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Reunited and It Feels So GoodsharpestscalpelNovember 10 2011, 21:47:36 UTC
Why was Emma's kindgom so large? So long, if not wide? She was a size queen, obviously (literally). Erik shifted in the saddle, bored and impatient. He was definitely going to have words with Azazel about how far into enemy territory the transportation mage had dropped him. He owed Erik big time, after all, for introducing him to Prince Janos. Janos had such pretty hair - Erik could have had fun with that.
Not that he was interested now (Charles had very pretty hair, too). Azazel was welcome to Janos. But that didn't negate favors done in the past.
He shifted again, but then froze, stopped his horse and made eye contact with Angel who had done the same thing. More riders, traveling fast but also carelessly - not bandits then but one could never be too careful.
Raven and the Lady Moira walked their horses off the road at Angel's hand signal; Erik noted all of it in case he needed to do the same in the future. He and Angel stationed themselves at either side of the road, ready to let peaceful travellers pass or attack the rear of hostile forces.
He certainly wasn't expecting to recognize the voice that reached their ears before the riders came into view.
"Sean, how many times do I have to tell you that I am not going to tell you? I'd really rather like to have sex with him again, after all."
Oh, Charles.
Wait. Charles. Charles was... Erik spurred his mount toward the riders. If it was a trap, so be it. It was Charles. Angel, Raven, and even Moira were close on his horse's heels. Hooves. Whatever. They bore down on the four riders at full speed.
***
"Ow." Erik planned to glare at the red-headed man who had hit him in the nose once he could open his eyes. Erik could, begrudgingly, appreciate that (wasn't he a food attendant in Shaw's quarters? Shawn or Shane or something like that?) the man had panicked. Maybe Erik should not have rushed up on them like that. But really, why did it have to be his nose again?
"Oh, Raven, Raven, I'm so glad we found you!" Charles's voice pries Erik's eyes open where his anger at being hit (once again, again unfairly) had not succeeded. Charles and his sister flung themselves off of their horses and embraced. It was, Erik was quite sure, very touching. He kind of wanted to throw up.
Raven snuffled and buried her face against Charles's chest - a feat, Erik thought, because she was actually taller than her brother. "I was so worried, Charles!" She straightened, looked her brother over as though assuring herself he was all in one piece. "And then I found Erik in the middle of Emma's kingdom and I didn't know--"
***
"Erik?" Charles finally looked at the other riders - the unfamiliar horses had been coming so quickly and Charles had never been in any sort of a fight before, much less a battle on horseback. Alex and Darwin had leapt forward to defend him and even Sean and swung wildly with his fists. And it had all been over so quickly that Charles had only had eyes for Raven.
"Oh, Father Sunlight, Erik!" Charles wrenched himself out of Raven's embrace (she was lovely, but she was his sister and he wasn't a child after all, to be clinging to his sister. He rushed and stumbled and - maybe he should act more reserved - stopped in front of Erik instead of flinging himself up onto the man's horse and into his arms. "Um. Hi."
"Hello." Erik's voice was cool and slightly distant, as though they were meeting in Shaw's royal banquet hall instead of on the road to Shaw's kingdom. Charles had the sudden chilling feeling that he had made a terrible mistake. Erik didn't feel the same, obviously. Erik had just been doing him a favor. Not even a pity fuck, really, they hadn't had time for that. Charles's face flamed with the shame of it.
But he could not turn away from Erik's sea glass eyes. And maybe he was not entirely mistaken after all because Erik looked back at him, Erik kept looking.
"No eye fucking in front of your sister, Charles!" Raven laughed followed him and pulled Charles back in for another relieved hug.
MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Poker FacesharpestscalpelNovember 11 2011, 03:16:52 UTC
"Are people's fists just magnetically attracted to your nose?" grumbled Hank as he set Erik's nose for the third time, and gave him more painkilling potion.
Erik was beginning to wonder that himself. But mostly he wanted Hank to hurry up and finish so Erik could talk to Charles, who had quietly slipped off when Hank had accosted Erik and started physician-ing at him.
*****
Raven was so relieved Charles was okay, and then she was caught up in introducing him to Moira and Angel. So it took a while before she realized something else was bothering him.
"So what else is bothering you, Charles?" she said, and his head snapped up in surprise. "Don't try to pretend there's nothing."
Charles bit his lip. "It's just ... Erik, he seemed rather, well, distant. Like he didn't care." Charles cast his eyes downward.
Raven just stared at him, wondering how he'd missed Erik riding like a bat out of Mother Night's domain to get to him. But then she thought back and recalled, yes, Erik's greeting had been a bit cool, and what was that about? Pride? Dignity? Did he really even need those things? Men.
Raven thought about telling Charles about how Erik had faced down Sorceress-Regnant Emma Frost and refused to let Charles marry Lady Moira (or anyone but Erik, Raven suspected), but as she opened her mouth, Moira, who had been standing in earshot, put a hand on her arm.
Raven looked at her, and Moira shook her head. Then she canted her head back toward Erik, and smirked.
Raven shut her mouth. She didn't know exactly what Moira had planned, but it was bound to be good. And so Raven got a front row seat as Moira started quietly, smoothly, politely, flirting with Charles. Nothing blatant, nothing that could not be explained away as "being friendly" or "establishing good diplomatic relations."
By the time they set up camp that night, the better to figure out their next move, Erik was redfaced and seething, Raven, Moira and Angel were hard-pressed to keep from exploding into gales of laughter, and Charles was still oblivious. Darwin had apparently caught on as well, if his smirks were any indication, but Hank, Alex and Sean were still in the dark.
MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Emo Erik Is Emo (1/2)sharpestscalpelNovember 13 2011, 20:49:40 UTC
His pants were too tight. And something had bitten him so his leg itched. And Alex had ruined their dinner - the meat was overcooked and the rice was undercooked. Even his tent was drafty and cold. Erik stuffed his legs back into his pants and stomped back outside, in the hopes that Mother Night would provide some comfort.
Nothing had gone as he had hoped. Charles had stayed close by Raven, surrounded by the flirtatious Lady Moira and by his friends from the palace. Of course someone like Charles would find friends even in a place like Shaw’s palace. Erik sighed. There was no reason to think Charles felt the same way about Erik as Erik did about Charles - it had been nothing but fantasy. He had done Charles a favor, that was all. Charles had needed to lose his virginity and Erik… Erik had been convenient.
And, really, it made sense. It made perfect sense. Erik was, as people kept pointing out to him, Shaw’s right hand - though that had certainly changed, thanks to Charles. Erik was a dark mage. Erik was a vile corruptor and perpetrator of evil deeds. Erik slept around a lot.
Charles… Charles had been so pure of heart and body that unicorns still sought him out. He was cheerful and bright and optimistic. He was thoughtful and kind. He was considerate; he had kneed Erik in the face and broken his nose but, even so, he’d made sure Erik had gotten off.
Erik wasn’t nearly suitable as a partner for that sort of prince. No, they would overthrow Shaw and then Charles would probably marry the Lady Moira. And they could rule Shaw’s kingdom. Erik would… Erik had no idea what he’d do but he supposed he could figure that out later. He certainly couldn’t stick around and watch Charles and Moira smile at each other.
He did, in fact, it would appear, have a heart. And he was fairly certain that it belonged to Charles, who didn’t want it. Erik slumped down on a cold rock at the edge of camp. He should patrol or something if he wasn’t going to sleep - if he couldn’t sleep, that was. He’d sleep if he had the choice. If he’d had the choice, he’d have finished what he and Charles had started - and then they would both be sleeping, keeping each other warm. He heaved a sigh.
“You do realize you’ve just alerted any potential spies to your exact location, right?” Angel appeared from the shadow of another rock. Her black leather garments did not even creak - she was very devoted to oiling them properly.
“Well, you’ve just confirmed your location as well,” Erik pointed out. There was not, in all honestly, much danger while they were still inside Emma’s kingdom. But it was always good to stay in practice.
She shoved him over, made him make room for him on the rock. “I think your existential angst is enough to cloak me from common view.” Erik shrugged and Angel made a face that was still easy to interpret in the night: disdain. “Why are you moping instead of initiating your boyfriend into the delights of whatever people in your kingdom euphemistically call sex?”
MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Emo Erik Is Emo (2/2)sharpestscalpelNovember 13 2011, 20:49:58 UTC
Erik slumped even further down. “He is not my boyfriend. I may have been overconfident in that regard.” Surely he was allowed to feel a little sorry for himself about that. Angel’s peal of laughter - which would totally draw enemy fire if he were the one spying on a camp in the middle of the night - made him frown with more energy.
“Have you even spoken to Charles since your little charge of the Mother Night brigade?” She was still laughing.
It caught him off guard. “I… didn’t think he’d be interested in talking to me.” Erik was not often unsure. It probably meant something that pretty much every time he was unsure, it involved Charles.
Angel rolled her eyes and stood up. “I’m going back to my shadow. You should see if Mother Night has visited anyone else with insomnia tonight.” She muttered something he could not quite make out, about the foolishness of dark mages. And then Angel disappeared.
Part of being a dark mage was believing in things that ought not be. Erik considered Angel’s words - it was possible the Lady Moira was just a bad person, after all. In which case he might get on very well with her. And if she did not have serious intentions toward Charles… And even if she did, well, maybe Charles did not actually return her intentions. After all, Charles was far too polite to be rude to anyone, really. And he’d run up to Erik like he was glad to see him. And when they’d first heard the group, Charles had been saying he wanted to have sex with Erik again - at least, Erik hoped that he was the person Charles had been talking about.
He stood up - Charles’s tent was right around the other side of the camp.
***
Nothing was comfortable. Charles thought, not for the first time, that he might have been better off in Shaw’s bird cage. At least he’d been warm and fed and his heart had not been entirely broken. Charles sniffled then rubbed his face. Stupid dark mages with their stupid inability to commit.
There was a rustling outside his tent. He didn’t think Angel (and she was a little impressive and scary, wasn’t she? She and Erik had gotten along famously, hadn’t they? Charles sniffed again.) would have allowed any wild animals into the camp. “Raven, if that’s you, go away. I’m tired.”
“If you are so tired, why aren’t you sleeping?” Erik dared to nudge open the tent flap. Charles was reclining on a bed that looked far more comfortable than Erik’s own - that hardly seemed fair. It also wasn’t fair just how good rumpled and sleepy looked on the other prince - hair going in all directions, slouchy too-big sleep tunic. Though he also looked unhappy. Erik felt an absurd surge of guilt.
Charles rubbed at the goosebumps that shivered up his arms - oh, Erik’s voice. (Erik’s stupid voice, he meant.) His eyes went wide as Erik slipped all the way into the tent. The other man’s borrowed pants were snug and form-fitting and, really, Charles ought to be paying attention to other things but…
“I couldn’t sleep - I took a walk and it made me think of you.” Erik smiled, just a little - just enough to send Charles’s heart into his throat and blood… other places. “I thought since I was thinking of you that I should find you.”
That was promising. It was promising that Erik was thinking of him, right? Charles had no adequate response.
MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Feelings Are Boring, Kissing Is AwesomesharpestscalpelNovember 14 2011, 09:48:04 UTC
(We're having fun tag teaming on this, but is anyone besides us even reading this? Lack of comments seems to indicate no)
Charles wasn't saying anything. He just kept looking at Erik with those blue, blue eyes, sad and forlorn.
"This is practically the first time you've talked to me since we met up," said Charles. "Why?"
Erik's mouth twisted bitterly. "You were a little busy. With Lady Moira."
Charles glared at him. "She's nice. I liked talking to her." He looked away. "I bet she wouldn't have given me a pity fuck," Charles murmured too low for most human ears.
Unfortunately, Charles' had forgotten the whole "Erik is a dark mage" thing, which included enhanced senses.
"Pity?" Erik snarled. "Pity?! Does this feel like pity to you?" He moves like a viper, and Charles is pinned to the floor of the tent, Erik covering Charles' entire body with his own.
"You stupid -- infuriating -- frustrating -- you've been driving me crazy for months --" gasps out Erik between kisses. "Every time, every time you were on that altar, chained down and spread out, like a gift just for me, I just wanted to --" Erik sobs, and it's like a benediction. "You're amazing, perfect, pure and good, you could have anyone, anyone, and probably the only reason I had a shot was because it was convenient, and you think that I gave you a pity fuck?"
Erik seemed to regain his senses, and tried to roll away from Charles, but Charles was having none of it. Charles wrapped his legs around Erik and pulled him back down for more kisses, trying to convey without words, I want you, I want you, be mine, please stay, never leave me again.
Re: MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Feelings Are Boring, Kissing Is AwesomesharpestscalpelNovember 14 2011, 09:58:29 UTC
I'm reading it, and loving it (yes boys, stop with the emo and get it on already!! which I see we may be leading up to unless something else dramatic interrupts again so yay!), just too lazy to comment! (even though nothing makes me happier than to *get* comments, hmmm) Seems like things have slowed down quite a bit around here overall recently - perhaps due to Nano?
Re: MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Feelings Are Boring, Kissing Is AwesomeascoolsuchasiNovember 14 2011, 17:26:41 UTC
don't you two dare stop. i'm still reading and i just can't remember to comment on half the things i find fantastic here and i'm bad for it but never mind that, JUST KEEP WRITING.
Re: MINIFILL CONTINUED MOAR: Feelings Are Boring, Kissing Is AwesomesharpestscalpelNovember 14 2011, 21:07:08 UTC
I'm reading this! I just haven't been commenting 'cause I didn't want to disrupt the flow you two had going on! Please keep going! The both of you make me giggle and brighten up my day!
He was, admittedly, a tad possessive. He'd have to work on that.
Frost was not a popular figure inside Shaw's kingdom - he took that back. She was a popular figure because the woman really was quite attractive. But she was as dangerous as any other sorceror - the pretty face and fantastic boobs had fooled many enemies in the past.
Was he still allowed to think that about her boobs? Erik would discuss that with Charles later.
***
Emma did roll her eyes, juvenile or not. Shaw's favorite was a rangy thing, all legs and cheekbones. He was as opposite as could be when compared to Charles - if there was a poster boy for sunshine and rainbows (and unicorns) that kid was it.
Though, really, she ought not think of him as a child anymore; Charles was more than old enough to have contacted her through his sister, after all, in a bid to win her aid. He had a knack for finding unexpected allies, Charles did. Emma didn't know of anyone else who had ever been given the horn of a unicorn, after all.
And he'd promised to give it to her after using it to kill Shaw, in exchange for her help. Emma wasn't entirely sure what she would do with a unicorn horn but it was certainly a powerful enough talisman that she wanted it. However, Emma would have helped to overthrow Shaw anyway. He'd treated her so poorly when they had been betrothed. She was not pining after him; she simply wanted to make sure the entirety of both kingdoms knew: no one left Emma Frost, Sorceress-Regnant at the alter.
Reply
Charles hadn't actually expected anything about being locked in a cage to be pleasant. So mealtime was a surprise.
Shaw was off doing whatever evil sorcerers did during their downtime (besides bathers) and so Charles didn't bother paying attention to the food server and the two guards that came with him, until said server was up the ladder and handing him a tray through the bars.
"Dude, so I heard you finally got your V-card punched. High five!" Sean pushed his hand through the bars and held it vertically, palm flat.
Charles just goggled. "You -- How -- What are you doing here, Sean?!" This was dangerous. Shaw could have any number of ways to monitor his own chambers, not to mention the guards below. Charles had few enough friends at court that he didn't want to lose one.
Sean blinked. "We came to bust you out, duh." He nods his head down at the guards, who are actually Darwin and Alex, two more young lords of Shaw's court and friends of Sean and Charles.
Charles shook his head. "No, it's too danger--" but Sean cut him off, looking uncharacteristically serious.
"No, you've been telling us that it's too dangerous to act for months, and you've been all noble and sacrificial and stuff to buy time. We are done waiting! We are getting you out of here, and then we are leaving." Sean produced a key.
*****
The boys had planned the escape well, taking the back ways down to the stables and stealing the four horses loaded down with supplies that had been waiting for them -- the work of another accomplice, Charles was told.
It wasn't until they were safely down the road aways (after having laid several false trails) that Charles dared to ask, "Where are we going?"
"To meet Raven. She's finalizing negotiations with Sorceress-Regnant Frost," answered Darwin.
Charles was utterly relieved Raven had gotten out already, and felt ashamed for not asking after her earlier. (You were too busy pretending you don't want to ask about someone else).
*****
Negotiations were going quite well, actually, after Emma had mentally adjusted to the idea that Erik wouldn't be quietly assassinated during or after the uprising against Shaw. The original plan called for a new ruler for the neighboring kingdom that Emma would consider doing business with, and as Shaw's favorite, Erik had not been under consideration.
Now, well, after hearing what had transpired, Emma had concluded that A) Erik would be more trouble to kill than was worthwhile and B) Should she actually succeed in killing Erik, Charles, who knew how to play a long game and was much more devious than others gave him credit for, would find a way to make her really, really regret it.
Emma is pretty damn sure she knows which person, or which two people, would be ruling Shaw's kingdom after he was taken care of.
That didn't mean she couldn't have some fun, though.
"I have just one more condition to assure your good faith," Emma says in her loftiest tones. "To strengthen ties between our two kingdoms, I propose a marriage alliance between Charles and my cousin, the Lady Moira."
Emma sits back in her saddle and waits for the fireworks to start.
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"The Lady Moira. I'm sure she's lovely." Erik's words were fair but his teeth were gritted together, a grimace trying to be a smile. "But Charles will not marry her." He coughed. "We don't believe in arranged marriages in our kingdom.
That was not entirely accurate. Shaw married off princes and princesses right and left, to anyone who struck his fancy. Erik did not believe in arranged marriages unless he got to arrange for Charles to marry him. Which struck him as entirely premature. Not that he wasn't willing to marry Charles. Just... they hadn't even had more than one occasion on which to kiss.
And it was probable that Charles would want to be consulted before Erik declared himself his betrothed anyway.
"Moira is beautiful. Dark hair and tawny skin and a lovely pink mouth. I think she'd be just Charles's type." Emma was not entirely sure how she kept a straight face. Moira and Erik could not be more similar in some ways - but they were not physically alike. "And if you're going to hold the kingdom, you're going to have to learn to compromise and negotiate. Arranged marriages are just part of politics."
"The wind picked up.
"And who are you going to marry?" Erik tasted blood where he'd bitten his cheek too hard.
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A bolt of lightning came out of the clear blue sky, striking right next to Emma. Emma to her credit, did not flinch. (And no one had to know that she'd quietly strengthened her personal shields and was keeping a magical death grip on her mount, to keep it from bolting.)
"No." said Erik in a soft, deadly tone. "Thank you." he spit out after Raven elbowed him (brave girl).
Emma sighed, pretending resignation. "No? Very well then. Here are the weapons, supplies and mounts, as promised." She waved forward two members of her entourage, who led a string of well-laden horses over to Erik.
"My representatives will be going with you, to assist as needed. Full ambassadorial privileges, the whole deal." said Emma, waving her hand imperiously. "Once you've taken care of your little domestic problem, send an ambassador back and we'll hammer out some trade agreements."
Erik's group quickly saddled up, and rode off. Emma gave a cheeky little wave and yelled "Have fun storming the castle!" Emma privately thought it would take a miracle to work, but she had faith in Charles' ability (or possibly Erik's) to produce a miracle.
Emma waited until their party had left, and were well without of earshot, and then laughed herself sick.
*****
Erik rode hard and fast to work off some of the rage he felt, so it was a couple hours into their journey before he felt the need to ask about these two strangers Frost had foisted on him.
He slowed down enough to ride in step with Frost's first representative, a woman with dark hair ... and tawny skin ... and pink lips ...
Frost wouldn't have -- what was he thinking, of course she would have.
Erik sighed. Best get this over with. "Lady Moira, I presume?" Erik made a mental note to figure who in his court pissed off Frost the most, and to appoint them ambassador to her court.
The woman blinked. "No. The name's Angel. And if you want to get technical about it, yes there's a 'lady' in front of it, but I don't usually use it in my line of work."
"Which is?"
"Waste removal."
Erik wondered why Frost thought he needed a sanitation engineer; Shaw was evil but he also liked his comforts, and the castle aqueducts were the best to be found within ten kingdoms. And with all that black leather, Angel couldn't possibly crawl around in ducts without it getting filthy ---oh.
Right. Assassin.
Erik and Angel spent a good half hour comparing techniques, and Erik found himself actually enjoying the conversation. (Angel even had a good recipe for cooking a human heart --"I had this one client, there was a thing with her stepdaughter and a forest and a mirror, anyway raw heart doesn't keep well for travel, and she wanted the proof.")
Finally Erik excused himself, thinking he should introduce himself to the other representative, who was currently deep in conversation with Raven.
Raven looked up and grinned. Erik felt faintly unsettled without knowing why.
"Erik!" Raven said just a shade too sweetly. "Come meet my friend, the Lady Moira."
"Hello," said Moira, her pink lips twisted into a cheeky little grin. "Raven's told me so much about you."
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"Odds are good that everything she has told you about me is true in some fashion or another." Erik smiled with too many teeth. "And I'm sure you're a wonderful person."
It was just that he had no intention of giving Charles up to anyone.
Erik's smile was not particularly friendly; Moira's smile was equal to it. "If you'd just asked Charles if you could tie him up, he probably would have said yes. Did you really need to murder that which was pure and innocent in your pursuit of sexual gratification?"
The blush started at his ears and spread down his neck. He was going to have to check Shaw's library to see if there was some sort of memory alteration ritual. Because he was never going to live that down.
Raven giggled. "To give him some credit, Charles caught an eyeful and seemed quite impressed."
That was just-- "He didn't get an eyeful, I'm far more careful about where I point than..." Erik trailed off. Oh. "You meant metaphorically." His ears felt like they were burning.
Raven and Moira doubled over the necks of their horses, held on to their reins so they didn't fall off their horses from the force of their laughter. Erik, with quite perfect posture, slowed down to go ride with Angel some more.
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And when Charles refused to give them, they'd started speculating. Very loudly. In graphic detail.
It was, it was private, between him and Erik. No one needed to know how good Erik had tasted, or felt, or how hot and eager his mouth had been around Charles' cock. Charles was feeling a bit more optimistic about his chances of having an opportunity to do it again with Erik, provided Erik forgave him for the whole kneeing him in the face thing. Of course Charles had forgiven Erik for the whole slaughtering unicorns thing, and objectively that was much worse.
So, more blowjobs. And maybe some other things. (He was absolutely not taking notes based on the lewd suggestions Darwin, Alex and Sean kept making. Not at all.)
"-- So did he even free you from the slab, or just leave you chained up while you two got busy?" asked Darwin.
Charles pretended to ignore the question, but thought, Oooh, maybe we could try that.
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Not that he was interested now (Charles had very pretty hair, too). Azazel was welcome to Janos. But that didn't negate favors done in the past.
He shifted again, but then froze, stopped his horse and made eye contact with Angel who had done the same thing. More riders, traveling fast but also carelessly - not bandits then but one could never be too careful.
Raven and the Lady Moira walked their horses off the road at Angel's hand signal; Erik noted all of it in case he needed to do the same in the future. He and Angel stationed themselves at either side of the road, ready to let peaceful travellers pass or attack the rear of hostile forces.
He certainly wasn't expecting to recognize the voice that reached their ears before the riders came into view.
"Sean, how many times do I have to tell you that I am not going to tell you? I'd really rather like to have sex with him again, after all."
Oh, Charles.
Wait. Charles. Charles was... Erik spurred his mount toward the riders. If it was a trap, so be it. It was Charles. Angel, Raven, and even Moira were close on his horse's heels. Hooves. Whatever. They bore down on the four riders at full speed.
***
"Ow." Erik planned to glare at the red-headed man who had hit him in the nose once he could open his eyes. Erik could, begrudgingly, appreciate that (wasn't he a food attendant in Shaw's quarters? Shawn or Shane or something like that?) the man had panicked. Maybe Erik should not have rushed up on them like that. But really, why did it have to be his nose again?
"Oh, Raven, Raven, I'm so glad we found you!" Charles's voice pries Erik's eyes open where his anger at being hit (once again, again unfairly) had not succeeded. Charles and his sister flung themselves off of their horses and embraced. It was, Erik was quite sure, very touching. He kind of wanted to throw up.
Raven snuffled and buried her face against Charles's chest - a feat, Erik thought, because she was actually taller than her brother. "I was so worried, Charles!" She straightened, looked her brother over as though assuring herself he was all in one piece. "And then I found Erik in the middle of Emma's kingdom and I didn't know--"
***
"Erik?" Charles finally looked at the other riders - the unfamiliar horses had been coming so quickly and Charles had never been in any sort of a fight before, much less a battle on horseback. Alex and Darwin had leapt forward to defend him and even Sean and swung wildly with his fists. And it had all been over so quickly that Charles had only had eyes for Raven.
"Oh, Father Sunlight, Erik!" Charles wrenched himself out of Raven's embrace (she was lovely, but she was his sister and he wasn't a child after all, to be clinging to his sister. He rushed and stumbled and - maybe he should act more reserved - stopped in front of Erik instead of flinging himself up onto the man's horse and into his arms. "Um. Hi."
"Hello." Erik's voice was cool and slightly distant, as though they were meeting in Shaw's royal banquet hall instead of on the road to Shaw's kingdom. Charles had the sudden chilling feeling that he had made a terrible mistake. Erik didn't feel the same, obviously. Erik had just been doing him a favor. Not even a pity fuck, really, they hadn't had time for that. Charles's face flamed with the shame of it.
But he could not turn away from Erik's sea glass eyes. And maybe he was not entirely mistaken after all because Erik looked back at him, Erik kept looking.
"No eye fucking in front of your sister, Charles!" Raven laughed followed him and pulled Charles back in for another relieved hug.
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Erik was beginning to wonder that himself. But mostly he wanted Hank to hurry up and finish so Erik could talk to Charles, who had quietly slipped off when Hank had accosted Erik and started physician-ing at him.
*****
Raven was so relieved Charles was okay, and then she was caught up in introducing him to Moira and Angel. So it took a while before she realized something else was bothering him.
"So what else is bothering you, Charles?" she said, and his head snapped up in surprise. "Don't try to pretend there's nothing."
Charles bit his lip. "It's just ... Erik, he seemed rather, well, distant. Like he didn't care." Charles cast his eyes downward.
Raven just stared at him, wondering how he'd missed Erik riding like a bat out of Mother Night's domain to get to him. But then she thought back and recalled, yes, Erik's greeting had been a bit cool, and what was that about? Pride? Dignity? Did he really even need those things? Men.
Raven thought about telling Charles about how Erik had faced down Sorceress-Regnant Emma Frost and refused to let Charles marry Lady Moira (or anyone but Erik, Raven suspected), but as she opened her mouth, Moira, who had been standing in earshot, put a hand on her arm.
Raven looked at her, and Moira shook her head. Then she canted her head back toward Erik, and smirked.
Raven shut her mouth. She didn't know exactly what Moira had planned, but it was bound to be good. And so Raven got a front row seat as Moira started quietly, smoothly, politely, flirting with Charles. Nothing blatant, nothing that could not be explained away as "being friendly" or "establishing good diplomatic relations."
By the time they set up camp that night, the better to figure out their next move, Erik was redfaced and seething, Raven, Moira and Angel were hard-pressed to keep from exploding into gales of laughter, and Charles was still oblivious. Darwin had apparently caught on as well, if his smirks were any indication, but Hank, Alex and Sean were still in the dark.
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Nothing had gone as he had hoped. Charles had stayed close by Raven, surrounded by the flirtatious Lady Moira and by his friends from the palace. Of course someone like Charles would find friends even in a place like Shaw’s palace. Erik sighed. There was no reason to think Charles felt the same way about Erik as Erik did about Charles - it had been nothing but fantasy. He had done Charles a favor, that was all. Charles had needed to lose his virginity and Erik… Erik had been convenient.
And, really, it made sense. It made perfect sense. Erik was, as people kept pointing out to him, Shaw’s right hand - though that had certainly changed, thanks to Charles. Erik was a dark mage. Erik was a vile corruptor and perpetrator of evil deeds. Erik slept around a lot.
Charles… Charles had been so pure of heart and body that unicorns still sought him out. He was cheerful and bright and optimistic. He was thoughtful and kind. He was considerate; he had kneed Erik in the face and broken his nose but, even so, he’d made sure Erik had gotten off.
Erik wasn’t nearly suitable as a partner for that sort of prince. No, they would overthrow Shaw and then Charles would probably marry the Lady Moira. And they could rule Shaw’s kingdom. Erik would… Erik had no idea what he’d do but he supposed he could figure that out later. He certainly couldn’t stick around and watch Charles and Moira smile at each other.
He did, in fact, it would appear, have a heart. And he was fairly certain that it belonged to Charles, who didn’t want it. Erik slumped down on a cold rock at the edge of camp. He should patrol or something if he wasn’t going to sleep - if he couldn’t sleep, that was. He’d sleep if he had the choice. If he’d had the choice, he’d have finished what he and Charles had started - and then they would both be sleeping, keeping each other warm. He heaved a sigh.
“You do realize you’ve just alerted any potential spies to your exact location, right?” Angel appeared from the shadow of another rock. Her black leather garments did not even creak - she was very devoted to oiling them properly.
“Well, you’ve just confirmed your location as well,” Erik pointed out. There was not, in all honestly, much danger while they were still inside Emma’s kingdom. But it was always good to stay in practice.
She shoved him over, made him make room for him on the rock. “I think your existential angst is enough to cloak me from common view.” Erik shrugged and Angel made a face that was still easy to interpret in the night: disdain. “Why are you moping instead of initiating your boyfriend into the delights of whatever people in your kingdom euphemistically call sex?”
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“Have you even spoken to Charles since your little charge of the Mother Night brigade?” She was still laughing.
It caught him off guard. “I… didn’t think he’d be interested in talking to me.” Erik was not often unsure. It probably meant something that pretty much every time he was unsure, it involved Charles.
Angel rolled her eyes and stood up. “I’m going back to my shadow. You should see if Mother Night has visited anyone else with insomnia tonight.” She muttered something he could not quite make out, about the foolishness of dark mages. And then Angel disappeared.
Part of being a dark mage was believing in things that ought not be. Erik considered Angel’s words - it was possible the Lady Moira was just a bad person, after all. In which case he might get on very well with her. And if she did not have serious intentions toward Charles… And even if she did, well, maybe Charles did not actually return her intentions. After all, Charles was far too polite to be rude to anyone, really. And he’d run up to Erik like he was glad to see him. And when they’d first heard the group, Charles had been saying he wanted to have sex with Erik again - at least, Erik hoped that he was the person Charles had been talking about.
He stood up - Charles’s tent was right around the other side of the camp.
***
Nothing was comfortable. Charles thought, not for the first time, that he might have been better off in Shaw’s bird cage. At least he’d been warm and fed and his heart had not been entirely broken. Charles sniffled then rubbed his face. Stupid dark mages with their stupid inability to commit.
There was a rustling outside his tent. He didn’t think Angel (and she was a little impressive and scary, wasn’t she? She and Erik had gotten along famously, hadn’t they? Charles sniffed again.) would have allowed any wild animals into the camp. “Raven, if that’s you, go away. I’m tired.”
“If you are so tired, why aren’t you sleeping?” Erik dared to nudge open the tent flap. Charles was reclining on a bed that looked far more comfortable than Erik’s own - that hardly seemed fair. It also wasn’t fair just how good rumpled and sleepy looked on the other prince - hair going in all directions, slouchy too-big sleep tunic. Though he also looked unhappy. Erik felt an absurd surge of guilt.
Charles rubbed at the goosebumps that shivered up his arms - oh, Erik’s voice. (Erik’s stupid voice, he meant.) His eyes went wide as Erik slipped all the way into the tent. The other man’s borrowed pants were snug and form-fitting and, really, Charles ought to be paying attention to other things but…
“I couldn’t sleep - I took a walk and it made me think of you.” Erik smiled, just a little - just enough to send Charles’s heart into his throat and blood… other places. “I thought since I was thinking of you that I should find you.”
That was promising. It was promising that Erik was thinking of him, right? Charles had no adequate response.
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Charles wasn't saying anything. He just kept looking at Erik with those blue, blue eyes, sad and forlorn.
"This is practically the first time you've talked to me since we met up," said Charles. "Why?"
Erik's mouth twisted bitterly. "You were a little busy. With Lady Moira."
Charles glared at him. "She's nice. I liked talking to her." He looked away. "I bet she wouldn't have given me a pity fuck," Charles murmured too low for most human ears.
Unfortunately, Charles' had forgotten the whole "Erik is a dark mage" thing, which included enhanced senses.
"Pity?" Erik snarled. "Pity?! Does this feel like pity to you?" He moves like a viper, and Charles is pinned to the floor of the tent, Erik covering Charles' entire body with his own.
"You stupid -- infuriating -- frustrating -- you've been driving me crazy for months --" gasps out Erik between kisses. "Every time, every time you were on that altar, chained down and spread out, like a gift just for me, I just wanted to --" Erik sobs, and it's like a benediction. "You're amazing, perfect, pure and good, you could have anyone, anyone, and probably the only reason I had a shot was because it was convenient, and you think that I gave you a pity fuck?"
Erik seemed to regain his senses, and tried to roll away from Charles, but Charles was having none of it. Charles wrapped his legs around Erik and pulled him back down for more kisses, trying to convey without words, I want you, I want you, be mine, please stay, never leave me again.
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