ruffians | #vampireproblems

[Arthur grins and leans in for a brief kiss.]

Well, we better get going.

[And once again makes no move to actually go to the bedroom. It's just that Eames' face is right there.]

[Eames hums softly and leans in for another kiss, lingering a little afterward and then he sighs, slipping his fingers in Arthur's waistband and turning to drag him to the bedroom.]

Let's go then.

[Well it appears as though Arthur has no choice, not that he was going to resist, so he keeps up with Eames as they go to the bedroom with absolutely no complaints.]

[When they get there, Eames peels out of his clothes and crawls into bed, apparently actually planning on just sleeping for once. Not that he'd object to any funny business, but he's not planning to start any, and he just pulls the covers back when he's laying down and looks up at Arthur, waiting for him to get in too. He would very much like to have this man in his arms as soon as possible.]

[Arthur follows right after him. He doesn't have any funny business in mind, although like Eames he wouldn't object if it went that direction, so he slips in under the covers and shuffles right up to him.]

[Eames turns on his side and drapes an arm over Arthur, palm moving up his chest to his shoulder in a light caress, and he has a ridiculous smile on his face. Almost content. One of those moments where he feels something swell in his chest and it's hard for him to stop himself making grand statements about the depth of his feelings.]

[He does stop himself though, and instead he worms himself a little closer to Arthur and sighs.]

[Arthur smiles fondly and turns his head toward Eames, just looking at his face affectionately. He brings his hand up to brush Eames' jaw and talks in a hushed voice.]

Hey.

[Eames raises an eyebrow as if he's suspicious of this affection, but he doesn't refuse it.]

Hey.

[Arthur takes a deep breath and his smile fades just a little, but only because he's about to say something so serious.]

I do love you, you know.

[He knew he was right to be suspicious. If it were less serious, Eames might scoff or say something sarcastic, but it is and he frowns lightly.]

That's never been in doubt, Arthur.

[Arthur smiles again and brushes his knuckle against Eames' cheekbone. It's a good cheekbone.]

Yeah, it's just... we don't say it a lot.

[Maybe if someone hadn't practically had an existential crisis the first time Eames said it he'd say it more.]

Should I say it more often?

[He raises an eyebrow.] Every day, maybe? I'll greet you in the evenings-- "hello my love."

[He lets out a soft, embarrassed laugh.]

No, I don't want to devalue it or anything. I've just made so many mistakes and I don't want you to think I don't still feel that way. I want to make sure I'm still telling you.

I know I seem young to someone who drank wine in the gardens of Babylon, but I'm not a child. Love isn't some powerful shield that'll stop us from hurting one another-- accidentally or otherwise.

[Despite the joke, he fixes Arthur with an intent gaze, meeting his eyes with something intense and serious in his own eyes.]

I'm not saying I don't want to hear it, but I'm also not going to start questioning it just because you haven't told me in a week or so.

Okay.

[He looks over Eames' face, appreciating how good it is for a moment.]

I'll keep to saying it when you're being truly amazing, then.

[He lifts a hand to cup Arthur's face, letting his thumb brush back and forth over his cheek with a smile.]

I love you too.

[Arthur grins and rolls into Eames to kiss him and then... nope he's gonna stay right there, brushing his nose against Eames' cheek and sighing happily.]

[Well good, Eames has no objections to this. He wraps his arms around Arthur and holds him close, settling in to sleep peacefully for another couple of hours until he has to get up and go about his day.]

[Arthur makes a mild sound of protest when Eames gets up but he curls up into the warm spot where he was almost immediately. He is definitely not going anywhere for a while.]

[And everything is business as usual for the next few weeks. They even out back into their usual routine, sans a few things that used to be part of it. But neither of them is really ready to broach the whole biting topic, and Eames suspects Arthur has resigned himself to the idea of it never happening again.]

[Thing is, it's kind of hard for Eames to know if he's ready for it until they try, but he knows he misses it. It's not just the sex — though he misses that a hell of a lot — but it's like there's something gone. Like this vale of intimacy that's suddenly off-limits to him and, god. It's ludicrous how much he wants that door reopened, like he's craving it almost.]

[Eames waits for the right time to bring it up now he's decided he wants to; he's not a fool, he's not gonna spring it on Arthur first thing in the evening. After Arthur's had his blood so he's not hungry, not the way he is when he wakes up anyway, and thinks about what to say while Arthur's in the shower. Eames has posted himself up on the couch with a coffee and something supposedly important on his laptop that he's not actually paying attention to.]

[Idly, he traces a couple of old scars on his arm while he waits for Arthur and looks up in his direction with a smile when he's in the room.]

Hey-- I wanted to talk to you about something.

[He pats the couch next to him as a request for Arthur to come sit down.]

[Arthur pretty much has resigned himself to the fact that it's never happening again. He doesn't know how Eames feels about it and he doesn't dare ask, so every time he thinks about it he just tells himself: when he's ready, which could be never. He hasn't quite adjusted to the idea of that but he knows over time he'll adapt.]

[So he suspects nothing when Eames calls him over. It's probably just business, seeing as he has his laptop out and they're just about to get started with their night. He smiles back at him and sits down on the couch beside him.]

Yeah, what's up?

[Eames closes his laptop and puts it down on the coffee table, turning a little to face Arthur with a more serious expression. (The smile was a trap, sorry Arthur.)]

I think... It's time we tried again. [He swallows, and it's kind of frustrating trying to keep himself seeming even and calm when Arthur can tell how his pulse is racing with how anxious he is, but Eames does anyway. Taking a deep breath before he clarifies.] Drinking, I mean. From me.

[Arthur's smile fades into concern as he senses Eames' demeanour change. He manages to keep his reaction rather subdued, letting out a soft "oh" and nodding, then looking down at his hands with a frown.]

Are you sure? I mean, I'm not impatient at all, Eames, I can wait longer.

[He'd laugh if he wasn't so anxious about this, about how many ways it could go wrong. It's hardly as if Eames has ever been someone who did things because he felt pressured-- He'd be okay with it if Arthur said no, but it's not Arthur he wants this for.]

I don't know how it'll go. Might turn out I'm really not okay with it, but... [He sighs.] I miss it.

[Arthur thinks it's a weird thing to miss, but they've had that conversation a million times already and he's not going to get stuck on that point. The real point here is that Eames wants to do this, and he's not trying to do it solely for Arthur's benefit, which means he can't shut it down right away.]

Okay, we can give it a shot.

[He licks his lips and thinks it over, but realizes quickly that Eames has to be the one to decide how all this goes.]

How do you want to do this?

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