[ even good noise can sometimes be too much noise, with forty progressively drunker people crammed into the relatively small building like that.
threading their fingers together is so easy now, especially with how they're already feeling - the matching hum of contentment, the way affection feels especially nice this week - so he watches the sky as they walk, thinks about the events of the afternoon and evening, the rest of the week so far. the walk is short, quiet, and calming.
the mansion is quiet, with practically no one home. it's easy, too, to hum and lead them to his room. ]
Tell that to the rest of them. They're going to be so hungover tomorrow. [ he's not nice enough to think that isn't funny.
normally, this might be a little too quiet for laurence, as familiar as he is with the sounds of the tower and all its demiflora surrounding him constantly. after the party and all the dizzying effects from previous weeks, it's a welcome break, so he lets chrono lead them where he will. the room is fine. even if taair comes back, it's not like they haven't all stayed together before. ]
As long as they're not blackout drunk, they'll be fine. Probably.
[ wonder if healing magic works on hangovers...? surely one of their spellcasters would have the ability to fix it. it's basically just a form of poisoning, after all.
but that's their problem. as for them... the latch has barely clicked shut behind them when chrono rotates on a heel, crowding laurence back against the door, one had bracketing against it at hip-height while the other curls around the back of his neck to pull him down into a kiss. ]
You know how hard it was-- [ fuck it. another kiss. ] --to stop myself from doing that all night?
[ a surprised sound cuts off whatever he planned to say as he's suddenly pulled into a kiss, back pressed against the door. laurence reacts before his mind has time to catch up, one hand coming up to sit lightly on chrono's waist as he returns the kiss slowly, a little dazed. the second kiss doesn't help that feeling, but he can't bring himself to mind with the pleasant warmth settling into his body. ]
[ but he's not uncrowding him from the door, or dropping his hands. instead he dips his head to practically nuzzle against the column of laurence's throat, hand smoothing up his nape and into the dark part of his hair. just to be close, the residual excitable mood of the evening bleeding out into a softer sense of comfort. ]
[ sounds good to him. no arguments here. that laugh does something to his heart that makes him feel even more... attuned, almost, that attentive curiosity that has his eyes turn sharp and bright. and, well. they can get to one of those too, at least. ]
Not just tonight. [ a kiss to his throat. ] Been wanting to do this... [ a little higher. ] ...since Tuesday. [ one to his jaw.
[ ah. so that's how it is. with a lazy smile, he lets the door take some of his weight and cants his head to the side as chrono moves a little higher with each touch. welcoming each one and the little sparks they send across his skin.
tuesday. a flush makes his cheeks warm, some lingering self-consciousness making itself known. but... earlier? ]
[ the simmering heat lying beneath the affection was giving off steam, slowly, no longer content to wait unattended. the palm braced against the door makes a detour to flick the lock closed, then settles on laurence's hip, a finger curling into the fabric of his shirt where it's tucked into his belt.
holding back? maybe. it didn't really feel that way, but... there were still thoughts. ]
You think lying in bed with you on Sunday, nothing else crossed my mind? [ a kiss to the corner of his mouth. ] You think when I noticed my neck was cleared up, I didn't feel kinda disappointed?
[ despite the almost-complaints, his expression is amused, open. ]
[ after tonight, it's a little too easy make him go completely red. especially thinking of sunday night, the conversation with yves, and... hhhh not the sinjuries. there's a brief wash of mirrored disappointment - he kind of missed those, too? - but it settles right back into flustered quickly.
but he tries not to show it, emotionshare be damned, turns to catch his lips in another quick kiss, a little clumsily, as his other hand also settles at chrono's waist. ]
N-No...?
[ he didn't want to assume anything, but. i thought about it, too. ]
[ he makes a small, appreciative sound at the kiss, at the hands on his waist. it's incredibly cute, how red he's gone, backtracking those same memories. ]
Right answer.
[ and... hah. well, that clears up some of the doubts chrono still held pretty quickly. the hand in laurence's hair drops around his shoulder, arm looping behind his neck to bring him down that short distance between them so he can press their foreheads together, noses brushing as he speaks, tone low. ]
Sounds like we've got even more making up for it to do, then.
[ that tone is kind of getting to him already, piquing his curiosity, but he simply breathes out a laugh and loops his arms fully around chrono. they're already so closes, may as well. ]
What did you have in mind...?
[ he'll let chrono take the lead, at least for now. ]
[ the arms around him feel so nice on their own that he kind of just wants to stay like this for a while. he shifts enough just to tuck his head into laurence's neck again, resuming his fond nuzzling for a moment before pressing a kiss to his pulse point. ]
I don't know about that... [ he might burst into flames but you know. he's interested still.
this would feel nice even without affection week, but that makes it all the more comfortable. while he doesn't really want to move, he doesn't want to. not. after that. so he just shifts a little to let chrono do what he wants with his neck, encouraging vibes only.
there is a gently pleased smile on his face, though. ]
[ that implication can take all the time it needs to sink in, because in lieu of responding to anything else he's humming in acquiescence and getting to work. the hand at laurence's waist untucks his shirt just enough to skim a hand under the hem, other back into his hair to angle his head a little further. makes it easier to nip gently along his neck as if searching, before biting down harder on a point to follow with his tongue. ]
[ the implication... is slow to set in, but that warm feeling is starting to permeate his whole body, a pleasant red reaching to the tips of his ears. it leaves him feeling a bit dazed as he realizes what it means, more pliable than usual as a hand slips under his shirt, even as he presses into the touch. ]
A-Ah...
[ ahhhh. okay. this is... good. he would definitely prefer being alone right now, letting chrono bite as his neck with a wince despite the quiet, approving noise he makes at the sensation. hm. maybe he shouldn't focus on that, maybe he should sneak a hand under chrono's shirt, too, very gently teasing with his nails but not quite digging in or dragging them over the skin just yet. a promise for later. ]
[ that's a good sound, a good feeling, especially with the way it matched the emotional heat that was truly unable to ignored. adoration and wanting, a dash of longing, and a slight prickly edge of persistent anxiety that was slowly reducing with each encouragement and touch.
he kisses the first bite almost apologetically as he moves along to graze his teeth against and press his lips to soft points of skin. the lighter trail of marks leads up to the edge of his jaw, which chrono can't help but nuzzle against again when laurence's hand meets the bare skin of his back. even that hint is enough to make him shudder a little, letting out a light, shaky exhale against laurence's throat. yeah, okay, he really likes that and it's a potential problem. ...problem? something, anyway. dangerous, definitely. ]
Y'know... [ the fingers in his hair slide down over shoulder and chest, tangling with his outfit's necklaces. ] We probably shouldn't stand against the door all night.
[ the horrible (but kind of amazing?) thing about emotionshare, especially this close, is the way it all swirls together and becomes impossible to tell what's yours and what's not. laurence hated that before, found it confusing at best and absolutely debilitating at worst, but like this... it's far more comfortable to let chrono's feelings melt into his, matching the adoration, desire, and sprinkling in amusement (he still thinks the reaction to his nails is so funny and intriguing) and anticipation to top it all off. it's been a good night? he can't think of a better way to end it.
so he hums a soft noise of agreement, pleased at that shiver, and shifts to tangle one hand in chrono's hair, tugging him back a little to kiss his jaw. ]
Okay. [ lowering his voice, he nips gently at the earlobe before carefully pushing off the door. ] All that and you're still worried?
[ the effects designed to make things more difficult for them being turned around into a method of silent communication and enhancing the... sensuality, in a literal way, of this experience? an extra sense, it serving now as some kind of practical defiance. the loop of emotion, melding into a greater whole, makes chrono feel a little lightheaded and has heat curling slowly, low in his abdomen.
he laughs a little at the tug on his hair (laurence liked doing that, he'd noticed), the lips on his jaw; a fluttering gasp at the teeth on his ear. ]
Mmnh. [ vague acknowledgement, as he steps back with laurence's movement, shoulders rolling back to shuck his blazer off and discard it to the mercy of the floor. ] Gonna have to help me get rid of that, aren't you?
[ so what if he does like it? might as well make use of that longer hair of his, if it gets what he wants. he really likes that little gasp, too, so that's immediately being added to the list of things he wants to hear again. ]
Mm, I will. [ where is this confidence coming from
drops his hand to chrono's shoulder so they can maneuver more easily, but he still takes the chance to lean in and pepper feather-light kisses down his jaw with another step forward, walking him back toward the bed. ]
[ where is that confidence coming from? chrono is amused by it, but also. deeply attracted, the same way he'd been during curfew, to those smug expressions and bolder movements. it was a side of him that chrono realised he might be the only one to see, and a little thread of very rare possessiveness curled around that thought and held on fast.
the kisses to his jaw are so sweet yet they leave his skin prickling pleasantly, anticipatory. the back of his knees meet the edge of his bed and chrono's hands loop around laurence's shoulders as he drops back onto it, pulling him into a proper kiss and slowly down with him as he shifts back toward the wall. ]
So. [ he states, breathy against his lips, fingers slipping under the chains where they sit around the back of his neck. these could go. ] How are you gonna do that, hm?
[ it's that dumb, competitive side of him that likes seeing someone else at his mercy, spurring him on with the knowledge that no one else has to know this is happening. the main difference here is that he's more willing to let someone else lead once in a while, to be pulled into a kiss and into bed with a brush of tongue on his lip.
but that doesn't sound like a question that needs to be answered out loud? where's the fun in that, in giving him a chance to try and get under laurence's skin? chrono will have to find other ways to rile him up, because the real answer is simply to bite his lip and dig his nails into the skin under chrono's shirt without further warning. not too hard, but enough to demand attention as he presses his lips to the corner of his mouth, intensely aware of the emotional connection. hearing his thoughts last thursday was nice and all, but it'll be very different from feeling it, and he is a little curious. ]
[ parting his lips to let laurence's tongue in is another thing that probably shouldn't feel as completely easy as it does, but there's zero complaints as he nips back with his teeth as the other pulls slightly away. there's only so many ways he needs to assert intent to control some of this, the counterbalance they find, their competitive natures spurring each other on as usual.
well, until laurence takes advantage of that erogenous effect chrono hadn't even been aware of until last week. a soft whine, a shiver down his spine, and an emotional spike of carnal craving that flares through everything else for a moment. his head twists with a growl, seeking eye contact with darkened green and a... well, almost a pout, though he hopes it's a little less petulant than that. his own hands skate up the front of the other's shirt, catching in the necklaces and pulling it out of the belt-tuck. ]
[ if it were like last week, he'd appreciate the sound chrono makes, but the flare of desire totally shortcircuits his train of thought for a moment, and this time he does unintentionally dig in harder as his hand clenches at the feeling. oh. so that's how it is. somehow laurence didn't quite realize the effect it really had on him, despite the reactions he drawn out before.
so maybe it's a good thing that chrono has demands. after that first unanticipated crash of emotion, he needs a second to reboot, so he sits back with a light laugh. ]
Impatient?
[ we just got here? but it's lit a spark in him, too, warm hunger pooling in his stomach while his own emotions slowly settle into amused and maybe even a little impish. fine. but it might be funny if he takes it slow, carefully removing one necklace at a time to drop it to the floor... surely that'll only be frustrating for chrono and not both of them, yeah? goodbye chain necklace....... ]
[ emotional feedback sure is something, and that twofold layering of sensation runs him off the rails, too. it hadn't quite dawned on him that the effect would work this way, that body and emotional soul would be so linked. oh, this is going to be... bad? good? something. a lot. probably good, actually. oh no.
and then he returns to focus just to have laurence take his sweet time with things that should've been gone ages ago. restlessness runs through his muscles, hands and mouth feeling bereft after even a second too long of waiting. at least without anything else to distract him, his hands can wander, leaning forward to bundle the hem of the still too-present shirt over his wrists and smooth his palms over the skin still too-hidden from view, thumbs fitting in the divots of his hipbones and pressing down curiously.
he loops a leg around the back of laurence's thighs, and if his mouth would get in the way of everything else he wanted, he could at least run it like usual. a smirk, eyes focused. ]
Impatient? Is that what this is? [ his thumbs dip just a bare millimeter lower. ] When you've been lookin' good like this all evening, and I could barely touch you? You know if we'd played that Pocky game I'dve had to drag you out of there way earlier, right?
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[ even good noise can sometimes be too much noise, with forty progressively drunker people crammed into the relatively small building like that.
threading their fingers together is so easy now, especially with how they're already feeling - the matching hum of contentment, the way affection feels especially nice this week - so he watches the sky as they walk, thinks about the events of the afternoon and evening, the rest of the week so far. the walk is short, quiet, and calming.
the mansion is quiet, with practically no one home. it's easy, too, to hum and lead them to his room. ]
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normally, this might be a little too quiet for laurence, as familiar as he is with the sounds of the tower and all its demiflora surrounding him constantly. after the party and all the dizzying effects from previous weeks, it's a welcome break, so he lets chrono lead them where he will. the room is fine. even if taair comes back, it's not like they haven't all stayed together before. ]
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[ wonder if healing magic works on hangovers...? surely one of their spellcasters would have the ability to fix it. it's basically just a form of poisoning, after all.
but that's their problem. as for them... the latch has barely clicked shut behind them when chrono rotates on a heel, crowding laurence back against the door, one had bracketing against it at hip-height while the other curls around the back of his neck to pull him down into a kiss. ]
You know how hard it was-- [ fuck it. another kiss. ] --to stop myself from doing that all night?
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[ a surprised sound cuts off whatever he planned to say as he's suddenly pulled into a kiss, back pressed against the door. laurence reacts before his mind has time to catch up, one hand coming up to sit lightly on chrono's waist as he returns the kiss slowly, a little dazed. the second kiss doesn't help that feeling, but he can't bring himself to mind with the pleasant warmth settling into his body. ]
...You trying to make up for it now?
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[ but he's not uncrowding him from the door, or dropping his hands. instead he dips his head to practically nuzzle against the column of laurence's throat, hand smoothing up his nape and into the dark part of his hair. just to be close, the residual excitable mood of the evening bleeding out into a softer sense of comfort. ]
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No, it's fine. I don't want to think about everyone else anymore.
[ let them get drunk, make out, black out, whatever. not their problem. he's not making any move to extract himself from this, either. ]
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[ sounds good to him. no arguments here. that laugh does something to his heart that makes him feel even more... attuned, almost, that attentive curiosity that has his eyes turn sharp and bright. and, well. they can get to one of those too, at least. ]
Not just tonight. [ a kiss to his throat. ] Been wanting to do this... [ a little higher. ] ...since Tuesday. [ one to his jaw.
then he draws back, considering further. ]
No, earlier than that.
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tuesday. a flush makes his cheeks warm, some lingering self-consciousness making itself known. but... earlier? ]
...You've been holding back on me, huh?
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holding back? maybe. it didn't really feel that way, but... there were still thoughts. ]
You think lying in bed with you on Sunday, nothing else crossed my mind? [ a kiss to the corner of his mouth. ] You think when I noticed my neck was cleared up, I didn't feel kinda disappointed?
[ despite the almost-complaints, his expression is amused, open. ]
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[ after tonight, it's a little too easy make him go completely red. especially thinking of sunday night, the conversation with yves, and... hhhh not the sinjuries. there's a brief wash of mirrored disappointment - he kind of missed those, too? - but it settles right back into flustered quickly.
but he tries not to show it, emotionshare be damned, turns to catch his lips in another quick kiss, a little clumsily, as his other hand also settles at chrono's waist. ]
N-No...?
[ he didn't want to assume anything, but. i thought about it, too. ]
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Right answer.
[ and... hah. well, that clears up some of the doubts chrono still held pretty quickly. the hand in laurence's hair drops around his shoulder, arm looping behind his neck to bring him down that short distance between them so he can press their foreheads together, noses brushing as he speaks, tone low. ]
Sounds like we've got even more making up for it to do, then.
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What did you have in mind...?
[ he'll let chrono take the lead, at least for now. ]
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[ the arms around him feel so nice on their own that he kind of just wants to stay like this for a while. he shifts enough just to tuck his head into laurence's neck again, resuming his fond nuzzling for a moment before pressing a kiss to his pulse point. ]
Our third date was the best, you know.
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this would feel nice even without affection week, but that makes it all the more comfortable. while he doesn't really want to move, he doesn't want to. not. after that. so he just shifts a little to let chrono do what he wants with his neck, encouraging vibes only.
there is a gently pleased smile on his face, though. ]
Glad you can admit that now.
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I don't think Taair is coming back tonight.
[ that implication can take all the time it needs to sink in, because in lieu of responding to anything else he's humming in acquiescence and getting to work. the hand at laurence's waist untucks his shirt just enough to skim a hand under the hem, other back into his hair to angle his head a little further. makes it easier to nip gently along his neck as if searching, before biting down harder on a point to follow with his tongue. ]
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A-Ah...
[ ahhhh. okay. this is... good. he would definitely prefer being alone right now, letting chrono bite as his neck with a wince despite the quiet, approving noise he makes at the sensation. hm. maybe he shouldn't focus on that, maybe he should sneak a hand under chrono's shirt, too, very gently teasing with his nails but not quite digging in or dragging them over the skin just yet. a promise for later. ]
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he kisses the first bite almost apologetically as he moves along to graze his teeth against and press his lips to soft points of skin. the lighter trail of marks leads up to the edge of his jaw, which chrono can't help but nuzzle against again when laurence's hand meets the bare skin of his back. even that hint is enough to make him shudder a little, letting out a light, shaky exhale against laurence's throat. yeah, okay, he really likes that and it's a potential problem. ...problem? something, anyway. dangerous, definitely. ]
Y'know... [ the fingers in his hair slide down over shoulder and chest, tangling with his outfit's necklaces. ] We probably shouldn't stand against the door all night.
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so he hums a soft noise of agreement, pleased at that shiver, and shifts to tangle one hand in chrono's hair, tugging him back a little to kiss his jaw. ]
Okay. [ lowering his voice, he nips gently at the earlobe before carefully pushing off the door. ] All that and you're still worried?
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he laughs a little at the tug on his hair (laurence liked doing that, he'd noticed), the lips on his jaw; a fluttering gasp at the teeth on his ear. ]
Mmnh. [ vague acknowledgement, as he steps back with laurence's movement, shoulders rolling back to shuck his blazer off and discard it to the mercy of the floor. ] Gonna have to help me get rid of that, aren't you?
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Mm, I will. [ where is this confidence coming from
drops his hand to chrono's shoulder so they can maneuver more easily, but he still takes the chance to lean in and pepper feather-light kisses down his jaw with another step forward, walking him back toward the bed. ]
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the kisses to his jaw are so sweet yet they leave his skin prickling pleasantly, anticipatory. the back of his knees meet the edge of his bed and chrono's hands loop around laurence's shoulders as he drops back onto it, pulling him into a proper kiss and slowly down with him as he shifts back toward the wall. ]
So. [ he states, breathy against his lips, fingers slipping under the chains where they sit around the back of his neck. these could go. ] How are you gonna do that, hm?
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but that doesn't sound like a question that needs to be answered out loud? where's the fun in that, in giving him a chance to try and get under laurence's skin? chrono will have to find other ways to rile him up, because the real answer is simply to bite his lip and dig his nails into the skin under chrono's shirt without further warning. not too hard, but enough to demand attention as he presses his lips to the corner of his mouth, intensely aware of the emotional connection. hearing his thoughts last thursday was nice and all, but it'll be very different from feeling it, and he is a little curious. ]
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well, until laurence takes advantage of that erogenous effect chrono hadn't even been aware of until last week. a soft whine, a shiver down his spine, and an emotional spike of carnal craving that flares through everything else for a moment. his head twists with a growl, seeking eye contact with darkened green and a... well, almost a pout, though he hopes it's a little less petulant than that. his own hands skate up the front of the other's shirt, catching in the necklaces and pulling it out of the belt-tuck. ]
Off. All of this needs to be off.
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so maybe it's a good thing that chrono has demands. after that first unanticipated crash of emotion, he needs a second to reboot, so he sits back with a light laugh. ]
Impatient?
[ we just got here? but it's lit a spark in him, too, warm hunger pooling in his stomach while his own emotions slowly settle into amused and maybe even a little impish. fine. but it might be funny if he takes it slow, carefully removing one necklace at a time to drop it to the floor... surely that'll only be frustrating for chrono and not both of them, yeah? goodbye chain necklace....... ]
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[ emotional feedback sure is something, and that twofold layering of sensation runs him off the rails, too. it hadn't quite dawned on him that the effect would work this way, that body and emotional soul would be so linked. oh, this is going to be... bad? good? something. a lot. probably good, actually. oh no.
and then he returns to focus just to have laurence take his sweet time with things that should've been gone ages ago. restlessness runs through his muscles, hands and mouth feeling bereft after even a second too long of waiting. at least without anything else to distract him, his hands can wander, leaning forward to bundle the hem of the still too-present shirt over his wrists and smooth his palms over the skin still too-hidden from view, thumbs fitting in the divots of his hipbones and pressing down curiously.
he loops a leg around the back of laurence's thighs, and if his mouth would get in the way of everything else he wanted, he could at least run it like usual. a smirk, eyes focused. ]
Impatient? Is that what this is? [ his thumbs dip just a bare millimeter lower. ] When you've been lookin' good like this all evening, and I could barely touch you? You know if we'd played that Pocky game I'dve had to drag you out of there way earlier, right?
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