Strange Days

- NATE -

but who am I to say?
let's all just run away

And the smugness returns, manages to drown out the guilt long enough for Nate to tamp them both down, and nod along with the answer. It's about all he has time to do, the conversation, the seriousness ignored for the movement, and the burst of silliness. The feeling is much easier to indulge in, the conversations themselves easier to handle when they can be broken up between lightness like this.

It's far too easy to take back touches of control from Sunjata, for Nate to let his eyes slip closed just as he bites, knowing there won't be anything the other man can do to stop him. Though it becomes clear he didn't actually think too far ahead, the hand not holding the attuneds wrist flying to his hip to offer support. Nate continues drinking until the other man is melted against him, then pulls back, the smirk on his lips clear in every apologetic kiss that is pressed to the newest bite mark. "You love it." The tease comes easily, Nate shifting his head to press against Sunjata's, more than happy to stay in this position, as long as the other man is comfortable.

grab your saints and pray
and we'll burn this world today

SUNJATA

the flood

i can't believe that you could just say
that "the answers unlock this gate"

The bite is overpowering, narrowing every thought within him down to that. A shuddering, trembling sensation through his legs and his arms. The longer it goes on, the more Sunjata is helpless to gain some sense of control. Chest to chest by the time he pulls away, pressing kisses to the bite as Sunjata presses his weight down onto Nate. He pants a small amount, tucking his head into the crook of Nate’s neck as the Ascended presses his head against his own.

“Just because I do… Doesn’t make you any less of a prick.” He accuses quietly, feigning some sort of exhaustion as he presses a kiss to Nate’s neck, playfully clamping down with fangs of his own. “What can I do for you?” A quiet question to answer the ones he’s harbored in his mind earlier, within the shower. So now, he curls up against Nate, awaiting an answer.

'cause if you knew his name, not a thing would change
you'd still be wishing you were blessed

- NATE -

but who am I to say?
let's all just run away

The almost whiny accusation that’s shot back at him pulls a laugh from Nate, his arms both wrapping around the body on top of him, supporting and clinging in near equal measures. ”I guess it doesn’t, does it? But it does mean I can get away with it.” His voice is once again irritatingly unaffected, though the gentle bite does bring with it a soft hum, the slightest bit of sensation.

”That I can feel, you mean?” Nate murmurs, meaning to clarify, though there’s enough bite in the words to make them bitter. He’d gained some amazing things, but none of it felt worth it in moments like this, when it was so obvious that he’d lost just a little bit more. ”Anything deep enough to draw fluid is deep enough that it’s more than pressure. And, I like your hands in my hair, but I think you already found that out.” A soft chuckle cups the last few words. ”Laying like this is nice too.” Something told him that having Sunjata on him in any situation would feel nice though, not just this one.

grab your saints and pray
and we'll burn this world today

SUNJATA

the flood

i can't believe that you could just say
that "the answers unlock this gate"

“For now. Give it time.” He manages, a small smirk crossing his face, a hum of amusement leaving his throat, moving ever so slightly to seemingly drape over Nate as the Ascended wraps his arms around him. The playful bite receives some sort of response, and that’s good enough for Sunjata, shifting to listen to the bite of his words.

“Yes.” He answers, though it’s far softer — having hit that sensitivity. But he listens quite closely to the answer, tongue running along his lower lip as he focuses on what Nate has said. He has figured out the hair part, having drowned his hands in the dark raven hair — which is great for him, enjoying having that bit as well.

He stays in the same position, however, shifting his head a small amount to focus a bit more on Nate’s face. “What about this?” He questions softly, hand shifting to those claws to drag them along the Ascended’s side to the man’s hip, just short of drawing blood but enough to raise the skin beneath it before it settles. “And this?” He asks, diving into Nate’s neck again, tongue partially shifting to the coarseness of his panther shift, dragging along a mark he’d left on the other man but in a sharp, almost sandpaper harshness.

'cause if you knew his name, not a thing would change
you'd still be wishing you were blessed

- NATE -

but who am I to say?
let's all just run away

Going through what the things he can feel, the things he discovered he could feel, was strange. In every other relationship he’d had, Nate had been the one to take charge, the one who teased and handed out pleasure and soft touches, and having that power had always been more than enough for him. And more than enough for whoever he had been with, the question never coming up.

Sunjata shifts back, enough that Nate can tilt his head to look at the other man, an eyebrow raised in silent question. The claws down his side are not what he expects, not to start with, and it catches him off guard, enough that he can’t help the way his brows pull together, the way his eyes flutter. ”That’s... sharp.” The answer comes with no small amount of appreciation. A throaty laugh starts to leave Nate when the attuned dips his face ah way again, but the sound is cut off by the sudden burst of sensation from his neck, patches he's already hyper aware of suddenly assaulted. His arms tighten around the other man, a tremor running through them, culminating in his nails, carefully human still, digging into Sunjata’s skin. ”S’good.” The rumble comes after a few false starts, Nate still valiantly trying for the cool, unaffected voice.

grab your saints and pray
and we'll burn this world today

SUNJATA

the flood

i can't believe that you could just say
that "the answers unlock this gate"

Sunjata’s always been a bit more similar to Nate in the sense of wanting to draw out those reactions. But with Nate, it had grown a small amount confusing, not familiar enough with the Ascended to know what he can and cannot feel, what kind of things he can try to get Nate to react much as Sunjata has. And so he has to test it, with raking claws down Nate’s side, watching the way the man’s brows furrow together briefly, the way his eyes flutter with the movement. Perfect.

The next test results in a similar sort of feeling, a smirk crossing Sunjata’s face as Nate reacts, arms tight against his body, a tremor shuddering it’s way through the Ascended, the way it takes him a few moments to reply. Yes, yes, this is perfect. So after a moment of tender kisses again, Sunjata decides to try one more thing.

The hand at Nate’s hip begins to drag upwards in that same pressure, tongue raking along those marks again to see what kind of reaction combining them might get. A hum vibrating through his throat against the Ascended, clawed fingers pausing and stilling occasionally. He smirks, pulling away to spy Nate’s face with shadowed, stormy steel, smug and content. “I have to share a little bit of what you give me, don‘t I?” He rumbles with a throaty purr of his voice.

'cause if you knew his name, not a thing would change
you'd still be wishing you were blessed

- NATE -

but who am I to say?
let's all just run away

Sunjata seems to be content with the results of his little tests, for a moment at least. All Nate needs is a moment to catch his proverbial breath, to let the trembling in his limbs subside, to lean into the gentle again kisses. It’s nice to be doted on a little, to have someone treat him softly.

Though it seems all Nate gets is that moment, the claws and tongue coming back, working him together. There’s nothing to quite get used to, the sensation too new, too all over the place, intentionally. ”Prick.” He manages to hiss out, hips rolling up into the claws, his head tilting to allow Sunjata more access. There was an attempt, a struggle to get something else intelligible out, but Nate couldn’t quite manage, a low laugh leaving him instead, stumbling along as the attuned drew electric feeling through him.

grab your saints and pray
and we'll burn this world today

SUNJATA

the flood

i can't believe that you could just say
that "the answers unlock this gate"

He leans into the touch, and Sunjata can’t help the slight smirk to his lips as Nate grows a bit more unsuspecting. But then his hands are moving again, lips and rough tongue raking along those wounds all at the same time, searching for some sort of reaction with it and Nate’s deadened senses.

And a reaction he certainly gets. His hands still occasionally, one hand finding Nate’s hair as the word slips from the Ascended’s lips. And Sunjata starts again with a quiet hum of amusement. The clawed hand possessively drifts down again toward the hips that press toward him, tongue raking again along those wounds and lower against smooth skin, sharp like sandpaper. The hand in his hair pulls and tugs, angling Nate’s head to expose more of the man’s neck and shoulders to the attuned.

And finally, he pulls away from the lines and the wounds drawn into the Ascended’s skin, smug as a cat, to press soft kisses to Nate’s jaw.

'cause if you knew his name, not a thing would change
you'd still be wishing you were blessed

- NATE -

but who am I to say?
let's all just run away

Though he's been growing more and more comfortable with the idea of not being in control of every interaction he has, Nate is surprised by how easy it is to just give in with Sunjata. To roll his hips, to let soft groans leave him, to let the hand in his hair pull his head to the side. To do nothing more with his own hands than let them stroke down along the attuneds side, fingers shaking and squeezing as they go.

It's only because Nate doesn't need to catch his breath that he can turn his head that little bit more, can capture the other man's lips against his own instead of letting them flutter over his jaw. An arm comes back up, tracing along the lines of Sunjata's body as it does, to wrap around his shoulders, keep him held close. Nate doesn't pull away until he's sure the kiss has stolen whatever breath the other had in him, and even then it is slow, reluctant almost, his lips moving along a stubbled cheek so his whispered words aren't lost.

"You know... you don't have to give anything back. I do this because I..." He hums instead of saying anything, not sure if he could offer it out again, if it was right to in the moment. "I'm not expecting anything from you."

grab your saints and pray
and we'll burn this world today

SUNJATA

the flood

i can't believe that you could just say
that "the answers unlock this gate"

Sunjata can’t help but to give into the squeezes and strokes Nate gives him along his side, vibrating with the sounds and movement he gets from the Ascended. It’s a reaction, and gods how Sunjata wants to draw it out of him. But he’s still exhausted, still leisurely draped over the other man in a way that shares the heat of his body though Nate wouldn’t be able to tell.

So instead, he lightens up, shifting his attention to the Ascended’s jaw, though that doesn’t last long either. Instead, Nate’s there, lips soft against his own in a kiss that prolongs and leaves him quite literally breathless, lungs on the verge of constricting painfully. But the kiss breaks, and Sunjata rests his head against Nate’s as he pants for breath once again, listening to him explain that he doesn’t need these things.

Which is fine and all, except for the fact that Sunjata wants this.

He hums low in his throat as Nate’s lips move along his stubbled cheek, trying to piece the words together in his fogged mind. “I want to.” He offers instead, nestling his head closer and letting the words wash over him. “If I can. If you’d want that.” A hint more of submission with it, how Nate has changed him in that way.

'cause if you knew his name, not a thing would change
you'd still be wishing you were blessed

- NATE -

but who am I to say?
let's all just run away

There should be a moment, a breath (ha) of guilt in Nate as Sunjata tries to catch his again. His head has got to be spinning, blood loss and alcohol and now breathlessness all taking their toll, but all Nate can focus on is how nice it is that the attuned still presses in close. How nice it feels to have the other man on him, more pressure than heat to his numb senses, but still something, something he wants to hold on to.

As quiet words fall from Sunjata, arms grow tighter around him, the eerie stillness back in Nate's frame, for a wholly different reason. There is a throb in his chest, an ache that rises into his throat, his mouth, until all Nate can do is laugh softly, and press his lips against the other mans cheeks. "You can. You... I do want that." His voice breaks a little, fingers spreading out to try and pull the other man closer. "I want whatever you want to give me."

grab your saints and pray
and we'll burn this world today

SUNJATA

the flood

i can't believe that you could just say
that "the answers unlock this gate"

He doesn’t expect the stillness from Nate to be so… Tangible, at this moment. He’s stiff, almost board-like for a moment that has Sunjata nearly catching his breath in his quiet worry, quiet confusion of whether or not what he’s said was welcome or would be well received, unable to take them back now. So he stills too, aside from his heart thundering in his chest, trying to recoup from the blood that needs to revitalize his lungs and his mind.

And then Nate laughs, lips pressed to his cheek and suddenly that tension that had been growing in Sunjata releases as he tucks himself against Nate a bit more, lips against the other mans neck as he listens to the quiet sound of his voice, the way it almost breaks. And when the Ascended tries to pull him closer, hands spreading along his back, Sunjata gives into that as well – burrowing himself closer and tangling his hands into Nate’s hair to pull back and look back at the Ascended, brushing his nose by Nate’s. “Good, then.” He rumbles with some amusement, lips curling into a small playful smirk. “I have a lot of it to give.” An almost knowing look is given to him, smug and content.

'cause if you knew his name, not a thing would change
you'd still be wishing you were blessed

- NATE -

but who am I to say?
let's all just run away

Sunjata answers every silent request for closeness, every little tug and twist of fingers, and it's still not quite enough, still not quite filling that tactile need, but it's the closest Nate is going to get. And as hands spread through his hair, as he shifts just enough to meet steel eyes, to brush his nose against the other mans, Nate grins wide, his whole face splitting with it. "Oh, I know you've got a lot to give." He manages to wiggle his eyebrows while he says it, maybe not visibly, but its enough to be felt, along with the teasing tone in his voice.

As much as Nate would be content to stay like this forever, comfortable and tangled together, in a strange, blissful bubble, he knows the day has to be wearing on the other man. "You should sleep." It's more a suggestion than anything else, though it is followed up with an endlessly smug "Doctors orders."

grab your saints and pray
and we'll burn this world today

SUNJATA

the flood

i can't believe that you could just say
that "the answers unlock this gate"

There’s a breathy laugh that leaves Sunjata’s lips at Nate’s grin, a slight tilt of his head that causes his nose to brush against the Ascended’s again, before he settles with it, running his fingers through raven hair again and again, against the silkiness within. His gaze flickers along electric eyes, listening as he tells him to sleep and he huffs a small amount, like a dog having been woken up while clearly not wanting to be.

And suddenly, he has a thought.

He slides off of Nate a small amount, a roll of his eyes playfully toward the Ascended but nodding all the same. “How long are you going to be hanging the ‘doctors orders’ over my head?” He accuses with a small smirk, but leans in for a sweet and gentle kiss, pulling away to shift into his panther form where his blocky head can rest on the Ascended’s. A grumbling purr of a sound slips from his throat, tired steel eyes focusing on the Ascended and obviously waiting for some pets before falling asleep.

'cause if you knew his name, not a thing would change
you'd still be wishing you were blessed