(SE) it's a perfect storm

SUNJATA

am i being cliche?
saying that you're probably from a dream i had

There’s relief in his shoulders when he wakes up that morning, the light pouring in yet again, the routine of having breakfast and making sure the twins and Kamaria have eaten enough. Then the quick slip out to the porch to finish the coffee, to smoke a cigarette, and once that’s all done there’s a moment of emptiness, one that has him thinking on the spot – it’s Flowerbirth and nothing says spring more than starting that garden and the farm that they had planned.

So Sunjata slips outside, prepares this place in the garden out of the way but still in sight where the twins might be able to play and stay amongst one another while Nate and Sunjata worked on the garden. And when he’s content with the amount of blankets and toys and plush, stuffed animals, he slips inside to wrap an arm around Nate, to press a kiss to his cheek with a small excited sensation vibrating through the bond. “You wanna work on the garden?” He asks, stepping over to scoop Amadeus into his arms, flashing a grin and a wink toward Nate (because he’s not really asking, it’s more of a that’s what I’m gonna do regardless if you want to join me or not) and he slips out the door, hopping down the few steps of the porch into the garden where he moves to place the one twin – positive Nate will bring the other – and offers a few of the toys to give the young boy something to play with.

Perhaps they’d be lucky to get a nap in the shade so they'd be less grumpy in the evening. Sunjata can only hope.

i will put you on replay
you're the tv show i'm marathonin' all damn weekend

NATE

babe, i can't lie, it kinda creeps me out
how you say what's on my mind before it leaves my mouth

The sun rises after another Longnight, and for the first time since he'd been dumped in Caido Nate can say that it was quiet. Uneventful. When he opened his eyes into the dim blue-grey light of the first dawn on Flowerbirth, he didn't feel relief, but peace. Granted, it only lasts as long as it takes for the house to wake up, Nate pressing a kiss to Sunjata before he gets started on the morning routine; cooking and keeping an eye on the children and barking orders at their houseguests.

A fraction of Nate's focus and Pemota follow Sunjata out the door, unfocused interest wafting off Nate gently while he finishes up inside. Locke and Bart are assigned to breakfast clean-up just in time for the ascended to fall into Sunjata's embrace. "I wanna do whatever you're doing." Nate purrs warmly, picking up on the vibes and stepping to scoop up Romeo before following his husband outside.

The morning air is cool, the world just starting to be warmed by the sun, but not too extreme in either direction for Nate to be worried about settling the twins in the makeshift playpen, Pemota hovering over them watchfully. He readjusts a few things, then pushes to his feet, meandering towards Sunjata, his arm outstretched long before it actually wraps around the attuneds waist. "Where did you wanna start, Sunshine?"

yeah, it's hard for me to explain
i know it probably sounds strange

SUNJATA

am i being cliche?
saying that you're probably from a dream i had

He knew Nate would follow him out regardless, but it’s a boon of warmth and light that hits Nate when Romeo is settled in the makeshift playpen with Amadeus, the two of them babbling to one another as they pick up the toys and play with them. Sunjata’s attention turns halfway to his husband and halfway to the garden, barren and hardened with the previous snows and little to no plants since they’d carved out much of it when they’d built this house.

Arms wrap around his waist and Sunjata leans back into Nate, one hand moving to cover Nate’s own as he scans the space for the garden. “Figuring out where we want the plants to go and I think… digging up the ground so it’s easier and not as frozen or dry.” He suggests, his other hand rising to scratch at his scruffy chin, before he leans back to let his steel gaze peer sidelong at the demigod.

There’s a split second before he’s stepping forward, taking Nate with him toward the edge of the garden, pointing to the ways they might be able to separate it out (keeping some walk paths if only to make sure they can water the plants fine and keep them from getting crowded). “What all do you want to put in?” He asks, brows pinching as he tries to lay it out in his head, tries to send the feeling of those thoughts across the bond.

i will put you on replay
you're the tv show i'm marathonin' all damn weekend

NATE

babe, i can't lie, it kinda creeps me out
how you say what's on my mind before it leaves my mouth

"Hmmm..." Nate runs a critical eye over the space they have, trying to remember his nonna's garden. He'd spent enough time in it as a child to picture it in his minds eye, but the specifics are lost to him. "I think," he gestures as he speaks, hands flying and a picture painting itself in the bond, "Vegetables here, the taller ones further away, the corn and... y'know. And I think berry bushes along the edges, and... maybe trees? Fruit trees." The attuned is dragged back towards the house, a cool crackling arm holding him tight against Nate's slightly glowing side. "Herbs closer to the house, and in pots and shit so we can bring them in inside when it snows." It all sounds so... simple, so easy, he can barely believe it. "Some of it depends on what we can get a hold of, right?" Nate leans in, nosing against Sunjata's cheek before planting a kiss against him.

They drift closer to the pile of blankets again, just to make sure the twins are okay before stepping past them. Pemota trills lightly while they pass, stars raining down upon the tired faces of their boys. "We can probably support a couple animals too. Chickens, maybe... I dunno, a couple of goats?" This time his arms stay wrapped tightly around Sunjata while his false ones gesture, pointing out the open space behind their home.

yeah, it's hard for me to explain
i know it probably sounds strange

SUNJATA

am i being cliche?
saying that you're probably from a dream i had

He’s half lost in the imagery Nate paints in his mind as well as the words, trying to picture and plan out the garden ahead of them. There’s a pulse of warmth and admiration at the sight of Nate’s hands flying about, the gesturing incredibly warming to the Attuned, who’s more than content to be dragged back and forth wherever his husband chooses. “What kind of fruit trees?” He asks idly, gears spinning in his mind as he tries to figure out where they’d get some of them. The Grounds, likely, and he wonders if perhaps he could take a trip to the Greatwood to get a few other fruit trees that might not be available anywhere else.

An arm wraps around Nate as he’s squished into his husband’s glowing side, nodding at the mention of pots for the snows. “I could probably get some from the Greatwood.” He says, quite seriously, before the slight snort leaves him as he feels Nate’s nose brush against his cheek followed by the cool caress of his lips. He turns his head just enough to press a kiss to his husband’s jaw, to inhale the scent of citrus and tobacco, paired with the light hint of allspice.

Drifting closer to the blankets, Sunjata nestles in closer, squeezing Nate’s side and watching from his peripheral at the glimmer his pressure causes against his husband’s side. “Mmm, yeah I think that would work.” His head cranes to look back at the space, squinting slightly before he’s suddenly surging toward Nate, readjusting them so that he can wrap both arms around his husband and bury his face into Nate’s neck, lips pressed against his husband’s neck, a playful pulse coating the bond with a bit of sheepishness as he whispers against pale glowing skin. “What about a cow? Or a horse?”

i will put you on replay
you're the tv show i'm marathonin' all damn weekend

NATE

babe, i can't lie, it kinda creeps me out
how you say what's on my mind before it leaves my mouth

Nate has to pause to think, his brows furrowing as he casts his gaze along the space they have, tilting his head back and forth as he considers what Deepfrost had been like. "Apples would do well, I think they can grow basically anywhere. Pears, you like pears, right?" He turns, his fingers rising to brush along Sunjata's jaw in a whisper-soft caress. "I think... maybe oranges, so long as we pot them too. I bet the Greatwood has ones that'll work perfectly." Excitement dances in the static flickering across his face, Nate lit up in every way as he considers it. "Then... cherries, and berries. Blue, rasp, black." His teeth close around the last sharp sound like he's biting into one of the berries, his tongue dipping out to wet his lips as he turns into his husband's touch.

Nate buries his face in the thick curls on Sunjata's head, appreciating all the skipped haircuts over the last few months. Thick, golden contentment glistens through the bond, sunshine and honey and hearth warm. It's the same feeling that had carried them through the abyss dark Longnight, curled together under thick blankets.

They twirl, together, almost dancing through the wild space that they'll cultivate together, that they'll build a family in. "You think we can have that much? I mean, a horse?" A hand comes up to cradle the back of Sunjata's head while Nate teases him, the other one sneaking down the attuned's spine to grab a handful of his ass. "I guess it isn't fair though, I already have something to ride and you don't."

yeah, it's hard for me to explain
i know it probably sounds strange

SUNJATA

am i being cliche?
saying that you're probably from a dream i had

“Apples… Oranges… Cherries and berries.” He hums, chasing after Nate’s words like he’s committing the list to memory. He is, in a sense, even if he’s distracted tenfold by the sound that leaves his husband’s lips with an audible snap that has a smile sparking and tugging at the corners of his face. It only causes him to shift them a bit closer, to tilt his head slightly so that Nate might be able to bury his head into more of the long waves of brown curls that frame his face now. “We have to have blackberries. I’ll warn you though, they’re a menace.” He murmurs, nuzzling himself in a bit more, a physical sort of laugh leaving him in a slight shake of his shoulders. Maybe that’s why I like them so much.

The warmth spreads over Sunjata like a sunstarved plant, rotating and focusing on the feeling down the bond to fill the dark void within his soul, latching on and terrified to let go, unable to keep the amusement from his end hidden from his husband. His lips press against Nate’s neck, shifting a bit as they move again, covering more of the Ascended’s throat. “Sure we can.” He prompts, despite having no fucking idea how that would work. His head tilts slightly to the fingers that rake through his hair, and a spark of surprise lances through him followed by another quiet laugh, a sunburst of warmth spreading over the bond tinged with something closer to greed.

“You’re right. It isn’t fair.” He whines, tilting his head up so that he might be able to nip at the demigod’s earlobe. “Gives me a great idea, though.” It’s a whispered purr into Nate’s ear, Sunjata’s arms untangling from his husband’s neck to slide down his sides, to watch as the pressure of his hands spark out more of that electrifying lightning pulse that appears beneath Nate’s skin that light him up from within. “I mean, obviously we have to fix that, don’t we? It's a tragedy.”

i will put you on replay
you're the tv show i'm marathonin' all damn weekend

NATE

babe, i can't lie, it kinda creeps me out
how you say what's on my mind before it leaves my mouth

"They're tenacious." Nate corrects without missing a beat, squeezing Sunjata tightly and pressing them together that much closer. He hums a soft sound into the waves of the attuned's hair and smiles, wide enough to be felt, deep enough to press through the bond. And you know I like tenacious. They're talking near nonsense, dancing through rose-tinted ballrooms and feeding each other the sweet little lies, but that doesn't mean it's going to be impossible. Not with the two of them.

The feeling that reverbs through the bond is different, sending a static tingle racing down Nate's spine, another one chasing after it with the spark of pressure against his ear. A rumbling little laugh shakes out of him and overstays its welcome, Nate shifting back so he can pin Sunjata with the intent focus of his eyes, his grin razor-sharp and wet from the tongue that hangs out of his mouth. "Sounds like you have something brewing in your pretty little head, darlin'." Hands lift to cup Sunjata's jaw, firm and cool and strong. You gonna share with me?

yeah, it's hard for me to explain
i know it probably sounds strange

SUNJATA

am i being cliche?
saying that you're probably from a dream i had

“I do know that.” Comes the amused purr, the hum of something softer and chalk full of humor, content to linger in the bliss of this and nothing more for as long as he can. He knows they have work to do, but it doesn’t feel like very often they get a chance to be just… This. Not like they used to be, before sickness and war and children and gods. In this moment, Sunjata nearly feels as he did that day in Rae’s Fingers, when they’d found that little horseshoe shaped item for Nate to use – the very same his husband still uses to remove those pesky unwanted Ascended bites that weren’t his.

It has that little possessive bit shining a bit more in Sunjata as he considers Nate’s words, a low rumble of a whine slipping from his throat as Nate pulls away and that piercing electric gaze finds his and he finds his breath stilling in his lungs, bright steel to meet vibrant blue, though he can’t help but to let his gaze dip to Nate’s mouth, to the tongue that pokes out, to the fangs that are both on display and yet still hidden.

The scarred side of his cheek twitches in Nate’s grip into something of a crooked smirk, nostrils flaring for a brief second, some hidden bout of mischief sparking in the steel of his gaze as well as the shifts within him that start to spark and shiver up his spine and through his shoulders. No, I don’t think I will. He pauses, a slow blink given to Nate that when his lids open, there’s slit pupils of his dragon shift residing there rather than the circular pupils of his own. “I think it might make for a good surprise. And besides–” Arms remain tight around Nate’s middle as he surges through Nate’s grip on his chin to press a kiss to his husband. We have work to do, don’t we? I’ll be useless if I tell you and you start adding to what you’d be able to do with it. His tone drops into that deeper, huskier purr again, and he pulls away reluctantly, hand slipping away from his husband’s middle to search for his hand, casting a glance toward the twins that have thankfully sacked out under Pemota’s stars, before he’s slipping toward the edge of the field preparing to shift to start digging it up.

i will put you on replay
you're the tv show i'm marathonin' all damn weekend

NATE

babe, i can't lie, it kinda creeps me out
how you say what's on my mind before it leaves my mouth

You're keeping secrets now? There's a flash of delighted, infuriated emotion that sparks in Nate, a flame stoked by the bratty response. His hands tighten around Sunjata's jaw, the spark in his eyes brightening as his grin widens, shows off fangs and tongue and hunger. Nosing in close to the slitted gaze, he mouths against his husband's cheek, sighing fondly as lips press against his jaw. "I remember when you just did little naughty things, like cheating."

A long-suffering sigh heaves out of Nate as he wraps himself in the purr of the attuneds voice. I guess you have a point. If it's anything that'll make it more satisfying to have my hands on you, I won't be able to stop myself. Not that he really makes an effort to stop his imagination anyway, his thumb stroking along the warm tanned skin on Sunjata's hand. Nate drifts along behind the other man easily, pulling his hand up while they go to kiss the back of it, and to make Sunjata pause before he gets to work.

"You should at least let me borrow one." There's a flash of warning in bright eyes before lips wrap around the attuned's wrist, a lightshow playing across them as fangs sink into delicate skin, and Nate's grip grows impossibly tighter, almost bruising in it's force.

yeah, it's hard for me to explain
i know it probably sounds strange

SUNJATA

am i being cliche?
saying that you're probably from a dream i had

The flash of delight and infuration sparks a grin on Sunjata’s face, one that’s effortless as if he’s getting his way, humming a throaty laugh when his husband’s grip grows tighter, when he leans in close to the slit steel of his eyes, Sunjata watching for as long as he can before lips press to his cheek and his vision is blurry from the demigod being this close. So he closes his eyes, tilting his head slightly into the hands that grip him and the lips that press into his stubbled jaw. “I’m only keeping good secrets.” He whines in a bit of protest, the tone a smidge nasally as it slips from him and his nose wrinkles.

But he manages to pull away, thinking that’s the end of it, humming an agreement and nothing more – precisely so he doesn’t have to deal with the fact of fucking himself up with letting his imagination wander. Nate does well enough with that on his own, especially with the way their hands intertwine and Sunjata heads toward the edge of the property, a quarter of the way into his shift with scales and horns that slip from his head, slipping down his shoulders and part of his chest.

He does pause, however, the Attuned turning back and cocking a horned head at the kiss pressed to the back of his hand, and when Nate’s announcement is made Sunjata has no room to prepare himself. Instead, it’s an ambush through the Attuned bond, a hot white line of delight, desire, and greed paired with the audible groan that sneaks up on him. His legs shake and he tries to push every other thought (all the things he’d do to Nate if they were inside their home with nothing of importance to do).

It clears his mind enough to reach forward and tug at Nate with a clawed hand, pulling him close and pressing himself everywhere against the demigod, burying his horned head into Nate’s neck, snapping at the pulsing skin there with sharp teeth in a quiet warning. You are making this incredibly difficult, hartlam. He purrs, throatily through the Attuned bond toward his husband while hands move to try and grab at whatever parts of the demigod he can.

i will put you on replay
you're the tv show i'm marathonin' all damn weekend

NATE

babe, i can't lie, it kinda creeps me out
how you say what's on my mind before it leaves my mouth

There is nothing in the world like sweet, smug satisfaction that comes from catching Sunjata off guard, all of that pure emotion pouring through the bond, honeyed wine from a golden pitcher. I love you Nate thinks into the tangle of emotions, not caring if they never actually make it through the labyrinth as long as their weight sits on Sunjata's shoulders forever.

They draw close, opposites of a magnet tugged together without fail, hands and legs and bodies tangling together. Nate has a thigh between his husband's legs, both hands holding his hips tightly before slipping lower to grab two full handfuls of Sunjata's ass. Good. It's what you get for keeping secrets. A laugh rumbles through Nate as he leans away, severing the bite but kissing up the attuned's arm until he can nose in against his the rabbit quick pulse of his heart.

Think of it as an incentive, sonskyn. Nate laughs and leaves an especially wet kiss just under Sunjata's ear. We finish this and I take you upstairs to try out the nasty things you're thinking.

yeah, it's hard for me to explain
i know it probably sounds strange

SUNJATA

am i being cliche?
saying that you're probably from a dream i had

It’s an absolute mess in the Attuned bond for Sunjata. It’s a mix of impulse, primality, and greed that’s paired with the underlining thread of indulging that Sunjata takes pure advantage of when Nate collides with him. I love you too. He purrs, shifting and molding to wherever Nate decides to make him. There’s a thigh between his legs and he can’t help the slight hiccup of a sound that slips from him, arms snaking around Nate’s chest when the Ascended finishes the bite, grabbing at broad shoulders and the long tangles of hair that reach that far down.

There’s the lingering after effects of pure bliss and the never ending sensation of wanting to devour him that flicker back and forth in a form of whiplash, his head tilting automatically to make room for Nate’s lips, a low rumble of an audible hum that’s likely more akin to a growl that leaves him. Incentive?! He croaks mentally, a hint of disbelief coursing through him, unable to keep himself from rolling his hips into Nate’s thigh, shuddering with the sensation.

He recovers just enough to pull himself away, his thundering pulse drowning out even the chime of the birds in the trees around them, his steel gaze dark with desire as he scans his husband’s face – cheeks and neck and the tips of his ears red as a sunset. “You’d better promise me that…” He teases lightly, leaning in and stealing a kiss from the demigod, shuddering again as the whiplash continues to wreak havoc on his mentality. “It probably means I’m going to try my best to be quick at this.” Once I find it in me to get some space… The last bit is uttered a hint playfully, drawing the sound out mentally near the end to where it almost sounds breathless, like a moan cut off part of the way through, but the pulse of mischief has his motives explained.

There’s shit to do still, otherwise Sunjata would abandon it all simply to take Nate up on the offer. Let’s get this done, mm? He purrs, pressing his hips in a slight roll, pushing back against his husband’s hands on his ass, and seamlessly rolling forward into the thigh still pressed between his legs.

i will put you on replay
you're the tv show i'm marathonin' all damn weekend

NATE

babe, i can't lie, it kinda creeps me out
how you say what's on my mind before it leaves my mouth

Cool fingers brush against all the reddest places on Sunjata, tracing across his cheeks and the near-invisible freckles there before one hand drop, palm pressed against the constellations of scars and the deep thrum of the attuned's pulse; and the other rises, terribly gentle fingers tracing the shell of his ear and soaking up the burning warmth pouring from them. "Il mio sole." Nate murmurs the words softly, meaning but not translation leaping across the bond between them. He grabs the lifeline of the kiss with everything he has, lets it hold him up a moment longer before his body follows after and he's leaning against Sunjata. Despite his breathlessness, Nate still gasps when they part, his fingers digging into his husband's skin. "Of course I'm promising, sonskyn, you think I'd just run my mouth without paying up?"

Nate's leg shifts, the mental hint taken, thought about, and completely ignored as he presses harder against Sunjata, his lips curling up into a sharp smile. "I think we can knock this out in just a few hours." There's no small amount of confidence dripping off his words, Nate leaning in to press their foreheads together, his hands tightening so he can force the attuned to dip towards him. Maybe less, if we work up a sweat. Suggestion pours almost literally of his tongue as it dips out, flicking across Sunjata's lips as they press just a little closer, Nate planting his foot just so the other has something firm to grind against.

"Let's get it done." Nate agrees easily, finally leaning back and severing the electric current of touch between them, and hating every second of it. But the quicker they get this done, the quicker they can get back to work. He shakes his head, short curls bouncing and holding in all the things he was trying to clear away. You wanna dig some holes for us Sunny?

yeah, it's hard for me to explain
i know it probably sounds strange