Christian and Liam. Distractions.
Feb. 9th, 2005 11:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
palacechristianChristian left the tray of dirty dishes on the dining table, figuring one of the kitchen staff would find it there, then pondered what to do next. He padded down the hall, 'listening' to the house's relative silence and locating the presence he sought with little trouble. He stopped in front of a panelled door, cracking it open and sticking his head in. "Hi," he said. "Got a minute?"
Liam lifted his head from where it was resting on one arm of the sofa in his study. "Lisa told me you were back." He lifted his glass in the direction of his desk, where a half-empty bottle sat. "Help yourself if you like. There's another glass in the lower left drawer."
Christian nodded and opened the door fully, making sure to close it behind him. He wandered over and got the glass out of the drawer, poured himself a measure and went and sat on the floor in front of Liam's sofa, drawing his legs up and resting his head on the cushions, almost touching Liam's legs. "How you doing?" he asked after taking a sip.
"Fine, fine! One of my patients beat the shit out of my apprentice today an' I didn't see it coming -- either Linus doing the beating nor Johnny allowing it. Not a clue. To insight!" He raised his glass and sipped. "I felt it, you know," he said in a conversational tone. "I felt him throwing off anger and shame like a Roman candle and I ignored it. It's not that unusual for him and I didn't feel a second person nearby, figured he was working off some anger by himself." He snorted. "Half right, anyway. Fuck."
"Can't get em all every time, Liam," Christian said mildly. He raised a hand to rest on Liam's thigh, stroking lightly in comfort. "Not even you."
"Dammit, I know that!" Liam roared, then stopped and slumped back against the arm of the sofa and stared at the ceiling. "Fuck. Sorry." He pressed the glass, now mainly full of ice, against his forehead. "I do know that and right now it doesn't help. Everyone needs a bit of wallowing time before their rational side can kick in, even us shrinks. I'll be fine in the morning, have the talk with the boy I should've had this evening, instead of yelling and punching."
"Looks like you've done your share anyway." Christian moved his hand across to where Liam's other hand lay limp by his side, the back of it beginning to discolor. He picked it up and stroked with his thumb, subtly sending Healing into the torn tissue while he talked. "He's learned what he needed to," he said casually. "Did what he could in a bad situation but he's figured out that he should maybe have taken the other options. Go easy, Liam," he added. "He knows now."
Liam took a breath and let flow out, relaxing slightly. "He does, does he? How'd you manage that, then? He was so sure he was right this evening he was all but yelling back at me and I was wondering who the hell'd done a brain transplant on the boy because that couldn't possibly be my Johnny."
Chuckling, Christian moved onto his knees and then up to sit beside Liam's prone form. He preferred sitting on the floor, but the position was too awkward for this conversation. "Didn't know that was there, eh? Trust me, Johnny can be very... determined when he believes in something. But he's smart too, you know that. I didn't say a thing, he worked it out all on his own." He could feel the swelling beginning to subside in the tissue and so he left it to finish the job on it's own, setting his Gift toward the blood flow and diffusing the bruises that were forming.
Liam glanced down at his hand, held lightly in one of Christian's, then did a double-take, startled. "Well, you're a handy lad to have about, aren't you?" He drained his glass and set it down on the coffee table. "Of course he's smart, wouldn't have taken him on otherwise. And the determination, too -- just never had it set against me before." He gave a snort of laughter. "Reminds me of when my oldest hit eleven or so. Didn't punch anything then, though; must be regressing in my old age."
Christian just smiled and finished his own drink, copying Liam's actions with the empty glass. Then he picked Liam's hand up and held it in his lap, stroking lightly upward with the palm of his hand, curving around the wristbone and sliding a little higher, making certain he'd dispersed the worst of the swelling.
The action was soothing, not only for Liam's poor hand, but for himself as well and he just lost himself in it for a little while, quite happy not to speak, his head bent, eyes dreamy as he let his thoughts wander.
Liam just sat for a while, his eyes at half-mast, enjoying the comforting warmth running through his hand and up his arm. Finally he shifted a bit, rolling his shoulders, and looked over at Christian. "So how was your day? Less exciting than ours I trust?"
Christian gave a soft snort and rolled his eyes, coming back slowly from his daze. "You saved me only to drop me face-first in the Very Hells of Boredom," he said. "I dunno where folk get this idea that being a Prince is fun, this particular Prince'd rather be digging ditches at this point in time." He stopped his stroking and surveyed his handiwork. "There," he said softly. "That should do it.
"Heh. People need to believe that fun, glamorous lives exist. Gives 'em something to dream about. Ask a vidstar some time how much fun they have on a daily basis. Or a professional athlete." He clenched his hand into a fist, then flexed and twisted it. "Lovely job, my thanks." Then he grinned and added, "If the crown is ever overthrown during my lifetime, I've an in with a couple of hospital chiefs of staff -- I'll put in a word for you."
That made Christian smile and he gave his old mentor a fond look as he slid off the couch again and back onto his knees, elbows crossed in front of him and his body almost even with where Liam was laying. "Thank you," he said softly. "I never got to say it properly. I owe you. Thank you."
Liam gave him a fond smile and stroked his hair with one big hand. "You're very welcome, lad. It would've hurt to lose you."
Unconsciously pushing into the touch, Christian's smile lingered. "I'm sorry you had to do it. I feel so damned guilty when I think about it. My own stupid fault, you know? Not realising what'd happened." He sighed. "'Nother lesson learned, eh?"
"So I would hope," Liam said lightly. "It's certainly a self-reinforcing one." He laid an arm around Christian's shoulders and hugged him for a moment, pressing a kiss into his hair.
Suddenly embarrassed by the semi-maudlin turn his conversation had taken, Christian flushed and muttered something incomprehensible as Liam released him, moving back just slightly, enough that he could rest once again on his elbows.
Liam raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? What's embarrassing about blowing up a rock, or whatever it is you were doing today?"
"Not that." Christian's smile was somewhat self-deprecating. "Although being made to press a button marked, 'Boom!' is somewhat demeaning. I was thinking about how I began today being embarrassed almost to the point of dying of it and now I'm ending the day on the same note. I'm a lost bloody cause, I am." He chuckled, burying his face in the nearest hiding spot, which happened to be the side of Liam's throat.
Liam chuckled back and put his arms around the boy, rubbing slowly up and down his back. "And what's been happening that's so terrible, hmm?"
Christian 'sent' it to him, the whole miserable tale. Johnny, Adrian, Harry's grand entrance with the 'virgin kitty', the entire thing. And then he wiggled even closer, as if for comfort's sake, breathing in Liam's own scent and bringing back memories enough to make his cock twitch and his priorities switch. But he wasn't sure and pressed a kiss to the pulsing vein at Liam's throat, hand curling where it rested on Liam's opposite shoulder and gripping tighter, curving over bone.
Liam did an admirable job of not laughing, but Christian could feel his shoulders shaking, just a little. What he said was, "The boys are right, you know. You're every bit as handsome as your baby brother, just in a different way. And you're adorable when you're bashful." He tipped Christian's face up, forcing him to meet his eyes, ignoring his blushing, then drew the back of a finger down his cheek and along his jawline. Then slowly, very slowly, he lowered his head and kissed him.
Christian blushed even harder, but didn’t have it in him to register a complaint. Moving even closer, finding the places where he fit against the familiar frame, Christian melted into the kiss, content as always to let Liam lead. He sighed, lips parting, one leg drawn up to drape across Liam's, his head tipped back, eyes closed.
Liam deepened the kiss, re-exploring terrain once fondly familiar, while his hands did the same across the boy's bare torso. He eased them down on the sofa until a last twist and shift brought him on top of the pliant body, sliding between spreading thighs, his hands closing around upturned wrists. "I've missed you, lad," he growled, then swooped in for a deep, plundering kiss.
Christian moaned and pressed up against the hard, body above, testing the resistance where his wrists were held, delighting in the restraint. "Missed this," he whispered in return. "Missed you."
Liam lifted his head from where it was resting on one arm of the sofa in his study. "Lisa told me you were back." He lifted his glass in the direction of his desk, where a half-empty bottle sat. "Help yourself if you like. There's another glass in the lower left drawer."
Christian nodded and opened the door fully, making sure to close it behind him. He wandered over and got the glass out of the drawer, poured himself a measure and went and sat on the floor in front of Liam's sofa, drawing his legs up and resting his head on the cushions, almost touching Liam's legs. "How you doing?" he asked after taking a sip.
"Fine, fine! One of my patients beat the shit out of my apprentice today an' I didn't see it coming -- either Linus doing the beating nor Johnny allowing it. Not a clue. To insight!" He raised his glass and sipped. "I felt it, you know," he said in a conversational tone. "I felt him throwing off anger and shame like a Roman candle and I ignored it. It's not that unusual for him and I didn't feel a second person nearby, figured he was working off some anger by himself." He snorted. "Half right, anyway. Fuck."
"Can't get em all every time, Liam," Christian said mildly. He raised a hand to rest on Liam's thigh, stroking lightly in comfort. "Not even you."
"Dammit, I know that!" Liam roared, then stopped and slumped back against the arm of the sofa and stared at the ceiling. "Fuck. Sorry." He pressed the glass, now mainly full of ice, against his forehead. "I do know that and right now it doesn't help. Everyone needs a bit of wallowing time before their rational side can kick in, even us shrinks. I'll be fine in the morning, have the talk with the boy I should've had this evening, instead of yelling and punching."
"Looks like you've done your share anyway." Christian moved his hand across to where Liam's other hand lay limp by his side, the back of it beginning to discolor. He picked it up and stroked with his thumb, subtly sending Healing into the torn tissue while he talked. "He's learned what he needed to," he said casually. "Did what he could in a bad situation but he's figured out that he should maybe have taken the other options. Go easy, Liam," he added. "He knows now."
Liam took a breath and let flow out, relaxing slightly. "He does, does he? How'd you manage that, then? He was so sure he was right this evening he was all but yelling back at me and I was wondering who the hell'd done a brain transplant on the boy because that couldn't possibly be my Johnny."
Chuckling, Christian moved onto his knees and then up to sit beside Liam's prone form. He preferred sitting on the floor, but the position was too awkward for this conversation. "Didn't know that was there, eh? Trust me, Johnny can be very... determined when he believes in something. But he's smart too, you know that. I didn't say a thing, he worked it out all on his own." He could feel the swelling beginning to subside in the tissue and so he left it to finish the job on it's own, setting his Gift toward the blood flow and diffusing the bruises that were forming.
Liam glanced down at his hand, held lightly in one of Christian's, then did a double-take, startled. "Well, you're a handy lad to have about, aren't you?" He drained his glass and set it down on the coffee table. "Of course he's smart, wouldn't have taken him on otherwise. And the determination, too -- just never had it set against me before." He gave a snort of laughter. "Reminds me of when my oldest hit eleven or so. Didn't punch anything then, though; must be regressing in my old age."
Christian just smiled and finished his own drink, copying Liam's actions with the empty glass. Then he picked Liam's hand up and held it in his lap, stroking lightly upward with the palm of his hand, curving around the wristbone and sliding a little higher, making certain he'd dispersed the worst of the swelling.
The action was soothing, not only for Liam's poor hand, but for himself as well and he just lost himself in it for a little while, quite happy not to speak, his head bent, eyes dreamy as he let his thoughts wander.
Liam just sat for a while, his eyes at half-mast, enjoying the comforting warmth running through his hand and up his arm. Finally he shifted a bit, rolling his shoulders, and looked over at Christian. "So how was your day? Less exciting than ours I trust?"
Christian gave a soft snort and rolled his eyes, coming back slowly from his daze. "You saved me only to drop me face-first in the Very Hells of Boredom," he said. "I dunno where folk get this idea that being a Prince is fun, this particular Prince'd rather be digging ditches at this point in time." He stopped his stroking and surveyed his handiwork. "There," he said softly. "That should do it.
"Heh. People need to believe that fun, glamorous lives exist. Gives 'em something to dream about. Ask a vidstar some time how much fun they have on a daily basis. Or a professional athlete." He clenched his hand into a fist, then flexed and twisted it. "Lovely job, my thanks." Then he grinned and added, "If the crown is ever overthrown during my lifetime, I've an in with a couple of hospital chiefs of staff -- I'll put in a word for you."
That made Christian smile and he gave his old mentor a fond look as he slid off the couch again and back onto his knees, elbows crossed in front of him and his body almost even with where Liam was laying. "Thank you," he said softly. "I never got to say it properly. I owe you. Thank you."
Liam gave him a fond smile and stroked his hair with one big hand. "You're very welcome, lad. It would've hurt to lose you."
Unconsciously pushing into the touch, Christian's smile lingered. "I'm sorry you had to do it. I feel so damned guilty when I think about it. My own stupid fault, you know? Not realising what'd happened." He sighed. "'Nother lesson learned, eh?"
"So I would hope," Liam said lightly. "It's certainly a self-reinforcing one." He laid an arm around Christian's shoulders and hugged him for a moment, pressing a kiss into his hair.
Suddenly embarrassed by the semi-maudlin turn his conversation had taken, Christian flushed and muttered something incomprehensible as Liam released him, moving back just slightly, enough that he could rest once again on his elbows.
Liam raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? What's embarrassing about blowing up a rock, or whatever it is you were doing today?"
"Not that." Christian's smile was somewhat self-deprecating. "Although being made to press a button marked, 'Boom!' is somewhat demeaning. I was thinking about how I began today being embarrassed almost to the point of dying of it and now I'm ending the day on the same note. I'm a lost bloody cause, I am." He chuckled, burying his face in the nearest hiding spot, which happened to be the side of Liam's throat.
Liam chuckled back and put his arms around the boy, rubbing slowly up and down his back. "And what's been happening that's so terrible, hmm?"
Christian 'sent' it to him, the whole miserable tale. Johnny, Adrian, Harry's grand entrance with the 'virgin kitty', the entire thing. And then he wiggled even closer, as if for comfort's sake, breathing in Liam's own scent and bringing back memories enough to make his cock twitch and his priorities switch. But he wasn't sure and pressed a kiss to the pulsing vein at Liam's throat, hand curling where it rested on Liam's opposite shoulder and gripping tighter, curving over bone.
Liam did an admirable job of not laughing, but Christian could feel his shoulders shaking, just a little. What he said was, "The boys are right, you know. You're every bit as handsome as your baby brother, just in a different way. And you're adorable when you're bashful." He tipped Christian's face up, forcing him to meet his eyes, ignoring his blushing, then drew the back of a finger down his cheek and along his jawline. Then slowly, very slowly, he lowered his head and kissed him.
Christian blushed even harder, but didn’t have it in him to register a complaint. Moving even closer, finding the places where he fit against the familiar frame, Christian melted into the kiss, content as always to let Liam lead. He sighed, lips parting, one leg drawn up to drape across Liam's, his head tipped back, eyes closed.
Liam deepened the kiss, re-exploring terrain once fondly familiar, while his hands did the same across the boy's bare torso. He eased them down on the sofa until a last twist and shift brought him on top of the pliant body, sliding between spreading thighs, his hands closing around upturned wrists. "I've missed you, lad," he growled, then swooped in for a deep, plundering kiss.
Christian moaned and pressed up against the hard, body above, testing the resistance where his wrists were held, delighting in the restraint. "Missed this," he whispered in return. "Missed you."
