( Balthus' pre-emptive rejection response makes something twist low in Yuri's chest, followed by a spread of warmth at the tender sincerity in the other man's words. He's always known he was soft underneath all those muscles — brute strength keeping a sensitive core well-protected — but Yuri never imagined Balthus would offer him that part of himself as well.
It's humbling to say the least, not to mention deeply terrifying, but if Balthus is willing to try ... )
Yes, you fool. Yes. Don't make me say it again.
If you're really willing to commit to being an idiot by taking a chance on me, then I'm willing to do the same for you. I can't promise it'll be anything like what you expect, or that I'll be any good at it, but.
hey, hey, i am what i am, so i might as well commit to it 100%, right?
[Balthus...]
listen. i already know why you do all that stuff you do, and when i don't know why you do it, i still trust that you're doing it for a good reason. i've got your back, just like always.
you go wherever you need to go, and i'll go where i need to go. but maybe when we're done, we'll come back to each other, huh?
( Keep being this sweet and cute, Balthus, he dares you ... 8') )
Alright, how about this: you can spend your last gold piece on me to show me how important I am, then when you're destitute in the aftermath I'll help you out.
[Fortunately for everyone concerned, "a quick thing" really does wind up being a fairly quick jaunt for Balthus, in part because the distance is fairly minimal and in part because obviously he's got his reasons for moving fast, even with the remnants of last night's aggressive hangover and, of course, a blossoming black eye from where he absolutely punched himself in the face.
But luckily, he's able to make it to the classroom unscathed, and when he does the nature of his detour is revealed, because evidently he's decided to make up for the whole lack of financial liquidity business by stealing some violets from the greenhouse, free of charge.
A lesser man might've performed a sweeping courtly bow and presented them with a flourish upon his approach, but this is for Yuri, so rather than putting on airs, Balthus proceeds to just put...them on the table instead. Like a reasonable person.]
( By the time Balthus arrives at the underground classroom Yuri has finished what remained of his work, but has since fallen victim to a surge of nerves that appear to have taken advantage of the few minutes of silence. Is this a terrible mistake? Should they really be doing this? Doesn't Balthus deserve better than a guy who's spent the majority of their friendship lying to him?
It leaves him feeling jittery enough to waste a page of parchment on distracted doodling, but he quickly tosses the quill onto the desk before him when he hears footsteps approach from behind. Yuri twists, his heart in his throat as he looks at Balthus from over his shoulder: )
Hey there yourself.
( And ... oh, Goddess, he brought him flowers? He stares at them for a moment before getting to his feet, surprise evident in his expression as he glances up at him. )
... You're really going all out with this, aren't you.
( What was it Balthus had said? May as well commit 100%? Guilt wars with the strange, new sensation of being genuinely touched, and Yuri distracts himself by lifting the flowers to his nose to indulge in their pleasant fragrance. It isn't necessarily common knowledge that violets are his favourite flower, which begs the question: has Balthus really been paying that much attention to him for all this time?
Ignoring the way his ears burn as he lowers the flowers again, lilac eyes search out warm brown ones as his lips quirk into a smile. )
Thanks. They're beautiful, Balthus - I'll take good care of them.
[Let us all prayerhands for our man Balthus von Albrecht, who has bumblefucked his way not only into convincing the most anti-commitment man on earth to take a chance on him, but also on somehow picking the right flowers on sole virtue of "hey, these ones are purple". Goddess bless him.
But at least the walk had done him some good, as he'd spent it mulling over a handful of things that Yuri had pointed out over the course of their conversation. When did he get to thinking about his pal the way he's accustomed to thinking about women? Is it really something like true love, the kind of love that his mom and pops found with each other, that he thinks he's chasing here? Why take his shot now, before he's even come close to pulling his life together? And for that matter, is that the right direction to start heading at all, is trying to make something more of himself — or would it be better to just stay the same, because staying the same is familiar and comfortable already?
It's a lot of thinking. Certainly enough to start throwing gloomy shadows over anyone's mood.
But it all seems to vanish by the time he makes it to the classroom, because he steps in with his shoulders squared and his flowers starting to wilt in his fist, and it's like from the moment his gaze falls on Yuri sitting there, the whole complicated world turns real simple again.
That's just how it is, isn't it? And maybe that's just because, of the two of them, he's never the one getting neck-deep into complications like that. Yuri does complications like it's an art form, pulling strings here and there, crafting masterpieces from the shadows. Maybe he doesn't need to get hung up on complications because he knows Yuri's already doing it for the both of them.
Or maybe he just gets distracted because his good buddy's not exactly hard on the eyes. It could definitely be that, too.]
Hah, I just figured I'd make up a little for the other thing. You know.
[Saying "he figured" anything is a bold claim to begin with, but hey, an effort was made.]
So. You were saying something about shutting me up, weren't you? Well, here I am.
( And that's the thing: Yuri will always do the complications for them. He can't not — not when he's spent his entire life having to think in six directions at once, plan for the worst, then plan for the worst version of the worst — which conveniently lets Balthus off the hook for most of the heavy lifting pertaining to this. It's why his own nerves don't melt away upon seeing the other man, nor does he find them any easier to deal with—
Although right now he's finding they're accompanied by a flutter of warmth that makes it all seem somehow worthwhile.
... Anyway. An effort was made, and Yuri knows enough about Balthus to know that such an effort actually means something from him. This is a man who'll be the first to proclaim that his interests revolve around women, drinking, and punching things, so the idea that he rubbed his two braincells together and came up with 'violets for Yuri' is absolutely worth acknowledging. )
Yeah, well. Consider it made up for.
( Yuri scoffs lightly as he places the violets down on the table, before gesturing for Balthus to take a seat at the recently vacated bench. )
I'm gonna need you to take a seat for this to work work properly.
( For a few reasons, really, the first and foremost being that Yuri is significantly smaller than Balthus. As he'd quite like to be able to look him in the eye for this, he's going to have to bring the man down to his level — something he encourages with an easy smile and a playful little pat against the worn wood. )
C'mon. You know you wanna find out how I'll do it.
[Well, either that or he's walking directly into a trap, but all things considered even one of Yuri's traps will probably still wind up being a nice surprise in the long run. If this is a game they're going to play together, then it only stands to reason that Yuri is going to win; he usually does. That doesn't make it any less fun to go along for the ride, and see what happens on the way.
So, he heads over to the bench and drops himself down onto it, automatically leaning back with his elbows propped up and behind him on the edge of the table, his knees spread wide in the picture of casual reclining. It leaves him comfortable, even as he waits in anticipation; if Yuri wants him arranged differently from what he's defaulted to, he'll just move him, no harm, no foul.]
Anything else you want me to do, or don't do? Just let me know.
( A nice surprise, or ... kind of predictable? They'll soon see.
Yuri moves quick as a whip; Balthus need only blink and find himself with a lapful of his boss, one knee placed either side of his hips as his palms splay against his chest. It brings them much closer to eye-level than they'd been previously, which settles something in Yuri's chest, and makes it easier to get a proper read on that ridiculous, handsome face of his. )
Hm ... ( A hand lifts to cup Balthus' cheek, and the pad of his thumb skims his cheekbone as a frown pinches at his brow. ) You've really never tried anything with another guy before? Not even your old friend — Holst?
( Because the way Balthus talks about him, Yuri wouldn't have been surprised if it turned out they'd fooled around in their youth. It'd be encouraging, even, to know that there's at least some kind of precedent for what they're doing; a bit of insurance that Yuri isn't just going to end up a failed experiment for a friend. )
Handsome guy like you ... you'd have just had to flex those muscles and the boys would come running. Believe me, I know.
( He raises an eyebrow, his a curl of amusement touching his lips at his own tongue-in-cheek silliness. )
Edited (You know when ... words ....) 2021-04-09 11:07 (UTC)
[All right, so he's a dope more often than not, but it's true, it also doesn't take a genius to guess that Yuri's next play might be to get closer in a moment like this. Not that anybody could honestly claim to be ready for how fast Yuri can move when he tries, but once there's weight sinking down over his lap, it's pretty natural to wrap a thick arm around the small of his back, instinctively supporting him in place.
And it's nice. It's familiar, too. Women have done this at him before because they're usually smaller than him and he's usually a little drunk at the time anyway and it's always been cute when they do it, and Yuri's not a woman and right now he's sober but it turns out it's cute regardless.]
What's so different about it, really?
[There are probably at least a few things different about doing this with a guy versus doing it with a woman, but even so he finds it doesn't leave him feeling inexperienced so much as just working of a variant of an otherwise familiar situation. Yuri's still warm, and pleasantly heavy in his lap. Still feels good if he shifts his hips. Still feels nice to have someone touch his face with tenderness, too.
Of course, then the topic of his BEST BRO HOLST comes up, and he flusters.]
H-Hey, come on, asking about other guys like that, at a time like this...
[THEY WERE GUYS BEING DUDES THINGS HAPPEN WHEN GUYS ARE DUDES IT DIDN'T EVEN OCCUR TO HIM]
Anyway, seems to me I've been flexing 'em for a while now, but you sure took your time coming running...
( That arm around his waist is pleasant, to say the least. Balthus is strong — that much has always been obvious — but feeling that strength pressing warm against his body this is markedly different to witnessing it on the battlefield, and Yuri sighs softly as he lets himself settle more comfortably over his lap.
This is ... good. Nice. Easier than he thought he'd be, really, which is a revelation in itself.
Balthus' flustering gets a quiet little chuckle from Yuri, who decides to tuck that embarrassed response away to revisit another time: )
Hey, don't be surprised that I'm checking out the competition.
( He shakes his head, his smile just playful enough to suggest that he might not be entirely serious.
Might. )
You get why I didn't come running though, right? You made it pretty clear how much you love women — I figured if you liked men too, you'd have said something.
( A beat. )
And as your boss, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable around me. I still don't.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ashenputtel) wrote2021-04-04 06:21 pm
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really??
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It's humbling to say the least, not to mention deeply terrifying, but if Balthus is willing to try ... )
Yes, you fool. Yes. Don't make me say it again.
If you're really willing to commit to being an idiot by taking a chance on me, then I'm willing to do the same for you. I can't promise it'll be anything like what you expect, or that I'll be any good at it, but.
I'll try, Balthus. I will.
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[Balthus...]
listen. i already know why you do all that stuff you do, and when i don't know why you do it, i still trust that you're doing it for a good reason. i've got your back, just like always.
you go wherever you need to go, and i'll go where i need to go. but maybe when we're done, we'll come back to each other, huh?
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Coming home to Balthus von Albrecht ... you know, I could get used to that.
So, since we've got all that out of the way: are you going to take me on a date?
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before we get to that...i don't suppose i can borrow some gold?
[1/2]
[2/2]
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[spoilers: he was not, strictly speaking, kidding]
i'll figure it out. can't have you thinking i'm a lowlife or something! now, let's take it back a couple steps so i can ask you properly and all, huh?
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Balthus. Be serious for a moment. If you need money, I've got more than enough put away to give you a little extra if you've run short again.
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but i've got my honor, too. i can't have you thinking gold's more important to me than you.
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Alright, how about this: you can spend your last gold piece on me to show me how important I am, then when you're destitute in the aftermath I'll help you out.
Deal?
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wait, is that more like it...? hold on...uh...
nah, i like the sound of it! all right, down to my very last piece of gold, then! but instead of spending the last one, i'll give it to you to keep.
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( It's a little bit funny ... this feeling inside ........ )
I almost wish you were here, just so I could shut you up myself.
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[ i'm sorry yuri this is what you've signed on for, this dumbass ]
only almost? 'cause i may not have all the gold, but distance is one thing i can easily fix.
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Well then, you'd best get fixing. I'm finishing up some work in the classroom - fortunately there's no one else hanging around at this hour.
Join me?
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Alright. I'll be here, whenever you're done.
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But luckily, he's able to make it to the classroom unscathed, and when he does the nature of his detour is revealed, because evidently he's decided to make up for the whole lack of financial liquidity business by stealing some violets from the greenhouse, free of charge.
A lesser man might've performed a sweeping courtly bow and presented them with a flourish upon his approach, but this is for Yuri, so rather than putting on airs, Balthus proceeds to just put...them on the table instead. Like a reasonable person.]
Well, hey there.
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( By the time Balthus arrives at the underground classroom Yuri has finished what remained of his work, but has since fallen victim to a surge of nerves that appear to have taken advantage of the few minutes of silence. Is this a terrible mistake? Should they really be doing this? Doesn't Balthus deserve better than a guy who's spent the majority of their friendship lying to him?
It leaves him feeling jittery enough to waste a page of parchment on distracted doodling, but he quickly tosses the quill onto the desk before him when he hears footsteps approach from behind. Yuri twists, his heart in his throat as he looks at Balthus from over his shoulder: )
Hey there yourself.
( And ... oh, Goddess, he brought him flowers? He stares at them for a moment before getting to his feet, surprise evident in his expression as he glances up at him. )
... You're really going all out with this, aren't you.
( What was it Balthus had said? May as well commit 100%? Guilt wars with the strange, new sensation of being genuinely touched, and Yuri distracts himself by lifting the flowers to his nose to indulge in their pleasant fragrance. It isn't necessarily common knowledge that violets are his favourite flower, which begs the question: has Balthus really been paying that much attention to him for all this time?
Ignoring the way his ears burn as he lowers the flowers again, lilac eyes search out warm brown ones as his lips quirk into a smile. )
Thanks. They're beautiful, Balthus - I'll take good care of them.
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But at least the walk had done him some good, as he'd spent it mulling over a handful of things that Yuri had pointed out over the course of their conversation. When did he get to thinking about his pal the way he's accustomed to thinking about women? Is it really something like true love, the kind of love that his mom and pops found with each other, that he thinks he's chasing here? Why take his shot now, before he's even come close to pulling his life together? And for that matter, is that the right direction to start heading at all, is trying to make something more of himself — or would it be better to just stay the same, because staying the same is familiar and comfortable already?
It's a lot of thinking. Certainly enough to start throwing gloomy shadows over anyone's mood.
But it all seems to vanish by the time he makes it to the classroom, because he steps in with his shoulders squared and his flowers starting to wilt in his fist, and it's like from the moment his gaze falls on Yuri sitting there, the whole complicated world turns real simple again.
That's just how it is, isn't it? And maybe that's just because, of the two of them, he's never the one getting neck-deep into complications like that. Yuri does complications like it's an art form, pulling strings here and there, crafting masterpieces from the shadows. Maybe he doesn't need to get hung up on complications because he knows Yuri's already doing it for the both of them.
Or maybe he just gets distracted because his good buddy's not exactly hard on the eyes. It could definitely be that, too.]
Hah, I just figured I'd make up a little for the other thing. You know.
[Saying "he figured" anything is a bold claim to begin with, but hey, an effort was made.]
So. You were saying something about shutting me up, weren't you? Well, here I am.
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( And that's the thing: Yuri will always do the complications for them. He can't not — not when he's spent his entire life having to think in six directions at once, plan for the worst, then plan for the worst version of the worst — which conveniently lets Balthus off the hook for most of the heavy lifting pertaining to this. It's why his own nerves don't melt away upon seeing the other man, nor does he find them any easier to deal with—
Although right now he's finding they're accompanied by a flutter of warmth that makes it all seem somehow worthwhile.
... Anyway. An effort was made, and Yuri knows enough about Balthus to know that such an effort actually means something from him. This is a man who'll be the first to proclaim that his interests revolve around women, drinking, and punching things, so the idea that he rubbed his two braincells together and came up with 'violets for Yuri' is absolutely worth acknowledging. )
Yeah, well. Consider it made up for.
( Yuri scoffs lightly as he places the violets down on the table, before gesturing for Balthus to take a seat at the recently vacated bench. )
I'm gonna need you to take a seat for this to work work properly.
( For a few reasons, really, the first and foremost being that Yuri is significantly smaller than Balthus. As he'd quite like to be able to look him in the eye for this, he's going to have to bring the man down to his level — something he encourages with an easy smile and a playful little pat against the worn wood. )
C'mon. You know you wanna find out how I'll do it.
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[Well, either that or he's walking directly into a trap, but all things considered even one of Yuri's traps will probably still wind up being a nice surprise in the long run. If this is a game they're going to play together, then it only stands to reason that Yuri is going to win; he usually does. That doesn't make it any less fun to go along for the ride, and see what happens on the way.
So, he heads over to the bench and drops himself down onto it, automatically leaning back with his elbows propped up and behind him on the edge of the table, his knees spread wide in the picture of casual reclining. It leaves him comfortable, even as he waits in anticipation; if Yuri wants him arranged differently from what he's defaulted to, he'll just move him, no harm, no foul.]
Anything else you want me to do, or don't do? Just let me know.
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I always do, don't I?
( A nice surprise, or ... kind of predictable? They'll soon see.
Yuri moves quick as a whip; Balthus need only blink and find himself with a lapful of his boss, one knee placed either side of his hips as his palms splay against his chest. It brings them much closer to eye-level than they'd been previously, which settles something in Yuri's chest, and makes it easier to get a proper read on that ridiculous, handsome face of his. )
Hm ... ( A hand lifts to cup Balthus' cheek, and the pad of his thumb skims his cheekbone as a frown pinches at his brow. ) You've really never tried anything with another guy before? Not even your old friend — Holst?
( Because the way Balthus talks about him, Yuri wouldn't have been surprised if it turned out they'd fooled around in their youth. It'd be encouraging, even, to know that there's at least some kind of precedent for what they're doing; a bit of insurance that Yuri isn't just going to end up a failed experiment for a friend. )
Handsome guy like you ... you'd have just had to flex those muscles and the boys would come running. Believe me, I know.
( He raises an eyebrow, his a curl of amusement touching his lips at his own tongue-in-cheek silliness. )
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And it's nice. It's familiar, too. Women have done this at him before because they're usually smaller than him and he's usually a little drunk at the time anyway and it's always been cute when they do it, and Yuri's not a woman and right now he's sober but it turns out it's cute regardless.]
What's so different about it, really?
[There are probably at least a few things different about doing this with a guy versus doing it with a woman, but even so he finds it doesn't leave him feeling inexperienced so much as just working of a variant of an otherwise familiar situation. Yuri's still warm, and pleasantly heavy in his lap. Still feels good if he shifts his hips. Still feels nice to have someone touch his face with tenderness, too.
Of course, then the topic of his BEST BRO HOLST comes up, and he flusters.]
H-Hey, come on, asking about other guys like that, at a time like this...
[THEY WERE GUYS BEING DUDES THINGS HAPPEN WHEN GUYS ARE DUDES IT DIDN'T EVEN OCCUR TO HIM]
Anyway, seems to me I've been flexing 'em for a while now, but you sure took your time coming running...
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( That arm around his waist is pleasant, to say the least. Balthus is strong — that much has always been obvious — but feeling that strength pressing warm against his body this is markedly different to witnessing it on the battlefield, and Yuri sighs softly as he lets himself settle more comfortably over his lap.
This is ... good. Nice. Easier than he thought he'd be, really, which is a revelation in itself.
Balthus' flustering gets a quiet little chuckle from Yuri, who decides to tuck that embarrassed response away to revisit another time: )
Hey, don't be surprised that I'm checking out the competition.
( He shakes his head, his smile just playful enough to suggest that he might not be entirely serious.
Might. )
You get why I didn't come running though, right? You made it pretty clear how much you love women — I figured if you liked men too, you'd have said something.
( A beat. )
And as your boss, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable around me. I still don't.
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Sorry this took a hot minute, Noct event kicked my ass!
no worries!
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