tramitem_net | (no subject)

"I'm pretty sure being intimidated by kids is pretty normal." At least kids you may have any responsibility for. At least she was ten. Older would be more potentially contentious and younger would be more potential responsibility--

at some point.

The next question made him laugh, though there's some seriousness in his answer. "That depends on what is politics are and how much they come up at family gatherings, but no, probably not. What does your ex wife do?"

"There's a rule that no one talks politics at family gatherings unless it's a very good Trump joke. I don't agree with him on everything but the quickest summation is he is liberal."

He looked for Ben's hands then, found them and held onto them. Then looked back up at Ben.

"She- Catherine works in psychological research." And he figured now was a good a time as ever to explain this part of his past. "We met at Yale, same program and we were both part of the the Peurto Rican Student Organization. She knew what it was like having Peurto Rican grandparents, too." He smiled because it was a fond memory, no matter how the relationship ended. "But a few years after Elizabeth was born, we realized we just," he shrugged, "didn't feel the same way about each other when we first met, more just friends. So we got divorced. I wouldn't say we're still close friends, but she's a great mother and we do our best for Elizabeth. I'm not upset with how everything turned out."

He was more than happy to give Bail his hands and to have them held, though he did return the grip so he was also participatory in the hand-holding. The contact and, in truth, even this position for the conversation were nice.

Comfortable, even.

He does some quick, and vague, mental math. "That's a long relationship. That your still on good terms says a lot about both of you - and the relationship when it was working, actually. Maybe the background in psychology helped." That was a very, very gentle tease. "How's she handled your other couple of relationships?"

"It did," tease or not, the truth was the truth. "A relationship doesn't have to end in happily ever after to be successful. Sometimes people change, sometimes relationships can change, too. Ours did."

Bail didn't think the question was unnecessary, Catherine was still a part of his life in some ways because of Elizabeth, which meant Ben had to factor that in as well.

"She's been fine. She knows I won't knowingly put Elizabeth in harms way which is the only thing she'd been concerned about. She's remarried herself. I like him, and so does Elizabeth.

"Catherine knows I'm bisexual so if you're concerned about how she will react to this," he gestured between them - still holing Ben's hand. "She won't have a problem."

"Am I going to need to get a psychology degree to keep up with you?" That part was a joke rather than actual concern. He was pretty secure in himself, at least, and usually self-aware. That was probably as good as it was going to get.

The rest he went serious at, particularly when Bail mentioned Catherine knowing about his bisexuality. "The important part to me there is that she knows. Don't date the guy in the closet is right up there beside don't date anyone coming out of a serious relationship, with a crazy ex, or experimenting with their sexuality for things I've done my share of and am over."

Not traumatized just - too old for that stuff at this stage in his life.

"I think those re healthy boundaries to have," Bail said, probably sounding again like a psychologist. But still the truth.

"I do have one I need to tell you about-" and he really hoped Ben was understanding about this. And he was a bit nervous about the answer because he wanted a specific answer and maybe Ben wouldn't like it...

"I don't introduce my daughter to someone I'm dating unless the relationship is serious. I'm not saying we should make whatever it is we're doing now, an official, serious relationship. But that until we reach that point, I just keep this separate from her. And she knows this rule of mine, too. She'll know I've started seeing someone, I won't hide that. But unless we decide this is a more permanent thing, I just don't bring my dates around her."

"That's fine. Getting entangled in a kid's life and then having to disentangle wouldn't be a good time for anyone including me, and would just plain be bad for her." He doesn't need to be a psychologist to know that.

He brushed his thumbs along the sides of Bail's hands, without letting them go. "That said, I still think you should bring her to watch the show. I probably won't have time to meet anyone, and I think she'd enjoy it." A tiny pause. "I don't like the idea of her missing out on fun time with you because I'm part of it."

Bail really couldn't stop from smiling. Everything about this conversation was affirming.

"Any other questions? Or am I free to resume kissing you?"

He thought, he really did, but -

"I'm sure I'll have more, but they'll probably only come up once you resume kissing me." That is humor, albeit self-depreciating humor.

Or Ben's charming cheekiness.

Bail leaned forward and resumed kissing Ben. Surely any second Ben would pause to ask another question, but Bail was swept up anyways.

He freed one hand to wrap lightly back in Bail's hair and really paid attention to every single aspect of how Bail kissed, and into thoroughly returning the kiss. Learning and even more than learning enjoying.

Until, yeah:

"Are you going to watch me skate at some point?"

Bail didn't really stop kissing, so much as he just moved his mouth to Ben's throat and between kissing there, said, "I would love to watch you skate. But..." he paused to give just barest nip of teeth, "I will look at your ass if you wear those skating pants." Okay, he might stare at Ben's ass even in other pants, too.

He's totally distracted by the mouth on his throat and his thoughts fall apart at the slight edge of teeth. Enough to make his hand on Bail's hair tighten and to make a soft, surprised, happy noise in the back of his throat.

"So watch my ass while I skate?" he suggests, having missed part of the point, probably. "Or come with me and watch my ass while we skate."

Bail's response was a sharp intake of breath when that hand tightened in his hair, though he didn't stop kissing Ben's throat.

"I would do either."

He slipped a hand to the small of Ben's back and pushed their bodies closer together.

He went with Bail pulling him in, but he also paused for a moment there, waiting to see if he needed to say something or if he could just enjoy.

When it stopped there he went with just enjoying the closeness and heat trapped between them.

"I'll put it on the list when it's my turn to date plan again." Then he settled in to paying special amounts of attention to Bail's throat with his mouth.

Bail moaned - yes moaned - when their bodies finally came together. He ducked his face into the side of Ben's neck. His fingers curled into the fabric of Ben's shirt. He needed to breathe a moment.

And he would have done more but just as he was going to do more, the cat jumped up right next to them on the couch, startling Bail.

It made him laugh, but it also made him realize the time. He didn't want to leave. But...

He took a deep breath. "Is this a sign that it's time for me to go...?"

He laughed a little breathlessly, too, but it was also a serious moment and he needed to get blunt and direct right about now.

"This is a sign that I'm supposed to be going to bed. Whether you stay or go is up to you - you're welcome to spend the night - but I really should probably not have sex until I'm less reactive."

They stopped talking about it, but he knew that he was not entirely clear headed after his surprise body modification.

Bail had to agree that that was the most sensible thing to do.

"I respect that... I'd like to spend the night." He dropped a light kiss on Ben's lips.

He pushed himself back off Bail's lap and stood, but held a hand out to him.

Once he was up the cat jumped down and padded toward the bedroom door. "Then let me give you a fast tour so you know where the bathroom is, and let's go to bed."

It was a shame Ben had to get up, but he had an inkling they would revisit this spot again in the future.

He stood up. "Lead the way."

"Bathroom's just there." It was New York, he was single, there were only two doors and the one that wasn't the bathroom was his bedroom.

Which did have that massive, four poster, canopy bed in it. It was also a continuation of a lot of white, though the comforter and curtains in the bedroom were a pale, icy, blue.

"...Are you going to be okay sleeping in your underwear? I'd offer to help, but-" He was nearly six inches shorter than Bail.

Bail found the white an interesting look into who Ben was.

The bed was impressive and not like his own. But the posts had his imagination wondering just how to use them right. Seeing the bed also reminded him how lake it was and that he was actually tired.

"I'll be fine," he said with a laugh. "If you're fine with it."

"I'm fine with it. More than." He was also tired and, with some lines drawn and discussion had not at all nervous in stripping out of his pants and socks and dropping them into the laundry hamper.

The shirt he hesitated about, then left on. It wasn't a matter of shyness, it was a matter of how much he wanted to deal with at the moment regarding those scars.

Stripped down he turned the bedside lamp on and the overhead light off. At which point Elsa jumped up onto the bed to wait for him. "Thanks for staying."

Bail noticed the shirt and said nothing, focusing on his own strip-down: tie, button-up shirt, shoes, slacks, socks. Down to undershirt and underwear. But instead of the hamper, he made sure to fold everything and put them on the chair in the room - he couldn't avoid wearing the same clothes home tomorrow morning, but he didn't need to put in needless wrinkles.

He went to Ben. "Thank you for inviting me..."

It was dark now, but not too hard to see, still, once his eyes had adjusted.

"Can I hug you?" Ya, they'd drawn lines and set some boundaries, but he felt it was still a good idea to ask, given what Ben was going through right now.

He watched Bail undress and neatly fold his clothes with a smile. The man was absolutely gorgeous and the methodical care was... endearing.

"You can." He didn't say of course, because he didn't want to discourage the asking. He stepped over and into Bail, but actually smirked a little at him. What? He'd said Bail could hug him. Him instigating now would be 'cheating' the letter of the request.

But please, please, hug him so he can hug back.