"Eh, it's a cultural thing maybe. An Earth-in-my-time thing. I only see it in old movies when the guy and his girl are strolling along some road together, all happy and - " 'In love' is what he was going to say, but he's not pushing that particular button, even in the context of a hypothetical. "- uh, and together. They always dress up, so - fancy."
He rolls his eyes. "Yeah, I fucking knew you'd come back with that." He gets a playful nudge at that as they reach his cabin. Or rather, the cabin he's taken for himself.
"And you can stay right here if you want. Whatever we are, it ain't nobody's business but ours."
"Don't encourage her," he snorts, unlacing his boots and leaving them by the door. He flips on the lights and Mae looks up, tail wagging.
Jacob hadn't brought much from the barge - some spare clothes, food and treats for Mae just in case, and his own stash of protein powder that he keeps in a worn backpack on the floor. A small DVD player sits on the lesser-used pillow on the bed.
He takes his gun from the holster and sets it on the dresser, giving Mae a scratch as he does.
"We had a dog at our camp, when I was travelling," Astarion says, as he
extends his hand for Mae to sniff. "I don't really think he earned his
keep, but he was good for morale, I suppose. None of us disliked him and it
was essentially the only thing we all had in common."
Astarion hums and scritches across her jaw and behind an ear.
"I was travelling with several of the kind of person who would do that,
yes. We found him guarding his master's corpse, and after a day or so he
followed our scent and caught up with us."
He crosses the room and snakes his arms around his waist. "You know, we had some good plans, but if you want to go swimming, we can. And I can get us both back to the boat if it goes."
He lets go of him so he can lift his shirt over his head, tossing it to the little corner he had dubbed the laundry spot. The jeans are next and he turns the shower in.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 08:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 08:38 pm (UTC)"I see," Astarion says, sagely. "Well, I can certainly keep my distance, if you'd rather nobody assume that I'm your girl."
He casts him a sidelong smirk.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 08:41 pm (UTC)"And you can stay right here if you want. Whatever we are, it ain't nobody's business but ours."
He opens the door to find Mae snoring on the bed.
"Some fucking guard dog..." he mutters.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 08:44 pm (UTC)Astarion laughs, a high quick giggle.
"Come now, darling. Are your wordly possessions really in need of protection right now? She's conserving her energy, that's all."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 08:50 pm (UTC)Jacob hadn't brought much from the barge - some spare clothes, food and treats for Mae just in case, and his own stash of protein powder that he keeps in a worn backpack on the floor. A small DVD player sits on the lesser-used pillow on the bed.
He takes his gun from the holster and sets it on the dresser, giving Mae a scratch as he does.
"She's lazy is what she is," he says fondly.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 08:57 pm (UTC)"We had a dog at our camp, when I was travelling," Astarion says, as he extends his hand for Mae to sniff. "I don't really think he earned his keep, but he was good for morale, I suppose. None of us disliked him and it was essentially the only thing we all had in common."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 09:03 pm (UTC)"You just picked up a dog along the road?"
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 09:06 pm (UTC)Astarion hums and scritches across her jaw and behind an ear.
"I was travelling with several of the kind of person who would do that, yes. We found him guarding his master's corpse, and after a day or so he followed our scent and caught up with us."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 09:12 pm (UTC)He's glad, though.
"You would have left him?" He takes off his outer jacket and lays it on the back of the chair.
Mae scoots closer to him for more pets. She's very sneaky.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 09:20 pm (UTC)Fiiiine. More pets may be happening. He was a soft touch around Scratch as well.
"He had a perfectly good pile of meat right there, darling, he would have been fine. But I...wouldn't have turned him away."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 09:25 pm (UTC)He crosses the room and snakes his arms around his waist. "You know, we had some good plans, but if you want to go swimming, we can. And I can get us both back to the boat if it goes."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 09:30 pm (UTC)Astarion leans back into him, turning his head to kiss his jaw.
"No, I like your idea for the evening much more. I'd rather swim in the daylight, anyway."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 09:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 10:14 pm (UTC)"Oh, do I want to see you naked and glistening amidst clouds of steam? Perhaps at close enough quarters that I can't possibly avoid touching you?"
He nips at his neck.
"Of course I want to join."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-27 10:24 pm (UTC)He lets go of him so he can lift his shirt over his head, tossing it to the little corner he had dubbed the laundry spot. The jeans are next and he turns the shower in.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 06:13 pm (UTC)Astarion laughs and goes about stripping himself likewise, tossing his own clothes onto the bed.
"If I ever get to pick some somewhere after the Barge, it'll have to have hot running water. I don't think I can do without it, now."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 06:27 pm (UTC)He steps into the shower and leans back with a happy sort of sigh.
"Shit like this is what I try to avoid."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 06:46 pm (UTC)Astarion steps under the spray with him, making a soft sound of pleasure as warm water washes over his cool, pale skin.
"Your home doesn't have much to recommend it, it sometimes seems."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 06:49 pm (UTC)His hands rest on Astarion's hips.
"Assuming I ever graduate."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 06:55 pm (UTC)"Mm."
That's always the rub, isn't it? He steps in close, head resting on Jacob's shoulder.
"You've never thought about...other options? Going somewhere else altogether, somewhere less...fragile?"
no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 07:02 pm (UTC)He keeps himself close. "I don't know what I'd do there."
no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 08:50 pm (UTC)"Whatever you wanted," Astarion suggests. "Anything at all. Doesn't that have some appeal?"
no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 08:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 09:31 pm (UTC)He closes his eyes, humming at the touch.
"That's just the thing, darling. I can just...wake up on any given morning and decide to follow whatever whims take me. I don't have to limit myself."
He has no fucking idea.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 09:43 pm (UTC)He pulls back and kisses him there, right under the shower spray.
"What do you want?"
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: