The Youngest Siblings are Always Trouble (For Felix Caelus)

[smartass_captain]

Usually Jim's on the other end of this situation, leaving a lady to guess his intentions and plans. Keeping people at arms length is safer. So why wait around at a winding down party for a guy he's just met?

For one, Schon is a friend and Jim was legitimately excited to come to this. For two, Felix has been incredibly fun to chat and dance with and not at all what the Captain expected. For three, open bar.

By now, Jim is well into tipsy and enjoying watching the little floating candles around the bar area. He's glad he came to this shindig, even if Felix doesn't come back. All he'd have been doing instead of this was sulking in his quarters alone like he does every other holiday.

He'd come back, wouldn't he? Shit, Jim downs his drink. Why does he care? He had fun. It should be good enough.

"Give me another." He murmurs to the barkeep.

Comments

[smartass_captain]

"You already have me in a private room with the door locked, Felix. You hardly need an excuse to touch me." Jim snickers and rolls his left shoulder so Felix can check it out. It's sore, and something pops, but that's just a joint and Jim honestly sighs in relief when it does.

"It's hiding enough." Jim murmurs, slipping his eyes shut and letting his personal healer get to work.

[conjuredskies]

"No, I really don't." But he does have to check Jim's leg, even briefly. Everything seems basically sound, so after a minute he adds, "All right, keep still now."

Jim will know when the magic happens. It's a golden light that Felix holds centered over his bruises, but that escapes to wrap around the patient. It brings a rush of warmth and a tingling sensation as the pain and swelling retreat, until it looks as if the bruises were never there at all. It's likely to heal any other aches and pains along the way, as the spell encourages tissue to regenerate pretty indiscriminately.

[smartass_captain]

The poking and prodding are honestly less aggressive than Bones usually is to Jim (though no less careful) so Jim doesn't seem all that concerned. His blue eyes snap open at the tingling, and he screws up his face slightly and stifles a laugh. He was told to hold still after all.

"Oh man, augh. Feels like you his my funny bone but like, everywhere." Yeah no he's giggling like the dork he is after a moment, but has managed to more or less hold still, only the minorest of flinches. When all is said and done, he's grinning huge.

"I know currency exchange is weird around here, but this should be pretty universal." And before Felix can work out what Jim means, he'll lean forward and make good on his promise from the dance floor, pulling Felix down to his level if he has to and kissing him thoroughly.

[conjuredskies]

"I didn't realize you were so ticklish," Felix remarks, with the kind of amusement that says he may use this information to his own fiendish ends later. Making Jim giggle like that again, for one...

Not that he's getting the chance before Jim pulls him in. Before he knows it he's on one knee and almost in Jim's lap, sliding an arm around the captain as they kiss. The flush in his face is less noticeable than his smile when they pull apart. "If that's how you thank people, remind me to do you more favors."

[smartass_captain]

"I can be extremely grateful, when I have a mind to be." Jim raises an eyebrow and looks up to the Imperial. "And I have a mind to be very, very grateful at the moment."

If it weren't for the blue of his eyes being swallowed by his blown out pupils, Jim would look entirely unaffected by this turn of events. He's smiling easily, with Felix more or less on top of him, just staring up at the conjurer.

"You want to take a look at the other side too? Just in case? I hit the floor and rolled pretty hard, after all..."

[conjuredskies]

“Mustn’t leave the job half done,” Felix agrees. “The last thing I want is to leave you stiff and sore.” He succeeds in tearing his gaze away to draw aside and pull off the thin white gloves. Easy to forget, when they interfere so little with touch or magic. “I suppose I’ll just have to check that, too.”

[smartass_captain]

"I see what you did there." Jim's murmuring now, laughter nothing more than a few huffed out breaths as he slips out of the other sleeve, letting the shockingly purple fabric pool at his waist where he's seated.

"How long does the wolf stay outside?" He asks quietly. "Do you have to concentrate to keep it summoned? Because that's gonna get real difficult when I'm thanking you for taking care of me like this."

[conjuredskies]

“It can do without my attention for an hour or two.” Felix shrugs easily. There’s the brush and warmth of renewed magic as he runs his fingers down Jim’s other side, almost as if he really is checking for bruises. “Think that’ll be long enough?” He flashes the captain a sidelong smile. “To start with?”

[smartass_captain]

"Felix." Jim's voice is quiet, but it sounds almost disbelieving. And definitely impatient. "I'm impressed by the magic. I really am, but if you don't start matching my state of undress and moving us somewhere more cozy I am going to have to make you. I was joking, dear god do not be this much of a tease right now or you're going to ruin your own reward."

The way that Felix seems to actually care if Jim's hurt is touching. And touching is moving this from fun to romantic. And that is a word Jim does not touch.

[conjuredskies]

His gaze snaps to Jim’s face at that tone, immediately attentive. In answer, Felix rises, catching Jim’s wrist to draw him up, gentle but insistent. Then over to the bed, the covers dragged aside one-handed behind him. “Mm. As if I’m letting you go now.”

…Although once perched there he needs a little more patience, Jim. He’s entirely underestimated how finicky these clothes are. Specifically the shirt. Stupid over-tight buttoned-up foreign costume. Give him a minute to get it open and cast it off like the nuisance it is. Beneath it the Imperial is lean, unscarred but for one faint mark that curls around his left shoulder. The rest is more easily shed before he slides back to join Jim properly, down to his medieval briefs and relaxing much better without the funny clothes on.

No wasting time. He took the point, captain.

[smartass_captain]

It's quiet when Jim comes to, quieter than he thought it would be. He must have dozed off after...well. After.

The party is probably winding down by now, if not entirely over. His skin goosebumps at the loss of blankets to cover himself with in the dark unused bedroom--they should have lit a fire because man it is cold in here now. Funny, he hadn't noticed before.

Even in the darkness, he should be able to find Clint's obnoxiously loud outfit and shimmy back into it. He pauses when he passes the bed, staring down at the Imperial under the blanket. Instinct says to leave, but he doesn't know how long this magical party mansion is going to stay conjured. Last thing he needs is Felix getting stuck in Schon's nether dimension for a year until Halloween comes round again.

"Oi. Wake up." Nudge, nudge.

[conjuredskies]

“Mmf?” Felix has effectively burrowed in and cocooned himself against the cold. It’s a necessary reflex where he’s from, especially for a thin-skinned little Imperial. He doesn’t want to stir, but the nudge rouses him enough to realize that isn’t Stratos’s boot prodding him. That makes him immediately more agreeable to hearing its demands.

The sight of Jim when he turns over brings a sleepy grin. “There you are.” Already dressed, he notes with a soft sigh and a chuckle. “Time to go, hm?”

[smartass_captain]

"Well, I don't hear any sounds from the party, and the realization that this whole mansion was conjured and could go poof somewhere else at any time mmmiiight have hurried me into getting ready." It's a convenient excuse to what he was already going to do.

"Last thing I need is you lost in wherever this place goes when it's not here until next year."

[conjuredskies]

From the way Felix blinks at him, the excuse wasn't necessary. Still, he pulls a face and pushes himself up. The cold makes him shiver vigorously, but it's best when you get it over with. "Good point. I need to get my armor back before they sell it."

Time to round up all the costume bits, hooray.

[smartass_captain]

Oh hell. Jim has no idea what to say. He never does this. He licks at his bottom lip while counting the arrows in his borrowed quiver to make sure he has everything he needs to return to Clint.

"You...want a hand there?" There we go. That's progress. Pretend you're back to flirting and not inwardly panicking Jim.

[conjuredskies]

Up to this point Felix has just been hazily contemplating the cold and troublesome process of getting back to his own camp and the disapproval waiting there – with a vague sense of bemusement that hah, for once both he and his companion are sneaking out.

Something in Jim’s voice makes him pause with shirt in hand, frowning at the dark before he realizes it’s the quiver of uncertainty. He shoots a glance over, trying to gauge the other man and think clearly enough to pick the right answer. He’s a little surprised Jim hasn’t disappeared already.

Not sorry about it, though. And he doesn’t want to give that impression.”

“Ah… if you happen across the coat I was wearing, that would help.” There’s a touch of reassurance in his tone: relax, captain, he's not going to make things awkward. Provided he can remember how not to.

[smartass_captain]

Jim would have disappeared if he didn't have a conscience. Magic is an unknown and legitimate concern for him. He'd feel really really bad if he fucked off and something happened to Felix.

"Oh, that." Jim wanders back to the chair Felix had him in earlier, dropping down on hand and knee to peer under the furniture to find just where all of the pieces to Felix's costume had gotten to.

"You got your costume here, right? So we have to get you to the main hall before this place pops out of existence." Great. Just...great.

[conjuredskies]

‘We’? Felix blinks at that, but knows better than to remark on it. He’s not messing about trying to dress neatly, just pulling clothes on as he finds them. It wouldn’t take any time if half of them weren’t black to begin with. Things like the gloves are easy to find. “Local tailor, I think. If they haven’t packed up, we have time.”

And if they have- well, no need to stop and turn the costume in.

[smartass_captain]

"Wait! I have an idea." Jim pops up form behind the chair so suddenly you'd think he was trying to scare Felix. "Why not send your wolf to go fetch it for you? Or guard it until you get there?"

Beat.

"Well, uh...you didn't stay in costume long enough to get it dirty, so that shouldn't be a problem."

[conjuredskies]

Felix is wide-eyed in the darkness, and not just at how fast Jim’s sprung up. He’s all for using his magic to solve life’s problems, but it hadn’t occurred to him under these circumstances. “Oh. I suppose it wouldn’t cause any real trouble here, would it?” He laughs. “Yes, why not? Hard to clear out when there’s a wolf sitting on your stock, I expect.”

He’s quiet for a moment, but he could do this in his sleep: ready the spell, call and bind- and hello again, ghost wolf. This time it shakes itself as if glad to be back, peering around the room and padding over to sniff at Jim. Heading over to the door, Felix silently orders it to heel so he can give it an impression of what to look for. Which is basically 'my normal scent, emphasis on the leather'.

[smartass_captain]

It's okay spirit wolf, there's a lot of scent swapping in the room and it's best just not to ask questions. Upside is, Jim doesn't distract it again by hugging it and cooing at it this time. He's much too sober to admit to something like that now.

Plus, he's busy dropping back down to crawl around and find those blasted gloves of Felix's. Jim maybe shouldn't have been so eager in chucking things earlier.

[conjuredskies]

You can act tough now Jim, but the immortal spirit will remember what you did. Forever.

Of course it has no concept of pride or blackmail so what you really need to worry about is the Imperial with a mind to gain some leverage over you.

For now he's just fishing a belt out from the shadows by the bed. And hey, turns out the other shadowy lump is the coat. "All right- I think it's just the gloves now. Think I tossed them down by the chair..."

[smartass_captain]

"Yeah yeah, hurry up. I hear you keep your shirt on." Ironic given the night's evens and that Jim is flashing his very skimpy underwear as he reaches under the armchair for the gloves. How they got there is anyone's guess but he's allllmost got them....

"Aha!" And snag! Jim wriggles them closer until he can get a hand around them and then pulls back and settles on his heels, holding the white fabric over his head like a trophy.

"Got 'em! That should be everything."

[conjuredskies]

"Thanks!" Felix strolls over to take them, offering a hand to pull Jim back up. Being this close brings back memories of the night, but he knows the rules well enough. Lingering affection would be presumptuous: gratitude is usually fine, so he gives Jim a smile before he steps back.

The wolf's doing its work: he can vaguely feel its excitement as it tracks down the exact pile of clothes to sit on. There's no sense of hostility, which is a relief. "We'd better get downstairs."

[smartass_captain]

"We'd better get downstairs without using the grappling arrow. It'd be a real shame to get all bruised up again after everything I went through getting rid of them." Jim snickers and leads the way back downstairs.


((Scene? Unless you have anything else you'd like to do??))

[conjuredskies]

((Breaking here is good for me!))