( cy just gives him a broad grin, shifting the stalk of grass from one side of his mouth to the other as he laces his fingers behind his head. he gives sasuke a once-over, gaze lingering briefly on a hickey of their mutual provenance, and then: )
[He crosses the branch with effortless balance, then nudges at Cy's legs until they drop to either side so he can kneel between them. There's a quick shake of his head.]
( he reaches for the boy, palm settling at the nape of his neck as he pulls him in for a kiss. it's sweet and chaste — and ends in a playful nuzzle at his cheek, fingers feathered in his hair. he is also absolutely going to nudge sasuke in all the right places to get him straddling his hips, because that's way more fun than just having him kneel. )
Welcome to Casa del Arbre.
( someone tell this man to stop mixing languages, actually. )
[Easily handled, he shifts to fit himself into Cy's lap, right arm draped around shoulders for stability. The kiss causes his chin to tilt up, like he's asking for more — but he's also content to let it be.]
Your languages are all over the place.
[He'd noticed one before that he had never heard, back when Cy was... dealing with the portrait's curse on his own, but given the circumstances he hadn't asked.]
I don't know if you've been to the conservatory recently, but it's overrun with baby rabbits. They're eating a lot of the vegetation. So, I was helping to set up defenses.
Oh, yeah. This place is spoiling me. If I go back to a place where it's mono-linguistics only, I'm gonna be fucked. I'm getting used to just doing the language grab bag in my brain.
( he doesn't miss the little tilt to sasuke's chin, but rather than kiss him directly, he leans in to mouth at his throat. )
Somebody should probably see if we can sterilize them, otherwise the problem's going to continue until someone starts making bunny stew.
( people gotta eat, but — you know, him and his 'animals tho 🥺🥺' bleeding heart animal vibe. )
We'll find a way to avoid that. [The crinkle of his nose betrays that he, also, does not want to consider bunny stew.] We've found ways to quarantine them for now, but yes, it won't resolve the problem.
[The attention paid to his neck is distracting, but — he only nuzzles his head in against Cy's, repaying physical affection without thought.]
( he makes a speculative sound that comes out as a low rumble pressed in against sasuke's skin. )
Eh, a lot of it leaves. If you mean 'how many are you fluent in right now' — I could probably pull a couple dozen languages outta my ass at the drop of a hat. If you chucked me on a planet where a language was dominant in the region and I'd known it previously it would come back to me quickly. But if you mean 'how many have you known in your life'... I usually stay on a planet long enough to pick up fifteen or twenty, not counting things like creoles. I usually do a couple planets a century.
( he doesn't need to tell sasuke that's about the time it takes for him to outlive someone.
he pulls back enough to drag a hand through his own hair, expression wrinkling in thought. ) Probably about a thousand, give or take? Man, the mathematician in me really hates approximating that shit.
( if he were less controlled, perhaps, the earnestness of that compliment might have made a shiver of pain eclipse his expression — instead, it's confined to a slight increase of pressure by his fingers where his hands rest against sasuke's thighs. )
I think you'd surprise yourself.
( it's the only thing he can say that isn't please don't talk about you being in my position. )
[The squeeze at thighs earns a slight shifting of his weight in Cy's lap. He doesn't notice anything amiss — but his next question comes in French, to demonstrate that, yes, he's still teaching himself. And Cy is a perfect practice partner.]
( this time, the emotion — soft fondness and wonder — is allowed free rein. there will never come a time in their relationship when all of those thoughtful things sasuke does don't affect him — and learning a language only because he knows it is certainly right below cleaned his room that one time on the list. )
C'est mieux maintenant que tu es là.
( there's a stroke down sasuke's thighs, and then: )
[He picks up the pieces of that reply, inspiring a bloom of warmth that has him unable to resist leaning forward, cheek tucked in against Cy's throat. A full breath relaxes him in against Cy's body.]
We probably should. Did you speak with him? [And then, more thoughtfully:] How do you... feel about it?
( his arms lift almost automatically, curling around sasuke and holding him in close, cheek resting against the side of his head. )
Yeah, we talked. I'm not gonna say I'm entirely devoid of jealousy, but it's manageable. I think he'll treat you well, and ultimately that's the only thing that really matters to me. I asked him to do a scene, mostly just because I want to see his technique.
( one hand lifts to stroke at sasuke's hair. )
But I'm less worried about you than when we first laid down those rules. You're more educated now, and you've gotten better at articulating what you want and need. I trust you with yourself, and if you want to explore BDSM with him you've got my full support.
[It has become so familiar, the way Cy's body fits against him, the vibration of voice when they're pressed close together like this. The hand in his hair is soothing — his eyes close halfway.]
I'm not interested in Tseng because there's something from you I'm not getting. You're all I need. I told him that you're my dominant, and he knows about our relationship. So — your comfort is the most important thing to me. And if we need to discuss terms again, we can.
[He knows how he would feel if Cy was regularly practicing BDSM with someone else. Handling knives — that jealousy, in particular, well-studied by now.]
I only know how to communicate this way because of you. [A gentle nudge of his head against Cy's.] Anything with pain is off the table right now. I want you there for that. [Not even because Cy first asked for it; he genuinely doesn't know how he'll react to someone that isn't Cy.]
Let's keep the terms more generally with others, but with Tseng — feel free to navigate that however feels right to you, and we can revisit if there's anything that comes up?
( if nothing else — he got a good vibe off the guy, and if he's another person sasuke can go to and be safe with, he'd never put his foot down for that. he can't always guarantee he'll be around or available if some new quirk of the house rears its ugly head. )
We should think about a scene with more structure, then. We could rent a room at Yolk — I know that fucking curse got us tangled up in some things we probably weren't entirely ready for and didn't get a chance to discuss properly, so it'd be a good way to kinda reclaim our agency there. ( this fucking place, actually.
[He nods, mind already veering in the direction of renting a room with Cy at Naked Yolk — and it's impossible not to feel the kindling of arousal as a result. In proximity to Cy, he can't easily temper it.]
I agree. It's not that I don't remember it, but — my mind was muddled during that time. I had no issue with anything we did, [as if he ever would, with Cy] but I'd like to be more clear-headed.
[Leaning back a little, Sasuke considers the man's privacy... and then decides this is something he would want Cy to know regardless, because it's important. So he turns the Watch on his wrist to show Cy their recent conversation about BDSM.]
He's drawn to submissiveness for a lot of the same reasons as I am. Pain, and relinquishing control. But his perspective concerns me.
( that cautious statement makes him raise an eyebrow faintly, and then he leans in to scan the conversation. whatever he was expecting, it was clearly not — the depth and extent of the conversation, and his expression gradually becomes more and more closed off until he finishes the text chain, and then he gently thumbs the display off on the watch, closes his fingers around sasuke's wrist and then just buries his face in against his shoulder.
he's crying — but there's nothing dramatic about it. no trembling shoulders or tremulous gasps for air. just cathartic emotion given form. )
I love you.
( it's murmured soft, and then repeated more fiercely: i love you, like a blood-soaked oath. after he feels steadier — )
You're right, it's not healthy. But it's harder to course correct that with someone who recognizes and accepts that than someone who just doesn't know any better.
[It may not be the reaction he expects, but Cy has shown him there is no danger or shame in exhibiting emotion, so he slides his arm around Cy's shoulders and simply — holds him close until it eases. The sentiment spoken is met with a low hum, kissing the side of Cy's head. I love you too. He will, unquestionably, until the day he dies.]
I think of how that would have been me, if I had come here and learned about the practice of BDSM without the appropriate experience, without you to teach me. I would have behaved similarly. I would have thought rules were foolish, and sought only to hurt myself at someone else's expense.
[Because he's hated himself for a long time, and the punishment of such a dynamic would have appealed to him for all the wrong reasons.]
Perhaps that's why it affected me. And I imagined — how you would feel, if someone disregarded those boundaries. It would hurt you.
( that gets a sharply blown out breath, and then a lingering kiss is pressed to the side of his head, hand slipping upwards to hold him in place, to cradle him as completely as he can.
( he works his way back to sasuke's mouth, peppering soft kisses along the way until it terminates in a more lingering one against his lips. it only tastes a little like salt. )
Thank you for trusting me. And for showing me. I'm proud of how far you've come.
[That last kiss lingers, firmly pressed, sealed over until his senses are nothing but Cy — that lingering taste of salt, humid mingling breath, warmth of skin.
I love you. This he says in French, so quietly it's almost lost.]
We don't have to. But it'd be an easy way for you to get some exposure to things we haven't explored yet — think about it less like something to get horny over and more like... market research.
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I can make it harder if ya' nasty.
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I'll just take my reward.
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Welcome to Casa del Arbre.
( someone tell this man to stop mixing languages, actually. )
Up to no good?
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Your languages are all over the place.
[He'd noticed one before that he had never heard, back when Cy was... dealing with the portrait's curse on his own, but given the circumstances he hadn't asked.]
I don't know if you've been to the conservatory recently, but it's overrun with baby rabbits. They're eating a lot of the vegetation. So, I was helping to set up defenses.
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( he doesn't miss the little tilt to sasuke's chin, but rather than kiss him directly, he leans in to mouth at his throat. )
Somebody should probably see if we can sterilize them, otherwise the problem's going to continue until someone starts making bunny stew.
( people gotta eat, but — you know, him and his 'animals tho 🥺🥺' bleeding heart animal vibe. )
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[The attention paid to his neck is distracting, but — he only nuzzles his head in against Cy's, repaying physical affection without thought.]
How many languages have you learned? Do you know?
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Eh, a lot of it leaves. If you mean 'how many are you fluent in right now' — I could probably pull a couple dozen languages outta my ass at the drop of a hat. If you chucked me on a planet where a language was dominant in the region and I'd known it previously it would come back to me quickly. But if you mean 'how many have you known in your life'... I usually stay on a planet long enough to pick up fifteen or twenty, not counting things like creoles. I usually do a couple planets a century.
( he doesn't need to tell sasuke that's about the time it takes for him to outlive someone.
he pulls back enough to drag a hand through his own hair, expression wrinkling in thought. ) Probably about a thousand, give or take? Man, the mathematician in me really hates approximating that shit.
( a bit of a laugh, wholly self-directed. )
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Your mind is incredible.
[And before Cy can respond —]
Despite age, and time. If I were you, I don't think that I could have retained as much as you have.
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I think you'd surprise yourself.
( it's the only thing he can say that isn't please don't talk about you being in my position. )
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[The squeeze at thighs earns a slight shifting of his weight in Cy's lap. He doesn't notice anything amiss — but his next question comes in French, to demonstrate that, yes, he's still teaching himself. And Cy is a perfect practice partner.]
Comment se passe ta journée?
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C'est mieux maintenant que tu es là.
( there's a stroke down sasuke's thighs, and then: )
Do we need to talk about Tseng?
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We probably should. Did you speak with him? [And then, more thoughtfully:] How do you... feel about it?
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Yeah, we talked. I'm not gonna say I'm entirely devoid of jealousy, but it's manageable. I think he'll treat you well, and ultimately that's the only thing that really matters to me. I asked him to do a scene, mostly just because I want to see his technique.
( one hand lifts to stroke at sasuke's hair. )
But I'm less worried about you than when we first laid down those rules. You're more educated now, and you've gotten better at articulating what you want and need. I trust you with yourself, and if you want to explore BDSM with him you've got my full support.
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I'm not interested in Tseng because there's something from you I'm not getting. You're all I need. I told him that you're my dominant, and he knows about our relationship. So — your comfort is the most important thing to me. And if we need to discuss terms again, we can.
[He knows how he would feel if Cy was regularly practicing BDSM with someone else. Handling knives — that jealousy, in particular, well-studied by now.]
I only know how to communicate this way because of you. [A gentle nudge of his head against Cy's.] Anything with pain is off the table right now. I want you there for that. [Not even because Cy first asked for it; he genuinely doesn't know how he'll react to someone that isn't Cy.]
Have you met a man named Embry Moore?
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( if nothing else — he got a good vibe off the guy, and if he's another person sasuke can go to and be safe with, he'd never put his foot down for that. he can't always guarantee he'll be around or available if some new quirk of the house rears its ugly head. )
We should think about a scene with more structure, then. We could rent a room at Yolk — I know that fucking curse got us tangled up in some things we probably weren't entirely ready for and didn't get a chance to discuss properly, so it'd be a good way to kinda reclaim our agency there. ( this fucking place, actually.
he makes a soft hm of sound. )
Not that I remember. Why?
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I agree. It's not that I don't remember it, but — my mind was muddled during that time. I had no issue with anything we did, [as if he ever would, with Cy] but I'd like to be more clear-headed.
[Leaning back a little, Sasuke considers the man's privacy... and then decides this is something he would want Cy to know regardless, because it's important. So he turns the Watch on his wrist to show Cy their recent conversation about BDSM.]
He's drawn to submissiveness for a lot of the same reasons as I am. Pain, and relinquishing control. But his perspective concerns me.
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he's crying — but there's nothing dramatic about it. no trembling shoulders or tremulous gasps for air. just cathartic emotion given form. )
I love you.
( it's murmured soft, and then repeated more fiercely: i love you, like a blood-soaked oath. after he feels steadier — )
You're right, it's not healthy. But it's harder to course correct that with someone who recognizes and accepts that than someone who just doesn't know any better.
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I think of how that would have been me, if I had come here and learned about the practice of BDSM without the appropriate experience, without you to teach me. I would have behaved similarly. I would have thought rules were foolish, and sought only to hurt myself at someone else's expense.
[Because he's hated himself for a long time, and the punishment of such a dynamic would have appealed to him for all the wrong reasons.]
Perhaps that's why it affected me. And I imagined — how you would feel, if someone disregarded those boundaries. It would hurt you.
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then: )
Do you want me to try and talk to him?
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[As concerned as Sasuke feels, he also knows better than to intrude where help appears unwanted — despite his own busybody proclivities.]
It's all right. I just... wanted to tell you.
[Confiding in someone like this is new to him, but surprisingly easy with Cy.]
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( he works his way back to sasuke's mouth, peppering soft kisses along the way until it terminates in a more lingering one against his lips. it only tastes a little like salt. )
Thank you for trusting me. And for showing me. I'm proud of how far you've come.
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I love you. This he says in French, so quietly it's almost lost.]
... Were you really going to have us watch porn?
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We don't have to. But it'd be an easy way for you to get some exposure to things we haven't explored yet — think about it less like something to get horny over and more like... market research.
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[Fair warning.]
Where do we find it?
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( it's said teasingly. like he needs one, tbh??? )
There's a few stores that stock porn. There's also some in the library.
( he grins broadly, and wipes the last remaining evidence of tears from his eyes with one hand. then: )
C'mon. I wanna see this walking on trees with chakra nonsense. Carry me down?
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/handwaves whatever filth happens after this