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"Leave a missive, but be brief about it."

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[There was no any further attempt to pull away or create distance between them on Richard's part. He stayed seated and allowed the touch on his neck, inhaling deep through his nose he closed his eyes for a brief moment and granted himself a brief moment of indulgence.

He hadn't seen Jinx since her return, but he had eyed the post she had made on the network upon her arrival. It had been confusing and mindless, but that was the the norm for Jinx as far as Richard was concerned. So, to his eyes there hadn't been any major differences in the girl's behavior, so he remained oblivious to her changed stance when it came to their relationship. Richard was partly waiting for the other shoe to drop and her to start her usual harassment campaign against him. But if she truly had 'outgrown' her father's cause... then that would no doubt cause a ripple between the father and daughter duo. All the more reason for Silco to stay with her. The man would need to ensure that his empire would not perish and turn into dirt.

And yet he was here with him, just like the man had said. Whitey might have led him here but he had followed the boar out of his free will, choosing to engage in conversation with him despite the distraught daughter waiting at home. His chest tightens in his chest under the ice.

What Richard wanted was clear. It always was.]

What do you wish to do, then?

[If Richard wouldn't come to him, Silco would move to him now that he noted his hand had not been rejected. He shifted closer on the pew, sliding his arm across Richard's shoulders and moving to draw the younger man against his side as he leaned his face in to press his lips lightly Richard's temple.

Perhaps he had been reluctant to venture out tonight, but now that he was here, he found himself reluctant to leave. Since Jinx had returned, he had not made much time for Richard, prioritizing his daughter given her current state of mind. Yet, he breathed in the familiarity of his lover's scent, he relaxed subtly.]

I'm not sure, but anything with you suits me fine. How have you been sleeping these last weeks, hmm?

[He made a point of adding a small kiss to Richard's temple after the question. Neither of them were particularly good sleepers, yet they had managed to find an odd solace of the activity together.]

I'll stay until morning, if you like. We can stay here or go elsewhere. Your choice.

[And just like that, Silco had worked his magic once again. Because the moment Richard felt the lips press against his temple through his dark hair and inhale his scent, he knew he had no other choice than to let go. Once again he found himself disarmed in his lover's hands and forced to let go of the worries, anxieties and what not that were raising a storm within him.

A quiet sigh leaves from his lips and he presses his eyelids close again. The ice was thawed, revealing an aching heart underneath the frost -- yearning for the closeness and affection. Richard leaned in against his lover's chest, head resting on the man's collar. There might never be love between them and this is might as well be as far as they ever go... But right now that was more than enough. As long as they could stay close here like this.

How had he been sleeping? Well, Silco most likely knew the answer to that: badly. It had taken him some time to get used to the empty space in his bed and lack of the warmth. Sleeping alone had gotten easier, yes, but the nights were still full of terrors for him. The curse would come back to him, forcing its way through the small cracks of his mind and kept him awake until the morning rays.]

I'm tired, Silco. [Tired of being afraid, tired of Joan and her curses, tired of pretending to be something that he is not. Tired of being alone.] Just tired..

[It was easy to experience the surrender, and as always, persistence could be the key to winning his lover over, especially after time apart. His arm draped more around Richard's narrow but muscled shoulders as his lover leaned against his chest, and he tipped his head up as he felt that head to his collar. He made a point of resting his chin on the crown of his lover's head, sigh quietly leaving his nose.

He hadn't realized how tense he had been until that moment when he too surrendered into the closeness. There was always the linger concern for rejection or that Richard might choose to physically remove him. Now, he shifted to spread his legs with feet flat on the floor and his blue eye closed as he basked in the closeness. He could be a different form of himself with Richard, unburdened by most concerns.]

Mmm, I suspected as much. [And he knew it wasn't just physically tired. They both wore the necessary masks to the world, claiming their titles like a curse against the world. He tipped his chin and kissed the top of Richard's head.] We should try to rest. It's always... easier with you.

[A testament to the trust he could place in his lover. Sleep was one of the most intimate gestures in his mind, when one was in a prolonged state of vulnerability.]

[It is a little awkward position to be in with Richard leaned his upper body against Silco, head resting right below the man's chin. The benches were narrow, clearly not planned for two people to engage in this kind of closeness comfortably. But Richard found himself less caring about that. He could feel the storm of emotions to die out within his mind just as his breath calmed down in his lover's arms.

While he knew that they could not possibly stay here in the church for long and risk the keeper to find them like this. But rest sounded way too tempting for him to refuse, especially now that he felt exhausted. As if he had just came back from a long and taxing battle. His body relaxed further, going almost lax against the older man.]

..I know that the God isn't here. I knew it the moment I arrived to this world. He would never choose to shine His light on me. [He's not exactly sure why he whispered this confession, or whether it was more aimed to Silco or to himself. It was an admittance that none of this was real, that he was very well aware that he was still clinging on his own chains of oppression, rattling them in desperation in the slight case that just maybe the God would see him. All these attempts to deceive and play the role of a proper Christian while hiding his true nature once again, all for someone who had forsaken him a long time ago. But at the same it was an acknowledgement that he would not stop chasing after what he desired, no matter how much pain it might bring.

From the corner of his eye he can see the familiar white transient shape looming above them. Though for once, he could not feel the calamity from Joan. He could not see the expression on her face but at the same time he wasn't really interested to look up, either.]

You were right. [This time the words were not aimed at either of them but to the ghost. As much as Richard hated to admit it, the truth was that Joan was right most of times. She knew him better than anyone else, had always known. She had seen right into his dark heart ever since he was a child.

He could not help but remember the last night he spent with Buckingham. It had been the night before the hunt and defamation of his nephews. The crown would be theirs and they would no longer need to show the proof of their covenant. But at the same time, they had been unable to let go of themselves. And Richard finds himself from repeating the same words that his kingmaker had said to him back then:]

Our pact is not sex alone. So... just be with me, Silco.

Edited 2025-02-20 15:20 (UTC)

[He doubted that the brute had thought of making this place more comfortable to limit both visitors and squatters. The pew was fine to sit on short-term, but Silco had not come equipped with appropriate physical padding for a long-term stay. Yet, he was hesitant to leave and suggest comfortable lodging, not with Richard holding onto him and this place apparently holding enough meaning to require such celebratory decorations in the first place.

He turned his head at the whispered words, offering a soft hum of acknowledgement and feeling no urge to add to it. He expected that was a private thought that had slipped passed those lips. Perhaps Richard thought that saying them outloud to encourage the younger man to even believe them one day. Yet, as if to punctuate that this Light not shining by a God wasn't important, he tipped his head to plant a kiss on his lover's crown. There was no God; there were just people with enough ego to think they were one and lord it over the rest of them.]

I usually am right. It's a gift and a curse. [He, of course, couldn't see Joan and had no idea those words were aimed at her and not an observance of the two of them.

He suddenly sat forward, rolling his narrow shoulders to slide out of his thick jacket and shook it out in front of him. He paused at the words regarding their pact, and he looked at Richard, surveying the younger man's expression even as the corner of his lips quirked in a smirk. He shifted up the pew so he could pull one leg up and let the other dangle off the side as he lay down and gestured for Richard to come and lay down upon him so he could use his jacket as a blanket to cover them both over.]

Oh, Richard, this has never been about just sex. I value your company and all of our interactions in whatever form they take. [He folded an arm under his head and regarded his lover, expression bemused as if he were stating the most obvious observance in the world.] I will stay with you all night, Richard. Come, let us rest.

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wrap?

u don't get to drop that on him and wrap :| he gets last word