Love After Death
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Ghostly on 08-02-2010, 03:45:06</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>08-02-2010, 03:45:06</strong>
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				<em>Gabe couldn't move; he could barely breathe. He clutched at the wound in his abdomen rigidly, knuckles white. Every involuntary twitch or small movement inevitably sent a white hot stab of pain through his stomach. Fuck, this was bad. He'd had a lung full of birdshot once, hurt like hell and he'd been coughing up pellets for a week. This was so much fucking worse.<br><br>"Just grab the scratch and let's <em>go-</em>"<br>"You sure this is all of it?"<br>"I don't care, we can come back later. I don't want to get pinched because you two wanted to stick around."<br><br>Above him several gruff men were hollering at each other, stomping around the darkened room with muddy boots. He recognized one of the voices, or at least he thought had before all the noise from the house and the storm outside had begun to blend together. There was more stomping, the scrape of a steamer trunk across the wood floor, a swift crack of lightning followed by a low bellow of thunder. Eventually there was nothing left but the pelt of rain outside and the raspy sound of his own breathing.<br><br>He fought to calm down, trying to slow his heart rate. Everything was going to be all right. Bullets were nothing new, he'd survived worse. His thoughts were silenced then by another wrenching pain to his stomach. He laughed a little to himself, though the sound came out sharp and cynical. All right, maybe this was a little more than nothing, but he'd be fine. Jasper would come back and find him. Jasper would come back, he'd promised... <br><br>All he had to do was hang on, and wait.</em><br><br><br><br>The sky was clear that morning, promising yet another welcoming spring day. A rented U-haul rumbled down a dusty dirt road and turned down a side street, rolling to a stop in front of a white wood-paneled cottage surrounded by trees. Today would be the first moving day the house had seen after decades of remaining depressingly uninhabited.<br><br>"Isn't this wonderful! Not every day I get to close on a house as pretty as this, and for such a nice young man." Mrs. Hern bounced up the steps to the front porch, flourishing a brand new set of keys to the little riverside cottage. It took a little wheedling to get the antique lock to turn, but soon with a metallic click and a triumphant grin the plump real estate agent ushered Quinn inside. It looked much as it did the first time she had showed it to him two months ago, from the mint green wallpaper to the worn oak floors. The entryway led into the living room and the kitchen, which in turn opened up into a tree-blanketed yard with a weedy garden. A rickety set of stairs led to the two upstairs bedrooms and bathroom. The most noticeable feature was some rather aweful-looking orange and white paisley carpet which ran through the living room. Over all it was a charming little starter house, just waiting to be turned into a home. <br><br>"Are we done here?" Mr. Price, the grizzled former owner of the house, stomped reluctantly through the door behind them. Scowling, his eyebrows furrowed into a furry line. With closing behind him, he was under no obligation to pretend he liked the place. <br><br>"I suppose you can go, the paperwork has all been signed. Are you sure you can't stay? I brought pie." Mrs. Hern turned to him, her lower lip sticking out in a slight pout. She pointed past the porch and into the entryway, where she'd set a pink bakery box on the living room table. "I love closing escrow with pie."<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>13-02-2010, 04:05:11</strong>
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				The boxes were all moved in by the two burly looking men and everything generally seemed to be in order. Mrs. Hern was still lingering about, though that wasn't exactly unexpected, offering pie. Quinn seemed a bit distracted, mentally checking off everything that needed to be done in order to get this house ready for him to sleep in tonight. "Oh, no. Thanks very much Mrs. Hern, Mr. Price, but I think I'll just settle in now. There's a lot to get done, still." After a few more pleasantries he was able to show them out, accepting the pie from Mrs. Hern because she seemed so reluctant to let him go without it.<br><br>He waved goodbye to them, and then looked about the house. The carpeting was truly hideous, and within a few minutes he'd taken out a surgical mask and placed it on, as well as workman's gloves. <br><br>Now that he was alone, he wanted to unearth what this house really looked like, how it had originally been. Quinn had always been inquisitive, and he'd taken the history of the house into effect. At one point, two young men had been killed there, one outside, one inside. That wasn't what interested him, though - what interested him was the fact that some rum runners had lived here, or so he speculated. He'd learned a fair amount about rum running and had been all too thrilled to discover his future home had housed some. The river meandering lazily near the front allowed for shipments, and the house itself was all but breathing history. He lifted the corner of the unfortunate orange rug, then ripped. It came up easily - it had been stapled to the original glossy hardwood flooring as so much old carpeting was, and with the staples half-disintegrated it came up easily. He bundled that up and stuffed it, in two sections, in the outdoor trashcan. Then the wallpaper, but he'd deal with that later. <br><br>He took out a mop, wiping down the floors, doing each room. The sun was fully down before he was done. <br><br>He looked at the boxes all around him, completely unpacked. His baby grand was in the back corner and he had a simple black leather couch and big screen television. One armchair completed the sparsely decorated room. <br><br>Before he knew it it was one in the morning, and his bones were aching. He trudged up the stairs. He'd check out the basement another day - maybe there were some hidden passageways, or something. He headed to the bedroom and unfurled the crisp white linen sheets and navy comforter, stripping to his boxers as he lived alone and the windows all had blackout curtains on them anyways. <br><br>He looked at himself in the mirror the movers had set against the wall. <br><br>He was slim, with a graceful build that was more sleek than muscular, dark hair so perfectly black that it was hard to believe his family was white. He had gleaming green eyes, the same color as the white-green of ice freezing on the river outside, long lashes and a slightly wicked curve to his full lips that gave him an unerringly playful air despite his general seriousness. His hands were slim, fingers long, legs even longer. He brushed his fingertips down his torso briefly and let out a soft sigh. There was so much work to be done, still - the boxes to be unpacked, more carpeting to be ripped up and then floors to be polished. He wanted to restore the house to it's former glory. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>16-02-2010, 05:41:44</strong>
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				Gabe stared at the ceiling blearily, waiting as the world around him faded into view. The hardwood of the living room floor pressed uncomfortably against his back. Had he been sleeping? Probably, but here of all places... Maybe he was just hung over, though, for the life of him he couldn't remember touching that coffin varnish that passed for booze nowadays. His thoughts had a rather meandering pace to them, but he couldn't help thinking there was something he'd forgotten...<br><br>Fuck, Jasper! He sat up with a jolt, scrambling to get his feet underneath him. Where <em>was</em> he? Was he even back yet? He'd promised Jasper he would wait at the house, so he couldn't very well go tearing off into the night looking for him.&nbsp; Stupid... he should have never let him go, or at least gone with him. Instead, like an idiot, he'd actually agreed to stay behind and counted out the second half of the payment.&nbsp; It was a supply run, he reminded himself. It was a completely routine, ordinary supply run he'd done a million times before, and Jasper would be <em>fine. </em>Still, he always got tense when money changed hands, that's when things tended to go south at the drop of a hat. It was the risk they lived with in their business, though at times like these Gabe thought about opening a flower shop or something equally safe and boring.<br><br>Out of habit he checked each of the downstairs rooms, before stomping up the stairs. Could he be in the house? Gabe didn't see how, Jasper surely would had woken him up, or at least gone over to him if he'd seen him on the floor. Though, he still wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, or if that was even what had happened. There was just something odd about the whole situation that he couldn't put his finger on. The thought nagged at him a bit more, but he buried it easily enough.<br><br>And there he was, in the middle of their bedroom, already stripped to his skivvies in preparation for bed.<br><br><em>Jasper... </em>Gabe smiled, shoulders sagging in relief. He hung in the door frame quietly for a moment, just watching him. Why had he ever been worried?&nbsp; &nbsp;It had been a stupid thing to let Jasper take his place at the drop this time, but it had turned out all right in the end. <br><br><em>When did you slip in?</em> Coming to stand next to him, he twined his arms around Jasper's waist, gazing into the mirror with him. His boyfriend had always struck him as having the elegant air of old money, without any of the the actual wealth or high-hat snobbery. He knew with that face Jasper could have swept any number of upstage ladies off their feet, but instead he'd chosen Gabriel Harper, rumrunner extraordinaire. They made a good pair. Where as Jasper tended to be lean and sleek, Gabe was a few inches taller and on the scruffier side of unkempt. He kept his wavy blond hair short, and under a driving cap most of the time. His eyes were a deceptively calm shade of deep blue, and matched well with his lightly tanned skin. Under Jasper's influence he'd managed to scrub up a bit, but still remained the same roguish young man he'd always been.<br><br>Quite abruptly Jasper turned away from him, without a single word or glance in his direction.<br><br><em>At least you could say hello to me! What did I do?</em> Gabe took a step after him, scowling. He might have been invisible and mute, for all his boyfriend was paying attention to him. What was that for? For the life of him he didn't know why Jasper would be angry. He'd spent all night waiting and instead of getting him the moment he came home, Jasper had been sneaking up to the bedroom on his own. <br><br><em>Jasper, <strong>look at me!</strong></em> He grabbed at Jasper's arm, just to get him to turn, to look, just to react at all.&nbsp; It was like he just couldn't get a hold of him; Jasper didn't even twitch. He didn't deserve this, whatever was going on. Jasper was more interested in preening in front of that stupid mirror than him! <br><br><em>Jasper!</em> <br><br>The mirror let out a low metallic whine before cracking violently into a spiderweb of jagged shards.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>16-02-2010, 15:24:17</strong>
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				Quinn shivered slightly as he stood in front of the mirror. It felt like a cool wind had gone through the room, brushing his skin. He'd have to check the room for a draft...it wouldn't do to have winter winds sneaking in. He sighed, going to turn the lamp off, brushing past the space where Gabriel would have been had he been alive. It was as though he was ignoring Gabriel as hard as he could - frowning ever so slightly at the breeze in the room, turning to get into the bed. <br><br>He was lit by only a single lamp - electric, not gas as they would have been - the light making his incredibly pale skin gleam. He seemed delicate, a bit tired from the day's work, a few strands of hair falling in front of his eyes. <br><br>Then the mirror suddenly cracked all over the front and shattered.<br><br>He stared at it for a second, frozen in place as Jasper had been wont to do when scared, then he walked over to it slowly. He ran his fingers along the frame of the glass, careful not to cut himself, though he nicked the pad of a finger. He stuck it in his mouth, licking slowly, peering around the back of the mirror curiously.<br><br>"Must be faulty..." he said softly, pushing the glass away from the bed with a carefully pointed foot. <br><br>He'd clean it up in the morning, though it was...odd. Maybe he'd leave the light on tonight. <br><br>He slipped in between the sheets, turning his back to Gabe where he stood, settling down facing away from the light and curling his fingers in the soft sheets. He looked back at his now-shattered mirror, frowning a bit more. Quinn had the same faintly disapproving look on his face that Jasper would get when something went wrong, that thoughtful look that usually meant he was thinking up a solution or a reason why something might have happened. <br><br>He turned and buried his face in the pillow, then, tugging the blankets up around him as though he was hiding from the rest of the world. <br><br><em>He could see two men coming up for the exchange of the first half of the money. They were big, much bigger than him, but at his size that wasn't entirely unusual. He spoke to them politely - it was strange, as though he was hovering on the outside, watching himself. One of the men grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and lifted him and grinned. <br><br>He went for something - a blade, maybe, but the next thing he felt was a knife slamming into his stomach. It was as though he was sucked into his own body, then, as he was gutted. His face went blank, then he felt blood spill over his lips. One of the men supported him as he died, seeing to fold in half.<br><br>"Did we really gotta kill 'im? He's...look'it. Tiny." <br><br>Jasper slid down the man's arm to fall into his knees, blood dripping steadily from between his lips as his ruined lungs protested the knife that had punctured them. <br><br>"He's got halfa the money. Should be over...grab that case. Leave 'im. He's not goin' nowhere." <br><br>The world swayed and he hit the ground, reaching out, tears welling in his eyes as he died silently. Gabe. He wanted to at least see Gabe one last time...he curled into a ball and shut his eyes.</em><br><br>Quinn shot up with a jerk, stroking his hands down his front. It had been a terrifying dream, overwhelming and utterly terror-inducing. He was fine, thoguh, and he relaxed a bit. He was probably just stressed out from the move-in. He settled into the sheets and shut his eyes, slowly.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>18-02-2010, 02:06:14</strong>
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				<em>Hey! What are you taking it out on me for?!</em> Gabe paced around the room, exasperated. What on earth <em>was</em> this? Maybe just Jasper and his moods, something he would never get used to. <br><br>Jasper merely turned away from him and scrunched up under the covers. He wasn't taking up the whole bed, and had left a spot for Gabe.<br><br><em>If this is about the drop, you were the one who wanted to go. I told you it was a bad idea.</em> <br><br>Gabe narrowed his eyes at him, crossing his arms irritably. He caught himself sneaking a longing glace at the bed. The spot Jasper had left for him had not gone unnoticed. It was barely a sliver of bed but it was there. He had the overwhelming urge just to climb in next to him, and forget this whole mess. He didn't want Jasper to be mad at him. He'd just been... so elated to finally have him back.<br><br>Eventually he gave in with a heaving sigh, and slid onto the bed next to Jasper. When he wasn't immediately shoved off, he took it as a good sign. He'd let him brood, just this once. He didn't get under the covers, just letting Jasper have them. It didn't matter much, he could sleep just about anywhere. <br><br><em>It's all right. I forgive you for being a jackass. I'm just glad you got back here safe.</em> With a sigh he draped an arm over him protectively. Jasper would come to his senses, he always did in the end. By tomorrow morning, all of this would have blown over. Then there would be apology pancakes and various apology activities, and all would be well.&nbsp; <br><br>It took him a long time to drift off, and he spent most of that time just listening to his boyfriend's breathing. He usually wasn't this clingy, and it had really only been a few hours since he'd seen Jasper last, but for some reason... he felt like he had been waiting a lifetime...
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>18-02-2010, 07:41:51</strong>
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				Jasper had, in the past, been known to ignore his lover. Mostly because he knew how riled up it got the other man and he couldn't help but want to push his buttons a little bit when they had gotten into a fight, but he would usually wake up and cook them breakfast or at least spend his day trying to make up his fit of temper to his lover. He'd drive Gabe crazy because he knew that the cold shoulder was the one thing that got him really mad, but he'd always feel guilty and spend quite a while making it up to his lover.<br><br>This was different, though. There was none of the angry avoidance, the shrugging away from touches, the soft huffs but relaxation when he felt his lover's arms around him. It was as though Gabe was nothing but a puff of air blowing through the wind, and he couldn't be bothered to do anything but shrug it off.<br><br>Quinn, though, didn't even know that Gabe was there.<br><br>He curled up on his side of the bed, shivering slightly as a wind passed over him and seemed to almost settle on him. First a broken mirror, then the whole house was filled with drafts? As if he didn't have enough to deal with with this house. He shut his eyes and yawned, burying his head in the pillows, slim arms extended out and away from Gabe. <br><br>There was something weird about the house.<br><br>Even when he slept, it was as though there was something nagging at the back of his mind, something that made this place feel more like home than most places did, almost as though he had lived here before. He shook it off and drifted to sleep, letting the soft song of crickets just beginning to stir lull him to sleep.<br><br>He had always been an early riser and he was up and down in the kitchen by eight, scrambling some eggs and making some toast. No pancakes, only enough food for one person. He poured himself a cup of black coffee and looked out the window, realizing how isolated the house was from the rest of the world. Not that that was a bad thing. He ran his fingers through his soft, dark hair, taking a contemplative sip of his coffee. It was dark out, the sky so black it almost looked like night. It was supposed to be stormy for the rest of the day, even the next few days. Pity. He'd have to use the electricity instead of letting the sunlight light up the house. He flicked on the kitchen lights to brighten it a bit more, and the hall light, but left the rest of the house dark. No point in running up the bill. He watched his coffee, seeing how each sip spread ripples over the surface, slowly.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>20-02-2010, 05:32:23</strong>
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				<em>You better be making me breakfast mister, because that is the only reason I'm going to let you outta the bed today. </em> He bounded though the door to the kitchen, but stopped at the window, scowling at the gloomy landscape. The sky rumbled outside, heralding an inevitable downpour. By tomorrow night surely it was going to be raining pitchforks outside. He hated storms, they always made him uneasy. It wasn't the rain, no; it was as though the storm outside were tugging at him, trying to bring something awful to the surface.<br><br>The kitchen was still in semi-darkness from the weather outside, but the cheery familiar smells of breakfast seemed to brighten things up quite a bit. There were bacon and eggs near the stove, and even some coffee. Jasper was there too, frying eggs as though nothing had ever been wrong.<br><br><em> You're not mad anymore now, right?</em> Gabe plopped into his seat happily.&nbsp; He watched Jasper cook, with that same little serious look on his face his boyfriend got sometimes.&nbsp; Gabe's side of the table was bare, so he waited for Jasper to pass him his plate, tapping his thumbs against the table absently. He ran through the day to come in his head. First they would eat, then Jasper would either apologize to him or at the bloody least say what he was upset over, and finally Gabe would toss him over a shoulder, take him upstairs and make it all better for the both of them. It was that last part that would take time, but that was a good thing.&nbsp; <br><br>Jasper had gotten up, taking his plate and coffee to sit across from Gabe. He just sat there, pointedly drinking his coffee and ignoring him.<br><br>Gabe waited for him to get up again, or at least say something like 'there's more coffee if you want some', or... anything! Eventually it dawned on him that Jasper had only made enough for himself, and that there would be no apology breakfast. No breakfast for <em>him</em>, in any case. Now wasn't that just nifty. <br><br><em>Jasper- this has got to stop!</em> Jasper reached for his coffee again but Gabe got to it first, yanking the hot mug away from him. The hot liquid splashed out onto the table, but he didn't care. <em>Just listen to me! I didn't <strong>do</strong> anything, you understand that?Whatever it is you think I did, I didn't.</em> <br><br>Slapping the table angrily, he got up. There was a horrible nagging voice in the back of his head which was starting to tear at him. Had he? Had he actually done something to make Jasper hate him? What was going on? He was a good boyfriend, he looked after Jasper, protected him, loved him... all he ever wanted was for him to be happy. <br><br><em>Just...please!</em> Face in his hands, Gabe groaned. Whatever this was, it was bad. It was even way beyond all those other arguments they'd had over the years. He put a hand on the side of Jasper's char, looking down at him. <em>Jasper...</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>20-02-2010, 09:30:09</strong>
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				Quinn yawned a bit, scrubbing at his eyes with slim hands, wondering what he'd do today. Maybe explore the house a bit more, or unpack some of his knickknacks. He'd have to get rid of some of the boxes littering the rooms by unpacking them, and then maybe later he could explore a bit more. That'd be productive. He sighed softly and looked out the old windows with their iron separations. The water was eddying on the surface of the river and he knew that it was hiding much deeper currents beneath its surface. <br><br>He smiled faintly and then reached to take a sip of coffee. <br><br>The cup jerked away, the hot liquid splashing onto the table and nearly hitting his hand, making his eyes widen. His shoulders tightened visibly.<br><br>That wasn't normal.<br><br>No normal cup of coffee jumped out of a hand like that. As though someone - something - had jerked it away in a fit of rage. First the mirror had shattered and now this...no, though, ghosts didn't exist. He looked at the coffee and then to the sink. There was a clean dishcloth there and he looked straight through what would have been Gabriel's chest. <br><br>He got up on the opposite side of the chair, passing around where Gabriel would have been as though he was nothing but air, getting the dishcloth. He was clearly shaken, though, looking back at the cup. <br><br>Jasper used to have nightmares, and that same look of fear lingered on his soft features, his pale eyes glancing at the table as though he was deaf to Gabe. He slowly walked over and began to clean it up, but was visibly shaken, uncertain what to do. Was the house haunted? He'd never believed in ghosts, but...odd things were happening. He'd never had a cup of coffee jerked away from him like that, before. Not without someone across the table for him. <br><br>He tossed the dirty dishcloth into the sink from where he stood and then crossed his arms, rubbing them softly. "Guess I should unpack..." he mumbled, stirring himself, starting to stack the piles of books onto the shelves. Jasper had always been a reader, and the house had always been overflowing with books. He set a few pictures out - one of him and Jack, his ex, laughing together, and one of his family as well. A few photos with other friends, certainly none that Gabe would recognize. The only sign that he and Jack had been together was Jack's arms being a bit too close around him, lips hovering a bit too close to Quinn's neck.<br><br>He sighed softly and looked at the piano, running his fingers over the keys for a moment before glancing back to the table. Hopefully nothing else strange would happen.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>23-02-2010, 04:56:55</strong>
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				<em>No, I didn't mean it like that- just-</em> Gabe stomped after him, exasperated. He was reduced to simply following his boyfriend around now, just waiting for one little scrap of attention. He glanced at the window warily as he passed it. It had already started to drizzle outside, droplets collecting on the panes and sliding down the glass in little rivulets. The clouds were becoming thicker, and would likely grow into a torrent by nightfall.<br><br><em>All right, fine. I'm sorry. Is that what you want to hear?!</em> Gabe threw his arms up in the air towards Jasper's turned back. <br><br>They'd argued before, argued and shouted like normal people. Jasper's little girly tantrums were actually quite familiar by now, but he didn't know why this one scared him so much.&nbsp; He couldn't even get Jasper to meet his eyes. That was it, wasn't it? All he wanted was one glance, even a glare would do. Just something to prove that he existed, that he wasn't- Wasn't what? Gabe stopped dead in that train of thought. No, no, no. He was fine. This was just a silly tantrum, probably just a ploy on Jasper's part to get Gabe worked up over nothing. It was that stupid storm, it was getting into his head. <br><br>Jasper didn't look, he'd only mumbled something about unpacking.<br><br>Gabe saw him move towards the piano and stood behind him, peering over his shoulder hopefully. This was good. Jasper couldn't stay mad if he was playing his piano. <em>You gonna play now?</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>24-02-2010, 14:33:38</strong>
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				Jasper sighed and then sat down at the piano bench, letting his fingers stroke the ivory piano keys momentarily, taking in a deep breath. He pressed down slowly, then let his fingers begin to move, starting out tentatively. He always seemed nervous when he started, even if no one was watching, and then he began to let himself go a little bit. <br><br>His eyes drifted shut for a moment and his face seemed to light up, the sweet tune pouring from him in a sparkling slide of music. He smiled, showing a mouthful of white, straight teeth. His fingers started to fly, complicated jumps in notes and rhapsodic chords flowing from him. Music had always come easily to him and he seemed to be quite talented at it but he'd always been shy about playing. <br><br>He'd always been a talented pianist but Gabe was the only one he let see him play.<br><br>His mood lifted considerably, rocking ever so slightly in his seat, the music becoming intense and darker. He leant forwards to apply more pressure to the pedals, striking each note as powerfully as it was meant to be played. His fingers were flying, now, striking a notable pattern on the keys as he played, head dropping back to reveal the slim column of his white throat. He didn't have to think about anything like the odd happenings around the house or anything like that so long as he was playing. The music swelled up from within him, and though it wasn't written by him he made it his own, tilting the patterns of the music to fit his own mood.<br><br>The storm was getting more intense, thunder rolling around the house, making him flinch and strike a wrong note.<br><br>He pulled away and folded his hands in his lap, looking around the room, sighing softly.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>27-02-2010, 05:16:28</strong>
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				Gabe settled down, dropping into a seated position on the floor. A private concert was better than nothing. He shut his eyes, letting the music just soak in for now. The melody was familiar,something he'd heard Jasper play many times before, but never before had it seemed so... dark. Well, what did he know? He'd known next to nothing about music before he'd met Jasper, but now he found it was hard to live without it. Listening to a master practice every day would do that to you, he supposed. <br><br>The sour note of a missed key echoed harshly in the little room, and Gabe jerked awake.<br>&nbsp;<br><em>No, no. Don't stop. </em>He scrambled to get up. His head was starting to pound dangerously and he clutched at his hair. The secilence was absolutely terrifying. If Jasper would just keep playing everything would be all right.<br><br>The storm was picking up outside, the trees swaying and creaking to the growing howl of the wind. The windows began to rattle, nearly vibrating out of their frames. Inside was just as bad, the electricity going on and off with sputtering flickers. Eventually it seemed that the branch holding the power lines hostage had gotten its way- the lights overhead finally fizzled and went dark for good.<br><br><em>Just play anything, please!</em> He couldn't let Jasper stop playing, because then he would remember.<br><br>He'd remember...A crack of lightning split the air in the same second his abdomen exploded in pain. He was tossed away from Jasper, thrown as if by some unseen force. He landed hard against the wall, sliding down so that it was just his back against the mint striped wall paper. Coughing, he clutched at the hole in his side which was already welling with blood. Shot, he remembered being shot. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>28-02-2010, 05:17:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It had been such a long time that he'd been away from his piano. Living in his dingy little apartment in the city, he'd had to keep it locked away in storage; now it was under his fingers again. He always felt so free when he was able to play and it was something beautiful, making him feel more free than he could possibly express in words. Jasper - and Quinn - had always been quiet. He'd never really known how to express his deeper feelings in words and was loathe to put his deeper emotions out in front of him. He was careful and logical and everything that Gabe had not been - he had needed Gabe for that release - and he didn't have a man in his life right now to help him unwind.<br><br>All that he had these days was music. <br><br>He was happy, of course, but it wasn't the same happiness that Jasper had had when he was alive. <br><br>He threw himself into the music an the missed key was harsh, ringing out, fingers sliding off of the piano keys. He felt a tiny bit lonely now that he wasn't playing, briefly wrapping his arms around himself, looking idly across the room. <br><br>Suddenly the lights jumped and there was a flash of light before they went out.<br><br>Surprised, Quinn stood slowly, leaning against the piano and waiting for ihs eyes to adjust to the darkness.<br><br>The next crack of lightning made him jump, hard, body jerking in surprise. <br><br>Then something that shouldn't have happened, happened.<br><br>"What...the..."<br><br>A silvery figure, as though fog had formed a human body just to express agony, staggered across the room and was tossed to the wall. He could see a luminescent smear on the wall like blood. <br><br>There was a gaping wound and Quinn took a quick step forwards as though to help him then he realized exactly what he was seeing and recoiled. He very nearly killed himself, backing into the piano bench and just barely avoiding toppling over it, eyes wide. "Ghost. Ghost!" Not his most literate or articulate moment, but he realized exactly why everything had been being strange. <br><br>The coffee, the mirror...everything was starting to make sense. <br><br>His house was haunted.<br><br>He caught his breath and then sprinted into the kitchen to get away from what he was seeing. Had someone been - had someone been shot here? <br><br>He was gripping the counter so hard that he nearly cut his palm, and he turned around in a circle, grabbing a box near the door and ripping it open. He grabbed a candle and managed to scrounge a lighter from his past smoking days, letting the light flare up, barely illuminating the room. It was almost more eery with that tiny bit of light. <br><br>He crept back into the living room but the image was gone, no smear of blood, no nothing.<br><br>Nothing at all.<br><br>He was shaking so badly that the light quivered and with the draft in the house, it nearly went out. He didn't really know what to do but he steadied himself. Ghosts weren't real - well, obviously they were, but they couldn't hurt him.<br><br>All the same, panicked, he huddled on the piano bench and used his phone to call Jack. Jack answered, sounding sleepy, but hearing the way his name cracked in panic on Quinn's lips he obviously woke up. "Can you come tomorrow? Come tomorrow evening after work, I...I, I don't know how to say it but this house is just..." he paused, then, "No, I'm alright, I'm alright. It's just that the electricity here is shoddy and it's kinda creepy and it would be nice to have you here."<br><br>He smiled faintly, then, and nodded. "Yeah, bring something to drink. We can celebrate the new house."<br><br>Reassured that he only had to make it through one more night alone, until tomorrow, he headed up the stairs and crawled into his bed, shaking just a little bit even after the call.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>28-02-2010, 23:55:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The house settled into an eerie calm for the rest of the night. Occasionally a roar of thunder or crack of lightning would split through the sky, but it didn't seem to trigger anything strange. Nothing moved, nothing was broken, and no more ghostly figures were shot after that. The house remained still.<br><br>The stillness carried on throughout the next day, though the faint rumblings of the storm didn't fully pass until late afternoon. The power had come back online, though it still fizzled out for a few minutes every now and again. It was early evening when Jack showed up, his royal blue pickup truck rolling into the driveway leaving a trail of mud behind from the wet road.<br><br>Jack made his way up to the door, carrying a pizza in one hand and beer in the other. Somehow he managed to balance them while pounding hard on the door at the same time. Quinn's ex had never been one for patience, and being stuck on a deserted front porch with nothing but a bunch of bugs wasn't going to help things.<br><br>"Helloo- anyone home? Quinn?" He leaned over to look through one of the windows into the interior of the house. The power was on again, so the house was lit.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>01-03-2010, 01:40:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Quinn finally managed to drift off to sleep, with no ghosts, and no nightmares. At least there was that.<br><br>He got up the next day and cleaned the house, got everything that hadn't been unpacked, unpacked. He sighed softly and arranged the last few books on a shelf and then heard Jack banging at the door. <br><br>The sun was going down, and he hurried to the door, hearing Jack banging away.<br><br>"Coming, coming!" <br><br>He hurried from the back of the house to the front door, swinging it open and letting Jack in. He took the pizza and beer, setting them in the kitchen, hurrying up to Jack and tossing his arms around him in a quick, but tight, hug. He was scared, and Jack could probably feel at least a bit of that as he pressed his body tightly against Jack's. He took comfort in the physical contact.<br><br>"Hey," he said, drawing back with a shy smile. "It's good to see you." <br><br>He and Jack hadn't worked out because of Jack's attitude, but all the same it was good to see him. It was nice to know that Jack would still come when he called and Quinn had a certain softness about him, an affection that he used to get when Gabe was around.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>01-03-2010, 02:59:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Good to see you too," Jack grinned at him and hugged him back. "Took me forever to find this place, what did you get a house way out here for? Nice though, I guess."<br><br>He followed Quinn into the kitchen, grabbing one of the beers. Twisting the cap off deftly he took a swig. He'd gotten a premium German beer, dark, bitter and expensive with a surprisingly high alcohol content. It was actually very thoughtfully selected for the occasion, somewhat odd for his character but nice nonetheless. Jack usually wasn't the type for presents. "You sounded kind of freaked on the phone. "<br><br>Somewhere in the middle of the house, Gabe lurched up into a sitting position, clutching his pounding head. Crap, what time was it? What happened? What was he doing on the living room floor? He'd been doing <em>something</em>, something important, but... he was drawing a blank. Most likely he'd just done something stupid. He did have a bottle of Scotch whiskey lying around somewhere, but he didn't remember drinking any of it. That didn't mean much, he probably wouldn't have remembered anyway. The suff was mostly poison by now.&nbsp; That's what he got for possibly drinking liquor that was brewed in a bathtub. He'd just sit here and not move for a bit, that was a good idea. Both his stomach and his head were killing him.<br><br>He shook his head as though that would help to clear his thoughts somehow. He'd been counting the money, that was it. It was the second half of the money for a shipment, gin this time. The first half was always on good faith, and the second for the full shipment. It was an arrangement he'd gone through a million times before. Except, usually he was the one who took it down to the docks, but Jasper had been stubborn about it; he'd wanted to go instead. It had been dumb to let him, but it wasn't like it was really dangerous, and he should be back any...<br><br>Fuck, Jasper! Where was he, wasn't he back yet? He needed to go and check the house, right now. Gabe started to get up, but something stopped him.<br><br>No, that was wrong. Gabe slowly sat back down. Jasper <em>was</em> home. His boyfriend had gotten home a while ago. He was already here, and eventually he would probably show up and either pretend to be concerned or lecture Gabe on getting drunk. Jasper was absolutely fine. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>01-03-2010, 04:55:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jack looked good, Quinn mused. It'd been a while since he'd last seen him, and he shrugged when asked why he got a place so far from the city, smiling. "You know me. I've always liked being far away from the city...too busy out there. Plus, it was nice to be able to afford an actual house instead of renting an apartment." <br><br>He looked at the beer, turning it between his fingers, opening it and taking a slow sip. He didn't quite realize the alcohol content and he had one down before he'd really realized it - in a way, searching for an escape from the creepiness of the house through the beer. He tossed it in the trashcan and smiled, "Thanks. It's really good beer, by the way..."<br><br>He popped open a second one, already feeling a slight buzz, standing near Jack.<br><br>"Yeah, I guess. This house is a bit creepy at night...weird stuff seems to happen," he said, then shrugged. <br><br>The pizza was eaten, slowly, and he caught up with Jack, just chatting with him. It was nice to talk to someone who he hadn't seen in a while, especially with the warm buzz of alcohol spreading through him. Before he knew it he was already fairly buzzed, and he looked up at Jack, then back at the beer. "I appreciate you coming out. Does that...does that beer have more alcohol than usual?" <br><br>His cheeks flushed ever so faintly. He'd had at least three, throughout their talk, and felt pleasantly warm and tingly. He took a sip of his fourth, "You know I'm a lightweight."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>02-03-2010, 18:17:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Not that much extra. I didn't think you'd mind." Jack shrugged. He'd only had two, instead concentrating on the pizza. <br><br>"So- you still got your piano. Are you still doing that, or did you finally get a real job? It's-" Jack never got to finish telling Quinn what it was. Instead, there was an electric sizzle overhead, and the house lights went out with a pop. They were instantly blanketed in darkness.<br><br>Jack was silent for a moment, before cracking up. For some reason (most likely beer-induced), he seemed to find it utterly hilarious.<br><br>"Wow. This place <em>is</em> creepy. You were right about that." He laughed a little harshly in the pitch black room.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>04-03-2010, 00:35:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Quinn rolled his eyes, "Yes, I'm still playing piano. I'm still making recordings. It pays the bills," he said. They'd often fought over it when they were dating. The other man had never really thought of it as a real profession and he didn't want to fight about it. He saw the lights go out and glanced around anxiously, hoping that he wasn't about to see a ghost come stumbling through the wall or something. He took a step closer to Jack and then another until his body was brushing against Jack's, hands shaking ever so slightly as he was hit with the memory of everything that he had thought he had seen last night. It had scared him more than he'd ever really been before.<br><br>He looked up at Jack, "Yeah, it seriously is creepy. That's why I wanted you here..." <br><br>He sounded nervous, leg brushing against the other man's,&nbsp; using the physical contact to feel safe. <br><br>It clearly helped him to relax - it always had when they were dating - and he looked up at Jack as best he could with the lights out.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>05-03-2010, 03:03:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well, I'm always glad to help." Jack's hand wound around Quinn's shoulders, squeezing possessively. It was almost possible to feel him grinning like a Cheshire cat in the dark. The house clearly wasn't all that off-putting to him, admittedly creepy as it was. <br><br>Within a few minutes the power fizzed back on again. <br><br>"There you go. Must have been a branch on a powerline, or something." Jack blinked and looked around, momentarily preoccupied with the light. Eventually he noticed Quinn, who still looked like he expected something to pop out of the walls and grab him.&nbsp; <br><br>"What, still scared?" Jack rolled his eyes and sneered. He still had a beer in his other hand, and took a drink from it. "You seriously need to loosen up." <br><br>He set the now-empty bottle down on the kitchen table. Now with that hand free, the brunette held his palm flat against Quinn's chest. Jack leaned in for a quick, stolen kiss.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>05-03-2010, 04:50:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rather than pulling away from the possessive squeeze like he usually would have, he actually leaned into it. It had been so long since he'd actually had someone holding him and paired with the fact that he was terrified by his house, it was a nice physical comfort to have in the thick, inky darkness. <br><br>He smiled faintly and nodded a bit when the power came on, pulling away with a little nod, "Yeah, I guess." <br><br>He sighed slightly when the other man asked if he was still scared.<br><br>He tried to think of an answer to explain it without making him sound like a complete wimp but nothing came to mind so he just sighed a little bit and then leant back against the kitchen table. He saw Jack put the bottle down next to him and opened his mouth to tell him to throw it out.<br><br>He found himself preoccupied, though, by the brief kiss.<br><br>He was still for a moment as his mind told him that it was a bad idea to kiss Jack back, but...<br><br>The physical comfort was nice, and Jack had been one of his most serious boyfriends, and it was nice to reunite for a bit. Alcohol clouded his judgement strongly enough that he leant a bit closer to Jack, running a slim hand down the other man's chest, taking in a shaky little breath. He looked up at Jack and then gave him a small, inviting small, almost daring him to do more.<br><br>He didn't know that his once-reincarnated-form's lover was lingering in the house, that it was, effectively, his soul mate there, lurking in the darkness.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>08-03-2010, 15:28:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jack didn't need to be almost-dared twice. Tightening his grip around Quinn, he closed the distance between them rapidly. A hand slid down to grope at Quinn's ass while the other slid up and under his shirt. <br><br>"Just none of that freaky shit of yours, okay?" Breathless, he leaned forward to steal another kiss. He had never understood Quinn's penchant for bondage.<br><br>Gabe opened his eyes again. After assuring himself that Jasper was fine, he'd been content just to stay in the corner and snooze. He'd bear the lecture when it came. Now, though... were those voices?<br><br><em>Jasper?</em> <br><br>He got up slowly. He was feeling much better now, and could barely even remember what he'd been worried about before. <em>That you?</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>08-03-2010, 19:19:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Quinn moaned softly as he felt that broad hand slide down his back and squeeze his ass, the other sneaking up his shirt and sliding over his skin, elliciting soft little sounds from him. He kissed the other man back slowly, rolling his eyes and almost pulling away when told that there would be 'none of that freaky shit', but he was entranced by the feel of Jack's lips on his skin.<br><br>He moved so that he was sitting on the counter, legs wrapped around Jack's waist, tugging him in more tightly for another deep kiss. He slipped a hand under Jack's shirt, lifting it a bit, fingertips playing along his abs. <br><br>His fingertips slid down slowly&nbsp; until they were brushing Jack's waistband, dipping in at the hip.<br><br>He didn't know about Gabe, didn't realize how it would look to the ghost he didn't think existed, the way he was acting with Jack. <br><br>All Gabe would see was someone - apparently Jasper - atop the counter with legs spread around another man's waist, drawing him in for a searing kiss, moaning softly and giving himself freely and willingly. His pale cheeks were flushed, hair falling in front of his eyes, already hard within the tight confines of his designer jeans.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>08-03-2010, 21:43:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Jas...</em> Gabe trailed off, temporarily forgetting how to speak. Standing in the threshold of the kitchen door, he was rooted to the spot. He could not believe what he was seeing. Jasper was in the middle of the kitchen in the arms of another man. And he was... he was <em>enjoying </em>it. His boyfriend was in the middle of <em>their</em> kitchen, flushed and writhing in the arms of some crude thing that was acting like he belonged there. <br><br>Neither of them seemed to notice him. Gabe couldn't move, still having trouble processing what he was seeing. No, Jasper would never... It just wasn't like him, he would never even think to... <br><br>Then that vulgar man had the gall to kiss Jasper, openly groping at his ass.<br><br>Gabe lost it then. Nearly blind with rage he crossed the room in a flash, gathering a fist full of the strange man's collar&nbsp; and yanking him backwards.&nbsp; <em>Get... off him!</em> <br><br>Jack let out a startled yelp, arms flailing as he tried to grab onto the counter to stop his fall. It didn't work, and he was promptly slammed down against the hardwood floor. He tried to twist around in an attempt to see his attacker, but it was pointless. <br><br>Jerking him back up, Gabe hauled him roughly towards the front door. Yanking it open, he unceremoniously shoved him out. Gabe slammed the door shut behind him, and locked it. <br><br>Jack didn't seem to know what was going on, but even through a semi-drunken haze he knew better than to try and get back inside.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>08-03-2010, 23:27:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jasper arched sightly when the other man's hand squeezed at his ass, and he pressed himself more tightly against Jack, wanting the physical comfort of a familiar pair of arms wrapping around him. It would be nice to fall into bed, to warm himself with another body pressed up against him, to wake up in the morning to a familiar head resting on the pillow beside him. <br><br>That was what he missed most about Jack.<br><br>It wasn't so much that Jack had been an exciting lover, or someone who he was deeply in love with, it was just that he'd been one of his first serious lovers and that he had gotten so comfortable with him.<br><br>Those thoughts were dashed away fairly quickly, though, when his lover was suddenly yanked away from him.<br><br>What Jack couldn't see - and what he could - was that he was being thrown around by nothing but air. There was a faint shimmer of something, a distortion of air like heat and the surrounding area was freezing, but there was something throwing him down. He heard the door lock and as Jack stayed steadfastly outside, he was too scared to move. <br><br>He waited until he heard Jack's pickup truck start up and leave - no doubt he figured that some lover of Quinn's had stormed in and caught them, some lover of Quinn's who practiced bondage - and he wouldn't call until the next day.<br><br>Quinn let out a soft sound and then his anger started to build, bubbling in the pit of his stomach, searing and surging its way up his throat.<br><br>"Damnit! Why the hell can't I just live here? What the hell - why do you - whatever the fuck you think you are - why do you think you can control who I fuck?" He screamed it into the empty space around him, slamming a cabinet shut, storming up the staircase to his bedroom. <br><br>"Damnit!" He screamed again, clearly frustrated. He was drunk and horny and less than happy about having had his lover taken away from him. "You have no claim over me!" He growled into the empty air, not caring if whatever it was around him heard him, not knowing that it was Gabe, that to Gabe's eyes, he was yelling at his lover and that it was a paticularly vicious fight. "You know what?"<br><br>He finally snarled, kicking his shoes off, yanking his belt off, getting ready for bed because that seemed to bet he only time the thing didn't bother him - "You want to lay claim on me while I live in this house - do it. Prove something - anything - to me." <br><br>He knew, on some level, that it was dangerous that he was inviting some supernatural force to lay claim to him but he was so frustrated that he didn't care.<br><br>He stripped down naked - how he usually slept - and slipped under the covers, burying his head in the pillows because there didn't seem to be anything else to do. He texted Jack that he was fine just in case he was wondering and then he yanked the covers up above him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>09-03-2010, 02:29:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Control who you- what the FUCK is wrong with you!?</em> <br><br>Gabe had come back into the kitchen expecting a sobbing apology. At the very least he'd wanted an 'I'm sorry', or 'I was drunk', or even 'I don't know what happened, it didn't mean anything'.<br><br>He hadn't gotten one.<br><br>Instead, he'd been greeted by a shamelessly furious, and heavily intoxicated boyfriend. Gabe couldn't believe this- Jasper was actually <em>mad at him </em>for throwing out his whore.<br><br>Jasper slammed a couple of things before storming up the stairs in a self-righteous huff.<br><br><em>Hey!</em> Gabe stomped up the stairs after him, taking them two at a time. If Jasper got to the bedroom first he'd lock him out. There would be no way he could take back the bed after that (the locks in the house were incredibly sturdy), and the only thing left would be the downstairs couch and a single thin blanket to sleep with. Gabe would not allow Jasper to lay sole claim from the bedroom, not when he was being such a jackass. <em>Hey! Get back down here-<strong> you</strong> are sleeping on the goddamn couch!</em><br><br>He managed to make it through the door after him before it could be slammed in his face. Jasper was still yelling. <br><br><em>What do you mean 'no claim'!</em> What? No claim over him- They were a couple! That, among other things, meant that Jasper couldn't just plaster himself up against any two-bit sleaze that managed to slither into their home.<br><br><em>Yes I fucking do! I'm your <strong>boyfriend</strong>. That's the whole fucking definition of it! </em><br><br>He could not believe this. Jasper was treating him like- like none of it had mattered. Like Gabe didn't matter. Those lazy afternoons out on the river or by the piano, when it was like they were the only two people in the world; that was worth nothing. Everything they'd said to each other, every time Jasper had patched him up after a particularly rough job, nope. Worthless.<br><br>He glared at Jasper as he stripped down for bed. Usually this was his favorite part of their nightly routine- only this time, Jasper was burrowing into bed without him.<br><br><em>So that's what you're after? 'Prove it'?</em> Gabe growled a little under his breath. Sure, he could make a fucking claim right now.<br><br>Yanking the covers back down, he shoved the blankets off the bed in a heap. Reaching over the bed, he caught Jasper's wrists and pinned him down against the mattress with his weight. If Jasper wanted to treat him like a cheap fuck, then he sure as hell could do the same. <br><br>Leaning in, he could still smell traces of his predecessor- sweat and the unmistakable tang of alcohol clinging to Jasper's skin. Doing his best not to think about it, he closed his mouth over the warm pulse point on his neck. He bit down hard, nipping and rolling the raw flesh between his teeth. He knew it would hurt, but he wanted this mark to last. He wanted Jasper to get up in the morning and catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror and remember who he belonged to. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>09-03-2010, 02:56:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				This had to be a dream. He had to have fallen asleep and somehow drifted into a dream world - even though a part of him was screaming that he should get the hell out of the house - when the blankets were ripped back back and he felt a set of hands clamping around his wrists. He already knew that there would be faint bruises and within second he was achingly hard, crying out as he felt teeth sink into his neck and worry his pulse point. He could fee the hard, hot body above him, feel skin sliding against his own - and even if he couldn't really see it, he wanted it. He could almost swear that he could see the faint outline of whoever it was towering over him.<br><br>He shut his eyes tightly, in his drunken state without a care whatsoever that it was a strange and invisible thing sinking tangible teeth into him, willing whatever it was above him to take him and use him. It had been so long - so long since anyone had practiced bondage with him or even used any force in their sex - that he whimpered and began to submit.<br><br>He'd always been a natural submissive, and it began to come to light, going breathless under the other man.<br><br>He struggled a bit but he was really no match for the powerful frame looming over him, and he cried out, baring more of his white throat and yanking at the hands holding him why simultaneously aching for more.<br><br>He was willing Gabe into existence, feeding him energy, giving him a life force with which to form though it was entirely unbeknownst to him. <br><br>"Fuck you..." he mumbled, but his breath was changing from angry screams to soft, whimpering little pants.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>10-03-2010, 03:59:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Fuck me, huh?</em> Gabe growled, breath hot. His body nearly thrummed with hot anger, full of energy. He sucked at Jasper's neck and bit down again, making a few smaller marks clustered together on his neck. They would show up lighter on the abused flesh, nowhere near as deep as the first. He only needed one mark that dark, that was enough to serve his purpose.<br><br>Sitting up, he scowled down at his handiwork. He kept Jasper's wrists pinned with one hand, he used the other to brace himself against the bed. That brought his face right in front of Jasper's, close enough for Gabe to feel his hot breath against his cheek. The mark stood out an angry red against Jasper's pale flesh, and soon it would deepen into a bruise. It wasn't enough, though. It was nowhere near enough. Not for this. There was no way he was going to get that image out of his head, it had been seared in. Jasper, <em>his</em> Jasper, letting that vulgar thing climb all over him- Ugh, Gabe could<em> still</em> smell it. He was going to have to make him scrub hard to get that out. <br><br>Jasper's state of writhing arousal had not gone unnoticed, and Gabe let go of him long enough to land a single stinging slap to his abdomen. <br><br><em>You brought home some fucking whore!</em> Another slap came down, this time against Jasper's reddening cock. If Jasper was a natural sub, than he was a natural dom. He could feel heat stirring at the base of his stomach, that familiar urge to claim and control building. <br><br><em>What the fuck is wrong with you?</em> 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>12-03-2010, 02:00:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jasper cried out when the other man continued worrying his neck, writhing underneath the other man, able to feel hot breath blasting against his face. He didn't understand it but as far as he was concerned he had to have done something right to be getting punished like this. Gabriel had always understood that. Gabriel had known that Jasper needed those punishments to give control, to go wild under the other man's hand. <br><br>He cried out at the sudden slap to his abdomen, hands still pinned above his head, screaming when the second slap landed on his cock. <br><br>His hips rose, and his eyes opened almost like he could hear the other man talking to him, but not quite. He arched into the hands pinning him down. He wanted to see whatever it was above him but there was only the faintest outline. He willed the other thing above him to come to life, to take form, to actually be what he needed. <br><br>His eyes shut again and he cried out as the other man's hand came down on him.<br><br>He loved this. He loved being dominated. It was one of the few things that he truly needed form a partner. With Gabriel he had had that but as Quinn he had never really experienced it like this. He didn't fully understand the feelings rolling through him but it felt incredible and his eyes opened, pupils dilated in pleasure.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>13-03-2010, 05:50:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Unbeknownst to Gabe, something was shifting around him. He was starting to come into focus. At first it was the mere misty suggestion of a body, all flat planes and strong features. Some things would flicker into clarity and then fade. <br><br>Still keeping Jasper pinned on the bed, Gabe started slapping him, alternating between Jasper's torso and abused length. Despite his anger he was still managing to be as methodical as he had always been. He knew Jasper's limits and would never go past them, even when his boyfriend had done something so unimaginably stupid.<br><br><em>No whores.</em><br><br>Slap.<br><br><em>No booze.</em><br><br>Slap.<br><br><em>No nothing without my permission- you got that?</em><br><br>SLAP.<br><br>Gabe sat up, resting some of his weight on his boy's legs. Even without grasping Jasper's wrists he had him effectively immobilized for the time being. His hand was hot and tingling, warmed by the harsh friction. <br><br>He gazed down at Jasper's cock, the abused flesh reddened but still standing proudly at attention. It was especially hard to ignore someone staring up with starry eyes and a raging hard-on, and most people would have taken mercy on the poor boy by now. Tonight, though, Gabe was not 'most people'.<br><br><em>Up! Your punishment isn't over.</em> Gabe barked at him, sliding off the bed to stand next to it. <em>On the floor, on your knees.</em><br><br>They'd always had their little games. Gabe would make up rules, always trifling things, and Jasper would break them. A stolen muffin here, an unmade bed there, and sooner or later Jasper would be tied up in the basement, being pounded into putty and begging forgiveness without really meaning it. Gabe hoped this just be a stupid game. Hoped that this was just one of Jasper's stupid little games he had taken too far.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>16-03-2010, 03:29:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				There was something undeniably erotic about being shoved around by a lover - even if it was a lover that he was only half able to see - and he allowed his drunken mind to make up the rest of whatever else he couldn't see. With a bit of imagination that might have come from whatever bit of Jasper was hovering in him he could almost see Gabe as he carefully pushed him to his limits but not past them. He shuddered in pleasure, tears rising in his eyes from the pain of the stinging, but he was trembling in something between pleasure and pain. He tossed his head, and though he couldn't hear Gabe it was as if a voice was whispering in his head, allowing him to get the vague meaning of each sentence as they filtered in. <br><br>He began begging softly, as Jasper would have, not for mercy but for more of the treatment he was receiving.<br><br>He needed a careful dom because without it he would beg to be pushed past his limits without him even really realizing that he was doing it. Practically sobbing with pleasure he moved gingerly to the floor, on his hands and his knees, taking in a great shuddering breath as he curved his spine. <br><br>He had needed someone to give him this. <br><br>"Oh...oh, I..."<br><br>He took in a sharp breath, then, spine curved so that his ass was all the more inviting. His skin was white, utterly unblemished, angelic and fine in the soft light filtering in through the door. His eyes were hazy with liquor and lust and it was doubtful that he'd last much longer at this rate, yet he was still begging for more, torso and aching member already red.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>22-03-2010, 02:21:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>You what? Do you have something to say to me?</em> Gabe crouched down to Jasper's level, grasping his boyfriend's chin roughly. He forced him to look up, to meet his gaze. <br>&nbsp;<br><em>SIT.</em> He released Jasper suddenly and stood back up. Despite the rough way he was treating him, he felt calmer now; more in control. <br><br>He knew what Jasper wanted, but he wasn't going to give it to him... not yet.<br><br><em>You get a head start on me, then you're damn well gonna wait. </em><br><br>While Jasper was conveniently nude, he was still completely clothed. Gabe was going to have to fix that if he wanted to go any farther. He peeled off his light cotton shirt first and tossed it aside in a rumpled heap. Bare-chested, he kicked off his boots. <br><br>Getting a good handful of Jasper's thick hair, he pulled the boy closer to his crotch. With his free hand he loosened his belt, sighing as he freed himself from his pants.<br><br><em>Come on...</em> <br><br>Gabe's stiffening cock brushed against Jasper's lips.<br><br><em>Better help me catch up.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>23-03-2010, 23:00:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Quinn looked up and between the alcohol and his lust he wasn't surprised to see that it was a man he didn't recognize. His mind filled in what he couldn't quite see, perhaps from some part of Jasper that was still in him, filling in the blond hair and the muscular planes of Gabe's chest. His body arched in pleasure at the thought of that body moving over him, taking him in ways that he'd never been taken. Quinn had never really been pushed around like this - it was like the other man already knew what his limits were and what he could take.<br><br>Obediently he thumped down onto the ground when told to sit, looking up with those soulful eyes that were usually cold as ice, frigid but melted when he was taken like this.<br><br>He watched as clothes piled on the ground - silvery and misty but certainly there - and he gasped. He wanted Gabriel and his whole body responded to being ordered, fighting a bit against the hand fisted in his hair and dragging him forwards, not because he didn't want to go but because he loved the feeling of that pain.<br><br>He came forwards, finally, and he looked up with a stunningly hungry look on his pale face.<br><br>Lips parted, tongue darting out to lick from base to tip. He wrapped his lips around the other man's shaft and then moved down, dipping down to the base, feeling the other man bumping the back of his throat. His head was bobbing up and down and moving, suckling, clearly addicted to the feeling of the other man on his tongue. His tongue worked furiously to please the other man, using every trick he could, licking up under the hood of his shaft. <br><br>He bobbed up and down, deep-throating him, teasing him to get him achingly hard. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>28-03-2010, 00:52:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>'Atta boy...</em> Gaberiel hissed under his breath. Momentarily forgetting his anger he rocked forwards into Jasper's talented mouth. He gazed down with half-lidded eyes. The little tease was <em>watching </em>him.<br><br>Gabe <em>should</em> just let Jasper finish sucking him off and be done. It would be easy... soo easy. He could just pick him up, toss him out, and lock the thin bedroom door behind him. Jasper could do for a night alone, cold, and aching. He could do that, but Gabe found he didn't want to. There was of course the assaulting image in his mind of Jasper falling into another man's arms, but more than that he wanted him to stay right here, staying within his field of vision and screaming his name.<br><br><em>Ah...enough.</em> Another minute of this and it was going to get painful. Gabe opened his eyes tightened his grip in Jasper's hair. He pulled him off- carefully, so as not to come in contact with his teeth. <br><br><em>You're not getting off that easy.</em> He was achingly hard now; his cock standing up proudly against his stomach. Hauling Jasper to his feet, he pressed the boy against the bed firmly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>12-04-2010, 18:41:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Quinn's mind had gone hazy with lust; he'd never had a man dominate him the way this one was. He didn't even care that he didn't know who it was - he was tipsy enough that it didn't matter. Not when it felt so good to have that strong body molded up against his own. God. He wanted nothing more than to give himself fully to whoever it was pressing into his throat so insistently. His pale eyes tilted up, meeting Gabriel's, cheeks flushed enough to have brought out the faintest sprinkling of silvery freckles over his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. <br><br>He opened his mouth obediently as he felt the stinging, glorious tug of a hand tightening in his hair as he was pulled back, letting out a soft moan of loss. He actually liked the feeling of having another man buried so deeply in his mouth. <br><br>He stumbled back to the bed, yanked to his feet by Gabriel, reaching up and grabbing a strong forearm so that he wouldn't fall over.<br><br>Pressed between the bed and Gabriel's hard body, his own length stood up, so hard that it was nearly painful. "I need...oh, please..." he gasped, breathy, desperate. He'd never met someone who had dominated him properly before. It was something that he needed, and his body ached for it, writhing against the strong body leaning over him. He molded his front to Gabriel's, standing on the tips of his toes.<br><br>For a moment, something seemed to wake in him, maybe a latent print of Jasper coming through, and his eyes softened slight as though he recognized Gabriel. It was gone as quickly as it had come, though, as lust swept through his body like a fire. He wanted to experience this more often - his desire flowed out of him, lending Gabriel energy, as though his own desire was helping bring Gabriel back into existence. <br><br>"Ah..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>07-06-2010, 01:45:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>No, </em>Gabe put a palm on his chest, shoving him back down to lie flat on the bed. <em>You stay <strong>put.</strong></em> <br><br>He sat up for a moment, his hand still pressing Jasper hard against the bed. The antique bed frame squeaked under the weight. <em><strong>You </strong>need? What in the hell were you thinking?</em> He'd already asked that question without getting a good answer, or <em>any</em> answer, for that matter. He'd only been ignored- in a manner that seemed to be beyond human ability, but Jasper was pulling it off like a pro. He was looking right through Gabe like he was glass, and even when he did speak it was as though he were only addressing the air. <br>&nbsp; <br><em>At least say something- Jasper!</em> He scowled angrily, gripping Jasper's chin hard, forcing him to look up into his face. Gabe was more there than not now, a faint blush of color filling in his silvery outline. Every action, each word seemed to pull him in closer to this world. <em>Look at me!</em><br><br>There. Gabe scanned his face intently, letting his hold loosen just so slightly. Something- for a second Jasper had let the frigid mask slip away, looked at him like he always had, like everything was fine. It didn't last, though. As soon as it came it was whisked away again, replaced by whatever it was Jasper was trying to do now. Gabe was a stranger to him again. <br><br><em>Fine. You do that. </em> He pushed two of his fingers past Jasper's lips, letting him suck&nbsp; on them for a second. He knew he was just feeding into whatever game Jasper was playing, but he didn't care. He could play games too. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>18-06-2010, 03:56:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				While Gabe had dominated Jasper fairly regularly through a series of mundane rules that were purposely broken here and there, Quinn had never, ever been properly dominated. There had been the occasional begruding tying of hands or roughness from Jack, but never what he needed, never what he'd wanted to make his body clench with lust the way that whatever-this-was was doing. He threw his head back and let out a throaty moan.<br><br>Skin bare, he spread his legs a bit farther, silently begging the other man to be between them. His cock and thighs were still flushed from the slapping. <br><br>"Please..." <br><br>Obligingly, two fingers were shoved into his mouth, and he wantonly began sucking on them. He let the soft pad of his tongue play on the edge of the fingertips, toying with them, trying to coax out little flickers of motion, wanting to feel those fingers withdraw and move farther into his body a bit lower down.<br><br>He barely noticed that the thing above him wasn't entirely solid - the strong muscles and his own alcohol-induced-buzz were more than enough to distract him. <br><br>"Oh, I've never...ah..." he had tried to say something along the lines that he'd never been dominated like this, taken like this, but he couldn't get the words out without releasing his lips' grip on the other man's fingers. He could tell that the other man was filling in, though his mind didn't make much of it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>24-06-2010, 22:15:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Gabe looked up, surprised to actually get an answer. Well, kind of an answer. 'I've never' was hardly a satisfying explanation. <br><br><em>If you're going to say something, say it.</em><br><br>He pulled his fingers free, staring intently down at Jasper's face. Despite all of this he still had that coldness in his eyes, a look about him that Gabe had never seen before. Some part of him knew that this was far beyond a game or even anger- but he didn't understand why.<br><br><em>Say <strong>something- </strong></em><br><br>Letting out a little growl of irritation, he let his hand slide down between Jasper's spread thighs. If he wasn't going to get an explanation in full sobbing detail, he would go ahead and get something else.<br><br>With little warning he shoved one finger into Jasper's entrance. Immediately he could feel that familiar searing heat. Even though he still wanted to hear what Jasper had to say, there was little he could do to stop his attention from migrating downwards. Letting out a low grunt he pushed a second finger in to join the first, watching the puckered skin yield to the intrusion. He worked quickly, twisting and moving his fingers roughly against the tight passage. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>25-06-2010, 14:42:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jasper's back arched as the other man withdrew his fingers, knowing what was coming, more than eager for it. His lips were flushed and parted, wantonly reaching forwards, pressing them to Gabriel's neck, tasting the skin there and pressing his teeth gently in, as though attempting to tease out his dominance just a tiny bit more. <br><br>He let out a shocked little sound when the other man's finger suddenly pressed into his body, and then a second joined, arching and bending. They found a spot deep within him that ripped a moan from him. <br><br>"Oh..." <br><br>He bit his bottom lip hard, hips beginning to rise and fall slightly, trying to encourage Gabriel to give him more than just his fingers. "Oh, please...don't stretch me, just fuck me, I need...God, I need this, need you..." There was no real explanation.<br><br>He didn't even understand it.<br><br>He was still drunk, all the more willing because of it, hips wiggling slightly to try and get the other man's fingers to hit that perfect spot again. <br><br>"Ah..." he mumbled, teeth pressing hard into the side of his neck, scraping along his skin, leaving behind a little mark to show that Gabriel was his. He didn't know why he did it, but the other man tasted right, felt right. As though he'd finally found a missing piece of himself.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>05-07-2010, 01:19:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Huh?</em> <br><br>The lips on his neck made Gabe halt; the sudden harsh sting had caught him by surprise. For half a second he just let Jasper do it, enjoying the sensation. As much as he pretended, he wasn't completely immune to the smaller man's charms. The blush creeping up the back of his neck was proof enough of that. It was also the first <em>real </em>contact Jasper had given him- at least of the kind that didn't involve screaming or swearwords. <br><br>Shaking his head, he jerked his fingers free from Jasper's entrance. Now was not the time to go soft-not after what he'd just seen. Placing a hand over Jasper's chest he shoved him back down. <br><br><em>I thought I told you to stay put.</em> He murmured, the growl returning to his voice.<br><br>Gabe let go of his wrists, instead twining his fingers through Jasper's hair and gripping hard. Positioning himself at Jasper's entrance, he pushed inside until he was buried up to the hilt. He hissed through his teeth at the feel of it, so hot and tight all at once.<br><br><em>Damnit...</em> he hissed, not at all in protest. <br><br>From there he pulled back, slamming forwards again with a quick jerk of the hips. He&nbsp; quickly built up to a near-violent pace, wanting to pull more of those flossy gasps out from Jasper's lips.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>11-07-2010, 02:45:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was so hard not to go mad with lust with whoever-it-was looming over him, a hand suddenly digging into his hair as he was jerked back, teeth separating almost violent from the other man's skin. Between the liquor and his lust, the fact that the other man was hazy at best was hardly a concern to him, and he was writhing by the time that the other man suddenly began thrusting into his body.<br><br>There was a moment of shocked silence and then Jasper let out a low moan, body adjusting, still aching as Gabriel pulled back to begin thrusting in at a brutal pace that had Jasper almost sobbing in pleasure.<br><br>Tiny whimpers and moans escaped, whispers of sound that grew into louder, less-comprehensible cries.<br><br>"Oh...oh...God, please...I..."<br><br>He was already edging towards the end, legs wrapped around the other man's waist, tugging him down close. He was eager, arms twining around the other man's body, pulling him close and pressing a crushing kiss to the stranger's mouth.<br><br>That's when his world exploded in stars.<br><br>Not literally, of course, but Gabriel had thrust straight into a sweet spot that he didn't even know that he had. His spine arched, back curved, lifting off the bed momentarily while simultaneously begging for <em>more, harder, and God, faster</em>.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>23-07-2010, 04:06:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Gabe pushed forwards to return the kiss; movements hard and frantic. Their teeth clacked together once by accident, but Gaberiel was quick to correct it, devouring Jasper's mouth. <em>This </em> was a real kiss, way better to whatever that slimeball had been attempting to do. He broke the kiss after a few breathless seconds, glancing down at the enraptured face beneath him. <br><br><em>Jasper-!</em><br><br>Jasper's desperate cries along with the protesting of old bed springs had filled the small bedroom, and Gabe couldn't help but smirk at his own achievement. He knew just where to aim in order to make his normally reserved boyfriend screech like a hellcat. No one knew how to get Jasper hot quite like he did. When Jasper nearly bucked off the bed, he knew he'd hit gold. At that angle he was completely buried; Jasper's muscles clenching around him each thrust. Not letting up on his quick hard rhythm, Gabe swept a hand over Jasper's hot stomach to land on his cock, stroking the boy. He could always tell when Jasper was about to lose it.<br><br><em>Come on-</em> Breath coming in quick pants, he planted a smaller kiss on Jasper's face. <br><br><em>You're mine and you know it.<em><br></em></em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>09-08-2010, 07:06:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The kiss was stealing every breath he took, and Jasper tore away for a shaky gasp, only to scream out as the other man found that sweet spot right within him. He cried out and arched off of the bed, legs tightening around Gabe's waist, nails digging into the strong shoulders above him. He screamed out for him as he felt the other man's hand wrap around him, the thrusts coming hard and fast, almost punishing. <br><br>He whimpered at the other man's quick pace, about to lose it, body tightening and arching and fighting to meet each and every thrust and hold out just a little bit longer. <br><br>That was when he heard those words, as though they resonated in his mind, telling him that he belonged to the other man. <br><br>His whole body shuddered, clenching hard around Gabriel, losing himself with his hips jerking and muscles tightening, clinging to the larger man and letting out little golden moans. His voice came in fluttering breaths, weak and low, whispering two simple words; "I'm yours." <br><br>His body slowly fell to the bed, utterly worn out, holding onto the other man tightly still. He couldn't bear to let go. It felt so right, in ways that it never had before, leaning down onto the old mattress and attempting to catch his breath the best he could. "Oh..." he whispered, cheeks flushed, his body slowly going limp as the pleasure overtook him, whole body aching in a way he'd never felt before. <br><br>He'd never truly submitted, not like that, and he couldn't believe that he hadn't.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>02-09-2010, 02:42:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He could feel Jasper clench around him, and only then did he take his own release. Moaning out his lover's name Gabe began to shoot inside his hot channel, thrusts slower now and more erratic. <br><br>Gabe curled around him, catching him as he fell into an easy embrace. One arm reached around to pull Jasper towards him, scooping the smaller man up to lie against his chest. Brushing a curl of hair out of Jasper's face, he glanced over him. Flushed pink with arousal and exhaustion, with those little fluttering breaths he made- his boyfriend had never looked more gorgeous. Of course Jasper was always handsome, but it was at that point when he truly let go of himself he looked positively angelic. Even that sleazy interloper couldn't sully this moment. <br><br>Gaberiel scowled at the sudden and unwelcome thought, and in a split second he saw that image again of the two of them together. In the heat of the moment it seemed he'd just... forgotten why he was so upset.&nbsp; How could he have forgotten, even for a second? He just wanted this, this right here. He wanted to pretend that there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for everything, that nothing was wrong. How could something have gone so wrong so quickly anyway? It didn't make sense. It was just... wrong, like the universe had been tipped on its head and everything sane and logical had just slid off and crashed into pieces. Then again, he thought ruefully, that was probably what every cheated-on lover felt like.<br><br>He shifted a little, running a hand over the side of his boyfriend's face gently, as though to prove to himself that this was real. No, there had to be something to this, and whatever it was he would find it and he would fix it (especially if it involved tossing a certain creep out of a certain window). This was the Jasper he knew; <em>his</em> Jasper, and he wouldn't just let him slip away. <br><br><em>I... I love you Jas. You're mine, remember?</em> He murmured softly, before placing a bare whisper of a kiss on his lover's forehead. He would deal with the whole mess of the thing in the morning. He waited until Jasper was asleep before he settled down himself. When his own eyes slid shut he began to fade away, slipping off like smoke carried off on a summer breeze. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>19-09-2010, 09:03:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He'd never slept so well. He fell asleep with warm, strong arms around him, the soft rise and fall of a trusted one's breath against his chest. He drifted into a dreamless sleep where nothing could possibly disturb him.<br><br>Until he woke, cold, alone and aching in the morning.<br><br>He sat up slowly, putting a hand to his head, looking around blearily. Had Jack spent the night? The sheets were rumpled and he knew he'd had sex but that was about all he could tell.<br><br>He looked at himself in the mirror and gasped - his neck was marked, notably, the bruises dark and thick and erotic as plum kisses on his skin. His sheets were so mussed it was clear that the sex hadn't been Jack's perfunctory push-and-shove thrusting. He struggled to remember.<br><br>There had been someone...and it had been someone so right...and he didn't know who it was. Golden hair, a strong body, someone who had called to him from deep within him. <br><br>That was when staggering horror slammed into him.<br><br>The face. He'd seen that face on the ghost, or he thought he had. But he was going mad, he told himself, since ghosts didn't do...this...with people. Ghosts, real as he believed them to be, didn't materialize and have sex and then disappear right away.<br><br>He showered, dressed, forced himself to have some coffee. He'd slept most of the day away and vowed to spend the rest of it doing something useful.<br><br>He forced himself down the stairs and then to the locked basement door. It didn't take much to get the lock off; he'd said he wouldn't disturb it but the house was his now and he could do what he wanted; he walked slowly down into the darkness with a flashlight sweeping the dusty blackness. He felt fear rise in his throat and then found a lightswitch.<br><br>It illuminated a mostly empty room, stacked with old, dusty crates. They appeared to be full of moonshine long-gone-bad, which made sense to him with the houses history, and that this part of it had stood untouched for so long.<br><br>He walked along the walls, feeling along them, finding an irregularity. He found a door, swung it open, and saw something that made his heart and chest clench tight. There was a table, worn but oiled leather straps hung about it, along with a flogger and so many other tools he barley knew what to do with them. He knew what they were - he'd just never been able to find anyone to use them on him before - and he couldn't help but think about how lucky whoever had lived here had been.<br><br>He dug about in the boxes, desperate to find some hints of who had lived here, moving back out to the larger basement room.<br><br>He found a faded picture, finally, of two young men on the dock at the back of the house. Gabe and Jas, it said, on the back in an elegant scrawl. There was a dark-haired young man who resembled him to a T, and he wondered if it was a long-lost cousin, though the sickness that seemed to be building him pushed that he should acknowledge it was himself. Then there was the strong, beaming man with his arm loosely draped in a friendly manner around Jasper's shoulders. Jasper was pale, slim, only smiling faintly but clearly happy. He seemed to be rather serious, and was dressed neatly, whereas Gabe had that delightfully dishevelled appearance of a man who took great pleasure in life.<br><br>"Gabe?" he whispered it, softly, into the darkness as he rubbed the photograph between his fingers.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>18-10-2010, 21:11:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Things were not better in the morning. Gabe had been up early, wandering around the first floor of the house aimlessly. Eventually he had settled down on the living room floor, resting against the wall. For some reason this spot in particular seemed to draw him in, more so this morning than the couch or the kitchen table. <br><br><em>Hm?</em> Gabe looked up. Finally- Jasper was up.<br><br>He got up, intending to go over to him, but Jasper walked right past. Again, like he didn't even exist. <br><br><em>Hey! Come back here!</em> Gabe stomped after him, at the very least hoping to corner Jasper in the basement before he could skitter off somewhere else. He wasn't sure what exactly what Jasper was doing down there, besides avoiding him. Gabe did not like being avoided.<br><br><em>What the hell? Ever since you got back last night, you've been acting crazy!</em> <br><br>Jasper had gone on to the second room, <em>their</em> room. He was just standing there, staring down at something and looking kind of dazed. <br><br><em>Jasper!</em> Exasperated, Gabe grabbed him by the shoulder. He pushed Jasper back against the cool basement wall, searching his eyes for any glimpse of <em>his</em> Jasper, the one he knew. Not this crazy person. There was only a certian level of wierdness he could tolerate, and they'd past that a while ago. <em>This is going to stop. Right now. I don't care how, but it is.</em><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>12-12-2010, 08:26:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jasper didn't understand what was going on. He felt an odd stirring deep within him - as though he'd finally come home - but he was all the more terrified to be realizing that. He stared at all of the things spread out in <em>their</em> room - he had started thinking of it like that without even realizing it - and wanted to use all of them at once.<br><br>He touched the bruises on his neck, rubbed his eyes, and thought he heard a voice. <br><br>He let out a shocked cry when the other man suddenly shoved him, slamming him back against the wall, pinning him there. His eyes were wide, but he didn't see anything, reaching out. <br><br>"G...Gabe?"<br><br>His voice was quiet, uncertain, not quite knowing what he was seeing. What he was feeling. Was the ghost Gabe? Was it a ghost? He couldn't think of any other explanation. But then what did that make him? Dead? Or did it make him reincarnated? "What's going on?" His voice was soft, and he looked so uncertain. Usually it would have been Gabriel to deal with something like this. Something difficult. He was the one who puzzled things out, and...and he realized that he was thinking of himself in the mindset of the person int he photograph.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>25-01-2011, 03:07:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Jasper, hey... calm down.</em><br><br>Gabe relaxed a little, his hold on Jasper fading. This was not what he had expected. Jasper had that disconnected and slightly frightened expression he usually only got right after Gabe had woken him out of one of his nightmares.<br><br><em>What's going on? You tell me. Since yesterday, you've been acting weird. You've been ignoring me, and who the hell was that fucker last night?!</em> He tried to stay calm himself, feeling his boyfriend's forehead with the back of his hand. It was a long shot, but there was always the possibility that Jasper was just... feverish, or something. That would have explained <em>some</em> of his behavior.<br><br>Letting out an irritated growl, he pulled his hand away. Nope, no fever. There went the last easy explanation he could come up with- that, or maybe Jasper really had lost his marbles.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>30-03-2011, 07:35:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He could almost hear a voice, a whisper of something, nagging in the back of his mind. He <em>almost</em> could see the outline of <em>something</em> in front of him, as though someone was standing right there...but there was a bigger part of him that didn't want to believe and that was too scared of admitting what was happening right in front of his very eyes.<br><br>Afterall, this was his first house, and he'd never been here expect to visit when he was buying. <br><br>"I...I don't think I'm who you think I am," he whispered quietly, searching the air for some sign of the ghost, reaching out helplessly, fingertips just brushing where Gabriel's chest was. "It's not the Prohibition anymore." He knew enough about the house to know that it had been an area that rum had been run through. <br><br>"I live here now, alone. Last night-" he wasn't sure why he was answering the question, but he had a feeling, somehow, that it had been asked, "Last night, that was my ex...he's...It's 2010," he whispered quietly, voice fading in the dark basement. <br><br>He was pale, tired, and scared - he could feel the bruise on his neck and he wondered, still hazy from the alcohol, exactly what he had goten himself up to the night before.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>10-04-2011, 04:07:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Your ex- what ex? Since when do you have an ex!? And this house is mine, thank you very much!</em><br><br>What? His <em>ex?</em> Jasper didn't have an ex- and this certainly wasn't his house. It was Gabe's house, technically speaking. The deed was signed over to him when it was converted into a stash house. In exchange for a place to stay, he would take the fall if the police ever raided the place. It wasn't an ideal arrangement; the point was, this was his damn house.<br><br>Still reeling, he swatted Jasper's hand away. Maybe this was it. Those artistic types were always the ones who went insane, maybe it was just Jasper's turn.<br><em>Something is going on here, and you are not helping! Jasper, this isn't you. You were-</em> Gabe felt his stomach turn while he shouted, <em><strong>Groping</strong> some guy in our kitchen. There is something wrong with you!</em><br><br>He sighed angrily, clasping his hands behind his head. <em>What is this about, really? You tell me, right now. Don't give me any of that bullshit.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>15-04-2011, 05:55:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jasper could hear Gabriel in his ear, up close to him, and he winced as his hand was swatted away. He headed up the stairs briefly, coming back down a minute later with a newspaper, holding it out to Gabriel. "Look, I...look at the date. It's...I don't know why I look so much like that Jasper guy in the photo. I'm...I mean, I am Jasper, but not <em>your</em> Jasper." <br><br>He frowned slightly, nibbling his bottom lip for just a minute, "I think you're...I think you're dead. This was back during the Prohibition, right?"<br><br>Jasper had always been a bit leery about shipping in alcohol.<br><br>He helped with it, of course, because Gabriel did it. He had mostly kept up with the books, though - except the night that he was killed. That had been a slightly larger shipment and he'd gone out to help with it - and had gotten a knife stuck in him. It had been a relatively quick death, at least. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>09-05-2011, 02:37:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Babe, come on. Stop fooling around.</em><br>Gabe shouted up against Jasper's retreating back, exasperated. Dead, ha! He was the quickest shot in five counties, the best at what he did. To think some green upstart might've managed to shoot him down, well then that would be a cold day in hell.<br><br><em>Jasper, really. Listen to yourself here.</em> He finally managed a weak hold on his boyfriend, looking at him in the eyes. <em>I am not dead. How could I be dead and still be standing here talkin'?</em><br><br>He ignored the newspaper completely, it was doubtful that in his state he could have even comprehended the differences in the dates. To Gabe, this was his home, his time, and any little discrepancy was quickly glossed over and forgotten.<br><br>A cool wind played across Jasper's face, paying particular attention to the curve of his cheek and the strands of hair left free to be played with by the wind.<em>You and I...</em> the wind seemed to say... <em>We'll be together forever...</em><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>02-07-2011, 00:24:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jasper could feel something holding him gently against the wall, and a cool wind brushing his face, and he was...he was scared. Maybe he was just crazy and he was actually talking to an empty room. He could almost see an outline of Gabriel; almost. Then again, it could have been the lighting. He slowly pulled away, eyes wide, "What's going on? I don't get this...I buy this house, move in, and then...then there's this, you, whatever. Just..." <br><br>He took in a shaky breath, shaking his head slightly, looking around once more before going over to the room with the bondage implements in it. He ran his fingers over the table before nervously sitting down on it.<br><br>He couldn't believe that someone had used this.<br><br>"If..." he paused, "Let's say that I've somehow come back. Would we have...would we have used this room? Together?" He wanted to find out more - not only because his body ached for it. He'd go to the local historian - or maybe a psychiatrist. For God's sake, he told himself, he had to be going absolutely mad.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love After Death</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ghostly</strong> on <strong>30-07-2011, 05:06:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Jas, please. We've been over this. </em>Gabe got up, following Jasper to the table. He sat down next to him, letting out an irritated sigh. Placing his hands back on the sides of Jasper's face he made his boyfriend look at him- or at least tried too. That was the odd this in all this. Sure, catching Jasper with another man had certainly left him livid, but now it was the hollowness in Jasper's gaze that was really scaring him. He just needed to remind him who he was, to pull Jas out of this wobbly uncertainty. <br><br><em>Listen to me real close, okay? You didn't go anywhere. You're just you. This is our room, and this is <strong>my </strong>house. You're just a bit off your rocker right now.</em> Fingers sliding down to Jasper's arm, he waved around the room in a sweeping gesture. <em>All this is ours. And yes, we've used every single thing in here. You helped me build some of this, remember?</em><br>
			</dd>
		</dl>
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