A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Cleo4u2 on 21-03-2016, 03:56:45</h2>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 03:56:45</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/98/14/20/9814208f49e201fb56a54aadca8ae5e8.jpg)</div>College had been everything Thomas Abelard had hoped it would be. After how hard he had had to fight his father, the leader of the biker gang The Ghosts, to come, it would have been horrible to find out his father had just been right all along. Of course, he had had to keep up with the family, continue to run with the gang and learn from his father. It was expected if he was to take over some day. It wasn't that they did any thing illegal, but The Ghosts weren't you're average biker gang. They weren't actually a biker gang at all, though they protected their territory like any gang did. They were a pack, a werewolf pack, and Thomas' father was the Alpha. One day, Thomas would be Alpha in his stead. Thankfully, that day was far from now and he could enjoy his time in college. More specifically, with his boyfriend.<br><br>Magnus Conri had a ridiculous name, but the man was...Wonderful wasn't a strong enough word. Thomas loved him deeply, even though it went against pack rules to be involved with an outsider. From the moment they'd met, Thomas had been unable to help himself where his Connie was involved. What would happen after college, when he had to go back to the pack and his destiny, he hadn't a clue. It didn't matter. For now, he was with Connie and he made every moment into a memory he would cherish forever. Besides, they still had a whole year left of school - plenty of time before he had to deal with reality. There was always the chance he could convince the pack to let him take the human as a mate, but that was a long, arduous process and Connie didn't even know Thomas wasn't exactly human. Of all the rules to break, <em>that</em> wasn't one of them so he couldn't even talk with the man about their future. He hadn't introduced him to his family, either. That they lived over a state away was a good excuse and since Connie hadn't brought up his own family he wasn't too worried about it. It wasn't like Thomas had failed to make commitments to the relationship, either. Hell, they'd moved in together last year. They'd bought a bed together, furniture, he'd professed his love. So what it it was unusual to not be introduced to the family after three years? They had other priorities and having college as a priority wasn't a bad thing. <br><br><em>Why am I laying in bed worrying about it anyways?</em><br><br>Rolling onto his side, Thomas fitted himself about his lover and nuzzled against his neck. If Connie had been awake he'd probably say he was worrying about their relationship because it was that or finals coming up in a month. He would be right, too, because Connie always knew him so well. It was one reason he loved him, along with all the others. They understood each other, understood family duty, responsibility, the real <em>weight</em> of commitment. Of course, it helped that the man could sooth his temper. Like all werewolves, Thomas had a legendary temper, but Connie could always quiet him. That was the sign of a true mate, or so his mother had taught him. Werewolves didn't mate for life, but it was hard to find someone who could soothe the wildness in their hearts. <br><br>Glancing at the clock, Thomas signed and gently shook Connie. If they got going, they could have breakfast together before classes. It was ashame to wake someone so peaceful, but he was hungry. He was <em>always</em> hungry, but that wasn't the point now was it?<br><br>"Wake up, handsome," Thomas murmured into his lover's ear. "Come on, Conri. Your lover is starving to death and would like company while he eats." He nipped at the man's ear, his voice growing deeper as he murmured, "Wake up, love. Morning and all that. Food. Wake."
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 04:20:06</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hHe2du2UD0A/T-InBW22fYI/AAAAAAAAHcY/buGsqY86JC8/s200/EA-8.jpg)</div>The bone-deep contentment of having another body - one he cared about deeply - beside him almost made up for the quality of Magnus Conri's sleep. Going to school hadn't been a problem, the fair folk had cavorted about with humans since time immemorial, but spending twenty-four hours a day around people who didn't know what you were had its cost. Keeping a glamour going while you were unconscious took energy, and he could never sleep as deeply around humans as he could when he was at home. Sleeping curled with his lover, though, was a much better trade-off than sleeping in the box he'd shared with his randomly assigned roommate his freshman year. <br><br>Magnus groaned, reaching up to shove Tom's hand away as the other man shook him awake. He kept his eyes shut as he checked his glamour - eyes a human hazel rather than grass-green, hair a human blond rather than the color of sunlight. The Clan, like their enemies, had evolved to blend in with humans for the most part, but that didn't mean that the faeries - once Unseelie, now in a league of their own - didn't have telltale signs they needed to work to hide from the discerning eyes. Not that any of those were likely on campus; the official government position was that all humans were equal, a neat effort to ignore the werewolves and vampires and all the other not-quite-human citizens who'd scooted closer to the edge of the shadows over the past decades, but most humans, he'd found, didn't <em>really</em> believe. His lover, if anything, was certainly human. <br><br>He rolled over, blinking up into his boyfriend's face, so close. He felt a fierce rush of affection that he quelled. His lover might've been stockier than he was - the fair folk, aside from certain brownies and nixies, tended to be slight - but he knew he was stronger, and it wouldn't do to wrap himself around his lover the way he felt the need to and crush him. <br><br>"Funny, you'd think my lover could eat even when I was asleep," he responded, tone wry, though he leaned up to kiss Thomas' cheek. "Besides, all we have left is eggs, I finished off the yogurt yesterday. We need groceries in a bad way," he grumbled. He wouldn't eat the eggs - he was a vegetarian, not due to moral outrage, but because all fairies were vegetarian - but, truth be told, he wasn't one for breakfast anyway. <br><br>He reached up to run a hand through Tom's hair. <br>"Do you have your study group tonight, or are we on for date night?" They were both wickedly busy with school, extracurriculars, and - he felt a pang of guilt - family obligations, but they tried to carve out time for each other. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 04:39:51</strong>
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				Thomas inhaled as Connie rolled over, taking in his scent and reveling in it. The other man was used to the little eccentricity by now, but he had no idea how important it was to the werewolf. The scent of his lover alone soothed him and he smelled like no one else Thomas had ever met, though his mother said that was fairly common for werewolves in love. Thomas was certain, however, that Connie's scent was unique. No one else smelled like the forest, like a glade on a spring day, or the wind through pine trees; like summer. That scent was what drove him to introduce himself to Connie at the Queer Alliance meeting their first week of school. He smelled like home.<br><br>"I could eat," Thomas agreed, blue eyes opening again and sparkling with amusement, "but we have classes all day and I want to spend <em>time</em> with you. Besides, while I'm aware there's food for me, I'm also aware there's no food for <em>you</em>. So, I thought, there's this little place down the block. If we get up now, we can walk there and grab a bite before slipping off to class. You know I hate it when you skip breakfast."<br><br>Oddly enough, their first fight had been over food. Connie was a vegetarian while Thomas was obviously not. A wolf literally could not subsist on grain and vegetables. Yet the next trip to the grocery store and his love had come back with <em>eggs</em>. It was a little thing, but it meant so much. He'd given in since then and the amount of food he ingested that wasn't meat gave him upset stomachs, though he rarely admitted to them since he couldn't explain why. It wasn't <em>normal </em>for a man to eat only meat, after all, and it made Connie happy when he ate more vegetables for dinner and the fruit he thought was a more appropriate snack than pepperoni sticks. Those didn't upset his stomach so much as the grain. Buns on his burgers, tortillas and rice and everything else humans thought was edible. Bastards; his stomach couldn't take it.<br><br>Humming with pleasure, Thomas drew Connie closer to him and nuzzled his neck once more as the man combed long fingers through his brown hair. He had to be gentle with Connie at all times as his strength was enough to literally snap a human in half. Not that he'd ever done <em>that</em>, but he <em>had</em> broken a bed frame or three. Thankfully Connie hadn't seemed to think it strange when he'd broken one with him. They'd barely even paused and then just bought a new, sturdier one, later. Another reason to love the man, if there wasn't enough already.<br><br>"Date night," Thomas declared with satisfaction. "I have to go home next weekend, so I shifted everything about so I can have at least <em>one</em> night with you. And morning if you'll get your lazy ass out of bed."
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 05:28:24</strong>
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				Mangus shook his head, lips widening into a grin that instantly made him look five years younger. <br><br>"I told you that you should've taken the evolutionary biology class for your science requirement," he teased. "You could spend three hours with me this afternoon working out phylogenetic trees, but no, you're off doing your own boring thing." His major was folklore - it was risky, considering the divides in the field between those who believed that the stuff of legends lived in the world and those that didn't, but it gave him plenty of insight into the ways humans worked and gave him reasons to be a part of those conversations. His family expected him to step into Clan leadership when he graduated, and he hadn't entirely found a way out of it yet, but he wanted there to be open doors if he decided that wasn't in his stars. The fact that it was interdisciplinary, letting him dabble across disciplines, was also a big draw. <br><br>He made a face when his lover revealed that he had to go home the following weekend, but he couldn't really complain; he'd only gotten back from his own trip the previous afternoon. He'd worried that his lover would think his frequent trips back home were weird, so he knew to count himself lucky that Thomas' family seemed to work similarly - if, he thought as he suppressed a smirk, for entirely different reasons. He doubted Tom spent much time practicing running up trees and across canopies. <br><br>"Funny, this is usually right where you like my ass," he shot back, rolling off the side of the bed and landing gracefully on his feet. He wore briefs, and they hugged his ass as he walked over to their closet. His body was lean, like a swimmer's, though he never seemed to put any effort into the light muscles that moved under his skin as he stood on tiptoe to pull a green t-shirt off the top shelf. <br><br>"Is the diner new, or have I just not noticed it?" he asked as he pulled on the shirt - chosen to accentuate his eyes - and a pair of courderoys. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 05:57:25</strong>
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				"Because phylogenetic trees are so fascinating," Thomas retorted. "I'll stick with chemistry, thanks, and it's not boring. I'm learning how to blow things up, just not...directly."<br><br>God, but he loved it when Connie smiled like that. Thomas could get lost in his smile, in his scent, in his taste. The man was gorgeous, though his glasses hid just how beautiful he was. That's why Thomas ensured they never made it into bed. He could stare at his lover for hours and he did so now as he climbed out of bed. Connie wasn't as buff as Thomas, for obvious reasons, but he had muscles all the same. His ass certainly stayed toned and tight even though Thomas had never seen the man squat or run. Probably a good thing since he didn't eat meat.<br><br>"Except when I'm hungry!" Thomas retorted, rolling after his lover and swatting at said gorgeous ass. He missed, but more because he wanted to than because Connie moved quickly. <br><br>Sighing because his boyfriend was getting dressed, Thomas clamored out of bed himself and went hunting for his jeans. Unlike Connie, his wardrobe was incredibly simple. Jeans and a t-shirt, either in forest green, black or navy, were all he owned. Besides the occasional gifts from his boyfriend that he cherished, he didn't care to wear anything else. No one in his family did. Fashion wasn't important except for the jacket you wore and the patches it bore. Thomas' jacket, with his full-patch, stayed in his closet. He'd never worn it around Connie and wasn't sure when, if ever, he would. The Ghosts weren't <em>outlaws</em>, the one-percenters that ran drugs and arms, but they <em>were</em> violent. They protected their territory with any means necessary and that included violence. They were werewolves, after all. Thomas just didn't know how to explain that to Connie. The little town they lived in and protected loved them; they kept the people and it's surroundings safe from the other biker gangs that frequently drove through. It just wasn't what <em>normal</em> people were used to. It was also his reason for picking a criminology major. One day Thomas would be the one looking out for the pack and the more they could get away with, the better. <br><br>"Both, I suspect. They're not vegetarian, but I checked their breakfast menu and there's plenty for you to eat. We probably won't be by for lunch or dinner, but breakfast it's actually harder for me to find something edible." Pulling on socks and shoving his feet into his steel-toed work boots, he walked up behind his boyfriend and wrapped his arms about his waist. So what if he got in the way, they could wait a few seconds. "You look amazing this morning, you know that? Can you really blame me for not wanting to be away from you?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 06:19:27</strong>
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				"Better than H2SO4 and whatever," Magnus shot back. "God, it's like algebra. And then you have to actually <em>do</em> algebra." He shuddered, though he was joking. Chemistry didn't make sense to him. The chemicals didn't do well with him - he could be around them, for the most part, but once you were too many steps removed from the way they occurred in nature he really had to watch getting it on his skin. It was the same reason he used vinegar and the like to clean with instead of chemicals. If it made him look like a "fucking hippie," as his freshman roommate had called him when he'd walked in the room to feel the effects of Spic n Span on his bare feet, so be it. <br>Magnus laughed at Tom's swat, swaying lightly out of the way, though he didn't put any real effort into it - all he needed was to move too fast and make things weird, though he doubted Tom would think anything of it happening once or twice. <br><br>He looked over at his lover climbing out of bed, not bothering to hide the fact that his eyes were raking over the well-built frame. He teased Tom about his limited palate occasionally, and bought him gifts to supplement his wardrobe, but he didn't push too hard - he knew Tom was from a smaller town, and figured there must have been some kind of health issue in his family or something that made money tight, limited what the family could afford to buy and necessitated they brought their boy home often, sometimes on short notice. Since he'd never offered an explanation for his absence - what he was meant he couldn't lie, and though he <em>could</em> bend the truth to breaking, he didn't with Tom - he didn't ask his lover for one, either. <br><br>He'd stepped into loafers and was reaching up to shove his hair under his cap when Tom wrapped around him. He reached back, one hand on his lover's neck, the other holding on to the arms around his waist, letting his hair fall back to his neck and face. <br>"I always try to look nice for you, Handsome," he teased, turning enough to kiss Tom. He gently kicked the toe of the workboot with his own shoe. "You're pretty hot stuff yourself. These are very butch - I like it," he said, tone teasing even as his expression was sincere. He kissed Tom again. "I'm glad I get you to myself tonight."
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 06:40:17</strong>
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				Thomas had switched from his normal high-tops to the steel toes after his last trip home. This was the first time Connie had commented on them and he smiled, relaxing, as he got his boyfriend's approval. He would have worn them anyways, but knowing Connie approved always mattered. Of course, he doubted his boyfriend would approve of why he'd switched, but that was a different story he wasn't going to tell. Connie wasn't the kind of guy who needed to know about motorcycle accidents, or dismemberment. He would have liked to share, but he didn't want to upset his lover just for the sake of a little piece of mind. There was plenty of that just from being with the man in his arms. The kisses sure as hell didn't hurt.<br><br>"I aim to please," Thomas said sincerely, "If I could be with you every night, I would. Though, I think you'd grow bored of me. I'm not nearly as sophisticated as you are."<br><br>After stealing another kiss, he released his lover to let him finish getting ready. He hated how Connie was always hiding his longer hair, but whatever made the man more comfortable. Hats were just another thing Thomas didn't allow in bed. Their life was made up of little compromises like that, though Thomas didn't know if Connie realized it completely. How could he? He didn't know Thomas wasn't human which was no one's fault buy Thomas'. His mother said he needed to get on with it, tell Connie the truth, but Thomas worried it would make him a target. Humans didn't last in their world without protection and if he thought it was too much and left...<br><br><em>Oh, who are you kidding. You're just terrified he'll leave you.</em><br><br>"Come on," Thomas shook himself, trying to break out of the weird mood he'd awoken in. "You can tell me all about that folklore lecture that you were dying to attend. I'll even pay attention."
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 07:00:15</strong>
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				Thomas rolled his eyes. <br><br>"You know me, wine and cheese and jazz," he joked. He didn't think of himself as particularly sophisticated. It was just that the things that the fae prized - aesthetics, grace, wordplay, and the like - tended to make them read as somewhat...effete in the human world. It was odd to be seen as less-than when he was used to being deferred to where he came from - the Clan wasn't well loved in all circles, and there would always be spaces where the Unseelie court weren't welcome, but they'd done enough to keep the vampires off all the fair folk's back over the years that it afforded them a certain amount of privilege. It was part of why he tended to hide his hair in human company - it made him look even more delicate. He wasn't willing to use glamour to make it look shorter, he could only stand changing himself so much for human company, but he <em>was</em> willing to throw on a hat. The fact that Tom liked his hair, though, was another point in his boyfriend's favor. If Tom wanted to read what he was as sophisticated, he'd take it. <br><br>"I could never get tired of you," he added. "Unless you're talking about chemistry. And then smiling and nodding is all I can promise," he added as his lover released him and he slid away, just far enough to put the newsboy cap on without interruption before grabbing his keys and wallet and sliding his arm through Tom's. <br><br>He shook his head. <br>"Oh, let's not get crazy, now. I mean, it's going to be a cool lecture - it's about the probability that mermaids and werewolves and all that are real, this author's laying out her case that she's written about in her upcoming book, and it's supposed to have interviews with real 'mythical beings,'" he said, "but we don't have to talk about it. I know that stuff isn't everyone's bag." <br><br>The comment was offhand as he locked the door, but he was probing gently, curious to see what Tom's response would be. They hadn't really talked about the mythical creatures that may or may not - as humans would have it - share their world, but he knew Tom would be finding out the truth sooner rather than later. He just wasn't sure what Tom thought now. <br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 07:10:21</strong>
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				"You know that's not what I meant," Thomas said, shaking his head. It was true his boyfriend was more typical of what humans thought gay men should be like, but he <em>liked</em> that about him. Liked that he knew so much more than Thomas did about the world. Liked that he didn't curse every other word, enjoyed fine things, enjoyed aesthetics and the poetry of words. They were things Thomas hadn't even suspected could be as wonderful as they were until he'd met Connie. Who gave a fuck if other people saw that as a negative? Well, Connie, but Thomas was going to fix that. Somehow.<br><br>"Smiling and nodding when I babble about something boring is acceptable," Thomas replied, smiling himself. He didn't often go on about his studies, it just wasn't something you <em>did</em> at home. That only meant when he did get excited he would go on even longer, more than once not realizing Connie really didn't care about what he was saying. He never <em>said</em> as much and Thomas loved him for that. At home, they would have ridiculed him. <br><br>Hearing the topic of the lecture, Thomas stumbled and did his best to recover without it being too obvious. "Seriously?" he asked, looking at Connie in surprise. The man had probably told him the topic before, but he hadn't really been paying attention. He tended to do that when Connie talked about his folklore. Why would he listen to something that was often wrong? "You mean like, vampires in clubs?" A laugh would have been appropriate then, mockery at such foolishness except...Well, it <em>wasn't</em> foolishness. He was walking proof of that. "Do you...believe her? That she's talked to mythical creatures, I mean. Do you think they're real?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 07:25:34</strong>
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				"I mean, it could be what you mean, Jessa apparently gets a great discount at the World Market," he said, referring to his friend, also of the Queer Alliance, also a faerie, though Thomas didn't need to know that part. Unlike him, she wasn't anyone in Court - she'd known him on sight - which meant she was free to be as close or far from humans as she liked. And apparently what she liked was working in a bougie organic grocery store. <br><br>"It's not boring," he clarified, "I just don't understand. It's super hot that you do," he added. "And, hey, look at you finishing up your gen eds," he added, tugging Tom's shirt affectionately. <br><br>He was surprised by the intensity of Tom's reaction - he must have <em>really</em> thought it was stupid. He felt blood rushing to his cheeks as they walked down the street. He shrugged at the questions, mind racing to come up with a response. Lying wasn't an option, for so many reasons. He didn't want to "out" himself now, as it were...but he also didn't want to say something that would upset Tom once he told him the truth. <br><br>"It's a big world," he said finally. "Who knows what's out there? I think there's probably room for everything to be a little bit true. What about you?" he asked, trying hard for nonchalance as he kicked a rock on the sidewalk. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 07:38:12</strong>
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				"Jessa is...weird," was all Thomas could think of to say. She was a lot like Connie, but she was also not like him at all. Flighty, her words were often hidden insults that Thomas couldn't spot. He was pretty sure she thought he was stupid, which irritated him, but he tolerated her as best he could because she <em>was</em> Connie's friend. At least she had helped him pick out a few gifts for his boyfriend for special occasions. They'd broken the bank, but had hit the nail on the head every time.<br><br>It was Thomas' turn to roll his eyes. "Yay gen eds," he said unenthusiastically. "Just remember me if you ever need chemistry tutoring so I don't loose you to some other smart, chemistry knowledgeable, muscle bound hottie."<br><br>The blush that spread over Connie's face made Thomas want to kick himself. Yeah, his major was weird, but he shouldn't be ashamed of it. Reaching out an arm, he slipped it about his boyfriend's waist and pulled the man close. If he couldn't do anything about the reaction with words - he couldn't take back what he'd said - he would make up for it with actions. Besides, he liked that Connie was open to mythical creatures being real. It would be less of a shock if - when - he found out Thomas wasn't human.<br><br>Throwing caution to the winds, Thomas said firmly, "I think it's very possible. I just didn't think <em>you</em> did. I was under the impression you thought all that folklore you learn about that is just that, stories. What kind of mythical creatures are we talking about? Werewolves and vampires? Or faeries and elves? Goblins? Angels? I mean, you could probably name even more than I can from ancient lore."
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 07:51:45</strong>
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				"She is," Magnus agreed. She was summer court, a trickle-down from the Seelies, the shining ones, and carried both their goodness and beauty as well as their penchant for revelry and a level of politics Magnus had no patience for. More importantly, she got 50% off the crunchy granola stuff that made life in town workable for a faerie. Besides, most things in the shop were wooden or...coral, or whatever, which was much more pleasant than the big, steel-filled box stores. <br><br>"Pssht," he said, "I'm gonna avoid chemistry like the plague and find my hotties elsewhere. Like my house," he added. <br><br>Magnus let Thomas pull him to his side, changing his stride so it was easy for them to walk together as he slid his arm around his boyfriend, hooking his thumb through Thomas' belt loop. <br><br>He looked up, surprised at the respons. Still, he waved a hand, allowing space more than dismissing. <br>"It <em>is</em> stories - human lore, I mean - but who's to say what has truth behind it that's actual truth and what has some other explanation? Maybe there are selkies. Maybe sailors drank too much and tried to fuck a seal, or tried to find some explanation for why their partners left when the answer is that indigenous women don't need to put a ring on it for a fun night any more than the sailors did. Obviously the burden of proof rests on the person claiming something unconventional, but it wouldn't, like, throw me for a loop if a selkie showed up in the paper tomorrow. Or,&nbsp; you know, online - the hypothetical paper," he added with a smile. Selkies were his go-to example. He hadn't actually <em>met</em> one, didn't have any particular connection to any personally, so it was easy to talk about them dispassionately. <br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 14:17:53</strong>
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				"Your house has a couple of those,&nbsp; yeah," Thomas teased back.<br><br>"Okay, well, I don't know what a Selkie is, but it sounds like a dude fucking a seal would be as open to mockery as one fucking a goat so I can kinda see why they'd lie about it. Doesn't explain how these stories get so wide spread across so many cultures. Like elves, right? The Norse caled them the, uh, sidhe?" He glanced at his boyfriend to see if he'd gotten the word right. "And the Celts had their fae, and the Greeks and Romans their nymphs and the Native Americans their spirits, but they all sound similar. Then there's shape shifters - every culture has shapeshifters. So the simplest explanation of all these similar stories is that they're based on something that existed, right?"<br><br>Looking down, he gave his boyfriend his most charming smile and hoped - prayed, really - that the man didn't think him crazy. "'Course, you know all these stories better than I do, Mr. Folklore Major, so maybe it is just nothing more than men trying to explain away their more embarrassing kinks."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 21:16:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Wait, we got a roommate?" Magnus asked with wide eyes. He reached up - crap, he'd forgotten his glasses. He'd have time to swing back home after breakfast. He didn't <em>need</em> them, not to see, but since those who were "in the know" were aware that eye correction wasn't really something most magical beings struggled with, it was a quick little safety net to quell any burgeoning suspicions. It was probably overcautious, but he'd been the first in the immediate family to try the whold being-in-the-nonmagical-world thing, and he couldn't be too careful. <br><br>"Selkies are seal people - shapeshifters, but they need to keep track of their sealskins in human form to turn back," he explained before quieting, listening to his boyfriend's thought process. He nodded - the word was correct - and smiled at the rundown. Most of them were correct - the fair folk had been all over Europe by many names, though their kin on the American continents weren't quite the same. <br><br>"It makes sense. Generally when everyone has a common experience of something, there's some veracity to the claim," he agreed. He bumped his hips lightly to the side, checking the handsome man next to him. <br><br>"Well, that would make sense, they should be ashamed. Sex is gross," he said with faux-seriousness, trying to turn the conversation. He couldn't stand much more before he would feel like he had to spill the beans. He looked down the street. <br>"Where is this place, anyway?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 21:43:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>"I didn't tell you about the sex slave I keep in the cupboard?" Thomas teased, feigning surprise.<br>&nbsp;<br>Absently, Thomas wondered if selkies were real. It would be kind of cool to meet a seal-person, though he thought it a shitty deal they had their powers attached to something outside themselves. His Uncle would know, if anyone did, and be happy Thomas had reached out to ask. Later he would have to call, perhaps between classes. It wasn't a conversation he wanted Connie to overhear, but most strangers wouldn't think twice. If they could even hear him over the crowds of students. <br>&nbsp;<br>"Sex with you is about the most not-gross thing ever," Thomas countered before peering around for where they were. Apparently he had made a wrong turn. With a tug on Connie's hip, he said, "This way," and turned down a small alley.<br>&nbsp;<br>It was short, but tight and darker than the bright streets on either side. The kind of place perfect for an ambush. Since he was back at school, he didn't have his knives on him, but Thomas didn't need them to fuck up a human. They made him feel safer, though, and he regretted the need to put them away. It was just too hard to explain to campus security, not to mention his boyfriend, why he felt a need to carry silver and iron weapons with him all the time. <em>They</em> didn't live in a world where you could be hunted, not that many creatures dared hunt a werewolf. Of course, the silver one was dangerous to him as well, but the wooden handle kept his hand safe and he was more afraid of another pack coming to call these days. The Clan hadn't hunted his pack in generations, but they all carried the iron and trained their young to be vigilant. So, Thomas couldn't relax until they were through.<br>&nbsp;<br>On the other side, Thomas relaxed his grip on his boyfriend's waist, but didn't let him go. "There," he proclaimed proudly, pointed to a purple and green awning over wrought iron furniture. Other students were sitting with their laptops and iPods, talking or studying with food and fancy coffee confections. Since his boyfriend usually preferred to be outside, he suggested, "Want me to go order for us while you snag us a table out here?"<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 22:04:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Damn it, Tom, we've discussed this," Magnus shot back, playing the game. He chuckled at his boyfriend's remark. <br><br>"I could make it gross, if you wanted. I could make this face the whole time," he offered, making a ridiculous face up at his lover, eyes crossed, teeth exposed, tongue out. <br><br>He turned down the alley with Tom. The snugness of teh alley didn't bother him - as long as there wasn't a roof, which there wasn't, he was pretty confident he could get up high enough to avoid anything that would stop him; the narrowness of the alley was actually an advantage, as it would be easier to bounce from one wall to the other for momentum than to try to go straight up one or the other. They didn't do as well with treated wood or man-cut stone as rocks and trees, so he'd take the help he could get. <br><br>In little time, though, they were out of the alley and in front of a cute restaurant. He smiled at it - it was adorable, though he could see how he'd missed it - but held back a frown at the furniture. He'd like to be outside, but trying to navigate his meal so he never accidentally bumped against the table or chairs with bare skin would distract him. <br><br>"I'd love to grab us a table, but do you mind if we sit inside? My sunglasses are in my bag at the apartment." It was true. Not related to why he didn't want to sit outside, but not technically a lie. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 22:23:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>"Of course," Tom replied, a little surprised. He wasn't going to push it, though. Outside meant car smells, while inside he could watch the door. Win-win all around for him. Even after three years of being away from the pack for most of the year he was naturally paranoid. It was a testament to the Clan's skill that generations of The Ghosts, predators, were taught to be that way. Thankfully, if Connie had ever noticed, he'd never said anything.<br>&nbsp;<br>Brushing a kiss over Connie's cheek, Tom headed to the counter to buy drinks. By now he know his boyfriend's preferred beverage by heart and guessed he would enjoy a fresh fruit salad as it was lighter and vegetarian. He got himself a spinach and artichoke chicken sandwich along with a black coffee that he promptly added way too much sugar to. No one but Connie needed to know about his sweettooth. <br>&nbsp;<br>Once the drinks were up, Tom made his way to the table his boyfriend had found and set out the little flag with their number on it along with the drinks. Then he yanked his chair next to Connie's, draping an arm about the man's shoulders casually as he sat. It was possessive, but it was as he always was, so long as his lover didn't complain. It went with his temper and his bouts of jealousy, though he attempted to curb the later.<br>&nbsp;<br>"Ideas for date night tonight?" he asked as they waited for the food to arrive.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 22:58:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus noted his lover's surprise, but was glad Tom didn't push it. Tom was good about dealing with his eccentricities, possibly because his lover had several of his own. That was why he chose the side of the table facing the door; Thomas never said that facing the door was his preference, but it was always where he positioned himself in the room, so Magnus didn't see a reason not to work to allow it. <br><br>He reached for his cup, sipping the lemongrass chai as Thomas settled in next to him, pulling him close. He was comfortable there, tucked into his lover's side. <br><br>"Ummm..." he stalled, tracing his finger along the woodgrain of the table, trapped behind a layer of shellack. "I thought maybe we'd stay in, do dinner and a movie? I can pick up something to cook on my way home so there'll be food when you get back," he offered. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-03-2016, 23:20:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>"Since when do you not have a plan?" Tom teased. "Dinner sounds perfect, though I can't guarantee I'll be up for a movie after." Lowering his head so his breath washed over Connie's ear he said quietly, "The things I want to do to you. Slow, I think, tonight. Take my time with the knots. I learned a new pattern while you were away."<br>&nbsp;<br>Fingers slid over the pale skin of Connie's arm as he added a teasing caress to his teasing words. After a drunken night spent doing nothing but talking, Tom had picked up a book on shibari and had gotten pretty good at it. It was the most intense foreplay the werewolf had ever known since the knots were so intricate and detailed. It could have been more, but he never rushed things. Connie was worth the effort, especially when he the man was constantly surprising him. Ignorant about a lot of things, he'd quickly learned that just because he got to bind silk rope about his lover didn't mean the man was going to submit. Learning to submit had been an adventure of it's own. It went against his nature, but Connie always left him dying for more.<br>&nbsp;<br>The food arrived and Thomas flashed their server a brilliant smile. He didn't pull his arm from Connie's shoulders, hoping his teasing would be enough anticipation for the evening. Their sex life was vigorous, to say the least, and normally his teasing went over well.<br>&nbsp;<br>After taking a bite of his sandwich and swallowing, he said, "Or I suppose I can watch a movie, if you insist."<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 06:13:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"It was a hectic weekend," he said, flashing a smile, "I didn't have time for my usual flowcharts and Venn diagrams," he joked. It was true, he tended to be a planner, but he'd been too preoccupied with the conversation they needed to have <em>during</em> their date night to be able to properly think about what it should be. <br><br>He raised his eyebrows as Thomas whispered in his ear, sipping his tea to cover his grin as he wiggled in the chair. Allowing himself to be made helpless wasn't his first instinct - he liked being in charge - but they'd found a balance. <br><br>"Someone else is better at planning than I am today, apparently," he purred back. <br><br>The food came, and he took it with a smile, laughing at Tom's choice. <br>"That's <em>so</em> not breakfast food," he pointed out, popping a grape in his mouth. He shrugged. <br><br>"We'll see how the night starts before we make a call about where it ends," he decided, sliding his foot out of his shoe and looping it around Tom's leg under teh table. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 09:55:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I'm figuring out what makes you tick," Tom grinned,&nbsp; pleased by the wiggling and purred response. They would certainly be using the ropes, then, but that didn't mean he would be in control. Tom had learned the hard way that Connie didn't need his arms for balance and was quite dextrose with his feet. He was just incredible that way and they both liked to have the upper hand during sex. He could have used his extra strength to keep the upper hand, but he never did for a plethora of reasons that started with it was just wrong.<br><br>"It is, too!" Tom held his sandwich defensibly. "Come on, babe, it's even got all sorts of veggie in it."<br><br>Nodding, he leaned over and bussed Conni's cheek. "Think I can leave your arms alone until you've made up your mind," he agreed. "Or," he swallowed a little nervously and offered his boyfriend what he rarely did, "you can take the ropes tonight." While he was happy to tie up his boyfriend, being tied up in return was terrifying. They'd worked through his fear a little by little, but Tom didn't offer often. It just went against evry instinct he possessed. "If you want."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 10:50:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus smirked at his lover. Tom did, indeed, have his number. He liked the idea of his brawny boyfriend being able to subdue him - the Clan might not have spent a lot of time at court, but they were still fae enough that he had more than a passing familiarity with power games, and a fondness for winning them fair and square; or losing them, as it were. One of the only downsides he found in Tom was that he couldn't really properly let loose - there was no true test of strength, not if he didn't want to break the other man, and he didn't. It was a trade-off he'd take, though, for all the other things in the world they enjoyed. <br><br>He shook his head. <br>"It's not not-breakfast because of the vegetable content, it's a <em>sandwich</em>," he pointed out. "Who eats a sandwich for breakfast?" He worried about Thomas' diet, but his criticism wasn't ill-intended so much as fond, and a little cocnerned. <br><br>"It doesn't have to be just my c-" he broke off his words as his boyfriend made him an offer. His eyebrows raised into his hairline. <em>That</em> was tempting - Tom was learning to be more willing to give and take in the bedroom, but being tied up...it spooked him. Magnus didn't like his lover being frightened, but he had to admit that the other man's willingness to do it for him - and the edge it gave the orgasm afterwards - was delightful. It was a hard offer to refuse. And knowing the conversation they were going to have tonight...<br><br>"I want," he agreed, popping a piece of watermelon in his mouth. "But if you're anticipating it all day, is that going to be fun-on-edge for you, or is it going to make you jumpy and grumpy all day?" he asked gently. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 14:38:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Breakfast sandwiches are so a thing!" Tom protested. "So are breakfast burritos. What's important is that it has veggies and protein and carbs. A balanced breakfast Mr. Sugar-fruit."<br><br>Tom licked his lips, knowing that he had Connie's full attention with his offer. Yet after clearly wanting him, even admitting it aloud, he didn't just snatch up the chance. A wave of affection melted Tom's heart and he pulled his lover into a side hug. Having his first thought be for Tom's comfort was the reason the werewolf had been capable of trying being tied up at all. He'd certainly never done it with another lover and didn't think he ever would. He trusted Connie.<br><br>"I'm already on edge, but you're worth it. Let me do this for you tonight. Or let me try and if I'm too grumpy and upsetting you we'll call the whole thing off. Deal?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 20:59:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"<em>Chicken</em> breakfast sandwiches are a thing?" He laughed at Thomas' ridiculous insult, pulling out one of the pineapple spears that ran the length of the cup and sliding it in his mouth, aware of the phallic symbolism as the sweet fruit disappeared between his lips. He batted his eyes. <br><br>"I'm like a flower, just give me sugar and sun," he teased, though it wasn't untrue. <br><br>He leaned into Tom's hug, mind already mulling over possibilities. <br><br>"Sounds like a deal," he agreed, fishing out a strawberry. He looked up into his lover's eyes. "I'm looking forward to it." An idea struck, and his smile turned into a wide grin. "Actually, why don't you let me know when you're about an hour out from heading home, and then shoot me a text when you're about five minutes away? I think I have something in mind that'll relax you a bit before after-dinner shenanigans," he said.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 21:18:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Not all of us are," Thomas' eyes dilated, focusing on the pineapple Connie brought to his lips, "chicken..." If he'd had wolf's ears, they would have swiveled to point at his boyfriend as the man commanded his full attention. "...haters."<br><br>Shaking himself from the moment, Thomas grinned broadly. Connie was a lot like a flower. He got mopey when they spent too much time inside, nothing but sugar in various forms, and was gorgeous. He was also <em>Thomas'</em> flower and that was the important part. He wasn't a flower, but he was just as much Connie's. A fact that was proven when the man came up with an idea that would keep him from dwelling on being tied up later and instead thinking about just what his lover had planned. He kind of hoped it involved more fruit.<br><br>"Asking me to text in class, why Magnus Conri, you are a wicked man," Thomas said teasingly. "You're lucky I love you so much. An hour and then again five minutes before I'm home. You got it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 21:32:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus met his lover's eyes as he licked the juice off his fingers, pink tongue removing the sweetness slowly, the gesture just shy of being inappropriate for a public place. His efforts and plans were rewarded by the smile on his boyfriend's handsome face. <br><br>"Well, you know me, I'm a rebel," he teased. He nodded, confirming. "An hour, then five minutes. It'll be a good date night," he promised, squeezing Thomas' knee under the table. <br><br>He tipped the cup back, finishing the last couple of grapes, then sighed as he looked at the clock on the wall. <br><br>"I guess we should get moving if we want to get to our days first, though. Well, 'want' is a strong word," he ammended, "but if we fail everything this semester with a month left to go it's going to make for really awkward conversations with our families." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 21:47:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I believe it," Thomas said before turning to his sandwich and tucking in with a will. <br><br>He was just finishing up when Connie noted the time and he sighed as well. They wouldn't see each other again until dinner and it sucked. Of course, that was the exact reason he had insisted on breakfast. He could be a bit needy, but Connie hadn't seemed to mind yet.<br><br>"I can hear my dad saying, 'I told you so,' already," Thomas agreed, standing and heading to the door to hold it open for his boyfriend. "There is no way I'm proving him right."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 22:11:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus chuckled, bussing their table into the bins provided for the purpose and walking through the door Tom held.<br><br>"Oh, dads," he said, tone a mix of exasperation and fondness. He and Thomas had had very limited conversation about their families, but it was clear that they both had fathers who expected the moon. He was fairly confident Tom's family didn't have <em>quite</em> the same weight of expectation, but that wasn't something his boyfriend needed to know. Yet. <br><br>They stepped out into the bright morning sun, and already he felt better. It was getting warmer outside, inching from spring to early summer though that wasn't what the academic calendar said just yet, and he loved it. He slid his arm through Tom's, matching his stride's to his lover's once more. <br><br>"I have to grab my bag and stuff at home. Are you going straight to class, or are you swinging by the apartment, too?" he asked.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 22:36:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yes, <em>dads</em>," Thomas agreed, rolling his eyes.<br><br>With the word, though, he realized it may be past time he explained some of his home life to his boyfriend. Three years of not talking about their families and Connie didn't really know what he was getting into with him. A father who didn't want his son to go to college. A biker gang....a werewolf pack. He let out a sigh and pressed a kiss to Connie's temple. The last part he wasn't ready to explain, but the former it was past time.<br><br>"For five more minutes with you, I'll swing by the apartment," Tom declared. "Loved you without your glasses this morning, by the way."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 22:48:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus chuckled at his lover's expression, leaning his head over onto him. He smiled at the news that Tom was walking the last bit back to the apartment with him. <br><br>"Great," he said simply, then laughed. <br><br>"Thank you. Thank goodness you ordered," he said, kicking a pebble along as they walked. He pulled his keys out - he had a little rubber thing on the top, theoretically to color-code the difference between keys, but also so he wouldn't have to touch the iron of the key - and unlocked the door when they returned, holding it open for Thomas this time. <br><br>"I've gotta grab my glasses and backpack and get rolling," he said, leaning up to kiss Tom.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 22:57:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well, it is the least I can do," Tom replied. Since he didn't know Magnus didn't need them to see, he usually assumed his boyfriend would leave them behind on purpose for him.<br><br>Returning the kiss, Tom caught his boyfriend by the waist and pressed him against the wall. He took a moment to deepen the kiss, remember not to squeeze too hard lest he leave bruises on the man's hips. When he came up for air, he blurted, "Just 30 seconds," and kissed his boyfriend again. It was his nerves. He'd put off telling Connie about his family for so long and now to make that decision left his heart thumping in his chest. This moment reassured him, calmed him, and he was finally able to let go. They'd have plenty of time to talk at dinner.<br><br>"Love you," Tom said as he backed out the door. If he'd stayed, he'd just have Connie against the wall again and his boyfriend would be pissed he was late to class.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 23:09:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Such a prince," Magnus said fondly. <br><br>He gave a surprised bark of laughter as Thomas shoved him against the wall, the sound reverberating against the drywall. He opened his mouth wider, leaning into Tom's kiss, fighting the urge to wrap himself around his lover; if he added gas to the fire, they'd never make it out of the apartment. <br><br>"Okay," he said, equally breathless, sliding his hands under Tom's shirt so he could put his hands on his lover's bare back as they kissed. Something had changed in Tom, and he didn't know what it was, but he was more than happy to provide the solution if kissing would help. Or if it woluldn't. He just liked kissing him. <br><br>"Love you," he answered, cheeks pink as Thomas left. He collected his things quickly and headed out to class. <br><br>It was an uneventful school day - class went well, he got everything done that he needed to - and he ran by the grocery store on the way home, buying what he needed to cook their dinner. He prepped what he could prep ahead of time - chopping vegetables, making a salad - then waited for Tom's text to move ahead. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>22-03-2016, 23:21:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The image of his Connie leaning against the wall, flushed with kiss-bruised lips was in Tom's mind all day. Classes couldn't go by fast enough, though he managed to pay attention despite the distraction. While he was smart, he wasn't naturally gifted at school. He needed to take detailed notes and attend study groups often to keep his grades up. Even with the image of Connie and his curiosity at what the man was planning, he managed to pay attention. <br><br>When it came time to send his texts, Tom sent them off exactly as requested. It would show how eager he was, but he didn't care. Five minutes after the last text, he unlocked the door and strode inside with a bouquet of wild flowers. They weren't the most expensive, but they had the most variety. <br><br>Both nervous and excited, he called, "Babe! I'm home."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>23-03-2016, 00:34:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus was always thankful that Tom - unlike some of his friends - never tried to poke at him about his diet, so he tried to do his part to make sure there were foods his lover would like, too. He'd been thrilled to find a recipe for roast that didn't need a crockpot, as he didn't trust their breaker to let a slow cooker stay on all day. An hour and a half in the oven, that was all. He'd doubled the veggies and figured it would work for both of them. <br><br>When Tom's first text came through, he worked fast, searing the meat and finishing up the prep to get everything in the oven, then setting the kitchen timer. He tidied the house, set the table - tablecloth, candles, plates, the works - and then finished getting the surprise ready. <br><br>Magnus enjoyed letting his boyfriend tie him up sometimes - it made him feel like he didn't have to be as careful during sex, when he had an obstacle, and it made Tom happy - but actually <em>submitting</em> was another story entirely. The Clan spent very little time at Court, but certain attentions were yet required, and his family had made sure he knew his duties. As the group responsible for keeping peaceable relations between the Dark Court and the vampires for generations, the Clan was awarded a certain status that meant he, as their heir apparent, owed fealty to none but his parents and the leaders of the Court. Status was everything - it meant safety, resources, pride. Lowering yourself in relation to someone else, acknowledging another as above you who Court law didn't dictate you had to, was nearly suicidal, particularly if your actions would ripple out to your entire group. Magnus had been taught his place early on in life, and making himself lesser - even for the pleasure of someone he loved very much - chafed badly. If Tom was allowing Magnus to tie him tonight, it seemed fair that Magnus offer something in return, particularly since he knew that dinner was likely to add stress rather than detract from it once he told Tom what he had to tell him. <br><br>So, in that spirit, he'd pinned a note on bright red paper to the entry wall where Tom had kissed him:<br>Thomas,<br>Your slave - to which you referred this morning - awaits you in the kitchen. He is yours to tend, ignore, or command as you please and is disallowed from denying any chore, task, or amusement you would demand of him. His service must be ended upon the ringing of the kitchen timer, as you have a date night, and your boyfriend would be most displeased to discover that the slave hidden in your home is more than fiction. <br>Fondly yours.<br><br>When Thomas' second text came in, Magnus' heart was thundering more from nerves than pleased anticipation as he rushed to make his final preparations. He stripped naked and left his glasses and hat in the bedroom, then knelt in the kitchen floor. He picked the reddest apple from the bowl on the counter and opened his mouth wide enough that, once his teeth sunk partially into the flesh, he could neither finish the bite nor remove the apple without help of his hands; the fruit worked as a gag, a contrast to his pale skin. He blindfolded himself with one of Tom's bandannas, then felt blindly for the wooden block. It was a simple miniature stock (http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mfOtC4prD50SM39-tzciWHw.jpg), latching shut when the halves came together in a way that made it easy for anyone to remove from the outside, but impossible for the wearer to take off. He slid his wrists in and, between the table leg and his back, got it shut. He adjusted himself so he knelt with his back tall and legs spread wide, head bowed - a submissive position he'd seen the lowest fae assume before the throne many times, without the restraints. Now all he could do was wait, and listen to his own heart thundering. The timer would give them forty-five minutes together before dinner.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>23-03-2016, 01:13:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The apartment smelled divine when Thomas entered. A roast of some sort with plenty of vegetables, of course. It took him only a moment to spot his lover's note and a moment more to read it. He was rock hard by the time he'd finished it, realizing just what his boyfriend was offering to him before dinner when he had offered the same after. Mouth watering, he set the flowers on the entry way table and tucked the note into a pocket. He was keeping it, along with all the other little notes Connie had ever given him. Then he made his way into the kitchen and was glad to have set down the flowers because he would have dropped them at the sight.<br><br>Bound in a wooden stock, naked, blindfolded and gagged with fruit - of course it was fruit - his boyfriend made his mouth go from watering to dry in a heartbeat. His cock didn't ease up, either, straining against his zipper because this was so much more than he'd expected. Aware of the time limit Connie had set, he quickly checked the kitchen timer without speaking a word to the man on the floor. Over half an hour - plenty of time. He could, of course, tease his lover by merely ignoring him, but there wasn't enough time for <em>that</em> game. So he kicked off his shoes, pulled a flower from the vase in the hall, and returned to his 'slave'.<br><br>Padding quietly into the kitchen, Thomas circled his helpless lover on the floor before reaching out to brush the petals of the large daisy across the back of Connie's hand. He pulled away completely, not giving away the next touch that brushed along his neck, above the stock, to his jaw and along his cheek. Again he pulled away, this time to trace a patch from the hollow at Connie's throat to his nipple, then slowly down, lower and lower to the man's hip. Once again removing the sensation, his next touch was to pinch Connie's nipple between his fingers while pulling the gag from his lips. With it free, he tugged and twisted before just as abruptly letting go.<br><br>Though he ached to be inside Connie in some way, <em>any</em> way, he instead captured the man's mouth in a kiss. He wouldn't rush this, not more than he had to. As he kissed his boyfriend, he eased him onto his back, gentle so he didn't hurt his neck or head with the stocks clamped about them. After pulling back, he yanked his clothes from his body and quickly folded them together to tuck beneath the man's head. With Connie how more comfortable, he pulled the man's legs wide, forcing them to bend at the knee so he could see his helpless lover spread before him, all pale skin and lean muscle. He gently ran his fingers between Connie's legs, over his perineum and then the tight ring of his anus. Probing at the entrance, Tom tsked in disapproval before sliding his hand back up, avoiding Connie's cock. At his hip, he added his other hand so both skimmed over the man's stomach, ribs, to pinch both small nipples roughly between his fingers.<br><br>"You did not prepare yourself for me," Tom scolded, allowing his voice to turn low and gravely, "I'm disappointed, slave. I'll have to come up with a way for you to make it up to me." Releasing Connie's now abused nipples, he ran his fingertips in aimless patterns over the man's skin. "I suppose I'll have to do it myself. Lay still; I'll be back in a moment."<br><br>Tom strode from the kitchen and purposely took his time in the bedroom finding the lube, their well-used dildo, and a cock ring. Five minutes later, he padded quietly back into the room sans his underwear and let his lover knew he had returned by brushing a finger tip over his cock head. Lubing up his fingers, he slid one into Connie without hesitation and the lavished a long, slow lick up the man's cock. <br><br>"Did you miss me, slave?" Tom questioned as he took his slow time stretching the man's body. "I've been thinking about you all day."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>23-03-2016, 02:29:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus' body vibrated with tension as he waited for his boyfriend to come home. Being bound wasn't a problem, but part of the fun of their bondage games, for him, was being able to resist; this time, he'd promised not to. His heart skipped a beat when he heard the door open, and he made sure he was still appropriately in position. <br><br>He heard Tom's footsteps, and had no choice but to wait silently as Thomas walked around the room. His ears strained to hear what was happening, but he still inhaled sharply as the flower brushed him, jumping a little. Whatever was touching him was a plant, he could tell that by touch as well as its..."energy," and he stayed still as his lover teased him, tiny brushes that had him growing slightly hard. <br><br>Thomas pinched his nipple as he pulled the fruit free, and Magnus cried out quietly, a bit of saliva escaping down his chin. He bit his lip as Thomas worked his nipple harder. It hurt...but he was also harder than he had been at first. He returned Tom's kiss as best he could, letting his lover lean him backwards, the combination of the stocks and his kneeling position necessitating that his back remain arched, leaving his groin on display. For a moment, the muscles of his body worked together, holding tension to keep him from hurting his neck on the stock before his lover thoughtfully placed something soft beneath him. <br><br>Magnus allowed his legs to be spread and left them where Tom had placed them. He shivered as his lover traced his body, wishing he could see Tom's face as he looked him over, touched him. His body shifted subtly towards the hands tracing up it until he hissed at the rough pinch of both his nipples. He smiled as Thomas joined in the game, giving him an instruction. <br><br>"Yes, Master," he responded, voice catching lightly on the second word - not like he was about to cry or anything, it just came with a little more difficulty than it might've for someone who lived purely in the human world, with no personal connection to honorific titles. <br><br>He lay still, legs spread, as he waited for Tom to return. His body twitched in response as his lover touched it, claimed it. He closed his eyes behind the blindfold, focusing on the sensation. <br>"I did, Master," he responded. "I've been waiting for you all day." That wasn't true, of course, but he had the sneaking suspicion that the thought of him kneeling and waiting throughout the day would do something for his partner. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>23-03-2016, 02:49:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				This wasn't a game they had played before, but Tom was finding he really liked it. Bondage, yes; submission, yes; but always with a little fight in it. Hearing Connie address him as master was odd, but the knowledge that his boyfriend was submitting to him, willingly, went strait to his dick. It made it even better knowing his lover had thought of this as a surprise on his own when he preferred being in charge. It also made him more eager to return the favor. As he was next in line to be Alpha of his pack, he didn't readily submit to anyone, but knowing Connie trusted him this much...It changed things.<br><br>"All day?" Tom repeated, licking his lips. It couldn't be true, of course, Connie would miss his classes like that. Nevertheless, the image of his boyfriend on his knees, naked and helpless, waiting for <em>him</em> all day was one he wasn't going to get out of his head any time soon. He cursed himself for not taking a picture earlier. Well, it wasn't too late for that, was it? <br><br>"Waiting that long deserves a reward," Tom purred before lowing his head and taking Connie's cock in his mouth. He sucked hard, wanting his lover aching as much as he was. Pushing his fingers deeper into the tight tunnel squeezing them, he stretched the constricting muscles faster while finding and massaging the bundle of nerves within. When it would have been time to add a third finger, he withdrew both the digits and his mouth from Connie's heated flesh, lubing up the dildo instead and pushing it inside the man. With it snug, he slipped the cock ring down to the base of Connie's erection and stepped back.<br><br>It took him a moment to find his phone, but when he did he quickly got his lover centered and snapped the first picture. The sound of the camera shutter would be unmistakable. Licking his lips, Tom moved to stand above his boyfriend and centered him again for yet another picture. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>24-03-2016, 09:14:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus could still practically hear his own heart racing, but now it was anticipation and excitement as much as nerves as his lover repeated his words, his tone bringing a smile to Magnus' lips. <br><br>"Hours," he confirmed. He made a sound - high-pitched, but deep in his throat - as Tom took him in his mouth, hips twitching. He moaned as his lover brought him quickly to full arousal, stretching him and expertly finding his prostate, leaving him pressing his lips together to keep himself from cursing. He was breathing hard by the time Thomas pushed the dildo inside him, pushed the cock ring down his length. <br><br>And then his lover's hands were gone. He strained his ears to hear where Tom was going. As soon as he heard the camera sound, he knew his face turned bright red behind the blindfold. He fought the urge to move to give himself more modesty - he'd never been a dirty-picture person - but if Tom enjoyed it, this was his time. He licked his lips, leaving them moist and parted for the second sound of the shutted click.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>24-03-2016, 19:29:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You are so fucking sexy," Tom growled as he tossed the phone onto the kitchen table. <br><br>Dropping to his knees, he drew his tongue over Connie's cock again, swirling it about the tip and groaning as he swallowed precum. His boyfriend always tasted divine, not too bitter, or salty. All the fruit did some good, at least. Smoothing his hands over Connie's flat stomach, he sucked the tip of his cock into his mouth. Suckling hard, he ran his hands to the man's nipples to rub and tease them. Slowly he took more of his lover into his mouth, keeping the suction high as he took inch by inch, meaning to drive the man a little crazy with his teasing.<br><br>After he took the entire length into his mouth, Tom pulled off completely once more. Taking the bandana gently in hand, he pulled it free of his boyfriend's gorgeous eyes and then carefully helped him back up to his knees. <br><br>"Follow me," he ordered and lead the way back to the bedroom. "I think a spanking is in order," he declared. "A fitting punishment for not being prepared. I am sure you enjoyed your reward," he added, running a finger along Connie's aching cock. "On the bed with that perfect ass in the air and we'll get started."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>25-03-2016, 10:21:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus' grin widened at Tom's words. He almost wanted to giggle with the bubbles of joy mixing with the nerves in his stomach; it was intoxicating. He let out a shaky breath as Thomas licked him, a groan following as his crotch instinctively moved upwards and his boyfriend's hands spread across his stomach, holding him in place. <br><br>Thomas worked him over hard and fast. He balled his hands into fists. <br>"Fuuuu-" he breathed, biting his lip to cut the sound off. Without the cock ring, he was pretty sure he would've come by now - faster than usual, but it was a heady situation - but he was completely at Tom's mercy. <br><br>He exhaled a whine as Tom pulled away, blinking hazel-green eyes into his boyfriend's as Thomas pulled off the blindfold. He worked with Tom to get back onto his knees. <br><br>"Yes, Master," he answered, struggling to his feet and following behind Tom. He smirked at his lover - he had never once willingly laid still for Tom to spank him, though he certainly didn't mind when Thomas smacked his ass as he walked past. His knees felt weak, though, as his lover stroked him, and he nodded. <br><br>"As you wish," he said wryly, climbing onto the bed. The stocks meant that bracing himself on his hands required pressing his forehead to the bed as he knelt there, ass in the air, biting his lip. He wished he'd made a different choice in his biding so he could look over his shoulder and watch his lover's expressions. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>26-03-2016, 06:27:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				((So I continued as if Magnus didn't use the safe word, so let me know if he would have and I'll re-write))<br><br>Tom let out a breath as Connie complied, his eyes widening a little because the man was actually going through with this. He'd thought that, surely, his boyfriend would stop when he told him the 'punishment'. Every other time he'd wanted to indulge this particular fantasy, Connie had wiggled away. While he enjoyed watching that wiggle, it wasn't nearly the same. Now with Connie kneeling on the mattress, ass in the air, Tom couldn't believe how lucky he was. And apparently because he'd offered his own submission. He was going to have to do that more often.<br><br>"You have no idea what you're doing to me," Tom told his lover as he climbed onto the bed behind him. Swallowing, he offered the man a way out if the spanking was too much, "When you think you've been punished enough, apologize," he slid his hand through Connie's blonde hair, down his spine and groped one firm cheek, "and I'll stop."<br><br>Instead of immediately slapping the pale cheeks, Tom withdrew the dildo and slowly pushed it into his lover. It could vibrate, but he left it off as he slowly thrust it into his boyfriend's tight hole. One the third thrust of the toy, Tom's hand came down on Connie's upturned ass. It was one cheek, and not nearly as hard as he was capable, and left a light pink mark on the firm flesh. The groan that left the werewolf said how much he appreciated that, as well as how wound up he was already. If Connie didn't use the make-shift safe word quickly, he wasn't going to be able to hold back long enough to really make the man's ass red.<br><br>Still teasing his boyfriend with the dildo, Tom slapped his other cheek. He kept the pace slow and even with both fucking the bound man and spanking him. With how aroused he'd become, Tom managed five slaps to each pale mound before he lost control. Yanking the toy from his lover, he grabbed him roughly about his waist and flipped him bodily onto his back, using a portion his incredible strength to make sure the stock didn't catch on the bed and twist an arm or Connie's neck. With a growl, he tore the wooden binding open and tossed it to the floor. His left hand slid behind his lover's head, supporting even as it tangled and pulled at the long blonde locks. Tom's right hand pushed Connie's long legs apart, then slipped under his waist to pull his body up so he could effortlessly slide into the now well-stretched hole. <br><br>As he bottomed out, his blue eyes were dilated with desire and possessive need. As another growl left Tom and he captured Connie's lips in a hard kiss and began thrusting with wild abandon. Tom had to make Connie <em>his</em>. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>31-03-2016, 20:44:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				((You're fine!))<br><br>Magnus' smile was hidden against the comforter as his boyfriend spoke, but the little shiver his body offered as his lover ran a hand along it wasn't. <br><br>"Yes, sir," he confirmed, voice quiet. He didn't do particularly well with physical pain - he'd almost never been punished growing up, hadn't had a lover before Tom to speak of, and had never associated pain with pleasure. Tom had never <em>hurt</em> him, and he hadn't minded the occasional swat that had happened, but he never would've volunteered for this. Now that he was here, though, he knew he wouldn't stop the other man; he might not be willing to offer this again, but he'd offered it now, and he'd stand by his choices. <br><br>He was surprised when Tom chose to move the dildo instead of hitting him. He sighed, sound pleased as his captured cock pulsed, then cried out as he was hit - more from surprise than pain, to be fair. He had no idea if it was the cock ring, his lover's groan, or some other part of him that kept him hard as he was hit again. The slaps stung, but it wasn't anything he couldn't tolerate, and the combination of the dildo and the nearly vibrating energy coming from his lover had him panting. The swats stung more as they went along, and he was pondering how much longer he could last when Tom picked him up. <br><br>He made a surprised sound as he was expertly flipped over and freed. He arched his back to make the stock's removal easier, consciously fighting to keep his eyes from bleeding to grass-green as his lover's hand tangled in his hair; control was harder to maintain when there was a lot going on, and there was a <em>lot</em> going on. He followed the lead of his lover's hand, spreading his legs and bracing his feet against the bed to help push himself up to meet Tom's thrust. <br><br>He reached up, wrapping his arms around his lover's shoulders and melting into the kiss, moving his own body to push against the other man's, meeting his rhythm. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>31-03-2016, 21:13:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>It was safe to say Tom had been somewhat of a man-whore in high-school and he knew his way around the bedroom. Yet sex with Connie wasn't like sex with anyone else Tom had ever been with. It wasn't that he was human, because Tom had been with both humans and werewolves before they met. Even a vampire, once (a mistake he wasn't about to admit to). Of them all, Connie kept up with him. He didn't just give in to Tom, the way there werewolves would. Even though he was on his back, taking Tom's cock, it wasn't <em>submission</em> like it was with other men he'd fucked. They were in it together. Connie pushed back into each thrust so as much as he was fucking Connie, his lover was fucking him. Tom didn't think he would find a lover as good, or better, if he lost his boyfriend.<br>&nbsp;<br>Breaking the kiss, Tom, buried his face in the hollow between Connie's neck and shoulder. He inhaled and groaned, the scent of his boyfriend's arousal as erotic as his sounds each time Tom's cock rubbed against his prostate. Remaining here long wasn't an option, he had to keep his teeth well apart from Connie's skin as he got closer to orgasm, but he savored the smell for as long as he could. <br>&nbsp;<br>When it was too much, when the instinct to bite and mark his mate as <em>his</em> was nearly overwhelming, Tom sat up. For a moment his thrusts slowed as he adjusted to the new position, balancing on his knees and shifting hands to grip Connie's hips. The glint of he cock ring caught his eye as Tom resumed his pace and he quickly pulled it from his boyfriend, tossing it aside as carelessly as he had everything else. His hand took it's place, pulling from base to tip in rhythm with his thrusts.<br>&nbsp;<br>"Cum for me, baby," Tom's voice was a growl, one he had to be wary of, "Wanna watch you."<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>03-04-2016, 07:54:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus held on tight as his lover buried his face in his neck, the skin there tingling with Tom's breath. His people weren't prudish - they were beings of pleasure as much as anything else, and most cavorted freely with each other - but he'd been in the human world enough to by into the narrative that sex was better with someone you cared about. He couldn't imagine caring about anyone more, even though he knew it meant they'd likely never steal up to the canopy of a forest together or lay together in an open meadow, trusting their glamour to hide them if they were happened upon. <br><br>His cock was aching now, pain as much as pleasure thrumming through his body with each of Tom's thrusts, and only his promise to obey for the length of their time together kept him from reaching down and pulling the ring off. He wouldn't complain about it, though. Tom pulling away to sit up, however, did draw a whine. <br><br>Instead of reaching back up for his lover, he reached behind himself to help prop his body up better, to help Tom with the angle. Tom pulled the ring off at last, voice the low rumble that always sent a delicious fear Magnus couldn't name through his body, and the faerie nodded, breathless. <br><br>"Can do," he panted, letting his head fall back as he waited for Tom to brush against him again and...there he was. Magnus came with a cry, his orgasm sweeping over him as he let himself fall back to the bed, arms by his side. He kept just enough control to keep his feet planted on the mattress so he wouldn't drop the full weight of his hips onto Tom's hands. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>03-04-2016, 21:44:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It undid something in Tom that Magnus claim a single thrust after his command. He let out a growl, deep in his chest, and slammed all the harder into his boyfriend. The bedframe rattled, shook, and collapsed beneath them as the werewolf transfered the strength he used into the bed instead of his boyfriend. Tom barely noticed so intent was he on finishing. Connie's body contracted about him, squeezing him tighter as he worked to completion. <br><br>Like the bed, Tom collapsed once he finished, catching himself on his elbows. His breathing came in pants, sweat beading on his skin meaning he'd need a shower before they ate. First, he had to make sure Connie was alright. <br><br>Leaning down, he nuzzled into his lover's neck. "That was....incredible," he murmured voice breathless as he struggled to recover still, "which must be why we broke another bed. You alright, babe?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>13-04-2016, 08:56:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus consciously made himself relax the hands that wanted to clench his lover more tightly as Tom shoved himself inside; it wouldn't do to accidentally hurt his lover just because he wasn't being mindful of how hard he was squeezing. He loved Tom, loved their life together and the sex they had, but sometimes he was jealous of the faeries he knew who had lovers to match their durability and strength. Times like this, when Tom totally let go, seemed like they came close. <br><br>He would've laughed when the bed collapsed if he'd had breath to do so. Instead, he writhed as Tom finished inside him, then finally gave into the urge to move his legs, wrapping them around his boyfriend as the man cuddled into him. His own smile was lazy as he rubbed Tom's back. <br><br>"It's replaceable," he dismissed. "I'm <em>great</em>. How are you?" he asked, sifting fingers through Tom's damp hair. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>17-04-2016, 20:52:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tom's smile grew goofy as Connie declared himself great in that tone of voice. "You are great," he said cheesily, "I'm great. Better than great; fantastic. I'm in love with the best guy in the whole world, how could I be anything else? Especially," he nuzzled Connie's jaw, leaving kisses behind as he went, "when he loves me just as much."<br><br>Not quite ready to get up right away, Tom continued to hold himself over his lover and enjoy his touch. "I bought you flowers," he murmured.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>21-04-2016, 07:49:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus grinned as his lover kissed him thoroughly. <br><br>"Who gave you that idea?" he teased. "I'm pretty sure he loves you more," he pointed out, tone joking. He was pretty sure he was actually in a more precarious position than his lover due to their relationship - modern humans didn't tend to have clans and duties to think about - but Tom was beyond worth it. <br><br>His expression brightened more, if it was possible, when Tom said he brought flowers. He loved having fresh plants in the house. <br><br>"You did?" he asked. "Can I-" he was about to ask if he could go look at them when the kitchen timer went off, an obnoxious buzz. He grimaced at the sound, and leaned up to kiss his boyfriend once more. <br><br>"Playtime's over," he said, a little sadly. They never had enough time...but tonight, they had the whole evening. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-04-2016, 16:50:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>"Does he really?" Tom asked with a laugh. He leaned down, brushing their noses together, and looking at Connie with nothing short of adoration. "Then I guess that makes my life even better."<br>&nbsp;<br>Enjoying the happy squeeze in his chest as his boyfriend clearly loved that he had brought flowers, he then started as the timer went off. "Shit," he muttered, looking toward the kitchen and then back at Connie, "and here I thought I'd left us enough time to shower. Sorry, handsome." <br>&nbsp;<br>Pushing himself off his boyfriend, he grabbed the man's hands and pulled him to his feet. They would have to deal with the remnants of the bed, but that would wait for now. What mattered right then was erasing that little bit of sadness from Connie's eyes. <br>&nbsp;<br>"For now, it is," Tom agreed, "As I recall, you get to play with me later. Now go see your flowers and I'll get us some warm wash cloths to clean up with." He kissed his boyfriend on the nose. "Night's just getting started, yeah?"<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>28-04-2016, 06:32:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus smiled up at his lover as Tom nudged him. He laughed at Tom's expletive, waving a hand. <br><br>"We're fine," he dismissed, letting Tom pull him up. He let out a quick giggle at the reminder. <br><br>"I do," he agreed happily, kissing his boyfriend on the cheek. "It'll take me a couple minutes to get everything from stove to table if you want to grab a quick shower, though," he offered.<br><br>He nodded. The night was just getting started. He just hoped the news he had to drop over dinner wouldn't kill the mood for the rest of the evening. <br><br>"I'll get food on the table," he said, turning to head into the kitchen. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>28-04-2016, 14:04:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tom's eyes lit up as Connie giggled, the reminder having had its desired effect. If his submission made his boyfriend that happy, he was going to have to offer himself more often. Especially if Connie was willing to do the same for him. Fair was fair, but more than that he didn't think he would hate anything Connie enjoyed so much.<br><br>"I'll take that offer," Tome decided after a moment's pause, "but I'll still get you that washcloth. Can't have my chef feeling all sticky while trying to enjoy his own food."<br><br>As Connie slipped into the kitchen, Tom grabbed a pair of sweats to take with him into the shower. Turning the water hot, he waited for it to warm up and did as he'd said. Holding the cloth under the spray, he hurried to the kitchen and gave it to his boyfriend before returning to his shower. He could have stayed to wipe Connie down himself - that had been the original plan - but he wanted to be clean for tonight. It was silly, but he felt it was important. <br><br>Five minutes later, Tom turned off the water, dryed off, and slipped into his sweats. There was no reason to put on more. With no plans to leave, he wanted to be comfortable. Maybe it wasn't the sexiest outfit, but Connie would be just to Tom wearing nothing but sweats around the house. The werewolf found clothing constricting and, while he was willing to wear it for the sake of propriety, preferred to go without. He only wore the sweats in deference to Connie.<br><br>"Smells amazing," Tom declared as he entered their little kitchen with its attached dining room. "Have I mentioned lately hoe you spoil me?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>05-05-2016, 00:20:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Deal," Magnus agreed, snagging a pair of boxers and throwing them over his shoulder as he padded into the kitchen. He paused at the flowers, smelling them, then took the washcloth from his lover. <br><br>"Thank you," he called to Tom's retreating back. He wiped himself down quickly, slipping his boxers back on, then turned his attention to the food. It didn't take him long to pull everything out of the oven and put it to a serving dish, arranging the vegetables around the meat. He could've just left it all in the pan on the stove to be dished out of, and on another night he might've, but it was date night. Washing an extra dish was worth it for the presentation. <br><br>He poured them each a small glass of wine and a glass of water, then turned to Tom as he walked in. <br><br>"Maybe," he said, wrapping his arms around his lover's waist just long enough to kiss him on the cheek, "but it bears repeating," he added with a cheeky smile. He gestured at the table with a flourish. <br><br>"Dinner is served. I don't know how it is - my family didn't really do roasts - but the recipe had a bunch of five star reviews, so here's hoping," he said, sitting in his own chair and tucking one foot beneath himself. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>05-05-2016, 00:32:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>"You spoil me," Tom repeated teasingly and kissed Connie on his nose because he was close enough to do so.<br>&nbsp;<br>Looking to the table, he inhaled and shook his head as he took his usual seat. "If it smells as good as it tastes, it'll be a hit," he assured. "All that matters to me right now is you took the time to look up a roast recipe, bought meat, and cooked it. For me. Like I said," he placed his napkin on his lap and grinned at his boyfriend, "you spoil me."<br>&nbsp;<br>Dishing out his own portion, he inhaled again and then nibbled on a bite. Groaning in appreciation, he sipped the wine and nodded his further approval. Wine wasn't really his thing, he preferred beer, but he'd learned to appreciate it thanks to Connie. Or maybe because of Connie. It certainly digested better than beer, as did the bourbon his boyfriend had talked him into trying, so he drank it whenever the other man wanted. <br>&nbsp;<br>"So how weird do you think people would find it that we're eating a fancy roast, with a fancy wine, in our boxers?" Tom asked before taking another bite of his meal.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>12-05-2016, 06:02:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus laughed at his lover's cheeky response, then watched the other man's reaction to the food. He shrugged. <br><br>"Just because you're a heathen carnivore doesn't mean I don't love you," he said jokingly. He didn't understand the human preoccupation with meat, but he wasn't particularly morally opposed; it just didn't agree with his system, and when he'd tried bites here and there he didn't see the appeal. <br><br>His smile grew at Tom's approval and, having it, he dished out his own healthy serving of the vegetables. He laughed at the comment. <br><br>"Well, the wine was from Trader Joe's - I aerated it in the blender - so I'd say drinking it in boxers is just about right," he admitted. He cut a potato piece in half with the side of his fork and blew on it. He felt an anxious flutter in his stomach; he was going to have to bite the bullet and ask his question soon. But not yet. <br><br>"How was class?" he asked instead, before popping the potato in his mouth.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>12-05-2016, 17:24:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>Tom laughed at Connie's answer to his question, just like he always did when the man aerated wine in a blender. It just seemed like an incredibly strange thing to do, though he had never asked if it was normal or not. Maybe it was, but that wouldn't make it any less amusing to him. <br>&nbsp;<br>Using table manners not always present at home, Tom dug into his meal with gusto. Connie, as usual, ate his greens in tiny, polite bites. He'd always been meticulous with his manners so Tom always tried to slow down, use the right utensil, and not inhale his meal. It didn't always work, but he made the effort. Since he had grown up with very little instruction in the area, Tom thought he did well.<br>&nbsp;<br>Swallowing his mouthful at the question, he shrugged and said, "Class. Professor Marbrook," his chemistry instructor, "gave us a pop quiz, the ass-hat. A girl in calculus ran out of the room crying, so Professor Parcel let us out early. Spent the free time with the guys and then went to chem lab where we blew up a beaker. On accident this time."<br>&nbsp;<br>Between classes, if Tom couldn't spend time with Connie, he spent it with a trio of guys from other small towns. They were all human, but they related better to each other than to the big city students and the students from wealthy backgrounds. Being avid football fans like Tom, they also spent free Sundays shouting obscenities at the television, eating snacks, and horsing around. None of the guys had a problem with Tom being gay, or Connie in general, so Tom considered them some of his closest friends. They weren't pack, but if he got into it and they were around, he was sure they would have his back.<br>&nbsp;<br>"How were your classes? Learn anything exciting about trees?"<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>15-05-2016, 09:01:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"It softens the tannins," Magnus said in response to Tom's laughter, playfully defensive. Tom didn't know or care about wine, and that was fine, but he tried to expose his lover to it. The fair folk were, of course, infamous for their various wines and spirits; it was often a beverage rather than food that tempted a mortal to tarry in Court longer than they should. Magnus could've made his own drinks, but fairy wine was potent, and frankly storage space was a problem, so Trader Joe's it was.<br><br>His manners were second nature by this point; succeeding at Court was as much about decorum as anything else, even in courts famed for their love of revelry and lack of control. The laws were pliable, preferences waxed and waned, but grace was always prized, and table manners were one way it could be shown.<br><br>He smiled as he listened to his lover's day. He was glad Tom had friends other than him; he loved his boyfriend, of course, but humans needed human connections, just as he cherished his relationships with the handful of urban fae he'd gotten to know. He shook his head. <br><br>"They're going to start charging you all for them," he remarked of the beakers. He snorted at Tom's question. <br><br>"No," he said, wrinkling his nose. "I only had the one today, but the Professor told us about our final projects and then gave us the rest of the class to work with our groups. I hate group work. I'm <em>bad</em> at group work," he complained. He was nice enough, he supposed, but he'd grown up in a world where it was important to assert authority; sharing it with others wasn't his style. <br><br>"But then I got to come home and think about you while I cooked, which made it all better," he half-joked, though it was true.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>12-06-2016, 00:41:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I think they already did," Tom teased, "They called it tuition. Cost an arm and a leg, it did."<br><br>The mention of group work had Tom wincing in sympathy. Reaching across the table, he took Connie's hand in his own and caressed the knuckles with his thumb. Though he had never worked with his boyfriend on a project, he'd overheard other students' complaints. They were the same ones those students had had with him, only he was far more physically intimidating than his boyfriend. He wasn't afraid to use that fact to his advantage to get his way, either.<br><br>"You need me to knock any heads, you just tell me," Tom half joked. He meant it, but Connie would never agree to let him. Then again, the world was probably better off that the blonde would never take advantage of the fact he could point at anyone, say the word, and Tom would rip their head off. <br><br>"Thinking of me makes everything better," Tom agreed solemnly. He lifted his boyfriend's hand to his lips and kissed it before letting go. <br><br>Then he took a fortifying breath, downed the rest of his wine and said, "I think I should tell you something about myself and my family I have been...not mentioning and it might ruin dinner so I can do it now, or we can finish eating."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>21-06-2016, 09:47:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus shook his head, lauging at his lover in spite of himself. "Somehow I don't think they intended the beakers to have to be replaced every class," he pointed out wryly.<br><br>He made a face, sipping his own wine.<br>"Thanks, but not necessary," he dismissed. "i'm sure everyone'll be more than happy to let me do the whole thing myself," he said with a roll of his eyes. In truth, he always tried to divvy things up fairly, but he preferred other group members to step back and get out of his way if they weren't willing or able to contribute at the same level. He complained about doing all the work because that was what you were supposed to do, but he didn't really mind.<br><br>The faerie laughed at Tom's comment, laughter fading with the kiss.there was something in his lover's face... He frowned as Tom spoke, spinning his for between his fingers. He couldn't imagine Tom had a bigger secret than the one he'd be revealing in a few weeks, but his stomach twisted uneasily just the same. He didn't like Tom being nervous.<br><br>"I'm sure it can't be anything that bad," he said, reaching across the table and putting his palm up, offering his hand if Tom wanted it, but not grabbing for his biyfriend's hand since Tom had just let his go. "What is it?" he asked gently.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>21-06-2016, 16:58:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>Tom swallowed. He had stared down countless werewolves, more than enough homicidal bikers, a few vampires, a handful of cops, and even a bigfoot once. Nothing had terrified him more than this and he doubted that that was because he hadn't been alone with the rest. No, it was because losing Connie was about the worst thing Tom could think of. Of course, not telling him would eventually end terribly so at least this had a shot at going well.<br>&nbsp;<br>Since Connie reached for him, Tom caught his hand again, but not tightly enough his boyfriend couldn't pull away if he wanted. "Okay, just...just let me explain, okay? You know when Colin," one of Tom's buddies, "saw my bike that first time and joked that if I had a beard I'd be a perfect outlaw? And everyone laughed but me? That's, um," he ran his hand through his hair, "My family, my brothers and my dad and me, we're...My dad leads a biker gang and we're all- I'm supposed to take over for him when he passes. We don't- We're not like those stories, like Sons of Anarchy, or Hells Angels. We protect people from guys like that. Our town's little and it's way up in the mountains so people think they can just do whatever they want to folks and no one'll do anything about it. Like, we're constantly having to kick out these Cartel marijuana farmers, or some militia will think they can run guns through town, or some other biker gang will start a brawl and we stop it."<br>&nbsp;<br>He wasn't going to mention the werewolf packs they chased off, or the vampire dens they dismantled. Those didn't happen often, anyways, not compared to the threat normals possessed. <br>&nbsp;<br>"I didn't tell you, because I didn't want you to think less of me. I'm head over heels for you and I think you're fucking perfect and I'm not, but I don't want to hide this any more. So I...Yeah, that's it, and I hope you can forgive me."<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>23-06-2016, 07:58:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus felt a knot of tension inside him loosen slightly when Tom took his hand. If his lover could touch him, it couldn't be anything too bad, could it? He studied Tom's face as his boyfriend haltingly began, nodding encouragingly. He'd laughed at Colin's comment with everyone else; Tom's body and temper were both dangerous, but he couldn't see his boyfriend as a bona fide badass. Of course, they'd both grown and changed in the years since.<br><br>He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but the news coming out of the other man's mouth wasn't it. He felt his eyebrows raising. He could've kept his face blank, or even pleasant - you didn't spend any time at Court without learning to mind your expressions - but he tried to play human for his lover, and that meant letting the surprise show on his face. <br><br>"You're in a biker gang," he repeated back, slowly. "A...patrilineal biker gang." He took Tom's hand with his so he held his lover's hand with both of his now. He'd been dimly aware, he supposed, that the other man's family obligations seemed to mirror his own in some ways - it was why they hadn't talked about it - but, even in a world in which he knew all the fairytales were true, biker gangs seemed somehow...fantastical.<br><br>"I'm not upset, and I'm <em>not</em> perfect," he added with a wry smile, "but I am a little confused. It's...what, like Mayberry meets West Side Story?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>24-06-2016, 06:40:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tom nodded sharply as Connie repeated the core of what he was saying. The tension in his neck and shoulders would then be even more obvious as it suddenly vanished when his boyfriend took his hand. His own wrap tightly about the blonde's long fingers and hold on like letting go means the end of the world. <em>Maybe</em> (definitely) he's overreacting, but Tom's still scared. Logically he knows he hadsn't lied about his family, or his own associations, just like Connie's silence about his own family isn't a lie. It's not a betrayal. That mutual understanding is why they <em>work</em>, but Tom can't help himself. The thought of loosing his boyfriend terrifies him like nothing else.<br><br>"What's Mayberry?" Tom blurts, then quickly waved his free hand dismissively. He understood the context, if not the exact definition, and getting into a discussion over <em>Mayberry </em>will distract him from his confession. He's gotta get this out <em>now</em>. Now or never. "No singing and dancing, but we've got the love story. My dad's, uh," Tom looks at the ceiling and blows out a breath, "he wasn't pleased I went t'college and he ain't pleased I'm seeing someone not in the circle, but," the werewolf shrugs, a long roll of his shoulders, and meet's his lover's gaze again, "He'll get over it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>29-06-2016, 20:21:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus watched Tom's expression carefully. Was there more to the story? Something he'd missed? A biker gang wasn't the smallest of deals, sure, but in comparison...ah. He realized he was having one of those moments where his being not-human might've been affecting his view of the situation. Maybe if you weren't hiding that you were a creature of myth, finding out that your lover was in a gang would be a bigger deal. <br><br>He blinked, surprised at the question. He missed pop culture things sometimes - his family hadn't had a television or computer in the house when he was growing up, so he'd only been aware of what he'd seen out and about, or at the occasional mortal friend's house. He'd had a friend he stayed with when his family was on too-dangerous business whose grandmother had watched the show religiously. <br><br>"Um, a t.v. -" he was saved from the explanation when Tom waved his hand. He realized that Tom wasn't done, and waited for the rest, tilting his head as his lover finished. <br><br>"Is he upset because I'm an outsider, or because I'm a guy? Or does he know that yet?" It wasn't accusatory, just a question. Just because his family knew a fair amount about Tom didn't mean that the reverse was true, and he'd never ask - hard to bitch about your boyfriend being closeted when you hadn't planned to take him home to your people, either. Of course, plans change. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>29-06-2016, 20:31:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>Tom flinched at the question, but couldn't deny he deserved it. At least it was clear that Connie wouldn't be angry to discover Tom was hiding in the closet, but he still felt guilty that his boyfriend would have to ask if he was a secret. They had been together over three years and that was a lot of denial.<br>&nbsp;<br>"Both, I think," Tom answered. "He expected Grandkids, you know? Not like he won't get them from my siblings, but I'm the eldest so it's a whole thing." <br>&nbsp;<br>Lifting his boyfriend's hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss to Connie's knuckles. He held his lover's hazel eyes, wanting to make sure he was believed as he said, "I never hid you. My mom knows all about you, so do my siblings. My dad was just convinced you were a phase I'd get over in a year or two. He's yet to accept that might not be true."<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>29-06-2016, 22:26:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus ran his thumb over his boyfriend's hand as the other man answered. He nodded. That was fair. He didn't <em>get</em> it, exactly, but he knew that humans, and particularly humans in rural areas, could be really weird about the whole gender-of-partners thing. <br><br>He smiled across the table as the other man pressed his lips to Magnus' hand. <br><br>"On the bright side, it might," he said, trying to tease, to lighten the mood a little. "Maybe you'll get rid of me and marry Cheryl," he said, referencing a classmate they enjoyed disliking together. <br><br>Now it was his turn to hesitate. He'd wanted to wait until after dinner, but since Tom had started it...<br><br>"Speaking of family," he said, taking one of his hands back to take a drink of his wine, "I also have some news." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>29-06-2016, 22:35:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>Tom snorted at the suggestion his boyfriend is a phase, rolling his eyes. The man <em>meant</em> well, he was sure, but even a joke about Cheryl couldn't erase how many times his father had said the same things. He mentioned a family friend, of course, Darleen, but the sentiment was too similar. Tom didn't want Darleen, he didn't want a woman, and he didn't want a werewolf; he wanted Connie.<br>&nbsp;<br>"Because if I can't have you, <em>obviously</em> I'm going to choose Cheryl," Tom said, trying to play along at least.<br>&nbsp;<br>For the first time, Connie hesitated and Tom felt his heart kick up. He let the man take his hand back, watched him nervously as he took a sip of wine. Then he was changing the topic and, while on the one hand Tom was relieved that was the end of his confession, he couldn't relax when Connie was bringing up his own family. First time for both of them, then.<br>&nbsp;<br>"News?" Tom repeated. "Everyone alright?"<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>29-06-2016, 22:43:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus flashed a grin at his boyfriend's expression - eye rolling was better than a nervous pucker between Tom's brows. He shrugged. <br><br>"It's logical," he agreed gamely, playing along. <br><br>He laughed at the question, a quick bark, though not quite like it was funny. <br><br>"They're fine," he reassured. "But I <em>have</em> been instructed to invite you to visit the weekend after finals. It's totally cool if you don't want to," he added quickly, "but they've been picking on me to bring you around for a while, so I promised them I'd at least extend the invitation. We'd go up for the weekend," he explained.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>29-06-2016, 23:00:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tom smiles helplessly as Connie laughs. That little laugh and Tom's reminded just how gone he is on the gorgeous blonde. He's not embarrassed that he's being laughed at, either. They both know he hasn't a clue who he's asking after except they're related to Connie.<br><br>Then the revelation that Connie is asking him to meet his parents asserts itself. His mouth opens and closes. As his thrown so completely for a loop, he doesn't realize the alarm his expression is telegraphing. <br><br>"It's not that I don't," he finally says, words carefully chosen and that's not like him at all. "It's, Conir, you sure you want me to? I'll go if you do, but," <em>they'll know I'm no good for you,</em> "I don't think they'll like me."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>01-07-2016, 19:55:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus watched his lover's face as he spoke, tensing as Tom looked increasingly alarmed. He hadn't actually been sure how this conversation would go - at this point, he didn't remember who'd started the trend of not really talking about their families, just that they'd both seemed to silently agree, so he wasn't sure how weird Tom would think it was. <br><br>What he <em>hadn't</em> expected was the look of blank shock. Did Tom think he'd just sprung from the ground? Or - he thought with a twinge of the stomach - did Tom think that was more serious than they were? Had he misunderstood? <br><br>He watched Tom think, relaxing somewhat when the reason was given. He shook his head, grinning. <br>"No, I think it's probably a terrible idea," he said with a laugh, "mostly because once you meet my dad and see who I'm eventually gonna turn into I think you'll run for the hills." He made it a joke, but it wasn't an idle concern - his issues were a little more pressing than humans worrying about turning into their parents as they got older. "But regardless, the invitation has been extended, so I deliver." <br><br>He gave a funny little half-bow in his seat, then met his lover's eyes, his own sparkling. <br>"You don't have to come if you don't want to - it won't hurt my feelings - but I do..." he hesitated. "I think it would be useful for you to see that part of me before we dig in any deeper here."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>01-07-2016, 20:51:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tom realizes he must be showing something of what he's feeling as Connie tenses. There's nothing for that, though, so he plows on. It earns him a relieved relaxation of his boyfriend's shoulders and a beautiful grin. Still he flinched before he recognizes the joke, but rolls his eyes. It doesn't matter what Connie's dad is like to Tom, he's not in love with <em>him</em>.<br><br>"Fat chance," he says frankly. He can't think of a single reason he could be willing to end this relationship. <br><br>Raising his eyebrows at the bow, Tom considers Connie's next words carefully before he gives a heavy nod, expression serious and intense. His own confession was for the exact same reason and it makes sense Connie would feel the same need to prepare Tom for whatever it is he's been hiding about his family. It's just not likely to be as weird as what Tom hasn't said yet.<br><br>"I'll go," he says seriously before breaking into a grin of his own. "Aren't we a pair?" He says, tone light again. "Having the 'it's time to take our relationship to the next level' conversation like a normal couple. Starting to think you might be set on keeping me."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>05-07-2016, 19:58:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus grinned at his lover's firm assurance. He'd always envied Tom's ability to plant his flag and stand there; he'd come to rely on it. <br><br>His smile grew when Tom agreed to join him; he ignored the feeling of unease in his stomach. Tom's agreement meant that there was now a countdown to when he'd have to tell his lover the truth, not only about himself, but about the whole world. He might react poorly. Tonight, though, the fairie wouldn't let himself focus on that - he would just be happy that the person he loved was agreeing to meet his family for the first time. Even for humans, it was a big step. <br><br>"What, we're not a normal couple?" he teased, feigning indignance. He slid his hand across the table so his fingers gently bumped Tom's. <br><br>"That's the plan," he agreed. "Who else is gonna keep shopping for bedframes with me?" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>05-07-2016, 20:24:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>"We break too many beds to be normal," Tom shot back. He was grinning now, too; smiling from ear to ear at his obviously happy boyfriend. Nerve wracking as this trip was going to be, he would do anything to see Connie this happy. <br>&nbsp;<br>Laughing, Tom teased, "Oh I bet Cheryl would love to go shopping with you."<br>&nbsp;<br>Clearing his throat, he said a bit more seriously, "I guess I should invite you out to meet the guys and my family. We're doing a run down the coast at the beginning of Summer, would you wanna- I mean, it's a week on motorcycles with shitty hotels to stay in, but it's a lot of fun and you'd get to ride with me. If you want to, anyways."<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>09-07-2016, 00:05:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus shrugged.<br>"I dunno, maybe everyone does, I haven't, like, taken a poll," he joked. "Maybe we should just say fuck it and put the mattress and box spring on the floor. Better back support, anyway."<br><br>He made a face, then a gagging sound at Tom's joke. <br><br>"Gross. She would, too."<br><br>He listened to Tom's invitation, tilting his head. <br><br>"That sounds fun, but should you check in with them about whether they'd be okay with me tagging along before you invite me? I'd love to meet your family, but I don't want my first impression to be butting in where I'm not wanted." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>25-08-2016, 17:00:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>"We'd just break the box spring faster," Tom chuckled. <br>&nbsp;<br>Laughing at Connie's face, Tom had to set his glass down or spill it. He only brought it back to his lips after offering to bring Connie on the run. It covered the way he blushed at the question, but not for long as he set it down and stared at his food, busying his hands with it instead of looking at his boyfriend.<br>&nbsp;<br>"My mom has been, ah," Tom, shrugged a little too casually, "She's a bit pissed I haven't brought you 'round yet. She'll be so thrilled she'll argue for me when my dad and brothers argue. Not that they don't want to meet you," he added quickly, looking up again, "They're just... Protective? Of... everything."<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>10-09-2016, 05:25:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus rolled his eyes, though Tom was probably right. <br><br>"I guess we'll just fuck on the floor from here on out, then," he suggested with a smirk. <br><br>He watched his lover with a critical eye. Tom was...uneasy, he decided, though whether it was about the thought of Magnus joining him at all or the specifics of his family situation was impossible to say. <br><br>"I mean..." <br><br>He paused. He didn't want Tom to think he didn't want to meet his family, but he didn't love the idea of being the cause of a big fight, especially if there was a gang involved. He mostly trusted Tom's judgement - if his boyfriend said something was okay, it usually was - but he wondered if Tom might not think about how his family would react to an outsider differently than to him. <br><br>"I would love to meet your family," he began again. "But if it's going to be a big conflict for me to go for an extended period this first time, I'm also happy to, like...Skype with your mom or whatever. I don't want to cause problems," he clarified, absently mushing a potato with his fork while he looked at Tom. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>10-09-2016, 05:55:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It shouldn't have surprised Tom as much as it did that neither he, nor Connie, were particularly comfortable talking about their families. They hadn't before, vague details and locations, but nothing concrete. Like Tom didn't know about Connie's father, or why Connie was afraid he'd turn into the man, Connie didn't know how Tom's family functioned. The bickering, the shouting, the laughter and love. They were loud and boisterous and a mess, but they were family. It was more important even than pack.<br><br>"My mom doesn't know how to use Skype," Tom said with a small smile, "Facebook's about the extent of her foray into the internet. But, ah, my brother's and my dad and me, we fight a lot. You know I can be loud, especially with the guys, and at home it's the same. Bringing you home is gonna ruffle some feathers, but that's now, later, or whenever. They'll love you, Conir, I know they will. My dad's gonna be pissed at first, my brothers will take his side 'til mom smacks some sense into 'em, but that's...kind of our thing?"<br><br>Tom blew out a breath and looked down again.<br><br>"If it'll make you more comfortable, we can do somethin' small instead? Just dinner? Just...Kinda wanna show you off, you know? Don't get to do that enough."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>10-09-2016, 06:21:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus made himself stab a carrott and put it in his mouth, though he barely tasted it. Wouldn't do to let the food get cold, and maybe if he ate Tom would follow his lead - he snacked all the time, like a hummingbird, but he wanted to make sure Tom got enough to eat. <br><br>He offered a small smile back, imagining his own family trying to work a computer. The mental image was funnier than it should have been. <br><br>Magnus listened attentively. Tom's force, his loudness, his propensity for <em>bigness</em> had scared him a little at first. Not enough to keep him away, clearly, but it was a very different kind of behavior than he was used to. Oh, his people had a sense for presentation and grandeur, but not with quite the same...energy as Tom had. The thought of multiple Toms was intriguing on a level that had him fighting a blush, but knowing that it wouldn't be Tom, actually, but family members potentially just as big and loud, but predisposed to dislike him...it was intimidating. <br><br>"Are you planning on letting them know you're bringing me in advance?" he asked carefully, imagining that a surprise would be worse. <br><br>He smiled at the sentiment, a big, happy smile - he liked being shown off, in his own way. He shook his head. <br>"I want to do what you want to do," he reassured. "I just don't want to make anything harder for you. Am I gonna need to butch it up? Start lifting now?" he teased. He wasn't actually sure what it would take for him to bulk up, or even if he could - he was more than human-strong, which wasn't something you wanted to show off in a gym. He knew he could hold his own, enjoyed the way his human lover's size made him feel protected, even if it was only illusion. His lithe frame, though, didn't tend to win him points with "manly men," and he had a feeling that's what Tom's family was like. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cleo4u2</strong> on <strong>10-09-2016, 06:31:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Watching Connie dig back into the food, worked exactly like hoped. Tom picked up his fork again, shifted his food on his plate and took another bite that he promptly choked on as Connie suggested he might not warn his family of their guest. Hitting his fist on his chest, he coughed, eyes watering, until his lungs decided they'd punished him for the mistake enough.<br><br>"God, my mom'd be so pissed if we just showed up," Tom said, sipping his wine to help the soreness, "She'd kill me. Dad wouldn't even get a shot, I'd just be dead. So, if you're trying to off me, that'd be the way to do it."<br><br>Returning to his food, Tom smiled as Connie smiled. Not just a little smile, either, a big, happy, 'you said something I like' smile that made Tom's toes curl. God, but his man looked good when happy. Well, Connie looked good all the time, but especially when happy.<br><br>"You know I love you just the way you are," Tom snorted, "Don't you go tryin' to be somethin' else, just 'cause my family's..." Tom squinted, bit into some meat as he thought of a word that wasn't too insulting to his mother, "hill billies? Mm, yeah, that's us."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Mid-Summer Night's Adventure (MxM)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FigTree</strong> on <strong>10-09-2016, 06:49:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Magnus' eyes widened as Tom choked. His hands hovered in the air, trying to decide if he needed to get up and do something. Before he could make a call that something needed to happen, Tom had the problem sorted. <br><br>"Are you okay?!" he demanded, concerned. <br><br>He snorted, shaking his head. He wasn't trying to get either of them killed, certainly - he'd just been planning to encourage Tom to tell his family in advance if he wasn't planning on it. Maybe his lover would be fine with some buckshot in his ass, but that kind of metal would kill Magnus pretty much no matter where it hit. He pushed the thought away - a problem for another day. <br><br>He watched Tom think of the word - he loved watching the other man's mind work - then laughed at the one he chose. <br><br>"I know you love me," he confirmed, "and I love you. If you can deal with my family, I can deal with yours," he decided, chasing one of the last pieces of potato around his plate.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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