FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan's smile had slowly faded as he realized that Lucien was awake. The two met eyes and Faolan felt a tightness in his chest. He wanted to lean down and kiss Lucien, again and again, but now that he was sober he was back in control of such impulses. He couldn't and he wouldn't, and he wasn't sure he would be able to again.

"Mornin'." He said, gruffly, and lifted his arm from around the Frenchman's shoulders as he extricated himself from where he lay. Were his movements too fast, too rough? Would they betray his desires or conceal them? This he did not know, as he could not imagine what was going through Lucien's head.

His head spun as he sat up from the bed and swung his legs over the edge, facing away from Lucien. He paused for a moment, leaning forward as his eyes and forehead throbbed with a headache. The light pained him and his stomach turned. The two of them needed breakfast, and quickly.

He stood up from the bed, slowly so as not to dizzy himself, and retrieved his clothes from the floor. He felt his cheeks grow hot as he dressed, realizing that he had taken them off before getting into bed with Lucien. He kept his back turned to him, so as not to show the blush he knew he wore.

"I'll get us some food." He said quietly as he pulled his shirt over his head. "Be best to eat before I go." He had to leave today, the full moon approached. Maybe the distance would give him some perspective, allow him to get a better handle on everything. Being this close to Lucien, he wasn't thinking clearly. He felt an aching in his chest as the realization sunk in that he would be without the Frenchman, but he did not give in to its allure. It was better this way.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana's shoulders visibly seemed to lower as Geralt walked away from the mess area. Now that the Magician had left them, she was finally able to relax. It was clear in her expression as she looked around the table that she was more comfortable, albeit less alert as well. She would have been worried about Lucien being alone with him, if it were anyone else but their Ringleader.

Cora watched Geralt go with a neutral expression and smiled at Ivory as she sat and took a card from her. At the mention of the show, her expression brightened as she nodded in agreement with Akane's statement, "Oh yes, it will be wonderful to see him perform! I can't wait to see what else his hands can do." She added enthusiastically. At Ivory's comment, however, her smiled drooped a little and she tilted her head inquisitively as Ivory continued to speak. It was clear that the dhampir did not appreciate the Magician's company, at least to Cora. She had noticed the way her eyes narrowed and her tone lowered when she spoke with him, as she did very little. Ivory had been nothing but kind to her and the others. Perhaps she wasn't as bright as Akane or as compassionate as Illyana, but she was always kind, though stern. Although her smiles were few, she shared them with the troupe before, but now that Geralt had joined they seemed to have left her completely. It had only been a day though...maybe she was in a bad mood?

There was no way to know for sure except to ask, so she did. "I'm sorry that you're not happy about him, Ivory. But...can I ask why? He seems so...charming to me. Not like any of the other men around here..." she paused and looked apologetically to Aurel, "Except for you and Lucien, of course." She paused a moment, contemplating her statement, then added, "He reminds me of Lucien a little, actually." And this was true, although he had none of the feminine qualities that shined through in Lucien, Geralt was smooth, kind, and witty, just like Lucien. The more she thought about it, the more alike the two men seemed.

Illyana listened to Cora speak while biting the inside of her cheek. She opened her mouth to disagree, to tell Cora that the Magician was nothing like Lucien at all, and point out how different the two of them were. But she closed it again when she realized that the mermaid was not entirely wrong. Both men were charming, handsome, intelligent, and well-spoken. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Cora was right, from the outside. She remembered what Lucien had said about not judging people based on appearances, or abilities, alone and subconsciously a hand moved to her forehead and the secret she concealed under the brim of her hat.

She dropped her hand and said, "He is a little like Lucien, Cora, you're right. But their not the same. Lucien is special, he brought us together...didn't he? Geralt doesn't seem like the type of man who would do that." She had learned in her time with the mermaid that it was easier to let her decide things on her own. Cora was strong-willed, though she appeared docile and laid-back, she could be fierce about certain things. She was intelligent, and cunning as well, though a stranger would never know it. If Illyana and the others helped her to see the differences between Lucien and Geralt, she would soon realize that sweet words and promises were not enough to make someone good.

Cora turned to Illyana and seemed to take in her words, mulling them over. She couldn't deny the truth in Illyana's words. Though Lucien and Geralt seemed very similar to her now, she did not see the kindness in Geralt that Lucien radiated. Maybe they were more different than they seemed after all...but she couldn't go judging the Magician too harshly just yet.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt let the other's converse, glad that his past was no longer the topic of conversation. The thoughts Akane's line of inquiry had produced had soured his mood. He did not like thinking about the past.

However, upon hearing the comment about Aurel's reflexes and Lucien's card tricks, Geralt was pulled reluctantly back into the fold. He raised his eyebrows as he contemplated who's hand to draw from, "Oh, is that right?" he said, settling on Akane and leaning across the table to take from her, watching her face all the while. He strategy of turning her eyes away form the cards was a good one, but also could be detrimental if she accidentally snuck a peek. He let his fingers hover over the cards for a moment, noting Ivory approaching, and added: "Ringleader, violinist, card trick enthusiast, talent groomer...I'm excited to see what else dear Lucien has up his sleeve." He paused as he chose the card he would take, and his fingers nearly touched it when Ivory returned and interjected.

He paused, looking to Akane's face to see a slight twitch of disappointment. It seemed that Ivory had appeared at exactly the right moment to release him.

He turned his attention to the white-haired maiden, and withdrew his hand from across the table. "Ah," he said as he set his hand face down on the table and stood, "Divide and conquer, I suppose. Mind taking over for me Ivory? Feel free to choose a card on my behalf." he placed a hand on his chest in mock humility as he walked around the table and toward Lucien's trailer. Before he was out of earshot, he raised a hand and called, "Try not to lose while I'm away!"

Illyana watched in silence as Geralt attempted to take a card from Akane and then departed without doing so. She knew from the way Akane was avoiding eye contact that she had the old maid, and guessed that Geralt had nearly taken it. Though the game meant nothing at all in the grand scheme of things, she was disappointed that he hadn't gotten it. It would have been...satisfying.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan's pounding heart eventually began to slow as he felt Lucien relaxing against him. No longer full of adrenaline, fear and arousal, he knew he would finally be able to let all the tension of the day go. He felt his mouth twitch into a smile at Lucien's response, and pulled him in closer as their fingers interlaced. Like the tumblers in a lock finally falling into place...this felt right.

Faolan wanted to close his eyes and drift off to sleep, but instead he forced them to stay open for just a little longer so he could watch Lucien relax into unconsciousness. He noticed through the darkness that Lucien was smiling, and after this he felt his eyelids slowly descend.

---------------------------------

Faolan didn't actually remember falling asleep. The first thing he thought of was Lucien's face, his hands, his lips. The events of the previous night had played over and over again behind his eyelids as he finally fell asleep. He dreamed that the two were on a boat, in a still placid lake cut only by the wake of their oars and keel. He was rowing them out under the stars, reflected in the black water below like a perfect mirror. They were smiling at each other as they pushed themselves into the unknown at Faolan's back, but there was no fear or trepidation. He felt that as long as Lucien was there, they would both be safe and sound.

Slowly, Faolan's eyes drifted open as the sun lanced through their room and onto his face. He was acutely aware that his neck hurt, just from the position he was laying in. The next thing he noticed was that his arm was still wrapped around Lucien, the other was tucked under his head as a makeshift pillow. He gazed down at the Frenchman as he slept, now facing toward him, and his face melted into serenity.

This lasted for a moment, before a spear of dread pierced his heart. They had kissed, and Faolan had started this entire domino effect. His head pounded with a hangover, his muscles ached, but he could not deny how completely at peace he felt in this moment. He did not want to move, to leave this space, with Lucien pressed so closely to him. But he knew, for both of their safety, that he must do so soon. He glanced at the door and remembered it to be locked, glad for his drunken foresight. They had a few more moments of peace and quiet, to be together, before the spell would be broken by the day. He didn't know now whether Lucien remembered their contact, or how he felt about it...had his brash and lustful actions ruined everything? What was in store for them now that they had crossed that line? Would they be safe...could he keep Lucien safe? As he looked down on the Frenchman, through all of his insecurities, he knew that he must remain safe. That was Faolan's duty, and his number one goal, and he would not compromise this for anything, even his own happiness.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan set his boots to the side of his bed, glancing at his bag to make sure it was undisturbed in their absence. Satisfied, he removed his shirt, noting that it was slightly damp with sweat. He tossed it on the floor, then stood to take off his pants too. He focused on these things instead of thinking about Lucien, but it was hard to focus with the man lying only feet away from him.

He heard Lucien get into bed and lay down, and glanced over his shoulder to see that the Frenchman had turned his back to him. He grunted in response to Lucien's farewell for the night, but lingered as he looked over at him. After a brief pause, a moment of weakness, he finished undressing and fell into his bed.

He had his back to Lucien as well, worried about what would happen if he looked at his companion again. The springs in his mattress whined against his weight as he shifted his position to get comfortable. His body ached and itched. After moments, he shifted again, but could not find a place of rest. He was too hot, too cold, lonely, frightened, aroused, and tame all at once. He was leaving tomorrow. He could imagine Lucien's face, see the look of disappointment, of betrayal in his eyes. He could feel his lips still, now, as he lay alone in his single bed on the other end of the room.

He couldn't help it any more. He rolled over, and though he tried to keep his eyes closed, he could not help but open them. He saw Lucien's back, her shoulders tight as his arms wrapped around himself. He looked so cold there, alone...Faolan could feel it welling up inside of him. He had never craved touch so much in his life. He was frantic and desperate and could not relax.

He took a deep breath, contemplating for only a half second what he was about to do. He let instinct take over for one more moment, and felt himself rise from his bed.

He crossed the room quickly and quietly and approached Lucien's bed. He could see that the Frenchman was still awake, but was trying not to react to his presence. Out of fear or...did he not want Faolan there?

He pushed these thoughts from his mind, and softly lifted the blanket as he slid into bed beside Lucien. The springs creaked under both of their weight as Faolan settled himself against him. The bed was barely big enough for the Irishman alone, let alone both of them, but he didn't care. He would sleep on the floor if it meant he could touch Lucien again.

He pressed his body into Lucien's back and laid his arm over him slowly and gently, looking down at the Frenchman's face. From this vantage, he could only see half of it, but that was enough to tell him that Lucien had opened his eyes. He was worried for a moment that he had overstepped his bounds, but he felt Lucien relax into him and subconsciously he smiled. "Is this okay?" he whispered. There was only one way to know for sure.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt chuckled quietly, toying with the ridge of one of his cards as he looked over at Akane. She was relentless...but he could tell she was not asking for any ulterior motives and was simply curious. Despite this, he found himself slightly annoyed by her continuous questioning. Still, he smiled through this, keeping up appearances. "Fun?" he asked, at first pretending to consider the question. He had practiced these answers, given variations of them a hundred times.

But, during the pause, he actually began to think about whether or not he found his performances 'fun' any longer. Of course, being a Magician had been his dream as a child and young man, and his abilities had given him the chance to realize this dream in full. He supposed it was fun when he first began, he had elated in seeing the wonder flash in people's eyes. A part of him was still driven by this, he knew. Deep inside there was still that young man who yearned to watch his audience smile and cover their mouths in amazement...but now...did he still find it 'fun' to perform?

He forced himself to break from these thoughts as he realized his face had gone slightly slack for a moment, void of its usual controlled expression. In a moment, he regained it, and shrugged in response. "My father always said that idle hands were the devil's playthings," he said, his wicked smile returning, "I said 'so be it'." He paused for a moment as this sunk in, then added, "I'm good at it, so yes, I find it...'fun' to do what I'm good at."

Illyana had been watching Geralt's face as he considered Akane's question, and noticed a slight shift in his expression as he mulled her question over. It was short, and subtle, but to her he had suddenly looked years younger. This was the least concerning thing she had seen about Geralt so far...it was strange, but for some reason it had comforted her.

She turned to Aurel as he spoke and smiled, "Ah, I see. A worthwhile pursuit." she answered. As it came around to her turn, she pondered on who she should take from. Noting that Geralt had few cards left in his hand, she decided to take one from Cora. "Second from the right," she said, instead of forcing the mermaid to struggle to hand it over, she allowed Akane to pass it to her without looking. No pair.

As Cora handed her card to Akane to pass to Illyana, she looked over at Geralt, "You are very good with your hands," she said, thinking back to all of the tricks he had done with his cards. Although she had always been reliant on her hands, as her lack of proper working legs and feet had forced her to be even before she had come abovewater, she was never that dexterous with her fingers.

Geralt raised an eyebrow at the 'mermaid' suggestively, "Oh, dear, you haven't seen anything yet..."

Hearing this, and seeing the glint in Geralt's eye, Illy had to intervene. She coughed and said, "Akane, it's your turn." in a loud and bright voice. Her interjection had been obvious, but she didn't care if it got the job done.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan made his way down the street with complete tunnel vision. He did not want anything to distract him from his goal. They had to get inside, where it was safe and they wouldn't seen. He was making a B-line for their boarding house, glad that it wasn't far from where they decided to stop. Once they were there they could...

Do what?

He had been so caught up in the moment, the kiss, that he hadn't thought about what would come after. He could still feel Lucien's lips against his own, still feel their bodies pressed together. His heart remained a jackhammer under his ribs, and his hands were shaking. If he heard Lucien's voice, felt his touch again, he wasn't sure he would be able to stop himself from continuing what they had begun. His mind was still slightly hazy with drink and his stomach turned with worry at the thought that they may be seen, caught.

He pushed everything away and focused on getting to their temporary home, into their room, where he could think more clearly.

A few more minutes of silent cantering passed and they arrived. Faolan used the key he had been given on the door and was sure to be silent as they made their way up the stairs to their room. Once inside, Faolan shut the door and locked it quickly. He turned to see Lucien looking at him. The two stood feet apart for a moment, just looking at each other...

Faolan fought the urge to step over and grab Lucien once more. He knew if they did that here...he didn't know where it would stop. They were both still at least slightly drunk, though a lot of the haze in his mind had been replaced by a slowly throbbing headache. He didn't want anything to happen that either of them would regret. Even now, Faolan didn't know if Lucien regretted it, or would in the morning.

After an awkward silence, Faolan broke eye contact and looked at the floor, "It's late..." he said quietly, then began to walk toward his bed on the far side of the room. "Better get to sleep, leaving tomorrow." he added, skirting Lucien so the two would not accidentally touch.

He sat on his bed, facing away from the Frenchman, and began to take off his boots.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt turned his attention to Akane as she spoke up. His eyebrows raised slightly higher at her comment and he shook his head slightly, smiling as he spoke, "Well, the two of you are wise enough for all of the rest of us, huh Aurel?" he said, nudging the young man gently with his elbow. "You are exactly right, Akane, facts can become quite...diluted as time goes." There was a pause as Cora leaned forward to take a card from the Magician, which he offered willingly and with his same smile. She took one, then frowned as she realized she did not have a pair, but quickly her expression returned to its normal placid smile.

"While I have been performing for quite a while now...in fact, I may have lost the exact count, I can assure you it has not been a hundred years. German genes are strong, but they can't make you immortal." Geralt absent-mindedly plucked a card from Aurel's hand, then dropped another pair to the table.

Something else can... More cackling reverberated between his ears.

Illyana took Ivory's cards as they were pushed into her hands, looking up at the dhampir with a hint of desperation in her eyes. She did not want to play, in all honesty, cards had never interested her. They lacked...surprise, as most things did. However, she couldn't necessarily deny Ivory her win, or rather, Geralt's loss.

Hesitantly, she sat at the table, twisting her lips as she looked down at the cards. As Geralt dropped a pair on the table, she realized what game they were playing. She glanced down at her cards, glad that she did not have the 'Old Maid'. Her expression remained neutral and she watched Aurel take his turn.

"I suppose you were not given a choice, eh Madame?" Geralt asked her, smiling devilishly.

She merely shrugged in response and said, "It's not really fair when I play, is it?" Her tone was slightly sassy as she returned this comment, finding power in the revelation of her abilities to the Magician. She knew he already had some inkling as to what she could do, why not let him know that she was aware?

Geralt's expression did not falter in the slightest as he answered, "We can make an exception."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

This was almost more than Faolan could bear. To be this close, to be touching Lucien in this way...it was as if this were all happening in a dream. He could feel Lucien's hand on his chest and wanted to tear his own shirt off so they could have more skin-to-skin contact. It was intoxicating, the power of the Frenchman's hands, his lips, his breath...more so even than the bottle of whiskey they had shared.

A low rumble started in his chest and slowly turned into a growl, a vocalization of his desire. Though his body was moving on its own, he knew this was what he wanted, more than anything in this moment. He pressed himself into Lucien's body, sandwiching him in between himself and the brick wall behind them. One of his hands came up and slapped onto the wall by Lucien's head for support, and the other slid down the Frenchman's body to his hip. Faolan's thumb hooked into the waistband of his trousers, and he subconsciously made to lift the Frenchman off of his feet...

And that was when he heard laughter echoing down the street they had just come from. The foreign sound penetrated his mind, which was nearly taken over by desire. He could hear footsteps, and men and women talking, and they were getting closer. Sharpness returned to his once-dulled senses, and he pulled away from Lucien to break the kiss. His body went slack and he released Lucien from his grasp. The Frenchman continued to lean in, but noticed that Faolan's attention was elsewhere as he opened his eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Faolan held a finger to his lips to indicate silence.

Long seconds passed them as they waited for something to happen, and eventually Faolan realized that the passersby were coming toward them. Although he knew he was disheveled, cheeks flushed hair a mess, shirt unbuttoned and twisted, he knew they had to leave. He pulled away from Lucien and straightened himself up, saying quietly, "Someone's coming, we have to go."

At this, he made to leave the alleyway, but paused before doing so as he realized he was till grasping Lucien's wrist. He let it linger there for a moment, his irrational mind desperately trying not to break the contact, before allowing his fingers to fall away. Once he felt that he was passably mussed, he walked out of the alleyway and turned toward their boarding house.

The group of people were only a few yards down the walk. It looked like several men and women walking arm in arm, whispering and laughing with each other. Faolan briefly glanced at them, but picked up the pace, hoping they did not see the two leaving the alley.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan took in a lung full of fresh night air as Lucien broke the kiss. After a second of staring into the Frenchman's eyes and fighting the urge to pull him back in, the thought of being seen, and everything that would happen after, crept into his brain. His eyes darted around them to find the streets empty and the windows of houses and businesses dark. He would have spoken, if he had not felt Lucien pulling him away. He was confused at first, but kept his eyes on Lucien as he pulled Faolan into a nearby alleyway.

It was dark here, but Faolan could see perfectly. Lucien pressed him into the brick wall behind him, and kissed him again. Again, his body relaxed into a wave of ecstasy as he pulled Lucien close to him once more. Faolan had always resisted physical contact, not just with strangers but with Lucien as well, and now it became clear to him why he would do this. He was afraid of what would happen if their touch lasted too long, or felt too good to him. He had been afraid that he would do exactly what he had moments before in the street, let instinct and desire take over for his rational mind. Now, there was no fear or worry, no doubt that clouded his mind. He knew that this was exactly where he wanted to be and who he wanted to be with.

As desire overtook him, he wrapped his arms around Lucien's waist and squeezed him tighter until they were completely flush with one another. The kiss broke, but only for Lucien to change direction and begin again. As Faolan felt Lucien's mouth open and his tongue against his lips, he parted them to take it in and found Lucien's tongue with his own. Suddenly all of his clothes felt too tight, unnecessary. In the heat of this moment, he pushed Lucien into the wall opposite them, for once not worried about hurting the Frenchman. His mind was overtaken by arousal, as he let his fingers find the hem of Lucien's shirt and slip under it. His fingertips burned against Lucien's cool skin as he slid his hand up from Lucien's waistband to his rib-cage. He could feel his heart beating under his skin, and swore that the rhythm of it matched his own.