fourstrings | I'm on my second drink but I've had a few before

I'm on my second drink but I've had a few before

[ The bar doesn’t have a name. Not officially, anyway; what it has is a big neon sign sculpted into a peacock sweeping over the doors and doormen (he insists on doormen, “bouncers” is so crass) who admit people based on a list of requirements that changes nightly, because it’s amusing to keep people on their toes. Pagan calls it the nest, because peacock, and because despite the neon lights, the thumping music and the permanent fog of smoke in the air it’s his place and that makes it cozy. Yuma calls it “that fucking hole”, but Yuma still can’t be dissuaded from calling him Gang unless they’re literally doing a deal at the time, so he tries not to worry too much about what she says. It hardly matters what she says, anyway. She thinks he hung the moon, and it’s about the only bar she can be in without people assuming she’s a teen prostitute, so Pagan knows no matter how she teases him she likes being there.

What he likes less is the fact that currently, she’s winning. The young woman sitting in Pagan’s lap is very attentive and very pretty and currently shifting against him in a way that he suspects she thinks is subtle, but she’s not even close to as pretty as the woman who is currently stealing sips from Yuma’s glass. He wonders if she’d stop if he told her just how recently Yuma got back from vanishing with a different very pretty young woman and that he’s damn sure she didn’t pause to brush her teeth, but that would probably be cheating. So instead he smiles at Yuma, who cuts him a sly grin, points to the girl in his lap, and mouths her too.

He has to hand it to her, she certainly doesn’t lack ambition. And she did introduce him to those twins the other night, so he’ll take his loss with good grace.

The idea of throwing the bet becomes even more appealing when he looks up for one of the staff and his eyes land on... someone else. It’s a man, a few years older than Pagan, probably, Asian but definitely not Chinese. His thick, dark hair is wavy and he’s got only one of his sleeves rolled up, for some reason, and his dark eyes are scanning the bar like he’s looking for something.

Pagan decides that something is going to be him. He doesn’t even wait to ponder why he wants that when the man is, quite clearly, a man. There’s something magnetic about him, and he needs to know why.

He unwraps a hundred from a roll of bills, presses in into the hand of the girl on his lap and tells her to get herself a bottle of something before standing up and very nearly dumping her on the floor. He’s across the room in a few long strides, and he can hear Yuma noticing and laughing in the background, but fuck it. The mystery man is even more interesting close up, and Pagan crowds up into his personal space. ]

Drink?

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[ it's... strange. pagan reaches out to touch him, and ajay finds himself leaning naturally into that contact the way he would if he were being touched by the version of pagan that he knows. it even prompts the same little spark, the way his body lights up with a delighted little flush at even the simplest contact. it wasn't what he was expecting, and for a moment, it has him reeling. ]

You're giving me too much credit. [ and he barely even notices the way his voice has pitched itself lower, almost a purr. ]

[ Oh, shit.

Well, that seals it. He might have imagined Ajay leaning into his touch just a little, but he's definitely not imagining the way the other man's voice changes, going low and seductive. And sure, maybe he is here to kill Pagan (there's definitely something he's hiding), but the way Pagan's father would spin right out of his grave if his embarrassing son was murdered because he finally decided to sample dick would almost make it worth it. ]

Oh, I'm not so sure. I have a lot of of questions. For example: Do you sleep with men?

[ pagan min has always had a way of defying ajay's expectations.

and that --

is no fucking different.

he snorts a laugh before he can help himself, turning away slightly in an incredibly futile attempt at hiding it. finally, he has to just settle for another drink to help him swallow it down, although there's no stifling the grin that stays behind. ]

Do you go around your bar asking everyone about their preferences? What a considerate host.

[ FUCK THAT DID NOT GO THE WAY HE WAS HOPING

which, come to think of it, was what, exactly? He doesn't go around asking women their preference, he just waits to see if they go for him or for Yuma. And he may not have actually slept with a man before but he's been hit on them, and they didn't offer him a bloody questionnaire!

No doubt about it, he looks like an absolute idiot. The only solution?

Brazen it out, obviously. ]

Oh, not at all. I'm just wondering whether you might like to sleep with me.

[ it's so ridiculously bold that ajay is having a hard time not laughing all over again, but. he's polite enough to acknowledge that you shouldn't laugh right in the face of people who are boldly endeavoring to get you in their bed. but he can't help it; there's so much of the man he loves here, even if he hasn't quite had the time needed to sharpen all his edges into perfection. a bold, proud thing who refuses to give an inch, fluttering his plumage to impress him, and fuck. ajay is so stupidly charmed by it that he's having a hard time not leaning in and kissing him on the spot. ]

Y'know, [ almost conversationally, hopelessly amused. ] This might be the first time in history that someone has tried interrogation as a way to get someone in their bed.

And yet that's not a no. Am I getting points for originality?

[ He smiles, and he means it to be temptingly rakish, but... well, it's funny. He doesn't ordinarily find being laughed at funny in the slightest, but this Ajay fellow is looking at him with a definite spark of laughter in his eyes and it somehow doesn't seem mocking at all. It's warm, and it's it feels like he's inviting Pagan in on the joke, but also just a little like he sees right through him.

That just makes it more tempting, really. It shouldn't, but it does. Pagan looks at the warmth in those eyes and wants to see where else Ajay is warm, and that is so ridiculous he can't help a very quiet, very real laugh. ]

I'm not going to have you killed if you say no, just for the record.

[ see, ajay thinks he knows exactly what his pagan would think about ajay ever actually being scared of him, and. it's enough to make him have to bite down hard on the inside of his cheek all over again, finishing off the last of his drink in an effort to save himself.

god. once he's back home, he's spending an entire afternoon doing nothing but teasing pagan about all of this. ]

Talk about a relief. I've been terrified this entire time.

[ in a tone of voice that says that he most definitely has not. ] Do you have a room you like to drag people off to, or are you just trying to take me right up against the bar?

[ He's boned. Until now he's been interested for reasons he doesn't quite understand, but now Ajay drops that line about taking him up against the bar a flush of heat runs right up his spine and confirms it. It's not just curiosity, it's not just wanting to see if he can, or wondering just how far he might be willing to take this. Pagan wants him, in a very real way.

He never did experiment with the other boys back in boarding school. Perhaps he's making up for lost time. ]

I still can't tell if you're only making fun of me. I don't think I care. Come on.

[ He throws back the rest of his drink and heads off. Through a set of double doors, and then through another door that he unlocks and up a narrow set of stairs. He resolves not to look back and see if his handsome stranger is following - but of course he does, looking over his shoulder and smiling at Ajay when he sees him there. Then finally, one more locked door, and what is basically a crashpad - though one he's very proud of. Lots of black and chrome and pops of bright colour, and a bed that would fit four people easily (even if he's never got past three). He puts his hands out wide, gesturing to the room around him. ]

If you're taking the piss, this would be the polite point to let me know.

[ and ajay follows -- of course he does. he's still not entirely sure how far he intends to take this, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious. he wants to know this person, in a way that pagan's flippant remarks about his own past would have never really let him; he's enamored by all the things that are different and all the things that manage to be exactly the same.

this crashpad counts as one of those things. it's obvious that every inch of it is done to luxury, which meshes with the appetite he knows pagan has for excess, but. his rooms at the palace are a meld of pagan's own tastes and something inherent to kyrat; silk sheets on a bed made of hand-carved wood, the headboard etched with gilded reliefs telling stories of kyrat's past. rich colors instead of black and chrome, an array of windows always thrown open when the weather allows so that he and ajay can curl up in bed together and listen to the morning breeze singing through the trees.

and of course, this kind of opulence that seems determined that everyone knows how expensive it is can't hold a candle to the self-assured elegance with which pagan decorates his palace. there's almost a pang of regret when ajay thinks that he won't be able to see this young man grow into it.

still. he sits himself down on the edge of the bed once he's finished his assessment, attention directing itself back to pagan. ]

I don't remember telling you that I was polite. [ with another one of those little mms of amusement. ]

I don't remember you telling me much of anything.

[ And there he is, this mystery man, sitting on Pagan's bed like it's the most natural thing in the world. It should feel intimidating, like a point of no return, but the feeling buzzing through his veins is definitely more anticipation than nerves. So he shucks off his jacket, throws it so it lands over the back of a chair, and walks to Ajay, moving close until he's standing between the spread of his knees. This time, when he puts a hand under his chin, there's a lot more confidence in it. ]

And I'm hoping you're not all that polite.

I've always heard that an air of mystery is supposed to be sexy.

[ and when that hand on his chin comes, it's the most natural thing in the world to lean into it. but that's all -- he doesn't make a move to shed his own jacket, or to wilt at pagan min's feet like one of the women he's used to. if this is something pagan wants, then he damn well better come and get it himself. ]

I guess you'll find out. [ it's a challenge. ] Won't you?

[ The challenge in the way Ajay says that is clear.It's not the challenge he used to hear from older boys marking out their territory, though, the kind that half the time used to end with Pagan on the ground with a split lip. This isn't a "try it and see what happens" threat. There's an invitation in this, in the way Ajay leans into his touch.

He accepts. A benefit of Ajay's being taller is that Pagan doesn't have to crane down to a level that's uncomfortable to press his mouth against the other man's, parting his lips in a way that isn't hesitant but is - in a way that is entirely out of character - almost shy. ]

[ and he's more than willing to lean up into that kiss as pagan cranes down towards him, reaching up to curl his fingers lightly around the nape of the other man's neck. there's something endearing about the reservation he can sense in the way that pagan kisses him, the uncertainty of a man trying to find his footing on ground he's never known before. but, as it so happens? ajay has a lot of practice when it comes to knowing just how to stroke pagan min's ego, to fan up the flames with reassurances of just how much ajay wants him.

it's what prompts the low sound that spills out of him, the sigh of someone tasting a favorite delicacy. and he opens himself up to that kiss -- he could take the lead away from pagan, but he doesn't. instead, he invites him in with the tilt of his head and the way he parts his mouth. ]

[ Oh.

That went better than expected! It's surprisingly easy to fall into it, especially once Ajay opens to him and makes that little sound that seems to invite more. Physically it's not so different from kissing a woman, bar the slight burr of Ajay's scruff, but it's thrilling. He slips a hand up into Ajay's hair and finds it just as thick and glorious as it looks, slips his tongue over the borders of their lips and finds Ajay's mouth warm and inviting. Before he can even think to moderate it there's an answering sound curling out of him, soft and surprised and wanting. ]

[ well. that little sound is impossible to resist, and ajay can't help but chase after it with his own tongue. pagan's mouth is hot and wanting against his -- and there it is again, that strange echo of everything he knows, kissing both a stranger and someone he knows to their core all at once.

he wonders how many of the things that he knows his pagan likes will be shared with this younger version, and it's that thought that prompts him to test a teasing drag of his teeth along the younger man's lower lip. ]

[ It's already good when he feels Ajay's tongue slide against his own, but that scrape of teeth? This time the sound he makes is louder, more obvious in its pleasure. He moves forward, plants a knee on the bed next to Ajay's hip and essentially crawls straight into his lap so he can get closer, pressed chest to chest. And that's not enough, not with the other man's jacket still on, so he finally lets go of his face so his hands can start working on the zip and peeling it away.

It's been a while since it was like this. No buzz of cocaine in his system, no worry that the person he's kissing is less into him than the little bit of power or status it might afford them. Ajay's made it pretty clear he doesn't give a shit about that, and it's electrifying. ]

[ that's good. pagan crowds closer, into his space, and --

ah.

wait, shit.

it's unfortunate that ajay has to break the kiss so that he can catch the younger man's hand, but some things deserve a proper warning. and he gets the sense that it wouldn't exactly be wise to surprise a man like pagan with what ajay keeps tucked under his layers, so. he lets go of the other man's wrist, then holds his own hand up in a brief placating gesture. and then he shrugs out of the jacket on his own, letting the fabric fall away to expose the khukri he keeps strapped against his side. ]

Not for you. [ his tone is light, but it seems like something worth saying when pagan has made more than one joke tonight about having him offed for being a threat. and he goes to work picking the straps free -- it'd be easier to just slide the knife out of its holster, but he's making a point to be as unthreatening as possible. ] Promise.

[ It's a good thing Ajay explains, because that is a rollercoaster. First Ajay moves Pagan's hand away, which is almost crushing considering the level of horniness he's currently experiencing, and then he takes the jacket off on his own to expose a fucking sword strapped to his side, which is - what is he paying those doormen for? And, by the way, a very good argument for taking the opportunity to feel someone up before dragging them off behind two locked doors, because jesus christ. You don't get that kind of surprise from a girl in a minidress, that's for sure. ]

That's almost a shame. Nobody's ever come at me with quite such a big knife before.

[ He's trying for amused. It's a good effort; Yuma would hear the edge of uncertainty in his voice, but he's worked hard to ensure that nobody who isn't close to him hears fear or doubt when he speaks. ]

[ that gets a little laugh, but. ajay has spent more than enough time in pagan's company to be able to pick up on the little nuances in his voice; pagan's always been honest with him, willing to let ajay learn the little inflections as if he's being taught another language -- what means doubt, what means pleasure, what means grief, what means joy. and that's why he responds to that note in pagan's voice almost as if on instinct, dipping closer and stealing another kiss off his mouth, slow and sweet and lingering.

hopefully enough to reassure him when he gets rid of the rest of it. whatever brought him here stripped away the most obvious of his weapons, but that leaves him pretty far from unarmed. there are throwing knives secured at both of his ankles, and slipped up one of his sleeves to rest against his forearm. two bundles of C4 shoved into his jacket, but he digs them out just so he can make a public inventory. and there's no point in getting out all the ammo separately and making a mess of it, but he does tug that particular belt of pouches off to join the rest, jingling it so that pagan can get the idea of what's there. ]

That's all of it. [ stacked up into a neat pile on the floor beside the bed. ]

But you're welcome to check, if you want. [ taking pains to make sure it sounds like an honest invitation and a flirt. ]

Who are you?

[ Ajay kissed him, slow and sweet and soft as if they're lovers and not a pair of strangers after a fuck with very little preamble, like he can hear the worry. That feeling that Ajay sees right through him is back, and it should worry him that a man who is a complete stranger to him seems to know him as well as his closest companion, but - he doesn't want to let it. It feels good, and he doesn't want to poison it.

He really is going to get himself killed one day. He shakes his head. ]

Never mind. A frisking, is it? To go with the interrogation?

[ It is... not a good frisking. He puts his hands on Ajay's broad shoulders, kneads there before he lets his hands slide down. It was easy enough to see with the jacket on that he was nicely built, but under the fabric of the shirt he wears Pagan can feel muscle over his chest and abdomen, feels something building inside himself at mapping it out by touch. Ajay seems content to let him play at this, so he lifts the older man's arms above his head, strips the t-shirt off him, and gets back to work. Hands over the firm muscle of his thighs in his jeans, and then, almost haltingly, one cupped over his crotch. He pauses a moment, just like that, his hand doing absolutely nothing but resting there before he lifts his eyes back to Ajay's and squeezes. ]

[ well. if pagan was going to have him killed for being armed to the teeth, ajay is pretty sure that would have been the moment. so he counts it as a good thing that the younger man seems more mystified than alarmed; ajay is pretty confident in his ability to get out of a place like this in one piece, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a shame to have things interrupted so soon.

but. that makes him laugh again, tickled by another one of those inside jokes. ] The king figuring out what to do with the guy who stormed his castle. I've heard that's pretty popular.

[ and he's pretty sure pagan doesn't need to frisk him to put his mind at ease -- nah, this feels like another one of those forays into uncharted territory. and that's why ajay is more than willing to submit to it, leaning back with his weight propped on one arm to give those curious hands more access. opening himself up in a silent sort of invitation for the way that pagan maps him out under his touch, calm and trusting. willing to lose the shirt, willing to let pagan have free reign when it comes to this sort of curious exploration.

and there's that boldness again, so familiar that ajay can't bite back his grin. he's half-hard already -- blame it on the intoxicating mix of old and new, familiar and unexpected -- and that squeeze is enough to get a low groan out of him, hips trying to lift up instinctively into the other man's touch.

still, he can't resist: ] I know what you're thinking. Promise, that isn't another giant knife.

[ Listen, he knows it doesn't take a whole lot of artfulness to make a dick touch feel good, but he still gets a little burst of pride from that reaction, his own dick starting to thicken at the feel of Ajay half-hard through his jeans - is there such thing as a sympathy boner? - but then he says that and Pagan throws back his head and laughs. This strange, strange man. ]

Is that the kind of line that drives all the boys crazy in Kyrat? That secret little place that delivers up handsome men strapped to the teeth into my waiting arms?

[ okay, listen. the first boy from kyrat that springs readily to mind is sabal, and the idea of trying a line like that on him is enough to force ajay to bite back a laugh behind his teeth. but he covers for it by letting himself be tempted in to the way pagan throws his head back, dipping in to press a slow line of open-mouthed kisses up the line of the younger man's throat. ]

Wouldn't know. Haven't spent my time practicing my lines on the natives. [ and he catches pagan's earlobe in his teeth, gives it a playful little tug. ] Guess you'll have to go there and find out.

[ Those kisses over his throat are wonderful, the softness of Ajay's mouth only stoking the want in him, and the bite to his ear? Delightful. But then Ajay adds that, and Pagan hums, mock-unimpressed, and starts unbuttoning his own shirt since Ajay seems perfectly content to let him take the lead on just about everything, here. ]

Now why would I ever go there when I have you right here, hmm?

[ well. he's more than happy to let pagan take the lead, but that doesn't mean ajay can't pitch in and help once it's started. at least, that's the line of thinking he applies when he reaches up to press pagan's shirt off his shoulders once he's gotten the buttons undone, stroking an appreciative touch down over the other man's chest. it's even leaner than he remembers -- an edge that probably comes as a natural result of not spending all your time cooped up behind palace walls.

time to see what is familiar, then. which is why he seizes on a nipple with his fingers, giving it a playful little tweak. ]

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