Compensation
"KNOX! Get yer arse over here. Now."
"Mr Eric, why-" clearly even to Ronald's ears that sounded dangerously close to a whine. Eric hid his amusement and winked at the girl the other had been flirting with while the young reaper took a second to reset to his default sunny optimism "why did you call me away?"
"Outta cigarettes an' know ya smoke. Cough up." Truly, that was all it was. It couldn't possibly be because Eric was jealous of the attention the young reaper, currently protesting the injustice of it all, was giving to the filly in a skirt only moments before. Nope. Not at all. "Yeah, yeah, an' I'm also the bogeyman. Whatever. Who's the senior here?"
That launched another stream of protests that were starting to sound like a quietly spoken version of Alan-style nagging. Not that Eric was thinking about Alan either and definitely not how that little spitfire had turned him down. Again. He started listening to Ronald when it was clear he was running out of steam, ending up with a direct accusation that Eric apparently was, to quote, "no fun at all!"
"D'ya really wanna see me without nicotine? Thought so. Gimme." It was endlessly entertaining. Ronald was evidently conflicted, so clearly wanting to scowl while being overly conscious of whoever the girlie in the background was prevented the kid wearing BCGs from doing anything other than making this appear a joke between squad mates. By the time the loot was secured the girl had gone, but Eric paid no heed. Giving a lazy salute to Knox he wandered on his way, already lighting up before two paces had passed.
Maybe he should make it up to the kid. It had taken a while for Eric to notice but Ronald was sulking, and had been for a few days now. It was a difficult spot as Eric didn't make a habit of cataloguing the tiniest details about Ronald the way he did for a certain little brunet, whom Eric still wasn't thinking about, but although outwardly upbeat as ever there was most definitely something simmering below the surface with Knox at the moment.
It was pure coincidence that every time Alan denied him even a scrap of attention Eric stole some attention away from someone else. It was just unfortunate that often that someone else happened to be young Knox but with the amount of skirts that kid chased it was really a numbers game. Chance, that's all it was. And here was a chance to make it up to the good-looking young scamp. Knox was chatting in the corridor to two girls and rumour was he was sweeter than usual on the little ravenette. Eric would lend him a hand by spiriting away the brown-haired lass.
"Megan, ya got a moment?" In Eric's defence, he did feel slightly bad when it backfired. Instead of leaving the kid and his potential new friend alone the girl he called over also tugged Little Miss Midnight over to be introduced. Eric found this new girl to be too cold to hold his attention long but her being over here talking to him triggered something truly unusual. The lesser spotted Ronald in a rage.
Now this! This was interesting. Ronald took an overly laid-back stance against the wall, so say indifferently checking his fancy wristwatch ...but the anger emanating from the reaper was almost palpable. Roiling around him in fact. Intrigued, Eric brought the conversation with Meg and her friend to a quick conclusion then with just as much studied informality followed the shorter reaper now sauntering casually down the corridors.
"I don't get it! No offence senior, actually, yes offence senior because you're a right bloody prat and they still flock to you! You're not even that interested!"
That was apparently a step too far because his senior's mask was starting to slip. Good! Slingby usually looked so bloody smug and Ronald was sick to the back teeth with it. At least hangovers went away! Besides, it wasn't bloody fair. Ronald put effort into how he looked, learning what the women liked, how to be the life and soul of a party. He wasn't a midget but somehow he had ended up secretly competing with his senior who was built like a bloody barn, could roll up to a rave up hours late then leave with whomever he wanted. Bloody Eric Slingby who now had the bleeding cheek to claim that he, Ronald Knox, was off his rocker. He'd had enough! Incensed, he spoke over the other with a sarcastic, "Oh come off it. Everyone with half an idea can see you have something going on with Mr Alan. Talk about mixed signals-"
"Been watching have ya?" The question was posed in a dangerous silky purr that cut across the his accusation and shocked Ronald into remembering just who he had lured away to an old abandoned office deep within the Library. Even Mr Spears didn't patrol this far and now that he wasn't throwing a strop Ronald could recognise that yelling at the other reaper for the best part of ten minutes was a dumb move. Suddenly he found himself wishing for his impassive supervisor, true The Boss could blow up but Mr Slingby was unpredictable, strong, cornering him before Ronald had even realised the larger reaper was moving and-
Help? Opening one eye then the other, just when in his panic had he scrunched them shut anyway?, brought Ronald face-to-face with Eric grinning at him. Then that infuriating man-mountain ruffed up his hair and kissed him. Wait. What?!
"Yer free to go, but..." the unspoken offer hung in the air for a moment before Eric moved to the side of the door and leaned back nonchalantly against the wall, "whatcha gonna do, Knox?"
Crunch time. The older reaper was putting absolutely no pressure on him. Well, apart from watching him with a certain glint in the eye that Ronald knew very well how to name. He would not give into it this time and especially not at the drop of a hat! Shaking off the feeling of being prey, Ronald walked right up to the exit and placed his hand on the door handle, even depressing it slightly, before letting his arm hang limply by his side.
Ronald didn't have time to think. The moment it was clear the decision had been made in his favour the taller reaper scooped him up and seconds later Ronald was on the desk, cursing himself for the first time he had given into Eric, then the second, then the times after that and oh gods! His senior had the devil in his kisses and he couldn't get enough.
Dizzying moments later the older reaper drew back as if to check on Ronald but he was having none of it, grasping hold of that scruff of a beard to crush their lips together again and by this point more than willing to give in to his rare guilty pleasure. Ronald's well kept secret, mainly for the sake of his reputation, was that they had shared trysts before but this... this was a lot different. This time they were both stone cold sober and he was hyperaware of details such as his trousers being undone, Eric's hand, and this time it was Ronald who broke away and gasped.
"Say now if ya wanna stop, kid." His senior's voice was as steady as his stroke and just when had the older reaper coated his fingers with something cold and very slippery? Feeling one circling was as distracting as noticing just how tight the larger reaper's own trousers were getting. Put politely, Eric was difficult to miss.
"I'm - nnnh!- not a kid," Gods, this was all back to front. He was a ladies' man. A lady's man, if he could only find the right girl. Ronald was one for the women, dammit! But Eric was impossibly masculine and he... could pretend that it wasn't himself talking if he didn't look at Eric. The other Ronald asked for what real Ronald couldn't, "...more."
The kiss to his neck that followed was surprisingly tender. It was also overridden by a sharp nip seconds later simultaneous with the finger shoved part way inside him.
"Bastard!"
"Oh? Already had enough?" Eric didn't even try to disguise the mocking in his tone and looked positively wicked. They both knew what this was about... why did that make being swept away by the larger reaper seem even more irresistible?
"Y-you're just playing with me," gods but it was difficult to catch his breath when Eric switched to doing that, "aren't you?"
"Mhm... but ya like games. Kid."
He opened his mouth to protest the hated nickname but speech quickly devolved into a hoarse moan when Eric's finger nudged against that damned spot he had been circling and rendered Ronald even more putty in the other reaper's hands. When he regathered his wits the request was voiced in a whisper.
"...please."
The other reaper didn't reply, simply giving another confusingly soft kiss before beginning to prepare him properly. In turn Ronald gave a shuddering breath and somehow one of his hands had unzipped and slipped inside Eric's fly of its own accord. A glance up at his senior's face some moments later revealed eyes lightly shut. He'd like to believe it was to better focus on how things felt but it was painfully obvious who Eric was really thinking of. Ronald understood but it was insulting really, it wasn't every day he chose to be with another man you know! Plus he would be lying if he wasn't jealous; Ronald had never knowingly had someone with such a depth of feeling for him. He bit Eric's ear in an effort to get all attention firmly back on him.
"I hate you."
Words did the trick and Ronald could talk all day. But words from Ronald were usually light-hearted and left him utterly unprepared for the wistful expression on the older reaper's face. It was hidden again a second later but shook Ronald. It was embarrassing. Eric in regret seemed more naked than Eric without clothes, another guilty pleasure he'd had enjoyment of before.
"Nah, ya don't."
Thankfully his senior's words took back control before the moment was completely ruined but they also underlined the worst of it. Ronald really didn't hate Eric. He wasn't sure what the heck they were, friends with benefits?, what was happening now didn't feel like the cruder version of that term. Happening... now... oh gods! The first few moments were always uncomfortable and unfailingly rendered Ronald a panting mess. He wasn't the only one. His senior's mask had burned away and revealed a much different emotion. Lust. Lust was ok, they could both hide behind lust. Lust and begin to move and- "Aahn! Eric!"
Then Ronald was lost. He was simultaneously right in the moment and one step away from proceedings, watching through a pleasured haze. This may only be a hook-up, a mutual way to work off their individual frustrations, but when it felt this good Ronald really didn't care. It was psychological as well as physical, reality was subjective and he barely noticed the heavy desk scraping along the floor when the larger reaper's restraints started to break and break down coherent thought.
It was so different, Ronald should be the one in control, he wasn't a girl. But. If for Eric he wasn't Ronald then for him Eric wasn't Eric, and Eric could be... no. Yes. Yes, gods yes, more. An indefinable time later the world snapped back into sharp focus a split second before that heat which had been building for a while consumed him, burning Ronald out while tension sped away. He was helpless to do anything but mewl some moments later when his stand-in lover found his release as well.
Despite finishing last Eric had recovered first and, after cleaning up, dragged the chair away from the desk which now also had his feet propped up on it. They should have done that sober sooner. He had his suspicions about who the other reaper thought about but as for now Eric had earned Ronald's lush-limbed look so he was going to damn well enjoy it. However, closer inspection of the spent young reaper revealed Knox to be a little too lush-limbed.
"Oi. It ain't naptime, ya lazy turd." Eric nudged him with a foot for emphasis and chuckled richly when his occasional lover flipped him the bird. Ronald wasn't Alan but he could be a hell of a lot of fun. Ah, it looked like little Prince Charming had found his voice again.
"Another day could we, um," the older reaper raised his eyebrows while the other scratched the back of his head awkwardly, wincing along with Ronald when sitting up too quickly reintroduced the young reaper to his hips. He had been hard on th- "...again?"
"Heh," Eric simply smirked, "Maybe."