Air

"…you know how dating is," Cecil curled his words into the microphone, leaning back in his office chair, legs crossed at the ankles beneath the desk. "You're both on your best behavior but you really don't want to kiss him goodnight at the door and see him go. And then there's that moment of confusion like, 'doesn't he want to come in?' but then you remember it's your place and you have to invite him in, but he's already kissing you good night and walking to his car and the moment's gone." Cecil sighed.

Back at the lab, Carlos's scalpel clattered to the table, splattering the grey contents of a digital clock onto his coat. His coworkers were chuckling, and Rob Beckett patted him on the back.

"And then the next time you think, 'Alright, I'll definitely ask him now.' But he's already pulling out the paperwork for the date and fishing around for a pen in his lab coat and, well, that's not romantic at all. But you're totally determined. So you say, 'you know we could always fill that out tomorrow.' And he says that it's alright, completely missing the point." Cecil ran his fingers through his hair, musing over what had happened. "Maybe I should have specified tomorrow morning."

Jeanette Roe burst out laughing, frightening the lizard she was tracking in a maze. The other scientists, who'd been trying to hold it in, finally released a chorus of chuckles and snickering, but Carlos's face was cold with shock. He turned, looking at the radio that Benjamin kept on the shelf, listening to the voice that sounded like honey and a full moon. He should have been embarrassed but he was just so damn shocked that he couldn't bother with the next step. Cecil had wanted to invite him in. Twice. Possibly more than twice.

"Shit."

Ten minutes had passed since Station Management caused the door to violently rattle on its hinges, a sign that it was time to get on with things. Cecil continued with A Word from Our Sponsors. He had plugged along, his mind not really on it, or the following announcement.

"Stay tuned for the sound of desperate footsteps on a not-so-frozen lake. Good night, Night Vale. Good night."

Cecil flicked the switch, the little red light shutting off as he turned on the audio recording. He shut off the volume, having already previewed the recording himself. He lifted a glass of water and took a sip, turning when he heard the door open behind him. His eyes brightened at the sight of Carlos. He stood up.

"Carlos," he said cheerfully. But his expression fell when he really looked at him. Carlos stood at the door, chest rising and falling as if he'd run up the stairs. Carlos shut the door behind him and locked it. "Is everything alright?"

Carlos drank in the sight of him. Cecil was clad in a pinstriped shirt rolled up to the elbows. He wore a dark purple vest that wrapped him up in just the right way, emphasizing the radio host's perfect figure. It drove Carlos mad the way Cecil threw around the word 'perfect', but he really wanted to use it now.

Carlos took three steps forward and held Cecil's face, pressing their mouths together. Cecil dropped the glass of water, which spilled out over the carpet. The first kiss was long and desperate, but Carlos didn't stop there. He pulled back only to press in again, capturing Cecil's mouth. Cecil's eyes fluttered. He broke away, speaking breathily. "You can't be in here."

"Your show is over," Carlos murmured, taking Cecil's bottom lip between his teeth. They leaned back against the desk. Carlos's hands strayed downward over the smooth fabric of the vest, over his hips and behind his thighs. Cecil made a precious sound as Carlos picked him up and set him on the desk, pulling him closer behind the knees.

"Careful," Cecil said when Carlos leaned him back against the equipment. But he was pulling at Carlos's lab coat, legs wrapping tighter around his hips. Carlos groaned, pressing Cecil against the equipment again. Unnoticed by either of them, Cecil's belt loop caught a very important switch and flicked it upward, a little red light blinking on.

"We shouldn't be doing this here," Cecil said, but he kept a firm grip on Carlos's open coat with one hand, the other straying over his shirt and down the scientist's stomach, fingernails tugging against the fabric. Carlos wrapped his fingers in the other's hair, gently tugging his head to the side.

"Do you want to go home, then?" Carlos asked before his mouth met Cecil's throat. His teeth grazed his skin, lips feeling the groan welling inside. Oh God, Cecil's beautiful radio voice sounded so right this way, unsteady with pleasure. It was melodic, hypnotizing.

"N-No." Cecil pulled back, panting as he looked at the other. His lips were reddened and parted, eyes practically glowing. No, they were actually glowing. They slid to the door for a moment. "They might hear us."

Carlos's heart jumped. Cecil wanted to do it here? Oh God, yes, yes, yes. "They won't hear. We're in a sound booth. Nobody can hear us."

Cecil seemed more assured, his beautiful eyes turning back to Carlos as he smiled. He leaned forward, licking Carlos's tan lips. Carlos worked at Cecil's vest buttons and then began on his shirt, and Cecil interrupted when he shoved the white lab coat off his shoulders and onto the floor. Carlos dipped down, exploring Cecil's beautiful chest and stomach, and watched as a wave of tattoos migrated across his skin, moving like a gust of wind and disappearing around his side, though Carlos could have imagined it. He pressed his mouth to the heated skin, trailing, studying with his lips and tongue and sucking on a perked nipple.

"Ahh," Cecil whimpered, fingers running through Carlos's hair. Carlos unzipped Cecil's pants and kissed the soft skin above his underwear line before pulling everything off his hips. He pressed Cecil's cock between his palm and his mouth, licking upward and then sliding his mouth down around it. Cecil gasped at the unexpected swiftness of Carlos's motion. "Oh fff… Carlos, this cannot be legal. Ahh..!"

Cecil's body moved like water as he bucked into his mouth. And Carlos let him, his palms planted flat on the desk on either side, eyes unable to close as he watched every flawless inch of Cecil move. Slender fingers laced into his curls, tightening, desperate. He whispered Carlos's name like a prayer. And then Cecil was crying out with that godly voice and coming into his mouth.

The radio host's chest heaved, the smallest beads of sweat forming near the line of his beautiful hair. Carlos swallowed and wiped the corner of his mouth, smiling up at Cecil.

He returned the smile with a twinge of embarrassment. "What?"

"Nothing," Carlos said. "It's just… Do you have any idea how you look?"

Cecil's face flushed. "I keep the mirrors covered. You know that."

"Well you should take a look some time."

"If you insist," Cecil said, noncommittally. He leaned in, pulling a kiss from Carlos's mouth. "Come home with me, Carlos. I'd like to return the favor."

Carlos pulled him closer, fingers laced with the otherworldly host. "If you insist."

The next day, Cecil sat a little more stiffly in his seat. He flicked the switch and the red light came on.

"To begin, as requested by Station Management, I would like to offer my formal apology for the… technical difficulty from the night before. Though for whatever reason, Management chose not to interrupt the… technical difficulty. They chose to remain silent on the other side of the door."

Cecil took a sip of water, eyes narrowed. "I have also taken a few moments to read through my emails this morning and must remark on the number of inquiries over the… technical difficulty. And for those of you requesting that Carlos to be a guest on the show and discuss the… minor… technical difficulty, I assure you, it is not going to happen. And now, for the community calendar…"

End.