Ted stays silent for the whole time it takes to drive from Barney's place to his place. It's not a good kind of silence, but an awkward kind that presses against the eardrums and makes Marshall's heart skip a beat every now and then. Is Ted angry at him? Ted had him sit in the front, and his eyes are firmly fixed on the traffic. He doesn't even look up when Marshall blows his nose. He doesn't dare to speak, afraid of what Ted might say if he does. Or what he might say if he opens his mouth.
Marshall can still feel that touch, where Ted held his hand and, literally, dragged him out of Barney's apartment. It's a tingling sensation that caresses the back of his hand where Ted's thumb was, and engulfs his palm with warmth. He almost wishes he could do that again. He doesn't care if it's right now, while Ted's driving.
Sheepishly, he turns his head in Ted's direction as they stop at a red light. His brows are furrowed and he looks more serious than Marshall has ever seen him. It suits him though, Marshall think. It makes him look less like a sixteen year old, and enticingly mature. Marshall shouldn't be fanboying about Ted now, because although Ted hasn't yet begun to scream, that's no guarantee he wont once they get to his place. Only when the silence continues and Marshall can't take it anymore, he has to ask.
"Are you angry?" to Marshall's horror, his voice is barely a whisper. Truth is his throat hurts from arguing with Barney, but he's still a proper man who solves his own problems... right? Ted's brows just furrow even more deeply and he scowls at the red light.
"No." he says after a pause. There's something final in his voice, an indication that he considers this conversation over. He still hasn't looked up, and Marshall thinks that maybe he IS angry, and just doesn't want to talk about it.
Marshall sighs and leans back. The last ten minutes in the nightly jam are just as quiet as the first ten minutes. It continues as they come to a halt in front of Ted's apartment, and without a word, Ted takes his bag and starts in the direction of the building. Marshall doesn't feel like arguing, but he thinks it's odd that Ted should act so gentleman. He quite enjoys it, but he thinks that he could handle his bag himself.
Marshall's fingers begin itch and twitch during the elevator ride. Ted's just there, mere inches from where he's standing. He's made sure that they're not too close, and he keeps his eyes on the floor. On Ted's sneakers. He can feel Ted's eyes on him, but he wont break the silence again. He doesn't particularly enjoy being yelled at, not even if it's Ted. Only when they've arrived in the apartment and the bag is disposed of, the silence is broken.
"Strip." says Ted with a wide smirk.
Marshall's heart jolts and he freezes on the spot.
"Wh-What?" he asks. His face is flushed already, and he can only stare at Ted with his mouth open.
"You heard me, Marsh. Strip." Ted's grin grows, if possible, even wider. Nevertheless, his eyes glitter dangerously, and suddenly, Marshall thinks he looks a bit too mischievous. "That's what you want, isn't it? Me?" Ted asks.
Marshall swallows. "But..."
"Can we do the talking part later?" Ted says. He hides it very well, but Marshall doesn't miss the hint of impatience in his voice. He swallows thickly and doesn't move. While Ted is right and he wants him, he's still scared about, well, everything. He doesn't know anything about men, and stuff. Ted moves to his front and without hesitating, steps into Marshall's personal space. He's still smiling as he pushes Marshall back against the wall and his fingers find his waist.
"Really, do I have to do everything today?"
Before Marshall knows what's happening, skilled fingers have freed him off his sweater and shirt, and now he feels under-dressed for the occasion. Ted doesn't seem to mind, if anything he's amused by Marshall's pathetic attempt to hide a glowing blush. Marshall still can't stand to look at Ted, because his gaze is just too intense.
"Marsh..." Ted sighs. His fingers find Marshall's chin and he tip it upward, "Look at me."
Having no other choice, Marshall does. A playful smile is on Ted's lips, and his eyebrows are raised in amusement. But there is something else, something more genuine than the mocking expression on his features. Marshall knows that look, that sincerity in his eyes, very well. He's been married for years, he recognizes that look at once.
"What... but … you, and Robin." Marshall curses himself for being unable to form a coherent sentence. Ted halts.
"You know how to kill the mood." he sighs and rolls his eyes. Then he leans in and gives Marshall a soft peck on the lips that surprises him even more than anything else that day. It's soft, sharp and bittersweet, and over way too quickly. Marshall tries to stay calm, although he's squirming innerly.
Ted brushes Marshall's hair out of his forehead, and lays his forehead against his. Now, Marshall can feel his warm breath ghosting over his face and it makes his heart jolt and jerk heavily in his chest. He sighs as he locks eyes with Ted, unsure what he is supposed to do. He's already almost naked, and Ted still hasn't said much.
"You're scared?" Ted says suddenly, and Marshall realizes that he's shivering slightly. Maybe he can pretend it is not Ted's presence, but the slightly cool breeze that comes in through the open window. It turns out that it isn't necessary, because when Ted's hands find his cheeks and he runs a thumb over Marshall's lips, he's already too far gone to care.
Their first, proper, kiss is still soft, and sharp, and sweet. Marshall has often imagined how it would be to kiss Ted, but it isn't like anything he has expected. While it is soft, there is nothing insecure about it. Ted knows exactly what to do, and how to slide his tongue between his lips without asking for permission. Marshall prefers it that way, because his brain is long gone. They break apart only for air, and Ted grins at him.
"You're hard." he says.
Marshall gives an undignified, panicked squeak and tries to separate himself from Ted, who doesn't budge. Instead, he grinds his hips into Marshall's, and Marshall's eyes widen at the feel of something hard pressing against him. If he thought his mind was blown before, this kicks him over the edge. However many times he might have fantasized about this, he never really believed that Ted could be so hard for him.
Ted's still grinning as he repeats the motion and Marshall bites his lip just a second too late, letting a soft moan slip. It's difficult to form a coherent thought, so he simply grabs Ted's arse and pulls him closer again. Now it's Ted, who's taken by surprise, but he recovers quickly and crushes his lips against Marshall's again.
"Eager, aren't we?" he says once the kiss is broken. His lips find Marshall's neck and he scrapes his teeth over the sensitive skin before he tentatively bites down. It is painful at first, but pleasure quickly overrides any feeling of discomfort. Marshall is glad that, when Ted slides his fingers down over his chest and to the band of his waist, he holds him up firmly.
Without much ado, he slides both Marshall's pants and boxers further down his hips and licks his lips at the sight of a pink tip. He does the same with his, and wraps his hand around both of them. Agonizingly slow, he begins to move his hand up and down, while Marshall desperately clings onto this shoulders.
"Promise me one thing, Marsh." he pants through grit teeth.
"Uh-huh?" it's more an undignified grunt than proper language.
Ted doesn't answer, but speeds up the rhythm until Marshall sees stars in front of his eyes. The rest of his vision has become a stinging black blur. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thinks that he would probably promise anything right now. Especially to Ted. Ted doesn't mention that Marshall's fingernails dig into his shoulders either, or that he can barely keep his hips steady, grinding against him desperately.
"Don't run away." Ted whispers into his ear.
Marshall can't analyze what he means by that, because the sound is enough to send him over the edge and it takes all his energy to stay on his legs afterward, when he's still ridden by spasms from his release. Ted must have finished too, because the iron grip he's had on Marshall isn't very iron anymore.
They collapse on the floor and Marshall can't help but giggle madly.
"I wont." he says. It's true, he's done running. If he'd known what would happen, he wouldn't have thought about staying at Barney's place twice.
After a moment, Ted's arms are around him and a kiss is softly placed on his forehead.
"Now we talk." says Ted.
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