Shaun's auburn eyes glared furiously out from over the top of a reprint of an ancient historical text. His all too important database research screeching to a grinding halt as his attentions were drawn to the idling Desmond, who was slouched improperly across the couch on the other side of the living room.
Shaun bit back an irritated "humph" and placed his book back down on his desk. It wasn't so much the man himself that was getting on his nerves, but rather where his attention was focused. Desmond's brown eyes -A shade darker than his own- drew an almost traceable line all the way over to the red and white animus. His gaze focused squarely on the denim clothed behind of his beloved younger brother. Which was on full display as its owner stooped down on all fours to get a better look at the underside of the genetic memory reader.
"Ok, now connect the red sticky-out bit to the blue connector..." Rebecca instructed from her desk. Fingers clacking at the keyboard as she tried to figure out the reason her "Baby" was leaking coolant fluid all over the nice hardwood floor of the assassin's London hideout. Danny murmured something along the lines of "ok, sure" and shifted to grasp the required cables. Shaun watched with growing distaste as Desmond's male gaze followed the movement.
"Aright… um, is the greenish clip connected to the adaptor plug? You know the one that looks like the letter L ate to many tacos?" Rebecca asked leaning over the edge of the desk to check on Danny's progress. The author pointed up into the bowels of the machine and Rebecca nodded. "Good, unplug it then." She ordered sitting back up in her chair.
It didn't take long after the confirmation of Danny's extended stay for the animus technician to recruit him as her assistant. Despite his complete and utter lack of any of the qualifications needed to be running such an advanced piece of technology, like always Danny had made up for it with a positive attitude and pure dogged determination. Of course a little scaling back in the technical terms had helped as well.
"What are we doing with the thing that looks like a bunny with no ears?" Rebecca craned her neck to see the part that Danny was pointing to and replied "leave it for now, but if you see a connecter cable with an attachment shaped like a piece of Swiss cheese, make sure you check if it's yellow light is blinking."
Shaun picked his book back up, trying once more to get lost in the politics of an Elizabethan united kingdom. However he didn't get past the next few pages before two familiar hoodie clad arms wrapped around his waist and he caught a whiff of the all-too-familiar sent of Cheese burgers, apple pie, smog, bad politics and everything else American and stupid.
"Sup, my darling?" Desmond asked nuzzling into the hollow of his boyfriends neck. Shaun decisively ignored the greeting turning the page of his book to emphasise the fact that he was busy. Desmond frowned and drew back. For a second Shaun breathed a sigh of relief, believing he had convinced the hoodie wearing ninny to shut up and go away. Sadly, he turned out to be mistaken when he felt the hand reappear around his hips and pull his cardigan out for where it was tucked into his pants, allowing Desmond's fingers under both it and his undershirt so it could side up and trace over the flat expanse of his chest.
"Desmond!" Shaun protested, as he felt the warm press of the American's kiss just above the collar of his cardigan, Desmond's lips parted and he begin leaving feather light bite marks all over the Brit's exposed neck.
The book landed on the floor with a thump and for a moment Shaun's brain stopped to wonder if it had been damaged, he was pushed back against his own desk and the area between his legs was suddenly occupied by Desmond's hips. Shaun's eyes closed as he leaned back against the table, letting Desmond continue to cover him in heated kisses and hungry nips.
In the back of his mind Shaun was conflicted. Desmond was not usually this forward, even in the most intense of moments when they were in bed for hours and he had mercilessly teased Desmond to the point of frustration, he had somehow kept his stoic and reserved nature, never demanding anything of Shaun, never the less pinning him to a table and just taking what he wanted.
Still this was a nice change of pace, not to be the one in control just this one time. Back pressed flat against his desk Shaun found himself with an excellent view of the expansive ceiling, his eyes drawn to the animus's screens and cables that dangled from the roof. Using it as a means of keeping his mind from focusing on the slow slide of Desmond's palm over his abdomen.
"Hey Shaun.." Desmond almost growled as a few of his fingers slid under the waistband of the other's trousers. Shaun gulped and nodded vaguely desperately wishing that that teasing hand would venture just a little further.
"You wouldn't happen, to know what movies your brother likes would you?" he asked, the lustful tones turning the normally ordinary question into the richest form of provocation. Shaun arched into the other's touch supplying the answered on auto pilot, he murmured "he's quite fond of Ghostbusters I think... Did a quiz show on it once, geek that he is didn't get a signal one wron-" the last words were silenced by Desmond's lips, then his tongue. Shaun's thoughts dissipated faster than a flock of birds upon spotting a hungry fox.
After a few more long moments that Desmond spent testing the sharpness of Shaun's molars the ex-bartender finally pulled back, leaning in one last time to purr the words "Thanks, sweetie" into his boyfriend's ear before backing off.
In the mess of limbs Shaun's glasses had fallen askew, and by the time he fixed them the ex-bartender was already at the entrance of the hideout. The bang of the door slamming shut behind his lover made Shaun wince, but it wasn't anywhere near as painful as the empty silence that ensued after he was gone.
Or at least it was silent until Rebecca couldn't stifle her giggles anymore and her tittering echoed around the room. Shaun glared back at her, but his eyes didn't stay on her for long before it drifted back to Danny who was sitting beside the animus. A rather uncomfortable feeling washed over the historian as he realised that his kin must have seen the whole encounter and the way Danny awkwardly avoided his glance only confirmed it.
Rebecca sighed deeply and placed a hand on Danny shoulder "you'll get used to it" she grinned "those two put bunnies to shame" Danny laughed nervously attempting to shrug it off before sliding back under the animus intent on finding the cube with seven sides and a triangular accesses port.
Shaun turned back to his work, taking solace in the fact that his brother was at the very least accepting of his preferences...and a self identified metro-sexual...whatever the hell that was. Also he was probably too far away to have herd Desmond's heated questions about his favourite movie choices. So it was likely best to just pretend it never happened.
Shaun had no idea why Desmond had wanted to know such trivial facts, or indeed why he had chosen that 'method' to gain the answers, but what he did know was that he would have to put a lid on whatever was going on in that twit's mind before it got out of hand.
Unfortunately by the time Desmond got back with a full Ghostbusters box-set and a stupid grin on his lips, Lucy was dead set on shoving him back in the newly repaired animus before Shaun could get a word with him. Cue five hours of watching Ezio make an arse of himself all over Italy flowed by screaming, mild hallucinations, then getting stuck on the couch with Desmond and Danny wishing this movie would hurry up and end.
Eventually it was over, and as the credits rolled, Desmond cast a stray glance across the couch to Shaun who was resting his head in his hand, a look of annoyed boredom written plainly on his face. "Typical" Desmond muttered to himself. Growing board of his partner, He allowed his gaze to slip to Shaun's twin brother who was slumped between them. He must have fallen asleep sometime after the statue of liberty started making its way down the streets of New York.
Shaun gingerly took the remote from his brother's lap and turned off the TV. The light flickered out, and would have left the three of them in complete darkness if it weren't for the soft moonlight streaming in from the large windows in the loft. Even with the lowered light, Desmond's stare didn't shift from Danny, who was resting against the back of the sofa his chest falling and rising slowly as he slept.
Shaun's glasses caught the light as he fixed Desmond with a scathing look that just managed to draw the ex-bartender's attention away from his twin. Desmond looked back, shrugged and muttered "He's cute" as if that was some sort of explanation.
Unimpressed, Shaun crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't get too attached, Dan is going home tomorrow Templars or not." He explained his tone unmistakably adamant despite the fact he knew he couldn't guarantee any such thing.
Desmond looked crestfallen. "Really? But I like having two of you around." He protested. Then after a beat he added "Well, two of you except one isn't a complete jerk."
"Desmond..." Shaun warned, clearly showing he was not in the mood for his petty American wit. Ignoring him, the newbie assassin went on, "You're also much more fun when Danny's around. I mean you've never let me watch any good movies with you before."
Shaun sighed exasperatedly, he could explain exactly why he hated those immature excuses for entertainment later, and instead decided it was high time he put his foot down. "This isn't up for debate Desmond." he insisted looking the other in the eyes, trying to exercise the thin vale of dominance he had had over the other since thare relationship began.
Desmond frowned and looked up despondently at Shaun. His gaze only held for a moment before it switched to the Brit's brother then back again. Suddenly the dejection on his face slipped off. His eyes widening as a playful smile grew on his lips. "You're not jealous, are you Shaun? Cause you know, I could handle both of you..." Desmond suggested leaning over Danny to get a better look at Shaun's reaction.
The silence from the other side of the sofa was almost deafening.
It wasn't until after they had woken Danny up and seen him to his room that Shaun acknowledged Desmond again, waiting till the moment they were behind closed doors before rounding on him. "You're a gigantic bloody pervert, you know that..." Shaun snapped slowly switching into rant mode as he walked in circles around the room, as if he needed the movement to think clearly. "I should have seen this coming when you were… eye rapeing him this morning, but I never thought you would even dare to suggest something like that.."
Desmond wandered over to their shared bed sitting down to watch his boyfriend. All things considered he should be feeling rather uneasy about having voiced his idea to his lover and to have met with such a negative reaction. However he knew Shaun better than anyone, and something in his gut told him that the Brit was not disgusted or put off by the concept. In fact it didn't even feel as if Shaun was really talking to him, his words were never directed completely towards the other assassin and his tone had that confused air of someone who was suffering a fair bit of inner conflict.
"Well… there was never any harm in asking..." the assassin in training replied, determined to keep as calm as possible about the situation. If he could work this the right way, he just might still have a shot at seeing his newest fantasy come true.
"You just don't get it do you?" Shaun insinuated storming right up to the assassin and prodding him in the chest with an accusatory index finger. Desmond sighed and looked Shaun in the eyes, taking on a consolatory tone of voice "fine… Tell me oh mighty Shaun, what is it exactly I don't get?" Desmond waited for a response, and Shaun opened his mouth, but then stopped when his brain failed to supply him with the answer that seemed so obvious but was stubbornly eluding him.
Desmond almost grinned, but given the situation he resisted instead. He reached out to the confused historian and his fingers laced into the front of Shaun's soft Gary cardigan. In his mind's eye he turned a small dial labeled "Seduction switch" up to the medium level adding a little bit of a dominant edge to his voice. "Okay, how about this." He murmured pulling Shaun down onto the bed with him. "I will drop the whole idea, stop ogling your brother, and pretend like this never happened… " the briefest trace of relief and perhaps a bit of disappointment showed on Shaun face before Desmond finished his statement "..But only if you look me in the eyes, and tell me that you really don't find the idea the least bit appealing..."
Shaun was lost for words again. Desmond leaned over his historian and waited, deciding to finally let that grin he was holding back form on his lips. Five moment of silence later and the ex-bartender felt he had his answer.
"I knew it..." he scoffed rolling over off of Shaun and onto his side of the bed. "Look…"Shaun started making a point to look everywhere but in Desmond's direction. "It's complicated, you see me and Danny used to..." hearing this Desmond sat up again, sensing a good story. "You used to do what?" he prompted trying not to sound too eager. Shaun glared at him, deciding now was not a good time to be sharing secrets and instead attempted to change the topic. "We were just experimenting teenagers, I don't even know if he's still interested in playing for the other team."
"Well we just need to ask him if he's interested" Desmond concluded rather confidently. Shaun blinked and regarded him with no little amount of incredulity as he clarified the point. "You're not seriously suggesting we actually ask my brother if he would like to be part of some fucked up threesome." Desmond frowned wishing Shaun didn't have to be quite so blunt all the time.
"There are other ways to ask without using things as direct as words…" he replied slowly, reaching over to Shaun and running a hand down the Brit's left hip. Shaun smirked and nodded conceding to Desmond's point as the assassin's other hand join the first and wrapped around his back to pull them closer together.
"If you can prove to me that he would be willing… then maybe I'll consider it... but just maybe..." Shaun murmured. Desmond gave him that cocky grin again and leaned in for a kiss, sliding his hand up the back of Shaun's shirt that was still un-tucked from the hit and run make out Desmond had given him this morning.