Once again, John heads out, and in his rush he doesn't even change his coat. The cold greets him again. Though, it's more a case of going from cold to colder. He doesn't know what time it is, and doesn't care. Though he spares a thought for his wife, who he hears snoring softly.
When he reaches the "greengrocers" he notices it's shut its doors, and it worries him greatly. They are open almost all hours, except from the wee hours of the morning, when people start waking up earliest or when they have reasons of concern towards their business's safety. Were the police near? Surely not. The patrols do not linger long.
Dave arrives shortly after, and he takes a look at John with an unknown emotion before embracing the shorter man, which is another new turn for him, and again, John is caught off guard. He is much warmer than John is, which is odd considering if anyone should be used to these temperatures it's John. He feels Dave's breath tickle his ear.
"You look cold," he says and he understands why the sudden embrace, part of John is upset, the other is over joyed. Upset that it isn't an "I'm really glad to see you" embrace, but he still looks out for his "partners" health and offers his heat, so his heart still leaps. Thought the fact it leaps at all concerns him. He doesn't know why it happened and he refused to think on it further.
"It's closed," Dave soon notices. "That doesn't bode well. I think we should move somewhere else," he says this much quieter, and John is sure he is the only one who could have possibly heard it.
"What time is it?" John asks him, and he says it's four in the morning. John is thankful that he has nowhere to be tomorrow but behind his own desk, meaning he can tell his servants to wake him should he wish to nap.
John walks past Derse, and notes that it is also closed, and he starts walking slightly closer to Dave than he already was. He doesn't know where he is leading him. They walk. And walk. But they don't get close to the edge of the city. Soon, though, a large house comes into view, and it is recognised by the name "Strider" decorating the sign by the gate. This gate is unlocked, and it concerns the young businessman, but Dave soon told him that he left it unlocked with a servant keeping watch for his return. He locked it behind him.
The servant keeping watch is dismissed, and John's cold-battered jacket and scarf are taken from him, and Dave as well. He tells his servant to get some rest and thanks him for keeping watch. John likes that Dave is kind to his servants. It's a quality he admires in anyone he sees it in.
He is led to a study. The theme of red and gold seem to make his eyes jump out even more and almost glow in the dim light. John finds himself cold, but no fire is lit, only a few candles so the pair can see. He had no doubt that he would be too hot in a few minutes. The curtains are closed tightly, the door is locked, and suddenly John finds himself against the wall, with Dave running his hands down the others sides. (John is still shivering. He doesn't know if it's the cold or not.)
"So, what thoughts of me could possibly have you so troubled tonight, hmm?" he asks, and John isn't sure, other than the obvious "I was thinking of us." that he is tempted to say, he is unsure of what answer to give Dave. He allows John to think, as he takes off his jacket and loosens up the shirt that the darker-haired man had so hastily put on earlier, he laughs when he realises that John had buttoned it up wrong, but there is a soft whisper for him to shut up, and so he kisses John instead.
The euphoria has not grown stale. Like John thought it always would, when kissing the same person.
When he was younger, searching for the "right woman" (who didn't exist, he simply did not like women in this way.) to finally stop him for feeling broken, he had made many attempts at romance. Each person he kissed, touched, pleasured, and loved always grew stale to him. Even in Derse, despite the vast improvement and enjoyment he got out of his nights there, he almost never picked the same partner twice.
Almost.
Part of John was starting to believe that Dave might be some sort of demon, because there is simply no way anyone could be so addictive. There was just no way. He was far too fickle to still crave someone like this. He was as turbulent as the breeze, and yet Dave was a relatively new constant in his life, constant as the ticking of a grandfather clock. As if he was always meant to be there.
He had known Dave a couple of weeks at most, but their agreement was new and exciting, as was the man himself. And the novelty had yet to wear off. Part of John fears it might do just that later on, but when Dave pushes himself against John, closer than they were before, he decided that that thought is stupid and at the very least could wait until he wasn't being kissed by Dave Striders lips.
John still hadn't answered Dave's question, and so the blonde nipped the others lips in frustration before pulling away.
"Seriously, though. I'm curious." he said.
He felt attached to John in some deep way, and he was unsure of this truth, but John was attached as well. It scared Dave. It scared him because in all of his travels and all of the men (and women, at first) he courted, none of them remained. He wonders if there is a reason, but it is shoved from all thoughts at once, because fate and its kin aren't in the equation here. This is the epitome of desire indulgence. This is tantalisingly dangerous. John may preach about he is merely doing what is necessary, Dave knows he revels in the excitement of breaking rules, just as much as Dave himself does.
Of course Dave wished it wasn't illegal. That he didn't have to hide and lie and cheat. But it is, so he might as well take pleasure in its risks.
"I was just thinking about the other day. You. I couldn't sleep for the life of me." ah yes, Dave recalled that night with perfect clarity. He had seen an angel. It was John. Saying his name and letting out soft gasps. With swollen lips and light (though Dave wished he could make them darker so they would last) bruises already starting to form below the collar line. He remembers whispering the word beautiful without his consent, though he did believe what he said was truth. Before he could get a reaction he introduced his mouth to John in a way he'd been craving for days. The mere memory made his trousers constrict a little and remind him that that very angel is before him again. There is no need to conjure up memories of him when he is about to make more.
Hands run down chests and Dave wished there was a way for the two of them to be closer still. But they don't have all night, and they don't have a bed. He really should have put more thought into where he picked his venue. The thought of John below him on his desk was an image he had gambled to become reality by taking him to his study instead of his bedroom. (It also made more sense, he remembered. The pair of them are supposed to be working.)
Dave was working all right. Working on undressing John Egbert. And he was doing a good job. The wrongly buttoned up shirt had been discarded. His lips were on John's again, and he knew that John was more than happy to see him.
He decided that proposing this arrangement to John after their initial "get together" was one of the best ideas he's had in his entire life.
Trousers were a problem, but they were soon discarded and kisses were planted on thighs, hand tangled in blonde hair. Dave knew John liked it when he used his mouth, so use his mouth he did. When he placed his mouth around John, there was a quiet bump from John moving his head back, and Dave couldn't help but (try to) grin. This was what he lived for, lied for, and cheated for, these days.
"Dave!..." Dave could tell his partner was trying to keep quiet, but he knew John was also aware of how much Dave liked it when he said his name. Dave liked that a lot. A low hum had John gasping, and trying his best not to move, not to pull Dave's hair to the point of pain. They had to keep this quick and quiet. Dave pulled out the big guns. Suck and hum Strider, suck and hum.
There is a quiet "Fuck! I'm-" from John and Dave only increased his efforts. John was done, the tension relieved. For John. Dave was quite the opposite. He had some of John's release on his face, and his trousers were so uncomfortable he was sure it was going to cause permanent damage. John finds himself looking upon the riled-up Strider with sympathy, and puts his hands to good use.
They don't know what to do after. They finally have that time. That aftermath where there is everything and nothing within their grasp. John isn't sure whether he wants to stay or go. He isn't sure if he can stay or go. Dave isn't sure if he should ask him to stay. Though he is certain he wants John to stay, but he tries not to acknowledge that.
John was still being pinned by Dave. There was a moment dangling off the edge of infinity, with so many possible outcomes. The tender moments they were denied at Derse and had decided they craved could finally be. Even if it was on an armchair, and not a bed. But part of John doubted they would ever get such a privilege. He had seen a beautiful sight, had actually managed to have the Strider pliant and gasping softly for him, instead of the other way around. He then saw his face soften with bliss, and had put his hands by his hips. He still hadn't moved.
"Do you want to stay?" Dave had breathed, mere centimetres from kissing John again. He wanted to kiss him then, but an answer from John took priority.
John wasn't sure. He did. A part of him wanted nothing more, and he wasn't sure whether to give himself over to that part, or fear it, or ignore it completely. He felt a sense of guilt when Vriska crossed his mind, but what he had just done was far worse than staying with him for a few hours. With that thought in mind he nodded softly and Dave took the opportunity to kiss him again. And in that moment, and all moments like it, he liked to pretend he and Dave were together, more successful and what they were doing was not illegal. That he didn't have to lie and cheat. That he and Dave had something real. Something legal. But even if their "Habits" became legal the next day, John would miss the thrill of sneaking around. The thrill of breaking rules, a guilty pleasure John kept indulging, only slightly ashamed after years of "sin" (though never such pleasurable sin of allowing Dave to ravage him). And remembering that technically speaking it wasn't a sin at all helps him. But society painted it as such, and so John couldn't think of another way to describe it.
John redressed himself, properly this time. And Dave led him to a spare room, before looking at him. (Covered in Dave's seed, still flushed red. Still gorgeous.) And looked down the hall to his own room and John, seemingly catching on to that thought, sighed and embraced the Strider, rubbing small circles into his back. The gesture was a lot more gentle than what he was used too. He blamed the hormones that accompany orgasm for their urge to cuddle together, nothing more, and nothing less.
"You know if they found us we would be in trouble, Dave. I'll sleep here." He nods and pulls back immediately. "Good night, John." He said, and wandered off toward his own room, his movements slightly less sharp than usual. John goes to clean up.
Dave wakes himself up a mere hour and a half later, and tells John that his servants will soon start to wake up. He hands him fresh clothes, and puts the soiled ones in a briefcase. "We were working out some finance. One of our partners put some prices up." A soft kiss. "I'll see you Friday, if not sooner." A nod. And John was gone. And a feeling churned within Dave he didn't recognise, nor did he want too. It was too soon for emotions to get involved, he must be overthinking things. Of course.
John wasn't sure what to think. He liked his visit to the Strider household, but it wasn't as simple and disconnected and full to the brim with lust, it was softer, with softer kisses and touches and embraces. With a look in Dave's eyes in more sentimental moments he simultaneously loved and feared. He was used to Dave being a hurricane, and tearing him apart. But he supposed he caught him in a sleepy, sentimental, mood. Nothing else.
A/N: what's this? Two updates? On the same DAY? It's madness.