bigapplesauce | oh honey honey [closed]

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oh honey honey [closed]

Scout scrambles into the apartment when Gabriel opens the door, and heads straight for the water dish on the floor. Gabriel makes sure that the dish is filled as he walks past towards the living room. Maybe to read, maybe to watch some TV, but something on the kitchen table makes him stop in his tracks.

It's a jar of honey, simple and unadorned. The light from the window catches the edge of the glass, casting a yellow light onto the table. It's beautiful. He stares at it for a moment, transfixed. Then, he smiles, because he knows just what this is. Back when he'd been struck ill by the rift, he'd told Johnny about how when he'd been Loki, people would leave him offerings of honey.

Back then, it had been comforting. A nice gesture, and a meaningful connection to the humans that knew about him and wanted to please him or thank him. Now, it's a reminder about the good parts of what he used to be. It's easy to forget all but the bad, but this reminds him that he was appreciated then, and even moreso- that Johnny loves him now. Johnny had been joking when he asked if he wanted him to start leaving jars of honey around, but he really did want that. And Johnny remembered. Johnny may not know how much it means to him, or why, but he doesn't really need to. The gesture is enough, and that means a lot to him too.

He steps forward and picks up the jar, carefully turning it over in his hands. He doesn't know what to do with the feeling that this is giving him. How could he have ever thought that he couldn't fully love Johnny? His chest is full of it, his fingers tingling with the sheer force of the feeling. He can't stop grinning at the damn jar of honey, and by now, Scout has finished with the water and come over to investigate.

Gabriel bends down to scrub a hand through the dog's fur. "I'll be back. I have to go see Johnny." He straightens, and in the next moment he's standing in Johnny's apartment, the jar of honey still in his hand.

"...hey." He's not sure what he wants to say or do beyond kissing Johnny, but he's pretty sure that his plans don't involve Johnny being in the middle of tattooing some hot shirtless dude. He pauses for just a moment before he strides forward anyway. When Johnny turns to him, he leans down just far enough to lift his chin up and press a kiss to his mouth.

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When Digby's attention drifts back to the cappuccino, Gabriel pulls his t-shirt back down and watches as he tries the coffee then drifts over to say hi to Yarrow. It's nice, he thinks, that Johnny is starting to build up a life here that means something to him. He'll have to remind Digby later to let his friends know about Johnny. Maybe he'll get some more clientele and have some more pages to add to that tattoo book.

He's jolted out of his thoughts by the brush of fingers along the inside of his wrist. His eyes snap to Johnny's, a small smile playing at his lips. After a moment he quirks an eyebrow at him and his smile widens. If this isn't a request to be alone, he doesn't know what it is.

Still, Digby isn't exactly done here.

Gabriel nods Johnny towards the door before heading that way himself. "Enjoy that coffee, Diglett. We're just gonna go make out in the hall. Maybe a little groping. We'll be back in a jiffy." He smiles and tugs at Johnny's shirt when he gets close enough to pull towards the door.

Digby huffs out a soft laugh as he offers his hand out for Yarrow to sniff. "Whatever you gotta do, man. I'm good."

Edited 2016-02-17 08:15 (UTC)

Well so much for being subtle, much less professional. It doesn't matter. Digby doesn't seem to mind, stuck as he is with one half-worked arm. He lets Gabe pull him into the hall, reaching out himself to shut the door behind them. Gabe's already kissing him before it's even latched; Johnny's back hits the wall and he wraps his arms around him, one hand cupping the back of his neck, the other pressing at one shoulder blade, the approximate point where the wing would sprout if they were tangible. It's sort of a subconscious gesture, he supposes, or like a little reminder for himself, because it helps to remember what Gabriel is.

He smiles against Gabe's mouth and fists his hand in the fabric of his shirt, pulling him as close as possible.

"Good offering, then?" he says a bit huskily, still close, peeking up at him.

Edited 2016-02-18 02:44 (UTC)

When Gabriel pushes Johnny back, he settles his hands at his waist and leaves them there, dipping fingers under the hem of Johnny's shirt as he presses against him. When he finally kisses him, it feels like a release.

"Yes," he answers in a growl, then dips his head to place a kiss at Johnny's jawline. He takes a deep steadying breath then, and lets it out in a hot breath against Johnny's neck. They can't take this much further right now. He wouldn't want Johnny's first client to have a bad impression of him because he walked out to find them fucking in the hall.

"Y'know..." he nuzzles into the spot before lifting his head enough to look Johnny in the eye. "An offering implies a...transaction." He smirks and leans in to kiss him again, briefer this time, but still staying as close as he can. "You're gonna have to think about what you want from me." He rubs his thumbs at Johnny's waist, uncertain if he should suggest anything.

He knows what he wants right now. He wants to drop to his knees in front of Johnny and show him what it's like to be worshiped. He wants to be reverential in the face of this unexpectedly beautiful gift, but this isn't about what he wants. He wants Johnny to ask for exactly what will make him happiest.

He doesn't really expect an answer, at least not now. Instead, he lifts a hand to Johnny's cheek, then pushes his fingers into his hair. "Love you, too."

Edited 2016-02-18 04:37 (UTC)

Johnny shudders under Gabriel's hands, his lips parted, gasping softly at the breath on his neck, the words murmured against his skin. Fuck, this is absolutely inopportune. He wants a lot of things, right fucking now.

"I-" He presses his upper back against the wall, bracing himself so he can arch his hips forward, hands slipping down to Gabe's ass. "I need a rain check. The fucking minute I get Dig out of my room. Jesus fucking Christ." He pulls himself flush against Gabe and kisses him hard, desperate. The clock is ticking and he has to get back to work, which only serves to make this hotter.

"Wait." He breaks away, moves his hands to Gabe's head, fingers tangling in his hair. He rests his forehead against Gabe's, closing his eyes briefly.

"Tell - tell me-" His breath hitches. He clings to Gabe, clings to this moment, terrified to lose it. That night Gabe told him he loved him, and he'd panicked and he'd fucked everything up, it all boiled down to the relentless tune of I am not good enough and I have nothing to give. He still hasn't forgiven himself for that, and it still haunts him.

But today he did give Gabriel something, and it was unexpected and it means something, more than Johnny can fully comprehend. He did something right and he wants, he actually wants-

"Tell me you love me," he whispers, feeling stupid but not enough to stop himself. "Like you did the first time, when I didn't - I - I want to hear you say it. I want to."

It would be funny, considering Gabe only just said it, but there's a huge difference between that and what happened the first time, how critical that was, Gabe realizing he meant it. And Johnny missed it.

Gabriel tips his mouth down and kisses Johnny with the taste of five different liquors clashing on his tongue. He remembers that night. They'd gotten drunk by design, which is maybe why it had felt so easy to tell Johnny how he really felt. In some way, it felt like Johnny had orchestrated the situation to urge those words out of his mouth for the first time. With the benefit of hindsight, how Johnny had felt then makes perfect sense. Yet in his memory, the moment felt momentous but expected, like he was guided to that confession all along. He'd only had to stop resisting the idea that he can love this- his feelings, the relationship, Johnny, for what they are, and the truth came flooding out of him.

He's not sure what's changed now for Johnny. Maybe it was the same slow glide towards the truth. This time, for Johnny, the truth being his worth as a person. Gabriel knows that this isn't the end of the process for him by any means, but if Johnny wants to hear the words, that means that in this moment he's willing to accept their implications. He's not only loved but, in some way, feels deserving of it.

Gabriel's spent a lot of time thinking that this whole relationship is selfish of him, that Johnny deserves someone human to fall in love with. But if he can bring about this kind of change, maybe he's doing something right here, after all.

The kiss is slow and deliberate. He takes Johnny's hands in his and steps out of his grip carefully, letting Johnny's hands drop back to his sides. He needs a little more distance for this. When he pulls away, he's wearing the suit he wore that night. The smile, too, is the same - soft and pleased and happy to be here with Johnny.

"I love you."

Johnny startles a little as Gabe brings the memory back in living color, tastes and smells all. This hadn't been what he'd meant, it's more, it's so unbelievably generous, to have as much of a second shot at that moment as he could possibly get. He feels shaky when Gabe takes his hands and tells him again, properly.

He feels like he could just fall apart. It's still overwhelming and terrifying and more than he thinks he deserves, but it's his. He fought tooth and nail through his piece of shit life and came out with this, and he's going to cling to it, goddammit, it's his and he's going to treat it well. He hesitates for a lingering moment, staring intently into Gabriel's eyes even as the illusory suit and the flavors of alcohol fade away, and then he presses forward, throwing his arms around Gabe's shoulders and hugging him tightly.

"I love you, too," he whispers, like he was supposed to.

"Hey, uh..."

Johnny doesn't let go of Gabe even as he looks sharply at Digby, who's just poked his head out the door.

"Sorry," says Digby, vaguely sheepish. "Listen, I can come back tomorrow if-"

"No!" Johnny clears his throat and steps back from Gabe. "No. I'm good. Let's do the thing. Sorry. I just had to... get that off my chest." He glances at Gabe, taking one of his hands and squeezing it gently before following Digby back into his apartment.

"S'all good," says Digby as he ambles back over to his seat. "Y'all are fuckin' adorable."

Gabriel's breath catches in his throat for a moment when Johnny doesn't seem to respond at all. He wonders if he had done too much, or if Johnny decided he'd asked for the wrong thing - but Johnny's arms around him quickly dispel those notions. His breath lets out in a rush and he lifts his arms up to wrap around him in return.

Johnny's whispered affection makes him smile. This was how it was supposed to go all along, and now they've finally made it to where they're supposed to be.

He's still looking at Johnny when Digby pokes his head around the door. When Johnny squeezes his hand, he smile and dips his head, not quite willing to let Digby in on his fond expression.

He follows them in, chuckling at Digby's comment. "You're damn right we are. Cutest fuckers in all the land." As they get set up, Gabriel crosses back over to the kitchen area and grabs his jar of honey, then wanders over to the tattoo station. He'd like to stick around, but he can see that he'd probably be more distraction than help at this point.

"I'm going to let you work." He lifts a hand, idly fixing where Johnny's hair is still out of place from their little make-out session out in the hall. "I'll be upstairs. Digby, it's been a pleasure."

Digby smiles. "Yeah, I noticed that."

Gabriel smiles back at him, then disappears.

Edited 2016-02-22 10:42 (UTC)

Johnny works quietly, focusing on the lines and not anything that is happening in his head and heart. He and Digby had been making occasional small talk prior to Gabe's appearance, but now he's not sure what to talk about. He finds himself wishing he'd put some music on. Digby, at least, seems content to chill out. He asks a couple friendly questions about Gabe, and Johnny recounts pieces of the Godzilla event and finds himself admitting it was Gabriel who helped him discover a previously untapped interest in men.

"Aw," Digby says with a smile. "That's so romantic."

It is, Johnny thinks, feeling a little embarrassed.

He finishes up the general outline of the piece, which marks the end of this particular session.

"So I don't really have like a... book or anything," says Johnny awkwardly as he finishes wrapping the arm. "Do you wanna schedule something, or... I'm pretty much always around."

"How 'bout I just text you sometime?" says Digby. "My schedule's a hot mess."

"Sure." Digby pays him the agreed-upon sum, and it is fucking weird and wonderful actually getting money for services rendered, for the first time in a long time; then Johnny shows him out.

He manages, somehow, not to run upstairs.

"Okay," he says breathlessly, coming into Gabe's apartment and heading straight for him. "Come here."

"You come here," Gabriel says, one moment standing in the middle of the apartment and the next, when Johnny nearly reaches him, leaning against the bedroom door frame. His expression is far too amused and his lean too posed to look nonchalant, but that isn't the point of this. He smirks and arches an eyebrow at Johnny as he changes direction again. The point is so savor this moment just a little longer.

The moment stretches out for him as his eyes rake up Johnny's body and settle on his face. The expression there is different than he's ever seen it, more open, and he likes seeing the mix of love and lust and vulnerability there. He might never get tired of seeing that.

Time slams back to the present when Johnny touches him. He collides with Johnny, dropping hands to hips and lifting to press him against the bedroom door. "Johnny," he says against his mouth, into his hair, between kisses that press up under his jaw. "I am gonna do so much for you."

Johnny wants to laugh at Gabe's antics - he shouldn't be surprised - but he's too desperate, nearly tripping over himself as he pivots abruptly to follow his ridiculous teleporting boyfriend. His boyfriend.

He barely gets his hand to Gabe's cheek before Gabe hefts him back against the door and kisses him with a kind of insatiability that makes him shudder. He grips onto him, wrapping his arms around him, tangling fingers into his hair, clinging to this, this, this is his life now, it's so good and it's so much more than he deserves, but he can't bother about that right now, not with Gabriel murmuring against his skin like that.

He can't think of a single witty comeback. He can't think of anything. "I love you," drops in to fill the void, that's what happens now, when he has nothing to say, and he's not sure how he feels about that, either, but it's true, so. "I just wanted to - to give you-"

Words are complicated. So are doors. He almost draws one hand away to fumble blindly with the knob, as if he needs to bother with such asinine mechanics of architecture - remembering himself, he wills the door open, trusting Gabriel to keep him from hitting the floor, which is a decent enough metaphor, all things considered.

The door falls open unexpectedly and Gabriel stumbles forward a couple steps before recovering them both. The momentum pulls them forward and Gabriel chuckles against Johnny's mouth when he bumps against the edge of the bed. Instead of pressing forward, Gabriel drops to his knees and settles Johnny on the edge of the bed. He'd gladly done what Johnny wanted him to do, by reliving that first moment of telling him that he loves him. Now, he's going to do what he wants and show Johnny what it's like to be worshiped.

Afterward, lying sprawled and sweaty in a tangle of limbs, he really wants a cigarette, but he doesn't say as much. Instead he just curls in against Gabriel and breathes out, kissing the little red mark he left on his shoulder. The sun is setting already, a little earlier each day, and light coming through the window and streaking over them is deep orange and comforting. He feels like he could stay here until it gets dark.

"So you're saying I should leave you offerings more often," he says lightly, smirking.

Gabriel chuckles and dips his head a fraction to look at Johnny. "Depends on what you're going for." He trails a few fingers through Johnny's hair, then lets his hand settle down at his waist. When he speaks, his tone is joking but soft. He's feeling comfortable. More than physically- it seems like he and Johnny have finally reached the spot where they're supposed to be. "How often do you really want me professing my undying love over a jar of honey?"

"Mm." He makes a show of considering the question, tilts his head up to give Gabe a little smile. "I mean, there are worse fates."

Whenever he'd tried dating before he'd never really gotten the hang of giving gifts or doing nice things for the girls. Nice things were never his strong suit, and the girls he dated weren't interested in 'nice' anyway. He never made it far enough to do anything this intimate - never had the opportunity or impetus to give something so deeply, personally significant. This is, as all things with Gabriel have been, utterly uncharted territory. But he's never been alone in it, there's always been Gabe leading him along. To experience the movie-perfect gratification of getting so much for doing something thoughtful - he can't see this getting old, not when the entirety of this relationship is still so novel to him.

He presses closer, ducking his head down again, feeling sheepish and overwhelmed.

Gabriel hums a short pleased tone and tips his head down to kiss the top of Johnny's head. He feels like manifesting his wings, because he knows that Johnny likes that- that it makes him feel safer here, but he holds back. It reminds him of something he's been thinking of asking Johnny to do for him, and having his wings out already would probably imply that he's expecting him to do it rather than asking.

"Would you-" He pauses, uncertain how to continue, and then inwardly cringes at himself because he knows he's just revealed that he's nervous about asking this. "Would you like to brush my wings? Would you be into that?"

Johnny looks up at him, surprised by the hesitation - Gabe isn't exactly shy about asking for things, usually - but when he finishes the request Johnny's eyes widen a little bit.

"Seriously?" There's no incredulity, just astonishment and awe. He didn't realize this was something Gabe would even need - and, well, perhaps he doesn't, perhaps he just wants it, he's always liked it when Johnny strokes his feathers, after all. He certainly didn't expect he'd be asked to really give him this kind of intimate care.

"I - yeah." He sits up, trying not to look too eager, failing somewhat. "I don't know if I'll be any good at it, but..." He trails off, blushing. They're still naked and they just had amazing sex over a jar of honey, but this, this makes him blush.

He knows why. He knows this is personal, important, not just anyone would get to do this. The wings are a private, special part of Gabriel, and he's entrusting their care to Johnny. It's overwhelming. Of course he's fucking blushing.

Gabriel smiles back at Johnny and pushes himself up onto his elbows. He answers, amused, "I have faith in you." Handling a brush isn't exactly the most difficult thing in the world, but he's still touched that Johnny seems worried about it.

He reaches out a hand to Johnny's shoulder and rubs his thumb at his collarbone. Briefly, he lets his gaze drop to the spot and then Johnny's chest before he looks back up to his blushing face. Johnny's reaction has more than reassured him that he doesn't need to worry about asking for this sort of thing, so he's settling back into a pleasant post-coital calm. "Now? We could go out front." He nods towards the living room. "You wouldn't have to move any walls."

Johnny smiles and leans into him briefly, hovering there for a few moments. He would have been willing to expand the room if needed, but it's nice, too, that he doesn't have to.

"Okay." He shifts back and slides off the bed, still a little shaky-legged, and tugs on his boxers. "Now's good."

"Okay." Gabriel pushes himself up, then links his hands and lifts them above his head in a stretch. He exhales a breath, then swings his legs around and searches for his own boxers. Boxers found, he gets up and sets a small pile of clothes in front of Johnny - pajama pants, tshirt, socks. It's not cold in here, but it's definitely colder than the cozy bed, and he'd like Johnny to be comfortable.

He pulls on some socks and PJ pants himself, but forgoes a shirt. It'll probably be more comfortable for him to go without.

When Johnny has changed, Gabriel materializes a brush. It's something like you might expect used to groom horses, a flat wooden back and uniform bristles coating the reverse side. It's also the perfect size for Johnny to grip. He looks down at it a moment, feeling suddenly vulnerable. This isn't a big deal but at the same time it is, because it's an illustration for him of how much he's come to trust Johnny over such a short amount of time.

"Here. I'm gonna go get set up." He hands over the brush, leans in to kiss Johnny's cheek, then turns and walks into the other room. He snags a chair from the kitchen table and settles it in the center of the space.

Once he's sitting something stops him from materializing his wings just yet. Maybe, he thinks, he wants Johnny to ask, or for Johnny to be prepared before they start with this.

Edited 2016-03-23 05:15 (UTC)

Johnny takes the brush and stares at it for a little while, running his fingers over it. It feels like a precious object in spite of its plainness, and the fact that Gabe literally just called it into being. Johnny touches the bristles lightly with the pad of his thumb. This is all very weird.

He trails after Gabe slowly, watches him get settled, waits for the wings to appear, but they don't. He steps closer, reaches out and rests a hand on Gabriel's back, rubbing gently over one shoulder blade.

"Ready?" he says.

Gabriel's head dips forward a fraction when Johnny settles a hand at his back. "Yeah." he waits til Johnny's hand won't be in the way and then materializes his wings. They're stretched out across most of the apartment, resting gently on the floor.

Scout immediately jumps down from the couch to investigate one wing, and Gabriel chuckles as the little dog buries his nose in among feathers. Scout walks the length of the wing, then pushes through to come and inspect what Johnny is up to.

"With the grain usually works the best. Like petting a cat."

Johnny steps back to allow space for the wings, gazing intently at them as they become abruptly tangible. They aren't new, and yet he feels overcome to look at them, standing still and quiet for a few moments. Scout's essentially expressing what's going on internally for him. He smiles faintly as the dog wanders over to him.

Each time he sees Gabriel's wings it's like he's forgotten the last time - how immense they are, how breathtaking. He always feels smaller and meeker in their presence, but he doesn't want to act different. It's really important that he doesn't, in fact. This is a piece of Gabe, special and private, but still a natural part of him. He feels an almost uncomfortable swell of emotion in his chest, thinking about how he's being allowed not only to see, to touch, but now to care for - he shivers slightly, just once, before stepping forward with resolve and raising the brush.

He errs on the side of caution, moving the brush with slow, perhaps overly gentle strokes, just to test. He keeps an eye on Gabriel, looking for reactions, guidance, keeping quiet for now.

When Johnny starts brushing, Gabriel lets out a small sigh at the pleasure of it. He rounds his shoulders and pushes his wing into the brush when Johnny sets it down again, seeking more pressure against his feathers.

This is something that hasn't happened for him in a long time. It's so rare that he trust someone enough to even show them his wings. This level of care isn't necessary, but it means a lot for this to be happening now, with Johnny. It's a way for him to show his love and his trust in a demonstrative way. At times it becomes very clear that Johnny has trouble believing that he really is loved, or that he's worthy of it. Gabriel is hoping that this helps in some way to prevent those sorts of thoughts.

"Yeah, that's- that's good." He can't turn around to see the look on Johnny's face without knocking over furniture, so he asks, "You okay with this?"

"Yes," says Johnny, quick and soft. He responds to Gabe bracing against him by pressing harder, allowing himself to relax and trust himself a little more. He's not going to hurt Gabe. He brushes more decisively, resting one hand on Gabe's shoulder, occasionally squeezing and rubbing gently.

"I like doing this for you," he says eventually, feeling it was worth more of an answer than a monosyllabic one. He smiles to himself. "I like being able to do things for you."

Gabriel smiles and nods to Johnny's answer. There's happiness in his voice when he answers, "Good."

He doesn't say much more as Johnny works his way across his wing. It's a very comforting sensation, almost meditative, to hear his own soft sighs, the brush at regular intervals pushing down across his feathers, and Scout's little pants as he follows what Johnny is doing. He doesn't feel the need to fill the silence.

A little ways in, Johnny gets the brush under a feather and a shiver runs up Gabriel's spine. It extends out into his wings automatically, feathers lifting all over until he looks more fluffy than sleek. Gabriel chuckles, knowing that the reaction has probably surprised Johnny. "You're doing fine. Great, even."

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