The doorknob turned, clicking open, and Clive scowled, tilting his head back to glare at Eric as he stepped into the room, a frown already creasing his face. It slipped though, when he caught sight of Clive and Noe, and Clive wondered what Noe would think of this when he woke up because he still hadn’t gotten around to asking Noe how they should act around Eric and Chrissy. It was kind of a moot point now, though.
“Can I help you?” Clive asked sharply when Eric didn’t move or say anything.
“Dinner.” Eric replied stiffly, and Clive nodded in acknowledgement.
“We’ll be down in a minute.” Clive snapped when Eric didn’t move, careful to keep from jostling Noe – he didn’t want Noe to wake up quite yet because that would probably be more than a little detrimental to their progress.
Eric hesitated a moment more, his eyes straying to where Noe’s head was resting against Clive’s chest, but eventually he nodded and turned away, shutting the door quietly behind him.
“Noe.” Clive whispered, running his fingers through Noe’s hair again. Noe didn’t move, not even a sleepy stirring, and Clive grinned. “Noe.” Clive repeated, shaking Noe’s shoulder carefully. Noe mumbled sleepily in protest before abruptly tensing, but Clive ignored it, carding his hand through Noe’s hair again.
“I hope you didn’t drool on my shirt.” Clive teased, letting Noe sit up. Noe flushed adorably, and Clive smirked, sitting up himself. “Anyway, Eric says dinner’s ready.”
“Oh.” Noe murmured, his shirt rumpled and his face creased with the effects of his short nap. “Sorry, for falling asleep.”
“S’cool.” Clive grinned, leaning close and stealing a quick kiss. Noe jerked away, startled, but offered a shy smile. “You’re cute when you sleep.”
“Thank you?” Noe asked, looking a little perplexed.
“You’re welcome.” Clive replied promptly, winking as he scrambled off the bed. Noe hadn’t drooled, which was good because Clive liked having Noe sleep on him and drooling might dampen that his enjoyment. “Oh, and Eric might’ve-as-in-did walk in on us.”
“Oh.” Noe paled, and Clive shrugged, feeling a little bad because he should’ve locked the door but he hadn’t for Noe’s comfort.
“Is it a big deal? I can say we were talking and you just sort of fell asleep?” Clive offered, even if it had been more intimate looking than that.
“I – no.” Noe shook his head. “I mean, they… shouldn’t care.”
“So how open with the touching would you like to be in front of them?” Clive asked, straightening his shirt casually. “I meant to ask that before.”
“Um.” Noe shrugged, carefully climbing off the bed. “Not so much? I don’t – ”
“You’re a private person.” Clive supplied, wandering closer to Noe. “I can respect that. I’m going to let you field any questions about us to you though.”
“Why?” Noe asked curiously, not flinching away as Clive settled his arms on Noe’s shoulders and grinned at him from a few inches away.
“Because you’re in control.” Clive intoned, wrinkling his nose cheerfully at Noe. “Now hold still so I can kiss you again.”
Noe laughed, smiling tentatively as Clive made use of Noe’s closeness to kiss him again. He was really getting fond of kissing Noe, and Noe didn’t seem to object, stepping slightly closer and opening up to Clive at the proper cue. Clive pulled away after a short moment though – he didn’t want Eric or Chrissy coming up after them.
“Come on, dinner.” Clive grinned, pressing a quick kiss to Noe’s lips. “I hear Chrissy’s making your favorite.” Noe smiled shyly, not protesting as Clive led him from the room by the hand.
“Sit down.” Eric told him quietly, gesturing to the chairs across from the desk. They were comfortable chairs, Noe knew from experience, but he wasn’t often required to be in the study and it was slightly unnerving, especially after the tense air of dinner. But Clive and Chrissy were in the living room, and from Eric’s half-mumbled comments as they left the kitchen, the basement wasn’t quite in working order after the last bout of training (and probably a bit of Chrissy’s anger at Eric keeping Noe so long).
Noe took a seat carefully in the left-hand chair, furthest from where Eric was standing by the edge of the desk and waited, because he didn’t doubt that Eric had something to say about Clive. Eric didn’t seem to like Clive much, which was unnerving and had made dinner a tense, awkward affair filled with Eric’s suspicious looks at Clive and Chrissy’s cheerful attempts to keep the tension from showing too badly.
Clive had alternately given Eric dark, annoyed looks and the occasional smirk and wink at Noe (and if he’d rested his hand against Noe’s knee lightly a time or too, well, it had been under the table and no one had been the wiser, except for maybe that first time when Noe had nearly fallen off his chair in surprise). Noe had alternately stared at his plate, blushing furiously, and wondered how obvious it would be if he tried to slide under the table to hide.
Eric offered a reassuring smile, moving after a moment to claim the other chair instead of sitting behind the desk. Noe watched him cautiously, waiting for him to say something disapproving of Clive and Noe getting close to Clive (or worse, ask questions that Noe really didn’t think he could answer without trying to sink into the chair’s cushion).
Noe stifled a small sigh, doing his best to relax his shoulders and not sit too stiffly. He was so much less relaxed now, and the anticipation that had grown over dinner hadn’t helped, because Eric didn’t approve, and Noe wasn’t sure how to deal with that.
“Noe.” Eric began, his face falling into a look of concern, and Noe braced himself because that look always preceded Eric telling him something he needed to improve or something he’d done wrong or something that Eric and Chrissy thought wasn’t quite normal and healthy.
“How’re you and Clive getting along?” Eric asked after a small hesitation, and Noe dug his toes into the study’s soft, thick carpet. How did he answer that without giving too much away? Not that there was anything to give away past what Eric had seen. How did he explain the sleeping on Clive?
“What… do you mean?” Noe asked quietly, not quite meeting Eric’s eyes as he stalled, hoping Eric would let it drop, unlikely though it was.
“You’re getting along with him?” Eric rephrased, and Noe met his eyes accidentally, and it really was unfair that he couldn’t keep from blushing at that. Eric had a rather intent look on his face, as though he was waiting for Noe to reply in a certain way so that he could finish the course of action he’d decided needed to be taken.
And it probably wasn’t normal, Noe realized, swallowing half-formed words before he could say anything incriminating. It had only been a few days, after all, since the night where Clive had been wearing next to nothing and doing his best to get a reaction out of Eric’s lap. That thought wasn’t happy though, and it made Noe’s stomach twist and he made a note to maybe bring that up to Clive later because maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
“Noe?” Eric prompted, and Noe jerked his gaze up, startled from his thoughts.
“Yes.” He affirmed, the word barely audible but he didn’t bother to repeat. Eric stared at him steadily enough – if he hadn’t heard he would’ve seen Noe’s lips move. Eric would probably think horrible things of him if he knew, and Noe fought the urge to dash from the room. He wasn’t going to run from Eric, even if Eric was making him doubt just a little. Which he shouldn’t be, there was nothing to doubt.
“He’s not forcing you into anything, is he?” Eric asked gently, and Noe’s eyes widened slightly as he stared, dumbstruck, as Eric watched him, the concern still blatantly written across his face and where had Eric gotten that from him sleeping on Clive?
“No.” Noe was shaking a little, wondering how to make Eric believe him. Would Eric bother or would he stick with his assumptions? Noe took a shaky breath. He wanted to be back before dinner, curled up in Clive’s room listening to Clive breathing, without this stiffness in his shoulders or the shaking in his fingers or the fight to keep from running because this felt like an attack, even if Eric was attacking Clive more than he was attacking Noe.
“Noe.” His name fell from Eric’s lips with a frown, and Noe winced, staring unhappily at Eric. He didn’t know what to say, to make Eric realize this was okay, this was good and nothing at all bad for him.
“He’s helping.” Noe tried, stilling his hands before they could betray his emotions further.
“Helping what, Noe?” Eric asked, intent and concerned, and Noe took a deep breath, forcing his hands further apart before they could fight to crush each other again. He wanted to sink into the chair, and Eric probably didn’t even realize that this was the exact opposite of supportive.
“Me.” Noe murmured, managing a quick glance at Eric. “He’s not hurting.”
“Noe.” Eric sounded sympathetic, and Noe’s fingers were tense, even.
“Don’t.” The word snapped out of Noe’s mouth before he could stop it, and he stared, faintly horrified at Eric for a moment until no retribution came. “Sorry.” Noe murmured anyway, trying to dredge up a smile but failing horribly. “He – Clive –” Noe stopped again, taking a moment to collect himself. “He said I could throw him into a wall again?”
Eric frowned thoughtfully at him, and Noe hoped he hadn’t done more harm than good, but he didn’t know how else to make this clear. Clive wasn’t forcing him to do anything, and he could make Clive stop if he wanted to.
“If he makes me too nervous again.” Noe added quietly, in case it wasn’t clear because Eric wasn’t saying anything, just watching him with an odd expression that Noe couldn’t read.
“Noe.” Eric sighed, looking tired. “Alright. Don’t hesitate if he makes you the least bit uncomfortable. I’ll warn Chrissy. And if you do have problems with Clive…” Eric hesitated, and Noe waited, curious even as a bit of the tension seeped out of him. “You know you can talk to me or Chrissy, right?”
“I know.” Noe murmured, because he knew it, but there was very little he felt he could say without burdening Eric and Chrissy further. They already dealt with so much because of him and the less they had to deal with, the better.
“Good.” Eric reached over to the desk and tugged a bright yellow legal pad off. “Now let’s go over yesterday’s training.”
“So, Clive.” Chrissy drawled as soon as Eric led a tense-looking Noe from the kitchen. Clive almost sympathized, but he was of the firm belief ‘better you than me,’ and Noe got on better with Eric than he did at this point. He did feel sorry for Noe though – dinner had managed to undo all the good work Clive had done with him beforehand.
“Chrissy.” Clive returned cheerfully. Cheerfully because he did like Chrissy, and he could probably fix Noe after lessons.
“Rinse the dishes and then stick them – neatly – in the dishwasher.” Chrissy ordered, setting down a stack of plates and then moving back out into the dining room to collect the leftovers. Noe had barely eaten, and it was a wonder the boy wasn’t as skinny as Clive was.
“Yes’m.” Clive replied, flicking on the water faucet. “How long for lessons tonight?”
“Not long.” Chrissy smiled, setting down a casserole dish (and Chrissy was a good cook, Clive had decided, so he could forgive Noe’s lack of experience with good take-out). “It’s a simple thing we’ll be doing and the effects might last a bit long. I’ll explain it all later.”
“Effects?” Clive frowned, rinsing plates. He didn’t like the sound of that.
Chrissy laughed. “Nothing dangerous, I promise. And I said neatly, Clive.”
“It’s neat.” Clive muttered, straightening the crooked plate he’d just set inside.
“Not neat enough.” Chrissy called from across the room, and Clive smirked, working steadily. Normally he’d have protested, but it really wasn’t worth it. At least they had a dishwasher here and it was more of a ‘do your part’ and less of a ‘learn some gratitude’ thing.
“I better be getting paid for this.” Clive grumbled as Chrissy came back with a few more dishes.
“You went to the movies earlier.” Chrissy told him smartly. “And I make desserts.”
“These are good points.” Clive decided after a moment, straightening a plate under Chrissy’s watchful glare.
“Yes, yes, hurry up, kitchen slave.” Chrissy chided jokingly, and Clive made a face, doing his best to not get his fingers wet as he rinsed. Chrissy rolled her eyes, but didn’t comment, snagging a sponge off the counter next to the sink and making her way back into the dining room as Clive started rinsing cups. Chrissy came back as he finished and was pushing the racks back into place.
“To the living room.” Chrissy ordered, tossing the sponge on the counter and wiping her hand on the front of her jeans. Clive rolled his eyes, but moved, kicking the dishwasher door shut. “And don’t ever let me see you do that again.”
“Only do it when I’m not in your presence, got it.” Clive replied flippantly, turning towards the hallway. Noe and Eric had disappeared into the study, and Clive made a note to sneak down here later – only if Noe wasn’t in his room. Though he could say he was showering. No, better to wait until Noe worked late again, since Chrissy and Eric couldn’t seem to stay awake past eleven.
“So what’s this lesson?” Clive asked as soon as he was inside the living room. Chrissy sighed, shutting the door behind them.
“Patience, Clive, patience. Go sit down.” Chrissy smiled, and Clive rolled his eyes but did as she bid, taking up residence on one of the couches. He liked the couches, only half because of their squishiness.
“Sitting. Now what?” Clive smirked, sprawling across a cushion and a half. Chrissy shook her head, but took a seat on the adjoining couch.
“Now, I want you to use your power.” Chrissy smiled, a little viciously Clive thought. “If you can, on me, otherwise, just extend it.”
“I’m assuming this is not because you really desperately want a reason to sleep with me.” Clive drawled, sitting up. It didn’t really work on girls, not that he’d honestly felt a consuming need to test it on any female he met. Just on those occasions when it’d gotten away from him, the girls in the vicinity seemed to be content with following him around babbling incessantly at him.
“Nope. I’m going to show you what your power feels like.” Chrissy replied, looking distant for a moment.
“And how’re you going to do that?” Clive asked, curious. “And more importantly, what good will that do?”
“It’s my power.” Chrissy shrugged. “And it will show you what you do to other people, which could give you an insight on how to control it better, or simply give you a taste of your own medicine.”
“Nice.” Clive muttered, making a face. “But how does it work?”
Chrissy laughed, settling in more comfortably. “All talents take energy of a sort. I can see those energy waves, and manipulate them as I see fit. I can’t generate, but I can manipulate them. So I’m going to manipulate your energy so that you feel the effects of it.”
“Fun. Okay.” Clive accepted, and focused on letting go of the rigid control he kept on his power. Chrissy frowned thoughtfully at him, but Clive ignored it. “Now what?”
“Hold on.” Chrissy murmured. Clive raised an eyebrow, then flushed as his skin tingled all over.
“Oh, that’s –” Clive let out a little strangled noise because his skin felt far too sensitive and he wanted nothing more than to run his hands down his chest and – Chrissy was sitting on the next couch, looking far too amused, and Clive flushed. “Shut up, you.” Clive grumbled, crossing his arms and ignoring the sensation that shot down to his groin.
Chrissy laughed. “Had enough?”
“Hah.” Clive clenched his teeth, because he half wanted to run off and lock himself in the bathroom and half wanted to not even wait that long to – and the feeling disappeared abruptly and Clive shivered at the abrupt lack of sensitivity.
Chrissy was still laughing, and Clive stuck out his tongue, fighting a blush – he didn’t blush, he’d done worse things in public places and hadn’t blushed.
“It’s not funny.” Clive told her primly, and Chrissy stifled her laughter after another few seconds.
“You should’ve seen your face.” Chrissy informed him. “That was most of today’s lesson – getting you familiar with what your power actually feels like. Though, do you always let it go like that?”
“Like what?” Clive asked, confused. There wasn’t any other way.
“All at once, overwhelmingly.” Chrissy clarified, and Clive frowned at her because that still didn’t make sense. “To the degree that I think most people would be throwing themselves at your feet if they were hit with that much of your power at once.”
“Um, yes?” Clive offered. “I can’t do it any other way.”
“Oh.” Chrissy frowned thoughtfully. “Alright, that’s another thing we’ll be working on. With a bit of teaching we should be able to get you to the point where you can extend just a little bit of it at a time, so that it’s more subtle.”
“What’s the point?” Clive asked, scowling. “I’m not supposed to use it anyway.”
“Clive.” Chrissy sighed. “There’s a lot of things you can do with your power, you know. You don’t have to just use it to get a quick lay.”
“But that’s what it’s for.” Clive snapped out, annoyed.
“Be creative, hon. Just because at full strength it induces a high level of sexual infatuation doesn’t mean that’s all you can use it for. Lower levels can just charm people into a better mood, or get you out of an annoying parking ticket.” Chrissy suggested, smiling a little. “Tomorrow we’ll be getting you a practice subject.”
“What?” Clive shook his head, sighing. “You know, you told me not to use it.”
“Did I?” Chrissy raised her eyebrows. “You shouldn’t use it on other powers. They’ll know what you’re doing, or at least that something’s off. And honestly, most powers have more training than you do, which is surprising considering your uncle’s level of expertise.”
“He’s lazy and I hate him.” Clive supplied with a smirk. “I didn’t listen to him. Who are you going to get for me to practice on?”
“Not who.” Chrissy smiled, standing up and dusting off her jeans. “What.”
“What?” Clive stared skeptically. “What are you getting me to practice on?”
“Probably a cat.” Chrissy laughed outright as Clive stared at her in shock.
“A cat?” Clive clambered to his feet. “Why a cat?”
“Because cats are more susceptible to mind based powers than dogs.” Chrissy supplied, then paused thoughtfully. “Oh, right. Sit back down.”
“Why?” Clive asked suspiciously, sitting down slowly. “And I don’t like cats.”
“Too bad.” Chrissy told him cheerfully. “Now do I need to have a talk with you about the virtues of safe sex?”
“What?” Clive scowled, wondering how they’d managed to get from cats to sex in two seconds flat. “I’m not sleeping with this cat, no matter how charmed it gets.”
Chrissy snickered. “Noe.”
“What, you want the cat to sleep with Noe?” Clive tried, because this was embarrassing.
“Clive.” Chrissy raised her eyebrows. “Just so you know, if you do anything to hurt him and I’ll have your ass.”
“Ew.” Clive muttered, making a face. Chrissy sighed, looking annoyed.
“Clive.”
“Right, yes, I know.” Clive scowled. “No sex talks.”
“Be careful.” Chrissy warned, crossing her arms. “I think you’re good for Noe, but the minute my mind changes on that account is when things will get really difficult for you around here.”
“Right.” Clive muttered sullenly, picking at the couch cushion.
“Clive.” Chrissy sighed, crossing the rug to where he was sitting. “Look, Noe needs something to kick him out of his shell, and you’re managing it. He’s been here for a year, and so far nothing has really helped. He’s a lot better than he was, but just these past few days with you have helped tremendously. I just don’t want to see him hurt.”
“And of course, you automatically assume that I’m going to hurt him.” Clive glared, snapping out the words venomously. Maybe Chrissy wasn’t that much better than Eric, easygoing though she seemed.
“No, I don’t. I just think Noe’s easy to hurt.” Chrissy corrected, kneeling down in front of the couch. “And I don’t exactly think you’re made of concrete. Don’t get yourself in over your head. Noe’s a good boy but he might not be able to help hurting you.”
“Whatever.” Clive muttered, because Noe wasn’t capable of hurting a fly, let alone Clive. Though he had thrown Clive into a wall, and telekinesis probably was rather effective at getting bothersome insects.
“Clive.” Chrissy sighed, and Clive rolled his eyes, taking in her distressed expression.
“It’s fine, whatever.” Clive waved her off. “It’s not like we’re not being careful or anything.”
“Good.” Chrissy smiled, patting his leg gently. “Now get on with you. Noe’s probably already out from Eric’s lecture.”
“Right.” Clive agreed awkwardly, standing up quickly and making his way from the room. He really hated talking to adults sometimes.
Noe stared at the ceiling, humming softly under his breath. It was a good distraction, and he did need to learn the notes of this particular song a little better before he went to work tomorrow night. Hitting a low note sour, he winced and tried again. At least he had the order right, even if it was particularly tricky to go from higher to lower in the span of two quarter-notes.
And singing kept his mind from wandering too far, which was all for the better. The ceiling was a pale beige color, and his comforter was soft underneath him, and he wasn’t thinking about how tonight was going to work and whether or not Clive would ask him to sleep with him again, and what it would mean – if it would mean anything different this time.
Noe hit another note wrong as someone knocked on his door – and kept knocking, so it was Clive because Chrissy and Eric were polite enough to knock once and then wait. Clicking the lock open without getting up, Noe opened the door a bit and waited for Clive to come in.
“That’s so not fair.” Clive sulked, shutting and locking the door behind him. Noe ignored it – he could have the door open and unlocked faster than it took to blink, after all. “I want to open doors from across the room.”
Noe offered a smile, not really bothering to move. He was comfortable, after all, even if Clive being in his room was making his stomach flip nervously.
“So, how was training?” Clive asked, padding across the room. Noe shrugged wordlessly, watching as Clive sat down on the bed next to him and feeling the dip of the mattress under Clive’s slight weight.
“Enlightening.” Clive drawled, looking thoughtful. “Did Eric bug you?”
“A little.” Noe shrugged again, hesitating for a long moment. Would it do any good to bring up the few days ago?
“What?” Clive eyed him suspiciously. “You’re giving me some sort of look.”
Noe bit his lip to keep from smiling, but gave in because it didn’t hurt anything to smile at Clive. “I’m always giving you looks.” Noe murmured, and Clive snickered, bouncing up and down a few times where he was sitting. The bed mattress rocked and the bed let out a little squeak, prompting Noe’s cheeks to flush.
“Yes, but it wasn’t a good look.” Clive leered a little, shifting around so that he was sitting on the mattress cross-legged, facing Noe. “So what’s up? Having doubts?”
“Um.” Noe shook his head slowly. “Not… as such.”
“Then?” Clive prompted, and Noe shrugged, pushing himself into a sitting position carefully.
“What’s the difference between me and Eric?” Noe asked quietly, tangling his fingers in the blanket he was sitting on. He didn’t quite meet Clive’s eyes, staring at Clive’s knee (and the tattered hole that was sliced into the denim there because for some reason Clive was wearing the jeans he’d borrowed from Noe and modified).
“Eric’s a bastard? He’s older? You’re cuter?” Clive tried, and Noe jerked back, startled when Clive’s fingers reached towards him.
“Sorry.” Noe mumbled, straightening himself quickly. Clive raised an eyebrow, but retracted his hand.
“What did Eric say?” Clive asked, scowling, and Noe shook his head rapidly.
“He didn’t say anything.” Noe refuted immediately. “I – you and Eric were… that first night, in the living room, and why did you want to be called Cien?”
“Oh.” Clive grinned sheepishly, leaning back but at least he didn’t seem offended by the question. “That. Well, my middle name is Lucien. Clive Lucien Markowitz. I don’t like giving out my real name when I’m picking up, so I give the name Cien.”
“Oh.” Noe blinked, peering at Clive curiously. “And the… lap bit?”
“Was me trying to be an ass to Eric.” Clive shrugged. “He seemed rather uptight, so I figured a lap dance would put him in a better mood? Anyway, you’re a lot different from Eric. I like more than your pretty face, for one.”
Noe flushed, staying still as Clive reached out towards him again. Clive ran his fingers along the side of Noe’s jaw lightly, and Noe sagged a little, surprised all over again at how much Clive could make him relax simply by touching him.
“Sorry.” Noe murmured, clenching his hands in the comforter again. Clive rolled his eyes, wiggling closer and rucking up the comforter as he moved. “I shouldn’t –”
“It’s okay, Noe.” Clive grinned, resting a hand on his knee. “You’re allowed to ask me anything you want.”
“Okay.” Noe accepted, watching Clive’s hand for a long moment before meeting his eyes. “What did you do with Chrissy?”
“Training?” Clive asked and Noe nodded, curious at how close Clive’s training would be to his. Clive made a face, letting his hand slide off Noe’s knee slowly. Noe blinked, ignoring it and waited for Clive to answer. “I have to get a cat.”
“A cat?” Noe repeated, mystified and slightly amused as Clive fell into sulking.
“Yes. To practice.” Clive clarified, shrugging a little. “Apparently I am allowed to use my power, just not on other powers, though how I’m supposed to tell the difference –”
“It’s not hard.” Noe interrupted without thinking. Clive shrugged a little, not seeming to mind.
“Well, no one’s ever showed me, so I don’t know how.” Clive didn’t sound too upset, just a little bored as he fiddled with a few of the white, fraying threads coming from one of the holes in his jeans.
“I could show you.” Noe offered tentatively, carefully folding his hands together in his lap so that he didn’t do anything embarrassing like try to touch Clive. “I mean, if you want.”
“Sure.” Clive grinned, shrugging casually. “You can tutor me privately and I can astound Chrissy and Eric with my progress.”
“They’re not stupid.” Noe murmured, fighting a smile. Clive’s grin didn’t slip, and he reached out and tugged at one of the stray locks of hair that had fallen against Noe’s forehead. Noe flushed a little, but didn’t pull away from Clive’s hand.
“So what do we do?” Clive asked, cheerful and enthusiastic. Noe blinked, letting a small smile slip free as Clive grinned brightly at him.
“Um.” Noe paused, closing his eyes for a moment as he thought. “Well, in the mall, remember the second store we went into?”
“The sex shop?” Clive asked thoughtfully, and Noe paused, thrown for a moment until Clive smirked.
“We didn’t go into a sex shop.” Noe informed Clive solemnly, and Clive snickered. “The store with the corsets.”
“They were pretty.” Clive remembered fondly, and Noe squashed the image of Clive in a corset because it was strange and Clive was skinny enough already. “But yeah, so?”
“Did anyone seem strange to you there?” Noe asked, wondering if he could explain this properly.
“Define strange.” Clive drawled, and he could’ve been being unhelpful on purpose, but Noe couldn’t tell.
“Different.” Noe tried, trying to find the words. “Um, not… I don’t know. The associate? He was doing something with the t-shirts?”
“Short kid? Blue hair?” Clive scrunched up his face comically as he tried to look thoughtful, and Noe nodded.
“Yes.”
Clive grinned, letting the squinty look smooth away from his face. “Okay, and?” Clive asked casually, snaking a completely indiscrete hand across the blankets towards Noe. Noe snagged it before it could reach him, flushing a little when Clive just grinned wider and twined their fingers together.
“Did he seem odd to you?” Noe asked quietly trying to not focus on Clive’s fingers tucked between his (or that his hands were a little moist and too warm from being clasped together, or that the way Clive was rubbing his thumb against the back of his hand made Noe want to kiss him again).
Clive actually looked thoughtful (and not the stupid-thoughtful from a minute ago), probably doing his best to remember the blue-haired clerk. Noe waited patiently, and Clive finally nodded a little.
“I think so. I mean, he was cute enough but something about him was a little off. Like if I met him somewhere else, I’d probably avoid him.” Clive decided and Noe smiled, because that was what he’d been looking for.
“He had a power.” Noe told Clive quietly. “Probably something that didn’t mesh well with yours.”
“Is that why I wouldn’t avoid you? Don’t avoid you.” Clive grinned. Noe shrugged, smiling shyly. “Cause I don’t. But I didn’t – I mean, I had no problem with Eric until he brought me here.”
“Eric and Chrissy are different.” Noe murmured. “Eric doesn’t have an … aura. And Chrissy can keep hers toned down.”
“Oh.” Clive grinned, letting go of Noe’s hand to move abruptly. He shifted around, squirming back until he was leaning against the headboard instead of sitting in front of Noe. “Interesting. I’ll have to, I don’t know, pay more attention to people.”
“It’s how you notice.” Noe twisted his hand into the blanket, running a thumb over the patterns carefully. Clive lapsed into silence and Noe followed his example, not really knowing what to say now. He’d asked about the training, and Clive had told him… a lot about himself so what else was there to talk about? Noe wondered for a moment if Clive had forgotten about his promise to reciprocate on the ‘life story’ bit.
“Clive?” Noe asked, glancing up to meet Clive’s eyes. Clive gave him a questioning look, then made a face.
“Why are you still sitting over there? Come here.” Clive patted the spot next to him, and Noe flushed, moving slowly to obey. He didn’t mind sitting next to Clive. Settling in next to Clive, he didn’t protest as Clive settled an arm around his shoulders, tugging gently on a bit of his hair.
“What happens now?” Noe asked quietly, wondering if it would be too forward to set his head against Clive’s shoulder. He’d wait a bit, and see what Clive did first.
“We have sex.” Clive replied, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Noe flushed, crossing his arms and hugging them close as he shifted a little closer to Clive.
“Tonight?”
“If you want.” Clive drawled, grinning, and Noe rolled his eyes a little, hoping that Clive wasn’t serious. “I’m ready any time you are.”
“Not while you’re asleep.” Noe mumbled without thinking and Clive snickered, squeezing his shoulders briefly.
“Yeah, then it takes me a few seconds.” Clive agreed, and Noe stifled a smile because Clive slept like a rock so it would probably take more than a few seconds.
“Are you going to tell me your life story?” Noe asked curiously, risking it and resting his head against Clive’s shoulder carefully. When Clive didn’t pull away, he relaxed a little as Clive hummed thoughtfully.
“I don’t know.” Clive sighed. “It’s not pretty, some of it.”
“I want to know.” Noe glanced up at Clive sadly. “Please?”
Clive spluttered, shaking him a little. “Dammit, stop looking so sad –” Clive ordered, wide-eyed. “Holy shit, that’s effective.”
“What?” Noe asked, confused and Clive grinned, stealing a quick kiss and maybe he should’ve stayed sitting across the bed because he got better answers there.
“You have the sad face of a cute kitten. Makes me want to… make it better.” Clive stumbled a little, and Noe flushed because it was Clive so it had probably been dirty.
“So you won’t tell me?” Noe asked, and he supposed it was alright if Clive didn’t. He was curious though, from the glimpses Clive had given.
“I can. Just some bits of it aren’t pretty, like I said.” Clive grinned, winking. “You can kiss it and make it all better, right?”
“Maybe.” Noe hedged, smiling hesitantly.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Clive decided easily. “Okay, where to start… well, I was born.”
“Shocking.” Noe muttered, and Clive snickered, his fingers teasing at the bare skin underneath Noe’s short sleeve.
“Well, my mom never told my dad she was pregnant, so it was shocking for him when she showed up and dumped me on him.” Clive replied cheerfully, and Noe smothered a smile because it really wasn’t that funny. “My dad was all flabbergasted. He’s a businessman and slept with dozens of women and apparently he didn’t remember my mother at all. Did a blood test on me, though, to make sure I was actually his.
“Then, let’s see… I grew up a bit, and then my dad got caught embezzling from my uncle. My uncle’s a huge businessman himself and the only reason my dad had a job there was because he was family. I think he might be out of jail now, but Nelson’s got custody and my dad doesn’t give a shit so… I haven’t seen him since I was young.”
“That sucks.” Noe muttered, and Clive shrugged. Noe jerked his arm away from Clive’s too-soft touch. “Sorry.”
“S’okay.” Clive let his fingers fall still. “Nelson kind of sucks. He threw me in boarding schools since I was about five because then he didn’t have to raise me. Put me in all-boys schools, and that might’ve shaped my power a bit since it doesn’t work on girls. Took him ages to figure out what it was, since I didn’t tell him and I was rarely at the skyscraper.”
“When did you figure it out?” Noe asked quietly, wondering if that was part of the not-so-pretty. Probably like Jakey and Carlos in the bathroom, because Clive wasn’t bulky and if he couldn’t run he probably got caught.
“Ah, well, it started when I was twelve, like I told you. I got real popular, real fast. Everyone liked me, even the teachers and I could do no wrong. It was awesome, even when I got propositioned the first time. I didn’t realize what I was doing until then, and even then I couldn’t shut it off. But I went with it, and it was awkward but then I decided I loved sex.”
Noe flushed, hoping that Clive didn’t notice. Clive would want sex, eventually, but what if Noe wasn’t ready to give it to him by the time that he wanted it?
“Stop thinking.” Clive sighed, jolting him a little. “I like sex but I can do without it.”
“Have you?” Noe asked, curious a little and hoping Clive could prove it.
“Yeah. My uncle tried to do this bonding thing with me for a month or so, so I can last that long.” Clive grinned teasingly. “Think you’ll be ready in a month?”
“I don’t know.” Noe shrugged, slightly miserable because if he wasn’t so… not right, then Clive wouldn’t have to wait.
“We’ll worry about it then. Though my goal is tomorrow night.” Clive teased, and Noe flushed but let Clive steal another quick kiss. Clive left a faintly salty taste and Noe licked his lips tentatively, blinking as Clive snickered softly.
“Anyway.” Clive drawled. “Where was I?”
“Sex.” Noe offered and Clive laughed delightedly, his arm warm and heavy where it rested on his shoulders. Noe decided to fret about it later – he’d have plenty of time to worry about sex and Clive, after all.
“How could I forget?” Clive snickered. “Okay, so the first time was in the janitor’s closet because the dorms had shared rooms and well, I didn’t like my roommate even if he was enthralled with me.
“It got worse after that, even though having sex everyday was fun for a while. Sometimes saying no wouldn’t work. Then I went home and managed to get cornered in the kitchen by the elderly cook.” Clive shuddered, making a face. “Of course, Nelson walked in and disrupted the proceedings and then he got the great idea of training me. I hate the bastard, so I didn’t listen much. Could shut it off a bit better, and eventually he sent me to the local public school.
“Um… he kept trying to train me. I’ve been to far too many social events and worn far too many suits in my days – don’t laugh, it’s true.” Clive chided, and Noe did his best to smother his smile. “Anyway, things got a bit worse and I got tired of fending off teachers so I dropped out of school. Nelson got pissed at that, but I didn’t care and eventually he had Eric go pick me up and here I am.”
Noe nodded a bit, biting his lip nervously. He felt sorry for Clive, a little, but Clive didn’t seem too stressed out by all the unwanted attention he must’ve gotten. Shifting a bit closer, he let one of his hands curl itself in Clive’s shirt.
“Do you regret not finishing high school?” Noe asked quietly, because he could help with that, at least.
“Sort of?” Clive offered. “Not too much, since I hated being there and most of the people, but at the rate I’m going I’m going to end up a fry cook, or need a rich boyfriend. You don’t seem loaded, so I think I may end up a fry cook.”
Noe stifled a laugh, wriggling away from Clive to sit up properly. “I could teach you?”
“Teach me?” Clive asked, looking baffled as his arm fell away from Noe.
“I’m certified to teach. It’s one of the things I had to study with my tutor for.” Noe shrugged, fidgeting a little with the hem of his shirt. “I mean, I can help you study for the GED test, if you’d like.”
“Really.” Clive looked rather amused, leaning forward. “You’d be willing?”
“Yeah.” Noe agreed, flushing a little. “I mean, you’re helping me. I want to help you somehow too.”
“Cute.” Clive grinned, ruffling Noe’s hair. Noe made a face, his cheeks still a little too warm as he settled his hair out. “Okay, so what do we do for that?”
“I… I’m not sure.” Noe shrugged. “I’ll go look it up tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Clive agreed, shifting closer and Noe’s bed was quite the wreck with the amount of moving they’d done on top of the covers and that thought made Noe’s blush come back full force. “Wanna make out?”
“Clive.” Noe murmured disapprovingly, and Clive snickered and lunged, tackling him to the bed. Noe froze for a moment before relaxing, squirming as Clive ran his fingers along his ribs, tickling lightly. “Ah – Clive –”
“Ticklish?” Clive asked, grinning with his face far too close to Noe’s. Noe flushed, and shook his head wordlessly. He fought a smile valiantly as Clive tried again, tickling mercilessly until Noe let out a little laugh, squirming away.
“Stop, please.” Noe protested, and Clive obliged, pressing a soft kiss to the end of Noe’s nose.
“Know that this knowledge will be used to your detriment at a later point.” Clive threatened solemnly, and Noe stifled a laugh, leaning forward and kissing Clive softly, hesitantly on the lips. Clive grinned, and kissed him back hard, managing to knock him flat on the bed. “You’re adorable.”
“I am not.” Noe protested, flushing as he blinked at Clive’s pretty brown eyes. Clive rolled his eyes and kissed him again, slowly, his lips lingering for a long moment before he pulled back a bit to stare at Noe from two or three inches away.
“How about, you’re ravishable?” Clive winked, and Noe stuck out his tongue, amused even if he was blushing hard enough that his face was probably a bright, bright red.
“You’re pretty?” Noe offered, and Clive beamed, kissing him again. Noe let his eyes slip shut and ignored that he didn’t know what, if anything, would annoy Clive and wrapped his arms around Clive’s neck slowly, keeping him close. He wasn’t surprised this time when Clive slipped his tongue into his mouth, or when Clive settled himself comfortably, draped over Noe like a warm, heavy blanket that moved in ways that felt far too good.
Noe ignored it though, focusing on kissing and occasionally on breathing, and mostly on the way Clive smelled and the comfortable way he kissed. Noe smiled a little, short of breath as Clive pulled away a little to kiss the corner of his mouth softly, lingering with his lips pressed against Noe’s skin for a moment too long. Noe’s breath hitched a little as Clive shifted down, pressing lips to Noe’s jaw and then nipping slightly at the skin.
“Mmm, raw Noe.” Clive mumbled, his breath hot and fast against Noe’s skin. Noe’s chest quaked a bit with a smothered laugh he didn’t have the air to voice, and Clive grinned against his jaw, licking teasingly at his throat. Noe shuddered, his fingers sinking into Clive’s curly blonde hair.
“Clive –” Noe started, gasping when Clive’s hands slid under the hem of his shirt.
“Too much?” Clive asked, pressing another of those soft, lingering kisses to Noe’s throat.
“I –” Noe tried, wondering where his thoughts had gone as Clive’s fingers smoothed along the skin of his stomach. Clive laughed a little, and Noe shivered, earning a yelp as his fingers tightened in Clive’s hair.
“Stop me.” Clive murmured, and Noe’s shirt slid up another inch. Noe’s eyes slipped shut and he couldn’t catch his breath as Clive shifted away suddenly, his warm lips finding the bared skin and kissing it softly. He trailed the soft kisses up, and Noe’s hands fell away and he wondered if he could stop Clive (if he would stop Clive).
Clive’s breath was warm and tantalizing against Noe’s skin as he moved, and Noe sat up slowly, half-dazedly as Clive pushed his shirt up to his arms. Clive tugged it off him and tossed it off to the side (and Noe might’ve twitched it further, into the laundry hamper, but he didn’t think Clive noticed).
“Okay?” Clive asked, and Noe’s face was flushed but he nodded wordlessly, unable to speak past the nervous lump in his throat. Clive kissed him again though, slow and sweet and Noe made a soft little noise without thinking (making the blood rush to his face all over again).
Clive pulled away smiling widely and Noe smiled back hesitantly because he seemed to be doing okay with this. Clive’s smile turned mischievous, and Noe let out a surprised squeak, managing at the last second to keep from throwing a blast of power at Clive. Clive snickered, pressing a soft kiss to his lips as Noe tried to calm down.
“Don’t surprise me.” Noe murmured, touching a hand to Clive’s cheek carefully. “I almost threw you.”
“No surprises.” Clive agreed easily, smoothing his hands slowly over Noe’s stomach. Noe sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t protest as Clive’s hands and lips continued their horribly pleasant exploration of his skin. Noe breathed, wondering what to do with his own hands even as Clive drew his tongue across Noe’s left nipple.
“Ah-” Noe jerked away, startled. He didn’t get far, and Clive smiled with amusement as Noe flushed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t do that.”
“Why not?” Clive asked curiously. “Didn’t it feel good?”
“I –” Noe stared back helplessly. “I don’t know.”
Clive tugged Noe’s hands away, bending his head to repeat the action. Pleasant shivers snaked down Noe’s spine, and he caught his breath, blinking rapidly at Clive.
“Feel good?” Clive asked patiently, and Noe managed a tight nod, shaking a little. “Have you ever masturbated?”
“Clive!” Noe protested, blushing furiously and wishing he could sink into the mattress. Clive grinned, stealing a quick kiss and that just made it worse.
“I want to know the level of naivety I’m dealing with.” Clive grinned. “Do you know what a cock is?”
“I have one.” Noe pointed out, and Clive snickered, kissing him again, one of the long, slow ones that left them breathless and with Noe trying to recover his wits.
“Have you ever pleasured yourself?” Clive asked, and Noe yelped a little as Clive’s fingers teased at his chest again.
“Clive –” Noe protested, squirming away from Clive’s hands. “Stop –”
Clive’s hands slipped away, and he smiled easily at Noe, not actually touching him anywhere. “Well?”
“Not – not much.” Noe offered, refusing to meet Clive’s eyes.
“Okay. And have you ever done anything with anyone besides me?” Clive asked curiously, kissing the corner of Noe’s lips.
“No.” Noe murmured, and Clive nodded, brushing the hair away from Noe’s forehead soothingly.
“I wanted to know, just so I would be more aware of your comfort levels.” Clive told him and Noe nodded, relaxing a little. “Stop for the night?”
“I –” Noe started, pausing because he didn’t really know. “Maybe.”
“How about kissing again?” Clive suggested, kissing Noe softly. “And if I get too fresh for you, you can throw me off the bed.”
“Okay.” Noe agreed and Clive stole a quick kiss before stripping off his own shirt and tossing it off the bed (and Noe let it hit the floor and stay there, this time). Clive was lightly muscled, with a bit of a tan giving him color and Noe wondered for a moment whether it was fake or a tanning booth or natural.
“You can touch back.” Clive snagged one of Noe’s hands and pressed it to his chest, and Noe flushed, wondering if his skin was ever going to cool. “Do whatever. I promise I’ll like it.” Clive winked, and Noe laughed a little, shifting his hand down an inch or so. Clive let out a little contented noise, and Noe flushed, nearly pulling his hand away. Clive’s hands ran the lengths of his sides, and Noe did his best to ignore it, focusing on Clive’s skin under his hand – hands, and he curved his free hand around the bottom of Clive’s ribs.
Clive snickered softly, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Good, good.”
“Shh.” Noe chided, blinking up at Clive. Clive smiled cheerfully and started the slow torture of running his hands along Noe’s stomach and chest, teasing a nipple occasionally and trying to kiss every bit of skin he could reach. Noe’s hands gripped a bit tightly, but Clive didn’t seem to notice, making encouraging noises every time Noe got the courage (or accidentally) slid his hands along Clive’s skin.
Then Clive shifted in just the wrong way and his thigh rubbed against Noe’s groin. Noe didn’t think, and he flinched, suddenly cold and Clive – well, at least he hadn’t hit the wall and was levitating somewhere near the ceiling. Clive looked rather perplexed, his arms still extended towards Noe, and Noe flushed and let him down, sitting up and crossing his arms over his bare chest.
“Sorry.” Noe murmured, scrambling off the bed. Throwing Clive’s shirt towards the bed, he moved to retrieve his own from the laundry basket. No doubt Chrissy and Eric had both felt that and would feel the need to investigate, especially since Eric had felt the need to talk to him about it earlier.
“It’s okay.” Clive grinned, pulling on his shirt. “So no more for the evening?”
“Eric or Chrissy will come see.” Noe replied, trying to straighten his hair. Hoping he didn’t look too much a mess, he straightened the blankets beneath Clive with a thought and wondered if he should just go out and meet them.
“Oh, yeah. That would put a damper on things.” Clive settled into a cross-legged position, and Noe turned back, trying to make the embarrassed flush die from his cheeks.
“Sorry.” Noe repeated, tugging on his hair to try and flatten it some more. Clive looked rather nicely rumpled, and that wouldn’t do – Noe straightened his hair without approaching the bed. Clive laughed, his hands going up to his neat and proper hairstyle.
“Don’t apologize.” Clive told him, playing with his hair. Noe made to protest – he’d thrown Clive into the air, even if he hadn’t bounced him off anything.
“I –” Noe started, but a knock on the door cut him off, and he flushed again but clicked the door open for Chrissy. She peered in suspiciously, raising an eyebrow at Noe.
“All good?”
“Sorry.” Noe murmured, and Clive sighed loudly behind him, flopping back on the bed.
“My fault.” Clive called, and Noe frowned because it hadn’t been. Flushing, Noe stared at the carpet for a moment as Chrissy stepped inside.
“Noe?” Chrissy prompted.
“It – I got startled.” Noe admitted, crossing his arms. “It’s okay.”
“No one’s hurt?” Chrissy asked, glancing past Noe to Clive, probably because Clive was more likely to be hurt from Noe’s power than Noe would be from Clive’s.
“I’m good.” Clive confirmed, grinning, and Noe’s stomach flipped as Clive scrambled off the bed, probably upsetting the recently straightened bedclothes.
“Noe?” Chrissy prompted.
“I’m fine.” Noe murmured, wondering when Eric would show up. Clive stopped next to him, a gentle hand pressing into his back, and Noe barely kept from jumping. Clive’s hand smoothed up and down a little, and Noe relaxed a little. Maybe he hadn’t ruined things completely.
“Good.” Chrissy smiled widely, tucking a frizzy bit of hair behind her ear. “No more hanky-panky tonight boys. Go to bed.”
“Yes ma’am.” Clive saluted sharply, and Noe flushed because Chrissy shouldn’t know that they’d been… doing things. “I need a shower, anyway.”
Noe blinked as Clive’s hand slid away and he padded across the room towards the door. Chrissy laughed, but obligingly moved out of the way, letting Clive out into the hallway and Noe shouldn’t be thinking that Clive was running away because he probably wasn’t. It was getting late, right?
Chrissy stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. “What happened, Noe?”
“Nothing.” Noe denied immediately, flushing again. Chrissy laughed, leaning against the door casually.
“Noe, don’t lie to me.” Chrissy chided. “What were you two doing?”
“Nothing?” Noe tried again, but it was weak and he knew it. Chrissy waited patiently, and Noe sagged a little, rubbing at his burning hot cheek with the palm of his hand. How did he answer that truthfully? “He was… we were touching.”
“Nothing too risqué, I hope.” Chrissy pushed away from the door, crossing the room slowly as Noe flushed again. What was too risqué? He didn’t answer though, blinking up at Chrissy curiously.
“Clive hasn’t graduated from high school.” Noe murmured, hoping that Clive wouldn’t get mad at him for sharing that. Chrissy paused, looking thoughtful.
“Really. I wonder if we should enroll him –”
“He dropped out of school.” Noe interrupted, shaking his head. “He would – he wants to do the GED.”
“Alright.” Chrissy smiled encouragingly. “Anything else?”
“I can – I know how to teach. I said I’d help.” Noe shrugged, his fingers digging into his arms.
“Do you know what you’ll need for that?” Chrissy asked, curious. “I suppose we can make some other stops tomorrow when we go out to get Clive’s cat.”
“Okay.” Noe agreed quietly, and Chrissy stepped close, giving him a hug. Noe didn’t tense, just waited because Chrissy was prone to giving him hugs for some reason. Letting go, she backed off a bit and favored him with another soft smile.
“Get some rest, Noe. And if you need to talk about anything, you know where I am.” Chrissy told him, and Noe nodded – he knew that. Eric and Chrissy both told him that dozens of times a day.
“Goodnight.” Noe murmured as Chrissy left, earning a half a wave before the door shut. Noe hesitated, clicking the lock shut after a second and wondering what now. Clive would be in the shower, but Noe wasn’t anywhere near brave enough to venture in there, with all that it could mean. Should he wait in Clive’s bedroom? Or wait for Clive to come back here? If Clive had slipped off because he didn’t want to be around Noe anymore, then waiting in his room would be a bad thing. But if Clive had gone just to… shower, or to give Noe a bit of time alone with Chrissy, then would he be upset to see that Noe wasn’t in his room?
Noe sighed, glancing at the bedside clock. It was only a little after nine, a few hours before he would go to bed anyway. Noe clicked open the lock and crossed the room to his bookcase. If Clive wanted to come see him, then he could, but Noe wasn’t going to make a mistake and crowd Clive or something by hanging out in his room. Picking a book at random, Noe returned to the bed, crawling under the covers and flipping the book open to the first page. He’d wait until Clive came back to decide what to do.
