kabeleced | (no subject)

(no subject)

[[OOC: Saturday night, after this.]]

It's nice to be home.

(And also it's nice not to have a tail any longer, but that's much less important.)

Still, there's one thing left before it's really home, and so Reg starts walking through the Threshold carefully, looking for someone with dark hair and golden eyes.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Which he finds, in the Threshold's heart: The bed has been put away for the moment in favor of a wall of TV screens, the Endless chain-smoking and brooding quietly, laid out in a lounge before the spectacle.

Desire appears not to have noticed him, although there is a screen second row in to the lower right that seems to be following Regulus.

For a minute or so he's entranced by the screens; he can't resist the urge to wave vaguely, and stares when the wall waves back.

Still, there are much more important things to do than stare at himself. Walking up behind the chaise, Regulus smiles faintly and wraps his arms around Desire's neck loosely.

"Hey."

Desire glances up, and the screens all shut off at once: The Endless offers him a smile, and runs a hand absently over his. (And if that hand passes over Regulus' left, looking for the ring -- well, that's just for comfort. Regulus couldn't have come here otherwise, right?)

"Hey," he echoes -- and a moment later, Regulus finds himself dragged bodily onto the chaise and into Desire's lap, caught up in a fierce hug.

Reg hugs just as tightly as he's being hugged, burying his face in Desire's shoulder, and takes a careful if shaky breath, sighing softly.

"Missed you."

Desire doesn't answer, instead planting kisses in the hollow of Regulus' throat and up. There is a long moment of clinging and face buried in the young wizard's neck before he's allowed to see those golden eyes again.

"Do you remember anything?"

In answer, Reg scowls faintly.

"I may never eat another nut as long as I'm around."

Desire resolves to get Regulus a Nutty Irishman the next time they're in the bar together.

"I knew you were there -- you kept moving out of reach." Desire's complaint borders on petulant, but that's more frustration than anything directed at Regulus.

"'m sorry." Reg sighs again, and snuggles closer to Desire. "You just ... didn't make any sense, is all. Nothing did."

"Have I ever?" Desire's tone is wry as he idly turns to petting Regulus' hair, much the same gesture he'd made when they last met.

"Oh, occasionally," Reg answers, smiling, and shrugs. "You never know, after all.

"... oh dear."

"Tch!" is Desire's only response, shifting to allow the both of them to stretch out on the chaise (which seems to be widening and lengthening into more familiar furnishings, the display of black screens fading away when out of notice).

"'Oh dear'?"

"Oh dear," he repeats, nodding slightly. "I, um. Introduced myself to someone as a squirrel. Probably ought to re-meet, when I can."

The fact that he's not facepalming shows admirable restraint.

Desire chuckles, taking the opportunity to cuddle further against Regulus. "I imagine so. Who was it?"

"Hmm." Reg considers, moving away from Desire just long enough to punch the pillow into shape while he does so. "Roy, I think. He's got aides. Which, the way he said it, sounded bad, but I wouldn't really mind having a bunch of people helping me out."

It takes the Endless a moment to register that Regulus isn't referring to Destruction.

Roy? Aides?
...Oh.

Before speaking, Desire thoughtfully worries his bottom lip in a borrowed gesture. "I don't think you would want his AIDS, Regulus."

"No?"

Regulus turns his head so he's watching Desire now, instead of the ceiling, a puzzled look on his face.

"You say it ... different. Same way he did. Why?"

Desire looks away, frowning at the ceiling. How to explain...

Best to be truthful. "It's a disease, Regulus, and one you never encountered. It was believed to be the 'gay plague' in the Muggle world, through about the time you died."

"But ..."

Regulus frowns, confused.

"It's contagious, right? It doesn't just spring into existence like diabetes, or something?"

Not that many wizards he knew had diabetes, but a few Muggleborns did.

"Very contaigious, under the right circumstances. You don't catch it the way you would a cold." Desire turns and slides his arms around Regulus, gold eyes meeting grey.

Reg eyebrows.

"... how else would you catch it, then?"

Desire's head meets pillow with an unsatisfyingly soft sound.

"It's related to blood or sex."

Reg double-eyebrows.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Either way, it's true. -- And why not?"

"Why does it make sense, then?"

Confused!Reg is stubborn and semantic.

And Desire has no idea how to explain so he understands: He takes to lightly stroking Regulus' arm instead, thoughtful and snuggling.

Well, he's hardly going to complain, especially after being apart for so long; instead, he cuddles closer to Desire and smiles in what's become gloom.

After a while: "-- hey."

Entirely too much gloom and doom, no question. Perhaps that's why Desire watches Regulus smile, blinking slowly, and kisses his nose.

"Hm?"

"How did it come about, then? I mean. Nonsensical way of transmitting aside, how come it was the gay plague? Straight people have sex too, you know, and if you get it by just doing that shouldn't everyone in the world ever have it?"

"It might come to that, if people aren't careful," Desire advises, drily. "It developed. And spread. It just started with the high risk people first, love -- Any sex is risky, but blood contact is the highest risk."

It occurs to Desire that Death ought to be giving Regulus the talk on this: Not like she hasn't done it before, for different people.

Reg scowls faintly.

"Didn't answer the question, you know."

Cheekily: "Perhaps I'd prefer to demonstrate."

It certainly is a stalling tactic, either way.

Blinkblink.

"Demonstrate not answering the question?"

"Exactly." ~~Even though that wasn't it at all.~~ Desire idly ruffles Regulus' hair. "You're awfully curious tonight..."

"You're not making any sense, is all."

Sage nod.

"Do I ever?"

Another kiss.

"Yes!"

Reg scowlyfaces.

"Tch." Desire nuzzles his way into Regulus' neck. "I missed you."

"Missed you too."

Silence, for a bit.

"You still haven't answered the question, you know."

"That's because I'd rather be distracting you." Desire sounds faintly cross. (Or perhaps that's just put out because the object of his affections keeps insisting there are More Important Things than what Desire is doing.)

"Let me show you how much I missed you, and I'll tell you later."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only