(no subject)

[playswithboys.livejournal.com]

Time: August 15th, 2000
Place: The bar
Status: Everyone except Adam
Summary: Pretty decorations...



Fuschia?

Well, that wasn't the primary color they had hoped for. Pepper sighed atop the ladder and fastened another corner with the staple gun. She was trying to go as fast as she could, but with how she had to keep moving the ladder every few staples, it was going slower than she'd hoped.

She'd seen what Wensley had prepared, though. It was gorgeous and likely delicious enough for everyone to end up wishing that he'd made another. He'd had to smack her hand away from it to keep her from trying any. Old habits died harder for Them.

She looked down at Wensley, grumbling, "Is this really all we could come up with? Looks like the decorations for that Princess Bash you had to babysit for at the Dawson's a few years back." Okay, it wasn't that bad. They'd managed a little blue and green in certain places. And it was decidedly lacking in screaming ten-year-olds in cheap lipstick and rouge. But, really.

She leaned back on the ladder, glancing out to where John and Azirphale (she was so proud of herself for finally figuring out how to pronounce his name right) stood. "How much time do you think we have out there?" she shout-whispered to them. "Roughly?"

Comments

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

Adam flushed. One hardly needed omnipotence to know that Beelzebub's thoughts were following his eyes, and the young man tugged down on the shorts again. But someone had to be the grown-up here, so he attempted to continue the conversation.

"I was out learnin' rugby from Brian. There's all kindsa tacklin' and runnin' and not throwin' the ball. I don't really understand, but it's still fun. I wasn't expectin' to come to a party..." He glanced around the room again and beamed, inadvertently sending out a low grade wave of happiness to flood the Manor.

"I know you don't normally like these sort of things. Still, I'm glad you came."

[apocryphalwords.livejournal.com]

A bit startled by Adam's sudden cheerfulness, Beelzebub flinched and folded his arms across his chest, smile vanishing. It was disorienting when beings more powerful than he--and there were so few that he was in contact with--projected emotion so blatantly and unexpectedly.

He hadn't braced himself for it, and Adam's happiness was like walking into a metal pole. He had always been particularly sensitive to that spectrum of emotion, so it was no surprise. The mortals in the room probably only felt a bit more chipper, and if anyone had a cold, they would have found that they didn't mind it quite so much.

"I only came because there were many people here. I was curious as to all the ruckus. Figures you would be involved," he said, eyes still steadily focused a bit lower than Adam's waist.

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

Fighting the urge to put his hands protectively in front of him and trying to block out mental images of stone floors, Adam objected.

"I wasn't involved. I had nothin' to do with it. My friends just put this party together for my birthday. It's not every day you turn twenty."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Say, Beelzebub... I don't suppose you know 'zactly what time I was born, do you? I remember it was nighttime when Crowley brought me here, but I'm not sure how long it was between being born and gettin' put in the Bentley."

[apocryphalwords.livejournal.com]

"Just because you didn't plan something, doesn't mean things aren't going to happen because of you, for the rest of your life," he replied loftily, brushing a hand across his mouth in an absent, habitual gesture.

"Time passes differently where you were born. At least, it isn't counted in days and nights. But, if you want a reasonable time frame as compared to the human counting of time... I would say that it was early morning at the hospital you were to be delivered at."

A sharp smile marked his words. "Things aren't always the most expeditious in nasty matters, like you were."

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

Adam shrugged and watched Beelzebub's knuckles trail across his lips, leaving a faint smear of gloss on the back of his hand. "I can't help that. Other people make their own decisions. I can only react."

He nodded. It was more information than he'd had before. "Early mornin', huh? Thanks. I was worried that today might not be my birthday at all."

Matching the demon's wicked grin, Adam said, "Yeah? Are you tryin' to say that I'm not expeditious or that I'm nasty?"

[apocryphalwords.livejournal.com]

Beelzebub noted the gestures that Adam's pretty blue eyes followed, and filed the reaction away for later perusal. The expression on the Antichrist's face made Beelzebub's insides flutter nervously, and a layer of heat flushed his pale skin at the sight of Adam's teeth, lips pulled back in something more animal than the brat realized.

He stroked his hand across his throat, self-conscious, leaving slick streaks of shimmery pink on his skin. His feet carried him a step closer--too close for his own comfort, but not close enough to feel the heat that was surely radiating from Adam's skin. "I'd hardly take you for one to rush at any task," Beelzebub said, with more air than sound. Desperately, he wanted to lift his hand and touch Adam's bare side, and desperately he feared to.

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

"Well, I can hurry if I need to, but you're mostly right. I like to take my time and enjoy things..."

Able to easily discern the faint marks on the thin, pale skin of Beelzebub's neck at this distance and not wanting to back down from the intrusion, for that would show weakness, Adam followed the demon's gaze to his exposed abdomen and again fought the urge to cover up. In an attempt to distract him, Adam added, "So, by inference, you're sayin' that I'm nasty. Is that right?"

[apocryphalwords.livejournal.com]

Beelzebub caught his lower lip between his teeth, briefly, and lifted his gaze back to Adam's mouth. Sudden urges being popular at the moment, he could think of places that he wanted that mouth to need to hurry. It startled him--millenia had passed since he had ever let himself feel the urge that was rising out of Adam's proximity.

"I'd like to find out," he said, and snapped his jaw shut on the tail of his words, enormously embarrassed by his absent slip and lack of self control. His footing didn't falter, however--nor did he wanted it to. If only Adam were closer; the thought was almost possessive.

Oh, what strange thoughts he was having.

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

Adam's eyebrows climbed into his hairline. He'd been able, so far, to attribute everything in their conversation to perfectly innocent meanings, but that was too blatant to ignore, and Beelzebub too frank in his thoughts, to remotely assign it to a benign intention.

So, once again, it came down to a choice. Adam could reject the demon outright, which would interfere with his greater plan for the Manor; accept his advances, the thought of which made him feel odd and squeamish; run away and look weak, which was unacceptable if we was to maintain any kind of order; or try to frighten Beelzebub off instead. The safest option at the moment seemed to be the latter, so with an internal sigh at the games he had to play, and feeling deeply awkward, Adam stepped in close enough for their clothing to brush and let his voice drop.

"Would you now? I remember you said once that boykissin' was nasty. Would it be nasty if I kissed you here and now in front of everybody, so that you could find out?"

[apocryphalwords.livejournal.com]

Beelzebub's throat constricted and his tongue curled back on itself, the first stabs of fear freezing his muscles.

"Yes," he said, unable to keep the answer from bubbling up from that shameful place deep inside. His lips parted, unbelieving, and he could think of little other than how close Adam was, and how none of this could be real. He had to be imagining it. This didn't happen to him. These things never happened to him.

And the thought that Adam could shove him up against the wall and kiss him, take him like a swooning maiden in some trashy romance novella, a dime store purchase, sent the blood rushing to the vicinity of his groin.

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

Adam moved even nearer, their lips a scant couple of inches apart, close enough to share breaths. He was trying to think how Belial would act in a situation like this. At least when they were this close, the demon couldn't see his shorts...

"Well, that's a shame. But I wouldn't like you to think I was nasty." And he began to slowly pull away.

[apocryphalwords.livejournal.com]

Beelzebub found his hand moving of it's own accord, slipping under Adam's arm and grasping him right below the ribcage. The feel of the brat child's soft skin under his own cool hands sent shudders down his spine. What was he doing?

It was this place. So crazy, the right side of things always down, and the left side the right, spinning like a mad impressionistic painting of reality. It made his throat hurt with fear.

He had spent so many years watching other people think and feel, sensitive to others' emotions because it was necessary to be to complete his assigned tasks, Adam's presence was jarring. An aura almost as overpowering as Lucifer's--but more engulfing because he cared. Beelzebub was numb to fury and madness, but that bright, shining hope in Adam kept him rocking on his heels if he didn't prepare himself. And he was hardly prepared for this sudden display of sensuality.

The words he wanted to say caught in his throat, but he couldn't look away and his eyes said all that anyone would need to say.

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

Adam's abdomen tensed where the demon touched it - touched his bare skin in a very different way than Brian and Shadow had earlier. Their hands had been clinical; his body had felt like just another piece of sports equipment. But now, every nerve was sparking, the icy fingers across his stomach combined with that look, prompted something much warmer inside. Like when Ellie had kissed him. This was dangerous. It needed to end and right away, but it couldn't end badly...

Trusting his instincts, Adam spun, shoving the Crown against a nearby wall, one hand on the demon's shoulder and another on his hip. Leaning over him, lips a hairsbreadth apart, he breathed, "Beelzebub... I hafta get back to my other guests now. Excuse me."

An instant later, he was gone, melding into the crowd and accepting their happy congratulations.