Field of Whimsy

[Taelian Edevane]

His secret. The picture became clearer and clearer with every word, and by the end of it all, Taelian understood. He and Oliver were... yes, each other's secrets: each other's vices, in an all-too prim and proper world. He felt foolish for not seeing that thread follow through earlier, but now that he did, it all sort of made sense. Ford and him were different in many ways, but also similar. Similar in that they'd never fully gotten the life they wanted, even as much as they'd wandered. Similar in their predilections, of course, and the way they had shunned the commitments of the past.

They were also similar in how they'd felt during that interview -- it was just that Taelian was a fair bit better at concealing it. He'd always been good at obscuring how he felt, really, but the longer he found himself in the presence of the other man, the more difficult it became to obscure... and now he couldn't anymore. Maybe it was the alcohol, but it was stewing even before that.

He eased into the other man's hand, relaxing, shutting his eyes for a while as the Griscian combed through his hair, speaking to him with his smooth, wonderful, handsome voice. Ford was handsome, and apparently, he was handsome to Ford. And it was more than that -- he liked him. He really, really liked him, in a way he hadn't anyone in a long time, at least not in the way he did.

Taelian lifted himself with the palms of his hands, and before long, he sat upright again . . . and he was close. Inches close. He leaned in, pressing his chest into the other man's, slowly smoothing his arms around his back until Ford was wrapped in his wide embrace. Taelian breathed him in, and then kissed his neck, and then he brought their faces together and pressed his own features into the bridge of the man's nose, breathing softly against his lips with the warm air from his flared nostrils.

Taelian pulled him in and left a chaste kiss on his lips, but it was only an introduction. "You're handsome too, Ford," he whispered, nuzzling their faces together. "And more than that -- I really like you, too. I... don't need that to be a secret. I don't want it to be."

He pulled the other man into him, weaving into the gaps between his legs so that he could settle him onto his lap. Taelian kissed him again, and then once more.

"Can I kiss you? I'm sorry, I... already did, but... more. A lot. I want to kiss you so much."

[Ford Edevane]

Secrets. They were prevalent everywhere. Ford hated them. He hated how they hid someone's true nature. He hated how something that felt right to someone could be trivialized into a secret because they were afraid. He hated how very much so, at that moment, he had chosen to remember pain rather than look to the present with the other who allowed him the space to speak his mind. It had become relaxing, perhaps too relaxed, as the other was resting there, enjoying the strokes of each digit through his hair, along his scalp, just to be repeated. When Taelian began to shift, Ford figured talking time was up, and it was time to go back. However, what came next was something that he had not intended, nor had he foreseen it. The other was mere inches from him, and his chest felt a weight against it. With the initial contact, his heart began to beat faster. What was happening? As his heartbeat quickened, he was embraced within those arms. What was happening? A flush was slowly running up his neck, especially after he felt lips against his skin. The hand holding the bottle abandoned it in what he had hoped was an upright position; if not, it was money wasted. Fingers gripped at the ground; he wanted to disappear; he wanted to run. His fingers curled into the grass and dirt at the base of that tree. Ford, what was happening? His heart skipped a beat when the other man's face was so close, the bridges of their noses had practically crossed, and there it was. The feeling of lips against his own. Ford, what have you done?

It was intoxicating, affection. Ford had received minimalist amounts of affection from his family, primarily from his mother, when he received good marks in school. Outside of many years ago, his affections were kept at a minimum, not because he hated them, but because of the opposite. Affection was akin to drugs for the Griscian male. The blonde's eyes grew half-lidded as their faces remained so close, and he nearly closed his eyes, eagerly nuzzling in return. Ford don't do it. Blue eyes looked into the others and lowered to what he could see of Taelian's lips. The idea someone found him handsome... Don't listen to him, Ford. You're not worth the trouble, remember? The mage was saying all of these words that Ford was not typically privy of hearing directed at himself. He didn't want a secret, and he didn't want any of that. Stop it, Ford. Get away. Suddenly, as Ford was still processing the words, he had been pulled into some pretzeled version of a lap-sit and he was kissed again. Can he kiss him? Ford, for the moment, was thinking if he had imagined the entire situation that had just unfolded, but luckily for his alcohol-soaking brain, Taelian had cleared that up.

With the movement, his hand had been forced to release its grip upon the earth, and he was left staring at the other. He could make a scene, throw his arms about and cause a raucous. Part of him wanted to do that, to get away. There was a slight movement from the blonde as he tried to gain some added comfort, but there was no further comfort to be had. It was probably a bit gross, but the same fingers that had been gripping at the earth had a quick wipe against his pantleg, and fingertips stroked against the mage's face, stroking along his upper cheekbone as blues studied everything it could, from the man's lips to his nose and those eyes. The same eyes stared almost right through him when they first met. Right, he had been asked a question... A question about permissions. Tilting his head, contemplating the question, his other hand had come to rest upon a shoulder. Taelian did have a handsome face. Ford was worried about giving a verbal response, that his mouth would say something, not in unity with the rest of his being. The tip of his nose stroked gently along the other's upper lip. Taelian smelt nice. As his nose lifted, there was the faintest of touches of his lips against Taelian's. Don't do it. He will use you and toss you aside like everyone else in your life. The answer to Taelian's question? The pursing his Ford's lips against the other's. The embrace of Taelian's lips against his own as he pressed into the other, that hand that had been tracing the mage's face slid to the back of his head to hold him there. This was intoxicating; Taelian was intoxicating. Fool, see how long it lasts before he hurts you.

Whatever niggling voice that had kept Ford from answering Taelian had been quelled for the time being. And at that moment, nothing else existed safe for that kiss, and the deep intake of breath Ford took when he answered the question with a kiss.

[Taelian Edevane]

Taelian stared into those bright, lovely blue eyes, becoming immersed in the gaze of the handsome soul before him. Ford wasn't just handsome, he was strikingly so: Taelian became lost in his features, lingering on every little detail. He didn't know the internal struggles faced by the other man, his woes and fears. He only knew that they were there together, face-to-face, appreciating each other's company, features, smell, warmth and even taste. He only knew that Ford answered him not with hesitation or refusal, but by kissing him back, in a way that spoke to the passion he knew of the man. Before Taelian knew it, they were kissing again and again, their tongues dancing along the curvatures of the other, their lips crushing together and meeting in an impassioned clash. He lost track of how long they made out for, but by the end of it, Taelian was left a tattered, joyful mess of ragged breathing and sloppy, wet lips.

"Ford..." he murmured, bringing their foreheads back together. Taelian's hands moved across the other man's back, gripping and squeezing at his firm, muscular contours. He met his eyes again -- amber on blue -- and he let loose a big, beaming smile, signifying the way the other man made him feel. Taelian didn't want to drink wine anymore; he wanted his faculties to be as sharp as they could be, given everything that was happening. He didn't want any part of himself, or the other man, to be able to say that any of this was a drunken fluke. This was real to him, and he didn't want to deny that.

The wind suddenly hit them with a long, cooling breeze, and he found himself relying on the other even more, clinging to him just a little closer.

And then, Taelian kissed him again, continuing the trend. He never quite got bored of it, so the tussle between their tongues continued, until he found himself hit by a pleasant wave of drowsiness.

"Do you want to lie in bed in the cabin...?" he asked, his eyelids slightly drooping. "I'd really like to hold you."

[Ford Edevane]

It was breathtaking, that is what that way. It was one thing to see a handsome man walking by; it was another to see an attractive man looking in your direction. It was an entirely different world when that attractive man kissed you and made you feel the kiss. That voice within him had been silent for the time behind as he could barely focus on the kissing. The new sensations of the other's lips against his own were committed to memory. It had been far too long since Ford's body had felt a sense of deprivation in terms of affection. The touches and feels of the other's body up to and including the sensation of the comingling of tongues was enough for the hairs on the back of Ford's neck to rise, not out of shock or fear, but out of sheer overload to his senses. Simple tidbits of affection as the kissing were enough to remove lingering doubts about Taelian, and by the time their lips had parted and his name had been mentioned, he had to force his eyes open. Having not wanted to open them initially, thinking it was a dream, he was happy to see it was not. The feel of Taelian's forehead against his own had a hand resting in the natural curve between the mage's neck and shoulder while the other had moved to cup his face during the kiss and now resting haphazardly on the male's chest. Half expecting Taelian to laugh at him or tell him it was a mistake, he was happy to be surprised with another kiss, another long moment the two merely existed in one another's presence, sharing an intimate affection. Perhaps kissing wasn't as intimate as Ford would think, but it ranked pretty high to him. He didn't just kiss anyone. And that lingering kiss had Ford's hand moving, stroking around the man's side to hold to his upper back and the hand at the neck moved to cradle against the back of the man's neck until finally, he was asked if he wanted to lie down.

Ford wanted to say something witty, he tried to say something cute or entertaining, but he couldn't find the desire in him to speak anything. So instead of replying, he once again remained silent. There were double meanings to lying in bed. Were they going to lie there and enjoy one another's company simply? Was Taelian's aim something else? It didn't matter. Slowly, he began to move. Ford was finished with the kissing, and the question had sobered the blonde enough for him to decide whether it was something that Taelian wanted or didn't see coming. Pulling himself gently free from the other, he didn't bother with the discarded wine bottles. Turning away from his mage counterpart, Ford took a step but found himself pausing and looking over his shoulder at Taelian. Although Ford wouldn't admit it, he didn't know exactly which direction they were going in, where the cabin was, or... Anything. His lips, freshly drying from the passionate kissing, pulled into a polite and welcoming grin, showing those pearly whites behind them, kindness in his features, and those bright blue eyes. Holding a hand out and back for Taelian to take, he nodded. "I feel we are both long overdue for a snuggle. Lead the way, handsome."

Was Ford stupid for trusting someone like that? He hoped not, but he also knew what his own life was like. Something was bound to derail it sooner or later, and he was trying not to think about that.

[Taelian Edevane]

It was hard to break away from what they had -- a warm embrace, intermingled breaths and interlaced bodies; Ford's hands on his chest, his sides, his back and eventually his neck, smoothing over all of him and making his muscles feel soothed and relaxed. Still, when Ford rose, Taelian rose with him, taking his hand and bringing him in for a strong, welcoming hug, his hands holding the sides of his waist as he buried his face along the side of Ford's, rubbing his nose gently against his blond hair and breathing him in. Whatever it was they had together, it was magnetic. He found it difficult to part from him, and so he was glad that he didn't have to. He didn't have doubts, anymore, or even secondary intentions -- he just wanted to do what felt right to do, and right now, it felt right to hold his hand and walk with him, and to bring him to their shared cabin for a snuggle, as Ford put it. That was what Taelian wanted: a snuggle. If it ended in anything more, he would feel no shame, but that wasn't his goal.

Taelian held his hand all the way to the lodge, laughing beneath his breath as he realized just how lost the other man was. Like a gentleman, though, he guided him... and when they got there, he pushed him gently against the wooden door and kissed him a while longer, before turning the knob. He didn't know where anything was inside of the cabin, but before long Taelian located the bed and guided them there, quickly pulling off his polo once they stood at the side of the bed. What he revealed was a tan, muscular expanse; he had powerful shoulders, a robust, broad chest a few bulky bricks along his abdominal wall. His obliques were well-crafted, and he had large arms and a strong, honed back. Taelian pulled off Ford's shirt, too, before pushing him onto the bed and crawling in beside him. He wrapped his arms around his frame, keeping him close, all while his eyes lingered still more on the Griscian's beautiful, sky-colored gaze.

"Let's be together," he said, their eyes still affixed. He didn't even notice the furniture of the room -- the old log-make, finely-crafted wood all around them; the empty bottles of wine along the walls as decoration, and of course the taxidermist's rendition of a bear, a deer. "You and me. Eloise won't mind; as long as we do our work, she won't mind. And we can do our work... and then visit each other in our rooms, and..." he breathed him in. "Everything. Anything. Ford -- what we have... this is something so powerful. This is chemistry, kineticism, this is... you and I just fit, and you know I'm not wrong. Something is just right between us. I don't know how to quantify it, but it is. Tell me I'm not mad."

[Ford Edevane]

Once more, Ford was intoxicated. The wine was soaking into his brain, but the affection was. The handholding, the guiding toward the cabin. The cherry on top was Taelian taking that moment to press poor Ford against the wooden door and kiss him. If Ford had any doubts about anything, they would have to take a rain check and come back another day. That kiss felt loaded, in a good way. The meeting of their lips once more led the way before they had entered the cabin, and Taelian was on the prowl for the bed. The blonde had to hold to a nearby wall before he was tugged inside and met with one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. When Taelian's shirt was pulled off and tossed aside like a rag, Ford was allowed an unencumbered view of the man's physique. There was silence from Ford both internally and from without. Even that inner voice had nothing to say as they took in the perfection that was before them. His lips parted to say something, but they closed, and they watched how each muscle worked in tandem with another to contort and move, pushing and pulling against his skin, bulking here, relaxing there. And it was cut off from his view for a brief moment as his own shirt was lost somewhere in the cabin, and his entire view was askew as he was pushed onto the bed.

His own much lighter-tanned body was on display. Ford's muscle definition was discernible, and there were small ridges over each raise in his abdominal muscles that gave way to the v-line of his pelvis dipping down into those slacks he had chosen to wear. His pecs well defined tensed as the other came onto the bed and slid his arms about the other, and at that moment, the first flesh-to-flesh meeting had Ford shuddering. It was an uncontrollable reaction as every follicle from his head down reacted from the rhythmic shockwave that affected him. Warmth is what he felt in those arms. Not that ford was cold, but a warmth he had not felt in a very long time, if not ever. "Together?" Ford asked as he looked over at the handsome man's face. Ford had to do something to bring a laugh or a smile to someone's face, so as the question was posed, he chuckled, and Ford's fingers lifted to trace along one of those more enormous biceps. Cooler fingertips gently ran along the other's muscled contour lines, and he let a soft groan of approval as he reached the shoulder and began working his way back down again. "And what of all the other handsome men waiting for the brave Taelian von Klade?" And not that he would throw a wrench into anything. It wasn't his way. "...And will this affect your husband or anything good in your life?" Ford was more worried about his presence and closeness ruining things for Taelian than actually committing to anything with Taelian. Taelian had a whole life that was established. Ford... Many would probably see him as something the wind blew in. Turning slightly in the bed, his arm slid around the man's waist and flattened his hand at the waistline of the other's pants, just at the small of his back, and delicately stroked upwards, feeling the curves and rise and falls of the other's back. "I don't want to update anyone simply because I... Because I," His gaze had lowered on Taelian's once more. Whatever argument or point he was trying to make was lost. "Are you sure?" It wasn't that he was questioning Taelian's choices... "You know..." But something had never happened for Ford that was in the process of blossoming with him at that moment. "Nobody's ever wanted that with me." Convenience, that's what he was, or at least, what he had come to accept.

[Taelian Edevane]

He was just as blown away as the other man was, once Ford's shirt came off. He didn't have Taelian's sheer bulk or scale, but he had something the man liked much more: shape, and curvature, and nice skin that felt good on his chest, and on his palms, his fingertips. He was muscular, too, and Taelian loved that. He loved his handsome chest, his own strong arms and his shapely shoulders; he loved everything about what he was looking at, and feeling. The contact was just as nice -- Ford's body clung to his like it was meant to, like their shapes were designed to fit together. Taelian made rounds with his hands, running all over him and feeling every single muscle and contour. He squeezed his pectorals, massaging them, hoping to elicit soft moans from the man that he would quickly silence with kisses. Warmth was how Taelian would describe his own feeling, too -- not just in his body, but his throat, his heart. Everywhere.

"None of them are you, Ford," he answered, all while submerging his face into the other man's neck, kissing and teasing at his skin. He slid a leg in-between Ford's, threading them together as he settled against him, pelvis-to-pelvis, their feet and heels rubbing along one another's. "My husband will understand. This is how things are between us. Wendell and I, we, ah... we've always been the open sort. I know that's maybe not what you want, but we can figure it out. I won't leave you in the dust. You don't know me that well, but I'm a man of honor. I will fight to ensure your feelings are known, and respected, and tended to. I promise you that vow."

It became clear to him that Ford had been lacking the sort of passion Taelian was offering to him: not just for a long time, but for his entire life. He'd never really had anything like this, and that made it all the more difficult to expect. He was old enough that his fantasies had begun to run out, and it was difficult to imagine things getting better. The mage understood that, which was why it was imperative that he made his certainty clear. "I'm sure," he answered back. "I want it, Ford. The only way in which this will 'affect' the good in my life is that it will add more good things to my life. And... it seems to me like you don't disagree with anything I said. You want it too."

Taelian grinned, sprawling out into a long stretch before pulling the other man to lay on his chest, and lifting the covers to conceal whatever was below their back. He began to remove his trousers, kicking them off until he was in his undergarbs, his muscular thighs brushing against the other man.

"You're not just a handsome face to me," he reassured him, a long, relieved breath escaping his lips as he felt Ford's chest rub against his, every contact making him tingle with a lasting warmth. "If I have to prove to you how much I like you -- how much I respect you, and value you, I will. We can lay nude all week and I won't try to push further once. You want that, Ford?" Taelian laughed, his teeth showing in a wide grin.

[Ford Edevane]

It was becoming increasingly difficult to follow what the other was saying. The feel of the other's hands over his body, touching and pulling at him, while in other places, the fingers dug in, pressing against the musculature and pulling. Ford was confident he'd have gone cross-eyed if he didn't keep enough of his faculties about it. None of them were me. He repeated this in his mind as he listened to what Taelian had to say. The man's face moved down to his neck, kissing and teasing, the powerful leg slid between his, interlacing the legs with one another as soon they were entirely, body to body, and Ford's eyes showed the glazed-over appreciation of the situation. Was Ford ready for that type of situation? Meaning to speak, moans escaped the man as he was assaulted on multiple levels by the other. It all sounded amazingly romantic and... Good and something Ford had needed for some time. For a moment, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to immerse himself in the feelings that he was experiencing. Taelian wanted it. He was certain... He was sure...

Wait, what!? The other was pulling him onto his chest and removing his pants. Ford panicked for a moment, not knowing if he was ready for that plunge, but rather than feeling material ripped from his body, he chuckled as he rested atop the other man. "You're even willing to prove it, then?" The sentiment echoed as the stubble-lined cheek rested against Taelian's cheek. The soft scratching of their facial hair together was a musical ensemble that resonated with and relaxed Ford. Taking a deep breath, turning his nose into Taelian's hairline, he relaxed atop him, kissing his neck softly. Those blue eyes peeled open, and he seemed to stare at that hairline. "How many others are there?" Ford wasn't stupid, nor did he intend to fault the man for what came before his existence. But Ford, although an emotional being, had a sense of logic, part of his Griscian hardwiring. Lifting his arms, he hurried down just a bit, dragging his chest and abdomen along the more exposed body beneath him before he folded his arms onto the other's chest and stared at him. Ford was genuinely curious about that question. He understood the brief explanation of Taelian's situation, and it was less of an accusatory question and more of a need for information to process things in his head. Regardless of the question, Ford did bite his lower lip as he was finally making a decision. Those previously folded arms slid down and under the covers, as he looked to the mage, and Ford's knuckles would stroke down the midline of those meatier pectorals and down between those more built abdominal muscles until Ford's hands came dangerously close to the other's undergarments, It wasn't Taelian's clothing Ford was hunting for though. Slipping his fingers between them, his hips pressed one way, then the other, and his pants came unfastened. A big of wriggling, shimmying his hips this way and that, he looked to the other and dragged his pant-covered leg up along Taelian's bare one before his own bare legs stroked carefully down its length before the other leg was treated to the same. Those pants? Lost somewhere under the covers, Ford returned his attention to Taelian, his hands gripping each pectoral and giving them a squeeze as he rested his chin gently between them.

[Taelian Edevane]

Ford did not appear to be an incredibly experienced lover, but that was only based on what he had spoken. His actions depicted something that wasn't necessarily the opposite of that interpretation, but it was surprising in contrast: he was both a gentle lover, and a good lover. Their scratching stubbles, the kissing along his neck, the exploration and squeezing of his pectorals... it was wonderful. Taelian gasped and lightly moaned throughout, and before he knew it he was doing the same to the other man -- playing with his handsome, big chest, stroking and grasping his pectoral muscles and palming over his nipples as he did, only to bring his fingertips to play with them. He sunk underneath the covers for a moment, kissing at his chest and suckling at those very nipples he'd toyed with, his hands moving to smooth all across his abdomen before he slid back up, their pelvises meeting again with a long, grinding swing of his hips.

He breathed him in, and laughed as their stubbles scratched again, and drew his face in for a deep, affectionate meeting of their lips. How many others? His heart didn't skip a beat; he had chosen to be honest, to be honorable like he knew himself to be. Ford had the right to know, and to choose based on what he was presented with.

"Two," he answered back. "There is another -- Thomas. In reality, though, he's the only real one: Wendell and I are business partners. Thomas and I are lovers, and yes; he's alright with me falling in love with other men. We have what I call trust. He knows who I am -- my integrity. I want you to know that part of me, too."

Whatever their mouths were speaking, their bodies seemed to act almost autonomously. Ford moved his hands lower in search of something, and Taelian's lips smoothed into a smile; he reached down to guide his hand, nuzzling him again as he let out a pleasured sigh. Before long, his pants were off, the man's own powerful legs entangled with his; their skin-to-skin contact was nearly whole, and the inclusion of Ford's nice legs made it all the more pleasant and encompassing. He rubbed their thighs together, drawing up his foot to feel along the muscles of his companion's calf.

He looked down at the other man, whose chin now rested between his bulky pecs, and blew him a kiss before laughing lowly. Taelian reached for the band of his undergarments, and pulled them down, sliding them until they were trapped somewhere along his knees. There was no point stopping where they were: he wanted to feel Ford's body against his, fully, every inch. He hadn't made his choice yet, but Taelian wanted him to be his, and that was for a reason. He was perfect, and this moment cemented it all.

[Ford Edevane]

Experience Ford had a little bit of; something else kept him from letting go. It was getting harder to hang on, though, as Taelian's hands roamed over him, feeling him... Touching him in ways he hadn't been touched either in a very long time or ever. Was it odd that Taelian was dipping beneath the covers? Very much so. The feel of the other's lips and the touch of his skin to his flesh was something Ford had thought could happen, but potentiality and actuality were two very different things. His heartbeat was racing, pounding in his chest as the lower lip had been caught between teeth. Alas, he had his answer. Two. Part of Ford knew it would be multiple, but the other part of him thought it would be a higher number. It was tough for the blonde to fight off the smile that came at how honest Taelian had been. Ford could lay there, keeping Taelian and himself on the brink of their exploration for some time, not moving forward because of his answer. However, Taelian did have something correct, and Ford's thoughtful gaze softened. "And myself? Should I remain only at your side, or should I share myself with others?" Ford was new at this part of it all, but he still hadn't given an answer yet. Would he be his? Would they be together? A curious brow rose as he felt the mage moving his undergarments and the second rose in pure curiosity as a devilish grin crossed Ford's features. It did not happen often; Ford was about positivity and making others know they were loved. However...

Gripping the bedding on either side of the more prominent male, the Sociologist lifted himself as if climbing out of bed. Instead, he had brought his knees to rest underneath him, resting his calves alongside those partially bared, muscular thighs and Ford's backside. Covered, it planted itself in Taelian's lap. Now, Ford could see almost everything. As his deeper blue eyes roamed over the other's face, his fingers stroked over the higher cheekbones, and he leaned forward, propping himself up as he kissed one cheek, then the other. Fingers parted, and one fingertip ran along one corner of the male's mouth and the other finger the other corner. As he did before, he leaned in, capturing those succulent lips as fingers worked their way down Taelian's chin and throat, but Ford's teeth paused at the man's lower lip. Both lips parted, and teeth nipped at Taelian's lower lip, gripping it and tugging it as the flesh was pulled taut and released. Lips and fingers worked their way down that chest, pausing to rub that stubble-lined jaw across one pec, then the other, until he was back up into that seated position. A glance down his back over his shoulder to the undergarments partway down the thighs, and his gaze wandered down the other's legs before he looked back to Taelian with that same devilish grin with his teeth capturing his own lower lip. "It will be difficult to ignore you working in the covenant if I said no."

Finally, Ford was ready to speak his own truth and leaned forward, cupping both of Taelian's cheeks in his hands as he pressed his forehead against the other's. Whispering, almost like it was the secret to world peace, "Tell me one more time that you want me... Please." It was probably an odd request, but Ford needed it.