for Matt

[tohearthesound]

Rache has been doing quite a bit of thinking since the last time he saw Matt; it was more productive than he expected. On the other hand, it left him unable to go any further without first talking to Matt again.

Which brings him to his seat at the bar tonight. No drink, no food; he's a little busy watching the room at the moment, but maybe later.

Comments

[semicharmed]

"Hey."

Matt waves cheerfully, bag slung over his shoulders.

"Am I interrupting anything?"

[tohearthesound]

He smiles.

"Not at all.

Actually, I was hoping to run into you."

[semicharmed]

"--Oh."

Matt's expression brightens as he sets down his bag and takes a seat.

He'd thought maybe Rache was waiting for someone.

"Well, that works out, then. What's up?"

[tohearthesound]

"Ah."

This was considerably easier to talk about when he was practicing in his head.

"Well, I've been thinking. About...what we talked about before.

Your idea."

[semicharmed]

"Okay," Matt says, nodding.

He pauses.

"Any conclusions of note?"

[tohearthesound]

"I'm still very interested."

He thinks he should make that clear.

"But I've been considering it and I think that...

I want everything to go well."

His voice slows down; this is important and he wants to get it right.

"I told you I would stop if I needed to, and I will, but that doesn't make it something I want to do. And I'm afraid that if if it's the first time we...try to be intimate, then I will do it.





I thought that maybe...we could...practice, for lack of a better word."

[semicharmed]

Matt's eyebrows climb, and-- what face should he be making here? Studious concern? Intellectual curiosity?

Should it not be 'edging up into startled smiling'?

"Oh," he says, nodding in only a slightly dazed fashion.

"Okay. Yeah."

It's not that Rache's ongoing struggles make him happy-- not at all.

It's more that ... cuddling is lovely, just being near him is great and fun and he really enjoys it. But superstitiously, he's sometimes wondered if those brief kisses in the bar were their last.

He's delighted to be proven wrong.

"... First of all thanks," he says, "for letting me know where you are. I really appreciate that.

Second, um ... I get that, what you're saying about stopping and wanting things to go well. It makes a lot of sense. And I'm not sure exactly what you mean by practice? But I am sure that whatever it is, I'm one hundred percent on board."

[tohearthesound]

Rache laughs in relief.

"I'm not entirely sure what I mean either?

But your enthusiasm is encouraging."

[semicharmed]

Matt does smile properly now.

"Well. The rumor is practice makes perfect."

He pauses.

"And I did just do the no-TMI spell, before I came in. I'm not sure what your timeline was for this."

[tohearthesound]

He grins back.

"I think now would be an excellent time."

[semicharmed]

He beams.

"That leaves the question of location."

[tohearthesound]

"My room sounds nice," he replies.

[semicharmed]

"Your room it is," Matt says gallantly.

He bends down to pick up his bag.

[tohearthesound]

A short time later:

Rache unlocks the door to 122, holding it open for Matt. Not much has changed since the last time Matt was here, although there are a few more books scattered around. (More novels, in particular, with some poetry. And one particular volume of sonnets on the nightstand.)

"...welcome back."

[semicharmed]

Matt takes in the more-or-less familiar space, smiling.

There is something charming about the scattered books.

"Thank you," he says.

He tilts his head and removes his bag from his shoulder. "Anywhere I should drop this?"

[tohearthesound]

Rache shrugs.

"Nowhere in particular."

There's room on top of the dresser, or near the armchair.

[semicharmed]

Matt generally opts to deposit his possessions on the floor rather than people's tables or shelves, so: down the messenger bag goes, on the floor near the chair.

He turns back to Rache, with the general attitude of somebody who doesn't know what to do with their hands all of a sudden.

(He's still smiling, though.

It may be incurable.)

[tohearthesound]

Thankfully, Rache has some idea of what to do. (At least for starters.)

He takes a seat on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. "Come sit with me?"

[semicharmed]

That seems like a very fine plan.

"You got it," Matt murmurs.

He comes to join him, sliding over the mattress to sit close by.

[tohearthesound]

Rache shifts closer to him immediately, tucking one arm around Matt.

He rests his head on Matt's shoulder, tilting his face against Matt's throat. He inhales slowly. (Matt smells nice.)

[semicharmed]

Matt's breath doesn't quite catch, but his pulse quickens.

Slowly, his head tips back.

[tohearthesound]

He presses his mouth to Matt's throat, slowly parting his lips until he can flicker his tongue between them, dragging over Matt's skin.

[semicharmed]

Now his breath does catch.

"Oh," he murmurs.

[tohearthesound]

Rache chuckles softly, placing a second kiss beside the first.

[semicharmed]

He laughs, a soft contented sound, and glances down quickly to locate Rache's hand.

His fingers fumble for it.