I keep seeing posts, "yeah, they have great sex, but do they like each other?" Oh, Mark and Volke like each other quite plenty <3 in a meme, I referenced that one of the things they do to spend time together is people watch some. Here's a little snip of the early days of that...
"Look closer, eh? It's not from there, he's favoring that thigh…"
"Oh, like… a pulled muscle…"
"Mm, he's being deliberate about it. He knows… he's trying to compensate some…"
"Ah, mm…"
They leaned back into his arm, eyes scanning as others got moving through the yard.
"And Narshen…" they noted. "He's looking more down than usual…"
"Heard he got into it with Valter about their wyverns being stabled too close, last night… mostly because of that big chicken getting brought in for the prince, and Valter's kept trying to eat it, so…"
"I'm still a little surprised they don't get on better… could match each other's freak, if they'd…"
"Competition… heh. They're too busy trying to outdo each other…"
"Stupid, but, sure."
"Very, but, well, is it a surprise?"
Mark chuckled, sighed. "No, no… so… this is what you're doing those early mornings when you're up before me?"
"Eh, some… little different with you here…"
Volke took a long, slow drag on his pipe.
"I'm distracting, yeah?" they asked.
He held the smoke in a moment before exhaling in a slow stream. He held it out to them.
They took it, took a far shorter pull. They felt the itch of a cough in their throat, but swallowed it, holding until it passed. Exhale, and then another short pull before handing it back.
"Still miss my menthols," they muttered.
"You are distracting… I work alone, you know. But…"
Volke leaned over, pressed a kiss to their cheek.
"…Different is… nice, once in a while. Plus, you're…helping, a little, even if you think everything is sex."
The edges of their eyes crinkled with a grin.
"You know I'm mostly joking."
"Mostly," Volke said. "It's fun, eh? Watching…"
They glanced over at him. "Yeah. Yeah… but you'll have to forgive me if I still pick bed most mornings."
"…We both make exceptions, heh. I also pick bed, some mornings…"
"You pick sex, more like…"
He pulled them in closer, leaned his head into theirs.
"I pick you…"
They turned, kissed him.
"So… what's their problem?" they then asked, eyes on Hector, Lyn as he huffed at her and she stalked off.
"Heh …no, you guess at that one."
"Sex? It's sex, isn't it?"
Volke chuckled. "See. Sometimes, you're right."
"…Friends with benefits, but he's all in his feelings about it, I'd bet? Because she's clearly just having fun…or, was, until now."
"Mm… go on, keep going, why?"
"Florina," Mark said, humming. "They're obviously sweet on each other, but…"
"…Heh… and?" Volke prompted.
"They're gonna have to resolve this one with some two hands thing, because I've definitely seen how Florina peeks at Hector too…"
Volke grinned, regarded them. "Heh, see, I wasn't blowing smoke when I said you had the skills for it…"
"I mean, come on, I've got an advantage there, Lyn and I go way back… not that version of her, but, same same."
"It's about using those advantages," Volke said.
His fingers idly played at their opposite shoulder, where his hand rested.
"You have the skills… eh, you have a lot of skills."
"And you're being awfully complimentary this morning," Mark said.
-
"… Heath's walking funny, you think…"
"Look closer, eh? It's not from there, he's favoring that thigh…"
"Oh, like… a pulled muscle…"
"Mm, he's being deliberate about it. He knows… he's trying to compensate some…"
"Ah, mm…"
They leaned back into his arm, eyes scanning as others got moving through the yard.
"And Narshen…" they noted. "He's looking more down than usual…"
"Heard he got into it with Valter about their wyverns being stabled too close, last night… mostly because of that big chicken getting brought in for the prince, and Valter's kept trying to eat it, so…"
"I'm still a little surprised they don't get on better… could match each other's freak, if they'd…"
"Competition… heh. They're too busy trying to outdo each other…"
"Stupid, but, sure."
"Very, but, well, is it a surprise?"
Mark chuckled, sighed. "No, no… so… this is what you're doing those early mornings when you're up before me?"
"Eh, some… little different with you here…"
Volke took a long, slow drag on his pipe.
"I'm distracting, yeah?" they asked.
He held the smoke in a moment before exhaling in a slow stream. He held it out to them.
They took it, took a far shorter pull. They felt the itch of a cough in their throat, but swallowed it, holding until it passed. Exhale, and then another short pull before handing it back.
"Still miss my menthols," they muttered.
"You are distracting… I work alone, you know. But…"
Volke leaned over, pressed a kiss to their cheek.
"…Different is… nice, once in a while. Plus, you're…helping, a little, even if you think everything is sex."
The edges of their eyes crinkled with a grin.
"You know I'm mostly joking."
"Mostly," Volke said. "It's fun, eh? Watching…"
They glanced over at him. "Yeah. Yeah… but you'll have to forgive me if I still pick bed most mornings."
"…We both make exceptions, heh. I also pick bed, some mornings…"
"You pick sex, more like…"
He pulled them in closer, leaned his head into theirs.
"I pick you…"
They turned, kissed him.
"So… what's their problem?" they then asked, eyes on Hector, Lyn as he huffed at her and she stalked off.
"Heh …no, you guess at that one."
"Sex? It's sex, isn't it?"
Volke chuckled. "See. Sometimes, you're right."
"…Friends with benefits, but he's all in his feelings about it, I'd bet? Because she's clearly just having fun…or, was, until now."
"Mm… go on, keep going, why?"
"Florina," Mark said, humming. "They're obviously sweet on each other, but…"
"…Heh… and?" Volke prompted.
"They're gonna have to resolve this one with some two hands thing, because I've definitely seen how Florina peeks at Hector too…"
Volke grinned, regarded them. "Heh, see, I wasn't blowing smoke when I said you had the skills for it…"
"I mean, come on, I've got an advantage there, Lyn and I go way back… not that version of her, but, same same."
"It's about using those advantages," Volke said.
His fingers idly played at their opposite shoulder, where his hand rested.
"You have the skills… eh, you have a lot of skills."
"And you're being awfully complimentary this morning," Mark said.
"I'm smitten, lover. Don't poke at it."
They leaned more heavily into him.
"…Me too," they said, quietly.
#mark #volkerehide