badpirattitude | Prisonstuck VIII, continued from LJ

Prisonstuck VIII, continued from LJ

[For someone who claimed he didn't need to rest, the Psiioniic has been sleeping for a long time.]

[Dualscar supposes a manic episode like he had earlier could really take it out of a troll, not to mention the fight in the prison the day before, and being a prisoner, and before that on the run, and before that a slave, and everything else running backwards through the Psiioniic's entire miserable life. Besides all that, living with him, Dualscar, can't be easy, even if it's only been a day, and he half-expects the Psiioniic to ask him to be returned to the prison when he wakes up.]

[Dualscar hasn't slept at all, not really. He can doze in a recuperacoon, but to really sleep, he needs to be underwater. There's nothing physically preventing him from sleeping on land, but for the mental tick that forces his gills open an hour into sleep and leaves him gasping painfully for breath a moment later. He knows well enough why that happens, but he pushes it away every time it creeps into the corners of his mind, nibbling at the edges of his sanity like a longtailed squeakbeast. Either way, he's still curled around the Psiioniic, spooning up behind him while he sleeps, and waiting for him to awake.]

[Waiting, and thinking about all they spoke of the day before.]

polariity

[What, go back to a prison and away from this glorious library? Dualscar, please. You underestimate the Psiioniic's utter nerdery.]

[You also underestimate his affection for you, but that's okay. In all honesty, he isn't quite sure of its depths either. A part of him that still has reservations about this whole thing- which is a rather large part- isn't sure he wants to know.]

[As awakening comes to him, he's aware of the presence still at his back. It's comforting to have that again- someone being there. All this time around other trolls has left him with this need for someone, anyone, to be there.]

[Gently, just to show he's awake, he guides one hand down to lay over Dualscar's.]

badpirattitude

[Either that or he underestimates his own appeal. Dualscar knows he's good at blackrom, but anything even faintly red and he's completely lost. He's spent most of the time while the Psiioniic slept convincing himself that he's irreparably screwed up everything.]

[But then the Psiioniic puts his hand over his, and Dualscar makes a soft, surprised sound. Before he can overthink it, he curls his fingers through the Psiioniic's, joining their hands together.]

polariity

[Funny, sounds like every other moment of his life, too.]

[As the slime warms around their fingers, faintly, he wonders what this makes them. He half knows, half doesn't. They've never said anything to one another about it, just awkward steps with neither of them knowing the way.]

You're alright?

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[Being underwater IS great. If you can ignore the drowning. And deadly beasts. And can swim. All of which are problems for a landtroll without his psionics.]

[Or a landtroll without a seadweller to press up against him and kiss air into his lungs. That, admittedly, is less of a problem for the Psiioniic. Knowing he'd just be kicking his legs every which way and generally be useless, he just holds onto Dualscar and traces circles against his back. When those fins brush against his face, he pauses and breaks the kiss to stare in faint curiosity at the way those fins move.]

[He's seen them move before, twitching and perking up and move towards him whenever he's done something particularly kind and surprising towards Dualscar. But nothing so... complex as this series of movements. Gently, he raises one hand to brush his fingers against them.]

[Dualscar is pretty sure the Psiioniic doesn't know how to interpret what he's just said, but he wouldn't put it past the other troll to figure out that what he's doing is actually language. So rather than say anything more, he fans his fins out, smiling shyly, and lets the Psiioniic play with them if he wishes.]

[It's so strange. One minute, they're on the verge of blows and violence. The next, he's chasing this fool to the sea only to drown for his efforts. And now, they're holding onto each other, and the seatroll is staring at him with that soft expression.]

[Good lord, they are well and truly fucked.]

[But still the Psiioniic sinks back down to rest his head against Dualscar's shoulder, fingers still gently running against his fins.]

[Dualscar keeps swimming slowly, pressing the Psiioniic up against him. He knows this can't last, that soon enough they'll be fighting and scrapping at each other again, but he wants to stretch this out while he still can. The Psiioniic doesn't seem too concerned about being underwater, not while he's got Dualscar there to give him air, and the seatroll appreciates that more than the other will probably ever know.]

[It's the first time someone has trusted him that he can remember.]

[He moves his fins under the Psiioniic's fingers, rippling them against his hands, and starts slowly, reluctantly kicking towards the surface.]

[Maybe, soon enough, the fighting will start to happen less and less. The Psiioniic wants to believe something like that, wants to believe that with just some work, it really is possible for a 'sewerblood' and a seadweller to get along. To be in love, even.]

[He wants to know that this cause of theirs truly has a chance.]

[All he has to do is wait a few more seconds for them to breach the surface, and they both know he could hold on until then. But still, right before they reach open air, the Psiioniic cups Dualscar's face and presses their lips together for one last time.]

[Hey, the fact that the Psiioniic lived in his hive for two days before they almost got into a fight is a new record for Dualscar.]

[That last kiss, while unexpected, is certainly not appreciated, and Dualscar breathes one last lungful of air into the Psiioniic's mouth before their heads break the surface and emerge in the moonlight. Dualscar switches from using his gills to using his lungs, and in doing so, makes a strangled little gasp against the Psiioniic's lips.]

[That's not how it's supposed to work, Dualscar.]

[Also, he needs to stop making those kind of noises, because the feel of that gasp and the way it sounds, so quiet amidst all the waves, makes the Psiioniic's heart flutter and a heat gather though his fingers and toes. At least the coldness of the sea long ago helped get the desired effect of a cold showe. Pulling away, he places his chin on Dualscar's shoulder and starts coughing up seawater.]

I hate the othean...

[It isn't?]

[As the Psiioniic coughs, Dualscar awkwardly pats his back, trying to help him cough up any water lingering in his lungs.]

Seems like the feeling is mutual.

[He starts towing him back towards the shore, keeping a tight hold on him and mostly using his legs to propel them.]

Wwe need to teach you howw to swwim.

Ugh. Thwimming.

[The Psiioniic makes a face and presses it against Dualscar's fin.]

Fuck thwimming. Fuck the othean. [Then, quieter, softer-] And fuck you for leaving like you weren't coming back.

[Dualscar fans his fin forward, wrapping it around the Psiioniic's face.]

You just need to learn. Swwimming's wwonderful, once you knoww howw.

[And also much quieter--]

I wwould have come back. Once I didn't think I'd try to hurt you again.

[Just a small disbelieving grunt towards that assertion, and then the Psiioniic is just slowly brushing against his fin with his nose and lips.]

You ran like you wouldn't. And I can take it. Tho long ath I know you're trying to change, I can take it.

I ran because if I didn't, I wwould have... done something bad.

[It pains Dualscar to admit that, but it's true. He was just a moment away from forcing himself on the Psiioniic again, and needed to get some distance between them so he wouldn't.]

[It's a horrible feeling, realizing you've become what you've always hated.]

I don't... I don't wwant to be like that anymore.

You aren't.

[There's a certain finality in how the Psiioniic says it, and he kisses the fin he's pressed up against.]

[Dualscar grunts; that's easy for the Psiioniic to say. He doesn't know how close he almost came to getting thrown down and assaulted again.]

[Dualscar glances over his shoulder, getting his bearings. They're close enough to his hive that they could walk the rest of the way.]

You can get your feet under you noww, if you wwant.

And have thith horrible water thove my head down into thand again? I think I'll thtick with dragging you down with me when that happenth again.

[The Psiioniic's trust in nature: 0]

[Dualscar chuckles quietly, amused.]

Or I'll just pull your lazy ass the rest of the wway.

[A few good kicks is all it takes, and Dualscar's back is pressed up against the sand in the shallow water, the ocean lapping gently around them.]

There. It wwon't drag you out again from here.

[Well, this is a position the Psiioniic will never get tired of. Shifting onto his elbows, he looks down at Dualscar. He doesn't get how the others hair can look like that, swept back and interesting. The Psiioniic doesn't need to see his reflection to know his just sticks flat to his skull, an appearance befitting a drowned rat.]

...I wouldn't be here if I didn't want you. Get that though your thick theadweller head.

[It's a seadweller thing; their hair doesn't absorb water the same way a landdweller's does, keeping it floofy and styled even after going underwater. Makes cleaning it a bitch, though.]

[Dualscar looks up at the Psiioniic for a minute before looking away.]

... sure.

[And if he were to take that psionics-cancelling helmet off, the Psiioniic wouldn't be gone in two seconds flat. Right.]

[And he still doesn't believe him. It's just so.. frustrating. And if he were to try and say it, then the other would just have another moment of panic.]

[The Psiioniic stays where he is for a moment longer before he accepts that Dualscar won't look back at him. Wordlessly, he pushes himself to his feet and holds himself tightly to ward against the chill in the air. His shoulders are up to his ears as he begins to trudge through the sand, back to the hive.]

[Dualscar stays on the sand, staring up at the sky, for a few moments longer before he gets up and starts walking after the Psiioniic. He notices the way the other troll is all hunched in on himself, and realizes that he must be cold. Dualscar himself doesn't really notice it--the fat padding over his muscles isn't just decorative--and he takes a few longer, hurried steps until he's up next to him.]

[Pulling a heavy, dry cape out of his sylladex, he wordlessly drapes it over the Psiioniic's shoulders.]

[There's a light start at the sudden weight on his shoulders but then the Psiioniic is tugging it around himself, shoulders still hunched. He doesn't make eye contact.]

...I don't know how to get you to believe me. About anything.

[Dualscar is quiet for a minute, then barks bitter laughter.]

You grew up a slave; that can't be the first time you've seen a grouping of scars like that.

Noww go ahead and tell me howw quickly I should just get over it and believe everything kind you say.

[Now it's Dualscar who's walking quickly, brushing past the Psiioniic and hurrying towards the hive, yanking another cape out of his sylladex and wrapping it around himself.]

That ithn't what I...

[Dammit. The Psiioniic comes to a halt as Dualscar storms ahead of him, and he feels his stomach sink. Nothing can ever go right for him. He should have known better than to think he could do what Ess had been able to do all these years. He's just... not the holy leader type. He'd been lucky to get Dualscar to listen in the fist place. Lucky to be out of that prison.]

[Suddenly not feeling the energy inside of himself, he begins to drag his feet along to the hive.]

[Dualscar doesn't wait for the Psiioniic, instead storming into the hive and towards the kitchen. By the time the Psiioniic gets back, he's inside the kitchen block, very loudly and aggressively making tea. He's also got a change of clothes out of his sylladex and changed into them.]

Do you take your tea wwith sugar or milk!

[It sounds more like an accusation than a question.]

Thugar.

[Excuse him as he cocoons in that cape and just lays his face down on the table, Dualscar. A few whistle and clicks later, and he has his drone by him, handing him orange after orange to peel.]

fdsakflaksdjfalskfslkaljkljkjk

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