Writing Resource

In which I spend too much time on Omegle and post RP's that I particularly enjoyed. Yes, I take requests for short fics.

[omeglerping]

Fluff

You both like wtnv, cecil/carlos, night vale, welcome to night vale, cecilos, and carlos/cecil.

You: Cecil... -CR

You: I need you to be honest with me. -CR

Stranger: Um, sure. What about? -CP

You: When did you last smoke a cigarette? -CR

Stranger: Carlos....-CP

You: Answer the question. -CR

Stranger: {Delayed} ...Last night. -CP

You: /Cecil./ -CR

You: I found the cigars in the shoebox. They're gone. -CR

Stranger: ...Carlos, I'm sorry. -CP

You: I don't do this because I'm a prude. -CR

You: I do this because I love you and I know you love your voice. -CR

You: You /need/ your voice. -CR

You: I'm not going to let you kill it. -CR

Stranger: Carlos, I've been smoking for ages, and it's done nothing to my voice. I'm /fine./ -CP

You: You are /not/ fine! It's going to make you sick! -CR

You: I'm buying the e-cigarette. That's it. -CR

Stranger: Carlos, please, I'm /fine/. I don't need an e-cigarette. That's not gonna help anything. -CP

You: Are you going to try or are you going to make me force you. -CR

Stranger: You can't force me to use it. -CP

You: Fine. I smell smoke on your breath and I'm moving out. -CR

Stranger: Carlos...-CP

You: No. Better. -CR

You: Better idea. -CR

You: I'll tell /Simon./ -CR

Stranger: Carlos. -CP

Stranger: No, you won't. -CP

Stranger: Don't do that. -CP

You: I will. -CR

You: And you know he won't stand for that. -CR

You: He loves you too much to let you fall to where he is. -CR

Stranger: Carlos, stop it. It's not his problem if I smoke. -CP

You: It is because he loves you. -CR

Stranger: Carlos, seriously. You're making this more of a big deal than it has to be. -CP

You: How can you treat this like it's nothing!? -CR

You: I can't smell your breath and know that you're willingly tossing away future days we could have spent together! -CR

Stranger: {delayed} You and I both know that I'm more likely to die from something that this town throws at us than the cigarettes. -CP

You: You're tossing our days away. -CR

Stranger: I'm tossing away days I'm probably not going to have anyways. -CP

You: ...right. -CR

You: Okay. -CR

You: What do you want for Valentine's Day this year, sweetheart? -CR

You: I'll just stroll to the supermarket and pick something up. -CR

You: I know you say it's dangerous and all, but I've lived 32 Valentine's Days in my life. I think I know what I'm doing, silly. -CR

Stranger: You're being ridiculous. Stop being ridiculous. -CP

You: Stop over reacting, Cecil! -CR

You: I can't /tell/ you how many cards I've bought before! No knives! No death! -CR

You: Just let me live my life! -CR

Stranger: Smoking and Valentine's Day are nowhere near the same. -CP

You: Whatever. You wouldn't understand. You have no idea how much I love Valentine's Day. -CR

Stranger: Fine, go get cards and candies and whatever your idea of Valentine's Day includes. I'm not going to stop you from making yourself happy. -CP

You: Fine. -CR

Stranger: Fine. -CP

You: [1 day later, evening of Valentine's Day] Carlos stumbled up the stairs of their apartment complex, a small box in his hand with a beautiful red bow. His hair was singed, his ankle was twisted, and his glasses were cracked. Like hell was he letting Cecil blow this smoking thing off. He knocked on the door, coughing up ash as he did so.

Stranger: Cecil opened it a moment later, frowning softly. "/Carlos/," He sighed, realising what the man had done nearly immediately. He hadn't actually expected him to go through with his threat; Cecil had thought that the scientist had more want for self-preservation than that. But apparently not.

You: He coughed again, pink and red confetti falling from his shoulders like fairy dust. Still, he smiled at Cecil, his skin visible through the soot along the wrinkles of his eyes. "Happy Valentine's Day, Sweetheart," he whispered, pulling Cecil into a hug. "I... I really did get you something special..." Another cough. He pulled away, burying his mouth in the crook of his elbow as the sand flew past his lips. "Water..."

Stranger: "Come on." Cecil said quietly, tugging the man inside and leading him over to the couch. "I'll get you some water. And your spare glasses. You're lucky you managed to get out of there, you know. What on /earth/ were you thinking?"

You: Carlos laughed, the sound hoarse and quickly dissolving into more coughing. "I told you I love Valentine's Day," he managed, wiping the pink wrapping paper on his jeans. It stood out against his ashen appearance, bright and inappropriately cheerful.

Stranger: "You love Valentine's Day outside of Night Vale." He pointed out, heading into the kitchen and returning a moment later with a large glass of water. "Pick a new favorite holiday, sweetheart. It's safer."

You: "I can handle myself, you know," he said, immediately downing the offered glass. He set it on the counter a few moments later, empty and printed with a soot-stamp of Carlos' bottom lip. "If I made it through today, I can make it through next year. Safety's got nothing to do with it. Just because other people died doesn't mean I will."

Stranger: "Carlos," He sighed, shaking his head. "I know what you're doing. Stop it. That's not how anything works."

You: A shaking hand reached out, offering the pink present. His smile was solemn but genuine, the scientist's charred appearance unable to hide his aged beauty. "Open it, sweetheart..."

You: ((new e-cigarette with red bow on it))

Stranger: Cecil say beside him, taking the present from him with a sigh. "Fine. Even though it was incredibly risky of you to do this, I...it's kind of sweet. No one's ever risked their life on Valentine's day for me before." Cecil couldn't really be mad at him, even if he wanted to be. He opened the box carefully, undoing the ribbon and unfolding the paper to reveal the gift inside. "--Carlos..."

You: "I know." Carlos wrapped an arm around Cecil before he could get a word in, his grip strong and protective. "I understand, Cecil. I know it's hard. But... But if you're unwilling to do this for yourself, will you at least try for your singed scientist?"

Stranger: Cecil set the box aside and slipped out of Carlos's hold so that he could reach a nearby drawer, from which he pulled a small box with a small bow on it, which he opened himself, and pulled out the contents - another e-cigarette. "My valentine's gift to you. Well, I mean, it's for me, but...using it. That's my gift."

You: Carlos teared up immediately. "Cecil," he whispered, cupping the radio host's face in his hands and peppering his face with kisses. "I love you. I love you so much... I'm always going to be here for you, sweetheart, I promise..."

Stranger: "You have to promise me," He murmured, pulling away from Carlos's kisses to speak. "No more Valentine's Day. Okay? No cards, no candies, no risking your life to prove a point to me."

You: "I promise," Carlos said with a laugh, a tear carving a path through the ash and soot on his cheek. He kissed Cecil again, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. "I hate Valentine's Day. I love you."

[omeglerping]

Trailer Trash

Stranger: Earl? You... Your son has something to tell you. It's really important. Just... come home a little early, if you can? He's upset. Carlos and I are trying our best to handle it, but... You know. We're still not as good at this as you are. CP

You: Wait, what? -EH

You: Is he hurt? -EH

You: Is he in trouble? -EH

Stranger: No. CP Well... yes. CP But not... It's complicated. CP Yes, kind of, to the first question. No to the second. Well, a little no, I guess? CP It's complicated. CP

You: He's /hurt!?/ -EH

You: Tell him I'm on my way. -EH

You: Okay? -EH

You: Also, give him a glass of water. I always give him a glass of water when he's hurt or angry or upset. -EH

Stranger: Okay. Okay, Carlos is on it. CP Don't freak out too much. Please. It's... We have it under control. He's not /physically/ hurt. CP

You: Jesus... I'm close. I'm very close. -EH

You: Earl Harlan was knocking on the door just six minutes later. He was still wearing his apron and hat, his nose and left cheek smudged with flour. When Carlos let him in, he rushed into the house. "Roger? Cecil? What's going on?" Carlos shook his head. "They're in the living room, Earl. It's okay." Earl didn't even listen. He rushed to the living room, dropping to his knees beside his son. He looked him over, checking for physical damage. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Stranger: Cecil was sitting next to Roger on the couch, rubbing the boy's back in an attempt to soothe him. It worked with Carlos and Earl. He hated to upset Earl so much, to make him worry like this, but... He didn't know how else to bring this up. Was there a way to talk about this that wouldn't upset him? "Shh... It's alright, Ro--" He looked up as Earl entered, sighing softly. Roger looked up as well, eyes red and puffy and tearing up again once he saw his dad. As Earl dropped on his knees next to him, he turned away, burying his head in Cecil's shoulder. The radio host held him closely, shushing him as he began to cry once again. He glanced to Earl with worry in his eyes, hoping that he would hold back a little for just a while.

You: The chef only shook his head, taking off his hat and placing his hand on Roger’s knee. He'd never seen the boy look so upset--what could possibly have driven Roger to such pain? Swallowing, Earl looked to Carlos. Carlos didn't reply. "Hey there, sport," Earl said, his voice calming and his lips turned up into a smile. "It's okay. I'm here. Whatever it is you have to say, I promise I'll hear you out. I love you."

Stranger: Roger glanced back at his dad, still crying softly but trying not to let the chef see. He turned back to Cecil, holding onto him tightly and reaching up just a little to whisper in his ear. Cecil nodded, taking a deep breath.

"... Roger wants to talk to you about some boys at school who are... who are giving him a rough time," he began, carefully watching Earl's reaction to everything.

You: Earl nodded, blinking as he continued to rub his thumb against Roger's knee. Bullies. Earl had dealt with his fair share. Both in his own life and in the lives of his scouts, he'd learned long ago how to handle boys who took their anger out on those around them. But why was Cecil being so cautious? "Well, I can see why he's upset," Earl said with a nod. He had to validate his son's feelings. "It's only natural. Words hurt. I'd be just as miserable if someone poked fun at me."

Stranger: Roger was still holding tightly to Cecil, crying as quietly as he could. He didn't want his dad to hear. His dad hardly ever cried, and never around Roger. His dad was so brave. Why couldn't he be brave, too? "Well, the... the problem is, they're not just poking fun at him," Cecil said softly, closing his eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath before he looked at Earl again. "They're saying some very, very bad things, and... and they're saying those things about his dads, too, which also upsets him."

You: Everything clicked into place. In seconds, Earl turned two shades of red darker. His hand grasped Roger's knee rather than rubbing it, his face setting into stone. /Trailer trash!/ /Beer-dy Bessie!/ /Homeless Harlan!/ "Oh?" he asked, trying to keep himself from losing control over his emotions. He kept his eyes on Cecil, not wanting to scare his son. "Well. That won't do, will it? Roger had nothing to do with whatever happened in my life."

Stranger: Roger began wailing now, louder than before, and Cecil's focus shifted from Earl to Roger. He was rubbing the boy's bad, shushing him softly, but he didn't seem to calm down no matter how hard he tried. He sighed softly, whispering back and forth with Roger for a few moments before he looked up at Carlos. "... Carlos? Roger wants to know if you can take him to his room, so that he can calm down a little while... while I talk with Earl, about what's going on."

You: Carlos nodded, reaching down and gently shaking Roger's shoulder. When Roger didn't stir, he picked the boy up and whispered soothing phrases to him while he carried him up the stairs. Earl covered his face with his hands when Roger was gone. He sat himself down on the carpet and shook his head, praying he wouldn't start crying in front of Cecil. "They were teasing him about Mother, weren't they?" he murmured, still not looking up.

Stranger: Cecil watched as Roger left, the boy still sobbing quietly in Carlos's arms. He was trembling now, clutching onto Carlos like his life depended on it. It made Cecil's heart sink slowly in his chest. He looked down as Earl spoke, lips parting and a sigh escaping from them as he saw the expression on the chef's face. "They... They were," he admitted softly. "One of the boys' mothers told him, and he brought it up to Roger, and..." He sighed again, reaching out a hand in case Earl wanted to take it. It looked like he could use it. "It's not just that, though. It's... It's not just about that... T-There's things about Carlos and I, too. Then there's things about... All three of us. About how we're... we're a family. I don't... Earl, they've been telling this poor kid so many awful things, I-I don't know how he went this long without telling us."

You: Earl was heartbroken. Why hadn't Roger approached him? Why had the children teased? He slowly stood up, looking up at the staircase before moving to sit beside Cecil. He left the offered hand empty. "Roger doesn't deserve this," Earl said quietly, looking over at Cecil with tears in his eyes. He didn't cry--he never did. Years of living with his mother in a worn-down trailer had hardened him. Still, his grief was obvious. "I've done everything I can to give him a perfect life. I thought being a scoutmaster would help, but..." He shook his head. "Why are they commenting about the three of us? You only watch him two times a week... How would anyone know about that?"

Stranger: Cecil bit his lip, shaking his head as Earl spoke. "I know. I... I know, Earl, he doesn't, and you have. You've done everything you can do, a-and you're a great father. Sometimes... Sometimes things like this happen, no matter how hard you try and prevent them." He closed his eyes, swallowing tightly. "I don't know. Normally-- Normally nobody minds, but... I don't know, Earl. He... He's got to have talked about it in school, or something, because you know I try not to on the radio," he whispered. Earl wasn't taking his hand, so he shifted on the couch, wrapping his arms around himself instead. "They... They keep saying that he has three sissies for dads. I.. Earl, he's so broken up about all of this, I-I don't know what to even say to make it better, I..."

You: "Thank you for calling me," Earl said, nodding and staring down at his knees with his hands cupped together. He could feel the tears burning up again, but he swallowed them down with salt. No tears. Not when Roger's happiness was at stake. He gripped his hands together until his knuckles turned white. "Did he tell you which boys were making fun of him?" he asked. "If they're scouts, I can have a good long talk with their parents. If not, maybe I could take it up with the school board. Steve would be able to help, wouldn't he?"

Stranger: Cecil shook his head at that. He'd tried. He'd tried so hard, to just get a name, or even a vague description, but Roger wouldn't say a word about any of the boys unless he was repeated what they had already said. "He won't say anything, Earl. Not about them. Not a name, not an initial, not even a hair color. I-I've tried everything," he whispered, looking down. He took a deep breath, watching Earl's body language. He wanted to burst into sobs himself, but he didn't feel like he even had the energy to sob right now. All he could do was watch Earl's knuckles turning white and swallow down his emotions again and again.

You: "I... I need to go outside for a second," Earl said, clenching his jaw. Last time he'd heard the words trailer trash (at one of his boys' Eternal Scout ceremonies, no less), he'd punched a hole in the wall of the men's restroom. He needed to get his anger out. Mother had taught him violence. Earl had learned how to control it. "Tell Carlos I'm going to be up in a minute, alright? I need--I need to just step outside." He stood up, placing a too-tight hand on Cecil's shoulder and squeezing. "Thank you. For telling me. I'm going to take care of him."

Stranger: Cecil looked up, his worry clear in his eyes. He didn't want Earl to be alone right now. Not with all of this so fresh. While his memories of the past were too often fuzzy or disorienting to think about, he could remember Earl's mother. Could remember his childhood. "Are you sure?" He whispered softly, meeting his eyes as best as he could. "I don't-- Earl, it's alright if you... if you need someone. Everyone needs someone sometimes. Please, Early, I... I want to help you... I always want to help you."

You: Earl forced a smile, releasing Cecil's shoulder. "You did help, Cecil. You helped me when I came to school with bruises on my neck. And now, you're helping my son with his bullies. I really do owe you one." He cracked his knuckles, walking towards the door. "I really won't be more than a second. I know how Roger is feeling right now. He's feeling cheated, accountable, and terrified of his parental figure. I'm going to show him that he has nothing to be afraid of." He paused. "I just need to punch something. I'll be back." "There there... Are you sure you don't want to read about Edison?" Carlos tried to offer the children's-edition novel to Roger, frowning when the boy rejected it. He'd never had any siblings. He was clueless with kids. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Roger, rubbing the boy's arm as he gently rocked them. "Alright, alright, it's okay... Here, have a tissue... Dad's not mad."

Stranger: Cecil listened as Earl spoke, frowning softly. His heart was aching in his chest something awful. Two of the people who meant a great deal to him were hurting incredibly right now, and there didn't seem to be anything he could do to fix it, no matter how hard he tried. He took a deep breath, heading to the bathroom to gently splash some water on his face in the hopes that it would make his eyes a little less red. Roger was crying louder now that he was away from his dad, wailing almost as loud as a police siren. His whole body, small as it was, was shaking as he sobbed, forcing him to curl up closer to Carlos than before. He hadn't wanted to tell Dad. He'd wanted to keep it a secret, but Cecil had said that they had to, that Dad would want to know... He took the tissue, wiping his eyes and managing to blow his nose a little in between sobs. "I-I don't w-want Dad to be angry w-with me, or upset... I-I don't want Dad to know. I-I want him to f-forget, Carlos!"

You: "Shh, shh..." Carlos was desperate to comfort the child, but he didn't know if he could. Roger was like a piece of porcelain in his arms, and he was afraid of saying something that would make him shatter. "Dad loves you, my little Tesla," Carlos whispered, pressing a kiss to the sobbing boy's head. "He's not going to be mad at you. I promise. You didn't do anything wrong. He's so happy that you told him, Roger. He won't embarrass you, and he won't hurt you. Okay? He--" "He loves his son very much," Earl said, leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom with his left hand buried in his pocket. It throbbed from where it hit the tree, but the pain was enough to steady him. He walked to the bed and sat down next to Carlos, wiping away some of Roger's tears with his handkerchief. "Roger, I want to tell you something. You were so, /so/ brave to tell Uncle Cecil what those boys were saying. Even braver to tell me. I know how scary that was. You made me very, /very/ proud. I'm happy with you, son."

Stranger: Roger looked up when his dad entered the room, eyes wide and still wet. He hated crying in front of his dad. He didn't want to cry in front of his dad. He didn't /want/ any of this. He stayed in Carlos's arms even as Earl came near him, needing the security that he got from being held as the chef approached him. His forehead wrinkled slightly as his father began to speak, his eyes flickering about the room in a desperate attempt to find something that he could focus on that wasn't Earl. He didn't know if he could face his own father while he was a sobbing mess like he was now. He didn't feel like he could face his father ever again, after he'd embarrassed himself like this. "I-I'm sorry," he whimpered, quite loudly. He was still crying, though he was now closing his eyes and biting his lip to try and conceal it from his dad. "I'm s-sorry for crying, Dad. I d-don't-- I'm s-sorry..." The words seemed to be all he was able to get out.

You: Earl blinked. He was sorry for crying? Quickly, he shook his head, reaching down and brushing the boy's hair up and out of his face. The only thing worse than seeing Roger cry was seeing him hold them back in fear. Earl had done the very same when Bessie Harlan had shouted at him twenty-five years ago. "Don't ever be sorry for the way you feel, Roger," Earl said, trying to make eye contact. "Our emotions are natural. They demand attention. Holding them back hurts us more than anything. It's what we do with our emotions that defines us as who we are. Just because you're sad and crying doesn't mean you're any weaker than anyone else." He swallowed. "Uncle Cecil is crying downstairs. Dad... Dad was crying outside just a minute ago."

Stranger: Roger's bottom lip was trembling as he struggled to keep himself from sobbing again, from falling into his dad's arms and crying until he felt like he simply didn't have any tears left. He tried to listen to him, tried to take his words to heart, but it was so /hard./ Whenever his eyes had watered up in class, or his bottom lip began to quiver, the boys would only be worse to him. Things would only get worse for Roger. He'd only get more upset if he cried. He couldn't help himself, though, a few tears slipping out against his will. His dad had been crying? He swallowed looking over the man. "Y-You never cry, Dad," he whispered faintly, a small hand reaching up to rub gently at his eyes. "W-Why were you c-crying?"

You: "Because boys were teasing you." Looking to Carlos, Earl reached down and gently wound his arms around Roger's body. He slowly dragged the boy to his lap, continuing to brush his hair back from his forehead. He had to show his son that it was okay to feel afraid. "That, and... and I remembered some things from my childhood that make me very, very sad. I went outside and I cried. I punched a tree too, actually." He held the hand up, showing Roger the bruise. "I was angry at the bullies. I was sad because you were hurt. I was scared because of my mother. All those emotions made me cry. Everyone does, Roger."

Stranger: Roger began to cry a little more as his dad brought him into his lap, telling him why he'd cried. He'd never wanted to make Dad cry. He'd never wanted to upset Dad in the slightest. It was why he'd kept it a secret for so long, why he'd never told. He didn't want to make his father upset. "I-I'm sorry," he whispered again, trembling little hands reaching up and slowly holding Earl's hand. He was careful not to hurt his bruises, simply stretching out his fingers and beginning to move them about. It gave him a distraction, something that he could look at so that he didn't have to meet Earl's eyes. "I didn't mean to-- to make you upset, D-Dad..."

You: Earl's eyes widened. He recognized that language from his own childhood. Roger felt responsible for what was spiraling out of control in his life. Earl had to fix this /now./ "Scout, no. You didn't make me upset. I would have found out eventually through another boy scout or a parent." He captured one of Roger's hands in his own, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it. "It's the bullies that made me angry. Not you. The bullies were the one who teased and hurt you. You made me /proud,/ remember?" He was desperate to make his son understand. "Don't apologize..."

Stranger: Roger shook his head, beginning to cry again. This was his fault. It was all his fault. He should've never told Dad. He should've never let Dad find out, never let Cecil tell him. He should've never even told Cecil in the first place, because now everything was going wrong and everyone was crying and sad and /Dad was crying--/ "I'm s-sorry!" He repeated again, louder now. His sobs were picking up once again, and he was close to wailing. "I-I shouldn't have told, I'm sorry, I-I didn't want to m-make you sad, Daddy! I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!"

You: Oh, gods. Earl wrapped his arms around Roger and tugged him upwards, holding him the same way a mother would hold a baby that needed to be burped. One hand cradled the back of Roger's head, the other rubbing his back. He couldn't be reasoned with--not until these emotions were out. Hopefully, hiding his face from Roger's would give the child the privacy he needed to get his emotions out. Earl whispered a stream of "I love you"s under his breath, looking over to Carlos and mouthing for him to fetch a glass of water in the process. Carlos disappeared from the room, grabbed the glass, and returned to set it on the nightstand.

Stranger: Roger sobbed freely now, allowing himself to wail as much as he wanted. There was no point in trying to hide it anymore, was there? Dad was already upset. And so was Carlos, and Cecil. They were upset, and it was all because of Roger, and there was no way to even fix it. How had he managed to mess up so badly?! Why was he such an idiot?! He sobbed until he felt he couldn't anymore, at which point he only sniffled weakly against his dad's shoulder. "I-I'm sorry," he whispered again, closing his eyes tightly. "I'm sorry, D-Dad... I-I didn't want to make you upset..." No matter what Earl said, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was his fault, that Earl had cried because of him. Was he that much of a disappointment?

You: He felt Roger slowly go limp against him, but he kept him in the close and hidden position. Perhaps not being able to see one another's faces would help Roger. "It's okay," he whispered again, pressing a kiss to Roger's ear before resuming the back rubs. "The bullies make me upset. You make me proud." Gods, why wasn't this getting through? Maybe he had to walk Roger through the steps. Make him realize he didn't do anything wrong. "Did you provoke these bullies? Say anything mean about their families? Did you hit someone?"

Stranger: "N-No," Roger said weakly, closing his eyes and letting his father hold him. That had been one of the things he thought about most, when all of this had first started. What had he done? What had he done to upset the bullies? He'd never said a mean word towards any of them, never done a mean thing. He kept to himself in every class he took. He stayed in the back of the room and did his work silently. He didn't understand why it was him, why they'd chose him. "I don't-- I-I don't know what I did..."

You: "I'm proud of you," Earl repeated again. He kept the rhythmic rubbing going, hearing his son start to calm down. "Back when my classmates teased me about my family, I hadn't done anything wrong either. I thought I had, but I hadn't. Let's think. Were you mean to Uncle Cecil today? Did you hit him? Cuss at him? Were you passive aggressive or rude in the way you told him what those boys said?"

Stranger: Dad was proud of him. Or at least, that's what he had said. It was practically the first time that evening Roger had actually been listening when he'd said it, and still, he wasn't sure of whether or not to believe him. Still, it was a nice thought, even if he didn't know what exactly there was to be proud of. "N-No!" He was quick to respond to Earl's question, shaking his head and seeming to get upset at that. "I-I wouldn't be mean to Uncle Cecil, Dad! I wasn't!"

You: Earl nodded. "I believe you," he said. Finally, Roger was beginning to digest what he was saying. They were making progress. "I'm proud of you. If you weren't mean and cruel, I guess it wasn't your fault that Uncle Cecil was sad. How about when you told Uncle Carlos? Did you tell him he had bad hair? Did you tell him he was a bad scientist? What mean things did you say to him?"

Stranger: Roger began to cry again at first, not knowing where Earl was going with this. He was still upset, and confused. Did Dad really think he'd say such mean things to him?! He bit his lip, though, shaking his head quickly once more when Earl continued. "N-No! I didn't say any mean things to him, D-Dad! I don't want to say mean things to Uncle Carlos!" He was trembling slightly, crying some more now. "I-I don't want to be mean to them!"

You: The father gently shushed his son. They were making progress--he couldn't let it fall away with poor wording on his part. "That's fantastic, Roger! I'm /proud of you./ You were kind to everyone. You didn't do anything wrong. Now." Earl slowly pushed Roger away, sitting the boy down in his lap so they were facing one another. "What about Dad? Did you say anything mean to me? Did you tell me that I was trailer trash? Or that I belonged in the dump on Center Drive?" He paused, brushing one of Roger's tears away as he shook his head. "No. You didn't. Roger, I need you to hear me. You weren't cruel. You weren't wicked. You didn't say anything mean about anyone. You didn't even tell anyone the names of the boys who picked on you. I don't think I was as strong of character as you are at your age. When I was ten, I would have gotten myself into a lot of trouble. I would have been mean. You're making me /proud./"

Stranger: Roger was still crying as he faced Earl. He couldn't help himself, his crying growing louder as Earl repeated the words that the boys in school had called out to Roger. His breath was hitching slightly as he struggled to calm down, struggled to listen to his father and let him help. Dad was proud of him. Dad was proud of him for being kind, for not doing anything wrong. He swallowed, looking up at his father and biting his lip softly. "I... I-I didn't wanna do anything back," he whispered quietly, eyes closing. "I-I had to listen to the Scout rules. A-A Scout is kind." He repeated the rules that had been told to him when he'd first joined, the rules that he'd memorized and tried his best to follow. "A Scout is always f-friendly, and brave..." he didn't /feel/ very brave.

You: Earl teared up. At first, he closed his eyes, trying to hide them, but then he pried them back open to show his son. "Do you see these tears?" he asked, leaning forward slightly as he rubbed his son's back. "Do you see? You made Dad cry. I'm so, so /happy/ to hear you say those words, Roger. I'm crying from joy. You've never made me cry from anger or sadness. These are the only tears I've ever shed on your behalf." He leaned forward and kissed Roger's forehead.

Stranger: Roger looked up, his eyes growing a bit wider with fear as he noticed the tears at first. He bit his tongue, yelling at himself for upsetting his dad once again, before Earl spoke. He... He was happy. He was happy, but he was crying... Roger frowned, still looking up at him in confusion. "W-Why are you crying, if you're happy?" He asked softly, biting his lip. "I thought... I-I thought people were supposed to cry when... when they're sad, Dad..." He'd only ever cried when he was sad.

You: The father smiled at his son, still forcing himself not to hide his tears. It was harder than he thought. "People cry when they feel a very strong emotion. You've cried laughing before--remember when a squirted chocolate milk out of my nose?" He laughed a little at that, poking Roger's side. "Most people feel a lot of sadness all at once, and they feel happiness or joy in long, beautiful, stretched-out periods. However, sometimes, on rare occasions, someone can be /so/ happy that they cry. It almost never happens. That's how amazing it is." He pulled Roger close, hugging him. "You've made me so proud, Roger. Forget what the other kids say."

Stranger: Roger smiled a faint, fleeting smile at the mention of the chocolate milk incident, nodding a little. He was finally beginning to cheer up, if only slightly. "I-I remember," he said softly. He hadn't thought he'd been crying, really. He just thought he'd gotten something in his eyes, honestly, but... Dad was right. He had been crying. He froze for a moment when Earl wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in for a hug, not knowing exactly what to do at first. He stayed still, thinking silently. /You've made me so proud, Roger./ The boy took a deep breath before reaching forward, hugging his father back and sniffling into his chef's uniform just a little. "I-I love you, Dad," he whispered, closing his eyes. "I love you..."

You: "I love you too. So, so much. More than I could ever say." Feeling Roger wrap his arms around him was the greatest feeling in the world. "I promise, things are going to get better from here on out. Okay? Things will get better." They'd have to have a long talk about how to handle the bullies. They'd have to talk about strength, respect, and fear. But all of that could wait until tomorrow. "Uncle Cecil and Uncle Carlos love you too," he murmured, reaching one hand over to grab the glass of water. He wanted to condition Roger to drink water every time he was upset--it was always nice to have an automatic action to counter an emotion. He didn't want Roger punching walls when he was older. "You're becoming such a strong young man. Stronger than your father."

Stranger: Things were going to get better. It was what Roger needed to hear, but more than that, it was what he needed to believe. He took another deep breath as he tried to let it sink in, nodding. They'd sort it out. They'd figure it out, somehow. Roger didn't have to think of how they'd do that yet. That could wait, for now. He didn't want to get upset again tonight. He just wanted to relax. He sipped slowly at that water, placing the glass down on the carpeted floor when he was done and looking up at his dad. "I-I love Uncle Cecil and Uncle Carlos, too," he whispered quietly, still looking down. He kept his eyes down until Earl's last comment, at which he glanced up, eyes wide with disbelief-- and shock. "... S-Stronger than you?" He asked quietly, looking unsure. "... I don't think anyone can be stronger than you, Dad..."

You: "We'll see as you get older," Earl said with a smile. He stood up with Roger on his hip, slowly descending down the stairs. He had to show Cecil and Carlos that things were alright.

"Hello," he said with a smile, reaching into his pocket with his free hand and pulling out his wallet. He thumbed out forty dollars, sliding them towards Cecil. "Thanks for looking after him. I'm staying home a bit earlier than usual tonight. Roger and I are going to have a movie night. You two are welcome to join if you'd like."

Stranger: Cecil smiled softly at seeing Earl and Roger coming downstairs, at seeing that both of them weren't crying anymore. It was relieving, and he let out a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment before he noticed the forty dollars being pushed his way. "Oh, no, no. Earl, you-- I told you, you don't need to pay me for watching him. It's my pleasure." He smiled faintly, sliding the money back to Earl. At the mention of joining movie night, he glanced to Carlos, eyebrows raised a little. "We... Well. We, um, wouldn't want to intrude on your, uh, family time, and all..."

You: "No no no, I insist!" Earl smiled widely, nodding his head discretely towards his son. He had to show Roger that his uncles weren't upset with him. Carlos caught on immediately. He walked up to Cecil and looped his arm around him, tugging him close and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Cecil and I would love to," he said, smiling at the redheaded boy. "Anything to spend more time with Roger. What movie are we watching? The Little Electron?" Earl snorted.

Stranger: Roger frowned a little when Cecil had initially said that they 'wouldn't want to intrude.' Was that just fancy grown-up talk to say that they didn't want to spend time with him? Were they angry? Did they think he was stupid or weak or a disappointment? Cecil caught on much slower than Carlos, but when he finally realized he nodded quickly, a smile coming to his lips. "Of course. Carlos and I love movies, and we love spending time with our favorite people." He chuckled a little at Carlos's suggestion, elbowing him in the side gently before focusing on Roger again. "What do you wanna watch, kiddo?" Roger shrugged, still looking down and away from his two uncles. "I.. I dunno..." He could think of a few movies, really, but he didn't want to have to pick tonight, and risk messing things up again.

You: Earl stepped in. He knew Roger's favorite--he wasn't going to force his son into another difficult scenario. "Well, I don't know about you three, but I want to watch Toy Story. I was Woody last Halloween." Earl walked to the pantry with Roger on his hip, pulling out popcorn and tossing it to Cecil. "Pop that for me, won't you? And don't let Carlos anywhere near it. He'd science it to a char." "Would not!" "Would to!" The two men snickered. Carlos smiled in defeat, walking to the fridge and pulling out three sodas and one water. Earl never drank soda. Earl moved over to grab a soda, handing it to Roger. He immediately passed Cecil his can, their hands brushing for a moment. "Here."

Stranger: Roger smiled a little, curling up closer to his dad. He wanted to thank him for speaking up, especially with Roger's absolute favorite movie, but he couldn't seem to find the words right now. Cecil grinned and nodded, simply saying, "Toy Story sounds great," and taking the popcorn, keeping Carlos successfully away from it as he popped it. Roger took his can, clutching it closely to his chest and smiling still. This was.. This was nice. Really nice. Cecil took his can as well, smiling with a hint of shyness up at Earl as their hands brushed before he glanced to Carlos. "Darling, go set up the movie, please?"

You: Carlos nodded, kissing Cecil's cheek again before jogging off to the living room. /Thank you,/ Earl mouthed to Cecil, smiling as he did so. Perhaps now wasn't the most appropriate time, but... well. He always loved that sweater on Cecil. "Isn't this nice?" Earl said, his face angled towards Roger but his eyes on Cecil. "It's like we're our own little family. Boys' Night."

Stranger: Cecil grinned, and Roger smiled faintly, too, though he still kept his face mostly hidden in his father's shoulder. He didn't like the way crying made him look. His face could get splotchy so easily, and his eyes were all red and puffy. Although he knew now that neither Carlos nor Cecil would be upset, he still didn't want to show his face too much. "It is nice," Cecil said, nodding when Roger didn't. A family. Their own little family. That made Cecil's smile grow wider. "You're right, Early. Boys' Night it is."

You: /Early./ Earl hadn't heard that in a while. He smiled, not forcing Roger to come out of his hiding space. His son would talk when he was ready. Besides, he enjoyed having some time with Cecil. Clearing his throat, Earl stood up on his toes and peeked into the living room. "How's the movie coming?" "If I rearrange these two wires, I /think/ I can make it 3D... I did it with my mother's VCR one time! Just another minute. You have foil, right?" Earl laughed. He had a backup DVD player in the closet. He'd wait it out. "So, Cecil, is that sweater new?" He knew fair well it wasn't.

Stranger: ((ahh, I love this rp, but it's super late here and I have to sleep!! this was wonderful, though!!!))

[omeglerping]

Bad News from Carlos

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like wtnv, cecearl, and cecilos.

You: Cecil? -CR

You: Come home. -CR

You: Please. -CR

You: It's an emergency. -CR

Stranger: What's going on? -CP

You: It's... I can't say it on the phone. -CR

You: Please. -CR

You: I need you right now. Leave the station. -CR

Stranger: I can't just leave, Carlos. I'm not done with my show yet. -CP Five minutes? -CP

You: I have to shave my head. -CR

Stranger: DON'T YOU DARE CUT YOUR HAIR. -CP I'M ON MY WAY, DON'T EVEN TOUCH IT. -CP

You: Carlos sat on the couch of their small apartment, holding his head in his hands as he cried. /thump/ /thump/ /thump/ His hands tightened in his curls. He let out a shout this time, kicking the nearby table and sending a glass toppling to the ground. He barely noticed.

Stranger: Cecil had sped on the drive home, ignoring the shouts of Intern Matt and disheartening shriek from Station Management. Carlos would /not/ cut his hair. He parked haphazardly, taking the stair two at a time and fumbling with the key before running into their apartment, out of breath. All the shouting, the prepared statements washing away when he saw the broken glass across the hardwood and weeping scientist. "Honey? Carlos, what happened?"

You: He looked over his shoulder when Cecil walked in, lips wobbling and hands shaking. Immediately, he stood. The crying man stumbled to Cecil and pulled him into a tight, desperate hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered, one hand holding the small of Cecil's back while the other cradled the back of his head. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Stranger: Unsure of what to do, Cecil wrapped his own arms around Carlos, stroking his back and softly shushing him, "Hey, hey, Carlos. Don't be sorry, okay? Tell me what's wrong. I just want to help you, Baby." He looked down at the broken glass, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?

You: Carlos pulled away just enough to look Cecil in the eye. /thump/ /thump/ /thump/ This was the last time he was going to look at him without seeing a dying man. Carlos tried to savor it, but seeing the concerned look on Cecil's face made it even harder to keep from sobbing. "C-Cecilito, mi Cecilito, I-I-I'm sick--"

Stranger: ((I THINK I SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING, OH MY GOD.)) "Sick?" Cecil's stomach churned, then he shook his head, "Sweetheart, that's not a big problem. Look, you can just rest, I'll get out the bloodstones." It didn't make sense, why was Carlos so caught up over this? "I know, throat spiders /seem/ scary, but it's really not too bad! We've caught it early, so they're perfectly treatable." Cecil pulled Carlos closer, reaching up to stroke his hair soothingly, "Don't be so upset, Carlos. I'll help you, it's okay."

You: ((sorry...)) "N-No, Cecil, it's--" Carlos sobbed again, hiding his face in his lab coat sleeves. Chordoma. It should have stricken decades ago. Carlos had always thought everyone had a gentle thudding in their head. He often used it to fall asleep or keep in time--he'd never known it was the ticking of a time bomb. It couldn't have gone off at a worse time. "I'm /dying/, Cecil, I- I can't--"

Stranger: ((No, it's perfect. Sad Cecilos is one of my favourite things, don't tell anyone.)) Dying. Dying, Carlos said he was dying. Cecil stepped back, pulling his arms close to himself. His voice a whisper when he spoke up again, /"Dying?/ N-no. You're not. You're fine, Carlos, look! You're right here, you- you're fine." Shaking his head, Cecil took a step closer, grabbing Carlos' hands and pulling them from his face, "Look at me, Carlos. You- you can't-" His voice cracked, tears running now down his own face, "You /can't."/

You: If receiving the news in the hospital was bad, seeing Cecil cry was worse. Carlos let out a gut-wrenching moan, falling against the wall behind him and sliding down to the ground. He curled in and around himself, hugging his knees as he hid from his crying boyfriend. How could he? How could he make Cecil wait for a year, only to disappear four months later? "I'm s-so /sorry!/"

Stranger: "But- I just- I-" Cecil took a deep, shuddering breath. He lowered himself down to his knees, tentatively resting one hand on Carlos' knee. "Can't /loose you./ Not after-" No, that was wrong. Carlos was afraid, crying. Cecil couldn't think about himself, not now. "We can fix this, can't we? Wh-what, I mean, How are you sick? What happened? Can't we- doctors?"

You: Carlos shook as he cried, barely able to get the words out. "T-They said it's... It's like a kitchen timer." Another few deep breaths. Another desperate swallow. "I-It doesn't do anything. Not until something sets it off and-and then it moves /fast/--" Carlos was barely able to continue. He turned towards Cecil, pulling him awkwardly into his lap and holding him tightly. "--/terminal,/ Cecil, I have a month, I don't- I don't know what to do--" /thump/ /thump/ /thump/

Stranger: "Oh /gods."/ Cecil clung to Carlos, now shaking with his own sobs. A month. After two years together, all he had was a month to say goodbye. It wasn't /fair./ He deserved more time. Cecil did, Carlos did, /they/ deserved to be together. "Carlos- I love you. Oh, gods, I love you." He didn't know what else to say, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He had one month, then he'd never kiss Carlos again. Never see him smile, hear his laugh. "Sh-shit. A month." A pause, then, shakily, "Is it g-going to hurt?"

You: "/Yes./" Carlos clung to Cecil like he was all he had left in the world. He still had to call Mama. Papa. Dania. Esteban. He had to call the University of What It Is and the legal offices and the lab assistants and the bowling league. He had to tell everyone. He had to tell everyone he was dying. "I don't want to die, Cecil...! Please, please, I don't want to die...!"

Stranger: Cecil didn't know what else to say. He held the scientist, so tight, as though he could keep his life trapped in the body. Each breath was shuddering, desperate, and hard-won. Cecil buried his nose into the flannel, committing the smell to memory. How long would it take until he forgot? Until the laundry no longer held a hint of lavender? He'd lost Carlos before. He knew what he'd miss the most. "Shhh, Carlos. P-please, don't worry. I- I've got you." He brought his head back up, pressing his forehead against Carlos', "You're still /here./ I've got you."

You: "It's meaningless." Carlos' eyes darted from Cecil's eyes to his lips, the scientist crying in front of Cecil for the first time since they'd started dating. He plunged into his scientific mindset. "This is all meaningless. W-We're going to try to peg some sort of value on these last few days, but I'm only going to get weaker. I'm going to decay. The last thing you're going to see is me with a bald head and all-too-prominent cheekbones being wheeled from the bedroom by grossly punctual paramedics. Every passing day is the best it's going to get, and every passing day is only going to grow worse--"

Stranger: "Sh-shut up!" Cecil drew back, horrified. He pushed Carlos off of his lap, shuffling backwards until there was more than a foot of space between them. "Don't /say/ that! Just, /shut up!"/ Cecil pulled up his hands, covering his face and shaking his head. "Stop it, stop it, stop..." He trailed off, shaking again with tears. "How can you /say/ that?" Cecil looked up, gasping for breath, "I- I thought, one day..." Cecil was shaking his head again, "We were going to grow /old/ together. I- I thought, together until the end, but..."

You: Carlos watched as Cecil cried, overwhelmed with grief. /thump/ /thump/ /thump/ "I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Cecil, I'm so, so sorry..." Slowly, he crawled towards the radio host. "You don't deserve this. Y-You don't deserve to live alone... Please, honey, I'm sorry... Honey-voiced honey, I'm- I--" What was there to say? "I... I love you too..."

You: ((brb for two secs, crying and need a popsicle))

Stranger: Slowly, Cecil moved back over to Carlos, "I- I need that. The- forcing v-value on these days." He wrapped his arms back around the scientist, "Wh-whatever you choose, I'll help you with anything you want. I'll h-help you with doctor stuff, I'm here for you." Cecil pulled him close, Carlos didn't need to feel bad for Cecil right now. "I- we can do this. We're strong, I love you, it's okay." ((Don't cry! Also, jealous of your popsicle.))

You: He only shook his head, burying his face deeper into Cecil's chest. Carlos had seriously considered dumping Cecil with no explanation--but that seemed cruel. Inhumane. Cecil deserved the truth, even if it did cause him this much pain. "I-I need to go in every day," Carlos whispered. "To the doctors. Then can slow it, but only slightly... They're making the final examination on my head tomorrow."

Stranger: "I'll take the time off work." Cecil kissed the top of Carlos' head. His thick, black, perfect hair tickled Cecil's nose. Not that it would for long. Cecil shook off the thought, "I'll be with you every day. Every trip, it'll be fine, okay? I love you. I'm here, I'm here..." He didn't know what to say, instead settling for the meaningless reassurance, "I won't let you go. I- I love you."

You: "Earl told me h-how you lived when I was in the desert." Carlos' tears didn't stop, but his voice was considerably more determined than it had been before. "The drinking. T-The isolation. Cecil, you have to promise me you'll keep on living. Promise me right now that w--" Another choked back cry. "--when I'm /gone,/ you'll take care of yourself."

Stranger: Cecil froze, of course Earl had told him. /Of course/ Carlos got to worry about that now, on top of /everything/ Carlos had to worry about Cecil and his insignificant problems. "I-it wasn't a big deal. Earl makes it sound worse..." Cecil sniffled, rubbing Carlos' back as he spoke, "I'll be fine, really. I take /perfectly good/ care without you." Now he was lying, right to Carlos' face. Having Carlos gone had landed Cecil under round-the-clock watch from his friends and neighbors, making sure he didn't die of alcohol poisoning. What would loosing him do? "D-don't worry about me. I'm fine." Cecil brought one hand around, wiping his eyes.

You: Carlos shook his head, forcing himself to sit up. He sat just inches away from Cecil, taking his reddened face in both of his hands. Thumbs rubbing beneath Cecil's crusted eyes, Carlos forced eye contact. He was hurting. He felt like a star eating itself into oblivion, his black hole sucking in anything that came close enough. He had to free his partner. "I know you well enough to know when you're lying to me. N-No drinking. None. Promise. Promise me right now." His chest heaved with suppressed crying, the scientist doing everything he could to appear intimidating and strong.

Stranger: Squirming under Carlos' gaze, Cecil tried to shift his eyes away. Gods, Carlos knew him too well. He was tempted to try and lie again, to hug Carlos and promise him that he'd shed a tear and move on. But he couldn't. Cecil finally met Carlos' eyes, blinking and licking his lips, "I- I can't. I can't promise that." His tears sped up again, and he was sure he looked a mess. "I- I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Carlos."

You: The dying man let out an anguished groan, hanging his head and letting his hands fall from Cecil's face like yellowed leaves from a tree. "You're not... Oh, gods above..." Carlos had one mission left. One last conclusion to reach. He had to remind Cecil why life was still worth living after he was gone. "I-I'll be right back," Carlos whispered, grabbing the counter and using it to help himself back up to his feet. Running from Cecil, he yanked the bathroom door closed behind him and locked it. Gods, would he ever stop crying? Earl? -CR

Stranger: "Carlos?" Cecil felt the absence suddenly, the room was too /empty./ "Carlos!" He scrambled up, chasing the scientist and knocking on the locked door, "What's going on? Sweetie- Carlos, please- I can't be alone..." He sobbed awkwardly, leaning against the door. Carlos? What's up? -EH Why did the show get cut short? Is Cecil okay? -EH

You: "Just a second!" Carlos called back, his voice raw from the crying. He felt terrible, locking Cecil out, but it was for his own good in the long run. Carlos had to take care of Cecil while he still could and make arrangements for when he couldn't. I have cancer. I'm dying in a month. Or less. I need you to watch Cecil when I'm gone. He just told me he won't be able to take care of himself. -CR

Stranger: "I- Carlos..." His voice grew weaker, what was Carlos doing? Why had he run away? This was Cecil's fault. He should've lied, told Carlos he'd be okay. Now Carlos didn't even want to /be around him./ "I'm sorry, gods, I'm so sorry." What? -EH How long have you known? -EH I'm so sorry, Carlos. Gods, this is awful. -EH Fuck, Ceec must be taking this horribly. Yeah, I can watch him. Gods, I'm so sorry. -EH

You: Carlos leaned against the door, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for Earl's replies. He wanted nothing more than to hold Cecil. To be /held./ But he was forced into a position of authority. Of responsibility. He needed to reach out. I found out today at work. Passed out with a beaker in hand. Went to the ER. -CR You're a good man, Earl. I know we've had our conflicts in the past, but I know you love Cecil. Look after him when I'm gone. Maybe move in. Have him move in with you. Whatever it takes. -CR

Stranger: When Carlos didn't answer, Cecil sunk down, sitting at the base of the door. He wasn't crying anymore, his breath came hallow, and his eyes still streamed, but he wasn't crying. Yeah, I've got it. Don't worry about him, I'll make sure he doesn't start drinking again. -EH Carlos... are you okay? Can I help out at all? -EH

You: ((is it bad that this is all I can think of? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-zXT5bIBM0))

Stranger: ((HOLY SHIT. YOU JUST KILLED ME, YES. This is perfect, oh my god.))

You: He leaned over his phone as he typed, not acknowledging the silence behind him. He was too focused. Too determined. I'm not okay. -CR But my primary concern is taking care of the people I love. I need to talk to my parents. And my brother and sister. I need to make arrangements and... and make sure I don't destroy anything before I disappear. -CR My emotions can wait until Cecil cries himself to sleep. -CR

Stranger: "Carlos? What's going on? Let me in, please, I just want to help you..." Cecil held his head between his hands, he felt trapped. Carlos didn't /want/ his help anymore. He'd cut him off. He was already gone. Cecil suddenly realized he was panicking, his breaths shallow and heart pounding in his ears. The radio host began taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. You want to help him before yourself, I get that. -EH But he's not the one who's dying, Carlos. -EH

You: Carlos couldn't ignore Cecil. It wasn't fair. But he knew the second Cecil could get his hands on Carlos' phone, he was going to cut off their conversation. It was for Cecil's own good. Maybe so. But my suffering is going to end. -CR He rubbed his nose with his lab coat sleeve again, blinking hard to stay focused on the tiny phone screen. He was starting to feel light-headed. Not enough water. He just hadn't had enough water. "I'm... 'm texting Earl," he mumbled.

Stranger: Cecil's head shot up from between his hands, "What?" He turned, facing the door now, "No, nonono, I'm /fine!/ I don't need a goddamn babysitter!" He hit the door, then let his head fall forward, resting his forehead against the cool wood. Promise you'll take care of yourself. -EH

You: I'll make it. Just take care of Cecil. Cecil's #1. -CR Straightening his posture and taking off his glasses, Carlos turned around and opened the door. He was considerably paler than he had been before, a cold sweat breaking out along his brow. "Cec... Cecilito, in my satchel there's a small... a small needle dispenser kit... Will you get that please?"

Stranger: The words almost didn't process for a moment, then Cecil's eyes blew open wide. "Y-yeah. Of course- let me..." He scrambled up off the floor, running to the front hall and grabbing the bag. He dug through, finding the unfamiliar kit and rushing back to Carlos. "Are you- what can I do?" He worriedly clutched the package in his hands, wanting to help but unsure of the best course of action. "Do you need to sit down? You look faint."

You: He nodded, setting his phone (unlocked) on the nearby counter and sitting down on the toilet. He held his head in his hands as Cecil studied the kit, the /thump/ing growing louder. "I... You need to... Yeah, you need to take out the needle and stick it in the top of the vial. Retract all the way, only fill up 50 ml. Stick it... Stick it in my arm. Please."

Stranger: ((Are you there?))

You: ((yes!))

You: ((did it not go through?))

Stranger: ((I guess not, sorry. My wifi is Satan...))

You: ((Hold on, sending it in two parts))

You: He nodded, setting his phone (unlocked) on the nearby counter and sitting down on the toilet. He held his head in his hands as Cecil studied the kit, the /thump/ing growing louder.

You: "I... You need to... Yeah, you need to take out the needle and stick it in the top of the vial. Retract all the way, only fill up 50 ml. Stick it... Stick it in my arm. Please."

You: ((get that one?))

Stranger: ((Yes!))

You: ((hooray! <3))

Stranger: ((Second half?))

You: ((last word of second half should have been "Please."))

Stranger: ((Oh my god. I got the second part, not the first...))

You: ((if you just got the second half, that's fine. Carlos just left his phone unlocked on the counter and sat on the toilet basin.))

You: ((and the /thump/s are getting louder))

Stranger: ((Okay, I can deal with that, one second...))

Stranger: "Oh- okay." Cecil swallowed. He /had/ to do this. Carlos /needed/ Cecil to help him, they were going to be doing this for the next month. Stealing a glance at Carlos' phone screen, Cecil sat down on the edge of the tub, facing Carlos. With shaking hands he followed Carlos' instructions, putting on a collected face, "Um, what were you texting Earl about?" He reached over, taking a deep breath before slowly sticking Carlos' arm with the needle. "Ohhh, gods, uh-" He looked up, wide-eyed, "Do I push the plunger?"

You: "Quickly," Carlos said, closing his eyes. He'd always hated needles, forgoing flu shots for orange juice when he was little, but he had no choice now. "Please, quickly." The phone on the counter buzzed with a reply from Earl, but Carlos didn't have the strength to answer it. It was like he'd suddenly run five miles straight, his legs trembling and his breath coming short. "/Push./"

Stranger: "Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods..." Cecil tried to keep from panicking, pushing the plunger into the syringe and watching it empty into Carlos' arm. He looked awful, sickly. This is what it would be like from now on. Cecil pulled the needle out, holding it in one hand and the partial-vial of medicine in the other. "I- I'm sorry. I'll get better, I can ask a doctor, right? Someone can teach me now to help, right?" He sat the syringe and bottle down on the floor, reaching out to grab Carlos' hands. "Are you okay? What do I do?" Rambling, Cecil tried to suppress his panic, /Carlos/ should be upset. Not Cecil.

You: Carlos closed his eyes, sitting on the edge of the toilet basin as he breathed. He squeezed Cecil's hands back with the same urgency. Then, all of a sudden, the feeling started to dissipate. Color slowly returned to Carlos' cheeks and neck. His breathing slowed to a normal rate. With each passing second, the thumping in his head subsided. "...better, thank you. Thank you. I'm sorry I scared you." He squinted his eyes at Cecil, the glasses left on the counter next to his phone. "You did marvelously."

Stranger: Cecil let out a deep breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. He leaned forward, kissing Carlos and sighing, "I wasn't /scared.../ there was just- a lot of urgency." He laughed nervously, looking at Carlos, he felt content. Then it hit him, again. Like he'd forgotten and suddenly it was /all/ he could think about. How could Cecil have forgotten? Even for that moment? He let out a long breath, reaching up to grab Carlos' glasses, his fingers closing around the scientist's cell instead. Cecil continued on as though nothing happened, grabbing the glasses in the same hand. He dropped the glasses on Carlos' lap, but held the phone protectively in both hands. I can take care of Cecil. Just... don't suffer on his behalf. Okay? -EH Cecil scrolled up, reading as many texts as he could before Carlos took back the phone.

You: Carlos fumbled with his glasses for a moment before managing to pull them on, staring down at the device in Cecil's hands. What did it matter if Cecil got upset? If he thought he didn't need aftercare? Earl knew how Cecil responded in times of crisis. No matter how Cecil felt or how Carlos acted, Earl would be there to look after him. There was no point in fighting it. Carlos was so tired of /fighting./ "Cecil, can we go to bed? Please?"

Stranger: When Cecil looked back up there were tears in his eyes. He nodded silently. They could talk about this later, figure something out that didn't include twenty-four hour care from his ex. Cecil rose to his feet, then leaned over, pulling Carlos up. He wanted to pick up the other man, carry him and protect him and tell him /everything is going to be fine./ He settled for holding his hand as he lead him to the bedroom. "Thank you, for caring about me so much."

You: He hated how tired he felt. It made him feel weak and useless--and it probably scared Cecil to his core. Cursing himself under his breath, Carlos fell onto the bed, pulling Cecil down with him and tugging him close. His eyes were heavy already, his body feeling heavier than it ever had before. "I love you," he said again. "I want you to be okay... I can handle this, you need to take care of yourself..."

Stranger: "I-" Cecil swallowed thickly, nodding as he pulled Carlos closer. The poor man looked completely exhausted, Cecil didn't expect him to last terribly long. "I love you, too." His voice broke again, clutching onto Carlos as a tear snuck from his eye. "Oh, gods, I love you, too." He pressed a kiss to Carlos' lips. "Instantly and forever. I never want to be away from you again, okay? I- I missed you, and now you're leaving again, and..." One hand raised up, wiping Cecil's eyes, "Sorry. Sorry."

You: Guilt. The guilt was definitely not a new emotion. The second Carlos had received his diagnosis, he thought of Cecil. Cecil, finding out. Cecil, taking care of him. Cecil, haunched over a casket as it was lowered into the ground. "I'm the luckiest man alive," Carlos said, eyes fully closed now. There was definitely a sedative in the medication. Fuck. "I... I get to love you... Even just for a little while... I promise, I'll be with you every second I can."

Stranger: Cecil smiled, kissing Carlos gently on the closed eyelid and waiting until his breathing slowed, once he was sure Carlos was asleep, he got up out of bed, finding Carlos' phone where he'd sat it in the bathroom. The spent syringe and vial were still on the floor, and Cecil tossed them into the trash. Sitting back on the tub's edge, he read over the phone conversation again, and debated a moment before pulling out his own phone, typing out a text. I don't need your help right now. -CP Carlos does, he won't admit it but he does. -CP ((Do you mind terribly switching to Earl? If you'd rather, we can do a time skip to when Carlos is awake?))

You: ((no problemo!))

You: You're right. Carlos needs help. -EH

You: But the best way you can help him right now is by taking care of yourself. -EH

Stranger: I'm fine. -CP It's not like Carlos is going to let me do anything. -CP

You: You're not fine, Cecil. You're already grieving. You can't mourn him while he's still here. -EH

Stranger: I am not. -CP [delayed] I've been in a different room than him for five minutes and I already feel like I've abandoned him. -CP

You: Cecil, read carefully. -EH

You: This is about him. -EH

You: This last month has to be about his emotions and his wellbeing. -EH

You: You can't give him more to worry about. Stress will literally kill him. -EH

Stranger: Oh gods. -CP Earl, I can't do this. He needed me to help him today and I've already fucked up. He just needed one stupid thing and I got it wrong. -CP I'm going to fuck this whole thing up, aren't I? -CP

You: What did he need? -EH

Stranger: A needle. I froze up, he had to tell me what to do, it was awful. -CP

You: Did you administer his medication? -EH

Stranger: Yeah, but he had to practically yell at me before I could do it. -CP

You: But you did it. -EH

You: Cecil, this isn't going to be a perfect 30 days. -EH

You: The best you can do is love him and be there for him. -EH

Stranger: I don't know if I can do this, Earl. -CP

You: You have to. -EH

Stranger: Okay. -CP What if I can't? What if I do something stupid? -CP

You: He loves you too. Loves your stupidity. -EH

You: You're going to mess up. He's going to mess up. You're both going to say things you don't mean. -EH

You: Don't focus on that. -EH

You: You have 30 days left. How do you want to remember them? -EH

Stranger: I want to remember that I love him. That he loves me. -CP

You: Then keep that as your main objective. -EH

Stranger: What if I'm not there and he needs help? What if I think it's okay and I leave him alone for one second and he needs me there? -CP

You: For the first, say, 10 days, I wouldn't worry about that Cecil. -EH

You: Eventually, however... I think you'll have to have a stay-at-home nurse. -E

You: I know it's undesirable, but it's safe. Talk to Carlos about it. -EH

You: How are you feeling? -EH

Stranger: Okay, that sounds... We can talk about it. -CP Numb. I need a drink. -CP

You: You what!? -EH

You: Cecil, no. Not again. -EH

You: You are /not/ going to go onto substances to deal with this. -EH

Stranger: I didn't say I was going to have one! Gods, calm down. -CP Carlos flushed all the liquor, anyways, after /someone/ went and convinced him that I'm some sort of alcoholic recluse. -CP

You: I love you, Cecil. It was for your own good. -EH

Stranger: Yeah, I know. -CP Of course. -CP Earl, what do other people do? I mean, those who don't just cycle scotch bottles? How do I get over this? -CP

You: [delayed] You spend time with friends. Family. -EH

You: You don't force yourself to get over it. -EH

You: You ride out the pain. You take it in and realize how much this person meant to you. -EH

Stranger: I read Carlos' texts to you. -CP You don't have to move in with me, after. I'll be fine, and you have to be there for Roger, anyways. -CP

You: Cecil? Talk to me about this afterwards. -Eh

You: Enjoy time with your boyfriend. -EH

Stranger: He's asleep. -CP I don't want to leave him alone, but whenever I walk in there I start crying again. -CP

You: Take the phone with you. I'm here. -EH

You: Cecil, I'm so sorry... -EH

Stranger: He hasn't told me what it is yet. Just... that it's terminal. -CP Oh my gods, he feels like he has to protect me, doesn't he? -CP

You: Yes. Yes, he does. -EH

Stranger: Do you know? -CP I assume it's cancer. -CP He told me he has to shave his head. -CP

You: It's cancer. He didn't tell me what kind. -EH

You: I'm sorry, Cecil. -EH

You: Carlos is going to do whatever he can to shield you from what's happening to him. -EH

You: But... you have to let him. -EH

Stranger: No, I don't. I need to know, I need to understand so I can /help/ him. -CP

You: You'll make him feel worse if you intrude. I know it's hard. -EH

Stranger: Earl, he never even said the word cancer. -CP He locked me out of the bathroom to text you. -CP He can't even feel sorry for himself without apologizing to me first. -CP I just want him to stop worrying. I want him to let me worry for him. -CP

You: [delayed] I'm not saying Carlos is in the right, Cecil. -EH

You: You are. -EH

You: You should be carrying the load. -EH

You: But Carlos is a strong, upstanding man. -EH

You: You have to prove to him that he doesn't have to worry for you at all. -EH

Stranger: How do I do that? -CP

You: Be upstanding. -EH

You: Be strong. -EH

You: Be there to help him when he asks. -EH

You: Take care of yourself. -EH

You: You can't waste away with him. -EH

Stranger: I can do that. For a month. -CP [delayed] He's only been home for four months. We only have a quarter of that to spend with each other. -CP It's not enough. -CP

You: It's never enough. -EH

You: Cecil, go to sleep. You need to be rested for tomorrow. -EH

Stranger: He sleeps with his forehead wrinkled. -CP Is he going to look concerned when he dies? People always say they can just pretend they're sleeping, but if he's not wrinkling his eyebrows it won't look like him. -CP

You: I don't know. -EH

You: I think he'll look relaxed. But that's not something you should think about. -EH

You: You need to curl up to him and sleep. -EH

Stranger: Okay. -CP I'm sorry, Earl. This isn't your problem, I just can't deal with myself right now. -CP

You: I understand. And that's why I always want you to turn to me instead of Carlos if you're feeling stressed or worried. Okay? -EH

Stranger: Okay, thank you, Earl. -CP

You: I love you. Cuddle with your loved one. -EH

[omeglerping]

Figure Out how to Treat Me

Stranger: Carlos? We might have a problem. -CP You know Earl, right? We dated in high school? He's a chef now? Well, his name is /really/ close to yours on my contacts list, and I may have sent him something meant for you. -CP

You: What? -CL

Stranger: Um... a picture. -CP

You: A picture of what? -CL

Stranger: Carlos. -CP Try and make an inference. -CP

You: [delayed] Oh. -CL

You: /OH./ -CL

You: How'd he take it? -CL [attached: image 561.jpeg] [Earl Harlan wearing fishnets and a tight set of black leather underwear] -EH

Stranger: Umm... Enthusiastically? -CP Oh, my gods, Earl, I meant to send that to Carlos! I'm so sorry. -CP When'd you start wearing leather, though? -CP

You: Enthusiastically how? -CL I've taken up a side job. Don't tell me you don't like what you see. -EH

Stranger: Like... sent a picture back sort of enthusiastically? -CP I'm not /allowed/ to like what I see. I'm in a relationship, Earl. -CP Sorry, wait, a side job? Doing what, exactally? -CP

You: Oh, gods above... Should I talk to him? -CL What I do best. You should know. [attached: image 562.jpeg] [Earl Harlan sucking a purple dildo, /deep,/ with one hand massaging his crotch] -EH

Stranger: I think maybe you should... I'm not doing the greatest job. -CP That's... nice. I hope you enjoy that. -CP I /really/ shouldn't be talking to you at all, though. I'm deleting this message thread... -CP

You: What do you mean? -CL Oh, Cecil. Have you and Carlos experimented with your little rope fantasies yet? I know how hard you got every time I sucked you off and all you could do was cry out... -EH

Stranger: He has a bit of a one-track mind. -CP Our sex life is none of your business. -CP [delayed] He's not really into anything like that. Carlos is a very... gentle man. -CP

You: Gods. Just don't text him. Always works for me. No replies, no hassle. -CL Ah. Vanilla. What a shame. -EH You always looked so beautiful with those rope marks on your wrists. -EH Are you touching yourself right now? -EH

Stranger: He doesn't seem hindered by that, actually. -CP Earl! Stop, I can't do this. It's wrong of you and me. -CP

You: You've stopped? -CL [attached: image 653.jpeg] [Earl Harlan in an even more scandalous pair of panties, wearing the highest pumps he can manage.] -EH How about now? -EH

Stranger: I did for a minute, he just kept sending more. I'm just asking him to stop, it's getting ridiculous, though. -CP Earl... Look, go take care of yourself. I'm /in a relationship./ This is vastly inappropriate. -CP

You: Right. Okay. I'll be right back. -CL C'mon, Cec... Tell me you don't miss these days. My nipples are getting hard just thinking about your teeth. -EH

Stranger: What are you doing? -CP I will block your number, Earl. Seriously, stop it. -CP

You: Nothing. -CL Fine. Fine. Okay. No side business. -EH Just... enjoyed your photo. That's all. Thought I could give some pleasure back. -EH

Stranger: No, seriously, Carlos, where are you going? What's going on? I've cleared things up with Earl, it's fine now! -CP Thank you for stopping. -CP And for liking it, Carlos isn't always sure how to react to the lacy ones, so I'm glad to receive /some/ feedback other than 'oh' -CP No, that was inappropriate of me. You didn't need to know that, sorry. -CP

You: I'm just writing a message. -CL He saw /that/ and all he said was "oh?" Cecil, what have you gotten yourself into? Exes or not, I know what you like. That isn't it. -EH

Stranger: It's not to Earl, is it? I told you, it's fine! -CP What I 'like' doesn't matter. Carlos is a nice guy, he's kind to me and cares that I'm happy. Maybe he doesn't really agree with me in the bedroom, but I still love him. -CP

You: No. It's not. -CL Have you talked with him about what you like? -EH

Stranger: Okay... I trust you, sweetheart. -CP Yes. I mean, kinda. I hinted once but he's just not really interested. I don't know, he hasn't really been with a lot of guys, variety's not his thing. -CP

You: Ah. -EH What a shame. -EH If I were you, I'd be more up-front. -EH

Stranger: I don't want to screw things up between us! I really love him, I don't want to freak him out by asking him to tie me up and fuck me for days. -CP Believe it or not, some people are frightened by that sort of question, unlike you. -CP

You: I always liked a challenge. -EH You shouldn't be worried about screwing things up when all you're being is honest. -EH

Stranger: I don't want to intimidate him, Earl. Even when we're being as rough as he gets, it's all just constant "Are you okay?" and "I think we should slow down." And it's frustrating and I feel a little unsatisfied, but I'm not in it for the sex. That is only a portion of this relationship. -CP

You: Maybe do some role reversal. You be the one in control. Then he won't be asking if you're okay every five seconds. -EH

Stranger: I'd rather be fucked gently for the rest of my life than try topping at all. I like being underneath, you know that. -CP

You: I know, I know. It'd be a one-time deal. -EH You'd hate it, but think of the payoff. -EH

Stranger: I guess... I should ask him. I'm sure he'd be willing to at least try. -CP

You: Good move. -EH

You: Show him what you really like. -EH

Stranger: Thank you, for this, Earl. I know it's weird, I just need someone to help me with this sometimes. I guess I don't really feel comfortable talking to Carlos about sex. -CP Oh, gods, is that a bad indicator for our relationship? That I don't feel okay asking him about sex? -CP

You: I think this is a good step to getting out of that rut. -EH

Stranger: Thank you, Earl. Sorry for... exciting you, I guess. -CP

You: All good. I'm your friend. Let me know how it goes. -EH

You: Later that night, Carlos Lenoza grinned and threw Cecil down onto the bed. The scientist had already long abandoned his shirt, his hands moving down to Cecil's belt. Their kissing sessions on the couch never lasted for long these days, the pair always eager to return to the bedroom. He smiled as he kissed his way down Cecil's chest and stomach, letting the belt fall to the floor.

Stranger: "Carlos, wait." Cecil sat up, trying his best to accommodate the look of confidence, of control that Earl typically had. /Stop thinking about Earl./ "I'm in charge tonight. Lay down." He'd pushed Carlos's head away from his stomach by the shoulders, keeping a cool expression. "Take off your own pants, give me a minute..." Cecil rolled himself off the bed, forcing himself to take time in the short walk to the nightstand back to the foot of the bed. He stood, looking down at Carlos with lube in hand, "Remember when I told you I wished you were a little rougher? I want to show you what I mean."

You: Carlos stared up at Cecil, looking from the lube to his face. There was something /different/ in the way Cecil was staring at him--something almost aggressive. He smiled awkwardly, laying down and shimmying his way out of his jeans. "What do you mean by 'rougher?'" he asked. "Cecil, you never top."

Stranger: "I want to show you..." Cecil drummed the lube slowly against the palm of his other hand, "The way I want you to fuck me." That was another thing, Cecil tried not to swear around Carlos, especially about sex. He knew the scientist treated sex as more of an... intimacy. Something special that deserved reverence. "So I'm topping tonight, and every night until you figure out how to treat me, okay sweetie?" He allowed himself a smile, then realized it must have looked out of place, even a little frightening after his statement.

You: The scientist's heart was thudding in his chest, his hands tightening in the sheets. /Fuck?/ Cecil never used that terminology in bed. Their time together was something beautiful, something that was more of an art than an activity. At least, that was how Carlos viewed it. Suddenly self-conscious, Carlos forced himself to spread his legs. "I thought you liked how I treated you..."

Stranger: "I love it! It's great, and you're always so careful with me..." Cecil's light tone dropped, "I want you to realize, the way you show so much restraint, that's kind. Sometimes, though, it's kind of someone to show their love in a less controlled way. Or, equally controlled, just a little more /demanding."/ He hadn't climbed on the bed or made any move to take off his pants, yet, still standing at the foot, "Carlos. I used to have partners who tied me up. I've been fucked, denied orgasm, even burned with a lighter or cut open before. I'm not asking you to go that far, I just feel like I'd rather if you were a little less gentle with me."

You: Carlos opened his mouth to protest before letting his lips come back together again. The scientist had indulged in a grand total of two other men before he met Cecil. Everything had been passionate, slow, and loving. There was never any pain or discomfort--just compassion. That had been how Carlos had liked it. He'd been satisfied. But clearly, he was leaving Cecil wanting more. "Okay," he said quietly, quite literally forcing himself not to cross his legs or move his hands to cover himself. "I'm sorry. I want to make you happy."

Stranger: "But, you don't want this." Cecil's heart dropped. "You don't want me to do this to you, and you don't want to do it to me." He kept all emotion from his voice, not wanting Carlos to know his disappointment or frustration, he was simply stating fact. "That's fine, we don't have to. Never feel forced, Carlos." He sighed, beginning to undo his own pants. "I don't really feel like topping, anyways. It was dumb of me to think this would work."

You: "No. No no no." Carlos sat up, taking Cecil's hands and holding them in place. "Stop that. Please." He looked up at the radio host, forcing a small smile. "It's not what I'm used to," he said quietly. "It's not how I... naturally come into these things. But that doesn't mean I won't like it." He gave a weak shrug, letting Cecil's hands go and pulling down his pants. He gave him a rub through his underwear, biting his lip. How could he deny Cecil something he wanted without knowing what it was? "I want to try. I do. I just... I'll need some... guidance." He pulled Cecil's underwear down, leaning forward and wrapping his lips around Cecil's head. His movements were as gentle and loving as always, but he tried to hold his hips harder than usual.

Stranger: Cecil tried to protest, to move away Carlos' hands, but his submissive nature finally kicked in and he stopped. He watched Carlos, almost feeling pitiful for asking this of him. "Um, are you sure you want it here? I mean, in the mouth?" He grabbed a fistful of Carlos' hair, pulling him off in a way that sent shivers down his own spine. Oh, the time Cecil had spent, thinking of /pulling/ Carlos' hair. "I will- I mean, if you let me, I'll end up fucking you in the throat, it'll affect your voice, everyone will know."

You: He let out a little gasp at the hair pulling, wincing. At first, he didn't understand, but at the clarification Carlos did no more than open his mouth as wide as he could. He closed his eyes, fingernails digging into Cecil's skin. This is what Cecil liked. Maybe, eventually, Carlos could step into his role. There was only one way to find out.

Stranger: "Okay, okay. I can do this." Cecil smiled, still gripping the fistful of hair, "Now, if you want me to stop, just push me away. You can't really safe-word with your mouthful, but if you start pushing me I'll stop, promise." He started slow, putting half his length into the warmth of Carlos' mouth and gently rocking back and forth, "N-normally, this would be you. I don't /like/ being in charge, I'm submissive. I'm just here for /your/ pleasure." He didn't deepen or quicken his movements, waiting to make sure Carlos was still fine.

You: Carlos wanted to wrap his lips around the moving member, but he found it almost impossible to be a part of the pleasing process. Slowly, with each pulse, he let his mouth relax more and more. Ah, so that's what this was. Carlos was an object. A plaything. He wasn't supposed to reciprocate. Cecil wanted to be his plaything. Carlos didn't push away, though the thought made him sad somehow. He relaxed his throat, keeping his eyes closed and letting his lips hang loose.

Stranger: "Th-this isn't what it'll be like every time." Cecil was moving faster now, unused to the feeling of control and loving every second, "I like when y-you make love to me. A lot. I j-just would appreciate this - ohh, Carlos - th-this every once in a wh-while. To know I'm being helpful." His eyes were closed too, know. His face upturned, though, as if searching for something. With each thrust Cecil was deepening, loosing himself to the sensation of fucking after years of avoiding it. He still felt wrong, awful for doing this, but it was for the best. He told himself, Carlos would never learn how to treat him right if he didn't at least /try/ and show him.

You: When Cecil closed his eyes, Carlos cracked his open. All the times they'd made love didn't equate to the look of pleasure on Cecil's face. It almost made Carlos want to cry, how underwhelmed the radio host had been after eight months of sex. Still, he tried not to take it personally, trying to ignore the painful hair pulling. Closing his eyes again, he let himself get swept up into the act. When Cecil finally, /finally/ released him, Carlos gasped for air. Saliva dripped down his chin, his hair a tousled mess around his face. He stared up at the radio host, a hand moving up to his throat. It almost /stung,/ but it was nothing he couldn't manage. "Wh--" Carlos' voice was hoarse, and his eye twitched as he spoke. "What now?"

Stranger: "Now..." Cecil's chest heaved with the joy of his afterglow, but his euphoria felt wrong, almost stolen from Carlos. He sat back, pressing his wrists together behind his back, as though they were tied to his crossed ankles. Cecil's knees splayed apart and he looked up, cock still shrinking when he gave a smile, "Now I want you to do that to me. You did /amazingly/, sweetheart, I loved that, but I can tell you didn't as much as I, so I want to give back to you. Just please yourself, I promise it'll be good, do whatever feels right." Cecil smiled through his concern, trying to promise himself that it would be fine, that Carlos /knew/ now. That Carlos would try to dominate him, let him be the good little boyfriend he wanted to be. Cecil stopped himself from thinking of himself as a slut, knowing if he thought it he might say it, and that it would offend Carlos beyond all else to know Cecil thought of himself that way.

You: Carlos stood up slowly, looking down at Cecil and pressing his hand into his hair. He let his fingers caress Cecil's head for a moment, lovingly stroking him, before he took a handful as tightly as he could without apologizing and letting go entirely. Cecil looked almost rehearsed. He moved from one position to the next with little to no hesitation, his body expertly arched and his lips lovingly pursed. Taking a deep breath, Carlos took his cock in his other hand, pressing it against Cecil's lips.

Stranger: The feeling of Cecil's hand gripping his hair, of his dick seeking entrance at his lips, it brought Cecil back. To a memory of countless other times, with other men who were far less polite. Cecil opened happily, fighting a smile to properly open his mouth. He looked up, mouth wide, as he pulled his head forward, rewarded with a sharp tug of hair and the beginning taste of Carlos. His neck snapped back like whiplash, fighting almost against the hand in his hair that held him back.

You: He let out a small moan, grateful for Cecil's lips around him. Still, the usual caring intimacy was gone. Closing his eyes, Carlos forced himself to hold Cecil's head in place, rocking his hips forward at a slow, hesitant pace. He knew what it was like to have a cock shoved in your mouth. He didn't like it. But at the enthusiasm and joy he could feel with his hand, he made himself move faster.

Stranger: Moaning loudly, Cecil tried to encourage Carlos to move faster. He couldn't do much from this position, but since Carlos wasn't going very fast yet, he did his best to help him relax, swallowing and groaning. Cecil could see the sort of concerned look on Carlos' face, and made a mental note to give him a talk on how he /enjoyed/ being used like this. He wondered for a moment whether Earl could explain it to him. /No! Not thinking about Earl, I'm sucking off Carlos, we are not thinking about Earl./

You: Cecil was making filthy sounds. That voice of his simply wasn't fair. Keeping his eyes squeezed shut and his head turned away, Carlos tried to lose himself to the pleasure, taking Cecil's hints and moving at a faster rate. Gods, this felt wrong. Wrong in every sense. Cecil wasn't a toy. He was a /man./ A beautiful man with blonde hair and a honeyed voice and an obsession with cats and a passion for sculpting... Carlos would trade sex for a month to kiss that beautiful man right now. But another moan made him continue, rocking as fast as he could.

Stranger: Cecil finally relaxed, letting himself just be /there/, a presence, no longer trying to further Carlos' actions. He focused on keeping still, curling his lips over his teeth to ensure Carlos didn't hurt himself as his actions became erratic. He could feel his own dick halfheartedly twitching, stirred by the rough feeling of Carlos hitting his throat, of the feeling of thick, coarse hair against his nose. Cecil wasn't used to finishing first, not before he met Carlos. Typically, he'd have to wait until his partner orgasmed, or hours after that before he could receive release.

You: Finally, Carlos couldn't take it anymore. There was no way he could orgasm with Cecil just sitting there like a limp fish. Praying he wouldn't spoil things, he took a deep breath and pushed Cecil off, pushing him into the bed and straddling him. He tugged at his cock, biting his lip and doing everything he could to make himself finish. He was throbbing in his hand now, his eyes closed and his neck craning back as his muscles strained for release--

Stranger: "What're you doing?" Cecil choked out, covering his mouth as he coughed dryly, "Stop, baby, no!" He reached down, taking Carlos in his own hand, swatting the scientist's away. "This is /my/ job. You're supposed to be enjoying yourself." He grabbed and pulled, matching Carlos' own rough actions from before, encouraging orgasm in any way he could. He needed to have a talk with Carlos, when this was over. The sooner Carlos could orgasm, the sooner he could tell Cecil what he'd been doing wrong, so that next time Carlos wouldn't have to stop. "I just want to /help/ you, Carlos. That's why we're doing this."

You: He was going to get it in Cecil's face. Gasping, trying to fight the sensation, he reached a hand down to catch the load. When he was swatted away, it was too late, the scientist releasing himself and spewing across Cecil's cheek and eyelid. He gasped for breath for a few moments, his muscles jelly, before he fell against Cecil and hugged him tightly. His free hand reached for his earlier-discarded shirt, gently wiping Cecil's face. "Oh, honey. Honey, I'm sorry..."

Stranger: "Fuck, no. Sweetie, that was good." Cecil grabbed the shirt from Carlos' hand, voice still husky, "I can clean this up, it's fine. You relax." Cecil stuck out his tongue, licking what he could from his cheek while tossing the shirt off of the bed. He reached up, smearing some of the release from his eyelid and licking it off of his fingers. "Thank you, Carlos. Thank you for letting me do that." He continued the pattern, wipe, lick. Wipe, lick. Cleaning his face like a cat, "I /loved/ that, it was beautiful."

You: "Beautiful?" Carlos kissed Cecil, cupping his face in his hands. He ignored the strange ritual, something in his stomach twisting at the sight of Cecil licking up his semen. "Gods... Didn't it hurt?" Stupid question. "I mean, yeah, you like things that hurt. Right. Did it hurt?" He tried to make his voice sound fun and playful, his tone falling flat.

Stranger: "Yep." Cecil smirked sadly, looking at Carlos and kissing him gently, "It hurt, I loved it, accept you didn't." He sighed, finally satisfied that his face was clean, wrapping his arms around Carlos' waist and pulling their bodies together, "Why'd you pull out, sweetie? I could've swallowed it. I mean, it felt /great/, having you just cover me like that, but that's not what we agreed on." He rested his head in the crook of Carlos' shoulder, "I'm sorry, you were in charge. It's not my job to tell you what I want. You know what I need."

Stranger: ((Ugh, *except you didn't))

You: His eyebrows crinkled at that. Cecil had never talked like that before. "Not your job?" he asked, sitting up a little and trying to meet Cecil's eye. "What do you mean, not your job? This is sex. We need to talk to one another. I have no idea what you want unless we communicate." Wrong answer. He knew. But Carlos refused to treat Cecil like a piece of meat. "You're not talking like yourself, Cecil."

Stranger: "Oh, gods, sorry!" Cecil groaned, his throat aching at the sound as he sat up, too, blushing suddenly, "Sorry, Carlos, I forgot, I mean, you're not a dom. You're not used to that..." He covered his face with his hands, groaning again in frustration and embarrassment, "Yes. Communication is /very/ important. That's part of all healthy relationships." Finally his eyes met Carlos', "I was talking like myself, just not the me you know. I'm used to being, ah, being someone's object, sweetie. I forgot that you don't... own me." He smiled sheepishly through the blush, "Sorry."

You: /I was talking like myself?/ Carlos stared at Cecil in shock. "What do you mean, 'like yourself?'" How many other men had taken advantage of Cecil's submissive nature? How many other men had made the beautiful voice choke on their cocks? He reached out and caressed Cecil's cheek again, frown forming. "Sweetheart... When did this all start for you?"

Stranger: "I- Carlos..." Cecil forced himself to sit still, to let Carlos stroke his cheek, "Well, I didn't really /know/ it was a real thing, or that there was proper terminology for it, but since my first time, I knew I liked it rough." He sighed, pulling at a loose string on one of the sheets. "I was sixteen, the first time. Thankfully, I had Earl, and he didn't mind doing what he needed. We, um, learned about it together. I dated him until my early twenties, then he was stuck nineteen, and it was really weird." He looked away, blushing now. "We didn't try anything... really out of the ordinary until the summer I was eighteen. He tied me up. I enjoyed it." Cecil made eye contact again, keeping a straight face, "Don't feel sorry for me, I hear it in your voice. I /like/ this, Carlos."

You: The thought of Earl Harlan dragging whips over Cecil's body and biting Cecil's back almost made Carlos whimper. He couldn't help but feel Earl had taken advantage of Cecil, even if the man had given his consent. "I'm glad you had a friend like that," he said quietly, his throat still sore from the harsh treatment he'd received before. "That's... good. It's important to explore what you like and what you don't." Silence hung heavy in the air. "...is it a problem if I don't like this, Cecil?" he asked, his voice small.

Stranger: "Of course not!" Cecil moved forward to pull Carlos into a hug, "Baby, Carlos, I love you, okay? Whether or not you want to dominate me doesn't determine that." He pressed soft, careful kisses to Carlos' face, desperate to show him how much he appreciated Carlos' gentle affections, "Hey, I've been with you for ages, and I've /never/ even asked, right? So obviously I'll be fine. Don't worry about it, okay? I love you."

You: Carlos hugged Cecil back, rubbing the radio host's back. It was smooth and perfect, having healed after years of constant whipping and bondage. Carlos would never split the skin. "I love you too, Cecil. I'm just worried." He kept his face in Cecil's neck. "I've never seen you look like that before. That /pleased./ I'm afraid I'll always underwhelm you, and that's not fair. You're only putting up with our bedroom life."

Stranger: "And what's our other option? You being forced to hurt me, Carlos. You, abusing my body and cutting me open and breaking me." He said it calmly, one hand reaching up to play with Carlos' hair. "No, I'll be fine. If I /really/ need something, I'll get a toy or something. Just take care of it without you." He pressed a kiss to Carlos' hair, "Really, I'm fine."

You: He tried to search Cecil's face, his teeth grit and his jaw set. His scalp was sensitive, still aching from the gentle pulling.

"Are you /certain,/" he said, staring intensely at his partner. "Truly, 100% certain, that you want to continue making love with me the old way? For good?"

Stranger: His mouth already open to answer, Cecil faltered, his easy smile falling. He slowly shook his head, "No, Carlos. I- that's not what I want." He took a deep breath, moving his arms away from around Carlos and sitting back, giving him the space he needed, "But, that's what /you/ want. So it's what I'll have." He maintained eye contact, shrugging to convince himself as much as Cecil that it didn't matter. "I love you, Carlos. So I'll settle. It's what we'll do, it's what I want. I'm not "truly 100% certain," but you are, so I don't mind."

You: Carlos closed his eyes, swallowing and hugging himself for a moment. He couldn't let things go on like this. Like a true scientist, he'd have to indulge in research. Learn what hurt and what didn't. Discover just how much was enough. But now, looking into Cecil's eyes, he knew he'd have to pursue this in private. "I love you, Cecil. Thank you." It was Cecil's birthday. Carlos held his breath as he hid around the corner, silently scolding himself for doing something like this to a man he loved. But that's why he was doing it, wasn't it? For love? He had the handcuffs in the band of his boxers and the blindfold in his hand, clutching to it as he hid behind the kitchen door. It was late, Cecil should be arriving home any moment... /Breathe. He wants this. He's been pushing you to do this sort of thing for months. Just do it.../

Stranger: ((Oh my god that is the sweetest thing I'm sorry I just have to die for one second.))

You: ((<3))

Stranger: Already kicking off his boots as he walked in the apartment, Cecil sighed. It had been a not /bad/ day, for a birthday. Traffic was hell, station management had reared its ugly heads, but aside from that, fine. Carlos had even texted a cute little emoji of a birthday cake, apologizing that he'd be late at the lab. So Cecil was alone, at least until science was done. He walked through the living room, setting down his messenger bag and beginning to loosen his tie as he entered the kitchen, looking around at the cupboards for inspiration.

You: /Now. Do it now./ Carlos jumped from the shadows, grabbing Cecil from behind and pressing him into the wall. In the brief moment of shock he had, he tied a blindfold over his eyes, his hands immediately falling back down to catch his wrists. He pressed them up against the wall near his head, his body leaning fully against Cecil's to hold him in place. So far, so good. Deep, even breaths. "Fuck, I've finally got you..." His voice was disguised, the scientist having practiced it for weeks in the shower. He'd taken every possible liberty in an attempt to disguise himself, from tying his hair back to changing his cologne. "After all these years..."

Stranger: "F-fuck!" Cecil struggled, trying to kick, to bring down his hands, and panicking when he realized he was trapped. Whoever held him now was much stronger than him, and /much/ too close for comfort. "Wh-who, what're you-" He swallowed thickly, tipping his head back, trying to peak out of the edges of his blindfold, "Oh, gods, what's going on?"

You: "I've heard you on the radio for /years.../" Carlos rocked his hips against Cecil's backside, leaving no room for misunderstanding. "Now, I finally have you in my hands." He stared at the back of Cecil's neck for half a second before coming down, biting the pale and unmarked skin.

Stranger: "Oh, /oh."/ Cecil's heart fluttered a moment before he mentally chastised himself, "I- no. No, nononono, I don't know who you are, but I have a /boyfriend."/ He tried to shift out of the man's grip, managing only to rub against the other man. "Wh-why're you doing this? Please, let me go, I can't..." His head fell forward, face burning with a terrified blush. This was /horrible/, this was wrong, this was a /stranger./ Why did he like it so much? "Stop, get off me, get this off of my eyes!" Cecil determined that the rush he felt was not from the prospect of it being a stranger, but rather in that he had taken the time to cover his eyes. The blindfold reminded Cecil of something he missed, desperately.

You: Carlos listened to Cecil's voice, but he knew what he sounded like when he was pleased. He had a higher strain in his voice, his voice always escalating the closer to the edge he got. From the sound of things, Carlos was doing well. Keeping a tight hold on both wrists, he yanked them off the wall, catching them in the handcuffs with a maneuver Carlos had practiced for six days straight. Confident that Cecil was blinded and bound, he yanked him from the kitchen wall. "Walk," he hissed, licking a stripe up Cecil's cheek. He shoved him towards the bedroom, letting Cecil walk down the darkened hallway.

Stranger: /"Fuck,"/ Cecil yelped, straining his wrists and fighting as much as he could, digging in his heels and trying to turn around, run away. The feeling of metal digging into his wrists pleased him in a way he didn't feel like vocalizing, but he kept it up as he fought, his skin aching under the warmed metal. "Let me go! Please, Carlos'll be home anytime, you can't do this, let me /go!"/

You: He had to physically shove Cecil forward, his heart thudding as he struggled to get the radio host where he wanted him. "Stop /struggling,/" he hissed in his voice, kicking in the backs of Cecil's knees. When the radio host fell, he leaned down, one hand grabbing his hair and the other wrapping around his torso. Yanking him back up, he forced him into the bedroom and threw him to the mattress. The erection in Cecil's pants was obvious. "If you don't want your gringo's brains splattered on the walls when he gets home, you'll do what I say." He pressed a water gun to Cecil's neck, just under his jaw. Hopefully it felt real. "We understand each other?"

Stranger: "Y-yes." Cecil swallowed, feeling the gun under his chin and tilting it up, exposing more of his neck. He leaned back onto his wrists, forcing himself to relax. This /was/ happening. He could fight it as much as he wanted, but he was /handcuffed and blindfolded./ "P-please, don't hurt my Carlos. I love him..." He gulped, pulling his knees together and up against his body, folding as much as he could without use of his hands. "Don't hurt Carlos. That's all. Do whatever you want to me, just leave him." /Whatever you want./ He fought a smile, that was /awful./

You: Gods, here it was. Carlos' wall. Seeing Cecil beg for his safety and whimper at his threats made Carlos' heart ache. Still, he looked back down at Cecil's erection, giving it two harsh rubs before grabbing the back of Cecil's head. He yanked his boxers down, revealing his unusually clean-shaven cock, and shoved Cecil's face into his groin. /Enjoy this. You have to enjoy this. Make him choke on it. Just like the videos./

Stranger: Cecil whined, opening his mouth further. He wanted to fight it, to stop himself. /This is cheating./ He shook the thought, /No, I'm being forced. It's not cheating, I didn't ask for this./ He sat still, obedient, curling his lips back and groaning softly from pleasure. Suddenly, a realization made his eyes fly open under the blindfold. /I know that taste./ Cecil tried not to react like he'd recognized it, insisting to himself that lots of guys taste very similar, but he couldn't shake the feeling... It became easier to stop fighting.

Cecil went limp in his hands. Carlos was almost grateful. Taking another deep, calming breath, he forced himself to look down as he thrust himself down Cecil's throat. His cock hardened despite himself, and he made a conscious effort not to let his body language give him away. "F-Fuck," he growled, pulling Cecil off for half a second. Closing his eyes, he let his hand fly, smacking Cecil across the face. Immediately, not giving himself a second to respond, he yanked him back down onto his cock, fingers digging into Cecil's scalp. /Forgive me forgive me forgive me forgive me.../

Stranger: The slap made Cecil gasp, still sucking in air as the cock was digging back into his throat. He moaned, shifting his weight to try and get some friction, /any/ feeling against his own erection. Spit ran down his chin, and the handcuffs dug into his wrists as he kept pulling his restraints. He imagined letting the skin break, feeling his own blood run down his hands... He decided against it. If this truly was Carlos, that would stop him beyond anything else. Still, the thought of letting himself bleed while being fucked- He moaned again, deeper.

You: The moan wasn't fair. Cecil had no right to be making Carlos feel horny in this situation. Yanking himself out again, he kept a hand in Cecil's hair, reaching for the nightstand and grabbing the bottle of lube. He set it on the mattress, retrieving a knife he'd set out and dragging it along Cecil's neck. "Let's see what you look like behind that pretty microphone," he whispered, letting the buttons pop off one by one as he dragged the knife down Cecil's chest.

Stranger: "A kn-knife?" Cecil's voice was a squeak, scratchy from his aching throat. "What're you...?" He shifted again, letting his chest slip forward in a way that might have been seen as incidental, the blade letting loose not only a button, but a thin, slow stream of warm blood from just below his rib cage. "Shit..." His voice was a whisper now, incredibly aroused, beyond anything he'd felt in a long time. Could this really be Carlos? Would the scientist really be doing such a kind thing for him? Cecil could hardly believe it.

You: When Carlos removed Cecil's overshirt, he looked over his work, his eyes widening at the sight of spilling blood. Forcing himself not to move too quickly, he cut the sleeves of Cecil's wifebeater, tearing the material as much as he could to catch a glimpse of the wound. Shallow. Small. Something that would easily be addressed with the aftercare kit he'd provided. Carlos continued to tear and rip Cecil's clothing, leaving only rags on his arms by the time he was through. He let his hand drag across Cecil's chest, letting one finger go bloody before sticking it in Cecil's mouth. His stomach twisted, but it seemed up Cecil's ally.

Stranger: Trying to seem less needy than he felt, Cecil sucked at the finger, then abandoned all pretense, lapping slowly with his tongue while harshly sucking the metallic tasting blood from the finger in his mouth with a soft moan. He shifted, feeling the shreds of clothing on his arms and across his chest. He wanted to kiss Carlos, to let his blood mix in with their saliva and show him how /good/ it felt. He didn't, of course. Instead he rolled his hips, rubbing his erection against the front of his pants with a soft whine.

You: Delayed gratification. That was the one thing every website stressed. Ignoring the sickening way Cecil sucked at his finger, Carlos pushed the radio host back into the mattress, sitting on his upper thighs. Quick hands worked at Cecil's belt, yanking the leather away and throwing it to the ground. "I've been jerkin' off to your broadcasts for five years and four months, now," he said in his disguised voice, slowly unzipping Cecil's pants. They were tugged down just enough to revel Cecil's erection, pressed against the material of his underwear. Still, he offered him no relief. "I always wondered what that pretty voice of yours sounded like when it was begging."

Stranger: "It's gonna take - ung! - more than that to make me beg." Cecil threw up his hips as the man (Carlos?) unzipped his pants, managing one painful crash of contact before falling back on the mattress. He was already breathless, fighting to focus. It was a lie, of course. He'd begged for less, whining and promising endless sexual favors. "Sounds like /you're/ the desperate one, handcuffing me and pining me down."

You: Begging. One road Carlos shouldn't have dared to travel on. Swallowing, he brought the knife into play, leaning forward and pressing it to Cecil's neck. He kept his hips suspended over Cecil's pelvis, just high enough to be out of reach. "Let's try this again," Carlos whispered, pressing the knife just to the point of breaking skin. Again, he told himself not to panic. "Beg for my cock."

Stranger: Cecil gasped, feeling the warm, small trickle of blood trail from his neck. He gulped, feeling the blade press deeper as his throat swallowed at nothing. "P-please." His voice soft, he cleared his throat before starting again, "Please, sir. Fuck me." Sir... Cecil hadn't used that in ages. Typically it just meant he was with someone new, someone he wasn't sure the name of, or didn't care enough to learn. Sometimes there was someone who demanded the title, but it was less common than you might assume. "I want you to fuck me, please, gods. I /need/ to feel you inside of me."

You: "Very good." Carlos drew the blade away, moving back down to Cecil's pants. He wasted no time in tugging the material down, ignoring Cecil's cock as it strained in the air. He stared between the lube and Cecil's backside for a moment, deliberating, before he spat on his hand and rubbed Cecil's entrance. Would this hurt? He had no idea. But Cecil seemed to be enjoying the pain thusfar. "Spread your legs," he demanded, lining himself up. "Wider."

Stranger: "N-no." Cecil panicked suddenly, he must not know, "

Stranger: ((Shiiiit one second.))

Stranger: "N-no." Cecil panicked suddenly, he must've not known, "You can't- gods, you'll tear me open." He tried to sit up, to move away, "Lube. Please, the nightstand. Y-you /have/ to stretch me. I'm tight, gods, it'll kill me." It was an excited terror, he'd never gone without being stretched before, and was sure he could take it. Spit for lube, though... "You can't. Lube, please."

You: "No." Carlos didn't even realize the word had fallen from his lips. It almost hurt to say. Still, he reached down, spinning again and working Cecil open with his fingers instead of his cock. "You'll be takin' me two at a time, s..." The derogatory term died on his lips, and he covered it with a grunt. He couldn't call Cecil a slut. He never would. Two fingers dug as deeply as he could, working to stretch Cecil open.

Stranger: "F-fuck!" His voice still raw from being fucked, he screamed it out, tensing around the fingers. "Oh... Gods above us, /fuck."/ It was amazing. It burned his hole, and Cecil rocked, trying to earn the pleasure on his own. "D-did you try and call me a slut?" Cecil worked out words between gasps and mewls, "G-go ahead. Please, I want your cock so bad, your little /cock slut."/ He groaned, throwing his head back.

You: "Shut the fuck up!" Carlos slapped Cecil's upper thigh, Carlos desperately trying to get around the suggested name. He yanked his fingers out and replaced them with his cock, entering Cecil without warning nor foreplay. He squeezed his eyes shut as he forced his way in, the radio host far tighter than he'd ever been before. Growling, his hands grabbed Cecil's legs, hoisting them up towards his head. "F-Fuck..."

Stranger: Screaming again, Cecil rolled against the cock, burying it further within himself. "Fuck! Ohh, fuckfuckfuck..." Soon he was mumbling incoherently, his hands pulling desperately against the handcuffs and he felt skin break. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered but the too-big too-soon feeling that burned through his abdomen, "P-please! More..." He could feel his own saliva drying on his chin and neck from where he'd drooled around the cock earlier.

You: Carlos sped up as much as he could, still not seeing Cecil's wrists. He slammed into the radio host at an increasing pace, the steady slapping noise filling the room and mixing with the grunts and moans. "G-Gods, your ass is tight..." So this was fucking. "F-Fuck..."

Stranger: "Faster!" His voice screeching in contrast with the other's deep one. He felt raw, the lack of lube evident in the burning heat of their frantic movements. Cecil slowly became aware that some of the burning was coming from the pit of his stomach, and his eyes flew open underneath the blindfold. "Sh-shit! I'm going- I can't..." He was clenching, holding back for permission to come. This was an ages old habit, probably something Carlos would've frowned upon at Cecil's suggestion, but right then? It felt perfectly right. "Let me, please..."

You: The scientist didn't respond. Instead, he stayed focused on fucking Cecil raw, waiting until a good three minutes had passed before finally letting himself finish. He came deep within Cecil, withdrawing with a loud, drawn-out moan.

Stranger: Tears were running down Cecil's face by the time he felt the seed buried deep within him, and he couldn't stop himself from finally coming at the sound of the other's moan. His legs curling up and hugging close to his body, filling the air that had only moments ago held the hot, shaking body of his partner. He was crying out, intelligible mumbles and shouts. Curses and apologies for not waiting until he was told, his load painted his own chest as he shuddered.

You: The pleasure was over. Carlos didn't want to prolong the fantasy. He immediately moved upwards, letting out a gasp as he helped Cecil up and saw his bloody wrists. "Oh, gods," Carlos said in his own voice, reaching for the kit he'd set up on the nightstand for the evening. He retrieved the key, freeing Cecil's wrists and yanking the blindfold off. "Gods, Cecil, I didn't... Are you alright?"

Stranger: Blinking past the tears, Cecil grinned, "Carlos!" His voice raw from both Carlos' desperate movements and screaming, "Baby, /thank/ you." he pulled the other man into a tight hug, finally pressing the kiss he'd been waiting for onto the scientist's lips. "I'm fine, I'm /great./ Did you do all this just for me?" Cecil grinned still, wincing only slightly as he shifted and felt the sharp, aching pain pulsing from his ass, "Oh, gods. I- I should be fine. I just need..." He looked over at the scientist, smiling again, "For my birthday?"

You: "For your birthday." Carlos kissed Cecil back with the same desperation, savoring the sensation before pulling out cotton swabs and beginning to wipe up the injuries. They agreed this needed to be a rarity. A short-term arrangement. Carlos couldn't bring himself to treat Cecil every time they were intimate. He was relieved when Cecil agreed, the couple wrapping around one another and hiding under the sheets. Things were going to be okay, in the end. It was all okay.

[omeglerping]

Fluff

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like wtnv, and cecilos.

You: ((Carlos has come home, but he aims to surprise Cecil later in the evening. In the meantime, he's going to clean himself up and make himself presentable. Little does he know Cecil's coming home early)) Sand. There was so much /sand/. Carlos sighed as he peeled off his shirt, stiff with the sweat of six months of wandering. Sending Cecil one last heart emoji, he turned on the shower head and stepped under the streams of water. "Gods..." He couldn't stop himself from grunting as the filth and grime started to wash away, small piles of sand gathering on the floor of the off-white linoleum. He'd get himself cleaned, dressed, and pampered for his boyfriend. Whistling to himself, he worked the shampoo into his hair, unaware of the front door opening down the hall.

Stranger: Cecil was so ready to get home, have some dinner, watch a few episodes of Dance Moms, and go to bed. And of course call Carlos to tell him about his day and wrap himself in his dark, oaky voice. He was already locking the front door behind him and kicking aside his work bag when he heard whistling and water running. Odd. The usual creatures that crept in his home were much more subtle than this. It must be an intruder. Thinking quickly, Cecil grabbed a seldom used umbrella from next to the front door and stepped into the hall, makeshift weapon ready. "Hello?" he called out as he approached his bathroom, feeling sand grit under his shoes. At the bathroom door, he banged it loudly. "Show yourself. You are not welcomed here!"

You: "Gah!" Carlos' whistling came to a halt when he heard the thudding on the door. The scientist's eyes popped wide open at the sudden intrusion, and shampoo immediately slid into his eyes. Crying out again at the stinging sensation, Carlos blindly reached for the shower curtain, trying to get his hands on a towel. Still, even through his startled antics, Carlos couldn't quell the surging in his chest. Even angry, even threatening, Cecil sounded so distinctly /Cecil./ "Cecilito?" he cried out, eyes squeezed shut as the shampoo burned. "Cecilito! It's me!"

Stranger: Cecil jumped at the exclamation and gripped his weapon tighter, stomach clenching at the noises he heard inside. Then he heard Carlos's voice. His heart gave a little skip before picking up again. "Carlos?" he asked, voice full of hope. Clenching his jaw, he stopped himself and held up his weapon again. It could be a trap. One last blow, using his beloved boyfriend to lure him in. "You have, um, five seconds to come out," he called out, not as threatening as before. Hope couldn't win out just yet.

You: Gods, the tone of Cecil's voice nearly tore him in half. Heart thudding, Carlos walked out of the shower with his arms extended in front of his person, stumbling like a zombie and throwing the door open in a single, sudden movement. His eyes were still closed, a cluster of bubbles resting on the edge of his nose. "Cecil--?"

Stranger: Cecil stepped back from the door and braced himself, heart racing from anticipation of an attack. The clattering certainly didn't help, the image of Carlos, really Carlos, waiting for him inside the bathroom morphed into some hideous creature waiting to feast on him and his vulnerabilities. When the door flew open, Cecil just started screaming and swinging, eyes squeezed shut as he flailed the umbrella and waited for an attack.

You: Before Carlos could even flinch, he was on the ground, his head pounding. The scientist was frighteningly thinner than he had been before, his ribs all too visible under tan, stretched skin. His shoulders were peeling from extended sun exposure, and his hair had grown ridiculously long. Even his face was matted with dark, curled hair, a sandy beard reaching down to his collar. The scientist propped himself on weak, shaky arms, the shampoo still stinging his eyes. "Cecil!" he cried out again, voice husky. "Cecil, stop! Amado!"

Stranger: Even after he made solid contact against whatever was in the bathroom, Cecil continued screaming and swinging for a few more seconds, sure that it could be rearing in for a counter attack. Well, he could confirm it if he opened his eyes. He flinched went he heard Carlos's voice and opened his eyes, blinking quickly in disorientation. His gaze fell on the man on the for, recognition hitting a second later. "Oh my Gods!" Cecil exclaimed, tossing away the umbrella and kneeling next to Carlos and gently cradling his roughened face between his hands. Was it really him? He barely looked like himself, but it had to be him. "Carlos? Carlos, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it." He took a breath and asked quietly, throat tightening, "Is it really you?" He was touching him, but Carlos was still stuck in that desert otherworld.

You: Carlos started to laugh--it wasn't his usual, full-bodied laugh, but the wheezing chuckle was amused all the same. He squinted his reddened eyes, looking up at his partner before nuzzling himself deeper into Cecil's hold. His bony fingers dug into Cecil's back, the scientist starting to cry. "It's me, Cecil," he whispered, the whacking of the umbrella already forgotten. His body was filled with aches and pains, but none of it mattered. Not with Cecil here. "Oh, gods, it's me, and it's- it's really you!" The scientist swallowed, closing his eyes again to spare himself the stinging. "Cecil, before I say anything else, I want to apologize--"

Stranger: Cecil tensed at the laugh, not expecting it, but then let out a slightly strained chuckle that turned into soft sobs. "Carlos..." he whimpered, sitting on the floor and pulling Carlos into his arms despite that he was wet and naked. "It's you. It's really you," he sobbed, gasping for breath as tears rolled down his eyes. Carlos felt so frail in his arms, as if he was going to disintegrate in his arms. Gods, he hoped that didn't happen. "Shh, don't apologize for anything. You're here. I can't believe this. I can't..."

You: He could barely reply. Instead, Carlos wrapped his arms around his partner, his legs tangling with Cecil's. He couldn't get close enough--couldn't convince him he was truly home. Carlos hadn't told Cecil how terrible it was in the desert. How could he? He'd spun tales of beautiful sunsets and newfound constellations, all while trying to catch a scorpion with a cactus flower and a stick so he wouldn't starve to death. Carlos simply couldn't bring himself to frighten Cecil. All the while, Cecil was retreating further into their empty home, isolating himself from family and friends as he waited for Carlos to call. "I'm sorry," he repeated, tears rolling onto Cecil's shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry. I love you so much, Cecil, I do..."

Stranger: Cecil pulled Carlos onto his lap, breaths hitching with every sob. He held on tightly even though he was sure he was completely worn out. Carlos looked bad. Really bad. Cecil didn't even recognize him at first glance. Too thin, hair matted, skin roughened. Cecil just wanted to lay him down and take care of his every need. He had been yearning for some actual warm social interaction, as he had been closing in on himself even more with every day that passes without Carlos. Cecil couldn't control himself as he sobbed and trembled, ocassionally breathing out Carlos's name and quiet declarations of love. After a while, he worked himself out, and his sobs started to slow down to something more manageable. "How are you, Carlos?" he mumbled as he eased his grip on Carlos, voice weak. "Are you injured? Hungry? Thirsty? Gods, I missed you so much..."

You: Carlos /was/ injured. He /was/ hungry, /was/ thirsty, but most importantly... ...he was /home./ "I missed you too, amado," he whispered, wiping his eyes on Cecil's beautifully familiar sweater vest. "I missed you every- every day. Right now, I just need you. Okay? I just... Don't leave my side. Please. I can't take it right now. I'm so scared if I let you go, you'll be gone again..." Carlos swallowed, hard, and squeezed Cecil's hand. "Just stay by my side. Please. Come shower with me. Eat with me. Sleep with m--oh, gods. A bed. A real, honest-to-gods bed..." Carlos started crying again, this time out of pure joy. Cecil, water, and bed. It was more than he could have ever dreamed of.

Stranger: "I won't. I won't," Cecil shushed, rubbing a hand up and down the thin skin on Carlos's back. It would kill him if he even just glanced away for a second and have Carlos disappear. He gave Carlos's hand a light squeeze in return, being mindful of how worn out and weakes he look. Cecil was still trembling, and sobbed ocassionally cut through him, but he was calming down, just quietly taking in Carlos and letting him babble. When Carlos started crying again, he let out a quiet laugh, more light than the first one, and cradled Carlos against his chest. "We'll shower together. Then I'll get you some food, and some water, and I'll check if you're hurt, and brush your hair, and hold you. I am not letting you out of my sight." He shushed him softly, rubbing his back to calm him down.

You: "I'm so tired," Carlos whispered through his sobs, but he was still smiling despite himself. He hadn't been held in six months, and the true human contact was unfathomably comforting. He was spellbound by every brush of Cecil's hand. "I don't know if I can stand again, Cecil. I'm just so tired... I looked all day. Every day. There was nothing but /nothingness/, no matter where I turned. I- I lived to call you, but I didn't want to scare you..." Carlos' mouth continued to run as he cried, babbling about the hundreds of lies he'd fed his partner. There was no masked army. There was no room of picture frames. Only tales he'd spun to spare Cecil, to keep him from worrying. Now, being held, he put it all out in the open. No more secrets between them. "I'm sorry," he finished, shaking his head and tickling Cecil's neck with his beard. "I was so scared I wouldn't come back, Cecilito, I didn't want to scare you..."

Stranger: "I'll carry you." Cecil would do anything Carlos asked him to, anything at all. Carlos looked awful, and Cecil just wanted him to be the bright eyed, beautiful, scientific Carlos he loved. As Carlos spoke more, Cecil's heart sank even more, heavy worry settling in his stomach. Carlos was alone in the desert without any food, water, shelter, or company, and he still managed to think of sparing Cecil's feelings. Cecil began crying again, sobs taking over him again as his embrace tightened around Carlos. That was just horrific. He couldn't believe Carlos had survived that. "You're-you're safe. You're okay. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here, my love," he gasped between sobs. "I'll take care of you. You're okay. I can't believe you did that. Oh, Carlos..." More hard sobs cut off his breathing.

You: "I'm sorry I lied," Carlos repeated again, reaching up and wiping Cecil's cheeks with shaking hands. He felt naked and vulnerable, his face twisted beyond recognition with pity as Cecil cried. "I'm so sorry, Cecil. I'm sorry. I thought I was going to die out there, I honestly did, and I didn't want you thinking I'd gone out alone and hungry. I wanted you to hear how much I loved you without the distraction..." Carlos leaned up and peppered Cecil's face with weak kisses, the motions sloppy and inexperienced after so many months in the desert. "Please, I- I think I just want to go to bed," Carlos nearly begged. "I want to hold you, I want to make everything okay..."

Stranger: "'s okay," Cecil muttered, starting to come down from the nearly hysterical sobbing. He took Carlos's hand that tried to dry his tears and pressed a soft kiss on his knuckles. Even now, Carlos was trying to comfort him. "You can stop apologizing. I understand. I can't believe you, doing something like that. Gods, Carlos, how can you be so selfless?" He closed his eyes for a moment and let Carlos press kisses on him. Gently, he cupped Carlos's cheek and pressed a kiss on his lips. It was different, with Carlos's chapped lips and unruly beard, but it was still Carlos. Cecil would have liked bathing and feeding Carlos first, but he couldn't stand being more than at arm's length from him. "Do you need me to carry you? Would you like a glass of water?"

You: Carlos only nodded, latching his arms around Cecil's shoulders and bending his legs at the knees. Soon enough, Cecil had him in the air, lifted with little to no difficulty. Had he really lost that much weight? The second Cecil had deposited him onto the mattress, Carlos was crying again. There was no water left in his system, his tear ducts producing no further tears. Still, he couldn't stop himself from weeping, clutching the beautifully soft blankets in his free hand while the other held fast to Cecil. After months of rocks and sand to sleep on, he could scarcely believe the comfort of a real, honest /bed./ "Please," Carlos whispered, leaning towards Cecil pathetically. "Please, come closer. I want to hold you. I want to comfort you, querido. Please..."

Stranger: Cecil had carried Carlos before, but Carlos was nearly weightless when he lifted him up now. He gently set Carlos on the bed, pulling away slightly to kick off his shoes, trying not to focus on Carlos's crying or else he was going to start crying himself again. It was no use, as Carlos's desperate whispers cut right through him. Carlos still wanted to comfort him? Cecil crawled into bed with Carlos immediately, sniffling and crying, and wrapped himself around Carlos, "No, I'll take care of you," Cecil muttered, resting Carlos's head on his chest. "Just, let me take care of you. I got you. You don't have to worry about a thing, okay?"

You: "We'll take care of each other," Carlos whispered, not looking for a fight. He sniffled and wiped his eyes on Cecil's sweater again, arms and legs looping around Cecil like a child. He felt like he was enveloped in heaven, and he found himself fighting sleep already. Still, he forced his reddened eyes open, if only to talk to Cecil and keep him happy. "I'll never leave again, amado," he promised. "I'll call work. I'll tell them to keep me in the office. I just... I love science, but I love you more. I can't risk losing you again. I can't believe I left you so alone."

Stranger: Cecil pulled up the blanket to cover Carlos, so glad that he had new sheets so Carlos could be wrapped with freshly washed sheets. He pressed a kiss on his forehead and nuzzles his hair, not minding the soapy mess Carlos had there. He was not taking a single cell of Carlos for granted. He found that he was exhausted now, head pounding from the crying. "Please do," he mumbled. Usually, he didn't like interfering with Carlos's science, knowing it upset him, but he needed Carlos. He couldn't lose him again. "I was okay. I can't believe you were trying to comfort me while you were... dying." The last word squeaked out painfully. He couldn't believe how close he was to losing Carlos without even realizing it b

You: Carlos shook his head. "You weren't okay, Cecil. I know you. I know how you work. If you had known what I was going through, you would have died with me." Carlos smiled weakly, his fingers tightening slightly on Cecil's side. "You're empathetic that way. Sweet. Caring. I've always loved you for that. You're the most deserving man in the world..." He coughed slightly, a few speckles of sand dotting his lips. Still, he pressed on. "Nothing matters now. Now that we're together again, everything that's passed has passed. Can we leave it behind us? Will you try with me?"

Stranger: ((I got to go. It's late and I'm falling asleep on my phone. This was great!))

You: ((Alright, sleep well, and thank you! :D))

Stranger has disconnected.

[omeglerping]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Archive Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con

Categories: F/M, M/m

Fandom: Welcome to Night Vale

Relationship: Carlos/Cecil Palmer, Original Characters

Characters: Cecil Palmer, Carlos (Welcome to Night Vale), Old Woman Josie

Additional Tags: Mpreg, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Infant Death, Original Characters, Angst, Miscommunication, Abuse, Did we mention angst?, Sexting

[omeglerping]

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like wtnv, welcome to night vale, and cecilos.

You: I just got back from the doctor's, Cec. Check-up turned out well. Looks like I'm not dehydrated from the desert anymore. -CR

Stranger: I'm so glad to hear that, my dear Carlos! - CP

You: So... I'm fully, physically healthy again. -CR

You: Scientifically speaking, I'm far more functional than I was when I came back three days ago. -CR

Stranger: I'm so glad you're doing better. I was so worried about you when I saw you at first. - CP

You: What time are you coming home tonight? -CR

Stranger: I should be home by six thirty. - CP By the watch you gave me. - CP

You: And tomorrow morning? What are your plans? -CR

Stranger: We're giving the interns some practice at hosting, so I actually have tomorrow off. - CP Their broadcast journalism instructors will be there to supervise. - CP

You: Perfect. -CR

You: I want to have a nice, long, /private/ night with you. -CR

Stranger: I have missed our private nights. - CP

You: As have I. -CR

You: Hurry home to me, amado. -CR

Stranger: I will be home as soon as I can, my perfect Carlos. - CP

Stranger: [Sent at 5:30pm] I managed to get out of staying behind to organize tapes. I will be home soon. - CP

You: Alright. See you shortly. -CR

You: And Cecil? -CR

Stranger: Yes? - CP

You: I love you. -CR

Stranger: I love you too. - CP

Stranger: With that, Cecil got out of the radio station before anyone could call him back. Usually, he was all too happy to stick around and organize tapes, or record more prerecorded content. But not with Carlos home and waiting for him, he had been rushing out of the station for the past few days to get right back home to his Carlos. And now that Carlos was feeling well again, he was looking forward to what the night would bring. So, Cecil drove home as quickly as the laws and secret police would allow, and arrived home ten minutes earlier than predicted. He rushed to their door and let himself in, closing and locking the door behind him. "I'm home, Carlos," Cecil was overjoyed to be able to say that again.

You: "Cecil." Carlos' voice was light and adoring, the scientist standing in the doorway in his usual pajamas. He'd noticed how his drawers were all rearranged when he'd returned home, Cecil having rummaged through them time and time again in his absence in seeking comfort from the material. Now, wearing the boxers and scientifically horrific punny t-shirt, Carlos hoped he could replicate that same sense of security. "Welcome home, amado." He walked forward and cupped Cecil's face in his hands, kissing his forehead. "How was your day?"

Stranger: After Carlos was away for so long, coming home to see him was pretty well thrilling for Cecil. And he looked so much better now, considering he was hydrated again and feeling better. And so delightfully domestic and comfortable in his pajamas. When Carlos kissed his head and cupped his face, Cecil let out a content sigh while his tattoos began to glow a very content and happy shade of pale pink. Some of the eye-shaped tattoos began to flutter as well, some closing out of comfort and contentment. "Thank you. My day wasn't too eventful, it's much better now that I'm home with you," Cecil slipped his arms around Carlos' waist to pull him closer, "I'm glad to hear about your appointment going well. And it looks like you got some rest, that's good."

You: "I'm afraid I keep falling asleep," Carlos said with a small chuckle, shrugging his shoulders and leaning his forehead against Cecil's. "The doctor said that'll happen for a week or two. But only when I'm stationary." He leaned forward and kissed Cecil again, unable to convince himself he was truly home and safe. "Would you like to come to bed with me?" Carlos asked under his breath, smiling at Cecil with perfect teeth. He was just starting to develop wrinkles at the corners of his eyes--a side effect of a year exposed to nothing but pure, cruel sunlight.

Stranger: "It's understandable, given everything," Cecil answered, his eyes sliding closed when Carlos pressed their foreheads together. Carlos made such a perfect anchor, finally Cecil didn't feel as though he were adrift. He had missed his Carlos so badly, and he had felt horribly lost without him around. And now he knew he was back, he was safe (relatively), and they could be together again. Cecil smiled back at Carlos and nodded, moving his arms so Carlos could be able to walk, "Yes, I'd love that." He had wanted nothing more all day. He took Carlos' hand in his and toed out of his shoes before making his way towards the bedroom, Carlos in tow.

You: The scientist followed Cecil's slow but steady tugging towards the bedroom, smiling all the while. Only when the door was closed and locked behind them did he release Cecil's hand, walking forward and undoing the radio host's tie. "I bought this for you on our three-month anniversary," Carlos said with a small smile, working the material from around Cecil's neck. When the material was loose, he started with Cecil's buttons. "So, so long ago."

Stranger: While Carlos closed and locked their bedroom door, Cecil preemptively slipped out of his socks (with one hand, he felt accomplished) and tossed them aside. He didn't need Carlos watching that, as there was no sexy way to take off socks. Then, Carlos was undoing his tie and Cecil had brought his hands to Carlos' hips. "It's my favorite tie," Cecil grinned and slipped his hands under the hem of Carlos' shirt to slowly explore his torso. God, it felt so good to be touching Carlos like this again. He was still perfect, even after everything he had been through.

You: Carlos grinned and leaned into Cecil's touch, working the opened shirt from Cecil's shoulders. "Remove your hands for a moment, love, I have to get this off your arms..." He laughed a little as they fumbled about with clothing, kissing Cecil when they were both finally down to their bare torsos. Gods, kissing Cecil like this was more breathtaking than he remembered. Slowly, he parted his lips, letting out a little hum and snaking his tongue out to drag across Cecil's lip.

Stranger: Cecil couldn't help but giggle a bit when his arms were basically trapped by his shirt. So he pulled his hands away to let Carlos take the shirt off properly. He kissed Carlos back with equal fire, his arms wrapping around Carlos so his hands could slowly run over his back. Carlos was so beautiful to see, but there was something about being able to touch him again that was so much more intense for Cecil. The tattoos that covered his arms and torso were now glowing a shade of wine red, the color they always appeared to be when Cecil was aroused. When he felt Carlos' tongue on his lip, Cecil groaned quietly in satisfaction and parted his lips obediently, bringing his own tongue out to tangle with Carlos'.

You: Cracking his eye open to check the color of Cecil's tattoos, the scientist backed Cecil towards the bed, gently knocking the other onto his back and climbing on top. He could feel his arms shaking slightly as he propped himself up, still weak from his expedition in the desert, but like hell was he going to let that stop him from making love to his partner. Tilting his head to the side, Carlos guided one of Cecil's hands up to his hair and slowly pressed his hips down. He was going show Cecil just how much he'd missed him in the desert.

Stranger: Backing up towards the bed with no hesitation, Cecil grinned when Carlos pushed him down onto the mattress. His eyes were on Carlos' face, so Cecil didn't notice his arms shaking. All he could focus on was the glorious view of Carlos above him. Cecil smirked and gently carded his hand through Carlos hair. He moaned a bit at the friction against his already half-hard cock. He then used his grip on Carlos' hair to gently pull him in for a deep kiss. It had been so long since he had been able to have Carlos like this, he just hoped that he wouldn't disappoint Carlos' expectations of their first time together after so long.

You: Steadily, Carlos worked up a pace, grinding down against Cecil with their mouths moving together in a messy, passionate display. Everything about this felt /right--/ from the small sounds Cecil was making to the way his hand tightened in his hair, he felt like he was loved and home. And still, in the heat of the moment, the scientist faltered slightly, his chest falling from its slightly elevated height as his arms gave way. He gasped a little as he fell, using the new angle to kiss at Cecil's neck instead.

Stranger: Carlos' lips muffled Cecil's moans, which was probably for the best, so no neighbors or listening secret police would hear just how enthusiastic Cecil was to be in bed with his scientist again. When Carlos fell, then started kissing his neck, Cecil continued running his hands through Carlos' hair to encourage him. "You know, you can lie on your back and let me take over, Carlos. You shouldn't push yourself too hard."

You: Carlos propped himself up on both elbows this time, staring down at Cecil with wide, blown-out eyes. He was panting slightly, his fingers tightening on the sheets beneath him. "Are you sure?" Carlos asked, leaning down and pecking Cecil again. "You've been alone for so long, and I usually top..." As he spoke, his arms started trembling again, threatening to give way.

Stranger: Oh, and those eyes never failed to go straight to Cecil's cock, which was almost painfully hard by now, and he was looking forward to getting out of his jeans. "Yes, I'm sure," Cecil offered Carlos a smile, "You're shaking like this. And being on top doesn't mean I'm alone, it just means you get to enjoy this and not over-exert yourself." Cecil let one hand wander to Carlos' clothed cock and he palmed at the bulge gently, "Besides, I would love a chance to ride you, for once, instead of making you do all the work."

You: The scientist let out a little grunt at the new contact, his body having long forgotten what it was like to have someone touch it so intimately. Slowly, Carlos rolled off Cecil, staring up at him from the pillows and arching up into the other's hand. "Only if you're sure," he whispered, his hands flying down to Cecil's fly and freeing him from the button and zipper. "Step out of those, won't you love...?"

Stranger: Carlos agreeing to lie on his back was a relief to Cecil. He wanted this, and he knew Carlos did too, but he didn't want to do it if it was going to risk Carlos' well being. So, when Carlos rolled over, Cecil gracefully got on top of him and smirked when Carlos moved against his hand. It was incredibly sexy to watch. When Carlos undid his pants, Cecil got off the bed and slipped out of them, taking his boxers off at the same time. He was hard and aching, his cock having the lightest purple hue from his strangely colored blood rushing to it, the same hue as his cheeks and chest which were both flushed. He then reached down to tug at Carlos' boxers, "Off with these, too. I need to see you, Carlos."

You: As Carlos' member bobbed in the air, he let out a hiss of relief and grabbed Cecil's ass in his hands, squeezing and playing. It'd been so long since he'd been able to touch his love, and he was mesmerized at the sight of his cock. "Cec," he gasped, bucking upwards. "Cec, please, I missed your mouth..."

Stranger: Cecil all but growled when Carlos grabbed his ass, and he re-positioned himself on top of Carlos, this time so he was more at-level with Carlos' lower abdomen. "Then let's make up for lost time," Cecil grinned, his voice becoming a bit rough with his excitement. He started by kissing Carlos just below his belly button, pausing for a moment to dip his tongue inside before kissing a trail down towards Carlos' cock. Once he arrived, he grinned and ducked down further, to nip at his inner thigh a few times. And then finally, he moved up to lick Carlos' cock from base to tip, stopping at the end to roll his tongue around the head of Carlos' cock.

You: The scientist saw stars under Cecil's teasing administrations, leaking by the time the radio host finally lapped at his head. "C-/Cecilito,/" he gasped, a hand flying down at fisting itself in Cecil's hair. Everything, from Cecil's lowered voice to the way his tongue danced across his shaft, was driving Carlos absolutely wild. He propped his head up on his pillows to watch, his cock throbbing against Cecil's tongue. It felt like electricity, tingling in all the right places, and it was almost too much to bear. "Oh- Oh gods, do that again--"

Stranger: Watching Carlos squirming under him was wonderful, he loved testing Carlos' patience and taking his time to tease him. Besides, he did not like rushing through sex, he wanted it to last. How could he not, with Carlos being so delicious and sexy under him? Besides, the hand pulling slightly at his hair and Carlos' gasp told him he was doing things quite right. And as requested, Cecil swirled his tongue around the head of Carlos' cock, but this time he opened his eyes and looked up at Carlos, smirking as he did it. And then, with very little pause, Cecil parted his lips and took Carlos into his mouth slowly, his hand wrapping around what he couldn't quite manage yet.

You: Carlos brought his free hand up to his mouth to bite on his knuckles, goosebumps raising on his skin as Cecil finally took him in. Still, Cecil was pushing Carlos' limits, and after another three seconds of just his tip resting on Cecil's tongue, he couldn't take it anymore. Eyes locked with Cecil's lustful gaze, Carlos tightened his hold on his hair and thrust his hips up, forcing the rest of his member into Cecil's mouth. He only let it rest for a second, not wanting to crush his love or make him uncomfortable, before he pulled out again. "G-Gods, I'm sorry, I just- Cecil, it's been so long, I can't last..."

Stranger: When Carlos thrust into his mouth, Cecil moaned and made no objection to it at all. Well, that was something new that he just discovered that he liked very much. When Carlos pulled his cock out of his mouth, Cecil smirked wickedly and looked up at Carlos. "Don't be sorry, that was so hot, Carlos," his usual composure and way with words was out the window, Carlos was too distracting, "You can cum in my mouth, Carlos. Especially if it means you'll do that again."

You: Cecil... enjoyed being fucked? In the mouth? Carlos blinked up at his love for a second, spellbound, before he shoved Cecil back down onto his member. He grit his teeth and hissed for air as he steadily worked up a pace, saliva pooling on his pelvis and rolling down his balls. "F-Fuck, Cecil, /fuck.../" He screwed his eyes shut and leaned back into the pillows, his movements growing faster and faster until he was reduced to incoherent moaning.

Stranger: Oh gods, Cecil could feel himself leaking profusely when Carlos went back to fucking his mouth. He relaxed his throat so he could take more in without trouble, and he let Carlos have complete control of the pace. It was incredible, from Carlos holding him by the hair to his cock roughly being thrust into his mouth. He moaned and groaned around Carlos' cock, pressing his tongue against the underside of Carlos' cock while Carlos continued. And the sounds Carlos was making were going straight to Cecil's cock. He continued pressing his tongue and moving it along Carlos' cock, wanting to add something. After all, he had been talking about not making Carlos do all the work for once. Whoops.

You: Carlos came three minutes later, crying out Cecil's name and falling back into the sheets. Cecil always knew just how to play the scientist, making him unravel with just the tiniest of adjustments, and the movement of Cecil's tongue had pushed Carlos over the edge before he could take care of fiancé-- --boyfriend. Boyfriend, not fiancé. Not yet. Still, as Carlos released and laid back to catch his breath, he felt his chest tightening up slightly, his body starting to shake again from the exertion. He closed his eyes and took measured breaths, fighting against the coma-like sleep. "C-Cecilito... Cecil, that was wonderful... you were wonderful..."

Stranger: Even after so long, Cecil knew Carlos' tells for when he was about to cum. And so when it finally happened, Cecil was able to swallow all of it down, not wanting to miss a drop. He had missed this, the lingering taste of Carlos in his mouth after sucking him off, and the satisfied look on Carlos' face. It had been worth it, he had loved every moment of what had just happened. He continued to work Carlos though his orgasm, but finally pulled away when his cock seemed to finally be getting soft on him. Cecil moved so he could hover over Carlos, looking him over, "Thank you, Carlos. It really was perfect, we'll have to do that again." Cecil paused for a moment, noting the shaking. "How are you feeling?" Cecil was still achingly hard, his cock was covered in precum, but he needed to know if Carlos was alright.

You: "Tired," the scientist said honestly, trying to prop himself up on his elbows. When he found he was too wobbly, he moved himself up the bed instead, resting his back against the headboard. "But I'm alright. Come here," he whispered, eyeing Cecil's cock. Regardless of how tired he was, he wanted to suck his partner off. They'd been apart too long for Carlos to leave Cecil hanging. "On your knees. Come here. I w-want to taste you, love."

Stranger: He was a bit worried about Carlos, but he seemed to be alright settled against the headboard. So, as instructed, Cecil made his way over to Carlos on his knees, and he looked down at Carlos. "If it gets to be too much at any point, we stop, alright? If you need to rest, that becomes priority," as much as he wanted Carlos, and wanted him so badly, he was still worried about him.

You: Carlos nodded, moving his hands up to Cecil's hips and pulling him forward. He was a bit clumsy at first, pressing sloppy kisses to Cecil's aching shaft, but he slowly added more tongue and increased the pressure. Keeping the motions slow and safe, Carlos took Cecil's balls into his mouth, rolling them with his tongue before sliding the flat of his tongue up his partner's length. "Cecil," he whispered against the other's head, cheeks hollowing as he swallowed the other man down.

Stranger: Sloppy or not, Carlos' mouth against his cock was heavenly, after it had been neglected in favor of the earlier experiment with rough oral sex. With more pressure and tongue, Cecil let out a low moan, his hand reaching out to hold the top of the headboard to keep his balance. And the sound that came out of Cecil's mouth when Carlos took his balls into his mouth was downright filthy. He couldn't stop moaning, and that held true when Carlos took him into his mouth. Cecil kept his hips still, wanting to be careful with Carlos, but gods, Carlos' mouth around his cock was incredible. "Carlos," Cecil moaned almost brokenly, "Oh, Carlos, your mouth - gods it's amazing."

You: As always, Cecil's voice was stupendous in bed. The scientist swallowed as much of Cecil down as he could, one of his hands leaving Cecil's hip in favor of rolling his balls between his fingers. He hadn't expected Cecil to be faithful during his year of absence- purely out of physical need, not emotional neglect- but when he heard that his boyfriend had been nothing but loyal, he knew he had to pay him back. Ignoring the slight throbbing in his temple, Carlos continued sucking and swallowing, deep-throating his love and letting out a hum, sending vibrations down Cecil's spine.

Stranger: With Carlos gone, Cecil had been approached by Earl once about hooking up. Cecil had turned him down, of course, because he couldn't be with anyone else. Even if he was gone, Carlos was his boyfriend and he couldn't imagine himself being with anybody else. Besides, he had his right hand, some toys, and an imagination. Not to mention a phone with which he could have Carlos say lovely, filthy things in that perfect caramel voice of his. But of course, none of that was the same as having Carlos sucking his cock and cradling his balls with one hand. Cecil kept moaning, and between how long he had been hard, how long he had been without Carlos, and how well Carlos was working his cock, he doubted he would last long. "Carlos - ah - I'm sorry, but I'm already close."

You: Carlos wanted to tell Cecil that it was alright, and that no apologies were needed nor warranted, but his mouth was otherwise busy. Drool dribbling down his cheek, Carlos continued to deep-throat his partner as best as he could, head flush against the headboard for support as he worked his tongue. He was starting to see stars in the corners of his vision, his body steadily losing control. Regardless, he brought his other hand up, lips moving to Cecil's head for a particularly hard suck while his hand pumped the rest of his length.

Stranger: Cecil was reduced to a series of loud, enthusiastic, and slightly embarrassing noises of pleasure while Carlos continued sucking his cock. At this point, secret police be damned, they could have a show if they wanted. All that mattered was the perfect scientist and himself in that bed. When Carlos sucked on his head and stroked his shaft, Cecil let out a loud cry - which was meant to be Carlos' name but did not sound like it - and came in Carlos' amazing mouth. He gripped the headboard and willed himself not to collapse on top of Carlos. "Carlos, darling, that was breathtaking," Cecil managed between deep breaths, "How are you feeling? Should you lie down properly now?"

You: He barely heard Cecil, a stray shot of cum dribbling down his cheek as he sank back against the headboard. Mindlessly, he swallowed, closing his eyes and trying to get his shaking under control. "I love you," he slurred, hands dropping down to his lap. His head lolled from side to side, exhaustion taking hold of him. "I- I love you s-so much, Cec, but I need to... sleep..."

Stranger: Cecil moved and slid down so he could help move Carlos so he was lying down, "I love you too, Carlos. Here, get comfortable and go to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up, I promise." Once Carlos was lying down with his head on a pillow, Cecil pulled the blankets up around them and he cuddled up to Carlos, holding him close. He didn't feel like drifting off yet, but he wanted to stay in bed with Carlos, whether or not he was awake.

You: Carlos barely had enough energy to move, but he still managed to shift to his side, wrapping a lazy arm around Cecil. It was only seconds later that the scientist blacked out, lost in deep, content sleep. He snored slightly, face bearing small beads of sweat from their intimacy, but he hadn't looked so peaceful in a year.

Stranger: Watching Carlos sleep beside him was lovely, and Cecil continued holding him close as he watched. He had spent far too long in that bed alone, wearing Carlos' shirts and cuddling with a pillow while missing his boyfriend. The man he loved more than anything. But now he was back and in their bed again and Cecil hadn't been so happy to just lie in bed before in his life. He eventually drifted off himself, to the comforting sounds of Carlos' breathing and the warmth radiating from Carlos' body.

You have disconnected.

[omeglerping]

I was going for drunk Carlos, but this is good too.

[omeglerping]

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like cecilcarlos, cecilos, and carloscecil.

You: Cecil? Cecil, this is important. -CR

You: Personally speaking. -CR

Stranger: What's the matter? Is the town in danger? CP

Stranger: Oh. Personally. Well, okay! Still important! CP

You: I just heard an ambulance rush past. I couldn't see who was in it, but there was a tan corolla on its tail. -CR

Stranger: ...Steve. CP

You: Janice. -CR

You: I don't know! But why else would he be chasing the ambulance? -CR

Stranger: Okay. Okay, calm down, sweetie. It could be nothing. Maybe someone else just bought a tan corolla, ha ha ha ha. CP

You: Cecil, call Steve. -CR

Stranger: Yes! Yes, I'll do that. Okay. CP

Stranger: [To: SC] Steve. CP

You: I'll be at the hospital in ten minutes. -CR [twenty-two minutes later] Cecil! -SC

You: Cecil, get down here quick. -SC

Stranger: Is everyone alright? Carlos just passed an ambulance and you were following it. CP

You: Janice tried to leave a birthday present on my pillow. Tried to get in the stair lift by herself. -SC

Stranger: ...oh, no. CP

Stranger: What happened? CP

You: She managed to get upstairs. -SC

You: I got the gift and everything, and it's thoughtful, but she slipped getting in the stair lift and tumbled down. -SC

Stranger: Oh my God. Oh my God oh my God oh my God. CP

You: Please get down here. -SC

Stranger: I'm on my way. Carlos is coming too, he said, oh my God. CP

You: She's going to be okay, I think. -SC

Stranger: Oh my God. CP

You: She doesn't feel any pain. -SC

Stranger: Janice is hurt, oh my God. CP

You: I don't know if I should tell you or just let you come down. -SC

Stranger: Tell me! CP

Stranger: I mean, I'm on my way anyway. But tell me now. CP

You: Left leg snapped. Bone exposed, blood everywhere. She couldn't get to the phone. If I hadn't forgotten my office key, I wouldn't have come home at all... -SC

Stranger: ...oh, Janice. My poor baby girl. CP

You: She was bleeding for an hour. -SC

Stranger: My baby. CP

You: She keeps telling us she's fine. She really can't feel it, Cecil, it's just... -SC

You: [delayed] What blood type are you? -SC

Stranger: O negative. Universal donor. CP

You: Get over here. -SC

Stranger: She needs blood. CP

You: She needs a lot of blood, Cecil. -SC

Stranger: I'm on my way. Five minutes, at most. Okay? CP

You: Okay. -SC

You: Thank you. -SC

Stranger: Cecil wasn't fond of needles. Was absolutely terrified of them, in fact, but he didn't let that factor into his mind right then. Oh, his poor baby niece. Janice. Being like that for an /hour/, bleeding, alone - he couldn't even fathom it. He was there in four minutes instead of five, his heart thudding loudly in his chest as he asked for directions to where Janice was being kept. Like a madman on a mission, Cecil sprinted down the hall before wrenching open the door. He wasn't thinking of how much he hated Steve, or how much he could potentially blame Steve for this, but he just needed to make sure his niece was okay. "Janice!?"

You: "Shh!" Steve practically jumped from the door on Cecil's left, immediately pressing a hand over the radio host's mouth. He stood in front of the operation room defensively, his eyes red from tears. "Cecil," he whispered, waiting until the other man calmed down enough to listen. "Cecil, she's conscious. They're setting her leg right now, but they didn't need to sedate her. She's conscious, and she's scared. You can't come in there screaming at her. You need to be calm. Okay? We- We need to be calm about this."

Stranger: Cecil immediately flinched when he felt a hand over his mouth, but he listened to Steve anyway. He was not the calm one in the relationship. Carlos was the one who could get nearly killed by a tiny army and still be okay the next hour, but Cecil was not that sort of person. Swallowing deeply, he looked at Steve and just gave a shaky nod. For the first time in...well, years, probably, he just wrapped both arms around Steve and gave him a tight hug. He burst into tears on the man's shoulder, just frightened and nervous and worried over his niece. Taking a deep breath, he just stood back and wiped at his eyes. "Is...okay. She's going to be okay. They've just got to reset her leg, that's all, and...she'll be fine. I'll do whatever I need to do."

You: The taller man reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to Cecil. Still, he kept himself in front of the door, posture slightly straighter than before. "It's going to be okay," he echoed, nodding at Cecil and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. His other hand, however, he fisted in his pocket, clenching and unclenching in worry. "The surgeons are talking to her, keeping her relaxed. There's a sheet hiding her legs from view. Really, they're doing everything right. They--" There was a sudden high-pitched scream from the operating room, Steve's green eyes widening. The screaming continued, followed by a loud clattering. "DAD! DADDY!" "What the--" "--the anesthetic--" "DADDY, IT HURTS!" "--nerve set--" "--move the--"

Stranger: Cecil took the handkerchief and dabbed it around his eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself. When he heard the shouts, though, he could only jump and squeeze his hand into a fist at each word. Oh, no. No no no no no. His poor niece. He looked over to Steve and shook his head, pulling away from the man and trying to make his way into the operating room. "No no no no, she needs /us/, she needs her daddy - she needs her uncle - Steve, she's in /pain/." Although he had never had a child before (and given his orientation, probably wouldn't), he loved Janice like his own little girl and it pained him awfully to see the tiny child in pain. "/Steve/," he pleaded desperately.

You: Steve was already gone, turning around and barreling into the room with Cecil right behind him. His eyes glanced over the bloody mess of her leg, but he pushed past it and rushed to Janice's side. She grabbed his hand immediately, but she was still screaming out in pain. The doctors rushed around her, trying to fit her with a mask. "Shh, baby, baby it's alright..." "DADDY! MAKE IT STOP!" "I will, I will, just hold still baby, please..." He was crying again, squeezing Janice's hand. Neither of them noticed her left leg twitching, blood spilling. The surgeons desperately tried to clean the area, the small room a whirlwind of panic.

Stranger: "Janice? Janice, it's okay, you'll be fine. We've got you, okay? Daddy and Uncle have got you," Cecil reassured him, his temporary distaste for Steve Carlsberg forgotten. He didn't want to look down at the bloody mess that was her left leg, and frankly, he was proud that he managed not to. He needed to stay strong for her. One hand went to her hair, smoothing it back in an attempt to soothe her. "You'll be fine, Janice, everything's going to be perfectly okay. Daddy's got you, and he won't let anything happen to you." His voice, although laced with an undertone of panic, was the same sonorous, smooth voice that he used on the radio. Still, his heart beat fast in his chest as he looked around the crowded medical room, trying to get a handle on what was going on.

You: Finally, the surgeons managed to fix the mask over her face, and with a few desperate breaths and painful glances she fell into sleep. Her eyes rolled back and her chest decompressed, her body going into a frightful form of rest. Only when she was unconscious did Steve allow himself to break, sobbing and kissing his daughter's hand. "I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry. I love the bracelet you made, it's so beautiful, beautiful just like you, I- I--" He kissed her forehead, trembling all over. "Mr. Carlsberg? Mr. Palmer? I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to leave." "I can't leave my ba-baby girl..." "Sir, I'm sorry."

Stranger: "It's okay, Janice, it's okay," Cecil could only chant reassuringly, looking down at her. Okay. No, she wasn't.../that/, it was just sleeping. Unconscious. They needed that so they would be able to work, and - besides, at least she wasn't in any pain anymore. He just kept on stroking her hair, pulling himself together. Okay. No. This was Steve's daughter. Steve was obviously not going to be the most put together in the room, which meant that Cecil...Cecil had to. Taking a deep breath, he detached himself from Janice and pulled Steve away by his wrist. "Steve?" He asked softly, the kindest he had been in years. "Steve, we have to go. They'll make sure that she gets better, don't worry. But we're not going to do anything."

You: Steve could barely see straight, reluctantly following Cecil outside. Still, before they left, he pulled open the blinds of the room, giving them a vantage point from the hallway. Some part of him understood that they had to give the doctors room, but like hell he was leaving his daughter like this. "Cecil," he whispered, pressing against the window the moment the door was closed behind them. "Cecil, she- she could /feel./ I don't understand, they said- they said it wasn't possible... They... Cecil, she was hurting... She's in pain, I don't..."

Stranger: When they finally got there, Cecil just took a deep breath and ran both hands through his hair. He tugged on it lightly, just looking utterly frustrated for a second. "I...I don't...I don't know, Steve. Maybe something changed. There's nothing we can do at this point except...well, except to wait, and hope that they're able to...do something." Taking a deep breath, he just crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. His face contorted in pain for a second, before he relaxed and just took a breath. "I'm sure they'll be able to help her. They have to be able to. I don't know, Steve. I know it hurts, I'm...I'm panicking, too, but we've got to stay strong for Janice."

You: He shook his head, tearing himself away and burying his face into Cecil's shoulder. He clutched at the other man's back, crying quietly into his sweater. "Cecil," he whispered. "I t-told her not to use the ramp alone, I swear, I d-didn't want this to happen. She- She was always so /independent,/ wanted to- to give me her present in her own way. Oh, gods, oh gods, this is my fault, it's m-my fault..."

Stranger: [brb]

You: [ditto~]

You: [back]

Stranger: "/No/," Cecil urged him, although he initially froze when he felt Steve give him a hug. Finally, though, he relaxed. This was an emergency situation. Petty childhood rivalries would have to be put aside when there was a girl that they both loved /so/ much in the operating room. "There are a lot of things that are your fault, Steve. Your awful shoe choice. Your sports gambling. Your stupid conspiracy theories. You had no way of knowing that this was going to happen, and Janice...Janice should have known better. It's not your fault. It's okay, Steve, it's okay," With dry eyes, he rubbed Steve's back, taking a deep breath as he did so. His voice broke once or twice.

You: "I wish I could be in there," he whispered, still not releasing Cecil. Ever since Emily had taken the subway and disappeared forever, Janice had been all he had left in the world. There was never anyone to cling to, to show weakness towards. Just having a hand on his back was all he needed in the world. "I want to take the pain away, Cecil, I- I want to help her. She deserves so m-much better, she really does. She- I should have- Strex could have /fixed/ her...!"

Stranger: "/No/." His voice got dark and dangerous for a second, and he just squeezed Steve tightly. It was more out of distaste out of remembering StrexCorp than true familial affection, but Cecil tried. "Janice does not need to be /fixed/. Janice is a perfectly /fine/ little girl and she makes us so proud every day. This was an accident. Nobody could have done anything to stop it. Certainly not Strex, who...God knows what they would've done to her."

You: Steve nodded, gently pulling away from Cecil and wiping at his eyes with his sleeves. His left wrist had a brightly beaded bracelet on it, with heart-shaped decorations every third bead. "I'm- I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have... I'm sorry. She really is perfect, just the way she is. I just wish she wouldn't push herself like this, trying to prove something that doesn't need to be p-proved. Emily would have..." He choked a little, loosening his tie. "Emily would've known what to say."

Stranger: Cecil had liked Emily. She was sweet, and good with Steve when he got to be too annoying, and always knew how to handle Janice without being weird over it. Even Cecil hadn't been that good. Gingerly letting go of Cecil, his eyes fell on the bracelet and his heart broke a little. Oh, his poor, sweet little girl. Sighing, Cecil loosened his tie and let it hang around his neck, shaking his head. "She just wanted to give you a present," he finally announced. "She didn't want to try and prove anything, she just wanted to surprise you. She was just being a little girl, Steve. And sometimes they get into accidents."

You: "No little girl should be hurt like this," Steve whispered, looking around and collapsing into a nearby waiting room chair. "There's not--" "Cecilito!" Carlos came running around the corner, eyes on his new watch as he skidded to a halt before the two men. His other hand clutched a brown bag, and the aroma of chicken noodle soup filled the air.  "Cecilito, what happened? Is she okay? What does she need? Are /you/ okay? What--?"

Stranger: "/Carlos/!" Cecil exclaimed, utterly surprise to see the man there. It was by no means unwelcome, though. It was weird to have another person there when it was strictly a familiar affair, but Cecil had already supposed Carlos to be family a long time ago. He gingerly let go of Steve entirely and went over to Carlos, pressing a quick kiss against his cheek. Ah, that kiss did wonders. "She's...she's in pain, Carlos, and they're trying to fix her, but - we never expected - she's /never/ been able to feel anything - " he started to babble, and to breathe quickly, so he just shook his head an calmed down. "She's unconscious, now, and they're working on her. She's lost a lot of blood. I'm, uh, O negative, so if the need arises, I'm a blood donor. I, um..." Looking over at Steve, he gave a little cough and looked down. "I've been better. So has Steve."

Stranger: *surprised

You: Steve winced at the small peck, lowering his head and holding his face in his hands. He couldn't stop thinking of his Emily, and the public displays of affection weren't helping in the slightest. Carlos kept one strong arm around Cecil, gently setting the soup down beside Steve and giving him a light pat on the shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Steve." "Mngh." "Cecil," the scientist said, turning back to the radio host and cupping his cheek. "Please, tell me what happened. Did her chair break? Did someone push her? Who hurt her?"

Stranger: "She, um." Taking a deep breath, Cecil just wound both arms around Carlos and gave him a quick squeeze. "Steve's birthday is coming up," he explained quietly, trying desperately not to let Steve here. Out of all the people in the room, Steve really didn't want it recounted. "A-and..well, she's not allowed to go in the chairlift alone, but she did while Steve was at work, and...she got up there okay. But then she fell and...her legs...they broke. Badly. She was bleeding for around an hour before Steve came home to get a key." he explained softly, his voice giving out towards the end. Eventually he just placed his head against Carlos' chest, squeezing his eyes shut. "She was in so much pain, Carlos, when we saw her. /Screaming/..."

You: Carlos was a scientist. He was able to put things together quicker than anyone. As soon as Cecil explained, he kissed the top of his head and held him close. The guilt on Steve's face was plain to see, and Cecil was feeling useless. While he too loved Janice, he was in no way as close to the young girl as they were, and he'd need to hold them over until they brought Janice back to consciousness. Poor thing... "Cecil, let's sit down," he said quietly, guiding Cecil to the chair next to Steve's and gently guiding him down into it. "There we go... Alright. Jancie is dreaming right now, probably about that math project she's so worried about, and when she wakes up she's going to be in a comfortable bed with three loving men around her. She's going to be thrilled... Now, let's try to focus on that, hm? Her waking up surrounded by people who love her?"

Stranger: At first, Cecil expected a little awkwardness. After all, Carlos was the boyfriend. The serious boyfriend, who Cecil talked about constantly in other conversations, but just a boyfriend in a strictly family matter. Not that Cecil had much family, either. 'Family matters' mostly consisted of him and Steve bickering, but this...well, this was something different. He allowed Carlos to guide him and he sat, although he refused to let go of Carlos' free hand. Looking up at him, Cecil just took a deep breath and leaned back against the chair. "I just hope so..." he murmured despondently, his lower lip jutting out a little as he tried not to cry. No, no more crying. Steve could cry all he wanted, but not Cecil. "They won't tell us anything. They just made us leave the room, and - they're so panicked in there, Carlos, it was terrifying. But...but she'll be alright." Smiling gently, he just looked down at the floor. "She's a tough little girl. She'll be okay. She'll see her Daddy, and her Uncles, soon."

You: Steve turned his head to the side, glancing up at Cecil and Carlos holding hands, and immediately vomited. It was a small heave, one he managed to swallow without much effort, but the queasiness in his stomach couldn't be quelled. He needed someone to hold /his/ hand, and that someone would never return. "Ex-Excuse me," he stammered, standing up and keeping one arm on the wall for support. "I'm sorry, I just-" He sniffled. "-I'm just going to stand by the... the window. Let you two know if something happens. I..." He swallowed again before walking down the hallway, pressing himself to the glass and cupping his eyes. Carlos sighed, kissing Cecil again and squeezing his hand. "She's lucky to have a family who adores her so much."

Stranger: Cecil looked at Steve and guilt dropped to the bottom of his stomach. Oh, no. He'd completely forgotten about Emily. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and leaned against Carlos. "When he comes back in," he murmured quietly, "It'd be good for you not to hold my hand or kiss me. He's still really sensitive about Emily, especially during a time like this. And I'm sure seeing us doesn't make it any better." Pausing, he leaned into the kiss regardless and shook his head. "My poor baby girl," he whined softly. "It's going to crush Steve if something...permanent happens to her, Carlos. We have to - I'll be a mess. If something happens. So you've got to be the strong guy, okay? Make sure everything gets worked out and...all that," he answered vaguely, looking down at the floor between them.

You: Carlos kept their fingers laced together for now, but nodded in understanding. "I'll always be here. You know that. Even for Steve. But nothing bad is going to happen to her, Cecil," Carlos whispered, wrapping his other arm around the man's middle and swaying him side to side. "I promise you, in a week she's going to be rolling around the playground like she always has. She's our little fighter, hm? That's what you've always said. Our little Janice. We'll get her some ice cream and draw doodles on her cast and pretend to fight with Steve again... She'll adore it. The worst of it is over."

Stranger: Cecil nearly purred under his breath, letting his head fall against Carlos'. "Have I told you what a great guy you are, today?" He asked softly, the momentary situation disappearing for a second before he just nodded in agreement. "I'm sure she'll be...she'll be okay. Once the worst of it is over...hey, maybe she won't even remember the worst of it. Even you say that you can't really remember when the tiny city attacked you. I don't want her to remember how much pain in she was in, how she was screaming...oh, Carlos. I'm sure she'll be fine. She'll just want to see her Daddy again, that's all, and she'll want to leave as soon as possible. Maybe we can stop by a store and pick up some new stickers for her chair. She'd like that."

You: "We can finally get her the fire ones," Carlos chuckled. Perhaps, if he ignored the terrors Cecil was describing, he'd grow to ignore them too. "We won't tell Steve. Make them our own little surprise." His fingers dug into Cecil's back, just a little, and he let out a deep, calming sigh. "Everything's going to be okay, Cecil. I promise." Steve and Cecil were waiting in their uncomfortable chairs for the seventh hour that day, Carlos having disappeared to pick up some dinner for the three of them. Steve had taken to silence somewhere around the two-hour mark, always just on the edge of sleep but never allowing himself to teeter over. He had to be there when his little girl woke up, no questions asked. He loved her too much not to. "Mr. Carlsberg? Mr. Palmer?" A woman smiled from the hallway, a clipboard in her hand. "Are you both immediate family?"

Stranger: Cecil didn't talk much around Steve when Carlos finally left, leaning back against the wall. Sometimes he played with his phone, texting Carlos a little. Sometimes he just stared across at the other wall, trying to think about what was going on with Janice at the minute. When he heard the woman walk in the hallway, Cecil nodded and jumped up, giving a smile. Oh, he hoped he would be considered immediate. Step-uncle didn't exactly scream 'close relative', but he loved Janice the second most in the world. "Yes," he answered immediately, looking over at Steve. "We're both immediate family. How is she doing? Is she okay?"

You: "She's awake," the nurse said, keeping herself between the two worried men and the door. "But she was very lucky. We had some B negative available, and she's recuperating. Still, I'm going to have to ask you two to keep things mellow, okay?" Steve was trying to step around the woman at this point, trying to catch a glance through the small window. His daughter was awake, she was conscious, she was wondering where he was... "Yes, yes, yes, we understand," Steve said quickly, wiping desperately at his eyes to try and remove all evidence of tears. Janice didn't need to see that. "Please, just let us in." When they were finally granted access to the room, Steve immediately took the nearest chair, grabbing Janice's hand and leaning in close. "Baby?" he whispered, kissing her cheek and squeezing her hand. "Janice, hey... Janice, are you there?"

Stranger: brb]

You: [kay]

Stranger: Cecil took a deep breath. Awake, and conscious. That was all he needed to hear. Taking a deep breath, Cecil tried to sort himself out. Janice never saw him as anything less than perfectly put together, so he tied the tie around his neck again and fixed his hair quickly. Pulling out his phone, he sent out a quick text of 'she's awake' to Carlos before entering into the room. Plastering a large smile on his face, Cecil took the chair on the other side of the bed and took up his usual position of stroking the girl's hair. "Hi, Janice," he told her lightly, leaning over and pecking the top of her head. His eyes glanced up to Steve, making sure that he was okay, before focusing on the girl again. "Daddy and Uncle are here."

You: Janice slowly lolled her head towards the sonorous voice, smiling and cracking her eyes open. Everything was fuzzy, but she could recognize that purple sweater anywhere. "Cecil," she said huskily, her voice still as innocent and youthful as before.  Steve immediately bowed his head, grateful that Janice wasn't looking at him. He sobbed silently, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand and trying to get himself together. His little girl was okay, she was okay... "Where am I?" she asked lazily, swallowing and blinking as she tried to escape the heavy haze the medication had formed.

Stranger: Okay, maybe Cecil was a /little/ smug that she had said his name first. "Hey there, cutie," he teased her gently, reaching over and giving her cheek a light pat. Not to mention that Steve needed some time to pull himself together, and it made him...well, sad, to see Steve cry. He liked insulting Steve, teasing him, making fun of him. But this was different altogether, and Cecil couldn't manage one sarcastic quip. "You're in the hospital, Miss Janice. You had a bit of a fall. But you're okay, so that's good. You gave us /quite/ the shock, you know. I even hugged your father. Ugh." He mimed a shiver. "Are you feeling okay? Do you need any water or anything?"

You: She squinted her eyes again, but giggled at the idea of the two men hugging. "I think 'm okay..." she said quietly, fading out for a few seconds before jolting back. Her system was still full of anesthetics, and it'd take her time to recover. "Where's Daddy?" From the other side of the bed, Steve sniffled as quietly as he could, wiping his eyes one more time before craning upwards. "Sweetie... Sweetie, I'm over here. Oh, honey, you're such a brave, strong girl..." Janice winced as she turned her head, but smiled at Steve all the same. "Daddy, you're crying..." "Y-You're right! Daddy is crying. He couldn't stop himself when he saw what a- a beautiful present you made him. I love it Janice, I really, really do. You must have worked so hard..."

Stranger: Cecil smiled at the reunion, his eyes occasionally drifting over to Steve. The poor guy. The closest thing Cecil had experienced to this had been Khoshekh, and as much as he loved that dear cat, Khoshekh wasn't a kid. Besides, Cecil had had Carlos when that had happened, and he didn't know how he had made it without the man there. Pity overwhelmed his senses for a second, and he vowed in the back of his mind to play matchmaker later. When this was all out of the air. "It really is nice," he reassured her, giving her a small grin. "You really are a wonderful little daughter, you know that? Oof, too sweet. I don't know what Steve did to deserve such a nice little girl like yourself, and you've got such a good sense of style, too. The heart beads really bring out his eyes."

You: "Very funny, Cecil," Steve said, laughing a little before breaking into tears again. He hid them in Janice's shoulder, hugging her as gently as he could. Everything in him ached, seeing his daughter breathing with the aid of tubes and IVs, but he couldn't bring himself to complain. His daughter was alive and well. That's all he could ask for. "Thanks, Uncle Cecil," she said, smiling up at him through Steve's hair. "I was going to make a cake..." "Oh, darling," Steve whispered, holding her just a little tighter at the suggestion. A cake? By herself? "Oh, I would absolutely adore that. Maybe- Maybe Uncle Cecil could help you, let you lick the batter like Daddy never does..." "Really?" Janice gasped, small smile twisting into a grin. "Cecil! Cecil! Will you?"

Stranger: Cecil smiled at the hug, feeling his heart flutter a little. Maybe he would have to ask Carlos what he thought of kids. Someday. A long, long way from now. Right now, he was just glad that he had Janice, who was a wonderful little niece. And, uh, he could have done worse with Steve. "I don't know, do you really trust me to help you make a cake for your /daddy/?" He asked with a smile, pushing her hair so that she wasn't lying on any of it as she rested on the hospital bed. "But I'll definitely let you lick the batter, too. I think you deserve it. A hospital visit deserves it, anyway." Glancing at all the tubes and IVs, Cecil tried to figure out what they were all for, but he couldn't decide anything except the obvious. "As long as you promise me that you let me know about /any/ surprises you're throwing for your Daddy beforehand, okay?"

You: Steve let out a grateful sigh at Cecil's condition, pulling away and leaning back in his chair. Still, he kept his hand tightly around Janice's.  "Okay," Janice said, still beaming at the idea of licking the batter. It was astounding, how the smallest of things could cheer children up. "Can we go home now?" They didn't return home for another three hours, well past Janice's bedtime. Steve didn't enforce the usual rule, smiling at the two of them and carefully guiding them into the kitchen. Sure enough, Janice had managed to get her hands on a box of cake mix. "You two get started, okay?" he said with a weak smile, kissing Janice's cheek and giving Cecil's hand a grateful squeeze. "I'm just... going to be in the living room." /Cleaning up./ "So stay in here, alright you two? I don't want to see it until it's done!"

Stranger: At first, Cecil had protested lightly. She had just gotten home, it was not really the time for cake-baking, was it? Still, Janice was just so eager, and so strong-willed, and...well, Cecil had never been able to refuse her before. "Okay, you come here, little girl." He teased her lightly, guiding her over to the kitchen counter and getting some of the ingredients ready. "It was really sweet of you to make a bracelet for your Daddy, you know, but next time, let me know?" He really wanted to enforce this, because...gods, he couldn't do this again. "I can help you out. I've got /great/ style sense, and I can do the boring things like make sure you get up the stairs okay."

You: "I can get up the stairs myself," Janice said, rolling her eyes. Steve winced, but left the issue for Cecil to work out. He couldn't handle it right now, not when he had to blotch his daughter's blood stains out of the carpet. Swallowing and trying to keep his stomach together, he returned to the living room. The tan carpet was /covered/ in angry brown splotches, pooling at the bottom of the stairs. He /did/ lose his dinner this time, heaving into a nearby trash can and wiping at his mouth. He had to do this. He was... he was the father. Silently, he reached for a picture of Emily off their family piano, sitting down just above the blood stains and tracing her face through the glass.  "I'm sorry," he whispered, clutching close to the photograph. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, she's okay..."

Stranger: Cecil heard the retching noise and he disappeared just enough to see what had happened, and as his eyes fell on Steve, he just took a deep breath. Oh, no. His poor stepbrother. Still, there was no need to let Janice see this, and he felt like he was intruding on a deeply personal matter. "I know you can, but I worry too much. Carlos does dangerous things every other day. /He/ can barely get up the stairs himself without tripping, sometimes." Shaking his head, he cracked an egg into the mix. Placing the bowl on Janice's lap and holding it there, he handed her an egg. "Here, you can crack the other one. So, um." He looked her over again, cast and all. "You sure you're feeling okay?"

You: "Yeah," Janice said, balancing the container in her lap with ease and cracking the egg on the lip of the bowl. "Just a little dizzy, I guess. But I'm okay." She rolled backwards and grabbed a third egg, cracking it as well. This time, however, her smile faded a little. "I just wanna do what everyone else can do, you know? I can get down the stairs by myself, I'd just forgotten my gloves in my room and my hand slipped. It was stupid. I'm /ten,/ Uncle Cecil, not eight. I just wish Dad wouldn't freak out so much..."

Stranger: Cecil smiled at her, and patted her back. "Don't tell him I said this, but he's a good guy. Doing all of this on his own, taking care of a little girl? Even one as good as you are? He's a brave guy. Of course he's going to freak out, Jan. He loves you /so/ much and he's terrified at the thought of something happening to you." He handed her the butter that they needed, leaning against the counter. "And I know it's hard for you, too. You do a lot of things that Steve and I never expected you to be able to do, sweetie, it's just...don't push yourself. For our own sanity."

You: She humphed a little, breaking the butter up with a fork and masking it against the walls of the bowl. "I wish I could live with you and Uncle Carlos sometimes. You guys are so /cool./ Uncle Carlos lets me ride the elevator all by myself sometimes. See? /He/ gets it. He's never worried." She set the bowl back on the counter, reaching for the baking spray and the pan that were just out of her reach.

Stranger: Discreetly, Cecil pushed the baking spray and the pan a little closer in her grasp. "You can come visit more often, of course. I think we'd both love to have that." He gave a smile and rubbed his cheek in thought. "In fact, that might give Steve a little more breathing room, too. But anyway - Carlos is good with kids, and he trusts you a lot. And it's not about you not being able to do things, Janice, but...if something /does/ go wrong, just by accident, then you make sure someone's around. Okay? Whether it's me or Carlos or Steve or anyone."

You: Janice sprayed the pan with the cooking spray, eyes crinkled a little in concentration. She put far too much in, but still proudly set it out on the counter for Cecil to pour the batter into. "/Or/ you guys could get me a cell phone?" she asked hopefully, rolling circles in the kitchen as she always did when she was bored. "An iPhone? I saw this cute pink one on Ebay, and I'd be /so/ much safer if I could call."

Stranger: "Mmm, you'd have to ask Steve. I'm the cool uncle. He gets to make all the hard parental decisions," Cecil teased her lightly, although he still thought it was a good idea. Just to have a phone to call. It would've made this situation so much easier, if she could just call emergency and be done with it. "I'll talk to it about him later, when he's calmed down." Pouring the batter slowly, he finished and placed the concoction in the oven. With a wink, he passed the batter-covered spoon to Janice.

You: She grinned in delight, licking the spoon enthusiastically. Chocolate. Her /favorite./ "What do you mean, calm down?" she asked, lips slightly sticky with the chunky batter. "He's not still crying, is he?"

Stranger: "No, no," Cecil lied airily, hoping he wasn't. Hoping that he had calmed down and cleaned everything up by now. Damn it all, he should have gotten Carlos over here to do it. He would be more than willing. "He's just a little shaken up, that's all. Don't worry about it, cutie. He'll be all better once he sees this delicious cake you've made him."

You: "Okay," Janice sighed, finishing with the spoon and staring at the bowl hopefully. Sure enough, Steve rushed into the kitchen, hands strategically angled away from Janice. They were rusty red. "Things sure smell good in here!" he said brightly, face hidden from Janice as well as he quickly scrubbed himself in the sink. While he couldn't get all the mess out, he'd still managed to make a dent. Eventually, the crying had gotten the better of him, and he'd moved the living room rug. "I sure hope that's chocolate!"

Stranger has disconnected.

[omeglerping]

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like WTNV, and Welcome to Night Vale.

You: ...how do you feel about dom/sub...? -CP

Stranger: Never really tried it. Why? -C

You: Oh. Oh, sorry, nevermind. -CP

Stranger: No, no.. its okay. Why do you ask? -C

You: [delayed] I don't know, I might have some interest in it. -CP

You: But if you're weirded out, I have absolutely zero interest. Ew. Gross. -CP

Stranger: Its okay, Cecil. Just explain to me what it is you want. I don't know much about it. -C

You: [delayed] It'd involve Person A being restrained while Person B did... things... maybe saying certain things to Person A as he/she does them... -CP

Stranger: Sounds.. interesting! We can definitely try it, if you'd like that. -C

You: Interesting, gods... -CP

You: It's okay, I knew you'd respond like this. -CP

You: I won't pressure you. -CP

Stranger: Oh hush. Interesting isn't negative at all. I want to do this, Cecil, if it will make you happy. -C

You: [delayed] Really really? -CP

Stranger: Really really. -C

You: [delayed] Wow. -CP

You: Okay. -CP

You: Um. -CP

You: Are you more interested in... Person A, or Person B? -CP

Stranger: Whatever you want. -C

Stranger: Like I said, I'm willing to try anything. -C

You: How soon can you be over? -CP

Stranger: Fifteen minutes. -C

You: Ten. -CP

Stranger: Fine. -C

Stranger: On my way. -C

You: Cecil paced around their living room, twirling his tie in his fingers as he waited for Carlos to come home. It wasn't that Carlos wasn't satisfying him in bed- far from it. But he wanted more adventure, more... roleplay... But what if he scared Carlos? Hurt him? He groaned, immediately slapping himself across the cheek. No. If he allowed his nerves to show, Carlos would never have a prayer of assuming his position. He had to be committed from the moment Carlos let himself in.

Stranger: Carlos had never driven so fast in his entire life. It was a wonder he wasn't pulled over, because he was pretty sure he exceeded whatever speed limits Night Vale had. He had no idea how this was going to go, a pretty vague idea of what exactly they were doing.. but he was excited, none the less. He pulled his labcoat around himself as he got out of the car, making his way into their apartment. "Cecil?" He called, signaling his arrival.

You: The radio host rounded from around the corner, staring at Carlos in the doorway. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, and his expression was borderline /disgust./ "Carlos," he said, looking down at his watch and nodding at the face. "Nine minutes. Good boy. Take off your coat, hang it on the rack. Follow me." And without so much as his usual welcome-home-from-work hug, he turned for the bedroom.

Stranger: The scientist was about to hug Cecil tightly, tell him how much he loved him and missed him, etc., but instead he was greeted with a look of.. hatred? Dislike? He was trying to think of something he could've done wrong but then he remembered. Looks like he's person A. He didn't expect them to jump directly into it. He watched Cecil go towards the bedroom, and after a few moments of shock, hung his white labcoat on the coat rack and hurried after him as he was told to do.

You: Cecil was leaning against the wall beside the bed when Carlos walked in, arms still crossed over his chest. This time, however, silver handcuffs were hanging from one of his hands. "Shirt off," he said, his voice much deeper and more demanding than usual. Some part of him was still worried Carlos would take this the wrong way, and he was certain to set up a safeword when they were situated. "Hurry. Don't keep me waiting."

Stranger: Carlos couldn't get his eyes off of the shiny handcuffs until Cecil's voice, somehow deeper than it usually was, reminded him of their current situation. Was he going to be.. cuffed? Some part of this turned him on, oh gosh. He snapped out of his daze and got to unbuttoning his red, flannel shirt, starting at the top and going down.

You: As Carlos unbuttoned his shirt, Cecil twirled the cuffs around his fingers, watching without the usual admiration and awe he usually showed with Carlos' body. Instead, he stayed just where he was, motioning to the bed with his free hand. "Lie down. Arms over your head. I'll have a 'Yes, sir.'

You: sir.'"*

Stranger: He pulled the shirt off of himself, looking up at Cecil as he told him what to do. "Yes, sir." He said softly, making his way to the bed and lying on top of it. He held his arms over his head as he was told, and looked up at the ceiling. Carlos didn't know about this part of Cecil, but he most definitely wasn't complaining.

You: Cecil kept the contact between the two of them at a minimum as he cuffed Carlos' wrists together, tugging on the chain to make sure he really was trapped on their headboard. He stared down at his boyfriend's body, trying his hardest not to let his arousal get in the way of Carlos' safety. "Are you familiar with the red light, green light system?" he asked, still not meeting Carlos' eyes.

Stranger: Cecil barely even touched him when he was being handcuffed to the headboard, which somehow bothered him. He stared up at Cecil, who was still fully clothed and refusing to look at him, and pulled a bit at the handcuffs to get used to the feeling. Very different, but.. hot? "No." He said, then thought better of it: "No sir." He corrected himself.

You: God, Carlos calling him sir was turning him on...  "'Green' means you're comfortable," Cecil said, dragging a single finger down Carlos' chest. "You may only say 'green' when I ask you. 'Yellow' means slow down, and 'red' means stop. Say these whenever you feel compelled to. Otherwise, only 'yes sir's and 'no sirs.' Are we clear?"

Stranger: Carlos was trying to listen, he really was, but it was hard to concentrate with Cecil so teasingly touching his chest. He subconciously leaned up to Cecil's touch, his eyes on Cecil's face. He still couldn't make eye contact. "Yes sir." He muttered as he silently wished Cecil's clothes could come off soon as well.

You: "Good," Cecil said, clearing his throat and dropping it back down to its low, sonorous tones. He moved on top of Carlos, straddling him, but balancing on his knees so as to keep contact between he and Carlos at a minimum. "You've been naughty, Carlos, did you know that?" he asked, still dragging his one finger over his bare skin. He twirled it around his nipples, eyes strictly on Carlos' chest.

Stranger: Carlos knew he was fucked when Cecil crawled on top of him, but still, there was barely any contact until he felt Cecil tracing around his skin. Eventually, he felt the tracing alternate between his nipples. "Y-Yes sir.." He managed to say, but he was biting his lip to keep his hips from bucking up into Cecil's.

You: "Coming home late every night, leaving me up and waiting... I was just begging for you to come home... To touch me... Now, I want you to beg for me." Finally, Cecil's eyes locked with Carlos', but they were disapproving and dark. "Beg me to touch you."

Stranger: Carlos groaned quietly as Cecil talked, the low pitch of his voice and the disapproving words he was saying.. he lost his train of thought as he finally locked eyes with the man on top of him, and he could just feel the level of disgust in his partner's eyes. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to get himself together. "Please, please sir. I need it, I need your hands, your voice, I need you so much. I won't be naughty, I'll do whatever you say.. please, sir, please, I need you.." He begged for what seemed like forever, still feeling the teasing hands at his chest.

You: /Fuck./ It took all of Cecil's willpower not to nail Carlos right then and there. His eyes watered from the sheer effort it took to keep himself composed, gently moving back to sit down on Carlos' lower thighs. To see Night Vale's head scientist begging for him was... was intoxicating. Slowly, he removed his hand from Carlos' chest and dragged it down, undoing Carlos' belt and yanking it from around his hips. His hand moved to the front of Carlos' jeans, slowly massaging him through the denim. "Green?" he asked quietly.

Stranger: Carlos felt the hand that was on his chest start moving down, and he bit down quite hard on his lower lip. He watched with fascination as Cecil removed his belt and pulled it off. A gasp left his lips when he was palmed through his jeans, and it took all of his willpower to keep his hips on the bed. "Green." He said with some difficulty. He was focused on the hand against him.

You: Cecil let out a shaky breath, moving his fingers up to Carlos fly and slowly unzipping him, moving as slowly as he could. His pupils were blown wide and his pants were tented, but he refused to indulge himself. "You've been a bad boy," he said quietly, voice still disapproving and degrading. "You've been depriving me, pet. And I'm sick of waiting for your cock."

Stranger: The process of unzipping his fly seemed to take hours, days, years even. He was hard in his boxers, and he /needed/ some kind of contact. Cecil's words made it even worse. "Y-Yes sir." He stuttered, his eyes closed as he tried /not/ to focus on how agonizingly slow Cecil was going. He knew what he was doing. Oh god. "Please.."

You: "Good boy," Cecil said, tugging Carlos' jeans down to his mid-thighs and leaning down, mouthing him through his boxers only once before craning his neck upward again. That light sweat on his brow, that clinking of the handcuffs... God, Cecil needed to get /out/ of these clothes... "Tell me what you want. Exactly what you want. Now, pet." He squeezed down on Carlos' bulging boxers, staring him down. "I said /now./"

Stranger: Carlos made a noise he didn't know he could make when he felt Cecil's mouth over his tented boxers. Not enough, its not enough, please.. "I-I want," He gasped when Cecil squeezed down on him. Oh. "I want you to touch me, I want to feel you. Want.. want your hands, your tongue, your mouth, anything.. please, sir, please touch me.." He begged, half aware of what he was saying.

You: Cecil was silent for a moment, listening to Carlos gasp for breath, before he tugged his boyfriend's boxers down to join his jeans. His fist wrapped around him as he leaned the rest of his body upward, shoving his mouth against Carlos'. His hand kept up a steady pace as he invaded Carlos' mouth with his tongue, moaning loudly against his lips. None of the usual love or affection was there- only deep, animalistic need.

Stranger: The silence was agonizing, but worth it when he felt Cecil's familiar fingers around his hardening cock, the steady pace so teasingly good. He was happy to find Cecil's lips against his own, their tongues tangling together as Cecil's hand kept the same rhythm all the while. He was moaning and gasping, his hips moving up to meet Cecil's touch.

You: He pulled away from Carlos with a gasp, still twisting his fist around his partner. "I want to hear you," he demanded, leaning his forehead against Carlos' with his lips just out of reach. "Beg me to fuck you. Beg me, convince me how much you want me."

Stranger: Carlos wanted to touch Cecil, to get him out of those damed clothes, to wrap his arms around him, anything.. but his hands were still cuffed firmly to the headboard. He let out a groan, everything out of reach and /not enough./ "Please, please, I-" He gasped, "-I need you so much, I need, I need you pounding into me. Want your cock, want you, need.. need it.." He pleaded, staring up into Cecil's eyes as he said it, his mouth just out of reach. "Sir, please, I can't.." Begged Carlos, still trying to buck his hips up into Cecil's touch.

You: Cecil finally let himself break. He kissed Carlos again before sitting back up, fumbling with his own fly and letting himself out, stroking both himself and Carlos and watching the latino's head fall back. Only when he was certain he was at sufficient hardness did he force himself to leave the bed, kick off his pants, and grab the lube. "Arch your back for me, pet," he said, his voice slightly breathier than before as he slicked up his fingers. Even when roleplaying, he couldn't hurt Carlos.

Stranger: Carlos was relieved when finally Cecil's cock was visible, and hard, so he must be doing it right. He was a mess, gasping and biting down on his lip so hard he was surprised he didn't break the skin. His eyes followed the radio host as he went across the room, leaving him there and wanting. He eyed the lube in Cecil's hand as it was brought over. His back arched off of the bed when he was told to do so, and he just wanted Cecil. Needed him.

You: He didn't hesitate. He slid two fingers into Carlos the moment he was exposed, scissoring him open and staring down at the helpless scientist beneath him. "You deserve this," he murmured, voice low and threatening despite the blatant hardness pressing him against his lower stomach. "You deserve this, pet. You'll never come home late again, will you?" He added a third finger. "/Will you?/"

Stranger: Carlos took in a sudden, shaky breath as two fingers were suddenly inside him, scissoring him open. They'd never started with two, so of course there was quite the stretch. He was so distracted by the opening and closing of Cecil's fingers, he didn't say anything until a third finger joined the other two. "A-Ah, no sir, I won't.." He said, his eyes closed as he kept his back up off of the bed in an arch.

You: For a second, Cecil's hardened expression faltered, watching Carlos as he squeezed his eyes shut. He knew his boyfriend was always eager to please, and he had to be careful with his partner's body. "Green?" he asked, withdrawing his fingers and squirting some more lube onto his hand, stroking himself. It was far less preparation than usual, and while Cecil wanted to try it, he didn't want to go without Carlos' consent. "Yellow?"

Stranger: Carlos felt Cecil's fingers leave his body and he opened his eyes, desperate for some kind of contact. He felt so empty. "No, no. Green." He assured the man. He appreciated the way Cecil was careful to make sure he was okay with everything as it happened. He felt safer that way, more comfortable.

You: Cecil held his breath and lined himself up, checking Carlos' desperate expression one more time before plunging himself in. He was met with more resistance than usual, and he paused when he was fully inside to give Carlos a moment to adjust. "C-Carlos..."

Stranger: Carlos groaned as Cecil pushed in, and he felt every single bit of him. He wasn't as prepped as he usually was, but he could take it. He took only a few seconds to adjust before speaking up, looking up pleadingly at the broadcastor. "Sir, please fuck me.." He begged in an involuntarily higher voice. "I can take it, I can, please sir, f-fuck me.."

You: He didn't need to be told twice. He snapped his hips back before coming down again, letting out a deep and broken moan at the tightness around him. It didn't take long for him to get to their natural pace, Cecil already close to the edge from the ridiculous (but satisfying) amount of roleplay.

Stranger: Carlos let out an unexplainable noise as Cecil shoved into him again and again. He wanted to touch him, but the handcuffs thought otherwise. After a very short while of moans and gasps, he was close, and he guessed that Cecil was too, judging by the broken moans. "C-Close, sir.."

You: "God," Cecil breathed, reaching a hand down to Carlos' cock and pumping it in time, his demanding voice reduced to whimpers as he threw his head back. "God, C-Carlos, please..." His thumb rolled over the sensitive head with each thrust, desperate to feel him...

Stranger: The contact between Cecil's hand and his cock combined with, well, everything else, sent him over the edge. "O-Oh my God, I-I-" He said before he came with a cry, his wrists pulling against the restraints that were keeping his arms above his head.

You: Cecil immediately tugged himself out of Carlos, coming against his chest only seconds later. He wanted to bask in the afterglow, but he forced himself to reach into the bedside drawer and pull out the key. He freed Carlos' wrists and held them in his lap, rubbing them to get the blood flow back as he caught his breath.

Stranger: Carlos was gasping, panting, catching his breath, and he barely even realized that his hands were being freed from the restraints. He stayed silent and listened to Cecil's breathing for a while, catching his breath. "Oh, God.." He panted, looking up at Cecil, who was rubbing his previously restrained wrists.

You: "...was that okay?" Cecil asked, swallowing and kissing each of Carlos' wrists. He was nervous now, despite the pleasure and relief.

Stranger: Carlos looked up at Cecil like he was joking. "You're kidding, right?" He asked, his breaths returning slowly to normal pace. "That was.. amazing." He sat up so he could press a kiss to Cecil's neck. "Don't you dare hesitate to suggest something new ever again."

You: Cecil positively melted at Carlos' reaction, grinning and kissing him back. "I love you, darling," he said quickly, pecking his forehead. "I adore you. You've never upset me, never, that was all for show. I love you, I love you, I love you..."

You have disconnected.

[omeglerping]

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like WtNV, Steve/Cecil, Kevin/Diego, Diego/Kevin, Cecil/Steve, Stecil, Cecil/Carlos, Welcome to Night Vale, Cecilos, and Carlos/Cecil.

You: [Asexual!Cecil, 6 months into relationship] Cecil paced around his kitchen, counting the stripes on his tie for the millionth time as he waited for Carlos to come over. He could tell Carlos was feeling deprived over their many months together, and he was running out of explanations regarding why they hadn't slept together yet. 'I don't believe in Trojans,' 'It's the Sabbath,' and the classic 'My pancreas is having a bad day' excuses weren't cutting it anymore. No, if they were going to do it, Cecil would need to initiate it himself. After he'd tallied the 27th stripe the 27th time, he counted his breaths instead, shallow and shaky. /Do it for him. Make him happy. Make him happy. Make him happy.../

Stranger: Carlos pulled up outside of Cecil's building and took a breath. He loved Cecil, loved spending time with him eating dinner and watching movies and just being around him. But they'd been together for a while and hadn't taken it to the "next level" so to speak, which admittedly confused and frustrated a little. He was pretty sure Cecil found him attractive, what with him still gushing about his appearance and they did kiss quite a lot. But it never got further than that, and Carlos was too afraid to ask why. He pushed thoughts of troubles out of his mind and walked up to Cecil's apartment, knocking on the door, ready to have a lovely, if early ending, evening with his boyfriend.

Stranger: "Hi, Cecil," Carlos greeted, squeezing Cecil and giving him a kiss on the cheek as he stepped inside. "Today was busy, but exciting. We've found some interesting things in samples from the Sand Wastes," he replied with a grin before noticing something was ...off with Cecil and frowning a little. "How was yours?"

You: "It was fine, just fine," Cecil said, looping his arms up and around Carlos' neck before he could give himself the chance to withdraw. He could kiss Carlos, right? They'd done it literally hundreds of times before, from small pecks to heavier sessions. But now, with the promise of what one small gesture would lead to, Cecil found himself dizzy at the prospect. "Lots of filing intern death certificates, you know how it is. Dull. But..." He forced himself to stand a little closer to the scientist, dropping his voice a little, "I'm better now that you're here."

Stranger: "I'm glad I make your day better," Carlos said, a little confused. He wasn't exactly complaining about how Cecil was already standing closer and and being slightly suggestive. Carlos was a fairly physically affectionate person, and it wasn't like he didn't want what suggestive things were suggesting, but it was unlike Cecil to be suggestive with him at all, and to be this close this early in the evening. "Are you alright, Cecil?" he asked.

You: "I'm great," Cecil said, smiling in a way that didn't quite reach his eyes. Carlos looked concerned already, and they'd barely begun. Cecil would have to kick it into high drive if he was going to make it in once piece. "Really, Carlos, I just..." He brought a hand to cup Carlos' cheek, his finger brushing along the stubble he loved to feel under his lips. How much longer would Carlos wait until he was gone? Until Cecil didn't have any cheeks to kiss or breakfasts to cook for two? "...I just want to be closer to you."

Stranger: "Closer?" Carlos asked, not sure what Cecil meant, or at least, having a good guess that he didn't think could be right. He leaned into Cecil's touch a little, always loving Cecil's hands on him, even in the most innocent of ways.

You: Carlos was leaning in. Of course he was. Cecil felt the dread in his throat again, moving upward and pressing his lips against Carlos'. This was fine. Carlos was soft and tasted of lavender, as he always did. But he had to take this further. Slowly, hesitantly, he broke the gentleness of the kiss, snaking his tongue out and dragging it along Carlos' bottom lip with a small, fake moan to cover the whimper.

Stranger: Returning the kiss, Carlos smiled into it, happy, if still confused, about getting kisses already. And then suddenly Cecil was licking at Carlos's lip, and moaning a bit, which was very much end of date - almost time to go home or for Cecil to leave, or feel a hand on his chest pushing him away just a little so they could return to watching the movie before brushing their teeth and cuddling up in bed for the night - territory. He parted his lips, though, allowing his tongue to push out and meet Cecil's.

You: Cecil's eyes squeezed shut even tighter as Carlos returned the gesture, the sliminess of their tongues melding together usually leading Cecil to usher Carlos away. However, this time, he allowed them to tangle, pretending the wetness was pleasing him as much as it was clearly satisfying his partner. His hands moved down to clench at the small of Carlos' back, one migrating downwards and, after another small moan, grabbing at Carlos' ass. The latino would have to be the driving force- Cecil wouldn't be able to lead for long with the sickness inside him. Carlos would have to take over, and Cecil had to make his intentions clear.

Stranger: There was something... off about Cecil's moan, not even considering that his hand was on his ass, which had never happened before. For one, they really weren't doing anything moan-worthy, and even when Cecil really liked their kisses, which usually didn't involve tongue at all, just lips and variations of pressure and maybe a little bit of suction, depending, he didn't moan, it was more of a soft, pleased mewling sort of sound that Carlos wanted to hear forever. So Carlos pulled back, frowning at Cecil, bringing a hand up to cup Cecil's jaw gently. "Cecil, what's wrong?"

You: "Stop asking me that," Cecil mumbled, looking away as soon as his intentions were brought to life. Why was Carlos so perfect? None of his other partners had minded when Cecil tried to advance, no matter how much he'd end up crying into the pillow as he was thrust into. Couldn't Carlos be the same? Couldn't he just take him as he was and let it be? If this was the sacrifice that had to be made to keep Carlos with him, Cecil would do it a hundred times over. "I told you, I'm fine." As though to enunciate it, he brought his other hand down and squeezed, doing his best to mask the small wince as he pulled Carlos flush against his waist. /Take me. Just take me. Please./

Stranger: Carlos caught the wince and frowned even more, pushing Cecil a comfortable distance away and sighing a little. "You're not fine. You're acting strangely, Cecil, and I'd like to know why."

You: "I'm just... nervous," Cecil stammered. He always tended to talk too much when he was cornered like this, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't corral his voice. It just started spewing on its own. "I was thinking about you all day, and how I couldn't wait to see you, and we've been dating for such a long time that I thought that maybe we should take this step and it's fine I just get scared sometimes it's nothing to do with you and we can really continue really I'm fine you just need to take charge sometimes I can find a way to enjoy it I always manage please Carlos I just want to make you happy that's all I've ever wanted ever since I saw you I just wanted to make you happy and you keep bringing condoms and stuff on dates and I'm letting you down and I was thinking maybe--"

Stranger: Carlos sighed a little, pulling Cecil back into a hug again and pressing another kiss to his cheek. "It's okay, Cecil," he assured. "It is unbecoming of a Scientist to lie, so I'm going to be honest and say I would really like to have sex with you, if you'd like. But you don't seem comfortable at all and I don't want it like that." He smiled softly at Cecil, rubbing his back a bit, trying to be soothing. "You don't have to 'find a way to enjoy it'," he sighed with a small frown, "You should never have to do that. If we're going to do it, you should already be enjoying yourself by the time we get there. Okay?"

You: /By the time we get there./ Carlos was holding out hope. He had every right to. But who was Cecil to deprive him so knowingly? Carlos would always be waiting, anticipating the date when Cecil would finally lead him into his bedroom and give him what he deserved. "I'm sorry," Cecil murmured, hiding his face in Carlos' shoulder as he kissed the base of his neck gently. "Carlos, you don't know how sorry I am, I just... I don't know when that'll be. If it'll ever be." He closed his eyes and squeezed his scientist a little tighter, waiting for the arms to unravel from around him and the door to unlock, Carlos disappearing into the night.

Stranger: Carlos chewed at his lip a bit and frowned, returning the gentle squeeze and thinking for a moment before the idea dawned on him. "Cecil... do you not enjoy sex?" he asked tentatively and softly, still rubbing Cecil's back.

You: Cecil, whose throat was closing in on itself from the very tone of Carlos' voice, shook his head. He didn't trust himself to talk, not with the tears that were welling up beneath his eyelids.

Stranger: Immediately, Carlos felt awful. He was trying to push something on Cecil he didn't enjoy. He should have picked up on it far sooner. What kind of person was he? He squeezed Cecil tightly again, pressing a kiss to the side of his face and murmuring little "I'm sorry"s and "I shouldn't have"s and "it's okay"s.

You: The radio host's eyes flickered open tentatively, not daring to pull away but not understanding. Why was Carlos apologizing? Cecil was the one in the wrong, here. He was supposed to enjoy sex- all the movies and TV shows said so. It was a natural human instinct, something that should have been driven into his system. If anything, Cecil should be the one begging for Carlos' favor. In short, Cecil was frozen with confusion. None of his other partners had reacted this way, coating him with kisses and backrubs. "It... it's okay..."

Stranger: Carlos shook his head again. "I shouldn't have kept trying to push things further. I'm so sorry, Cecil," he insisted, "I'm sorry you thought you had to try and do whatever you were going to have us do tonight to make me happy. I'm sorry. I want you to be happy, too, Cecil." He felt that Cecil was tense in his arms, and he hoped he wasn't making it worse, that Cecil knew that he could push him away if this wasn't comforting, but Carlos didn't want to let go until he was told to, still trying to comfort his boyfriend.

You: "Stop apologizing," Cecil whispered, not releasing Carlos for the world. His shoulders were stiff and his posture was unnaturally straight, his body still anticipating the worst while his mind worked through this strange response Carlos was giving him. "You didn't... Carlos, you didn't do anything wrong. You never did. You were just trying to get what you deserve, and I don't want to deprive you or make you leave." Cecil turned his head, looking up at Carlos with a woeful expression. "I just want you to be as happy as you make me."

Stranger: "I don't 'deserve' to have sex with you if you don't want it," Carlos insisted, "I shouldn't have pushed. I should have asked you what you're okay with..." He pressed a very gentle, very chaste kiss to Cecil's lips. "You make me very happy as is, Cecil," he assured, "Very, very happy."

You: Cecil lost his composition, the stress and anxiousness he'd been feeling since the proposition dawned on him several days ago finally bursting open as he threw himself back into Carlos. He sobbed bitterly, fingers clenching the man he was certain he was about to lose, breathing out small 'thank you's and 'love you's under his breath as his shoulders trembled and his nose went runny.

Stranger: Carlos kept holding Cecil tight, shushing him quietly and responding with "it's okay"s and "I love you, too"s as he simply kept his boyfriend close. He rubbed Cecil's back and ran his fingers through Cecil's hair and kept pressing little kisses to Cecil's temple, trying to convey that it was all okay.

You: It was a good three minutes of straight-out sobbing before Cecil finally withdrew again, his eyes red and his voice overcome with hiccups as he laughed at himself bitterly. "A-and here I was, certain you were going to leave me. I'm sorry, I just- one moment--" He wiped at his eyes, shaking his head and laughing a bit more from the onslaught of emotions.  "Is it- too late for a movie?"

Stranger: "Oh Cecil..." Carlos sighed, letting Cecil go when he pulled back, "I wasn't going to leave you. I don't think I ever want to leave you," he assured, sighing happily, "And no, it isn't too late for a movie at all."

You: Cecil leaned forward and pecked Carlos on his stubbled cheek, reaching down for his hand and giving it a squeeze. To him, that was the most intimate gesture two men could share. Just being close, giving another person time and attention and care, was all the love he needed in the world. "You'd like the Night Vale Ghostbusters."

Stranger: Carlos twined their fingers together and returned the squeeze, grinning at Cecil and giving him a little nod. "I think I would, too," he replied, "Or anything else you'd like to watch tonight."

You: "Ghostbusters it is," Cecil said with a smirk, leading Carlos to the couch and pulling down a blanket from the backrest. "But I'll have to warn you, I just might fall asleep on you again."

Stranger: "If you don't mind /that/ sort of sleeping together, I don't either," Carlos chuckled, settling down on the couch and putting his arm around Cecil once he was settled as well. "I love you," he murmured, giving Cecil another squeeze.

You: Cecil flickered on the movie, the cheesy 80s song playing in the background as he let his eyes flicker closed. Yes... sleeping with Carlos wasn't so bad after all. "Tomato tambien," Cecil murmured, searching for Carlos' hand under the blankets and intertwining with his fingers. "Goodnight."

You have disconnected.

[omeglerping]

If I wrote a Titanic!AU for Welcome to Night Vale, would anyone read it?

[omeglerping]

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like Wtnv, NVCR, Carlos, Night Vale, Welcome to Night Vale, and Cecilos.

You: I... I found a starfish. -C

You: I don't understand. -C

Stranger: A starfish? -CP

Stranger: Where? Is it pretty? -CP

You: No. Make that two. -C

You: Three. -C

You: They're... they're all in the sand. Alive. -C

You: There's no water anywhere. -C

You: Is it safe? -C

Stranger: I would assume. I've not heard of starfish in the sand before.. -CP

Stranger: Let me google it. -CP

You: No! -C

You: No googling! -C

You: I don't want you getting reeducated again. -C

Stranger: Oh.. Right. I forgot about that. -CP

Stranger: Eh, I would assume it's safe. Just be careful! As always! -CP

You: Because that worked out so well last time. -C

You: The jumping beans still sing West Side Story in my pantry every time I open it up. -C

Stranger: At least it's West Side Story, which is tolerable! -CP

Stranger: Could be worse! -CP

You: Touché. -C

You: But one can only take so much 'I like to be in Am-er-i-ca!' -C

You: I think they're mocking me. -C

Stranger: Hehe.. Maybe they are.. Who knows. Why don't you just get rid of them? -CP

You: I tried. They sang 'I Feel Pretty' for a week. Loudly. -C

Stranger: I love that one! -CP

You: Cecil. -C

Stranger: Okay, okay.. I get how that could be a little annoying. -CP

You: It's cute when you sing it when you think I can't hear you. -C

You: Not so cute when I'm trying to sleep. -C

You: Moving on. The sea stars are turning red. Does that ring any bells? -C

Stranger: Wait. When have you heard me sing..? -CP

You: When I came over last week and you disappeared to 'freshen up.' <3 -C

Stranger: Uhh... No! It doesn't! But I don't know much about starfish, because /someone/ won't let me google them. -CP

Stranger: Oh.. Heh.. Heh. Right. -CP

You: You're adorable. -C

You: Okay. -C

You: I'm going to poke one. -C

You: Here... I... go. -C

Stranger: Eeeeeehhh... -CP

Stranger: And..? -CP

You: [delayed] Cecil... -C

Stranger: Yes? -CP

You: I'm Native American? -C

Stranger: Carlos..? I don't think so... What happened? -CP

You: I touched the sea star, my skin changed, and... wow. -C

You: Я чувствую, доброе.

Stranger: Is that all that happened? Are you okay? Other than that? -CP

Stranger: Carlos..? -CP

You: Да, я в порядке.

Stranger: If I'm not allowed to use google, does that mean I can't use google translate? -CP

You: К сожалению, я думаю, это была ложная тревога.

You: Что?

Stranger: Oh my god.. -CP

You: Что не так? Что ты имеешь в виду, переводить?

Stranger: I don't know what you're saying! Uh.. Just.. Uh. Carlos,..? Is this a joke? -CP

You: Нет.

You: HAH. -SC

Stranger: What..? -CP

You: Oh my gods, I wish I could have seen the look on your face... -SC

Stranger: Steve..? I hate you so much.. -CP

You: Pretty boy's poking starfish right now. -SC

You: I couldn't resist. -SC

You: Hello. -SC

Stranger: Don't talk to me. Oh my god. Why would you even do that? -CP

Stranger: Asshole! -CP

You: I am dying over here. I can't breathe. XD -SC

Stranger: ;_; -CP

You: /Revenge,/ asshole! -SC

You: Месть сладка! -SC

Stranger: I never want to see Russian ever again. -CP

You: Что, как это? -SC

You: <3 -SC

Stranger: I'm going to murder you. -CP

You: I'm sure. <3 -SC

You: Long time, no talk, huh? -SC

You: How you been, Ce-squirt? -SC

Stranger: Fuck off, Carlsberg. -CP

You: Hey, just trying to catch up! -SC

Stranger: I'm not talking to you. -CP

You: О, и ты называешь меня испортить. -SC

You: Translated: Oh, and you call ME the spoilsport. -SC

Stranger: [No reply.]

You: [delayed] Oh, come on. -SC

You: It's all in good fun. -SC

You: We used to pull shit like this all the time with Harlan. -SC

Stranger: Yeah, back when we were friends, Steve. You're just supposed to leave me alone now. -CP

Stranger: So stop texting me. -CP

You: Why, 'cause of a bad breakup? -SC

You: Come on, don't live in the past. -SC

Stranger: It wasn't just a bad breakup. -CP

Stranger: I'm not talking to you. Goodbye. -CP

You: Alright, alright. -SC

You: Hold on, let me switch to my phone. -SC

You: [delayed: new number] Okay. -SC

You: Look. -SC

You: Since Harlan went missing, I've been thinking. -SC

You: Life's too short. -SC

Stranger: I say goodbye, and you start texting me on your own phone. Yeah. That's how it works with you. -CP

Stranger: What are you talking about? -CP

You: I mean, what's the use of being mad at each other? Right? -SC

You: Some shit went down, and it was bad, but we used to be so close. -SC

Stranger: We used to be. Let's leave it in the past. I'm doing perfectly fine without talking to you. -CP

You: Come on, Cec. -SC

You: Don't be like that. :( -SC

Stranger: What are you suggesting, then? That we buddy back up? Go bowling? See movies? Move back in with each other? No thanks. -CP

You: All but the last one, why not? -SC

You: Carlos and I are friends, he wouldn't mind. -SC

Stranger: Ughhhhhh. -CP

You: Hell, he could tag along if you two didn't have your tongues down each other's throats. -SC

Stranger: God, Steve.. -CP

You: Come on. Just once, for old times sake. -SC

Stranger: No. Just no. -CP

You: Why not? -SC

You: You're over it. I'm over it. -SC

Stranger: Give me a good reason why I should. -CP

You: Cause even you know it'd be a fun time if you let down that wall of hate you've built up. -SC

Stranger: I honestly don't know about that. -CP

You: [delayed] Remember that one time we spiked Harlan's orange juice? -SC

Stranger: My answer is no. I don't even want you texting me. So just leave me alone, okay? -CP

You: And he kept tripping over himself and fell out of the top bunk? -SC

Stranger: [Delayed] That was pretty hilarious, yeah. -CP

You: Admit it. You're smiling right now. -SC

Stranger: Maybe a little bit. -CP

You: Or that time we went rope swinging over Radon Canyon at two in the morning? -SC

Stranger: That was horrifying. -CP

You: You never felt more alive. -SC

Stranger: I left nail marks in your arms. -CP

You: Worth it. -SC

You: Wasn't it? -SC

You: Come on, we can make more memories like that. Even not dating. Just genuine, clean /fun./ -SC

Stranger: So, just, all of a sudden you want to start hanging out again? -CP

You: Maybe. -SC

You: Problem? -SC

Stranger: ... I guess not. I'm just still a little pissed at you. -CP

You: Four years later? -SC

Stranger: It hurt. -CP

You: Yeah, well... -SC

You: I can be an asshole. My bad. -SC

Stranger: Whatever.. I'm still going to have to decline your offer. Sorry. -CP

You: Cecil. -SC

You: C'mon. -SC

Stranger: What do you suggest we do then? -CP

You: I was thinking something small first. -SC

You: Just to get over the you-wanting-to-punch-me-in-the-face phase. -SC

Stranger: That's going to take a little while. -CP

You: Yeah, well, we can go out for a long coffee. -SC

You: Punch me in the face, if you'd like. -SC

Stranger: Too much like a date. -CP

You: Really? -SC

You: I was thinking a movie or a day in the park would be too date-y. -SC

Stranger: Well, yeah. That too.. -CP

Stranger: Did you talk to Carlos about tho before you stole his phone? -CP

Stranger: *this

You: Yes. -SC

Stranger: And he said? -CP

You: I gave him a brief history of what went down between us. -SC

You: He said to ask you. -SC

Stranger: Oh. Lovely. -CP

You: I told him everything. Cut and dry. -SC

You: He... may dislike me a bit more than before. Which is fine. -SC

Stranger: I guess we could get coffee. But I will punch you. Look forward to it. -CP

You: Great, I'll bring a frozen steak. -SC

You: Or a bag of peas. Whatever's in style this season. -SC

Stranger has disconnected.

[omeglerping]

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like cecilcarlos, cecilos, and carloscecil.

You: Cecil, I'm not texting for personal reasons. -C

Stranger: Okay! What do you need? CP

You: A colleague of mine told me some interesting stories regarding your anatomy. -C

Stranger: Some colleagues are awful liars. :) CP

You: Alright, then. -C

You: I was hoping to run a few tests, but, that's alright too. -C

You: Just that you had some things 'I should check out.' -C

You: I was going to invite you to the lab later tonight. -C

Stranger: O-oh. For what? CP

You: Testing. -C

You: It sounds scarier than it is, really. -C

Stranger: I'm a little bit concerned. I mean, understandably. CP

Stranger: I like my body. CP

Stranger: Exactly the way it is. CP

You: Oh! I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. -C

You: I just got a hint from someone that there was something... different about you. -C

You: Needless to say, I'm intrigued. -C

Stranger: Really? CP

You: Of course. -C

Stranger: Wow. Um. Okay. CP

Stranger: It's nothing special, really. CP

You: Nothing out of the ordinary? -C

Stranger: I mean...'ordinary'. CP

You: Why did you quote ordinary? -C

Stranger: What /is/ ordinary? CP

You: Hm. Two arms, two legs, head, neck, torso, hips, etc. -C

Stranger: I have exactly all of those. CP

You: Anything that, say, I wouldn't have? -C

Stranger: Well, I've never seen you naked, Carlos! CP

Stranger: Oh my God.CP

Stranger: Delete it. CP

You: [delayed] Typing 'delete it' doesn't delete it. -C

Stranger: I'll perform the appropriate bloodstone ritual later. CP

Stranger: I didn't /mean/ anything by it. I just -- well, I mean, you obviously don't have an extra eye. Unless you're hiding it somewhere on your body. Which would be kinda gross. CP

You: [delayed] You... have an extra eye? -C

Stranger: U-um! CP

Stranger: Is that a good thing??? CP

You: It's-- yes. -C

You: Yes, I suppose it is. -C

You: What can you see with it? -C

Stranger: Everything. CP

Stranger: Every room, every conversation, every place and person in Night Vale. I get audio, too. It's cool. CP

You: [delayed] Everything. -C

You: Okay. -C

You: Then you'll know I just dropped my lunch on my shirt. -C

Stranger: I don't /spy/ on you, Carlos! CP

You: Great. Come in at 6:00 tonight, please. -C

Stranger: Wow. Okay. Yes, I'll...I'll be there. Okay. CP

You: Carlos was pacing around his lab at 5:55, most of the employees having returned home. He rubbed at the back of his neck and triple checked to make sure everything was in place, absolutely giddy with excitement.

Stranger: Cecil placed his phone to the side . His head was spinning. This wasn't a date -- no, it wasn't a date. It was a perfectly professional circumstance. Just...Carlos was going to be there, and doing science. That was okay. At 6:00 exactly, Cecil knocked politely on the door. He was almost visibly squirming.

You: The scientist rushed to the front door of the building, opening it and smiling rather awkwardly. "Cecil Palmer! Hello! So great to finally meet you in person!" He extended a hand, only slightly sweaty. He was on the brink, the very edge of something /new./

Stranger: It was just unfair for someone to be that handsome. Cecil paled visibly. Indeed, there was a third eye on his forehead -- albeit shut, the blonde eyelashes facing downward, just above two frightened lavender eyes. Still, he shook Carlos' hand and gave him a timid smile. "Hello. Nice to meet you, Carlos."

You: "Come in, come in," Carlos said, stepping out of the way and allowing the blonde to walk in. He did his best not to stare at the eyelid in the center of Cecil's forehead, he really did, but it was just /there./ Like something out of the science fiction movies he watched as a kid. "Make yourself comfortable on the table, if you will."

You: ((brb for 3))

Stranger: "Just to warn you that I'm really ticklish." Cecil stated awkwardly, before he moved his way past Carlos. Why had he agreed to this? Of course Cecil had gotten past the stage where he had been uncertain of his body, but that didn't mean he wanted scientists poking about him. Still, Carlos seemed so /kind/. He hopped on the table and swung his feet, almost childishly.

You: ((nearly there))

You: ((thank you for waiting, friend. <3)) Carlos smiled at Cecil's behavior, turning on a light above the table and kindly directing it away from Cecil's eyes. "Thank you for agreeing to this, Cecil. I won't be more than an hour. You can tell me if anything makes you uncomfortable, okay?" With that, he turned around and clicked a non-pen, holding up a clipboard. "Now. What's your date of birth?"

Stranger: "1987." Cecil chirped, crossing his legs on the table to keep them from swinging. "January 1st. You can see that down at the City Council, carved on the tablets. Cecil Gershwin Palmer." That was an easy enough question, in truth. Sometimes Cecil didn't like to admit that he was nearing his thirties -- but people had to age sometime, right?

You: The scientist nodded a little, jotting down the date. New Years baby. Interesting. "Thank you. And are you experiencing any paints? Discomforts? Anything of the like?"

Stranger: "Well, I drank four cups of coffee this morning instead of my usual three, so I'm a little bit more jittery than usual." Cecil explained, before shrugging his shoulders and swinging his feet again. Damn. "But nothing too bad."

You: That was a surprising amount of coffee. Carlos nodded and continued writing, asking Cecil question after question regarding his residency, work, and home life. Formalities out of the way and one signature later, they were ready to start. "If you wouldn't mind removing your shirt, Mr. Palmer?"

Stranger: That was a little forward. The statement almost left his mouth, but Cecil just barely managed to contain it. Still, he couldn't help but squirm a little on the table again. Questions were one thing. This was really another. Quietly, he removed his shirt, revealing the dark purple tattoos plastered all over his body. In the darkness of the lab, they had a faint luminescence and appeared to be...well, moving.

You: Carlos's lips parted at the sight of the pulsing tentacles, the energy something blissfully foreign and undiscovered. Despite the tiniest increase in pitch, however, Carlos's voice remained calm and professional. "Mr. Palmer," he said, the last name taking favor in the slightly more vulnerable situation, "your tattoos are... are they moving?"

Stranger: "You can call me Cecil --" He first started to say, before the question was really posed to him. Cecil's hands, up until that point, had been awkwardly picking at his shirt and staring down at the ground. "Yes?" No. Not a question. "Yes." Better. Much more confident. "They're a little more jittery today than usual. Like I said, the...the coffee. Usually they like to stay in one spot."

You: "'They?'" Carlos repeated. "You sound as though you aren't in control of their movements." The scientist leaned a little closer, a gloved hand reaching out for one of the softly pulsing tentacles. "May I?"

Stranger: "Not really. I mean, if I really try, but it's kind of -- well, I can't control them." Cecil told him, before recoiling a little at the hand. At first, he was hesitant. This was his /crush/, after all, and Cecil could admit that. Finally, however, he relaxed, giving a nod. "Sure. If you want."

You: "Thank you," Carlos seemed to nearly breathe, pressing a tentative gloved hand down onto one of the squiggling tattoos. He held his breath in that moment, wondering in a thrilling combination of discovery and fear.

Stranger: The tattoo itself seemed to go stark still at Carlos' touch, before darting with a surprising amount of speed to Cecil's back. Cecil didn't dare breath, because Carlos just looked so /happy/ at that moment that Cecil didn't want to ruin it. Despite himself, he started to smile.

You: "Guess they don't like strangers, huh?" Carlos said, chuckling a little and looking Cecil in the eye for the first time since he'd removed his shirt. "Could you feel it? When I touched you? Or was it a numbed sensation?"

Stranger: Cecil blushed entirely. It was a dark red colour from the roots of his hair all the way down to his neck, and he had to fight to keep eye contact with Carlos. "Yes, yes, I -- I can feel it. They're just tattoos, that's all. I can't remember where or how I got them. Just...when I become the Voice of Night Vale, I guess."

Stranger: *became

You: Carlos nodded, turning back to his clipboard and spending an agonizingly slow minute writing down his findings. Best to record it when it was fresh, after all. Eventually, however, he turned around and resumed, guiding Cecil's arms up and over his head. "I want to count your ribs, alright?"

Stranger: "Oh! Ooookay!" Cecil replied hesitantly, raising his arms. The tattoos had seemingly gathered on his ribcage, and once exposed to the dull light of the lab, fled and darted to his back. He tried to crane his head to see what Carlos was writing (good things, he hoped, though he couldn't imagine they were altogether interesting).

You: With experienced fingers, Carlos pressed gently against each one of Cecil's ribs. His face was close to the other's, eyes downcast as he muttered numbers under his breath. Still, he never lingered in one place too long, leaving a trail of warm fingerprints along Cecil's skin. He stood up fully and rubbed the back of his head, coming back down and counting again at a faster speed. And a third time. "Cecil," he said, staring at the other's torso in confusion, "you have... you have two more ribs than you should."

Stranger: Cecil managed to last around the second time counting before he started to dissolve into giggles. "Sorry, it's just -- ticklish! Ticklish!" He managed to chuckle out, moving his one forearm to his mouth so that he could muffle his laughter. Always an awful fault. Anyone could tickle him into submission if they wanted. Even as Carlos pulled away, Cecil kept on laughing, the feeling still there. But he had to resolve Carlos' confusion, because he wasn't making the right conclusion. Right?  "They're not --" He was giggling. "They're not /ribs/, Carlos. Well, I guess they are, when they're inside, but -- hee hee -- they're not ribs."

You: The scientist broke out of his scientific concentration to notice Cecil's laughter, holding his hands out and away to give Cecil some room to breathe. He couldn't help the smirk at the sound of the other man's crumbling, as wrong as that may have been. "What do you mean, they're not ribs?" he asked, looking down at the bony frame.

Stranger: "Here, I'll show you, just give me some space. They're shier than the tattoos." Cecil kept on laughing, before taking a deep breath and composing himself. Clearing his throat, he concentrated, his face going slack. His third eye, although not opening, fluttered. From his back, two dark purple tentacles (the same shade as his tattoos) extended, lightly moving through the air.

You: It took Carlos a full ten seconds to realize he'd fallen over, and another five to recognize the throbbing pain in his head. Jesus Christ... He shook himself, looking up at the appendages that had sprouted from seemingly nowhere, and gaped like a fish. "Th- th- that's /you?/" he asked, eyes wide and breaths quick. What. What. /What?!/

Stranger: Carlos was frightened. This wasn't fun anymore. Hopping off the table, Cecil had placed both hands on the man's shoulders and looked down at him. Worried purple eyes scanned over his frame, and he didn't even have time to feel self-conscious. Cecil had come to terms with the tentacles thing a long time ago. Gripping the scientist's shoulders tightly, he didn't really know how to answer. "Um...! Yes? Are you okay? Carlos?"

You: "I'm- yes, I'm fine--" He blinked quickly and tried to regain his bearings, body shaking and head pulsing from where it had cracked with the tile below. He'd fallen like a plank, apparently. "I'm- this is terribly unprofessional, I'm- oh, I'm sorry." He took one of Cecil's hands and put the other on the edge of the nearby table, standing up on wobbly knees and keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. "I'm fine. Fine, I'm- I'm sorry, just..."

Stranger: "You've hurt your head." Cecil stated blankly, squeezing Carlos' hand tightly. If he wasn't so worried about the other man's well-being, he might as well have passed out from the shock of holding /Carlos the Scientist/'s hand. His tentacles were still out, and one lazily went over to drift across the man's shoulders without Cecil's noticing. "It's okay, it's okay." He reassured him, letting Carlos lean a little against him if he needed to. "Are you bleeding? Let me check your hair."

You: Carlos felt one steady hand against his back, another clinging to his hand. Good, good, he needed a moment to sit down and-- --and-- --and there was another hand on his shoulder? Carlos jumped a little, twisting his head and shouting a little from the pain as he turned and saw the tentacle on his shoulder, curled contently like a parrot sitting on a pirate. He bit down on his lip and silenced himself, instead fumbling with shaky legs and collapsing into a chair. "F-f-fine. Please, I'm fine."

Stranger: "No! Bad!" Cecil felt himself lecturing the appendage, before ordering them all away. They disappeared back as soon as they had come, and he got down on his knees in front of Carlos. One hand gingerly fumbled through the man's thick hair in an attempt to find any blood (he found none, thank goodness), and the other rested against the man's knee. "I'm sorry. I should've warned you -- maybe, I just didn't think... I mean, you took the third eye and the tattoos pretty well. I didn't know this would be your breaking point. I'm sorry, Carlos, are you feeling okay?" Once done probing the area for a wound, his hand went to the man's cheek to look worriedly at him.

You: The scientist blinked blearily and looked down at the shirtless man, leaning into the hand a little and immediately flushing red. This was humiliating. What sort of professional was he, passing out at the sight of something different and extraordinary? He wanted to push Cecil right back up onto the table, demand to see the tentacles and take samples like a /good/ scientist, but his spinning vision wouldn't allow for it. "I'm okay," he said, nodding a little, as he closed his eyes again and tried to jump off his mental merry-go-round. "I'm fine. Fine. I'm so- sorry."

Stranger: "Why do you keep apologizing?" Cecil asked with a chuckle, keeping his hand where it was. That was nice. Carlos' skin was warm against his palm, and he tried not to think about how he could get used to that. "It's weird. I know. Even by Night Vale standards, it's weird. The tattoos and the eye come with being radio host, but tentacles are kind of a new feature. " He was gradually relaxing down from that stark terror he had felt when he saw Carlos fall. "It's okay. I won't do that again. Are you feeling better? Do you need some water? I can find some water."

You: Carlos shook his head tentatively, half responding to Cecil's question and half testing just how much his head could move without aching. Unfortunately, it wasn't much. He needed ice. "You're fine, Cecil. Please. I just need to sit for a moment, that's all. You can- you can go now, if you'd like. I'm so sorry for keeping you. Thank you for- helping."

Stranger: "I'm going to go find some water and some ice. You sit /right/ here, and don't you move, or I'll -- I'll bring them out again." Cecil half-threatened, as awkward as could be. Squeezing the man's shoulder, he stood up, crossing to see what looked like a freezer. An ice-pack was found quite easily, as well as a glass of water. Had to be pure water, right? This was a lab. He moved back to Carlos, placing the ice-pack on the man's head and pressing the water into his hand. "You've got nice hair." He stated awkwardly.

You: He grunted a bit as the ice was placed against the back of his head, leaning forward a little and allowing Cecil room. Though it initially stung, the ice was doing its job and putting a stop to any potentially dangerous swelling. He sipped at the water, choking on it a little at the compliment. "Thank you," he said, closing his eyes and shutting out just how weird this situation was. It wasn't working. "You've... got nice tattoos."

Stranger: That made Cecil smile. He kept holding the ice on the man's head, chewing on the inside of his lip when he felt the man initially flinch. For a little while, he stayed quiet, trying not to get too close to the man. He was quite surprised that Carlos let him put the ice on, after he had seen the...well, the things. But Carlos had always surprised him. "Thank you. Is your head feeling any better? You didn't hear anything crack, did you?"

You: "I think I'll be okay," Carlos said, shivering as some of the freezing condensation rolled down the back of his shirt. He stewed in silence, internally cursing himself for being such a fuck-up. Cecil was truly a marvel to behold, with his eye and his tentacles. He couldn't allow this opportunity to go to waste. Well, while he was stuck here... "You said you can see anything with your third eye?" Carlos asked, guiding the conversation in a different direction.

Stranger: Cecil reached for his shirt, still laying on the table, and pressed it against the back of the man's neck. It'd pop up some of the water, if anything. He wanted to apologise over and over again for what he'd done -- but Carlos had asked, hadn't he? So it couldn't be Cecil's fault. Wasn't Carlos' fault, either, though. "Anything in Night Vale." He repeated with a smile, meeting Carlos' eyes for a moment. "Is there something you wanted to see, or just curious?"

You: "I'm just curious," Carlos confirmed, grateful for the shirt against his neck. He leaned against it a little, waiting for the throbbing sensation to subside. It was getting there, slowly but surely. "But I was wondering... what sort of things /can/ you see? You could see in my house? See me making eggs or something? Or do you have to wait for permission? Perhaps a warrant of some kind?" Night Vale laws were bizarre, and he needed to know where lines were drawn.

Stranger: Cecil blushed completely, completely averting his eyes. "I don't need any sort of permission, of course, but I could -- in theory, yes, I suppose that I could. But I would never. Everyone likes their privacy, Carlos, and I wouldn't exactly be happy if some freaky radio host spied on me in /my/ house. I usually just use it for news stories and things when I can't leave the recording booth. It takes a lot of effort, too, to keep going along. I really just want to nap after it."

You: Carlos hummed in comprehension. Right, best not to ask Cecil to do it now, then. At least the man had a strong sense of morals. "And you... if I was to call my sister while I was making said eggs, you'd be able to hear our conversation? With your eye? Would there be any way for me to tell?"

Stranger: "Yes, I'd be able to hear, and no, you wouldn't be able to tell. Omniscient and all that." Cecil replied cheerfully, starting to perk up a little. At least Carlos seemed to be getting better, at any rate. "You have a sister?" He asked. Of course he was curious. He flat-out adored the man in front of him, and he had just made him hit his head on the floor.

You: That wasn't where Carlos had intended to steer the conversation at all. But how could he deny Cecil a bit of social interaction? The man made his living talking, and after all, he'd agreed to come. Might as well 'mingle.' "Carmen, yeah. She and I are close. Twins. She can be a pain, sometimes, but we call each other a lot."

Stranger: "Aww. That's adorable." Cecil told him, and it was the truth. There was many times in his life where he wished he had a sibling. Or family. Or a pet, even, besides the one that he kept in the radio station. "Where did you live before Night Vale? Why did you even come here, Carlos? I've always wanted to bring you into the radio station to interview you, but -- I didn't want to seem forward."

You: Seem too forward? That implied something else altogether. The scientist furrowed his eyebrows together, chewing on the inside of his cheek a little in thought before continuing. "I'm from California. Some friends from my team came out here and told me I had to check it out, so I did. Can't say I regret it. The locals are friendly enough," he said with a bit of a smile. "And trust me. You don't want to interview me. I turn into a stammering idiot in front of an audience."

Stranger: Cecil did blush a little at that, but Carlos didn't question it -- so he figured that he was okay. "I still can't imagine what you see in our quiet little town that's so interesting, besides from the odd possession that happens every now and then." He told him, half to-himself, before leaning back so that he could smile at Carlos. "Oh, you could never seem like a stammering idiot, Carlos. You're one of the smartest men that I've ever met."

You: "You flatter me," Carlos said, closing his eyes again as the throbbing started to significantly subside. Good. "I just have a bad case of stage fright. Nothing to be done about it. I was Joseph in the Nativity when I was seven. Dropped Jesus, never recovered. But hey, what are you going to do."

Stranger: That actually made Cecil laugh. Not giggle like a schoolgirl, but actually properly laugh. "It's different when you're on the radio, Carlos. When /I/ was really young, I was terrified to speak in front of people. I knew I would be awful about it, even if Burton -- um, the radio host before me -- was training me. But you're not in front of people. It's just you and the microphone. And it's really nice."

You: "I don't know," Carlos said, smiling a bit at the sound of Cecil laughing. It eased the tension, certainly. "I mean, it's one thing to talk in front of a few peers or congregation members, but a whole /town?/ I don't know how you stomach it. Especially /every night./"

Stranger: "It's not as hard as it seems. Everyone in the town knows me, more or less. I've interviewed almost everyone at one point or another. It's not that bad. Sometimes you forget that you're supposed to be reporting and you just start rambling about your personal life." Yes, and perhaps Cecil was referencing the not-few occasions where he brought up the most dreamy scientist in town. So what?

You: "I haven't had a chance to listen," Carlos said, frowning a little. "I'll have to tune in sometime. You make it sound like some sort of social hour." He opened his eyes and sat up a little, turning his head back and forth like a concussed owl. Well, at least it didn't hurt as badly as before. He stood up and gripped at Cecil's hand again for support, testing his weight on his feet. "Hm. That's- that's not too bad."

Stranger: Well, Cecil would definitely have to make an effort never to bring Carlos up on the show again. "Once you get to know a few more people, it is really nice." He promised him, before letting Carlos stand on his feet. His hand was gripped tightly around the scientist's, the other going to gently rest on his waist in case he needed extra support. "Ready to see them again?" He asked jokingly, tilting his head to the side.

You: "Yes." Carlos could tell Cecil had been jesting, but he was prepared this time. No matter how wobbly, he'd persevere through it and get the results he needed. "Just give me a moment." He stood up on his toes and stretched, still heavily holding onto Cecil for support before lowering himself back down into the chair again. He picked up his clipboard and stared at a tattoo experimentally, anticipation growing. "Whenever you're ready."

Stranger: Okay. Carlos was actually being...serious. Okay. Well. Taking a deep breath, Cecil pulled himself back on the table again. His face searched Carlos' for any sign of indecision or hesitance, but -- when he found none, Cecil closed both of his eyes. Again, two dark purple tentacles extended from his back, stretching to their full length before wobbling lazily around his torso. "Um. Are you...are you okay?"

You: Carlos was breathing a bit heavier than he had been before, but other than that he kept himself together. He smiled a little sickly and stared at the tentacles, watching as they curled and uncurled slowly. "Yes," Carlos said, looking down at his gloved hands before snapping one off and letting it fall to the floor. He reached forward carefully, holding his breath and looking to Cecil for permission.

Stranger has disconnected.

[omeglerping]

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like cecilcarlos, cecilos, and carloscecil.

You: Steve? Steve Carlsberg? -CP

Stranger: Yes? SC

You: Hey, uh... -CP

You: I don't know where I am. -CP

Stranger: And you're not calling your boyfriend, why? SC

You: Who? -CP

Stranger: You know. The scientist. SC

Stranger: And you've also gone ten words without insulting me. SC

You: We're friends, right? -CP

Stranger: ... SC

You: You, me, and Earl. Three musketeers. -CP

Stranger: Oh my God. Cecil. SC

You: What? -CP

Stranger: No no no no. SC

Stranger: No. SC

You: ? -CP

Stranger: Not for...years. SC

You: [delayed] I'm confused. -CP

You: I'm in the desert, I'm tired, and Mom's going to freak out. -CP

Stranger: Cecil. SC

Stranger: Think about how old you are. SC

You: 17, yeah. -CP

Stranger: Oh my God, what did you /do/. SC

You: I don't know, that's why I'm freaking out!- CP

Stranger: Carlos is going to /freak out/. SC

You: [delayed] Just shut the hell up and pick me up. -CP

You: I'm freaked out. -CP

Stranger: I can't pick you up, Cecil, I - SC

Stranger: Look, I'm messaging you a number. See it? That's your boyfriend's number. SC

You: You get a new phone? -CP

Stranger: I'm... SC

Stranger: I don't understand. SC

You: Oh, come on, Steve. We're not around Earl, we don't have to pretend. -CP

Stranger: ...For all the years to go back to, you chose the one when we were dating. SC

Stranger: No, Cecil. SC

You: You're not making sense. -CP

Stranger: You are 29. SC

You: I know, I really need to work on my soul level. -CP

You: And 27, you ass. -CP

Stranger: No, 29. Physical...proper years. SC

You: [delayed] Okay, Steve? -CP

Stranger: Yeah? SC

You: I /really/ need you to come get me. -CP

Stranger: I'm sending Carlos. SC

You: I don't know who Carlos is! -CP

Stranger: He'll be able to explain everything in detail. I haven't talked to you in a year. SC

Stranger: Carlos is your boyfriend. SC

You: What?! -CP

You: Why haven't we talked? -CP

Stranger: Because you hate me. SC

You: That's nonsense. -CP

Stranger: We had a falling out. I said some things. You said some things. SC

You: And... there was a massive time shift and we all aged overnight? -CP

Stranger: No. You got re-educated. SC

Stranger: You remember re-education, Cecil? i'm sure you do. SC

You: [delayed] Steve, please. -CP

You: Please, come get me. -CP

Stranger: Your boyfriend is getting you. SC

You: Steve, I'm really scared. -CP

Stranger: Or -- I can get you and bring him off to your house. You two live together. SC

You: [delayed] Please. -CP

Stranger: I'm on my way. SC

You: I'm walking towards town, south side. -CP

Stranger: Yeah, of course. Twenty minutes, okay? SC

You: Okay. -CP

You: Cecil stumbled and slumped his way through the sand, his necktie loose and his brow broken out in a sweat as he wiped at his eyes for the fifteenth time. No. No, he couldn't have. He never disobeyed the council, never! He kept an eye out for the tan corolla, his stomach twisting and his head spinning. 29... 29, 29, 29...

Stranger: Steve placed his phone in his pocket and ran both hands through his hair. Carlos wouldn't be happy about it, not one bit. He and Carlos actually got along very well together, but -- well, Cecil didn't have to know that Carlos didn't /hate/ him, did he? Of course not. Swallowing, he drove to the south side of town, seeing the man stumbling around the and. He pulled up and opened the car door, giving a small smile to him before he realized -- he wasn't actually seventeen anymore, either. "Come on in. Here's some water."

You: He let out a horrified sob at the sight of his aged friend, falling into the passenger's seat and immediately curling up into the fetal position. He hid his head in his knees as he rejected the water, melting into a crying mess. What was happening? Where had his life gone? Where was mother? Kevin? Earl? Leonard? "S-Steve," he breathed, trying to regain order and failing terribly, "Steve, I don't understand..."

Stranger: "H-hey. Calm down. It'll be okay, you just got re-educated. Happens to the best of us." Steve reached over and placed a hand on Cecil's back, unsure of how to calm him down. After all, hadn't it just been a little while ago where Cecil was cursing him out on public radio? "Just -- calm down and everything will be okay. You've got a good life, Cecil, you do. You're a radio show host, like you always wanted, you've got a frankly hot boyfriend, you've got friends."

You: What Cecil had not been anticipating, however, was the very real emotion of heartbreak. His seventeen self loved Steve, adored the adventures they had together and the pranks they pulled on their poor ginger friend. This felt like getting dumped at the prom. Prom. That was in a week, right? He shook his head, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with the back of his shaking hands. "Wh- what'd I do?" he asked, looking into Steve's eyes with pleading purple irises.

Stranger: "It's required to listen to your radio show. You guys just got new management -- Strex Corp, the place that's been in Desert Bluffs for years. They've been...not good, so you just -- well, you were saying some not very nice things against them. I guess this was what they had in mind." He looked over at Cecil and then let out a huff of air, feeling his heart twitch uncomfortably. "Cecil, would you stop looking at me like that? I -- look, it's hard enough as it is. But you're going to be okay, yeah? You're going to be fine. I'm dropping you off at your apartment, put on your safety belt."

You: Safety belt. Right. Safety belt. He clicked the buckle, rubbing his hands through his hair frantically as he tried to process what was happening. Okay. Okay. Graduation, gone. 18, gone. College, gone. 21, gone. Steve, gone. He moved his arms from his head to his stomach, folding in on himself as he sobbed bitterly. "It's too much," he whispered, voice squeaking. His voice. That wasn't his voice. Whose voice was that? Who was this radio host, this slave of Strex, this partner of the alleged 'Carlos?' "Steve, this is too much."

Stranger: Steve pulled away from the curb, looking over at Cecil. No, he'd never been the emotional one. He was always the gruff one who warned Cecil when he was going too far, who didn't get the joke. But still. It was...weird. Seeing Cecil who really and truly believed he was seventeen again, so as he drove, he leaned over to rest his hand against the man's back. "Look, I...I know. You live with a man named Carlos, now, and he's...he's not from here. He might not understand. I've tried to explain it as best as I can to him, but I don't know." A deep breath. "The point is that you and I aren't a thing anymore, Ceec, we haven't been for over a decade. And you're /happy/."

You: "Does happy look like this?!" Cecil sobbed, reaching around behind him and clenching Steve's hand in his grip. Hysteria quickly took over, Cecil wishing nothing more than to fly away from the emotions and confusion he was facing. He turned to Steve, clenching the PTA Speaker's hand between his own and holding it imploringly. "Let's leave. Come on. Just- let's just go somewhere. We always talk about it! Going off, taking on the world! You could get out of that trailer park, I could get away from Kevin, it's perfect! Come on!" He kissed Steve's hand, pressing the idea of the outsider from his head. "Please! Just take a left! Here, Steve! Left!"

You: "Does happy look like this?!" Cecil sobbed, reaching around behind him and clenching Steve's hand in his grip. Hysteria quickly took over, Cecil wishing nothing more than to fly away from the emotions and confusion he was facing. He turned to Steve, clenching the PTA Speaker's hand between his own and holding it imploringly. "Let's leave. Come on. Just- let's just go somewhere. We always talk about it! Going off, taking on the world! You could get out of that trailer park, I could get away from Kevin, it's perfect! Come on!" He kissed Steve's hand, pressing the idea of the outsider from his head. "Please! Just take a left! Here, Steve! Left!"

Stranger: Steve didn't even consider it. Perhaps he'd always been more logical than Cecil was. More apt to question the things of the town, but not headstrong enough to actually do anything about it. As soon as Cecil brushed his lips against his hand, Steve took his hand back and placed both on the steering wheel. "No. No, Cecil, you're not going to run away from everything again." He told him, his eyes narrowing at the man sitting next to him. "You're going to go face this. You are, and you're going to get used to it. I don't know if memories come back. They sometimes do, sometimes don't. Depends. But let's just hope for the best. You're going to be fine. Carlos is a good guy. Never heard him say a bad word about anyone."

You: Cecil shook his head, hands grasping after Steve's for a moment before quickly diving to hide between his legs. He felt ashamed. Mortified. He felt like he was getting set up on a date, only with a more permanent destination. "But Steve," he whispered, looking to the politician and feeling his heart break all over again. The look on Steve's face when he'd pulled away... Well. Cecil was nothing but determined. "Please." He moved a hand to Steve's knee in one last desperate attempt, rubbing his thumb in circles as the other man drove. He slowly began dragging his hand up Steve's thigh, letting his newly developed voice drop. "I can finally give you what you want, hm? You've been so angst-y about it lately, but I think we could--"

Stranger: "/Cecil/." Steve stopped him, taking the man's wrist and picking it up. Multiple reasons, really. Because the /last/ time he had dated Cecil, it hadn't gone well. Two, Carlos would've physically torn him limb from limb. Three, it wouldn't be fair to the radio host. Four...well, Steve just didn't like Cecil that way anymore. Cecil had gotten too.../meek/ for him. Besides, there was always enough going on in the town to keep him from being lonely, minus the occasional public slander on the radio. "No. And we already have, if you're interested. Prom night. If you want the rest of the story, we move in as soon as we graduate and take college classes together, and we break up when we're both 23. Now stop touching my leg. You're dating someone, Cecil, for God's sake. Have a bit of dignity."

You: He turned away from Steve without a word, watching as his breath fogged up the glass of the car window. His fingers traced curled patterns in the temporary canvas, trying to distract himself from the incredible pain and betrayal he felt from the man just beside him. "Steve," he whispered, merely a memory rather than an actual attempt at conversation. It wasn't until they pulled up to Cecil's apartment that the spell seemed to break, nausea filling his stomach. "Okay. Okay, forget what I said. I'm sorry. Forget everything I just did, just..." He looked around, panicked, and stared at the door as though it were the gateway to hell. "Drive. Keep driving. Take me- take me to Leonard's. He'll take me in, right? Right?!"

Stranger: To be fair, it had been more than a decade. And he had tried to psychologically repress most of the memories from around that time, too. Leaning over to him, Steve eventually just took a deep breath and reached over to grasp Cecil's shoulder. His face was kind, which was...altogether rare, for Steve. He was a fan of 'tough love', but Cecil didn't need that anymore. "I don't know who the hell Leonard is." He eventually admitted kindly, rubbing the man's shoulder and glancing towards the door. "Look. Carlos is a very nice man, and I'm sure he'll take it easy on you. He knows what's happened, and he's been trying to research it. Just get out there and do it, Cecil, you can't sit in my car forever and you certainly can't avoid your boyfriend forever. You keep talking about him on your show every other week, you obviously love him. Go on, Ceec."

You: /I love you./ The moment he heard Steve's nickname for him (so wrong, so horribly wrong...) he pushed himself out of the door, catching on the seatbelt and fumbling with the buckle before rushing out. He slammed the car door behind him and stood in the driveway, still as a scarecrow as he gazed at the door. Cecil wanted to turn back, to crawl up in Steve's lap and kiss him senseless, but he couldn't-- The door of the apartment building opened, Cecil whimpering the moment the light flooded the walkway.

Stranger: "Cecil." Carlos breathed out as he saw him. He'd been at work when the call hit him -- and Steve hadn't done a very good job of explaining, in truth. He'd been spending most of his time just trying to see how the hell re-education worked, and he hadn't come up with any answers. Still in his lab-coat and flannel, he just stood in the doorway for a few seconds before going over to him. He wanted to pull him into a hug -- to kiss him, to promise him that he loved him still and he'd never let him go, but he didn't. Instead, he just leaned forward and gripped Cecil's upper arm loosely. "Querido, what...are you okay? Are you hurt?"

You: "I--" Cecil stared at Carlos, eyes darting from the scientist's wrongly loving gaze to the ground. Yes, he was handsome. Yes, he seemed genuine. But he... He was a grown man. He was an adult. With an adult job and an adult car and an adult house.  "I'm fine," Cecil choked weakly, tears falling the moment he heard the car behind him beginning to back out. His body tensed, as though he were to run after it and tear away from this life that was now holding him by the arm.

Stranger: "Oh my god, Cecil, you're crying." And suddenly, Carlos stepped forward and placed both arms around the man, squeezing him lightly against his chest. He didn't know what else to do, but...well, instinct had just kicked in. Cecil felt tense, as if he were ready to pull away at any moment, and Carlos tried to get into Cecil's mindset. Cecil was frightened. Taking a step back, he just took Cecil's hand and gestured inside the apartment. "S-sorry. You barely know who I am, I'm guessing, and now I've just hugged you. Sorry, I'll try to...your terms, okay? Let's just go in and maybe it'll jog a few memories of yours. Everything's going to be okay, mi cielo. You know?"

You: He inhaled sharply at the embrace, shoulders hitching and pulse quickening at the foreign touch. Carlos seemed nice, like he truly cared, but Cecil was too confused to even come close to reciprocating the gesture. "This..." Cecil walked into the apartment in disbelief, walking around and looking at various pictures along the walls. Carlos holding an award, the back of Cecil's head as he leaned back in Leonard's chair, a-- A-- He covered his mouth with both of his hands, staring at the photo on the wall. Carlos was in it, arms wrapped around Cecil and lips pressed against his cheek. But the Cecil in the photo... "Oh my gods." He touched the aged face in the photo before tracing around his eyes, his nose, his chin, his heart fluttering like hummingbird wings. "Oh... oh gods. Oh gods."

Stranger: "What? What is it?" Carlos asked him, and God help him, a bit of the scientist in him kicked in. He walked over to Cecil and placed a hand on his back rubbing it gently, before looking at the photo. What was strange about the photo? Sure, it was a bit of a silly moment, and Cecil was grinning a bit too widely, but it was...nice. Carlos liked it well enough, really. A candid shot of them in the studio and Carlos giving him a surprise visit. "It -- I don't understand what you're shocked about, mi cielo, it's just...you." He tried to make a joke -- weak as it was, and as pained as his smile was. "I mean, I get pretty frightened when I see you in the mornings, too, but I think you actually look very nice in it. What's /wrong/?"

You: Cecil turned to Carlos slowly. Very slowly, as though moving in slow motion or attempting to be funny in his movements. His face, however, made it very clear that his reaction was nothing but genuine. He stared up into those chocolate eyes, those sparkling teeth and that perfect hair... "...I'm /old./"

Stranger: It took all of Carlos' strength not to laugh at him, and he succeeded. Instead, he just leaned forward and took both of Cecil's arms, squeezing them tightly. He leaned forward and pressed a firm kiss against his forehead. What could he say to calm him down? "You're not old. You're my Cecilito, that's all. A bit older than seventeen, yes, but I've had to interview everyone in Night Vale at /least/ once and you're the most handsome man here. I promise. I'm a scientist, I should know."

You: The kiss was so strange. It felt like a kiss from a friend at a funeral, or perhaps an overbearing Aunt Gertrude, but not from a boyfriend or a lover. He wanted to scream, to cry, to rush into a bathroom and look into a mirror despite the voices that woke him in the night. But he couldn't. Instead, he was stuck with who he considered the equivalent of a high school counselor. A handsome high school counselor, yes, but... "You're very kind," he said in a whisper, trapped by the hands on his shoulders and too afraid to pull away.

Stranger: Carlos smiled at him, before he leaned forward and pulled Cecil into a hug. Gently, he laid his chin on the man's hair, rubbing the man's back slowly. Of course Cecil was still upset. "Do you have any questions? I've only been here for two years -- we've been dating for one -- living together for three months, but I can try to answer everything. You've told me a lot about when you were younger, too, so maybe." He responded, occasionally leaning down to press a kiss against the man's hair and scalp. "God, I was so worried about you, Cecil -- I thought you'd been hurt, killed. I've been so terrified after this Strex business."

You: Another one of the kisses. Another string of comforting words that left Cecil confused and guilty. Still, after a moment's consideration, he hugged the handsome adult back. It felt like a sin, like it was wrong, but when he closed his eyes he could pretend it was his Steve. "What happened to Earl?" he asked, cutting Carlos's worries off. He had no care for business corporations or tyrannical powers, not with a narrow teenage mindset. "I want to see him."

Stranger: "Earl Harlan? He leads a boy scout troop, now." Carlos explained to him, standing back. "He comes over for dinner every so often. He's a nice guy. Cares about his boys like mad, though. You two are still pretty close." Still, something felt wrong about hugging Cecil, like Cecil was still too tense underneath his arms. So, Carlos just leaned back from him an stuck his hands in his pockets, awkwardly shrugging his shoulders. "Sure, I -- check your phone, it's under 'Scout Master Harlan'. Call him over, I'll just go make dinner."

You: "Is he--" Cecil cut off the question as soon as he was about to ask it. Of course Earl was old. Earl was old, his mother was probably dead, his brother was off getting drunk somewhere, and his dog was a pile of bones in the desert. "Sorry. No. No, I'm not hungry. I... do have questions, though." He walked over to the couch and, after staring at it uncertainly, slowly sat down. He felt like he was in a parent-teacher conference, waiting for some impending judgement. "I... we... who are you?"

Stranger: "Oh. Um." Carlos suddenly felt strangely formal, and he adjusted his lab coat awkwardly around his shoulders. "My name is Carlos. Uh, Rodriguez. Carlos Rodriguez, and I'm...I'm a scientist. I was sent here two years ago to study what was going on in the town, and..." Suddenly, a shier smile split across his face and he tried to hide it with his hand. "I hear this radio host going on and on about this attractive new scientist in town, and at first I thought you were just poking fun at the new guy, but...well, I guess you weren't. I asked you on a date, and...a year later, here we are, Cecilito."

You: "You keep saying that," Cecil said, tilting his head to the side a little and frowning. "'Cecilito.' 'Querido.' Lots of 'o's. Why? And tell me /who/ you are, not... not that stuff." 'That stuff' made him feel uncomfortably grown up. He'd rather know who he was dorming w- living with by their personality rather than his actions.

Stranger: "Sorry. It's Spanish. Spanish is my first language. I, um." Carlos crossed his arms over his chest, breathing all of his hair out through his nose as he tried to think. "Cecilito just means -- well, little Cecil, and 'querido' means beloved -- sometimes I call you 'mi cielo', which is my sky. We went out stargazing a few months ago and I called you that as a joke, and you liked it. Sorry, um, probably not what you wanted to know. Um. I...well, I don't know, Cecil. I cook a lot, I work a lot, I like to sing when I don't think you're around."

You: Cecil nodded. Right. Work. That was a thing, wasn't it? He looked down to his thumbs in his lap, blushing profusely at his thoughts. If they were living together, they had to be... You know... Right? He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, banning the hormonal thoughts from his mind as best as he could as he looked back up at Carlos. "What books do you read? What songs do you sing? Where did you come from? Why did I date an outsider?" More. More. Carlos was the only constant in his life right now, and even then he knew next to nothing. He needed some sort of validity, no matter how falsified or forced. "Please, sir."

Stranger: "Oh my God. No, /please/ don't call me that. I'm only two years older than you are." Carlos told him, falling down to sit beside him. "I know it's weird. I know, but...you aren't seventeen. Hell, you don't even like to admit that you're 29." He promised him, before throwing his arms around the man's shoulders. "I -- well, I read a lot of things. I read a lot of Night Vale literature, which is...nice. I read a lot of science fiction things, and you like to poke fun at me for it. I came from New York, a state that's...well, really far up north. My mother and my two sisters live up there. And..." He smiled, again trying to hide it behind his head. "I don't know, really. You broke down on public radio after I almost died in the bowling alley, and I asked you a little while later. We've had our ups and downs, but I think that...we've ended up pretty well.

You: He felt a little more relaxed in Carlos's arms after that, if only just. "Bowling alleys are dangerous," he said, voice still quiet but not as hoarse as before. "Every bowling manager has to be a certified doctor, you know." He closed his eyes and tried to think, Steve still pressing on his mind. He'd gotten over him, apparently, but why did it hurt /so much?/ His purple eyes flickered back, observing as much of the scientist as he could from the strange angle. "You... am I really a radio host?" There was no way. It simply wasn't possible. Kevin had told him he'd never make it. His voice wasn't right.

Stranger: "You /are/." Carlos responded cheerfully, squeezing the man's arms. At least he was starting to calm down a little, if...well, if just a little. "You're the best radio host I've ever seen, personally. You've got the best voice for it. And you're really good friends with all the interns, for as long as they last, and you...you're just really good, querido. Everyone listens to it. " He leaned forward and just gently pressed his lips against the man's cheek, trying to reassure him. "I don't know how long you've been radio host, though. Sorry. But for a long time, I think. And you really love your job. It's so good to watch."

You: Cecil's mood perked up a little at that, a phantom of a smile growing over his lips as he curled in on himself a little. He didn't even mind the kiss on his cheek. "I... I'm a radio host," he repeated, nodding and trying out the title. "Cecil Palmer, Night Vale Community Radio." He tried again, deepening his voice and repeating the title. Higher, lower, before he broke out into his first laugh of the night. Twelve years gone or not, it was still exciting.

Stranger: Oh, it was so nice seeing Cecil so excited. Carlos kept his arm around the man's shoulders as he listened to him talk, feeling...light. Certainly lighter than he had in the last few hours, anyway. When Steve had called him and told him...oh, Carlos thought his world was crashing around him. Lovingly, he raised his hand and drug it through Cecil's hair, affectionately pressing the man's head against his shoulder for just a moment. "Yes, you are. My little radio host. Don't know what I did to deserve you."

You: Okay, things were getting weird again. The laughter died a bit, the smile still a bit apparent on his face but his body otherwise freezing up a bit. "What did you do?" Cecil asked, as grateful as he was confused for the new position they were in. At least Carlos couldn't see his face anymore. He could hide. "To deserve me, I mean. Not that you don't deserve me, not that at all, I just mean... um." /Steve./ "I just... I'm missing a few pieces here."

Stranger: "I don't know." Carlos responded quietly, leaning back against the sofa. He kept his arm around the man's shoulders. It was just /instinct/. This was the couch where they snuggled and watched awful Westerns on, after all. "I came here just hoping that I wouldn't be absolutely hated by everyone for being nosy. And then I see /you/ grinning like an idiot at me during the City Council meeting, and I just -- you're the most fantastic man I've ever met. Sorry, probably not what you wanted to know. Ask any more questions that you want, Cecil, and if I'm doing anything not good, you can just let me know. Really, just let me know, I'm okay."

You: Well, there was one question in particular he had pressing on his mind. And now that he knew he was the one who was persisting the relationship, as far as he was aware, he felt he could at least ask it. He turned bright red, his mind still a virgin despite his body's experience, and looked down at his pointed knees. "We've lived together. Three months." He swallowed. "So... we don't have separate bedrooms or anything, or...?" What if Carlos expected something from him? What if Cecil had to preform, and he didn't know how?

Stranger: "/Oh/." Carlos replied, and suddenly, he was blushing awfully. "Um...u-uh..." Taking his arm from around Cecil, he rubbed at his face awkwardly and looked down. "No, we...we share a bed, yes, but -- I can take the couch for as long as I need to, Cecil, honestly. I understand that you're still thinking like you're seventeen, and...wow, I've already made this awkward enough.Don't worry anything about that, okay? We just need to get you all sorted out first before we even think about me sleeping in the same bed again. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, mi corazon, I can't."

You: There it was again. More of that strange language with its harsh vowels and its many 'r's. Cecil hummed a bit and moved away slightly as Carlos retracted his arm, equally relieved and humiliated. Carlos wasn't going to make him do anything. Steve had been putting enough pressure on him as it was, he was-- He was 29. Right. Steve was 29.  "I'll take the couch," Cecil said determinedly. "It's no trouble, sir." Then, after a moment, "Carlos. Sorry, Carlos."

Stranger: "/Carlos/." Carlos repeated again at him. Although he didn't do anything like put his arm around the man's shoulders again, he did lean over and gently squeeze his wrist. "Carlos, Carlos, Carlos. Not anything else, okay? I know you can get used to it." He gave him a small smile and shook his head, a light laugh bubbling up in his throat. "No, no. /You've/ just had what appears to be invasive brain surgery. You sleep on the bed. I'll sleep out here. Half the time I sleep at my lab anyway, so it won't be that much of a difference. Okay? You'll get used to being 29."

You: He sure hoped he would. "You sleep at the lab?" Cecil asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that a normal thing?" He always thought that married, or committed, couples came home to one another every night. Spending nights at the lab sounded like... like it was not good. He was too naive to know any better than to ask, eyes innocently prying.

Stranger: "You work late, sometimes." Carlos said, shaking his head. "Sometimes I drive all the way home and I get to listen to your radio show that way, in the car. That's the best night. Sometimes I'm just too tired and I stay at the lab and just come home in the morning, where I can see you." He smiled sheepishly and chuckled under his breath, staring at his feet. "It's out number one argument, actually. I've been getting better at it."

You: "Oh." Cecil nodded in understanding a little. He could see how that would be a problem, he supposed. He didn't really appreciate it when mother came home late, leaving both himself and his brother to fend for themselves eating out of cans and scavenging the bottom of the pantry. "That's fine. I'm sure you're trying, don't feel bad."

Stranger: "Well, I'll have to spend a little more time at home from now on. Considering that you've forgotten twelve years of your life." Carlos settled his head on the man's shoulder, letting out a mild sigh. "Do you still like Westerns, Cecilito? Do you still rather Italian food over everything else, and do you still pretend your hair brush is a microphone in the mornings?"

You: "Yes." All of those things, actually. Daily. "How did you-- right. Yes, yes. I do." As if on cue, his stomach grumbled beneath him. He covered it up with his arms quickly, blushing again.

Stranger: "Here. I'll make dinner. Call Earl, if you want, I'll be a little while. I was just making the sauce when you came in." Carlos murmured against the man's shoulder, before leaning over to gently peck his lips. In the same motion, he retrieved Cecil's phone and gave it to him. He got himself off of Cecil and retreated back to the kitchen, stirring the bubbling red liquid.

You: Cecil squeaked at the kiss, pressing his digits to his lips as soon as Carlos disappeared into the kitchen in disbelief. It felt illegal. Wrong, almost. But... that didn't mean he didn't really enjoy it. "I don't want Earl right now," he said quietly, staring at the phone and turning over to look over the back of the couch. He was too scared to be exposed to too many people right now, too overwhelmed from the sudden appearance of his apparent scientist. "Please. Carlos."

Stranger: That awful little squeak. Carlos couldn't help but smile. "Okay. Come here, mi corazon, we can talk in the kitchen." This was mildly like the time when Carlos had received a threat from Strex and Cecil had barely left his side for the day. Jumped at every noise. As he spoke the term of endearment, he realized that -- well, Cecil wasn't used to them yet. "Sorry! Uhm, 'mi corazon' is 'my heart'. I'll try to watch my tongue from now on. Come on and taste this a little for me, would you? I want tos ee if it's done."

You: He stood up and followed Carlos into the kitchen, looking down into the sauce. Italian. Of course it would be Italian. He smiled, ever so tentatively, and opened his mouth obediently as he waited for the sauce. Okay. Room mates, he could deal with. He'd just think of it as room mates.

You: He stood up and followed Carlos into the kitchen, looking down into the sauce. Italian. Of course it would be Italian. He smiled, ever so tentatively, and opened his mouth obediently as he waited for the sauce. Okay. Room mates, he could deal with. He'd just think of it as room mates.

Stranger: "Here." Carlos gently ladled a bit and then pressed it up to Cecil's mouth, one hand going to his chin to keep it steady. At first, Carlos had been an utter germaphobe when he and Cecil had moved in. Now, though? Now, it didn't much matter at all. "Any good? It's sometimes a little hard to get ingredients in Night Vale, but -- it's nice when I do."

You: "It's neat," Cecil said, licking his lips a little and nodding. It was better than neat. It was positively delicious. He could see why an older version of himself would be attracted to a scientist as handsome as Carlos. "It tastes delicious. Oh! Are we having pasta?" He leaned over into the larger pot, peering in.

Stranger: "Yep! Gluten-free, I'm afraid. Wheat was outlawed a little while ago." Carlos told him, patting the man's back and stirring the sauce some more. "I have a salad in the fridge, if you could get it out, amado. We'll have a proper dinner, and -- well, I have to call the station and inform them of what happened. As if they don't already know . But maybe we could meet other people tomorrow. Earl, and Old Woman Josie, and...well, anyone else."

You: Cecil nodded and walked to the fridge, pulling out the greens and holding them as though they were treasures. "I can't remember the last time I..." He dug his nose into the lettuce rather rudely, breathing it in. The old Cecil had been rather vague with his life at home, but this Cecil saw no reason to be discrete. "Oh, gods. It's /fresh./"

Stranger has disconnected.

[omeglerping]

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1168069/chapters/2382949?view_adult=true I've never wanted to hug a character more.

[omeglerping]

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like wtnv, cecilcarlos, cecilos, and carloscecil.

You: You're late. -CP

You: Again. -CP

Stranger: I am on my way, I promise. C

You: 2 hours. -CP

You: I'm going home. -CP

Stranger: Cecilito. C

You: Just... keep doing science. I know it's important. -CP

Stranger: I want you. C

You: Yeah, well, you could have had me since eight o'clock at Gino's. -CP

You: I sat there like an idiot. -CP

Stranger: You're not an idiot, querido. You're not. C

Stranger: I'm just an awful boyfriend. C

You: You didn't remember, did you? -CP

You: Six months. -CP

Stranger: I know. Six months since we've been together. C

You: Happy anniversary, 'querido.' -CP

Stranger: I know, querido, I know. C

Stranger: And I love you. C

You: Are you sure? -CP

You: Because it's hard to tell. -CP

Stranger: I know. I've been awful and I don't have a good reason. C

Stranger: And I love you. C

You: [delayed] Just... what were you doing. -CP

You: Where were you. -CP

Stranger: I was at the lab. We were investigating a specimen, and it got violent, and we had to get it back under control. C

You: The lab. -CP

You: Right. -CP

You: Maybe you should sleep at the lab tonight, too. -CP

Stranger: Oh, honey... C

You: I don't want to think about you right now. -CP

Stranger: ... C

Stranger: That's okay, darling. I'm not going to shove myself in your face. C

You: That, I can believe. -CP

Stranger: Just want you to know that I love you. And whenever you want to talk, I'll be here. C

You: [one hour later] ...door's unlocked. -CP

Stranger: You sure? C

You: Just get over here. -CP

You: I still hate you. -CP

Stranger: I know you do. I'm on my way. C

You: Cecil was curled up on the couch under a blanket, rubbing at his eyes ferociously as he threw the phone away. His outfit, seeked out from a /New York/ magazine for Carlos' comfort, was crumpled and tear stained. It had been strange, replacing the furry pants with a so-called 'tux,' but it hadn't looked bad. He just couldn't wait to see the look on Carlos' face when he walked in and saw Cecil wearing something 'normal...' He broke into sobs again, loosening the tie and hiding his face in the pillows.

Stranger: Carlos felt guilty. Massively guilty. More guilty than he had ever felt in his life. He drove sadly on the way to their shared apartment. Cecil was a brilliant man to have let him back after only an hour, but Carlos still wanted to crawl somewhere and die. When he got there, he hesitated at the front door and then made his way in. Cecil was impossible to miss, curled up and crying underneath his blanket. He didn't know whether to approach him or not. Finally, he just took a risk and got down on his knees besides the man. One hand (sporting a few stitches on it, admittedly) reached out to touch his shoulder.

You: Cecil initially flinched at the touch before looking up at his scientist, and he was hit with a wave of emotions he had no clue how to interpret. He was torn between punching the scientist in the face and bringing him close, so settled for a sniffle and an attempt at nonchalance. It didn't work, given his crying and red eyes, but it was a valiant attempt nonetheless. "...oh. You came."

You: so he settled*

Stranger: "Of course I came, Cecil. You're upset." Carlos told him. Part of him wanted to lean forward and press his lips against Cecil's, but he couldn't. Cecil was going to be hellish at him if he did that. So he just rubbed Cecil's shoulder, his eyes dark and sad. "Come on, amado. Please yell at me." He pleaded at him, his lips pulling into a frown. "Call me whatever you'd like. Punch me, if you need to. Just do whatever you need to do to feel better."

You: "I hate you," Cecil said with a hoarse voice, looking away from the compassion Carlos was showing him. Why did he have to be so /perfect,/ so tragically and wonderfully /perfect?/ He could never stay mad at him for long, but his mind kept replaying the events of the night on repeat. The excitement of Cecil's own face as he checked his appearance in his camera phone, the constant checking of the watch as he nibbled on his gluten-free bread rolls, the waiters who kept coming by and rolling their eyes at Cecil's constant "he'll be here" promises. He felt his face turning red, lungs catching fire again as he shakily stood up. "I... need water," he said, straightening the suit and walking over to the fridge on wobbly legs.

You: ((Are you still typing?))

Stranger: (( I'll resend! ))

You: ((Okay. c:))

Stranger: You: "No, here, I'll get it." Carlos told him, placing a hand on his hip and moving over to the fridge. Quickly, he poured Cecil a bit of water and set it on the counter to him. Again resisting the urge to take Cecil into his arms and hold him and kiss him. But, Cecil needed his space. So he just waited quietly in the corner of the kitchen, his hands folded in front of him. His eyes were on the floor, and he swallowed once or twice to keep from saying something stupid. "You look nice." He tried eventually, bringing his eyes up to look at Cecil in his suit. Oh, he did look brilliant. Absolutely fantastic and gorgeous. Despite how wrinkled and tearstained it was, honestly, which Carlos still felt guilty for.

You: "I ordered it from C-" He felt another wave of sobs hitting him, the radio host drowning them with the water he'd received before they could escape. "-California," he blubbered, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand as his chest slowly compressed. He knew Carlos was sorry. It was written all over his face. But Cecil couldn't bring himself to let this one go.

Stranger: Okay. That was it. Carlos moved over to him and gently placed a hand around the man's hip, attempting to keep him close. "I'm so sorry." He apologized again, squeezing him. The movement caused some of the stitches on his hand to twitch uncomfortably. "Cecil, I'm honest, just...say whatever you need to me. Do whatever you need to do, just...please, /please/, el amor de mi vida, don't cry."

You: /Don't cry./ He'd been crying for the last two hours, how could he not? He cursed himself as he hid his eyes in Carlos' shoulder, despised that the only cure for the pain he felt was the very thorn in his side. Cecil would never be able to hurt his Carlos, never. He'd never miss a date, an anniversary, a scientific press conference (no matter how dreadfully dull they were), nothing. Not if it would cause any pain to his love. Yet here he was, a hot mess in every sense of the word, arms wrapping around Carlos subconsciously as he muttered hateful phrases under his breath. Damn Carlos. Damn Carlos and his perfection. Damn /him/ and how much he loved the stupid man... "I can't do this," Cecil whimpered, louder than his previous murmurs. "I- I can't, but I know I always will..." /Fuck you, Carlos. Fuck me./

Stranger: Carlos let out a tight 'oh' of surprise as Cecil hugged him, and Carlos just pressed both arms around him. One hand moved up to gently slide through Cecil's hair, and before he could help himself, he was pressing kisses to the man's forehead. Down the side of his face, on his temple, kissing his tears away. Carlos wanted to be yelled at and insulted for what had happened, because it was awful. This wasn't the silly '36-day anniversary' that Cecil had insisted on celebrating. This was their six month anniversary. A hefty roadblock. But at the last whimper, Carlos just tightened his arms around Cecil tighter and shut his eyes. He pressed his lips against the man's ear so he could whisper quietly to him. "If you want to end this, Ceec -- if you want to, I'll let you. I'll understand."

You: "No!" Cecil shook his head immediately at the suggestion and clung to Carlos as tightly as he could, hiding his face in his chest again and trembling all over. No. No matter how much Carlos hurt him, he'd never be able to leave. Carlos' name was carved across his heart, a jagged signature that was rotting him from the inside out over time. But he'd never be rid of him. Cecil's shoulders vibrated under Carlos' arms, the kiss marks still fresh on his face as he nuzzled into that damn lab coat. "No," he said, quieter. More pathetic. Cecil was as loyal as a dog, limping back to its master time and time again. "Please, don't... no."

Stranger: "Okay, okay." Carlos repeated, over and over, as Cecil panicked at the thought of them breaking up. This had to get better, he told himself. It had to. He couldn't keep on doing this, hurting Cecil over and over again. It wasn't fair. Cecil was just a great man. A brilliant man, and Carlos loved him horribly. "Come here, Cecil, come here." He squeezed the man closer to him, feeling how wet the front of his suit was. Guilt hit him again, like a bomb, and Carlos felt his own eyes start to well up. Oh, when was the last time Carlos the Scientist had cried? And yet, as he started to press kisses to the man's face and hair again, he was slowly starting to dampen the top of Cecil's hair. "El amor de my vida...oh, Cecil, I love you."

You: Carlos was crying. Carlos never cried. He spiraled even deeper into confusion, chewing on his tongue in a fruitless attempt to stop the crying. Regardless, something inside Cecil snapped, something that screamed /YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO CRY!/ and /oh, Carlos, sit on the couch while I cook you up some chicken noodle, okay darling?/ Cecil immediately pushed Carlos off, his stomach twisting and his throat retching as if about to vomit. He sped to the trash can and opened it, holding his mouth open until the sensation passed. Too much. It was all too much. And all over some stupid dinner. "I- I don't know what to--" His eyes, watery as his vision was, fell to the small black marking along Carlos' hand. He fell against the counter, staring. "You're... hurt."

Stranger: And suddenly, Carlos was being shoved away. Cecil was the most serious relationship he had had. He'd dated others, of course, and others for significantly longer periods of time -- but Cecil was /the one/, and Carlos knew it, and he hoped that Cecil at least thought it. But now, Cecil was going over to the trash can as if he were about to vomit, and Carlos wanted to go over to touch him. To rub his back. And then Cecil noticed the black stitches on his hand and he chewed the inside of his cheek. Carlos gave him a self-depreciating smile, sticking his hand back in his pocket and furrowing his eyebrows together. "I...no, Cecil, I told you. One of the specimens escaped, and I had to go get it back in its cage. It took a little longer than I thought it would, and it kind of...er, took a chunk out of me when I finally managed to get it back in." He explained quietly, shuffling his shoes together. "I'm sorry, I should've called, but by the time you texted me I had just gotten the lock back on."

You: "Oh my gods," Cecil whispered, wiping his eyes again with his expensive suit sleeve and rushing forward, pulling Carlos' hand out of his pocket. Carlos didn't deserve this, not int he least, but it would be a pleasant day in Desert Bluffs when Cecil let Carlos get hurt. He immediately walked over to the sink as he eyed the amateur bandaging, shaking his head and pulling out a tube of Neosporin with shaking hands. Ever since the bowling alley incident, Cecil had been particularly protective of his naive boyfriend, fussing about and always checking to make sure Carlos was okay. If only Carlos felt the same. He shoved his thoughts away as he dabbed the partially-closed wound of Carlos' hand, shaking his head and gently applying the medicine. "Carlos, you have to be careful," he said under his breath, chest still heaving with disappointment and depression as he bit his lip to the point of blood to keep himself together. Carlos, his Carlos was hurt...

Stranger: "Oh, Cecil, no. Really, I'm okay." Carlos told him tersely. At first, he tried to take his hand away from Cecil, especially when the Neosporin hit, but...well, he didn't have any right to against what Cecil wanted now, did he? "And I...I was really careful, Cecil. I should show you a picture of it. It's fortunate that this was the only thing that was there." His voice quieted into almost a whisper, chewing the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. "I...I might've ordered the rest of the assistants away. The thing was wild, amado, I didn't want anyone else getting hut because of it. And really, comparing to the...um. The bowling alley, this is alright. Barely a scratch." Finally, he just raised his good hand and pressed it against Cecil's cheek, straining himself to give Cecil the first proper kiss that he had given him all night. "You're beautiful." He murmured under his breath, pulling away and trying to get Cecil to calm down.

You: His Carlos. His heroic Carlos, always putting himself in the face of danger to protect others. And even then, the kiss he received felt bitter. He quickly looked back down the moment Carlos released him, allowing the compliment to sail over his head as he sped up the bandaging process. "You need to stop doing that," Cecil said under his breath, knowing Carlos would assume the compliment for the heroic situation rather than Cecil's attempted connotation. He needed to stop missing dates, stop putting meetings and monsters over their relationship. Cecil would truly crawl over a mile of shattered glass to give his boyfriend a kiss, but that didn't mean he felt as though he deserved to. "Done," Cecil said shortly, standing up and putting the white bottle away. "You... you should be clean now. I think I'm going to bed."

Stranger: "We need to talk." Carlos reached up and grasped Cecil's shoulder, looking at him intently. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that he had entered in this town and gotten into a relationship with the strangest man in the strangest town that he had ever met and he wasn't pulling his weight. It wasn't fair to Cecil and it wasn't fair to Carlos, and he chewed the inside of his lip again. He didn't pull Cecil into a hug again, instead just looking at him with sad brown eyes. When Carlos had gotten here, he was just giddy over everything that was new and strange. Truth be told, he still was. But now he had someone else, and he wanted to be with him. He was remarkably professional about the entire conversation. "I'm cutting my hours in half." He finally admitted. It was something that he had done about thirty-minutes after Cecil had sent his last text, and it wasn't something that he regretted. Well, so far. "And that half is more flexible."

You: Cecil's face melted at the news, a tentative spark of hope starting up somewhere inside. Carlos could come home. Carlos could spend quality time with Cecil, Carlos could go out on weekends, Carlos could actually get some sleep, Carlos could remember to eat without Cecil's constant sticky-note reminders, Carlos could read the paper in the morning, Carlos could-- Cecil took a heavy breath, closing his eyes. Science was everything to his boyfriend. There was no way he meant it. He tried to quench the fire, the flames only growing. He hated how the hope coursed through his veins, how it made his hand grab Carlos back. "...do you mean it?"

Stranger: God, that was the happiest thing he had ever seen. Cecil's eyes sparked up and he looked almost like a little kid, and Carlos couldn't help but smile back. Cecil Palmer was the happiest person he knew, on a day-to-day basis, which was why he hated it when he made Cecil look like he had just a few moments earlier. Smiling at Cecil brightly, he reached his bad hand into his pocket to proudly display his work schedule for the next week. Indeed, the hours had been cut in half. "Of course I mean it, mi cielo. I have no grounds to be lying to you right now. Here, take a look at this, if you want. It's all there."

You: The radio host snatched the small paper out of Carlos' hands and read over it, sniffling shortly as his eyes flew across the numbers. Half. Everything was in half. Carlos would be home for dinner. Carlos would never miss another one of his shows. Carlos would go to every dinner. Carlos would be there when Cecil went to sleep at night. Carlos would-- "Oh, gods Carlos," Cecil said, covering his mouth with one of his hands as he reread the text. "Carlos, I can't believe you--" He looked up at his scientist, throwing his arms around his neck and kissing him across his stubbled cheeks before hiding against his collarbone. "Oh, /Carlos!/"

Stranger: Carlos split into a wide smile, placing both arms around the radio host's middle. He squeezed the man tightly against him. It wasn't as if he'd be laying around the apartment all day. His job hours before had been insane. The amount per week was something that Carlos didn't readily like to admit. It was still a hefty job, even now, but it let Carlos go home and have dinner with his boyfriend and have a day off here and there and be there if Cecil ever needed him, which is all that Carlos really wanted. "Well," he told Cecil, trying to hide a grin from spreading across his face. "We're six months into this, and I think that's serious enough. Figured I should start making some chances, considering we're serious. And -- well, I miss you awfully. It's kind of pathetic. I want to spend more time with you."

You: "Oh, shut up, it's not pathetic," Cecil said sternly, shaking his head. This was the best present he could have ever received. Carlos hadn't given Cecil a watch or a bouquet of flowers, something to stare at as he longed for his boyfriend. He'd given him the best gift possible- himself. The memories of the restaurant dissipated, replaced by the potential of all the future plans they could make together. "Carlos, I can't... you didn't..." He took a breath, trying to calm himself down from the overwhelming /happiness/ he felt. "I love you so much." He separated them again, grabbing the sides of Carlos's face and kissing him fervently. "Oh, gods, te amo, I love you, I love you I love you--"

Stranger: Carlos laughed. The first honest laugh that he had done that night. It had been an awful night, so far. Chasing some sort of dog-bear-thing through the lab with a ludicrously oversized net while his assistants watched on in fear, and then Cecil telling him he hated him, and then coming home to find his boyfriend in tears, and then /this/ and it made it all worth it. He hugged Cecil tighter to him and smiled, leaning into the kiss. "I love you, too, Cecil. Mi amor, mi cielo, mi corazon, mi querido, mi amado..." Murmuring the lists and lists of pet names that he had gotten into the habit of calling Cecil, he just squeezed the man close and smiled at him. "No promises on the 'stop getting yourself into life-or-death situations', though."

You: Cecil playfully slapped Carlos's cheek, more of a pat than an actual attempt to cause pain, and rolled his eyes. "You can't keep doing this to me, you'll wear me thin," Cecil said, stepping back and grabbing Carlos' good wrist as he pulled him towards the bedroom. He wanted to be held by his scientist, to feel close to him to wipe away the grime of their train wreck anniversary. "I'll just have to keep you home, all to myself," Cecil teased, shrugging off the outer jacket and hanging it up crookedly.

Stranger: "You're not allowed to complain how often I'm around, though." Carlos replied back jokingly, following Cecil to their bedroom. His labcoat wasn't exactly clean. During the frantic chase, he had spilled over gods knew how many beakers, and his labcoat was several refreshing shades of purple, orange, and green. He hung it up after Cecil. "But I think you will get sick of me, eventually. You'll start /begging/ me to go back to work."

You: "Impossible," Cecil said, walking over to Carlos in his disturbingly normal shirt and working at the buttons of his boyfriend's flannel. "You must be speaking in that science-jargon of yours again, because you're not making any sense." He peppered gentle kisses down the ho

You: ((whoops))

You: chocolate column of Carlos' neck, then worked his way back up along his jawline. "I'll make you breakfast every morning, dinner every night."

Stranger: "No, /I/ get control over dinner. You're much more of a morning person than I am, Cecil." Carlos told him with a smile, pressing a hand against his hip and leaning over to press a kiss to his forehead. "Oh, it's so nice to see you again. I feel like I haven't seen you in /ages/," he replied, as he felt the kisses peppered on his jawline. "Tired, at all? You've had a massively long day."

You: He'd never felt more exhausted. Any energy he had was lost in his crying and anxiety, and Carlos had been chasing animals all day. "A little bit, I suppose," Cecil muttered, standing on his toes to peck Carlos on the nose and guiding the scientist's arms out of the flannel. He then pressed a gentle kiss to the scarring across his chest, a strange habit developed after Carlos' run-in with the small army. "But I can imagine you're about to pass out."

Stranger: Yes, he was. Carlos wanted to curl up and sleep for ages. He'd never gotten the whole 'self-preservation' instinct. Cecil often had to remind Carlos to eat and sleep and do basic things. It wasn't that Carlos was depressed or anything like that. It just sort of...happened. Moving onto the bed, Carlos relaxed and laid on his back. He had always liked when Cecil kissed the little scarring on his chest. It wouldn't ever go away -- too deep, for that. "I'm surprised I've made it this long. Come here, querido."

You: He worked hastily to get his shirt and pants off, leaving his boxers on as a pitiful excuse for pajamas. Cecil giggled a little and joined Carlos in bed, the red under his eyes gently fading to his usual pale complexion. He laid himself down right across Carlos' chest, looking down at him with adoration in his eyes. "I can't believe you did that for me," he whispered, tracing Carlos's cheekbones with his thumbs. "All I got you was a new wallet."

Stranger: "Oh, really? Good. I needed one. You didn't need to get me anything, you know." Carlos' arms folded across Cecil's back, and he looked at him just the way that Cecil looked at /him/. "Because I've already got the sweetest, most loving, most patient, and best boyfriend in the world. I don't know what I did to deserve that." He promised him, moving forward and pressing kisses right below Cecil's eyes. No need to have that red anymore. Poor thing. "And I don't know what I'd do without you, honest."

You: Cecil gave one of his trademark smiles, the grin expanding into a yawn as his legs stretched slightly. He truly was tired, exhausted beyond belief, but he'd rather go to bed content and in love than angry and sniffly. "You flatter me, Carlos," he said weakly, rolling off to Carlos' left and curling against him a little. "You're the perfect one, always..." Another yawn. "...always looking out for others."

Stranger: That smile always made Carlos melt. It had the first time when Carlos saw him, too - when he was giving that little speech at the Town Council meeting, and Cecil Gershwin Palmer had been looking at him as if they were the only two people in the room. "I just made my boyfriend wait for two hours on our anniversary night, Cecil." He promised him, placing one strong arm around him to hold him close. "Hardly perfect. But /you/ need to go to bed."

You: It wasn't worth arguing. Cecil closed his eyes and wrapped an arm across Carlos' torso in return, the tiniest hint of a smile still echoing across his lips. "I love you," he whispered, his breathing deepening and his heartbeat slowing as his body stopped shifting or adjusting. He drifted away into a peaceful sleep in a matter of two minutes, fully trusting the man beside him once more.

Stranger: It would always be their argument. Who was more perfect. It was stupid, and silly, but Carlos loved every minute of it. As Cecil draped an arm across his chest, Carlos just turned inward so that he could face him, and smiled to press a kiss to the man's forehead. Soon, he felt Cecil drifting off peacefully besides him, and Carlos let his head fall against the pillow soon after.

Stranger has disconnected.