RACHEL: Pamela Lansbury has performed -- flawlessly, of course -- dismantled their instrument and amp set up, and are preparing for the Warblettes to take the stage for their portion of the battle. But even though their set has gone well, the night still feels a little off. There were defections, some of which Rachel understands and others she doesn't, and then there's the wardrobe additions that make no sense at all. Inching up to the bar, Rachel gains the attention of an employee and orders two shooters. With the shot glasses in hand, she seeks out her bandmate and is happy to find her somewhat on her own even in a crowd of people.
"A shot for me." Rachel throws back the amber liquid like a pro, though she grimaces as the tequila burns a path down her throat. Her features are still a bit twisted up when she offers the second shot, a layered mix of vodka, grenadine, and Curacao, to Ellie. "And one for you. To match what you're wearing, of course."
NOTES: Passive aggressiveness, puppies and out in the open feelings.
James shut the door forcefully behind him, hearing it slam as he came into the apartment. He let his bag drop by the door before he walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge and taking a beer out of it, he knew it was pretty early in the afternoon but after being rejected for another job he couldn't help it. He took the top off, taking a long drink out of it before letting his forehead rest on the counter letting out a deep sigh.
Elliott found himself wincing even from his own room. Even though more often than not they had been sharing the room since they had moved in, Elliott had found their evenings becoming more silent than he was comfortable with and with James seeming no closer to actually admitting what he had done wrong. Well, he knew part of it was to do with James's lack of a job and his art contract falling through. He couldn't help but feel responsible for the others mood and it made him uneasy that he couldn't fix it. It hadn't been planned but the moment he had seen it, he had known it would be just what James needed. If he couldn't make him happy, then this certainly would. Stretching slightly, Elliott came out of the bedroom and shut the door before heading to where James was. One hand tentatively reached out to stroke gently through James's hair.
James knew it was normal to have a bad day, or even a bad week, but he was having bad weeks and that's what was pissing him off. He got that part of it was his fault, letting his feelings for the Dom he shared his apartment with adding to his bad mood that made him act more grumpy towards him then what he probably should. He was being passive aggressive and he knew that, he just couldn't stop himself. He heard the others footsteps move towards him but he continued to keep his head down, only letting out a softer sigh when he felt a hand in his hair. "Rejected. Again." he spoke after a few moments of silence, because even though he was holding a grudge that he shouldn't towards Elliott, the other really did know how to make him feel calm.
Elliott continued to let his fingers work through James's hair, massaging his scalp gently. He had come to learn that the action served well to completely clear the other mans mind, stopping his thought process. No thought process meant he couldn't linger on the ill feelings he seemed to have towards him lately. This was actually the closest they had been in a few days, Elliott attempting to give the other enough room to work it out of his system though it hadn't seemed to work. When he heard the others words, Elliott gave a soft hum of understanding. "Idiots." He stated simply, letting a smile draw over his lips. "Don't give up."
James let himself fall into comfort of the others hand moving through his hair, he hated how the other could have him under his spell like this in a matter of moments and all passive aggressiveness would leave him for a short time before coming back and probably frustrate the other to no end, he knew it wasn't fair, but he couldn't help it. He was allowed to be in a bad mood and be grumpy and especially when he thought the other saw him more as a friend now, he knew he should have called it off when he started feeling all of this but he had a good thing going, why would he stop it. Hearing his words, he wanted to smile but forced himself not to do so before pulling his head up and grabbing the bottle and taking another drink. "I'm running out of options." he said in reply to the other because he didn't want to admit to himself that he wanted to give up, even though right now he wanted to because he was so tired of this.
Elliott shifted forward to press the other male back against him, letting his fingers spread out over the others chest. "It just wasn't for you. It wasn't meant to be. You'll find the one that is, just keep looking." He responded after a moment. "I know it's hard and you are frustrated that things aren't working out the way you wanted but I don't doubt you will get there. You are too stubborn and hard headed to give in. If you don't give up you can't fail to succeed." He assured him, leaning down to press a kiss into the others hair. "Do you think you would enjoy it and appreciate it as much if it was easy to do? Your art especially. Being an artist is so special because there aren't many who have your skills."
James wanted to pull away from the other, he felt himself shift forward to do just that before letting his back hit against the others chest, sighing as he gave in to the feeling of the others arms around him. "I'm pretty sure I've looked everywhere, I'm pretty sure I've been rejected from everywhere." he said frustrated. He listened to the other and bit his lip because the others words reflected both his employment situation as well as his situation with the other. "I guess." He felt the press of lips against his hair and sighed deeply, "I guess not. But I just wish I could catch a break" he said finally pulling himself from the other arms, grabbing his bottle and moving to sit on the sofa, sinking into the soft material.
Elliott knew it was hard for James but he also knew the other male was being extra difficult lately. There was clearly some barrier between them, even if he didn't know what it was and it was both frustrating and tiring. Elliott had continued to try and work on James since he had gotten himself into this funk but nothing had worked. He had wondered for a short while whether it was the fact James had got to get used to his attention being diverted by his sister. He recalled how bad he had been with just a rabbit but given how well James got on with Ruby, he knew that wasn't the case. Following him into the living room, Elliott knelt before him so that they were facing one another, trying to force the other man to look at him. "You trust me right? Then trust me when I tell you that you will find what you want James."
James saw the other kneel in front of him, a change in scenarios for them because normally the other one was on his knees in front of the other. And he knew Elliott was only doing this because he was trying to get the other to reason with him, to look at him and just work with him like he hadn't been doing in quite a while. He picked at the label of the bottle, keeping his gaze down as the other spoke before he knew he had to look at him eventually. With a sigh he raised his head to look at the other for what seemed like the first time in weeks, "Of course I trust you." he said his voice soft as he kept eye contact with the other for a few moments before nodding. "Alright then."
Elliott smiled a little when James said he trusted him. He supposed he already knew that but the previous days events had made him question even if only slightly if he had managed to lose that trust some how. Picking up the others hand, he kissed the palm and the wrist sweetly before repeating the action with his other hand. "Good. You know I don't lie to you. I know you can do this James and I know all this gets you down but don't let it get the better of you or win. You've been given a fucking amazing gift and the world deserves to see it. Keep going."
James knew that no matter how he felt about the other, whether he was pissed at him or upset- he would never not trust him. They had been through so much together that he couldn't not trust him, he watched the way he took his hands and pressed kisses to them before he pulled his hands away and placed them into his lap. "I know you don't lie, we've got an agreement that we don't lie to one another." he said a little bit guilty because he hadn't been telling the other the truth for months now. "Alright." he said quietly and shrugged, "I won't give up." he told him with a small upturn of his lips before looking down again, taking another drink.
Elliott couldn't help but feel that James pulling his hands away was like the other man pulling away from him. For whatever reason lately, James just didn't seem to want that close contact. Whatever the other said, he had definitely done something wrong and it hurt him to think that whatever it was seemed to be costing them their closeness. He wasn't used to not being able to just hold James or kiss him and show comfort through actions but right now every time he did, it seemed to be denied by the other man. He didn't say anything but the haste in which he removed himself from those situations was speaking volumes to Elliott. The dark haired man just stayed where he was for a moment before relenting and pulling back to stand once more. "You say that but there is something you aren't telling me about James." Elliott murmured, rubbing his own hair almost anxiously where he stood. "I know you say I haven't done anything but I'm not an idiot, I can tell when things aren't right with you, with us even." He stated, motioning to the other man. "You'll barely let me near you. If that's what you want then at least tell me so I know."
James kept looking down at the bottle, trying to look busy and seem uninterested in the other, his jaw stiff as he just willed the other to move away and say nothing. But that wouldn't be Elliott, no- he knew he was probably causing the other confusion and probably some hurt with how he was ignoring him and he didn't want to. He really didn't want to, and he thought he was doing a good job with playing it cool and not making it seem like he had too much of a problem with him, but apparently he wasn't doing a very good job. When Elliott said there was something he wasn't telling him he felt his heart beating hard against his chest, because he wasn't ready to tell the other, not yet. He continued to listen to the other and looked up at him when he said he barely let him near him before standing up and placing the bottle on the coffee table before standing in front of the other. "That's not true, we're near one another now, we sleep in the same bed. I keep telling you we're fine." he said though his jaw was set when he spoke, he swallowed thickly before leaning up and kissing the other, letting his hands clench the material of his shirt because he really didn't want to put space between them, he didn't want the other to distance himself from him, he just hated he felt this way and the other didn't. Pulling away he looked at the other, "See. We're fine."
Elliott wished that were true or that he could believe him but they were used to one another. James could no better hide his discomfort around him than the other way around. When James stood, Elliott tracked the others movements, half wondering what was coming. The kiss was an attempt at their usual though it just.. wasn't. Perhaps that was because Elliott felt half hearted about it though. He wanted to enjoy it, and he supposed in some ways he did but he didn't want to have James kiss him just to prove a point. His hands shifted to hold James against him carefully as he took the time to look at the other man whilst he could. "Sleeping in the same bed doesn't mean you are close. You have a habit of turning your back on me lately. We always curled up together before and a kiss doesn't prove anything James. Look.. just... if that's how you feel then fine, I won't bother you any more but don't feel that you have to share a bedroom with me." Elliott stated, disappointment and pain settling in the pit of his stomach. "Anyway... I'll get out of your hair for a while soon. Figured I might go and visit Ruby but I wanted to give you something I was kinda hoping would cheer you up since I know how shitty things have been for you what with your art contract and everything..."
James didn't pull away from the others hold, knowing that he had to prove that he could deal with this, to have these feelings, to know how Elliott felt and still be close to him but it was hard. It hurt him and he could see the others face and he knew it was hurting him too. "That's just me moving naturally in my sleep. That's nothing on you." he lied swallowing thickly as he did so. "I- that's" he let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm fine Elliott, I swear. I want to share a bedroom with you, I wouldn't do it if I didn't." he told him and could see just how hurt Elliott was and that was his fault and he could feel the guilt building up in his stomach. "You don't need to do that." he stated as he ran a hand through his own hair, before pausing and looking at him, "You got me something?" he asked his voice softer then it had been in weeks.
Elliott nodded slightly. After all the confidence he had found in getting this for James, it was as if it had all melted away again with the others behaviour. If he didn't like it then he had no idea what he was going to do as it wasn't just a gift he could return. What if he had completely misread James? Sure they had talked about the topic a while back and it had called out to him when he had seen it but it didn't mean James was ready for it. Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck self consciously. "Yeah, I did. I told you; I don't like seeing you upset and I wanted to make you feel better." He tried to explain. "Look... Just... take a seat and I'll be back in a minute. If you don't want it then I'll have to work something out."
James hated seeing Elliott like this, he hardly ever so him like this and now he had cracked him and it was killing him to a point where he was surprised he hadn't gotten onto his knees in front of him yet and just asked for forgiveness, he was more stubborn then he thought but this time his stubbornness was going to cause and was causing a lot of problems. "You didn't need to get me anything." he said looking down feeling even more guilty now. He nodded, "Okay." he told him as he moved to sit on the couch and waited for the other to go get whatever he wanted to get for him.
Elliott knew he hadn't got to get the man anything but he had always found himself drifting towards thoughts no matter what he was doing but normally it didn't bother him too much because of how close they were. The thought of that being jeopardized by something he had done bothered him more than he cared to admit. "Yeah... Well... It kinda spoke to me and it felt like it belonged to you." He tried to explain with a shrug of his shoulders before heading into his bedroom again. Picking up the tiny creature, he made sure the bow he had attached was settled correctly around its fluffy white neck before smiling warmly it before tenderly carrying it into the main room.
James nodded when the other spoke to him and looked at him before he left the room. He let his head rest back against the couch and closed his eyes, trying to get the guilt to subside in his stomach and not let it get the better of him, he knew if it did he would fall into the sub part of him and that was something he really didn't want to do right now. Not with Elliott because that would mean having to submit to him and that would probably mean spilling everything he had been holding in for the past few weeks.
Elliott stayed silent as he made his way across the room, ignoring the soft whining of the small animal in his hands. It was so tiny and adorable that Elliott was already in love with him so he really hoped that James fell for him just as hard. Sitting down next to James, Elliott nuzzled the ball of fluff sweetly before he looked at James. "He reminded me of you and he looked like he needed a home so badly that I couldn't not pick him." He tried to explain, biting the inside of his cheek as he waited for the others response.
James heard the small noise that made his face scrunch up slightly, feeling the sofa dip next to him and the others voice he opened his eyes confused before turning his head to the side and seeing the small puppy in his arms. He looked at the way he was trying to wiggle out of Elliott's arms making him laugh lightly, a sound he hadn't made in a while. He looked to Elliott and back to the dog slightly perplexed. "You got me a dog?" he said the hint of a smile on his lips before reaching out tentatively to scratch behind the small dogs ears.
Elliott watched the way the others facial expression changed as he realized that he was holding a dog. It was also nice to hear him laugh and the smile was something he hadn't seen in a while, especially where he was concerned. "Yeah... If you want him that is." Elliott responded, offering James the little puppy. "I remember us seeing that dog and its owner a while back whilst out... You were all over him. When I saw him being sold... Well I couldn't resist him. It seemed meant to be."
James was caught up in stroking the other and smiling at the way it was licking at his hand before listening to the other. "Of course I want him. He's adorable." he said taking the puppy of the other and holding him close to his chest as he continued to stroke him, "I always wanted a dog growing up." he mused to the other before biting his lip and looking at the other, "Thank you, Ell." he said before placing the dog to the side of him and pulling the other forward and kissing him again, this time there was no resistance, but only gratefulness and adoration for the man.
Elliott was caught off guard by the sudden pull though he didn't take much convincing to kiss James back, smiling softly at the gesture of thanks. "I know you did... You mentioned it afterwards but you're welcome. I'm just glad you like him and that he makes you happy. Now if you ever get upset you have him to go to who will always give you lots of love and attention and plenty of cuddles." Elliott said with a smile, scratching the pup's ear gen
James "I don't think he could make anyone sad, look at him. He's just- he's-" he said before chuckling and looking at you, "I can't believe you got me a dog and after how I've been treating you lately. I don't deserve this." he told him before stroking the dog and watching as he curled up onto his lap. He looked down for a long moment before deciding to man up and push everything aside because how he had been acting, it was wrong and Elliott didn't deserve this. He really didn't. "I'm sorry, Elliott."
Elliott continued to run his fingers down the soft fur as James spoke. "No, I mean if you are upset he will probably almost instantly cheer you up." Shifting, Elliott moved to lean back against the bed, closing his eyes over for a moment. "It's fine James. I figure you have your reasons even if I did just want you to be honest with me so I could help you." Elliott explained, turning his head to look at James. "And you do deserve him, and he deserves you. You'll take care of each other."
James looked down to the small ball of fur and he realized that Elliott was right, because just one look at the small puppy made him smile, made him feel happier then he had in a long time. "I think you're right there." He told him and looked at the other and bit his lip, "But I haven't been honest with you and I.. I don't think you can help." he told him. Before letting his hand move over the dog's fur. "Does he have a name?"
Elliott shrugged. "I'm aware you weren't being honest with me James. I'm not stupid but I am not about to force you to speak to me. You can't know that I won't be able to help. I'm here to look after you remember. I don't want you to be upset." He reached out a hand to gently place his hand over the other man's. "James... seriously, what is so bad that you can't talk to me about it?"
James let out a small scoff, "Even when we agreed to one another to be honest with one another. You're not pissed off at me?" he asked as he listened to the other talk and nodded, "I know you are and I know you don't want me to be upset." James stopped his hand moving on the dog and set his jaw as Elliott's hand was placed over his own, swallowing down his pride he thought of what Isabelle told him and decided to just tell the other the truth. "Because you said I was just a good friend of yours."
Elliott sighed. "Am I happy about that? No. But that isn't the most important thing right now to me. What is important is that you are alright and you haven't been alright for a while James. I'm worried about you." He explained, not sure how James didn't seem to get that already. Half of him thought they were going to end up back at square one again when the others jaw set but then James opened up and left Elliott looking a little unsure. "Because I said you were just a good friend..." He repeated, trying to get his head around it.
James shook his head at the other, "You don't need to be worried about me, I've just had a lot going on lately and I've been stressed. But you don't need to be worried." he told him wanting to soothe that with the other because he knew he had been stressed, grumpy and pissed off but it wasn't anything to be worried about, he was alright. Or he was getting to be alright. He heard the other repeat his words and he was hoping that he would have been able to get it just from that but he hadn't. Taking a deep breath he looked down and away from the other not wanting to make eye contact. "Because for the last couple of months I haven't seen you as just a friend."
Elliott didn't quite know how he had missed that. Perhaps it was because it had slowly progressed into something so he had naturally thought that James was comfortable with them being the way they were without more feelings attaching themselves to them. That being said, it wasn't like he acted this way with anyone else either. Whatever was going on between them was unique for him too and though it was different, he liked it. "I see..." He murmured with a slight nod of his head. "James, you should have just been truthful with me."
James shook his head and looked at the other with vulnerability in his eyes, "I didn't know how. This. Us. I treasured it too much, I didn't want to let it go. I was selfish but fuck you make me so happy and I just- I didn't want it to stop." he told him taking a deep breath. "And then you said I was a good friend and it hurt, because I just-" he stopped taking a few moments to compose himself, sighing deeply. "I thought you might have felt the same way because of how you acted with me. But I was wrong. And it hurt. So that's why I was being bitter with you."
Elliott smiled a little and shook his head. Already it felt as though a weight had been lifted from him and relief had flooded through his body. "James, none of what I said to my sister is a lie; I don't date and you are a good friend but that doesn't mean I'm not open to it being more. I told you back when you first asked me about my dating history that if the right person came along, I wouldn't not date them. I'm pretty much dating you already but without the title or the free meal. All you had to do was ask." He pointed out, holding one arm out to the other man. "And you hurt me too."
James rolled his eyes at what Elliott had said about nothing being a lie to his sister as he looked to his lap, just waiting for rejection to come his way before the other continued and he thought he was going to go on about explaining about how he didn't date and how he was going to stick by that. But when he veered off he couldn't help but look at him, "Why did it have to be me" he said his voice rising a little, "Why did I have to say something, I've been going through hell for months with this and you're telling me you felt the same way" he said feeling himself getting frustrated. "Why the fuck didn't you say something." he said through a groan. James looked at him, "I'm sorry. I'm not good at this thing, with telling people how I feel and I deal with it in the worst of ways."
Elliott sighed and put his arm down. "Because it's taken me pretty much this long to realize how I felt about you James." He explained, rubbing his temples slightly. "I didn't know I felt that way about you. It was slow coming about and maybe I did feel like that for longer but it's not something I've experienced before so I just put it down to the fact that we're so close. You getting pissy at me actually served some good cause I realized I didn't like feeling like I was losing you so please try not to be a dick and suggest I should have told you sooner when I didn't know I even did." Elliott shifted to spread out over his end of the couch, resting his head on the arm of the chair. "Yeah, that was a pretty awful way to deal with it."
James looked at the other and he had never had Elliott talk to him like that and it made him want to coil up because the guilt was back and it was eating up inside of him. He took a few minutes to compose what he was going to do next before placing the now sleeping dog onto the couch next to him and got up to move by where the other was sitting before moving onto his knees and looking at the other. "I was scared. I don't want to admit this but I was- so scared." he told him as he swallowed thickly. "Because you're amazing and kind and one of the best things that's happened to me in a long time and every time you do something for me, it surprises me and it made my heart beat hard against my chest and I just looked at you and I wanted to be yours but I was too scared to say that because I knew you didn't do boyfriends." he said pausing for a moment, "And I didn't want this to end and I didn't want that feeling to stop, even though I knew it wasn't real. I wanted to keep that feeling." he told him before moving his hands onto his knees and rubbing them gently. "I was a dick though. A big fucking dick and you didn't deserve any of it. I've been taking a lot out on you and it's been eating up at me and I feel awful."
Elliott could see the state James was getting himself into and though it bothered him, he didn't mind because he could do something with this. James was opening up to him and showing him his emotions again and that meant Elliott could help. Sitting up, Elliott pulled James against his chest, his arms wrapping protectively around the others body. "It's alright to be scared, I was scared of losing you too cause I had gotten used to us. As long as you are sure about this then I'd love to have you as mine James. This doesn't have to stop." He assured him, soothingly letting his fingers drift along the others back. "I'm glad you feel like that about me... No one's ever felt like that about me before."
James moved to straddle the others lap as he lay his head against his chest as he let his arms rest around the other as he was pulled into an embrace. "It makes me feel weak though, I shouldn't feel scared about you or a relationship- it's just not something I should do." he told him. "It's been two and a half months of pining after you, of course I'm sure of this Elliott. I want to be your boyfriend, if you want to be mine." he said looking at the other. "And I really don't want this to stop." James sat up and looked at the other, "People are insane." he said leaning forward and pressing his lips to the others. "I'm glad I don't have to be a dick to you anymore. It was tiring being passive aggressive every day."
Elliott had missed that feeling of the weight of the others body over his own and the warmth of his arms around him. "From what I hear, it's alright to be scared and it's natural if you care about something or someone." He murmured in response, smiling a little when James mentioned how it had been two and a half months. "I do. I'm sorry I made you wait so long." Though to be fair, he hadn't realised James had been waiting. Still it didn't matter now. He kissed the other man back tenderly, a chuckle escaping him when James mentioned that behaving the way he had been was tiring. "You never had to be a dick to me, you just chose to be."
James "It's just not something I feel very often and feeling scared then scared me even further. I was a mess and then this whole job thing happened and it was just a lot and I was stressed. Really stressed." He told him through a sigh as he realized just how tired he was after the month or so of everything that had been piling on top of him and the chance he hadn't submitted in a while too didn't help him much when it came to getting rid of all that stress but that was something he could take care of another day. "You can make up for it now." he teased lightly with a smile on his face. "I was hurt, dick is my go to mood when I'm hurt. I didn't mean it, I just- couldn't help it."
Elliott smiled, stroking his fingers up the others chest, hoping to relax the other man a little bit. He could tell from the others rambling just how much he needed to get this off his chest and how much it had been bothering him. "It's alright. I understand now which is the important thing." Elliott soothed, pressing a kiss to James's nose. "I didn't mean to hurt you James, so I am sorry for that." He added honestly, lifting one hand to cup the man's cheek. "So how can I make my submissive feel better huh?" He asked, affection clear in his words.
James let out a deep sigh and it felt like all his worries that had been building up for a month and then weeks before were melting off him and he couldn't help but feel so much better now. "Fuck, I feel better. I don't have to lie to you now." he told him and shrugged, "It's alright, I didn't mean to hurt you either. So we're good." James leaned into the others touch and couldn't help but smile at his words because they weren't pretending now, this was real. "Some orders. To do anything- I just need some orders from you Sir."
Elliott felt the same given how much worry he had been carrying around with him since James had begun to treat him differently. At least he hadn't had to deal with it as long as James seemed to have to though. "Alright. I want you on your knees for me for a little while. Just so you can calm a little. Careful of your puppy too."
James listened as the other gave him his order and watched where the puppy was lying on the sofa asleep and moved off the others lap and moved onto the floor, nudging the others legs apart before he knelt in between them. He bowed his head ever so slightly and let his hands rest on his lap, feeling better already as his submissive side was being soothed for the first time in many weeks.
Elliott let the other man shift between his legs, watching in silence as James got onto his knees and bowed his head. Reaching out, Elliott began to brush his fingers through the others hair. "Good boy. Let me know if you get uncomfortable and I'll give you a cushion for underneath your knees." He told him softly, trying to relax him. "I want you to stay like this and try to rid yourself of all the worry you've had until you feel more at ease alright?"
James pushed his head into the others hand, letting him stroke through his hair, it had been such a long time since the other felt affection from the other, any other time before that he would pull away from the other, but now he could let him without feeling bad and guilty. "Yes, Sir." He stayed on his knees and stayed quiet with his eyes closed for many minutes before finally looking up at the other and resting his chin on the others thigh, "I feel better, thank you."
Elliott allowed himself to just enjoy this closeness too. James hadn't returned his actions for a while now and he hadn't realised how much he would miss it until it had gone. It soothed him too just to be able to sit here with the other man and enjoy their closeness. "Good boy..." He offered a hand out to him as he began to stand up. "Come with me for a few minutes." Elliott was careful not to disturb the puppy as he led James into his room. "Take off your clothes. I want you in some of mine for the evening." Elliott told him simply as he searched through his wardrobe, pulling out a t-shirt and sweats.
James took the others hand to help him steady himself as he stood back up on his feet stretching to work out the stiffness that came from being on his knees, but it was always a pleasant ache. Lowering his arms he nodded towards the other and moved to follow the other into the bedroom raising his eyebrow with a smirk on his lips at the mention of removing his clothes, "Taking me to the bedroom straight away, who knew a couple weeks without sex would leave you this desperate." he teased with a wink, before removing his jeans and his jumper before taking the clothes Elliott had pulled out and putting them on instead, having the others scent wash over him, giving him a strange sort of comfort that he loved.
Elliott snorted and rolled his eyes at James. "You know that isn't what this is about. Right now you need security and we both need to know you are mine." He took the others wrist in his hands and slid one of the bands he had around his own wrist onto James's instead. "I think this will help both of us." Elliott explained, shifting closer to the other man so that he could run his nose over the others neck. It was about this point that Elliott heard particularly pathetic whining and the tapping of little claws before the white ball of fluff came running up to their feet. He couldn't help but chuckle. "How about the three of us enjoy a movie and cuddling. I'll get you another bottle and one for myself and you can order any food you like in."
James rolled his eyes in turn after the other had just done the same action, "I know it's not what it's about, I was just teasing." he told him and licked his lips as he mulled over the thought of finally being the others. "I am yours, Ell." he told him, honestly filtering through on his words. He watched as the other slid one of his many bands onto his own wrist, just knowing that it was more or less the other marking him as his own made him smile to himself. "I think you're right." he told him as he tilted his head to let the other explore his neck, before he felt something hit into his leg, looking down to see the small dog jumping up at his leg. "It's not sex, but it sounds just as good, if not better." he said bending down to pick up the puppy. "You never told me his name." he said as he ruffled up the white fur.
Elliott shook his head. "Nothing is better than sex with you." He complimented, laughing softly as he watched the puppy, pressing one last kiss to the other man's neck before he let go of him so that he could get the new addition. "I never told you his name because it wasn't mine to give. He's for you so I wanted you to have the honor of naming him." Elliott lifted a hand, smiling as his fingers were licked and nibbled by the creature.
James looked at him and gave him a smug smile, "Well you said it, not me." he told him as he let out a small but content noise at the other placing another kiss to his neck before looking down to the white dog in his arms. "Right." he said biting his lip as he mulled over the possibilities of what he could name him. Holding him up he checked underneath him. "Definitely a male." he confirmed with himself before looking the dog in the eyes as it wiggled in his hold. "Dexter. He looks like a Dexter."
Elliott knew that would make the other smug but he felt like James needed that right now, the confidence boost to know how much Elliott wanted him. He laughed again when James picked the puppy up to check his sex. "Really? Did it never occur to you that I was calling him 'he' all along for a reason idiot?" He teased before humming at the choice of name. "Dexter Berry. I like that. It does suit him." Elliott agreed, scratching behind his ear as he watched the pair of them. "It's good to see you happy again."
James "Well you could be terrible with trying to determine what sex a dog is, you could have thought it was a he but he was in fact a she." he pointed out and looked at the other, "So I'm just checking, covering all the bases." James looked at the dog who yawned which made him smile through a laugh at how cute he looked, "It does, doesn't it." James looked at the other, the smile not dropping from his face, "I'm glad to be happy again too, thank you." he said leaning over and pressing a kiss to the others lips. "I'm happy again because of you."
Elliott nodded, one arm settling around the others waist. "I think it's more down to Dex than me but I'll happily take the credit if you like. I just don't like seeing you upset James. If you ever have any problems, I want you to come to me with them. We'll find a way to work them out, I promise." He kissed him back with a little smile.
James "I don't think it was Dexter who took my bachelor status away, I'm not into bestiality Ell. So I think you should take some credit for yourself, you gave me this little thing, you're the one who soothed my worries and you're the one who made me yours." he told him honestly, "I think most of my happiness is linked to you."
Elliott wrinkled his nose at that and shifted to rest his chin on the others shoulder. "Yeah, well... You asked and I said yes so technically you did it yourself." He murmured, pressing a peck to the nearest skin. "Hopefully it won't be so hard to sooth you in future now that you know I do wanna attempt dating you. Gotta be honest, I don't think I could stand the thought of you being with anyone else any more."
James "I only said it because you gave me a dog though, if it wasn't for that I would have continued in being passive aggressive. I just realized when you did this for me-" he said holding up the small dog, "You didn't deserve anything that I was giving you. You're too good to me to a point where I think I don't deserve you." he said with a small sigh. "It shouldn't me, you've got the upper hand of being a Dom too." James smirked looking at the other from where he was resting on his shoulder, "Oh yeah? Does it get you all hot and bothered with possessiveness thinking about it?" he teased.
Elliott reached a hand up to stroke the puppy that James was holding. "I'm very particular about who I date so if I actually thought you didn't deserve me, we wouldn't be at this point right now." He admitted with a grin, and James couldn't argue that because he knew how picky Elliott was when it came to dating people. "And I don't think it is me getting all hot and bothered thinking about it." He added, laughing softly. "I just happen to be very fond of you James and I don't want anyone else being with you like I am. I woulda given you up if I thought that was what you wanted but otherwise you are stuck with me."
James "You're very particular, well I feel special now because I know you've never dated anyone before so I must be something special. That or you've hit your head in the last twenty four hours." James glared slightly at the other squaring his jaw slightly before smirking, "It's not my fault you get very sexy when you're possessive." he teased. "You don't want anyone else to be my boyfriend or girlfriend. I get that because I feel the same about you minus the girlfriend. But you don't need to worry about that now, you're stuck with me too."
Elliott hummed and acted like he was thinking about it for a moment. "Well hitting my head seems pretty viable to actually wanting to date someone." He teased before laughing and pulling back from James. "But you are pretty special. Just... try to remember I'm not used to this and I'll do my best not to fuck it up completely, alright?" He assured him, shifting back into the main room to go to the drawer where they kept a couple of take out booklets. "You wanna pick one?"
James shoved the other playfully, "You know it's pretty fucking great to date someone, to have someone beside you and there whenever you need them. It makes life a lot less lonely." he told him before watching as he pulled back. "You're not going to fuck it up and know why? Because we're been practically dating for months, just keep doing what you've been doing and you'll be fine." James carried Dexter into the room taking the blanket off the sofa and making a little nest before placing the small dog on it and watching as he stretched out before walking over to where Elliott is. He looked through the leaflets and hummed, "Go with Chinese"
Elliott couldn't help but grin amusedly as he watched the way James fawned over the little creature who was now under his care. "Hope you have left some covers for us too." He murmured before picking up his phone and beginning to tap the numbers in. He was soon ordering items off the menu that he knew they both enjoyed before placing it down once more. "I guess we have since we have been pretty exclusive from the beginning but this kinda solidifies it now."
James "We'll be fine, it's not like it's cold and if you were cold I can think of a few ways to keep you warm." he flirted throwing the other a wink. "And are you scared?" he asked because he knew that having your first relationship, a commitment that you've never had before could be scary and he wanted to try and soothe the other if he did feel like that.
Elliott always believed in being honest though it was difficult for him to admit to things like that. Still, he felt he owed James that much. "A little I guess. You deserve someone who'll treat you right and I know I do but I know that dating is slightly different and I'm good at all the other shit but this..." He motioned aimlessly with his hands. "I don't know how good I'll be at this but I'm gonna try for you."
James watched the other with an amused smile because the other really was clueless to the fact that nothing was really going to change between them. The only difference was that they now had a label, they were exclusive and people would probably know that. "You don't know how good you'll be. Ell. Just be yourself." he told him, kissing his cheek. "I got these feelings from you being you, you don't need to change anything about yourself, you don't need to try, just be you and I'll be me and it'll work."
Elliott let his hands rest on the others hips when James came close to kiss him. "Alright, I'll do my best just... feel free to give me a bit of guidance some times if I do something wrong. I might not always realise I am fucking up." He explained with a chuckle, feeling the nerves swirl inside him a little bit but he knew James was worth it. Reaching for the fridge, he pulled out two beers. "Come on, lets go put something on the tv and cuddle with the new family member."
James scoffed a little, "You're asking for guidance from the guy who cheated on his long time boyfriend, not the best idea." he told him, "You're not going to fuck up, Ell. Really, you'll come to realize nothing is going to change apart from being able to introduce me as your boyfriend. That's it." he told him. James took one of the bottles from him and opened it on the counter, taking a drink and nodding. "Sounds like the perfect way to spend the night."
Elliott opened his own bottle and took a drink before heading over to the couch to flop down. "Seriously James, I just agreed to date you and that is what you think is a good opening statement." He pointed out with a chuckle. "You really are something else." He murmured, patting his lap as he waited for James to join him. "You can get the food when it is ready."
James leaned against the counter of the kitchen and looked over at the other with a shrug, "I wouldn't cheat on you, I wouldn't cheat on anyone ever again after how bad I felt and still feel from the last time." he told him. "You wouldn't like me if I was anything different." He moved and made his way to the other, spreading his legs a little so he could sit between them rather then fully on his lap with his back pressed up against his chest. "Fine. Only because I still feel bad from being so pissy with you."
NOTES: James welcomes Elliott back. [Summary Only]
James turns up to Elliott’s place, walking in like he normally does and smiling seeing the other sitting on the couch playing his guitar. A sight he is more than familiar with these days.
He moves over to the other, kissing him and letting him know that it’s something that he really has missed doing over the past two weeks. The other stops what he is doing and brings James into his lap, grabbing his ass and making the other known of just how pert it was as usual before admitting to missing him.
James simply smirks at the other comment and makes an off hand comment about how he hoped that hadn’t been grabbing anyone else’s ass in New York, part of him joking while the other part of him really does hope that he hadn’t been with someone else.
Elliott teases James about his jealous streak as he laughs off his question. It’s then the Dom side of him comes over him and asks James to kneel for him, letting James have his submission after not having been able to do so while the other had been away. Elliott would pet his fingers through James’ hair, knowing it comforts the other and question whether he had been looked after by any other dominant whilst he was away.
James, anxious to submit would move onto his knees and let the other know that he didn’t submit to anyone, he had simply busied himself with his own things. Elliot let’s the other know of his concern about the other not looking after himself well enough, since he had gone from having a dominant so often to not having one for a while. Though part of Elliott would be please that he wasn’t so easily replaced in James’ eyes.
James would simply let the other know that he was fine and that he’s simply more comfortable with the other and would rather go to him then anyone else as the two of them have an almost routine by now. But if he really did feel the need to see a dominant he would have gone to one.
Elliott would understand and offer a middle ground of having James call him whenever he needed orders next time he was away and if the other didn’t hear from him often enough, he would call to make sure he was doing alright.
James agrees to the offer and ignores the blooming warmth in his chest that he’s felt a few times with the other but doesn’t want to admit to it. He would instead offer the other the same kind of offer, knowing that the others urges struck just as much as his own.
Elliott would commend James on being a good boy and ask him to join him on the couch. After some light teasing and talking, James offers Elliott to help him pack. Elliott gives the other orders to help soothe his submissive side as James asks him about his trip to New York and telling him about the party that he had missed.
Elliott would tell him about how he was sad to have missed the party, especially since he had missed the other in his outfit. James shows him a picture he took before the evening events and let’s him know that he’ll get a preview later that night so it will feel like he missed nothing at all.
