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badass_tiger) wrote2021-10-26 10:58 am
badass_tiger) wrote2021-10-26 10:58 am
21. rocking the boat
Prompt: Any Fandom | Any Characters | Bringing an extra jacket for them because even though they deny it, you know they’ll certainly end up getting cold later.
Word Count: 1.2k
Author/Team:badass_tiger
Title: rocking the boat
Fandom/Original: Original (thisonedoesnthaveatitleyet)
Rating: Gen
Triggers: NA
Summary: Mercury takes Aries out on a boat.
ConCrit: Y
'You've brought too much,' Aries declared. 'The boat will sink.'
'Only one way to find out.'
Mercury stepped onto the boat and sat down on the seat through the rocking with practised ease. Aries tried to follow, putting a foot on the floor, then quickly withdrawing as the boat rocked even more.
'It'll tip over! This is all because of your big fat basket!' he said accusingly.
In answer, Mercury only raised his hand. A great deal of complaining and some exclamations later, Aries managed to sit on the seat opposite him.
'What happens if the boat falls over?' Aries said.
'We fall into the river, generally.'
'I don't mind swimming, normally, but I don't like the idea of falling into the river without warning.'
'It should be alright as long as you stay there. The idea,' Mercury said, picking up the oars and pushing off from shore, 'is balance. As long as we don't shift our weight too far to one side or another, or stand up, we shall be quite alright.'
Aries watched him row for several moments. The sun had newly set and the only light came from the lamps that dotted the shoreline, guiding rowers along the river. It was well into autumn and the air was chilly, so they were the only ones on the river. Aries fancied that the turning and pushing motions Mercury made as he rowed would make the muscles of his arms move in the most appealing ways. Unfortunately, he had donned a cape in the cold. Aries was shortly wishing that he, too, had brought a wrap.
'Getting cold?' Mercury said when Aries rubbed his arms. A teasing note entered his normally stiffly polite tones.
'Hardly,' Aries sniffed. 'It's many weeks to winter yet. Where are we going?'
'You will see.'
Mercury had become, Aries thought, cryptic and mysterious into their relationship. Not that they had a relationship, as such. They were only playing with one another. Who could wish to be in a serious relationship with one of his father's council, one who was twice his age, who dyed his greying hair, and wore robes from the previous century? He wasn't even that great of a shag. He was often shy, truly baffling of a man of senior years. If Aries had lived over four decades, as Mercury had, he would have become an expert at sex, capable of seducing any man or woman, was Aries' opinion on the matter. But it was as well. Aries was pleased to think himself the experienced one.
Anyway, as he was saying, Mercury was becoming bolder. The first couple of times they had met like this, Mercury had been deferential, and had called him 'Prince Aries' or 'Your Highness' all the while. Yet it didn't take long for him to stop. Sometimes they would go through a whole excursion without Mercury calling him by name once, except when they lay with one another. If ever he needed to draw his attention, he used his name, 'Aries'. It was extremely inappropriate, but everything about their relationship was inappropriate. Truth be told, Aries rather revelled in being referred to so frankly by someone below his station.
The sky was dotted with stars, which seemed to mingle with the lamps on the riverbank. Coupled with their reflection on the surface of the river, it was as if they were completely surrounded by the night sky. Mercury rowed into a distributary, his strokes slowing as if he was looking for something.
'Are we here?' Aries asked. Mercury hushed him.
The stars and the lights were multiplying in number around them, Aries thought, until he realised they were neither stars nor lamps, but fireflies. He stared at them in wonder. If he had thought they had been surrounded by the night sky before, now it was as if they were blanketed by it. Fireflies alighted on their arms and shoulders. Mercury had an ethereal glow about his face.
'Would you like to catch some fireflies?' Mercury asked as he pulled them to shore.
'Catch them? How?'
Mercury stepped out of the boat, and Aries yelped and flailed to grip the sides of the boat as it lurched. When he managed to look up again, there was a hand in his face.
'Didn't you say you the boat could tip over if I stand up?' he said as if it was a reproach.
'I stood up and didn't fall over,' Mercury replied.
Slowly, with many false starts, Aries released his hold on the boat with his left hand and placed it in Mercury's. The entire exercise, Mercury remained patiently with his hand extended until Aries was holding it.
'Don't let me fall over,' Aries said.
'I can make no promises.'
Aries glared, but he was eventually standing with both feet firmly planted on the bank. For several moments, he remained clinging onto Mercury, willing the ground to stop swaying.
'Seasick from only a few minutes in a rowing boat?' Mercury said mildly. Aries released him immediately.
'Shut up.'
Mercury went down on his knees and rummaged in the basket that remained on the boat. When he stood up again, he had a jacket slung over one arm, and two jars in his hands. The jars had mesh over the opening instead of lids.
'Hold this.'
He pressed one of the jars into Aries' hand. Then he took off the mesh covering of the other jar, and swept it over Aries' arm, gathering up the fireflies there. He replaced and secured the mesh covering, then exchanged it for the empty jar in Aries' hand.
'The fireflies here are not often disturbed by people, so they won't be difficult to catch,' Mercury said. 'If you wave the jar around enough, you'll be bound to pick up a good amount.'
'You brought me here to catch bugs?'
'I largely brought you here to make you seasick, but I thought you might enjoy this too.'
Before Aries could glower again, Mercury shook out the jacket he was holding, then pushed a sleeve over Aries' free arm. Fireflies alighted from Aries' shoulders. Mercury draped the rest over his shoulder in the expectation that he would continue putting it on himself.
'And what's this?' Aries said.
'A jacket. I knew you would get cold.'
The jacket was thick, and very warm. Aries could have protested again, but the thought that Mercury had planned their excursion sufficiently far in advance to predict that Aries would deny getting cold made him feel strangely pleased. He put his arm into the other sleeve and buttoned it up. He was startled when Mercury suddenly ran a hand down his chest, smoothing back the collar.
'Catching bugs is rather below a prince,' Aries sighed. He caught Mercury's wrist and Mercury looked up at him inquisitively. 'But as you've gone to the trouble, I suppose I'll humour you.' He kissed him, and felt Mercury's lips twist into a smile when he did so.
'You're very gracious,' Mercury said. 'I look forward to being shown just how good the prince really is at bug-catching.'
'Watch me.'
Word Count: 1.2k
Author/Team:
badass_tigerTitle: rocking the boat
Fandom/Original: Original (thisonedoesnthaveatitleyet)
Rating: Gen
Triggers: NA
Summary: Mercury takes Aries out on a boat.
ConCrit: Y
'You've brought too much,' Aries declared. 'The boat will sink.'
'Only one way to find out.'
Mercury stepped onto the boat and sat down on the seat through the rocking with practised ease. Aries tried to follow, putting a foot on the floor, then quickly withdrawing as the boat rocked even more.
'It'll tip over! This is all because of your big fat basket!' he said accusingly.
In answer, Mercury only raised his hand. A great deal of complaining and some exclamations later, Aries managed to sit on the seat opposite him.
'What happens if the boat falls over?' Aries said.
'We fall into the river, generally.'
'I don't mind swimming, normally, but I don't like the idea of falling into the river without warning.'
'It should be alright as long as you stay there. The idea,' Mercury said, picking up the oars and pushing off from shore, 'is balance. As long as we don't shift our weight too far to one side or another, or stand up, we shall be quite alright.'
Aries watched him row for several moments. The sun had newly set and the only light came from the lamps that dotted the shoreline, guiding rowers along the river. It was well into autumn and the air was chilly, so they were the only ones on the river. Aries fancied that the turning and pushing motions Mercury made as he rowed would make the muscles of his arms move in the most appealing ways. Unfortunately, he had donned a cape in the cold. Aries was shortly wishing that he, too, had brought a wrap.
'Getting cold?' Mercury said when Aries rubbed his arms. A teasing note entered his normally stiffly polite tones.
'Hardly,' Aries sniffed. 'It's many weeks to winter yet. Where are we going?'
'You will see.'
Mercury had become, Aries thought, cryptic and mysterious into their relationship. Not that they had a relationship, as such. They were only playing with one another. Who could wish to be in a serious relationship with one of his father's council, one who was twice his age, who dyed his greying hair, and wore robes from the previous century? He wasn't even that great of a shag. He was often shy, truly baffling of a man of senior years. If Aries had lived over four decades, as Mercury had, he would have become an expert at sex, capable of seducing any man or woman, was Aries' opinion on the matter. But it was as well. Aries was pleased to think himself the experienced one.
Anyway, as he was saying, Mercury was becoming bolder. The first couple of times they had met like this, Mercury had been deferential, and had called him 'Prince Aries' or 'Your Highness' all the while. Yet it didn't take long for him to stop. Sometimes they would go through a whole excursion without Mercury calling him by name once, except when they lay with one another. If ever he needed to draw his attention, he used his name, 'Aries'. It was extremely inappropriate, but everything about their relationship was inappropriate. Truth be told, Aries rather revelled in being referred to so frankly by someone below his station.
The sky was dotted with stars, which seemed to mingle with the lamps on the riverbank. Coupled with their reflection on the surface of the river, it was as if they were completely surrounded by the night sky. Mercury rowed into a distributary, his strokes slowing as if he was looking for something.
'Are we here?' Aries asked. Mercury hushed him.
The stars and the lights were multiplying in number around them, Aries thought, until he realised they were neither stars nor lamps, but fireflies. He stared at them in wonder. If he had thought they had been surrounded by the night sky before, now it was as if they were blanketed by it. Fireflies alighted on their arms and shoulders. Mercury had an ethereal glow about his face.
'Would you like to catch some fireflies?' Mercury asked as he pulled them to shore.
'Catch them? How?'
Mercury stepped out of the boat, and Aries yelped and flailed to grip the sides of the boat as it lurched. When he managed to look up again, there was a hand in his face.
'Didn't you say you the boat could tip over if I stand up?' he said as if it was a reproach.
'I stood up and didn't fall over,' Mercury replied.
Slowly, with many false starts, Aries released his hold on the boat with his left hand and placed it in Mercury's. The entire exercise, Mercury remained patiently with his hand extended until Aries was holding it.
'Don't let me fall over,' Aries said.
'I can make no promises.'
Aries glared, but he was eventually standing with both feet firmly planted on the bank. For several moments, he remained clinging onto Mercury, willing the ground to stop swaying.
'Seasick from only a few minutes in a rowing boat?' Mercury said mildly. Aries released him immediately.
'Shut up.'
Mercury went down on his knees and rummaged in the basket that remained on the boat. When he stood up again, he had a jacket slung over one arm, and two jars in his hands. The jars had mesh over the opening instead of lids.
'Hold this.'
He pressed one of the jars into Aries' hand. Then he took off the mesh covering of the other jar, and swept it over Aries' arm, gathering up the fireflies there. He replaced and secured the mesh covering, then exchanged it for the empty jar in Aries' hand.
'The fireflies here are not often disturbed by people, so they won't be difficult to catch,' Mercury said. 'If you wave the jar around enough, you'll be bound to pick up a good amount.'
'You brought me here to catch bugs?'
'I largely brought you here to make you seasick, but I thought you might enjoy this too.'
Before Aries could glower again, Mercury shook out the jacket he was holding, then pushed a sleeve over Aries' free arm. Fireflies alighted from Aries' shoulders. Mercury draped the rest over his shoulder in the expectation that he would continue putting it on himself.
'And what's this?' Aries said.
'A jacket. I knew you would get cold.'
The jacket was thick, and very warm. Aries could have protested again, but the thought that Mercury had planned their excursion sufficiently far in advance to predict that Aries would deny getting cold made him feel strangely pleased. He put his arm into the other sleeve and buttoned it up. He was startled when Mercury suddenly ran a hand down his chest, smoothing back the collar.
'Catching bugs is rather below a prince,' Aries sighed. He caught Mercury's wrist and Mercury looked up at him inquisitively. 'But as you've gone to the trouble, I suppose I'll humour you.' He kissed him, and felt Mercury's lips twist into a smile when he did so.
'You're very gracious,' Mercury said. 'I look forward to being shown just how good the prince really is at bug-catching.'
'Watch me.'