A New Life

[Nox]

"I will see what i can do then." Nox wasn't sure he'd find anything but he'd try anyway.  He liked seeing the smile on Raffe and the hand through his hair.  The blush was endearing and if Raffe had been a girl he'd have said there was interest there.  

But Nox didn't think it was that easy.  How could he make the same feelings leave, even better ones if the way he kept smiling was and indication.  The talk of Atharim and the iijraq was enough to make those fleeting wonders fade.  Though not the smile and feelings.  

The Atharim were black and white.  The ijiraq was scary as fuck too.  But it wasn't anything to worry about.

Nox remembered Aurora saying much the same thing about the power.  Nox explained, "Women see and feel the power differently than men.  What my sister figured out she could only tell me about i could never see it. And the same was true when i learned something first. We tried to work together. We managed to most of the time.  But even as she said it was peaceful and light. I always felt like i had to fight for every moment.  It's easier now, but now it's still a fight. The iijraq won't come for me at least i don't think it will. They like easier prey." But that was all theory. Nox really didn't know. He want sure he cared.

Raffe then asked if he thought about teaching and he couldn't help but laugh. "I have taught. Just came from one such gig.  I have helped a handful of men find the power and taught a few things to others.  I have a collective of four who still come to me for help. Tho i imagine they will soon find less destructive ways to use their gifts. I learned to be a weapon." Nox was careful with his words. He really didn't want to get on Carmen's bad side.

"Those house rules…" Nox paused and stepped a little closer to Raffe letting the power fall from his grasp and the orb winked out. "I think i need to know them before I go get my things and introduce you and Nova."

[Raffe]

The information was all new. His interest was only academic, of course, but nonetheless the weird was a part of his life now, and given the indulgence Raffe was a curious creature. None of the girls described the power as a fight, and he’d presumed it would be the same for Nox. A perpetual struggle did not seem enticing, truth told. He hadn’t even considered that the creature who had done the feeding might come back. It struck a shiver to the tip of his spine.

“I guess it didn’t work out if you’re here.” His smile quirked apologetic, wondering if he was near the edge of another misstep. He didn’t ask about Nox’s sister, at least not yet. They sounded close, which meant there was a reason she wasn’t here right now. Questions for later, though. For now, whatever past nipped at the other man’s heels, it was Kallisti’s gain.

Nox stepped closer. Raffe’s gaze moved up to keep his eye. The proximity made his heart beat a little fast. “Well. House rule really.” He grinned. “Kallisti is the art of tease. You’ll get propositioned, believe me, but it’s strictly no touch with the clients. Off premises? Well, that’s up to you, but it’s best to keep it discreet.”

[Nox]

Raffe was careful not to broach another touchy subject at the moment. Not that it really matter, well maybe it did. How long ago had he been with Jay? Surely it wasn't a record or anything, but stress was stress and the day with Thalia had done much to improve his mood. But Nox pushed away the thoughts of others and the problems of the past, though he did add to prior comment "They are still good friends, but I'm looking for dojo number 3 now. But I don't make money at it anyway, my knowledge is freely given."

The single house rule was obvious and Nox chuckled as he took another step closer, swallowing harder than usual. "That makes sense. I think I can keep my hands off the clients." Nox grinned at Raffe. "But no rules about interpersonal activities between staff? Besides the usual." Nox took a deep breath and wanted to lean in and kiss Raffe but he kept eye contact. "I'm going to be 100% upfront with you." Which was very atypical Nox thought to himself.

"One, I'm relatively new at this." Nox gave Raffe a very obvious once over pulling his bottom lip in subconsciously as he took in the fully clothed version of the man he'd glimpsed in his pjs earlier. "Two, I don't do relationships. I tried, but as I mentioned earlier I cheated on her, I don't want to hurt anyone else." Nox meet Raffe's eyes again with a sideways grin, "I'd like to get to you know better - personally and..." Nox paused dramatically and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth audibly, "naked. But we have to work together, and that comes first. So I'm going to leave it to you. I doubt I'll stop flirting with you. But I'll keep my hands to myself if that's what you want" Nox leaned closer and whispered in Raffe's ear. "I would very much like to show you how much that scar you keep rubbing at doesn't bother me."

Nox pulled away from Raffe's ear with a smile and leaned back nodding towards the stairs. "I'm going to go get my things, take Nova for a walk, and I'll be back. Give you time away from my charming self so you can tell me to fuck off with a clear head." Nox winked to show he was mostly making a joke at his own expense.

[Raffe]

Nox moved closer again, and maybe the words blurred a little bit under the distraction, at least until those words. Surprise flickered, yet despite how easily he flushed, Raffe wasn’t shy. He didn’t make a secret of his preferences either (which was to say, he didn’t have one), and right now the other man lingered close enough to breathe in, playing a smile at the edge of Raffe’s lips. He watched the nerves and desire battle with a little curiosity for the admissions. Of course there weren’t any rules for that, at least not beyond the common sense Nox pointed out himself. But somehow he couldn’t find the words in the moment.

Not when Nox leaned in and brushed a whisper into the shell of his ear, sparking a flush of desire he almost propelled straight into on base instinct.

It probably wasn’t what Carmen had meant by capable hands.

But the tension eased as Nox broke away, grinning. He gave a careless wink, though Raffe doubted his chest was beating any less speedily than Raffe’s own. Lack of confidence, or the most blatant tease, he couldn’t quite decide. But the warning struck a chord Raffe knew to be wary of given his own propensity for jumping in feet first. The desire wasn’t even remotely a question; it was written plain in his expression, as was pretty much every emotion to float through his head. But crossing the line with a guy he was going to need to live and work with?

Apparently speechlessness captivated him. He rubbed at his face, banking the hunger and telling flush of his skin, but didn’t stop Nox from leaving to get his things. Though he turned to watch, and only realised as the man disappeared down the stairs that he hadn’t managed to say anything at all.

[Nox]

continued here

[Raffe]

He couldn’t quite keep the grin from his face when he finally headed down the stairs to scoop up the remains of the coffee tray he had promised to clean up. Afterwards he sought Carmen’s open door, leaning on the doorframe until she finally consented to glance up, a frown tugging her lips. A little amusement flickered when she caught his eye, perhaps in reaction to his own expression. “I take it you approve,” she said dryly. “If you’re done with the tour, I need you to do a stock take. I’ve made a few calls. Let’s get this place up and running, shall we?”