Convincing Confessions?

[Nox]

Why were they never at home when things could get steamy. Raffe stayed close when the kiss ended and Nox leaned his forehead against the other man's "Me too. You'd like her. And I'm sure she'd have loved you." Nox pressed another quick kiss to Raffe's lips pulling him into a hug. "Why are we always out when I want to do so much more?" Nox chuckled.

A reluctant sigh escaped his lips as he pulled away from Raffe. He kept his good arm around his waist and tugged him back into walking along the river. "Maybe I need to find my own place. Someplace with a kitchen of my own and a separate bedroom so we have someplace to eat and..." Nox grinned and glanced at Raffe with a raised eyebrow. "Sleep?"

Nox sighed, until Moscow he'd never wanted a place to tie down with roots. Before Moscow he had a sister, and a direction to go in life. Now -- what did he have? Nox looked over at Raffe and smiled. At least he was happy even if he had no clue about anything else.

[Raffe]

He felt conflicted over the idea of Nox getting his own place. Raffe had spent most of his own adult life bouncing between rented rooms and couches, but realistically he knew that was hardly a normal or inspirational existence. Staying at Kallisti wasn’t forever, and even if it was, he didn’t expect Nox would plan to spend the rest of his life living in a box room above a burlesque club. Of course he’d move on eventually. Why wouldn't he? A kitchen would be useful for a start. Thing was, Raffe had grown used to the company. To waking up tangled with another's warm limbs, either in his bed or Nox’s. To late nights talking about everything and nothing -- because one of them couldn’t sleep, or just because. He didn’t relish losing those moments.

“Sleeping, yeah,” he laughed slyly. His skin flushed pleasantly and his grin curved a little wicked. Nox's company was easy and affectionate, and it was easy to forget about the Sickness and the darkness as they walked. Raffe figured talking about a place was a big thing given what he’d just said happened to the home he’d made with his sister. Moreso given the way they’d grown up on the road. “Lots of sleeping, I figure.” He laughed. “You know you’re welcome to stay at the club for as long as you need to. A kitchen would be nice, though.”

[Nox]

Nox grinned at Raffe's smile and his comment about sleeping. Now that they had moved into that realm of their relationship sex was always on his mind. Apparently Raffe didn't mind. Which was a good thing. "I know." Nox wanted to stop and kiss Raffe, but that would lead to more and more in the middle of the sidewalk was probably a bad thing. Last thing Nox wanted was to get arrested for indecent exposure or worse. He did have an image to uphold for the Ascendancy.

"I rather like my roommate and our living arrangements. As long as there is that I'm good where I'm at now." Nox smirked as he pulled Raffe down another street -- in the direction of the dojo. They'd be there shortly after it opened at this rate of walking. Unless they found a nice spot too.... "Unless you fancy keeping that arrangement." Nox winked. It was meant more as a joke, Nox wasn't sure he was ready for the live in arrangements, but really how did it differ from now? It didn't except it was a cohesive decision not happenstance that landed them in the same place at the same time. And while it was mostly a joke, Nox wouldn't say no if it was something Raffe wanted.

[Raffe]

They headed down the next street, and Raffe was happy to follow without paying much attention to their direction. The words made him grin. It was strange to think how much his life had changed in such a short amount of time. Without his injuries he wouldn’t have even been staying in the club when Nox arrived for his interview with Carmen. Not that they wouldn’t have met, but it wouldn’t have been the same.

“Are you asking or offering?” he teased. It’d had the ring of a joke, but maybe it was testing waters too. Raffe didn’t overthink these things; home had always been a transient concept, a feeling more than a place. If Nox did move out it wasn’t like Raffe wouldn’t plan to spend time wherever he ended up. The club would feel empty, and he didn’t relish that, but the warnings still resonated too, and he didn’t want to push too fast into something that had a label Nox might suddenly freak out on.

He squeezed the hand in his. “We can make that decision when and if you find another place. No pressure. It’s not like you’d keep me away anyway. I like waking up to you.”

[Nox]

Nox liked that Raffe always knew how to react to his uneasy questions. Nox grinned back at Raffe his words waivered a little as he answered, "Both?"

Raffe squeezed his hand and Nox couldn't help the smile that didn't want to leave his face. He swung their hands happily as they walked. The dojo was in sight at least according to the GPS that beeped in his ear. "I wasn't thinking a one bedroom -- we share space. Not that that is a problem mind you. I like waking up next to you too." It was the highlight of his day having Raffe share a bed with him. Even when it was purely platonic. "More like roommates with an open door policy. Kinda like now except with a kitchen, maybe a well lit balcony so your green friends can have a nice place to live too." It wasn't that he wanted to leave Kallisti. Was more like he wanted to have a place he could be with Raffe and treat him right. Not that spending money was bad, but neither of them needed the extra expenses of eating out all the time... Nox was being responsible, when did that happen?

Nox smiled. "But all that's for later, a when or if. I'm just glad we have a we to talk about." Nox stopped and let out a heavy sigh. Was he ready to fall flat on his ass? Or was it going to be easy to pick up. The arm itself wasn't heavier infact it felt lighter on his arm than his real one. His balance was way off. "You ready?" He mostly said to himself as he pulled open the door only to be stalled by an onslaught of children and their parents leaving the dojo.

[Nox]

[[ continued in This is Me ]]