[ there are moments when Rook is completely terrified by the emotions that bubble up in his chest, that curl around his spine and make a home in his bones, when he thinks about Jiho. there is something almost warning when he feels those bursts of happiness because this is too good, too much, for a creature like him. he is not enough for this, for Jiho, even when the other tells him over and over (proves to him over and over) that it is. Jiho accepts him, fucking loves him and everything that he is, despite the gilded collar around Rook's neck. despite the fact that Rook can never be faithful.
despite the fact that Rook will always have to answer the call of a summoning no matter how much he wants to stay.
today was one of those days, where he was completely floored by the luck, the love, that he found. that he had. Jiho had left him a post it note on the pillow, a heart and a scribble of 'love you' that Rook is going to put in a goddamned frame in the Louvre if he can thank you very much. he has plans to spend the morning lounging around, maybe going to ask Minsu how to make something like strawberry shortcake cupcakes for Jiho. he manages the first but--
the second in interrupted by the weird tug in his gut, the curling and prickling feeling of being summoned but-- it never fully manifests. it ends up being an itch beneath Rook's skin for the morning, pulls his concentration away from Minsu's easy words and bright smile (understanding when Rook shakes his head and apologizes, says he will try again tomorrow). ends with Rook in the shower with flickers of gold beneath his skin and a pull to his lips as he tries to ignore the feeling.
which is where Jiho find him, standing under the warm water as if that might wash the feeling away.
(it doesn't, doesn't even come close. but the kiss between his shoulder blades? that feels like absolution.)]
Mmm, I think I can handle that should the need arise. [ leaning back a little Rook hums and moves his hands over Jiho's, tangling their fingers together. the other being close to him has him melting a little, has the tension that was under his skin slipping away.
Rook tips his head to the side, smiles over his shoulder at Jiho.] Find the yarn you were looking for, darling?
[ give him a moment to figure something is off, that his bones are shaking in the confines of his skin not because he is in love but because his name, his true name, is right there, etched with life and blood into skin.]
You sound so confident. Better tug on those threads a little harder.
[jiho smirks but also means it, because he trusts rook in all things. it still amazes him to think of the many months ago when they used to meet up in the kitchen, each one trying to figure the other one out. he thinks they both probably realized that there was something between them back then. it just wasn't something that either of them was familiar with, and so it took time to decipher.
he presses his lips lightly against the demon's skin and just lets them rest there. he still hasn't figured him out completely. rook's smile is still a mystery, at least when it's given so warmly and frequently to someone like him. the way that rook loves him is the real puzzle, but one that jiho wouldn't mind taking the rest of his life to figure out.
jiho sighs at the question, tipping his head forward so that his forehead presses against rook instead.]
Fuck, no. I don't even know what kind I need now, apparently yarn is not just yarn and can come from all sorts of sheep and alpaca and fucking...wombats.
[this little bit of frustration probably paints a clear picture for rook by now, one where the little pink-haired assassin stands in a craft shop, taking turns between scowling at a huge wall of yarn and the grandmother who's trying to educate him on it.
jiho lifts his head, looking up suddenly before rubbing a hand down rook's back. his skin feels warm, the water is still warm, but he could've sworn that he felt a shiver going through him.]
You okay? Do I need to be the one keeping you warm? All except about eight inches, anyway.
[ there is a scoffing noise at that, something laced with laughter even as he shakes beneath the spray. he can only imagine Jiho trying to figure out types of lace, knows that there are different types of weight and sizes, even if he doesn't really know the nuances about knitting. squeezing the assassin's fingers, Rook pulls one hand up, presses a kiss to Jiho's knuckles as he speaks.]
Wombats, huh? That sounds interesting, I would like some wombat socks I think.
[ he jokes. kind of. he will wear whatever Jiho makes him, that much has already been established.]
Maybe next time I will come with you, mm? Or you can just-- pick what feels the nicest?
[ because that is what makes sense to him. he is a creature of pleasure after all, though this is more comfort than anything else. and comfort is the most important thing. even if he is probably going to state anything Jiho makes him is comfortable. he is a terrible horrible sap like that.
the touch against his skin has Rook making a soft noise, eyes closing a little as he focuses on that touch. on the way it makes his core hum. doesn't notice how golden feathers seem to shake from the skin on his shoulders, faint but there. responding to Jiho. to the bond that is between them now.
Rook just thinks it the touch. the trust.]
Mmm? I'm fine, just-- feel a little off. Though won't stop you from keeping me warm, not sure it's eight inches though, but I don't-- [ Rook turns beneath the spray, the smirk on his face stilling when he looks at Jiho. when he sees something that looks like the beginning of a wound on his shoulder.
the demon nearly chokes on his worry, thinking it an injury even if in his bones he already knows it is more. can tell when he sees his finger tipped in gold as he curls around Jiho's elbow to pull him closer, eyes wide and mouth open.]
...Jiho. This-- what-- you-- [ fuck. that was his name. his name. on Jiho's skin. that--
fuck
don't mind as Rook makes a strangled sobbing noise as he drops to the floor, tile cracking beneath his knees as he buries his face in the curve of Jiho's hip. he just needs a moment to figure this out. ]
[jiho wishes that he'd had rook with him this time, and not just for the obvious reason of his company. what the demon says...makes ense. it's practical, and jiho appreciates practical. when in doubt, go with what feels the nicest. he is making things that are meant to go against the skin, after all. or trying to.
so yeah, he's just going to pick the softest yarn next time, and making things to drape rook head to toe in it. fuck, he'll make him a onesie. maybe with rabbit ears.]
What do you mean a little "off".
[rapid. firm. jiho is getting more and more worried by the second, and he wants - fuck, he needs rook to talk him through it. he can see that it wasn't his imagination now, the gold feathers, the golden undertone in general when rook turns around and pulls him closer.
he's noticed the brand. jiho's not surprised at the demon's worry, but his worry comes first this time. he doesn't know that rook's strange behavior is actually connected to what he's put on his skin.]
Rook! Fuck!
[the demon falls to his knees and now he's scared, the closest thing to panic that rook has ever heard in him creeping into his voice. he's torn between wanting to fall down onto the tile with him and just holding him tightly.]
Baby, talk to me. What's happening, what can I do?
[this isn't a summoning. jiho doesn't know what this is. normally he's the one who's invisible, but right now jiho realizes how hard it is to want to fight something that you can't see.]
[ names are a way of power. a way to know and control. they are binding in their true form for many old gods and demons alike and, when Rook handed over his name to Jiho, he knew what power he was giving the other. he just-- didn't expect him to all but carve Rook's name into his skin. didn't expect him to want his name on him for as long as possible. didn't think that Jiho would bind them together like this. and now that Rook knows, has seen his name on the pale expanses of his skin, what the feeling is that trembles in his bones. it is binding, perhaps made all the better because there is more there than just lust. was a name given over willingly.
this binding is more of a freedom than Rook ever thought he would get.
it means that Jiho has him as long as he wants. as long as he wishes. the demon makes another noise, something shaken and disbelieving as his skin flickers gold, as wings manifest along the lines of his shoulders, down his back, molten and gleaming. when he looks up at Jiho, there is gold in his eyes and his hair is white.
but Rook is smiling.]
You-- fuck, you put my name on your skin. My name, Ji-- that-- you know that's binding. Means I'm yours, first and foremost. [ he can still be summoned, but not as easily.]
[jiho meant this as a gift. when he woke up this morning, knowing what he was going to do, and when he sat unflinchingly through the excruciating process of having it burned into his skin, he thought only of what he wanted to show rook with it.
he wanted to show him that he has no regrets. that he's not ashamed of rook or his name or what he is. he wanted him to know that he's willing to love him for the rest of his life - not with words, the softness of which jiho probably couldn't have captured anyway. he wanted to show him with his body, with something equally as lasting.
he never meant to bind them together, because rook's freedom is of utmost important to him, and jiho loves him too much to ever stand in the way of that. so he misunderstands at first, eyes wide when rook turns to ivory and gold, like the rook that he loves is being taken away from him for his actions. if he had a knife in his hand at that moment, he would slice it through his own shoulder. he would set rook free from him.
but he sees him smiling. jiho breathes, still confused but less contemplating laying a pound of his own flesh at the demon's feet.]
[ you're okay with that? gods, Rook wants to laugh at that, like he would dislike being bound to the one person on this planet, in the universe, that knew him and wanted him as he was. but instead, he moves to pull Jiho down, into his lap under the spray of the water. careful of the branding, but still trying to be as close as possible.
his words are muffled into the curve of Jiho's neck.]
I love it. I can't believe-- I can't believe you would want it. [ would want me. ] Fuck, there is no one else I would ever want to have my name, to be bound to.
[ he means that, completely and utterly. Rook pulls back, runs his fingers along the curve of Jiho's cheek. ]
That must have hurt like hell, are you okay? Would you like some ointment for it?
[he won't have to pull too hard. jiho practically sinks down when rook's happiness becomes more and more evident, at the relief he feels for not accidentally doing something terrible to the one he loves. he didn't know all that the branding would do, but if he had, and he'd known that it would make rook this happy-
he would've done it yesterday.]
Of course I want you. [quiet, like he knows what rook is thinking, what he's really saying. jiho shakes his head.] I'm supposed to wash it, put ointment on it a couple of times a day.
[he looks up again, combing his fingers through the demon's hair, studying him in this form.]
I just wanted to tell you so many things, and this seemed like the best way of saying them all.
[ it isn't until he catches sight of his gold-tipped fingers that Rook realizes that he has shifted at all, and that Jiho isn't appalled by him at all like this. not that he thought the other would be but-- well it was a change. the smile on his face softens, something quietly accepting, as Jiho runs his hands through his hair.
Rook leans in to kiss him, softly.]
I love you too, Ji. [ and so much more. he understands what Jiho is saying with having so much to say, knows that he would do whatever he could to make sure that he was understood. ] C'mon, let's wash this and get some ointment on you then, and I can explain the nuances of binding yourself to my sorry ass.
[ not that he moves at all, content to stay here under the spray with Jiho in his arms a little while longer. he feels-- safe. wanted.]
[his colors have changed, the warm tan that jiho's always loved turning into a brighter gold. there are strange wings on his back. the color of his eyes are different, golden and overbright, a reminder that he's not the human that he often seems to be. not anymore.
but his smile is the same. his lips, when he leans in to kiss the assassin, are the same. it is rook, and that's the only thing that matters.]
I guess I should know those things. Probably important.
[but he's the same kind of sloth, content to just touch rook with the water streaming over their skin, kiss him the same way he always kisses him. maybe even a little deeper. but he knows that eventually one of them has to be the stronger man. so jiho stands, hands locked tightly with rook's as he helps pull him up. there's a strength there that suggests that even if he was falling over a cliff and down into nothingness, jiho would hold tight forever.
they finish washing, and drying, until jiho is sitting on the edge of the bed, sweatpants on, with rook behind his shoulder.]
[ the words are nearly drowned out by the sound of the water, by the kisses that Rook leaves against Jiho's lips. they get up eventually though, the demon letting himself be pulled and led from the shower, more than happy to follow Jiho wherever he went. it was ridiculous and absurd but so true, the would follow Jiho to the gates of heaven even if it meant his demise.
but for now-- for now it just means towels and warm sweatpants, the ointment fragrant and familiar in his palms as he presses it as gently as he can into Jiho's skin.]
Hmm, it does. You should probably stop getting hurt love. I mean this-- this is different, but-- [ still. hurt. Rook can see it in the way the skin is red and swollen, almost like the mortal's body doesn't quite know what to do with the name pressed into his skin.
Rook leans in, presses a kiss against Jiho's neck and sighs.] You are completely insane, you know that, right? But fuck, I adore you.
When my knitting improves, I'll retire and set up my etsy shop.
[he shouldn't even joke about that. rook might hold him to it, and what even is his power to deny him these days, jiho shudders to think.
but his words do lead him to think of something else, something deeply unsettling. jiho looks back at him as much as he can while rook works the ointment into his feverish skin.]
You won't feel it now, will you? It's not that kind of bond, right?
... that sounds like a great plan. We should practice knitting more then.
[ you are correct in assuming he will hold you to that. as much as Rook understands why he does what he does, why he protects the way he does, that doesn't mean he likes the idea of Jiho out and about in danger all the time.
there is always the fear that, even with him being nearby, he won't be fast enough. won't get there in time. it just takes one moment, one heartbeat--
no. not the time. Rook sighs shakily, finishes with the ointment but doesn't stop running his hands over Jiho. turns the touch into something meant to ease out knots and tension. moves until Jiho it between his thighs and it wouldn't take much for Rook to pull him back against his gold-flecked chest.]
No. No I don't think I would. [ though maybe that would be better...] Just means that I'm harder to summon away from you. Bound by blood now. And-- well might make me a bit, uh, off for a while.
[ he will be more ivory and gold for a while, trying to figure out just what this means, how this might affect them.] Haven't been bound to anyone in... well, since before Rome fell so...
[jiho snorts softly. yeah, he's going to have a hard time talking himself out of that one. he hums, both at the feeling of the ointment already working its magic and the demon's touch in general. there's so much gentleness in it, so much reverence. jiho's never known a touch like rook's before, and he knows he could search forever and not find it again. he even starts to lean back against him, until his shoulder reminds him that it hasn't forgiven him yet. that turns it into more of a half-lean.]
I'll be more careful.
[more, an upgrade to the promise he's made in the past, the promise to be careful. he never would've dreamed of making that promise, but he never dreamed of having someone he loved the way he loves rook. jiho's no fool, he knows that rook hurts when he hurts, even if he doesn't feel it physically.] You are unfair to every other man on this planet.
Is this your new look? [he reaches his hand up into the other's hair, curls his fingers before pulling him down for a kiss over his shoulder.]
[ 'thank you' gets stuck somewhere in Rook's throat as he presses his lips to Jiho's spine, knowing that he means what he says about being careful. knows that he does not make promises lightly. and Rook knows that he cannot make Jiho promise to stop, not now. not yet (maybe never, but Rook hopes that one day they will be safe enough, that the world will be different enough, that he can dream). for now-- more careful is enough.]
I'm-- what? I mean, I know I'm luckier than any other being on this planet. [ and you bet your ass he is going to be as cheesy as fuck as he gives the assassin a pointed look.] I have you, so--
[ and yeah, maybe Rook kisses a little harder, a little deeper, smile blinding and bright when the kiss breaks to nose along the lines of Jiho's cheeks. there is a content noise in the back of his throat as he watches the other between heavy lidded eyes. he feels-- languid. a little hazy. almost like he might if his powers were in effect but not quiet because he still feels like himself.]
Hmmm, maybe. Usually... usually a bonding happens because someone wants... well they want my abilities. [ his body; lust and desire and dripping in gold. ] But your intention was... pure? I don't know what that means for my powers though.
[ a pause ]
Are you-- fuck, you've never seen me in my demonic form have you. Shit, I'm sorry.
You are pretty fucking lucky. Men look like they could eat me alive when I walk into a bar.
[jiho smiles at him, only semi-serious. he thinks that they're both lucky, with this strange bond of theirs, giving each other what they really needed. it's funny how people know all the best cuts of meat, but they'll willingly overlook the best parts of a person. neither of them wear their best parts on the outside.]
And you do have me. [he adds, a little quieter. rook could put his name on his skin too if he wanted, drape over him in public and tell it to the world. jiho's bothered by none of it, because it's just the truth.] Pure. That's me. I have been wearing white more lately.
[actually...he has, and jiho knows why. white is rook's color, for him. he won't spill blood when he's wearing white.]
Whatever it is with your powers now, we'll figure it- [he stops, brows lifting at rook's sudden apology.] For what? You're still you. I don't give a shit if you have horns and cloven hooves, you'd still be keeping my back warm tonight.
[ and men might just vanish off the face of the earth if they do that when Rook in in the vicinity because-- well, he isn't prone to violence but there are always exceptions. and he is well aware that Jiho will always be an exception for him, always be what he wants to protect in his own way. so he doesn't respond but well maybe he presses a little closer.
thinks of how it is his name on Jiho's skin and no one else's.]
And you have me, always. [ the words are soft, truthful, and maybe there is a tremor beneath them because Jiho keeps talking and being so reassuring and fuckfuckfuck he is -- this is--
there is movement where Rook shifts them so that Jiho is pushed back into the pillows of the bed and the demon is curled up, half on top of him and half next to him, face pressed (hidden) in the crook of his neck. ]
I love you. Fuck, so much. [ a kiss against Jiho's heartbeat.] This is-- more or less it, the gold takes up more room, and the wings are heavier usually but...
[rook needn't trouble himself with doing it, not when there isn't a man alive who jiho wouldn't knife on the demon's request. a big part of that comes from knowing his gentleness: if rook wanted someone dead, there'd be no doubt in jiho's mind that they deserved it.
there's trust between them in other ways too, the way that jiho moves so willingly when rook turns their bodies. the assassin curls his arm around his head, the better to play with his hair while holding him close. he lets those words sink under his skin, deeper than the brand itself, warming him versus the burn of it. he loves him too. he's told rook that, hopes he really believes it. hopes he knows it even better than he knows the name that jiho carries too now.]
Does any of it hurt? Are you uncomfortable in any way?
[ there is a thought there that, even if he were to be doused in holy oil, to be branded with the blade of a seraph right now, he would not feel the pain for Jiho's arms around him. there is nothing more important, more calming, than that familiar heartbeat in his ears and the cadence of Jiho's voice as it resonates in his chest. he would carry the weight of these useless wings a thousand times over if it meant Jiho would stay here with him a little longer.]
No, not really. It's-- [a tremor, gold shining a little brighter and curling along the tendons of Rook's neck, a flare of something tangible in the wings as the seem to flutter as best as solid gold wings can.] It's what I am, truly now. Gilded and a little useless but for show.
[ he doesn't mean for the familiar bitterness to taint his words, but it is so much a part of this form that it just seeps into his words. he realizes, too late, what it sounds like.]
It's just-- the wings are heavy. But flightless. [ an echo of a smile. ] Irony I suppose. You don't-- you really don't mind it at all?
[jiho's angry at those words too. rook isn't useless, he's not for show. he's achieved the impossible, and he didn't do it with his body. it was all his heart. if anyone else said something like that about rook, it would be the last thing that they ever said.]
I don't mind. [honest. quiet. a bit of softness meant only for rook. he slides his hand gently against one of the wings.] I'm sorry that they're heavy. If I can do anything to make them lighter, tell me, okay?
[ maybe he is more than a fancy show dog now, but that is what he had been for so long, there is still much of that lingering in him despite Jiho burning most of it away. burns even more of it away as Jiho's fingers move slowly against the edges of the feathers, wings trembling as if they wanted to flare and press closer.
Rook shivers and swallows down a noise, eyes closed for a moment before he looks up at the assassin with something a little dazed and pleased flickering in his eyes.]
Already are, love. It's-- weird? Nice. Feels good when you touch them. [ feels good whenever Jiho touches him, but this is strange because there is part of Rook that feels like he should be more physical. that there should be more happening, more wantneedlustdesire pulsing through him, but there is just love and adoration and contentment.
his eyes slide closed again, more tremors passing through him and quiet noises on his lips.] It's weird because it's-- you don't want more? Just want me happy and I don't know what to make of that.
[ he is never in this state with someone who wants him to be happy. Rook can feel that much, whether that was the binding or just his powers at play, he doesn't know. doesn't care actually, he just wants to make sure that Jiho knows how much this is okay. how much he already is doing for him. Rook presses a kiss to Jiho's skin, keeps his lips pressed there as he smiles and speaks.]
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despite the fact that Rook will always have to answer the call of a summoning no matter how much he wants to stay.
today was one of those days, where he was completely floored by the luck, the love, that he found. that he had. Jiho had left him a post it note on the pillow, a heart and a scribble of 'love you' that Rook is going to put in a goddamned frame in the Louvre if he can thank you very much. he has plans to spend the morning lounging around, maybe going to ask Minsu how to make something like strawberry shortcake cupcakes for Jiho. he manages the first but--
the second in interrupted by the weird tug in his gut, the curling and prickling feeling of being summoned but-- it never fully manifests. it ends up being an itch beneath Rook's skin for the morning, pulls his concentration away from Minsu's easy words and bright smile (understanding when Rook shakes his head and apologizes, says he will try again tomorrow). ends with Rook in the shower with flickers of gold beneath his skin and a pull to his lips as he tries to ignore the feeling.
which is where Jiho find him, standing under the warm water as if that might wash the feeling away.
(it doesn't, doesn't even come close. but the kiss between his shoulder blades? that feels like absolution.)]
Mmm, I think I can handle that should the need arise. [ leaning back a little Rook hums and moves his hands over Jiho's, tangling their fingers together. the other being close to him has him melting a little, has the tension that was under his skin slipping away.
Rook tips his head to the side, smiles over his shoulder at Jiho.] Find the yarn you were looking for, darling?
[ give him a moment to figure something is off, that his bones are shaking in the confines of his skin not because he is in love but because his name, his true name, is right there, etched with life and blood into skin.]
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[jiho smirks but also means it, because he trusts rook in all things. it still amazes him to think of the many months ago when they used to meet up in the kitchen, each one trying to figure the other one out. he thinks they both probably realized that there was something between them back then. it just wasn't something that either of them was familiar with, and so it took time to decipher.
he presses his lips lightly against the demon's skin and just lets them rest there. he still hasn't figured him out completely. rook's smile is still a mystery, at least when it's given so warmly and frequently to someone like him. the way that rook loves him is the real puzzle, but one that jiho wouldn't mind taking the rest of his life to figure out.
jiho sighs at the question, tipping his head forward so that his forehead presses against rook instead.]
Fuck, no. I don't even know what kind I need now, apparently yarn is not just yarn and can come from all sorts of sheep and alpaca and fucking...wombats.
[this little bit of frustration probably paints a clear picture for rook by now, one where the little pink-haired assassin stands in a craft shop, taking turns between scowling at a huge wall of yarn and the grandmother who's trying to educate him on it.
jiho lifts his head, looking up suddenly before rubbing a hand down rook's back. his skin feels warm, the water is still warm, but he could've sworn that he felt a shiver going through him.]
You okay? Do I need to be the one keeping you warm? All except about eight inches, anyway.
[THE DIFFERENCE IN THEIR HEIGHT, NOT- nevermind.]
no subject
Wombats, huh? That sounds interesting, I would like some wombat socks I think.
[ he jokes. kind of. he will wear whatever Jiho makes him, that much has already been established.]
Maybe next time I will come with you, mm? Or you can just-- pick what feels the nicest?
[ because that is what makes sense to him. he is a creature of pleasure after all, though this is more comfort than anything else. and comfort is the most important thing. even if he is probably going to state anything Jiho makes him is comfortable. he is a terrible horrible sap like that.
the touch against his skin has Rook making a soft noise, eyes closing a little as he focuses on that touch. on the way it makes his core hum. doesn't notice how golden feathers seem to shake from the skin on his shoulders, faint but there. responding to Jiho. to the bond that is between them now.
Rook just thinks it the touch. the trust.]
Mmm? I'm fine, just-- feel a little off. Though won't stop you from keeping me warm, not sure it's eight inches though, but I don't-- [ Rook turns beneath the spray, the smirk on his face stilling when he looks at Jiho. when he sees something that looks like the beginning of a wound on his shoulder.
the demon nearly chokes on his worry, thinking it an injury even if in his bones he already knows it is more. can tell when he sees his finger tipped in gold as he curls around Jiho's elbow to pull him closer, eyes wide and mouth open.]
...Jiho. This-- what-- you-- [ fuck. that was his name. his name. on Jiho's skin. that--
fuck
don't mind as Rook makes a strangled sobbing noise as he drops to the floor, tile cracking beneath his knees as he buries his face in the curve of Jiho's hip. he just needs a moment to figure this out. ]
no subject
so yeah, he's just going to pick the softest yarn next time, and making things to drape rook head to toe in it. fuck, he'll make him a onesie. maybe with rabbit ears.]
What do you mean a little "off".
[rapid. firm. jiho is getting more and more worried by the second, and he wants - fuck, he needs rook to talk him through it. he can see that it wasn't his imagination now, the gold feathers, the golden undertone in general when rook turns around and pulls him closer.
he's noticed the brand. jiho's not surprised at the demon's worry, but his worry comes first this time. he doesn't know that rook's strange behavior is actually connected to what he's put on his skin.]
Rook! Fuck!
[the demon falls to his knees and now he's scared, the closest thing to panic that rook has ever heard in him creeping into his voice. he's torn between wanting to fall down onto the tile with him and just holding him tightly.]
Baby, talk to me. What's happening, what can I do?
[this isn't a summoning. jiho doesn't know what this is. normally he's the one who's invisible, but right now jiho realizes how hard it is to want to fight something that you can't see.]
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this binding is more of a freedom than Rook ever thought he would get.
it means that Jiho has him as long as he wants. as long as he wishes. the demon makes another noise, something shaken and disbelieving as his skin flickers gold, as wings manifest along the lines of his shoulders, down his back, molten and gleaming. when he looks up at Jiho, there is gold in his eyes and his hair is white.
but Rook is smiling.]
You-- fuck, you put my name on your skin. My name, Ji-- that-- you know that's binding. Means I'm yours, first and foremost. [ he can still be summoned, but not as easily.]
no subject
he wanted to show him that he has no regrets. that he's not ashamed of rook or his name or what he is. he wanted him to know that he's willing to love him for the rest of his life - not with words, the softness of which jiho probably couldn't have captured anyway. he wanted to show him with his body, with something equally as lasting.
he never meant to bind them together, because rook's freedom is of utmost important to him, and jiho loves him too much to ever stand in the way of that. so he misunderstands at first, eyes wide when rook turns to ivory and gold, like the rook that he loves is being taken away from him for his actions. if he had a knife in his hand at that moment, he would slice it through his own shoulder. he would set rook free from him.
but he sees him smiling. jiho breathes, still confused but less contemplating laying a pound of his own flesh at the demon's feet.]
And you...you're okay with that?
no subject
his words are muffled into the curve of Jiho's neck.]
I love it. I can't believe-- I can't believe you would want it. [ would want me. ] Fuck, there is no one else I would ever want to have my name, to be bound to.
[ he means that, completely and utterly. Rook pulls back, runs his fingers along the curve of Jiho's cheek. ]
That must have hurt like hell, are you okay? Would you like some ointment for it?
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he would've done it yesterday.]
Of course I want you. [quiet, like he knows what rook is thinking, what he's really saying. jiho shakes his head.] I'm supposed to wash it, put ointment on it a couple of times a day.
[he looks up again, combing his fingers through the demon's hair, studying him in this form.]
I just wanted to tell you so many things, and this seemed like the best way of saying them all.
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Rook leans in to kiss him, softly.]
I love you too, Ji. [ and so much more. he understands what Jiho is saying with having so much to say, knows that he would do whatever he could to make sure that he was understood. ] C'mon, let's wash this and get some ointment on you then, and I can explain the nuances of binding yourself to my sorry ass.
[ not that he moves at all, content to stay here under the spray with Jiho in his arms a little while longer. he feels-- safe. wanted.]
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but his smile is the same. his lips, when he leans in to kiss the assassin, are the same. it is rook, and that's the only thing that matters.]
I guess I should know those things. Probably important.
[but he's the same kind of sloth, content to just touch rook with the water streaming over their skin, kiss him the same way he always kisses him. maybe even a little deeper. but he knows that eventually one of them has to be the stronger man. so jiho stands, hands locked tightly with rook's as he helps pull him up. there's a strength there that suggests that even if he was falling over a cliff and down into nothingness, jiho would hold tight forever.
they finish washing, and drying, until jiho is sitting on the edge of the bed, sweatpants on, with rook behind his shoulder.]
This is starting to feel familiar.
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[ the words are nearly drowned out by the sound of the water, by the kisses that Rook leaves against Jiho's lips. they get up eventually though, the demon letting himself be pulled and led from the shower, more than happy to follow Jiho wherever he went. it was ridiculous and absurd but so true, the would follow Jiho to the gates of heaven even if it meant his demise.
but for now-- for now it just means towels and warm sweatpants, the ointment fragrant and familiar in his palms as he presses it as gently as he can into Jiho's skin.]
Hmm, it does. You should probably stop getting hurt love. I mean this-- this is different, but-- [ still. hurt. Rook can see it in the way the skin is red and swollen, almost like the mortal's body doesn't quite know what to do with the name pressed into his skin.
Rook leans in, presses a kiss against Jiho's neck and sighs.] You are completely insane, you know that, right? But fuck, I adore you.
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[he shouldn't even joke about that. rook might hold him to it, and what even is his power to deny him these days, jiho shudders to think.
but his words do lead him to think of something else, something deeply unsettling. jiho looks back at him as much as he can while rook works the ointment into his feverish skin.]
You won't feel it now, will you? It's not that kind of bond, right?
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[ you are correct in assuming he will hold you to that. as much as Rook understands why he does what he does, why he protects the way he does, that doesn't mean he likes the idea of Jiho out and about in danger all the time.
there is always the fear that, even with him being nearby, he won't be fast enough. won't get there in time. it just takes one moment, one heartbeat--
no. not the time. Rook sighs shakily, finishes with the ointment but doesn't stop running his hands over Jiho. turns the touch into something meant to ease out knots and tension. moves until Jiho it between his thighs and it wouldn't take much for Rook to pull him back against his gold-flecked chest.]
No. No I don't think I would. [ though maybe that would be better...] Just means that I'm harder to summon away from you. Bound by blood now. And-- well might make me a bit, uh, off for a while.
[ he will be more ivory and gold for a while, trying to figure out just what this means, how this might affect them.] Haven't been bound to anyone in... well, since before Rome fell so...
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I'll be more careful.
[more, an upgrade to the promise he's made in the past, the promise to be careful. he never would've dreamed of making that promise, but he never dreamed of having someone he loved the way he loves rook. jiho's no fool, he knows that rook hurts when he hurts, even if he doesn't feel it physically.] You are unfair to every other man on this planet.
Is this your new look? [he reaches his hand up into the other's hair, curls his fingers before pulling him down for a kiss over his shoulder.]
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I'm-- what? I mean, I know I'm luckier than any other being on this planet. [ and you bet your ass he is going to be as cheesy as fuck as he gives the assassin a pointed look.] I have you, so--
[ and yeah, maybe Rook kisses a little harder, a little deeper, smile blinding and bright when the kiss breaks to nose along the lines of Jiho's cheeks. there is a content noise in the back of his throat as he watches the other between heavy lidded eyes. he feels-- languid. a little hazy. almost like he might if his powers were in effect but not quiet because he still feels like himself.]
Hmmm, maybe. Usually... usually a bonding happens because someone wants... well they want my abilities. [ his body; lust and desire and dripping in gold. ] But your intention was... pure? I don't know what that means for my powers though.
[ a pause ]
Are you-- fuck, you've never seen me in my demonic form have you. Shit, I'm sorry.
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[jiho smiles at him, only semi-serious. he thinks that they're both lucky, with this strange bond of theirs, giving each other what they really needed. it's funny how people know all the best cuts of meat, but they'll willingly overlook the best parts of a person. neither of them wear their best parts on the outside.]
And you do have me. [he adds, a little quieter. rook could put his name on his skin too if he wanted, drape over him in public and tell it to the world. jiho's bothered by none of it, because it's just the truth.] Pure. That's me. I have been wearing white more lately.
[actually...he has, and jiho knows why. white is rook's color, for him. he won't spill blood when he's wearing white.]
Whatever it is with your powers now, we'll figure it- [he stops, brows lifting at rook's sudden apology.] For what? You're still you. I don't give a shit if you have horns and cloven hooves, you'd still be keeping my back warm tonight.
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thinks of how it is his name on Jiho's skin and no one else's.]
And you have me, always. [ the words are soft, truthful, and maybe there is a tremor beneath them because Jiho keeps talking and being so reassuring and fuckfuckfuck he is -- this is--
there is movement where Rook shifts them so that Jiho is pushed back into the pillows of the bed and the demon is curled up, half on top of him and half next to him, face pressed (hidden) in the crook of his neck. ]
I love you. Fuck, so much. [ a kiss against Jiho's heartbeat.] This is-- more or less it, the gold takes up more room, and the wings are heavier usually but...
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there's trust between them in other ways too, the way that jiho moves so willingly when rook turns their bodies. the assassin curls his arm around his head, the better to play with his hair while holding him close. he lets those words sink under his skin, deeper than the brand itself, warming him versus the burn of it. he loves him too. he's told rook that, hopes he really believes it. hopes he knows it even better than he knows the name that jiho carries too now.]
Does any of it hurt? Are you uncomfortable in any way?
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No, not really. It's-- [a tremor, gold shining a little brighter and curling along the tendons of Rook's neck, a flare of something tangible in the wings as the seem to flutter as best as solid gold wings can.] It's what I am, truly now. Gilded and a little useless but for show.
[ he doesn't mean for the familiar bitterness to taint his words, but it is so much a part of this form that it just seeps into his words. he realizes, too late, what it sounds like.]
It's just-- the wings are heavy. But flightless. [ an echo of a smile. ] Irony I suppose. You don't-- you really don't mind it at all?
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[jiho's angry at those words too. rook isn't useless, he's not for show. he's achieved the impossible, and he didn't do it with his body. it was all his heart. if anyone else said something like that about rook, it would be the last thing that they ever said.]
I don't mind. [honest. quiet. a bit of softness meant only for rook. he slides his hand gently against one of the wings.] I'm sorry that they're heavy. If I can do anything to make them lighter, tell me, okay?
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Rook shivers and swallows down a noise, eyes closed for a moment before he looks up at the assassin with something a little dazed and pleased flickering in his eyes.]
Already are, love. It's-- weird? Nice. Feels good when you touch them. [ feels good whenever Jiho touches him, but this is strange because there is part of Rook that feels like he should be more physical. that there should be more happening, more wantneedlustdesire pulsing through him, but there is just love and adoration and contentment.
his eyes slide closed again, more tremors passing through him and quiet noises on his lips.] It's weird because it's-- you don't want more? Just want me happy and I don't know what to make of that.
[ he is never in this state with someone who wants him to be happy. Rook can feel that much, whether that was the binding or just his powers at play, he doesn't know. doesn't care actually, he just wants to make sure that Jiho knows how much this is okay. how much he already is doing for him. Rook presses a kiss to Jiho's skin, keeps his lips pressed there as he smiles and speaks.]
....everything's amazing. You're amazing, fuck.