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[rule_britannia]

To anyone who might have heard about my brother Phineas' unfortunate accident and subsequent stay in hospital, mother has informed me that he's perfectly fine now. I'm sure all of those whose lives he has touched with his generosity and gentleness of spirit will be very relieved.

[The sarcasm, it's dripping off the page]

This year is turning out to be rather interesting already, I must say. Magical Languages looks as if it's going to be... enlightening.




Also, I found a copy of Spellman's Syllabary stuck between two chairs in the common room. There's no name in it. I believe I may keep it if no one claims it, so if it's yours, do speak up.

Comments

[eighttimeshandy]

[snickers, bouncing around a bit after the shove]

And yet, you still give your mother glowing reviews of my character.

[rule_britannia]

Of course I do. I'm not sure which one of us that says more about.

[eighttimeshandy]

Hey, don't look at me, you chose it out of your own volition. I just sit here being queer, as always.

[rule_britannia]

Come, now. If you weren't so strange you'd not have put up with me for so long.

[eighttimeshandy]

Oh, come now, Arthur, you're hardly anything near out of the ordinary. Certainly not compared with the usual lot, at any rate. You are the breath of fresh air that brightens my day.

[rule_britannia]

[There's another laugh, and he touches one hand over his heart]

Flattery, my dear Slepner, will get you everywhere.

[eighttimeshandy]

[He tilts his head towards Arthur, reaching out to touch his fingertips to the other boy's knee]

Oh, I know darling, isn't it just the thing?

[rule_britannia]

[There's more blushing, but he's more in control of it this time and his gaze flicks down briefly, before he slides his own fingertips over Eriq's, over the back of his hand and down to his wrist]

Absolutely.

[eighttimeshandy]

[Humming to himself, Eriq lowers his eyelids, turning his hand over to lace his fingers with Arthur's. Licking his lips and biting down on the corner, he leans in, all but presenting himself to the other Slytherin]

[rule_britannia]

[Arthur chuckles, low in the back of his throat, and slides his thumb over Eriq's knuckles. Should he press forward another half inch, he could kiss him]

... Don't think I don't know what you're doing.

[eighttimeshandy]

I have no idea what you're talking about, dear Arthur. [He smiles serenely, batting his eyelashes and giving Arthur's hand a squeeze] Are we not simply having an... intimate conversation?

[rule_britannia]

Terribly intimate.

[He glances up, meeting Eriq's eyes]

What on Earth are people going to think.

[eighttimeshandy]

Oh, Arthur! I don't care what people think! All that matters to me is you! [he coos, throwing an arm around Arthur's neck]

[rule_britannia]

[Arthur laughs good-naturedly and trails his fingers up along the other boy's arm, wondering just how far this can go before one of them decides it's too weird]

You're terribly important to me as well, you soft git.

[It's in line with the teasing, but there's a quietly soft edge to his voice - he does mean that]

[eighttimeshandy]

[Eriq hates losing.]

[As Arthur's fingers brush over his arm, he sighs heavily, letting his head drop forward onto the crook of other boy's neck, rubbing his lips against the soft skin]

Mmmn, just where would I be without you, Arthur? You keep me grounded.

[rule_britannia]

[Oh god not this again. The hairs at the nape of his neck start prickling, but he chuckles again, tilting his head slightly]

Eriq... you don't really want me to kiss you, and in about three seconds, I'm going to.

[eighttimeshandy]

Who says I don't? [Man, did those words really come out of his mouth? They're really pushing things this time, but he's too stubborn to admit defeat. Puffing out his chest, he tilts his head a bit, making his lips more accessible] If you truly wish to claim my first kiss so badly, take it, it's yours.

[rule_britannia]

[It almost puts him off. Really, it ought to, and something lodges in his throat, but Eriq's asking for this and he refuses to lose to him again]

And so willingly..? Well, if you're sure..

[There will be every chance for the other boy to pull away, but if he doesn't.. he'll find Arthur's lips gently pressed against his]

[eighttimeshandy]

[It happens in slow motion, in his head. Arthur's lips close in on him, and while he's never been one for swearing, all he can think is "shiiiiiiiit." This wasn't what he wanted, this wasn't what he wanted at all. Arthur was supposed to be put off by his last line]

[But he's too stubborn (and too stupid) to admit defeat, so he let's it happen, slowly pushing back into it as their lips meet.]

[Jesus, he hoped no one was looking]

[rule_britannia]

[Well, that's just it isn't it, and Eriq isn't backing down and neither can he, and that's why he touches one hand to the side of the other boy's face and brushes the pad of his thumb around the shell of his ear while he returns the light pressure and dear lord he never imagined he'd be kissing Eriq Slepner.

To be honest he hopes no one is looking as well... but he likely cares much less than Eriq does]

[eighttimeshandy]

[Oh god, why is this happening, why isn't it stopping, help, he has lost control of his liiiiiiiife.]

[He makes a soft noise as Arthur strokes his face, shifting seats without breaking the kiss so that he's settled on Arthur's lap, hands coming up to lightly cup his jaw]

[rule_britannia]

[It seems Eriq may have picked the wrong battle in this instance.

Arthur has himself well under control at this point, despite copious mental flailing in the back of his mind (especially at that noise god damn Eriq why did you have to make that noise), and when the other moves onto his lap his free hand curls around to the small of his back, and abruptly tugs him closer]

[eighttimeshandy]

[No, he will win this, there is no way he is going to stop after coming this far. In fact, he's oddly proud of the fact that he didn't squeak at all when he was grabbed.]

[Instead, he just makes that little noise again as he leans deeper into the kiss, wrapping an arm around Arthur's shoulders. He even opens his mouth a little bit, tongue flicking quickly over the insides of his lips.]

[rule_britannia]

[It would have been so, so easy at this point to go ahead with this but, in Arthur's mind at least, it's gone far beyond a game. So, when he feels Eriq part his lips like that he twitches away, and presses one fingertip to them instead.

He's not blushing, not even close]

I think.. I'll let you win.

[eighttimeshandy]

[His lips drop into a pout before he can even think about it or stop himself. Okay, so maybe that wasn't his ideal first kiss, but despite the mental flailing, he was sort of starting to kind of maybe get into it. It definitely didn't suck from a purely objective viewpoint. He could really kind of see the appeal!]

[Then he catches himself and clears his throat, brushing a hand through his hair as he shrugs his shoulders and looks away]

Thus I remain undefeated.