Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I knew there was something strange about you when you suddenly waltzed up to me in that bar. How did you find me out, hm? Did you hear rumors? See a wanted poster somewhere? Lucky guess? Or is it because of something else?” The sound of the hammer clicking back. “What were you going to do with that knife?”

Adam goes still, not saying anything, taking in the fact that a gun was pressed to his head. The knife shifts and sings against the counter in the ensuing silence. “...Wanted posters?”

“Hmph. I take it that you don’t know who I am then. Funny. And here I was thinking you were some mercenary looking to turn in my corpse for the bounty.” The gun presses just a touch harder against his skull. “Let go of the knife.”

“Why don’t you put the gun down and we play with the odds?” His hand tightens against the knife. “I’d say you have the better chance at winning.”

“I’m no fool. You may not be a hunter of crime, but that doesn’t change the fact that a knife is in your hand. You intend to kill me. Don’t you? Why would I even bother to take a chance with a man who wants to put a knife in my heart?” Adam can’t see Richard’s face, but he can hear the scowl in his voice.

“Well...” He tilts his head ever so slightly. “I suppose you have a point there. You’re a smart one, aren’t you?” He shifts his head slightly to look over his shoulder.

“A stupid man doesn’t last long in a profession like mine, I’m afraid.” He can just barely see Richard’s face, pulled into a stern, steely scowl, eyes trained on him, glimmering with a cold, methodical rage. His hand was steady on the gun, firm, like he knew precisely how to hold it.

“Whatever profession that is, I’m inclined to agree.” Adam lets go of the knife and slowly, carefully turns around, hands held up to his head. “I’ll admit, I’m a bit impressed. No one’s ever quite caught me before.” He chuckles, grinning widely, teeth and all, shoulders bouncing, and shrugs. “Congratulations are in order.”

“Hmm. Perhaps.” His eyes narrow ever so slightly. “Why do you want to kill me? For a sick perverted thrill? To mutilate my body? Sell my organs so they wind up being dissected in a college classroom?”

“Haha! So original.” He lowers his hands, but keeps them in front of his chest. “I’ll admit I enjoy a good hunt, but if you’re a wanted man, I can only assume that you understand that rush of adrenaline, hm? To call it sick and perverted would be to call yourself that as well. I definitely wouldn’t call it that.” He tilts his head again. “But that isn’t all of it either. Quite the least of it.”

“..Hmm.” His lips seem to scowl at touch harder at the implication, his gaze still kept steady, his other hand clutched around the end of his cane, which was resting on the floor. “Then what’s the rest of it? You kill people for the rush, but what else?”

“Asking a serial killer for a confession? My oh my, what a lucky man.” He shifts forward half a step, tilting at the waist to lean further toward him. “Don’t you know it’s part of the universal code of serial killers to never give away all the answers?”

Richard’s face seems to shift a touch at that, his eyes sharpening, pupils shrinking, though his stance doesn’t change, and Adam can feel the gun’s frame push into his forehead. “I don’t think you have a lot of options right now. Don’t you think a survivor deserves to know what you intended to do with his body?”

“Heheheh.” His grin only widens at the push against his forehead, and he narrows his eyes on him. “Actually, I think you deserve less. Survivor . Hah! How cute.”

“Hmm.” The man is silent for a moment. “Give me a reason, then, why I shouldn’t simply shoot you. I’m sure I’d get quite the bounty for exposing you as a rampant killer. And I’m positive that I’d be able to find something incriminating in this house of yours. I just need to dig around a little first.” He leans in a touch closer at that, eyes narrowed. “And I’m sure I don’t need you alive to do it.”

“Oh, now that is just vile. Rooting around through other people’s intimate things?” He leans back, tutting. “I think if you did that and found all my wonderful little secrets, you’d need to take quite a few minutes to understand what you’re looking at and realize just what I was going to do with you. But you’d never know why. And you want to know why, don’t you?” Adam brings a hand up, slowly, touching his pointer finger to the barrel of the gun but not applying any kind of pressure. His eyes lock with Richards’. “You’re the kind of guy who likes analyzing things. Who likes knowing everything. Possibly even obsesses over it. Not knowing things makes you lose focus. Until something else comes along, of course. But that feeling lasts longer when it’s something more personal, doesn’t it? When it hits closer to home. Reflects something in you which you are only beginning to understand.” He goes quiet for just a moment. “So tell me, Richard. What is it about me that you see in yourself?”

Richard’s face slowly shifts the longer Adam talks, some of the cold, calculating intensity in his eyes draining away, replaced by shock, replaced by the alarm that could only be brought about by words that were so horribly true that they could not be ignored. But after a moment, after a single blink, that shock clears from his gaze, and his brow slowly furrows, and his lips pull up in a scowl, to show off his teeth. “..And why should I tell you anything? You’re the man who tried to bury a knife in my stomach.”

“And you’re the man who hasn’t fired that gun yet.” A layer of harshness comes to Adam’s gaze, but his smile never once flickers. He waits a second for a response - a singular second - before continuing, “You see, my dear, here are a few things I’ve figured out about you already. One: you’re a fugitive, on the run, and have been for quite some time. I know the look and instincts of someone who’s been hounded by the government for potentially years on end. Which begs the question of what exactly your occupation is. I assume you’re wanted either dead or alive, given our earlier conversation. So I imagine you’ve killed people too. And your hand isn’t shaking, so you’re probably used to holding that little toy you’ve got, but there’s no residue or wear on the handle or barrel, which means it’s either new, rarely used, or you really keep up on your polishing.” He tilts his head. “You keep a good face, but I can only really assume you’re either scared of killing people with your own hand, or you’re genuinely interested in what I have to say. And I get the feeling it isn’t the first one.”

There was silence for a moment, a second, Richard’s eyes narrowed, his fingers tightening ever so slightly on the handle of the gun as Adam brings attention to it, his muscles drawn taut, yet not trembling. His eyes danced over Adam’s face, flicking all around, as if trying to puzzle out the mystery behind his smile. Finally, those eyes settle back, locked with Adam’s own gaze, and that scowl of his slowly fades away, replaced with an almost calm expression, still steely, still wary, and cold. “..Smart.” The other hand slowly adjusts it’s grip on his cane. “...And you deduced that simply from looking at me. What else have you seen?”

“Well, to start with, you’re quite a bit more observant than first thought! And you prep for ambush.” He glances at the gun, which had seemingly come from nowhere. “You’re expecting people to attack you, though I doubt that has anything to do with what you’re really doing. Though what are you doing?” He squints at him, shifting to take a step closer. “You’ve killed people, most likely at a distance, but why? Hm.” His eyes peek down at his cane. “Knowing what I know about myself, I’m not even going to try and put a reason to you. I don’t think it’s worth the effort. So the next question is how . How have you been killing people, hm? You’re not going about shooting up saloons or anything. Too noisy. Would have heard about that by now. So something quiet. Something people don’t talk about. Or something where the news travels slowly. Maybe even something where your identity is hidden? Bank robbers usually shout their names to the skies before moving on. Old shoes, too, so I doubt it gives you liquid cash....”

Richard slowly moves one of his feet back as Adam steps forward, but he himself doesn’t move, still staring, still holding that same icy glare within his eyes, his lips turned down in an idle grimace. The gun had now lowered to Adam’s chest, finger still kept firmly on the trigger, and there’s a moment of silence before it is broken. “... The Sunrise Express. The Steel Dragon. The Iron Mountain. Recognize any of those names?”

“A group of trains further out east which have been derailed, destroyed, or otherwise looted.” He counts them on his fingers, one of his brows raising. “Is that what you’re doing? Looting trains. Killing passengers. Mostly metals and mechanic parts, if I recall correctly. Lots of copper, aluminum, nickel....” He squints. “Mechanics. Are you building something?”

His eyes narrow, distrustful, wary, and yet that trigger still hasn’t been pulled. “..Not yet. Merely taking the time to get my footing, so to speak. To hone my craft, before I decide to take the next step. This is merely a hobby to pass the time. A way to make a name for myself before I finally reach my goal.”

“Huh.” Adam takes a moment to look him over again. This was... not what he had anticipated. “Do you work by yourself, or with a team of some sort? I prefer solo work myself.”

“Those people you saw with me back at the bar. They’re my team, my most trusted men, and I’ve made myself their leader. We call ourselves the Noblemen.” The gun slowly lowers a bit more, this time pointed at Adam’s stomach.

“The Noblemen?” He chuckles at that, hands on his hips. “Quite the name for a bunch of thugs. Smart thugs, but thugs all the same.“ He watches the gun sink in his peripheries, watches the caution in the man’s face lessen with every passing second. And just when the gun is about to move out of sight, just when he sees a slight change of emotion in his eyes, Adam darts out a hand for Richard’s wrist and kicks at his cane with one of his feet, his remaining hand darting toward his shoulder.

Alarm quickly flashes through Richard’s face, and within a fraction of a second, the sound of the gun going off fills the air, and he feels the sensation of the bullet whizzing past his ear. The man stumbles, his legs wobbling, one of them already sliding back and starting to go down on a knee, and his hand that still clutches the cane moves to slide his hand downwards, now gripping it by the pole, straining to raise it up over his head, his teeth gritting as he struggles to remain on his feet. The gun goes off again, and Adam feels it skim the cloth on his shoulder. The sound of the window shattering behind them fills the air, and glass pelts his back. “Haha! Is that all you’ve got?” He pushes Pentious’s hand a few inches higher into the air, nails digging into his skin as his other hand makes contact on his shoulder, sliding to his upper arm as he feels him move to raise his arm, and he pushes forward, taking two steps into the center of the room. “Do you remember when I said you’d have a better chance at winning? I’m fairly certain that time has passed, my dear.”

“You-..You-!” Richard’s voice is slightly strained in his throat, hissed through gritted teeth, his legs already starting to wobble, struggling to keep up their strength, their weight, and his arms are practically keeping a death grip on both of his weapons. He thrashes and yanks his left arm in an effort to pull it free, his right wrist twisting harder and harder in an effort to get the gun’s muzzle pointed towards anywhere that might be able to strike flesh. He finally manages to raise his cane high enough to try and bring it down, struggling against Adam’s own strength, trying to swing the end of the cane so that it will bash itself against his skull. The gun goes off again. Bits of plaster rain down from the ceiling.

“ Agh! ” The cane sloppily but forcefully hits the side of his head, not nearly as strong as he’d like thanks to Adam’s lanky arm getting in the way. His monocle falls off his face, swaying below his chest, and he presses forward again, driving Pentious toward the kitchen table they had been sitting at just moments ago and shoving him down on top of it, slamming the hand holding the gun into the wood. He’s still grinning, though something darker is laced in his eyes now. “What? Did you think just because we’re similar that I’d be charmed into letting you go? You may be an interesting case, but I’ll cut you up anyways. Just you wait and see.”

Richard’s face contorts with pain as he feels his spine bend, as he feels his frame suddenly become pinned, his legs left to skid and futilely kick against the floor, the muscles growing more and more weak, more sluggish, by the second. He can barely lift the cane anymore, and even if he could, it barely did a thing. His heart was pounding, his brow was growing slick with sweat, and he could feel the creeping, burning numbness starting to fill his legs. He was running out of time. He was pinned and he was running out of time. 

His eyes squeeze shut, just so he doesn’t have to stare into those eyes, those eyes that wanted to kill him, make him bleed, make him suffer. He had to think. He had to get this right. His hand finally lets go of the cane, moving to grip the man’s neck in a last, desperate attempt to keep him at bay, to keep him distracted from reaching for a blade. “W-Wait! Wait! What do you really want? The-The killing! The murder! You said before that you do it to get a rush, right? You do it because you like how it feels! But that means...” He winces as he feels the hand pinning his wrist tighten. “T-That means you don’t find satisfaction in anything else! You can’t find it in other things! So you turn to murder as a hobby to keep yourself occupied!”

“And it’s quite the fun hobby, if I say so myself.” His voice comes out slightly strained from the grip on his throat, but he laughs anyways, shifting his hand further up toward the gun and slamming his hand down against the table again. “And I was just finding it a little boring before you came along! But like I said before: that’s not the only reason I do this. Sure, I get bored by everything else, but who doesn’t?”

Richard can’t help but tremble from the pain that flares against his hand, still clutching onto the gun, still not letting go of it, his grip growing tighter the more Adam began to try and force it out of his fingers. It was his only lifeline, his only chance, and if he let go of that, he knew he was done. He finally forces his eyes back open to meet Adam’s again, to stare into that murderous gaze and confront it, all the while he felt the edge of the table slowly digging itself more and more into his spine. “But what happens after I’m gone?! When I’m dead and cold and nothing more than another bloody trophy to add to your collection of victims that no one will ever see? What then?”

“Then I’ll find someone else, my dear. I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve killed. Nobodies, shop workers, dock workers, veterans, tailors - and now another murderer.” He lets go of his shoulder, giggling, that grin spreading across his face and showing off every single pearly white tooth he had to offer, eyes glimmering with mad intent. His hand comes up to cup his cheek and he leans in, knowingly pressing his throat into his hand. “You know, I absolutely love seeing my victims struggle. The fear, the anger, the denial. The begging. But that only makes them more tense in the end. That’s why cattle raised on farms taste so much better than industrial sized operations. When they’re free ranged, they’re much more tender .”

Richard feels his pulse flutter at the feeling of that hand on his cheek, his eyes wide as he sees that gaze of bloodshed and madness and sheer sadistic satisfaction slowly draw closer to his own, that smile almost seeming to gleam in the darkness of the room. He can’t help but stare into that smile, that petrifying grin that almost seemed like a perfect copy of his own, stitched onto another face, and he feels something in the very back of his mind shudder. He lets his hand slowly loosen over his throat, ever so slightly, heart pounding as his breathing slowly gets under control,  and he stares right into those glimmering, cunning eyes that so eagerly wanted to snuff out his very soul, not blinking so much as once. “..But what...But what about when the day comes that even that becomes boring? The fear. The begging, the anger, the denial, everything you’ve said. You’re just repeating the same thing over and over. You’re in a loop. A cycle. It’s going to get stale. It’s going to lose its luster. You already said that it was starting to get dull, until I showed up. What if..What if you don’t need to kill me? What if you just need to....to do something different ?”

“Ohoho, look at that. You’re already asking me to spare you? And to turn over a new leaf?” Adam chuckles darkly, bringing both his hands to the gun in Pentious’ grasp and working his fingers free. “Please. Things get boring in the killing industry because there are lulls. You stick around a place and your choices start to thin, so you have to move from place to place. Some places are better than others, more variety, more challenges. I could stay in this city and merely move a few blocks every year or so and stay satisfied. What difference do I need?”

Richard can’t help but grit his teeth when he feels that gun finally be ripped away from his hand, when he feels his only line of defense suddenly fall away, and he can’t help the tremble that comes to his limbs, even as his heart pounds and his mind starts to grow frantic. A bit of a stutter comes to his lips, to his words, and he feels his now free hand curl into a fist. “N-No, no, that’s not what I’m saying! I’m not saying you need to repent or give up your killing sprees or anything! That’s not what I’m trying to say. I-I’m trying to tell you that-that I can help you! Help you get out of the cycle that you’re falling into, the rut, the constant running from state to state, all of it. The difference you need is the one I can give you! Just listen to me !”

Adam pauses for just a moment, one glorious moment, as the gun makes it into his hand, and he takes that moment to sneer at the man below him. “You want to help me? What a ridiculous notion, that I need help.” He tosses the gun aside, blindly, not caring where it lands, and pulls Richard up by the hair, dragging him back toward that counter with the knife waiting for him so prettily.

Richard feels his teeth grit at the pain that spreads over his scalp, feels the sudden momentum of his own scrambling limbs as he feels himself being yanked off of the table, practically collapsing against the floor, only suspended by the weight of his own hair, and he doesn’t even need to see the knife to know that it was what the man was reaching for. He realizes that both of his hands are free, and he doesn’t think twice; he grips onto Adam’s closest leg, and yanks , just as he hears the sensation of the knife scraping against the counter as it’s picked up. He hears a sharp yelp, a crack and when his eyes finally land on Adam’s sprawled shape, he sees that a cut has opened up on his forehead from where it slammed against the edge of the counter. His heart is pumping, his teeth are gritted, and within an instant, he’s on top of him, both hands pinning his wrists to the ground, straddling his chest, glaring down at him as his flesh burns and bubbles with frustration, with rage. 

“You complete and utter idiot! You imbecile ! Do you have any idea what I’m trying to offer? What I’m trying to give you?! What skills I possess?!” He pauses as Adam’s knife raises up just a touch, and he slams it back down again, lowering his face so their gazes meet. “I have the power to build machines that can topple entire trains with a single blow! I killed 30 people with little more than a bomb no bigger than your hand ! Do you think you can get anywhere by cutting up people like some backwater butcher? Do you think you’ll ever manage to find true satisfaction just on your own? I could give you the chance to slaughter thousands with nothing to stop you! I could offer you the whole damn world on a silver platter! I swear to you, I swear to you now, that if you kill me, you will regret it, till the day you die .”

Adam's eyes are wide, partly still processing the fact that he was on the floor down, with his dinner sitting on top of him. That wasn't how this was supposed to go. He struggles to raise his arms, but it's difficult with the majority of Pentious's weight holding them down. His eyes narrow at the insults, at the boasts, and he lets out a bark of a laugh. "A backwater butcher? Is that what you take me for? At least you're somewhat closer on the guess." He jerks his shoulders up, trying to buck him off his chest. "If you haven't guessed it by now, I'll spell it out for you: I'm a cannibal. "

Richard can’t help but scowl even as the man struggles, even as he tries to squirm his way free, and he only moves to pin him down even further, his wrists slamming into the floor, eyes narrowing, feeling his nails biting into his gloves, into Adam’s skin. “I already knew the moment you started comparing me to a god damn cow, you idiot. And while I’m at it, let me spell something out for you too.” He uses the momentum of Adam’s last little wriggle to lift him up off the ground ever so slightly only to slam his head down on the floor, just enough to deter him from moving again. He leans down again to stare him right in the face, growling lowly. “ I don’t care.”

" Ghh- " His teeth clench together, the slam making his head swim as the pounding in his forehead double. His eyes squeeze shut as the pain filters through him, deep breaths whistling through his nose. He feels breath on his face and peeks an eye open, letting it widen in shock as he hears those last three words. He doesn't... care? What? Why? How? His breathing levels out as he narrows his eyes on him. "...What do you mean?"

The anger, the rage still boils and bubbles away in Richard’s gaze, his face now flushed red with exertion, with adrenaline, his black, almost perfect hair half spilled over his face, casting his expression in shadow. Somehow, in the light of the moon shining out of the window, the darkness building up under those eyes of his suddenly seem much more pronounced. Burning anger that seemed like an inferno, trapped within cold, shining silver irises that glinted like the way the light dances along a knife. His voice is slightly softer when he speaks, low and controlled, hands still clutched tight over Adam’s wrists. “..I don’t care that you eat people. I don’t care that you make it a hobby, or a passion, or whatever you choose to call it. I’ll still offer you whatever you could want. I’ll still offer you the whole damn state to do as you please. Burn Chicago to ashes, routinely pick people out of the population to slaughter and turn into food at your leisure, or simply turn the entire city itself into your own personal hunting ground. I don’t care that you murder. I don’t care that you eat who you kill. All I care about is that you consider my words. That you realize what I can give you.”

Adam blinks, taken aback by the admission, and his eyes clearly show that. There was shock, confusion, disbelief. He shifts under him, something in one of his pockets digging into his back somehow, and he huffs. "And what about after I consider your words? Don't try and tell me you aren't going to kill me if I don't say what you want me to say."

His eyes narrow ever so slightly, those metallic eyes that glimmered and shone in the moonlight, and he sees his lip curl into a soft scowl. “Don’t be foolish. I’m not one to kill all because of what someone wishes to do for a hobby. The only reason I’m even holding you like this is because you haven’t been listening to me. That, and everyone saw us leave that bar together. If either of us go missing, then people will eventually put two and two together. I don’t want an even bigger bounty on my head, especially not one that shows off my face and name. So, no. I won’t kill you.”

"There are ways of pinning it on someone else, or making it look like an accident." He narrows his eyes in return. "I've already hit my head a few times. Bring me out to one of the parks and crack my head on a rock. Or toss me out at the lake. Gangs do that plenty of times, and I'm a crime reporter. Obvious."

“No.” He scowls a bit harder, and his hands tighten over his wrists. “I’m not going to do that. Not when I know that I can give you something better than this .” He doesn’t move his hands, but it’s clear he referring to the small murder cabin they’re currently inside. “I’ve been in your place. Everything is boring, monotonous, a rut and cycle that slowly saps the life out of your own body and you just can’t bear to deal with it and leaves you bleeding, hopeless, defenseless, weak .” His voice dips even lower, a bitter growl of hatred. “It builds and builds, gnawing and clawing and screaming for more, until it’s finally eaten away at everything you have and all you can do is tear it out of your empty chest and rip it to pieces.”  

Adam shifts again, clenching his fists as he talks and keeping his face carefully frozen with those narrowed eyes and forced smile.  He doesn't say anything for a long moment, and then, "Whatever piece you're talking about tearing apart, I've long since abandoned. Don't act like we're the same when we're not. I've been killing since I was seventeen. I hung my father in a tree after tearing his ribs from his body. Don't try calling me weak for having schedules and routines."

“I shot a man who thought of me as his best friend in the head, point blank, with my own gun.” An icy anger builds up in his gaze once more, and their heads grow a touch closer. “I’m not calling you weak , I’m trying to tell you that I can help you. I don’t care who you want to slaughter and eat, why you eat, or anything. All I care about is that we both live through this night, you hear me?” He slowly pulls his head back just a touch. “I’m not letting go. I can hold on for the rest of the night. They’ll come looking for me when the sun comes up and I’m not at the inn. They’ll ask around. They’ll find me. Find us both. What will you do then?” There was a slight pause, and he lets out a sigh. “..I want us both to live. Not just because I value my own life, but because I’ve never met a killer before. Someone who’s so willing to take lives with their own bare hands and have the type of pride to be able to smile about it. I’ve only seen it once, and it’s always when I looked in the mirror. Nowhere else. I don’t want to ruin it and never find it again.”

Adam starts to respond after the comment about killing someone who trusted him (who hasn't done that, or wanted to, honestly?) but he stops himself as Pentious continues. His brows furrow and a sour look crosses his face as he mentions his little posse. He presses his lips together, then reactively widens his smile as Richard points it out, and he looks off to the side at the final comments. "So that’s what you saw in me that kept you from pulling the trigger." 

“...Yes.” He sighs, softly, though his grip doesn’t lessen once. “I know what my goal is, in life. My goal is to make the world burn and to topple the whole of society and reduce it to ashes. I carry pride in this goal. I treasure for the day that it comes, and by God, I will not let myself be killed before that day arrives.” There was another slight pause. “And I’m hoping that you’ll at least be able to see it. Share in the delight I’ll feel when I’m watching all of London be reduced to a burning wasteland.”

He narrows his eyes at a particular word and looks back to him. "At least? What are you talking about?"

That gets him to blink a touch, and he stares for a moment. “I merely meant that I hope you’ll be around to witness the destruction I can bring to the world when it comes. After all, even when I let you go, should you choose to not accept, I can’t guarantee that you’ll still be alive when my day finally comes. There are many things that can and will kill you, with the lives we’ve both decided to choose. All I’m saying is that you don’t need to worry about being killed by me .”

"...And 'choose not to accept' what, exactly?" He shifts again, his joints uncomfortable with how he's pressed against the ground.

“My offer. My offer to join my crew. To join in the robberies, the train heists, all the way up to when I unleash my plans to destroy the whole of the current society forever.” He keeps his grip firm but loosens it ever so slightly. “I can’t offer all the things I said I could give you yet , but belonging to a crew of robbers and murderers certainly can’t hurt, right?”

His expression gets more and more confused as he talks, the concept seeming entirely foreign to him, until it seems to finally break something in his mind and his eyes widen in shock. "Are you... recruiting me?  To be a part of your gang of misfits?" His brows tighten again. "Wouldn't the others be worried about a cannibal in their midst? It's not particularly appreciated in common culture, hence the whole...." He tries to roll one of his hands. "Lonewolf deal I have going on."

“Heh.” A slight smirk finally lifts up Richard’s lips, and a soft glimmer fills those eyes of his. “As long as you don’t keep it a secret and you keep the cannibalism to victims of train wrecks, it won’t be that much of an issue. Of course, you’ll probably have to do it out of sight, just to make sure no one gets squeamish, but other than that...”

"Hmm." He shifts, seemingly for a different reason than comfort. "I haven't worked with people in years... I may be a bit... rusty. Even with communication. Well, honest communication."

“Rusty how?” He raises a brow slightly, and he slowly moves a hand, the one not keeping the knife hand pinned, slowly downwards, freeing up his wrist a touch. “If you feel as if there could be..problems, you could always talk to me and work things out that way. Great minds and whatnot.”

“Hmm.” He narrows his eyes for a moment, softly, though there’s no anger or malice behind them, looking pensive. “..Doesn’t mean you can’t relearn the steps to communication. And even if your emotions don’t work, that doesn’t mean they haven’t always not worked.” He tilts his head. “Doesn’t it seem better than just...being alone? With no one?”

"I've never been a fan of crowds." He tries to shrug, though he isn't sure how well it comes across. "Unless I'm in the spotlight, I suppose. Not particularly conducive for the criminal life. Jealousy is quite the poison."

“I suppose. Though...What exactly are you jealous of? Or, rather, what would you be jealous of?”

"Oh, no!" He laughs at that and the grin on his face grows in brightness. "I mean that others get jealous of me. I don't blame them. I'm excellent at almost everything I do."

Surprise briefly flickers through Richard’s face, but a grin soon takes it’s place, and he lets himself chuckle. “Oh, oh no, I assure you, there won’t be many of my gang that would want to shove you out of the spotlight. Especially not if it’s one that involves how well someone can properly flambé some poor man’s spleen.”

“I never have tried flambeing.....” He raises a brow, eyes flicking back and forth as if he were doing calculations in his head. “I should pack all my good cooking gear, and alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.”

Richard stares at him for a moment, stares down at the man with the grinning face, his face illuminated by moonlight, his eyes showing hesitance, uncertainty, and no longer displaying the wicked aggression and burning delight that he saw within his own gaze. He slowly loosens his grip just a bit more, softly. “...Does that mean you’ll accept?”

"Um." He blinks. "It means.... I'll think about it. I think." He stares up at him, then pouts somewhat. "I guess that means no dinner for me either way."

He glances at the knife, still clutched in his hand. He adjusts his grip on his wrists, ever so slightly. “Hmm...I’d be more inclined to let you go and let you get something to eat if you let go of the knife.”

"I need something to kill someone with." He raises a brow, smirking. "Still afraid I'll try killing you again? How cute."

“I’m a cautious man when it comes to threats against my life, as I’m sure you’ve guessed. Considering what I have planned, I don’t take them lightly.” He narrows his eyes a touch despite the smirk, and even then, his own lips start to twitch upwards in a bit of a grin. “I’d be impressed if you manage to find suitable prey at this time of night, however.”

"You and me both. Hence my comment on not having dinner." He stretches his arms a bit, his knees drawing up behind Richard. "I don't do things sloppy, even if it means I have to wait."

“Hmm..” There was a long, long pause, and Richard’s eyes narrow again, staring down at his face, looking over it for any signs of deceit, of bloodlust, of ensuing plans to plunge that knife against his skin and spill his blood onto the floor. He felt the muscles of his arms starting to burn from trying to hold this strained position, and after a long moment of silence, only broken by the sounds of the crickets chirping outside from the midnight air, he slowly loosens his grip on Adam’s empty hand, his fingers uncurling from his wrist and pulling away.

He hums, flexing his newly freed hand, and watches Pentious. The man could try to take his knife if he wanted to. Or grab something from one of the drawers. Or be tricking him into joining only to hand him over for bounty. He isn't sure if he's wanted yet, but who knows. "Tell me more about your little gang."

Richard stares for a moment, their eyes still locked together, and Adam sees no kind of deceit in his gaze. Just the gleam of those pupils, dilated from adrenaline, slowly shrinking back down, his face still red and flushed, his grip on his remaining hand idly starting to loosen, just a touch. “..They were a group of laid off factory workers, fired and dumped on the streets, all because they either fought too hard to have their rights within the factory changed, or because they were deemed as useless trash. They turned to crime not soon after, to unionize, and it wasn’t long before they happened to stumble upon me. At that point...” A smirk grows on his face ever so slightly, satisfied, smug, proud . “I had already began to craft and plan for my eventual goal. Had already begun to hone my talent towards weaponry. They held me hostage in my own home, and after that, I managed to compel them to let me into the group, with the offer that I could give them the most powerful weapons in all of London. And, not to sound too smug, but I like to think I delivered on that promise.”

"Oh really?" He raises a brow. "You mentioned taking out thirty people in one go. Noisy, but effective, I imagine. How gorey did it get? Were there any screams?"

“Oh, there were plenty of them. I could hear it all, even from a distance. The screams of the people shouting for help from the police, the crowds scrambling and rushing to douse out the flames. The eventual crash from the building toppling over like a stack of cards and the screams that caused erupting through the streets.” He chuckles a touch. “People practically thought that Armageddon had finally come. It took at least three days for all of the bodies to be dug out of the rubble, and when there weren’t bodies, there was nothing but bone .”

"Well, well, well. You must have made quite the device to pull that off." His grin widens, pleased by what he hears. "And what about the murders you're more closely involved in? The ones you see up close?"

“Heheh. Sometimes the folk we take for ransom during our little heists have seen too much. Sometimes they become too much of a waste on our resources to keep alive. Other times it’s when we just don’t feel like actually handing them over in the end.” His eyes narrow, and he lowers his face, just a touch, smirking, teeth starting to grow visible. “It’s usually me that does the honor of shooting them. Not nearly as bloody as your little knife practices, I’m sure, but definitely effective enough in making victims fear for their lives, wouldn’t you agree? Death is still death, all the same.” He chuckles a touch, recognizing a bit of the humor in how just precious minutes ago he was fending for his own life. “But of course, my methods of guns aren’t exactly the most simple.” His eyes narrow, almost in a challenging manner. “I have bullets that set people ablaze. That can dissolve their flesh into a puddle. I might even have a few more designs planned in the future.”

"Oh, how interesting." He smirks right back. "I'll admit that I prefer working with knives and similar objects, but I've used a gun or two in my life. Setting people on fire...." He chuckles at the thought, the image of some poor soul dancing about trying to douse themselves. "They say that's one of the most painful ways to die. Tell me, were you going to do that with me?"

“Set you on fire? Oh, no no, if that gun were filled with those types of bullets, this house would already be set ablaze considering one of them hit the ceiling. No, when we go into public, I only use regular bullets in my handgun. A lot less flashy, true, but much less conspicuous. Wouldn’t do to walk around with flesh-melting bullets when you’re trying to be little more than a poor crippled man, right?”

"Haha! Of course." He chuckles a little more at the thought, then a bit more at another thought he doesn't verbalize, and relaxes his still pinned hand, letting go of the knife. "You're quite the interesting case, I will say. Incredibly smart."

“I take that as quite the compliment. Consider me flattered .” His eyes glance toward the knife, and after a moment, he moves to slowly loosen his grip on Adam’s remaining hand. There was a slight pause, before he finally moves to let go of Adam entirely, moving to slide off of him, his legs splayed against the ground, trembling, and he lets out a heavy sigh, eyes closing as the ebbing pulse of adrenaline began to fade from his body.

Adam takes the moment to sit up, wincing as the ache comes back to his head and his vision goes blurry for half a minute. "Ugh. I hope this isn't the beginnings of a concussion." He pats his chest after a moment and resets his monocle on his eye. "You're pretty strong, you know, but Sir Isaac Newton has you beat."

“I’d apologize, but you were trying to kill me a couple moments ago.” He cracks open an eye to glance him over, though he does grimace a touch at the line of crusted, gritty blood that was caking the left side of his forehead.

Adam chuckles at that. "Of course. No hard feelings! Merely pointing things out. Hahh..." He holds his head for a moment, then pulls himself upright by the counter, wincing. "We should probably patch ourselves up, don't you think?"

“Yes, probably.” He too, tries to brace himself against the counter, grunting as he tries to pull himself upwards, but his legs tremble and wobble precariously, burning, growing more numb by the second, and he momentarily sags back against the ground. “Mmh...I hope you aren’t planning on walking me anywhere else because I think my legs are almost spent...Can you pass me my cane?”

“Of course.” He walks across the room and carefully kneels down to pick up his cane, walking back to him and holding it out. “I may need some help gauging the cut on my forehead, if you wouldn’t mind lending a hand.”

Richard quietly takes his cane, pressing it against the ground, bracing himself on it’s end, one hand clutching it tight, the other clutching the edge of the counter. After a low, strained grunt that slithers out through the man’s gritted teeth, he slowly pulls his legs up underneath him, and pushes himself up to a standing position, back slightly hunched, breathing a bit heavier. “Of..Of course. Do you mind if we sit down for that though?”

“I’d much prefer it, in all honesty.” He grins widely. “Do you want any help? I imagine I did quite a number on you earlier. Apologies.”

“Ah, I’m fine. All I need is maybe some ice for my wrist. There may also be a slight bruise on my back, but it should be fine.” His eyes flick to him. “I’m more worried about that cut. Didn’t quite mean to make you slam your head into the counter.”

Adam chuckles at that, moving to a small ice box. “Well, you know what they say: the taller they are, the harder they fall.” He rifles through the contents, glass bottles clinking. “I don’t think I’m seeing ice, but I’ve got vodka.” He pulls out a small bottle only the size of his hand. “You can hold the bottle for something cold.”

“Heh.” A slight chuckle leaves Richard’s lips, and he smirks at that, softly, amusement glimmering in his eyes. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to get me drunk .” He chuckles again, then glances toward the living room. “Where should we sit? Here or on the couch?”

Adam smirks at the comment, walking over. "The table here would be better. You'll want water and rags to clear the blood, and whiskey to clean...." He looks off for a moment as he hands over the bottle of vodka, then nods. "That's in the bathroom. I'll be right back.”

“Of course.” He moves to take the vodka, at first using his less injured hand, before moving towards the table, sighing softly as he sits down in a chair. He passes the cold bottle to his more injured hand, wincing slightly as the chill of the bottle meets the hot throbbing of his hand. It was probably little more than a light sprain, nothing entirely worth too much fuss, but it still hurt a bit. He watches as Adam moves around a corner, dipping out of sight, and it’s only when he does so that Richard lets his own hand move to his cheek, feeling his cheeks grow just a touch more warm, amidst the idle feeling of his heart pounding fiercely in his chest. He could still feel the sensation of that hand on his cheek. It had felt very warm. Almost tender.

There's a sound of rustling and running water, and then more footsteps as Adam returns with a silver bowl filled halfway with water and a pristine white towel laid half in the water and half over the edge. Another towel hangs on his other arm, his hand holding a medium sized bottle of golden whiskey. "Have you ever done this before?"

Richard picks up his head at that, watching him for a moment, before nodding. “Yes, I’ve had to help stitch up some of my crew back when they got a few scraps or cuts. The girls taught me a few things in case I ever got separated from them during a heist or if we ever need to run from the law and I get injured.”

"That's good. I ran out of thread the other day, but hopefully it's not that bad." He carefully sets the items he had brought in front of Richard. "I can pull some from one of my old jackets if it comes to it."

“I don’t think it will need stitches, but it will probably leave a scar. I hope you’re fond of those, because I don’t think it will be the type to simply fade away.” He gestures to the chair next to him, turning his own chair to face him. “Sit, please.”

"Yes, doctor." He snickers a little at the formality and takes a seat. "Scarring doesn't faze me, though I've never gotten one on my face before."

“Count yourself lucky it’s not a massive scar. I’ve seen plenty of criminals out here who at least have one scar on their cheek, or their chin. Sometimes even on their eyes. Those are the worst ones, because usually the eye is dead and it’s gone all foggy.” He moves to take the towel that was dipped in water, carefully wringing it out so it’s dripping wet, his other hand moving toward Adam’s forehead, only for it to pause. “..May I? Touch you, I mean.”

He blinks, barely registering that he had shifted away at the movement, but nods and shifts back to him with a small chuckle. "You may. And yes, I know quite a bit about those gentlemen. I've met and known quite a few in the last few years, since the war, you see. Shrapnel is one hell of a thing."

“Oh, it certainly is.” A bit of a smirk lifts his lips at that last sentence, and he can’t help but chuckle, even as he lets his hand drift onto Adam’s forehead, using a thumb to push his bangs out of the way to expose the crusted, bloodied wound. He gingerly moves to scrub at the skin with the towel, seeking to wipe away the dirt and grime from the dried blood, trying to be as gentle as possible. “I’ve seen man being reduced to bloody pieces from shrapnel alone. Of course, the chunks of metal that flew through the air were much bigger and more deadly, considering they were the pieces of the train’s hull.” He chuckles a touch harder. “Those that don’t get immediately eviscerated are either reduced to wet smears of viscera from being tossed away by the blasts or are left shaking and bleeding from all the metal that went into their skin. It’s like their flesh went and turned into damn pin cushions.”

Adam's brows raise, momentarily messing with Pentious' work before he belated makes the decision to only raise one brow. He doesn't wince with all the rubbing so close to the wound though. "That does sound rather delightful. I'd like to see something like that for myself, I think. Heheh. Do you with we could have someone alive going through that? Walking about with all these bits and pieces sticking out of them?"

“Are you asking me if I think there’s someone out there who survived that or are you asking me if we can hold a hostage and shove him full of bits of metal to see if he’ll die?” He flashes a smirk at him at that, eyes narrowing just a touch before he moves to dunk the towel into the water yet again. “I don’t mind either way, of course. It’s good to experiment to see how much trauma can be delivered to the body before it gives out. Gives me plenty of ideas for new weapons and new methods.”

“Oh, either one, dear, but I could tell you all about the capacity of the human body.” He closes his one eye as water starts trickling down his face irritatingly slow. His grin widens to show off his teeth again. “Sometimes I find someone between mealtimes just to see how long they’ll last under certain pressures. Blood loss usually wins out before most everything else, so if you really want to experiment, you’ll have to stay away from arteries and organ damage.”

“Interesting.” He chuckles a touch at that, smirking even wider now, moving the towel back to his forehead to start scrubbing again at the caking blood, careful to not irritate the skin surrounding the wound. “Makes me think of bullets that could leech poison into the flesh. Slowly fill the body with toxins that slowly kill them overtime. Makes them sick, feverish, possibly even paralyzes them so even if they manage to run, they can’t actually get away.” A sadistic glimmer seems to fill those eyes of his at that, satisfied and eager all at once, as if congratulating himself for his own genius but at the same time relishing in the idea of actually bringing such a horrid weapon to life.

“I can certainly bring you candidates for trials, if you so wish.” Adam takes in his expression, the sadism and pride put into the statement. The man really did enjoy his kills, even if they weren’t necessarily by his own hand. “It really is fascinating to find someone with similar hobbies and talents, I will say.”

Richard’s eyes meet his own at that, before they flick away as he finally pulls away the wet towel for good, placing it down against the table before picking up the fresh towel as well as the bottle of whiskey, taking a moment to uncork it before placing the towel against the lid, slowly flipping the bottle over to let the whiskey soak into the towel’s fabric. “I can say the same about you. Sure, my crew surely loves to benefit off of my weapons and the cash and the fancy privileges it can offer them, but they never really want to discuss them. They never think to ask the fascinating questions. They always ask things like “How long does it take to make you those bullets? How much gunpowder do those explosives need? What angle should we try to shoot the train at?” He sighs and shakes his head, flipping the bottle back over, deeming the cloth sufficiently soaked. “It’s honestly a bit boring .” Their eyes meet again, and his smirk turns into a gentle, almost fond grin. “But you...You know exactly how I feel. To kill people with these weapons. To cause their end. To set their bodies ablaze with fire or to spill their blood across the dirt. You understand. You get it.”

Adam chuckles, tilting his head gently and letting his eyelids lower. “To do something for the satisfaction of it and not have anyone else relate is certainly an annoying spot to be in, isn’t it? You want to revel in the destruction even after it’s all happened and done and over with. You need someone to talk to about it, so you can let it all out. Isn’t that right?” He brings a hand up under Penitous’ chin, merely putting a finger against his skin there as another chuckle plays through his lips.

Richard’s eyes widen at the feeling of that finger resting against his skin, at the soft, almost tender look that was filling Adam’s eyes, so different from that wicked gleam that he had seen when he was pinning him to the table but at the same time so very similar. It was enough to make his blood shiver within his veins, and he couldn’t help but feel his cheeks beginning to flush, to grow warm, the longer he was staring into those soft, warm eyes. After a moment, the shock of it wears off, and though his cheeks still flush, a grin moves to overtake his face once more, chuckling softly. “..Yes, it certainly is. I have no shame in admitting such a thing. I’ve never met anyone else that knows what it feels like. But it seems I’ve finally found someone, haven’t I?” He lets the whiskey-soaked towel press to Adam’s forehead, gently pressing over the wound.

Adam winces from the sting of alcohol on his wound, but lets out a small chuckle as if to cover the pain. “That you have indeed.” The pain mellows as he becomes used to it and he watches Richard’s expression remain softly flushed. Such a silly man. But absolutely right in all the wrong ways. He gently pushes Pentious’ hand away from his forehead and pulls his jaw closer, pressing their lips together without a second thought.

Richard’s breath almost seems to catch in his throat the moment he registers the feeling of Adam’s lips pressed against his own, warm and soft, the feeling of his fingers curled around his jaw, cupped so tenderly but at the same time so firmly . It was enough to send a rush of heat down his spine, a prickling sensation of desire that leaves his blood shuddering in his veins. He forgets about the wet cloth in his hand, forgets the idle throbbing in his wrist, and he slowly brings his hands up to rest against Adam’s shoulders, his eyes flickering shut, merely taking the time to savor the feeling of the kiss. Adam leans further in, moving his hand up to his cheek, his other hand moving into his hair. Pulls back half an inch for another breath and dives right back in, inching closer to the edge of his seat. Richard feels the hand sliding through his hair, feels the other slowly slide up to cup his cheek, and he feels his spine shudder, feels his pulse flutter even harder than it did before, and when their lips slowly pull away, his eyes open just enough to meet Adam’s own, and for a split moment, they simply stare. Then, as if that paralysis was suddenly broken, the kiss slams back together, harder, firmer than before, and Richard can’t help but let himself shudder at the feeling, his arms moving to Adam’s sides to wrap around his back, drawing him even closer. “Mmmph~..”

He feels his seat start to slide out from under him and he quickly moves his hands, one to the back of Richard's chair and the other to the table beside them. The kiss breaks as he stumbles, chair clattering to the floor, him now standing but bent at the waist in a futile effort to stay lip locked. He pants at the kiss and sudden surge of adrenaline, nose now pressed to his temple. "Mm. I don't know if I can blame that on brain damage."

Richard’s eyes snap open at the sound of the chair clattering, at the feeling of the kiss breaking and of those hands pulling away, and he can’t help but flush even harder, desire and embarrassment causing his cheeks to burn like hot coals. He clears his throat a touch, leaning back in his seat to glance at Adam’s face, his hands not moving from his back. “..A-Apologies. I...That was not intended.”

"Hm?" He shifts a little to better look at him, but he keeps his one hand on the back of his seat and doesn't move too far away, still bent to be on eye level with him. "What do you mean?" He smirks. "Pulling me out of my seat? Or that little noise you just made?"

Those words only cause a prickle of heat to wash down his spine, and he feels his ears start to burn, his heart practically fluttering in his chest as he feels his blood start to grow hot. “...I..I might just have to say both, if honesty is a factor.” His eyes flick down to his lips, then back up to his eyes, and his hands slowly clench into fists against Adam’s back.

Adam slides his hand away from the table and to the other side of the chair, taking a step forward and carefully sitting in his lap. He brings his lips closer. "Is this alright?"

Richard feels his entire frame tremble with desire, unmistakable in it’s intent, and he can’t help but shudder, their lips practically inches apart now, those eyes staring into his with a sharpened gaze that almost made it feel as if he was being pinned down all over again. He feels his heart flutter, feels his mind grow frantic with want, and he nods softly. “M..More than alright.”

"Good." His hands move back to his face and hair again, caressing and tangling as he presses their lips together again, shivering at the feeling and pulling him closer, hand tightening in his hair on sheer impulse.

“Mm~!” He feels the hand curling into a fist within his hair, feels the sensation of their lips crashing together again, deeper, harder than before, and he can’t help but let himself groan into the feeling, his hand clenching down on the fabric of Adam’s undershirt as he presses back into the kiss, tilts his head to offer a better angle, one hand already moving upwards to also caress and stroke through his hair, the other starting to stroke up and down the length of his spine.

Adam hums, their lips making a wet smack as he shifts ever so slightly, and he shudders as a hand slips into his hair, another moving over his back. He shivers at the unusual (for him) touches, and sharply breathes out through his nose. "Mmph~"

Richard shudders at the sound, at the feeling of that hum vibrating through his lips, and he can’t help but press the kiss even deeper, slowly, carefully opening his lips up to let his tongue slide over Adam’s bottom lip, before retracting it, not wanting to go too far. He pulls his hands away from Adam’s back and hair for only a moment so that he may peel off his gloves, letting them fall carelessly to the floor before his left hand moves to bury itself in Adam’s hair once more, the other moving to stroke over his back yet again. “Mm...”

" Mmph~! " Adam shudders fully at the feeling of Richard's tongue on his lip, the feeling incredibly foreign but pleasant at the same time. When he feels skin contact in his hair, his hands clench, tightening on his hair and jaw, and he lets himself pant for a moment before diving back in and slipping his own tongue out from behind his lips.

The kiss pulls apart briefly, only briefly, and Richard’s eyes open just enough to catch a single glimpse of Adam’s own before their lips lock together once more, and when he feels the sensation of a tongue sliding over his lips, he can’t help but let his own tongue slide out to meet it. His spine can’t help but stiffen, can’t help but arch into the feeling of their tongues sliding together, of that hand clenching down against his hair, and the hand on his back drifts down to rest on Adam’s thigh. “Mmmph~..”

Richard slowly squeezes his hand down on Adam’s thigh, trying to keep things slow, trying to keep his movements careful, not wanting to overstep any boundaries, even as their tongues continue to slide, softly swirling together, his spine tingling with pleasure, his skin feeling as if it was growing hotter with each passing second. It wasn’t long before he slowly pulls away from the kiss, retracting his tongue, pulling away his enough so that he could properly speak, lips still inches away, his eyes opening as he takes a deep breath, shuddering from the rush of lust and adrenaline that was making his mind slightly fuzzy, and he clears his throat a touch. “..Do...Do you want to stop? I..I’m only asking because I don’t want to make you feel as if you need to keep going..”

Adam pants as Richard pulls back, the hand curling around his thigh sending sparks through him. "Mm, you're... quite the chivalrous one, aren't you?" He nuzzles his forehead, closing his eyes for a moment. "I never do anything because I need to, Sir Pentious. I do them because I want to." He peeks an eye open. "And I just so happen to have a rather comfortable bed in the other room."

Pentious can’t help but feel his breath catch in his throat at the offer, at the implications, and he can’t help but feel his entire face start to flush, lust making his blood run hot in his veins. He lets his hands move to wrap around his shoulders, a smirk starting to grow over his face, narrowing his eyes, as if it were a challenge. “Heheh..As if I could say no to something like that.”

Adam chuckles and gives him a short kiss. "It probably says something that I just want to pick you up and take you off, doesn't it?" He kisses him again, humming gently into the touch.

Pentious shivers slightly at the kiss, at Adam’s hushed words, and he lets the kiss continue for a few moments, feeling it grow just the slightest bit deeper before he pulls away, chuckling softly, despite how close their lips are. “I definitely say it does. How far is the bedroom?”

"Oh, it's out the door over there, further down the hall." He nods over in the direction. "Maybe.... Twenty, thirty feet?"

“Something tells me we’d wind up on the floor instead.” He flashes a bigger smirk at that, chuckling, but moves to grab his cane in a hand anyway. “Perhaps if you help me walk, we’ll get there faster.” He glances down at how Adam is practically in his lap. “Or, you could always try picking me up and carrying me to save the hassle of my legs. I don’t mind.”

"I'd be honored to carry the most infamous of all villainous types to my most humble of sleeping areas." Adam pulls himself away, kissing his cheek before pulling Pentious into his arms, easily picking him up, smile wide.

Pentious reflexively tenses up his grip on his cane as soon as he leaves the ground, but as soon as it registers that Adam wasn’t stumbling or in danger of falling at all, he can’t help but chuckle, letting himself smirk in amusement, leaning closer to Adam’s face, eyes half-lidded. “Well, well. Looks like you’re quite stronger than I thought. How lovely.” He presses a kiss to his lips, one that was a bit more passionate, a hand coming up to cup Adam’s cheek, but he pulls away before it can last, chuckling. “Better hurry. I might not be able to keep my hands to myself.”

Adam's eyes flicker closed at the kiss, then open as he pulls away and smirks. "I might not be able to keep my hands to myself." He starts walking, careful not to bump Pentious's head or legs against the walls or doors. "As for my strength? I like being more than I seem."

“Clearly. After all, I went into your home thinking there was nothing else to you, didn’t I? And then the moment I turn around you pull a butcher knife on me and threaten to kill me and devour my organs.” He chortles, as if it were the funniest thing to ever happen to him. “So terrifying. So unexpected. I loved it.”

"Oh, you like being surprised? I can definitely do that quite a bit." He kicks his door open, showing off a desk with a stack of papers in one corner, a bureau in another, and a modestly sized bed in the other. "Maybe I'll get the terror aspect in a little less next time."

“I certainly would prefer a little less attempted homicide the next time we decide to do this sort of thing, yes.” He glances around the room for a few moments. “Though I do admit, and maybe this was the wine we had earlier talking, but I certainly found being pinned to that table had quite the thrill.”

"Oh, really?" Adam sets him down in the middle of the bed and resumes his position on top of him, kissing him softly as he pulls Richard's hands away from his shoulders, slowly moving them above his head. "How about we try some of this then?"

The feeling of his hands being slowly being pulled away from his sides, to being pressed against the cold, smooth wooden surface of the headboard, all the while left to stare into Adam’s eyes, their faces so close, is enough to have the man shudder, and he can’t help but let his legs slowly move upwards to wrap around Adam’s waist, in an attempt to trap him in close, to pull himself close, already feeling his spine starting to tingle with want. “Mm..That sounds absolutely perfect.” He moves to start to roll his hips ever so slightly, trying to start some friction, his heart pounding and his cheeks burning, eager to continue, eager to feel those lips on his own.

"Mm, I do like perfect." Adam hums, pressing another kiss to his lips and rolling his hips in response. He pulls Richard's lower lip into his mouth, rolling it between his teeth. "Mmm...." He presses closer to him, tightening his grip on his wrists.

Pentious can’t help but groan at the feeling of those teeth against his lip, at the feeling of their hips slowly grinding together against their slacks, and his back slowly arches into the feeling, into the sensation, the feeling of Adam’s hands slowly tightening their grip on his wrists making his blood shudder within his veins, the soft fleeting moments of pain blending with the heated pleasure of their kiss. “Mm..” He presses his head closer, leans himself deeper into the kiss, letting his tongue move to slide against Adam’s lips, hoping to taste him once more.

"Mmm~" Adam lets his lips open, lets their tongues mingle and wrap around each other, leaning tighter against his chest and tightening his grip further on his wrists. He snaps his hips up, making the headboard rock against the wall with a thud. He does it again, quivering at how satisfying the sound is.

“Mmmm!” Pentious’s back can’t help but arch at the feeling, at the sharp, sudden friction from those bucking hips, the sound of the bed rocking and slamming into the wall being enough to make his cheeks flush, his muscles tingle, and he can’t help but begin to rut his hips harder, rolling them at a harsh, steady pace, swearing that he could begin to feel his cock starting to throb within his slacks. He tilts his head to deepen the kiss even more, moaning at the feeling of that tongue, practically coiling around his own.

"Mmph~!" Adam grinds into him, heat pooling in his stomach, and his hands slide down his arms to start delicately pulling at his bowtie, undoing it properly rather than pulling every which way. He easily pops two buttons away shortly after, sliding his hands under his clothes and mapping over his skin. "Mm~"

Pentious’s eyes flutter at the feeling of those hands sliding down to pull apart his tie, to slide beneath his clothes, the sensation of that warm skin, so soft against his own, it’s enough to make his spine quiver, his mind swarm with heat, so much so that he can do little else but whimper. He can’t help but let a hand drop from it’s place on the headboard to wrap around Adam’s shoulders in an effort to try to roll his hips even harder, the squeaking of the bed only getting more intense as he does so, the kiss finally breaking so he can tilt his head back to breathe, eyes foggy with lust, voice practically strained. “Ahh~...Hahh~...Ohh..Oh God~...Nnn...”

"Mm, I don't think God listens to poor sinners like us anymore." Adam chuckles lowly, kissing down his chin, mouthing along his throat, hands deftly undoing the rest of his shirt as his lips meet his collarbone. He scrapes his teeth against flesh, just enough pressure to make small welts, and groans into his chest.

“H-Hahh~...Mm..M-Maybe not...But it feels nice to make Him watch, doesn’t it?” His words are breathless as he feels those warm, wet lips slowly trail down his throat, pressing to the pulse of his heart, to the cartilage lining his jugular, as if Adam was lining a trail of embers down his flesh, burning hot and leaving phantom sensations of pure heat against his skin, each and every tender kiss being enough to make his eyes flutter and his hips roll just a touch harder into the heated embrace of the bulge within the man’s slacks. He feels the scrape of teeth, sharp yet also dull, and he can’t help but let the hand on Adam’s shirt clench into a fist, breathing starting to deepen into sharp, excited panting. “Ahh~! Mmm...Oh..Hnnn...Fuck~...”

"Mm, such naughty words." He holds back another groan, biting into his side to muffle any of the noises threatening to spill out. His hips rock against Pentious, and then loosens his jaws and presses his forehead to his shoulder before starting to undo his pant buckle. "Mind saying some more?"

“H-Hahh~!” Pentious’s back cant help but arch at the sensation of those teeth digging into his side, biting down with a fierce intensity that made his flesh tremble and his cock throb within his slacks, his hips rutting up against nothing as Adam’s own hips pulled away. He could practically feel the bruise forming over his skin with each and every second those teeth stayed clamped, and when they finally released, he couldn’t help but whimper, his hands now digging into the sheets just so they had something to hold, his cock practically quivering within their confines, his panting growing more feverish in tempo. “Ahhh~..Nnn...” He feels fingers slide over his buckle, feels warm breath brush over his stomach, and Pentious couldn’t help but shudder, whispering under his breath. “Oh God~..”

Adam chuckles breathily, finally undoing the buckle and working on the button, his palm pressing into the bulge in Pentious's pants as he does so. He kisses against his ribs and pulls his pants open and his cock out, breath stuttering as he impulsively strokes over him. "Mmm~...."

“A-Ahh~! Ahhh~!” Pentious’s entire frame seems to stiffen at the feeling of that palm slowly pressing downwards, slowly grinding against the outline his cock made in his pants, his hands clenching into fists, his back arching, his hips craning upwards and quivering, his head tossing itself back in pure bliss as his eyes squeeze shut. He feels the buckle and the button finally loosen, feels the sensation of a warm palm closing over his shaft, dragging it out into the cold, open air, and all his legs can do is feebly shake as he tries to squirm into the touch. “Ahhh~! Hnn, f-fuck~! D-Don’t stop! Ahh! Please!”

"Mm, and what If I did?" He smirks up at him and presses his lips to his base, shivering at the warmth and heady scent drifting off him. "Nngh, mm~" He licks a stripe over his cock, flicking over his tip and lapping at the fluids dripping from there. He hums at the taste.

Pentious’s breath practically leaves his lungs all at once the moment he feels those lips press to his cock, the moment he feels that warm breath and that soft, cooing voice practically purring, his bones left to shiver helplessly at the sound. That tongue feels like a trail of flames as it slowly slides up his skin, and he can’t help but whimper, biting his lip in an effort to muffle the noises that desperately want to leak out, hips already starting to jerk, to roll forwards into the tantalizing wetness of that mouth. “Ahh~..Mmm~...I..I...” He falters, going quiet, eyes cracking open only to squeeze shut again.

“Mm~” Adam shivers as he feels him roll against his lips. “So eager...” He shifts himself just a little more, all but laying on his stomach between his legs, suckling over his tip and stroking the base of his cock, looking up at him to see the flushed bliss on his face. A smirk curls across his face and he parts his lips to take him in, shuddering as the next thrust makes his head bob.

“A-Ahh~..” Pentious’s eyes flutter open once again as soon as he feels those warm lips, that tongue that was slowly dragging itself back and forth over the tip of his cock, slowly move to wrap around it, to suckle, to draw it in, and he swears he feels his pulse quiver within his neck, feels his heart shudder, and he can’t help but slowly reach down with a hand to bury it in Adam’s hair, stroking, petting, trying to keep his hips as still as possible even amongst the pleasure, thighs quivering feebly. “Hnn~..Hahh~..”

Adam looks up again as he feels the hand in his hair, meeting Pentious’ eyes as he starts to bob along him, tongue pressing against his underside and trailing heavily. He sucks in as he feels a small amount of drool slip down his cheek, swallowing the taste of precum.

The sight of Adam’s eyes, half-lidded and foggy with lust, with a calm, firm gaze, is enough to make Pentious shudder, enough to make his cheeks burn like hot coals, and he can’t help but watch the movements of his lips as he slowly begins to bob his head, slowly begins to push his mouth downwards, and the feeling of those teeth just barely scraping against his flesh, of that tongue, so wet and heavy. He feels a shudder down his spine, feels himself but his lip even more, and he can’t help but look away from the sight, eyes squinting shut as he begins to try to roll his hips, weakly, legs quivering as they attempt to aid, to join in the steady rolling rhythm, all the while his hand slowly begins to run through Adam’s hair. “Ahh~..H-Hnn...Ah, p-please...K-Keep going...F-Feels..amazing..”

He hums around him, eyes flickering closed at the soft touches, and bobs faster, swirling his tongue and suckling. One of his hands strokes his base, his other rubbing over his hip and side, nails scratching into his skin. “Mmm~....”

The flare of pain, dull yet also sharp, trailing like tracks of flame along his side, just below the bruise of teeth marks, blooms along Pentious’s flesh, and he can’t help but whimper, back starting to arch, starting to move away from the fabric of the sheets beneath as he struggles to start thrusting his hips harder, enticed by the feeling of those lips and their searing warmth, by that swirling tongue and the glorious sounds that rumbled in his bones. “A-Ahh~..Ahh..F-Fuck...Oh God..” He lets his hand slowly start to tighten into a fist, and he starts to try and quicken the pace, thrusting harder, biting his lip as he does so. “Mm! N-Nnn!”

Adam groans around him, matching his pace, taking him a bit deeper and shivering as he feels him hit the back of his throat. His nails dig deeper into his side and he pulls himself a bit closer, his other hand moving around to his back. He presses his tongue against him and feels his face flush further at the obscene wet noises, legs squeezing together to keep from rutting into the mattress.

“A-Ahhh~!” Pentious’s spine reflexively arches at the pain from Adam’s nails, at the sensation of his cock sinking further into the deep wetness of his mouth, and he tries as much as he can to keep himself from bucking, from losing his control, not wanting to have Adam choke, a sheen of sweat starting to form around his brow, his skin, his heart pounding, his blood rushing, his mind starting to let his thoughts grow frenzied with lust and passion. His panting grows faster, harder, and he finally starts to buck into the searing warmth of Adam’s tongue, to roll his hips to the best of his ability, his other arm coming up to drape itself over his face, his eyes, feeling the skin of his lip splitting beneath his teeth. “Mmm! Nnn~! A- Adam~! H-Hahh~!”

“Mm~” He presses closer to him, bobbing and desperately trying to keep pace , flushing and moaning around him as that hand in his hair tightens and retightens. His hands rub over his sides and back, coaxing him, and he sucks harder, cheeks hollowing around him.

“A-Ahh~! Hahhh~! Ohh, h-hnnnn~!” The pressure, the wetness, the deep, searing heat of Adam’s mouth, it all felt so wonderful, so glorious, so much so that Pentious almost felt as if he had actually plunged into Adam’s esophagus, and he couldn’t help but tighten his grip against the man’s hair, starting to pull harder against him, to pull him closer, hips starting to rock even harder against his face,  practically grinding against him, his thighs weakly trying to clamp down on the sides of his head, trembling all the while. He could feel his cock throbbing, could feel his blood practically boiling within his veins, fingers starting to quiver, muscles burning with relentless energy, and it took all his restraint to not just plunge even deeper.

“Mmngh~ hmm~ mmmph~!” Adam quivers, eyes fluttering and rolling back as Pentious thrusts into his mouth, tongue lapping around his cock and sucking even harder. He stops bobbing, letting him control the tempo and thrusts, squeezing his sides between his hands. “Mmnn~”

The sounds that erupted from Adam’s throat, loud and heavy and so very lovely despite the muffled volume, could be felt against Pentious’s skin, vibrating through his flesh and bones, and just the feeling of it rumbling against his skin, the carnal sounds of his pleasure and just how much he was enjoying this, was enough to leave Pentious shaking, and he finally moves to brace himself, pulling his arm away from his face to push down against the mattress, pushing his back up from the bed in an effort to further increase the tempo of his thrusts, panting and shaking all he while, his head tossed back and his hand now practically yanking at the man’s hair. “F-Fuck~! Fuck~! Ahhh~! D-Don’t-Don’t stop! Don’t~! Ahhhh~! H-Hahhh~!” His hips were practically snapping against Adam’s lips now, rolling and thrusting with as much ferocity as he could muster, and he could feel the tingling rush of his euphoria as it began to build. He was getting close.

Adam wraps his arms tight around his back, feeling his lips bruising at the rough snaps of his hips, lungs starting to burn as he braces himself, digs his nails harder into his skin. He could feel his cock hitting the back of his throat now, roughly, the hand in his hair tightening and twisting.

Pentious’s hips roll and thrust to the hardest of their ability, his spine arching and his limbs trembling with every single rough snap, and at the feeling of Adam’s hands digging into his back, at the rough sensation of those lips tightening their grip, at that lovely tongue doing it’s damndest to swirl, to drain him dry, he can’t help but gasp with bliss, panting and shaking all the while. His hips snap up once, twice, thrice, before they finally snap up a fourth time and go stiff, Pentious’s head tossing back even harder than before as he finally feels himself reach his peak, hand yanking against Adam’s hair all the while, determined to keep those lips as close as he could, voice ringing throughout the room as he cries out in ecstasy. “AHHHH~!”

Adam shudders at the sounds, hands flexing and flattening against his back as he comes, cum spilling into his mouth and down his throat, each spurt making him shudder all over again, swallowing carefully and relaxing against him ever so slowly, breathing harshly through his nose.

After what felt like an eternity of nothing but an inferno of heat, slowly washing over every inch of Pentious’s frame, he slowly collapses back onto the sheets, slowly goes limp against the mattress, his hand gently uncurling from Adam’s hair, his thighs falling away, his hips twitching and quivering ever so slightly. His eyes were closed, and his mouth was open, chest heaving as he fights to catch his breath. “Hahh~...Hahh...Hahh..”

Adam pulls back, gasping in a proper amount of air and looking him over, shirt and pants undone, skin flushed down his chest, an obscenely pleased look on his face. He smirks, wiping the drool from his chin and leaning back a bit more. “That was... lovely.”

Pentious, after a moment of heavy breathing, slowly cracks an eye open to glance Adam over, and were his cheeks already not flushed to their fullest, they no doubt would’ve flushed even harder at such a beautiful sight. He slowly lets a grin form over his lips, and he lifts a hand to stroke over Adam’s hair, chuckling weakly. “..I...can’t help but agree. That was...downright amazing..”

“Mm.” He leans into the hand, shivering lightly at the after feelings of tugging, and his body heats up again, the bulge in his own pants twitching at the thought. “I have many conflicting thoughts on what to do right now.”

“..Conflicting, you say?” He raises a brow at that, his grin turning into a tired smirk. “Please, tell me more.”

“I want to kiss you, but I want whiskey to wash out the taste in my mouth, but moving even the tiniest bit-” He shifts and shivers again as his pants, still entirely buckled and buttoned, grind against his cock. “Mm~”

“Mm..” His eyes glance down toward his pants, towards the bulge that resides in his slacks, and though his lip throbs from the self-inflicted bite, he can’t help but let it curl between his teeth again. “Seems like you have your own little worries right now. How do you want to deal with it?” He glances up toward him, gazes locking together.

“Mm, I think I’d be fine with mostly anything at this point.” Adam leans toward him. “I had my way with you. It’s only fair you get the same.”

“Heh...Is it now?” He shivers at the sight of Adam slowly looming over him, those beautiful eyes staring down into his own, and he can’t help but let a hand come up to slide beneath the fabric of his shirt, letting his palm softly stroke over the man’s chest. “I might be getting a few ideas..”

“Oh, is that so?” He nuzzles his nose against his cheek and nips his chin. As Pentious feels under his shirt, the skin isn’t smooth but jagged, scars crisscrossing over his ribs and sternum. He hums and shivers again.

“Mmm..” He shivers softly at the nip, moving his head to press a soft kiss to his lips, even as he works to unbutton Adam’s own shirt, his hand slowly moving down to stroke over his stomach, his sides. “Indeed. One idea is that I...repay the debt, if you catch my drift. The other is that I repay the debt..in a different manner..” He lets his hand momentarily slide down to gently squeeze the bulge of his cock, smirking all the while.

“Mmm...” He hums at the soft kisses, then groans at the squeeze, pressing his hips into his hand. “Mmmngh~ ahhnn~....” He pants softly as heat pools across his face. “I - I think I’d like that very much.”

“Mmm..Perfect.” He chuckles, letting his smirk grow as he moves to unbutton his pants, letting his hand slowly sneak beneath the fabric, fingers carefully, almost delicately wrapping around his shaft, and he has to bite his lip for a moment, feeling a shudder of desire roll down his spine. “Mm..” He moves to pull his cock out into the open, starting to idly stroke, making sure to keep his pace gentle, his fingers loose, his thumb occasionally sliding over the tip.

"Mm~..." He shudders and softly rolls his hips into his hand, pressing their lips together again to muffle his noises. He brings his arms around his shoulders and pulls them closer. "Mmmnn~"

Pentious can’t help but shudder at the feeling of those lips, pressing so feverishly to his own, of being dragged upwards, their chests practically touching from how close they were now pressed together, and he lets his hand idly squeeze down on his cock, a way to tease, before resuming his strokes. He lets his palm start to rub just a touch harder against the shaft, lets his grip tighten just a touch, before squeezing again as his hand slides down toward the base.

"Mmm~ ahh~ nnngh~!" Adam pulls his lips away to gasp, pressing his face into his shoulder as he rolls his hips into his hand at the tighter grip.

“Hehe..Feels nice, I hope?” Pentious can’t help but smirk, letting his lips idly press a kiss to Adam’s ear, letting his hand squeeze down yet again, tightening his grip just a bit more, starting to stroke harder, a touch faster, more steadily. “Go on..No need to be shy..”

"Mmm~" He groans into his shoulder, rolling harder into his hand and scratching his nails down Pentious's back. "Nngh~" He bites his lips against more noises, face brightening as he hears himself.

“Hhh~!” Pentious can’t help but shudder at the sudden sensation of Adam’s nails sliding down his back, his hand momentarily squeezing down even harder on his cock as a result, and he lets himself shudder, his other arm coming up to stroke over Adam’s back, chuckling despite the pleasure making his blood simmer. “Careful..Might get me excited again, my dear..” He lets his thumb move to grind against his tip, savoring the slick wetness that he feels against his skin.

“Ahh~....” Adam arches into him, hands flattening against Pentious’ back and smoothing over the welts he had put on him. “Mm, can’t help myself... God, that feels so good, mmm~...”

“Mm..Does it?” He can’t help but chuckle to himself as he moves to stroke Adam a touch faster, twisting his wrist ever so slightly as he does so, eager to hear more of that lovely voice.

“Ahh, God, yes~!” He groans before he can catch himself and ruts into his hand, warmth pooling in his navel. “Nnngh~, more, please...”

“Heheh. More?” He pauses, bringing his hand to a stop, with nothing more than an idle squeeze along the shaft, thumb resting against his tip. He presses a soft kiss to his temple, smirking. “Tell me what you want, then. I can’t continue without context.”

Adam half-whines, half-growls, rolling his hips still but it wasn’t nearly enough. “Mm, now I’m regretting not teasing you more.” He pants softly as he pulls his head back enough to see Pentious’ face, eyes narrowing at the smirk on his lips. “You know what I meant.”

“Do I?” He chuckles a touch, letting his thumb slowly swirl over his tip, gazes locked. “Is it so wrong that I want to hear you say it?”

He flushes, shoulders hunching even as a groan pulls from his lips. “P-perhaps at this stage. Mm~....”

“Mm..” He momentarily lifts a hand to cup Adam’s chin, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, even as his other hand proceeds to squeeze down on his cock once more, starting to stroke all the while, twisting his wrist as he starts to squeeze down harder, harder, a little bit harder with every single stroke. He had a bit of a theory and he wanted to test it out..

“Mm~... mmm~ mmmph~!” Adam shudders and arches into his hand, lips pressing closer to Pentious’. He shuts his eyes as he sees him watching him, another moan slipping from his lips  as he bucks his hips.

“Mmm..” He hums softly, letting his hand fall from Adam’s lips to trail down to his thigh, starting to dig in his nails, dragging them down ever so slowly, starting to stroke faster, base to tip, the sounds from his palm sliding along the slick flesh making his cheeks flush.

His eyes flutter and roll back as small amounts of pain trace down his thigh, hips jerking as Pentious’ pace quickens. His hands tighten on his shoulders, trying not to dig his nails in, short breaths puffing out his nose as the kiss continues. “Mmnngh~”

Pentious pulls his lips away from Adam’s own with a soft chuckle, though he does press a soft kiss to his chin, letting his nails dig in just a touch harder, his palm now starting to stroke and squeeze to the rhythm of Adam’s own bucking hips. “I’m getting the distinct impression that you like pain, Adam. Would you say that’s accurate?” He accentuates the last word with a firm squeeze to his cock.

“A-ahh~....” His flush worsens. “You say that as if - as if you don’t.” He groans aloud, all but entirely red now, hips thrusting harder into his hand. “Mmmng~...”

“Mmm...Oh, I’m aware. I was honestly aware the first time you pinned me down against that table.” He lets himself smirk, moving his hand up to his side, dragging down his nails yet again, just as hard, just as firm. “I just think it’s rather cute to know that you harbor that same lust is all.” He chuckles, leaning in to press a trail of kisses to his neck, slowly moving downwards, still stroking his cock, still squeezing down, increasing in it’s tempo with every soft press of his lips to Adam’s skin.

Adam shudders, biting his lip as Pentious digs his nails in, but unable to hold back a gasp, that steady increase in strokes building the pressure in his gut. “Mmm~... Just don’t stop... fuck....”

“Mmm...I don’t plan to..” He can’t help but smirk against Adam’s skin, feeling his pulse beneath his lips, and lets himself start to slowly nip at the flesh of his neck, not to hard as to bruise, but just enough to surely be felt, his nails starting to drag back up his side, just as slowly, leaving a thick cross cross of red lines starting to grow over his skin. He squeezes down, twists his wrist as he reaches the tip, and as his lips begin to creep over his shoulder, Pentious can’t help but let his teeth start to slowly clamp down, to bite, slowly increasing the pressure, wanting to feel the man squirm.

“Ahh~... Mmm~!” He presses into his hand and tilts his head to the side to give him more room. He quivers, shaking as the pain registers and smoothly translates to pleasure, bringing a hand up to Pentious’ head and pressing him closer. “Hhahh, mo- faster, please... Mmn, so good.”

Pentious can’t help but shudder at the sound, at the noises Adam was making, so close to his ear, and he lets himself start to dig his teeth in even more, feeling a bruise starting to swell beneath his jaws, pulling his mouth back for just a moment, swiping over the poor aching flesh with his tongue before sinking his teeth right back against it all over again, his hand now creeping around to slowly drag his nails down his back, their bodies pressing so close now that he can actually feel the tip of Adam’s cock brush against his own stomach. The feeling was enough to make him shudder, make him groan, and he flutters his eyes shut as he fights to start stroking even harder, the obscene sounds making his blood shudder.

“Mmm~ ahh~! Hhhoh god~” He bucks into him, his thrusts becoming sloppy and disjointed as he rolls his hips, the pressure growing as he grips Pentious’s shoulders, his muscles tensing under his teeth and drawing out another long groan. He can feel the burning lines down his back from his nails, even the marks on his thighs still ache. He clutches at Pentious’ hair just to have something to anchor him, his senses starting to go fuzzy as he feels his climax approaching. “Ahh, mmmngh, fuck, f-fuck~!”

“Mmmph~..” Pentious feels the yanking sensation to his hair, feels the way Adam grips it in his fist, and his eyes come close to rolling back in his head, his nails digging in even harder as the hand on his back slowly clenches into a fist. “Mmm~, mmmm...” He finally feels the sensation of skin breaking under his teeth, feels blood, warm and metallic, bubble up against his lips, and he lets his tongue swipe across the marred flesh, groaning, his own hips starting to quiver.

“Ah-ahh~!” Adam’s arms tighten around him as he comes, bucking against him and pressing his face into his arms to muffle some of the noises he makes. He quivers and bucks another time just from Pentious’ tongue swiping over the new wound again.

“Mmmph..” Pentious can’t help but groan at the sensation, shuddering at the feeling of the mess splashing against his stomach, his chest, spilling over onto his hand, and his eyes momentarily flutter closed, gently suckling at the wound on his shoulder, his heart still pounding away within his frame. After a moment, he slowly pulls his face away to smirk, chuckling softly, feeling his cheeks flush ever so slightly. “Mmm...I dare say that was even more lovely.”

Adam carefully pulls away, seeming almost weak with euphoria, swaying ever so slightly in place. “Mm, I can second that.” He brings a hand to his shoulder, shivering as he feels blood under his fingers. “Wow, you really bit me.” He smirks at him, then brings his hand up to Pentious’ lips to wipe a small drop of blood from the corner of his lips.

Pentious feels his cheeks flush a touch, and he brings up his own hand, the one not soaked, and wipes at his lips, feeling a slight rush of heat slide down his spine as he does so. “I..Yes, I suppose I did. Odd how I’m the one that’s making you bleed and not the...other way around.” He clears his throat, glances at the bite, noting the faint ring of purple lining the small trickles of blood that were oozing out of the indents his teeth made, and he feels himself flush a touch harder.

“Aside from the obvious point of where my lips were,” Adam smirks at him, licking his own blood from his fingers, “I figured taking a bite might worry you a little bit too much, given our very short history.”

Pentious feels his ears start to burn a touch, and he can’t help the shudder that slides down his spine at the thought of those teeth being sunk into his skin. He bites his own lip for a moment, glancing away, feeling his shoulders hunch a touch. “Well...I think any worries about your, erm..hobbies was kind of tossed out the window the moment we kissed. So..”

"Of course." He chuckles and pecks his cheek. "How about we get cleaned up now? And patch ourselves up again."

“Heh.” That soft kiss is enough to bring a grin to his face, and he chuckles a touch, nodding. “Of course, of course. Though I suggest you don’t kiss me again when I start applying whiskey to your wounds, or else we’ll never get anything done.”

"No promises." He chuckles and shifts off the bed. "Want some help to the bathroom?"

“A little help would be preferred, yes.” He blushes a touch at the mess that was smeared to his stomach, and he moves to tug his pants back up. “I should be fine in the morning. I just need a little sleep to get my legs back in working order is all.”

Adam stands, fixing his pants as well before glancing at him again, specifically his hands. "Okay. I'm going to pick you up, and you're not going to smear that on me or my shirt."

That gets Pentious flushing even more, though it’s clearly more out of embarrassment, and his eyes narrow a touch, as if he was offended but not entirely sure what to say, almost seeming to huff. “Oh, just shush your sauce box and do it so I can get this stuff off.”

"Of course." He looks him over again, then scoops him up and turning toward the door. "You really are seeing almost every room in my house today. Lucky you."

“..Yes, I suppose I really am, aren’t I?” He chuckles a touch.

•••

Adam was very warm and comfortable when he woke up. He was on his side, which was only somewhat strange, and he had slept so well he didn't even want to get up, or open his eyes for that matter. He snuggles further under the blankets, then goes still as he feels something press against his chest. He feels something brush his feet and his eyes snap open, staring at a mass of black hair just inches in front of him.

"Um." His face flushes, mind slowly catching up to him as he recalls their wrestling match and their other wrestling match.

There was a soft, idle twitch from Richard’s frame in front of him, a soft jolt that Adam could feel against his chest, and after a long pause of silence, there was a soft yawn, accompanied by the feeling of the man’s back arching off of his chest as he moves to stretch, arms slowly moving above his head, hands curling into stiff fists. After a moment, Richard’s frame relaxes, sinking back into the warmth of Adam’s embrace, and his voice mutters softly under his breath. “Mmmh...I take it that you’re awake?”

"Um. Yes." He relaxes after a moment and sets his head back onto his pillow. He slowly pulls Richard against his chest. "Hmm. I've never woken up with another man in my bed before."

“Heh...I’ve never actually slept with another man before. Or anyone in general.” There was a soft shaking to his shoulders as he lets out a bit of a sleepy chuckle. “It’s kind of funny, isn’t it? The first person I sleep with not only being a man but also a deranged cannibal?”

"You may be pushing it with deranged, Mister." Adam chuckles in response, poking his chin. "And it's my first time as well. I've never cared for it."

“Really now?” He tilts his head back more to glance at him, raising a brow. “Not quite the impression I got last night. Are you telling me that was all spur of the moment?”

"I'm good at improvising." He smirks lazily, pulling him closer. "Glad I could impress."

“Mm...And I will admit, impress you certainly did.” He smirks right back, hands coming up to rest on Adam’s own, chuckling a touch. “Heh. I wonder what my crew will think. Walking up to the inn with you and telling them that you’re a new recruit. Heheheh. The surprise will certainly be hilarious to reveal, I’ll have to admit.”

"Mm, it will certainly be quite the riot." He snuggles closer to him, shouldering the blanket further up to his ear. "Do you think they'd make any other assumptions?"

“Mm...Such as what? Depends on the type of assumption you’re asking about.”

"What we did last night." He nuzzles his hair. "I did take you home after a few drinks. And I did share you my own bottle of wine at the bar."

“Hehehe.” He chuckles a touch at that. “Yes, they might, but if you’re at all concerned, then there’s no need to fret. Lily and Christina have been openly together for at least a good 8 years by now, and everyone in the crew is fine with it.” He gives one of his hands a squeeze. “So even if they do, it’s not like you’ll need to worry.”

"If I didn't kill people in my spare time, I'd be more concerned." He squeezes him. "I merely don't enjoy talking about sex. It makes me uncomfortable."

Pentious can’t help but raise a brow at that, smirking. “My dear, no one likes to talk about sex. Not if they haven’t already had it with the person they’re talking to. I don’t think they’re going to ask you about what it was like to have sex with me, much less bring up the topic at all.”

"No, I'm much more different. I'm usually very..." He takes a breath and huffs. "Sex itself is something I tend to stay away from. I don't care for it like other people do. You're different, but...." He shrugs, at a loss for words.

There was a slight moment of silence before the comprehension sets in, and he nods softly. “Ah, I see.” He tilts his head a touch, giving his hand a squeeze. “Though I won’t think it will be an issue, you can always come talk to me if something does come up, ok?”

"Of course." He chuckles lightly and nuzzles his cheek again. "Perks of locking arms with the boss, I suppose. I hope I don't make anyone jealous."

“Jealous of me? Or jealous of you?” He can’t help but move to press a kiss to his cheek, smirking all the same.

"Mm, I suppose either one would do." He smirks in kind and presses their lips together on a soft kiss. "Same kind of ire, either way."

“Heheh. I suppose. Though I honestly fear for anyone that winds up being jealous of you. God knows what you’d do if someone tried to flirt with me.” He snickers a touch at the thought, before moving to sit up, his arms once more stretching over his head, back arching softly. It was then that Adam catches sight of his spine. Not only were there small red lines from where his nails had dragged down earlier from last night, but there were also scars, many of them, each of them looking to be about a few inches thick, pale with a soft pink hue that indicated the flesh beneath had long since healed. Some looked to stretch a few inches long, while others were barely the size of his pinky, and there was a notably larger, thicker scar, just on the edge of the base of his spine. It stretched horizontally, from end to end, just barely ebbing to a stop along the curves of his sides.

Adam stares for a moment, merely taking him in. He knew Pentious had probably done the same (or at least tried) last night. The idea of him having scars on his chest and Pentious having scars on his back was a fleeting sort of cosmic symbolism, he guessed. He dismisses it in an instant and slowly gets up, wrapping his arms around Pentious's middle and propping his chin on his shoulder. "We don't have to get up just yet, you know."

“Mm..” He leans into the warmth of his chest for a moment, a small grin overtaking his face. “..Perhaps not...” He goes silent for a moment or two, then chuckles. “5 more minutes. Then we eat breakfast and get going.”

"Yes!" He giggles and pulls him back into the pillows. "I can make anything you want. You decide."

“Heheh.” He turns around to face him more fully, arms coming up to wrap around his shoulders, nuzzling the bandages that had been wrapped around the wound that he had made last night. A slight flush forms over his cheeks at the memory. “Mm...Eggs. With buttered toast. And bacon.”

"Ooh, I've got myself a simple man. Lucky me." He chuckles, nuzzling his temple in response.