garrulously | duv wants to be in the room where it happens

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duv wants to be in the room where it happens

Captain Ivan Xav Vorpatril is here, according to his superior officers, because he’s Ops and he knows Duv Galeni. He’s helping ease the transition of the new Imperial Counselor, working as the liaison between Galeni and Solstice’s Ops outpost officially — which means, in actuality, he’s there to smooth upset Barrayarans and Komarrans alike. The ruffled feathers he expected, and the thinly veiled threats are traditional, but on Komarr it actually has a chance of degrading into violence.

It boils down to a lot of parties and a lot of paperwork, one of which Ivan takes to easily and the other probably reminds Imperial Counselor of time spent on Earth over a decade ago. But Ivan does his job to average standards in everything but the social aspect of it. There his skills and talents don’t go wanting. With women and men, after Ivan’s enlightening experience at Count Dono Vorrutyer’s skilled hand. Again.

This night, however, has him staring at Duv Galeni over a glass of wine. He’s, what? Forty something and still unwed despite his new high-ranking position. Ivan thinks about what he told Miles — that he didn’t think Duv Galeni was one of those men, interested in other men. Well he’d been wrong about himself back then, hadn’t he? And either they’d somehow gotten a much stronger wine than Ivan had thought, or he’s seriously considering flirting with Duv Galeni just to see.

He’s on Komarr, Ivan reasons with himself, it’s not going to be as public of a scandal as if they’d been doing this on Barrayar. Imperial Counselor Galeni or no. Finishing off his glass, Ivan turns up the grin and hands it off to a server before making his way to Duv.

“Enjoying yourself?”

Nailed it.

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The previous day was a blur. He remembers going home early, having a few (or more) drinks, and spending it with Ivan. A check of his expenses shows at some point he and Ivan went onto a particular online storefront and purchased... something. The itemized receipt sent to him hardly makes sense with the labels given though he almost cancels the damn purchase based on final price alone until he finds out Ivan already made arrangements to pay for half.

He's already banking on the chances of him regretting this to be high, but he knows yesterday had been a failure for making any progress in their sex life otherwise. What's throwing in some things that are supposed to be aids? At least that's what he tells himself as he makes it through the rest of the workday.

It's not until he and Ivan are finally standing in his bedroom after dinner that Duv realizes it wasn't Ivan who flung their... supplies on the bed. No, it's positioned far too neatly to have been the other man rushing to drop them off on his lunch break.

"Did you not pick these up?"

Ivan, too eager to start and already tossing aside his uniform jacket and working on his tunic, pauses with it halfway pulled over his head. "No, actually. I got caught up in organizing that big event in a month and a half -- turns out the caterers doesn't like working with the event venue, but there's nowhere else in Solstice big enough to fit as many people as we need it to fit. Betans, and they like seeing wood and plants, which is why we picked the botanical garden in the first place -- you know, the one with that imported Barrayaran wood ballroom on site?"

That isn't what Duv wanted to know, though, so Ivan sticks his head out from under his tunic, tossing it aside to where he threw his jacket. "I asked Ilene if she could arrange something. Must have been ImpSec -- no one else has the clearing to get into your place."

This doesn't bother Ivan in the slightest, and doesn't even occur to him that Duv might think it an invasion of privacy.

"Yes, yes, I know that's coming up." It had been hard to forget with all the extra care and attention the event was receiving. Betans. He's not sure he'd understand them even if he took as much time to study them as he has Barrayarans.

"I was hoping no one would see any of this," he mutters to himself as he starts undoing the clasps on his shirt. Having staff in general was a novelty that was slowly becoming daily life for him. How many of them had seen the package come in? Surely it had been one of the ImpSec guard assigned to his Residence. Wonderful. Any hope at keeping his sex life, or attempt at one, private were shattered.

"No one will talk," Ivan points out, tossing his tunic aside to reach out for the other man -- fingers going to the clasps. They're still difficult, and require most of his attention, but he's happy to do this if it means actually stripping the other man. "Because it's ImpSec. The only reason I know they keep a tabs on that sort of stuff is because Simon told me once when we're both drunk." It had been a weird conversation, please don't ask for details, Duv.

"He--" There's a lot of parts Duv wants to question about that. He quickly decides he wants the answer to none of them. "I know they won't talk. That doesn't make this any less strange."

Not that he can change it now. He lets out a small sigh and once Ivan has his clasps undone, he shrugs off his top.

"You get used to it," confesses Ivan, who shrugs. "Up until Gregor and Laisa started popping out kids I had a detail assigned to me all the time. Not that it helped, on Earth." Now he just gets reviews twice a year to make sure he can kick the ass of anyone trying to kill him.

Reaching out to grab Duv by the waist, Ivan pulls him back in to tilt his face up towards him. "Hey." Very smooth, Ivan.

He frowns lightly at the attempt to distract him though he moves willingly towards Ivan and settles his hands on his boyfriend's waist. Duv's well-aware he's complaining to the wrong person about this particular invasion of privacy -- hell, he was even part of the damn organization that did it -- but that doesn't make him feel any better about matters. Not that he can change it.

"Hello," he says dryly. "We run into each other often here."

"Must be fate," Ivan counters, sliding his hand up along Duv's jaw to cup his cheek and pull him that much closer. "Can't imagine why else we'd see each other so often." His other arm moves, his hand settling in the small of Duv's back. He doesn't kiss the other man just yet, however, instead just stares rather fondly down at his face, running a thumb across his cheekbone.

Whatever Ivan almost says isn't what comes out of his mouth, which is a frank "I really do like you, Duv." But it's all he can get himself to say, and the meaning behind it is nearly the same, right?

There's a fluttering in his stomach at the gesture -- when the devil has his stomach ever fluttered. Maybe Ivan was more invested in this relationship than he thought? A future together. It's something Duv had never thought before with another man, but he's starting to see it so clearly with Ivan.

And then the man continues speaking. Duv's shoulders slump and he's not sure how to take 'really like you.'

"I really like you too, Ivan." If there's a touch of dryness in his tone, it's only because the words make it sound less ingenious to his ears.

Ivan winces, picking up on that dryness, and decides to kiss Duv instead to cover the small flinch. I'm sorry, it seems to say, I'm sorry I can't say it. But that doesn't mean I don't feel it. Not that Ivan's aware of the implication of kissing Duv like that, but he wants to chase that bit of sarcasm away of he can.

After all, tonight was about having sex. And Ivan will be damned if Duv can muster up any amount of dry commentary while he's fucking him. Well, on second thought, that might be sexy. But not tonight.

It doesn't quite make up for the lump that's formed in his stomach in place of the light fluttering, but the kiss helps to distract. He sighs into it and wraps his arm around Ivan's waist. That isn't what tonight is about and he doesn't want to ruin his first weekend back with Ivan. Reality could come crashing down later.

"Should we...?" he trails off as he glances from Ivan to the bag. They may as well see what they're working with.

That's better. Ivan doesn't know what else the other man wants from him, except for what he does know but refuses to acknowledge. He just-- needs to take this in steps, for his own sanity. Public, then moving in, then maybe telling Duv that he--

Well, whatever. The thoughts are chased from his head by Duv's question, and Ivan shoots him a wide grin. "Right. Let's try the incense shall we?"

"Incense?" he asks, frowning. He has a vague recollection of buying that and he's quick to rummage through the bag of goods until he finds the item. And then he stares for a long moment at the guaranteed side effects. Good heavens they had bought this?

"Are you sure? It says--" Rather than read the list, he's tilting the package towards Ivan. The man can read for himself.

Ivan takes it from him to inspect it, and finds it as exactly as the description on the website said. "If there's one thing to take away how nervous you might be about it," Ivan points out, "might as well be how badly you want to get laid." Handing it back, Ivan takes the moment to go through the rest of the bag. Restraints, several toys, he's not quite sure what that does but it looks interesting...

Alright. Even he's a little surprised at what seemed like good ideas when they were both clearly drunk. Or at least tipsy, in his case.

"I do," he says with no hesitation. Although some of these toys make him question whether he wants to involve them in the process. The question of whether or not he wants to have sex with Ivan has long been settled in his mind. He wants to and if this will help, it's worth a try.

He glances down at the rest of the items, particularly the restraints, and moves to set up the incense. "We don't need all of these tonight."

"No, but tomorrow--" he jokes, taking them off the bed and setting them aside, replacing them with himself. He'll wait for Duv to finish and then just-- let whatever the incense is going to do happen. At least, he thinks, it's going to help. Which is really all they need, he's sure.

"Tomorrow perhaps," he concedes. Is sniffs curiously at the incense as it slowly starts burning. Should he feel so... Warm? And tingling? He's not sure.

He moves to sit beside Ivan, undoing the clasps on his top as he does so. It needs to get out of the way and he doesn't think Ivan has them mastered just yet.

He hasn't, not really, but he's fully capable of leaning back on the bed to watch Duv strip with a small, amused gleam in his eye. It's the closest thing he'll ever get to convincing the other man to put on a show, so it'll do.

As for himself, he doesn't really notice any changes in himself that can't be explained away by getting aroused or having a sex drive.

Ivan's eyes are on him and he fumbles with the last clasp, unable to keep his hands steady. Normally he's eased into this feeling, by Ivan touching or kissing him, but this time arousal seemingly seeps into him. His expression is confused as he runs a hand down his chest to sate his urge to be touched before his gaze slides over Ivan. Possibilities are already dancing in his mind and it's a strange disconnect to think those same thoughts had made him nervous before.

"I, uh, think it's working," he says, tongue running lightly over his dry lips.

"Yeah?" Ivan prompts with a raised eyebrow, almost slightly skeptical -- if only because he doesn't really feel different. Maybe there's a tinge of desperation to the part of him that's always ready and willing to have sex. But the slight movement of his hand seems to indicate that, well, yes. Duv Galeni might actually be more aroused than Ivan Vorpatril.

Ivan is, quite frankly, stunned.

"Is it supposed to...?" He's not sure how to describe the fog that's settled in his mind. It's pleasant and he feels like he's looking at Ivan with new eyes. He's on autopilot as he removes his top, his gaze remaining on Ivan. "Have you always been this handsome?"

Stupid question, but it's the last sentence that comes out of his mouth before he's pressing against Ivan, eager to kiss the man breathless. There's an underlying urgency that's building inside him. Whatever's happening to him, he can't find any energy to care beyond wanting Ivan as close as possible. It's only a moment into the kiss before Duv is trying to pull Ivan down on top of him as he lays back.

"No, actually," Ivan says, fully intending on answering Duv's question seriously since he asked it. "I had to grow into looking this attractive, and I expect to never stop." Which is really all that he gets out before Duv is kissing him, pulling him down on top of him.

He could get used to the other man having some sort of sex drive, Ivan thinks, kissing back with an intensity to match Duv's eagerness. He slides a leg through Duv's out of habit, and even though part of him says he should maybe wait, he can't really do anything but help himself now that he's here. Yes, he thinks abstractedly, that incense was an excellent purchase.

The small part of Duv's brain that's still rational realizes what Ivan said shortly before they started kissing. If he weren't so intent on not losing contact, he may have said something about it. Instead he's gripping Ivan's shoulders tightly and good god he doesn't remember that brief bit of contact feeling so great.

He's moaning breathlessly into the kiss as he slides down enough to settle more firmly on Ivan's leg. "More, please," he manages to string together as he clings to the other man.

Has he ever seen Duv this far gone so quickly? And on his own? Normally Ivan has to do most of the work, and while he doesn't mind dragging Duv into the mood, it's rather nice to have it handed to him on a plate. He could get used to this. Pressing his leg up, Ivan's spine curves as he bends to mouth his neck, hands going to settle on Duv's waist.

"Duv--" is all that he says while trying to deal with the fastenings of the other man's trousers, suddenly far more impatient for this than he normally is. So, alright, maybe that incense was having some of an effect on him.

His nails flex into Ivan's shoulder blades as he groans. One hand slides up to tangle itself in Ivan's hair while he bares his neck. For a moment, he loses himself in the sensation of Ivan's mouth on him and rocks his hips eagerly against the other man. If that makes it harder to remove his pants then so be it.

"Dammit," he hisses through his teeth. It's overwhelming and yet he wants more. His fingers brush along the nape of Ivan's neck and his other hand wanders lower, sliding beneath the waist of Ivan's trousers to pull him closer.

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