duv wants to be in the room where it happens

[whatdidisay]

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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[whatdidisay]

Letting out the breath he'd been holding, Ivan gives Duv a reassuring smile -- although there's no true way to hide the relief that lurks in the back of his eyes. Duv doesn't hate it, Duv isn't just confused or... or about to abandon him after they've come this far. Grinning, he combs a bit of hair back from Duv's forehead with his fingers, leaning down to press a kiss at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't worry. I won't, not now." He says, voice soft and low before rolling his hips forward again, pushing deeper before pulling back experimentally. Breaking him in, as it were. "Not when we can finally do this together." And together was the main point here, wasn't it?

[komarran]

The sensations are new though he decides that he enjoys them. Primarily due to Ivan's presence and care, but those were the only parts that truly mattered with this. Had Ivan been worried this would fail again? Duv swallows thickly, fighting hard to process his thoughts with the pushing desire to be touched and to feel Ivan's bare skin beneath his own hands.

"Ivan, I--" Duv manages to catch himself before the words love you leak out of his mouth. The incense talking? Surely. There's a welling of emotion inside him, stronger than he's ever felt towards another person, but applying a label to it now in the midst of things feels premature. Part of Duv isn't sure admitting such a feeling wouldn't send his boyfriend running in the other direction.

"I'd like that, very much," he finishes lamely.

[whatdidisay]

The look Ivan gives Duv is questioning, as if he knows there's something he meant to say but didn't. He doesn't ask, mostly because he's pretty sure he's not ready to hear what Duv might say. One day, maybe. Instead he settles for kissing Duv, as if that'll suffice before he rolls his hips once, thrusting in further -- not as deep as he'd like, the way Duv feels around him. But Ivan knows that if he doesn't take this carefully then Duv will run very far away from him.

"Good," is what he replies when he pulls away. "Just-- let me know how it feels."

[komarran]

Duv's not sure whether it's the incense in his system, the surge of emotions he's feeling, or the teasing of Ivan's cock inside him. Whatever the reason, his boyfriend pulling away leaves him aching and he reaches to wrap his arms tightly around Ivan's shoulders, as if that will stop it from happening again.

"It feels--" Exhilarating? Passionate? Is there even a word to encompass what he feels right now? He sucks in a breath and keeps his lips close to Ivan's as he continues inadequately with, "Good. Please, keep going."