OTA

[hollow_moon]

He liked spring. There was still a chill to the air most days at the moment, but you could see nature slowly waking from its slumber, even here in the heart of the city.  It brought the wolf inside him nothing but joy, and left him with an itch to be outside in the sunlight, roaming and exploring. He'd have to plan a trip to the country soon, somewhere he could really roam wild...

For now, however, a jog through the park would have to do.

Dressed in running shorts and a t-shirt, Valentine alternated between jogging and sprinting. Moving slower where there were crowds, then taking off at top speed along empty stretches of the path, the man didn't stop until his heart was pounding hard and he knew he needed a break. Slowing to a stop, he stretched out and caught his breath, before drinking from the water bottle that he had strapped to his hip.

"Sorry, didn't mean to stop in the centre of the path," he said, stepping out the way when he realised someone was attempting to get past him.

Comments

[harrowgate]

Felix tucked his hand under Valentine's arm, only lightly touching while still accepting the gesture. What else was he to do? This man only became more and more inexplicable. "Not nearby, no. I confess, it was only chance that brought me to this part of the city today. Or," he allowed, with a slight smile, "perhaps not mere chance."

[hollow_moon]

"Fate," Val supplied cheerfully, leading them along towards his rather large home. "Or perhaps the tide pulled you this way."

[harrowgate]

Felix suppressed a shiver at the idea, but even his minute reaction was communicated through his hand on Valentine's arm. "Not the tide, surely. I've never even been to the sea. But if you think we might be fated to meet, well, who am I to argue, darling?"

[hollow_moon]

"Oh, the tide effects more than the oceans, petal," Val assured him. "The sun and the moon pull and push everything, not just waves."

Soon they were standing outside a large and fenced off home, which required a pin code to just get past the main gates. Beyond that was a very old, but well kept home. From the outside it looked quite modern and fresh, but as they stepped inside Val's personal tastes overwhelmed the space. The furniture was all dark woods, done in a modern gothic style. The wallpapers and paint colours were rich and deep- Though it was never tacky or over the top.

The walls held vintage paintings and prints, along with several oddities and unusual taxidermy pieces.

"I'll put the kettle on- Make yourself at home," he offered.

[harrowgate]

Felix had only half-believed Valentine that he would be welcomed with tea and not immediately coaxed to the bedroom. In fact, he wasn't entirely convinced until the man released his arm inside the venerable old estate -- impressive and unexpected -- and allowed Felix the freedom to explore his surroundings.

His attention was arrested by the art as soon as his eyes adjusted to the change in light, and he drifted to examine the paintings as soon as Valentine had stepped away. As he studied the themes and subjects in the artwork, he lost himself quickly in his own thoughts.

A tryst with a near-stranger certainly wasn't unusual for Felix, but in his experience, those men willing to take him home were hungry and ready to devour him the moment they were alone. What was it that made Valentine so different? It wasn't an unpleasant situation, just... strange.

Felix quickly lost track of the time he'd spent wandering around the nearby rooms, absorbed in the wealth of interesting, unexpected information about his host.

[hollow_moon]

The truth was that though Val wasn't keen on commitment, he did like to befriend people. He was a social creature, and as eager as he was to share his bed, he was just as hopeful to add a name to the guest list of his next party- Or find someone who he could trust and grow fond of.

"Here we are. A special blend of orange and mint from my cousin's cafe," he said, setting a tray on the coffee table and taking a seat.

[harrowgate]

Felix started a touch when he heard Valentine's voice again, but left off his interest in the paintings in favor of the man itself. "You have quite a collection here," he noted as he crossed the room, drawn by the bright scent of the tea. "Did the museum grow out of it, or the other way around?"

[hollow_moon]

"Bit of both really," Val said, looking around the room as he spoke. "Many of the items here pre-date the museum. I started collecting old medical texts when I was only a boyl- That soon had me collecting medical devices as well, and even specimens trapped in jars from eons ago... You see, I suffer from a somewhat rare condition, and I was convinced I might find a cure if I looked in the right places. However, I soon realized that what I had was not only manageable, but a part of who I am, and the collection became less of a hunt, and more of a curiosity. It was that turning point that lead to the museum,a nd the museum in turn found me collecting new things- Things that eventually crept into my home as well."

[harrowgate]

"A self-nourishing cycle," Felix observed with a slight smile, finding a seat for himself near Valentine, close enough to touch if he desired. He reached for the tea only, though, glancing to his host for permission before pouring himself a cup. Rarely did one hear a life's story encapsulated so succinctly from a fresh new acquaintance, and the tale only heightened Felix's ravenous curiosity about the man. It was terrible manners to inquire about a health condition, sadly.

Instead, he observed, "You went in search of a way to better your life, and you found something that gave your life more than you hand. Symbolically speaking, perhaps you did find a cure -- not for the condition itself, but for its weight in your life."

[hollow_moon]

Val considered that for a long moment, and then smiled brightly as he nodded. "I suppose that's very true," he agreed. "What about you though, Felix? Do you collect anything? What in your life offers you joy?"

[harrowgate]

Joy was not an emotion that Felix sought in his life. He was not, in fact, very certain that he had ever experienced it. Security, control, pleasure, the deep satisfaction and comfort of learning -- those were the prizes of the heart and mind he pursued.

Still, Valentine expected an answer. "Books, I suppose," he said easily, taking his tea without anything in it. "I read, possibly more than is strictly healthy. I like learning new things, exposing myself to new ideas. There is so much in the world, and most of it happened long before I arrived."

[hollow_moon]

"Well, the pursuit of knowledge is certainly a noble one," Val smiled. "Does that tie into your work at all?" he asked curiously.

[harrowgate]

Felix shrugged noncommittally. "At times. In sociological research, nearly anything has a parallel in some other culture, some other time, somewhere in the world. My work allows me to indulge my habit, but without it I'd be only half-buried under my library, rather than wholly submerged as I am," he explained with a sparkling little smile.

[hollow_moon]

Val nodded, a smile still resting on his lips.

"It sounds as if you love your work very much. I can't imagine a fate worse than hating ones job."

[harrowgate]

"It's less a job, more of a... well, a calling sounds too dramatic, but it's expressive at least. Essentially, I'd be doing this anyway, it's merely convenient that I'm given a stipend for it," Felix explained, settling in to his seat, his own smile small but inviting.

"I might merit a place among your collection of oddities, darling, if you keep me talking about this. I'll end up in a jar full of creatures that bored themselves to death."

[hollow_moon]

Val laughed softly at that, then leaned in slightly, whispering in the other man's ear.

"That's alright, we're all a bit odd, aren't we? Strange specimens, hidden out in the open..."

[harrowgate]

Felix's eyes lidded, lashes against his fair cheek, and he smiled when Val bent closer to him. The man's warm voice tremored down the back of his neck. "Would you like to reveal something, Valentine?" he murmured with the faintest hint of a breathless chuckle.

[hollow_moon]

"Oh, I would, I think. ...You wouldn't believe me though. Not a word of it," Val smiled, his nose brushing against Felix's cheek as he pressed a soft kiss against the other man's jaw.

"So imagine it's best that I don't."

[harrowgate]

"I doubt very much that you can shock me, Valentine," Felix answered, breathing a tiny laugh. He tipped his chin away, showing his throat, guiding the other man to kiss him there. That tender skin was much more sensitive, a touch more arousing, than the chaste cheek. "But we needn't share all of our secrets just yet."

[hollow_moon]

Val smiled, then chuckled softly against the other man's skin.

"Alright," he agreed. "That's fair. ...Go on, finish your tea and I'll show you my favourite room in the house," he offered.

[harrowgate]

Felix turned himself partway toward Valentine, dutifully lifting the cup to his lips, held gingerly in his boldly-inked fingers. His brows lifted in silent question, but when he was finished, he showed Valentine the empty cup with a barely-suppressed smile. "If this turns out to be your newly remodeled 'man cave' I shall be sorely disappointed, darling."

[hollow_moon]

"Man cave? Is that like a sex dungeon? Sadly I've got neither of those," Val laughed. "I was thinking the bedroom- Though I wonder if you wouldn't be more interested in my library?"

[harrowgate]

Felix laughed, low but genuine, beautiful as the wicked queen from a storybook. "I don't believe I've ever been naked in a library," he murmured thoughtfully, "But... perhaps we could save that for after the bedroom."

[hollow_moon]

"Fair enough, lamb," Val smiled. "Come on then, let me give you a quick tour before we head upstairs."

There were many rooms, from the standard kitchen and dining areas, to a second living room, a small library, a wine cellar, and a guest suite.

Eventually, however, they wound up in the bedroom, which again was filled with rich woods and various oddities and trinkets. Though the centerpiece was, of course, the large and gothic looking four post bed.

[harrowgate]

Everything about Valentine's world seemed intricate, detailed, surprising. He had rarely met a person who had so many things, and all of them quite fascinating. Yet Felix's interest was less in the home or the collection than it was in the man himself.

Felix's expectations had been very different when Valentine had first propositioned him in the park. Had things gone the way he imagined, had Val snatched him away to the bedroom, pressed him up against the wall as Felix imagined, and let desire overtake him, they would have been sated and finished by now. Instead, the anticipation still hummed in Felix's blood, all the questions unanswered and the possibilities still tantalizing.

"All this, just for yourself?" inquired Felix, slipping a few steps from Val's side, seeming to look around the room. "Such a large place for just one person."