GP: Saturnalia Grand Opening

[goodfellow]

It had taken considerably longer than Robin anticipated, thanks to some building code issues that had pushed back his renovations by months, but following the thrown together "preview" on New Year's Eve (that had gone very well if he did say so himself), Saturnalia was finally officially open for business.

The inside of the club looked somewhat different than it had in January: more polished now, better decorations, furniture, lighting. There was still Greek inspiration, particularly in the murals on the walls - modern, graffiti-inspired versions of Greek art and myths, bright colors splashed amidst chrome industrial decor. Most of the employees (bartenders, dancers) were wearing togas.

The grand opening was a hot ticket, but Robin had sent out invitations generously, and instructed the bouncers at the door to let in the beautiful people as usual, yes, but to be rather random about it as well. After all, what was the fun in only the rich and beautiful?

Alcohol was free flowing, and the music was hot, spun by a DJ on a stage who seemed to have the perfect sense of the crowd. He may have even had a little help by magic. Because why leave these things to chance?

Comments

[shannonteverius]

Shannon's face was flushed and he was panting from dancing. A sheen of sweat decorated his skin, but his smile brightened immensely at the sight of his lover.

"Felix!" he exclaimed, grabbing a hold of the taller man and pulling him close. He swayed with the music as he slid his hands over Felix's rear end, squeezing a bit because he could. "I'm thinking I've been deprived of groping you this evening. How dare you have fingerprints that aren't mine?" He was still smiling as he asked. Felix was currently safe from the Teverius wrath.

[harrowgate]

Shannon was drunk - that was Felix's first thought. Shannon was beautiful - that was his next, and it outshone everything else. How could he ever resist such a smile, such a burst of joy at his very presence? Shannon was like a drug and Felix was absolutely addicted.

He draped his arms around his lover's shoulders and fell into sync with him, moving as Shannon led him. "I've been utterly defenseless without you there to frighten them away. You'll have to scrub me clean, won't you?"

[shannonteverius]

Shannon planned to do just that. He slid his hands up Felix's body, taking hold of his lover's face and pulling him down for a searing, open mouthed kiss.

[harrowgate]

Felix sighed with satisfaction, surrendering his mouth willingly to Shannon, offering his tongue, drinking deep of his lover's beautiful mouth. When Shannon demanded, he gave; how could he do anything less for the man he belonged with?

[shannonteverius]

Yes, this was exactly where Felix belonged. Shannon felt it down to his bones and poured this feeling into his kiss. When their mouths finally parted, his pupils were blown wide with arousal.

"Time to go home," he said.

He planned to wipe any and every trace of other people from Felix's body. If they didn't leave now, he might start to do so right there on the dance floor.

[harrowgate]

Felix sighed a lingering sigh, arms folding close around Shannon as he rested his forehead against his lover's and kept them close. "So soon? You don't want to show me off a bit? Everyone watches you. Even I watched you, earlier, with Alcuin."

His voice dropped lower, appreciative and purring. That had been beautiful.

[shannonteverius]

Shannon wondered what part of his dance with Alcuin Felix had seen, but he didn't ask. He wasn't sure how he felt about how that dance had ended.

"The parts of you I want to see I'd rather keep all to myself," Shannon said," but we can stay for a little longer."

[harrowgate]

Felix smiled, pleased that he'd won at such a low stakes game. He didn't want Shannon to become curious about the time he'd been away, so he chose to deflect quickly. "So I can show you off a bit as well. You were absolutely enthralling, before. I loved watching you. Alcuin is sweet, but you were... there was a kind of power in the way you moved."

[shannonteverius]

Felix had chosen the perfect words to distract his lover. Shannon tilted his head back so he could look Felix in the eyes and asked, "You liked watching me dance with him?"

[harrowgate]

After speaking with Remus, Felix almost felt a little guilty for how quickly he could redirect Shannon's attention. "I did. It was impossible to tear my eyes away from you." His arms laced loosely around Shannon's neck as they moved together in a way that was only loosely describable as dancing. "Did my eyes deceive me, or did he try to kiss you?"

[shannonteverius]

Shannon tensed for a moment. Then forced himself to relax back into the dance. "He did," he admitted.

[harrowgate]

Felix felt Shannon's tense, and didn't understand it, but he did draw himself closer so Shannon would know he wasn't upset. "Didn't you like it?"

[shannonteverius]

Shannon welcomed Felix's closeness, but he was still uneasy. He felt similarly to when he'd spoken with Alcuin. "I don't know," he said. He paused before adding, "I didn't kiss him."

[harrowgate]

He rarely did such things in public, but Shannon felt different, and he didn't approve. Felix leaned in and nuzzled in to Shannon's hair. "You are the most inexplicable creature I've ever known. I never want you to feel anything less than absolutely certain over anything like that."

[shannonteverius]

This was an intimacy they didn't share in public, but Felix's actions made the world disappear. Shannon leaned into the embrace, closing his eyes and letting everything but Felix fade away.

"And you?" he asked. "What would you think if I kissed him?"

[harrowgate]

"I would think, 'What a lovely sight that is,'" Felix murmured close to Shannon's ear, privately pleased that his lover had melted in to him, sought comfort from him (though he still didn't understand Shannon's discomfort.

"And if you enjoyed it, if I were sure, I would think how delicious it was that he made you happy."

[shannonteverius]

Shannon was quiet, thinking over Felix's words. He could understand the first part. Alcuin was sweet and attractive. Anyone would appreciate the sight of the two of them together. They had said as much while dancing.

The rest was where he became lost. Shannon wanted Felix to be happy, but he wanted to be the one to make his lover happy. The thought of watching Felix kiss someone sounded more like a nightmare than a pleasant dream.

"What if I asked you never to kiss someone else?" he asked quietly.

[harrowgate]

Felix lifted his head so he could look into Shannon's eyes, not having expected that question. His fingertips brushed back a golden blond lock of hair from his lover's face. "Are you asking?" he asked, quietly.

[shannonteverius]

Maybe," Shannon thought. "Yes," he said.

[harrowgate]

Do we have to do this right now? Felix couldn't stop the thought. He wasn't about to confess what he'd been doing before, not now.

"Why does it matter so much to you?" he asked, in a soft voice despite the volume of the music. His tone wasn't accusing, just curious, confused.

[shannonteverius]

Why doesn't it matter to you?

Shannon took a breath, letting the noise and anonymity of the crowd to give him courage. Alone in their apartment he wouldn't have been able to have this conversation.

"Because I'm not like anyone else," he said. He reached up and brushed his fingertips over Felix's lips. "Couldn't that be only mine?"

He knew better than to ask for everything. He couldn't understand Felix's need to sleep with other people, but they said so much when they kissed. He didn't want to share that with anyone.

[harrowgate]

Felix could only imagine the response of a certain puck upon being informed of a new restriction upon their friendship. But it wasn't the puck making Felix's decisions.

"You aren't like anyone else," Felix agreed, eyes closing briefly when Shannon touched him. "I live with you, I share a bed with you. I share my life with you. I don't share that with anyone else."

He studied Shannon's eyes, searchingly. "I thought that's what we agreed on."

[shannonteverius]

"I know," Shannon said. And he had agreed, but Shannon was greedy and selfish, especially where Felix was concerned. He wanted all the man had to offer. He wanted everyone to see how amazing Felix was and then be jealous because they could never have him.

He wouldn't ask for that though. He knew better. But this...couldn't he have this? Shannon had given Felix the freedom to do as he pleased even though he hated it. Couldn't he limit Felix in this one thing?

"It means something to me," he said. "Our kiss."

[harrowgate]

"You mean something to me," Felix sighed. He didn't want to start a fight... but he didn't think he could explain himself adequately to Shannon.

As the music seemed to rain down around them, he realized the only solution was to stop avoiding the question, and somehow try to tell Shannon why this particular request had sent him veering off in all directions but toward the truth. No one could hear them, after all. No one else would hear Felix's halting admission.

"When I was... younger. I couldn't choose whom I kissed or didn't. If... it starting without kissing, I knew I was going to hurt." Only a few words into it and already Felix was regretting this decision to confess. "It's important to me to be able to choose."

[shannonteverius]

Shannon's face paled. It wasn't the explanation he had expected, but it was one he could comprehend. Suddenly Felix's words about Alcuin making Shannon happy took on a whole new meaning.

Shannon tightened his arms around his lover, as if he could shield Felix from his past with an embrace.

"And you've chosen me," Shannon said. It wasn't a question, but he looked to Felix for a reply.