[Despite Eiden telling him it isn't urgent, he does end up coming back more quickly than he initially intended. This is definitely not because the other man mentioned cake, and being someone who knows the levels of sweetness that Edmond likes in his desserts can at least be trusted to have picked something he would like.
Or not have too many complaints about.
It's around an hour after he gets the message that he walks in, closing the door quietly behind him and immediately looking about for where Eiden might have situated himself.]
[ He hears Edmond come in and looks up. He had been sitting on the couch sketching. He hadn't really seen this sketchbook since before he started being swept off his feet, so it was interesting to go back and look and start picking up where he left off. And even though he wasn't designing for any customers right now, he was drawing from new experiences for inspiration.
He closes it and sets it down on the coffee table when Edmond enters. It's the guys birthday and he didn't want to risk irritating him with the rather unwholesome drawings he had. He stands, moving towards the entry door. There's a small, mischievous grin on his face when he sees the other. ]
[He's quite right that Edmond does not want to see his terribly lewd drawings because then he would have to pretend to be scandalised by them and there are more important things to think about right now.
Like cake, and just what else Eiden has planned. Edmond acts like that grin, small as it is, doesn't make his spine feel as if it's melting.]
Certainly not. I was already on my way. [Sniff. How dare he.
The younger man lingers where he is while Eiden approaches, privately sinking into that familiar sensation of comfort in just having him near.]
[ Well, he wouldn't call it that. He's always thinking about what he wants to do with his time here, or who he wants to spend his time with - he's thinking. He reaches out and boldly takes Edmond's hand so he can pull him towards the kitchen. He hadn't known exactly what sort of cake to get, but after talking to a baker - he sorted it out. It's a lot of sweet.
The outside is a neatly decorated cake with white icing covered in a variety of berries. Inside is three layers - a chocolate top layer, a vanilla middle layer, and a strawberry bottom layer. It's sweet and fruit-filled and Eiden thought the whole thing looked delicious. It's not a huge cake, but there's plenty for the both of them to have a bit with some leftovers for when Edmond wants some tomorrow or beyond. ]
[But he had not objected to the hold on his hand - he hadn't even resisted it - and had followed Eiden quite tamely through the apartment to find out what he had prepared. It's strangely nice to have this time with the other man without the concern of someone else butting in.
Nice enough that he lets his hand linger in Eiden's while he examines the cake. His standards when it comes to confectionery are incredibly high, but this does seem to pass muster.]
It looks quite good. [But--...] You can't have that much money, how much did you spend on this?
[ Eiden's pretty glad for the lack of disruptions. He didn't mind the company of all of the clan members back on Klein. Or the constant following of Morvay and Aster. But here, this apartment was just for Edmond and himself. No one else had constant access to it. There were doors with locks that were in use. It is nice that he would get chances like this to celebrate someone he liked.
Edmond is right, it did cost a pretty penny. But, Eiden wasn't good at doing nothing so he had found a means of making some cash so he could splurge on things like this. Well, he had found a few different means. ]
It doesn't matter how much I spent on it. I did a few random jobs. I have a lot of experience that actually make finding something pretty easy here.
[There had been a second thought, admittedly, when Eiden had asked him to live here with him. It isn't as if he isn't used to living in close proximity to the other man in his capacity as a clan member, but this felt different somehow. Far more personal and scandalous than cohabitating in a group setting.
He doesn't mind, though. It's nice. Not having to share Eiden with anyone else who happens to flit by in a corridor--
And why is he having that thought?!
Edmond ends up distracted enough by his own traitorous mind that he only realises Eiden is speaking to him again when he's half way through a sentence. He blinks, and quickly covers it up by extracting his hand from the other man's so he can get a better look at the cake from another angle.]
Well-- [Huff.]
... Thank you, Eiden. [He smiles, pauses, frowns a little, then flushes faintly pink as he leans over to quickly kiss the corner of Eiden's mouth.] This was very thoughtful.
[ His mouth opens slightly in surprise at the kiss. Silly of him to be surprised by that, but it's not like he kisses all that often.
Admittedly, the other coming to live here was an impulsive request, like many of the things Eiden does. And if he were to be honest, he had mostly expected a straight up rejection when he brought it up. It has been nice so far, though. Not that he knew what to expect when living alone with just one other person. It's not like he had a lot of experience with something like - or really any.
Of any here, Edmond's the only one he could really imagine living alone with, too. Although he wonders how long that will last, especially once the freebies are up. ]
Oh, you're welcome!
[ A wide smile with simple, easy delight at that. ]
I've heard this place was pretty good, too, so I hope it tastes as nice as it looks.
[He went to all this trouble, a small kiss is the least Edmond can do! Never mind at all the way it starts an inevitable chain reaction through his body and makes him simultaneously wish he hadn't done it while at the same time he suddenly wants the other man to shove him up against a wall.
It's fine. He can ignore it.
A small smile stays settled on his lips in response to Eiden's easy grin.]
Then we should try it, to make sure. If it isn't what you asked for we can go to the bakery and instruct them in how it should have been done.
[For other people that might have been a joke... but when it comes to Edmond and sweets, he never jokes.]
[ Honestly, Edmond is kind of terrifying. Eiden knows the other isn't joking about it, so there's a look of anxiety at the possibility that it won't be perfect and that he'll be spending the afternoon apologizing. He doesn't make any attempt to hide his expression, although it does fade quickly. Focus, Eiden, focus.
He moves to go retrieve a knife, spatula, and two plates. He's going to make sure to cut a generous portion off for Edmond because - well, it's his cake.
Sure enough - it's exactly as Eiden had ordered. At least it looks like it.
[He is absolutely not joking around, and given his own particular lack of talent in the kitchen it is probably best for the bakery and everyone else besides that he not need to go there to tell them how to make a cake.
Luckily for the bakery - and for Eiden - it is just to his tastes. He makes an audible pleased sound as he takes the first bite off his fork.]
Moist, spongy... just the right amount of sweetness balanced between the sponge and the icing... it's almost a work of art.
[And that is - though he doesn't realise it - ample praise for Eiden as well for getting his preferences right on the money.]
[ And the person who made this was the best that he could possibly afford. He doesn't regret spending money on this, though. He likes to make people he likes happy, and Edmond is one of those people. He smiles brightly at the fact that the other seems so pleased, and gets himself a smaller slice. He likes cake, sure, but this wasn't for him. ]
But I care more that you like it! After all, it's your birthday, and it's important to make someone feel special on their birthday!
[ He's almost sparkling. Of course this cake could have waited. ]
So if there's anything else I can do to make sure you feel special, I'll try and make it happen.
[Edmond knows that not everyone shares his extensive sweet tooth (even if he thinks all of those people are wrong) so when Eiden takes a piece of cake to eat while he has his own it does feel... nice.
All this could have waited, sure, but he doesn't regret coming home earlier than he might have otherwise to get this little surprise. Eiden does have way of making the most mundane things feel special, after all, and although Edmond had not thought to give too much notice to his birthday while they are in this difficult situation, the fact the other man not only remembered but went to a special effort...
He's blushing before he realises what the heat on his face is. He clears his throat and tries to ignore it.]
You've already done more than enough. [Edmond smiles slightly, looking over at him.] I didn't even expect this much.
[ He smiles. It's that broad, goofy, but genuine smile that Edmond has seen many times before. Birthdays were always an odd time for him growing up. He was lonely and no matter how hard the adults in his life tried, it was never right. But he now had people to celebrate, and people to celebrate with. Going to Klein had given him a lot of things, but importantly among them was people - like Edmond - who would continue to be a part of his life beyond one random encounter.
It's not something he really thinks he could properly explain to someone else - at least not the full extent of it. He's simply grateful in ways that he doesn't bother putting into words, but rather he puts it into feelings and gifts. ]
Just wanted to be sure I'm not missing anything.
[ Edmond has such a sweet face when he smiles, when he has that soft blush. He's as beautiful as Eiden says he is. He takes a couple steps towards Edmond, and lifts his heels just slightly. Enough to close the small difference in their height. He places his hand on the side of Edmon's neck, fingers spread slightly under the other's jawline. Maybe Edmond didn't ask for this, maybe it's selfish of Eiden to take it. But he presses his lips to the other's, leaving them lingering there to see if Edmond will return the kiss. ]
[It's that smile that makes him go weak at the knees every time he sees it. Something that would have been utterly inconceiveable when they first met, and yet now he almost welcomes it.
He doesn't flinch away when Eiden comes close to him like that, though his eyes do widen a little bit in response to the sudden proximity. The air around him takes on a faintly sweet scent as he leans into the pressure against his jaw and then leans down, willingly responding in kind, when the other man kisses him.
Over time, Edmond has learned the kinds of kisses that Eiden likes. He pushes the fingers of one hand into the back of the man's hair and holds him there as he presses into it, fitting their bodies together, parting his lips against the kiss to slip his tongue past and taste him.
He knows the kinds of kisses Eiden likes. He's paid attention and learned, and is entirely happy to demonstrate.]
[ Something about the way that Edmond welcomes the kiss makes Eiden's heart flutter a little. If the way the other pressed his hand in his hair and holds him in close wasn't enough of a hint, then the tongue did. He's happy to oblige - he parts his lips. He has learned some things, Eiden notes, and he's glad for it because that means he's paid attention.
Edmond is special to him, and everything he does shows at least a little bit of care - and there's even a little more care now than there was the day that the other arrived here and they held hands walking together. Though he doesn't think he'll stop teasing the Vice Captain because the way he responds is just too cute to Eiden.
There's care even in his hand, gentle even as it moves to the back of Edmond's head, fingers tangling in the hair on the back of his head. He doesn't want to stop this. The entire kiss tastes like the sweet dessert that they had just started eating.
His other hand moves, shifting to rest on Edmond's hip, though he doesn't shift to grip or grab it. ]
[It's as if every nerve in his body focuses on the way Eiden's fingers slide into his hair. The sensation of it prickles pleasantly across the back of his head and then down his spine just in time to meet the tiny jolt that rushes through him from the hand placed on his hip.
Their first ventures into any kind of intimacy had not been ideal. Looking back on it he knows why Eiden did what he did even if Edmond had wholly resented it at the time, but he's glad that things could develop to the point they are at now (and how funny it is to think that he would be glad of that). He's glad that they can be like this and that he can want it, that he can appreciate every gentle touch given to him, and that he can be open to feeling himself wanting more without shying away from that desire.
There's no grabbing, no force... he's here because he wants to be.]
Eiden-- [He mutters with a soft sigh around the edge of a kiss, in the brief moment that they part for breath.]
[ He steals quick kisses even after they part. Just a couple, though. There's something almost innocent and sweet about the kisses. Certainly, not words that the other would have used in the past to describe him, that's for sure. He's glad to give that part of himself to Edmond, though. ]
Hm...Trying?
[ He thinks about the question for a moment. He won't turn off the menace entirely, though. ]
[Edmond turns red immediately, because of course it's being successful and the question not being answered doesn't escape his notice. How dare this fraud sorcerer get all up in his business like this, getting him a cake and then acting all sweet like he thinks he's going to get something out of it..!
But the damage has already been done and Edmond can't help the way his whole body reacts to the other man when they're close together like this. He makes a face but doesn't pull away, loosely wrapping his arms around Eiden and linking his hands together at the base of the other man's spine instead.]
You are a menace, and I do not know why I put up with you so readily.
[Aside from that he adores him, and he cannot help but adore him.]
[ Eiden let out a playful little hum of "hmmm" at Edmond's question. Edmond is so cute. The way his face lights up that shade of red when Eiden expresses that physical intimacy with him. It's all so endearing and honestly, it's hard to resist pushing the other into getting more flustered by his words. He knows that there's ways to answer that would probably enable him to keep getting more of a reaction out of Edmond, but he opts not to go too hard on the guy.
It's his birthday, after all. ]
Well...because you actually like me. And when you like someone, sometimes the things you once thought were frustrating are now cute.
['Because you actually like me', he says, and Edmond grimaces again. Not because it's not true - it is absolutely, undeniably true - but did he have to say it so bluntly like that?
Of course he did, because it's Eiden, and Eiden would not know subtlety if it danced in front of him stark naked. Naturally all of this has the result of making sure Edmond's face stays hotly pink, flustered and certainly appearing irritated but apparently not irritated enough to want to move away.
He does like Eiden, after all.]
Do... do you, really.
[Hmph...
And in all this, it looks like he's actually forgotten entirely about the cake. Will wonders never cease.]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2023-03-21 09:05 pm (UTC)He hadn't really expected anything given their current situation, but of course Eiden wouldn't let the day pass by.]
You don't need to go to any trouble.
[Except he probably already has.]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-22 05:38 am (UTC)Too late for that!
[ Heh. Heh. ]
Besides, birthdays are important. They're a way to celebrate you!
no subject
Date: 2023-03-22 07:14 pm (UTC)[If he didn't want any kind of celebration he should have said so sooner, and Eiden would have probably respected it if he was very serious about it.
He sighs slightly, embarrassed.]
Do you need me to come back to the apartment right now?
no subject
Date: 2023-03-25 06:27 am (UTC)[ Appealing to the sweet tooth. He wouldn't actually do it, but that's not to say he won't tease it. ]
It's not urgent, though. You're free to return when you have time. I'm not going anywhere.
[ He'll just sketch while he waits, no matter how long Edmond opts to stay out. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-25 09:29 pm (UTC)Or not have too many complaints about.
It's around an hour after he gets the message that he walks in, closing the door quietly behind him and immediately looking about for where Eiden might have situated himself.]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-26 07:09 pm (UTC)He closes it and sets it down on the coffee table when Edmond enters. It's the guys birthday and he didn't want to risk irritating him with the rather unwholesome drawings he had. He stands, moving towards the entry door. There's a small, mischievous grin on his face when he sees the other. ]
You got back pretty fast! Was it just to see me?
[ Heh. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-26 11:52 pm (UTC)Like cake, and just what else Eiden has planned. Edmond acts like that grin, small as it is, doesn't make his spine feel as if it's melting.]
Certainly not. I was already on my way. [Sniff. How dare he.
The younger man lingers where he is while Eiden approaches, privately sinking into that familiar sensation of comfort in just having him near.]
Are you plotting something?
no subject
Date: 2023-03-27 10:28 pm (UTC)[ Well, he wouldn't call it that. He's always thinking about what he wants to do with his time here, or who he wants to spend his time with - he's thinking. He reaches out and boldly takes Edmond's hand so he can pull him towards the kitchen. He hadn't known exactly what sort of cake to get, but after talking to a baker - he sorted it out. It's a lot of sweet.
The outside is a neatly decorated cake with white icing covered in a variety of berries. Inside is three layers - a chocolate top layer, a vanilla middle layer, and a strawberry bottom layer. It's sweet and fruit-filled and Eiden thought the whole thing looked delicious. It's not a huge cake, but there's plenty for the both of them to have a bit with some leftovers for when Edmond wants some tomorrow or beyond. ]
Plotting makes it sound like I'm up to no good!
no subject
Date: 2023-03-27 10:37 pm (UTC)[But he had not objected to the hold on his hand - he hadn't even resisted it - and had followed Eiden quite tamely through the apartment to find out what he had prepared. It's strangely nice to have this time with the other man without the concern of someone else butting in.
Nice enough that he lets his hand linger in Eiden's while he examines the cake. His standards when it comes to confectionery are incredibly high, but this does seem to pass muster.]
It looks quite good. [But--...] You can't have that much money, how much did you spend on this?
no subject
Date: 2023-03-28 05:25 am (UTC)Edmond is right, it did cost a pretty penny. But, Eiden wasn't good at doing nothing so he had found a means of making some cash so he could splurge on things like this. Well, he had found a few different means. ]
It doesn't matter how much I spent on it. I did a few random jobs. I have a lot of experience that actually make finding something pretty easy here.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-28 06:26 pm (UTC)He doesn't mind, though. It's nice. Not having to share Eiden with anyone else who happens to flit by in a corridor--
And why is he having that thought?!
Edmond ends up distracted enough by his own traitorous mind that he only realises Eiden is speaking to him again when he's half way through a sentence. He blinks, and quickly covers it up by extracting his hand from the other man's so he can get a better look at the cake from another angle.]
Well-- [Huff.]
... Thank you, Eiden. [He smiles, pauses, frowns a little, then flushes faintly pink as he leans over to quickly kiss the corner of Eiden's mouth.] This was very thoughtful.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-31 06:22 am (UTC)Admittedly, the other coming to live here was an impulsive request, like many of the things Eiden does. And if he were to be honest, he had mostly expected a straight up rejection when he brought it up. It has been nice so far, though. Not that he knew what to expect when living alone with just one other person. It's not like he had a lot of experience with something like - or really any.
Of any here, Edmond's the only one he could really imagine living alone with, too. Although he wonders how long that will last, especially once the freebies are up. ]
Oh, you're welcome!
[ A wide smile with simple, easy delight at that. ]
I've heard this place was pretty good, too, so I hope it tastes as nice as it looks.
[ Please. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-04-01 02:00 pm (UTC)It's fine. He can ignore it.
A small smile stays settled on his lips in response to Eiden's easy grin.]
Then we should try it, to make sure. If it isn't what you asked for we can go to the bakery and instruct them in how it should have been done.
[For other people that might have been a joke... but when it comes to Edmond and sweets, he never jokes.]
no subject
Date: 2023-04-11 04:38 am (UTC)[ Honestly, Edmond is kind of terrifying. Eiden knows the other isn't joking about it, so there's a look of anxiety at the possibility that it won't be perfect and that he'll be spending the afternoon apologizing. He doesn't make any attempt to hide his expression, although it does fade quickly. Focus, Eiden, focus.
He moves to go retrieve a knife, spatula, and two plates. He's going to make sure to cut a generous portion off for Edmond because - well, it's his cake.
Sure enough - it's exactly as Eiden had ordered. At least it looks like it.
Thank god. A sigh of relief. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-04-15 08:55 pm (UTC)Luckily for the bakery - and for Eiden - it is just to his tastes. He makes an audible pleased sound as he takes the first bite off his fork.]
Moist, spongy... just the right amount of sweetness balanced between the sponge and the icing... it's almost a work of art.
[And that is - though he doesn't realise it - ample praise for Eiden as well for getting his preferences right on the money.]
My compliments.
no subject
Date: 2023-04-26 03:40 am (UTC)[ And the person who made this was the best that he could possibly afford. He doesn't regret spending money on this, though. He likes to make people he likes happy, and Edmond is one of those people. He smiles brightly at the fact that the other seems so pleased, and gets himself a smaller slice. He likes cake, sure, but this wasn't for him. ]
But I care more that you like it! After all, it's your birthday, and it's important to make someone feel special on their birthday!
[ He's almost sparkling. Of course this cake could have waited. ]
So if there's anything else I can do to make sure you feel special, I'll try and make it happen.
no subject
Date: 2023-05-01 03:56 pm (UTC)All this could have waited, sure, but he doesn't regret coming home earlier than he might have otherwise to get this little surprise. Eiden does have way of making the most mundane things feel special, after all, and although Edmond had not thought to give too much notice to his birthday while they are in this difficult situation, the fact the other man not only remembered but went to a special effort...
He's blushing before he realises what the heat on his face is. He clears his throat and tries to ignore it.]
You've already done more than enough. [Edmond smiles slightly, looking over at him.] I didn't even expect this much.
no subject
Date: 2023-05-05 04:50 am (UTC)It's not something he really thinks he could properly explain to someone else - at least not the full extent of it. He's simply grateful in ways that he doesn't bother putting into words, but rather he puts it into feelings and gifts. ]
Just wanted to be sure I'm not missing anything.
[ Edmond has such a sweet face when he smiles, when he has that soft blush. He's as beautiful as Eiden says he is. He takes a couple steps towards Edmond, and lifts his heels just slightly. Enough to close the small difference in their height. He places his hand on the side of Edmon's neck, fingers spread slightly under the other's jawline. Maybe Edmond didn't ask for this, maybe it's selfish of Eiden to take it. But he presses his lips to the other's, leaving them lingering there to see if Edmond will return the kiss. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-05-09 08:37 pm (UTC)He doesn't flinch away when Eiden comes close to him like that, though his eyes do widen a little bit in response to the sudden proximity. The air around him takes on a faintly sweet scent as he leans into the pressure against his jaw and then leans down, willingly responding in kind, when the other man kisses him.
Over time, Edmond has learned the kinds of kisses that Eiden likes. He pushes the fingers of one hand into the back of the man's hair and holds him there as he presses into it, fitting their bodies together, parting his lips against the kiss to slip his tongue past and taste him.
He knows the kinds of kisses Eiden likes. He's paid attention and learned, and is entirely happy to demonstrate.]
no subject
Date: 2023-05-20 04:08 am (UTC)Edmond is special to him, and everything he does shows at least a little bit of care - and there's even a little more care now than there was the day that the other arrived here and they held hands walking together. Though he doesn't think he'll stop teasing the Vice Captain because the way he responds is just too cute to Eiden.
There's care even in his hand, gentle even as it moves to the back of Edmond's head, fingers tangling in the hair on the back of his head. He doesn't want to stop this. The entire kiss tastes like the sweet dessert that they had just started eating.
His other hand moves, shifting to rest on Edmond's hip, though he doesn't shift to grip or grab it. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-05-26 10:38 am (UTC)Their first ventures into any kind of intimacy had not been ideal. Looking back on it he knows why Eiden did what he did even if Edmond had wholly resented it at the time, but he's glad that things could develop to the point they are at now (and how funny it is to think that he would be glad of that). He's glad that they can be like this and that he can want it, that he can appreciate every gentle touch given to him, and that he can be open to feeling himself wanting more without shying away from that desire.
There's no grabbing, no force... he's here because he wants to be.]
Eiden-- [He mutters with a soft sigh around the edge of a kiss, in the brief moment that they part for breath.]
Are you trying to rile me up..?
no subject
Date: 2023-06-05 03:48 am (UTC)Hm...Trying?
[ He thinks about the question for a moment. He won't turn off the menace entirely, though. ]
Am I successful?
[ That's not what Edmond asked. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-06-10 08:44 pm (UTC)[Edmond turns red immediately, because of course it's being successful and the question not being answered doesn't escape his notice. How dare this fraud sorcerer get all up in his business like this, getting him a cake and then acting all sweet like he thinks he's going to get something out of it..!
But the damage has already been done and Edmond can't help the way his whole body reacts to the other man when they're close together like this. He makes a face but doesn't pull away, loosely wrapping his arms around Eiden and linking his hands together at the base of the other man's spine instead.]
You are a menace, and I do not know why I put up with you so readily.
[Aside from that he adores him, and he cannot help but adore him.]
no subject
Date: 2023-06-16 06:20 am (UTC)It's his birthday, after all. ]
Well...because you actually like me. And when you like someone, sometimes the things you once thought were frustrating are now cute.
[ Another thoughtful look. ]
I think that's a good thing, though.
no subject
Date: 2023-06-16 11:36 am (UTC)Of course he did, because it's Eiden, and Eiden would not know subtlety if it danced in front of him stark naked. Naturally all of this has the result of making sure Edmond's face stays hotly pink, flustered and certainly appearing irritated but apparently not irritated enough to want to move away.
He does like Eiden, after all.]
Do... do you, really.
[Hmph...
And in all this, it looks like he's actually forgotten entirely about the cake. Will wonders never cease.]
(no subject)
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