[For Mac] - Welcome News - backdated to 11/28

[st_eelyourself]

It was a challenge for Piotr to get a good workout, but the little gnome usually found a way to bring out the best in him. Despite the fact that some time had passed, his muscles were warm thanks to the exertion of the morning...though the hot, long shower he'd just taken might have also had something to do with it.

Dressed in just a pair of loose sweats, he looked over the canvases he'd been preparing then decided to pick up his sketchbook instead. Bonesville had been a godsent, giving him materials and inspiration for his art, but he still hadn't determined which parts of the Otherworld he was going to use his precious paints on. He sat down in the middle of the big couch that was pressed against the wall, flipping through pages aimlessly until he found one that was blank and started to warm up a different set of muscles.

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[st_rontium]

"It's so fucking green in here. I don't know how you can think," Mac said as he stepped into the room, barely remembering to toe his boots off at the door. Someone had said it was polite, that you didn't wanna track the outside into people's rooms. Wasn't really a thing back home. The outside was already in. Still, he did it to make sure Piotr knew he was at least trying to be respectful.

[st_eelyourself]

"I like green. It is creative. Color of life." Piotr said while lifing his eyes from the sketchbook, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Hello, дракончик."

[st_rontium]

"Fuckin' Russians and your this and that of life," he teased fondly, flopping onto the couch next to him. "Shoulda snagged you more supplies while I coulda."

[st_eelyourself]

"You should feel lucky. For most Russians the only this and that of life is Vodka." He folded up his sketchbook, setting it aside to free up his arm to wrap around Mac's shoulders. "Do not worry. There were more important supplies to focus on. I will be fine for now."

Now that his focus wasn't on his art, he had time to look at the man who held his heart. "Something is different with you. Are you alright?"

[st_rontium]

Mac leaned against him, still pretty sure he didn't deserve any kind of comfort like this. Still, he could be soft around Piotr. It wouldn't hurt him too much to be soft around Piotr. He closed his eyes and felt himself actually relax.

"Friend of yours did me a solid," he said, "Any way I can like..." He chewed on the inside of his cheek. He'd stewed over this ever since Pike'd wandered off in the first place, remembering Percy's stories and their random details 'cause when the guy'd been drinking clearly he got just a little too fixated on getting things right. "Pay you to paint something for 'em?"

[st_eelyourself]

Piotr could feel the moment that Mac let himself relax and smiled to himself. It was a little victory that he never seemed to get tired of...and the fact that it could happen so quickly now? Well, that was a miracle in itself.

"A friend? Was it Katya?" Piotr didn't have many friends at the Inn. Pulling Mac just a little closer, he pressed a kiss to the other man's hair. "Pay me? That will not be necessary. I will paint whatever you would like."

[st_rontium]

He picked lightly at a stray fuzz on Piotr's sweatpants. He'd been about to say the little one before he caught himself and remembered they were basically all little to him.

"Pike fixed my mouth," he said, "seems wrong to just let it go with a thank you." Even if Pike was clearly fine with that. He had to do something and there wasn't anything around he could shoot for her.

[st_eelyourself]

"Did she? Ha!" Piotr felt a laugh bubble from his throat as he broke into a broad, pure smile. There was little in this world that could make him happier than knowing that some of his boyfriend's pains had been lessened. Mac's mouth wasn't something they had talked about, but he knew how much it bothered him. "I will gladly help you thank her properly. Did you have something particular in mind?"

[st_rontium]

It still felt weird. Like his tongue didn't quite know what to do with being able to feel tooth there again after so long. He'd stopped by his own room before coming up, mostly to drop off his own kit, but partly to give himself time to actually look at the state of things. "Yeah," he said a little roughly and went on to describe as best he could based on the bits he'd been told, a painting of a certain other gnome on a unicorn (whatever that was, he hoped Piotr knew) with just a disgustingly disproportionate large dick. He hoped it'd make Pike laugh. Pike seemed like someone who should laugh more.

[st_eelyourself]

"That is not what I was expecting," His eyebrow drew up in a line but a deep laugh rumbled through him. "It sounds perfect. I will start work on it as soon as we have properly celebrated."

Shifting his arm, he made to stand. "We will have to stop by your room. I do not have a shirt here."

[st_rontium]

Mac pulled himself up. "She's not gonna be expecting it either, but I think she'll like it." He stretched and arched a brow. "The hell do you need a shirt for to celebrate?"

[st_eelyourself]

"To get ice cream?" He shrugged, "I guess I could go without shirt."

[st_rontium]

Ice cream. Right. One of the things he'd wanted to properly try but was too cold for him and didn't taste at all the same when it was warm. "Nah, go without the shirt. I'm just gonna be getting it off of you later anyway."

[st_eelyourself]

"Good plan." It was easier that way. Goodness knows he did not like wearing a shirt if he didn't have to, and this place was never cold enough to require it. "We could bring ice cream back to the room?"

[st_rontium]

"I like that," he said, squeezing Piotr's hand briefly before tugging his boots back on. "Saves me from getting caught by Ignis being smug."

[st_eelyourself]

"I will make sure we make swift retreat." Piotr took a moment to enjoy the view before sliding into his own sandals. "Is there anything else you would like to grab while we are there? I do not want to take multiple trips."

[st_rontium]

"Not that I can think of. There anything else you want me to try?" he asked, standing and glancing over his shoulder at his behemoth of a boyfriend.

[st_eelyourself]

"Da." Piotr said simply, then reached over to scoop the other man into a deep kiss.

[st_rontium]

He groaned quietly into the kiss, arching his back a little. "Glad to know your lips taste the same," he said once it came to a gentle end.

[st_eelyourself]

That was exactly what he wanted to hear. Piotr let his hand rest on the curve of Mac's back and pulled him closer. "And you," he bent down and kissed him again, his tongue slipping across the other man's, "You taste happier."

[st_rontium]

"Just less afraid," he said quietly. He pressed his forehead to Piotr's. "God, you're fucking huge, you know that." He swatted him gently. "C'mon. We keep this up and we're never gonna make it to ice cream."

[st_eelyourself]

"It suits you." Piotr pressed into Mac's forehead slightly. "I do know. Because you are fond of reminding me. And if I were betting man, I would guess that you will do so again before today is done."

Taking a step back, he gestured towards the door. "Lead the way."

[st_rontium]

"Look, I know I'm not a big guy by any means. Not even average in most respects, but there's still not a lot of people who I'm eye level with their nipples," he joked, winking as he slipped out of the room.

"A cold soda," he said finally. "Blue used to go on and on about how good a cold soda was. I wanna try one of those too."

[st_eelyourself]

"There are worse things to be eye level with," Piotr looked down to his chest, noticing the effects of the morning's workout.

"Cold soda and ice cream." He chuckled, "We should combine them and make floats."

[st_rontium]

"You say that, but one day you're gonna poke my eye out with those damn things." He shoved his hands in his pockets. Magic pockets some said like they couldn't figure out where he kept half the weapons he always seemed to have on him. The nerdy one with the goofy lopsided smile and the notebook of plants and stupid words that weren't english or any other language Mac even pretended to know. The one who was gone now. One of several who was gone now. The one who made him feel stupid by just breathing.

"You can do that?" he asked, forcing his own damn inferiority complex out of his head again. Fucked up enough to compare himself to people who were there. Best not to bother with the ones who'd left.

[st_eelyourself]

"Luckily you will be able to protect yourself with those newly strengthened teeth of yours." Piotr winked, then flexed so his nipple bounced playfully.

"You can. It is called a float and usually made with vanilla ice cream and root beer" He didn't talk about his past much, but sometimes memories were unavoidable. "It was one of the first things I ate as free man when I escaped Russian mob as teenager."

[st_rontium]

"I'm not breaking my teeth on your literal nipples of steel," Mac countered back playfully as they headed down towards the kitchens.

[st_eelyourself]

"As you wish," Piotr rubbed his hand over his chest, chuckling, "But I would promise not to make them too hard, should you want to try."