#{ i'm so invested in these two lmao } | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cheekypriest · 4 months ago

Text

"Commandeering, procuring, stealing... swings and roundabouts, really." He added in the usual wry manner, still revelling in the ability to just be himself and not be scorned for his manner or the words that came out of his mouth. Admittedly, he wasn't one to worry too much about what other people thought about him, it would make his job rather difficult given the expectations and labels some people put on him without ever giving him a chance, so finding that he was also rather cheeky on top of it all might be a little too much for certain mindsets to handle. Not with Connor though, it still delighted the middle-aged man that someone could take his mischief with such ease and even return it as though the pair of them were balancing on the exact same wavelength. Maybe they were, it felt as though they'd know one another for years not mere hours, able to so effortlessly bounce ideas and conversations off one another, delve into debates that would quickly turn into arguments with other members of the public.

To find someone who was level-headed, quick-witted and yet housed an open mind seemed like something of a rarity these days, but apparently, James had found a needle in a haystack -- - and a rather sharp needle at that.

He imagined some would see him as a sentimental old fool, an old romantic, already toying with a myriad of ideas and places where he could take the younger man all around the world. Rome, the place he now called home, take him to all of his favourite little coffee shops where the pair could enjoy some of the best coffee money could buy over some sort of delightfully delicious pastry for breakfast, or northern England where he'd grown up, show him his favourite chip chops, get him to sample the epitome of British cuisine with a smothering of curry sauce on top of chippy chips. Staying with the more mundane, wandering their way through Europe, sunning it up on beaches, taking him to restaurants that James had always wanted to take someone to, someone who brought the place and moment so much more meaning than just lining his stomach. It sounded so blissfully domestic, like something the Brit had always dreamt, the stuff of romantic movies and cliche television dramas of which he'd never imagined he'd be able to grasp for himself.

Was this really what came off letting someone in? All these new possibilities felt too good to be true -- - and maybe they were. As wonderful as it all sounded, there still remained the heavy burden of knowledge that came with James' real understanding of the world. It painted a target on them, put them in the line of fire from every angle and while the northerner was more than accustomed to the ever foreboding feeling, the thought of dragging someone else with him utterly terrified him. He had a lot of enemies, most of them stemming from a rather warm place down below and he wasn't talking about Australia. It was why he'd stayed single for so long, always holding people away at arm's length, to keep them from getting sucked into whatever mess his life would surely bury them beneath. Perhaps literally.

Again, the thought of disappearing still nagged away at him, it was his usual move, if someone did seem as though they were latching onto him a bit too tight, what better way than to vanish entirely and let them think he hadn't a single care. He did care, he wasn't some heartless bastard who wanted to toy with people's hearts and then toss them away like little more than discarded rubbish. But it was easier to let others grow to hate him than to cling to the notion that he might someday valiantly return and welcome them in open arms.

He wouldn't, he couldn't.

But now? He'd never met someone like Connor before, never felt his soul entangle with someone else's in a way that made him crave more, every inch of distance between them like a painful mile as he yearned to hold him close, engulf him in his arms and never let go, never let anyone or anything harm him.

With his hand wrapped around the detective's arm, he'd practically forgotten about the remaining food on his plate, not even the faint aroma sneaking up his nostrils was enough to pull his attention away from the brunette opposite to him, that genuine care shining bright in his soulful eyes. "Deviant hunter? Surprised I haven't appeared on your radar before now..." He joshed a little, that sly smile claiming the warmth that had stretched across his face, that cheekiness never far away. "Maybe I would've cropped up somewhere, given long enough." He added in jest, smirking under his breath as he glanced down, doing his best to keep himself from outright laughing. It was still amusing to think about, how one line of questioning had led to this, that very same evening they were out at a restaurant mentally planning their entire future together. Not that he knew the other was doing the exact same, though maybe he'd clocked onto a few hints of it, Connor's willingness to meet him again, to travel to the UK with him, even go to Rome. It was so much more than he'd have expected of anyone else, so much more real, yet for the first time it didn't feel -- - wrong, to have those thoughts, those fanciful notions.

"For you?" James wondered where the other man wanted to take him after they'd finished their meal, if the Brit was able to garner enough focus to keep going with it rather than staring longingly at the man across from him. The latter proving far more difficult than he'd care to admit. "I'd go anywhere you asked me." Maybe it sounded cliche, or cheesy, but it was the truth. The Englishman wasn't a man easily controlled or puppeteered, he supposed his manner made that obvious in light of his chosen vocation, always something of a rebel the entire way through his life, questioning what he saw in front of him, testing it, pushing the boundaries far beyond the norm, yet there he was, more than willing to do whatever Connor asked of him. Why? Just because he wanted to. "As long as it's not off a cliff. Still got a few years left in these old bones yet and I'd hate to leave this case wide open. Then again, maybe it'd count as unfinished business and I could haunt the living shit out of you." This time he couldn't quite contain his laughter, letting out a low chuckle as a grin claimed every feature of his yet angular aging face. "But seriously, you want to go somewhere, I'll be there... right by your side. No questions asked." That wicked smile returned, eating into the side of his lightly tanned face. "For better or worse."

“Commandeering - that’s a name for it.” The little quip came complete with a cheerful laugh from the younger male. There was no harm to it, as the both of them well knew, as it was a dig towards a shared ancestry. The detective was certain that his own family hadn’t ventured across the pond for centuries, but the longer James spent with him, the greater the desire to be the first to change that. He wanted to take that leap, excited over the pleasant imagery running through his mind which represented a possible & desired future. Connor wasn’t one for bars or particularly lively spaces, but that all consuming want to let loose & allow somebody else to take complete control lingered, magnified as their conversation continued. He imagined unanticipated little thrills provided by a man who held surprisingly firm to his youth in spite of the grey creeping into his hairline, destinations which were both blessedly mundane & exotic at once, & late nights spent filled with pleasures of the body & hushed exchanges of intellectualism.

All of it, every bit sounded marvelous to the detective. He wondered if he might have a chance to meet James’ family, if the man were so inclined, or if the priest might introduce his younger companion to his friends. He must have had some that still remained in his hometown, those whom had never left. Much like Connor, himself. True, he was technically from a suburb just north of the city proper, but he & his brothers had been born in Detroit. Most people didn’t usually leave the place they were from, often choosing employment & taking up residence close to family. He supposed James was the exception, though Connor had yet to broach the question of why. What made the priest choose to devote himself to the church? To become an exorcist, whatever that specifically meant in this modern age.

He might have asked, but the naughty old priest had him easily distracted with culinary chatter & conjuring up delectable visuals of making the pretty detective into a savory meal of his own. As it was, if James kept looking at him that way, with those charmingly beautiful eyes staring into his soul, Connor would have happily let him put that smirking mouth of his anywhere he liked. The enthusiasm towards a private liaison in a confessional seemed to be a mutual one, though Connor wondered if it would have been James’ first time trying something so brazen. Intuition told the detective that it was, & that made it all the more exciting. Already a little flustered in the best of ways, the small instances of playful chastising had Connor smiling that sweet, shy smile of his as color bloomed against his cheekbones. The priest certainly knew just how to get to him, draw elation & intrigue from the younger man so perfectly, one might have again played with that musing of soulmates. As though they had always known one another, that interest was uncompromising, desire unwavering. Connor felt himself tugged towards James, his every thought beginning & ending with the priest since the two of them had met.

It was a little frightening, wanting someone this badly, wanting to be with them, in their presence, after only such a short amount of time. It was something more powerful than himself & Connor wanted to see where it took him. It was the reason he questioned his date on his intentions for the future, as he worried this might be something fleeting. That fear threatened to crush him, & a slow realization overcame that warned this was all too fast. But when James’ sultry manner shifted into somber sincerity & that hand reached to touch, resting upon his forearm, Connor couldn’t force himself to fight that subtle yet powerful gravitational pull. He saw the change in James as those simple questions sunk in like a lead weight, forcing him to confront something in himself that had yet to come to light. He saw guilt, perhaps even regret. But regret for what? Had his assumptions been accurate after all? The priest said that his continued presence ‘depended’, but not on what. There were speculations of further spiritual unrest within the congregation, something else pertaining to the Moore case that hadn’t been addressed. Things outside of the detective’s usual wheelhouse, likely something he wouldn’t understand.

He wanted to ask, but that touch compelled him in another direction & suddenly he was brushing all of his theories aside to give James all of his attention. Only passively interested in food in the moment, he set his fork down & reached for his hand, taking it into a gentle yet firm grasp. That sorely missed connection restored, Connor felt a little bit better. Still, the promise not to disappear on him like a ghost in the darkness failed to quell the ache centering in his chest when Connor could see that his companion was holding back. James was keeping something from him, protecting him with ignorance, as if to know would be such a burden upon him. Things the detective ought to leave alone, contradictory to his eager & curious mind. There was a brief contemplation, a moment of eyes locked in which the younger man wanted to press James for more information, coax a confession out of him as he had before. But pushing him wasn’t going to accomplish anything. This wasn’t an interrogation. The end goal wasn’t to ascertain a guilty party. He just wanted to keep this man close, keep James all to himself.

Was that desire childish when it was so obvious that James wanted him just the same?

“You better not,” he teased, a smile finally cracking his fretfully stoic exterior. “I wasn’t promoted this young because I’m just a pretty face. They don’t call me ‘deviant hunter’ for nothing.” A sly nod to his own impressive capabilities, as well as a hint of intention implied, served up with a cheeky wink. Still just a little somber, as that smile slowly grew wan, difficult to maintain. Connor wasn’t above doing a little detective work to track the man down if he did end up ghosting him. Absolutely deplorable, never something he had envisioned himself doing before, but this was different. This thing between them felt real - Connor longed so deeply for something true, for someone all his own. He wasn’t going to let go that easily.

His gaze fell towards their joined hands, lean digits moved to caress at knuckles, a warm palm, finally lacing their fingers once more. This felt better. It felt right. He stared a long moment in pensive introspection, & his visage reflected his inner thoughts. He could picture spending a few months gallivanting around Europe with this man, hopelessly & sublimely lost in a foreign culture with this single point of familiarity to ground & guide him. In equal measure, he could have spent forever at James’ side, or however long he would have him. He didn’t care if it was selfish. He had spent most of his life selflessly devoted to others; to strangers, family. It wasn’t out of the question to want something for himself. Pearly teeth worried the edge of his bottom lip, free hand softly drumming fingertips against the table’s surface beside his plate.

Contemplative. Finally, he looked at James with shy, wanting eyes. “When we finish here… can I show you something?” A location that held meaning to him, one that he hoped might help cement a fondness for the city in James, & in turn, the boy who resided there. Somebody who would wait for him, who would crave his company & yearn for his return. “There’s a place we could go for a walk by the water, if you don’t mind the cold. I promise that it’s worth it.” By evening the view would be spectacular, though admittedly, there was an ulterior motive. Between the specifics of the case & the mild emotional anxiety that came with dating & the revelations therein, the detective needed a cigarette. He hoped that his date wouldn’t mind.

#replicantdeviancy #𝙞𝙘 #𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚: 𝘐 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮 && 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 #{ last week i kept getting your replies while i was at work }#{ i'd try and read them but folk kept disturbing me so i was like }#{ gdi I'll have to wait until i get home >_< lmao! }#{ ahh i'd honestly love that tbh! i wouldn't mind at all ^_^ }#{ asdfghjkl you definitely have to show at some point xD <3333333 }#{ i'm so invested in these two lmao }

75 notes · View notes