#* . ⊹ burnie mclaughlin › threads

[thcophagy]

open to: anyone.

featuring: burnie maclaughin, thirty-eight, bisexual, film journalist & eleanore girard, thirty-seven, bisexual, actress.

plot: hired under the ploy of being a babysitter for burnie & eleanore's young daughter when they were busy with work, your muse has been unaware of how they've been secretly plotting a way to introduce them into their relationship to spice things up. eleanore has discovered your muse's blog in which they've been writing about their fantasies involving the couple, burnie in particular.

"you don't need to cry, sweetheart." outside of the arousal that was coursing through her, making her a little light-headed and warm to the touch, eleanore couldn't help but feel a little bad for the sobbing mess in front of her. of course they were embarrassed, all their filthy little fantasies had been laid out before them, stories about the things they wanted the nice, rich couple they babysat for to do to them and now they'd found and read them all. sitting down beside them, eleanore reached out and brushed a strand of hair out from their face before cupping their jaw within her palm. "you're not in trouble." she couldn't be outright with how excited reading those posts had made her, not without letting them know how this had been a fantasy of her own ever since they'd met. after being married for almost a decade, things had gotten slower between herself and burnie, they'd always had an unconditional relationship and when sleeping with other people had grown boring, it had been her who suggested they bring someone in for them to play with together. in hiring them to babysit, they got the best of both worlds, someone they trusted to look after their daughter and someone who could satisfy their needs on the side. "you're embarrassed, i know. i would be too." she cooed in fake sympathy and turned her gaze up to where her husband stood across from the couch. "but we aren't angry, are we?"

"if nothing else, i think you have a possible career in writing." it was a pitiful sight but a necessary one, the relief they'd feel once they realised that the couple weren't mad at them would be downright euphoric and would make them so much more susceptible to whatever they suggested next. burnie smiled sympathetically and crossed his arms, his shirt unbuttoned low enough to reveal a tuft of dark chest hair. "the way you described the things you wanted... it was good, you have talent." it was hot, he couldn't admit that yet but hearing all the nasty things they'd been fantasising about behind their backs had brought a new flame to his marriage that hadn't been there in years. "it was flattering. you're very... complimentary."

[thcophagy]

closed starter for @vileintcnt

"if you need my help, you're more than welcome to ask for it." burnie shouldn't have been entertaining such a conversation, especially not with them of all people but he had never been good at resisting temptation. "but you have to ask, i can't read minds."

[thcophagy]

"bad? no, i don't believe so. you were voicing your natural desires, how were you to have known we'd find them?" kitty might have been able to consider herself lucky to have found herself under the payment of such kind, considerate bosses but eleanore doubted the young girl felt anything but shame in that moment. after being in the public eye for so long, she'd heard every possible fantasy someone could conduct about her, published filth from individuals who were using her visage as inspiration to get off without any real consideration to her actual personhood. that was why kitty's writing had been such a breath of fresh air. "you are good." there was only so much dancing around what they wanted that was possible before they had to be outright and say it, kitty was still far too embarrassed and stricken with the mortifying reality of the situation to consider that maybe there was a reason beyond kindness for their lack of upset. "you're a good girl, kitty. if this were a problem, don't you think we would've dealt with it by now?"

the pathetic, pitiful look that spread across kitty's face should've been enough to have him showing mercy but there was no room for such behaviour, not when his wife was still pushing forward with their plan, her eager eyes occasionally flickering over to him with that narrowed look which he knew was her way of encouraging to push their babysitter further. "you are." burnie squeezed her hand gently before clasping his other over theirs which were already intertwined. "think of everything you've done for us, hm? for our little girl? you always go above and beyond, don't you? you take care of everything- more than we pay you to do. we wouldn't trust just anyone with our lives, kitty. of course you're a part of our family. what you've written, it... it doesn't change that. if anything, i think it's allowed us to be a lot closer."

the couple knew exactly what they were doing, as if they'd rehearsed all the right things to say in order to make her swoon ahead of time. this sort of performance was exactly what had inspired her fantasies in the first place, and even as she knew they were wrong, and had vowed to shut those thoughts off entirely, they were making it impossible to think of anything but what it would be like to make her lewd blog entries a reality. "but they are— they're bad..." weren't they? wasn't it considered abhorrent to think sexual thoughts about your bosses, especially if you were the one taking care of their child? that seemed so obvious to her, but now they were making her question everything. kitty couldn't tell if it was dehydration from all her crying or pure confusion that was causing her headache at that point. "i-i..." she blinked up at eleanore, mouth opening and closing with no sound emitted as she floundered for a response. "i just... i want to make you both happy. and do the right thing... i wanna be good." in all aspects of her life, that's what she strived for, but sometimes it was hard to tell just what was "good". there were expectations, assumptions of how she was meant to behave, and then there was the messiness of reality. goodness was subjective, after all. "please," she begged, gaze swiveling back over to burnie with wide, frantic eyes. "please, i just want to forget all of this ever happened." there was no way to do that, though. they couldn't forget what she'd written about them just as she couldn't stop herself from having those thoughts, so really her best option would be to remove herself from the equation. things between them could only get messier now that her dirty little secret was out, and it was in her best interest to leave before she got hurt, or let her feelings influence her ability to do her job. but how could she possibly walk away when they teased her with gentle touches, making her yearn for them even more strongly than before? "no," she immediately refuted his claim, a little too vehement to be believable. "not at all, no, there's nothing... it's not you, neither of you— you're both just so... so beautiful, and inspiring. your family is so perfect... i look up to you a lot, and i guess... i just couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to be a part of it..." she could've tried to lie, but she was too exhausted to try and craft some bullshit excuse that would only lead to more questions. in a weird way, it was somewhat of a relief to get everything off her chest. the secret she was harboring had been weighing on her this whole time, and now it was all out in the open, for better or worse. it was up to them how they'd respond to her honesty, but at least she no longer had to worry about them finding out. hopefully the worst of it was behind her, and now they could figure out where to go from here.

[thcophagy]

kitty was clearly eager to try and move on from the discussion as quickly as possible, their forgiveness had been welcomed but she didn't want to dwell like the couple appeared to. they'd read her deepest fantasies and yet it still wasn't enough, her posts had lit a flame beneath eleanore that could not be put out so easily with a pitiful display of tears. "the things you wrote about, i think you're making them out to be worse than they are." they would've been enough to make any other employer cringe and kick her out of the house without her pay, she was lucky in that aspect and it'd be easy to exploit her relief. "you wrote about us with such care... to me, it felt like you were genuinely concerned with how you could please us." once burnie had moved his hand away from kitty's cheek, eleanore moved in and brushed her knuckles against the flushed skin, as though she were checking her temperature. "and you do. you're so good at that..."

"no, we can't." burnie tried to look as sympathetic as he could when turning down kitty's pleas for normalcy. things couldn't go back to how they were, not with what they knew now. his eyes flickered to his wife's hand against the young girl's cheek and he couldn't stop his mind from wandering to what it'd look like in other places, against the curve of her waist, squeezing at the meat of her thigh, wrapped tightly around her jaw as she forced her to look at him. there were so many possibilities, so much so that he had to divert his gaze down to the ground for a moment to regain his composure. "that's how it was, but things have changed." with a gentle sigh, he reached out and took kitty's hand. "look, i feel bad... was there something in particular that sparked these feelings for you? was it something i said? did we- i don't know... encourage this somehow?"

while kitty had tried her hardest to focus on the job she'd been hired to do, it was impossible not to get distracted by just how attractive of a couple eleanore and burnie were. childcare was a natural avenue to pursue, having just the right mixture of nurturing and authority in order to help raise their daughter, but it was in interacting with the couple themselves that she found her professionalism begin to crumble. they'd never given her any indication that their relationship would be any more than parent and caregiver, and yet it was impossible not to let her mind wander to what they could be, all the things she yearned for them to do to her, all she wanted them to show her. individually, they were each so impressive, but when they came together, they were all the more appealing. burnie was so intimidating, if not for his accomplishments in the world of journalism, than for the simple fact that he was a man, but eleanore provided her with the comfort kitty yearned for, despite her level of notoriety, she remained accessible. "i... i don't know..." she felt as though she had so much more to be scolded for, but they seemed intent on absolving her of all fault, and it was doing her head in. whether she'd gotten caught or not, what she'd done was wrong, but the more they excused her, the more confused she became. "really?" she asked, her wide, wet eyes seeking some sort of truth from the couple. it seemed like a trap, both their forgiveness, and burnie's praise of her work, lulling her into a false sense of security before they inevitably dealt the killing blow that would knock her out for good. despite that knowledge that their acceptance must've come with a catch, kitty couldn't help but be entranced by it, staring hopeful and moon eyed up at burnie as his touch lingered against her cheek, feeling almost like she'd stumbled into one of her very own fantasies. his reassurance was more baffling than any condemnation of her actions, causing her brows to furrow as she sought to understand just what they wanted from her, glancing between the two of them as if eleanore would provide her with some form of understanding. "what... what do you mean? nothing has to change, i— can't we just pretend it never happened? please, i... i don't want things to change... i work for you, a-and that's all. that's how it's meant to be..."

[thcophagy]

even without their other intentions, burnie still would've thought that nehir was a good girl. she did everything they asked without question, sometimes without needing to be asked at all, she fit perfectly into their little family and so even if things didn't end the way they'd been hoping, there weren't just going to throw her away like she didn't matter. he forced himself not to look down at her legs as he felt them spread beneath his hand, a small movement but noticeable nonetheless. "all the more reason for me to keep saying it, don't you think?" her repression was clear as day, as obvious as the colour in her cheeks, she needed someone like them to show them how good it could feel to indulge in your desires every once in a while. before he had the chance to push a little further, her attention had turned to his wife and burnie held his tongue in favour of watching eleanore at work.

"angel, i know that." eleanore purred softly, her expression fond yet pitiful, amused by the young girl's need to clarify her innocence once more. if only she knew the details of their relationship, how burnie had fooled around with plenty of other girls while he was away working, all while eleanore followed in similar footsteps, keeping their bed warm with whatever pretty face had last caught her attention. it'd been a while since they'd pursued someone together, before their daughter was born at least, but she'd never forgotten how fun it was. "if you were to have tried, i can't say i would've blamed you." carefully, eleanore brought her hand up beneath nehir's chin and raised her head so she could meet her eyes once more. "he is handsome... honestly, i'd think you were a little stupid if you didn't find him attractive."

practically clings to eleanore , even if hands remain folded neatly in her own lap , frame pushing closer to hers with every uncomfortable question . they're being so gentle with her , so patient ( it's so much more than she deserves ) and yet she remains a deer caught in headlights , anticipating her end at their hand at any given moment . and then burnie says those magic little words : i still think you're a good girl . if nehir's face wasn't already reddened from all her crying and embarrassment , she would burn up a bright ruby now .

' no one really calls me that at all . ' she swallows the lump in her throat , the admittance heavy with desperation ( god , she wants to hear him say it again ) . body tenses as burnie's hand finds the bare skin of her knee , though legs part ever so slightly , as if nehir's subconscious couldn't resist even a shadow of a touch . truth is , it's been too long since she's been touched at all --- perhaps that's why the couple took her breath away in the first place , why she began to want them so obsessively ; with all their lingering touches , with pats on the head , with fleeting goodbye kisses on the cheek .

she turns to eleanore now , somewhat abruptly , eyes wide and apologetic . ' these were just silly thoughts , i never would've --- ' she never would've acted on them . it's almost funny , this need to assure the woman she wouldn't have dared to try and seduce her husband as if she even stood a chance . gaze falls back to her hands as quickly as it found the blonde's eyes . ' how can i not be ashamed ? you trusted me and i've been writing all those awful things about you under your own roof . '

[thcophagy]

kitty was good at her job, they wouldn't have hired her if she wasn't. she was caring, soft with their daughter but stern when she needed to be, providing her with the love and attention she needed while the couple were busy. they'd gone through countless applicants on their quest to find someone who could offer exactly what they were looking for, their priority had been their daughter but the state of their relationship had also been lingering on their minds. once they decided bringing someone else into their dynamic would fix it, there was little to do to try and change that opinion. kitty's upset was a mere bump in the road, they'd soon bring her back down to earth at which point, they could show her just how much they'd enjoyed reading all her dirty little fantasies. "we know that, but you can't help what you think about." eleanore murmured softly as kitty moved closer to her, inadvertently pressing herself up against the older woman's breast through the fabric of her thin blouse. "we don't want to punish you for something natural, kitty. it's like you said, you wouldn't do anything... you haven't acted on them, what's there to be upset about, hm?" plenty, if you were the young girl, but eleanore found the whole thing highly amusing, especially as burnie drew closer and applied his own pressure.

"it's very good." he insisted, if it wasn't the case he wouldn't have brought up the quality in the first place but he did genuinely have talent there waiting to be nurtured. there was so much they were capable of providing her with if she only let them, if they were able to show her that they didn't care about what was the right thing to do, all that mattered was feeling good and letting go of guilt. if they'd been worried about the opinions of other people, their relationship would've never lasted thanks to rumours of their unconventional ways, freedom from obligations and conformity. "hey, listen to me. we're not going to fire you over this, okay? where would we find someone else as good as you?" despite brushing her hair away, burnie's fingers lingered by her cheek after the gesture, rough fingertips brushing against her baby-soft skin as his eyes flickered up to meet his wife's. "i won't say that this won't change anything between us, you know it has to but that doesn't have to be a bad thing... " in fear of overwhelming her, he withdrew his hand and rested it back against his thigh. "we can be more honest with each other now, no more secrets. does that sound alright?"

the initial shock and panic of learning that the couple had found her blog was slowly fading to something more complicated, a strange sort of fluttering in her gut that she could only compare to excitement, or anticipation of sorts. kitty no longer wanted to flee their home and never come back, but she still felt a slight level of unease. it seemed too good to be true, their instant forgiveness— there must’ve been some sort of trick she was missing, a trap they were setting for her to fall into. she found it difficult to think of much else when eleanore was cupping her cheek so sweetly, murmuring gentle words of comfort, affirming kitty’s feelings while insisting she’d done nothing wrong. it wasn’t just the embarrassment of having her raunchiest, most dirty thoughts discovered by the very stars of them, but the fear of losing her job that had her trembling like a wet kitten, struggling to calm herself down after such a powerful influx of emotions. “i… i don’t usually… i know it’s wrong, to think those things. especially about your employer… i promise i would never… do anything…” it wasn’t in her nature to make a move like that, anyway. she had her fantasies, like everyone else, but they were meant to stay confined in her head, never to see the light of day lest someone realize what kind of a person she really was. no matter what it was about, receiving compliments of any sort from burnie never failed to make all warm inside, shifting slightly where she sat on the couch as a result. “y-you think so? it’s good?” writing had always been nothing more than a hobby for her, a way to escape the mundanity of her normal life and create a world where anything was possible, never seriously pursuing it because she didn’t believe she had any real talent. if burnie thought it was good, though, that must’ve meant something. it’s like she could physically feel his presence in her proximity once he sat himself on the arm of the couch, instinctively shifting closer to eleanore for some form of reprieve, though being so close to her did nothing to calm kitty down either. her breath caught in her throat once his fingers made contact with her skin, just barely brushing against her cheek on his way to tuck her hair away from her face. “but i… it’s wrong,” she repeated, feeling as though they must’ve been missing just how inappropriate it all was. “i shouldn’t be thinking those things about you, it… it doesn’t matter if it was well written or not, and i know that... i just really don’t wanna lose this job, mr. mclaughlin.”

[thcophagy]

as eager as the blonde was to be the one to ease nehir out of her sorrow, eleanore knew that burnie was better with his words and she would be of the most use in offering the physical comfort the young girl needed. she needed encouragement, there wasn't a way in hell she was going to confess her fantasies for them without the knowledge that she was safe to do so, that they weren't going to judge or fire her for the extent of her inappropriate thoughts. as her husband spoke, eleanore continued stroking nehir's tear-stained cheek, opening herself up for the girl to creep back and cuddle into her warm, curvaceous form, even if she didn't know she was doing it. she couldn't run away, not with the both of them there, keeping her trapped on their plush couch while burnie carefully interrogated her. eleanore doubted that their plot would have worked had it been just one of them there, nehir would've been too concerned about upsetting the other to ever go along with what they wanted. no, she needed both of them like they both needed her, it would only work if the three of them managed to help her work through her guilt so she could see that she really hadn't done anything wrong- that in actuality, she'd given them exactly what they'd wanted all along.

burnie smiled sympathetically as nehir weakly tried to wiggle herself out of telling him what he wanted to hear. as pitiful as she looked, it wouldn't be enough to stop either of them from getting what they wanted. she'd be better off for it in the end, a little struggle and she'd end up on the other side, so much more confident in herself and with the older couple ready to do whatever she wanted to touch her like they wanted. "well, i still think you're a good girl. that hasn't changed." he wasn't surprised to hear that was the moment that had sparked her initial interest. her flushed cheeks and nervous, downturned gaze had imprinted itself in his mind alongside accompanying him in the shower while he tugged at his cock. "you don't hear that often enough, do you?" he cooed tenderly, watching her for a moment before braving the opportunity to reach out and rest his hand on her knee. "wanting those things doesn't make you bad, nehir... i'm glad hearing me call you that made you feel good, that's not something to be ashamed of."

one look at nehir , her doe eyes , her ever - flushed cheeks , would never betray the depravity circling her mind ------ it was unstoppable , the cascade of thoughts that darkened her perception whenever either of the pair got too close . so he was right : it had to come out , if only for nehir's foolish inability to contain in . what started with innocent butterflies taking flight in the pit of her stomach at burnie's passing touch became daydreaming of how soft eleanore's lips would feel became lingering in the doorframe of their bedroom , imagining herself tangled in their expensive sheets . but fantasizing wasn't enough , it didn't satisfy the hunger , the curiosity --- nehir thought writing every nasty thought down would satiate her , but it only brought her here : a crying mess between them , apologizing over and over again for the extent of her desire .

bewilderment finds home in somber eyes at the question , lips fall agape with a quiet gasp --- to know they've read all her deepest , darkest thoughts was one thing , but to speak of them ? ' i don't--- do i have to ? ' voice trembles with a nervous laughter , eyes flicker up to burnie's before falling back to fidgeting hands . ' you've both just been so nice to me . . . ' the words come out an apology , she chokes back another wave of tears . it's only now that she notices just how close they both are , how if she didn't feel so guilty , she'd probably tingle with excitement . the rose of her cheeks deepens . ' --- you said i was a good girl , once , a few weeks after you hired me . ' she subconsciously draws closer to eleanore , as if drawing away from burnie would somehow make the words not about him . ' i liked how you said it , i . . . i guess it made me excited . '

[thcophagy]

kitty was lucky, had the couple not been so keen on her and eager to soften her up and mould her into their plaything, the discovery of her dirty blog would've been enough to prevent her from ever getting work in the city again. it was a privilege to work for them, one that the young girl must have been aware of and made her actions all the more scandelous. she was such a sweet girl, always doting on their daughter and going above and beyond to make home life easier to manage while herself and burnie were busy with their jobs, they'd been hoping that something was lurking under that sugary sweet surface but never in a million years did they imagine they'd stumble upon such a goldmine of depravity. "shh, it's okay." she cooed softly, still cradling her face within her palm as her salty tears ran down her crimson cheeks. "you're embarrassed, i know, but you shouldn't be..." her eyes flickered up to her husband who stood watching them closely, arms crossed over his chest and a hand brought up to chew at his thumbnail. "the things you wrote about are normal. a girl your age... you have all sorts of thoughts, don't you? you can't help when they come around, or who they're about..."

burnie hummed softly in understanding as kitty explained how she would delete the blog. she couldn't, however, delete their memory of it and there were so many posts that were going to live permanently in his head, fantasies of hers that he would return to if he ever needed a little ego boost. "it's a lot of work though..." he pondered aloud, mindless in a way that he could play it off like he didn't care either way what she did. "good work, as well. the detail in your writing was... it was impressive. i know a hell of a lot of writers and half of them wouldn't be capable of producing something with the amount of passion you showed." sure, that passion was about his cock down her throat or letting his wife instruct her on how to ride him, but his point still stood. carefully, as to not spook kitty, burnie approached the couch and sat himself down on the arm, not too close as to ground and overwhelm her but enough so that she could smell his cologne and so he could reach out and brush another messy strand of hair out of her face. "you know what i think? you should be proud of yourself. mm? bottling up your feelings won't lead you anywhere good, and we know you never meant for us to find what you'd said..."

“i’m so sorry mrs. girard, really, i… i don’t know why i did it, i should’ve never… i never should’ve posted that.” only, she knew exactly why she did it, and if she could go back in time, she’d probably do it again. at first she’d kept her steamy fantasies confined to her journal, detailing all the lurid fantasies she had revolving around the beautiful couple she babysat for, but it wasn’t enough to simply keep it confined to the page. kitty needed the thrill of posting her thoughts online, in a space where anyone could find them. it's not like she ever took risks like that in real life— her virtual debauchery was her only escape. she’d thought she’d been careful, going under an alias in the hopes that if anyone she knew came across it, they wouldn’t be able to connect the dots, but somehow the very subjects of her smutty posts had found her blog, and now all she wanted was to sink into their plush couch and melt through the floor. despite their reassurance that it was alright, kitty couldn’t pause her meltdown in progress, her cheeks ruddy and tear stained, snot streaming from her nose that she frequently wiped with the edge of her sleeve. she barely heard eleanore over her sniffling, just barely catching her assurance that they weren’t mad. “y-you’re not?” she asked, her voice tentative and meek. “are you sure?” burnie’s compliment had her cheeks flushed even pinker, unable to meet either of their eyes for longer than a second or two, too afraid of what emotion she might be able to detect in their gaze. with a considerable amount of effort, aided by both of their kind words, kitty finally mustered the mental fortitude to look their way, first glancing at eleanore, and then over to burnie. her eyes wandered of their own volition, drifting down to the exposed expanse of his chest, her stomach doing a flip before she forced herself to look away again. “t-thank you, but… i won’t be writing anything like that again. i’ll delete the blog when i get home, i promise, i’m… i’m sorry i let my imagination get carried away like that, i promise it won’t happen again.”

[thcophagy]

"oh angel..." if she wasn't so turned on by the sight of nehir crying, eleanore would have felt bad for bringing up the blog in the first place. at the end of the day, it was harmless, she hadn't hurt either of them but the young girl's upset was still understandable. all her dirty thoughts and fantasies she'd kept well hidden up until that point were now fully on display. if eleanore were a woman less comfortable with herself, she might have felt the same kind of embarrassment in nehir's shoes but since she wasn't, she couldn't help but wonder if part of her had hoped that the couple would find her blog. that was the sort of thing she would have done, written all kinds of nasty things and then left breadcrumbs for the objects of her desires to come to find it. then again, not everyone was as devious as she was. "no, no we aren't angry." they were ecstatic, yet feigned pity to keep her from realising just how long they'd been trying to rope her into their strange little dynamic. "you've been so good to us, haven't you? this doesn't change that."

watching his wife comfort their young babysitter shouldn't have been as big of a turn-on as it was. nehir's sweet little face wet with tears, her cheeks and nose flushed red from the exertion of her sobs, he should have felt bad for her but it was hard to when the details of her posts kept running through his mind. "it's not stupid." burnie was quick to respond, his voice soft but still stern, authoritarian in a way he wasn't typically. "you wouldn't have written it if you didn't need to. it had to come out, one way or another." with the amount that was there, nehir must have been sitting on all those desires for a long time, taking each lingering hand on her back as burnie gave her a goodbye hug or lipstick stain left on her cheek from eleanore's greetings as fuel to keep the fire of her lust for them both alight. "i do." slowly, burnie crossed the room and moved to kneel down in front of the women. "you heard what elle said, we aren't mad, alright? can you tell us when these feelings started?"

it's pathetic , really , how body trembles and trembles even when it seems she has no more tears left to cry . she sinks deeper into the plush of their couch , the very couch she spent so many hours fantasizing on after she'd put their baby to bed . the blog was a bad idea from the start , but nehir foolishly believed no one would ever find out , that it could be nothing more than a journal , nothing more than a safe space to unleash all the awful , awful thoughts that came to her whenever she was left at their house alone . god , have they read all the things she imagined them doing to her in the very spot they're sat in now ? her body shudders , cheeks burn even brighter .

eleanore's touch should be soothing , but it only makes nehir start sobbing again --- the kindness they offer merely brings more guilt , makes her stomach turn . hates that they're being so nice , so understanding ( hates how eleanore's hand cupping her face takes her breath away ) . ' you're not angry ? ' wet eyes dart from eleanore to burnie and then back ; confusion , embarrassment and gratitude flashing through delicate features . ' it was stupid , i--- no one was supposed to read that . . . ' gaze falls to trembling hands again , cannot hold the weight of their eyes any longer . ' ------ you really think i have talent ? '

[thcophagy]

for two individuals with intense affection for their independence and freedom to get married, a series of rules had to be thought out in detail to avoid any future complications. marriage was a promise to commitment burnie thought he'd never make but eleanore was different than most and expected no level of dedication other than respect, she didn't want to be tied down just the same as him and their relationship had come to be one of love, of course, but a means of safety more than anything else. he didn't ask about his wife's exploits when she went away for work and it wouldn't bother him even if he did, their openness kept their relationship alive and while unusual in the eyes of others, it worked for them. it was unfortunate to see a relationship's flame dwindling, especially when the occupants were close friends but burnie was able to admit that lana had always been much more interesting and far too good for her loser husband. "mm, i'm glad someone is taking care of you..." he remarked casually, a cigarette of his own dancing mindlessly between his hand swinging off the back of the couch. most men didn't know a good thing if it hit them square in the face, he was not most men and in addition to having a wife both beautiful and talented, burnie was eager to help any woman who needed some old-fashioned affection. he huffed out a laugh at the suggestion that eleanore might care at all about him pursuing another woman and brought his cigarette around to his lips. "yours might..." he paused to take a drag, dark eyes trained on lana but held back from touching her just yet, even with her already making part of herself home on his lap. "but i don't think there's anything selfish about pleasure. we eat when we're hungry, sleep when we're tired... our needs should be taken care of."

Lana and her husband had been friends with Bernie and Eleanore for years, yet the complexity of their relationship had always eluded them. Lana never felt inclined to pry, and perhaps that was because she personally benefited from any time spent alone with Burnie, despite her close friendship with the beautiful blonde he called his wife. Any moment of flirtation had felt like a breath of fresh air among the stale waters of her own tepid love life. It was Burnie's influence, paired with half a bottle of vintage red, that had made sharing this hardship so easy. Heavy lashes hooded her gaze, genteel smirk tugging at the corner of her lips before she ventured to take another sip. It wasn't as though she hadn't thought about it; partaking in such an indulgent and highly irresponsible activity had been out of character, but nevertheless one she had imagined in graphic detail more than she might have liked to admit. Usually with manicured fingertips sliding beneath the boundary of designer lingerie. "Whatever makes you think I need help? I've become quite the dab hand at self-gratification, you know." Laying back against the arm rest of the couch, slender pins stretched elegantly across the confines of his lap, twisting at the hip in efforts to set down her glass and pick up the cigarette she'd had perched atop an ashtray. "Besides, I rather think our other halves would take issue with us running away in a selfish pursuit of pleasure, don't you?"