#House of Ashes

[jacobcustosapologist]

once again thinking about him

[yoshidatommy]

Jason in the catacombs:

[writtenjewels]

Fell for Each Other

Salim's mouth moved against Jason's slowly, steadily, building the heat between them with every press of his lips. Jason tried to match him but mostly he just breathed, and sometimes seemed to struggle with even that much. Jason broke away long enough to gasp for air, shuddering as his fingers latched onto Salim's shirt. Salim caressed along his arm, up to his shoulder and cupped a cheek.

“Jason.” It amazed him that not so long ago, he didn't even know who Jason Kolchek was. Even more amazing that it took very little time for them to fit into all the empty spaces in each other.

“Salim,” Jason answered, giving his shirt a gentle tug to bring him forward. Their lips connected and Jason let out a sigh, mouth curving up in a smile. Salim's heart swelled with affection; he loved feeling Jason's smile on his lips. He returned the kiss, sliding fingers along Jason's jaw. Jason's fingers relaxed their hold on Salim's shirt, only for his hands to loop around the man's neck instead.

Salim moaned in approval and moved his own arms around Jason's waist. Fingers brushed the back of his neck and pushed their way into his hair. A shiver went down Salim's spine. This time when he paused for air, he kept his lips parted so he could deepen their kiss. The hand not in his hair pressed between his shoulder-blades. Salim willingly shifted closer until there was hardly any space between them. Jason's tongue brushed against Salim's bottom lip almost like a reward.

Salim had to pull back for another breath, swallowing hard. Jason trembled against him, his own breaths harsh against Salim's mouth. Heat pulsed through Salim with every beat of his heart. It never occurred to him to worry that he grew attached to Jason so quickly, because Jason was matching him beat for beat every step of the way. Salim let out a breathless laugh.

“What's funny?” Jason asked him.

“I just realized that we literally fell for each other. Remember, hayati? The day we met?” Jason stared at him for a moment, then snorted and shook his head.

“That was such a terrible joke. God, I fuckin' love you.”

“I love you, too.” The words always had a way of filling him with so much happiness Salim didn't know how his body contained it. He saw it reflected back in the way Jason looked at him. The tender affection, the spark in the younger man's dark eyes, the easy smile.

Jason looked at him that way so many times down in the Sumerian temple. And Salim knew he looked back, his own face shining and his eyes alight. Of course, it took a while for them both to acknowledge what they were feeling, and then a while after that to act on it. But the initial spark had lit up within hours of their first meeting.

“I hear you thinkin',” Jason told him with a kiss to his temple.

“It's too wordy for you,” Salim said. He moved his thumb to tease under Jason's bottom lip, his other hand gently squeezing the man's hip. “What if I showed you instead?”

“Yeah.” Jason's cheeks flushed and he leaned in close enough for their foreheads to touch. “I can get on-board with that.”

Salim kissed him then, lips parted, tongue seeking to prod their spark into a fire. Jason's tongue was there to greet his, coaxing him for more. The two of them still working as one.

[kilgarraara]

heads heads heads

[stepk]

i wanted just redraw that meme about "good boy"… but it went too. too far

+ this is what "cardboard walls" means

+ some time after

[rhysuje]

Frame redraw! Salim saving Jason from the spear.

(only one of many times these two save each other)

https://ko-fi.com/rhysuje

[alisa-aydin]

The hold this pair had on me for a month was insane

[take-it-on-the-run]

I need a guy that I love more than the fictional ones. Until then I will remain pining over non-existent men on Tumblr.

[cranberrybanjo]

We are so back (part 1)

Bonus:

[blue-bird1967]

Nicky is SO done with whatever these two have😞

[hopesallwegotleft]

I can't escape thinking about this moment.

[writtenjewels]

Voice Part 4

Part One, Part Two, Part Three

Salim's first date since Maysa left him did not go very well. Leon still didn't laugh at any of his jokes, and the two ended up having nothing to talk about for the duration. When Salim tried calling the next guy, all he got was the voice mail. He left a message and waited two days before realizing the man wasn't going to call back. The incident was so embarrassing that by the time Salim plucked up the nerve to call the third guy, he found the man was already dating someone. He wasn't even sure it was worth calling the fourth guy.

That was when he got a text: 'Is this Salim? This is Ethan from the mixer.'

'Yes,' Salim typed back. 'I remember you.'

'I was wondering if you were busy this Friday,' Ethan sent back. 'My brother-in-law is having this art gallery show. Be nice to have some company.'

'I would love to go,' Salim responded. Even if this ended up going badly, he would at least get to enjoy some art. The two continued texting back and forth until they agreed on a time and place to meet. Salim was feeling optimistic when they closed the conversation.

On Friday, Salim met Ethan at a restaurant so they could eat before the show. Ethan wore a dark brown blazer and dress slacks, the ensemble simple but striking. His hair was a light brown, almost red in certain lighting, and he wore it almost to his chin. Salim noted earrings framing the man's entire left ear.

“You weren't wearing those at the mixer,” Salim noted.

“I don't wear them all the time.”

“Too bad,” Salim hummed. Ethan caught his eye and smiled. Salim returned the look. The night was going well.

He mostly stuck by Ethan's side during the show. Many of the art pieces were good, some he didn't fully understand but appreciated the skill of the artist, and some were so beyond him that he was lost on how it was considered art. Ethan was equally uninformed, but he made up plenty of art facts that at least kept things entertaining throughout the night. The two walked back to Salim's car together.

“Thanks for coming,” Ethan said. “I had a lot more fun with you here.”

“I had fun, too,” Salim agreed. He took a breath and asked: “Would you like to do something again?”

“Absolutely.” Ethan's face broke out in a grin. “I'd like that a lot. How about Tuesday?”

“Yes, okay, Tuesday,” Salim nodded.

Ethan leaned forward. Salim realized what was about to happen moments before it did. His hand was halfway to stopping Ethan when the kiss came. It was light and sweet, lasting only a few seconds before it broke. Ethan didn't seem to notice that Salim hadn't kissed back. They exchanged good-nights and Salim drove home.

He brewed a cup of tea to wind down when he got home. He was still trying to figure out how he felt about the kiss. It wasn't unpleasant, but he wasn't very excited about it, either. He reminded himself that this was just a first date, that he and Ethan were getting to know each other. But a part of him couldn't help thinking of the other three names already on the rejection pile.

Salim readied himself for bed, still feeling glum. His eyes drifted to the player. He hadn't listened to the tape since he started trying to date. He was convinced the voice was unhappy about him dating and didn't want to upset it any farther. He sighed; he could really use a friendly voice right now. Salim pressed play.

“Holy shit, there you are!” the voice burst out, startling him. “Are you okay? Were you hurt?”

“No, I...” Guilt gnawed at him. The voice sounded so worried, almost panicked. “I'm all right. I've just been busy.”

“Jesus Christ, don't scare me like that. I thought something happened to you!”

“I suppose you could say something did happen.” Salim sat on the edge of his bed, gripping it to brace himself. “I went on a date, and he kissed me.” There was silence for so long Salim got off his bed and checked to make sure the player was still running. “Hello?” Salim prompted.

“Yeah.” The voice was back to a more flat tone. “I hear ya.”

“I was wondering if that's normal, to kiss on a first date.” Salim thought he would feel embarrassed talking about his lack of experience, but he didn't. Maybe because it was just a voice, or maybe because it was this voice in particular.

“It happens, I guess. There ain't no hard and fast rule for it. If you both feel a spark, you should go for it.”

Did Ethan feel a spark? Salim hadn't sensed that. No wonder he didn't enjoy the kiss as much. “I see,” he said out loud. “Thank you. I promise I won't worry you like that again.”

“Good to hear.” There was a short silence. “So, you need a massage tonight?”

“No, thank you, my friend. I just wanted to talk to you.”

“Oh. Huh.” The voice sounded surprised. “I'm here,” the voice told him. “You can talk to me whenever.”

“Thank you.” Salim got under the covers. “Good night,” he added.

“Night, Salim.”

In his dream he was back at the mixer. Faces floated in and out of focus. There was one guy at a table trying to catch his eye. When Salim drew closer, he saw the man was wearing a gray baseball cap. His face was pale, making the freckles on his cheeks easy to spot. He had pleasant, angular features. The more Salim stared at him, the more he felt he already knew this person. It was the logic of dreamland.

“Hello,” Salim greeted. He read the man's name-tag out loud: “Jason.” The man responded by tipping the brim of his hat. It was a charming gesture, reminding Salim of Westerns. “Oh, are you a cowboy?” Salim teased him.

Jason's dark brown eyes sparked in amusement. He made a few hand gestures that dreamland helped interpret: [I forgot my ten-gallon hat at home.]

“At least you went for the next best thing. Cowboys and baseball. You can't be more American if you tried.”

[You want to bet?] Jason pointed to his arm where there was a tattoo of an eagle. Salim laughed at that and Jason's smile grew bigger.

Their eyes met for a moment. Salim's heart skipped. He liked this man a lot already.

And when he woke up, Salim was sad to see the man go.

[miasmat]

Salim laughed, bright and earnest, and Jason couldn't help but feel like he'd won something, earning a laugh like that. "Friend. I like when you call me that."

Scene from this excellent fic that completely melted my heart <3 I am in love with the way they're both written - straight outta the game with a deep well of characterization that I'm now accepting as canon.

[hornydotsblog]

uff, first of all, I love jalims for their comfort

i love them so much

[not-your-bro]

supermassive games experience is like

playthrough 1: fuck everything up

playthrough 2: do not fuck ANYTHING up

playthrough 3: fuck everything up (on purpose)