#fic;seas the day

[jestarcana]

I really enjoy your Brittle Sea Star AU (love the idea of post canon Akechi interacting with Shinji...) so I'd love to see any doodles based on that AU!! Or even just a few hcs/things you'd like to share I love hearing about it ☺️

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoy this AU!

SEES has been on Shinji's ass for years to hire a part-timer because of his health, and Goro's the best he's got. After witnessing Fuuka's development from disaster to decent, he's determined to help Goro get there haha

I have some more posts over here if you're curious about random headcanons, shitposts, and thoughts!

[secriden]

so. lets talk about an unhappily married rich tai tai!tongrak and bodyguard!mahasamut au

Note: tai tai (太太) is slang for a trophy wife of a rich man who doesn't work and lives a life of luxury. (think Desperate Housewives types)

(inspired by this inexplicably TVB drama-esque fortpeat photoshoot and a feverish exchange yesterday with @williamrikers):

tongrak winds up being arranged marriage off as a child to the son of another rich family (something like lian/kuea in cutie pie, but minus any actual feelings/history). tongrak's family is new money rich and not as established but his husband-to-be is from one of those old money practically royalty families and MUCH wealthier. tongrak decides to uphold the agreement once he's of age cuz it'll help his family establish their business too and and he doesn't really know what he wants to do with his life anyway. so he gets married right out of university to his fiance who is. fine. you know, fairly handsome and decent in bed and stuff. tongrak can't complain.

so things are just normal and honestly kind of boring and tongrak spends most of his days shopping or hanging out with connor and vie when they're not busy or writing for fun. he likes writing a lot, and his husband allows him to indulge in his hobby although he's told in no uncertain terms that he can never try to get published because that wouldn't be a 'good look' for the company.

but over the years his husband grows increasingly controlling, needing to know where tongrak is at all times, limiting his time with his friends (especially connor), and growing more and more jumpy and paranoid as if he thinks someone is after him.

things come to a head one day when their house is broken into. the invaders use tongrak to threaten his husband (he gets a smacked around a bit) and this is how tongrak finds about the secret safe, and the shady business partners, and the fact that their entire fortune is now tied up in some very risky business ventures with loose ties to the mafia. (like they're still rich af but if things go wrong the whole company could crumble like a house of cards)

tongrak is furious. husband tells him he'll handle things, orders him to be silent. threatens to go after his sister and mother if tongrak goes to the authorities. so tongrak has no choice but to keep quiet, but he demands that he gets to find a personal bodyguard and insists that he gets to choose him personally.

enter: mahasamut. tongrak finds out about him through connor, and mahasamut agrees to move from the island to Bangkok to bodyguard for a truly insane amount of money because why not? (connor doesn't tell tongrak that mahasamut had refused the job until he'd sent him tongrak's picture) ((for the purposes of this story, mahasamut's has a vague military background))

at first, tongrak and mahasamut don't exactly get along because mahasamut is cocky and sarcastic and rude and pushes all of tongrak's buttons. (he's also so fucking sexy and tongrak finds himself waking up to wet sheets for the first time since his literal teenage years. he starts something with his husband but although they both come tongrak still feels like something was missing).

the 2nd time their home is invaded, the husband isn't around and mahasamut manages to fight off the 3 men sent to their home who were suppose to beat tongrak up as a warning to his husband. who is evidently Not Handling It.

in the aftermath, tongrak is very shaken and at one point had gotten cut because one of the thugs had shattered a glass cabinet which triggered a flashback of his memories of his abusive father. mahasamut winds up talking him down from his panic attack (although the invaders manage to escape while mahasamut's attentions are on tongrak), and holding tongrak until he stops shaking.

things thaw considerably between them. mahasamut is so incredibly gentle with tongrak over the next few days and keeps trying to cheer him up/distract him from his worries cuz he gets super jumpy. they go on cute grocery shopping dates outings so mahasamut can cook for him. tongrak also delights in watching mahasamut try all the fancy fusion food you can only find in Bangkok. he tells mahasamut about his writing and mahasamut asks to read some of his work and tells him what he likes about his stories and tongrak's never felt so seen in his life.

husband comes home from his business trip and tongrak and he have a huge yelling match where husband dismisses tongrak's fear because "nothing really happened to you, you're fine" and keeps insisting he just "needs more time to sort things out" and "stop being such a drama queen about this".

(mahasamut stands outside the room, fists clenched, feet rooted in place. he knows he can't do anything but the way tongrak's voice breaks with his tears nearly makes him reach for the door.)

husband goes on another business trip and tongrak says fuck it. he doesn't feel safe in his home, so he asks mahasamut if they can go visit his island. husband is displeased but can't really find a good reason to say no to the request, so tongrak books the flights and the private yacht and mashsamut watches in fond amusement as tongrak packs his bag with completely unpractical cothes - all silk and velvet tops and leather and corduroy pants with silver buckles.

(mahasamut secretly packs a much more practical set of clothes in his own bag for tongrak: shorts and light cotton shirts and hey if he adds a few of the semi-translucent shirts he loves on tongrak that's his business.)

the island is truly paradise, and tongrak is able to forget the whole mess of the situation with the business and his husband. mahasamut takes him out to sea, teaches him how to free dive and shows him all the secret places only the locals know. talks about how much he loves the island and its people and how greedy corporations are starting to slowly choke the life out if the land. opens up about his father and how he's learned to be strong because he never had anyone to rely on. how he's learned to embrace violence so he'd have the power to choose gentleness.

when tongrak leans forward and kisses him, it feels inevitable. it feels like fate.

[explicit stuff under the cut]

what are we doing? tongrak thinks, even as he goes pliant under mahasamut's hands, licks his fingertips, before sucking them into his mouth.

where is this going? mahasamut wonders, as he watches tongrak sink down on his cock, pretty pretty lips caught between teeth as they both gasp for air.

i'm going to keep you. tongrak vows, as he presses his fingers against the red marks littered across his collarbones and lets himself fall back into masasamut's endlessly warm embrace.

(they don't talk about it, even though they probably should. but tongrak doesn't know what he can promise, and mahasamut is too afraid to reach for too much only to watch tongrak slip entirely from his fingers.)

they fuck like animals for the week they spend on the island, learning each other's bodies inside and out. tongrak has a series of discoveries about himself and his body that has him questioning how he could have lived in his passionless marriage for the past 10 years.

the days leading up to their return to Bangkok are hard. tongrak hates watching the marks mahasamut left on his skin slowly fade again. mahasamut starts marking him with his come instead - on his chest, his lips, his cock, his hole; rubbed into his skin like an invisible promise. it's not enough, but it helps; settles tongrak inside his skin just a little bit so that he can bear going home.

returning home isn't easy, and once-familiar spaces feel like strangers; tongrak cannot recognise himself anymore in the rich tapestries and ostentatious furniture. he feels hallowed out, like mahasamut dug into his core and then put him back together wholly differently.

he hates that he has to be careful now. he can't touch mahasamut, can't allow his eyes to linger too long for fear that his husband's servants will report to their master that tongrak's been unfaithful. he knows, now, that his husband can be cruel, that he has ties to people who can make mahasamut disappear and suddenly tongrak's gained a slew of new nightmares overnight.

his husband's hands feel like brands on his skin. he can't refuse, because he has no reason to; tongrak's never refused sex before, so it would be too obvious if he suddenly starts now. but its torture and tongrak hates the splintered look of pain in mahasamut's eyes the morning after his husband returns home.

the night after his husband leaves again, tongrak lays awake until 3 in the morning, waiting for the house to fall completely silent around him. he sneaks his way to mahasamut's room, crawls into his bed, lets mahasamut kiss away his silent tears and quiet his frantic apologies; lets mahasamut make love to him until dawn begins to break. when mahsamut comes inside him, something fundamental slots back into place.

it's mahasamut that breaks the silence. eyes wide, shoulders hunched - its the smallest tongrak has ever seen mahasamut and it pulls something sharp inside his ribs.

i think i'm in love with you, mahasamut tells him, and tongrak has to stifle his sobs in his fist.

(the servants are waking up soon, he has to go, but this matters. this matters.)

i love you too, he whispers back and the way the first rays of the sun break on the smile on mahasamut's lips makes tongrak's breath catch inside his chest.

when tongrak sneaks back into his room, barely settling under the covers before one of the maids knocks on his door to 'wake' him up he feels settled in his skin in a way he never has before. he doesn't have an answer yet, but he will.

something has to give, and for the warmth of mahasamut's arms and the desperation in his kisses, tongrak will find a way.

[glitteratti]

will not lie there is something soooooo personal about percico who kind of part ways post series only to stumble into each other later in life when nico’s confident and knows who he is but percy’s still floundering (hehe) and trying to figure out who he is when he isn’t a Capital H Hero and saving the world all the time. like nico leaves camp like he said he would but grows out of his self loathing on his own. bwaaaahhhh

[thelikesofus]

current buddie wips by the-likesofus (thelikesofus on ao3)

in the process of trying to get inspired to write again i have made banners for all of my current buddie wips:

the sea speaks more honestly to those willing to drown - (pirate au)

It's Only Been a Moment (It's Only Been a Lifetime) - (orphan au)

Platonic Co-Parents Don't Kiss Like We Do - (5+1 Kisses Outsider POV)

Cupid Works Hard (kameron works harder) - (besties babies fic)

Buck's Bad Hair Day (Eddie's Worst Nightmare) - (FREE THE CURLS)

Ask me about them and I may share some snippets <3 xx

tagging some mutuals cos i'm so proud of these banners:

@spotsandsocks @hippolotamus @thekristen999 @lilbuddie @thosetwofirefighters @rogerzsteven @shortsighted-owl @911onabc @loveyourownsmiilee @tomlinpun @sibylsleaves @bidisasterbuckdiaz @jobairdxx @spaceprincessem @loserdiaz @eddiebabygirldiaz @monsterrae1 @bekkachaos @elvensorceress @queerbuckleys @saybiwithme @daffi-990 @honestlydarkprincess @wh0re-behavi0r @bucklikesboys

(let me know if you want to be added or removed from my tag list because there have been so many url changes haha xx)

[sinful-karateka]

I'll bite and talk about something that doesn't get enough spotlight in general, which are Demetri's and Eli's family life. So obviously several fic authors have their own twists and flavors to this, but if I may sell you something for a sec.

So far into the series, what we've got are these facts:

Demetri's Mom is the only family member to be mentioned in the show.

Eli's parents were mentioned a couple of times.

That should be enough context to deduce two things:

Demetri could be an only child to a single mother, and;

Eli's parents involve themselves in the stuff that he does — including karate, who knows — though they tend to be tone deaf with his actual needs.

There's strong evidence to why the boys act the way they act (brain functions notwithstanding, but this isn't the post for that), which is why I think these deductions make sense. How their hypothetical upbringing is part and parcel to how characters behave in this series. Of course societal influence comes in second because obviously you've got a show that encourages learning karate as defense against bullies, but this show is also about generational chains and traumas! So why wouldn't their home life inform the way it informs the LaRusso's, Lawrence's, and Nichols'? But I digress.

In the span of the entire series, I've held onto this headcanon that Demetri's neuroticism and ability to anticipate his actions carefully stem from a household that needs these systems in place, much more for someone who likes to be on top of things. Since he's just a student, the only authoritative figure who can make executive decisions... is his mom. Add to the fact that she may be a working mom, so when Demetri tells Daniel about certain restrictions in learning karate, what could have made her decide to just write a letter instead vs. taking the time out to go with his son herself? I know I know it's narrative writing but like do you seeeee where I'm at here

Eli's family life is by far gave us early indications of his dynamic with his mother — but not so a father — in earlier seasons. It's possible that his mom is a stay-at-home one, but if I were to push the bounds of this box even further, I'd even speculate that she's retired early if it meant that Eli's dad is the one making most of the living. Like of course they'd get mad at Hawk for getting a tattoo at his age, I think any parent would! But the way he tells Aisha to exclude him from her stories tells us that there's not a lot that his parents know about the life he lives as Hawk. At this point we all know the kind of effort it takes to successfully carry it out because he has to go home every night. It's either he a) puts in a lot of effort into concealing this identity once he gets home, or b) his parents are rarely ever home, which again, feeds into another assumption that maybe Mrs. Moskowitz works certain hours.

All we know is they're never around a whole lot for these boys, which is sad! and also again, very Indicative of their classification as awkward nerds pre- and early karate. When I read along certain fics that consider and include how the rest of their characters besides the found families they've formed, it gives much more depth and potency to writing them, their flaws, and how they think.

For all we know, Mrs. Alexopoulos could be a lesbian making fun of her son for not slinging pussy like she does being rizzless unlike her, but don't let me explain that when we have @demetriandelibinaryboyfriends!

[renabe4life]

Something feels off as he goes through the motions, and it's not just that his neck is stiff from sleeping funny. Or that his knee still faintly hurts from knocking it against the tub last night. No surprise there, probably sporting the start of a lovely bruise.

Splashing water on his face, he then reaches for the hand towel. Fingers clutch at air, find an empty ring where one usually hangs. Odd, he remembers it being there yesterday. He shakes hands out over the sink, lets his face drip a few moments more before turning around to grab one from the shelf. Nearly empty. Right, he thinks as he dries his face. He'd done a load of wash last night.

Hopefully got all the blood out.

Blood…?

He drops the towel from his face, eyes darting to the tub. In the dim morning light that filters in through the window, he can see that it is half full with water. And it hits him like a truck that there ought be something else in there too.

[fantastic-nonsense]

good morning, everyone! At long last, the first chapter of the knife fic is finally up! I hope you all enjoy it!

When Inej left the golden halls of her personal hell days after her fifteenth birthday, she flinched at the shadows. Two years later, the Wraith of Ketterdam made others flinch at her shadow instead. There were countless moments that forged the woman she would become, endless memories of late night stakeouts and heart-pounding fights that marked her time with the Dregs. But the remaking of Inej Ghafa began with a knife and an order to “be useful.” Or: The story of how Inej acquires her knives, keeps her faith, and reclaims herself in the two years between leaving the Menagerie and the job that changed her life.

[ribbononline]

New fic by @silverjirachi out wahoo wahoo! Go support it!!

[solar-halos]

i’m coming for another one of yall this mood board monday. this one is for you and me on the rock by @the-sun-and-the-sea

[shubaka]

The Wiꓘed Lies We Live  - Chapter 9

Pairing: KimChay (eventually) Warnings/tags:  Canon-typical violence, bodyswap au, slow burn   Chapter summary:  The more they learn, the less they know To start from the beginning (x)

*shoves this chapter into a bottle and tosses it gently into a river* be free~

[captain-is-king]

finished the book. tj klune really said “bigots don’t deserve civility” and he was right! i don’t know how i feel about zoe being the fucking queen of the sprites???? like i’m not upset with this twist by any means DO NOT GET ME WRONG and there were small hints (“the island used to be bigger”) but i think i was just caught off guard by it! like all of a sudden mud men were calling her your majesty and i was like hold up!! anyway i loved the book and i do love the ending i think it just wasn’t what i expected!! so i need a minute to like settle into that ending and fully appreciate it. by a minute i mean im going to reread both books and scour them for clues and also just to read them as a duology now.

that being said incredible fucking book incredible fucking sequel. sal’s development from book one to now? insane. i love him so so so so so much. i adore sal i love him he’s such a good character. chauncey is even funnier in this book. lucy and thalia are the same dynamic chaos duo that i know and love. PHEE got some development too which i LOVE and i was obsessed with theodore saying things to marblemaw and the kids translating it to vastly different things. PEAK comedy and im so glad our sweet loveable wyvern is sassy as hell.

also it took me until literally the wedding but i realized the person david reminds me of is STEVEN FUCKING UNIVERSE. like. same energy. magical theater kids.

[doverstar]

working on something new. keep forgetting to eat, I’m so excited about it

[purplebass]

I generated Kell and Lila as Funkos and the outcomes aren't so bad! I wish they were real but they are just AI creations. The first Kell came out with a mustache, and you should all see him because it's fun lmao the other Lilas are also cute and I asked her to have a knife, no idea why it generated a sword but anyways

[marswasnothere]

Thinkin about merperson shark max and marine biologist daniel

[thelikesofus]

Very curious about 🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️ and 🤡🤡

Heres a little of each then for you friend xx

“What’s this?” Buck asks, unwrapping the parcel to reveal two of the bread rolls they made earlier.  “For Eddie,” Bobby says. “He wasn’t at dinner, he’ll be up in the crow's nest.”  “Bobby, I–, he–.” Surely he can’t be suggesting that Buck take the food to Eddie. Eddie, the captain who—for some inexplicable reason—hated Buck on sight and who Buck has barely seen hide or hair of since that first night on deck. “He’ll be hungry. He’s not going to turn you away if you have food.” Bobby grins and ushers him out the door. “Off you go, watch your step climbing up, okay?”

Buck glances panicked at his reflection in the steam-coated mirror. His hair is rapidly drying and soon he will be fighting a losing battle between the Los Angeles humidity and the frizzy mop on his head. He lunges for the bottle at the back of the cabinet, he thinks it’s curl cream or something similar. Maddie gifted it to him months ago and though he hasn’t really used it much, it smells nice and should hopefully help to hold the curly clumps together, at least until he can check his locker at the fire station for his spare gel.

make me write

[praetorqueenreyna]

devour, Eris Week Day 3: Fire

YES I am a day late, NO I do not want to hear about it. Time is fake. Anyway, please enjoy some Tamris Calanmai shenanigans!

@erisweek2023

Read here on AO3!!!

A steady drumbeat filled the air, vibrating every molecule in Eris’s body. Hundreds of faeries milled about in the glade ahead of him. The bonfires scattered over the hillside cast a harsh orange light on everyone’s face and threw monstrous shadows on the grass. Some fae were dancing, their bodies twisting in time with the rhythmic pulse of the drum. It was no wonder the humans feared fae as something otherworldly. There was a certain allure to the primal ritual.

In Autumn, Fire Night was a dull affair. The High Lord presided over a singular bonfire, and fae lined up to throw pieces of paper on which they had written their sins into the flames. It was meant to be a symbolic night of atonement and rebirth. However, like most other Autumn Court holidays, it was stuffy and somber. This was what it meant to be fae. Wild. Uninhibited. Free.

Eris lingered at the edge of the celebration, content to simply watch for now. High Fae and lesser fae socialized freely. Many wore provocative, colorful clothing that exposed more than it covered. Many also wore nothing at all. It was overwhelming in the best way. The magic of the evening was already affecting him; he was feverishly hot and his heart was pounding in time with the everpresent drum.

“You came!” A voice sweet as honey exclaimed in his ear. Tamlin was grinning, his youthful joy at odds with the sensual energy of the rite. He was a character right out of a human fairytale. HIs long silk hair was wild and intertwined with flowers, and vines with bioluminescent buds were woven around his antlers, creating a sparkling network of stars. His only article of clothing was a pair of green pants. His torso and feet were bare. It was the first time Eris had seen him without any weapons strapped to his hip or across his chest.

Some time ago, after multiple conversations between their fathers that neither of them were invited to be a part of, Tamlin had been dumped on Eris as a prince-in-progress. They hoped that Eris would be able to teach the Spring Lord’s youngest some courtly manners, and strengthen the relationship between the two courts. Tamlin had been belligerent at first, but he quickly learned that Eris loathed his father as much as Tamlin loathed his, and soon after settled on them being friends. It was obvious that Tamlin needed court training in any capacity. Not only was he stubborn and brash, but he was far too trusting. It would have been ridiculously easy for Eris to take advantage of Tamlin’s naiveté. Somehow, Eris found Tamlin endearing. He reminded Eris of his smokehounds: loyal, a little dumb, but too sweet to even raise a voice against.

However, something shifted the first time they had sparred against each other. He knew that Tamlin spent most of his time in his father’s war band, but was under the impression that he was there for his name only, likely sitting in a tent giving orders to soldiers that were completely ignored. When they fought, Eris glimpsed the well of power that Tamlin carefully concealed. The Spring prince contained multitudes that not even his family was aware of. It was intoxicating.

Tamlin had mentioned Calanmai during their last meeting, casually describing the decadent orgy in a way that would have had any Autumn Court nobles blushing. He lowered his voice when he talked about the male he had bedded the previous year: a water nymph who had dragged him to the bottom of the lake and breathed air into his lungs so that they could fuck for hours without coming to the surface. Hot jealousy had roiled in Eris’s gut, and when Tamlin had suggested that Eris visit the event for himself, he knew that he was going to go. He had waved it off and implied that he could not promise anything, but he would go.

And now he was here, the magic of the evening skittering under his skin like a myriad of insects. He understood why the attending fae wore so little clothing. The rasp of fabric against his hypersensitive skin was painful. Tamlin was obviously affected as well; a red flush spread across his muscled chest and up to the tips of his ears.

The drumbeat changed from a slow pounding to a faster staccato. Tamlin grabbed Eris’s hand. “He’s back, the rite is starting!” Eris allowed himself to be dragged towards the bulk of the crowd. Fae gathered around the opening of a cave, jostling for space. Lining the path leading up to the cave’s mouth were two dozen women, kneeling patiently on the ground. Furthest from the cave’s entrance was Tamlin’s mother, Melena, poised as delicately as a marble statue.

Tamlin’s father, Theon, emerged from the nearby woods. Magic flickered around him, striking the ground with sparks. A white stag was draped across his shoulders. The creature’s slit throat spilled blood down Theon’s body. He carelessly dropped the stag on the ground, ignoring the priestesses that scurried in to prepare it for sacrifice. His head tilted towards the sky, nostrils flaring, already eager for the next stage of the rite. The drums were pounding so quickly there was no time between one beat and the next. Eris’s heartbeat had sped up to match it.

Theon prowled to the beginning of the line of maidens. With preternatural speed, he swooped down and picked up his wife, throwing her over his shoulders where the stag had lay only moments before. As the Spring Lord made his way to the cave, Eris wondered if he ever picked somebody other than his mate. The lack of surprise and disappointment among the other females suggested that he didn’t.

“C’mon, let’s dance!” Eris tore his attention away from the cave’s entrance, where a curtain had dropped into place to hide whatever was going on inside from the view of the revelers. Tamlin had been holding onto his hand this whole time, and he used it to once again pull Eris to the heart of the celebration. They joined the mass of bodies writhing around the largest bonfire. The carnal magic of the rite pulsated through the glade, increasing in strength with the activities going on in the cave. The fae around them began to grope and grind, frantically seeking partners to help them succumb to the primitive urge the rite compelled them to.

Somehow, Eris had ended up in Tamlin’s arms. He had lost his tunic and shoes along the way, and the twine holding his hair back had fallen out. Tamlin’s hands were on his waist, searing hot against Eris’s bare flesh. The Spring prince’s eyes were glazed with lust. His body was tense, fighting to keep from unleashing the full force of his desire. Eris didn’t want him to fight.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” Eris suggested. It was his turn to take Tamlin by the hand as he led them into the woods. Some of the more bashful fae had also retreated to the shelter of the forest. The sounds of pleasure echoed through the trees, bolstering Eris’s own lust. There was a single rational thought left in his head, which was that he and Tamlin could absolutely, under no circumstances, be seen. Still, the second that they were far enough from everyone that they could no longer hear the festivities, Eris pulled Tamlin into a hungry kiss. Tamlin opened up to him,devouring, threatening to overwhelm him. He wasn’t the only one craving more. Eris bit Tamlin on the lip, hard enough to bleed. Tamlin growled and slammed Eris back against the nearest tree.

“Fuck, yes,” Eris moaned. The sharp sting of bark digging into the naked skin on his back only intensified his pleasure. He repeated the litany over and over as Tamlin sank to his knees in front of him. He gazed up at Eris with emerald eyes, worshipfully taking in how Eris fell apart in his hands.

“Fuck yes, fuck yes, fuck, fuck FUCK!”

Eris woke up in an unfamiliar bed with a headache. Not an unusual occurrence for him, unfortunately. He glanced around, taking stock of his surroundings. The room was sparsely decorated with green drapings and furniture. Weapons of all kind were hung on the walls and scattered across every surface. Next to him slept a naked god with golden hair. The flowers and vines that had decorated Tamlin were scattered in the bed. He must have winnowed them back to his bedroom in the manor, just before Eris had fallen asleep, sated.

Tamlin shifted and mumbled in his sleep. Eris traced his fingers along that talented mouth, wondering what the daylight would bring. The magic of Calanmai was a convenient excuse to ignore everything and go back to the way things were. It would be the right thing to do. Anything beyond a quick fuck would spell disaster for both of them. Eris wasn’t sure he wanted that though.

The mouth beneath his fingers twitched. “I can tell you’re awake,” Eris admonished, smiling despite himself. Tamlin opened his eyes and stretched, his back arching so deliciously that Eris was sure he was doing it on purpose.

“Good morning,” he mumbled. He pulled Eris in for a long, luxurious kiss. Eris tangled his fingers in the other male’s hair, deciding that whatever they needed to talk about, it could wait.