Unusual Show of Affection

[repost]

UNUSUAL SHOW OF AFFECTION shipping meme You don't have to give this person anything to prove you care. But maybe you want to; it's an easy way of letting them know your affection and telling them you're open to a relationship. If you're already with your love interest, a gift might just remind them of your feelings. Most would give flowers or chocolate or offer up a night of quality time or chores done. Those are the usual. You're not usual yourself. Neither is the person you're with...or want to be with. You'll have to go for the unusual. So whether it's building your crush a robot to ask them out, making your friend-or-possibly-more the best fifteen course meal they've ever had, or teaching your significant other to be the strongest ninja warrior, go big or go home. Or go where it's natural, given how unconventional you can be. Comment with your character, canon, and any info. Be sure to include whether you want to play out an unestablished or established relationship, and what your character would give to another- ie, their gift, their gesture, service, skill, etc. Reply to others. Thread!

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[meravas]

Not water, [ he huffs, arms crossing over his expansive chest. He'd gone through a lot to get that stuff for him, so rude. ]

I was here and there. Around. [ A small beat. ] Why?

[footsies]

[ A flicker of a smile and Dorian settles on the bed, idly rolling it back and forth in his hand. ]

Well, if you could just summon water - or, ah, not water, you'd have been halfway useful.

[ The snark sounded better in his head, truthfully. Dorian moves to uncap it, glancing up at him. ]

Are you going to tell me what it is? Usually 'vints aren't in the habit of drinking things strange Qunari bring them. Shortens one's lifespan.

[meravas]

I'm sure the same could be said for being fucked by a Qunari.

[ Bull moves to the chair next to the bed that had bee vacated, lowering himself to the edge, arms resting comfortably on his thighs. ]

Your choices are drinking it or having it massaged near the base of your skull. It's... meant to help you. With sleeping.

[ He'd taken a whiff of it earlier, something like lavender with hints of peppermint. ]

[footsies]

What? That wouldn't have helped out in the desert at all. Sand in all sorts of uncomfortable places.

[ Still. Dorian eyes the little vial, then the huge Qunari taking up an absurd amount of space in his bedroom, and pursed his lips. A gift.

Once, he might have snipped, asked what he expected him to do with this. What he wanted from Dorian in return for this - was it bribery?

Now, he uncaps it and hesitates, glancing at him. ] Which is the actual, intended use?

[meravas]

[ Bull really doesn't want to be seen as some kind of a mother hen - too late. He pushes out a heavy sigh and sits up straighten in the seat, lips thinning as he presses them together. ]

I already told you.

[footsies]

No, I - [ Dorian makes a frustrated noise, but is careful not to drop the vial as he gestures. ] Which is better. Drinking it, or the alternative.

[meravas]

As much as I'd love to get my hands on you, drinking it might work faster.

[ Or maybe not, maybe the massage with the liquid would help wind the mage down enough that he would completely pass out.

Bull waves a hand. ]

Or you pick.

[footsies]

As if you need a potion to manage that. [ Dorian snorts, uncapping it and downing the whole thing. It tastes like...well, sort of like those tiny sweets you get in Orlais, but with an undercurrent of chalk. How miserable.

He runs his tongue over his teeth when it's done, grimacing a touch, and settles the vial aside on the table, reaching for a second bottle. It's tiny, purple and mostly full, but he plunks it into Bull's hands expectantly. ]

How convenient, you can do both, if you've nothing better to do.

[meravas]

[ He could only smirk, quietly agreeing with the other man about that. He watches as he tosses his head back to swallow everything and catches the little grimace. Huh, must have tasted different from how it smelled. Oh well, as long as it did the job and Bull could leave him knowing he would finally be able to rest properly and catch up on it.

Dorian wouldn't be a useful asset to the team if he walked around half-dead with sleep and fatigue weighing his reflexes and sharp wit. ]

I shouldn't be surprised, [ Bull barks a quiet laugh, lopsided grin in place. Killing two birds with one stone, sounds good. ] I'm not.

Shirt off, then. [ He's rising out of the chair and moves to the bed, waiting for him to strip and get on the bed, pulling the sheets back. ]

[footsies]

[ It reminds him of drinking that awful wine he'd gotten at a bar on the way out from Tevinter. Smelled lovely - the taste left a lot to be desired. Besides, he doesn't much care if it tastes like moldy mabari or dirt, at this point. The idea behind it is him getting some sleep and he's tired enough that he's not going to argue, for once. ]

A shame you were never taught words such as please, [ Dorian sighs it, stripping out of the tunic, leaving it in a loosely folded pile by the bed, already climbing in. He'll owe him a favor after this, and while he hates owing favors, a massage in return certainly isn't the worst thing he's ever owed someone. ]

[meravas]

I have other ways of saying please.

[ With the tunic stripped away and Dorian climbing into the bed to lay out, Bull's eyes wander. Of course they do, but they roam in appraisal, admiring the nudity, the play of muscle under tight skin he takes to worshiping some nights. A low rumble in his throat and Bull follows, regretfully pulling the sheets up to Dorian's hips, covering them as he climbs onto the bed and kneels above him.

The oil is shaken and poured into a hand, set aside and then worked into his hands to get them ready. Fingers wiggling Bull leans down and both hands press lightly to just under his ribcage, the heels of his palms pushing gently into the muscle and dragging up to between his shoulder blades. Slowly he works the oil into the skin, taking his time, keeping the sweeping motions of his hands in the massage slow and careful.

He's not doing this to seduce him, he's doing it to help him fall asleep. ]

[footsies]

With your mouth is terribly common, why would you want to do that? Be as different as you like, hm?

[ There's a severe lack of biting sarcasm to his tone, though. He's too tired to have it, too tired to care. Instead, he shifts as the sheets get pulled up and stretches out languidly, letting Bull climb up behind him. The bed creaks and groans in protest at the additional weight concentrated there, but it holds as it always does.

Soon enough, there's the pop of a bottle and the slow glide of over-large hands sliding up his skin and there's absolutely no holding back the startled groan that slips out of Dorian's mouth as they work over him. He loves Bull's hands, for all that he mocks sometimes. They're even better right now - arguably his favorite part of him, though he's clearly biased as the hands dig into his muscles, slow and steady. ]

Maker, you aren't terrible at this.

[meravas]

What was that? [ He speaks up as he sweeps his hands back down along the muscle. ] Don't think I caught what you just said.

[ Sweeping his palms up to his shoulders again, Bull rotates his hands to cover over the muscle in the slopes of his neck leading down into his shoulders, gripping lightly as his thumbs dig in. The oil helps a lot with the gliding motions and there's something damn hot and enjoyable to be had with feeling the other man's flesh slicked up under his palms. ]

[footsies]

I was composing a religious text, this time featuring your fingers. At least one part of you is bearable.

[ That's a Maker-damned lie and they both know it, but it's easier to fall into this habit, the habit of poking and prodding, bantering back and forth. It's nowhere near as sharp as normal, not when he's melting into the blankets, letting out a choked moan when Bull's hands slide slick over the tense muscles in his neck, his whole body tensing and then releasing as he works. ]

Just- there, there.

[meravas]

There's more than that and you know it.

[ That choked moan feels almost pulled out of him, pulled like on a string by his fingers. It's arousing in more ways than one and Bull answers it on a low groan, sticking to the one area as ordered. His thumbs dig in, roll over the slick skin. They tease and yet work at the tensed knot, and then his hands drag down the slope of Dorian's spine until reaching his lower back to the rise of his ass. ]

[footsies]

Maybe a few others.

[ Dorian doesn't need to specify anything, which is good, because he doesn't think he could right then, too busy stretching out, groaning when Bull's hands drag over his skin. Rough fingers press into a knot and then drag down, dragging another ragged little groan out of him, hips arching, ass pushing up into his hands. ]

I can be persuaded to change my mind and add a few to the list, though.

[meravas]

[ If that isn't one hell of an arousing sight and those sounds, Bull doesn't know what is. His hands lower down along his ass as he shifts back with the movement, getting a good grip on them, squeezing at the muscles and flesh. He dips his thumbs in between the cheeks, teasing him with a press and skim. Or maybe the both of them. ]

I'm sure that's doable.

[footsies]

Mmm, well, that's good.

[ His heartbeat speeds up despite himself, the same way it always does when their conversations or interactions turn to something a little less innocent. There's no longer the fear that they're going to kill each other or that Bull's waiting to shove him off a cliff; there's no fear now, turning his back on the man. Instead, he tilts his head back and gives him a sleepy smile, an eyebrow raised in challenge. ]

What did you have in mind?