simplepuzzle | Aquatic AU

He sort of crumples in Chuck's touch, thumbs soothing some of the tension out of his body. His hands clutch at Chuck's sides, hands twisting in the material of his shirt.

"You can't stay on land," he mumbles, eyes closing. "I would never keep you here and you don't belong here." And he obviously can't go with Chuck, he'll drown.

"I can have both, you giant dumb." Chuck tweaks a strand of Raleigh's hair. "I stayed on land with Sam because he forced me to, I could never return as long as he had my skin. You won't take my skin, I could come and go."

And no, he wouldn't be there all the time, but he'd still be Raleigh's. And Raleigh would be his.

"I love you too, stupid human." He kisses his forehead, still holding onto his face.

"I would never," he repeats, shivering when Chuck tugs at his hair. "Would you...want that?"

Raleigh works, he works hard and it shows - his everything hurts, there's lines in his face, and he feels like he's eighty. He's strong though, strong and as healthy as he can be, but he's not...sure Chuck really wants someone as busted as he is.

As far as coming and going...Raleigh could live with that. He'd worry when Chuck was gone, but he'd never stop him leaving.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

He slides his arms around Raleigh's shoulders and presses a quick kiss to his lips.

"I loved you when I was fourteen and I hated you when I was eighteen," he says against his mouth. "And then you were back and I couldn't decide if I loved you or hated you." Feelings are hard.

"...do you want this?" he asks, a little hesitant and ready to book it if he doesn't.

The kiss is too brief and fleeting for Raleigh, but until he's compeltely sure how Chuck feels, he won't push for more.

"I've been in love with you since that kiss," he admits, wrapping his arms tighter around Chuck. "I want this. I want you."

He sighs against Chuck's lips.

"How do you feel now?" He's pretty sure chuck doesn't hate him but it's good to make sure.

"I said I love you," he reminds him, sliding his fingers into his hair and grinning. "How many times do you want to hear it? I think there's a finite number of times per year, you'd better ration."

But after Chuck's finished kissing you, because he's done that a grand total of twice and they've got a decade and a half to make up for.

"I'm used to rationing," he says, holding Chuck tight, "but this, I don't think I can negotiate on. I want to hear it every day, as often as possible."

He meets Chuck for the kiss and sighs into it, tongue flicking over his lips, tasting salt and sea and perfection.

"Selfish humans," Chuck teases, nipping at Raleigh's lower lip. "You're all alike."

He stops any protest Raleigh might have with another kiss, sucking his tongue into his mouth and pressing him against the wall. He'd like to sink into Raleigh's warmth, to drag him into his bed and not let him come out until he goes a full five minutes without frowning.

Maybe some of them, yes. And Raleigh probably would've protested but he's distracted by Chuck's taste, by his presence, but the feel of being pushed against the wall and soundly kissed.

His hands slide up and find their way into Chuck's hair, gently gripping, a sigh leaking out in the brief moments their lips part.

Chuck doesn't feel the need to add 'except for you' to placate Raleigh, especially not when he's leaning into his hands and breathing out in short gasps in the scant moments they separate to breathe.

He could just keep doing this, just this, wrap himself up in Raleigh and kiss him for hours.

...but they could also move to the bed and progress that'd be all right too.

Chuck is so gorgeous Raleigh can hardly stand it. He sighs, pulls him in for another sweet kiss that has all the beginnings of something deeper, something a little more desperate. He rocks his hips against him, parts his lips again, groans into his mouth--

And the kettle he'd set on the stove starts to shriek that the water is ready.

Chuck is so involved with Raleigh, his mouth and his body, pressing eagerly against the man, that the shriek of the kettle has him jump away in surprise.

He snorts when he realizes what it is and tosses his head, scrubbing a hand through his hair.

Raleigh's startled but when he realizes what it is he actually laughs, squeezes Chuck's hip and brushes their lips together again before wriggling away from the all so he can pour two cups of water.

"I got earl grey. That okay?"

"That's fine."

Does Raleigh really still want tea?

He's distracted yes, but they should...talk, right? About things? About where they go from here and what happens and--

Nghhh.

Fuck the tea.

He marches right back over to Chuck and sweeps him into his arms, crushing their mouths together in a desperate, bruising kiss.

Talking is overrated.

He makes a sound against Raleigh's mouth, arms sliding around his waist. "I wondered," he groaned into Raleigh's lips, gripping his sweater and bunching it under his hands. "What it'd be like with you."

Screw the sweater. Raleigh's pulling it over his head and dropping it on the floor. He's just in a wifebeater under it, lump underneath indicating he still wears his tags, even though he's no longer military.

"What do you think so far?" He murmurs, mouth moving from Chuck's gorgeous, plush lips to his neck, teeth scraping over skin.

"--Fuck," he was about to answer you before you started doing that you impatient human. Chuck sags back against the wall, mouth open as Raleigh ravages his neck.

"Not, not bad," he pants, sliding his palms over Raleigh's back. "Not what I pictured."

Because he didn't really picture anything concrete.

If Raleigh wants to take a step back, Chuck might take a layer off.

Not bad, hmm. Raleigh's gonna have to do better than that, then. She sucks sharply on that gorgeous neck, licking the salt from his skin before he pulls back, hands squeezing his hips.

"Bedroom...?"

"Bedroom," Chuck agrees, unzipping his sweatshirt and shrugging it off his shoulder.

....there are several layers to go through.

That's okay. Raleigh will peel them all off with his teeth if he must.

He takes Chuck's hand, guides him into the tiny bedroom and sits on the edge of the bed with a sigh. He aches, he always aches and he leans over to tug his boots off with a groan.

Might be important to note that he's considerably scarred up - there's a reason he always wears sweaters and long sleeves.

Chuck keeps his skin folded up and wrapped around his waist like a belt, and though he might hesitate, he will trust Raleigh to slide it off of him.

He does frown and reach for the side of Raleigh that's scarred, running his fingertips over the scars with a light touch.

He shivers when Chuck touches him, heat rising to his cheeks and he glances away, hands curling on Chuck's hips, thumbs brushing the hem of his shirt.

"Shrapnel."

"You wanna talk about it?"

If he doesn't that's okay. Chuck'll just move his mouth down his arm.

"Not now. Later."

Because Chuck is incredibly distracting and talking about old war wounds and trauma isn't what he wants to deal with right now.

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