extent | duplicitynet

I think this might just be your best idea yet.

[ he's always a bit tired these days, a little worn thin, a little sad. it's the sort of thing that's always in the background, thrumming away quietly. but in the moments like this, with his arms around nate and nate's lips on his, it's about as far from that sadness as he ever gets. nick's hand finds one of nate's, grips tight, and even if he takes a step away from the direction of the elevator, he still stays very close to nate. ]

Come on, let's get away from the crowd. I'll portal us there.

[ Nate's head gets messy sometimes. It's a tangle right now, has been since he met Hellboy one night and woke up a week later. It's the kind of tangle where he's never sure how any given day is going to be, whether he'll be calm or panicked, whether he'll want to bury it in work or drink it all away.

The thing is when he's not with Nick, he forgets how easy it feels. How warm it is, how good and right. It's like letting out a breath he's been holding or untying a knot in his mind. The tangle is still there but it matters less. Everything that seemed complicated before now seems simple. As simple as holding Nick's hand and letting him lead him away.

Nick can portal now. He grins and ducks his head, pleased by it. ]

Okay.

[ He keeps hold of them as they step clear, leaving the elevator crowd to deal with themselves. There's a bag slung over Nate's shoulder, though it's not that full. ]

You've been here before? Will they let Poppet come?

I don't usually bring pets. We can hide her, just in case.

[ portalling is one of those things that nick worked and worked and worked at, too nervous to even try it until he was certain he had the technique down--and now it's all he does. ragnor was pretty insistent that it was a sign of nick's greater capabilities; nick mostly just thinks that it's a hell of a lot easier to get around.

like now, when he can open up a door to ferry them out to the other side of the down with just a few steps. he doesn't cast the same way that ragnor does, the gestures are looser, less complicated, but the portal that opens up looks almost the same. if there's any differences, it's just that the green ringing the opening is deeper, sparking less, less...showy. nick's magic is never particularly showy. ]

There's definitely no room service, but I'm sure we can work around that. [ nick captures both of nate's hands this time, so that he can step backwards through that portal and lead nate through with him. ] And if Poppet gets bored I'll just fetch Chester for her.

[ Nate glances up at the glowing edges as they walk through. He continues, though, moving against Nick to kiss him again. ]

I love that you can do that now. Is your colour green? I didn't know that.

[ Makes sense, though. Plants, and all that. ]

What, like it's hard?

[ he says it with a bit of a grin, like nick wasn't very vocal about all of his concerns about learning to portal right up until he figured out how to do it. for a minute he's content to just step in nice and close, to kiss nate and tug their joined hands behind his back, to wind nate's arms around his waist. ]

I've never had a colour before, my magic doesn't normally do, like, all that. Kind of cool, right?

[ Nate takes the hint and pulls him in, smiling as their mouths hover close to each other. ]

Everyone has a colour. Green suits you, it's earthy. And it is cool.

[ He nuzzles closer, lips brushing Nick's neck. ]

Bet you won't walk anywhere anymore. Just...portal open, step through. It's very sexy magic, Nick.

Oh, not walking is very sexy, is it?

[ it's practically an automatic response at this point; nick feels nate's lips at his neck and it arches back to make more space for him. never mind that they're this close to getting a room, there will be plenty of time for that later. right now nick's only concern is the amused rumble in his voice, the hand that he reaches to hold onto nate's shoulder just because he can. ]

You know, if I knew you'd find it sexy, I would have learned how to do this months ago.

It's sexy. Magic is sexy, you're sexy.

[ It's hard for him to think of anything Nick's ever done that isn't. Nick doesn't have to be doing anything for Nate to want him. He could be sitting there, staring at nothing, not even aware he's being looked at, and he'd be sexy. He could be overwrought with work and doing a million things per second and he'd be sexy. It doesn't matter.

Nate slides his arms around him, squeezing him close.. ]

I could just give you a cuddle here. We don't even need a room.

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