Logs:Sip it Slowly
| Sip it Slowly | |
|---|---|
| Dramatis Personae | |
| In Absentia | 2024-04-06 "Is there an itinerary?" (followed by devouring.) |
| Location
<PAR> Hôtel d'Évreux - Le Marais | |
This is the penthouse suite of an 18th century hôtel particulier, beautifully restored in old Marais style and now an eco-friendly luxury B&B (Air and otherwise). Despite being in the heart of the bustling Marais district, the building is set entre cour et jardin, affording guests some privacy and quiet in the lovely courtyard and gardens within the establishment's venerable walls. The suite's antique furnishings harmonize with thoughtfully designed modern comforts. There is a charming salon, a full kitchen for guests who wish to prepare their own meals, a capacious bathroom with a large recessed tub in mosaic tile, an airy bedroom with a super-king sized bed. Double doors open from the bedroom out onto an expansive rooftop terrace with stunning views of the Seine and various monuments and landmarks, including, of course, the iconic Eiffel Tower. It may be very early in New York, but here it's a glorious noontime, bright and mild. It's sunny out on the terrace, where an immense brunchtime feast has been set out -- lemon blueberry waffles with maple cream drizzle, spicy cajun grits with crumbles of beyond sausage, a potato hash loaded with peppers and onions and mushrooms, flaky croissants and small delicate fruit tarts, tall flutes of bellinis and mugs of kona coffee. Ryan is just finishing folding a second napkin into an elegant lotus-like fold to set neatly on the table. He's dressed today in a spread-collar button-down with upturned cuffs in blue-green duochrome lamé with gold buttons, the first few of which are open to expose the black mesh tank underneath, black wide-legged pants with a wealth of gold buckles, zippers, and rings--more of which are functional than one might guess--and heavy industrial boots whose external hardware may be less functional, but have a custom internal frame cleverly integrated with his leg braces; his forearm crutches are leaning up against one of the garden trellises that frames the breathtaking view. Somewhere in the very early part of the world, someone has followed his instructions well, probably with the assistance of several alarms. No sooner has Ryan finished setting the table than is he joined by -- -- Spence in his Saturday best, standing behind Matt with his hands over his passenger's eyes. The ease with which he does this really underlines how tall he's gotten. He's beaming with pride at the rare opportunity to help Ryan and show off his newly developed powers to Matt. Or, newly developed confidence in his powers, anyway. "Et voila!" he says brightly, pulling his hands away and gesturing expansively at...all of Paris! "Isn't this romantic?" he asks, a none-too-subtle and almost certainly unnecessary attempt to help Ryan even further. You know, just in case his date hasn't noticed they're in the City of Love. And then he's blipping -- -- just across the table to throw his arms around Ryan. "Oh my gosh this looks amazing! He's so lucky, and you're so lucky I have Shacharit or I'd be tempted to mooch." He looks at the view again, then back at the two men. "Alright, you boys have fun, now!" There's just a touch of Sarabeth Holland in this instruction. "Be safe, text me if you need anything, and shabbat shalom!" With that and an enthusiastic wave that looks a little undignified for a strapping young man in a sharp black suit, he's -- -- gone again, leaving Matt as the only visible evidence he was ever there. Blinking in the light, Matt breaks into a delighted smile that he only partly obscures with one hand as he's turning to take in the cityscape laid out around them. His answer to Spence's question, though, doesn't come until he's come full circle and looking at Ryan. "It most certainly is." Whether it's obvious to Spence is an open question, but to Ryan his pleasure is loud and clear. He's dressed up, too, though not so very much by his recent standards: a light gray blazer over a green-and-gold brocade vest, seafoam green shirt, blue jeans, and black chelsea boots. "Thank you, darling, this is far more wonderful than you had led me to expect." There is laughter in and beneath the words, and a little relief, as well, for having dodged whatever Spence did lead him to expect. "Shabbat shalom!" After Spence has vanished again, he makes his way around the table--slow, admiring the spread as he goes. "It's so odd, jumping with him and not needing to help in the least." This speculation sounds mild, but there is a kind of wonder in it, too. He only looks back up at Ryan when they've come face to face. "And thank you, also," he murmurs, brushing a thumb over the other man's cheek. This expression of gratitude is soft with affection and flush with desire. He cups the back of Ryan's head and kisses him, a gentle press of lips that definitely wants to be harder. Ryan's expression lights immediately when Spence (and cargo) arrive. He lifts an arm, returning Spence's hug with a tight squeeze. "Man's already asked me out, I don't need a wingman now," he says with a fiercely cheerful flutter that makes his amused delight at this unsubtle assist clear all the same. "Shabbat shalom." He presses a kiss to the side of Spence's head, and his proud beaming smile has lingered after the boy has left. "-- I made extra for him 'case he did need to mooch," he admits freely to Matt. "Grown so big he ain't even need the rest stop anymore." By then Matt has made his way around to Ryan's side, and whatever he was to say next is cut off in favor of a kiss -- gentle only for a brief moment before he's leaning in harder, fiercer, his arm curling snug around the other man. Matt reciprocates eagerly, his fingers tightening at the back of Ryan's neck even as his other arm slips around to mirror the embrace. After a moment he pulls back just far enough for breath, but close enough that Ryan can still feel the curve of a smile ghosting against his lips, the laughter behind it deceptively soft for the sharp rending hunger it carries. "{You are a marvel, and Spence is quite right on all counts.}" His words are sultry and low, more of a rumble than a whisper along Ryan's cheek, then jaw, then neck. "{But it is deeply unfair of you to be so delectable when there's a feast that will grow cold if I neglect it to devour you.}" "{You were climbing the walls. Your ma's lovely but I was getting the feeling you were two seconds from torching the house out of sheer boredom if you spent another day in there with her.}" Ryan's head tips back, fingers curling tighter at the small of Matt's back. There's a palpable shiver of desire in the soft breath he lets out, thrumming not just in the small hum against Matt's lips but the heady empathic flutter it brings. He's tipping Matt's head up, kissing him again deep before pulling back with a sharp grin. "Good thing I only get hotter with the waiting then, mm?" "{We both take up a lot of space, Mother and I.}" There's a touch of self-deprecation in Matt's tone. Just a touch. "It might be better for everyone's sanity if I went back to work soon." Not that soon, though, he's busy melting against Ryan. If it hurts his pride that the kiss leaves him breathless this time, there's no hint of it in his voice. "Of course you do, you absolute scoundrel." He's reluctant to pull away and take his seat, but seems mollified by the first sip of coffee. "Spence certainly spun me a tangled web, but an effective one given I wound up expecting teenaged hijinx and not..." He encompasses the view and the table and Ryan with an elegant sweep of his hand. "So, what's on the Manic Pixie Dream Itinerary? Is there an itinerary?" Ryan leans back in his seat, tipping his head back to look at the view with a smile bright as though he's seeing it for the first time. "Itinerary, psh. I threw this whole weekend together on a whim." There's a light amusement in his voice, here. "--Buuut we do have to be done here by three or we'll miss our first --" This dangles in the air for just a moment as he sips at his own coffee. "-- well. You best eat up. You'll need the energy for the properly full grown hijinx we got coming." | |
