Say it (Michael/Dare)

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael watched Dare's face, his eyes trailing over the lines slowly, taking in how every part was held then, after a few long moments, taking in the expression as a whole. It made his lips curve softly and his eyes glitter, "I don't have a problem with it." Though it was obvious in the way he relaxed with the touches, in the expression on his face. His hand came away from Dare's hair to rest his elbow on the floor, letting his forearm lay on his stomach.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's soft smile didn't fade, but only softened further as he played the feather lightly against Michael's jaw, then down, slowly making its way to that spot on his neck that was so wonderfully sensitive. "Do you have a problem with this?" Dare murmured, swirling the feather's soft tip against Michael's neck. His gaze lifted to Michael's, and his eyes shone in echo of the sparkle he saw there. He loved being able to do this, to affect Michael this way. To be able to play without disguising what he felt, and knowing that Michael felt it too.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

A pleasant shiver ran through Michael's body, racing up and down his spine as the feather moved. Then his eyes closed and his hand tightened slightly at Dare's back. He let out a long, low sigh and forced his eyes to open long enough to speak, "Do I look like I have a problem?" he asked with a small grin, before his eyes fell closed again and he shifted slightly against Dare.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare gave a low chuckle at that, his hand continuing the slow motion of the feather as he watched Michael. He wanted to memorize this look, this moment, wanted to immortalize this feeling in his mind. Dare shifted slightly as well, making himself more comfortable against Michael. He didn't answer in words, knowing they'd just be a distraction, but continued moving the quill lightly, but purposefully against Michael's neck. His gaze slipped down, past his hand to Michael's body while his eyes were closed. His mind wandered ahead of him to other things he wanted to do with that feather, but he said nothing, and tried nothing. Just yet, anyway.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Having his eyes closed made every touch more obvious to Michael, he felt each stroke tenfold from nerves anticipating movements. He found his hand inching its way down to the edge of Dare's shirt, then back up underneath the cloth to spread out over the smooth skin of Dare's back. It was a small way of giving back some of the sensations he was feeling, of repaying, though Michael also gained from the touch, that bit of connection adding to the intimacy.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare inhaled deeply at the feel of Michael's hand against his skin, his eyes ever so slightly hazy as they lifted to Michael's again, as he slowly exhaled. Dare shifted again, rearranging his weight just enough to bring up his other hand, leaving his elbow propped on the rug. He brought that hand against Michael's chest, smoothing up toward the collar even as the feather continued its distracting motions. Dare's tongue moistened suddenly dry lips as he considered, but didn't yet act, part of him hoping Michael wouldn't notice, even while some secret part hoped he would.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael noticed, but didn't connect the action with anything to make him want to stop Dare, and so tried to let himself feel it while most of his concentration was still on the feather at his neck. His hand started to move lightly on Dare's back, his fingers stroking absently, his mind too focused on the feel of the feather to truly think about how his hand was moving. It was nice to be so relaxed after the extreme up and down of the day so far, and he was enjoying it.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's blood was already warming, though another glance up at Michael's face confirmed that Michael was relaxed, half floating from the look of it. Dare watched him again, and slowed the motion of the feather just a bit, that part of him that couldn't seem to hold back anymore wanting to mesmerize Michael. When Dare's gaze dropped again, it was to the motion of his other hand, slow and light against the uppermost button of Michael's shirt. Something at the back of his mind hovered disapprovingly, but he shoved it aside. This was too good--even the possibility was too good--for him to want to feel anything but anticipation and hope.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's eyes stayed closed, barely noticing exactly what it was that Dare was doing. While he noticed the position of Dare's hand, he couldn't tell that a button was being undone at first. After a few moments, though, he realized, but part of him refused to stop it, rationalizing it by saying that they would see each other anyway when they went out to the lake later.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare couldn't imagine that Michael hadn't noticed, but he hadn't said anything, had made no move to stop him, so Dare went on, still slowly, and still playing the feather lightly against Michael's neck. He didn't intend more than a couple buttons, just teasing himself, really, but he couldn't resist. Dare's hand smoothed against Michael's chest, parting his shirt that small bit as he made his way to the next button. His body hummed with anticipation as he worked the button free, then shifted the feather from its perch at Michael's neck around to play against the skin he was exposing.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael pulled an eye open after taking in a deep breath from the brush of the feather against the sensitive skin. He couldn't stop the grin on his lips, though the nagging voice in the back of his head was putting off warning signals again. "Having fun?" he asked softly, his hand spreading across Dare's back and moved up slightly, exploring more of the skin.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

The look of rapt concentration on Dare's face was split open with a grin at Michael's words. He'd expected to get caught with that last move, though he hadn't been at all sure how Michael might react. Dare raised laughing eyes up to meet Michael's. "Do I even need to answer that?" he asked. Michael's hand at his back was strangely soothing, if incredibly intimate, considering what Dare was doing. Dare drew the feather down Michael's chest, a tease once he got to the still-closed part of Michael's shirt. His brow arched teasingly, then he brought the feather back up to the small expanse of skin to play again, his other hand resting on the third button as he absently contemplated.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael gave Dare a look, raising one eyebrow slightly though the grin was still on his face, almost a warning, but not quite. He didn't think that it was wrong, considering the promise of swimming, but there was such a difference between just seeing it and having the intimate contact that he wasn't completely sure how comfortable he would be with it. For the moment, though, he was fine, and could let himself enjoy it.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's gaze rose to Michael's again, thinking. He wanted to do this, and Michael looked interested, or at the least he wasn't objecting. He was just playing, he told himself as he slipped the next button free, and the next, parting Michael's shirt at last to expose the lean line of his torso. Dare plied the feather lightly against Michael, taking great satisfaction in every reaction he got. He wanted to kiss Michael again, wanted a lot of things actually, but held himself back, knowing that if he gave in, he'd probably end up going too far. He'd wanted too much lately, and he knew it. So Dare contented himself with light play, and when it was no longer enough, he shifted the quill in his hand and brought the tip lightly against Michael's chest, his lips curving as he signed his name against one pectoral muscle. "I think I've broken the quill in pretty nicely," he said softly, trying to give them a way out of a potentially intense moment.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael let out a long breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding while Dare signed his chest. Then he met Dare's eyes, "I'd say so." The whole experience had been nearly painfully intimate, but Michael was glad he hadn't stopped, that he had let Dare have some fun. "If you're going to break them all in like that I may have to buy more." He grinned and shifted slightly, releasing a small bit of the tension by stretching one arm up above his head.