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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 15:31:56 GMT -5
Markise was lost. There was no better way to put it. He'd gotten his foot stuck in a trick step, and not only was he not even sure where he was, but the stairwell and the corridors attached to it were both deserted. Markise had brought out his wand and tried zapping the stair, but apparently that spell only worked on people and dirt, because the stair wasn't letting go. Markise stuck his wand back into his pocket, then glared at the stair as he resumed trying to pull his leg out with both hands. It wasn't working.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 19, 2008 15:37:21 GMT -5
Ariel, on the other hand, wasn't lost, he knew exactly where he was going. He just didn't know how to get there from where he was. He almost missed the blond boy stuck in the stair when he started hopping down them, his face screwed up in annoyance, but paused, wavering, on a step a few away from Markise when he noticed him there. "Are you...stuck in a stair?" he asked, his eyebrows coming together as he tilted his head. He didn't know about Europe, but where he was from stairs stayed solid.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 15:46:02 GMT -5
Markise looked up guiltily before recognizing the voice. His eyes widened a moment, then he tried to force his embarrassment down before looking over his shoulder at Ariel. He gave a watery smile and straightened, letting go of his leg. "Just a little," he said. "I can totally get out of it, I was just trying to..."
Markise sighed and rolled his eyes at himself. "Yes, I'm stuck," he admitted. "I was going down at my foot went right through, and then it like, sealed around it or something." He leaned slightly back against the wall, trying to give himself leverage to pull it out again, but it didn't work. "Rescue me?" he asked Ariel, looking back up at him with embarrassed pleading in his eyes.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 19, 2008 15:51:20 GMT -5
Ariel took a couple of lazy steps down, stopping just above the one Markise was stuck in, and then sat down, he had only been heading to dinner, anyway. "Are we going to make a routine out of this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You doing something stupid, though at least partially out of your control, and me having to...rescue you?"
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 15:56:19 GMT -5
Markise wanted to look abashed, and his eyes managed it, but after a moment, his lips curved uncontrollably. "If it means I get to pay you back again," he said softly. He didn't want to scare Ariel away, but that kiss--those kisses--had been unforgettable, and Ariel couldn't have moved past them so quickly, even if he was not gay.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 19, 2008 16:04:00 GMT -5
Ariel's eyes dropped to Markise's lips, though he dragged them back up to his eyes quickly after. "Maybe I don't want you to pay me back," he said, "Maybe I just want you to be in my debt forever." His eyes sparkled faintly with that idea, he usually wasn't one to like having someone think they owed him, but he thought he could make an exception for Markise.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 16:08:15 GMT -5
Markise's pale eyes glittered at that, and there was no removing the curve from his lips. "Well, in a way I am," he said. "You saved my life, you know, so I'm your indebted servant." Something told him it was going to far to say that, but Markise pushed the thought away. He was just flirting, and he wondered, if he was indebted to Ariel, what kinds of things would he ask for Markise to pay him back? Markise's mind filled with tantalizing, if unlikely, ideas.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 19, 2008 16:13:08 GMT -5
"Oh now you don't want to tell me that," Ariel said, the idea of a servant appealing to some part of him, even if he knew it was all just a tease. "I might take the idea and run with it." Maybe he would, he had all but given up telling himself he wasn't attracted to Markise, so why not let himself tease back at him? His eyes trailed down to the leg that was trapped by the stair, wondering faintly how to get it loose.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 16:19:46 GMT -5
Markise gave a sultry chuckle. "I'm not doing your laundry," he said. "I draw the line there." Markise had a strong feeling that wasn't what Ariel had meant at all, but that was half the tease. Markise was thinking some of the same things, though he didn't truly expect them to happen. Not any time soon, anyway. Still, the way Ariel had pushed him back on the grass... Markise nearly shivered at the thought.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 19, 2008 16:34:59 GMT -5
"Is that the only place you draw the line?" Ariel asked, though his eyes darkened once it was out. What was he thinking? He may have decided to admit to himself that he liked Markise, just a little, but that didn't mean he was going to go all out flirting with him. He focused harder on that stair, as though if he looked at it hard enough it would release Markise all on its own.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 16:38:53 GMT -5
Markise's lips formed a teasing smirk. "I guess you'll have to find out, won't you?" Dammit, Ariel wasn't even looking at him. Markise's smirk faded, and he followed Ariel's gaze down to where the stair had him by the ankle. "I think if we pull hard enough it'll give, it's just... I can't seem to pull hard enough on my own, because I can't keep my balance." When he went to pull, he wanted to put both legs down, and it all just backfired, sinking him another quarter inch or so into the stair.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 19, 2008 16:44:38 GMT -5
How was it that every time Markise got in trouble, Ariel not only had to help, but grab him in a full out hug? He could try pulling just at Markise's leg, yes, but Ariel had the distinct feeling that wouldn't work very well, and he just wanted to get it over with. So he stood, sighing, and went up behind Markise, grinding his teeth together as he wrapped his arms around his waist and tried to pretend he didn't want to do it. "On my count."
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 16:49:56 GMT -5
Markise nodded, closing his eyes for just a moment to savor the feel of Ariel's strong arms around him and that warm body at his back. He didn't open his eyes again until Ariel started counting, which wasn't long. Then he braced his other leg, wrapped his arms tightly around Ariel's, and with a breath-stealing tug, his leg was free. Markise exhaled deeply, then set his foot on safe ground. He made no move to release Ariel's arms. "So what do I owe you?" he asked, turning his head to look back up at Ariel over his shoulder.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 19, 2008 16:58:27 GMT -5
"My arms," Ariel said, though he made no move to pull them back. He couldn't help it, it felt good having Markise's body held to his. He's holding my arms anyway, I can't just pull them away. Lies, of course, he could easily pull them away, and no, Markise couldn't lose his balance too badly if he did so, there was a wall not five inches from them that he could grab.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 19, 2008 17:04:07 GMT -5
Markise chuckled, and his eyes sparkled with laughter. "I don't think that's nearly enough," he said, his lips curved into an easy smile. "They're already yours anyway, I'm just borrowing them." And he knew Ariel could get his arms away without issue. It wasn't like Markise was holding them that tightly. Markise's gaze dropped down to Ariel's lips, his own parting slightly. "I'm sure if we put our heads together we can think of something," he said softly.
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