What Happens At Cons

Once Kevin was gone for an assured two hours, maybe more, Ralph and Bill couldn't get out of there fast enough. They found Prince Ra, who graciously agreed to loan them his secret flask of Amaretto di Saronno, on the promise that it would be refilled in time for the masquerade Saturday night.

The walk back to their hotel wing was interminable. The closer they got, the more nervous, excited and even terrified Ralph felt. Every so often, when they'd brush against one another, arms or hands touching, Bill picked up the waves of emotion from his partner.

"You okay, kid? You're not having second thoughts about this, are you?" Bill asked, deliberately not touching Ralph.

"No, not second thoughts, Billy. It just suddenly seems too real to me, I've, uh... I've never done anything like this."

"Kid, we'll do whatever you want to, don't panic. I'd never hurt you, you know that. I'd die for you."

"I know, partner," Ralph softly replied. "Doesn't mean I'm not scared to death."

"I know."

Bill saw Ralph gulp nervously when they approached the door to his hotel room. He unlocked it and motioned for Ralph to lead the way in. After the door was closed, Ralph took one look around, and turned to face Bill. The look on his face was a mixture of wide-eyed wonder and fear.

"Billy, I..." he started, but a long soft finger on his mouth stopped him.

"Shhh," Bill said aloud, but through the bond of finger touching lip, Ralph felt, There'll be time enough for talking later, Ralphie, when you're out of the suit. I want to explore this, explore YOU, this way, as much as I can.

"Oh, God," Ralph sighed out loud, closing his eyes.

I'm terrified, Billy, came the thought.

"Shhh," Bill repeated, to soothe his friend. He could tell that Ralph was again overwhelmed by a wide range of emotion: desire, fear, and a deep sense of love for the man he'd known for so long.

"Let's not talk," Bill whispered.

Ralph laughed tentatively, and moved away from Bill, shrugging his shoulders and forcing himself to relax. “Don’t mind me, I’m just being a big baby, Billy.”

Bill moved to the vanity near the bathroom and took the two cups, removing the paper covers. “’Course you are. Not like we haven’t known each other for years, lighten up already.”

He turned to look around his hotel room, not looking at Ralph, giving his best friend a chance to adjust to the new environment.

"First things first, Ralph," he said. He went to the desk and removed the fur vest, followed by the sword belt. He then looked at the time, and set the alarm for 3:15 in the morning. They had about two hours, then it’d be time for Kevin to return from the movie.

Bill didn't say anything for a few moments. He knew Ralph was watching his every move. Maxwell exuded relaxation and calm as he walked around the room. He moved on the balls of his feet, in the soft leather boots, with a grace that once again enraptured his partner.

Ralph's heart was racing as he half-closed his eyes, watching Bill, wondering what his next move was going to be.

Bill poured two fingers’ worth of amaretto in each glass, and handed one to Ralph, who’d sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Here, kid, sip this, relax. Don’t gulp it, might get an upset stomach, and we don’t need that.”

“That’d suck, yeah,” Ralph said, taking a sip, letting the almond aroma waft up his nose.

“’Suck?’ You really are getting loopy, aren’t you? So’m I, actually. Maybe I shouldn’t let you take advantage of me like this, you in the suit and all,” Bill said. He tapped Ralph on the hip to get him to scooch over, and climbed onto the bed behind him.

Bill leaned into the head board, and casually stretched out his long legs, draping his feet over Ralph’s lap. He decided it was too soon to explore this new realm of understanding via their bond. He deliberately chose not to broadcast through that medium, but they both knew the connection was there if they wished to use it.

Ralph turned to look behind him, smirking, and finally said, “Make yourself at home, Maxwell.”

Bill sipped his amaretto, his dark eyes peering over the brim. He said in that low, modulated voice that Ralph was finding himself utterly fascinated by, “I’m planning on it, after I get you to relax a little more.”

The older partner could sense that Ralph was beginning to ease into the situation. After all, the two men trusted one another without question.

Bill sent wordless sensations across the bond, a warm glow, a feather-light touch on the cheek: nothing forward or base. Ralph’s demeanour visibly changed, and still maintaining eye contact, the smirk turned into a sweet smile of understanding.

Thanks, partner, Ralph thought to him. For letting me set the pace.

De nada, Bill thought.

The comfortable, relaxing silence continued for a few moments as both men sipped the golden liquid.

Ralph broke the spell somewhat when he abruptly sat upright, his spine straight as an arrow, and took a deep, cleansing breath.

“You okay?” Bill asked.

“Yeah, I feel great, Billy!”

Bill took that as a cue, and leaned forward, removing his feet from Ralph’s lap and folding his legs under himself. He was on his knees and inched forward, till he touched the small of Ralph’s back.

Ralph instinctively leaned into Bill, relaxing against his partner’s chest. He closed his eyes as he pressed into him, enjoying the sense of safety, of protection.

An amused touch came to Bill, and he laughed automatically in response to the joy of it. “What?” he asked quietly.

“I think it’s funny how I’m the one in the suit, yet doing this, with you over me, I feel like you’re the one protecting me.”

“Always,” Bill whispered, and Ralph’s heart raced when he felt the mouth so close to his ear, the warmth of breath teasing his skin. Ralph felt pliant lips touch the back of his ear, and he reached up to touch that mouth, not realizing there wasn’t one there.

“How’d you do that?” Ralph asked, turning to face Bill.

Gripping Ralph’s shoulders, Bill sent, It’s easy, just picture it and it happens.

The ethereal mouth that Ralph had felt earlier over his chest, moving down toward his abdomen, was back as if it had been there the entire time, and he hadn’t noticed it.

His eyes went wide and he gasped at the sensation, the moist lips moving down… down… to his navel. He resisted the urge to giggle, both from nervousness and the fact that it flat-out tickled.

“Stop it! That TICKLES, Bill!”

“Isn’t it funny after all these years, I never knew you were so ticklish! Are you through the suit?”

And before Ralph could respond, Bill’s hands left his shoulders and poked him in the sides, the long fingers reaching over his muscular torso to his flat stomach.

Ralph crossed his arms, clutched his gut and bent over double, his hands over Bill’s to make his friend stop. He reacted automatically, not thinking about being in the suit.

“YOWCH!” Bill cried, pulling desperately to release the crush of Ralph’s hands.

Ralph released him instantly, jumping off the bed and turning to face Bill, who was on his back, clutching his hands to himself.

“BILL! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to, I just reacted, nobody’s ever TICKLED me in the suit before!”

Bill nodded, gulping back the pain. “My fault, kid, my fault. I wasn’t thinking either, I’m too used to seeing you in it!”

Ralph reached to him, and said, “Here, let me give you a hand up.”

Bill went from writhing in pain, to holding his own gut laughing at the pun. “I think you’ve given me enough hands!”

Ralph joined in laughing, pleased that he’d done no serious harm to Bill, as he’d done in the past from not thinking about the suit’s power of great strength.

After a few moments, Ralph again reached toward his best friend. “Come on, Bill, sit up.”

Bill took one more deep breath to calm down from the laugh, and allowed Ralph to gently pull him upright. The rapid change in position made him feel light-headed, and he continued the forward motion till he was standing as well, swaying back and forth.

“I think that amaretto’s startin’ to hit, Ralphie, like at the dance.”

Bill turned his back to Ralph, to reach for his glass, and he felt Ralph's hands press softly against his back.

Ralph rubbed his hands over the center of Bill’s muscular back. As happened earlier that day, when Bill was practicing with his sword, Ralph found himself mesmerized by the sight of him. The soft cotton material of the loose shirt slid over the smoothe skin, and Ralph was visualizing again the neck, shoulder and back muscles flexing underneath.

With the most delicate touch, cognizant of the strength in his hands, Ralph moved his fingers into those muscles, massaging and kneading his friend.

This time it was Ralph’s turn to lean in, stretching so he could reach his taller partner. He dared to softly touch Bil's ear with his mouth, and whispered, "Would you like a massage?"

Bill turned slightly so he could see Ralph. “What, with you in the suit?”

Ralph laughed, “Of course!”

He turned Bill around to face him, and gave a small yank to pull him closer. Bill yelped in surprise, unable to resist.

“Time to lose the sporran first, Bill.”

Ralph ran his hands along the length of the leather, slowly, enjoying the feel of it over the folded tartan. His dark, dilated blue eyes kept Bill trapped as he carefully unfastened the sporran. He broke the bond when he turned to set it on the desk.

When Ralph returned to stand before Bill again, neither of them spoke; they simply stood there, looking at one another, not touching, not re-connecting their telepathic bond.

Bill murmured, “I thought I was….”

“Shhh…” It was Ralph’s turn to quiet Bill. He’d decided that if he wanted this, he wasn’t going to be the meek, complacent one, at least while he was in the suit. Bill told him he could set the pace, so he was aiming to do so.

“Just a massage, Bill, for starters at least. Gives me a chance to ease into this.”

“Works for me,” Bill said, borrowing one of Ralph’s favorite lines. The gesture worked, and Ralph chuckled in appreciation.

“It sure does.” He looked around the room, frowning. “Do you have anything like lotion, for um… your MASSAGE?”

Bill smirked and said, “’fraid not. Hotel’s got something in the bathroom, I think.”

“Hang on a sec, I’ve got something in my bag. Some suntan oil.”

Ralph was gone only a moment, and returned with a dark bottle in his hand. “It’s a combination of almond and coconut oil.”

“That’ll be nice, yeah.”