[open] jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock.

[babbylon]

Who: Gilgamesh and everyone! A group holiday party for the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year" job.
When: Forward dated to December 7th or so.
Where: Heaven's Feel, Caissa
What: Gilgamesh and friends are getting into the holiday spirit, and you're invited! Join for gifts, grog, mistletoe and more.
Rating: There will probably be drunken shenanigans going on, thus PG-13 to be safe.

Happy Holidays!



[The holidays are in full swing at Heaven's Feel! Brightly lit trees and ornaments litter the store, with warm fires blazing, gentle music playing and mistletoe strung from every available spot on the ceiling. The ostentatious host stands at the ready to attend every need and ensure everyone has a match of their very own this holiday season—including you!

Generous portions of hot chocolate, gingerbread cookies, and wine are being offered free of charge to all guests. These delights are enchanted to fill you with an extra dose of courage, so be bold! Go after your crush, engage a complete stranger, or just do something really crazy to celebrate the joyous occasion. 'tis the season to be jolly, after all.

The sprigs of mistletoe have been charmed by Gilgamesh to encourage smooching. The urge to pucker up beneath them will be strong, so watch where you stand! If you look beneath the big tree in the center of the store, you'll find a gift addressed to you. It could be an article of clothing, a ticket for free services, or even something more personal!

Naturally, Heaven's Feel matchmaking services are always available, so feel free to fill out a card while you're here or just get cozy by the fireplace. Merry Cherima, everyone!]

Comments

[babbylon]

This is literally a matter of inches. Centimeters, even.

[Bro.]

[anti_altruisms]

[ ...oh.

Archer looks startled, perhaps even a little flustered for a moment. ]

...now?

[ You really want him initiating anything right now, bruh? ]

[babbylon]

[Sweet Christmas, Archer, you are such a goddamned nerd.

Gilgamesh doesn't say anything, he just stares because he's pretty sure that coveys the exact same message.]

[anti_altruisms]

[ ...well, this is awkward.

He had assumed they were finished, but as Gilgamesh seems to be waiting expectantly...

A bit of color tinges his cheeks, and Archer seems to wrestle with himself again over whether he really wants to do this or not.

After a long moment, he seems to collect himself enough to nudge their noses together and offer a soft kiss - a tentative, exploratory gesture. He might not be bad at this, but he needs to be a little more relaxed and into things before he can be good. ]

[babbylon]

[How thoughtful.

Gilgamesh blows a raspberry several seconds in to remind him to relax a little.]

[anti_altruisms]

[ Rude??????

Archer makes a face and...tries to relax. It's difficult, too, when he feels extremely self-conscious about all of this, up to and including the fact that Gilgamesh is on his lap with no apparent intentions to leave.

He takes a breath, and when he tries again, it's just as slow, but...firmer. Fuller, more committed, and generally rather like the first kiss Gilgamesh gave him.

It may not be perfect, but he is trying... ]

[babbylon]

[He is, indeed, making an effort. Gilgamesh can acknowledge that much.

He won't learn anything if he's guided through everything, so outside a few token motions to encourage him, Gilgamesh allows him to assume leadership. He moves as Archer moves and displays uncharacteristic submission—leaving his mouth open and his neck exposed, tilting in such a way that Archer has maximum control over the encounter.

It may not be easy, at first, but Archer will find that it is as Gilgamesh claimed: some part of it is instinctual, and just required a slight nudge to awaken.]

[anti_altruisms]

[ Though it takes him some time to work through what sort of pace he wants (and how), inevitably, with Gilgamesh's nudges, Archer's kisses become less an act of attempted mimicry and more...natural. His memories are hazy, at best, but echoes of past experience haven't left him. Half re-learning and half-remembering, Archer nibbles and even sucks a little on Gilgamesh's lip. It stirs something long-forgotten inside of him, and when Gilgamesh tempts him by exposing his neck, part of him wants to take advantage of it.

His breath hitches quietly in his chest, and while Archer doesn't pull away, he does recognize what Gilgamesh is trying to do instinctively. He pushes back, of course, with his tongue and his mouth, but he's still refusing to unravel completely.

Gilgamesh has seen him once before in a state of need and want, and this isn't it -- he still keeps a check on himself, and it'll take more than a little nudging to get him to relinquish that. ]

[babbylon]

[There's only so much that can be done right here, right now. Gilgamesh has no issue with exhibitionism, but at the same time recognizes Archer can only be pushed so far before he becomes skittish. He can show him the proper path, as it were, but ultimately that path leads elsewhere, to a place beyond this small space they've claimed for themselves.

For a few minutes, this goes on, and then Gilgamesh lays his head upon Archer's shoulder to rest. More warm-hearted than wanton, he appears to have had his fill of this for the moment. Or else he understands what lies beyond him and has chosen to accept that even a great King must abide limitations.

Just not forever.]

You are no fool.

[He mutters it beside his throat, fingers curling against fabric. He wants to bite but knows better.]

You are aware of what I'm after, aren't you?

[anti_altruisms]

[ He's aware of what the endgame of all of this is, of course.

A little warmer than he was several minutes ago, Archer lets out a soft breath when Gilgamesh lays his head against him. It's too close, but the other man has been at least partially successful in what he set out to do. The close proximity doesn't bother him as much now, and the knot in his stomach loosens a little as things seem to get quiet again.

He tolerates this too, this shared moment, his expression shuttering as a certain 'issue' is brought up again. ]

I know.

[ He isn't blind, deaf, or dumb. He knows what Gilgamesh wants and has suspected as much for a long time. It's why he didn't trust him (and in some ways, still doesn't).

A kiss under mistletoe subject to witnesses is different from a more private sort of affair. ]

[babbylon]

Seek me out when the others have left.

[It's not a threat. It's not even a suggestion so much as a promise, a reminder that Archer can seize upon a rare constant in his life if he so chooses—ironic given just who's offering. However, Archer's own wishes have not fallen upon deaf ears. He doesn't broach the subject any further, simply leaving it open and obeying the night's theme of do what you want.

Gilgamesh rises to his feet, does not look away when he tells him:]

Have a happy holiday, Archer.

[With that, Gilgamesh will leave Archer to his thoughts for the rest of the evening.]