Take My Hand (Dorian)

[Joan Amador]

it comes in waves

i close my eyes

hold my breath & let it bury me

❧

It was official: Joan Amador had a boyfriend. He had a boyfriend. The mere thought left him with a sort of giddy happiness as he tied the laces on his boots, sitting on the edge of Dorian's bed. He'd practically moved into Dorian's room now, having clothes in the closet, his own boring books on the dresser. He even had a toothbrush in the bathroom and something as simple as that was enough to make him radiate with happiness, in quite a literal sense.

He'd asked Dorian out on a date a couple nights before and had spent ever since then planning where they would go. He admittedly didn't know what Astaria had to offer. He'd been so frantic that he'd hunkered away and recruited his siblings to helping him figure out every interesting place they could go in Astaria.

He'd also told them he had a boyfriend now. Xander had promptly high-fived him and ruffled his hair. Sara had hugged him. Ariel and Ryan had... Well they had exchanged a look when they found out who he was dating. A look that told him they were going to ask Amrit for access to Dorian's background check. God, they were so embarrassing.

Joan looked over when he saw - no felt - Dorian's presence. He'd been getting good at knowing when Dorian was there without looking. He wasn't sure what was causing it but he'd chalked it up to being something that all couples must have felt after a certain point. And he thought he knew Dorian quite well.

He practically leaped him, a grin on his face, grabbing Dorian's arms and giddily pulling him out of the room so they could get going. He'd decided to walk - partially because he didn't know how to drive but mainly because he wanted to hold Dorian's hand.

He hadn't told Dorian where they were going and he hoped he wasn't disappointed as it became obvious - after all he couldn't hide the zoo as they approached it. He hadn't been to the zoo in years and he'd always loved it as a kid.

"Well?" he asked, turning and smiling at him, for once not worried about the radiation his happiness brought. "Do you like it?"

374 ● @dorian ● outfit ● This takes place prior to MISSION: burn your kingdom down.

[attr="class","cred"]MADE BY VEL OF WW + GS

[newclass=.cred]text-align:center;font-size:6pt;color:rgb(132, 132, 132);letter-spacing:1px;font-family:verdana;margin-top:5px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.cred a]color:rgb(132, 132, 132);font-size:6pt;letter-spacing:1px;font-family:verdana;[/newclass]

[Deleted]

Dorian drifted out of the en suite attached to his spacious bedroom, tugging on a shirt as he went. In the doorway, though, once his head popped through the collar, he paused with it midway down his torso. His eyes fell on Joan, sitting on the edge of his side of the bed, lacing his shoes. Since that day in the training room, and their first kiss, Dorian had thought more, and more thoroughly than ever before in his life. Instinct warred with... something else. Whatever it was that Joan had infected him with. At the end of several long nights contemplating - usually staying up most of it, hands idly running circles over Joan's bare back as he slept, snuggled up to his own bare chest - he surmised that there was no making sense of it. It didn't make sense. How Joan made him feel. How those feelings pierced every cool, logical, distant block of armor that Dorian had painstakingly built around himself since he was a child. The strangest part was that his mind kept nagging him. Pointing out he should be uncomfortable with how close he and Joan had become. He'd never been in a legitimate relationship on his side of things. Any time someone, in the past, thought they were dating Dorian it was a trick on his side to further some goal or another. There were a thousand reasons that Dorian should have been chafing or restless. They didn't rise, though. It wasn't even a matter of them festering until he saw Joan, then being put to rest at the sight of him. It wasn't only Joan who was experiencing a romantic relationship for the first time. The only points that actually made Dorian struggle and ache were all of the dishonesty that inundated the beginning phases of their time together: the agendas Dorian had been carrying out without Joan's knowledge. All things he couldn't confess to for both their sakes. And while he continued to let his benefactor believe he was carrying out his job... He wasn't. Not really. Dorian hadn't been able to bear to so much as sow the faintest empathic compulsion in Joan since they'd kissed. Whatever was left of his heart couldn't take it. Joan saw him, then, and sprang up, beaming inside and out, and Dorian had to bite off a groan - which he had to do often in Joan's presence; keep himself together while internally everything that Joan did was so perfect and beautiful. They left the Institute hand-in-hand, fingers laced in one another's, and any time some passerby glanced their way, Dorian flashed a smug, boastful smirk: because Joan was on his arm, not anyone else's. The date in itself was a clear indicator to Dorian how Joan had turned his world upside down. He'd never been on one without an ulterior motive. But today? Dorian's only goal was to spend every moment with Joan and make him smile as much as possible. The giddy excitement and soft nervousness in Joan misted through Dorian's skin, mounting until their secret destination was impossible to keep hidden anymore. "Well? Do you like it?" Dorian looked at the entry gates to the Void Memorial Zoo and down at Joan, his eyes round and hopeful. He grinned, brought their intertwined fingers to his mouth and pressed his lips to Joan's fingertips. "It's perfect, darling." As they queued for admission, Dorian slung an arm lazily over the younger, shorter man's shoulders and peered through his sunglasses at the other patrons. "Think of all the weird, unsightly creatures we'll get to see today," he mused absently. "Oh, and the animals, too." Dorian smirked, expecting some light, playful reprimand from Joan for his cruelty.

... to be talkin' to you: b e l l a d o n a. should've taken a break, not an oxford comma. take what i want when i wanna. and i want ya ... Warlock Joan Amador outfit

template by rem of WW

[googlefont=Dancing Script]

[Joan Amador]

Joan beamed when Dorian kissed his fingers, radiation pulsing from him, from his happiness. It felt so odd to be this carefree. Part of him worried this was just a dream and one day he'd wake up to discover he was alone again. He leaned into Dorian's side, reaching for his own wallet in his pocket. He didn't think this was a dream. He didn't think anything could ruin this. He was starting to think he was finally allowed to be happy. He paid for their admission before Dorian could argue - the zoo had been his idea after all and he had a credit card that was funded by the Cabal. He shot Dorian a look, cocking an eyebrow and trying hard not to smile, lightly poking him in the side with his elbow. "We happen to protect these unsightly creatures," he pointed out, returning his card to his wallet and fitting that back into his pocket. He noticed an older woman watching them - he knew what it was like to be looked at like he was a caged animal. He recognized the look immediately. He grabbed Dorian's hand, the one belonging to the arm on his shoulders, and brought it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss there. He had the satisfaction of watching her shake her head and look away. "Though I prefer the animals," he muttered as they entered the zoo. He pursed his lips, wondering what animals they had here. He'd only ever been to the zoo in Sydney and that had been a long time ago. "I haven't been to a zoo," he said out loud, though he seemed to be more so talking to himself. "Since... Mm... Before Mum died?" He frowned faintly, leaning a bit on Dorian as he thought. "No wait - After. Eight or nine I think." It was hard to remember anything from when he'd been that young. He thought he was lucky he had any memories of his mother as she had passed away when he'd been seven. But he didn't want to think about that - and it was very easy for him to be distracted simply by Dorian's existence. "Do you think they have red pandas?" he asked, a smile returning to his face as he looked up at the older man. "I really love red pandas."

... It comes in waves, i close my eyes, hold my breath, and let it bury me. i'm not okay and it's not alright. won't you drag the lake and bring me home again?... fallout @dorian outfit 329 words n/a

template by rem of WW

[googlefont=Dancing Script]

[Deleted]

"We happen to protect these unsightly creatures." Dorian's former smirk smoothed into a dry, flat expression. "Yes, well, I still think that that is a tasteless choice." He was opening his mouth to toss some other lazy, witty bar when Joan took possession of the hand slung over his shoulder. The boy pressed a tender, though claiming kiss there with those lips that, just looking at them, made Dorian dizzy with longing. The Warlock was distracted - and ferociously content - enough by Joan's bit of affection that he didn't manage another witticism until they were passing through the gate, done with admission. Dorian's grin flickered back into place at the younger man's murmured sentence. Joan wasn't as pure and innocent as his appearance and attitude lead one to believe. That was something Dorian had learned very, very thoroughly. "They certainly smell better," Dorian observed. Then Joan was thinking aloud, as he often did. But in his words he let the curtain raise a little more on his past. Dorian listened with the attention of a researcher making startling, paradigm-shifting discoveries in their field. Joan was the most fascinating and fulfilling subject that Dorian had ever encountered and the faintest trivia he learned about the boy he devoured as insatiably as he did other aspects of him. Joan's emotions were laced with welling, bittersweet melancholy as he reminisced. Dorian drew him to a halt at a manicured, landscaped pond near the entrance where several swans glided reproachfully. While they looked at the condescending birds, Joan's blue-tinged recollecting ended, snapping back to brighter present day. "Well, let's see, shall we?" Suddenly, Dorian was very sure that he would kill someone if it meant that Joan got to see a red panda. With his spare hand he pulled out the tri-folded map/pamphlet that he'd snagged on their way in. He smiled. "You're in luck. Should we start with them, or save them for the finale?"

... to be talkin' to you: b e l l a d o n a. should've taken a break, not an oxford comma. take what i want when i wanna. and i want ya ... Warlock Joan Amador outfit

template by rem of WW

[googlefont=Dancing Script]

[Joan Amador]

He hadn't caught Dorian's comment about their job being a tasteless choice, too distracted with staking his claim publicly on his boyfriend. He lightly laughed and playfully elbowed Dorian in the side at his comment about the animals smelling better. Though he wasn't wrong and Joan didn't say he was. He thought his mom would have liked Dorian, had she still been alive. She might not have approved of the age difference but she would have trusted him, he was sure of that. And she would have liked Dorian. He didn't think anyone could dislike Dorian, at least not when they got to know him. But his mom wasn't around to approve so he had to settle for the other kind of parental approval and he was pretty sure he had that. His eyes settled on the swans in front of them, remaining pretty close to Dorian's side. He didn't know if swans were aggressive or if that were geese. Either way, he didn't want to risk it. Being chased around by a bird was embarrassment he didn't need in his life. His gaze though swiveled to Dorian when he realized he had a map - When had he grabbed that? He tilted his head to try to see the map himself, a nervous sense of excitement dancing in his eyes, the radiation he emitted reacting to it. He grinned, his whole face beaming up at Dorian when he was told that there were indeed red pandas here. He shifted so that Dorian's arm would fall off his shoulders and instead wrapped both of his own arms around that arm, clinging to his side still. "First!" he demanded playfully, eagerly. "Please, please, please!" He even bounced a little like the happy, carefree child he'd never been allowed to be. Not that he actually waited long for an answer, snatching the map from Dorian and moving a hand down to grasp his boyfriend's hand, he eagerly started pulling him in the direction the red pandas should be, if he was reading the map correctly, that was.

... It comes in waves, i close my eyes, hold my breath, and let it bury me. i'm not okay and it's not alright. won't you drag the lake and bring me home again?... fallout @dorian outfit 344 words Let me know if you need more. ❤

template by rem of WW

[googlefont=Dancing Script]

[Deleted]

The gust of sheer joy that exploded from Joan when he heard that the zoo did have red pandas nearly bowled Dorian over. His lips were spread in an adoring smile without his choosing. This side of Joan - carefree, giddy, perpetually grinning - was one that Dorian hadn't seen before. He was even so arrogant and vain as to think that it was his new place in Joan's life that brought it about at all. The two combined - Joan's joy, and Dorian's belief that he enabled it - were as intoxicating as Joan's presence. The boy snatched the map from Dorian's grasp and grabbed one of his hands with the other. The older man laughed brightly, being dragged after his much smaller boyfriend. After several steps, Dorian pulled Joan back, catching him from any stumble against his side. "They're not going anywhere. Let's enjoy the journey," he said in a honeyed, smokey tone he had yet to see Joan be able to resist. He managed to bring his boyfriend down to a steady pace, just toeing the line of brisk. With each step Dorian felt the anticipation mounting in Joan. They finally rounded a corner, revealing the red panda exhibit - an enclosure open to the sky and zoo-goers, but separated from them by a deep, impassable ditch. Joan slipped through Dorian's fingers, completely given over to excitement. The older man paused, watching his boyfriend dash to the edge of the enclosure and feeling what passed for his heart surge - almost painful with adoration. Dorian came up to Joan at a more sedate pace, catching the boy off guard by winding his arms around him from behind, pulling him close and resting his chin on Joan's shoulder. "Well damn," he said, absently. "I do believe these are the second-cutest things at the zoo." Dorian's stubbled chin ground teasingly into the bare skin of Joan's neck to emphasize his flirtatious point.

... to be talkin' to you: b e l l a d o n a. should've taken a break, not an oxford comma. take what i want when i wanna. and i want ya ... Warlock Joan Amador outfit

template by rem of WW

[googlefont=Dancing Script]

[Joan Amador]

Joan pouted childishly as he was pulled back. He stumbled a little, his pace thrown off, but was easily caught at Dorian's side. Then he heard Dorian's voice and a shiver ran up his side. That wasn't fair, he thought. He couldn't say no to the older man, especially not when he used that tone. It was that very tone that made him want to surrender all control and just let Dorian have his way with him. It was most certainly not fair for Dorian to use that tone in public. Part of him wondered if there was a secluded corner of the zoo. The other part was thoroughly embarrassed that he had the gall to wonder that. He wanted to move faster - he wanted to run. It wasn't just that he really wanted to see the red pandas. He hadn't been able to - been allowed to - be this excited about something. When was the last time he'd ran and been care free? When was the last time he'd been this happy? This didn't come from Ryan's nullification field - his brother didn't need to exert himself and his power for this. It was genuine, real, natural. It didn't require taking anything away. So he wanted to run. He wanted to use all this excitement, let it propel his legs. He was afraid that if he didn't, it would leave and never come back. Then he saw the enclosure and darted forward, a grin wide on his face. He came to a halt and leaned against the railing. He got a few odd looks - most people expected a child to get this excited. He may have still been young but he was also an adult and such things like getting excited at a zoo were apparently frowned upon when an adult did it. He startled faintly when Dorian's arms were suddenly around him before he leaned back into his embrace. His face heated up at the older man's words, feeling his stubble against his neck. If he'd been getting looks before, he was fairly certain he'd be getting more now - whether because they were both men or clearly had an age gap, he didn't care. All he cared about right now was Dorian and the red pandas. "Keep talking like that," he admitted, mostly under his breath but Dorian was close enough to most likely catch the words. "And we won't be here for long." He wondered if Dorian was purposefully trying to turn him on because he was doing a good job at it. His desire to get the man alone was only growing.

... It comes in waves, i close my eyes, hold my breath, and let it bury me. i'm not okay and it's not alright. won't you drag the lake and bring me home again?... fallout @dorian outfit 434 words n/a

template by rem of WW

[googlefont=Dancing Script]

[Deleted]

The desire that welled up in Joan called out to the same kind in Dorian, feeding into it. He always, always had an undercurrent of carnal, passionate hunger for the man in his arms. Any moment where Dorian wasn't acting on those was a victory for his self-control, quite honestly. When he felt Joan struggle with the same wants, he could hardly see through the longing. Not only that, but Joan had the nerve to hint that he was close to giving into their shared, sinful thirsts. Dorian exhaled slowly through bared teeth, eyes closed to try to marshal his restraint. As punishment for Joan's cheek, he clutched him closer, using him to hide the very real manifestation of his desires from other patrons of the zoo and ensure Joan felt how real that desire was. "Look at your pandas," he whispered, half-command, half-plea. "And stop tempting me, or I won't be held accountable for my actions." Dorian just stood there, breathing in the scent of Joan, taking long minutes before he could manage to open his eyes without the irises dully glowing.

... to be talkin' to you: b e l l a d o n a. should've taken a break, not an oxford comma. take what i want when i wanna. and i want ya ... Warlock Joan Amador outfit

template by rem of WW

[googlefont=Dancing Script]

[Joan Amador]

He let out a light, soft breath when he was pulled even closer to Dorian, very much aware of what he felt. He wasn't sure how he could possibly focus on anything else, much less the animals in the exhibit. He probably should have felt ashamed that he had such thoughts in a public place, standing in front of an exhibit of red pandas, animals he'd adored since he was a child. But he was starting to get tired of feeling ashamed, of feeling sorry for existing and being himself. He leaned back against Dorian, practically resting in his arms and against his body. "I'm sorry," he said, the words purposeful and holding enough of a teasing tone to make it clear he'd said them not out of habit but because he knew the effect the words would have on the older man. Since they'd started dating, Dorian had shifted to other ways to remind him that he didn't like it when he apologized. Joan still didn't know why Dorian didn't like it or why he practically ordered him not to apologize - it'd been unnerving when they'd first met but now he found it quite the turn on and quite attractive. Whatever the reason, while apologizing over the smallest thing was still a habit he had - one grown from years of feeling as if he had to apologize for simply existing - it was less of a habit than it had originally been when they'd first met. Now he'd gotten into the habit of saying it because he knew how Dorian would react. He didn't look at Dorian, eyes on the red pandas as if he was oblivious to the effect he had on his boyfriend when they both knew he was very aware of it.

... I WATCHED YOUR BREATH AS IT TOUCHED THE WIND, AS IT PAINTED THE OPEN AIR, AND IT CAME TO REST ON MY SKIN ... fallout @dorian outfit 295 words 1) I'm sorry about the wait. 2) I'm sorry not much is done here, lemme know if you need more. But also feel free to end the thread on your next post if you want to/feel there's not much else to do in the thread IDK. ;-; ❤

template by rem of WW

[googlefont=Dancing Script]

[Deleted]

Joan more fully relaxed into Dorian's arms and he held up the boy without any effort or struggle; he'd have little, with Joan's size, as a normal man, but with his augmented strength his lover was light as a feather. Dorian ate the ground Joan was conceding, almost crushing him against his front, doing little in the way of calming the storm in his skin. Through carefully measured breaths and exercise in willpower, Dorian started focusing on the moment, rather than all the things he was imagining doing to Joan. He was succeeding, in his defense. He would've been fine and able to recover, to carry out the rest of their date like a normal person. "I'm sorry." The words were packed with impish, cruel and knowing cunning. Never mind the emotions Dorian savored that ran alongside them. His grip on Joan turned immovable as diamond. His lips curled in a devilish grin and his irises sparkled crimson beneath the still half-lidded lashes that veiled them. Joan knew he wasn't supposed to utter those words. He knew, too, what Dorian's methods of recompense were for hearing them. Together, that could only mean that Joan was as close to the edge as Dorian was, and had all but tackled them both off of it. "You will be," Dorian snarled into Joan's ear. He dropped his grip on Joan, instead grabbing him by one wrist and dragged him like an unruly child through the zoo. He'd seen a secluded spot - an unmonitored niche tucked behind an exhibit that was temporarily closed - not far from where they were. Dorian planned on very thoroughly following through with his threat the moment he could get Joan there. [Thread: End]

... to be talkin' to you: b e l l a d o n a. should've taken a break, not an oxford comma. take what i want when i wanna. and i want ya ... Warlock Joan Amador outfit

template by rem of WW

[googlefont=Dancing Script]