Running Into You (Closed)

[Ivan Stane]

Ivan cursed as he felt a hard tug on his arm. Walking three excited dogs at once wasn't the best idea he'd had but walking each of them separately and thus going on three separate walks wasn't appealing. His dogs were well behaved, well trained, but they seemed to forget the latter whenever they went on walks, insisting on tugging and dragging him along and making him doubt his own physical strength. It probably didn't help that he had all three leashes looped around one wrist and grasped by that hand, rather than two with one hand and one with the other. Each leash was hooked to a harness on one dog. The harnesses themselves were each black with large patches on the sides that said DO NOT PET. The leashes themselves were rainbow like a pride flag. His dogs - Sparky, Apex, and Fido - were all well behaved when they were pet and quite adored the attention. The patches were simply because he was so tired of people petting them without his permission. Those close to him like his siblings and Tim knew they were welcome to pet the dogs whenever. He simply didn't like strangers petting them without his permission. Admittedly being yanked around by his dogs was a successful distraction from his thoughts. He'd spent far too long thinking about that man he'd kissed - and kept kissing - in that alley. He'd spent even longer chastising himself and feeling like an idiot for not getting his name or at least some way to contact him. Apparently making out with someone was a good way to turn his entire mind to useless mush so he wouldn't remember to ask for something as simple as a phone number. There was a chance they'd run into each other again, but so far they hadn't. It made him wonder if he'd been stupid to trust him, to fall so fast. He wondered if everything Dragon's Breath had said to him had simply been a cruel joke for the other man's amusement. His thoughts were being especially cruel to him. It made him question whether or not he'd remembered to take his antidepressant that morning. He didn't do too well whenever he forgot. An excited bark from Sparky turned into excited barks from the other two dogs and suddenly they picked up pace and Ivan was certain these beautiful children of his were going to pull his arm out of its socket. "Oi! Slow down," he snapped at them and gave a light tug on the leashes to get their attention. All three dogs slowed down enough for him to catch his footing because stumbling around after three dogs was embarrassment he didn't need. Then they stopped completely to sniff a stranger's feet. Ivan huffed and gave another light tug on the leashes. He'd had experiences with people who, for reasons unknown to him, didn't like dogs and thus he tried to keep his dogs from sniffing random people. Someone had once tried to kick Apex. He'd promptly kicked that man in the groin. He didn't want to risk a repeat of that. "Sorry," he said, looking over at the man. There was something familiar about him but he couldn't quite place what. "They're uh - They're good dogs - Curious but good--" His words were cut off by a grunt as the dogs yanked on the leashes - He wondered if they were telepathically conspiring against him. The yank threw off his balance and he stumbled against the man, face becoming hot with embarrassment. He opened his mouth to apologize but then the dogs started playfully chasing each other which caused the leashes to wrap around his and the man's legs, pushing their bodies closer and even pulling Ivan's arm - harshly because dogs weren't weak animals - behind the man's back. Ivan was certain he was going to die from embarrassment and his sister would make sure the reason was put on his tombstone. "Fuck I'm so sorry."

... maybe i'm foolish, maybe i'm blind, thinking i can see through this and see what's behind. got no way to prove it so maybe i'm blind but i'm only human after all ... sparrow Cyrus Sol outfit 661 words Ivan's sorry but I ain't. 👀

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[Cyrus Sol]

Cyrus smiled wildly when he was stopped by three adorable fur babies. He cooed and was about to ask if he can pet the good babies, only to catch a beautiful man in his arms. He grinned when the man cursed and laughed when the dogs pulled a 101 Dalmatians, tying them both together.

"Aw, it's fine, mon cheri." Cyrus beamed, very pleased with the situation, especially when said man is someone he met a few nights ago in an alley.

"How's my little birdy? I thought we'd be meeting again in another alley after you threw another dumbster" he teased.

[Ivan Stane]

His eyes widened and face turned quite hot when he recognized that voice - and those nicknames. The memory of an alley, his back pushed against a wall, lips on his, it all came flooding back far too quickly. He was now highly aware of the fact that he was wearing a crop top, skin right there for the other man to touch. "Y-You..." he breathed out, clearly surprised. He didn't know the man's real name, only his codename Dragon's Breath. And he didn't know Ivan's real name. Except he'd recognized Ivan. He'd never been recognized before. Crap. He honestly didn't know what to make of this. He'd wanted to see this man again. He'd very much wanted to see him again. But there was also something unnerving about being recognized outside of his costume. How many others had recognized him and kept it to themselves? How many would recognize him in the future? One hand was on Dragon Breath's chest, the other still pulled behind the other man by the dogs on their leashes. He was also highly aware of how close their bodies were pressed together. His face felt hotter. "I'm... Ivan," he supplied lamely, awkwardly because why not? This man already recognized him and knew his secret identity even if he didn't have an actual name yet. Now he had a name. "I - I wasn't sure you'd remember me," he added because it was true. He didn't see himself as all that memorable, even if they'd done some thorough making out the other night. "Oh! Uh let me get them," he said hurriedly. With the faintest white glow from his hand, the one that rested against Dragon Breath's chest, a small gust of wind took the leashes, untangling them before returning them to his hand. "They're usually much more behaved, I swear."

... I AM NOT A STRANGER TO THE DARK. HIDE AWAY, THEY SAY 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT YOUR BROKEN PARTS ... sparrow Cyrus Sol outfit 304 words Lemme know if you need more. 💕

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[Cyrus Sol]

Cyrus's smile widened, heart stuttering a bit as his heart physically called out to the man before him, just like it did in the alley. He knew, just like then, that this man was his heart of hearts, something that only comes from his clan, something that he was very much like his mother for.

Cyrus's smile softened at the unasked question and he leaned down to kiss Ivan's forehead. "I'll always remember you, my little bird. My mama used ta tell me that I've been blessed by the fates to always remember those that are important to me." Cyrus fibbed a little in that statement, as his mama did tell him he was blessed by the fates to always remember, but only to remember his heart of hearts no matter what disguise they'll wear. He was his mama's baby, his ma used to say. Always going heads over feet for a beautiful mess of a person, his mama used to counter before kissing his ma's cheek.

"C-cyrus." He stuttered before clearing his throat and focused on Ivan as a whole, not his adorable blush nor breathtaking outfit. Nor the fact that Ivan is making him feel like a little boy with his first crush. "I'm glad to finally put a name to the beautiful man who sweetens my dreams" He teased. He wanted to cup Ivan's cheek but his hands were currently stuck at Ivan's waist and damn near close to his butt. "And I don't mind, mon cheri. I have the man in my dreams in my arms, a wonderful way to enjoy one's afternoon, no?"

When Ivan blew them apart and got the leashes situated again, Cyrus laughed as he almost tripped over one dog before getting himself situated. "Darling, your fur babies are no trouble. I believe that they're conspiring with the fates for us to meet again. I'm thankful that I've been trapped like in my ma's favorite movie."

His teasing smile stuttered before turning bashful and shy. "Um...would you like me to take one of them and help you walk them?" He asked, a bit out of his element. "Maybe...pick up something to drink on the way too?"

[Ivan Stane]

His heart fluttered at the kiss pressed to his forehead. A part of him admittedly wondered if he was being foolish. He was letting his guard down so easily with this man just as he had in that alley. Was he being foolish? Was he being naïve, simply more desperate for this kind of attention, for this affection, than he was willing to admit? But just like in that alley, there had already been opportunities for his lack of guard to be taken advantage of. Tim and his siblings had told him on multiple occasions that he needed to let more people in - Scott insisted on it a lot. He needed to be more open, less guarded. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity to try that? Despite the fact that he was terrified of getting hurt - he was always scared of that - he found he wanted nothing more than to let this man in, to show him sides of himself that hardly anyone ever saw. "I should probably invest in a ski mask," he joked when the other man said he'd always remember him. His voice lowered to avoid being overheard but still held that teasing edge as he added, "I have a secret identity to maintain after all." All he could really do was hope that this man - Cyrus, as he introduced himself - wouldn't go around and inform anyone of the fact that he was Sparrow. He was putting more faith in Cyrus than he'd put in someone else in a long time. He was also very much aware of how low Cyrus' hands were. Ivan's face still felt quite hot and only got warmer as he was referred to as beautiful and apparently the man of Cyrus' dreams. God, that man could talk - and he was quite smooth with his words as well. "I uh - I don't think anyone's ever complimented me as much as you," he admitted, reaching up to brush some strands of his hair off his forehead once they were parted. "Keep it up and my ego might get a bit too big," he teased. He blinked when Cyrus asked if he could help walk the dogs. He hesitated, glancing down at the dogs to see how they were reacting but they were just busily sniffing Cyrus' feet, tails wagging happily. None of them seemed uncomfortable around the other man. Ivan slipped a leash off his wrist and handed it to Cyrus. "This is Sparky," he said, gesturing to the golden retriever on the other end of the leash. He pointed to the yellow Labrador retriever. "That's Apex." He then pointed to the Czechoslovakian wolfdog. "And that's Fido. Fido and Sparky are boys. Apex is a girl." He scrunched his face up a bit. "Not that like - y'know - gender matters to dogs but-" He shrugged and lightly laughed, shaking his head. "I don't know." He thought about the offer to get a drink. Was that a date? It sounded like a date? Considering all the sweettalk Cyrus had been showering him with up to that point and considering the thorough making out they'd done the other night, would it be so hard to believe he was being asked out on a date? "Like... A date?" Ivan still had to ask because his anxiety told him there was a chance he was misinterpreting things still, "I've uh - I've never been on a date." Admitting that was still embarrassing but it probably wasn't hard for Cyrus to guess considering he'd already told the man he'd never had a kiss before that night in the alley. His face felt hot again though he had a hard time believing he'd ever stopped blushing. "I uh - I'd like that, yeah."

... I AM NOT A STRANGER TO THE DARK. HIDE AWAY, THEY SAY 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT YOUR BROKEN PARTS ... sparrow Cyrus Sol outfit 620 words Sorry about the wait!

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[Cyrus Sol]

Cyrus snorted at the comment on the ski mask and grinned. "At least you have a mask" He leaned down and spoke near Ivan's ear, "I sure as hell don', jus' the goggles and that's on top o' my head" he chuckled, leaning away and tucking his hands in his pockets. "'Sides, 's'not I ain' gonna tell anyone. A bit rude, one, and two just...that's against the unwritten code, no?"

His smiled dimmed a bit when Ivan spoke about how much he's being complimented. "Well then. That shain't do. You deserve to be complimented all sorts of ways at all sorts of times. How else should you know your own worth and beauty?" He wondered, fingers barely tracing his cheek as Cyrus tilted his head with a soft look on his face. 'Gods, he's beautiful' He thought to himself, a soft smile forming.

He shook his head and focused on Ivan, grinning and greeting each of the dogs as Ivan introduced him to them with a hand for them to sniff. He happily took Sparky's leash and gave all of them the pets that he wanted to give them, telling them how good they are and how beautiful they are as well. He stood up and stretched, rocking on his heels and settling back down when Ivan asked his question.

"If you want it to be, of course. It can also just be a drink to get to know each other as well. We can have a proper date, with the dinner and possible movie, if that's what you wish. Just let me know, okay?" He smiled, gently knocking his shoulder against Ivan's "Regardless, I'll be enjoying your company and your lovely voice, should you have me. Your comfort is all that matters to me, mon petit oiseau. Now, where should we go? I, unfortunately, don't know the usual uh...route for you and your canine friends." He shrugged, giving Ivan a teasing look with his tongue between his teeth. "So lead the way, mon cheri!" 

[Ivan Stane]

Right, now that he thought about it, it really should have been obvious just from looking at Cyrus because it wasn't as if the other man had worn a mask of any sorts. How anyone hadn't caught on and arrested him for not acting within Aegis was beyond him. "True," he replied because it was an unwritten rule of sorts, "And I know yours now," he added because surely that meant they were even and equal, no power imbalance between them. Ivan's face felt as hot as the sun because no one had ever said he deserved that and frankly he didn't feel as if he did. But airing out his insecurities didn't seem like a good idea and, in his opinion, was probably the least attractive thing he could do right now and he really wanted to keep Cyrus' attention on him. He watched as Cyrus greeted each of the dogs, each one excitedly and curiously sniffing the other man. When Cyrus said that this could be a date if he wanted it to be one, a pang of embarrassment struck him, followed by a spike in anxiety for assuming automatically that it would be one. That was probably something a high school freshman would think. His grips on Fido and Apex's leashes tightened, the leashes presenting themselves as something tangible that he could attempt to use as an anchor so he wouldn't fall deeper into his own anxiety and get overwhelmed. "I uh - I don't really have a usual route," he admitted. He didn't like being anymore predictable than he usually was. But admitting that would most likely make him sound paranoid (which he was) or crazy (he really hoped he wasn't). "I just walk them until they're starting to get tired then I take them home. I grew up in this city so it's not hard to find my way around." That and patrolling the streets at night helped get the lay of the land.

... I AM NOT A STRANGER TO THE DARK. HIDE AWAY, THEY SAY 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT YOUR BROKEN PARTS ... sparrow Cyrus Sol outfit 328 words Sorry about the wait!

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[Cyrus Sol]

Cyrus watched as embarrassment flood through Ivan's face when Cyrus said it could be their first date and he felt awful. He never wanted his beau to feel like that. He wanted to see him blush and be bashful, never ashamed and humiliated. And the fact that he made Ivan feel like that? Horrible. Absolutely horrible. He bit his lip and watched Ivan tensed up, trying to hide his anxiety and humiliation. That is, until he thought of the perfect plan and damn near beamed.

Cyrus smiled softly and leaned down, kissing Ivan's cheek. "Well, mi petite amour," He said as he took Ivan's hand, lacing their fingers together with his free one and swung their hands. "How about we just walk and grab drinks? Make this our first date, yeah?"

"Show me where your favorite spots are, assuming that it won't be too far for the fur babies. I'll show you mine as well" He offered, thinking it was the perfect first date to get to know each other. "Maybe we can do 20 questions or something while we do it too?" He looked around and gestured with his leashed hand. "There's a coffee shop a bit down that way, if I remember right. Thoughts on the plan?"

[Ivan Stane]

He felt Cyrus' lips against his cheek, a sensation he still wasn't used to feeling, attention he still wasn't used to receiving. His hand was grabbed and he was certain it was the first time someone who wasn't related to him or his best friend had ever held his hand. He hoped Cyrus would never let go. Was that a normal thing to hope for or was that pathetic or sad of him? He'd never been good at being or knowing what qualified for "normal." He was also fairly certain he'd just been called small (petite meant small, right?) which was another thing he wasn't used to, being five feet and ten inches tall. Though Cyrus was taller than him. His face felt flush again when this became an actual date. "S-Sure," he stammered out anxiously. He'd never gone on a date before but he'd already admitted to that. What if he messed it up? What if Cyrus got to know him better and decided he didn't like him, that he could do better? He certainly could do better and part of Ivan was tempted to inform him of that but the words caught in his throat. It was selfish, he had no doubt about that, but he wanted to keep Cyrus' attention for as long as he could. He blinked at the mention of his favorite spots, assuming he meant his favorite spots in the city. He hadn't actually thought of which places were his favorite before - aside from his apartment and well... Bringing someone new to his apartment was nerve-wracking to say the least. There were places he frequented though, did those count? "Sounds uh - sounds good," Ivan replied, referring to Cyrus' plan for the date. Honestly he wasn't sure what a date looked like so as far as he was aware, that seemed fine. And it wasn't like he had any ideas of his own. Most of his time, when not on patrol, was spent locked away in his apartment. He didn't like getting out much and mostly only left for his dogs. "You uh - you can start first with a question," he added because there was so much he didn't know about Cyrus and so much he wanted to know, he didn't know where to start.

... I AM NOT A STRANGER TO THE DARK. HIDE AWAY, THEY SAY 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT YOUR BROKEN PARTS ... sparrow Cyrus Sol outfit 380 words n/a

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[Cyrus Sol]

((TRIGGER WARNING: MENTION OF SELF-HARM RELATED SCARS))

Cyrus smiled and swung their hands a bit, happy as ever when Ivan agreed to it being a date and the plan for the date. Although, it didn't last long when he bit his bottom lip, fangs digging in just a bit more than normal in the sudden influx of anxiety-filled thoughts that filled his brain.

'What if Ivan didn't like the handholding? What if he hated PDA? Should he ask about that? Or should he try to see his reaction to a kiss on the wrist? He sounded so nervous, did he not want this and fibbed because he'd feel bad? Does he not like him like that? But he was blushing earlier at the date idea. Maybe he did like him? But he said that it was his first date. What if he was blushing because it was his first date, and he didn't know what to do with it? And felt flustered because Cyrus sprung it upon him and pushed him to do this date? What if he's just planning to ditch him as soon as he could? What if that night was just a fluke and he just wanted to toy with your feelings? What if he just wanted to use you as anot-'

He mentally shook his head to stop the overwhelming thoughts and smiled at Ivan again, tugging their hands and guiding Ivan and the dogs to the cafe. He started to swing their hands again, comfortable with this. Pleased. Especially since Ivan didn't try to take his hand back. So, he must be fine with the handholding. Right?

"What's your favorite color, birdy?" He asked while lifting their hands up so that he could kiss Ivan's inner wrist, right where the pulse point laid. He didn't visibly react to feeling the thick scar running across Ivan's wrist when his lips landed smack dap on it. He didn't move Ivan's hand away to look at the wrist, even though he wanted to, wanting to see how long ago this happened. He didn't want to give Ivan any concerns or hurt the younger by mentioning it. Instead, he just pressed two more kisses to the scar, so that Ivan had a kiss on both ends of it and one in the middle of it. He pressed another kiss to the back of Ivan's hand and let their hands drop, swinging it like he did before, even as he felt his heart break just a bit at knowing the scar is there.

"I know it's a basic question, but I always enjoy people's answers to the question. Get a decent number of reds for an answer. A variety of specific reds, but red nevertheless. Got one yellow too, which is surprising as people tend to not like yellow. Granted, Apollyon said he liked Tuscany yellow, which is a warmer and not as violently bright of a color as like...most yellow things." He babbled. "Think it's because he likes bees. Bees are yellow and are attracted to brightly colored and nicely smelling things."

Ivan Stane