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They were going on a trip. It was a surprise, apparently. Rook liked that, the mystery of it. There was something very romantic about that, which wasn't usually Lam's forte. His boyfriend might not have been the most romantic person in the world, but that didn't really bother Rook because he was. He made up for the other's lacking sense of amour. However, when Lam did put in the effort to be passionate, Rook could see the intent there. God, he loved it.
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Rarely did it disappoint too.
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Ikarus gawked at the place that Lam had taken them too. "Wow! Lam, I love it." The other man knew him better than anyone ever cared to. He was the only person, it seemed, that had ever actually tried. Granted, Rook didn't always make it easy, he was odd and most of the time limited himself in a lot of ways.
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"A hotspring, I've never been to one before." He'd always wanted to though. Bath time was his favorite thing to do. There was something so relaxing about chilling in the bath tub. It was his "me time" and he took it very seriously. Like no one interrupted Lam's sleep, there was no interruption to Rook's bath time and he'd gotten snappy about it just as the other had when Rook had unwittingly woken him up.
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He grinned before hugging the other and planting a big smooch on Lam's cheek. "I love this, thank you."

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lam logan // m: new year, new me //

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[attr="class","star2"] “Yeah? I’m glad then! It was hard to keep secret.” And it hadn’t come at a small price, so it was also a slight relief that it went over well—given that he’d been saving bits and pieces for a while now to make this more than just a one day trip. Because they’d done their best to keep the holiday gifting minimal, he was able to manage two nights. Simple, but also a lot.[break][break]

“Never? I’ve only been once, but I was too young to really remember.” An attempt at a family vacation, he thought maybe. Before his mom decided even that wasn’t good enough, and left. It was a thought quickly dispersed— no point in dwelling on it. He’d stopped holding any great feelings for his mother years ago, and this wasn’t about him. Instead, it was about Rook and building a foundation of memories together with him.[break][break]

“It seemed like a nice way to enjoy something you like together.” He shrugged, sheepishness creeping into his expression as he looked over at Rook. They shared Lam’s treasured nap times often, but Lam now knew better than to encroach on normal bath time. As well as Rook knew not to wake Lam prematurely in the morning.[break][break]

And honestly, there was hardly space for the both of them in the bath back home. And it wasn’t nearly as romantic. Though maybe Rook would’ve accepted the gesture just the same if he’d set up candles and good smelling soaps and wine and stuff—even if it was cramped.[break][break]

That could be for another time, though. (His wallet informed him that would definitely be the case.) The next couple of days were meant to be grand. He wanted to prove himself capable of this, of being someone who tried too.[break][break]

Rook deserved that sort of steady effort.[break][break]

Arms slid around him and a dopey smile spread across his face. His own arms settled around Rook’s waist and despite the fact that Rook was the taller of them, Lam tipped back and lifted him off his toes just a bit as a kiss was pressed against his cheek. “Well I love you, so it wasn’t even a debate. I’m just glad the surprise landed.”[break][break]

Setting him back on his feet, Lam tugged on his hand and grabbed up some of their things with the other. “Come on then, let’s get checked in.”
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Ikarus Rook // m: new year, new me // my babies ;n;

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"I am surprised, you're usually so bad at keeping secrets." He giggled, poking the other teasingly.
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It was a nice sentiment though, the other knew him so well. Rook doubted that anyone knew him better than Lam did. It was a little odd to think about, he wasn't exactly a secretive person but he didn't recall a time when anyone knew him quite so much. It was nice, like having someone in his corner for once. "Awww so it's almost like experiencing it together for the first time. That's prettyyyyyy romantic." Of course, that was Lam's attempt to tickle Rook's romantic fancy. It was a successful attempt though.
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Unfortunately, there wasn't much room in their little bath tub, though there had been some funny attempts made in the past. The attempts were still made and Rook always appreciated them no matter how small. It did occur to him that not long ago he'd been seeking out some lavish lifestyle, yet after meeting Lam he hadn't thought about that life once. Money didn't buy happiness, they always said, and he'd never believed a word of it until Lam.
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Rook grinned at the little kiss, leaning into the ring of arms around him. There wasn't a price in the world he'd ever sell this for, that was a scary thought. It felt like a redefining thought, he'd seen the world in a different shade not long ago.
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"Yeah! Let's go, I'm excited!" Though he also hoped this didn't come as too much of an expense on the other. Rook knew his tastes could still seem expensive, but he wasn't going to dampen the mood for now.



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lam logan // m: new year, new me //

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[attr="class","star2"] “Well I tried reeeeeally hard this time not to have any slips.” It was lucky that Rook hadn’t noticed the fact he’d been smoking less in the last few weeks—a sure fire way to make him tell all. Even then he’d nearly fumbled it more than a few times. His nose wrinkled, and he rubbed it against the taller man’s chin.[break][break]

All in all, he was proud of himself. He liked to accumulate little tidbits he heard here and there to squirrel them away like a greedy little skwovet. Pieces that comprised only Rook, because he was the only person who Lam wanted to know so acutely. So deeply. The only person he’d ever cared to do so with.[break][break]

Rook thought him far more affectionate, but the truth was that it was because of the fact that he was comfortable around Rook and felt that emotional bond that he was able to express himself so plainly through touch. It made Rook an exception to any ideas that Lam had ever held about himself. A lasting kind of tenderness.[break][break]

The sort that made him want to do things like this. Make grand gestures, and permanent sorts of promises.[break][break]

“Yep! That’s what I was hoping you’d say,” he replied with a laugh. Eventually he reluctantly released his hold, but tangled their hands together as he led Rook inside and got them settled in their room. He remained discreet about the costs because he didn’t want that to be a concern. He’d been able to afford it, so that was all that mattered.[break][break]

Flopped on the bed in a cotton-knit robe, he looked up at Rook. “Ready to go? Figured we can just do room service or whatever after.”

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Ikarus Rook // m: new year, new me // my babies ;n;

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It was pretty surprising that Lam could manage to keep a secret from him. Usually all it required was a little bit of weed and some alone time and Lam would be chatting him up on every little minute detail of his secretive plans for that evening. Many date nights had been spoiled that way, not that Rook necessarily relied upon the surprise of it to enjoy it.
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Now that he thought about it, Lam had gone without smoking quite a bit lately. He should have seen the little signs and deduced that the other was hiding something, but Rook was entirely oblivious most of the time. Either way, he'd sacrificed something he loved for this, maybe it wasn't all that deep but it still made Rook swoon.
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Their hands tangled together and Rook walked alongside him, drawn close like a magnet that couldn't stray an inch too far. He'd never really been anywhere fancy before, so it did make him wonder just how much Lam spent to afford this. Hopefully not too much, though Rook wasn't about to let guilt cloud his mind at an important moment like this.
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As Lam checked them into the spa, he quickly hurried through the doors, feeling the heat and moisture in the air. "Oh Lam I'm so excited." He paused though as they entered the lockers and he grabbed a towel. "What do I do about these?" He pulled at the bandages, "Will there be other people?"

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lam logan // m: new year, new me //

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[attr="class","star2"] He really, really had lucked out that this had gone off without a hitch. It probably would’ve been exciting still, if Rook had figured it out. But at the same time, he’d really wanted to manage at least one surprise in his lifetime without blabbing about it.[break][break]

It was easy to relax, and this would be nice, but for Lam the payoff was in how Rook hovered close, glued to his side and buzzing with obvious excitement. It made the short term sacrifice (both monetary and recreational) worth it by far. It was always worth it to see the other light up because Lam had managed to successfully say or do something romantic. It made him continually want to be better at these sorts of things.[break][break]

“Good! That was definitely the goal,” he chirped back, following behind Rook before nearly bumping into his back as they entered the changing room. “Umm, well, I don’t think you’re technically supposed to wear anything but the towel in..” Did bandages count? He wasn’t sure. But he didn’t want the other’s fun to be dampened because he felt self-conscious.[break][break]

“Hang on.”Brows knitting together, he poked his head through the entrance to the baths. “I tried to figure out the least busiest time, but there’s like, one old guy?” he reported as he wandered back over to his boyfriend and got ready as he talked. “We can probably find a quieter corner, though. Or I can go back and ask the lady at the desk, if you want?”

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Ikarus Rook // m: new year, new me // my babies ;n;

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The last thing he wanted to do was make things more difficult for Lam after he'd gone and done all of this for him. He'd taken him to the most romantic place and spent all this money. The least he could do in exchange was put his insecurities on rest and simply enjoy himself. As Lam returned to him, he worked the first bandage away, expertly unwrapping as his fingers had grown rather adept at doing. "What? No, it's not a problem. I'm okay with it."
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One old guy didn't sound so bad, at least the spa wasn't bustling. He was pretty thankful for that, at least. It couldn't have been a lot worse and he was grateful for all of the other's planning in this.
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Managing to strip, he found himself a towel and offered the other his hand, "Ready?" He'd be lying to say he wasn't buzzing with excitement. He'd never been to a hot spa before, but had seen plenty of them in depictions on different medias. Taking the other's hand, he followed him out to the baths. "Oh wowww, these are super cool." It was true, he was easily pleased. It didn't take a lot of gravitas to provoke surprise or amazement.
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He pressed a kiss to Lam's cheek. "Thank you."

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lam logan // m: new year, new me //

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[attr="class","star2"] Lam shrugged, “Are you sure? I don’t mind.” Really, it wasn’t the inconvenience that Rook might’ve thought it was. Just a simple question for the receptionist who probably got similar queries on the daily. But Rook was already unraveling the bandages bit by bit, so Lam didn’t press the subject further.[break][break]

It was quiet and calm, though. Probably because it was the start of the week, rather than the weekend. Which had been genius on his part if he did say so himself.[break][break]

“Yep!” His hand threaded into the one Rook offered and he let the other lead him out. Grinning like a madman at how obviously hyped up Rook was.[break][break]

As was usually the case, a dopey soft grin stretched across his face as a kiss was pressed to his cheek. “Anytime, hot stuff,” he quipped before wasting little time clambering down the steps into the warm, steaming water. He tugged Rook by the tether of their still connected hands. “This is nice.” And he hadn’t even sunk all the way down to his shoulders yet.[break][break]

“Good way to start out the gym season, huh? Maybe we can come back after we’ve made some progress.” Like a little treat, if they could manage to take in any rewards or prizes for battle wins.[break][break]

And they were totally gonna do that! He was confident Sinking down in the water he pulled Rook closer, in only to briefly hook an arm around his shoulders.


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Ikarus Rook // m: new year, new me // my babies ;n;

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Most of his insecurities were in his head. It was very likely that no one would even noticed the little telltale scars on his body. To him, they looked horrendous and he made a big fuss at covering them everyday, but he knew that Lam didn't care. Lam just saw him and that was all that really mattered to him. It had helped, of course, that the other had shown him such loving adoration. He'd kissed every scar until they tingled, until Rook felt something other than dread and disgust.
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He followed Lam as the other slipped down into the water. The warmth touched his toes first, making his shiver. The smell of minerals and heat lingered in his nose, a nice sorta smell that he wasn't familiar with. "It is."
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Rook slipped into the water, long legs noodling out as he rolled back onto his back. It was goofy and he laughed, before rolling back up until only his head and shoulders were above the surface of the water. "Yeah, can be a little congratulatory treat." Rook wasn't sure just how well he'd do in the gym scene, though he knew that Lam was definitely going to succeed either way. Even then, Rook was still willing to try. It might turn out to be enjoyable.
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As he was pulled in, his arms slipped around Lam's shoulders. "Thank you for this, really." He kissed the tip of his nose, "It was really thoughtful." Then he pressed a kiss to the other's lips.



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lam logan // m: new year, new me //

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[attr="class","star2"] The old man in the far corner was very definitely not paying them any mind. Not that it really mattered—he wasn’t too sure that he’d stare too long at the scars that littered Rook’s skin, but even if he had, Lam would’ve interceded. Subtly, sure, but enough to make Rook feel shielded from any scrutiny. His partner seemed at ease, though, and that did well to settle any protective ruffling that Lam was experiencing. Because, after all, in his mind there was nothing for Rook to feel lesser about.[break][break]

Lam sank like a stone in the water, still and contained compared to the way Rook stretched out. Even so, he could feel the tension roll off his shoulders, muscles unwinding from the little aches and pains that came with keeping up in his exercises more routinely. He was glad the other seemed to be enjoying himself as much as Lam thought he might. Hopefully even more so.[break][break]

“Yeah! Exactly like that.” It would be more affordable too, given the prize earnings they could get for successes. Maybe Rook wasn’t too sure of his footing with everything, but Lam had confidence he’d find the right path. Sometimes, though, he thought Rook would make cute pseudo-Nurse Joy. Not that he said as much aloud. His partner would probably have a field day with that revelation.[break][break]

How easily they settled around one another. Arms fitted themselves at Rook’s waist with the familiar drape of the other’s over his shoulders. Lam bumped their foreheads together lightly. Playful. Nose wrinkling at the smooch on his nose, and laughing low and mischievous as he fell into the second. “You’re gonna get us in trouble if you keep that up.” More laughter before he nestled his forehead against Rook’s temple after pressing a swift kiss to the same spit. Totally content and comfortable.[break][break]

“Could really get used to this,” he teased, “if it means I get all this praise and gratitude.”

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Ikarus Rook // m: new year, new me // my babies ;n;

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