Rook watched in passive surprise at the little magic trick as one by one the flashlights were swapped and broken. As a man easily captivated by magic tricks, he had to admit he admired Isaac’s pizazz. It was nearly as gaudy as his own, and that was thought with a venerational air, of course. He clapped a little, like the easily entertained audience that he was. “Good show, standing… flying ovation.” He corrected himself, which reminded him he was still dangling at a leg-breaking, body-shattering distance.
[break][break]
As the Crobat veered to a standstill, moving back towards his owner, Rook began scouting for his usual spots. Finally he pointed to the door at the back of an alley leading into the local bar. “A lot of this part is renovated from old Slateport, that door leads to a maintenance route that should take us outside of the police boundary. It’s not common knowledge, so it shouldn’t be taken into account during their search. What do you think?” It was a bit of a gamble, after all it could also easily scream “use me, criminals” and lead the police right to them.
[break][break]
That was always a gamble. “Ooor, we can hunker down in the bar until the heat is off, I know the owner.” Said owner also only begrudgingly allowed him entry because he knew that it was an illegal front, but that didn’t really matter, did it?


[break][break]

+ Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“I promise.” A pinky promise was the most serious of all promises. He let his pinky squeeze the other’s to add an extra dose of promise. Maybe it was childish, but it felt so them. His finger lingered, twined around the other’s as he sat beside him, pressed close once more.
[break][break]
I love you. Those words repeated in his head, in Lam’s voice. He wanted to imprint those words in a sacred place, hold them close until they became memory-like and never left him. Maybe it was a coping mechanism that came with the fear of loss. He had this now and he couldn’t lose it. Maybe he had to change, a little. For Lam. Yeah.
[break][break]
“I love you too.” He replied. Rook had never told anyone he loved them before so the words felt foreign. It felt so honest that his mind tried to find the lie in them, tried to twist it around like something that could be bartered or traded so easily. Yet they couldn’t be. Maybe it was the most honest he’d ever been.
[break][break]
Lam smiled and it was the single most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Sure, he’d seen Lam smile before, but this time it was for him and because he loved him. Wow.
[break][break]
“Yeah, does make sense.” He added, dumbly and sheepishly. His eyes darted away, though the other man’s hands kept his face in place. “Am I allowed to kiss you now? ‘Cause this is really hard.”





[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] lam logan [break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon mimikyu"]

A man of good taste then, he almost added, but didn’t want to equate himself further with being “cheap”. Sooner or later though, Lam would probably find out more than a few inconsistencies about Rook. Like how he hated spending money but rather enjoyed the idea of having money and living in luxury. Maybe because his own family had never really had all that much money and he’d learned the poor man’s road to riches, which generally involved conning people and being no good to most of society.
[break][break]
Rook grinned as the offer was accepted, feeling a little heat on his own face, which felt like a rarity for him. “There was a lot of snow in Sinnoh during the winter.” He didn’t think much of the place he’d grown up in and shrugged it off almost as quickly.
[break][break]
“Yeah, you can get it cold too, but I figure it’ll get cold eventually so why enjoy only half the experience?” Another useless bit of information. Rook felt a little sheepish then as conversation turned into the direction he’d stupidly reversed it. He was quite dumb, wasn’t he? Reminding the other that he had just tried stealing from him.
[break][break]
“Yeah well had I known you were so cute, I would have looked longer and touched less… the art I mean, I can’t make promises with other things.” He snickered, like an idiot (which he undoubtedly was). “Funny and cute though?” A little glimpse of mischief as he sipped from his drink.



[break][break]

+ lam logan |

“Sometimes, it depends. They have pretty cheap drinks though.” Way to seem cheap, which he was. He just didn’t want Lam to think he was cheap, at least not about all things. Sometimes that could seem good, like he had his life together and made good life choices, but that wasn’t even it. He simply prioritized stupid purchases and thus required himself to skimp on the rest of the things he enjoyed.
[break][break]
“Cozy huh?” He smiled at that, a touch sheepish as he added, “Well if we get a snowstorm in Hoenn, you’re welcome to cozy up with me. You know, just to keep you warm.” He shrugged as if the gesture was entirely innocent and simply to make sure the other kept warm.
[break][break]
“You might! I’m guessing you’ve seen snow before?’ That was a little crazy for him. Someone that has never seen snow before. For some, that sounded pretty good. Rook was a cold-weathered person at heart so it sounded kind of sad to him.
[break][break]
Before he could say anything, their drinks were served. They couldn’t have looked any different. One was warm tones and hot steam, the other was summer colors and topped with a piece of fruit. Still, both looked equally good. “So, I’m hoping it turned out not to be an entirely bad thing that we happened to run into one another, right?”



[break][break]

+ lam logan |

“I know.” Rook said, with a despondent little sigh as he pulled himself up onto the hood of the car. Rook was used to getting away with the things he did, mostly without consequence. He was both the luckiest and unluckiest person he knew for sure. “I know I’m stupid.”
[break][break]
He could feel Lam draw a little closer, the tiniest amount. It was just enough to make the ache in him grow all the more needy for that close contact. Touch between them was such a constant thing that he’d found himself craving it every second of the day. Yet, he could also see how he’d grown a little content with it. He’d been dumbly under the impression that it was his to have without change, but it could change.
[break][break]
“Okay, I promise, I’ll listen. I’ll do better.” Lam deserved that, didn’t he? Someone better than him? Rook had been selfish to think himself entitled to someone like Lam without attempting to improve himself in the process. He could feel the stifled breath finally leave his body, along with all the tension he’d been holding in, as Lam pressed against him.
[break][break]
I love you, Ikarus. Right then, he felt entirely unprepared for those words. Rook felt himself freeze, eyes widening as he turned to look at him. “Love….?” He felt himself choke on the word. No one had ever told him that before. “You mean that? You really love me?” Right then, he wanted to kiss him, but he wasn't sure. Was Lam still mad at him?


[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] lam logan [break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon mimikyu"]

Rook smiled to himself as he turned away, listening to Lam ramble incoherent about sweeping him. It was beyond cute, considering how weird this had been so far. Even then, it was going alright, wasn't it? He hoped at least that it was.
[break][break]
A little glimpse back at the reddened blush on the other's face was all he needed to see, prompting more little butterflies to flutter around in his chest. It almost made him wish he'd given him a more direct kiss, but then he probably wouldn't have gotten the same reaction.
[break][break]
Patience is a virtue, they say. So, he had to hope that his patience would lead to good things, right? Pina Colada, his eyes darted down to the menu posted on the bar. "One of those summer sunset drink and a dark horse, pleasseee." He said to the bartender, whom had never been too thrilled with him being a regular customer. Not that he went there to drink all that much, but they likely wish that was all he'd ever gone there to do.
[break][break]
Sitting back, he swiveled to look at Lam with a smile. It had been a long time since he'd last been on anything akin to a date. It was a little daunting. He knew there were things you didn't talk about on first dates, but he couldn't recall what those rules were. Though it wasn't like he had an ex to talk about and ruin the mood. So, as long as he didn't discuss acts of crime, he'd probably be okay.
[break][break]
"Maybe a little, I mean you seem like a very summer type of guy. Meanwhile, my drink has espresso, soda, coffee liqueur, rum, and lots of whipped cream. So.. not sure what that says about me besides a dark coffee addiction." He laughed at that.



[break][break]

+ lam logan |

Little by little, Rook could feel the guilt overwhelm his stubbornness. The more time the stretched out, the less he believed himself in the right. It wasn't a difficult adjustment, considering he was rarely ever right and seeing the other in this state was like death by a thousand paper cuts. "Lam... I..." He sighed then, heading rolling back against the head rest and eyes squeezing shut until light pricked at his eyelids.
[break][break]
It hadn't been an attempt to cry for pity or anything, he genuinely wondered if he was actually good for Lam. He was a scoundrel and a liar and a thief, not exactly good boyfriend material. However, in the end, it was Lam's decision who he chose to be with and Rook had no right to challenge that. Lam was an adult and he made his own choices, but Rook was still scared of the day that Lam said: I was wrong about you.
[break][break]
With another sigh, he opened his eyes and pushed open the passenger door. It was clear that they were not going to head home right that second and that wasn't exactly his choice because Lam chose to pick him up despite everything. He held on to the open door for a moment, maybe a security object before finally closing the door behind him. He felt like a scolded puppy as he approached the hood of the car. "I do take you seriously... I was just... I was stupid." For a moment, he wondered if he should wait for permission, but eventually sidled up awkwardly beside him, slipping a little because he didn't know how to do anything without messing up.
[break][break]
"I'm sorry, okay? Really, I am. What can I do to make it up to you?" He looked at Lam, trying to catch his eye though the other was making an effort not to look at him. For that moment, he was afraid to touch in case that sparked the other's anger, but it felt so wrong not to reach out.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] lam logan [break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon mimikyu"]

For all of his sense of drama, Rook couldn't maintain an argument for very long before the negative feelings long outstayed their welcome and he was left feeling anxious and desperate for things to go back to normal. This was even more apparent with Lam. Their relationship had probably always been a bit odd, considering their chosen occupations seemed systematically opposed to one another. However, in the time they'd been together, Rook had come to depend upon it. Lam made him happy and he didn't honestly know how to go back to pre-Lam era.
[break][break]
Yet if his plan was to end the argument as soon as possible, he wasn't doing a good job. This would probably surprise no one, in the end. Somehow, he'd probably made it worst and only made Lam resent him further for his inadequacies and his occupation (if it could even be called that).
[break][break]
Everything he said sounded wrong and he wanted to swallow it back up. He wanted to tell him that there was nothing wrong with his art, only that the gallery was too stupid to acknowledge the talent that Rook could see. Only he didn't. Instead words jumbled out in a mess. His only clarification just: "That's not what I meant..." As if that clarified everything and lessened the potential ache.
[break][break]
"No..." He said with a shrug. No one called him. "That's not true — I do care, Lam." Maybe he was odd about expressing it, but that didn't mean he didn't care. It did occur to him that it would be a fright to have Lam not come to bed at night and someone else call in his place. Lam got up then and vacated the vehicle. "Lam?" Rook frowned, slowly and awkwardly following. "What are you doing? I thought you wanted to go home."
[break][break]
He looked back into the car with a whine. "Come on, let's go." He sighed, before following diligently. "What do you want me to say? I'm sorry? I didn't mean to... I thought it'd go better. You want me to tell you I'm a fuck up and you deserve better? Well okay then. I'm a fuck up and you deserve better."




[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] lam logan [break]

[attr="class","pokesprite pokemon mimikyu"]