8 - True friend(s)?

Carleen relaxed when Horknath put her strand of hair back behind her ear. It always felt so affectionate, so sweet, that it sometimes was all she needed to calm down. "Of course I do. I shouldn't be too long. I just- want my mother to know, and give me pointers about what we could or should do regarding this. For the rest- I think we really, really need that evening together." She leaned in to peck his lips again, and asked if she could go to his room for her phone call. She'd come back twenty minutes later, with her eyes a little red, but looking much better already.

Horknath smiled apologetically at her. "We do." He leaned in as well to peck her lips back, asked her quickly if she would like to eat her usual plates of choice from the chinese take-away's menu and phoned from the kitchen to book their dinner. They'd pass by the restaurant with Spike, make a longer circle - maybe breathing some air and walking for a while would make her feel better.
He had been preparing his dog for the walk when Carleen came back from his room. He got up from the ground, letting go of the leash momentarily so that he would be able to hold her another little bit. "All good?", he asked gently.

Carleen hugged Horknath tight for a bit. She needed it. "All good. My mother wants to see both of us tomorrow, regarding the legal pursuit of all of... this. If you're alright with it, we could go to my place tomorrow. Until then, I'd rather forget about everything and have a nice evening with you. What do you think?" She stepped back to look at him with a small smile.

Horknath smiled gently at her, in a way he hoped was the most reassuring possible. "That sounds like a plan to me", he answered, pecking her lips quickly before picking the bag where he kept all the doggie treats and sackets. "So", he exclaimed louder, clapping his hands together. "Our orders won't be ready at the restaurant before half an hour or so. Which is good, because I think you are finally ready to take the reins in this relationship", he announced very seriously before offering her Spike's leash. "And by this relationship I mean your and our four-legged son's relationship", he added with a goofy smile. "If you wish to try, of course."

Carleen was merely confused at first, but she burst out laughing when Horknath handed her the leash with such a speech. She took the handle, and grilled at him. "I'd love to! Oh, but I will need the support of my other partner, from my other relationship. Perhaps you've heard of him. He's the perfect man: tall, strong, handsome, clever and funny. I call him Handsome for short."

Horknath flushed as Carleen got all of her cheekiness back and threw an easy flow of compliments at him. "M-maybe I've seen him once or twice", he commented with a little, sheepish laugh. "But since he sounds so amazing, I'm sure he will gladly help you out." He smiled at her and shrugged on his jacket, before offering Carleen her own coat. "Don't worry - we've trained a lot these last days, to make him behave more on the leash. He's not pulling very hard now, but I'll teach you to call him back in order as we go."

Carleen put her coat back on with Horknath's help, and beamed, turning towards Spike. "Is that true? You've been a good boy lately? Are you going to show mommy how daddy taught you well? Are you going to help mommy learn too? Oooh, aren't you sweet!" She cooed, as she crouched just a bit to pet Spike, whom she loved dearly. Perhaps as much as Horknath. Alright, not in the same way, but. She'd call both of them her perfect boys.
And would only agree to count Dean, Theseus and her own father as her perfect boys too if they complained about being left out of the club for at least five minutes.

Horknath fondly watched Carleen dote on Spike, and Spike excitedly wagging his tail and rolling on his back to get all the belly rubs he could get. It really made them look like they were their own little family, and that filled his heart to the brim with giddiness. 
It momentarily made him forget about the whole Piritoo situation. "He will be well behaved, or no treats tonight after the walk", he added, feigning a menacing tone as he wagged his finger towards Spike. Who just wagged his tail even harder.

Carleen chuckled and got back up. "Oh but he's so sweet! I'm sure he'll be a little angel tonight, won't you Spike? Yes! You'll be our good boy!" She petted him some more, before she grabbed the leash with a steady grip with one hand, and gently took Horknath's hand with the other. She too had momentarily forgotten all about Piritoo, and that was for the best.

There was someone else who thankfully didn't know about that story yet, and it was Theseus, who was gazing lovingly at his boyfriend over their dinner table. "We should do this more often. Dining out." He grinned, his chin resting in the palm of his hand. For a man raised in a wealthy family, he lacked manners, and all sense of etiquette - and his mother often teased him about it. But against all odds, he was a simple guy - if you squint enough to forget about his tacky, golden convertible.

Horknath gently squeezed her hand and merrily guided her outside with Spike. As he had promised, the doggie actually behaved himself quite well - only once he tried to pull too hard on the leash because he wanted to smell another dog, but Horknath showed his girlfriend how to keep him in check (which was basically saying his name really sternly followed by 'stay'), so that went down well. They passed through a park, made a whole turn around the block to get to the chinese restaurant to get their orders (which Horknath insisted to transport all by himself) and only then they got back to his apartment.
All in all. A very nice, distracting walk.

Asterius - who kept his elbows religiously off the table because you try to do that with a nonna who is watching you with an eagle's eye and smacking your hands - lifted his eyes from his plate, unable to keep a little smile off his face. He knew perfectly well that Theseus had been looking at him for a bit now. "Maybe if you didn't insist on always training late before our dates, we could do it more often", he teased him gently.

Carleen had a lot of fun during that walk with Spike and Horknath. She made a point to pout a little when her boyfriend told her he wanted to hold all of the bags, but since it meant she still had a free hand to hold his own with, she didn't mind. She got the leash off Spike as soon as they got back into the apartment, petted him a bit and insisted to give him a treat herself before she flopped down on the couch with Horknath, to set up a movie and eat, sitting by his side.
Alright, let's be honest, she was leaning against him, because he was just so tall and comfy.

Theseus scoffed, and chuckled. "Well, if we had more time we spent together, I wouldn't insist on training with you any time I can!" He sighed. "But I do love spending time with you, no matter what we do. So, if you'd rather dine out with me, then I guess I shall comply." He finally straightened up a bit, to keep on eating. He had brought his boyfriend to a fancier restaurant, for once, and had even dressed up for the occasion.

Horknath didn't mind the fact that Carleen was completely invading his personal space. He didn't mind it at all. If anything he encouraged it - especially once he was finished with his food and settled the aluminium trail on a nearby coffee table, so that he could pull her on his lap to snuggle closer. And maybe smooch a little bit.
Spike, exhausted after his walk, snored quietly next to the couch, in his little doggie bed.

"I might request it at times, then. But I do love spending time with you too, anything we might be doing together", Asterius answered with a smile, emptying his plate. "I've never been here before", he commented then, after drinking some water. "It's a very nice place." He had dressed up a little as well, although surely less fashionably than Theseus - very simple clothes, but elegant enough for this kind of restaurant, he guessed.

Carleen was glad when Horknath dragged her even closer to him, and she definitely kissed him several times through the second part of their movie. She even let out a few chuckles when their kisses were more than simple pecks. All in all, it was a lovely evening.
"Say, I was thinking- if we go to my parents' place tomorrow, would you like to stay over there and sleep in my room? That way I could come with you to your match on Sunday morning."

"It is! We go there sometimes with Carleen. She's the one who found the place." Theseus smiled to himself. "She and Selena found it, actually. I merely tagged along a few times. But when I was thinking of tonight, I couldn't think of anywhere else where to bring you! But for next time, I'll let you choose our activities, love." His expression softened. "All of them."

Horknath beamed. "Sure! I'd love that", he answered with a smile. "I like it when you come at my matches. I feel even more motivated." He just needed to make sure Asterius would be home for the night to keep an eye on Spike - he couldn't bring him with, since Carleen had told him that her dad was allergic to fur!

Asterius regarded Theseus with the fondest of glances. "I don't mind the place, if we are together", he answered with a little nod. "I always enjoy myself when I'm with you. Maybe next time, we can stay at my place and watch a movie together. Maybe we can go for a run and eat at one of those street food stands in the park. Maybe we could take a weekend off and go skiing. I have no preference - I just need you."

Carleen smiled back at Horknath and kissed him softly. "Then I'll be there. I won't bring Thee's megaphone this time, I promise," she add him with chuckle. She and her brother have already watched some of their boyfriends' rugby matches, and had almost been kicked out of the stadium once when Theseus had brought his darn megaphone to cheer Asterius on louder than the others. Carleen had definitely grabbed it at some point to cheer on Horknath as he was about to do a touchdown, but afterwards they had been kindly asked to drop the megaphone if they wanted to keep on sitting in the stands.

"Oh, Asterius!" Theseus' heart was melting after such sweet words. "I need you just as well, you know? You are my best friend as much as you are the love of my life. Our bond is unbreakable! And it shall remain so for the rest of our lives. But fine, then! We'll do anything you wish for, since we have our whole lives ahead of us. And tonight-" he reached for one of Asterius' hands from across the table, "tonight shall be one of those wonderful memories we build together, my love."

Horknath chuckled as well when he was reminded of that megaphone. "I've never seen the coach get so mad about cheering. Nor have I ever been so flustered about it", he observed, even though the look he regarded Carleen with did saya lot about how much he had appreciated her encouraging him from the seats. "Remember my good luck kiss before the practice starts", he added on a second thought, because of course they had kept on that tradition!

Asterius couldn't bring himself to tell Theseus just how dramatic he sounded as he declared his love for him - mostly because he really enjoyed how open his boyfriend was with his feelings towards him. He felt himself flush pleasantly under his fur, and he briefly looked away from Theseus to collect himself before he could raise his head again. "I love you too", he murmured then, gently squeezing his hand. "And this has been a lovely evening. I'm sure it will make for a very nice memory." Even though he suspected that his boyfriend had something else in mind as well.

"I'll never forget your good-luck kiss," Carleen replied with a chuckle, before she straightened up just a little to peck his lips. "It was fun to see that your teammates started getting some, too." Those who were in a relationship might get one from their partner, and some fans tried hard to be picked as the one who'd get to give a good-luck kiss on the cheek to some of the single players. It was a lot of good-spirited fun, mostly.

Theseus hummed in approval and brought Asterius' hand - that he was still holding - to his lips to kiss it. "An unforgettable one! But I'm preventing you from finishing your plate! Go, now- I'll have plenty of time to kiss you as soon as we get to my place." He smiled to himself and let go of Asterius' hand, to grab his own fork again and finish his meal. Not without gazing lovingly at his boyfriend, of course.
He insisted to pay afterwards, for the date had been his idea, and would stop in front of his car to corner Asterius against the passenger door, so that he might kiss him to his heart's content there.

Horknath chuckled. "Yes. I think we've unwittingly started a trend", he answered, pecking Carleen back affectionately. He grinned lightly, though, and leaned in to leave a little, tender kiss on her neck. "But I am pretty sure I am the luckiest among all my teammates, because I get a kiss from the most gorgeous, kind girl of the whole world." Alright, maybe a little cheesy, but he did think that!

Asterius had let Theseus kiss his hand and fought a smile as he returned the gesture soon before starting to eat again. He did throw some glances at his boyfriend, from time to time, just as lovingly.
He did roll his eyes, and advanced a little complaint when Theseus insisted to pay - but his boyfriend insisted even harder, and he had decided to drop the subject. He had made him promise he'd let him pay at their next outing, though, and he had been adamant about it.
Once cornered against the passenger door of Theseus' tacky convertible, though, he left all the protests behind and leaned down to allow his boyfriend to kiss him as much as he wanted, and wrapped his arms around him to keep him as close as he possibly could.

Carleen chuckled. "You say that because I was your only girlfriend so far. But, works by me! At least I can look perfect to your eyes!" She was flustered, and was trying to hide it behind jokes, as per her usual. "You're too sweet with me, Horknath. But don't stop." She grinned at him, and ran a hand through his hair as she kissed his forehead.

Theseus spent quite some time there kissing Asterius, making their kiss long and deep. His boyfriend knew by now that he always needed one of those long kisses after he'd have to behave himself for a while. He eventually broke their kiss himself, a little breathless, and chuckled against Asterius' lips. "I should drive us home." He grinned at his boyfriend and pecked his lips one last time, before he hopped inside his car. "Unless you feel like going somewhere else, of course! But I'd love to get my hands all over you, and I'm afraid we'd get a few glances if I did so in a bar or a club."

"I say that because it's the truth and how dare you doubt of my words!", Horknath exclaimed, feigning a protest - and a pout, even though he did lean down to offer his forehead to Carleen's lips. "I won't stop", he added, his pout dissipating under a fond smile as he looked up at her, gently grasping her hands in his. He brought them to his lips. "It doesn't matter that I never had a girlfriend before you. I think you are amazing."

Asterius hummed a satisfied noise against Theseus' lips when he broke their kiss - he wasn't nearly as breathless as his boyfriend. having bigger lungs did play to his advantage here - but he still looked happily dizzy. "I'd rather get back home", he answered after a little bit in a murmur, as he sat down in the car. "I'm afraid the way I want your hands all over me as well is not really appropriate for a public setting." He threw him a teasing glance, briefly resting his hand on Theseus' thigh.

Carleen's smile got softer, and fonder. "You're amazing as well, Horknath. Sometimes I can barely believe just how lucky I am that we bumped into each other. Both online and in real life," she added with a chuckle. "I like to think that we were either bound to meet, or are two very lucky people."

Theseus shivered when he felt Asterius touching his thighs, after those suggestive words.
And his grin only widened at the thought. "Well! Then I suppose you'll like the surprise I have for you tonight." It wasn't much of a surprise - he suspected Asterius had understood that he wanted to drag him to his bedroom right away. But he did hope that his boyfriend would appreciate that he had spent so much time getting ready for him!

Horknath grinned at her. "Maybe we are both", he answered. It really felt as if he had already loved her before meeting her - maybe it sounded strange, but it was what he thought. He gently nuzzled against her cheek before leaving a soft kiss on her lips. 
The movie they were watching soon enough drew to its end - they hadn't followed the second half all that much, busy as they were kissing each other and whispering loving words at each other. Horknath sighed. "It's starting to get a bit late - and it was a long day today", he murmured. "Do you want to go upstairs and cuddle a bit under the blankets?"

Asterius' lips twitched as he held back a smile. Oh, he had understood alright - but that definitely didn't mean he was less appreciative of all the effort his boyfriend was making for him. "I'm sure I will love it", he answered seraphically, wothdrawing his hand and resting it on his own lap.
He didn't want to cause a car accident - Theseus was already reckless enough as a driver without further distractions!

Carleen's smile widened, and definitely became a littke cheeky, as she wrapped her arms around Horknath's neck. "Oh. Bold of you to think I'd settle down for a little bit of cuddling only." She leaned in closer, and barely brushed her lips against his own. "Unless you're too tired and you don't feel like it. But I'd love it if you. Brought me to your room. Closed the door." She caressed his cheek, her gaze loving.

Theseus was indeed one of those drivers whose driving fits their personality. Thankfully, knowing Dean Winchester had improved his driving a little bit, but he did drive a little fast still.
He parked the car in its dedicated garage, and then got out with Asterius, to walk hand in hand with him to his place.
Where he reached for a particular switch to dim all of the lights in the apartment, with a pleased grin. He threw his bag in a corner and looked at his boyfriend. "Do you want a drink, or shall we go straight to my room?"

Horknath flushed under Carleen's loving eyes and ministrations, and briefly bit his lower lip. Truth be told, that much intimacy had been in his plans for the night, but he had thought not to impose on his girlfriend too much that evening, especially seeing the way it had begun. But... if she wanted this. Well.
Who was he to deny her? "I do feel like it", he murmured before leaning in for a deeper kiss, holding her body closer to his.

Asterius snorted softly, eyeing his boyfriend with a sort of exasperated fondness that only he could wake in him. "How could I resist", he commented, watching the dimmed lights. "I think we both had enough to drink at dinner." He walked closer to Theseus to corner him against the nearest piece of furniture, caging him with his body, and rested his hands on his hips. He leaned in to leave open-mouthed kisses against the skin of his neck, happily disregarding the invitation to get immediately to his boyfriend's bedroom for now.

Carleen smiled into their kiss, and she readily kissed Horknath back for a long time, humming happily into it. Only after a long while did she part from him, biting back a smile. "Have I ever told you you're quite the kisser? I could stay here all night, in spite of the plans we've made already." She ran a hand through his hair, with a soft chuckle.

Theseus was, as always, a little flustered when Asterius cornered him against the nearest piece of fourniture - that probably happened to be the kitchen counter, since the apartment opened on a wide kitchen-and-living-room area. But as his boyfriend probably knew by now, he loved every second of it. There soon was a grin on his lips, and he shivered with delight when he felt his boyfriend kissing his neck, and grounding him with his hands on his hips. "Oh, Asterius," he chuckled, tilting his head on the side to grant more access to his boyfriend. "I haven't taken my coat off yet. But- I mean- it doesn't need to go on the hanger," he mused out loud, when he managed to take said coat off.