sortinghat_logs | SWIMMINGGEDDON.

[He's taking the silence as an indication that he made the other man umcomfortable, but he's thankful for the fact that Bro seems to have slipped back into his normal behaviour.

He, of course, remains entirely unaware that the other man has any such intentions with him. He'd always defaulted to assuming the other man was joking everytime he made a pass and he'd never felt wrong in his assumptions. Bro was a ridiculous sort of man and Murdoc really doubted someone such as himself could ever be anything more than a target to him. He wasn't funny and he certainly wasn't pleasant to talk to. If Bro meant anything behind his passes, surely it would be in the hopes of humiliating him.

He isn't sure why he's so suspicious of the other man. Or why he feels so strange when he hits on him. It's almost as if part of him wants it to be real, but the better half of him has already decided it isn't possible. Not until it's proven, anyway. He'd dismissed the idea of it being anything but teasing the day Vriska clued him in on Sybille's visits, yet he was still finding himself desiring the company of the other man.

He's tired of everything being so hellishly confusing for him, though he supposes he over complicates things himself. He starts to dismiss the thoughts and focus on the task at hand. He strides backward in the water until it's chest height and opens his arms, gesturing for the other man to follow him.]

Understood. You'll need to come deeper. [He says, his face entirely devoid of any emotion, leaving no indication toward the blaringly obvious innuendo.]

[Despite the fact his feelings are everywhere and he just feels so. off He can't help but quirk his lips slightly in amusement at Murdoc's words, a low chuckle rumbling deep in his throat that Murdoc might not be able to hear from a distance. Even like this, he can spot an innuendo a mile away. Still, he doesn't say anything, because he knows it'd piss Murdoc off.

And he's suddenly really goddamn apprehensive about being caught in his lie. Thankfully the nervousness for that showing in his eyes is fairly deceptive, Murdoc would probably assume it's nerves about swimming. God why did this have to be so. Weird.

Bro steps forward and does it slowly, making sure to do so slowly. He stops about a foot are so from Murdoc, because. This is close enough right? Of course it is. I mean really does there have to be skin contact? Really? Because that seems like a thing that could definitely be avoided.

His eyes flicker to Murdoc's face, before he casts them back down to the water instead, because... Fuck eye contact or face contact in general. Just fuck it.]

Yeah, okay. Now what?

Edited 2012-09-11 12:54 (UTC)

[Meanwhile, in thoughts that have little to do with the awkwardness of the situation or the attractiveness of that damn smirk, Murdoc can feel his back twinging ever so slightly. It's no surprise that he should feel over worked, given all the stress the swimming classes put on him, but he continues to push himself anyway.

After this, he will visit the nurse straight away, he tells himself. He's sure he can manage one short lesson with an adult before it really starts to hurt. He's been through worse, anyway.

He tries not to look obviously strained as Bro approaches, feeling a slight pang of guilt as he realises the other man isn't making eye contact.]

Do you know how to float?

[Under normal circumstances, Bro might have been able to tell that there was something off about Murdoc. He's trained himself to be able to tell people's physical weaknesses. But right now he's just not paying enough attention, so he really has no idea that Murdoc's back is starting to bother him.

At his question, Bro shrugs.]

Not really? [He's still looking at the water.] What do I do? I mean...fuck, I've never really been in a swimming pool before or anything.

[He's starting to feel bad for lying so much, but he keeps telling himself it's for a good cause. Things are already...

Sort of better between them?

If by better he means seriously awkward instead of hostile, at least.]

Right. Then we need to go back until your toes don't touch the ground.

[And suddenly Murdoc's hand is going to lunge forward for Bro's wrist. All of a sudden his patience is running a little thin, but he feels less guilty man-handling Bro than he would a student.

He gives it a sharp tug and starts to wade backward until it's a struggle to keep his feet on the ground. He didn't really account for Bro's height, but it's no matter. He unleashes his wrist and pushes his shoulders back with one hand, the other hand nudging his lower back upward before shifting to push his legs up as well.

Both hands are now under Bro's back and legs, nudging to make sure he doesn't wriggle himself out of the position. Normally, he'd be less comfortable with so much contact, but now he wants to make this lesson short but sweet so he can leave the overwhelming awkwardness and rest his back.]

Stay perfectly still.

Edited 2012-09-13 16:46 (UTC)

Wh-

[And suddenly Murdoc's hand is on his wrist and he's being pulled out into the water. Okay he doesn't have a problem with that. Nope, there's no problem with that. He moves forward as best he can and then stops. Yeah that's cool, everything's fine.

That is until Murdoc is touching him, guiding his actions and then his hands are lower, at his legs and lower back and jesus fucking christ he wasn't prepared for this.

As if on reflex, his legs jerk forward to try and get Murdoc's hands off of him, which was a mistake considering it sent him off balance and falling backwards. To try and catch himself, his arms fly out and latch onto the only thing available- Murdoc. They clamp around his neck as he falls backwards into the water.

And at some point during all of this, he also let out a mix between a yell, a shriek, and a gasp.]

[Murdoc, of course, had no idea that Bro was secretly spring loaded. As such, he really isn't expecting the limb flailing and he jerks away from Bro, sending a stab of pain down his back.

He barely has time to stifle that when Bro is throwing his arms around him, and he most certainly does not have the strength to hold them both up at this moment. He lets out a loud, pained cry before the two of them collapse under the water with a dramatic splash.]

[During all of this, it's a whirlwind of flailing and fighting to disentangle himself with Murdoc. Because he needs to just get as far away from possible as he can because touching. It's awkward now and jesus christ just.

He flails. He flails a lot. And it gets him a few feet away from where Murdoc was. He breaks the surface, spluttering and splashing and doing his best to look like a drowning victim all the while. He'll just. Tell Murdoc that the lessons are off, until he can go somewhere and regain his composure and not be a stupid, awkward fuck.

After Murdoc saves him, that is.]

Blarhgh! HELP ME! HELP ME OPRAH, I CAN'T SWIM! SAVE ME!

[The awkwardness is a little beyond Murdoc right now because fuck. He's going to fucking drown while giving swimming lessons in a god damn bath. What the fuck would they say at his funeral.

He can see Bro flailing about and he strains, trying to drag himself upward through the water despite the screams of protest from his spine. It's pretty fucking difficult to do this when Bro's legs are flailing everywhere, so he delivers a swift kick to the other man's thigh before grabbing onto whatever part of him he can and climing up. He's practically screeching now in a pitiful tone.]

CALM THE FUCK DOWN, STRIDER. [WINCE. Yelling hurts.] Shit.

[Bro lets out a 'MMF' when he feels the kick, but it doesn't stop him from flailing any harder. Because he's drowning, he's supposed to flail!

But then. Murdoc grabs his ass. To be fair, Murdoc probably never meant to grab his ass, but Bro twisted at an inopportune time and his hand just. Grabbed it. Right onto it.

He lets out what can only be described as a shriek and twists out of Murdoc's grasp, foot coming up and kicking at Murdoc in defense.]

I fuckin' know, shit! What the fuck, man! Ugh, if you're gonna save me, get the- [He goes under water briefly, cutting himself off before rising up again.] YOU'RE A SHITTYASS OPRAH, FOR FUCK'S SA- [Blurgle, going under again.]

Would you stop fuckin' flailin' around for a god damn second?! My back has gone out, you prick. I can't fuckin' swim. If you don't calm the fuck down you're goin' to kill us both an' I'm goin' to die lookin' ridiculous!

Now's your chance, Strider! Swim you oversized manchild. [Not going to stop clinging.]

[Oh. Oh. Oh fuck seriously. SERIOUSLY? His back. Has gone out. Instantly he stops flailing because yeah, he kind of doesn't want to kill either of them. But the fact that Murdoc is clinging to him is a little.

Fucking weird, to be quite honest. Ugh, jesus fucking. Why was this happening? He should've just. Never done this.

They both go under the water for a moment now that Bro's stopped flailing, and that's when he realizes that he kinda has to give up the lie. Because. Otherwise right there and now, they're gonna drown. He'd let out a groan of frustration if it wasn't for the fact that he's under water.

Finally he just. wraps an arm around Murdoc and then swims them both to the shallow end of the pool. Quite goddamn expertly too, since he's been lying the whole time and he can swim just fine.

He hauls Murdoc up to the steps of the bath and then pulls himself away from his grasp.]

You touched my fucking ass, just FYI.

[Murdoc is a little distracted by INTENSE PAIN but he's well aware of how well Bro is swimming. However, his priorities are in order and all he cares about is getting out of this death trap.

Once they make it to land, Murdoc is quick to slump to the ground. He's trying so hard not to make any weak noises, but he can't hold back a slight whimper as he sits. He presses one hand to his back, keening quietly as he buries his face in his other hand.]

Eughh..

[He's saying that because his back hurts, but he isn't going to clarify that it's not in regards to Bro's ass.]

You're a fuckin' liar.

[Bro turns his back to Murdoc, arms folded. He isn't sure how to take that sound, but he's a bit too worked up and full of adrenaline to really think about it. But the liar comment kind of gets to him and he feels guilty.

He's been caught and now he has to pay the consequences, and the thought scares him. Because originally he'd lied for entirely different reasons. It was a game. Now it wasn't. He wasn't sure how to goddamn feel.]

Sorry, I just...I...

[He needs to get the attention away from this. He needs to just. Avoid this argument. He doesn't want to have it, he doesn't want Murdoc pissed as hell. So he blurts out the one thing he can think of.]

Your back's out, yeah? I can help with that.

[It's then that he realizes just what he offered. Jesus... fuck. But it's too late to take it back. It's too late and it's a good thing he has his back on Murdoc, otherwise he could see the expression in his eyes that can only be described as 'oh shit'.]

Yeah, I'm sure it was a damn funny idea at the time.

[He's trying to sound prickly, but it comes across as more disheartened and a little hurt than anything. Mostly because his immediate assumption will always be that he's being laughed at or mocked.]

How? [He peers over his shoulder as much as he can without hurting himself.]

[He's... not going to acknowledge that. Not right now. He's going to focus on helping Murdoc, because that's the only way he can figure to make this better. He steps out of the bath and goes over to his things. He rummages around in them, not even thinking to grab his shades, before producing his wand.

With a quick spell, he summons a cot for Murdoc to lay on.]

Just. Get over here and lay down on your stomach. [There's a pause as he realizes something.] ...You're gonna need help with that, aren't you?

[Murdoc watches with a raised eyebrow, snorting to himself like a sulky old man does. For the most part, he's trying to stare ahead of himself, acting nonchalant.]

Why? [He shakes his head.] No.

[And then he forces himself up the ground with the most pathetic wince ever winced, wobbling slightly as he cringes from the pain. He stalks toward the cot, looking like he wants to kick it over instead of lowering himself onto it like he does.]

Don't do anythin' stupid. Again.

[His eyes flick away from Murdoc at that statement. It gets to him. He knows that Murdoc's mad, and with good reason, but it still just. He never meant for this to happen. He didn't mean to get caught in his lie. He never meant to be so damn awkward in this. He came in feeling cocky and confident. He'd wanted to on better grounds with Murdoc. And maybe... maybe win the game he'd set for himself. But then his feelings turned into a whirlwind all because Murdoc said what he'd said about his eyes. It was just so... unexpected. And flattering. Better than flattering, it just. Made him feel good. And that confused him.

And now he's fucked it up. But he doesn't speak, instead he just waits for Murdoc to get onto the cot, and when he does he walks over and, after a moment's hesitation, lets his hands rest on Murdoc's back.

His mouth is dry, and this feels so weird, but. For right now the hurt and concern for Murdoc is keeping a lot of it away. He starts kneading the flesh, massaging him in a pretty expert way. He's no professional masseuse, but he's still had a lot of experience over the years with this sort of thing.

He massages Murdoc in silence, trying to just focus on helping the man. If he speaks, he's pretty sure he'll just fuck everything up more.]

[Murdoc almost feels bad, but he's not fully aware of how venomous he sounds right now. He wants to be angry and he wants to wander off in a huff but it hurts too fucking much to even think about that.

He hates the idea that he was being toyed with, because he's most certainly convinced himself that Bro was playing a trick on him. It hurts, but almost entirely because he had a moment where he felt they might come to like each other. He feels like that awkward kid in school who can't ever seem to make friends and it infuriates him.

He bites his lip the second Bro's hands start to work his back. It hurts so fucking much and yet it feels damn good. It's been far too long since he's had someone deal with his back and it's so sore that the slightest contact is enough to coaxe a loud, desperate groan out of his mouth.

Fuck.

He's just going to bite his arm now.]

[Bro keeps at it despite the noises. Under normal circumstances, he probably would've been turned on by them, but damn if he's just too upset right now. He wants to fix this, he wants to stop feeling so goddamn awkward. He wants to feel like himself again, but he just doesn't. He feels like an awkward teenager and it sucks.

He realizes he's going to have to talk if it means actually fixing it. As he works Murdoc's back, he fights to get up the courage. It's stupid, he knows it's stupid, he shouldn't be this goddamn afraid. He doesn't even get why he is. So the man complimented his eyes. Should he really let that affect him so much?

No. He shouldn't. But.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck his feelings. Fuck them hard with something spikey. Just fuck them. Dealing with people is hard. Dealing with people the who he wants to get along with is even harder. Dealing with someone he kind of wants to have sex with and actually likes is the hardest.

It's a long moment before he finally finds it in himself to open his mouth and speak and when he does, he sounds hesitant and queit.]

I didn't do it to be an asshole, y'know...

[Murdoc is keeping the noises down to soft grunts now, trying not to let another horrible noise out again despite how glorious this feels.

He buries his face further into his arms as Bro speaks up, not really sure how to approach that. He's hopeful, for some strange reason, but he's worried speaking might crush that hope entirely. Still, it's not as if he can just ignore the other man for fear of being hurt. He might stop rubbing his back.]

Then why? [Can't stop the little noises escaping now that he's stopped biting his arms.]

Edited 2012-09-14 23:18 (UTC)

Because-

[...Because why? It's then he realizes he doesn't know for absolute sure. A lot of reasons. But he can't say that. That's not a real answer. But he doesn't know what the real answer is.

And that's when an answer does come to mind. It's not the real truth, but it's a valid answer. It'll work until he can think of the real one, at least. At least he hopes. It's harder to work through his feelings than he ever expected.]

I got tired of you brushing me off.

Brushin' you off? [He almost wants to twist around so he can give bro the super incredulous look he has.

Ever since the first day, Bro has been mocking him and generally fucking around. Not enough to make him hate him, no, but enough to make him wary. Still, he certainly cannot recall ever getting a chance to brush him off.

Unless...]

When did I ever brush you off?

You just...

[He trails off, as he presses his hands into Murdoc's back, continuing to massage him, maybe a bit harder than he meant to, but this was a hard conversation to have. He doesn't know what to say.

He doesn't know what he wants.

Or maybe he does. Maybe he always has, and he's just suddenly afraid. Yeah.

Yeah he did always know what he wanted. He wanted more than one thing. He wanted to get along better with Murdoc, but he also kind of just. Wanted to.

Do him.

And ever since their earlier conversation, he's been scared of doing that. He convinced himself that maybe he hadn't ever really wanted to. But he did. He never stopped wanted to fuck Murdoc Donoghue. Except before it was just a game, and now it's less of a game and something he just. Wants to experience.

Goddamn lousy feelings.]

Turn over.

[He speaks abruptly and demandingly. He's hopefully massaged him enough that he can roll over without hurting too bad. And words just aren't working for him right now. Suddenly he just feels like he needs to take action, to really fucking show him. Even if his heart's hammering.

But after a second, he adds...] Please.

I just...? [He trails off as well, an expectant inflection in his voice.] I just what, Strider?

[He peers over his back at him, feeling far less tense and a lot less pissed off now that his back has been rubbed and his fears have been pushed to the side for the better part.

However, the expression on Bro's face is concerning. He's not sure he's ever seen such a serious look plastered over it. Perhaps it's because he's getting a full view of those beautiful, expressive eyes. Pity he has no idea what he's expressing.

With a curt nod, Murdoc is carefully twisting himself around. He's drawn by his curiousity like a moth to flame and he's giving Bro an intrigued look as he shifts into a cross legged position. He doesn't want to look too eager, but he's really wanting to know whatever was so important that he needed to turn around for it. Maybe he intends on telling him his real name.

He's going to peer into Bro's orange eyes with his own inquisitive grey ones, tilting his head ever so slightly and ever so eloquently verbalising his curiousity.]

Yeah?

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