[Closed] | Closer to the Skies

[portolan]

Who: Balthier portolan, David helpdesk_hero
What: A date
When: early/mid August
Where: Balthier's house, Excelsior
Content Warnings: nsfw intimacy



David comes over more regularly these days, so it isn't hard to be natural about suggesting a dinner in on a Friday evening after work. What's more difficult is hiding the evidence that he's working on something up on the roof, especially since David is more comfortable coming in and out without much warning these days. Balthier loves that, truly, and is willing to work around it, even if he thinks his cover has been blown more than once. One night he had to illusion a package of lights to look like anything else. Normally he'd never use his power on David, so he hopes this is alright.

Regardless, it comes together, and he takes the day off work to spend it cooking. He's been slowing practicing throughout the summer, figuring out how to put together things that remind him of home. And he does know how to make cake, so he does that too.

David's running late that day -- Balthier might have asked the office to delay him -- so that by the time David makes it over, the sun is getting close to setting and everything is ready to go. Balthier is still getting a hand of the new powers he discovered when his own came back to him, but the slow spells have been particularly useful for keeping food hot or chilled.

The only thing left to do is change, something else he's been working on all summer, trying to find pieces that still feel like himself. So it's the first time he's wearing both a simple black crop top and a high waisted, flowing circle skirt with a patterns that reminds him of home. His earrings and rings and bracelets are all on of course, and a heavy pair of leather shoes, and somehow he feels...settled. Like himself. Home.

The only thing that's missing is David, and that's not going to last hardly any longer.

Comments

[helpdesk_hero]

No, it’s not going to last much longer at all. David was surprised to find one of the work secretaries delaying him, given he’d been talking about how excited he was to get to see his boyfriend for the weekend. But hey, dinner with his boyfriend was dinner with his boyfriend and he’d sent a message with a thought to let the other know of the delay.

And of course he’d had to stop by home to slip in and change, but at last he’d arrived, letting himself in through the front door. At least he doesn’t have to tuck his work bag inside the door. Sure he drops his overnight bag there, because he always brings one just in case (which is mostly just his Prodigy costume for emergency guild calls), and then he calls out.

“Darling? Sorry I’m late!”

[portolan]

Balthier is coming down from the roof when David calls. Perfect. He'd discovered there was a pull-down stair hidden in the ceiling that led up there. It hadn't taken much work to get it workable as an outdoor space again -- clearly someone had started.

He comes down the stairs with a big grin on his face, both at seeing David and because he masks when he's self-conscious, which he is, both about this being the first time he's wearing a skirt around David, and because he wants the things he's been preparing to go over well. Both are small worries though, more habit than any real nerves.

Still, there's some extra warmth and a little bit of shyness in the way he takes David's hands and kisses him first on the cheek, then full on. "Work trying to keep you from me." Work doing a very good job of helping him, actually.

[helpdesk_hero]

Oh. Oh he looks so good, and his breath catches. David moves quite immediately to pull his love into his arms.

"Balthier, you look stunning. So beautiful. You look divine, and you should do this more."

Supporting his boyfriend's exploration was worth it.

[portolan]

Balthier laughs, letting David envelop him. He should have expected such a warm reception; that was who David was. Still, expecting something and actually being showered in love were never quite the same, so he'll let himself enjoy it.

"How can I deny a request put like that?"

He'll pull back, because maintaining the spells upstairs is itching at his mind, but his fingers linger in David's. "Come upstairs. I have a surprise."

[helpdesk_hero]

"You should oblige with any request that moves your heart, and only those," David counters. But those fingers catching his hand makes him smile.

"There's better things than this?"

[portolan]

David and his semantics. Balthier isn't going to argue; the sentiment is protective, affirming.

"I didn't say better I just said more," Balthier teases. He leads David up the stairs. On the landing of the second floor is the drop-down stair, which he's fairly certain David doesn't actually know about. "You first," he says.

David will find himself climbing onto a rooftop set with lush rugs and large cushions for seating. There are potted plants and a fire pit set up. A low table holds wine and the food Balthier has made, including a cake more in the style David likes; everything else is an approximation of food from home. Overhead are a mix of fairy lights and lanterns he's strung up across poles, and there's even a small fountain of copper pots pouring into one another that he's managed to drag up here. The sunset turns everything golden and radiant, the city lights twinkling on.

[helpdesk_hero]

Semantics are important, dear. But he lets himself be led, and looks a bit shocked over the stairs before he's heading up them to...

"Oh fuck," he whispered in awe as he looked around. It was beautiful. Stunningly so. Enough that David had to pause and slowly turn to take it all in.

"Oh Balthier," he said, just as breathless.

[portolan]

In that reaction, all his labor is made worth it. He chuckles, wrapping his arms around David from behind and kissing his shoulder.

"Did you know it's been since months since we met?"

[helpdesk_hero]

The embrace is worth it, and David leans back against him. This is just stunning. It's amazing. It's perfect.

"It's not like anything I've known. It's magical, Balthier. And yes, it has. A good number of them, where I've belonged to you."

[portolan]

It's been awhile since Balthier has had the opportunity to just impress David, and now he's thinking fondly of their early dates, when Balthier hardly knew what he liked, just knew he wanted the other's company and approval.

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Dealt with a lot of unsavory chaos but -- that's good too. Knowing they can.

"It's a style from home, or as close as I could get. The food too." There's so many places he'd like to take David; instead of bemoaning it, he decided to bring some of that here.

[helpdesk_hero]

Oh, the early dates had been wonderful too. But this? Oh David smiled so fondly at him.

"You brought a touch of your world to us. I can't imagine anything more magical than that, beloved. Please, show me around it."

[portolan]

It's been healing for Balthier, too, to work on this -- the grief of home really being gone has been heavier lately.

That feels far away right now, though, and he's glad for it. He lets David go but finds his hand, tugging him around the seating area to the food. "When the weather was nice, I loved to sit outside like this, and the cushions make it pleasant. We'd have long meals outside, lots of talking and storytelling and laughter. I picked things I could find here -- " He points them out, foods that are a mix of mediterranean and Indian dishes here. Spiced and spicy, very fragrant, and a big pot of rice. "And I made you a cake," he grins, because David never touches baking.

[helpdesk_hero]

"Those sound pleasant. Growing up I spent a lot of time at family dinner tables which could be awkward, or school cafeterias. Also awkward. The idea of sitting around and doing all of that is nice."

Oh the food looks good. Similar to familiar, but not quite there. And the scent. Oh man.

"A cake?" he asks, turning his shocked attention to Balthier. He doesn't bake because he fucks it up.

[portolan]

"You'll have to tell me more about that," Balthier says. He has a hazy idea from summer barbecues here and his own experience at events at home, but he knows they won't be quite what David's talking about.

He sees David perk up at the food and grins, pleased with himself. Even moreso at the surprised reaction. "I told you I passed as a pastry chef for a little while, and I work on ships. Cakes are somewhere in the middle."

And he kisses that incredulous face, right on the corner of his open mouth. "Mmm, it's endearing when you're surprised."

[helpdesk_hero]

"I promise I will. But tonight, I don't want to upstage the beauty you've put before me."

Because really, he just wants to share this with Balthier. More than anything he wants the man to see the same beauty that David sees up here. And he wants to embrace this romantic gesture.

"You are welcome to surprise me more, darling."

[portolan]

That’s one of the things Balthier loves most about David, the way he wants Balthier to be appreciated and centered even when Balthier doesn’t catch himself pulling back. And it makes him absolutely love going all out for David in turn.

“Good because I’m not done. But that comes later. Let’s eat first.”

[helpdesk_hero]

Comes later? David might titter if he wasn't so breathless over someone going so far out of their way for him. He was always moved by that.

"By all means. I am eager for this," he said as he moved to settle himself on a pillow. Took some time to figure out how to do so comfortably of course.

[portolan]

Balthier gives David a minute to adjust into the seating -- he knows it isn't common here -- and goes to fiddle with the music. He's extremely proud he got that set up, as it was the most foreign thing to him. He leaves it low, but it drowns out some of the sounds of the city.

He comes to sit beside David, situating himself much more naturally as he reaches to pull the dishes closer. A lot of the things he's chosen tonight are more similar to Indian food, though he's most proud of the stuffed dumplings. They took a few tries to figure out. "These first," he says. "And I have to say I am more than a little pleased I kept this a secret as long as I did. I was sure last week you'd seen the box of lights, though I did illusion them to just look like vague house supplies. And I left some of the test groceries in plain sight twice."

[helpdesk_hero]

The music is a nice touch, and David was happy to settle and hear this music. It's... relaxing actually. And finishes the setting in his opinion.

"See, the thing is that if I had seen the box lights, I wouldn't have even thought they were all that worthy of comment," David laughed, shaking his head. "A lot of people decorate with them, and you have this whole beautiful association with stars in my mind, my jewel, so I would have believed it was for decorating a room."

[portolan]

"Two warring truths of running a con," he grins. "People will fill in logical explanations for mundane things, and don't leave loose ends that you don't have to." But he's glad David is amused, and that he seems happy with the effect. He kisses the other on the cheek. "It's good to see you in something that feels like home," he admits.

And then he starts to serve the food, pointing out what things are. A mix of favorites and what he could get and what he knows about David's palette. Definitely lots of olives.

[helpdesk_hero]

"Fair enough," David laughs. "I think Damian told me something like that once. I guess I didn't retain it as much. He knew his skills, and I was impressed by that. And as I don't retain things now..."

Well, he couldn't remember it unless he was taught it specifically.

"Should I go downstairs and change, to feel more like home?"

But damn, the food is good looking.

[portolan]

"I think I like that you can't retain it so easily. Leaves me something to impress you with, and my ego might be too delicate for you to be good at everything." He is of course grinning as he says it.

To the question he shakes his head slightly, grin softening. "You always feel like home, love." Not the familiar foods and aesthetics from his childhood kind. The kind that makes him feel at once safe and rooted while also wanting to be the best man he can be, to shake at the things that aren't serving him anymore. "It's entirely up to you."

[helpdesk_hero]

"I don't think your ego is anywhere near delicate, my dear. It's rightly large and you're quite skilled," he points out, smiling to the other. Yeah, the guy needs to hear it. Because building up his love is worth it.

"Well, I don't want to miss out on this food you worked so hard on, so I suppose I'll have to be content with what I'm in."

[portolan]

Maybe some day he'll be over enjoying that David likes his ego, but if he does, it's far off from tonight.

And David sticking around for his food is even a better compliment. "Yes, let me bully you into submission with food and romantics." Please. He'll enjoy it.

Like this. He scoops some of a spicy hummus-like dip onto flat bread, holding it up for David to bite.

[helpdesk_hero]

Oh that comment earns a grin. Really, his mind has gone places.

"Into submission is it? Is that something you enjoy?" he teases, even as he leans forward to take the offered morsel.

"Oh babe, that's good," he groans. "I want that on a bagel."