An Exploratory Venture

[notcharming]

It's only a matter of a few months to determine that Arkady is not in his domain. What's odd is that it should have taken him a shorter amount of time than that, but there seems to be conflicting information on whether or not Arkady is dead, which is unusual at best and somewhat alarming at worst.

It doesn't seem like he ever made it to the Underworld (no one possesses the power to escape once fully there), but it's possible that he stopped along the way there and turned back. That alone isn't all that unusual. Plenty of people destined for his realm were in comas, or had near-death experiences. There were stops along the way, metaphorically speaking, before the point of no return. But what's odd about Arkady is that there's debate in what Ereuvir can sense on where he belongs.

It's not enough that he would normally do something like this, take this kind of time, but Ashley's description of his brother has him intrigued as does the bits and pieces of their story he's picked up, and how angry Ashley had seemed about Arkady being alive when he had told him. Or perhaps just disappointed? He wasn't entirely sure.

Ashley has been... complex to deal with, but immensely satisfying, and he can't help but keep wondering about the entire story, the other half. And so, he started trying to track Arkady through the world of the living.

It doesn't work, of course. He has no powers above, even with someone who perhaps needs to be below. But eventually, he's not sure why, he has the idea to hone in on Ashley's remains, which he is innately and easily able to do... and when he discovers that they're in separate places, it's almost a foregone conclusion that he would track them down.

Which brings him here. The door of a manor and an ostensibly human, ostensibly modern sort of look for himself. He doesn't have a "plan", really, but he doesn't intend to be particularly subtle, either, beyond his current appearance, which is an expensive, tailored suit in a deep shade of blue, almost black, every bit of him screaming businessman or possibly noble, despite the fact that he's unaccompanied and rather casually just knocking on the door.

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[raventonbeauty]

“You shouldn’t have left!” Ashley accused, voice sharp with pain. “You left me alone, and you were gone for so long. If you’d been there, you wouldn’t have died. I wouldn’t have died. You abandoned me.”

He hugs his arms around Ereuvir’s waist, tucking close against his side for comfort and protection, and because he wants Arkady to see that he has someone else to comfort and protect him now, now that Arkady abandoned him, and focusing on the abandonment is a much easier thing to process than Arkady’s appearance. Ashley’s had two years to stew over the pain of abandonment, while the loss of Arkady’s beauty is still a shock. If it were anyone else, Ashley would be intrigued by and even drawn to the deathlike visage, but this change to Ashley’s idealized memory of his brother is something he is unprepared for.

[raventonmagick]

"I left because Paris was the best place I could learn magick, and I would have shared all of it with you. Don't you remember when we would spend an evening slicing up a cadaver, and sorting the organs? This was going to be one more thing we could share."

Rather grisly hobbies, yes, but the two of them were always unusual like that.

Arkady frowns when Ashley clings to Ereuvir, unable to help but be a little jealous. So his suspicions had been correct. There's no doubt in his mind that Ereuvir might have wanted Arkady for the same purpose, or possibly just to make his prize happy. Even still, he should be the one Ashley is clinging to. He wants to take his brother into his arms and kiss his lovely face and mouth.

"I offered myself to him," Arkady tells Ashley. He then addresses Ereuvir finally, "You hinted at something earlier. It had something to do with my appearance. Tell me." A spidery hand touches his gaunt cheek.

[notcharming]

Ereuvir looks between the two of them, Ashley clinging and Arkady distressed. He knows what it is that Arkady is referring to, but, for now, he ignores it. He addresses Ashley, though he doesn't do so in a way that indicates Arkady is unwelcome to hear the conversation. He touches Ashley's jaw lightly, until he's looking up at Ereuvir instead of at Arkady. Let Arkady think it's the move of a victor for a moment, if he wishes. He'll understand the truth soon enough.

"I can return him to the world of the living, if you wish," the tone is kind, "but you cannot follow. He dragged himself from hell for you once and then willingly re-entered it to find you. I would think that that would at least be worth a conversation," he looks up at Arkady, his lips curving into a bit of a smirk, "I certainly found it intriguing enough."

There's something about the tone, there, that fairly clearly indicates attraction.

[raventonbeauty]

"I know," Ashley insists, pouting briefly at Ereuvir but not really objecting to any of his arguments. "I want him to stay. I'm grateful. And I'm glad you're intrigued by him. I knew you would be." He looks at Ereuvir as he says it, though Arkady's confession of having offered himself to Ereuvir is at the front of his mind.

Pressing a soft kiss to Ereuvir's throat, Ashley looks out of the side of his eye at Arkady, wanting to see his jealousy. "I offered you to him," he says, annoyed at everyone else talking like this whole situation was their idea.

[raventonmagick]

Arkady walks forward a little more, until he's within arms length of the two of them. If he wasn't so sure he'd be turned into dust or something, he would snatch Ashley out of Ereuvir's arms. Even with the unspoken agreement that both brothers would belong to the lord of the underworld, that jealousy was still plain on his skeletal face.

"That's why he went looking for me, isn't it? You wanted me here with you. But that still doesn't change the fact that I was willing to walk in here and be his, so we could be together again."

[notcharming]

"No," Ereuvir corrects Ashley, seeming somewhat unmoved by the way he's currently clinging, though he's not giving off any particular signs of annoyance, exactly, "You offered him to me if he was dead. If he was alive, I believe you said he could rot."

"I went looking for him in the realm of the living because I wanted to see him for myself. And when I found him, I chose to make the offer the way that I did." He looks up at Arkady again, his lips curving slightly, "I offered myself to him, not the other way around. Though I toyed enough with the other than I could understand the misunderstanding." He grips Ashley with some amount of force, though it's only as much as needed to peel him off of him, "Sometimes, you have to stop playing games and just claim your prize." There's a sharp shove at the end of it, which deposits Ashley rather firmly right in Ashley's arms.

"Very few dead men charm their way into my bed, and very few living men interest me enough to break the rules for them. If both of you don't start appreciating what I've done, I will undo it." The words themselves are harsh, but he sounds more like he's trying not to laugh at them than actually upset.

[raventonbeauty]

“I’m appreciative!” Ashley snaps. He doesn’t struggle as Arkady’s arms close around him, though his attention and glare remains aimed at Ereuvir. “And I want to yell at him.” Ashley cannot fathom in the least that the two emotions might be mutually exclusive. Really, he’s all the more appreciative for the opportunity to yell at Arkady. “He is alive and dead, and while I am delighted by either of you ‘offering’ yourself to the other I am still entitled to yell at him!”

[raventonmagick]

Even with Ashley yelling at them, Arkady still takes Ashley into his arms, his grip firm, like he's daring anyone to take his brother from him again. Still, Ashley can easily slip out if he wants to.

Still, Ereuvir's words sting, if what he's saying is true. He gives Ashley a hurt look. "You didn't want me if I was still alive? After all we shared? What should it matter? I'm here, aren't I? I still love you!"

[raventonbeauty]

Ashley struggled in Arkady’s arms, just to be difficult. They both knew he had half a dozen ways to get Arkady to let go instantly, the least of which was asking for it, but Ashley didn’t actually want to be released. “If you lived and hadn’t come back for me?” Ashley hissed. It seemed to him that his objection to Arkady being alive should be self-evident. “Then you could go rot.”

[raventonmagick]

"And yet I did come back for you. You're my whole world, why wouldn't I come back for you?" Arkady sounds more offended than upset. This should be a joyous moment, having Ashley back in his arms, speaking to him again, and declaring his love all over again. But he thought they would be exchanging kisses and words of affection, not arguing.

"I kept your skull, and loved it every day, as if you were still with me." A thin, long-fingered hand strokes Ashley's cheek, right at the cheekbone.

[notcharming]

This has started off amusing, but it's very quickly growing less so for Ereuvir. He's aware that Ashley can be a petulant child about things, but this really is churlish and immature to a level that he's unamused with. He's broken some of his own rules to do this and Ashley's being a brat about it and, well, Arkady doesn't have the same history, here, but Ereuvir does rather like what he's seen of him so far and he's fairly sure he doesn't deserve it.

Perhaps someone less self-assured might not try something like this, but he's not just some rich playboy that's brought the two of them together. He steps up suddenly, maybe a little faster than humanly possible, just to drive some of that home, hands falling to Ashley's hips. He doesn't try to pull him away from Arkady in the slightest, in fact, he does the opposite, steps in. If Arkady is obliging enough to stand his ground, it sandwiches Ashley between them. If he does back up, Ereuvir will just drag Ashley's hips in towards him.

Either way, it lets him rub his cock right against Ashley's tailbone, something which is usually a precursor to Ashley being bent over whatever it is that he's been doing.

"Ashley," technically, all the souls in this realm obey him, when he wishes them to. He rarely pushes that power into his voice, barely uses it here, just enough to make sure Ashley pays attention. It's just his normal tone when he continues, in his ear, but loud enough for Arkady to hear, "Shut up and kiss your brother hello before I do it for you."

[raventonbeauty]

Ashley laughs, soft and aroused, as Ereuvir presses him between them, which is just where he wants to be. He relaxes into their combined grip, nuzzling softly at Arkady's throat.

"Do it for me," he says, still a note of petulance in his voice, but he curls his hand around the side of Arkady's neck, nestling close to him. Both of them may be irritated at him, but all he cares at this moment is that he's pressed between the two men he wants, and both of them want him.

He rests his head on Arkady's shoulder, watching Ereuvir from there to see if he will.

[raventonmagick]

Arkady knew it was only a matter of time before they were in this position, with Ashley sandwiched between them. Ereuvir does seem the type to have his cake and eat it. Ashley may belong to his powerful creature, but he was Arkady's first.

His arms tighten around Ashley, tilting his head to take in Ashley's smell. It's been so long since he's held Ashley like this, and taken him in with all his senses. They fit so perfectly together, it's like finding a piece of himself that had been missing.

"But Ashley," Arkady whispers. "He told you to do it."

[notcharming]

Ereuvir can't help but laugh this time, softly, shaking his head,

"For how many exceptions you have made happen around you by sheer force of will, the two of you are so ridiculous and hopeless," it could be mean, but it isn't really, he's clearly at least somewhat charmed. "You've both been given something impossible, something that bends the very laws of reality, and you're both pouting about it not being precisely as you wanted it?" He shakes his head again, but then refocuses on Arkady, at least somewhat,

"The two of you can quibble over who's hurt whom the most when it's clear you both adore one another on your own time. But right now, I'm planning on taking my due, though the gods don't even know why I still want to with the way you're both behaving," it's another rough statement, but one said with a laugh, and then he's leaning in and sealing his mouth against Arkady's, deepening the kiss almost immediately, where it becomes abundantly more clear that he's not truly upset, if the heat behind the kiss is any indication.

[raventonbeauty]

Ashley smiles as they kiss, enjoying being held between them as his two lovers kiss. He grinds back against Ereuvir, writhing between them.

"Arkady," he murmurs, kissing sweetly at his throat and then biting down, wanting to mark him. He knows that they might not be able to keep this. Arkady cheated death, and he might live on for decades, and Ashley doesn't know how long or how often Ereuvir will be able to bring him down without consequence. Upset though Ashley is for all the hurt and loneliness he suffered, he appreciates that this time is precious.

"Can we keep him?" Ashley asks, sweeter and more pliant now that he's not being given a choice.

[raventonmagick]

Ereuvir's kiss is more than welcome. He moans into Ereuvir's mouth, their tongues meeting one another. Arkady might have agreed to come down here mainly for Ashley, but it's not the only reason. This is what he wants. To have Ashley and also be with Ereuvir, the three of them sharing one another.

When the kiss ends, he looks back down at his brother.

"Ashley," The words are said with such love and devotion. It's been so long, he's starved for the affections of his beloved. He keeps expecting to wake up at any minute, but he knows this is real.

Arkady gasps as Ashley bites him. "Yes. How I missed this, my love." He kisses Ashley's hair, and his forehead.

[notcharming]

He's fairly sure that Ashley's question was intended for him, but it amuses him that it might not have been, so he doesn't call attention to it, grinds back against the push of Ashley's hips, knowing that pushes him into Arkady. Ereuvir has always been keen to play with power in curious ways, and while he knows that he could end all of this with a thought or mold everything more to his liking, he enjoys this, the thought of letting two human lovers, one of whom wasn't even fully dead, toy with him like this. A bit transgressive, perhaps, but if they're strong enough to do so, why shouldn't he enjoy himself?

Besides, stories of the Devil did include a wealth of seductive temptations, did they not? He's hardly that, but the stories had to come from somewhere. He enjoys allowing people to push themselves to their mental and physical boundaries all on their own, he merely provides the conduit. And he has no doubt both of these young men will do exactly that.

His mouth drops from Arkady's lips to Ashley's shoulder when the kiss finishes, and he leaves it there, though he looks up at Arkady, a look he's been told is rather fetching,

"I made a gift of you to him, but I think it's only fitting I do the reverse. How do you want him?"

There's a chance Ashley might protest that, but Ereuvir rubs his cock a little harder against his ass, less about the sensation of it and more as a reminder that, even if Ashley does whine about it, Ereuvir has more than proven capable of shutting that down, usually by fucking him until he has trouble walking.

[raventonbeauty]

“Please fuck me, Arkady,” Ashley begs, if there were any doubts about his wants and needs. He whimpers as he grinds between them, trying to get as much stimulation as possible. His temper has been entirely forgotten in favor of the much more urgent priority of sex. He offers no further demands or suggestions, letting Arkady make his request with full permission and no qualifications.

[raventonmagick]

"Yes," Arkady whispers heatedly. "I would love nothing more. I'm going to fuck you like I used to, and show you how much I still love you. Give me your body, my love."

So many nights pleasing himself with his own hand and memories of his beloved, he's ecstatic that those fantasies are going to become real for the first time in years. This is real, and not just a fantasy or erotic dream. That they're going to fuck in Hades' realm, with the man who might as well be said deity either watching or joining in just makes it all the more erotic.

Arkady looks at Ereuvir, "Is there a bed we can use? Or a desk?"

[notcharming]

Ah, this is much better than all of the yelling and fussing and hurting.

"Mine, if you want it," he peels away from the two of them, moving to lead them through the house. Ashley's plenty used to the sight by now of dark woods and deep blue and black linens and the huge four-poster bed, the whole room made (like the rest of the house) in this weird amalgam of various forms of decadence through the ages, but it's probably both a little disorienting in the different styles and intriguingly opulent for a new guest.

Not that he suspects Arkady is going to pay much attention to the architecture.

He figures that Arkady is likely going to want to deal with Ashley, so he steps around to Arkady's back this time, not pressing quite so close, but only so that he can start working on buttons and zippers, mouth working almost delicately against his throat, there, but deliberately not compelling. So long as the two of them are behaving, he has no problems with playing a secondary partner to this, particularly when they haven't seen each other in so long.

[raventonbeauty]

Ashley goes pliantly as they lead him down the hall to Ereuvir’s bedroom, where Ashley spends far more time than in his own. But as they arrive and Ereuvir redirects his attention to Arkady, Ashley becomes quiet and shy. He’s never known how to offer honest vulnerability, and the situation has been removed from his control. He has more than enough social awareness to understand that if he’s quarrelsome or petulant now, Ereuvir will shut it down again, so his only options are to yield or leave the room.

It’s not a situation that spoiled, headstrong Ashley has encountered often, and it makes him shy and submissive. He stays close to Arkady, allowing himself to be guided but doing nothing to help.

[raventonmagick]

Ashley's shyness is a little weird, since even thought Arkady has always considered himself the dominant partner, Ashley's always used his hold on his brother to make him do what he wants. But they aren't in the realm of the living anymore. They belong to the ruler of this realm, and are allowed here on his whims.

Arkady guides Ashley over to the bed, his hands slipping under his brother's shirt so he may relieve him of the garment. It's also an opportunity to roam his hands over Ashley's skin, something he's dearly missed doing.

"How I've dreamed of touching you again, my love."

[notcharming]

Oddly, Ashley's submission doesn't seem particularly odd to Ereuvir, mostly because while Ashley does, in his own way, have the Lord of the Underworld wound around his fingers, it's in a very different way from the way Arkady might be and it has very little to do with the bedroom, beyond that he does enjoy Ashley's honesty and he has managed to pull more honesty from him in the bedroom than anywhere else.

Ereuvir falls easily for the moment into a more helpful role himself, neither particularly servile or puppetmastering, simply orchestrating, assisting. He knows he's not the main event here, and it's not offensive to him, but he's also not shying away from participating. He works Arkady's clothing off so that he can concentrate on Ashley's, and although he's certainly not shying away from touching either one of them, he touches to please his own sensibilities, not specifically to please either one of them, at least for the moment.

This mostly leaves him sliding his hands along Arkady's more pronounced ribs with something approaching a quiet fascination.

[raventonbeauty]

Ashley also reaches out to touch. His tentative fingertips brush over Arkady's cheekbone, which is as sharp as ever, but the sunken cheek below is strange and different. Ashley has never minded monstrosity, but the change is unacceptable. Arkady was always a fixed point in his life--until he left, until he changed.

Pulling his hand back as if stung, Ashley's breath quickens a little, frightened because he doesn't know this Arkady, who is so changed.

"I did not give you permission to change," Ashley tells him, voice shaky despite his attempt to be imperious.

[raventonmagick]

Arkady leans into the touch, closing his eyes so he may enjoy the feeling even more. Ashley's touch is like a silken handkerchief against him, all too familiar to Arkady. Even if he's changed, the way Ashley's hands fit so perfectly against his face hasn't.

He's about to kiss that palm when Ashley pulls his hand away. Arkady's eyes open, looking at Ashley with hurt. "And I didn't give you permission to leave me."

Skeletal hands gently push Ashley back onto the bed. "Get on your hands and knees for me, my love. The way you used to."