got good ears

[temporal_affairs]

The neighbors don't complain. Much. (They do occasionally ask that things be kept down, but they don't complain about there being noise at all. They understand about mates.)

The room isn't designed for long-term human occupation. There is no bathroom, no food, no bed, no climate control - though this is Florida, so climate control is not such a concern - no plumbing.

But there's lots of magic. It's such fun to make, after all.

(Nathan had been worried he'd have to ask one of the succubi, or Joham, for lessons on what might whimsically be called "safe sex". He likes not having to bother with this better.)

Comments

[temporal_affairs]

"Worth it," Nathan asserts.

[manofmyword]

"Mmm. Good."

Although he does take a moment to kiss said tummy, bestowing on it the entirely imaginary restorative powers of his affection.

[temporal_affairs]

Awww.




They hang out in the hotel room for a few days, fixing Nathan's eyes to be less conspicuous before leaving, and then they wander Jacksonville looking at tourist attractions and occasionally making out fiercely on street corners, and they begin walking north. They have all the time in the world. Why hurry?

[manofmyword]

The Joker is in loooooove.

He likes being in love this way. It's nice. Not as intense in some ways as being in love with the Bat, but in a lot of ways more fun. And Nathan is gorgeous and funny and immensely lovable.

Just for the hell of it, a few days out of Jacksonville, he magics himself vampire levels of durability and waits for Nathan to notice. Shouldn't be long.

[temporal_affairs]

It is indeed not long. "Not so fragile today, babe?" Nathan asks half a second after hauling his mate into their motel room en route to New York, squeezing his hand. "Don't feel like getting broke?"

[manofmyword]

"Thought I'd try it out," he says, squeezing back. "See what it's like when I'm less squishable."

[temporal_affairs]

"Well," says Nathan, "I guess it's like this," and they proceed to have unusually painless nookie.

[manofmyword]

"That was nice," the Joker concludes, cuddling up to him afterward. "I wouldn't want it like that every time, but it was nice."

[temporal_affairs]

"Whatever you like, babe," says Nathan comfortably.

[manofmyword]

Snuggle.

"I love you."

[temporal_affairs]

"I love you more."

[manofmyword]

He shakes his head and laughs.

[temporal_affairs]

"Well, it's true. I don't mind, though," says Nathan, (nuzzle nuzzle), "long as you do love me back."

[manofmyword]

"How do you know?" he says. "And why do you want to? Where's this comparison coming from?"

[temporal_affairs]

Nathan considers this. "Have you been magicking your brain without telling me?" he asks. "'Cause if you haven't - pretty much a consensus for anyone who's been in love before and after turning, human brains couldn't hold a mate bond even if they had nothing else in 'em. Marcus says it too, he sees -" vague gesture - "relationships, he's thousands of years old, lots of chances to make observations."

[manofmyword]

"So," he translates, amused, "I can't love you that much 'cause I'm too stupid?"

[temporal_affairs]

"Enh, not the word I'd use. Vampires're faster, more capacious, but not more - creative, insightful, we just do more of whatever we were doing before we turned, per second. Smart human is an encyclopedia and a stupid vampire's a big old library of insipid high-def reality television shows. Technically more information in the second one, first is the better reference book."

[manofmyword]

The Joker giggles.

[temporal_affairs]

"Like, Her Majesty's bodyguard - Renata - she's dull as a post. She can, say, find prime numbers in her head better than some computers and better than any human even if you give the human pen and paper, but that's not smart, she's still dull as a post. But she's a post with lots of room in her dull-as-a-post head to fall hard for some dull-as-a-post mate if she ever runs into the right person."

[manofmyword]

"I love you, sweetie," he says fondly.

[temporal_affairs]

"I love you, babe."

[manofmyword]

"Guess what," he chirps.

[temporal_affairs]

"You've won the lottery and we're retiring to the Isle of Wight to raise chickens?" asks Nathan brightly.

[manofmyword]

"Nooo-o," says the Joker, laughing, and kisses him.

The surprise is: he made himself all squishable again.

[temporal_affairs]

Mmm. Squishable. Some squishing should happen, then.