January 18, 2025 – 8:52 PM
Don Juan Dempsey — Played by Lynn
He loved when Dean pushed him up against things. It was like the feelings they shared became a physical force and the hesitation burned away. He could have carried on kissing him this way forever, except he'd had to flinch back again and bite his lower lip, and of course Dean had noticed.
"It's nothing," he said with a shake of his head. He could feel that Hudson didn't buy it, so he tried again: "It's fine. Just tender. Just..." He struggled for an explanation that didn't seem either alarming or suspicious. He didn't want to give Dean the impression he was hurt, but he'd almost have preferred that to giving him the (correct) impression that he was keeping secrets, given Dean's letter last week. He shouldn't have let Hudson kiss him like this at all, but now he had and he was stuck without any way to gracefully get himself out.
He huffed. "I didn't want to do this tonight."
![[Image: 0hYxCaj.png]](https://i.imgur.com/0hYxCaj.png)
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January 18, 2025 – 9:13 PM
Dean Hudson — Played by Bee
Visibly confused, Dean wasn't sure what it was that was happening, not really registering the comment about something being tender, more focused on the addition after. The request for tonight was just to stop by and not stay even if he was tempted to try and sway it toward the latter. Disappointing as it was, especially given that it had been a while, he had known it was coming. Pouring the frustration into the physical wasn't something he ever intended to do, though it happened more often than he liked and it was too easy to get caught up.
"Right, sorry." He said as he disentangled himself and stepped back, running a hand through his hair and trying to keep his expression neutral.
January 18, 2025 – 9:27 PM
Don Juan Dempsey — Played by Lynn
Oh, this wasn't what he'd wanted at all. Hudson was pulling back and as soon as there was air between them Don Juan felt like all the uncertainty came rushing back in. Had Hudson taken that to mean he didn't want to sleep with him tonight? As though that was ever possible. He couldn't leave like this, not when they had two weeks between them and the weekend at the Sanditon.
"No, I meant — this wasn't how I wanted to do it," he whined. He rubbed his hands against his trousers briefly but then started to undo the buttons on his shirt. "I wanted to be back here on Thursday and make it this whole romantic thing. It's going to... it doesn't look good yet." He grimaced, then rolled his shirt back off his right shoulder and slid it down his arm. He looked back at Dean helplessly. "I just had it done yesterday."
![[Image: 0hYxCaj.png]](https://i.imgur.com/0hYxCaj.png)
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January 18, 2025 – 10:50 PM
Dean Hudson — Played by Bee
More confused now, Dean started to protest, but it stalled in his throat. It wasn't that big of a deal, Dean could temper his expectations. He watched, truly baffled as Don Juan started to undo his buttons. The back and forth was going to give him whiplash.
As the tattoo became visible, Dean sucked in a breath. In ogni vita. The match to his.
He reached out to take the other side of Don Juan's arm gently, leaning in to look closer, suddenly overcome with the sentiment of it. When Dean had gotten his, it had been to remind himself of it; a real, visible memento that he meant what he'd sent in that letter and always would. That Don Juan had committed to it, (and had sat still long enough to get it done,) had Dean feeling a little guilty about his train of thought tonight.
It was rare for a man who made his living off languages to be speechless, but he couldn't find the right words. He gave up after a moment of looking at the tattoo and instead closed the gap again, this time the kiss full of the emotions he couldn't fully articulate, more careful with his hands to avoid aggravating the fresh ink.
January 18, 2025 – 11:09 PM
Don Juan Dempsey — Played by Lynn
There was a moment where Dean didn't react and Don Juan thought, despairing, he hates it. Maybe he should have floated the idea past him first. He'd been thinking about it long enough, just hadn't gotten himself together enough to pull the trigger. For a while it had seemed too big a thing for their barely-renewed relationship to hold. Sentimentality he hadn't earned yet. He still wasn't sure he had, but he also wasn't sure at this rate that he ever really would.
When Dean still didn't speak an even worse thought occurred to him: he'd gotten it wrong. The wrong word or the wrong spelling. Impossible, because he'd committed the words to memory long ago and then he'd spent a full day between bouts of withdrawal digging through his room to find Dean's original letters from all those years ago.
But then Dean kissed him, so forcefully that Don Juan couldn't help but let out a muffled but pleased noise of surprise.
"I can stay tonight," he breathed when Dean eventually pulled his lips off his. "I said I couldn't because I couldn't think of an excuse to keep my shirt on."
![[Image: 0hYxCaj.png]](https://i.imgur.com/0hYxCaj.png)
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January 18, 2025 – 11:40 PM
Dean Hudson — Played by Bee
Dean only leaned back when he was dizzy from the lack of air. He had pressed himself so fully against Don Juan that he was sure there wasn't any room to breathe much anyway. He probably ought to be annoyed that he'd been lied to again, but he supposed this was for a good reason. His own tattoo had taken a while to heal, in a spot that was hard to get the air it needed to heal without being rubbed against by his clothes, so he could understand the hesitation, especially if Don Juan had been trying to make a debut of it.
"Good, because if you thought I was letting you leave now, you would be incorrect." Suddenly the weekend at the Sanditon felt entirely too far away. "Come to Paris this weekend." Dean had his own accommodations just outside of the city, away from the family, which was his preference anyway. His only obligation was the wedding itself on Saturday afternoon. Friday had been to get acclimated and maybe spend some time with the family, but he could give minimal effort there. They rest of the time could be spent in a much more worthy manner, holed up in the cottage reacquainting himself with every inch Don Juan's skin.
January 19, 2025 – 12:01 AM
Don Juan Dempsey — Played by Lynn
The suggestion left him light headed... or maybe that was partially the aftermath of a kiss that had lasted three times longer than usual. Paris this weekend. Don Juan had been trying to lure Hudson out to exactly the same thing before his plans had been derailed, but this invitation was about more than just Paris. Hudson had established plans this weekend with family. Inviting Don Juan to join was saying there was space for him here, in Dean's life; Dean was willing to make space for him. Maybe someday that could become more than just a space held — maybe someday he'd finally have that dinner with Dean's sister he'd been promised once. He knew he hadn't earned that sort of thing yet, but he wanted it. He wanted to be part of Hudson's life, not just someone who came by now and then for a romp in the hay.
"Yes," he agreed, giddy. He leaned in towards Dean again to kiss him, though this time briefly. "I'll come to Paris. I'd go anywhere with you."
![[Image: 0hYxCaj.png]](https://i.imgur.com/0hYxCaj.png)
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January 19, 2025 – 12:36 AM
Dean Hudson — Played by Bee
At the kiss, Dean had started to move toward the door, pulling Don Juan with him. He grinned in between, dipping his head to run his lips along any bit of exposed skin he could find. This weekend and the one after would be just what they needed. Dean could figure out a way to explain Don Juan's presence, maybe even introduce him to Mae and her husband at the very least. It wouldn't be uncommon for him to run into somebody he knew. Don Juan would be on his own for the wedding itself, but the times around it, Dean could show him some of his favorite spots. Places that didn't matter if they were seen together; establishments that catered to people like them. Or they could spend the rest of the free time just like this.
"Let's start with upstairs." He mumbled, tugging Don Juan along, feeling much lighter and in a better mood than he had in a week or longer.