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The word of the day is Yes.
For something so simple Charlie is amazed how well it works. Dennis, in turn, has been amazed at how universally it works, how many opportunities he'd have missed for thinking it was too simple. Charlie had blown his mind in the casino, with every penny they had riding on black, being asked "Would you like to let it ride?" It shouldn't have worked, but it did.
Of course, sometimes it's not enough- questions like "Can I see your credit card, Mr Reynolds?" only really have one possible answer- but all that means is they didn't check into the room that Frank booked. Flashing $15,000 in got them one that's probably nicer than whatever Frank would've put them up in anyway,
God is it a nice room. There's a wide mirror occupying one most of one wall, which has naturally caught Dennis' attention. It reflects the room back like a window to another identical one, makes the place seem almost twice it's size. It's is the nicest room Dennis has been in in months, and a desperately needed break from the mundane.
At the moment he's watching Charlie behind him in the mirror, sitting on the edge of one bed, bouncing himself on the mattress and looking down, captivated by the carpeting. Mac and Dee would be filling their pockets with tiny shampoo and single serve packets of coffee right now. This is also a much needed break from them.
He wouldn't mind staying here, if Atlantic City didn't have so much more offer him still.
Not turning from the mirror he asks Charlie "You ready to go there, pal?".
"..yup," Charlie replies really thinking Dennis won't be able to tell that he's not listening.
Dennis frowns. "Something wrong?" he asks. "Charlie?"
When Dennis says his name again, louder, Charlie snaps his head up, says Yes! to nothing in particular.
Dennis smiles at that. "What's up?"
Charlie meets his eyes in the mirror but only for a second. Scans the wall as he says "I was thinking about that- the thing on your neck, you showed me."
"The hickey?" Dennis asks, raising his eyebrows.
"Yeah..." He seems to be thinking very hard. "I just.. I don't get it? Like, what's the appeal?"
Dennis scoffs. "The appeal? I mean..." He doesn't even know where to start. "You've gotten one before haven't you?"
Charlie makes a drawn out euhhhh sound. "I mean, I have, but I was like fifteen, probably."
"Fifteen!?" Dennis's eyes are wide as he whips around to look at Charlie. He wants to say how can you live like that? What he says instead is "We have to fix that."
Oh, Charlie thinks, that was easy, but when he starts untying his bow tie, Dennis stops him, saying "Woah, what are you doing?"
"Well, you said we were-"
"Not us" Dennis cuts in. "I'm talking about finding you a girl- a young lady. "
"A prostitute?"
"No!" With most other people Dennis would be shouting by now. Instead he puts a hand on Charlie's shoulder. He doesn't gain any enthusiasm, though.
"I don't think I want one from some stranger, though," Charlie says.
"Why not? That's the only way you want to get one. You get a little a reminder of the experience, without ever having to see the person again." He says it like it's the most reasonable thing in the world, but it doesn't impress Charlie.
He frowns. "I just feel like.. You should trust someone if they're going to do that, though? Like what if they bite you or something?"
"Well you want them to bite a little bit," Dennis says with a grin.
Charlie stares at him, totally lost. Dennis is equally bewildered by the idea of living a life like Charlie's; the poor kid has no clue what he's missing out on. Maybe he has a point though. Maybe for someone with so little experience it is better to have someone trusted, and capable. Someone exactly like Dennis.
"Alright," he says, starting over like it was his idea. "What if I show you?"
That brings back Charlie's spark. "Yeah." he nods, too quickly. "Okay," he says. Then with a sudden smile "Yes."
Dennis smiles back. "Exactly; yes."
He's taken two steps forward when Charlie flinches back, saying "Wait! Lemme see yours again, first."
Dennis's teeth click shut. Rolling his eyes, he tilts his head back. Charlie examines the hickey with morbid curiosity.
"Eww," he says again, but it does look kind of cool- the way a busted lip or a black eye is cool. Or like Dennis has the plague. He's still not entirely sure. He scrunches his face up, still considering.
Attempting to make his mind up for him, Dennis puts his hands on Charlie's shoulders, leans in to his space, says softly "Just let me show you."
Dennis usually knows what he's talking about, can usually be trusted. And after all, the word of the day is Yes. Charlie nods. If he still looks a little uneasy, it doesn't stop Dennis from pulling at his bow tie, at his collar. It was too tight anyway, and Charlie never liked it. It's nice to have his neck free. Even if Dennis is leaning over it like a dog with a bone.
Dennis locks his fingers into the back of Charlie's hair and tilts his head back. Charlie he doesn't flinch again, but he goes tense. Dennis rubs his shoulder with one hand. "You don't need to be so nervous." He says gently. "Trust me. You trust me, don't you?"
"I'm fine. I'm good." He nods, very slightly.
Charlie's hair is soft, clean. It's not unpleasant to be this close to him today. He doesn't reek of urine and cheeses. What he does smell like, in fact, is Dennis. Like his cologne, with only just enough of Charlie's sweat underneath it to make it different. to make it personal.
It freaks Charlie out the way Dennis is breathing him in. "Is this part of it?" he asks.
"I was just making sure you were ready," Dennis says, then his lips brush Charlie's neck, hover just short of touching. He licks his lower lip, the tip of his tongue ghosting against sensitive skin. It makes Charlie giggle, a tiny high pitched sound, and when Dennis puts his open mouth to his neck, it's shockingly gentle, not at all what he expected. He can't help the little erratic bubbles of laughter that escape him.
"Is that it? " he asks, smiling because he can't help it. "That just tickles."
"Well, I can do it harder" Dennis says. "I was going to do it harder."
Charlie sobers a bit. "Yeah, like, not too much though, right?"
"Trust me," Dennis says again. "I'm trying to turn you on not tear your throat out."
Charlie laughs a long nervous laugh, doesn't feel worse, but can't say he feels any better.
Then Dennis puts his teeth to his neck.
Charlie jumps just a little, sucking in a sharp breath. But Dennis tightens his grip and at the back of Charlie's neck, almost like subduing a cat, and very gently he nips at his skin, his teeth dragging across it before taking it in, sucking.
And it doesn't hurt. It feels good actually.
Charlie makes a soft sound at the back of his throat, almost a purr, and Dennis hums back in satisfaction.
He moves lower, not enough to leave a second mark, just to extend this one. He sucks a little harder and Charlie makes a soft ahhh sound, starts squirming. Dennis pulls back just enough to see what he's done, what he's created. The skin is pink, a spray of red over a web of broken blood vessels still in the process of bruising. There's something magical about it for Dennis too, seeing the damage done. It will set in slowly, but he could just stand there and watch it all happen.
Charlie's still squirming though. "Weird," he's saying. "Weird."
Dennis lets go and Charlie rubs his palm across his neck.
"Weird?" Dennis repeats. "That's all you have to say? Weird?"
"It was kinda nice, but still weird. What's it look like?"
Dennis sidesteps so Charlie is face to face with himself in the mirror. It doesn't look as bad as it will in a few minutes. It's probably better that he sees it when it doesn't look so bad. He makes a face like he's examining a real wound, pokes at it, runs his finger over it, says huh more than once. Seems impressed, Dennis thinks with satisfaction.
Then he turns around and says "Can I do you?"
He's not sure how much he trusts Charlie, but it isn't much of a lesson if he only learns half of it. There's a long pause where he seems to be thinking. He's bracing himself.
Finally he says "Okay. Yes." His confidence in his decision lasts two seconds at most
Saying "Nice," Charlie immediately steps towards him making a sucking face that might be the least attractive thing Dennis has ever seen.
Christ, Dennis thinks, that was fast.
"No! God, no, don't do that." He puts his hand on Charlie's shoulder, looking him in the eye, "You've got to be smooth." He says. "Remember how I did it?"
Then, he draws Charlie towards him. His mouth lines up perfectly with the base of Dennis' neck, just above his collar.
Charlie gives it a second of thought. He nods. "Right," he says, then leans in again. For a few seconds he does nothing, then he licks Dennis's neck.
"Jesus Christ," Dennis shouts, the heel of his hand flying up to wipe Charlie's spit away. "Not like that! Look, just- Start with you lips okay, don't use anything else."
He lays his lips on Dennis's neck, just above his collar, lingers there in a soft, chaste kiss. Inhales, the air like ice over Dennis' wet skin.
Then its just what Dennis thought, Charlie bites too hard- though only at first. His teeth are off again before Dennis can really react. He tries a second time, less pressure. Better. Dennis hums, a satisfied little sound. It's not like he thought it would be, not like feeding himself to a wild animal. It's not bad, though more interesting things have happened.
Like the way his teeth drag just a little, the way he tracks down Dennis's heart beat and lingers over it, and Dennis knows that he can feel it and he feels open and exposed.
Okay.
That's a little more interesting.
However, it's also very wet, and he can only handle so much. When Charlie's mouth makes a squelching sound against his skin he breaks away.
"Woah," he says, pushing Charlie back. "That is way too much saliva. Are you a dog?" He wipes at his neck with his hand again, but then it's on his hand, so he wipes that on Charlie's jacket. He can keep it.
"Sorry," Charlie says with no concern in his voice. Squinting at Dennis' he says "I don't really see anything. Did I mess it up?"
"Give it a minute" Dennis says, then he reaches over to run his thumb across the mark on Charlie's neck, grinning. "Not bad."
Charlie steps around him to look in the mirror again, inspecting the bright red mark on his neck with a look of insatiable curiosity. When he feels Dennis staring, he turns, grins at him.
"What do you think now?" Dennis asks.
"Still pretty freaky," he says, half smiling. "But kinda cool."
Dennis rolls his eyes, but coming from Charlie that's an answer he can live with.
