Double Trouble for @catting

[just_aces]

It wasn't often that Charles went to visit Port Townsend on his own, nor, specifically, the cannery and the Cat that lived there. But this was a special occasion, and time-sensitive, and on top of that their initial uneasy truce on Edwin's behalf had become something far more than that, though Charles didn't particularly think there was a word for what they were now.

Regardless of any of that, it was mid-morning in Washington -and evening back home with Edwin and Crystal off to a holiday market- when Charles stepped out of the mirror in the corner of the warehouse dedicated to their comings and goings, with a greeting of: "Oi, Cat." And upon realizing that the Cat in question was currently holding court, possibly, it was hard to say if the array of cats was some sort of official business or if it was just the usual, he amended to, "Your highness. You have a minute?"

The thing was, Charles knew full well that the Cat was a shapeshifter, he'd seen it in action more than once, and it had been months since Edwin had told him what had happened at the lighthouse their first time in Port Townsend, and while his initial, knee-jerk reaction had been upset, that had only lasted a moment before turning to curiosity, and when his next question had been 'well was he any good at it? Being me?' which seemed obvious to him, but was apparently not so obvious to Edwin, given the answer was a confused 'I suppose not?' Charles had put the issue to bed, at least as far as Edwin was concerned.

He had, however, kept thinking about it, the beginnings and bare tap-roots of a plan starting to settle into his mind, and now with Christmas, and shortly thereafter Edwin's birthday -which Charles hadn't yet given up trying to get him to celebrate- on the horizon, it was time to see if the plan was even a feasible one.

Comments

[just_aces]

"Yeah, suppose you do." He replied, tilting his head, nearly a shrug, even though he'd still tilted his head up into the fingers in his hair, because that was -after all- one of the easiest ways to distract him, but he was holding steady for the time being, even though his own voice had dipped a little, "Well that's just bloody unfair, that is."

It wasn't even an objection, just a quiet, half-teasing statement of fact. He had definitely picked up on a couple of ways to distract the Cat, or at least draw his attention, but it seemed like the Cat had already picked up on all of his, much the same way Edwin had, which wasn't actually as distressing an thought as it should have been, the two of them having something like that in common. Likewise the fact of just how quickly the Cat was absorbing his mannerisms to use them back at him, that also just made sense.

While the hand that had been at the Cat's wrist had fallen away when the shapeshifter lifted his arms, that just meant that Charles could plant both hands on the Cat's hips to tug him just a little closer, something that he did with both the Cat and Edwin, when he could.

[catting]

The Cat goes where he's pulled, never one to back down from a partner being a little forward, even if this is very much the definition of a little. Charles is rougher with him, a bit more demanding, a bit more selfish, because he knows the Cat likes him like that, and Charles no doubt gets a kick from being able to let loose a little more than his typical partner might allow, but... But this isn't about the Cat, is it? This is about Charles, what Charles does, what Charles likes.

Charles likes to make his partners happy — gets off on it, even — but when his partner is, in a way, himself... what would that look like?

"Don't bitch, puppy. It's not unfair, I just know what I'm doing."

It's something that fuels the Cat's thoughts as he firms his fingers in Charles' hair, raking blunt fingertips over his scalp before meandering up to paw through the longer curls at his crown. Slowly, he leans in, chin tilted up, lips slightly parted in an easy grin, like the one Charles sometimes has on his stupidly attractive face when he leans in to kiss the Cat when he knows full well how the slowness will piss him off and make him even more eager.

[just_aces]

That smile was one Charles knew well, though he hadn't actually seen it in an age -and that was something he was trying not to think about too hard, just how strange it should be to see his own face again, because it wasn't just as much as it was -both strange and his- and it was just far, far easier to roll with the situation at hand, one that he felt control of rapidly slipping his grasp.

Not that he was going to complain about that, not really, he'd already known that if the Cat agreed they were probably going to have to make time for a couple sessions, especially since he knew how easily distracted they both were.

He made a quiet, pleased, sound in his throat at the scrape of nails against his scalp, the frustratingly-fleeting tension at his crown, and then that tease of a kiss, which was enough to get a soft huff of a laugh out of him, voice a near-drawl against the Cat's lips, "That's definitely how to kiss Edwin, to start with." One hand slipped up to catch hold of the Cat's -his?- jaw in the same way that Edwin so often did to Charles himself, hold solid enough for the time being, keeping him in place to deepen the kiss, hand sliding away around to the nape of the Cat's neck as he did.

[catting]

Charles surely knows by now how much the Cat likes to watch him and Edwin kiss, how often he can be distracted from his own selfish desires in favour of simply watching them - or even, on occasion, using watching them as part of his own satisfaction, finding lazy, easy pleasure in seeing them enjoy one another; a glimpse into something he will never have nor understand. But he can replicate it well enough, so he bristles happily under Charles' confirmation, eyes falling closed as Charles performs Edwin's logical next step and brings their mouth together, then keeps him close with a hand against the back of his neck.

Edwin likes a little control, as the Cat well knows, but that enjoyment is only useful when there's something in need of bringing to heel, and though Charles will never taunt Edwin's more firm manner to the point where it could be considered taking advantage of his familiarity with the other ghost, the Cat has seen him get carried away countless times. That's the balance the Cat has yet to learn. How much is enough, how much is too much, how much will be forgiven and what will make Edwin pull away.

Baby steps, the Cat thinks, there's plenty of time to learn those steps to the dance. For right now, he focuses on Charles' mouth against his own, letting his mind wander back to the last time he'd watched them kiss -- curled on the couch with one eye open, feigning comfortable sleep as Charles leant down to where Edwin was sat at his desk, bringing their smiles together and letting his hand fall softly against Edwin's sternum. The Cat leaves one hand carding softly through Charles' curls as the other falls to his shoulder, fingers a constant pressure entirely unlike the flirtatious whisper of his own usual touch, and brings his hand round to press his palm to Charles' chest, over where he might find an eager heartbeat in a living boy.

[just_aces]

In truth, that balance of too-much-not-enough with Edwin was still something Charles was learning as well, and he didn't really have much more practice at it than the Cat did, maybe more by volume, but they'd been figuring it out for about the same length of time.

Not that Charles was thinking much about that at the moment, just returning the kiss easily, at least until that hand settled against his chest, and realization dawned that Edwin had been doing much the same to Charles as Charles had been doing to Edwin, because invariably that was right where Edwin would set his hand as well, even when it would logically be easier -and sometimes more comfortable- to have it sit somewhere else.

The realization, along with the touch in and of itself, were enough to draw a soft laugh from him, shaking his head before drawing his head back just far enough to actually focus on the Cat's face, despite the Cat's other hand still in his hair, and Charles' own hand still against the Cat's nape, "Right, well now we're both acting like Edwin, aren't we? And that's not going to be any help at all if we're both supposed to be acting like me to get his brain rattled off track."

[catting]

He feels a little burn of annoyance when Charles pulls away so quickly, before he even got a chance to sink fully into the pressure of the kiss, but it's soothed fast enough by Charles' soft little smile and the fact that Charles still has his hand at the back of his neck.

"Hmm," He says, narrowing Charles' eyes a little as he surveys the young man himself. "That would be a lot simpler if the two of you didn't have so much overlap. You've spent long enough living on top of each other that I can't tell which of you is responsible for which mannerism sometimes."

But... Well, now that gives him a little food for thought. He inhales, exhales, and with a flash of purple smoke summons a desk and an upright chair that don't exactly match the one sitting in the Agency office in London, but are a close enough approximation of them. Then, he backs up on the corner of it, shifting to sit himself there with one knee up and one knee hanging down, both thighs bracketing Charles' hips, pulling the ghost in closer. The desk might not be a perfect imitation, but the way the Cat is sitting certainly is, having surveyed Charles' brand of sprawl too many times to count.

"Alright then. Show me. If I get you like this on the desk while Edwin is out, what should I do next?"

[just_aces]

Charles hummed, something of an acknowledgement and something a little sympathetic, because he could understand the confusion at least. Truth be told, sometimes he didn't know which of them had picked something up from the other, either, at least with a few habits, of course he felt like he should know, but wasn't going to fuss about it either way.

His brows both arched at the addition of furniture, smile tilting easily back into place at the Cat's particular slouch, because that was something he could recognize as well even though he'd never truly seen it himself.

He shifted just a little closer, settling himself in a comfortable lean with one hip against the Cat's thigh, not to tip him off-balance, but just to press a little closer, "Well, if the desk's here, and the chair's on this side, that means the mirror's going to be there." A gesture with one hand to the side that the mirror would be on in the office, "So whatever we're doing, we'll want to angle that direction, at least a bit." The crooked smile returned, "Don't need to give him a whole show as soon as he makes it back, but definitely want to make sure he's seeing more than just the back of my head, yeah?"

He straightened up from his initial lean, one hand settling on the Cat's thigh just above his knee, the other catching at the front of his shirt to tug him just a little closer, "Hands in my hair's good," not just for Charles own benefit, but as a tactic to keep Edwin from thinking too hard, "make him a little jealous even if he's not sure which of us he's jealous of."

[catting]

The Cat may have Charles' body to parade around in and most of his mannerisms down to a convincing masquerade of the real thing, but he still has a Cat's curiosity, so the look he pins Charles with as the ghost surveys the layout of the desk and the estimated placement of the mirror is as sharply focused as it ever has been. He nods, shifting his body just enough that the foot he has propped up on the desk can lift and wraps around Charles' hip when he's prompted closer by the encouraging hand in his shirt. One hand obediently slides into the ghost's hair, while the other finds the little glint of gold from the chain hanging around his neck and pulls him closer in return, as if in retaliation to being pulled forward by his shirt in the first place.

"Whatever we're doing..." The Cat repeats, a faintly amused smile loitering around the very corners of his smile as his dark lashes lower, following his eye line down to Charles' mouth. "I'm sure it'll really rile Edwin up if we're just sitting here talking about what we're planning to do." The fingers in Charles' hair briefly tighten, half a tease and half a warning, as he tugs lightly on his chain again. Like yanking on a dog's leash.

"Is it weird making out with yourself? Is that what's got you so focused on the theory? Because you should know, I'm a very tactile learner."

[just_aces]

"That part's brills, actually." He replied, flashing another grin at the Cat, though it was lazier than it usually was, eyes going hooded at the hand in his hair, but not pulling away -or trying to, given the Cat's three-point hold on him- because it was the truth, he was having a great time so far and knew it would only be better once they let themselves get carried away, "I'm just trying to get more than part of a plan in place instead of acting on instinct like I usually do, that's all."

The grin went tilted as one brow lifted, leaning in just a little closer, "But maybe that's what's going to work best, yeah?" That particular 'yeah' was definitely a tease, given as how he was nearly close enough that his lips brushed the Cat's as he spoke, letting the hand not still curled in the Cat's shirt lift to slide through his hair instead, nails grazing his scalp, honestly curious to find if the Cat enjoyed the sensation as much as he did, but not actually waiting for a reaction before actually closing the space between them to claim another kiss.

[catting]

Charles' response makes him grin, because he thinks he'd also find making out with himself pretty spectacular, and is relieved that Charles seems to think so. Yes, he suggested this in the first place, but it wouldn't be the first time someone has liked the idea of something in theory but found it unsettling in practice.

He would, however, argue that letting instinct take the wheel is usually where all the fun lies, and is in fact one of his favourite of all of Charles' traits, but Charles conveniently distracts his mind from any rebuttal by getting his mouth nice and close, teasing with that lowered pitch he knows full well drives the Cat crazy with all those sharp vowels and lilting tones, and slides long fingers up into the cropped curls at the back of his head.

It makes sense that the Cat likes hands in his hair — or, if he's honest, hands petting any part of him — almost as much as Charles does, given that he's a Cat, but the soft gasp that escapes his mouth before it's claimed by Charles' own is reserved solely for the feeling of nails against his flesh. The Cat's other favourite thing about Charles is his readiness to be a little grabby, a little rough; always playful, never with the desire to actually hurt, but enjoying the feeling of a body that certainly won't break underneath his hands.

It makes it easy to rile him up, to get him to retaliate, to know what gets him going and to be ready to take the consequences. So, when Charles kisses him, the Cat King makes a groan that's half relief and half encouragement, tightening his hand in a mirror response as he wastes no time in deepening their kiss, scraping his teeth softly along Charles' lips.

[just_aces]

One of the few things Charles missed when kissing Edwin was the play of teeth, Edwin was more reserved about using them, and definitely locked up unpleasantly when they were used on him, and it was refreshing and delightful that the Cat seemed to enjoy bringing them into play just as much as Charles did himself.

Likewise the firmer grasp in his hair was enough to have his eyes going unfocused completely, a soft groan curling free from his throat in return, a similar pitch and timbre to the noise the Cat had just made, though that just made sense, given the givens.

The hand that wasn't tangled in the Cat's hair, scratching against his scalp was still curled in the front of his shirt, though he let go to skim it down around the Cat's side, nimble fingers tugging at the hem of that shirt so that he could get at warm skin underneath. He was amused as much as he was frustrated to find the singlet in the way as well, nipping at the Cat's lower lip, the amusement filling his tone, "Good job, got the layers right."

[catting]

"Well, the sight of it's pissed me off enough times that it's basically haunting me all on its own," the Cat murmurs against Charles' mouth, refusing to move back any further than that and risk Charles' chatterbox mouth deciding to rehash the whole conversation they'd hashed out when the Cat had last whinged about never getting to see the two ghost boys actually naked while he was often totally undressed within seconds of anything starting.

He pulls Charles in again with the two vantage points his hands have, but instead of just pulling him in so their mouths meet, he leans back even further than that, encouraging Charles to loom over him while the Cat gets his back flat on the desk. It's regrettably empty since he'd just poofed it out of thin air, but it delights him to think of Edwin's fussing were he to get his papers all mussed up from a heated makeout session.

[just_aces]

He was fully going to snipe back -mostly joking- that the Cat's arch-nemesis was an undershirt, but then he was being pulled more fully forward before he could actually form the words and he just rolled forward easily, hand releasing its hold of the Cat's hair to just brace flat against the top of the desk beside his head while the other continued working past fabric, skimming his hand around the Cat's side and then up along his ribs until he could actually get at a nipple, rolling it easily between thumb and forefinger.

Of course that was at the same time his head dipped to press a kiss to the underside of the Cat's chin, working around to the corner of his jaw and down the side of his throat even as he pinched a little more firmly, content to lose himself in the warmth of the Cat's skin against his mouth, at least for a little while.

[catting]

The Cat can easily feel Charles' amusement through their kiss, and has a cunning plan to get his teeth nipping at his tongue as retribution, but then he feels fingers against his nipple and he gasps, about the same time exactly as Charles' mouth moves away from his and starts to pick its way in soft kisses down his chin and neck.

"Mmh," He says eloquently, words trapped in his throat by Charles' rougher treatment of his nipple, the sharp pain-then-pleasure making his spine arch. In return he tightens his grip in Charles' hair, pulling as if he's about to force him back and away, only to flex his fingers and push him closer. His other hand slides around to join as his legs lift onto the desk properly, knees either side of Charles' hips. with one leg coming up to hook around him. And he makes sure to use the leg that would be closest to and in best view of the would-be mirror off to the side of the desk.

"Gonna bite me like I bite you, puppy?" He murmurs, trying to stifle an excited purr threatening to rumble through him. "Gotta make it believable, right?"

[just_aces]

Well that was going to take a little more concentration and focus than Charles was currently using, because while he and the Cat had similar reasons for and methods to biting, the weren't exactly the same, so biting the Cat the same way the Cat usually bit him was going to mean that Charles needed to change tacks.

It was, however, enough to make him grin down at the Cat, one brow lifting, "Think I might be able to manage that, yeah." The Cat had a way of biting to hold on -rather than nipping to tease the way Charles did- that Charles didn't generally employ himself, but thoroughly enjoyed when it was used on him, which made him confident enough to attempt it.

He rocked his hips forward in the easy hold of the Cat's legs, head dipping to pick up where he'd left off, except he set his teeth against the jut of the Cat's collarbone, not just pinching the skin and letting go again like he usually would, but actually holding firm, pausing only briefly to make sure he wasn't holding tight enough to do any damage before shaking his head just once, a solid little tug of movement altogether too much like a dog with a toy.

[catting]

The combination of Charles' hips crushing against his own along with the sharp shake of Charles head and the warmth of pleasure-pain that follows makes the Cat gasp, head falling back against the desk as his spine arches and then bows, like he isn't quite sure if he wants to get closer or pull away. It's been a long while since he's felt any rough contact like that, and while he hadn't really noticed the lack of it in any considerable way, now that he's in the wake of it he can't help but want more.

The canine aspect to it isn't lost on him, and perhaps it's that realisation that makes a light laugh cut through his breathless panting, makes him tighten a hand in Charles curls at the same time as his thighs tighten around his hips.

"Good boy," he purrs, knowing it's not as good coming from him as it is from Edwin, but knowing that in this context it's more than appropriate. He wonders, idly, how Edwin would react to seeing them get a little more rough with each other; Edwin himself doesn't like to be bitten, but he's never shown much aversion to watching the two of them kiss like it's an argument, often with more teeth than with tongue...

[just_aces]

Praise was always going to land differently coming from the Cat than it did coming from Edwin, but Charles was almost always going to soak it up like a sponge, and he couldn't help but grin against the Cat's throat, not releasing his tooth-hold just yet.

He'd made that same observation himself -that Edwin seemed to enjoy watching the two of them go at it in ways he wouldn't enjoy them going at him- and it was part of what had given him the idea for this in the first place.

It was the praise as much as it was the laugh -genuinely amused rather than outright teasing- that kept him from fighting the way the Cat was bodily keeping him in place, giving him just enough leeway to roll his hips again, pressing closer once more even as he tried to tilt his head into the hands in his hair without letting go of the Cat's throat in the process.

[catting]

When Charles doesn't let go and allows him this moment to sink in to the feeling of teeth in his flesh, a body over his, heavy and not exactly warm but definitely there — as much as a spectral being can be anywhere — he lets his eyes fall closed, gold disappearing behind the darkness of Charles' borrowed lashes, his hips rocking up at the very last moment to meet the low roll of Charles' own and pushing a loud gasp from the Cat's chest. It's a wonder he hasn't started purring yet, and the want to do so is a persistent ache in him, but he's dedicated to holding out, to playing his part in this little pantomime even if the intended audience isn't here yet.

And, speaking of playing his part, he tightens his fingers a little more in Charles' hair, a pulse of pressure beyond just getting a good hold on him, like a warning or a re-grounding, not entirely dissimilar to the way Edwin firms a hand on him when he wants Charles' attention, or when he's telling him off for getting carried away.

"C'mon, don't you wanna see if I've paid close enough attention to what you look like under all these annoying layers?" He asks, voice breathy against Charles' ear because fuck he sure knows what he's doing with the angle of his hips, somehow just as good against the facsimile of his own body as it is against the Cat's slightly larger form. "If we really wanna blow his mind, I think at least one of us should be looking more debauched."

[just_aces]

It took a moment to actually parse what the Cat was saying, and somehow Charles managed to wrangle himself around enough for a coherent response, licking over the spot he'd just had his teeth set into, "Just one. F'it's both of us he's going to think we don't want him involved." Which was the opposite of what they were planning for.

"But I am curious." The hand that had previously wriggled under the polo that mirrored his own only to find the undershirt there as well moved again, hand splaying comfortably against skin now that he could, just sliding a little higher -as far as the hem of the shirts against his wrist would allow- as he dipped in to claim another kiss, though he grumbled a little, "Going to have to let you up to get you out of this lot, aren't I?"

He didn't really want to move, partly because he was enjoying the kiss and the Cat's hand in his hair, but also because the rest of the position was comfortable as well, which did surprise him a little, since he knew how rangy his own limbs were, it didn't quite make sense that two of those would fit together so easily.

[catting]

"Good point," The Cat purrs, using his words to disguise the shudder that ripples through his body as Charles licks over his skin. There's merit to the idea though, of letting Edwin watch them get as far as he'd like them to before stopping. It would depend on Edwin's mood, how he reacts to this initial surprise in the first place, but it was definitely food for thought for later.

He kisses Charles back, even anchoring him down for another before he can properly move away because... well, because he can, before he grins against his mouth. If Charles is expecting the Cat to allow him to leave now that he's been pretty consistently grinding down against his hips, he's got another thing coming. He might not have claws in this form, but he can still knot his hands in Charles' hair to keep him put.

"Aww," He coos, smile sharp and decidedly feline even on Charles' features, though with his angles he looks a little more foxish than catlike. "You're so cute. You're not the only one that can will away clothing—" Using the hand that isn't wound in Charles' hair, he theatrically snaps his fingers to poof away the black woollen coat, and the first layer of jacket beneath. "—remember?"

[just_aces]

There was a quiet little curse at the tighter hold, not an objection, not really, but because he didn't have another response to give, skirting towards overstimulation already which was when he tended to get nippy, and he was trying to stay at least partly coherent so they could come up with a proper plan.

He couldn't help the soft laugh at the violet flare of the Cat's magic, head rolling forward even against that hand in his hair, brow resting against the curve of the Cat's shoulder, muffling a quiet laugh.

Getting ahold of himself again a moment later he lifted his head again, "I had forgotten about that, actually." He'd gotten caught up in the moment, the same thing happened with he and Edwin sometimes, they both forgot that they didn't have to do things the long way, and usually by that point they were both too worked up to manage vanishing clothes in full.

[catting]

The Cat looks pretty delighted at that admission, even as he pantomimes an offended gasp that Charles could ever underestimate him, even accidentally.

"It's pretty gratifying to know I can distract you so bad even when I don't look like myself. Mm, that's the one downfall in this little plan of yours, isn't it? It's all well and good trying to teach me what to do, but I've never been one to make it easy. And you're not the one who keeps us all on track." The Cat flexes his fingers, encouraging the polo shirt to disappear as well, pulling the exact face Charles pulls when he's done something and has caught on to how hot the Cat is getting about it — flexing his hands a certain way, making him wait for a kiss, using the deeper register of his voice... there's a few.

"I might feel good now, but if we take this too far you'll be back at square one. Which, I'm not complaining about, but we don't wanna get so into it that there's no room for the person this is actually in aid of, right?" The Cat might be an unpredictable force, a nuisance and a pest, but he's also a King. He's capable of some guidance, even if it's typically selfishly driven.

[just_aces]

"Right." He replied with a nod, just letting his own overcoat wisp away like smoke, "Still have to make sure he knows he's invited." A moment's consideration, having to rattle his line of thought back on track, which the brief respite was actually helping with even despite the fact that he was still caught in the loop of the Cat's legs, "Which I think means one of us down to skivvies, or nearly there, and the other one not that far yet."

He shook his head a little, careful with the Cat's hand still in his hair, "Don't think it really matters which is which if I'm being honest." Not when they'd both be wearing his face, at least to start, "Also means we're going to have to notice when he gets back, if we're too involved to notice, we won't notice if he's gone again, either."

[catting]

The Cat hums, delighted by the barely-there sensation of Charles' coat disappearing into nothing, and using that sudden disappearance to allow himself a quick once-over of his upper body with his eyes. Look, okay, he put a halt on them making out in favour of Charles' little plan, he should at least get some payback in the form of eye candy. In fact, he decides — sliding his hand out of Charles' hair to bring both around to his front, running warm palms up and against his chest, tucking in where his lapels fall to feel out his collar bones — he should get a good feel of it too.

"So, you do what you were doing before. Kiss my neck, or bite me, I'll keep turned toward the mirror and keep an eye out." A little shrug, as if it couldn't be more simple, and then the sliiightest tightening of his thighs. "I don't think you'll distract me so bad that I'll miss him arriving." And if it sounds like a challenge, well, that's purely up for interpretation!

[just_aces]

He leaned into the warmth of the Cat's hands as he usually did, just considering the suggestion for a moment before nodding, "That should work, yeah. And if I haven't managed to distract myself too badly, I ought to be able to hear it, too."

He'd definitely heard the challenge in the tone, whether it was there or not, along with the press of the Cat's thighs against his hips was enough to have him smiling down at the other again, "Though if we don't know how far is too far before then, we won't stand a chance." He leaned close once more, smiling against the corner of the Cat's jaw, the hollow behind his ear, voice dipping to the register he knew got the best responses out of the Cat, "Should put my all into trying to distract you now, yeah? Just so I've got some kind of frame of reference when the time comes."

That said, he left a string of open-mouthed kisses along the side of the Cat's neck, curious for a moment whether the other retained his own sensitive spots even in the new shape, or if Charles' own transferred over, reasoning that it was probably the first, since the Cat only looked like him. Which was what had him latching onto the jut of the Cat's collarbone, worrying his lower jaw against it a little, testing the hold of his own jaw, it seemed.