#jacklevi

Levi had found Jack Vessalius to be undeniably attractive and quite charming from the moment the man revealed himself to Lacie and proclaimed his happiness over their long awaited reunion. At the time, Levi knew that he shouldn't get too enraptured by the charismatic man, but with the snow and the cold and the inevitable slowed down pace of life due to the winter weather, things had become slightly dull at the Baskerville Estate. Someone like Jack Vessalius was bound to shake things up and make things interesting, at least a little bit, and at that moment, Levi was more than willing to take a risk on the handsome, blond stranger. 

  The risk Levi took was more than worth it. Jack Vessalius ended up providing ample amounts of entertainment and amusement for Levi, and he also caused some long buried, long thought lost feelings to return and stir within him. Though Jack, with his ambiguity, lack of personal boundaries, and near permanent smiles and laughs was the complete opposite of his own Glen, who had been far more strict and stern when it came to their relationship and their roles and positions within the Baskerville system, there was something about Jack that reminded Levi of her. Perhaps it was the elegance that they exuded. His master had been acutely aware of it and had used it to her advantage, while Jack Vessalius flaunted it, sometimes on purpose, though more often then not, without him even knowing it. Or yet, perhaps the reminder came from Jack's appearance alone: the chiseled features mixed with an enticing beauty and long, golden hair.

Whatever it was, something about Jack Vessalius brought back the feelings of attraction he once held for his Glen. She never returned his advances, but Jack...Well, Levi had been subtle with his signals, sending them on a low frequency. Jack Vessalius was, after all, quite hard to read and Levi was never quite certain on the blond's feelings, especially when it came to his feelings for Lacie. But the more he learned about Jack's feelings for his lover, the more at ease he became with his own small touches, sly smiles, and suggestive glances.

Jack Vessalius' eyes shimmered, at first a little uncertain, but over time amused. He played Levi's game and would often flirt back. Levi understood the roots of his attractions to the other man, but he often wondered, when he and Jack played this game of theirs, what, if any, real attraction Jack had for him. After all, he was a dying man, destined to turn into a pile of white bandages and rotten flesh that would morph themselves into an eventual Chain. Whatever it was, it was quite the mystery to Levi and that made it all the more thrilling. 

  The first time they experimented with kissing had been on a sunny, though cool, afternoon. It was a rather rare occurrence to see Jack Vessalius simply traversing the Baskerville Estate with no clear destination in mind. He was usually on the hunt either for Lacie or Oswald, those were sure targets of his attention, but once in a while he would enter on the the grounds with the intent to discuss some topic or another concerning the Abyss and the Baskervilles with Levi. On that day though, it appeared as if Jack had nothing in particular on his mind. He was leaning against one of the archways in one of the many corridors of the Baskerville Manor; sunlight filtered into the corridor in long, and somewhat thick strips, but Jack's whole body was in the shade and his eyes were unfocused as he stared off into the empty space before him. 

  An odd kind of darkness seemed to wrap around him, and it intrigued Levi. He approached Jack, his mind warning him against it, but Levi took no heed of it. His mind often wanted to keep him from the exciting aspects of life. His mind wanted to keep him in safe places and spaces, but Levi's heart longed for the uncertain, the unexpected, and the unplanned. It was part of his nature as a writer, every new experience garnered the chance for inspiration, and Jack Vessalius was a hotbed of chances and quite the spark of inspiration.

Levi was, he would admit, addicted to change, and his attraction to Jack Vessalius was a constant change. So today he would push the boundaries of his and Jack's odd relationship. He needed to advance their current status quo, since he was becoming quite bored with it, and Jack looked like he was in need of something to distract him from whatever dark place his mind had entered into.

As Levi approached he could hear Jack humming softly, it was the song that Lacie often liked to sing, and which he had been informed (by Lacie herself) had been named after her by Jack. He continued to approach, but Jack remained oblivious, even as he leaned up against the wall next to him. Levi got so close that he whispered his next words into Jack's ear,“Hello there, Jack.” His words surprised the blond and caused his humming to come to an abrupt stop (and for his face to flash with shock for only a few seconds before settling).

“Huh? Oh, hello, Levi.” Jack said softly, there was no need to speak loudly with the older man so close by, and then he smiled, not at all bothered by Levi's close proximity. Jack seemed to have little to no issue with intimacy and he seemed to have no care for boundaries, both when it came to keeping them and to others invading his own. 

  Though Levi was certainly no expert at reading Jack and his feelings - no one was, he would wager - Levi knew that the smile he was currently at the receiving end of was a fake one. He knew it was fake, not because it didn't reach Jack's eyes – all of Jack's smiles reached his eyes, his eyes were always able to shine and sparkle, and it was a mystery to Levi how he always managed to do this – no, he could tell that it was fake because of the way his lips would tremble just a bit. Jack's lips would look strained, as if a weight were resting on top of his brow and his cheeks were being stretched back by a forceful hand.  Jack often gave this kind of smile, and while Levi knew it was unorthodox (when was he never unorthodox though?) the sight of such a smile usually made his body shudder. Jack Vessalius' fake smiles spoke of hidden depths and unspoken stories and a plethora of secrets that were destined to make Levi's mind reel with curiosity until that questioning state would eventually morph into pages upon pages of writing and a contended purr of satisfaction, as if his old feelings for his master were finally being placated.

Jack's smile stayed in place as he continued speaking, “It looks like you want something.” He stated his words in a matter-of-fact way, since he had, by now, come to figure out that his presence was a sort of muse for Levi, and he may have even had a suspicion that his looks reminded the older man of an old flame (or, as the case would actually have it, an unrequited love). Both of these realizations seemed to excite Jack.

In response, Levi did not nod or shake his head, nor did he give any type of verbal confirmation or denial, instead he replied, “It looks like you need something.” And it was true, Jack rarely got serious, and when he did, it was because he wanted something. Levi was quite used to seeing Jack Vessalius with a serious expression, because he was usually in need of something, more often than not information of some kind, whenever he would decide to venture onto the Baskerville Estate in search of Levi. 

  His guess wasn't wrong.

“I've been hearing whispers, you know, about a Celia Baskerville. The rumors floating around the estate often times include you, and the contents of the hearsay is quite intriguing to me...” Jack trailed off. There was no need for him to continue with his sentence. Jack knew that Levi was already aware of the gossip and what it consisted of. So, this was the information that Jack wanted today. Levi couldn't say that he was too surprised, he had a feeling Jack would eventually try and ask him about it, but now he needed some clarification.

“Do you want to know about the rumors or about Celia?” Levi reached out and touched the bangs that fell into Jack's eyes, his hand trailing down the other man's cheek.

He felt as Jack's face pulled up in a smile. It was only by a little and did not have the strained look that accompanied his fake ones. This one was real. “About Celia...I guess. I don't want to ask you about her. I want to meet her.” Jack said this as he reached out his own hands, lifting up and under Levi's thin shirt. Jack's hands slithered up his stomach and his chest, resting on the bandages that covered the dying flesh beneath. His thumb stroked the bandages and Levi felt himself shiver. No matter how many times Levi thought about Jack's fascination with his decaying body, the only conclusion he could come to was a fascination with death itself. He had learned from Lacie that Jack had been rather welcoming of death before he had met her.

Levi moved his own hand further down Jack's face, sliding it down his neck (pushing aside the white fabric that covered it), where he stopped it for a brief moment, wondering if (at some point or another) he would bruise that skin with a lust bite (for what existed between them was nothing more than curiosity, attraction, and lust – there was certainly no romantic love to be found). Then his fingers continued to trail down Jack's neck, over the milky skin that was slightly cold to the touch (or perhaps his own fingers were simply too warm, as his body often was). He wanted to venture further, but Jack liked to stay wrapped up in his shirts and jacket, those items stayed put on his body, even when he was relaxing next to a fire. Besides, undressing Jack had not been the goal for the day, simply kissing him had been, and Jack had opened a very nice invitation to that.

“Hmm, well now. Celia is quite the private person, she doesn't leave her lab much, and she likes things to be planned and scheduled, you see, so I would have to talk with her first about it. She would have to want to meet with you. I would be willing to put in a good word for you...” Levi didn't even try and hide the “but” that was hanging off the end of his words, and Jack looked as if he had expected as much.

“What is it you want then?” Jack asked.

“A kiss. That's all,” was Levi's reply.

Jack laughed, “Okay then,” and without warning Jack's arms under his shirt jumped down to his waist. His arms wrapped around Levi's waist and brought him closer. Levi's eyes turned upward, just so, to look directly into Jack's own. He could feel a smirk playing at his lips as he drew his lips closer to Jack's. When their lips touched, Levi's hand instantly went up to Jack's hair, playing with the small strands of blond hair that had escaped the man's long braid. The lips Levi was met with were slightly chapped, due to the cool weather (his own were a bit chapped as well), but they moved with an expertise that confirmed a suspicion Levi had had about Jack for quite some time now.

Oswald's detailed report on Jack Vessalius had, indeed, been very useful and enlightening and had only furthered Levi's interest in the man, but it had only hinted at the possibility that the blond had participated in sex work. But the nibbling, the sucking, the way Jack coaxed open his mouth and explored the inside of it, gently but expertly, to the point where Levi could feel a moan building up within him, all pointed to the fact that those hints were true.

Levi felt himself kissing back, with not quite as much experience, but with enough that he could feel Jack tighten his hold. The temptation rose within him to undo Jack's braid, undress him and to leave marks all over his body, but such an action was going too far. All he came for was a kiss.

Mutually they ended the kiss and separated themselves from each other. Levi let out a chuckle.

The kiss was over. His senses were heightened and he could feel a longing in his soul to write, and as he looked at Jack's elegant features and pale face tinged just so with a shade of pink, he felt that expected satisfaction rise up within him. His younger self viewing the moment as if the one standing before him was his master.

Levi thought it best to end their moment here. If he pushed the lines too far too soon, it would just make the whole experience a bore later on. Pacing and timing were an important aspect of living that most people opted to forget, but for him, those aspects of life were so vital they were ingrained into his very soul.

Tucking his shirt back in, Levi smiled at Jack and said, “Thank you. You've been quite the influential muse for me today. Like I said, I'll put in a good word for you to Celia.”

Also fixing himself up a bit, Jack smiled back and replied, “You're welcome. Feel free to use my services again. And thank you for the favor with Celia. It will be much appreciated. Now, I think I'll be off,” and with that Jack moved out of the dark corner and waved good-bye to Levi before taking his leave.

Giving a wave back, Levi watched Jack's departing figure, certain that the blond would go and visit Lacie briefly before heading back home. Turning away from the area himself, Levi headed back the way he had come, with his office being his destination and his mind bursting with ideas that were meant to be documented and well preserved for years to come.