latino_menace | OOM: Post Mary Anne

'...yeah. OK.'

Random has a point, but Ramon still shrugs.

'Gorlim wasn't too bad when I spoke to him a few days ago. I know Ruin's been doing a number on him but he didn't say anything about Andres. Maybe that's one of his other nights used up.'

He could see how a night with Andres would be torture but he's thinking that Random means it's rather more serious than that.

'What happened then?'

"These fucking nights to begin with" he snarls, pulling away and striding away from the bed, hands clenched.

"I... don't know."

Ramon watches him for a moment, then shifts gingerly backwards ont he bed, propping himself against the end with a couple of pillows. Then he flicks the lamp on and lights a cigarette, drawing deeply on it before saying,

'He's got seven left. Or did, when I spoke to him. Maybe six now, as he didn't mention Andres.'

Pause.

'And I spoke to Ruin, back when this was all starting. I tried to get him to take back the nights Gorlim paid for us, because we can look after ourselves. But he wouldn't have it.'

Random stops in his tracks.

"He paid for us?"

He sounds very much like he's going to be sick.

Ramon shifts again slightly, looking rather uncomfortable and rather pissed off about it too. But he nods all the same.

'And Martin. And a few others - Namo and Gabriel and some other friends. He offered himself for those nights in exchange for Ruin not going near us.'

And it had made him livid that Gorlim would try to protect them when they didn't need it, but he still hadn't been able to do anything to change it.

'Are you alright?'

Quite plainly not.

He moves automatically for the window, throwing it open and gasping as the rush of night air sweeps in.

Ramon only hesitates for a moment - just long enough to stub out his cigarette - and then he's up, pulling on sweat pants and walking over to where Random is. Arms slide round his waist carefully and he murmurs in his ear,

'There was nothing you could have done. Gorlim did this on his own and Ruin isn't the type to let him go.'

"I'm being whored for."

He leans back into Ramon's arms.

"And I can't stop it. I hate this."

'I hated it too. Do hate it. But there's nothing we can change, and that's all there is to it.'

He doesn't want Random to get the notion to go up against Ruin. That's the last thing he wants.

'Might not be the worst.'

If Gorlim hasn't told him already, then Ramon thinks he might as well know it all now.

'He thinks he might kill him. Says he might be saving that up till last - and apparently, there'll be no coming back if he does.'

He says it as gently as he can. He doesn't like the idea of it either.

"I'm going to kill him now, then."

He pulls away, heading for the dresser with steel in his eyes and a clenched jaw.

'No! No, you're not.'

Ramon follows immediately, his own face set.

'For one thing, I'm pretty sure you can't. For another - I'm not letting you go up against him Random. I'm fucking not.'

"He's a minor."

He fishes for the tarot cards, though his determination is already wavering.

"It's a fucking bit player, Ramon."

'I don't care!'

He snatches for the cards, because he can't let Random do this.

'It doesn't matter if he is or not. Gorlim was trying to keep you safe and you're not going to make that pointless. And you're not risking yourself when you've got Martin to look after either. You hear me?'

The thought of Random fighting with Ruin - it doesn't bear thinking about.

There's a short moment, less than three seconds, where Random's eyes and posture say, quite clearly, 'you couldn't stop me if you tried.'

But then he makes a strangled sound and throws himself at Ramon, face in his shoulder and arms wrapping around him tight.

The cards go flying in a shower of paper, which doesn't matter in the slightest.

He loves him. Ramon will never have to try.

Ramon knows very well that he couldn't stop him physically. But he was hoping that a plea to his emotions woul work, so he's sighing with relief as he takes him into his arms and holds him.

'It's OK. It'll be OK, Random.'

He's got nothing to back that up with, but it's what people say, right?

'He won't go through all this just to kill him at the end of it. It'll be fine.'

Another guess based on nothing. He's never been the best at being comforting, but he's trying.

"I hope so."

Even just this, just holding and trying, it helps. Even if he can't quite fool himself this time.

"Sorry. Woke you up."

'That's OK.'

He smiles into his hair, keeping him close and hoping it makes him feel better.

'Don't sleep properly unless you're here anyway.'

He does. Random's breathing slowly begins to even out, and he clings a little tighter.

"Promise me you won't let anyone touch you like that to keep me safe? Ever? If it comes to that, you know, we can always go to Amber. Not even the Forsaken could find Amber, and nothing more powerful than that'll ever bother. Just never put yourself in that position, not when I could help, alright?"

'As long as you promise to never do it for me. Although I suppose you're powerful enough that it would never be an issue.'

He purposefully doesn't outright promise, simply because he has no fear of physical coercion. And if a situation like that ever arose, he'd take pain over the possibility of Random's death. You heal from injury, after all, and it's not like he's never felt it before.

Of course, he has no detailed knowledge of what's happened to Gorlim. And so, unaware, he can be interally blase about the whole thing. He just kisses Random's head and fingers work slowly on the nape of his neck in a hopefully soothing manner.

'It won't be an issue baby, don't worry.'

"No, it won't be."

Funnily enough, Random doesn't promise either.

Of course, that means he notices Ramon didn't, and looks up to crack a rueful, tearful grin at him, before kissing him gently.

"Really."

'I love you.'
You most beautiful, perfect, thing.
Because it says it all. How can you promise such a thing, when you'd do anything for the person in your arms?

The kiss is returned, and he smiles down into his eyes, rubbing down his back.

'Feeling better? Come to bed. It'll be alright. We'll do what we can for him.'

"And I you."
With every part of me.
He shuffles a bit towards the bed, not taking his arms away from around Ramon. Too comforting to be this close.

"We will. Thank you, lover."

And Ramon shuffles with him, glad that he's calmer, happy he was able to relax him a little. He doesn't like him to be upset.

'That's what I'm here for.'

There's a soft kiss, even as their legs bump into the mattress.

'You should sleep. Or do you want to talk? Either's good.'

"To talk. Tell me something nice?"

He swallows hard, and rests his head on Ramon's shoulder as they sink awkwardly to the bed.

'Something nice, OK.'

He manoeuvers into a comfortably propped position, then pulls Random to lean on him.

'We're going to start our trip to Argentina in Buenos Aires. And you and I are going to find a club and dance the Argentinian Tango together.'

Beat.

'As long as you let me lead.'

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