Title: Reasonable

Summary: Geoff discovers something he finds endlessly amusing about Alan

Rating: PG-13 for allusions of (mild) kinkiness

Spoilers/Timeline: Between the two books

Characters: Alan, Geoff

Note: This came about like this:

 

Pancakerabbit06- I just came in from a Bio lecture, and am feeling a little traumatized because, according to my prof, about 20% of couples engage in bondage or S&M. One in five. Statistically, that means not only 20 senators, but also one or two justices in the Supreme Court. *shudder* Remind me to never watch CSPAN again.

 

Chaucerettescs (me)- Good lord... that opens quite a few disturbing possibilities. Mel, Adge, Gael, Alan & Geoff. One of them's done it. But who? (as if that answer isn't obvious... course an alternative would make for an interesting fic. But that's just not right and shan't be written)

 

...well, it was written. Geoff being the obvious candidate, I decided to switch it up... though he obviously seems to be into it too. Either the statistic is wrong or the other eight people in their extended circle of friends are chaste, virtuous and vanilla (but with Ian and Rufus around, I somehow doubt it). Anyway, fic:

 

 

Reasonable

 

Whenever Geoff gets back from a meeting with a publisher, Alan tries to brace himself for whatever sort of unspoken news comes through their door. That is...either Geoff saunters in...or, like an hour ago, comes in stumbling and stork-like, with his tie undone and his eyes glazed over from his cheer-me-up stop at the pub.

 

Geoff will then usually make a beeline for the liquor cupboard and, since there really is no stopping him when he gets like this, Alan will allow Geoff to pour two drinks from whatever bottle of whatever rot Geoff's chosen to go blind from.

 

And then they'll sit together on the couch, like they've been doing now for an hour--just the two of them with Geoff nursing the bottle of booze. They don't talk about Geoff's meeting, or what went wrong...they just sit, drinking, and discuss whatever happens to cheer Geoff up.

 

In Geoff's case, that's usually sex, which is not something Alan likes talking about even when he's sober, nevermind on a sofa with an utterly smashed Geoffrey. But Geoff always seems to wait until Alan is a little trashed himself before he brings the subject up (which Alan figures he should probably resent). Alan rather hates it... as it makes Geoff say all manners of embarrassing things and ask all manners of embarrassing questions, that even his buzzed brain hesitates in answering.

 

Like right now, for example.

 

“C’mon.” Geoff pries.

 

Alan laughs, uncomfortably. “No.”

 

Geoff's been pestering him at this for a good ten minutes now and Alan is beginning to realize that the blond isn't going to let it go... which is a shame since Alan is otherwise very comfortable. He's had just enough to drink that he feels warm and pleasantly heavy and relaxed and is perfectly content with slouching down into the sofa cushions between a crumpled blanket and the persistent idiot next to him... or, at least, he would be content if said idiot wasn't asking him about what secret little something he "gets off on".

 

"I told you mine." Geoff offers.

 

"Yeah, well, maybe I'd have preferred if ya' hadn'."

 

Geoff grins hugely. "Maybe I should add 'When Alan gets so drunk, he loses all control of his accent' to my list..."

 

"Bugger off."

 

"You could just... whisper what it is to me and I'll pretend I didn't hear it..."

 

Alan sighs, close to the cracking point. "No."

 

“Why not?”

 

“I…b-because…”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Because it’s weird.”

 

Geoff smirks. “What the question or the kink?” His smirk softens into a fond smile at the slightly scandalized look on Alan’s face. “It’s really not that big a deal.”

 

“Then why d'ya care?”

 

“Because it makes for interesting conversation.”

 

Alan rolls his eyes, suddenly fidgeting with his hands. It’s an old, anxious habit that Geoff recognizes instantly. “…it’s stupid.”

 

“Doesn’t matter.” The blond shrugs.

 

Alan’s hands speed up a little in their fumbling and he averts his eyes, not able to look at Geoff and actually say this. “I, um…” His face colors, “Ilikebeintiedup.”

 

“…..What was that?” Geoff blinks, a hint of a wicked smile creeping over his face.

 

Alan’s blush darkens. “I like bein' tied up... not S&M or anything, just, y’know…”

 

There’s a pause, and then Geoff explodes with laughter.

 

“Don’t.” Alan begs, looking sick that he’d even said it.

 

Geoff tries unsuccessfully to muffle his laughing into his pillow.

 

“Stop.” Even Alan’s ears have turned red. “You said you wouldn’t laugh…”

 

“M’sorry… just… why doesn’t it surprise me that you’d be a whore for rope burns?” the blond teases.

 

Feeling a swoop of shame at the glee on Geoff’s face, Alan turns over, burying his face into the wrinkled blanket beside him.

 

“Gina tied you up, didn’t she? Phwoar, I bet she did. I bet she tied you up and teased you senseless, you little bottom, you.” Geoff grins, walking his fingers up the back of Alan’s neck.

 

The mess of blanket swats his hand away. “You’re a real bastard when you’re drunk, you know that?” Alan’s voice is muffled, but Geoff catches a familiar humiliated wobble in it.

 

He observes the back of Alan’s blazing neck and the tenseness in the redhead’s shoulders and his grin fades away. “Hey…” he offers. “Hey, c’mon, Alan, I was just kidding.” He pushes gently at Alan’s shoulder. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed of… it could be worse, you could be attracted to… I dunno, doormats or something.”

 

“I don’t like it.” Alan murmurs.

 

“Why not?” Now Geoff’s confused. He didn’t like his kink? How could it be a kink if you don’t like it?

 

“I mean at th' time I like it, but afterwards, I feel…”

 

“It’s a pretty common kink, darling, it’s not…that dirty or anything.” Geoff assures, pulling the blanket down off of Alan’s face.

 

“Not dirty… fucked up.” Alan doesn’t look at Geoff, instead addressing the arm of the sofa, hoping it’d be easier like that. “Damaged, like there’s something wrong with me. I’ve just… I’ve been pushed around so much… I dunno, it’s just so…” Alan shakes his head, “good to be under the control of someone I trust. Someone who wouldn’t… who wouldn’t really hurt me. And just… being out of control, and being teased, like you said, it’s just…” He shrugs helplessly.

 

Geoff looks him up and down, intrigued and a tiny bit uncomfortable (that coming from the simple fact that the image of Alan tied to a bed does some funny, unexplainable something to Geoff’s stomach). “It’s… a lot of people really dig it, hell I fancy it myself…I’m more a top than a bottom, but… point is… maybe you just like it. It’s not some emotional trauma and you just like it.” He touches his friend’s shoulder again. “How’d you get into it anyway?”

 

“Gina wanted to try it.” Alan finally manages to smile a little, comforted by the conversational warmth in Geoff’s voice. “Figures, yeah?”

 

Geoff smiled. “Yeah.” He tilts his head. “Were you nervous?” On impulse, his fingertips press a little harder into the smooth plane of Alan’s shoulder. He doesn’t understand how Alan could be so wonderfully warm all the time.

 

“Yea, you know me. It was… a bit strange and a big trust thing… and I didn’t know how well I’d take it, my being so ticklish and all.”

 

The funny burning in Geoff’s belly spreads, and he manages to nod. “Always the sensible boy.”

 

“Well… clearly not too sensible. I let Gina tie me up, didn’t I?”

 

“Ah, yes, but it was terribly rewarding wasn’t it? It was bound to be, wasn’t it?”

 

“You’re an idiot.”

 

Geoff laughs. “No, I’m trashed. My puns tend to get inexcusably bad when I’ve had a bit of the sauce.”

 

“Fine. You’re a drunken idiot.” Alan rolls back onto his back, settling against the cushions. He absently rubs at his stomach before noticing that Geoff is watching him with a fairly fixed expression on his face. “Wha'?”

 

The smile that spreads across Geoff’s face is one that makes Alan sit up a little in worry. It’s reckless… and stretched with wicked depravity, some would say, shit-eating.

 

“What?” Alan asks again, feeling scrutinized by Geoff’s bleary stare.

 

“I just... I have an idea…” Geoff pulls off his long forgotten tie; the harmless strip of silk sending a hit of pleasure to his already heightened senses, as it zips across the crook of his neck.

 

At Geoff’s words, Alan’s eyes go impossibly wide. “Eh?”

 

Geoff winds the length of silk around his hand a few times, still smiling. “ I am in the mood for something… rewarding…” He actually winks at that and then takes a moment to reflect on how terribly satisfying it is to make Alan blush. He scoots a little closer to his friend and asks, with no small amount of teasing in his voice, “Care to tread the waters of experience?”

 

Alan glances at the silk wrapped tightly around Geoff's palm and feels his already blazing face flare even hotter. “Geoff, that is not even funny.”

 

Geoff’s grin fades into something softer as he takes one of Alan’s hands, bringing it close to his face. His fingers find a sensitive spot of skin on the underside of Alan’s wrist, rubbing it in a way that makes Alan melt. “I wouldn’t hurt you, Alan.” And then, another of his lecher-smiles (this one half concealed behind the fingers of Alan’s trapped hand). “Certainly not in a bad way, at least…”

 

“Geoff.” Alan tries to glare, but he's feeling an amused tug at the corners of his mouth. Finally, he begins to relax… only able to through the revelation that he believes Geoff’s promise. Geoff wouldn’t hurt him or take advantage…. well, maybe take advantage, but certainly not hurt. “You are being serious, aren’t you?” It’s more an accusation than a question.

 

“Yup.” Geoff nods, absently brushing his fingertips between Alan’s knuckles.

 

Alan doesn’t believe he’s doing this... of course, Geoff’s hand is making it hard for him to concentrate, but… this is just… insane. He hesitates, pulling a little at his hand. “…you’d stop… if I asked you?”

 

“’Course.”

 

And Alan trusts him.

 

And suddenly he feels so nervous, he could be sick. “…. And would you…w…”

 

Geoff chuckles warmly. “It’d only be fun, Alan, I promise…” His mouth replaces his fingers.

 

Alan blushes again, feeling about thirteen-years-old, and lets out a surprised, strangled sound as Geoff bites at the sensitive ridge of bone in his wrist. It’s ridiculous and it’s Geoff for God’s sake, but that makes him shiver and flood with heat in a way he finds deviously lovely. “I’m out of my mind…”

 

“No, you’re just…wonderfully sensitive, I think…” Geoff corrects, nipping at him again.

 

He stares at Geoff’s face for a long moment, reading the genuine want there. Finally, he nods, smiling a little, “…Alright.”

 

Geoff blinks, looking up from a freckle on Alan’s wrist that he’s only just discovered (and is oddly proud of). “What’s that?”

 

“I said… alright.”

 

“……are you serious?”

 

“Oh, Geoff, for God’s sake…”

 

“No no no no no… not looking a gift horse in the mouth…m’just…” He pauses, looking at Alan and feeling so confused and pleased that he worries about messing this up. “…never mind… so, um… you want to do it in…your room or…” He runs one hand through his hair, leaving it in sweated, crooked peaks.

 

Alan feels a flood of affectionate apprehension build in his stomach at the thought of letting himself be tied up by the straw-colored hedgehog in front of him. But, despite it all, he trusts Geoff.

 

And he is curious. That… and painfully turned on by the look on Geoff’s face.

 

He gives a self-deprecating smile. “You were wrong… I mustn’t have one sensible bone in my whole body…”

 

Geoff practically leers in his beaming, delighted way and grabs Alan’s hands. “Well, too late now.”

 

Alan lets out a startled yelp of a laugh as he’s hoisted off the couch and has to practically jog to keep up with his over-eager, blond counterpart.

 

And he realizes he’ll probably regret this in the morning… but for right now, even the sensible boy in him couldn’t give a toss.