Day in the Spa

[st_unning]

After Alcuin's conversation with Phryne, he had a small sense of purpose. She'd pointed out a marketable skill that hadn't occurred to him -- massage. He had come across the spa at the inn during his exploring, and it did not really seem to be in use.

After a few cooking lessons, Alcuin had offered to read to Ignis, and so when he'd seen him last he suggested they meet the next morning by the pool, which also happened to be right by the spa. Perhaps he'd be interested in helping him explore that, as well.

Comments

[st_unning]

"I thought you would like it," Alcuin said, sounding pleased.

He hesitated, and then said, "Ignis, please feel free to say no if you'd rather not, but if you'd like... I'd like to... try things out. Give a massage table a spin."

[st_eadfast]

That was a bad idea. Ignis liked Alcuin, the young man was good company, an intelligent and interesting conversationalist, a warm presence. A friend. Almost certainly, Alcuin had had enough of crass attention, and part of the pleasure he found in Ignis's company was that a blind man didn't, couldn't, react the same way as so many others. Surely would be a bad idea to invite the kind of hurt and awkwardness - for them both! - that could result from hands on skin.

And yet, provided he could control his own reactions - assuming there would be any, of course - who would know whether he enjoyed being touched or simply allowed it to help a friend? Alcuin wanted to test his skill on a friend first instead of a stranger, nothing more. Distance could always be recalibrated afterward, surely.

Excuses on both sides, and Ignis could have gone around in mental circles for much longer than he allowed himself, which was about half a minute. At that point, he nodded. There'd never been any real chance he'd turn down Alcuin's offer. "It would be best to practice on someone you know, at that, especially given how much of this place is unfamiliar in general. Tell me what you'd like me to do."

[st_unning]

Of course Alcuin felt his hesitation. There were a number of reasons he might hesitate, most perfectly valid.

"I truly am not offended if it makes you uncomfortable," Alcuin said gently. "Though I promise I mean nothing... untoward."

Though he could not deny that he knew he would enjoy touching the other man. Still, he had very good self control.

[st_eadfast]

"Of course you don't." The response, in a reassuring tone, was immediate and nearly automatic. Yes, of course he didn't. That idea would have been patently ridiculous. Alcuin's intentions were not in question, all the questioning was for Ignis himself.

But he could be neutral, couldn't he? It wasn't like he hadn't had practice. Keep still and hold off on worry and apologies until there was actually something to worry or apologize for. "I'm not uncomfortable," something of a lie, the mix of desire for touch/concern for feelings/shame for wanting at all wasn't exactly comfortable, "merely given to considering unexpected questions at length. What do you need me to do?"

[st_unning]

"I need you to relax," Alcuin said gently. "Though that will be part of the point. Remove as much clothing as you are comfortable with. Only your shirt, if you like."

[st_eadfast]

Ignis nodded obediently, though relaxation was a tall order, at the moment. He made an effort anyway, to loosen muscles that had tensed from stress. Said effort had only moderate success, but moderate was enough to allow him to unbutton and remove his shirt, then remove his undershirt, in an almost casual manner.

Despite the amount of fighting he'd done in his life, he didn't have many scars hidden under his shirt - a few faded-to-near-nonexistent training incidents, one or two more vicious slashes from the same battle that had scarred his face. None of them had impeded exercise or keeping fit, and of course he'd never seen the worse ones, so Ignis had never bothered being self-conscious about them.

[st_unning]

Alcuin noted the scars but they did not surprise him. He knew that Ignis had been in battles. His scars were the surprising ones. He did not seem like someone who had been in battle... and he hadn't. But Ignis would never see his.

"There's a table to your left," he said, "that I think would work well. Lay on your stomach?"

[st_eadfast]

There was indeed a table to his left, and a brief investigation let Ignis determine its dimensions well enough that he was able to settle on top of it, on his stomach as requested, with the absolute bare minimum of clumsy awkwardness.

[st_unning]

Given the interaction that had just transpired, Alcuin thought it best not to compliment Ignis' physique. He was also not surprised when he left his trousers on, though in Terre d'Ange that would have been seen as a bit silly (not to mention limiting). Normally he might have insisted on nudity with a blanket over his bottom half, but thought that for now this would be fine.

The table was nice, and seemed comfortable, with soft padding and a place for him to lay his head to keep his neck straight.

"Relax as much as you can," he said, and then poured some of the scented oil between his hands, rubbing them together to warm it. Then he laid his hands on Ignis' back and began to spread the oil.

[st_eadfast]

Ignis's instinct was to force himself to stay still and unreacting, to tense up just enough to counter relaxation; if he didn't react, he couldn't embarrass himself. Instead, he pushed down the instinct, an increasingly easy matter as Alcuin's hands smoothed over his skin; he wanted touch, no matter how little he should or how inappropriate it was.

[st_unning]

Alcuin also wanted touch. To touch someone, but even more... to make someone feel good.

"I thought you might be tense," he said softly. "I can help." He placed one hand on Ignis' lower back, the other on top of it, and began making circles, pressing the heel of his hand slightly into his skin.

[st_eadfast]

There was a lot of tension, mostly generalized rather than in painful knots. Immediate reactive tension was actually comparatively minor; most of it was long-term tension, born most of a lifetime trying to seem unflappable, untouchable, immune. In honesty, Ignis hadn't even realized it was there (fish didn't think about water) until Alcuin's gentle rubbing started smoothing it away. "You are not wrong on either point."

[st_unning]

"So much tightness in your muscles... it comes from all the stress you've carried with you." He found that tightness with his hands, and gently, carefully smoothed it away.

[st_eadfast]

"Likely to return, then, sooner or later." But not now. Now was fantastic, learning what relaxation actually felt like on top of the simple guilty pleasure of warm hands - Alcuin's hands - on his bare skin. Despite not being able to see, Ignis let his eyes drift closed behind his shades, as if that would let him concentrate better on the sensations.

[st_unning]

"Does it feel all right?" Alcuin asked, finding that he craved some confirmation that he was doing something good. "It's helping, then?" One of his hands found the back of Ignis' neck and smoothed over it.

[st_eadfast]

"It feels amazing." It was, in fact, difficult not to make wordless pleasure-noises every time one of Alcuin's hands found what had apparently been a particularly troubling spot. In fact, he was only able to stop the little not-exactly-gasps-or-moans about half the time. "You can be - aaah - very confident in your skills. I think."

[st_unning]

"Oh good," said Alcuin fondly, a smile in his voice. It felt so good to make someone else feel good. It was just so... natural. So ingrained.

"I like this," he confessed. "It makes me happy... to help you."

[st_eadfast]

"I wish I could be of more help to you." Cooking lessons aside, he didn't do very much but provide company when Alcuin wished it. And even that felt uneven at moments like this. At the very least, someone like Alcuin deserved an equal measure.

[st_unning]

"Oh, Ignis," Alcuin said, sounding surprised. "But you are. Your friendship is such comfort to me, and besides..." He hesitated, not knowing quite how to explain this. "I cannot tell you whether it is simply my nature, or an affect of how I've spent so much of my life, but - I like being useful, I like making other people happy. Making them feel good." At least, people he liked. He would have spent his entire existence making Anafiel feel good.

[st_eadfast]

If he'd been braver or more carefree (or was that careless?) that might have been a good cue to turn over and kiss Alcuin, to share how good he felt. But Ignis was neither or none of those things, and surely - his profession being what it was - he'd had more than enough of uninvited (unwanted, his inner self added) physical expression.

So he stayed where he was and tried to use words instead. "I cannot express how much more pleasant this place is for me, since meeting you. You are... human sunlight, if you'll forgive the maudlin phrasing."

[st_unning]

Alcuin was surprised into silence for a second, though his hands continued smoothing over Ignis' back. "Thank you, Ignis," he said softly, his pleasure in it clear in his tone. "I - I confess, I am so accustomed to people's reactions to me being tempered by my appearance, so that is particularly nice to hear."

[st_eadfast]

How odd that not being able to see how beautiful someone was ended up being a benefit to complimenting them. Ignis wasn't going to question it. Instead, he responded, "You're welcome. I've had very little experience with compliments, so I'm glad that wasn't hugely embarrassing for you."

[st_illunsmeared]

Notebook in hand, Phryne entered the spa and let her gaze drift over the space while noting--

Alcuin and Ignis. How delightful!

--what needed to be done to make the place more congenial. As she was not, in fact, alone, nor did she wish to intrude, she began to back away toward the door. She did hope her shoes didn't give her away and disrupt what might be the start of an intimate moment.

[st_eadfast]

Years of trained habit made Ignis tense up at the sound of footsteps, undoing at least some of Alcuin's (wonderful) effort at relaxing him. He spared a flicker of guilt for that before speaking up, "You might as well come in, especially if you were looking for Alcuin."

[st_unning]

Alcuin felt Ignis tense before he heard him speak, and then he looked up in surprise. But he relaxed as soon as he saw Phryne. Though he did take his hands off of Ignis' back.

"Oh hello, Phryne," he said pleasantly, seeming entirely unbothered by her presence. And saying her name to be sure Ignis knew who had joined them.