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29 - Duel (Milomesmer)

Sebastian had a cute look on his face when he was zoned out. Ellison loved watching him when he was like that.

When the dark-scaled lizard was focused on something and had no self consciousness, his jaw would hang open just the tiniest bit, his tongue would flit out and idly scent the air, and his tail would lazily drape around his shoulders like a loose kaftan. Ellison was used to seeing that far-off look many a time, usually while those reptilian eyes were sleepily following the jackrabbit's pocketwatch. That was not the case right now; Sebastian was staring at a laptop screen, scrolling down through the long list of food they'd ordered. Tonight they were splurging on an absurd spread of curries, fried rice, bread, and more; most of it would be used for leftovers for the next few days.

"Were we getting three portions of rice, or only two?"

"No," Sebastian said. "This place has massive portions. Remember?"

"Oh, okay, right." Ellison shrugged. "I just thought we'd be saving more of it."

"I really don't like the taste of reheated rice," Sebastian replied, not looking up from the screen.

"Alrighty."

"You sound a bit annoyed."

"No I don't, no need to get bitey!"

"I am not biting you, what are you talking about?"

It wasn't quite an argument, but it veered close to one. Sebastian looked up at him with a slightly furrowed brow - that was the most emotion the taciturn lizard usually showed.

"I think we're a bit hangry," Ellson volunteered with a conciliatory smile.

"That's... angry-hungry, right?" Sebastian responded after a moment. "Yes, I suppose so. Anyway... I've ordered. I think... whoops. I think I forgot to put in my card details."

"You mean my card details," Ellison helpfully added, approaching. "This is my treat, dude!"

"Ahh, I was going to surprise you..." Sebastian looked very slightly bashful - again, it was only a slight flicker in his eye that gave it away. "I was going to pay. It's all right, I have the cash."

"So do I." Ellison said. "You spotted me last time!"

"Spotted?"

"It means-"

"No no, never mind, I remember. Besides, you have not had many gigs lately-"

"Ouch. Thanks for the reminder."

"-so I would feel bad. It's going to be more than fifty dollars!"

"Ahhh s'fine." Ellison waved it off. Even though he knew Sebastian was right, the rabbit had his pride to maintain. Hypnotic magic didn't really pay the bills lately, it was true.

Then again... maybe he could use a little practice.

"Tell you what," Ellison said, his hands sliding up to the silver watch on a chain around his neck. "Let's have a competition for it."

"A competition?" A corner of Sebastian's mouth lifted a centimetre. His way of smirking "One of those, hmm?"

"Yeah." Ellison began to lift the watch up over his head, its magical glint already catching and refracting the electric light. "Whoever drops first loses."

"And the loser pays?"

"Nope. Winner pays." Ellison said. "Otherwise you'd just let yourself lose."

"You have me pricked there," Sebastian said, his tongue scenting the air.

"Pegged."

"Yes, pegged." The lizard closed his laptop and reclined back in his soft chair, watching Ellison with interest. He was not looking at the watch; he was looking into the rabbit's eyes. Ellison pulled over a matching chair and sat in front of him, close enough that their legs almost touched.

"Ready?" Ellison asked.

"Commencssse." as he hissed seductively, Sebastian's eyes began to swirl with syrupy circles of gold, purple and green, radiating out from his thin pupils. Ellison almost got caught off guard. Almost. The rabbit brought his wrist up, and the thick pocketwatch dangled between the pair, swinging back and forth and drawing the lizard's peripheral vision. Even so, Ellison was snared by the rings of colour, and couldn't exactly look away. The watch didn't do much to block out Sebastian's eyes. The sense-pleasure from the eye contact, heightened by many past inductions, made his body feel warm and soft, like chocolate left in the sun.

Neither the rabbit or the reptile said a word to the other; both of them needed to concentrate on resisting the other's hypnotic advances, and it was very difficult to string together sentences while one's focus was that split. While the rabbit was a professional with lots of tricks and tools, the lizard was a talented amateur with a very natural magnetism and an unblinking stare. They were pretty much an even match. Even as Sebastian's pupils started to slowly twist into spirals, and as the colourful rings were reflected in Ellison's eyes, the two of them held on tight to their resistance.

Ellison grinned confidently. It had a slightly inebriated twinge to it, though. Sebastian's jaw fell open just a little. Contented amusement, or relaxation? It could have gone either way. The only sound between them was the jingling chain, the tick of the watch, and the oh-so-subtle hum of the lights overhead and the lights in the lizard's eyes. Every so often, the ambience was punctured by a soft little grunt or sigh from one or the other.

Their bodies were visibly relaxing forward, their shoulders slumping and their legs spreading. Ellison's arm felt a little tired, and the watch sagged and swung a bit lower. Sebastian's eyes followed it, and his head dipped with the watch, and Ellison's head dipped with his head. The pair shook their heads almost in perfect unison.

"Hhfh..." Ellison grunted, blinking slowly and dizzily, one eye taking a bit longer to re-open than the other.

Sebastian, meanwhile, found his swirling gaze split between the shining watch and his room-mate's eyes. He yawned wide, his pale pink mouth becoming the rabbit's new point of focus for a moment. Ellison returned the yawn, vocalising it. That caused Sebastian to yawn again, and soon the yawns were cascading back and forth in a sort of absurd, sleepy tennis match.

"M'arm hurts..." Ellison slurred.

"Will... help..." Sebastian mumbled, reaching up to grab the wrist and helping him hold it steady. Sebastian's head started to dip, with exhaustion, but Ellison caught him by the chin and helped him stare.

"Thankssss." Sebastian hissed.

"Welc'm..." Ellison sighed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sebastian's eyes curled with swirling black shapes, the hypnotic rings gone from his gaze entirely. Not that Ellison could notice. The colours were whirling through his eyes. He had tipped over the edge as well. If one of them had lasted longer than the other, neither of them could tell. No outside referee was there to help them.

They remained in that dazed stasis, sighing softly, following the eyes and following the swinging watch, for what felt like hours.

Naturally, that came to an abrupt end when the buzzer for their apartment went off like a ray-gun. It made Ellison drop the watch right on his foot, and his shriek of "motherfucker!" jostled Sebastian the rest of the way up out of his trance. The lizard sucked his lolling tail back into his mouth like a noodle before hurrying towards the door while the rabbit nursed his injured foot and examined his watch for damage.

"Yes, come up, please, we're on the left on the third floor, thank you." Sebastian shook his head and groaned, still shaky and dazed from the abrupt awakening. The pair locked eyes from across the room - Sebastian slumped against the front door, Ellison curled up on the floor. There was only a half minute or so before the delivery person arrived. No time to reflect on what had happened or argue over who won?

"...Split it 50/50?" Ellison asked.

"It did not cost 50.50, it cost 32-"

"No, I mean... we both have cash, let's each pay for half."

"Oh! Oh. Yes. Let us do that."

The fact that that whole duel was 'pointless' was not lost on either of them. Even so, both of them were in the mood for more. As they ate, they shared furtive glances - Sebastian at Ellison's pocketwatch on the table, Ellison at Sebastian's eyes. Their appetite for submission hadn't been whetted at all; if anything they craved it even more now. One of them was bound to ask for a rematch after dinner.. And the other would be more than happy to oblige. It wouldn't do to leave it on a draw.