notjustaface | The Love Boat

The Love Boat - Day 1

It's supposed to be an easy mission, kick back - take a cruise, maybe work on their tans in the process. Baggage, check. Engagement rings, check. Wedding bands, check. Tuxedos, check.

Hannibal and BA boarded first thing in the morning as crew, giving them more than ample time to install some weaponry and a pair of clean cell phones in their cabin and start sweeping for suspicious signs of gun running.

The happy couple took the opportunity to sleep in and have a nice breakfast before heading down to the marina to board.

"It's a nice cabin," Face murmurs, depositing his suitcase on the large bed before heading to the closet to hang up their carefully wrapped formal wear.

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He's quiet again for a moment, gently stroking his back.

"And I promise I'm always gonna love you, even when you're not perfect."

Even when it hurts.

Something about those words, he can't quite put his finger on why the make him shiver - why they feel like exactly what he wants to hear. Even more than his touch, he wants that.

"That's what love's for, right?" He pushes up just enough to let Murdock see his lopsided smile; "It's not fair if you only love someone when things are good."

"Exactly."

He keeps up the soft touches.

"It's only fair, y'know? You've got my crazy to deal with, and I've got your... issues."

His lips curl into an awkward reflex, being called on his bullshit, and he buries it against Murdock's ear, kissing down toward his neck.

He doesn't issues... just things are the way they are. Right?

"If your crazy is the worst thing I have to deal with in this lifetime, I'll be a happy man."

Right, he doesn't have issues... he's got subscriptions.

"You haven't seen just how bad it can get yet," he warns him again, looking up at him with a serious expression.

"But I know you're gonna stick with me, and that means a lot to me."

It means everything.

Pushing back up, suddenly serious with the implication that he will get worse, and not just that he can, Face shakes his head slightly. "You're not gonna get worse."

He pushes his arms tight against Murdock's sides - holding him. "I won't let that happen."

He shakes his head. "It happens sometimes. Nothin' anyone can do about it."

"Don't say that." Saying it makes it into something real, something they have to deal with.

"I vow to protect you. Always."

They're going to have to deal with it, sooner or later, and it's only going to hurt worse if it comes as a surprise.

"Temp..."

He reaches up to run a hand through his hair.

"You know I love you more than anything, but there's some things you just can't fix."

The softness in his eyes sharpens, but he doesn't pull away from the touch.

"I hope I don't have the chance to prove you wrong, because I swear to you I won't let you go through that."

He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knows Face means well, but this really isn't the mental space he needs to be in right now.

"Can we talk about something else for now?"

"Mmm, that sounds like a good idea."

He kisses him again, letting just a little more of his weight settle down against him. "Like how nice it is to kiss you in public?"

The gentle pressure is strangely centering.

"It's new. I like it."

Like a great big weighted blanket that comes with kisses.

"And indulging in silly things we don't get to do much." The last time he fed Murdock off his fork he was pretty sure BA threw away half a burger to get away from their increasingly integrated bubble.

In his defense, they are sort of nauseatingly cute when they get in their own little world like that.

"Yeah."

It's gonna be hard leaving that behind at the end of the trip.

It's a good kind of nauseatingly cute - the kind Face totally doesn't notice and would feel awkward and self-conscious about if he didn't lose himself a little in the moment.

"And how many times do you get to get married without it resulting in a divorce?"

He gets a dryly amused look.

"Hopefully just the once."

"Maybe twice if we're lucky." He grins a little wider, kissing his chin before finally sinking down onto his side and curling against him.

"No divorces, though," he smiles, loving the way they fit beside each other. "You're mine for keeps."

"No divorces." He echoes, kissing the side of his neck and then the edge of his jaw.

"Not even when we're old and gray."

He pauses, his hand still tangled in Face's hair.

"When I'm old and gray, anyway. You're probably always gonna be annoyingly pretty."

It's enough to draw a small laugh, and real smile that curls his lips and creases his eyes where it's clear he hasn't gotten enough sleep in far too long.

"That's why God invented hair dye and tanning beds." He reaches up to gently stroke across his lover's cheek; "So you'll always have a bit of arm candy to drag through thrift shops and Disneyland."

He loves that smile so much. It's something real underneath all his layers of artifice and bullshit.

"We totally need to go to Disneyland."

It's a rare bird that some might think only lives in Murdock's mind... at least it's in good company.

"Hell yeah," he murmurs, "you'd love Space Mountain."

He believes in the real, even if Face can't.

"With our luck, we'd get stuck on the Small World ride."

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