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Pull Your Punches, DiceCup RP w/ Lee & Skull

lacrimalis
Oct 31st, 2017
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  1. Lee - Cuphead
  2. Skull - King Dice
  3.  
  4. if Cuphead was like "I wanna fuck you"
  5. King Dice would be like
  6. oh
  7. do you
  8. do you really
  9. well too bad
  10. you gotta earn that shit little man
  11. [Spy voice] "Seduce me."
  12.  
  13. Cuphead's got a lot of nerve saying he's attracted to him after that whole debacle
  14. like ok they're on moderately fair terms bc the Devil is out of the picture but it was a blow to his ego and to just kick someone when they're down and be like "hey let's bang" its like HA AS IF
  15.  
  16. ---
  17.  
  18. LOL
  19. LIKE FUCK YOU ASSHOLE
  20.  
  21. ---
  22.  
  23. "please do"
  24.  
  25. ---
  26.  
  27. NO I MEAN -- I WOULDNT EVEN FUCK YOU LIKE, FOR VINDICATION OR DOMINANCE OR ANYTHING
  28.  
  29. ---
  30.  
  31. 8'(
  32.  
  33. ---
  34.  
  35. DON'T LOOK AT ME WITH YOUR DAMN DOE EYES NEITHER
  36.  
  37. ---
  38.  
  39. Cuphead would be the type to tease tho like, pose on a high place so he's at his face level and tickle underneath his uh... I wanna say chin but yknow
  40.  
  41. like "Aw, Dicey, you cut me deep."
  42.  
  43. ---
  44.  
  45. PET NAMES??? MOVING A LITTLE FAST, ARENT WE? YOU TALK LIKE THIS TO ALL THE FOLKS YOU BEAT THE SNOT OUT OF?
  46.  
  47. ---
  48.  
  49. "You were so passionate when we tussled, I wanna see more of that passion!"
  50.  
  51. ---
  52.  
  53. slaps his hand away
  54. kazoo sound
  55. king dice saying HOWS THIS FOR PASSION and punches him in the nose
  56.  
  57. ---
  58.  
  59. Cuphead sitting up and licking his top lip and then grinning at him like "Yeah, that's it."
  60.  
  61. ---
  62.  
  63. UGH!!!
  64.  
  65. ---
  66.  
  67. "That's what I'm talkin' about."
  68.  
  69. ---
  70.  
  71. YOU'RE A MENACE
  72.  
  73. ---
  74.  
  75. "You seem to like those types though. Look at your old boss!"
  76.  
  77. ---
  78.  
  79. king dice sneers. "You don't like your boss, idiot, you pretend to like them so they give you favorable treatment"
  80.  
  81. ---
  82.  
  83. "Ya don't have to like the man. Just what he represents. What he can do for ya... Bet there was a lotta perks, right? You were practically giddy the whole time you were rushin' us to get those contracts for him!"
  84.  
  85. ---
  86.  
  87. "And what you represent is a thorn in my side," King Dice says dryly. "If you're comparing yourself to my former employer, you're not making a strong case for your likeability, Cupface. Enjoying what I do isn't indicative of a fondness for the person making me do it."
  88.  
  89. ---
  90.  
  91. "I'm just sayin', Mr Dice! You and I are alike, and you wanna know how?" He reaches and wipes his bloodied nose with the back of his hand, still smirking. "We like trouble... we like the thrill of risk and danger! Heck, getting my soul back from The Devil was the most fun I'll ever have, nothin' will compare!"
  92.  
  93. ---
  94.  
  95. "I like taking risks and winning. That's thrilling to me." King Dice watches the mercurial young man swipe the blood off his face. In realization, King Dice looks down at his hand and finds his glove is smeared with blood. With a sneer of distaste, he plucks at his fingertips until the glove is loosened enough for him to slip off and tuck in his pocket.
  96.  
  97. "The difference between us is that you don't seem to care if you lose."
  98.  
  99. ---
  100.  
  101. "Ha, yeah! But that makes it more fun! It's all or nothing, baby." Cuphead grins up at the casino owner. "Where's the fun in knowin' you're always gonna win no matter what? Isn't that what gambling's all about?"
  102.  
  103. ---
  104.  
  105. King Dice squints when Cuphead says 'baby', unsure if it's a throwaway turn of phrase or a term of endearment meant specifically for King Dice.
  106.  
  107. Cuphead's incessant flirting aside, King Dice thinks it's a bit too self-referential to philosophize about the purpose of gambling inside a casino. Considering it's a habit born of escapism that few people are proud of, it's not usually a subject that goes over well. Not that anyone's liable to listen in or bother them where King Dice has brought them.
  108.  
  109. He's gotten into the habit of escorting Cuphead out of sight of the regular patrons whenever he sees the young man, in order to preempt a scene. And to preempt him inevitably losing his temper when Cuphead niggles at his nerves again.
  110.  
  111. "Spare me," King Dice says. "Are you suggesting I take a gamble on you?" The odds of 'winning' that, or it going anything but horribly wrong are specious at best. "I don't see as you have much to bet with, Cup."
  112.  
  113. ---
  114.  
  115. "Well, golly." His smug smirk fell slightly, not all too fond of that blow to his ego there. "That's a lil' harsh! After I talked you up, too!"
  116.  
  117. Cuphead didn't seem upset for long, though, letting out a chuckle and shaking his head slowly, shrugging as he continued. "Nah, I mostly just flirt with you to wind ya up, big guy. Usually I'm the one being messed with so its a nice change! And you're cute at least, so that's a bonus." He gives King Dice a cheeky wink. "I would reel it in but, like I said, I like seeing that passion!" He gives a toothy grin, bouncing on his heels a bit.
  118.  
  119. ---
  120.  
  121. "Any sadsack looking for skirt at a bar knows how to talk someone up," King Dice rejoinders, "and taunting someone doesn't qualify as 'talking them up'. Unless your idea of scoring is a bloody nose..."
  122.  
  123. King Dice raises his eyebrow at Cuphead as if to silently scorn his hypothetical sexual predilections. Then he says, "Of course, if that's what you're interested in, I think you've stepped on enough toes in your young life to have plenty of takers. Why not ask them?"
  124.  
  125. ---
  126.  
  127. “Well, I’ve already gotten that outta you.” Cuphead says, motioning to his little red nose that seemed just that little bit redder after it had been struck.
  128.  
  129. .... Hum. Why didn't he ask them? What made King Dice and ONLY King Dice in particular so worthy of his attention? He could tease any of the tons of people that he'd crossed like he said, but Cuphead only used that approach on him…
  130.  
  131. “Hm… I mean I could… but. I dunno. There’s something about you that I…” He makes a spinning motion with a finger, looking upwards as if trying to find the correct words. Cuphead winces after a pause and shakes his head. “Know what? Never mind."
  132.  
  133. ---
  134.  
  135. King Dice finds Cuphead's sudden reticence and uncerrtainty curious. Part of him wants to throw the young man a bone with how the wind's suddenly gone from his sails. But King Dice is old hat at tamping down his rare fits of conscience, and this is no different.
  136.  
  137. It's plain to see that King Dice is handsome and charming, and to give Cuphead credit for noticing would be too generous for a man of business by far. He has enough admirers that he could find his way into an evening of dalliance whenever he so chose. Even the animosity Cuphead offers is something King Dice could get without looking too hard; Mangosteen or Mr. Wheezy certainly wouldn't balk at him for asking them to treat him roughly.
  138.  
  139. But the genuine ire Cuphead inspires in him, the authenticity of it? Burns King Dice up inside, in a way that none of his amicable coworkers could even begin to. Perhaps Cuphead's willingness to poke at sleeping dragons is just a side effect of his irreverence and lack of respect. Nevertheless, there's something alluring about experiencing anger that elicits a physiological reaction, and acting upon it. King Dice hazards to call it cathartic.
  140.  
  141. It's like the thrill of an honest-to-goodness fight, but with the added bonus of possible sex afterward, if Cuphead's propositions are to be believed. But the young man just admitted that he only offers because he knows it bothers King Dice, so perhaps he is not to be believed after all?
  142.  
  143. King Dice can't help but be intrigued. But how to respond, now that he's effectively snubbed the young man's maybe-facetious proposition?
  144.  
  145. "Well," he finally decides on as he pulls out his cigar case, "if you ever feel like being a nuisance until you get socked in the face for your trouble, you know where to find me." King Dice lights the cigar and takes a drag. A bit theatrically, perhaps, he blows a smoke ring in Cuphead's direction.
  146.  
  147. ---
  148.  
  149. … Well, gee. That smoke ring he blew at him gave him some idea, now he thought about it. Cuphead blinks hard, feeling… flustered, all of a sudden. The scent of the cigar is a pleasant one, a dark, powerful aroma that the young man takes in with a soft breath, and a deep exhale to cool off a bit. It was a scent that suited the figure in front of him; an expensive brand. And Cuphead had always been drawn to wealth and class.
  150.  
  151. “Noted.” He mutters. A thumb goes to his upper lip, rubbing at any excess blood that coated his smooth face. It gives a small squeak, like a dishrag against a clean bit of crockery. He was suddenly very aware of… how not classy he must have come across. It’s a nagging thought that gets him for a moment or so, but then he realizes that he never cared about appearances or reputation anyway. Why start now?
  152.  
  153. Who was he trying to impress, here?
  154.  
  155. King Dice? Eugh. No.
  156.  
  157. In fact, he’d be extra crude just to stomp that thought down into the ground and never, ever let it see the light of day again.
  158.  
  159. “You got any napkins I can stick my nose? I’m a pretty leaky cup over ‘ere.”
  160.  
  161. ---
  162.  
  163. The cigar smoke seems to irritate Cuphead's eyes, and King Dice permits himself to consider Cuphead's discomfort a small victory.
  164.  
  165. Seeing Cuphead smear his blood across his face makes King Dice disappointed that his blow left a mark so easily removed. That begs the question, though, of what types of marks he thinks he wants to leave on the young man?
  166.  
  167. Telling Cuphead that a bloody face is a good look for him would probably come too close to another round of Cuphead's facetious flirting for King Dice's liking. "You don't like it? But it's your color," King Dice quips.
  168.  
  169. Despite his sarcasm, he still casts his eyes about for something to staunch the bleeding. But this room is for relatively private bookings. It doesn't happen to be in use tonight, and the cupboards behind the counter don't tend to be stocked if the room isn't in use.
  170.  
  171. Well, King Dice doesn't want Cuphead bleeding on the carpet. He procures a bespoke handkerchief from within the folds of his suit and offers it to the young man.
  172.  
  173. ---
  174.  
  175. "Thanks." Cuphead says, taking the handkerchief and pressing it to his face. He shouldn't be thanking him really; he was the one who decked him in the first place.
  176.  
  177. He breathes in, only to be filled with the scent of King Dice's choice of laundry detergent, and he's struck suddenly with how intimate it felt. Which is a little ridiculous. It's a handkerchief. And yet, it... smelt nice.
  178.  
  179. Everything about King Dice was prim and proper and clean and he's struck with how much he wants to put that image into disarray... god, that'd be satisfying. Just to... ruffle up that suit, maybe give him another black eye, a broken nose as revenge for his own... maybe, see how red faced and breathless he could make him, watch him overheat in the layers of periwinkle fabric so he'd have to peel them off his body-- After a few moments, he realises he's been gazing at Mr Dice in an awkward silence, and averts his gaze, thankful his face was somewhat masked by the cotton rag. God, where had his thoughts been going just then?
  180.  
  181. "Uh. Well. Know what? Pretty sure I've overstayed my welcome." Cuphead tries to sound teasing, jovial, but it's hard to play off wanting to vacate this situation casually when he'd been doing nothing but pestering him relentlessly the whole evening. It came off as something having changed. His whole demeanour had gone from arrogance and banter to... awkward, bordering on timid even.
  182.  
  183. There was likely more weight to his "jokes" of wanting to sleep with the man than he'd once realised, and now he was running off for home, trying to wind back, before King Dice noticed and could question him further.
  184.  
  185. "Heh, maybe if I head back on in there, I can talk like I got into a bar fight! Play it off like "aha, you should see the other guy!", y'know?" Cuphead chuckles, but it sounds a little... forced.
  186.  
  187. ---
  188.  
  189. King Dice turns away from Cuphead and focuses on his cigar, giving the young man a moment of privacy to clean himself up.
  190.  
  191. Now that he's calmed down from Cuphead pestering him, he's clear-headed enough to remember why he tolerates the man's presence in the first place. Though Cuphead was the cause of one of the lowest points in King Dice's career, he also weakened the Devil enough so that King Dice and the others could drive him out.
  192.  
  193. Another reason, and this King Dice won't breathe a word of if he doesn't want to stroke the cup’s ego, is the effect Cuphead’s enthusiastic patronage has on business. Having the tacit endorsement of a local celebrity does wonders for a casino attempting to recover from a recent staggering blow to its public image.
  194.  
  195. King Dice gets the impression that he's been in his own head for too long, so he looks back over at Cuphead, who averts his gaze.
  196.  
  197. “Never stopped you before,” King Dice says in response to Cuphead’s concerns about overstaying his welcome. What has gotten into the young man?
  198.  
  199. King Dice can't help but glance at the little scrap of fabric in Cuphead’s hand, staunching the flow of blood. King Dice idly takes off his other glove, not wanting to be wearing just one, and tucks it away where his handkerchief used to be. “I don't expect they'll be convinced, considering you're using a handkerchief with my initials on it to stem the flow of bleeding. But anything's worth trying once.” The intimacy of the gesture barely registers on King Dice’s periphery. He can get another handkerchief if he needs one. And he likes the way Cuphead’s blood looks on something he owns.
  200.  
  201. King Dice frowns at himself, taken aback by the thought. “If you return it, be sure not to wash it in hot water, or the blood will stain.” Absurdly, King Dice thinks the bloodstains would be a welcome memento of the time he punched Cuphead in the face and Cuphead applauded his passion. “Or just keep it,” King Dice says quickly.
  202.  
  203. ---
  204.  
  205. Cuphead watches King Dice remove the other glove, and now he's feeling even more ridiculous because is he seriously excited by seeing his bare hands? ... But, they were so... dainty, long and the nails looked to have been taken care of really well. They look like they'd be very talented with--
  206.  
  207. He nips that thought in the bud. "Eh, I mean, if ya don't mind. You probably have a bunch'a them anyway, so don't think you'll miss one, right?" He was unaware of the meaningfulness a bloodied handkerchief would have to The King, thinking that he'd likely be disgusted by a dirtied one, and he couldn't bring himself to want to go to the effort of scrubbing out stains just to return it. Or maybe he would, in hot water of all things, just to be a pain. Just to be petty and irritating, and wind him up.
  208.  
  209. Nah. Again, the effort to be petty wasn't worth it, in his opinion.
  210.  
  211. But he ended up commenting on something else before he could stop himself. "You got... hand's like a girl's, ya know that?"
  212.  
  213. ---
  214.  
  215. "No, I wouldn't," King Dice assures him. "It's yours, then."
  216.  
  217. King Dice rubs his fingertips over the lavender of his painted nails, enjoying the way the even coat and the smoothness of the dried polish feels against his skin. It's an idle sensory pleasure he usually only indulges when he's off work, but he doesn't have a spare pair of gloves, and the reflex isn't something he thinks worth ignoring.
  218.  
  219. King Dice gives Cuphead an unimpressed look. "If you're telling me you think personal hygiene is a concern exclusive to women... Well, I suppose that would explain a few things."
  220.  
  221. ---
  222.  
  223. “Is… is that nail polish?” Cuphead snickers, which very quickly turns into laughter. “Oh, MAN, that’s rich! What, you got a makeup routine you do t-- … no, WAY. Hold the phone.” He points up at his face. “That’s EYESHADOW isn’t it?!”
  224.  
  225. By now, he’s laughing hard enough he needs to lean against the wall to support himself. “Oh, this is too GOOD. King Dice? More like… QUEEN. HA!” His laugh is obnoxiously brash, coming out in somewhat high pitched throaty cackles as tears well in his eyes from the humour found in his own little quip. “You’re a riot, Mr Dice!”
  226.  
  227. ---
  228.  
  229. King Dice rolls his eyes and takes a drag from his cigar. Here we go...
  230.  
  231. "You've been coming here how long, and you just now noticed I take pride in my appearance?" King Dice asks rhetorically. He whips his suit jacket away from his waist, revealing in the quickness of the motion his irritation. "Perhaps it's apt -- one only needs look at you for a moment to see you for the cultureless, boondocks trash that you are." He takes a drag from his cigar to stifle his urge to sneer, and he blows the smoke in Cuphead's direction.
  232.  
  233. "Now... weren't you leaving?"
  234.  
  235. ---
  236.  
  237. Oh.
  238.  
  239. Oh.
  240.  
  241. That cut Cuphead's laughter short. Did he really just go there? Insulting his background? Making it personal? No, he wasn't having that. He stands up straight, a fire burning in his large eyes as he glares daggers at the taller man.
  242.  
  243. "Where'd you get off bringin' that up, hah? You think just coz you got a fancy suit and girly makeup that y'better than me?! How's about I give YOU a bloody nose, bub?! C'mon! I beat your ass once at the size of an ANT and I can do it again!"
  244.  
  245. ---
  246.  
  247. King Dice *is* itching to strangle the man, but his anger quells suddenly when he has the presence of mind to take stock of his position. He glances nervously around the room. Shoot... He'd grown too complacent with letting Cuphead meet him alone, and now if Cuphead decides to actually get aggressive, there’s no one King Dice can call for help. None of his pit bosses are in the area, or even within shouting distance.
  248.  
  249. Without realizing it, King Dice had placed his trust in this strange arrangement he has with Cuphead.
  250.  
  251. And now the realization comes a bit too late.
  252.  
  253. King Dice keeps his cool, remaining very still. "So you can dish it out, but you can't take it, hm?" he says. Appropriate, considering Cuphead is plateware. "And I suppose when you're slapped with a life ban from the casino for beating up the manager, you’ll go nurse your gambling habit somewhere else, will you?”
  254.  
  255. ---
  256.  
  257. Cuphead clenches a fist, tightly, but ultimately, it’s the threat of not being able to keep coming back to the casino that makes him pause. “’Course I can take it. You’re just… you’re on thin ice, y’know that?” He decides he’s had enough, now. This isn’t fun anymore. He’s riled up and needs to get that out in a way that wasn’t punching King Dice’s stupid smug, pretty-boy, makeup wearing face in.
  258.  
  259. Guess he’d be headed off home; it was getting late, anyway. And his pockets were feeling uncomfortably light. “Tch. I was just about to leave anyways, chump. Don’t need your lady hands escortin’ me outta the joint.”
  260.  
  261. But, he could have the last word, figuratively speaking; he scrunches up the embroidered cotton handkerchief and drops it in the nearest garbage can, in an attempt to show him that he didn’t need no stinkin’ handouts. Then, off he went, out the door without looking back.
  262.  
  263. ---
  264.  
  265. At the 'thin ice' comment, King Dice has to repress a snort. What on earth is that supposed to mean? But he's relieved, at least, that his threat seems to do its job and scare the young man off. If he had some more insurance, he thinks, maybe he'd like to blow off some steam by throwing down with the insufferable cup... But he doesn't trust Cuphead to use restraint, and he doesn't want to end up begging when he almost invariably loses.
  266.  
  267. Cuphead throws the perfectly good handkerchief in the garbage, and King Dice thinks that's extremely uncharitable. He could have just let the man bleed, after all. Maybe next time he will, he thinks bitterly -- although why he cares enough to be embittered about it is a mystery to King Dice.
  268.  
  269. King Dice turns away and sucks on the last of his cigar. "Tch. Don't let the door hit you on the way out," he grumbles.
  270.  
  271. ---
  272.  
  273. Some time passes. A minute. Two minutes. Five minutes...
  274.  
  275. Its silent, the air has settled after the rowdiness of their little spat. It seems like the evening would carry on as per usual, that Cuphead had left.
  276.  
  277. However, it's made clear that's not the case when the door swings back open with a loud THUD, and there he is, flushed and grumpy, and glaring at King Dice with that familiar fire.
  278.  
  279. "NO, Y'KNOW WHAT? I'm not finished with you!"
  280.  
  281. ---
  282.  
  283. King Dice tidies up his cigar and ash tray and tucks them behind the bar. He'll deal with it later, maybe. If he remembers.
  284.  
  285. He spends a few minute trying to rationalize away the sour taste in his stomach before he gives it up and stands from the bar stool. He makes his way toward the door Cuphead had gone through. He briefly considers fishing his handkerchief out of the empty garbage, but decides that doing so would be conceding to Cuphead somehow, so he resolves to leave it where it is.
  286.  
  287. King Dice is right in front of the door when it flies back open, and his heart nearly slams out of his chest with fright. "STOP SLAMMING DOORS IN MY CASINO!"
  288.  
  289. His mind catches up to his eyes, and he sees Cuphead standing there again. King Dice groans in frustration. "Why are you still here?" he demands.
  290.  
  291. ---
  292.  
  293. He didn’t even answer his question, making a beeline towards King Dice so that he was directly in front of him, about a foot’s distance between the two. “You’re a coward, y’know that?!” Cuphead cries, pointing an accusatory finger up at the taller man. “Yeah, hidin’ behind your status as owner of the casino so you don’t have to take me on in a fight ya know ya won’t win!”
  294.  
  295. He folds his arms, snickering, voice simpering and mocking. “Look at’cha… King of the goddamn castle, thinkin’ you’re Mister Untouchable. But y’runnin’ off with y’tail between your legs from this “cultureless” kid from the boondocks.” He turns from him, hands on his hips as he tilts his chin up at the ceiling. “Guess ya wouldn’t want ya smudgin’ your mascara or gettin’ any crinkles in your stupid suit, right?”
  296.  
  297. Cuphead looks back, the grin he wore splitting his face as he said his next words. “Gotta tell ya, he might’a been a cry baby, but least your ol’ boss had the guts to take me on mano a mano."
  298.  
  299. ---
  300.  
  301. Cuphead doesn't have to walk far, considering he almost sent King Dice's head spinning off his shoulders when he slammed the doors open. King Dice stands there and endures Cuphead's abuse.
  302.  
  303. At the gibe about his makeup and suit, however, King Dice's frown turns into a sneer. "You're right -- I would prefer to remain presentable, considering I have customers to impress. But I suppose you wouldn't know a thing about that, since you're just some jobless upstart. Maybe if you considered employing yourself, you wouldn't have so much free time to be pestering me and blowing other peoples' money."
  304.  
  305. King Dice puts up with Cuphead because his patronage is good for the casino. Real good, in fact. And he thought they were getting along all right, despite the occasional spat. Maybe he simply has less patience to deal with Cuphead's antics today than usual. He can't be bothered to identify why tonight the mockery gets under his skin.
  306.  
  307. "Right," King Dice says. "I hear that's working out just great for him. Tell you what -- next time I want to be beaten into disgrace and homelessness, I'll give you a ring." And with that, King Dice considers Cuphead dismissed, so he sidesteps and brushes past the man to make his way to the recently-abused door.
  308.  
  309. ---
  310.  
  311. It was a light touch, but the contact makes him bristle, because he stumbles due to the height difference. Before he knows what he’s doing, Cuphead is raising his pointer finger, and fires a blue blast of magic, which misses King Dice by a few inches and leaves a scorch mark in the eloquently decorated wallpaper.
  312.  
  313. A warning shot- either that, or he missed his mark. But he’d play it off like a warning shot, either way. Cuphead’s not playing around anymore.
  314.  
  315. “Where’d you think you’re goin’, hah?”
  316.  
  317. ---
  318.  
  319. King Dice freezes at the dreadfully familiar sound of his humiliation, shoulders stiffening as the wallpaper sizzles. His hand had been raised to seize the door handle, but he drops it to his side where it clenches into a fist.
  320.  
  321. That's it, then. Cuphead has him cornered. The only other thing his reputation can't abide, apart from a beating from the ceramic menace, is scurrying to his pit bosses and hiding behind them as he implores them to take care of the diminutive man for him.
  322.  
  323. Why is he hesitating?
  324.  
  325. He's *Mr. Fucking King Dice.* And even if he can't win, he can still fuck the cup up something fierce. And King Dice lives here -- Cuphead will have to walk home with his bruises.
  326.  
  327. King Dice breathes slowly in, then out, resolute in his decision. "You just can't leave well enough alone, can ya, Cuphead?" With a clap, the door is barred with pink chains. Now neither of them can leave. And no one can interrupt them.
  328.  
  329. "Fine, then," King Dice says.
  330.  
  331. He does a little jig on his heels, and he vanishes into his shadow.
  332.  
  333. Then he reappears behind Cuphead, and he swings his fist with all he's got.
  334.  
  335. ---
  336.  
  337. The doors are chained shut, and although he should probably be fearful, angry, excitement spikes through Cuphead, the same feeling of anticipation he got before doing battle with every debt collected for The Devil.
  338.  
  339. However, he’s caught off guard when one moment, King Dice is in front of him, and the next, he’s gone having vanished into the floor with a theatrical little spin. Momentarily, he’s perplexed, but realization hits him in the form of a strike in the back of his head. It sends him reeling, falling forward on to his knees with a winded yelp.
  340.  
  341. He’s seeing stars, and it takes everything for Cuphead to blink them out, rolling over and hopping to his feet. It was a good thing he was a durable little cup, or that unguarded blow might have knocked him out. His hands go to the waistband of his shorts, tugging them up his waist as he gave King Dice a grin.
  342.  
  343. This was gonna be fun.
  344.  
  345. ---
  346.  
  347. Cuphead goes down *hard,* and for a split second King Dice thinks that’s it, that the young cup is down for the count. It occurs to King Dice that he doesn’t know the true measure of Cuphead’s physical strength -- only that there isn’t a match for his magical strength in all the Isles, with the possible exception of his brother.
  348.  
  349. But physically?
  350.  
  351. King Dice might just stand a chance.
  352.  
  353. The knots in his stomach loosen, making his steps more spritely as he readies himself for a fight. He’s only fought someone so much smaller than him a handful of times, but at least he’s prepared to use a lot of legs and perform some awkward maneuvers.
  354.  
  355. He rushes Cuphead in an attempt to knock him to the ground.
  356.  
  357. ---
  358.  
  359. Cuphead’s ready for him this time- and if King Dice is gonna use dirty tactics, well, so is he. He’s not the only one who can teleport short distances, thanks to Porkrind. Once he’s close enough, Cuphead disappears in a puff of smoke, now behind the tall figure, and at a perfect angle to also deliver a swift strike.
  360.  
  361. Which he does- in the form of a kick in the small of his back, which he does a running jump to. Hopefully that’ll get him enough to at least stumble, because the size difference is a definite hindrance when magic isn’t being used.
  362.  
  363. “Hoho, you really thought that was over for a second, didn’tcha, Dicey?”
  364.  
  365. ---
  366.  
  367. Cuphead turns to smoke between his fingers, and King Dice stumbles to a halt. When Cuphead's counterattack strikes the small of his back, King Dice grunts in pain and allows himself to be propelled forward by the momentum to lessen the impact. His palms slap the double doors, which rattle in the doorframe.
  368.  
  369. "Would that I could be so lucky," he says. He spins around, bracing himself against the wooden doors.
  370.  
  371. His wild green eyes remain firmly on Cuphead, so his hand has to search for a few moments to land on the chain he conjured earlier. He seizes it in his fist and feeds a little magic into it, and chain length spills into his hand like a clown's endless string of handkerchiefs. He whips the chain, and it snaps free from the length securing the door with a shattering sound and a pink shimmer of splintering magic.
  372.  
  373. King Dice pushes away from the door, twirling the chain like a lasso. "Let's dance, Cuphead."
  374.  
  375. ---
  376.  
  377. His eyes were that seafoam green, glowing like a pair of headlamps and Cuphead knew by that and the maniacal grin that he wasn’t going to hold anything back. But that was just how he liked it. He liked a challenge, liked to feel like one wrong move could end up with his life on the line.
  378.  
  379. He loves this dance that they did. It gets his blood pumping more than anything, even gambling ever could.
  380.  
  381. A whip, though? That was new... Cuphead focuses on it, eyeing it as he sidestepped left and right, preparing to go in a direction that would avoid the long flow of magical energy. He’s not sure how powerful and painful being hit by it would be from a glance alone, but he doesn’t want to risk finding out.
  382.  
  383. ---
  384.  
  385. King Dice takes pride in the upkeep of his casino. He had been concerned enough about blood on the carpet that he'd sacrificed his handkerchief to avoid such a misfortune. And Cuphead slamming doors and scorching his new wallpaper had been immensely frustrating.
  386.  
  387. But King Dice doesn't hesitate to slam the makeshift whip down where he thinks Cuphead's darting feet will be, branding the carpet with a smoldering shadow of the chain.
  388.  
  389. Nice thing about ownership, King Dice thinks. He can hold other people accountable for damage rendered -- and he's free to tear the joint up as he pleases, in service of tearing Cuphead apart.
  390.  
  391. ---
  392.  
  393. King Dice misses, but barely, Cuphead letting out a startled yelp as the whip catches the back of his shoe. Wouldn’t be surprising if there was a scorch mark on the brown leather now, but he doesn’t want to risk checking and getting distracted.
  394.  
  395. It’d be risky to draw nearer, but a lot more risky than staying at a distance where the magical glowing chain could potentially snag him. He needed to be in close range, and he’d have to think fast if he was going to make any headway. Cuphead charges forward with another smoke bomb, hoping to throw him off by filling his vision full of grey clouds. In the blink of an eye, he’s in front of him again, coming in from the side to try and aim a left hook at that pretty boy face of his, but, that left him open for a small window of time.
  396.  
  397. ---
  398.  
  399. King Dice snarls in frustration as Cuphead evades his attack, lashing out with the whip again -- but Cuphead is gone in another puff of smoke, and King Dice takes the full force of Cuphead's left hook on his rosy apple cheek.
  400.  
  401. King Dice reels and staggers backward. He just barely manages to land on his feet, but he doesn't manage to keep his tight hold on the whip. The pain blooming in his face is so powerful it's arresting, and as his hands flex with the strength required to stifle the sounds of his pain, the pink chain links tumble from his hand and clatter and clink to the floor.
  402.  
  403. King Dice hisses in a breath, then blows it back out through his teeth. The chain vanishes along with the spots in his eyes.
  404.  
  405. His head swings around to fix Cuphead with a glare -- and his leg follows soon after, swinging in a downward arc to strke the cup on his ceramic skull.
  406.  
  407. ---
  408.  
  409. Victoriously, Cuphead grins, feeling pain in his fist from the contact with King Dice’s face. The whip is out of his hands, and the sound of it rattling against the casino floor momentarily gives him pause. He’s debating whether to pick it up and wield it himself, but he doesn’t know if it’ll even work with his brand of magic.
  410.  
  411. No matter, really- it’s gone almost instantly after. Cuphead sees an opportunity, and hastily runs forward to throw another punch. However, an unforeseen kick to the face throws that idea out the window.
  412.  
  413. It hurts, oh it hurts. Cuphead winces, biting down on his bottom lip as he holds his head, realizing a few moments after that there’s a significant chip in the rim, small shards at his feet that he narrowly avoids stepping on.
  414.  
  415. Still holding his head, Cuphead uses his free hand and aims some firey blue beams in Dice’s direction, but his aim isn’t at its best with the current state his face is in.
  416.  
  417. ---
  418.  
  419. It's gratifying to see Cuphead reeling in pain. King Dice huffs with vindicated laughter. "You've got two left feet, wheat!" He snickers at his own joke, placing his hands on his hips and leaning over, grinning so hard it hurts the forming bruise on his right cheek. "Never learned to dance, did you?"
  420.  
  421. Cuphead draws his fingergun, and King Dice's smile falters. He throws his hands up to shield his face and grits his teeth as a few of the shots meet their mark, scorching through the fabric and raising welts on his skin.
  422.  
  423. Sweat rolls down King Dice's neck. Cuphead's really giving him a workout...
  424.  
  425. Thinking fast, he points his sleeve at the young man and blasts a flurry of playing cards into his face, in the hopes of distracting him. King Dice shrugs his suit jacket off and tosses it aside. He rolls his neck and sighs. That's a bit better.
  426.  
  427. Now, where were they?
  428.  
  429. Ah, yes.
  430.  
  431. King Dice advances on Cuphead with a crooked grin.
  432.  
  433. ---
  434.  
  435. He blinks hard, hand coming away from his face as he tilts his head up to the approaching man. God, he has some nerve to be taunting him.
  436.  
  437. Sure, the chip in his mug had left him at a slight disadvantage for a bit, but if there was one thing he was good at, it was pushing on, even if the stakes did not seem at all in his favour. He takes in the manic grin King Dice wore, and licks his lips. Sheesh, the guy would dislocate that damn jaw if he wasn’t careful, without any help from Cuphead at all. “Hah… nah, I ain’t much of a dancer. But this ain’t dancin’. This is good ol’ fashioned beat down.”
  438.  
  439. All of a sudden, his vision is filled with the playing cards tossed in his direction and he bats at them like a flurry of insects. How-- mildly irksome. By the time he can properly see, King Dice's jacket has been removed, and he's steadily making his way over … look how hot and bothered he was, this fight of their's was working him up a treat. That passion… that’s what Cuphead longed to see, and he’d been baited, once again.
  440.  
  441. He only had a small window of opportunity but that might just be his downfall if he plays his own ards right. However, Cuphead was blessed with quick reactions. There he went, in a puff of smoke, right behind King Dice. “Oop, missed me!” Cuphead lets out his obnoxious cackle. “You gotta move faster than that, Mister D!” Then, to add injury to insult, Cuphead charges up a particularly large blast of flame, enough that he’s propelled backwards from the force.
  442.  
  443. ---
  444.  
  445. Just as he's about to come close enough to deliver another kick, Cuphead vanishes in a puff of smoke -- *again.* King Dice falters with his leg half-raised, and it takes him a moment too long to react to Cuphead's taunts. Cuphead isn't wrong to mock his quickness. King Dice is rusty. He can see that, now.
  446.  
  447. He spins around just in time to see the fireball Cuphead's charged up for him -- and no time at all to brace himself for the impact. With a *whip-crack!* it fires off and plows into his stomach like a bowling ball at breakneck speed. King Dice is thrown back. He lands roughly on the cushions of one of the velvet red loveseats arranged tastefully around the room; it's likely only thanks to their presence that he doesn't collide with the wall.
  448.  
  449. The momentum of his flight sends King Dice and the loveseat toppling backward, so that the seatback is on the ground and King Dice's legs hang awkwardly in the air.
  450.  
  451. King Dice's head spins as a result of his impact with the ground. Faintly, he touches his abdomen where the fireball had struck, and he groans at the crisped texture of his shirt and the tenderness of the flesh beneath.
  452.  
  453. *Damn that Cuphead...*
  454.  
  455. ---
  456.  
  457. A chuckle is heard from Cuphead as he slowly makes his way over, practically giddy. What an enjoyable display that was, almost comically slapstick! He walks around the fallen loveseat, leaning in so that all King Dice could see was the upside-down view of a very smug cup, hands behind is back as he tilts his head to one side, gazing down at him owlishly.
  458.  
  459. “Owch. That look like it hurt!” Cuphead teases. His almost innocent stare quickly twists into a very sadistic grin, though. “Oh no… and I ruined your nice suit!”
  460.  
  461. ---
  462.  
  463. Ire thrashes in King Dice's chest like heartburn to hear Cuphead's smug laughter. King Dice breathes deeply, and the motion makes his ribs ache. How in the world a fireball packed enough punch to bruise or break his ribs is a mystery King Dice isn't sure he wants the answer to. The less he knows about Cuphead's indomitable strength, the longer he'll be able to stave of his existential crisis.
  464.  
  465. King Dice wheezes. "I'd tell you to laugh it up," he says hoarsely, "but you obviously don't need an invitation." He fiddles with one of the buttons of his vest, and he curses as it snaps like a stale cracker and crumbles away. "Are you satisfied now, you menace?"
  466.  
  467. ---
  468. "Hmmm.... !" Cuphead stands up straight, tapping his chin. "Good question.... goood question indeed. I would say yes, but!"
  469.  
  470. Cuphead places a foot down next to King Dice's head, leaning on a knee. "Thing is! It'd be fun to keep this lil' dance of ours goin'! But, if you've had enough, I wouldn't wanna take things too far...! You could always... y'know. Beg. Sure was a cute look on ya the last time...!"
  471.  
  472. ---
  473.  
  474. King Dice flinches away from Cuphead's foot when he leans in. He feels foolish for doing it, but he has so little pride left to lose at this point...
  475.  
  476. ... And, of course. Of course he wants King Dice to beg, to take what little of his dignity remains and wring it out until the last of it drips away. King Dice's face burns with outrage and humiliation. He knew this would happen. He knew, and he let himself be goaded into a fight with the young man anyway. Damn his temper, and how easily Cuphead makes him lose it.
  477.  
  478. He can’t deny it's tempting to beg. If Cuphead is to be believed (but he's not, the little liar, the deceitful little imp, how can King Dice believe a word he says?) then all King Dice has to do to end this torment is ask Cuphead nicely. Begging wouldn't even be a new form of debasement for King Dice, because he's already begged the man to spare his life once before.
  479.  
  480. But that had been in the servitude of the Devil. King Dice is a new man -- a free man, with the rightful ownership of his family's casino restored to him. He doesn't have to scrape and bow to anyone any more for small mercies, least of all Cuphead.
  481.  
  482. King Dice steels himself. He spits a wad of mucousy blood at Cuphead's face.
  483.  
  484. ---
  485.  
  486. Cuphead jerks back up in alarm and disgust when he's spat at. A hand rapidly goes to his face, wiping at it hard as he lets out an angry grunt.
  487.  
  488. "Alright." Cuphead says. "Alright. That's ya answer, then, hah?" In one swift motion, he kicks the loveseat's base, finding sudden strength due to his own temper having been lost again. Once it's in an upright position, he leaps so he's standing on its surface, turns toward King Dice and slaps one of the sides of his cubed face, likely hard enough to send his head spinning around. Then, he grabs him by the bowtie, which was singed along with the man's shirt. "I gave you a chance, pretty boy! I can do this all damn night!" Another slap, his own hand was starting to sting but it was the satisfying type of hurt. "Huh? Huh? Sure you ain't got nothin' to to say? C'mon, baby, just lemme hear you say please, Cuphead! 'N maybe he'll let'cha go!"
  489.  
  490. ---
  491.  
  492. When Cuphead kicks the loveseat back upright, King Dice has to throw his arms out for balance to avoid being thrown onto the floor. Then Cuphead gives him a box on the ear that does indeed send his head spinning. King Dice slaps a hand to his face. He's got a die for a head, so he's perfectly capable of enduring a little tumbling around -- but with how roughed up he is just now, he's sensitive to the motion.
  493.  
  494. Then Cuphead seizes him by the throat and slaps him, knocking King Dice's hand away. King Dice hisses and tightens his grip on the back of the loveseat. That grip is all that's keeping him from falling over at the awkward angle Cuphead has him.
  495.  
  496. Oh, maybe he'd let King Dice go? The man scowls. It's always "maybe" this, "I'll consider" that -- perhaps Cuphead was right to compare himself to the Devil, earlier. He'll keep moving the bar, keep stringing King Dice along so he can keep getting what he wants, until King Dice has nothing left to give.
  497.  
  498. King Dice meets Cuphead's gaze. He clenches the fist that isn't bracing itself on the back of the loveseat. "Please," he says as he rears back his arm, "go fuck yourself."
  499.  
  500. And he swings for Cuphead's stupid mug with all the strength he has left.
  501.  
  502. ---
  503.  
  504. Cuphead really should have seen that potential outcome. Thinking fast, his hand snaps up to grab his wrist, the closed fist inches away from taking another swing and potentially chipping more of his ceramic head. "You're a fiesty one!" Cuphead says, his tone high pitched with poorly masked delight at the fact he wasn't backing down. "I like you, Dice! I would be the exact same way. People often tell me I don't know when to quit!"
  505.  
  506. From the position he was in from grabbing King Dice by the throat, he could easily push him down into a lying position on the plush couch. He sits, straddling him, and its not a stretch at this point to call the look in Cuphead's eyes "manic". Breathlessly, he continues to speak, tugging at his collar with his face still close to his an attempt at intimidation. "It's pretty annoying too, though. I thought you'd know by now that you don't mess with me."
  507.  
  508. ---
  509.  
  510. King Dice makes a sound of immense frustration when Cuphead catches his wrist. Cuphead's strength is remarkable, because despite his efforts he can't escape his grasp. King Dice would be impressed if he weren't so damn infuriated. He's about to object to the tasteless comparison Cuphead makes, when the young man seizes him by the throat and uses King Dice's unbalanced position to flip the situation and knock him into the cushions.
  511.  
  512. The impact pushes the breath out of his lungs. King Dice coughs as Cuphead straddles him with his little weight and uncanny strength.
  513.  
  514. That's it, then. Cuphead's trounced him for a second time.
  515.  
  516. And yet rather than being overcome with the shame of defeat, King Dice simply feels... exilharated. His nerve endings sing with aches and pains that send adrenaline coursing through his veins. Their first fight had carried enormous stakes -- King Dice's reputation and the Devil's respect for him were on the line. It had been nerve-wracking to face the brothers, and it had been devastating to lose. But now that they had fought for the sake of it, King Dice realizes his caution had been for nothing. It's been a long time since he's exerted himself quite like this, and apart from the displeasure of the initial impact, he had almost forgotten that the experience of pain could be. Invigorating.
  517. Cuphead crowds King Dice, tugging on the man's collar, panting in his face. King Dice feels Cuphead's gloved fingers graze his too-hot and sweating neck, and it sends tingles up his spine. And combined with their position, and the heat rising between the two of them... Is it any wonder King Dice's mind returns to Cuphead's proposition, which had incited him to land the first blow earlier that evening?
  518.  
  519. King Dice doesn't want to beg. He will, if he has to -- he's resigned himself to that. But he has an idea of how he might avoid embarrassing himself satisfy his curiosity in one fell swoop.
  520.  
  521. So he props up his arm and leans up, and he plants his swollen lips on Cuphead's.
  522.  
  523. ---
  524.  
  525. That next move of King Dice’s was so unforeseen that it actually causes Cuphead to freeze up, going as rigid as a statue. He’s so momentarily stunned that he doesn’t think to reciprocate the gesture. He’s just… sat there, on top of King Dice, any confidence that he was in complete control and could predict any of his next actions completely draining away.
  526.  
  527. After a few moments, his brain kicks back into high gear, and Cuphead pulls his head back. One hand covers his lower face, the other, pushing at King Dice’s own. He’d shoved him away almost reflexively, mind reeling, and it’s very obvious that he’s blushing. The liquid in his head spills over like droplets of sweat on his brow, and he turns back, wide eyed and bewildered.
  528.  
  529. “Wh-what?” Is he… stammering? “W-what the fuck?” He begins laughing, not at him but due to his sudden nerves, voice shaky. “You- you just… you just kissed me!” It’s clear that he doesn’t know what to do. Kicking King Dice’s teeth in was one thing, but this … this was another. So… now what? Cuphead didn’t think that it would turn to this, that Dice would be the one to instigate anything. And the fact that he’s willing to, that’s what causes Cuphead to rethink some things.
  530.  
  531. Come to terms with the idea of that kiss leading somewhere further.
  532.  
  533. He snaps his gaze back to King Dice, and then pulls him in for another one, kissing him hard, venting out all of that sexual frustration. Cuphead pauses for a breath, and then delivers another, and another, tugging at the fabric of his shirt and shuffling up his body a little more so that he could be in closer proximity to him. He could taste blood on his tongue- his? King Dice’s? Either way, it was intoxicating.
  534.  
  535. ---
  536.  
  537. King Dice doesn't appreciate the hand clumsily holding his mouth shut, but the expression on Cuphead’s face is a more than worthwhile trade. He can't help grinning against the gloved palm, just seeing how flustered the other man is. Stuttering, blushing, sweating bullets...
  538.  
  539. It's a very good look for him, King Dice thinks.
  540.  
  541. At Cuphead's stating the obvious, King Dice grins even wider. “Astute observation,” he mumbles incoherently against Cuphead’s palm.
  542.  
  543. It seems like Cuphead isn't interested after all. King Dice won't chalk it up as a loss. He had more fun than he expected, and if Cuphead runs off again it will mean King Dice survived an evening with the man without losing his dignity.
  544.  
  545. Then Cuphead is kissing him, and King Dice’s entire body thrums delightedly like it's made of merry harp strings. King Dice receives each kiss as best he can, but his breathing was labored to start with, and his inability to anticipate when next Cuphead will strike makes it difficult. King Dice is in a dizzying see-saw of chasing after Cuphead’s lips when he breaks away and squirming at the lack of oxygen when their lips meet again.
  546.  
  547. “Wait,” he gasps, chest heaving. With Herculean effort, King Dice lifts his tired arms and drags himself backward, until his neck and shoulders are supported by the arm of the loveseat. He isn't trying to get a crick in his neck in addition to the ass kicking he was just dealt, and repositioning them allows him the few extra moments he needs to gather his breath.
  548.  
  549. “Now, where were we...?” King Dice murmurs sultrily. He brings up his hand and drags his nails down Cuphead’s back, exerting just the barest of pressures to encourage the young man back into kissing distance.
  550.  
  551. ---
  552.  
  553. He does, listening obediently and not hesitating to wait when he says wait, because he’s unsure and new at this. Cuphead was very eager and excited to keep this going, not wanting Dice cutting things short when they’re just getting started.
  554.  
  555. His well-manicured nails, the one’s he’d been making fun of less than an hour ago, trace down his back and he shivers, liquid spilling out from his head from the vibrations up his spine. For once, he doesn’t have anything to say, silently allowing King Dice to get his breath back and confirm that he wanted to continue. Cuphead’s arms reach up to wrap around his shoulders, and he kisses him once more, eyes closed as his senses take in a plethora of different things. The warm feel of his skin, the scent of his cologne, the sensation of wetness from his tongue and the sweat coating his neck from their brawl… and how this sort of contact is making heat and anticipation shoot through him, perhaps as much as he got from the thrill of battle or… maybe even more?
  556.  
  557. After a while, Cuphead pulls back again, tilting his head down slightly so that he’s not looking directly at King Dice. There is almost a bashfulness to his demeanour now, such a stark contrast from how disgustingly cocky he’d been not even five minutes ago.
  558.  
  559. “Why’d… why’d y’do that, huh?” Cuphead asks him, somewhat softly. It’s not an accusation or a demand to know what underhanded plan he has to throw him off, he’s genuinely curious. Cuphead had been under the impression King Dice wanted him dead, not… not this! “What? Gettin’ your ass beat a turn on for you or somethin’?”
  560.  
  561. ---
  562.  
  563. Cuphead is dripping on King Dice's hand and abdomen. King Dice supposes spillage is a hazard anywhere Cuphead goes, but it matters even less now when his suit is already in tatters. And it's... satisfying, in a way, because it makes it seem like the cup is filled to the brim and overflowing with whatever it is he's feeling. Because of King Dice.
  564.  
  565. King Dice welcomes the next kiss eagerly, more prepared this time to breathe through his nose. As he does, he takes a moment to appreciate the melange of scents: blood, sweat, burnt leather, and something faintly milky and alcoholic -- whatever Cuphead's got spilling from his head, no doubt. Cuphead's arms around his shoulders are a welcome weight. The residual tension in King Dice's shoulders melts away, and he relaxes into the kiss and allows himself to enjoy it even more thoroughly.
  566.  
  567. Then Cuphead pulls away. As if savoring the absent flavor, King Dice licks his lips, lately bruised from something other than slaps and punches.
  568.  
  569. Ah. And now the part where he's asked to explain himself. King Dice wipes drool from his chin to stall for time, wondering if this is how Cuphead feels when he's held accountable for his impulsive actions.
  570.  
  571. King Dice laughs when Cuphead accuses him of being a masochist. "Maybe it does," King Dice admits. "Depends on who's doin' the beating." King Dice debates whether or not to leave Cuphead's first question unanswered. He's not even sure he has an honest answer for the man. Why had he done it? To satiate his curiosity? King Dice can think of a thousand smart-aleck ways to answer Cuphead, but he struggles to land on something that isn't insincere.
  572.  
  573. And since when are they being sincere with each other?
  574.  
  575. Well, the question itself had sounded sincere. And he gets the sense that if he bickers or teases Cuphead over this, it's going to shatter this new and fragile dynamic they're still getting a feel for.
  576.  
  577. King Dice averts his gaze, feeling exposed. "... I don't know. Why do you want me to have done it?" Ugh, King Dice thinks. That's worse than no answer at all! But he's at a loss.
  578.  
  579. Why did Cuphead have to question his motives just as he was trying on Cuphead's brand of impulsiveness for size??
  580.  
  581. ---
  582.  
  583. “I dunno…!” Cuphead retorts, almost defensively. He was just as perplexed by his own feelings as he was by Dice’s. “You’re a… real pill, ya know that..? Sleazy ‘n… I mean, hell, you worked under the Devil, for cryin’ out loud!” Well, he certainly wasn’t being quiet anymore. Maybe that was a sign he was getting more relaxed. “But. You, you’re just so… fuckin’ attractive. ‘Specially all beat up, it’s…” His gaze directs back to King Dice, and it’s intense. “Don’t let that go to y’head tho, pally! But uh…”
  584.  
  585. Cuphead shifted a bit on the other’s lap, to make himself more comfortable, a finger tracing around the rim of one of the pips on the side of his head. “Y’know. Don’t say I don’t sometimes say nice things about’cha, too, huh?” He gives a toothy grin, snickering a bit. Alright, yeah, he was getting into this! Back to his normally flirtatious, impish ways; that’s how he’d been this whole time so, that meant Dice had to find that aspect of his personality at least somewhat attractive, otherwise he wouldn’t have made a move on him like he did.
  586.  
  587. In fact, he’d been at his worst back there; let his anger and frankly, sadistic love of brawling get in the way of the somewhat amicable relationship they’d built up over the course of his casino visits and yet, that’s when King Dice had wanted him most! There was something admirable about that, he thought and he couldn’t fault the guy for wanting a piece of this cup now, could he, if he was into that side of him.
  588.  
  589. And, it was what Cuphead found attractive in the other too; that passion, letting that calm, collected façade and smile he put on fall away and just let loose.
  590.  
  591. ---
  592.  
  593. King Dice snorts. At least they're both a little unsure. Cuphead's proximity and the warm tingling in King Dice's lips from being so recently kissed helps take the edge off of Cuphead's insults. King Dice is tempted to mention that Cuphead worked for the Devil, too, but -- then Cuphead starts dishing out the flattery.
  594.  
  595. Earlier he insisted to himself that Cuphead didn't get credit for noticing he was attractive. Yet irrespective of this conviction, his face and chest warms with pleasure at the compliment. And the implication that Cuphead wants to take his orderly appearance and muss it up, make him disheveled and inflict pain on him, and for the sake of titillation rather than domination? King Dice can't help his own physiological reaction to that.
  596.  
  597. Then Cuphead shifts on his lap, and King Dice remains very, very still. Considering they've already been sucking face for a few minutes, King Dice doesn't know why he's anxious for Cuphead to discover he's sporting a half chub. Except, perhaps, that Cuphead might laugh if he learned it's because he implied he wants to beat King Dice up for sexual gratification.
  598.  
  599. The pips on King Dice's head are just a hair more sensitive than the rest of it, so it's tantalizing to have Cuphead circle them like he is. "Well," King Dice hedges, "I think 'sometimes' is a generous way to describe 'this one time', but I'll accept the compliment nonetheless." With his free hand, he reaches up to the chip in Cuphead's head. He passes his thumb gently over the crack, unsure if it would hurt the other man to press into it. His voice pitches lower, broadcasting his desire. "An' for what it's worth, roughed-up ain't a bad look for you, either..."
  600.  
  601. ---
  602.  
  603. He hisses through his teeth when King Dice’s finger traces over the chip in his head. It stung, but it wasn’t an unbearable sort of pain… maybe even just a tad bit enjoyable now that the circumstances had been flipped on their head. “Oh, really?” He licks his top lip, which still had just the smallest flecks of dried blood from the earlier injury to his nose.
  604.  
  605. Leaning in, he presses a kiss to the corner of Dice’s lip, his own tone low. “Y’want more then? Seems fair to stroke your ego after that lil’ brawl we had, earlier.” A hand moves down from around his neck, gently feeling at the singed shirt and the skin that had burnt through it. “Ya sexy as all hell, n’ you… your voice does all kinds’a shit to me, Dice. For a while I…” Cuphead debates revealing a certain secret, unsure whether it’d be too soon, too schmaltzy for this encounter. “I—ah. Was in denial I guess. But even when we first met I thought you were cute as a bug’s ear. Didn’t really have time to dwell much, though- me and my bro’s souls were on the line.”
  606.  
  607. When he’d gotten the opportunity to spend more quality time with him, though, that’s when he’d had free reign to pester him, bait him, flirt with him under the guise of simply wanting to mock him rather than there being any underlying feelings. He lusted not just after his attention, but to see him reach that point of rage, to have bodily contact with him, even if it was through punches and kicks. Cuphead’s emotions and were very confused. Especially due to the fact that he’d not had much prior experience in feelings that weren’t platonic or familial.
  608.  
  609. He coughs. His cheeks are unbearably warm now. Nerves are getting the better of him again. Best not to think too much about that aspect. “Anyway—less talk.” Cuphead leans in again and gives him another smooch, hoping that King Dice doesn’t overthink things… he certainly was trying not to. Wouldn’t want to ruin the mood!
  610.  
  611. ---
  612.  
  613. King Dice sighs and squeezes Cuphead's hip at the half-kiss. And he positively preens in response to Cuphead's agreeability in dispensing additional compliments (the tidbit about how much Cuphead likes his voice he tucks away for later).
  614.  
  615. King Dice doesn't have a confession of pining of his own for Cuphead. The brothers began as a pair of thorns in his side, and he's held them in contempt ever since his defeat -- apart from those rare moments when he acknowledges he owes them for the Devil's absence. His remarkably functional rapport with Cuphead came entirely unexpectedly. But Cuphead couldn't stay away from his love of gambling for long -- nor his attraction to King Dice, apparently.
  616.  
  617. But it doesn't really matter that King Dice hasn't wanted this for long, because he's a man who knows what he wants (if not necessarily why) from moment to moment.
  618.  
  619. And right now, he wants Cuphead.
  620.  
  621. King Dice responds eagerly to the kiss, and as he does, he lowers the hand that grazed the crack in Cuphead's ceramic to his hip alongside the other. It's a novel experience to be able to encircle the young man's waist with his combined handspan. For so much raw magical and physical power, Cuphead packs it all in an uncommonly small package. It's easy, when Cuphead is a pliant presence in his lap rather than a ball of tension and potential energy, to gather him up and flip their positions in the midst of the kiss.
  622.  
  623. So he does.
  624.  
  625. "Less talk?" King Dice murmurs when they break apart. "But I thought ya liked the way my voice sounded, Cup a' Stuff." King Dice fiddles with the hem of Cuphead's shirt until his thumbs can edge under the fabric, rubbing small circles in his abdomen. "Unless you mean to say, you'd rather I do the talking...?" He meets Cuphead's eyes, and they're the green of wicked intent.
  626.  
  627. ---
  628.  
  629. He feels his back hit the couch's surface, and finds himself unable to stop a moan escaping from the sudden shift in positions. Cuphead pants when King Dice pulls from his lips, his large eyes widened in slight surprise from suddenly finding himself pinned like this.
  630.  
  631. And... his body had reacted, too. He was a sensitive little man, and it only really took being completely enveloped by Dice's large form and hearing his voice to get him excited. The tent in his shorts likely wouldn't go unnoticed, especially since they're pressed so close, but he wasn't going to acknowledge it if Dice wouldn't. "Uh... well... Eheh..." He wriggles a bit, trying to busy his hands by resting them on his shoulders and pulling at any lose bits of fabric. "If it's that tone'a voice you'll be talkin' in, be my guest...."
  632.  
  633. He swallows- honestly, he hopes that King Dice doesn't realise the potential power he could have over him in future. Just from his voice alone, Cuphead became weak at the knees. Good lord.
  634.  
  635. By now, it's getting difficult to stay quiet. His erection is sensitive to any sort of friction, and there was a lot of it at the moment. It takes everything not to grind up against him, but he wants to seem as though he has some self control and resistance to King Dice's charms!
  636.  
  637. ---
  638.  
  639. King Dice had been a bit concerned that Cuphead would protest to the change in positions -- Cuphead won their brawl quite cleanly, after all, and one might argue that that entitles him to the dominant position in any subsequent sexual encounter. King Dice certainly isn't a stranger to such games of dominance.
  640.  
  641. So it's a pleasant surprise when he feels and hears Cuphead's vocalizations of unmistakable pleasure, and the young man is reduced to nervous laughter and fidgeting.
  642.  
  643. "You're almost as eager for a fuck as you are for a fight," King Dice observes. He wants to see if the vulgarity alarms or excites the other man. "How long have you waited," he murmurs, and he moves one hand beneath Cuphead's shirt to drag his nails down his torso gently, "for this?"
  644.  
  645. King Dice leans down and places a sucking kiss on the rim of Cuphead's head, just beside the chip in the ceramic. "Y'know, you made it sound like beating folks up is a turn-on for you. But you seem perfectly content beneath me..." King Dice pushes his body against Cuphead's and feels the telltale firmness of arousal. His smile grows positively salacious. "Now," he purrs, "I wonder why that might be..."
  646.  
  647. ---
  648.  
  649. Excites him it does, if not alarm him just the tiniest bit. He’s used to using expletives in practically every other sentence, but there’s something deliciously vulgar about such a classy guy like Dice using it, especially in reference to that.
  650.  
  651. He doesn’t want to seem desperate- but… God. This guy had definitely bedded many folks over the years, hadn’t he? Not that that’s a bad thing; the experience he has with dirty talk, his tone, his charm and confidence… it sends Cuphead’s mind reeling.
  652.  
  653. He can’t help thinking about his own prior experiences… how lacking they were, at least.
  654.  
  655. A hand job in a cramped, dusty shed in his late teens; she was a nice girl, a mutual friend’s older sister of his and Mugman’s, who had gotten Cup alone during a game of hide and seek. Said it’d be exciting if she could try to get him off before either of their brothers found him. Cuphead had readily accepted, but… there was very little satisfaction he’d gained from it. He never saw her again after that; her brother said she’d left Inkwell Isle to peruse a job in the city. And it was seldom often he left his thoughts drift back to that day.
  656.  
  657. His mind snaps back to the present- how much more intense and how extremely emotionally invested he was comparatively. He gives a shudder when his shirt is lifted, feeling the cool chill of the room on his bare skin. King Dice’s nails trace down his chest and he rapidly inhales; then, he moves to mouth the rim of his head, and he can’t help it. “Oh, fuck—!” Cuphead mumbles, breathily. The scent of warm milk was filling the air, mixed with that pungent alcoholic edge, due to Cuphead’s face beginning to heat up the contents inside. “Christ, Dice…”
  658.  
  659. At King Dice’s comment about his sadistic tendencies, and yet yearning to be underneath him, Cuphead makes a face and lets out a small snort. “You hintin’ at somethin’?” They both knew very well Cuphead could easily insist on being the more dominant one in this situation should he wish to be; he had that power. He was allowing King Dice to take the lead more than anything.
  660.  
  661. ---
  662.  
  663. Cuphead's vocal response to his teasing touches gives King Dice a thrill. He wants the young man debauched and begging for release -- the thought alone sends shivers down his spine. And the reality before him is even more shiver-inducing. Cuphead is beautiful when overcome with desire.
  664.  
  665. Cuphead's implicit threat doesn't quite stick the landing considering how flustered he is, but it nevertheless makes King Dice pause to consider what set the man off. Cuphead is perfectly secure in his combat superiority. Could it be that Cuphead is insecure about... sex?
  666.  
  667. Well, he is younger than King Dice... but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. King Dice furrows his brow. "Nothin' in particular," he says, "just suggesting that you might like to give up control to someone else. It's not an uncommon proclivity for powerful people. Being the strongest person in the room all the time? Exhausting." King Dice knows how that is. Although as the second most powerful person currently in the room, his body is making a strong argument to the contrary.
  668.  
  669. "I expect I don't have to tell ya that yer free to take the reins at any time." King Dice offers Cuphead his most charming smile, and a playful wink. "But if ya do, do it gently? Don't think I can sustain any more head trauma and still remember this evening." His hand, which had stilled the moment it seemed Cuphead had taken offense, resumes its gentle scratching. "And I would very much like to. Remember this evening, that is."
  670.  
  671. The thought occurs to him that to better capture the memory, he should absorb as many details as possible. Cuphead’s skin is smooth and warm against the pads of his fingers, and below his palm, the loveseat cushion upon which he braces his weight is decadantly soft. The smell of milk and alcohol is strong and heady. King Dice inhales it greedily.
  672.  
  673. ---
  674.  
  675. Cuphead needs to stop being so defensive; he’s nervous, shaking due to the adrenaline and arousal that pumps through his veins but he can’t help but say something snarky in return to every question he’s asked. It’s… okay, to be a little bit vulnerable around him now, he reasons. Just relax! He inhales through his nose, to steady himself- a little tricky, due to the fact it was still rather sore from earlier, but it helps. Cuphead melts into the couch, allowing any limbs that were struck with tension to relax themselves as King Dice continues to speak.
  676.  
  677. “Yer right… it can be kinda exhaustin’…” He’s struck with how much sense it made, what he said about enjoying giving up control… it was pleasant to have someone pamper him like this. When King Dice requests Cup to be gentle with him, the corner of his mouth tilts up into a smirk. “Mm, I see… you want a bit’a gentle lovin’, do ya? Some’a the softer stuff? Well, Cuppy can go easy on ya…” He grins, tongue between his teeth as he reaches to cup King Dice’s cheek and gently stroke his thumb over the area he’d struck with that nasty left hook.
  678.  
  679. He certainly wasn’t going to forget this evening, either. If it was leading where he… assumed it was. “But… I think I’ll let’cha take charge this time, Dice. You seem t’know what you’re doin’.” Implying Cuphead… didn’t. Well, the man wasn’t inept and clueless when it came to sex education but, he didn’t want to find out the hard way if he was truly lacking in the amount of knowledge needed for something like this and risk being laughed at or mocked.
  680.  
  681. Cuphead parts his legs a little bit. “Uh… you don’t mind if I go ahead and slip these off, right?” Without waiting for an answer, he takes off his shoes, letting them fall to the floor, and hooks his thumbs into the waistband of his shorts.
  682.  
  683. ---
  684.  
  685. "That's right," King Dice murmurs in soothing encouragement as he feels Cuphead relax beneath him. "Easy does it..."
  686.  
  687. It's a relief and a delight to have Cuphead give himself over to what King Dice is offering. King Dice smiles into the hand that reaches out to touch his cheek. Though it brushes over the tender bruise, it is no less pleasant for it. Moreso, even, because of the contrast -- and the softness goes a long way in helping King Dice relax, too. He had been unsure if Cuphead would boil over again at a moment’s notice, so now his aching body can relax a little, too, secure in the relative surety that Cuphead won't start wailing on him again.
  688.  
  689. Unless of course, King Dice asks him to.
  690.  
  691. But that doesn't seem to be the direction this encounter is heading in, so he shelves the thought for another time.
  692.  
  693. “Much obliged,” King Dice says when Cuphead acquiesces to his taking the lead. “Let Mr. King Dice take care of ya...”
  694.  
  695. King Dice inhales through his teeth when Cuphead spreads his legs. He can see the bulge in the young man’s clothes that belies his arousal, and though he felt it against him before, *seeing* it throws the reality of it into stark, exhilarating relief. Belatedly, he relinquishes his hold on Cuphead's waist to allow the young man to remove his shoes, toeing off his own as an afterthought.
  696.  
  697. And when Cuphead reaches for his waistband, King Dice feels the need to intervene. It seems to him that in the spirit of pampering Cuphead, King Dice should at least offer to do this much: he allows his fingertips to unsubtly graze the silhouette of Cuphead’s erection as his hand travels up to linger over Cuphead’s gloved fingers. “I can get that for you, if you like.”
  698.  
  699. ---
  700.  
  701. “Ha… you’re a real peach, Dicey…” Cuphead mutters. He was almost certain he’d be in for a good time, tonight, letting himself ease into King Dice’s touches and gentle words. The coaxing, honeyed tone is doing a lot for him… his breathing audibly quickens, gaining intensity as he lets King Dice grab his shorts. He feels contact against his arousal in the form of the light graze of his fingers, and he lets out another groan, the pitch of his voice just a tad higher than usual. “Ah… go ahead…”
  702.  
  703. With a bit of manoeuvring, Cuphead lifts up his lower body, allowing King Dice to tug off his shorts to reveal a pair of white briefs underneath. His boner is prominent, and thankfully allowed a lot more freedom with his pants discarded. Cuphead actually lets out a slight sigh of relief at the relenting constriction.
  704.  
  705. Wanting better access when it came to contact with his hands, Cuphead lifts a glove up to his mouth, tugging it off with his teeth. The second one is discarded in much the same manner, although this time he gazes directly into King Dice’s eyes as its pulled off, doing it just a little bit more slowly, thinking he may have appreciated the gesture.
  706.  
  707. His hands are a light grey, with shorter fingers than Dice’s that were slightly stubby. A few marks, scars, a light bruise from the earlier punch he’d delivered coated his hands, and the nails, although trimmed were definitely not given the level of care that King Dice gave his own.
  708.  
  709. ---
  710.  
  711. Cuphead's soft sighs are music to King Dice's ears. He drops Cuphead's shorts over the edge of the loveseat and takes a moment to admire the view. Cuphead's cheeks are red, and his narrow chest rises and falls rapidly as he huffs and puffs. There's a strip of grey flesh between the hem of his shirt and his briefs, the weave of which provides a nigh unobstructed view of Cuphead's dick. The fabric atop the bulge of the glans bears a spot of dampness, in evidence of Cuphead's enjoyment.
  712.  
  713. King Dice is nearly overcome with the urge to put his mouth on it.
  714.  
  715. He wets his bottom lip with his tongue and holds off, for now. He drags his gaze up to Cuphead's face, where the man is putting on quite a show indeed. King Dice watches, enraptured, as Cuphead makes a spectacle of tugging his gloves off with his teeth and exposing his hands. "Isn't that lovely," King Dice murmurs.
  716.  
  717. The hands portray an active lifestyle and a strained relationship with moisturizer. King Dice recalls how callously Cuphead had behaved when he exposed his own hands. Were he feeling vengeful, he could easily hone in on one of the many imperfections thereupon, and with it give Cuphead a taste of his own medicine.
  718.  
  719. If the circumstances were different -- had Cuphead's comfort not been so hard-won, or if King Dice hadn't explicitly asked Cuphead to entrust him with that vulnerability -- he might even do it regardless of how he felt, just for the satisfaction of the karmic symmetry.
  720.  
  721. Maybe Cuphead would be interested in trying humiliation on for size at a later date. But King Dice won't gamble on it just now. Not with this.
  722.  
  723. King Dice takes one of Cuphead's hands in his own and brushes his thumb over the calloused knuckles. He hums thoughtfully, as if appraising them the way a palm reader would. "I see you're the rough and tumble sort, aren't you? Though I didn't have to look at your hands to know that." He offers Cuphead a conspiratorial smile as if to say, Because of that time you beat the shit out of me, remember?
  724.  
  725. "You must work with your hands often..." King Dice purrs. He brings Cuphead's hand to his mouth and brushes his lips across the calloused knuckles, then the coarse pads of Cuphead's fingers, enjoying the way the rough skin feels against his lips.
  726.  
  727. ---
  728.  
  729. "Yeah, ha..." Cuphead says quietly, lidded eyes transfixed on the mouth and the way it brushed against his fingers so delicately. It feels intimate, very intimate... King Dice's own hands are soft, and although he'd been so rude about them prior, now he doesn't mind their well kept appearance in the least bit. They're so large, too... he could engulf Cuphead's own smaller, stubbier ones. "Do a lotta yard work... 'n don't take the time to make 'em look all... nice like yours..."
  730.  
  731. As much as he appreciates the fondling of his worn down digits, Cuphead would rather feel those hands elsewhere. His teeth chew at his bottom lip, trying (and likely failing) to mask his slight impatience. King Dice was probably the sorta guy into long, drawn out foreplay and Cuphead just wants to get right down to business...!
  732.  
  733. But... he doesn't want to push his luck either, make King Dice remind him that he could easily put a stop to all this and let Cuphead take care of himself. So he sits, watching, waiting for his next move, holding his tongue. Either way, he'd likely make this enjoyable for him. Foreplay definitely wasn't uninvited just... made him anticipate where things were going all the more. And it was both too much and not enough for the little cup.
  734.  
  735. ---
  736.  
  737. He hadn't considered what kind of work Cuphead actually did when he made the off-hand comment. Honestly, he had mostly been going for an innuendo about the man being good with his hands -- but the image of Cuphead bent over a garden plot and pulling up weeds is oddly charming. Domestic.
  738.  
  739. King Dice dismisses the vision and appraises the man before him. He's obviously exercising great restraint, and King Dice sees fit to reward his patience. King Dice hums, and he sucks Cuphead's fingers into his mouth.
  740.  
  741. He uses his tongue to draw the digits further into his mouth, teeth scraping the joints gently as they go. He applies gentle suction in a thinly veiled impression of what he intends to do with another one of Cuphead's appendages, once he has it where he wants it.
  742.  
  743. ---
  744.  
  745. A surprised exhale leaves his lungs when King Dice begins to suck on his fingers, eyebrows shooting up. The wetness and warmth, as well as the tingling brush of his frankly lovely teeth leaves him a little mesmerized. “Wow, I—you… you’re good at that…” He utters, watching him, drinking in the sight and unable to stop himself from wondering what he’d look like sucking him off…
  746.  
  747. Absentmindedly, Cuphead’s free hand lowers, brushing against his own thigh. He yearned to pleasure himself, but was willing to wait just a tad bit longer… He licks his lips, squirming, feeling his body clench and unclench as he desperately tried not to demand that he hurry things along. “Fuck…”
  748.  
  749. ---
  750.  
  751. King Dice releases Cuphead's fingers, teeth scraping deliberately on the undersides as he pushes them out with his tongue. A string of spit connects them. "I do try," King Dice says. When he licks his lips, the string of saliva snaps.
  752.  
  753. Mercifully, King Dice reaches for the waistband of Cuphead's underwear. He nudges it down until Cuphead's cock springs free, grey-pink and swollen with desire.
  754.  
  755. "Why don't you," King Dice says, and he pauses to grab the hand he had so recently had in his mouth and lick a long, wet stripe up his palm. "Touch yourself?" he finishes, voice soft as velvet.
  756.  
  757. King Dice releases the saliva-covered hand; and he pins the hand wandering near Cuphead's thigh with his own. Then he interlaces their fingers, so as to remove all doubt as to which hand he wants Cuphead to use.
  758.  
  759. ---
  760. Once his underwear is off, it’s clear as day how both excited and a little bit bashful Cuphead is. There’s something very intense about having nothing on his lower body when King Dice was pretty much fully clothed. It gives Cuphead a sort of exhibitionistic thrill.
  761.  
  762. He doesn’t respond verbally to the request he begin pleasuring himself, but gives a nod, his large eyes a little glazed over. The slicked up hand trails down to his arousal and Cuphead wraps his fingers around it, gently squeezing and working his hand into a pattern of movement. From the first brush of fingers alone, he’d been breathlessly moaning, but once he’s able to start properly getting into it, that’s when he gets louder.
  763.  
  764. “Like that…?” Cuphead asks, but more to encourage King Dice’s own excitement than as a legitimate question. The pleasure gained from finally being able to relieve that anticipation has him saying things without thinking about it too much. “You like watchin’ me jerk off to you, Dice? Mmn… I bet’cha do… fuck,” He hisses through his teeth, back arching a little bit. “You wanna touch yourself too, right? You should… I wanna see you all... a-all weak at the knees, coz'a me."
  765.  
  766. ---
  767.  
  768.  
  769. Though few would deny Cuphead could run his mouth, the man seemed to lose confidence the longer he spoke in unfamiliar situations. King Dice figured asking Cuphead to pleasure himself would give him an idea of how best King Dice might go about pleasuring him.
  770.  
  771. Also, he just really wanted to see Cuphead touch himself.
  772.  
  773. The excitement is already warming him, and King Dice has to loosen his tie the moment Cuphead begins. All those wanton moans and blissful sighs as Cuphead squirms... King Dice's guts twist up with pleasure. His pants begin to grow tight around his erection.
  774.  
  775. Then Cuphead opens his mouth, and King Dice belatedly realizes that the young man's proficiency at smack talk is translating devastatingly well to dirty talk.
  776.  
  777. "Good grief," King Dice huffs, and he squeezes Cuphead's hand. "You've... quite a mouth there, haven't you?" He manages to maintain his composure of speech, if nothing else, considering his face turns nearly as red as the velvet of the loveseat. He's afraid his verbal faculties do very little to make up for that.
  778.  
  779. King Dice tugs at his tie, fumbles, really, until it falls away to the pile of clothes growing atop their shoes.
  780.  
  781. King Dice gathers his wits. He needs to up his game, since Cuphead is so unexpectedly handy at this. "I do like watching you like this," he says, eyes half-lidded. "All breathless for me... You look exquisite." King Dice tries to conceal the quickness of his breath, but isn't sure he succeeds.
  782.  
  783. "And while touchin' myself sounds fine," King Dice allows, shifting to alleviate some of the discomfort his erection is causing. "... I think I'd rather touch you." King Dice licks his palm and reaches out to the hand wrapped around Cuphead's dick. "Show me how ya like it...?"
  784.  
  785. ---
  786.  
  787. “Y-yeah… I get that a lot.” Quite a mouth was right. He’s not shying away from dirty talk now that he was comfortable enough.
  788.  
  789. How he liked it? Fast and rough, that was Cuphead’s style. Just like with everything he did, it had to have a real intensity. Every now and again, he slows the pace momentarily, giving his shaft a light squeeze, thumbing the tip and coating his hand in his own pre-ejaculate to help keep nice and slicked up.
  790.  
  791. He shudders when King Dice reaches out, stopping momentarily. Just the idea of contact of another person makes his stomach twist in knots from the excitement. It was only a light brush, but it causes Cuphead to give a throaty groan; one could say it wasalmost a whimper, but he would deny it if asked.
  792.  
  793. He pulls his hand back, allowing King Dice to take the reins, placing his much smaller one over the top of his. God, his skin felt so soft, his fingers were long and dainty and just… lovely to gaze upon. Cuphead could very well pretend he was being pleasured by a woman like this, but that would completely take away from the reality of it being King Dice. And he wanted King Dice, had wanted him for way too long in his opinion.
  794.  
  795. The reality of the situation hits him. He moans again, head tilting back as he clenched his eyes shut. “Oh, god… Fuck… Dice, Mmn…!” Cuphead’s voice cracks, and by now the liquid in his head and started to form into a thick foam, like the surface of a cappuccino. He guides the others hand to a pace that he enjoys, letting out little appreciative comments when Dice hit just the right notes, as it were. “L-like that… just like that…” What a sensitive little cuppa stuff he was… but the verbal encouragement was likely fuelling the other man, so he wasn’t about to stop.
  796.  
  797. ---
  798.  
  799. The barest of touches King Dice can provide has Cuphead making the most breathtaking noises. King Dice is glad for the firmness of Cuphead's cock and the softness of his sliding foreskin to concentrate his grip on, because otherwise his hands might be shaking with the strength of his undoing. Cuphead's dramatic reactions incite a sympathetic response in King Dice, and Cuphead is so sensitive...
  800.  
  801. "I wonder what else that mouth can do," King Dice murmurs huskily as he allows Cuphead to set the pace and pressure, tightening his grip when Cuphead's slick fingers tighten on his hand, responding as readily as he can to every nudge and tug and cataloguing them along with Cuphead's reponse.
  802.  
  803. Then Cuphead's voice cracks and his head starts foaming, and King Dice bites his lip to muster all the restraint he can manage. The way Cuphead pants and gasps for him, and the way he calls his name... it's unbearable. "You're so gorgeous like this," King Dice sighs helplessly. "Deep breaths, now -- that'll make it even better..."
  804.  
  805. Without warning, King Dice quickens his speed and tightens his hold, irrespective of the direction of the hand holding his. He wants to see if he can catch the cup by surprise. His breathing is almost as labored as Cuphead's.
  806.  
  807. ---
  808.  
  809. His encouraging tone, the way he eases him into the process, as if trying to coax him and keep him calm was giving Cuphead pause. It was likely Dice was trying to prevent him from being overstimulated too soon, so he allows the ministrations to lull him into a relaxed state, a hazy, slow mind-set that focused on touch and the sound of his deep voice…
  810.  
  811. Then, that’s when things take a turn. Cuphead tenses up, letting a shuddering gasp, as his eyes widen. His body quivered with the shock and momentary discomfort that comes with sudden intensity of it, feeling the muscles that were once relaxed shiver. Cuphead whimpers, unabashedly, biting into the collar of his sweater as he realizes that it’s unlikely he’ll hold out much longer; he can feel it, the building pressure being released.
  812.  
  813. His vision, senses and any cognitive functions Cuphead had been able to perform are put on standby for just a few seconds as he arches his back, gritting his teeth. The straw in his head jumps out momentarily, unfurling and squirting foamy milk out of the tip. A fitting euphemism honestly. Cuphead managed to crane his neck upwards, realizing that he’d ejaculated quite a fair amount on to King Dice’s hand, and likely spilt the substance in his head quite a bit, too.
  814.  
  815. It takes him a few moments to come to terms with what just happened; one could say he had a right to be annoyed at suddenly having the rug pulled out from underneath him like that, but he’d just experienced the best damn orgasm of his life! How in the name of Inkwell could he complain?
  816.  
  817. Besides, he was far too out of it to be able to speak just yet, instead giving King Dice a lopsided, lidded eyed grin.
  818.  
  819. ---
  820.  
  821. King Dice can't believe his luck when he manages to get Cuphead to relax. He almost feels bad for the trick, since it clearly startles the man, but Cuphead's gasps and whimpers, and the sight of him trembling with release, are enough to quickly absolve King Dice of his regrets.
  822.  
  823. "That's the stuff," King Dice says. He strokes Cuphead through the aftershocks until it seems like he's wrung the poor cup dry, then he slows his pace and allows himself to smile in response to Cuphead's afterglow grin. "You look lovely." King Dice pulls his hand away to examine: it's coated with a film of saliva and pre-ejaculatory fluid, and globs and strings of Cuphead's semen are splattered across it. King Dice glances down at Cuphead to gauge the man's reaction as he brings his hand to his mouth.
  824.  
  825. He's prepared for bitterness, but he's surprised when he tastes the same thing he's been smelling for this entire encounter. Something milky and alcoholic. Almost like a White Russian. King Dice laughs despite himself, and he looks Cuphead up and down, taking him all in. "Is there anything about you that isn't intoxicating...?"
  826.  
  827. Maybe the flattery is a bit much, but King Dice admits he's taken aback by the man beneath him. Or maybe he's just taken with him -- but that's quite a bit more difficult to admit.
  828.  
  829. ---
  830.  
  831. Cuphead dazedly watches as King Dice licks his hand, and is struck by the compliment given to him afterwards. It causes his eyes to dart away from staring directly at him, going redder than he had that entire evening.
  832.  
  833. It was just something about how... genuine he sounded when he said it. The intimacy of gazing at him and calling him such lovely things after making him cum struck Cuphead so much that he was unable to prevent a giggle escaping as the grin stretched wider and formed dimples in his cheeks. "W-well... you know. Ya know." He says, still chuckling, trying to form a coherent thought. "You're a guy with good taste! ... 'n... you should ... look who's talkin'..."
  834.  
  835. Cuphead clears his throat, moving into a sitting position, and directing his straw downward to take a sip of the contents inside. Afterwards, he licks his lips, and his eyes direct south momentarily. "So... how about you tell me how you like it, boss?"
  836.  
  837. ---
  838.  
  839. King Dice is charmed by Cuphead's stuttering attempts at returning the compliment. He supposes he ought to be grateful there's a verbal aspect of intimacy the cup isn't frighteningly proficient at, or else King Dice would be a gibbering mess by now.
  840.  
  841. Then Cuphead sucks on his straw -- and what a picture that is, considering the context. King Dice wonders if the man is hinting at something. "Ooh.... 'Boss' is a good start. And I wouldn't say 'no' to a taste of what that straw is getting," he says with a suggestive smile. "But I'd bet money I like it just about any way you could imagine, and a few you couldn't! I'm ah, fit to burst at the seams here, t' be honest, so whatever pleases ya." King Dice shifts, wincing at the way his erection presses at the front of his pants.
  842.  
  843. King Dice is so hot and bothered that Cuphead could probably step on his dick and he'd thank him for it.
  844.  
  845. ---
  846.  
  847. “You like bein’ called boss? Ain’t you running a casino though? You’re called that all the time now, right? Or… is it coz I’m the one callin’ you that?” Cuphead looks to be coming down from his lightheaded high, back to his normally rambunctious and teasing self.
  848.  
  849. Cuphead shuffles closer, gently reaching out to the tent in his pants. He lightly runs a fingertip down the length of it, eyes dilating somewhat as he takes in the size. “Golly…” He says, starting to knead at it a bit, tilting his head up to gaze back at him. “You do look like you’re just about ready to blow, don’tcha?” He tugs at the material of his pants to indicate he should start to strip. “Let’s take care’a that, huh? You’ve been mighty patient this whole evenin’, Mr Dice. You deserve a lil’ reward if you ask me.”
  850.  
  851. ---
  852.  
  853. "While getting you to respect my position is like pulling teeth with you, and the contrast is refreshing" King Dice allows, "it's only recently that the casino became truly mine. So now you might say the title has... a-additional significance, for--mmf." King Dice trails off as Cuphead teases his length with the faintest of touches. His hips jerk unsteadily.
  854.  
  855. Then he hisses as Cuphead applies pressure to his dick. It's almost painful, it's so good. "Cuphead," King Dice breathes, narrowly stopping his voice from breaking. Even the innocuous tug on his pants sends shockwaves through him.
  856.  
  857. At Cuphead's stalling, King Dice surmises that Cuphead is inviting him to undress. He reaches with shaking hands to the buttons of his pants, but he fumbles them. King Dice very nearly whimpers at the strength of his need in the face of his own arousal-induced absence of his faculties.
  858.  
  859. "Cuphead, please," he tries, but he barely even knows what he's asking for.
  860.  
  861. ---
  862.  
  863. His cocky grin fades, and he stares as King Dice moans out his name. It’s… a lovely sight, honestly, to see the man become a stammering mess. Especially when he begs. Christ, seeing someone who gave off such an air of being untouchable becoming weak from a light brush of fingers was probably one of the most satisfying things Cuphead would ever lay witness to.
  864.  
  865. “Dice, get your pants off… c’mon.” He insists. They rode pretty high around his body, so it would be easier if he could strip himself, but Cuphead does him a favour by unbuttoning them for him. “I wanna see it…” He licks his lips again, audibly breathless as he rubs Dice’s hip. “I’ll… I’ll even put it in my mouth if you want me to, boss…”
  866.  
  867. Cup can feel himself beginning to salivate, and he gulps, his stare darting between his crotch and his expression as he tugs a bit more at the dark purple material. He’d never had a cock in his mouth before, but he was willing to try it out if it’s what King Dice wanted him to do.
  868.  
  869. ---
  870.  
  871. King Dice breathes deeply. This little cup has gotten him into a deplorable state, and he struggles to muster his self-control and his dignity. But there's little to be done. He's burning up at the sight of Cuphead's pleasure, and now with what Cuphead is offering, he doesn't have a snowcone's chance in Hell of calming down.
  872.  
  873. And does he really want to? Being in control all the time is a nice thought, but it's not a reasonable one. King Dice had been a bit of a hypocrite when he suggested Cuphead stop trying to be the most powerful person in the room. King Dice may not be the most powerful person in the room, but he never stops trying to be, and that constant struggle leaves him exhausted beyond what his responsibilities as manager and owner of the casino make him.
  874.  
  875. It's strange that this competition for dominance has only recently begun to trouble him -- but then, he and the Devil had always been on top. The only thing he ever had to fight for was the Devil's favor, and that he had more often than not. King Dice supposes he's spent ages playing rigged games, and now he's afraid to invest in anything that isn't guaranteed.
  876.  
  877. King Dice will die before he admits it, but Cuphead actually said something insightful about gambling earlier: it's about the thrill of the risk just as much as winning.
  878.  
  879. King Dice had forgotten that, working for the Devil. He supposes he's grateful to Cuphead for reminding him.
  880.  
  881. So he gives himself over to the way Cuphead is making him feel, shoves his pants down to his thighs despite the awkward seated position, and he pulls his cock out of his black silk boxer briefs. The open air whispering across his engorged lavender member makes him shiver. Belatedly, he remembers to feel self-conscious after whipping it out in Cuphead's face. But then, the man had explicitly asked to see it. "That's quite an offer," King Dice says breathily. "Would you, you sweet thing...?"
  882.  
  883. ---
  884.  
  885. It's large... and in his face all of a sudden, and Cuphead remembers to be embarrassed himself momentarily, blinking and backing up just a tad so that he could properly position himself. Well, it'd be rude to keep delaying it, right?
  886.  
  887. Cuphead leans in, wrapping a small hand around the shaft and giving it a gentle squeeze.
  888.  
  889. "How could I say no to that face, huh?" He asks, his smile returning as he leans and sticks out his tongue, experimentally. He licks the head of his cock, tasting the fluid leaking out of it and has to prevent himself from making a face when he found it wasn't exactly as sweet as his own...
  890.  
  891. After breathing in, he leans forward, and begins to work King Dice into his mouth, which, honestly, wasn't a simple task. Their size difference makes it difficult to get past even halfway without the little cup beginning to feel the urge to cough, but he tries to at least make good work of what he can manage to take in. He has to keep remembering to breathe through his nose, although since he was new at this, Cuphead has to pull off once or twice to take a gulp of air down his throat.
  892.  
  893. And, he also does his best to make a show of it too, humming and making sure the sound of his lips smacking was audible.
  894.  
  895. ---
  896.  
  897. "Mmf," King Dice moans when one of those coarse hands take hold of him. His cock twitches in Cuphead's hand, and it's a Hell of a feeling. He gives a shuddering sigh when Cuphead laps at the glans. "Spirits, Cuphead," he groans. Of his own accord, King Dice places his hands on his thighs to brace and restrain himself in equal measure. It wouldn't do to go grabbing the inexperienced man and shoving himself down his throat. He's used to having partners that can handle that sort of treatment, so the urge is powerfully difficult to resist.
  898.  
  899. Considering his lack of experience, Cuphead is doing well enough. And King Dice didn't sign up for this because he wanted something professional. He just wanted Cuphead -- and what a dream it is, to have the quick-tongued troublemaker putting his mouth to use pleasing King Dice instead of vexing him, for once. "You look... so good like this," King Dice pants, chest heaving.
  900.  
  901. Each time Cuphead pulls back to breathe, King Dice shudders at his warm puffs of breath. Gentle application of suction and humming brings Dice the rest of the way along, until he can feel the peak of his pleasure just around the corner. "Cups, I'm close... Ah, I know it's-- hah -- not the most pleasant thing to have in your mouth, so you don't have to--" King Dice reaches for his handkerchief, only to remember he no longer has it when he procures instead his soiled pair of gloves.
  902.  
  903. Well. The loveseat is going to need to be reupholstered, anyway.
  904.  
  905. ---
  906.  
  907. Cuphead gives an eye roll at King Dice’s concern as to the taste; he’s had worse things in his mouth before now, honestly; this doesn’t even reach into his top ten of bad tastes he’s endured, especially when things could fall into the opening inside his head.
  908.  
  909. He pops his mouth off, continuing to jerk him off, giving him a smirk. “Aren’t you considerate…? Hah… Relax, pally, don’t think too hard about me, a’ight? Just… focus on feelin’ good.” After a little more teasing, keeping an eye on when he thinks Dice is just about to reach his peak, he leans forward, indicating that was allowed to cum into the foamy liquid that filled up the cup. It’d be easier on him than having it fill his mouth, at least, and wouldn’t make too much mess… well, at least less mess than they already had done.
  910.  
  911. “C’mon, handsome, I can take what you dish out… fill me up, that’s right…”
  912.  
  913. ---
  914.  
  915. Cuphead being unable to resist rolling his eyes even while he's sucking dick is so Cuphead, and it's ridiculous that it should be that that King Dice finds arousing, but he does, and he nearly drops his gloves right in Cuphead's head at the strength with which pleasure courses through him, lashing his nerves and nearly making him lose his grip.
  916.  
  917. King Dice whimpers when Cuphead’s mouth makes a popping sound as he releases him, and he struggles to focus on his words. ‘Focus on feeling good’... King Dice looks down at the gloves in his hand and spies the spot of blood. Face heating at his own indulgence, King Dice presses it to his nose and inhales. He can still smell Cuphead's blood on the fabric.
  918.  
  919. Then Cuphead leans forward, and the invitation is such an unusual one to King Dice -- will Cuphead derive sexual gratification from this? Will he taste it? His eyed catch sight of the chip in Cuphead's head, and he wonders -- if his semen lands there, will it sting?
  920.  
  921. It's on that thought that his release finds him, and he shouts Cuphead's name as it comes.
  922.  
  923. King Dice fights to keep his eyes open in admiration of the sight before him: his semen shooting out in ropey strands and landing in Cuphead's head, sending the contents of the other man’s head splashing. But as his orgasm tears through him like a freight train, the strings tethering his mind to his senses snap with tension, and he has to shut his eyes to withstand the wash of blissful white.
  924.  
  925. ---
  926.  
  927. He feels the splash of King Dice's release into his cup; it's viscous in comparison to the contents already in there, and a lot more salty. That was okay, though- he didn't taste things quite as powerfully in there as he would in his mouth, and he can drain it whenever he needs to.
  928.  
  929. For now, though, he cranes his neck back up, so that he can take in the sight of a fully undone Mr Dice... "Beautiful." Cuphead says, almost on a sigh. What a lovely image... this whole encounter had been a wonderful spur of the moment thing, brought out from impulsivity from the pair of them. Cuphead hopes King Dice takes the initiative to be impulsive like that again sometime.
  930.  
  931. With that, he clambers down, allowing Dice some space to veg out if need be- he was feeling cold now without his underwear and shorts to cover his waist, retrieving them and giving a grimace when he notices they're slightly damp in spots from the spilt milk. "Aw, shoot..."
  932.  
  933. Well, the underwear was still going back on at least. After that, he wrung his shorts out, trying to get rid of the worst of it but not having much luck. Cuphead did NOT want to go through the casino with damp patches on his shorts. "I made a real mess here, huh? Sorry 'bout that, Dice. I'd offer to pay for the damages but..." He bats his eyelashes. "Would'ja say what we just did could count toward it?"
  934.  
  935. ---
  936.  
  937. King Dice floats back into awareness like a rowboat upon a calm ocean. He takes stock of himself: his scorched clothes are in disarray, and his swollen violet cock is limp and glistening as it hangs out of his pants and boxer briefs.
  938.  
  939. King Dice breathes deeply of the smell of sweat and sex, and spilt milk. Then he shifts to recline on the lovesest with one arm over the back, and he stretches his legs out with a sigh. He just about gave himself a charlie horse, sitting all scrunched up like that... Next time they'll have to move the party up to the aptly-sized king bed up in King Dice's suite.
  940.  
  941. Next time.
  942.  
  943. King Dice pats his chest until he finds his cigar case, then pulls one out and starts looking for his lighter.
  944.  
  945. King Dice gives it up -- decides he probably lost his lighter in the fray -- and looks up and snorts at Cuphead's offer. He pulls the unlit cigar from his mouth. "Considerin' your tendency to push your luck at the slots 'til your last dime, I'd be careful about offering sexual favors to clear your debts with me, Cuphead. Or you'll be on this dixie biscuit 'til the cows come home." Speaking of which, King Dice still hasn't tucked himself back in. But his suit is a shambles and he wants to languish in his debauchery for a few minutes longer.
  946.  
  947. ---
  948.  
  949. "... That a bad thing?" He asks, giving him a sultry smirk. Cuphead decides, screw it, he's cold, and wants to just get some layers on to cover himself up from the room's chill, so he tugs his shorts back up his body, adjusting them comfortably and then dusting off the one or two wet spots. Thankfully, they didn't seem to be in any unsightly places, such as between his thighs, but it was still not the most comfortable.
  950.  
  951. Cuphead takes notice of the cigar, and King Dice's unsuccessful search for a lighter. "Here." Cup climbs back up next to him, slowly unfurling his pointer finger and revealing a soft blue flame. He places it to the tip of the cigar which begins to turn orange and produce smoke after a few moments.
  952.  
  953. He blows on the end of his finger to put it out, and relaxes too, letting out a satisfied sigh; this was a pretty comfy couch, wasn't it?
  954.  
  955. ---
  956.  
  957. King Dice grins. "... Not terribly, no. We can hash out the details later, if you're interested." He isn't sure how much of Cuphead's offer is noncommittal flirtation in the heat of the moment, and how much reflects a genuine desire for the aforementioned arrangement. King Dice certainly isn't opposed for moral reasons, and least of all if Cuphead has already professed an interest.
  958.  
  959. Cuphead putting his soiled clothes back on makes King Dice feel a tad underdressed, and the cool air starts feeling uncomfortable on his dick, so he tucks it away and buttons his pants back up as Cuphead approaches.
  960.  
  961. King Dice blinks at the offer of a light, and he leans forward and sucks on the cigar as Cuphead's flame burns for him. He blows the smoke toward the ceiling. "Cheers," he says, and then snaps his finger a few times, brow furrowing. He curses under his breath, staring across the room in concentration, until--
  962.  
  963. With a snap, his suit jacket falls into his hand, and he drapes it over Cuphead's shoulders. It's the one undamaged article of clothing between the two of them, so there's little sense in bringing it over here where it'll get soiled, but--ah, well.
  964.  
  965. "Cigar?" King Dice offers.
  966.  
  967. ---
  968.  
  969. Cuphead's eyes had been closed when King Dice drapes the coat around his shoulders, and he sits up straight unsure at first what the weight was; once he realises, though, he gives a soft smile, feeling a warmth in him that had nothing to do with the jacket providing layers.
  970.  
  971. "Uh... yeah. Please." Cuphead responds to the offer of a smoke. He adjusts himself so that the jacket covered him properly, large enough that it felt like a very expensive blanket. Taking a glance toward Dice, he hesitantly pulls it up around his face slightly, hoping he doesn't take notice when he buries his face in the material. He takes in a breath through his nose, quietly as he can, allowing his eyes to fall closed again.
  972.  
  973. It was like the handkerchief, only much more potent and intoxicating and warm. Cuphead comes to terms with his own behaviour, slightly embarrassed at himself. Stop smellin' his clothes, Cup! That's mighty weird!
  974.  
  975. ---
  976.  
  977. King Dice leaves his cigar hanging in his mouth as he fishes the case back out. When he turns to Cuphead to hand him the cigar, however, he finds the young man nestled in his suit jacket up to his nose with his eyes closed. It's an amusing sight, but King Dice isn't sure if it's because the young man is tired from exertion, or... upset.
  978.  
  979. King Dice hesitates. He likes showing inexperienced folks a good time, but it's always awkward when they have a sort of internal crisis about it. He hopes that's not the case here. "Ah... All right there, Cuphead?" he asks. He gently waves the cigar near the other man's shoulder, in the hopes that its scent will awaken the self-indulgent hellion from his fit of melancholy.
  980.  
  981. ---
  982.  
  983. Cuphead perks up immediately, trying to act casual. “Hm? Oh, yeah! I’m just dandy. Aha!” And he was; no regrets had come from this encounter whatsoever. He wasn’t the type to feel guilt or have any sort of moral commitments at all, really. If anything, the young man was incredibly chipper if not a little bit flustered at getting caught.
  984.  
  985. He reaches for it, taking a long drag, long enough that his shoulders rose and his chest puffed out, indicating someone experienced with smoking, or... possibly not, due to the fact that wasn't the correct way to inhale cigar smoke. However... Cuphead didn't seem to be responding negatively at all, no coughing fits, not even a red face or watering eyes...
  986.  
  987. Besides, it was an expensive brand, so that eased down into his lungs a lot more smoothly than the rancid taste of a cheaper brand would. Not that he was picky; sometimes that’s all he had on offer. Cuphead exhales, letting out a relaxed sigh, but then, sits up, gripping it between his teeth as he leans down as he grabs his gloves from off the floor. Cuphead lets it idly twirl between his lips as he pulled the gloves back up his wrists, not worried about dropping it even for a moment. What a talented mouth he had…
  988.  
  989. “Thanks.” He says as an afterthought as he realizes he’d yet to tell him such, grinning and letting the smoke flow out between the slim gaps in his teeth.
  990.  
  991. ---
  992.  
  993. King Dice narrows his eyes. He's the manager of a casino -- he knows what it looks like when someone is trying to act natural. But there's no other sign that Cuphead is troubled, so he lets it go.
  994.  
  995. Then King Dice stares as Cuphead sucks the cigar down like a champ, chest inflating with the unmistakable depth of someone breathing with his diaphragm. He'd hazard that Cuphead must be more familiar with cigarettes, but Cuphead doesn't even have the decency to wince or cough, so this obviously isn't the first time he's done it. Wheezy did something similar, but he also eats cigar butts when he's done with them, so King Dice had taken for granted that Wheezy sinply has a remarkable constitution. "You're welcome," he says slowly. He's too disturbed by the frankly nauseating display to appreciate the cigar tricks Cuphead is doing with his mouth. "You always smoke cigars like that?" He asks conversationally, as he taps the ash over the seat cushion furthest from them -- if the couch is a lost cause, what does it matter?
  996.  
  997. ---
  998.  
  999. “Yeah, why?” Cuphead asks him, not seeming to understand why King Dice would be concerned or take issue with it. “Is that not how you’re supposed’ta do it?” Were the drags not long enough? Was there some secret code that the rich folk in the casino had when it came to smoking cigars? King Dice was probably amused by his lacking performance! But he was a man, and wanted to prove it!
  1000.  
  1001. Cuphead takes another drag, longer, and keeping the smoke in for a little bit more time, until he actually did start to feel a slight constricting sensation in his lungs… only slightly, though. Any other person would probably puke by now, but nope, barely even a twitch.
  1002.  
  1003. He really was… rather terrifying. Sure, he wouldn’t go so far as to eat them but, who even knew what the little imp was capable of. After it starts to become uncomfortable rather than enjoyable, he lets it out again, trying his best not to splutter but… failing. “B-bad… bh—bad idea… I see that n-now…” He says, hoarsely. “Woo, these cigars got a lil’ bit of a kick, don’t they? What brand is it?” Cuphead looks at the side of the already half smoked cigar, trying to make out the logo stamped on the side.
  1004.  
  1005. ---
  1006.  
  1007. "... No, you're s'posed to just--" King Dice cuts himself off and grimaces as Cuphead seems to take his inquiry as a challenge. He watches Cuphead hold the smoke in his lungs, years dropping off the young man's life like a speeding counter.
  1008.  
  1009. "Gaulois Bleu," King Dice answers automatically, mourning the burnt-up stub in Cuphead's mouth as he recalls how much it cost him. "You're supposed to hold the smoke in your mouth, not breathe it into your lungs -- unless you want to meet an early grave." There are some hard-line cigar smokers who insisted on inhaling, but few breathe it quite as deeply as Cuphead or Wheezy.
  1010.  
  1011. "You only want to taste it," King Dice goes on, and he sucks the smoke into his mouth for a moment, then blows it out in demonstration. "It's like..." King Dice floats his hand as he searches for a simile. And when he finds one, it's so apt that it makes him grin. "Like a kiss."
  1012.  
  1013. And as if Cuphead needs a demonstration of that too, King Dice leans down and kisses him.
  1014.  
  1015. ---
  1016.  
  1017. "Never heard of it." Cuphead says, simply, not realising the value of what he'd likely wasted.
  1018.  
  1019. At King Dice's metaphor, however, his confused frown melts into an amused sort of smile, finding it to be rather cheesy. Cute, though, he supposes... but his thoughts of whether he found it funny or not disappear from his mind when he actually kisses him, though, and it's a surprise but not an unwelcome one by any means... Cuphead might even dare to call that... romantic?
  1020.  
  1021. It seemed like something out of one of the pictures... the ones girls always seemed to like. Cuphead couldn't ever bring himself to fully appreciate sentimental scenes like that... well, until now, he guessed. And even though the prior circumstances were not something out of a movie, he felt a little bit starstruck all the same. Wrapped in his jacket, being kissed after a smooth delivery on a line like that...
  1022.  
  1023. Cuphead allows his eyes to fall closed and relaxes into it, his whole body feeling as though it was melting.
  1024.  
  1025. ---
  1026.  
  1027. The kiss is a pleasant one, and the heady tobacco tastes differently inside Cuphead's mouth than it does lingering on King Dice's tongue. Almost like when a cigar is paired with a different drink.
  1028.  
  1029. When he pulls away, King Dice licks his bottom lip like he's just sipped on a delectable drink, indeed.
  1030.  
  1031. Cuphead looks delighted. And King Dice might well be riding high on adrenaline, or the afterglow of his first enthusiastic lay in a long while, but he can't shake the thought that he doesn't want the man to leave just yet.
  1032.  
  1033. But can Cuphead be persuaded to stay?
  1034.  
  1035. King Dice lowers his voice sultrily to conceal the negotiative bent to his words. "I expect it'll be quite cold, running home in your damp clothes," King Dice says. "I can deliver you to The Die House closest to your little cottage... or," he continues in grinning invitation, "you could stay the night here. The laundry service can take care of your clothes and have them delivered to your room in the morning."
  1036.  
  1037. King Dice leans in for another kiss, even slower and softer than the last, trying to entice the young man to stay.
  1038.  
  1039. Then he leans away fully, fiddling with his cigar and unable to conceal his smile as he says, "Your call."
  1040.  
  1041. ---
  1042.  
  1043. Cuphead gives him an avid stare between both kisses, silently letting him make his proposition without interruption- well, apart from a shaky sigh. It was the kisses and the low, gentle voice that made him speechless the fastest. He would eventually get used to them, but for now, they had quite the serious effect on him.
  1044.  
  1045. He almost forgets to supply an answer, but then perks up once he comes back to his senses. "I-- oh! I mean... I s'ppose... if you're offerin'... then it'd be rude of me to refuse, wouldn't it?" He ends his sentence with a nervous sort of laugh, that goofy grin returning along with those rosy cheeks.
  1046.  
  1047. Besides, he was curious to see what King Dice's living space was like, if it was anything half as lavish as the casino itself was.
  1048.  
  1049. ---
  1050.  
  1051. King Dice grins with catlike satisfaction at Cuphead's token nod to propriety. Cuphead isn't given to caring if others take offense when he does as he pleases. "Oh yes, dreadfully rude," King Dice agrees grimly. "It simply isn't done."
  1052.  
  1053. King Dice slips on his shoes and pockets his bowtie and gloves, then he stands and holds his hand out in invitation.
  1054.  
  1055. "But don't worry. A King's hospitality doesn't frequently disappoint."
  1056.  
  1057. ---
  1058.  
  1059. Cuphead checks to see if he had everything in order- straw, gloves, shorts, underwear… oh, shoes!
  1060.  
  1061. With a little hop, he makes his way on to the floor, sliding them on (not with nearly as much finesse as King Dice had, though). Then, he reaches up, and takes the man by the hand, catching his eye and smirking up at him.
  1062.  
  1063. “Well. Who am I to deny the invitation of royalty, huh?”
  1064.  
  1065. ....
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