yet more avoidance snipfic

[niq]

Going nuts with boredom here at work. Boredboredbored.

Friendship or no, though he'd never admit to it the Marquis de Carabas was slightly startled when Richard grabbed him roughly and kissed him.

When Richard let go, he brushed his fingers over the boy's lips, which seemed to almost glow, and smiled slightly. "That must have hurt."

"Yes," Richard said, coldly. "And humiliating."

The Marquis lifted an eyebrow delicately. "Humiliating, is it?"

"I am not your bloody messenger."

"Ah," the Marquis said, "but you are so good at it. And so miserable at Hunting."

Richard shrugged. "Maybe I am a bad hunter. It's still what I am--and I'd rather be what I am badly, than good at something I'm not."

The other eyebrow lifted. "Really."

"If I ever see that damned cat again, I will disembowel it."

"Really?" the Marquis said, the inflection indicating barely contained amusement.

"I mean it," Richard said.

"I know," de Carabas said. "I think, however, you'll find that Sparrow is a difficult creature to catch, much less kill."

Richard smiled the same unpleasant smile that Door had seen. "I'm bad at hunting. I'm not bad at killing."

de Carabas laughed.