Under Darkness [AU]

[Carver Amell]

Carver puts his fork down, staring mournfully at it. Damn. That means it's time to talk.

He clears his throat. "So, there's a few things we need to talk about, I suppose."

[Tethras Clan]

Andy swallows, hard. "Umm. Yes. Carver... Carver... umm. Well. He, uh.... we wanted to ask you something. The two of us," he says quickly, glancing at Carver. "Of you. About... us."

Seli nods slowly, watching the pair, a look of faint confusion on her face.

[Carver Amell]

Carver winces. "What are your feelings on..." Lovan was with Andy, you know her feelings on same-sex attraction.

"Andy is..." This is massively uncomfortable.

"Zevran says you're interested in me," he blurts out, instead. 

[Tethras Clan]

Seli stares a moment, then flushes. "I- well." She clears her throat. "You're... a handsome person of admirable character," she says carefully, trying to read Carver's intent with his statement, combined with the fragments he's tried first.

"I, uh, I', interested in him," Andy forces out, staring at the table. "And, umm, he... well, he's..."

[Carver Amell]

Carver takes a deep breath, lets it out. "I... am interested." He doesn't look at either of them. He doesn't specify who he's interested in. 

[Tethras Clan]

Something Seli doesn't let stand for very long, almost instantly asking, "interested in... us? You want to... court us?" She doesn't sound offended or dismayed, but rather... stunned. She'd clearly not been expecting such a declaration to come from this dinner.

[Carver Amell]

"I--"

Carver swallows, looking down at the table. "I was raised to believe that... same sex relationships were.... this is complicated," he says, finally. "But... I love the twins," he adds, softer. "And I... am interested in... each of you." 

[Tethras Clan]

Andy's head snaps to the side, eyes on Carver. A warm, almost shy smile blooms on his lips as he ducks his head to try and obscure his blush a little.

"In... both of us?" Seli asks, a little flusters. "Why-" She lowers her eyes a moment, then squares her shoulders before looking back up. "You don't have to... if you want to... be with Andy and have a place in the twin's lives, you don't have to..."

[Carver Amell]

"I might," he admits. "But I... gods, this is embarrassing, but... but I should try this honesty thing they're always talking about and... I..." He takes a deep breath, then continues, "You smell right. Like family and home and pack. And safety."

[Tethras Clan]

I smell right? Wait- her eyes dart to Hunter as she recalls their earlier conversation. "Your shifting," she realizes softly, then flushes. "You... like the way I smell?" she asks, sounding both pleased and embarrassed.

"Blue pansy, jasmine and apple blossom," Andy murmurs softly. "You never wear perfume but you leave satchels of pany and apple in your wardrobe and your soap has jasmine in it."

Seli smiles at him a little wistfully. "You always did have a good memory for things like that. Anniveries and gifts..." Lovan and I were always terrible about that sort of thing...

[Carver Amell]

Carver nods. "Yeah, that, but underneath. You smell like you: warm and soft and safe. Andy's different, he smells.. exciting. Musk and a hint of cinnamon and, and I think it's ceder? Especially when he sweats, he smells like, like adventure and, uh, anyway. But you smell like taking a nap in a warm safe place."

[Tethras Clan]

Seli stares a bit, take aback a little by that bit of information. "Carver seems to be able to take on some qualities of mabari or wolf when in his human shape. Like scent," Andy explains quietly, having run into this before.

"Oh. That's... I'm glad I bathed just before coming over?" Seli offers after a moment. Warm and safe... that's not... that sounds like a mother, not a lover. Or well...

[Carver Amell]

Carver blushes. "Uh, yeah, sorry. I uh. I was just trying this honesty trust thing Marian does and... sorry."

[Tethras Clan]

"No, that's good," Seli says quickly. "I just wasn't expecting it. And... I'm glad you like how I smell," she adds with a flush. "I..." She takes a deep breath. "I was serious about not having to... court me, if you just... You've done a lot for us, for our family. If you wanted to marry Andy, I'd be happy to have the twins call you father someday without... having to settle for me as well."

[Carver Amell]

Carver whimpers -- honest-to-god whimpers like Hunter might. "It's not, why would you think that's settling?"