Work Text:
“Hey, Lee, when was the last time you actually relaxed?”
Lee Smith paused in front of his papers, raising his head to look at Angel on the bed.
“Pardon?”
“Y’know,” Angel made a gesture. “You’re always tense. Strained, and whatever. The only time I’ve ever seen you relaxed– like actually relaxed– was that one time when we were watching nature documentaries.” Angel fiddled with the string of their jacket. “And that was because I told you to.”
“Ah. Well.” Lee twiddled with the pen in his hands, brows furrowed slightly. “I suppose it is… difficult for me to relax naturally.” His eyes looked away from Angel for a moment, thinking. “I suppose I was taught to always be on guard. The best method to stay safe is to always protect yourself.”
Angel frowned instinctively. They knew Lee had a rough time growing up– from the small bits of information he’d told them, they could gather it wasn’t exactly easy growing up. He usually was the one his mother would rely on to make sure the other kids were ready for the day, leaving very little for Lee to just relax and be a child. Of course, those were only the details that Lee could actually remember. The actual statistics must have been much more concerning.
“Do you really believe that?” Angel rolled onto their stomach, holding their chin in their hands. “What good is protecting yourself if you’re never relaxed enough to actually enjoy it?”
Lee stopped for a moment, looking up.
“Well…” He trailed off. “The way that the mind protects itself is very complicated.” He spun around in his chair to fully face Angel. “Even if it’s not the best way for my mind to protect itself, it’s what I’ve become accustomed to. Finding a way to dismantle that way of thinking would take years of therapy, which I personally have no inclination to seek out.” He picked at his hands lightly, avoiding eye contact as he spoke. “Does that make sense?”
“I mean, yeah, it does, but that doesn’t mean it’s right.” Angel retorted. “You’re constantly stressed no matter what you do. Even when you’re having a good time, your shoulders are scrunched and you’re usually sweating.”
“I believe that is more explained by my–”
“Hyperhidrosis, right, I know.” Angel waved a hand dismissively. “But it doesn’t change my point. You’re always stressed. I want to help you not be stressed, Lee.” Angel held their hand out at Lee, making a small grabby motion with it. “I feel relaxed with you. Is it so wrong of me to want you to feel the same?”
Lee rose from his chair and moved to the bed, placing his hand into Angel’s to sate their urge for physical contact.
“... I’m inclined to agree.” He nodded, watching Angel’s smile grow slightly. “I just have very little clue as to how I would be able to manage that without severe psychological help– and I can’t go down that route. I’m not the best at lying or evading the truth when put on the spot.”
Angel laughed slightly, squeezing his (already sweaty) hand teasingly.
“I have a few ideas. Besides, I think therapy would make you worse,” Angel joked. Upon seeing Lee’s confused expression, they quickly shook their head. “I mean– you barely talk about yourself unless prompted to. I think the therapist would have a rough time getting anything out of you.”
“No. I talk about myself with you,” Lee objected.
“Yeah, when I ask you too.” Angel nudged his side slightly. “Besides, I’m not a therapist. I can’t help you unload all of what you’ve got going on in your head.” Angel rolled onto their back, stretching their arms out like a cat. “I’ve got my own stuff to deal with up here,” they said, tapping their temple slightly. “Y’know?”
Lee stared at Angel’s midriff, enamored by the ethereal beauty in the slight curve of their navel.
“Of course,” he answered.
“Yeah. But,” Angel sat up, (much to Lee’s dismay as he watched their effervescent belly button get hidden by the hem of their shirt), and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll figure something out for you. I already have a few ideas. You just have to trust me.” Angel winked.
Lee thanked God for his eyes to be blessed with such cuteness.
“Thank you, Angel.” Lee smiled, always happy to see Angel happy, even if it was for a possibly lost cause.
—
“Okay! I got it.” Angel barged into their shared bedroom with a triumphant huff, standing proudly while Lee looked over his shoulder with a slightly amused look.
“You got… what, exactly?”
“The answer to our problems.” Angel held up a thick, hardcover book. “Behold.”
Lee squinted and leaned closer to get a better look at the title.
“... ‘A Beginning Guide to Hypnosis’... Angel, what is this?” He furrowed his brows, head tilting to look at his partner. “I don’t believe in hypnosis, or magic. I’ve told you this. What we cannot understand, we simply call ‘magic’ or ‘mystical’. Everything can be explained, with time.”
“Right, I know what you’re thinking,” Angel said as they tossed the book onto the bed with a soft thwump . “How about you tell me what you think hypnosis is?”
Lee gave Angel a concerned look, the type of look that said ‘You have been spending far too much time on forum boards and we might need to take you outside more’ , but relented.
“Okay. Sure.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Hypnosis is, at its core, an insult to psychology. It is making people believe that they are something they are not. Most cases of ‘hypnosis’ are nothing more than cheap acting and stage tricks, like card tricks, only much more dehumanizing.”
“So,” Angel tapped their chin. “When you think of hypnosis, you think of the stopwatch, huh? The whole ‘pendulum swinging baaack and forth, getting so sleepy, ooooooh’.” Angel wiggled their fingers for extra emphasis. “Right?”
Lee squeezed his arms into his chest slightly. “I suppose.”
“That’s what a lot of TV shows and movies show as hypnotism,” Angel explained. “But it’s not actually right. Most hypnosis is just following directions.”
Lee raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. Angel continued.
“Most of hypnosis is trying to get people to trust the hypnotist, so that the hypnotist can guide them into something new and relaxing. Or fun. Or, hell, I’ve seen one time where a hypnotist just made the sub sleep for a few hours since they were neglecting their own needs.” Angel laughed, shrugging. Lee squinted slightly.
“You seem to be experienced in this topic.” Lee stated, head cocked to the side with curiosity. Angel flushed slightly, scratching their cheek.
“Well, to be honest… I’ve always sort of had an interest in it,” they admitted with a laugh. “Hypnosis has always been cool to me. Like, being able to turn my brain off and just follow what someone says? Yes please. Sounds awesome.” They gave a small grin, looking back to Lee. “I guess it’s just become something I’m passively into.”
Lee stared at Angel’s flushed expression, the way they danced around the topic, and let out a gentle hum.
“Does the topic of hypnosis… embarrass you?”
“What? Embarrass–? No, no, Lee, that’s– agh.” Angel shook their head a bit, holding it in their palms. “No, no. I’m not– well, technically yes. But that’s not the point. It’s more so flustering than it is embarrassing. Yknow?”
Angel swore they could hear the cogs of Lee’s mind clicking as their reaction combined with their explanation slowly processed in his head. It took him a bit, but eventually his furrowed brows raised in shock as his cheeks dusted over light pink.
“... Oh. O-Oh.”
“Yeah. There you go.” Angel laughed as they watched Lee begin to fidget and sweat, telltale signs that the man was flustered now, too.
“So… hypnosis… can be used for that sort of thing as well?” He questioned, eyes focused solely on his thumbs.
“Yeah, it can be,” Angel remarked as they walked closer to Lee. “And, while I’d always be willing to explain it to you…”
A gentle hand grabbed Lee’s chin and tilted it upwards, forcing the seated man to stare up at Angel’s dominant smirk.
“... I think it would be much more fun to show you. What do you think?”
Lee wasn’t sure if he could make any noise without sounding like a dog in heat, so he simply nodded his head fervently. Angel chuckled at the desperate motion.
“I’m glad you agree– so, how about this Friday, after you get home from work?” Angel suggested as they moved back. Lee silently whimpered at the loss of Angel’s touch, but nodded once more.
“I-I could always take the day off and just stay home inst–”
“You’re going to work, Lee. I’m not having you skip a day of work just so you can cum,” Angel jeered. “What are you, a pervert?”
The insult sent a pleasant sense of humiliation burning into his cheeks, (and his groin), as Lee simply gave a noise of agreement.
Friday evening couldn’t come soon enough.