Welcome to Gaia! ::

Xiu allowed himself to be led by the other as they entered the hedge maze. Personally, after last year’s experience, Xiu was not too keen on approaching the maze again. But Lazarus seemed very enthusiastic about it and this pique at Xiu’s curiousity. What was it that made Lazarus this excited? Did the Sigel find something interesting nestled amongst the tall hedges? Or did Lazarus simply want the both of them to experience the maze together this time? Regardless, the Sigel had assured Xiu that there were no more hidden enchantments and traps lying in wait for the unsuspecting visitor. That, at least, was something one had to be grateful for.

Another bend in the path they were treading and it seemed to Xiu that the Sigel had found what he was looking for. Xiu blinked. There was…nothing out of the ordinary with this particular part of the maze. In fact, it seemed as though they had hit a dead end and Lazarus seemed very pleased at that too!

Blue eyes looked questioningly at the other. Apart from the chirping of unseen birds among the hedges, the two raevans were pretty much on their own.

Despite the obvious dead end, Lazarus still pushed on, giving Xiu a mysterious smile as he did so. The white Sigel merely floated behind Lazarus with his head cocked slightly to his right and his expression one of astonished bafflement when Lazarus began patting the left hedge gently. It almost seemed like the Fire Sigel was tapping out a secret code.

Then, much to Xiu’s surprise, Lazarus’ hand came upon a patch of hedge that seemed more yielding than the rest. Xiu watched with mounting astonishment as Lazarus grinned wider and pushed his hand through the hedge wall and with a soft grunt shouldered his way in. Xiu floated tentatively over and inspected the newly made entrance. It was narrow to say the least and Xiu was curious as to how the other came across such an opening.

Peering through the hedge, Xiu felt his breath caught in his throat. This was…nothing less than a secret garden!

Flowers of all kinds were grown in careless abundance and the centerpiece of it all; a wooden trellis overhung with lavender-violet wisteria, stole the show. Xiu gingerly squeezed himself through the hidden opening and emerged to join Lazarus in the quiet garden.

It’s beautiful… Xiu mouthed to his friend. I really like it .

The spread of food beneath the swaying wisterias escaped Xiu’s notice for the present.

Xiu smiled. So that explained how Lazarus came to find such a treasure of a garden hidden within the maze’s tall hedges. It was a touching initiative on Lazarus’ part and Xiu found himself in awe of the lengths that Lazarus would go to to make this a perfect day.

When the fire Sigel took hold of Xiu’s hand, Xiu could barely contain a blush as it crept up his cheeks. That gesture was warm and (to Xiu) felt oddly intimate. Following the other over to the trellis, Xiu was stunned by the second surprise of the day that greeted him. Placed carefully upon a checkered table cloth was a carefully executed meal. Blue eyes met red as Xiu stared at Lazarus dumbfounded. I can’t believe you. You did all of this for…me? those blue eyes seemed to say as Lazarus led him to a bench flanking the picnic spread.

Xiu could not believe this. This whole scenario; - it was so thoughtful and touching and… flattering. Once again Xiu felt a blush beginning to form as Lazarus made an exaggerated motion of pouring out the iced-tea. It didn’t matter if the garden was overgrown or that various resident pests were present. This was a magical moment and one that the Sigel would cherish forever.

There was some incongruity about Lazarus’s statement of him buying fresh salmon and the placement of a carefully crafted smoked salmon sandwich in the palm of his hands. But why trouble oneself over the little things? The sandwich had a nice fresh look to it and the bread felt sturdy and crisp. Trust Lazarus to actually pique his interest in human fare. Xiu usually found them to be too intense in flavor for his liking.

Just as the Sigel was about to take a bite of his first smoked salmon sandwich, Lazarus made a comment about him having cobwebs on his horns. Tilting his head curiously, Xiu carefully lowered the sandwich and sat still while Lazarus saw to the cobweb’s removal.

But oh! Something odd was happening!

As Lazarus rubbed and stroke the length of the Sigel’s horn, a funny flurry sensation was building up within Xiu’s body. It felt like an itch that you never knew existed until someone began scratching it for you. Only MUCH nicer. Then…then…

Unable to stop himself, Xiu closed his eyes and let out a low purr with the Sigel himself barely conscious of it.

The closer Lazarus got to the base of his horns, the more pleasurable the feeling became. Xiu was hardly aware that the stroking had paused momentarily due to Lazarus’ surprise. It felt close to the best back rub a person could feel and an odd feeling of contentment was slowly engulfing the Sigel. If Xiu had legs, one of them would probably be twitching about now.

When Lazarus began the second phase of his stroking, Xiu leaned back against the other; clearly savouring the sensation. Blue eyes, half lidded, smiled lazily at Lazarus as Xiu reached out to touch Lazarus’ cheek. Xiu couldn’t quite reach up to the other’s horn so the Sigel settled for caressing Lazarus’ cheek instead.

The sandwich, long forgotten, was left on the side of the bench with the paper napkins.

As their lips touched, a soft blush could be seen tingeing Xiu’s cheeks, indicating that while the Sigel seemed lost in ecstasy there still remained some form of awareness within him. But like Lazarus, those feelings of reservedness were muted and dim as compared to the pleasurable sensation that was coursing through the white Sigel’s body. As their kiss deepened, so too did the light of Xiu’s rune change; from its usual steady glow, the light emitted now was pulsing serenely to mirror the Sigel’s feeling of contentment.

Gingerly, Xiu lifted his other hand to cup Lazarus’ cheek, bringing the both of them closer together and no doubt making their position look rather awkward. When the kiss finally ended, Xiu gave Lazarus a soft smile, the semblance of a blush still apparent across the Sigel’s pale features. Shaking his head as though awaking from a pleasant dream, Xiu slowly shifted away from the other, straightened his robes, blushed deeper…and approached the other once more. This time, the kiss was nothing like the half dazed one earlier. Pressing his lips firmly against the firey Sigel, Xiu returned Lazarus’ kiss with a tender but passionate one of his own.

Perhaps it was the quiet and secluded nature of the garden or perhaps the stroking earlier had acted as a catalyst but this time the kiss held no reserve. If one could put in one’s two cents on the scene, one would be wise to hypothesize that this was the buildup feelings of many a reserved meeting between two individuals who are clearly in love with each other.

Xiu could feel the warmth radiating from Lazarus’ body as the both of them were pressed close together. It felt safe, comforting. When he was with Lazarus, all other matters seem trivial by comparison. The licking though… that was a first.

For a moment the white Sigel faltered, his blue rune brightening ever so slightly with this new uncertainty but then instinct took over and Xiu found himself parting his lips for the other. There was a moment of tension when Xiu felt Lazarus’ tongue slipping into him and the familiar sensation in his teeth that heralded the extension of his fangs. Xiu wanted to pull back, afraid that he’d hurt the other as he did in the past.

But Lazarus would have none of that. Instead, the Firey Sigel tightened his grip against Xiu’s waist and pulled the both of them even closer together. This was then followed by a soft stroking against Xiu’s back. The sensation it triggered…felt both exciting and comforting.

When the kiss finally ended, Xiu was left feeling breathless. A visible blush crossed his features when Lazarus gave a soft moan. Encouraged, Xiu did not object when Lazarus pressed in for yet another kiss. This was after all, a Secret Garden; a place where society’s harsh rule do not apply.