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One would think that they would realize that a lot of time had passed since the last time Gerraden had seen his 'lover'. It had been more than a couple weeks, even bordering on months. There were many things going down that he had remained oblivious to, even if his mother and father were trying to warn him about the extremists. It hardly felt like he had to worry as he was too wrapped up on making a home for him and Rishima.

Giving up on trying to build a tree home, he had interrogated his mother on traditional Alkidike homes and was informed they were dug under the roots of great trees. So using the same tree for it was rather large and mature, he had begun the arduous task of digging. It was less glamorous than building in the trees...and a lot more tiring. After a week he felt like his arms were going to become lead. The muscles becoming like the rocks he kept encountering as he dug. Some were just annoying to remove...others huge...and he'd have to seek the air of a magic user to remove it.

Rumors had trickled in to his brain about the extremists...the fighting that was going on, but Gerr didn't have time to dabble in such things. He had a home to build! And that was how he managed to ...go without seeing Rishima...or not realize just how much time had past...since he had last seen the hybrid.

Rishima had to admit that with everything that was going on of late that he was just sort of exhausted, not that it was slowing him down though. He had a lot that he had to do at the moment, the first thing on his list being checking in on Gerraden, to see how he was fairing, to see if the extremist sisters had found him or bothered him. It was something that he worried about, that he might and found that he had been beat up for worse. It wasn't as though those women were backing down to anyone, even Rishima himself had a run in with them, having to deal with their harsh words and thickheaded point of view. He had ignored them though, not about to raise a weapon if he didn't have to, not when it might just make things worse.

After he found Gerraden, and he was certain that he was safe... well, he wasn't quite sure what he'd do. There was that part of him that wanted to keep Gerraden at his side where he would be able to keep him safe. Would he agree to such a thing though? He didn't know if Gerraden would appreciate being treated like a damsel in distress after all, not when he was far from being one, it was just Rishima wanting to keep him safe was all. If he had his way he would bring Gerraden with him when he went to check on his dear sister, Jerarda, to see how she and her family were doing. That was the second thing that he wanted to do, followed by checking in on other hybrid friends of his that lived in this area, to see how they were fairing.

Shaking his head he kept walking, stopping only when he spotted what he thought was Gerraden though he was looking rather dirty. What was he up to? Rishima's antennae gave a bit of a twitch before he started forward in that direction, to see if it was indeed Gerraden that he was looking at, and, once he got there, maybe he could figure out what it was that he was doing at the moment. Whatever it was it looked quite a bit of a mess.

The hybrid had been taking a very quick breather, trying to wipe the sweat away from his brow only to end up smearing more dirt across his skin than before. In his hand was a shovel which looked just as dirty as he did although a bit dented from running into so many stones. Looking down at the shovel he gave it a grin, it wasn't a great sword but he had been treating his entire task like it was a fight and he wasn't about to lose.

"Alright time for...round...." He started speaking to himself, though he paused as he had lost count of just how many rounds he had been playing thus far. Shrugging as he couldn't come to a number he began to step back down into the hole he had created. There were semi steps he had already built in with the stones he had discovered upon digging. And it had only taken one rainy day to learn that a dirt step was a muddy one. Stepping down into his pit it was pretty much one large hole. Roots of the tree had remained unharmed minus the very first giant root he had come across. He had been convinced it was a rock...and thus unapologetically had stabbed at it rather ruthlessly until he realized it had some give.

The large hole was big enough by now he didn't have to hunch over, and he had learned quickly to make more than one passage for air as the first couple of weeks the air got so stale down there he got dizzy on more than one occasion. He was thankful for his mothers input, she had even come by and given him pointers. Right now he was going to dig a new room, one that could be a bedroom.

He was digging quite the pit, wasn't he Rishima thought to himself, stepping a bit closer, and as he spotted the steps he realized that he was actually building more then just a hole in the ground. He was still working on the house that he'd mentioned wanting to build? A bit different from the one that he'd mentioned but then again Jerarda had mentioned how she'd had a talk with him about the 'death trap' that he'd been building earlier. So he'd decided to change up what it was that he was building, where he was building it, as well as the materials, huh?

Walking over to the top of the steps he squatted down, looking down the stairs and into the hole that Gerraden was currently in, watching for a moment, before tilting his head to one side. The various accessories in his hair gave a jingle as he did so, a sure sign for Gerraden that he wasn't alone, followed by Rishima saying, "It's looking good so far, I am most impressed with your work, Gerraden." Poor guy had been working so hard on all of this, it made Rishima that much more guilty that he'd been kept away for so long by... well, everything that had kept him. He should have gotten back a lot sooner he thought to himself, wondering if Gerraden was still building the place for both of them or if he had found someone else to share the place with when it was done.

He supposed that he wouldn't blame him for getting tired of waiting for Rishima, especially since he'd been more then a little oblivious to this point about exactly why Gerraden was trying so hard. It was with Jerarda's help that he even seemed to realize, not only about Gerraden but what he was thinking himself. Here was to hoping he wasn't an eternity too late.


The sound of Rishima's hair fetish's at first sounded weird in the cave, after all he was digging so for a moment he thought he was hearing things. He even paused for a moment wondering if...it could be. But shaking his head he knew he must just of been hopeful before his shovel went back into stabbing at the earth. Of course that was abruptly stopped when a voice spoke out behind him. Half turning his eyes when large as he spotted Rishima squatting just outside the cave's entrance. Dropping the shovel he turned and then nearly slipped in the loose stone before regaining his balance.

Excitement filled his expression he was so thrilled to see Rishima that like a pup greeting its master he rushed at Rishima even going as far as tackling him to the ground. He had gotten more muscular since the last they had seen each other, probably due to the hard labor he had been put through trying to build a tree house, dismantle it and now digging an underground home instead.

"Rishima!' He exclaimed wanting so desperately to kiss him but was too wrapped up in hugging him at the moment to dare let go.

A gasp of surprise escaped from Rishima's lips as he found himself tackled by Gerraden and brought down to the ground on his back. His spear went clattering out of his hand and off a short distance away but he wasn't too worried, not when it wasn't someone dangerous who was 'attacking' him at the moment. No, it was just Gerraden in all of his enthusiasm he thought to himself as he starred up at the younger male. He seemed as though he were quite happy to see Rishima, a sign that maybe he hadn't missed out on him he thought to himself in a happy manner.

"Gerraden." He said, giving him a smile from where he was laying, smiling as he was given a hug despite the fact that he was going to end up as coated in mud and dirt as Gerraden himself was. No matter though, it wasn't as though there weren't plenty of places around that he could get cleaned up, "I missed you too." He said, lifting his arms up so that he could wrap them around Gerraden, giving him a bit of a hug, then said, "Almost enough to kiss you if you weren't coated in mud." It was a bit of teasing on his part, but also it was partly to gauge a reaction from Gerraden, to see what he thought to of the idea, and if he was still interested in such a thing after so long. Rishima felt that testing the waters was a good thing to do before he proceeded further with his affections.

The fact that Rishima had returned his hug was enough to send him reeling in happiness, it didn't even dawn on him that perhaps the older hybrid wouldn't want to be hugged by someone who had been sweating and working in a pit of dirt all day but that was too late now. He enjoyed the hug quite a bit, though when Rishima had mentioned kissing it got the others full attention. What was that??

Staring down at Rishima it was like his brain had stopped working. And perhaps it had...

Leaning in he gave Rishima a sly smile, gently lifting him up with his one strong arm. "Oh..you don't like to get dirty? Well..why don't I show you the start of our bed room...perhaps we can ...break it in.." Gerradan suggested before he laid a passionate kiss on the hybrids mouth.

Or at least that was what he would of liked to have done....snapping out of his day dream he looked down upon himself, he was more brown than white at this point "Ah...yeah...well we could fix that!" Gerraden managed as he scrambled off of Rishima and went about taking off his shirt. "There is a stream nearby! We can clean up there!" he exclaimed while in such a rush of taking of his shirt..managing somehow to get it caught on his head.

Rishima watched the manner in which Gerraden seemed to go off into some other world, making him really wonder what it was that he was thinking about at the moment. Hard to say but the sort of dazed look that Gerraden seemed to get from time to time had always made Rishima rather curious. Giving a soft chuckle he lifted a hand to wave it in front of his face, about to ask when Gerraden seemed to come out of his thoughts and was suddenly scrambling to his feet, going on about how there was a stream nearby that they could get cleaned up in.

Pushing himself up to his feet Rishima brushed off a bit, his antennae giving a twitch, before he turned to look at Gerraden who seemed to have gotten himself all tangled up. Rishima blinked a couple times then stepped forward, reaching out to Gerraden, "Here, let me help you with that." He said, not really thinking much about it as he helped the younger man out of his shirt. At least not until he'd gotten him free of it. Huh, was it just him or was Gerraden looking a lot more muscular since he'd last seen him? More grown up in fact, a change that he found himself rather enjoying thought once he realized he was starring he offered Gerraden the shirt he was holding tightly to and said, "Ah, did you want to lead the way, Gerraden?"

He had to remind himself that he was a grown man and that he should know better then to star at someone in such a manner. Starring was rude even if he hadn't meant to appear as such. Moving to the side a couple steps he swept up his spear, just in case, and turned back to Gerraden waiting to follow him to the stream.

The hybrid felt rather foolish at the moment, needing help getting his shirt off as if he was a youngling again. Though once the offending piece of clothing was removed he caught sight of Rishima staring at him. Well it had been awhile since they had last seen each other, it would make sense that Rishima would stare a little bit. Giving a chuckle he used his thumb to wipe a bit of dirt of his cheek, only to really smear it worse.

"Yeah I know my mother keeps telling me I am over doing it with the house, but I can't help it..I just want it to be perfect for the two of us." Gerraden managed modestly, "Once we are done cleaning up I could show you what I've got thus far! I'd be further along except that rocks keep impeding my progress." Gerraden complained as he reached for the shirt Rishima was offering him before moving past the shirt and taking a hold of Rishima's hand instead. Well he would of if Rishima hadn't of moved to pick up his weapon. Gerr's own sword was left at home, most people left him alone...a muscular man wielding a shovel seemed just as dangerous as sword. That or people thought he was nuts.

"Ah yah, the stream is this way." He managed a bit flustered he missed his chance to get to hold Rishima's hand. Perhaps another opportunity would show up. "I probably smell pretty sweaty too..sorry I tackled you to the ground...I was just so thrilled to see you!" Gerr continued quite cheerfully as he headed in the direction of the stream.

"It's a lot of hard work to be doing on your own, it's very commendable that you are keeping at it and working so hard. I am impressed, Gerraden." To think that he would go about this on his own, but then again Rishima supposed that he'd said as much in the past, that he would build a home for the two of them, and it seemed that he meant to do just that. It was very kind of him he thought to himself before he said, "I'd love to see what you have done so far." Gerraden was building the place for the two of them, so he was quite curious to see all of it.

Falling into step alongside the other hybrid he gave a little laugh, "It was a bit surprising, I only get greeted in such an enthusiastic manner by my sister Jerarda, and even with her I am not quite sure if she'd tackled me as many times as you have since we met." Thinking back on it had he not accidentally tackled Rishima during their first meeting even? Something that caused his smile to grow just remembering it.

Reaching out he gave Gerraden's hair a little ruffle, "I am happy to see you too, Gerraden, it's been too long, and I apologize for that." He told him, feeling bad that he'd been kept away for so long yet again. It seemed that his work back home was never done... but with everything going on nowadays it felt better that he spent a bit of time away from the Chibale Isles so as not to make things worse. Not that he'd say that out loud, not wanting to worry Gerraden.

The young man beamed, loving the praise he received from Rishima and if he had a tail it would of been wagging quite intensely at this moment. Though he did have a misstep when Rishima mentioned Jerarda...that sister who had not only made fun at his first attempt at building a home, but then tied him up along with another Alkidike by the name of Volle. That had just been beyond embarrassing. He didn't understand what was so great about this 'sister' Jerarda, beyond the fact he got the sense that Rishima idolized her. Making him quite jealous.

"Well I must be better at it than her, " He managed trying not to sound annoyed and more matter of factly about it. But still the stream was in sight now and his sour mood quickly dissipated as he looked to Rishima with excitement. "Its right here! The water isn't too fast and its wide enough and deep enough to swim in, sometimes there are fish!" Gerraden stated quite happily as he took this opportunity to take Rishima's free hand and tug him forward.

"And you were gone...I lost track of time though...digging our new home...but you need to come back more often! After all soon we will have a house to live in! Your not going to make me live in it alone are you?" He lectured as he dragged Rishima to the waters edge. Dropping his shirt to the bank he then went about removing his pants as well not even thinking twice about it beyond he had to get all of himself clean.

Rishima couldn't help but to laugh, giving a nod of his head, "You are quite good at it, yes." He agreed, finding it kind of cute that Gerraden wanted to take the role as being the best at tackling him. Rishima wasn't quite certain it was true, it would require allowing the two of them to go through some sort of 'tackling challenge' but Rishima wasn't sure if he was up for getting tackled by them both repeatedly. As such he'd give it to Gerraden since it seemed important.

That decided he continued along with Gerraden until they reached the stream he was bringing them too. It was much bigger then he'd expected, with enough room even to swim it would seem. It was something that had his antennae twitching for a thoughtful moment before he said, "This looks nice, and it's good to have a good sized source of water like so close to the place your building." It would allow for regular baths, not to mention the chance at catching fish for a meal. Gerraden had put a lot of thought into the spot he was building the house at, didn't he? Something that impressed him all that much more.

"You're very right, Gerraden, I should come back more often." He agreed, giving a smile and a bit of a flush as Gerraden said that soon the house would be done and that Rishima shouldn't make him live there alone, "I wouldn't want to leave you alone, especially nowadays." He mused, finding his words trailing off as Gerraden stripped down, watching for a moment, before he busied himself with doing the same. Best not to stare he reminded himself yet again, folding his clothing, placing it on a rock above the water's reach along with his spear before he started into the water. A soak in the water would be nice, not to mention relaxing after his long trip here.