|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2022 2:00 pm
 |
|
|
 |
Faustite didn't have any business waking Aelius up in the wee hours of the morning. The landscape beyond his windows was thick with darkness, impenetrable without the lone street light cutting through the clear night. Faustite would have been his own walking beacon, had he not teleported directly into the boy's apartment.
It was familiar enough for that after he, Waru, and Aelius made up with one another. Following that, he stole away to Aelius's flat more frequently, until the position of the couch and coffee table and area rug became second nature to him. When he first appeared, he watched the place light up as if from a fireplace, watched how his flame sparked and danced brilliance over the uncomfortable couch and its accompanying blanket. He stepped beyond it, hesitant for how his steel heels clopped against the floor loudly. Still, nothing stirred; Aelius must have been in a dead sleep.
His bedroom was a short distance away in the compact apartment, and Faustite slipped beyond the doorframe to find his boy's prone form spread across the generous bed. The room itself lacked for much space beyond it, and some of that precious real estate was taken up by twin nightstands. He approached, grateful for the soft rug deadening his footfalls, and bent near the head of violet wefts. A thought cast to the cincher materialized it in hand, and Faustite fastened it meticulously before he leaned too close to the boy. Once he was level with the boy's ear, he murmured near its shell.
"Hey. Wake up." He waited, listening to the boy's deeper breaths. Nothing more than a noncommittal groan.
Reaching out, Faustite shook Aelius's shoulder gently. "Wake up," he whispered, earnest. "We're watching the sunrise." He waited again, counted the seconds, got another, more exasperated groan.
Faustite's gaze narrowed. He stared hard at Aelius's ear for a moment, considered what he would do next, then bent down and licked it. Full-tongued, long and slow and spitty.
kolina backdated to before the blight shenanigans!
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2022 5:53 pm
|
|
|
|
The previous night had been spent dealing with negaverse quotas in the back a** alleys where hole-in-the-wall bars tended to be tucked away. Tight quarters and a lack of neon lights made gathering energy that much easier as drunks left to head back their own homes or the abode of whoever they had managed to pick up that night. Easyt hough it was, he’d been out late and sleep had been so incredibly welcomed when he got home.
Hitting the hay never felt so good after a long day beforehand. Plus, the night had been planned according to his needs at work. So, with an alarm set for 9 am, he knew he’d hit his required mark of slumber.
Not fully registering that someone was attempting to wake him, Aelius buried his face further into the pillows. His body knew it was too early. He must have been dreaming the voice. He groaned his complaints but didn’t do anything else as sleep fully retook him.
Something wet and unexpected slurped at his ear. Again, his mind thinking it was a mere dream it took a moment of two for anything to fully register before a hand reached up to wipe away the feeling only to bat at something hard that was not him.
Eyes groggily opened as confusion registered, quickly followed by alarm as raised up on an elbow to discover the origin of his scare… “********.” He said, heart pounding in his chest as he collapsed again against the pillows. “You’re gonna give me a damn heartattack doing that.” He said into the pillow.
Taking a moment to let his poor heart calm, he eventually rolled back over before sitting up, blankets falling to puddle around his waist revealing a bare chest. Glancing at his phone that sat on the table next to him. A quick tap revealed the time. “Why?” A hand rubbed down his face. “It’s too early.” He bemoaned.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2022 6:11 pm
|
|
|
|
A hand pawed his face and Faustite remained still, curious whether the heat would wake him up, or if the feel of a foreign body would. He hadn't long to wait; Aelius soon roused to a state of abject panic, though he recovered before Faustite had to explain himself.
Faustite considered the heart attack, head tilting to and fro. "Be nicer next time," he decided. When he next chased Aelius out of bed, he'd do it in a manner that would guarantee his boy an excellent mood. This time, however, they hadn't time for that. Well — they might've had time for that, if Aelius was quick about it, but —
Flame eyes settled on the boy, and Faustite seated himself on the edge of the bed. He couldn't stifle a small smile at how bold and theatrical Aelius often was, and how much he enjoyed blowing that little stunt out of proportion. The burning General clicked his tongue, then reached out to pap the boy's thigh with the back of his hand.
Aelius insisted it was too early, but Faustite grunted his dissent. A quick glance at the phone informed him as much. "Sixteen minutes. Enough time for you to put clothes on. Get," he encouraged, and he was pushing the blankets down the boy's thighs, then pressing his stiflingly warm shoulder against Aelius to bodily force him out of bed. The boy would rise, the boy would like it, and the boy would put clothes on and make himself presentable. He didn't have to be presentable as if going to a job interview, but Faustite wanted him to be dressed appropriately for loitering outside. While they were out, there would be no living furnace to keep the boy warm and comfortable while he sat around in his underwear.
"Get up," he urged, voice a margin strained. "We're seeing the sunrise."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2022 8:06 pm
|
|
|
|
”Better be.” He replied with a sleepy knowing smile before yawning, behind the back of his hand.
Of all dang mornings for his boy to get this notion in his head though. Mph. Aelius just longed to curl up into the fading warmth of his bed as the cool of the early morning apartment began to seep in. A chill brought the growth of goose pimples on his skin before Faustite began to bodily urge him from his slumber place.
“Fine. Fine.” He huffed as he dissentangled his feet from the sheets. Standing he stretched up, his back popping at the movement which elicited an appreciative sigh. Now he was definitely chilly and instead could think of a million other things he could do right now, one of which was curling up on that mattress with his boy. His own personal little heater to love and sleep with. A perfect scenario that, by the look of Faustite’s determination in seeing the sunrise, wasn’t going to happen.
So, with nothing left to it, he crossed over to the clothing rack where a small chest sat underneath. From there he dug around through his dance attire to pull out a pair of black sweats, a tank and a hoodie. Nothing fancy, but definitely very easy to strip out of to fall back into bed afterwards. Hell, maybe he’d just stay in them.
He slipped into them all quick enough. Shifting back to his nightstand he pulled a hairtie from a small dish that sat there and wrangled the mess of purple locks into a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck.
“Presentable enough?” He questioned with a smile. Surely not his usual attire outside of ballet class or the gym, but considering how damn early it was and how little sleep he’d have, it would do. He had high doubts they’d see many people beyond the early birds out running their hearts out or the poor souls with an ungodly start time for work. Grabbing his phone he pocketed it in the kangaroo pouch. “So…” Another yawn that he tried to stifle. “Do you have somewhere specific you like to go?” Cause Aelius certainly didn’t he rarely had time to enjoy these little things in life and honestly, if given the chance, he’d have gladly skipped todays.
But, with Faustite there waiting for Aelius to be readythe young man couldn’t help feeling a small flutter in his chest. It was these little moments that mattered. It always had been, even when they knew each other as Elex and Rowan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2022 9:35 pm
|
|
|
|
This boy was often needy and overblown, but it added to his charm. Faustite watched him from the bed as he finished fussing and dressing himself for the occasion. Helpful that he picked something warmer.
Faustite stared at him for the question, wondering what constituted more or less presentable. He had clothes on, so he wasn't getting arrested. What else Was there? There must've been some arbitrary social mores that he missed, but he wasn't going to suddenly remember them — or give a s**t about them — so he shrugged. "Long as you're warm."
While Aelius looked ready to fall asleep standing, Faustite shifted off the bed. As was his habit, Faustite answered the question wordlessly by taking up Aelius's hand.
A second passed, then two, then they were atop a hotel declared a historical landmark. The structure carried much of its original victorian flair, owing to the regulations imparted by the declaration, and it looked like something out of history in the middle of the parking lot. Half its lot was full, and the pair would hear little stirring within — only a few early risers rented the upper rooms and most preferred their windows shut to any smog. What little conversation they could hear sounded distant, impossible to discern for any meaning.
The rooftop was flat, decorated with what was once a well-kept garden. Now it lapsed into overgrowth and disrepair, with a surfeit of dead husks. Only ground cover thrived, and clover had overgrown every inch of space save for the wooden slats of the two benches. Littered cigarette butts lay between the two benches. No one had been up there in an age.
Despite the decrepit area. it fostered an unmatched view of the river. That day, the sun was expected to rise over the water. In the early hours of the morning, there was only Faustite's light, up until even that was no longer an option. It was Eion that took up Aelius's hands. "Well?" He asked, looking expectant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2022 6:30 pm
|
|
|
|
He hummed as he considered the question, then Faustite shook his head. "Prefer the park, but this is quieter." As he spoke, his body was ensconced in magic, flame tempered and reduced to Eion's cool skin.
There was an unspoken story to this place, one that Eion was grateful for not having to explain. While it wasn't his choice location for spotting a sunrise, it had been his brother's. Erol worked at the hotel as one of the jobs he had been juggling, and he was here that he met his then-girlfriend. They used to steal away to the rooftop and smoke together, chat about insufferable guests, or gossip about their layabout coworkers. Eion imagined that they got up to other unmentionable tasks, which would explain the baby-to-be, but those were memories better left unscrutinized.
It was through death that Eion learned the strangeness of interconnectivity. The rooftop garden become overgrown and unkempt because Erol had the key on him when he died. The owners had no other copy; they must have decided against paying a locksmith since, as his brother had told him, no one went out onto the rooftop regardless.
Eion had been up there a handful of times as Elex, usually when his brother was feeling wistful and willing to impart advice, well-received or not. Thus, the space had become his space, inextricably tied to his brother's memory.
After indulging Aelius in a kiss, Eion's fingers brushed against the back of the boy's hand, and he departed for the bench. Being the gremlin that he oft was, he crouched atop the seat, and searching fingers found the gouges of guests past. His fingertips fitted against a set of grooves that spelled JK EY inside of a lopsided heart. Then they departed, searching out other tactile stimulation in forgotten messages.
"Could make you less upset, but it has to wait 'til after," he replied with a mischievous smile. It smoothed, and his attention turned to the growing rose over the horizon. The scant clouds were painted in lurid violets and reds, and soon they would brighten further with the harsh glory of a new day.
"Come sit with me," he urged. As much as he enjoyed a good sunrise, cuddling a boy while watching it was what made it worth pausing for.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:23 pm
|
|
|
|
Aelius watched as Eion slipped away to find a comfortable spot on one of the well-worn benches. He paused a moment to look back to the ever reddening horizon, the promise of the sun's emergence growing with each passing second. The city, would soon be awake and bustling once again with the birth of the new day and Aelius found himself already missing the quiet of the night and early morning.
Aelius turned away from the blossoming sunrise at Eion's beckoning. He paused only a moment to enjoy the sight of Eion crouched upon the bench amongst the late summer garden left wild. It was a lovely picture. Eion, as he was now, was dark, almost brooding in his aesthetic and tone, but the sly smile showed a peak of Eion's own wild self. The firestorm that was Faustite was as unpredictable as a summer storm and as unforgiving as wildfire. Eion and Faustite made a whole, a balanced entity. "I'll keep you to that promise." He remarked with his own sly smile as he finally moved to join the boy on the bench.
How many times had they done this before? Before the world was turned upside down those five years ago? Memories were still fuzzy the closer he got to the night of his corruption but those weeks with Elex before were still there. Memories once forgotten and pushed to the back of his mind for fear of longing for what he had, assumed, was long lost. He wondered if there was some unknown entity out there laughing at the two of them for the naivety.
As he sat he drapped an arm along the back of the bench behind Eion. Long legs he stretched out, crossed at the ankle as he simultaneously pulled Eion to him and leaned in."I can't stay angry at you, you know that right?" He said as he looked at Eion. "I haven't been able to do that for the past five years, so waking me up for this." He gestured to the sunrise with a tilt of his head, 'hardly constitutes me being upset."
A foot bored gently as he sat enjoying the view cuddling against Eion. His mind continued to wander down the path of memories. "I wish we would have had this before." He said quietly. "The time and ability to just be together without having to worry about time limits or social expectations." Funny how, as much as he struggled with the fact he'd lost so much, Aelius felt freer now than as Rowan where so many expectations were set upon him. It took a long time to appreciate what came out of the cinders of Rowan's demise.
"I don't remember it." He said quietly. "My corruption." He pulled Eion a bit closer. "You were there, weren't you?" His voice was soft as he watched and waisted for the rising sun to show itself. "I always assumed you were but now knowing what I know, it just makes the most sense."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2022 3:41 pm
|
|
|
|
"Mm." Eion's smile remained as he was pulled in, and he wrapped his arms about the boy. Cold fingers dug for warmth at the edges of Aelius's clothes, for the still bed-warm skin underneath. "Hope that's true." He rested his head against Aelius's shoulder.
"Wonder if it would feel as good." Eion's attention lit on each cloud, warming with the incoming sun, until they were each painted brilliant hues before the first sliver of molten gold dawned on the horizon. It split across the river, shining and vast, as the sun slowly rose to greet the city. "Wonder if the time limits and expectations taught us to enjoy it. Or if the strife made these moments sweeter, more necessary."
Eion had to learn to stop dwelling on the past, on what could've been, on undoing tragedy. It had never stood a chance of restoring his humanity when he was first youmafied, nor had it brought back any of his family. It didn't stop Ilse, or Nembus, or Lysithea from defecting. Didn't keep Sylvite or Cybele on their side. Regret hadn't gotten back the two years he spent in the Rift, or made up for the lives lost on his last mission. Nor had it repaired the burn scars that now dotted his boys — each testaments to his tempestuous temper. But they had, each and every one of them, taught him the value of the good in his life — the boys who chose to stay with him, the team that burgeoned and bloomed beneath him.
So moments like these — regardless of the path that got them there, he could always find reason to relish them.
Eion grunted, looking up at his boy quizzically for the question that interrupted his thoughts. "Mm. Better that you didn't."
He breathed a deep sigh, letting it out slowly as he renewed his grip on Aelius's waist. "Invited you over for dinner. Was your first time at my house — always kept you apart from it. Was youmafied back then, and…" He hesitated on the word for a beat, then continued. "My mom — my real mom — was dead. So. Schörl posed for my mom. She made dinner, then we talked. Talked until my energy wore out, my glamour unraveled. Then she tried to indoctrinate you. Took the help of a Sovereign. Axinite.
"Hated that night."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:25 pm
|
|
|
|
As the morning’s rays grew brighter and the sky lighter, Aelius sighed contently. “Whatever it is that taught us to relish these little moments, I am glad for it.”
Aelius smiled as Eion snuggled in even further, seeking out warmth since his own was gone in the fleeting time the half-youma could dalliance as a full human. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend that they were nothing but children again, enjoying stolen times together. It had felt so innocent and carefree in those days but Aelius wouldn’t give up what they had now for what was then. They had both grown so much and learned from their experiences and each other. It was honestly a big mark in their favor considering they’d both managed to survive as long as they had. Aelius would be remiss if he didn’t acknowledge the multitude of mistakes he had made in the past. Especially the time following his corruption.
With the burgeoning light, Aelius pulled Eion closer as suspicions were confirmed. “The idea of Schorl portraying your mother is enough for me to be thankful I can’t remember that night.” He teased, worried that perhaps the change in conversation would bring about a case of doldrums.
The fact that a General Sovereign had to be pulled in was no real surprise considering Aelius was a senshi. So he didn’t dwell on that bit of news. What bothered him most was knowing that Schorl likely had orchestrated the entire thing. As tough as Faustite had been upon Helio’s awakening, the boy had never been outright cruel. The fact that Eion had to watch whatever reaction he got from the then Rowan as the glamour fell was…to be honest, he didn’t want ot think about it.”I am so sorry.” He whispered.
As he practically tucked Eion against him, Aelius rested his chin on the top of the other boys head after placing a chaste kiss on dark locks. “Thank you though for telling me.” There were times in the past when he knew words would have been beaten around the bush to avoid answering the question. A time when the two of them p***y-footed around each other as a result of their own insecurities. Or at least that was how Aelius was preferring to view it. Times were difficult. They’d both done their best. “I appreciate the honesty.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2022 6:36 pm
|
|
|
|
Eion nodded against the proffered shoulder, content to leech all of Aelius's body heat in the wake of the imminently much cooler day. He hadn't his normal body heat now, and seldom got used to the cooler temperatures at which humans ran; everyone else always felt warmer than him, and they were the ones most often comfortable in weather that chilled him to the bone.
He let the comment about Schörl slide; they had both mentioned her enough. Any more and he expected her to pop into existence beside him, chiding him for not being productive enough, or for dating mediocrity.
"Hard to tell people things," he admitted after their silence. The sunset had begun to crest, and its brilliance destroyed Eion's delicate night shift eyes. He squeezed them shut, as if it would stop the sun from peering through the skin and illuminating every blood vessel in his eyelids. "Always have the wrong timing or the wrong words. Easier to commit to action, but — that gets lost on people, too." He frowned against the fabric of Aelius's shirt. Even that admittance came out incorrect, in a manner and character that he couldn't identify. Felt like it never captured the whole story, or the subtle complexities that went with actions versus words, or it did a disservice to a poet's ability to make volumes of meaning out of a hundred words or less.
It was a lot to think about, but he didn't have to do it now. They could enjoy some time yet before Eion made good on his promise. "Thought about what you want?" He reached for the boy's left hand, fingers lacing over it for a brief moment. His fingers felt far warmer; Eion liked the heat. Maybe Aelius had it all planned out. Maybe he only mulled it over a while, or he hadn't put any thought to it at all — a wedding could be the last thing on his mind. His hand, thus, only lingered for a moment.
"It's cold," he admitted as his hands finally found their way under Aelius's shirt. He drew in a shivering breath.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 4:11 pm
|
|
|
|
Just do your best, he said. Eion wondered if that would be enough. What if, at the end of some bloody mission, with only half their team standing, that was all he had to say? Jadarite was dead, but he did his best. Alkmene was missing an arm, but he did his best. The enemy took Albite, but he did his best. As if intention had the right to defuse all arguments and disarm every accuser.
But he supposed the sense lay in the sentiment. It was meant as a goal, not an excuse. In the end, if something like that happened, he would be judged regardless of intention.
They'd have to find Aelius's happy medium eventually, he surmised. To fail to find it meant many more fights like the ones they'd had, each to more and more abysmal conclusions until the pair finally broke off and Heliodor found himself a new team. Silent on his boy's points, his attention shifted down to Aelius's fingers, sizing them up for the width of the ring. Might've been an 8, perhaps, or a margin larger. Easy enough to start with a thicker band and carve its aperture wider if it didn't quite fit. That would be Aelius's happy medium, he supposed.
"Mm?" Eion looked up at the boy. "Ok with… Rings? Think so."
He wore one from Waru. Gave Celadonite a ring. Had plans for a ring for this one. Alkmene's pendant was something different, but not as unique as the tattoo the boy wore.
Eion smiled after, feeling quite self-satisfied for getting a boy to yelp like that. Snuggling in to Aelius's shoulder, he breathed a contented sigh. Of course Aelius loved him. "For better or worse."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
