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Ka'hmesh was one of those people that others generally thought of as a "nice guy". The type that was quiet, polite, and a gentleman ... who could have easily used several things to his advantage but chose not to. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had dark eyes and light hair - which made him a huge hit with the ladies, despite the fact that his hair was an unusual pale blue color and those eyes were blood-red, crimson. It didn't seem to matter though. If anything, the oddness only made him more desirable. Add to that the fact that he had a set of (everyone agreed) very sexy tattoos on his face and you got one heck of a hunk.

Problem being that Ka (as he was generally called) didn't really seem interested in women. He didn't seem particularly interested in men either, which was another odd aspect of him. It made him a mystery of sorts - which didn't help matters. There were usually at least four or five women hinting at him off and on for dates (or more) but Ka either ignored them (in the politest way possible) or else refused their advances (equally politely). Somehow, he did so in such a way that no one was ever really offended and he ended up with lots of friends - or what one might call friends. They were more aquaintances ... none of them really knowing much about him beyond what they could see on the surface.

Then again, there was always going to be that one woman ... who was not only stubborn, but also dense as an overgrown forest. Who didn't take the hints he dropped either because she didn't see them or because she totally ignored them. Take your pick. At any rate ... Ka had picked up one of these, somehow. Or rather, she'd picked him up. Her name was Carol. Ka didn't recall her last name and didn't really care to. He was starting to get annoyed with her advances, to be honest, but he couldn't think of a way to get rid of her that wasn't utterly blunt and most likely rude.

So when she finally conceded to leave him alone if he just went on one single date with her, he relented. She was apparently convinced that after spending a matter of hours with her, he'd fall madly in love. Sure, and he would also grow wings and fly away. But at any rate ... he did agree to the date.

Things actually didn't go too badly, at first. They went to a nice sort of resteraunt not too far from where Ka worked, had a decent enough conversation (considering that Ka had to keep most words to a two-syllable maximum), but then ... as he was getting ready to leave, she began to insist that he come and see this "adorable little shop" she'd found the other day. Now Ka was really less than interested in any sort of shop Carol might find interesting, much less "adorable", but he agreed to go more to shut her up than for any other reason.

And so it was that Ka (and Carol) ended up in the Solace Scents shop, with her dragging him about to look at various things and quite literally cooing over them for about two seconds before dragging him on to the next (and usually all the way across the shop). The shopkeeper had glanced up when they came in, but then just started ignoring them when she figured out they probably wouldn't actually buy anything. Even if Carol couldn't see it, she could tell Ka wasn't really interested in being here.

"Kaaaaa!" Carol's (rather strident) voice rang out, from across the room. "Come and look at this one, isn't it sooo cute!!" Ka winced, having escaped for a moment to "go to the restroom". He'd wondered if maybe he hid for a few minutes if she would just ... leave. Apparently no such luck. With a slight sigh, he headed over toward her, expression serious - obviously tolerating her but not really liking it. Per usual, she was oblivious to this. Turning, she held up a little bowl filled with some sort of liquid in a metal cradle, smiling as if there were a million light bulbs inside her someplace.

Ka nodded slightly, peering at the thing. "It's nice," he commented quietly.

"Oh if you like that one you should see this other one over there!" and off they went again.

Eventually, Ka started to make noises about needing to get on home (please for the love of all that is HOLY) and reluctantly, Carol slowed down just a little ... until she found a new tactic. "Oh I know! You should let me buy you one! After all you paid for dinner and they aren't very expensive at all, so just pick one and I'll go buy it and then you'll have something to remember me by!" All of this was bubbled out nearly too fast for him to catch it ... but when he did understand, Ka blinked slightly, and then reached back and grabbed one of the things pretty much at random, handing it over to her.

She eyed it for a moment, as if to criticize his choice, but he offered her a bit of a smile and said, "I rather like that one ... simple but beautiful, don't you think?" She immediately nodded like a puppet with too-tight strings and bounced over to the counter. Ka waited where he was, resisting the urge to rub his temples. It would all be over soon ... just let her pay for the stupid thing and give it to him and he could go home.

Coming back over toward him, Carol handed him a little bag with another million-watt smile. "There you go!" she said. "I think you'll have to get a candle or something to light underneath it." Glancing back toward the counter, she leaned in a bit. "That woman over there was talking about some very odd things. I think she's a little ... ah ... " she trailed off and made a vague kind of motion near her head with one hand. Ka could really care less. He rather thought Carol was the one who was cracked. But no matter. Home ... soon.

Taking the bag, he offered another smile and nodded. "I'll get a candle later. Thank you, Carol. Now I really should be going ..."

She nodded again and smiled back at him, one hand on his arm. "All right, go on, I'm sure you have things to do (as if he hadn't indicated such twenty minutes ago). I'll see you later, Ka~!" And with that, she breezed out of the shop, happy as a clam that he'd let her buy him something.

So now ... the little incense burner sat on a table to one side in his small living room ... more or less forgotten and ignored.

One day ... a couple of weeks after the Carol incident, Ka got home a bit earlier than usual. One of his co-workers had asked him to switch shifts for some reason, so Ka ended up home a few hours before he usually was. And as such, he had no real plans for the day. There were some books he'd been meaning to start reading ... or he could work on any number of household projects he'd been putting off ... he was just trying now to decide precisely what to do.

It was right about then, that his gaze fell on the little incense burner he'd ... acquired earlier. Curious, he walked over toward it and leaned down, sniffing. There was a bit of a faint scent to it, but obviously he'd need to get a candle and light the thing if he really wanted to know what it smelled like.

With a little shrug, he decided that he might as well ... and went looking for candles. It took some time to find one, but eventually he returned to the living room, carrying a small candle and a match. Setting the candle down, he struck the match against the sole of a shoe and lit it ... then moved the candle over underneath the oil.

There ... now ... for one of his books. He knew it would take a little while for the oil to warm up enough to smell like anything in particular, so he had some time to kill. Smiling slightly, he settled down in his old, beat-up armchair - incense burner now on the table by his elbow - and opened the book up, starting to read.

This particular book was a sort of mystery, involving much skulking about in dark alleyways and suspense and the like. As he read ... Ka began to imagine somehow that it was getting colder. It wasn't too bad at first ... but then when a small wisp of smoke floated by in front of the words on the page, he looked up sharply, gaze immediately going to the only thing that could possibly be burning.

And indeed, the smoke was coming from that incense ... but there was something odd about it. Frowning, Ka leaned in a bit closer, eyeing it. Then he waved a hand near the thing. The smoke ... looked more like a sort of fog than true smoke - and aside from that, it was cold. That ... wasn't right. Frowning, Ka moved his hand below the little bowl, closer to the candle itself. Yea ... that ... was definitely hot. Then why was the smoke from the incense cold?

Almost afraid to touch the oil now, Ka inched a little closer, peering at it from all sides. Just what kind of shop had Carol managed to drag him into that day? Eventually, he did reach over, intending to touch the oil lightly ... but when he did, his fingertip went right through a bit of the foggy smoke first, and he yelped, pulling back. It had gotten much colder at that ... a sharp, biting sort of cold. The type of cold that could freeze exposed limbs in a matter of seconds. Not to mention there was now a new layer to the scent of it ... something that reminded him strangely of blood.

Unnerved, Ka leaned over and blew out the candle for the moment, moving the incense burner farther away from him. Maybe tomorrow ... he would take it back to that shop ...

---

The next day, though, Ka decided to ... perform a little experiment. Leaving the burner where he'd moved it to the night before, he lit the small candle under it before leaving for work. He wanted to see if it would make the entire room (or more) colder by the time he got home. And well ... it wasn't as if it was going to burn the house down or anything. Right?

Even as he left the shop, Ka's head was still spinning with what he had learned. Apparently -all- of the oil burners sold there eventually turned into these ... children. And all unwittingly, he seemed to have acquired one. So now, he had a child to care for. A child he knew next to nothing about, except the Scent that it had come from. A Scent that was completely opposite from what he might have chosen if he had been given a choice. Ka didn't like winter, or cold, or snow ... not at all. Oh, and not to mention, the boy was absolutely wild, so far as he could tell so far. The entire time he had been in the shop, the young Scent boy had alternately curled up in his lap or gone tearing through the shop like a whirlwind, breaking (or trying to break) anything and everything he could get his hands on. Ka had no idea how to control him, what to do with him ... but it seemed that whether he liked it or not, he was the guardian of the boy now. Who had calmly informed him just moments ago that his name was Rhiloss, in a very matter of fact way.

And for his part, Rhiloss was secretly delighted in having such a guardian as Ka. The older man was heat to his cold ice, amusing as anything to chase and pounce on. But something in the small Scent wanted love as well ... someone to care for him. And he hoped that he wouldn't only be a bother and a nuisance to his guardian. He just couldn't help the way he was now ... new to the world and wild and free - like a blizzard, unchecked and uncontrollable.

Arius was out on another of his adventures, merrily trotting down the street, humming a ditty under his breath...one that Far often sang to him at night. Farlest had been especially down lately, and the little scent had no idea why. Arius himself was beginning to feel the strains of growing up, and his behavior had begun to change ever so slightly, and that affected Far as well. It was pondering this, that his crimson eyes landed on Ka'hmesh...and with some glee he noted that there was someone else with his grown-up friend...someone that Ari pegged instinctively as a scent like himself. Waving an arm, he barreled towards them. "Ka'hmesh!!!"

Ka blinked and glanced up from having looked down yet again to make sure that Rhiloss was still with him - as he didn't trust the child not to run off somewhere after how he had acted so far. "Ari," he called back, quieter, lifting a hand to wave. "How are you today?" he asked then, smiling. It had been a little while since he had seen the child last.

Upon seeing the other Scent though, Rhiloss let out a wild sort of whooping noise and tore away from Ka to run at the other, hands up and fingers curled into claws - almost as if he meant to attack the other. But just before he would have leapt onto him, he stopped short, frozen and cold, suddenly. And with a stiff little nod of his head, he said, "Hello. I am Rhiloss."

Ari blinked at Rhiloss, and then waved a hand, "Hi there, I'm Arius." He looked past the other, "Is Ka your Daddy?" He knew the word, even though he generally called Far his 'Ada', as had seemed natural at the time...a word the elf had introduced to him. "And I'm fine, Ka, sir..." However, at the moment, Ari seemed slightly more inclined to get to know this other Scent.

Ka sputtered at that, looking from one child to the other with a helpless sort of expression. Just exactly how was he supposed to explain this to Ari..? Finally, he just decided the best course would be not to try it and nodded slightly. "Yes ... I suppose you could say that..."

Rhiloss had other plans, though, and blurted out, "He bought me, so I guess he is ..." in a completely calm tone - causing his erstwhile guardian to go pale and glance around to make sure no one else heard that.

Ari laughed, "My Ada bought me too...he told me that he bought me because he was lonely...so I guess that I was just what he needed..." The crimson-eyed child wrinkled his nose, "But Ada's been in a funk lately...d'you think..." He eyed them both speculatively, "D'you think that mebbe your dad would be ok with going home with you'n me to have dinner?" Farlest could use some company, in Ari's opinion, and it had been far too long since he'd spent time with someone his age, or close to it.

Wait ... bought him too ...? Ka blinked, startled. Did that mean ... that Ari was one of these Scent children as well..? At least that might explain a few things... But to just barge in on whoever his guardian was, with no warning? Ka opened his mouth to reply, but Rhiloss spoke right over the top of him.

"I want to go," he decided, glancing back at Ka with a little smile. "So I'm sure it's all right. Isn't it?" Ka blinked again ... oh hell ... he wasn't about to let the child go off alone, with no idea where he was going ... and he knew by this point, Rhiloss would leave no matter what he said. So he just sighed and murmured, "All right then ... lead the way, Ari."

Ari gave a squee of delight and caught the other Scent's hand...just as fond of touch as his guardian, "Let's go then!" He turned to glance at Rhiloss, "I have a new puppy we can play with...and Ada will be so happy to see you guys..." Far rarely minded guests, and lately...the elf hadn't been doing much beyond work...and cuddling with Ari on the couch, watching sappy movies...and quite honestly, Arius could only take so much of that before he went stir-crazy. Heading down the street, he made a beeline for the little house that he and Farlest shared.

Rhiloss followed Ari, still cold and calm for the moment - which at least was better than trying to jump on the other child, or bite him or something ...

Ka was grateful for that. He simply trailed along behind the two of them, watching them, and wondering just what Ari's guardian was like ... this 'Ada' of his.

Ari padded up to the door, and summarily opened it without knocking, sticking his head in, he yelled out, "Ada! I'm home!!! And I brought friends for dinner...is that ok?" He was full of energy now...thrilled that he'd finally been able to bring Ka to his house, like he'd said he would...and ecstatic that he had a brand new friend, as Rhiloss already had that status in the red-eyed scent's mind.

The elf got up from his place at the couch, jolted from a light doze. Guests? He sighed, ah well...Ari never had learned to warn him about such things...and it would be nice to have someone to talk to. "That's fine...who'd you bring?" Perhaps it was someone he knew...though he would guess that at least one of them was Ari's age. In nothing but a T-shirt, jeans, and socks, Farlest headed to the door to greet these visitors...and apologize for the mess. By this time, Arius had already tramped inside with Rhiloss in tow...but the children were only given an obligatory glance before the elf's gaze went beyond...and he stopped...green eyes gone almost impossibly wide. It couldn't...couldn't be...for a moment, he almost forgot to breathe...standing and staring, even paler than his norm, unable to move in his complete and utter shock.

Ka froze as well, almost as soon as the other walked through the door - his own eyes just as wide as the other's. It had been ... a very long time since he had seen the elf, but he had never forgotten the other. Even after being yanked here by who the hell knew what ... even after searching and not finding his lover ... to find him now ... "Far..." he half-whispered, making a small motion as if to go to him.

The elf's eyes filled with tears...and with a soft, plaintive cry, he practically threw forward, hurling himself into Ka's arms, burying his face in the other's chest. "Oh gods, Ka..." All this time...he'd been so very lonely...and might not have survived...had Arius not come along when he had...but now...now the other was here...and he wasn't dreaming...the reality was beneath his fingertips...up against him...Ka'hmesh was truly here with him.

Ka immediately had his arms about the other, eyes squeezing shut as tears fell down his cheeks as well. "Oh Far ..." he murmured. "Meleth ... gods, I missed you ..." And he had been here all the time ... not the whole time, but some of it, for sure. Time that Ka had not spent looking, had given up on ever finding him ....

"I...missed you too..." He whispered fiercely, as though that wasn't wonderfully apparent by his behavior. "I...was beginning to think I was going to spend the rest of my life this way..." Without the other by his side...he'd never truly given up, couldn't allow himself to...but...some part of him had wanted to despair in its longing.

Ka just made a quiet soothing sound at that, letting one hand thread down through dark hair, holding the elf in close to him, chin resting atop the other's head. "Never," he murmured. "Even though I wasn't looking ... I still found you ... " And that was the miracle of it all.

Farlest tilted his head up to look at the other, one hand reaching to cup the other's cheek. "And I'm...so very glad...to think that Arius brought you to me..." That child...really, Farlest would never understand...why fate had brought the boy to him, but this, perhaps...was one reason, one very good reason. There was so much that must be discussed...and he knew...knew that his life would change forever...for the better.

Well, that just gave him the perfect opportunity to lean down a bit and steal a kiss, smiling. "Yes, he did ... I met him once before, though he didn't mention the -name- of his 'Ada' to me." Ka had known that was an elvish word, knew what it meant too ... but there was enough of a mix in this place that he had simply thought nothing of it. There were other elves about, after all.

"Well I'll have to scold him about that," The elf replied, not meaning a word of it, returning the kiss in kind. "Mmm...now come on inside...we're standing out here and making a spectacle of ourselves." Wrapping his arm around Ka's waist, he tugged him inside. "So where do you live, meleth? What do you do here?"

Ka nodded at that, with a smile and let go of the elf only long enough to move farther into the room so he could shut the door behind him - then paused, glancing around. "I have a small house over on the other side of town ... as for what I do... more or less what I did back home," he murmured in reply. "It looks like you've done well enough here ... what is it you do?" he asked, raising brows slightly, curious.

Far arched an eyebrow, "Salesman. Customer service. Work at a local clothing store...and I'm fairly good at it if I do say so myself." Leaning up, he gave the other a peck on the cheek....before tugging him on over to the couch. "I started working there just...stocking and running the register, but I did so well at that they sort of promoted me...the pay's better in customer service."

Ka smiled at that and laughed softly, letting Far lead him over that way. "I can see you doing something like that, meleth," he murmured. "I'll bet half the clothes in the store look good on you too..."

Purring at the compliment, he snuggled up next to the other, pulling him down next to him. "I have fun...I like to talk to people...though when they're angry at you for no good reason it becomes a bit problematic at times...and the store does have a selection of very nice clothes...quite a few of which, I must admit, I don't look -too- terrible in."

Ka put one arm about the elf's shoulders, smiling at that. "You'll just have to model for me sometime, then..." he suggested, the smile turning just a bit toward a smirk. Some people would, of course, -always- be rude, but hopefully there weren't too many of them.

Deciding it was time for another subject, Ka glanced over and raised a brow. "So ... I couldn't help but notice that you seem to have also gained a child from an oil burner..."

Far grinned, "I'll put on a private modeling session...just for you, meleth..." He purred, resting a hand on the other's thigh. Oh yes, and he was fairly sure...that at the end of said session, clothes would come -off-.

He nodded, "I did...I didn't expect Arius...but..." The elf smiled fondly, a wistful look in his eyes, "He was a lifesaver, Ka...I didn't think I could take living by myself another day...and then he appeared out of the blue and told me that I was his daddy..." A soft chuckle left the elf's lips, "What else was I to do? I loved him immediately...and as much a handful as he can be...he's a complete sweetheart."

"I noticed that too," Ka replied with a grin. "He ... reminds me of you, in some ways. That time that I met him before, probably when he got away from you or something ... was at a little coffee shop I like to go to sometimes." He remembered that meeting ... and how very much certain things Ari had said and done had made him think of Farlest. And now ... he knew why.

The elf laughed, "He is like me...yes...in lots of ways...probably why he manages to get on my nerves every so often. I had...no idea he'd met you before...he didn't say anything...so it probably was one of those times he scampered out on his own. I still pretend to be angry about those escapades...when in reality...this town is fairly safe, and Ari's growing up, so I don't have to worry...but it's more fun for him if he thinks he's dodging my wrath."

Ka nodded at that, settling down a bit lower on the couch. "Children are like that ..." he murmured, remembering their own various offspring, all having long ago moved out on their own. "Just how long have you been here, anyway..?" he asked then, with a curious tilt of his head.

"About...oh...a good ten months...maybe more...honestly I've lost track...just living...taking care of Ari...the first months dragged until he got here." He grimaced, slipping down to lean against Ka and wrap his arms around him. "I...really ******** missed you, meleth..." Some of what he'd felt all this time...bled through in his words.

Ka winced slightly at that and hugged the other back, making a little soothing noise. Far had been here just a bit longer than he had, then ... Ka having only gotten here about seven or eight months ago. "Well ... you won't have to miss me anymore," Ka murmured softly. He was already thinking of plans ... maybe one or the other of them could sell their house ... move in together. Or else they could both sell, and then buy a larger place...

"M'glad of that..." Farlest glanced over his shoulder, and noted that there was no sign of the boys, and as such, he climbed up on his lover's lap and toyed with his shirt. "Oh...and you know you're in my bed tonight, yes?" There was a little smirk to the words, and he then kissed Ka soundly, tangling his fingers in pale hair.

"I hadn't the faintest thought of going anywhere else," Ka replied to that, just before his mouth was otherwise occupied. Not that he minded -that- in the least, making a pleased purring noise and returning that kiss.

Pressing his slender body up against the other, his tongue snaked out between his lips, pressing past Ka's. "Mmmhnn..." Making a contended sound, the elf was all but overwhelmed with the feeling of warmth...and familiar love and want that was here.

Ka purred at that and played with the other's tongue quite eagerly, purr turning to a low, wanting growl. Then he shifted, without even breaking that kiss, getting arms under the other and standing up in one fluid motion.

Farlest made a delighted, surprised little sound, wrapping his arms around the other's neck. He sent, settling against his lover's chest, soaking in the warmth of him, and being able to touch that bond in the most intimate of ways.

Ka nodded at that and broke that kiss just long enough to take a breath, heading down the hall toward said bedroom. Eventually, the children would probably get hungry for dinner, but ... they were likely still occupied for the moment. he murmured. In more ways than one ...

Okay so NOW I have something to write in here. So I will DEFINITELY remember it!

I hate those twins. I really, really do. They're mean and they beat me up and gave me stinky gross s**t just so I would give it to Ka and get in trouble.

THEN they tried to get me in trouble again by giving me a necklace that wasn't even theirs! But they got in trouble for that HAHA. Serves them right.

Hmph.