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 Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2023 2:35 am
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Aelius hurried into the building, hand clutching at the collar of his coat to keep it closed while the wind practically pushed him through the front door. He brushed at his tousled hair. “Out like a lion, indeed.” He huffed in aggravation. At least it was just wind and no rain accompanied it, even if a chill still rode on it. “
It wasn’t often that Aelius visited this place, and to come twice in a month was not a norm. His wallet certainly wouldn’t have been happy about it if his date hadn’t insisted on being the one to treat them. Where Eion found the money for such things, Aelius didn’t ask. Truthfully, he didn’t care as long as Eion was content with wherever he drummed up the cash. If there was one thing Aelius had learned was to not be uptight about unscrupulous measures. “I am here to meet with my party, Eion Risk.”
They had arranged a time of arrival. Punctuality was always important when it came to the strict three hour time limit that came along with public outings with Eion. Thankfully, it seemed the boy had already arrived as the woman showed him the way to one of the private rooms barricaded off by a curtain.
“Your waitress will be around shortly.” The receptionist said before walking off.
Aelius flashed the lone occupant of the room a smile as he slipped out of his coat revealing a black button up, white under shirt and tight cut jeans. He slipped into the plush booth depositing his coat beside him. “It’s been awhile since we’ve done anything like this.” He remarked jovially. “Did Waru tell you about this place?”
Unlike before, Aelius has no qualms with the inviting atmosphere of the place and sidled up to his partner to deliver a kiss in greeting.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 3:39 pm
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Eion hadn't been waiting long; Aelius knew to be punctual whenever Faustite wasn't Faustite. He'd only just received a glass of water when his boy joined him behind the curtain, wall sconces casting Aelius's perfect complexion in a warm glow. He was happy to meet the kiss with one of his own, rising from his seat until his thighs hit the table for it. As Aelius pulled away to get situated, Eion brushed his fingers down the boy's arm and gave his hand a quick squeeze before he sat down as well.
Eion was likewise quite happy to never divulge his secrets for where he got his money, or how he could gain so much so quickly. He had not mentioned to Aelius how much he'd managed prior to coming, nor did he intend to; let the boy order whatever he thought was appropriate for being on someone else's tab. It would be his self-indulgent social experiment for the evening.
Eion nodded at the question as his attention lingered on his boy. "Said the atmosphere was good, the food was better, but neither were as good as the company."
Eion breathed a dreamy sigh while he admired his boy. It lasted but a moment before his attention was forcibly diverted to the menu. He'd been told enough times that it was impolite to stare. "Thought we could get some drinks, order some food. Have an important question for you. Give you the option to wait 'til after we eat, if you need to.
"You'll want alcohol before I ask."
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2023 1:59 pm
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"Waru, the ever flatterer." Aelius remarked with a sheepish smile. It was true, he and Waru had enjoyed each other's company while visiting the same establishment. A much needed release for both of them socially and demand wise. Waru especially. So, Aelius had been willing to treat the man to some much needed TLC in the form of food, drinks and company. He wasn't at all surprised that the man had gone and told Eion about the place. Honestly, it was a very useful set-up and the company didn't seem much concerned for the going-on's behind closed curtains as long as trouble wasn't instigated.
Settled in, his eyes had shifted to the menu left on the table. He didn't get far in his perusal when golden orbs shot back to the boy next to him. "This sounds ominous." He remarked with a furrowed brow. "I think drinks then. Food after. Not sure I can handle waiting until we eat. Plus, food will ruin whatever effect you are insinuating I may want from the alcohol."
Now he was anxious. What could this be about? His eyes finally slipped from the boy as a young man pulled the curtain open. He was swift. Explained the menu, spoke about any specials for the day and touched base on how to call for him when needed.
Aelius paid very little attention to it, eyes shifting to his boy and the question that hung between them unsaid and back to their waiter to at least appear interested in courteous.
"So what can I get you? Are you ready for food or perhaps start with drinks?" Their waiter said as he held his tablet, ready to take down their orders.
Aelius didn't even look at the menu again. What was the waiter's name again? Ah, Steven. Thank ******** for name tags. "I'll take a long Island to start with." He glanced at Eion to see if he was ready to order food as well. Aelius hadn't looked at the menu but honestly wasn't terribly picky. A place like this had good food and he hadn't been disappointed last time. So, he'd be content ordering whatever Eion did.
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Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 5:26 am
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"Smart boy," Eion declared with a smug smile. Drink on an empty stomach, numb the injury before it happens.
Once the waiter returned, Eion eyed him curiously. 'Steven' was a well-kept boy with a lot of smiles to pass out to his — what were they to him, customers? He didn't know. Maybe he'd have to learn that, and all these other intricacies of being a person that everyone else managed so flawlessly, if that was what his boys wanted. Or maybe he wouldn't, and 'Steven' would make it on his list of eligible food items whenever he left the Rift for a hunt.
His choices were eating Steven or eating Steven, depending on the effect of his actions.
Eion broke from his thoughts when the waiter prompted him again. Straightening, Eion said, "Same thing."
"May I see your ID, sir?"
Eion was quiet as he shifted where he sat. Found his wallet in the depths of one of his jacket pockets, pulled the weathered thing out and extracted his state ID. The waiter took but a moment to look it over and scanned it with his iPad, then handed it back.
When the waiter asked if there was anything else, Eion began with appetizers. "Take the spinach artichoke dip, the nachos… Reuben egg rolls? And the crab cakes."
The waiter, offering them a last smile, had departed. Eion blew out a sigh for how the stress of that ID check had cost him so much energy.
Eion was content to cuddle in the mean time, to lean against his boy, to nearly fall asleep against his shoulder while they waited for everything to be brought back to them. The drinks had come first — ever a smart decision, for people were likely more liberal with their wallets once the alcohol hit them. He perked up a margin when both long islands had arrived, and Eion was content to sip at his for the time being. He needed to be sober enough to say what needed to be said.
And Aelius needed to be just inebriated enough to hear it.
"Explored as many options as I could," he murmured as he twined his fingers in Aelius's. "Checked the Rift, the library, whatever we could. Negaverse has no way to fix me.
"Got two choices. Purify and come back, or become a youma."
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Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:57 pm
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Seeing Eion pull out an ID was amusing. Golden eyes trailed that ID trying to peek at the image on what was 100% a fake id. It wasn't unexpected that Eion got carded he certainly looked years younger than his actual age (getting stuck by time due to merging with a youma would do that) but it was a new sight for Aelius. In fact, come to think of it, he couldn't remember a time the two of them had gone out together when they were both, technically, legally able to drink. That was a shocking revelation. It had been literal years since their relationship had begun, fallen apart, became something untouched to nothing and now here. It was a roller coaster ride to be sure. But here they were, drinking out the first time together. It was...odd.
The time they had between the waiter taking their order and returning was pleasant. Aelius was happy enough to languish in the time with his boy. Cuddling and watching Eion drowse was a favored pastime of the danseur considering his need for physical intimacy. It was enough to help ease the growing anxiety.
The arrival of their drinks though caused Aelius to perk up as much as Eion. He thanked the waiter, took the drink, divested his straw of paper and plunked it into the drink. A quick stir and the young man sucked two, three gulps down. "They have a good bartender." He remarked. Long Islands were always a test for a companies worker. Usually if they were on the menu though, they tended to be good.
Unfortunately, Eion wasn't giving the drink enough time to due it's job before dropping a bomb. Good as it was, the alcohol just couldn't work quite that fast even the amount he was ingesting in a Long ********, El." He leaned back in his seat, a hand running through his purple fringe and back in the process, pausing at the back of his head as he sat there letting the words fully sink in. Honestly, it was a worse case scenario. Well, almost worst case. There was still an out but...
Taking a deep breath he steamed himself, dropping his hand back back to the table as he leaned towards his boy again. "So what you're saying is, we loose you mentally or physically." His voice was soft, heavy. It was the bare bones analysis of what Eion was facing. What they all were facing in this situation. Knowing El, everything had been broached. ********, Aelius himself had even checked Eion's starseed in hopes there would be an answer there. El had hated that. Aelius had hated it by the end seeing Faustite like that.
He supposed the only good view out of this would be that either way Eion would continue living, but one promised a better life than the other.
And that memory of seeing Faustite motionless in that chair. All heat an fire gone...
"We do what we have to." He said, eyes locking on Eion's. "Call me selfish, but the thought of you left to the whims of the rift and those who would cause you harm just because you would be a youma is not an option. I want you here, with me. With all of us safe and sound." His hand reached across the bench to settle on Eion's leg for grounding. To offer support.
"I don't know whether to be infuriated that the negaverse can't help you or that our only real hope is with order." If there was any sort of higher being, Aelius felt like they would be laughing at them right now for presenting this.
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Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2023 6:06 am
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"Not long enough?" Eion looked up at him quizzically. It was an honest question — he was beginning to understand that alcohol did not hit normal people the way that it hit him when he was drinking as Faustite. Eion had always found the effects pretty instantaneous. Must not have been so for Aelius, who was now looking more stressed out than Eion felt.
Eion was silent for a moment as he considered how Aelius viewed it. Certainly there would be some physical loss once he became a youma — he had no reason to believe he would have much physical form afterward — and certainly there was some measure of memory loss guaranteed with purification, as Encke called it. There was little purpose in debating the nature of that tithe. He may change without some of his memories, parts of him might be lost, but Eion understood it to be more complex than choosing which part of him to lose.
He sighed softly as he braced his elbows against the edge of their table. "Gets more complicated the more I think about it." His attention fell to his drink, which he stirred with one hand while the other made a fist as a chin rest.
"We know, more or less, what purification does. Know how to reverse it, too. Makes that our safest option. The most guaranteed.
"Most youma… They don't remember being human. Don't care to. Hard to say how much I would remember. But, we have the Transverse Workshop. If there was more time, we could see about…" His hand turned motions in the air as he tried to dredge up the words for it. "Rearranging the youma part of me into something else. If that was a possibility." But even that seemed distant for the amount of time it would take to reach a palatable conclusion. What was to say it could happen in the time he had left?
"Negaverse never needed to correct youmafication before. Imagine that may be why we have to rely on them for now."
In the moments of quietude that followed, the waiter returned laden with a number of appetizers. It looked like he may ask if they were expecting more company, then decided better of it. He asked, then, if they were ready to order any main courses and Eion waved him away, stating that they needed a few minutes more and would summon him again.
"Just wish there was some way to stay me," Eion murmured bitterly as he set upon the spinach artichoke dip.
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Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2023 11:11 pm
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He tilted his head slightly at Eion's question with a soft smile. "Unlike you, with an eternal fire that just gobbles up everything you give it immediately, it takes a bit longer for that alcohol to hit my system." It wasn't surprising to Aelius that Eion didn't remember how long it took things to pass through a normal digestive system considering the years he had been dealing with the brilliant fire burning within his core. It was almost like a steam engine that took the fuel and put it to immediate use.
The conversation they were neck deep in through didn't allow that smile to stay on his face. He returned quickly enough to consternation. He absently wrapped his lips around the straw of his Long Island, knowing damn well the effects of alcohol and straws. He needed it though. Needed that gentle buzz that his drink could offer as he ruminated on the problem at hand. "We will figure this all out. You have an entire team behind you and many loves that will make sure you return to us safe and sound. You can rely on us to do that even if it galls me to know there's literally nothing else we can do."
The Traverse Workshop was a hopeful thought, but time, as Eion mentioned, was not their friend. It ticked along too quickly. Each day bringing more symptoms that poor Eion struggled with. Aelius hated watching it knowing that there was nothing he could actually do beyond offering his strength and love.
As the waiter returned Aelius politely thanked him but was eager for the man to leave. Thankfully, the man didn't ask anything else beyond making sure they were good with what they had before leaving, despite a look that made Aelius think that perhaps there was curiosity at the amount of food to people ratio. Good he kept lips sealed though. It wasn't the man's place to question.
He squeezed Eion's leg in reassurance. "You will always be you." He said with conviction. "Even if you loose your memories, every single one of them, it still won't change who you are as a person deep down. I promise you though, that I will share with you every memory I have of you and us. It won't be the same. Nothing will be, but..." He worried at his bottom lip with his teeth. "If it means you are safe and able to keep your humanity then, it's the only choice we have. No matter how complicated it all might be."
Aelius contemplated the food on the table. Food would mean the alcohol would take longer to kick in, but his stomach was likely to protest the strength of his drink more if it was empty. So, he joined Eion in snacking on the dip, but with less gusto than his boy who very much always needed nourishment to keep his fire stoked.
"I think it would benefit the negaverse to start doing more research into half-youma and possible correction of youma fixation. If nothing else, your case is a good example why it would be beneficial to have more knowledge. Full youmafication can't be the most ideal of circumstances considering it means the loss of an agent." Aelius mentioned as he popped a piece of bread covered in spinach artichoke dip into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully. "The Traverse Workshop would be a good start, certainly." There wasn't much he himself could do with that sort of research, not with the dislike the youma had for senshi. Plus, he would be a liar if he said he knew much of anything when it came to youma. His lack of ability to connect with them made them low on his list of things to learn about. The most he knew he learned from Faustite, but he had never really thought of Faustite as a youma himself being only half.
He sighed heavily through his nose. "I wish I could take all of this from you. You don't deserve any of this hardship."
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2023 4:52 am
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"Galls me too," Eion returned bitterly. He still loathed the necessity of their involvement, regardless of how he rationalized it.
Aelius was right — there was enough people invested in his well-being to see a plan to fruition, regardless of the number of enemies that the White Moon might bring to a battlefield. Whatever the plan. whatever the play, they would follow it if it meant Eion stayed theirs. Most weren't interested in seeing him become a youma, which was to say they hated the notion as much as Eion hated the idea of being unable to control his whims and eating one of his boys. The thought alone was so irksome that he found himself wanting starseeds to wash its curdled taste from his mouth.
Where Aelius began snacking, Eion laid into the dishes with a ravenous vigor. Whenever he tasted food, the promise alone of filling his belly left him hungrier than when he started. Nor did he seem to mind the often clashing flavor profiles when he swapped from dish to dish.
"S'what they keep telling me," he explained between bites. "But I doubt it's true. What shape does a person take when they've forgotten their experiences? Can't be the same one." Eion shook his head mutely as he polished off the spinach and artichoke dip. "Going to need all the memories you've got. Will use the bracelet if I have to. Not losing myself to this."
Aelius's objection reminded him that it was complicated, unnervingly so, to stay human. He had to .eave the Negaverse at the cost of some of his memories. Then he had to added back into the ranks, and he could only expect that doing so would harm his starseed further, and since there was some tie between memories and the state of one's starseed, he might be losing every last memory he had in order to remain with the Negaverse. He supposed, then, that the only difference between that and being a full youma was the ability to choose to restrain himself about starseeding others.
Eion paused in his voracious eating long enough to determine how he wanted to phrase his reply. "Don't devalue youmafication; it has its place, but it's a different place than an officer's. They both serve their purposes.
"Haven't seen anyone else in my circumstances. Hope this is just a fluke. That we don't have to rush research because there's others in my predicament. Best that we keep it quiet, too, lest there be unrest with the other youmafied officers. Don't want them panicking over their own bodies if there's nothing amiss."
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2023 7:46 pm
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Aelius sat back and let Eion dig into the food with that typical voracious appetite of his. Only when the spinach and artichoke dip was relinquished for another dish did Aelius reach in and nab a chip and shoveling a healthy bit of the hot cheesy dip onto the vessel.
Aelius chewed thoughtfully on his chip before reaching out to grab another. “I am not necessarily devaluing it.” He commented carefully as he drew back with another loaded chip. “I just think they need a way to avoid it if the agent presents themselves as more valuable otherwise.” He shrugged, bitting into his chip nearly avoiding dropping some of the gooey goodness.
Yes, Youmafication had it’s purpose. He was sure there were many reasons that someone would choose it or the Negaverse would allow a disfavorable agent to youmify. But to loose a General like Faustite? Someone who had proven himself time and time again? It didn’t make sense. “But I am also not at well versed in youma as a whole. Kind of hard to be when they so dislike my presence. What I’ve learned has been with you and it’s not a topic I have spent much time on with you.” He returned to his drink, taking a large gulp. “Definitely my own failure there considering I am engaged to a practical walking-talking almanac of youma.” He offered a smile at his attempt at lightening the mood.
“But I agree. Best not to worry others. You very well may be an exception than the norm. Your youma has consistently been trouble in one way or another.” It seemed when it came to Faustite’s youma side there was always problems. At least since Captain rank. Aelius could still firmly remember the protruding pipes and all of the difficulties they brought just to help his boy acclimate to the eternal fire burning within.
He leaned his head on a hand, elbow supporting both from the table as he took some time to just be. To enjoy the fact that he was out, alone with Eion. Try to ignore all of…well everything. Just immerse himself in his boy, food and drinks. He took another swig of his drink, the Long Island near complete, already. The softest of buzz’s tried to take hold and he attempted to let it. “Mmmm…I love you.” He said softly, smiling.
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2023 5:42 pm
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Eion couldn't really argue with Aelius's point/ In a fit of stubbornness, however, he elected not to say anything at all; rather, he went after some of the remaining appetizers as if he didn't hear it. The food was delicious enough that he couldn't be faulted if it had his whole attention.
Besides, it was seldom anymore that he got to eat without being interrupted by constant coughs. The affliction had gotten to the point that he was taking most of his food by the grate, leaving him sloppier than usual during the few times that he ate as Eion. And even now, his body wanted to cough at times, even if it was fewer and with less intensity than when he was producing the selfsame smoke that filtered into his lungs.
When he stopped eating enough for a drink, he spoke again offhandedly. "What the ******** is an almanac?" He remembered the term vaguely, but it irritated him that he couldn't recall anything beyond some kind of book. Sometimes he felt his removal from humanity a little too keenly.
"You can ask me anything, you know. Doesn't matter what it is. Why does that one look like a scorpion and the other one looks like a human, do they sleep, why do they hate senshi, whatever you want." He had few qualms answering questions about youma, but often found there were no questions to answer. Like the Negaverse on a whole accepted their existence and that was that, the same way that anyone accepted the existence of a broom in the closet. But maybe there was a document floating around with information all about youma that he wasn't aware of, and the rest of the Negaverse was quite a bit more well-informed about youma than he thought they were. He was gone for two years, after all; something like that could have surfaced in the interim.
But Aelius was irrefutable about his youma half and the level of difficulty it provided him in daily life. Perhaps he was the youmafication that proved to Metallia that fire youma weren't good for fusing to people, because the person side was generally inconvenienced and lost some organs.
The corners of his mouth turned up at Aelius's admission, though he gave the boy a look askance. "Alcohol finally hitting?" He teased. Looked like Aelius worked his way through most of it while Eion was busy stuffing his gob. Rather than respond verbally, he reached under the table with his free hand and squeezed the boy's knee. He was terribly sweet; it wasn't fair of him — or of his circumstances — to put any of the boys through this.
"Glad you came out with me, all the bullshit aside." They deserved it — time to eat, time to be.
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Posted: Sun May 28, 2023 7:19 pm
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Aelius tilted his head as the almanac question. It was so easy to forget that Eion was, well, not entirely human anymore. While he knew it, deep down, it was never a forefront thought. Eion was just Eion and that's what it was. He never thought of him as anything but a human. The knowledge that he was more was easily forgotten, at least, until moments like this. It brought things back into perspective and reminded Aelius the difference and his own need to better understand his fiancée.
"A book." He said after another sip of his drink. Now he was getting more water than alcohol. Time for a new one. "Usually chocked full with detailed information about a single or multiple subjects." he gestured towards Eion as his boy went on about things Aelius could inquire about youma. "And there's a perfect example. You could probably school just about anyone on Youma." He grinned as he reached for the button to call for the waiter.
"And yes, it's finally starting to set in, but more would be nice." He took the last swig and placed his glass towards the front of the table closer to the curtain that their waiter would eventually appear from.
"You know I'll take any opportunity to spend time with you. That certainly hasn't changed over the years." He smiled coyly. "In fact, if I remember right, I used to be upset that you'd only ever spend a measly three hours with me a day back when we first started dating." Of course, he now knew why it had been that way. But, his desire to be by the boys side had always been there.
Their waiter reappeared and Aelius requested another drink. The man turned to Eion to see if he needed anything else before disappearing once again.
Aelius picked up the conversation right where he left off as if they had never been interrupted. "You only need to call and I'll be right there." He smiled. "But, we definitely need to make more time for things like this." And maybe, in the future, they'd have it if a three-hour hard limit was no longer a limiter. Unfortunately, the price of that limit releaser was a steep one.
Aelius's swallowed against the lump in his throat at the sobering thought. He needed that second drink 10 minutes ago.
"Bullshit aside." He agreed, his tone taking on an edge of his somber thoughts.
He opted then to slide a bit closer to his boy. If the table wasn't bolted to the floor Aelius would have attempted to pull Eion into his lap but he was fairly certain it might be a bit tight for leg room. As small as Eion was, the table's edge was just too damn close to the bench. Perhaps it was purposely designed that way to deter dalliances in the private rooms? Smart of them for certain with how inviting the atmosphere was. So instead Aelius had to settled with wrapping and arm around Eion's waist and pulling his boy close to him to claim a kiss.
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 4:58 am
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"How's that different from a textbook," he groused to himself. Shaking his head, he added his orders for main courses when the waiter swung by for Aelius's request. There were more than just appetizers to be had, and Eion wanted them to eat their way into a satisfying food coma after discussing the difficulties ahead. He wanted to make a pleasant memory with each of his boys before he had to commit to one of his few bitter options.
Eion chuckled softly as he thought back to when they were younger; he remembered the increasing difficulty in finding excuses and options to slip away from Rowan when time ran short. "Should've been more of an a*****e about it. Told you I got bored after three hours." He gave Aelius a gentle jab.
"Sorry about that," he added meaningfully. "Never figured out how to tell people I'm a monster without putting everything into jeopardy." Maybe a way existed, but he didn't have to find it now.
Aelius was right — they needed more time to enjoy each other's company. They needed more time. To wrench himself away from his boys as a youma was a trauma they weren't yet prepared for, and Eion was loath to subject them to a magnitude of pain for which they weren't prepared. Perhaps Albite could live with it most of all, perhaps Cela could, but he couldn't say the same for all of his boys. The only option, then, even for all his dislike of it, was to become human again.
He hated how it always came to that. And he tried to let go of that derision for the state of being human, tried to tell himself that he would have more opportunities like this to simply be idle and eat food and enjoy the company of a boy, but it didn't erase all the underlying trauma.
Eion gave Aelius the kiss he was searching for, and was just as quick to reach up and hold the hand that now draped over his shoulder. He could eat with his free hand. He could settle against his boy for now, in the hours while he wasn't burning, and relish the closeness. He could tell himself he would have more of it by the time all of this was over.
As he took up his fork, Eion paused, and in a low voice, added, "Thanks for coming."
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