Closed [The Kabrin Road] Some Other Time (Noah)

[Caesarion]

It wasn't difficult to notice that Noah was examining him. It went beyond his speech - it went as far as his mannerisms, his posture, his smell, his appearance. The man's eyes moved over his face, scanning it along, thinking on as he observed. A flare of interest in his eyes. He moved to glance to his chest, and evidently he noticed the quick 'adjustment' of Caesarion's pants. The mage noticed all of these things because he himself was always the observer, the chief examiner of most conversations he took part in. He liked to know what other people were thinking about. It'd never done damn well anything for him so far other than slightly advance his agenda in escaping slavery, but the intrigue that came with manipulating someone's reactions simply by knowing of what they wanted was something he could never quite resist regardless of who he was speaking to. Funny enough, one thing he noted as being correlated to confusion was the term he'd used, pulling legs, something he expected Noah to not understand. The Kelvic was as innocently dumb to common sayings as he expected, and this lead him to question whether or not all Kelvics - or at least most - were so different than their human peers. He knew that, sure, there was a close vicinity relationship between humans and Kelvics, but clearly they didn't understand the same dialects and speech mannerisms just judging by their current conversation. He knew, and noticed, that half of what he said flew directly over the head of the eagle. A wind above his intended latitude, apparently.

He also noticed Noah smile at the compliment to his name. It was good to know that Kelvics at least understood the concept of compliments, and could appreciate something of the like. They weren't completely daft when it came to conversation. And, considering he returned the favor of confessing just how 'nice' it was to meet Caesarion, he was certain he understood the basic laws of verbal civility as well. Knowing this, Caesarion was pleased and ready to continue on to whatever next trek they would surely spiral down into.

Of course, as if Ivak's flaming arse decided to erupt in his face, the Kelvic decided to ask why Caesarion wasn't equally naked as him. Take his shorts off? Hot? Well, it was certainly hot, but that probably wouldn't merit stripping down naked. Actually, maybe it would. He got tired of the humidity ruining his pants anyway. "To be honest, Noah," he used his name. "I don't really find myself a fan of clothes either, but sadly in order to deal with the vast majority of people on this planet you generally have to wear clothes. You're labeled as 'savage' otherwise." He raised his shoulders and bit down on his lip. The young man stepped over to look down on the encampment beneath the hill. There didn't seem to be many people - if any actually conscious - that were out and about, most of them already in their tents. The mage sighed, and looked back at the Kelvic. Truthfully, after a lifetime of always having to be clothed to be around others, the thought of just streaking out and about seemed pretty liberating. He was undergoing serious temptation at the moment. "You raise a good point," he admitted. So, with all the wild conviction of a metaphorical gold eagle eating a metaphorical wild hare, he pulled down his pants - still turned around from the Kelvic - and let his loincloth follow. Then, of course, he remembered that he had an unfortunate issue brewing that he was trying to hide . . . which meant getting nude was a really bad idea.

He couldn't turn around. That was shameful. No matter how dumb to humanity one was, surely they couldn't be naive to the most basic mammal function. He was sure Kelvics got it freaky too. Which meant he was unfortunately just gonna have to keep his head turned until he could find something to cover himself. "Uh-huh. Significantly less hot." He said, turning his head slightly to glance at Noah who was behind him. The Kelvic would probably not find the change of scenery too exciting for someone who was so surrounded by profanity, considering it was just another naked body, but at the very least Caesarion had a muscular frame and a well-developed lower body. It was not one 'common' in appearance. "Well, this is weird, but petch it. If you're out there naked, I feel like I'm obligated to follow suit, yeah?" He said, still not turning around. "Am I the first human you've gotten to do that? I hope so. My mother always told me I was wild, and to be honest that's kind of the intention behind most of what I do."

[Noah Amuel]

Was the man talking to himself or Noah? The Kelvic couldn’t tell. Noah peered down to the encampment below and noticed a handful tents around a shared campfire. They were spread out to some degree in what he assumed to be in a hope for privacy. A couple of the tents were closed and some were propped open. From what the Kelvic could tell, some of the people were asleep and others just out and about their business. He wanted to ask questions but it seemed that Caesarion wouldn’t stop talking about Noah’s earlier question.

Why were clothes such a big deal to humans? The Kelvic wondered still. In his near eight years of life the question had never been truly answered. His mother and father would simply say that humans just valued privacy, but why? He understood that in the winter and out in the Woods why one would need clothing and armor to keep warm and stay safe, but in summer or spring where the weather was more than bearable without clothing, why? His thoughts trailed on even when Caesarion began to move to remove his shorts and then smallclothes. Noah paid no mind to the man and was still curious about the encampment.

He simply grunted in agreement with Caesarion now, half listening to what the man was saying. As he followed the man downhill he made sure to grab the hare that he had killed and claimed moments ago, just in case Caesarion’s words on his food being better proved to be false. Noah was quite alright with eating the hare raw whether he was in his animal or human form. It was going to the same place and, if anything, he could taste better in his human form.

When his attention came back to Caesarion he noticed the man’s now bare backside. There was a certain glee in him that came from knowing that the human felt comfortable in his skin as well. What was there to be ashamed of? Everyone had the same appendages and possessed the same bodily functions. It was only natural, why hide it?

“Are you traveling?” Noah asked, when his attention fleeted from the man to the encampment again. “Where are you coming from?”

[Caesarion]

The man began to walk down the hill, slowly stepping and watching his surroundings as he moved forward. He felt, needless to say, exceptionally guarded as he was walking down the hill and into the encampment. This was essentially a stealth mission: make sure no one saw him, especially not followed by another naked man, just to not give anyone the wrong idea. He didn't feel like being particularly judged at the time-being, especially not when his relations with his travel companions were already fairly sour. So - his walk became what was practically a crouch, and although Noah asked him a question, he didn't mouth to answer it as of yet. The young mage passed through one of the larger tents, where the Akalak caravan guard were lounging around and talking about some mundane thing. The large male warriors spent half their time sparring and engaging in other combat-oriented exercises, so to catch them chatting anything other than taunts was fairly surprising. He couldn't really hear them well, though, which was unfortunate because he was certainly the eavesdropping type.

He moved through another series of tents until, eventually, his small and light-less one appeared before him. He led Noah in, moving to where he laid his blanket so that he could cover himself a bit. He then lit the lantern he'd been provided with Reimancy, a flame lighting up the interior of the tent. The inside was fairly simple, with essentials only, a small open box full of letters and some uncooked meat sitting atop a cloth. The meat was from animals he'd slain himself, and very recently. Noah might be able to distinguish it as wolf meat if he tasted it. Caesarion was always privy to killing canines for his meals, at least not the docile ones. "My humble abode!" He said excitedly, smiling to the Kelvic. He had a cooking pot hung over the side, near the lantern, and he picked up a slab of meat and dropped it in there. The man breathed in deeply, then stretched his muscles and exhaled. Shortly afterwards, Res extended from his body and a flame would begin to heat the wolf meat he'd sat in his pot. Henceforth, he'd occasionally heat it some more - turn it over with the side of a wooden stick, and prepare it so that he and Noah could share. If it didn't oust the hare in taste, it could at least do so in quantity. He had a lot more wolf meat than whatever a rabbit could offer.

Now, he decided to return to the Kelvic's questions. He was far too talkative to miss out on the opportunity. "I am traveling indeed," he said proudly. "I was born and raised in Ravok, like I said, but I lived in Syliras for around three years. Unfortunately . . . something, uh, came up, and I was forcefully relocated to Sahova. I'm now returning to civilization from that venture - and going to Riverfall." Moving back to Syliras wasn't a bad option either, but he had obligations to fulfill in Riverfall that needed careful consideration. He would have to at least go there for some time, and whether or not he'd come back to the Sylira region long-term was a question that would be answered once he found the answers he'd search for in the Akalak-filled city. "How about you, Noah?" He asked the Kelvic. "Surely you can't be from out here, yes? Are you also on an adventure?" He was excited to hear of that adventure, surely, even if it was only a peak outward to hunt some easy rabbit game. The man intrigued him, surely, despite being soft-spoken and not quite as rambunctious as the Ravokian.

As for his appearance - his 'modesty', Caesarion's legs were crossed over the floor and the entirety of his body was revealed save for his pelvic area, which he covered with a blanket. For a moment he thought to ask Noah whether or not he wanted something to cover him as well, but he determined that - no - it was quite likely that instead he found it more comfortable to just sit around nude. Now that they were in exceptionally close proximity within a tent, though, and Caesarion didn't have much else to look at . . . that was going to be very awkward. Despite being fairly wild by most human's standards, Caesarion was certainly not completely immune to discomfort when it came to nudity and other such things. It was just human behavior, really. Even the dead ones liked to wear clothes. The Nuit were pretty conservative in dress, actually. He couldn't understand the Kelvics, and he was sure that they must have known that in terms of humanoid species, they stood alone in their beliefs. Still, it did give an excuse to occasionally glance at the unbound male figure, which was fairly fresh of an opportunity assuming that Kelvics didn't find glances as taboo.

[Noah Amuel]

Noah followed the man down through the small tent village. He found it odd that the man was crouching and creeping around like he did, but imitated his movements anyway, finding it a fun kind of game. When he was a kid his brothers and he used to play games much like this. Except they’d play in the Bronze Woods with their animal forms and playfully hunted one another in a sneaky fun game of tag. Of course, Noah had the advantage in such games. His brothers were only land grounded predators while he was free to use the low branches of trees to his own gain.

The pair of them crept by a tent now. Inside that tent were two large men, fighters by the looks of it, but they didn’t linger long enough for Noah to get the usual details that he liked. They tiptoed through many of the other tents and Noah found it hard to hold his excitement in. He was holding back a laugh the entire way to Caesarion’s tent and, when they finally came to the opening, Noah exhaled with a smile. When the nude man introduced the tent as his abode he showed Noah a smile, one that he didn’t think the man possible of producing.

Before going inside of Caesarion’s tent, Noah dropped his catch of a hare outside of the entrance, thinking it rude to bring his fresh catch into another’s home. He wasn’t sure of human society rules surrounding tents, but didn’t want to offend the large man either way. Noah ducked a bit as he entered through the entrance flap of the tent after Caesarion. The tent looked bigger on the inside than Noah had imagined. It was clear though that this abode was meant for one person or two smaller people. Caesarion and he were not small and there were two of them, so the Kelvic prepared himself to be closer than comfort would allow with the human male.

Noah careened his head back as Caesarion stretched, as to not impede the large man’s movements. When he did find a seat that didn’t leave him in a too cramped position, the warmth from the cooking pot was felt against his skin and the smell of raw meat met his nose. His mouth watered, his stomach growled, and his eyes instantly went wide. The colorful orbs searched for the source of the smell and when they fell on a chunk of raw meat in the pot, he licked his lips.

His attention was detracted from the meat though by Caesarion finally answering his questions. The Kelvic had nearly forgotten he had asked those question with all the commotion of sneaking around the camp and getting accustom to such a small space. The places that the man mentioned – Ravok and Sahova – were foreign cities to the Kelvic and he showed as much by his look of wonder when Caesarion spoke. Syliras, however, was a place that Noah knew. He had lived in the castle-city for nearly two years now. Even though he had lived there for that long he knew very little about the city save for its Knights and predictable and daily rush hour of people.

It took Noah a moment to realize that Caesarion had asked him a question in return. He hesitated to answer. “I was born in Zeltiva,” he said, wiggling his nose to the rising smell of cooking meat. “I live in Syliras now though. I’ve lived there since winter of 513.” He licked his lips again, glanced at the pot, and then back at Caesarion where he met the man’s eyes with his own. “I come out here sometimes to escape the city. I hate it there,” he paused, “it’s so cramped and cage-like so I come out here to be free. To be with the wind.”

Noah scratched his head, brown curls bouncing as he did so. The Kelvic sat cross-legged not even a full arm’s length away from Caesarion. The man’s legs were stretched out in front of him and he wondered why the human covered only his midsection and not the rest of his body too. “Are you cold?” Noah asked, nodding to the blanket. The Kelvic, of course, was still in the nude, becoming accustom to the closeness now.

[Caesarion]

He could tell that Noah was hungry, and it was quite humorous. The rabbit that he brought along with them was noticeably gone, which meant that he either ate it or dropped it somewhere. Why would he do that? Courtesy? Either way, the personality of this man was as riveting as it was adorable. He found himself wanting to pat his head and applaud him for his attempts at social graces, even if they were failed attempts. They were still vastly superior to anything a Nuit produced, at least. Happily, he noticed all of the subtle undertones to the conversation and the mood - for example, the fact that Noah would continuously look at the food Caesarion was heating and lick his chops. He was excited by the concept of cooked meat, although honestly Caesarion was in an equal position so he didn't quite judge. He just found it, amongst many other things, fairly cute. So, he did his best to cook the meat quickly, which wasn't that hard considering he could fling fire at it with Reimancy. He let his Res flow and his fire burn - the sort of typical graces of heating meat. Within not-too-long, the meet he'd brought out was prepared to be eaten by any decent human, though he was sure it wasn't perfectly cooked. Whatever, he tried, and he was sure it was still tasty.

"It's done," he told Noah, though he had a look of commanding 'patience' in his eyes. He held up a finger and made sure to inform him of what that entailed. "It's done, but not ready to be eaten. You'll burn yourself if you touch it. Give it a few minutes or so, and we'll be good." He hoped that such a prospect wasn't so unfortunate to the Kelvic, but he knew that he was hungry, he could tell by his face if not by his rumbling stomach and the sort of longing that was being emitted by his every breath. Of course, it was only after he finished cooking the meat that he recognized how close he was to the Kelvic. It sort of felt awkward considering they were both naked, but at the same time, exceptionally opportunistic. No, no, he shook the thought from his mind. Not opportunistic. Never.

The young man being born in Zeltiva was fairly interesting, since Caesarion just came from there. It was a fateful city to be sure, though with the poise of everyone in that city, he was surprised Noah wasn't more . . . extravagant in his demeanor, or at least more human. He didn't imagine Zeltivan Kelvics could be so very base in nature. He didn't imagine anything could be, really, but then there was Noah. Perhaps that made the whole exchange more exciting, though. Caesarion longed for things that were abstract in the entirety of their form and their function - Noah's animalistic nature, despite being essentially human most of the time, made him very intriguing, and not in the way of being an amiable test subject or anything so apathetic. He was interested in making friends with this man, getting to know him better. He was exceptionally lonely, sadly, and so the Kelvic presented an opportunity at something else: a new outlook, a new friend, a new life to mingle with his own.

He had only lived in Syliras a little while shorter than Caesarion did, considering he moved there directly before the Djed Storm. Although what he added shortly after his confession of his time spent in Syliras was quite amusing. He hated it there? That was unfortunate to hear. He supposed that it was valid criticism, but Caesarion did decide that he would impart with the man his own belief on the subject - the only time he'd ever act like a wise man. "I understand you. I needed to leave frequently, too, and go hunting. Go wild." He grinned, as he was sure Noah knew what he meant - they at least had the wilderness and the desire to be within it, in common.

But, of course, he questioned him too. "Do you really hate it, though? I've lived a hard life, my friend. I came from wealth but was always despised due to my beliefs. I came to Syliras so that I might share love and compassion with people instead of hatred and malice, like everything I had in Ravok. And then I was enslaved, brought to the cruelest and vilest city I've ever seen. Syliras may be cramped and loud and smelly, but it's a blessing, and you will learn to love it if you ever go to a city like Sahova or Sunberth." He nodded. That was simply the truth, at least from his own perspective. Still, being with the wind didn't sound so bad, and Noah's 'hatred' of Syliras at least made Caesarion a new friend.

He did recognize that they were close, though he didn't think much of it. Not until Noah asked if he was cold, in which case his immediate mental reaction was a resounding no. It was hot, actually, as it was summer and there was heat from the flames he'd let out. "No," he admitted. And so he didn't have an excuse to cover himself . . . right? But, he didn't know - he didn't know if Noah's innocence was negligence. He couldn't have been so sheltered. Despite any and all thoughts, it was a prospect of his own, a possibility, that he could get away with doing the unthinkable: abandoning his very human mindset when it came to concealment and acknowledging that he had no real reason to cover himself at all in this situation. "If you really don't care, then..." He swallowed. He had a difficult time doing this, but he pulled the blanket off of himself and sat now fully nude, his features all exposed due to the candle in his room. And Noah's too, though he vowed to avoid any contact past the face and its features.

And he had a pretty face, with nice eyes. He damned himself for daring to ever let himself get into this situation - this enclosed space with a vibrant nudist. What an awful series of decisions he'd made . . . he thought, as the swelling from earlier returned to him en masse while he looked at the Kelvic's piercing, beautiful eyes. "Oh shit," he said, glancing down.

[Noah Amuel]

The Kelvic’s stomach was growling painfully so as the cooked meat filled the room with an aroma that he found nearly irresistible. He watched Caesarion as he flipped the meet and heard the juices sizzling against the heat of the pot. He inhaled, deeply, the heat and smell getting to him. His eyes constantly darted from Caesarion’s face to his body to the meat and back in a never ending cycle. When his sights did land on the meat he tried his best to understand the technique that Caesarion was using to cook this unknown, yet deliciously smelling, meal.

The method seemed quite simple upon further inspection allowed by a lingering gaze. The meat would begin to sizzle and crackle under the immense heat and as one side browned and charred, Caesarion would flip it to allow the other side to grow dark in the same savory manner as the other. He continued to do this though when the meat was already uniformly browned and that’s when Noah lost interest and was instead filled with confusion. Why did he need to continue to cook the meat when it already appeared to be quite done and ready for consumption? Then he remembered that humans needed their meat cooked all the way through in order to avoid sickness. Carnivore Kelvics didn’t need such a time wasting practice and Noah was dying to dive in to this sweet smelling meal.

His eyes snapped to Caesarion’s plump lips when the man exclaimed that the meat was actually done. He leaned in, propped up by his hands, preparing himself for his share of the meal but was denied yet again by Caesarion claiming that the meat was too hot to eat. Noah much wanted his hare now and was half tempted to crawl towards the entrance of the tent where he left it. At least he wouldn’t have to wait for it to cool and it’d be rotting by now in this hot weather. Disappointment filled the eagle’s mind as he was conflicted on what to do. He didn’t want to be rude and fetch his own meal when Caesarion had took the time to cook one up for both of them, yet his hunger clawed at his insides like a beast.

Noah sighed in frustration and drooped in his posture, eyeing Caesarion in a pleading way. The man decided then to fill the wait period with chatter, some that Noah reluctantly listened to. The Kelvic was slightly annoyed by this wait but tried his best not to show it and instead tried to fill his attention with Caesarion and getting to know the human. That proved to be easy when the man mentioned that he too liked to escape the castle-city to hunt, much like Noah. He even said that he liked to ‘go wild’, but the meaning of that flew over Noah’s head.

Noah nodded slowly when Caesarion asked if he really hated the city. In truth, he did but there were so many ties, personal and otherwise, that kept him from leaving. The reasons that the man explained for not understanding Noah’s hate of the city baffled the Kelvic. If places like Sunberth and Sahova were so terrible, then why even go there? In fact, he stated that now, “If those places are so bad, then I will not go there.” He looked into the man’s eyes in an attempt to express his disagreement, though his tone remained frank and flat. Who was Caesarion to tell him what was a blessing and what wasn’t? That frustrated the Kelvic further and was coupled with the previous frustration from having to wait for unnecessarily cooked meat.

Now, as the smell of the potential meal lingered, Caesarion removed the blanket that covered his midsection. Apparently the man wasn’t cold and Noah couldn’t see why he would be. The day, even in the evening, proved to be humid and hot and the Kelvic was already fighting a creeping uncomfortableness from the increased heat due to the cooking of the meat.

The Kelvic was becoming agitated and felt small droplets of sweat begin to bead across his forehead. He wiped them away and glanced to Caesarion’s newly revealed features. It was a quick glance, one that simply confirmed what he suspected the man to have; the tools of a male much like himself. The genitals of a man were something that Noah didn’t particularly feel strongly about. He possessed the same fashion of organs much like his father and brothers and other men in the world.

Only did his interest flick back to Caesarion’s exposed body when the man himself drew attention to it. A heat flooded the Kelvic’s face as he blushed and forced himself to look away from Caesarion’s growing discomfort. Now this situation was something that the Kelvic had not been exposed to. The familiar anxiety to flee gripped the Kelvic and he leaned back against the wall of the tent. “Should I leave?” he asked, voice hesitant and shaky now. He looked to Caesarion out of the corner of his eye, refusing to look down at the swelling situation. “I’m sorry if I caused your arousal.” Noah knew no other word for it, for he experienced it himself, but rarely. The Kelvic was unsure of the cause of it, perhaps Caesarion had thought of a pretty female friend and became excited at the thought of being alone with them. Noah denied the possibility that it was him that caused a man like this to become aroused in such an unwanted situation. He felt a pity for Caesarion now.

[Caesarion]

Observing the Kelvic grew more and more difficult, in the way that the Kelvic started to seem more and more displeased as time passed. He wasn't entirely sure the reason, but it seemed highly related to the fact that Caesarion was not yet letting him have food that he wanted. This was determined by . . . his constantly staring back to the pot, his apparent irritation when Caesarion confessed his inability to currently give the food to him . . . then there was that pleading look he was sure he caught. So, of course, the young mage sighed and improvised to get him what he wanted. He transmuted more Res into air that would cool the meat, before handing it over to the Kelvic - he could have it all if he wanted, as the mage had already eaten before the Kelvic and he met. Hopefully with that properly taken care of, the man wouldn't go fickle and run off. In a way, he kind of felt like he was acting like a dog. They were very sweet, but always got antsy and even whiny without what they wanted, usually food. That wasn't to say he was annoyed, as he quite liked dogs and all of their ridiculous tendencies.

Still, there was something strangely unfortunate about the air. He figured he probably bothered Noah by asking that he appreciate his home environment more. It wasn't that Caesarion found him to be foolish, but considering his recent predicaments he'd found a great appreciation in the order and stability of Syliras, as well as their all-vigilant knights. He did know, though, that there was some discontent within the city regarding their overlords, and of course he was sure that the people in Ravok were happy to inflate that, even if just at home parties. He'd heard quite a bit about the horrors of the Syliran dictatorship from Ravokians, but he never found it quite so malicious upon actually arriving. It was, possibly, a conflict of experiences. Maybe Noah had a very good reason to resent his city. He sort of regretted chastising him without knowing the full story.

"Yeah, I definitely wouldn't recommend going to Sahova, that's for sure. They take Kelvics and experiment on them, so..." He shrugged. That may have not been true, but that was something he'd certainly heard, and from more reliable sources than just the Svefra on the docks. Then again, in Sahova the most reliable sources were often the most unreliable, depending on your political standing. Ah, he didn't bother thinking about it. Of course, all form of conversation ceased when Caesarion pulled away the blanket and unfortunately 'expanded' in the aftermath. He supposed he was trying an awful lot to please Noah, and failing, and so the unwise decision of removing his blanket was made. The Kelvic's reaction was actually much worse than he'd anticipated. He seemed to freak out, though it started with a blush and evasion of the sight. Of course he didn't look, as that sort of thing was certainly not open even around Kelvics. Surely only a bonobo monkey Kelvic or something equally as raunchy would dare stare without being so moved.

He knew he didn't want the man to leave. No, he couldn't just leave. Caesarion had been so forlorn on this journey, and he finally found an opportunity for some form of interaction. Noah was the only one on this damn road that had seemed to even remotely want to talk to him. Caesarion quickly covered himself back up, frowned, and moved slightly closer to put his hand on Noah's shoulder. "No, please don't. I'm sorry. The frequency of my, uh, affliction has been increasing lately is all. It's been hot, and I've been sort of, ah, adventurous. Amongst other things. I'm sure you know, right? No, you're a bit young. Uh..." He looked down and frowned, though he moved to stare Noah in the eye once more. "A man lives and he fights certain... impulses, whether wanted or unwanted. I'm sorry to get you involved in my battles. I guess I was just really caught off guard, you know? I've never seen another naked person before. An-and, I mean, you don't look bad, so it was sort of new and I thought wow, that's exciting! and I guess my body felt the same way. I mean, you do have pretty eyes, though I don't think that's supposed to make me like that. I don't know. I guess the whole nudity thing did really stir me up. This is probably the very reason why humans like clothes so much." He explained all of that very stupidly, and he still couldn't believe he got aroused and then didn't cover it up but instead made it more noticeable . . . but hey.

"I'm sorry," he confessed. "I'm sorry if I'm scaring you or something. I know maybe it's been awful since you got here. I stopped you from eating your rabbit, and I made you wait on your food, and now I even got myself riled up for no reason and made you see me like that. I'm sorry. Really, really sorry. I hope you won't leave. I'm terribly in need of a good friend." He didn't want to act so desperate, but to be honest he couldn't take his only companionship being manifested in letters he wrote himself and read a thousand times over. He didn't want to screw up the one chance he had. So, this time, he was the one giving the pleading look, despite trying to seem so confident only moments prior.

[Noah Amuel]

The tension that was held in the air after Noah commented on Caesarion’s arousal stained the world around the Kelvic now. In thought, he licked his lips, but was jolted from his mind before the thoughts could even begin to brew by Caesarion placing a hand on his shoulder. The touch sent goosebumps down the eagle’s skin along with a shock that forced him to look into the eyes of the man.

The human stumbled with his words and, half the things that he said, Noah couldn’t comprehend. It wasn’t because he didn’t understand the words, even though they were different that the sort he spoke, it was because the Kelvic was frozen by the situation. He stuttered to say something but Caesarion’s own words flooded any opening that Noah might’ve had. Instead the Kelvic listened with the same attention that he had before, if not more so.

Even though Noah was young, he understood the feeling that Caesarion referred to as an affliction. Even though he didn’t feel the same way about it, he understood the panic that Caesarion felt. Noah felt sorry for the man when he glanced down before the lock of their orbs caused sympathy to stir in the eagle’s being. Noah reached his own hand across his chest to place it on Caesarion’s – the one that held his shoulder, and rubbed it gently with his thumb. He did want Caesarion to release him from the hold, but didn’t voice any objection. Instead, he gazed into the man with a caring, much like the one his mother would show to him if Noah was in a panicked babble much like Caesarion was now.

In truth, the Kelvic was surprised when Caesarion confessed to never seeing a naked person before, and it was Noah that had so abruptly taken that from him. Any unseen innocence that the man possessed was stripped little by little now. Noah felt subconscious and guilty in the fact that his body had been the first the Caesarion had seen nude. He wanted to cover himself now for the man’s sake but didn’t move still as the man talked.

A small, yet obvious, smile came to Noah’s mouth at Caesarion’s compliment of his eyes. He admired the man’s eyes as well. He knew they shared similar qualities and appreciated that even though he was a Kelvic, he was still able to share similarities with humans, even in the oddest of places. The smile on Noah’s face widened into a small chuckle at the human’s comment on why humans wore clothes and clung to their beloved modesty. That smile was wiped away though as the man apologized once more for scaring Noah, making him wait for his food, and exposing his arousal to the Kelvic.

Whether Caesarion knew it or not, all was forgiven. Noah felt guilty for how he felt and wanted to comfort the man, but he did not know how. He thought back on how his mother would comfort him if he was as riled up as Caesarion was now. With that thought in mind, he leaned forward and embraced the man in a tight hug, like his mother would do him. When he released Caesarion he placed a hand on the man’s cheek carefully and leaned in to place his lips upon the other cheek in a light peck. Then he smiled his small smile, dimples showing as he did.

“It’s okay,” he said in as calm of a voice as he could muster. Despite his anxiety he felt for this human and didn’t want to see him panic as he did. “I forgive you.” Noah looked at the blanket that Caesarion covered himself in again and teetered his head in thought. “You don’t need to cover yourself. It’s too hot and you’ll just start to sweat.” Noah then removed the covering himself, if allowed, before flashing the man another calm smile. The Kelvic remained in this close proximity to the man, his face inches from Caesarion’s, and his hand still placed upon his cheek.

[Caesarion]

Sexuality was a topic that was exceptionally taboo in his life. Even though he had been exposed to sex from a very young age, in the form of pleasure slaves offered to his father, brother, and even mother, he had never once indulged or thought to indulge. The reason for this began with his differing morality for how slaves should be treated, and also that he wanted romance with someone he bedded, because he thought that then it would be all that more beautiful. The situation now reminded him of all the thoughts and all the struggle when it came to fighting that integral part of his nature. How in Sahova he could've enjoyed Ameer's body but never deigned to, because he was going to go away soon and he didn't want to hurt the man. He didn't want to hurt anyone from heartbreak - it was perhaps the one conviction in his entire life he'd desperately tried to keep to, even though he had already failed and hurt people like Aoren multiple times, whether willing or unwilling. Right now, he felt like most of the heat of the room didn't come from the meat or even just the hot air - but the heavy breathing, the anxious prattling, and the burning and rising of Caesarion's blood that was very quickly getting out of control.

Even despite his panic, though, Noah understood and his expression seemed to reflect a concern rather than a fear. He quickly realized that his fearful ranting was pointless, and he blushed and looked away so he wouldn't have to humiliate himself anymore. But then, without his vigilance, Noah swept in and embraced him. Caesarion didn't even know how to react. His heart was beating so quickly. He couldn't think straight anymore. The man's smooth skin was against his, wrapped around his, and he instinctively reacted by embracing him back - wrapping his arms around the Kelvic just the way he wrapped his own around Caesarion. He held him as tightly as he could without hurting him, and all the meanwhile the look on his face shifted from embarrassment to complete comfort and a true enjoyment that he hadn't previously known. When Noah tried to pull away, Caesarion was resistant for a moment, but he let him go and laughed lightly afterwards. Then, the Kelvic leaned in again, and this time he kissed him on the cheek and smiled brilliantly. Adorably. So perfectly that the mage didn't know how to possibly fathom the Kelvic's existence - how this was all happening to him, and how happy he was that something like this could happen for someone like him.

He spoke, although Caesarion was far from possibly being able to make out his words. All he heard was 'I forgive you,' because those were the words he'd hoped for, but the rest of it was completely sabotaged by the man's actions - ones that were unknown to him, ones that would completely change the course of this night, for good or worse. He pulled away Caesarion's blanket, and he wouldn't be surprised to see that the sort of situation that caused this entire debacle had gotten even worse. The embrace, the beautiful eyes, the kiss on the cheek and the bright and adorable smile - he'd set Caesarion completely out of balance, completely outside of everything he'd ever allowed himself to take in. He couldn't handle it all - it was too much for a man with such strong passions, and such endlessly convoluted desires. He didn't even acknowledge that his arousal had multiplied several times over. He acknowledged nothing about himself, and everything about Noah, before the logical part of his brain completely switched off and he pulled himself closer to the Kelvic, their chests touching, Caesarion's legs that were spread out wrapping around Noah's own legs, and the man completely closing the distance that Noah's lips had from his lips and kissing the man as instinctively as his body knew how to.

He embraced him, too, his arms wrapping around his back and holding him ultimately close. He didn't wanna let go, he wanted to keep the beautiful Kelvic pressed against him for the remainder of the night and into the morning. With all of his natural warding and his self-control abolished by Noah's actions, he was completely lost in a sea of simply 'feelings' that he wanted to express and everything he did from this point on reflected the least logical part of his mind. "Noah," he whispered the Kelvic's name as he pulled away from the kiss on his lips - which was intimate but chaste in nature. "Thank you very much."

[Noah Amuel]

It came as a slight surprise to Noah when Caesarion leaned in for another embrace. The Kelvic had thought the moment to be gone or fading but this moment proved be a heightening of endorphins that brought the hairs across his body to stand. In the heat of the tent, Caesarion’s skin proved to be warmer still. The heat, usually deemed uncomfortable, was the opposite in this sense. The sensation of Caesarion’s arms, large as they were, enclosing around Noah’s lithe torso in a tight and intimate hug made his heart skip several beats before restarting faster than ever.

It was then that Caesarion’s plump lips were placed upon Noah’s thinner ones. Instantly the eagle froze, unsure of what to do. Caesarion’s eyes were closed but Noah’s were wide open for the moment as the anxiety in his gut fluttered with raging confusion. What was he supposed to do? He was being kissed and he had never been kissed before except by his mother. This was an intimate action and the human that held him now was obviously very emotional.

Now he felt Caesarion lean into the kiss more, probably sensing Noah’s stillness. This caused the Kelvic to stir and he closed his eyes and tried to imitate the motions that Caesarion was producing. The kiss was brief but felt like it lasted much longer. When the conservative, yet passionate kiss, was broken Noah opened his eyes slowly as Caesarion said his name. He licked his lips now, tasting what lingered on them. Noah had no idea what had truly happened besides that he had been kissed by a man and that it was his first time being kissed at all in such a personal way. Inside he felt happy, confused, and scared and it showed in his gaze that quivered with those feelings.

The Kelvic had his hands placed on Caesarion’s chest and looked the man in the eye with unsureness. The kiss had left him at a loss for words and Caesarion’s thanks was only seen and not heard. In the few seconds after the kiss, the air was still around Noah and his perception of reality was altered. The time period he was in, the location, and who he was with didn’t seem to matter. He licked his lips again and felt them bare against his tongue. Finally he decided that he liked the kiss, he liked that he – of all people – had been the source of comfort for Caesarion.

It was clear to him now that the human before him had had a troubled past and the fact that he allowed himself to become emotional, showing vulnerability, in Noah’s presence made the eagle feel welcome. Not only in his temporary home but in his life, if not only for a while, for this time.

Noah bit his lip and hesitated in leaning in again. Despite his feeling of specialness and caring, he was scared of repeating the act. Still he dove back in and closed his eyes in the instances before his lips came in contact with Caesarion’s again. The method of kissing was ever foreign to the Kelvic so he hoped that the man would take the lead in this act.