(no subject)

[monolike]

[The first thing Sorey thinks as he falls is what Lailah said as they left Camlann; that without his domain, all of them would instantly be hellions. The ground collapses beneath his feet, the wind drake behind him snaps up his cloak in its jaws and he sees the terror on Mikleo's face just before Symonne's laughter shrieks out and he and the drake fall together.

If they're too far away from me-

He can still feel their connection. He can still feel them, even if they can't go to him, and Sorey prays that's enough.

Wind rushes past them and Sorey tries to wrench out of the drake's grip (It's gotta be a wind seraph, Zaveid had shouted as they were thrown into the thick of battle in the tight corridors of the fortress), twisting and turning, sword in his hand. They'd weakened the drake considerably as a team but he's not sure he's powerful enough on his own to purify it, not even with all the strength he's gathered. Not without the others.

Hopefully, because Rose is there, they'll be okay. Please, please, I can't lose anyone else-

They fall far but hit a collapsed spire at an angle; in the mess the drake releases Sorey (or maybe his cloak tears, he can't tell) and he tumbles, bumps against it and hits the ground hard enough to rattle his teeth in his head and jar his bones. He pushes himself up, ignoring the bruises and aches, the constant, thumping worry of his heart and puts his sword between he and the drake as it sways up to its feet.]

Don't worry, [he promises the poor thing, because thank god, thank god it's not a dragon yet. There's still hope.] I'm going to save you. Don't worry, it'll be over soon.

Comments

[monolike]

[NO...OH NO, HIS GAY LIL HEART CAN'T TAKE IT

Dezel steps in and closes his yukata and ties that silk belt and that's it, the lingering closeness, Dezel's hands hovering near his waist without quite letting go.

Mirror later. Reaching up to take Dezel's face between his hands and pull him down into a kiss now.]

[sylphystia]

[Dezel makes a soft noise of surprise, but he doesn't pull away. He has no reason to and no inclination. The tension has been terrible today and Sorey's always fidgety when he's impatient, which of course makes Dezel anxious... but this? This is much, much better.

He lets go of the belt and slips his arms around Sorey instead, pulling him as close as he dares. He even parts his lips in an invitation. Though his hands are behaving, Dezel himself is not; there's the lightest stirring of air in their room, perhaps from a cracked window, and it crawls along Sorey's exposed neck and collarbone like the lightest fingertips.]

[monolike]

[The brush of wind against his neck is so light it's almost timid; Sorey doesn't know if Dezel's being gentle for his sake or if he really is hesitant (if there's a single person who worries more than him, Sorey can bet it's Dezel) so he decides that taking charge would be the most merciful thing to do. Not...that it's difficult, considering Dezel is pressed up against him, warm and welcoming, his mouth open and willing. Sorey's heart pounds as he runs his tongue over those blunt points of Dezel's teeth before allowing his hands to wander down his chest, slipping one inside the hem of his yukata.]

[sylphystia]

[It's nice to have Sorey take charge for once. It helps Dezel feel less like he's... taking advantage of him somehow. He still has some body issues, not the kind you'd think; Rose forgave him long, long ago for taking control of her without her knowledge. But Dezel still feels a bit like he's unworthy, like maybe Sorey might be kissing him because he doesn't know any better.

Like it's out of pity.

But it's hard to think about that when Sorey kisses him so sweetly, when his heart is thumping so hard that Dezel can feel it through Sorey's back.]

Mmph--

[He deepens the kiss in his own way, tasting the remnants of vanilla on Sorey's lips and tangling with his tongue. He leans into Sorey's hand as if silently begging to be touched. Dezel's hands shift upward, drawing nails through Sorey's robe and along the back of his neck. One of them finds his hair and twists into it, though not enough to hurt; the other hand rubs at the former Shepherd's neck, echoing what the breeze had done.

Stopping here for the night was definitely a good idea.]

[monolike]

[Okay that got a good response, which is really encouraging. Dezel's wind is ticklish and sweet but Sorey kind of wants his hands more than anything right now, wide and warm and spread over him.

Dezel's yukata is getting in the way so Sorey slides his other hand inside it and pushes it aside and off his shoulders. They've been shirtless before, this is no big deal, and his own is falling open anyway so who cares? Now Dezel's shoulders are right there, ready for Sorey to hang off of them, except that Dezel is too dang tall and it's giving him a crick in his neck. Those few inches really make all the difference.]

Can we get on the bed? [Sorey asks a little impatiently, already pulling Dezel over toward the futons laid out on the ground.]

[sylphystia]

[Dezel is one hundred percent okay with letting Sorey set the pace here. He's in no real hurry, but he's also not completely new to any of this, so it's okay to go as fast or as slow as Sorey wants. Those few days aboard the airship were wonderful, tentative and slow, but it seems he's ready for something different.

He muffles the lightest gasp in the kiss as his yukata falls off his shoulders, but he leans into hesitant and hungry hands. He chuckles darkly at Sorey's impatience.]

Sure.

[He can kind of tell that Sorey's tired of the height gap there, so he rolls onto his back. His hands on Sorey's sides ensure that the former Shepherd comes with. His arms are bare and free of the silky sleeves, so they roam; he rubs at Sorey's neck, his firm chest, his stomach. And then he pulls off the sash.]

Oops, [he says dryly.]

[monolike]

Shame on you, [Sorey scolds with a grin, straddling Dezel's waist and sitting up on his knees so he can reach up to slip the yukata off.

(He does very carefully set it aside instead of tossing it elsewhere though.)

Above Dezel like this, nearly nude and gazing down at more skin than he's ever seen from the seraph, Sorey is a little at a loss. What should he do next? Is there something that'll mess this up? Should he just do whatever?

...no. No, Sorey is a scholar through and through. If you're unsure about something, you research it. So he leans forward into Dezel's hands, placing his own calloused palms wide and open on Dezel's chest.] Is there anything you've...that you want me to do? Just to get started.

[sylphystia]

[There is... not very much separating their hips at this very moment. Sorey straddling him is a lot hotter than he expected, somehow. Something about silk and skin just... wow. These eastern people have life figured out, don't they?

Dezel's eyes are hazy and unfocused as always, but he's still able to track Sorey's face, the angle of his lips. He wants to kiss him but Sorey holds him down. Maybe not on purpose... that's fine. It's good to-- to talk about this like normal people do.

Dezel is a little rusty anyway.]

Touch me, [he murmurs, his right hand slipping down further. He ghosts over the apex of Sorey's legs so lightly it might as well have been nothing at all; his fingertips take a slight detour to rub at the inside of the brunet's thigh.] There's no wrong answer. Only right ones.

[monolike]

[Dezel's fingertips press into the inside of his thigh and Sorey shudders, the little grin slipping from his face in favor of something more serious. Right. Right, this is...this is important. This is a kind of intimacy they haven't had yet, the kind most people who care deeply about each other share. Maybe they did this backwards; two souls sharing a body before two souls share their bodies with each other, but at the same time it feels better this way.

There's no lack of trust between them. Dezel has seen him more than just bare; he's peered through Sorey, into his very heart, and deemed him worthy. There's no reason to be shy now.]

Okay, [Sorey whispers, leaning down to kiss Dezel, slow and thorough. He starts with just combing his fingers through Dezel's hair, brushing his thumbs over his jaw, his ears, stroking his neck. When he sits back up he pushes Dezel's hair up and way from his face, admires how beautiful he is before letting his hands trail down to thumb at his nipples, shifting his weight atop Dezel's hips just to feel the slip of the silk yukata between them.]

[sylphystia]

[Dezel melts into the kiss-- a bit of a surprise considering all his sharp edges-- but it's the truth. The way Sorey kisses him is deep and warm but it's also tender, betraying his deep affection for the seraph. Dezel still can't really wrap his mind around that. Even though they talked about it, part of him will always feel like he's cursed, like he's a terrible seraph who can't do the most basic of seraph things.

But Sorey doesn't care. He touches Dezel with all the gentleness a malignant seraph is never due. His fingertips glide over his skin, soft and lovely, and Dezel's dark lashes flutter at the affection. He has a lot of things he'd like to argue but he just can't bring himself to voice any of them. Nothing sounds... right. They all seem like flimsy excuses.

He'd like to think he's beyond that.

Dezel arches lightly into the touch, groans lowly between kisses. He drags his nails up Sorey's back to see if he likes that, though it hints at the seraph's own preferences. His other hand rubs slowly down Sorey's hip and thigh, sometimes curving inward but avoiding the place where love meets. He wants Sorey to relax before he gets into the heavy touching and there's nothing better than a massage to draw that out.]

[monolike]

[Dezel's nails make him shiver, in a weird way but not a bad way, a little of his voice leaking into the kiss in a breathless moan. Dezel's voice is low and just a little bit rough when Sorey plays with his nipples, when he sets his hips down heavily on Dezel's so he gets a little bolder, a little braver, Dezel's hands curving strong and sure over his thighs.

Sorey pulls away from the kiss, touches his lips to Dezel's chin, checks his expression before slowly scooting back onto Dezel's legs so he can kiss down to his chest. They'd gotten as far as kissing each other on the neck (though Sorey was a little ticklish there) but never this far, and definitely not as far as where Sorey's about to go. He's a little tense, a little nervous but Dezel's eager panting breaths more than sets him at ease (works him up in an entirely different way, honestly) so he wets his lips with a lick and closes them over one of Dezel's nipples to suck and roll around it with his tongue.]

[sylphystia]

[Dezel feels himself flushing like flames crawling across his skin threatening to burn him up. Miraculously he does not spontaneously combust. Listening to Sorey would do that to anyone, he thinks, but then the other man decides to sit on him in a certain way and oh. He groans again, deeper this time, and digs into those shoulderblades a little more.

He nips at Sorey's lip as he pulls out of the kiss, murmurs a soft swear at how turned on he already is.] Nn-- damn. [He doesn't want to stop. He hopes Sorey doesn't either, but of course he'd slam on the brakes if they needed to. Thankfully that doesn't seem to be a problem. He lets out a shaky breath, silvery eyes wet with lust as he feels more than watches Sorey wander downward.]

Oh--

[He groans and thumps his head back against the bedroll. Holy hell. He's surprised that Sorey's already figured out how to do something like this, but then again, he's always been a quick study.

He wants more of that-- definitely-- so he draws his hands through thick brown hair, sometimes using nails, sometimes dragging them up his spine, always with the intent of coaxing out more pleased noises.]

[monolike]

[As Dezel's hands and voice and breath lose that gentleness from earlier, growing sharper and more insistent, Sorey grows braver. This is what he's wanted; he's wanted Dezel raw and honest, without those softened edges, without the hesitation in his touch. Now Dezel holds onto him like he's not afraid to leave marks, like Sorey is earning these light red scratches from his nails, the knuckles of Dezel's hands white as he clutches at his at his back and his hair.

He rolls his shoulders into Dezel's grip appreciatively, letting himself mumble and moan as Dezel rubs all over him. It's a little harrowing but more than that Sorey wants to see how this goes, how far it can go; he wants to push Dezel past the boundaries of what he's already seen. What does Dezel look like gasping, what does he look like overwhelmed? Will he get that beautiful open look on his face when he feels safely vulnerable? Will he whisper Sorey's name with trembling lips? Sorey burns with curiosity and switches to the other side of his chest.

It's pretty clear Dezel's getting into it as he starts shifting his hips beneath Sorey's and he thinks, no, he's pretty sure Dezel's getting hard. It would be more alarming if he wasn't getting that way himself, so he presses his hips down specifically against that hardness, to see what Dezel will do.]

[sylphystia]

[Dezel keens into the pressure, low and rough and lovely, arching into the other man's mouth. He rubs at the brunet's shoulderblades and the valleys of his back as if to draw out some of that tension and anxiety. It's okay to be excited, and it's okay to be nervous, but he doesn't want Sorey to be scared of him-- or what they might do. Then there's a more deliberate pressure against his hips and--]

Sorey...

[There's no way Sorey did that on accident. Dezel grinds up into him and his nails dig in for a moment, marking tanned shoulders with red crescents, but he's quick to move on. He walks his fingers down the former Shepherd's back, pushing the silk robe down further, until he can rub his fingertips over the curve of Sorey's rear.

He can't do much more than touch when Sorey is lavishing affection on his chest, but that doesn't mean the wind is idle; it keeps the air in the room cool and fresh from outside, and sometimes it caresses Sorey's earcuffs like a shy lover.]

[monolike]

[Dezel pushes his hands down the back of Sorey's half-shucked robe and he shivers, snickering a little in combination of nervousness and anticipation. He pulls back, breathless and lips puffy red, grinning down at Dezel and the flustered expression on his face.]

Am I doing okay? [He's not really worried about being terrible- okay he is a little, since Dezel has undoubtedly done this before, but he's totally hard beneath Sorey and while that is lowkey terrifying, it's more exciting than anything else. He's doing that to Dezel.]

[sylphystia]

[Oh yes, Dezel is very flustered. He tries to ignore it since... you know... kinda comes with the territory. He works at Sorey's back instead, slow and warm, though the seraph might melt simply because of that happy beaming.]

Y-you're doing great. [He's pretty sure that's obvious. He shifts his right hand up to Sorey's hair and filters his fingers through it.] But if you... ah... don't know what to do, I can take over.

[monolike]

Only if you want to. [Sorey's grin turns cheeky and he rubs his hands up and down Dezel's chest.] You seem pretty satisfied just being down there.

[sylphystia]

[Look at this sassy lil bastard. Dezel turns his head a little, teeth showing.]

Satisfied isn't the word I'd use.

[Ridiculously frustrated, more like.]

... I'm thinking about going down on something else.

[monolike]

[It takes Sorey a second before he blushes a bright red, hands going still on Dezel's chest. THAT'S RIGHT. That's right, it's not all just kissing and getting cozy. And even though Sorey is having fun, he can't deny the itch to do more sitting just beneath his skin, especially with the way Dezel is looking at him.]

Y-you don't have to do that, [Sorey mumbles, bashful.]

[sylphystia]

[Too much? Maybe. He doesn't want to overwhelm Sorey, so he doesn't force it. He sits up on his elbows purely so he can kiss the younger man's temple, his cheek, and finally beneath his ear-- all with tender diligence. Dezel's hand finds the one on his chest and tangles their fingers together.]

Just a thought.

[He's fine with this too even if he complains otherwise. Sorey is enjoying it and that's what matters. That doesn't mean he won't tease, though. He brings their joined hands up to his mouth, kisses every knuckle with the same kindness as his earlier kisses.

Until he nips at Sorey's fingertip, anyway.]

[monolike]

[Dezel goes back to gentle and Sorey clears his throat, sitting up straight- that is, until Dezel nips at his fingers.]

Ac- actually, [he says, pushing Dezel to lay back down,] I was thinking about doing you a favor.

[Because that, maybe he can handle. The idea of Dezel between his legs, head down and pleasuring him- hooooo boylskdjfsdf yeah he doesn't know if he's ready for that. But him? Doing it for Dezel? That is a lot more manageable. Approachable. ...it's a lot more enticing.]

[sylphystia]

[Dezel doesn't resist, falling back against the futon with a curious look. His eyebrows jump at the suggestion. Well. If Sorey wants to experiment that way, Dezel certainly isn't going to say no.]

Sure. Just-- if you're not comfortable with something, say so. All right? Don't feel like you have to compete with me or anything. [Because that's dumb.]

[monolike]

No, not really competing. Just...trying to find my footing. [Rubs up Dezel's torso a couple times, reassuringly.] Thank you for your patience! I want this to be good for both of us, that's all.

Are you...okay with me taking everything off?

[sylphystia]

Sorey. You don't have to thank me, it's not a performance.

[He sounds tetchy, but it's clear from his expression that he's trying not to laugh.]

It's all the same to me. [To him, it's not going to make a difference. His lips curl for a moment.] Sometimes making love with clothes on can be fun, too. But for the first time-- [He smooths Sorey's hips, feeling more than seeing how strong they are, the gentle dip as they turn toward his pelvis.] -- you might like skin more.

[monolike]

Ahh, ahhh, see? It's that! [Shudders when Dezel's thumbs press against his pelvic bones, leaning forward to slide his hands up to his shoulders.] You know how to be- y'know, sexy. Really sexy. I'm still figuring that out.