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little_stories2017-12-06 10:43 pm
little_words) wrote in little_stories2017-12-06 10:43 pm
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It wasn't really a surprise that the revelation had happened now, Shark pondered dully, all things considering. There were plenty of people who found physical strength attractive in a potential partner, and gods knew that's one of the things that had attracted him to Sae the first few times they'd met. But Sae had possessed a humble, quiet strength; he was not ostentatious, and he was not overeager in looking for a bout in order to prove how strong he was. If the Keeper could have had it his way, Shark didn't doubt that the other would have simply kept to himself for the rest of his life, living in quiet solitude in a tree somewhere far from civilization.
There were other things that had made their relationship work, of course, but Sae's strength was one of the things that had stood out the most about him. And, if Shark had to be completely honest with himself, the notion that his former lover could easily snap his neck with his bare hands was an appealing one, moreso given the fact of Shark's nature and all the dark secrets that came with it.
He told himself that his attraction to Sae was the only reason why he was reacting now, pinned to his back by a very shirtless, very tanned Seeker with the beginnings of flames dying down into mere sparks in Shark's hands. From above, Li'ur Nunh grinned in a flash of teeth and crowed his victory over the Keeper trapped under his weight. Even without the impressive muscles lining his arms and legs and abdomen, the Seeker exuded a deep rooted sense of confidence that would have been hard to beat out regardless of the outcome of their duel. Shark liked to think that the few places where Li'ur sported reddened, raw flesh was where his flames had hit the hardest, but that had done little to curry the duel in his favor, and it was hard for him to feel anything except the bitter tang of defeat.
Leave it up to brawn to win out over magic in the end. Sometimes the gods were too merciless.
"You should eat more greens, Shark." Li'ur remarked in a tone that was more mocking than it should have been. Shark felt his expression draw into a moue of discontent, and he bent his legs as best he could under Li'ur's hold. Needless to say, he didn't get very much movement, and the furrowing of his brow only deepened. The Seeker seemed to notice this and laughed, and a few strands of his reddish-purple hair fell into his eyes.
Shark's fingers itched with the urge to brush them away, and he had to fight the feeling of revulsion that sprang up as a result of that. He'd known Li'ur for moons, and the Seeker had been more like a brother than anything. He'd recalled to mind the last time they'd sat together comfortably, and the barbs and jabs they'd traded made it feel like he'd finally met someone who could dish it as well as he did. Li'ur was kind in his own way, but it wasn't the sort that made him weak in the knees or melt into a puddle of gratitude at every warm smile or nod that was sent his way; Li'ur was fire, like Shark. The only difference was, Li'ur could keep a calm head and could actually hit worth a damn - which was probably how they'd wound up in this situation in the first place.
"... I didn't hit you that hard, did I?" Shark's golden eyes snapped back to the Seeker's face, and with a start he realized he'd been staring overlong at the flexing of Li'ur's arms, the heaving of his chest, the sheen of sweat covering tanned skin glistening in the sunlight -- no. No, no, no. The brunet shook his head and attempted to flex his arms free of the Seeker's grip, which did not budge like before. He was rewarded with a grin and a tightening of the hold until Shark felt his teeth grit in discomfort, and he snapped his head forward to face Li'ur again, eyes half-lidding into a look of indifference.
It didn't quite get the reaction he wanted.
"Looks like I finally found a way to shut you up."
"Shut up." The Keeper snapped back, trying and failing to hide the sulk from his voice. Li'ur caught it almost immediately and laughed, and at long last the brunet's arms were released as the Seeker raised both his arms in a languid stretch that drew Shark's gaze to the sinuous pull and tug of muscles under skin, as hypnotic as a constricting snake and --
-- Twelve help him, he was hard.
Li'ur noticed this immediately and paused. It would have been a mercy that he not look down, but of course the gods chose this particular day to hate Shark, and the Seeker did. Shark took the opportunity to sit up quickly, as though that would help hide the fact of his arousal, but there was no mistaking the hard press of flesh against Li'ur's own, or the flush on his cheeks when Li'ur's gaze dragged up to meet Shark's own with an unreadable expression in his eyes. The Keeper didn't look away, but held the gaze steady, as though daring the other to say something.
The silence between them was broken by the sound of a church bell tolling somewhere far off in the Thanalans. Li'ur opened his mouth to speak, Shark hissed - and the Seeker broke out into a peal of laughter, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
Shark drew his fist back and punched him across the jaw, as hard as he could. Li'ur didn't stop laughing.
There were other things that had made their relationship work, of course, but Sae's strength was one of the things that had stood out the most about him. And, if Shark had to be completely honest with himself, the notion that his former lover could easily snap his neck with his bare hands was an appealing one, moreso given the fact of Shark's nature and all the dark secrets that came with it.
He told himself that his attraction to Sae was the only reason why he was reacting now, pinned to his back by a very shirtless, very tanned Seeker with the beginnings of flames dying down into mere sparks in Shark's hands. From above, Li'ur Nunh grinned in a flash of teeth and crowed his victory over the Keeper trapped under his weight. Even without the impressive muscles lining his arms and legs and abdomen, the Seeker exuded a deep rooted sense of confidence that would have been hard to beat out regardless of the outcome of their duel. Shark liked to think that the few places where Li'ur sported reddened, raw flesh was where his flames had hit the hardest, but that had done little to curry the duel in his favor, and it was hard for him to feel anything except the bitter tang of defeat.
Leave it up to brawn to win out over magic in the end. Sometimes the gods were too merciless.
"You should eat more greens, Shark." Li'ur remarked in a tone that was more mocking than it should have been. Shark felt his expression draw into a moue of discontent, and he bent his legs as best he could under Li'ur's hold. Needless to say, he didn't get very much movement, and the furrowing of his brow only deepened. The Seeker seemed to notice this and laughed, and a few strands of his reddish-purple hair fell into his eyes.
Shark's fingers itched with the urge to brush them away, and he had to fight the feeling of revulsion that sprang up as a result of that. He'd known Li'ur for moons, and the Seeker had been more like a brother than anything. He'd recalled to mind the last time they'd sat together comfortably, and the barbs and jabs they'd traded made it feel like he'd finally met someone who could dish it as well as he did. Li'ur was kind in his own way, but it wasn't the sort that made him weak in the knees or melt into a puddle of gratitude at every warm smile or nod that was sent his way; Li'ur was fire, like Shark. The only difference was, Li'ur could keep a calm head and could actually hit worth a damn - which was probably how they'd wound up in this situation in the first place.
"... I didn't hit you that hard, did I?" Shark's golden eyes snapped back to the Seeker's face, and with a start he realized he'd been staring overlong at the flexing of Li'ur's arms, the heaving of his chest, the sheen of sweat covering tanned skin glistening in the sunlight -- no. No, no, no. The brunet shook his head and attempted to flex his arms free of the Seeker's grip, which did not budge like before. He was rewarded with a grin and a tightening of the hold until Shark felt his teeth grit in discomfort, and he snapped his head forward to face Li'ur again, eyes half-lidding into a look of indifference.
It didn't quite get the reaction he wanted.
"Looks like I finally found a way to shut you up."
"Shut up." The Keeper snapped back, trying and failing to hide the sulk from his voice. Li'ur caught it almost immediately and laughed, and at long last the brunet's arms were released as the Seeker raised both his arms in a languid stretch that drew Shark's gaze to the sinuous pull and tug of muscles under skin, as hypnotic as a constricting snake and --
-- Twelve help him, he was hard.
Li'ur noticed this immediately and paused. It would have been a mercy that he not look down, but of course the gods chose this particular day to hate Shark, and the Seeker did. Shark took the opportunity to sit up quickly, as though that would help hide the fact of his arousal, but there was no mistaking the hard press of flesh against Li'ur's own, or the flush on his cheeks when Li'ur's gaze dragged up to meet Shark's own with an unreadable expression in his eyes. The Keeper didn't look away, but held the gaze steady, as though daring the other to say something.
The silence between them was broken by the sound of a church bell tolling somewhere far off in the Thanalans. Li'ur opened his mouth to speak, Shark hissed - and the Seeker broke out into a peal of laughter, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
Shark drew his fist back and punched him across the jaw, as hard as he could. Li'ur didn't stop laughing.