Ask Misadventures

[Emryc Thorne]

The sudden flush across Jaikus’ face and the widening of his eyes gave Emryc pause, “Uh I’m only jokin-” The rest of his sentence died away as the other man began to grin, Emryc realizing that he was fretting over absolutely nothing. He had been used to a dynamic of being overly polite with his...his what? He stared at the other man, almost angry at himself for even entertaining the line of thinking that got him into the very mess he recently recovered from. At the same time, that little thought nagged at the back of his mind, wanting to overanalyze what Jaikus was to him.

Emryc’s thoughts melted away as Jaikus perched himself above him. This was a sight he had grown quite fond of, and it made the man appear outright regal and as if perched on a throne. He took in sight of the bronze skin and the toned torso, though his gaze did linger for a bit longer on the scars on him. Emryc’s hand instinctively reached up to brush over the marks on his arm before dragging across his chest and down.

The half Sephi tilted his head slightly when Jaikus leaned down to kiss him, opening up his neck more for the man’s affections. Emryc felt the kisses begin to travel down, the shifts in his breaths betraying just how much he enjoyed the attention against his chest and the continued kisses down. He watched Jaikus the whole time, his fingers coming up to gently curl into the back of his head, digging into the thick locks of hair.

The sight of Jaikus biting against the waistband got a very obvious reaction, his entire body shifting in anticipation and his ears moving in a very pronounced way. Emryc couldn’t help but grin at the teasing, though it was soon followed up by Jaikus continuing the path he began. The half Sephi’s grip tightened against the back of his head, a soft exhale escaping him as he tilted his head to keep watching the other man. Simply watching him was half the exhilaration of what happened, and he found himself getting lost in the bliss of the passion-filled emerald eyes and everything else that followed.

----​

If Emryc felt like lying around and doing nothing earlier, now was when he truly felt like being nothing more than a blob. There was a dazed, very satisfied look on his face as he stared up at the top of the tent and just laid there. His pants weren’t even back on, and he didn’t bother. Jaikus was back in his arms, having gotten his wish for extra time doing nothing. Emryc’s arm was once again wrapped around him, holding the man tightly against his body.

“On second thought,” The half Sephi said after a very long moment of silence, “We don’t really need that other tent, do we?” Emryc blinked a few times before grinning. He leaned over to kiss the other man tenderly before finally extracting himself and moving to sit up, tugging his pants back on at last.

“You’ve stalled us enough, Moff Altaris,” He declared, “Especially since apparently we need to have a full course meal for breakfast,” Emryc muttered while shaking his head, “Come on.”

With that, he abruptly gave a loud but playful slap to Jaikus’ rear, a grin on his face as he moved towards exiting the tent.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

A few minutes had passed, and Jaikus was once more wrapped within the half-Sephi’s arms, enjoying the extra bit of time to do nothing but relax. The Axxilan laid his head once more on top of Emryc chest, tilted upwards to look up at those silvers. He clearly noticed the dazed, satisfied look on the half-Sephi’s face, and it was enough to cause Jaikus to smirk mischievously.

The Axxilan splayed his hand across the half-Sephi’s torso, gentle tracing his fingers across the olive skin. “No,” Jaikus smirked when Emryc spoke, lifting his head and leaning into the tender kiss. “I don’t think we do.” He huffed a bit when the half-Sephi finally extracted himself, though this time didn’t attempt to delay them any longer.

He watched as Emryc tugged his pants back on, listening as he spoke. The repeat of the ‘Moff’ title earned Emryc an audible groan from Jaikus, immediately shaking his head in response. He raised a brow when the full-course meal was mentioned, tilting his head to the side ever-so-slightly. “Don’t act like you’re not starving, too. Besides, weren’t you the one who mentioned treating me to a multi-course meal?” He quipped, his tone playful once more.

Jaikus gasped softly when Emryc abruptly slapped his rear, his lips immediately curling up to flash the man an equally playful grin. It was a bold and playful gesture Jaikus didn’t quite expect from the half-Sephi, though it was clearly one he that he enjoyed, based upon his reaction.

With that, Jaikus sat up and followed Emryc out of the tent – stepping back out into the brisk meadow where they’d camped for the night. The sun was high in the sky by now, while a gentle breeze caused the tall grasses to sway and bend. Despite his urban upbringing, there was something about the setting that was unmistakably peaceful. For a moment, he simply stood there, emerald eyes cast out over the lake.

His blissful thoughts were summarily shattered by a familiar bleating from nearby. Emerald eyes immediately went wide as Jaikus whipped his head to the left, only to see the goat, still a few meters away, staring directly at him in a way that was almost silently judgmental.

Jaikus blinked a few times, wondering if the animal was still bitter about being set up onto the ledge. He didn’t linger on that thought for long, instead turning his attention to one of the packs that had been salvaged from the tent.

While the goat had successfully pillaged all the food from his pack, the animal had mercifully spared the rest of what Jaikus had packed – enabling him to change into a clean pair of clothes before rejoining Emryc. He quickly slipped on a white T-shirt and slim fitting pair of jeans, coupled with a pair of boots and fur-lined jacket. He wore a chrono on his wrist, though it was a bit plainer that the ones he usually sported.

For now, the Axxilan didn’t even bother attempting to tame his natural curls – merely running his fingers through his scalp a few times to fix the bedhead. Dressed for the day, Jaikus made his way back over to Emryc – tucking his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “So, what’s on the menu for today?”

He narrowed his eyes a bit. “Don’t say MRE’s.”

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc had a fire going by the time Jaikus came out, not paying attention to the scenery for now. He was perfectly happy to remain in the attire he was in, though he would likely pull on a hoodie for the remainder of the day. The half Sephi had a camping pan over the fire and Jaikus’ question about MREs would likely die by the time he smelled eggs being cooked. It was only a half step above MREs but these were high grade powdered eggs. He had also packed some dried meats, which Jaikus would immediately realize were just for him since Emryc was largely vegetarian. And they involved touching and the half Sephi wouldn’t be caught dead doing that.

Jaikus would notice that for himself, Emryc simply tore open an MRE bag that was vegan, digging into it right away. The eggs and meats were largely forgotten by him, and the half Sephi was silent as he ate, taking less than five minutes to house his meal as he had since his academy days. He checked his chrono and glanced at Jaikus, who was likely not even a quarter of the way through his meal yet.

“Hopefully at least partially up to your standards,” He said with a grin. It was clear he had expected Jaikus to complain about MREs and had packed and prepared accordingly before even arriving on the planet. Emryc rose up from where he was sitting, walking over to begin packing everything up.

“If we go the route I think we need to go,” He looked at Jaikus with a slightly quirked brow as his gaze flicked down and then up, “Those jeans will tear worse than your pants did at the hospital.”

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus walked until he came to join Emryc at the campfire plopping down onto a boulder nearby. He had half-expected to see the half-Sephi hovering over a handful of MRE packets, though any such notions were quickly dashed by the sight and smell of eggs being cooked within the pan. The Axxilan knew the man’s preferences enough by now, and it was clear that Emryc had planned ahead to specially accommodate Jaikus’ picky eating habits. It was a subtle gesture that caused Jaikus to smile without him even realizing it.

He didn’t realize just how hungry he was, until he smelt the food being cooked. While Emryc MRE like it was a gourmet meal, Jaikus picked up a fork and started digging into the eggs and meat. Unlike the half-Sephi who wolfed his food within minutes, Jaikus took significantly longer to finish – eating in that same, refine way that involved cutting his into small little bites.

The Axxilan paused chewing when Emryc mentioned his standards. “Partially,” He spoke, his tone clearly playful. Given the way that he ate, the half-Sephi would be able to clearly tell that Jaikus didn’t have much of a problem with the eggs, unlike the MREs, which made the grass start to look appetizing. He quickly polished off the remainder of his meal after that, stacking his dishes and moving to pack them with the rest of the camp equipment.

Jaikus had already risen to his feet when Emryc spoke against, causing him to blink a few time. “I thought we established you were just going to guess at the next crossroads?” He smirked, though his brows furrowed at the mention of his pants. The jeans he picked out seemed to be a perfect compromise for hiking.

“At least I won’t be freezing my ass off in those shorts.” He quipped back, gesturing to the half-Sephi’s own choice of attire. Though it remained to be seen how far they would travel over the course of the day, they would undoubtedly be climbing in elevation and temperatures were bound to drop significantly.

He briefly glanced up towards Emryc’s tent in the distance, remembering the goat shit that they had collectively agreed to leave undisturbed. “Shall we?” With that, Jaikus began to make his way back towards his own tent, intent on packing the last item before they hit the road once more.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

After a bit of bickering, Emryc finally got Jaikus to agree on the path he deemed correct. Despite the Axxilan’s doubts, Emryc had quite a bit of confidence in his ‘guess’ based on where the map had been suggesting and also by process of elimination from where they went by accident. As expected, Mr. Goat followed along behind them, leaving behind a trail of more shit after eating a bunch of Jaikus’ granola. Clearly the granola didn’t sit well with the goat, and both men were subjected to a terrible stench the entire hike over. Though Emryc could have found creative ways to leave the goat behind, he trudged on out of spite to make Jaikus suffer with him.

As expected, the actual path was very steep and required quite a bit of climbing. Emryc hoisted himself up and was up on a ledge before he looked down. Mr. Goat was already up on a ledge across from him. They had to free climb up the face of a mountain and it was almost vertical. Emryc had done this before, but he wasn’t convinced Jaikus was too familiar. The half Sephi briefly contemplated using the Force to push out a new ledge, but that could structurally collapse another part of the mountain.

Emryc looked down at the other man, eyes narrowed, “Will you fucking move already?” He called out, looking down at his chrono, “You’ve been inspecting that ledge for ten minutes now.”

He barely got the words out when he heard a faint rumble from above. Emryc blinked a few times before a drop of rain landed on his forehead. And then another. He scowled back down at Jaikus. When he spoke, it was through gritted teeth.

“Now is not the time to stall, Jai.”

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Spoiler: Theme

It was only after an intense amount of bittering at the crossroads that Jaikus finally gave up and agreed to the path that Emryc was convinced of. This didn’t actually mean that the Axxilan was confident in the path ahead of them, but it was clear that there was no dissuading the man from his course. Already slightly annoyed to have his navigational insights disregarded, Jaikus’ mood was not helped by the familiar sight of Mr. Goat weaving between his legs as he hiked. As much as Jaikus had grown fond of the goat, its presence now was becoming increasingly irritating – the constant smell of goat-shit seeming to overpower all other smells.

Jaikus’ doubts weren’t helped by the damn-near vertical wall that they arrived at. While the path before had been progressively growing steeper, the task ahead of them essentially required them scale the side of the cliff-face. The surface head of them was clearly weathered with age, several distinct cracks running across the stone and multiple points looking as if they were ready to yank free.

Unlike the Half-Sephi who may have done this before, Jaikus had little to no experience with the type of vertical climb that lie ahead of them. Through he was far too stubborn to admit it, it was clear that he hesitating to begin the climb. One misstep or mistake could send him tumbling to the ground below, and hoisting himself up every step of the way would require a great deal of physical strength. Unlike on Telos, Emryc had a clear advantage over Jaikus during this leg of the journey.

Jaikus had been staring at a particular ledge for quite some time when Emryc spoke. “I’m not stalling.” He replied grumpily, eyes briefly narrowing on Emryc before flicking back to the ledge he’d been staring at. “I’m just inspecting my path.”

It was at this point that Mr. Goat peeked its head over the ledge that it was on, several feet above both of the men. From his position, he could only see the animals stupid head gazing down at him. Was it possible for a goat to have a shit-eating grin on its face? From the way it was looking at him, Jaikus was quickly becoming convinced of that fact.

Exhaling sharply through his nostrils, Jaikus finally urged himself forward. Just as the half-Sephi had, Jaikus lunged towards the cliff-face, bitterly digging his fingers into the edge of the ledge that he’d been staring at. Taking a bit longer than Emryc, Jaikus hoisted himself up onto the ledge with a grunt, planting his feet down onto the stone surface.

Level with Emryc, Jaikus opened his mouth to speak – though was summarily cut off as violet lightning streaked across the heavens above, spiderwebbing through the dark clouds in a brilliant display. A booming crack of thunder followed, and the rain began to increase in its intensity. The lazy droplets transformed into a outright downpour, dousing the two of them and turning every ledge dangerously slick.

While this would’ve been concerning for both of the men, the Goat was unperturbed. As if to rub it in, the animal gracefully bounded to the ledge above – bleating happily as it went. Jaikus narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing at Emryc briefly before reaching for the next ledge.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc and Mr. Goat were both peering down at Jaikus over their respective ledges. The half Sephi, already getting irritated with the rain on his face, glared when Jaikus provided his lame excuse.

“My boot is about to inspect your ass if you don’t start climbing,” He all but growled at the other man. Though he was normally quiet and detached, Jaikus somehow managed to bring out his core personality, complete with Raze’s natural tendencies towards a lack of patience. This mainly stemmed from the fact that he was only 75% confident in his direction, and he despised being anything less than 95%. Second, the storm was getting worse and likely going to hinder their progress quite a bit.

The half Sephi reached down and helped Jaikus up when he finally reached the ledge. He could already tell the man was preparing a well thought out quip, but he was spared by the clap of thunder. The rain completely poured on them now, soaking them to their bones. The goat looked largely unconcerned, casually plopping down to sit.

Emryc watched as Jaikus began to reach for the next ledge, which was now entirely slippery. The half Sephi wasn’t going to point out the futility of this effort. He was, instead, silently stewing on the fact that they probably could have made more progress if the Axxilan didn’t stand around picking his nose staring at the ledge.

The half Sephi looked around for a bit before he spotted what looked like a cave slightly up to the left. Instead of going up directly, he shimmied slightly towards that side, planting his hands up to hoist himself onto that ledge. The cave looked promising for now, and he intended to hang out there until the storm passed.

Emryc looked across at Jaikus, who no doubt would have made it onto his ledge by now. The path to the summit was far up and the rain was only getting worse.

“Jump across to me!” He shouted at the other man, his voice barely carrying over the storm. There was quite a gap between the two, “There’s shelter here!”

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus narrowed his eyes briefly when Emryc barked at him, clearly noting the man’s lack of patience. He tilted his head to the side ever-so-slightly. Already annoyed with the path ahead of them, the Axxilan briefly considering giving the half-Sephi a very polite finger gesture he could inspect instead, though simply shook his head and began the climb upwards, reaching to take Emryc’s hand once he finally reached the ledge.

Thunder cracked across the sky before he could make his quip, the rain began to fall down upon them relentlessly. The fur-lined jacket and jeans he wore did little to protect him from the elements now, completely soaking through his layers of clothes. As if to make matters worse, the wind began to pick up all around them, blowing the rain back in their faces.

The Axxilan looked thoroughly annoyed at this point, his hair matting down wet to his forehead. “Did I mention that we should’ve gone the other way? Y’know, the one that didn’t involve scaling a mountain the rain.” He quipped.

He shook his head, turning to face the ledge ahead. The rain had turned the stone completely slick, and it took the Axxilan significantly longer to pull himself up onto the ledge. He eventually did, rising his feet with his back against the cliff-face. He immediately peeked back over the edge, expecting to see Emryc following him and immediately positioning himself to help the half-Sephi up over the ledge.

Instead, Jaikus was greeted to the sight of Emryc shimming his ass across the cliff-face below. It took the Axxilan a moment to figure out what he was doing, emerald eyes slowly following the man until finally spotted the cave.

He only barely made out Emryc’s voice over the storm, squinting towards the half-Sephi and the gap between them. Jaikus briefly looked back down to the previous ledge, considering climbing down to take the same route as the half-Sephi, though quickly decided against it due to the rain.

With no other option, Jaikus slowly but surely made his way towards the edge of his outcropping – moving comedically slow across the rain-slick stone. Taking a breath, Jaikus took a step back before lunging forward across the gap. The Force coiled around his body as he leapt, carrying him across the sizable distance and to the mouth of the cave. While he cleared the distance without issue, Jaikus immediately went wide-eyed as his still-wet boots began to skid across the ground when he landed, causing him to stumble forward collide directly with the waiting half-Sephi.

Clearly, Mr Goat wasn’t much a fan of the rain either, as the animal joined the pair in the cave shortly after - its familiar bleating echoing off the cave walls as it casually sat down just inside.

The area adjacent to the mouth of the cave was well-lit – the frequent flashes of lightning painting the interior walls with purple light. Upon closer inspection, they would realize that the cave went further than originally anticipated - a narrow, pitch-black tunnel leading deeper into the mountain-side.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

“You mean the path that would have taken us on a tour to meet Mr. Goat’s extended family?” Emryc quipped right back at Jaikus without missing a beat. The man had a magical way of drawing out quick quips from the half Sephi that no one else ever managed. He couldn’t explain why.

Emryc took a cursory look within the cave to scope it out, not spotting any unexpected threatening animals right away. He figured Jaikus would take a century to jump over and he actually stepped inside the cave for a moment to look around it. After a while, he stepped back out and saw, to his lack of surprise, Jaikus was still judging the jump distance.

While most people may have been encouraging with their hands or cheering Jaikus on, the Axxilan was instead facing a very unamused look and a blank stare. In fact, Emryc actually had his arms crossed over his chest, standing there with his hair matted to his face as the rain soaked him to his bones. The fact that he was even standing outside of the cave at all was a testament to his affections for the other man.

Jaikus finally leapt over and Emryc actually began to slow clap at his performance with that same dry expression on his face. This was cut short when the Axxilan skidded across and tripped, catapulting himself against Emryc. Being the size he was, the half Sephi didn’t budge, but his arms instinctively wrapped around Jaikus. When the Axxilan looked up, he would see a smug smirk on Emryc’s face.

“Can’t stay out of my arms, eh?” The half Sephi purposely lingered there for a moment, his arms loosely around Jaikus with them staring at each other with rain soaked faces.

Emryc finally released him and turned to enter the cave. He paused briefly, calling upon Force Sight to see if anything was moving beyond their line of sight. So far the cave appeared safe, but it certainly went deep.

“This might lead us to the summit if we find a path,” He said hopefully. He began walking down the tunnel, his boots making hilarious squelching noises as he did so. Emryc had to hunch quite a bit to walk and it was clear he was going to have a hard time in here with his broad frame.

The tunnel led to an opening that had a very narrow ledge wrapping up to a path. On the left of it was a massive drop, which meant they would have to hug the wall to make their way across. Emryc sighed at the sight.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus rolled his eyes at the quip from Emryc, shaking his head. He was still largely convinced that his path would’ve gotten them to their destination without all the hassle. The fact that his last attempt at navigating wasted hours and introduced them to Mr. Goat was either forgotten or purposefully ignored. Probably the latter.

Motivated by the exceptionally blank and unamused staring from Emryc, Jaikus lunged forward and leapt across the gap, crossing the distance without much issue. Jaikus suddenly went wide eyed as his feet slid out from under him upon landing, skidding across the stony ground with a comical squeeze and causing him to slide directly into the half-Sephi.

He slammed into other man with a muted thud, though didn’t tumble to the ground like he was expecting. Jaikus blinked a few times, staring at the half-Sephi’s chest, dazed, before looking up to catch the smug smirk on the man’s lips. Jaikus couldn’t help but grin at the other man’s words, noting the way that Emryc purposefully held them in an almost cliché embrace.

“Taking a line out of Maid in Theed, I see.”

Despite his teasing, Jaikus didn’t immediately move to break the contact – remaining in the half-Sephi’s arms and allowing Emryc to release him before continuing into the cave. He squinted towards the narrow path ahead, tilting his head slightly when Emryc spoke. “If we don’t get stuck trying to squeeze through.”

He shrugged after that, following Emryc as they began down the pathway – not having to hunch nearly as much as the half-Sephi as they went. When they finally reached the opening, Jaikus took a moment to inspect his surroundings. He could see the path up ahead of them, which looked as if it gradually sloped upwards. Taking a step forward, the Axxilan edged the massive drop cautiously, peeking over the edge to gaze down at the chasm below.

He briefly searched around him, locating a loose stone near his foot. He coiled the force around the rock, nudging it over the edge and into the chasm below – carefully listening for the sound of it making impact below. A few seconds would pass before the sound of water splashing echoed through the cavern.

“Look on the bright side,” He spoke, sweeping his hand out towards the chasm below. “At least there are no mushrooms this time.” Despite the perilous path ahead of them, Jaikus had an uncanny ability of being able to fire off his little quips anyway.

With that, Jaikus finally sighed, exhaling softly though his nostrils. He crossed in front of Emryc, stubbornly taking the lead as they crossed the ledge – his back pressed firmly against the wall behind him. Without really thinking, Jaikus reached over with his right hand and grabbed onto Emryc’s wrist, gripping onto the other man almost protectively. Despite being incredibly unlikely that the Axxilan would’ve been able to hoist Emryc up if he fell, it was a gesture the Jaikus did almost automatically, and didn’t seem to question why.

Slowly but surely, inch by inch, the pair began to make their way across the ledge.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc watched as Jaikus kicked off a rock, though he didn’t need that little test to know that falling meant death. His sensitive ears heard the splash way below, along with a few other quieter splashes that followed that Jaikus likely wouldn’t have heard. The half Sephi stared in that direction for a few moments, standing very still as his mind traveled in a few different directions. He looked up again when the Axxilan made his quip. The mushrooms were, quite frankly, still a mystery to Emryc.

He was going to step forth behind Jaikus when the other man grabbed his wrist. Emryc first thought it was because Jaikus was afraid, but his posture and the look on his face implied it was to keep the half Sephi from falling. Emryc had a puzzled look on his face at that, blinking a few times but allowing Jaikus to tug him along nonetheless. Little gestures like that stuck with him more than the Axxilan would ever know. People hardly ever looked at someone of Emryc’s size and demeanor as someone that ever needed help in any way.

The shuffling along the ledge was far simpler for Jaikus than it was for Emryc. It was his turn to be slow as he attempted to press his frame against the wall. Almost half his feet were off the edge, a few bits of debris kicking off and crumbling below. Emryc knew he had to go far slower, and he avoided looking down. While heights normally didn’t bother him, this was beginning to make him rather uncomfortable, though he did his best to hide it.

Emryc attempted to slide his hand out of Jaikus’ grip, “Keep going, I’ll catch up,” He said simply, not wanting to slow down the other man. Emryc didn’t realize that a thin crack had begun to form along the path. It was likely not strong enough to support their combined weight and some of the places were weaker than others.

Thunder boomed above, sending a rumble throughout the entire mountain. Dust kicked up and a few pebbles fell from the walls and on them. Emryc exhaled, suddenly very rigid as he avoided looking down. He slowly began to take baby steps along the path, pausing often to avoid collapsing it.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Despite the lighthearted nature of his quip, Jaikus was under no illusions about just how dangerous the fall was. There would be no colossal mushrooms waiting to catch them if they slipped on the ledge, and even if there was a body of water below, the fall from such a height would be the undoubtedly be death of both of them. It was a process that would require them to be exceptionally careful with each step, and the Axxilan couldn’t help but feel mildly uncomfortable with the entire situation.

Unlike before, though, he refusing to stall or give the situation much more thought, instead Jaikus beginning to stubbornly blaze a trail across the ledge – one slow, shuffle step at a time. Each drag of his boots was followed by a ridiculous squeaking of his boots, amplified as it echoed off the cave walls.

While he wasn’t enjoying himself by any stretch of the imagination, Jaikus was clearly having an easier time of it than Emryc. While the half-Sephi had the strength advantage during the vertical climb, the Axxilan’s smaller frame made hugging the wall significantly easier.

When Emryc attempted to slide his hand free from that grip, the half-Sephi would be met with harsh resistance. The Axxilan stubbornly held onto the man’s wrist, fingers digging in a bit tighter – though he slowed his pace to match that of the half-Sephi. Short of physically prying his fingers away – and likely arguing in the process - it was clear that Jaikus wasn’t going to budge.

He paused just then, turning back to look at the half-Sephi for the first time since they started across the ledge. Emryc didn’t have to say anything for Jaikus to be able to tell he was uncomfortable with the journey across the ledge – clearly noting the rigid way he moved. He stared, and for a moment Jaikus’ mind was drawn back to the dark chamber on Telos. He remembered the fear he felt in that moment, and he above it all remembered how the half-Sephi had guided him through it. In that moment, Emryc had remained by his side, and Jaikus wasn’t going to abandon him now.

Jaikus squeezed the man’s wrist a bit tighter, meeting those silvers with unwavering intensity. “I’m not going anywhere.” There was a finality to his voice, and Emryc would know instantly that attempting to argue with the man would’ve been futile.

With that, Jaikus turned back to the path ahead, stubbornly refusing to look down. He didn’t notice the cracks that spiderwebbed out across the ledge, hair-line fractures that threatened to give way with too much weight at once.

The sound of thunder rattled the chamber, and Jaikus winced a bit at the sound. He knew the sound was likely worse for the half-Sephi’s sensitive hearing, glancing back a few times to look at him. He paused each and every time Emryc did, inching across the path with small steps. Jaikus moved slowly – pausing to press some weight against every new section before continuing over it. They were just over half of the way across the ledge by now.

“Focus on me.” He muttered, loud enough for the man to hear.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc opened his mouth to argue with Jaikus, but he had long since learned how futile that was. The man was quite possibly one of the most stubborn individuals he had ever met. The half Sephi was worried even breathing would make the path collapse beneath them. As Jaikus led the way, he was vaguely reminded of when he had done something similar in that dark room on Telos. It was a role he expected to play, but one he never thought he would experience from the other side. He smiled faintly to himself when Jaikus reassured him that he wouldn’t go anywhere. For all the experiences Emryc had, Jaikus never failed to introduce something new and throw him for a spin.

The half Sephi shuffled along the ledge, his ears almost flattening as another loud crack of thunder shook the foundations. There was a massive crack that ran along the ledge and he knew they couldn’t both make it in time.

“Shit,” Emryc blurted as he coiled the Force around Jaikus and attempted to yank his arm out of the man’s grip. If he did so successfully, he would then use the Force to bodily hurl the Axxilan to the upper platform and to safety. He had no time to do anything else as the ground completely collapsed beneath him, making him plummet. If Jaikus ended up on the ledge and looked back, he would just see a shocked look on Emryc’s face as the half Sephi abruptly dropped and disappeared into the abyss below.

For a moment, there was nothing but the distance rumbling and the crumbling of debris. However, there was no splash as there had been before. After painstaking moments, the pebble Jaikus had knocked over earlier would slowly float back up from the depths. The entire mountain began to rumble and groan as roots that ran deep began to sever from the ground.

After many more moments, the half Sephi began to float up from the depths, pure confusion on his face. The entire mountain began to follow suit, rumbling as it broke off and began to ascend up into the air similar to how many other mountains had done on this world. The gravity shifted abruptly here and there without rhyme or reason, and it decided to act on this very mountain now.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus watched as Emryc opened his mouth to speak and the Axxilan braced himself to verbally duke it out right then and there. He was prepared to argue until he was blue in the face, firmly determined to make the point that he wasn’t going anywhere. When no such protest came, Jaikus couldn’t help but offer the half-Sephi a faint smile instead. There was no role that the Axxilan expected ever Emryc to play, instead acting in the way that came most naturally to him. In that moment, Jaikus wanted to be there for Emryc, just as the half-Sephi had been there for him on Telos.

With that, the Axxilan began to once more shuffle across the ledge, his boots dragging across stone while his eyes remained trained on path ahead. Lost in his own tunnel-vision, Jaikus hadn’t even noticed the cracks that had progressively started to form beneath them, spiderwebbing across the stone with from the additional weight. The latest boom of thunder, and the sound of stone beginning to splinter and crack apart beneath them, caused all the color to drain from the Axxilan’s face.

Before he could react, Jaikus felt as the Force abruptly coiled around his body and felt him hurtling towards the ledge. His grip had loosened slightly on the man’s wrist just before the ledge gave way, and the surprise of the situation allowed the half-Sephi to slip his arm from the Axxilan’s grasp.

"NO!” He cried, immediately reaching back for the half-Sephi’s wrist – only to swipe and grasp at the air where Emryc had been.

Instead, Jaikus’ body was flung, as intended, to the ledge above. He landed with a hard thud, only a few inches from the edge and the abyss below. Immediately Jaikus scrambled towards the edge and peered down, just catching a glimpse of the half-Sephi’s surprised expression as he plummeted downward. “EMRYC!”

He immediately reached out with the Force, tendrils of energy the abyss where Emryc had fallen in a desperate attempt to catch him. He reached out, and just as before, Jaikus could coil his grasp around nothing but the air and tumbling pieces of debris. He could do nothing as the half-Sephi fell, slipping through his fingers beyond his control. The Axxilan was powerless, and for a few moments, there was nothing but the sound of distant rumbling that filled the chamber.

“No..” Jaikus’ voice cracked, an unmistakable pain lacing his words. It was a pain that pierced his chest like a dagger and twisted bitterly. It was a sensation of dread and nausea that washed over him, threatening to overwhelm him as he gazed into the abyss. And it was familiar in the worst way possible. In that moment, it was as if Jaikus’ worst nightmare was occurring all over again. For the second time in his life, Jaikus had failed. He allowed himself to be weak, allowed his guard to flatter, only for disaster to strike. For the second time since the civil war on Axxila, he tried, and despite his best efforts, had failed to protect those that mattered most to him. Those that he loved.

Moments passed, and Jaikus seemed to only register the groans and rumbling distantly in his mind. It was not until pebbles and pieces of debris began to float in front of his face that Jaikus finally snapped out of it, blinking a few times at the strange sight. When the half-Sephi suddenly reappeared from the abyss, Jaikus could do nothing but stare.

In that moment, Emryc would be able to see confusion that played out clearly across the Axxilan’s features. He would see the distinct wetness that had filled in Jaikus’ eyes from moments ago and begun to spill over his cheeks. A few seconds passed, and the half-Sephi would be able to see the profound relief that begun to wash over the Axxilan – muscled that had been tensed only now beginning to relax. Jaikus blinked a few times, and then immediately scrambled to his feet. Just as he did before, he reached out with the Force – tendrils of energy this time finding their target and coiling around Emryc’s larger frame. Already floating due to the shift in gravity, the half-Sephi would be pulled through the air and towards the platform, finally released from the telekinetic grip only once his boots made contact with the ground – a bit farther away from the edge than was likely necessary to be safe.

Before Emryc had time to react, Jaikus immediately crossed the distance between them, yanking the man by the back of his arm and pulling him into a tight embrace. The Axxilan wrapped his arms around the half-Sephi in an almost desperate embrace, trembling hands gripping onto the other man for dear life. He buried his face against the man’s shoulder, and for several seconds did nothing but hold the man tightly.

“I thought..” He muttered, a shakiness still palpable in his voice.

He finally pulled back from the embrace slightly, taking a moment to meet those silvers with damp emeralds. Jaikus stared for a moment, exhaling softly before turning to look at the path still ahead of them. The path had already begun to fracture, loose stones floating into the air and levitating strangely with the shift of gravity.

Without a word or another moment to lose, Jaikus grabbed Emryc by the arm and began lead them both forward. The passageway ahead of them was narrow – only just barely large enough for the both of them to fit through. There were rays of light that came from the exit ahead.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc could hear Jaikus’ voice echo as he fell, though his focus was more on attempting to slow the fall. There was nothing he could see, no edge or surface he could bounce off against. It was nothing but a plummet to the depths, even as he attempted very much to slow himself down.

What he didn’t realize, however, was that the anguished cry from Jaikus was far more than just a scream. It penetrated into the plane of the Force, carrying forth like a wail that manifested into very real energy that expanded to every corner of the cave. The planet was finicky by nature with its energies and gravities, easily disbalanced with any unnatural force. The powerful echo through the Force, one that was perhaps far beyond Jaikus’ normal voluntary strength slammed against every wall. It was a cry riddled with anguish, pain and emotions that hadn’t been given a name out loud. It was more powerful than anything he could conjure up by choice on a whim. It was something that made Jaikus’ eyes fully yellow, the emeralds completely washing away for that moment. It vibrated down to the very foundations of the mountain, tipping over an already wobbly state of being. That scream then activated the unnatural elements of the planet, releasing gravity and resulting in the ascension of whatever had fallen.

But neither man realized any of that. Not yet. And perhaps not ever. That it was Jaikus Altaris that tore Emryc back from the jaws of death.

Emryc was confused as he floated up, wondering for a moment if he had died and was becoming one with the Force. However, he looked over and saw Jaikus looking at him just as confused. He saw the tears, but he also saw eyes that he had never seen before. Fully yellow, animalistic and submerged in the dark side. The eyes he expected to see on a Sith Lord. It gave the half Sephi pause, more than anything that happened to him thus far. Before he could react, he was yanked forth by the other man, still reeling from what happened.

The half Sephi was yanked into a tight embrace and he actually coughed a bit. The other man had a fierce, vice like grip on him. Emryc simply stood there for a moment before wrapping his arms back. His heart thundered against his chest, just as the other man’s did. When Jaikus spoke in his shaky voice, Emryc held him tighter.

“I thought too,” He admitted, traces of fear weaving into the normally flat baritone, “....That I’d never see you again or tell you..or tell you....” He trailed off quietly after a moment as he pulled back and looked at the other man almost sheepishly, watching the emeralds slowly return. The entire cave rumbled around them as he managed a faint smile, cupping the Axxilan’s face in his hands and using his thumbs to gently brush away the tears. It was similar to the gesture he had done back on Telos with the blood, back when Jaikus had recoiled from him. Same gesture and lifetimes apart. When they were both different men. Back before they ever knew their stories would entwine the way they did.

They had no moments to spare, a particularly loud crack signaling it was time to go. Emryc trailed behind Jaikus as he led the way, bounding up the path and towards the light. Using the Force he blasted the exit, allowing them to come outside. The half Sephi stared ahead and blinked a few times, realizing they were standing on the edge of a cliff.

Hundreds of feet above the ground and floating in the air…

Emryc reflexively grabbed a hold of Jaikus and held him close, knowing the man had a tendency to keep walking without looking.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

A few long moments passed, and Jaikus could to nothing but hold Emryc tight once he was in reach again. He didn’t quite realize just how tightly he gripped onto Emryc, arms wrapping firmly around the half-Sephi’s back and digging into his skin. For the first few seconds, the half-Sephi would be able to feel the way his body trembled and shook beyond his control, clearly still going through the shock of the situation.

He felt the pain of his own weakness and failure. He felt the overwhelming fear of having almost lost someone he loved, just as he had in the past. It was a wave of emotions that washed over the Axxilan and broke past any sense of composure, and for the first time in a long time, Jaikus allowed himself to weep openly – his soft sobs echoing against the cave walls as the tears streamed down his cheeks.

The Axxilan heard the words that were spoken, and how Emryc trailed off at the end. He wanted to tell the half-Sephi exactly how he felt in return, and yet found himself incapable of formulating the words – his gentle sobs rendering him incapable of saying anything beyond unintelligible blubbering. Instead, the Axxilan merely squeezed the man tighter in response, pressing his forehead against the half-Sephi’s torso.

Jaikus did not understand why the planet had suddenly shifted as it did, merely chalking it up the planet's volatile nature and miraculously lucky timing. The Axxilan did not realize the effect that his screams had - how his voice carried through the Force, manifesting as power that he didn’t believe himself capable of. He did not see the animalistic, sickly yellows that washed over delicate emeralds, submerged in the Dark Side in ways that even citrines weren’t.

None of what truly happened did he realized, and it was likely that he never would. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. The how and why did not matter to the Axxilan. All that mattered to him, in that moment, was that Emryc was back in his arms.

When Emryc pulled back slightly, Jaikus finally allowed himself to exhale – feeling all the pressure in his chest slowly easing away. Piercing, animalistic yellows were buried once more, emerald hues resurfacing in the Axxilan’s damp, reddened eyes. He felt the hand come to cup his cheek and wipe his tears, and Axxilan leaned his face against Emryc’s hand in response. Jaikus wanted nothing more than to simply hold the man, and yet the resounding crack reminded Jaikus that they had no time to spare.

Without another word, he immediately began to make a dash for what he believed was the exit – all the while his hold on Emryc never faltered, vice-like grip digging into the half-Sephi’s forearm and tugging him along. When the pair finally surfaced above the caves once more, Jaikus nearly continued right over the edge of the cliff. Luckily, the reflexive grab from Emryc prevented his untimely demise. Jaikus blinked a few times after that, taking a moment to look upon his surroundings.

While storm-clouds still darkened the skies above, the downpour of rain had ceased for the time being. As gravity shifted and altered before their very eyes, the mountain upon which they stood broke apart into independent, floating islands – levitating hundreds of feet in the air. Instead of continuing endlessly into the skies above, each fragment of earth seemed to stabilize in place – bobbing up and down softly in the same place in the air.

In the distance ahead, the pair would be able to see the largest of these islands – the snow-capped peak of the mountain visible. The two would know it as the place they'd been searching for from the distinct arrowhead shape of the peak, one of the identifying features that the research had spoken of. It was the place where the ruins were allegedly located. The levitating islands between the peak and the pair of men formed a loosely-connected path, and would require a series of small leaps and bounds to reach the peak ahead.

The path ahead of them was clear, and yet Jaikus did not immediately rush to that next objective. For a moment, Jaikus simply leaned back into the half-Sephi, taking a moment to hold the man once more now that the immediate danger had passed. Their tender embrace would not go uninterrupted for long.

“Baaaaa.”

Jaikus immediately perked up when he heard the sound, gentle bleating seeming to echo across the mountains so faintly the Axxilan thought he was hearing things. When the sound repeated, a little bit closer this time, he realized he wasn’t. With everything that had occurred, Jaikus had completely forgotten about Mr. Goat. The animal had followed the pair into the mouth of the cave, but hadn’t been seen since – having not followed them into the open chamber past the entrance.

“Baaaaaaa.”

He blinked a few times, staring at Emryc before pulling from their embrace. Slowly but surely, Jaikus inched towards the cliff and, leaning forward to peeked over the edge. What he saw caused the Axxilan to go wide-eyed.

“BAAAAA.”

Clearly, Mr. Goat had not been excluded from the sudden shift in gravity on the planet. The animal looked stiff as a board, slowly rising up from the cave entrance and floating upwards just as Emryc had before. The goat slowly rotated clockwise as he went, bleating each and every time it made eye-contact with the pair of men. Left unassisted, the goat looked as if it would continue to ascend towards the heavens above – as if it was a kite that had been severed from its strings. A few seconds would pass, and the goat stabilized at the same elevation as some of the islands had - simply hovering in place, bleating angrily.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc watched as the mountain broke apart into different platforms, the peak rising up in the distance. He couldn’t help but grin smugly, “I told you this was the right way,” He declared at long last. In truth, he was patting himself on the back internally because a lot of it was a guess. Even Mr. Goat floating up and blocking his view for a moment couldn’t dampen his mood. While he wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of jumping across gaps again, at least their destination was literally within sight.

The half Sephi’s focus was distracted as Jaikus leaned into him again. The two men processed things quite differently, and it was apparently now more than ever. Emryc had boxed it away and was prepared to go to the next objective, but he could tell Jaikus was still shaken. However, he had all the patience for the Axxilan, holding the man close even through the goat’s angry bleating.

The skies were clear and for a moment Emryc gazed over Jaikus’ shoulder and down to the depths below. He looked at the floating parts of the mountain, felt that slight weightless feeling even now as they hovered so high above the ground. He thought about everything that happened, thought about his fears, and everything that led up to it. He thought about the man in his arms.

Emryc pulled back slightly from Jaikus, staring at him briefly. Without warning, the Axxilan was spun around and pinned against the rock face behind him. The half Sephi leaned in close, firm but tender even then. He leaned towards Jaikus’ ear as his hands traveled down the man’s body, reaching around him to hastily undo his pants.

“I almost died. You went full Sith. We’re on a floating mountain. And I want you,” He stated flatly in that rumbling baritone, “And you must pardon me for not wanting to be fucking prim and proper right now, Lord Altaris,” He growled against Jaikus’ ear using his noble title as he pushed the man’s pants down, but always wary of how he reacted. Nothing happened unless the Axxilan gave clear indications. He rolled up Jaikus’ shirt, leaning in to kiss down the length of his spine and downward. His hands firmly gripped the man’s hips, tugging them closer to himself as he kept going down with the Axxilan’s upper body still pressed into the mountain.

Mr. Goat was mercifully at a safe distance, now floating upside down and bleating angrily. He floated like a serene balloon towards their next destination.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Emryc’s smug comment, huffing loudly under his breath. Under normal circumstances, the Axxilan would’ve been irritated to be proven wrong about the direction, but recent events left him incapable of feeling annoyed with the man for the moment. Still, he sure as hell wasn’t about to give the half-Sephi the satisfaction of admitted that he was wrong all along. Not a damn chance.

Instead, the Axxilan was steadily growing annoyed by the apparent need to constantly jump to their next destination – a trend that went all the way back to Telos. Luckily, the path ahead of them wasn’t half as bad. The platforms floated together closely, requiring only small hops to cross the distance. There was well over a mile of distance to cross, but the chances of falling between the cracks was unlikely. Not to mention, with the sudden shift in gravity, Jaikus couldn’t help but wonder if falling would’ve actually been a problem to begin with.

None of that seemed to matter at the moment, though. After what they’d just been through and the emotions that had only barely subsided, Jaikus didn’t want to do anything other than be close to Emryc for a few more precious minutes – completely forgetting about the ruins at all. He wanted to cherish the feeling of the man’s arms around him and the warmth of that embrace. A feeling that Jaikus thought he had lost forever.

He briefly watched as Mr. Goat floated and bounced like a balloon with no string, emerald eyes fixated out over the horizon.

A small gasp escaped from Jaikus when he was abruptly spin around, pinned between the boulder beneath him and Emryc. While the maneuver was something that clearly that caught him completely off guard, though it wasn’t one that he shied away from. It was a gesture that got a very obvious reaction from the Axxilan, manifesting in different ways and something the half-Sephi would clearly notice when he reached around to undo the man’s pants.

Jaikus brought one hand out to brace himself against the rocks, while the other instinctively snaked backwards. When Emryc began to fiddle with the button of his pants, Jaikus moved to return the favor. The shorts that the half-Sephi wore proved to be significantly easier to remove, slipping well past the man’s waist with a firm tug of the waistband.

He tilted his face to brush against Emryc’s cheek, listening as the man spoke. He felt the vibrations of that baritone rumble against his ear, though one thing the man said stuck with him for a moment and immediately perked his interest.

Full Sith?

Even now, the Axxilan was fully unaware of how his emotions had manifested or the way his eyes momentarily shifted. In the heat of the moment, though, it wasn’t something the Axxilan lingered on for more than half a second.

“We’re on a floating mountain in the middle of nowhere. There is a goat. I almost lost you.” A hand shot backwards to grip the back of Emryc’s neck, gripping tight and firmly holding the man against his ear for a moment longer. As he spoke, the Axxilan shifted his weight on his heels, rolling his hips and grinding back against the half-Sephi.

“And I want you. Right here, right now – so fuck prim and proper.” The Axxilan growled those last few words, a renewed fire glinting within emeralds. With that, he released his grip on the half-Sephi – allowing the man to sink lower and plant kisses along the length of his spine. Each brush against his skin went jolts across the Axxilan’s body, manifesting in a small gasp that escaped from his lips. He brought both of his arms back down onto the rocks beneath him, resting firmly on his elbows while turning his head to look back at Emryc. There was a clear thrill that came with watching the man in the heat of the moment, emerald eyes remaining fixed on the half-Sephi.

A much louder bleat caused Jaikus to blink a few times, breaking eye contact for a moment and tilting his head to the left. Much to his dismay, Mr. Goat had angrily began to drift in circles around the two men orbiting like a hate-filled satellite above their rather compromising position.

The sight caused Jaikus to narrow his eyes significantly. He lifted his hand towards the goat, a flick of wrist sending a gentle wave of the Force to collide with the animal. It was enough to send Mr. Goat drifting in the opposite direction – floating across the path ahead of them.

As before, Jaikus wasn't about to suffer a single interruption.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

---​

With his sensitive ears, Emryc could still hear the faint bleating. However, that didn’t detract from the moment as he began to catch his breath. His body was coated in sweat again, and he still had a firm grip on Jaikus’ hips. Red marks began to form where his fingers pressed against flesh, a satisfied soft of exhaustion pooling over him. For a moment, he simply leaned close to the other man, allowing Jaikus to turn his head towards him. Emryc traced lazy kisses along the side of the Axxilan’s jaw before capturing his lips, exhaling softly into his mouth from the encounter earlier.

The half Sephi drew back after a long moment, finally dropping Jaikus’ shirt that had been rolled up against his upper back. In many ways perhaps it was for the best that the other man couldn’t gaze directly into Emryc’s eyes. They glinted a bit more yellow during it this time, and it was very different from the experience back at the campsite. True to word, there was no prim and proper. There was a raw and primal side to Emryc that manifested then, though it was a fiery passion that laced his actions. A part of him was almost nervous about how he had been - which was not at all overly sweet and gentle, and he tilted his head to make sure everything was good.

Emryc had a sheepish look on his face, reaching over to gently turn Jaikus to face him. He didn’t bother with his pants, pressing against the other man to kiss him again. The half Sephi wrapped his arms around Jaikus to hold him tightly. Emryc drew back from the kiss and grinned at the other man, tilting his forehead against Jaikus’ as had become their sign of affection, “You are so loud,” He murmured quietly as he had before.

Mr. Goat bleated in the distance, by now reaching the top of the mountain where they had to go. Emryc lingered while holding Jaikus, feeling a pang of guilt. The other man was definitely going to be walking differently for a while after that. The half Sephi opened his mouth to apologize, but felt incredibly stupid about it. Instead he just hugged the Axxilan in silence, a red tinge suddenly on his face that he hoped he could explain away as an effect of the cooler temperature.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

A few moments had passed, and Jaikus still hadn’t quite caught his breath. Despite the increasingly cold temperatures of the mountain top, a thick layer of sweat glistened against the Axxilan’s bronze skin, curls of dark hair beginning to mat down to his forehead. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, manifesting as white clouds in front of him.

When Emryc leaned down, Jaikus finally turned his head to face the man. He let out a small gasp as the half-Sephi trailed kisses along his jaw, pressingly firmly against the man when their lips finally met. Without warning, Jaikus lurched forward and bit down onto the half-Sephi’s bottom lip, tugging back a bit before releasing. There was a mischievous glint in his eye just then, as if inflicting a playful bit of payback.

Their encounter just now was vastly different from from the gentle and sensual way it had been back at the campsite, though it was not a change that Jaikus shied away from in the slightest. It was far more raw and primal, and yet every reaction – both verbal and otherwise – seemed to encourage the half-Sephi at every moment.

When Emryc drew back for a moment, Jaikus continued to linger plastered against the rocks. He had long-since kicked his pants off entirely, his jeans strewn across the ground a few feet away. There was a distinct wobbling of the Axxilan’s legs when he rose to stand for the first time in a long while, supporting his weight against Emryc as he was turned to face the man. He affectionately leaned in to kiss the half-Sephi once more, immediately moving to wrap his arms around him. As per usual, Jaikus wrapped one arm around the back of his neck, while the other wrapped around and slithered downward below the waist. He reached down, giving Emryc’s rear a firm-yet playful squeeze before trailing back up, coming to rest against the small of his back.

Jaikus couldn’t help but smirk a bit at Emryc’s words. Just as had been the case the first time, the Axxilan clearly paid no mind to how loud he might’ve been during the course of their lovemaking – a fact that was greatly amplified by the fact that they were currently perched above a cliff, where voices seemed to carry over great distances. There wasn’t anyone around for miles, but even if there had been, Jaikus didn’t seem perturbed.

He pressed his forehead lovingly against the half-Sephi, leaning in to kiss him tenderly. “You like when I’m loud.” He muttered against the half-Sephi’s skin, a playfulness to his words.

Jaikus raised a brow slightly, clearly noting the red tinge against the half-Sephi’s cheeks. Were it not for the sheepish look on the man’s face earlier, it was a tinge that the Axxilan would’ve simply attributed to the cold. Once more, Jaikus did not understand the self-doubts and hesitations from the half-Sephi, but he wasn’t about to give any additional justification for such notions.

The Axxilan leaned back in to kiss the half-Sephi passionately, his fingers digging firmly into the back of the man’s hair. After a few seconds, Jaikus abruptly stepped backwards – attempting to pull Emryc down onto the crisp grass beneath them. He had no desire to move, let alone walk, at the moment – instead deciding he wanted to lay back comfortably. He kept the man held close to him, a mischievous smirk playing across his lips. “I like when you’re like that.”

He briefly glanced towards the path ahead, narrowing his eyes slightly. “You’re out of your mind though,” He began, a sly grin appearing on his face. “If you think I’m going to be walking a mile now.”

@Sreeya