24th of Ash, 120 Steel
“Tell me why I’m doing this again?” Aoren stood wearing only a pair of briefs, his body bare and his wings tucked in. Those dark raven wings were curving around his body slightly, hinting at his uneasiness. Talon could only smirk.
“Because, I need your exact measurements in order to have the vestments fitted precisely.” Talon held up his tailor’s tape, used to measure the circumference and length of an individual’s body so that garments could be made perfectly. Aoren nodded and spread his arms in preparation to be measured.
“You couldn’t have had one of the palace seamstresses do this?” As Talon neared his companion, there was no missing the hint of the blush that crept across Aoren’s cheeks. The Novalys heir had to bite his inner cheek to keep from laughing. Instead he fixed his companion with a stare as he arched an eyebrow.
“Do I make you uncomfortable?” He watched as Aoren’s blush deepened as he hastened to speak.
“N-no! Not at all!” He stood a little straighter and let his wings relax. Talon just shook his head as he stepped up to his friend. He sent feelings of calm and companionship across their bond in order to soothe his companion’s nerves. Bringing up his hands he wrapped the tape around Aoren’s waist, cinching it down until it was pressed against the warm surface of his well-defined belly. In his head, Talon made a mental note of the measurement.
“Inhale for me.” Aoren breathed in deeply and Talon let the tape loosen to its widest point. Releasing the tape, he wrote down the two numbers in the book he had prepped and ready nearby. Turning back to his companion, Talon moved closer so that he could wrap the tape around Aoren’s chest. He chuckled.
“You do not have to hold your breath, Aoren.” His companion blinked at him.
“R-right. Right.” He let out his breath. Talon just smiled as he pulled the measuring tape together so that it was pressed comfortably across Aoren’s chest.
“And breathe in again for me.” He watched the muscles of Aoren’s chest flex and expand as his bondmate drew in a deep breath. Talon let the measuring tape slip loosely through his fingers until Aoren’s chest expanded to its full circumference at his deepest breath. He jot those two numbers down as well before moving to the next measurement. Talon moved to the trunk of Aoren’s torso. He measured from the axillary space down to the crest of the warrior’s hip, then brought up his measuring tape to wrap around Aoren’s bicep on his right arm.
“You will need to flex.” Rather than answer with words, the Kathar merely brought up his arm so that the muscles of his bicep bunched and rose to their highest prominence. Talon made a mental note of the number before moving to the other arm where it was repeated. He then moved on to Aoren’s forearms and then his hands.
“My hands too?” Talon laughed at the curiosity in his companion’s voice.
“I am making a full set of armor for you, Aoren. I need to know your full measurements. I do not want there to be any room for guessing.” Talon looked up into his companion’s hazel eyes. “It has to fit you perfectly.”
The two held each other’s gaze for a moment before Talon motion for Aoren to turn around. His companion spun around, batting Talon in the face with one of his wings. Instead of jerking away, Talon instead followed the raven wings. He reached up and ran his fingers along the solid length of the wing’s arm. The reaction was immediate and had Aoren jumping in surprise. He did not pull away and Talon did not stop running his fingers through the dark black feathers. This was nothing new for either of them. The two had groomed each others wings before but this felt different. Talon was not blind nor was he ignorant of what rest between himself and Aoren but he was not ready. He knew that and Aoren knew that. Still, it felt nice to be able to enjoy an unreserved closeness. He slid his fingers along the length of Aoren’s spine eliciting a shiver from the warrior. He gently raked his fingers over his companion’s primaries catching a bit of dirt as he did so. He gently flicked it away.
“Talon…” Aoren’s voice was almost pleading causing Talon to look up with slight alarm. Aoren was staring at him over his shoulder. He had leaned forward to brace his arms against the surfaces of the standing mirrors in front of him. Talon felt himself blush a little.
“Sorry.” He cleared his throat and resumed taking Aoren’s measurements. The warrior shivered, rolled his shoulders and stood up straighter. Aoren was a touch starved man. Talon knew that without a doubt. Nearly all physical interaction with people that he had was in the form of violence. Talon knew that he often found release in some of the brothels, the proud Kathar Avialae was a known patron of the Velvet Cabaret but from what Talon gathered, while Aoren was a welcome patron there, he wasn’t exactly intimate so much as he was focused. Talon knelt behind his companion, wrapping the measuring tape around one of the warrior’s thighs. He made his movements quick and business-like so as to not cause Aoren any more awkward discomfort. He even made sure to get the proper measurements so that he could fashion a new pair of boots.
Bracing a hand on one of his knees, Talon moved to get up but found a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see hazel eyes staring down at him. There was a blank expression on his companion’s face but an intensity to his gaze that spoke volumes and yet said nothing at all. Aoren’s hand moved from his shoulder, fingers sliding over the line of Talon’s trapezius muscle before his fingers came to brush along his jaw. Talon held his breath as Aoren grasped his chin. The two of them held each other’s gaze for several long moments before gently, Aoren guided him up to his feet, fingers never releasing his chin. Talon felt his companion’s other arm wrap around his waist as he found himself pressed firmly against Aoren’s body. No words passed between them. They had no need for them. They could both feel the emotions stirring just beneath the surface. Aoren leaned in closer…
“Uh..h-hello?”
Talon felt himself snap out of what felt like a deep trance, where the rest of the world had faded and all he had been able to see were those hazel eyes staring into his own. He smiled, resting his head against Aoren’s as the both of them shared an airy laugh.
“Customer.” Talon untangled himself from Aoren’s embrace, not missing the fact that his companion was reluctant to let him go. Part of him was reluctant too. The other part of him was grateful for the interruption and the distance it would allow.
“Get dressed.” Aoren gave a mock incredulous look.
“And rob them of this stunning view?” Talon rolled his eyes, grabbed Aoren’s pants and tossed them to him. With that done he turned and made his way toward the front of his shop. He let out a long breath. Yeah, distance was good. He needed something to take his mind off of...other things.
