Show Me: II

[Taelian]

2nd of Frost, Year 119
Eiroldas

Taelian did run. Not only because he felt he couldn't keep up with the Avialae's long strides, but because he wanted to; he was filled with a boyish, jovial excitement, and he wanted the other man to share in it. Eventually when he got far ahead enough, which wasn't very far at all, Riven joined him and the two strode towards the wall that Riven believed they could meet by sunset. They did meet the wall, eventually, and Taelian announced his triumph by lifting his arms above his head and yelling out his enthusiasm. He actually won the race, not thinking about the disadvantage of Riven's wings pulling him back with the wind and slowing him down. He only thought about their difference in size and how accomplished he must have been to fly past the man as he did.

"They really craft us well in that shit-stained hovel," he bragged. "Perhaps you've spent too much time in serene Kalzasi?"

Along the way, he thought about everything that had just happened. The long, intimate embrace they'd kept with one another; the way neither of them wished to let go. He was emotionally marred, but Taelian wasn't a complete fool. There was physical attraction between them, and it ran two ways. It was obvious in the length of their touches, how they faltered in parting. How Riven blushed at him and Taelian in return.

A necessary stop, Riven called their long embrace, the strawberry hue still lighting up his stubbled complexion. He grinned, and kneaded his thumbs into the Siltori's back, and Taelian restrained the satisfied groans that would have otherwise freely escaped his lips. He was happy. Happy to be in Riven's presence, and happy to stay there. It did not last forever, of course, but the hand running across his back and over the surface of his silver hair was enough to make him shake. The sensations filling his form were robust and almost harrowing; he felt that he both wanted to lean into the other man and collapse onto the floor, unable to process the complexity of these things. He had never felt himself so stirred as he was now - his insides felt warm, enough so that the small remnants of cold that managed to breeze against him were immediately thawed away.

Running at least helped to get his nerves in order. He wouldn't have been able to endure all of these complexities if he'd merely, casually walked.

"We're here," he pointed out, gesturing towards the rock wall. It was large and immaculately designed by nature, with stones peering out of the sides and divets of fallen rock at certain parts of the wall. Had he been a half-decent climber, he would've suggested they go up along the edge, but it looked somewhat dangerous and unstable. "It's... nice, I suppose." The trees were blocking any sort of view, so really it was just a large rock he'd been led to. Riven could fly, but Taelian couldn't. It also did not appear that there was an obvious road leading up from along the rocky edge.

"Isn't this the mountain with those secluded springs the Avialae go to? I've heard some very garish tales regarding those meetings. Some of the peasantry think you all conspire within these high places to keep us wing-less in our places. Purely fictional, I'm sure." He was half-joking. Nothing surprised him anymore.

[Riven]

Riven grinned wide as Taelian started running. He shook his head; it was obviously a childish challenge, like all the little kids he was used to see in the gardens, so he would behave like the adult he was and wouldn't give the elf the satisfaction of playing along... But Taelian was already a few steps in front of him and he had too much of an advantage. "Hey, that's not fair!" He shouted, chuckling, and rushing to get behind the Siltori; he hadn't been running much lately though and he had lost the little practice he had; his wings felt heavy and restraining, and he had forgotten how to properly fold them to avoid being pulled back by the wind. Riven considered himself to be fit, but he might had been reading too much lately and exercising a little less... The part of himself that took pride on his body was ashamed. He ended up puffing behind Taelian, trying to catch his breath as the elf yelled his lungs out in victory. He was smiling wide; he almost seemed like a different person... But it was the same Silver Elf Riven had embraced minutes ago. He just hoped the bragging didn't last too long. Actually, no. He didn't mind... As long as Taelian continued looking that happy.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course, Taelian Ela'Rannoch, you're a paragon of speed and humility." He answered, smirking, but his arrogant bragging had a point. "Huh... I don't know about the shit hovel... But I might have been sitting and reading more than I should lately, damn... You win this time, elf." He said, winking at him. His chest was still rising and falling visibly; he had been too lazy the last few weeks. "Damn, I have to stop with the pushups and start with the running..." He muttered to himself. He had a strict exercise routine... Usually. Taelian looked good though... But Riven smirked when he noticed his chest heaving as well. He had a great body... But he didn't seem used to races either.

It was good to see a change on Taelian's usual serious complexion; laughter sort of rejuvenated him; his usual gaze made it hard to tell the Elf's age, but this time Riven was pretty sure he couldn't be much older than him. There was some sort of warmth to him now; Riven couldn't help it but grin from ear to ear as he watched Taelian inspect his surroundings with excitement for once. The smile eventually faded and it was replaced by a puzzled look in his face, staring back to Riven looking for an explanation. Riven smirked; he had expected that kind of reaction.

"Yeah, this is all there is to see. A rock. Let's go back." He said, shrugging, but a half-smile slipped. "Bad joke, I know. Actually... I was thinking we could both go up to see Kalzasi from above. The hot springs are there as well but that's not what I had in mind at all!" He said, raising his voice a bit as he avoided eye contact for a second, his cheeks heating up. "Unless... Unless you want to go, of course. I'm not a noble though, so nobody's told me what to do to keep you wingless little guys in your places." He said with a playful smile, teasing. "I could fly both of us up... If you trust me enough to carry you, that is." He offered, motioning him to get closer.

[Taelian]

A paragon of speed and humility. He laughed; Taelian supposed he was bragging, and he wasn't really afraid to admit it. It really wasn't fair to, considering the weight of the man's wings, but . . .

"Why don't we run together?" he posed, as an open offer. "Not just this time, I mean, but other times. Every day, or two days... we can go out and run along one of the trails, down to its completion. It would be nice to have a partner to run with -- I've thought of doing it myself, but it just sounds so dull. No conversation, nothing to do but view the same trees over and over, while trying to stay excited about them. That's really not my thing."

But it could have been, if Riven were around for it. They could both get better. It would help Taelian in his hunting, anyway, as Dranoch were difficult to pursue for one as slow as him. He'd already let a few get away, which was unsettling, considering they could often hide in plain sight and tended to be acutely aware of their predators. He had a lot of work to do in regards to his physicality, and his stamina. But certainly, adventuring around the countryside with Riven could have been a start. If the man had the time for it.

The man smirked once Taelian had commented on the relatively anti-climactic ending to their race; their arrival at the face of a giant rock. At first, the Siltori daftly believed him when he said they'd met the end and that it was time to go back. He started to walk, until he realized halfway into the other man parting his lips that he'd been sarcastic. "Oh, right," he quietly backpedaled, cracking an awkward smile in the direction of the winged man. The taller man posed that they ascend up the mountain in order to see Kalzasi from a higher elevation, likely during the sunset. It sounded incredibly cheesy, but -- fun.

Oh, and apparently the springs were on the table, too.

"Mmm," he questioned. "The mountain peak option sounds cold. But pretty. And springs -- well, that sounds pretty too. And a lot warmer. Why don't we start with the mountain option during the sunset, then at least take a glance at the springs? I have to admit, an elevated hot spring in the middle of a tall mountain does sound very compelling as something to visit. I'd like to at least take a peek at it on the way down." He nodded once, his chest ceasing in its heavy, exhaustive motions as his breath settled. Taelian regained his cool, almost aristocratic manner, and outstretched his arms as if to offer Riven the chance to pick him up and carry him towards the peak.

"I think I'd be an expert at designing methods to oppress the wingless class. Just start making everything inaccessible by walking, like this peak, and they won't even know they're being oppressed. I should be invited to the Synnekar council to propose my ideas," he nodded once more, tapping his leather boots against the soil as he straightened out his back and popped his neck for good measure.

He trusted him. There was the infinitely small possibility that the man was actually a Dranoch who would send him plummeting to his death, but there was also the infinitely small possibility that the entire cliff-face would collapse onto him right now. Riven was a nice guy. Taelian had been given no reason to doubt his integrity, and he didn't now. "To the peak, first. I want to see the sunset. Then we'll see the waters down below."

[Riven]

Riven shrugged as he was catching his breath. "Uh... Sure. Sounds alright... I mean, I should get in better shape. I didn't train all my life for nothing. And..." He said, his chest actually managing to go back to an average rythm as he smiled at Taelian "It could be fun with a partner. Especially the moment these legs start winning!" He said, grinning even wider, a tad arrogantly. He didn't love running for the sake of running... But even that couldn't be too boring if it was with the Siltori. Besides, he doubted being in fighting shape; he was sure he could still hold his own in a duel, but life was usually more complicated than that.

He laughed pretty openly when Taelian didn't get his little stupid joke; the elf could get pretty literal at times, but at least he wasn't mad about it... And it had been fun just seeing him shrug and go back, fine with the fact that they were there to see a rock wall. His smile kind of receded when Taelian mentioned he did want to check the hot springs out; he was tensing up at the idea of going there with Taelian... Even if he wasn't too sure about the reason. It simply hadn't crossed his mind, he told himself; it was just very unexpected. But dinner at the peak was still in the menu. And the sun was dropping close to the horizon...

"Nah. I'll tell you, just because we're friends..." He said. It still felt kind of weird... But good. Besides..."I'll tell you. We actually build stairs for you... And we like to watch you climb them up while we just fly. We like watching you suffer, those exhausted faces when you get to the top. It was the Avialae elite that invented stairs to laugh at you wingless people." He said, laughing. It wasn't the worst conspiracy theory he'd heard still.

Moving just behind the elf, Riven smiled and placed both hands over his shoulders. He gave him a quick squeeze, pulling him a bit closer as he looked at the sky above them, profiting a small opening between trees. "Okay... Brace yourself, man! This is going to be a quick ride." He said, kneeling a bit under Taelian, and crossing both strong arms under his chest, pulling him closer and lifting him up a bit. "Here we go!" He said, opening his wings wide, casting a large shadow as he started to flap his wings, jumping up and starting to ascend. They weren't too fast, but Riven smirked as he used his magic to create a strong upward windflow, both men rising like a jet until they were above both Kalzasi and the mountains, the natural hot springs steaming a bit further on the plateau, between a rock formation. Riven laughed and blackflipped in the air, still holding Taelian tight against his chest, feeling his distinctive warmth on his own torso. Gliding downwards in a wide spiral, he landed softly on the edge of the cliff, watching Kalzasi extend in front of them. He was still holding Taelian close, letting him slide down so he touched the floor.

"So? Isn't that beautiful?" He asked, watching the city glowing under the orange lights of the sunset.

[Taelian]

The Siltori stared at Riven with an empty expression as he began to approach him, and then an undeniably rose-shaded blush as the man placed his firm palms atop his shoulders, squeezing the muscles he had access to before pulling him in and settling the Ebon Knight against his chest. He was beginning to wonder if all Avialae were this... physically close, though he noticed that even if so, their proximity had begun to shrink on a relatively constant basis. Of course, what was to occur in mere moments was different than their unnecessarily lengthy embraces of before. As Riven pulled him even closer and lifted him up, locking his arms around him in a safe and tight grip, Taelian felt a rush of physical anxiety that made him feel as if he were about to retch. As much as he did not mind their proximity, being thrown into the air like he was about to be, was--

"Oh," he said, though he doubted Riven would even hear it. His small voice was inaudible against the rush of the wind that they had dove into, and seemingly manipulated. He controlled the wind. It was... magical -- literally of course, but also surreal in a way that he couldn't have imagined. It bended and folded around them, ensuring safe passage for the winged man and his silver-haired companion. Companion. Taelian was starting to feel like his real friend. Like Riven might have truly enjoyed spending time with him.

They had ascended so quickly. He couldn't even naturally process their rise; but they were high. One of the benefits of bearing the Sigil was that his sense of fear was dampened, too -- even glancing around him and seeing the trees hundreds of feet below, he did not feel afraid.

And then, they backflipped. He laughed, and continued to laugh afterward. Riven was a warm, firm bulwark around him, carrying him through what may well have been the heavens above. He'd never been this high off the ground - he could see everything. It was like standing on the precipice of Veratelle's decay; the expanse around was limitless, and the people and their mark were so small. What consumed almost all of his vision was the trees... and of course, Riven.

The two landed. The sky faded into a gradient of yellow and orange hues, meeting pink and magenta as the sun prepared to dip to allow for the night sky. Riven continued to hold him, and appeared willing to do so until it was no longer necessary, the Elf sure of his footing. Taelian was uncertain of what to do. He had never been filled with one consistent emotion for so long, one so benign and so brazen to him; something so incredibly pure.

It felt like birds were swimming in his chest, and fish were flying, and his thoughts trailed harrowingly after the rapid pace of his chest. He was elated and terrified, encountering something yet before unknown. This was the first time he ever truly liked someone, enough to make it painful to hold back. But for now he did, uncertain and mired in doubt. He allowed Riven to let go of his grip around Taelian's whole body, but as they separated, he took hold of one of his hands with his own and locked their fingers together.

The man looked out to the horizon and took a long, filling breath. He exhaled, and looked directly into Riven's eyes, grinning and blushing as if he were absolutely fulfilled; and at ease. Taelian looked away, towards the sunset, breaking the contact of their eyes for a moment's time.

"It is beautiful, Riven," he quietly agreed. "I want to see a hundred more things like this..." he began, and looked back to the other man.

"With you."

[Riven]

Riven and Taelian were still laughing out loud as both landed, the Avialae letting him slide down his torso until Taelian's feet touched the floor. Riven wasn't letting go though; extended downwards, his arms still sneaked under the Siltori's shoulders and his hands were still crossed under his chest, holding him tight and c slose to Riven's body. The flight had been exhilarating, Riven having thoroughly enjoyed himself in the air, putting on a small show for Taelian to enjoy instead of directly landing on the peak; his laugh had been an added prize to the experience. As the adrenaline in their veins started fading and their loud laughing started to melt away, Riven pulled the Siltori towards himself, enjoying his flickering, capricious body heat; to his surprise, he found himself preferring the silent comfort of the elf's presence, Taelian's back warming up his body against the chill winds of Frost and the soft smiles on his faces still witness of their happiness. He wasn't really thinking much; he just enjoyed the fiery orange light that the dipping sun cast on the buildings, the flickering sparks in windows and mechanisms. His heart rate was slowly stabilizing, Taelian's... Taelian's, for some reason, wasn't... The elf's heart still pounded as hard on his chest as when they were up in the air. He was excited about something; Riven just disregarded it as the aftermath of a rather intense first flight and rubbed his chest affectionately, feeling the solid, protruding pectorals as they cozily warmed up each other. Riven would have stayed like that forever; he had nowhere better to be.

Taelian seemed to though; or at least that's what worried Riven for a second... But the elf didn't go too far; he held Riven's left hand as he wiggled out of his embrace, the larger man instinctively entwining fingers with him and holding the Siltori's smaller hand tight as he smiled at him; Riven's cheeks were heating up, a rosy tint spreading through them; but Taelian was straight up blushing, his usually regal face reddened and grinning wide, the dimples Riven loved so much popping on each corner of his lips; blue eyes locked onto ivory, Riven's heart started to rush as Taelian spoke to him, answering his innocent question. "I want to see a hundred more things like this... With you.". Riven's heart skipped a beat and his world stopped for a second; There was only Taelian and that gilded light that bathed everything: the elf's charming smile, the way his skin almost shone like bronze under that light...

Was it so easy? A moment like that to realize something that usually took weeks to build up, but had just taken hours? Riven had been ignoring the flashing signs he had been getting, but that one was so blatant, so obvious that he couldn't ignore it anymore; his heart pounded like a hammer in a forge, and yet his chest was filled with a nice warmth instead of unbearable fire; his guts felt like they had been rearranging themselves, and yet he was fine about it... Because once again, it was worth it Staring at nothing else Taelian's face, he couldn't help but to grin wide and agree with himself: the views were gorgeous. He had started to realize that he liked the man holding his had, and he could do nothing about it; the attraction drew Riven to the elf like a powerful gravitational force. Gods, he realized he kind of wanted to kiss him...

But he settled for a hug insted. He pulled Taelian close, grabbing the man's waist with his free hand and letting go of the Siltori's hand to embrace him, rubbing his back as he pulled him even closer, letting his head rest on Riven's chest again. "We'll see two hundred if you still want to come along with me, Taelian."

[Taelian]

He was pulled close, yet again. This time, there was no valid reason; no brotherly affection that could be passed off as a supportive embrace, or their take-off to somewhere else. Riven held him this time simply because he wanted to.

The Avialae grabbed and held at his waist, and rubbed his back, and brought the two of them utterly close. Taelian's head rested into the man's pectorals, the robust muscles cushioning him softly against his form. The Siltori sighed, and inhaled, and sighed again. Because his breath was hot, and so was his chest, even despite the frigidity of the peak on which they stood. Riven was incredibly warm, and his body felt solid and firm enough to completely encapsulate the smaller man. Taelian couldn't help it; he rubbed the Kathar's waist, too... then his back. He followed the same motions, and eventually he returned to the center of Riven's earlier attention, grabbing at the Avialae's pectorals and rubbing his palm along the edges of his pert upper chest.

We'll see two hundred, if...

"Riven," he voiced his name. Taelian spoke softly, allowing the man to continue.

...you still want to come along with me, Taelian.

His heart was pounding in his chest.

So was Riven's.

He breathed out one more time, as he desperately attempted to handle the thrumming of his heart. He wouldn't be able to.

"...Riven," he said again. This time, his voice was firm enough to be heard past the rushing wind, even though his lips were buried in the other man's padded chest. The Elf tippy-toed onto his feet, then suspended himself upward with some of the strength in his legs. He grabbed onto the Avialae's shoulders and used them to climb upwards, keeping himself suspended by locking his feet around the Kathar's knees.

It was so difficult to reach his face. He wholly begrudged the man for being so tall.

"Riven, will you lay my back against the floor of the peak? And not let go?" he inquired innocently, flashing his beloved dimples in a warm smile as if to elicit the other man's affirmation. And, apparently, his tactic worked. The other man leaned forward and laid Taelian against the white-covered peak flat, lain over him with his waist in-between the Siltori's thighs. Taelian squirmed in order to meet him eye-to-eye, and when he did, he stared almost like he did when he felt no emotions at all -- with that empty, peculiar flat.

But it wasn't with contempt, or emptiness, or apathy. It was due to an emotion so incredibly foreign to him that it disrupted his expression into a stare, his mouth agape, in order to process it at all.

It was the beginning of love. Or he thought it was. He really didn't know; he'd never known anything like it, not even really before he was a Famished. It was an emotion so strong that he wasn't certain it could be real at all.

He wondered if this was all a lie. Not a dream, but deception. Perhaps by himself, wanting to believe that he could have something like this. He was all the fool, and had always been. But for the moment, he truly thought that he could have what he so wanted if he believed.

"I do want to come along with you, Riven," he softly whispered. "For every last beautiful thing you'll ever see, if you'd like me to. You are the only man that has ever made me feel..." he smiled weakly, "...anything. Like this, I mean. Anger... yes; jealousy, sorrow, spite. Nothing like this," he confessed.

"Will you kiss me? I wanted to... do it to you, but--I was terrified. Terrified..."

Another emotion familiar to him.

"I'm sorry, Riven, I'm not terribly strong. But I love y-- woops, no, wrong one. I like you. I like you a lot."

[Riven]

"Riven".

He actually blinked. He had been so distracted with all of his emotions piling up on his throat and the loud pounding on his chest that he hadn't noticed Taelian calling him not once, not twice, but three times. His voice was muffled by the Avialae's large chest and the soft jumper he was wearing, but at least it had made him react. "Uh... Yeah?" He asked, a tad baffled, pulled back to reality.

But apparently, he hadn't answered fast enough and Taelian seemed taking matters into his own hands. Riven raised an eybrow and half-smiled as the Siltori began to climb his own body like if it was some sort of mountain. Obviously, he sucked at climbing. "Err... Taelian, what are you doing?" He said, chuckling, waiting as his knees got trapped between the Siltori's feet. He finally got right in front of Riven's face though; was he really going to...? Riven's heart rushed even faster, his cheeks getting the usual red hue seeing Taelian's face so close to his. Their eyes were locked on one another, Riven's blue rings shifting and swirling and glowing faster and brighter than usual.

And after some rather intense stares, Taelian actually asked something that he did not expect. He had grinned at him though; Riven's heart melted again over those dimples of his, that bright, dashing smile that could ask anything and the Avialae would still say yes. "Of course..." He nodded, even if he wasn't sure about what he was actually doing. Carefully holding Taelian close to him with a single arm, he used the other as a supporting point as he knelt on the floor, gently laying Taelian on the snow, thawing most of it. He was laying on top of the Siltori, breathing heavily, looking at Taelian's handsome face and striking body, and he was beginning to feel his desire burn inside. He didn't have much of an experience... But he knew he wanted Taelian. And he didn't know what the elf's weird dance was about, but it was starting to make him a little bit crazy. He stared at him, his eyes a strange mix of hunger, care, fun, desperation and fondness at the same time. The closer he got, the harder it was just not to dive in and kiss him.

He wondered how he'd reached that point; the same morning, he was alone, bored, and ready to hone his magic. And it had just been hours that seemed like eternities, but there he was with Taelian, both fixated on each other, ready to take the step forward that would make everything different. He didn't believe in fate... but Taelian was all he didn't know he wanted... But he did. Badly.

And then the elf took the step. Riven was awestruck for a second; he blinked and stared for a second to check if what he'd heard was real. Taelian's face looked sort of blank... But his eyes were overflowing with wishes and dreams, and Riven knew he was actually overwhelmed. He didn't blame Taelian though; Riven felt his heart about to burst out of his chest.

"Taelian, I..." he began, but he just stopped himself there and leaned in to kiss the Siltori, their lips opening and slowly tasting each other, softly, then letting passion burn through, Riven throwing himself over Taelian's body to deepen the kiss, their lips locked as they blissfully locked, exploring each other with passion, their tongues sliding on top of each other. Riven pulled Taelian up and rolled on the snow as they kept fiercely making out, making Taelian lay on top of the Avialae's body, Riven's wing extended on the floor and vibrating each time the kiss went deeper. Starting to need air and with a grin plastered on his face, Riven pulled back, his hands sliding towards Taelian's lower back, enjoying the chill touch of the snow against his heated body.

"I'll kiss you whenever you ask, Taelian. You're a gorgeous man... And I like you." He answered, kissing him again, this time a short lived, passionate kiss to leave that clear.

[Taelian]

He kissed him.

And it was wonderful. It felt pure; it felt right. Not like he feared it would be -- terrifying and uncertain, veiled in the bleakness of his waning emotions. But then, he feared that it would be like that when it came with other men; the first time he dared himself to pursue a man the way he did with Riven. But unlike those men -- the ones from his often grim fantasies -- Riven was patient, and caring, and kind. He was a man whose nature could only be ascribed the word 'loving', and that was what drew the Elf to him above all else. His handsome, boyish smile and the charming quirk of his brow, the deviant smirk that made him melt; Riven had everything he had wanted in all his life, packaged into one handsome frame.

If there were ever fantasies of moments like this that were anything but insecure, they went something like this. But this was more benign than he could have imagined.

As their kiss began, Taelian pressed his mouth forward to passionately crush against the soft lips of his lover, their tongues meeting in an exchange of passion and taste. He rotated his head slightly and leaned deeper into the kiss, dancing energetically with the other man's tongue as his fingertips explored beneath the fabric of Riven's jumper. He massaged the thick, fine muscles with his somewhat clutched palm, stimulating his own mind with the soft yet rigid feeling of the man's defined form. Taelian wanted him badly; it was difficult to deny it. Whatever desires he had, they were all centrally focused on this one man.

Their positions rotated, and Taelian was shifted to lay on top of the other man, relying on his muscular frame. Unlike Riven who had carefully lifted his weight so as to not crush the Siltori, Taelian could completely lean into the Avialae, laid upon him as closely and tightly as he could as he reveled in the man's firmness and warmth. The Siltori was almost inebriated by what he felt, sent into a feverish state, one that they appeared to share. They made out until they both needed air, the Ebon Knight performing a sputtered inhale as he receded from the kiss.

Riven spoke to him softly, with passion and affection inlaid into each word. The Siltori let out a sputtered laugh, starting to cough as he did, though this only made his laugh continue more excitedly.

They kissed again. It was brief, but serene, and it carried the message forth: that Riven meant what he said. Taelian kissed him back in much the same way, if only to tell him: I know.

"I like you too, Riven. I don't know that I've ever liked someone this much; or at all, until now. You're--"

He paused, biting his lower lip. Taelian felt utterly cliche, but he supposed that was fine. He would only get one moment like this; their first realization of what they meant to one another, and what they could have meant if only they--

"I'm yours, if you want me to be," he offered. "You said we can kiss whenever I ask... and the same goes to you. My body, my mind, my soul; they're all yours, Riven. You make me want to protect them, as I didn't care to before; they belong to you."

Perhaps it was too strong an offer to make so soon, but Riven was the one person that meant anything to him. He had no family, no Darnan, Vendrael or Leth. He only had himself to wander with, and suddenly in the midst of that curious glade, he found someone worth valuing even above his own life. This man, perhaps pathetically, had begun to mean everything to Taelian. That, he was unafraid to share, as juvenile as it may have appeared. He would have laughed if he'd thought about how long they had actually known each other, but he felt he understood the man better than one could in the length since they had met. It was a resonance that he was acutely aware of, yet could not place.

[Riven]

Hearing Taelian's laughter, Riven couldn't help it but chuckle a tad bit. It was wonderful, even if he wasn't exactly laughing out loud, but that little burst was filled with joy and excitement; even the coughing made him smirk, mocking the elf a little for forgetting that he had to breathe. Maybe he shouldn't have picked such serious words... But he did not regret them one bit. He felt what he said, and he wasn't afraid to say it. They kissed again for a fleeting moment, Riven's hands sliding under the back of Taelian's blue shirt, exploring his soft skin and his warm, toned back muscles, feeling every small mountain and every valley, sliding his fingers up his spine to appreciate every small nub on the way to his neck. Soon Taelian was kissing him back, their tongues feeling each other in a soft dance, Riven's hands cupping Taelian's angular jaw.

And then Taelian began to pour his feelings on Riven, tell him how he really felt... And while holding the Siltori, he couldn't do anything but grin ear to ear and keep thinking that it was to good to be true; he couldn't believe that Taelian liked him that much... But he did, apparently? Riven hadn't felt anything like that for no one; so intense, so raw, so affectionate and yet so... sexual at the same time. And the minute Taelian bit his lip... Damn. He had heard a guard talking about that face and he couldn't believe something so simple and so reflexive could make a man go crazy, but he had proof right in front of there; and it wasn't some lovely lady in a tavern, it was even better: a handsome, strong, heartwarming and enticing young man, just for him in the middle of a snowy field, the first stars of the nightsky appearing over them as dusk came to its end.

And then Taelian offered his whole being to Riven... And the Avialae's breath stopped. That wasn't an offer he could take; he understood where it came from, and he couldn't do anything else but feel honored and like Taelian and want him even more... But not like that. It wasn't something he felt comfortable with; he couldn't have another man's existence in his hands and feel good about it, even if he knew Taelian wasn't being strictly literal. "Taelian..." He stopped, rubbing the Siltori's chiseled, sharp jaw with his thumb as he pulled him closer, kissing him softly on the lips, a soft, wet contact that expressed all of Riven's fondness. "What I want is you to be yours; to remind you that you're your own person, a wonderful one, with a perfect body, an entrancing mind and a beautiful soul; I want you to keep them, nourish and protect the things that make you be you, and grow and evolve with them. And, if you want to share them with someone along the way... I'll be happy to be that person, as long as you choose me. I know I'm choosing you, Taelian."

And he felt it like that; at that point, his feelings for Taelian were crystal clear for Riven. Holding the Siltori close, he could feel both their hearts beating fast, creating a rythm unique to both of them, and he was sure. There was no space for complicated feelings, dark corners of his mind that wondered if he was doing the right thing; he had let them control his actions for many years, when he needed them, but now he was safe, sure of himself, and his will was hard as a diamond. And what he wanted was in his arms, and he couldn't wait to kiss him. In fact... He didn't have to wait at all.

He kissed Taelian again, deeply, passionately, almost desperately, his hands buried under his sky blue shirt, feeling his strong abdomen and his perfectly shaped back; he didn't anything else.