Chapter Text
Kael’thas wasn’t in his room in Tempest Keep, where he was expected to be, which utterly puzzled a lot of adventures.
“I wasted all this time killing trash and I don’t even get the chance to get my mount? What the fuck?” was a common thought (or an enraged scream) for all kinds of folk who wandered into the Keep without reading the sign Kael had oh-so-kindly placed on the front door. It simply read:
“Away this week for personal reasons. No mounts for you greedy people! -Kael <3”
But where was the mage, then, if not inside his raid, you wonder. In a most peculiar place, for sure. Kael’thas and his magnificent mount, a pristine white strider, were at that moment wandering around Elvynn Forest, bringing terror to many unprepared, new adventures. But the elven prince was kind enough to spare most of them, because he wasn’t visiting the Eastern Kingdoms merely to gank on unsuspecting, unprepared little noobs. No, he was searching for something much more valuable... someone much more powerful.
The Paladin (whose name Kael never bothered to learn) hadn’t visited him in almost four weeks. Yes, the same paladin that had taunted and mocked the mage before murdering his torturously for ten weeks in a row. No, Kael’thas had no idea why he cared about his absence: he should rejoice, for now he finally had some free time. But instead, he wasted his newfound solace in this desperate attempt to find his missing tormentor.
Maybe he had quit adventuring, Kael’thas wondered. Or had found another, prettier mount to pursue.
No, that wasn’t possible. And no, the elf's jealousy wasn't exaggerated. The Paladin had been so obsessed with getting A’lar, he had visited the Keep every single Wednesday morning for the past three months. There must have been better reason to why he simply quit. And Kael’thas would know that by the end of the day!
In truth, Kael’thas was a little traumatized by his previous encounters with the hero. Or, more truthfully very, very traumatized. He kept having nightmares, his hands would shake every time a new challenger approached him (only for him to let out a deep breath of relief when it turned out to be someone else than the Paladin) and all color would drain from his face every single time he heard the hero’s chilling, deep voice. But this time, Kael’thas wouldn’t lose! He would catch the Paladin off-guard.
And besides, he had a new weapon in his arsenal... A legendary dagger one of his minions had managed to acquire, a blade forged in hellfire that had been lost for decades. The ultimate weapon for a perfect revenge: Bloodstick the Murderous! (the name wasn’t so glorious in Kael’s humble opinion, but the weapon actually looked really cool, so he tolerated it)
Eventually, the elven mage found what he was looking for. An unassuming, small cabin in the middle of the woods. How Kael’thas knew that it belonged to the Paladin, you wonder? Magic.
Kael’thas knocked the front door down with a pyroblast.
(Yes, he had done that with a dozen other houses already. No, they hadn’t belonged to the Paladin. He had managed to set a few children on fire, and to scare an old hag to death, literally. But that time, he actually found the right house.)
A paladin wearing nothing but a towel was standing merely a few feet away from the ex-door, which had turned into a sordid little pile of ash, staring at the intruder – not with fear, but... with a smile?
“Greetings!” the mage exclaimed, not letting that annoying expression disrupt his evil monologue. “Tis I, Kael’thas Sunstrider, Lord of the – “
“I know,” that annoying human interrupted, not giving a shit about Kael’s carefully prepared speech that took twelve hours to perfect. “What brings you to my house, Kael?”
“Well,” Kael’thas begrudgingly skipped a few sections of his awesome speech as he smugly walked inside the surprisingly spacious house, “since you obviously have been ignoring me out of fear for my righteous vengeance... wait.”
Kael’thas had noticed something flying past the hallway window, right on his left, enjoying the summer air.
A large bird, it was... and oddly familiar.
“You have A’lar?” he asked in astonishment. “How... I know I didn’t drop it for you last time!”
“Well, uh... I already got it back in the days,” the flushed human admitted, scratching the back of his head. Kael’thas was almost as baffled by the revelation as he was by the change in the paladin’s attitude.
“Then... why did you claim you wanted that mount?” Kael’thas asked, dreading the answer. He just wanted to torture you he hates you everyone hates you theywantyoutosuffer -
“To have an excuse to see you.”
“You mean to torture me?” he blurted out. Kael’thas knew many adventurers were selfish pieces of shit, but he never imagined a paladin out of all things could be that sadistic. Wasn’t there a reason they were called “rightful heroes”?
“No!” the paladin exclaimed loudly, a desperate yet futile attempt to hang onto his hero-ness, Kael assumed.
The human breathed in deeply. Kael’thas considered just ambushing him with his legendary stick, but something in the adventurer’s eyes made him back off. They faintly reminded him of his time back in Dalaran, while it was still on the ground. Kael’thas could remember his conversation with another mage, his heart’s desire... her eyes, filled with the same regret, knowing fully well she had hurt Kael despite caring deeply about him. Yet knowing she wouldn’t change her actions if she could. Wouldn't make different choices just for him.
Kael’thas pushed the thoughts of Jaina away from his mind. This paladin did not give a damn about him. They weren’t friends. There was no way he was sorry about his actions. And most of all, Kael definitely did NOT have a crush on that human. He wasn't even attractive with his... stupid face and... big blue eyes and, and weird eyebrows!
“I visited you,” the paladin spoke softly, pulling Kael’thas out of his confusing thoughts and memories, “because I wanted to see you. I quit that because I never meant to torture you... I thought you would be used to it, seeing how many visitors the Tempest Keep attracts each week. But I saw I was wrong, when I saw the genuine pain in your beautiful eyes.”
Kael’thas found himself nodding in agreement. His eyes were, indeed, beautiful.
“My eyes are,” he spoke absent-mindedly, “indeed, beautiful.”
“I never meant to start a war,” the human admitted. “I just wanted you to let me in. And instead of using force, I guess I should have let you win.”
“...what?”
The paladin sank to his knees, stunning Kael’thas.
“I’m sorry for causing you pain,” he muttered. “If I had known how traumatizing my actions would be... how traumatized you are by all the adventurers, always hurting you... I would have never attacked you in the first place. I would have never hurt you like them do. I would have left you be. I love you, Kael. But I could have lived without you ever knowing that, if I could have spared you from agony that way.”
Kael’thas’ fragile heterosexuality died because of the heartfelt confession. No one had ever liked him. Let alone said the words “I love you” to him. Or called him “Kael” in such a beautiful, loving tone.
He had been wrong. The Paladin wasn't like Jaina, if he spoke the truth, that is. He was... better. Perfect.
Slowly, as if afraid it was a trap even if he could see how genuine the words were, Kael’thas walked towards the paladin. He stayed still as if waiting for the well-deserved revenge of the vengeful blood elf. It never came.
Kael’thas sat down merely a feet from the paladin, crossing his legs. His legendary stick was long forgotten, lost somewhere inside his ridiculously long, lush robes, never to be found again.
“So you hurt me... because you liked me?”
“I was always taught that feelings, and especially showing feelings, were gay,” the paladin admitted. Then, he chuckled humorlessly. “Well, guess what, dad? I’m gay.”
Then he took a breath in a futile attempt to calm himself.
“That’s why I taunted you, hurt you. An old habit. I merely wanted a moment of your attention. But I didn’t know any other way to get it.”
“I-it’s all right,” Kael’thas said, surprising the both of them. Then, he ruined the heartfelt moment with an obvious lie:
“You didn’t even hurt me that badly, you know. I’m stronger than I look.”
“No you aren’t.”
The paladin lifted his head, looking at Kael for the first time after he had burst in to the house.
“It’s okay to be vulnerable, I guess.”
Reluctantly, the mage had to nod.
“I suppose we both have traumas that we need to work on,” he acknowledged.
“Indeed... So... I suppose you’ll want to kill me?”
“Why on Azeroth would I do that?” the mage retorted. “I kill you, you respawn in a second. I get back to Tempest Keep, some adventurer kills me again. And again. And again. You stay here, alone, wallowing in self-pity because you hurt the gorgeous elf of your dreams.” He snorted.
“Who will that benefit?”
“No one, I guess...” the paladin had to agree.
Kael’thas averted his eyes from the paladin. He still wasn’t sure if he should go through with his newly formed plan. It could backfire badly. But what choice did he have? Like he had said, it was either that terrible familiar nightmare... or a leap of faith.
“What do you suggest then?” the human asked after a painfully long moment of silence.
Slowly, afraid the paladin would resist the gesture, Kael’thas took his hand in his and gave it a light squeeze.
“We could stay here together,” he proposed. “My life has been all hurt and no comfort. And so has yours, it seems. But we could turn it around. Work on ourselves and our problems. Together.”
The paladin’s melancholic face lit up at that idea, and the mage was filled with relief.
“You... you would want that?”
The elf offered him a rare, genuine smile.
“Yes, I would like that very much. I guess that makes me gay, too.”
And so, the legendary Raid Boss Kael’thas Sunstrider vanished, never to be seen again. Although rumor has it, Tempest Keep was merely a setback, one he recovered from brilliantly. And he lived his life happily ever after far away from the cruel adventurers.
The end ~