Work Text:
Keralis emptied his cup, reaching for the nearly empty bottle of mead sitting between them. “Come on, Shashwammy. It’s just for fun.” He had to focus a little harder not to spill the sweet honeyed alcohol, but sitting beneath the stars with his best friend was absolutely worth it. “And it’s just the two of us, no one here to hear you flaunt a little ego.”
Xisuma’s eye roll was nearly audible, his groan definitely was.
“Pros and cons, Shashwam. Of dating you. Doesn’t matter who.”
It had been an amusing campfire game earlier, their friends churning out amusing answers as food and drink and laughter flowed freely. From Zedaph’s “a cave’s worth of contraptions that may or may not work”, to Scar’s “you’d have anything you can reclaim from my chest monsters”, and Iskall’s “my bed’s in the canopy of the Omega Tree so you’ll always sleep beneath the stars”; both the pros and cons were very much in the mind of the beholder.
But Xisuma hadn’t joined in. Oh, he’d laughed along at some of the jokes, or was sweet enough to turn some of the more self-conscious comments back to positives until the giver was smiling along. But he had managed to not give out any of his own, on either side.
Xisuma sighed, and took another sip. “You won’t let me be until I do, huh?”
Keralis pushed his bottom lip forward, giving Xisuma his best wide-eyed, pleading look. “Please? You heard mine.”
“Fine, fine.” Xisuma pushed him back lightly, gloved palm against Keralis’ forehead. “Pros of dating me. Um, you’ll be the cute one.”
Keralis giggled, his chest feeling light that Xisuma was finally willing to play the game with him. “I’m always the cute one, Shashwam.”
“Of course you are.” But he didn’t pull away from Keralis ducking beneath his arm and pulling him into a sideways hug. “Cons? Where do I even begin.”
Keralis waited a moment for something funny, something.. uniquely X. And then smirked when he found an answer of his own.
“True, true. It is hard to make a list of zero items.”
He laughed and squeezed around Xisuma’s chest, but the other man didn’t join in. Xisuma actually went stiffer in his arms, as if upset by his comment.
“Zero cons, Shashwammy. Someone dating you would have the most perfect date in the world.”
Xisuma didn’t seem to get the joke. Keralis wasn’t sure if he should pull back, or if his friend needed a moment to puzzle through the wordplay.
“Cons. I’m the head admin, so I’m in a position of power over any member of our server. My work has to come first, before any relationship, which wouldn’t be fair to anyone. I have poor work habits on top of that. My non-existent sleeping schedule. I have a body that breaks down in the Overworld, and can’t survive at all in the Nether without my armour. So my armour as well. My helmet. My breathing problems. My body. My scars. My-”
“No no nonono.” Keralis was going to stop this, right now. Heedless of the glasses around them, Keralis used his position to push Xisuma over, straddling his waist and leaning down to rest his forehead against the cool visor. He couldn’t see inside, the yellow still bright under the full moon, and hiding the face inside even this close. So he smiled, and tapped on the visor with a single finger. “Hello? Can I see my Shashwammy, pretty please? I know he’s in there.”
That got him a chuckle. And then the old violet visor was back, cutting through the bee-theme and revealing the soft brow, the thick nose crest, the lovely, bright eyes beneath that blinked slowly back at him.
“There’s my clever girl. Now, why is all of this in the wrong category?” He smiled brightly, leaving his face right where it was to watch Xisuma’s reactions. “Pros: you’re the head admin, but not the only one. You know what your responsibilities are, and you do everything in your power to keep the world safe for us. Which only means that you would put just as much love and care into any relationship, if not even more. Your work habits are no worse than anyone else’s on this server, and don’t think we don’t notice when you catch us at the same thing and then work on modeling good habits for a couple of weeks. Because you care, about us, and yourself.”
Xisuma stared at him, not refuting a single point but not joining in the banter, either.
Keralis made himself a little more comfortable across Xisuma’s chest, resting most of his weight on his knees and elbows on the ground while staying in place. “Now, have any of us ever complained about making sure that you’re comfortable taking off your armour? And you can’t possibly believe that we would think less of you for wearing it, not after that pretty speech you gave to Doc earlier about loving people for them selves, and not the outside modifications. Just because your armour is not attached does not take away from that. Plus,” he let himself grin, finally seeing the shadow of a smile beneath the helmet. “It’s fun to match the outfits you make. You’ve taken something that could have been plain and boring, and embraced it and enjoyed it, which makes your friends enjoy how happy you are.
“And your body. Mmm.” Keralis let his voice sink an octave, fluttered his eyes at the stunned look beneath him. “Jokes I have for your armour, but your body, Shashwam. It is exquisite.” He wiggled, just a few pixels but it was enough to draw a gasp from Xisuma, and warm gloves to come up and hold his hips in place. “You cover everything up because you have to, but when you let go, when you bare yourself to us, oh, Shashwam. You are the most glorious being in the entire universe.” His fingers started a slow dance over the layers of armour, the thick chestplate, the seal across the neck, the firm strength of the helmet. “I love your skin, the way it soaks in heat, the way it trembles with a soft touch, how sensitive it is to my palms. Your scars are beautiful, each one a testament to something that you survived, something that you have beat and overcome and that made you even stronger. And to feel those marvelous marks across your skin, to see and kiss each and every one, to caress and lavish my devotion on every perfect dimple and knot and proof that you are still here with us. That you are alive and choosing to spend your time with us, and love us, and let us love you as well.”
Xisuma’s hands lifted away, but it wasn’t to push him or even attempt to rise. He barely disturbed the palm Keralis had against the side of his visor, until bared, shaking hands were at his own throat and disabling the latches there. And then Xisuma’s face was blush-warmed beneath Keralis’ hands, and his smile was even sweeter as he surged up to capture Keralis’ lips, kissing him with a fervor usually reserved for passionate nights at the Hobbit Hole, or planned events with prepared chunks or appropriate air.
Keralis sank into it, delighted with the response. Xisuma’s mouth tasted like the honeyed drink they’d been sharing, like bright End air, like himself, warm and still sweet once Keralis had licked those flavors away. And because it was there and so close, when they broke for air Keralis continued his kisses, light and delicate over Xisuma’s cheeks, across his nose, over his eyes and back again, following the nearly perfect 'x' that crossed between teary eyes.
“I couldn’t bear to have my Shashwammy thinking such mean things about himself. I'll let you admit it, you are cuter than I am." Xisuma huffed at him, his smile still in place. "No, you have to say it, Shashwam. Or Papa K is going to keep telling you how pretty you are. How amazing." He interspersed his compliments with kisses, all over Xisuma's face. "How handsome. How beautiful. How gorgeous." Xisuma was squirming under him, trying not to laugh or buck him off. "How delightful. How-"
Finally, finally came Xisuma's cute little snorting laugh, the little smirk at the corner of his mouth.
"Okay, okay, I get it. You can stop now."
He wasn't going to let him off that easy. "Say it, Shashwammy. Tell me that you're the cutest one on the server."
"Keralis."
"Say it. Believe it. Make me believe it." Keralis gave Xisuma his best doe-eyed look.
Xisuma was blushing again, and he wanted to follow the trail of it, wanted to see the flushed chest and shoulders, his pale skin that showed it so well.
"But you're-"
"Nope. Who's the cutest? Who's got the cutest eyes, and cutest lips, and cutest tushy, and-"
"Oh my goodness me." Xisuma was laughing and pushing him off now, but his point had gotten through.
"Yes, you. You cute, silly bee."
"Fine! I give up, I'm the cutest. Jeez." The helmet came back, latched into place, the visor still transparent. "You're such a tease, Keralis."
"Mmm." He placed another kiss on the visor, just for good measure. "Clever girl. Now how about we check for a room, and take this to a more comfortable place for viewing my favorite cute tush, yes?"
"I swear you'll be the death of me, one day."
Keralis purred back at him. "Better set your spawn then, Sweetcheeks."