Chapter Text
The breeze ruffled softly through Khun’s blue locks as he trudged up a dirt road. He’d traveled for days under the warm summer sun and finally, after making a wrong turn he found himself at the doorstep of a secluded pub near the seaside. On the outside, the building appeared quaint, but if Khun could determine anything by the noise that seeped through the front door, he imagined it was anything but.
As he swung open the door, music and laughter filled his ears. He took a moment to let the sudden volume settle in before his heavy feet carried him to a table in the back corner of the room, away from all of the excitement. As he rounded the table, he collapsed unceremoniously into the chair with a huff. How long had it been since he’d sat on a proper chair? Smiling to himself, Khun thought about how far he’d gone and how much further he’d be willing to go. Life hadn’t been easy for him, but flying the coop two years ago to travel solo had been the best decision he ever made.
With a wave of his hand, Khun called over a waiter and promptly ordered himself a pale ale. When the man left the table, Khun sunk back into his seat and began to observe the jovial aura emanating from across the pub. He watched as men clanked their tankards, women flitted their skirts and danced, and everyone seemed to sway with arms wrapped around each other while a band played. He rolled his eyes with a light laugh to himself, they were all too simpleminded in his eyes, but he admired their warm spirits nonetheless.
“Your ale.” The waiter delivered the tankard with a clink against the wooden table.
“Thanks.” Khun sat up to grab his drink. As his hand closed around the handle his eyes caught sight of something that caused him to pause. He could barely feel the cool metal in his palm as he watched a display of elegant footwork begin as the music changed. He couldn’t pull his eyes away as he watched two beautiful bare feet dance a jig.
Khun had never witnessed such finesse in the dance before. He had seen skilled dancers, but none compared to the buachaill dancing in this pub right now. His movements were delicate and flowed like a river and he punctuated each step with a smile or flick of his wrist. With a hand outstretched warmly toward patrons, he’d entice those around him but Khun let them fall away one by one until he was the only one who held Khun’s attention.
Khun noted how the dancer’s soft brown locks appeared to tickle his cheeks as the man bounced to the rhythm of the music. It was slightly longer than most men’s hair in the area, but Khun’s was no different; his remained half-tied up from earlier that morning. He wrapped some of the ends around his finger as he thought about how soft the other man’s hair must be– given its shine.
Just as Khun had finished his drink, the man tapped his way through the tables and leisurely headed Khun’s way. He pranced lightly on his feet, not wasting a single step as he used every last open space to his advantage. He twirled and skipped and lept his way from table to table without missing a beat. When he finally made it to Khun, the man winked as he leaned against the table and flourished his legs in a fancy display before quickly making his way back towards the stage. Khun smirked to himself as his eyes followed the bare feet frolicking away from him. Pink dusted across Khun’s nose at the sight and he waved the waiter back down for another drink. He’d happily stay awhile.
Through the clapping and tapping of tankards, Khun shouted his order at the waiter, grinning from ear to ear as he turned his attention back to the soft-footed man clad in blues and golds. He’d started another jig or was it a reel? Khun couldn’t tell, but it didn’t matter. His eyes glued themselves onto the buachaill, entranced by his every move.
Khun leaned back in his chair, smiling to himself as he raked his eyes from the soles of the other man’s feet, up his strong legs, and to the dashing dark blue and gold waistcoat that accentuated his waist. Khun stared for a moment, wondering how the smallest part would feel under his hands. He imagined squeezing the other man’s sides and pulling his waist flush against his own. As his mouth started to water at the thought, Khun’s eyes drifted toward wide shoulders that outstretched arms with hands that appeared velvet-soft. He yearned for those hands to touch anywhere they pleased. He imagined they would be gentle and hold him in ways Khun didn’t believe he even deserved. He licked his lips with a silent wish that maybe one day he’d have the pleasure of finding out.
The waiter dropped the new tankard of pale ale on Khun’s table and began to walk away when Khun called out to him, “A moment?” The waiter quickly returned and leaned down closer to Khun in order to hear him over the ruckus. “The dancer - with the brown hair - who is he?”
The waiter stood back up and chuckled. “That’s Baam! He’s the star of this pub. Dances all night for folks and has stolen more hearts than one can count around these parts. Careful, lad.” The waiter pointed behind him at Baam with a cheeky grin. “Ladies aren’t the only ones who’ve been enchanted by him.”
“Noted.” Khun raised his glass to the man with a nod and pressed his lips to the rim. As the waiter left the table, Khun’s gaze fell on Baam’s smile and golden eyes. He’d only been looking for a moment when Baam’s eyes flitted back over and caught his own. His blood ran hot in a way Khun had never felt before as he raised his glass with an alluring smirk. He’d never seen someone so beautiful before and he knew he’d never see this beautiful ever again.