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Mithrun recalls and remembers, the warmth and the comfort it brought him. It, being unidentified. He ponders if it could be one of the desires Kabru spoke about. He spends his waking hour thinking and pondering about it, all the while Kabru makes sure he is bathed, stomach full, sleeping well, and... Well, Kabru also tends to his comfort.
When the night falls, Kabru is there and helps him. “Captain, come lay back down. Iʼll pat you to sleep.” Kabru says urging Mithrun back to bed, he complies and lays down meek. And then he lays his hands on Mithrunʼs flat chest. Feeling it rise and fall in Kabruʼs palm, he thinks about that odd warmth. No. He feels that warmth, right now.
Mithrun himself sees that there is no need to pat him and hold him gently when he has no desire for any of it. But Kabru states otherwise, just like eating and sleeping, he also needs the care and love just like any other being. Emphasizing that it is just as or maybe, way more important than anything else.
The elven boy thinks, he feels warm and maybe Kabru is correct. So he lets him do whatever he wants and he accepts the touches pliantly. Still, not answering his jumbled thoughts. He falls asleep and leaves it at that, awaiting the next day to think about it again.
In the darkness he hears a faint voice, soft and loving. “Good night, Captain.” And he completely drifted off to sleep, the same warmth still ever present in his chest.
In the next few days, he acknowledged that the warmth radiated off of Kabru, perhaps all tall-men possess this ability? No. He did not feel the same towards any other tall-men, not Laois, not Falin, not any of the friends Kabru introduced to him. Despite being sure, he went to Laois to ask nonetheless.
He walked, the path cobbled with stone and the pads of his feet feeling the rocky surface. As he went inside the castle of the Golden Country, he noticed the warmth was not present. He stopped in his tracks and recalled what had happened this morning.
The first memory he had from today was Kabru waking him up. “Captain, get up. Letʼs tidy the bed together.” His beautiful blue eyes gleamed as his own pitch black eye fluttered open. His chest welcoming the familiar yet strange feeling. He thinks that he could wake up like this everyday and Mithrun could never get tired looking at Kabruʼs eyes, he cant get enough of how his beautiful tanned skin shone bright against the light shining from the sun. Thatʼs right, Kabru was beautiful.
Mithrun continues walking as realization hit him, it was also present during the time they ate breakfast. “I made sweetened ham from the marinated pork we had yesterday, I hope you like it, Captain.” Kabru smiled and sat Mithrun down, carefully pulling a cloth on his lap and sitting down besides him. Kabruʼs trained hands immediately dive to chop his food, giving him a spoonful of the ham. Mithrun does nothing but open his mouth to chew, feeling tingly and warm all over.
This time he walks inside the castle halls, lined with paintings, pots, flowers, and decoration everywhere his eyes can see. After eating, the next memory he had was of Kabru bidding him goodbye. “Captain, Iʼm off to the palace. Iʼll be back before nightfall.” His heart sank from the thought of Kabruʼs absence. Still, he nodded and looked his way, waving his hand. “Iʼll see you later, Kabru.” For the first time today, he smiled, and the heat that enveloped his chest lingered again.
The seat atop the stairs was taken, the person sitting himself looked rather bored until Mithrun called out. “Louise!” His voice wrang the blond manʼs ears and he looked down at the elven boy. “Itʼs Laois...” He trailed off but didnʼt push it. Mithrun acknowledged it silently and walked up towards him.
“Whereʼs Kabru? Heʼs your advisor, is he not?” The first question that escaped his lips was ofcourse, about Kabru. “Heʼs currently with Marcille and Falin, I wasnʼt really paying attention so I donʼt know why theyʼre together.” Laois shrugged it off, not bothering himself of the details neither did he prode anymore as to why heʼs looking for Kabru. Quite ironic for a king not to busy with details, Mithrun thinks.
Regardless, Mithrun is about to ask Laois what heʼs here for. “Laois, does your heart feel warm?” A simple question, hopefully with a simple answer. The king adorned in gold looks up and thinks. His face is scrunched from thinking for a few seconds and he blurts out his answer. “Arenʼt all our hearts feel warm to the touch?” Mithrun sees his mistake. He was the wrong person to ask, he concludes.
Mithrunʼs face was blank, heart feeling defeated. He looks down and adds “I mean in your chest...” he trails off his words, not knowing how to explain his dilemma. Laois however, looked enlightened. “Maybe you feel this towards a person? Your desire?” For once, Mithrun thinks heʼs making sense and actually takes his opinion into account. “I guess.” He replies and leaves it at that. He thanks Laois for his time and he walks off back to where he came from.
As he headed out of the castle, he sees the face he thinks is so beautiful. “Captain!” Kabru exclaims with his blown wide. Shock clearly plastered on his face, he runs towards Mithrun with his curls bouncing for every step he took. Once he got close enough he asks, “What are you doing here? Did something happen at home?” Mithrun could only shake his head before his face and body flushed and burned. He peeked past Kabruʼs shoulder and saw two familiar girls, however in no rush compared to the man in front of him. He paid them no mind and looked again, at those eyes that reflected the sea, his heart leapt as if it tripped in fire.
This time he reflected, the warmth oozing out of every pore in his skin. In which came from his heart, cradled and welcomed. The warmth he had no idea what the cause of was, he finally pieced it together. It was simple, and it was Kabru.
And for the second time today, he smiled and said “Kabru, I desire you.” And at that fraction of a second, he felt like bursting. He chuckled laughed amd embraced Kabru. Who returned the embrace, he looked behind and Mithrun felt that he was talking. Yet he paid it no mind, not caring for anything other than the man in his arms.
He understood no words that were exchanged but he looked at Kabru deeply, his gaze piercing. Kabru looked flushed and prompted Mithrun up, carrying him. Rushing out of the castle and back to their home. He doesnʼt remember how they got home so fast either, but he does remember one thing from it. “Captain– Ah. Mithrun, I desire you too.” He remembers how red Kabruʼs face was and how beautiful his gaze on him was.
And inside their home, they spent the rest of the day. A certain ravenette coddling a silver-haired elven boy.
Bonus:
In the same day that Mithrun had boldly professed his desire to Kabru, theyʼre together in their shared room, shared bed. Kabru sat against the headboard with his legs weak, not caring however theyʼre splayed. Heʼs looking up at Mithrun, one arm wrapped tightly on the elven boyʼs slender waist. His other hand supporting the back of Mithrunʼs neck as they inch closer to each other.
Mithrun himself made a seat out of Kabruʼs lap, straddling him. And with the palms of his hands cradling his sun-kissed cheeks. He angles his head and eyes the Utayan boyʼs lips, and the words spills out of his lips.
“Kabru, kiss me.” Mithrun says flatly, devoid of shame and embarrassment. But, Kabru himself does not care. He pushes past their own areas of comfort and close their distance. Mithrunʼs chapped lips are soft against Kabruʼs, and he melts. “I want it again.” This time, Mithrun nudges himself towards Kabruʼs face and inches their lips together, locking them. “And again?” Kabru says with a grin plastered on his face, connecting his forehead with Mithrunʼs.
Unexpectedly, Mithrun grins back and says “Yeah.” Leaving their conversation dead in the air. And once again, they closed the distance between them. And if you ask them both, yes, theyʼre hearts feel warm and tingly.