Work Text:
It's raining. It hardly ever rains in sumeru.
Its so strange to feel the droplets of water upon his skin, especially under such a large tree. Sethos is right next to quite a large branch. Sitting and leaning against it while he studies. Or tries to, in the rain its hard to focus and even harder to write on paper.
He ends up giving up, putting his book in his messenger bag. He didnt think hed need the bag but it was a good choice to get it considering how much he brings around with him.
Its then that he sees some guy with a big hat heading up to the forbidden sanctuary. Its time to snoop, he hasnt had a good adventure in a while. He follows the guy up the ramp until the man turns around, knowing hes being followed.
“You're nosy” he speaks. Hes only known around here as hat guy for some reason, nobody even knows if he has a real name. He has to have one.
“Does the hat keep you covered from the rain?” Sethos theorises out loud, tilting his head to figure out the guy.
“Huh?” The fella looks shocked by his audacity, most people leave him alone or just stare. Talking to him is one thing, idealising him is another.
“Does it keep you dry?” He asks again, stepping closer to look at the large hat but hes rewarded with a step back and a scoff.
“You have some audacity, little bee” the hat guy laughs as if hes taken a back and sethos doesn't stand down.
Little bee? Sethos smiles, its sweet that this guys given him a nickname even if he meant to mock him. It warms his heart
“I'm getting off topic, why are you going up there? Its forbidden” sethos crosses his arms, he's not exactly the biggest supporter of rules he disagrees with but he trusts the akademiya and he trusts that their rules are there for a reason
“Thats none of your concern” the guy speaks defensively, as if hes hiding something. Now, Sethos isnt a detective nor is he a coal minor but he certainly is nosy and hes ready to dig.
“It definitely is my concern, its forbidden to go up there-”
“Well i have clearance, mind your own business”
oh hes so going to pry. When the man turns to leave he doesnt even try to be subtle about following him.
“Thought you were a man of rules” the hat man mumbles, weirdly aware of when hes being followed
Sethos follows him up until a guard tells him to leave but doesnt tell this guy to leave. Suspicious
Unfortunately he's not the kind of guy to back down so over a while he continues to follow the hat guy around. He isnt suspicious of him hes curious. What's this guy's deal? What makes him tick? What does he do in the sanctuary?
It goes from just following behind him to the guy allowing him to sit with him while they study which turns into them sitting at the tree branch together while they read. The guy doesn't talk a lot but he listens well, scoffing and humming seems to be his language. Sethos has learned to decipher these sounds, hes also learned that the guy “isnt doing anything suspicious” which makes him even more curious.
Hes still yet to learn why he carries the large hat but it seems to mean a lot to hat guy so he doesn't address it more than once.
Hes not sweet nor is he very kind persay but its clear the guys trying to be civil and at least tolerable. Sethos thinks hes the coolest person in sumeru, he wants to study him. Its all going nicely, they're fine, good even. Sethos considers them friends and hopes it goes both ways, he's realised hat guy would rather fall into the abyss than call someone a friend though.
Its going well yeah, until it isn't.
The Hat Guy's getting comfortable with touching sethos, which is nice. He likes physical touch, he wants it even but one day they're sitting on the large branch and sethos is sat towards the edge, hat guys fingers trailing along his back as he looks at one of the scars he got after accidentally picking a fight with a sumper beast.
“Whats this?” He asks, trailing his fingers over lighting shaped lines towards the top of sethos’ back, the cut of his shirt only just shows it if you look closely. He did it on purpose to hide it. The scar that remained from his ba fragment.
He hesitates, only cyno and the traveler know about what happened and they keep it to themselves. People wont understand, they'll judge him for giving it away, for letting cyno leave with his piece of godhood.
“I-” sethos can't even think of an excuse, this guys well researched and will see through his lie.
A moment of silence passes through them, like they're both struggling to find the words they want to say. Like theyre both unsure of weather the other will understand.
“They took it from you” the hat guy speaks in a hushed tone, as if he understands, as if hes been there.
Sethos blinks, unsure if he understands right, unsure if hes hearing things or if this guy actually knows. He decides theres no harm in telling the truth, he seems like the kind of man to keep a secret.
“The temple…we had these uh fragments? We thought both could be put into one vessel and it would bring back our lord Hermanubis,” he begins with his head down, quietly speaking “we were all children, given to the temple by our parents. A lot of us got sick from just one fragment but two of us were fine”
The hat guy strokes sethos’ back, a weirdly comforting gesture from the usually cold man. But he seems to have warmed up to him by now, only acting like this around sethos.
He takes a breath before continuing “not long ago we had to fight for the other fragment, the winner would take both… he…won” hes always said hes fine with the outcome, that his grandfather wanted it this way but he cant help but feel lost. It was his right to have the other fragment but it was taken from him. Right infront of his grandfather's cold, dead hands.
“I would've been a god”
The fingers on his back pause and he thinks hes said too much, he turns to look at the man and theres a look of understanding in his eyes. As if this man's seen the same thing.
“They took it from me too” hat guy speaks even quieter than sethos “I would've been a vessel to hold a gnosis, archon status” he pauses to see the reaction and what he gets is an understanding look from sethos so he continues.
“I was so angry when she took it, she threw me away like I was an outgrown sweater and I ended up in places I'll never return to” he leaves out a few details, deciding theyre not important here. “my birthright, stolen”
Sethos understands more than he thought he would, he thought this guy would be confusing and complex but hes just like him.
“I'm sorry” sethos whispers
“Don't be, you had no play in it” he replies “besides, youve been through the same”
A moment of comfortable silence splits between them and the fingers move sethos’ shirt enough to see the full scar
“Whats your name?” He asks, having never asked but hes greeted with silence.
“I used to have one, before everything. It never suited me, I never liked it” the man replies, a softness in his voice that was never there before. “I was kunikuzushi”
“Do you want me to call you something different?” Sethos asks, turning to face him fully.
“I prefer it over hat guy” dry humor offers itself from the purple haired man and sethos chuckles
“How about we shorten it to kuni?” He offers back and the man nods and hums with approval
The conversation pulls them closer than ever, he's not so suspicious of the guy and he's not digging as hard anymore. He finds himself enjoying their silence more and more, sharing small details about themselves now and then.
Unfortunately speaking, sethos is really starting to like this kuni guy. Hes so different to hat guy. Hat guy was cold, closed off and just out of reach but kuni is close, hes open and hes actually quite nice when you realise his teasing is only that. Just teasing.
“Little bee, how about you buzz off” kuni sighs, trying to study in the house of daena when sethos comes and plonks down next to him.
“Didn't see a reserved sign on this seat” he simply replies, stealing his hat and putting it on his own head. Being rewarded with a hum of disapproval and the hat being taken back.
“You'll make people think ill be as tolerant of them, give off the wrong idea” kuni grumbles, going back to his notes.
“If only people found out you're not an asshole-”
“I quite enjoy people assuming that, it makes them quieter around me. It seems a little pest wont get the drift though” kuni continues and sethos just smiles and shakes his head.
“Exams?”
“Exams” kuni confirms and sethos slides something along the table to him. It isnt much, it is the excuse hes making for being here though. Its a napkin with a pastry on it, he knows kuni isnt fond of sweet flavours so he keeps it savoury.
“would a pastry help?” Sethos asks confidently.
He immediately gets shut down with a grumble though, a little knock to his confidence but whatever. He doesnt mind much.
“What would help you out then?” Sethos asks
“If you'd be quiet-”
“No can do, my mother gave me a mouth for a reason” the brunette chuckles
Kuni turns to him and glares as he speaks “You're insufferable”
Before sethos can speak back theres a hand on his scarf, pulling him into kuni's space. He doesn't realise what's happening until theres lips on his.
He hesitates before kissing back, a hand raising and resting on kuni's cheek. His eyes closing. He feels like hes on fire, hes so warm and it feels so right. He likes it. Sethos wants to be in this moment forever with his lips against kuni's and his hand on his weirdly room temperature skin.
When he pulls away for air his golden toned cheeks are a little pink, he stutters a little. Half confused half flustered.
“What…what was that for?” He asks, the look in his eyes confirming he wanted it too.
“To shut you up” kuni acts nonchalant as he goes back to his notes but theres a warmth in his skin that exposes him.
Well that's one way to shut him up