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Cuir landed in the small clearing about a hundred feet from the meeting place. Though he obviously believed in the mission, he wasn't thrilled to be around gryphons. That meant Bodhi had to trek a long way through the dark and over the soft ground to make the drop. He slid down Cuir's side, boots squelching in the muddy field, shouldered the sack of daggers more soundly, and made his way towards the designated clearing. He knew where to go because it wasn't the first time he had to make a drop here, but it was the first time he was alone.
As a first year cadet, Bodhi had the least amount of freedom. He knew about the daggers long before he even crossed the parapet but, of course, was only able to go on missions once he made it through Threshing and bonded Cuir. Typically, he was added only as a backup if someone else was otherwise detained. Xaden made a big deal about the balance of keeping him safe and teaching him the best ways to support Tyrrendor. His cousin had trained for a leadership role since birth, though. Bodhi was a spare – and a distant spare at that, his place in the line of succession only solidified because his uncle never had more children after Xaden's mother left. There was no plan for Bodhi to rule and he had no desire to, either. Still, this whole thing was an opportunity to prove that he was trustworthy, that he was capable, that he was an asset. He felt like a lot was riding on this singular exchange.
Bodhi tried to push all that from his mind as he got closer to where he was supposed to meet the flier and deliver the daggers. They clanked noisily against each other with every step, all but announcing his presence despite his attempts to be stealthy. He slowed significantly and held the bag tighter to his chest to muffle the noise as he crept up a small hill ringed with half-dead bushes, concealing the rendezvous point. He took a deep breath and strode confidently through the vegetation to the small dirt area by the cliff's edge. The moon was bright here with nothing to obscure it. As the flier in front of him turned around, Bodhi's steps faltered slightly in surprise and he tripped, sending himself and the bag of daggers clattering to the ground. Quickly, he pushed himself up and dusted his dirty hands against his knees, trying to will the heat in his cheeks to recede.
The flier laughed – a warm, rich sound that made Bodhi's blush deepen.
"Expecting my cousin?" he asked. When Bodhi finally had the courage to look, he saw Drake Cordella, hands on hips, and his gryphon poised threateningly behind him.
Bodhi cleared his throat and tried to sound more confident than he suddenly felt.
"Expecting my cousin?"
Drake grinned, his face open and approachable, like they were two friends meeting for drinks rather than reluctant allies exchanging stolen goods at one in the morning.
"I can't say I'm disappointed."
Bodhi cleared his throat again, feeling every bit the inexperienced first year rider he was. Syrena had been at all his previous drops and he was familiar enough with her due to Xaden and Catriona's relationship. She was fierce and haughty but he didn't find her all that threatening. When Xaden indicated that's who he would be meeting, Bodhi was relieved. Drake, on the other hand, was affable but slick, with boldness oozing from him. It made Bodhi's stomach flutter.
"Anyway," he said, reaching to retrieve the bag he dropped earlier. "It's a little more than half of what you expected. Xaden sends his apologies." Drake took a step closer and his gryphon lowered its large eagle head and snapped its beak. Drake gave the creature a look which resulted in more beak snapping. Bodhi wasn't scared of a gryphon but it was disconcerting to be so close to one when his dragon was so far away. At that thought, Cuir made it known he was but moments away should there be trouble. The immediate support calmed his nerves a tiny bit.
Drake was still smiling, dark eyes all but sparkling in the light of the moon now that he was close enough for Bodhi to notice. He swiped one hand through his pitch black locks and took the sack of daggers with the other, his fingers sliding along the back of Bodhi's hand – purposefully he thought.
"I guess we'll make do," Drake allowed, his voice light as if it didn't really matter. That made him kind of annoyed. "Maybe the next drop will contain the balance." They were risking a lot to supply these alloy daggers, he could at least acknowledge that. Bodhi wrenched his hand back, stuffing it in his pocket.
"We'll do our best," he said with a short nod. Then both men stood there looking at each other. He should leave but he really didn't want to turn his back on a gryphon – or a flier for that matter. He tapped his foot, waiting for Drake to take his bounty and leave. Instead, he tossed the bag backward where it landed with a clank at his gryphon’s feet.
"Should I be expecting to see more of you?"
"I don't make the schedule," Bodhi commented, noncommittal with the lift of one shoulder. In his mind, he felt Cuir's impatience. This exchange was already past the time allotted and the wind had changed, making the flight back to Basgiath longer than anticipated. "Till next time then." Still, he didn't make a move to leave. Drake still wore that winsome smile.
"I hope it's sooner rather than later," Drake said, taking a step forward. Bodhi felt more of Cuir's emotions flooding through their bond as he subconsciously leaned forward. He was still learning to shield and it was incredibly difficult while multitasking. Instead, he did his best to ignore his dragon stationed a hundred feet away as Drake's fingers were suddenly there, sliding over his bent elbow and up his arm. "You're much more pleasant than your cousin."
Bodhi hummed in response, watching Drake's grin turn into a smirk as his hand travelled over the fourth wing patch at the ball of his shoulder. "I, uh, get that a lot," he said belatedly.
"No compliments for me, Durran?" His voice was butter, his eyes mocha, his touch all but burning through the leather. Bodhi swallowed thickly.
"I can't imagine complimenting a flier, Cordella" he said but it had no bite to it. Instead, Drake laughed and Bodhi leaned further into his space like a magnet. As if by its own accord, his palm was at Drake's waist, the brown leather of his uniform supple and smooth.
"Your eyes tell a different story."
It was almost annoying how charming he was, how smooth, how captivating. It was definitely annoying how the man liked to tease when Bodhi was so short on time. He also knew that Drake would draw out the moment as long as possible, like a game, stretching it out until it was so taut that one of them had to snap.
Their interactions were few and far between, especially these days, that Bodhi didn't have the patience to play along. His fingers dug into Drake’s waist as he yanked him forward, dragging him flush against his body and pinning him in place with a strong forearm across his lower back.
"I hate when you do that," Bodhi muttered through gritted teeth.
"Your body tells a different story," Drake whispered before he crushed his mouth to Bodhi's, hot and open for him. Bodhi held the other man as tightly as possible as he devoured his mouth, letting everything around them fall away. It was just the feel of Drake's fingers as they slipped into his hair, the press of Drake's muscled thigh between his legs, the slide of Drake's tongue in his mouth.
When they parted, Bodhi's breath was heavy but the other man still sported his signature grin.
"Till next time?" Drake asked with a smirk, pulling slightly at the longer curls of Bodhi's hair as he removed his fingers and took a step back. "I hope Riorson lets you off the leash a little more." He took another step before turning around, grabbing the sack of daggers and slinging it over his shoulder. "You're my favorite rendezvous." Then with all the grace his lean, athletic body alluded to, Drake vaulted onto his gryphon.
"Laying it on a little thick, Cordella!" He called. He looked regal atop his eagle-lion creature, lit only by the low hanging moon. A wind rustled through the bushes and Drake's soft hair blew away from his face as the fucker winked and took to the sky without another word.
Cuir was on his feet and stalking closer, already scolding him through their bond. He raced to meet with his dragon so he wouldn't need to mount from the muddiest area of the clearing and track the muck over his scales. Bodhi worked to slow his heartrate as he clambered inelegantly onto Cuir's back, glad no one was there to witness it. Once in the seat, he took a few more deep breaths as they rose into the night sky. It was a long flight back to Basgiath and he'd have to work hard not to spend the whole time thinking about Drake Cordella's mouth.