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Taelyn weaved through the crowds, ignoring the shocked looks of passersby when his bare shoulders brushed theirs. He followed doggedly at Asmar's heels, eyes fixed squarely on his tense back as he took long strides through the crowd. People seemed to part for him, taking one look at his face and deciding to get out of his way. They didn't afford Taelyn the same luxury.
"Asmar!" Taelyn called over the sounds of the city, twisting to avoid a cartseller hawking some kind of hand pie. The seller gave Taelyn a dirty look as he clipped and rattled the cart. Pain bloomed in Taelyn's hip. That would bruise later. Taelyn ignored the seller's complaints, jaw setting as he rushed forward to keep up with Asmar.
"Asmar, talk to me," Taelyn practically begged, reaching out to catch Asmar's wrist, fingertips digging into the leather of his scaled bracers. Asmar slowed just enough to let Taelyn catch up before plunging into the crowd again. But he didn't pull away from Taelyn clinging to his wrist.
"For fuck sake, Asmar," Taelyn protested, dragging his heels in a vain attempt to get Asmar to stop. Taelyn barely looked where he was going, half tripping over flagstones in his haste to keep up. He focused instead on the set of Asmar's furrowed brows, the spasm in his jaw as he tensed, the deep frown on his lips.
"You're being unfair; we did okay!" Taelyn tried, tone pleading, a last-ditch effort at bringing him around. He slid his hand down to thread their fingers together, giving Asmar's hand a soft squeeze. Asmar flicked his gaze Taelyn's way for a second. A narrowing of his eyes, a sharp exhale, a flaring of his nostrils.
"No part of that was fucking 'okay'," Asmar muttered, baring his teeth as he looked away again. He didn't pull away, but he didn't squeeze back either. He just kept walking, as though he could run away from his feelings. Taelyn scowled, frustration simmering up to the surface, skin prickling with it. He couldn't understand why Asmar was acting this way when they'd finally had a win today, after days of getting precisely fucking nowhere. But this was so typical of Asmar; they didn't do it his way, so he was pissed off.
They were in Nesactium, Taelyn's birth city. He fucking hated it. He hated it any time he was forced to be here. He was never comfortable until he left and could no longer see the city on the horizon. On top of that, Sero had sent them both here on some ridiculous diplomatic mission. Them. Taelyn and Asmar. Like they were fucking Varyn mentees and not fully-fledged monster hunters. Taelyn was half convinced Sero was playing a prank on them both.
Both the city and the job had put Taelyn on edge the last few days. So when they'd finally made some headway with the people Sero had sent them to talk to, he'd been overjoyed. But Asmar had stormed out of the place like someone had spit in his drink.
"No part of what?" Taelyn protested. Asmar veered away, turning down the narrow street toward the cheap inn they were staying at. Asmar's hand tightened around Taelyn's as he turned, keeping him close and steady even though he was refusing to look at the younger man again. The sign swayed softly, the breeze carrying the scents of the tavern toward them from the open door. Pastry, roasting meat, ale. Sweat, piss, blood. "You're angry I finally secured a deal today when you couldn't," Taelyn challenged, stumbling sideways in an effort to keep looking at Asmar's face.
"No, I'm not," Asmar snarled, his tone clipped, like he was biting back retorts, like he was frustrated with Taelyn's ignorance, like Taelyn was supposed to just know what was bothering him. It wasn't that unreasonable of him. Taelyn had learned to read the man over the last year of being together; he'd learned to anticipate his moods, learned to read his control as concern, anger as fear. Taelyn was usually always there with a soft word and a light touch. But this place was making Taelyn jagged at the edges.
"Your behaviour was the problem," Asmar snapped, stopping suddenly at the door to the inn. The sounds of laughter and chatter from inside punctuated Asmar's statement, grating compared to their heated conversation. He shot Taelyn a savage look, all bared teeth. His ochre eyes were shrouded in the shadow of the tall buildings surrounding them. It made the kohl around his eyes all the darker and the yellow of his irises piercing, like a predator in the night.
Taelyn had seen many people shy away from that look, seen them retreat into themselves and crumble a little. But Taelyn just bristled at his words, raising his chin in indignation. He yanked his hand from Asmar's grasp and took a couple of steps backwards in the narrow alley, boots squelching in the mud and the gods only knew what else. "And what the fuck was wrong with my behaviour?" He asked, his tone imperious now. "I'm the reason we secured a deal. Just because I didn't do things your wa—"
"You were all over him," Asmar snarled, matching Taelyn step-for-step until there was barely space for a breath between them. His eyes met Taelyn's, burning with fury. But then his gaze slipped away, down to Taelyn's hand that had been in Asmar's only moments ago, the skin still cooling from the lost contact. Taelyn followed his look, watching Asmar's fingers twitch like he was torn between reaching out and pulling back again. Taelyn was rigid in comparison, back straight and head held high, looking more like a noble than the gutter rat these streets remembered him as. His hands slowly curled into fists.
"It worked," Taelyn insisted. "We have a deal now. A deal the Order needs. So fucking what if I touched his hand a couple times and fluttered my eyelashes?" Taelyn bit back, tone laced with contempt. Asmar made an animalistic noise, somewhere between a growl and a sigh, rage and exasperation caught in the back of his throat as he tore away from Taelyn.
He spun and disappeared into the tavern, leaving Taelyn in the cold shadow of the street, shivering for an entirely different reason. Taelyn took a couple of sharp breaths, the smells wafting out from the inn barely covering up the stench of the street. A smell that ricocheted him back to being a child, half-starved and begging for scraps. A scrawny child picking pockets and cutting purses, running barefoot from the city guard, taunting them when their magic didn't work on him. Taelyn tilted his head slowly, waiting for the satisfying crack of his neck. His eyelids fluttered for a second, fists slowly uncurling. Then he stalked after Asmar into the gloom of the inn.
Asmar was waiting for him — of course he was — with arms crossed and face painted with a scowl as he leaned against the bar. The place was small, with mismatched wooden furniture and dim magical lights hanging from the low beams. The room was fairly empty at this time; mostly just local workers having midday meals and the occasional traveller sat in a corner alone. But Taelyn wasn't paying any attention to that. He was only looking at Asmar, their eyes connecting immediately, like lightning jumping between them. That was why Taelyn barely noticed the human man trying to leave as he walked through the door. Their shoulders slammed into each other as they both attempted to occupy the same space as once, knocking Taelyn sideways a couple steps. Taelyn only scowled more, teeth grinding as he tore his eyes away from Asmar, turning to his side to face the solid wall of muscle moving into his space.
"Watch where you're going," Taelyn said to the man glaring down at him, voice calm and cold. His dark eyes flicked up to the man's face for a moment before dragging back down his body, assessing, mapping weaknesses, finding pulse points.
"How about you watch where you're going, pretty boy?" The man growled, crowding more into Taelyn's space instead of simply leaving through the now-empty doorway. Taelyn sighed softly, a single calming breath. Asmar was already moving, crossing the space in quick strides.
"I'm having a bad day," Taelyn said quietly, drawing his shortsword, his secondary blade, the plain steel catching the cold magical lights overhead. He flicked the blade toward the floor as it slid free, like he was already imagining the blood he would wick from it later. "So just leave, friend," Taelyn advised him.
"You think I give a fuck?" The man snapped, tendons in his arms standing out as he reached to his belt for his own blade. He clearly wasn't a man with much magic to speak of, or he would have been reaching for that instead. Good. It would make the fight a little more interesting. "I'll break you in half, kid." The man tensed, ready to lunge, until Glimmer suddenly appeared at his throat, the alassar gleaming. Asmar stood at the man's side now, arm extended, body poised to act.
"You don't get to talk to him like that," Asmar said, voice like steel bending under pressure, straining to snap back catastrophically. The man hesitated, the appearance of the sword giving him pause. His eyes flickered down to the blade at his throat as he licked his lips. Asmar twisted Glimmer a little, forcing the man's head up to save his throat from being cut.
"You're Wayfarers..." The man whispered, eyes widening a little as he looked back at Taelyn. Taelyn grinned, tossing his head haughtily as a sharp crack of a laugh tore from his throat. He sheathed his sword, the fight already over before it began. Shame.
"Walk away," Asmar ordered him. The man's hands slowly went up, palms out to show he was surrendering. He took a tentative step back. When Asmar's blade didn't follow him, he twisted and bolted for the door.
"Tch, you don't let me have any fun," Taelyn complained teasingly as he watched the man disappear. Asmar grunted at that, sheathing his sword.
"Stop picking bar fights," he said, though there was little heat in his voice now. Taelyn turned to look at him, his own anger almost forgotten. He smiled softly; an offer, a truce.
"We good now?" He asked, looking into Asmar's eyes for something behind the rage, something that betrayed him even when his mouth wouldn't form the words. But all he could see was fatigue. And uncertainty. That was almost worse somehow. Asmar sighed, closing his eyes for a second as he turned away.
"You don't get it," he muttered. But he grabbed Taelyn's elbow, his hold firm but not unkind. "Come on," he said wearily, guiding Taelyn toward the rickety stairs to their room. Taelyn said nothing as they walked, waiting until Asmar closed the door to their room, sealing them into silence. He watched Asmar move around the small space, stalking like a caged fannarl, all pent-up energy he was struggling to redirect. Finally, Taelyn shot out a hand, hooking it around Asmar's arm to get him to stop. He slid his hand down into Asmar's, holding it gently, pulling him in closer.
"Tell me," Taelyn said quietly, his dark gaze meeting Asmar's, tilting his head down a little to catch his eye. "I'm listening now," he added. A promise. The start of an apology. Asmar exhaled sharply through his nose, his sharp eyes holding Taelyn's for a moment before sliding away to the floor. His throat clicked as he swallowed, a muscle in his jaw jumping like he was fighting to control himself.
"You touched him," he bit out, the words sounding like they were being dragged out of his throat with a serrated knife. Taelyn took a step toward him, his other hand catching Asmar's free one to keep him close. "You flirted with him," he added, venom on his tongue. He didn't retreat from Taelyn's hold, but his fingers tightened around Taelyn's for a moment, too tight, too desperate, before easing.
"You didn't like that," Taelyn said. Not a question, a statement. He saw the flicker of irritation behind Asmar's eyes at the words, saw the way his lip curled, felt the tremor in his hands.
"Of course I didn't," he retorted, eyes flicking up to meet Taelyn's gaze again, like a snake warning you to get out of its space before it lunges. Taelyn didn't back away. He only pushed closer still, until their chests bumped against each other through layers of cloth and leather.
"Why not?" Taelyn asked, his voice dropping to a murmur, his thumbs slowly stroking against Asmar's calloused skin where their hands connected. "He's no one. It was just a tactic to get what we needed," Taelyn reassured him quietly, slowly pressing his head forward until his breath brushed over Asmar's cheek.
The tension that had been coiled in Asmar finally snapped. His hands tore from Taelyn's to press into his shoulder. He walked Taelyn back with quick strides until Taelyn's back slammed into the door, the wood rattling in the frame. Asmar didn't stop until his body was pressed up against Taelyn's, pinning him flush against the door. Taelyn's breath escaped him in a rush, fingertips curling against the cool wood, torn between the need to escape and the need to melt into the man against him.
"Why?" Asmar snarled, face only inches from Taelyn's. The anger that had been only smouldering before was now stoked into white hot fury once again. "Why don't I like seeing you throwing yourself at other men? Why don't I like your fucking 'tactic'?" Asmar demanded, tone heavy with condescension at the last word. He slammed the side of his fist into the door by Taelyn's face. Taelyn's flinch was little more than a quick blink, years of training kicking in. Taelyn said nothing, his lips parting slightly to flick his tongue out over them. Adrenaline buzzed through his veins, a shiver rippling down his spine.
"I don't like it because you're mine, Tay," Asmar growled, his face pressing closer until their noses nearly touched, breath hot on Taelyn's face. "No one else gets to fucking touch you, okay?" Taelyn felt the blood in his veins freeze and an intense heat rush through his body at the exact same time. His eyes widened, flitting between Asmar's, searching, desperate to find the truth in them.
"Say that again," he whispered, his hand slowly coming up to grip onto the sash at Asmar's waist, like he was a child seeking comfort. He watched the uncertainty soften the corners of Asmar's eyes for a second again, that familiar guilt warring against Asmar's temper. But Taelyn needed to hear it again, needed to know it was real. "The first part... About why you don't like it..." Tealyn murmured, fingers twisting in the fabric of his sash insistently.
Asmar's fist on the door slowly uncurled. He reached behind Taelyn and tugged the tie loose that had been holding his hair in a low bun. Asmar threaded his hand into Taelyn's hair as it fell to his shoulders, drawing a soft hum from Taelyn's throat.
"You're mine..." Asmar murmured, his own eyes searching now, like he was expecting a refute, retaliation, indignation. His fingers slowly worked through Taelyn's hair, fingertips pressing into Taelyn's scalp gently, comforting and soft compared to the residual anger in his face. Taelyn felt something in his world tilt, like he'd been struggling uphill his whole life and now, suddenly, the ground fell out from under him. He was sliding down into something new and exhilarating, gathering speed as he went. Soon, he wouldn't be able to control himself; he wasn't sure he wanted to.
"Yes..." Taelyn hissed, his arms coming up to wind around Asmar's shoulders now, holding him close. He pushed his head forward to whisper "I'm yours" against Asmar's lips before pressing a soft kiss to them. Pinned as he was against the door, Taelyn could feel the shudder that passed through Asmar's body at those words.
"I'm sorry," Taelyn murmured, lips still brushing Asmar's as he spoke. "I'll never do it again," he promised, heavy-lidded eyes gazing back into Asmar's. Asmar made a noise in the back of his throat, a desperate growl, as he closed the space between them, capturing Taelyn in a fierce kiss. Taelyn returned it hungrily, his fingertips digging into Asmar's armor. Too many layers between them, too much space.
"I'm yours," Taelyn spoke the words again as Asmar twisted them and walked Taelyn back toward the narrow bed, one hand still in Taelyn's hair, the other gripping his hip, thumb pressing into the bruise from earlier in a delightfully painful way.
"You're mine," Asmar agreed, all traces of anger drained away to be replaced with want and need and possession. Taelyn wanted Asmar to look at him that way every day. He wanted to crawl into Asmar's skin. He wanted to press himself up close to Asmar's heart and carve his name onto it so he'd be there forever. He wanted to carve his name onto the inside of his ribs so Asmar would feel him every time he breathed. But, for now, just knowing he finally belonged to someone — knowing that he was chosen for once in his life — was enough.