Coffin & Feathers [Elisop]

Chapter 17 [END]

When he woke up, Aesop felt an intense pain in his back that forced him to lie down again immediately. He did not think that the consequences of the previous day's events would manifest themselves so brutally. He grunted slightly and in response, a laugh reached his ears. He then turned to the side to meet two gleaming cerulean eyes, a warm hand then coming to rest against his cheek.

"Does it hurt ?"

The embalmer nodded before resting his hand against his, looking him straight in the eyes and getting lost in that mesmerizing blue. The hunter suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts by placing a chaste kiss against his lips, resulting in the young human's face turning scarlet, his eyes deviating to the side. This was all new to him. Foreign... and intoxicating. It was as if it was only a matter of time before he could no longer live without the seer.

When his attention returned to the platinum haired male, this time he was the one who initiated another kiss. His body freed of all restrictions, in its natural splendor, getting closer to his, wide and muscular, divine. Their lips caressed each other, brushed against each other, barely touching. There was like a wall between them, an invisible barrier which retained their desires, their passion, the fear to break the other. The divinity then stopped this small game and came to pass his arms around the frail figure of the boy, burying his face in the hollow of his neck, letting the smell of rose infiltrate his nose.

"There's been something bothering me for a while."

"Hm ?"

"Why did you kiss that prospector ?"

Aesop froze briefly, processing everything that had happened in the last few days. Norton. He felt like he hadn't seen him in ages, when it must have only been a day or two in reality. His mind was so preoccupied with Eli that he had almost forgotten that small detail. So he knew. Was that why he had been so upset the last time ? Because the prospector had kissed him ? Weird. That moment wasn't exactly a pleasant memory for the embalmer, but he felt relieved for some unknown reason.

"He drew me to him before I knew it."

"So it wasn't intentional ?"

"No."

The hunter sketched a wide smile and the survivor could feel his heart flutter at such an euphoric expression. Eli Clark was truly captivating, incredible, dazzling. He made him feel so many things that he lacked the vocabulary to describe everything he thought when he saw him. Was this love that he was wondering about ? If so, it was a wonderful feeling. In the past, his world seemed to be only one color, gray. But now that he had met this person, it was as if a palette of color had just spread across this dreary canvas and brightened it.

"I love you." he whispered.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden ?"

"I just felt like saying it and... it's not so bad."

Eli widened his eyes at his answer before placing a kiss against his cheek and hugging him. It was real. The two men stayed in that position for a while longer before parting ways, the morning almost coming to an end and reminding them that they surely had matches to play. Later in the day, the embalmer walked the halls on the survivors' side, tired from being in so many games today. Moving step by step toward his room, he then noticed a familiar figure.

"Norton."

"Aesop."

"Do you need anything ?"

"No." he paused, his gaze focusing on the young man's neck, as if there was something to see. "Hm... I see."

The embalmer cocked his head to the side, puzzled. The prospector said nothing for a moment, giving the ashen-haired boy a sad smile for some reason he didn't know. He sighed, straightened up, then walked beside the young man, stopping when he reached his level and placing his hand on his shoulder. Aesop looked up at him but Norton didn't look at him, almost as if he was avoiding his gaze.