The Age Of Arma Gedeon

Chapter 19, Homestead

Lamica jogs for Erray to keep up. He stops in the mushroom tunnel and collects red and yellow glowing mushrooms to Erray shirt, using his own to cover his hands.
Then he picks one fat black one with his barehand and puts it in his pocket.

They hurry back to the space where the ground levels off.
Lamica dumps out the mushrooms from the shirt, mixes and pulls them to a cone shaped pile. He drapes his shirt over them, then Erray's.

He slips the black one under the edge, "Stand back, Erray."

Erray moves back as Lamica uses the toe of his boot to shove the black mushroom into the pile.

He rushes Erray with hug, blocking his view as the mushrooms explode.

He moves and they watch the red smoke take Erray's shirt up the vent. Scraps of Lamica's shirt are on the ground and trailing after the smoke.

Erray smiles, "Amazing, but will it go high enough?"

Lamica is confident, "High enough to be seen by a lazy wall guard. Seers will know, too. Your friend may already have Urshawn in route."

Erray pokes him in the rib with one finger, "You're a pretty smart guy."

Lamica laughs, "Let's get back to Old Chap, he's got a lousy post."

Lamica rubs his boots on the ashes to make footprints.

They only last halfway back, but they are both sure it's enough.

They find Old Chap snoring softly.

In the dim light, Lamica whispers, "Now where's the light coming from?"

Erray points him to the white rock of the colony, he whispers, "If it can be done with mineral, they know how to do it."

Lamica squats to sit on the cave floor and speaks softly, "Not a bad spot for napping."

Erray kneels to sit beside him and matches his volume, "I've never been underground before. I like it a lot. Better noise, easier to tell what vibration is what."

He touches two fingers to Lamica's arm, "Like the vibrations of my boyfriend's pounding heart."

Lamica smiles softly, "It does that when you get close to me."

Erray softly questions, "From worry or excitement?"

"A lot of both. I still struggle to understand why me. You have your pick of everyone, but one sexy dance and you focus on me."

Erray shakes a wide eyed frown at him, "Wasn't your stripping, pretty sure that wasn't actually dancing. Wasn't your hot tango either."

Erray smooths his hair, "Was your laugh. It tickles my soul. It was being around you making me feel like I fit in. It was that shy smile you give me every time I look to see how you're doing.

"I could go on longer if I had writing tools. I do better writing, but city life has no time for such.

"If you weren't interested in kissing me, I'd still want you as my best friend. I've never had one before, but I'm loving it as much as I'm loving your kisses."

Lamica gives him a very shy smile, "It is nice to have such a friend. I like the kissing, too.

"It seems it has to be too fast, but I knew the moment you put your hand in mine to say hello the first time... that you were going to make me love you no matter how much of a fight I put up.

"Then when I brought you Parmaria's note and you came right out to me, put your hand on my arm ... I swear I felt your touch to the bone... I knew I didn't want to fight it.