Tortoise and Fox [BL]

3.19

Wasn't that...normal?

Elijah the tortoise sat, lethargic. Rarely had he found time in the last few days after visiting the church to rest, besides the daylit periods while Eli toiled away in his workshop. Warm fox tails wrapped around him like a fleece-coat blanket. Through heavy, wrinkled eyelids, orange flames jumped up and down, igniting soft, yellowing glows against Aisultan's straight posture. The page in the Aisultan's hand turned. Wood popped with a crackle in the fireplace.

The colors melted like candied caramel against pale skin. A prismatic glow reflected through every strand of hair. Elijah itched to run to the gardens and throw off his cloaked canvas. To match the hues of yellows and pinks and oranges against the half-finished board.

Ah, Elijah couldn't wait for evening to draw near so that he could paint—

"ELIJAH!!"

The panicked voice was followed by a disheveled Eli, hair half falling out of its ponytail. A burnt scent wafted by. He folded his hands and tapped his foot, as if collecting his thoughts. The tortoise heaved a sigh.

"So, my loveliest most favorite Elijah—I may have gotten complacent and perhaps have forgotten to retrieve Aisultan's suit. No, don't look at me like that," he said, kneeling face to face with the tortoise.

Elijah's stare was a graveyard and only the ghost of what he looked forward to doing this evening remained.

"I know, I know, I got so caught up on my project that I didn't think to retrieve it, let alone, journal about the date—now... Elijah, forgive me? Please?"

Another tumultuous sigh. The tortoise nodded, clearing Eli's overcast clouds of worry and revealing his darling, moonlight smile. He touched his forehead to Elijah's, a strand of hair falling to the side.

"Thanks, Elijah."

Eli closed his eyes, and after slight movements beneath his eyelids, they opened once more. Pupils darkened to a serene pool of brown.

Elijah the human blinked slowly as he collected his senses. His nose twitched—and not even second pass before his quiet countenance morphed into annoyance.

"Eli, you...!"

He stood up, patting down his clothes and fixing his hair. The dull thud of tails thumping sped up.

"Don't laugh, Aisultan–this is your outfit he neglected to retrieve. Not to mention–Eli!"

Elijah felt the flaking strands of hair crunch, the burnt smell of smoked cloth, and hair pungent with gas.

"You burnt hair? Why by the moon? And you didn't clean up either–what am I supposed to...?"

Aisultan's book fell closed in his lap, shoulders shaking.

"It hurts laughing so much!"

"Then don't laugh at all," Elijah scoffed, gingerly taking out his hair tie and brushing through the silken hair, checking for further damage.

The tortoise hid away in its shell. Elijah rapped his knuckles on it angrily. "Have the fumes gone to your head? Really... and the ball is tomorrow, too."

Elijah sighed, pinching his brow before sitting beside Aisultan.

"Did you finish what you were working on for the last few days?"

The shell shook, a wrinkled head peeking out and nodding obediently.

"Good." Elijah smiled, turning his head to Aisultan. "Keep me company on the walk to town? It's dreadful being without your presence nowadays."