Fireflies in Moonlight [boyxboy]

Chapter XII

~Saturday 5th November 2011~           -Kija-

Kija had stared down monsters before. Wolves, shifters, even those of his own kind. Kija knew how to mask his fear, how to hold the gaze of beasts twice his size and triple his strength. He knew how to face off opponents without a flicker of fault in his expression. In the Deadlands, Kija was rarely challenged. There had been times, in the beginning, moments of uncertainty when those older than Kija had rebelled against his position. In present day, however, Kija had put aside that part of himself, focusing on building his own guard rather than tearing down others. It wasn't until that morning that Kija found himself under the watchful golden gaze of another once again. This time, rather than threatening, it was bordering on awkward.

"You're staring, Nia," thankfully, it was Finnick that broke the silence teetering inside the car, nudging the woman beside him when she didn't even blink. With rouge dusting her cheeks, Niara's eyes darted elsewhere, searching for anything else to look at in the vehicle. It was quite an interesting journey, to begin with, regardless of it being Jidal's first time in a car or not. With Finnick driving and Niara sitting in the front beside him, Jidal and Kija occupied the back seats. Jidal had gravitated toward the window seat, despite how Kija had frowned at the idea. The glass was bullet proof - apparently - Kija hoped for Finnick's sake that it was.

"Sorry," peering over her shoulder in a slightly less obvious capacity, Niara simpered, meeting Kija's eye only briefly through the sunglasses he was wearing, "I've never seen a vampire before, I didn't mean to be rude," given the sun shining through the irritatingly clear sky above, Kija had taken the seat in the middle of the car, slightly more shielded from the harmful rays. Finnick had once again assured Kija that, along with their journey being no more than fifteen minutes, the windows were tinted. It helped, although Kija still kept his hood firmly up over his head and sunglasses on. There was no need to risk his own health.

"It's understandable, it doesn't bother me," in centuries past, Kija might have felt the weight of another's gaze upon him. It hadn't always been so easy for him to brush such scrutiny aside, not before his role as protector in the Deadlands had been solidified. But Kija was older now. He didn't care so much.

"Really?" The previously demure nature that Niara had displayed disappeared in an instant. She was back to watching Kija unabashedly, eyes particularly catching on the man's mouth. Kija thought it best to appease the woman, parting his lips in a playful snarl, which only made Niara snort, hand flying up to cover her mouth. Typically, Kija remained so stoic, perhaps it made those small moments of humour all the more amusing.

"Does the sun? Bother you, I mean?" Kija found it interesting that Niara even had to ask that question. Did Tarian no longer spin the tales of his life-long enemy? Were their pups not ushered to be with promises that their parents would protect them from the creatures of the night? Some part of Kija found that insulting. Was his race so demened, so set in the past, that they were forgotten entirely? Was the reign of Atonia nothing more than an echo through their history? Did those living now even know oft eh bloodshed Kija's people had spilt across that realm?

"It's more of an irritant, gets worse with time," Kija glanced to his right, a smile curling at the corners of his lips when he noted Jidal still sitting forward in his seat, clutching onto the door with his face almost pressed against the window. The glass steamed up around his mouth with every breath, forcing him to adjusted his position here and there with the condensation threatened to impair his view. Kija had been in a car a few times, only during ruses to collect humans peacefully for his people, yet he had never felt such excitement in the vehicle. Guilt had him looking away, twisting painfully in his chest.

"So we don't need to worry about finding you a cave or anything if we got stuck in traffic?" As amusing as the thought of Kija skittering off to find some cave or crevice to hide in might have been, Niara appeared more curious than anything. There was no mockery to her tone, perhaps a hint of humour, but the question seemed genuine.