Eyes of the East

The Complication

Long nimble fingers picked at the green grass as Seth Thimira sat against a tree, waiting. It was quiet out there in the woods beyond the main village of his clan. Only the rustle of the leaves and the chirping of birds. No hustle and bustle of people going about their lives. No braying of donkeys or neighing of horses. No shouting fathers.

The young man's hazel eyes gazed off at nothing, just letting his mind be still and at peace for once. That was not a common thing in Seth's life, it seemed. Peace. The constant business was something that came with being the son of a clan Chief, he supposed. His clan bore the name of his ancestors, and that put the weight of his peoples' future on his shoulders. There was a problem with that, however, and the sound of footsteps coming closer alerted Seth that said complication was approaching.

"You out here, Seth?" called a soft voice as another young man, maybe six feet tall, came into view through the brush. His jet black hair, grown out from where it had been cropped short a few months previously, was the first thing visible, followed by his blue eyes. Those gorgeous eyes. Seth had fallen for them instantly. The man behind them, however...

"Yeah. I'm here, Raven." Seth stood from where he had been sitting, taking a step towards the man. Raven smiled softly, stroking Seth's cheek before gently pressing their lips together in a soft kiss. In just about anyone else, such a tender gesture would make a heart flutter. Not Seth's. The only flutter in his heart was that of anxiety. There was always the threat of being caught. They could be kicked out of the clan, or executed in various ways for being together. Why did he stay with Raven if he did not feel the same love the other man felt for him? Rebellion. The longing for excitement and a chance to express himself in a way he never could in front of anyone else in his clan. He thought it was worth the risk. There was only so long he could manage to hide who he was before his real self began spilling over in front of his father.

Pulling away from the kiss, Raven gazed into the smaller man's face. Seth put on a soft smile to hide the emptiness in his eyes. "You doing okay today?" Raven asked, lightly brushing Seth's short, light brown hair out of his face.

Seth shrugged. "Okay as ever, I suppose."

"Chief getting to you again?" Concern crossed Raven's face as he asked the question, continuing his gentle touches. He'd always been a very physical man when it came to romance. Seth had learned that quickly after they had begun seeing each other when they were seventeen.

Three years they had been together in secret. Three years. And still, Seth had not learned to love him in return. But who else was he supposed to find among the Thimira people? He couldn't very well run either. With his mother unable to bear more children, that would leave his clan leaderless. Once he took over after his father died or passed down the mantle of Chief to him, perhaps he could change things. Though going against the clan religion was not likely to be well-received, Chief or not. And besides that, he had to survive long enough to get there. Every time he and Raven met was another chance for someone to find out about them. Kita help us, he prayed silently, knowing their god would not be listening to two sinners like themselves.

With a sigh, Seth shook his head. "No, it's nothing. I promise."

"He didn't hurt you again, did he? I swear, if that man doesn't die on his own I'll kill him first for laying a hand on you." Raven's expression had gone dark as he wrapped his arms around Seth's waist, holding him closer to himself.

Seth gripped the back of Raven's gray tunic, leaning his forehead into his chest. "It wasn't anything that bad, I promise. Stop worrying about me, okay?"

"I will never stop worrying about you. Not until that evil man is dead or has stepped down."

There had been worse days. It had only been a slap across the face that morning from his father. At the moment, Seth could not even remember why his father had been angry with him, but it did not matter anymore. Even if he did not love Raven the same way, he felt safe in his arms. Warm. Comforted. "I know," he murmured, burying his nose into the soft cotton fabric.