Reap the Earth at Which you Stand [boyxboy]

Chapter XIII

~Saturday 18th November 2017~

"Watch your footing," Izelon reminded Vasile for the fourth time, his chiding tone having no less of an effect on the man despite the frequency that he had heard it. He was more than irritable that day, easily angered, with a loose temper that he was thankful none of his friends would hold against him. His mood was already low, he didn't need to sink it into the depths by causing some sort of argument with those closest to him. He had already lost Dakota, he wasn't sure how he could cope with the loss of another.

"Vas, this isn't going to work if you aren't going to pay attention," Izelon sounded exasperated, stepping off the sparring mat and taking a long drink from the water bottle he kept nearby. As much as Vasile agreed with the man, he couldn't bear to stop. The fighting was a good way to clear his mind, to distract him from his body and the agony that was coursing through his veins.

"Sorry, I'm trying," Vasile's voice held no sense of emotion, only fatigue. Tired didn't even begin to describe the weight that was hanging from his shoulders, dragging him down, threatening to topple the man completely. Then again, Vasile couldn't compare to how weary Dakota must feel. At least Vasile could sleep without his Kept, even if the slumber was restless and broken, he got a few hours here and there. Dakota was the one at true risk of injury from their separation.

"Trying isn't enough," Vasile let out a quiet sigh, pulling the tie from his hair, allowing it to cascade down over his shoulders, "Vas, this is dangerous. You want a distraction, we can find something else, alright? Sparring isn't a good idea when you're tired, let alone when you're in heat," scraping his hair back into another bun, Vasile merely looked toward Izelon with pleading eyes.

Izelon had always been the one to help him through his heats every month, and Vasile returned the favour each time. Akos was too preoccupied with ensuring Mylo's safety, often taking him to the cabin the three shared nearby to avoid any chance of Vasile attacking the boy. He had a direct blood bond to Dakota, that meant Mylo was the next best thing to Vasike's true Kept. In the more desperate state of his heat, further into the night, Vasile followed base, primal instinct. He didn't have a choice of what he did, or attempted to do to lessen his agony. Mylo had almost been hurt on many occasions, Akos was much more cautious with his presence now.

"Fine," Izelon muttered in a frustrated tone, returning to the mat with a new irritation to his step, "I'm not going easy on you anymore, Vas. If this is what you want, then you can reap the consequences of your choice," before Izelon had even finished his sentence, he lashed out with a swift punch to Vasile's jaw which, thankfully, the man managed to counter before it landed. The two went on along that form for almost five minutes. Izelon would attack, Vasile would defend. Sometimes, there would be periods of quiet, of stillness, whilst Izelon thought about his next move, but it never lasted long. He moved sporadically, clearly wanting to catch Vasile off guard, wanting to play on his weaknesses. Of course, it didn't take long until Vasile did slip up, and he was promptly knocked onto his ass.

"Fuck..." Vasile whined out through gritted teeth as a wave of fever spread through his body, leaving him trembling and aching in its wake. He curled up on his side, wanting to conceal the physical reaction that his body was having to the heat, despite knowing that Izelon had seen it all before. There was still a horrific sense of embarrassment in the moment that Vasile couldn't deny no matter how close he was to his friend.

"You want me to run you a bath, Vas?" Izelon knelt beside Vasile, stroking his fingers through the man's hair, catching the stray strands briefly before letting them fall once again. His voice was much softer now, caring almost, and his eyes no longer hardened with the irritation bred from his stubborn friend. Vasile could only nod stiffly, squirming ever so slightly on the mat, waiting until he heard the door to the training room close before he rolled onto his back.