Stars shone quite bright that night; the moon was almost as extravagant as Azul's flames. He was in tiger form pawing and scratching at the tree Kemal was hiding on not allowing him up the silent flicks of his cards filling the silent space.
He kept biting at the bark and the wood cracking beneath its fiery fangs while Kemal chose to focus on the sky.
Must've given up, he finally came back just to harass me.
Lost in thought he could feel the tree warm up from Azul's excess flames.
"Hey dog!" Kemal called out stopping the animal from its chewing. The boy suddenly dropped half an empty pouch at the tigers head with a loud thump.
Wow.. "You didn't dodge that?" He questioned not realising he said it out loud and the tiger quickly began tearing at the pouch to see what's inside.
The sparkle of shiny gold blinded the poor beast sending him a few steps back before looking up at Kemal.
"For me?" His voice came out half an echo and half of Azul's ordinary voice. "Well, you must be hungry." He commented with a smile gesturing vaguely at the city's many homes.
Azul looked between the money and the tree hugger vaguely gesturing at him to go with him.
"No.." Kemal rejected him knowing there's a dragon waiting from afar for him to be alone.
Every night and day Azul was gone one of the dragons swooped in to replace his absence without hesitation.
Azul gave Kemal a few more pleading looks before picking up the pouch and walking off.
Almost as if on cue the flap of large wings approached until a burly man landed on the edge of the tree behind Kemal.
Turning around he saw a familiar black tail and wings folding slowly behind the man's back. "And your name is?" Kemal smiled without turning back, placing down his deck, only to hear a laugh from behind him.
"What's yours?" The dragon asked, sitting down behind Kemal with an exhausted sigh.
"Pal."
"Hm." The other hummed in response , resting his arm over the smaller one's shoulder.
"You know, for someone who doesn't even know my name you spend a good chunk of your time with me." Kemal smirked.
After the obvious was blatantly pointed out, the dragon turned his head away to avoid the others' knowing gaze.
"I happen to be free." Without trying to cover the truth he suddenly felt something warm on his cheek.
"If I may…" Kemal held onto the man's cheek, turning his head back to him. Their eyes locked together taking a more serious atmosphere.
"I could be too blunt about this but I have been juggling a lot of responsibilities lately."
"Such as? Getting free gold? Never worrying about meals?" The dragon was chuckling, clearly amused and Kemal pinched his cheek with a displeased expression.
"Sorry, sorry." He waved leaning more into the aggressive touch instead of avoiding it.
"As I was saying." Kemal emphasized with an especially harsh pinch before rubbing the man's unscathed face.
Unbelievably annoying!
"Do you have interest in me outside of caution?"
The dragon's tail suddenly perked up. "You noticed?"
"I observed." Kemal pointed out.
"Well?" He urged an answer unwilling to go through a love triangle. He was aware of Kier's feelings; they had shared the same bed already.
The dragon avoided eye contact while his tail was swishing behind him.
"I do wish to pursue you like my brother." He answered honestly.
Outstaging your brother?
Snapping out of his thoughts he retracted his hand gaining no reaction from the other. "Your brother, he knows about this?"
"He encouraged it."
ENCOURAGED!?
Kemal turned away with a huff. "So he doesn't believe I'd be faithful to him?" With that dramatic remark the dragon's tail dropped almost instantly.
"So you wouldn't consider me as a potential mate?"
Mate… Potential..
Curiosity took the better of him and he decided to just play around a bit.
"Why do you wish to pursue me anyway?" Kemal questioned pointing his finger at the man's chest trying to feel his heartbeat like he did for Kier.
There was only one particular pound he could feel before everything went calm. "I wish to feel the same way you make my brother feel."
He confessed his wings were unfurling.
"I don't know if I could make you feel the same way as him. But if your brother agreed to it as well I wouldn't mind trying." Kemal hummed curiously.
Besides.. Who could resist TWO dragons!? A dream come true!!
Kemal tried to contain his excitement, extending his hand to cup the beast's chin.
He's good looking as well.. But I'm not. I'm sure he'll forget about it.
"What are you thinking of.." The dragon questioned pushing his head onto the man's palm just like Azul did.
Kemal's jaw dropped slightly seeing the man copy Azul so blatantly.
THAT'S SO STUPID! I MEAN!
Kemal quickly shook his head to fix his face. "Let's spend the night together then.." He humphed while retracting his hand leaving the dragon aching more.
"I can behave like Azul if you want me to." The dragon smiled while Kemal pounced off of the tree to get down.
"You're not Azul, I want you to act like you normally would." He commented while watching the dragon jump down beside him stretching his wing out to wrap around the smaller one, pulling him closer.
"I see. What will we do then?" The larger man questioned.
"Just help me find a library." Kemal chuckled while walking ahead.
"I see."
—
"Prince Cassiel? And Prince Zikan?" Prince Kioshi stood in the kitchen cutting up some vegetables while a dimly lit flame was burning beneath a pot.
Before the door of the royal kitchen were two stunning men one ethereal as always while the other wore the proudest and most smug grin ever.
"Forgive my delay, I craved your presence earlier but a buffoon stood in the way." His watery body floated closer but not too close.
Prince Zikan on the other hand closed the door behind them. "What are you doing?" He questioned.
"Just cooking, I could have come personally to meet the two of you, why did you come to the kitchen?" Mike answered with a smile to the both of them, making the man's water ripple.
"Let me help." The horned man offered but prince Cassiel swished to block the view.
"Allow me." He insisted but Kioshi gestured towards the table and its seats.
Dejected, the water creature dragged Zikan onto the seat with him, not allowing him to get close to the cooking prince.
"What are you making?" Prince Zikan questioned.
Without much thought Mike turned back with a smile. "Just experimenting."
He wasn't truly cooking with a goal, he wanted to test until he found recipes he was sure Mike would like. It may not have been guaranteed but he's sure he'll get accustomed to these new ingredients and be an excellent cook in no time!
He's never had time to actually know what he ate since he never grew up here. Every ingredient was a blur so he intended to relearn every single one knowing the other wont.
Mike suddenly let out a chuckle while putting down his knife.
"What's so funny." Zikan questioned.
"Imagine knowing only fish as an ingredient!" The prince suddenly chuckled to himself before turning back to prepare some bowls.
"How unfortunate?" Prince Zikan answered while Prince Cassiel focused on the moving man's back.
Zikan suddenly slammed the table, getting no reaction from Mike while Cassiel turned to glare at the other.
"Avert. Your. Gaze." He commanded with a whisper.
A smug grin suddenly spread across the man's watery features as he offhandedly commented. "Prince Zikan, I am aware that your country is in charge of imprisoning low level criminals, yes?"
Mike suddenly perked up. "You are?"
Prince Zikan bit his tongue in frustration before smiling falsely. "Ah yes, low criminals that are capable of rehabilitation. Such as breaking and entering, small charges of assault, and small offenses such as using your abilities in areas where you aren't allowed…" The prince gestured with his hand but he watched the water man rest his head on his hands with a lean and a smile.
"And?" He tilted his head.
"And.. Thieves." Prince Zikan gave in avoiding Prince Kioshi's attempt to meet his already covered eyes. "Thieves? What about that Thief with the highest bounty?" Prince Cassiel smirked.
"Still. On. The. Run." The horned man emphasized each word, grinding his teeth together.
"So you'd know if he was captured?" Mike asked, clutching a whisk in his hand.
"Yes." Prince Zikan gave in only to hear Prince Kioshi step closer.
"Could you inform me if he is caught? And where?" Mike smiled sweetly.
The prince hesitated before narrowing his eyes beneath his bangs.
"Yes."
He's lying!
Mike flinched when a voice rang through his head.
"You have nothing to say?" The ethereal man questioned with a lean back.
Prince Zikan only smiled with a gesture. "Do you?"
The royals glared at each other when suddenly Mike's eye twitched.
Is that true? Are they? There's no news..
He doubted in his heart but Kioshi's voice rang through his head accusing the men.
"Oh?" The prince exclaimed his watery hair flicking back his body moving to step behind Prince Kioshi.
"I wouldn't deceive this one."
"Neither would I." Zikan begrudgingly responded, his head turning, leaving a deep pound to resonate in Mike's heart.
Are they lying..?
Their behaviour seemed so familiar yet so distant.
He couldn't hear Kioshi's voice anymore; the beat of his own heart drowned out everything else.
—
"We started off on the wrong foot!" The man threw his arm over Mikel's shoulders getting all up in his already limited space.
"I am your key to salvation!" He exclaimed with a smile.
"I'm feeling pretty dead around you."
The escape artist suddenly let out a deep sigh almost mimicking Mikel's previous one. He only frowned at that remark
"See how that feels!?"
No response.
"Okay…" He sighed with deep regret. "Why won't you talk to me!? I'm like totally awesome! All I'm missing is the mask!"
"Mask?" The prisoner's interest piqued at the mention of a mask.
The man suddenly perked up realising he finally got the others attention. "Uh huh! I come from a super awesome camp where there's cool looking masked men everywhere!"
"And why are they wearing a mask?" He questioned immediately.
"I can't tell you." The other man quickly turned away with a smug smile.
"Okay then don't." Mikel immediately spat focusing back on the bars before him.
"You're so boring." The escape artist scoffed while attempting to unlock the others chains only earning himself more bruises as an aftermath.
"Why so aggressive! No wonder they chained you up! Feral feral!" He quickly accused rolling on the ground with a whine.
Seeing how his theatrics earned him no attention he got up and sighed.
"What does it take.."
"A black medium haired man with above average height and a smile that could destroy the towers all over again. Preferably with a bit of muscles and brown eyes." Mikel listed these so fast the other's jaw dropped.
He turned away checking his hair. He had the medium part down but not the black, his hair was a beautiful blonde.
He turned back towards the chained man with a squint. "Your eyes are green." He immediately called out, causing the blonde to turn back around to touch his face and eyes.
Muscles…
The man pondered for a second before gasping. "YOU'D ONLY TALK TO ME IF YOU'RE ATTRACTED TO ME!?"
"What- NO-" Mikel was about to snap him out of that thought but the man already tore his shirt from the middle exposing some of his muscles.
Flexing them left and right he proclaimed. "Brown hair is so boring anyway, and brown eyes! Look at this perfect body! My eyes and hair clash flawlessly together, how could you not want me!"
I think there's something mentally wrong with him.
As if reading his thoughts the shirtless one suddenly snapped. "I AM NOT BRAINLESS!"
A true idiot.
"And how are you gonna explain to the guard where your shirt went?"
The blonde suddenly realised his mistake covering his chest area while turning away. "Pervert."
"ME!?" Mikel snapped almost instantly.
There's only so many times he could roll his eyes over one man.