Love in Sadal Suud

Later in the day Gibari decided to join Xelha. The others had learned some cool new moves and were trying them out, and Gibari didn't want to miss seeing them. He got Lyude's permission again, and after a nasty look at Kalas he ran off toward the girls. Gibari may have been older than the rest, but he was all about the women!

Lyude and Kalas walked in silence for a long time. Kalas remained behind Lyude for a little while, but then quickened his pace. Lyude noticed his footsteps drawing near and stopped to eye a piece of mold on a rock.

'He's gonna know you aren't really looking at mold, you moron!' Lyude decided to look at his fingernails instead, finding them to be dirtier than they'd ever been. Damn Cebalrai.

"So, Lyude," started Kalas, who was now only a few feet to Lyude's left. "You got a girlfriend back in Alfard?"

The question was genuine. Lyude blushed, as did Kalas a little. Kalas honestly wanted to know, just in case he should start thinking... that way.

"I... no, I dated a girl once, but it was awhile ago. I hear she's dating another soldier now." Lyude's head was swimming. Kalas wanted to know about his lovelife! What if he... No, he shouldn't get ahead of himself. It was just smalltalk. But Kalas didn't like smalltalk...

"Ah," Kalas said after a moment. "Childhood sweetheart?" If it was anything like him and Trill, it was nothing.

"No, it was... set up by our families. They had hoped we would marry. My family thought I might be better suited to making alliances than rising in ranks." Lyude remembered the incident clearly. He hadn't really wanted anything to do with the girl. It had been then that he realized he didn't like girls at all, not sexually anyway.

"Ah," Kalas said again, after some time.

They walked in silence for awhile longer before stopping. They had come to an upward path. A very tight, very rocky path. They could hear the sounds of an easily won battle coming from up ahead.

"You go first," they said in unison. Both were momentarily stunned until Kalas realized that he typically got to go first and didn't see any reason not to do so this time. He began climbing, walking briskly past Lyude and getting a foot hold on the rocks.

The climb was a slippery one, and more than once Kalas almost slipped backwards. As the climb was also a short one he didn't worry about it. He did wonder, about halfway through, why he didn't just use his wings...

Lyude was folling shortly behind him. He was having a more difficult time of it, half because he wasn't as used to climbing rocks as Kalas, and half because in order to look up, the direction he was obviously going, Lyude had to look right up at Kalas. His mind was still in flux from their short conversation and having to stare directly at certain areas of his comrade were making it hard for him. His uniform wasn't built to accomodate bulging members.

Kalas made it to the top first, and considered briefly doing his normal thing and just walking off, waiting for Lyude to catch up. But something made him turn and kneel on the ground, waiting for his friend. And something about the way Lyude was panting and moaning and writhing his way up the slipper path gave him an incentive to stay.

'I might not want to think about anything like this,' he thought. 'But I'm sure as hell enjoying it.'

When Lyude was almost to the top, he slipped. It was entirely an accident, but it was one of the best damn accidents ever. Kalas reacted instantly, reaching down and grabbing Lyude's hand. As he held it, Lyude, got a foothold and steadied himself. Kalas forgot to let go of his hand. Lyude stared up at him, and his heart started beating. It felt like it would rip out of his chest! Kalas' eyes stared right into his own, penetrating his thoughts and making him feel faint. He couldn't move for a moment.

As for Kalas, he looked down at the helpless, somewhat wet and shaken Lyude. He realized that this was, in fact, it for him. What he'd been looking for. A confidant, a friend, a comrade, and maybe... later, there'd be time to think about it. For now he just pulled Lyude up.

As Lyude got to his feet Kalas continued to stare at him. It was the first time he'd allowed himself to really look at Lyude. Yes, yes, this was a person who definitely held his interest, not just socially but physically. His soft cheekbones, his exotic eyes, his perfectly cut long red hair... Kalas began to feel his heartbeat. At long last he was seeing someone worth his time. No, not just that. Someone he wanted, actually wanted, and someone who might just want him to.

Lyude finished wiping the dirt off his uniform and looked up, returning Kalas' gaze. It was so intense! He could feel a magnetic pull towards the blue haired boy. He was speechless, utterly incapable of any movement other than a slow ascension towards that handsome face, those perfect lips...

"Hey boys, what's up?" It was Xelha, smiling and running over. When she interrupted they were barely 6 inches apart and gazing intently at each other. Thank goodness it wasn't any of the others. Xelha was the only one completely blind to what was going on.

The spell broken, the boys moved apart quickly, muttering something about the cliff, and Lyude falling. Xelha didn't even seem to hear them and instead grabbed Kalas by the arm, telling him he had to see what Mizuti could do. She called for Lyude to follow them over her shoulder. Kalas gave a quick glance back at Lyude.

That was all it took. He was certain. Lyude was the one.