Chapter Five: Playing in the Bath

Chapter Five – Playing in the Bath

Kian stepped into Old Gray’s house, a humble dwelling hanging impossibly on the end of a rather thin branch like an immense birdhouse. The elder sidhe was busy stirring some acidic concoction in a pot over a roaring flame and didn’t look up as he spoke.

“Tell the melancholy snail that he’s staying for a meal.”

Kian’s steps faltered slightly. “Mm.” He opened one of Old Gray’s heavy trunks, pulling out a few clothes that looked like they would fit the ‘melancholy snail.’ Old Gray didn’t try to stop him. “Are you sure he’ll be able to hold down whatever abomination you’re creating over there?”

“It’s better than starving him. Couldn’t you hear his stomach rumbling? It was louder than an ogre’s snores.”

“Of course I heard. Why do you think I brought him here? The problem is that I don’t think he’s noticed it yet.”

Old Gray snorted. “Typical. Daft boy.”

Kian stood for a while, holding the bundle of clothing in his arms, eyes unfocused while he watched Old Gray cook earnestly. He thought of the boy with blue eyes below.

“Hey,” Old Gray scolded. “What are you doing wrinkling my clothes like that?”

Kian blinked slowly, realizing he had gripped the clothes so tight there were marks for each of his fingers imprinted in the cloth. He released his grip wordlessly.

Old Gray couldn’t tolerate this behavior. “Well, why are you still standing around like a piece of furniture? Those are for the melancholy snail, so go take them down before you crush them to dust.” He clicked his tongue. “The older you get the more foolish you are. Standing around daydreaming – are you a lass? Go on.”

Kian bit his tongue and spun on his heel, quickly dropping to the forest floor, light as a feather. As he neared the spring, his steps slowed with unconscious hesitation. Glowering, he forced himself to walk evenly and, entering the enclosure, placed the clothes on the boulder with his eyes straight forward. “I’ve brought clothing,” he muttered lowly, spinning around to leave once more, but he paused.

There was no response from the man in the spring, just splashing. Kian glanced over quickly and froze, eyebrows disappearing into his hairline.

Sayv was lounging in the spring, hair damp and clinging to his neck and face. In his hands was a giant – fish?

Consumed with playing with the creature between his hands, Sayv probably hadn’t even heard him.

“Hey,” Kian called, somewhat alarmed, “what is that?”

Sayv finally looked up, mouth hanging open slightly. He looked at the fish. Looked back at Kian. Held the creature towards him. “Fish.”

I can see it’s a damned fish, you stupid-

“Why are you holding it?” Kian bit these words out through clenched teeth, forcing a calm appearance.

Sayv widened his eyes at the fish, which wiggled almost ecstatically in his hands. “He wanted to play. Should I not have played?”

An ashamed blush spread across the youth’s cheekbones. He quickly released the fish, which promptly swam in circles around him like a dog waiting for a bone. Still rooted in place, Kian ignored the apology in Sayv’s eyes.

“Get out of the spring,” Kian commanded, eyes sparking. Sayv shifted uncomfortably, but didn’t make a move to leave, mouth opening and closing a few times as he tried to find words. Kian began to shake lightly, fists clenching.

“Now, Sayv.”

Sayv jolted, scared of the ferocity in Kian’s gaze, lips trembling. “I would. . .but. . . !”

Kian had reached his limit. With a cruel curve to his lips, he crossed the distance between them in a few strides and grabbed Sayv’s upper arm in a bruising grip.

“Wait-!” Sayv struggled to get away, but it was too late. With a splash, Kian tugged the boy up onto the grass like lifting a stray cat. Soaked and dazed, the boy just sat there for a moment. Only after Sayv was out of the water did Kian’s head clear enough to notice why the boy was so reluctant.

He was, of course, *****. Long black hair, still damp, clung to his delicate white shoulders. Water dripped down his slender chest and long pale legs.

Kian spun around immediately. He closed his eyes, but the images were ingrained in his mind. Breathing a little fast, he hurried to retrieve the clothes and flung them back without looking.

Aodhan’s sight was obstructed as the clothing landed on his head. He hurriedly pulled them on, cheeks burning. He was less embarrassed that Kian had seen him ***** than that a little boy half his size was able to lift him with one hand. Aodhan knew Kian was sidhe and of course, several times stronger than he could ever wish to be even with the appearance of a child, but he still had his pride! At the very least, he should refrain from demonstrating his monstrous strength in such a way. It really made a man want to bury his head in shame.

Finished dressing, Aodhan bent over the spring, waving sadly to the fish inside that looked at him with a terribly distraught expression. Aodhan didn’t understand why Kian was so angry. The poor creature just wanted some company – what was wrong with playing?

Thinking of Kian, Aodhan glanced over and saw the boy had yet to turn around. His small shoulders were stiff. Aodhan cleared his throat.

“I’m dressed.”

Kian’s head turned slightly, but he didn’t turn around all the way, as if afraid Aodhan was playing a trick on him and was still bare as a newly born babe. Taking advantage of his hesitation, Aodhan, dipped a hand into the spring to lightly rub under the fish’s chin. The fish trembled with excitement at the touch.

This caused quite a bit of splashing. Kian finally turned around, saw Aodhan stroking the fish, and his face immediately turned green. Apparently having gotten over the original awkwardness, he came over once more, dragging Aodhan to his feet and out of the enclosure at lightning speed. Aodhan stumbled after him, tripping on the slightly-too-long pantlegs. In fact, the whole outfit was just one size too big, so in addition to long pantlegs, the tunic’s collar was too wide, threatening to slip off his shoulders. Aodhan didn’t even have time to grab his shoes and other set of soiled clothing, so he jogged after Kian on bare feet.

Aodhan wanted to ask what was so dangerous about the fish, but the gloom settled over Kian’s face told him such questions would get him scolded. So he bit his lips and followed silently. Kian didn’t let go of his wrist until they reached the lover’s trees, and this was only because the staircase was too narrow to allow it easily. Aodhan rubbed his aching wrist, silently dismayed at the band of red ringing it.

Old Gray was still cooking inside. He glanced up when they entered and burst out laughing with a ‘pfft’ noise. “You look like you’re playing dress-up with dada’s clothes,” he chortled. Aodhan looked at himself and agreed with the assessment. He did look rather ridiculous.

However, after Old Gray had finished having a good laugh at his expense, he waved his hand and the ill-fitting clothes tightened on his frame.

Awed, he touched the clothing gently. “Thank you,” he breathed.

“Don’t thank me yet. Come over here and have some of this.” Old Gray ladled some of the substance in the pot into a small wooden bowl and held it out proudly. Aodhan took it gladly, strangely touched that the older sidhe had bothered to cook for him.

He sniffed deeply, but there was no discernable scent coming from the soup. His eyebrows wrinkled. Seeing his confusion, Kian grudgingly explained.

“Food made with ingredients from Tir Na Nog has no scent to humans unless it’s in its pure state.”

“Oh.” Aodhan took the spoon and carefully lifted some of the sludgy white substance to his mouth.

At that moment, Aodhan developed something he had never had before – acting skills.

He choked down the mouthful with great difficulty, feeling his esophagus shudder as it immediately tried to reject the malicious goop, and attempted a smile, lips twitching hard. He felt a bit of froth at the corner of his mouth from the poisoning, but still managed to choke out a compliment.

“It’s very. . .good. Thank you.”

Thankfully, Old Gray didn’t seem to notice anything wrong with him and nodded in satisfaction. “Damn right. Eat up.”

Aodhan kept the smile plastered on his face until Old Gray had turned back around to fiddle with something else. Kian had watched the spectacle with a sort of sadistic pleasure, but he drifted away to Old Gray’s side and began to talk to him in a lowered voice. With both of their backs to him, Aodhan took the opportunity to dump the remaining goop out the window and then, the strength in his knees gone, sank to the ground like a wilted flower. His whole body shuddered hard as it tried to expel the toxins, but strangely, as he twitched like a dying animal on the floor he felt as though he had tasted something similar before.

Immediately horrified at the thought of having swallowed such a dangerous “food” twice, Aodhan dismissed this notion from his mind and relaxed into a fully vegetative state, soul leaving his body with a sad wave.

Kian soon finished talking with Old Gray, saw the collapsed human, rolled his eyes, and hauled his limp body up with one hand. “We’ll be going,” he told Old Gray. “I’ll find him something to eat that won’t kill him.”

Old Gray sniffed haughtily. “Can’t appreciate art when it’s right in front of his nose. Go on.”

Back outside, under the lover’s trees, Aodhan slowly woke up. He rubbed his eyes groggily. “What happened?”

“Old Gray’s food made you faint, so I took you out.”

Aodhan straightened his body that had been leaning on Kian, alarm going through him. “But I didn’t even get to ask him about the council members. Can we go back?”

Aodhan’s fretting made him jittery. Kian watched the boy pace around the base of the tree.

“Oh, but was he offended over my reaction to his meal? I. . .I didn’t faint because of that, certainly not! It’s because. . .because I’m tired! That’s it. Can’t we-"

Kian sighed and stopped his movements with a hand. “Calm down. I already asked him. He told me where to go.”

Aodhan sucked in a breath. Unsure of what was happening, Kian’s brows furrowed before he abruptly had his arms full of human male.

Aodhan hugged Kian with all his might. “Thank you!”

Stiff, Kian blinked slowly. The arms around his shoulders tightened. He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”

Once Aodhan had released Kian, they walked back through An Uaimh Bhinn once again to go to the opposite side of the city. Aodhan chatted happily as they walked about nothing at all, not noticing that Kian was watching his lips move and not hearing a word he said. As the passed by several of the merchants on the street, however, Kian suddenly stopped before one. Aodhan walked on a few steps before noticing his companion was no longer there giving noncommittal “mhm’s.” Trotting back to his side, Aodhan frowned.

“What are you buying?”

Kian had already handed over the money – a strange currency that looked like glowing blue marbles – accepting something that steamed underneath wax paper. With a nod to the merchant, Kian began walking again, forcing Aodhan to run after him once more. Once they were a good distance away, Kian suddenly stuffed the steaming object into Aodhan’s hands.

“Eat.”

Dazzled, Aodhan slowed and was nearly bowled over by several sidhe. Letting out an exasperated breath, Kian tugged the boy’s elbow to keep him moving smoothly through the crowd.

Aodhan unwrapped the paper and sniffed, puzzled until he remembered that he wouldn’t be able to smell it. It looked just like a mincemeat pie though, and Aodhan’s mouth watered. He was about to bite into it without restraint when he stopped, guilty eyes on the boy walking a step ahead of him. He tapped Kian’s shoulder.

Holding out the pie, much in the same manner as he had held out the fish earlier, he offered some to Kian. “Don’t you want any?”

Kian halted in the middle of the road and scorched Aodhan with a gaze that he couldn’t interpret. “I bought it for you, yet you’re still offering it to me?”

Aodhan blushed. “Well, yeah. Do you want a bite?”

Still watching him with that unreadable gaze, Kian slowly shook his head and then watched as Aodhan, now guilt free, chomped down on the pie without reservation. Kian’s eyes flashed with an acute heat, but, focused on his meal, Aodhan didn’t notice.

They resumed walking soon after and Aodhan suddenly remembered something important.

“Kian,” he called, mouth full of pie. Since their previous exchange, the young sidhe had stalwartly refused to look at or listen to Aodhan, as if holding something back. Though oblivious to most things, Aodhan could still tell that Kian wasn’t in the mood to talk, but it had been bugging him for a while.

Grudgingly, Kian answered. “What.”

Aodhan cleared his throat and suddenly felt that he probably shouldn’t be annoying the boy to this extent. After all, without Kian, he never would have gotten this far. “Never mind,” he said softly.

Kian stopped abruptly and his hand flashed out, thunking Aodhan’s forehead.

“Ow,” he whined, rubbing the spot.

“What is it?”

Aodhan swallowed, crumpling the wax paper in his fist. “Earlier, in the spring. Why were you so mad about the fish?”

They had now reached the other side of An Uaimh Bhinn, descending onto another thin forest path lined sparsely with lanterns. The air here seemed colder, wrapping around the two like a blanket made of moonlight and North winds. The trees shifted and rubbed against each other, whispering like lovers.

Aodhan blinked and in the shadows, Kian’s form seemed to shift, but in the next blink, he was back to normal.

“I was angry,” he began, voice low and thrumming with some dark, concealed emotion, “because I’ve never met someone so stupid as to start ‘playing’ with a dangerous magical creature. Obviously, you have no idea what that was – why the hell would you make friends with it?”

Angered beyond reason, Kian spun around to hide his expression.

“Oh,” Aodhan said softly. “Was it actually. . .very dangerous?”

Kian didn’t answer, letting his silence speak for itself. He wouldn’t tell the other that the beast was only one of Old Gray’s pets, a magical beast he rose and infused with his knowledge to preserve it for access at any time.

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