As Eli woke slowly, he felt a warm presence beside him. His green eyes opened and a familiar mask came into focus. Wide eyes stared into his own intensely, and Eli heard the radio on his bedside table begin to play a tune.
I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things…
"Do you ever take that mask off?" He asked, voice somewhat raspy with new awakeness. The red-haired boy next to him simply shook his head in response. Eli snorted. They shared a bed out of convenience (Eli had to be put in his own room simply because he was a threat to the other child soldiers), and partially out of respect. There was nothing more, nothing less. Well, perhaps there was something more, but if there was, Eli was just trying to convince himself that it was the comfort of being near another human being. Even then, he still didn't want to acknowledge it.
He felt his partner's cold fingers wrap around his own, and he looked at him.
"You know, with those eyes of yours you look a little like a bug. And your straitjacket makes you look like you have long arms…"
Like a praying mantis?
Eli shuddered as the other boy's words invaded his mind, and he nodded. "Yeah, like a mantis. You do need a name. I'm Snake, so you could be Mantis if you wanted!" Despite his best efforts to sound objective, Eli still sounded somewhat excited at the prospect.
I think I'd like to be a mantis. Psychic Mantis.
"Bit on the nose, don't you think? You need something a little scarier… More threatening…"
Something like Liquid Snake?
"You're not funny," Eli said, hiding a grin. Quiet giggles bubbled up from behind the other boy's mask. "No, I think you should be… Mad Mantis!"
I don't like that at all.
"Well have you got any better ideas?"
How about… Psycho Mantis? That way we can compromise.
"Hmm, I don't usually compromise, but Psycho Mantis does have a nice ring to it… All right then, nice to meet you, Psycho Mantis!"
Same to you, Wet Serpent.
"Stop that!" Eli snickered, and Mantis followed suit.
Okay, I'll stop… Ellie.
"Oh shut up! You know it's Eli! Your English isn't THAT bad." The two boys dissolved into giggles, and Eli let a warm blush paint his cheeks. As the laughter faded, they found their foreheads pressed together, and Eli felt a warm, swelling sensation bubbling up in his chest and throat, like there was something inside him desperate to come out. He felt the sudden urge to just stay here with Mantis forever.
Mantis, the first person who truly cared about him…
Eli shook the thoughts, not wanting the other boy to see them, and let a hand drift up to Mantis' jawline.
'Why don't you ever take the mask off?'
'Because my head gets crowded when I do. Everyone's thoughts push their way in and I can't hear my own thoughts over all theirs.'
'Well I'm the only person here now…'
'Eli…'
'Please? I want to see your face. We're partners, remember? If you can't trust me, who CAN you trust?'
'You're incorrigible…'
Mantis sighed deeply and met Eli's intense, searching gaze and nodded shyly. Eli let his pale fingers work under the mask and its straps, and worked it carefully off Mantis' face so he wouldn't hurt him. He removed it gently, and set it aside, moving his gaze to devote every iota of attention to his friend's face. The first things Eli noticed were the scars. There was one over Mantis' lip, a diagonal gash on the side. Eli let his fingers trace it, and he met the boy's gaze. Mantis' eyes were large and luminous, shining like stars. They were like freshly polished silver, like rainclouds, like tornadoes, dangerous and destructive, full of power. The burns did not mar Mantis' beauty, in Eli's eyes. They were battle scars, and they were incredible. Mantis' hair seemed to be on fire in the early daylight streaming in through the window, and Eli felt that feeling bubble up again inside him. He wanted nothing more than to hold his ally tight and… and… Well, Eli wasn't sure what he wanted to do, but it was a strong feeling.
Mantis cleared his throat and spoke for the first time.
"It's rude to stare, Ellie."
Eli blushed hard, gaze flitting around to avoid the bright silver eyes that were looking at him intensely. Mantis' voice was a bit raspy from under-use, and Eli wasn't sure what he had expected the boy to sound like, but it wasn't at all what came out of him. Mantis had a bit of a high voice, almost feminine in nature, but somewhat scratchy as well.
"I'm sorry, I just… You don't look at all like I thought you would." Eli fumbled, realizing too late how the words sounded coming out of his mouth.
"What did you THINK I would look like?"
"No! It's not that! I just… Well, I don't know… I think I wasn't really expecting anything to be under there at all… But wow…"
"Wow?"
"No, it's a good wow. You're… Almost…" Eli searched his mind for a word that would sound flattering, but not TOO flattering. "Ethereal."
'Nice, Eli. Ethereal. Very platonic. Idiot.' He thought to himself, not noticing Mantis' shy smile.
"Ethereal? That isn't one I can say I've heard before. Not that I go around asking for opinions on my face. That's why I wear the mask: to avoid them."
"Well, I think you're…" Don't say anything stupid, Eli…
"You're beautiful."
Mentally cringing out of his bones, Eli watched a pale blush spread across his friend's face.
"Um, Eli…"
"Y-yes?"
"Can I give you… a kiss?"
"H-huh?!"
"Can I kiss you?"
"Allies don't usually-!"
"I can see in your mind that you want to kiss me. I thought I'd ask first so you wouldn't have to hurt your fragile pride asking me first. So, can I?" Mantis' tone was so matter-of-fact, Eli would have laughed if his head wasn't currently spinning like a top.
"I… Yes, you can. Have you ever kissed anyone before?"
"Not exactly… Have you?"
"No…"
"Oh, just your pillow. I see now."
Eli turned cherry red.
"D-do you want to kiss me or not?!"
"Sorry. Okay, um… You start." Mantis said, biting his lip. Eli sat up, and pulled his friend along with him, taking a moment to admire the other boy's bed-rustled hair. He ran his fingers through it, and moved their heads closer together before his lips touched Mantis' at last.
It was clumsy, their first kiss, but it was a kiss nonetheless. Lips mashed together awkwardly, teeth bumped teeth, and Eli wasn't quite sure how anyone would ever fit a tongue into the equation, but he and Mantis were both smiling when they pulled away.
'I want to kiss you again. Better this time. You turn your head a little left, and I'll turn mine a little right, and then-'
Eli's lips were on his friend's again before Mantis could even finish the thought. The second time was much better than the first, and it felt less like two opposing forces colliding and more like two individuals melting into one another. There were no teeth now; just chapped lips against smooth ones, and Eli felt like he might really melt. His face was hot and his heart was beating so fast he thought it might give out, but he still let his hands move forward to run through Mantis' red hair.
They pulled away again, but only for a moment, and only by a few centimeters. The two boys each took a second to breathe before their lips met again.
And again.
And again.
Their arms were wrapped around each other, and they clung for dear life as they kissed until their mouths were sore, the blonde pressing his ally against the bed gently. Eli had just started to let his tongue glide over Mantis' lower lip when there was a knock on the door.
And just like that, Mantis was gone. Eli fell face first into the pillow on his bed as the door creaked open.
"Eli, it's breakfast time. It's not like you to sleep in like this. Come on, get up while the food's still warm." Flaming Buffalo's voice came from the doorway. Disheartened, he sat up and sighed, praying that his lips didn't give anything away. Could they even do that?
"I suppose I can't convince you to give me five more minutes?"
"Breakfast will be gone in five minutes, kid. What's gotten into you? Are you not feeling well?"
"I'm fine. Just give me a minute to wake up." He lied easily.
"Okay, I'll save you a plate." The woman promised as she shut the door and left. Eli let out a relieved huff and flopped down on his back. Damn adults, always getting in the way of things… Eli felt a sudden presence on his lap, and sat up to see Mantis straddling him, looking as ethereal as always.
"Ellie… I think I want to kiss you again sometime. That was nice."
"It was, wasn't it?" He sighed, reaching out and taking his ally's hands in his. "So, what does this make us?" Eli asked, meeting eyes with Mantis, who smiled coyly as he put his mask back in place.
And he was gone once again, as if he had never been there at all.
Eli smiled frustratedly and fondly all at once, blushing and burying his face in his pillow.
Oh god, what was he going to do NOW?
Everything's all right
Just hold on tight
That's because I'm a good old-fashioned lover boy…