by Mina
Standard disclaimers for Majutsushi Orphen/Majutsushi Orphen: Revenge apply. They're owned by people with much more money than I have, and the only thing I currently own is…my pillow and a few lint balls…so suing is really quite pointless. ^__^
Warnings: Shounen ai, some fluff, and reference to my previous stories. This takes place sometime after Speaking Without Words.
A/N: FOR D-CHAN! 'Cause it's her birthday soon, and I wanted to do something cute and fluffy-ish, so this is part one of the b-day presents. *smooch* *glomp* A/N II: In case anyone's interested, I've started posting some of my original fiction up at FictionPress.net. Currently The Shadowlands Collective is starting to go up, but I should have some of Red Star Rising up this weekend. (Look for me under the penname T.M. Harrington.) *pathetic whimper* Wah, feedback, please?
He thought it was the shafts of sunlight cutting through the rain clouds that made him notice.
Or maybe it was how green the grass looked when tipped with moisture, the vibrant flowers bowing and swaying in the light wind.
It might have been the bird song, boisterous trills and whistles that spoke of love and spring and simple joy.
Most likely, though, it was simply that he was always called to the boy's side.
Orphen smiled faintly as Majic's nose wrinkled, a drop of water sliding off his long bangs and down his face. He must truly be exhausted to have slept through that spring shower, and after lying in the grass…he was going to be completely and thoroughly soaked.
Majic smiled, curling slightly over onto his side so that he was facing Orphen. One hand extended slightly, the fingers curled and flexed in a gesture of seeking, as if looking for the missing part that would make it complete.
Orphen crouched down, ignoring the bite of moisture that immediately began to seep into his knees. He traced his fingers over Majic's, eventually sliding his hand into its proper place. Two hands, one whole. It was all so very simple.
"Naa, Oshou-sama…"
His voice was hoarse from sleep, and Orphen smiled again, leaning forward to brush the tangle of wet gold hair from the heavy-lidded aqua eyes. "Hey, sleepy-head. What'd you go wandering off like that for?"
The boy gave him a sleepy smile, fingers clutching just a bit tighter. "I just wasn't sure how long you and Cleao were going to stand there and argue. It was such a nice day, and the trees…" He closed his eyes, sighing deeply. "They reminded me of the woods at home."
"Oh, the brat and I gave up arguing hours ago. Honestly, I don't know what possessed me to come up here to Urban Lama, but ever since she met Boggie…"
Majic giggled when Orphen made an exasperated sound and shook his head. "She's just lonely, that's all. You have to admit that neither of us are very good for "girl talk.""
Orphen snorted. "Anyway, that doesn't explain what you're doing all the way out here. If you'd just wanted peace and quiet, you could have gone back to our hotel room."
Sitting up, Majic wrinkled his nose again and went cross-eyed as a drop of water trickled form his hair down the bridge of his nose. He laughed, rubbing at it with his free hand. "The hotel's too quiet, though. And it's lonely, there. At least out here I have the life energy of everything to keep me company."
"That's true." Orphen frowned, scooting closer. He pulled his hand free from Majic's to wrap his arm around the boy, leaning to tuck the blonde head under his chin. "I was just a little worried."
"I promised I would stay, Oshou-sama."
"I know. But promises can be broken, even if we don't mean them to be."
Majic sighed, hands clutching at Orphen's arm and vest. "I wish everything in life could be simple."
"Simple?"
"Yeah. Like the sun always rising and setting, the tide always flowing in and out, the moon always waxing and waning-simple."
"That's more constancy that simplicity."
"Well, I think it's a bit of both. If we were to try and break them down, they'd be really complex arrangements-kind of like when you try to break down magical theory and I end up looking at you funny. But with the way we're used to dealing with them, in everyday terms, they're simple."
"Nothing's ever really simple."
Majic pulled away, smiling up at Orphen somewhat mischievously. "Oh? Would you care to bet on that, Oshou-sama?"
Not sure what exactly his apprentice was up to, Orphen arched an eyebrow and considered. "Depends. What's the nature of the bet?"
"If I win, we camp outside tonight, just the two of us. We can tell Cleao it's a training mission if it'll make you more comfortable."
Orphen rolled his eyes. Really, the boy was so cautious of letting Cleao know of their relationship. The blonde probably knew the two of them better than she knew herself! "All right. Then, if I win, you have to practise that light refraction spell on the women's bathhouse-when it's full."
"Oshou-sama!" Majic squawked in indignation, pushing away a bit further. He scowled when he saw the twinkle in Orphen's sienna eyes. "Fine. But I'm not going to lose."
Orphen smirked. "We'll see. Now tell me what it is you think is so simple that you're willing to bet on it."
Majic's face softened, eyes closing briefly so that dark gold lashes dusted his cheeks. When he opened them again, there was a wealth of emotion bared in his eyes, and Orphen felt his breath catch. "This." He spoke only that word as he leaned forward, small hands cradling Orphen's cheeks as he kissed the man.
Only a few months earlier Orphen would have smirked and railed and been sarcastic, but with such clear and simple emotion… He closed his eyes, smiling into the kiss as his own hands threaded their way into the damp golden hair. Yes, some things really were simple.
"Kisses are simple." Majic pulled back with a slightly impish smile, hands dropping to lace behind Orphen's neck. "And what I feel for you-well, that's simple, too."
Orphen nuzzled his cheek, hands wandered over the subtly muscled curves of shoulders and back. "And what do you feel for me?" His voice was husky, eyes lidded, arousal very evident as his hands slid still lower, sliding under the waistband of Majic's trousers.
Words ceased for a moment in a flurry of heated, hungry kisses, lips meeting, tongues dancing, hands tracing silent promises that would be carried out. "It's simple." Majic's words were a pant in the air as Orphen trailed his lips along the arched, pale neck, nibbling and licking, taking in and memorising the taste of this unusual, powerful, delectable boy.
"Simple?"
"So very simple."
Clothing began to fall to the grass until skin was bared, damp with rain but rapidly warming with sweat and excitement. Skin met skin and Orphen groaned, burying his face in Majic's neck. "Is this simple?" he whispered, breath a hot caress.
Majic shivered, smiling as Orphen began to move down his body, mouth and tongue worshiping pale flesh. The tongue dipped into his bellybutton and he gasped, hands tightening in Orphen's dark hair. "Yes!"
"Yes?"
"Yes."
Orphen made his way back up the naked youth, a crooked smirk in place. "Then what is it?" he asked, fingers tracing over Majic's faintly glistening lips.
A pink tongue darted out, impish smile returning when Orphen hissed and drew his hand back. "Love."
The word was spoken into Orphen's hungry mouth, and thoughts of pondering simplicity left as they gave into desire, and rediscovered their simple joy in each other.
