~~~~~~~~Wednesday Afternoon.~~~~~~~~
A white haired man sighed as he walked out of a changing room in the chapel where he worked and lived. "That is the absolute last time I let you say closing prayer Xigbar."
"Sorry. It's just that I can't keep my full attention on one subject, you know that." The dark-haired man shrugged and pushed back some hair behind an ear.
"Well then maybe you should keep what little focus you have on keeping the chapel in good shape." he chuckled and adjusted his sleeves.
"Well maybe I will then…Father." Xigbar glanced at the ceiling and noted a small spider web and winced. He hated cleaning the dusty old chapel but someone had to do it and God knew Xemnas would have no hand in it.
"Don't get smart. Or I won't hire you that extra help that you want so badly." Xemnas said and closed the door to the dressing room behind them.
Xigbar quietly mumbled and dug a finger into his ear and stopped immediately when Xemnas glanced at him. "I'll just get myself to the market…"
"Smart move Brother Xigbar. I'll see you at supper." Xemnas smirked and walked off in the direction of the hallway.
Xigbar trudged off in the opposite direction and grabbed a large satchel and headed off to the market of the small town. The full-fledged priest seemed to have it out for him and there seemed to be no way to get away from him, the only form of cash-flow was the donations to the chapel. It didn't take long to reach the market where festivities were well under way. He smiled at the antics of a small troupe who had occupied the space near the edge of the small market.
A blonde boy danced around with two other girls and another boy as others were sitting playing various instruments. The blonde was playing a tambourine and tossed a glance over to Xigbar as he passed. The blonde paused in his dancing as he stared at Xigbar.
The one-eyed man tossed a coin towards the blonde boy who seemed to take his time looking at his most recent passersby and headed further into the market to begin his shopping. The market was always known for its loose gossip and easy-going atmosphere. The troupe he passed by belonged to a larger group of gypsies who were on the outskirts of town, not even ten minutes from the chapel. Perhaps visiting these people would make Xemnas a little less stiff than he usually was, but knowing his fellow holy man he probably wouldn't even consider it.
The blonde picked up the coin and smiled. He held the coin tightly in his fist and held it to his chest. He stared after the man, then pocketed the coin in his back pocket and went back to dancing.
Xigbar stuffed the last of his items into the satchel and slung it on his back and walked back toward the dancing troupe. "Hey." He somewhat mumbled as a flock of women walked by giving him a somewhat odd glance and he covered his mark as a holy man.
The blonde dancer smiled as the man walked back towards his troupe. He tried to keep his eyes on the man as he continued to dance. A frown replaced his smiled when he saw the man look at the women that passed him.
"I-I hear you are staying just a bit out of town." He spoke a little louder as he looked back to the blond boy.
The blond let out a little eep and his face turned a bright red, then took a few steps towards the man. "Uh-um… yes!" the boy lowered his hands and looked down at the ground.
"How long are you staying here?" Xigbar glanced around again curious of any people who knew who he was.
"A-about two weeks." he whispered and looked up at the older man. "Why do you want to know?"
"Oh, just curious." He shifted his weight and bit his lip. "You…you er." Xigbar took a thoughtful pose, struggling with how to ask if the gypsies allowed visitors during the evening.
The boy blinked and tilted his head to the side. "What do you want to know sir?"
"Demyx! Time for lunch!" a girl called out and waved to Demyx.
"Uh, do…Is it ok if I came by to your…camp later with a friend maybe?" Xigbar knew Xemnas would have no part in it but it was worth a try.
Demyx's blush deepened in color and he smiled. "Everyone is welcome to our bonfires." he said and hurried off to his group.
"O-oh…" Xigbar watched the boy chase off to meet with his friends and turned himself towards the chapel, curious of how to smooth-talk the white-haired priest to the bonfire.
~~~~~~~~Wednesday Evening.~~~~~~~~
"Xemnas! How would you feel about a walk later this evening?" Xigbar asked suddenly from the silent ritual of dinner in the chapel.
Xemnas looked up and arched an eyebrow. "A walk?" he lowered his fork. "Where would we walk to pray tell?"
"I don't know, just walk, get some fresh air." Xigbar shrugged as he lied. "You could use it." He mumbled quietly.
"I suppose some fresh air would be good." he said and went back to eating. "You had better not be plotting anything."
"What could I possibly plot, Xemnas?" He pushed a bit of food around on his plate. "I clean, I go out and get things you need, I even cook every meal. I have no time to plot things."
"True, you do cook. Maybe I should watch for poison." he chuckled but continued to eat. "Alright I'll join you on this walk."
Xigbar sat back and nodded. "I'd never try to kill you; I'd lose my home and become a bumbling, traveling cleric."
Xemnas laughed. "With your memorization skills, you would just end up begging on the streets."
Xigbar took the hurt with the last bite of his meal and stood quietly taking his dishes with him to the wash bucket.
Xemnas followed him and put his dishes in the bucket. "When do you want to go on this walk?"
"Now, if you don't mind." Xigbar wanted any excuse to get away from Xemnas but the only way he could possibly pull that off was if he got to the gypsies camp.
"Ok well just finish up the dishes and we can leave." he said with a smile and went to his room to freshen up.
Xigbar pushed up his sleeves and started taking his frustration out on the dishes. "Yes, I'm plotting against you so you can finally get off this pompous attitude you have." He growled at the dishwater quietly.
~~~~~~~~Wednesday Evening at the Gypsy Camp.~~~~~~~~
After he had eaten his dinner, Demyx ran through the camp dodging other gypsies and small fires. He burst into a tent with a huge smile on his face. "Saix!"
A groan arose from under a fur-skin blanket, covering a pale man. "Who is in my tent?" He covered his face with his hand, shading the light.
"Saix wake up! WAKE UP!" he jumped on the gypsy. "Saix I… I think I'm in love."
"Huh?" Saix sat up fully-awake at the word 'love'. "In love with who?" He rubbed his eyes from sleep.
The blond smiled then took a deep breath. "I don't know!"
"You don't know." Saix sighed and rubbed his shoulder and glanced out the small opening of his tent. "What time is it?"
"Um… Seven thirty? The bonfire starts in half an hour. So you would have had to wake up soon anyway." he pulled the blanket back.
"Ugh, where are my pants." He turned and crawled from under the blanket to pick up a loose shirt.
Demyx looked around then picked up a pair of pants. "Here. Oh and he said that he was going to bring a friend. Maybe you can get lucky tonight."
Saix laughed quietly. "Lucky, huh?" He pulled his shirt over his head and grabbed his pants from the blond. "What makes you think he's even interested in men in the first place, let alone his friend?"
"Well…. Um… it's just… I don't know." he pouted. "Don't ruin my excitement Saix!"
"Mm." The blue-haired man pulled up his pants and rubbed his neck. "Well, maybe I will get lucky, but I probably won't even see the guy."
"At least wait until you meet them." he said and stepped out of the tent. "Hurry up I want to meet them at the edge of camp."
"Fine, but the deer won't catch themselves." Saix walked out of his tent and pulled back the flap to his tent.
"The deer can wait." he said and grabbed Saix's arm. "Don't ruin this for me Saix… please."
"Ok, ok." He ran a nailed hand through his unruly hair and followed after his closest friend.
The blond haired boy rushed through the camp and slowed down only when he reached the trees on the edge of camp.
Saix leaned on a tree and crossed his arms. "So what does this guy even look like?"
Demyx sighed happily. "He has long dark hair, and these piercing gold eyes. Oh he's perfect and beautiful Saix."
"You really got a good look at him, while you were dancing, didn't you?" He looked up at the slowly setting sun and shrugged.
"Well he kinda caused me to stop dancing…but yes I did." he sighed and sat down at the base of the tree.
"Stop dancing? Well then he must be the one!" Saix joked and shook his head. "Sorry." He pushed off the tree and stood beside his smaller companion.
"Well… what if he is?" he whispered. "Do you think that he might come with us when we leave?"
"How would I know?" Saix shrugged and saw movement farther into the trees.
~~~~~~~~Wednesday Night, Outskirts of the Gypsy Camp.~~~~~~~~
Xemnas frowned as Xigbar led him through the trees. "Xigbar where are we going?"
"Should be over here somewhere." Xigbar mumbled and rubbed the scar on his chin in thought and smiled when he heard sounds from the camp. "We're headed over here." He said and turned to Xemnas.
The priest stared at the camp and turned to glare at Xigbar. "You brought me to a gypsy camp?!" he hissed.
"I said you needed some fresh air, so yes I brought you to a gypsy camp." Xigbar grabbed Xemnas' elbow and tugged him forward. "There is nothing wrong with it."
"I can't believe you brought me here. I refuse to be around these godless tramps." He pulled his arm out of Xigbar's grasp and turned around.
"Hey, hey, hey! They have names!" Xigbar pushed Xemnas forward towards the camp.
"Xigbar you let go of me this instant!" he shouted and resisted the pushing.
"No, you need…fresh…air!" Xigbar stumbled forward when his grip on the priest was lost. Saix quietly laughed and covered his mouth.
Demyx winced as the white haired man tripped over his legs and fell to the ground. "Hey what in th-" he looked up and lost his voice when his eyes met golden ones.
"Ah! Xemnas, I'm so sorry!" The scarred man picked up said priest. "This is ah, er, Demyx!" He recalled the name that the girl called him who had pulled the blond dancer away.
The blonde blushed and nodded slowly. He stood up using the tree as a crutch. "I can't believe you came…" he whispered.
"Yes, I did!" Xigbar stood upright. "A-and I brought my friend too!" He motioned toward Xemnas and Saix crossed his arms.
Xemnas pushed himself away from Xigbar and dusted himself off. "I'm leaving."
"I-I see that…" he whispered. "So um… Do you want to dance?"
"Xemnas, no! Say hi, to Demyx's friend!" Xigbar pushed him towards Saix and he blushed slightly. "And yes, I'd like to dance with you." He smiled at Demyx.
Demyx smiled with a blush and slipped his arms around Xigbar's. "I'm glad you came."
The white haired priest crossed his arms then turned to the blue haired boy. "Hello."
"Hi." Saix ran a hand through his hair again and bit his lip slightly, he didn't know to be offended or entranced by the man's fierce amber gaze.
Xemnas sighed. He didn't want to be here but he had to be polite. "Would you care to go on a walk?"
"I actually have to go and…hunt." Saix pushed some hair behind his ear. "You should be careful if you're headed back home. These woods seem to help you get lost rather than lead you back home."
Xigbar followed with Demyx towards the bonfire laughing. Xemnas glared at his friend who was leaving him then turned his attention back to Saix. "Hunting?" He thought hunting was an odd job for a woman. Especially one of such beauty that this one had.
"Yes, hunting. My friends think that 'gathering' is the only way you can eat." Saix glanced past the priest, thinking he saw something move.
"Aren't there others who can hunt other than yourself?" he asked and pushed his hands into his pockets.
The fair-skinned man took a moment to think and shrugged. "I never really thought about it that way but...I'm the best at tracking, scenting... Why?"
"Oh no reason I just thought it odd that they would send you out hunting wild animals by yourself." Xemnas said and turned his eyes to the star covered sky.
Saix couldn't help but giggle at the silver-haired man. "I'm not helpless, like I said I'm the best hunter. Why should they send more if it's proven fact that I carry back a deer by myself?" He looked back at Xemnas. "Or am I sensing you wish to help me hunt?"
Xemnas smiled at the sound of Saix's laughter and looked at the blue-haired girl. "I wouldn't mind helping you. It's not often a man gets to be in the company of such beauty." he let a smirk tug at his lips.
"Beauty? That's the first time someone's told me that." Saix smiled through the blush rising to his cheeks. "We should head north then. I saw a few tracks early this morning."
Xemnas' eyebrows rose in interest at the blush on Saix's cheeks. "Shall we go then, master hunter?" he said with a smirk, then gave a small bow offering Saix to lead.
"Flattery will get you nowhere." Saix teased and turned, hiding the grin that was spreading across his face. "But keep trying." He said quietly and started heading in the direction he indicated.
Xemnas chuckled and followed the girl. Everything that he had been taught and that he lived by was telling him that he should turn around and get as far away from these godless people as he could. But something else was telling him to follow the female hunter, and to stay as close to her as possible.
Saix walked slowly as if waiting for the other man to join him. "So what brought you to our camp?" He asked quietly already knowing the answer. He knew that the man beside him was in no way interested in his people's way of life.
"My friend made me come with him. He seems to have some kind of infatuation with your blond friend." he said while turning to avoid a low tree branch.
"Ah, I think it's two-sided then, first thing I woke up to was being jumped by Demyx, going on and on about a guy he met in the market today."
"Oh?" Xemnas raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "And what was Demyx saying about this man that he met?"
Saix smiled and shook his head. "It's not up to me to tell what may not want to be repeated." He stopped short and scanned the forest.
"How very respectful of you." he said quietly as he walked up nest to the girl. "I don't believe I ever caught your name."
"Ah, its Saix, I apologize. Your own?" He dropped his voice to a light whisper reaching low for a dagger, sensing an extra visitor to the immediate area.
"Call me Xemnas." he whispered back and kept his eyes on the hunter's back.
Saix stood back up and glanced behind himself, raising a finger to his lips and stalked to the side of a tree. The knife could hardly be considered worthy of slaying any thing, more suited for skinning if anything.
The priest smirked at Saix and stayed quite as he leaned against a tree.
Saix cursed as the deer had scented the two and took off in flight, the hunter quickly took off in pursuit.Xemnas pushed off of the tree and took off after Saix. He couldn't let a woman run around in the woods at night by herself.
Too focused on catching the mobile venison Saix forgot about the traps he had set before he had gone back to sleep. With a metallic snap the blunet stumbled forward, a gasp of pain passing through is lips.Xemnas watched as the girl fell and he rushed to her side. "Saix!" he kneeled next to her and looked down at her leg.
Saix tossed the knife from his hand in anger, blood flowing from his palm, chasing after the blade. "Damn trap..." He managed to mumble as he stared at his leg, the small rabbit trap biting into it.
Ignoring the vulgar word that came out of the girls' mouth Xemnas gently placed his hands on Saix's leg. "Calm down." he moved his hands to the metal trap and pulled it open slowly. After freeing Saix's' leg he tossed the trap aside and inspected the wound. "I should carry you back to your camp and get this treated."
"C-carry??" Saix squeaked and looked up the silver-haired man, his face a deep shade of red from embarrassment at falling into his own trap and cutting his hand. "R-really, you don't have to do that." He muttered.
"You can't walk on this leg." he said simply then lifted the girl into his arms, with one arm supporting her legs and the other supporting her back. "Don't worry I'll get you back to your camp safely."
"Ah!" Saix looked away now that the blush was more than just embarrassment. "Please, I'll be fine." He held his hand close to his chest.
"I don't want your leg getting infected. What kind of man would I be if I let that happen to you? Let me take care of you Saix." he whispered.
Saix bit his lip and closed his eyes. What could be more embarrassing than being carried in by an outsider because of stepping in your own trap?
"Does it hurt badly?" he asked seeing the look on Saix's face.
"No!" His first instinct was to say. "I mean, yeah it hurts like hell but, really I can take care of this myself." Saix couldn't look up at his 'rescuer' for fear of blushing like an idiot.
Xemnas held the blue haired girl tenderly against his chest as he quickened his pace. "I would feel better if it was looked at by a doctor."
"Arguing with you won't get me anywhere will it?" Saix ran his free hand through his hair. "Why do you care? I told you I can take care of it..."
"I care about you. Something in my heart is telling me to stay with you and take care of you." he whispered and bent down to avoid some tree branches.
Saix looked up when he heard this and suddenly felt the closeness of the other. Taking a gamble he reached up and turned Xemnas' face toward his own and kissed him gently. Xemnas gasped softly into the kiss and stopped his walking. After a moment he closed his eyes and pressed his lips hard against Saix's. Surprised at such the welcome response he pulled the man closer and opened his mouth slightly. The silver haired man's tongue pushed its way into Saix's mouth, and he let out a moan when their tongues met. Saix gasped and grasped Xemnas' shoulder tightly, wishing to be closer to his new-found love. He pushed against the others tongue and nipped at it. Xemnas let out a soft moan and leaned against a tree. Careful not to lose his hold on Saix he lowered them to the ground and pulled the girl closer so that she was sitting in his lap. Now straddling the other man the blunet ran a hand down Xemnas chest, seeking the lip of his shirt. Once he found it he tentatively ran his hand up against his flesh.
The priest ran his hands down Saix's back and rested his hands on her hips. After a few moments though his mind seemed to clear itself. He pulled out of the kiss and pushed Saix away gently. "Stop. We can't be doing this."
"Wha...Why, How come?" Saix kept his hand where it was and looked at Xemnas with a pouty face.
He pulled Saix's hand out of his shirt and took it in his own hand. "One. You're a gypsy. And Two. We've only just met."
Saix frowned. "I'm a gypsy? What the hell kind of rejection is that?" He curled his wounded hand to a fist in frustration.
"Saix a priest can't be with a girl like you." he said softly and covered the bleeding fist with his own hand. "You're hurting yourself."
"G-girl??" Saix completely pushed the priest comment away with a giant pink word GIRL sprouting flowers in his mind. "I..." Now he was truly embarrassed.
He looked at Saix strangely. "Are you alright Saix?"
"I, yeah, I'm f-fine." Saix pushed himself away from the priest even though it pained him to do so. "I think it'll be best if I just...walk back to camp then..."
Xemnas stood up quickly. "You can't walk Saix." he said again. "A priest cannot let a woman walk on a leg like that."
"I should have known..." Saix leaned against a tree and shook his head, laughing at his stupidity. "Xemnas...I'm not a girl."
Xemnas stared at Saix stupidly and blinked. "You're a boy?!" he turned away. "Oh dear Lord..."
"Still want to carry me back to camp?" Saix spoke with a tinge of bitterness and shook his head.
Xemnas turned to look at Saix. Even though now he knew that Saix was a boy the feelings in his heart didn't disappear. It was a sin against God for two men to be together, even more so if one of them was a gypsy. He walked over to the blunette and lifted him up into his arms again. "I can't have you walking on that ankle."
Saix bit his lip and looked away from Xemnas, blushing. "I appreciate the offer..."
"It's no trouble." he said and made his way back to the campsite quickly.