A/N: I just love this pairing. there's just so many interesting things to do with them. The lack of Shadow Isle lore only adds to the mystery! Also, this is my first slash story ever posted on here as I'm usually pretty secretive about liking certain slash.
The dark woods of the Shadow Isles was near soundless. The soft whispers of pained moans and anguished calls escaping haunted souls were the only noise to be heard. The icy mist clinging to the air caused the atmosphere to feel like it was suffocating the living.
A lone figure limped through the woods, seemingly unaffected by the cruel realm. He hissed softly as he held his side, tealish liquid oozing out between his ridged claw-like fingers. He snarled at the idiocy of mortals believing that Shadow Isle natives felt no pain because their forms were not corporeal. The pain he felt was very real and making him feel fatigued.
A sound hidden among the labyrinth of trees alerted Thresh. He tensed slightly in his weakened state and clacked his bottom jaw against his top. He released his wound and grabbed his bone sickle from where it hung on his coat. He raised his lantern in his other hand, the green glow seeping over the trees.
"Show yourself." the hiss was low and frustrated as he looked about. He did not wish to face off against Lucian or a Void creature in his weakened state. His ethereal body stiffened slightly as he heard the sound again. He snarled and swung his sickle in a small loop, ready to hook the stranger.
His posture suddenly relaxed as the sound came again and he recognized it to be hooves. He turned his head towards the sound, waiting and watching as a familiar form came through the trees. His new companion was a spectral mix of half man and half horse. The vanguard dipped his head in greeting as he slowly trotted towards Thresh.
"Hecarim, why are you haunting these parts...?" The Chain Wander asked his friend suspiciously as he placed his sickle back in its place on his coat. The spectral rider simply shook his head and drew closer to the jailer. Hecarim was never one much for talking, often letting violence and bloodshed speak for him.
Touch was not something he was comfortable with often but tended to be more open around the warden. Hecarim let out a disturbing noise that sounded like a mix of a low growl and a grunt. He held his ax in one hand and stabbed it into the ground before he reached forward, spectral fingers gently pressing against his companion's wound. The low growl got louder and he let out an angry snort.
The ghoulish light glowing from the eyes in his helmet lit up and he gently pulled Thresh close. He gently held the smaller male in place as he undid the heavy coat. Fingers pressed against the spectral abdomen, checking the depth of the wound.
"Stop this nonsense, Hecarim." The warden snarled and tiredly tried to pull away. He was not in the mood to be the rider's play thing. His attempts were in vain as the larger male was much stronger and refused to let go. Thresh huffed and grabbed his sickle, about ready to flay his friend away when the centaur spoke up.
"You should be more vigilant when protecting yourself... You have become careless as of late." The warden was taken aback by the unnaturally caring and worried words. A gasp of surprise slipped through his jaws as Hecarim's heavy hands lovingly weighed down on his hips as the smooth side of the rider's helmet rubbed against his skull in a nuzzle.
Such symbols of affection were extremely scarce in the Shadow Isles and only exchanged between lovers, which in itself was extremely rare. A touch of affection like this from the ruthless vanguard took Thresh off guard, causing his spectral glow to change color slightly to show him flush.
He flexed his claws and slowly looked at the centaur only to be nuzzled once more. He could not help but feel flattered and he found a sense of pride swell within him that someone as powerful and significant as the rider would pick him for such intimate exchanges. That being said, Thresh was unsure how he felt or even how to repay such gestures. The warden knew only pain and suffering but still felt the requirement to show his friend the proper return of affection. Though, how was he to do this if he did not know how to give any?
He hesitantly reached up and cupped the curved side of Hecarim's helmet, gently stroking it with his thumb claw. The rider leaned into the touch, back hoof stomping the decaying earth slightly in bliss at the response.
A hiss of surprise escaped Thresh as Hecarim's blue spectral mist brushed against his own seagreen glow, sending a soft spark of pleasure through his hand and up his arm. His glow shifted color again and he pulled his hand away in confusion, Hecarim rumbling softly at the loss. Thresh tilted his skull to the side, tendrils shifting in his confused state.
Hecarim shifted, tail flicking is disappointment as Thresh pulled away. The rider had enjoyed the spark that the two had shared and had thought that the warden liked it too. He continued to watch his little jailer as he shifted uncertainly. Hecarim's strong fingers gently rubbed soothing circles into thresh's bony hips before one hand slipped up his side to lovingly press against the still bleeding wound.
Thresh squirmed slightly in Hecarim's arms as his wound was lovingly stroked. The sparks from earlier were more intense and it was making him weak in the knees. He hissed softly and slumped against his friend, mewling pathetically. Hecarim blinked and watched him with fascination.
The rider dipped his head and nuzzled his companion again, he let their spectral mist gently brush against each other once more before pulling back enough to gauge Thresh's reaction. The jailer made a strange reverberating purr and shifted to press against Hecarim. The reaction stirred a blissful feeling within the rider, the ecstasy was even greater than the feeling of crushing his enemies under his hooves. The feeling only intensifying as Thresh hesitantly returned Hecarim's nuzzles.
The rider pulled the warden close and held him gently, the jailer purred in response as his lantern and sickle fell to the murky grass. Thresh quivered slightly and mewled, his color shifting in embarrassment; he had never made such pitifully weak sounds before. Hecarim noticed and gently soothed him, loving touches and spectral brushes taking away Thresh's doubt. Thresh resigned to his fate and simply let himself feel what his friend had to offer, perhaps showing weakness in secret was not so bad if it was with Hecarim.