So here is the second story for the LIOR series. Sorry I've been dead for... forever. College sucks, finding a job is damn near impossible in this town, and cosplay eats my life. So here it is. If you read the summary you know that this story focuses around the relationships of Lexaeus and Zexion, and Marluxia and Vexen. There will be one more story after this one and if you fans know your Orgy XIII couples well enough you should know which two couples are left. Well... Enjoy!
Love,
XxJaggedXHeartzxX
~~~~~~~~Thursday: Morning~~~~~~~~
A young boy twisted in the mass of blankets he slept within; whimpering loudly at the terror in his dreamscape. He rose his arms above him to stop his unseen attacker and woke with a start, tears streaming down his face. Having the nightmare could only mean one thing, his protector's presence was missing from the tent they shared. Said protector was close by, currently out at the stream getting a drink of water and was on his way back through the trees to their tent.
The boy ran a hand through his mess of slate-colored hair and held a blanket close to his chest, afraid to venture outside of the tent. It was early morning, he guessed, by the shade of sunlight pouring through the entrance of the pitched abode. The man stepped into the tent quietly thinking the boy was still asleep, and stopped when he saw the boy was awake. "Zexion, why are you awake?"
Zexion bit his lip and wiped his face in an attempt to hide why he was truly awake but once he looked at the tall man inside his tent he simply broke out into a fresh new set of tears.
Then man gasped and rushed to the boy's side. "Zexion... It's ok." he pulled the boy to his chest. "I'm here now, it's ok."
"Lexaeus..." He spoke quietly. "It was...I had that dream again..." He managed to hiccup out. Such a display would have surely been a sign of weakness but he didn't care, not around the elder male.
"Shh..." he ran his fingers through the dark hair and held the boy close. "It's ok, it was only a dream."
Zexion looked up and wiped his eyes with a long sleeve. "It just, it feels so real...every time I have it..."
"I'm sorry I left the tent Zexion." he whispered and caressed the soft cheek. "I thought you would be ok."
After a moment of calming down Zexion looked back to his blankets. "I don't want you to feel so trapped, just because I asked you to." He said in that barely audible tone he used most of the time.
Lexaeus smiled and tilted the boy's head up to kiss his forehead. "I'm not trapped. I'm protecting you Zexy."
Zexion slightly smiled at the shortened form of his name and kept his eyes glued to his best friend. "I know."
"I promised you I would. And I always will." he whispered and ran his fingers through the boy's hair. "Go back to sleep Zexy."
"What's the point? Everyone else should be waking up soon..." He leaned back into the larger man. "I shouldn't waste my time stuck in here, can't I just...stick with you?"
Lexaeus smiled. "Of course. You know you can. It's just... I'm chopping wood today and I don't want you to get hurt."
"Oh." He twisted his long sleeve ends together in quiet contemplation of how else he could possibly spend his time and thought of the only other person he had dared to get close to. "Maybe...I can help Demyx with something?"
The older man smiled and ruffled Zexion's. "I'm sure you can. Demyx loves spending time with you."
"What else are you going to do, other than chop wood all day?" He glanced back at the man.
"Well as soon as I'm done I'll come get you. Then maybe we can go into town and find a book store."
Zexion's mood instantly brightened at the mention of books. "Alright, I'll hold you to that!" He smiled.
Lexaeus smiled at the boy's happy mood and caressed his cheek. "I promise, today you can get a new book."
Zexion looked to his small collection of books, the bindings on each of them were well-worn from constant reading, over and over again. "I was beginning to grow bored with what I have."
"I know, but now you can get a new one. Maybe even two." he said and pulled Zexion into his lap. "But you have to be good for Demyx."
Zexion nodded happily. "I can do that." a very light shade of pink graced his pale skin and he tried to hide it behind his long sweep of hair.
Lexaeus smiled at the boy and resisted the urge to kiss him. "Good boy." he breathed. "But Demyx doesn't wake up for a while so go back to sleep." he said and laid the boy back down on the furs.
Zexion rolled himself tightly into a blanket of fur obediently and closed his eyes in an attempt to fall back to sleep. "Don't take too long on the wood."
"I won't, I'll be as quick as I can." he whispered and leaned over to kissed the boy's head.
Zexion took a deep breath as he relaxed back into sleep, hopeful that he'd dream about an adventure in his book, rather than that horrid nightmare.
"I'll be right here." Lexaeus put an arm around the teen and pulled him close. "I'll always protect you."
~~~~~~~~Thursday: Afternoon~~~~~~~~
Demyx shook his head again and put his hands of Zexion's hips. "No no no! Move your hips like this." he said and moved the boy's hips the way he wanted them to move. They had finished eating lunch a couple hours ago and Demyx had been trying to teach the boy how to dance.
Zexion frowned as he attempted for the sixth time the movement. "Demyx, I suck at this..." He said in his quiet voice.
"Now don't say that Zexy! Don't you want to be able to dance all sexy for Lexy?" the boy giggled and moved his hips in a sexual movement.
Zexion bit his lip and began to nod slowly. "I-I guess..." He couldn't help the blush that came to his face.
"Geez you are just too cute Zexion. Why don't you just tell Lexy how you feel?"
Zexion crossed his arms and shrugged. "I ask too much of him as it is...I'm just too shy..." He added quietly.
Demyx frowned. "But Zexy..." he trailed off when he saw Lexaeus walking up to them.
The tall man put an arm around the boy's waist and pulled him into a hug. "Hey shorty."
Zexion grinned knowing what was coming next and looked up at the blue-eyed man. "Hey! You're finished already?"
"Yep." he said and kissed the top of the boy's head. "Were you a good boy?"
Zexion nodded quickly and turned in the tall man's grip. "I was, wasn't I Demyx?"
Demyx sighed and smiled sadly. "A perfect angel. Like always." he said and clasped his hands behind his back.
The small boy shook his head at Demyx's answer. "Can we go now?" Xigbar walked out of the tent he shared with Demyx and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Morning." He greeted as he stretched.
Demyx smiled and turned to his lover. "Good morning Xiggy!" he said happily and went over to hug the scarred man.
Xigbar smiled at the boy and ruffled his hair. "What's up?" He asked as he rubbed Demyx's back. Zexion glanced to the two and suddenly held tightly to Lexaeus' shirt, staring at the fairly new member to the group.
Lexaeus put his hands on the boy's shoulders and squeezed. "It's ok Zexy, it's only Xigbar." he whispered.
Zexion bit his lip and nodded, still unconvinced. "He just...he seems scary..." He whispered back to the tall man.
"It's just the eye patch and scars. He just like me Zexy. There's no reason to fear him." he said softly and leaned down to kiss the top of his head.
"I guess..." He looked up at Lexaeus. "Can we go into town now?"
Lexaeus sighed then led the boy away from the happy couple. "Sure. Come on Zexy."
Xigbar watched as the two started to leave camp and cocked his head to the side. "I recognize the big guy but...who's the little one?"
Demyx sighed sadly and watched them leave. "That's Zexion. He's not exactly what you would call a people person."
Xigbar frowned noticing the change in Demyx's voice. "From what I heard he doesn't sound too bad. Quiet, couldn't understand a word he said."
"Me and Lexy are the only two in this camp he'll talk to. He's too scared of anyone else." he said and leaned on the taller man's chest.
Xigbar rubbed the back of his neck in confusion. "I thought, you guys didn't have to fear anything...that everyone accepts you for who you are, why is he so afraid to talk to anyone else?"
Demyx looked down and wrapped his arms around himself. "He was raped."
Xigbar pulled Demyx close and hugged him from behind. "I see." He said after a moment and leaned his head against Demyx's. "That's a pity."
"Yeah especially because he won't tell Lexy how he feels." he paused and wiped his eyes. "It makes me sad."
"Maybe...he's afraid of opening up too much...What about...Lexy? How does he feel about him. They look friendly enough." Xigbar rose a thumb to wipe at Demyx's cheek.
"Zexion is madly in love with Lexy. But he doesn't want to "burden" Lexaeus with his feelings."
"But how does Lexaeus feel toward him?" Xigbar repeated and let go of Demyx. "You say your religion is love so why wouldn't you want to pursue it?"
"Madly in love with him." he sighed. "Lexy doesn't want to scare him with his feelings."
Xigbar shook his head. "Just doesn't make sense." He murmured and turned towards the tent. "It's sad that they feel they have to conceal each others emotions for each other...someone should...open their eyes."
"I've been trying for ages. But neither of them will give in. And I just can't tell both of them that they love each other, they need to confess their feelings to each other on their own."
"Sounds frustrating." Xigbar said simply and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I guess you can only give them time to figure it out, but...they might miss out on each other if they wait too long."
"Zexy is already in so must pain... he needs Lexaeus' love." he whispered and turned to bury his face into Xigbar's chest.
Xigbar hugged the boy close to him and ran a hand through his hair, comfortingly. "They'll figure it out soon enough, don't worry."
"It hurts me to see wasted love..." he whispered and wrapped his arms around Xigbar's waist.
"You think it's wasted?" The scarred man turned the boy's head up to look at him. "Love is never wasted."
"But Xiggy it doesn't do them any good if they're refusing each other." he whined. "I just want them to be together and happy..."
"Then why can't you just tell them that they love each other? Because it's less romantic?" Xigbar rose an eyebrow.
"Because it isn't right for me to do that. It would have no meaning..." he whispered and cuddled closer to Xigbar.
"But at least they would be aware..." Xigbar mumbled and shrugged. "I can't say anything, I hardly know anyone here..."
Demyx smiled sadly. "It's ok Xiggy you'll get to know everyone sooner or later." he giggled and took Xigbar's hands in his own. "This is your home now after all."
"So how about you introduce me to some other people I don't know then? Or do you have other plans?" Xigbar smiled.
Demyx smirked. "My "other plans" can wait. I want you to meet everyone." he smiled and pulled Xigbar off through the camp.
~~~~~~~~Thursday: Late Afternoon~~~~~~~~
Zexion walked ahead of Lexaeus when he saw the town. "What kind of books do you think they have?"
"I don't know Zexy, but you can take all the time you need. We can be here all day if you want." he said with a smile.
"All day?" He turned to look at the older man with a slight smile. "What are you going to do?"
"Oh..." he shrugged with a smile. "Watch you."
"Th-that...that has to be boring." Zexion turned away and hid his blush.
Lexaeus smiled. "No it's not. I love watching you." he said softly and led the way down a street.
The boy bit his lip and held his arms close, unsure of what to say. "So...how much money do we have?"
"Don't you worry about that." he said with a smile and ruffled the boy's hair. "Just pick out two books that you want."
Zexion grinned and spotted the bookstore. "Thank you, Lexy!" He bit his lip when he shortened the man's name.
He looked over his shoulder at the boy. "You're welcome Zexy." he said quietly and pushed open the door to the store. Zexion passed under Lexaeus' arm and frowned slightly when he saw that there weren't that many books to choose from, but it was still two new fresh books so he wasn't complaining. Lexaeus closed the door behind them and smiled down at the boy. Zexion looked adorable when he was buried in books.
The small gypsy headed in no particular direction and started scanning the titles, starting from the bottom up. When he saw something he liked he pulled it out and flipped through a bit of the pages before shoving it back in, unhappy with it's contents. The older man stood at the end of the row happily watching the boy. He wanted to tell the boy his feelings, but was scared that his past would cause Zexion to pull away from him.
Zexion reached for another book and pulled it from the shelf, going through it like he did the other and placed the book gently on the floor once he felt satisfied with his decision. He then took a few steps back and looked up at the top row in thought and scanned any titles he had never heard before. When a small title caught his eye he reached for it but found that even jumping would get him no where close to grabbing it. With a sheepish look he glanced over at Lexaeus. Lexaeus chuckled and went over to the boy. "What is it Zexion? Can't you reach?"
Zexion shook his head, feeling embarrassed at his lack of height and pointed to the book he had been jumping for. "Of course not, It's too high."
Lexaeus smiled and retrieved the book without any complications. "Here." he said and put the book into the shorter boy's hands.
Zexion stared up at Lexaeus for a moment before bending down to grab the other book. "What do you think of this one?" He showed the picture-less book to the taller male.
"Do you like it? Is it interesting?" he asked and took the book from the boy.
"It seems pretty interesting from what I've read." He held the other book to his chest. "It's a little different from the books I have now."
"Well if you like them they're yours." he said as he flipped through the pages. Zexion smiled and walked tentatively to the store clerk and gently placed the book down on the counter.
The old women smiled at the youth. "It's so nice to see a young face in here."
Lexaeus walked up behind Zexion and put the other book on the counter. "Just these two please."
Zexion twiddled his thumbs and sucked on his lower lip, keeping eye contact to a minimum but nodded to the woman's statement. "Do you not... get many visitors my age?"
"Not unless they need a book for school." she said and checked the prices of the books, then gave Lexaeus the total.
Zexion frowned. "No one reads for fun?" The way he asked it sounded like everyone who didn't was strange.
"Not young people your age." she said and took the money that Lexaeus pulled from his money pouch.
"Oh...hey, do you have any cooking books?" He asked suddenly and pushed a bit of hair out of his face. "If you don't mind I'd like to look though one of them before I go." He added quietly.
"Cooking books?" Lexaeus raised an eyebrow and followed after the two once the woman came around the counter.
"I've not done it before but it looks really fun." Zexion followed the woman and shrugged. "I don't think anyone would mind if there was an extra set of hands."
The old woman smiled and pulled a small book from a shelf. "Here you go young man. Go ahead and take this one."
"You mean to keep?" Zexion cocked his head to the side as he took the book. The small book was stuffed with recipes and a small bookmark was placed in the middle.
"Of course. It's not everyday I get a special customer like you." she smiled and patted the boy's head. "Enjoy your books."
Lexaeus smiled and put a hand on Zexion's shoulder. "What do you say?"
Zexion smiled wide and bowed his head. "Thank you very much, Miss." He glanced up at Lexaeus and smiled.
"Good boy." he whispered as the woman walked away to the back room. "Come on, Lets go home."
The boy nodded and handed two of the three books to his friend and opened up the novel in his hands. "Was there anything you wanted to do before we left?" He asked as he began to read.
"Nope." he plucked the book out of the boy's hands and closed it. "Don't read while you're walking."
Zexion pouted and crossed his arms. "Why can't I? I do it all the time when I'm at camp." 'Following you around.' He added in his mind.
"That's different. In town you can run into strangers." he said and held the books in one arm while holding Zexion's hand with the other.
The boy held tighter to Lexaeus' hand and huddled closer to him, his bliss of book shopping long gone at the mention of strangers. "Ok, I just...I was just excited..."
"I know... I just don't want you to get hurt." he whispered and led the scared boy through town quickly.
It was at times like these when Zexion wanted to spill all of his emotions onto Lexaeus, when he was most frightened. Like in the morning he just wanted to confess all of it when Lexaeus held onto him but he knew that asking him to be more than he was might have the possibility of pushing him away.
He put his arm around the boy's shoulders and pulled him closer. "Don't be scared Zexion."
"I feel safe when I'm with you..." Zexion whispered and clung to his protector.
Lexaeus looked down at Zexion. "Good. That's what I'm suppose to do."
Zexion bit his lip and wondered if that's all they would ever be, victim and protector. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak but he couldn't pull the words from his mouth, he couldn't lose him completely.
Lexaeus stopped walking and looked down at Zexion. "Are you alright? Zexion, what's wrong?"
Zexion closed his mouth and shook his head, fear clutching at his heart in an attempt to strangle him. "I-I'm fine. Thanks again for the books." He smiled and looked to the auburn-haired man.
Lexaeus sighed and continued walking. "You're welcome Zexy."
The small male stopped once they were away from the village. "You know...you can always tell me whatever's on your mind. You know if something's bothering you?"
Lexaeus sighed again and sat down against a tree then set the books aside to pull Zexion into his lap. "Something has been bothering me."
Looking concerned, Zexion tilted his head to the side. "What...what's been bothering you?"
"You." he whispered and caressed the boy's face with a worried expression on his face.
"M...Me?" The boy became confused and watched the hand on his face. "What did I do?"
"You didn't do anything Zexion. I'm concerned about your dream, and you seem so much more distant now a days."
He didn't think he had changed too much. "I'm fine, that dream...was-it was just a dream, don't worry about it." He whispered.
"You have something that you want to tell me. I can tell." he eyed Zexion suspiciously. "Talk to me Zexy."
'I can't ask it, I can't ask it, It's too much.' Zexion thought. "No...I just, don't have many things that interesting to report." He tried not to blush and glanced around the area. "The grass is green, this tree is old, your shirt is white."
"Zexion." he took the boy's face in his hands and forced him to look into his eyes. "You're worrying me."
"Don't, there's nothing to worry about...what are you so worried about?" Zexion bit the inside of his lip.
Lexaeus sighed. "Fine. I'll get you to tell me eventually." he said and grabbed the boy's books.
Zexion stood up and rubbed his shoulder. "There's nothing to tell, Lex..."
Lexaeus lifted the teen out of his lap and stood up. "I don't understand why you don't trust me."
"Ah, but Lexaeus, I do!" Zexion frowned. "You're the only person I trust, aside from Demyx, but you more than he..."
Lexaeus stared down at the boy. "I fear that I'm losing you... Like you're pulling away into yourself."
Zexion sucked on his lower lip and scrunched his brow together and shook his head. "No...no, Lexaeus, not at all...I love your …company..." He bit back the impulse of saying that he loved just him in general. "Don't think like that..."
The older man sighed and pulled the boy up into his arms in a giant bear hug. "I'm sorry Zexion."
Zexion hugged him back and closed his eyes, wishing that there was more of this contact, rather than feeling like his child. "...It's fine..."
Lexaeus sighed and kissed the side of Zexion's neck. "Lets get back to camp."
The boy felt like a rag doll in Lexaeus' grip and nodded. "Lexaeus, please, stop sighing like that. You're making me feel paranoid."
"I'm sorry Zexion." he whispered and held the boy close. "I don't mean to worry you." he said as he started walking through the trees again after he set the boy down.
Zexion followed after Lexaeus quietly, thinking about how much he really had been trying to 'pull away'. If he just wasn't so scared of things maybe he could tell Lexaeus how he really felt instead of being secretive about it.
"So... what did you do with Demyx today?" he asked and held out his hand for Zexion to take.
Zexion grabbed his hand and shrugged, a blush coming to his cheeks. "O-oh, nothing...just talked, mostly."
"It looked like you were dancing." he said and glanced down at the boy.
"Y-yeah...that too, I'm not very good at it." He said quickly and stared at the ground.
"Why are you interested in learning how to dance?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"It looked fun." Zexion bit his lip. "It is fun, just...really hard to do, Demyx says I think to much, instead of just doing it."
He chuckled. "You do tend to think too much. You should listen to your heart more often and just go with what it says." he smiled and let go of the boy's hand when they entered the camp.
Zexion stopped at the edge of camp in thought, a sudden idea coming to mind. He didn't know how exactly to listen to his heart but he could formulate a plan well enough. Only figuring out how to do it would be the hard part. He continued to walk after Lexaeus and stared at the ground in thought, arm propped against the other, hand firmly planted on his chin.
Lexaeus stopped in front of Zexion so that the boy ran into him. "You're thinking about something again. Stop. Tell me what your thinking about, right now."
Zexion looked stupefied at the sudden demand. "I-I...Lexaeus, I'm just...I'm thinking, what are you thinking about right now?"
"I'm wondering why you're not taking my advice." he said and put a hand on his hip.
"I'm thinking about how to put your advice to work." Zexion frowned and held his arms close to himself.
Lexaeus sighed and placed a hand on Zexion's head. "Stop listening to this." he lowered the hand to his chest. "Start listening to this."
The boy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Space...I think I need some space." He said quietly and clasped his hands together tightly.
Lexaeus stared at the boy and took back his hand slowly. "Is that really what you want?"
"I...need to figure out how to...cope with this by myself." He couldn't bear to see the expression on his friends face.
"Of course..." he whispered and stepped away from the boy. His hand hung at his side in a fist. "I'll sleep in the wagon..."
"I'm sorry..." Zexion hoped he made the right decision in asking for 'space'. He needed time to think. The small gypsy wanted to be with him but he didn't know how the other man would react. "Please don't be mad."
"No. I'm not mad. I just don't want you to get scared. I want to protect you Zexy." he ruffled the boy's hair. "But if you want space I'll give it to you."
"Thank you, Lexy." He whispered and glanced around the camp. "I think I'm gonna try and talk to someone different...try to expand from being so wrapped up around myself,...you know?" He bit his lip.
"Will you be ok doing that by yourself?" he asked and held himself back from touching the boy.
"I have to start somewhere, why not one of the people we live with? I feel safe enough around them." Zexion looked up at Lexaeus.
"Do you want to talk to Roxas? Or Axel?" he asked and shoved a hand into one his pockets.
Zexion thought of the two others and shook his head. "Those two are always with each other, I don't want to bug them...Someone new to the family."
"Xigbar maybe?" he asked and looked over to where Demyx and Xigbar's tent was pitched.
"No...the one with the long pink hair...the fortune teller." Zexion nodded with that decision. "What's his name?"
Lexaeus nodded as he remembered the man they had picked up a few towns back. "Marluxia? He seems nice."
"Where's he at?" Zexion felt more confident with his choice. Maybe he could have some more clarity if he talked to a fortune teller about his problems, as ambiguous as he would put it.
Lexaeus pointed past their tent straight across camp, past the circular area for the bonfire to another tent. "He lives right there."
Zexion stared in the direction his friend pointed and nodded. "Ok...thanks." He took a few tentative steps forward, unused to making his own path and stopped, taking a moment to take a big breath. Then with determination shining in his eyes he walked towards Marluxia's tent.
Lexaeus stared after the boy, biting his lip then turned and went into his tent to grab a pillow and a blanket to sleep in the wagon.
Zexion stood a few feet outside of Marluxia's tent and looked around in an attempt to find the pink-haired man.
"Come in boy don't be so shy." a voice called from inside the tent.
Zexion poked his head into the tent and was amazed of the amount of stuff that was in the tent. "I...Hi..." He said sheepishly.
The pinked haired man smiled and motioned with a sweep of his hand for Zexion to come in and sit down. "Please. Sit."
Zexion took another look around the tent and slowly sat across from Marluxia, cross-legged. "Er...I'm Zexion."
He laughed and looked at the boy. "I know who you are silly boy. And I know why you're here in my tent."
"Y-you do?" Zexion twisted his baggy shirt sleeves and cocked his head to the side, he thought no one ever really noticed him.
"You know... the only thing you're doing is hurting the both of you." he said softly and crossed his legs.
He leaned forward. "What do you mean? I thought I was doing the right-" He stopped and bit his lip. "How do you know?"
"Child please, I don't need to use my powers to see that you're in love with that man. He just wants to protect you and make you happy, being away from each other is going to do nothing but rip at your heart." he said and lifted a cup of tea to his lips.
"I didn't want to burden him with my feelings, what if he doesn't feel that way about me?" Zexion stared at the cup in Marluxia's hands. This 'just talking' thing wasn't working the way he had hoped.
"Well what if he does feel that way about you?" he said and lowered the cup. "Would you like a cup?" he asked.
The boy nodded slowly and took a moment to think. "I never... thought that far..." He sat up straighter.
Marluxia stood up from his stool and went about making the boy a cup of tea. "Maybe your problem is that you're thinking too hard about the situation."
"I'm hearing that a lot lately..." The slate-haired boy mumbled and looked at his knees. "He told me to think with my heart and I panicked...so I told him I needed space." He whispered.
"Well then use the time you gave yourself wisely. This will let you know how it feels not to have him by your side." the man said and handed the boy the cup. "Careful it's hot."
Zexion took the cup with both hands and stared at the swirling steam, rising from it's contents. "So...what can you do?"
"Drink your tea, and I'll read your tea leaves." he said with a smile and sat down in front of the boy. "I also have my crystals, bones, and dice. I can do palm readings, tarot readings, too many to list really."
Zexion blew on the tea and took a small sip, the liquid burning his throat and placed the cup down. "You weren't kidding when you said it was hot..."
Marluxia smiled and grabbed the boy's wrist. "I'll read your palm while you wait for you tea to cool."
Zexion pulled his hand out of the fortune-teller's grasp and held it close to his chest. "S-sorry..." He slowly offered his hand back.
Marluxia smiled and patted the boy's hand. "That's quiet alright Zexion. I understand, I shouldn't have grabbed at you like that."
"So how does this work? You stare at the creases in my hand or something?" He asked quietly.
"Each line on your hand has a meaning." he whispered and ran a finger over a few of the creases. "Even the color of your skin."
"Really?" Zexion stared curiously at his hand and tried not to giggle at the tickle Marluxia was giving him.
Marluxia laughed and looked down. "Oh...! You have very well defined heart and sex lines." he chuckled. "So is your travel line, but that's to be expected. Your spirit line is lacking though, you need to have more faith boy." he said looking up into the boy's eyes.
Zexion bit his lip and shook his head in confusion. "What all does that mean?"
"We'll start with your heart line. You see here..." he pointed to the boy's heart line. "You have what's called a star, and that means you'll have plenty of happiness, and you have double lines which means that you have protection from a loved one." he smiled. "Sound familiar?"
Zexion nodded. "Of course, but I just pushed him away..." He whined quietly.
"True but that doesn't mean you've lost him forever. Lexaeus would never leave your side." Marluxia looked back at the boy's palm. "You need faith in yourself and in others." he said with a raised eyebrow.
"Others? Who? Lexaeus?" He bit his lip "Why did you say it like that?" He was even more confused.
"I'm just generalizing Zexion, calm down. It does most likely mean Lexaeus. You need to put more trust in him." he said softly. "As for your sex line... well let's just say you'll be doing more under the covers than just sleeping." he laughed and let go of the boy's hand. "I'll read the rest to you later... If you wish."
Zexion pulled his hand back and stared at the lines across his hand in wonder. "If you wouldn't mind...please." He took his cup of tea which was now considerably cooler and took another sip. "Does this tea do anything special?" He asked curiously.
"I'll be glad to give you a full reading sometime." he said and rested his hands in his lap with a smile. "Nothing that mother nature didn't intend for it to do. It's a kind of tea that soothes and relaxes the body."
"Oh..." Zexion tilted the cup back again and put the small cup down. "So, is it something learned or did you just know how to read fortunes?"
"It's a gift that I was born with, but yes it did take practice to make my skills perfect. I'm not like other fortune tellers boy, my powers are real and nothing to poke fun at." he whispered.
"Oh, I didn't say that they weren't...I was curious if you could...tell your own fortune?" Zexion took another drink of the tea, almost finishing it.
"Not all of the time. I can only see my own future when it wants me to see it." he said while looking at his nails.
"Does it ever get confusing for you? Like if you felt one way and your fortune said another?" Zexion fiddled with the cup in his hands unsure if he wanted to finish it.
"Oh plenty of times. But in the end one usually chooses what they want over what is right." he stared at the boy.
Zexion finished his tea slowly, deep in thought of what Marluxia said. He held tightly to the cup until he held it out for Marluxia to take.
Marluxia took the cup carefully and peered into the bottom in thought. He ran a finger around the rim. "Hmm... You're at a fork in the road in your life right now. One way leads to happiness while the other... to misery. Zexion, the leaves are saying that you're headed down the path of loneliness. If something doesn't change soon, you'll lose something very dear to you."
The boy bit his lip and fisted his palms in his baggy shirt. "I'm trying... Lexaeus told me that I have to stop thinking with my head and start listening to my heart. I'm not trying to push him away, I just need to figure out a way to say it to him... I already had this in mind, does that mean that that won't work?"
"Dear boy." Marluxia chuckled and rested his hands over the boys tight fists. "You're trying to plan out and rationalized something that's unpredictable. Love doesn't think things through, it just happens."
The small gypsy felt his heart sink. "Then if it just happens then, Lexaeus must not like me that way." He looked up. "He would have told me by now."
Marluxia gave him a knowing smiled and squeezed his hands. "Perhaps, but perhaps not. You'll just have to take a gamble and find out."
"I should... take time to figure this out completely..." He whispered and stared at his hands. "Or maybe I should just do what ever comes to my mind and do it without thinking." Zexion shook his head. "Neither choice sounds like they have fantastic outcomes." He mumbled.
"You need to do what your heart is saying. Tell me what you feel in your heart Zexion." he said softly.
It felt like his heart was trying to strangle him instead of talk to him at the moment. "I...I wish I could tell him but I just...can't..." He closed his eyes in an attempt to force the horrid feeling back to where it belonged.
"Now why can't you tell him? What's stopping you?" he let go of his fists and took Zexion's face in his hands. "Quit trying to bottle your emotions."
"I... I don't want to be rejected." He whispered as he allowed a tear fall down his face. "I don't want to take that risk and destroy what I have now."
Marluxia brushed the tear away. "Shh... What have I told you? Lexaeus would never leave you."
"What should I do?" Zexion rubbed another tear from his eyes and looked directly into the fortune-teller's. He had never noticed it, but his eyes were so beautiful that he found it difficult to hold the gaze. It seemed as if those sagacious blue orbs were peering directly into his soul.
"Tell him what you feel, child." he whispered then let go of Zexion's face slowly.
"I feel sick..."Zexion whispered, tearing his eyes away from Marluxia's and glanced out of the tent.
"You're just nervous." he said and cleared out the boy's cup. "Would you like some more tea? It might calm you down."
Zexion shook his head. "No. No thank you..." He bit his lip. "What if I can't do it? What if I freeze?"
"Then you just need to take a deep breath and let it all out." he put the cup into a bucket of water.
The boy stood up slowly and rubbed his hands in a worried fashion. "All of it?" He asked.
Marluxia looked up at him from his position on the floor. "Yes. Everything."
"O-ok. I'll just...find him right now and tell him how I feel." He took a few steps back.
The pink haired man smiled and motioned the boy away with his hand. "Go on then, and don't be a stranger."
Zexion nodded and thanked the fortune-teller before heading back out. Dinner was just about to start and he looked around for the tall man, but couldn't seem to find him amid the other gypsies. When he spotted Demyx he made a bee-line for him.
Demyx looked up from the large pot that he was stirring and smiled at his friend, then frowned when he got closer. "Zexy, what's going on? Have you been crying?"
"No...well yes, I have, but that doesn't matter...Have you seen Lexaeus?" He wiped his face again, wondering just how apparent it had been that he had lost some tears.
"He um… just left to go get some more fire wood. Why? Zexion what's going on?"
Zexion looked in the direction Lexaeus had chopped wood this morning and took a deep breath. "I'm gonna do it." He nodded and started heading off in that direction.
Demyx looked confused for a minute then a huge smile broke out of his face. "Finally..." he breathed and placed a hand over his heart.
Xigbar walked up behind Demyx and grabbed him from behind. "Finally, what?" He kissed the back of his neck.
Demyx turned in the man's arms quickly, almost smacking their heads together. "Zexion's going to tell Lexaeus his feelings!" he wrapped his arms around Xigbar's shoulders and hugged him tightly.
The scarred man looked at Zexion disappear into the woods an smiled. "I guess he wasn't so shy after all." He said as he hugged his lover.
Meanwhile further into the trees Lexaeus was busy chopping wood for the camp. He set down the heavy axe, leaning it against the tree stump he was using to chop wood and wiped his forehead.
Zexion walked past a branch that held Lexaeus' shirt and bit his lip when he saw his target. "L-Lexaeus?" A small voice said that couldn't possibly have been his own, yet it was.
Lexaeus turned and smiled at the boy. "Zexion, what are you doing here? I thought you were talking with Marluxia."
"I...I was..." He grabbed at his hand and rubbed it in worry. "I, realized something...while I was talking with him."
Lexaeus frowned and walked over to the worried teen. "What's wrong Zexion?" he asked softly and placed his hands on Zexion's shoulders.
"Nothing's wrong, I just...I uh...I wanted to tell you..." He shook his head as a bunch of thoughts collided in his head and took a deep breath.
Lexaeus bit his lip then went down to one knee in front of the boy. Was this is? Was this finally the time when Zexion said that he didn't need him anymore? His heart sank at the thought of losing the boy. "What?"
"I love you." He finally let out in whoosh of air. He closed his eyes and bit his lip, his heart pounding in his chest making it hard to breathe.
Lexaeus' heart stopped and he blinked then took breath to start his heart again. Zexion, the boy who he thought he could never have just told him that he loved him. Zexion loved him. He processed the words in his mind then pulled the boy close and pressed their lips together in a passionate kiss.
Zexion grabbed Lexaeus shoulders and kissed him back. His protector reciprocated the feelings! He hugged onto the strong neck and felt like crying he was so happy. Lexaeus wove his fingers into the boy's hair and pulled him closer. He pushed his tongue against Zexion's lips, trying to pry open his mouth. Zexion opened his mouth and blushed at his friend's urgency. He pushed himself closer to the man, wanting more contact. The older man's tongue found it's way into the teen's mouth and he started to memorize the taste of Zexion slowly. He ran his tongue over Zexion's teeth and moved his against the boy's tongue. Zexion tentatively pushed against Lexaeus' tongue and pushed a hand through the man's auburn hair.
The taller man pulled out of the kiss slowly and looked down at the boy. "Zexion..." he ran his fingers through his hair. "I love you..."
The boy buried his head in the man's chest and began to cry. "Oh, Lexy...I was, so afraid...so afraid you wouldn't feel this way.."
Lexaeus pulled the boy into his arms and stood up. "Now why wouldn't I feel the same?" He moved over to a tree and sat down with his back against the trunk of the tree. He petted the boy's head then lifted his face so he could look into his eyes. "Don't cry Zexy."
Zexion shifted so that he was straddling his love. "I can't stop...but they're the good kind..." He smiled as tears ran down his face in tiny rivulets.
Lexaeus smiled and wiped away the tears. "My beautiful Zexion." he whispered and pulled the teen close to kiss his forehead.
"Why didn't you tell me you felt this way?" He asked quietly and leaned his head on the man's chest.
"I didn't want to scare you... because of your past. I thought that telling you how I felt would push you away." he rested his hand on the back of Zexion's head. "If only I had known... I would have told you sooner..."
"If I was scared of you then I wouldn't have allowed you to get so close to me as you have..." He closed his eyes. "I didn't know how I could have possibly told you...I didn't want to seem so clingy..."
Lexaeus chuckled. "You can cling to me as much as you want Zexy. I wouldn't want you any other way. "
Zexion hugged him and smiled. "Don't worry, I will." He laughed quietly. "I'm sorry I told you I wanted space, I just...couldn't think of anything else to say quick enough."
"It's alright Zexion. I was just scared that's all. I thought you had outgrown me." he breathed and ran a hand up and down Zexion's back.
The boy shook his head and looked up at Lexaeus. "I could never outgrow you." He glanced behind him. "People will want their wood..."
The older man sighed and hugged Zexion tightly again. "Alright. I suppose our cuddling can wait until tonight." he said and kissed the boy.
Zexion stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "Do you want help carrying some of it back?
Lexaeus stood up and grabbed his shirt. "If you want. But I don't want you hurting yourself, ok?" he pulled on his shirt and walked over to the pile of wood.
Zexion looked at that pile and then back to Lexaeus. "Aside from it being heavy, what else could it do?"
"... Splinters?" he suggested and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'll be fine, a splinter will hurt but it won't kill me to do a little heavy-lifting." He grinned and walked up to a few pieces of the firewood and picked up three of them. "See?"
Lexaeus frowned then sighed and let the boy do as he liked. "Alright. Fine. Take them to our tent then I'll come back and get you for dinner ok?"
Zexion nodded with a smile and started heading back to their tent. Although they had both used 'our tent' before it now felt that it meant more than just 'our tent.'
Lexaeus watched the boy go then lifted the rest of the wood into his arms with a grunt, and walked out of the woods to distribute the firewood.
Zexion had to stop a moment to let his arms rest from holding the wood. "You're just about the same size as the books Lex bought today but you guys are just so heavy..." He pouted and bent over to pick up the large pieces of wood.
Lexaeus stopped next to the boy and looked down at him worried. "Are they too heavy?"
Zexion blushed and pulled them closer to his chest. "Ah, no, I'm fine, just not used to the weight is all." He rushed over to their tent embarrassed.
Lexaeus smiled and followed after the boy. He set four more pieces next to Zexions and looked down at him. "Do you still want to help?"
The smaller gypsy grinned sheepishly and shook his head slowly. "I guess not." He let out a short laugh.
"Ok just wait here." he said then turned to go and quickly hand out the wood.
Zexion sat on the pile of wood and stared at his hand., amazed at what Marluxia was able to read from it...and there was still more to tell from it.
"What's so interesting about your hand kid?" asked the red haired man who was looking over his shoulder.
The boy closed his hand quickly and looked over at his neighbor. "Huh? Oh, uh...I don't really know..." He clammed up and shoved his hands between his legs. "I went to Marluxia, the fortune-teller."
"Oh! Is he as odd as he looks?" he asked and sat down in front of the boy.
"Huh? No, not really, he's very...interesting, but not odd..." He rose an eyebrow. "Why, have you talked to him yet?"
"He makes Roxas paranoid. I think it's because he thinks Marluxia's prettier than him." he whispered.
"Ah well...He is...pretty." Zexion felt a little awkward. "Well, It's hard to look at his eyes."
"How so?" he tilted his head to the side and raised and eyebrow.
"He just... I can't really tell, it was tough to look at his eyes, they were so pretty." Zexion shrugged. "But Roxas shouldn't worry about that."
Axel laughed and looked over to his tent. "See Roxi? You have nothing to worry about!" he called out and a shoe came flying out of the tent aimed for the redhead.
"What is he so mad about? Did you say something to him about Marluxia?" He asked as he stared at Roxas' shoe.
"All that I said was that Marluxia's hair was pretty and that he HAS to be gay." he picked up the boy's shoe. "I'm afraid he's quiet angry with me."
"So he's jealous that you made an observation? At least that goes to show how much he likes you." Zexion said quietly.
Axel smiled. "Yeah. The kid's crazy about me. Aren't you Roxi?" he called out to the tent.
Roxas came out of the tent in a huff and arms crossed. "You never say anything about me like that." He said in reference to what Zexion had said about Marluxia's eyes.
"Roxi baby..." he stood up and went over to his lover. "You know you're the only one I look at. The only one I love." he wrapped his arms around the boy's waist and rested his hands on his ass. "Besides, you're not pretty."
Roxas rolled his eyes as a small blush came to his cheeks. He knew exactly what he was going to say and turned his head away from the red-head.
He leaned closer to the blond and nipped at his ear. "You're gorgeous and unbelievably sexy..." he purred in Roxas' ear.
Roxas bit his lip to prevent a smile and put his hands on Axel's chest. "You won't get dessert after dinner if you don't get off of me now." He warned and blushed. Zexion turned away from the two and felt his ears get hot and realized he was blushing as well.
"Well maybe I'll just have my desert before dinner then." the red-head smirked and picked the blond up carrying him into their tent.
Roxas gasped and pushed at Axel before willingly being brought back into their tent. Zexion looked down at the smaller fire in front of his own tent and wished that he had just taken one piece of firewood to get away from the over zealous lovebirds, known only as Axel and Roxas.
Lexaeus was handing over some firewood to three girls and glanced over his shoulder to see if Zexion was still waiting for him. A sudden thought occurred to Zexion and he suddenly stood up and marched over to the wagon behind the tent. He crawled into the back and noticed Lexaeus had already cleared a spot to sleep that night. Frowning he picked up the blanket and pillow and jumped back out of the wagon.
Lexaeus waved goodbye to the girls and walked back over to his own tent. "Oh you don't want me to sleep in the wagon anymore Zexy?"
Zexion looked up and shook his head. "Of course not, I ...I never really wanted you to sleep in the wagon in the first place." He mumbled and went inside the tent.
Lexaeus smiled and lifted the flap of the tent to watch his lover put the blanket and pillow back in their sleeping area.
"I mean..." He stopped and sighed. "How many times have I stopped, opened my mouth to say something and then shut it and keep walking?"
"Quite a few times actually." He said and stepped into the tent. "I never really understood why you wouldn't tell me what you were thinking though."
"That's because I really wanted to tell you that I loved you but then I stopped to think about how you would react and decided it best not to mention anything." Zexion crossed his arms and turned to face Lexaeus. "This thing is why I never told you." He pointed at his head.
Lexaeus chuckled and stepped closer to the boy. "I'm so happy you finally told me." he whispered and took Zexion's face in his hands. "I love you."
The boy smiled and wrapped his arms around the man's neck. "I love you too." He said before pulling him into a kiss.
Lexaeus smiled and closed his eyes, pulling the boy closer by putting his arms around his waist.
Zexion opened his mouth slightly and poked at Lexaeus' lips with his tongue.
Lexaeus moaned into the kiss then pulled out quickly. "No. No we have to wait. It's dinner time."
Zexion licked his lips and nodded feeling slightly embarrassed. "Yeah..." He let his hands slip down the older mans chest.
"But tonight... Later..." he took Zexion's face into his hands. "I'll make you mine." he whispered and kissed his forehead. "If you want to that is..."
"If I don't freak out, then you're in the clear." Zexion whispered and bit his lip. "I do want to..."
Lexaeus frowned and kissed the boy gently. "I'll be careful and gentle...I promise."
The small gypsy smiled. "I know you will. I feel safest...in your arms." He pulled away and crossed his arms. "I've only told Demyx...who probably told Xigbar."
"The whole camp probably knows by now." he whispered and ran his fingers through the boy's hair. "But I suppose that doesn't matter."
Zexion closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, it doesn't." He looked up. "All that matters is that it's true."
Lexaeus smiled and kissed his forehead. "How did your talk with Marluxia go?" he asked and held open the flap of the tent.
"Very good, thank you." He said as he stepped out of the tent. "He told me to have faith, apparently I lack much of it." He joked.
"Oh is that so?" he walked out behind Zexion and looked up at the redhead who emerged from the tent across from theirs with a red hand print on his face.
Zexion looked at Axel funny and was about to open his mouth when Roxas yelled at Axel. "Can't you stay quiet for just two minutes?"
"But Roxi... " he whined and held his arms out. "I was just teasing..."
Roxas came out of the tent and frowned at his lover. "I'm having a hard time figuring out which is which, with you, you always say stuff with the straightest of faces!"
"I'm sorry..." he said and went to place his hands on the boy's waist. "I love you Roxi... I just wanted to... you know... turn you on..."
Roxas batted the green-eyed man's hands away and stomped towards the others of the camp, unwilling to deal with his lover's antics. "What...what did you say to him?" Zexion asked quietly.
Axel blushed and rubbed the back on his neck. "Let's just say that Roxi can get impatient..." he sighed and walked after his lover. "Roxi... Come on..."
Zexion shook his head. "Have I been completely blind to this?" He waved at the other tent dismissively. "I know they're together but has Roxas always been this way?" He began to walk towards the others.
"Roxas has a weird temperament. He gets jealous easily and doesn't have the best patience."
Zexion shrugged. "I'd never do that to you." He laughed quietly. "'Course I wouldn't expect that from you either."
"No I would never act like that to you." he chuckled and grabbed the boy's hand in his own.
Zexion took a deep breath of the smells of dinner. "If it weren't for Marluxia you would still be sleeping in the wagon tonight. If I hadn't decided to speak with him...I should really thank him for the pep talk."
"As should I." he said and lifted the boy's hand to kiss it. "I was close to telling you myself..."
Zexion smiled and looked around the group for the pink-haired man but couldn't seem to find him. "Hmm, he must still be in his tent..." Zexion thought aloud.
"He usually eats in his tent... when his powers are bothering him. Something about too much energy in the whole camp."
"Hmm." Zexion frowned and looked up at Lexaeus, do you think it would be ok to just pop in and say thanks?"
"I suppose." he said and changed their course so that they walked past the big bonfire in the middle of the camp where dinner was being served.
Zexion stopped short of entering the tent and hit the closed flap of the tent gently. "Marluxia?"
"Come in." came a quiet voice.
The boy walked into the fortune-teller's abode and smiled despite Marluxia's wearied look. "I wanted to thank you for speaking with me, Marluxia."
Lexaeus walked in behind the boy still holding his hand.
The pink haired man looked up from his tea making and smiled when he saw their linked hands. "It appears you've gained some courage, child."
The term 'child' made Zexion feel smaller. "Yes, I...I have." The boy nodded and glanced to Lexaeus. "Uh, were you not coming to join the other's for dinner?" Zexion rose his eyebrows inquisitively.
"Not tonight I'm afraid." he smiled at the boy and went back to pouring some hot water into a tea cup. "I'm feeling rather sensitive tonight."
"Oh." He said with a simple nod. "Well, thank you for helping me out." He squeezed Lexaeus' hand gently.
"Yes..." he squeezed his new lovers hand back. "Thank you."
Marluxia smiled and let out a small chuckle. "Maybe I should look into being a match maker as well. You're very welcome."
"Well, I'll leave you be." Zexion started to back out of the tent dragging Lexaeus behind him.
Lexaeus followed him and decided that their hands touching wasn't enough contact and lifted the boy's into his arms.
The slate-haired boy gasped in surprise and looked up at Lexaeus with a blush. "What...?"
"Not enough." he whispered and nuzzled the boy's neck. "I wanted to hold you."
"Everyone's going to think something's wrong with my legs..." He said sheepishly as he fiddled with the edge of his sleeve.
"Let them think what they want." he muttered as he made his way back to the bonfire. "You don't seem to be protesting much."
Zexion smiled and bit his lip. "I like it when you hold me. "He whispered.
"Well I guess that's a good thing because I love holding you." he laughed and looked into the boy's eyes.
Zexion touched the tall gypsy's cheek and sighed happily. "I love you so much."
"I love you too Zexy." he kissed the boy quickly but pulled away once they were in the light of the fire.
An unexpected whine came from Zexion and he blushed as he scrambled out of Lexaeus' arms to sit beside Demyx.
Lexaeus stared after the teen surprised at the sound then laughed, and went to get them some food.
Demyx smiled as the boy sat down. "Zexy!"
"Uh, hey..." Zexion smiled a small bit and stared into the fire. "So what are we having tonight?"
"Larxene and her mother made a stew from some of the left over deer that Saix caught the other day." he said and looked over at Xigbar who had started to talk to Lexaeus.
"So...you and the little guy..." Xigbar started and smiled. "He looks happy." He turned back to Lexaeus and nudged him with his elbow. "What made it official?"
Lexaeus glanced over his shoulder at Zexion. "He confessed and that was pretty much it. Happiest day of my life." he whispered the last sentence.
Xigbar laughed and held his and Demyx's bowls. "'Confessed' makes it sound like something bad, like he had to tell it to you so he wouldn't feel bad anymore." He looked over at the boy. "But I guess it's halfway true, he does look like he's enjoying life just a smidge more."
"Yeah well... he's been acting strange lately. I'm just glad he finally told me." he said and took two bowls from a older woman standing at a large pot.
"Well, what if he didn't?" Xigbar asked and started to head towards the younger boys.
"I was probably going to crack and tell him in the next town." he shrugged.
"Ah. Well...he would have reciprocated." Xigbar said simply before stopping behind Demyx to hand him his bowl and spoon.
The other man did the same and sat down on the bench next to Zexion. "Careful, it's hot."
"Oh, thank you, Lexy." Zexion held his spoon and twisted it around in the stew with a thoughtful look on his face.
Lexaeus smiled and started eating his own stew. "Hey, what are you thinking about." he said after a while.
"Thinking about tonight." He said quietly and finally took a spoonful into his moth after blowing on it.
Lexaeus blushed slightly. "What about tonight?"
"Just thinking about later. You know.." He stopped stirring his stew and looked directly at his lover. "Don't take it the wrong way if I say no." He whispered.
He stared at the boy then sighed. "Damn... It's too early for you isn't it?" he said and looked into his bowl.
Zexion placed a hand on Lexaeus' shoulder and shook his head. "No, no I just...I don't know...how long have you wanted...?"
He set his bowl aside and held his head in his hands. "I'm ashamed to admit it but... God... A month after you came to stay with us."
"That was...quite a while ago." He squeezed the older man's shoulder and rubbed his back. "You look so dismal about it, there's nothing wrong about it, Lex." Zexion smiled.
"Yeah but I always felt so guilty, I mean because of what you went through." he placed a hand on Zexion's hand.
"What did I do that made me seem so attractive?" Zexion picked up his spoon again.
"It's nothing that you did really." he said and picked up his bowl again. "It was how you looked at me. How you held on to me, and clung to me so desperately at night. And how you followed me around camp." he smiled.
Zexion blinked. "I...I really clung to you?" He thought back to previous morning and realized how much he had attached himself to the other man. "I'm sorry! I mean, not now but I must have been so confusing..." Zexion blushed.
"Confusing, yes. But really I loved every minute of it." he smiled at the boy and lifted another spoonful to his mouth.
"Hmm? I must have done more than cling to you then." Zexion smiled as he took another sip of his stew.
Lexaeus sputtered and choked on the bite of stew. "Wh-what is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh come on, proximity is nice but not *that* nice." He put his spoon back in the bowl and turned towards the man. "Tell me what I do in my sleep."
"Nothing! You just hold onto me... that's all." he said with a blush. "And when I held you, you always seemed to calm down. I love the fact that I can make you feel so safe."
"Maybe it's because I drop my guard around you, I'm glad you didn't take advantage of me." He whispered and leaned on the older man.
Lexaeus' eyes widened at the mere thought. "I... I would never!" he said and put an arm around the boy's shoulders.
"I know, and that's why I love you." Zexion stared at his stew and sighed.
He smiled and kissed the top of the boy's head. "I love you too. Finish your dinner Zexy."
Zexion spooned the last of the stew into his mouth and stood up after pulling the spoon out of his mouth. "Are you done?" He asked and held his hand out to take the bowl from him.
Lexaeus poured the rest into his mouth without the use of the spoon and handed Zexion the bowl after standing up.
The small gypsy walked over to the bucket where used dishes landed and turned to see Lexaeus behind him. "How have we switched roles?" He laughed.
"What can I say?" he lifted Zexion into his arms. "I can't let you out of my sight."
The boy blushed and glanced towards their tent. "You're so eager." He smiled and lifted a hand to Lexaeus' face. "I doubt that I could say no..."
"Well don't be scared to say stop." he said and nuzzled the boy's neck.
Zexion smiled and kissed Lexaeus' cheek. "I want you... so take me..." He whispered quietly. "I'm not afraid."
Lexaeus blushed slightly and quickened his steps. "I'm just saying... in case you do get scared..."
"Don't psych me up to be scared then." Zexion pouted slightly.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered and kissed the boy's forehead. Zexion looked up to catch his lover's lips in a kiss, holding his face in his hands as he twisted in Lexaeus' grip. Lexaeus' eyes widened and he held Zexion tightly. He carefully made his way into their tent and lowered the boy onto the animal skin bed. Zexion tugged slightly at Lexaeus' shirt and pulled him closer into a more passionate kiss. Lexaeus placed his hand on the ground next to Zexion to keep his balance. He pushed his tongue into Zexion's mouth and used his other hand to lift up the boy's shirt. Zexion moaned quietly and raised his legs to wrap around the older gypsies waist as he pushed back on the intruding tongue. Lexaeus moaned into the kiss and pulled out of the kiss to pull off the shirt, then went back to kissing the teen. The boy ran a hand up under Lexaeus' shirt and smiled when he felt the ripple of muscles underneath. Lexaeus pulled out of the kiss to smile down at his lover. "What?" he asked referring to the boy's smile.
Zexion blushed and sucked on his lower lip. "You're strong...but that's obvious...I like how you feel."
Lexaeus laughed and ran his fingers over a pink nipple. "Well I like how you feel too."
The boy gasped and pulled the man's shirt over his head. "I've asked you already, do I have to say it again?" He whispered and touched Lexaeus' ear.
Lexaeus smiled and grabbed Zexions hand then kissed it. "I love you so much." he whispered then kicked off his pants. Zexion blushed and bit his lip, unable to say anything. He pulled his lovers hand down to the edge of his own pants and tentatively rested his hand there.
The older man smiled and pulled off the boy's pants. "Are you ok?"
"Ah...Yes, I'm fine..." He whispered and nodded. "I'm alright."
Lexaeus caressed the boy's face and kissed his forehead. "I'm going to make you feel good first ok?"
Zexion looked up at Lexaeus in confusing unsure of what his lover meant. "What do you...?"
"Shh." he silenced him with a small kiss and pulled Zexion's legs from his waist. Zexion closed his eyes and let Lexaeus take control. He kissed him back gently and parted his lips only slightly.
Lexaeus pulled out of the kiss slowly. "Relax Zexy..." he whispered and moved down the boy's body until his head was level with Zexions' hips.
Zexion blinked in realization and his eyes went wide. "L-Lexy?" He lifted himself up on his elbows to look at his lover in surprise.
"Calm down." he whispered and kissed the tip of Zexion's length. "Don't be so nervous." Zexion went red and bit his lip with a very slight nod. He closed his eyes again and tilted his head back. Lexaeus smirked up at the boy the took the length into his mouth. He placed his hands on Zexion's hips and started to moved his head up and down. Zexion moaned and grabbed the fur underneath him tightly. It took all of his being to not buck his hips in response to the man. Lexaeus smirked and started to bob his head faster wanting to hear more of the boy's voice. Zexion gasped and covered his mouth, his blush staying ever present on his face. He felt like his body was on fire due to the amount of pleasure Lexaeus gave him. A few whimpers passed his hand with each bob. Lexaeus started to move his head faster and let his hands travel up the boy's chest where his fingers danced over Zexion's nipples.
A muffled moan came from Zexion and he felt like the arm that was supporting his upper body was going to give out. The boy bit his lip and pulled his other hand back for more support. "L-Lexy, I..." He whined.
Lexaeus pulled his mouth off of the boy's erection and looked up at him. "Close?" he asked while taking a hand from Zexion's chest to stroke his length. The boy hissed in a breath and nodded his head largely. Without any prompting he felt himself come into Lexaeus' hand and finally gave up on trying to hold himself up. Lexaeus looked down at his cum covered hand and smirked. He moved back up so that he was laying next to the boy. "Are you alright?" he asked while licking at his hand.
Zexion turned his head towards Lexaeus and nodded his head. "I'm...fantastic…" He whispered between breaths.
Lexaeus smiled at the boy. "Do you want to keep going?" he asked after he was done cleaning his hand.
Zexion pursed his lips in thought and looked up at the ceiling of their tent. He already felt out of breath and was unsure if he could continue. "I...I don't know..."
He lifted a blanket over the naked boy's body. "I'll let you go to sleep then."
The small gypsy pulled Lexaeus close and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Lexy." He whispered quietly.
The bigger man pulled the blanket over himself and pulled Zexion against his naked body. "I love you too Zexy."
Zexion cuddled closely to his lover and closed his eyes whispering a 'good-night' as his nerves started to calm down from the exciting experience.