Title: My devotion to you is never servile…
Author: kira
Rating: OT
Words: 500
Characters: Soma, Agni, Meena
Summary: Agni feels it's his duty to look after Soma in everything…

Author's note: Special thanks to my beta, Jen, for looking this over.

Author's note 2: I have decided that Soma probably had a pet to help ease his loneliness and Shu-shu the mongoose was born, since they were often kept as a natural pest control.

888

"Why do you run after him all the time?" Meena asked. "I know it's hard to believe, but he's not a baby, Agni, and the more you chase after him the worse he gets."

Agni regarded her politely. "It is my duty to do so."

"Are you a pet like Shu-shu? Or is there another reason?"

He stared blankly at her. "Now, if you'll excuse me?" He bowed to her in the traditional manner. "I have things I need to do," he said, before leaving.

"You may run after him now, Agni, but you'll soon tire of him like everyone else," she called out to him as the women she was with laughed.

Agni briefly stiffened at her words, but continued onwards. He could not understand how anyone in the palace could hate the prince. Agni found him to be starved for attention and a boy with no real guidance in how to be a man. As such, Agni felt it was his duty to help him. Besides, Agni was no stranger to excess and it was a simple matter to temper Soma's behavior and shape him into the man Agni should have been.

It did not take him long to find Soma. The prince was sitting forlornly in an old forgotten garden pavilion, feeding bits of a chapatti to some peafowl. He looked far younger than his sixteen years and as Agni approached, he barely acknowledged him.

"Namaste, my prince." Agni gave him the traditional greeting.

Soma silently returned it. Before the silence could settle between them, he said, "I've heard the gossip. Agni…"

"Pay it no mind, my prince; it's just the wagging of idle tongues."

Soma shrugged.

"I would happily serve you no matter what. No task would be too menial or too hard."

"Yeah?" Soma's expression brightened.

Agni nodded as he knelt before him. "You're my god, my world, my everything…"

Soma, throwing his arms around him, hugged him. "I like you too, Agni…" he said shyly as he let go. "But there is one thing I'm curious about…" he added, blushing a little. "Would you truly do whatever I desire?"

"You have but to ask, my prince."

"I have heard that … ummm…" Soma flushed. "The Kama Sutra contains stuff that is like reaching nirvana…"

"I have read it and I know some of that is not possible or painful for one or both of you… What is it that you wish me to do?"

"I want you to help me lure Meena into my bed so that I could…"

"No…"

Soma blinked. "No?"

"If it pleasure you're looking for, you have but to ask, my prince."

"I thought you weren't going to help me."

"I won't help you there, but I do know things she'd have no knowledge of."

"Yeah?"

Agni nodded. "I know how to reach nirvana…"

"Then show me!"

"If that is what you desire, my prince, so shall it be," Agni said as he reached for the ties on Soma's churidars…