Sorry in advance for the monstrous long chapter but I wanted to reach a certain point in the story and this has been the result ^^
Also, I had quite a trouble when deciding how to indicate the timeline of the story, so to try to make it in the clearest possible way I indicate the years that are passing AND the total time from the present of the story. Also, if someone is having doubts about the ages of the characters I remind that when Dezel joins the Windriders he is 10, meaning that Rose is 8, Edna is 11, Lailah and Zaveid are 16, and Eizen is 18.
I hope not having confused you even more ^^U
WARNING: as I commented, the rating of the fic has changed ;) And also sorry because I haven't had time to re-read the chapter as much as I wanted so probably there will be even more grammar mistakes than usual -.- I'll correct them the fastest I can, I promise :)
2 years later (10 years ago the present day)
"So…", Lailah said while using a wet cloth on Dezel's forehead, where a fresh wound was bleeding slightly, "what you are saying is that you've got this wound when training the animals, right?"
"Yep. That's it"
Lailah raised an eyebrow with a skeptical expression on her face while staring at the other bruises that were adorning Dezel's cheeks and hands.
"Rose?", Lailah turned to look at the redhead next to Dezel, "is that true?"
Rose blinked a couple of times but after a brief pause she gave a quick nod.
"Yes, it's true. As Dezel has said one of the wolves was a little exalted and has hurt him accidentally"
Lailah half-closed her eyes.
"I thought that Dezel had said that it had been a dodo…"
Rose gulped and was about to rectify when Dezel intervened with a confident explanatory tone.
"Yeah, they have been both. A wolf and a dodo"
"Y-yes, that's it", Rose said with a nervous smile.
Lailah exhaled a sigh, and after looking alternatively at the two kids she finally shook her head with resignation.
"Be more careful the next time, alright?", she ended saying while placing a sticking-plaster on Dezel's forehead, making the two kids exhale respective relieved sighs.
"Okay. Thanks a lot Lailah", Dezel said with a wide smile before leaving the tent in a hurry, forcing Rose to run after him.
Lailah exhaled another sigh just when Eizen was entering the tent from the back, with an amused smile on his lips.
"Maybe I'm mistaken but I think that those wounds weren't made by animals…"
Lailah smiled resignedly.
"Of course they weren't", Lailah's tone turned concerned, "do you think that I should have been harder on them?"
"Nah", Eizen said shaking his head, "besides, I'm sure that Lafarga knows what Dezel is doing so don't worry about it"
Lailah nodded, relieved by Eizen's reassuring words.
"Still, if Dezel ends suffering a serious wound I'm going to have a serious talk with that irresponsible man for being such a bad influence"
Eizen chuckled when hearing Lailah's threatening tone.
"In that case, I hope that he is prepared to run", he said with a joking tone, "because no one makes Lailah 'the Pure' angry and lives to speak about it"
"Phew! That was close!"
Rose let out an exaggerated grumpy sigh and situated herself in front of Dezel with her arms crossed in front of her chest.
"It's the last time that I cover you", she snapped, causing Dezel to let out a laugh.
"Oh, come on, it's not been that bad", Dezel said with a cheery tone, "after all Lailah hasn't discovered us even if you have said a different animal"
Rose blushed a little when Dezel mentioned her mistake and shook her head.
"Anyway, you should be more careful if you don't want Lafarga to discover that you are training more than you should with Zaveid's pendulums"
Dezel snorted.
"Look who is talking", he said grabbing one Rose's wrists and rolling up her sleeve to expose several marks, "if you aren't careful enough when training with daggers you'll be in trouble too"
Rose clicked her tongue and slapped Dezel's hand away, rolling down her sleeve again rapidly.
"Besides, at least now we know where she is keeping the medicine", Dezel added with a happy tone that caused Rose to end smiling as well.
"Yeah, that's true", she admitted.
"Tsk, I warn you that the medicine is not going to cure the hits of my umbrella if you end badly hurt for being a couple of bakas"
Dezel and Rose jumped startled when Edna suddenly appeared next to them.
"Bah, you say that but you are the one who helps us when we end hurt", Dezel replied with a smile, causing Edna to roll her eyes.
"Whatever", she said with her usual monotone tone before opening her umbrella, "by the way, shouldn't you be training with the animals right now?"
Dezel grunted with frustration.
"I'm tired of the animals already. I want to be a Wind Seraph like Lafarga and Zaveid", he protested with a sulking tone.
"And I want to do my daggers show!", Rose added as well.
Edna sighed and used her umbrella to hit Dezel and Rose's head with enough force to make the two kids exhale an 'ouch'.
"Okay, animal-haters, can you repeat aloud what is the motto of the Windriders?"
Dezel and Rose rolled their eyes at the same time before reciting the motto in unison.
"We always have to do our best while performing, without caring about being watched by one person or by thousandths"
"There you have it", Edna said, "an now let's go or I'll tell Lafarga that you have been slacking off"
"Okaay", Dezel said with a resigned tone before following the blond girl back towards the animal tent. He couldn't wait to end with that training to come back with Zaveid.
A couple of hours later Dezel was entering the big top where Zaveid and Lafarga were training. As always, he remained completely quiet while observing with amazed eyes how the two men were able to walk for that extremely high tightrope, and how they were able to keep using their pendulums up there as comfortably as if they were in the ground.
Dezel let out a deep sigh. He knew that he was too impatient for wanting to do that show as well even when he hadn't been authorized yet to fully train with the pendulums but he couldn't help it. Even if he didn't mind to work with animals and even if he had a hand with them, he was a little tired of doing just that.
Okay, it was true that with Zaveid's help he had been able to train with the pendulums much more than he should, but still he couldn't wait to be in the stage together with the 'Wind Seraphs'.
At that moment Lafarga and Zaveid finished the training show and Dezel began to applaud automatically, causing the men to look down at him with wide smiles on their faces.
"Aren't you tired of seeing us doing the same again and again?", Zaveid joked when he was finally on the ground, approaching him to ruffle his hair.
"Nope", Dezel said with a smile, "besides, you are always improvising something new so it's never the same"
"Yes, and although I'm glad that you have such a talent to improvise I would prefer that you waited to test your inventions until being sure that they aren't going to make you break your neck", Lafarga commented with a certain reproachful tone while fixing his eyes on Zaveid.
"Tsk, you're such a worrywart", Zaveid commented with a teasing tone while situating his hands behind his head, "how many times I've fallen because of my movements?"
Lafarga let out a sigh.
"Never", he admitted, making Zaveid exhale a triumphant laugh.
"There you have it", he said with a proud tone.
Lafarga let out another sigh and smiled with resignation before turning to look at Dezel.
"Please, Dezel, try to convince this knucklehead to be careful. Probably he will listen to you more than me", Lafarga said with such an exaggerated desperate tone that caused Zaveid to laugh before patting his teacher's shoulder reassuringly.
"Maybe it doesn't look like it but I'm always careful", Zaveid commented before winking at Dezel, "after all, if something happened to me who would teach this shrimp how to manipulate a pendulum properly?"
"Hey, don't call me shrimp!", Dezel protested with such an offended tone that Zaveid laughed loudly.
"Sorry, kid, but you don't even reach my shoulder yet so you… are… a… shrimp", Zaveid said with a teasing tone while flicking Dezel's forehead, causing the kid to half-close his eyes at him.
"Lailah always says that I'm going to be taller than you one day, so when that day comes you will be the shrimp", Dezel threatened.
"Yeah, it may be true, but for now…", Zaveid said with a casual tone before suddenly grabbing Dezel in the air and turning him upside down, causing the kid to exhale a surprised cry before beginning to laugh, "…you are a shrimp and consequently I can do this to you and you can't do anything to prevent it!"
"Okay, okay!", Dezel begged between laughs when Zaveid began to swing him, "I give up, I give up!"
Zaveid swung Dezel a last time before finally placing him on the floor.
"Dezel, you shouldn't let this bully do whatever he pleases or he will get used to it", Lafarga said with an amused smile before walking out the tent, leaving the two youngsters alone.
"Hey, do you want me to show you the new moves that I've learnt?", Dezel said with an enthusiastic tone.
"Yeah, of course, but before that…", Zaveid brushed Dezel's bangs away from his forehead to expose the wound that Lailah had just treated, "…what is this?"
Dezel gulped, because even if Zaveid wasn't angry his tone had turned more serious.
"Umh…well, I…"
Zaveid placed his hands on his hips.
"You've been trying to do the trick that I told you NOT to do yet, right?"
"No", Dezel lied, but when seeing the way Zaveid half-closed his eyes he immediately rectified, "okay, yeah, I've tried it but I just did it a couple of times and I was about to make it and…"
"Dezel…"
Dezel shut up when Zaveid's tone acquired a hint of warning and averted his eyes, an apologetic expression on his face.
"I'm sorry…", he muttered, still not looking at Zaveid, who bended down a little to situate his face at Dezel's level.
"Look, kid", Dezel looked at Zaveid again and this one was relieved when seeing him smiling again, "I understand your impatience for trying new things every time because I am the same. I always want to test my skills and see how far I can go. But…", Zaveid placed a hand over Dezel's shoulder, "we have a deal, remember? I teach you techniques that Lafarga would prefer you not to know yet because they can be a little dangerous but in exchange you promise to follow my indications. And believe me, kid, if I don't let you do some techniques yet is because they are more than a little dangerous, understood?"
Dezel nodded.
"Okay. I promise that I won't disobey you anymore", he said, but then he couldn't help to add with a proud tone, "but so just you know I was reaaaally close to do that technique"
Zaveid burst out laughing while shaking his head.
"I don't doubt it, Dezel-chan, after all you have the luck of having me as your teacher", Zaveid said with an amused tone, "okay then, don't you want to show me some new moves?"
Dezel smiled widely and nodded effusively, adopting his starting position.
"You'll see. This time I won't fail not even once"
Zaveid chuckled and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Okay, Dezel-chan. Impress me"
"The next time I won't fail, you'll see"
Zaveid chuckled when Dezel muttered that with a sulking tone, because despite his initial confidence Zaveid had managed to find some mistakes in his moves that he hadn't been able to refute.
"Come on, don't be that hard on yourself. You are failing less and less", Zaveid praised, but Dezel kept frowning with frustration, his hands buried in the pockets of his trousers, "look, it took me a couple of months to learn that technique. You have only been practicing a month and you almost have it. You should feel proud"
Dezel looked at Zaveid with a suspicious expression.
"Aren't you telling me that just to cheer me up?", he asked with an skeptical tone that caused Zaveid to chuckle again.
"Nope, I am not", he said, and Dezel's expression brightened when hearing how sincere Zaveid's tone sounded, "buut if you want to become an awesome pendulum master like me, the first step is to eat well, so let's go kid. I'm almost dying from hunger after all that training"
"Well, technically you aren't a pendulum master yet. Lafarga is", Dezel replied, causing Zaveid to snort at him.
"Shut up, bigmouth", he said pinching Dezel's nose, causing the boy to exhale a soft 'ouch'.
However, even if Zaveid's first intention had been to go rapidly with the rest to have lunch, it took them more than expected because Zaveid was stopped several times by people around the camp that approached him to tell him how good it had been the show that he had done the previous night, and although Dezel was slightly annoyed because he was indeed rather hungry and wanted to reach the tent fast, the truth was that he was happy about how many people formed part of the Windriders right then.
Of course, the one in charge of the main shows kept being the original Windriders, but now it was rather spectacular to see more people joining the shows.
For example, now when Lailah realized her fire-origami show there were dancers following the music while she performed. Also, there were more people that had joined Eizen's juggling and acrobatic performance, although his pair in all the shows kept being Edna, who had become extremely skilled in just a couple of years to the point that older performers asked her for advice, and obviously the animal show was the performance that had the most people, even if Rose and Dezel were the ones who stood out more because even if they were the youngest, they were almost as skilled as the rest.
The only show that hadn't changed at all was Lafarga and Zaveid's pendulum show, since no one besides Dezel had enough tenacity to suffer the hard and frustrating training that the show required, and about the tightrope show they were the only ones that did it as well since they were able to combine it with the pendulums show, so the other performers that had initially wanted to become tightrope walkers had ended joining Eizen's acrobatic show instead, leaving the 'Wind Seraphs' alone.
So, in conclusion, it was great to have more people around them, even if at that moment Dezel was really regretting it because he was really hungry and he could already smell the aroma that came from the inside of the dining-room tent.
"Sorry, kid. It's the problem with being so famous", Zaveid said with a joking tone after people finally left him alone, but just when Dezel was finally going to open the entrance of the tent a girl that used to accompany Lailah as a dancer in her performance suddenly approached Zaveid and grabbed his arm.
"Zaveid! Wait~!", she called with a sweet voice.
Dezel rolled his eyes when seeing Zaveid immediately turn towards the girl to welcome her with a bigger smile than usual. Damn, if that girl wanted an autograph couldn't she wait? He was really hungry.
"Hey, Katie", Zaveid said with a smile, "what's up? I thought that you were coming back to Marlind today"
"Yes, that's true, but…", Dezel was surprised when the girl suddenly enclosed both of her arms around Zaveid's neck while smiling with an expression that made Dezel remember a wolf about to eat its prey, "…it's been a while since the last time we 'tested your bed resistance' as you like to call it, so what do you say about doing it now before I leave? After all I'm not going to come back in quite a time…"
Dezel frowned with confusion, not understanding the girl's proposition. It was true that it hadn't been much time since they had changed their futons for real beds but he didn't think that it was necessary to test them. They were rather comfortable.
However, it seemed that Zaveid agreed with the girl because his smile grew wider. Way wider.
"Well, that is indeed a really nice suggestion", he said with a lower tone that Dezel had never heard him use, although when Zaveid turned to look at him his tone came back to normal, "kid, can you go ahead without me? Tell the rest that I'll be here in five…", Zaveid looked at the girl to see her frowning, "…ten…", the girl's frown kept being in place, "…fifteen…", the girl's frown disappeared, replaced for a satisfied smile, "…fifteen minutes", Zaveid finally completed, "I'll be here in fifteen minutes, tell the rest that, okay"
Dezel's expression turned confused because it had been Zaveid the one who had commented to be extremely hungry, but since his stomach decided to protest at that moment he decided that he couldn't care less about the older boy's weird attitude and nodded, causing the girl to chuckle while muttering an amused 'how cute' before disappearing with Zaveid towards the boy's caravan.
"You're late", Edna commented the moment she saw Dezel enter.
"Sorry, it's been Zaveid's fault", he said while taking his usual sit between the two youngest girls. Lailah and Eizen were already sat at the table and they were the only five persons who were eating at that moment, since normally Lafarga and the rest of the people ate a little earlier than them.
"By the way, where is he?", Lailah asked with confusion, "weren't you training together just now?"
"Yes, but he has gone to test his bed resistance with a girl, so maybe he arrives a little late", Dezel replied simply, and he jolted with surprise when Eizen spat part of his drink and began to cough while Lailah's eyes opened at its maximum.
"He is doing what?!", Lailah practically shouted with such an angry tone that Dezel and Rose jumped in their sits. The only one who looked completely unaffected was Edna, who was busy patting his brother back while this one kept coughing.
"Lailah, calm down", Eizen said with a conciliatory tone once he managed to regain his voice, "we all know that Zaveid is in that phase right now"
"Come on, I could understand it if he was still a teenager but he is eighteen already. I think it's time for him to mature already", Lailah replied, causing Eizen to chuckle when seeing the girl so altered.
"Let him be", he said with his characteristic calm tone, "he'll eventually find someone that will make him settled down"
"Umh…", Rose intervened then, a curious expression on her face, "what do you mean when saying that Zaveid is in that phase"
Dezel looked at Lailah and Eizen with curiosity as well to see them interchange a look, as if they didn't know how to answer Rose's question, but before neither of them could speak Edna was faster.
"They mean that he likes to go after the girls to…"
"…t-to play with them", Lailah completed, and this time when Eizen coughed again Dezel was pretty sure that he had just hide a laugh.
"To play with them?", Rose repeated, "well, but that's not bad. You always say that it's good to make new friends so…"
"Y-yeah, and that's true", Lailah said with a nervous smile, "but this is not exactly…what I mean is…oh please, Eizen, can you stop laughing and help me with this?!"
"Sorry, Lailah, but I think that maybe it's already time to explain these kids some things", Eizen said, causing Lailah's eyes to open even more if possible.
"B-but Rose is still ten! I mean, it's true that Dezel is big enough already because he is twelve but…"
"Hey, what if I am ten?", Rose protested, crossing her arms in front of her chest, "if Dezel can know whatever it is what you have to explain and Edna already knows it, I want to know it too!"
Lailah exhaled a defeated sigh and looked at Eizen again, who smiled with amusement while extracting a coin from his pocket.
"Heads or tails?", he simply asked, causing Lailah to sigh again.
"Heads"
Eizen tossed up the coin, made it rotate in the air and grabbed it again, and Lailah seemed to like the result because she clapped her hands and smiled with relief while Eizen took a deep breath.
"Okay…", he said with a calm voice, "where do I start…?"
Ten minutes later Dezel and Rose were looking at Eizen with their mouths and eyes competing for which of them was the most opened.
"…and that's the basic that you should know for now", Eizen completed, "any questions?"
There was a rather long silence and then, suddenly, Rose and Dezel let out at the same time such a loud and honest 'Yuuuuck!' that Eizen and Lailah couldn't help to begin to laugh.
"Is that true?", Rose asked, her face showing such a funny grimace that he older ones' attempts to adopt a more serious expression failed miserably, "yuck, how gross! I'm never never never going to have kids"
"So Zaveid now…with that girl…he is…", Dezel didn't end the sentence, he just wrinkled his nose while his body suffered a rather powerful shiver.
"And do you really want me to believe that doing that feels good?", Rose exclaimed with a high-pitched voice.
"But I don't understand, how is going to feel good to put that inside there? It's just…yuck!", Dezel suffered another shiver while Rose nodded effusively.
"Way to go, brother, you've just traumatized them", Edna commented with an imperturbable tone, and this time it was Eizen's time to 'glare' at Lailah when this one smiled at him charmingly as if she was saying: 'You've wanted to do this, it's your turn to fix things now'
"Look", Eizen adopted a reassuring tone, "right now it's normal that you think that it's gross because you're still too young but in a few years you'll probably begin to think differently, and for that reason it's good that you begin to know these things"
"I don't think that I'll ever stop thinking this way", Rose snapped with a determined tone that caused Eizen to chuckle.
"Zaveid, Lailah and I had the same reaction when Lafarga gave us our first sex talk", Eizen said with a nostalgic smile, "but believe me, from now on your body is going to begin to experiment changes, and as a consequence of those changes your way of thinking will change as well"
"Then when will we stop thinking that…umh…sex is gross?", Dezel asked with curiosity.
"It's different for every person", Lailah intervened then, before adding with a certain reproachful tone, "for example, until turning fifteen Zaveid wasn't interested in the theme at all and now he is too interested"
"Oh, so that's what you meant when saying that Zaveid is in 'that phase'", Rose said with an understanding tone.
"Yes, the truth is that what he is doing isn't the best example to follow but it's not bad either. I mean…", Eizen rectified when Lailah stared at him, "of course the best thing would be just to have sex with a person who you truly love and not doing it with anyone, but every person is free to do whatever he wants to do"
"So, in conclusion, don't follow Zaveid's example", Lailah finished with such a cutting tone that Eizen chuckled, "and if you have any doubt about this don't hesitate in asking us"
Rose and Dezel interchanged a skeptical look, still not convinced about the good part of having sex.
At that moment the entrance of the tent opened and a rather breathless (but satisfied) Zaveid entered.
"Sorry for the delay. I hope there's still food for me", Zaveid asked with a cheery tone, taking a sit next to Lailah while showing a confused expression when seeing the intense stares that Dezel and Rose had fixed on him, "umh…kids, is everything okay…?"
"Do you love the girl who had spoken to you before?", Dezel asked suddenly, causing Zaveid's eyes almost pop out of his head.
"What?!", he exclaimed, completely taken by surprise, "n-no, she is just a friend, but why…?"
"Then why are you having sex with her?", Dezel asked again.
"Yes, Lailah says that doing that isn't right. You should do it with the person you truly love", Rose completed.
Zaveid blinked a couple of times completely astonished before turning to look at Eizen and Lailah.
"Can someone explain me what the hell has happened in the fifteen minutes that I've been absent?"
"Eizen had just given them 'the Talk'", Edna clarified with a calm tone while beginning with her second plate.
"Yes, so we know that you're in 'the phase' of practicing too much sex", Rose added with a funny pompous tone, as if she was proud of knowing things that supposedly a ten years old girl shouldn't know yet.
"What the…?", Zaveid burst out laughing, "guys, seriously, what the hell have you been telling them? Now they think that I'm some kind of sex addict…"
"…thing that it's completely correct", Lailah snapped back.
"Oh, come, this week I've just fuc…", when seeing the menacing stare that Lailah threw at him Zaveid immediately rectified, "been with two ladies, that's something rather normal. And speaking about that umh…Eizen…", the blond young man looked at Zaveid with a questioning look when seeing the apologetic expression that his friend was showing, "umh…you are going to have to change the sheets of your bed", when seeing the way Eizen half-closed his eyes Zaveid began to babble, "s-sorry, but my bed was full of my stuff and we were in a rush because she had to leave soon so…"
"Lailah, kids", Eizen said with excessive calm while standing up, "please, don't wait for us"
Zaveid began to beg his friend for mercy but Eizen just approached him to grab him by one of his ears, forcing him to stand up again.
"Where are you going?", Rose asked with curiosity.
"I'm going to have a conversation with this idiot right here", Eizen said with a smile that clearly contrasted with the way he was grabbing Zaveid by his ear with a deathly grip, "don't worry about it"
"Okay, see you later", Edna said back while beginning with the desert, and not even ten seconds had passed until they heard Zaveid shout from pain, thing that caused Dezel and Rose look at Lailah with a questioning (but not worried) expression.
"He deserves it", Lailah smiled almost happily before adding with her usual cheery tone, "come on. Let's eat already"
Dezel exhaled a sigh before doing what Lailah had suggested. Definitely adults were the weirdest people of the universe.
2 years later (8 years ago the present day)
"Ooooh, I love them!", Rose exclaimed while taking with reverence the daggers that she had just received as a birthday present.
"Yeah, that's the present that all the girls dreams to have", Zaveid commented with a joking tone.
"Be careful with them, they are really sharp", Eizen warned.
"Do you like them, Rose?", Lafarga asked with a smile, although the answer was rather pointless because the bright expression that Rose had on her face was enough answer.
"A lot. They are so cool, thank you!", she smiled with enthusiasm, "I can use them in my trainings, right?!"
"Yes, you can", Lafarga agreed, "although for now we'll put some protection in the tip of the daggers until you get used to use them so you don't hurt yourself"
"Alright, and now that we are speaking about shows this is for you"
Dezel, who had remained silent with a smile on his lips while seeing Rose hypnotized with her present, raised his eyebrows with surprise when Lailah suddenly offered him a little box. After all they were celebrating Rose's birthday, not his, so supposedly all the presents should be for her.
"But why? My birthday has already passed"
"It doesn't matter", Rose said before adding with a happy tone, "come on, open it, you are going to like it"
"But I don't understand why…"
"Aaargh, for goodness sake!", Edna grabbed with impatience the box that Lailah was still sustaining in front of Dezel and almost buried it into the teenager boy's ribs, causing him to huff, "shut up and open it already!"
When hearing Edna's exasperated tone he immediately opened the box, since Edna losing her usual calm like that could only mean that whatever it was inside that box was really important, and he wasn't mistaken, because when seeing the box's content his eyes and mouth opened wide in disbelief, causing everyone to begin to laugh.
"I think he has liked the present as well", Eizen commented with an amused smile while the boy extracted with extreme care a couple of completely new and shining pendulums.
"Sorry, we would have liked to give them to you in your birthday a couple of weeks ago but they weren't finished yet", Lafarga explained.
"You better like them, Dezel-chan. I was the one who thought the design", Zaveid said then with a satisfied tone.
"But…", Dezel began, finally stopping staring at his completely unexpected present to look at the rest, "…but I thought that I had to wait until being fifteen to use two pendulums…"
"Yes, that was the initial idea", Lafarga admitted, before adding with an extremely proud tone that made Dezel gulp, "but you've completely surpassed my expectations (which I have to say were already extremely high) and I think that you are more than prepared to use them already"
"Congratulations, Dezel, Rose", Lailah said, her eyes shining so much that she looked about to cry at any moment, "we all are so proud of you two"
Rose and Dezel interchanged a happy look before turning to fix their eyes on Lafarga with nervousness barely suppressed.
"Then does this mean that we can finally stop doing the animals show?", Dezel asked with such a hoping tone that Lafarga began to laugh.
"Yes, you can", he said with an amused tone before adding with an apologetic one, "sorry for having made you wait. I would have liked to have let you do the show that you most loved since the beginning but the wait had been necessary if I wanted to assure that you were prepared enough. However, the wait has finally finished, so from now on Rose will be the first and only dagger performer of the Windriders and Dezel will become the third Wind Serpah"
"Three cheers for Rose 'the Rose' and Dezel 'of the Green Eyes'!", Zaveid exclaimed with a loud tone raising his glass, and while everyone joined Zaveid in his loud cries Dezel had to bite his bottom lip to prevent its trembling because it had been a while since the last time he had felt so damn happy.
After spending some more moments of enthusiastic talk, everyone decided to come back to their respective caravans because it was rather late. However, since Dezel was dying to test his new pendulums he and Zaveid went towards the big top instead to practice a little, so by when they finally decided to call it a day another hour had passed.
"Well, shrimp, you should feel proud", Zaveid said enclosing an arm around Dezel's shoulder while this one rolled up with extreme care his new pendulum, "now you're a step closer to become an awesome pendulum performer like me"
"Oi, I'm almost as tall as you right now so you can't call me 'shrimp' anymore", Dezel snapped, but there was a happy smile on his face.
"Yeah, well, but you aren't taller than me yet", Zaveid replied with a teasing tone, "so I can keep calling you whatever I want, shrimp"
"Tsk, I'm not going to take seriously the words that come out from the mouth of an exhibitionist like you"
"Hey, I'm not an exhibitionist", Zaveid protested, "I've just recently discovered that performing without upper clothes is way more efficient. Like this I don't need to care about the pendulum hooking up in my clothes"
Dezel was about to say that that was the worst excuse that he had heard in time but at that moment Zaveid yawned and settled his hands behind his head, the action making his exposed pectorals to tense up a little, and Dezel found himself admitting that he couldn't blame the girls that found the idiot attractive.
"Okay, Dezel-chan, get going", Zaveid stopped when they still were midway towards their caravan, "my stop is right here"
"Here?", Dezel asked momentarily confused, but then he realized that Zaveid was looking towards the tents where the dancers slept, "oh…", Dezel snorted, "let me guess: another of your conquests?"
Zaveid laughed when hearing Dezel's tone.
"More or less", he said, "do you remember Katie? A girl that used to be a dancer in Lailah's show but that came back to Marlind? Nah, you won't probably remember, it was two years ago or so…"
Dezel snorted again.
"I remember her. The day that girl left was the day when Eizen gave Rose and me 'the Talk'"
Zaveid burst out laughing.
"It's true. Times sure passes quickly", he said with a nostalgic tone, before adding with a teasing one, "and tell me, Dezel-chan, you still keep thinking that sex is something gross or are you beginning to feel curiosity? Because it was when I was around your age that I began to feel rather curious"
"Yeah, I know that, you don't have the alias Zaveid 'the Ladykiller' since you were fifteen for no reason"
Zaveid laughed again.
"Yep, what a great alias Lafarga gave me", he said with a too proud tone before enclosing an arm around Dezel's shoulders again, "but don't try to change the subject, Dezel-chan, and tell me: isn't there anyone out there who had caught your eye? Or who you liked?"
Dezel shrugged.
"No specially", Zaveid raised a skeptical eyebrow that caused Dezel to exhale a resigned sigh, "okay, it's true that I have seen a couple of girls around the camp that are rather pretty and they seem to be nice, but I'm not interested in going out with any of them. Besides, being with someone seems to be incredibly troublesome"
Zaveid began to laugh with amusement.
"That's because you haven't found the right person yet", Zaveid said with a smile, "but believe me, Dezel-chan, at some point you'll find that person. And then you'll stop thinking that being with someone is 'incredibly troublesome'"
Dezel chuckled.
"I don't think that you are the most indicated to say that since you never go out with the same girl twice"
"Well, that's not true anymore", Zaveid replied with a smile, "after all right now I'm going to see Katie and she is a girl who I've dated before"
Dezel's teasing smile gradually disappeared.
"Wait...", Dezel found himself frowning, "does that mean that you want to go out with that girl?"
Dezel didn't know why seeing Zaveid hesitating bothered him, but the fact is that it did.
"I don't know", Zaveid said with an uncharacteristic serious tone, "I mean, until now all the girls with whom I've been were just like me. They just wanted to spend a good time and that was all, but it's been the first time that a girl has asked me out for real so I don't know, maybe I give it a try"
Dezel didn't know how to reply to that comment, and the fact that a completely weird uneasy sensation had invaded him wasn't helping to push away the awkwardness that he was suddenly feeling right then when speaking with Zaveid.
"Okay, I'll be going", he ended saying with a tone that sounded forced to his own ears, "rest well"
"Oh, yeah, you too, Dezel-chan", Zaveid said, a little surprised for such an abrupt goodbye, "be careful not to wake up Eizen"
Dezel forced himself to smile at Zaveid when hearing that last comment before finally walking towards his caravan with a faster pace than normal.
He opened the door of the caravan ready to find it completely dark but to his surprise Eizen was still awake on his bed, reading a book, and for once Dezel regretted that the older boy wasn't sleeping yet.
"Hey, how has the training gone? Are your new pendulums alright?", Eizen asked with a smile.
"Oh, yeah, they are really comfortable to manipulate", Dezel asked, making an effort to sound animated, and since he knew how intuitive Eizen was (he was probably even more intuitive than Lailah) he removed his clothes, put his pajama on and entered his bed hurriedly with the intention of pretending to fall asleep immediately.
However, as he was fearing, Eizen asked the evident question.
"By the way, where is that idiot?"
At any other moment Dezel would have laughed when hearing Eizen speak like that about Zaveid, but he was so busy trying to pretend that everything was normal that he didn't, and of course that made Eizen look at him with certain curiosity.
"He is going to spend the night with Katie", he answered, trying to adopt a neutral tone that came so monotone that he sounded like Edna.
"Katie?", Eizen frowned with confusion for a just a tiny moment before his face illuminated, "oh, I remember her. I didn't know that she had come back"
"Me neither", Dezel said, and certainly he couldn't blame Eizen when this one raised his eyebrows surprised because his tone had been rather brusque.
"Umh…", Eizen began with a cautious tone, "Dezel, is there something wrong"
Dezel gulped, and although his first impulse was to lie but he decided that it was going to be useless to try to fool Eizen. Besides, it had been his fault that Eizen asked for not being able to hide his thoughts well and he would be an idiot if now he left Eizen worried.
"Zaveid has said that he wants to try to go out with her", he ended saying.
Eizen didn't say anything, waiting for Dezel to continue, but when seeing that the boy didn't plan to keep speaking he asked again.
"And that's bad because…?"
Dezel snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Because that's not like Zaveid at all", Dezel snapped, and the frustration surprised even him, "I mean, what if he begins to get out with that girl and…", Dezel gulped, "…and he stops liking to do the pendulums show and…", and decides that he doesn't want to train me anymore, he thought, but he didn't say it aloud because somehow he felt that admitting that was going to imply something definitely weird.
Eizen's initial confused face slowly turned into a knowing one, and although his lips briefly curved up in an amused smile Dezel was too busy averting his eyes with embarrassment and didn't notice.
"Dezel, you don't have to worry about that", Eizen said with a reassuring tone, "even if Zaveid ends going out with that girl, he isn't going to push you aside"
Dezel couldn't help to blush for being read so easily.
"And why are you so sure of that?", Dezel insisted.
"For two simple reasons", Eizen said with a smile, "first, because Zaveid loves this circus and his show more than anything else, and consequently it's completely impossible that he replaces it for anything or anyone. And second…", Eizen pointed at Dezel with his index finger, "because he promised you that he would train you. And he never breaks a promise"
Dezel let out a deep breath before nodding with confidence.
"You're right", he said with such relief that Eizen chuckled.
"Don't worry, Dezel", Eizen added with a wink, "Zaveid is never going to leave you behind. He loves you too much for that"
Dezel didn't know why hearing that last sentence made his heart skip a beat. Okay, definitely he was rather tired and that seemed to be causing weird reactions on him, so he better go to sleep.
"And now rest, Dezel", Eizen said, as if he was guessing what Dezel wanted to do right then, "because tomorrow you'll have your first show as a 'Wind Seraph'"
Dezel smiled widely. Damn, how could he have been about to forget that?
"Yeah, you're right", he said, finally entering his bed, and although he was about to turn his back to Eizen to sleep he first looked at the blond boy, "umh…thanks, Eizen"
Eizen smiled softly and winked at him again.
"You're welcome, Dezel. I'm here whenever you need to talk"
Dezel smiled back and finally closed his eyes. He had been an idiot for feeling so uneasy when thinking about Zaveid being with that girl. After all, Lafarga, Zaveid and now him were the 'Wind Seraphs', and never was going to change that.
And surely the next day when he woke up, that strange feeling that had invaded him when thinking about Zaveid being serious with that girl would have completely evaporated. After all he had been feeling that way because he had been afraid of Zaveid stopping wanting to train him but that wasn't going to happen because, as Eizen had said, Zaveid's number one rule was never to break a promise, so what if Zaveid was with someone else? As long as his relation with Zaveid didn't change that was enough. He didn't need Zaveid's full attention.
Yes. Surely the next day everything would be back to normal.
When Dezel woke up the first thing that came to his mind was: tonight I'm going to do my first show as a 'Wind Seraph', and consequently when he left the caravan to join the rest in the breakfast there was a goofy happy smile showing in his face.
"Oh, it seems that someone is in a good mood today", Eizen said with a smile. Surprisingly, Dezel had been the first one in arriving.
"Oi, can I repeat today?", Dezel asked with an enthusiastic tone while Eizen began to serve his plate, "I'm going to be training all day so I'm going to need extra energy"
Eizen laughed and nodded.
"Of course, new Wind Seraph, eat all you want", he said while placing a plate in front of Dezel just when Lailah, Edna and Rose were entering the tent.
"I want to repeat too!", Rose said quickly taking her place next to Dezel, "I'm going to be training too"
"Lailah? Edna? What about you?", Eizen.
"I'll have the same as always", Lailah said with a chuckle, "I'm not that young anymore to allow myself to eat too much"
"I'm fine this way", Edna agreed as well, although despite her words his brother put her a little more food than usual.
"Weeeell, then if everybody is eating more than usual I'm not going to be less"
Dezel chuckled and raised his head from his plate when hearing Zaveid saying that but his smile froze when seeing that he hadn't entered the tent alone.
"Oh, Katie, are you going to join us as well?", Lailah asked with a surprised smile when seeing the girl.
"Yes, if you don't mind of course", the unexpected newcomer said with a sincere amicably tone, and even if the girl looked incredibly nice Dezel had to suppress a frown when seeing the way she was grabbing Zaveid's arm.
"Of course they don't mind", Zaveid said with a reassuring tone, kissing her briefly and causing Rose to exhale a surprised gasp and Dezel to grab his fork with more force, the same uneasiness that he had felt the previous day coming back at full force.
Dezel suppressed a gulp. Okay. There was no need at all to feel like that. Thanks to his talk with Eizen the night before he had confirmed that the fact that Zaveid was with someone didn't mean that he was going to stop training with him or anything like that, so there was absolutely no reason to feel such animadversion towards the girl. No reason at all.
"Dezel-chan, are you alright?", Dezel almost jumps in his site when Zaveid suddenly spoke to him with an amusing tone, "you've been staring at your food for almost a minute without eating, don't tell me that Eizen had managed to make the first bad breakfast of all his life"
Dezel gulped, missing the way Eizen and Lailah interchanged a glance when answering.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine", he simply said, forcing himself to keep eating even if his initial appetite had reduced considerably.
"Dezel?", the teenager tensed up when Katie suddenly opened her eyes wide before exclaiming, "oh, you're the cute boy that were with Zav two years ago when I left!", Zav?, Dezel thought to himself, "oh my, you've grown up quite a lot"
"Yeah, he has. And tonight it's his first time joining Lafarga and me in our performance", Zaveid said with a happy smile that made Dezel's discomfort subside a little.
"Oh, that's great! Zaveid has told me how much you both have trained to achieve that. Although…", the girl looked at Zaveid and batted her eyes exaggeratedly at him, "…although I hope that you have a little of time to spare with me as well, Mister Winder Seraph"
Even if it was evident that the girl was doing it with irony, a part of Dezel was expecting that Zaveid commented something about the training keep being in the first place, but he simply laughed and kissed Katie again this time on the forehead.
"Don't worry. I'll manage to have time for you too", he said with his usual nonchalant tone, and when seeing the way Katie chuckled with amusement before being about to kiss him again, Dezel found himself unable to be in that place one second longer.
"Okay, I think that I'm full already, so I'm going to train", he said, and he was proud of himself when managing to use an almost normal tone.
"Don't you want to eat more?", Rose asked with confusion, "but you've just eaten half of your plate"
Even if the Rose hadn't done it on purpose at that moment Dezel couldn't help to want to kill her a little, but fortunately Eizen intervened.
"That was his second plate", the blond boy lied with a completely natural tone, surprising Dezel, "so it's normal that he is rather full already"
"Yes, I got up a little too early", Dezel lied as well while stepping outside the table, "I'll be in the big top"
"Gotcha", Zaveid winked at him and palmed his arm playfully when Dezel passed next to him, "I'll join you in a couple of hours or so"
Dezel simply nodded and left the tent, not trusting his own voice when answering Zaveid.
However, instead of going towards the big top as he had said he came back to his caravan, and after putting the bolt on the door he leant all his weight against it and settled a hand over his own chest, feeling his heart beating way too hastily.
Damn it. What the hell was happening to him? What had happened back at the tent? Why did he feel that bad every time that Katie touched Zaveid like that? Damn, if it wasn't because it hadn't any sense at all it looked as if he was jealous, but jealous of what?
Zaveid himself had said that he was going to train with him like always, his attitude hadn't changed towards him one bit so why was he acting so strangely…?
At that moment someone knocked at the door, making Dezel exhale a surprised shout that caused him to cover his own mouth with a mortified expression. Damn, if it was Zaveid right then…
"Dezel?"
Dezel exhaled a relieved sigh when hearing Edna's voice, and after gulping and clearing his throat he opened the door, trying to adopt a normal expression that he knew came out a little strained.
"H-hey, Edna, what's up? I-I've just come back for my pendulums before…", damn, what the hell was he doing giving explanations when the girl hadn't asked him anything?
"I'm going to check the animals, can you help me before you begin to train?", she asked simply, her expression as imperturbable as always.
Dezel raised his eyebrows surprised, not expecting that sudden petition, but since it was extremely rare that Edna asked him help for anything that meant that she really needed help.
So he agreed, and during the next hour he helped Edna and the rest of the animal caretakers to check that all the animals were well to perform during that night show, and although the day before that task would have bored him, right then the fact of caressing the animal's back to put them at ease while the caretakers examined them carefully was helping him to relax again.
"You seem to be better now", Edna commented suddenly when they were sat outside the tent to take a rest, "during the breakfast you seemed about to explode"
Dezel opened his eyes at his maximum since he wasn't expecting that comment.
"Wait, for that reason you've asked me help?", he asked with surprise.
"I've thought that doing this kind of thing would help you to calm down", she simply said, causing Dezel to exhale a laugh.
"Well, you were right", he ended saying before adding, "thanks"
Edna shrugged, but there was a tiny smile on her face.
"Oi, Edna…", Dezel hesitated but at the end he decided to ask, "what do you think about Katie?"
Edna shrugged again.
"She seems like a nice girl", she commented simply, "Lailah thinks that she and Zaveid make an interesting couple", Edna looked at Dezel with curiosity, "why do you ask?"
"O-oh, just out of curiosity"
Dezel insulted himself internally because he had spoken a little too nervously, causing Edna to half-close her eyes at him, as if she was deciding if asking or not.
"Dezel!"
At that moment Lafarga, who until then had been busy making sure that nothing was missing for the show of the night, began to approach them with fast steps, and although at first Dezel thanked internally the man for interrupting Edna and him, when seeing how serious Lafarga was his initial relief turned into worry.
"What's wrong?", Dezel asked, and when Lafarga settled a hand over his shoulder his nervousness grew even more.
"A man has just arrived to the camp wanting to see you. He claims to be your stepfather"
Dezel's heart practically stopped for a moment while a cold sweat invaded his body. Definitely, it wasn't being his best day.
"I'm sorry to bring such disagreeable news", Lafarga said with a sad tone, "but I didn't want to kick him out without asking you before"
Dezel gulped before taking a deep breath.
"He…", he cleared his throat and tried again, "he looked at least sober?"
Lafarga nodded and Dezel averted his eyes, lost in his thoughts. Meanwhile Edna had approached Lafarga and was looking at him with her usual calm expression, but the way her knuckles were completely white while grabbing her umbrella betrayed her apparent calm.
"I'll go to speak with him", Dezel decided after some moments, because he knew that if he didn't do it, later he would be wondering what that miserable wanted and he definitely didn't want to lose his time like that.
Lafarga nodded again and began to walk, leading the way. Edna remained next to Dezel, and he was surprised when suddenly she grabbed her arm without saying anything, as if she was offering him a silent support, and in fact she didn't release him until they were almost at the entrance of the camp, where a rather big crowd had settled around the man who was standing just at the entrance and that caused Dezel to gulp again, remembering what had happened the last time that he had seen him.
However, even if his first reaction was to tell Lafarga that he had thought it better and that he didn't want to speak with that man, at that moment he pinpointed the rest of the Windriders just in the front line:
Lailah was looking at the man with such a look that if glares killed, that man would be long dead.
Rose was sustaining her recently acquired daggers with such force that she looked about to throw them at any moment.
Eizen had grabbed his shaft as well and was swinging it back and forth with apparent absent-mind movements that contrasted with his expression, which was showing an angry grimace that didn't suit his soft features at all.
But the one who surprised Dezel the most was Zaveid, because even if at first glance his expression looked calm, his orange eyes were shining with an extremely dangerous aura. Also, his muscular arms were crossed in front of his chest in a tight grip, and all his body was in tension, as if he was prepared to jump over the man at any moment, and it seemed that the man had noticed that because he looked extremely uncomfortable, so as a result Dezel felt just the contrary, all his initial fear disappearing when beginning to walk towards the man.
"Dezel…", Lafarga said, stopping his advances, "if at any moment you want us to intervene, please, just say it"
Dezel smiled and nodded before finally approaching his stepfather, and feeling all his friends fixed his eyes on him when he passed next to them gave him even more strength if possible.
"Oh, you've grown up a lot", the man said when Dezel was just in front of him, and he used such a false caring voice that Dezel felt sick, "how tall are you now? 1,76? 1,79?"
"What do you want?", Dezel snapped, effectively interrupting the man's babbling , although he managed to keep his disagreeable smile in place.
"Well, the thing is that your mother heard that you had become quite an important circus performer and she has asked me to check if you were alright"
Dezel felt unable to speak for a moment when hearing that obvious lame lie.
"Oh, is that so?", he said with a sarcastic tone, "then tell me, do any of you even know how old I am now? Or what I am doing in this circus?"
The man licked his lips while sweat formed in his forehead.
"Umh…well, you are…thirteen? And you are a…circus performer as I've said and…"
Dezel let out a snort.
"Please, stop with the farce", he said with a firm cold tone that surprised even him, "it's evident that you've come here just to ask me for money because probably you're ruined again. If you had wanted to know how I was as you've said, you've had a lot of opportunities to do it. After all, how many Dezel 'of the Green Eyes' do you think there are around here?"
The man gulped and opened his mouth to speak but Dezel was faster.
"So when you come back, please, tell my mother that I am fourteen and that I form part of the Wind Seraphs. Like that if you want to try and ask me for money again in a couple of years, at least you'll have the correct information"
When hearing that, the man finally showed his true colors.
"You…that's how do you treat your family?!", the man shouted, spitting while talking, "The people who raised you for ten years?! If it hadn't been for me, you and your mother would have died from hunger and…"
The man shut up when Dezel approached him and grabbed him by the front of his dirty jacket, and since now Dezel was taller than him the man was forced to throw his head back to look at him.
"First, you aren't my family. They…", Dezel made a wide gesture with one of his arms, signaling the circus behind him, "are my family. People who really care about me and who love me without asking anything in return. You and my mother don't deserve to be called that, since you couldn't have cared less about me during all these four years, so don't you dare to come back here ever again claiming that"
Dezel released the man with disdain and came back with the rest, who were looking at him with pride and affection while his stepfather was still opening and closing his mouth, trying to find anything to say.
"Well said", Edna said with an unusual touched tone while Rose practically jumped over Dezel to hug him with force, making him almost fall.
"Are you okay?", Lailah asked, and when hearing the slight concern of his tone Dezel immediately nodded.
"Yes. I'm fine"
"Zaveid, you can relax now", Eizen commented then, making Dezel finally notice that Zaveid was still looking at that man, his body still in tension.
"You know, Dezel-chan, lately I've been thinking in a show of hitting targets with my pendulums, would you like me to test it with that asshole?"
Dezel couldn't help to laugh when hearing Zaveid say that with a completely serious tone.
"Nah, I don't what you to misuse your precious pendulums like that", Dezel said with a playful tone that put a smile on Zaveid's face.
"Alright, sir", Lafarga approached Dezel's stepfather, who hadn't moved since Dezel released him, "now that you've already talked with your 'son' could you please leave and never come back?"
The man clicked his tongue and fixed his coat, finally turning around to leave.
"I knew that I should have punished that kid more when I had the chanc…"
What happened next was so fast that Dezel hadn't time to see it.
He only knew that after his stepfather said that sentence, Zaveid had literally disappeared from his view and the next time Dezel located him, he had thrown his stepfather against the ground and was hovering over him, one hand grabbing the man's neck and the other sustaining one of his pendulums extremely close to one of the man's eyes.
"Repeat that", Dezel gulped when hearing Zaveid use a low threatening tone, a dangerous expression adorning his normally amicable face.
The man babbled something unintelligible and Zaveid seemed to increase the grip on his neck because the man began to open and close his mouth desperately, as if he was gasping for air.
"Zaveid", Lafarga approached the younger pendulum performer and settled a hand on his shoulder, speaking with calm, "Zaveid, release him"
Zaveid didn't obey at first. In fact he seemed to do just the contrary because the man began to kick desperately while settling his hands over Zaveid's unforgivable wrist, trying to force him to reduce the deathly grip without success.
"Zaveid", now it was Eizen the one who approached Zaveid, "Zaveid, please, stop. You don't need to do this. Dezel is fine now."
When hearing the kid's name, Zaveid seemed to finally react and raised his head, his eyes fixing directly on Dezel, who find himself unable to avert his from Zaveid's orange ones.
"Okay", Zaveid ended muttering, releasing the man who begun to cough, gasping for air, "but listen well, you piece of shit", Zaveid grabbed the man by the hair and forced him to look at Dezel, "that kid is with us now, and he is NEVER going to come back with you AGAIN, so get the fuck out of here before I decide to test how sharpened this pendulum is"
Zaveid ended the sentence snapping the man's face against the ground with such force that the man fell immediately unconscious, causing Lafarga to ask a couple of people for help to drag the man out of the camp.
"I'll leave him in the nearest village", Lafarga announced the rest, "please, everyone, come back to your respective jobs"
When hearing Lafarga's words the crowd finally began to dissolve but Dezel barely noticed it because at that moment, while staring at Zaveid who hadn't moved from his place yet, the words that the pendulums performer himself had told him the day before appeared in his head.
At some point you'll find that person. And then you'll stop thinking that being with someone is 'incredibly troublesome'
Dezel let out a sigh full of relief, because finally he could explain the cause of the uneasiness that had been invading him since the day before when thinking about Zaveid:
He had fallen in love with him. And although probably he had been falling for him gradually without even noticing it, it had been after seeing Zaveid lose his control like that on his behalf when he had finally realized it.
When the crowd finally dissolved, Lailah approached Zaveid and settled a hand on his shoulder, causing him to almost jump surprised since he had been lost in his thoughts.
"Are you alright?", Lailah asked with a soft voice, and even if Zaveid smiled it wasn't his usual smile. It was one way more strained.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm going to be training in the big top for a while, call me if you need help with something"
Without giving Lailah time to say anything more he left towards the camp, and Dezel felt a pang of sadness when Zaveid didn't dedicate even one look towards him. In fact, it looked as if he had averted his eyes just when Dezel had tried to establish eye contact.
"Alright, let's do as Lafarga has said", Eizen said then, "Rose and Dezel, you should train with your new tools to be prepared for tonight show. And Edna, can you begin to train without me for a little while? Lailah and I have to check some things first"
The girls immediately nodded and began to follow Lailah but Dezel didn't move. He had been lost in his thoughts and hadn't heard what Eizen had said.
"Dezel?", Eizen called him, causing the boy to come back to the reality, "is something wrong?"
Dezel was about to shake his head but at the last moment he decided not to do so. In fact, he decided to do just the contrary because he had the feeling that Eizen's always good advices were what he needed the most right then.
"Eizen…regarding Zaveid…", he stopped.
"Yes?", Eizen asked with a calm tone.
Dezel gulped. Damn, to say it aloud was harder than he had initially expected.
"I think I love him", Dezel practically snapped while averting his eyes with embarrassment, "I mean for real, not like you love Edna…I mean, I know that you love Edna for real but what I'm trying to say is…"
Dezel shut up when Eizen settled a hand over his shoulder, and when Dezel dared to look at the blond again he realized that he was smiling with affection, so he deduced that Eizen had known since the start what he was going to say.
"I get it. You are in love with him"
Dezel couldn't help to blush because hearing that coming from another person's mouth was even more embarrassing if possible.
"Y-yes, that's it. Although I suppose that telling him how I feel right now will be useless"
Even if he tried to adopt a resigned tone, inevitably some frustration slipped. After all, being a guy and falling in love with someone whose alias was 'the Ladykiller' was certainly ironic.
"Yes, you're right, it will be useless…", Eizen agreed, but just when Dezel was going to avert his eyes with sadness Eizen continued, "right now"
Dezel's eyes opened wide while looking at Eizen.
"Right now?", he repeated.
Eizen nodded.
"Yes. Now he only sees you like a little brother, so if you confess to him now he'll reject you for sure"
Dezel gulped.
"Then…what you're telling is that I have to wait?"
Eizen nodded again.
"Yes. Wait at least another couple of years", when seeing the way Dezel's eyes opened wide Eizen smiled apologetically, "I know that it seems like a really long time but believe me, it's the best. Because even if right now you seem to be sure about your feelings for him, maybe in a couple of weeks you discover that you've mistaken a deep feeling of gratitude for love"
Dezel opened his mouth to protest but Eizen didn't let him.
"Believe me, I know what I'm talking about. When I was around your age, I thought that I was in love with Lafarga and I confessed to him", Dezel's eyes opened so much that Eizen chuckled, "yes, just Lailah knows about this. Anyway, when I did that, Lafarga told me the same that I'm telling you right now and he was right. Eventually, my 'love' for him disappeared, and now I just see him as a father, or as a really older brother"
Dezel couldn't help to chuckle when Eizen spelled the word 'really' with emphasis on purpose.
"So…", Eizen placed his other hand over his shoulder, "be a little patient and wait. And if in a couple of years you keep feeling the same, then don't hesitate and confess to that idiot"
Dezel bit his bottom lip.
"But what if by then he has already someone?", he asked, without being able to help his voice from trembling, but to his surprise Eizen shook his head with confidence.
"That's not going to happen. I've known Zaveid since we were little, and I know him well enough to assure you that even if right now he likes to fool around, he really wants a person that understands him at his fullest and that shares his interest. And there's only one person that meets those conditions", Eizen settled his index finger on Dezel's nose playfully, "and that's you, Dezel"
Dezel gulped and hugged Eizen with such force that the blond boy exhaled a gasp.
"You're welcome", Eizen said with a tender tone, returning the hug, and even if Dezel had liked to thank him verbally, he didn't dare to do so. He was too afraid of beginning to cry out of relief.
"Okay, now before you go to train do me a favor and go to see Zaveid", Eizen commented when they separated, "I think that the idiot is afraid of having scared you"
"Scared me? Why?", Dezel asked with confusion.
"Lafarga told you about his past, right?", Dezel nodded, "well, the thing is that when he was still at that horrible orphanage, he was about to kill a man while trying to defend another kid, and instead of thanking him the kid in question ran away from him, saying that he was a monster"
Dezel frowned and snorted.
"What an idiot", he said with such sincerity that Eizen chuckled.
"I don't think that that kid planned to hurt Zaveid, but the truth is that the incident caused a great impact on him, so I think it's rather probable that when acting like that with your stepfather he was in part afraid of having disappointed you"
Dezel nodded.
"Okay, then I'll go to say him that a 'Wind Seraph' like me doesn't get so easily scared", Dezel said with such a purposely arrogant tone that Eizen laughed.
"Well said", he said with a wide smile.
Dezel was about to finally leave but at the last moment he turned to look at Eizen.
"Umh… what I've told you about Zaveid…", he began with a nervous tone.
"My lips are sealed", Eizen winked at him.
Dezel smiled with gratitude and after thanking Eizen he finally went towards the big top to find Zaveid already there.
Dezel gulped, feeling his heart become crazy while looking at Zaveid training. Damn, he better learn fast how to hide his recently discovered feelings or the next two years would be eternal.
At that moment, Zaveid finally noticed his presence, and all the nervousness that Dezel was feeling until then evaporated when seeing the apprehension that passed through Zaveid's eyes momentarily, as if he was fearing his reaction.
That idiot... after all the damn things that Zaveid had done for him all those years was he really thinking that Dezel could be afraid of him?
"Hey, Dezel-chan", Zaveid said with a tone that tried to sound as nonchalant as always but that had an unmistakable hint of nervousness on it, "umh…", and now he hesitated, seriously?, "if you wanted to train here alone I can come back later so…"
Zaveid shut up when Dezel suddenly approached him until being just in front of him to fix his angry green eyes on him.
"I'm not scared of you", Zaveid's eyes opened wide when hearing Dezel's firm words, "Do you remember when I joined the Windriders and you promised that you would protect me? That you would stop with all you had the people who tried to hurt me? That's exactly what you've done today. So…", Dezel hugged Zaveid, and although he was in part afraid of the pendulum performer noticing his too racing heart he knew that he had done the correct thing because Zaveid immediately relaxed, "…thank you. Thank you so much. And stop saying idiot things like me wanting to train alone because now I am a Wind Seraph like you and the Wind Seraphs have to be always together"
A silence settled between them, a silence that caused Dezel's heart to become even crazier if possible. But when finally Zaveid exhaled a deep breath and enclosed his arms around his body as well he felt so damn good that he had to bite his bottom lip not to cry.
"Damn, you're really something, you know?", Zaveid said with an affectionate tone before kissing the side of his head softly, the gesture causing Dezel's breath to hitch, "thanks, Dezel-chan. You're a really good kid"
Despite the tender words, Dezel couldn't help to feel a pang of frustration when being called 'kid'. Eizen was right. It was too early to say Zaveid the truth about his feelings because right now Zaveid only looked at him as a kid, probably as a little brother, so even if it was frustrating he had to wait.
However, there was something that he knew without a shadow of a doubt:
He was not going to stop loving Zaveid. Never. And if he had been brave enough to keep his eyes locked on Zaveid during his previous speech, maybe he would have been able to see that the expression that had appeared for a very brief moment in Zaveid's face when looking at him wasn't precisely an expression that someone used to have when looking at his little brother. But well, since Zaveid made sure to immediately remove that expression from his face it was very unlikely that Dezel had noticed it.
"Okaaay, and now since you seem so proud of finally being a Wind Seraph", Zaveid said with a playful tone after releasing him, "why don't you show me the awesome show that you're going to do tonight?"
Dezel smiled, and after extracting his pendulums with an exaggerate movement he adopted his starting position.
"Pay attention, old man", Dezel's smile widened when Zaveid half-closed his eyes at him when being called that, "these are going to be the movements that would make me be the BEST of Wind Seraphs"
Zaveid laughed loudly when hearing Dezel's challenging tone.
"Bring it on then, Dezel 'of the Green Eyes'. Bring it on"
2 years later (6 years ago the present day)
"Alright, you're doing it great. Keep going like that a little more"
Dezel took a deep a breath while taking another step, making sure to keep his hands extended at either side of his body. Then, when his foot finally made contact with the rope, he exhaled his breath slowly before holding it up again to take the next step.
"Yes, very well", Lafarga said from the ground, "now grab your pendulum"
Dezel licked his bottom lip while lowering his right arm slowly at the same time that he raised his left hand to keep the balance, managing to extract the pendulum after some tense seconds.
"Very well", Lafarga praised, "and now the difficult part: do one of your usual movements with it"
Dezel thought for a moment and after deciding what he was going to do he began to adopt his starting position, bending a little his legs and leaning forwards just a little to…
"I'm baaaack!"
Dezel exhaled a cry from surprise and after flapping rather funnily during some seconds in a desperate attempt to keep his balance he ended falling all the way down until hitting the giant matt that was placed just below the tightrope.
"Bastard", Dezel snarled, glaring at Zaveid who at that moment was laughing rather loudly, "if you hadn't shouted like that I would have made it!"
"Sorry, Dezel-chan, but if you are so easily distracted that means that you still have a lot to learn", Zaveid said with a teasing tone.
"Zaveid is completely right", Lafarga agreed, "when you are performing the people who are observing you aren't going to be silent, so you have to learn to keep your concentration under those conditions"
Dezel crossed his arms in front of his chest and averted his eyes.
"Come on, don't be frustrated", Lafarga commented, "it's the first time that you manage to reach the center of the tightrope in less than thirty seconds. And you've even managed to extract your pendulum without falling"
"Yeah, that's rather impressive", Zaveid said with a smile, and since this time there wasn't any hint of joking in his voice Dezel's tension disappeared a little.
"Well, at least now the next time that this idiot enters shouting like crazy I won't fall", Dezel said with a resigned tone while removing an elastic band from his wrists to pull up his now rather long hair in a ponytail.
"Dezel-chan, your words hurt my feelings…", Dezel's heart skip a beat when suddenly Zaveid enclosed an arm around his shoulders, his face suddenly so close to his own that he could perfectly admire the different tones of oranges of the pendulum performer's eyes, "damn, what has happened to the cute kid that a some years ago admired me instead of insulting me?"
Dezel snorted when hearing Zavedi's purposely offended tone in an attempt to hide how happy he was after hearing Zaveid's suggesting that he didn't consider him a kid anymore.
"The kid has simply grown up, Zaveid", Lafarga said with a smile, "assume it: he's almost a man already"
Zaveid let out a resigned sigh before finally releasing Dezel.
"Bah! He hasn't even gone out with a girl yet so he has a long way to go to become a man"
Zaveid's words mixed with his teasing tone made Dezel blush.
"Tsk, maybe I'm already going out with someone and you simply don't know it", he replied, "not everyone likes to share his private life so easily, you know?"
To Dezel's surprise, Zaveid's expression turned a little serious just for a tiny moment before recovering his usual animated one.
"Oh? Then does that mean that there is already someone special in your life, Dezel-chan?", he asked while crossing his arms, and even if his tone was as casual as always his eyes were fixing on Dezel with more interest than usual.
Dezel gulped. Crap, if Lafarga wasn't there maybe it would be a good moment to finally say Zaveid what he had been hiding during the last two years…
"Zaveid, shouldn't you leave already instead of interrogating the poor kid?", Lafarga asked with a certain reproachful tone, "I thought that you were going to Marlind to see your girlfriend"
…And well, of course if Zaveid and Katie weren't still together Dezel wouldn't have so many doubts about confessing his feelings.
"Yeah, but I've promised the guys who are going to hunt that I'll give them a hand, so I'll go after that", Zaveid said with a nonchalant tone that caused Lafarga to sigh.
"You better take good care of her. She is a really good girl"
After Lafarga left, there was a brief silence before Dezel broke it, even if he knew that it was going to be a bad idea because surely Zaveid's answers were going to hurt.
"At the end you are going to have to change your alias"
Dezel forced himself to speak with a joking tone that caused Zaveid to chuckle.
"Nah, I like it how it sounds too much"
"At least, Lailah will be happy", Dezel praised himself when managing to adopt a casual tone, "after all you've finally stopped fooling around after finding the person you love"
If Dezel hadn't been busy rolling up his pendulums on purpose to avoid to look at Zaveid's face, he would have probably caught the way Zaveid gulped almost imperceptibly before finally answering.
"Yeah, you're right", Zaveid said simply, and even if Dezel was expecting that answer he couldn't help to feel a pang of pain. Fuck, he really had to love that girl really much if he was using that kind of soft voice when speaking about her. And damn, that hurt.
"Zaveid, Dezel", at that moment Eizen entered the tent, "we're having quite a trouble with the new tent. It seems that the merchant forgot to give us enough rope and we are improvising a little to manage to mount it, can you help us?"
"Sorry, Eizen, but I have some hunts to do before leaving. See you in a couple of days", Zaveid said, and after dedicating a goodbye wink to Dezel he left, leaving Eizen and Dezel alone.
"I deduce that things hadn't advanced between you two yet", Eizen asked with a cautious tone.
It was more an affirmation than a question.
"No, they haven't", Dezel said with a resigned tone, scratching the back of his neck, "and at this rate they never will"
Eizen let out a soft sigh and patted Dezel's arm with reassurance just when Edna was entering the tent.
"Come on, lazybones. Leave the romantic advices for later, there is a lot of work to do right now"
"Edna!", Dezel hissed with nervousness, "don't say things like that! What if someone hears you?!"
"Tsk. By now the only one who hadn't realized yet how you feel about that baka is that baka himself. Even Rose discovered it for herself, and you know how oblivious she usually is."
Dezel rubbed his eyes with patience while exhaling a soft 'damn', making Eizen chuckle.
"Edna, don't tease Dezel. The poor thing has enough with being in love with Zaveid"
"You're not helping, Eizen", Dezel commented still rubbing his eyes, causing the blond man to laugh again.
"Come on, let's go to help the others"
Eizen palmed Dezel's back before joining his sister and after exhaling a sigh Dezel followed them. Fortunately some hours of mechanic job would help him forget for some moments his crush for that idiot.
"Yeah! You did it!"
Dezel couldn't help to smile widely when hearing Rose below him laughing with happiness and clapping her hands almost hysterically.
Finally after another two weeks he had managed to keep his balance on the tightrope while doing one of his pendulums movements.
"Hey, now try a harder one!", Rose shouted with enthusiasm.
"Tsk, I'm probably going to fall", Dezel replied.
"Come on, don't be so pessimist! A Wind Seraph should always be sure of himself!"
Dezel shook his head but did as Rose said, and to his surprise even if he was about to fall at the last moment he managed to keep standing.
"See?! See?! I was right! ", Rose exclaimed, "now an even harder one!"
"Damn, it's a luck that you aren't my trainer, you are stricter than Lafarga and Zaveid together"
"Of course I am", the girl said with a triumphant tone, "and now stop complaining and show me your best move!"
"Hai, ma'am"
Even if he replied with irony, his smile didn't abandon his face at any moment while doing movement after movement, and in fact when he finally fell from the tightrope almost fifteen minutes later it was because he had decided to do so.
"So…", Rose said with a teasing tone once he was on the ground again, "refresh my memory, who was the one who three days ago was frustrated because, according to him, he was unable to keep his balance?"
Dezel exhaled a resigned sigh.
"Me", he admitted.
"Aaand who was the one who said that you will manage to do it by the end of the week?"
Dezel exhaled another sigh.
"You", he admitted, making the girl laugh.
"Okay, then since I was right you'll give me your dessert during the next week"
"Hah? But we didn't make any bet!", Dezel protested.
"Nope, but I've been the one who has been forced to stand your protests for two weeks", she replied, and certainly he couldn't deny the girl's words.
"I'll give you my dessert for the next four days. And just if it's not flan. Eizen's flans are too good, sorry"
Rose pretended to think but at the end she nodded.
"Okay, I benevolently accept your conditions", she said with a superior tone that caused Dezel to roll his eyes but there was a hint of a smile on his face.
Five minutes or so later they arrived at the tent to have lunch with the rest to find Lailah, Eizen and Edna already there, preparing everything.
"Eizen, can you do me a favor?", Dezel asked the moment he entered.
"Depending on what the favor is about", Eizen said with a wink.
"About the dessert of the next four days…"
"Hey! That's cheati…!"
Dezel settled a hand over Rose's mouth immediately.
"Yes? What about the dessert of the next four days?", Eizen repeated with confusion while Rose kept struggling to remove Dezel's hand from his mouth.
"Can you make flan?", Dezel asked, causing Eizen to raise his eyebrows surprised.
"Well, if everyone agrees…"
"Yes", Edna said immediately.
"Yes, I agree too", Lailah said with a cheery tone, approaching Eizen to enclose her arms around his waist from behind and leaning her chin on the blond's right shoulder, "your flans are always delicious"
Eizen smiled and kissed Lailah briefly on the lips. They have begun to go out almost two years ago and the funny part was that absolutely no one was surprised about it, as if everyone would have known from the start that it was going to eventually happen.
"Sorry, Rose", Eizen's tone sounded apologetic tone when looking at the defeated redhead, "I don't know why you didn't want flans but it's three against one"
Rose clicked her tongue and turned to glare at Dezel.
"Cheater"
"Thanks for the compliment", Dezel said while taking his usual sit.
"Don't we wait for Zaveid?", Rose asked with surprise when seeing Eizen, Lailah and Edna began to eat immediately.
"He is at Marlind at this moment", Eizen commented, and when everyone threw a side glance towards Dezel, he added, "no, he hasn't gone to see Katie, it was something else"
"Something else?", Dezel repeated with curiosity but Eizen just shrugged.
"He just told me not to wait him for lunch, that's all I know"
During the rest of the lunch, Dezel couldn't help to keep wondering where Zaveid had gone, but it wasn't until later that day, just when everyone had finished their three hours of training and were about to have a rest when Zaveid finally returned. Wearing a t-shirt.
"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Zaveid?", Eizen said the moment he saw his friend appear, causing Zaveid to begin to laugh.
"Come on, is that weird to see me wearing clothes?", he joked.
"Yes, it is", Dezel, Rose and Edna replied at the same time, making him laugh again.
"So what is the meaning of you being decent for once?", Lailah added with curiosity.
Zaveid smirked and then, slowly, he began to remove his t-shirt, and if the sight of those sinfully built muscles being gradually at full display wasn't enough to make Dezel's heart beat hysterically inside his chest, the fact that now there were several tattoos covering Zaveid's skin made the younger Wind Seraph forget how to breath for a moment.
Because damn, Dezel had always thought that Zaveid was handsome. Then, when he discovered his feelings for him, he added 'hot' to the mix. But now with those white lines adorning his sculpted chest and powerful arms…damn, he honestly thought that there couldn't exist a more gorgeous man in the damn planet.
"What do you think?", Zaveid said with a happy tone, extending his arms to the sides so everyone could admire his tattoos, "they are cool, right?"
"Yeah, they are", Rose said with an enthusiastic tone, immediately approaching him to grab Zaveid's left arm so that she could observe better the tattoo that was there.
"They aren't bad", Edna agreed, and she saying something like that could be considered a big compliment.
"And just when I thought that you were finally going to dress like a decent person", Lailah said with a resigned tone, causing Eizen to kiss her softly on the cheek while chuckling.
"Come on, Lailah, even if you don't like tattoos you have to admit that they look good on him", Eizen said, and although Lailah sighed again she ended nodding while smiling.
"Yes, the truth is that they totally suit your style"
"And what do you think, Dezel-chan?", Dezel jumped when suddenly Zaveid said his name, insulting himself internally when realizing that he had been staring at Zaveid's muscles until then without paying attention to what the rest had said.
"Y-yeah, they are cool", Dezel said, not knowing how he was able to answer when his throat was almost dry, "do they mean something?"
"Yep", Zaveid nodded, "These marks are the symbols that a really old ancient tribe that adored the God of the Wind Sylph had on their skins, and since the name of the 'Wind Seraphs' comes from that tribe I totally wanted to wear these marks too"
While talking Zaveid reached back with his hands to push his hair up, turning around so the rest could see that the tattoos of his front kept traveling towards his back, and taking opportunity that Zaveid wasn't looking at him Dezel dared to lick his lips, trying to wet them a little.
"Did it hurt much?", Rose asked with curiosity.
"Weeell, the ones on my chest, arms and back nah, not at all", Zaveid said with a dismissive tone before, "but the one down there yeah, it's been quite a little painful"
Dezel frowned.
"Down there?", he repeated without thinking, and he immediately regretted doing so because Zaveid smirked.
"Oh, so you hadn't noticed that the tattoos kept traveling down as well?", Zaveid commented with an amused tone, signaling a tattoo that begun just in his left hip and that clearly hinted that it didn't end just there.
"Wait", Lailah opened her eyes wide, "are you saying that you have tattoos yourself on…?"
Lailah didn't continue, she simply blushed and gesticulated with her hands rather funnily.
"On you dick?", Rose completed with surprise.
"Rose!", Lailah exclaimed bright red, "you shouldn't say those words so easily!"
"Come on, Lailah, they are old enough already to be able to say those words", Eizen said with a teasing tone, making the red girl to glare at him.
"Yeah, Rose-chan, right there", Zaveid said with an amused smile settling his hands on his belt with casualness, "would any of you like me to show it to you…?"
"NO!"
Dezel regretted immediately to have shouted as well, because that caused Zaveid to look at him with surprise, since obviously he was just expecting that it was Lailah the only one who reacted with that emphasis.
Dezel averted his eyes insulting himself internally. Damn. How much of an idiot he was?
"H-hey, it was just a joke", Zaveid said with a tranquilizing tone, and if Dezel hadn't been averting his eyes he would have noticed that Zaveid's smile was a little forced, but he had already enough with the little problem that had settled just in his lower half while seeing Zaveid's body exhibition.
Damn. He had to leave right then if he didn't want Zaveid to notice the unusual tightness of his pants but he needed an excuse if he didn't want to result suspicious…
"Dezel, are you alright? You look ill"
Dezel looked at Edna with surprise. What…?"
"Edna is right, let me see…", Lailah suddenly approached him and settled a hand over his forehead, "oh my, you're burning!"
Dezel frowned. What? He was feeling perfectly well, and he was sure that his body temperature was just fine.
"I told you that training during three hours when you were not feeling well wasn't a good idea", Eizen said with a reproaching tone, "so don't you dare to protest and go to rest in the caravan"
And then Dezel finally understood: the others were creating an escape for him.
"Oi, are you okay, Dezel-chan?", Dezel could feel guiltiness invading him when hearing Zaveid's sincere worried tone, "do you want me to accompany you to the nursery to see if…?"
"Don't worry, he just needs to rest", Rose said immediately, approaching Dezel and grabbing his arm with resolve, "come on, Dezel. I'll take care of you"
Dezel let Rose drag himself out of Zaveid's view, and again he failed to see the sudden tension that settled on the pendulum performer when seeing the two youngsters leave towards the caravan with Rose grabbing Dezel so closely.
Five minutes later Rose and him were in front of Dezel caravan.
"I'll be training in the little forest that are passed the camp", Rose said, "if you want let's meet there to practice our combined show. It would be better than doing it on the camp because if Zaveid sees us he will discover that you weren't sick"
"Thanks, Rose", Dezel said with a certain embarrassed tone.
"You're welcome", Rose said with a wink, "although if I were you I would begin to wear looser pants just in case something like that happens again…"
Rose waved her hand goodbye while chuckling and left Dezel finally alone.
When he was finally inside the caravan, he made sure to put the bolt and after thinking for a moment he decided not to risk and use the bathroom instead of the main room.
However, before that he knelt next to his bed to extract an almost empty little bottle from under it. Then, he finally entered the bathroom, and after making sure to put the bolt as well he filled the bathtub.
After that, he undressed himself completely, and he couldn't help to hiss in relief when finally releasing his almost fully hard member from the confinement of his clothes. Then, he finally entered the bathtub and after leaning his back against the border he immediately began to stroke his member.
He knew after just some seconds that doing that wasn't going to be enough to make him finish, so he grabbed the little bottle that he had placed next to him. After pouring almost all its content (that it wasn't much) on his right hand, he flexed his legs and opened them so he could have better access to his own entrance and after letting out a soft sigh he finally reached down to introduce his two coated fingers on it.
Dezel took a deep breath while lettin his head fall backwards and forced himself to relax while moving with a steady but confident rhythm his fingers in and out. Now it didn't take him more than a half-a-minute to get used to that intrusion but he still remembered the first time that he tried to finger himself.
At that moment, he just managed to put a single digit inside because the sensation was extremely weird and uncomfortable, but now in just a couple of minutes he could add a third finger and just feeling a little discomfort that almost immediately was replaced by intense pleasure when he managed to grasp his prostrate, to the point that he had to bite his bottom lip with force to prevent the moans from escaping his mouth, an extremely warm but satisfying tension settled on his stomach while he kept assaulting that awesome spot over and over again.
Damn, he still remembered the first time that he had discovered that such a switch existed inside his body. The shout that he exhaled when experimenting that unexpected but incredibly good sensation for the first time was so loud that for a moment he feared that someone began to knock the bathroom door to ask if everything was right, but fortunately that didn't happen.
Dezel laughed with self-mockery, remembering the sex talk that Eizen gave Rose and him four years ago and the words that he himself said: 'when will we stop thinking that sex is gross?'.
In his case, it took him a little to feel curiosity of what sex was about, and even after acknowledging his feelings for Zaveid, at first when thinking about the pendulum performer and him being together he just pictured them doing the same things that they did until now. He didn't feel yet the desire of sharing with Zaveid more than an emotional bond.
However, that changed when he accidentally caught Lailah and Eizen (who had begun to go out a couple of months after Dezel discovered his own crush) in a rather passionate making out session.
That was the first time that he saw two people kiss for real, because until then even if Eizen and Lailah didn't have any problem to kiss in public, the kisses that they used to share when there were people around were rather discrete, almost chaste, but the way they were kissing at that moment, when thinking that no one was observing them, wasn't like that at all. It was primal, passionate, and that was the first time that Dezel found himself thinking about how it would feel to be kissed like that by Zaveid. How it would feel to be pinned against the wall as Eizen had Lailah at that moment while allowing him to suck at her neck. How it would feel to go even further and have sex with Zaveid.
After the thought of sharing more than an emotional bond with Zaveid appeared on his mind, certain facts that until then he had seen as completely natural began to make his body heat up and his heart race. Like seeing Zaveid's sweated body while training, or waking up and discover that Zaveid was practically occupying his bed (the problem of keeping having three beds in the same caravan was that there was barely space between them).
Then, one day he caught Zaveid completely naked just when he was getting out of the shower, and he had his first erection caused for a sexual related thought. After that, he summoned up the courage to ask Eizen about how sex between men work, and Dezel was immensely grateful when the man answered all his questions, even the stupidest ones, without laughing any single time. In fact, the blond was kind enough to be the one in buying his first bottle of lube.
And well, after hearing Eizen's talk it was a matter of time that he decided to try what Eizen had called 'preparation for sex', the same way that it was a matter of time that he soon began to imagine that it was Zaveid the one that was moving inside him instead of his own fingers, and consequently his desire for the pendulum performer began to gradually grow more and more. And damn, the fact that now Zaveid was even hotter with those tattoos wasn't going to make things easier.
Dezel groaned when feeling himself getting close, so he used his left hand to begin to stroke his member at the same time that he kept moving his fingers with a more and more erratic and desperate rhythm, and since the image of Zaveid settling his hands on his belt to lower his pants was rather clear in his mind it didn't pass much time until he finally came rather intensely while letting out a rather undignified moan.
Dezel let out a deep breath and closed his eyes while going down from the high of his orgasm, and as always when he finally recovered himself he couldn't help to blush with certain embarrassment. Damn, the worst part of doing that even if it felt good was that he didn't know how the hell to look at Zaveid in the eyes during the next hours.
After dressing himself he made sure to grab the bottle of lube to throw it away in a place that wasn't his own room because he would die from embarrassment if Zaveid found it. Then, he finally left the caravan and went towards the forest that Rose had mentioned to train a little. Fortunately, spending some time doing exhausting physical exercise would help him to be completely calmed by when he saw Zaveid again.
"Argh, if I had managed to hit you on the chest I would have won"
"Well, but you haven't", Dezel said with satisfaction, causing Rose to stick her tongue out.
After an hour of training, Dezel and Rose came back to the camp just when it was beginning to get dark.
"After dinner I want a revenge", Rose demanded with a sulking tone before disappearing towards her own caravan, not letting Dezel time to reply and causing him to smile with amusement. He certainly had to admit that hanging out with Rose was the best way to forget his problems.
After taking another (and this time completely innocent) bath, he went towards the tent in which they used to have dinner, since that night it was his turn to help Lailah to cook.
"Hi, Dezel-san", Lailah welcomed him with her usual smile, "have you rested well?"
Dezel had to suppress a smile when hearing Lailah's purposely emphatic tone.
"Yes, I have", he began to place the plates on the table and frowned, "umh…there are seven plates instead of six. Is Lafarga going to have dinner with us?"
Just before Lailah could answer Zaveid entered the tent, and Dezel was glad when finding himself able to look at the man in the eyes with just a little of nervousness.
"Oh, so you've come back already", Zaveid commented while sitting down, and even if he was smiling his eyes were more serious than usual, "where have you been? Because when I've gone to check out how you were you have disappeared"
Dezel gulped. Well, thankfully Zaveid hadn't come just when he was doing that on the bathroom.
"W-well, after resting for a little while I've felt way better so I've gone to train with Rose a little in the forest"
Dezel used the excuse of being preparing the table not to look at Zaveid, so he missed the way Zaveid clenched his jaw for just a brief instant when mentioning the redhead.
"So…", Lailah intervened after a rather awkward silence settled between the two Wind Seraphs, "when does Katie arrive?"
"She has to be about to", Zaveid answered simply.
Dezel managed to keep his face almost imperturbable. Well, now he knew the reason for the extra plate.
A couple of minutes later Rose, Edna and Eizen finally entered the tent as well.
"Zaveid, Katie has just arrived", Eizen commented.
"Wow, perfect timing", Zaveid said with a smile, but then he frowned when seeing the serious expression of the blond, "what's wrong?"
After a brief pause Eizen spoke.
"I think that you should go to see her. She seemed to bring some bad news"
Everyone fixed his eyes on Zaveid, who raised his eyes with surprise before standing up from his site.
"Okay, I'll come back in a bit"
Zaveid left the tent with his expression calm but his eyes showing concern while the rest sat down, in silence.
"Tsk, I just hope that she isn't pregnant"
"Edna!", Lailah exclaimed while Dezel got incredibly pale, to the point that Rose immediately filled his glass with water and offered it to him. Oh crap, he had never thought about that possibility but if that was the case, he could definitely say goodbye to his opportunity to be with Zaveid.
"I don't think so", Eizen say with conviction, "so let's just wait for him to come back"
During the next five minutes no one said anything nor eat anything. They just remained sitting on the table in silence, and when finally after that time Zaveid entered the tent again Dezel had to suppress the urge to take a deep breath.
"At the end we'll be six for dinner", Zaveid said simply, completely unaware of the tension of his friends.
"Oh, so Katie isn't coming?", Lailah asked with a cautious tone.
Zaveid shook his head and took a sit next to her.
"No, she has only passed by to tell me that she is going to live in Ladylake from now on and that consequently she isn't going to come back in quite a long time"
Everyone let out a relieved sigh that caused Zaveid to raise his eyebrows surprised.
"Thank goodness that Edna was mistaken", Lailah exclaimed settling a hand over her chest.
"Edna?", Zaveid asked with curiosity, looking at the bond girl, "Lailah-chan, what do you mean with…?"
"Never mind", Eizen intervened, "let's eat already. The food is getting cold"
Dezel had to bite his bottom lip not to laugh when seeing Zaveid's looking at everyone alternatively with confusion. Well, at least the fear of Zaveid having an unexpected child had vanished. It was something.
After the dinner, Zaveid announced that he was going to remain awake a little longer but the rest decided to go to sleep, Dezel included. After all, the extra training with Rose had exhausted him more than he had initially expected.
However, just when he was about to enter his caravan to finally go to sleep, someone settled a hand over his shoulder from behind, causing him to exhale a cry while turning around.
"Ups, sorry! I didn't want to scare you"
Dezel's mouth fell opened when finding Katie just in front of him.
"What are you doing here?", he asked, and when realizing that he had used a too rude tone he added, "I mean, Zaveid had told us that you were going to Ladylake tonight"
Katie nodded.
"Yes, he is right. I'm coming back right now but before leaving there is something that I would like you to tell him"
Suddenly Katie grabbed both of his hands while looking at him smiling with affection, causing Dezel to show a confused expression since he was not expecting that gesture.
"Please, tell him that my new boyfriend in Ladylake is way way way better than him. And that at the end it wasn't that bad that he broke up with me because of you"
Dezel's eyes opened at his maximum when hearing Katie's words.
What the hell was that girl saying?!
"I…", Dezel opened and close his mouth a couple of times, trying to find something to say, "I don't understand what…"
"I know", Katie said, "you just go to speak with Zav and don't let him go away without giving you a proper explanation. Otherwise, that idiot would keep hiding what he truly feels for you"
Dezel had barely time to assimilate what Katie had just said because at that moment the girl suddenly hugged him.
"Take care, Dezel. And please, take care of Zav too"
And with that, Katie left, leaving Dezel alone with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
Okay, even if he didn't understand completely what had just happened there were three things that Katie had mentioned that had caught his attention:
First: that Katie had a boyfriend in Ladylake.
Second: that Zaveid had broken up with her.
Third, and the most important: that Zaveid was hiding his true feelings for him.
Dezel took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down, but he soon discovered that it was going to be impossible since Katie's words were still resounding in his head, especially the last one, because if what the girl had just said was true and Zaveid was hiding his true feelings for him then that could mean…
Dezel shook his head. No, he couldn't let his hopes up. Not yet. First, he had to do what Katie had suggested. He had to ask Zaveid right then, even if he had to force the truth out of that stubborn man, because by then he already knew that despite his spontaneous appearance, Zaveid was the kind of man that kept everything to himself even more than him.
After making up his mind, Dezel went towards the big top where Zaveid had disappeared some moments ago, and by when he finally reached it his heart was beating so fast that it was as if it was going to leave his chest at any moment.
After taking another deep breath Dezel finally dared to enter the tent. This time, instead of training Zaveid was sharpening his pendulums while sitting over the little platform where Rose used to announce the Windriders to the public, and Dezel couldn't help to gulp again because even if he preferred Zaveid's usual animated mood he had to admit that the concentrated expression that was adorning the man's factions right then wasn't not bad either.
At that moment, Zaveid finally noticed his presence, and then Dezel felt a pang of pain when seeing the way Zaveid automatically tensed for a moment. Damn, he seriously hoped to be right about Zaveid's weird attitude because he was tired of waiting. He had already spent the last two years waiting and it was enough, so for better or worse, he was going to clear things up with Zaveid that same night.
"Hey, Dezel-chan", Zaveid said with his almost usual smile, "I thought that you had gone to sleep already, have you come to train or…"
"Why have you lied before?"
Dezel's direct question made Zaveid look at him sincerely confused, so Dezel explained himself better, making sure not to avert his eyes from Zaveid's ones.
"Before at the dinner you've said that Katie wasn't going to come back because she was going to be at Ladylake", Dezel crossed his arms in front of his chest, "but I know that's not true"
Dezel was about to hit Zaveid when the man let out a surprised laugh. Damn, he was surely a great actor, pretending to be as calm as always even if the way he was grabbing his pendulum was everything but relaxed.
"Dezel-chan, I know that it's difficult to believe that someone is disposed to go to such a far away place when a hot guy like me is around here but believe it or not, sometimes things like that happen"
Dezel ignored completely Zaveid's joking tone and continued.
"Katie has gone to speak to me just when she was leaving the camp", Dezel was about to pat himself in the back when Zaveid's eyes turned serious for a brief second, "and she has told me that she has a boyfriend there"
Again, Dezel wanted to hit Zaveid when the man chuckled with embarrassment. Damn, he knew that it was going to be difficult to force the truth out of Zaveid but he hadn't imagined that it would be that difficult.
"Okay, you've got me there", Zaveid stood up, "The truth is that I didn't want to admit that Zaveid 'the Ladykiller' had been rejected so I purposely omitted that fact but don't worry about me, Dezel-chan. I'm tough so I'll get over it"
Zaveid winked at him and stood up, clearly hinting that the conversation was over, but Dezel wasn't going to let him have his way.
Until then he had been hesitating in telling Zaveid his feelings because Katie was around, and because Zaveid had been keeping treating him like a kid during the six years that he had been with the Windriders. But now, Katie was gone, and even if he wasn't completely sure about Zaveid's feelings at least thanks to Katie's words (that idiot would keep hiding what he truly feels for you) now he knew that the possibility existed, and although Dezel didn't know how the hell he had changed his mind so fast from practically hating that girl to believe her, he felt deep inside that what the Katie was saying was the truth.
For that reason, just when Zaveid was passing him, Dezel immediately moved to situate just in front of the older man, stopping his advances. As Katie had said, he wasn't going to let the older Wind Seraph go away without giving him a proper explanation.
"That's another lie", Dezel snapped with conviction, "she has also told me that you were the one in breaking up with her because of me"
And then, although almost imperceptibly, Zaveid gulped, and Dezel could feel relief invading him.
That was all he needed to put all his doubts away, because since he knew the pendulum artist, never once Zaveid had showed hesitation, so now he knew without a doubt that, for a reason that he still missed, Katie hadn't lied. That idiot was trying to hide his true feelings.
"So…", okay, the moment of truth, Dezel thought to himself, "do you love me or not?"
Zaveid gulped again, this time more clearly, and then he spoke trying to use a fake animated tone that didn't fool Dezel.
"Of course I love you, Dezel-chan. After all you're like a little brother to me so…"
And then, for once, Zaveid's loquacity failed him when Dezel approached him until their faces were barely inches apart, so close that the younger Wind Seraph could feel Zaveid's slightly uneven breathing against his.
"Sorry", Dezel forced himself to adopt a voice that showed as much confidence as he himself had about his feelings for the pendulum performer, "but I'm not going to let you keep seeing me as a little brother"
And then, even if he was feeling his chest about to explode, Dezel grabbed Zaveid's face with his both hands and pressed his lips against Zaveid's ones, and even if Dezel knew that what he had just done couldn't be considered a proper kiss, it was enough to make the older Wind Seraph's breath hitch, and damn the expression that Zaveid had when they finally separated was one so full of sincere surprise that Dezel would have burst out laughing at any other moment.
"D-Dezel-chan, listen to me…", oh damn, Dezel had never imagined that he was going to hear such a babbling tone coming from Zaveid's mouth, "I think that maybe you are a little confused right now, it's logical, you're in that age and your hormones can be a little worked up so…"
Dezel shut Zaveid up with another press of lips that this time made Zaveid's powerful body shudder.
"I'm not confused at all"
Dezel spoke with conviction, fixing his green eyes on Zaveid's orange ones, and when detecting some hesitation in them he kept speaking, although he couldn't help to blush a little when saying the words that he had kept inside during all that time.
"I love you. I've been doing it for two years already. And if I haven't told you anything before it's because Eizen told me that you weren't going to take my words seriously. And well, because you were with Katie and I couldn't stand the idea of you rejecting me because of her"
Even if Dezel hadn't spoken too much he had to take a deep breath, because even if he had liked to keep his confident attitude during all the conversation, now that it was his turn to wait to Zaveid's answer he had to do a great effort to keep looking at Zaveid's intense orange eyes, which now were showing a mix of deep relief, affection and another feeling that Dezel wasn't able to pinpoint well but that made his heart skip a beat.
"So what?", Dezel snapped after some seconds of silence, "are you going to keep insisting that I'm just a little brother to you or…?"
Dezel's words died on his throat when Zaveid suddenly grabbed his chin and forced him to raise his face a little to deposit a soft kiss on his lips that made Dezel's heart practically stop, an indescribable warming tension settling on the pitch of his stomach. Damn, if he was reacting so much just for that simple kiss he didn't want to imagine how he would react when they did more.
After a few seconds, without letting Dezel time to react and kiss back, Zaveid stopped and embraced him tightly, and even if it wasn't the first time that Zaveid hugged him, this time Dezel knew deep inside that it was different. That the way Zaveid's arms were surrounding him, as if he didn't want to let Dezel go, was completely new. And way way better.
"No, I won't", Zaveid turned a little his head to whisper his next words in Dezel's ear, the tickling sensation together with the intensity of Zaveid's voice causing Dezel to shiver, "I love you too, Dezel. Damn, you can't possibly imagine how much"
The younger Wind Seraph's blushed because it was the first time that Zaveid called him by his name with such tenderness without adding anything, but when Zaveid finally, finally, said the words that he had been wishing to hear he felt close to cry right then and there, so in order to prevent that he immediately enclosed his arms around Zaveid's waist as well while burying his head in the crook of his neck, almost suffocating because of the warmth that Zaveid's body always radiated but he couldn't care less. He had just confirmed that Zaveid loved him back and that was the only thing that mattered at that moment.
"But Dezel-chan, are you sure about this?", Zaveid said with a joking tone, "are you completely sure that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone whose alias is 'the Ladykiller'? Around the world there surely are a lot of charming girls that would be happy to have you by their side"
Dezel exhaled a chuckle before looking at Zaveid again.
"Do I have to remind you that I've had two years to change my mind and I haven't?", Dezel said with an ironic tone causing Zaveid to laugh.
"You're right, that's certainly a good signal to assure our future together", Zaveid said with a happy smile before leaning forward to kiss Dezel again, who this time was already prepared to answer to the extremely soft kiss, his chest clenching when feeling those also warm lips tasting his. Damn, he couldn't wait to be kissed by Zaveid properly, because even if those brief kiss were good after all the wait they weren't enough at all.
"Just out of curiosity", Zaveid asked when the (extremely brief) kiss finished, "you say that you fell in love with me two years ago but you remember the exact moment in which my awesome charms managed to seduce you?"
Dezel couldn't help to chuckle when hearing Zaveid's words. It was good to know that the fact that they were together now didn't mean that Zaveid was going to stop teasing him, because even if he always protested he really liked that playful dynamic that he had shared with Zaveid since the moment they met.
"Well…I think that everything began when Katie came back and you said that you wanted to try to go out with her seriously. But when I realized that an exhibitionist playboy like you had managed to make fall for him was the day after that, when my stepfather showed up and you attacked him for my shake"
To Dezel's surprise, when finishing talking instead of the reply that he had been expecting when calling Zaveid 'exhibitionist playboy', the older Wind Seraph was just staring at him in disbelief just before beginning to laugh.
"What?", Dezel asked with confusion.
"Okay, Dezel-chan, we are definitely fated to be together", Zaveid said with extremely amused tone, "I fell for you that same day as well"
Dezel's eyes almost popped out from their sockets.
"What?!"
"Yep", Zaveid said with a smile, "remember when that same day you came to see me after that to thank me for having protected you? Well, I'm pretty sure than it was at that precise moment when I stopped seeing you as a cute shrimp"
Dezel blinked in disbelief before hitting Zaveid's chest, causing the older man to exhale a soft 'ouch'.
"Idiot! In that case why didn't you say anything before?!", Dezel exclaimed.
"Because you were just fourteen at that moment, Dezel-chan", Zaveid reasoned, "and even if I don't particularly mind to be called a pervert, I didn't want to risk to scare you by confessing. After all, I thought that you still saw me as a big brother, so I decided to pretend that nothing had changed regarding my feelings for you and wait until you were at least an adult to, maybe, let you know", Zaveid smiled apologetically, "I'm really sorry. I was so focused on hiding how I really felt that I completely overlooked your true feelings. If I had realized it, I would have said it to you right then even if I had to wait for you to grow up to be together"
Dezel's frown gradually disappeared because he had to admit against his will that Zaveid's way of acting was logic.
"Still I don't know how you didn't realize", Dezel snapped, "everyone in the camp noticed it. Even Rose", Dezel shut up when seeing Zaveid gulp, "what?"
"Nothing", Zaveid said immediately, but Dezel raised a questioning eyebrow, indicating Zaveid to continue, "okay, I'm just curious, have you Rose and you gone out at any moment during these two years?"
"What? Of course not!", Dezel said with an offended tone, "how could I have gone out with her if I was in love with you?"
"Okay, okay, I know that it's probably been an stupid question but…", Dezel was surprised when Zaveid scratched the back of his head with certain embarrassment, "…but when you said that you had gone to train with Rose alone in the forest I couldn't help to think that maybe there had been something"
"Oh…", Dezel smirked while crossing his arms, mimicking on purpose one of Zaveid's usual expressions when he teased him, "so you were jealous…"
Dezel's smirked widened when Zaveid blushed slightly.
"Yeah, I kind of was", he admitted before adding with guiltiness, "and I know that I had no right to feel that way. After all I was with Katie even when you were the one who I truly loved"
Dezel gulped. There was something that he had wanted to ask for a while and now that Zaveid himself had brought the theme up was the perfect moment.
"About that...", Dezel tried to use a casual tone, as if he didn't particularly minded the answer he was going to obtain, "why did you keep being with her? Did you still like her?"
"No, I didn't", Zaveid replying so fast made Dezel relax a little, "in fact, just after realizing that I was never going to be able to love anyone but you, I went to talk to Katie and I told her that at the end I was unable to be with her. I even told her that I had fallen in love with someone else but that certain circumstances made impossible for us to be together"
"And even after knowing that she still wanted to be with you?", Dezel asked with surprise.
"No, she didn't, for that reason we broke up that same day"
Dezel's eyes snap opened.
"Wait…", Dezel said in disbelief, "do you mean that you haven't broken up tonight?", Zaveid nodded and Dezel's eyes opened wider if possible, "but I don't understand, you've been together during these two years…"
"No, Dezel-chan, we haven't", Zaveid said with a smile, "I just asked her to help me make it look that way, and she was kind enough to agree. However, today she has come to tell me that she had fallen in love with a guy from Marlind and she wasn't going to be able to keep pretending to be with me because they were going to move to Ladylake"
Dezel opened and closed his mouth a couple of times in disbelief before speaking.
"Why?", Dezel asked simply, and Zaveid understood that he was referring to the whole farce.
"Because it was the best way to hide the fact that Zaveid 'the Ladykiller' had lost his famous alias because of you", Zaveid answered with a smile, "and if we had broken up just after saying you that I had the intention of going out with her for real, you would have suspected about my behavior"
"But if all that was to prevent me to discover that you loved me then why has she told me al lthat tonight? If she hadn't done it, I wouldn't probably be here now so…"
"Weeeell, about that…", Zaveid chuckled a little nervously, "the truth is that even if I didn't initially told Katie for whom I had fallen in love, she eventually discovered it, and she always insisted me that I should tell you the truth. So I think that when leaving she decided that it was time to push things a little"
Dezel gulped while feeling a lump on his throat.
"Damn, now I feel horrible. All this time I've been hating that girl without motive", ", he muttered with a guilty tone, causing Zaveid to smile.
"Yes, she is really an angel", Zaveid let out a sigh and kissed Dezel on the forehead, "I'm sorry, Dezel, I should probably have listened to her and tell you the truth but I was so afraid of scaring you that I thought that the best option was to wait "
Even if a part of Dezel wanted to hit Zaveid for having made him worry during those two years, he was so happy to discover that he had been the only one that Zaveid had loved that he couldn't help forgive the older Wind Seraph easily.
However, there was something that he still wanted to confirm.
"Then, if you haven't been together for real…", Dezel had to clear his throat to continue. Damn, what he was going to ask had made him nervous again, "…when you went to Marlind to see Katie, or when she came to the camp to see you and you two slept in the same caravan…"
As Dezel was expecting, Zaveid immediately caught what he was going to ask because he smiled with amusement.
"What? Do you want to know if we had sex?"
Dezel felt his cheeks burning but he forced not to avert his eyes while nodding.
Then, after a pause that looked way longer than it really was, Zaveid spoke.
"No, we hadn't", he said with a tender tone, "since the moment I acknowledged my feelings for you, it was completely impossible for me to picture myself loving and desiring anyone that weren't you", Zaveid's tone turned joking, "so praise me, Dezel-chan: the supposedly pervert Zaveid 'the Ladykiller' has been suffering for sexual abstinence during two whole years!"
Dezel gulped, the tension that he had felt for a moment when Zaveid had kissed him before coming back at full force to settle it in the pit of stomach to the point that it was almost painful.
And in fact, something of the overwhelming feelings that were assaulting him at that moment seemed to be showing in his face because Zaveid immediately spoke, misinterpreting the sudden strained expression that Dezel was wearing.
"Oi, but that doesn't mean that I'm suggesting that we have to do anything now. I can wait all the time that it's necessary until you feel like it so…"
"I don't want to wait"
Dezel would have liked to be able to freeze the time at that moment to burn into his memory the completely astonished face that Zaveid showed at that moment.
"What?"
Dezel gulped. Zaveid's tone had sounded calm, but it carried a hint of expectation.
"I don't want to wait", Dezel repeated, this time with a firmer voice.
For the first time in his life, Dezel experimented what 'sexual tension' was, because at that moment, while seeing Zaveid with all his body in tension and looking back at him with his orange eyes shining in a way that he had never seen until then, he felt for the first time how it was to want something (or in this case, someone) with such intensity that it almost hurt.
"Dezel-chan…", Dezel gulped. Oh damn, Zaveid's voice was lower, way lower than usual, and it sounded extremely raspy and filled with barely suppressed emotion, "if you don't mean what you're saying, please, don't keep talking. Because…"
Dezel had to bit his bottom lip not to let out a sigh when suddenly Zaveid settled his hands on his hips to force their bodies closer, so close that now their chests were practically touching, allowing Dezel to feel Zaveid's desperate heartbeat against his own.
"…you can't possibly imagine how much I've been holding back during all this time. And even if I was planning to wait until you being seventeen, if you say once more that you don't really want to wait…", Zaveid leaned forwards until their foreheads were touching, "…I'll be unable to hold back anymore"
Dezel let out the breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and then, without any hesitation he leant his face closer to Zaveid until their noses were almost touching while settling his hands over Zaveid's naked chest, the contact causing the older man to groan low in his throat.
"I don't want to wait", Dezel repeated a third time, his voice almost a whisper now, "I'm tired of it", and then he dared to mimic one of Zaveid's previous gestures by approaching his mouth to Zaveid's ear, "I want you"
Dezel felt Zaveid's hands on his hip increment their grip, and after some seconds that looked like hours Zaveid let out a long deep breath and forced Dezel's to leave his ear to be face to face again, and the younger Wind Seraph could feel all his body shivering with a mix nervousness and satisfaction when experimenting for the first time Zaveid's lustful gaze fixed on him.
Then, slowly, Zaveid raised one of his hands to grab Dezel's chin, forcing him to raise his face towards him the same way he had done before to give him his first kiss, although this time Dezel immediately knew that the kiss that he was about to receive definitely wasn't going to be like the first one.
"Okay, Dezel-chan…", Zaveid leaned over him until their lips were slightly brushing, the extremely feathery contact mixed with Zaveid's aroused deep voice causing Dezel's breath to hitch with anticipation, "remember that you've asked for it"
….Okay, I said that the rating was going to change but I didn't say anything about smut :P However, I promise that in the next chapter they will finally have their first time, and I'll make sure to make a long scene in compensation for the ones who were expecting that to happen in this chapter :)
Again, sorry if such a long chapter has bored you -.- But I think that it was necessary to show the evolution of Dezel's feelings for Zaveid. Also, I had never hesitated so much while writing a chapter before. In fact, at first when creating Katie (the Original Female Character) I had initially described her like an idiot but then I thought that Zaveid wouldn't ever date someone like that, so I had to change a lot of things in the chapter ^^U I hope that the final result had been more or less decent.
As always, thanks a lot to the ones who comments and leave kudos and don't hesitate in leaving what you think about the story! ^^
Note: I'll try to update ASAP but since I start exams this week and I have to keep doing my part-time job, maybe it takes me a little (three weeks or so)
