Kai-Stern walked along the corridor, his bag safely on his back. It was still dark within the palace. No one had yet woken up, and so he could leave without having to explain why or where he was going.
"Kai?"
Shit. Kai-Stern turned, smiling softly at the slim form which stood behind him. "Rath, go back to bed. I'll see you when I get back."
The tall boy walked closer, moonlight illuminating a strip of his face. "You do this every single time. Why?"
Kai-Stern winced. He knew why, and so did Rath, but the words had yet to be spoken. Maybe it would help if they were. But he knew perfectly well that their delicate balance could not be meddled with. "Later, Rath. When it's daylight."
"You'll be gone then." There were tears stains beneath his eyes. "You always are."
"Lord Lykouleon needs me to be outside, gathering information."
"I don't care. I need you here."
"We both know I can't do that."
"Why not?" Rath was suddenly close to Kai-Stern, his breath tickling the older man's cheek. A hand snaked out and touched the albino's face, tracing along the jawline and eliciting a hiss of pleasure. "Stay with me," Rath pleaded.
Kai-Stern wrenched himself away. "No. Go back to bed."
"You said you loved me."
A furtive glance was sent to the shadows; no matter how much Lykouleon needed his Foreign Secretary, an affair with the Dragon Knight of Fire was hardly likely to be taken lightly. "I do, Illuser." Kai-Stern cupped Rath's cheek in his hand. "And that's why I must leave."
"Why?"
"Because you hate that I love you. You hate the fact that people care about you, when you can't see anything inside of you worth caring about."
Rath stared upwards, at the pale eyes which seemed to contain so much knowledge and understanding, and turned away. "Leave." He ran, his footsteps echoing around the stones.
Kai-Stern watched him, a heavy feeling in his heart. He lifted his fingers to his lips, recalling the gentle kisses of earlier, and wanting everything to be that way.