p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Being back on the ship always made the stress of the fights of that day, that week, seem to come crashing down on the body. Elliot knew the best treatment was a nice hot shower so after checking in with Ajay and Horizon he was off down the haul of the ship towards his room./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thinking back to his matches that day and how tiring they had been, he distinctly remembered not seeing his joyfriend the entire day. The sudden realization put a pit in his stomach and he automatically wanted to hurry off to his shower and then run into their arms./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Elliot may put on the pseudo of a playboy, but no one knew what behind the games for him was like… no one besides Bloodhound or maybe Renee for that matter. She always seemed to be in the loop on what not to ask but that was a tale of another time…/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Clearing his head, Elliot just thought about his lover and the hopeful, future snuggle time that was to come after he had cleaned up because at the moment he felt like a sack of potatoes that fell off a cart./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Damn, my back hurts…" Twisting himself in a way to maybe loosen the ache he reached his door and typed the code, his mother's birthday, into the keypad before entering./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Elliot?" The trickster didn't know what surprised him more, the fact his back literally seemed to shatter from popping the second he heard the voice calling from his bathroom or him seeing the person in question slowly walk out of his bathroom in nothing but a towel./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""T-totally the second one-" Bloodhound who busily dried their hair looked at him questioningly no doubt to his rambling to himself. Then they took a few steps towards him, offered a kiss to the lips and cheek which was well received by Elliot as the man closed the door, then quietly sat on the bed that was surrounded by pictures of none other than mirage himself./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A slight cough sounded throughout their chest, being without their respirator for a time would do that but seeing them make no move for the device Elliot didn't push/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Sorry for not notifying you beforehand, elskan," The hunter's hands fell to their lap along with the towel as they looked at their lover. Elliot who had now made his way to the other was all smiles seeing them in his room. "Nothin' to be sorry bout babe, was thinking bout you all match."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Elliot watched as Bloodhound's eyes went a lively shade of ashy gray, and those eyes which had seen so much more than anyone had ever or should ever, looked at him with such calm and overflowing admiration that the man felt like he was suffocating under the weight of their gaze./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Elliot took a deep breath as his arms wound around their shoulders and his head laid against their damp, bareback, their wet tresses tickling his face. "You gotta stop that B." Blood settled against their lovers' chest as the man drew them closer burying his head into their neck./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Elliot my love, I don't under-"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I love you so much B...:"br /Bloof sat in silence as they let the other's words sink in, Elliot knew of their affections for him but each time they said it to one another it seemed to mean more like it was going deeper and that their red thread was growing tighter./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Elliot, you are himinn minn, my sky, my breath…" The hunter turned slightly so they could see the man's face. It was wet, be it with him clinging to the hunter or from the tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. " Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve you B, like, look at you-"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Elliot's eyes trailed all over the hunter, from their eyes to their chapped lips to the scars that ran down their face to the other miscellaneous ones no doubt from grueling battles. They had tattoos of many meanings littered across their chest, thighs, and forearms all of various sizes and of weight to their past./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The hunter was never good with words, in all their years they never thought that they could find someone whom they wanted to spend their life with, let alone find them in a bloodsport nonetheless, but here they were./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You are a fighter, Elliot Witt."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Pulling themselves up Bloof turned and kissed the trickster's lips before slowly pulling away. Elliot wiped away at his face watching as the other began pulling on an old tee of his and grabbing a comb to run through their hair./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"After running through their hair a few times they came back to the bed and sat in Mirage's lap almost as habitually as possible. Elliot had learned that they always like to put their hair up and Bloof had learned Elliot knew very well how to deal with styling it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"When asked about it the first time Elliot was almost giddy to respond, " I do my mother's hair for her." He started. "Her hair has gotten so long after all these years she didn't really know how to keep up with it… and since there is just me-" The man's smile twisted a bit at his words before he cleared his throat and continued, "- I decided hey what can it hurt to ya know, to fix my number one's hair, she's always so happy about it afterward as well, says I could become a stylist!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was one of the many bits of information the hunter had gathered through small actions their lover did on impulse. Blood could sense Elliot was still quite troubled and spoke up after clearing their throat. "Elskan, you are one of the strongest fighters I know, I am blessed to be a part of the hunt beside you… Your heart is big and not misguided. I believe the all-father has blessed me with you in these trying times."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Elliot's hand carefully moved through their wet locks, pulling the strands into groups to slowly build the braid that was /Reaching towards the table for their respirator as a small cough racked their chest, Blood took a deep breath before once again speaking. "I always believed, as the all-father would will it, that I and Artur would be the only ones standing for our cause…" they turned to look at their mask placed on the bedside, "For our people." Elliot's breath caught in his throat, any talk of his lover's past was intriguing for the trickster, they were always clouded in a sense of mystery that only he seemed to get a safe passage through; when behind closed doors, when the game stopped, when their lives started./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And that to him was an honor./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""But I did not see the plan the all-father had so graciously brought for me and my people, as all paths are laid out across the sands of time and scrawls of old the all-father sought it fit to give me my partner, my own guide, my…" The hand braiding the hunter's hair was taken into their own and brought softly to their lips as their free hand brought down the gear covering their mouth. "Elskan…" the action was soft, a brush of lips against Elliot's knuckles, but it carried meaning between the two./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"In the small space of Elliot's bedroom aboard the ship that sent them day in and day out on blood baths and endless sport for the media, this was the bit of surrealism for them to hold onto./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The two sat in silence, not even Artur who had mysteriously appeared atop one of Mirage's cut-outs made a caw. The smell of soap was still in the air and much to Elliot's dismay the task of showering hit him dead on again./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""B, babe, I gotta get up." The hunter made a noise of protest as their hand was kissed and placed back against the sheet and their boyfriend began his impending walk towards the showers. " Elliot, five more minutes," the hunter tried to grab the trickster's hand again./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""As much as i would love to forgo the shower and snuggle up with my adorable hunter, nature calls and I'm pretty sure I smell of flyer guts after octane jump padded us into his cargo kill…"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The hunter gazed at the man one more time before slumping against the sheets as Artur swooped down from his loft and nuzzled up to them. "Hurry Elskan, the break is short on this ship and my moments with you are not as plentiful as I wish…" Elliot shot his signature finger guns and a wink as he all but threw himself into the shower./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Out in two shakes of a ravens tail!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Then he hurriedly shut the door as a caw from Artur followed suit of the comment./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He's an amazing fighter Artur, my felagi fighter…"/p