Proud Xemnas Admirer

Then just like that—the song came an erupt end. Silence blessedly curled within their ears, almost painfully so with how it swirled within their now aching head. A small moment of relief.

Tears glistening down their cheeks, they slowly reopened their eyes and lifted their head to meet another’s. Golden, soft, and pained.

“What have I done?” Words that came out breathlessly, sounding like pure Heaven to the formerly tortured soul. Beautifully adorned in gold armor, a set of hands reached out to gently cradle the other’s broken face, treating it as if it were glass. It might as well have been for the tears only grew stronger. Previously violet irises now a sickening red clashed briefly with the set of sorrow-filled golden before the former let out the most heart wrenching sob, throwing themselves straight into their lover’s embrace.

The silence was dissipating under the wicked and horrific whispers within Kata Laidir’s mind but the relief of his lover god’s touch was more profound than he could consider. A small reward for the grief they would soon have to face.

The qunari buried his Blight-stricken face within the crook of the tyrant’s neck, finding his will growing more weak by the second. “It hurts, Elgar’nan.” He managed to whisper brokenly, sounding nothing like the man from before all of this.

Something snapped within the god’s chest as he swept his arms around Kata and crushed him achingly so against him, rocking his frame as if to provide any sort of comfort. He did not deny the tear that slipped free nor the next that followed.

In succeeding with his and Ghilan’nain’s plans, he had doomed his consort to a fate they did not have the ability to fully stop. He had Blighted Kata, and with Ghilan’nain’s death…

Kata was *doomed* to follow.

Even as the tainted broken man crumbled against him, sobbing in agony, the god did not pull away nor seek to quiet him. He bowed his head and merely curled as much as he could around him, feeling his once thought dead heart shatter in those moments of time.

*Forgive me, Vhenan.*

Mythal must have been watching him from her grave, celebrating her victory after so long. It was the only thing he could consider.

They had been at it for far too long. This persistent bickering, the raised voices, the chilly glares. Their sullen attitudes were beginning to wash over the others within the Lighthouse like some sort of rancid illness. The kicker? It had all started with the tiniest of teasing, a small jest toward perhaps the most egocentric creature of Thedas. Well, apparently, said God took mighty offense to that which only lead to a rather hostile chain of arguments between Kata and Elgar’nan. The latest little disruption had poor Davrin almost lose his head by a random bolt of heavily charged lightning. His only crime had been sticking his head in the filled room of boiling tension to ask a simple question.

He still twitched occasionally but denied it when asked about it.

Whatever this spat was, regardless of who was in the right or wrong, something needed to be done. This attitude and anger were getting no one anywhere other than annoyed.

So, Erevan had an idea.

“We trick them.” She stated bluntly, clearly in no mood to mince words. “We get them to enter a room by making something up, lock the door and use magic to bind any chance of them escaping, and refuse to let them out until they make up or kill one another.” The rogue huffed, shaking her head. She couldn’t believe they even had to come up with such an idea. They were both grown men, even if one was well over lol of their ages put together, but to pick at each other for so long?

Yeah, no. She was putting a stop to it.

The others took one look amongst each other and found themselves in agreement. They would do whatever it took to get Elgar’nan and Kata to get along together again…even if it meant seeing a certain God’s sappy disposition.

Oh yeah, he certainly did have a certain expression when the qunari was around. No one dared, well maybe other than Erevan, to point it out.

Still.

So a plan was somewhat clumsily out together. Lucanis and Neve would draw Kata out, distracting him with an ‘issue’ brought to their attention involving the remnants of the Antaam, whereas Bellara and Emmrich would indeed get Elgar’nan’s attention by telling him about an artifact they recently found that looked like it belonged to him or one of the other Evanuris. Once the two men were in a smaller and more contained, room, Bellara would set the artifact off which would then seal that room off. No way in or out unless someone reversed the enchantments from the outside. Maybe not the most foolproof set of tactics but it was better than allowing this whole charade to continue.

With that in mind, they just had to wait for the right moment of time to proceed. Luckily for the Veilguard, maybe not so much for the intended targets, that moment of time came fairly quickly after the initial group meeting. Bellara had received word from the Veil Jumpers that the ‘artifact’ was ready for action and had managed to get a hold of it not long after. As she did so, the rest moved into position. Harding and Taash sat just outside the library, seeming to be in discussion whilst occasionally glancing at the broad set of doors. Lucanis and Neve made their way up to the meditation room, knowing Kata hadn’t left it for ongoing three days now. With Bellara and Emmrich just about to arrive through the Eluvian, Erevan and Davrin were setting the last pieces of the determined designation of said trap together.

The redhead paused, glancing up to see Emmrich and Bellara’s glowing smiles. “You ready?” She questioned quietly, eyes darting around to make sure no one could overhear.

A swift nod with barely a moment to spare. At the sound of Kata’s voice coming from the adjacent hallway, Bellara slipped out to run toward the music room while Erevan spun on her heel, waving frantically at the others. “Go! Go on! Hurry!” She urged, glancing over her shoulder. Swift eruption of movement came abound as Kata and Elgar’nan, both led by others, took one step into the room and froze on the spot.

Golden irises met purple, narrowing in resentment and irritation.

“What is the meaning of this—?” Before the God could even finish his statement, Erevan pointed at Bellara.

“DO IT NOW! Lucanis, Neve! GO!”

Kata blinked, Elgar’nan stumbled forward. A light flashed.

Blue surrounded a majority of the room, encasing the two in a small section of it. The qunari pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “There was nothing going on with the Antaam, was there?” He asked dryly.

Lucanis snorted, shaking his head, while Neve merely laughed. “No, my friend, there was not. This was more important.” The assassin informed him with a wry grin, shrugging his shoulders. With that said, he offered an arm out to the detective beside him and they quickly left the room without even a glance back.

Erevan followed them all the way to the door, pausing only to cast a glare back at the stunned qunari and seething elven man. “Get your shit together or stay there. I don’t care. We’re tired of walking around your tantrums.” She said, staring pointedly at Elgar’nan. Rolling her eyes, she then slipped through the door, letting it close behind her with a heavy clang.

There was a very, very brief moment of silence. Kata counted to three before he could practically feel the rage vibrating off the other man across the way from him.

“The utter *nerve* of them all! To trick and lie to me as if they took lessons from the Dread Wolf himself!” Said god growled, eyes flashing dangerously. It was outrageous. Did they forget who he was? Who he could be if pressed? Once he got out of there, however long that took, he would be sure to give them a reminder especially that little elven rogue of Kata’s. His hands curled, little bolts of lightning and fire beginning to take form, when he found himself distracted by a dry chuckle. His head twisted to see the qunari lower himself to the ground and sit with a sigh.

Kata pointed at him. “Do you realize that maybe this has nothing to do with that ass and more to do with the one standing before me?” He queried with a small smile. That smile widened at the sight of purple now coloring Elgar’nan’s temples.

That seemed to do it. With a near vicious snarl, to the warrior’s hidden and somewhat reluctant glee, Elgar’nan crossed over and slammed his hands down upon the other man’s shoulders, nearly shoving his face into Kata’s. “I tire of your constant disrespect, Kata Laidir, and it ends NOW!” He hissed. “First you mock me by comparing me to that oafish lapdog of Mythal’s. You then throw back our past disagreements in my face as if I was in the wrong, that I make mistakes!” His grip almost bruising, the man shook the qunari in his place, his irises blown wide from rage and the barest showing of hurt. He inwardly cursed at the sudden waver to his voice. No, this would not do. He could not, would not, show weakness to a mortal regardless of how close they might be…or might have been.

Elgar’nan swiftly pushed down the rising wave of pain that came from the mere thought.

Were they through? Was the dalliance at last at an end and they would swiftly turn against another?

Would Solas get his wanted ending after all?

His thoughts were then interrupted by the sound of a snap. Eyes widening, the Allfather managed to catch Kata snapping his fingers in front of his face before swiftly dropping his hand. The qunari’s brow furrowed as he intensely studied the god’s face. “I thought I’d lost you for a moment there.” There. That statement. It was like all of Rook’s earlier anger had been drained out of him. How could he even do that?

It both bewildered and irritated him. Was he just that easy to dismiss or had Kata found a way to push it aside?

His hands lessened in its brutality grip, not quite leaving their place on Kata’s shoulders. “I do not understand you.” Elgar’nan managed to breathe out, hating how soft it seemed. “You make no sense. Most mortals would have already kept to their knees, begging for forgiveness to attain some sort of mercy undeserving to them.” He shook his head, a disbelieving laugh managing to slip free. Confusion…was something he struggled with greatly. He was used to either knowing something in full or demolishing it, viewing such things as unimportant to the larger scheme of things.

Kata was neither unimportant to him nor fully known. That was what truly astonished the god, reluctant as he might be to admit and good luck getting him to do such a thing out loud.

Unable to resist from cupping the Qunari’s face within the palm of his right hand, Elgar’nan huffed an exasperated sigh. “Why must you confound me so?” He queried with no small amount of exasperation.

As if Kata was the only one so confusing, said man thought to himself in annoyance. Yes, he might have egged things to a head and maybe he took a little enjoyment out of pissing off one of the last remaining elven gods—Evanuris or whatever—but it’s not as if Elgar’nan hadn’t brought it on himself. A little anyway.

Okay maybe things got a teeny bit out of hand. Maybe it had gotten further than Kata had originally planned but why was it his job to constantly smooth the god’s raised hackles? For a supposed leader, the man sometimes acted more like a child than warranted.

Still…meh. Kata did like him when he was not so much of an ass. Like right now when his golden irises softened just so with his hand upon Kata’s face with the right angle.

He could feel the remaining annoyance turn into something else, something warm. Oh damn it.

With a calculating glint to his eyes, the warrior gently placed his own hand on top of the one still gripping his shoulder. “You would bore of me if I wasn’t so, as you put it, confounding. It’s one thing you like about me as loathe as you are to say it.” He returned. Then his expression turned a bit more serious.

“I believe it is a safe assumption that we both messed up with our recent fights.” He had to quickly hold up a finger at the sight of Elgar’nan about to protest, silently urging the god to wait. When the Allfather simmered down a bit, Kata nodded before continuing. “We shared hateful words towards one another, isolated ourselves, dragged our friends into it against their will.” The qunari then took in a deep breath. “Neither one of us gave each other room to breathe. We overrode each other’s emotions with our own anger and just let it be for too long.”

Elgar’nan felt his resentment rise. “You started it by comparing me to—!”

“—to Solas, yes.” Kata finished wearily. He shook his head and then met his lover’s look straight on. His eyes echoed with his next set of words. “I’m sorry. I should not have knowing the history you two share.” It was a lesson he would take well to keep for the future. Having fun was one thing but genuinely hurting Elgar’nan’s feelings was another even with their original circumstances being as they were. Who’d have thought he’d be apologizing to one of the ‘bastards’ trying to Blight the world?

Funny how that works when you care for someone.

Plus it also helped that he too thought the Dread Wolf was an asshole so there’s that.

There was a moment of brief silence as the other man struggled to form a coherent response that wasn’t automatically venomous. Truth be told; he actually hadn’t expected any sort of apology. That surprised him and yet again he didn’t know what to make of it.

Damn him. Damn Kata Laidir and his charms.

Sliding his hands down to encase his arms around the smaller man’s waist, he pulled Kata in closer and buried his face against the top of the man’s head. He grumbled out something but it was muffled.

Kata’s shoulders shook from his laughter. “I can’t hear you.” He teased, earning another grumble and a quick jab to the side in return.

The Sun-Tamer might have been a little too amused at the yelp he heard from said jabbing but he very wisely chose not to say anything. With a snort, he lifted his head up to stare down at the qunari with a slightly disgruntled frown. “I said—“, he drawled, “—that I accept your apology.” A beat of embarrassed silence passed. “And…I…apologize as well. It was unworthy.” Oh how he hated the rush of heat to his cheeks. Only this mortal, this creature, could bring such to his face. Would he ever grasp the reason as to why? Trying to gather false bravado, he lowered his head down once more only to place a rough kiss upon Kata’s lips. “Don’t ever call me by his name or any others name again.” He grumbled against his lover’s mouth.

Once again Laidir’s shoulders shook with barely restrained laughter even as he returned said kiss with warmth.

Meanwhile, Erevan stood outside the main set of doors, ear pressed against them as if she had been listening in all along. When she heard the sound of obvious kissing, the rogue smiled with a grim satisfaction and moved to head toward where Lucanis and Neve had taken off to. Mission was a success as far as she was concerned.

She’d let Bellara set the two fools free…after they got it out of their system.

Kata definitely owed her for this. She couldn’t wait to see his reaction for what she had in mind as repayment.