#flameless

It's been five years. Five years since you died and the memory of your face somehow died with it. Mother…In this ever changing world I am afraid losing more. To forget someone is like another kind of death…

"Rahn! Did you hear me?!"

Rahn jumped as his father yelled at him from the front seat. Pulling off his head phones, he looked into the rearview mirror to meet his father's glances. Hunkered down, he sat up and stretched his legs out across the back of the car. "I was listening to my music," he answered as he leaned forward.

"I was reminding you that we put everything we have into sending you to this school. You need to be your best here. You're an adult now. If you screw up here by getting into fights or skipping classes it's over," his father explained gruffly.

"I know," Rahn said, gritting his teeth. He'd cop to cutting class, but he hadn't raised his first in anger since middle school. That one time was enough. It wasn't like hitting anyone would change who they are, just make them afraid. As for being called an adult, he couldn't stand that either. Adults lied.

"We're here," his father announced, pulling in front of the school. "You've got the keys to the apartment? I'll get the rest of your stuff settled but I will be returning home before you get out if class."

"Yeah. I have them," Rahn said, scooting to get out of the car, slinging his bag over his shoulder as his dad rolled down the window.

"Son…," the man called out, eyes not lifting meet him.

Rahn nodded then held up his phone, snapping a picture of his old man with his tired eyes and greying hair. "I know dad. Me too," he said as he pocketed his phone.

Superstition had the better of them both. It was the last thing his mother had said to him that he couldn't bear to hear again. Just in case it was the last. After waving off his dad quietly, Rahn looked up his new school then headed inside.

-

"It's really an inconvenient time."

It was the fifth time the school counselor repeated herself, flipping through his paperwork as she fussed over where to stick him. An obvious lie, to Rahn, that his arrival slipped her mind. He hated that. His feelings didn't need to be spared with white lies. And yet every adult he knew rather make an excuse or tell him what they wanted to hear than admit something that might hurt his feelings.

"I remember something about someone named Rhul?" Rahn finally chimed in, picking at his feline ear with a finger, recalling their name on some of his paperwork.

"Right, of course. Miss Rhul will be your homeroom teacher. That sounds familiar now," the counselor said, getting up from her seat. "She instructs music as well as language arts. I am sure we've already given her your class schedule. If you'll follow me, this way. Don't dawdle."

Rahn stood up, following the woman quietly, having to take small steps to not over take her stride as he followed her through the halls of his new school. As they passed by windows facing out toward the front of the school, a white light caught his eyes. Focusing on it, he spot a long white-haired man resting against the entry way, earless.

Noticing he'd slowed down the counselor turned and followed his gaze. "A delinquent no doubt. Don't you mind him. Come along now," she beckoned.

"Right," Rahn said, swallowing as the man seemed to turn and meet his gaze from impossibly far away. His heart raced briefly until he turned away to follow his guide, half-listening as she gave a loose tour of the halls they passed as they ascended to the higher levels of the school. On arriving at his class, he was bade to wait in the hall briefly while the counselor fetched his teacher from her lecture.

Rahn was surprised to find that when she came out she still had her ears and tail, not many of her apparent age left with the signs of their youth. He tried not to react to much, not wanting to embarrass her. It wasn't his business anyway.

"Welcome, Rahn! I am Miss Mariah Rhul," she greeted, beckoning him inside to bring to the front of her class. "Alright everyone, we have a transfer student joining us. This is Rahn Drake. Now given that it's the middle of the semester, I expect everyone to be helpful in ensuring he's caught up with the reading. Miss Aliapoh, would you mind sharing your text book with him today?"

Rahn watched the crowd quietly, stuffing his hands in his pocket as they whispered. He was tall for his age, with room to grow and it often brought the worst kind of attention. People wanting to pick fights to prove their toughness…especially now that they were all on the edge of adulthood. He could handle his earless peer's taunting but those who had yet become adults always seemed to have something prove. Luckily he'd gotten good at keeping his head down…at least until the incident at his last school that saw him here.

"Khloe won't mind!" the girl he assumed was Miss Aliapoh called out before leaning in as a bunch of girls started to whisper at her.

Taking a seat next to her, he sat down then looked over at her open book, The War of the Lions. He'd already read it twice. Once for school and before that for fun. Listlessly he rested his cheek on his first and let Miss Rhul resume her lesson.

"Um. Rahn? Khloe wants to know where you're from," his partner eventually whispered.

"The south," he answered vaguely, not interested in small talk.

"The south…okay. Um, then do you play any sports?" she pressed.

Rahn's eyes glanced over to his classmate, watching her lean against quickly scribbled notes then to the watchful eyes on them. "No," he said coldly. "And if you're going to interrogate someone at least be creative enough to come up with your own questions."

"Khloe isn't interrogating…Khloe wants to be your friend," the girl replied, voice getting small.

"I don't want to be yours," Rahn snapped. It was a reflex. He was annoyed and upset. Khloe was clearly being put up to finding out about him by the others and in his cynicism he didn't allow the room for both things to be true

The girl sniffled then recoiled from him, rubbing her eyes as she cried in her seat. No one bothered him for the rest of the day.

-

As the bell rang to end their day, Rahn quickly gathered his things. He wasn't sure what he was hurrying for, nothing waiting at his new place except to unpack. As he crossed the threshold of the school grounds his eyes were once more drawn to the white-haired man waiting patiently by the gate. Their eyes meeting, he blushed then quickly looked away.

"Rahn Drake," a deep voice called to him, the loiterer's.

Nervously he turned around, finding the other coming toward him. If it weren't for being right in front of the school he probably would have already started to run away. "Who wants to know?"

"Elidibus," the man answered, hand reaching out to plant between his cat ears. "Themis Elidibus."

Rahn swallowed, unsure what to do. He was an adult now, but still technically a student. He'd heard that it wasn't uncommon for creeps to try and pick up those who still had their ears and tail. And yet, his hand was warm and comforting. "I was just going home. You're not some stalker creep are you?"

Themis laughed, withdrawing his hand. "Maybe I am…Your mother sent me. L'lolamo."

Rahn's heart raced at the revelation. "You knew my mom? When? You can't be more than a couple years older than I am," he asked, guard falling rapidly in his excitement.

"I did. A long time ago…though it was a bit over five years since I last heard from her," Themis explained.

Rahn shrugged his bag on his shoulder, looking the stranger over once more before looking around. "As long as you don't do something weird...would you want to go to the park and tell me about her a little? Maybe take some pictures together?"

"I would like that, Rahn," Themis said, clasping his hand on Rahn's shoulder before turning him around to walk down the block to a nearby park.

Autumn was upon the city, perineal leaves starting to erupt into browns and golds. Rahn took little time getting his camera out, taking candids of Themis as he looked around the place. "How did you know my mom?" he finally asked as he flipped through the pictures he'd just taken as he sat down on a bench beside Themis.

"She was very important to me when I was younger. Much like a big sister," Themis explained leaning against Rahn as the other held up the camera to face them, capturing them together.

"Were you around? I don't…I don't remember much about that time," Rahn said softly, taking another picture.

Themis hummed, wrapping an arm around Rahn's thigh, pulling him closer. "We knew each other, once," he answered, peering down into Rahn's eyes.

Rahn shivered, finding an intensity in Themis's eyes he couldn't break away from. "I don't remember," he said before lowering his ears. "I hate that. Forgetting someone…it's the worst thing you can do. My mom…I can't even remember her face. Somehow we never had any pictures of her. Just one of me in her arms as a baby but the sun blocks her features out," he said, fidgeting with the camera in his hands.

"Then I will make sure to make lots of memories with you," Themis cooed, hand resting over Rahn's so that he'd stop fumbling with his camera while tilting his chin up high. "I love you, Rahn."

Warmth spread across Rahn's lips as Themis drew his face into his. More than the sudden embrace, Themis's words had caught him off guard. He hadn't heard the words since the last time he saw his mom. He closed his eyes briefly, falling into Themis's arms he was held. His first kiss. The first person to tell him they loved him in five years. Themis as comforting as he was…was still a an adult and a stranger.

Opening his eyes, Rahn pushed the other away. "I said not to do anything weird!" he yelled, moving to stand and grab his things, only to have his wrist grabbed.

"Wait," Themis ordered evenly.

Rahn turned, chest pounding with embarrassment and confusion. Expecting a plea to stay, he instead found Themis focusing on something in the distance. Standing, Themis put himself between him and two approaching eared teenagers, a boy and girl with the ears and tail still in tact.

"Themis?! What are you doing with Loveless!" the girl demanded.

"Jinn, don't provoke him," the boy cautioned.

"Loveless?" U'rahn repeated, looking to Themis confused.

Themis's gaze didn't falter from the pair as he responded, "Your true name."

What a terrible name. Rahn thought to himself as he remained be the other, more wary of the pair than he was Themis at the moment.

"Stand aside traitor! The Director will have Loveless!" Jinn called out, stepping forward.

Themis shook his head then turned to wrap his arms around Rahn, gaze over his shoulder. "I cannot do that. I am his Sentouki," he said, hand running down Rahn's back.

Before Rahn could ask, Jinn flew into a rage. "You can't be a Sentouki for multiple people! That's cheating… it's…it's just wrong!"

Rahn lowered his ears, Jinn's words going over his head. Themis seemed to ignore them, gazing down into Rahn's eyes as he stroked gingerly down his back. "Just look at me. Don't worry about them," Themis cooed before half-turning toward the pair with his hand raised out toward them.

"He's going to try and battle us! Ifrit!" Jinn called out, partner hurrying up beside her as he was called for.

"I declare this a battle of spells," Themis announced evenly.

The world seem to blur away, to Rahn, into a fantastical night sky with the golden autumn trees to illuminate the surrounding area in an ephemeral light. There seemed to be a light behind Themis's eyes that wasn't there before, making them glow a spectacular blue that he felt he couldn't pull himself from more than a brief second.

"We are Flameless…because the embers of our love burn hotter than any fire," Ifrit and Jinn said as they stepped toward one another, the name Flameless shining on the back of both of their hands. After Jinn turned toward Themis and shouted, "And let those who stand against us become engulfed in a bowl of those embers."

Rahn shivered as he felt heat start to rise up beneath him. He was largely unbothered, home far out in the middle of the desert, but he felt sweat beading at his forehead near immediately. Themis's arm slid to hold him at his side as he watched the couple indifferently. "And yet with the changing of the season, so comes the cold with it. A cold gust from the north biting with the promise of winter to come."

A sudden chill came with Themis's words followed by a rapid gust that did little more than make Rahn's clothes billow. Across from them though, Ifrit and Jinn held up their arms, blocking what appeared to be a much harsher wind that had gathered leaves from the surrounding trees. As a leaf cut across Jinn's face, Ifrit let out a yell and held his cheek instead as a collar of light clasped around their necks, connected by an ethereal chain.

"Are you alright?" Jinn fretted toward her partner, a chain of

Ifrit shook his head. "It's just a scratch," he assured her, holding the mark on his cheek. "Keep going."

"Right," Jinn said before turning back toward Themis, raising her hand high to summon a dark ball that seemed radiate flares of light. "Nothing can make our bond waver. Behold the blistering heat of our love!"

With her words the ball of fire grew larger and larger until it resembled the eclipsed sun. Once more heat poured over Rahn, and yet it did little to deter him pulling from Themis's embrace. Cooley Themis, gently stroked over Rahn's ears. "That is the thing with young love isn't it? It burns intensely and yet often lacks foundation, blown out or away by the winds of change. All that is left in the end is scattered ash."

The wind picked up again, scattering leaves wildly until made into a violent vortex. Rahn felt the intense heat lighten as the screams of Flameless echoed from father and farther away. Themis drew in close once more, threatening to steal another kiss thus making Rahn shut his eyes of nerves. This time he was kissed between his ears, innocently. When he opened his eyes, Themis had stepped away and the park had returned to normal.

"Wh-what was that!? Did you kill them!?" Rahn yelled, tail bristling with anger and confusion.

Themis laughed then shook his head. "I just sent them far away with a simple spell," he assured him before getting down one knee to take Rahn's hand. "I am to be your Sentouki….your fighter. I will serve you in any way you ask of me and protect you from those who would come after you. Our bond is to become as deep as one can be. I love you, Rahn."

Rahn flushed, heart racing as Themis kissed his wrist. He ripped his hand away after. "S-Stay away from me! I don't want anyone to fight or serve me! Y-You're a liar just like all the others!"

With that he fled, running as fast as he could as his heart tried to beat out of his chest. He didn't stop until he arrived at his new apartment, nearly tripping over moving boxes outside unit next to his. Once inside he dropped his things and clumsily tore off his shirt and jeans before heading right to his bed.

Sleep didn't come easily. He kept thinking of Themis kissing him and holding him. Just be when the thought relaxed him he'd wake up, startled by the comfort it brought or the confused burning within him. Themis was, for all he knew, could have just been trying to rob him of his ears and tail…and yet he had said he knew his mother. That even they knew each other when they were little too.

In the middle of his restless attempts at sleep, Rahn got out of bed for water. On his way to his kitchen he stumbled over his bag, knocking the camera out of it. Picking it up, he started to click through the photos while getting his glass with his free hand. Once hydrated, he trudged back to bed, staring at a selfie of him and Themis…He flushed deeply, touching his lips before rolling on his side.