#kirathus

------ Kirathus had sent Rastarian to the city to pick up some things for the library. As Rast walked home he wondered briefly what Kirathus was doing while he was away.

“Probably reading. Like a nerd.” He laughed quietly and smiled brightly. Rast had grown fond of the mage and picked up his pace to get back to him quickly. 

As he returned to the library he noticed the window was closed and slowed to a stop.

“It’s so hot out, why is that closed...” He wondered. He opened the library door and stepped inside quietly. He kicked off his shoes and started up the stairs. He heard quite a racket going on in Kirathus’ room and knew exactly what was going on. Shadows cast on the shimmering blue curtains that acted as a door to Kir’s room.

Rast couldn’t believe what the shadows were telling him, so he got down low and peaked under the curtain. His heart sunk as he saw Kirathus in bed with rather handsome gentleman. Rast backed up quickly and ended up slipping down a few stairs. He yelped as his shin skid across the edge of a stair.

The bed on the other side of the curtain creaked as Kirathus got up. Not wanting to face the mage, Rastarian moved down the stairs to the library. Kir had just gotten to the bottom of the stairs by the time Rast grabbed the library door handle.

“Rast! Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Kirathus called after the small paladin.

"Why do you care? Go have fun...” He squeezed the door handle and spoke without turning to face Kirathus.

“No, What happened. are you okay?” The mage was still working on putting a shirt on as he took a step toward Rastarian.

“I was being nosey, I slipped, I’m going out. That’s what happened.  Why do you care?” Rast closed his eyes and brought a hand up to push on his neck bruise.

“Nosy? Are you okay? I care because you might be hurt.”

“What’s wrong is that you sent me away so you could...” He took a deep reath before contineing. “You could have just told me you didn’t want me around.”

“Didn’t want... Why in the world would you think that?” It was obvious he was confused.

Rastarian finally opened the door and felt the warm air wash over his skin. “A lot of things. But those don’t matter since I’m obviously not your type.”

“Rast.. I don’t understand.” His ears drooped as he spoke. Rast looked over his shoulder.

“I guess it was selfish for me to think I could keep you to myself.” He stepped out the door and heard Kir run back up the stairs. A tree in the distance caught Rastarian’s eye and he made his way to it.

The tree’s branches dipped low and offered ample shade from the sun’s heat. Sitting underneath it, Rastarian thought about what he was going to do now. His thoughts were interrupted as Kirathus stepped in front of him.

“Rast. What is going on. What did I do?” He sounded hurt.

“I told you what it was about.” His thin fingers curled around a patch of grass and he pulled, a clump of dirt coming up with the grass. Rastarian tossed the dirt clod to the side. Kir kneeled down to be closer to Rast’s level.

“No, you just said you were selfish and ran away...Do you not want to tell me?"

“I guess I’m just upset there was someone in your bed.” Rast briefly glanced at Kir as the mage sat down near him. Kirathus looked ashamed.

"I should have told you that I sometimes have...guests over."

Rastarian grunted in acknowledgment. “It’s not my business who you sleep with. I shouldn’t care.”

"They don't...I don't.." Kirathus let out a frustrated sigh. "I would never ask them to stay at the house more than a night, Rast. I don't....enjoy their company."

‘Maybe I was wrong about Kirathus. Maybe he is just like all the other men I’ve done business with.’ Rastarian thought to himself. He spoke to coldly Kir. “He seemed to enjoy yours.”

"He was a selfish lover. I never want to share a bed with him again." Kirathus frowned.

“Lover is a pretty strong word for someone you didn’t even enjoy the company of.” Rastarian was about ready to leave.

"I mean it only in the physical aspect, Rast." Kirathus chuckles nervously. He was trying to lighten the mood a little bit.

“You just sleep with people to insult them behind their backs?” Rastarian growled under his breathe.

“What? No. It’s the fact that he was a selfish lover. Just because I..” He huffed in frustration. “Why is it so hard to talk to you...”

“Kir?” Rastarian spoke quietly, still refusing to look at the man next to him.

“Yes, Rast?” He looked closely at the paladin.

“Why did you have him over? Do you just need sex or something?” Immediately after asking, Rastarian regretted it. He didn’t want to know if his boss was a sex hound or not. A few moments past before Kirathus responded.

“I was trying to get over someone who I doubt would ever want to be with me.”

“Did you even bother to ask them first?” Rastarian rolled his eyes.

"I did not. I usually do not apporach people with such questions...He has...captured my attention in a way that no one has before."

“How poetic. And rude! Just assuming you know how other people feel.” Rastarian frowned and hoped Kir would change the subject soon.

“I was waiting for him to approach me when and if he was comfortable with me.”

“Everyone goes at their own pace Kir. I never took you to be a chicken.”

“It’s not fear.” Kirathus chuckled nervously.

"What's so intimidating about this person that the big, brave mage can't talk to them about his feelings?" Rastarian looked over at Kirathus through his bangs.

"Because I've never felt...this way about another person. Yes, I've felt lust and attraction but-" Kirathus looked off into the distanc. "I care for this man and I don't want to lose him in any capacity. Rast was getting tired of playing therapist.

“Write a note of something. I don’t know how to help you with your love problems.” He looked away as Kirathus smiled.

"I suppose that would work...but he might assume it was a mess he had to clean and throw the note away."

“Then don’t leave it somewhere stupid? Or just talk to them?”

Kirathus let out a drawn out sigh.  "We were talking about why you were upset, Rastarian. We can come back to my love life later." His eyes shofted back to Rastarian.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I don't know if it ever did, really." He brought a hand up to push on his bruise again. He couldn’t tell Kirathus that he liked him after that conversation.

“Why do you say that?”

Rastarian snapped at Kirathus. “Because my feelings don’t matter now! I’m just the maid.”

Kirathus looked at Rastarian questioningly. "You are more than the maid, Rast."

"No I'm not. I clean and go on errands. That's the only reason you keep me around."

Kirathus reached out for the small man. "Rast...you are one of the few people that gets me to talk and not spend all my time reading. You are so much more than a maid to me..."

“Apparently not that much more.” Rast hid his face in his hands to avoid letting Kirathus see him cry. He flinched as Kir set a hand on his shoulder.

“What do you mean?”

"I mean go find your sweet heart and stop pretending I mean anything to you." He brushed Kir’s hand away.

"I...why would I leave him when he is clearly upset, though?"

“W.. what?” Rastarian was waiting for the punch line to what sounded like a cruel joke.

"Why would I leave the person I care about when he is upset?" His voice was soft.

Rastarian choked back tears as he spoke. “You can't mean me. No one cares about me."

“I do though...” Kir’s words shook through Rastarian. No longer able to hold back, his small body shook in a sob. Kirathus awkwardly scooted closer. “What’s wrong? Did I say something?”

“No one’s ever told me they care about me before...”

Kirathus pulled the shaking man close to him. “Do you not want me to say it anymore?”

Rastarian clung to Kirathus. “No! I want you to say it again.”

The mage smiled as he squeezed Rast. “I care about you, Rast.”

----- Kirathus sat quietly in his favorite chair with a book as Rastarian milled around the library. The paladin had been working for Kirathus for a while now. He cleaned and arranged book shelves around the mage’s tower and even did a small bit of food preparation.

It was time for Kir to go off and get his nightly exercise, so he stood and set his book on the table for Rast to put away. The small paladin grabbed the book and scanned the shelves for the spot it came from. He spotted the empty space high above his head, barely in reach. He stretched as tall as he could but couldn’t reach the proper shelf.

With a sigh Kirathus walked up behind Rast and slid the book into it’s place. Rastarian looked up, his dull chartreuse eyes meeting Kir’s brilliant jade ones. The small blonde blushed and his thin ears twitching with embarrassment. He realized how close he was to the mage and felt like his heart was trying to break through his rib cage. Kirathus looked at Rast curiously.

“Why are you blushing? Is something wrong?” His deep voice was soothing, but did little to curb Rastarian’s panic.

“I uh... it’s because... I forgot to make your bed this morning!” Rastarian quickly spouted the excuse and ran away up the stairs. He tripped half way to the top but got up and continuing his ascent.

Curling up on the floor with Kir’s bed between him and the door, Rast covered his face. He waited for Kirathus to come after him. Instead he heard the front door downstairs open and close as the mage left.

As Rast’s heart rate began to level out he felt a sharp pain in his shin where it had smacked the stairs in his scramble. He poked at it as he reflected on his actions. It had been quite rude of him to lie and run away from Kirathus like he did. His nose scrunched up in annoyance.

I was so scared. Even though I hadn’t slept in a few nights, i ran as fast as i could to get away from the man. No, not man. Monster. I never got his name, not that i wanted it. He had picked me up off the street and told me I could stay with him for the night. Silly me, I thought he was just being nice. That was so stupid of me.

He hurt me. My one night stay turned into 3 nights chained to a bed. I won’t go into the details, since you can probably fill in the blanks. I did escape though, obviously.

I think I had been running for an hour before I saw the building with the open window. I tried to climb in to it, but I was way too weak. I did see someone was inside. There were no more options left for me at that point, so I shouted to him.

“Please! Help!” There was rustling inside the building. I heard the monster coming after me and shouted again.

“What the fuck is that screaming?” A man with black hair stuck his head out the window and looked down at me. I repeated myself again. I felt like a frickin mocking bird. I didn’t learn until later on that the black haired man’s name is Kirathus.

“Door is around the corner to the left. It's unlocked...” He disappeared back into the house and I moved as fast as i could around the house. I got in and dove under the closest table to hide. Kirathus didn’t seen that concerned about me at the time. More concerned with the blood I had tracked over his carpet.

I don’t remember much about what Kirathus said to me that night, but he did give me a blanket and some smelly drink. I didn’t touch the drink. I’ve been drugged enough times to know not to trust smelly liquids. He asked my name, so I told him that it’s Rastarian. I don’t know why I told the truth, but I don’t regret it.

Kirathus eventually left to go to bed and gave me permission to stay the night. I didn’t have much choice since i was injured and weak, so I took the blanket and moved to lay by the fire. Every piece of me told me not to go to sleep, but I couldn’t stay awake any longer and passed out.

I woke up still wrapped in the blanket and with my shorts still on, so that was a relief. Kir made food for me, too. I didn’t even get a chance to think before I ate the entire plate. Well, not the plate. The food on the plate. You know what I meant.

Kirathus saved my life, gave me food, and didn’t hurt me. It’d been years since I met someone like that. I figure I might as well enjoy it while I can. I've been here for about a month now, and he has only gotten nicer to me in that time. I think he likes having me around.