Outsiders -- Rahal / Errol

[Ephemerality]

"The people I like?" Rahal repeated, before the other's hand sifting through his hair and over the back of his neck distracted him from the thought. Though, the boy couldn't say he'd done much touching in his lifetime, period.. which only made the sensation that much more strange. The daemon's touch felt odd against his skin, but not in an entirely bad way. Did all touch feel like this? He really didn't know.

"I don't. I don't really have a family, anyway," The boy finally answered as Errol pulled away, and then pushed himself into a sitting position as he saw the other start to serve the stew. He pulled the blanket up with him and settled his bowl in his lap, waiting until Errol was seated before he spoke again. "It's just me and Ilija. He raised me."

The majikadai boy didn't offer up much detail, which wasn't altogether unusual for him, considering his typical quietness. What was unusual was that he was even speaking about his 'home' life at all.

"Must be nice," He mused quietly before grabbing a piece of bread and munching away on it quietly.

[clementine]

"Mmh, it is," Errol agreed softly, "but it sounds like you have someone who loves you very much." Errol didn't know who this IIija was or what his relationship to Rahal was, but he was glad for the male. Rahal just seemed to lonely, though Errol wasn't sure why. There was just something so soft and gentle about the boy, like he was trying to hide everything away. Peering at Rahal closely, Errol blinked, trying to figure his little warrior out.

Thoughtfully, he spooned the stew into his mouth and let the silence fall between them. He didn't mind it and it was kind of nice simply being able to look Rahal over. Again, the sensation of wanting to touch all that snowy white skin rippled through Errol. It made him wonder if he could wrangle Rahal in more a massage.

"If you like, I can touch you some more." Realizing that sounded creepy, Errol hastily added, "I mean like a massage. I'm pretty good at it, you know. My mother was always working himself into knots."

[Ephemerality]

Rahal only offered a simple 'Mmm' in response to the other's comment, along with a half-shrug. It was true that Ilija cared for him like his own son, he supposed, and he likewise cared for the older half-daemon very much. However, the albino boy had often wondered if it was just the same as having an actual family. He didn't let himself be bothered with the thought for much longer, focusing on eating the soup and bread instead. He had known he was hungry, but the second the stew hit his lips, Rah became even more acutely aware of how empty his stomach was.

He was so caught up in his eating that he didn't even notice Errol's staring. He'd already made it through one bowl of stew and halfway through a second piece of bread before the daemon spoke again. Rah simply looked up at the offer and regarded Errol for a moment, another soft, thoughtful hum escaping him. But at length, he nodded softly, setting his bowl aside now that he was finished.

"Sure," He answered simply, taking another bite of his bread. After chewing and swallowing, he added, "Only out of curiosity." Curiosity, indeed, and a bit of odd attraction, even. That was something the majikadai boy would never tell him, though. But what could he say? The man was attractive. And he was giving him more attention right now than all the givers his age in his tribe had given him during his entire lifetime. Was it so wrong for him to wonder what it was like, being touched and flirted with? Even if it was, who would know? He was sure that after he made it back to the tribe, he'd never see the man again, and it wasn't like anyone in the tribe would ever know.

[clementine]

Errol laughed, delighted by Rahal's reply. He took the boy's bowl and filled it to the brim with a second helping of the stew, setting his own empty bowl aside. "Well, just keep eating until your full. I'll give you one of my full out massages when you're done. Trust me, you're going to melt into a puddle of goo. My mother always does," Errol added proudly. He couldn't help but smile at Rahal again, though stopped himself from flicking some hair out of the boy's face. Rahal was just so beautiful and everything in Errol screamed to protect the boy.

To distract himself from his thoughts, Errol moved about to clean up his cooking utensils, packing them away for another day. He stoked up the fire before pulling out another blanket before finally sitting, wrapping himself up in said blanket.

"And don't worry Mr. Curious," he added, "I won't tell anyone you enjoyed a massage by a daemon." Even if Rahal didn't enjoy it, Errol sure was going to!

[Ephemerality]

Rahal was surprised when Errol took his bowl and gave him more, staring blankly once it was in his hands. This was yet another thing he wasn't used to -- seconds. The tribe only afforded a tiny amount of provisions to them and often looked over them entirely, leaving Rahal to take on trips like these for food. To actually have extra food was surprising.

"Thank you," He murmured, looking up briefly from his food just to make sure the other wasn't playing some kind of trick on him. Yet he didn't appear to be, so the boy picked up his spoon and just as eagerly started in on his second helping. He only slowed as he neared the bottom again a few moments later, letting out a contented sigh as he sat the empty bowl down on the ground.

"Good. I have a reputation to uphold and all," Rah joked off-handedly, more to himself than anything.

[clementine]

Errol glanced at Rahal, his eyes glinting merrily. "Oh, is that so?" He was glad Rahal had eaten. That meant that he wasn't in too much pain. He didn't miss the look the other had given him either, but had no idea how to interpret it. It was strange, like everything else about Rahal. It would be yet another mystery for him to slowly discover about the bearer.

"Now that we're all fed, on with the massage," he announced merrily. If Rahal let him, Errol would ease the boy onto his stomach and pull the blanket down to his waist. "This won't hurt at all. Just try to relax and take deep even breaths. Think of it as meditating, Rahal." Easily, Errol flung his leg over Rahal's waist, resting slightly on the boy's thighs, giving him the opportunity to move or escape if he wanted to. Falling silent as Errol gazed at the expanse of that white back, he imagined just what it would feel like. Not leaving himself in suspense, he placed both his hands at the base of Rahal's spine and pushed firmly upwards.

It was sheer bliss to have his hands on the male. Errol heard himself sigh, though didn't care as he started languorous massage.

((hope you don't mind this massage post. xP)))

[Ephemerality]

Rah didn't put up much of a fight when the other announced that it was time for the massage to begin. He simply let the other guide him into whatever position he needed to be into, eventually settling on his stomach once again. He folded his good arm again and rested his cheek against it, so that he could watch the other out of the corner of his eye. A part of him was insisting that he shouldn't trust the guy. After all, Errol was a daemon and a complete stranger. The fact that he'd even trusted the other enough to have a meal with him was one thing, but this? Yet on the other hand, the more dominant part of his mind was telling him to forget about it. For some reason, he just got the feeling that if Errol was going to harm him, he already would have.

The boy flushed when the other male came to straddle his thighs, not really having expected the other to get that close to him. But he kept quiet, and didn't even budge. Besides, the other's hands massaging his back moments later was enough to distract him from such a thing entirely. Slowly, the boy's eyes fell closed and a soft sigh of relief escaped him, and even the tiniest little hint of a smile took to his lips.

"Your people do this often?" He asked, looking up at the other with half-lidded eyes, adding on a bit of a tease, "No wonder you seem so carefree."

(Pff, of course not. :P)

[clementine]

Errol was pleased when Rahal didn't make any complaints. He reveled in the feel of Rahal beneath him. He hadn't been this attracted to a bearer since his last boyfriend over three years ago. Who'd have thought he'd find someone so intriguing in the middle of nowhere. Errol was going to milk this for all it was worth. Of course he wouldn't hurt Rahal in any way, but until Rahal told him to stop, Errol was going to enjoy himself.

"I don't do it often," Errol replied with a chuckle. "I only do it when people really need it. Tell me if I hurt you or anything, alright?" The daemon realized his voice had dropped a bit deeper as his voice softened for Rahal. There was so much about this beautiful boy that he wanted to know. As Errol kneaded the knots expertly out of the youth's back, Errol found his gaze trail to Rahal's slender nape. Trying to be as nonchalant as possible, Errol's massaging hands moved upwards to Rahal shoulders so he could covertly push the male's hair out of the way.

It was a gorgeous sight and the urge to kiss the creamy expanse of skin was strong. Biting his lip, Errol tried to continue with the massage until Rahal's back worked out. He was about done when his resolve finally broke. With lidded eyes, he bent forward, his lips barely brushing against the back of Rahal neck. "You're so beautiful," Errol murmured, his hands having stilled at the base of Rahal's spine.

[Ephemerality]

Rahal nodded softly as the other spoke before his eyes fell closed again, his cheek coming back down to rest against his uninjured arm. Errol had the boy all but melting under his touch after only minutes, the dulled pain from his injuries feeling to fade away entirely along with the tension in his body. The more relaxed he became, oddly, the more he seemed to notice the other's hands on his body. Not in a bad way, of course, but it was almost intriguing for him how gentle and.. good contact with another person could be. Until now, just about the only contact he'd had from others had resulted from the occasional scuffles he'd gotten into where touch only ever seemed to equal pain and bruises.

In the middle of absentmindedly admiring the feeling, the boy didn't even actively notice the daemon leaning over or his hands stilling at the small of his back. What he did notice oh-so-abruptly, though, was the lightest touch of the other's lips against the sensitive skin of his neck and those whispered words. It was like a jolt of pure electricity had been delivered at the spot the daemon had made contact at, running right down his spine and giving his stomach a fluttering feeling. Even more surprising, and even alarming, to the boy was the fact that it didn't feel bad or uncomfortable. If anything, it felt better than the massage. By a lot.

Startled, the boy pushed himself up a bit, opened his eyes, and turned to give the other a look that tried and ultimately failed at being scornful. "I thought I said not--" He cut himself off in mid-sentence as he hesitated, clearly having been taken off guard by the gesture and the compliment, staring at the daemon. It took him another few seconds to even remember what the rest of his complaint was. "..not to get any.. ideas."

[clementine]

Errol easily sat back so that Rahal could turn. He gazed at the boy fondly, a soft smile touching his lips as he watched Rahal flounder. It seemed years before the boy got his complaint out and it was all Errol had not to burst out laughing. He was so cute. Errol would have never called a majikadai cute, yet here was with the cutest of the them.

"Yes, yes, I know," Errol soothed, "I won't try to take advantage of you." Though he kind of already had. Even now, he reached up to caress Rahal's cheek gently, his thumb running lightly over the boy's lower lip. "I'll wait until you with for me to kiss you," he teased, finally back off and moving to his own space by the fire, leaving Rahal alone of the bedroll.

"I think it might be time to rest now. Don't go tensing up again either." Errol smiled and tossed a few more sticks into the fire as he watched Rahal. "I'll keep watch tonight, so rest easy. You need it after today."

[Ephemerality]

Rahal flushed when the other answered him and eased off, looking more amused than anything. Except this time, his cheeks went a darker shade of pink than before. He had to stop himself from leaning in to the hand carressing his cheek, and that thumb over his lips made those cheeks burn even brighter. But at the other's teasing, he opened his mouth to protest but nothing came out. Once again, it took him a moment after the other had finally moved away to answer.

"And what makes you think I'd ever want that?" He muttered, stubbornly, more to himself than anything. This was all just far too confusing for the boy to deal with. He'd made a living out of being antisocial and never having to interact with anyone. Now, he was being flirted with and touched and teased by the attractive daemon, and his body was betraying his mind's keep-everyone-at-arm's-length defense.

"Yeah," He finally sighed, settling back down on the bedroll as he pulled the blanket up over him again. The majikadai boy stared at Errol for a long moment after he'd said he would keep watch, as if he was concerned about the daemon being responsible for his life. But it only took a moment for him to remember the way the other had saved his life with that odd magic of his, and he offered a slight nod before settling down and closing his eyes. "Good night."

[clementine]

"Good night, Rahal," Errol murmured, smoothing the blanket over the boy more securely. For a long while, Errol watched Rahal sleep, sometimes reaching to adjust the blankets or brush some of Rahal's hair out of his face. He didn't know how long he did that, but when the fire began to burn down, Errol stoked it up again. The night was a bit cool, but nothing a warm fire couldn't stave off.

True to his word, Errol kept vigil all night. He was used to staying awake days at a time. He figured it had to do with his demon's blood. However, come morning, he was yawning widely ever few minutes as he started to get breakfast together. He supposed he was a bit tired, but nothing he couldn't handle. He was bored and wanted to wake Rahal up, but refrained, wanting to let the boy sleep as long as possible.

[Ephemerality]

For once, Rahal managed to sleep quite soundly through the night. Usually, he tossed and turned, not to mention waking up every hour or so at every little sound. Such was the life of a semi-paranoid Majikadai. Yet that night was different, and no sooner had the boy closed his eyes did he fall straight asleep. He only stirred occasionally when the daemon would reach out towards him, shifting towards the touch or offering a quiet, content sigh.

When 'morning' finally rolled around, though, Errol didn't have to suffer through the loneliness for too much longer. The sounds of movement and the smell of breakfast slowly pulled the boy into consciousness, those light pink eyes slowly batting open before landing on Errol. It took a second for the drowsy boy to even remember all the events from the previous day. But when they did return, the first to come to mind were dinstinctively.. inappropriate. The daemon's flirtatious words, the sensation of lips against the back of his neck. Sleepy eyes suddenly widened a bit further as he pushed the thoughts aside, mentally scolding himself.

"'Morning," He finally mustered as he mde to push himself up into a sitting position, wincing noticeably. He sucked in a hissing breath before letting it out in another sigh once he was sitting upright, "I feel like I've fallen from a tree. And hit every branch on the way down."

[clementine]

About to greet Rahal with a cheery good morning, Errol grew alarmed at Rahal's evident pain. "Easy," he warned, abandoning the porridge that he was tending to check Rahal over. "Don't move so quickly," Errol added chidingly as he ran his hands professionally over Rahal's body, making sure that he hadn't missed something like broken bones last night. He tried to ignore the youth's soft skin and suppressed a shudder as he finally came to check the bandages.

"There's been a little bit of bleeding. I'll have to change the bandages again," Errol murmured to himself as he checked the bindings. "Nothing else serious seems to be the matter. Are you hurting anywhere too badly?" Errol knew he was fussing, but he couldn't help it. The idea of Rahal in pain when he could prevent it didn't sit well with him.

[Ephemerality]

The albino boy couldn't help but tense slightly when the other touched him, the scolding from only a moment or so earlier coming back and hitting him full force. But he kept quiet, knowing that the other was just being helpful and concerned, forcing himself not to think about anything other than that. When asked about his pain, he simply shook his head before giving his answer, at the same time moving a bit to allow the other easier access to the bandages.

"I'm just sore. It's pretty normal after near-death experiences," He answered with a small smile, looking to Errol before looking to their breakfast. Once again, it hit him how odd it was, that he was being treated so well. It also occurred to him that he hadn't even bothered to offer his gratitude. He bit his lip. Ilija would have chewed him out a good four or five times by now if he'd known that the Majikadai's manners had so blatantly escaped him.

"Thanks," Rah muttered, feeling suddenly flustered at his earlier rudeness in both forgetting to thank the other and, even earlier than that, nearly shooting the daemon with his bow and being so hard on him. He looked up to Errol again, and offered a slight, shy smile as he motioned towards the bed roll and food. "For all of this, I mean. For helping me," He bit his lip, "Not to make an excuse for forgetting to say it earlier, but I guess I'm just not used to kindness."