#aisuma | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

nuchal · 7 years ago

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lofs: assorted

SERIES: Land of Four Seasons CHARACTERS: Aisuma, Gable, Nilak FORMAT: Drabbles RATING: PG - R-18 WARNINGS: NAUGHTY THINGS WITHIN IT’S LEGIT SUMMARY: Just events in their lives and, well... some other less wholesome things.

“It’s so cold.”

Aisuma glanced out from underneath the thick, fur-lined hood he wore to Gable. He was just as dressed up for the weather in the type of winter gear Aisuma and his tribe had always preferred, but he was jumping in place.

“We won’t be much longer,” Aisuma assured him, adjusting his grip on the fishing pole in his hands. Underneath them was a sheet of ice, pure ice that had once been a lake. They’d enjoyed the summer in this lake, swimming, but it looked nothing at all like what it had been. Aisuma had cut a circle out of the ice and they had been sitting here for the better part of several hours, him and Gable, patiently fishing away. So far, the count was at four, though Aisuma was optimistic he could land two more within the next hour at the rate he’d been catching.

Gable groaned a little, hunching his tall frame in on itself and peering miserably down at the hole.

“Weren’t you fine when we were in Mata?” Aisuma asked, glancing over at him as he readjusted his clawed grip on the rod, lightly tapping the reel with a forefinger. Gable’s expression twisted, his nose scrunching, before his expression eased into a sheepish smile.

“Well, I was trying to impress you back in Mata. Couldn’t go whining,” he said with a chuckle, tightening his hood by tugging at its cords. Aisuma flushed. “…even besides that, we were on the move, and it was easier not to notice when we were constantly moving.”

True enough. When he had been stuck in the cave with Nilak, he had thought he’d freeze to death even if he had managed a small fire.

“I’m an autumn elf at heart,” Gable said, putting a hand against his chest in tried and true dramatic fashion. Aisuma lightly jiggled the fishing rod. “I like moderate-to-cool temperatures, but not too cool, but also not too hot.”

That explained why he’d whined in the summer too, despite that being the land he worked as a ranger in for the longest time. Aisuma repressed a smile.

“Too bad, there’s no more one season lands anymore,” Aisuma said it in a joking manner but he sobered after the words came out of his mouth and he turned quickly around. “No, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

But Gable only gave him a puzzled look and laughed. “Why are you apologising? You’re silly, sweetheart.” He reached over, rubbing his thumb against Aisuma’s cheek affectionately. “I know just how you meant it.”

Aisuma relaxed. Gable almost always understood. Nilak—well, they bickered now and then, though much less than they used to. Especially with Gable around to assure that neither of them misunderstood each other.

“I don’t miss Turja, you know,” Gable said abruptly. Aisuma’s eyes went wide. “Well, I know you worry about it. I’m sure you worry about Nilak, too. But we’re happy living here in the Middling—rather, we’re happy living with you. Even if the seasons are back to normal and that means I have to suffer through sweltering heat and awful cold.” He shuddered for dramatic effect, pouting his lips, and Aisuma laughed.

Standing, he pulled his pole from the water and retrieved his bucket and other supplies.

“Come on,” he said fondly, “let’s get out of the awful cold, then. We’ve got enough fish for the evening, so long as we dip into the stores a bit.”

Gable perked up, standing and moving to collect some of the supplies from him, tucking the ice saw under one arm. “Really? You know I’ll just keep complaining and whining, since you’re sweet to me like this even after I do.” He grinned mischievously, before jumping when a blast of cold air slapped him in the face.

“I think I’ll live.” Aisuma shook his head and reached out, grasping Gable’s hand firmly in his own as he led him from the ice.

Nilak would no-doubt be waiting impatiently for the two of them, and he’d have a good laugh at Gable’s inability to stand prolonged, still periods of cold. It sounded nice, Aisuma thought as he picked up his pace, hiding his smile down in his hood.

It was late. Aisuma stirred slowly, his thoughts sluggish and his body heavy. He hadn’t had enough sleep yet, but he had been in the middle of something… hadn’t he? What had he been doing before he drifted off? It was a mess and his mouth opened as though he were going to say something to someone, some company he’d had before he fell asleep.

He faded away back into sleep, reawakened when he felt sultry, far too hot to be bearable.

Squirming, he pushed down the furs that had been draped over him and opened his eyes. There was warmth at his back and, when he looked back, he saw white tufts of fur.

Nilak. Aisuma sighed and relaxed backward against Nilak, happy to allow himself to be spooned (though Nilak didn’t probably consciously intend to do so). Nilak often settled down back-to-back with him but he always ended up wrapped around Aisuma’s back, arms locked around his waist.

Hm. But, wait, if Nilak was here then where was Gable? Forcing himself to wake up enough to look around, Aisuma lifted up his upper body slightly (trying not to dislodge Nilak) and looked around the inside of the tent.

Empty. No Gable. Hrm.

Frowning, Aisuma settled down and strained his ears, listening. If he was quiet enough, filtering out Nilak’s breathing, he could hear soft humming from outside. There he was. Keeping watch. Aisuma wanted to go to him, tell him that he could take over for him, but he didn’t want to wake up Nilak… and Nilak would surely wake up. Chewing his lip indecisively, he flexed his fingers in the furs bunched low on his waist.

Nilak mumbled something behind him and nuzzled into the nape of his neck.

“Are you awake?” Aisuma whispered.

… Nothing. Asleep, then.

Frowning, Aisuma put his head back down and stared thoughtfully at the tent wall. Stared and stared, trying to figure out how to pry himself loose without waking Nilak, until he heard the tent flap being pulled, a cool night breeze sweeping into the tent.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Gable murmured, smiling. “You should go back to sleep. I can hear your thoughts all the way from outside, you know?”

Aisuma frowned. “It’s past time for my turn to be a lookout,” he replied quietly.

Gable snickered. “Well, try convincing Nilak to let you go.”

Aisuma pursed his lips.

“Just relax and get some more sleep. You fell asleep mid-conversation earlier, I think you might need the extra rest. And I’m happy to work a little harder for my tired lover.” Gable winked. “So long as you give me a kiss later in gratitude, hm?”

“I’m getting up,” Aisuma replied stubbornly, trying and failing not to feel embarrassed. Every time, Gable managed to make him feel flustered. No matter that he had been using sweet talk on him since the very beginning… it was embarrassing! He liked it, but it was still embarrassing!

“Sure you are,” Gable chuckled. “Go back to sleep. Or maybe I should just come in and cuddle with you too?”

“Both ‘f you loudmouths, shaddup,” the voice was more growl than actual voice, and Aisuma shivered in surprise. Nilak did speak right into the back of his neck, after all, and that flustered him worse than Gable’s sweet-talk. He couldn’t turn to see, but he imagined Nilak had opened up one eye, was glaring at Gable. “Ranger, get back to y’post… you’re annoying.”

Gable gasped, clapping a hand against his chest as if wounded. “Annoying? Me?”

Nilak snarled quietly, but he hadn’t loosened his grip at all—actually, had it tightened? “’Sides, don’t listen to him, Aisuma, he just went out to keep lookout.”

Aisuma blinked. “Oh?”

Gable smiled guiltily, shrugging one of his shoulders. “It’s no fun when you give it away like that. Well, I’d still like a morning kiss, okay?” Placing a long forefinger to his lips, he grinned, and then slipped backward out of the tent before Aisuma could do little more than blush.

“Annoying,” Nilak muttered again. He sighed into Aisuma’s neck and nuzzled hard right into it, to the point where it was too hard. “Goin’ back to sleep. You too.”

You’re not even awake, Aisuma thought. Nilak slurred his words when he was sleepy. If it was true, he probably just came in, too, had just fallen asleep (or within an hour) when Aisuma had woken up from the warmth. Nilak was like a furnace. Probably because he had lived in Mata, where you needed to stay warm in the unforgiving winter climate. He had lived up in the mountains, besides…

Nilak’s fingers were hot at his stomach but Aisuma laid his black-scaled hand over them as gently as he could so as not to awaken him, stroking. Nilak’s breathing had quickly changed to deep and regular, puffing to the back of Aisuma’s neck. Outside, Gable had resumed humming, soft but just loud enough so that Aisuma could hear it.

Definitely on purpose, Aisuma thought groggily, the last thought he’d have for that night.

“Aisuma? Hey… Aisuma,” Nilak muttered, his white hair wet and sticking to his forehead. He frowned as he leaned over Aisuma, patting at his cheek repeatedly as Aisuma continued to stare blankly up at the tent ceiling. “Snap out of it, would you?”

“Give him a few minutes,” Gable groaned, stretching out on his back and fanning his face with one hand. “He’s always doing the most work, our poor sweetheart.”

They lay in a damp, naked tangle in their tent, blankets bunched up underneath them, still breathing from exertion. Nilak ached in various places he didn’t feel like talking about, but he’d do anything that Aisuma wanted—and hadn’t disliked anything that they had done. Still, Aisuma was so spacey it was weird, his dark eyes barely open and his lips occasionally moving as he took gulping breaths.

Carefully, Nilak settled on his stomach next to him and curled up against him, putting his cheek on Aisuma’s chest with a frown.

He could feel Gable’s attention burning a hole in the top of his head but ignored it.

The hand at his hair, less so. He grumbled and batted it half-heartedly away from his hair, but Gable persisted, moving his hands through his hair, bunching it up and away, bringing it up together at the back of his head to tie. Nilak blinked, glancing up when Gable’s hands withdrew and he could feel the kiss of cooler air at his sweat-damp neck.

“…Thanks,” he muttered.

Aisuma breathed a winded, amused chuckle and Nilak startled. Looking up, he saw Aisuma had come back to himself and was looking down at him with a sleepy smile. “You’re cute,” he told Nilak happily, running a clawed finger over his cheek.

Nilak growled, but kissed his finger at the same time.

“You never do that when I call you cute,” Gable whined, slumping until he was closer, his hair spilling over Aisuma’s head and forehead as he leaned his head there.

“You’re not Aisuma, ranger,” Nilak sniffed. “Besides, I don’t like being called cute by either of you.”

Aisuma blinked open his eyes a little wider, looking curiously at him. “You didn’t like it before when I called you cute as I—”

“AAAAAH.”

Gable laughed, sound filling up the tent even more than Nilak’s screech of protest did. He whispered into Aisuma’s ear, “Don’t bring it up, sweetheart, he’ll die of embarrassment.”

“Ohh.” Aisuma nodded.

“Shut up, shut up,” Nilak snarled and mashed his face into Aisuma’s chest, determined to hide away. That meant doing his best to ignore the two of those (his) idiots, even as his favourite out of the two toyed gently with his hair.

“I’m still not sure about this.”

Nilak was the one to say it. Funny, Aisuma thought as he lay on his back, panting quietly and gazing upward, I should be the one with the objections if any were to be made.

Gable slanted him an amused look. He was shirtless, green hair a wild tangle around his face. He always looked his prettiest when he was mussed up, when his lips were red from kissing. His hand was petting along Aisuma’s thigh, and by now the rings he always wore were warmed by their bodies, the heat in their large, shared tent.

“What aren’t you sure about, dear Nilak?” Gable asked, chuckling and bending to kiss Aisuma.

“This,” Nilak said, voice a growl as he watched. In the beginning he’d always watched with a mix of reproach and hunger whenever Aisuma and Gable kissed—by now, there was no reproach. Perhaps a tinge of jealousy, but that disappeared quickly when Aisuma stretched out his hand toward him and Nilak ducked to nuzzle into his neck. “You aren’t really okay with this, are you, Aisuma?”

Aisuma turned his head to one side, huffing lightly into Nilak’s pale hair. “If I wasn’t, we wouldn’t have come this far,” he told him. “I’m ready.” A small pause, a doubtful look from Nilak and he added, trying to be humorous and lighten the mood, “Besides, the drinks at dinner helped relax me too.”

To his dismay, it seemed to have the opposite effect and Nilak raised his head, scowling. “I’m not doing this if you’re drunk—”

Aisuma set his jaw. “I never said I was drunk. I certainly wouldn’t want you to do this if I were, either,” he said, tone low and simmering heat, a subtle sign of agitation.

Nilak worried too much and Aisuma didn’t like being fussed over, so they always tended to butt heads on this point—it was funny, because it was borne from intense care and affection yet neither of them seemed to recognise it in each other. Gable watched their interaction with this in mind, smiled while sighing and rolling his eyes. Then he reached out to tangle one hand in Nilak’s hair, the other in Aisuma’s, gently tugging the both of them.

“Now, now,” Gable purred, “calm down, my lovely boys. We’ve come this far, and I’m certainly not backing out. We’ve been quite careful and meticulous, Nilak, so surely even you know it’ll turn out fine, won’t you?”

Nilak’s cheeks flushed and he glared at Gable, more so when Gable snuck a kiss and grinned playfully. Aisuma watched them both with a vaguely entranced expression.

“We stop if he says stop, ranger, or I’ll kill you,” Nilak snarled, all bluff and bluster because he knew Gable would stop long before, wouldn’t do anything Aisuma didn’t want. Pushy Gable could be, but he wasn’t insensitive and did not want to do any more harm to Aisuma than Aisuma did.

“Yes, of course, I know,” Gable said, flapping his hand before he looked fondly down at Aisuma, laying flushed and watching him. “Now, up we get.” He scooped his hands under his back, lifting him as he repositioned himself. Aisuma went, settling comfortably with his back to Gable’s chest, head fitted just so under his chin, his horns swooping upward as if framing Gable’s head in-between them. Gable tried not to shiver, feeling sensitive with just a bit of weight on his hips. He’d held back the whole night, had certainly helped both Nilak and Aisuma, and Aisuma had come undone more than once with four, five, more fingers working him open, preparing him. It’d been something they’d been working on for several nights, with carefulness that Aisuma said wasn’t necessary, but Gable and Nilak had refused to relent on.

And tonight, finally…

Nilak swallowed, shuffling forward on his knees, in-between Gable’s legs, Aisuma’s, and Aisuma watched him intently, eyes like jet ink.

“Who first?” Nilak asked as Aisuma wrapped both of his arms around his neck, kissing him gently at the corner of his mouth as if in apology for their almost-argument.

“You can,” Gable replied, struggling to conceal his strain. Nilak eyed him for a moment, but then he moved both of his hands, gripping Aisuma’s legs under his knees. Aisuma tensed, almost imperceptibly, and they all stopped.

“…I’m just a little nervous,” Aisuma said, in a very quiet voice, reluctant to admit it. “But I want to do this. I promise. I’m ready. Please, Nilak. Gable.”

“You needn’t beg me, sweetheart.” Gable pressed his mouth to Aisuma’s fine, dark hair.

Nilak flushed dark and looked away, biting his lower lip. Aisuma watched him, shivering as Nilak nudged closer without saying anything, tip of his cock fitting up, sliding along his ass first before finding his hole. Aisuma’s eyelids fluttered and Nilak dropped his forehead against his shoulder. “You promised but if you change your mind, say so,” he said, voice trembling and almost violent. “Fool Aisuma.”

But he kissed his neck with heart-melting tenderness as Gable’s hands replaced his own in holding Aisuma’s legs up, so that Nilak could guide himself in.

It was amazingly easy, Aisuma thought with a shudder as he sunk his claws into Nilak’s back. Nilak pushed and his body swallowed him and it must have been because of the last few nights, of Gable and Nilak relaxing him with fingers, so many fingers that he lost count, but this was still so much better, filling him up, satisfying in a way fingers couldn’t match. Seeing Nilak’s face twist with strain, his eyebrows tightly furrowing and mouth hanging open, was another something in itself. Aisuma groaned his name, pressing his face to the side of Nilak’s head.

And Gable sighed softly, watching them over Aisuma’s head, heart twinging with affection, envy, because he wanted to do that as well. He wanted to feel it—soon.

He wet his lips, watching as Nilak pressed in but, try as he might to be careful, Aisuma was ready and he sunk in completely in just moments. His eyes were wide, pupils blown as if he couldn’t believe it, wings at his back and his head shivering, trembling, half-uncurling and re-folding.

“Now me,” Gable whispered into Aisuma’s ear and Aisuma’s body jerked. He grinned and Nilak looked up in a flash, to give Gable a warning glance that wasn’t necessary at all. “Don’t hold your breath, sweetheart.”

Oh, was it a battle not to.

Aisuma wanted to gasp, hold his breath when Gable’s cock nudged where Nilak’s was already pressed. Nilak twitched, a tiny whimper bursting past his lips before he could help it, and it was the cutest thing that it very nearly distracted Aisuma entirely from what they were about to do. But, but, there was no forgetting—one of Gable’s hands had slipped own and his long finger slid inside alongside Nilak, as if to hold him open as he nudged his cock up and in.

Claws sunk in harder into Nilak’s back and he gritted his teeth. Good. It felt amazingly good, reluctant as he was to admit it, and he didn’t feel even the slightest twinge of disgust from it. It had been a mild concern, but Gable’s dick pressing in along his own, rubbing against his, the realisation that Aisuma was taking them both without complaint was too amazing, too much to ever feel the slightest hint of displeasure or dislike from such an intimate touch with Gable.

But—

He was too quiet, their Aisuma.

Nilak looked to his face quickly, sucking in his breath.

Aisuma’s gaze was unfocused, his lips trembling and mouth open, and occasionally they would twitch—in time with Gable’s gentle motions to rock himself inside. Nilak watched him intently, entranced, wondered if Aisuma was even seeing the two of them right now, and he didn’t look in pain, he looked… blissed out. His face was flushed redder than Nilak had ever seen, and he was…

So, so pretty.

Cupping Aisuma’s cheek, he kissed his mouth carefully, as if not to pull him from the trance, and Aisuma moaned and kissed him back sloppily, rocking his body.

“Hey,” Nilak hissed, shuddering, and Gable gasped too.

“S’good,” Aisuma muttered deliriously. “Kind of… a lot, but it’s good, I…”

Gable laughed shakily from behind him, his eyes tightly shut, fingers flexing tightly on Aisuma’s hip. “That’s good,” he croaked, and he was another one who was undone. It was a strange feeling to realise he was the one who was most there, Nilak thought, observing Gable’s swimming eyes and the way his pointed ears seemed to tremble.

“Don’t you two dare pass out on me,” Nilak grunted.

“Pass out?” Aisuma echoed. “No—mm… no way. I need to feel you both more.”

Gable shivered and laughed, his long hair spilling forward and over Aisuma’s shoulder as he pressed his forehead to the crown of his head. He’d stopped pushing in. He was already completely inside, and they were all still, absorbing, processing. “Try not to rile us up too much, sweetheart,” he mumbled and he seemed like he didn’t want to move for some reason. Nilak eyed him, then Aisuma, and decided he’d take measures into his own hands.

When he gripped at Aisuma’s hips with both hands, one set just above Gable’s, the elf gave him a wary look—and both he and Aisuma gasped when Nilak moved, rocking his hips, cock sliding both along Gable’s and along Aisuma, muscle twitching, slick with the liberal amount of oil they’d used. It was too much, but not enough, and he needed to feel more of this, Aisuma and (reluctantly) Gable too, was going to make them both feel like they belonged to him, make them really, truly unravel and lose themselves.

“Ho… hold on,” Gable whined, and Nilak snarled.

“If you’re going to come, then come,” he snapped, “but I’m going to make Aisuma feel good.”

“A—are you?” Aisuma groaned, voice as hazy as his gaze, tilting his head backward to look upward at Gable. As if he were going to answer, when Nilak was jerking his hips sharply, his mouth twisted into an animalistic grin, goading Gable on until he started to rock too.

He’d spent the better part of the evening doing the work. Had spent a long time coaxing his oil-slick fingers in and out of Aisuma, holding him, coaxing him to orgasm again and again. Nilak had helped, of course, but he’d insisted that Aisuma touch him, watching the both of them with their hands all over each other as Aisuma shot looks back at him over his shoulder, wanting looks, wanting to touch Gable but not getting the chance.

The look Aisuma was giving him now was too much. The friction was too much.

Biting his teeth down, he finally moved his hips and let go, Nilak huffing a soft victory and Aisuma groaning, doing his best to encircle Gable’s neck with one of his arms from the angle, rolling his hips as if he liked the new slickness inside him, the heat. How far he’d come from how reticient he’d been at first, reluctant to allow himself to show pleasure. It still happened in the beginning, but once he was kissing them, touching them and letting himself be touched, that was it, he was everything Gable had ever dreamed of, thought he’d never actually have.

But, he would be damned if it stopped here.

Gable leaned down as best as he could, grazing a kiss over Aisuma’s forehead. “We’re just getting started, Aisuma.” A pause, his lips curving into a shaky but mischievous smile. “I’ve just smoothed the way, haven’t I?”

“You—” Aisuma spluttered and, to Gable’s delight, laughed. It didn’t last long, not when a jerk of Gable’s hips coupled with Nilak’s had him whimpering and arching his back, but it was perfect. Everything was more perfect than he could’ve thought, and he wouldn’t have traded it for the world. Leaning his weight slowly on Aisuma’s back, he could really focus, curve both hands in to trace Aisuma’s body, finding his cock and pumping it gently, just a little added touch to the weight of two pumping in and out of them.

Their rhythm was shoddy. But, they made it work. Soon all Aisuma could do was pant, hanging on to Nilak for dear life, whimpering their names, like he were delirious. Just when one of them drew back, the other pushed in, but the best was when they pushed in at once and Aisuma couldn’t focus but for the stretch in him, his addled mind struggling to come up with a way to make them feel better.

He locked his legs around Nilak’s hips and squeezed and Nilak moaned, loud and hoarse, a sound he usually tried so hard to keep locked down. Aisuma smiled just for a second, then did it again and again but it drove him out of his mind too, to feel them even tighter in him, even better, and Gable’s hands were insistent and no longer stroked gently but squeezed and stroked him with purpose. His ears were full of their sounds, the smell of their bodies, and it was all so, so much…

Not wanting to be the first, wanting to make them come undone—at least Nilak, so close in front of him—Aisuma slid a hand down his back, claws ticking over feathers, downy fur, until he gripped Nilak’s ass. He always played as if he didn’t like it, but when he slid his scaled finger in-between, Nilak yelped his name and his cock twitched hard and that’s when Aisuma tightened up again.

Nilak clung, pushing forward against him, moving even in climax, desperately bucking his hips, hitting somewhere deep and making Gable have to strangle a sound.

He wasn’t sure if they both came at once but it felt it but he couldn’t be sure because he was, too, arching his back and clutching at Gable’s arm as it encircled him with one hand, gripping at Nilak with the other. Nilak kissed him hard, mouth open and panting, desperate, sucking Aisuma’s tongue into his mouth as his hips slowed in their frantic movements but didn’t yet pull out.

Neither did Gable, making due with mouthing Aisuma’s neck and stroking his spent dick gently, as though he weren’t convinced it was over yet.

But—if either of them thought they would get any sense out of Aisuma, they were dead wrong. The only thing he could do as his body cooled, was to exchange kisses with them as best as he could, vision swimming, vaguely aware of being well and truly theirs.

#s: land of four seasons #original fiction #original characters #oc: nilak #oc: aisuma #oc: gable

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nuchal · 8 years ago

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lofs: efforts

SERIES: Land of Four Seasons CHARACTERS: Aisuma, Gable, Nilak FORMAT: Drabbles RATING: PG WARNINGS: Nothing, really... SUMMARY: Having Xovi around, much less getting him to warm up to any of them, is hard work.

“I don’t know why he doesn’t like me.” Laying on his back, Gable stared morosely up at the ceiling of the longhouse—one of the few structures the Haimu built in this area, settled down to weather out spring and summer before moving on.

Nilak, occupied with skinning, snorted and spared him a look. “Because you’re annoying, ranger.”

Gable huffed and didn’t reply.

Normally when he was sulking, he would be more plaintive about it. He’d shimmy up to Aisuma and want him to give him attention. He’d whine to Nilak, as well, but the silence was unlike him. Nilak hesitated but put his work aside, washing his hands before propping his elbow on his knee.

“Xovi doesn’t like anybody,” he said, glancing pointedly off to the side.

Xovi was with Aisuma’s mother as she tended to the meals cooking over one of the fires built in the longhouse—apparently, he was comfortable with her and her monstrous shape and preferred it to Aisuma, who was also helping. As Nilak watched, Xovi ignored Aisuma as he tried engaging Xovi in a conversation. He saw Aisuma hesitate, his expression slipping into that pinched, tight look that hid his discomfort or upset. Aisuma’s lips compressed, what he did when he was holding back something, whether it be emotions or words.

The fur along his spine began to bristle but Nilak forced himself to remain where he was. After all, Aisuma’s mother Jueha glanced to her son and growled throatily at Xovi before directing him toward another task.

Satisfied she had it handled, Nilak looked at Gable.

The elf had turned onto his side, facing him, one arm propped under his head. “He likes you, you know,” Gable said.

“Yeah, well, feeling’s not mutual,” Nilak grunted, glowering at the fire.

“He’s just a kid. We don’t know what happened before now,” Gable murmured, sifting his fingers through his own hair, letting the green strands fall back toward his face. He looked faraway and Nilak squirmed, wishing Aisuma was with them. He couldn’t deal with pensive Gable. He could deal with annoying Gable, or flattering Gable or—hell—even flirting Gable.

“Whatever. Anyway, if you want him to like you, just ignore him. It’s working for me.”

Gable smiled thinly, as though privy to a secret. “You ignore him? Hmm. But you answer his questions when he talks to you. And you always talk back to him besides.”

“Aisuma’d be upset if I didn’t.”

Ignoring the knowing look Gable was giving him, Nilak picked his work back up, fingers wrapping around the knife’s handle. Things were blessedly quiet for a few minutes as Gable rolled over to look toward Aisuma and Nilak continued what he was doing.

What were they going to do about Xovi? he thought as he set to cleaning the pelt, with the method Aisuma had showed him. Had Nilak like this when he and Aisuma first met? So hard to get along with? No, he would at least talk to Aisuma instead of ignoring him and not giving him a chance… It made him annoyed all over again, bisecting sharply when images of Xovi’s curious stare and his careful questions flooded into his mind. Xovi, when talking with him, asked and approached subjects with a tentativeness you wouldn’t believe he had, going off of his usual attitude.

This really would be easier if the kid hadn’t taken to him.

“Nilak, dinner’s ready,” a voice said over his head. Startled, Nilak looked up as Aisuma sat next to him. Somehow he’d been thinking hard enough he hadn’t noticed him come over—Gable had already started to eat and he’d settled at Aisuma’s other side, legs folded neatly.

There was a moody shadow over Aisuma’s face but he tried to smile, until Nilak elbowed him.

“Thanks,” he said, taking the offered bowl after Aisuma had wiped his hands for him (he didn’t need to, but he did it anyway). “Now stop faking your smile.”

“Right,” Gable agreed, apparently back to his usual chipper mood. He rested his bowl in his lap, freeing up an arm to wrap it around Aisuma’s shoulders, his fingers ruffling up the hair at the back of his head. “You have your two adoring lovers with you, after all.”

“I’m fine. Really.”

He was being particularly stubborn. Nilak chewed the corner of his mouth in annoyance before leaning sideways to press an aggressive kiss into Aisuma’s cheek. It flushed red under his lips—unlike Gable, who was eager and giving with affection and physical contact, Nilak was rarely the initiator. It would be better to be sweet to him as opposed to starting an argument, Nilak thought with a glance at Gable, who was smiling gently, approving.

“I love you,” Nilak said sullenly, “so cheer up.”

Gable started to laugh, putting down his bowl so he could press his free hand over his face. His whole body shook with it and Nilak turned his face to the side to avoid Aisuma’s gaze. He was pop-eyed and gaping, a rare thing for him.

Dammit, was it so surprising?!

“Isn’t he cute, Aisuma?” Gable crowed, still cackling.

Nilak thought about throwing him into the fire nearby. Just for a second. Oh, or he could throw his dumb ass right out of this longhouse, that was a way better idea.

“Shut up!”

When he spun around to snarl at Gable, something fell into his chest, and he stiffened. Aisuma nuzzled right into the fluff at his collarbone, the spot he liked to cozy into at nighttimes when he thought Nilak was already asleep. Nilak, rage fizzling out like a tapped candle, glowered (red-faced) over Aisuma’s head at Gable, grinning at him.

“I love you too,” Aisuma said into his chest. “I’m going to keep doing my best, Nilak.”

“Y-yeah…” Nilak muttered, slowly putting his chin on top of his head, setting his supper aside to better hug him.

One day Aisuma’s efforts would bear fruit. He’d do everything he could to support him and see that he was finally completely happy. Maybe he would never be free of stresses but he has survived so much, they all had survived so much and were here now. The only thing left was this. After that… Aisuma would be content, without stress, and could continue moving on without worrying as much.

One day Xovi would join them when Aisuma beckoned him over—and until then, Nilak would do just the same as him and not give up.

“I will, too,” he said quietly against Aisuma’s hair.

#oc: nilak #oc: gable #oc: aisuma #s: land of four seasons #original fiction #original characters

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