#sylvari commancer x canach

[chaoticstrata]

GW2 WIP

Some more WIP for the random Guild Wars 2 fic I'm working on and off on. Spoilers for Path of Fire.

--------------------------------

The pacing stopped again, and Rhetton could see Canach’s jaw working as his fist tightened to the point of shaking. 

“You were dead,” came the soft whisper, his usual smarmy tone replaced by a frustrated one. The strong, steady, and confident warrior Rhetton was used to was nowhere in sight as the other sylvari appeared small and vulnerable in that moment. “There was no life left in you…as you…as you laid there, beaten and broken…and I…I didn’t know how to…” He shook his head, as if trying to shake away a thought. “My apologies, I should be letting you rest.”

By that point, Rhetton’s annoyance had melted away with concern--and a small bit of flattery. The other man was hurting, that much was clear. He was troubled…over Rhetton’s death. The engineer would be lying if that thought didn’t make his heart flutter like petals caught in a light breeze. He always enjoyed the witty back and forth he had with his fellow sylvari. Not to mention the less than subtle flirting. Between that and all the time they spent together in Maguuma, Rhetton eventually found himself caring for Canach--as more than just a friend. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t wish for the feelings to be returned, but he never pushed or asked, too afraid to rock the boat. But seeing the state the other man was in now…perhaps he should have.

“Canach,” Rhetton said, hand on the other sylvari’s arm to stop him from leaving. Canach didn’t look at him, eyes glued to the floor as his jaw continued to work. He leaned over a bit to try and capture those violet orbs, but the other man just turned his head. Rhetton sighed, and gently took Canach’s chin in his hand, thumb running over the needles of his goatee. “Canach…hey, look at me. Tell me what’s bothering you…please.”

“I…” the man turned to face him, but stubbornly refused to look him in the eye. “I’m trying to understand why your death left a hole in me…”

Rhetton’s brow furrowed in bemusement. “A hole?”

“Yes. A hole. Right here.” As Canach said this, he touched his hand to his chest.

The engineer felt his heart in his throat at that statement. “Canach,” he murmured, fingers tightening on the other man’s arm. “I--”

“It’s foolish, I know,” the warrior interrupted, “I as I said, I apologies for disturbing your--”

“Would you let me speak!?” Rhetton said with a soft laugh, slowly pulling Canach in closer. The other man’s brow furrowed as he finally looked up at him. The engineer smiled sweetly when their eyes met, reaching up to cup the side of Canach’s face, thumb gently running over his cheekbone. “I don’t think it’s foolish…I’m actually a little flattered…”

“Flattered…” Canach repeated, deadpan.

“I…ok, yes, that does sound a little bad,” the younger sylvari laughed lightly, giving the other man a rueful grin. “I don’t mean I’m flattered that you’re hurting from my death…I’m flattered that you care enough to be upset by my death. I…” he looked away, feeling suddenly bashful as his cheeks felt like they were in the hot Elonian sun, “I would honestly feel the same if the roles were reversed…I truly don’t know what I would do if you died….”

“Rhetton…” Canach rarely called him by his name. Hearing it in that low, gravely voice sent a shiver down his spine. It would seem it was his turn to have his gaze pulled back by his chin. Violet eyes searched lilac as Canach’s thumb ran gently across the engineer’s chin. “How long?”

Rhetton opened his mouth to reply but stopped and bit his lower lip. How long indeed, he thought to himself. Closing his eyes he tried to think back to the moment he started to feel like this towards the other man. But he couldn’t seem to pick out the exact moment.

“I honestly can’t say when,” he admitted, eyes opening again and locking with Canach’s, “I know I realized what those feelings were shortly after Mordremoth’s death, but…”

“But…” the warrior prompted, stepping in closer. Confidence and a small bit of amusement bled back into Canach's gravelly voice as Rhetton watched the uncertainty the other man held fade away.

“But those feelings were there for a long while beforehand,” the engineer admitted softly. 

“I see,” Canach murmured, fingers moving across Rhetton’s skin. The older sylvari seemed entranced as he explored soft blue and purple skin. Rhetton’s eyelids fluttered as the warrior traced the outline of one of the many petals that made up his face. “I suppose I can understand that…I am rather amazing, after all.”

Rhetton let out a soft laugh, and grinned as he caught violet eyes. “You are indeed.”

He had to admit he rather liked the quiet surprise that spread across the older sylvari’s features. In all honesty, Rhetton liked seeing any sort of emotion on Canach’s handsome face…well, almost any. Pain and self-doubt he could do without.

“What? Did you think I would disagree?” the engineer asked, more than a little amused.

“No…not disagree…” Canach admitted, hand moving from Rhetton’s face to the back of his head where it rested at the base, fingers weaving into the thorny vines of his hair. “For the longest time I thought you didn’t like me…”

“Well, there was a point where that would be true…back when I first met you,” Rhetton said, “I didn’t exactly get the best of first impressions.”

“Hmmm, that is true,” the older sylvari mused. 

He could feel a gentle tug downward towards Canach, guiding his head down. Rhetton knew if wanted, he could easily pull away, Canach’s grasp was loose enough to relay that. His heart hammered in his chest loud enough that he could hear it echoing in his ears. Violet eyes searched for permission.

“If you want to kiss me, Canach, then kiss me,” Rhetton murmured, a nervous bundle of excitement. Pale Mother, did he want the other man to kiss him…if only to confirm he wanted this too.

Canach seemed to notice as he huffed out a soft laugh before pulling Rhetton the rest of the way in, capturing his lips. A soft moan escaped the younger of the two. It certainly wasn’t his first kiss, but it still felt new and exciting. He wrapped an arm around Canach’s waist and pulled him in closer. With his free hand he reached up and cupped the warrior’s cheek, thumb gliding across his high cheekbone and the outline of needles.

When Canach moved in and pushed himself onto the balls of his feet, Rhetton could feel and hear him grumble something into the kiss.

Pulling back with a raised brow, the engineer asked, “What was that?”

“I said, ‘Why must you be so obnoxiously tall?’” Canach groused with an exaggerated frown.

Rhetton laughed and kissed his forehead. “Am I tall or are you just-”

“Finish that sentence and you will find yourself on the ground,” the older sylvari interrupted, violet eyes narrowing.