It's Never Too Late For Your Very First Time (Kurthnaga/Soren)
A fluffy, angsty, Kurth/Soren PWP with no smut. I honestly don't know where this came from. Also posting on fe_yaoi, after moontyger reassured me that it didn't suck. :)
"So," Kurthnaga asked, as easily as he asked anything. "What's he like?"
Inwardly, Soren sighed. They were sitting on the edge of the veranda, the forested canopy rustling gently beneath them, and the southern constellations sparkling in the sky above them. "What's who like?" he asked, though he feared he already knew the answer to that question.
The young prince gave him a sidelong glance and grinned. "Your beorc friend. Ike." He leaned back on his hands, his slender legs kicking restlessly as he dangled them over the edge. Soren, who was sitting modestly with his feet tucked beneath him, simply fidgeted in his lap and hoped the pale light of the glowbugs wasn't enough to reveal the slight blush that colored his skin.
"...You've met him, haven't you?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the dark expanse of trees below. "He's, uh... he's pretty honest about the kind of person he is."
Kurthnaga laughed, the gentle sound disturbing a row of tiny glowbugs who had settled on the rail. "I don't doubt it," he responded. "But I'm more curious what he's like to you, not the rest of the world."
Now Soren really was blushing. "Why would I be any different from them?" He was starting to feel like changing the subject. As far as he was concerned, this wasn't something you talked about. Or thought about, if you could avoid it.
"The rest of the world isn't in love with him." The prince reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. "So it follows that something is different for you, right?"
"But I'm not -"
"Soren..." came an amused and slightly warning voice, that told him in no uncertain terms there was no use lying.
Soren stifled a sigh. "...Fine. I suppose he's more honest with me than anyone else. Not that he ever really lies, even when he should, but I get to see a side of him that he only shows to family and very close friends."
Kurthnaga smiled. "What's that side of him like?"
"Uh, well... sort of doting, I suppose... he's really very gentle, despite appearances."
"I see..." The young prince looked up at the swirling cloud of glowbugs, the reflection of the tiny lights twinkling in his amber eyes. "And?"
"And, uh..." Soren hesitated. "He's always been kind to me, even when no one else was."
Kurthnaga leaned down and peered up into his face. "Do you think he feels the same way you do?"
"How am I supposed to know that?" Soren responded hotly, turning away. He sheltered his eyes behind his long bangs.
"Hmm? Don't you at least have a feeling?" Kurthnaga sat back and pondered that. "Have you ever kissed him?"
"No!" Soren turned and gave him a mortified look.
"Well, that's one way you could find out..."
"I am not going to kiss Ike!" Even in the dim light of the glowbugs, his blush was growing spectacularly obvious in contrast to his pale skin.
Kurthnaga looked at him in surprise. "Why not? Don't you want to?"
"I, uh... well..." His hands fidgeted with the folds of fabric in his lap. Lying to Kurthnaga was bad, but evading him was worse. He sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Maybe I do. But that's not really the point here."
"I rather think it is." Kurthnaga's warm eyes searched out his own. Soren was momentarily taken aback by that gaze. The dragon's amber eyes smoldered like embers in a waning fire, and somewhere in there, he could see the deep red of his own. An aura of confidence flickered there, a tiny candle in a sequestered room, lulling him forward into honesty.
"Well, actually... I do sometimes think..." he faltered. "Maybe he does feel that way about me. Maybe a little. But I could never, ever kiss him. Ever!"
"Why not?"
"Because! Ike is... Ike! And I, uh..." his voice lowered and he averted his eyes. "Don't really know what to do."
Kurthnaga was silent for a few minutes. Eventually he reached out and touched Soren's arm so gently that it barely registered on his senses. "You've never kissed anyone?" he murmured. He sounded strange; surprised, perhaps, but also... pleased?
Soren sighed. "This may be hard for you to understand, but I'm not exactly the most sociable person, and... it's not really easy to learn without another willing party, you know." His cheeks burned. He couldn't believe he was discussing this. He had never even written about it in his journal.
They sat together in silence for several more minutes, before Kurthnaga seemed to decide something and suddenly got to his feet. He dusted himself off and offered a hand to Soren. "Stand up," he ordered.
Soren peered up at him, then took his hand and stood up slowly. He wanted to ask what Kurthnaga was plotting, but he had the feeling he was going to find out soon enough, whether he liked it or not.
"Now," the young prince started, taking on the airs of a schoolteacher. "I'll help you learn. Okay?"
Soren's eyes widened. "Wait, you want me to kiss you?"
"It's the only way, isn't it?"
The sage gaped and took a step backward. "I can't do that! You're my... my..." he trailed off helplessly.
Kurthnaga gave him a gentle smile. "We're family. That's why it's okay. I won't bite," he teased. He tilted his head and his exotic candleflame eyes narrowed. "You trust me, don't you?"
To his horror, Soren found himself nodding. That wasn't true, was it? Was it?
Kurthnaga simply extended his hand. "Come closer."
Soren didn't know what to do, or think, so when his brain shut down like so much empty space in his head, he was left no choice but to wordlessly comply. He stepped forward, so that their bodies were close - too close, touching close - and let Kurthnaga slip his arms around his waist. It felt good, in a way... an intimacy he had very rarely known or allowed with anyone. The bridge of his nose felt like it was buzzing, he buried his face in Kurthnaga's neck to stifle it.
"This feels strange," he said, his voice muffled in the fabric of Kurthnaga's tunic. It smelled vaguely of flowers.
"It usually does," the young dragon chuckled, shifting a little so that Soren had to look into his face. "Here, put your arms around me."
Soren hesitated, then nodded and slowly slid his arms around Kurthnaga's waist. He wasn't at all sure what to do with his hands, so he laid them flat against the boy's back, surprised at how warm he was, even through the thin layer of fabric. Kurthnaga nodded and squeezed gently.
"You should be close, when you do this," he murmured, his breath feathering across Soren's lips. The sage's heart thudded in his chest, and in the back of his mind he thought that the dragon prince must feel it, as close as they were. But then, maybe that was the idea. "Does it feel good?"
Soren simply licked his lips and nodded. Somehow this was more complicated than he expected. More tense. And more... intimate. "Am I supposed to..." he whispered, his ruby eyes fixated on Kurthnaga's lips, the corners of which were curled up gently.
"Just follow my lead," the prince said, then smiled like love itself and leaned in. Soren tensed and held his breath in anticipation, but Kurthnaga paused and waited, excruciatingly close, until he had to let it out in a warm rush. With that small release, that tiny window of opportunity, Kurthnaga closed the gap and touched gentle lips to his own.
It was Soren's first kiss, and it was soft, and warm, and he wondered what he was supposed to do with his mouth but after only a moment of time - short time, long time, stopped time - it didn't matter anymore. He just knew. His eyes fell closed, he relaxed against the warm body holding him close, and his lips moved of their own accord in gentle accommodation. He knew it must have been right, because Kurthnaga made a soft noise of surprise and tightened the embrace.
Soren didn't know exactly how long it was supposed to last, but it went on for a while as he tried different things in a sweet nuzzling motion. He felt bold enough to move his hands to Kurthnaga's waist, twist in the fabric there and pull him closer; bold enough to open his mouth slightly and adjust the angle of the kiss to be deeper and more; bold enough to make a small noise when something felt exactly right.
When they finally broke apart, and he could see that the young dragon was flushed and panting softly, and his own breath was coming in shuddering, uneven intervals, he realized that the point of the whole process was to just unravel.
He stepped back, and reluctant arms fell away. Kurthnaga touched one hand to his lips, which were a much darker pink than they had been, and looked up at Soren in surprise. "You're a natural," he finally said, a little hoarse.
Soren flushed. His hands twisted in the fabric at the sides of his robe. "Thank you," he said, not quite meeting the man's gaze. "That was... educational." He took a hesitant step backwards. He couldn't seem to still the thrumming in his chest and the strange buzz that echoed in his head.
Something flickered in the amber eyes of the dragon prince. Around them, the glowbugs hovered like mobile stars. "Soren, I -" he started to say, before the sage held up a hand to silence him.
"I think we both know I should go," he said, in the most even voice he could muster. "But I... thank you."
He turned and made his way through the ornate double doors back into the warmly lit villa, leaving Kurthnaga to stand, alone, on the dark veranda. When he was gone, the prince let out a ragged sigh and ran his hands through his hair, then turned and looked up at the moon, as if for guidance.
He stood there long into the night, and it was almost morning when he finally turned and went inside.
"So," Kurthnaga asked, as easily as he asked anything. "What's he like?"
Inwardly, Soren sighed. They were sitting on the edge of the veranda, the forested canopy rustling gently beneath them, and the southern constellations sparkling in the sky above them. "What's who like?" he asked, though he feared he already knew the answer to that question.
The young prince gave him a sidelong glance and grinned. "Your beorc friend. Ike." He leaned back on his hands, his slender legs kicking restlessly as he dangled them over the edge. Soren, who was sitting modestly with his feet tucked beneath him, simply fidgeted in his lap and hoped the pale light of the glowbugs wasn't enough to reveal the slight blush that colored his skin.
"...You've met him, haven't you?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the dark expanse of trees below. "He's, uh... he's pretty honest about the kind of person he is."
Kurthnaga laughed, the gentle sound disturbing a row of tiny glowbugs who had settled on the rail. "I don't doubt it," he responded. "But I'm more curious what he's like to you, not the rest of the world."
Now Soren really was blushing. "Why would I be any different from them?" He was starting to feel like changing the subject. As far as he was concerned, this wasn't something you talked about. Or thought about, if you could avoid it.
"The rest of the world isn't in love with him." The prince reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. "So it follows that something is different for you, right?"
"But I'm not -"
"Soren..." came an amused and slightly warning voice, that told him in no uncertain terms there was no use lying.
Soren stifled a sigh. "...Fine. I suppose he's more honest with me than anyone else. Not that he ever really lies, even when he should, but I get to see a side of him that he only shows to family and very close friends."
Kurthnaga smiled. "What's that side of him like?"
"Uh, well... sort of doting, I suppose... he's really very gentle, despite appearances."
"I see..." The young prince looked up at the swirling cloud of glowbugs, the reflection of the tiny lights twinkling in his amber eyes. "And?"
"And, uh..." Soren hesitated. "He's always been kind to me, even when no one else was."
Kurthnaga leaned down and peered up into his face. "Do you think he feels the same way you do?"
"How am I supposed to know that?" Soren responded hotly, turning away. He sheltered his eyes behind his long bangs.
"Hmm? Don't you at least have a feeling?" Kurthnaga sat back and pondered that. "Have you ever kissed him?"
"No!" Soren turned and gave him a mortified look.
"Well, that's one way you could find out..."
"I am not going to kiss Ike!" Even in the dim light of the glowbugs, his blush was growing spectacularly obvious in contrast to his pale skin.
Kurthnaga looked at him in surprise. "Why not? Don't you want to?"
"I, uh... well..." His hands fidgeted with the folds of fabric in his lap. Lying to Kurthnaga was bad, but evading him was worse. He sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Maybe I do. But that's not really the point here."
"I rather think it is." Kurthnaga's warm eyes searched out his own. Soren was momentarily taken aback by that gaze. The dragon's amber eyes smoldered like embers in a waning fire, and somewhere in there, he could see the deep red of his own. An aura of confidence flickered there, a tiny candle in a sequestered room, lulling him forward into honesty.
"Well, actually... I do sometimes think..." he faltered. "Maybe he does feel that way about me. Maybe a little. But I could never, ever kiss him. Ever!"
"Why not?"
"Because! Ike is... Ike! And I, uh..." his voice lowered and he averted his eyes. "Don't really know what to do."
Kurthnaga was silent for a few minutes. Eventually he reached out and touched Soren's arm so gently that it barely registered on his senses. "You've never kissed anyone?" he murmured. He sounded strange; surprised, perhaps, but also... pleased?
Soren sighed. "This may be hard for you to understand, but I'm not exactly the most sociable person, and... it's not really easy to learn without another willing party, you know." His cheeks burned. He couldn't believe he was discussing this. He had never even written about it in his journal.
They sat together in silence for several more minutes, before Kurthnaga seemed to decide something and suddenly got to his feet. He dusted himself off and offered a hand to Soren. "Stand up," he ordered.
Soren peered up at him, then took his hand and stood up slowly. He wanted to ask what Kurthnaga was plotting, but he had the feeling he was going to find out soon enough, whether he liked it or not.
"Now," the young prince started, taking on the airs of a schoolteacher. "I'll help you learn. Okay?"
Soren's eyes widened. "Wait, you want me to kiss you?"
"It's the only way, isn't it?"
The sage gaped and took a step backward. "I can't do that! You're my... my..." he trailed off helplessly.
Kurthnaga gave him a gentle smile. "We're family. That's why it's okay. I won't bite," he teased. He tilted his head and his exotic candleflame eyes narrowed. "You trust me, don't you?"
To his horror, Soren found himself nodding. That wasn't true, was it? Was it?
Kurthnaga simply extended his hand. "Come closer."
Soren didn't know what to do, or think, so when his brain shut down like so much empty space in his head, he was left no choice but to wordlessly comply. He stepped forward, so that their bodies were close - too close, touching close - and let Kurthnaga slip his arms around his waist. It felt good, in a way... an intimacy he had very rarely known or allowed with anyone. The bridge of his nose felt like it was buzzing, he buried his face in Kurthnaga's neck to stifle it.
"This feels strange," he said, his voice muffled in the fabric of Kurthnaga's tunic. It smelled vaguely of flowers.
"It usually does," the young dragon chuckled, shifting a little so that Soren had to look into his face. "Here, put your arms around me."
Soren hesitated, then nodded and slowly slid his arms around Kurthnaga's waist. He wasn't at all sure what to do with his hands, so he laid them flat against the boy's back, surprised at how warm he was, even through the thin layer of fabric. Kurthnaga nodded and squeezed gently.
"You should be close, when you do this," he murmured, his breath feathering across Soren's lips. The sage's heart thudded in his chest, and in the back of his mind he thought that the dragon prince must feel it, as close as they were. But then, maybe that was the idea. "Does it feel good?"
Soren simply licked his lips and nodded. Somehow this was more complicated than he expected. More tense. And more... intimate. "Am I supposed to..." he whispered, his ruby eyes fixated on Kurthnaga's lips, the corners of which were curled up gently.
"Just follow my lead," the prince said, then smiled like love itself and leaned in. Soren tensed and held his breath in anticipation, but Kurthnaga paused and waited, excruciatingly close, until he had to let it out in a warm rush. With that small release, that tiny window of opportunity, Kurthnaga closed the gap and touched gentle lips to his own.
It was Soren's first kiss, and it was soft, and warm, and he wondered what he was supposed to do with his mouth but after only a moment of time - short time, long time, stopped time - it didn't matter anymore. He just knew. His eyes fell closed, he relaxed against the warm body holding him close, and his lips moved of their own accord in gentle accommodation. He knew it must have been right, because Kurthnaga made a soft noise of surprise and tightened the embrace.
Soren didn't know exactly how long it was supposed to last, but it went on for a while as he tried different things in a sweet nuzzling motion. He felt bold enough to move his hands to Kurthnaga's waist, twist in the fabric there and pull him closer; bold enough to open his mouth slightly and adjust the angle of the kiss to be deeper and more; bold enough to make a small noise when something felt exactly right.
When they finally broke apart, and he could see that the young dragon was flushed and panting softly, and his own breath was coming in shuddering, uneven intervals, he realized that the point of the whole process was to just unravel.
He stepped back, and reluctant arms fell away. Kurthnaga touched one hand to his lips, which were a much darker pink than they had been, and looked up at Soren in surprise. "You're a natural," he finally said, a little hoarse.
Soren flushed. His hands twisted in the fabric at the sides of his robe. "Thank you," he said, not quite meeting the man's gaze. "That was... educational." He took a hesitant step backwards. He couldn't seem to still the thrumming in his chest and the strange buzz that echoed in his head.
Something flickered in the amber eyes of the dragon prince. Around them, the glowbugs hovered like mobile stars. "Soren, I -" he started to say, before the sage held up a hand to silence him.
"I think we both know I should go," he said, in the most even voice he could muster. "But I... thank you."
He turned and made his way through the ornate double doors back into the warmly lit villa, leaving Kurthnaga to stand, alone, on the dark veranda. When he was gone, the prince let out a ragged sigh and ran his hands through his hair, then turned and looked up at the moon, as if for guidance.
He stood there long into the night, and it was almost morning when he finally turned and went inside.