A request from Tru
Prompt: guns/shooting range
Pairing: Taala/William
Rating: 12a
Song: In My Arms by Teddy Thompson
Notes: I tried to get both their characters right - though I got confused about what to refer to them as, as they're not boys or teens (really) but young men sounds a little fussy and I don't think eighteen is old enough to classify someone as a man...ah well...it wasn't like they do anything much anyway except kiss. You'll just have to remind me what you refer to them as. Hope you like it Tru as it's a gift for you to cheer you up whilst you're over there!
Taala was worried. William had been called away to a meeting with his parents and Searen over an hour ago and the redhead hadn’t heard from him since. And while it wasn’t that uncommon an occurrence for the wayward teen to be pulled up by their leaders, it was uncommon that he hadn’t come straight back to the rooms that they shared to be comforted.
Taala had been ready, pacing impotently for the moment that William would tentatively open the door and upon seeing his friend, would seek comfort in the shelter of his arms. Neither eighteen year old spoke of it afterwards, too encumbered with the awkwardly developing bond between themselves to do much more.
Plus there was always the threat that someone would find out and use them against one another politically.
It was dangerous but still, there was something there. Something that neither of them were wanting to dismiss.
Or at least, that’s what Taala was hoping. He didn’t like to encourage any more traitorous thoughts than he had already.
So when the clock kept ticking and William wasn’t there in his arms Taala began to become frustrated, his stomach seemed to be filled with lead and a tight band had wrapped itself around his chest, making it hard to breathe.
What if they had decided that William was too much? What if they had decided to take Williams threats of leaving seriously? What if they had decided to make an example out of him? What if William was hurt, unable to return to him?
What if William was dead?
Taala shook his head violently, his fingernails digging into his scalp as he clutched at his head.
No, that was impossible. This was William he was thinking about. William was practically indestructible. He was kind and loving and strong.
He’s also human…
Taala shook his head again, tightening his grip in his hair as his knees gave out at the implication of what could be.
No! He wouldn’t think about it! He wouldn’t…he couldn’t…
“Oh God…”
Taala sprinted from the room. He had to find William, had to find some way of banishing the images that his mind was supplying him with. He needed something…anything to calm his fraught nerves. He wanted to know that William was okay…no…he needed to know that William was okay. Needed William in his arms as he soothed away the newest injustice that had been done to the older teen.
Needed to feel that warm body pulled tight to his chest and consequences be damned!
He ran through the corridors growing increasingly frantic. Trying to suppress the small voice in his head that was whispering and filling his head with morbid thoughts was distracting him from his search. It wasn’t until he realised that he had already ran past the same vase three times already that he managed to snap himself out of the panic induced haze that he had sank into.
Breathing heavily he leant against the wall, his head tipped back. This was not good. Loosing William was becoming a threat to his sanity. He closed his eyes and tried to think clearly, taking in stock of his situation.
The main question that he needed to have answered was where would William go, if not to him?
His question brought with it a dull pain in his chest which he crushed ruthlessly. Now was not the time to be wondering upon sudden aches and what they might mean.
As his breathing calmed, the answer suddenly hit him and he sent off at a run once again, this time instead of running any which way he was sprinting towards the shooting range.
As he neared he could tell that he had chosen the right direction if the muted roar of gunshots was anything to go by. Uncaring, he yanked the door open, holding his breath subconsciously in case, by some cruel twist of fate, it was not William who was making the racket.
The solid wall of noise hit him square in the chest and he could feel the vibrations run through his body but it wasn’t until he caught a glimpse of that beautiful silver hair that his breath exploded outwards in relief.
Wincing slightly at the noise, Taala shut and locked the door behind him, twisting the key in the lock so that even if someone tried to open it from the outside they would have to find a way of dislodging the key first, giving them plenty of warning.
It was crude but more effective than using a spell to lock it. This way if someone did try to get in they would just think it was an accident that they key had stuck, not that they purposefully wanted to be left alone.
Taala’s first thought was to run up beside the older teen and wrap his arms around him but the way that William was shooting wildly and continuously deterred him from that course of action. No matter how much he wanted to do just that.
It was obvious that William was working out his frustrations and though Taala might not remember anything beyond the time he was brought to the mansion, he knew that coming up behind someone and wrapping your arms around them whilst they were wielding two guns was possible not the best course of action that you could take. He wasn’t an idiot.
Besides, he wasn’t even sure that William had even registered his presence.
And though that thought brought back that dull ache in his chest, he stood off to the side of his friend, letting him find a sense of release with something other that wasn’t him.
Unconsciously, he let his eyes roam over the older but shorter boy. From his clumpy black boots, they travelled upwards to the baggy black pants, adorned with chains that everyone hated except for William and himself. William because they got on his parents nerves and Taala because those chains were heavy and dragged the black material down until they barely stayed resting on slim hips.
Taala blinked and found his face heating as he caught himself staring at the inches of bared flesh between top and bottoms. More so when he found his gaze catch on the hip bone and the inviting looking juncture that led downwards.
Licking his suddenly dry lips, he tore his gaze away and instead, let it travel upward over the slightly muscled but slim torso that could easily be seen through the skin-tight mesh shirt.
William was leaning back slightly with his arms pointed straight ahead of him as he shot off round after round. Taala was a little surprised at how many bullets the guns seemed to be able to hold until he saw the runes inscribed along the barrels. He rolled his eyes, trust Searen to modify them.
But although his outstretched arms were doing delicious things to Williams muscles, Taala found himself unable to concentrate fully, distracted by the tears streaming down the pale cheeks his heart clenched painfully.
He watched helplessly from the side lines as William shut himself off from the world and drowned in his grief.
Eventually though, William was left pulling the triggers of empty guns. Not even magically modified guns could stand up to the onslaught of over an hours continual firing. It was only as the last rolling echo died down that Taala could hear Williams hitching sobs. His heart broke as William threw down the guns and scrubbed at his eyes harshly.
He was there in an instant pulling the hands away from his face and twining their fingers together before crossing his arms and dragging Williams still sobbing body into the tight comfort of his chest, supporting most of the weight of the smaller teen.
He felt William stiffen slightly when he first pulled him into his embrace but after whispering calming words William sagged and let himself go until his grief was spent and his heart-wrenching sobs were reduced to dry hiccups.
Taala just held him, not even noticing that he was nuzzling the neck of his friend in a subconscious offer of comfort until William let his head roll back onto his shoulder giving Taala more flesh to work with.
His eyes closed, he continued to murmur soothing nothings as his lips ghosted over Williams skin. He felt William shiver and moan softly, his fingers tightening their grip. The corners of Taala’s mouth tilted upwards but he didn’t stop his ministrations.
“T-Taala…ngh…”
William’s whispered moan snapped him back to reality and he blushed hotly as he realised just what he had been doing. Untangling himself he stepped back, unable to look his friend in the eyes. Confusion and disgust rushed through him at how he had taken advantage of the situation, too caught up in his own sordid fantasies to properly calm William down.
When he finally did look up he found himself caught in the emotions flashing through Williams darkened eyes. Lust, confusion and grief he recognised before his heart tore at the look of ultimate betrayal.
“They were right.” A whispered admission, filled with agony. “They were right.”
Taala felt his eyes widen and he took a step forward, his hands reaching for his friend. William stepped back out of the way, fresh tears already spilling down his cheeks once again.
Taala hesitated and let his hands drop uncertainly.
“They were right, you’re going to leave. You’re going to leave me and I’ll be alone again.”
Taala felt his own eyes burn and he blinked quickly to keep the tears at bay. “Who was right? Who said I was going to leave?”
“My p-parents.” William was sobbing openly once again.
Taala went to step forward before he caught himself. “What did they say?”
“T-they said th-that you were going t-to leave. Th-that you would j-jump at the chance of a pro-promotion because it wo-would get you away fr-from me. Th-that I was a fail-failure and that y-you wouldn’t want t-to be seen w-with m-me. Th-that you‘d come t-to your senses and th-that you‘d realise th-that I wasn‘t worth it.”
Taala couldn’t help himself, he rushed forward before William could move away and pulled him tightly into his chest. William was hurt and he wasn’t going to stand for it. All of his instincts were screaming at him to take away the pain and even though William struggled to get away he didn’t let go.
“No. No, that isn’t true. No, William, no.” He kept whispering the negative into Williams ear until he ran out of energy and stopped struggling hopelessly against him and began to listen.
It was an age before William tilted his head back, desperately searching in Taala’s eyes for something.
“You won’t go? You won’t leave?”
Taala smiled warmly. “No. I won’t go. I won’t leave.”
William’s face creased single fat tears still running slowly down his face. “But…but they said…”
Taala made an impatient noise. “When have you ever listened to them before?”
William was still searching his face for something. Evidently, he didn’t find it as he tried to push away from the arms holding him. Taala felt desperate. William didn’t believe him and he couldn’t think of anything he could say that would make him believe.
In his desperation to make William see he crushed his lips to the others. He felt William stiffen in surprise in his arms but he didn’t pull back. Instead he closed his eyes, his heart in his throat as he silently prayed that he hadn’t just ruined everything forever.
After what seemed like an age William pressed back slightly, his own eyes sliding shut. Feeling the movement Taala pulled back before tilting his head to the side and kissing William again, this time with less crushing force and his heart soared as William kissed back, lips moving against his own and his fists balling into Taala’s shirt.
When he felt that William wasn’t going to run away at the first opportunity Taala moved his own hands, one travelling down to splay across the small of the back keeping the teen pressed against him and the other threading through the silver hair, locking his head in place so that when he nibbled upon the bottom lip William had nowhere to go but to press his lips harder against his friends.
Taala moaned at the submission and ran his tongue over William’s lips, the moan turning into a growl of need as William opened his mouth, allowing Taala to deepen the kiss and become heady when William tentatively pushed his way against the other boy and into Taala’s own mouth, letting out his own small sound of need.
It was too much. The hand on Williams back slipped down to grab his arse possessively and Taala pulled him as tight as he could against his own body, rolling his hips to increase the delicious friction and pushing against Williams tongue with his own, in rhythm. William, in response, wrapped his arms around Taala’s neck and pushed back, wanting and needing the attention.
It was only when air became an issue that they broke apart, their bodies straining for the contact but themselves unwilling to progress further in this new development.
Panting heavily, Taala rested his forehead against William’s, feeling inordinately pleased with himself at the sated look William sported.
“Well,” he said, his voice husky, “At least now you’ll believe me when I say that I’m not going anywhere without you.”
William broke out into a lazy smile and snuggled closer into Taala’s chest. “With a kiss like that, I’d follow you anyway.”