Prompto is so amazed by the situation at hand that all he can do is attempt a small smile and wave over to his boyfriends in the kitchen, at least so they know everything is ok. Not that they wouldn't be able to tell otherwise, given everyone's thoughts on Ravus and the knowledge of Prompto's training. Still, he figures the reassurance is good. Or maybe he's attempting to feign some level of confidence in a bid to soften the future teasing he knows will come from this situation. There's no hiding the blush on his cheeks. Or Ravus' distinct lack of top.
The boy decides to just tuck the coat around him and go for the ride. He quietly watches the scenery around them, settling in those strong arms more with every passing second.
Prompto snaps to attention at the rumbling of Ravus' chest, and the words that come with it. "Oh..." the smallest of smiles come to his face. Trees around them, the river ahead... "It's so nice out here. This is perfect."
While Prompto's quiet might be cause for worry, a quick glance down reveals the uncharacteristic silence is a peaceful one. The blond looks almost serene watching the world go by, and Ravus feels a stirring deep in his chest. His heart seems convinced to do odd little flutters in his chest. It doesn't help that approval radiates from where Thul curls around his soul, like he himself can feel the warmth of the sun on his scales as Ravus does on his own skin. The others have insisted the woods are no place to live, but it's hard to deny the beauty of it all as the river shimmers before them.
"It is peaceful. I admit, while it left me with far too much time in my own head... I did not mind seeing the beauty of living things, so untouched by the staining, black ink of human hands. It reminded me of home." Tenebrae and its vast, ever-wild forests were always a far dream while trapped in the glacial hell of Niflheim.
Gently, Ravus sets Prompto down on his feet, and makes sure the coat settles over his shoulders properly. His hands skim down, settling low on Prompto's shoulders.
"It will do. You needn't have anything to fear this far from Town. But if you wish for me to walk the perimeter, I can. Otherwise, we should not dally. We've already burned plenty of daylight, and we have lessons to make up for."
"Ohh. This is where the guys found you. I remember tipping them off after I saw you sitting all alone out here." There's a quiet, pleased huff deep somewhere within- Sjerit, still happy about her host's decision to do that, and making a point to remind him.
Prompto feels the gentle tugs at his heart when Ravus explains how this place reminds him of home. Home, Tenebrae, not the fields Niflheim, permanently encased in ice. How much, the boy wonders, did his companion long for home? When did it become exhausting? Did he ever lose hope?? "Tenebrae was one of the most beautiful places I ever saw. I...Wish I'd had the time to capture it in photographs."
He gazes up at Ravus once securely on the ground, cheeks heating up with the proximity, the fussing, the gentle touch around his shoulders. Those aggravating, sensitive, and admittedly deformed wing....Things shudder with sensation of touch being anywhere near them.
"Y-yeah. Training sounds good. Let's do it." Anything to focus his mind. Get active again, and spend his anxious energy. Whatever Ravus throws his way in terms of drills, Prompto will meet with his usual gusto, even when there's a little rust to shake off at first.
Training is no less intense just because Ravus has been gentle with him up until now. Prompto, as with every other session, is still put to the test in every aspect. There's a good set of stretches beforehand. Afterall, there's no point in snapping tendons or overextending muscles carelessly, lest they lose even more training time. Once limber, they launch into it. Ravus forces Prompto to defend himself ferociously, though every blow is measured with the accuracy of someone that has known what unchecked strength feels like used against him. Pointless punishment for the sake of pain isn't something he will ever use against a dear friend, no matter how effective it may be in toughening up.
His claws never gouge, only the strike of his palm hits. Always with his real hand, as the magitek arm is solely kept up to block or deflect. And his sweeping lashes and kicks always skate away from joints or vitals. Near enough to remind Prompto of the threat of leaving openings, until he can drill it into his muscle memory where he naturally should guard.
Again and again, Ravus presses him, while the adrenaline sings in their veins. Until Ravus turns with a great sweep of his tail, and buckles Prompto's legs out from beneath him.
Ravus stops when he hits the ground, breathing deep and even to counteract the race of his heart.
“Remember, you have been given new weapons. Claws and tail to strike, until we can find you firearms again. But you have also been given defensive measures. Consider your scales and spines like the carapace of a bulette - a thorny shield between your foe and your life.” As if to demonstrate, the thick neural spines along Ravus’ back flare up, deadly points that wave menacingly, daring anything to try him.
Of course, the motion reopens all the thin, spidery blood vessels that are newly developing to feed into the spines. A proper ridge has yet to develop, so the paper-thin skin bleeds down the line of his back, though Ravus hardly seems to notice while he watches Prompto to ensure both that he's paying attention, and that he's not hurt beyond expected bruises.
The stretching is at least enough to keep things comfortable. As comfortable as it gets with a pair of growing, painful wings trying to escape one's back. Prompto might be rusty, but his instincts still serve him well for training, especially as Ravus sets the pace right where he knows the boy is capable of reaching, or someday surpassing. He falls into it like a familiar rhythm, the adrenaline of movement, dodging, blocking, and striking back flowing throughout his body and reminding him of how much he missed this. A chance to grow, and become more, better prepared to take on the strange world he finds himself in. For those he loves.
Evasive measures have, of course, always been the agile Prompto's best-honed skill outside of sharpshooting and swift, decisive close-quarters atttacks. It means the true act of defending blows needs a good bit of work, and it shows. It also means it sinks in well each time Prompto knows he missed covering himself, and sees him considering the kinds of wounds he would sustain.
He isn't expecting the big, blue tail to lash out and trip him. Prompto is knocked back into the grass, spitting a curse at the way pain blossoms through him from landing on his wings. He sits up, sides heaving as he focuses his attention on his opponent. Rushing blood pounds in his ears- and then, he hears Ravus giving as good advice as ever. "Never thought about using any of this..." Prompto says between panting breaths, "Guess I thought it all would be in the wa-"
The blond's veins run icy cold as his enhanced, more draconic senses pick up the telltale coppery tang of blood. He's on his feet in a matter of seconds, rushing to Ravus' side to check on his companion. "Wait, wait, I smell blood- are you, are you ok????"
Prompto follows the scent, circling around behind Ravus before wincing at the absolute sight of his back. "Holy crap, dude. That has to hurt! Like, bad! You're bleeding all over yourself!"
His brows knit themselves into a furrowed line as Prompto sputters and scampers up to him. The concern registers, but not the cause, as he briefly glances down at himself for any injuries he might have missed with the flow of adrenaline dulling his nerves. But no, there's nothing besides sweat and the grime of the river's edge and grass staining him. At least, where his own eyes can see. It's when Prompto is skirting around him, and looking over the mess of his back, that Ravus understands. Because he can't lie and pretend he's unaware of the state it's in.
The spines along his back settle back down, hot blood cooling at their base, and bracketing either side are deep, torn fissures along his back. Raw, freshly evolved muscle and the blue gleam of wing membranes shines slick and blood-wet within. Making no mention of how badly scarred his back already was, he's caught enough of his own reflection to know it's an unpleasant sight. But the pain is a dull, low frequency that reverberates through him. Easy enough to tuck away in his mind and ignore in favor of all else.
It's only the reminder that makes it flare up, and Ravus exhales a hard breath.
"I apologize if it is disturbing." Ravus shifts his posture just enough to turn his back away from the fretting blond. "For as frequently as I bathe, that is simply the nature of it. Activity naturally impacts blood flow. It will look worse in these sorts of scenarios. You needn't concern yourself with it."
It really is a gruesome sight- but Prompto is less concerned about how terrible Ravus' back looks, and far more preoccupied with how much pain the man must be enduring. His own changes have hurt horrendously, but this- this looks like something next level. Just like that, blood is trickling around and pooling, and just like that, Ravus is apologizing for it. Prompto looks absolutely incredulous.
"You are apologizing for going through it? Are you for real right now?!" He shakes his head, grabbing Ravus by the hand. He marches the pair of them along to the river's edge. "I am gonna concern myself with it, because you're- you're you! You're important!"
The ball of energy has some of his spark back, it would seem, especially in a moment driven by such passion and care for another. So passionate is Prompto, he doesn't fully register what he suggests. Or what might come of it. "Look, I feel gross from wallowing in bed for days, and you are clearly hurting here. Shouldn't you, I dunno, wash it off? Even if it gets bad later at least you can feel good and clean for a time, right?"
Ravus looks confused at the incredulity Prompto touts, as if this should be obvious. He supposes he is 'for real' right now, as the blond puts it. He says as much, the phrase sounding almost foreign on his tongue.
"I am 'for real.' I do not imagine myself or my words imaginary. I do not require coddling." But he hardly gets the chance to explain any further. Prompto has him by the hand, and Ravus doesn't have it in him to dig in his heels. So he follows, and listens, and tries not to let the flutter in his heart mean too much as Prompto insists that he's important enough to worry over. It truly doesn't seem like something worth so much effort, to Ravus, but he's learning rapidly that this doesn't seem to be the universal thought. These small wounds and growing pains, they're such background noise to him, always determined to ignore hindrances. And yet, to these kind sorts, they seem like terrible roadblocks.
"I suppose your point is one I cannot argue. The pains are tolerable enough, but I do not like being unclean." The idea of having to eventually put his coat back on with dried blood encrusted on his back makes him curl his lip with disgust. It fades as his thoughts pull back to Prompto, and his expectant look. He's left blinking slow and helplessly down at the smaller man. Bullied by kindness, yet again.
"I concede," he says, and squeezes Prompto's hand where he's subconsciously refused to let go. Despite what he has to ask next, tinged with reluctance. "Would you prefer to bathe further down river from myself? You did not wish to be seen bare, earlier."
Prompto is of two minds here. Well, two that are a little uneven. On one hand, yes, he is shy about being seen bare-hates it, even, in most contexts. On the other, much stronger one, though, Ravus almost already got to see him fully unclothed, and vice versa. If they turn away to strip and get in the water...They ought to be covered enough, with the lower halves submerged out of sight. The water isn't terribly clear. Out of sight enough. Right? Right??
Maybe there is also a part of Prompto, a small spark growing day by day, that wants to get closer with the sharp, yet kind Ravus. A man he feels kinship with, who understands him in certain ways he never thought possible of another person. Plus, Noct...Well, he kissed Ravus. Since learning that, it has been a lot harder for the blond to chase off thoughts of his own feelings on the guy. Of how handsome he is, how he manages to make Prompto feel safe and understood, but also stronger than he gives himself credit for- budding confidence. Of how butterflies flit about in his stomach whenever they brush close during conversations. Of the quiet, gentle kindness he showed upon seeing the barcode on his wrist, and of words Prompto will never, ever forget.
A crush. Prompto Argentum absolutely has a crush on Ravus Nox Fleuret.
That squeeze of the hand also reminds the flighty boy of how little he wants to be exposed and alone where someone could happen upon him in such a vulnerable state. He doesn't want to go away. "You already saw most of what I was hiding anyway, right? If you um. Turn away, I can just get set up and in the water. Then I'll turn away and you do the same. Should be over both our waists. No problem?"
Prompto feels such a pang letting go of Ravus' hand, but does so, and waits for him to turn away. Should Ravus do so, he will strip fully, and scurry his way into the water. His more draconic tendencies cannot stand it- from what he's gathered from Sjerit, she- and eventually he- is a creature that favors dry, arid climates. But his wish to be clean, and his worry for Ravus win this day. Once his lower half is fully submerged, the blond turns away from Ravus. "Your turn."
As instructed, Ravus turns away. His arms are crossed before his chest, tail swaying a bit with his thoughts. He knows the boy is rather shy, so he'll respect this arrangement, but doesn't quite understand the whole thing. Not until suddenly it's his turn. He glances back at Prompto, and as his claws falls to the belts at his waist, there's suddenly a spike of something uneasy straight into the pit of his stomach. A sense of shame that has nothing to do with Prompto, and everything to do with the fact he's never intentionally let anyone see his body in any kinder context before. It's always been with a sense of dehumanization, something he simply accepted, and forcibly quieted down the riotous feelings of unease it brought up.
Ravus breathes in deep, fights down that wave of unpleasantness, and unbuckles his pants. If there's at least one part of these changes he's very suddenly grateful for, it's that there's a dense layer of long white fur that keeps most of his groin covered.
He slips into the water once's bare, and sinks down to sit along the edge, leaned forward to keep his spines from rubbing against the bank. The water is cold this time of year, but the shock of it along his skin is a dousing of clarity Ravus appreciates. He's fine. They are fine.
"You may look now," said perhaps a touch softer than he might normally.
Ravus agrees so easily. It only takes that lull of silence while Ravus undoes his belts for Prompto to realize just what he's agreed to whilst following his heart. Holy shit. Both of them. Nude. Taking a bath together. The sort of intimacy usually saved for couples. But then again, so is carrying someone around bridal-style whilst fussing over their health.
The boy swallows down a growing lump in his throat, and as he turns around, the butterflies in his stomach kick up into an absolute frenzy. There, mere paces away, sits Ravus. Stark naked in the swirling waters. His tail flicks underneath, and the deformed nubs on his back even try to twitch, making him ache.
He's so handsome. Chiseled as though carved out of marble. Covered in scars with countless stories, badges that tell of a gruesome but resilient past. Yes, Prompto's already seen him topless, but there is something about seeing Ravus in the water with the light dancing through the canopies above that makes this hit entirely different.
He is suddenly so very grateful that he recently woke up with his unmentionables moved to an inside spot. The slit won't give anything away unless he really screws up- plus, the water is obscuring enough to be as comfortable as Prompto can manage being this exposed to a man he's just realized he has a raging crush on.
"W-wow," Prompto gusts, taking a few steps closer to his companion. "Uh, I mean, whoa, the water is chilly! You doing ok? I can, um, help you wash the hard to reach parts on your back. If you like!"
Just play it cool, Argentum, he keeps saying to himself.
That look of wonder, and perhaps something more, catches Ravus off guard. Whatever he's been expecting, this clearly isn't it. While he can acknowledge that in some ways, he thinks Prompto has taken a shine to him, it's never been with the assumption that it's been anything more than the way one could look up to their instructor. A source of something wanted, something admired. Of something to be gained. That's just the way things are. Transactional moments he may gain or lose from, navigated by emotions he barely tolerates. At least, up until recently.
But it's hard to convince himself of all that with how Prompto looks at him now. Asking nothing of him but to care for him. Gaze falling over his form that is so much more than the appraisal of a weapon or tool.
Ravus swallows hard, and glances off. As he pretends the light shimmering off the water is far more interesting, his tail swishes through the current with a slow wagging. He's also struggling for something to say to the kind offer that won't betray the tangle of his thoughts. What he ends up with is... Something.
Well, that is definitely the last thing Prompto expects to hear. It serves as a kind of icebreaker- the breath he didn't even realize he was holding leaves him in a bright, gentle laugh. He closes the distance between them more, voice lighthearted.
"Y'know, I could just use the water and my hands for a little. It should still help some, right? You okay with that?"
He's feeling brave now. Even as his heart races- and Prompto, if given the opportunity, will get closer and closer still until he scrambles onto Ravus' lap, reaching his hands around the man's shoulders to gently scoop water, then rub and scritch along his back. He takes extra care and gentleness closer towards the spine and the growing neural spikes, not wanting to bump into them to accidentally cause pain.
He knows it was probably the dumbest thing he could have said, but he's not good at this, alright? Ravus thinks to be embarrassed for however long it takes Prompto to finish laughing at him. Then, the indignance sets in, and he looks up from averting his gaze to scowl. Only Prompto is suddenly much closer, and Ravus startles out of whatever stewing thoughts of annoyance he had going.
He doesn't stop the blond from climbing into his lap. Oddly enough, that part isn't altogether that odd. Noctis has been making that exact spot a comfortable one a few times now, and Ravus has acclimated to that specific touch better than most. It's comfortable, and neither of the pair weigh enough to be anything more than a warm, soothing weight on his thighs.
So without protest, there's nothing stopping the other man from gently washing the blood from his back. Leaned into him, Ravus can comfortably set his chin on Prompto's shoulder. It's a convenient way to hide the fact his cheeks are colored a dusky pink. The blond is so quick to touch him, and that shouldn't surprise Ravus, given the way he's immediately reciprocated kind touch before. Yet this is far more intimate. Ravus certainly isn't unaware that they're fully nude, and that the soft fur of his groin is nestled between the blond's thighs. Hm-
Ravus stops himself there, the tempo of his heart picking up with just the idea. He focuses instead on the soft hands that trace along his back. Where he can feel them as dull pressure over his scars, and then in much sharper focus nearer the spines.
"Pleasant," he rumbles truthfully, and hopes his voice is as even as he desperately attempts to project. Just like he hopes his real hand doesn't give away his shaky nerves as he brings it up to gingerly rest on Prompto's back. The pads of his fingers sink into the tender muscles still forming below the skin, where delicate, elongated bones are forming wings. Soft pressure, in slow, broad circles to help loosen the tension there. Reciprocation for the way Prompto handles him like Ravus is something precious.
It...Surprises Prompto a little, how easily Ravus just lets him climb into his lap. A part of him is screaming at this point, panicking over how this is far more than friend behavior. Yet he wants this. Deep in his heart of hearts, he truly does want this. Maybe, it seems, Ravus does too. To share a quiet, gentle moment like this. To rest, and bask in one another's presence.
The silver settles his chin on Prompto's shoulder, and with that a contented sigh escapes the smaller's lips. It shifts to a questioning, slightly surprised little hum at the feeling of fingers brushing feather-light against the forming wings on his back. Then, Ravus starts to massage those aching, shifting muscles. At first Prompto tenses up, wincing at the ache it initially causes- but as he moves in those broad circles and warms up the area, the boy does quite the opposite of being stiff, melting against his companion's chest with another sweet little sound. The malformed wing-nubs even move and try to stretch in response. "Mm, wow, that's real nice..."
Prompto closes his eyes, tries to just ride out the feeling of Ravus' warmth, the hand working at his back, and his own hands continuing their own gentle movements. With where his head rests, he can hear the beating of the other's heart.
It is absolutely racing. There are only a few things that could mean to the blond. Does he dare to hope about one such answer?
For as anxiously unsure Ravus is about this entire situation, unfamiliar with intimacy, this isn't as terrifying as he might have imagined. None of the pressures he feared manifests. There's no expectation to know things he could never possibly know. Prompto doesn't push him, and doesn't expect a performance Ravus has never rehearsed. No call to desires he's long divorced to protect himself. Just the quiet of their breathing and the river bubbling around them.
That, and the race of Ravus’ heart, apparently.
He's not even realized it, truth be told. Wrapped up in his head and counting the worries down. Letting the lull of peace preoccupy him where his thoughts steadily fall away.
But there's a question there. And as is his nature, Ravus can't help but be honest.
“I am. I think...” He sighs, and draws Prompto a touch closer. “I think it is because I like this.”
He likes them both, naked, in the river together, close like this. Touching gently, helping one another wash. He likes it enough that his heart races, and he even draws Prompto nearer to his sturdy, stable self. He's gentle, kind, someone who understands him from an angle of shared pain.
Most of all, Ravus believes in the blond, fully, and honestly. He's handsome and kind and being around him feels so very safe.
Prompto's own heart feels like it might burst with the way his feelings rise and slam into him like a tidal wave. They hit so hard, overtake him so fully, that his body moves without his mind fully catching up until he's already done what he's wanted to for a while.
Prompto gently guides Ravus' head off his shoulder, gazing right into those striking, mismatched eyes with a smile that could light up the deepest night. Then, with one hand cupping the other's cheek, he presses up and forward, planting a gentle but sincere kiss on Ravus' lips.
Ravus makes a soft noise as Preompto's hand tips his chin from his shoulder. It's curious and placid, his expression one of contentment despite the thumping of his heart. He regards the blond's gentle gaze with the same soft pleasure, and doesn't seem altogether startled by the fact Prompto kisses him. He returns the warm press with the same leisurely affection.
His real hand follows his spine up to gingerly cradle the nap of Prompto's neck as he draws back just enough to meet those bright eyes. There's a dusting of pink across his cheeks that he can't attribute to their training.
Prompto can feel the sparks that fly right as their lips meet. He basks in the way Ravus presses back, and so softly cradles his neck in his hand. Oh. He likes it. The look in his eyes, the blush on his cheeks, so telling they destroy any doubts in the skittish blond's mind before they can even crop up.
Prompto's own heart starts thundering off to the races, his own cheeks going a deep shade. What an old fashioned way to say it, too. Fancy him... Like a knight from a fairy tale, to a princess.
"Y...Yeah, it does." He offers a slightly lovestruck little grin. "I can do it again if you need to double check."
Like his words, the rest of him tells that same honest story of his heart. While he hasn't fully adapted to physical affection, learning it comes quickly enough that he's comfortable stealing another kiss. It's quick, just the teasing press of his mouth for a moment, before he trails another down to Prompto's jaw instead. Along the line of soft, freckled skin to his heated cheeks, to press another, chaste and sweet.
"I don't find myself in doubt. I suspect you do not either." Though his voice is even, finding sureness a little easier this time, he still glances off. The shyness is harder to fight than acceptance. "But I'm not opposed to more of this. More of you." While he speaks, his tail curls around to lay against the small of Prompto's back, and his fingers squeeze gently along his nape. A touch softer, that shyness winning out again, he mumbles, "more of us."
Ravus beats Prompto at his own playful game, and it utterly dazzles the boy. His eyes slide shut, lips settling into a peaceful smile whilst his companion starts at his lips and travels to kiss along his jaw. Like he's savoring Prompto. What a rush that is for one so uncertain of his worth and looks at all times.
"No... I, I don't feel any doubts at all. Even as a guy who, heh, has a whole lot of those a lotta the time." How cute Ravus is, blushing and getting flustered. 'Cute' is about the last word Prompto ever thought he would use to describe the sharp, knightly man...But what else can he call such a shy and heartfelt display? Us, he says, more of us, while his tail curls around the boy's waist. It truly is as though Ravus were torn out of a romantic poem of old, saying such things. It steals Prompto's breath away just as much as the kisses. He wants more of them too, he realizes. So much more than he ever could have imagined before this moment.
Without even thinking about it, Prompto's own tail lifts in response to the Ravus', copper twining around that beautiful deep blue. The gesture feels somehow even more intimate than the whole bathing together thing- at least it does in some deeper, instinctive part of his brain. It feels right. So right. There is a pleased humming sound within his thoughts- Sjerit, voicing her approval.
"How can I, after this? No way. Even if- Even if I still feel some kinda way about myself. I don't doubt how you make me feel." Prompto gestures down at himself with a sidelong tilt of his head.
Prompto's tail curls around his own, and Ravus feels his ridiculous heart kick up to a rabbit-quick pace. The gesture should feel alien, and yet it's like he's known the feeling his whole life, and what it means. A mundane, but loving intimacy. Like holding hands, or curling up together. It leaves him warm and flushed, happily so. The peace that settles over him with worked muscles, the rush of clean water, and Prompto's heat against his skin is pleasantly addicting already.
“You needn't have such doubts,” Ravus assures him, settling a hand on the boy's back again. Just like before, he rubs the still developing wings as he speaks. “Ever. But full glad am I to know I can ease them, even temporarily. However, and whenever, you need me, I am here to remind you of that.”
Leaning in, he kisses amidst the golden crown of Prompto's hair, and rumbles low and deep.
“You must promise me to remember that. Should you ever worry, you will come to me, and I will be your courage, your assurance, once again.” It would make him beyond happy to be that for Prompto. To be strong in his eyes, to have such noble use. A purpose to be proud of, and in turn, earn him the blond's affections properly.
This is no mere comfort that Ravus offers to the insecure Prompto with those words. No, it is deeply intimate, conviction on a level that shakes him to his very core. This man would move heaven itself to be Prompto's rock, and chase off his misgivings. To keep his heart in his hands, safe and happy. He has faith in Prompto that lifts the boy's own to stand just a little taller. Ravus sees so much in him- it was clear from the moment he took the boy under his at the time proverbial wing.
Prompto is beyond moved. Feels worth so very, very much at that moment. He is so, very full of love. The love Ravus gives forward brings it to overflowing.
It is enough to bring happy tears to his eyes. Prompto doesn't even fully realize it, and rumbles back a sound caught between a growl and a pleased coo at the deep sound Ravus makes. The tears at the corners of those brilliant and slitted blue eyes roll down his cheeks, somehow highlighting his touched and gentle smile all the more. No ache of those growing wings could get in the way of his soaring heart.
"I promise. I want you by my side, too, Big Man. But you gotta promise me something in exchange, okay? That no matter what, you'll let me show you some of what Niflheim took away. I...I want to experience the world with you. Help you see all the good there you missed. I wanna make you happy. I know a lot of us do."
Ravus doesn't expect what he offers to be returned in any way. There's no deal here to sell and no agreement to seal. What he gives, he gives willingly. His own happiness derived from what he provides, and not what he receives. He asks nothing of Prompto, save the reminder that he's here to be his strength. Yet the blond offers something back in turn without prompt. Something stolen a hundred times over from Ravus, until he'd ceased to guard it altogether.
There's a long quiet that Ravus holds between them, like the promise troubles him. In some aspects, it does. He doesn't wish for charity or pity, he doesn't wish to be dragged about just for the sake of it. The time he's spent with people now, he's learning that he enjoys when they want him there. It makes the impossible, daunting task of trying to relearn social grace easier. Seeing their lives, having the chance to be a part of them... It's not something he's sure he always deserves. Yet if it makes Prompto happy, then Ravus can't deny him either.
“Only if that is truly your desire. I cannot tell you how to feel, but I won't be pitied. If you seek me, I will be there. If you ask me, I will stay at your side. But do so with desire, and not a bleeding heart. Then I can promise you.”
Prompto's expression falters- prone to worry as he is, the long pause leaves him to wonder just what is going through Ravus' head. Did he say something wrong? He also knows, luckily, that it won't take long to find out. Not with the kind of honest man he is.
Ah. Pity. That sort of thing doesn't suit a knight, does it? The blond shakes his head gently, copper tail giving the blue one it is twined around a reassuring squeeze. "Y'know, people have told me that I think with my heart too much sometimes, but I don't feel it bleeding specifically right now," he gazes up to meet Ravus' eyes, a small, shockingly shy smile on his usually loudly expressive face. "Nah, pretty sure it just is really happy. Happy that you want to be with a dork like me, for one. It's grateful as well, y'know. That when you saw my secret-" He taps the leather wrap around his right wrist with a claw- "-you didn't pity me. Just...Understood. In a way no one else ever did or probably ever could understand. I felt seen, and maybe like I could see you, too. I see something, and it feels familiar. That's why- That's why I want you to promise, and why I want you to see more of the good things in life. Not because I feel bad for you, but because it would make me happy to show you new things and be there at every step. Because you deserve it. Pity would be offensive to a guy like you. You and me, we're alike. We both want people we love to be happy, and would do anything in the world for it. It works like fuel, right?"
He never did forget that vulnerable moment, and how Ravus treated him after the accidental reveal of his origins. He never stopped appreciating it, or wondering just why he felt seen through. When the feelings started to blossom to a point where Prompto could no longer deny them, it all began to make more sense.
"If you wanna be with someone like me out of your want for it, then believe me- I feel the same to you."
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The boy decides to just tuck the coat around him and go for the ride. He quietly watches the scenery around them, settling in those strong arms more with every passing second.
Prompto snaps to attention at the rumbling of Ravus' chest, and the words that come with it. "Oh..." the smallest of smiles come to his face. Trees around them, the river ahead... "It's so nice out here. This is perfect."
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"It is peaceful. I admit, while it left me with far too much time in my own head... I did not mind seeing the beauty of living things, so untouched by the staining, black ink of human hands. It reminded me of home." Tenebrae and its vast, ever-wild forests were always a far dream while trapped in the glacial hell of Niflheim.
Gently, Ravus sets Prompto down on his feet, and makes sure the coat settles over his shoulders properly. His hands skim down, settling low on Prompto's shoulders.
"It will do. You needn't have anything to fear this far from Town. But if you wish for me to walk the perimeter, I can. Otherwise, we should not dally. We've already burned plenty of daylight, and we have lessons to make up for."
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Prompto feels the gentle tugs at his heart when Ravus explains how this place reminds him of home. Home, Tenebrae, not the fields Niflheim, permanently encased in ice. How much, the boy wonders, did his companion long for home? When did it become exhausting? Did he ever lose hope?? "Tenebrae was one of the most beautiful places I ever saw. I...Wish I'd had the time to capture it in photographs."
He gazes up at Ravus once securely on the ground, cheeks heating up with the proximity, the fussing, the gentle touch around his shoulders. Those aggravating, sensitive, and admittedly deformed wing....Things shudder with sensation of touch being anywhere near them.
"Y-yeah. Training sounds good. Let's do it." Anything to focus his mind. Get active again, and spend his anxious energy. Whatever Ravus throws his way in terms of drills, Prompto will meet with his usual gusto, even when there's a little rust to shake off at first.
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His claws never gouge, only the strike of his palm hits. Always with his real hand, as the magitek arm is solely kept up to block or deflect. And his sweeping lashes and kicks always skate away from joints or vitals. Near enough to remind Prompto of the threat of leaving openings, until he can drill it into his muscle memory where he naturally should guard.
Again and again, Ravus presses him, while the adrenaline sings in their veins. Until Ravus turns with a great sweep of his tail, and buckles Prompto's legs out from beneath him.
Ravus stops when he hits the ground, breathing deep and even to counteract the race of his heart.
“Remember, you have been given new weapons. Claws and tail to strike, until we can find you firearms again. But you have also been given defensive measures. Consider your scales and spines like the carapace of a bulette - a thorny shield between your foe and your life.” As if to demonstrate, the thick neural spines along Ravus’ back flare up, deadly points that wave menacingly, daring anything to try him.
Of course, the motion reopens all the thin, spidery blood vessels that are newly developing to feed into the spines. A proper ridge has yet to develop, so the paper-thin skin bleeds down the line of his back, though Ravus hardly seems to notice while he watches Prompto to ensure both that he's paying attention, and that he's not hurt beyond expected bruises.
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Evasive measures have, of course, always been the agile Prompto's best-honed skill outside of sharpshooting and swift, decisive close-quarters atttacks. It means the true act of defending blows needs a good bit of work, and it shows. It also means it sinks in well each time Prompto knows he missed covering himself, and sees him considering the kinds of wounds he would sustain.
He isn't expecting the big, blue tail to lash out and trip him. Prompto is knocked back into the grass, spitting a curse at the way pain blossoms through him from landing on his wings. He sits up, sides heaving as he focuses his attention on his opponent. Rushing blood pounds in his ears- and then, he hears Ravus giving as good advice as ever. "Never thought about using any of this..." Prompto says between panting breaths, "Guess I thought it all would be in the wa-"
The blond's veins run icy cold as his enhanced, more draconic senses pick up the telltale coppery tang of blood. He's on his feet in a matter of seconds, rushing to Ravus' side to check on his companion. "Wait, wait, I smell blood- are you, are you ok????"
Prompto follows the scent, circling around behind Ravus before wincing at the absolute sight of his back. "Holy crap, dude. That has to hurt! Like, bad! You're bleeding all over yourself!"
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The spines along his back settle back down, hot blood cooling at their base, and bracketing either side are deep, torn fissures along his back. Raw, freshly evolved muscle and the blue gleam of wing membranes shines slick and blood-wet within. Making no mention of how badly scarred his back already was, he's caught enough of his own reflection to know it's an unpleasant sight. But the pain is a dull, low frequency that reverberates through him. Easy enough to tuck away in his mind and ignore in favor of all else.
It's only the reminder that makes it flare up, and Ravus exhales a hard breath.
"I apologize if it is disturbing." Ravus shifts his posture just enough to turn his back away from the fretting blond. "For as frequently as I bathe, that is simply the nature of it. Activity naturally impacts blood flow. It will look worse in these sorts of scenarios. You needn't concern yourself with it."
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"You are apologizing for going through it? Are you for real right now?!" He shakes his head, grabbing Ravus by the hand. He marches the pair of them along to the river's edge. "I am gonna concern myself with it, because you're- you're you! You're important!"
The ball of energy has some of his spark back, it would seem, especially in a moment driven by such passion and care for another. So passionate is Prompto, he doesn't fully register what he suggests. Or what might come of it. "Look, I feel gross from wallowing in bed for days, and you are clearly hurting here. Shouldn't you, I dunno, wash it off? Even if it gets bad later at least you can feel good and clean for a time, right?"
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"I am 'for real.' I do not imagine myself or my words imaginary. I do not require coddling." But he hardly gets the chance to explain any further. Prompto has him by the hand, and Ravus doesn't have it in him to dig in his heels. So he follows, and listens, and tries not to let the flutter in his heart mean too much as Prompto insists that he's important enough to worry over. It truly doesn't seem like something worth so much effort, to Ravus, but he's learning rapidly that this doesn't seem to be the universal thought. These small wounds and growing pains, they're such background noise to him, always determined to ignore hindrances. And yet, to these kind sorts, they seem like terrible roadblocks.
"I suppose your point is one I cannot argue. The pains are tolerable enough, but I do not like being unclean." The idea of having to eventually put his coat back on with dried blood encrusted on his back makes him curl his lip with disgust. It fades as his thoughts pull back to Prompto, and his expectant look. He's left blinking slow and helplessly down at the smaller man. Bullied by kindness, yet again.
"I concede," he says, and squeezes Prompto's hand where he's subconsciously refused to let go. Despite what he has to ask next, tinged with reluctance. "Would you prefer to bathe further down river from myself? You did not wish to be seen bare, earlier."
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Maybe there is also a part of Prompto, a small spark growing day by day, that wants to get closer with the sharp, yet kind Ravus. A man he feels kinship with, who understands him in certain ways he never thought possible of another person. Plus, Noct...Well, he kissed Ravus. Since learning that, it has been a lot harder for the blond to chase off thoughts of his own feelings on the guy. Of how handsome he is, how he manages to make Prompto feel safe and understood, but also stronger than he gives himself credit for- budding confidence. Of how butterflies flit about in his stomach whenever they brush close during conversations. Of the quiet, gentle kindness he showed upon seeing the barcode on his wrist, and of words Prompto will never, ever forget.
A crush. Prompto Argentum absolutely has a crush on Ravus Nox Fleuret.
That squeeze of the hand also reminds the flighty boy of how little he wants to be exposed and alone where someone could happen upon him in such a vulnerable state. He doesn't want to go away. "You already saw most of what I was hiding anyway, right? If you um. Turn away, I can just get set up and in the water. Then I'll turn away and you do the same. Should be over both our waists. No problem?"
Prompto feels such a pang letting go of Ravus' hand, but does so, and waits for him to turn away. Should Ravus do so, he will strip fully, and scurry his way into the water. His more draconic tendencies cannot stand it- from what he's gathered from Sjerit, she- and eventually he- is a creature that favors dry, arid climates. But his wish to be clean, and his worry for Ravus win this day. Once his lower half is fully submerged, the blond turns away from Ravus. "Your turn."
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Ravus breathes in deep, fights down that wave of unpleasantness, and unbuckles his pants. If there's at least one part of these changes he's very suddenly grateful for, it's that there's a dense layer of long white fur that keeps most of his groin covered.
He slips into the water once's bare, and sinks down to sit along the edge, leaned forward to keep his spines from rubbing against the bank. The water is cold this time of year, but the shock of it along his skin is a dousing of clarity Ravus appreciates. He's fine. They are fine.
"You may look now," said perhaps a touch softer than he might normally.
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The boy swallows down a growing lump in his throat, and as he turns around, the butterflies in his stomach kick up into an absolute frenzy. There, mere paces away, sits Ravus. Stark naked in the swirling waters. His tail flicks underneath, and the deformed nubs on his back even try to twitch, making him ache.
He's so handsome. Chiseled as though carved out of marble. Covered in scars with countless stories, badges that tell of a gruesome but resilient past. Yes, Prompto's already seen him topless, but there is something about seeing Ravus in the water with the light dancing through the canopies above that makes this hit entirely different.
He is suddenly so very grateful that he recently woke up with his unmentionables moved to an inside spot. The slit won't give anything away unless he really screws up- plus, the water is obscuring enough to be as comfortable as Prompto can manage being this exposed to a man he's just realized he has a raging crush on.
"W-wow," Prompto gusts, taking a few steps closer to his companion. "Uh, I mean, whoa, the water is chilly! You doing ok? I can, um, help you wash the hard to reach parts on your back. If you like!"
Just play it cool, Argentum, he keeps saying to himself.
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But it's hard to convince himself of all that with how Prompto looks at him now. Asking nothing of him but to care for him. Gaze falling over his form that is so much more than the appraisal of a weapon or tool.
Ravus swallows hard, and glances off. As he pretends the light shimmering off the water is far more interesting, his tail swishes through the current with a slow wagging. He's also struggling for something to say to the kind offer that won't betray the tangle of his thoughts. What he ends up with is... Something.
“I... I seem to have forgotten to bring soap.”
Amazing.
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"Y'know, I could just use the water and my hands for a little. It should still help some, right? You okay with that?"
He's feeling brave now. Even as his heart races- and Prompto, if given the opportunity, will get closer and closer still until he scrambles onto Ravus' lap, reaching his hands around the man's shoulders to gently scoop water, then rub and scritch along his back. He takes extra care and gentleness closer towards the spine and the growing neural spikes, not wanting to bump into them to accidentally cause pain.
"See? Just like that. How is it?"
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He doesn't stop the blond from climbing into his lap. Oddly enough, that part isn't altogether that odd. Noctis has been making that exact spot a comfortable one a few times now, and Ravus has acclimated to that specific touch better than most. It's comfortable, and neither of the pair weigh enough to be anything more than a warm, soothing weight on his thighs.
So without protest, there's nothing stopping the other man from gently washing the blood from his back. Leaned into him, Ravus can comfortably set his chin on Prompto's shoulder. It's a convenient way to hide the fact his cheeks are colored a dusky pink. The blond is so quick to touch him, and that shouldn't surprise Ravus, given the way he's immediately reciprocated kind touch before. Yet this is far more intimate. Ravus certainly isn't unaware that they're fully nude, and that the soft fur of his groin is nestled between the blond's thighs. Hm-
Ravus stops himself there, the tempo of his heart picking up with just the idea. He focuses instead on the soft hands that trace along his back. Where he can feel them as dull pressure over his scars, and then in much sharper focus nearer the spines.
"Pleasant," he rumbles truthfully, and hopes his voice is as even as he desperately attempts to project. Just like he hopes his real hand doesn't give away his shaky nerves as he brings it up to gingerly rest on Prompto's back. The pads of his fingers sink into the tender muscles still forming below the skin, where delicate, elongated bones are forming wings. Soft pressure, in slow, broad circles to help loosen the tension there. Reciprocation for the way Prompto handles him like Ravus is something precious.
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The silver settles his chin on Prompto's shoulder, and with that a contented sigh escapes the smaller's lips. It shifts to a questioning, slightly surprised little hum at the feeling of fingers brushing feather-light against the forming wings on his back. Then, Ravus starts to massage those aching, shifting muscles. At first Prompto tenses up, wincing at the ache it initially causes- but as he moves in those broad circles and warms up the area, the boy does quite the opposite of being stiff, melting against his companion's chest with another sweet little sound. The malformed wing-nubs even move and try to stretch in response. "Mm, wow, that's real nice..."
Prompto closes his eyes, tries to just ride out the feeling of Ravus' warmth, the hand working at his back, and his own hands continuing their own gentle movements. With where his head rests, he can hear the beating of the other's heart.
It is absolutely racing. There are only a few things that could mean to the blond. Does he dare to hope about one such answer?
"Ravus...Your heart. Are you ok?"
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That, and the race of Ravus’ heart, apparently.
He's not even realized it, truth be told. Wrapped up in his head and counting the worries down. Letting the lull of peace preoccupy him where his thoughts steadily fall away.
But there's a question there. And as is his nature, Ravus can't help but be honest.
“I am. I think...” He sighs, and draws Prompto a touch closer. “I think it is because I like this.”
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He likes them both, naked, in the river together, close like this. Touching gently, helping one another wash. He likes it enough that his heart races, and he even draws Prompto nearer to his sturdy, stable self. He's gentle, kind, someone who understands him from an angle of shared pain.
Most of all, Ravus believes in the blond, fully, and honestly. He's handsome and kind and being around him feels so very safe.
Prompto's own heart feels like it might burst with the way his feelings rise and slam into him like a tidal wave. They hit so hard, overtake him so fully, that his body moves without his mind fully catching up until he's already done what he's wanted to for a while.
Prompto gently guides Ravus' head off his shoulder, gazing right into those striking, mismatched eyes with a smile that could light up the deepest night. Then, with one hand cupping the other's cheek, he presses up and forward, planting a gentle but sincere kiss on Ravus' lips.
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His real hand follows his spine up to gingerly cradle the nap of Prompto's neck as he draws back just enough to meet those bright eyes. There's a dusting of pink across his cheeks that he can't attribute to their training.
"Do I take this to mean you fancy me?"
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Prompto's own heart starts thundering off to the races, his own cheeks going a deep shade. What an old fashioned way to say it, too. Fancy him... Like a knight from a fairy tale, to a princess.
"Y...Yeah, it does." He offers a slightly lovestruck little grin. "I can do it again if you need to double check."
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"I don't find myself in doubt. I suspect you do not either." Though his voice is even, finding sureness a little easier this time, he still glances off. The shyness is harder to fight than acceptance. "But I'm not opposed to more of this. More of you." While he speaks, his tail curls around to lay against the small of Prompto's back, and his fingers squeeze gently along his nape. A touch softer, that shyness winning out again, he mumbles, "more of us."
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"No... I, I don't feel any doubts at all. Even as a guy who, heh, has a whole lot of those a lotta the time." How cute Ravus is, blushing and getting flustered. 'Cute' is about the last word Prompto ever thought he would use to describe the sharp, knightly man...But what else can he call such a shy and heartfelt display? Us, he says, more of us, while his tail curls around the boy's waist. It truly is as though Ravus were torn out of a romantic poem of old, saying such things. It steals Prompto's breath away just as much as the kisses. He wants more of them too, he realizes. So much more than he ever could have imagined before this moment.
Without even thinking about it, Prompto's own tail lifts in response to the Ravus', copper twining around that beautiful deep blue. The gesture feels somehow even more intimate than the whole bathing together thing- at least it does in some deeper, instinctive part of his brain. It feels right. So right. There is a pleased humming sound within his thoughts- Sjerit, voicing her approval.
"How can I, after this? No way. Even if- Even if I still feel some kinda way about myself. I don't doubt how you make me feel." Prompto gestures down at himself with a sidelong tilt of his head.
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“You needn't have such doubts,” Ravus assures him, settling a hand on the boy's back again. Just like before, he rubs the still developing wings as he speaks. “Ever. But full glad am I to know I can ease them, even temporarily. However, and whenever, you need me, I am here to remind you of that.”
Leaning in, he kisses amidst the golden crown of Prompto's hair, and rumbles low and deep.
“You must promise me to remember that. Should you ever worry, you will come to me, and I will be your courage, your assurance, once again.” It would make him beyond happy to be that for Prompto. To be strong in his eyes, to have such noble use. A purpose to be proud of, and in turn, earn him the blond's affections properly.
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Prompto is beyond moved. Feels worth so very, very much at that moment. He is so, very full of love. The love Ravus gives forward brings it to overflowing.
It is enough to bring happy tears to his eyes. Prompto doesn't even fully realize it, and rumbles back a sound caught between a growl and a pleased coo at the deep sound Ravus makes. The tears at the corners of those brilliant and slitted blue eyes roll down his cheeks, somehow highlighting his touched and gentle smile all the more. No ache of those growing wings could get in the way of his soaring heart.
"I promise. I want you by my side, too, Big Man. But you gotta promise me something in exchange, okay? That no matter what, you'll let me show you some of what Niflheim took away. I...I want to experience the world with you. Help you see all the good there you missed. I wanna make you happy. I know a lot of us do."
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There's a long quiet that Ravus holds between them, like the promise troubles him. In some aspects, it does. He doesn't wish for charity or pity, he doesn't wish to be dragged about just for the sake of it. The time he's spent with people now, he's learning that he enjoys when they want him there. It makes the impossible, daunting task of trying to relearn social grace easier. Seeing their lives, having the chance to be a part of them... It's not something he's sure he always deserves. Yet if it makes Prompto happy, then Ravus can't deny him either.
“Only if that is truly your desire. I cannot tell you how to feel, but I won't be pitied. If you seek me, I will be there. If you ask me, I will stay at your side. But do so with desire, and not a bleeding heart. Then I can promise you.”
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Ah. Pity. That sort of thing doesn't suit a knight, does it? The blond shakes his head gently, copper tail giving the blue one it is twined around a reassuring squeeze. "Y'know, people have told me that I think with my heart too much sometimes, but I don't feel it bleeding specifically right now," he gazes up to meet Ravus' eyes, a small, shockingly shy smile on his usually loudly expressive face. "Nah, pretty sure it just is really happy. Happy that you want to be with a dork like me, for one. It's grateful as well, y'know. That when you saw my secret-" He taps the leather wrap around his right wrist with a claw- "-you didn't pity me. Just...Understood. In a way no one else ever did or probably ever could understand. I felt seen, and maybe like I could see you, too. I see something, and it feels familiar. That's why- That's why I want you to promise, and why I want you to see more of the good things in life. Not because I feel bad for you, but because it would make me happy to show you new things and be there at every step. Because you deserve it. Pity would be offensive to a guy like you. You and me, we're alike. We both want people we love to be happy, and would do anything in the world for it. It works like fuel, right?"
He never did forget that vulnerable moment, and how Ravus treated him after the accidental reveal of his origins. He never stopped appreciating it, or wondering just why he felt seen through. When the feelings started to blossom to a point where Prompto could no longer deny them, it all began to make more sense.
"If you wanna be with someone like me out of your want for it, then believe me- I feel the same to you."
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Leatherwork and ....SURPRISE BASEBALL
Re: Leatherwork and ....SURPRISE BASEBALL
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