Yad’s Inn
Through the passing days and weeks, Khimi had remained trapped by his busy schedule. Merchants seek further wealth, mages beg for development loans, and nobles curry petty favor with the next Emir Zeybek. Night after night he finds himself participating in the same tedious performances, playing the role of the genial entertainer. He hates entertaining.
Each night, he stumbles back to the bedchamber room in a stupor, having drank obscene amounts of the estate’s own liquor stores while entertaining. Every time, he finds that Lumi is asleep without waking or that he is missing from the room entirely. When he first had noticed Lumi staying out late into the night, he had panicked, thinking that something happened. He had needed Rashid to remind him of Saint Nina’s instruction to Lumi, that he serve at the local sanctuary, a small shrine for those of the Faith to offer their prayers to the gods. When he finally falls asleep, alone in bed, every morning his heart warms when he finds Lumi asleep, curled beside him under the shared linens. He stares in silence until the inevitable rap upon the door forces him up, when he then gathers himself together to meet the merciless day.
It takes weeks for Rashid to find an opening in his schedule. Khimi avoids bringing it up to Lumi until the day arrives. When Khimi wakes him that afternoon, Lumi shyly agrees to an evening out together. Khimi notices how Lumi’s tail slaps against their mattress, betraying his excitement, and it makes his heart quicken.
The two walk together through the cobbled streets to their destination and Khimi notices Lumi keeping in step despite his shorter gait. They walk in relative silence, any familiarity between them stifled under things gone unsaid. Tall oil lamps, unique to Rhaz among the Desert Cities, burn day and night along the streets; their light shines warm against Lumi’s golden curls. Khimi can feel an apology welling within him, but he feels unable to put his thoughts into words. Lumi kicks at a rock with his bare feet, and Khimi watches it skitter across the cobbles of the avenue and into a stray pile of sand.
Khimi sighs loudly, unsure of how to voice his thoughts, and so he blurts out, “We have been distant since we returned from the temple.” He is glad they are side by side, and so he does not need to make too much eye contact. “I’m sorry if this has not gone how you expected. I wasn’t aware you would be visiting the shrine so often, but my schedule has left me little time for us to spend time together regardless.”
When Khimi looks at Lumi, anxious about his admission, he finds Lumi shaking his head and frowning at Khimi’s words. “It’s really okay,” he whispers. “I wasn’t aware that Nina made it seem to them like I’d be at the shrine all the time. I’m sorry, too, that I haven’t been around when you’re home.”
“And… do you enjoy it there?” Khimi asks, trying to manage interest. He notices how Lumi maintains the distance between them.
Lumi closes his eyes and offers a grimace. “I like being there, at times, but… No. I don’t enjoy it there. I’m so tired,” he groans. “I was hoping that I would have a bit more freedom since I left the temple. They want me at the shrine so much, though! I don’t think I can keep going there as often as they’re askin’,” he adds, kicking another rock. “It’s so cramped and all the people praying, I can’t hear myself think.”
Khimi tries to cheer up Lumi by taking an arm in his. They loop elbows stiffly, unused to the difference between their heights. “Perhaps they will not even notice you gone,” he offers, half-jokingly.
“Yeah! Hopefully they just forget I exist. Then I’ll be free to do what I want!” Lumi huffs. “Though, even if I was free, would we have time to see each other?”
Khimi rubs his temple with his free hand, conflicted about all the elements in play. “I’m sorry, Lumi,” he begins. “I really am. Maybe there is a future where you might be free of the temple, and where I might be free from this pack of hyenas at my doorstep every day. Until then, though, we have obligations,” he says, glaring at his own words towards the road before them.
“I won’t let the temple run my life, Khimi, I can’t. I owe everything to Nina, but I never felt at ease when I lived at the temple,” Lumi whispers, his eyes trained ahead at the upcoming building.
“No?” Khimi asks.
Lumi shrugs awkwardly around their linked arms. “I do believe in the gods. How could I not? But my time with the other acolytes, they were always so…Th-things were always complicated for me there,” he mumbles. “I guess things are complicated for a lot of people.”
They arrive before a building bustling with people. “Should we finish this conversation later?” Khimi leans down to ask.
Lumi shrugs. “It’s not so important.”
“Of course it is,” Khimi replies sternly. There is something that infuriates him every time Lumi has mentioned his mistreatment by the acolytes during his time at the temple, but he stifles it once again.
Lumi seems to notice Khimi’s strained expression, and it makes him chuckle. “I didn’t get along with everyone, that’s all. I want freedom from it all, but…”
“But you want to honor Nina,” Khimi finishes.
“Y-yeah.”
“It won’t be forever, Lumi.”
As they approach the bustling building, Khimi leads him from their arms up the steps. Sandstone arches lead into a covered walkway, draped over in crimson cloth that provides some relief from the scorching sun. People turn to stare as they pass by, but Khimi pays no mind to the whispers and glances directed at him and Lumi. Khimi’s grip on Lumi’s arm tightens, and he rubs his hand atop Lumi’s.
Inside the tavern, they push in through the doorway and into a tiered room, filled with heavy smoke. Men and women dressed in fine silks glance their way before returning to their own conversations in hushed tones. Khimi knows that Lumi’s presence at his side, in a place like this, will only fuel rumors and gossip, but he cannot seem to bring himself to care. He finds it hard to justify discretion when they spend so little time together; he wants to enjoy himself with Lumi and to forget about the troubles that weigh on him. Khimi leads Lumi further into the room, up a flight of stairs and into an adjoining space, adorned with rich tapestries and soft cushions. Without any warning, he pulls them both down onto a divan beneath an open window; the shock of it has Lumi choked with laughter, as the pillows tumble underneath them. Lumi leans into Khimi, a low purr rumbling from deep within his chest.
Khimi maintains his cheerful demeanor, his grin warm and inviting. “What do you like to eat?” he asks. “They are accommodating here, so feel free to ask for anything.”
Lumi sniffs at the air. “I’ll just have whatever you’re having. Everyone downstairs was smoking, though? It smells great.” He looks behind them out of the arched window, down at the group of merchants. “What is this place? It seems really popular!”
“It’s a famous tavern in Rhaz, owned by a merchant named Yad and his daughter, Pasha. They are old friends of the Cerulean Star.” He can tell when Lumi starts trying to commit their names to memory and it sparks a warmth in Khimi’s chest. “You mentioned smoking?” Khimi raises an eyebrow and signals to a figure at the back of the room. “I did not realize you were curious about it. There is a hookah at the estate.”
“I wanna try new things with you, not just when I’m alone at the estate,” Lumi replies with a playful glimmer in his eye. “I remember that, in my tribe, our elders would smoke these pipes they filled with herbs from the jungle. I remember liking the smell, but they said it would be too potent for my young mind at the time,” he whispers conspiratorially.
Khimi chuckles at the affectation. “Sadly, I can’t speak to what herbs those were to be any help there. This is typically smoked with tobacco,” he explains, pointing out the intricate hookahs on each table. The one in front of them is more stout than the others, gilded with silver painted poppies, until it tapers up to a small metal vessel with unlit coals atop the metal lid.
Excitement grows across Lumi’s face. “I want to experience everything Rhaz has to offer!” he exclaims and reaches for the hookah.
The room attendant is a young man with canine ears; he approaches their table, but when he notices Lumi, Khimi catches the shock that briefly crosses his face. It passes by the time he directs his gaze back to Khimi and addresses them aloud. He opens a box of tobacco shisha in different flavors and runs through a prepared speech. Lumi remains unaware of the tension directed at him from the canis[1]. The attendant deposits the box and bows to them, before returning to his spot on the wall. Khimi waits and watches fondly as Lumi carefully selects a sachet of tobacco with dried grapes mixed in. He yoinks it from Lumi’s open palm, who giggles, and he begins to prepare it with the hookah.
“I don’t know if you have noticed, It seems you’ve drawn some attention,” whispers Khimi as he works. “I think it’s important I tell you, Lumi: aslan are rarely received well in most cities.”
Lumi frowns, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Why is that?”
Khimi chooses his words carefully, before answering, “Since the aslan tend to keep to themselves, when outsiders butt up against the tribes, it often leads to chaos. When I’ve visited Dolmas there was always talk of ransacked caravans and aslan sightings, as if they’re something to fear. Struck me as small-minded at the time.” He finishes preparing the hookah and lights the coals with a small flame magicked in his hand. Taking the wooden pipe between his teeth, he inhales measuredly before he exhales in a thick cloud of smoke.
Lumi sniffs at the aroma absentmindedly as it swirls around them. “Yeah. Small-minded. Growing up we got told that the cities wanted to force us into giving up our way of life,” he says. “I think I didn’t understand what they meant until I was really surrounded by it, living in the temple. I think I understand now.” His eyes track Khimi as he expertly handles the pipe, taking long drags and releasing the wispy smoke into the air. “If I kept my ears covered, maybe we could avoid some of the attention.” Lumi mutters, with a searching, flitting glance at Khimi’s eyes.
Khimi scoffs at the notion, hoping it might be reassuring. “It doesn’t matter. No one will bother you,” he coughs firmly.
A twinkle appears in Lumi’s eyes before he raises the question, “Because you’ll be my protector, Khimi?”
“Exactly,” Khimi grins back at him, his teeth clicking against the wooden pipe.
With a self-satisfied hum, Lumi reaches for the pipe at Khimi’s lips and takes his own hefty pull; the coals glow brightly as its smoke fills his lungs. Before long, he reaches a limit he didn’t know he had, and he chokes and coughs unexpectedly. He turns to Khimi with watery eyes. “I made a mistake.”
Khimi raises an eyebrow. “Was the mistake smoking the hookah? Or you mean something else. Leaving the temple with me?” He does his best to keep his tone light. He takes back the pipe gingerly from Lumi’s hand for another drag.
Lumi watches him again, his eyes roaming more than before. “I meant the hookah. But I get worried it’s both. I could’ve come and gone from the temple a few times. That way, we might’ve had time to adjust. I didn’t know how others felt about aslan,” he whispers, “and I don’t want to bring all this attention to you.” With a loud groan, he falls back with a thud into the cushions against the wall and slumps into their seat.
Khimi’s expression softens as he looks down at Lumi. “You’re not upset with me, are you?” His hand runs comfortingly through Lumi’s hair. “Are you… curling up?”
Lumi sighs. “I feel sort of exposed,” he begins, glancing up at Khimi.
“I think you’re being dramatic,” Khimi cuts in, his hand stilling in Lumi’s hair. “Most people in Rhaz are not so judgmental. There may be those who think they are better than beastkin, but then there are others who treat them as equals.”
Lumi pouts up at him. “But—”
“I understand you feel that aslan are disliked more than other tribes,” Khimi interrupts again. “No one knows the aslan; they are a rarity and an enigma. You can show Rhaz how aslan really are.”
With the hand still in Lumi’s hair, Khimi brushes against Lumi’s delicate ears. He leans in closer and presses his lips gently to Lumi’s forehead. Khimi catches the blush that rises to his cheeks.
“No one will bother you,” Khimi whispers gruffly before placing another soft kiss on Lumi’s brow. “So, you can stop worrying.”
Lumi’s face lights up with gratitude. “The goddess who spoke to me, she said I would meet someone in the temple, someone who would change my life.” He pulls himself up from the cushions and curls his knees to his chest, looking into Khimi’s eyes with unwavering determination. “From the moment we met, I knew there would be challenges ahead, but I also knew that person was you.”
Khimi looks about the room. “I am happy to hear it, so long as you keep those conversations to yourself,” Khimi whispers. He leans forward again to the hookah. “Also, when you pull your legs up like that, everyone can see up your tunic,” he adds with a devilish grin.
Lumi blushes, groans and straightens his legs in quick succession. “Guess I need to get used to proper manners and all that as well.” His fingertips pull the hem further down his legs. The fabric stretches down toward his knees, then recoils back up his thigh the moment he releases it.
Khimi’s grin eases into a gentle smile. “How about a drink?” he asks, watching Lumi’s fidgeting.
“I’ll take a drink,” Lumi replies with a sigh. “I just feel so out of place here, Khimi, I’ve never lived around so many people and things before. I miss Nina. I think I miss the temple, too.”
Khimi says and signals to the canis. “It is going to take some time, Lumi, before you adjust to life like this. Drink some ouzo and relax a bit,” Khimi says and signals to the canis attendant. “The more time you spend in any place, the easier it becomes. I swear it. I’ve lived across the Desert Cities, and it is always hard to make somewhere new into a home.”
After a short wait, a platter is placed at the center of the table: the star of the tray is an arrangement of grilled fish, caught fresh from the nearby inlet and perfectly crisped. The flesh glistens between a golden crust, seasoned with a blend of paprika, sumac, and a hint of garlic. Khimi eats the bulk of it; Lumi picks at his portion, mulling over the intense flavors, while he stuffs his mouth with the fluffy, warm flatbread. Ouzo flows freely between them, Lumi’s playfulness enlivening their drunken haze.
Eventually, they finish and depart from the tavern. As the pair makes their way through staircase down to the building’s first floor, Khimi notices the many eyes fixed on them—merchants he recognizes staring with their mouths agape. Lumi giggles as he leans into Khimi’s side. Making their way to the street, Khimi grips Lumi’s arms tight and starts in the direction of home. At points, they pause due to Lumi’s drunk stumbling. He only had a few drinks… he couldn’t have gotten this drunk, Khimi thinks to himself.
Khimi watches as Lumi’s eyes flutter open and closed. “Lumi, do you want to eat something or get some sweets?” he asks with concern. “You need something in your stomach.”
Lumi hiccups and slurs out, “N-no. Carry me.” He presses his forehead against Khimi’s chest. “Or you can put something else in me,” his words trailing off as he peeks back up at Khimi.
Khimi snorts at Lumi’s comment but relents: he bends down and places his arms beneath Lumi’s chiton, where his hands cup Lumi’s bottom, before he lifts him to sit against his body. As they continue down the streets, Lumi alternates between kisses and bites’s to the crook of Khimi’s shoulder, until drool drips down his skin.
Khimi looks up at the Sisters as they begin their rise above the city walls. The ever-burning lanterns add warmth to the milky moonslight along their path through the city. He remembers his first time in Rhaz, how nervous he had been, and the story Aleyna told him about the efreet who helped keep the city alight with magick. Maybe I have not done enough to help him acclimate here.
Gently squeezing Lumi, Khimi asks, “Want to hear a story?”
Lumi grumbles in response, but murmurs into Khimi’s shoulder, “Sho-sure.”
“It is said the Desert Cities were once a land with naught but wandering tribes,” Khimi whispers. “Things persisted this way until the rise of a tyrannical efreet queen. She enslaved many of these tribes and bade them do her bidding by force. However, the efreet’s brother, Revya, fell in love with one of his sister’s enslaved handmaidens, a beautiful woman with fiery eyes. Revya pleaded and begged for his love to be released from bondage by his sister. The queen refused her brother. She turned her back on Revya and continued her rule over the tribes of the Desert Cities. They say great and marvelous structures were built by the enslaved tribesmen under the efreet queen’s reign, that now all lie beneath the shifting sands.”
Lumi’s eyes flutter while he tries to keep awake, but he nods sleepily and Khimi continues,“In order to free his love, Revya challenged the queen to a duel. The bout was held deep in the desert, at one of the efreet queen’s many palaces. It was a terrible display of force between the siblings. When the ashes and embers finally settled, Revya was the winner, and so the queen returned to the ether as elemental beings are wont to do. Revya married his love and they began their rule by cultivating relationships between the tribes of slaves, and after many years his efforts bore fruit. The Desert Cities blossomed with freedom and Revya’s capitol city of Rhaz was their jewel. It was called the ‘Ruby of the Desert’, because these lamps along the street,” Khimi says and nods at the lamps, “are said to be lit by remnants of the magick he left behind and they continue to—are you awake, Lumi?” he grumbles as he cuts himself off.
“M’awake. Pretty story.”
Lumi breathes heavily, settling back into Khimi’s chest. Hells, I hope he’s alright. I really don’t remember him drinking that much. He tightens his grip on Lumi’s thighs and pulls him closer, trying to steady him. Lumi is restless in his hands, rocking back and forth against Khimi’s body.
“You don’t haf’ta carry me like a baby,” Lumi slurs into Khimi’s shoulder.
Khimi rolls his eyes. “I am not sure how we would make it home otherwise,” he retorts as Lumi drapes an arm over his shoulder. “You’re drunk, Lumi.”
Khimi continues down the uneven cobbles, watching his step around Lumi’s bottom. Addled from the ouzo himself, he eventually stumbles over the rough stones; he reflexively adjusts his hold on Lumi in the fall and his hands ride higher up under Lumi’s chiton. His cheeks redden when he feels the skin of Lumi’s soft inner thighs. Immediately his thoughts cloud with obscenities as he rubs Lumi’s thighs over and over, wanting him to wake but feeling embarrassed. When Lumi does stir from his drunken stupor once more, his eyes flutter open and closed while he peels his mouth off Khimi’s shoulder with a grin.
“M-my lord—” Lumi hiccups, his face flush with color, “—Lord Zeybek, are you horny?” he asks, letting out a dazed chuckle.
Khimi bites his lip, struggling to respond. “You’re making it hard to—”
“H-hard?” Lumi yelps, pressing the crown of his skull into Khimi’s muscular chest. With one arm still draped around Khimi’s neck, his free hand snakes beneath Khimi’s shirt.
“I was going to say,” Khimi starts, struggling to continue his prior train of thought while he feels Lumi’s fingertips push past his waist sash and reach into his sarouel. The fingers scratch the patch of hair down Khimi’s abdomen, and they stroke against the root of his hardening length. “Fuck.”
Desperate for privacy, Khimi lifts Lumi until their faces are at the same height, then draws them both into a darkened alleyway. I can’t walk around Rhaz like this, he thinks to himself. Lumi grumbles and reattempts to grope him, despite his arm not being long enough to reach. He stops walking and checks their surroundings, all the while Lumi kisses his neck and his tail flicks impatiently between Khimi’s fingers.
“Not the most appropriate place for this,” Khimi whispers into Lumi’s ear. “But if it’s what you want…”
Lumi smiles mischievously and nips his shoulder muscle. “I want it,” he slurs back. He mock-slaps Khimi’s arm, demanding to be released from the embrace.
Khimi smirks, still holding onto him tightly. His fingers stroke the skin there, nearing closer to the entrance between Lumi’s legs, which tremble with anticipation. “It seems like you don’t want me to let go,” he whispers huskily into Lumi’s ear.
“You tease,” Lumi snaps back.
“I’m a tease?” Khimi sneers, bringing his hand to his lips and spitting into the cupped palm. Without hesitation, he returns, smearing his warm saliva between Lumi’s asscheek. Both his middle and ring finger rub insistently, feeling the desperation in Lumi’s clenching. “Seems like you’re the one teasing.”
Lumi growls. “I want—”
Before he can finish his sentence, Khimi seats the fingers all the way inside; Lumi curses under his breath and presses his forehead against Khimi. Khimi wastes no time in thrusting them inside Lumi’s hole, gliding in and out with short, quick bursts. Hells, he’s so warm. The softness envelopes his digits and greedily sucks them deeper inside. Lumi leans back into the wall and brings one leg up over Khimi’s shoulder. The change in balance, along with Khimi’s thrusts, shift him slightly out of Khimi’s hold and to the floor. His bare foot hits the cobbles beneath them as he struggles to maintain balance while being pleasured.
“I want your cock,” Lumi stutters, his lusty eyes shaking with drunkenness. Swaying back and forth in his intoxication, he reaches a hand down to grab Khimi’s wrist and draws the fingers out from inside him. Khimi helps him bring his outstretched leg down to meet the other on the floor.
Lumi stands before Khimi, drunkenly pressing his lips down incrementally to the muscular chest. His hand tugs against Khimi’s wrap shirt, which loosens the tie closure and bares his chest. Lumi’s tongue laps against his exposed pecs while he gradually sinks to a squat before him. Khimi can see where an eager, pink arousal reveals itself beneath Lumi’s short chiton as the fabric adjusts to his seated posture. It twitches and leaks precum, such that a thin line of the pearlescent fluid drips down from it onto the sandstone cobbles.
Khimi eyes Lumi with a lusty eagerness. “You look hungry…” he whispers. The knot on his waist sash cannot loosen any quicker between his fingers.
“Starving,” Lumi moans, patient before him. That rough tongue brushes across his soft lips in anticipation.
“Might give you something to sate your hunger,” Khimi whispers, casting a nervous glance to either exit of the alley.
Against the fabric of his linen sarouel, Khimi’s length throbs, rising to meet Lumi. With a low purr, Lumi nuzzles his cheek against the outline of Khimi’s cock through the linen, which earns a groan of pleasure from deep in his chest. Hands slide along the front of the sarouel, exploring the hardness beneath the cloth. Lumi kisses and licks at the visible bulge, pulsing with Khimi’s desire. His fingertips slide along the top of Khimi’s trousers, carefully edging the fabric down. Giddy with excitement, Lumi beams as Khimi’s cock leaps upward from the fabric. The heavy length nods between them, and Lumi pushes his lips against the throbbing vein along the underside.
Khimi’s cock is as thick and long as it had ever been, responsive to the slightest stimuli: it bobs and twitches eagerly when Lumi traces his fingers along the wide head and rubs back the foreskin. Lumi’s drunkenness shows in his cheeks and in the wide grin he sends up at Khimi, before he grips the base of the cock and taps its swollen head against his lips. Khimi moans thickly. The feeling—the heat of Lumi’s mouth—is unlike any other sensation: the coarseness of his tongue running along his cock, the nip of his sharp incisors peeking past his lips, and the lust-filled eyes staring up at him. He is loath to let anything get in the way of this moment for them.
“Khi-Khimi,” Lumi purrs. In between long licks, he asks, “Do you… wear loose trousers… because… your cock is so big?” He finishes his question by flicking his tongue fast over the swollen head of Khimi’s member before he takes it back into his mouth.
Chuckling and groaning at the same time, Khimi watches Lumi eagerly savoring his size, before he responds, “No. I wear loose trousers, because I…” Before he can stop it, full laughter bubbles up from within him. He strokes Lumi’s flushed cheek, heat radiating off it from the alcohol, and continues, “Well, perhaps you have a point. I value a kind of comfort when I am not representing the C-Cerulean Star.” He stumbles while explaining, as Lumi’s skilled lips continue to work along his shaft. “If I weren’t so big, maybe I wouldn’t mind as much.” A shiver runs through him as Lumi’s rough tongue follows the contours of his length just so, with each swipe bringing intense pleasure. He sucks his teeth. “Just like that,” he instructs as Lumi’s sharp fangs move past the broad head.
Lumi works the swollen, sticky head into his mouth, his tongue flexing as it follows the flared edge. The sensation makes Khimi’s knees weak. He notices how Lumi savors his taste and smell before every time he bobs down, where he will swallow as much of Khimi’s length in one go. He follows with massaging pulses from his tongue, each swipe having Khimi experiencing a wave of pleasure.
Lusty sounds echo through the alley while Lumi drags his lips back and forth over Khimi’s member. “Dunno how I fit it in my mouth before,” Lumi says after he pulls back, the head dragging from his mouth with a wet pop. His gaze lingers on Khimi’s impressive size with admiration before adding, “I keep wondering how it’ll feel inside me.” When he looks back up to meet Khimi’s eyes, Lumi’s own are glazed over with lust.
Khimi lets out a playful snort and responds, “You can’t talk like that, Lumi.” He moves one hand to the base of his shaft so that he can drag the head across Lumi’s flushed cheek. He keeps his eyes locked on Lumi, who moves his face to taste Khimi’s cock again with a playful swipe.
“Think it’ll fit in my ass?” Lumi whispers in a seductive tone, then takes the tip back into his mouth.
Sweat beads on Khimi’s forehead, the sensation coursing through him. “W-we can make it fit,” he pants. He tangles a sweaty hand into Lumi’s hair, twisting up a thick handful, while he begins to rock his hips to meet Lumi’s willing mouth. Lumi gags and moans around Khimi’s cock as his eager thrusts bring it deeper and deeper into Lumi’s throat. Lumi breathes heavily through his nose. The moans build into a purr while Lumi relaxes his throat, allowing more of Khimi’s length to slip deeper, curving down his moist throat. Wet streaks line Lumi’s cheeks as he looks up at Khimi, who can see a puddle glistening underneath his now flaccid dick. His tufted tail smacks shakily between the cobblestone and the wall behind him. He came from sucking me? The thought sends a thrill through Khimi.
Lumi gingerly pulls back his head and Khimi relaxes his grip in his hair; they both catch their breath for a moment. “Sorry we haven’t been together yet,” he says, looking bashful, coughing a little. “I didn’t expect to stay saying vespers everyday until dawn.”
“We have all the time we need,” Khimi whispers, his fingers tightening in Lumi’s hair as reassurance. When he feels Lumi’s fingers playfully jostle his heavy sack, he cannot help but groan with pleasure. Khimi leans his head back and allows Lumi to continue his ministrations.
Even without seeing, he can feel clearly as Lumi slides his tongue down the length to reach and lave at the balls in his hand. Khimi lets out a sharp gasp when Lumi draws one fully past his lips, then swirls his tongue around the orb. He cannot resist looking down to catch the sight, at which point he sees how Lumi rested his cock along the length of his face, with his eyes closed in satisfaction. There is a certain absurdity when you look at it like this. Is it possible that it won’t fit, mechanically? He feels dizzy in the heady train of thought, watching a string of his own precum drip between his slit and Lumi’s hairline.
Releasing the suction on his balls, Lumi swishes his tongue up the breadth of Khimi’s cock. He moves his hand up from Khimi’s thigh to grasp its base, allowing him to stroke in a staccato rhythm.
Khimi covers his mouth and groans into his hand, attempting to mask his pleasure. He feels himself start to tip over the edge; he wonders if Lumi can also sense it, as his strokes grow impatient and frantic. The electricity builds with every swipe of his foreskin over the swollen tip. He meets the pleading look in Lumi’s eyes and Khimi cannot stop from giving him the reward for all his hard work. With his steeled hold in the thick blond hair, he shoves the length unrelentingly into Lumi’s stretched mouth. His balls draw tight, his legs flex, and his cock pumps thick shots into the heat of the throat. His ears are ringing, but he can still hear Lumi moan around him. Khimi throws back his head and groans, “Holy hells.” His teeth clench to stop the roar sitting in his chest from spilling out. Affectionately, he thumbs over Lumi’s rounded ear and the top of his head.
With shaky exhales, he fights the urge to shove his cock to the hilt against Lumi’s lips. I might hurt him, he thinks. When he finally looks down at Lumi, he sees the squinting frustration plain across his face while he attempts to get more of Khimi’s cock down his throat, his sharp nails digging into Khimi’s buttocks. Something comes over him, then. Without a warning, Khimi begins to thrust his hips progressively until Lumi’s lips are flat against his groin. If that’s what he wants, who am I to deny him, he thinks, a snarl of pleasure leaving his lips. A slurry of cum and saliva drips from the edges of Lumi’s mouth, his tail slaps audibly against the sandstone floor, and his brows furrow with renewed determination. After some moments, he releases his grip and Lumi pulls back out of necessity. Breathing deeply, Lumi glances up with a tear-filled sadness in his eyes.
“I-it’s too much,” Lumi pouts. He pops the tip of Khimi’s cock from between his lips. “I can barely fit it all,” he adds with a hint of dejection. “It hurts my throat.”
Khimi chuckles, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “One day, you’ll figure it out,” he teases, ruffling Lumi’s hair and hiding the sticky mess of precum. “Shall we go home?” he suggests, beginning to pull up his trousers.
“Le-lemme clean you first,” Lumi chirps eagerly, resuming his task of licking every inch of Khimi’s softening cock.
Khimi looks up and down the alley. “Fine, finish up,” he agrees, trying to hide the panic rising within him about being caught in such a public place. He watches Lumi work diligently and then glances around again, realizing their tryst may have lasted longer than expected.
“Ok-okay,” Lumi responds with a flick of his coarse tongue beneath Khimi’s foreskin. “You smell so good,” he whispers before he presses his face against Khimi’s waist and rolls his cheek into the dark hair, leaving kiss after kiss.
“Lumi,” Khimi murmurs gratefully, running his fingers through Lumi’s hair and gently petting his ears. “Thanks.”
Lumi looks up with a confused expression. “For what?”
“Everything.”
Lumi chuckles and shakes his head. “Everything? That’s a lot,” he jokes.
“It’s nothing,” Khimi mutters to himself. “Believing in us.” —Why did I say that?
Lumi stares at Khimi and shifts on his knees, tugging at the edges of his tunic in an attempt to cover himself. “Of course I believe in us,” he insists. “You should too!” The tunic quickly slides back up his thighs.
Khimi nervously rolls up his trousers. “I am… slow to trust,” he confesses, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I will always b-believe in us,” Lumi stammers, his eyes shining with sincerity.
Khimi fiddles anxiously with the scar on his cheek. “I-I do too,” he responds, sounding unsure of himself.
“Carry me,” Lumi replies loudly. He closes his eyes and pushes himself against Khimi, inhaling deep with Khimi’s scent.
Khimi gives a small nod, relieved not to be questioned for his uncertainty. “Alright, come on, then,” he murmurs, tightening the waist sash around his trousers. He bends down, gripping firmly behind Lumi’s knees and pulling him up against his body, feeling Lumi’s legs wrap slowly around him. Leaning close, he whispers into Lumi’s ear, “Were you marking me… when you rubbed your face against me?”
“Mahbee,” Lumi replies coyly, nuzzling his lips against Khimi’s neck. “Y-you’re mine,” he asserts possessively before breaking into a fit of giggles.
“You’re drunk,” Khimi laughs along with him, enjoying the feeling of Lumi’s suckling on his neck. He tightens his grip on Lumi and continues walking through the streets, feeling grateful for their exchange.
Khimi continues walking through the darkened streets, listening to Lumi’s soft snores. Getting close now. Wonder if I should wake him and have him walk from here, he wonders to himself. He pauses outside the gatehouse. He stands holding Lumi in his arms while in the shadow of the large building. A sense of embarrassment washes over him as he imagines what those who serve him might think if they saw him carrying Lumi like this. But ultimately, he cannot let his authority be questioned, and so he gathers his courage and continues forward. As they approach the gatehouse, Khimi is acutely aware of the guards’ disdainful stares. He feels a sense of powerlessness at their judgment, never having been in such a situation before. It had never crossed his mind that choosing a partner would draw such criticism.
Khimi approaches the separated living quarters, he fumbles for the key through his linen shirt. After some struggle, he manages to unlock the ornately decorated door and enter into the spacious quarters. The candles are still lit, burning low into their wicks from earlier in the day
Khimi carries Lumi over to the large canopy bed, placing him gently onto the silken sheets. The room is quiet, save for the faint sound of running water from the nearby bath. He sits on the edge of the bed, running his hands through Lumi’s blond hair and tracing his thumb over the scars along the bridge of his nose. “You’re certainly a hard sleeper,” he murmurs as Lumi stirs, eyes squinting at him before rolling onto his stomach. Khimi’s cheeks warm, catching sight of Lumi’s chiton stretched just below his hips. His gaze lingers, watching Lumi’s tail sway in sync with his breathing.
Without thinking, Khimi reaches for the coarse hair at the tip of Lumi’s tail, tracing it slowly down to its base, just above his hips. His hand drifts beneath the fabric to rest on Lumi’s soft skin, causing Lumi to let out a soft groan, turning his head to the side. I should let him sleep…
Khimi thinks back on their arrival in Rhaz, the first time his fingers had entered Lumi. He wants to feel the same sensation again, to feel Lumi’s inner warmth. His fingers press between Lumi’s rear, edging down to the soft pink skin around Lumi’s entrance, the warmth emitting from within is inviting. His fingers move in a gentle circular motion around the soft edges and feel the oil between Lumi’s cheeks, the same feeling when his fingers pushed inside of him earlier. I forgot he prepared himself. Khimi chuckles to himself, pushing the tip of his middle finger into him. a voice echoes loudly in his mind, startling him.
“Are you taking care of my son? I was told by the acolytes he missed this evening’s vespers,” a familiar voice says.
The voice is familiar but seemingly worried. It is reminiscent of Nina’s voice but seems to echo through the room. Khimi stands, drawing a scimitar from beside the bed. He circles the room, peering through each nook and cranny in turn. He approaches the door, unlocking the room and taking a quick peek through the front door.
“If someone is here, reveal yourself,” Khimi whispers while he circles the area before crouching with his scimitar at the ready.
“I know I heard you, Nina… I know not where you are, Nina… I don’t appreciate your spying,” Khimi whispers, taking an aggressive stance towards an unseen voice.
Nina replies, clicking her tongue audibly. “‘Tis but a spell, child, calm yourself. I can only speak with you in this method. Lumi… is he well?”
“Spell…?” Khimi begins in a whisper, he lowers his weapon and presses his free hand towards his forehead. “Lumi is fine, Saint Nina. You needn’t worry about him, I assure you he is in good hands. Shall I send your regards?” he asks in a somewhat frustrated tone.
She replies in a tender and soft voice, “I request that Lumi not know I was checking up. Take care of him, Khimi,”
Khimi leans back against the bed, placing the scimitar back in its place. Hells, that woman has the worst timing. He grabs a small blanket, tossing it over Lumi before blowing out the few remaining candles in the room. He stops near a large side table, pouring a glass of water from a beautiful hand-blown carafe, and places it on a small table near Lumi. Returning to his side of the bed, he blows out the last candle along the side table. The moonslight shines hauntingly through the blue stained windows, shimmering lights scatter across the floor. He sits at the edge of the bed and removes his sandals. His fingers hastily unbutton his shirt while he looks down at Lumi and notices him shift onto his side, facing towards the edge of the bed. Khimi finishes removing his shirt, and stands to remove his sarouel. He lays back on the bed, moving beside Lumi. Shame we didn’t get to spend the night together, he thinks, dragging Lumi closer towards him; his uneven, drunken breathing against him.
“Goodnight,” Khimi rustles against the back of Lumi’s head and closes his eyes, waiting for sleep to take him.
Unable to sleep, he rolls onto his back. There are so many things he still wants to do. He had felt guilty over the last few days. There were only a couple of hours at most each day he would see Lumi, and each time, he would find himself denying Lumi’s affections. It is not because he did not want to engage with him, but because he had his reservations. Only this morning, when he awoke, did he really begin to think about their relationship. He wants to believe that everything that Lumi spoke was true, that there is such a thing as fated souls.
Frustrated, he reaches out to Lumi and grasps his tail, stroking the coarse fur. He had bought Lumi gifts which he had every intention of gifting upon their arrival in Rhaz, yet he had been fearful that these feelings were nothing more than whims. He releases Lumi’s tail, then slides to the edge of the bed. The jet-black box sitting under the bed contains two golden arm bands and a golden tail ring embedded with a vibrant sapphire. Khimi had a goldsmith create the pieces especially for Lumi. He pulls the box from beneath the bed, feeling the weighty golden bands. They were similar in design to ones that he would often wear, but with slight differences.
Lumi’s leg kicks against the blanket, whimpering in his sleep.
“Lumi?” Khimi mutters quietly.
Lumi groans again, his head shifting from side to side.
Khimi reaches out towards him, stopping just as his fingertips brush against Lumi’s bare shoulder. He knows he felt it too, the feeling that Lumi expressed to Saint Nina. Yet there is still that fear inside of him that these feelings he had were nothing more than lust. He cannot help but wonder what the other merchants in Rhaz thought after seeing them together. He knows all too well the speed in which the rumor mill runs throughout the Desert Cities. Other merchants would likely assume Lumi is just some sort of fascination for him. In the worst case, they would believe that his interests were specifically in youthful beastkin. Khimi rolls his eyes at the thought.
Lumi groans and shifts onto his side, facing Khimi with his aetherial eyes open and catching the moonslight. “K-Khimi?” he mumbles drowsily.
“Go back to sleep,” Khimi says gently, running his fingers through Lumi’s hair in a soothing gesture. “You need your rest. “Lumi yawns and closes his eyes. “Alright,” he replies groggily.
Khimi closes his eyes. With a sigh, his thoughts and concerns are pushed from his mind while he combs his fingers through the sleeping lion’s hair.
[1] Canis(KAY-niss): Beastkin with the traits of dogs.