Redamancy

by T D Cloud

  She just held out another apple wedge and didn’t stop staring at him until he took it. It finished off the apple entirely, and she wiped her hands on her apron front, crossing her arms as she leaned back in the chair. “You’ve gathered by now that I’m not married. My kids didn’t come from me.” Mastha waited for him to nod before continuing. “I don’t know how Drow go about things but up here? Up here most people don’t like it much if you’re my age and not married. My parents included.”

  Khouri ate his apple and kept quiet. He wasn’t sure why she wasn’t married. She was comely enough and very kind under her brisk exterior. If Khouri could fall for someone like Sorin, he couldn’t imagine anyone else faring better against Mastha.

  “Sorin doesn’t get hounded on as much these days, but that’s only because he’s earning a living and good at what he does.

  Dad doesn’t like what he’s doing, but it’s hard for him to complain when Sorin sends money home.” Mastha snorted a bit, picking her peeler back up to peel her apples a little too aggressively. “Me though? I’m just living here, taking in kids and making do on my own. I work hard, but they don’t think it’s proper.”

  “What does it matter if it’s proper?” Khouri would have been lucky to have been taken in by someone like Mastha. He would have given anything to have had a life like this back then.

  “My thoughts exactly,” she said, giving him a rueful smile. “I’ve never wanted a husband or a wife; I’ve never wanted a relationship. I’m not lonely when I’ve got my kids. My life is just as full now as Neana’s, and I know Sorin sees that. Can’t tell you the number of times he’s backed me up when Mom or Dad brought it up, looking to set me up with someone who ‘didn’t mind the baggage’ I saddled myself with.”

  She put her peeled apple in the bowl, giving Khouri a searching look. “He’s always supported me. He’s trusted I know best when it comes to my own happiness. So, if he loves you… If he loves you enough to get serious with you, then the least I can do is support him back. And, y’know...” She glanced up and smiled at Khouri. “I can support you too.”

  Khouri stared at the wood grain of the table, his hands clenched on his bare legs. Mastha had given him more clothes for the day’s work; old things, she had said. Things Khouri knew she probably kept for her kids to wear once they outgrew their current things. Bloomers and a soft, faded shirt of sky blue. She didn’t have much, but she gave him this. She kept giving him more besides.

  Because… that’s what mothers did, he figured. The good ones, at least. Good mothers and sisters and family that cared.

  For some reason, he felt like crying. He swallowed the urge, covering it with a watery smile. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I want to support him too.”

  “Then I know he’s found someone worth their salt,” she said, scooting back her chair so she could stand up. As she spoke, she moved back to the stove to stir her pot. “Whether or not you can put up with his dumbassery has yet to be seen, but you seem up to the task. I’ve got faith you’ll pull through.”

  “Well, I know all about that side of him,” Khouri blustered, standing up too to join her by the stove. He stood on his toes and peered into the pot, suffering Mastha’s sigh easily in the wake of the wonderful scent filling his nose. It was a stew this time, something rich and earthy. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Yeah, nib-nose, you can get outta my kitchen before I smack you for sneaking tastes,” she chuckled, hip-bumping him out of range of the serving spoon.

  He pouted, even though he knew well enough it wouldn’t get him an inch with her. “Oh, come on,” he whined, prompting her to give him that put upon look she wore so fondly. “Let me do something.”

  “You really wanna do something?”

  Khouri nodded, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet. He felt like he had to do something now instead of bogging down the kitchen with his private life. And hey, if it got him closer to stealing a taste here and there, then who was he to complain? It was just a shame Mastha seemed to see through him so easily. She propped her hand on his hip and sat down the spoon, taking him by the shoulder and, to his surprise, guided him out of the kitchen entirely.

  “Why don’t you go keep Sorin company?” she proposed, grinning like a demon.

  Digging his heels in wouldn’t do him any good, so Khouri was helpless to her whims. “But don’t you need help?”

  He let Mastha push him out the door. When it came down to it, she was stronger than him and definitely more insistent. “Go, go,” she said, standing at the threshold as if to make sure he wouldn’t try to run back inside when she wasn’t looking. “Nothing I’m doing now requires a taste-tester. He’s out back somewhere, probably in the woods. I told him to cut enough wood to last us through winter, so I doubt he’s even close to finishing up. You can go help him.”

  The look she gave him told him she wasn’t anticipating him helping much. Her smirk said it well enough, her content stance the rest. Khouri blushed messily and nodded his head. It was easier to go along with it than argue.

  “Well, then get,” she shooed, flicking her fingers at him. “Dinner will be in a few hours. Don’t make me send Heddi out to bring you back again.”

  “I’ll make sure we aren’t late this time,” he promised, watching her smile and walk back inside. The door closed behind her back, leaving Khouri alone on the doorstep. His stomach fluttered with duskmoths. He kneaded his eyes with his hands, walking down the steps and around the house to begin his search for Sorin. He had a feeling Sorin wouldn’t appreciate all the confining he’d just done in his sister. Khouri didn’t have siblings, but from watching the two of them, he figured they didn’t tend to appreciate that kind of secret sharing.

  Oh well. If Sorin didn’t want him talking about it, he shouldn’t have confessed so suddenly and left him such a mess.

  Khouri smacked himself on the cheeks a few times, letting the sting clear his head for the moment. He stared into the trees and listened, hearing the faint, far-off sounds of an ax splitting wood. It was close by from the sound of it. He tilted his head and moved in the direction he figured it was coming from, twisting his hands in the length of his shirt at the thought of seeing Sorin again.

  Would Sorin be happy to see him? Would he smile at him like he did last night, all soft and open and warm? Khouri bit his lip as he considered it, feeling so clearly the weight of Sorin’s kiss, of his hands on his skin. It wasn’t something Khouri was used to, the tenderness. He and Navidae had their softer moments, usually in the aftermath of their play or in the sleepy, slow mornings after. But Sorin… The way he touched Khouri burned in a way that pain didn’t, that dominance couldn’t quite emulate. It was different. It was intoxicating.

  He wanted more.

  Khouri licked his lips and stopped walking when he caught sight of a flash of pale through the trees. The chopping was louder. Sorin was just up ahead. Something like excitement seized in his chest. Should he call out to him? Surprise him? There was something so fun about the idea of sneaking up on the hunter. Khouri held his breath and softened his footfalls, hiding behind trees as he crept closer to the clearing in which Sorin worked.

  The first thing to greet him was the sight of bare, sweaty skin. Khouri leaned against a tree and covered his mouth with a hand, stifling the soft, needy sound curled up in his throat.

  Sorin had ditched his shirt along the way, tossing aside the garment to spare it from his exertion. A pile of logs lay neatly chopped off to the side. A sizable amount of uncut ones were on the other side, waiting for his ax and attention.

  Khouri wanted his attention too. The thought came quickly, and Khouri couldn’t even blame himself for thinking it. Sorin was a handsome man, strong despite his supposed age and lovingly shaped by the work he did day in and day out. His broad shoulders hefted the ax easily, his powerful arms bringing it down as swiftly as any executioner. When he sat it down to stack the logs, his muscles rippled along his back.

  Khouri’s mouth
went dry. Sorin had been on his mind all day because of what he’d said last night. His body ached for more of it despite the strangeness, the newness of it all. And they were alone out here, weren’t they? Fantasies played out behind Khouri’s eyes, overlaying the scene before him.

  Did Sorin love him enough to indulge him like that? Gods, Khouri hoped so.

  “I can feel you watching me,” Sorin called out, startling Khouri so badly that he nearly jumped. The man shouldered the ax and turned around, scanning the tree line until he caught sight of Khouri. A smile tugged the corners of his lips. “Not very subtle, are you, brat? And here I thought you took my lessons to heart.”

  Scoffing, Khouri gave up his hiding place and came out into the open with his arms crossed and scowl in place. Inside, he was laughing. Sorin really was good at what he did to sense him staring. “I’m not hunting you, so why should I bother with stalking?” he asked, strolling up to appreciate the sight of Sorin half naked and sweaty up close. With the ax tossed over his shoulder and his hair bound and knotted, his handsomeness was nearly enough to make Khouri feel weak.

  “Because I’ll put you to work if you aren’t doing something productive with your time,” Sorin answered, lifting a brow when Khouri had to tear his eyes from his chest to acknowledge he’d heard. “What are you even doing this far from the house? I thought Mastha put you on more jam duty for the afternoon.”

  Khouri shrugged, his smile a lazy, warm thing. Gods, what he wouldn’t do to fall to his knees right now and take Sorin in his mouth. “I finished early,” he said simply, taking a step closer, the scent of Sorin’s exertion and musk lilting past on the breeze. No need to tell Sorin why he was really here or what he’d told his sister. “Some of us are actually good at the chores we’re given.”

  Sorin snorted and turned back towards his logs. “And she didn’t just throw you out of the kitchen after eating more jam than you made?” he guessed, stupidly perceptive as ever.

  Thankfully, he didn’t see Khouri glower, busy as he was lining up the next log to be split.

  “Of course not,” Khouri lied, sweating a little when Sorin hefted the ax and swung it downwards in an arc that did its job beautifully. The log split with a dull crack, two even halves falling to the grass below like clockwork. “I’m a great worker. Best helper she’s ever had. You can ask her yourself.”

  “Don’t think I won’t,” the man sighed, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He had his back to Khouri fully now, assessing the work he had left to do with an intensity that Khouri craved. Whether from the sudden privacy this setting allowed or the memory of the night before echoing in the subtle aches of his body, Khouri felt the pervasive heat of want urging him to act.

  Sorin gave a surprised grunt when Khouri did just that. He twisted his torso and stumbled a step, looking down at Khouri latched tightly around his waist. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he sighed, carefully holding the ax to the side to avoid accidentally lopping off Khouri’s ears.

  “I want you so much, Sorin,” Khouri whispered, speaking his words in between little bursts of his tongue against the man’s skin. His hands roved, his thighs brushing Sorin’s until there wasn’t an inch between them. “Gods, I want you inside me. You’re so strong; you could fuck me against a tree, couldn’t you? You could drive into me until I can’t walk back on my own.”

  Sorin let out a hiss of breath between his teeth. The ax slipped from his hand, hitting the grass at his side with a dull thud. “Khouri, goddammit,” he muttered, taking Khouri by the hips in hands that held on tight. “We fucked last night. You can’t be this desperate already.”

  The fact that Sorin even said that meant he had no idea how good he looked like this. He certainly didn’t seem to know what he did to Khouri at any rate, and Khouri pouted up at him, whining deep in his throat for the attention he needed like air. “I want you,” he said, pressing every inch of himself against Sorin’s firm body. “You’re so sexy, Sorin. Let me suck your dick if you don’t want to fuck me.” His mouth watered even just saying the words. “Just let me have you. Please.”

  And just like that, Sorin went stiff. He stared at Khouri incredulously before quickly turning his face away, muttering something under his breath that Khouri couldn’t quite hear but could guess was meant to chastise him. Khouri whined louder, rubbing himself against Sorin’s chest. Why was he being so withholding all of a sudden? Sure, Khouri was being a little more forward than usual, but Sorin had never tried to hide behind his hair before—

  “Oh, Gods, are you embarrassed?” Khouri whispered. He drew himself up as high as he could go while standing on his toes, peering at Sorin’s normally pale face. His cheeks were flushed in a way that they hadn’t been before, and he certainly no longer had the excuse of exertion to explain it away. Khouri laughed wildly, clutching Sorin’s shoulders to stay upright. “I embarrassed you!”

  “You are such a menace,” Sorin muttered, resting his hands on Khouri’s hips for want of something to do. “How else is a person supposed to react to being approached like this?”

  Khouri smiled at the man, resting his cheek over his heart. It was times like these that reminded Khouri just how good he had it. “You’re so handsome, Sorin,” he murmured, savoring the warmth while he could. “I’m glad I got to you first. If you’d found someone else, I’d have been forced to do something drastic to get you to fall for me instead.”

  Sorin shifted on his feet and ran his fingers through Khouri’s hair. “Well, that was never much of a worry, really,” he said, avoiding everything that might look at him. “Someone like me isn’t good for a relationship outside of business.”

  “But you found me,” Khouri breathed, going up on his toes to kiss Sorin’s stubbled cheek. “You found me and you love me and we’re going to have so much fun together just as soon as you pick me up and pin me against a tree.”

  The laugh that earned him returned the mood to something jovial and teasing. Sorin’s smile was crooked and charming, his eyes crinkled at the corners with laugh lines he had spent his life making far too infrequently. “Being cute won’t get you that far,” he said, kissing Khouri chastely.

  “Mmm, but it might,” he tried, loving the weight of Sorin’s hands on his body. “Why don’t we take a few minutes and see for sure before calling it a bust?”

  Another laugh. Sorin let go with one last squeeze to Khouri’s ass, but Khouri held on despite it. “I need to get back to work, brat,” he said, taking Khouri by the wrists to remove him fully. “We can mess around later. Maybe sneak out again if you’re really so desperate for more.”

  “I’m desperate right now,” Khouri complained, tugging at his wrists helplessly. Sorin didn’t even need to try to hold him in place. The thought alone made his blood burn hotter.

  “I think you’ll live.” Sorin took a step back and let go of Khouri, stooping down to pick up his ax once more.

  “You don’t know that,” Khouri muttered. He looked at the ground with a glare, pouting. “What if I die? What if my want is so strong that it literally kills me?”

  “Then I suppose I’ll get to have the bed all to myself for a change,” Sorin reasoned, finally recovering enough from his embarrassment to bully Khouri like he always did. The ax settled on his shoulder as he straightened up. The smile he shot Khouri was warm and loving, belying his teasing tone. “Might be nice to spread out without worrying I might crush you if I roll over.”

  Whatever look Khouri wore made Sorin laugh the moment he saw it. Khouri twisted his lips into a frown and crossed his arms. “I’ll push you out of the bed,” he threatened, wishing he was taller so he could glare at Sorin properly. “Don’t think I won’t. I’ll get the kids to help, and then you’ll regret being mean to me.”

  Rolling his eyes, Sorin closed the distance between them. He took Khouri’s chin in hand, lifting his face for a kiss that Khouri only resisted for a second. It was a soft kiss, gentle and loving despite the teasing. Khouri slowly relaxed in
to it, resting his hands on Sorin’s chest as his anger melted away in the wake of the warmth spreading through his body.

  “Don’t think I’m going to forgive you that easily,” Khouri whispered once the kiss broke. He pushed away from Sorin a few inches, his pout warring it out with a smile. He let out a soft huff when Sorin dragged him back against his chest for another too-short kiss.

  “Behave,” Sorin whispered against his lips, “and I’ll be sure to fuck you so hard you scream once I’m done with my work.”

  Khouri felt his face begin to burn, his knees trembling at the promise of it all. “You better,” he breathed, not resisting this time when Sorin let go. A smile curled his lips into a happy grin, his arms wrapping around his middle to hold in his excitement. “I’ll try to be patient.” He doubted he’d do a good job of it, but with the promise of that hanging over him, he’d do his best.

  “Good. Now, get going. You’re going to distract me if you hang around here, and I’m sure there’s plenty around for you to occupy yourself with,” Sorin grunted, heading back over to his chopping block. He lifted another thick log onto the block, readying his ax to split it. “Go find some of those mushrooms you like so much. Mastha’s always trying to find new things for the kids to eat that aren’t potatoes.”

  “Alright,” Khouri smiled, excited at the prospect. “I’ll see what I can find.”

  Sorin answered by bringing down the ax in one fluid swing, the neatly split logs falling from the block and into the pile at his feet. Khouri watched for a moment longer at the poetic movement of Sorin’s muscles just beneath his skin before tearing himself away. He picked a direction away from the house and entered the forest proper, warm from his toes to the tips of his ears. It would be hard to concentrate on foraging. He’d have to do his best to make the reward it earned him all the sweeter.

  The day was perfect for it. The sun was high above his head, and though the trees obscured the majority of the rays, it still allowed more than enough to filter through and keep him warm. Khouri set off in a random direction, eyes trained on the forest floor as he walked along in relative comfort. The mushrooms available this late in the season would probably be clustered towards the darker parts of the woods. Would the ocean and sandy dirt influence the kinds that grew around here? Khouri couldn’t pretend to know. It’d be a lot of fun satisfying his curiosity on the subject.