Admitting Defeat [D'hys]

A'liran Astoreth whispered. Why?

I can't take it, baby girl A'liran thought miserably. I can't just lay there. I can't. It's.... he said emphatically, wishing so badly that he could make her understand. She never would, though. She was a green dragon. She lived in natural acceptance of order, in a perpetual present, and without a concept of consequence. She flew, she tangled with her partner, she fell, and she forgot. She didn't understand A'liran's rage. She didn't understand why he provoked others to harm him when it would have been so much easier to give in. She didn't understand why the game was so serious to him.

He loved the game. He just hated losing it. He loved flying with Astoreth, but for some reason the ending sometimes soured him. Sometimes, he was willing to bend for his partners. He welcomed them. Sometimes, however, he lashed out at them in rage.  Astoreth was not sure why his reactions differed, but she did know that far too often, they hurt him.

His mates left him damaged and his wounded pride turned to shame and anger. While she didn't understand the reasons for his anger, she understood the concept of anger on it's own. She understood being angry at pain.

She hissed softly where she sat, eyes whirling red.  I do not understand she said gently, But I do not want you to hurt. I am sorry I let them hurt you. It was all her fault, after all. How could she let Aveleth catch her? How? How, when in the back of A'liran's mind, she could always find clues that it was wrong?

It's not your fault, baby girl A'liran assured her. He finally scraped himself up from the floor, body quivering and heart racing. It had taken a while to stifle his tears. He remembered the terror of those few moments, when his distraught dragon vanished between and he feared she had left him. He remembered her panic. Neither of them had been able to breathe, and the anger and hatred in the bluerider's eyes was so unforgettably vivid.

It's my fault. You're right,  I shouldn't have fucked with him he thought sourly. So often A'liran threw himself in harm's way from his own behavior. He knew his outbursts were what ultimately got him hurt so badly, but he had to do it. He had to fight back. Otherwise, he was just a whore. It wasn't in his nature to lie down and accept it, hoping for the best. He didn't expect Astoreth to understand that, though. The game was different for her. It didn't come with baggage.

You don't believe that Astoreth pointed out as she appeared in front of the bath halls. A'liran crept out, limping lightly and clothes torn. "Shush. Don't you fuss!" A'liran said as he made his way to her, rubbing her nose lovingly as she purred.

He kissed her snout and sighed. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her, trying to soothe her frayed nerves. Being strong for her often made him feel stronger himself, and in a delightful stroke of fate, she felt much the same way. The pair spent a few long minutes in quiet togetherness, absorbing one another's reassurance and trying to numb their pain.

"I don't want to go home," A'liran groaned as he climbed onto her neck. He couldn't stand the idea of going home and being alone. Astoreth understood. She knew what he wanted. This behavior often puzzled her, as it seemed to contradict his caustic feelings coming out of certain flights and similar confrontations, but that didn't mean she would question it. She didn't always understand her human, but she would always do whatever it took to make him happy.

A'liran needed to be with another human, and he needed to choose that human. Something about initiating contact seemed to make it okay. Normally he would simply prowl about until he found someone willing, but this time, someone in particular was on his mind. The green dragon vanished, reappearing in front of D'hys's hut only seconds later.

You are sure she said, not as a question but as a bemused statement. "For some sharding reason," A'liran grunted as he dismounted. He kissed the dragon's nose again before sulking up to the door, already rife with self-loathing. Astoreth vanished, returning to their home, but her watchful eyes rested behind his own. She would watch from afar, ready to come and rescue him if things went wrong. She didn't want to fail him again, but she sensed that despite his distinct sense of defeat and humiliation, this was what he wanted.

That was another thing she would never understand.

A'liran sighed and knocked. His eyes were still red and puffy and his throat was hoarse from his screams and tears. He bore the usual signs of a rough flight; bruises on his arms, nail marks, et cetera. This one was particularly bad, though. Both eyes were blacked, one quite deliberately, and he had a nasty hand print on his neck. He tried to stand with his head held high as he awaited an answer.

Sure, he was crawling to someone for comfort, but that didn't mean he wanted to look weak. At this rate, however, it was probably inevitable.

Zeianth was home when the greenpair arrived, given the late hour and having no desire to do late night mingling with his fellow dragons. So when Astoreth appeared by the hut, a pale blue head with a dark muzzle lifted from matching forepaws to watch with careful interest. He of course couldn't remember firsthand the one and only time he chased -- and won -- the green but D'hys' memories showed they had enjoyed every aspect of it. In fact, it seemed to have put A'liran on the map for D'hys and his bonded seemed to have taken a shining to the greenrider that was full of spunk and liked a good fight before giving in. Still, it seemed odd to have them appear at the hut when they never had before. D'hys was convinced it would one day happen with the way their games had been going lately but Zeianth knew it would still be a surprise to have it happen now.

He didn't greet the greenpair as he wasn't an overly vocal or social creature but continued to watch their interaction with each other. It was sweet, he supposed, but it didn't stir any emotions within him. Only when Astoreth left and A'liran approached the door did Zeianth alert the man beyond the wood barrier of the visitor. You will want to answer that. Zeianth spoke just before the knock came.

D'hys glanced to the door with an arched brow but he didn't make a move for it. He had just started his nightly exercise regime he did before bed and hated being interrupted when it came to such things. No, I don't think I do. He replied without halting his crunches. He was on the floor in his living room, wearing only a pair of soft baggy pants since comfort was key, not style, when it came to workouts. This isn't your usual night callers, Zeianth insisted and that was enough to give D'hys pause. If it wasn't someone looking for a piece of tail, he wasn't sure who else it could be. Z'ia normally wouldn't knock and if he did, he was loud enough to make his presence known before the door was opened. There was a chance it was V'zire since he had been told to find him day or night if he needed anything but it was far too early in the game for that to be a likelihood. There could only be a couple of others that might show at such an hour but D'hys wasn't sure if their games had proceeded along well enough either.

Intrigued, D'hys jumped to his feet and sauntered over to the door, not bothering to ask Zeianth to tell him who it was. His dragon wasn't a prankster and would tell him if asked but if he willingly withheld information, it was because the surprise was going to be better than knowing. In this case, Zeianth was right. D'hys opened the door to find a greenrider he had half-hoped would be standing there. A triumphant grin was about to appear but it froze when the faint light within his hut caught A'liran enough to show the man had been roughed up spectacularly. "That's not a good look for you, babe. What happened?" He knew Astoreth flew earlier in the day but neither Zeianth nor him had the desire to give chase. They had proven once that they could and would win if they did and while it had been fun, the real game was outside of flights. But he hadn't paid attention to who won and he was of course assuming that the colourful display of affection all over the exposed skin was from the winner and not someone else that nabbed him afterward.

Showing a hint of kindness, D'hys stepped aside and waved for A'liran to enter his hut. It was probably asking a lot of a greenrider to enter into the home of a bluerider where anything could happen and everyone would say he deserved it for crossing that threshold willingly, but A'liran sought him out. It was obvious he wanted to come in and either trusted D'hys or was about to pick a fight over something the bluerider was yet unaware of.

A'liran wanted to trust D'hys, but he'd yet to decide what gave him the idea that he should. He eyed the bluerider for a few moments, teeth grinding in uncertainty, before he finally took a step forward. D'hys looked like something was caught on the tip of his tongue, like he'd almost said something or grinned,  but stopped himself. Was Ali making that up? Or was there some sincere restraint there?

"I'm fine," A'liran lied blatantly as he stepped inside. Entering the bluerider's hut was risky, he knew, but it was a show of courage that he felt he needed. He was still frightened from his brush with Z'ia and maybe just as frightened of D'hys, and some part of him was convinced that by initiating contact he would remain in control. He knew that wasn't true, but the illusion itself was something to cling to. He and Astoreth both knew that in truth, he just didn't want to be alone.

He lies Astoreth said smoothly.  She sensed the flickering of pity in the bluerider and wasn't about to let A'liran's pride mess things up. She projected her vivid memories of the assault into D'hys' head, showing the assault from A'liran's eyes. It was only out of courtesy for Zeianth that she didn't share the pain as well. She was determined that her poor rider wouldn't hurt anymore tonight, and if that meant being honest about what had happened, then she would wound his pride and do just that.

A'liran knew what she was up to. His face fell and he hugged himself self-consciously, back still facing the bluerdier. "Stupid bitch," he grumbled softly, half-heartedly.

It wasn’t the first time Astoreth had spoken to him but still D’hys flinched at the feminine voice suddenly in his head when he hadn’t been expecting it. It wasn’t needed since it was plainly clear that A’liran was lying; no one was ‘fine’ after such abuse. D’hys was actually impressed the greenrider was still able to move and keep his red eyes open with how swollen and blackened they were. But he didn’t get the chance to say any of that aloud or mentally as he was hit with the memories of what happened to A’liran.

Z’ia. It seemed Aveleth was still eager for Astoreth, which D’hys knew Z’ia loved since he seemed to enjoy targeting A’liran. Knowing that his friend was the winner wasn’t a surprise, not even the way he seemed to play rougher than he often did when D’hys was with him. What did surprise him, however, was the obvious glee his friend took in deliberately swinging for an eye and choking the greenrider during some interesting banter. Z’ia seemed disgusted as he left; likely Aveleth was begging him to stop, knowing the timid blue as he did and the way he worried over minor things. Perhaps the look was simply because his favourite toy almost broke.

It was hard to believe his friend could get so vicious. D’hys knew the man pushed the limits but he never came across as someone who would snap and go homicidal. Worse, Z’ia loved Aveleth more than D’hys had seen his friend love anything or anyone else; it just wasn’t likely that he would risk harming someone so severely that their dragon went between. This all had to be made up. It couldn’t be real. Yes, there was the physical evidence right there before him on A’liran’s body and a dragon was conveying memories and they weren’t very good at lying so anything fabricated surely wouldn’t sit well with them either.

Still, it had to be a ploy to break up their friendship. This was revenge for that day in the Square when the blueriders carted A’liran off and D’hys didn’t keep Z’ia in line like the dragon had requested. That… that could almost be believable. Yet, A’liran’s reaction to the memories being shared made it seem like he wasn’t in on it and everything was genuine. Could Z’ia truly be sitting on a hair trigger to violence? No, D’hys couldn’t believe that. He wasn’t a saint himself, of that D’hys knew and was even proud of, with the way he used and manipulated people and even left lovers bruised and sore, but Z’ia was similar to him in that regard. They knew their limits and what would keep them off the radar and out of trouble.

Don’t do it, D’hys. Zeianth’s warning hit D’hys before he could open his mouth to accuse the greenrider of spreading filthy lies and trying to turn friends on each other. You already pointed out how it has to be true and I do not get the sense that he is here for malicious purposes. He sought you out for something else. What that was, Zeianth wasn’t sure. D’hys only displayed emotions such as pity or distraught when he remembered his mother and sisters so it was practically foreign to the icy blue dragon to understand such things in others. Aveleth was a special case with his mood swings but Zeianth didn’t think that was typical either.

Convinced D’hys wouldn’t speak irrationally, attentions were turned to the green who wasn’t nearby but still wanted to meddle. Astoreth, you come too close to going too far with your assistance, Zeianth spoke directly to the green, voice low and warning. He was grateful the pain and emotions attached with the memories hadn’t been passed along since that would have upset D’hys further and there wouldn’t be much to do to calm him until the anger passed but he wasn’t sure why Astoreth presumed she could share anything in the first place. Even her bonded didn’t seem too thrilled with that happening.

“A’liran,” D’hys often called the greenrider ‘babe’ instead of using his name though the name did make an appearance when he was proving some point or another. This time, it was done to show he would behave and there might be a hint of compassion within him as well. “Sit and try to relax. I’m betting you haven’t had anything to eat for most of the day either.” Determined to steer himself away from Z’ia’s actions and focus on why an injured greenrider would come to him, D’hys went into his kitchen to ladle some simmering homemade stew into a bowl. His mother had been a wonderful cook and taught her children when they were younger. He wouldn’t claim to be a master in the kitchen but his stew was absolutely amazing.

After pouring a glass of ale to wash the stew down with, D’hys returned to A’liran and waited for his impromptu guest to accept the items. The look he gave was clear that there wasn’t room to argue. The handprint on A’liran’s throat likely made it uncomfortable to swallow but the man needed liquids in him and the vegetables at least might be soft enough to go down without much pain. “Strip down after you’re done if you want. I’ll check you over for damage because I also bet you didn’t have a Healer tend to you yet either.”

Astoreth rustled her wings and folded them lightly against her back, initially surprised and maybe a touch offended by Zeianth's words, but in the end she realized it was exactly what she would expect from such a confident male. She purred where she sat, though too far away for such a gesture to reach the blue, and spoke in reply. Zeianth the green dragon said, tail flickering as she brushed her mind against his. Astoreth was a playful little green and was more than willing to defer to strong males, but that didn't mean she wouldn't make a point where she felt one was needed.

Certainly you would be willing to make someone uncomfortable for the sake of protecting your rider she said smoothly, her tone nonthreatening, but caught between gently playful and sultry. D'hys is a big boy. I think he can handle it. There was also a faint touch of relief.

Inside, A'liran kept his back turned and therefore missed the expressions of conflict on D'hys' face. He would have been surprised by it, but there was plenty of surprise yet to come. His head snapped unbelieving towards D'hys as the bluerider instructed him to sit while food was brought. The bluerider was feeding him?

Ali's nose wrinkled. "Sure..." he muttered as he seated himself. He ached, but it was nice to get off his feet. When D'hys returned with food, A'liran stared at it hesitantly for a few long moments before taking it.

Why was D'hys being nice to him? Some small part of A'liran had hoped for a kind or at least not-cruel reception, but he wasn't used to getting what he wanted. "...Thanks," he said cautiously, taking the food and looking at it with indecision. He knew D'hys wasn't going to harm him. He wasn't sure how he knew; maybe he sensed it in the man's tone and body language. Maybe he knew thanks to Astoreth's calm reassurance in the back of his mind.

No, D'hys wasn't going to hurt him. Even the request to strip for a 'medical examination' didn't bother A'liran. He remained on guard, however, for it simply seemed too good to be true.

The uncomfortable greenrider still wasn't totally sure why he'd come. Part of him wanted to pick a fight. Maybe to a small degree D'hys' suspicions were right. A'liran had no designs to destroy the men's friendship, but he did wish D'hys had taken him seriously last time he pointed out the pure evil in his bluerider friend. A big part of it was simply a desire to not be alone, and to not hear the cooing and coddling that his greenrider friends would offer him.

He took a sip of ale and let out a sigh, finally relaxing just a bit. It was certainly the most relaxed he'd ever been about D'hys, but that didn't mean his walls had come down. "...I'm fine, you know. It's...I don't know why Astoreth showed you that. I didn't tell her to," he said defensively and almost helplessly.

Naturally, Zeianth replied, completely unfazed by Astoreth’s accurate pointing out of his character or the way in which she spoke each word in something akin to a gentle caress. But as it is my bonded on the receiving end, I cannot condone such behaviour. But you are right; he’s a big boy and can handle quite a few things rather well on his own. One of those things being feisty greenriders. A’liran proved to be an interesting challenge at times throughout their few encounters but Zeianth knew D’hys always worked his way through each puzzle and came out ahead.

“I know,” D’hys replied as coolly as Zeianth had to Astoreth both in regards to A’liran’s health (said sarcastically) and about Astoreth acting on her own (said earnestly). He didn’t know about the dragons’ conversations since he wasn’t listening in but he knew that couldn’t be said about the other way around. It never bothered the rider to have the dragon always there looking in whenever he wanted. D’hys was strong-willed enough to block Zeianth out anytime he wanted to but he never did. His dragon was tough and while he normally didn’t have an opinion one way or the other on what activities were counted as fun; nothing really seemed to bother or upset his beautiful icy blue. They had been through a lot together and D’hys didn’t think repaying the loyalty and companionship during exile by blocking anything from Zeianth was fair.

When A’liran tried the ale, D’hys finally sat down in another chair, starting to relax himself as his impromptu guest tried to settle in. “I can’t say I know why she wanted me to understand what happened to you or at whose hand,” other than to piss him off but D’hys wouldn’t let that emotion take over. He actually wasn’t even sure he would approach Z’ia at all about his behaviour. It was a flight and emotions still ran high after coming out of the lust; anything could happen. The main thing was that Z’ia stopped himself before anything went horribly wrong. “But you should thank her. You may not have been able to try my stew otherwise or lie in my bed when you’re done.” He was still determined to see if all of A’liran’s body matched his face.

You 'can't condone such behavior'? I think the big handsome blue has a double standard she crooned lovingly. Astoreth always deferred to blues, as per her instincts, but she really did enjoy the game. Now that A'liran was warm and safe, she could let herself forget the evening's happenings a bit and participate in one of her favorite hobbies. That isn't to say that that Zeianth himself was a toy, but she did enjoy poking holes in others' logic. It annoyed A'liran.

She purred a bit, then softened her tone. But Zeianth she said, A'liran means him no harm. He did not even wish to discuss what happened or to name Z'ia as the culprit. That is my fault, and I did so not to cause harm, but because yours deserves to know the truth. A'liran simply did not want to be alone.  She spoke solemnly, confident in her words but also with a touch of sadness. She sent a gentle wave of reassurance to A'liran before curling in his nest and dozing off. Part of her wanted to reach out to Aveleth, but that would have to be another day. She hated that she'd hurt him, but A'liran came first. He always would.


Inside, A'liran soon found himself shamefully downing the food. Shards, he'd wanted to decline it at first, but after the first bite he realized just how hungry he was. Hhe lifted a brow and glanced over to D'hys, who hadn't directly asked why Astoreth had done what she'd done, but certainly made a point of saying that he didn't know. A perplexed expression crossed A'liran's face. "Baby girl?" he asked her, unintentionally speaking out loud as he often did. He looked up at the ceiling, as if she were out there.

What the fuck?

Astoreth gave  A'liran the same answer she'd given Zeianth. Craftily, she slipped her words into the back of D'hys' mind as well. I thought it best that you know the truth she said lightly.   I don't care what you do with the knowledge. But there it is.  She paused thoughtfully. He will never show it, but he is frightened to be alone.

A'liran scowled at the ceiling. "Baby girl? You better not be ta-" He stopped short as she realized she was indeed talking to D'hys. The greenrider spit a curse and promptly downed his ale. Once it was gone, he shuddered at the bitter taste and glanced back to D'hys.

"Um. Thanks," he said, tone flat and bland, but wholly serious. His lip twitched. "...Not a lot of places I could go for help this time of night. The healers would report it, and I don't....really want anyone to know."

The flattery, while appreciated, didn’t earn the green a soft spot just yet. Zeianth knew perfectly well that he was a handsome dragon and many took note of his icy hide. One day, he thought it would be fun to lie in the snow like D’hys imagined for him. He would blend right in and be left undisturbed for a time. As we all do when it comes to our humans. Zeianth didn’t need to know anything about Astoreth and A’liran to know they would have the same sort of understanding that he had with D’hys. When it came to their bonded, anything went. It was shown in the way Astoreth acted on her own in sharing the day’s events without her rider’s permission but she would no doubt have a fit if he had bespoken A’liran with upsetting news. Such was the way of things.

Zeianth spoke no more on the matter as he watched the men interact, if it could truly be called that. One ate, one watched. They were an odd pair but the greenrider left D’hys intrigued and amused so whatever they saw as suitable forms of occupying time couldn’t truly be questioned. He did, however, snort aloud when A’liran tried to tell his female she better not be talking to D’hys again. Perhaps there was some merit to having the greenpair around; they did liven things up a bit.

D’hys listened in silence, making no attempt to reply to Astoreth as she tried to explain her actions; at least not until she mentioned a fear of being alone. His brow furrowed in thought, trying to figure out why a man so abused wouldn’t want some time alone afterward and why he decided to come to a bluerider that certainly didn’t hold a reputation of sickeningly sweet like R’nd. He supposed it was a safety issue. If someone had already left him in such a weakened state, who was to say another – or the same man – wouldn’t come along and use him further? It also made sense that D’hys was a good candidate for protection with his attention to his physical shape as well as already displaying interest in keeping A’liran in one piece.

That mystery had been solved but another cropped up almost immediately after. Why didn’t A’liran want anyone to know? Was it a pride issue? That seemed like it would be part of the equation but he’d still have to show himself to the population with the next day or so given routines and there wasn’t a way he’d be able to hide what had been done to him. The other half of the equation was obviously Z’ia but for what reason? There was a chance it was a fear of Z’ia that kept A’liran from having people know too much since his friend might punish the greenrider further for any trouble placed upon him. There was also a chance that A’liran wanted to blackmail Z’ia or even him by pointing out he could always go to D’ren – though the word of a greenrider against two blueriders never stood well. The only other option D’hys could think of was that A’liran liked being roughed up and the encounters with Z’ia regardless of how far the other man took things. Of course, the only way to know anything for certain was to either go the easy route and get the information from Astoreth or see what A’liran was willing to share.

“Why wouldn’t you want this reported and more importantly,” D’hys stood and moved to stand before A’liran. He leaned forward, placing both hands on the armrests of the chair which gave off the illusion of trapping the injured man though nothing else in D’hys’ stance gave off any true sense of danger as his posture was fairly relaxed, “why did you think coming to me when you didn’t want to be alone was the best idea?” 

A'liran drew back as D'hys approached, back flattening against the chair and lip curling into a defensive sneer. He trusted D'hys much more than Z'ia, but D'hys was still a bluerider. It was natural for them to use and abuse what they found before them.

"Because," A'liran said, expression hardening as his muscles tightened. His words were slow and deliberate. "...Think about it. This happens to at least one of us every day." 'One of us'. Greenriders. "...It's not always bad. It can be awfully good. But it can be really, really bad too, D'hys."

He cleared his scratchy throat and looked away, blacked eyes seeming dimmer than usual. "...And that's not counting when it happens outside of flight. It's wrong, you know...This looks bad, but everyone will just cringe a little and say 'ah, well, it's a flight! Shit happens!', and it does. But do you know how many times this has happened to me outside of a flight, D'hys? Is that all right?" It was a rhetorical question.

The greenrider exhaled slowly, almost nervous, but unwilling to abandon his thoughts. "...They're my brothers, you know. And I find them like this all the time. I'm always the one who sticks up for them and tries to protect them, or comforts them."

Suddenly, he scowled. "What the hell are they gonna think if they see me like this? If they see me crawling to a healer for help? If I own up to this happening, they're all gonna come to me and try to...try to return the favor. But I don't have it. I'm the one who looks after them, shard it!"

He knew they would comfort him if he asked. That's what communities were for. They were his brothers. But he just couldn't do it.

Besides, D'hys was right on another note. A'liran liked danger. He just didn't like it when it went this far, as so often he seemed to tempt it to. As if in response to that unspoken suspicion, A'liran leaned close and whispered one final comment. "I can't be a bad example."

D’hys knew a rhetorical question when he heard one and didn’t give an answer. He certainly did know how often greenriders were used outside of flights; he had been a part of that a time or two himself, including with A’liran and Z’ia not too long ago. He could see the merit in what was being said as the reasoning for not going to get properly checked over though. No one would be too concerned and even he had defended Z’ia’s actions not minutes before by saying it was the flightlust that had pushed him so far.

“A’liran the champion of greenriders,” D’hys finally commented casually after letting his guest rant on with his reasons though he couldn’t keep from smirking at A’liran wanting to be a good example. “But being bad is so much fun, babe, and you enjoy setting all sorts of examples with me.” He pushed away from the chair he had crowded and used to help block A’liran in. It had worked though; answers had been given without avoiding eye contact or walking away and that was the main thing D’hys had wanted. Naturally, flexing a bit of control was always nice as well but he didn’t want to talk to a back again and not get a clear view of a lie or a truth.

Instead of returning to the chair he had claimed before, D’hys flopped down on his couch, one leg up across the cushions with the other foot resting on the floor. “You’ll stay here for a few days. That should be enough time for the facial swelling and bruising to go down and no one would think to look for you here.” He was being so kind that night! Letting a greenrider in at such an hour wasn’t unusual but feeding them, offering first aid, and a place to rest certainly was. Of course he was already considering methods of payment for his kindness but they’d get to negotiations soon enough, he had no doubt.

Ali had lost again, and that pissed him off. He snorted softly, crossing his arms and cutting his eyes away as D'hys removed himself from his space. Ali felt cornered, both intimidated and enticed by the bluerider's close proximity, and it was nice for the confusing influence to be gone. "Bad examples," A'liran grunted, nostrils flaring as he gave off an indignant snort. "Just because I do doesn't mean the others need to see me doing it."

He pulled his knees into the seat and groaned. His sides hurt so bad! Broken ribs? Internal bruising? Faranth knew. He refused to move nonetheless, if anything curling even smaller as he thought back on the night's events. He knew he'd taken a big risk by coming here. He honestly hadn't known if D'hys would soothe him or put him through the whole nightmare again. It was a calculated risk, but one that had come out better than A'liran expected. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"Is that an order, Bluerider Sir?" A'liran said sarcastically. His voice was full of venom, but he knew the outcome would be the same regardless of what either of them said. A'liran was secretly thankful for the offer, and he had no intention of leaving. He just couldn't do it without getting a word in, lest D'hys think he was easily tamed!

The greenrider deflated. He finally let his feet fall back to the floor and stretched himself out a bit, groaning as his muscles ached and joints popped. "...A'liran, the Champion of Greenriders," he repeated, tone filled with dismal humor and disgust. "Someone's gotta be." He shifted his gaze towards D'hys. What a pretty man. What a mysterious man. It pissed Ali off, but in a good way? Was there such a thing?

Bastard.

Ali suddenly narrowed his eyes. "....So, what's the catch?"

D’hys didn’t give an answer to the sarcastic question; they both knew what he’d say. It wasn’t really an order but it was a strong suggestion that better served them both if it was followed. He wasn’t sure why the generous offer would be turned down given how nice A’liran had been treated and the promise that it was likely to continue if the greenrider knew better than to bite the hand that fed him. Not even when A’liran looked for the catch did D’hys think the other man was about to angrily limp his way out into the night to fend for himself again. In a way, he supposed he was currently being a champion of greenriders as well though D’hys knew full well that he truly wasn’t but someone like R’nd that didn’t have ice where his heart was and actually cared about everyone enough to put himself into danger would drop everything in a heartbeat if it meant saving someone from some fate they didn’t want and in the process make himself look good. Not that R’nd did it for bonus points but D’hys saw the potential there to make people forget past transgressions that may have come to light.

“The catch?” D’hys feigned innocence for all of ten seconds, just long enough to ask the question and give his admittedly girly lashes a bat at his guest. Of course that expression soon turned into his usual carefree one that showed he was having a good time and not even A’liran’s plights for justice on the behalf of greenriders could dampen it. “Where’s the fun in knowing ahead of time, babe?” D’hys knew ahead of time, naturally, but A’liran didn’t need to know or prepare for what would befall him at a time the bluerider felt was appropriate.

“You just need to keep trusting me,” D’hys looked forward to the denials that would bring about. But it was true and they both knew it to be so. A’liran wouldn’t even be sitting under his roof and eating his food if he felt he didn’t trust D’hys at all.

I'm so close to passing out at the keys so I hope this makes sense and you excuse typos as well as the short and bleh tag. <3

You just need to keep trusting me

A'liran remained silent for a few long moments, his head turning slightly to the side and his eyes slightly downcast. "Yeah," he murmured after a moment, heart fluttering quietly as he sank deeper into his chair. "....You're right. I do trust you."

Shards, why had he said that? He immediately frowned, but for once he didn't accent his soft words with sour retorts after the fact. He just sighed, allowed his head to rock back as he looked up at the ceiling.

There were a lot of things he could say. Most of them were ugly, but a few of them were sappy and appreciative, and a great deal more true. Ali didn't feel like any of it was called for, though. Neither Ali nor D'hys was much for sappy stuff, that much was evident without asking. Was 'sappy' even the right word? They were what, friends now? Friends, in some weird way?

That sounded pretty good. Ali wasn't sure if he wanted to tempt fate by actually asking, though. Instead, he replied with something that he figured would land squarely in both parties' comfort zones. "...Sounds fair to me. I won't tell anyone if you won't. " No one would have to know about A'liran's weakness or D'hys' kindness, and both would get what they wanted.

Ali slowly stood up, then peeled his shirt off to reveal his bruises. D'hys had asked a while before, but A'liran hadn't forgotten. He figured D'hys deserved a reward for being so nice, though. Besides, A'liran liked feeling beautiful, and his beauty was wasted on animals like Z'ia. He pulled off his boot and belts before stepping out of his pants as well, showing off his wounds in full. He probably should have gone ot see a healer, but well...he thought he would be just fine.

He wandered over to D'hys and flopped down beside him. He didn't sat anything, he just yawned and tucked his hands behind his head, comfortable and feeling much safer than he'd expected to when he knocked on the door.

While he knew they both knew A’liran trusted him, D’hys hadn’t thought it would be something the greenrider would confess to. That was rather interesting. Still, it proved his point and the confident air about him remained though he paid A’liran back by not making any further comment on the subject. They had reached an understanding on where they stood and given the encounters they had in the past that left him looking like a villain, D’hys was pleased to see such progress made though the feisty attitude was also still evident just beneath the surface of gratitude – that was even more pleasing.

“I think I can live with that arrangement,” no one would really question why he had a greenrider hidden away in his hut for several days though. Everyone would assume he had caught himself a fun toy and refused to let it go right away. That worked for D’hys and, if he was lucky, he’d be getting some play out of the toy before releasing it as well. “Just don’t expect me to sleep on the couch. It’s a reliable surface for some things but not sleeping.” A slight smirk was given but it was clear what he was implying and didn’t elaborate on it, especially not when A’liran started stripping. So perfectly timed! It could be seen as the greenrider wanting a demonstration given his state of undress and the way he flopped on the couch but D’hys knew better.

Instead, he continued taking in the bruises and gave a small shake of his head. Z’ia could be rough in flights but D’hys was having a hard time coming up with another case of his friend getting this out of control. The flight lust and sexual tension between the men must have been intense to bring about such forceful interaction. “I have some numbweed salve we can apply to some areas,” he had slept with some of the Healers in the past and taken medical supplies for his own personal kit as payment for giving them an amazing night. It wasn’t that he had any dire need to have his own stock but D’hys liked to be prepared and given the activities Z’ia and he could come up with to pass the time, he figured numbweed might be handy at some point. “But I think rest will help the most so crawl into bed whenever you want.”

A devilish grin appeared as he leaned in closer to A’liran, “unless you want me to show you the way.” He flicked his tongue out over the greenrider’s bruised lips and pulled back with his usual smug arrogance back in place.

"Well, I'm not sleeping on the couch either!" A'liran said, words bristling with defensive indignation. He fumed for a moment while still slumping lazily against D'hys, almost pouting. Of course, the bluerider hadn't done a thing to indicate that he was actually going to make that requirement, but still! A'liran sensed that D'hys actually liked his attitude problem, so it was all good.

Ali could feel himself blushing a little as D'hys observed his wounds. "Numbweed?" the greenrider asked, as if surprised by the offer. He thought about it for a moment, then sighed. "Nah...don't worry about it. This isn't the first time, and I've always made it before..." he said, trailing off as his mind wandered back to some of his previous encounters, and not with just Z'ia. This wasn't the worst flight of his life, but it was certainly one of them. It was the worst in a long time.

Rest. A'liran relaxed against D'hys at the offer. "Bed sounds great," the greenrider said. He slowly sat up, but he found himself rising to meet the bluerider as he leaned forward.

He shuddered a bit as D'hys' warm tongue caressed his lips. "...I..." A'liran said slowly. He was greatly tempted, but his body was ravaged. He was in no shape, but he almost took the coy invitation as a challenge. Or was it because he felt indebted?

"Why don't you show me, Dee," A'liran said lightly, eyes widening thoughtfully as he waited to see where D'hys was going to take the encounter.

Another victory in their endless play of games was his. It was hard to think of any rounds he had lost to A’liran though he supposed the day he was confused as to whether he should stay and chat further or go had been a minor point in the greenrider’s favour. Still, D’hys knew he had come away from that as the victor anyway given he had left A’liran with much to think about and the man had sought him out eventually. Although, if he wanted to talk about confusing things, having the feisty greenrider use a nickname only some friends called him by would be among the top of the list. It was odd but also showed exactly how much trust A’liran placed in him and how much attraction there was despite the protests leading up to the sexual portion of their tangling. He’d think about how to view that and when to call A’liran on it later, first, he had to get a greenrider into bed.

Something that was never a problem for him.

D’hys got to his feet and took a few steps in the direction of his bedroom before wordlessly indicating A’liran should follow with a tilt of his head toward the door. A beckoning finger soon followed with an arched eyebrow and half grin. He moved to the room after that without a look back going by the belief A’liran would follow as well as the sounds of the man doing just that. It was so easy to read and bait people. To further the baiting, as soon as the bluerider crossed into the bedroom, he stripped down and stood nude without an ounce of shame and finally spoke. “I find sleeping with any amount of clothing on to be somewhat annoying. I hope you don’t mind, roomie.” Again with the grin before D’hys started fixing up the bedding to accommodate his unexpected guest.

“Would you like some assistance into bed as well? I can tuck you in and kiss you good night.” He was teasing; sort of.

A'liran's feelings were mixed as he crept from the living area to the bedroom, eyes never leaving his host. Ali was in bad shape, yes, but he was far from incapacitated, and it was hard to deny his attraction to the bluerider as they made their way into the bedroom. A'liran stood by quietly as D'hys stripped down, revealing his appealing form.

"I don't mind," Ali confessed as he slid into the bed, dark eyes drawn down D'hys' form. Like his host, Ali was thinking back on their many games. It seemed like D'hys always came out ahead, which both infuriated and enticed the feisty greenrider. He wanted to claim a round for himself! He wanted to get the better of the hard-to-read man in front of him and make him sing. But how? D'hys had won practically all of their previous encounters, thanks in no small part to A'liran's pronounced impatience.

D'hys always seemed to get the better of him! As Ali slipped into bed and watched the man, he almost felt like he understood why. D'hys had such control over himself, such a powerful presence and such a firm grip on his own emotions...something Ali would never have. He frowned, realizing it was all a game he was determined to lose, and yet feeling like he must continue to play regardless.

"I wish you would," A'liran said, voice low and unintentionally sultry. Being tucked in and kissed goodnight sounded like a good deal indeed! He arranged himself neatly in the bed, hands folded on his abdomen and an impish smile spreading across his face. He appeared in much higher spirits than he'd been in when he arrived. Perhaps that's why he'd come. Regardless of the outcome of their games, D'hys always made him smile, the slimy bastard!

Ali patted the spot beside him. "Come along, then. "I didn't come here to spend the night alone..."

If he'd wanted that, he would have limped home. Ali narrowed his eyes thoughtfully on the bluerider, still struggling to pinpoint what it was he  loved so very much. Perhaps it was D'hys' physical beauty, but while that was certainly a mark in the man's favor, it seemed so much more than that. D'hys was almost the perfect opponent; crafty, well-spoken, elegant, and just dangerous enough to be enticing. It was absolutely vexing! A'liran's upper lip twitched with concerned interest as he watched the other man.

It wasn't a romantic attraction that A'liran felt, but rather one of the great rival and sidekick rolled into one. D'hys was the perfect friendly nemesis, a friend with benefits beyond compare who gave  A'liran exactly what he wanted: someone to compete with, and someone to lose to!

D’hys enjoyed the way A’liran could follow directions yet still have a hint of his usual defiance and attitude within the gesture. As the greenrider crawled into bed and then spoke the desire to be tucked in after all, a smirk appeared. It was understandable; he was desirable and once someone had a taste of him they couldn’t get enough. To have A’liran confess to wanting the simple act of being tucked in and then kissed only proved the power he had over men and women. Silently, the blankets were pulled up over his guest to A’liran’s neck where hands lightly tucked the edges down to make sure a breeze wouldn’t sneak in. With that part of the offer completed, D’hys leaned down and placed a soft and lingering kiss on A’liran’s forehead.

He remembered something his father had said to him so long ago it felt like another lifetime. D’ser was a brownrider that, while having been courteous enough to L’dia the greenrider that had kept their child conceived in a flight, didn’t regard greenriders all that highly. Son, you don’t kiss whores because it’s too much intimacy and passion to give them and you don’t kiss greens for the same reason. That lesson can take you far when your brown dragon finds you. It was indeed a lesson that stuck with him and became practice and soon the norm when he started sleeping around for the sheer fun of it. Since most of his lovers seemed to have some obsession with the simple act, however, he would occasionally dole out heated kisses to sate their need for such things but given the dominance behind each one it also served him in the end to remind his lover who was in charge.

Now seemed like a prime example of an appropriate time for one of his heated kisses that would remind A’liran what he had willingly walked into because he still craved the bluerider – and what he would have again before he moved back to his own hut. D’hys continued to ignore the bruising and swelling A’liran didn’t wear quite so well to add his own touch to ravaged lips, tongue tracing over the lower before finally gaining access to the sassy mouth that would have more uses in a few days. He took his time in giving A’liran his kiss good night, hands still pressed on the bed to either side of the man and not giving him any other sort of touch.

When D’hys finally broke the kiss and stood up, a languid grin appeared. “Now I think I’ll join you in bed for some sleep,” he was careful to point out the reason for getting into bed both as a reminder that he wasn’t the horrible monster that night and to show yet again who was calling the shots and in charge. With the light turned out, D’hys moved around the bed and slid under the blanket and propped himself up on an elbow, facing A’liran. “You already know I’m great company in bed so I’ll leave you to those sweet dreams, babe. Later, maybe we’ll play out your favourite one.” He subtly brushed a hand against A’liran’s bare thigh and then turned over so he was back was to the greenrider. It was a clear sign that he hadn’t been rejected but that he was safe from further use that night and the trust placed in a cold bluerider was still well-placed.