Give and Take

[Artemis Black]

A Thief in Deed not Word
First loves


Artemis tensed as sudden pressure manifested around him, but before his reflexes could take him further he felt the heady rush of warmth. Daire's long arms curled around him and filled his chest and cheeks with comfort as a mix of a sigh and moan escaped the thief's lips. Then there was something in his pocket and a kiss on his cheek. Artemis felt the cold absence of his lover's touch sharply even as he caught the retreating glimpse of the Kerasokan. He would have risen to follow immediately had Amalia not waved her hand in his face.

"Looks like you got a Faryv's Dawn gift there boss. You going to open it?" she asked with a broad and knowing grin. Artemis stared at her dumbly for a long silent moment before looking down and reaching into his pocket to removing the box.

"Not- not gotten many gifts before," he said quietly, placing the box on the table with a flourish in an effort to draw attention away from his words. With excess care, he slid the container open to reveal a bit of parchment with lovely handwriting. He hid his frown as he recognized the writing as Dáire's and realized he still couldn't read it quite.

He gave a nod to it and placed it openly on the table, turning his attention to the shine of metal beneath with a gasp. There, nestled in a bit of velvet, was a slim and elegant blade. The metal was polished to a high sheen, its shine nearly rivaling the beauty of the ornately designed hilt. He could see his own reflection, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, looking down at the unblemished surface.

Artemis' instincts as a thief took over as he assessed this weapon was undeniably new, and very possibly made to order. The rush of surprise started to fade the barest amount, only to be overwhelmed by a flood of other emotions: love, lust, confusion, and lastly faint annoyance for Dáire giving him such a thing and then disappearing.

"Wow boss, your man's quite the poet," Amalia offered as she waved the bit of paper. "There is a man from Fellsgard, He loves to get it hard, So I'll lay him out prone, Just to hear him moan, This is one I can not discard," she read in a breathy sing-song imitation of the bawdiest bard.

Artemis let out a choked grunt, snatching the bit of paper and flushing deep red. "Give him something to moan about-" he grumbled, though his almost-painfully broad smile belied his words. "I'm going to be busy- rest of the night- maybe some of the morning. You- uh- you all be well," he offered, closing up the box tightly and returning it to a safe place on his person.

Then, quicker than many might believe, he was off through the hall. Artemis dodged and weaved through folks, sometimes stepping up and clean over tables as he made a beeline for where he expected his lover to be, all the while wearing an absolutely wicked grin.

[Dáire]

The rush of adrenaline and subsequent racing beat of Dáire’s heart had only just begun to abate, when a cursory glance back at the bustling room had his gaze landing upon his beloved Artemis. The broad grin on the young man’s face sent a bolt of anticipation through Dáire as he watched him scale tables, darting around people like a deer might through trees in the forest. Ducking around the corner he flattened himself against the wall, a mischievous smile tugging at his own lips as he lay in wait for his thief.

Artemis wasn't terribly far behind at this point, but he was so flush with a heady blend of embarrassment and excitement that he was hardly paying heed to potential ambushes. Just as he cleared the last table, he leaned forward and prepared to go into a full sprint as he reached the corner.

Dáire pounced, plucking the smaller man right out of his stride as he hastened by the elf's hiding spot. Chuckling, he wrapped his arms fully around Artemis in a tight embrace, letting himself fall back against the wall with a bump, taking Artemis with him.

"Is that all I have to do to catch you off guard A’maelamin? (my beloved") he breathed into his lover's ear, "I do believe you may still be blushing." Amusement laced the elf's silky voice, Dáire’s grin widening as he took pleasure in the faint colour that still stained the younger man’s cheeks and neck.

Artemis immediately whimpered softly, snuggling into Dáire's neck and biting him lightly. "Not fair- giving me gifts and running away," he complained, squeezing with his arms as best he could. "I- wrote you something too, but I left it in the chest. Do you want to- go get some dinner maybe and-" the thief's words decayed into mumbles as he was overcome with the thoughts in his head. "Not good with all this," Artemis added with a small frown.

Dáires face softened, the sentiment both sad and endearing to him. "But I enjoy having you chase me." he said, resting his chin on the head of soft brown hair and letting out a contented sigh. " And we have years for you to practice."

He stood there for a few minutes, absently rubbing circles on Artemis back, simply enjoying the quiet moment stolen for only them, for the way things were going, it was unlikely to be a common occurrence. One deep, bracing breathing later he loosened his grip on his lover, straightening up and rolling shoulders which had begun to stiffen, courtesy of the cold damp of the wall.

"I will grab us a couple of plates, while you go raid your chest," He moved away, smiling impishly over his shoulder as he did so, "I look forward to reading whatever lascivious words have spilled forth from your brilliant mind this time."