Dragon Knights Fan Fiction ❯ The Long Way Home ❯ Chapter 1

Thatz rested his chin on the cold porcelain. When his stomach made its displeasure *loudly* known, he groaned to accompany its growl. "I'm...so...*hungry*!" He let his head loll to the side until it was lying on the side of the tub in their room, and rolled his eyes upward to see the clock on the wall. "What time do they serve dinner around here, I wonder?"

"Can't you think of anything else besides your stomach?" Rune asked dryly.

"Sure can," Thatz assured him, "but would rather not at the moment. There's nothing to think about - which leaves me plenty of space in my head for food." His stomach growled again. "Stupid Rath!"

"At least we can agree on that," Rune conceded with a sigh. "Why weren't you watching him?"

"Why weren't *you* watching him?"

"*I* was looking at the map! What's *your* excuse?"

"*I* was..." Thatz paused, playing his memory back to see what he'd been doing nearly two hours before. "I was..." He'd slept in, as Rune had, and then he'd woken up, dressed while Rune awakened, had breakfast with Rath, and then had gone for a stroll around the village with the other Knight. "Oh..." Now he remembered. "I...Rath and I..." He swallowed, knowing that Rune wouldn't be pleased to hear what he had to say.

"You and Rath...?" Rune prompted.

"I stopped at the jeweler's," Thatz confessed sheepishly. "I don't think Rath did; he wasn't with me when I was admiring the pretty pendants."

Rune sighed again. Surprisingly, he just sounded tired - and not furious, like Thatz had expected. "And you weren't watching him."

"Uh...no." Thatz was still looking at the clock, so he couldn't see Rune's expression. His eyes were fixed on the second-hand. Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock...

"He must have heard a tale about some demon," Rune concluded somberly, "and gone off to find it. Typical Rath."

"Yeah," Thatz agreed, still half-expecting Rune to pull out a mallet and start beating something - anything - to get his frustration out. He hoped fervently that Rune wouldn't decide to pick on him. "That sounds like our Rath. Good old Rath."

"Now we're stuck here until he comes back."

Thatz couldn't quite get over the calm acceptance in Rune's voice. "Um...yup. That's about right." Last he'd checked, it had been Rath's turn to carry the money, so the funds for their journey - and their return - were out of their hands, for the moment.

Rune was quiet for a few moments. Thatz was positive that the silence was the precursor to a loss of temper on the blond's part. But when Rune spoke again, his voice didn't lose that serene calm. "So our journey home is delayed once again, because of our energetic demon-hunter's inability to just mind his own business."

"Okay, that's it." Thatz sprang to his knees and glared at the blond Knight. "Who are you and what have you done with Rune?" Rune blinked, looking taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

Thatz narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Our Rune would be *really* frustrated right now, you know. He hates it when we get off-track, and is always trying to get us home as fast as humanly possible."

Rune considered the words, and then nodded. "Yes... Yes, that's usually what I do."

"And you always get so irritated when Rath holds us up to fight demons all the time."

"Mm-hm. That's me, I think."

Thatz jabbed his index finger at the blond. "Then why aren't you upset? Rath is missing - with our money - and we don't know when he's coming back, or where he went, or..." He trailed off with a shrug.

"Yes, I know."

"Gee, Rune, you're taking this pretty well." Thatz wondered if *he* should get upset on behalf of the blond Knight.

"Why should I get upset now?" Rune asked, closing his eyes. "Rath isn't here for me to yell at him. Rath can - usually - take care of himself fairly well. Pacing a ditch into the floor won't do any good. Going out to hunt him down won't do any good, especially if he has such a head-start."

"We could always ask around the village to see if anyone knows anything!" Thatz suggested. "Where there are demons, there's Rath. If we follow the trail to the demons, we're bound to find Rath, too."

"Who's to say that the demons we hear of will be the same demons?"

"But, still..." Thatz shrugged. "You're saying you want to wait for Rath to finish?" He exhaled sharply and leaned against the edge of the tub. "Rune, do you have any idea how long he may take? What if, after finding and dealing with the demons he went out for in the first place, he finds *more* demons?"

"Let's give him another hour or so," Rune suggested. "I'm not saying we should abandon him, or anything. I'm just saying that for us to go hunting to try dragging him back now would be futile on our part. If he's not back within an hour, we'll go out and track him down. But if I know Rath, he won't be done in by some regular demons. Besides, Nadil's head is safe here with us, so Rath can go wild without worry."

Thatz remained frozen in his position, staring wide-eyed at the Water Knight. "You're taking this *way* too well!" he exclaimed.

"Well, what do you want from me? I'm trying to relax!" Rune fixed him with an irritated glare and splashed him. "Now do you *mind*?! I'm trying to take a bath!"

Thatz yelped as Rune's bath water splashed over him. "Rune!" he wailed, shaking his head and sending droplets of warm water flying around the room. "I wasn't doing anything wrong!"

Rune made a face. "Your growling stomach was getting on my nerves."

"I can't help it if I'm hungry."

"Eat the plants to tide you over," Rune offered unhelpfully.

Thatz folded his arms angrily. "You're so cranky. Just because you're angry with Rath doesn't mean you have to take it out on me."

Instead of answering, Rune dunked himself under the water.

"Fine, be that way," Thatz said, waving the matter away. "Stay in your warm, little bath all afternoon if you want. Never mind that Rath is missing with our money, or that I'm starving. Just relax and forget about Nadil's head, your friends, the Dragon Lord, and everything else going on in your life while you stew in the water and get wrinkles. Mm, stew..."

Thatz had just begun to fantasize about a hearty meal involving stew and bread when he realized that Rune had not surfaced throughout his entire speech. "Rune?"

No answer. Not even a ripple in the water.

Thatz swallowed and started moving back toward the tub. "Uh, Rune?"

Nothing.

"Come on, Rune, that's not funny."

When Thatz's knees were resting against the edge of the tub, he was beginning to panic a little. "Hey, Rune, cut it out." He leaned over to peer into the bubbly water...

...and screeched in surprise when Rune suddenly surfaced, throwing his hair back to get it out of his eyes.

Thatz was against the door to the bathroom trying to catch his breath when Rune turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What is wrong with you?" the blond asked.

Thatz clutched his heart for a moment. "I thought you were drowning!" he snapped.

Rune looked at him for a second, his soaked hair and skin sparkly in the sunlight coming from the window. Then the blond Knight started to chuckle. "No, no! Hardly. Meeting my end in a bathtub would hardly be a death worthy of a Dragon Knight, don't you think?"

Thatz relaxed, relieved that Rune was both alive and seemingly in a better mood. Maybe that dunk had done him some good. "I hope none of us go that way."

"I was just soaking my hair," Rune explained, reaching back to lift the thick, gold mane. "It's so hard to care for."

Thatz winced sympathetically. "I'm glad I don't have to do that." Gods, it looked so heavy, weighed down by the water, and all.

"Be glad you don't," Rune said. "Sometimes I wonder why I bother." He fished around in the water until his hand broke the surface armed with a bar of soap. "There it is!"

Thatz yawned, trying to ignore the growl his stomach emitted.

"Thatz."

"Uhn?"

"You're still here."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

Thatz grinned sheepishly and saw himself out, shutting the bathroom door behind him. He returned to the main room of the modest suite they had reserved the night before. A suite they might not be able to pay for, he added wryly, unless Rath returned in time. "Stupid Rath."

He had the inkling to go downstairs and steal some food from the kitchen, but decided against it. It was probably crawling with the staff, and even if he did manage to make it back upstairs with something to nibble on, Rune would rip him a new one when he saw it.

Resigned, Thatz plopped himself down on the cushioned couch. He sighed heavily and swung around so he could lie down. He didn't even care that he was putting his boots on the furniture. He waited, listening to the ticking of the clock and the sloshing of water in the other room.

"Don't drown, okay, Rune?" he called. There was no answer. Thatz sighed again and settled down for a nap. Maybe if he slept through the last hour that they had to wait, he would forget about his hunger; maybe Rath would return and they wouldn't have to go hunt him down; maybe the innkeeper would take pity on the starving man in their room and send up a buffet.

He was just drifting off when he heard a door open and shut. Even though it had been coming from the direction of the bathroom, Thatz allowed himself to dream that he would open his eyes to see Rath - and their money - enter the room.

But no, it was just Rune. The blond Dragon Knight had a dark blue towel wrapped around his waist, and his hair was bundled up in another blue towel, a smaller version of the one covering his bottom half.

Thatz eyed his friend through slitted eyes, admiring the blond's slim physique. He had seen Rune naked more than once. In fact, they all saw each other without clothing every now and then. Admittedly, Thatz had never seen Rune just after bathing before, but they had changed together more than once. It was to be expected, he supposed, with all the time they had spent together recently. But Rath didn't stir his blood like Rune did. He wasn't sure what it was; he was attracted - in a physical sense, at least - to both of his companions, but Rune was more compelling than the Fire Knight. Maybe it was his fair, almost elfin features, or his pretty eyes, or his long hair...

Thatz swallowed, realizing that he was staring. He wasn't being obvious about it, but he was staring all the same. He was willing to admit, at least to himself, that he harbored a bit of attraction for both of his allies. He was even prepared to acknowledge that the attraction just wasn't one purely of aestheticism. But it was probably better for him not to dwell on that too much. Or at least, not while in the presence of the object of his admiration.

"Thatz?"

He blinked, pretending that he had just woken up. "Yeah?" Rune nodded. "Just wanted to make sure that you hadn't passed out from starvation."

"Thanks for your concern..." He gave Rune a once-over, giving the illusion that he was just taking in the other Knight's barely-dressed body, but really allowing himself a bit of gratification for getting to look. "Out already, Rune?"

"It didn't take long," Mizu's Knight replied. "Some of us don't take forever to bathe, you know."

"What are you implying, exactly?"

"That you bathe."

Thatz rolled his eyes. "Well, thanks for that."

Rune didn't reply as he headed across the room. The room they had selected for the night had one main room that housed the beds, couch, and table, and had an adjoining bathroom for bathing. Their supplies were in bags on their beds, but Rune didn't retrieve his tunic from the pack on his bed. Instead, he went to the closet and selected a robe that was the same color as the towels he was wearing.

"Taking the room for all its worth?" Thatz inquired.

Rune gave him a wry look over his shoulder. "It doesn't make any sense to put on my clothes with my hair still soaking wet. It's so long, it would have my tunic sopping in no time."

"Why don't you cut your hair, then, if it causes you so much trouble?"

Rune shook his head. "No. I'd...rather not."

Thatz shrugged and sat up, leaning against the back of the couch. "Up to you."

"No sign of Rath, hm." It wasn't a question. Rune turned his back and started to remove the towel from around his waist.

Thatz knew that it would have been polite for him to look away. It wasn't as though they had never seen each other naked before, but still... Even though part of him wanted to give Rune what semblance of privacy he could, another part was just...well, a little perverted. He wondered if Rune would be able to sense Thatz's eyes on him. If he could, Rune gave no sign of it.

Rune was naked only for a moment, but the fact that he'd let the towel fall to the floor before pulling on the robe made Thatz's belly tighten for a second or two. He couldn't deny that there was attraction there, but as for what it would lead to - be it a secret crush or a momentary distraction - he didn't know.

Once Rune was more modestly covered with the blue robe, he padded over to his bed and settled down. Thatz had never seen Rune's post-bathing rituals, so he watched with interest as the Water Knight yanked the towel off of his head. His normally brushed, blond locks fell about his head and shoulders in complete and total disarray. It looked awful; Thatz knew next to nothing about hair and even he could tell that Rune had his work cut out for him.

"I had no idea that you have to go through this each and every time you wash it," Thatz said.

Rune gave him a mournful look and started toweling his sopping mane roughly. Thatz watched as the Water Knight gradually restored his blond locks to a more or less normal state, even though they were still very tangled. When Rune reached toward the table to pluck a comb from its surface, Thatz winced sympathetically. Now the blond had to run a toothed comb *through* that mess...? Long hair just wasn't worth the trouble, it seemed. Even if it did look nice later on.

"Why do you keep it so long?" Thatz wondered, unsure if the question was one that Rune would deign to answer. There was quite a bit that they didn't know about each other - of that, Thatz was certain. The secrecy wasn't due to any particular desire to withhold information, but because there had simply been no need to share a great deal. Or at least, there wasn't a whole lot that *Thatz* would have kept from his companions. Maybe they had a different view on disclosure altogether.

Rune paused, one hand poised to begin pulling at his hair. "Someone I knew...liked it this way." Thatz was about to ask who, but the other Knight rode over him with his next words. "Thatz, would you maybe...?"

Thatz blinked, tilting his head in confusion at the blond's hesitant question. "Would I...what?"

"Would you maybe...give me a hand?"

Rune didn't turn around right away after voicing his request, so Thatz had a moment or so to stare. It was an innocent favor to ask; girls did it for each other all the time. So why did Thatz suddenly feel a little...excited? Nervous?

The other Knight turned when Thatz didn't reply, looking a little sheepish. "Sorry, Thatz. I didn't mean to--"

"You didn't mean to what?" Thatz asked, recovering quickly. He bounced off the bed and almost-skipped to the other.

"I don't even know what I was going to say," Rune confessed with a mild chuckle. "You just looked kinda' stunned that I'd asked you."

"Well, I was," Thatz replied. "I mean, I figured that it was something you would have preferred to do yourself."

Rune gave him a grateful smile. "You don't mind, then?"

Mind? A chance to be that close to one of the creatures he was attracted to - without making a joke out of it? A chance to touch Rune's beautiful blond hair? Gods, no - he didn't mind at all. "Of course I don't mind! What are friends for, huh?" Very likely, friends *weren't* for ogling and fantasizing about other friends behind their backs, but Rune didn't need to know about that.

"Thanks," Rune said, already turning and rearranging himself. Now he had one leg on the bed, bent at the knee, and one resting on the floor.

"Anytime, anytime." Thatz joined his friend on the edge of the bed, arranging himself much like how Rune had. He swallowed, taking in the mess he would have to deal with. He'd never really brushed someone else's hair before, and his own was hardly a challenge.

When Rune reached back over his shoulder to hand Thatz the comb, Thatz accepted it and examined the tool. It was a wide-toothed comb, strong and sturdy. Perfect for combing through long, thick hair like Rune's.

Thatz put the utensil in his mouth and then used both hands to gather all of Rune's hair. He dragged all of it over Rune's shoulders so that it fell down the blond's back. Armed with the comb again, Thatz tried dragging it from the top of Rune's head to halfway down his back.

The comb hit a snag at the back of Rune's neck, becoming caught in a nest of tangles and tugging Rune's head marginally backward.

"Ow!" the Water Knight exclaimed.

Thatz rushed to apologize. "Sorry! I've never done this before, you know. And my hair hardly ever gets tangles in it."

"It's okay," Rune said, his voice sounding slightly strained. "Just...be more gentle, okay?"

"Of course, of course."

Thatz resolved to make good on those words, and tried a different track. Obviously, you couldn't just rake through thick, wet, tangled hair. So instead of using brute force, Thatz put the comb in his mouth again. He used his hands to separate Rune's hair into smaller sections, and then started combing through them one by one. When he reached a tangle, he handled it as delicately as he could. After a while, it looked like he was getting the hang of it. If Rune's quiet sighs and drooping head were any clue.

"I can't believe you do this every time you wash your hair," he said after some time had passed. Then he realized, "I've never seen you do this at all - ever. Yeesh, how often do you bathe, Rune?"

Rune shrugged, ignoring the jibe. "It's such a chore, but I usually don't do it when anyone else is around."

"Why not? It's not like we'd mind." Whoops - who had said that: Thatz the Good Friend or Thatz the Pervert? /"Pervert" is such a strong word./

Rune shrugged again. "If I did, I might ask you or Rath to do this for me all the time," he joked.

Thatz stopped himself from repeating "It's not like we'd mind." Instead, he chose to chuckle. "You seem to like this," he ventured, pleased to see that he could now run the comb through the other Knight's hair without difficulty.

Rune nodded. "When you have long hair, there's nothing quite like having someone else brush it for you."

"Is that part of why you have it?" Thatz cracked.

"Maybe," Rune said, being secretive and knowing it.

"You said," Thatz prodded cautiously, "that someone you knew really liked your hair..."

Rune's head was already lowered. If it hadn't been, Thatz had the feeling that his friend would have done so. "Yeah."

"...Who?" Thatz asked, wondering if he was stepping over the line.

He half-expected Rune to declare the subject closed, or to tell him to just mind his own business. Most of his other half had decided that Rune would simply not answer at all. A small part of him hoped that Rune would disclose the information.

Rune did none of those things.

"Someone special," he said quietly, with a trace of sadness and longing.

Thatz felt his heart clench. He didn't know the whole story, but he felt sympathy for his companion despite that. "I'm sorry." Did Rune...have someone? Or had he *had* someone? The latter seemed more likely, but strangely Thatz couldn't bring himself to believe either. "I'm sorry, Rune." It must have been someone special, but not a lover. "I didn't mean to bring back any bad memories." Besides, Thatz had always secretly suspected that Rune was fey. /Unless...that "special someone" *was* a man.../ He decided not to give himself a headache over it. What Rune did - or had done - was none of his business. If Rune was ever going to confide the information to him, then the other Knight would do so when he was ready and not before.

"Don't worry about it," Rune soothed, bending forward for a moment to snatch an elastic from the small table between two of the beds. "You didn't do anything wrong." He twirled the elastic around on his index finger. "Thanks, Thatz. My hair was much easier to handle with someone else back there. I'll just tie it back to keep it out of my way." The Water Knight's arms were already raised and poised to gather all his hair up, just waiting for Thatz to move away.

"Hang on." On impulse, Thatz divided Rune's hair into three sections and began to braid it. When Rune didn't protest, Thatz gathered that the actions were welcome.

Rune was still for a few moments, and then his arms lowered and he succumbed to the care. "Thatz?"

"Well, you said you liked it when other people played with your hair." There was that, but Thatz also wanted to be close to Rune for a little longer. "Instead of a plain ponytail, why not have it braided? I'm already here, after all."

"...Thanks."

Instead of acknowledging the gratitude right away, Thatz finished the braid and took the offered elastic from Rune's fingers. He tied the braid securely, drew back just a little to admire his work, and smiled at the long, thick plait running down Rune's back.

Then he leaned forward again, reaching out and wrapping the blond in a comforting hug from behind. He rested his cheek against the back of Rune's shoulder even as he felt the other Knight stiffen for a second.

"Thatz?" he asked, confused.

Thatz gave his friend a squeeze. "Just so you know, I don't expect you to tell me anything. I mean, I'd listen if you wanted to share, but I don't expect it."

"Thatz, I--"

"Whenever you're ready to tell me anything about your past, I'll listen to it. I promise I'll stop thinking about food for a while."

Rune was quiet for a moment, and then started to chuckle. He didn't try to disengage from the embrace. "Same to you, Thatz. Same to you." He inhaled and exhaled slowly, leaning back into the hug. "And thanks."

"Anytime," Thatz almost-whispered back. He still didn't let go.

When several seconds had gone by and Thatz still hadn't released the other Knight, Rune voiced some concern. "Thatz?"

The way Rune spoke his name, in a way that suggested that the hug should have been over a few moments ago - and would *be* over in the next few - compelled Thatz to speak up. He wanted to prolong this.

"Just a little longer," he pleaded. "I mean... I don't know what I mean. But, if it doesn't bother you... Just a little longer. Please."

"Thatz," Rune uttered, surprised. His hands came to rest on Thatz's forearms, and Thatz figured that the blond would end the embrace right away. He supposed he could understand; he had been a little forward, and maybe a little misleading. Perhaps.

But Rune didn't break free of the hold. Instead, the Water Knight kept his hands on Thatz's arms and leaned further against Thatz's body. Rune became a heavier, welcome weight against him. Thatz committed the feeling to memory, not knowing if something like this would ever happen again.

"A little longer," Rune agreed. His voice sounded...kinda' sleepy. Then again, if he had bathed and relaxed in hot water for a while, it would be no surprise if he *was* sleepy.

Thatz was about to suggest that he would be glad to rock Rune to sleep. He decided against it, for obvious reasons. That would definitely be going too far. He didn't even know if Rune found him attractive in the physical sense - and he didn't even know which way Rune was bent. So he just closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of holding someone close. Rune appeared to be enjoying being held.

"A little longer" turned into quite some time.

Thatz started when he heard some commotion coming from downstairs. It was only when he'd opened his eyes that he realized he'd fallen asleep. /Uh, oh./ How long had he been snoozing? He was supposed to go with Rune to find Rath. Surely they had surpassed the hour they were going to give the Fire Knight!

"Rune!" he cried, sitting up straight and jolting the mattress in the process. "Rune, wake up!"

The movement had caused the Water Knight to stir, and he opened his eyes at Thatz's voice. He needed a few seconds to gather his senses, and then he, too, was sitting bolt upright.

"We fell asleep!" he cried, shocked.

Thatz was less surprised over Rune's sudden nap than he was at his. If anyone should have remained alert, it should have been him. Rune was always so wound up, and the bath had no doubt done him some good. They had a long way to go, and it wouldn't be favorable for anyone if Rune were to have a breakdown before they got back to the Lord.

"We must have been *tired*," Thatz said, trying to alleviate any guilt and shame Rune might be feeling.

"I think it was just the circumstances," Rune uttered, his tone dropping a little.

Thatz tried not to blush. There was no reason for his cheeks to be turning red - except perhaps for the short fantasies his mind had been conjuring up lately. Nothing had happened between him and Rune, save for a long, comforting hug. The embrace had finally ended when Thatz had both felt and heard Rune's breathing become deep and even. The Water Knight had been nearly asleep sitting up when Thatz suggested that Rune lie down for a moment. They were going to close their eyes for a moment - just a moment... /Well, obviously that moment was a long one./ He seemed to be stretching time out more than usual lately.

"I'm sorry. I should have stayed awake."

"It's not your fault," Rune assured him. "Now come on," he added, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "Who knows where Rath is if he hasn't come back by n--"

Rune broke off when they heard familiar footsteps clamoring through the halls toward their room. They exchanged a glance, each inquiring if the other was hearing what he was.

"Rath?" Rune mouthed.

Thatz shrugged. Who else could it be? /Maybe it's the innkeeper coming to demand that we pay for the suite./

The door opened a moment later, revealing a very sated-looking Rath.

"Hi!" he almost-caroled, seemingly in a very good mood.

"Rath." Rune said his name in a defining tone.

"Hey, Rune! Nice robe." Wearing a huge grin, Rath closed the door behind him and made a beeline for the other bed. "You'll never guess what I've been doing!"

"Killing youkai," Thatz declared flatly.

Rath pouted visibly. "Guess how many, then!"

"Ten."

"Wrong!"

"Fifteen."

"Wrong again!"

"Rath," Rune said, his voice sounding very calm, "are you aware that you vanished without telling us where you were going, and have been gone for hours?"

Thatz frowned. Come to think of it, Rune's voice sounded much like how it had when he was in the bath. "Did you kill twenty demons, Rath?"

"You're way off, Thatz! Yeah, sorry, Rune. I didn't mean to just rush off. One woman was talking about a whole pack of demons attacking merchants!" Rath eyes lit up at the memory. Thatz could have sworn he saw sparkles in his friend's pupils. "How could I let those youkai continue to torment the innocent people of this city?"

"Obviously you couldn't." Thatz blinked. It felt like the bed was vibrating just a little. He stole a glance at Rune and blinked again. Was the blond *shaking*?

"So I tore them all to pieces!" Rath declared proudly. "Every last one of them. It was a large group, so it took me a while to get rid of them all, but I did it!" He dusted off his hands as if to signify a finished job well done. "I can't wait until we get to the next town. Maybe there will be more demons there."

Thatz had sense enough to dive to the floor as soon as he felt Rune move. The blond leapt from the bed and tackled Rath, taking them both to the floor. Thatz remained between the two beds, watching Rune snarl and shake the Fire Knight.

"How are we supposed to get home as soon as possible if you keep running off to hunt demons?!" Rune ranted. "The Lord told us to get back as fast as we could, and each and every time we stop for some rest you have to go off and get yourself into trouble!"

Thatz listened to Rune's tirade and watched Rath take the punishment without much of a fuss. Despite their little quirks, Thatz really did think that the three of them worked well together, and complimented each other well. They even argued and fought like old friends. It was no wonder he found himself attracted to both of them, even if he had yet to explore that attraction further.

He would have plenty of time, though. It certainly looked like they would be taking the long way home.