More Than Friends

Trouble is copyrighted to Sallie Drazzi

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Din stepped carefully out of Trouble's room, rubbing the back of his neck and making sure he at least looked somewhat presentable. His fever had broken that morning, he figured it was time for him to leave.

Obsidian noticed him leaning there in the doorway, canting his head and narrowing his eyes. "Noticed you were under Trouble yesterday, getting somewhere with that?"

"I'm getting out of his hair, broke my fever, can go now and quit annoying him," Din grunted.

"Trouble doesn't get annoyed, physically impossible for him. Trust me, I read emotions," the incubus grinned. "Besides, if you leave you'll never see him again cuz he won't come out on his own. And you know, my daughter has taken it upon herself to hook the two of you up."

Din forced himself not to let that blush show.

"Besides, you still look sick to me," Obsidian grinned and shoved the Koorime back into the room.

"I am not-" Din staggered back into the room, trying to avoid canvases.

"He's not ready to leave yet," Obsidian informed the Immortal.

Trouble blinked up, "But... he... er... doesn't want... to be... here."

"He does, I can smell it," the incubus shoved Din toward Trouble.

The two of them tangled up together, each blushing now. Din stammered, "I... errr.. sorry."

Obsidian leered, perhaps going a little too far to fast, but this had been bothering him for several days now, "No you're not, I heard your fantasies all night," he paced around the two, "Resting your ear against his heart, wanting him. I even heard your thoughts about wanting to pleasure yourself, but worried because he was awake and would notice and you thought you'd upset him."

"Stay out of my fucking thoughts!" Din protested.

"And now you're trying so hard not to be angry with me because you don't want to scare him."

"Stop it!! Fucking stop it!!!" the Koorime put his hands together, gathered his magic and ice blasted Obsidian.

Trouble wrapped his arms around himself, staring quietly at the floor.

Obsidian shivered his way out of the ice and giggled, "That was fun."

Din sat there shaking, also staring at the floor, trying to get his anger under control

"Awww look, you match. Need this though," Obsidian reached and grabbed Trouble's hand, placing it on Din's shoulders, then giving Din just a little nudge.

It was all that was needed. Din threw himself toward the touch, not really caring who it was at the moment, thudding into Trouble's chest and crying despite trying not to. Trouble blinked and tensed a moment, disjointedly looking around the room uncomfortably. Then he slowly and shakily wrapped his arms loosely around Din.

Din wiped at his eyes, irritated at himself and failing in brushing his hair out of his face, "S... sorry..."

Trouble was blushing badly, "It... I... I mean... it's okay..."

"Shouldn't....dammit," Din gave up and sat there trying to get control of his crying.

"Din... told you people could care about you, temper issues or not," Obsidian smiled.

Din attempted to get up off Trouble, ending up against his neck instead of his chest, panting and shaking weakly. He obviously wasn't as better as he'd thought. The Immortal was staring at the floor beside him and trying not to shake too much, but he had his arms around the Koorime, and that seemed to settle him down, so he left it there.

"Now... time for some counseling," the incubus declared, crossing his arms over his chest and watching the pair. "What's the major concerns with this relationship... mind you not sexual yet, still friends, but what's up here? Obviously some pent up emotions from both of ya."

Trouble looked down at his fingers, interlacing them with each other, "I... er... maybe cause... I don't... feel I can... trust... people?"

Obsidian nods, "Noted... and I believe Din has the same problem."

Din murmured softly, "He doesn't need a bastard like me aorund..."

"You're not a bastard."

"Yes I am."

"You do that to keep people away is all, it's not the real you," Obsidian excused.

"I have a temper," Din kept up the gentle arguing.

"Everyone has a temper."

"I have a lethal temper."

"You never hurt people you like, which isn't very many I admit, but you're very good to your friends. Now here's the question, you want to be friends with Trouble?"

"I... I... I can't tell what I feel."

"Replacement for what you can't have maybe? Or what you lost?"

Din got hit hard by that emotion, choking, doing his best not to cry.

Trouble was still staring at his hands, "Maybe..."

"What?" Obsidian prodded gently.

"I... should er... go... I'm... er... creating an... atmosphere..." he tugged absently at his hair to pull it more over his face.

Din took a deep breath, wiping at his eyes, "Want... want something... someone..."

Obsidian waited patiently, realizing Din would only put the defenses back up if he prodded at him.

"Just someone... special... and every time I try.... nothing ever fucking workds."

"Mebbe cuz they weren't spose to.. you aren't exactly compatible with everyone, no one is. Ya gotta try and try to find someone you can work with and then not blame yourself for failures. And no quitting trying, the next one might work."

"Maybe it's not for me..." Din sighed.

"That's the depression talking, get past that to what you really feel. You want to be his friend?"

"Yes I admit it, admit that much, friends.... just," Din slouched.

"Said that like friends is not enough?" Obsidian prodded very gently.

Din thought his voice was pitifully quiet, "Want more."

Obsidian gently covered Trouble's ears with his hands, "So what's wrong with telling him?"

"Not what he wants to hear. He's shy... and ... and I'm so brash and perverse. It didn't work with... with... and he... he reminds me .. of him."

"But you don't know if this will work unless you try will you?"

"Don't want to hurt him."

"Well you dunno that you are unless you try and it'd hurt ya both not to try because you're both so lonely and this is not a happy lonely, I can feel that constantly. So I am going to uncover his ears and let you talk to him, I won't interfere anymore, promise, just... think before you make a rash decision, follow your feelings," the incubus removed his hands, feeling he'd done his part, vanishing so the two of them could be alone.

Din settled and rubbed his temple, glancing around the floor, "Errr... I.... I like you... and if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to... umm... be more than friends... but-if-not-friends-is-perfectly-fine!" he rushed his words together nervously.

Trouble blinked at the floor, then blinked up in shock as he processed what was just said, "With... er... me?"

It took awhile for Din to find his courage again, "... Yeah."

The little Being stared at his hands on his lap again, "I ... dunno why... someone like you... would er.. want to... be with... someone like.. er me..." he started interlacing his fingers around each other nervously again. "But.. I would.. er.. like to.. er.. that is.. er.. maybe try... if you.. think you can put... er.. up with.. me."

Din put a hand very lightly over Trouble's hands, "I'd be honoured to "put up with you"... I don't know if I deserve even the chance... and I never want to hurt you, I'm so scared..."

Trouble blinked down at Din's hand on his, then lifted his head a little, giving a nervous smile, "Scared.. I can.. relate to..."

Din chewed at his lip, taking a deep breath. Go with his feelings, right, and he had to be honest from the start if they were going in this direction. He pushed his shirt sleeve up to show his shoulder tattoo to Trouble, "I was branded an "aggressive"... which means I have no value... I'm not a slave anymore.. never was very good at it, except the sex part really."

Trouble tilted his head at it, "No... value?"

"In my homeland, males are judged on their value, how much they can be sold or traded for by our Ladies, companion level are the most valuable of course, highly trained... and when one like me goes sour and needs branded.. well.. it makes me worthless, unbreedable.. to the point they were going to put me down."

"Oh.. right... I just.. er.. was thinking..." Trouble trailed off and looked back down at the floor.

Din started to say something, then got distracted looking at Trouble's hair.

The Immortal was still looking at floor, oblivious, and absently began making a circle on it with his forefinger. He seemed like he wasn't going to finish his previous sentence and then picked it up again quietly, "That... er... you don't seem... valueless..."

Din spoke quietly, "Different values than they want.... s'why I left."

"But you were.. strong enough to... leave."

Din grinned in a quirky little way, "Yeah... had to get out of there."

The Personification lifted his head slightly, but mainly just his eyes, looking off thoughtfully. Din went back into his little hair-obsessed trance and reached to touch. Trouble caught Din's movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to look at him a second before looking downwards again, blushing.

Din leaned close to experimentally nuzzle gently against Trouble's blushing cheek. Trouble's eyes widened in shock, but he didn't pull away. The Koorime stayed right where he was, smiling gently, hand lightly brushing over the other cheek. Trouble hesitantly tilted his head into the touch, still blushing and looking downwards. Din cradled Trouble's face in his hand, kissing his cheek before laying his head down on his shoulder tiredly.

Trouble blinked, "Oh... sorry.. I have... been keeping you.. awake..."

Din smiled and sighed, "It... was well worth it... hope I don't screw this up, I really don't want to hurt you... just... yeah I'm tired of being alone... gotta try."

"Hmm... yeah," Trouble couldn't get himself to say anything more, rousing the Koorime a little and shuffling to his feet, pulling Din up with him.

They settled on the bed, Din curling against Trouble's little frame almost naturally. Trouble gave a breathy little laugh, smiling, and grabbed the blanket to settle it around the Koorime. He wanted to say more, but he just couldn't, and he really hoped that Din meant what he said. Eventually, yes eventually, and hopefully everything would work out. More than friends sounded very good.





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