animatedsmoke | (no subject)

(no subject)

Who: Potemkin, Ky Kiske
What: These characters actually acting as statesmen for once.
When: Xrd
Where: Illyria

The location is one chosen to be appease and impress anyone who could come in, but the surroundings get a small share of the attention compared to the attendees. The place is filled with so many people with important sounding names and each with their own duties and allegiances, one's focus could easily get lost in the busyness of that alone. It's a test of the mind, and its skill and endurance, to manage keeping track of what is going on, who is moving to where and what room, and the content of what is being said by so many different voices, and that's not getting into the things not meant to be noticed. . .

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It's fortunate that Potemkin has a shirt on today instead of armor. Potemkin feels Ky's head softly pressing into his chest through the cloth, and his deep sigh resonates with him for all the sadness it carries. Potemkin looks over the rest of the study, his sight landing on the chair Ky was using at the beginning.

"Would you like for us to have a seat?" Potemkin asks, in plural for 'we, together' . He's not going to stop hugging him to walk across the room. He prepares for moving by lowering his arm, enough to pick up Ky's legs if need be.

Potemkin's voice prompts Ky to look up from where he's leaning. "Yes...?" He wouldn't mind a seat, but there was only one lounge chair in this room. He could sit on the desk chair instead, so Potemkin could—

His thoughts (overthinking, really) abruptly halt as he feels the both of them moving. Ky is stunned once again as Potemkin practically lifts him as they walk. He reflexively takes hold of the larger man's suit to keep himself steady. He's utterly bewildered. It isn't exactly a common occurrence for someone to boldly move the king like this.

Potemkin doesn't have to look down at he man in his arms while carrying him, though his muscles do work to keep his arms very, very steady. All Potemkin had to do was catch the underside of Ky's legs, and lift up, and they were on their way. Without looking Potemkin still feels a tug on the front of his suit, and because it's coming from Ky's hands the pulling of his suit sticks out clearer and more vibrantly than any of the weight he's lifting.

Potemkin is the one who puts his butt in the seat. He stretches, adjusting to holding Ky while he lowered himself to sit. Ky is constantly kept against his chest, though now he has Potemkin's whole body under him and he's for the first time eye level with Potemkin's head.

Sometimes, despite himself, Ky forgets Potemkin is a man more than twice his size. He should know better than to forget, of course, especially after having experienced the literal impact of underestimating Potemkin's ability to reach out and pluck him out of the air with ease. But he does, because his focus is usually centered on the man's heart and loyalty, and it's always a surprise when he receives a reminder of their physical differences like this.

He's rested on top of Potemkin, like a princess in the hands of a giant knight, and Ky looks down to gaze at that broadly chiseled face and pale eyes. Just a moment ago, they were like strangers. And now...

Ky relaxes. Now, they are like lovers. His expression softens as a hand raises up to gently trace Potemkin's cheekbone.

"You shouldn't reward me for behaving like this," he lightly chastises.

"You've suffered enough," Potemkin grunts. It almost would have come off as dismissive, if it wasn't how he simultaneously closed his eyes when Ky's fingers brush his face. Potemkin holds his head proudly and his face is steady as Ky traces it, but with Ky's hand on his face he can feel the fluttering of his breath.

"There's discipline, and then there's cruelty." With that said, Potemkin is thoroughly into distracting Ky from the event that they both left behind. Potemkin raises his other hand, the one that is not holding Ky to him, and cautiously stretches it toward Ky, like handling something very precious. The tools they have to work with may be unequal, but Potemkin manages to return the gesture and his hand cups the side of Ky's head.

Whatever those people said must've been terrible to hear, Ky thinks as he leans into Potemkin's touch like an affectionate feline. The large hand can practically cover his shoulders as well, and it's incredibly comforting to physically feel that strong support rather than trust his already worn out spirit to accept it. Potemkin's hand is invitingly warm, too, and amusingly slightly dusted from the man's adventurous efforts to reach the room.

"Don't pay any mind to what they said," Ky advises. "Their words will only drive you mad, and your madness will only encourage them."

Ky gives Potemkin a warm and gentle little smile. "We know the truth about each other... that is all I care about."

A smile grows on Potemkin's face too, from hearing him, from seeing his smile, from being able to feel Ky underneath his hand. The care Ky shows him washes away whatever lingering anxiety Potemkin was holding on to, that he would have barred from sight from Ky because it is Potemkin who is the one doing the same for Ky. Potemkin feels the weight of Ky's body gently push into his palm for better pets, and in return Potemkin shows more affections. He smooths his fingers against Ky's mantle, and threads through what he can reach of Ky's hair.

"That's all that matters to me too. I know who you really are," Potemkin says, softly but with a deep confidence.

Edited (adverb ending) 2017-11-05 08:00 (UTC)

Ky has to resist leaning down to let Potemkin play with more of his hair. It's funny how apprehensive he initially was about his hair growing out so much yet somehow ended up enjoying the feeling of someone threading their fingers through the length of it. It's become something of a silly indulgence of his, and this really isn't the place for him to lean over so far that he falls from Potemkin's lap like some kind of clumsy feline.

His dear partner sounds so confident, though, that Ky can't help his amusement. He adjusts his position, leaning forward on Potemkin's chest.

"I have no doubt that you do," he says. And then, with a playful smile on his lips, he asks, "Then... who am I?"

Potemkin blinks, inevitably surprised from this new boldness when until now Ky had seemingly been fine just sitting, relaxed to the point that Potemkin could literally carry him around. As Ky gently pushes closer Potemkin has to look down sharply past his chin to keep eye contact.

Ky's smile, with its bright emotion and subtle curve, could enthrall him alone... but he must be focused. After all, it's his arm that Ky is resting against.

"Well, you are exactly the man you appear to be," Potemkin resumes. No matter what angle he has to speak at, or how close Ky's face looks, Potemkin keeps the conviction in his voice independent of how entertained Ky appears to be. "You are a man who cares and loves the world, that proves honestly what you will do to protect it."

Ky goes quiet for a moment, letting the words settle in the very short space between them. He wasn't fishing for flattery, but Potemkin's sincerity makes a warm weight settle in his chest nonetheless. Wordlessly, he leans his head down to rest against the larger man again, resisting the urge to kiss him right here and now. No matter how comfortable they are, and away from prying eyes, this is still a public venue. He knows they shouldn't.

Instead, Ky sighs as he finds comfort in the sound of Potemkin's heartbeat.

"...your heart is truly as large as it seems," he says fondly. "Zepp is fortunate to have a devoted man such as you."

Potemkin sighed when Ky looked away to dig his head into his chest. With that tension Potemkin could have been tempted to action too, or driven crazy by the lack of any. Ky centers into a kind of ball of warmth against his chest, and holding what is to Potemkin Ky's light body becomes a luxrious experience in itself.

Potemkin continues affectionately touching Ky's head, hitting the back of it now that his face is away from the outside. Potemkin's hand goes all the way from top to bottom with each stroke, shading Ky's entire resting head at the beginning.

"It's fortunate that I do have such a mighty heart. But it will always belong to you."

Edited (I didn't actually finish my sentence...) 2017-11-13 08:27 (UTC)

Ky pauses again. This time, rather than settling, the words linger in the air like dust that had been stirred up. His eyelids flutter as Potemkin strokes his head. He feels like he's being comforted, and it's making him feel incredibly relaxed. Not completely, however, as Potemkin's words are still buzzing in his ear. Coming from anyone else, those would be powerful, romantic words. But from Potemkin... Ky doesn't intend on 'owning' anything of the man, given the Zeppian's history.

But is he overthinking it? He isn't sure.

It takes a little bit, but Ky finally finds words that express his own feelings without revealing a possible misunderstanding about Potemkin's.

"And you, mine," he responds. It's a simple answer, but hopefully Potemkin understands. If Ky possesses Potemkin's heart, then Potemkin also owns Ky's. An equal exchange.

Potemkin expected nothing, because it was enough to love, and be allowed to love (maybe not by the general public, but by Ky himself and that is what is most important). And he thought Ky would continue relaxing, or possibly even fall asleep. Ky swearing to him in return surprises him, and his hand briefly pauses on Ky's head, before it goes back to petting him.

"Ky..." Potemkin sighs, not loudly enough to disturb the man carried against his chest but heavy with his affection still.

Ky can feel the hand pause on his head, but doesn't respond to it. He closes his eyes and allows the peaceful moment between them say it all. Still very aware of the building they're in, he doesn't quite fall into a deep sleep. But a light doze is enough to keep him quiet as they both relax together.

He treasures this man, he thinks as he drifts off. He cherishes everything that makes up the man named Potemkin.

Potemkin feels Ky drift away in his arms, gradually like the edging of night into daylight. Eventually he stops moving too, and instead is content to cradle the sleeping Ky. Potemkin keeps track of exactly how long this nap is, because when the event draws to a close and the King becomes called for Potemkin will wake him from his rest, and Potemkin will have to jump right out that window. Then they'll be able to meet on the other side of the building, as random guests.

But for now, they can continue staying together. Potemkin is glad for that, and that in this brief meeting within a meeting he succeeded in bringing Ky some peace.

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