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This chapter is dedicated to Evie/A’viloh and CrystalRune/Y’sato because without your support and cheer and I would have delayed this piece of writing for who knows how long. Thank you that I can always find motivation with you, friends.

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He thought of summer and warmth. Could almost feel the soothing rais of sunshine on his skin. The butterflies in his belly. Aveen’s first kiss had been on a dreamy summer evening, high above Kugane during his first year there. Delan had showed him that wonderful spot up a mountain with the little puplic observation platform not many knew about. It was like a little secret. A little hidden treasure. Delan had been the only person Aveen had ever kissed. Not only that one time on that summer evening, but many times more. Every kiss a small spark of warmth and the tender knowledge of closeness and love. So until now thoughts and memories of kissing had always been connected to Delan. To his red hair, his blue eyes, his colorful soul and bright smile just like the pictures he had painted. To Aveen's yearning for the lips of another and the silent guilt of not being able to give back what was received due to an occupied heart.

But now Aveen’s heart beat free and all that remained was the wonderful feeling of warmth and the exciting flutter of little wings in his belly as Somna’a’s lips touched his. If anyone had told Aveen this morning, that at the end of the day the Keeper would kiss him, he would have laughed about it. But here he sat, a bit nervous and unsure about what was happening in the first seconds but welcoming it more and more. Somna’a’s kiss was gentle and soft, a bit shy even but that changed when Aveen more actively kissed the other miqo’te back. Gently leaning a bit more towards him, showing him that his courage had found a rewarding reflection. The Keeper’s hand in Aveen’s hair moved a bit more towards the neck and the healer felt Somna’a pressing with more demand into the kiss suddenly. Aveen had almost expected it. Offer Somna’a one finger and he takes the whole hand. So he turned his head slightly, leaning back to end the kiss but placed his free left hand on Somna’a’s right cheek instead, their faces still very close. The green Keeper eyes in front of him had never been more beautiful, the mouth that was on his mere seconds ago softly opened, releasing a low breath. His ears shifted adorably, from an almost apologizing low position now higher again. Tentative and curious. The two men looked at each other as if the light in the tent had suddenly shifted and painted them in new colors in each others eyes. Aveen couldn’t help but smile and caress Somna’a’s skin where his cheek-tattoo was with his left thumb, hoping to tell him that he did not interrupt the kiss because he didn’t like it, but because he was just very slow with processing such closeness and, more importantly, Somna’a’s attraction. The Keeper smiled back in a way Aveen had never seen before and then leaned his forehead against that of the other Miqo’te while making a short vibrating sound in his throat. By Thaliak, why was he so charming?

Aveen had to think about the scene in the Alchemist tent and still could only vaguely imagine what had made Somna’a so sad. What was going through his mind when he was offered kindness and affection. But despite all this melancholy, Aveen was thankful that he apparently was able to help the Keeper through this wave of sadness. Being able to ease someones woes through trust has always been one of the most precious gifts for Aveen.

The trusting headbump sent another fluttery feeling through Aveen’s stomach and he pulled his right hand free from Somna’a’s hand to fully embrace the man in front of him around his neck and Somna’a gladly wrapped his arms around Aveen’s chest, leaning his chin on Aveen’s shoulder. His darker colored tailtip wiggled in a relaxed pace.

“Thank you.” Somna’a said still in their embrace. ”For taking me with you. I fear I will question my own decision tomorrow already, so when this happens, I expect you to smack me over the head or something. Or we could just kiss again then. That should also settle it.”

Aveen heard the smirk in his voice and had to chuckle. ”Smacking is not for me, I’m afraid. You still have two whole days to say your goodbyes here and get ready. If I can help you with anything, just say the word. If you want to occupy the guest bed here, feel free.”, he offered gently and pulled his arms back again. Somna’a looked at him and still had this adorable smile on his face. Before Aveen could do anything about it, the blond planted a small kiss on his cheek before he stood up to collect their dishes and bring them back to the kitchen tent.

Aveen kept sitting on the bed for a short moment, the echo of the feeling of Somna’a’s lips still vividly present on his own.

The Keeper had cancelled his usual nightly stroll and made himself comfortable in the second bed in Aveen’s tent. The two Miqo’te had talked for over an hour about mundane things and Aveen had explained that he had planned a short stop in Rhalgr’s Reach and will continue by Airship from there to Gridania. He would also inform his parents via Linkpearl of Somna’a’s company. The Keeper seemed a bit unsure about that topic and quickly offered to just search for a hotel to not be a burden, but Aveen assured him that they had a guest room he could use until they had decided what to do next. Even if his parents would be sceptical maybe about that unknown Keeper their son suddenly had in tow, Aveen was sure they would always offer help.

They spent the next day looking to their tasks but met again for the evening. Aveen couldn’t tell if the Keeper was really overcome with doubts or not. But he smiled more and invited the healer to show him a little lake not far from the camp. ”Do you remember how you didn’t trust me to leave the camp together at my first evening here? After you healed me?” Somna’a casually asked while taking Aveen’s hand into his as they walked down the little slope to the valley. Aveen grabbed Somna’a’s hand as if they had done it many times before and was secretly happy about this small gesture. ”Sure, I do. But we won’t see Nyunkrepf’s Hope from down there, right?” ”No, for that we would need to take the other path higher up. Maybe next time… I will miss seeing it.” ”That old ship won’t go anywhere and will always be here when you return someday.” Aveen assured him and Somna’a gave a soft squeeze of his hand.

Aveen found the landscape of Gyr Abania a little bleak sometimes, but he knew that the beauty of the steep mountains in the distance was one of a kind. Especially during sundown like now. The hills seemed to glow in different warm colors. Only in Thavnair he had seen even more colors that nature had to offer and that he had never deemed possible in mountains. He remembered how excitingly Delan had shown him so many beautiful corners of his homecountry as Aveen finally had visited him and his sister. The memories of Thavnair and the red-haired hyur let Aveen’s mind wander to yesterdays kiss with the man next to him again and he had the feeling that his ears became warmer, the touch of Somna’a’s hand in his more present. He looked up towards him and Somna’a looked back with this charming smile of his, the pierced ears moving forward like a reflex. ”Gyr Abania is beautiful, especially in the evenings.” Aveen said a bit clumsily and moving his gaze towards the road again. ”It was even more beautiful before the damned Garleans arrived. Now you can’t walk two yalms without seeing some of their disgusting castrums on a horizon or where their magitek trampled down once beautiful meadows.” The hate for the empire was clear in Somna’a’s voice. Aveen understood that it would take a long time until not only the wounds in the landscape would heal.

“At least I won’t see that in The Black Shroud and Gridania, right?”

“No… but trees. Lot’s of trees.”, Aveen chuckled.

The narrow path before them did not show any old signs of the war and the little lake surrounded by weather-hardened bushes was a cute sparkling thing amidst the sandy yellow blanket of the desert. Somna’a pulled Aveen to an accessible part of the shore and his tail and ears flicked lively as he looked over the tranquil water to the other shore some yalms away.

“But it’s already too cold to go inside, right?” Aveen asked suspiciously.

“Yeah, I don’t want us to catch a cold. But I want to at least dip my feet in. The lake is quite shallow anyway. You want to come with me or are you not so fond of water?” Somna’a asked with a smirk while he was already taking off his boots and rolled up the legs of his pants. Some fine scars became visible on his shins.

Aveen considered for a moment. He had nothing against taking baths in lakes or the ocean. He just really hoped they wouldn’t get sick so shortly before their journey to Gridania.