"Huh?! I exclaimed, shocked at the sudden declaration. My face was a mix of flush and confusion, my mouth hanging open.
'This guy is asking me to pay more attention to him…? All while having the audacity to look so damn cute while doing it?! Just what am I going to do with myself?!'
"I-I'm sorry, please repeat that, I think I misheard," I chuckled, trying to convince myself that my day didn't just go from serious to flirtatious.
"No, you heard correctly!" Sephtis insisted, then placed his hands on my knees and leaned closer to me as I leaned back, my face full of blush, "Ever since Praxis and Nari have joined us, you haven't been paying me any attention. It's not fair!"
Sephtis puffed his cheeks as he pouted, his ears tilted downwards, and he used puppy dog eyes. For a moment, a little string in my head broke, but I quickly retied it and got myself back to my senses.
"S-Sephtis, it's nothing to worry about, really! I was just busy trying to make sure Praxis and Nari got comfortable here, that's all!" I insisted, trying to push Sephtis off of me.
"Mmm, is that your excuse now? I'm not buying it!" Sephtis growled and continued to pout, pushing himself closer to me and causing my hands to slide down to his chest, and his face came within inches of mine.
Sephtis had a pout on his face, painted by blush, his tail swayed a little faster when he felt my hands where it wasn't appropriate. I pushed back, trying to ignore the squish under my hands, but that only got Sephtis more heated.
"Sephtis, please. Just let it go, I'll give you some attention, just not now!" I announced, looking away from his ever-closer face, all while trying to distract myself from the fact that his juicy chest was under my hands.
"No. Now, I have your full attention, and everyone else is busy doing something," Sephtis reminded, his breath tickling my ear as he whispered to me, "So you could give me enough attention to last me till tomorrow…or we could have some fun now and get tomorrow out of the way…"
"...Sephtis, you don't know what you are saying!" My pupils were trembling now, my face bright like a tomato.
"But I do," He declared, pushing me down onto the couch, my back hitting the cushions, "I know exactly what I'm saying and doing, and I mean every bit of it."
Sephtis was taking his shirt off, leaving just the undershirt, which defined his muscles very thoroughly. Slowly, the string that I tied back together was coming undone.
"Please, don't do something you may regret later-!" I tried to refute, but was cut off. Sephtis, now shirtless, grabbed my chin and planted his lips onto mine, sneaking his tongue in.
***
Now, to explain this, let's go back a few hours. Sephtis and Praxis were having tea in the latter's room. Praxis was reading while Sephtis had his head planted on the table they shared.
"Haa, what is it?" Praxis asked with a tired voice, closing his book and placing it on his lap.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Sephtis raised his head, his chin still on the table as he looked at Praxis, clueless.
"Oh, please, no one lays their head on a table like that with a listless expression if they don't have some problem plaguing them. So, tell me, what is it?" Praxis moved the book from his lap to the table and crossed his arms, all ears.
"Mmm, okay, I'll tell you…just promise you won't make fun of me," Sephtis expressed, sitting up and sighing, a frown on his face.
"Eh, depends on what it is. But, if I do, I'll try to do it quietly," Praxis smirked mockingly, though it was with more amusement than anything.
"Lately, I just…I feel as if Le-...Kallisto hasn't been paying me very much attention as he usually did, so I feel a little off," Sephtis explained, fiddling with his fingers.
"Hmmm, you two are lovers, are you not?" Praxis inquired, taking a sip of the not tea in front of him.
"H-huh?! I-I think so…I mean, we have done that, so I would like to think so," Sephtis commented, trailing off in thoughts, his face slowly turning red.
"Ugh, well, either way you have feelings for him, and he possibly has feelings for you, no?" Sephtis nodded, "Then why not confront him?"
"Confront him how? I can't just go up to him and ask him that straight out! I'm not exactly confident…plus he really only seems to like me for my chest…" Sephtis blurted out, his face turning tomato red as he looked down.
"...Okay…then use that to seduce him. That's the simple answer," Praxis shrugged like it was the easiest thing in the world, but Sephtis turned as red as the balloon from the cover of 'IT.'
"I can't do that! There's no way that'll work! I'll likely just end up embarrassing myself," Sephtis declared, covering his face.
"You said he likes your chest, right? Then use that. Flaunt it in front of him, get him to focus on that. That is what will draw him in," Praxis suggested, reaching and poking Sephtis in the middle of his chest.
***
Sephtis went right for the kill, sliding his tongue into my mouth. He traced my tongue, trying to memorize every little bump of nerves and taste buds on it.
He sucked on it like it was a lollipop, or maybe even a popsicle, practically pulling my tongue into his mouth. Sephtis tried to wrap his tongue around mine, using his hands to hold my head close to his.
If I had to be honest, this was the best kiss I'd ever had. And if the circumstances weren't so odd, I would've given it and been swept into Sephtis' embrace.
Hearing myself moan a little, I was brought out of shock and right back into reality. I pushed Sephtis away, him landing on the other side of the couch, then got up and went to my desk and wept the mixed saliva from the corners of my mouth.
'Ugh, shit! What the hell is wrong with me ?...No, with both of us?! Why is it so hard to tell him that I know of his feelings but can't reciprocate them?'
"L-Lev?..." Sephtis called out from behind me, still on the couch, not moving due to shock, "Why? Why do you push me away? Do you…not feel the same as I do?"
"...Do you even know what you are saying? And what is with the childish and clingy act? You weren't like this before, so what's with the sudden change?" I questioned, turning to him with a frown on my face.
'It's, I just…need to ignore his question. Giving him an answer of my honest feelings will only make things more complicated.'
"Why? To get you to notice me! You give Nari plenty of attention because of her childish ways, get along with Lorenzo because you work out together in the mornings, and let Praxis have his space because that's what he prefers! But have you ever thought of what I might want?!" Sephtis went off, standing up, his gentleness vanished like the wind.
I could tell just from this alone how put off and upset he was. Sephtis' gentleness and timidness were not an act; it was something he learned growing up, his shyness from trauma.
Gentle and timid because he didn't want to garner attention from those stronger than him and wanted to seem weaker to get them to treat him kindly, it eventually just became his normal way of life.
"I do think about what you want, every day! I try to give you your space because, to be honest, I'm not sure how to deal with you," I admitted, an expression of guilt tracing my face, "When I first met you, you lived alone, and everyone tended to avoid you, so I thought that's what you'd be more comfortable with."
"More comfortable with being alone? No, that's the complete opposite of what I want!" Sephtis shouted, tears forming in his eyes, his ears tilting downward, and his tail remaining still.
"Then tell me, what do you want? What is something within my power that I can do for you?" I replied, stepping closer to him and looking him square in the eyes, my full attention on him.
"I want to always remain by your side, whether it be in the same way Victor is, or in the literal sense," Sephtis started, but I soon got an idea of where it was going, and I had to stop him from saying it, "Lev, I lov- mph!"
"Sephtis, stop. No, you don't love me," I covered his mouth, looking at him with a cold expression, but sadness hidden in my eyes, "And even if you really did, I couldn't be with you…We only met a couple of weeks ago, and the reason we met in the first place was under circumstances far more complicated than you could imagine."
"...Then help me understand," Sephtis exclaimed, removing my hand from covering his mouth and standing closer to me, "There is so much you haven't told me. I am your student, let me learn from you."
"...Fine, but don't regret asking after I tell you," I sighed, sitting down on the couch, my clothes still a mess.
***
As Lev told his story of his encounter with Oryn and Llyr, a couple of cities away, a familiar figure in this tale sat at a cafe. The same one where Lev had his third encounter with Octavius Ayrmyne.
The man wore a dark navy button-up, white suit vest, white dress pants, and a lighter navy blue tie. He wore long armored boots and a silver-and-amethyst broach, his black commander-style coat hanging from the back of his chair.
The man's outfit perfectly matched his looks, gorgeous teal hair, and his shiny, scale-like skin on his neck. People couldn't help but stare as he gracefully lifted his teacup to his mouth, reading what looked like letters. Even if one of the people staring walked right into a pole, they didn't care after they got to see a stunningly handsome man like him.
"Haaa," The man sighed, seemingly disappointed in something and mumbling to himself, "The people all stare and adore me like this, so why can't he?"
His lovesickness only made him more appealing to the public; the admiring strangers were all blissfully unaware of his obsession with the object of his sorrow. Though that was probably for the best, had people been more aware, the Alkmene Kingdom wouldn't be as widely visited as it is today.
"My my, it's not every day you see a royal in a public space sighing to himself like he is now," A familiar but unfamiliar voice spoke up, walking up from behind Llyr.
"Hm? And you are?" Llyr asked, gazing upon the strange curly blonde-haired, red-eyed man who announced himself rather brazenly.
"Ah, apologies for not introducing myself properly. I am Octavius Ayrmyne, an old friend of the object of your affection, or so some say it is." Octavius smiled his signature malicious smile, sitting down in front of Llyr.
Rather than sporting his usual look, Octavius was dressed differently today. He wore a black three-piece suit, perfectly fitted to his muscular body. He wore a gold tie, had a gold handkerchief in his pocket, and a gold chain connecting the top buttons of his blazer.
What truly made the look look in his style was the gray trench coat he wore as a cape, a red scarf-like stole, and a red and gray fedora with matching gold accessories. Hiding his pointed ears and his long nails were gold ear cuffs and a pair of black gloves.
"Octavius Ayrmyne, hm…That name is familiar to me. Would you happen to be a merchant by any chance?" Llyr questioned, not surprised that the man knew his true identity, after all, he did say he was a friend of his beloved.
"My, I'm surprised you know of me! It is truly an honor," Octavius gave a mocking bow, smirking with the intent of annoying Llyr, but alas, he was too dense to realize Octavius was making a jab at him.
"Thank you? Well, whatever. What do you want?" Llyr brushed his 'formality' to the side, thinking of Octavius as annoying, "Nobody approaches me without having something they want. So, out with it. My traveling companion warned me about you, so don't try to pull anything."
"Hahaha! Well, you having a traveling companion is news to me, so I suppose you have an advantage with that." Octavius nodded and mumbled something to himself, "I suppose that is someone he didn't want me knowing about…interesting."
"Excuse me?" Llyr clenched his jaw, already annoyed at the fact that Octavius would dare lie to him about being a friend of Lev's, but even more so now that Octavius continued to cross the line.
"Heh, my apologies, please ignore the ramblings of this mad merchant. I've come to you with a proposition, for you see… there's a bet I'd like to win," Octavius smiled, resting his elbows on the table and his chin on his knuckles.