51.

It had gotten busier than Arlon expected; the ballroom is filled with faces he does and doesn’t recognize. He talked to many countesses and what not, so many that he now is placed at the long dining table in the back of the ballroom, eyelids low and a full glass of alcohol in his hand. He forgot how much he hates these kind of events.
“I told him we could just celebrate it in his room, you know? Man’s so stubborn..” Elai shakes his head before taking a sip of whatever Chay had made as a birthday present. The intense and sour flavor is still difficult not to react to as it surrounds his tongue.
“A king’s reputation always comes first.” Connie replies, the trio all looking at Arlon as he sits at the gigantic table all by himself.
“He looks a little dumb…” Cesilia whispers, making her twin brother choke on his drink. The three laugh for a quick moment, Elai’s body slowly giving into the intensity of his drink.
“I’ll cheer him up.. I’m not going to allow him to sulk all evening..” The prince had only become so comfortable because of all the drinks he had; he hasn’t been this informal with his new friends yet. If he can already call them friends, that is. He isn’t sure of what they think of him, if they truly accept what Arlon wants or if they are plotting something behind his back. If they are, Elai has plotted back against them. He is ready for any outcome.
He gives the rest of his drink to Connie, who happily throws it down his throat. The twins watch the blonde boy walk away, both of them eventually focusing their eyes on the tons of ladies around them.
The entire crowd seems to disappear as soon as Arlon notices Elai walking towards him. The king’s cheeks heat up immediately when he looks down at the Elai’s figure, corset holding tightly onto his body. he wouldn’t have allowed Elai to dress like that if he knew it was going to become such a problem; he’s having a difficult time keeping his body on low temperature. But the boy looks stunning, so he can’t even begin to whine about it.
It annoys Arlon to the core when he feels the eyes of other people stare at Elai, stare at his hips, his legs, his back. He is his to look at. Is that.. jealousy? Is he feeling jealous? Ah. This is ridiculous. Arlon chuckles at himself and shakes his head with ease.
“You look lonely..” Elai drops his hands onto the table, the wooden furniture being the only thing separating the two of them. If it wasn’t for his birthday, Arlon would’ve taken Elai on this table right here, right now, with everyone watching them. He wouldn’t even mind; as long as his hands were the only ones to explore Elai’s body.
“And you look absolutely stunning, my sun..” Arlon gestures for the boy to sit on his lap, his eyes watching as Elai simply slides over the table. A chuckle leaves the king’s mouth, his eyes rolling. Of course had to do that.
“I have found myself missing you, Makuyi..” The nickname hasn’t changed Arlon’s reaction. It still flusters him, make shim weak in the knees. Gods, what is he supposed to do now that he has him on his lap? How will he hold back this time?
“Hm..” Arlon pulls Elai further down, his legs now completely straddling the king.
“Careful now.. everyone’s watching..” Elai whispers as he can easily feel the eyes burning through his back. They are all looking; they are all wondering.
“And so? Gotta make sure they know who you belong to now..” Arlon grins at his own words. It is the first time he has said that, the first time he admits that he does want Elai to be his. His lips carefully brush past Elai’s throat, the younger man’s breath hitching. Elai’s hands travel into Arlon’s hair as his heart seems to beat out of his chest. This is difficult.

“I’m pretty sure they know, love..” Elai smiles, unaware of the nickname he had now used. They seem to have grown closer once again, a curse or a blessing that keeps happening every day. Something is going on between the two, and he wishes he could find out what it was.
“Maybe I just like showing off..” Arlon admits, his mouth now finally kissing Elai’s neck. It is an intense feeling and a first for them both; they haven’t been intimate like this before. The boy tries his hardest not to throw his head back, the eyes behind him too much to relax inside of Arlon’s grip. “Especially now that Chay is out there somewhere..” Arlon’s hot breath tickles against Elai’s skin, goosebumps rushing down his body. The king’s lips reach out again, but Elai quickly grabs the man’s face. The frown that appears is.. cute. Elai wishes he could say it to him, btu he keeps it to himself instead. Maybe it is too much to say right now.
“You looked good out there, you know..” Elai ignores the remark about Chay; he doesn’t want another thing to worry about. “The ritual was beautiful, of course, but you.. gods..” Elai huffs out as he thinks back. White really did look good on Arlon, and so did the blood that spilled down. He was mesmerized by it at the time, but the more it sank in, the more desperate he became to touch the king. He has never felt like that before, and so he is not afraid to express it.
“The moon’s blood is my blood, and her soul is my soul.” Elai quotes the words Arlon had said, but this time in the common tongue.
It startles the king; so he has been practicing Turian. “That was pretty good..”
“Hm.. I’ve read some things about the ritual, so I practiced those words to be able to understand what you were saying..”
“For me?” Arlon needs to get the fuck out of here, preferably with Elai right behind him. he can’t take it anymore. He has been saying that so many times, but now his bucket has finally fallen. He wants him. “For you..” Elai whispers back before gently kissing Arlon on the lips. The boy didn’t expect him to be so eager as he feels a hand appear against his bare back. Arlon pushes him closer, shifts his hips and forces Elai’s body to grind upon his. “Arlon..”
“I want this to be over..” The king groans out. He has never hated a celebration as much as he does now. Arlon leans his head back against his chair, crown almost falling off of it.
“Quit whining, or do you want me to break one of your fingers?” Elai raises his eyebrows and makes the king laugh. The two laugh together, until Arlon freezes.
“Elai.. that’s not funny.” Elai has his eyes focused on Arlon’s face as his mind takes control of the fragile bones inside of the king’s body. It flatters him that Arlon has become so fond of him that he has let his guard down, that he wasn’t quick enough to use his resistance. Or maybe Elai had grown strong enough to break through it, but that would make the king react a whole lot different, the boy thinks.
“It’s pretty funny to me, my king..” Elai doesn’t let go, one of Arlon’s fingers now slowly creeping up. It hurts to resist yet Arlon tries as hard as he can to break out of Elai’s grip.
“Stop it.” Arlon says through gritted teeth, an entertained smirk growing on Elai’s face. “Hm? I’m sorry, what did you say?” Elai leans in closer, all of Arlon’s fingers now moving up. Arlon doesn’t know what is worse; the building tension in his bones or the way Elai’s hips grind forward, turning him on all the same. The bones win, though. They are close to breaking now, and Arlon can’t help but let out a painful yelp. “Stop it. please.” The king gives in and says the exact word Elai was fishing for. The grip around his bones disappears and Arlon is finally able to breathe again. Fuck.
“You better start running, Prince of Lyle.” Arlon moves his chair back so that Elai is able to stand up, the king quickly following him. The guests all watch and stare as the two run towards the doors with loud chuckles that reach above the music. They don’t know what they are seeing; they are confused. Is this truly king Arlon Ruaidhri, acting like a child?
“I thought we wouldn’t have to start taking it seriously, Lia..” Connie nudges his sister, the two of them both watching the prince and the king in disbelief. “But he truly seems to be fond of the boy..” Connie then says, only receiving a nod as an answer from his sister.
Elai rushes away from the king as the two disappear into the hallway. He gets startled by the sudden embrace; Arlon is quick. He turns the boy around with ease and can’t help but take a few more steps before he can come to a stop. Elai tries walking with him without knowing where he’ll end up. His back eventually hits a pillar, and Arlon is glad he granted the guards a day off. Now the king is able to kiss Elai with all he has, hand grabbing onto his waist tightly. They breathe into each other’s mouths and the tension suddenly grows stronger.