23. When the moon hits your eyes

Everyone dispersed, leaving Blaze on night duty. Mani watched as Yak carried his sleeping bag into his tent. Well, their tent for tonight. He admired his ability to still walk without limping, after half a day of trekking on that foot.

"Let me see it." He said to Yak's back as he was rolling out his sleeping bag.

Yax tensed by reflex, but then just stripped off his protective jacket and shirt without turning. His back were still swollen on the left side, decorated with various shades of red, black and purple.

"There's cream for contusions in my backpack." he said over his shoulder "It really does not hurt much though."

Right, and I am a morning type, thought Mani while pulling out that balm from backpack pocket Yak pointed at.

Then he clarified "Let me see your foot, Yak."

Oh, he noticed that. Yax knew Mani saw his back at the shore earlier, but he thought he had hidden his sprained foot better. He reluctantly sat down and pulled off his boots and socks.

His ankle was swollen, but being compressed in his boots whole day, not as much as expected "Boot supported it, should be fine by morning" he said while scrutinizing it himself.

Then Mani shoved a container with smelly concoction in it to his face "Drink this. Jone made it to reduce swelling." Noticing Yak tensing, he rolled his eyes "He made it for me, did not tell him you are in even worse condition than me."

Yax relaxed and took the potion. It smelled horrible and tasted worse. He downed it in one gulp then heard Mani giving further instructions "Take off your pants as well, there is a bruise at the back of your thigh that needs to be treated as well." If he is going to put balm on Yak's back, then he should put some on leg as well.

Yax pulled his pants of, then just sat there, realising that he is sitting just in his underwear. Sure, he was totally naked in front of Mani before, but Mani was naked then as well. But now, it was just him! And Mani held that balm with clear intentions to smear it over each and every bruise he had. That happens when you try to hide your injuries. Is some pride worth this? Is it?

Yax panicked and Mani noticed that he looks reluctant all of the sudden. "What?" He asked with narrowed eyes "Want to go to Ivory to massage it into your back instead of me?"

That startled Yax back into his senses "N.. no, why would I.."

"Then just lie down on your stomach and let me do it." Mani cut him off and unscrewed the lid from the balm tin with such a force that it flew off and hit the tent canvas behind Yax.

Shocked, Yax threw himself down on his belly and winced as his ribs reminded him not to overdo it. He pressed his face in palms of his hands and prepared for pain as he expected Mani to slap that balm on his back with equal strength.

Instead, he felt very gentle fingertips applying a cool feeling goo next to his spine. Then even gentler palm spread it over his bruised ribs. His whole body shivered.

"Say," he heard Mani talking and struggled to pay attention "that boyfriends thing, why did you chose me?"

Yax tried to lift his head and look at him, but Mani applied pressure on his hurting shoulder, effectively pinning him down. So he relaxed with his hands under his chin "Well, not easy to put it in words, really."

"Humor me." Mani applied more holy balm and started spreading it from his shoulder down over his ribcage, carefully tracing each swollen muscle there.

"It was at first sight," Yax started and Mani poked him a bit "Ow, really" Yax twitched "When we were leaving the station, and Cid was trying to put that helmet on you."

Mani remembered that. Had no clue where that red helmet ended up though, as soon they realized there are no falling branches on every step, they ended up in some backpack probably.

"You are beautiful, Mani," Yax continued and felt those fingers stopping their movements "but it were your eyes that just got me pulled in." Above him, Mani tilted his head in confusion but Yax could not see that.

"So much defiance in those eyes that it overwhelmed me. It was clear how opposed you were to waring it," Yax chuckled "and yet, you refused to touch Cid hands despite it." He pondered a bit on his words.

"And later, I saw it in every move you made. Elegant audacity. Suppressed strength. Self-control in every move." He tried to turn his head again, but Mani directly grabbed his head and held it down.

"So you want to see if you could take over that control?" Mani asked in hushed whisper. Yax completely relaxed under that hand in his hair. "No," he whispered back "just wanted to get as close to you as I could, to bask in that glow."

He felt Mani moving his hand away and tried to turn again but he was stopped yet again. "Don't move, just stay like this."

Yax waited a bit, then felt Mani apply balm to back of his thigh, his fingers gently moving from back of his knee up.

"I take those things seriously, Yax" Mani said solemnly. "Which means, if we enter such relationship, then I am not going to share you." Yax felt him squeezing his thigh as his palm moved up and shivered.

"It means, no royal harem nonsense or anything like that for you, Yax." Mani observed Yax then slapped his buttocks.

Yax turned with flushed face and sat up "What harem? Who was spouting such nonsense? Was it Cid? Must be him, gossip king!" Then he noticed Mani smiling at him and his face got even hotter.

"So then you agree on starting mutually respectful exclusive relationship with me?" Mani asked with his head tilted to the side and Yax again felt his heart skip a beat.

"If you keep calling me Yak," Yax said with a start of a pout "I like you calling me that."

"Deal, Yak." Mani said and leaned forward pecking a light kiss on surprised Yak. "Now go to sleep, Yak. Keep your foot up to help it heal faster, Yak."

With that said, Mani slid under his blanket and rolled into a pretzel facing his side of the tent. Looking at his back, Yax just sat there for a while, then crumpled his clothes into a support for his foot, and also went to sleep. Surprisingly, he was out as soon as his head touched the pillow.

**

Next morning, Mani woke up as early as usually. He rolled out of his blanket then got surprised seeing Yak spread over his sleeping bag mostly naked, with only a strip of cover over his middle.

Slowly he smiled. Sure, this boyfriend of mine is burning hot. His eyes slid from Yak's face, over his strong exposed chest, slightly hairy abdominal muscles, then not so modest bump under the blanket, and long, strong, muscular legs.

He decided to ignore that bump for now. Carefully looking at foot supported by bunch of messy clothes, he concluded that it appeared more or less normal. Their bodies did regenerate quite well.

Mani took his bag and went out to make himself some coffee before he gets carried away.

Cid was on early watch, starting the gas canister stove as soon as he saw Mani approaching. "Morning Cindy." Gossip king. He started making his first morning coffee wondering if he could get more gossip from him.

He sat there, silently enjoying aromatic steam in morning chill, pondering about the fact that his sudden impulsive selfishness resulted with him having a boyfriend. He did not remember drinking moonshine last night.

By the time Yax got up, everyone else was already having fish porridge breakfast. They really needed to sort out their food supply issues as soon as possible.

"Morning." Yax greeted them scratching his face as he was kinda embarrassed to look at Mani.

Mani though had no such scruples. "Morning Yak." He said with a smile, moving aside to make space for Yax, and holding up a bowl of porridge for him.

Yax sat down and took the food, feeling a bit overwhelmed by this simple gesture.

Cid looked at them with his usual suspicious thoughts. "Sorry again for taking your spot at Ivory's tent, must be weird sleeping next to new person for both of you."

"Not really." Yax mumbled with his mouths full.

"Actually, Cindy," he heard Mani cutting in "you can stay in Ivan's tent from now on." Yax turned to look at Mani with spoon still in his mouth. "He can?"

Mani just blinked at him "You want to keep sleeping next to Ivan?" Yax smartly shook his head and kept eating, feeling his cheeks burn. Does Mani have a possessive streak?

Ivory was now completely confused. Since when he got a nickname? And what is this development in just one night? Then he saw Mani gently leaning on Yax, while shooting a careful glance at him. Oh. They clicked.

Everyone silently exchanged glances, not sure if they should ask something or just go with the flow. Personal relationships were part of gossips, but mostly just to prevent conflicts of interests.

Blaze had no such scruples "What? You two got together?" he smiled broadly "Congratulations!"