[FIN][Yael] Boys Will Be Boys [Kaleth | Ko]

[MissMisnomer]

Grumble-huffing, Ko let himself get dragged along, plonking from step to step on their way down the stairs. It was pretty obvious there was no way he would be able to change Kal's mind on it. He did still pull at the hand on his wrist, though it was certainly harder to dislodge than he might have thought. “But I'd like for people to like me! Anything is always more fun when you have someone to do it with! I don't really like being alone, but sometimes people just don't want me around.”

With Kal speaking to him in an even tone, he couldn't really help but calm down again, like a wound up dog that just needed someone to help relieve some of his nervous energy. “And I get it, I can be really annoying. I never shut up. I just say whatever is on my mind, and sometimes people don't really want you to be honest with them. I try too hard.”

Having reached the bottom of the stairs, he let his arm drop, shuffling his feet as he glanced down at the hand on his arm. “You don't have to hang out with me, if you don't want to. It's okay. I try to be positive, and look at the bright side, but I can see how we're on totally different levels. I'd like for us to be friends, since…you're kinda stuck with me. But that doesn't mean you have to like me.” Rubbing along his opposite elbow, he glanced up at Kaleth, then back to the floor. “But I think you're probably the coolest guy I've ever met…”  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

Kaleth eyed the other boy as he spoke, glad that he seemed to have given up on pulling away and vaulting himself down the railing at least. At his words, though, he found himself grunting.

“I think you’re likable…anyone who doesn’t want to hear the truth needs to grow up,” he muttered. “You’re happier than most everyone, and that’s a plus by itself. There’s nothing wrong with trying…and anyone who shames you for it is angry they’re too lazy to try themselves.”

At You don’t have to hang out with me… Kaleth glanced down. At length, he pursed his lips, and was about to comment when — I think you’re probably the coolest guy I’ve ever met… — he felt an unanticipated flush creep up his neck instead.

‘Most people don’t actually like me that much,’ came to the forefront of his thoughts. ‘At least people who don’t like you have no reason other than being pricks or impatient…’ But, he felt strangely proud and pleased by the comment such that it seemed a waste to spoil it with his own attitude.

“Friends usually like each other,” Kaleth said. “I don’t really consider myself friends with anyone I don’t like, no matter how much I’m willing to breathe their air.” He hesitated. “I don’t think I really have any friends here, yet.” He looked to Ko. “Except you. Even if no one else is, I’m glad you’re here. But…” Drawing a breath, he glanced up the long set of steps, “…I don’t think you’re doing too bad so far. Just try not to puke.” A pause. “Or die.”  

[MissMisnomer]

Looking up at the taller boy much like a puppy feeling guilty, Ko scuffed his toes in the dirt, the conversation heading where he might have expected it would. Kaleth was good for putting up with him, and had even seemed amiable at times, but you could only be expected to maintain polite civility for so long before it became tiresome. He'd given it a good run, but unlike his siblings, Kal was not required to remain accommodating for any longer than he wanted. Ko appreciated that he'd lasted this long.

Except you.

Eyebrows raised in surprise, Ko’s tipsy mind processed what was being said and the implications that came with it.

I'm glad you're here.

Growing equal parts bashful and excited, his shoulders rose up to meet his floppy ears, grinning sheepishly down at his shoes as his cheeks warmed. It sure sounded like Kal was saying that he liked being around him. That they might even be actual friends.

“I'm really glad you're my roommate, Kal,” he said, looking up again with a renewed spark in his eyes. “This could have been way worse if you were a jerk. But I think I might actually have fun at this place, and even grow into something useful in this world. I'm not gonna stay a wimp for much longer, I'll be tough enough for you to be proud to call me a brother in arms. I promise!”

And because it was just the two of them down here, and because he was feeling better, and heck ― just because he wanted to ― Ko reached around Kal's waist, giving him a tight hug, resting his cheek on his chest as he rubbed it there affectionately.  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

Kaleth was not especially used to giving ‘consoling’ advice or otherwise comforting anyone. He had no siblings, and had not been raised around anyone younger than he in such a way it might substitute. It had only ever been his own moods he’d been tasked with managing. So, what he had said was about as ‘supportive’ as he got. He reasoned no one was around to see, in any case, so it was an opportune time to be forthright without subjecting either of them to mockery.

But he didn’t expect much from it.

Improved mood on Ko’s part, perhaps — hopefully — and a more calm, content demeanor suited for carrying forward with the rest of the night. It seemed unfair, regardless, given how everything else had gone to leave the boy hanging again. He had taken him here. So-

This could have been way worse if you were a jerk…

Kaleth squinted, and resisted the impulse to point out that he was still precisely that, and this exchange changed nothing. Instead Ko was wrapping his arms about him… — and Kaleth decided to leave it be for the moment, frozen in place by the unanticipated gesture. Eventually, he would shift off and they could make their way back up the stairs. That was what Kaleth told himself.

Kaleth waited.

And then waited a few moments more.

When waiting alone did little, he reached to gently pat at the other boy’s head, an uncalled for warmth climbing his face as Ko’s cheek rubbed. Kaleth had never had a pet, or a younger brother, and yet, somehow, it felt like this was surely a conglomeration of both in the moment.

“Ko…” he ventured at length when the boy still remained wrapped about his middle. “Ko, if we do not make it up again, someone will think you backed out of this challenge…”

On the one hand, Kaleth was not actually in any special hurry to return anywhere with less pleasant people and faces, and more raw noise. But on the other, he felt distinctly that this was not a moment allowed to last indefinitely, and the longer he stood there with Ko’s small body tucked up against him and uncalled for musings skirting around the edges of his subconscious, the more he felt certain it was his task to move them forward again as promptly as possible.  

[MissMisnomer]

Ko was feeling especially warm all over: in his toes, in his cheeks, in his chest. It was a bit on the chilly side tonight, but sheltered in the embrace of whiskey and Kaleth, he didn't feel very cold at all. It was less breezy here on the ground, Kal was blocking the wind, his hair was being stroked and—

Ko.

Opening his eyes with a bit of a start, Ko looked up at his friend, blinking as he tried to jumpstart his brain again.

He was supposed to be doing something.

“Oh!”

Pulling his arms away, Ko took a hefty step back, holding them behind his back as he grinned sheepishly. “Sorry! That must have been a bit awkward! I tend to be a bit of a cuddler—I haven't really grown out of it yet. I embarrass my siblings all the time.”

After a pause, he pursed his lips, before voicing the next thing on his mind. “You know…you're not very good at hugs. Which is a shame, since you're so big, beefy people usually give the best ones. I'm too small and bony, they don't really have much oomph.” He gave Kal a good natured punch to the arm with an encouraging grin, chirping enthusiastically. “I bet girls would like it if you got better, you might wanna work on that!” And then he was patting his hands against his thighs, turning away towards the forgotten stairs.

He knelt down in front of the first step, eying the terrain. And dipping down quickly, he dragged his tongue across the stone step, leaving behind a fresh wet stripe in the dust.

He twisted to look back up at Kal, the tip still sticking out of his lips a moment before he drew it back in.

“It tastes like dirt. Dunno what I was expecting. Maybe that it might be worse?” Rubbing his hands together, he spat a bit to the side to clear his pallet. “Alrighty then, let's do this! Get it over with, then we can head back up to the party.”

And proceeded to move up each step as he continued his outdoor culinary adventure.  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

Cuddler.

Kaleth was still working on processing that when the next comment came, and he pursed his lips. Not very good at- Who did this boy think he was?

“I wasn’t trying to-” But as per usual, Ko continued on, and Kaleth found himself listening instead, watching the smaller boy chirp. “Mmm…” At length, he shook his head. “I don’t care whether girls like me,” he said. “Any who do are only in for disappointment, since I’m not interested in-” He made a face, briefly, as Ko crouched and licked without the slightest hint of reservation, “-them. You know, I’m sure you wouldn’t have to take…quite so much onto your tongue…”

But, evidently, Ko was not to be deterred. And in a strange way, Kaleth found it almost impressive. Most up there had balked at the idea of going forward with the task, and yet, here Ko strode boldly along—for whatever good it did him.

Surely spirit was worth something in any case.

Then, unfortunately, somewhere along the line as he moved up behind Ko — for the sole purpose of seeing to it that he didn’t fall — his eyes meandered to Ko’s tongue again as he licked and in a moment he became certain of several things in rapid succession: first, Ko was evidently far more enthusiastic with his mouth than Jakov would ever be; second, there were a number of more enjoyable ways to put such an eager tongue to use; and third, he oughn’t even be entertaining that line of thought for a moment.

He averted his gaze.

“…and I’m not ‘bad’ at hugs. I just don’t usually hug people.”  

[MissMisnomer]

Working his way quickly up the stairs, Ko hummed as he came to another step, making short work of licking it before he turned for a moment to address his friend tagging along behind him.

“It's alright to not really care about girls, I get that. There's a lot going on right now, ‘specially with this new school and everything. I can't remember the last time I've had so much new stuff on my plate! I barely have time to think about myself, let alone girls or anything!” He scratched the back of his head, tipping his chin in thought. “Maybe in a few months when everything has settled down? But it's not like we really need a girlfriend or anything…Trystaan doesn't have one and he seems happy enough…”

With a lopsided grin, he shrugged, an exaggerated gesture that used his whole upper body. “Not like one would want to date me anywho, so it doesn't really matter.” He gave Kal a thumbs up, comrades in arms. “We'll just worry about ourselves before we worry about anybody else! We soldier boys can't be distracted by silly things like hugs and kisses and mushy gushy dates anyways! We've gotta be tough!”

Having reinvigorated himself, he returned to the task at hand, continuing to lick up the stairs until he was done, standing triumphant at the top with his tongue sticking out and arms hoisted above himself. “Alright, I did it!!”

“Took ya long enough!” Jak crowed, but it was amidst a round of encouraging applause and laughter. “Ya missed it, Cobi had to kiss Brexton, it was disgusting! I think they were both sweating bullets, you can still see how red their faces are!” He punched one of the boys in the arm, who squawked as he punched him back.  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

At I get that, Kalth couldn’t help the sneaking suspicion that Ko very much did not ‘get’ what he meant in the sense he meant it at all. But, he opted to give Ko the benefit of the doubt and listen—only to sigh a moment later. Because his suspicions were confirmed.

But then, if he thought about, perhaps at the age he was, Ko really had managed to remain oblivious still to possibilities in that regard entirely. He’d certainly known nothing about Jakov’s earlier line of commentary. It wasn’t a stretch to imagine it was an unfamiliar concept to Ko that anyone but men and women could have that kind of interest in one another, while having a minimal at best understanding of the process on the whole.

But, even if Ko didn’t understand the intended disclosures in the statement, Kaleth found he could at least agree with the direction of Ko’s reasoning, however misguided. He wasn’t really interested in a boyfriend either at the moment, after all, so the overall sentiment was accurate.

Still, as Ko went on, he snorted.

“‘Mushy gushy’ dates…” Kaleth shook his head. “I don’t have a problem with hugs, or kissing, or dates, with the right person, at the right time. But you are right that none of us need to be too concerned with dating anyone at the moment. When I said I wasn’t interested in girls, though, that isn’t-” ‘...what I meant…’ Kaleth frowned, and debated. It wasn’t exactly something he worked to keep secret about himself, and Kaleth wasn’t ashamed, certainly, nor did he suspect Ko would react negatively to the information even if he understood properly. However, neither did it seem an especially necessary thing to push. Ko would find out in his own time.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter, since I agree with you.” And he left it at that, watching with some combination of curiosity, amazement, amusement, and disgust as Ko made it dauntlessly on up the well worn steps all the way to the top again. Upon reaching the last stair, Kaleth’s eyes were drawn first to Jak, if only because his mouth was biggest as often seemed the case.

Cobi and Brexton…

Kal glanced to the boys mentioned — now putting as much space between themselves as could be socially managed and both indeed still flushed — and wondered if he’d missed anything. But from the look of it, probably not. An awkward puckering lips followed by gross exaggerations of disgust most likely. He lead the way back over to their former seating arrangement. Rather quickly from there, Kal lost track of how how many rounds proceeded after as the turns went around. Most of his attention went to the stars, enjoying the tickling warmth of alcohol moving down through his system and tuning out the rest.

He couldn’t help but note, though, that Ko seemed determined to prove himself ‘man’ enough not to refrain from the alcohol in the time between, and as his face took on a seemingly semi-permanent flush, Kaleth had to wonder if he’d already let it go further than it should.

“Ko…” He reached out, prodding a fingertip to the other boy’s cheek and studying his eyes. “Are you feeling well still?”  

[MissMisnomer]

Feeling a hearty poke at his cheek, Ko whipped around to face the perpetrator, albeit a half second slower than he might have reacted under normal conditions. His eyes lit up when he registered who it was who was prodding at him, practically launching himself at Kaleth as he slammed his hands down onto Kal's crossed legs.

“Kal!!!” he barked, pushing up enthusiastically to shove his face right in front of the other boy's. “Isn't this fun Kal?! Your friends are so cool! Thanks for letting me come along!!”

The boy from earlier, Cobi, looking flushed now for entirely different reasons, grinned as he gestured at Kal with another mostly empty bottle. “Yeah, he kinda seemed like a dweeb when you got here, but he's not so bad. He'll do anything you tell him to, it's like he's not scared of anything, it's hysterical!”

As if to demonstrate this point, he poked Ko in the side with the bottle, who responded with a squeal of laughter. “Hey Ko, take your pants off!”

“Okie dokie, they're just silly cloth anyways, pants are overrated,” Ko replied, words slurred as he stood up like a newborn foal. And with a bit of fumbling he got them off successfully, standing triumphantly in his jacket and underwear.

There was a round of laughter from those still engaged in the moment, Cobi taking another swig as he gestured at the boy. “See, like, nothing! He didn't even hesitate!”

Jak piped up now, pulling away from the girl he was locking lips with off to the side to holler over the din. “PEE OVER THE SIDE OF THE ROOF!”

The general consensus was that this was a great idea, varying in volume and energy depending on the drunken state of those collected. Wes looked less than thrilled by the idea however, glancing up at Ko from his seat on the ground. “I don't know, he seems really drunk guys, that may not be a good idea-”

“Gods Wes, lighten up!” Jak sneered. “He's not passed out or anything, it's fine, and look, he's already going to do it!”

And yes, Ko was already well on his way to running over to the edge of the building, vaulting himself up and onto the raised stone lip ringing the rooftop. His arms pinwheeled as he regained his balance, rear end out as he leaned over the drop off, only to quickly turn it into a stumbled spin as he turned to face everyone again with a huge grin on his face.

“Holy moly I almost fell! Didja see that guys, that would've been bad!” He looked out over the ledge, swaying where he stood in his briefs. “We're so high up, like a bunch of birds!”  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

Kaleth was relaxed. Comfortable.

Calm.

A state he felt he rarely really got to, and it felt pleasant, just to feel the gentle dampening of his senses and the night air tickling against his skin. Almost immediately upon Ko’s reaction, however, Kaleth’s sinking feeling that he hadn’t been paying quite enough attention heightened—and did not diminish after that. He frowned when Cobi spoke, a sense building that something-

Ko, take your pants off!

A flush rose unbidden to Kaleth’s cheeks, and his frown deepened to a scowl. It should have been all in good fun, but even the slightest peek of interest and amusement within himself felt out of place and improper. Ko was too—what? Young? That couldn’t be right. Innocent? Something which Kaleth couldn’t pinpoint, in any case. But they were just making entertainment of him, and even if Ko did not recognize it or care, Kaleth reached for him when he moved. “Ko, you don’t have t-”

Already though, the boy had teetered out of range and—the heat in Kaleth’s cheeks increased, spilling down his ears as Ko dropped away everything but a small, tight seamed pair of undershorts from his legs. He’d seen it all before. It wasn’t new. But everyone was watching now, and as laughter rose up from the gathering, Kaleth felt an obscure bristling under his skin. He prepared to stand. “Ko-”

Pee over the side of the roof!

In an instant, Kaleth could have punched Jakov, but his heart was too busy dropping as Ko, predictably, without hesitation moved to do as bid much to the satisfaction of the rest of the crowd. Kaleth moved for Ko. Ko vaulted onto the side railing of brick and for an instant, Kaleth felt a second shifting of true panic through his gut as the boy’s balance came into question, he pinwheeled and-

Holy moly-!

Kaleth snarled, and lunged for him. “Ko! Get down from there-”

“…ey, lighten up, it’s all in good fun-”

“Ko! Ko! Ko!”

“-is that-?”

At first, as Kaleth darted after the now escaping figure he needed to have down from the roof’s edge this instant, Kaleth didn’t notice more than the cheering in the background of enthralled bystanders at Ko’s gall. It didn’t take long, however, for the murmurs of concern to take over those of interest as more attention moved to a new fact:

“Someone’s coming! There’s lanterns-”

“It has to be a group of professors-”

“-we’re busted if they see us!”  

[MissMisnomer]

With a puckish burst of giggling, Ko spryly hopped out of the way as Kaleth dove at him, bolting down along the ledge of the building. Kal might’ve been bigger and long-limbed than he was, but Ko was a quick footed little thing ― riding high on the adrenaline of alcohol ― easily keeping out of reach of the larger boy. The chase had him squealing in delighted mock-fear, boosted every time Kal came close to successfully grabbing him with determined hands.

But soon enough, it seemed like they were no longer the center of attention, as teenagers were quickly scrambling to get to their feet, grabbing bottles off the ground as they started scattering in different directions.

“Do we take the boxes too?”

“I don't know man!”

“Screw that, leave them, I can't have a citation this early in the year, my dad will kill me!!”

“WHY ARE WE ALL RUNNING NOW???” Ko chirped as he jumped down off the raised ledge, misjudging the height enough to land awkwardly in a less than elegant one-footed stumble. Which had him smacking right into the waiting arms of Wessel, who had come to help Kaleth intercept Ko’s drunken shenanigans.

“We have to go now, professors must have heard us making too much noise,” he said, pushing Ko away from his chest as he looked over at Kal. “You’ve got to take him back to your room; if you lose him, he’ll blab for sure. Just head down into the building, I’ll block the door behind us!” And with that he passed Ko off to Kal, running at the roof’s access door as he held it open, motioning the others down the dark stairs.

Wrapping his hands around Kal’s waist to support of his tipsy body, Ko rested his chin on the other boy’s chest, puffing his cheeks up at him in an exaggerated pout. “Ah poop, I think the party is over Kal~”  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

“Ko-” Kaleth had been on the other boy’s heels, and was given only brief pause as the tone of the rest of the group shifted. Whether or not they were all leaving now, his focus was still the boy cheering gleefully as he pranced irregularly forward without a care in the world—including for his own safety. The rest of the group’s growing anxiety did, however, seem to make itself evident to Ko in relatively short order, and that at least slowed him, bringing him down with a hop, stagger, and-

Kaleth frowned, a very peculiar feeling prickling through him at the sight before him. Wessel had caught him. Which, at least one portion of Kaleth’s mind insisted, was good. It should be, in any case. Better that than Ko fall, but — I would have caught him myself… — was insistent on his mind no matter how irrational. Fortunately, the moment was short lived, Wes quickly moving to push him to a more respectable distance.

Down…into?

Kaleth blinked, taking up stance beside Ko and gripping a wrist, feeling oddly like he was leading an untrained puppy prone to running off. “Alright…” Kal wasn’t sure why they couldn’t just use the outer stairs they’d come up on, and some probably were trying that, but he supposed in that case the likelihood of being caught would be higher, out in the open and most seemed to be following Wessel’s suggestion. Still, there was something about delving into the pit of a dark, empty building that would make the hairs on the backs of anyone’s shoulders stand up.

Just as he was about to move, small arms looped their way about him, and he glanced down, a new heat creeping unbidden to his cheeks in — surprise, most likely — and at Ko’s commentary, he could only give a light snort of a laugh.

“Seems like it. So.” He tipped his head, eyeing his roommate. “Did you enjoy your first big kid party? Come on…stick close to me when we go down, it’s going to be dark in there and the internal architecture might not be as sturdy as it once was…”  

[MissMisnomer]

“It was lots of fun, whiskey is great!” Ko chimed as he pushed back, standing by himself again as he gave the other boy a sloppy salute. “I'm not gonna let us get caught, you can count on me!”

With that he started shambling off towards the internal stairs, Kal getting dragged along as he kept a secure latch on the younger flighty boy. Halfway down the descent to the top floor, he had to pause, squinting into the gloom. “I can't see my feet, it's so dark in here―”

A loud bang came from behind them, multiple heads turning up towards the top of the stairs as the other fleeing teens cried out in surprise. Wessel might have blocked the door behind them, but that evidently was not going to deter the adults, who with one blast of magic had broken the latch on the door clean off as they busted it open again.

“Nobody move!” a woman hollered down at them, her hand glowing as she held it out in front of her like a lantern. “You are in deep enough s**t as it is, don't make it worse by trying to run! If you come back up the stairs now, it will go much easier for you―”

Suddenly she was cut short by a powerful force of air that went barreling up the stair shaft, accompanied by a deep clap as the sound waves echoed in the cramped space. Knocked clean off her feet back into the other professor that had started to follow her down, they both disappeared from view with a combined chorus of startled expletives. And amidst the faint smell of burning rubber, Ko stood with his arms held out, armed with a manic grin lit up from the tiny serpents of purple electricity that arked between his splayed fingers.

He smiled over at Kal, a deviant spark in his glowing eyes.

“RUN!!”

Then darted over and between the staggered forms of his classmates, knocked over by the wholly unexpected force from a completely unexpected source.  

[Miss Chief aka Uke]

At the crashing BANG of the door forced open by magic, Kaleth knew they had two options: cooperate immediately—or bolt and leave the stragglers to take the blame, if any. It could only be a matter of moments that he hung there in indecision with the other students, most of the rest of them looking either bleary eyed from the alcohol or petrified, or both. Like cornered animals. Still, the teacher’s instructions were mostly background noise as Kaleth worked over his options-

Until suddenly there was no voice or options.

Though it took everyone else a moment to try to make sense of what had occurred, Kaleth — being right beside him — immediately turned his attention on Ko, and when Ko looked back, there was something in that glint of deviousness that inspired a peculiar fire in his belly. And suddenly, he no longer cared that their options had dropped to one. As Ko barked, “RUN!” Kaleth was already with him, a prickling adrenaline coursing through him.

He had to watch Ko carefully, a small portion of his mind still insisted in the background. The boy was half naked, visibly intoxicated, and now careening down a dark staircase. But at least with his grip latched to him, Kaleth felt reasonably self-assured. He wasn’t perfectly sober himself, but he retained his motor functions in reasonably prime condition he thought—and the further they made it down, the more space they put between themselves and the hubbub above them, where it was evident from the sound of things that several of their peers, whether they’d volunteered or not, were dealing now with the assembled professors.

By the time they passed the top floor and began the second round down through the center level of the building, it felt as though they were the only two who’d made it, at least this far, and Kaleth gave a gentle tug to Ko’s wrist. “We should probably focus now on being quiet and careful in the dark…we seem to have made it down first. If the professors are distracted by trying to catch everyone else, they might miss us if they don’t know how many to look for…”

The further they went, the more muted the voices from above, and as they progressed towards the ground floor, the only visible light was that emitted from cracks in windows and the luminous glow of their eyes.

“I wonder if we should wait in here before trying to find an exit…let them think they got everyone.” It would backfire if the professors came down and did find them, but Kaleth figured the risk of that was no greater than if they made a run for it now in the open—assuming they could even find an open exit without making a racket.