Fan Fiction ❯ The Climatic First Encounter ❯ Down for the Night ( Chapter 5 )

Down for the Night

 

Pausing at the treeline, Ramian spots the elf apparently entertaining an old woman and her two daughters around a campfire. It hadn't taken him long to track the elf, even in the dark, though he'd been vaguely surprised when the tracks seemed to meander for a while, pausing next to an old oak, and then heading directly back toward camp. Ramian had thought he'd find both horses gone, but no, the elf had taken refuge at the travelers' fire, probably hoping for a free meal, but why hadn't the fool taken off when he had the chance? Was it just to rile Ramian up, or did the elf have some kind of grand plan?

 

He's about to stalk forward to get the elf the hell out of there when one of the girls, smiling and clearly taken with the little bastard, leans forward to ask if the elf has a girlfriend.

 

In spite of himself, Ramian pauses. Not that he cares about the answer, of course, but he finds himself listening anyway.

 

“I'm broken-hearted,” the elf replies dramatically, “my love has left me!”

 

Ramian listens as the elf launches into a tale of what is quite possibly the biggest load of crap he has ever heard. Something about the painful loss of a former girlfriend and how the elf just wants to be comforted. He can see that both girls are just eating it up, their eyes wide and their expressions sympathetic. Unable to listen to any more bullshit, Ramian stalks out of the forest and up to the campfire. All three women look up uncertainly at his approach, and he reaches down to lay an iron grip on the elf's shoulder.

 

Somewhat to his surprise, the elf doesn't jump or flinch or try to get away, just looks up guilelessly at him and smiles. Ramian scowls and turns to the women. “You're lucky I caught up with him. He escaped but I'll make sure it won't happen again.”

 

The girls exchange glances with their mother. “What's going on? What are you doing with him?” one of the girls asks, fixing Ramian with a dark look.

 

Ramian reaches down grabbing the elf's arms and pulls it up, forcing the other arm, still attached by the manacles, to follow along painfully. The girls' eyes widen in shock as they take in the elf's restraints, something that the elf probably managed to hide from them up until this point. “I'm a bounty hunter, and he's my prisoner. I'm taking him back in my custody now,” Ramian says bluntly.

 

“No—you can't,” one of the girls starts to protest, but her mother hushes her quickly.

 

“Don't be poking your nose into other people's business,” the mother admonishes both girls, “it ain't got nothing to do with you.” She turns to fix Ramian with a glare. “Y'best be taking yer prisoner now and moving along. We don't want no trouble with the law.”

 

“Yeah, I'm going,” Ramian growls as he pulls the elf to his feet. The elf rises without protest, looking so smug that Ramian just wants to wipe the expression off his face with his fist. Typical arrogant elf with the superior attitude, like he was better than everyone else, Ramian thinks to himself. Probably thought this whole thing was a game—escaping his bonds, leading Ramian all over the forest, trying to seduce these girls.

 

With a shake of his head, Ramian starts to haul the elf back toward where he'd made his camp, but one of the girls calls after him. “Wait…what'd he do?”

 

Ramian looks back at her. “Murder. He was probably planning on waiting until you fell asleep and then slitting your throats.”

 

The girl blanches, her mouth falling open in horror as she looks from Ramian to his prisoner. Turning away, Ramian hauls the elf off, ignoring his protests. Though personally, he doesn't actually think the elf would be capable of it, he's also sure that story will get around the camp real quick, and even if the elf got away from him in the future, no one would ever take him in again. “For now on, I'm not letting you out of my sight,” Ramian growls, “I go hunting, you come along. I go to take a piss, you're there with me. Got it?”

 

The elf sneers. “I suppose you want me to hold it for you too?”

 

Ramian shoves the elf forward. “In your dreams, elf. You ain't man enough to handle it.”

 

The elf tosses a contemptuous look over his shoulder. “You aren't man enough to admit you want me to hold it and maybe more."

 

Ramian scowls. “What the hell does that mean?”

 

In reply, the elf just smirks in a knowing manner. “I've seen the way you look at me, how you can't take your hands off of me—”

 

Abruptly, Ramian grabs the elf and shoves him forward. The elf tries to step nimbly aside but Ramian's greater strength allows him to grab the elf and pin his shoulder and side against a nearby tree.

 

The elf hisses sharply, struggling.

 

Ramian reaches his hands around the elf's body and lets them slide under the elf's tunic, his hands moving up the smooth supple skin to brush across the hairless chest and over small, taut nipples. The elf sucks his breath in sharply as Ramian moves his hands under the elf's arms and then down his sides, curling around to undo the ties on the elf's pants.

 

“I knew it—” the elf starts, but breaks off with another hiss as Ramian pushes his hands under the loosened waistband of the elf's pants, letting his touch move down the elf's hips and to his groin. Hairless there too. Ramian feels his own breathing go harsher as the elf twists and grunts, struggling to wrench himself away, but Ramian presses himself harder against the elf's back and drags his hands back up the elf's thighs, then, above his clothing, down his legs as he leans down to slide his hands down the insides of the elf's thighs.

 

At the top of the elf's left boot he feels a hard lump and carefully fishes out a small folding knife. Straightening up, he unfolds the knife and holds it in front of the elf's face. “Guess I didn't do a good enough job searching your stuff the first time, did I?” he growls into the elf's ear, his voice sounding rough and harsh.

 

The elf turns his head to look back at Ramian, his eyes narrowed but gleaming. “We shall see,” he replies enigmatically, and damn if that isn't a smirk playing around his lips. Ramian shakes himself—he must be imagining things—and pulls the elf away from the tree.

 

“Yeah, we will,” he mutters, shoving the elf back in the direction of their campsite. He tries to ignore the ache in his loins but the memory of the way the elf's skin felt under his callused hands lingers. Clutching his hands into fists, he lets the elf walk ahead of him until they get back to the campsite.

 

Placing his hand on the elf's shoulder, he forces the elf to sit down as he inspects the horses and packs. Everything was still there, though it looks like it had been gone through, maybe by the elf. He gives the elf a nasty look but re-stokes the fire and pulls out cold rations from his pack. The elf looks vaguely smug but says nothing as Ramian eats his meal then spends some time sharpening his knife while the elf pretends to ignore him. Finally, Ramian unrolls his bedroll. “Come here,” Ramian says, but when the elf looks up and smirks, Ramian grabs him by the hair at the back of the neck and pulls him closer. Settling down with the elf, he once more draws Shade back against him, letting his arm curl over Shade's side to keep him close against him.

 

The elf starts to say something, but Ramian's hand slides underneath his shirt, reducing Shade's words to an indrawn breath. Ramian lets his palm rest against the elf's taut belly, enjoying the feel of the lightly rippled muscle and smooth skin. He knows if he moves his hand, he probably won't be able to stop, so he just holds the elf like that, his hand curled possessively against the elf's skin.

 

The elf tenses, his breath turning sharp and a little ragged; Ramian forces himself to take slow, steady breaths, trying to ignore the scent of Shade's skin and the rise and fall of the his stomach under his hand. He's only doing this so he'll have a warning if the elf tries to get away in the middle of the night, he tells himself.

 

Eventually, the elf's breathing slows and he seems to relax, and in spite of everything, Ramian feels his eyes starting to close. He wonders, vaguely, if he's crazy for doing this, whatever this is, exactly. The elf is a prisoner, a murderer actually, but there's something about this whole thing that he can't really explain, something about the elf that makes him want to keep him close.

 

Forcing the unsettling thoughts out of his mind, Ramian eventually falls asleep, lulled by the sound of the elf's breathing and the way Shade's body fit against his.

 

[Author's Note - Here is your newest update! Look for the next one by Friday, December 9th. The next update will have some fight scenes and of course more tension between our main characters. Please enjoy! *RogueKittiekat*]