forest ✩

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ Lucas dropped his head trying to meet the others eyes again catching only his profile as he was too busy with the food. Yes ‘so suddenly’ he thought. Maybe Hwiyoung hadn’t felt that electricity that hurtled down his spine and everywhere else. Somehow, Lucas thought, the best way to deal with his feelings for the other was to definitely be clothed. Silently he went over this scenario in his mind, eyes flickering over the Phoenix as he ate, clearing his throat when he realized what he was doing and offered the other a salad. “Ahem, I thought you might like this.. and I also brought cream for the fruit if you wanted something more sweet?”

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ “So suddenly?” He presses, but the smile that the other was directing at him spoke of mirth and deflection, so he averted his gaze. Once again interested in the food that they had left abandoned in favor of a few shared kisses. “I’m hungry,” He decides as he reaches out to pick up a bottle of water, taking a long drink before he was tugging a container of fruit closer to himself.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ "What you mean," Lucas' eyes were low, head tilted as if he didn't understand the question but couldn't conceal the grin eating away at the corner of this mouth. With his tongue, in cheek he shrugged, eyes darting around before coming back to the phoenix, "I just felt like clothes were necessary..." He raised a brow, meeting Hwi's eyes with his own, "...do you disagree?"

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ The touch was more solid this time, unlike the soft and barely there press before. Pressing close to the other, his palm resting on the blanket between Yukheis thighs. He was warm again, pulling away to stare at the Jotunn curiously, before he was allowing his eyes to roam down the males front. “How come you got dressed,” he finds himself questioning as he tugs at the shirt draped over his partners shoulders.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ His mind was fuzzy, and hazy as he pulled his clothing on. Unconsciously he was smiling to himself but maybe he should pull together and try to save face in front of Hwiyoung. He tossed his undershirt on his bag and resulted in tossing his other shirt on without buttoning it. Taking a deep breath before he came back to Hwiyoung, sinking back on to the blanket exhaling with a huff and chewing his lip. That moment of solitude while putting on his clothes was enough time apart for him because as soon as he sat down and looked back to Hwi, "Can we uh... do that again, yes? ok... yes." He was already leaning in to the other as he asked, nodding yes, cupping his jaw and latching his lips to Hwi's.

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ The touch was fleeting, but the effect was lasting. His chest full and his skin all warm and sensitive, his eyes were hooded when he watched the giants retreating form, reaching up a thoughtful hand to allow his fingers to brush against his lips, as if he could recreate the feeling. “Yukhei,” he called the other, his tone lilting and soft. He wanted to try again, didn’t know why the other was fleeing. He straightened up where he sat, moving to rise from where he sat, but opting to wait for the other to return.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ It didn't register instantly what had happened, the giant had just looked up and hadn't even finished his train of thought and now he had no recollection of where that train was even headed. It made his stomach flip and his lips instinctively went with it, twisting into a brief liplock, eyes falling closed to savor the moment. If he had just been grounded before now he was floating off, feeling lighter than he'd ever remembered feeling before and it made him feel validated and strong. This must have been what the elders were talking about when they told stories about 'Catching Fire' and how they knew who they wanted to give their firestones too. It had always seemed fantastical to Lucas before now, like elders were just spinning stories to give the little ones sweet dreams... but now he that he was experiencing the feeling, he didn't want to ever be without it. It ached in a good way, but also it made him feel super present in his skin and suddenly... he really needed to find his clothes. It was a mental fight to move his physical body away from Hwiyoung and when he lightly drifted away from the kiss, his lips were tingling so much that he didn't even know what a sentence was, "I gotta... clothes." Standing up giddily, Lucas went to find his clothes and proceeded to get dressed.

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ Staring at the other for a moment, noting the way the Jotunn seemed to pause and all of the tension that he was carrying on him bled out at once. His shoulders drooping, the pinch in his brows disappearing and the downward turn of his mouth straightening. A part of him was perplexed at the care that Lucas always seemed to treat him with, as though he were something small that could be broken. Even if anything happened to Hwiyoung, it’s not like he could die. He had learned many times in his many lifetimes that his life was expendable— that lesson always stuck, no matter how many times he’d come back from the dead. A bigger part of him was… Touched. Awed, struck, taken aback, enamored. He doesn’t recall a time when he’d felt this particular feeling before in any of his lives. He can recall feeling anger, sadness, fear, perhaps even contentment. But this.. this feeling that fills up his chest so much that he isn’t even sure there’s room for air. This feeling that wraps around him like a safety blanket and yet still makes his skin burn too hot and his stomach hallow like he was falling from a great height. Tipping his head, he leaned forward to allow their mouths to brush together instead of answering the others worried questions.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ “Hm?” Lucas questioned when he felt the tugged of his towel, turning around to unintentionally get locked into the deepest puppy eyes known to mankind which seeped into his soul and smacked his heart upside the head. If Hwiyoung thought he was upset with him at all, the man had given him the wrong impression and he didn’t want any misunderstanding like that. Unconsciously he was tensed up and the Phoenix grounded him so his brows unfurrowed and his jaw unclenched, and his gaze soften. “I’m not mad at you, I’m sorry. I was just scared.” Lucas stopped putting foods out on the blanket and took the others hand in his massaging the back of his knuckles in small motions. He wasn’t the best at showing affection but then again Hwiyoung wasn’t even a person who liked to be touched so this was a common middle ground they shared. Focusing more on their hands he continued, “If I was mad at anybody it would be myself for being so reckless. I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. Are you really ok? You voice sounds a lil raspy?”

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ Flopping onto his back without the support of the other, Hwiyoung just stared at the sky unseeingly, willing for the dull ache of his lungs to go away. Slowly, he sat up once he felt Lucas drawing close again, rubbing at the right side of his chest as he looks up at the petulant man. The Phoenix was the one who had almost drowned— why was Lucas upset? He didn’t know why he thought the situation was funny, he certainly wasn’t feeling very amused. “Sorry,” He offers up, and after a few moments he rose slowly to his feet. His body long dry by now, even his just slick hair perfectly dried as if he hadn’t just been seconds away from something unspeakable. Prowling about slowly as he picked up his clothes, tugging his sweatpants on but not bothering with his shirt as he moves closer to the Jotunn. Rolling his shoulders, the dull ache still present even now as he drops onto the blanket with Lucas. “Are you mad at me,” tilting his head to get a better look at the other, reaching out to tug gently at the towel around his waist to gather his attention.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ That fact that Hwiyoung was laughing, made Lucas tilt his head quizzically. How could this phoenix, have been on the verge of combusting, turning this whole spring into an onsen for one moment, and then full smiles the next moment. Lucas exhaled a deep breath, trying to regulate himself. The fact that Hwiyoung would eventually come back to life did not bring him comfort because they had been around each other so long by now he was forgetting what it was like without his babybird. The thought of being without him for something as small as water was irritating his soul. Abruptly the giant stood, storming off to get a towel and wrapping it around his waist. His body just needed to do something to relieve his nerves. Returning, with a towel for the shorter one. "You scared me and you just laugh. Hwiyounggg.." He dragged out the last syllable of his name in complaint, eyes trained on Hwiyoung, narrowing as he shook his head. The water around the phoenix was bubbling, simmering in the proximity of him. "That's enough water for one day." There was a lumpy, red checkered blanket spread out beneath a tree where Lucas went after leaving the water, where he sat calming his anxiety by setting out foods, and bottles and napkins.

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ Perhaps it was suddenly being alone in the water, unable to differentiate which way is up and down, or perhaps it was the burning in his chest as his hands found rocks at the bottom of the pool, smoothed from the constant weight of water pushing down on them, dulling their sharp edges over the years— but Hwiyoung finally felt panicked. The coolness of the water all of the sudden feeling too hot, bubbles stirring and dancing around him as his skin burns as if to evaporate every drop of water surrounding him. His back aching and throbbing in that way it did when his wings were extending. Three things happened at once after that; Hwiyoung pushed away from the rocks that he’d found himself pushed down against, he tried to in a breath, but all that came was hot water, suffocating, painful, burning— and then there were hands on him. Bringing him up from where he had been trapped. Breaking the surface and in a breath, sputtering out water with a few wet coughs. The experience seemed to extend a lifetime and be over in a blink all at once, stretching out on the shore, and coughing a few more times, the water on his overheated skin drying at once as he blinks the bleariness out of his eyes. “…yea—“ another cough as he sits up. “yeah, I’m alright.” His chest still burned, and his back still ached, but he couldn’t help the incredulous laugh that left him, all breathy and frazzled.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ The heavy water of the falls pushed them deeper beneath the water than their original descent, which was expected and the giant was taking broad through the water to get them to the other side. Once to the other side his relieve amplified into worry. The pressure that he thought was the firebird has subsided and Hwiyoung had not come back up with him. Gasping a shallow breath, Lucas raced down into the dark blue waters again, heart rate thumping in his chest, the sound of Hwi’s fire song being distance and all around him beneath the surface making it harder to pinpoint him. Spying him by a glimpse of his skin aglow from beams of sunlight that sliced through the water. Lucas quickly swam to recover him, the falls pressure being less brutal this far down. He hooked his arm around the other without a second thought, swimming to the surface with most of the momentum being from his feet and pushing them towards the shore. “Cmon Hwi,” his voice cracked, pulling them to the shallow in of the pool and keeping the phoenix above the ripple of waves. “Breathe Hwi,” he commanded with urgency, sweeping the wet hair from Hwiyoung’s face and turning him on his side to let any water he breathed in come out. “Hwi are you with me ?”

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ Shifting closer to Lucas as the male swims near, arms winding around him for the second time that evening, and they were off. in a breath when he was instructed to do so, and for the second time they sunk below the cool surface of the water. Squeezing his eyes shut as they move slowly along, his body had tensed in preparation of the falls. The weight of the water was heavy. Heavier than Hwiyoung had remembered the first time; either that or he was much more relaxed, complacent in the comfort offered up by the fire giant and his nonchalance in the water. He looses his grip. The waterfall pushing him deeper into the waters and his breath leaving him as his eyes open. There’s a strange serenity underneath the water, like time had stopped and the Phoenix himself was suspended in animation. So abrupt and disoriented that he didn’t even feel panic.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ Cute, very cute. Knowingly, Lucas smirked, swimming over to stand on the tumble of rocks toward his outstretched arms. Of course food would be the motivation to get him almost anywhere, and if he didn't want to do any more swimming lessons and exploring it would be best to get him closer to the shore. The main thing Lucas was concerned about was the firesong's balance, which had been restored in the time they'd been at the waterfall. Allowing, Hwiyoung to grasp fully onto him, Lucas swam off, instructions the same as before. He took a deep breath waiting to hear the soft intake of breath from his partner and then dived beneath the waterfall.

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ Frowning himself at the oddly specific situation that the other fire elemental conjured in his head. Though, Hwiyoung figured that if he were to be surrounded by water, there would be nothing he could do about that but to succumb to his fate. He wouldn’t tell that to Lucas though, lest the Jotunn decide that he was in desperate need for impromptu swimming lessons, so instead he just sat down on the rock he was stood on, reaching his hands out to the other. “I want to eat,” he agrees easily enough, endlessly hungry.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ Lucas swam in a circle in front of other, taking leisurely laps in the small pool behind the waterfall, "I just want you to be safe, Hwi-- what if I wasn't around and someone tried to kidnap you? If they surrounded you by water you wouldn't be able to escape." The male frowned, flames forbid something like that from happening. Maybe they just needed to work on finding out a way to help Hwiyoung gather his flight skills together. "Anyway, you wanna head back to shore, I diddd bring things to eat, if you're hungry.."

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ “essential for who?” He fires back, indignant. His gaze never straying from the fall, watching the way the waters cascade down in powerful streams— he had never seen anything quite like it before, his eyes all wide and with wonder. Though at the question he looks down thoughtfully, searching through his foggy memories— that seemed more like dreams; dreams that he could almost remember but always seemed to elude him somehow— foggy snapshot into the past that he seemed to be viewing through disoriented and half opened eyes. “I’m not sure.” He says after a few moments. He doesn’t know much about human crimes or persecutions from his past lives, but he does know that if he was to flee them, he wouldn’t choose to hide away near water.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ "Swimming is essential," He scrunched his nose up, with a lopsided grin and a curious brow raising. It would honestly have put the giant's mind at ease if Hwiyoung would learn to swim, but for as long as he'd known the bird, the answer was always no. He'd keep trying. This was at least a step in the right direction. He swam over to a spot adjacent to Hwiyoung and perched his arms back on the surface of the shelf, "My people used to call these place the Wave Portals. They were thought to be a safe place from persecutions and other human crimes, do you have anything like that, in all your lives?"

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ Once he had his feet firmly underneath him, he slowly relinquished his hold on the giant. The fingers of one hand never leaving the other male— for security. Glancing around curiously, brushing his hair out of his eyes as he stares up at the waterfall. “It looks nice,” he muttered softly, a new appreciation for the space from this side of it. “But, I still don’t need to know how to swim,” he decides as he sends a lopsided smile to the jotunn.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ Knowing there was a tumble of boulders to stand on beneath the water, the jotunn found his standing, showing Hwiyoung that it was okay too by holding his arms free of the water, no longer needing to tread water. The cove was dimly lit by the sunlight shimmering though the rush of water beside them. It was no bigger than an office cubicle and the pool was lined with a slab of smooth dark rock, which Lucas helped the fledgling to sit on. He knew Hwiyoung felt better on land. "So now that you're on this side what do you think about it ?"

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ When his feet left the ground, his arms tightened around the fire giant. His muscles tense as his breaths shallow, never really liking feel out of his element and wanting to go back to solid ground at once. Concluding that he didn’t like deep waters and that he wasn’t supposed to be out in the water with fish. They moved quickly though, as he considered whether or not he wanted to voice his doubts. Stopped outside the waterfall, it seemed to late to change his mind, so he pressed closer and closed his eyes. A soft hum of assent leaving him before he was holding his breath and they were dipping into the water. It was heavy, and cold, but he kept his grip. in a quick breath once they popped up again. “Ah,” he gets out once the feeling of surviving actually overcomes him. “I don’t like that.”

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ For a second Lucas, choked at this grip around his neck, laughing through this deathgrip that Hwiyoung had on him. Wading deeper into the water until his feet left the ground, he pondered on whether he should warn the other about the water pressure under the falls. Lucas didn't want him to think he was going to drown, and didn't want to lose him there if he panicked. He tossed that thought to the back of his mind.

Swimming to the front of the waterfall, Lucas stopped, treading the water and instructing Hwiyoung through the next steps. He already heard the warbled sound of his firesong and knew he was apprehensive about being in the deeper end of this pool but really there was nothing to fear. "Alright now, you're gonna have to hold your breath for this next part, and hold on tight because the water will be heavier under the falls," Lucas glanced over his shoulder, though he couldn't see the firebird on his back, "You ready?" He waited for the confirmation and then dived under the water, taking broad to bring them through the resistance and to the smooth cove on the other side.

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ There was a frown on Hwiyoungs face now, clearly reconsidering whether or not he would proceed any further. He didn’t know why the other elemental was so fond of water, like they both hadn’t been born of the same flame. When faced with the /safety/ provided by Lucas and the safety that the land a few paces back offered up to him, Hwiyoung took a step backwards in hesitation before he moved forward again. A couple halting steps to be close enough to grab onto the Jotunns outstretched hands. Using the males hands as leverage to tug himself closer, his arm curling around the others shoulders as he glanced over at the waterfall. “Okay,” there was an airy quality to his voice as his thoughts halted, careful with his movements as he plastered himself to Lucas’ back.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ Following the other for a couple of steps then diving into the deep with a splash. “No worries,” he said when he popped back up, “Alright, grab on,” Lucas held his hands out, the water was up to his chest at this point but he could still touch the ground so it seemed an okay distance to challenge the fledgling. “Climb on my back and then I’ll swim to the waterfall but we will have to go beneath the falls to get there, be ready.”

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ “I don’t know..” he grumbles, pulling a knee close to his chest as he considers whether or not he wanted to entrust his life to the other. After a long moment of contemplation, he was sitting upright with a sigh. “You promised,” he reminds evenly as he edges his way into deeper water, pausing to stand up and wade deeper, until the water is up to his ribs and he pauses with uncertainty.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ The way his interest perked at the mention of carrying him, let the giant know that he'd trapped him in. He tilted his head to the side, examining the other, absently moving a bit of hair from his forehead with an amused smile playing on his face. It was truly insane how he hadn't thought about using this technique to get Hwiyoung deeper into the water before, but it was working now he would take full advantage over it. "Let's do it." He met his gaze, "But you gotta come deeper into the water. Promise I won't drop you... You gonna trust me?"

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ Scoffing softly, as he considers it for a moment before shaking his head once more. Though, he welcomes the others closeness, leaning backwards to rest against the Jotunn once he’s close enough. The water cool enough that all of the lingering uncomfortable heat had vanished. Going underneath the waterfall did sound cool, but that didn’t mean he was willing to take the risk of drowning for it. Tipping his head back to eye the other, his lips twisting into an amused smile. “Carry me?” There was something untrusting in his gaze, as though he fully expected the other to drag him out into the middle of the pool and then swim away and leave him to his own devices.

@kim youngkyun ᵖʰᵒᵉⁿᶦˣ How will you know if you don't try?" The giant stepped into the shallow end of the water and sat down beside Hwi, looking him over, and waiting. Hwiyoung did this full body rejection often, his own version of 'out of sight, out of mind'. After that short pause, his eyes darted over to the waterfall, "If you leaned to swim we could go under the waterfall... does that sound cool?" It was worth a shot in his mind but no pressure, though every time they returned to the waterfall he would ask again. "I could carry you?"

@wong lucas ᴶöᵗᵘⁿⁿ “Not a chance,” he denies almost immediately, a frown on his face as he waved the male off. He wasn’t made for deep water adventures, he was a bird of the skies. Turning away from the Jotunn to face the waterfall once more instead to emphasize his disinterest with the idea proposed to him. “I don’t think muscle memory is the same for swimming,” not like how his wings always tried to carry his weight, and his fire always tried to burn past his parameters.