All of this was forbidden.
Rory had some very simple rules, and those rules he had lived by for many years. They made his existence easy, relatively carefree, relatively pleasant, and relatively lonely. But they kept him safe, heart and soul and body and mind.
And this Long Night, he was about to break almost all of them.
Jigano's face was warm between his hands. Rory was no stranger to touching—that wasn't the point of it all. The point was that it was Jigano, and the point was.. well, somewhere in the realm of the forbidden, stowed away in that place he did not look at. He was not thinking, merely feeling, doing.
And when Jigano's eyes opened again, Rory let himself meet them: hesitant, cautious, warm.
Rory's flimsy justification for keeping the (arguably) useless fox at the scene of the perch was turned back against him, and hearing the words aloud again felt like something out of a dream. He was lucky Amalia hadn't yelled at him for being an idiot and joking about it at such a time, especially because he was pretty sure it was after Jigano had bit him. Despite how strange it was to hear the phrase again, he felt a small smile curve his lips, partially at the words, partially because of Jigano practically snuggling into his hand.
"Well," he began in response, lifting his other hand from the man's cheek. "He's right here, isn't he?" And with those words he gave Jigano's nearest ear a light tap on the back of its tip, intending only to make him flick it to prove Rory's point (whatever that was).
Much as his mind was still very focused on the man-fox in front of him, and much as his body kept whispering all sorts of things in his ears, there was something else he needed to know. It was important too, very much so, and as it seemed they had established that they were alright.. well, it left room in his mind for this other concern to rise, and it also served to keep him from trying something stupid.
"Amalia and that other girl..." he began; the fluttering in his chest now was for a different reason, the feeling in his veins sick and worried. "Did they..? Are they..?"
He couldn't even finish the sentence, just peered into Jigano's blue eyes, looking for an answer.
Rory had some very simple rules, and those rules he had lived by for many years. They made his existence easy, relatively carefree, relatively pleasant, and relatively lonely. But they kept him safe, heart and soul and body and mind.
And this Long Night, he was about to break almost all of them.
Jigano's face was warm between his hands. Rory was no stranger to touching—that wasn't the point of it all. The point was that it was Jigano, and the point was.. well, somewhere in the realm of the forbidden, stowed away in that place he did not look at. He was not thinking, merely feeling, doing.
And when Jigano's eyes opened again, Rory let himself meet them: hesitant, cautious, warm.
Rory's flimsy justification for keeping the (arguably) useless fox at the scene of the perch was turned back against him, and hearing the words aloud again felt like something out of a dream. He was lucky Amalia hadn't yelled at him for being an idiot and joking about it at such a time, especially because he was pretty sure it was after Jigano had bit him. Despite how strange it was to hear the phrase again, he felt a small smile curve his lips, partially at the words, partially because of Jigano practically snuggling into his hand.
"Well," he began in response, lifting his other hand from the man's cheek. "He's right here, isn't he?" And with those words he gave Jigano's nearest ear a light tap on the back of its tip, intending only to make him flick it to prove Rory's point (whatever that was).
Much as his mind was still very focused on the man-fox in front of him, and much as his body kept whispering all sorts of things in his ears, there was something else he needed to know. It was important too, very much so, and as it seemed they had established that they were alright.. well, it left room in his mind for this other concern to rise, and it also served to keep him from trying something stupid.
"Amalia and that other girl..." he began; the fluttering in his chest now was for a different reason, the feeling in his veins sick and worried. "Did they..? Are they..?"
He couldn't even finish the sentence, just peered into Jigano's blue eyes, looking for an answer.
