15. Auslin

Chapter 15

Auslin

A fter lunch, where both Tatsuki and Mitsuki were both mercifully absent, Auslin and Kitaro headed to the training hall. Upon entering, Auslin startled when Kitaro's first action was to braid his silver hair with magic. Somehow, he looked even more gorgeous. He then used his magic to make his shirt disappear in a wisp of lingering smoke.

"Is there some reason that you're doing that?" Auslin asked, trying to ignore the dragon prince's perfect body.

"I expect to work up a sweat. I would rather not do that while wearing expensive silk with my hair free to get in the way."

Auslin had given little thought to what he put on earlier, so he was wearing a dark blue satin shirt that was similarly ill-suited for training. He knew he should take it off, but he was too self-conscious to do so in front of the shifter prince.

Kitaro solved his problem by impishly doing the same to the human's shirt with a mere wave of his hand.

Left suddenly bare, and caressed by the lingering tendril of silver smoke that was slow to disappear, Auslin profusely blushed. His embarrassment was made even worse when Kitaro chuckled at his discomfort.

"It's not funny." He resisted the urge to cross his arms over his chest to hide himself from Kitaro's gaze.

"What reason do you have for embarrassment over losing a shirt when we sleep together naked?"

"That's different," Auslin heatedly protested. "We're both asleep, so it's not like you see anything."

Kitaro hummed with interest. "But I have excellent night vision. And you are still wearing pants, so there should be no issue."

"Because you look like you, and I'm like this." Auslin gestured between the two of them for emphasis. "We went over this yesterday."

"Your point?" Kitaro asked with an arched eyebrow.

Auslin huffed in annoyance. "If you can't understand it, I'm not explaining it to you."

"You are aesthetically pleasing, so I do not understand where your protests stem from." Kitaro shrugged, doing a poor job of hiding his ongoing amusement over Auslin's self-consciousness.

Auslin couldn't process the fact that Kitaro had complimented him in such a way. He hid his face in his hands with a groan. "Can we please get on with it before I die from embarrassment?"

"Very well." Kitaro went over to the wall to grab weapons for the lesson.

Auslin was expecting more archery practice, so it surprised him when Kitaro came back with two wooden swords. He hesitantly accepted one that was proffered to him. "I've never actually used a sword before, so…"

"That is why you are here to learn."

"My companion did all the fighting, so I mostly tried to stay out of the way." Auslin needed to justify why he was inevitably going to be awful at defending himself. "I could use my powers, but I try not to do that unless absolutely necessary."

"And what did you do if a human appeared to attack you while you were alone?"

Auslin's mind automatically reflected on the two times Kitsuki had saved him when Kio had left him alone. "Whenever I found myself in that position, someone thankfully saved me." It still confused him why Kitsuki had come to his aid back then.

"Then you have been fortunate. However, you should be able to defend yourself against people you cannot use your powers against. Now, show me your stance."

"But I don't have one." Auslin had never received any formal training in self-defense other than what he learned through encounters on the road.

"Then do what feels natural."

Still feeling a sense of hesitancy, Auslin held the sword up in front of him in a mimicry of the position Kio used at the start of a fight.

Kitaro quirked an eyebrow. "Are you modeling your stance on your companion's?"

"Trying to." Auslin was unsure of how to judge Kitaro's expression.

"No wonder you had to heal him," Kitaro commented. "That pose is suited to a brawler at best. He must be disarmed often."

Before Auslin could readjust his position, Kitaro launched an attack. He easily disarmed Auslin when their swords connected, sending it clattering to the floor.

Kitaro nodded to himself as he picked up the weapon and handed it back to Auslin. "You need to put more power into your defense."

"I didn't think you were going to come at me," Auslin muttered.

"You should always expect someone to be coming at you." Kitaro held up his own sword to signal to Auslin that he should prepare himself once more .

Instead of assuming Kio's stance again, Auslin tried to model how he had seen Kitsuki standing. He drew his sword closer to his body and shifted into Kitsuki's posture to the best of his memory. "Is this better?" Auslin asked, still feeling unnatural holding a weapon.

"Much improved." Kitaro gave him an approving nod. "Perhaps your companion has had some training after all."

"Actually, I'm basing it off of a different shifter I've seen fight up close."

"He clearly must be a skilled warrior with such a balanced stance."

Auslin smiled sadly at the thought of the dragon monarch. "There's no one better."

Kitaro tilted his head as he regarded Auslin. "Why does that seem to trouble you?"

Auslin tried to put Kitsuki out of his thoughts. "Never mind."

Before Auslin could say anything further, Kitaro rushed at him. This time, Auslin didn't immediately drop his sword, but after parrying a few blows, he was once again disarmed.

"Better," Kitaro praised Auslin, although the human still felt like he was underperforming. "Let us start with some basic forms first."

Auslin picked up his weapon again. "Okay."

Kitaro began walking Auslin through the various basics of stance and defense, patiently guiding the human through the unfamiliar movements. Auslin kept getting flustered by all the small touches as Kitaro adjusted parts of his body into better positions.

Once Kitaro felt Auslin grasped the fundamentals of defense, he resumed the practice bouts.

Although he was tiring, Auslin worked hard to defend himself when Kitaro came at him again. It surprised Auslin when he held his own at first and lasted longer than when they had started. However, he was ultimately disarmed, causing Auslin to get increasingly frustrated.

"Do not be discouraged," Kitaro counseled, but it did little to soothe away Auslin's irritation over being so unskilled. "You have already shown a marked improvement."

"You're being too kind." Auslin scowled as he picked up his sword from the floor. "I'm awful."

"No, you are merely a beginner. You cannot expect to become a master before your first lesson is over. Have patience."

Auslin logically knew that Kitaro was right, but it irritated him he was so incompetent. It also didn't help his mood that he kept getting distracted during the bouts by Kitaro's exposed skin, which was impossible to not appreciate. It still made Auslin feel weird to find Kitaro so attractive, but there was no chance of ignoring that the shifter possessed divine levels of beauty.

"You keep holding the sword too far away from your center and leaning forward," Kitaro said, bringing Auslin's attention to the present. He stood behind Auslin, guiding the human's body to press against his.

Auslin's entire brain went offline at the feeling of being embraced by Kitaro while both were shirtless. He tensed up in shock.

"Relax," Kitaro requested.

Words failed Auslin as everything in his mind turned to white noise at being so surrounded by Kitaro in his embrace. It felt a lot like perfection. Auslin was unprepared for the experience of their sweat-slicked skin sliding against each other. His instincts were at war between telling him enjoying the moment was an awful idea and memorizing every detail to remember for a later fantasy. The latter made Auslin feel guilty for harboring such a fleeting thought, but that darker part of him whispered he didn't feel as guilty as he should have.

When Kitaro said Auslin's name to get his attention, he had to hold in a gasp at the jolt of pleasure that shot through him at the sound of the shifter's sensuous voice caressing his ear. Auslin needed to put some distance between them so he could think and breathe normally again, but he didn't want to leave the comfort of Kitaro's embrace. All Auslin could do was tremble while his body anticipated the next move.

"Why does this distress you so?" Kitaro asked.

Auslin couldn't get his voice to cooperate with him. "It's embarrassing. "

" Just embarrassing?" Kitaro's teasing once again sent a flurry storm of emotions through the human mage.

Auslin was closer to the cusp of arousal than he should have been. "You've made your point."

"Have I?" Kitaro slid his hands along Auslin's body to shift his position once more, letting his claws trail against Auslin's skin. It earned him a shiver in response.

Auslin had always had a weakness for that sensation. It sent a powerful burst of arousal through him as he fought to hold in a sexual moan of desire that was dying to escape. It was mortifying when Kitaro could smell his body's betrayal.

"Are you trying to humiliate me?" Auslin softly asked in anguish. He was the worst kind of person for not being able to resist his primal response to such stimulus.

"Think nothing of it, Vanra." He released Auslin and took a step back to give the human some room.

Auslin's self-loathing burned over the assumption Kitaro let go out of disgust.

"I do not profess to understand where your thoughts are at the moment, but all is well," Kitaro told him. "Do not beat yourself up for something you do not deserve."

Auslin couldn't bring himself to look at Kitaro. "How can you stand being subjected to me? To my scent? "

"You continue to labor under the impression that I find it objectionable. The truth is, I find it most enjoyable."

"But you can smell everything ," Auslin said with frustration. "How do you not hate it? Hate me ?"

Kitaro guided Auslin to turn around to face him, but the mage steadfastly stared at the floor. "Vanra, look at me," Kitaro softly implored, but to no avail. "I apologize that my teasing went too far. I did not intend to cause you such distress over something you cannot control."

"I'm sorry." Tears burned in Auslin's eyes that he refused to let fall.

"You have done nothing wrong. Please understand you owe me no apology."

"Yes, I do. I'm the worst ."

"No, you are far from it. I am the one who is at fault here. Regardless of whether you believe me, I enjoy your scent and find your ever-shifting emotions endlessly enthralling. I should not have indulged my curiosities about your reactions at the expense of your peace of mind. I apologize for making you feel as if you had something to be ashamed of."

The apology made Auslin simultaneously feel better and worse at the same time. He could see the confusion on Kitaro's face as his brows furrowed over the mixed reaction. "It's a relief to hear that, honestly. But I didn't mean to make you feel bad about it. I don't want you to think you can't tease me. I've—and maybe I shouldn't—but I've been enjoying the fun after so much strife in my life. I wasn't prepared for…well, you know ."

"I will be more considerate of your feelings in the future," Kitaro promised.

Auslin flashed a wry grin. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised since dragon shifters are known for being mischievous."

Kitaro grinned. "We have been known to get ourselves into trouble from time to time."

It made Auslin realize Kio was far more devious than mischievous. But he couldn't picture Kitsuki being anything other than serious or sad. "I guess I'm not used to it because the two dragon shifters I know in my time aren't the playful type." Had Kitsuki ever been different?

"Then surely, they must be from my father's side," Kitaro concluded. "They have no need for being mischievous when being brutal is far more appealing."

Auslin ran his fingers through his sweat-dampened hair. "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up perfectly. The only time my companion has fun is when he's beating up an opponent."

"Which happens fairly often, I assume?"

"He really doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut." Auslin ruefully shook his head. "But in truth, he's usually badly defeated. Then I have to listen to him complain while I heal him after another vicious battle. "

"What about the other?"

It took a moment for Auslin to understand Kitaro was asking about Kitsuki. "He's the one whose stance I tried to mimic the second time. He knows how to deliver devastating insults. There is no one that can best him in a fight—although that doesn't stop my companion from trying repeatedly and getting defeated every time. I honestly don't know much about him personally, but I get the feeling he's never had a mischievous day in his life."

"And that makes you sad?"

Auslin made an indecisive noise. "He has an ice-cold exterior of indifference to everything, but sometimes I see the hurt behind that fa?ade. I can't help but feel for him despite everything."

"Despite everything?"

A nervous laugh escaped Auslin. "He abhors my companion, and as a result, he despises me. Or used to despise me. Or maybe he still does? I don't really know." Auslin sighed in frustration at how badly he was explaining the situation. "He's tried to kill me before, but he's also saved me from being killed by others. It's complicated, but I can't figure out why. I don't think I'll ever know. He's not a talker or known for being open to talk about himself and his feelings despite my best efforts."

Kitaro blinked in disbelief. "Am I to understand that this dragon shifter has tried to murder you in the past, and your response was to try getting to know him?"

"The thing is, he's a powerful shifter who could kill me in a blink of an eye, but he didn't ," Auslin explained. "He just looked so hurt —then and whenever he's saved me. I guess part of me wants to help heal that pain. I get the feeling he's not been shown a lot of love in his life. It makes me sad that he's silently suffering alone. I want to be there for him."

"You continue to astound me with the kindness of your heart," Kitaro said with a shake of his head. "It is unfortunate he is not wise enough to let your goodness reach him."

"Sometimes I think I've made some progress," Auslin replied, but it made him realize that disappearing for so long was probably going to undo some of it. He couldn't stop seeing those haunted blue eyes in his mind. "I know it's stupid to be worried about him, but…"

"If anyone could reach such a person, it would be you."

"Maybe." Auslin lost himself in thoughts of whether Kitsuki would care that he was gone. Why did it seem to matter so much?

"Let us call it a day on today's lesson." Kitaro held his hand out for Auslin's practice sword. "You did an excellent job of getting the basics down."

Auslin handed over his weapon. "I'll try not to be so distracted next time."

"Think nothing of it. Shall we eat?"

As much as Auslin was in love with the food at the castle, he was soaked in sweat from his efforts. "I'd rather get a bath first, if that's okay?"

"That sounds like a fine idea." Kitaro must have sensed Auslin's spike in anxiety, so he said, "I will let you do that while I check in with Father about your progress."

An intense relief washed over Auslin that he wouldn't have to bathe with Kitaro after so much teasing.

T he tension disappeared from Auslin's body as he sank into the welcoming warm water. His muscles were sore from the unfamiliar fighting, so it felt like heaven to soak in the heated bath.

It also was a relief to have some privacy, especially after such a confusing training session. He couldn't forgive his body's betrayal of him during Kitaro's teasing. Nor could he forget how the shifter prince's body had pressed against his in a tight embrace. The memory of Kitaro's claws teasingly trailing over his skin sent a flare of arousal through Auslin that he had no right to feel .

While Kio had no qualms about stepping out of their relationship to be with Maseo, Auslin prided himself on his loyalty. He would not sink to such actions.

While Auslin's morals were righteous, his body was an entirely different matter. The memories of Kitaro's embrace and caresses sent waves of desire crashing into Auslin. Remembering the sensuous timber of Kitaro's deep voice so close to his ear made Auslin shudder. He ached with a need that only grew stronger as he replayed the moment in his mind.

When his body stirred with arousal, he tried to stop things from going any further. However, between the intense lust and the fact that he hadn't gotten off since the night he arrived in the past, it was a losing battle. Auslin didn't want to be reduced to his basest instincts, but the moment kept replaying on an endless loop in his mind. He became erect despite his mental objection.

Auslin couldn't bring himself to jerk off to a fantasy of what happened. If Kitaro walked into the bathroom, he would surely smell the human's arousal.

His traitorous body whispered if he didn't do it now while he was alone, he would suffer from that burning desire crawling under his skin. It would inevitably lead to inescapable, mortifying questions from Kitaro.

The thought that Kitaro might do something else to build on his already problematic desire was horrifying, mostly because Auslin didn't trust himself not to get fully aroused in front of the shifter prince at this point.

Auslin retraced the path of Kitaro's claws with his fingers. It didn't have the same feeling, but it intensified his arousal. Combined with the memory of Kitaro's voice teasingly caressing his ear, a soft moan escaped from Auslin.

He recognized he was past the point of no return. Since he wasn't sure how long Kitaro would allow him to have the privacy of the bathroom, Auslin took himself in his hand.

Leaning his head back on the edge of the bath, Auslin bit his lower lip to hold back another sound that tried to escape from him as he pleasured himself. After so long without being touched, it felt even better than normal. He shivered while thinking about Kitaro's claws on his skin.

Auslin muffled a sigh as he shifted in the water. Despite his efforts to keep his mind blank, an errant thought of Kitaro licking the curve of the shell of his ear made him arch up as his hand moved faster in response.

The closer Auslin got to his release, the harder it was to stop his traitorous mind from imagining the training session going further than it had in real life. While his morals strongly objected, he couldn't prevent himself from picturing a devastatingly perfect kiss between him and Kitaro. It brought him to the very brink of his climax.

When he imagined Kitaro's claws running down his back to grab his ass while growling Auslin's name, he came hard with a gasp.

He had a few blissful moments of peace as he basked in the afterglow, but all too soon, the guilt over fantasizing about Kitaro infringed on his sexual satisfaction. It was wrong to get off on such a fantasy, yet it was so devastatingly perfect. His release had felt far better than the perfunctory climaxes he had to struggle for under Kio's inattentive efforts.

How could he look Kitaro in the eye after doing such a thing? Worse, now that he had pleasured himself to thoughts of the shifter once, it would be impossible to talk himself out of it the next time he experienced the urge.

Why did it have to feel so damn good? Auslin angrily wondered to himself with a scowl. Why did he harbor the tiniest hint of bitterness that such a fantasy could never come to pass? It was madness to want such a thing, but that didn't stop the traitorous part of Auslin's desires from wanting it.