[Rainbowfox Ari]

"I...." Dali began, looking up at Etzal. "I want to be with you. To stay with you. I know it's sudden... I know we barely know each other... but I feel something. Something I don't want to let slide so easily..."

He looked down, almost as if ashamed of his confession. His lip was drawn between his upper and lower teeth as he bit it, and tears of fear and disgust with himself rolled down his cheeks.

"The rest of the castle says it's wrong to... to love one of my own gender. Not to mention a demon, but..."

He started to cry - to shake. His tears silent. But harsh enough to prevent him from speaking further.

[Kyrit]

Etzal let his hands slowly slide from being wrapped around Dali's waist to rest on his chest, slinking over his soft flesh. He let his lips rest on the nape of the other's neck, gently placing a kiss there. His lips then curled back into a small smile, letting out a chuckle without even pulling his lips away from Dali's neck.

"Your one of the firsts not to fear me. And... I've grown rather fond of you. That's the reason I brought you out here. If you had just been some toy for a night of fun I wouldn't have drug you out here and forced you to keep on going." He pulled the other closer to him, letting out a soft purr.

"And why would it be wrong to love someone just because they are the same gender as you? I can understand them hating that I'm a demon... but there are many guys in my house that like other men." His lips moved up to nip at the Arkuhna's ear, trying to make him feel pleasure instead of sadness. He didn't like the fact that the other was shaking... and knew that he had to be crying.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Etzal's words of reassurance soothed Dali a little, and he sighed, closing his eyes, the tears slowly drying up. He was afraid. Afraid of losing Etzal. Afraid of losing to this disease. Just... afraid.

"Etzal... don't.... don't leave me, okay? I.... I don't want to be alone."

And it was the truth. Being alone, to Dali, was a fate worse than even the most painful death imaginable. And with the war so close to home, and the disease running rampant... death was an ugly specter that kept raising its head. Something he didn't want to face. Especially not without someone by his side.

[Kyrit]

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." His arms were still locked around the other, holding him within such a gentle hug for one that was a demon. "So long as you want me here I'll be here. And.. probably if you don't want me here I'll be here anyways." He had grown just a little too fond of this one to just let him go that easily.

Besides, he had tried loving someone of the opposite gender, and that hadn't worked out at all. In fact it had been what caused him to be locked away in Nu'san for so long. She had seen him as a danger to anyone he was near, and managed to lock him away. Now it was time to show that he could love. That he wasn't just some beast. He'd show that she was wrong, and prove to himself that he could hold something close to him and not tear it apart.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Dali slowly drifted off into sleep again, his skin warm from the fever and the springs themselves. It would probably be at least a decent idea to get him out of the water now, as he slept. His heart wasn't acting up anymore - at least not as badly - and he DID need his rest. Which was sort of hard to do when you are surrounded by liquid. However, resting is easy to do when you are on dry land, and cuddled against the one you love. A point that Dali was hoping Etzal took initiative on, because he couldn't. This disease was no only robbing him of his energy, but his strength as well. Something that irked him to no end.

[Kyrit]

Etzal could feel the other slump against him in his slumber. Sleeping once again... Well at least that was something that was good for him. Sleep and food. Those were the only two things that he absolutely needed right now. Well, that and a reason to live. Without a reason to live his body would just give up and let the illness take him away. Etzal was fine with being that reason. In fact, it gave him a reason to do many things himself. Gave him a reason not to give himself over to the beast within.

He pushed his body to his feet, holding the other close so that he wouldn't get cold again since they had been in just their boxers so their clothes didn't get wet. His eyes traveled to the sleeping lucain, and decided not to wake him. Infact, he wanted to steal his idea. Etzal moved over to one of the trees and let himself rest upon some of the roots, keeping Dali in his lap so that the younger kuhna could just rest.