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Exploring a labyrinthine cave had not initially ranked high on Joshua's list of preferences. The one in question was only a half-day's hike from Obolus's landing on the Rosarian side of the Bennumere but there was no telling how deep they would have to go into it to find what they sought. Or what Tarja sought, to be precise: a special variety of cave violet that created an extract ideal for topical numbing.
Jote let slip that the infirmary was running low but Tarja had been hesitant to send anyone out to acquire more. With the rampant spread of aetherfloods that only increased after Origin's emergence, exploring any subterranean geological formation came with much higher risks than before. Thus leading Joshua to volunteer himself in his brother's absence and, after collecting a few supplies from the botanists in the backyard, he volunteered Dion as well. The prince blithely agreed despite never officially being asked.
"And you are certain it is safer for us to be in here?" Dion asked, warily eyeing the collection of round-topped white fungus that formed in clusters on the floor.
What little sunlight that managed to pierce the cracks of their rocky ceiling was sparse and only saved them from progressing in complete darkness. Instead, the light from the orb that floated just over Dion's left shoulder made navigating the tenebrous depths much easier. Joshua refrained from creating his own fire-aspected ones in the event that it reacted violently to something in such a confined space. He looked over to see the mushrooms at Dion's feet and nodded.
"Safe enough," he confirmed. "Safer than most, to be sure. Those white puffcaps will release spores if you brush against them but they are mostly harmless."
"Mostly," Dion's echo carried a tinge of doubt while he sidestepped the mushrooms he moved past.
"It is their blush-colored cousin that you need to worry about more than those," Joshua explained, eyes scanning the craggy, uneven ground for the flowers. "Their spores are collected for their potent aphrodisiac properties."
Dion paused. "It is the active ingredient in Rose Rush powder, is it not?"
Joshua also stopped, turning to regard Dion with a curious look. "You know of it?"
"I was offered it once at a rather lavish winter fête years ago," he said. "I declined the moment its purpose was explained to me."
Joshua hummed and returned to his search. Anyone of noble ranking would have encountered that product at some point. Its scarcity and high market value made it something boastworthy for those with means and coveted by those without. Still, he didn't know what to make of the fact that Dion was one of those people. He left the conflicted feeling right where it sat in his gut.
They progressed further in silence, approaching an area where the previously narrow path through the cave widened considerably. There was room enough that standing on either end of it meant that each would have to call out to the other. The light from Dion's orb illuminated the chamber and they both looked about, wary of any signs of aether. Only more dirt and groundwater and solid rock walls greeted them. Dion moved to the further end and the orb followed.
"Are these the violets we seek?" he asked, stopping before a patch of vegetation that had sprouted up where a fissure in the cave wall let water seep through and collect in a moss-lined pool.
Once Joshua got close enough, he plucked one of the barely-blue blossoms and twirled it between his thumb and forefinger. "I believe they are." He pulled the sack he'd rolled up and placed in the pouch at his hip and unfurled it. "Let us collect as many as we can."
They made quick work between the two of them, nearly filling the small sack two-thirds of the way. Joshua had crouch-walked his way into one jagged corner of the chamber when he felt one of his many scarves meet resistance. After shuffling to one side to free it, he saw a cloud of spores blooming in the spot he'd just left. Damned puffcaps. He ruffled a hand over the scarves and continued on.
He'd harvested five more flowers before he noticed the tightness in his chest. Two more before he became aware of the clamminess of his skin. His shirt had started to stick to him along his chest and arms as if he was sick with fever. He paused and stood up, turning to notice Dion had also stopped. And he was staring at Joshua with eyes that were clouded over with something unknown.
"Do you feel at all unwell?" Dion asked as he ran a trembling gloved hand over his own arm.
"Y-you as well?" Joshua asked, stammering as a shudder ran down his spine.
Dion nodded. "I believe I noticed a cloud of something earlier. What was that?"
"Oh, my clothing happened to disturb a cluster of—"
The instant Joshua turned to gesture to the mushrooms he'd bothered, all of his words dried into dust that scattered on the nonexistent wind. The puffcaps that had remained whole flushed a vibrant pink in the light of Dion's orb. Rose puffcaps. Joshua felt his stomach drop and his body temperature rise.
"We must leave here," he said, tone filled with the desolation and fear of a warning that came too late. "With all haste."
Dion's eyes looked to where Joshua still pointed and went wide. "Are those—"
"Yes." Joshua swallowed, forcing down the lump that stuck in his throat. "We need to leave. This instant."
As they wound their way back towards the entrance, he hoped enough daylight still remained outside. His chest grew tighter with every hurried stride and he battled with his lungs for each wheezing breath. Errant coughs escaped him once the ground evened out enough for them to run. But Dion's hand clamped down on his shoulder, begging him to stop a moment.
"Are you well enough to continue?" he rasped.
"I need to be." Joshua coughed, sickeningly wet. "The spores lose potency in the sunlight."
Before he could protest his point further, he was lifted off his feet with a yelp. Dion hoisted him over his shoulder with a quiet apology and resumed running. Uncomfortable as it was, Joshua was at least saved the exertion of having to continue running. Though it also came with an uncomfortable jostling, he was treated (perhaps 'treated' was a poorly chosen thought) to a much closer view of Dion's backside.
Joshua willed himself to ignore the sight. To disregard the way the center seam of Dion's pants stalwartly held fast against the strain of thigh and gluteal muscle. Joshua's own pants were already tight and unpleasant due to the heat trapped within them. He didn't need to make them even tighter at that point. Particularly not with the way he was bent double over Dion's shoulder.
Would that he was bent double over— Joshua picked at the thought with stubborn fingers and flicked it far away so he could concentrate on the increasing bit of light he could see from around Dion's waist.
He was set back on his feet as soon as they were out of the cave. The trees that had grown up around the entrance blocked out much of the daylight but some beams of sun still streamed through. However, as Joshua groaned in realization, they burned orange-gold and tilted sideways. Sunset was drawing near.
"We—we might try addressing the issue individually," Dion suggested between labored, panting breaths as he too peered up through the tree canopy. "I spotted a stream nearby during our journey. Could be useful for cleaning ourselves afterward."
"A single dose of Rose Rush powder is known to generate enough stamina for an hours-long encounter," Joshua sighed, wiping the back of his gloved hand across his sweat-dappled brow. "Even in its raw form with exposure to sunlight, such as it is, I doubt a single solo indulgence will be enough to burn through the entirety of it. And I doubly doubt you wish to take matters into your own hands until you render yourself uncomfortably raw."
Dion grimaced through the flush that colored his face, nose and brow scrunched uncomfortably tight. Whether it was from his current predicament or the resurfacing of an unpleasant memory, Joshua left that curiosity to its own devices.
"There must be another method available to us."
Joshua flopped down onto a nearby rock. He could feel the coolness of the lichen that covered it doing little to soothe him through pants he presently boiled inside. "Is the thought of sexual intimacy with me that discomfiting to you?"
Horrified, penitent, Dion shook his head. "No," he effused, almost coughing the words out as they readily escaped his lips. "No. Quite the opposite, in fact."
"Oh, you—oh," Joshua fumbled as Dion's honesty pulled the ground out from under his argument. "Then, why?"
Dion looked away, one hand gripped at his abdomen. "I could never presume upon you in such a manner. Especially not now, when our hands have both been forced."
Joshua was up from the rock in an instant, faster still was his fist that crashed into Dion's jaw. The other man reeled backward, cradling the side of his face with both hands. Breaths came fast and heavy due to the swift, sudden motion allied with his own ire. His fingers remained curled into a tight ball of knuckles and sinew.
"Presume upon me?" Joshua spat. "You dare to claim you know my feelings without even asking the question?"
Something cut through through the fog of his sudden anger in that moment. There had been a temporary reprieve, he realized. The insufferable heat of lust that burned through his body had either briefly abated or his wrath overwhelmed it. His eyes widened in tandem with Dion's, who dropped his hands to gape back at him.
"You felt it as well, yes?" Dion said. "The moment you struck me, there was a relief from the incessant smoldering in my gut."
Joshua nodded, slow at first then faster with the assistance of certainty. It made a peculiar sort of sense. There was no conceivable reason a mushroom spore might be intelligent enough to discern a sexual action from a hostile one. All it provided was a rush of energy. Energy and heightened emotions.
There was another way after all.
"I did feel it." Joshua looked down at his now-unclenched fist.
"Good," Dion urged. "Now, you know what you must do."
"I have to hit you again."
"You have to hit me again," Dion echoed. "We can think of it as sparring, as it were."
Resignation drew Joshua's sigh out, long and loud. "These accursed spores have truly induced a madness."
"It is a means to an end," Dion reasoned, pushing aside the hair that had tangled in with the sweat on his face. "And a far sight better than the obvious option that eschews a proper conversation."
Joshua's ignoble eyes followed the trail of perspiration that sluiced down Dion's neck. His mouth parched and a hunger pulsed in his gut. "Indeed," he agreed, averting his gaze with a determined blink. "It is also a worthwhile experiment that could save others who encounter the same predicament."
"Only you would turn this into an opportunity for an academic exercise." Dion's laugh was full of heated breath and disbelief. "We need to let these effects run their course. And quickly. So, do not hold back." He squared his shoulders, planting his feet wider.
"No weapons?"
He nodded to the halberd Dion had left leaned against a nearby tree with their travel packs. Dion shook his head in agreement. It would have been quite the mismatch, anyhow; pitting polearm against sword in a small clearing bordered by trees. Unbuckling the blade from his hip, Joshua let it drop to the ground. He rubbed sweaty palms against his thighs to no avail.
"No weapons, no magic."
"Then let us commence," said Joshua right before launching himself towards Dion's torso and tackling him to the ground.
They fell in a tangle of arms and legs, each one scrabbling for purchase between roots and dead leaves. Joshua managed to hold Dion down for two breaths before he was turned onto his back. Their eyes met in between those breaths and Joshua was nearly lost in the unfocused haze of desire he saw in Dion at such close proximity. But he was released and Dion rolled to his feet before their closeness compromised either of their resolve. He scrabbled after Dion's legs as the other man rose to stand.
"This has to be the most absurd theory I have ever tested" he huffed.
"You imprisoned a god in your chest," Dion pointed out through a tight breath while waiting for Joshua to return to his feet. "I would argue this is far less absurd."
"Are you trying to purposely provoke my anger?"
"It seemed a better idea," Dion reasoned. "Considering the state we are in, anything kinder might as well be considered seduction."
Joshua's next swipe went wayward and Dion artfully sidestepped the attack. It nearly caused him to tumble head over feet which only pitched his frustration higher. Dion's pointed, logical comments were about as irritating as his refusal to attack. But Joshua found he liked that. A little too much, in fact. Being equal parts angry and aroused was a perplexing new combination for him.
"If you are hoping to disarm me between only your words and feinting avoidance, I fear the spores will metabolize much slower for you," he said, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
"I ran out of that cave at a rather brusque pace," Dion reminded him, heaving in a gulp of air. "Also, I had to carry you out of there. If the spores' only wish is for me to exhaust myself, I am nearly halfway there."
Dion really needed to stop talking. The warm depth of his voice raked an aching want through Joshua, leaving him hollow and unfulfilled in other warm depths that were not being explored. If a defensive stance was working for Dion, who was he to argue? Arguing only led to dizzying daydreams of Joshua wrapping hot, wet lips around—
He pitched forward, landing a sharp blow to Dion's shoulder. The answering hiss from the pain soothed the irrational hunger, paying its tribute to the voracious monster that railed inside of him in counterfeit coin. The idea may have been ridiculous but the efficacy of the results could not be denied. It was a different dance between bodies, but no less fervid.
When Joshua turned briefly to suck in a deep breath and cough, Dion grappled him from behind, pinning both of his arms at his sides. He squirmed against Dion, his muscles straining with a satisfying ache. His breath caught at the feel of the hardness pressed against him. He pressed back, pushing his rear into Dion's groin until it had the desired reaction. Dion's grip loosened from the shock of contact.
"That was… unwise of me," he admitted, stepping back.
"Definitely not your brightest maneuver," Joshua agreed through gritted teeth.
It was enough for Joshua to jam an elbow just under the ribcage, forcing a gasp out of Dion. He contemplated bringing his knee up before tossing the notion to the winds. Dion may have advised to not hold back but that was a line even Joshua would not cross. Instead he turned, pitching his head forward to ram it into Dion's nose. Dion stumbled backwards, letting Joshua go in favor of clutching at his face. A twinge of remorse fluttered through Joshua's chest on unsteady wings after he heard the sickening crunch of contact.
He would offer to heal that, later.
For now, he focused on taking his opponent to the ground again. Wrapping his arms around Dion's waist, he pushed one shoulder into his stomach and brought him down. Joshua learned from his previous mistake and made sure to secure Dion beneath him before he could be displaced. His legs straddled Dion's chest and he ignored the way his core screamed for additional friction. He translated that need into punches he aimed at the face below that the other man blocked with raised forearms.
He lowered his arms when Joshua's last punch faltered, having no heat or force behind it. His hand fell limply to one side, revealing purpling bruises along his jaw and left eye. Blood trickled from nose. His perfect nose, Joshua lamented. All traces of misguided, spore-addled wrath left him at the sight of Dion's battered body.
"Dion, I am sorry."
Dion frowned through a rapidly swelling eye. "It was not your doing."
"No." Joshua shook his head. "For questioning your decision to abstain, for this mad experiment. All of it." He rolled off of Dion to collapse onto his back. "This was a terrible idea."
As the sun rushed towards the horizon behind them, Dion hummed. "We had few choices remaining, all of them imprudent. I wish to believe that we opted for the lesser evil."
"Lesser…" A laugh mixed with a cough erupted from Joshua. "I suppose. Though, I think I would like to entertain that conversation you proposed. Perhaps on the way back?"
"It is something we have long been overdue for, it seems," Dion agreed, looking off into the deepening shadows that stretched along the ground. "Had we done so already, we might have mitigated this situation the traditional way with no hesitation."
He'd had the right of it from the outset: proper discourse should not be waylaid in favor of physical intimacy. Appealing as it was, Joshua found his desire for the latter had steadily dissipated over the course of their scuffle. It left a deep exhaustion in its wake, one that could have been accompanied by myriad emotional complexities had they chosen differently. Addressing their reticent attraction now prevented them from avoiding the topic following a spore-frenzied coupling.
Dion's lips pursed in thought for a moment before bowing into a frown. "Is it all right, then, if we return empty handed?"
His words brought forth the image of their mostly-full sack, wholly abandoned inside the cave after their escape. Joshua sat up, his groan a product of both frustration and soreness. While they had brought enough supplies to tide them over for an overnight stay, the thought of reentry raised several concerns. But leaving the flowers behind would negate their entire excursion, not to mention putting the hideaway's infirmary in an even more precarious position.
"I want to hope that the spores will have dissipated by morning," he admitted through the ache of several misgivings. "We can attempt to recover our harvest then. Carefully."
Dion also pulled himself into a sitting position to look towards the cave they'd exited. "Would the mouth of that cave suffice for shelter overnight? Or do you think it might put us in further peril?"
"It is our best option either way. Though, I suppose we should have our conversation sooner rather than later, just in case. I would rather not fight you again."
That reminded him. Joshua turned to lean towards Dion, running a tender hand along his face. Glowing wisps of green trailed from his fingers across skin, soothing the bruised flesh in its wake. Once he'd satisfied himself that Dion appeared whole and hale again, he withdrew. Dion caught his hand mid-retreat, casting a warm smile at him.
"Nor would I."
The sun's waning light was replaced by the flames of the small fire they built at the cave's opening. Joshua prayed to no one in particular that the combination of heat and smoke counteracted any lingering spores that might have trailed behind them. With injuries healed and rations consumed, they prepared themselves for the weightier work that lay ahead. Joshua curled in on himself beside the fire, wrapping both arms around his knees when Dion settled beside him.
It could have been a much longer conversation. It could have spanned the course of multiple days and nights whilst meandering between prolonged bouts of fond reminiscing and heated debate. But the inevitability of Origin looming ever in the distance meant that perhaps not every little matter could, or needed to, be settled to their satisfaction. Time had been stolen from them severalfold and the now was all that remained.
Instead, talk of years and yearning were woven between flickers of firelight. Of how time spent together in their youth left indelible marks on each other's souls. Of past lovers and preferences. Of the possibilities of finding any small joys and pleasures they could within whatever days remained for them. Of acknowledging how fleeting those days would be and choosing each other regardless.
They slept, arms curled about each other and holding on tight, until the growing light of sunrise beckoned their eyes to open.
Their second trip was, as expected, much more cautious than their first. Dion even deployed a second floating light to accompany Joshua. When they reached the lower chamber, the sack awaited them in the same place they'd left it. The flowers looked only slightly worse for wear and they would soon be crushed and placed in oil to extract their benefits anyhow.
"Shall we collect a few more?" Dion asked, gesturing to the sack. "We have nearly filled this."
Scanning the area, Joshua weighed their risk before nodding. "I will give that corner a wide berth this time," he added with a laugh, pointing to the offending pink mushrooms that remained.
They worked side-by-side, rather than dividing to conquer. One led the search for more flowers while the other remained on the lookout for any nearby fungi.
Meeting their self-imposed quota went faster than they realized. The sack was nigh overflowing with blossoms by the time they returned to deposit their latest collection. Dion knelt to cinch the opening and tightly secure the drawstring. Joshua stared between him and the ominous mushrooms in their foreboding corner whilst chewing on his bottom lip. When Dion stood, sack in hand, he regarded Joshua with a questioning tilt of his head.
"What is it that has you pondering so?"
Joshua blinked, tearing his eyes away from the mushrooms to focus on Dion. "Well, it is mostly what we discussed yesterday," he admitted. "But also what led to it."
"The fighting, you mean?"
Joshua nodded. "While it may have worked one time, a true scientific discovery would mean that the results are replicable. Our results remain anecdotal at best."
Dion's face wavered somewhere between frown and wince. "I seem to recall we agreed that we would not engage each other in combat again."
"We did," Joshua confirmed. "But, as you said yesterday, it is no different than sparring. And we would have the standard option available to us now…" he faltered for a moment as his words and mind caught up with each other. "But only if you would allow it, that is. Doing this knowingly versus doing it out of desperation are quite different scenarios."
"That may invalidate your initial findings, would it not?" Dion cautioned, stepping closer to Joshua. "Our reactions, now that we know what will happen, will be different than they were before."
"I—you are right, of course," Joshua relented, sighing through his embarrassment. "I should not have proposed it. I apologize."
"We would not be where we are were it not for your curiosity. We would not know what we do about the enemy we are yet to face." Dion's words soothed him. "However, we can perhaps leave this one to others who wish to pursue this field of study."
Joshua's laugh ridiculed only himself. "Thank you, Dion. It seems, even without the spores, these mushrooms have affected me," he confessed. "I will admit, the potential for our previous solution to fail this time might have appealed more to me than it should have."
Dion moved closer again, Joshua realized it was to stand between him and the puffcaps. "From the moment we were born, we knew nothing of the freedom of choice; thrust into our roles as Dominants as we were," he began. "But, now that I am here with you, at the end of peril and circumstance, I would much rather want you, choose you of my own will than that of a fungal-induced lust."
"But you still are choosing me," Joshua pointed out. "You would merely be doing so knowing the full effect of what is about to occur."
Dion hummed, eyes betraying his amusement. "You make a persuasive argument. Are you certain you wish to do this?" he asked, holding one hand out to Joshua. "Unless you've sword oil in that pouch of yours, we remain ill-equipped to accomplish much."
"It just so happens that I do." Joshua's mouth tilted as he took the proffered hand. "Proper weapon care is important and we did not know what we might face in here. It is always best to be prepared."
Dion walked them backwards, pulling Joshua along with him. Joshua marveled at how his measured steps brought them perfectly into the corner, while stopping just short of the blush-colored temptations that lay there.
"Then it is a very good thing that I left our blanket on top of my pack when putting away our supplies this morning," Dion's voice went low with a throaty rasp as he spoke. There were no spores around but Joshua already felt a tremor go down his spine.
"Was…" he hesitated, licking his lips, "was that intentional?"
"It is always best to be prepared," Dion echoed.
In one fluid motion, Dion tugged Joshua to him, letting the momentum carry them backward that last half step. And just as his heel crushed into the mushrooms, he pulled Joshua's lips onto his.