The Gift of the Winds...

[Jason Hiller]

Jason grinned at Zeph's look. "What's the matter? Nemean lion got your tongue?" he joked.

[Zephyros Aetai]

"That was completely unfair, Jason," Zeph said, sticking his tongue out at him. "You know I don't react to that kind of thing well."

[Jason Hiller]

Jason giggled, snuggling up close to Zeph. "If you're so compliment-shy, maybe you shouldn't be so darned beautiful." He rested his head in Zeph's lap, looking up at him adoringly.

[Zephyros Aetai]

Zeph looked at him, then leaned over and kissed him. "Hey, I'm not the one who did this. I'd be taller otherwise."

He played with Jason's hair, offering him a bite of bread. "One of these days I'm going to get you tongue-tied, and I don't mean with my own."

[Jason Hiller]

Jason smiled as he carefully took the bread from between Zeph's fingers with his teeth. Chewing and swallowing it, he grinned cheekily up at Zeph. "Maybe you will, maybe you won't."

[Zephyros Aetai]

"I will, just watch," Zeph promised, taking a bite of bread himself. He kissed Jason's forehead, then teased him with a piece of fruit. "Hmm... Should I?" he asked, as if to himself.

[Jason Hiller]

Jason grinned as he eyed the piece of fruit. "Please?"

[Zephyros Aetai]

Zeph took a bite, smirking at Jason. He held it above Jason... just beyond Jason's reach. "What are you going ot do now?" he teased.

[Jason Hiller]

Jason laughed as he sat up a little, craning his neck to reach the fruit with his mouth. "Don't be mean, Zeph," he complained half-mockingly.

[Zephyros Aetai]

Zeph let him have the piece of apple, grinning. "Come, didn't I tell you about my mile-wide nasty streak?" he teased. He reached for another slice of apple, eating it himself. "It's a real pity you can't have cheese. It would have been great with this."

He kissed Jason on the lips, licking them a little. "Hmm... I think this makes up for it, though."

[Jason Hiller]

"Mmm... definitely," Jason smiled. He wrapped his arms around Zeph, snuggling close and breathing in the scent of Zeph's hair, and the perfumes that wafted up from the many different kinds of wildflowers around them. "So is this your private sanctuary? You picked a great spot."

[Zephyros Aetai]

Zeph leaned against him a little, nodding. "Yeah... I mean, my brothers know about it but they leave me alone when I'm here. It's suffered many the windstorm, trust me."

He wrapped his arms around Jason's arms, holding them tighter. He shifted, putting his head in Jason's lap and closing his eyes, his grip on Jason's arms shifting to one hand held in his. Zeph stretched his legs out and then curled them up again, looking up at the sky which was visible only in small patches of blue and fluffy white. A soft sigh escaped his lips, a mixed sigh of contentment and disappointment. If only this could last forever...

[Jason Hiller]

Jason smiled contentedly as he held Zeph's hand in his, stroking Zeph's hair with the other hand. It was like something out of a fairy tale... everything was so perfect and peaceful. He laughed under his breath, wondering which of them was the princess and who was Prince Charming. He wished they could stay here forever, happily ever after.

[Zephyros Aetai]

Zeph's eyes slowly drifted closed as he sighed again. A soft breeze floated through, one not of his own power. It carried the mixed perfumes of a great many flowers... and the scent of the food in the basket. Zeph sniffed and opened his eyes, looking at the basket. He could smell chicken in there...

"Still hungry?" he asked, looking pointedly at the basket.

[Jason Hiller]

Jason nodded, smelling the food that still waited for them in the basket. "Quite. Is that chicken? It smells delicious."

[Zephyros Aetai]

"I don't know what all is in there, I just asked them to make a good lunch for the two of us. There's probably some red wine and glasses in there, too."

Zeph sat up and pulled the basket over, flipping it open as he leaned again Jason again. "Hmm... apples, bread, chicken... some pears and a knife to cut them, though the apples are cut already..."

[Jason Hiller]

"Shame I can't eat cheese," Jason commented, leaning over to look inside the basket. "Apparently it goes really well with wine."

[Zephyros Aetai]

"I was teasing about the cheese, you know. And it doesn't always," Zeph said, still leaning against him. "Cheese dries out your mouth and makes your throat sticky. And it doesn't usually taste good enough to offset that. I don't eat it very often, really. It's better melted."

He pulled out the knife and a pear, cutting it quickly into small pieces. As he finished, he slipped and cut his finger with a short gasp. "Ow!"

[Jason Hiller]

Jason jumped a little at Zeph's yelp. "Are you okay?"

He took Zeph's wrist, examining the cut on his finger. It didn't look too bad, but it was bleeding a little. He rummaged around in the basket for a napkin, holding it to the cut and clasping Zeph's hand in both of his own to keep it secure. "It should stop bleeding in a bit..."

[Zephyros Aetai]

Zeph flushed a little, "I'm not usually so clumsy. At least we know the knife is sharp... "

He leaned against Jason again, offering him a bite of the pear he'd cut up. "Here."

[Jason Hiller]

Jason smiled and took the profferred morsel of pear. "Mmm... thank you." He held it in his mouth for awhile, sucking out the juice before swallowing it.

[Zephyros Aetai]

Zeph pulled his hand back, tugging the napkin off and causing it to bleed. He stuck the finger in his mouth, his face getting a pouty expression.

"Hard to eat like this," he said around his finger, leaning against Jason still. Finally pulling his finger away and seeing the cut had mostly healed, he ate some of the pear himself. "The chicken smells good, but meat isn't really appealing right now."

[Jason Hiller]

"I'm glad you didn't hurt yourself," Jason spoke up, looking at Zeph's hand. "Be careful you don't get any fruit juice in the cut... it can hurt like mad. Though apple and pear juice isn't nearly as bad as lemon juice."

[Zephyros Aetai]

"I know. We use lemons a great deal around here," he said, grinning. He teased him with another slice of pear, putting his head on Jason's shoulder.

[Jason Hiller]

Jason grinned as he leaned his head toward the fruit, trying to catch it in his teeth. He succeeded, leaning back again and chewing his mouthful slowly. He cut himself another bite-sized piece of pear, holding it in his teeth and leaning toward Zeph's face, grinning, meaning for him to take a bite of the fruit from his mouth.