Neo laughed and let himself be pulled with Braith, careful to keep an arm wrapped around him. It wasn’t really all that hard to keep up, with his long stride. He paused at the stand, looking down at a pepper. Mmm…
“What are you snorting for?” Neo was pulled out of his stupor of peppery goodness.
((mood))
Braith noticed Neo's gaze and selected a few of the bright peppers. He held up a squash for Neo to inspect as he spoke, "I was just thinking of my family." He paused thinking. "I suppose family has been on my mind a lot lately."
Neo grabbed the squash and inspected it closely. “Mmm. Good. Not your family. Do you miss them?” He handed the squash back and took the peppers.
Braith tucked the squash and a few other vegetables into his bag, paid the vendor who was gawking at Neo and stepped out into the sunlight again before answering. "Yes and no. Life at home was very different than it is here." He mused quietly, taking a moment to watch the market bustle around him. His face was uncharacteristically serious, pained.
Neo ignored the rando vender and strided to keep up with his lover. “Oh? Do elaborate.” He tucked his hand up Braith’s shirt again, bumping him gently with a shoulder as he pushed the peppers into the bag.
Braith leaned into Neo's touch, the pain in his face vanishing as he looked up at him. "This place is full of life." He said gesturing to the market around them and the people who smiled and bowed at them. "My home city is very formal. The mountains cold and stern. My father…" He paused to hold up an interesting bracelet on one of the vendors tables. "–My father was the embodiment of the strict way of life there. Very strict. Everyone had to fall in line or else. Not to mention that I constantly had to hide who I really was. Affection is practically taboo."
Neo looked down at him, meeting his gaze. His soft, supportive smile didn’t waver once as Braith talked of his family. He glanced down at the bracelet with him, stopping.
“I’m sorry you had to grow up in such a place,” Neo said softly, leaning into Braith.
Braith looked up at Neo, pressing his lips into the man's cheek. "It's in the past. But there is a petty part of me that wants to invite them here so they can see my new life." He wiggled his brows at Neo, eyes dancing with mischief.
Neo smiled and caught Braith’s lips in a quick kiss. They could do more of the physical things after dinner and when they were alone.
“I’m glad you’ve perked up so quickly again.” He smiled charmingly.
Braith fluffed his hair with a wayward hand, embers catching in the light of the sun. He turned away towards he meat vendor. "This is my life now. Why linger on the past?"
He considered the cuts before him before motioning the butcher to grab the ones he chose. "Besides, I have your brother to fret over tonight."
Neo watched the flickers of ember fall to the ground, his lips turned up in a slight smile.
“Mmm… oh, shit, you’re right, I do…” He sighed deeply. “I should just tell Wings to tell him.”
Braith cocked a dark brow at him, placing the wrapped meat into his bag as well. "Your Twin Telepathy hasn't told him he's being summoned yet?"
(*your)
Neo rolled his eyes. “We don’t have Twin Telepathy. Mind Readers can’t read each others minds, smart one.” He grinned. “But I’m sure M’ll pick it up the moment you step foot in the Palace.”
(shit. typing too fast.)
Grinning, Braith poked Neo in the stomach. "Oh great. Your brother is worse at staying out of other people's minds than you are." He stuck his tongue out at Neo's mock offended expression. "Would you like to purchase a wine, love? Or bring one up from the cellars?" He asked glancing towards the final tent on the road.
Neo laughed softly as Braith’s finger tapped his firm stomach. “M can’t help it. Trust me, he hates it. No, I can bring one up.” He stuck his hand out for Braith. “Would you like to teleport back, love?”
"Of course. As long as you don't drop me." Braith gripped his hand tightly, preparing for the lurch and the queasiness. Not his favorite way to travel, but he'd survive.
He and Neo disappeared with a pop and reappeared back in front of the Palace doors. Neo’s teleportation skills seemed to be smoother and more mature than what other Magic groups had.
He smiled and pushed open the front doors.
Despite Neo being well adjusted to his magic, Braith still handed him the shopping bag and darted into the palace to the nearest restroom to vomit. He emerged a few moments later, looking pale, but smiling. "Always an adventure with you."
Neo walked into the boring hallways of the Palace, humming softly as he sniffed at a pepper. He glanced up when Braith approached, straightened up, smiling back happily.
“It is, isn’t it? Are you sure you’re okay to cook?”
"Bah!" Braith brushed off Neo's worries with a pale hand. "Get your nose off my peppers! I shall be fine. Just the teleporting got me as usual." He glanced around at the pale walls and sighed. He'd have to paint them soon. "You think M has gotten the hint yet?" He asked carefully.
Neo laughed and waved his hand in return. “Teleportation Sickness. The classic.” He lifted the pepper to his nose and inhaled deeply, his eyelids fluttering as he fought back laughter.
Braith reached out and snatched the pepper back. "Enough! You'll get your cooties all over it." he said a great peal of deep laughter bursting from him.
Neo finched it back, laughing deeply with him. “It is my pepper!” He turned his back on Braith, only to jump back as he set eyes on his haughty twin, who was shouldering off his jacket.
“What in the world are you two doing?” He asked with a low growl in his voice.
Braith, in a rare display of haughtiness, stepped forward to gently take the pepper from Neo's frozen hands. "Cooking. Care to join?"
Neo’s hands clenched into fists as M’s icy gaze swept to Braith. M didn’t say anything, he just stared, and Braith got the eerie feeling of being x-rayed.
“It doesn’t seem like you are cooking,” M growled softly after a few moments, narrowing his eyes.
Braith's eyes darted to Neo and then back to M. He held his ground. "We've only just arrived home." He paused extending a hand littered with angry embers. "I'm Braith, by the way. Braith Amren. Neo's….companion." The fuck do I call myself??? A million names went through his head, but Neo had only ever called him "Love" or "Dear" and it wasn't like they were public yet. They had only talked about that this afternoon.
“Companion,” M repeated delicately, his eyes narrowing even more. “Certainly.” He shifted when he saw Braith’s angry hand, shaking a sleeve over his own skeletal hands, as if shy to take the others hand.
“It is a pleasure, I suppose.”
"Indeed. Companion." Braith bristled. He wasn't sure why he was being so defensive. He glanced at Neo again, lowering his hand. "Shall we?" He asked the men.
Neo took Braith’s hand and squeezed it, willing for him to calm down.
M shifted in his posture again and shrugged. “If I have no other choice.”
Braith almost told M that he didn't, but decided he was being too pushy. Instead he led them into the kitchen. Letting go of Neo's hand and nudging him towards his brother, he began preparations.
