Fire and Moonlight [One-Shot]
Night was falling once again over the dunes of Arrakis, and the gentle light of the two moons illuminated what could be seen of Arthur’s face above his sandmask. The cave entrance had become something of a sanctuary for him, a place to escape from the constant demands that plagued his life as Sayyadina. The moons did not judge, did not stare, did not insist or beg or threaten, merely watched over him as he rested. Sleep did not come easy to him anymore. Without these small moments of peace, he would likely have driven himself insane.
He heard the footsteps before they reached him, but did not move, and only the moons and the sand and the rocks could see the soft crinkle of his eyes as he smiled. When two arms, shielded by a sandsuit, yet as familiar as his own skin, wound around his shoulders, Arthur lifted his hands to rest lightly upon them. “Alfred.”
“Arthur.” The hunter’s voice was rough, but Arthur heard the fondness behind it, the love that he knew his own voice contained as well. “You should be sleeping.”
Laughing lightly, Arthur turned his head to peer into Alfred’s spice-blue eyes. This was a conversation they had worked through many times before. “I should, yes. You know as well as I that I am incapable of sleeping until I have made peace with myself.” He ran one hand down Alfred’s arm, and stared out past the rocks at the telltale signs of a sandworm moving in the distance. “You were gone for a long time.”
Alfred sighed. “I am sorry for that. I had not realized the time until the moons began to shine.” He held Arthur tighter, closer. “I should have been lying with you. I could have helped you to fall asleep.”
“No, it is understandable. It would be wrong of me to ask you to stay, when our people need your hunting abilities so much. Though I would be lying to say I have not thought about it.” Arthur smile widened, but saddened somewhat. He had imagined those times before, beautiful thoughts of walking the cavern with Alfred always at his side, lying his head down each night as Alfred held him close. But dreams were all they were, and all they could ever be.
“I am sorry,” Alfred said again, voice quiet. “If I could, I would spend every waking moment by your side. I would close my eyes only after you closed yours, and wake you in the mornings with a kiss, and hold you whenever you needed to be held. Yet I cannot.”
They stood there in silence for a long moment, neither regarding the other, merely staring out across the dunes. Alfred’s arms were warm around Arthur’s body. He leaned back against his mate of over ten long cycles, safe and content in his hold. Finally, sleep was beginning to overtake him. He yawned, the sound muffled behind his sandmask, though he could still hear Alfred’s chuckle from behind him. Arthur rolled his eyes. “Come, let us go inside. I think I should rest my head for a few hours before dawn breaks.”
Alfred released him from his grasp, reaching out one strong hand to wind it around Arthur’s palm. Together, they made their way back inside the caverns. Their own cave lay a ways away, down by the ritual altar that was so sacred to their people, but they passed nearly silently in front of the others along the way. They did not disturb a single sleeping soul.
Only once they were within their cave, illuminated by the glow of their fire, did Arthur remove his sandmask. He watched as Alfred removed his as well. He had known that face for many cycles, had watched it age from the smoothness of a child to the curves and scars of an adult, and he found it more beautiful than anything in the world. Stepping forward, he rested his fingers beneath Alfred’s chin and met those wonderful eyes once more. “I love you.”
“And I love you.” Alfred ran his hand down the side of Arthur’s cheek, his gaze following his fingertips. “You are still as lovely as the day I first saw you.”
Arthur smiled and shook his head. “Nonsense.” He pressed a gentle kiss to Alfred’s lips. “Come, lie with me. I believe I am ready to sleep now.” When Alfred smiled, and took his hand once more, Arthur moved around the fire to the blankets where they slept. He slowly stripped off his clothing, unfastening the clasps and allowing Alfred to slide them to the floor, before turning to Alfred and removing his sandsuit. They stood there, bare in the firelight. Alfred’s hands came to rest upon Arthur’s waist, and Arthur allowed his palms to slide up the muscles of Alfred’s arms.
No more words were exchanged. None were needed. They lay down amongst the blankets, and they curled around one another, and the fire warmed their bodies. Alfred’s hand, large and calloused, rubbed softly across Arthur’s back. Arthur closed his eyes.
And then he slept. He dreamed of two moons and sandy dunes that stretched as far as the eye could see, and a solid body that held him tight, and a pair of spice-blue eyes.
**
A/N- Continuation of my Dune!AU, They Stopped the Moving Sands, by request of pandawolf. It was supposed to be daily life, but I strayed a bit. Not as much as usual, though.
Most of my comments about this setting can be found in “They Stopped the Moving Sands”, so please look at that first before asking questions. Oh, and the two of them are about ten/eleven cycles/years older than they were in the first story.
Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this little thing.
He heard the footsteps before they reached him, but did not move, and only the moons and the sand and the rocks could see the soft crinkle of his eyes as he smiled. When two arms, shielded by a sandsuit, yet as familiar as his own skin, wound around his shoulders, Arthur lifted his hands to rest lightly upon them. “Alfred.”
“Arthur.” The hunter’s voice was rough, but Arthur heard the fondness behind it, the love that he knew his own voice contained as well. “You should be sleeping.”
Laughing lightly, Arthur turned his head to peer into Alfred’s spice-blue eyes. This was a conversation they had worked through many times before. “I should, yes. You know as well as I that I am incapable of sleeping until I have made peace with myself.” He ran one hand down Alfred’s arm, and stared out past the rocks at the telltale signs of a sandworm moving in the distance. “You were gone for a long time.”
Alfred sighed. “I am sorry for that. I had not realized the time until the moons began to shine.” He held Arthur tighter, closer. “I should have been lying with you. I could have helped you to fall asleep.”
“No, it is understandable. It would be wrong of me to ask you to stay, when our people need your hunting abilities so much. Though I would be lying to say I have not thought about it.” Arthur smile widened, but saddened somewhat. He had imagined those times before, beautiful thoughts of walking the cavern with Alfred always at his side, lying his head down each night as Alfred held him close. But dreams were all they were, and all they could ever be.
“I am sorry,” Alfred said again, voice quiet. “If I could, I would spend every waking moment by your side. I would close my eyes only after you closed yours, and wake you in the mornings with a kiss, and hold you whenever you needed to be held. Yet I cannot.”
They stood there in silence for a long moment, neither regarding the other, merely staring out across the dunes. Alfred’s arms were warm around Arthur’s body. He leaned back against his mate of over ten long cycles, safe and content in his hold. Finally, sleep was beginning to overtake him. He yawned, the sound muffled behind his sandmask, though he could still hear Alfred’s chuckle from behind him. Arthur rolled his eyes. “Come, let us go inside. I think I should rest my head for a few hours before dawn breaks.”
Alfred released him from his grasp, reaching out one strong hand to wind it around Arthur’s palm. Together, they made their way back inside the caverns. Their own cave lay a ways away, down by the ritual altar that was so sacred to their people, but they passed nearly silently in front of the others along the way. They did not disturb a single sleeping soul.
Only once they were within their cave, illuminated by the glow of their fire, did Arthur remove his sandmask. He watched as Alfred removed his as well. He had known that face for many cycles, had watched it age from the smoothness of a child to the curves and scars of an adult, and he found it more beautiful than anything in the world. Stepping forward, he rested his fingers beneath Alfred’s chin and met those wonderful eyes once more. “I love you.”
“And I love you.” Alfred ran his hand down the side of Arthur’s cheek, his gaze following his fingertips. “You are still as lovely as the day I first saw you.”
Arthur smiled and shook his head. “Nonsense.” He pressed a gentle kiss to Alfred’s lips. “Come, lie with me. I believe I am ready to sleep now.” When Alfred smiled, and took his hand once more, Arthur moved around the fire to the blankets where they slept. He slowly stripped off his clothing, unfastening the clasps and allowing Alfred to slide them to the floor, before turning to Alfred and removing his sandsuit. They stood there, bare in the firelight. Alfred’s hands came to rest upon Arthur’s waist, and Arthur allowed his palms to slide up the muscles of Alfred’s arms.
No more words were exchanged. None were needed. They lay down amongst the blankets, and they curled around one another, and the fire warmed their bodies. Alfred’s hand, large and calloused, rubbed softly across Arthur’s back. Arthur closed his eyes.
And then he slept. He dreamed of two moons and sandy dunes that stretched as far as the eye could see, and a solid body that held him tight, and a pair of spice-blue eyes.
**
A/N- Continuation of my Dune!AU, They Stopped the Moving Sands, by request of pandawolf. It was supposed to be daily life, but I strayed a bit. Not as much as usual, though.
Most of my comments about this setting can be found in “They Stopped the Moving Sands”, so please look at that first before asking questions. Oh, and the two of them are about ten/eleven cycles/years older than they were in the first story.
Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this little thing.