Stranded! (part 4)
This part not safe for work!! XD Finally! ^^' This very very nearly pushed this fic over the 10000 word mark. *facepalm*
Subaru was delighted that his message seemed to have got through, even if he was simultaneously still a little worried he was still being lured into some complex ritual that ended with someone drinking his blood out of an ancient voodoo skull. But still, the guys had seemed fairly laidback so far. He'd feel safer when he had a few more answers, though.
The jungle they were making their way through seemed to be getting denser and more likely to contain deathly wildlife. Subaru stuck close to the guy - he was pretty fit-looking, with well-defined muscles and confident grasp a confident hold on his throwing spear, so Subaru tried to think positive. This guy looked fierce enough that any big animals would be intimidated enough not to bother. Yes, that's what Subaru would try and hang onto.
It seemed to take ages to get where they were going. Subaru jumped at every caw of every parrot, every insect that buzzed nearby, every breeze that rustled the treetops. He could see the native shaking his head and smiling, which he didn't think was very respectful, or even polite, but it was better than running away and abandoning him for the buzzards or whatever.
Eventually, just as Subaru's nerves were down to their last shred after the native man had helped him very narrowly avoid a hissing stick with beady eyes and very pointy fangs, they approached a sort of clearing. The ground was clear, at least, but the forest canopy still dimmed the sunlight that fell through. In the middle of the clearing loomed a tall, dark rock, and on the top of it sat the little man in the cloak. Subaru watched as the native he was with approached the rock.
'Oi, Shota!' he called up, not unkindly. 'I think there's someone here who was looking for you!'
The man on the rock looked down, his cheeks colouring when he saw Subaru there too. 'I was just... thanking the gods for finally delivering us our king,' he said hurriedly.
The man on the ground raised his eyebrows. 'Well you've been up here a while now. He's a bit useless without him here too, he can't understand a word we say. And vice versa! That's no good for the royal proclamations, is it?'
'I guess not,' mumbled the man on the rock. After an uneasy moment of hesitation, he finally clambered down off the rock, jumping the last bit as nimbly as a gazelle. He walked over, avoiding Subaru's gaze as much as he could, but he said "I'm... sorry about earlier... Your Majesty."
Subaru chuckled. "You don't have to call me Your Majesty," he said. "Not all the time, anyway. My name's Subaru."
"I know," said the little man as they started to walk back towards the village. "It was prophesied."
"Yeah, you said that before," said Subaru, slightly guarded now. "What do you mean, 'prophesied'?"
The man turned to meet his eyes now, obviously feeling a bit more confident again. "My family have been the shamans on this island for as far back as legend tells. My grandfather told me all about your coming."
Subaru really wasn't sure how he felt about this after all. Had his coming to this island really been foretold for generations?! "But why me? I'm just some random guy!"
"Exactly," the shaman said, with a mystical sort of twinkle in his eye. "If you'd had another purpose, a family, a path you were following, do you think you would have ended up here? Of course not. Destiny would not divert you from another course. And if you had another course, it would never have brought you here."
Subaru had no answer for that. "So you're a shaman too then?"
"Yes," said the little man, quite proudly.
"So you... see visions? Go into trances? Read the future from animal entrails?"
The little man looked quite taken aback by the last one. "Well, I do have visions, yes. But I could never endorse the sacrificing of an animal just for the purposes of divination!"
Subaru felt quite cheered by that. If this guy wasn't into animal sacrifice, he probably also wouldn't be too happy if they cut up Subaru - or even Yoko or Ohkura - and made them into tasty pies. "So you're pretty important round here then, huh?"
The man looked down shyly. "Well, my grandfather was a very well-respected man," he said modestly.
Subaru was quiet for a moment. "Is it your shaman powers that mean you can speak my language?" he asked, in a half-whisper. That was some pretty serious stuff! Maybe this guy could listen to a few words of any language, and spontaneously be able to speak it! Or maybe it was an innate ability that all shamans had, to be able to speak in any and all tongues...
"Oh no," the shaman said nonchalantly. "My grandad taught me that too."
Subaru almost stumbled. "What?! How did he know it?!"
The little man shrugged. "He just did. And he learnt it from his father, and he learnt it from his, and so on... back as far as legend tells," he said again. "We knew that when you came, this is the language you would speak. And so it was preserved, for your coming, which we knew would happen one day," he explained sombrely. Then his face broke out into a big smile. "And that day is today!" he said, in a bright tone, far removed from the heavy shamanistic talk. "I'm so happy you came during my lifetime!" he exclaimed, sounding quite scarily enthusiastic.
Subaru had to admit, though, it was quite infectious, and he couldn't help smiling at the little man. After all, who didn't want to be seen as a gift from the gods? No-one had ever been this happy to see Subaru ever before, especially not all those people who woke up to find him on board their ship stealing their hard-won treasure and setting fire to their sails, so it actually made Subaru feel an unfamiliar warm glow inside. He'd almost completely forgotten about the incident earlier, until he remembered about it again. But he didn't quite know how to broach that topic, so instead he settled for the more innoccuous, "So what do I call you then?"
"Oh!" the young shaman exclaimed. "I'm very sorry for not introducing myself sooner! My name is Shota." He bowed his head respectfully.
"What about your friend?" he asked, pointing at the native who was with them.
"He's Hina," Shota said.
Hina's face bore a look of comical frustration at being talked about but not being able to join in, Subaru thought. He grinned. "Hina," he repeated. "Nice to meet you."
The guy looked from him to Shota and back again, and in the end just nodded and grinned, shaking his head.
"Do the people here... mind having a king?" Subaru asked, suddenly made uneasy once again by Hina's complete lack of reverence. Maybe it was just Shota who had vegetarian tendencies.
"Oh no," said Shota cheerfully. "Everyone's been prepared for your coming all their lives. It's almost like you've been here the whole time!"
It hadn't seemed to take nearly as long to get back through the jungle; they were already within sight of the village again. Subaru wondered how Yoko and Ohkura were getting on. The thought made him smirk.
When he caught sight of them, he burst into full-on laughter. Of course, their clothes had been in as bad a state as his, so the natives had very kindly supplied them with new ones. Yoko was wearing a grass skirt, and Ohkura had a loincloth much like the ones the natives wore. It just looked rather tinier on his larger frame.
Subaru had to crouch on the ground, he was laughing so hard.
"Shut up!" whined Yoko. "Just because you got to wear a dress!"
Subaru laughed some more, but when he'd got himself back under control he remembered why he'd gone to go and find Shota in the first place. "Hey, don't piss off the king! Especially when he just braved the jungle to go and find the shaman! He'll make you feel better."
Ohkura perked up. "Shaman? Does he have magic hallucinogenic herbs?"
Subaru snorted. "If he does, I'm not letting him give them to you. Not after what you did when we had that overproof rum..."
"He looks a bit young to be a shaman," Yoko said suspiciously. "And a bit... ditzy. I'd've expected someone with more, I dunno, burning eyes or wearing a wolfskin or something! I'm not sure I trust him to be medicating me..."
Subaru looked at him deadpan. "You know, he is the one who can understand our language," he said nonchalantly.
Yoko's eyes opened wide for a second, then he smiled uneasily. "I'm sure you're a very powerful wizard," he said weakly. "...Please don't curse me?"
Shota laughed. "I'm not into cursing," he said lightly. "But if you come with me, I'll give you something to make you a bit less sore, OK?"
Yoko and Ohkura nodded like schoolboys, getting up to follow as Shota led them all to his hut. He patched them up just like he had with Subaru, and offered them some water and generally acted like a perfect host, not a crazed voodoo priest. Yoko and Ohkura had started to relax a little, when Subaru had the sudden uneasy thought that maybe Shota would try the same with them as he had with him. Especially now they were wearing easy-access loincloths and, uh, skirts. And there really was no way to warn them, being as how they were guests in Shota's hut.
"I bet you'd like to get some sleep, wouldn't you," said Shota kindly.
Yoko and Ohkura nodded gratefully. Subaru wondered if they were going to have to share his 'palace' with him - much as he was happy to have his friends here, he liked having a palace all to himself, even if it was just a mud hut! He was looking forward to his me-time! Especially after being on the boat for so long.
Shota smiled at them. "Come with me," he said again, leading them back out.
To Subaru's relief, he didn't head towards the palace. Instead, he approached the three natives who were once again sitting around the cooking pot, this time plucking birds and peeling some kind of... vegetables, Subaru guessed.
'Ryo, you've got some space in your hut, haven't you?' Shota asked, looking at the shortest of the three.
Ryo frowned. 'That doesn't mean I want to take care of some foreigner!' he said emphatically. 'I'm not babysitting!'
'You don't need to!' entreated Shota earnestly. 'Just give one of them some place to sleep, and make sure they don't wander off into the jungle alone, that's all!'
'If they're dumb enough to wander away alone, they deserve anything they get,' Ryo muttered, but he eventually pointed at Ohkura. 'If I have to, I guess I'll take that one, he said. 'He's quieter.'
Shota beamed, and turned to the chef, who was once more stirring the cooking pot. 'You'll give the other guy a home, won't you Maru?' he asked winningly.
Maru looked up helplessly, looking from Shota to Yoko to Subaru. 'I guess if I say no that makes Ryo look really good and me look really bad...' he murmured. 'OK, I guess there's nothing else for it!'
'Thank you both so much!' Shota exclaimed, smiling widely. 'So if I leave them with you, you can take care of everything, right?'
'H-hold on!' sputtered Ryo. 'How are we meant to communicate with them?!'
Shota looked as if he hadn't considered this. He turned back to Yoko and Ohkura. "You'll be staying with Ryo over there," he said to Ohkura, pointing at Ryo. "Don't be scared of him! He's a big softie really."
Ohkura looked as if he hadn't really thought about being scared until Shota mentioned it as a possibility.
"And you'll be staying with Maru," he said to Yoko, pointing again. "If he..." he started, then began again. "Just, you might need to be a little bit... patient," he said eventually.
Yoko looked alarmed at that, but Shota raised his hands reassuringly. "Now you two go and have a nice sleep. I'm sure His Majesty wants to do the same," he said. Subaru was grateful, because he really, really did.
Yoko and Ohkura looked dazed enough that they really couldn't think of any further argument, if they had somewhere to sleep and the possibility of further food in the future, and they only slightly awkwardly started to follow Ryo, who was already striding off towards his own hut.
Shota turned back to Subaru with a kind smile. "Now, Your Majesty. I'm sure you'd like to return to the palace."
Subaru would, very much. Even if he wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Shota when they got there.
"Let's go and make you comfortable," said Shota, with such a sweet, accommodating tone that Subaru almost blushed.
When they got back to the palace, Subaru once more very gratefully sank down onto the bed. He'd performed a heroic rescue for his friends, explored the jungle, eaten foreign food... all on top of still recovering from shipwreck injuries! He was ready for some of the being waited on hand and foot that he was sure being king entailed.
He felt a little self-conscious taking his robe off in front of Shota, but it was warm and, when he thought about it, kind of itchy, so he pulled it over his head and lay down, pulling the bedsheet over himself.
Shota was still there, biting his lip like he was working up to something. Eventually, just as Subaru was losing the battle with sleep almost against his will, Shota started to speak.
"Your Majesty, I'm... sorry if I offended you earlier," he said meekly. "I'm very grateful that you don't seem to bear me any grudge."
Subaru smiled awkwardly. "You didn't offend me," he said. "I was just... surprised!"
A look of relief spread across Shota's face. "Oh, good!" he said. "I was just so thrilled by your arrival," he exclaimed, to Subaru's continued bemusement. This really wasn't explaining anything.
"Uh," he said, groping for the right words. "But why were you - why did you have your hands on my-"
"I just wanted to give you a proper welcome," Shota interrupted him, blushing just a little. "It is my duty after all. As your concubine."
Subaru blinked. He couldn't have heard that right, could he? Must be a mistake in Shota's learning of the language. "...Concubine?" he asked uncertainly. "Aren't concubines usually... I dunno, girls?"
Shota looked at him blankly. "Well, we've never had a king before," he said. "But I've grown up with this prophecy! All my life I knew this was my destiny! You're not... disappointed, are you?" he asked, suddenly looking forlorn again.
Subaru didn't know how to answer that, but somehow, even though he'd only been here a day, he already felt like he couldn't exactly say 'yes' to that question. "No, no," he found himself saying. "It's just, er, not what I expected! I wasn't prepared!"
"I just wanted to give you a proper welcome," said Shota, forlorn look completely gone as he approached the bed again.
This time Subaru was far more prepared when Shota knelt on the edge of the bed. He didn't try to stop him as he slowly drew back the sheet and crouched over Subaru's naked body. Shota paused for a moment, giving Subaru plenty of notice this time of what he had in mind.
Subaru swallowed hard - he was already feeling distinctly warm under Shota's gaze. "Well," he said hoarsely. "If this is your custom..."
Shota smiled, and, very gently, reached out and took Subaru's dick in his hand, stroking it softly. Subaru hissed in a breath - Shota's hand was warm andcoaxing, and it didn't take Subaru long to get hard. Looking pleased with himself, Shota crawled further onto the bed, between Subaru's thighs, and leaned down.
He was only a few centimetres from Subaru's cock when he chose to pause and look up at Subaru's face, as if he was checking this was still OK. What was Subaru going to do in that situation?! He could feel Shota's warm breath on the tip of his cock, and could imagine all too vividly how those lips would feel on him. He made an impatient noise, lifting his hips a little, and Shota, looking way more delighted than Subaru had ever seen anyone look in his position,opened his mouth and slid it over the head of Subaru's cock.
Subaru gave a little involuntary cry - he really couldn't think why he'd reacted the way he had when Shota had tried this earlier. After all, who was he to reject the local cultural practices? He should adopt every aspect of his new community, if he was going to be a good ruler!And besides, it would be just bad manners to reject Shota's oh-so-generous offer. He couldn't dash his hopes like that, after he'd said this was what his whole life was leading up to!
Shota was a little shy in his movements - obviously trying very hard to get everything perfect - but his tongue was soft and warm and he moved it slowly over Subaru's cock. Every touch made Subaru feel more sensitive, and he sighed happily, petting Shota's hair to encourage him. Shota quickly got bolder, sliding more of Subaru's dick into his mouth, and Subaru couldn't help the way his hips started moving - it really had been too long since he'd had any kind of sex, let alone a blowjob as good as this. Shota was attentive and keen, and he bobbed his head at just the right pace andlet Subaru pull his hair (just a little bit) and didn't pull back even when Subaru warned him he was getting close. He did make a bit of a strange face when Subaru came, but he dutifully swallowed, his smile returning soon after with more than a trace of smugness in it.
"Was that satisfactory, Your Majesty?" he murmured, crawling up the bed and making himself comfortable next to Subaru, as if he belonged there.
Subaru couldn't do anything except nod dazedly. If he had that to look forward to, on demand, whenever and however many times he wanted it, then he truly had found himself an island paradise!
TBC
Subaru was delighted that his message seemed to have got through, even if he was simultaneously still a little worried he was still being lured into some complex ritual that ended with someone drinking his blood out of an ancient voodoo skull. But still, the guys had seemed fairly laidback so far. He'd feel safer when he had a few more answers, though.
The jungle they were making their way through seemed to be getting denser and more likely to contain deathly wildlife. Subaru stuck close to the guy - he was pretty fit-looking, with well-defined muscles and confident grasp a confident hold on his throwing spear, so Subaru tried to think positive. This guy looked fierce enough that any big animals would be intimidated enough not to bother. Yes, that's what Subaru would try and hang onto.
It seemed to take ages to get where they were going. Subaru jumped at every caw of every parrot, every insect that buzzed nearby, every breeze that rustled the treetops. He could see the native shaking his head and smiling, which he didn't think was very respectful, or even polite, but it was better than running away and abandoning him for the buzzards or whatever.
Eventually, just as Subaru's nerves were down to their last shred after the native man had helped him very narrowly avoid a hissing stick with beady eyes and very pointy fangs, they approached a sort of clearing. The ground was clear, at least, but the forest canopy still dimmed the sunlight that fell through. In the middle of the clearing loomed a tall, dark rock, and on the top of it sat the little man in the cloak. Subaru watched as the native he was with approached the rock.
'Oi, Shota!' he called up, not unkindly. 'I think there's someone here who was looking for you!'
The man on the rock looked down, his cheeks colouring when he saw Subaru there too. 'I was just... thanking the gods for finally delivering us our king,' he said hurriedly.
The man on the ground raised his eyebrows. 'Well you've been up here a while now. He's a bit useless without him here too, he can't understand a word we say. And vice versa! That's no good for the royal proclamations, is it?'
'I guess not,' mumbled the man on the rock. After an uneasy moment of hesitation, he finally clambered down off the rock, jumping the last bit as nimbly as a gazelle. He walked over, avoiding Subaru's gaze as much as he could, but he said "I'm... sorry about earlier... Your Majesty."
Subaru chuckled. "You don't have to call me Your Majesty," he said. "Not all the time, anyway. My name's Subaru."
"I know," said the little man as they started to walk back towards the village. "It was prophesied."
"Yeah, you said that before," said Subaru, slightly guarded now. "What do you mean, 'prophesied'?"
The man turned to meet his eyes now, obviously feeling a bit more confident again. "My family have been the shamans on this island for as far back as legend tells. My grandfather told me all about your coming."
Subaru really wasn't sure how he felt about this after all. Had his coming to this island really been foretold for generations?! "But why me? I'm just some random guy!"
"Exactly," the shaman said, with a mystical sort of twinkle in his eye. "If you'd had another purpose, a family, a path you were following, do you think you would have ended up here? Of course not. Destiny would not divert you from another course. And if you had another course, it would never have brought you here."
Subaru had no answer for that. "So you're a shaman too then?"
"Yes," said the little man, quite proudly.
"So you... see visions? Go into trances? Read the future from animal entrails?"
The little man looked quite taken aback by the last one. "Well, I do have visions, yes. But I could never endorse the sacrificing of an animal just for the purposes of divination!"
Subaru felt quite cheered by that. If this guy wasn't into animal sacrifice, he probably also wouldn't be too happy if they cut up Subaru - or even Yoko or Ohkura - and made them into tasty pies. "So you're pretty important round here then, huh?"
The man looked down shyly. "Well, my grandfather was a very well-respected man," he said modestly.
Subaru was quiet for a moment. "Is it your shaman powers that mean you can speak my language?" he asked, in a half-whisper. That was some pretty serious stuff! Maybe this guy could listen to a few words of any language, and spontaneously be able to speak it! Or maybe it was an innate ability that all shamans had, to be able to speak in any and all tongues...
"Oh no," the shaman said nonchalantly. "My grandad taught me that too."
Subaru almost stumbled. "What?! How did he know it?!"
The little man shrugged. "He just did. And he learnt it from his father, and he learnt it from his, and so on... back as far as legend tells," he said again. "We knew that when you came, this is the language you would speak. And so it was preserved, for your coming, which we knew would happen one day," he explained sombrely. Then his face broke out into a big smile. "And that day is today!" he said, in a bright tone, far removed from the heavy shamanistic talk. "I'm so happy you came during my lifetime!" he exclaimed, sounding quite scarily enthusiastic.
Subaru had to admit, though, it was quite infectious, and he couldn't help smiling at the little man. After all, who didn't want to be seen as a gift from the gods? No-one had ever been this happy to see Subaru ever before, especially not all those people who woke up to find him on board their ship stealing their hard-won treasure and setting fire to their sails, so it actually made Subaru feel an unfamiliar warm glow inside. He'd almost completely forgotten about the incident earlier, until he remembered about it again. But he didn't quite know how to broach that topic, so instead he settled for the more innoccuous, "So what do I call you then?"
"Oh!" the young shaman exclaimed. "I'm very sorry for not introducing myself sooner! My name is Shota." He bowed his head respectfully.
"What about your friend?" he asked, pointing at the native who was with them.
"He's Hina," Shota said.
Hina's face bore a look of comical frustration at being talked about but not being able to join in, Subaru thought. He grinned. "Hina," he repeated. "Nice to meet you."
The guy looked from him to Shota and back again, and in the end just nodded and grinned, shaking his head.
"Do the people here... mind having a king?" Subaru asked, suddenly made uneasy once again by Hina's complete lack of reverence. Maybe it was just Shota who had vegetarian tendencies.
"Oh no," said Shota cheerfully. "Everyone's been prepared for your coming all their lives. It's almost like you've been here the whole time!"
It hadn't seemed to take nearly as long to get back through the jungle; they were already within sight of the village again. Subaru wondered how Yoko and Ohkura were getting on. The thought made him smirk.
When he caught sight of them, he burst into full-on laughter. Of course, their clothes had been in as bad a state as his, so the natives had very kindly supplied them with new ones. Yoko was wearing a grass skirt, and Ohkura had a loincloth much like the ones the natives wore. It just looked rather tinier on his larger frame.
Subaru had to crouch on the ground, he was laughing so hard.
"Shut up!" whined Yoko. "Just because you got to wear a dress!"
Subaru laughed some more, but when he'd got himself back under control he remembered why he'd gone to go and find Shota in the first place. "Hey, don't piss off the king! Especially when he just braved the jungle to go and find the shaman! He'll make you feel better."
Ohkura perked up. "Shaman? Does he have magic hallucinogenic herbs?"
Subaru snorted. "If he does, I'm not letting him give them to you. Not after what you did when we had that overproof rum..."
"He looks a bit young to be a shaman," Yoko said suspiciously. "And a bit... ditzy. I'd've expected someone with more, I dunno, burning eyes or wearing a wolfskin or something! I'm not sure I trust him to be medicating me..."
Subaru looked at him deadpan. "You know, he is the one who can understand our language," he said nonchalantly.
Yoko's eyes opened wide for a second, then he smiled uneasily. "I'm sure you're a very powerful wizard," he said weakly. "...Please don't curse me?"
Shota laughed. "I'm not into cursing," he said lightly. "But if you come with me, I'll give you something to make you a bit less sore, OK?"
Yoko and Ohkura nodded like schoolboys, getting up to follow as Shota led them all to his hut. He patched them up just like he had with Subaru, and offered them some water and generally acted like a perfect host, not a crazed voodoo priest. Yoko and Ohkura had started to relax a little, when Subaru had the sudden uneasy thought that maybe Shota would try the same with them as he had with him. Especially now they were wearing easy-access loincloths and, uh, skirts. And there really was no way to warn them, being as how they were guests in Shota's hut.
"I bet you'd like to get some sleep, wouldn't you," said Shota kindly.
Yoko and Ohkura nodded gratefully. Subaru wondered if they were going to have to share his 'palace' with him - much as he was happy to have his friends here, he liked having a palace all to himself, even if it was just a mud hut! He was looking forward to his me-time! Especially after being on the boat for so long.
Shota smiled at them. "Come with me," he said again, leading them back out.
To Subaru's relief, he didn't head towards the palace. Instead, he approached the three natives who were once again sitting around the cooking pot, this time plucking birds and peeling some kind of... vegetables, Subaru guessed.
'Ryo, you've got some space in your hut, haven't you?' Shota asked, looking at the shortest of the three.
Ryo frowned. 'That doesn't mean I want to take care of some foreigner!' he said emphatically. 'I'm not babysitting!'
'You don't need to!' entreated Shota earnestly. 'Just give one of them some place to sleep, and make sure they don't wander off into the jungle alone, that's all!'
'If they're dumb enough to wander away alone, they deserve anything they get,' Ryo muttered, but he eventually pointed at Ohkura. 'If I have to, I guess I'll take that one, he said. 'He's quieter.'
Shota beamed, and turned to the chef, who was once more stirring the cooking pot. 'You'll give the other guy a home, won't you Maru?' he asked winningly.
Maru looked up helplessly, looking from Shota to Yoko to Subaru. 'I guess if I say no that makes Ryo look really good and me look really bad...' he murmured. 'OK, I guess there's nothing else for it!'
'Thank you both so much!' Shota exclaimed, smiling widely. 'So if I leave them with you, you can take care of everything, right?'
'H-hold on!' sputtered Ryo. 'How are we meant to communicate with them?!'
Shota looked as if he hadn't considered this. He turned back to Yoko and Ohkura. "You'll be staying with Ryo over there," he said to Ohkura, pointing at Ryo. "Don't be scared of him! He's a big softie really."
Ohkura looked as if he hadn't really thought about being scared until Shota mentioned it as a possibility.
"And you'll be staying with Maru," he said to Yoko, pointing again. "If he..." he started, then began again. "Just, you might need to be a little bit... patient," he said eventually.
Yoko looked alarmed at that, but Shota raised his hands reassuringly. "Now you two go and have a nice sleep. I'm sure His Majesty wants to do the same," he said. Subaru was grateful, because he really, really did.
Yoko and Ohkura looked dazed enough that they really couldn't think of any further argument, if they had somewhere to sleep and the possibility of further food in the future, and they only slightly awkwardly started to follow Ryo, who was already striding off towards his own hut.
Shota turned back to Subaru with a kind smile. "Now, Your Majesty. I'm sure you'd like to return to the palace."
Subaru would, very much. Even if he wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Shota when they got there.
"Let's go and make you comfortable," said Shota, with such a sweet, accommodating tone that Subaru almost blushed.
When they got back to the palace, Subaru once more very gratefully sank down onto the bed. He'd performed a heroic rescue for his friends, explored the jungle, eaten foreign food... all on top of still recovering from shipwreck injuries! He was ready for some of the being waited on hand and foot that he was sure being king entailed.
He felt a little self-conscious taking his robe off in front of Shota, but it was warm and, when he thought about it, kind of itchy, so he pulled it over his head and lay down, pulling the bedsheet over himself.
Shota was still there, biting his lip like he was working up to something. Eventually, just as Subaru was losing the battle with sleep almost against his will, Shota started to speak.
"Your Majesty, I'm... sorry if I offended you earlier," he said meekly. "I'm very grateful that you don't seem to bear me any grudge."
Subaru smiled awkwardly. "You didn't offend me," he said. "I was just... surprised!"
A look of relief spread across Shota's face. "Oh, good!" he said. "I was just so thrilled by your arrival," he exclaimed, to Subaru's continued bemusement. This really wasn't explaining anything.
"Uh," he said, groping for the right words. "But why were you - why did you have your hands on my-"
"I just wanted to give you a proper welcome," Shota interrupted him, blushing just a little. "It is my duty after all. As your concubine."
Subaru blinked. He couldn't have heard that right, could he? Must be a mistake in Shota's learning of the language. "...Concubine?" he asked uncertainly. "Aren't concubines usually... I dunno, girls?"
Shota looked at him blankly. "Well, we've never had a king before," he said. "But I've grown up with this prophecy! All my life I knew this was my destiny! You're not... disappointed, are you?" he asked, suddenly looking forlorn again.
Subaru didn't know how to answer that, but somehow, even though he'd only been here a day, he already felt like he couldn't exactly say 'yes' to that question. "No, no," he found himself saying. "It's just, er, not what I expected! I wasn't prepared!"
"I just wanted to give you a proper welcome," said Shota, forlorn look completely gone as he approached the bed again.
This time Subaru was far more prepared when Shota knelt on the edge of the bed. He didn't try to stop him as he slowly drew back the sheet and crouched over Subaru's naked body. Shota paused for a moment, giving Subaru plenty of notice this time of what he had in mind.
Subaru swallowed hard - he was already feeling distinctly warm under Shota's gaze. "Well," he said hoarsely. "If this is your custom..."
Shota smiled, and, very gently, reached out and took Subaru's dick in his hand, stroking it softly. Subaru hissed in a breath - Shota's hand was warm andcoaxing, and it didn't take Subaru long to get hard. Looking pleased with himself, Shota crawled further onto the bed, between Subaru's thighs, and leaned down.
He was only a few centimetres from Subaru's cock when he chose to pause and look up at Subaru's face, as if he was checking this was still OK. What was Subaru going to do in that situation?! He could feel Shota's warm breath on the tip of his cock, and could imagine all too vividly how those lips would feel on him. He made an impatient noise, lifting his hips a little, and Shota, looking way more delighted than Subaru had ever seen anyone look in his position,opened his mouth and slid it over the head of Subaru's cock.
Subaru gave a little involuntary cry - he really couldn't think why he'd reacted the way he had when Shota had tried this earlier. After all, who was he to reject the local cultural practices? He should adopt every aspect of his new community, if he was going to be a good ruler!And besides, it would be just bad manners to reject Shota's oh-so-generous offer. He couldn't dash his hopes like that, after he'd said this was what his whole life was leading up to!
Shota was a little shy in his movements - obviously trying very hard to get everything perfect - but his tongue was soft and warm and he moved it slowly over Subaru's cock. Every touch made Subaru feel more sensitive, and he sighed happily, petting Shota's hair to encourage him. Shota quickly got bolder, sliding more of Subaru's dick into his mouth, and Subaru couldn't help the way his hips started moving - it really had been too long since he'd had any kind of sex, let alone a blowjob as good as this. Shota was attentive and keen, and he bobbed his head at just the right pace andlet Subaru pull his hair (just a little bit) and didn't pull back even when Subaru warned him he was getting close. He did make a bit of a strange face when Subaru came, but he dutifully swallowed, his smile returning soon after with more than a trace of smugness in it.
"Was that satisfactory, Your Majesty?" he murmured, crawling up the bed and making himself comfortable next to Subaru, as if he belonged there.
Subaru couldn't do anything except nod dazedly. If he had that to look forward to, on demand, whenever and however many times he wanted it, then he truly had found himself an island paradise!
TBC