#someone pls stop me before i explode into urban yog bits
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how deep the waters run
Will thinks he knows what he's in for. Kirin shows him otherwise. Completely SFW, featuring worried Lomadia and Xephos. 1,077 words.
Will doesn't know how far deep he's in. He doesn't understand why his Aunt Lomadia insists on hanging charms in small necklaces around his throat, little homemade packets on thin leather strips. He lets her tighten the cords until the hand-sewn pouches rest in the hollow of his collar bone and doesn't tell her that he takes them off as soon as he leaves her house and spends the rest of the day rubbing at the side of neck where he can still feel a phantom trace of what he thinks is leather on his skin.
He plays the good nephew, never breathing a word about late night dances and joyrides in Smith's car, but talks excitedly about the plants and the work he does in Kirin's shop- he tells her about Kirin's tea-
"Honey and- something else- Chamomile, maybe? You'd like it, Aunt Lom!"
-misses the way she pales and casts worried glances at Nilsey and Mr. Cat.
He never hears the conversations his aunt and cousin have when he leaves, the firmness in her voice as she reminds Nilsey-
"You don't eat or drink a thing in that shop, ever."
Will thinks he knows things. He knows his uncle worries, and tries to soothe that worry.
"He's teaching me how to keep myself safe, Uncle Xephos."
Honeydew looks up from standing over Xephos, one hand on his partner's shoulder as Xephos holds his head in his hands and Honeydew stares at Will with a strange, almost pitying look in his eyes until Will turns from the kitchen door without another word.
Will knows Kirin is fae, and he knows fae can't lie. So he pushes himself up to sit on the edge of Kirin's big wooden table and toys with the soft fronds of a lamb's ear plant.
"Kirin-" He says, keeps his eyes on the plant he's petting.
Kirin doesn't turn from his work, continuing to move seed packets to higher shelves that Will can't reach without a stepstool. "Yes?"
"I can ask you a question, right?"
"Can you?" Kirin sounds like all his middle school teachers, and Will tries not to roll his eyes.
"May I ask you a question?" Will mumbles, and rubs the leaf between his thumb and forefinger a little faster.
Kirin places a seed packet and turns, looking Will over. "What's wrong? Did the city catch you again, are the Sirs bothering you-?"
"No, no-" Will cuts him off quickly. He doesn't want Kirin to worry, not after all the work Kirin has put into saving him and teaching him to not lose himself in the city. "I, uh." The hand in his lap stirs, shifts to rub the back of his neck. Kirin waits across the room for him, arms folded in a gesture of listening. The words tumble out of Will's mouth in a jumbled rush, tripping over each other in their unsure phrasing. "How much do I owe you."
Kirin blinks, and Will sees the glamour flicker as Kirin's tail lashes. "Owe me?"
"Yeah. You're... fae. And Xephos said I was in debt.. to you?"
"Oh, that." Kirin looks almost relieved and he moves towards Will, coming to lean back against the table beside him. "It's not a big deal. You're working it off already."
"Oh." Will looks up, releasing the poor plant from his worrying grip. He makes a face, thinking. "So why's my uncle so worried?"
Kirin sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's worried about you, William. That you might be getting in over your head."
"Am I?" Will feels like he's finally getting answers out of someone over this, and he's not going to stop with just two.
"That's not for me to decide." Kirin shrugs and Will relaxes, dropping both his hands back into his lap and fiddling with his fingers for just a moment.
"One more thing."
"Hrm?"
Will straightens and coughs before looking Kirin in the eye. "How far deep am I in?"
Kirin stares at him for a moment, the quiet in the room making Will more nervous until Kirin slowly hovers his hand over Will's clasped hands and Will nods.
Kirin runs his fingers over Will's shaking hands and doesn't break his gaze. "Do you want me to show you?"
"Yeah." Will's voice is forced. Kirin's fingers are distraction, rough pads from constant work, grasp big enough to holds both Will's wrists in one hand-
There's a light touch on Will's shoulder and he starts, pulling away with a little pop of static. Kirin looks guilty and worried. Will feels guilty. "Sorry, I zoned out." He says, and lets Kirin place his other broad hand on Will's shoulder.
He lets Kirin run that hand around to his back, trace lightly up his spine and Will shivers, leaning forwards towards the warmth of Kirin's chest. "Say stop whenever you need to."
Will nods and he feels Kirin stop, waiting for a verbal response. "Yeah. Stop, got it." Will just wants Kirin to get on with it already, whatever he's going to 'show' Will, Will's certain Kirin doesn't need to be touching him this much.
"You ask very interesting questions." Kirin's voice rumbles through him and into Will. "You owe me for your life, William."
Will's silent, still against Kirin as he lets Kirin trace patterns over his back, trusting the fae to not be drawing runes. They don't feel like runes.
"You want to know how deep you're in?" Kirin's other hand shifts, and both of Will's wrists are held in his grasp. Will ducks his head and lets a thin noise escape his lips. "The water here is as deep as you want it, William. I will not make you do anything against your will. You chose to call to me for help, and I responded. You chose to accept my offer of lessons."
Will swallows hard at that, not noticing Kirin's voice drawing closer until the stubble brushes against his ear and Will groans softly, baring his neck to Kirin, drunk off the scent of warm honey.
"Do you understand now?"
Kirin squeezes his wrists and Will shudders at the sudden clarity of his debt to Kirin. "Life-debt." He murmurs, and feels the scratch of Kirin's nod against his ear and tingling around his neck like he had just taken one of his aunt's charms off.
He pushes at Kirin and Kirin releases him, stepping back and giving Will room to breathe. Will stares down at his feet and slides down from the table, picking his bag up off the floor.
"I'm going home." Will says, and misses the soft knowing smile as Kirin lets him cross the shop's threshold.
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