"Alright," Itzal nodded, slowly walking towards Cole. Stars, why did he have to figure out he had feelings for the man just now? Would it be better to tell him just as he was about to leave, or should he wait until after? Itzal had no clue, so he just kept walking. He would just… act normal. He didn't want to worry Cole at all. And he had no idea what to say or how to say it. Itzal settled onto the bed next to Cole and grabbed a slice of pizza. "No, this is fine," Itzal said, giving Cole a reassuring smile. That smile quickly melted into something softer, lingering on Itzal's face as he turned away from Cole. Stars, this was going to be hard.
Cole tried to seem nonchalant as Itzal took the other side of the bed, going back to his pizza and watching the show. He smiled back when Itzal did, but didn't say anything. All he wanted to do was get the words out of his mouth, but he didn't want to risk scaring the god if he didn't feel the same way. "How's the pizza?" He finally asked, working out the simple sentence as he finished off his final slice. Cole had decided to split the pizza evenly between them, meaning Itzal still had his side, but Cole's side was now empty.
"It's good," Itzal said, nodding slightly. "You can have more if you want it, you know. I probably won't finish it all, anyway." He leaned over and grabbed another slice, shifting closer to Cole as he did. That was an accident– no, it was definitely not an accident. He was really bad at this… Itzal took a bite of pizza and wondered what he was going to do next. Besides eating a slice or two more of pizza. And then going to sleep, and then waking up, and then… leaving Cole. "Stars, I wish they would be fine without me. I want to stay with you." Itzal sighed softly.
Just to be polite, Cole took one more piece of pizza when offered, sighing slightly when Itzal spoke, though he put a soft smile on his face. “I’ll be fine here, they need your help, and I know you’re the person they trust most to fix things,” He started, looking down at the pizza box as he spoke, “I wish you didn’t have to leave so soon though. It’s going to be weird to go back to everyday life after this…especially if the beings are still around.”
"Mmm." Itzal nodded, moving just the tiniest bit closer to Cole as he did. "Don't worry, Cole. The beings won't bother you anymore. Ever. I can promise you that." He ate the last of his pizza in silence, pondering the imminent separation. He was hoping that the beings had only attacked Cole because he was with Itzal, but if that wasn't the case… he had to keep Cole safe. Itzal held out his hand, a soft light appearing in his hand. After a second, a necklace appeared in his hand. "Here." Itzal held the necklace out to Cole. "If anything happens– if beings appear or something similar– just call my name. I'll come."
Even if Cole himself didn’t notice Itzal shifting slight closer to him, he himself was moving closer to the god. He told himself it was just because he wanted a better view of the tv, but deep down he knew it was because he wanted to be close to Itzal. He finished his final piece of the pizza, his eyes widening when he watched a necklace appear in Itzal hand. “I don’t want to distract you from helping the gods…are you sure?” He asked gently, his gaze flicking from the necklace to his face. If the beings came to get him…maybe it would be better not to try to fight them off himself, even if it was a loosing battle. But if Itzal wanted him to wear it, he wasn’t going to turn down the gift.
Leaning in to get a closer look at the necklace, Cole moved the now empty pizza box off of the bed, placing his hand where it was so he didn’t fall over when studying the necklace. Moving the box was a necessary thing, but he was also able to shift the slightest him closer to Itzal while doing so.
"I'm sure. I'm sure, Cole," Itzal said softly, giving Cole a warm smile. "Worst comes to worst, they can take care of themselves fine for a few hours, or however long it takes to make sure you're alright." He carefully picked up the necklace and unclasped it. Cole was perfectly capable of putting on his own necklace, but… mind as well. Itzal leaned towards Cole, slowly reaching around his neck and clasping the necklace shut. His hands lingered on the back of Cole's neck. "There we go." Itzal looked into Cole's eyes, suddenly aware of just how close they had gotten. It wouldn't be that hard to just lean forward… his eyes flicked towards Cole's lips for a second as he entertained the idea. Should he? Stars, he wanted to. So much. Before he knew what he was doing, Itzal was slowly leaning forward. One hand shifted to gently cradle the back of Cole's head. He only managed to get ahold of himself a second before his lips touched Cole's. "Is this alright?" Itzal murmured. Even though he was pretty sure by now that Cole felt the same way as he did, he wanted to be sure.
Cole smiled softly, shrugging in agreement at his reasoning. “I suppose they’ve lasted this long on their own, they could get by while you check on things.” He watched as Itzal grabbed the necklace, feeling almost frozen in his spot when he leaned forward and clasped it behind his neck. Cole could feel the lingering brushes of Itzal’s hands on his neck and the gentle feeling sent goosebumps down his arms. “Thank you,” He murmured, locking eyes with the god and realizing how close they actually were. Clearly Itzal was thinking the same thing, but unlike him, he seemed to actually be able to get himself to move.
Cole did nothing to stop Itzal when he leaned forward, his eyes fluttering closed instinctively. He was lost in the moment, his heart racing at the idea of kissing the god, when Itzal stopped. It made him smile just barely to hear him ask if it was alright. Even if it pulled him to the present, it showed that he cared enough to ask his permission before doing anything. “It’s more than alright,” He replied, finding the control over his body to move forward, closing the gap and gently pressing his lips to Itzal’s.
He could feel his face flush as he kissed him, his heart soaring in elation when he realized what he was doing. He was kissing the god. And he didn’t was to stop doing so.
Something warm exploded in Itzal's chest when Cole's lips met his. Stars, this was better than he could have imagined. His eyes slid shut, one hand moving to Cole's back to pull him closer. When he'd started out on this horrifying adventure, he had never expected to find someone like Cole. He had expected pain, and fear, and nothing but running. But love? That had been completely out of the question. Itzal's eyes fluttered open as he pulled away– just enough to look at Cole.
"Thank you," he whispered, kissing the corner of Cole's mouth. "Thank you for everything." Itzal's lips curved into a smile as he pressed another on Cole's jaw. "You are the best thing to ever happen to me." His lips met Cole's once again, his hand slowly sliding down Cole's back to his waist.
Cole decided in an instant that he could get used to kissing Itzal. Something about it just felt…right. He moved his hand to the back of Itzal’s neck as he cherished the moment. It was only when Itzal pulled away gently that his eyes fluttered open, a tiny smile settled onto his face. It grew as Itzal pressed kisses to his face and he found himself gently leaning into them. “Meeting you made my life a thousand times better,” He replied, his tone soft, before his lips were back on Itzal’s and his eyes were closed once more. Cole leaned in closer to him, snaking his hand up slightly into Itzal’s hair.
Itzal let out a low hum of satisfaction and deepened the kiss. All his worries faded away until it was just him and Cole. There were no beings, no gods needed his help… it was just Cole and his warmth. Nothing else mattered. He could have stayed that way forever. Itzal finally pulled away, resting his forehead against Cole's. "I could keep doing this forever, you know." He sighed, letting out a little laugh. "You're so beautiful, it's unfair." Itzal reached up and gently ran his thumb across Cole's cheek. "I didn't have a chance. It was impossible not to fall in love with you."
Cole couldn't help but press a soft kiss to Itzal's cheek as he replied, pressing into his hand as if he could somehow absorb more contact from Itzal, "I hope you realize you're just as beautiful, you're perfect. I don't know how you fell for me, but I can tell you that I fell hard and fast for you." He smiled, looking into Itzal's eyes before pulling away slightly, kissing his forehead. "You are the kindest, most understanding, and most selfless person I've met. You deserve infinite happiness."
"I could say the same of you," Itzal breathed, his eyes fluttering closed as Cole kissed his forehead. "I'll be forever grateful that we met, but I wish…" He trailed off. "I wish it had been under better circumstances. I wish our meeting didn't subject you to all that pain and fear. You didn't deserve any of that." Itzal's voice dropped to a whisper, just loud enough for Cole to hear. "I swear nothing like that will ever happen to you again."
Cole sighed as Itzal spoke, his eyes pressing closed while he tried to figure out how to respond. "You don't have to promise that…it's out of your control. I do wish we could've met in a better way though…I wish we had time to spend time with each other. More than just the moments between running from beings." His voice was soft, and his words were gentle, like he was worried speaking them any louder would break the moment, "It's weird…knowing that we share feelings for eachother, but also knowing that soon we'll have to say goodbye so soon." Cole chewed at the inside of his cheek, battling with his feelings about the situation.
"I can promise to do all that I can." Itzal sighed, his eyes opening to stare softly at Cole. "The timing could have been better," he admitted, letting out a little laugh, "but don't worry. I won't be leaving for long. As soon as the matter with the gods has been taken care of… I'll come back." Itzal paused, a little grin appearing on his lips. "And if I ever have some free time… I can come to visit you." He wasn't sure why Alluma wanted him back, or what the gods were planning, but it couldn't take up all his time. There would have to be time for him to come see Cole.
A slight smile appeared on Cole’s face and he nodded, imagining what it would be like to spend time with Itzal without the danger around every corner. “Will the other Gods be alright with you seeing me? The one that was here tonight didn’t seem the most… thrilled…to see me.” He hoped that whatever business the Gods needed Itzal for would be quick, and he hoped even more that Itzal would be able to come back. It was selfish to want him to himself, but Cole wanted to be selfish if it let him spend time with the beautiful god infront of him.
"I don't know. I don't see why they wouldn't be alright with it." Itzal gave a little shrug. "And Alluma wasn't the best first impression. He's always like that, with everything." He laughed softly. The god of sleep and dreams generally hated company. Itzal had been surprised when he'd decided to join his little gang of gods, but he wasn't complaining. Alluma was a good ally to have. "And if the gods don't like the idea of me seeing you, I'm sure all they would have to do is meet you." Itzal lifted Cole's hand to his lips, gently kissing his knuckles. "And they would see what a beautiful person you are."
Itzal’s response calmed his worries slightly, and even caused Cole to blush were so slightly at the compliment. “As long as seeing me isn’t going to mess anything up.” He managed another smile as he leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Itzal’s cheek, while admitting, “I want to keep talking as long as I can with you. If you want to…unless you need to rest before going to the other gods tomorrow?” Cole truly did want to keep talking, to learn as much as he could about the person he had fallen head over heels for. At the same time though, he could feel the tug of sleep at his eyelids, paired with a full stomach, and a comfortable place to sleep with his feelings off his chest, he knew there was no way he was going to be able to stay awake all night. But he could try. And he would, to spend time with Itzal.
"How could seeing you mess anything up?" Itzal intertwined his fingers with Cole's. He tilted his head slightly, a smile appearing on his face. "I'm willing to talk with you as long as you want, Cole," Itzal said gently. It would be nice to be able to learn more about Cole. He wasn't all that tired. As long as Cole wanted to talk, he would talk. The more time he could spend with Cole, the better. He was doing his best to live in the moment, to not think about tomorrow, but the fact that he was going to have to leave soon… it was starting to creep into his mind. It would be strange to be without him after spending so many days together. "Is there anything you want to know or talk about?"
“Can you tell me about the other gods?” He asked after a moment, thinking over his question in his mind. There was so much he wanted to know, about Itzal and about things in general. Cole squeezed Itzal’s hand lightly, gently smiling as he relaxed on the bed. Relaxing back did mean he had to be farther from Itzal, but he was still close enough that it didn’t bother him. He found himself reaching up to touch the necklace with his free hand, silently admiring the gift he had been given. Cole made a mental note to get something for Itzal when he could, just because he wanted to.
"The other gods?" Itzal gave Cole a smile and nodded. "Of course." He paused, thinking of what to say. "Well, I think we'll start with Elief. She's the god of life and luck. Do not ever gamble with her, you will lose everything–and I mean everything." Itzal laughed, remembering multiple times where Elief had roped in the gods to a card game and ended up with everything they had on their person. And all their money. "There's Finlai as well. She's the god of love and death and… not the most fun person to be around at first. But once you get to know her, she's pretty okay." Itzal shrugged. Finlai was obsessed with her honor and reputation for some reason, but she could be pretty fun to tease. "Zoei is the god of nature and magic. She's usually off messing with plants and magic and magic plants, but I really like her. She's very friendly. And then there's… Lazare." Itzal sighed, rubbing his forehead. Even thinking about them made his head hurt. "They're the god of chaos, so you can imagine how they are. They are obsessed with glitter and will change anything you're about to eat into cardboard." He let out a little laugh. "And there's Alluma, but you've already met him." Itzal looked over at Cole with a grin. "Anything else you'd like to know?"
Cole could see how much Itzal cared about the other gods just from the way he talked about them. He smiled at the descriptions, caught up in the way Itzal spoke about the others. “There’s so much more I want to know,” He said, nodding, “Is there anything you want to know before I ask you everything I can think of?” There were hundreds of questions swimming through Cole’s minds, about the gods, about Itzal, about everything. He wasn’t sure they would have time to talk about everything, and knowing that, he figured Itzal could use the chance to ask his own questions.
Itzal frowned. What should he ask Cole? "Well… what was your life before I crashed into your front yard?" Itzal asked, leaning towards Cole slightly. He realized that that was a really broad question, but otherwise, he would be asking a million questions about Cole's family and his job and his hobbies and his favorite food, and… well, it seemed like too much all at once. Cole was starting to look a little tired and Itzal didn't want to overwhelm him. Still, Itzal was really looking forward to learning more about the man.
Itzal’s question was simple, but it almost caught Cole off guard. What was his life like before he met Itzal? It seemed like years ago, even if it had only been a short while. “Well…” He started, quickly trailing off before getting together what he was going to say, “It was calm. I live alone, and I bought my current home two years ago from my grandparents…I work most of the time as a first responder, and as a substitute teacher.” He smiled gently as he realized how boring his life sounded out loud. “I used to have a cat, most of my free time I spent working out, working on my house, or baking…on occasion.” Cole sighed gently, closing his eyes as he tried to think of what else there was to mention. “Compared to most people, it’s a pretty boring life.”
Itzal listened to Cole talk, leaning back as he did. Stars, he could listen to Cole talk about anything, for any amount of time. His voice was so beautiful. "I don't know, it sounds pretty relaxed. Much more calming than the life you're living right now." He let out a small laugh. "What do you bake usually? When you do bake, that is." Itzal stretched, leaning his head against the headboard of the bed. He was getting very comfortable–not sleepy, but comfortable. He had a warm feeling in his chest as he lay there with Cole.
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