Work Text:
Kalvin's POV:
Kalvin focused his mana, feeling it tick up and down every strike and dodge he does to avoid the fire that licks at his heels and arms, Vetruvius ll was training him, showing him how to fight and stay alert in combat between mages. he always respected the sheer force and skill the fire mage has, absolute authority and deep knowledge in his effort. it was strength he wanted to protect, passion he wanted to see be treated with the respect it deserves. so when Vetruvius ll offered him a apprenticeship he said yes before the archmage can finish his statement.
Now the beta was using his newfound wind abilities, hovering in midair was dodging the crimson flames as best he could, countering with his own wind gusts. the smile on the pyromancers face was infectious, Kalvin was having a exhilarating thrill, the blazing archwood trees hiding their romp from the threat of onlookers, the end sky in its royal purple hues the only witness. it was private. it was theirs.
"Think you can pick up the pace Kalvin?" Vetruvius ll asks, his fingers already poised to cast another array of flames. his voice sounds lightly teasing in that Kalvin was still barely keeping up with him, but his eyes were alight in a mischief that showed a boyish delight in having a proper playmate.
"I can do my best sir, may i ask if Vetruvius not to hold back?" Kalvin responded, his voice breathy in the exertion, but he kept his focus as he waited for the inner well of mana in him to replenish, he knows full well what kind of power Vitruvius can potentially throw at him, but the determined Homunculus wanted to prove himself, wanted to be great alongside him than just behind.
"Oh? well if my little apprentice wants to feel some burn be my guest, i wont hurt you too much~" Vetruvius ll said with that boyish gleam sharpening with the challenge, the crystal he kept close to his heart glowing brighter as the fire mage charges forward with a firewall.
Kalvin gave a shout as he instantly pushed himself upwards to avoid the scarlet flames, sending a barrage of wind spears and small tornados, ones that set some of the magical supplies and papers up in the air with him, circling around Vitruvius before his aura envelops them in a candle like flame and undamaged sets them down on the table across them.
"Careful Kalvin, a mage much be aware of their surroundings at all times in a battle!" the pyromancer shouted over the wind as he launches himself up to make up the distance made by the wind mage, they exchange blows and Kalvin quickly realizes Vetruvius wasn't just a arcane fighter as well, but held a hidden physical strength as well, one that threatened to overpower him.
He had to think fast, what can he do? he was being pushed back bit by bit into the blazing archwood trees that make the barrier of their grounds, if he lets himself be pinned it's game over, he has to think!
The small shriek from the monkey on the sidelines watching that Kalvin considers his close confidant gives in him a idea, the spell was still being workshopped in his tower. but it could give him the edge needed to win the spar and impress Vetruvius ll.
So as the two mages clash and approach the red leaves and branches, Kalvin spouts a incantation that buzz at his fingertips in execution, his hair lifting like plasma ball as he pushes the mana out to act as a conduit of electricity, sending a blinding white arch of lightning into the tree behind them, blinding the both of them for a split second.
Kalvin feels Vitruvius ll retreat, his own body miraculously unharmed with the lingering static that coated his clothes at being near his own spell, it wasn't as grand as when Vitruvius ll showed him his late father's Zeus Cannon, but it was still enough to fry the tree behind him, fireproof but not damage proof.
"Holy! I can't believe i did that! Mister Vetruvius look what I-"Kalvin said with excitement, before the sudden smell of ash and rotten wood hits him like a tsunami, almost knocking him to his knees, he turned to Vitruvius ll widen his eyes at the sight, the great fearsome mage, the public enemy of New Witchington, eyes holding a death stare of a thousand yards, shaking while clutching his chest at the crystal, which is burning so brightly and humming a storm, gripping his spellbook till his knuckles white.
"Sir? Mister Vetruvius?" Kalvin said unsurely, slowly approaching the man as the smell got stronger and stronger still, is this the after effect of the spell, did Kalvin burn his nose hairs doing that?
"Why am i still scared? why am i still afraid of you..father please" Vetruvius ll mummers, speaking to no one in the room with them, was Vetruvius ll having a panic attack? he mentioned his father's ghost showing up at times to oppress his will, to make him do hid bidding...Kalvin felt deep empathy for the fire mage, determined to protect him in all aspects, even the forces that he couldn't harm directly.
"Vetruvius. It's me, your safe." Kalvin said in a hushed voice, careful not to spook him further, getting close enough to look down at Vetruvius, the taller wind mage slowly putting his hands on Vetruvius ll's shoulders. he seems to respond when his eyes meet Kalvin, blue eyes searching for something, does he not know if he can trust Kalvin? he looked ashamed at revealing his pain this violently to Kalvin, Kalvin felt his heart twist in guilt.
"I'm sorry i should've warned you, i just wanted to find a way to get a upper hand in the spar, i never intended to harm you, i just wanted to impress you-" Kalvin began to ramble in apologies before Vetruvius interrupted him with a sudden hug, the embrace tight and the smell Kalvin smelled of rotten wood and ash shifted, his nose now picking up spiced wood and oak, campfires, Vetruvius ll's scent, what was that just now?
"It's quite alright, i will be fine just, If anything I'm just shocked at your innate talent, that lightning spell looked exactly how my father used to cast it on me." he says with a air of sincerity as it makes Kalvin ease into the hug, so he wasn't upset after all...he felt so enveloped in the archmage's arms the strength before absolutely not a fluke as strong arms wrapped around Kalvin's chest and waist, the body heat exchanged felt electric in its own way, the closeness made Kalvin look flushed.
"Well as you said before, perhaps i can replace the memory of your father with myself when it comes to this path, and give you memories worth repeating." Kalvin said softer than he probably needed to, why did this feel so much more intimate than intended? Kalvin looked into Vetruvius ll's eyes and found himself wanting to disappear inside them, he always tried to be the good and decent person towards everyone he's met so far in his journey, some even going so far as to find fancy in him. Gifts and confessions thrown his face by the many that he always politely took but provided no answer, he at first found it endearing, confused as to what he did to make everyone want his affections so much, he only knows so much of the inner courting dances that the alphas and omegas of this town partake in.
Kalvin believes his mother was an alpha, from what little she told him of the outside world, but he never matched the descriptions of either second gender, so he supposed due to his birth, he was without the genes necessary to really be effected by such attractions, but being this close to Vetruvius ll in this hug that felt like it stretched lifetimes, smelling the deep forest of kindling that was his very presence, Kalvin felt like the spark against his sturdy base. he felt the urge to envelop the pyromancer.
And it seemed Vetruvius ll held a similar feeling.
Kalvin doesn't know who leaned in first, all he knows is that the touch of Vitruvius ll's lips against his own felt deeper than magic was being stirred, Kalvin sighing into the kiss as Vitruvius ll holds him tighter, the world fading away as the strong wizard lifted him up from the ground and without breaking the kiss, led them to the Archwood barrier. Vetruvius ll placing Kalvin's back against the red vined bark, his hands exploring with a greed that left Kalvin out of breath, his body felt so responsive to his touch, to his scent, his mind fuzzy as he was being quickly devoured by the great mage before him.
"You lovely, beautiful, incredible boy~" his timbre voice coated in a lust that threatened to sent Kalvin tumbling deeper in whatever sweet spell the both are under, he wanted to say something back, to be just as sexy as Vetruvius ll's being right now, but all he let out was a soft plea.
"Please sir...let me..."
"Let you what?"
"I..don't know..."
"...I don't know either frankly"
The vulnerability gave it's way to humor as the both of them laugh against each other's lips, both men's hands moving abit more experimentally before Kalvin sees a message pop up in his eye view, the realms grand mass message interface alerting him that Nabubu was asking if they have seen Mister Vetruvius, that she wanted to ask him something via the water focus she recently obtained.
"Oh shit! i told Nabubu that i was studying wind. She's asking to see you." kalvin said as the tinge of disappointment in his chest isn't missed but ignored for later questioning.
"Did you tell her you were training with me?"
"No sir, but she says i smell like you when i come to help her privately, so she might be catching on."
Vetruvius ll lightly squeezed Kalvin's waist in thought, his eyes darker but seemed in thought, Kalvin looked down to his chest to see the crystal buzzing alive, he was told many souls were inside it, the suddenly feeling of being exposed made Kalvin hide his face in Vetruvius ll's neck, the pyromancer responds in kind giving him a light kiss on the neck, Kalvin's shiver at that getting him a warm chuckle from Vitruvius ll.
"i suppose it can't be helped, Nabubu dear isn't a fool, but i don't want her to know this location yet, so could you go and help her with what she needs? i''ll let you borrow my fathers notes just this once if it's something out of your range."
Kalvin felt out of breath once again as the sheer shock of the pyromancer's statement nearly made him melt, the utter trust he has in Kalvin to let him hold what is clear to everyone one of his prized possessions, the crackle of lightning and wind made to dance with the intense flames, they were in complete and total trust with the other, creating a calamity Kalvin doesn't want to break for anything.
"Of course Sir, i will do my best."
"Good boy, i suppose i should set you down now?"
"Hmm!"
Vetruvius ll's POV:
As Vertuvius ll watched Kalvin leave via the waystone, his father's notes tightly bound and close to the Homonculus's chest, he felt as if his own heart was being separated from him, even if for only so long, he touched the crystal and heard the various concerned voices of the souls within, hearing their paranoia and fear about the notes but also their joy and excitement for what just transpired, Vetruvius was never close to anyone outside of his family before this realm, his father taking every chance to train him to be better, every waking hour if it wasn't with his mother or sleeping was dedicated to magic with his father.
So he never expected the few allies he obtained despite all the trial he had undergone here being so precious and close to him, let alone as close as Kalvin just proved himself to be. a Enigma created of the ritualistic love bond of Willington and Vetruvius, Vetruvius ll always wanted a love he saw in his parents despite the fear of his father, to have a family of his own and be cared for as he cares for them, but often overwhelmed with other peoples scents due to his rare magically charged inner Alpha, he found it best to distance himself from that possibility in this world, but the Beta Kalvin, smelling of nothing but his surroundings, Vetruvius ll clutched the crystal over his chest as the memory of the kiss threatens to make him lose his better judgement.
When he embraced Kalvin, he smelled the leather of his soft armor and the moss and stone of his tower in the overworld, but Vetruvius ll's sensitive nose smelled something akin to ion and raw magical energy, mixing and merging beneath Kalvin's smooth skin that took the pyromancer out of his feeling of father's piercing clutches, the smell of raw miraculous power in such a loyal and gentle soul, the irresistible spark of power all wizards chase, alive and pulsing in the man that pledged to follow him to the ends of the earth, to protect his soul as well as his body.
Vertuvius ll needed no further reasons why he kissed him, no explanations why he felt every part of him almost free from his father in his burning white hot need to kiss Kalvin.
He needed nothing to try and convince him this wasn't meant to be, this was a stupid fools error and that he will be betrayed by someone who he was foolish enough to trust this heavily.
he knows his mind and potentially the crystal..his father will try and slice at him later for it, but for a spare second, he forces himself not to think of anything but that beautiful moment of unsure passion between them.
"Give you memories worth repeating" Kalvin's words spark a flame deeper and hotter than Vetruvius ll ever withstood inside him.
Oh dear...this will be a memory alright, one he doesn't dare hope is a sign for similar to come, but Vetruvius ll was always a bastard to tempt fate.