Third, this is also my first shonen-ai, so… if it's a little awkward; it's probably because I've never written about two guys before!

LEMONS

Kitchel sat across from Thatz over a bowl of sugar, sucking on a lemon slice. Thatz rested his back against the trunk of a tree and grinned.

"Your turn."

"Rune?"

"Naw, besides, he claims to not like guys, he's still waiting for his Tintlet," Thatz said, clasping his hands over his heart and batting his eyelashes.

Kitchel giggled, "Better not let him hear you say that."

"I'm serious; he looks way too good in drag. Even without the fluffy dresses, he's always mistaken for a girl," Thatz said, slicing a lemon in half with his knife.

The two ex-thieves sat in the castle gardens under a lemon tree, eating the sour fruits. They were practically invisible from any direction but up, with bushes and trees growing thick around the small patch of grass that the lemon tree grew from.

"Pasth da shuga," Kitchel said, puckering face after biting into a lemon before sprinkling it with sugar, "And it's your turn."

"Okay… Lykouleon."

Kitchel choked on her lemon sliver, "The Dragon Lord! Too weird! He's absolutely gorgeous but he's married!"

"Fine, I was just asking."

"Would you do Lykouleon?"

Thatz wrinkled his nose, "He's my boss, I don't think of him that way."

"Okay, my turn… would you do Bierrez?"

Thatz shook his head, "No, for three reasons, and I'll tell you why: First, he's dead."

"Okay…"

"Second, he was so crazy over Cesia it is so obvious he's not into guys."

She nodded, "I can see that."

"And third—" he stopped at the point where he would have said, 'He's a demon.' But there was someone else Thatz didn't mind so much that had demon qualities of his own…

"And third…" she prompted.

"And third… I didn't think he was that cute," Thatz said quickly.

"Liar, Bierrez was just damn sexy, what are you hiding?"

"Nothing! My turn… Tetheus?" he asked, licking sugar off a lemon half, his mouth twitching at the dual sensation of sweet and sour.

Kitchel giggled and fell over on her side, "Yum!"

Thatz grinned, "Do you mean Tetheus or the lemons?"

She covered her mouth to smother her giggles and rolled onto her back like a kitty, "He's so awesome! And strong too, I once saw him kill a tunnel full of demons with his bare hands."

"But he's so stoic and quiet."

"That just means he's deep and thoughtful. Besides, he practically raised you guys, so he must be good with kids…"

Thatz raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me? Raised us… kids? I wasn't that young when I arrived, the only one that was a kid was Rath, and that was a while before I got here."

"Okay, hmm... I know! Ruwalk, I think he's so nice."

"Yeah, he's nice, but I wouldn't do him, Alfeegi has a short enough temper as it is."

Kitchel was about to bite her lemon but stopped, "You don't mean…"

Thatz nodded, grinning and Kitchel began to giggle again, "Are you serious, but Alfeegi's always yelling angrily at Ruwalk whenever something goes wrong."

"Yeah well, he yells something quite different at night."

She squealed a laugh and fell over again.

"My room is the one below Ruwalk's; they can go for hours—"

"No more!" she gasped, red-cheeked and holding her stomach, "I can't breathe!"

He dipped his lemon slice in the sugar bowl and leaned back against the tree, "Okay, but it's your turn, and give me someone good."

"How about… Kai-Stern?"

Thatz shrugged, "I don't know, Rath knows him the best out of anybody. I rarely see him, and then when I do, he's usually leaving again."

"Yeah, that must suck. Being on the road is fun, but if I lived in a palace, I'd want to spend some time there."

"Yeah, every time someone says Kai-Stern's back Rath runs and takes a flying leap into his arms," Thatz had meant to say it as a joke but a twinge of jealousy spurred him and he ended up sounding bitter.

Kitchel frowned, "Thatz?"

"Yeah?" he said; his eyes innocently wide.

She blinked at him, "…oh… never mind."

"Okay… would you do… Nadil?"

"Uh, gross! While I think demon men are hotter than a sunburn and ooh-hurt-me-bad sexy, my tastes don't go toward the decapitated or disembodied head. Besides, I think he's into men."

"Oh, really, you think so? It would explain a lot…" Thatz munched thoughtfully on his fruit.

"My turn then? Let's see… who else is there to do…?"

Thatz shrugged, "I dunno, who else is there?"

Kitchel snapped her fingers, "I got it! Rath!"

Rath, who was walking by and happened to overhear his name, looked at the bushes where the voice had come from.

"What?" Thatz said, surprised.

"Would you do Rath?"

His interests peaked; Rath crawled under the bushes to get a closer spot.

At the mention of Rath, Thatz blushed from his scars down and Kitchel grinned because she'd hit a nerve.

"Come on…" she coaxed.

"Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I'd do Rath." He plucked at the tail of his tank top.

"Oh…" Kitchel looked away, thinking, "Well then… I promised I'd take Ringleys into town tonight, he's never been in a tavern… so I'll see you later, okay?"

Thatz gave her a vague wave and crushed his lemon slice in the sugar, sucking on it slowly for several minutes.

"Hi Thatz," Rath said, plopping down where Kitchel had been.

The Dragon Knight of Earth sprayed citric juice everywhere, "R—Rath!"

The other boy wiped the side of his face, raising his eyebrows in wonder.

"Uh… sorry," Thatz looked away, cursing himself silently.

"So… what's up, whatcha got there, whatcha doing?"

Thatz studied the other boy cautiously, wondering whether he'd heard or not, "Uh… nothin', just eating some lemons."

Rath tilted his head to the side, "How do you eat a lemon?"

"Oh, like this," Thatz sliced off a large portion of fruit and dipped it into the sugar, "They're really good."

In his nervousness, Thatz bumped the sugar all over his lips before finally making it into his mouth.

Rath smiled but said nothing.

"Want a piece?"

"Sure," Rath accepted a lemon slice and eagerly bit into it.

"You're not supposed to eat it plain!"

Rath's mouth puckered and he made a face, "You're right, needs sugar."

Thatz made to hand him the bowl but Rath caught his chin, "What are you—?"

"I need sugar," and with that, he leaned down and ran a cat-like tongue over Thatz's lips.

The scarred Knight went deathly still, unsure of what to do or how to react.

Rath held himself away from Thatz with one hand on the tree and licked his lips, "You're right, they are good."

Thatz gulped, "Uh huh."

"So," Rath said, sitting back on his heels, "You and Kitchel were talking about 'doing me'?"

Thatz blanched, "You heard that, huh?"

"Yes."

"Kitchel and I were just messing around, playing a game…"

"What kind of game?"

"Seeing who the other person would do—sleep with, I mean."

"Oh, cool, can I play?"

Thatz's eyes widened, "Why?"

"You don't want me to play?"

"Uh… okay, who would you do?"

"That's not how you were playing, was it?" Rath asked, dipping a finger into the sugar bowl before raising it to his mouth, "You're supposed to suggest someone and then I say yes or no."

"Tetheus?"

"Nope," Rath said, around his finger.

Thatz thought he'd die on the spot, "Lykouleon?"

"Never."

"Alfeegi?"

"Hell no, besides, Ruwalk might get upset," Rath said grinning.

Thatz smiled but it faded, "Okay, how about Kai-Stern?"

"No, you're still cold."

"Rune?"

"Getting closer…" Rath leaned into Thatz, blowing in his ear.

Thatz held his breathe for a moment before looking away, "Would you do… me?"

"Where and when?"

He stared at Rath for a long time before a slow smile touched his lips, "Here and now?"

"Okay."

Rune sat on a bench in the garden, his nose in a book.

He turned a page just as someone clamped a hand down on his shoulder. "Eeeep!" he squeaked and fell off the bench,

"Eep? That's not a sound any man should make. All right there, buddy?" Thatz laughed. Rath was looking at him blankly with big innocent doe eyes.

Rune picked himself up and straitened his tunic, "I was just fine before you guys decided to come scare me!"