Hello, my dearies! First of all, I apologize for taking so long to update this story. I just have so many things to do and plot bunnies won't leave me alone and AGH! I'm sorry ;v; but I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and thanks for your wonderful reviews, follows&favorites, you guys are great! I love you~!

New reviews are appreciated, tho! Thank you for reading and now have fun!

Disclaimer: I'm just doing it for fun.

Chapter II
"I made the stars... but you inspire me to make more."

Kozmotis had always prided himself on saying the Archelus was the most splendid galleon of his whole fleet, and he had good reasons to believe so. The ship had been delicately planned and crafted by the most talented hands of a gentle yet curious people called Doxis, hard workers and brave fighters that could only be found on the depths of Constellation Allita. Some of them were still fighting by his side, offering more than their bravery and strength but also a kind of friendship that would last for eons, even more. The Archelus was a wonderful piece of art, bigger than any other ship of its fleet, yet no matter how great the spacial galleon were it seemed not to be enough to contain an entire crew of scared warriors and a celestial being that still hadn't say a single word the whole month he had been there. A whole month of chaos and unnecessary threats of riot and resignations, if the General minded to remember, until tempers had finally calmed down when the men realized Phaethon would do nothing but stare at them in silence contempt and a mild, almost annoyed curiosity, as if he had found a bug on his way and wouldn't be content until he discovered what they really were.

They had accepted the creature's constant presence with wary eyes (and sometimes with weapons in hands) but never dared to approach Phaethon too much. They still valued their lives too much. Not that Kozmotis blamed his men. He could understand their reasons, for they had always dealt with simple things like Dream Pirates, unknown yet peaceful races from distant costellations and fallen stars once in a while. Being watched so closely by a forsaken giant god wasn't in anyone's plans and the fact that Captain Gritt (a Pooka for stars' sake!) knew nothing about Phaethon had been more than enough to ignite panic and fear through the crew. In response, the stellar dragon did absolutely nothing to placate their discomfort. Sometimes it was more than obvious the creature enjoyed their distrust and dread as much as his stars loved to be admired from afar.

The General took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus on the maps and diaries on his desk, trying to find a perfect route through the stars paths. With the Dream Pirates out of the way (and he shuddered at the memory of burnt skin and boiled darkness still running too livid on his mind) they could return to the Eternal City weeks before he had previously planned. He could finally go home, and the mere thought of seeing Emily-Jane after months made him smile in gratitude. Maybe he could even dare to believe meeting Phaethon had been a blessing in disguise yet he wasn't so naïve. An ancient being that had roamed through the cosmos for longer anyone could remember wasn't a creature to be trusted so easily but Kozmotis knew better than voice his dangerous thoughts. Phaethon was simply the most powerful being he had ever met, disguised as a newborn star and toying the General as he pleased.

The warrior moved to look over his shoulder, half expecting the cosmic dragon to be standing right behind his back, reading his mind and quietly mocking him. Fortunately the cabin was as quiet as always during nighttime, a soft noise of breathing coming from a scrambled nest close to his own bed serving as the only indication he wasn't completely alone in there.

It was a strange thing to notice that Phaethon could sleep - or at least stay quiet on his 'handmade bed' for longer than a few minutes. More than once Kozmotis had caught the creature roaming restlessly through the cabin for hours, never touching but always staring at everything with real interest until he finally realized what it was and how it worked, as if he couldn't simply stay still. Sometimes he'd even stand behind the General and stare at the constellations maps for a long time, either snickering silently at the rudeness of Kozmotis' work or humming in approval at some random detail he'd glimpse. It was strange and unpleasant and yet... it seemed Phaethon wouldn't simply leave his mind, no matter what he tried, no matter if he forced himself to think about something, anything but in that creature. How could something..someone affect him so much after all those years? He had a million things to worry about, like getting home safely and quickly. His family was waiting for him and he couldn't disappoint them.

And then there was something soft hitting the back of his head all of sudden and he needed an entire half minute to comprehend Phaethon was awake and... that the cosmic dragon-human had thrown a pillow on him.

Kozmotis turned slowly on the chair, almost sure there was someone else on the cabin because there was no way on seven galaxies an ancient creature would do something so childish and... human. But there was Phaethon, mismatched eyes half closed yet filled with a strange sparkle of mischief that the General had only witnessed when they were alone. Deadly silence hovered over their heads for a long moment before the creature on the piles of blankets and pillows and once more laid comfortably on his warm nest, leaving a stunned General blinking a few times, still trying to fully understand what had just happened in there. It took some time, but if his mind finally accepted the fact that a being as old as time had simply thrown a pillow on his head and Kozmotis scoffed softly, eyes still focused on the unmoving bundle of glittering azure and white... And a little star seemed to shine brighter than before under his gaze and something got painfully stuck on his throat.

His fingers trembled as a wave of shameful desire crossed his entire body with the speed of a comet, his breathing way harsher than it should be. For the first time in long months, he was completely aware of the need crawling into his chest, of the way his skin longed for some pleasant touch he hadn't feel in ages. And he shouldn't feel like that! He had been trained over and over to ignore his carnal instincts, for it only served to slow him down and... there was something cruel and inviting about Phaethon, something that made Kozmotis want to hold the creature and touch him until his flesh burned, until his own body was nothing but darkened bones. But he knew the celestial being was a precious, rare treasure that only a few were allowed to approach. Something only to be seen and appreciated from afar, but never touched or tainted by simple hands.

A surprisingly gentle laugh reverberated through the cabin and the warrior needed a moment to remember how to breath again, his heart beating too fast for his own good. Too often he'd forget Phaethon seemed to read his mind every moment his thoughts were focused on the dragon in disguise, and seldom he had worried about that strange fact. With a shuddering sigh he forced his eyes away from the nest, focusing on anything but the mismatched glare burning on the back of his neck. He was a General, for gods' sake! He needed to focus on strategies and plans and maps, not on some unknown being that had fell on his lap all of sudden. Yet Kozmotis couldn't help the twitch on his fingers when his mind betrayed his intentions and forced him to wonder how soft and tender Phaethon's flesh truly were and how much he'd enjoy running his hands through it.

"Gods help me..."

That trip wasn't getting any easier.

Unfortunately Kozmotis realized, a bit too late, that the inexplicable interest he felt for Phaethon hadn't passed by unnoticed, and worst of all, it seemed the starweaver had simply decided two could play that silent, horrifying game. More than once he had caught the creature staring at him with a strange fire burning on his mismatched eyes (a kind of wildness that would make any of his men run away without a second thought) and the warrior didn't know what to do but stare back in shock and bewilderment. He felt stupid, a child lost in an adult's game but there was nothing he could really do to escape that situation. Phaethon was terribly powerful, greater than any other creature they had ever heard of and...

Beautiful.
Wonderfully beautiful.

He should be ashamed of himself, and Kozmotis knew it perfectly well. No matter how much he missed a lover's touch, how much he longed for a pleasant night, there was no excuse for his devilish thoughts, for he had a wife waiting for him... Even if he knew there was another one warming the bed that wasn't his anymore, even if his marriage was no more than a cruel façade they both had been forced to wear. His precious daughter would never forgive him if she found out- and a shocking overheated hand resting on his shoulder sent those disturbing thoughts flying out of the window, his breath painfully stuck on his throat as Phaethon towered over him easily. His logical mind screamed over the sensations floating through his body, and he found out that such an annoying voice could be silenced with no effort as long fingers traced the base of his neck, exploring and searching for something Kozmotis couldn't name.

And maybe he had found it.
For the first time in almost two months together, the mortal man finally saw Phaethon opening his lips and heard his voice outside his mind.

"You... are inspiring."

And the god's voice was as smooth as the endless tapestry of the cosmos, a beautiful magic that sent pleasant shivers down Kozmotis' spine. In a second he forgot about everything that had been tormenting his confused mind until now, the unnamed feelings flowing and ebbing through his body easily. Maybe it was Phaethon's gracious influence, maybe he had gotten so lonely he couldn't even control himself anymore... it didn't matter now. He wanted to touch, to feel, to hold the dragon close enough and let his flame burn him until there was nothing left to think. With a swift movement he stood up, matching the beautiful creature in height. A humoured smile twitched on azure lips before Phaethon stepped back, and again and again until he allowed his body to fall into his nest, eyes never leaving Kozmotis' face.

It was a challenge, an unique chance he'd never have again. An invite, as clear as day, to do as he desired so much. The warrior swallowed back the harsh knot on his throat at the sudden, obvious realization, yet he knew it was too late to go back.

"Would you give me the honor to-" And Kozmotis almost smacked himself at his hoarse voice, his face reddening in pure shame for a long second before he regained his composure. "-to come close and... touch you?"

"Good manners?" There was something akin to amusement adorning Phaethon's voice, but also a soft touch of pleasure. The creature enjoyed being worshiped, just like his stars... Well, that was a wonderful thing to know. "Enchanting."

And he said no more.

The General needed a moment to recollect his thoughts before he moved, stepping closer to the nest. That was his chance, only and one for all he knew, to touch the creature as much as he wanted. He hadn't noticed how badly such desire burned until now, a whim so great and deep that he was almost sure he wouldn't sleep nor rest until he achieved his goal. And he would make sure to take all the time he needed on his new task. Slowly not to fret Phaethon (as if the dragon wasn't completely aware of his presence) he knelt by the creature's side, now the one towering over the other, hands touching the sensitive skin of his wrists oh so gently. It was as warm and bright as the rest of his body, the never born stars under his fingers burning and bitting into his flesh as he moved further, exploring Phaethon's arms and shoulders the same way the god had done to him a few moments ago.

Phaethon's eyes were open and attentive, his expression strangely soft and almost human. Kozmotis' fingers reached the pure white neck and rest in there for a moment before settling on warm cheeks, tracing every line of the god's face. So beautiful... how could something be so painfully beautiful? It was cruel and unfair, for it was a beauty so rare that would never be appreciated as much as it should be.

A wave of the purest anger he had ever felt hit him the moment someone knocked at the door, calling his name with an unnecessary urgency - the cosmos could be burning in that moment and he wouldn't even care... but the Doxis' engineer kept calling him and wouldn't stop. A Tsarin swear escaped his lips before he could help himself, and to his surprise Phaethon laughed gently, hands resting over his own, the warmth almost too much to bear but he didn't dare to move away.

"I'm planning to go nowhere."

The leap his heart gave on his chest couldn't be considered healthy, but the bright smile (as bright as the very sun over the Eternal City) dancing on Phaethon's lips promised so much that Kozmotis decided to worry about it later. Much later.

To be continued...