Casey route

Like a rushing wave, the service staff came down upon the great hall. They bore platters of food and caraffes of wine. As was typical of these events, the highest tables were served first. That meant that the food was colder the lower one sat.

So it was that Moris sat waiting and chatting with his peers while the servers made their way towards him. The exchange wasn't exactly unpleasant, as far as rumor spreading went, but Moris couldn't get his heart into the conversation. He was too distracted by that dream from earlier.

It was so vivid, and the feelings felt so real. A quiet life with that boy he'd bumped into before meeting with Moxie... wasn't that a bit farfetched? He racked his brain to remember if he ever felt that sort of attraction towards another man, and came up empty. In all fairness though, Casey was far from what most people would consider a man. Those narrow shoulders, that thin frame, the way he got all flustered when he spoke...

Moris was broken from his daydreaming by the sound of plates being placed on his table. It seems the wine would have to wait. That was probably for the best though, as his grumbling stomach wasn't the most hospitable home for **** at this point. Without further ado, Moris dug in before the first course got even colder. It was delicious! Fresh eel meat was baked with a gravy inside golden brown pastry. Before he knew it, Moris had finished his first course in a matter of minutes.

Almost on cue, the wine had finally arrived. Cups across the table were being filled. As a dainty hand grabbed his cup, Moris turned to see who was serving him. It was Casey.

He was clad in a bright green linen tunic that seemed to end higher on the thigh than was usual. Smooth milky skin showed between the hem of the tunic and the top of his striped hose.

Casey filled the cup with an abnormal amount of care, like he was focused on pouring just the right amount down to the drop.

"Good evening," Moris introduced himself once again.

"Oh! Good evening Sir!" Casey squeaked in surprise. He was blushing as his attention shifted to Moris. "I was... um... is the food to your liking?" His attempt at conversation backfired as Moris's cup ran over with the dark red liquid, which in turn landed in Moris's lap.

"Oh my gosh! I-I am so sorry!" A number of nearby eyes turned to the outburst, compounding Casey's panic. He was frozen in fear.

Unable to bear Casey's despair, Moris stood up, grabbed him by the wrist, and led him out of the hall. A few jeering comments were thrown their way, but Moris ignored them.

Once they were in the hallway, Moris let out a sigh. "My apologies, Casey. I just wanted to get you out of there."

Casey didn't make a peep, he was staring at the strong hand still wrapped around his wrist.

Moris, realizing that he still held onto Casey, let go of him. "If anyone asks why you left, tell them that I spilled my wine and requested your help cleaning it." Moris looked down to see the damage that had been done. A palm sized splotch covered his crotch, but it may have still been salvageable. "Deja vu. Do you mind showing me to the laundry room?"

The walk together was quiet. Casey was seemingly dejected, with his eyes downcast the whole time. With each passing moment, Moris felt worse for him. Their meeting this morning had endeared Casey to him greatly, so seeing him like this truly hurt Moris.

They entered the laundry area, and Moris summoned some more confidence to compensate for Casey's lack. "Alright! Let's see what we're working with here." He went to the shelves of cleaning chemicals, and found a glass flask with clear fluid labelled with the image of a wine glass with an X through it. How convenient!

"Do you mind taking over?" Moris said as he shook the flask and turned to Casey.

"U-um, okay..." Casey took the bottle of cleaning fluid and dabbed it onto a rag before dropping to his knees in front of Moris. Casey's eyes looked to the stain as a blush filled his face. He was about to scrub away at Moris's crotch before Moris realized what was happening.

"Oh! I should probably take these off first, shouldn't I?" Moris laughed awkwardly as he started fiddling with his pants. Casey was so overwhelmed that he just kept his face forward as the pants dropped to the floor. Moris's underwear-clad bulge was mere inches from Casey's face.

Such an obscene moment made Casey snap back to reality. He sprang back to his feet, losing his balance in doing so. He stumbled forward, and fell into Moris's chest.

"Whoa! Are you okay?" Moris asked while feigning aloofness to how Casey clung to him.

Casey squeezed onto Moris's top, hiding his face in the knight's broad chest. He sniffled, betraying the tears he was holding back. He sobbed "I can't do this," muffling himself into the fabric.

Moris took Casey into a hug, wrapping his arms around his back.

"I'm just a clumsy freak that can't do anything right!" The sadness made way to anger, directed towards himself.

Moris squeezed him tighter. If Casey was weak in this moment, he would be strong for both of them.

"You hate me, don't you? I ruined your night, and now I'm crying at you like a baby!"

"Hey, hey..." Moris began stroking Casey's hair. "I don't hate you at all." Today's vision returned to Moris once again for the faintest moment, making his chest flutter. "I like you, Casey."

"You don't mean that," Casey's voice had lost the energy it held before. While his words were those of denial, it was clear he didn't really believe it. "You just want me to stop crying so you can get your pants cleaned and get back to the party."

"I'm serious, Casey. I do like you." While Moris did have these newfound feelings, he didn't really want to make them known. Better to keep things cordial. He peeled Casey off him and looked down into his face.

Casey was a wreck. Puffy eyes avoided Moris, turning down towards the floor once again. His lip was quivering.

"Do you... want to spend some time together?"

Casey meekly nodded as he tried to compose himself. He'd just gone through an emotional maelstrom, and now he was flustered by Moris's kind words. What did Moris mean when he said he liked him? His heart was pounding out of his chest, making composure an impossibility.

The two spent the night talking about their hopes, dreams, and insecurities as they cleaned up the mess. Even after the pants were finished, they continued to indulge in each others' company. By the time either of them put a thought to the hour, most everyone oh so far away in the feast hall was already asleep. When it was time for goodbyes, the two gave each other a hug, and split ways for the night.