Ch 3: The Good Son: Part I of III

Part I of III. This is where the story sort of departs from Yarifeth and Meiles and takes a big screeching turn into Gaysville. If you are not into male/male pairings we would suggest reading no further. This post is safe for work, but the next one will not be. You have been warned.


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The world was still washed in blue as the sun began to peek into the horizon when Jin'thekk stepped out onto the porch. His torso was bare and he wore a stitched kilt that only went down to his knees as it seemed like it was only going to get warmer as the morning progressed. With half-open eyes, he waited for the sleepiness to drift away, listening to the sounds that welcomed the barely risen sun: the birds chirping, the leaves rustling, and from the other side of wall of the home adjacent to his — the sound of Meiles' snoring.

Fucker be home, already? he thought to himself. Last night he went off to smoke in the trees to avoid being on the other side of the wall when Yarifeth started crying out in pain, but suddenly he was asked to borrow a bat from the handler. The two left in a hurry and in battle gear so he didn't expect to see them again for at least a few days, and was going to go through his father's house that morning to check if anything inside needed fixing. And maybe a little renovating. It was fun seeing Meiles get stressed whenever he came home to a new layout in his house.

Jin'thekk shrugged off the thought of a foiled plan and instead decided to give in to the laziness of the morning. He sat himself on the porch railing with his back leaning against the wall it was attached to with one leg hanging down. Suddenly, he thought he heard something shuffling about and turned his head towards his father's door.


It might have been the poison, or perhaps simply the sequence of events that he'd experienced the past few days, but Koshei did not sleep well that night. His rest bore visions of dark magic — of teeth, pain, and blood. Koshei twisted in his sleep, sweating and tightening his eyes. And then, quite suddenly, they snapped open. He inhaled sharply, sitting up in place.

It took him a moment to figure out what was going on. He had shifted quickly from a dream to reality, and 'reality' was an unfamiliar place. He'd woken up in strange places many times before, and it only took him a moment to settle down and take it in. He was indoors, at least. He couldn't even count the number of times he'd opened his eyes in the middle of some horrid jungle or snowy forest. The mage quickly recognized the decor of the place as troll-made, which for some reason calmed him a bit despite the presence of skulls. He breathed in slowly, running a hand over his face. It was okay. It was only a dream.

No, it wasn't only a dream. It had happened, and just a few days ago. Koshei shook his head, trying not to think about it. From the corner of his eyes he noticed two sleeping figures in another room. A troll and… a blood elf? Ah, Yarifeth. And Meiles. Memories of the previous night came rushing back to him, and he felt a wash of gratitude towards the both of them for coming to his rescue. Huh. He sure did snore, didn't he?

The elf's heart was still pounding from the nightmare, and it would be rude to wake them now. From outside he could feel a cool breeze, as well as the soothing sound of morning birds. Maybe some fresh air could calm him. Sliding off the thin blanket that had been laid over him, he groggily pushed himself up and went outside.

He'd barely taken a second to smell the ocean air before noticing the… incredibly tall troll sitting on a railing right outside the door. Koshei faltered, not having expected to see anyone. He supposed it was too late to run back into the house.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't… mean to disturb you," he said, already backing up. It wasn't that he was afraid of trolls, he just wasn't quite sure if his presence would be welcome.



Jin'thekk stared at the unfamiliar figure standing in his porch for a few seconds and raised his brow.

"…Don' tell me ya be anutha one 'o me old man's pets…" he began to snicker as he jumped down from the railing and walked towards the startled elf. "I don't think I be ready to be livin' next to a pink elf collection. The one we have now be pretty noisy enough."

Another snicker rushed through his nose when he saw that the little creature was backing away from him. "Don't be shy, little thing, I be more gentle dan I look… maybe." He crouched lower in order to match their heights and bared his upper teeth in an attempt at a friendly grin. "I be less nasty dan dat old man in dere, dat be sure. So come now, you smile too. It be less awkward."

He wiggled his brows a couple times at the elf, and winked.




Old man… another pet? So this was Meiles' son? They did look strikingly similar. Meiles must have been older than he'd thought, to have a son at this age. Even knowing who this troll was, having him stoop down to meet his eyes seemed to make him even more intimidating. Koshei had backed up far enough to hit the wall of the hut, and he stopped against it with drawn back eyebrows. A troll's smile didn't really give quite the same impression as those of most other races. That, mixed with the eyebrow waggle and then topped off with the wink, were enough to make the elf burst into laughter.

His hands attempted to cover his mouth as he shook, but he couldn't help himself. Despite his nightmare, and the fact that he'd just woken up in a cold sweat, this troll had managed to make him forget his pain and simply laugh.

"Y-yes," he said, slowly winding down. "Maybe you're right."





A laugh escaped the troll as well though he wasn't entirely sure what exactly was so funny. Still, at least the elf no longer looked scared.

"Much bettah. Good boy," he said, rewarding the smaller creature with a pat on the head. "Da old man sure know how ta pick da little cute ones."

He cocked his head to the side and studied the elf further. He did look a bit disheveled, and not just from recently coming out of bed. He was covered in dirt and there were traces of blood down his neck, not to mention that his clothes were pretty much ruined.

"Dey pull ya out of trouble, elf? Ya look a bit hurt."

Koshei allowed the pat on his head. He did find it a bit demeaning, but the troll was much larger than he was — over three feet. He'd earned the right. Wait, cute? Did he think he was some kind of puppy?

"Your father didn't 'pick' me, thank you. I'm a friend of Yarifeth's," he said, his voice just slightly indignant. Upon hearing the question, he glanced down at himself to see what the other was referring to by 'hurt.' Oh, he did look terrible. Maybe Yarifeth would show him a spring he could bathe in when she woke up. He'd liked this robe, too…

"Yes, but I'm fine. I do owe them one, though. It was stupid of me to wander alone like that…"

Koshei stopped himself before he could start rambling, returning his attention to the one in front of him.

"What is your name?" he asked curiously.




Jin'thekk immediately withdrew his hand in embarrassment, transferring it to the back of his head. "Oooooookay my mistake. Sorry, me old man never bring visitors ovah. Wen he take 'em home, dey be pets. Although he only sleeps wit' one o' dem," he added with a laugh.

"So ya be little mama's friend?" he cocked his head again, this time to the other side. "I thought she didn' have no blood elf friends. Ya lot hit her buttons wrong."

He immediately cleared his throat when he realized he could be insulting their guest. "Da name be Jin'thekk. Or bastard. Use wat ye like, I answer to both. And wat be da wanderin' elf in distress's name be?"
So it looked like he was being a little more respectful once he found out that Koshei wasn't just another one of his father's playthings.

"Ah, I don't really have any blood elf friends, either," he said, trailing off. He wasn't surprised to hear it, considering the way Leander had spoken to her and how she had reacted to them. It didn't seem that she trusted her own kind. Well, neither did Koshei.

"But she's different."

He finally managed a smile, now taking a good look at the troll in front of him. He was fairly handsome, though the elf wasn't sure if thinking this was weird or not, considering his relationship with his 'step-mother.' A little awkward, but it couldn't be helped. He didn't have a shirt on. The elf wasn't made of stone.

"Jin'thekk," he repeated, already settling on just calling him 'Jin.' He was lazy.

"Heh, I don't think I'm going to be calling you 'bastard,'" Koshei said with a slight laugh. "I'm… Koshei."

He didn't feel the need to explain his rank or surname, not in his present company. There was something refreshingly casual about this conversation. Jin was easy to talk to, and the morning air combined with the quiet sound of rustling leaves was doing wonders on his anxiety.

"So you live here?" he asked, gesturing to the other half of the hut with a nod of his head.



"Different", Jin'thekk nodded. "I won't deny it, she be a weird one. Even for an elf. Or especially for an elf. Many here 'tink so. Still, we used ta her now, she not botherin' nobody. We even got used to da noises she makes wen.." he trailed off, snickering, thinking it was probably inappropriate to be sharing that information with their guest. If he stays another night, he'll probably be finding out anyway.

"So yer name be Kos-shei, eh?" he pronounced the word slowly, trying to get used to the foreign name. "I wonder wat da old man call ya," he said, snickering yet again.  

He glanced at his side of the hut and gestured his arm in an arc to refer to the entire home. "In truth dis really just be one hut," he explained. "But see, about dat ugly old man and I, da village 'tinks all be better wit' dis wall 'ere. I fix da hut nice, though, now it be so big it look like two."

He gathered and tied the thick bead curtain that covered the door of his quarters, revealing a place that looked more like a workshop than a home. Unfinished projects of wooden carvings, shields, furniture, idols, and other trinkets were displayed, along with various tools. A loft on one side that was covered with furs used for sleeping was the only clue that it was actually used as a living quarters. "Ya know, buildin' 'tings keeps me a good troll. It be better for everyone if I be a good troll."

He walked inside and glanced at Koshei to let him know it was okay for him to follow if he wished. A small block of wood stood alone on top of a table and Jin'thekk took it as he settled himself on a workbench to start carving.

"So wat would a respectable elf like yerself be doin' wanderin' all alone in a place where someone would need to come an' rescue ya? If I not be pryin'."





Koshei was glad when Jin trailed off, he didn't particularly care to think of his new friend in… compromising situations. He was curious, though, about the second remark. Did Meiles tend to have a nickname for those that he knew? Would it be a demeaning one? Koshei couldn't recall the troll addressing him as anything the previous night, but to be fair, a lot of it was still a blur in his morning haziness.

He accepted the invitation and followed the troll in, peeking inside before actually entering. It was different from the room right next door that he'd woken up in. Instead of an altar or regeants for rituals, there were tools and projects — a wide variety of items that quickly caught the mage's curiosity. He stepped in further, eyes trailing over the many creations that seemed to fill the room.

"Well…" he started, unsure of how to answer the question. He couldn't possibly admit to this stranger what had really been bothering him. How he'd been attacked, and…

He focused his thoughts elsewhere, dropping his eyes down to the table.

"Heartache can make you do silly things," he finally said, picking up a small idol and examining it. "I wish I could stop thinking about him…"

At that moment, he realized he'd probably said too much, and thought quickly to change the subject.

"Did you really make all of these?" he asked, gesturing around the room.





Jin'thekk's ear's perked upon hearing Koshei's used pronoun. Did the elf just say "him?" Brows furrowed as he questioned his hearing and his orcish. He glanced back at the elf and a little more curiously and observed his features closely. He'd only seen elves a few times, on the rare occasions that he made it out to Orgrimmar, and although he remembered them being a little meatier than this specimen in front of him, he was sure this one was male. His frame seemed a bit more… delicate. He had a pretty face, though most, or all of them did, really. But he liked this one's, he decided. But yes, this was definitely male. And he liked boys. Ah well, what did it matter.

"I did," Jin'thekk nodded. "So many trolls around here be warriors, casters, ya know, da types who go out der an' butt heads wit' da bad t'ings. I be a simpler kind o' troll. I behave."

He looked down at his half-finished carving and smiled lightly. "Heartache also make people do angry t'ings. Silly be better," he winked.

So he behaved, did he? Despite Jin's fairly intimidating appearance, Koshei believed him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd met a troll who was so relaxed and open to conversation. Perhaps doing all of this manual work really did do wonders on his temperament. These things were impressive, too — so finely tuned, especially for being made by a man with only two fingers. He turned the idol over in his palm, letting his eyes run over the details. The elf found himself wondering what else Jin could do with those hands…

"Angry things?" he asked, sitting down next to the troll to watch him work. "Do you ever feel heartache, Jin?"




Jin'thekk gave Koshei a mock grimace, as if to tell him he's being naughty for peeking. He turned the other way, and continued carving the object away from the elf's view.

"Not in da same way as you, I be guessin'", he said, still facing away. "One minute ya 'tink ya be a good boy, da next ya get dumped on a big old grouch an' left behind… Da t'ing with belongin' ta someone be dat it feels so good dat it kills ya wen ya get ripped from it."

He finally faced Koshei again and handed him the finished carving. It looked somewhat like an idol, though it had a more pleasant face, with little pointy ears and a widow's peak hairline carved above its forehead. "Sometimes it be better ta just belong ta yerself."




Koshei's smile slowly faded as he listened to the other's vague story. It wasn't totally clear, but from the clues he'd gathered, it sounded like the 'old grouch' was his father. If Meiles was with Yarifeth now, Koshei doubted that there was a female troll around in his life. Not that trolls were monogamous, but a female probably would be mad as hell about being upstaged by a little blood elf. If there was one, she certainly wasn't around right now. So, he'd basically been abandoned by his mother – at least, that was what it sounded like. Koshei wasn't sure if it was his natural empathy or the fact that he could relate which was making his chest ache for the other's words.

"I know what you mean," he said quietly. "When something else takes their attention so strongly you may as well not even exist."

He stopped speaking, distracted by the idol that had been placed in his hands. Was this… him? A redness flushed across his face as he realized that it was indeed in his likeness. It was a pretty good match, too. Unable to help it, he smiled as he turned it over in his hands.

"You know, I think you may be right."



A chuckle burst out of Jin'thekk when he noticed the change of color on the elf's face. It was… for lack of a better word, adorable. He rubbed the back of his head, slightly amused that he'd be thinking that about a male blood elf. He always had a thing for delicate looking things. Delicate things required craftsmanship. He wondered if that even made sense if he was talking about a living creature.

He wondered if the elf looked even better under all that dirt. As far as he knew elves liked looking clean, and even Yarifeth, despite her adaptation to troll lifestyle, never missed a bath if she could help it. He began to wonder if the Koshei was even feeling comfortable being covered in grime, especially in this heat.

"Hey," he said, standing up. "Der be a swimmin' hole near here. Little mama use it all da time. Maybe ya wanna get all dat blood and sand off ya? I be guessin' yer kind like bein' spotless."

Besides, all this melancholy talk he'd been making was probably doing little to make the elf forget what had been troubling him. He'd heard Yarifeth mention once that her troubles feel like they got washed off after a good bath. That might work for Koshei too.





"Really?" he asked, his eyes brightening considerably as he looked up from the idol. He'd figured he would have to wait until Yarifeth woke up to get even a hint about where to bathe around here, so this was welcome news. As a Horde soldier, he was often covered in blood, dirt, or who knew what else. Even so, he'd never really gotten comfortable being filthy. He'd spent many nights sneaking off from his unit to go find a hot spring, making sure to keep it secret so the orcs wouldn't hassle him about it later.

The phrase 'swimming hole' wouldn't have seemed promising, but if Yarifeth used it, it must have been suitable. Not to mention, Koshei would have settled for pretty much any body of water at this point. Unable to hide his eagerness, he immediately stood.

"Show me," he said, rather blunt as he set the idol carefully down on the table.







Jin'thekk grabbed a leather pouch hanging on a hook on the wall and headed out the door. "Come."

He led the way out of the village, which was slowly coming into activity. Casually throwing a nod and wave at the trolls who happened to glance his — and Koshei's — way, he snickered as he wondered if everyone was mistaking the elf as a new pet of his father's just like he did. "Heh just wen I thought da novelty of an elf in da village has worn off. I guess dey still take notice of any new ones," shrugged the troll. "Don mind dem, they just curious!"

A small oasis sat at the foot of a mesa, a small burst of green and sparkles in the middle of the hot desolation of Durotar. On one tree hung a tiki mask and a human skull, which has Meiles hung as both decoration and a warning to those who might think that Yarifeth's oasis was meant for sharing.

Beside the water was a small wooden bench made of young tropical tree trunks with a canopy that hung above it from the trees. There sat a small red and gold lacquered mirror that Yarifeth must have left behind. Jin'thekk inspected it and placed it into his pouch to bring back home.

"Good enough?" he looked, half wondering if Koshei would be repulsed by the rather rustic conditions. "I face the other way if ya shy, brought meself some'ting ta do," he said, holding up the leather pouch. Meiles had been bugging him to finish putting together those charms. He should find a scorpion to put in the bag later when he gave them back to him. One with weak venom, of course, just for laughs.


Koshei followed the impossibly tall troll out the door, trailing behind as he started to daydream about how nice the water would feel. Upon seeing the other villagers, he followed a bit closer. He was used to seeing trolls, being in the Horde army. And of course he'd been to Sen'jin before. This was different, somehow. He wasn't here on business, and he realized people might begin to wonder exactly why Meiles' son was toting around yet another blood elf through the village. He was following close enough that once Jin stopped, the distracted elf bumped right into the back of his arm. He murmured an apology, then looked over at the oasis in question.

The sunlight glittering on the surface of the water reflected in his eyes as he gazed at it with longing.

"It's perfect," he said, already unfastening his fairly tattered robe. He'd been shy, at one point in his life, but being in the military quickly changed that. The elf had had to dress (and undress) in front of strange orcs every single day. At this point in his life, he didn't care much who saw his body, especially not if he trusted them. And for some reason, he already found that he trusted Jin. With his clothing left neatly folded by the water's edge, he slipped into the water with a sigh.






Jin'thekk sat down on the bench and started making knots in a piece of string, weaving feathers into them as he goes. As subtly as he could he checked out Koshei's body, his pale wet skin reflecting the sunlight. It wasn't like any other male body he'd seen before. It was slender, with no ripples or veins like the bodies he was used to seeing. Yet it wasn't quite a female form either; there were no distracting curves and mounds of flesh in strategic places. It was a straightforward type of beauty.

He snickered as he wondered what his father would say at Jin'thekk admiring another man's body. He once brought home an troll woman to bed, who then made it a practice to visit him whenever the craving hit, but the old fart didn't even bat an eyelash, as sleeping with random women was not an activity that was new to him. He even showed his son up further by bringing home a noisy high pitched blood elf. Imagine his face if Jin'thekk ever brought a male one to his bed.

He quietly laughed to himself as he continued his work. Silly, silly Jin'thekk to think about such things.