"Power dynamics, really? Right now our destinies couldn't be bound any tighter if I melted into you like an anglerfish, and I don't see that changing if I flirt with you."

"Well, there are other summoners around, and like a responsible boy whenever we run into them I will introduce them to you so that you can melt into them if you want instead."

Slight pause in conversation as they get close enough to the village they should not be speaking Al Bhed, they can resume when back to his room.

Once back in the room:

"Hmm. But what if I want a specific summoner? You've shown yourself to such an advantage."

Zei laughs. "I assure you anyone who goes on this pilgrimage will be in just as good a shape as I am," he says, despite the fact that he is now totally showing his toned bod off while getting rid of his sandals.

(He perhaps would be a little bit less overt if 1. Edmund were not showing such clear interest and 2. he had not momentarily forgotten Oni-Goroshi's presence right there.)

"Shape isn't it! How pretty you are isn't the point! You're clever and good and you take things seriously, and I like that."

"Flatterer," Zei says with no heat as he places his staff against a wall and walks back over to his bed. "Well, I—" And now he has remembered Oni-Goroshi right there as his eyes fall directly on it. "—do not know the etiquette involved here," is what he says instead of whatever he'd been going to say.

"Oh, don't be shy," she says absently. "I'm barely paying enough attention to know you stopped flirting on my account, and that's as little attention as I'm capable of paying to my wielder, so you may as well get used to it."

"Thank you, Goddess. How's your project?"

"Fascinating. The structures are completely different, everything relies on the substrate of these pyreflies - it's like building with bricks instead of river rocks. I should bring some of them back with us if we ever go home... anyway, I found a way to make you speak any language you like, but it'd reduce you to a gibbering idiot in the presence of too much generalized magic, so I'm seeing if I can specify a bit. Zei, will you pick me up for a moment?"

"—hm? Sure," he says, walking over to the sword and—does he just grab her by the hilt?

She's heavy. And - when his fingers close around her hilt, there's a feeling like part of him is being drawn into her, like power is draining out of him.

In turn, something rushes into him. A feeling like he knows exactly what he's doing. He could use this blade.

"Oh, interesting," she murmurs. "Hmm - hmm - alright, I should have enough."

"Okay?" he says, sounding bemused. "Should I let go? And what was that about?"

"Yes, yes, you can put me down now - I needed to see a mind that knew Spiran and Al Bhed, to show the pyreflies. Exile, retrieve your blade."

Edmund picks her back up and catches fire.

"Why is it that you could work with him without any fire?" he grimaces.

"Wasn't changing anything about him," she says. "Shut up and let me work."

Zei grins and watches, folding his arms.

The flames flicker out. "There we are," Edmund says in Spiran. "No more heretical linguistics."

"Oh cool!" he says in the same language. The grammar and word order are very similar, but phonemes and prosody and actual vocabulary are completely different. "—oh I should tell you about why it's heresy but on the other hand I still want you to kiss me."

Edmund steps in and kisses him. "I feel like we've had a good number of explanations today."

"Wonderful," he breathes, still grinning, and now he can get to properly kissing the pretty boy, wrapping his arms around him, one hand down the small of his back and the other up behind his neck.

Edmund - melts somewhat at the touch of Zei's hands. "Oh," he breathes.

Zei's grin widens into Edmund's lips and he cautiously maneuvers the boy to the bed. It's not exactly comfortable to sit or lie on, but it's probably better than standing or the floor.

(And Zei continues to be very much naked, a fact which Edmund might find is starting to become increasingly relevant to their activities.)

(Edmund is noticing that!)

What if... Edmund takes off his shirt and gloves, and maybe kicks off his boots. So that there can be even more skin involved in this process.

Zei isn't complaining.

He pushes Edmund onto his back on the bed, and although it groans under their combined weight it holds well enough. With one knee to either side of the other boy, he rests his weight on his shins and his left forearm while his left hand cradles Edmund's face and runs his fingers along his cheek and hair. His right hand, on the other (heh) hand, is more adventurously exploring Edmund's newly exposed skin, running fingers and fingernails against Edmund's torso and making some light overtures at the edges of Edmund's trousers.

Edmund continues being very happy about this!

"- I was going to do some math," he whispers, "about how long it's been since someone - touched me - really touched me - but I'd rather not."