Until they entered the tent.

------------- It was a man. No, not just a man, a HUGE barbarian of a man. And he was standing on top of a table in the middle of a crowded room. The throngs of people around him were cheering him on as he sang.

Singing?

THAT was supposed to be singing??

Damon held his hands over his ears as he observed what could only be this village's version of a Karaoke party. The man was obviously drunk, and he sang horribly. Just like at a Karaoke party. The crowd looked a bit pained by the noise, but still cheerful enough. Deia leaned back towards Damon and spoke in his ear.

"See! A singing party! Isn't it fun! Lets join in!"

Damon felt Deia's warm breath in his ear, and a funny shiver raced through his body, as if every nerve were suddenly set on end.

::Oh no, I am attracted to Deia!:: This was a startling realization for Damon. For so long he had been hung up over Jayce's death, that he had never believed that he could feel that way again for anyone, male or female. But now just the nearness of Deia was upsetting his equilibrium. Hell, the feelings had to be powerful, if they could draw his attention away from the godawful racket that barbarian on the table was making.

"WHAT? Us? Singing up there? No way, I don't think so!" Damon was very adamant about his refusal. But at one wicked grin from Deia, whose expression held a very exciting mix of mischief and innocence, Damon soon found himself with Deia, standing in line near the table, at the edge of the crowd, waiting for their turn to sing.

"Deia," Damon said, leaning towards the young man, not because he had to be close to be heard, but as an excuse to feel the pleasurable sensation of being next to him, "I don't know any popular songs. I CERTAINLY don't know any songs that these people would know. I really think we should just leave now before we make fools of ourselves. Aren't you supposed to obey MY wishes? Didn't you say something about ME being the master here?"

Deia smiled at Damon. The poor guy looked so nervous! Deia found himself enjoying that uncomfortable look in his master's sexy blue eyes.

"Don't worry, I know lots of their favorite songs" Deia tried to comfort Damon, but his master was just too nervous. But it was true, he did know all of this village's favorite songs. Just like he knew that this village even existed, or that they would have this tent in it. Deia had arrived in his Tower room somehow "knowing" things about the landscapes in each of the pictures on the walls. It was only this given knowledge of the village that kept Deia from gaping at all the people -- more people like he and Damon, and some like Megwin too!-- and had him more focused on pleasing his master.

::He must have stage fright!:: Deia thought. Deia observed Damon's pale face, his shallow breathing, and the way his eyes would dart around the tent. Deia felt the urge to comfort his master. He reached over and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

White.

Hot.

Electric.

The moment Deia's hand touched Damon's shoulder, they both felt an explosion of sensation as if a current ran between them. Damon felt Deia's warmth through his shirt. His new awareness of Deia made his every touch even more powerful. As for Deia, he was excited and confused by his body's very immediate reaction to touching Damon.

Both of them flushed a deep red color, and neither said anything to acknowledge the feeling that swept through them.

Damon looked away from Deia and grabbed for the first distraction he could find- a maid carrying a tray of mugs. He grabbed one (a mug, not a maid), and quickly chugged the alcoholic swill it contained.

Bad move.

Moments later, Damon was doubled over, coughing. Deia saw Damon's face turn red and wondered what he should do. He hesitantly patted Damon's back.

Bad move.

The contact of Deia's hand on Damon's back was just as potent as it was before. Flames licked between their bodies, and Damon found himself coughing harder, trying to hide his reaction.

By now a few people in the crowd had noticed the strange pair. Curious eyes watched the handsome duo as they recovered from some sort of traumatic moment and straightened themselves out.

The barbarian on the table had finished his song to a moment of stunned silence, followed by an explosive outburst of applause, prompted not by his singing, but more likely by the fact that the man was larger than anyone else in the audience, and that he carried with him a large spiked club.

Another serving maid signaled to Deia that it was their turn. Deia gingerly reached out to Damon and quickly poked him in the shoulder to get his attention. Damon looked up, his face slightly flushed from coughing and from emotion.

"Come on, it's our turn!" Deia said.

"We can't do this Deia, it's crazy!" Damon realized that the fact that he was inside of a painting talking to a magical boy was equally crazy. He looked at all of the people that were gathered in the tent and now staring at the two of them.

"OK, but you sing, I'll just... uh.. help"

Deia flashed another one of those grins that Damon thought looked sexier and sexier every time he saw it.

The crowd was somewhat silent as the two boys climbed onto the table that served as a stage. Well, the crowd was as quiet as a writhing mass of hundreds squeezed into a single tent could get. Which wasn't saying much.

Deia didn't seem to mind all of the eyes on him. he showed no fear. Damon, on the other hand, was alternating between pale and flushed. Damon wondered what Deia was going to sing.

Without any warning, Deia launched into a very hearty, if totally off key version of- 'Row Row Row your boat'

Damon could have fallen off the table right then and there. ::Row Row Row your boat?!?! THAT was what Deia could think of to sing??:: Damon looked at the crowd, who were all looking at Deia as if he had grown another head.

Determined to support Deia, Damon joined into the song, bringing up a second chorus one line behind Deia. Damon's singing voice was beautiful (at least in comparison to Deia's) but even that could not save them.

Slowly the noise level of the crowd grew louder. And it wasn't to applaud the duo's fantastic singing. It was with angry complaints. Soon Damon felt a rotted head of lettuce hit his chest and smash on his new white shirt. It was soon followed by other less pleasant rotten vegetables.

Deia was being similarly pelted with produce. Obviously the crowd was not sufficiently intimidated by Deia and Damon to be frightened into silence. Instead, they made their opinions very clear.

"Come on!" Damon cried, "we've gotta get out of here before we get hurt!" He grabbed a hold of Deia's arm, trying his best to ignore the expected warmth of contact. He yanked on Deia, who was still singing happily, despite his beautiful clothing being splattered by tomato and who knows what else.

Quickly, Damon dragged Deia off of the table and through the crowd, who was more than happy to clear the way for them. Damon felt a boot on his backside, assisting him in his exit of the tent, He went sprawling, Deia along with him. Damon hit the snow hard, and Deia hit Damon hard. They lie their panting for awhile. Damon lay on his stomach in the snow, and Deia lay on his stomach on Damon's back.

If hand contact was erotic before, full body contact was nothing short of shattering. All at once, Damon had the feel of Deia's body on his imprinted in his mind and nervous system. Deia felt the strength of Damon's back and his long legs.

There was a tangle of limbs and a lot of red, embarrassed skin before the two separated themselves and scrambled back down the main village street the way they came.

Not speaking, they nearly ran back to the secluded spot where they had left the carpet. Damon could hear an occasional jeer along the way from a passerby at their ragged appearance. he didn't blame them. If he was a part of the crowd, he would have booed himself off of the stage too. What got into Deia, singing THAT of all things? How silly!

Deia tried not to look at Damon. We was so confused, that for once, he didn't know what to do. Although Megwin had told him all about all of his duties as a Palace slave, Deia had never before experienced the emotions that Megwin had described. Deia was experiencing all sorts of tingly emotions. If he wasn't mistaken, he was in lust with Damon. That is what it was called, wasn't it? That feeling where just being near him set Deia's nerves on fire and made him want to grab Damon and press his body as close as he could to the other man.

Deia contemplated throwing Damon to the snow and tearing his clothes off. It seemed like a great idea.

So that is exactly what he did.