"Guess who!" A lighthearted tone asked, a pair of tiny hands covering Jason's eyes, and submerging him into darkness.

"Well, judging by the small hands, and quant, boyish charm. It can be none other than Sage!" Jason answered happily as he pulled Sage's hands from his eyes and turned around to look at the small man grinning up at him happily. "How are you doing buddy?"

"I'm doing pretty good, I figured I would come and wish you good luck before your scavenging mission!" Pausing for a moment, Sage looked Jason over, and his brows scrunched up as a confused look became apparent. Where's all your gear? All I see is your massive muscles hanging around.."

Jason smiled at the compliment and impersonated a bodybuilder, flexing his muscles in different poses as Sage grinned. Jason noticed the sun slowly going over a hillside, then turned his focus back to Sage. "As strong as I am, I can't move time. It's not till tomorrow."

"Oh..." Sage said awkwardly under his breath, his green eyes falling to the dusty, densely packed dirt below them. "Well, then I guess if you're free for a little while, maybe we can spend some time together before you go?" He asked hopefully as his eyes flicked back up to meet Jason's.

A smile crept across Jason's face as he looked down at Sage. Letting his arms fall casually back to their normal position, he ruffled Sage's short black hair. "Sure bud, we can chill for a while. I do have to take care of one of the women before I go tomorrow." He shuddered at the thought, his smile fading as he saw the light in Sage's eyes start to flicker. "It's not like I want to though Sage. You know that if I could have it my way we wouldn't have to do 'it' with anybody unless we wanted to. The village needs us to keep going so that it can stay alive!" He felt his heart ache as the small man looked away painfully, and one of the other villagers drew near.

"I understand that, but what if-" Sage started before a large chested woman in a low cut skirt stepped in front of him, and started talking.

"Hey Jason, I'd hate to be a bother, but can you do me an itsy bitsy favor?" The woman asked, pouting as she ran her hand through her long auburn hair. Jason blinked at her, surprised by her gall before blinking it away.

"What do you need?" Jason asked awkwardly as he looked over the woman's shoulder to see Sage glaring at her angrily.

"Well you see, we don't have much more pors pulp left in our supply, and we can't grow it here in the village, or those nasty rotten Gagkuts would come and attack us. Would you please make sure to bring back some more for me? I would be super grateful for any you can bring back. It's almost impossible to make anything medicinal without it, and the state of our medicine cabinets are getting lower than I would like. I can make sure to reward you for your efforts when you come back!" She paused for a second when Sage walked around her and stood defensively in front of Jason. Glaring at her unhappily, she made a small gasping sound. "Oh, hey Sagey, I didn't see you there! How you doing little man!"

"Don't call me that!" Sage demanded in disgust as she looked at him with an agitated smile

Sure you didn't see him there Catia, just totally missed him in front of me. I must have been talking to myself over here. Jason thought to himself, trying to suppress his annoyance. Looking down, he noticed she was wearing a skirt that inched above her knees. And that short skirt you're wearing is because you grew two-feet overnight... Jason thought, trying desperately not to roll his eyes at her obvious ploy. Putting his hand softly on Sage's thin shoulder, he squeezed softly and smiled towards her, trying not to show his disgust. "Sure thing Catia, I will be on the lookout for anything we can use, and pors weed will be at the top of my priority list."

"Thanks babe, you're the best!" Catia exclaimed before leaning forward and kissing Jason on the cheek, pushing her chest into Sage's face as she did so. Sage tensed his shoulder beneath Jason's grip as she turned around to walk away.

"What a slut!" Sage growled angrily as he pulled away from Jason's grip and stepped back a few steps, his frustration apparent. "Didn't notice me, my ass! She just wanted to strut around in that skimpy dress that's too small for her fatass!"

A quiet chuckle broke the tense atmosphere, as Jason nodded his head in agreement. "That skirt was quite short, wasn't it. I think she definitely had more than one motive for asking for that pors weed."

Sage looked over at him, his sharp jawline tightly clamped shut until he spoke. "If you want to flirt with somebody, you shouldn't use a request for something as a starter for the conversation! She should have put in a request back when the list was being formed so you could plan it into your route! How inconsiderate of her to just assume you can add it to your route the day before! I am so-"

Wrapping his arms lightly around Sage, Jason pulled him into a soft hug, silencing Sage mid-rant. "Thank you Sage, I know I can always count on your support when I need it!" Enjoying the embrace, Jason almost felt sad when Sage pulled away, but the feeling quickly faded when he saw Sage's green eyes practically glowing and his cheeks burning bright.

"Well, it's not like medicine isn't important, but I don't want you to have to work so hard. I know where pors weed grows, and last time I went there..." Sage trialed off, his distaste for the place obvious.

"Last time I was there, I had to rescue you after you snuck out of the village and followed me out on my supply mission. After I discovered you and tried to send you back, you ignored my warning about the nest of Gagkuts. You know, the ones that roam near the pors weed pond, and went after it yourself." Jason said softly, his own distaste for the place building up in his throat. "Maybe next time when I say something, you should listen to me."

"That was years ago!" Sage whined, his voice cracking as he spoke. "I'm almost finished with my training now, and I'll be eighteen soon. Then I can go out with you for real!" Sage suddenly fell silent, his cheeks burning brighter than before. "On the missions, I mean. We can go out together, to gather supplies, and make sure the village is taken care of."

Jason felt his cheeks begin to warm as Sage started to awkwardly look around their small village. "Yeah, that's what I thought you meant..." Jason agreed awkwardly before looking at the small wooden hovels that seemed to surround them. "So uh, anyways, what did you want to do? I don't wanna stay up too late; otherwise, I might be tired tomorrow."

"Well, we could just chat if you want?" Sage offered, a cheesy smile taking root.

Looking to his right, Jason saw a few of the women near the ancient stone well a few feet away, looking at him lustfully. Their eyes flicking hungrily between him and Sage. Annoyance began to burn inside him, so he called out casually to the group. "You know ladies, if you lean too hard on that well, it might collapse again. One of you might fall inside and hurt yourself, and it would take months to repair!" The group quickly went about their business, leaving Jason feeling uncomfortable as the feeling of being watched still remained. Looking back over to Sage, he let out a week smile. "Chatting sounds nice, but maybe we could go somewhere not in the center of town. I already feel like a piece of meat around the others, but in the center of town, I feel like we're at a feast, and I'm the damn warkile."

Sage snickered, nodding his head somewhat somberly. "I know what you mean, I wish they would just stop. I mean, I know they're excited to go to the center-lands and get pampered, but that just makes us a means to an end. Some of the girls have already tried to make passes at me. I haven't even had my birthday yet, and they're already trying to hop on top of me. I'm supposed to be safe until I'm eighteen, but I feel like they're sharpening the knives."

Watching Sage ramble made Jason smile, but the feeling of being watched unnerved him to no end. Letting out a soft scoff broke Sage from his ramble, and he looked back towards Jason. "I know what you mean bud, let's head over to my place, I feel like I'm being watched, and it's starting to creep me out."

"Can we go back to my place instead?" Sage asked, his voice suddenly anxious. "I have food roasting at home, and I should probably go turn it." Jason shrugged his shoulders indifferently, then nodded his head. "Lead the way then, I don't mind where we go. We just need to get out of here."

"I-If you don't have any plans for dinner, I made enough for two..." He turned around quickly before starting off towards the well. "I mean, if you can stomach my cooking, I would be happy to have you. For dinner I mean, I would like to have you over for dinner, not to eat you for dinner..."

Jason chuckled again, his smile only growing wider as he listened to Sage try and backpaddle. "I would love to have dinner with you." He stated, cutting Sage's ramble short as his heart began to flutter. Watching Sage walk, Jason couldn't help but look him over. Sages thin frame barely seemed to hold together, his every step threatening to topple him over. He seems so small, so innocent, I wonder if he would be able to survive sex with any of the women here... He thought to himself, suddenly growing anxious for Sage's attention, he started forward to catch up.

Making it passed the well, Sage looked down into the dark hole and scoffed before continuing forward towards his hovel. As Jason caught up, they had reached Sage's home, and he smirked as Sage opened the door and held it open for Jason. "After you good sir," Sage said with a friendly tone.

Nodding his head gratefully, Jason started forward and walked into the room, vaguely feeling eyes still on him as the door shut behind them. The hovel was simple, and there wasn't much room for anything. His bed lay in the corner, a sharpened spear beside it, and a low-burning fire pit lay in the center. A small animal with three legs had been skewered and being roasted. "Looks delicious, what is it?"

"It's something I've taken to calling a pipper," Sage responded, sounding more relaxed as he wandered forward towards the spit it was hanging on. The annoying creatures like to hang out on the outskirts of town and make this horrible pipping sound, so one day I threw my spear at one, hoping to scare them off. Instead of moving, the stupid thing seemed to just watch the as the spear buried itself in its stupid chest. I took its body to the elders, and they said it was a mutated form of something that was called a chicken in the old days. They taste amazing if you cook them right!"

"How long do they take to cook?" Jason asked, wandering closer as the smell of the pipper seemed to draw him forward. His eyes following the small bird-like creature as Sage sat down on the packed dirt and began to spin the spit slowly. "Because it smells amazing!"

"Well, if you count the time it takes to let their body panic after being killed, pulling their feathers and massive talons out, then cooking them, it would take a few hours. If you want just the time to cook them, it only takes like an hour if you use a spit." Sage answered, turning his focus up towards Jason happily. "Come sit with me." He offered, patting the ground nearby. "I promise I won't bite." He chuckled and watched as Jason sat down on the opposite side of the fire.

"Thanks for offering your extra food to me. I didn't really know what I was going to do since I forgot to get dinner started." Jason stated as he hypnotically watched the bird spinning over the fire. Small droplets of juice dripped from the bird into the fire, occasionally making a hissing sound as they landed on the coals below.

"It's not a big deal, I wouldn't be able to finish it all by myself anyway," Sage answered casually as he leaned over and grabbed a small plate that sat near his bedroll. "I've discovered that you can't eat them after a day passes anyway." He shook his head disappointed as he lay the plate down beside him. I tried it once, the meat was so tough, I couldn't actually bite through it. I think you might be able to use it like armor if you could manage to weave them somehow. Though I don't know how you would be able to hold them together. A rope would just slide around with the grease, and trying to sew it wouldn't work since the thread wouldn't be able to hold them." He smirked, leaning over and poking the bird with his finger. More juices dripped from it, making Jason's stomach rumble as the smell of cooked meat filled his nostrils.

"You must be hungrier than I am!" Sage joked as he lifted the spit up, and leaned the poll sideways, letting the pipper slide down onto the plate. It landed on the plate with a light squish, then Sage lay the spit back on the fire. "Here, you can have the first half. I promise, once you eat this, nothing will ever compare! Scooting towards him, Sage brought the plate to Jason.

"Are you sure, you could really use some more meat on your bones. I can eat before I go tomorrow too." Jason offered as Sage sat a meer foot away from him, the plate extended towards him.

"Nah, you go ahead. You're going on a big journey tomorrow. You'll need your strength. Besides, I'm not super hungry." Sage answered with a sheepish grin before Jason accepted the plate. "I'd start with the legs. They're probably the best part of the whole thing, when I spice them, the legs usually get some extra off the top when juices leak onto the legs.

Accepting the plate, Jason carefully ripped one of the legs from the pipper and watched the steam rising from it before bringing it hesitantly to his lips. Biting into the meat, he felt his taste buds explode. "This is amazing!" He cried out, chewing the meat and taking a much larger bite into the leg. "And you cooked this yourself?"

Nodding his head happily, Sage watched Jason eat. "Yeah, just salt and pepper and it's good to go!"

Swallowing another bite and biting deeper into the leg, Jason began to devour it. "This is amazing!" He said between bites as he ignored the burning in his mouth from eating the freshly cooked meat. "You should have me over for dinner more often!"

"Well dang, if I knew all I needed to get you in here was food, you could have moved in years ago!" Sage joked as Jason quickly dropped the bone and started digging into the chest of the bird.

"Move in, with you?" A female voice from out the door called out, startling both of them. "Why would he move in with another man when a woman is all he needs!"

"Maybe he doesn't like a stalker with a stuck up attitude!" Sage shot back, making Jason look at the door concerned. "Why are you here anyway?"

"I'm not here for you Sage, well, not yet anyway." The womanly voice answered in a smug tone. "I'm here for Jason, we had plans for tonight, and word from the grapevine is he was in here chatting it up."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be talking to whatever the hell a grapevine is!" Sage quipped. "I'm just spending time with Jason before he leaves for his mission tomorrow."

"What a coincidence, that was my plan too!" The voice replied sarcastically. "Jason, come on out okay? You can play with your toy later. It's time to go back to your place and get me the hell out here."

"You know, maybe he doesn't want to be with trash like you," Sage called out angrily as he looked at Jason with a frown.

"I should probably go Sage. We have to take care of the village after all..." Jason whispered softly as Sage opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, Jason softly handed him the plate. "I'm sorry Sage, I really do want to stay here with you. I would love to spend more time with you, but I don't have a choice.

"You could just tell her to make her own baby, and stay with me instead..." Sage practically begged as Jason looked into his sparkling green eyes.

Jason looked down at the embers, then back up to Sage, his heart aching as he began to stand up. "I'm sorry Sage, I really have to go..."

Standing up beside him, Sage wrapped his arms around Jason and hugged him tightly. "Be safe out there, I wouldn't know what to do if you died out there..."

"Wow, that was really girly Sage! Are you sure you don't have the hots for Jason? I mean he's attractive I know, but you know the rules. We need that medicine, and that means you can't be taking the only other man in the village under sixty!" The woman chided out from the doorway.

"That's enough!" Jason spat angrily, making Sage let go suddenly. Looking over towards him with a soft smile, he ran his hand over Sage's head. "Thank you for dinner, I really appreciate it. Now I have to go and do my duty..." Heading for the door, Jason opened it and saw a blond-haired woman and looked back towards Sage with a sense of longing. "I'll see you later buddy, I promise." Sage nodded his head, acknowledging the promise before sitting back down unhappily.

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Well, that's enough of this for now! I don't know if I'll hold onto it or not. Might just save it to a word doc and write it later. I just don't know if this kind of story is for wattpad... Make sure to drink lots of water, and get some sunshine!

-Asted!