Prompt #261 - Incomplete - Walking Sleep - Tekia - original

[tekia.livejournal.com]

Title: Walking Sleep
Fandom: Original
Prompt: Incomplete
Warnings: none
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Jacky settles into his new life as a living god.

Mata'ka'ala sat with Jacky as the women bowed out of the room. Jacky couldn't face any of them, his heart pounding a rapid tattoo in his ears; his face red with embarrassment. He couldn't believe what had just happened, and he slept through it all.
Mata'ka'ala moved, drawing Jacky's attention. He had facial hair growing in, making him look even more dark and rugged. He was so very handsome, and as soon as Jacky thought that, his body tried to react, but he was far too exhausted. Jacky flopped back on their bedding and groaned. He rubbed his hands over his face and gave in to a yawn. The women departed, and Jacky sighed with relief.
"You should sleep while you have the chance."
"All I ever do is sleep," Jacky replied from behind his hands.
"You host a god," Mata'ka'ala started to say, but Jacky dropped his hands to glare at him.
"Why do you not sleep?"
"Your god is active. If we do battle, then I would sleep. No battle; no war god."
Jacky gave a groan and turned to his side, facing away from his lover. He listened to Mata'ka'ala move about the room, trying his hardest not to let his thoughts linger on the god's actions.
He felt dirty. He wanted another shower, this time with soap and shampoo. He wanted water hot enough to scald.
Jacky wondered if this was how dirty rape victims felt. His body began quaking, goose flesh raising over his still bare back.
That's what he felt. Violated. Raped.
The god entered his body without asking, with no warning, took control, leaving Jacky with no choice but to let it do as it would and take with it Jacky's memories. The god could do anything, and Jacky would never know.
He didn't realize he was crying until a hot tear dropped from the tip of his nose. Quickly, he wiped at his eyes, calling himself ten kinds of a fool. He couldn't believe the mess he was in.
He was a slave to the god.
Mata’ka’ala knelt beside him and Jacky could feel the heat of his body. He stiffened, hiding his face for as long as he could. “Sleep, Telepinu. Tonight, the priests will call for you.”
Panic settled in his chest and Jacky quickly sat up, turning to face Mata’ka’ala. “What will they want?”
Mata’ka’ala got that look on his face again. The one that said Jacky should know this answer to this. “You will bless this land and bring forth great fertility.”
He couldn’t breath. He cupped his hand over his mouth to help himself steady his breathing and turned his back to Mata’ka’ala once again. “I have no choice, do I?”
“You have been blessed, and must share this blessing.”
This wasn’t a blessing. Who could possibly think this was a blessing?
His body had done too much, and his emotions were tossing around so fast it was giving him whiplash. He threw himself face down on the bedding and gave in to his exhaustion. He heard Mata’ka’ala stand and leave the room, but seconds later, he was asleep.
Jacky woke later with drool matting his face to the fur of the blanket he laid upon. He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and sat up, feeling like crap. Sleep was caking his eyes, and his whole body felt stiff and sore. The early morning light had given way to the blue of dusk. He swallowed the ugly taste in his mouth and looked around the room.
It was empty still, but somebody had come and gone while he slept, for the empty plates from the night before were long gone and replaced with bowls of hazelnuts and dates with some type of syrup. He stomach growled at the smell of the roasted nuts and he quickly dipped his fingers in the warm syrup.
The flavor burst in his mouth and he quickly downed the rest. There was sweet sharbat also, and Jacky savored the flavor, drinking the fruity drink slowly. He licked his lips, trying to catch every last drop of the cool drink, idly wondering how they kept the stuff cool on such a day. He went back to the window and leaned out. It wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t cold either. The sun was bright in the sky, and there was no wind this late in the day.
With a sigh, Jacky turned back to the room, finally looking around.
It was mostly empty save for the twin fireplaces at either side, and the window at one, the door on the last wall. Of course there were dozens of blankets and pillows strewn about on the floor, and the one table filled with food offerings to their living gods.
The baskets of clothes were still there as well, now pushed out of the way and searched through thoroughly. Mata’ka’ala must have done so, Jacky thought as he walked toward the thing and knelt. There were tunics of woven wool and finely embroidered cotton. He picked one at random and pulled it over his head. While he was quickly becoming used to wandering around naked, it didn’t mean he enjoyed it. He was thankful to have something to hide his scrawny ass from view.
He discovered a length of cloth which he assumed to be a belt and wrapped it around his waist, pulling the oversized tunic tight. Trousers that hung loose around his hips and legs seemed incomplete until he figured out how to wrap leather thongs around his calves and connect them to low leather boots. Finally, he was dressed like a true Hittie, and it gave him a strange filling in his stomach. If he disregarded the constant reminder of his imprisonment, he could learn to love this place, this life.
He took with him one of the bowls of roasted hazelnuts and left the room. The hall was empty, but a sweet, heady scent was wafting down the corridor. Jacky followed it and soon found himself amid a rush of people. They bowed to him, acknowledging his presence. He found himself bobbing a bow back at them, and the people laughed each time he did so. Munching on the nuts still, he wandered around the wide open temple and mingled with the people. He had to fight to ignore the presence of his god inside him, but all in all, it was a pleasant experience.
The people were all very kind to him, and took the time to speak slowly for his benefit. He was offered plenty of foods he’d never seen before, and he tried it all. He drank the sweet water offered him, and he drank the beer presented to him. He jumped every time someone touched him inappropriately, and had to force himself not to react. They wanted blessings from touching a living god, and there was nothing that Jacky could do to stop them. To them, his body wasn’t only his anymore, but belonged to every person of faith. To every person in need.
He had woken sometime after noon, and the sun set behind the mountains quickly enough, so Jacky found his way back to the temple. Mata’ka’ala was at the temple’s doors, talking with fellow warriors and watching as the needy and homeless came begging for food and supplies. Jacky came to stand next to him, and held out his long ago emptied bowl of hazelnuts that had been refilled with sweet water, made sweeter by the syrup from the roasted nuts. Mata’ka’ala accepted the bowl without looking at him and drank deeply from the bowl. Jacky couldn’t hold back the upturn of his lips as he realized Mata’ka’ala trusted him as completely as Jacky trusted him.
That was a nice feeling.