A/N/: Well, I told Laura I was going to write a Dannyl/Achati fic to shock and outrage her. She's not very much of either of those things at the moment, but hopefully this will make her change her mind! (Mwahahaha!) I've written another one too, but it's not finished yet. Just a foray into my love for unusual pairings. It's not that amazing, I'll admit…

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Achati had only tried sleeping with a woman once, and to be quite honest it had been a bit of a disaster. He hadn't desired her, and it had been uncomfortable and awkward. Luckily he'd discovered his preferences soon afterward, and had spent many enjoyable years with men, enjoying their company in…several ways. But he'd never considered anyone other than a Sachakan. He'd met several Duna and they'd always been reserved and quiet. He'd also met some Kyralians, and while they had been polite and nice in their strange way, he'd never been attracted to them.

Until he'd laid eyes on the latest Ambassador.

Of course he'd been told about Dannyl's personal preference, and some of his friends had jokingly warned him to be on his guard. Achati had brushed their comments off, believing that Kyralian looks were not attractive to him. How wrong he had been.

Ambassador Dannyl was only two (or was it three?) years older than him, but he showed no sign of going grey and barely a line on his face. His eyes were dark grey like a storm-driven sea, and his smile lit his face with a joy Achati was not used to seeing expressed, which sometimes threw him quite off balance. The dark hair that framed his face almost seemed to make his pale skin glow, something Achati had tried (and failed) to convince himself he wasn't attracted to.

But over the course of their journey to and from the mountains, he'd slowly fallen deeper and deeper into what he hoped wasn't love (though his heart conceded that it probably was). And when Dannyl had turned up in his house late one night, a few weeks after they'd returned from their failed attempt to save his assistant, Achati couldn't admit to himself what he hoped his visit entailed.

"They've sent the Elyne Ambassador," Dannyl said in a cracked whisper. They were in the darkness of Achati's master's room, both kneeling on the floor, the room almost black since Dannyl hadn't wanted to light a candle. "It's...it's…"

"Not your old friend…?"

Dannyl nodded, trying to hide the slow tears that tracked their way down his face. "I saw him again…and he didn't even…he didn't even say…anything." Dannyl hid his face in his hands and his shoulders shook. Despite telling himself not to get close, not to do anything that could encourage his traitorous feelings to grow, Achati found himself reaching out and pulling the Kyralian to him. Though he froze for a second, Dannyl softened almost immediately and Achati stroked his dark hair while small sobs made his body shiver. Ah, my, why did they have to send you here? he thought as he watched the black strands falling from his fingers. Is this punishment for something?

Eventually Dannyl pushed himself away and wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry, for impositioning you like this…" he murmured, but Achati laid a hand on his.

"It's no trouble. I would rather you woke me in the middle of the night and felt comforted than have you up all night, worried and upset and who knows what else."

Dannyl smiled, that gorgeous, open, bright Kyralian smile that left him feeling almost empty; a cold, emotionless Sachakan. "Thank you, Achati," he said, and they paused there for a moment, staring at one another. Then Achati got up and brushed off his knees, breaking the moment before anything could happen. I can't risk it, I can't risk it.

Dannyl got up too. "I'll be going home," he said quietly.

Achati pasted on his best impression of a smile, and turned to say goodbye when he found soft lips pressed against his. His eyes closed automatically and he laid his hands on the other's shoulders. It held, magical and beautiful, for a few seconds before Dannyl pulled away. "Thank you," he said, and smiled a slightly slyer smile before turning to leave. Achati watched him go, trying to convince himself that he wasn't in love.

But it was a hopeless battle, because after the soft touch of the Kyralian's lips, he didn't believe he'd enjoy kissing anyone else again.