sempiternals | How could your heart be stolen by a human?

[ Barely audible, but still there; Kaveh nuzzles contentedly into the other, pressing a soft kiss against his jaw as he nods, yawns, stretches. There's a part of him that feels like he could go again, now that he's had some rest, but Wriothesley only just came, and the blonde feels overall lazy and content, anyway. It's nice, resting like this with him, just enjoying the quiet between them,

and if he pouts a little when the other man redirects the conversation topic back off himself, he hides it in scarred skin so as not to look like he's trying to pressure him into talking.

Because he's not— he's really not. He wants to learn more about him, but he understands too that the other has his reasons for keeping things close to his chest. And maybe he would say something to that effect, too, just to assure him that he's not trying to pry— but instead Wriothesley steals all the words from his mouth, leaving Kaveh to gape and splutter into his neck.

When he pulls back, his cheeks are bright with red. ]

I— that was quite the question—

[ But he bites his lower lip, peering at the other for a moment or two. ]

If you're asking if you can, then... I wouldn't mind trying.

( His mind is sparkling with all kinds of ideas, all the positions he’d like to take Kaveh under just to watch him moan out in delight. His cock says otherwise, though, so positively sucked to oblivion, but it doesn’t mean he’s against having Kaveh’s naked body stretch and lounge on top of him like a lion.

Deflection is one of Wriothesley’s best strategy, it keeps everything about him at bay and safe. Kaveh’s idea of him is likely better than the reality. Just how much longer can he remain this way?

When Kaveh flusters and glances up, he’s more or less lost in some clouds, seeing his hair so full of exhaust, sticking to his cheeks. Some of it still has drying cum.
He smiles at him. )

Good to know, then.

[ Kaveh can't get over how handsome Wriothesley's smile is. It twists him up inside in the best of ways, makes his heart flutter and his stomach flip and all of the stupid romantic tropes that Kaveh read in romance novels and imagined were pure hyperbole based on what he thought was the sheer impossibility of it.

(And he knows his stomach doesn't really flip, heart doesn't really flutter, but Archons it feels like it does.)

He smiles back, and a hand lifts to the other's chest, lazily drawing patterns over the scars, linking them together in designs unique to his mind, contentedly creating an invisible masterpiece on his skin. ]

Tell me about other things you wanna try?

[ Honestly, he thinks he'd do anything the other man asked of him at this point, no matter how he felt about it beyond that. ]

( Flutters of his swarm across the nerves on his sides as Kaveh takes to drawing invisible designs on his chest. It makes his nipples also feel harder, tightening to the touch. He has never been touched so endearingly before, as if every part of him matters on its own, rather than him as a full walking picture. His scars are numb, however, there are hardly any reminiscing nerves beneath the marred flesh.

Every thought is half full of Kaveh, with empty follow-ups of his routine. He never had the chance to have someone so immediately available like this, besides Navia. Even so, it's not like they fucked often. )

Never gave much thought to what I would do to another guy, but you're different. And I'm not just saying that. I mean it. I guess I wouldn't mind you sitting on my face.

[ Archons, he shouldn't have asked— Kaveh feels his face heat up, and he responds with a soft laugh, a press of his face into Wriothesley's neck for a moment, breath fluttering. Even so, his fingers never stop their movement, continuing to decorate their way across the other's skin despite his obvious embarrassment.

In the end, he doesn't say anything for a while, at least not until he can manage to lift himself up to look down at the other again, and his smile is fond, even if there's still red on his cheeks. ]

Someday I'll get used to how dirty-mouthed you are. [ It's said with a soft chuckle, and Kaveh's free hand comes up to comb through the other's hair, touches soft and sweet. ] But I'm also glad to— I mean, it's nice that you see me as different.

We can... you know, we'll figure it out together, if you want.

( His chest fills with warmth knowing his way of sweet talk affects Kaveh to endearing proportions. Wriothesley is a beast that has yet to be tamed, after all. He caresses Kaveh’s shoulders, brushing off some of the longer strands of hair to expose more skin, doing so with a smile. The bruising has long faded from the initial attack, and all he’ll have to carry from Mael will be the scar that will form on his chest.

His eyes briefly close as Kaveh’s fingers comb through his hair, melting him into the mattress to a point of no return. They can figure it out together while they can— but Kaveh isn’t an underworld dweller. These attacks have proved that enough. Then, out of the blue, a concern rises from the depths: )

Do you miss life in Sumeru?

[ Kaveh sighs as they fall quiet for a little while, content to just rest against Wriothesley and continue fiddling with his hair, skimming patterns over his chest, face in the crook of his neck as he breathes him in. He finds himself starting to doze, eyes closing and movements slowing, a dreamy hum in his voice when he hears Wriothesley starting to speak—

the words themselves, though, are like a dash of cold water, and his eyes open abruptly. He knows the other man well enough by this point to know why the question is being asked, after all.

So he's quiet about it for a moment, trying to decide the best way for him to answer.

After a moment, he nods. ]

It would be a lie to say that I don't miss it. I spent my entire life there until recently— it's familiar and comfortable. I always know exactly what to expect at the start of a day. But comfortable can be boring too. I've gained a lot by being here. [ He presses a kiss into Wriothesley's clavicle. ] Not just this, but I'm learning about different types of architecture. I've spoken to so many people and learned about their lives. I have goals for this place— including some I haven't told you about. [ He chuckles at that. ] So... yeah. I do miss it. But I'm happy here too.

( Perhaps a better question would have been to ask how much he misses it. There is no doubt anybody would yearn for their homeland in some way. Wriothesley listens as he traces his fingers down the small of Kaveh's back, up the ridge of his spine and over his shoulder blades. Wriothesley yearns for a refund of his childhood so he may have the chance to miss it.

And isn't Kaveh's first love back in Sumeru, too? )

Hm? They better be plans worth keeping secrets for. I look forward to them. I trust you're aware of all the restrictions in the infrastructure and what isn't allowed.

Mundane life is comfortable and by extension, boring, yes, but that also means you don't have to look over your shoulder as much. I'll take a peaceful day outside in the middle of no where and drinking tea over anything.

But I guess I could take some time off to travel to Sumeru, whenever you finish your duties here and go back.

In the meantime, I'm glad you're happy now.

[ Wriothesley's response to his statement is... not what he wants to hear. It seems that he was wrong in his previous thought: it's not worry about him going home so much as it is the warden has already decided for them both that it's happening. This was never meant to be anything serious, and so—

I wish you lived here. The words echo in his head even as his brain spirals in the opposite direction, and he buries his face more firmly into the other's skin, trying to shake them. ]

We have some nice teas in Sumeru too. So you should definitely come visit.

[ He hates how hollow the words feel in his chest. Does he miss the sun and the sweet, floral taste of the jungle air? Of course. But the moment he's back there, he knows he'll miss the scent of metal and ocean water colliding as rust, the sound of the silent ocean around them.

More than that, he—

Kaveh finds himself blinking back tears, hiding them in the other's skin, forgetting entirely to address the first comment Wriothesley made about his secretive plans. ]

( To protect means to let go yet being with him means to subject him to a life inside the Fortress. He's not sure anybody in their right mind would willingly walk through the gates of the underworld, kissing goodbye to sunshine or ordinary cultures. He wouldn't even have use of the Mora he's paying him here. So naturally, it's difficult to assume any trust in Kaveh's future decisions. This tenderness, skin on skin, and soul to soul is another moment that will phase out as they normally do with people. Not that he has the experience for it, but he doesn't need it: he's fully aware of how the human mind works. He tries inching higher on the pillow so he can peek down at him. )

Hey.

( He knows what that tone of voice is, he feels it etch into the back of his mind like a hammer. )

Kaveh.

( Save it. Save it. )

We could go to Sumeru together. You know, like a trip.

( He's not saying it's a date. But it could be a date. )

[ Maybe he's a fool, believing in a dream that would require him to give up light and life. Or maybe he sees other ways around it, finds paths through like dreamers so often do. Kaveh's not even sure himself, hasn't given it enough thought to know anything beyond the fact that he's in love, and that the man he loves wants to send him away.

But just as Wriothesley understands Kaveh's tone, so too does Kaveh understand his, his heart catching in his chest in response to the way the other calls for him, pulls his attention back. He blinks, and peels back from the other enough that he can look up at him, and despite his best efforts there's no concealing the gentle glimmer of hope in his ruby eyes as he bites his lip, nods up at the other. ]

I'd like that.

[ His voice is soft, almost a whisper. ]

There are so many places I could show you. And you could meet my friends—

I can schedule it for sometime next month if you'd like. I have to move a lot of people around to make sure everything is tended to while I'm not here.

( He tilts his head a bit in thought as he tries to decipher all the ways in which Kaveh shatters. Wriothesley knows he can't walk away from this now, not after everything, and he wouldn't dare leave Kaveh in the dark with his broken feelings. It's simply a normal reaction for Wriothesley to push away without meaning to so he can keep ruling over all. Close and yet oceans away. )

We can do anything you'd like. It's only fair you treat me to a tour in return.

[ Kaveh smiles at that, and then presses a soft kiss to the corner of Wriothesley's mouth, thinking over his words for a second. A tour is easy; there are a lot of places they can go, ruins and structures to see, not to mention his own works—

And then...

Kaveh's quiet for a second, biting his lip. ]

Hey, do you think...

[ His eyes close, forehead pressing into the side of the other's face. ]

Do you think you'd come to my dad's grave with me?

Edited 2024-02-03 03:36 (UTC)

( He seeks a sneaky kiss from Kaveh with a tilt of his head. These casual exchanges feel like second nature. Would Kaveh still like kissing him after learning the truth? )

Hm? What is it?

( The reluctance immediately gives Wriothesley some worry, it lays dormant beneath a steel poker face, calm as the sea around them but sharply honed. He's met with a mane of blond before anything else, losing his gaze as Kaveh dips down to hide. Curiosity has never been this itchy, but the reality leaves him silent for a moment.

He's unsure how to describe what it's like. His arms loop around him again so he can hold him properly. He lifts the bed sheets over his exposed back, too. )

Yes. It'd be my honor.

How long has it been since you last visited?

( He's unsure if it's a good thing for him to be present, or what it means to Kaveh, but this is something he'd do even as a friend, and especially as a boyfriend. )

[ How long has it been since he visited...? Kaveh bites his lip, and presses in as Wriothesley's arms wrap around him, as the other pulls the sheets properly over them. He's strong, and warm, and everything Kaveh needs in this moment. Everything, Kaveh would argue, he needs ever. ]

Thanks, [ he whispers first, still thinking over the question that follows with a slight frown, and after a few moments he shakes his head. ] I'm... not sure. I don't go all that often, I guess. Usually just... on his birthday, or the anniversary, so...

[ To leave flowers, to say hello, to weep, to say he's sorry over and over and over. Most of the time, he's too busy being wracked with guilt, the self-blaming in the wake of what happened. ]

So I really should go, and... I guess I'd appreciate the moral support. So.. thanks.

[ He tilts his head a little, lips pressing into Wriothesley's jaw. ]

I think you would have liked him, anyway.

Those are important times to visit, and the fact you take the time aside to do so says a lot about you.

( He's a kind, selfless man with values that align with him. It's the type of energy that translates to Wriothesley gravitating and unfolding his personal space for Kaveh to enter and be part of. Based on what Kaveh had already spilled to him, Wriothesley knows there's a deep sense of blame still dwelling in his heart. However, he's unaware of how deeply rooted it still is, cursing Kaveh to a life of endless guilt.

He shifts his body slightly so the two can lay side by side, he returns his kiss to his jaw, peppering affection down over the curve of his neck while his arm is still looped around his waist. Like this, he cradles and soothes him and he takes in the edges of his masculinity and the scent of pure desire. While Wriothesley admittedly keeps commitment outside the realm of their current situation, his actions wish for something greater. )

I'll give you all the moral support you need. I truly respect your decision to let me visit his grave with you. I know it means a lot to you.

What was he like?

[ Kaveh hums as Wriothesley shifts so they're side by side, to press kisses down his jaw and neck, a soft sigh as he tilts his head back, allowing the other more access to his skin if he wants it. It's nice, and all he has to do is not let himself read too much into its meaning. That's all he has to do, and it will be okay.

So he focuses on the other's words, on his question, and Kaveh closes his eyes as he thinks on it, if only to shield the other from the sight of the tears that will inevitably well in his eyes when he does. ]

He was such a dreamer... even more than me. He had these big, beautiful ideas about the world and how he could make it a better place. He studied the stars, and he imagined that someday we'll find a way to explore them. Most parents in Sumeru are obsessed with their kids being scholars, not artists, but he and my mother both encouraged my interests instead of pushing me down a different path. And...

[ Truth be told, there's a lot he doesn't remember. He was just a kid, after all, when it happened— but he knows what others have told him in the years since, and perhaps that's good enough.

(It will never be good enough.) ]

...I'm told he was a great friend, too. That he loved to spend time with the people he cared about most, drinking and talking the nights away.

I might have liked him, he sounded like he was a pleasure to have around after a long day at work.

( He doesn't try prying Kaveh to keep their gazes aligned, suspecting the wavering tone in his voice is hinting to impending emotion swelling in his eyes. Part of him tries slotting himself in shoes like that, namely the ones that would require having good parents to begin with. It's a privilege he'll never get to experience and he mourns the absence of it, or a proper childhood.

He cradles him against his chest, caressing his shoulder and bicep to warm him up as the room continues to grow frigid. )

You're lucky to have had parents like them growing up and memories you can at least cherish.

[ Kaveh smiles, pressing his face into the other as he's cradled and caressed, enjoying the sensation of warmth in the middle of such a cold space. There are definitely tears in his eyes, but he feels more at peace about the whole situation than he has for a while; it's nice to just stay pressed in close, breathing the other in as he sighs into his skin. ]

I am.

[ Not that it was for long. But he has some memories, something that certainly not everyone gets to have. For that, he should count himself lucky.

...It's weird how easy it is to reframe it while he's lying with the other like this, pressed into him and breathing his scent. ]

( Silence can be a powerful tool. It could be the pinnacle of horror or comfort and in this case, he allows Kaveh to soak up the warmth in it. Wriothesley is still riding the satisfaction of his mouth having blown him earlier. He tilts his face over to leave a kiss over his crown, then starts nudging himself out of the bed, leaving Kaveh covered with the bedsheets. Wriothesley pulls his boxers on his time: he might be shameless to streak across his private spaces but he doesn't overdo it. He searches for the lube in his cabinet to make sure there's enough, giving Kaveh a brief, nuanced glance. )

Want to shower together? It saves water.

[ There may or may not be a hint of a whine in Kaveh's voice when Wriothesley starts to get out of bed, a complaint because he's warm and comfortable and he doesn't want to move.

That said, it's an opinion that doesn't last long, not when he sees the other searching through the cabinet as he's asking about a shower, tone so calm and so casual despite a look in his eyes that sears through the the core of the younger man and makes his toes curl in anticipation. ]

Poor excuse, Your Grace— We don't really need to worry about saving water down here. But a shower sounds nice.

[ He aims to keep his own tone just as calm, just as mild as Wriothesley's, but unlike the other man, he makes no effort whatsoever to pull on any sort of underwear, completely naked as he walks past him— head lowering to offer a playful nip at his shoulder on the way past— and into the bathroom to get the water running for them. ]

( It is truly an ass worth admiring when Kaveh walks past, leaving his shoulder with a soft hint of redness from his bite. This might just lift Kaveh's previous spirits after the sulking talk about going to Sumeru, which he realizes it had been his fault for bringing it up in the first place. )

I want to save water.

( A playful retort, leaving a shallow laugh echo once they're in the bathroom and Wriothesley is sliding off his boxers again. The anticipation of fucking Kaveh raw in the shower is already showing on his swelling cock, but he chooses to ignore it as he steps into the shower with the lube in hand. )

As much as I like your pretty face, I'll need you to turn around for me. I'll scrub your back.

[ For as obvious as Wriothesley can't help but be, Kaveh just laughs again, offering a brief shake of his head as he moves into the shower. He's too busy adjusting the temperature to something perfect to notice the fact that the older man is getting hard just from the anticipation, too busy chuckling at the very poor cover-up about wanting to save water, and needing to scrub Kaveh's back, to do anything much but give a pointed roll of his eyes as he turns around.

The movement is slow, a pivot more than a turn, and his arms stretch above his shoulders to gather his hair and twist it over his shoulders, ostensibly to keep it out of the way but really just to show off the way his lithe, lean body shines under the water. ]

Mm. Make sure you scrub it really well, then.

[ There's a laugh in his voice as he speaks, sure the double-entendre is obvious. ]

Oh, I will.

( Good thing Kaveh didn't notice. Wriothesley fully intends to leave a surprise element to this, even if it's obvious where his actions will end up leading. He pops open the bottle of lube and pours some over his hand, namely over two of his fingers. Since this is how Kaveh prefers, he'll bend to his will.

He kisses over the cascading water on his shoulder, leaving strong, playful bites trailing up his neck. The essence blooming from his soaking hair and flesh gives uniqueness to his taste as it mixes with water, rinsing him off. He sucks where he can and quite literally drinks it.

Possession drives his two fingers between his ass, pressing right over his tight hole. It's so slippery he could puncture him if he wanted, but he doesn't. Instead, he keeps on kissing, sliding around Kaveh's muscle purposefully to keep teasing the tension. The lubricant makes it all too easy, he even lathers down the massage lower to the silkiness of his flesh there, barely touching behind his balls. )

Stay like this.

[ Kaveh hears the pop of the bottle opening behind him and very nearly makes a smart-ass comment about that being an unnecessary tool for back scrubbing. Instead, he leans an arm against the shower wall to brace himself, head tilting to bare more skin in response to those kisses and bites, the sucking of the water off his skin, leaving him shuddering with the pleasure that rushes all too quickly south—

pleasure all too quickly aided by the feeling of two fingers pressing and sliding around his hole, teasing a possibility they refuse to give. He whimpers, tries to rock his hips back a little, but Wriothesley is already exploring further, fingers feather-light against his taint, and Kaveh's teeth press firm into his lower lip.

It feels good, but he's selfish and he wants more, and he's thinking about turning to kiss the other— and then Wriothesley tells him to stay.

Kaveh's laugh is soft, but frustrated, but he obeys nonetheless, bracing his other arm against the wall, too. ]

Mean.

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