[ There's a softness in the other's ice that Kaveh is still learning to get used to. It makes him smile, though, and he moves to press his forehead solidly against Wriothesley's, his free hand coming up to lay across the other's heart as his eyes close.
(He wants to weep, but he's held back by the thought of possibly worrying the other.) ]
I've already... I've been thinking about staying living here. [ It's said quietly after a moment, a smile at the edges of his voice. ] I'd have to leave for jobs, so I might be gone for days or weeks at a time, but.. that's no different to living in Sumeru, really, when I'm dealing with a desert commission or something. So I... I'd like that.
( Third eyes meeting brings a wave of peace through his soul, as if everything about this moment is meant to be. He's still soaking the feeling of having just fucked, too. He His mind and body are just about done for the day and he won't bother changing into more comfortable clothes. He awkwardly unbuttons his dress shirt, pausing when Kaveh begins to speak. )
Is that so, then. I have no issue with that. It's better than you living all the way in Sumeru.
( Which is precisely why he also wants to take the vacation with him. Perhaps Kaveh will change his mind after getting another taste of what it means to truly belong somewhere. )
[ It's half-grumbled, but there's a smile on Kaveh's face as his eyes drift closed. His shorts are still somewhere halfway down his legs, but he's not really thinking about that right now; he's lazy, and comfortable, and content, still somewhere in the afterglow but emotionally content as well as physically. ]
But. Good. [ He yawns. ] We can talk about it later. After sleep.
[ After sleep—
He pauses, eyes fluttering halfway open. ]
I have to get back to work tomorrow, huh.
[ Not that he doesn't want to. He's also just very much enjoyed this quiet few days between the two of them, with nothing to interrupt. ]
( He teases, leaving a sweet kiss over his lips after he gets his yawn out. He doesn't have to be told twice. Kaveh's last words seep into the back of his mind and he finally allows himself to slip to the other side, deep in a slumber. Talking about a future relationship is a conversation better suited when they're both able to think coherently.
And after hours of it, he awakens with his limbs wrapped between Kaveh's. The bed is hot with their combined bodies adding heat through the bedsheets and it even feels damp. Another round of laundry is in order...
Wriothesley slips out of bed, his routine has military precision. Tea is brewing on his table while he showers off the sex and night. It doesn't take him more than three minutes to dry and dress himself with fresh clothes for the day. People asked him the other day where he has been lately, and soon they might get their answer. )
Morning. I'll be in my office if you need anything. I have a lot of work to catch up with. We can talk later today.
[ Admittedly, Kaveh's own routine lacks some of the precision that Wriothesley's has, although it's still remarkably organized. He rolls out of bed shortly after the other, asks him as they trade places in the shower to have some of his clothes sent down to them, and washes off the remnants of yesterday before clothing himself once they arrive. A kiss to the corner of Wriothesley's mouth and a moment to drink his own tea is all he needs before he's ready to face the day. ]
Mm, okay. I've got some catching up to do myself. I'll meet you back here later on today?
[ And then that should be it. It should be a lovely day, focused on catching up with the work he's left while he's been in hiding and healing the last few days. Instead, he finds his workers in emotional chaos, and a question that settles deep and uncomfortable in his stomach.
Mael is missing, has been missing for days— the last time he was seen was the day he was cornered. Some assume he ran, found a way out as scant others have before him, seeking a way to soothe his injured pride. Others cite rumors of other such "disappearing" inmates, of screams echoing through the pipes like a ghostly calling card.
Kaveh hates the feeling it causes to settle in his stomach, heavy with anxiety. And when he finally does make it back to the other man's quarters later in the evening, well past when they should have met for dinner, his face his pale and drawn with anxiety.
He offers no greeting, no soft kisses the way he said farewell in the morning. Instead, he closes the door and leans against it, seeking Wriothesley's gaze with his own. ]
( The front desk secretary makes note of Wriothesley's glow and suggests he should take a vacation. Fully aware of his plans, he simply laughs it off and advises her that he will consider it. Anyone could put together two and two, especially since Kaveh is back in the factory sector. Though he's not exactly greeted by any party of sorts.
A few days might have gone by slow, healing, and fucking and sleeping. For everyone else, it was a slow, agonizing nightmare coming true for anybody who feared getting into Wriothesley's bad side. Though none of Mael's accomplices ever received a visit from him: he doesn't have to. Mael is either in the depths of solitary confinement or he's dead. With the severity of Kaveh's wounds, they suspect the latter. Missing is just another word to sugarcoat reality, it's another way to dehumanize what was once Mael.
Sadly, Kaveh never shows up to eat dinner with him, so he gets it to go so he can relax with it in his room. It must have been a busy day back for him.
When he hears the door, he's immediately up and ready to greet him, but his chirpiness doesn't last long. It's wiped off his face the second he sees Kaveh's condition. He's ghostly and like he's on some kind of edge so naturally, Wriothesley approaches him with more caution and concern following those words. )
I'm aware. It's nothing you should worry about, Kaveh.
( He doesn't want to lie to him, but he rather not tell him what happened, either. Not when he might possibly projectile his stomach into the toilet again. )
[ "I'm aware", Wriothesley says, and the feeling deep in the pit of Kaveh's stomach only gets worse. They've been locked away together for three days, and while the other's sure to have gotten notifications about the important things, his nonchalance is too... it's..
He looks up at the other man as he approaches, the anxiety and the fear written all over his face.
All he can thinks is that Mael being missing, being a terrifying, unknown threat to him and his well-being, is somehow the best case scenario. The worst—
But wherever he is, the other man knows it, somehow. If he were missing, if he were a threat, surely Wriothesley would be worried, would be asking Kaveh to stay with him for longer while he tracks him down and makes sure he's still safe.
And... ]
Wriothesley. [ Kaveh's voice cracks on his name, and despite his urge to press himself into the other's arms, to take comfort from the one from whom he has learned to crave it the most, he stays a step back, stays against the door.
( There are large odds Kaveh, emotional as he is and having fucked the guy, might find himself yearning for events to transpire differently. If it wasn't for Kaveh, Mael would be alive after all. Wriothesley's silence speaks gut-wrenching volumes as he stands there in front of Kaveh losing a piece of his mind, losing his voice. If Kaveh is to live here or sleep in his bed and make love with him, then they should begin with the right foundation. )
The words hit Kaveh like a punch to the gut, and for a moment the blonde is silent, taking a breath and then another, trying to ground himself against the worst of odds, trying so desperately to— to— ]
Wh—
[ The words fade on his tongue before he can even think to finish them, his eyes squeezed shut and his body slumping back into the door, his breath short in his chest as panic starts to well, as his fingers clench into fists. ]
( This would have been a time Wriothesley reached out to cradle him if it weren't for the information he's about to deliver. He still vividly recalls how agonizing Kaveh's reaction had been when he learned of his parents. He's not even sure if he's done properly processing that one let alone give Wriothesley the reason.
However, this is the Fortress and he is the Duke, and if the Duke wishes to see someone dead then it is the law. Yet seeing Kaveh slowly fade away, breaking down like this is the only reason he would consider letting in an ounce of regret. His fingers twitch at his sides. )
[ Take a deep breath, Wriothesley says, and the only thought that surfaces in his mind is the fact that Mael can't. The other apologizes, and it's like it's final, the slash of the guillotine taking away the last of his ability to hope his way out of this. If the other is apologizing, then—
Archons, all of this is his fault. If he'd had the maturity to do anything other than run into the arms of the nearest stranger for comfort, none of this ever would have happened. Wriothesley may have been the one to deliver the killing blow, but—
I'm so sorry, father
—He's going to suffocate. He— ]
I'm sorry, I— I have to go.
[ The words fall from his lips without any thought, Kaveh whirling away to wrench the door back open and almost falling through it in his need to put space between them. He runs, and thinks not about who sees; he just runs, feeling nothing at all until suddenly the afternoon sun is on his face, the scent of salt in the wind.
( But he doesn't stop him, it wouldn't be right. In fact, he's positive it would throw Kaveh into more of a panic. His hands feel heated by the sudden surge of blood pumping, adrenaline keeps telling him to run after him and pull him back. Instead, he stands in his room void of any sounds, hearing Kaveh's give grow more distant by the second. He even feels it when the front door upstairs is shut loudly.
In hindsight, maybe this will make it clear to Kaveh what the Fortress life is like. This isn't some vacation hot spot, with free meals and free beds. It's only a second chance for those who can't survive on the surface as people normally would.
And a lot of people do in fact die here. From old age or accidents, though the latter is rare.
He thinks about sending Navia a message, but he rather not drag her into this. He knows he'll be met with more disappointment from her end if she knew the truth. All in all, perhaps Wriothesley was right all along. He should have never said anything, he should have never opened up. It's clear Kaveh can't handle him at his worst. )
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sempiternals2023-11-16 11:24 pm
no subject
(He wants to weep, but he's held back by the thought of possibly worrying the other.) ]
I've already... I've been thinking about staying living here. [ It's said quietly after a moment, a smile at the edges of his voice. ] I'd have to leave for jobs, so I might be gone for days or weeks at a time, but.. that's no different to living in Sumeru, really, when I'm dealing with a desert commission or something. So I... I'd like that.
no subject
Is that so, then. I have no issue with that. It's better than you living all the way in Sumeru.
( Which is precisely why he also wants to take the vacation with him. Perhaps Kaveh will change his mind after getting another taste of what it means to truly belong somewhere. )
no subject
[ It's half-grumbled, but there's a smile on Kaveh's face as his eyes drift closed. His shorts are still somewhere halfway down his legs, but he's not really thinking about that right now; he's lazy, and comfortable, and content, still somewhere in the afterglow but emotionally content as well as physically. ]
But. Good. [ He yawns. ] We can talk about it later. After sleep.
[ After sleep—
He pauses, eyes fluttering halfway open. ]
I have to get back to work tomorrow, huh.
[ Not that he doesn't want to. He's also just very much enjoyed this quiet few days between the two of them, with nothing to interrupt. ]
no subject
( He teases, leaving a sweet kiss over his lips after he gets his yawn out. He doesn't have to be told twice. Kaveh's last words seep into the back of his mind and he finally allows himself to slip to the other side, deep in a slumber. Talking about a future relationship is a conversation better suited when they're both able to think coherently.
And after hours of it, he awakens with his limbs wrapped between Kaveh's. The bed is hot with their combined bodies adding heat through the bedsheets and it even feels damp. Another round of laundry is in order...
Wriothesley slips out of bed, his routine has military precision. Tea is brewing on his table while he showers off the sex and night. It doesn't take him more than three minutes to dry and dress himself with fresh clothes for the day. People asked him the other day where he has been lately, and soon they might get their answer. )
Morning. I'll be in my office if you need anything. I have a lot of work to catch up with. We can talk later today.
Oh, I left you some tea.
no subject
Mm, okay. I've got some catching up to do myself. I'll meet you back here later on today?
[ And then that should be it. It should be a lovely day, focused on catching up with the work he's left while he's been in hiding and healing the last few days. Instead, he finds his workers in emotional chaos, and a question that settles deep and uncomfortable in his stomach.
Mael is missing, has been missing for days— the last time he was seen was the day he was cornered. Some assume he ran, found a way out as scant others have before him, seeking a way to soothe his injured pride. Others cite rumors of other such "disappearing" inmates, of screams echoing through the pipes like a ghostly calling card.
Kaveh hates the feeling it causes to settle in his stomach, heavy with anxiety. And when he finally does make it back to the other man's quarters later in the evening, well past when they should have met for dinner, his face his pale and drawn with anxiety.
He offers no greeting, no soft kisses the way he said farewell in the morning. Instead, he closes the door and leans against it, seeking Wriothesley's gaze with his own. ]
Mael is missing.
[ The words feel thick in his throat. ]
no subject
A few days might have gone by slow, healing, and fucking and sleeping. For everyone else, it was a slow, agonizing nightmare coming true for anybody who feared getting into Wriothesley's bad side. Though none of Mael's accomplices ever received a visit from him: he doesn't have to. Mael is either in the depths of solitary confinement or he's dead. With the severity of Kaveh's wounds, they suspect the latter.
Missing is just another word to sugarcoat reality, it's another way to dehumanize what was once Mael.
Sadly, Kaveh never shows up to eat dinner with him, so he gets it to go so he can relax with it in his room. It must have been a busy day back for him.
When he hears the door, he's immediately up and ready to greet him, but his chirpiness doesn't last long. It's wiped off his face the second he sees Kaveh's condition. He's ghostly and like he's on some kind of edge so naturally, Wriothesley approaches him with more caution and concern following those words. )
I'm aware. It's nothing you should worry about, Kaveh.
( He doesn't want to lie to him, but he rather not tell him what happened, either. Not when he might possibly projectile his stomach into the toilet again. )
no subject
He looks up at the other man as he approaches, the anxiety and the fear written all over his face.
All he can thinks is that Mael being missing, being a terrifying, unknown threat to him and his well-being, is somehow the best case scenario. The worst—
But wherever he is, the other man knows it, somehow. If he were missing, if he were a threat, surely Wriothesley would be worried, would be asking Kaveh to stay with him for longer while he tracks him down and makes sure he's still safe.
And... ]
Wriothesley. [ Kaveh's voice cracks on his name, and despite his urge to press himself into the other's arms, to take comfort from the one from whom he has learned to crave it the most, he stays a step back, stays against the door.
If Mael is dead, then— ]
Where is he?
no subject
He's dead.
no subject
The words hit Kaveh like a punch to the gut, and for a moment the blonde is silent, taking a breath and then another, trying to ground himself against the worst of odds, trying so desperately to— to— ]
Wh—
[ The words fade on his tongue before he can even think to finish them, his eyes squeezed shut and his body slumping back into the door, his breath short in his chest as panic starts to well, as his fingers clench into fists. ]
How— How did he die?
no subject
( This would have been a time Wriothesley reached out to cradle him if it weren't for the information he's about to deliver. He still vividly recalls how agonizing Kaveh's reaction had been when he learned of his parents. He's not even sure if he's done properly processing that one let alone give Wriothesley the reason.
However, this is the Fortress and he is the Duke, and if the Duke wishes to see someone dead then it is the law. Yet seeing Kaveh slowly fade away, breaking down like this is the only reason he would consider letting in an ounce of regret. His fingers twitch at his sides. )
I'm sorry, Kaveh.
no subject
Archons, all of this is his fault. If he'd had the maturity to do anything other than run into the arms of the nearest stranger for comfort, none of this ever would have happened. Wriothesley may have been the one to deliver the killing blow, but—
I'm so sorry, father
—He's going to suffocate. He— ]
I'm sorry, I— I have to go.
[ The words fall from his lips without any thought, Kaveh whirling away to wrench the door back open and almost falling through it in his need to put space between them. He runs, and thinks not about who sees; he just runs, feeling nothing at all until suddenly the afternoon sun is on his face, the scent of salt in the wind.
Where does he go, from here? ]
no subject
( But he doesn't stop him, it wouldn't be right. In fact, he's positive it would throw Kaveh into more of a panic. His hands feel heated by the sudden surge of blood pumping, adrenaline keeps telling him to run after him and pull him back. Instead, he stands in his room void of any sounds, hearing Kaveh's give grow more distant by the second. He even feels it when the front door upstairs is shut loudly.
In hindsight, maybe this will make it clear to Kaveh what the Fortress life is like. This isn't some vacation hot spot, with free meals and free beds. It's only a second chance for those who can't survive on the surface as people normally would.
And a lot of people do in fact die here. From old age or accidents, though the latter is rare.
He thinks about sending Navia a message, but he rather not drag her into this. He knows he'll be met with more disappointment from her end if she knew the truth. All in all, perhaps Wriothesley was right all along. He should have never said anything, he should have never opened up. It's clear Kaveh can't handle him at his worst. )