"As I often am," he says, lightly teasing in the face of all this. Yussa's expression grows serious again and he leans to give Caleb another gentle kiss in an attempt to soothe the pained urgency he sees in his lover's gaze. A silent granting of absolution, even if he thinks it is not for him to give in the first place. But if he can do anything that will bolster Caleb, Yussa will. Because of that, he does his best to ignore the feeling that he has let something slip through his fingers.
"And I do not wish that for you," he murmurs when Caleb acknowledges the regret he would live with should he give up now. He cannot be the reason that Caleb abandons something so important to him, something that has given him drive and purpose. He cannot become something that Caleb quietly resents. He will not do that to either of them.
Yussa strokes his fingers along the younger man's cheek, his golden gaze soft with admiration and a quiet sadness. Not only is the work that Caleb wishes to do important, it is also time-consuming. It will not be solved in a day, or even a decade. To an elf that matters far less, but Yussa knows that this will be the work of Caleb's life. A worthy dedication, even if it means sacrifice.
"But Tidepeak is not going anywhere, and neither am I."
He has been here for two hundred years, and if he has his way, he will be here for two hundred more at the very least. And he will be here for Caleb, in whatever capacity he can be. There is a part of him that feels--something like cowardice when he fails to make the offer that might be reasonable: to accompany Caleb back to Rexxentrum. But he does not belong there, for many reasons, and he thinks it wiser to stay in his stronghold here so that when Caleb does come to visit, he finds himself far from the shadows of the Assembly's holdings.
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"And I do not wish that for you," he murmurs when Caleb acknowledges the regret he would live with should he give up now. He cannot be the reason that Caleb abandons something so important to him, something that has given him drive and purpose. He cannot become something that Caleb quietly resents. He will not do that to either of them.
Yussa strokes his fingers along the younger man's cheek, his golden gaze soft with admiration and a quiet sadness. Not only is the work that Caleb wishes to do important, it is also time-consuming. It will not be solved in a day, or even a decade. To an elf that matters far less, but Yussa knows that this will be the work of Caleb's life. A worthy dedication, even if it means sacrifice.
"But Tidepeak is not going anywhere, and neither am I."
He has been here for two hundred years, and if he has his way, he will be here for two hundred more at the very least. And he will be here for Caleb, in whatever capacity he can be. There is a part of him that feels--something like cowardice when he fails to make the offer that might be reasonable: to accompany Caleb back to Rexxentrum. But he does not belong there, for many reasons, and he thinks it wiser to stay in his stronghold here so that when Caleb does come to visit, he finds himself far from the shadows of the Assembly's holdings.