Caleb doesn't miss that assumption, and finds it deeply encouraging. They have already agreed to study the Folding Halls together, but Caleb would very much like more time like this with Yussa, beyond their research. His blue eyes spark with quiet amusement as he agrees, "My memory is very good. It will be as though you were there yourself."
That continuing to vex the Concord is far more important to Yussa than any price they could offer him only serves to increase his esteem in Caleb's eyes, and he finds himself feeling dangerously fond of a man he barely knows. As Yussa continues, voice lowering as he sinks a little into his reminiscing, Caleb's quiet smile remains, but his amusement turns to thoughtful contemplation and cautious curiosity.
"You implied, early in our acquaintance, that you once were in the position I am now, traveling with a group of adventurers as their wizard." He'd said other things as well. Some things that had frightened Caleb at the time, and others he now knows to be true. The advice was so specific that he clearly spoke from personal experience.
Caleb finds himself leaning closer to the other man, just as fraction, as he wets his lips with another sip of wine. "Is that the life you were looking to retire from?"
A faint smirk tugs at his mouth and Yussa looks sidelong at Caleb as the younger wizard leans closer; the effect is a distinctively sly expression.
"I am no one's wizard, Caleb Widogast." He hides brighter amusement behind his wine glass as he takes another drink. "But yes. That is the life I was seeking to retire from. There is only so long one can continue in that life. Eventually the cost is too much, one way or another."
Yussa shifts, folding one leg on the couch as he turns to face Caleb more. There are things he recognizes, and there are things about Caleb Widogast that could never be true about Yussa Errenis, and he admires that.
"And so I found myself here, with a quay and a tower."
Gods, he's hot. Caleb's pulse picks up a little at Yussa's sly glance and coy response. He gives a soft laugh, slightly bashful. "Ja, perhaps not exactly the same position, then." He very much considers himself the Nein's wizard. But he is certainly not so independent as Yussa.
But he does understand the need to leave that life behind, eventually. He can't imagine he will ever leave the Nein, but adventuring--he certainly can't do that forever. He has other priorities. And he can imagine the costs, especially for an elf living that life for some time. He can imagine the costs too well. He has seen his friends die.
Perhaps it is too obvious, the way he follows the movement of Yussa's leg with his eyes. Perhaps he doesn't mind if it is obvious.
"Well, it seems you have ended up in the right place." Speaking of which-- "I am glad that we could send you home," he says, softer, careful. Eyes intent on Yussa's face. "How are you, my friend? Truly?"
There is a pause between Caleb's question and any attempt at an answer. It's clear, even for just a few seconds, that the sudden shift in topic has caught Yussa particularly off guard. He sits back, not withdrawing so much as taking a moment to collect himself. He looks down at his wine for a moment.
How is one to really answer a question like that? Yussa is quite certain that Caleb is not asking after anything mundane.
"I am in one piece, thanks to you," he says eventually. "It... was an experience I will not soon forget."
Yussa lifts his gaze to meet Caleb's again, more somber than he had been a moment ago. He knows that it might have been a group effort to find him, but it was the quick thinking of one man - this man - that made his survival possible.
Caleb can tell, in that moment where Yussa is surprised by his question, how shaken he really is. He'd expected nothing less, after spending as long as he had connected to that entity. His own glimpses into that madness were disturbing enough. He nods, holding Yussa's gaze. His brow knits up, voice remaining quiet.
"I am sorry we did not get to you sooner. We delved through the ruins as quickly as we could, but..." He shakes his head. "It was days, still."
He doesn't especially think of himself as being the one who saved Yussa; he'd cast the spell, but it was a group effort to find him. But the way Yussa is looking at him now--perhaps he does see it that way.
"I was not sure if you could hear me, when I spoke to you there," he murmurs. He wants to reach for the other wizard's hand, but that would be too much, surely. "Banishment seemed like the thing to do. I am glad you are safe. But I am sorry, still."
"It was eons," he says quietly. "It was seconds. I am grateful that you found me at all. And Banishment was the most effective way to manage it. Not only did it send me where I needed to go, it was... forceful enough to break the hold of the Somnovem. Of the city."
He could not have helped in his own rescue at that point, and Caleb's solution was both elegant and swift. Yussa finishes his glass and sets it aside. He might want more, he hasn't decided yet. But he does not want a distraction in this conversation.
"I think it will be some time before I am fully recovered," he admits. "Being a part of that sort of madness was--" Yussa isn't sure he is capable of describing it. He just shakes his head.
"I owe you a debt. It was not only my life, but my mind that you saved."
Surely Caleb, as a wizard, realizes the depths of that distinction.
Caleb understands that distinction perfectly. He's lived it. Eleven years in Vergesson with his mind shattered. This is something Yussa may learn about him soon, when the details of Ikithon's crimes come to light. But he doesn't--he can't--say it now. He nods, and his eyes say enough. He understands.
"You owe me nothing," he insists, "after all you have done for me. I only hope to continue studying with you."
His own wine is all but forgotten, the stem of the glass held loosely between his fingers.
"And you are my friend," he says, tentatively enough that it is almost a question--an offer. "So your life and your remarkable mind matter to me, because they are yours. I...no longer wish to have debts between friends."
The sudden urge Yussa feels hits like a wave. He could resist it, but he isn't sure that he wants to. Caleb asserts his impressions and Yussa does not try to counter them: Caleb Widogast - the Nein - have most certainly earned his trust and friendship.
"Then we will not consider it a debt, but an opportunity. You have proven a remarkable student and colleague, one I should like to see more of. One I would be honored to work with."
Caleb has a different kind of quest to embark on, one that begins with the man in a basket. But there must be more beyond that. Yussa slides closer, enough that he doesn't have to reach far to lightly cup Caleb's chin.
"There is so much we have to explore together, Caleb Widogast."
"An opportunity. Ja, that sounds good," Caleb agrees, his voice going a little faint toward the end as Yussa's words really sink in. It is high praise, especially from Yussa, who seems to give it so rarely. He has called Caleb competent in the past, reasonably skilled, clever, and even challenged him to complete difficult spells. But to say that he would be honored to work together makes Caleb feel, at last, like they are on more equal footing.
He recalls Yussa being far more free with his praise while he was eating him out. Yes, he'd made it quite clear how much he enjoyed his mouth, and then his cock, when it came to that. Months later, Caleb can still recall with perfect clarity how pleased he sounded, how stunning he looked spread out on the lounge in his study, the hot slickness of his cunt, the intensity of his golden eyes turned dark with desire.
Just as before, Yussa first reaches for his face, gripping his chin lightly to hold his attention. As though Caleb could possibly look anywhere else. Just as before, he loses his breath, chest suddenly tight and heat flooding his skin.
Oh, so this is going to be a thing. He won't pretend for a moment he hasn't hoped that would be the case.
"I am eager as ever to collaborate with you, Master Errenis," he agrees softly, demure, but with a hint of a smile.
"Tell me now " he murmurs as he leans closer. "Are you interested in all our exploration, Caleb?"
He needs to hear it. He needs to be certain they are completely on the same page. This is not a relationship he is willing to risk with carelessness or uncertainty. Moving forward in this requires clarity. Whatever might want is secondary to Caleb's desires. Yussa can push it aside if Caleb is uninterested, but he does not think he's misreading the younger man's interest.
A faint smile quirks his mouth as he repeats something Caleb once said to him.
"Be clear with what you want. I do not wish to guess."
Caleb recognizes the words at once, of course. Despite how hard his heart is pounding, his smile grows a fraction wider, mirroring Yussa's. He leans toward the older man, bowing his head to press into his touch.
"Yes. Very much. I--I would like to be intimate with you again. Now, and in the future, should I continue to impress."
He feels his face heating further, but he hopes that is clear enough. He is very, very interested. Memories of their previous encounter have kept him warm at night on several occasions.
"Do you think you will be missed?" Yussa holds Caleb's gaze, intent and interested. Realizing he should clarify less that sounds more like a threat than an invitation, he adds: "Should you return to your friends before too long?"
While it is not truly possible for the Nein to come looking for Caleb in Yussa's tower, he would really prefer they not try, or press Wensforth for admittance anywhere else. Yussa doubts the goblin would yield to any such demands, but he would still prefer his assistant not have to endure them all the same. His fingers curl, stroking lightly along Caleb's cheek. The mutual agreement is exciting, but he can wait if he must for the sake of ensuring they are not interrupted.
Yussa can feel the warmth in Caleb's cheek and he is close enough to hear the quiet catch in the younger man's breath. Gods but it is satisfying to feel so desired. Clearly age and experience have not robbed him of that delight, which is rather gratifying to discover.
"I told Veth I would be gone for a bit, so there is time. They tend to leave me be when I am doing wizard things." His smile turns more than a little smug, blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "To them it is all studying and copying and arcane jargon. Very boring."
His throat bobs as he swallows, sensitive to the brush of fingers along his cheek, skin prickling. His beard is much thicker than the last time they'd done this, fuller but softer than the short stubble Yussa had experienced before.
He wasn't really expecting this to happen tonight, but he did hope, maybe. At the very least, he wanted to talk about it--but doing is better than talking. Sitting close together, his hand covers Yussa's knee, warm and rough against several layers of fine fabric. He takes in the other man's fine features with a warm but intense interest, unconcealed.
"So if you want to keep me a little longer...I can easily make excuses."
Caleb has changed in many ways since they were last intimate. He is healthier, more confident; in just as many ways, he is the same man. Still that hint of playfulness that Yussa finds so charming.
"Be careful what you offer, Caleb Widogast. You know I am willing to take you at your word, and take advantage."
Perhaps he should not say these things, but they are true: Yussa thinks he would quite enjoy keeping Caleb for a night, or more. But the younger man has pressing business in a basket downstairs, and so Yussa knows that he cannot keep Caleb as long as he would like. But at least he can make clear that the invitation is open, and he can be relatively certain that Caleb, at least, will give him more than a few seconds warning before showing up again.
They have time now, and anything past that need not be his concern until it is. Yussa tips his head to brush a light kiss to Caleb's lips, teasing, or testing the waters. He initiated the last time, as well, but perhaps that is what will be necessary to assure Caleb that he is desired.
Yussa has the right idea. It's as though that first testing kiss unlocks something in Caleb--the permission he needed to make a move himself. With an almost relieved sigh through his nose, his hand runs from Yussa's knee up his thigh as he shifts closer, seeking another kiss on the heels of the first. There is an edge of nervousness still, but he doesn't hesitate to seek more, pressing his lips to Yussa's more firmly.
He would really like, honestly, for Yussa to take advantage of that offer tonight. Spending a night at Tidepeak, engaging in physical intimacy at leisure, seems almost impossibly indulgent. Unfortunately, they both know that is not possible. There is much Caleb must see to tomorrow. His destiny, some might say.
But in the future, maybe. They've planned to see one another on a somewhat regular basis. Perhaps there is more to hope for.
Caleb had left his coat and scarf downstairs, and his heavier layers have been stored away for a week, which leaves him in shirtsleeves, rolled up to his elbow, beneath his book harness, component pouch strapped to his leg over his trousers. His hair remains in a loose but neat ponytail, long and flipped carelessly over his shoulder.
Yussa breaths a soft sigh of his own as Caleb's hand slides up his thigh and he leans in for a harder kiss. There, the door is open. He reaches up to press his hand to Caleb's cheek to offer both comfort and encouragement. He wants to be certain that there is no question here, no possibility for Caleb to mistake his interest.
While Caleb has divested himself of layers, Yussa has not: he is dressed to entertain.
"This may take some effort on your part," he quips, barely pulling away even to say that much. He is still draped in layers of gold and blue, and while Caleb has only undressed him once, Yussa is quite certain he recalls just how layered he can be.
"Do you need my assistance, Caleb Widogast?" There's a smile in his voice and Yussa eases back just a bit more, enough that he can see Caleb's face clearly. There are probably better places to do this, but Yussa does not want to leave this space and risk being dragged into any other socializing or crisis. For now, they can be here and have a bubble of time just for themselves.
For Caleb, this is a promising start, and it is easy to see the difference just a few months have made in him from their first encounter to this one. While he still waits for permission and approval, and admittedly still finds himself a bit overwhelmed, he is much more surefooted. He leans in another inch to chase Yussa's mouth when he pulls away, relenting when the older man directs his attention to what he is wearing this evening.
With a quick, assessing glance, Caleb looks over the archmage's beautiful and no doubt complex ensemble with the bright-eyed focus he would a puzzle, or an arcane theorem he is attempting to prove on paper, curiosity mingled with excitement. After a moment, he cracks a smile, and meets the other wizard's gaze again with a bashfulness that is almost coy.
"Ah, nein, I could figure it out myself, given a little time," he says, soft but confident. "However, I would enjoy your assistance very much, my friend. If you could direct me, I will do all the work."
He should be forgiven, he thinks, for taking a bit of a shortcut, given their limited time tonight. Even more importantly, the idea of Yussa calmly providing instruction through each step of undressing him is too attractive to ignore.
Yussa rises smoothly from where he sits; unfortunately, this means pulling away from Caleb. He does not go far, standing before the young man so that he has easy access to whatever he needs to reach. He holds his arms out just slightly, indicating that he has no intention of helping beyond providing instruction.
"You know where to begin, at least," he says with a gesture toward the sash tied around his waist, holding his outer robe closed over his other layers. He watches Caleb with the placid calm of an instructor, an expression the younger man has seen more than once at this point in their acquaintanceship.
"Beneath the sash, the outer robe will easily come off. There is another sash beneath that and a few ties that hold the next layer closed."
Beneath Yussa's familiar, measured gaze, heat crawls over Caleb's skin. Just as he has in the past, he proves himself very capable of following instructions, first undoing the sash over his outer robe, then sliding the robe itself from the elven mage's narrow shoulders. He is careful with both items, folding each and setting it aside on the arm of the couch.
Then he begins on the next. He is efficient, but not rushing through this process, enjoying how the fine fabric of Yussa's robes feels under his fingers and the eroticism of peeling away the layers covering him, one slipped open sash and loosened tie at a time. Once he's set aside the second sash and the next robe is open, ready to come off, he glances up again, flushed and intent.
Beneath the second robe is a lighter, shorter tunic that falls to his mid-thigh. Despite being beneath other layers, it is just as beautiful and as detailed as the others. Beneath that, a pair of loose linen pants that are just as exquisite, though less adorned.
"The outer layer will need to come off before you can remove the tunic. The pants tie at the waist." Yussa finds he quite enjoys this, and guiding Caleb through it tempers his unwarranted impatience. He watches the younger man's dexterous hands and he feels a flush of heat when he recalls exactly what they are capable of.
"The tunic will need to come off over my head. You may need to stand for that," he says with a coy look.
Beneath that is a thin layer, almost a gauzy chemise, and a simple bandeau to bind his breasts.
Gods, that look makes his pulse skip. "Ja," he rasps, aware of the heat spreading steadily through his body. "I'll do that." Every step Yussa describes will be easier if he stands, so he does. There is precious little space between them, but then, that is very much the point. He now stands head and shoulders above the other man, yet that feels insignificant. The impact of Yussa's presence is about so much more than his stature.
Caleb slides the outer layer reverently from his shoulders, his arms, and folds it with the rest of what he has already removed. Then, meeting Yussa's golden eyes for a heart-stopping moment, he grasps the hem of his tunic and peels it up. With cooperation, he is able to get it up and over Yussa's head, revealing the final layers beneath.
It would be impossible to conceal the way his eyes, darker and wider, pore over the older man's form in the same way they would devour a new spell laid out for copying. He wants to take in the whole picture; he wants to linger on every detail. Appreciative, excited, intrigued, but above all, hungry.
In his distraction, his hands are slower to fold this layer. With reluctance, he tears his gaze away to put it with the rest, attentive and respectful as he would be with any of the archmage's belongings. He registers how rapid his breathing has become as his hands fall to Yussa's waist, finding the ties keeping his pants in place, as he'd been directed.
"And after this?" He asks with bated breath, blue eyes flickering upward.
Yussa cooperates as Caleb removes his clothes, making no attempt to delay or otherwise make Caleb's task more difficult. Not when he can hear the shiver in the younger man's breath as he exhales; not when Caleb looks at him as though he might devour him when given the chance.
He's seen Caleb give the same attention to an open page in his spell book and the intensity of it sends another rush of warmth through him. Yussa takes a deep breath and lets it go slowly as the Caleb finally folds the tunic. He tips his head up to properly meet the younger wizard's gaze as clever fingers work loose the ties on his pants. They are very close indeed.
"The camisole," he answers mildly. "Then my smalls and my bandeau, if you wish to remove them as well." There's a smirk hiding in his voice. He cannot imagine that Caleb would deny himself the pleasure of having Yussa fully bare, but he's curious to see how the other man handles that freedom.
Yussa's pants are easily loosened, but Caleb doesn't allow their own weight to pull them to the floor. He guides the loose fabric down Yussa's thighs, even crouches to pull it out of the way so that he can step out of it, inhaling sharply at the reveal of slender brown legs.
If you wish, Yussa says, and Caleb glances back up, still crouched before him as he gathers up his now discarded pants. "Is that in question?" he asks, lips curling and eyes flashing with gentle amusement.
He stands again, deftly folding and adding this next layer to the stack of Yussa's shed clothing. What remains does not cover terribly much, and the contrast of warm light and shadow in this balcony alcove paints Yussa strikingly. With his nervous excitement given away by the uneven cadence of his breath, Caleb's hands slip beneath the camisole's hem. Yussa's skin is soft and warm, and he is momentarily mesmerized by the sight of his own pale fingers curled loosely over his hips, then sliding up his sides.
"I had hoped that I might be invited to see you this way again," he admits more quietly, pulling the sheer material up. In the process, his fingers brush the edge of the bandeau, and he decides that will be next. He feels his already flushed face growing hotter. "Our, ah...previous entanglement has been on my mind these last months." With frankly embarrassing frequency. "It is a very good memory, but one that tends to leave me wanting more."
Yussa stays still as Caleb lowers himself to remove his pants, then rises again to take care of his camisole. He keeps is gaze on the younger man's face, watching the appreciation play over his features as he admires his prize.
He lifts his arms when he needs to and a smirk curves his mouth when Caleb's fingers brush against his bandeau. Given that he is entertaining at home, he saw no need and had no desire for stays. Golden eyes peer up when Caleb alludes to the last time he saw Yussa so undressed.
"Mine as well," he says, his tone mild but warm. Yussa reaches up to run his fingers lightly along Caleb's jaw, then over his lips. "We have worked well together, I think. I'd like very much to further explore that particular... partnership. I'm pleased you are still interested. Tell me... what about that afternoon have you been thinking of?"
It's indulgent, he knows, but he finds himself curious as to what, precisely, has been on Caleb's mind since then. And they still have two more articles of clothing to go, so surely there is time to ask.
Caleb can't help it; when Yussa reveals that their first tryst has been on his mind also, his smile widens, almost boyishly gleeful. His breath is shallow as the archmage's graceful fingers brush along his bearded jaw, and he feels a stab of heat in his gut as they reach his lips.
Yussa's camisole hangs from one hand, and then he lets it flutter down onto the couch behind him, because he can't turn away yet. He hasn't even been touched before this, but arousal pulses through him, dizzyingly potent. Gods above, this man is attractive. What hasn't he been recalling from that afternoon? His fingers find the edge of the bandeau.
"I have thought about laying between your legs and putting my mouth to you for the first time. That first taste of you." His voice, softened and husky, fills the space between them. He peels the clinging fabric up and feels his knuckles brush the soft curve of a small breast. He drags it carefully up over Yussa's head, baring his chest to his hungry gaze. Remembering perfectly how beautiful Yussa is with his clothes off doesn't dim his current appreciation in the slightest. "The heat against my tongue, how wet you were, how you sounded when I pressed deeper."
If his cock isn't hard enough for the shape to be obvious against the front of his trousers by now, he would be shocked. The bandeau leaves his hand the same way as the camisole had, and his fingers finally dip just past the waistband of his lover's smalls, beginning to drag that last and simplest garment down over his hips. Laying Yussa bare while he is still fully dressed himself is heady in a way Caleb couldn't have anticipated.
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That continuing to vex the Concord is far more important to Yussa than any price they could offer him only serves to increase his esteem in Caleb's eyes, and he finds himself feeling dangerously fond of a man he barely knows. As Yussa continues, voice lowering as he sinks a little into his reminiscing, Caleb's quiet smile remains, but his amusement turns to thoughtful contemplation and cautious curiosity.
"You implied, early in our acquaintance, that you once were in the position I am now, traveling with a group of adventurers as their wizard." He'd said other things as well. Some things that had frightened Caleb at the time, and others he now knows to be true. The advice was so specific that he clearly spoke from personal experience.
Caleb finds himself leaning closer to the other man, just as fraction, as he wets his lips with another sip of wine. "Is that the life you were looking to retire from?"
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"I am no one's wizard, Caleb Widogast." He hides brighter amusement behind his wine glass as he takes another drink. "But yes. That is the life I was seeking to retire from. There is only so long one can continue in that life. Eventually the cost is too much, one way or another."
Yussa shifts, folding one leg on the couch as he turns to face Caleb more. There are things he recognizes, and there are things about Caleb Widogast that could never be true about Yussa Errenis, and he admires that.
"And so I found myself here, with a quay and a tower."
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But he does understand the need to leave that life behind, eventually. He can't imagine he will ever leave the Nein, but adventuring--he certainly can't do that forever. He has other priorities. And he can imagine the costs, especially for an elf living that life for some time. He can imagine the costs too well. He has seen his friends die.
Perhaps it is too obvious, the way he follows the movement of Yussa's leg with his eyes. Perhaps he doesn't mind if it is obvious.
"Well, it seems you have ended up in the right place." Speaking of which-- "I am glad that we could send you home," he says, softer, careful. Eyes intent on Yussa's face. "How are you, my friend? Truly?"
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How is one to really answer a question like that? Yussa is quite certain that Caleb is not asking after anything mundane.
"I am in one piece, thanks to you," he says eventually. "It... was an experience I will not soon forget."
Yussa lifts his gaze to meet Caleb's again, more somber than he had been a moment ago. He knows that it might have been a group effort to find him, but it was the quick thinking of one man - this man - that made his survival possible.
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"I am sorry we did not get to you sooner. We delved through the ruins as quickly as we could, but..." He shakes his head. "It was days, still."
He doesn't especially think of himself as being the one who saved Yussa; he'd cast the spell, but it was a group effort to find him. But the way Yussa is looking at him now--perhaps he does see it that way.
"I was not sure if you could hear me, when I spoke to you there," he murmurs. He wants to reach for the other wizard's hand, but that would be too much, surely. "Banishment seemed like the thing to do. I am glad you are safe. But I am sorry, still."
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He could not have helped in his own rescue at that point, and Caleb's solution was both elegant and swift. Yussa finishes his glass and sets it aside. He might want more, he hasn't decided yet. But he does not want a distraction in this conversation.
"I think it will be some time before I am fully recovered," he admits. "Being a part of that sort of madness was--" Yussa isn't sure he is capable of describing it. He just shakes his head.
"I owe you a debt. It was not only my life, but my mind that you saved."
Surely Caleb, as a wizard, realizes the depths of that distinction.
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"You owe me nothing," he insists, "after all you have done for me. I only hope to continue studying with you."
His own wine is all but forgotten, the stem of the glass held loosely between his fingers.
"And you are my friend," he says, tentatively enough that it is almost a question--an offer. "So your life and your remarkable mind matter to me, because they are yours. I...no longer wish to have debts between friends."
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"Then we will not consider it a debt, but an opportunity. You have proven a remarkable student and colleague, one I should like to see more of. One I would be honored to work with."
Caleb has a different kind of quest to embark on, one that begins with the man in a basket. But there must be more beyond that. Yussa slides closer, enough that he doesn't have to reach far to lightly cup Caleb's chin.
"There is so much we have to explore together, Caleb Widogast."
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He recalls Yussa being far more free with his praise while he was eating him out. Yes, he'd made it quite clear how much he enjoyed his mouth, and then his cock, when it came to that. Months later, Caleb can still recall with perfect clarity how pleased he sounded, how stunning he looked spread out on the lounge in his study, the hot slickness of his cunt, the intensity of his golden eyes turned dark with desire.
Just as before, Yussa first reaches for his face, gripping his chin lightly to hold his attention. As though Caleb could possibly look anywhere else. Just as before, he loses his breath, chest suddenly tight and heat flooding his skin.
Oh, so this is going to be a thing. He won't pretend for a moment he hasn't hoped that would be the case.
"I am eager as ever to collaborate with you, Master Errenis," he agrees softly, demure, but with a hint of a smile.
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He needs to hear it. He needs to be certain they are completely on the same page. This is not a relationship he is willing to risk with carelessness or uncertainty. Moving forward in this requires clarity. Whatever might want is secondary to Caleb's desires. Yussa can push it aside if Caleb is uninterested, but he does not think he's misreading the younger man's interest.
A faint smile quirks his mouth as he repeats something Caleb once said to him.
"Be clear with what you want. I do not wish to guess."
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"Yes. Very much. I--I would like to be intimate with you again. Now, and in the future, should I continue to impress."
He feels his face heating further, but he hopes that is clear enough. He is very, very interested. Memories of their previous encounter have kept him warm at night on several occasions.
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While it is not truly possible for the Nein to come looking for Caleb in Yussa's tower, he would really prefer they not try, or press Wensforth for admittance anywhere else. Yussa doubts the goblin would yield to any such demands, but he would still prefer his assistant not have to endure them all the same. His fingers curl, stroking lightly along Caleb's cheek. The mutual agreement is exciting, but he can wait if he must for the sake of ensuring they are not interrupted.
Yussa can feel the warmth in Caleb's cheek and he is close enough to hear the quiet catch in the younger man's breath. Gods but it is satisfying to feel so desired. Clearly age and experience have not robbed him of that delight, which is rather gratifying to discover.
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His throat bobs as he swallows, sensitive to the brush of fingers along his cheek, skin prickling. His beard is much thicker than the last time they'd done this, fuller but softer than the short stubble Yussa had experienced before.
He wasn't really expecting this to happen tonight, but he did hope, maybe. At the very least, he wanted to talk about it--but doing is better than talking. Sitting close together, his hand covers Yussa's knee, warm and rough against several layers of fine fabric. He takes in the other man's fine features with a warm but intense interest, unconcealed.
"So if you want to keep me a little longer...I can easily make excuses."
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"Be careful what you offer, Caleb Widogast. You know I am willing to take you at your word, and take advantage."
Perhaps he should not say these things, but they are true: Yussa thinks he would quite enjoy keeping Caleb for a night, or more. But the younger man has pressing business in a basket downstairs, and so Yussa knows that he cannot keep Caleb as long as he would like. But at least he can make clear that the invitation is open, and he can be relatively certain that Caleb, at least, will give him more than a few seconds warning before showing up again.
They have time now, and anything past that need not be his concern until it is. Yussa tips his head to brush a light kiss to Caleb's lips, teasing, or testing the waters. He initiated the last time, as well, but perhaps that is what will be necessary to assure Caleb that he is desired.
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He would really like, honestly, for Yussa to take advantage of that offer tonight. Spending a night at Tidepeak, engaging in physical intimacy at leisure, seems almost impossibly indulgent. Unfortunately, they both know that is not possible. There is much Caleb must see to tomorrow. His destiny, some might say.
But in the future, maybe. They've planned to see one another on a somewhat regular basis. Perhaps there is more to hope for.
Caleb had left his coat and scarf downstairs, and his heavier layers have been stored away for a week, which leaves him in shirtsleeves, rolled up to his elbow, beneath his book harness, component pouch strapped to his leg over his trousers. His hair remains in a loose but neat ponytail, long and flipped carelessly over his shoulder.
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While Caleb has divested himself of layers, Yussa has not: he is dressed to entertain.
"This may take some effort on your part," he quips, barely pulling away even to say that much. He is still draped in layers of gold and blue, and while Caleb has only undressed him once, Yussa is quite certain he recalls just how layered he can be.
"Do you need my assistance, Caleb Widogast?" There's a smile in his voice and Yussa eases back just a bit more, enough that he can see Caleb's face clearly. There are probably better places to do this, but Yussa does not want to leave this space and risk being dragged into any other socializing or crisis. For now, they can be here and have a bubble of time just for themselves.
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With a quick, assessing glance, Caleb looks over the archmage's beautiful and no doubt complex ensemble with the bright-eyed focus he would a puzzle, or an arcane theorem he is attempting to prove on paper, curiosity mingled with excitement. After a moment, he cracks a smile, and meets the other wizard's gaze again with a bashfulness that is almost coy.
"Ah, nein, I could figure it out myself, given a little time," he says, soft but confident. "However, I would enjoy your assistance very much, my friend. If you could direct me, I will do all the work."
He should be forgiven, he thinks, for taking a bit of a shortcut, given their limited time tonight. Even more importantly, the idea of Yussa calmly providing instruction through each step of undressing him is too attractive to ignore.
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"You know where to begin, at least," he says with a gesture toward the sash tied around his waist, holding his outer robe closed over his other layers. He watches Caleb with the placid calm of an instructor, an expression the younger man has seen more than once at this point in their acquaintanceship.
"Beneath the sash, the outer robe will easily come off. There is another sash beneath that and a few ties that hold the next layer closed."
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Then he begins on the next. He is efficient, but not rushing through this process, enjoying how the fine fabric of Yussa's robes feels under his fingers and the eroticism of peeling away the layers covering him, one slipped open sash and loosened tie at a time. Once he's set aside the second sash and the next robe is open, ready to come off, he glances up again, flushed and intent.
"After this?"
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"The outer layer will need to come off before you can remove the tunic. The pants tie at the waist." Yussa finds he quite enjoys this, and guiding Caleb through it tempers his unwarranted impatience. He watches the younger man's dexterous hands and he feels a flush of heat when he recalls exactly what they are capable of.
"The tunic will need to come off over my head. You may need to stand for that," he says with a coy look.
Beneath that is a thin layer, almost a gauzy chemise, and a simple bandeau to bind his breasts.
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Caleb slides the outer layer reverently from his shoulders, his arms, and folds it with the rest of what he has already removed. Then, meeting Yussa's golden eyes for a heart-stopping moment, he grasps the hem of his tunic and peels it up. With cooperation, he is able to get it up and over Yussa's head, revealing the final layers beneath.
It would be impossible to conceal the way his eyes, darker and wider, pore over the older man's form in the same way they would devour a new spell laid out for copying. He wants to take in the whole picture; he wants to linger on every detail. Appreciative, excited, intrigued, but above all, hungry.
In his distraction, his hands are slower to fold this layer. With reluctance, he tears his gaze away to put it with the rest, attentive and respectful as he would be with any of the archmage's belongings. He registers how rapid his breathing has become as his hands fall to Yussa's waist, finding the ties keeping his pants in place, as he'd been directed.
"And after this?" He asks with bated breath, blue eyes flickering upward.
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He's seen Caleb give the same attention to an open page in his spell book and the intensity of it sends another rush of warmth through him. Yussa takes a deep breath and lets it go slowly as the Caleb finally folds the tunic. He tips his head up to properly meet the younger wizard's gaze as clever fingers work loose the ties on his pants. They are very close indeed.
"The camisole," he answers mildly. "Then my smalls and my bandeau, if you wish to remove them as well." There's a smirk hiding in his voice. He cannot imagine that Caleb would deny himself the pleasure of having Yussa fully bare, but he's curious to see how the other man handles that freedom.
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If you wish, Yussa says, and Caleb glances back up, still crouched before him as he gathers up his now discarded pants. "Is that in question?" he asks, lips curling and eyes flashing with gentle amusement.
He stands again, deftly folding and adding this next layer to the stack of Yussa's shed clothing. What remains does not cover terribly much, and the contrast of warm light and shadow in this balcony alcove paints Yussa strikingly. With his nervous excitement given away by the uneven cadence of his breath, Caleb's hands slip beneath the camisole's hem. Yussa's skin is soft and warm, and he is momentarily mesmerized by the sight of his own pale fingers curled loosely over his hips, then sliding up his sides.
"I had hoped that I might be invited to see you this way again," he admits more quietly, pulling the sheer material up. In the process, his fingers brush the edge of the bandeau, and he decides that will be next. He feels his already flushed face growing hotter. "Our, ah...previous entanglement has been on my mind these last months." With frankly embarrassing frequency. "It is a very good memory, but one that tends to leave me wanting more."
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He lifts his arms when he needs to and a smirk curves his mouth when Caleb's fingers brush against his bandeau. Given that he is entertaining at home, he saw no need and had no desire for stays. Golden eyes peer up when Caleb alludes to the last time he saw Yussa so undressed.
"Mine as well," he says, his tone mild but warm. Yussa reaches up to run his fingers lightly along Caleb's jaw, then over his lips. "We have worked well together, I think. I'd like very much to further explore that particular... partnership. I'm pleased you are still interested. Tell me... what about that afternoon have you been thinking of?"
It's indulgent, he knows, but he finds himself curious as to what, precisely, has been on Caleb's mind since then. And they still have two more articles of clothing to go, so surely there is time to ask.
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Yussa's camisole hangs from one hand, and then he lets it flutter down onto the couch behind him, because he can't turn away yet. He hasn't even been touched before this, but arousal pulses through him, dizzyingly potent. Gods above, this man is attractive. What hasn't he been recalling from that afternoon? His fingers find the edge of the bandeau.
"I have thought about laying between your legs and putting my mouth to you for the first time. That first taste of you." His voice, softened and husky, fills the space between them. He peels the clinging fabric up and feels his knuckles brush the soft curve of a small breast. He drags it carefully up over Yussa's head, baring his chest to his hungry gaze. Remembering perfectly how beautiful Yussa is with his clothes off doesn't dim his current appreciation in the slightest. "The heat against my tongue, how wet you were, how you sounded when I pressed deeper."
If his cock isn't hard enough for the shape to be obvious against the front of his trousers by now, he would be shocked. The bandeau leaves his hand the same way as the camisole had, and his fingers finally dip just past the waistband of his lover's smalls, beginning to drag that last and simplest garment down over his hips. Laying Yussa bare while he is still fully dressed himself is heady in a way Caleb couldn't have anticipated.
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