Caleb understands completely. "Ja," he agrees, a warm sigh. "This has been fun, but I am very tired, and you will be sore before long."
And the fun has been, admittedly, laced with concern for Yussa. Hopefully this is the end of it, and tomorrow can be spent determining what caused the situation and now they can avoid repeating it--and if Yussa is feeling up to it, an explanation of the echo he'd summoned for assistance. Still, he's relieved that Yussa's concerning response to his Sending had resulted in a marathon of sex rather than a rescue mission to another plane. He really had been frightened for a good few minutes.
Another affectionate kiss is pressed to Yussa's neck as Caleb forces his tired body to shift just enough to slowly withdraw his cock, slippery and pressed messily up against the curve of his ass and back of his thighs, and uninclined to move further. "Can you sleep again this way?" he asks, soft and hopeful as he already struggles to keep his own eyes open. He normally isn't so quick to drift off after sex, but this is a unique circumstance.
"Yes," he murmurs. "And I have no desire to move."
Having Caleb pressed against his back is comforting. Yussa can feel the slick mess between his thighs, the sweat drying on his skin, but he cannot bring himself to care about either. He will bathe in the morning. Or whenever he wakes up.
Slowly, he relaxes more, the tension fading from him and replaced by relief. Blissful relief. The archmage says nothing else, quickly sinking back into sleep now that his body and mind both feel quiet and utterly worn out.
And, by the grace of all that is holy, he sleeps hard through the rest of the night.
The second time Caleb wakes in Yussa Errenis' bed is much gentler than the first. It's gradual, stirring as the room lightens around him. By the time his eyes open, sunlight is streaming in through the latticework above the bed and he can hear the distant sounds of a morning in the Open Quay far below. His brain supplies him with the knowledge that it has been another five hours or so since they drifted off together again in the middle of the night.
The elf's smaller body is still tucked against him, barely budged. But he notices quickly the lack of a mess on or between them, that his skin feels clean and dry rather than unpleasantly tacky, as he'd expected. Presumably this has been solved with Prestidigitation, which means that Yussa must have woken before him, but decided not to get out of bed.
Caleb breathes in deeply, shifting just a little against Yussa's back. That the archmage is resting rather than pawing at him must be a positive sign.
"Good morning," he murmurs, voice rough with sleep. While Caleb has slept at Tidepeak Tower before, even a few times in Yussa's company, waking in his lover's own bedroom is a strange new intimacy. He hopes that Yussa's mind and body are his own again, and he hopes that if they are, he won't regret allowing him into this space while he was thinking less clearly.
Yussa is slow to rouse again. He'd woken up some point earlier in the morning to cast a quick spell to clean them both, if only because of his mild concern that his thighs were going to get stuck together.
He makes a quiet sound now as Caleb moves against him, voice soon breaking through the heavy haze of sleep. It's been some time since he slept quite this hard - since he slept at all - and he feels a little groggy still. He reaches back to brush his fingers over Caleb's cheek. It's strange to have someone in his bed. In this bedroom. He hasn't taken a lover that he would share this with in quite some time. The last one he saw with any sort of frequency did not come to him.
"Is it?" he sighs, and perhaps does something that few but those in his intimate acquaintance could imagine: he pulls a pillow over his head. Yussa knows he should take a bath, and there are other things he would like to get to.
Ah. He'd been dozing again since, apparently. Now Caleb feels a little bad for waking him, though that lessens when Yussa reaches back for him. The light touch of his fingers quells at least a few of his worries. For the moment that small gesture of affection tells him that he is welcome here, even if a moment later Yussa is grumbling and, in a fit of morning grouchiness, pulling a pillow over his head.
While Yussa can't see it, Caleb grins, both surprised and delighted. This is unexpected and unflattering and personal, and therefore incredibly charming. He'll probably be able to feel Caleb's smile when he presses it to the back of his shoulder, a half-hearted attempt at placation. He's too amused to put his all into it.
"It seems like an improvement on yesterday, at least." The longer he's awake, the more aware he becomes of the soreness in his muscles, especially in his core and biceps and thighs, which got quite a workout.
Yussa shifts a little as Caleb hides against his shoulder. He can feel his lover's smile and, even if he has a pillow over his head, it prompts one of Yussa's own. After a moment more, he twists so that he can face the other man, pillow moving so that his face is revealed. Golden eyes peer out from beneath the shadow, warm and affectionate.
He feels absolutely wrung out. His back, his core, his thighs are all sore. His cunt is a bit sore after all that use.
"Thank you," he murmurs. He isn't quite sure what he would have done had Caleb not sent him a message, but he suspects his day and night would have been more frustrating and less satisfying. Then he sighs and casts Sending.
"Wensforth, please send up breakfast and a bath." He's quiet for a moment, ostensibly listening to the goblin's response. Whatever his answer, it prompts a breathy laugh. "He says we can manage our own bath, but the rest will be arriving shortly."
Yussa looks at Caleb for a moment, gaze softening.
Gods, this man. Caleb feels that familiar flutter in his chest at the first glimpse of his golden eyes and the curl of his lips from under the pillow. That nervous-excited feeling grows enough to render him speechless for a long few moments as he recognizes that all the warmth and affection there is directed at him. When Yussa thanks him, he can only nod, holding his gaze and hoping that will suffice.
Thankfully he's able to breathe again by the time Yussa is finished Sending to Wensforth, and he laughs softly too when he shares the goblin's response. "He has been getting cheeky lately," he observes with amusement.
Perhaps it was too soon to say about being able to breathe, though. He just can't contend with the tenderness of this.
"Ja, I'm good," he manages, absolutely certain that he must look almost as ridiculously smitten as he feels. "Glad you are feeling more like yourself again. Not that I did not enjoy myself thoroughly, but..." A pale shoulder bobs in a half shrug. "I prefer when you want me out of desire, not necessity."
"He has always been cheeky," he says dryly. "He's simply getting more accustomed to your regular presence." And so willing to let his personality shine through.
Yussa reaches to stroke Caleb's cheek, admiring the sweet look the other man is giving him. No one has looked at him quite like that in... oh. Certainly far longer than Caleb's been alive. He leans close to kiss him.
"I prefer to be able to enjoy you in my right mind," he agrees. Sex with Caleb is always good, and Yussa enjoys spending time with him whether or not his cock is involved. But that had been... a lot. Too much. Most of it felt like a fog and the need had been intense enough that enjoying it became difficult.
He hears a faint bell ring to announce the appearance of their breakfast, a spread of fruit and light, warm pastries. Yussa sighs and rolls onto his back to stretch, lithe and relatively relaxed in the morning sun. Feeling like this makes him want to figure out how that Shadowhand manages to float the way he does. It must be a cantrip. But he will have to puzzle over that another day. He doesn't know it now, and so if he wants to move anywhere, he will have to do it himself.
A fond look and a morning kiss is more than enough to make Caleb's heart skip a beat or two, pleased by the attention after a long day where Yussa was, as he says, not in his right mind.
"Your mind is beautiful," he says, soft and genuine. "While it can be fun to let go of for a bit, it should be your choice to do so." With sympathy, he adds, "It must have been...frustrating." At best, he would assume. Possibly terrifying at worst. But he isn't going to put words like that in Yussa's mouth.
The arrival of breakfast is nicely timed, as it prevents him from further embarrassing himself. Instead he watches Yussa stretch, simply admiring his body in the sun's warm light without intent. He'd like to kiss him, but refrains. His friend has had enough of that, surely. He'll let him decide what sort of physical affection he'd like to maintain.
Just as he'd done yesterday, Caleb rises from the bed, still bare, and retrieves the tray from the table so that Yussa doesn't have to get up. He sets it on top of the coverlet when he returns, sitting near the edge of the bed.
"As for the bath," he says, still with some lingering amusement at Wensforth's blatant refusal, "if you direct me to the tub, I can draw it."
"It's through there," he gestures toward another room through an archway across the room. "When you return, would you bring a cool cloth?"
Since he'll be up, it seems reasonable to ask. Yussa shifts closer to the tray and sits up so that he can peruse the offerings.
Yussa's bedroom is more or less neutral in terms of colors, and though there is elegant latticework and detail almost everywhere one looks, it's relatively simple at first glance. The bathroom, in some ways, is very similar and yet a sharp departure. The rich blue walls contrast the white tiles and two large lanterns sit in alcoves against the wall. The tub is large and in the center of the room. What makes the effect of the space particularly stunning is the mosaic chandelier above it all, casting patterns of light and shadow all over the walls. Some of the floorspace is taken up by large pillar candles.
"I will bring you anything you like, Master Errenis." With a wink and a playful curl of his lips, Caleb plucks a slice of sweet melon from the selection of fresh fruit and gets up again to wander curiously into Yussa's bathroom.
As expected, it is stunning. Certainly the most impressive washroom he's ever seen. Caleb simply stares for a moment, taking in the way the light from the beautifully crafted chandelier above speckles the walls and the cool white marble of the tub. Chewing slowly, he pads barefoot to the tub, weaving between the candles that surround it. He expected to have to fill it with a spell, but it looks as though he only has to turn a tap for water to begin to flow, and that feels like magic. In this tower, maybe it is.
He sits on the tub's wide lip and watches it fill for long enough to dip a cloth into the cool water. He wrings it out before returning to the bedroom for a pastry. Their dinner last night had been wonderful, but he's worked up an appetite again since. The one he picks is light and flaky, and he tastes honey and almonds when he bites into it. When he settles on the bed again it is beside Yussa this time. He offers the cloth, cool and damp.
"Your tub is a wonder," he says, conversational. "It will be only another minute or two before it is full."
Yussa accepts the cloth and shifts to tuck it between his thighs. Perhaps inelegant, but Caleb has seen him compromised more than once now and there is no point in being shy when the cool cloth against his cunt provides a bit of soothing relief. He smiles when Caleb mentions the tub.
"Thank you. It took some work between an enchanter and I, but it's been reliable since."
The tower is built out of Yussa's will, but things still had to work. Yussa brushes his hair back before reaching for another small pastry. There's fruit in it, that's all that matters to him. And as he sits back form the tray, he leans against Caleb's side. Despite feeling clear-headed, his body is still rather wrung out.
"How are you feeling?" he asks as he reaches for one of the cups of tea that had been sent up. "I know you said you are, but truly."
He makes himself sit up straight so he can meet Caleb's gaze.
Caleb can't help a small amused smile at the indiscreet way Yussa arranges the cloth between his legs, but there's a distinctly sympathetic quirk to it from someone who knows what it's like to be sore the morning after, even if not exactly the same way. When he was younger he'd paid that price for being too eager more than a few times.
Noting the tea when Yussa picks up his, Caleb follows his lead, though he mostly holds the warm cup between his hands as he thinks, caught slightly off-guard to be asked for a more truthful answer to the question he'd answered earlier. It's touching, actually, that Yussa wants to know, presumably because he wants to look after him.
"Tired, but...relieved." Caleb lets the other man catch his eye. "You scared me a bit yesterday," he admits, but this is still an understatement. "I am fond of you, Yussa Errenis. If I needed to go to another plane to bring you back, I would have, but I was not really prepared for it."
Though he speaks mildly, it's true. He would have, and he would have gathered others for an emergency rescue mission, if that was what was required. Thankfully it wasn't.
"Staying in bed with you all day was a lot better. A lot." His brows raise for emphasis. "And I am glad that I could be here to help you, ah...suffer a little less. Still, I know it must have been a trying experience, and I hope that I did not misuse your trust in any way."
"I'm sorry that I caused you any distress," he says with quiet sincerity. "And I am rather grateful this did not require travel across planes."
Yussa lifts his head so that he can kiss Caleb's shoulder.
"It was tedious to feel... like a passenger in my own body, in a way. Disconnected and yet utterly present." He couldn't stop the way he felt, couldn't do anything but ride it out like a ship in a storm. And it absolutely left him feeling wrecked by the time it finally blew itself out.
"I still feel tired despite most of a night's rest. I haven't slept like that in ages." That's not entirely accurate. He'd slept hard after returning to his body from Cognouza, enough that Wensforth had been worried at the latter end of it.
Yussa meets Caleb's gaze and reaches to stroke his cheek.
"You have abused nothing. I am grateful for your help and your companionship through this." A wry smile appears and Yussa tries to hide it behind another sip of tea. "I can think of no one else I would rather weather that with."
Caleb's eyes close briefly as he leans into Yussa's touch. He can understand his distress, and he's relieved to hear that he'd eased rather than contributed to it. A small smile breaks over his lips too.
"I am honored to have that distinction."
Though they are friends and lovers, Caleb would not presume to know the intricacies of Yussa's life. He presumes that Yussa must have had others like this over the course of centuries, perhaps some he liked more. But he doesn't think, based on all he has gleaned about the man and his own time spent here, that he has anyone else currently. How Caleb feels about that is a little complicated, but mostly he is both proud and mystified to have caught the eye of such a magnificent man.
After Yussa has lowered his cup again, Caleb leans down to kiss him, soft and chaste.
"If you are up for getting into the bath, you are welcome to it first," he offers. While he would gladly share it, he doesn't want to discount the possibility that Yussa might prefer having a little time to himself after the intensity of yesterday.
Yussa tips his head into the kiss and he's slow to part as it ends. But he cannot deny the desire to get into his bath and relax. He considers for a moment, taking a sip of his tea as he decides what he would like to do.
"Yes," he says with a small nod. He sets his tea aside. "But I'd like you to join me in twenty minutes."
Caleb can entertain himself that long and while Yussa is ready to embrace some time alone, he is not eager to be free of his lover just yet. He'll enjoy Caleb's presence while he's here, it won't be long before he's off to Rexxentrum or parts unknown again. The archmage slips from his bed and runs his fingers affectionately along Caleb's cheek before he heads toward the bath room.
Once there, he stops the water running and sinks into the water with a quiet sigh. The trick will be not falling asleep again in the tub. The hot water feels good around his tired body. He doesn't fully go into a trance, but he mediates quietly for most of the time he asked Caleb to wait.
Caleb can entertain himself. After Yussa departs, Caleb drinks his tea and finishes his breakfast and does a little snooping, wandering around the room and--after a curious casting of Detect Magic--just looking. No touching, though. That would be invasive. He spends a little time looking at the table where their trays of food have appeared, curious about the enchantment.
He also knows when twenty minutes have passed exactly, and Yussa had been specific. He goes to the washroom door, and though it's open, knocks lightly against the frame to announce himself before he enters.
Yussa looks awfully relaxed lounging in that gorgeous tub. Good. After yesterday, going through all of that immediately after returning from an extended journey, he deserves it.
"Do you feel up to telling me a little more about your trip now?" Caleb wonders with a smile, approaching the tub but waiting for Yussa's invitation to get in.
Little things around the room light up when Caleb casts his spell: a few cosmetic jars by a mirror, a trunk near the foot of the bed, some of the lanterns, some of the parchment on a desk, though it seems to be blank, and what appears to be a jewelry box.
There are other things with no magical signature at all, including a small pile of books, one of which looks suspiciously like a smutty novel.
There's the sound of water moving after Caleb knocks and Yussa peers toward the threshold. He's feeling quite languid now, at ease and relaxed in ways he hasn't been since he got home.
"Yes, of course. Join me." There's more than enough room and Yussa doesn't take up much space at all. He shifts so that Caleb won't have to worry about avoiding his legs.
"I went several places. I started in Gwardan and passed through the ruins of Sepesca. From there I went to Issylra, I wanted to gather what I could from the Silted Vale. There are minerals there with extraordinary properties." And a very violent ecosystem.
Caleb sinks into the water slowly as Yussa describes his route. He went up the Coast, then, and then to Issylra. He'd been so tight-lipped about his intentions before he left that Caleb hadn't been sure.
Given that he has never been to any of these places, his interest is immediately piqued. But he finds he is just as curious about Yussa himself as whatever he might have seen or gathered. He considers for a long moment before speaking, and when he does it's with care, almost wariness.
"You...are from Gwardan originally, are you not?"
It feels a little ridiculous, being so hesitant to ask him about where he comes from when Yussa knows nearly all there is to know about Caleb's origins. Though they haven't exactly discussed it directly, after Ikithon's trial and all that was shared there, there was no way to keep those secrets any longer.
He'd followed Ikithon's trial closely, as well as the shuffling around in the Assembly. He's not surprised to find it still exists, though somewhat disappointed. Given the involvement of the Cobalt Soul, however, and the atrocities revealed, he supects there is far more oversight now. He's been in touch with Oremid Hass throughout the proceedings.
"I am," he answers easily. Once Caleb has settled, Yussa stretches out again, legs resting along Caleb's. "I don't return often, but it seemed a reasonable stop along the way."
Given that Yussa doesn't travel much in general, perhaps that isn't such a surprise. When he does, he likes to make it count.
The ease of Yussa's response serves to settle some of Caleb's nerves, as does feeling his legs stretch out again to touch his. Caleb adjusts until they fit comfortably together, and enjoys the simple closeness.
"Why did you decide to settle in Nicodranas instead?" he asks, aware that he is veering away from questions about Yussa's trip to questions about Yussa himself, but he seizes the opportunity while it's available. There is so, so much that he doesn't know about Yussa, and may never know. When one has been alive for centuries, there must be much to tell. Despite Yussa's secretive nature, Caleb doesn't think it is wrong for him to want to learn more about him, given their current relationship.
"Not everyone remains forever in the place they began," Yussa answers mildly, though he also sounds amused. "There is a wider world to see, and I grew fond of Nicodranas."
Yussa runs a hand up his arm and over his shoulder.
"There was less... expectation here. Fewer eyes watching beyond taking notice of an eccentric wizard establishing himself. I have always been private, and remaining in Gwardan would not necessarily have afforded me that privilege."
He is known there, after all, and it is far preferable for him to return to a place when he knows he can leave it again. In Nicodranas, he has different freedoms and fewer true neighbors.
"After I purchased the whole of the Open Quay, it seemed a foregone conclusion that I stay, just in case the Concord tried to take advantage of my visible absence."
There is a reason that Tidepeak is decidedly difficult to miss in the surrounding area of the Open Quay beyond Yussa's own aesthetic taste. So long as the tower stands, there is always reason to believe that Yussa is in it.
Seeking relative anonymity in a new place makes perfect sense for Yussa. The origins of the sheer wealth he would need to purchase an entire district in the city called the jewel of the Menagerie Coast, even if this purchase was centuries ago, is an interesting question itself, but Caleb leaves it be. Tidepeak Tower has stood in this city for so long now that none of the locals think twice about it, and Yussa's staunch and stubborn resistance to allowing the Concord any sway over his portion of the city seems to be beneficial to the people living here. The Open Quay certainly has a different feel to it than the rest of the city, more organic than organized, allowed to develop without the Concord's strict oversight.
"I am glad that you found a home that suits you so well." Caleb ventures a smile before he reaches for soap to begin washing himself, lathering up one arm and across his chest. "Sorry, I have strayed from the topic at hand. I am very curious to hear about your findings, especially in Issylra. I have only been beyond Wildemount on the occasion that you teleported us to the Arcanist Vysoren's tower in Emon."
And even then, he hadn't seen anything beyond the tower's reception room. He regrets now that there wasn't time for more.
"I began in Vasselheim, for practical reasons," he says as he recalls his exact route. "From there I traveled northwest into the Zenwick Mountains to the Silted Vale, which was the primary reason for that excursion. It's a valley with natural healing properties, something in the minerals of the soil, but it seeps into whatever grows there."
Yussa pushes his fingers through his damp hair, wondering absently if Caleb has heard of the area. He's well-read, but beyond Vasselheim, he doesn't know many this far east who are familiar with other parts of Issylra.
"I've also heard it has restorative elements for aging skin," he remarks. "I was curious about what else grew there and what might be gained from understanding their properties."
The archmage relaxes against the back of the tub, legs sliding along Caleb's as he does.
"However, apparently it's become a rather violent ecosystem. I couldn't linger quite as long as I would have liked." It would have been easier with someone to watch his back, but there was only so much he could reasonably manage through subterfuge and stealth alone.
That the place Yussa visited ended up being extremely dangerous is somehow not the slightest bit surprising. Caleb is glad, now, that there hadn't been an incident until he was safely home, at least.
"I read about it once, just a little. I can understand why you were interested." It does seem like a fascinating place, with much potential for research. He's curious now about what property it is that enriches the soil, and whether those minerals could be transmuted and still retain it.
"Surely you were not looking for these restorative solutions for yourself, though," he flirts, grinning as he nudges his leg against Yussa's beneath the water. "Because that would be unnecessary."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
And the fun has been, admittedly, laced with concern for Yussa. Hopefully this is the end of it, and tomorrow can be spent determining what caused the situation and now they can avoid repeating it--and if Yussa is feeling up to it, an explanation of the echo he'd summoned for assistance. Still, he's relieved that Yussa's concerning response to his Sending had resulted in a marathon of sex rather than a rescue mission to another plane. He really had been frightened for a good few minutes.
Another affectionate kiss is pressed to Yussa's neck as Caleb forces his tired body to shift just enough to slowly withdraw his cock, slippery and pressed messily up against the curve of his ass and back of his thighs, and uninclined to move further. "Can you sleep again this way?" he asks, soft and hopeful as he already struggles to keep his own eyes open. He normally isn't so quick to drift off after sex, but this is a unique circumstance.
no subject
Having Caleb pressed against his back is comforting. Yussa can feel the slick mess between his thighs, the sweat drying on his skin, but he cannot bring himself to care about either. He will bathe in the morning. Or whenever he wakes up.
Slowly, he relaxes more, the tension fading from him and replaced by relief. Blissful relief. The archmage says nothing else, quickly sinking back into sleep now that his body and mind both feel quiet and utterly worn out.
And, by the grace of all that is holy, he sleeps hard through the rest of the night.
no subject
The elf's smaller body is still tucked against him, barely budged. But he notices quickly the lack of a mess on or between them, that his skin feels clean and dry rather than unpleasantly tacky, as he'd expected. Presumably this has been solved with Prestidigitation, which means that Yussa must have woken before him, but decided not to get out of bed.
Caleb breathes in deeply, shifting just a little against Yussa's back. That the archmage is resting rather than pawing at him must be a positive sign.
"Good morning," he murmurs, voice rough with sleep. While Caleb has slept at Tidepeak Tower before, even a few times in Yussa's company, waking in his lover's own bedroom is a strange new intimacy. He hopes that Yussa's mind and body are his own again, and he hopes that if they are, he won't regret allowing him into this space while he was thinking less clearly.
no subject
He makes a quiet sound now as Caleb moves against him, voice soon breaking through the heavy haze of sleep. It's been some time since he slept quite this hard - since he slept at all - and he feels a little groggy still. He reaches back to brush his fingers over Caleb's cheek. It's strange to have someone in his bed. In this bedroom. He hasn't taken a lover that he would share this with in quite some time. The last one he saw with any sort of frequency did not come to him.
"Is it?" he sighs, and perhaps does something that few but those in his intimate acquaintance could imagine: he pulls a pillow over his head. Yussa knows he should take a bath, and there are other things he would like to get to.
no subject
While Yussa can't see it, Caleb grins, both surprised and delighted. This is unexpected and unflattering and personal, and therefore incredibly charming. He'll probably be able to feel Caleb's smile when he presses it to the back of his shoulder, a half-hearted attempt at placation. He's too amused to put his all into it.
"It seems like an improvement on yesterday, at least." The longer he's awake, the more aware he becomes of the soreness in his muscles, especially in his core and biceps and thighs, which got quite a workout.
no subject
He feels absolutely wrung out. His back, his core, his thighs are all sore. His cunt is a bit sore after all that use.
"Thank you," he murmurs. He isn't quite sure what he would have done had Caleb not sent him a message, but he suspects his day and night would have been more frustrating and less satisfying. Then he sighs and casts Sending.
"Wensforth, please send up breakfast and a bath." He's quiet for a moment, ostensibly listening to the goblin's response. Whatever his answer, it prompts a breathy laugh. "He says we can manage our own bath, but the rest will be arriving shortly."
Yussa looks at Caleb for a moment, gaze softening.
"Are you well?"
no subject
Thankfully he's able to breathe again by the time Yussa is finished Sending to Wensforth, and he laughs softly too when he shares the goblin's response. "He has been getting cheeky lately," he observes with amusement.
Perhaps it was too soon to say about being able to breathe, though. He just can't contend with the tenderness of this.
"Ja, I'm good," he manages, absolutely certain that he must look almost as ridiculously smitten as he feels. "Glad you are feeling more like yourself again. Not that I did not enjoy myself thoroughly, but..." A pale shoulder bobs in a half shrug. "I prefer when you want me out of desire, not necessity."
no subject
Yussa reaches to stroke Caleb's cheek, admiring the sweet look the other man is giving him. No one has looked at him quite like that in... oh. Certainly far longer than Caleb's been alive. He leans close to kiss him.
"I prefer to be able to enjoy you in my right mind," he agrees. Sex with Caleb is always good, and Yussa enjoys spending time with him whether or not his cock is involved. But that had been... a lot. Too much. Most of it felt like a fog and the need had been intense enough that enjoying it became difficult.
He hears a faint bell ring to announce the appearance of their breakfast, a spread of fruit and light, warm pastries. Yussa sighs and rolls onto his back to stretch, lithe and relatively relaxed in the morning sun. Feeling like this makes him want to figure out how that Shadowhand manages to float the way he does. It must be a cantrip. But he will have to puzzle over that another day. He doesn't know it now, and so if he wants to move anywhere, he will have to do it himself.
no subject
"Your mind is beautiful," he says, soft and genuine. "While it can be fun to let go of for a bit, it should be your choice to do so." With sympathy, he adds, "It must have been...frustrating." At best, he would assume. Possibly terrifying at worst. But he isn't going to put words like that in Yussa's mouth.
The arrival of breakfast is nicely timed, as it prevents him from further embarrassing himself. Instead he watches Yussa stretch, simply admiring his body in the sun's warm light without intent. He'd like to kiss him, but refrains. His friend has had enough of that, surely. He'll let him decide what sort of physical affection he'd like to maintain.
Just as he'd done yesterday, Caleb rises from the bed, still bare, and retrieves the tray from the table so that Yussa doesn't have to get up. He sets it on top of the coverlet when he returns, sitting near the edge of the bed.
"As for the bath," he says, still with some lingering amusement at Wensforth's blatant refusal, "if you direct me to the tub, I can draw it."
no subject
Since he'll be up, it seems reasonable to ask. Yussa shifts closer to the tray and sits up so that he can peruse the offerings.
Yussa's bedroom is more or less neutral in terms of colors, and though there is elegant latticework and detail almost everywhere one looks, it's relatively simple at first glance. The bathroom, in some ways, is very similar and yet a sharp departure. The rich blue walls contrast the white tiles and two large lanterns sit in alcoves against the wall. The tub is large and in the center of the room. What makes the effect of the space particularly stunning is the mosaic chandelier above it all, casting patterns of light and shadow all over the walls. Some of the floorspace is taken up by large pillar candles.
no subject
As expected, it is stunning. Certainly the most impressive washroom he's ever seen. Caleb simply stares for a moment, taking in the way the light from the beautifully crafted chandelier above speckles the walls and the cool white marble of the tub. Chewing slowly, he pads barefoot to the tub, weaving between the candles that surround it. He expected to have to fill it with a spell, but it looks as though he only has to turn a tap for water to begin to flow, and that feels like magic. In this tower, maybe it is.
He sits on the tub's wide lip and watches it fill for long enough to dip a cloth into the cool water. He wrings it out before returning to the bedroom for a pastry. Their dinner last night had been wonderful, but he's worked up an appetite again since. The one he picks is light and flaky, and he tastes honey and almonds when he bites into it. When he settles on the bed again it is beside Yussa this time. He offers the cloth, cool and damp.
"Your tub is a wonder," he says, conversational. "It will be only another minute or two before it is full."
no subject
"Thank you. It took some work between an enchanter and I, but it's been reliable since."
The tower is built out of Yussa's will, but things still had to work. Yussa brushes his hair back before reaching for another small pastry. There's fruit in it, that's all that matters to him. And as he sits back form the tray, he leans against Caleb's side. Despite feeling clear-headed, his body is still rather wrung out.
"How are you feeling?" he asks as he reaches for one of the cups of tea that had been sent up. "I know you said you are, but truly."
He makes himself sit up straight so he can meet Caleb's gaze.
no subject
Noting the tea when Yussa picks up his, Caleb follows his lead, though he mostly holds the warm cup between his hands as he thinks, caught slightly off-guard to be asked for a more truthful answer to the question he'd answered earlier. It's touching, actually, that Yussa wants to know, presumably because he wants to look after him.
"Tired, but...relieved." Caleb lets the other man catch his eye. "You scared me a bit yesterday," he admits, but this is still an understatement. "I am fond of you, Yussa Errenis. If I needed to go to another plane to bring you back, I would have, but I was not really prepared for it."
Though he speaks mildly, it's true. He would have, and he would have gathered others for an emergency rescue mission, if that was what was required. Thankfully it wasn't.
"Staying in bed with you all day was a lot better. A lot." His brows raise for emphasis. "And I am glad that I could be here to help you, ah...suffer a little less. Still, I know it must have been a trying experience, and I hope that I did not misuse your trust in any way."
no subject
Yussa lifts his head so that he can kiss Caleb's shoulder.
"It was tedious to feel... like a passenger in my own body, in a way. Disconnected and yet utterly present." He couldn't stop the way he felt, couldn't do anything but ride it out like a ship in a storm. And it absolutely left him feeling wrecked by the time it finally blew itself out.
"I still feel tired despite most of a night's rest. I haven't slept like that in ages." That's not entirely accurate. He'd slept hard after returning to his body from Cognouza, enough that Wensforth had been worried at the latter end of it.
Yussa meets Caleb's gaze and reaches to stroke his cheek.
"You have abused nothing. I am grateful for your help and your companionship through this." A wry smile appears and Yussa tries to hide it behind another sip of tea. "I can think of no one else I would rather weather that with."
no subject
"I am honored to have that distinction."
Though they are friends and lovers, Caleb would not presume to know the intricacies of Yussa's life. He presumes that Yussa must have had others like this over the course of centuries, perhaps some he liked more. But he doesn't think, based on all he has gleaned about the man and his own time spent here, that he has anyone else currently. How Caleb feels about that is a little complicated, but mostly he is both proud and mystified to have caught the eye of such a magnificent man.
After Yussa has lowered his cup again, Caleb leans down to kiss him, soft and chaste.
"If you are up for getting into the bath, you are welcome to it first," he offers. While he would gladly share it, he doesn't want to discount the possibility that Yussa might prefer having a little time to himself after the intensity of yesterday.
no subject
"Yes," he says with a small nod. He sets his tea aside. "But I'd like you to join me in twenty minutes."
Caleb can entertain himself that long and while Yussa is ready to embrace some time alone, he is not eager to be free of his lover just yet. He'll enjoy Caleb's presence while he's here, it won't be long before he's off to Rexxentrum or parts unknown again. The archmage slips from his bed and runs his fingers affectionately along Caleb's cheek before he heads toward the bath room.
Once there, he stops the water running and sinks into the water with a quiet sigh. The trick will be not falling asleep again in the tub. The hot water feels good around his tired body. He doesn't fully go into a trance, but he mediates quietly for most of the time he asked Caleb to wait.
no subject
He also knows when twenty minutes have passed exactly, and Yussa had been specific. He goes to the washroom door, and though it's open, knocks lightly against the frame to announce himself before he enters.
Yussa looks awfully relaxed lounging in that gorgeous tub. Good. After yesterday, going through all of that immediately after returning from an extended journey, he deserves it.
"Do you feel up to telling me a little more about your trip now?" Caleb wonders with a smile, approaching the tub but waiting for Yussa's invitation to get in.
no subject
There are other things with no magical signature at all, including a small pile of books, one of which looks suspiciously like a smutty novel.
There's the sound of water moving after Caleb knocks and Yussa peers toward the threshold. He's feeling quite languid now, at ease and relaxed in ways he hasn't been since he got home.
"Yes, of course. Join me." There's more than enough room and Yussa doesn't take up much space at all. He shifts so that Caleb won't have to worry about avoiding his legs.
"I went several places. I started in Gwardan and passed through the ruins of Sepesca. From there I went to Issylra, I wanted to gather what I could from the Silted Vale. There are minerals there with extraordinary properties." And a very violent ecosystem.
no subject
Given that he has never been to any of these places, his interest is immediately piqued. But he finds he is just as curious about Yussa himself as whatever he might have seen or gathered. He considers for a long moment before speaking, and when he does it's with care, almost wariness.
"You...are from Gwardan originally, are you not?"
It feels a little ridiculous, being so hesitant to ask him about where he comes from when Yussa knows nearly all there is to know about Caleb's origins. Though they haven't exactly discussed it directly, after Ikithon's trial and all that was shared there, there was no way to keep those secrets any longer.
no subject
"I am," he answers easily. Once Caleb has settled, Yussa stretches out again, legs resting along Caleb's. "I don't return often, but it seemed a reasonable stop along the way."
Given that Yussa doesn't travel much in general, perhaps that isn't such a surprise. When he does, he likes to make it count.
no subject
"Why did you decide to settle in Nicodranas instead?" he asks, aware that he is veering away from questions about Yussa's trip to questions about Yussa himself, but he seizes the opportunity while it's available. There is so, so much that he doesn't know about Yussa, and may never know. When one has been alive for centuries, there must be much to tell. Despite Yussa's secretive nature, Caleb doesn't think it is wrong for him to want to learn more about him, given their current relationship.
no subject
Yussa runs a hand up his arm and over his shoulder.
"There was less... expectation here. Fewer eyes watching beyond taking notice of an eccentric wizard establishing himself. I have always been private, and remaining in Gwardan would not necessarily have afforded me that privilege."
He is known there, after all, and it is far preferable for him to return to a place when he knows he can leave it again. In Nicodranas, he has different freedoms and fewer true neighbors.
"After I purchased the whole of the Open Quay, it seemed a foregone conclusion that I stay, just in case the Concord tried to take advantage of my visible absence."
There is a reason that Tidepeak is decidedly difficult to miss in the surrounding area of the Open Quay beyond Yussa's own aesthetic taste. So long as the tower stands, there is always reason to believe that Yussa is in it.
no subject
"I am glad that you found a home that suits you so well." Caleb ventures a smile before he reaches for soap to begin washing himself, lathering up one arm and across his chest. "Sorry, I have strayed from the topic at hand. I am very curious to hear about your findings, especially in Issylra. I have only been beyond Wildemount on the occasion that you teleported us to the Arcanist Vysoren's tower in Emon."
And even then, he hadn't seen anything beyond the tower's reception room. He regrets now that there wasn't time for more.
no subject
Yussa pushes his fingers through his damp hair, wondering absently if Caleb has heard of the area. He's well-read, but beyond Vasselheim, he doesn't know many this far east who are familiar with other parts of Issylra.
"I've also heard it has restorative elements for aging skin," he remarks. "I was curious about what else grew there and what might be gained from understanding their properties."
The archmage relaxes against the back of the tub, legs sliding along Caleb's as he does.
"However, apparently it's become a rather violent ecosystem. I couldn't linger quite as long as I would have liked." It would have been easier with someone to watch his back, but there was only so much he could reasonably manage through subterfuge and stealth alone.
no subject
"I read about it once, just a little. I can understand why you were interested." It does seem like a fascinating place, with much potential for research. He's curious now about what property it is that enriches the soil, and whether those minerals could be transmuted and still retain it.
"Surely you were not looking for these restorative solutions for yourself, though," he flirts, grinning as he nudges his leg against Yussa's beneath the water. "Because that would be unnecessary."
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)