Archive of Our Own

It really is just coincidence.

Cálei hadn't expected to return to Kugane this soon — the Domans are making ready to retake their homeland, and he has no illusions of his own importance to their campaign. Yet Alphinaud was in dire need of some parcel or another, and of course there is no one better suited to deliver mail than the Warrior of Light.

Once, he would have resented it, but now Cálei sees it as the reprieve it is. He knows that Doma will not be restored without bloodshed, and while he doubts it will be his own, he will not shy away from his duty. There's little point, anyway.

So, rather than teleporting back to the House of the Fierce, Cálei makes for the Bokairo Inn. He's frequented many an inn throughout his travels, but he has a particular fondness for this establishment. For one thing, it's quiet, as if a mere cough might earn the ire of every other patron. He has never slept better than on the low futon, listening to nothing but the wind rustling through the trees in the garden, as if the bustling city beyond is nowhere to be found.

Far more appealing, however, are the baths. Cleanliness is not a luxury often afforded the Warrior of Light. He'd washed his leathers as best he could in the rivers dotting the Azim Steppe, but it had done little for the stench that wafts around him. No wonder the innkeeper had offered the use of the baths without an extra fee.

That the baths are public is not a fact that bothers Cálei overmuch; modesty had been one of the first things he had unlearned in his travels. As such, he thinks nothing of stripping out of his smalls, wrapping a towel around himself, and making his way to the baths, where he sinks into the open pool with a low sigh of relief. The water is warm, but not painfully so, and he lets his eyes slide shut as he relaxes against the side of the pool, stretching out his arms along the edges. For once, he doesn't even mind getting his tail wet.

Gods above, he can't remember the last time he was able to—

"If I didn't know better," a terribly familiar voice drawls, "I'd think you were following me, Warrior of Light."

He definitely doesn't lose his grip and nearly slide into the pool. He does, however, gape at the man seated across from him, who he'd paid absolutely no notice of when he'd climbed in. "Estinien?"

The man in question offers him little more than a knowing smirk. "You're losing your touch."

"Shut up," Cálei grumbles, ears twitching. He knows he has only his own exhaustion to blame for his lax behavior. Of course, normally he wouldn't have relaxed so easily with someone else so close. That he hadn't even registered Estinien's presence is something he really didn't want to think too much about.

So instead he gives Estinien an expectant look, making absolutely sure not to break eye contact. The last thing he needs to think about is the way Estinien's damp hair clings to his skin, white strands blending into burnished silver in the twilight, or the expanse of pale skin disappearing beneath—

Eye contact. Right. Estinien isn't bothering to hide his amusement, but he's also not making the first move, as usual. Cálei exhales, resigning himself to it. They both know exactly how this is going to end. They've known from the moment their eyes met.

And yet Estinien is going to make him work for it, the ass.

But this is a dance Cálei knows well, and now that his initial surprise is past, he has no qualms with taking the lead. As usual.

"What are you even doing here?" he asks, as if this is nothing but casual conversation. "I thought you were heading back to Eorzea."

"Aye, and where else would I find a vessel to bear me there?" Estinien huffs. But his gaze is distant, and Cálei knows he's heard the real question. "I would have thought you in Doma by now."

"I would be, if Alphinaud didn't have me delivering his mail."

That earns him an actual laugh, coupled with a smile he hasn't seen since long before the Azure Dragoon abandoned his title. "Of course you are," Estinien chuckles. "I presume the young master is making himself indispensable to Doma?"

"Would you expect any less?"

Estinien's mirth fades as he regards him. Once again Cálei knows he understands.

Their meeting in the Azim Steppe had been brief, but for a moment it had been— well, it had been good, in a way it had never been before. He had long trusted Estinien, but never before had Estinien been the one to take the blows in his stead. Back then, they had both been so filled with despair and hatred and bloodlust to fill up a thousand lifetimes, and they had battled as such. It wasn't that he had trusted Estinien to protect him: it was that he had trusted him to continue in his stead should he be the one to fall. As Estinien had trusted him.

(As had Haurchefant.)

But the Dragonsong War is over, and they are both different men. Their dalliances had ever been little but a way to sate their own violent desires. There was no love to be lost between them. Cálei had used Estinien, just as Estinien had used him.

Yet there is still a part of Cálei that yearns to lose himself as he once did. To abandon duty and reason alike in favor of meaningless, fleeting pleasure.

He had thought Estinien desired the same, and asked as much, after the battle was won and the long-lost lovers reunited — only to be fixed with a cold stare unhidden by a horned helm.

"You expect too much, Warrior of Light."

And then he'd leapt away, somehow managing to disappear in an open plain, because of course he had. And Cálei had accepted it for the rejection it was, because he had expected too much.

Yet here Estinien sits with no apparent desire to fling himself onto the nearest rooftop. (Although, Cálei thinks wryly, he wouldn't put it past him, clothes or no clothes.) And as Estinien regards him, Cálei knows he's already made his decision.

They both have.

But he needs to hear it. Needs to know it's not just him who needs this. Who's missed this, as disastrous as it had been for both of them.

"Circumstances have changed," Estinien says, finally. "We have changed. I... would not be the one to make you lapse."

Cálei can't help but snort. "What makes you think I haven't already? What makes you think I've changed at—"

"Do not think me a fool," Estinien cuts in, sharp as the lance Cálei has left behind. "I know what you are, Warrior of Light. I know who you are. And I would not have you sacrifice that for my sake."

Cálei bites the inside of his cheek and says nothing. Gods, it really has been too long if he's forgotten just how well Estinien knows him. Their relationship, if he could even call it that, had never been one of affection — but it had been intimate. In using Estinien, he had laid bare the depths of his own self-loathing. Had exposed his anger, his bitterness, his savagery. His willingness to bathe in the blood of thousands if it meant not thinking about his own pain.

To take the life of another in favor of living his own.

Estinien had seen all of that in him, and said nothing. Hadn't questioned, hadn't judged. How could he, when he lived with just the same?

In truth, Cálei had been grateful when Estinien had left — grateful, and relieved. He had no illusions of how they'd been together. Estinien had brought out the worst in him, and Cálei had little doubt that his own influence had made Estinien that much more susceptible to Nidhogg's endless rage. That either of them had managed to emerge from their final battle was still a miracle. That they both had was nothing short of unthinkable.

Yet here they sit, barely a yalm apart, in a public bath on the other end of the world. And Cálei cannot be expected to resist the insufferably gorgeous man across from him.

He doesn't think about it. He doesn't have to. Because when he pins Estinien against the opposite wall, he knows Estinien is going to yield. Knows he'll open his mouth against his, knows he'll let Cálei dig his fingers into his shoulders. Knows he can't even think of pulling away.

It's not a kiss, not really, not when Cálei is already biting at Estinien's full lips and growling into his mouth. "What makes you think you get to decide what I need?" He snorts as he settles atop him, digging his knees into Estinien's hips to keep him in place. "What makes you think you're any better than me?"

He sees Estinien's eyes widen, feels him tense beneath him as the truth hits home. To say anything more would be unkind, at best — but Cálei is not kind, no matter how many smiles he plasters across his face. He's nothing but a selfish excuse for a person, a hero who masquerades as a man, and he's done pretending.

He drags his teeth along Estinien's jaw, up to his ear, and breathes, "You haven't changed any more than I have. You're a fool if you think otherwise. The only reason you didn't kill that dragon is because you're afraid."

Calloused fingers softened by the warm water dig into his sides as Estinien tries to shove Cálei off him. Cálei lets him try. He's stronger than Estinien, always has been even though he's a good half-fulm shorter. He might have abandoned his platemail, but he has never forgotten how to bear its weight.

(Besides, he knows if Estinien actually didn't want him there, he wouldn't be able to hold him.)

It's only when Estinien's grip begins to falter that Cálei loosens his own. Estinien is surprised enough to let go entirely as Cálei falls away from him, but he makes up the distance in no time, shoving Cálei back against the opposite wall with a snarling kiss of his own.

"As if you're any better," Estinien growls. "As if you're not terrified you're going to fail again, the way you did in Ul'dah."

That's a low blow — and an easy one. "Cheap shots? You're the one losing your touch. What next, are you going to blame me for not being able to stop you?"

Shock flickers across Estinien's face, followed swiftly by a snarl that Cálei catches in his mouth. It's cruel, he knows it's cruel, but he doesn't care. He doesn't have to care. It's not like Estinien hasn't said all the same things to himself.

This is why it was always so good between them. With Estinien, Cálei doesn't have to leash himself. Doesn't have to hold back, doesn't have to hide behind an empty smile. The only way to survive with that much repression is to find an outlet, and when slaying dragons had grown stale for the both of them, they had been glad to find another way.

So it doesn't take Estinien long to recover. Already his pale skin is flushed, his lips swollen from the drag of Cálei's teeth. Silver hair spills over his shoulder, damp ends sticking to wet flesh. Long fingers dig into Cálei's jaw and yank him closer for a bruising kiss.

"Of course I am," Estinien breathes. "You would have killed me if it wasn't for the boy. You gave up, Warrior of Light. Do not think yourself deserving of my thanks."

It's true, and it burns to hear it, even though it's not the first time. When they'd last been together, Estinien had pushed Cálei to reveal everything he'd felt in those awful moons he'd been gone. Cálei had given up. Despite all the time they'd spent together, Cálei had doubted Estinien's own will. He'd thought him lost to the great wyrm, only to find his rage still burning behind Nidhogg's eyes.

And when Estinien had asked to be slain, Cálei had almost done it.

He grabs Estinien's hips through the water and pulls them flush together, utterly unsurprised that Estinien is every bit as hard as he is. "You still wish I had. Admit it." He rolls his hips up against Estinien's and catches his gasp between his teeth. "You wish you were dead, and you wish I'd been the one to kill you."

The hatred in Estinien's eyes is all the answer he needs.

He slides his hands back, cupping Estinien's ass and squeezing tight and oh he's missed the way Estinien's back arches in surprise, a lovely curve that bares those taut muscles. Already he wants to pin Estinien beneath him, wants to leave marks all over his skin, wants to listen to him moan and plead and beg.

But first, he wants to have fun.

Fooling around is nice and all, but Cálei has absolutely no desire to get kicked out, and he knows from experience that the Bokairo Inn has a zero-tolerance policy for public indecency. (Not his own experience, unfortunately — he's had little time for such indulgence since coming to Hingashi — but he had been witness to another couple getting thrown out of the establishment without so much as a linen to cover themselves.)

Besides, he's learned a new trick since last time.

It takes little effort to push Estinien back against the opposite wall again, nor to curl his fingers around Estinien's stiff cock. "You really are twisted," he purrs into Estinien's ear. "It's a wonder you even let me do this."

Estinien snorts. "As if you could judge—"

He loses the rest in a gasp Cálei doesn't hear as he dives beneath the surface. It's still weird as fuck to not have to hold his breath, but there's no way he's not going to take advantage of it. Besides, he's been wondering if this would work.

He guides Estinien's cock between his lips with a low, pleased hum, tongue curling beneath his cockhead. Sure enough, he needs only to breathe through his nose the same way he usually does, and the realization makes his tail curl in delight. It's weird, there's no getting around that — he can taste the water every time he opens his mouth, even if it flows into his lungs like air.

Gods, it's been too long since he got to do this — to anyone. The Warrior of Light does not want for suitors, but he's never been one to jump into every open bed. His last was a lovely Auri in Limsa, the night before they'd taken to sea, and he has had little opportunity since. (Not that he hasn't tried, a few times, but the less said about that the better.)

Regardless, he's more than happy to close his eyes and settle into this. Estinien is both comfortable and familiar, in the way only a frequent lover can be, and Cálei knows exactly how to tease him. He bobs his head on Estinien's cock a few times, getting used to the weight of him against his tongue once more, and delights in the curl of Estinien's fingers in his hair. He wraps his lips around his cockhead as he readies to swallow him down, and—

And gets yanked up out of the water by the scruff of his neck. Cálei bites back a yelp as his tail arches and sprays water on the both of them. "What in the seven hells was that for?"

Estinien doesn't even look apologetic, the ass. If it wasn't for the flush warming his cheeks Cálei would have thought him unaffected entirely. "Forgive me for not wanting you to drown," Estinien grumbles.

...Oh. In hindsight, he probably should have said something. "I can't."

"What?"

"I can't drown anymore."

"You what?" Estinien stares at him, incredulous. "Surely you cannot be serious."

Cálei hesitates, but there's no way to say this and still sound sane. "A tribe of turtle people taught me how to breathe underwater."

As expected, Estinien looks at Cálei like he's just announced his defection to the Garlean Empire. "Did they."

"Can't you just take my word for it?"

Estinien huffs, unconvinced, but before he can reply there's a clatter from the inn as a door slides open. The hot springs are arranged in several stepped pools overlooking the ocean, and though they are closer to the edge, Cálei has no illusions that the twilight will mask what they're doing.

Cálei shoves Estinien back against the wall anyway, taking advantage of his infernal height for once, and shoots him a glare. "Keep quiet and don't complain."

He doesn't wait for an answer. As before, it's easy to slip beneath the surface and bury his face between Estinien's broad thighs. Getting comfortable is a bit tricky, and he has to hook an arm around Estinien's leg to keep from slipping, but all discomfort falls away as he wraps his lips around Estinien's cock once more.

Gods, he loves doing this. It's been a while since he's last had the opportunity — the Auri in Limsa had been little more than a quick fuck out past the aftcastle, and he's not even sure who came before her. No, no, he remembers: that Miqo'te in Rhalgr's. Gods, that had been good.

Regardless, he's glad for the opportunity. There's little Cálei loves more than feeling someone come apart beneath his lips. Listening to how their breath hitches and their pulse throbs against his tongue. Feeling their fingers tangle in his hair, maybe stroke his ears, as he learns the shape of them with his mouth.

And he's always loved doing this to Estinien. He'd learned early in that this was a surefire way to shut him up, and he's indulged plenty of times. It's not like Estinien's been complaining.

Well. Usually. Cálei tips his head up towards Estinien as he bobs his head, and while he can't make him out all that well through the water, there's no mistaking the flush darkening his cheeks. Estinien hasn't reached for him yet (because he knows Cálei loves it, because he won't give in) but it's only a matter of time.

And despite his protests, it's not as though Estinien isn't hard. Sure, there's no getting around how weird this is — the water might be like air to him, but it's not to Estinien, and Cálei keeps blowing bubbles out his nose when he breathes out. Not to mention how different it is to rely on water rather than his own saliva.

But Estinien hasn't yanked him off again. Cálei knows he would, if he didn't enjoy it. For all the twisted games they play with each other, neither of them have ever been shy about saying no.

He closes his eyes as he slides all the way to the base. It's a little hard to swallow around him with the water, but it still feels good, and Cálei feels himself getting a little lightheaded. And oh, oh, there's Estinien's hand in his hair, holding him there. Keeping him right where he wants him.

It's perfect. Which is why he has to stop.

Cálei swallows a few more times, then pulls his head back out of the water. Coughs to catch his breath, wipes his lips with the back of his hand. Estinien is panting before him, sleek muscles dripping with water.

"Get up," Cálei orders.

"What?"

"Get up. We're going back to my room."

Estinien stares at him, then glances down at his lap. Then back up at Cálei. His expression darkens. "You—"

"It's that or I leave you to fend for yourself. Like usual." Cálei sneers. "You do still like that, don't you?"

Estinien flushes, but whether it's from anger or embarrassment he can't tell. Doesn't matter. Estinien wants this, wants him, and he'll do whatever he has to to get it.

"You're an ass," Estinien says. He stands, heedless of his obvious arousal, and reaches for the towel he'd brought. Even after wrapping it around his waist, it's hard to ignore the bulge.

Estinien gives him an expectant look. "After you."

Cálei grins.

———

His room isn't far, but the walk feels excruciatingly long. Cálei hadn't realized just how turned on he'd gotten. Anticipation thrums through him.

He's missed this, he realizes. Missed Estinien. He's had other partners since him, but no one has come close to the way Estinien felt. The way he obeyed him. Their relationship had never been healthy, but it had been good, in its own way.

He unlocks the door to his room and leads Estinien inside. "Dry off before you get on the bed," Cálei says, eyeing the water still dripping down Estinien's chest.

Estinien snorts, though he starts drying himself off. "You've gotten particular."

"I haven't gotten to sleep in a bed in weeks. I'm not sleeping on wet sheets."

"You've been busy, I take it. Helping the Domans foment resistance?"

"Not really what I want to talk about right now," Cálei says, unable to tear his eyes off Estinien. He's got a few new scars, though none are as obvious as the giant welts where Nidhogg's eyes had been. Even in the dim light, they seem to glow.

"Suit yourself." Estinien tosses his towel aside and looks at Cálei. His arousal had diminished somewhat in the interim, but the desire in his eyes burns just as bright.

Cálei swallows. "Get on the bed."

Estinien obeys him. Like he always does. He knows Cálei will give him exactly what he wants. What he needs. Why resist?

He joins him there, loosely straddling Estinien at the waist. Cálei grinds down against him, lazily, enjoying the way Estinien watches his every move. Eager, even if he's trying not to show it. Like he always was.

Cálei runs his hands down Estinien's torso, brushing his fingers across scars and muscles alike. He used to know every mark on Estinien's body, and it's strange to think he doesn't anymore.

Maybe that's for the best. This won't last more than a night. In the morning, they'll both go back to their duty. No telling when they'll see each other again.

He leans down to kiss Estinien. Soft, much softer than the one he'd smashed against his lips outside. Can feel Estinien's confusion as he responds, parting his lips but not entirely kissing back. Uncertain slate eyes follow him as Cálei sits back up.

Yet Estinien doesn't ask. He knows better. Or maybe he just trusts him. A dangerous thing, here.

He traces his fingers across Estinien's jaw. Rubs his thumb across his cheek. "You look tired."

Estinien breathes out a laugh. "You're one to talk."

It's true. Cálei doesn't remember the last time he got a decent night's sleep. For a moment, he considers forgoing the sex entirely and just curling up in the bed beside Estinien.

But only for a moment.

He rolls his hips down against Estinien's, sighing in pleasure as their cocks brush against one another. He keeps at it, lazily grinding against him, working Estinien back up. Can feel it when Estinien's breath catches, the way he shivers beneath him. Wanting, always wanting.

"You want this," Cálei murmurs. "You've been thinking about it. Missing it. Tell me." He drops a hand between his legs, wraps it around both their cocks. Stroking them together.

Estinien's breathing is shallow. "So have you," he replies. "You've yearned for this, Warrior of Light."

"Mmm, maybe I have." Cálei keeps stroking them both, delighting in the heat of their shared arousal. "But I haven't been left wanting the way you have. You haven't found anyone who treats you the way I do. Who knows you."

"You know nothing."

Cálei laughs. "Deny it all you want. I'm the only one who makes you feel like this." His voice drops a register as he leans down over Estinien, tail curling around one of Estinien's legs. "Like you're nothing. Like you're just something to be used. A puppet." He snorts. "Then again, Nidhogg got plenty of use out of you."

Estinien's eyes narrow, even as his cock throbs against Cálei's hand. "You know nothing, Warrior of Light."

"Don't I?" Cálei raises an eyebrow. "I know exactly what it's like. When only one thing matters to you, everything else is meaningless. Even this." He grabs Estinien's arm with his free hand, nails digging into the scar left by Nidhogg's eye. "You've only ever wanted to feel something. That's what I gave you. That's what you crave, more than anything. Even now, you want it. You want me, more than you can bear it. Admit it."

Estinien rips his arm out of Cálei's grasp. Grabs him, and for a moment Cálei thinks he's going to get hit, but instead Estinien snarls a searing kiss against his lips. Cálei smirks. Maybe he won't say it, but Estinien's no fool. He knows what he wants. Knows who will give it to him.

"Enough talk," Estinien growls. "Get on with it."

"So hasty," Cálei chides. "What if I want to enjoy myself, hmm?" He grinds down against Estinien, lazily. "Maybe I'll fuck you slow, this time. Make you really wait for it."

Of course, it doesn't matter how he does it. Estinien will take whatever Cálei chooses to give him, and he'll be thankful for it. They both know it.

He does have a point, though: Cálei doesn't want to tease him all night. But he might as well enjoy himself first. He rises up on his knees and scoots closer, settling on Estinien's chest, cock resting against Estinien's lips.

Estinien doesn't have to be told what to do. He opens his mouth and swallows him like the obedient man he is. Doesn't matter that it's a strain, that he nearly chokes on the first swallow. He takes it, without complaint.

Estinien's always loved being overwhelmed.

Still, Cálei goes slow. The angle isn't great, so he keeps his thrusts shallow, only choking Estinien when he pushes a touch too far. It's nice enough like this, with Estinien taking a few ilms of his cock at a time.

Reminds him of how they used to do it, back in Ishgard. He'd gotten Estinien on his knees often, but sometimes he'd fucked him like this, cockhead rolling over his tongue, lips tight around his shaft. Makes him leak, feeling so much pleasure at the tip of his cock, but Estinien's good. Always licks him clean.

He doesn't fuck him all that long, just enough to leave Estinien a panting, needy mess beneath him. Estinien loves this more than he does, loves being pushed down and used, however Cálei likes.

Cálei leaves him there a moment, rising from the bed just long enough to fetch a small jar. Pushes it into Estinien's hands instead as he kneels at the end of the bed. "Stretch yourself. I want to watch."

"You always want to watch," Estinien mutters.

Does as he's told, though, slick fingers slipping between his thighs and into himself. He doesn't make much of a show of it, but that's not what Cálei wants. It's enough to see Estinien Wyrmblood like this, legs spread, cheeks flush with arousal, panting with need. He looks good like this, so much so that Cálei can't help but treasure it. So few have seen Estinien like this. So few ever will.

It's not long before Estinien's ready. Cálei's prepared himself in the meantime, hand moving over his own cock while he watched Estinien. Looks at Estinien for a moment, considering, then nods. "Roll over."

Estinien goes without complaint, folding his arms beneath him and propping himself up on his knees. There's enough room on the futon for Cálei to slide up behind him, one hand on his hip.

He goes slow, not because Estinien can't take it, but because this isn't about speed. Cálei relishes every noise Estinien makes as he pushes inside him, spreading and filling him to the brim. He rolls his hips once as he adjusts his position, then digs his fingers into Estinien's hips and pulls him back onto his cock.

The moan Estinien lets out is nothing like his usual gruff words. Cálei can't see his expression in this position, but he doesn't need to. He knows what it looks like to see ecstasy spread across Estinien's face, the way his eyes go dark, how his teeth dig into his lips, how his silver hair spills over his shoulders and sticks to sweat-drenched skin. Estinien might give little care to his appearance most days, but he's a beautiful man in bed. Makes him want to do nothing but fuck Estinien just the way he likes.

Which is why he doesn't. Oh, he rolls his hips a few more times, but he doesn't fuck him. Not yet. Not until Estinien growls, "Hurry up."

Cálei's grip tightens on Estinien's hip, hard enough to bruise. "Try again."

"Fury take you," Estinien swears. "Get on with it."

Cálei pulls back just far enough to snap his hips forward, making Estinien's body quiver around him. Yet again he doesn't keep going. "Come on," Cálei cajoles. "You're always so stubborn."

"And you are infuriating." He watches Estinien's fingers dig into the bedsheets. Can imagine his flush, even hidden against the pillow. "Please, damn you."

"Better," Cálei hums. He makes himself comfortable on the bed, adjusting his position until he can easily snap his hips against Estinien's. He's tight, he always is, and better than that he's familiar. Forgot how nice it was to fuck a frequent partner. He knows exactly how Estinien will shift against him, how he'll gasp at the sharp thrusts and shudder if Cálei presses too deep.

Best of all, he knows Estinien isn't touching himself. He knows better. He might be enjoying this, but he only gets to come when Cálei allows it.

Still, he keeps his pace slow, each thrust heavy and deep enough for Estinien to feel it in his bones. But not fast. He hasn't earned that yet. Cálei settles into a comfortable rhythm, sighing in pleasure as Estinien's body envelops him, simply enjoying it.

But it's not enough for Estinien. Soon enough he's clawing at the bed, wanting more. Needing more. But there's only one way he'll get it, and they both know it.

"Please," Estinien finally begs. "Please, just— more."

A smirk curls across Cálei's lips. "Please what?" He snaps his hips forward on the last word, making Estinien shudder and gasp.

"By the Fury, you—" Estinien groans again, overwhelmed by the next thrust. "Faster. Please, gods, faster."

"Not enough." Cálei pulls back, leaving only his cockhead inside Estinien. "Beg for it."

Estinien whimpers, and it makes his cock ache. If there's one thing Cálei loves, it's this. Not fucking him (though that's very enjoyable), but this. Making Estinien ask for it. Breaking him down until all he can do is beg for what he needs.

"Please," Estinien gasps. "Please, take me, fuck me, I don't care how, just do it. No more of this infernal game." His hips twitch; he's resisting the urge to fuck himself back on Cálei's cock. Good boy.

And he's almost there. "Who do you belong to?"

"You. You. Please, Warrior— Cálei." His whole body is trembling with his need. "Please."

Cálei smiles.

Then he shoves Estinien into the futon.

Wraps an arm around his waist to pin him there, knees spread wide to keep his balance. Cálei doesn't give him any time to adjust. He slams his hips against Estinien's, fucking him hard and deep and fast. Just like Estinien asked for. Just how he likes.

Gods, does it feel good. He feels good. Hard to tell through the armor and the standoffish personality, but Estinien's a great lay. He's obedient, when Cálei can get him there. Stays put and just takes it like the good boy he is.

Probably not going to last all that long, after all the teasing. That's okay. It's enough, to have him like this. An unexpected reprieve on the eve of a war. Seems fitting, somehow.

Cálei's breathing quickens. His body slides slick against Estinien's, covered in sweat. So much for clean sheets. Estinien feels good, warm and tight and hot but it's not quite enough, not yet. Almost there. Almost.

His fingers tighten on Estinien's hips. Holds him closer, closer. Listens to Estinien's breathing, quick little pants as he pushes back against Cálei. Needy. Always needy.

"Please," Estinien breathes. "Please."

That's all it takes. Cálei's hips go flush against Estinien's as he comes, heavy pulses filling him up. There's nothing better than this moment, this feeling, heat spreading up through his body and combining with pleasure for the most sublime satisfaction. Gods, he loves doing this.

Estinien shudders beneath him. He's close too, he always is at this point, but his hands stay firmly on the sheets. Waiting for permission. He's still so obedient.

And he deserves to be rewarded. "Touch yourself," Cálei orders.

Estinien moans in relief as his own fingers circle his cock. For once, Cálei helps, stroking him in tandem with Estinien's own hand. It never takes long. Soon Estinien's entire body quivers with his pleasure as his release fills their joined hands.

They lie there for a moment, afterwards. Was awkward, the first time. It's not anymore. Estinien doesn't want to cuddle or kiss or any of the things he used to do with other partners. He just wants to enjoy the afterglow for a few minutes.

It's fine. It is.

Eventually Cálei pulls out of him. Grabs one of the discarded towels, cleans them both off. The sheets are a bit of a loss, but there's nothing he can do about it now. Lies back down beside Estinien and lets out a sigh, tail curling over his thigh.

Estinien's looking at him. His lips part, but he doesn't say anything. After a moment, he rolls over.

Cálei winds an arm around his waist and closes his eyes.

In the morning, Estinien is gone.