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It had been a long, cold day in Aeor. Caleb and Essek entered the tower with their boots caked in snow, their clothes wet, and their faces streaked with tears and snot. Prestidigitation swept away the excess moisture, but not the chill under their skin.
The two researchers had made little smalltalk thus far in their expedition. The conversations were short, informational, and focused. When they were clean and in comfortable clothing at last, they needed no discussion to arrive together in the library, curled up on a sofa next to the fireplace with notebooks in their laps.
Caleb’s hands were stiff with cold as he logged the day’s events. He wanted to tuck them under Essek’s knitted blanket, but he had been rather forward recently, and he wanted to give Essek his chance to initiate. Essek could be a terrible flirt, certainly, but more often than not, he seemed a bit shy. Out in the streets of Aeor, he had also been very cool and collected. Perhaps he only wanted to be on task, which was fine. Caleb was eternally willing to wait for Essek to feel comfortable. To let down his guard at the end of the day, after a bath and a nice supper, or to not.
The elf in question had his feet tucked up under him. He pressed his thumb into his lower lip as he read. Orange light cast over the planes of his dark lilac face, illuminating his high cheekbones and fine nose. Essek’s hair was beginning to grow long, and now a curl of it was tucked behind his ear.
Caleb’s attraction to him had begun both in his intellect and his good looks. As time had gone on, however, Essek had allowed his heart to show. Caleb admired him even more for his kindness and strength, now, and he was terribly endeared to every moment of vulnerability that Essek allowed. This endearment was now extending to the sweet way that Essek sat reading — the once-Shadowhand of the Kryn Dynasty was curled up like a boy with a fairytale.
Caleb forgot to pretend not to stare. Essek glanced up, and lowered his book.
“Not sufficiently entertained by the journal?” he asked, a smirk playing at his lip. Caleb felt himself blush. He had no chance of hiding it — he needed to take the olive branch.
"It isn’t the most stimulating thing I’ve ever done,” he answered. Essek let out a little laugh. “How is your research going?”
Essek looked down at his open book and shrugged.
“Not very stimulating either, I’m afraid.”
Gods, that insolent quirk of Essek’s eyebrow was going to drive him crazy. Caleb snapped the notebook shut.
“I was finished, anyway,” he said. Essek’s nostril flared minutely, and his smile deepened. He put a fine black ribbon in his own book and closed it, too. He turned away to put the book on the sidetable. Caleb held still, anticipating. What would Essek do, now that he was not reading? Was he simply going to watch the fire? Would he get up and go to bed? Essek turned back to Caleb slowly. His eyes were cast low, and his lips were pressed together. He was considering something.
Finally, Essek looked up at Caleb. Silvery eyes through snowwhite lashes. He took a deep, barely concealed breath.
“Caleb,” he said softly, “my lips are cold.”
Caleb’s heart nearly stopped in his chest. It felt, for just a moment, like he was dreaming.
“Oh,” he replied. “What should we do, I wonder?”
Essek drew close. Caleb could see the tension of his jaw; the deliberate stillness of his face. His breath was warm, and smelled faintly of chamomile.
“Surely,” Essek said, “you could think of something?”
Caleb moved so agonizingly slow that he forced Essek’s hand, and Essek was the one to close the gap at last. Essek’s skin had always been soft, the times that Caleb had the opportunity to kiss his forehead or cheek. His lips were multitudes softer. Caleb felt them against his, and thought that his heart might indeed give out. The kiss was brief and chaste.
Caleb leaned back and took stock. Essek’s eyelids looked heavy, his lips were flushed dark. Then, Essek leaned forward to kiss him again. He opened his mouth. His sharp teeth grazed against Caleb’s lips. Caleb kissed him hard in turn.
Essek whimpered very softly, and Caleb abandoned his composure. He took Essek’s face in his hands, touching all the beloved skin that he could. The whimper in Essek’s throat repeated. Caleb felt Essek’s smaller hands curling over his shoulders. He and Essek pressed together until they were chest to chest, breathing hard into one another.
The fireplace crackled loudly, and Essek drew back at last. Caleb had never seen him so flushed with colour. His forehead had the barest sheen of sweat. Essek looked him hard in the eye.
“Take me to bed.”
Caleb pulled Essek by the hand, into his room, and shut the door behind his back. There he crowded Essek against the wall. Essek confronted him, throwing his arms around Caleb’s neck and kissing him hard. Caleb’s heart hammered in his ribcage. His whole body burned. He groaned into Essek’s mouth, and Essek gasped in reply.
Caleb felt Essek’s hands moving, groping for his collar. Caleb helped him in unbuttoning the shirt, then shucking it to the floor. Essek ran his hands down Caleb’s chest.
Caleb stood back for a moment to take Essek’s robe off of his shoulders. Beneath it, Essek wore a sheer fitted shirt that, in the candlelight, exposed the contours of his lithe body. Caleb briefly imagined tearing the fabric off of him, but ignored the urge. He pinched the fabric, but found resistance from under Essek’s pants. This man and his intricate, ornate clothing — even his lounge clothes.
Caleb swept him up, turned, and dropped him carefully onto the bed. With Essek on his back, it was simple to remove his bottoms. Essek lay beneath him in a dark body suit that went from his throat and his wrists, all the way to his toes. His palms were open and his hair splayed on the dark, silky pillow. Caleb reached behind Essek’s neck and located the fastener there. He pulled the fabric forward over Essek’s shoulders, down his front, and off of each arm. Essek curled inward slightly, so Caleb kissed him again to prevent him from shying away. Essek’s arms hooked under Caleb’s and held him close.
Caleb was hard where his groin met Essek’s. His breathing grew harder, warmer. His brain was spinning. How could he have ever imagined this, in those darkest moments of his life? To be so incredibly close to a person of such singular beauty. To feel every inch of his own bare chest touching every inch of Essek’s, the heat between their legs.
Caleb kissed Essek’s cheek, his jaw, then the space just below his ear. Essek moaned, long and breathy.
Burning. Caleb was burning. He kissed down, past the jugular, past the collarbones. Caleb found Essek’s nipple, and gently took it into his mouth. Essek shook; his hands grasped Caleb’s hair by the roots. Caleb looked up, and saw Essek’s head was thrown back.
“Fuck,” Essek gasped. Caleb sucked firmly. “Caleb. Oh, fuck.” Caleb moved to the other nipple. He would stay there with his mouth on Essek’s breast for all time, if he could.
“Stop teasing, please,” Essek begged.
“I wouldn’t dream of teasing you,” Caleb breathed onto his chest, making goosebumps raise on Essek’s skin. He obligingly moved, kissing each of Essek’s ribs on his left side, then above and below his naval. Essek’s belly moved with his chest, falling and rising rapidly. Caleb placed his palms over Essek’s diaphragm.
“Are you okay?” Caleb whispered. Essek looked down at him with hungry eyes.
“Yes,” he said. “Please don’t stop.”
Caleb sat up to peel away the rest of Essek’s clothing. He pulled the garment down past Essek’s ass, and saw that the elf wore nothing else underneath it. Essek’s sex was small, with neatly-kept white hair, visibly wet at the center. Caleb resolved to take his time, just a bit more. He had dreamt for so long of seeing this body, of touching Essek, of making him feel good.
Caleb went on unrolling the bodysuit. He lifted Essek’s legs and freed each foot with great care. Essek jumped a little when Caleb kissed the center of his right sole.
“Sorry,” Caleb chuckled, and pressed his mouth to Essek’s ankle. “I can’t help myself.” His lips continued moving, back up the inside of Essek’s thigh. As he did, Essek breathed harder. His eyes grew wilder, and he gripped the sheets furiously. “Do you even know how beautiful you are? Every inch of you.”
Essek’s face, always so tightly schooled, was now open and desperate. He looked nearly on the verge of tears.
“You’ll kill me,” he groaned.
“No, never,” Caleb told him, moving closer and closer to the junction of Essek’s legs. He eased them apart, and finally brought his lips to Essek’s there.
Essek swore under his breath, in both Common and Undercommon. He writhed — arching, nearly vibrating. Caleb licked him open, slowly and carefully. Essek’s wetness was salty and sweet, rich like a fine perfume. Caleb put his arms around Essek’s legs to keep him from bucking off the mattress and away from his mouth. Caleb worked his tongue in as deep as he could. Essek’s voice grew low and rough.
“Oh, gods, Caleb,” he moaned, “Caleb, Caleb.”
Caleb’s mind was singular — he needed to be good for Essek. His tongue moved from inside of Essek to his clit, over, around, and back to the inside of him again. Essek tugged on Caleb’s hair.
“I can’t take it,” Essek cried, “Caleb, please, I won’t last.”
Caleb hummed, unbothered. He kept going, tasting Essek deeply. Essek finally used his strength, and pulled Caleb off of him. Caleb stared up at Essek, searching, desperate to go back to eating him. Essek was still flustered, but his eyes were sharp.
“I want you inside of me,” he said. A violent shiver ran through Caleb, from his scalp to his toes. Essek could command anything of him in that voice — the one that he had used in court, years ago. Caleb scrambled for his own pants, and Essek released him. Caleb’s erection was red and aching. His undergarments were wet with arousal, and he tossed them carelessly to the ground. Essek’s eyes were wide and dark. Was Caleb bigger than he had been expecting?
Had Essek been expecting him?
The thought made Caleb dizzy. He pressed the head of his cock against Essek’s labia. It felt like touching only the very surface of a hot bath. He couldn’t wait another moment; he sank in, slow and careful as his passion would allow. Essek’s body gave no resistance. He was tight, but incredibly wet. Again, Essek’s head tipped backward. He moaned lowly, mouth trembling.
“Oh, fuck, Essek,” Caleb panted, “Oh, you feel perfect. You’re so warm, so soft.”
He got down on his elbows, pressing impossibly close to him. Essek’s legs lifted around Caleb’s waist and held him there.
“Look at me,” Caleb begged him. Essek let his head fall forward. His eyelids were still so heavy. He looked drunk; dark from the tips of his ears, and panting wetly.
“Oh, wunderschön,” Caleb breathed, “Mein Preis.”
Caleb moved his hips, savouring every inch of Essek’s body that he touched. His nerves were alight, his arousal inflamed by the blissful look on Essek’s face.
“Does it feel good, dear?” Caleb asked him between laboured breaths. The pet name was a slip. Essek nodded frantically.
“So good,” he said, gasping as he spoke. “Faster, harder, I beg you.”
“Gods,” Caleb said. He held Esek close, and fucked him firmly and deeply. Essek’s arms, too, locked around Caleb and kept him there. He cried out until he grew hoarse. Their mouths fell together, and they breathed into each other. Their bodies dripped with sweat, hot like burning coals.
Caleb felt Essek’s insides clenching. His heartbeat fell out of rhythm; he was close. Caleb threw himself into Essek, frantically. He slipped his hand between their bodies to rub Essek's clit. Eyes and mouth open, as if hit with a sudden and great beam of light, Essek cried out. He shook through his orgasm, and Caleb came shortly behind him, with the good sense to pull out first. It felt delectably good to see his own spend on Essek’s soft lilac stomach.
Afterward, Essek lay gasping for air like he had recently been drowning. He lazily flicked his hand and removed all semen and sweat from their bodies, to Caleb's brief and mild disappointment. Caleb moved to lie down, but Essek caught him and steered him close to kiss him again. They settled down comfortably like that, holding and kissing one another softly and slowly.
“Was that good for you, Essek?” Caleb said against his lips. Essek hummed. He was smiling.
“Exceeding all expectations,” he murmured. “And you?” Caleb smiled.
“None of my dreams could compare.”
Essek ran his fingers along Caleb’s shoulders, through his hair, down his sides. Somehow this felt more intimate than being inside of him. Caleb kissed him more, as many times as he could muster.
In Essek’s arms, with his fingernails gently scratching his scalp, Caleb felt the long day weighing down his eyelids. For the first time in a very long time, he was perfectly happy and could think of nothing else. Essek’s heartbeat was steady. Caleb felt safe and warm here with him. Before falling asleep, he heard Essek whispering Undercommon into his hair. It seemed like it was meant to be a secret, so Caleb pretended not to hear his words of adoration.