[It is getting increasingly difficult to keep his eyes closed, but he stubbornly manages to do so regardless, nudging at Hythlodaeus' thigh with his knee in half-hearted protest.]
You think every day is beautiful.
[He makes a vain effort to make it sound like an insult, but even then, it's lackluster— cranky at best, and the arm he has draped over the other man's waist tightens its hold ever so slightly.]
I will not. You'll not drag me from this bed— do not waste your efforts.
[ another warm, easy laugh, and he drags his fingertips along the hard ridge of emet-selch's jawline, the way he has done a hundred, thousand times. ]
I certainly never said you need leave the bed.
[ he is feeling very warm and lazy himself, like a cat in a sunbeam, and after so many long years left bereft, leaving hades' side is the last thing he wants to do. in fact, he only arches closer when that arm closes more tightly around him. emet-selch's eyes are stubbornly closed, but no doubt he shall hear the smile in hythlodaeus' voice as he glides his thigh to hook over hades' hip.
he's feeling very touchy-feely. he's always feeling touchy-feely. ]
[That smile is perfectly audible, and at his companion's concession, he does crack the faintest beginnings of his own smile, one eye opening just enough to show a sliver of one aurum eye.]
We may be able to come to an accord.
[Hades lets out a long, drawn breath as he stretches out, his feet peeking out just beneath the covers as he reaches one arm overhead, eyes opening fully as he rolls onto his back and offers Hythlodaeus a genuine smile.]
Better than I have in countless lifetimes, to answer your question.
[ at last hades opens his beautiful eyes for hythlodaeus to enjoy, and he is greeted by a warm, affectionate smile, one that hades has seen many, many times, reserved only for him.
and ah, how sweet it is to see that smile in return, a rarity from emet-selch, and yet so lovely to behold. after all hades has been through, the pain, the horror, the sacrifice, to see him smile so warms hythlodaeus' heart so keenly it all but aches. to be responsible for even a hint of it is a great privilege, but then, he has ever felt privileged to be even a small part of emet-selch and azem's lives. how could he possibly have earned their love? how could he possibly have been worthy? ]
As did I.
[ he says, his hooded gaze lingering still on hades' tired face. ]
I suppose being kept alive by Hydaelyn's magicks is not quite so untenable.
[For all the effort he puts into sounding exasperated, he cannot help but smile, and reaches to take the side of Hythlodaeus' face in hand to pull him downwards into a languid kiss. It is a simple display of affection, yet the emotions that accompany it are anything but. Overwhelming and surreal are chief among them, but there is also gladness, affection, and bittersweet as they may be, he is intent on enjoying these moments after thousands of years parted, countless lives lived for his duty and his beliefs rather than for himself.]
This once, I will abide her meddling.
[The words are murmured against his lips as the kiss breaks, the curve of his wry smile apparent by touch. It is not something he offers to many, this private part of himself, but Hythlodaeus had ever been an exception.]
[ what a good, sweet kiss it is. the moment hades pulls him in hythlodaeus is ready, leaning forward, his loose hair spilling over his shoulder to tickle hades' collar.
it still feels like a dream. how many years has it been since they have been intimate? countless. so long that time had ceased to have meaning. the moon had been so cold and distant, and so many times hythlodaeus had felt he might dissolve into nothingness, for all the time he spent wandering, cut off from everything he knew, from etheirys itself. from azem. from hades.
a soft, satisfied sigh gusts against hades' lips, and hythlodaeus smiles, folding both arms over hades' chest, nuzzling nose and mouth both along the strong line of his nose. ]
[Truly, Hythlodaeus intends to make it impossible for any further rest to take place, but for once, Hades does not have it in him to complain. His expression softens considerably; he threads his fingers through Hythlodaeus' hair where his braid has come loose, tracing the smooth line of his jaw with his thumb.
Millennia apart, and he is just as Hades remembers. More than once, he had feared that his memory would fade and fail him, that he would forget the curve of his lips or the soft timbre of his voice, but for as invincible as he'd believed his convictions to be, it would seem that some memories were just as strong.]
I am quite glad for it, in fact.
[A warm concession, one he would make for no other. He shifts, their legs still entangled from the night before, and he possessively hooks one foot around his companion's ankle.]
How do you feel?
[His brow draws downwards, just a touch. It is, after all, the first time Hythlodaeus has been corporeal in quite some time.]
[ yes, not unlike an attention seeking cat, hythlodaeus is very needy and entirely unwilling to move from this space to allow his dear lover more rest. THE SKY'S AWAKE, SO HE'S AWAKE, SO THEY HAVE TO PLAY!!
most especially when hades is only enticing him further with that possessive little snap of his foot. even now, all these eons later, it fills him with pride to be the center of hades' attentions; how very fortunate he is to have this. turning his face into the warm drag of hades' touch, he all but purrs a low, private hum, while pressing a series of soft, intimate little kisses to his palm. ]
Me?
[ he's feeling pretty great and mildly horny at the moment thanks for asking.
but he knows what hades is asking him, and hythlodaeus is quiet for several moments as he rolls his thoughts into his head. how it feels to be whole again is difficult to describe. ]
I feel.. tired. Groggy, I suppose.
[ he starts, his violet gaze wandering as he searches for the words. ]
As if I have been sleeping for a very, very long time. I imagine it will pass, soon enough.
[Each press of his lips draws a soft grunt of appreciation in turn; sleep is steadily moving further from his mind, and he lightly trails curled fingers down the length of his lover's spine before letting his hand come to rest against the curve at the small of his back.
'Quite glad' is quite an understatement, in truth, but he has ever shown his affection more readily through his actions rather than words.]
In time, I've no doubt it will.
[Tired has ever been his own state of being, but this is something different— a weariness that is almost pleasant in how visceral it feels, compared to the weight that has carried within his very soul for lifetimes beyond counting. For once, Hades himself feels whole, and at last, he is no longer alone.
The past could not be saved, that had been a fool's errand, but that Hydaelyn had seen fit to allow him to recapture this small part of it...
[ these intimate moments, these warm, lazy mornings.. these were always his very favorite. hades is quite adorable when he's still waking up, and lying against his warm body without anything to lead him away, no work to call them - it's a dream. he could lie here all day, just like this, and never leave.
especially when hades' hand glides down his back, tracing the tender dip of his spine, earning a low, shivering sigh. he's always been sensitive there. ]
So am I.
[ he murmurs, a languid smile curving his lips as he buts his nose against hades', his breath gusting against his partner's mouth. it's certainly an understatement. when hythlodaeus offered himself up to zodiark he never expected to have this chance again, and yet here they are. his voice is soft, quiet, low. ]
[His eyelids lower as his partner's nose bumps against the bridge of his own, his hand pulling forward to rest against his hip. His own smile pulls crooked, fond as it is, though even here in the warmth of the early morning sunlight, there are certain truths he cannot bring himself to forget.
Does he truly deserve this? Hythlodaeus does, to be certain, a reward for his sacrifice, but Hades himself...
Their world is long gone, and he does not know that he belongs in this one. Not after what he's done in the name of trying to win back the past at its expense.
His smile falters, only slightly, but his touch remains soft, tipping his chin upwards so that he can press his lips to Hythlodaeus' once more.]
I've missed you, too. There are no words.
[If he could find them, he would even be moved to soften their edges. To say it has been a lonely existence would be nowhere near strong enough.]
It does not yet feel real... nor does it feel deserved, I confess.
[ hythlodaeus knows him well, too well, perhaps, well enough to know that this was coming. and to be honest, he can understand. the things emet-selch did in the name of his righteous cause were.. terrible, unforgivable, and learning of it was deeply heartbreaking. that his hades, his dear, loyal, loving, dedicated hades could have been responsible for so much death and pain and suffering was a deep blow.
it all makes perfect sense, of course, that given their history and the coming of the final days, that hades would have chosen the path that he did - it is so like him to remain loyal to his people, to his work, and that he had to stoop so low in order to achieve it.. that certainly parses, as well. hades would not be above sullying himself for the good of the people, for the good of the star.
and yet, hythlodaeus loves him so.
he does not answer right away, but instead lingers in their kiss, dragging his mouth sweetly over hades', peppering kisses to the corners of his lips before he at last draws back to look into his face, his arms folded still over emet-selch's chest, one hand freeing to smooth the hair from his eyes. ]
Why not?
[ he knows why. but he needs to hear it, in hades' words. ]
[His smile fades entirely now, a crease appearing across his brow even as Hythlodaeus smooths his hand across it to brush his hair aside. That flurry of kisses does some to ease the ache that has begun to squeeze at his heart once more; he meets those that brush near enough for him to do so, his fingers flexing softly against his lover's hip.
They both know full well that Hythlodaeus knows precisely why— but it will do him no good to keep it in. It will make it no less true.]
I became what I swore I would not. What I once thought myself incapable of.
[And for no short period of time. The sweet brush of Hythlodaeus' lips and his gentle ministrations seem too kind for him, let alone another chance at life when he has already lived longer than anyone rightly should, by this world's standards— and if one could truly call his miserable campaign to conquer and bring back what had been lost living.]
Of the many things I have longed for over the centuries, this reunion has ever been a wish that I held close to my heart.
[That, he's sure, comes as no surprise, and he presses a kiss against the tip of Hythlodaeus' nose before dropping to claim another from his lips for emphasis— he will not have his lover thinking he is anything but glad to be here with him again.]
[ hythlodaeus is quiet while hades speaks. for all he enjoys a good chat, hythlodaeus is a very good listener; his perceptive insight breeds in him a natural compassion for his fellow man, most especially those who are dearest to him. he remembers many long nights spent soothing emet-selch after particularly stressful weeks with the convocation, listening to him vent, laughing and kissing his worries away. it's what he's good at. what he does.
his brows draw tight, his expression grave, yet understanding. ]
Yes, you did.
[ because there is no sense denying it. what hades did was unconscionable, and had hythlodaeus been alive to see it he would have struggled, like as not pleaded with him to change his course, but that may not have even been possible. had zodiark's influence over him been too strong? so strong that even azem and hythlodaeus' combined efforts would not have drawn him back? only hades knows the answer to that. how much of his service to zodiark was his own will? regardless, at the very least, the lifestream has cleared him of his influence. ]
But Venat saw fit to give you another chance. I think she must trust the choices you will make, the things you will do with your great power.
[ for hades may have been once killed, but he is whole as ever now, as capable and strong as he has ever been.
tipping his forehead to touch hades', he brushes their mouths together once more, his hands splaying warm against his lover's chest, thumbs tracing the ridges of his collarbone. ]
But selfishly.. I want you with me, just to have you. To be beside you again, despite it all.
[He had always been so good at that: finding just the right words for any given situation, forcing Hades to lay down his burdens as much as he would allow himself, doting and chasing his worries away. He exhales slowly, any response he might have delayed by the warm press of parted lips, the brush of fingers drawing a soft, appreciative groan from him instead.
He draws his own touch along the length of Hythlodaeus' jawline before taking what remains of his braid between two fingers, letting it slip through as he tucks it behind his partner's shoulder, baring his neck. The kiss breaks, but their brows remain pressed together, Hades' aurum gaze as affectionate as it is weary.]
Here with you, I can almost believe all of that.
[He remains skeptical, as ever, but here in this room, entangled as they are and having been gifted something as precious as it was impossible, he is able to ease his hold on it, to let the present be what holds his attention rather than the challenges ahead.
They will still be waiting whenever he does choose to step out into the world, but for now, he has no intention of leaving this inn room.]
Had I been given the opportunity to ask for such a favor— it would have been this, regardless.
[To be together again. To have another chance, for at least some short while, to have another taste of the life that had been cut all too short, along with the lives of those he loved most dearly.]
[ now that is a difficult question to answer. pain flickers across his face in a subtle flash, and for the first time since waking, hythlodaeus turns his gaze away from hades. ]
No. Yes.
[ the truth is far more complicated than a simple answer. for the sake of love hades has done terrible things, committed wrongs that can never, never be righted, and no matter how pure his motivations were, his means.. his means were unforgivable, heinous, shocking. and yet it is not up to hythlodaeus to forgive him, if that is even something hades seeks at all, for he was not the one who was wronged. but to know what he has done, to look him in the eye, to see the blood on his hands..
hythlodaeus' heart wrenches in his breast. ]
I cannot in good conscience condone what you have done, however.. what matters more to me is what lies ahead. What choices you make from here.
[ his gaze flits back at last to hades' restful face, the agony of his struggle writ clear across his delicate features, though there is fondness there too, and an enduring, faithful dedication that is unwavering even after so many long years. dipping his head, hythlodaeus catches another kiss, this one slow and lingering, both hands sliding upward to cup his strong jaw. when he speaks his words are but a breath against hades' lips, tender and trembling. ]
But I love you. I shall always love you, no matter what you have done, no matter what you will do.
[He exhales slowly, the breath rolling slowly through his chest as it squeezes tightly, watching Hythlodaeus avert his gaze. That, he must confess, is about what he had expected. His partner has never in his memory been unable to meet his gaze, but this disconnect, however brief, feels well-deserved.
No, Hythlodaeus would never have condoned such actions— he has always known that full well. In a way, it's comforting to hear him say so. He is precisely the man Hades remembers, right down to love and affection persisting through disapproval.]
I love you.
[Truly, Hades is more fortunate than he ever could have hoped for, ever could have expected. He catches Hythlodaeus' lips easily as second time, parting his own as he deepens the kiss into something a touch more demanding. Even as his lover's hands move to cup his face, his own slides upwards along the curve of his back from where it had come to rest against his hip, fingers curling against the back of his neck and nails gently biting into flesh, some small part of him fearful that should he let go, this will suddenly cease to be.
It is, in so many ways, too good to be true.]
I will endeavor to be worthy of such love. I do not expect forgiveness from any of those I have wronged— but this chance, I will not squander.
[ hades, at last, has learned to let go of the past - or at least, to allow it to rest, to trust their legacy to those left behind. the world will not be as they left it, but mayhaps venat was right, suffering is the key to survival, and having suffered himself he can understand the point of it all. these kisses, these touches are so much sweeter for all that they have been through, and despite having built their utopia the world still, eventually, fell down around them.
and so hythlodaeus, at least, is content to leave their star in the hands of their new stewards, content to watch from the wings. ]
I know you won't.
[ hades' nails biting into the skin of his neck send a ripple of goosebumps down his back, and he, too, surrenders himself to the kiss, his mouth open over hades', tongue dipping to taste him while hythlodaeus' grasp on his jaw only tightens, his thumbs sliding over the crests of his lover's cheeks.
gods, he tastes so good, he smells so familiar..
the kiss breaks, but only so he can offer hades a smile; he won't leave their conversation on a painful note. ]
He lets out a dramatic sigh that fades out into a low laugh, rumbling through his chest as he tugs Hythlodaeus into another kiss, demanding another taste. Leave it to his partner to know precisely how to diffuse any tension— though in truth, this was an inevitability. If they were going to spend the bulk of this 'beautiful day' in bed, then they would certainly be making the most of it.]
Always so demanding.
[Some things really don't ever change. He slaps one hand against his partner's rear with intent, a teasing admonishment that immediately lends to him smoothing his touch over its curve.]
I don't know. You roused me from sleep before I was ready. I might be too tired.
[He can say that all he wants, but Hythlodaeus' attentions had already begun to draw the desired reaction from him some time ago, and there's no denying that.]
hythlodaeus can't help a merry laugh, as he leans in to nuzzle his nose alongside hades', sweet and affectionate. ]
Is that so?
[ he hmms under his breath, one hand slipping away from hades' jaw to slide down his abdomen, slim fingers tracing the shape of his cock, which, indeed, seems very much awake. or at least, waking up. good morning, little hades!! ]
You certainly do not feel very tired.. in fact, I daresay you are positively vigorous.
Though committed to his efforts to be difficult, he can't help but let out a soft groan as that sweetly familiar touch teasingly finds its way downwards to where his own body betrays him, his breath hitching softly.]
Vigorous may be something of an understatement.
[Perhaps at the moment, but certainly not for long, given that his cock had already been at half-mast and is quite clearly responding to his partner's continued attention. After so many long and miserably lonely years apart, one might think that he would set aside this game of lazily playing hard-to-get, but instead, it stands as a testament to just how at ease he feels here, Hythlodaeus sprawled on top of him and affectionately coaxing.
Amaurot is long gone, but this, these moments, still feel like home.]
If you're going to be so very insufferable about it, I suppose I might have no choice...
[He lets out a soft hmm of his own as he claims another kiss before he steadily begins to trail them towards his jaw, nudging Hythlodaeus' remaining hand aside as he works his way back towards his ear with measured deliberation.]
[ hades' constant game of emotional and physical cat and mouse is simply a part of their dynamic, it feels comfortable and familiar, and so hythlodaeus can hardly complain. when it matters, they spill what is in their hearts, and that is all that counts, really. the rest of the time they can play, and flirt, and tease, as is their wont. ]
Of course I am going to be insufferable about it.
[ hades will feel the smile that curves his mouth, even as he's turning his head to grant further access to his long neck. hythlodaeus is, of course, insufferable at every available opportunity, but hades is hardly any better, but he shall not complain when his lover's kisses trail so sweetly along his jaw.
already the heat is beginning to build, despite their rather intense session the night before - he never really could get enough of hades, and after thousands of years that certainly has not changed. hythlodaeus' slim fingers tease around the shape of hades' cock, dragging slowly from base to tip, smugly satisfied by the way he reacts so easily, played like a fiddle, though hythlodaeus is hardly unaffected. a smooth roll of his hips against hades' thigh earns a wave of heat and a soft, shuddering sigh. after so long, this still feels completely natural. ]
So, I think, you have little enough choice but to please me.
[He scoffs, even as he catches an earlobe between his teeth and gives it a tug, his grip on Hythlodaeus' ass tightening so that his fingers dig at him, a sharp contrast to his partner's own soft and teasing ministrations, though experience tells him he'll be met with the same in turn before long.]
Always demanding, always impatient.
[Childish, really, but that doesn't stop him from beginning to roughly kiss his way along the curve of his partner's neck, teeth sharply grazing against skin midway only for him to drag his tongue over that same spot before continuing downwards. It's getting much more difficult not to respond more bodily to Hythlodaeus' touch; his own hips roll upwards and he groans against the crook of his neck as his fingers teasingly drag against the tip, and the press of his partner's own hardening length against his thigh is full of promise.]
And what if I'm the one who wishes to be pleased?
[His words bear a sharp edge to them, murmured hotly against flushed skin, followed by a soft grunt and another open-mouthed kiss as he works his way towards Hythlodaeus' throat.]
[ hades' efforts earn a sharp intake of breath, an exhaled shuddered sigh - his throat has ever been sensitive, and hades has certainly not forgotten. the teasing touches of his fingers at last solidify into something more satisfying as they at last wrap around the heat of his cock, pulling in deep strokes from base to tip. ]
Then please you I shall..
[ for pleasing hades is, of course, always at the forefront of hythlodaeus' mind, however much he might endeavor to torment him. nothing could ever be more important than making him happy, most especially upon request.
and so hythlodaeus regrettably breaks from the attention to his throat, only to pull himself back more fully until he is sitting astride hades' lap, his hips rocking downward in a slow, measured roll. ever the peacock, hythlodaeus maintains eye contact while he arches his back, his hands now gliding open-palm over the strong ridges of hades' abdomen as he shakes his lilac hair freely over his shoulders. a smile, smug and knowing, curves his mouth, before he's opening one hand to drag his tongue flat against his palm, before dropping it to continue his work, stroking hades' cock to fullness. ]
What would the illustrious Emet-Selch have of me this beautiful morning?
[His concentrated efforts earn a low groan in response; for a moment, Hades' eyelids lower as his head tilts back, his adam's apple giving a sudden bob as he swallows hard. Something so simple has no right feeling as good as it does, but he responds readily, his cock growing eager in his partner's hand.
Something about Hythlodaeus' ability to hold and command his interest has always felt infinitely unfair.
He lifts his hooded gaze again just in time to see Hythlodaeus setting himself astride his hips; he watches him with intent, appreciative of his lover's inclination to play exhibitionist peacock despite what he might say otherwise. That measured roll of his hips earns another groan, louder this time, certainly a sound of approval, and Hades pulls his hands forward from where they had cupped at his rear, slowly moving them along the length of Hythlodaeus' thighs instead, one hand dipping lower to drag against the inside while still not quite managing to touch where he's certain his partner wants it most.
Naturally, he goes and ruins things by calling him that. The form of address gets a derisive snort in response. Must he?
He sighs, giving an exaggerated roll of his eyes, but his smile pulls wider now— certainly, Hythlodaeus has his cooperation as well as his attention.]
Perhaps remind me of what else that silver tongue of yours is capable of.
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but I care a lot about your opinion!!
You think every day is beautiful.
[He makes a vain effort to make it sound like an insult, but even then, it's lackluster— cranky at best, and the arm he has draped over the other man's waist tightens its hold ever so slightly.]
I will not. You'll not drag me from this bed— do not waste your efforts.
MY OPINION IS U IS GREAT
I certainly never said you need leave the bed.
[ he is feeling very warm and lazy himself, like a cat in a sunbeam, and after so many long years left bereft, leaving hades' side is the last thing he wants to do. in fact, he only arches closer when that arm closes more tightly around him. emet-selch's eyes are stubbornly closed, but no doubt he shall hear the smile in hythlodaeus' voice as he glides his thigh to hook over hades' hip.
he's feeling very touchy-feely. he's always feeling touchy-feely. ]
Did you sleep well?
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We may be able to come to an accord.
[Hades lets out a long, drawn breath as he stretches out, his feet peeking out just beneath the covers as he reaches one arm overhead, eyes opening fully as he rolls onto his back and offers Hythlodaeus a genuine smile.]
Better than I have in countless lifetimes, to answer your question.
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and ah, how sweet it is to see that smile in return, a rarity from emet-selch, and yet so lovely to behold. after all hades has been through, the pain, the horror, the sacrifice, to see him smile so warms hythlodaeus' heart so keenly it all but aches. to be responsible for even a hint of it is a great privilege, but then, he has ever felt privileged to be even a small part of emet-selch and azem's lives. how could he possibly have earned their love? how could he possibly have been worthy? ]
As did I.
[ he says, his hooded gaze lingering still on hades' tired face. ]
I suppose being kept alive by Hydaelyn's magicks is not quite so untenable.
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[For all the effort he puts into sounding exasperated, he cannot help but smile, and reaches to take the side of Hythlodaeus' face in hand to pull him downwards into a languid kiss. It is a simple display of affection, yet the emotions that accompany it are anything but. Overwhelming and surreal are chief among them, but there is also gladness, affection, and bittersweet as they may be, he is intent on enjoying these moments after thousands of years parted, countless lives lived for his duty and his beliefs rather than for himself.]
This once, I will abide her meddling.
[The words are murmured against his lips as the kiss breaks, the curve of his wry smile apparent by touch. It is not something he offers to many, this private part of himself, but Hythlodaeus had ever been an exception.]
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it still feels like a dream. how many years has it been since they have been intimate? countless. so long that time had ceased to have meaning. the moon had been so cold and distant, and so many times hythlodaeus had felt he might dissolve into nothingness, for all the time he spent wandering, cut off from everything he knew, from etheirys itself. from azem. from hades.
a soft, satisfied sigh gusts against hades' lips, and hythlodaeus smiles, folding both arms over hades' chest, nuzzling nose and mouth both along the strong line of his nose. ]
I should hope you would..
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Millennia apart, and he is just as Hades remembers. More than once, he had feared that his memory would fade and fail him, that he would forget the curve of his lips or the soft timbre of his voice, but for as invincible as he'd believed his convictions to be, it would seem that some memories were just as strong.]
I am quite glad for it, in fact.
[A warm concession, one he would make for no other. He shifts, their legs still entangled from the night before, and he possessively hooks one foot around his companion's ankle.]
How do you feel?
[His brow draws downwards, just a touch. It is, after all, the first time Hythlodaeus has been corporeal in quite some time.]
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most especially when hades is only enticing him further with that possessive little snap of his foot. even now, all these eons later, it fills him with pride to be the center of hades' attentions; how very fortunate he is to have this. turning his face into the warm drag of hades' touch, he all but purrs a low, private hum, while pressing a series of soft, intimate little kisses to his palm. ]
Me?
[ he's feeling pretty great and mildly horny at the moment thanks for asking.
but he knows what hades is asking him, and hythlodaeus is quiet for several moments as he rolls his thoughts into his head. how it feels to be whole again is difficult to describe. ]
I feel.. tired. Groggy, I suppose.
[ he starts, his violet gaze wandering as he searches for the words. ]
As if I have been sleeping for a very, very long time. I imagine it will pass, soon enough.
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'Quite glad' is quite an understatement, in truth, but he has ever shown his affection more readily through his actions rather than words.]
In time, I've no doubt it will.
[Tired has ever been his own state of being, but this is something different— a weariness that is almost pleasant in how visceral it feels, compared to the weight that has carried within his very soul for lifetimes beyond counting. For once, Hades himself feels whole, and at last, he is no longer alone.
The past could not be saved, that had been a fool's errand, but that Hydaelyn had seen fit to allow him to recapture this small part of it...
For that, he is grateful.]
I'm glad you're here.
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especially when hades' hand glides down his back, tracing the tender dip of his spine, earning a low, shivering sigh. he's always been sensitive there. ]
So am I.
[ he murmurs, a languid smile curving his lips as he buts his nose against hades', his breath gusting against his partner's mouth. it's certainly an understatement. when hythlodaeus offered himself up to zodiark he never expected to have this chance again, and yet here they are. his voice is soft, quiet, low. ]
I've missed you..
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Does he truly deserve this? Hythlodaeus does, to be certain, a reward for his sacrifice, but Hades himself...
Their world is long gone, and he does not know that he belongs in this one. Not after what he's done in the name of trying to win back the past at its expense.
His smile falters, only slightly, but his touch remains soft, tipping his chin upwards so that he can press his lips to Hythlodaeus' once more.]
I've missed you, too. There are no words.
[If he could find them, he would even be moved to soften their edges. To say it has been a lonely existence would be nowhere near strong enough.]
It does not yet feel real... nor does it feel deserved, I confess.
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it all makes perfect sense, of course, that given their history and the coming of the final days, that hades would have chosen the path that he did - it is so like him to remain loyal to his people, to his work, and that he had to stoop so low in order to achieve it.. that certainly parses, as well. hades would not be above sullying himself for the good of the people, for the good of the star.
and yet, hythlodaeus loves him so.
he does not answer right away, but instead lingers in their kiss, dragging his mouth sweetly over hades', peppering kisses to the corners of his lips before he at last draws back to look into his face, his arms folded still over emet-selch's chest, one hand freeing to smooth the hair from his eyes. ]
Why not?
[ he knows why. but he needs to hear it, in hades' words. ]
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They both know full well that Hythlodaeus knows precisely why— but it will do him no good to keep it in. It will make it no less true.]
I became what I swore I would not. What I once thought myself incapable of.
[And for no short period of time. The sweet brush of Hythlodaeus' lips and his gentle ministrations seem too kind for him, let alone another chance at life when he has already lived longer than anyone rightly should, by this world's standards— and if one could truly call his miserable campaign to conquer and bring back what had been lost living.]
Of the many things I have longed for over the centuries, this reunion has ever been a wish that I held close to my heart.
[That, he's sure, comes as no surprise, and he presses a kiss against the tip of Hythlodaeus' nose before dropping to claim another from his lips for emphasis— he will not have his lover thinking he is anything but glad to be here with him again.]
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his brows draw tight, his expression grave, yet understanding. ]
Yes, you did.
[ because there is no sense denying it. what hades did was unconscionable, and had hythlodaeus been alive to see it he would have struggled, like as not pleaded with him to change his course, but that may not have even been possible. had zodiark's influence over him been too strong? so strong that even azem and hythlodaeus' combined efforts would not have drawn him back? only hades knows the answer to that. how much of his service to zodiark was his own will? regardless, at the very least, the lifestream has cleared him of his influence. ]
But Venat saw fit to give you another chance. I think she must trust the choices you will make, the things you will do with your great power.
[ for hades may have been once killed, but he is whole as ever now, as capable and strong as he has ever been.
tipping his forehead to touch hades', he brushes their mouths together once more, his hands splaying warm against his lover's chest, thumbs tracing the ridges of his collarbone. ]
But selfishly.. I want you with me, just to have you. To be beside you again, despite it all.
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He draws his own touch along the length of Hythlodaeus' jawline before taking what remains of his braid between two fingers, letting it slip through as he tucks it behind his partner's shoulder, baring his neck. The kiss breaks, but their brows remain pressed together, Hades' aurum gaze as affectionate as it is weary.]
Here with you, I can almost believe all of that.
[He remains skeptical, as ever, but here in this room, entangled as they are and having been gifted something as precious as it was impossible, he is able to ease his hold on it, to let the present be what holds his attention rather than the challenges ahead.
They will still be waiting whenever he does choose to step out into the world, but for now, he has no intention of leaving this inn room.]
Had I been given the opportunity to ask for such a favor— it would have been this, regardless.
[To be together again. To have another chance, for at least some short while, to have another taste of the life that had been cut all too short, along with the lives of those he loved most dearly.]
Has it not changed how you see me?
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No. Yes.
[ the truth is far more complicated than a simple answer. for the sake of love hades has done terrible things, committed wrongs that can never, never be righted, and no matter how pure his motivations were, his means.. his means were unforgivable, heinous, shocking. and yet it is not up to hythlodaeus to forgive him, if that is even something hades seeks at all, for he was not the one who was wronged. but to know what he has done, to look him in the eye, to see the blood on his hands..
hythlodaeus' heart wrenches in his breast. ]
I cannot in good conscience condone what you have done, however.. what matters more to me is what lies ahead. What choices you make from here.
[ his gaze flits back at last to hades' restful face, the agony of his struggle writ clear across his delicate features, though there is fondness there too, and an enduring, faithful dedication that is unwavering even after so many long years. dipping his head, hythlodaeus catches another kiss, this one slow and lingering, both hands sliding upward to cup his strong jaw. when he speaks his words are but a breath against hades' lips, tender and trembling. ]
But I love you. I shall always love you, no matter what you have done, no matter what you will do.
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No, Hythlodaeus would never have condoned such actions— he has always known that full well. In a way, it's comforting to hear him say so. He is precisely the man Hades remembers, right down to love and affection persisting through disapproval.]
I love you.
[Truly, Hades is more fortunate than he ever could have hoped for, ever could have expected. He catches Hythlodaeus' lips easily as second time, parting his own as he deepens the kiss into something a touch more demanding. Even as his lover's hands move to cup his face, his own slides upwards along the curve of his back from where it had come to rest against his hip, fingers curling against the back of his neck and nails gently biting into flesh, some small part of him fearful that should he let go, this will suddenly cease to be.
It is, in so many ways, too good to be true.]
I will endeavor to be worthy of such love. I do not expect forgiveness from any of those I have wronged— but this chance, I will not squander.
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and so hythlodaeus, at least, is content to leave their star in the hands of their new stewards, content to watch from the wings. ]
I know you won't.
[ hades' nails biting into the skin of his neck send a ripple of goosebumps down his back, and he, too, surrenders himself to the kiss, his mouth open over hades', tongue dipping to taste him while hythlodaeus' grasp on his jaw only tightens, his thumbs sliding over the crests of his lover's cheeks.
gods, he tastes so good, he smells so familiar..
the kiss breaks, but only so he can offer hades a smile; he won't leave their conversation on a painful note. ]
Now, make love to me, you tired old bastard.
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He lets out a dramatic sigh that fades out into a low laugh, rumbling through his chest as he tugs Hythlodaeus into another kiss, demanding another taste. Leave it to his partner to know precisely how to diffuse any tension— though in truth, this was an inevitability. If they were going to spend the bulk of this 'beautiful day' in bed, then they would certainly be making the most of it.]
Always so demanding.
[Some things really don't ever change. He slaps one hand against his partner's rear with intent, a teasing admonishment that immediately lends to him smoothing his touch over its curve.]
I don't know. You roused me from sleep before I was ready. I might be too tired.
[He can say that all he wants, but Hythlodaeus' attentions had already begun to draw the desired reaction from him some time ago, and there's no denying that.]
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hythlodaeus can't help a merry laugh, as he leans in to nuzzle his nose alongside hades', sweet and affectionate. ]
Is that so?
[ he hmms under his breath, one hand slipping away from hades' jaw to slide down his abdomen, slim fingers tracing the shape of his cock, which, indeed, seems very much awake. or at least, waking up. good morning, little hades!! ]
You certainly do not feel very tired.. in fact, I daresay you are positively vigorous.
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Though committed to his efforts to be difficult, he can't help but let out a soft groan as that sweetly familiar touch teasingly finds its way downwards to where his own body betrays him, his breath hitching softly.]
Vigorous may be something of an understatement.
[Perhaps at the moment, but certainly not for long, given that his cock had already been at half-mast and is quite clearly responding to his partner's continued attention. After so many long and miserably lonely years apart, one might think that he would set aside this game of lazily playing hard-to-get, but instead, it stands as a testament to just how at ease he feels here, Hythlodaeus sprawled on top of him and affectionately coaxing.
Amaurot is long gone, but this, these moments, still feel like home.]
If you're going to be so very insufferable about it, I suppose I might have no choice...
[He lets out a soft hmm of his own as he claims another kiss before he steadily begins to trail them towards his jaw, nudging Hythlodaeus' remaining hand aside as he works his way back towards his ear with measured deliberation.]
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Of course I am going to be insufferable about it.
[ hades will feel the smile that curves his mouth, even as he's turning his head to grant further access to his long neck. hythlodaeus is, of course, insufferable at every available opportunity, but hades is hardly any better, but he shall not complain when his lover's kisses trail so sweetly along his jaw.
already the heat is beginning to build, despite their rather intense session the night before - he never really could get enough of hades, and after thousands of years that certainly has not changed. hythlodaeus' slim fingers tease around the shape of hades' cock, dragging slowly from base to tip, smugly satisfied by the way he reacts so easily, played like a fiddle, though hythlodaeus is hardly unaffected. a smooth roll of his hips against hades' thigh earns a wave of heat and a soft, shuddering sigh. after so long, this still feels completely natural. ]
So, I think, you have little enough choice but to please me.
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Always demanding, always impatient.
[Childish, really, but that doesn't stop him from beginning to roughly kiss his way along the curve of his partner's neck, teeth sharply grazing against skin midway only for him to drag his tongue over that same spot before continuing downwards. It's getting much more difficult not to respond more bodily to Hythlodaeus' touch; his own hips roll upwards and he groans against the crook of his neck as his fingers teasingly drag against the tip, and the press of his partner's own hardening length against his thigh is full of promise.]
And what if I'm the one who wishes to be pleased?
[His words bear a sharp edge to them, murmured hotly against flushed skin, followed by a soft grunt and another open-mouthed kiss as he works his way towards Hythlodaeus' throat.]
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Then please you I shall..
[ for pleasing hades is, of course, always at the forefront of hythlodaeus' mind, however much he might endeavor to torment him. nothing could ever be more important than making him happy, most especially upon request.
and so hythlodaeus regrettably breaks from the attention to his throat, only to pull himself back more fully until he is sitting astride hades' lap, his hips rocking downward in a slow, measured roll. ever the peacock, hythlodaeus maintains eye contact while he arches his back, his hands now gliding open-palm over the strong ridges of hades' abdomen as he shakes his lilac hair freely over his shoulders. a smile, smug and knowing, curves his mouth, before he's opening one hand to drag his tongue flat against his palm, before dropping it to continue his work, stroking hades' cock to fullness. ]
What would the illustrious Emet-Selch have of me this beautiful morning?
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Something about Hythlodaeus' ability to hold and command his interest has always felt infinitely unfair.
He lifts his hooded gaze again just in time to see Hythlodaeus setting himself astride his hips; he watches him with intent, appreciative of his lover's inclination to play exhibitionist peacock despite what he might say otherwise. That measured roll of his hips earns another groan, louder this time, certainly a sound of approval, and Hades pulls his hands forward from where they had cupped at his rear, slowly moving them along the length of Hythlodaeus' thighs instead, one hand dipping lower to drag against the inside while still not quite managing to touch where he's certain his partner wants it most.
Naturally, he goes and ruins things by calling him that. The form of address gets a derisive snort in response. Must he?
He sighs, giving an exaggerated roll of his eyes, but his smile pulls wider now— certainly, Hythlodaeus has his cooperation as well as his attention.]
Perhaps remind me of what else that silver tongue of yours is capable of.
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