alignmyheart | au of an au

He doesn't notice the chain until Essek draws his attention to it. He looks down and a smile flickers to life. That's right. Essek used his ring to cast that spell. Percy lifts a hand and closes it around the ring as he gives his husband a soft, adoring look. He knows that spell can't be a low-level one, and even if Essek has been safe with him, he knows what it takes to put out high-level magic.

Percival leans close to kiss Essek again and he lets go of the ring and the charm in favor of getting his arm around his lover, pulling the smaller body closer to him.

"Thank you," he whispers, voice a bit tight. "For everything you've done. Including charging out here to find me."

His fingers slide into Essek's pale hair, gently combing it back from his face.

"We'll nap a little, then go whenever you're ready."

Edited 2022-01-17 07:06 (UTC)

Essek tangles their legs together as he's drawn against his husband, hands sliding up his chest to cup his face again. He relishes every one of these kisses, and his thumb strokes a stubbled cheek as Percival thanks him. Light, this sweet man. How does he deserve someone like this?

Leaning into his touch, he whispers back, "I am not sure what I have done that is so worthy of praise. But I am glad that you appreciate my rashness."

He kisses Percy this time, fingers trailing up to brush over his adorably rounded ears.

"A few more hours, then." He'll need a little more rest before he can cast teleport, anyway.

Percy wraps around Essek and falls asleep again just as they are. He sleeps soundly for a few hours, content with his husband pressed against him and the warmth shared beneath blankets. At some point, he nuzzles into Essek's hair.

He still feels a bit groggy when he wakes again, but no longer quite so worn out. His lips brush Essek's cheek before he slips out from beneath the blankets. Percy rinses his mouth out with water and finds his clothes so he can get dressed. He isn't overly concerned, especially if Essek can get them back into one of their bedrooms. He feels through the bag the clothes were in and a small smile appears when he feels his glasses. Percy sits as he puts them on, blinking a few times before he focuses on Essek.

"There you are."

Essek wakes again when Percy does. Even after several days of it, he's still becoming accustomed to sleep, especially all of the time he loses, and the drowsiness that comes after. But coming to beside his husband is nice, and watching him as he gets up and dresses is nice too. He lays on his stomach, head pillowed on his folded arms, and smiles when Percival puts his glasses on and turns to him. There's a boyish charm about him sometimes, and Essek is far from immune to it.

"It's good to see you too," he says. With Percival dressed and preparing to go already, Essek makes himself sit up, and the blanket slides off him as he does. He's as disheveled as he's ever been, pale hair a mess, entirely without jewelry apart from his own wedding ring. His dark skin almost seems to glow with the constant flush of heat. That he's spent much of his time over the last several days having sex is apparent even visually.

The hours he's spent resting have brought a return of that need, but he's determined to return to the castle rather than jump his husband now. He'd really like a proper bath.

"Is there anything else you must prepare here before we go?" He begins to collect his own clothing, applying prestidigitation where necessary to at least make himself presentable.

"No. We'll take the bags back with us, but everything else stays."

The scent of a very large wolf tends to keep other animals out of the cave, save small rodents. And they tend to clear out when he returns. Percy admires Essek as his husband puts himself together, and he can feel warmth curling low in his belly when he realizes - again - that Essek came out here wearing nothing but one of his robes and a cloak. He takes a soft, sharp breath as the rich blue fabric slides over beautiful dark skin.

He gets up and slings the bags over his shoulder and steps close to his husband.

"Ready when you are, darling."

The deep blue robe is soft against his heated skin. Essek has worn it a few times over the last few days, whenever he's gotten particularly cold. He's considering keeping it for himself, and the way Percival is looking at him now as he ties it around his bare body is a point in favor.

But needs must, and he covers it quickly with his own heavy cloak after pulling his stockings and boots on. They're both ready. All he has left to do is cast.

"To your room, then," he says, and reaches out to take one of Percival's hands in his. It isn't strictly necessary for the spell, but he's always found that physical connection helps him focus on those he is bringing along with him. Closing his eyes, he speaks the words in Undercommon and then the world folds around them.

Essek is well acquainted with his husband's bedchamber, and as what he is currently wearing came from that very room, the chances of his teleport being off target are incredibly slim. They arrive in less than a second exactly where he predicated, standing together at the foot of the stately bed--the spot he is most familiar with. The warmth of the space hits him immediately, and there is a sense of relief at simply being indoors again. This is where he wants to spend the second half of his heat.

"Well," he says primly, "that was an adventure."

Even if Percival has teleported many times, he still holds Essek's hand a little tighter as his husband casts the spell. He has the habit of closing his eyes, even if it takes just a second to move between places. It helps, even if it is all in his head. His shoulders relax now that they are in his bedroom and he lifts Essek's hand to kiss his knuckles before letting go.

"It was. You know, there's something to be said for the hike back," he says with a dry smile, knowing damn well that Essek might have just left him there if he'd insisted on walking ab "But teleporting does have it's advantages."

Percy slides the chain off over his head and takes his wedding band off so that he can put it back where it belongs on his hand.

"I'll send for.. lunch?" He glances at the elegant clock in his room - one that he's made - to sort out what time it actually is. "Yes, lunch."

If Essek made arrangements before his impulsive trip to the woods, Percy will make sure they are honored now with his room as the point of delivery for meals and anything else. He looks at Essek and reaches to cup his chin.

"Or you can do that, and I'll see to a bath."

Edited 2022-01-18 04:41 (UTC)

Essek does arch a brow as Percival drops his hand, praising the hike that Essek knows very well takes him the better part of a day. He has a quip ready about advising Lord de Rolo as Whitestone's Conservator of Arcane Interests to utilize magical advantages when they are presented, but thankfully his husband redeems himself quickly enough. His expression surely conveys enough, anyway.

The time is right for lunch, but what he would appreciate even more is a bath. A smirk flickers over his lips as Percival suggests it, and Essek reaches up to catch his chin between his fingers, leaning up as he tugs him down for a brief kiss as a reward.

"Clever boy," he purrs. "You know my mind too well."

Considering that agreed upon, he releases his husband and turns toward the door to summon a servant. Though they are indoors, he keeps his heavy cloak on as he speaks to the chamberlain who answers him about having meals delivered here. Though the extra layer does little to conceal his scent, it at the very least conserves his modesty. He wouldn't be seen by anyone but Percival in the robe he is wearing beneath it.

It really is unfair just how hearing Essek say the words clever boy in that Kryn purr gets to him, especially when he has such a delicate but firm hold on his chin. The praise sends heat prickling through him and Percy resists the urge to chase another kiss.

He watches Essek drift to the door, then shakes his head and heads into the large bathroom attached to the bedroom. Not all of Whitestone's castle has indoor plumbing - not yet - but the suites belonging to the noble spouses do. Percy gets the water running and leaves the tub to do a bit more grooming. At the very least, he brushes his teeth and rinses his mouth again, clearing any odd lingering tastes there. Whoever prepares their meal will likely send up tea and Percy is looking forward to the mint tea that will inevitably accompany Essek's preference. He finds it particularly soothing after the full moon and so it has become part of his recovery routine.

Percival looks at himself in the mirror and runs a considering hand over his stubble. He should probably wait until after the bath to shave, if he does at all.

Leaving the mirror, he starts undressing on his way back to the tub to check the water level and to add an oil he likes.

Arrangements for food made, Essek is glad to be alone again. Appearing collected while mostly preoccupied by thoughts of where and how he would like to have sex today is trying. He removes his cloak and boots at last and follows the sound of running water into the washroom wearing only Percival's robe again, bare feet on the ground.

He pauses a moment in the doorway to watch his husband pull his shirt over his head, feeling a distinct throb between his thighs. It's a difficult sight to turn away from, especially now, but Essek is a strong-willed man, and he makes himself find the things he needs to freshen himself up instead. While the majority of his things remain in his own suite, he keeps many essentials in his spouse's washroom now as well--plenty enough to clean his teeth and nails before he bathes.

That Percival clearly intends to bathe with him is both wonderful and incredibly distracting. But there is no harm in a little distraction. After the last several days, it's practically expected. Yet there is something different about approaching this now that Percival is human again, as if his beastly shape and their nest in the forest had given Essek implicit permission to indulge in his own needs and instincts without shame. Though he's sure it must only be himself imposing it, he feels pressure now to practice more restraint, even if that is the last thing his body wants.

But if he's learned anything about his husband during his experience, it's that man and wolf are very much the same person. Percival must surely still desire the same things, and desire him in the same way.

Percival is nervous in his own way. Even if he isn't so different as a wolf, his instincts seemed sharper and less complicated. Maybe his propensity to overthink does him no favors here.

He looks at Essek the moment he appears. While his sense of smell his vastly superior as a wolf, he can still catch the alluring scent of his husband, made more so by the influence of his heat. He thinks of the way Essek talked about breeding and heirs and he can't ignore the sudden rush of arousal. That is utterly compounded by the possessive pride he feels as Essek continues to wear his robe, effectively mingling their scents.

The very least he can do is let them both clean up first.

Percival finishes undressing and makes sure the water temperature is right. He adds just a bit more oil and swirls it through the water with his hand, deciding that it's very reasonable to pamper Essek after three nights in the woods.

Given that Essek fully expects to be pampered, the soft floral scent of the oil diffusing in hot water comes as no surprise to him, but it is very welcome. Finished with his pre-bath maintenance, he turns to find Percival already undressed, an especially compelling sight beside a steaming tub. Essek unties the robe's belt and lets it slip from his body, approaching the bath from the opposite side to test the temperature with his fingertips.

"Thank you, k'allis. This is what I need exactly." He glances up to catch his husband's eye briefly before stepping into the tub and sinking down into the water up to his shoulders. With his currently elevated body temperature, it doesn't feel quite as hot as it might otherwise, but it is still incredibly soothing where he is sore, and it is especially cleansing after the last few days. At last, he can wash properly.

The bath is such a size that Percy can join him without much shuffling. With a relieved sigh, Essek leans back, letting his head rest against the tub's lip.

Essek is... beautiful. Something soft and warm blossoms in Percival's chest when he sees his husband bare and pleased and able to relax. He waits for Essek to settle in the tub before slipping in to join him, deciding to sit facing each other rather than making Essek shuffle to accommodate him otherwise. It also means he can watch Essek as much as he pleases and he can feel the drow's legs brush against his own.

He closes his eyes for a second as he sinks up to his shoulders. When he opens his eyes again, he lolls his head to look at Essek, admiring him again as the wizard rests his head against the tub. A hand moves beneath the water to slide over Essek's calf, down to his ankle.

"Better?" he asks, even knowing the answer. Percival realizes that he still has his glasses on but decides not to do anything about that just yet. If he sets them down now, he'll forget where he left them. He has other pairs, but he would still rather not lose these.

Percival isn't the only one admiring. Essek watches him with a keen gaze and stretches his legs out when a hand caresses down his calf. The tips of his toes nudge at the inside of a pale thigh before sliding up over his hip, and a quietly bemused smile unfurls slowly across Essek's lips.

"Much. We must do something about the conditions in that hideaway of yours before the next full moon. I will need a tub and a bed at the very least."

Casually, he expresses his continued interest in joining Percy for future transformations, with the assumption that he will be permitted to. Why should his husband have to spend that time alone when Essek has seen all now and is still perfectly willing to be with him? Even as a wolf, Percival has proved to be kind, conscientious, and witty as ever--not to mention a generous lover.

Percy gives Essek a keen look when he so casually suggests the cave he uses could use improvements. His thumb strokes over the delicate ankle beneath his hand.

"Oh? It's served me well enough," he answers, eyes bright behind his glasses. "Are you intending to move in, darling?"

He wants to hear it. There's a shiver of excitement at the thought that Essek wants to spend time with him, regardless of his shape. Percival has to imagine his husband will not be moved to spend every full moon with him, or that he will stay every night when he does, but... the possibility that Essek will be with him at all is enough.

And he's already considering what might be done to improve his home-away-from-home.

"And I recall you sleeping on me most of the time. Was I not a good bed?"

A smile threatens. He's allowed to tease, isn't he?

Essek answers as though it should be obvious. "Certainly. So long as some improvements are made." His foot flexes under Percy's hand, and the other trails up his side just to touch his skin beneath the water. "It is a perfectly suitable place for a wolf, but less so for a drow."

For this drow, anyway. Historically, there are many drow who would be perfectly at home in a cave long term, but Essek is not one of them.

His smile grows more with a twitch of his lips. "Very good, actually. So I should like something that allows us to lay together still." He can think of a few ways to accomplish this, but he isn't lingering on the hows at the moment. "You were good for other things as well."

Percy smiles as Essek's foot moves against him. He lightly tugs on Essek's foot before sliding his hand up the back of his husband's leg to his knee, where he pulls again, trying to coax Essek to him.

"What else was I good for, hm?"

His voice is a bit lower, warmer, as the look in his eyes changes subtly. He loves seeing Essek smile. He never expected to fall in love with this man, but he is grateful for the turn their relationship took some time ago.

The tug on the back of his knee encourages Essek's smile a little more. Though he's trying to affect an air of amused indifference, it's nearly impossible with his husband behaving this way and looking at him like that. Every instinct wants him to follow that pull and go to him, slip into his lap and feel the press of their warm, wet skin.

Instead, he makes himself draw back, though it takes all of his will to do so. He's been burning for his husband's touch since he woke again, and it is nearly painful to intentionally pull away. Still, he draws both of his legs back toward himself, coyly out of reach. A brow arches.

"Guess."

Percy lets Essek pull away and doesn't immediately follow, though everything in him wants to. It's a game now, and while he suspects that he will lose, he is willing to let it start.

Gods, he looks amazing. He smells amazing still.

"It was the tongue, wasn't it?" He can't help the wolfish grin that appears, and he manages to resist the allure of his husband for all of a minute before he's moving closer in the water. His hands slide over Essek's legs, trying to coax them apart so that he can move between them.

Oh, yes. This is what he wants. With satisfaction, Essek lets Percival come to him, apparently unable to leave him alone for long. Thank the Light for that. Essek wouldn't have been able to hold out much longer himself.

"You know that it was." He manages a smirk even though the grin his husband is giving him makes his heart beat faster and the constant pulse of arousal between his legs build. Letting them fall open under Percival's touch so he can press closer makes it worse.

He reaches for his husband's shoulders, letting his nails dig lightly into his skin as he draws him in. "You were very...dedicated."

"Am I ever anything less?" he asks, quieter now that he's close. He eases between his husband's legs, knees pushing beneath Essek's thighs as he braces his arms against the rim of the tub.

He tips his head to trail kisses along Essek's neck, and realizes very quickly that he's played himself. This close, his husband's scent is overwhelming and it is impossible to forget that he is still in heat, even if he hasn't given in to urgency again just yet. He bites Essek's earlobe and grins as manicured nails dig against his shoulders. He missed that - much harder to feel when he's got thick fur.

Even with so little provocation, Percival is half-hard.

"I had to make sure you didn't lose too much," he murmurs against the delicate shell of Essek's ear.

He isn't, but he knows that. Essek shakes his head anyway, breath catching as he's crowded against the tub's side, exposing his neck willingly for his husband's hungry, wandering kisses. A soft ah slips out as teeth close around his ear, and he braces his feet against the bottom of the bath to push closer, resting his thighs over Percy's.

Though heat sweeps through him with the murmur into his ear, Essek shivers. "I don't think I was ever in danger of that," he says, wry but faint. Not with how much there was. "But the effort was certainly appreciated."

There is no avoiding the ache growing inside him or how slick he's becoming, not with his alpha against him smelling so enticing, just as he has for days now. Essek's nails drag across Percival's shoulders restlessly. He can't go much longer without admitting quietly, "I need you still."

"No," he murmurs, voice lower. "I don't think you were."

Percy keeps one arm braced against the tub as the other hand disappears beneath the water. He lifts his head and bumps his brow against Essek's as he cups his hand over his husband's cunt.

"Right here, darling? Or do you want to finish our bath?" Somehow he keeps his voice steady even if he can feel the heat of that need against his palm. He wants to plunge into this beautiful man, but... the game is still afoot, and Essek started it.

Oh, Light. The shudder that passes through his body is impossible to conceal. Percival's hand is right there, right where he needs his touch, growing hotter by the moment as his arousal flares insistently. He needs his alpha to press his lovely, deft fingers inside him, and then his cock. Here, now.

He isn't the only one. His husband is looking at him with plain desire. It would be so easy to say yes.

But how rewarding would it be to refuse? To drive Percival wild with the desire he sees in him now, and feel the full effect when he permits it at last? It will be a test of his own endurance, but after hours spent walking through the woods in this state, he feels capable.

"I want to wash," he says. His voice isn't quite as firm as he'd like, but he considers it a victory to be speaking like this at all. His accent is thick, nearly rolling his words the way he would in Undercommon. His hands slide over Percival's pale shoulders as he speaks, down onto his chest. "I want you to spoil me completely, and then I want you to take me in your bed. I want to know that you have never wanted anyone the way that you want me."

Percy hovers close, lips near enough to touch if either of them would move enough. A tremor rushes through him as Essek makes himself clear. He has always been attracted to his husband's ability to do this, and were they not in the tub, it might be enough to bring Percival to his knees. Essek may be an omega, but Percy is wrapped around his elegant fingers and all he need do is crook them just right.

He knows it isn't easy now. He can feel how much Essek needs and wants him, and Percy is sure if he presses his luck he could get that wall to crumble. But the proposition pulls at something in him, something that has existed for quite some time, unearthed fully by his husband.

Still. The game isn't finished.

Percival presses his middle finger between Essek's slick folds the barest amount, offering no real penetration or even a tease of it, but reminding Essek just how close he is. He presses a light, almost chaste kiss to his husband's lips. His heard is pounding beneath the hand on his chest.

"Of course," he murmurs as he withdraws his hand, resting it on Essek's thigh instead. "How shall I pamper you, dearest love?"

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