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[ it's over. at last, it's over.
well. nearly over. the sages have been rounded up, the archon is free, irminsul is cleansed.. all that remains is to tie up the loose threads. the cleanup, before everything settles back into place. cyno has only one regret. he'd have the balladeer's head on a spike for what happened to tighnari, when cyno was not there to protect him, but the harbinger's fate is not his to decide. guilt weighs heavy on his heart.
but cyno has a job to do. with lumine slung over his back, and paimon beneath his arm, cyno makes the short trek to gandharva ville under cover of night, his only company the blanketing stars that wink above him. it's an easy enough journey, cyno has made it more times than he can count. he knows every shortcut, every inch of the space between sumeru city and gandharva ville, every step between him and tighnari. for all they have been apart, their new relationship has stood strong against the test of their separation. cyno has made a point to visit a few times since his exile to the desert, to sneak into tighnari's hut in the dead of night and fall into his arms, but those chances have been few and far between. the letters they've written had had to suffice.
now, they can breathe a little more easily. now, things can fall back into some semblance of normalcy.
without preamble, cyno steps into tighnari's hut and unceremoniously slings lumine down onto the bed, and paimon beside her. a few hours pass before they are finally, blessedly alone, tucked away by the water beneath gandharva ville, where the nilotpala lotuses gleam in the moonlight. cyno doesn't hesitate to pull tighnari gently against him, his traveling cloak rustling in the silence, his hands grasping in loose fabric as his head falls heavily to his partner's shoulder. ]
I'm sorry.
well. nearly over. the sages have been rounded up, the archon is free, irminsul is cleansed.. all that remains is to tie up the loose threads. the cleanup, before everything settles back into place. cyno has only one regret. he'd have the balladeer's head on a spike for what happened to tighnari, when cyno was not there to protect him, but the harbinger's fate is not his to decide. guilt weighs heavy on his heart.
but cyno has a job to do. with lumine slung over his back, and paimon beneath his arm, cyno makes the short trek to gandharva ville under cover of night, his only company the blanketing stars that wink above him. it's an easy enough journey, cyno has made it more times than he can count. he knows every shortcut, every inch of the space between sumeru city and gandharva ville, every step between him and tighnari. for all they have been apart, their new relationship has stood strong against the test of their separation. cyno has made a point to visit a few times since his exile to the desert, to sneak into tighnari's hut in the dead of night and fall into his arms, but those chances have been few and far between. the letters they've written had had to suffice.
now, they can breathe a little more easily. now, things can fall back into some semblance of normalcy.
without preamble, cyno steps into tighnari's hut and unceremoniously slings lumine down onto the bed, and paimon beside her. a few hours pass before they are finally, blessedly alone, tucked away by the water beneath gandharva ville, where the nilotpala lotuses gleam in the moonlight. cyno doesn't hesitate to pull tighnari gently against him, his traveling cloak rustling in the silence, his hands grasping in loose fabric as his head falls heavily to his partner's shoulder. ]
I'm sorry.
[ It's been a long day for them both. Luckily for all of them, the Traveler has little more than minor burns and cuts, none of which are serious. Mysteriously, however, they're dead asleep, allegedly because of the Doctor. All's left is to wait until they wake, which means Tighnari is out of a bed for the next few days.
It's of little concern, however, as he's been itching to spend time with Cyno. The Mahamatra has been in town a scant few times since this whole operation began, but all his visits were a few hours long as best, time for a dinner, a game of cards, a kiss. Then he was gone again, to save their Archon. Tighnari's no pining housewife, keeps himself busy with research, tending to his patients, and more recently, fending off Fatui threats. All excellent uses of his time, no matter what Cyno might say.
Still, he lets himself get tugged into Cyno's embrace. The sounds of the water drown out the bustle of the village above, and the canopy of lotuses shield them from view. He kisses Cyno's hair as the other man's head bows, resting on the shoulder that wasn't injured.
The wound is mostly healed, thanks to Tighnari's Dendro vision, though the scar is unlikely to fade; he jokes that it looks shocking on him, but he knows that every time Cyno sees it, he feels a smear of guilt. Stupid man. ]
I told you to stop making a fuss about it. I'm fine.
[ Stupid, dumn, brave, incredible man. ]
It's of little concern, however, as he's been itching to spend time with Cyno. The Mahamatra has been in town a scant few times since this whole operation began, but all his visits were a few hours long as best, time for a dinner, a game of cards, a kiss. Then he was gone again, to save their Archon. Tighnari's no pining housewife, keeps himself busy with research, tending to his patients, and more recently, fending off Fatui threats. All excellent uses of his time, no matter what Cyno might say.
Still, he lets himself get tugged into Cyno's embrace. The sounds of the water drown out the bustle of the village above, and the canopy of lotuses shield them from view. He kisses Cyno's hair as the other man's head bows, resting on the shoulder that wasn't injured.
The wound is mostly healed, thanks to Tighnari's Dendro vision, though the scar is unlikely to fade; he jokes that it looks shocking on him, but he knows that every time Cyno sees it, he feels a smear of guilt. Stupid man. ]
I told you to stop making a fuss about it. I'm fine.
[ Stupid, dumn, brave, incredible man. ]
How do you expect me to do that?
[ cyno has a grand total of one best friend, one partner, one lover, and that person was harmed on his watch.
realistically, cyno knows full well that tighnari can look after himself. he's strong, and fierce when he needs to be. he's knowledgeable, quick, perceptive, and wickedly smart, he stood his ground against several fatui just fine. and yet, cyno still worries. for many years now tighnari has been the most important person in cyno's life, and though he's begun to lower his walls for others, recently, cyno nevertheless cares for tighnari more than he cares for himself. no one has the right to lay so much as a finger on him.
cyno's grasp around him tightens, and he can't help the low growl that resounds from deep in his throat, even as tighnari places a soothing kiss to his hair. cyno's voice is low, threatening. ]
I'd tear him apart with my bare hands, if I could..
[ if it were his call. his say. but the balladeer's fate is to be decided by the archon herself, and cyno will respect her rules, her say, even if whatever she chooses to do with him will not - in cyno's professional opinion - be enough. ]
[ cyno has a grand total of one best friend, one partner, one lover, and that person was harmed on his watch.
realistically, cyno knows full well that tighnari can look after himself. he's strong, and fierce when he needs to be. he's knowledgeable, quick, perceptive, and wickedly smart, he stood his ground against several fatui just fine. and yet, cyno still worries. for many years now tighnari has been the most important person in cyno's life, and though he's begun to lower his walls for others, recently, cyno nevertheless cares for tighnari more than he cares for himself. no one has the right to lay so much as a finger on him.
cyno's grasp around him tightens, and he can't help the low growl that resounds from deep in his throat, even as tighnari places a soothing kiss to his hair. cyno's voice is low, threatening. ]
I'd tear him apart with my bare hands, if I could..
[ if it were his call. his say. but the balladeer's fate is to be decided by the archon herself, and cyno will respect her rules, her say, even if whatever she chooses to do with him will not - in cyno's professional opinion - be enough. ]
Cyno.
[ This time, genuine annoyance seeps into his tone, but Tighnari catches himself and breathes. Stop treating me like a child, he wants to say, but he knows it isn't that. If Cyno thought Tighnari incapable, he would have brought the Traveler to the Birmastan. If Cyno thought Tighnari untrustworthy, he wouldn't have mentioned him to Dehya. That Tighnari even gets to see these feelings; Cyno's anger, his frustration, his exhaustion; is testament to how safe Cyno feels in his presence.
The thing Cyno is upset by, Tighnari reminds himself, isn't the Fatui, or even the Balladeer is particular, though Tighnari is very certain the threat is true.
He's upset at himself, and there's nothing Tighnari can do or say to assuage that. Only time will.
Cyno's guilt is only being added to the growing pile of Tighnari's own troubles, however: he'll soon have to babysit some exiled former Sages; he has to look after the Traveler, who is in a coma, manage poor Paimon, and supervise Haypasia's recovery; Collei is recovered, but she can't handle his duties, and there's the very real possibility she might be considering leaving, now that she's cured. All that on top of his regular duties.
Blessedly, Cyno has always been a taciturn person, and now is no different. Given a space of silence to ruminate, Tighnari decides to press another kiss to that flax-pale hair. ]
Don't be childish. Your revenge fantasy has nothing to do with me.
[ He says it matter-of-factly, but with finality. He shuffles himself sideways, to better cup Cyno's face and kiss him. ]
Be here with me tonight, instead.
[ Because that's an actionable statement that will help both of them feel better. Distance has been hard on them, especially navigating a burgeoning relationship. All Tighnari really wants is a break, just for a few hours, to be in his beloved's arms. ]
[ This time, genuine annoyance seeps into his tone, but Tighnari catches himself and breathes. Stop treating me like a child, he wants to say, but he knows it isn't that. If Cyno thought Tighnari incapable, he would have brought the Traveler to the Birmastan. If Cyno thought Tighnari untrustworthy, he wouldn't have mentioned him to Dehya. That Tighnari even gets to see these feelings; Cyno's anger, his frustration, his exhaustion; is testament to how safe Cyno feels in his presence.
The thing Cyno is upset by, Tighnari reminds himself, isn't the Fatui, or even the Balladeer is particular, though Tighnari is very certain the threat is true.
He's upset at himself, and there's nothing Tighnari can do or say to assuage that. Only time will.
Cyno's guilt is only being added to the growing pile of Tighnari's own troubles, however: he'll soon have to babysit some exiled former Sages; he has to look after the Traveler, who is in a coma, manage poor Paimon, and supervise Haypasia's recovery; Collei is recovered, but she can't handle his duties, and there's the very real possibility she might be considering leaving, now that she's cured. All that on top of his regular duties.
Blessedly, Cyno has always been a taciturn person, and now is no different. Given a space of silence to ruminate, Tighnari decides to press another kiss to that flax-pale hair. ]
Don't be childish. Your revenge fantasy has nothing to do with me.
[ He says it matter-of-factly, but with finality. He shuffles himself sideways, to better cup Cyno's face and kiss him. ]
Be here with me tonight, instead.
[ Because that's an actionable statement that will help both of them feel better. Distance has been hard on them, especially navigating a burgeoning relationship. All Tighnari really wants is a break, just for a few hours, to be in his beloved's arms. ]
Sorry. Sorry.
[ cyno recognizes the firm tone of tighnari's voice, and obeys; this man who stands beside him, holds him, kisses him, is one of the scant few in all of sumeru that would not only dare to make gentle demands of the general mahamatra, but also see them respected, heeded. though his blood boils with searing fury still, he trusts tighnari's fair and even judgment.
in time, his righteous ire will fade away, though like as not cyno will always harbor a healthy dose of cold resentment for the balladeer, and a firm reminder to himself to be ever vigilant, ever watchful. if only his touch could undo it, if only he could kiss away the spiderweb scar on his lover's skin that will haunt him every time his hands and lips pass over it. it's vaguely hypocritical, he knows, for tighnari hardly begrudges him his own scars, but cyno's overprotectiveness has ever been one of his scattered pitfalls. it applies to every corner of his life. it is why he does what he does, why he took up the mantle of general mahamatra to begin with - not for the attention, not for the glory, or the status, but for the ultimate authority he can wield in the name of sumeru, to protect her peoples.
cyno may have very few friends and loved ones, but he nevertheless shields all of sumeru beneath his dark wings. at least, that is how he perceives his duty.
but tighnari's kisses soothe the savage beast in his heart, and the hard lines of cyno's shoulders begin to soften beneath his sweeping cloak. he sighs, closes his eyes, leans his face into the warm cup of tighnari's palm. it feels good, just to be with him again, to not feel the tugging urge to move, to go, to work. it's been a long few months. for several lingering seconds, cyno says nothing, only glides his hands down his partner's back, careful, ever careful, always careful of the bandages beneath. ]
I do have a promise to keep, to you.
[ he murmurs, nudging his nose against tighnari's with overt affection.
when it's all over, i will be yours. always. ]
I'm here.
[ cyno recognizes the firm tone of tighnari's voice, and obeys; this man who stands beside him, holds him, kisses him, is one of the scant few in all of sumeru that would not only dare to make gentle demands of the general mahamatra, but also see them respected, heeded. though his blood boils with searing fury still, he trusts tighnari's fair and even judgment.
in time, his righteous ire will fade away, though like as not cyno will always harbor a healthy dose of cold resentment for the balladeer, and a firm reminder to himself to be ever vigilant, ever watchful. if only his touch could undo it, if only he could kiss away the spiderweb scar on his lover's skin that will haunt him every time his hands and lips pass over it. it's vaguely hypocritical, he knows, for tighnari hardly begrudges him his own scars, but cyno's overprotectiveness has ever been one of his scattered pitfalls. it applies to every corner of his life. it is why he does what he does, why he took up the mantle of general mahamatra to begin with - not for the attention, not for the glory, or the status, but for the ultimate authority he can wield in the name of sumeru, to protect her peoples.
cyno may have very few friends and loved ones, but he nevertheless shields all of sumeru beneath his dark wings. at least, that is how he perceives his duty.
but tighnari's kisses soothe the savage beast in his heart, and the hard lines of cyno's shoulders begin to soften beneath his sweeping cloak. he sighs, closes his eyes, leans his face into the warm cup of tighnari's palm. it feels good, just to be with him again, to not feel the tugging urge to move, to go, to work. it's been a long few months. for several lingering seconds, cyno says nothing, only glides his hands down his partner's back, careful, ever careful, always careful of the bandages beneath. ]
I do have a promise to keep, to you.
[ he murmurs, nudging his nose against tighnari's with overt affection.
when it's all over, i will be yours. always. ]
I'm here.
[ It's definitely not the last time they'll have this conversation. Cyno has few friends, so Tighnari accepts being patient as part and parcel of their relationship. As a teacher, he has patience to spare. ]
You do.
[ He smiles into Cyno's mouth, kisses him deeply, gently. Cyno's touch is soft along his wounded edge, and while Tighnari might prefer to be held and touched with less chasteness, he appreciates the care. For the next few hours, he wants to forget all the mess waiting for him back in town.
Fundamentally, he's just glad to be here and to have Cyno back. So many things could have gone wrong during this whole process, beyond just the bolt of lightning. Cyno and the others had truly done the impossible; overthrown the corrupt heads of the Akademiya and rescued a god from captivity.
He pulls away briefly, just to press their foreheads together. ]
I'm proud of you, you know.
[ Of Dehya, the Traveler and the others too, but Cyno in particular. People take the work of the General Mahamatra for granted, or view it at best as a necessary evil, but Cyno had proven in these last few days that he more than deserved his title. So few people ever expressed appreciation for the things he did. ]
You do.
[ He smiles into Cyno's mouth, kisses him deeply, gently. Cyno's touch is soft along his wounded edge, and while Tighnari might prefer to be held and touched with less chasteness, he appreciates the care. For the next few hours, he wants to forget all the mess waiting for him back in town.
Fundamentally, he's just glad to be here and to have Cyno back. So many things could have gone wrong during this whole process, beyond just the bolt of lightning. Cyno and the others had truly done the impossible; overthrown the corrupt heads of the Akademiya and rescued a god from captivity.
He pulls away briefly, just to press their foreheads together. ]
I'm proud of you, you know.
[ Of Dehya, the Traveler and the others too, but Cyno in particular. People take the work of the General Mahamatra for granted, or view it at best as a necessary evil, but Cyno had proven in these last few days that he more than deserved his title. So few people ever expressed appreciation for the things he did. ]
[ the kisses are welcome, and more than that, soothing, comforting. the plan had gone off without a hitch, cyno's great work is complete, but it has left him feeling ragged, and restless. though he's a muted personality by his very nature, tighnari knows him well enough - and is perceptive enough - to be able to suss it out, more than likely. it's there in the glare of cyno's eyes, in the tension of his body, wound tight as a bowstring, in the way he shifts his weight from foot to foot.
yet like a great wolf being scratched behind the ears, cyno melts into tighnari's hands, into his warm and welcome kisses that satisfy a deep urge in his belly, the urge to be near to his mate, to hold, to protect. a soft, pleased hum rumbles between their lips, and when tighnari pulls away, cyno chases his lips for another kiss, and another, before their brows come together. ]
Proud of me?
[ anyone else asking such a question might be digging for compliments, but cyno, naturally, is genuinely flummoxed. ]
I was only doing my job.
[ only following his deep-set sense of justice, resetting the scales that had tipped too far in favor of the sages. still, he recognizes tighnari's compliment for what it is, needs him to know he appreciates it; one corner of cyno's mouth twitches into a mild smile. ]
But.. thank you. I'm proud of you, too. Proud to know you. To be part of your life.
[ tighnari may not have been central to their grand plans, but he took up cyno's summons without fear, and without hesitation. he's so strong, and capable, and smart; how had cyno been lucky enough even to befriend him? let alone be afforded such an esteemed role in his life as partner. lover. mate. ]
yet like a great wolf being scratched behind the ears, cyno melts into tighnari's hands, into his warm and welcome kisses that satisfy a deep urge in his belly, the urge to be near to his mate, to hold, to protect. a soft, pleased hum rumbles between their lips, and when tighnari pulls away, cyno chases his lips for another kiss, and another, before their brows come together. ]
Proud of me?
[ anyone else asking such a question might be digging for compliments, but cyno, naturally, is genuinely flummoxed. ]
I was only doing my job.
[ only following his deep-set sense of justice, resetting the scales that had tipped too far in favor of the sages. still, he recognizes tighnari's compliment for what it is, needs him to know he appreciates it; one corner of cyno's mouth twitches into a mild smile. ]
But.. thank you. I'm proud of you, too. Proud to know you. To be part of your life.
[ tighnari may not have been central to their grand plans, but he took up cyno's summons without fear, and without hesitation. he's so strong, and capable, and smart; how had cyno been lucky enough even to befriend him? let alone be afforded such an esteemed role in his life as partner. lover. mate. ]
[ He huffs out a laugh. ]
I know you did. And likewise.
[ Unlike Cyno, Tighnari does have some awareness of how he's perceived, at least in terms of finding value in keeping a good reputation. That Cyno is proud to know him...it means something, a warm feeling that melt in his chest. ]
Thanks to you, we have a free and happy archon, now.
[ It does bother him, that she was kept in a cage like that. That is was simply allowed to happen, right under the collective noses of generations. That she hasn't wiped out the people of Sumeru is testament to her grace and mercy, as far as he's concerned. Perhaps gods, or maybe just this particular god, are beyond such petty things as revenge. Maybe she's been so eager to see the sun that she hasn't stopped long enough for anything else. How long does it take for an ageless, omniscient being to process their feelings? Days must be blinks to her. ]
Have you...spoken with her? [ It's something so flabbergasting to him, meeting an Archon. She knows them, has known each and every one of them their entire lives, and Cyno just up and...interacted with her. ] How is she—how is she coping with everything?
I know you did. And likewise.
[ Unlike Cyno, Tighnari does have some awareness of how he's perceived, at least in terms of finding value in keeping a good reputation. That Cyno is proud to know him...it means something, a warm feeling that melt in his chest. ]
Thanks to you, we have a free and happy archon, now.
[ It does bother him, that she was kept in a cage like that. That is was simply allowed to happen, right under the collective noses of generations. That she hasn't wiped out the people of Sumeru is testament to her grace and mercy, as far as he's concerned. Perhaps gods, or maybe just this particular god, are beyond such petty things as revenge. Maybe she's been so eager to see the sun that she hasn't stopped long enough for anything else. How long does it take for an ageless, omniscient being to process their feelings? Days must be blinks to her. ]
Have you...spoken with her? [ It's something so flabbergasting to him, meeting an Archon. She knows them, has known each and every one of them their entire lives, and Cyno just up and...interacted with her. ] How is she—how is she coping with everything?
[ he absolutely did just straight up interact with her. it's fine.
they're going to be here awhile, chatting, kissing, touching, enjoying one another's company, so as much as it pains him to do so, cyno withdraws from his lover's embrace long enough to unwind his heavy cloak. thick, dark fabric snaps as cyno shakes it out, and drops it to lay against the grass, offering them somewhere comfortable to sit. cyno folds himself down onto it, sitting cross-legged, and looking up toward tighnari expectantly. come, now. sit with him. ]
She's.. hm.
[ tighnari isn't the only one bothered by lesser lord kusanali's treatment, her unlawful imprisonment, and that it went on so long while he has been general mahamatra brings with it a shame he cannot easily erase. he'd never had reason to doubt the sages for their lack of love for her, after her power was lost, but never in his wildest thoughts would he have imagined they would do what they did. that they would dare to cage her, dare to undermine and insult her by fabricating a god to take her place. it's sickening. infuriating, even now. like the balladeer, cyno believes that the grand sage has gotten off far too easily for his crimes. that he isn't choking in a pool of his own blood is thanks only to their archon's merciful kindness. ]
She's happy to be free. She's angry, in her way.. and a little sad.
[ for reasons cyno cannot know, but he'd seen it in her wide, childlike eyes. ]
But she's strong. Kind. She will heal.
they're going to be here awhile, chatting, kissing, touching, enjoying one another's company, so as much as it pains him to do so, cyno withdraws from his lover's embrace long enough to unwind his heavy cloak. thick, dark fabric snaps as cyno shakes it out, and drops it to lay against the grass, offering them somewhere comfortable to sit. cyno folds himself down onto it, sitting cross-legged, and looking up toward tighnari expectantly. come, now. sit with him. ]
She's.. hm.
[ tighnari isn't the only one bothered by lesser lord kusanali's treatment, her unlawful imprisonment, and that it went on so long while he has been general mahamatra brings with it a shame he cannot easily erase. he'd never had reason to doubt the sages for their lack of love for her, after her power was lost, but never in his wildest thoughts would he have imagined they would do what they did. that they would dare to cage her, dare to undermine and insult her by fabricating a god to take her place. it's sickening. infuriating, even now. like the balladeer, cyno believes that the grand sage has gotten off far too easily for his crimes. that he isn't choking in a pool of his own blood is thanks only to their archon's merciful kindness. ]
She's happy to be free. She's angry, in her way.. and a little sad.
[ for reasons cyno cannot know, but he'd seen it in her wide, childlike eyes. ]
But she's strong. Kind. She will heal.
[ If it were Cyno's decision, all criminals in Sumeru would be likely put to death. Though Tighnari appreciates his dedication to his principles, it's good that Cyno has gentling influences in his life like his mentors, Collei, Tighnari and the Lesser Lord.
He lets himself be drawn down to the blanket, settling into Cyno's side, over his splayed cloak. He swings both of his legs over Cyno's lap to better lay his head on his lover's shoulder. ]
She doesn't have a choice.
[ It's not...pity, exactly, that he feels towards Kusanali, just an overwhelming sadness for the challenges she's likely to face going forward. No Grand Sage to support her, either, mostly just...Cyno.
Tighnari loves Cyno, knows him to be a righteous, devoted and protective man, but as a caretaker for a 500 year-old child? Hm. ]
If it ever gets too stuffy in the Akademiya, you could invite her here, you know. I'm sure some time in nature would do her good.
[ Surely the forest must be more enriching than the city for the god of Dendro? That's what Tighnari thinks, anyway. ]
He lets himself be drawn down to the blanket, settling into Cyno's side, over his splayed cloak. He swings both of his legs over Cyno's lap to better lay his head on his lover's shoulder. ]
She doesn't have a choice.
[ It's not...pity, exactly, that he feels towards Kusanali, just an overwhelming sadness for the challenges she's likely to face going forward. No Grand Sage to support her, either, mostly just...Cyno.
Tighnari loves Cyno, knows him to be a righteous, devoted and protective man, but as a caretaker for a 500 year-old child? Hm. ]
If it ever gets too stuffy in the Akademiya, you could invite her here, you know. I'm sure some time in nature would do her good.
[ Surely the forest must be more enriching than the city for the god of Dendro? That's what Tighnari thinks, anyway. ]
[ well, maybe not all criminals, but certainly many more. and azar? absolutely. that he's been allowed the privilege of living out his life in avidya forest is far, far more than he deserves; he'd best find himself grateful for his archon's mercy. still, tighnari's presence stills him, and he is fortunate to have others around to smooth out his sharp, hard edges even if, in the end, he'll never be anything but an attack dog. or so he feels.
when tighnari settles in beside him, cyno is all too happy to pull him near, all but into his lap. one hand rests against one of tighnari's knees over his thighs, while the opposite arm snakes around tighnari's back, scooping him in close. ]
That's not a bad idea. Not any time soon, but.. in the future.
[ nahida has plenty of work and cleanup ahead of her, after all, like as not she won't have the time to spare to gallivant in the forest, but cyno will be with her every step of the way, assisting in what ways he is able. it's an honor, and the least he can do, considering how long he allowed her imprisonment to go on right under his nose.
cyno hums, soft and content, as he rubs his nose and mouth into tighnari's hair, and against the satin fur of his ears. he smells so good, so familiar that it makes cyno's heart ache. it was easy to push his longing back while he was so focused on his work, but now, with nothing to occupy his time, he can realize just how much he missed his lover, his partner, his best friend. cyno's rough fingers trace delicate patterns against the small of tighnari's back, his thumb gliding against the base of his tail, reverent and affectionate. it's so easy. ]
You're sure you're not too busy?
when tighnari settles in beside him, cyno is all too happy to pull him near, all but into his lap. one hand rests against one of tighnari's knees over his thighs, while the opposite arm snakes around tighnari's back, scooping him in close. ]
That's not a bad idea. Not any time soon, but.. in the future.
[ nahida has plenty of work and cleanup ahead of her, after all, like as not she won't have the time to spare to gallivant in the forest, but cyno will be with her every step of the way, assisting in what ways he is able. it's an honor, and the least he can do, considering how long he allowed her imprisonment to go on right under his nose.
cyno hums, soft and content, as he rubs his nose and mouth into tighnari's hair, and against the satin fur of his ears. he smells so good, so familiar that it makes cyno's heart ache. it was easy to push his longing back while he was so focused on his work, but now, with nothing to occupy his time, he can realize just how much he missed his lover, his partner, his best friend. cyno's rough fingers trace delicate patterns against the small of tighnari's back, his thumb gliding against the base of his tail, reverent and affectionate. it's so easy. ]
You're sure you're not too busy?
[ Predictably, Cyno starts to get handsy, not that Tighnari minds. The opposite, in fact. They've been apart so long, and both of them have been so stressed... ]
I sure will be. [ He laughs, but it's joyless. ] But I can always make time for those who need it.
[ He tilts his head lightly to kiss Cyno's jaw. ]
And for you.
[ His voice dissolves into pleased purrs. This is what he'd been hoping to get out of tonight, skinship and cuddling and maybe some kisses. He'd had hopes that they might take their relationship to the next physical step once Cyno had more free time, but with his injury, it won't be tonight. For now, just being like this is more than enough.
Tighnari pulls his gloves off. He can press the pads of his clawed fingers into Cyno's cheek, turning his lover's face to better kiss him. ]
I sure will be. [ He laughs, but it's joyless. ] But I can always make time for those who need it.
[ He tilts his head lightly to kiss Cyno's jaw. ]
And for you.
[ His voice dissolves into pleased purrs. This is what he'd been hoping to get out of tonight, skinship and cuddling and maybe some kisses. He'd had hopes that they might take their relationship to the next physical step once Cyno had more free time, but with his injury, it won't be tonight. For now, just being like this is more than enough.
Tighnari pulls his gloves off. He can press the pads of his clawed fingers into Cyno's cheek, turning his lover's face to better kiss him. ]
[ funny, how cyno never would have considered himself an affectionate person, before this. before tighnari. when it came to physicality, the closest cyno came to other people was to drive a spear through their gut, or a knife through their palm, nothing softer, never softer. he wouldn't have expected that he would know the first thing about gentle closeness, about warm affection, and yet cyno is every bit the wolf his spirit demands that he be. fierce. feral. wild. vicious.
but also protective. loving. loyal. even before they took this step, it was easy to be close to tighnari, to rest their shoulders together, to fall asleep slumped against him. now, he can't imagine not touching him, or holding him, or kissing him. how effortlessly tighnari scaled his high, stony walls, and made a fool of him. ]
We don't deserve you.
[ tighnari is prickly, abrasive, strict, but his heart is ever in the right place. he's selfless in a way that cyno never thinks he could be. it's just one of the many, many things that cyno loves about him.
but the world narrows when tighnari kisses him, and all else falls away. cyno closes his eyes and tilts his head to better slot their mouths together, his lips parting, the hand on tighnari's knee rising to cup his jaw. cyno's thumb is rough and dry, catching on delicate skin as he passes it over the crest of tighnari's cheek. he tastes just as cyno remembers him, crisp and clean like fresh rainwater collecting on a broad leaf, his scent strong, all floral smells and clean laundry, mixed with the telltale aroma of the oils he applies to his fur. his senses are blessedly full of tighnari, the softness of his lips and skin, the feel of his dark hair, the warmth and weight of his legs slung across cyno's lap, while the stars wink above them in a dark velvet sky. the soft drag of tighnari's padded fingers against his face.
there's nowhere else he'd rather be. ]
but also protective. loving. loyal. even before they took this step, it was easy to be close to tighnari, to rest their shoulders together, to fall asleep slumped against him. now, he can't imagine not touching him, or holding him, or kissing him. how effortlessly tighnari scaled his high, stony walls, and made a fool of him. ]
We don't deserve you.
[ tighnari is prickly, abrasive, strict, but his heart is ever in the right place. he's selfless in a way that cyno never thinks he could be. it's just one of the many, many things that cyno loves about him.
but the world narrows when tighnari kisses him, and all else falls away. cyno closes his eyes and tilts his head to better slot their mouths together, his lips parting, the hand on tighnari's knee rising to cup his jaw. cyno's thumb is rough and dry, catching on delicate skin as he passes it over the crest of tighnari's cheek. he tastes just as cyno remembers him, crisp and clean like fresh rainwater collecting on a broad leaf, his scent strong, all floral smells and clean laundry, mixed with the telltale aroma of the oils he applies to his fur. his senses are blessedly full of tighnari, the softness of his lips and skin, the feel of his dark hair, the warmth and weight of his legs slung across cyno's lap, while the stars wink above them in a dark velvet sky. the soft drag of tighnari's padded fingers against his face.
there's nowhere else he'd rather be. ]
[ On the night he'd gotten struck by the Balladeer's lightning, Cyno had appeared at his hut, surging out of the inky darkness. Tighnari had heard the telltale footfall long before the man himself appeared, and when Cyno arrived at his door he'd sat up in bed, putting aside his notes.
They'd looked at each other for a long, aching moment, the silence between them deafening. Perhaps if it had been in Cyno's capacity to weep, he would have. Tighnari had felt that first weight of guilt that night, when Cyno has pressed against his hale side with such tenderness, wrapping them both up in his cloak, his scent. Nari, Nari... he'd murmured into Tighnari's hair, voice rough and miserable. They had both slept fitfully and rested little. Cyno had left with the dawn.
Now, Tighnari can't say who does and doesn't deserve who. They deserve each other, maybe; they need each other. He doubts he'll ever tire of Cyno's kisses, his rough hands, his warm gaze. Only Tighnari gets to see this gentler side of Cyno.
Each kiss between them is a homecoming, and as Tighnari's arms come to rest over Cyno's shoulders he rubs the hard pads of his thumbs up and down the back of Cyno's neck, digging precisely and gently into those knotted muscles. Welcome back, he wants to say. Cyno smells like the crisp paper of the House of Daena, mixed with some dungeon-rot dampness that doesn't suit him—like the Akademiya. Tighnari wants to lick that hurt away, make Cyno smell like the sun again. ]
They'd looked at each other for a long, aching moment, the silence between them deafening. Perhaps if it had been in Cyno's capacity to weep, he would have. Tighnari had felt that first weight of guilt that night, when Cyno has pressed against his hale side with such tenderness, wrapping them both up in his cloak, his scent. Nari, Nari... he'd murmured into Tighnari's hair, voice rough and miserable. They had both slept fitfully and rested little. Cyno had left with the dawn.
Now, Tighnari can't say who does and doesn't deserve who. They deserve each other, maybe; they need each other. He doubts he'll ever tire of Cyno's kisses, his rough hands, his warm gaze. Only Tighnari gets to see this gentler side of Cyno.
Each kiss between them is a homecoming, and as Tighnari's arms come to rest over Cyno's shoulders he rubs the hard pads of his thumbs up and down the back of Cyno's neck, digging precisely and gently into those knotted muscles. Welcome back, he wants to say. Cyno smells like the crisp paper of the House of Daena, mixed with some dungeon-rot dampness that doesn't suit him—like the Akademiya. Tighnari wants to lick that hurt away, make Cyno smell like the sun again. ]
[ that night had been.. difficult. it's still difficult, but then the wound had been fresh and new, and guilt tore at cyno's heart with burning claws. he was the one who roped tighnari into their plans to begin with, who sent the traveler there to meet with him, and logically, cyno knows that things could have very well unfolded similarly even if he hadn't..
he still could not help the way it stung, the way it burned. what use is he, if he cannot protect those he loves? he's been blessed with great power both by the archon, and the spirit that dwells in his bones, but why possess such strength if he isn't there when he needs to be? seeing tighnari so badly wounded had felt like a punch to the gut, and leaving him the following morning had been extremely, incredibly difficult when all he wanted to do was pace and growl and hold his lover near, to see to it that no harm ever came to him again.
at the very least, he has that now. tighnari might find cyno's attentions bothersome, his overprotectiveness might chafe, but like as not it won't fade any time soon, not until cyno has had the time to fully process his guilt, his.. fear.
he rumbles into their kisses, swallowing down tighnari's soft, gentle purrs, the attention to his nape enough to sweep a pleased shiver down his spine, enough to make cyno sigh against tighnari's lips. that feels good. cyno feels tight all over, his back and shoulders tense with the weight of saving an archon, but slowly, perhaps, he will be able to relax, so much as cyno is ever able to relax. when the kiss breaks, cyno tugs tighnari's lip gently between his teeth, before he's dragging gentle kisses along the line of his jaw, pressing to the tender spot where his jaw and throat come together, and down, nosing along the column of tighnari's throat, against the hood of his djellaba. ]
he still could not help the way it stung, the way it burned. what use is he, if he cannot protect those he loves? he's been blessed with great power both by the archon, and the spirit that dwells in his bones, but why possess such strength if he isn't there when he needs to be? seeing tighnari so badly wounded had felt like a punch to the gut, and leaving him the following morning had been extremely, incredibly difficult when all he wanted to do was pace and growl and hold his lover near, to see to it that no harm ever came to him again.
at the very least, he has that now. tighnari might find cyno's attentions bothersome, his overprotectiveness might chafe, but like as not it won't fade any time soon, not until cyno has had the time to fully process his guilt, his.. fear.
he rumbles into their kisses, swallowing down tighnari's soft, gentle purrs, the attention to his nape enough to sweep a pleased shiver down his spine, enough to make cyno sigh against tighnari's lips. that feels good. cyno feels tight all over, his back and shoulders tense with the weight of saving an archon, but slowly, perhaps, he will be able to relax, so much as cyno is ever able to relax. when the kiss breaks, cyno tugs tighnari's lip gently between his teeth, before he's dragging gentle kisses along the line of his jaw, pressing to the tender spot where his jaw and throat come together, and down, nosing along the column of tighnari's throat, against the hood of his djellaba. ]
[ Cyno's mouth is soft, in contrast to the man himself. His teeth dig into the flesh of Tighnari's lip, worrying it only a little, sending all-over tingles down his spine. Tighnari can't help yipping softly when Cyno pulls away, but obediently tilts his head back to give Cyno access as he chases the flow of Tighnari's pulse.
Tighnari's not as rational as someone like Alhaitham, but he's always prided himself on letting his empathy guide him without letting emotions rule him. As a result, it's difficult for him to put that rational, prideful ego aside and allow himself to enjoy the fluttering, giddy feeling of a flourishing new relationship. Perhaps it's been the weight of distance, the pain of his injury, the fact they've barely stolen a few hours here and then in the last few weeks. None of it feels real.
And yet. ]
Yes, yes, right there.
[ Cyno draws it out of him so easily. That first night, they'd talked about Tighnari's embarrassment with his instincts, and how it was hard for him to reconcile his identity as a researcher with the stubborn demands of his ancestry; he wants to be pliant beneath Cyno's hands and mouth, lay back and let himself be deliciously taken apart. He wants to be protected, which is why he refutes it so harshly. It's thrilling, and humiliating. Even worse is the dawning realization that some of it is thrilling because it's humiliating, to be small and weak and needy.
Even now he clings to Cyno, hands roving Cyno's nearly-bare chest, clawed fingers skirting under the heavy jeweled bib of his bolero and raking downwards, demanding, before palming his ribs and climbing back beneath his shoulder blades. He can feel the swell of hard muscle, and his blood sings with the knowledge of how strong his mate it.
Cyno's mouth is a brand at his throat, and Tighnari can only arch into his kisses, encouraging him, gasping into the night air. ]
If we... [ He swallows; his throat bobs. ] If we do this, we should relocate. Preferably to my hut.
[ He's still trying to pull himself out of that floaty headspace, clawing his way back on the desperate realization that they should probably stop going to second base in public. ]
Tighnari's not as rational as someone like Alhaitham, but he's always prided himself on letting his empathy guide him without letting emotions rule him. As a result, it's difficult for him to put that rational, prideful ego aside and allow himself to enjoy the fluttering, giddy feeling of a flourishing new relationship. Perhaps it's been the weight of distance, the pain of his injury, the fact they've barely stolen a few hours here and then in the last few weeks. None of it feels real.
And yet. ]
Yes, yes, right there.
[ Cyno draws it out of him so easily. That first night, they'd talked about Tighnari's embarrassment with his instincts, and how it was hard for him to reconcile his identity as a researcher with the stubborn demands of his ancestry; he wants to be pliant beneath Cyno's hands and mouth, lay back and let himself be deliciously taken apart. He wants to be protected, which is why he refutes it so harshly. It's thrilling, and humiliating. Even worse is the dawning realization that some of it is thrilling because it's humiliating, to be small and weak and needy.
Even now he clings to Cyno, hands roving Cyno's nearly-bare chest, clawed fingers skirting under the heavy jeweled bib of his bolero and raking downwards, demanding, before palming his ribs and climbing back beneath his shoulder blades. He can feel the swell of hard muscle, and his blood sings with the knowledge of how strong his mate it.
Cyno's mouth is a brand at his throat, and Tighnari can only arch into his kisses, encouraging him, gasping into the night air. ]
If we... [ He swallows; his throat bobs. ] If we do this, we should relocate. Preferably to my hut.
[ He's still trying to pull himself out of that floaty headspace, clawing his way back on the desperate realization that they should probably stop going to second base in public. ]
[ right there, tighnari says, and cyno feels his pulse quickening, two fingers lifting to hook into the high collar of tighnari's shirt, tugging it down so he can suck a possessive mark into his pale, delicate skin. his tongue arches. his teeth rake.
cyno hadn't particularly meant for it to come to this. tighnari is still recovering, they're both exhausted, cyno is overworked, coming down off of the biggest, most stressful case of his life. yet it's so very easy to fall into this. they've been apart for so long, while they are still so new, so greedy for one another, though cyno cannot imagine that the years will ever erode his love and want. they haven't yet, after all. time has only nurtured his affections. but now that they've revved this thing up, cyno doesn't want to stop.
especially not when tighnari is touching him like this, smoothing his warm palms over the hard planes of cyno's sleek muscle, dragging fingers against the frets of his ribs, raking those claws hard against cyno's sun-weathered skin. ]
Your hut is occupied.
[ he points out, his mouth never ceasing its work, dragging back up the path of tighnari's pulse, feeling the beat of his heart beneath his ribs. it sings for him. it calls for him. tighnari isn't the only creature of instinct, here - cyno has always relied on his instincts quite heavily, following the tell of his body, it's how he became such a fierce fighter, how he honed his senses to be sharp as the edge of a fresh blade. he follows those instincts now, helped along by the spirit of the wolf within him that urges him onward, its claws sunk deep into the marrow of his bones.
though he wants to be rougher, harder, cyno is mindful of tighnari's injury as he presses him down onto the dark splay of his cloak, the thick grass soft and springy beneath it. both hands press up beneath the hems of tighnari's djellaba and shirt, fabric rucking up around his wrists as he pushes them upward, careful to avoid the bandages as one hand coasts up tighnari's belly, the other along his side, thumb rolling over his nipple. and all the while his mouth works, leaving bruises behind where tighnari's collar usually covers, his teeth pressing, dragging, red welts left in their wake. his voice is rough as crushed gravel. ]
Let them see. Let them see that you're mine. Let me take care of you.
cyno hadn't particularly meant for it to come to this. tighnari is still recovering, they're both exhausted, cyno is overworked, coming down off of the biggest, most stressful case of his life. yet it's so very easy to fall into this. they've been apart for so long, while they are still so new, so greedy for one another, though cyno cannot imagine that the years will ever erode his love and want. they haven't yet, after all. time has only nurtured his affections. but now that they've revved this thing up, cyno doesn't want to stop.
especially not when tighnari is touching him like this, smoothing his warm palms over the hard planes of cyno's sleek muscle, dragging fingers against the frets of his ribs, raking those claws hard against cyno's sun-weathered skin. ]
Your hut is occupied.
[ he points out, his mouth never ceasing its work, dragging back up the path of tighnari's pulse, feeling the beat of his heart beneath his ribs. it sings for him. it calls for him. tighnari isn't the only creature of instinct, here - cyno has always relied on his instincts quite heavily, following the tell of his body, it's how he became such a fierce fighter, how he honed his senses to be sharp as the edge of a fresh blade. he follows those instincts now, helped along by the spirit of the wolf within him that urges him onward, its claws sunk deep into the marrow of his bones.
though he wants to be rougher, harder, cyno is mindful of tighnari's injury as he presses him down onto the dark splay of his cloak, the thick grass soft and springy beneath it. both hands press up beneath the hems of tighnari's djellaba and shirt, fabric rucking up around his wrists as he pushes them upward, careful to avoid the bandages as one hand coasts up tighnari's belly, the other along his side, thumb rolling over his nipple. and all the while his mouth works, leaving bruises behind where tighnari's collar usually covers, his teeth pressing, dragging, red welts left in their wake. his voice is rough as crushed gravel. ]
Let them see. Let them see that you're mine. Let me take care of you.
[ Oh gods. Cyno is right, his hut is occupied. With a comatose Traveler, no less. Tighnari flushes hot as he's pushed down, and all his eyes see is the vault of the heavens above them, Cyno outlined in stars. He adjusts until his tail isn't quite so crushed, which gives him a chance to compose himself. He's ashamed.
You make me stupid, he thinks furiously, but what he says is: ]
I suppose you're right.
[ The sentence dissolves into a murmur, shaken out between little gasps and chuffs as Cyno works his mouth, marks him up. He's slipping back into that delightful, dreamy haze again, hyper-aware of every point of contact between Cyno's fingers and his skin, the thumb working his nipple, electric. He doesn't want to put up a fight. Cyno's teeth are fireworks against his throat.
Let me take care of you. Cyno's rumble is music. ]
I'm all yours.
[ Cyno's hands are warm but Tighnari shivers when his shirt is pushed up, exposing his belly to the night air. He squeezes his eyes shut, breathing through the urge to roll his hips into Cyno's warm blanketing weight. With one hand he combs through Cyno's pale hair, and with the other he glides up and down Cyno's back, not frantic, enjoying the feeling of skin beneath skin. Even the pain of Cyno's bite only leaves jolts of pleasure.
He recognizes how lucky they are to have this, how close he came to not being here at all. Now he gets to lie here and receive such soft affection, and it's hard to breathe through the swell of emotion.
It's a bit of an odd angle, but if he tilts his head down just right, he manages to drop a kiss to the crown of Cyno's head, fingers massaging into his scalp. ]
Love you.
You make me stupid, he thinks furiously, but what he says is: ]
I suppose you're right.
[ The sentence dissolves into a murmur, shaken out between little gasps and chuffs as Cyno works his mouth, marks him up. He's slipping back into that delightful, dreamy haze again, hyper-aware of every point of contact between Cyno's fingers and his skin, the thumb working his nipple, electric. He doesn't want to put up a fight. Cyno's teeth are fireworks against his throat.
Let me take care of you. Cyno's rumble is music. ]
I'm all yours.
[ Cyno's hands are warm but Tighnari shivers when his shirt is pushed up, exposing his belly to the night air. He squeezes his eyes shut, breathing through the urge to roll his hips into Cyno's warm blanketing weight. With one hand he combs through Cyno's pale hair, and with the other he glides up and down Cyno's back, not frantic, enjoying the feeling of skin beneath skin. Even the pain of Cyno's bite only leaves jolts of pleasure.
He recognizes how lucky they are to have this, how close he came to not being here at all. Now he gets to lie here and receive such soft affection, and it's hard to breathe through the swell of emotion.
It's a bit of an odd angle, but if he tilts his head down just right, he manages to drop a kiss to the crown of Cyno's head, fingers massaging into his scalp. ]
Love you.
[ for a moment cyno worries that tighnari will rebuke him, deny him, and cyno wouldn't entirely be able to blame him. they're directly beneath gandharva ville, after all, but right now, cyno isn't of a mind to care, right now. the entire world is collapsing around them, narrowing to this space that they share, and everything outside of it is inconsequential. if someone stumbles upon them, well, so be it. the hour is late, late enough that cyno isn't particularly worried about being caught.
even were it earlier, he's not sure that he could easily stop himself. this is all still so new and exciting, and they've been apart for far too long, afforded only the time for brief kisses and shared meals, short bursts of time that they could have spent getting intimate, but instead they'd forged a silent agreement to wait. to wait for the right time, when they have more than a single hour to dedicate to one another.
that time is now, and cyno is feeling greedy, hungry. tighnari's fingers in his hair feel so perfect, scratching at his sensitive scalp, and cyno purrs his appreciation, his mouth pulling away from his partner's abused throat with a soft smack. when he lifts his head to look down into tighnari's face, cyno's thin pupils are dilated, deep black beginning to eclipse the fiery wreaths of his irises. ]
I love you, too.
[ the words come so easily, without hesitation, without embarrassment, only earnest trust.
tighnari looks beautiful beneath him, moonlight illuminating his fair features, his lovely eyes, tighnari's dark hair fanned against his cloak. cyno recognizes that hazy look on his face, and he's sure it must mirror his own love-drunk expression.
shifting his weight, cyno settles his hips between tighnari's thighs, grinding down against him, friction sparking heat, his breath rushing. unless tighnari has a surprise on him, cyno laments that they once again have nothing to use as proper lubricant, he'd love nothing more than the raw, primal experience of making love to him right here, right now, beneath the velvet sky, lit by the glow of the stars and the scattered nilotpala lotuses that light up the night. but that feels unrealistic anyway, given tighnari's injury; cyno couldn't guarantee that he could be entirely, completely gentle, however much he would try. even his great self-control has its limits.
so instead he busies himself with tighnari's clothing, pushing fabric higher on his chest, which is not the easiest task, given the wrap of his burnous and the brooch that pins it in place. but he can hike it high enough to get at his chest, cyno's head dipping until he can drag the flat of his tongue up the center of tighnari's chest, kissing a line to his right nipple, closing his mouth around it. ]
even were it earlier, he's not sure that he could easily stop himself. this is all still so new and exciting, and they've been apart for far too long, afforded only the time for brief kisses and shared meals, short bursts of time that they could have spent getting intimate, but instead they'd forged a silent agreement to wait. to wait for the right time, when they have more than a single hour to dedicate to one another.
that time is now, and cyno is feeling greedy, hungry. tighnari's fingers in his hair feel so perfect, scratching at his sensitive scalp, and cyno purrs his appreciation, his mouth pulling away from his partner's abused throat with a soft smack. when he lifts his head to look down into tighnari's face, cyno's thin pupils are dilated, deep black beginning to eclipse the fiery wreaths of his irises. ]
I love you, too.
[ the words come so easily, without hesitation, without embarrassment, only earnest trust.
tighnari looks beautiful beneath him, moonlight illuminating his fair features, his lovely eyes, tighnari's dark hair fanned against his cloak. cyno recognizes that hazy look on his face, and he's sure it must mirror his own love-drunk expression.
shifting his weight, cyno settles his hips between tighnari's thighs, grinding down against him, friction sparking heat, his breath rushing. unless tighnari has a surprise on him, cyno laments that they once again have nothing to use as proper lubricant, he'd love nothing more than the raw, primal experience of making love to him right here, right now, beneath the velvet sky, lit by the glow of the stars and the scattered nilotpala lotuses that light up the night. but that feels unrealistic anyway, given tighnari's injury; cyno couldn't guarantee that he could be entirely, completely gentle, however much he would try. even his great self-control has its limits.
so instead he busies himself with tighnari's clothing, pushing fabric higher on his chest, which is not the easiest task, given the wrap of his burnous and the brooch that pins it in place. but he can hike it high enough to get at his chest, cyno's head dipping until he can drag the flat of his tongue up the center of tighnari's chest, kissing a line to his right nipple, closing his mouth around it. ]
[ Cyno pulls away from his throat, and Tighnari is rocked by the intensity of the feelings that consume him:
doesn't want you no bite not good enough bad mate bad
One look into Cyno's hungry gaze quells his racing mind. He's left breathless, watching Cyno watch him, open thirst writ large over his expression. Tighnari must be in no better state; mussed, clothing askew, grass in his hair and fur, lips and throat a reddened mess of marks. He craves Cyno's teeth so badly, all he can do is whimper, but when Cyno speaks it's—
His face bursts into flame at Cyno's words—he doesn't think he'll ever tire of hearing it. Seeing it written on a page is a wholly different experience than hearing it spoken aloud by his own mate. Whining, he reaches his arms up, pulling Cyno back down against him. With precision, Cyno rolls his hips against Tighnari's, making him throw his head back in a low moan. He's dreamed about their coupling more than he'd dare admit, and having it so close yet so impossible, with his aching, vulnerable side, is heartbreaking. Cyno's weight is so compelling, Tighnari's own interest is blatant in response to it.
They're so close to town. Rationally, they shouldn't, but Tighnari isn't feeling particularly rational. If they get caught, well...that'll be that. Gods forbid some greenhorn Forest Ranger discovers the village doctor and Chief Officer has a sex life.
Gently he swats Cyno's fumbling hands away, to undress himself at speed. He produces a tin of ajilenakh oil from one of his many, many pockets, tossing it to Cyno as he peels off his djellaba. ]
I've been carrying this. [ The confession tumbles from his as he sits up, taking his top off. The worst of the red lightning marks, especially around his shoulder, are covered by bandages, but beneath those crawl up tendrils of exposed keloid tissue. He looks at Cyno, expression shy. ]
We can't...tonight. [ Regretfully. This isn't a pain Tighnari wants to wake. ] But I'm tired of waiting. Use your hands?
[ It's a hopeful suggestion. He doesn't regret their choice, all those weeks ago, to wait until they could do it properly and could take their time. Still, he hadn't anticipated the Balladeer...
He shuffles out of his sarwal, using his own clothing to form a bedding for them over Cyno's cloak. ]
One look into Cyno's hungry gaze quells his racing mind. He's left breathless, watching Cyno watch him, open thirst writ large over his expression. Tighnari must be in no better state; mussed, clothing askew, grass in his hair and fur, lips and throat a reddened mess of marks. He craves Cyno's teeth so badly, all he can do is whimper, but when Cyno speaks it's—
His face bursts into flame at Cyno's words—he doesn't think he'll ever tire of hearing it. Seeing it written on a page is a wholly different experience than hearing it spoken aloud by his own mate. Whining, he reaches his arms up, pulling Cyno back down against him. With precision, Cyno rolls his hips against Tighnari's, making him throw his head back in a low moan. He's dreamed about their coupling more than he'd dare admit, and having it so close yet so impossible, with his aching, vulnerable side, is heartbreaking. Cyno's weight is so compelling, Tighnari's own interest is blatant in response to it.
They're so close to town. Rationally, they shouldn't, but Tighnari isn't feeling particularly rational. If they get caught, well...that'll be that. Gods forbid some greenhorn Forest Ranger discovers the village doctor and Chief Officer has a sex life.
Gently he swats Cyno's fumbling hands away, to undress himself at speed. He produces a tin of ajilenakh oil from one of his many, many pockets, tossing it to Cyno as he peels off his djellaba. ]
I've been carrying this. [ The confession tumbles from his as he sits up, taking his top off. The worst of the red lightning marks, especially around his shoulder, are covered by bandages, but beneath those crawl up tendrils of exposed keloid tissue. He looks at Cyno, expression shy. ]
We can't...tonight. [ Regretfully. This isn't a pain Tighnari wants to wake. ] But I'm tired of waiting. Use your hands?
[ It's a hopeful suggestion. He doesn't regret their choice, all those weeks ago, to wait until they could do it properly and could take their time. Still, he hadn't anticipated the Balladeer...
He shuffles out of his sarwal, using his own clothing to form a bedding for them over Cyno's cloak. ]
Edited 2022-11-16 04:52 (UTC)
[ tighnari pulls him in close, their hips rocking together, their bodies warm, sliding, and cyno groans, low and wanting, his pulse rocketing high, heat gathering in his loins. they've only had the pleasure of enjoying a single intimate night together, yet still cyno finds that he has missed this desperately - now that he's learned what tighnari's lips and skin taste like, he cannot possibly get enough of it. he wants more, more, more, he wants to lose himself in tighnari's body, kiss him and touch him and fuck him until nothing exists but the two of them, until tighnari is coming apart for him, reduced to his basest wants and needs.
for all tighnari might dislike losing control of his rationality, cyno loves to see it happen, loves to watch him dissolve into pure instinct - perhaps because cyno is a creature of instinct himself, once all of his pointed control is stripped away. he is what the akademiya shaped him to be, an attack dog on a leash, calm and obedient for those he respects, but a mess of burning, feral intuition beneath that smooth, stoic veneer. seeing that same ancient impulse in tighnari's face is something of a comfort.
not to mention, extremely arousing.
tighnari swats his hands away, and cyno wonders for a moment if he's going to keep pushing back, coming to his senses, but he's soon pleased to find that is not the case. he's just sitting back on his heels when tighnari tosses him a tin that he catches easily. cyno pops off the lid, lifting the tin to his nose, and of course, he knows immediately what it is by scent alone. oh. oh.
we can't tonight.
cyno knows, rationally, that tighnari is right, but it bolsters his frustration nonetheless - at least until he catches sight of the angry red scars that spiderweb away from the edges of tighnari's bandages. it's like a kick to the gut. he shouldn't let the guilt creep in, not right now, but he can't help the way it chews his insides up, cold and brutal and unforgiving. leaning forward, cyno drops his head to tighnari's shoulder, brushing his lips over the edge of those scars in the lightest, gentlest of kisses. tighnari doesn't want his guilt, tighnari doesn't want his rage, his vengeance, but it boils up in him nonetheless, sickening. he'll spend his life making it up to him. his mate. his to protect.
for now.. for now he pushes it out of his mind as best as he can, for the sake of the moment. instead he focuses on how incredibly sexy it is, that tighnari's been carrying this tin around with him since all of this began. ]
Lie back for me.
[ he murmurs, trying to coax tighnari onto his back again, while sweeping his fingers through the thick, creamy oil. ]
for all tighnari might dislike losing control of his rationality, cyno loves to see it happen, loves to watch him dissolve into pure instinct - perhaps because cyno is a creature of instinct himself, once all of his pointed control is stripped away. he is what the akademiya shaped him to be, an attack dog on a leash, calm and obedient for those he respects, but a mess of burning, feral intuition beneath that smooth, stoic veneer. seeing that same ancient impulse in tighnari's face is something of a comfort.
not to mention, extremely arousing.
tighnari swats his hands away, and cyno wonders for a moment if he's going to keep pushing back, coming to his senses, but he's soon pleased to find that is not the case. he's just sitting back on his heels when tighnari tosses him a tin that he catches easily. cyno pops off the lid, lifting the tin to his nose, and of course, he knows immediately what it is by scent alone. oh. oh.
we can't tonight.
cyno knows, rationally, that tighnari is right, but it bolsters his frustration nonetheless - at least until he catches sight of the angry red scars that spiderweb away from the edges of tighnari's bandages. it's like a kick to the gut. he shouldn't let the guilt creep in, not right now, but he can't help the way it chews his insides up, cold and brutal and unforgiving. leaning forward, cyno drops his head to tighnari's shoulder, brushing his lips over the edge of those scars in the lightest, gentlest of kisses. tighnari doesn't want his guilt, tighnari doesn't want his rage, his vengeance, but it boils up in him nonetheless, sickening. he'll spend his life making it up to him. his mate. his to protect.
for now.. for now he pushes it out of his mind as best as he can, for the sake of the moment. instead he focuses on how incredibly sexy it is, that tighnari's been carrying this tin around with him since all of this began. ]
Lie back for me.
[ he murmurs, trying to coax tighnari onto his back again, while sweeping his fingers through the thick, creamy oil. ]
[ When Cyno looks at him, Tighnari sees the dimming of his expression, the sloping of his shoulders. He turns his face away, can't bear to watch Cyno look at him with guilt and regret. He wonders if it's just going to be like this from now on, his body turned into a source of pain. But then Cyno bows his head to his shoulder, and Tighnari's anxiety fades away under the feather-light touch of those kisses. It seems they're both determined not to let pity sour this. ]
Alright.
[ He grips Cyno's shoulder as a brace as he lays himself down, bunching up his djellaba with his free hand so he can tuck it beneath his lower back. It makes a little shelf so his tail is more comfortable, and props his hips up to give Cyno better access. He feels admittedly a little silly like this, but takes comfort in the monstrous heat in Cyno's gaze, which makes him feel incredibly attractive. Tighnari has never considered himself a vain creature, despite the care he gives his fur; being acknowledged like this by so powerful, attractive a man as Cyno makes his belly warm.
Cyno's ashen hair is fringed in white by the moon, his hands warm and firm on the creamy skin of his thighs. Tighnari parts them gladly, spreads his knees to accommodate Cyno's presence. Laid out like this, with Cyno out of his reach, he can hardly do a thing to reciprocate, so he supposes he may well put on a show.
He palms his own ribcage, sliding his hands up to toy with his own nipples, remembering the feeling of Cyno's bigger, rougher hands doing the same. The little nubs are still reddened and sensitive from the earlier treatment, so Tighnari brings two fingers to his mouth to wet them. He keeps one eye on Cyno's face as he slides those digits down his throat to the knuckle. ]
Alright.
[ He grips Cyno's shoulder as a brace as he lays himself down, bunching up his djellaba with his free hand so he can tuck it beneath his lower back. It makes a little shelf so his tail is more comfortable, and props his hips up to give Cyno better access. He feels admittedly a little silly like this, but takes comfort in the monstrous heat in Cyno's gaze, which makes him feel incredibly attractive. Tighnari has never considered himself a vain creature, despite the care he gives his fur; being acknowledged like this by so powerful, attractive a man as Cyno makes his belly warm.
Cyno's ashen hair is fringed in white by the moon, his hands warm and firm on the creamy skin of his thighs. Tighnari parts them gladly, spreads his knees to accommodate Cyno's presence. Laid out like this, with Cyno out of his reach, he can hardly do a thing to reciprocate, so he supposes he may well put on a show.
He palms his own ribcage, sliding his hands up to toy with his own nipples, remembering the feeling of Cyno's bigger, rougher hands doing the same. The little nubs are still reddened and sensitive from the earlier treatment, so Tighnari brings two fingers to his mouth to wet them. He keeps one eye on Cyno's face as he slides those digits down his throat to the knuckle. ]
[ tighnari lays himself out like a veritable meal, and cyno is helpless to do anything but watch. his soft, pale thighs spread open, he tugs at his own nipples, he sucks his fingers deep into his mouth while maintaining eye contact, as if it's a threat, a promise. cyno's pulse roars in his ears, his heart slamming up into his throat, bombarded by the visceral, pleasurable memory of tighnari's wet, yielding mouth around his cock, a memory that has certainly kept him warm during their time apart. ]
Tighnari..
[ cyno breathes his name like a prayer, his pupils blown so wide that they nearly eclipse the red-orange of his irises. he's staring openly, hungrily, shamelessly. cyno has seen tighnari nude before, they've been comfortable friends for a long time, whether they were simply changing clothes around one another, or going for a swim in avidya's rivers. but tighnari has never looked like this, stretched out and debauched, his pretty face flushed, his body presented to cyno on a platter as if to say take me. this is yours.
instinct roils in cyno's belly, blood rushing straight to his cock. if it weren't for that injury, cyno would climb over him like a wild beast and fuck the absolute daylights out of him; tighnari hardly knows how difficult he's making it to resist. or maybe he does know. maybe he knows exactly what he's doing, and maybe he can see it writ clear across cyno's face.
he sets to work. cyno leans over him, straddling one of those sweet, soft thighs with his knees pressed to the cloak beneath them, one hand splaying beside tighnari's shoulder to brace himself over him. his free hand coasts down tighnari's belly, over planes of sleek muscle, leaving a slick of oil before he's palming his lover's cock, stroking him to fullness, feeling the shape of him. he hadn't had much time to, before. things had moved so quickly. now he takes his time, squeezing his rough palm around the length of his shaft, rubbing over the sensitive, flared tip, dropping to trace the firm bulge of his knot. he's perfect, but still cyno wants more. his hips rock, grinding himself against the top of tighnari's thigh, while he reaches for to drag his fingertips through the oil again.
then his burning eyes are back on tighnari, and cyno doesn't hesitate to slide his fingers along the seam of his ass, seeking, finding his rim, pressing against it. cyno's breath rushes, his heart pounding in his throat, but he's too impatient to tease for long, he wants to know what tighnari's body feels like around his fingers. still, for all his temporary madness, cyno his careful and measured as he slides the tip of his middle finger past the tight ring of muscle, watching tighnari's face closely. ]
Tighnari..
[ cyno breathes his name like a prayer, his pupils blown so wide that they nearly eclipse the red-orange of his irises. he's staring openly, hungrily, shamelessly. cyno has seen tighnari nude before, they've been comfortable friends for a long time, whether they were simply changing clothes around one another, or going for a swim in avidya's rivers. but tighnari has never looked like this, stretched out and debauched, his pretty face flushed, his body presented to cyno on a platter as if to say take me. this is yours.
instinct roils in cyno's belly, blood rushing straight to his cock. if it weren't for that injury, cyno would climb over him like a wild beast and fuck the absolute daylights out of him; tighnari hardly knows how difficult he's making it to resist. or maybe he does know. maybe he knows exactly what he's doing, and maybe he can see it writ clear across cyno's face.
he sets to work. cyno leans over him, straddling one of those sweet, soft thighs with his knees pressed to the cloak beneath them, one hand splaying beside tighnari's shoulder to brace himself over him. his free hand coasts down tighnari's belly, over planes of sleek muscle, leaving a slick of oil before he's palming his lover's cock, stroking him to fullness, feeling the shape of him. he hadn't had much time to, before. things had moved so quickly. now he takes his time, squeezing his rough palm around the length of his shaft, rubbing over the sensitive, flared tip, dropping to trace the firm bulge of his knot. he's perfect, but still cyno wants more. his hips rock, grinding himself against the top of tighnari's thigh, while he reaches for to drag his fingertips through the oil again.
then his burning eyes are back on tighnari, and cyno doesn't hesitate to slide his fingers along the seam of his ass, seeking, finding his rim, pressing against it. cyno's breath rushes, his heart pounding in his throat, but he's too impatient to tease for long, he wants to know what tighnari's body feels like around his fingers. still, for all his temporary madness, cyno his careful and measured as he slides the tip of his middle finger past the tight ring of muscle, watching tighnari's face closely. ]
[ Tighnari has some idea of the effect he's having; hard not to when Cyno is looking at him like he's an open buffet. It soothes a very primal part of him, a vain part of him, that wants to be admired and fawned over, that wants to preen and receive gifts. Cyno hasn't removed his shorts yet, the outline of his hard cock visible behind the thin material, and it makes Tighnari's mouth water. If it weren't for his gods-forsaken injury, he'd eagerly be bent in half right about now.
He pulls his sloppy fingers out of his mouth, tendrils of spit chasing after, smearing them down his chest to tweak his nipples again. The sensation itself doesn't do much, but it stirs the memory of Cyno's fingers on his skin, and that is pleasant enough to make him arch a bit into the touch. He keeps his eyes glued to his lover as Cyno bends over him, taking his cock in his warm, glossy hand. Tighnari sighs, breathless, enveloped in tight, wet warmth.
It's glorious; the last time they'd done this had been quick and almost explosive, neither of them used to the sensation, overwhelmed at sharing the experience. Now they can take their time, and Cyno uses that to his advantage with gentle, slow strokes. It's like lounging in a warm bath, and Tighnari turns his head to nuzzle Cyno's cloak, get more of his scent, purring like an engine, feeling pampered in the best way.
Insistent, Cyno dips his hand confidently between Tighnari's cheeks, seeking, gently but firmly pressing on that furl of muscle until it has no choice but to yield. Tighnari sighs through that, too, relaxing, bearing down against the intrusion. He looks at Cyno, adoring, mischievous. How many times has he touched himself like this in the past weeks, imagining exactly this? Imagining Cyno's touch?
It can't compare to the real thing. Cyno's fingers are burning hot, thicker than his own and burrowing deeper. With the oil, the pain is fleeting at worst, but mostly nonexistent. It feels incredible to be so close to another person. ]
Mmm, yeah, like that...
[ His voice is a drawling murmur. He lifts one leg, demonstrating his flexibility as he hoists in halfway up Cyno's arm, opening up wide for his burning touch. The corners of his mouth curl, like he knows it'll rile Cyno up. ]
More.
He pulls his sloppy fingers out of his mouth, tendrils of spit chasing after, smearing them down his chest to tweak his nipples again. The sensation itself doesn't do much, but it stirs the memory of Cyno's fingers on his skin, and that is pleasant enough to make him arch a bit into the touch. He keeps his eyes glued to his lover as Cyno bends over him, taking his cock in his warm, glossy hand. Tighnari sighs, breathless, enveloped in tight, wet warmth.
It's glorious; the last time they'd done this had been quick and almost explosive, neither of them used to the sensation, overwhelmed at sharing the experience. Now they can take their time, and Cyno uses that to his advantage with gentle, slow strokes. It's like lounging in a warm bath, and Tighnari turns his head to nuzzle Cyno's cloak, get more of his scent, purring like an engine, feeling pampered in the best way.
Insistent, Cyno dips his hand confidently between Tighnari's cheeks, seeking, gently but firmly pressing on that furl of muscle until it has no choice but to yield. Tighnari sighs through that, too, relaxing, bearing down against the intrusion. He looks at Cyno, adoring, mischievous. How many times has he touched himself like this in the past weeks, imagining exactly this? Imagining Cyno's touch?
It can't compare to the real thing. Cyno's fingers are burning hot, thicker than his own and burrowing deeper. With the oil, the pain is fleeting at worst, but mostly nonexistent. It feels incredible to be so close to another person. ]
Mmm, yeah, like that...
[ His voice is a drawling murmur. He lifts one leg, demonstrating his flexibility as he hoists in halfway up Cyno's arm, opening up wide for his burning touch. The corners of his mouth curl, like he knows it'll rile Cyno up. ]
More.
[ it riles him. of course it riles him.
cyno may not be valuka shuna, but that doesn't mean that he has no instincts of his own. he certainly does, and right now they are snapping at his heels like wild wolves, urging him forward, more, take more, take everything. the way tighnari moves, pressing down onto him, the way he smiles, coy and mischievous, the way he lifts his leg, presenting himself -
cyno's hips jerk, seeking the friction he wants, the sweet relief he craves; grinding against tighnari's thigh is hardly enough, not when his lover looks at him with those eyes, not when he's spreading himself open like an offering to the gods. gods, but cyno wants him, wants him more than he's ever wanted anything. more, tighnari demands, and cyno is more than happy to give it.
smooth and slick, cyno's middle finger slides deeper, deeper, until he's enveloped to the last knuckle in the sweltering heat of tighnari's body, and it feels like such a godsdamned tease for all cyno wants to fuck into him, to feel all of that tight, slippery muscle grasping his cock.
patience. patience. his body aches.
despite his fervent desire, cyno wrests control, and carefully, gently, he works his ring finger in beside his middle, feeling the yield and stretch, the tension, the relaxation. he'll pause at any sign of pain, but his fingers are well-slicked with oil, passing easily into the space that opens for him, and through the haze, cyno tries to remember what he's read, because yes, he's read about this. he'd wanted to come prepared, to have every advantage in pleasing his partner, no matter how new they might be to all of this. and so, he applies his learning, carefully crooking both fingers upward, searching out that sweet little spot, that tender lump, and pressing the pads of his fingers against it. ]
Tell me how it feels.
cyno may not be valuka shuna, but that doesn't mean that he has no instincts of his own. he certainly does, and right now they are snapping at his heels like wild wolves, urging him forward, more, take more, take everything. the way tighnari moves, pressing down onto him, the way he smiles, coy and mischievous, the way he lifts his leg, presenting himself -
cyno's hips jerk, seeking the friction he wants, the sweet relief he craves; grinding against tighnari's thigh is hardly enough, not when his lover looks at him with those eyes, not when he's spreading himself open like an offering to the gods. gods, but cyno wants him, wants him more than he's ever wanted anything. more, tighnari demands, and cyno is more than happy to give it.
smooth and slick, cyno's middle finger slides deeper, deeper, until he's enveloped to the last knuckle in the sweltering heat of tighnari's body, and it feels like such a godsdamned tease for all cyno wants to fuck into him, to feel all of that tight, slippery muscle grasping his cock.
patience. patience. his body aches.
despite his fervent desire, cyno wrests control, and carefully, gently, he works his ring finger in beside his middle, feeling the yield and stretch, the tension, the relaxation. he'll pause at any sign of pain, but his fingers are well-slicked with oil, passing easily into the space that opens for him, and through the haze, cyno tries to remember what he's read, because yes, he's read about this. he'd wanted to come prepared, to have every advantage in pleasing his partner, no matter how new they might be to all of this. and so, he applies his learning, carefully crooking both fingers upward, searching out that sweet little spot, that tender lump, and pressing the pads of his fingers against it. ]
Tell me how it feels.
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